{"article": "The ex-Reading defender denied fraudulent trading charges relating to the Sodje Sports Foundation - a charity to raise money for Nigerian sport. Mr Sodje, 37, is jointly charged with elder brothers Efe, 44, Bright, 50 and Stephen, 42. Appearing at the Old Bailey earlier, all four denied the offence. The charge relates to offences which allegedly took place between 2008 and 2014. Sam, from Kent, Efe and Bright, of Greater Manchester, and Stephen, from Bexley, are due to stand trial in July. They were all released on bail.", "summary": "Former Premier League footballer Sam Sodje has appeared in court alongside three brothers accused of charity fraud."}
{"article": "Voges was forced to retire hurt on 86 after suffering the injury while batting during the County Championship draw with Somerset on 4 June. Middlesex hope to have the Australian back for their T20 Blast game against Hampshire at Lord's on 3 August. The 37-year-old has scored 230 runs in four first-class games this season at an average of 57.50. \"Losing Adam is naturally a blow as he contributes significantly to everything we do,\" director of cricket Angus Fraser said. \"His absence, however, does give opportunities to other players who are desperate to play in the first XI. \"In the past we have coped well without an overseas player and I expect us to do so now.\" Defending county champions Middlesex are sixth in the Division One table, having drawn all four of their matches this season. Voges retired from international cricket in February with a Test batting average of 61.87 from 31 innings, second only to Australian great Sir Donald Bradman's career average of 99.94 from 52 Tests.", "summary": "Middlesex batsman Adam Voges will be out until August after suffering a torn calf muscle in his right leg."}
{"article": "Seven photographs taken in the Norfolk countryside by photographer Josh Olins will appear in the June edition. In her first sitting for a magazine, the duchess is seen looking relaxed and wearing casual clothes. The shoot was in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, where two images are being displayed in the Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition. The duchess, who has a keen interest in photography, has been patron of the National Portrait Gallery since 2012. Nicholas Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery, said: \"Josh has captured the duchess exactly as she is - full of life, with a great sense of humour, thoughtful and intelligent, and in fact, very beautiful.\" He said the images also encapsulated what Vogue had done over the past 100 years - \"to pair the best photographers with the great personalities of the day, in order to reflect broader shifts in culture and society\". Alexandra Shulman, editor-in-chief of British Vogue, said: \"To be able to publish a photographic shoot with the Duchess of Cambridge has been one of my greatest ambitions for the magazine.\" The collaboration for the June edition had resulted in \"a true celebration of our centenary as well as a fitting tribute to a young woman whose interest in both photography and the countryside is well known\", she said. Other royal portraits to have featured in the fashion magazine include Diana, Princess of Wales - who graced the cover four times - and Princess Anne. The duchess is to visit the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery on Wednesday, Kensington Palace said.", "summary": "The Duchess of Cambridge will feature on the cover of British Vogue to mark the magazine's centenary."}
{"article": "Chris Poole - known as \"moot\" online - created the site in 2003. It has gone on to be closely associated with offensive and often illegal activity, including instances where the images of child abuse were shared. It was widely credited as being the first place where leaked images of nude celebrities were posted following 2014's well-publicised security breach affecting Apple's iCloud service. That incident prompted a policy change on the site. However, 4chan has also been the rallying point for many instances of online activism from the likes of Anonymous, the loosely organized hacktivism group. Mr Poole shared news of his new position on blogging site Tumblr. \"When meeting with current and former Googlers, I continually find myself drawn to their intelligence, passion, and enthusiasm - as well as a universal desire to share it with others.\" \"I'm also impressed by Google's commitment to enabling these same talented people to tackle some of the world's most interesting and important problems. He added: \"I can't wait to contribute my own experience from a dozen years of building online communities, and to begin the next chapter of my career at such an incredible company.\" Mr Poole stepped down as the administrator of 4chan in January 2015. Now he is expected to turn his attentions to Google's social networking efforts. His arrival was welcomed by Bradley Horowitz, the head of \"streams, photos and sharing\" at the search giant's floundering social network, Google+. \"I'm thrilled he's joining our team here at Google,\" Mr Horowitz said. \"Welcome Chris!\u00ef\u00bb\u00bf\" Several commentators described the appointment as \"unexpected\" but noted that Mr Poole's expertise with social media could prove useful to the search firm. Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC and on Facebook", "summary": "Google has hired the creator of one of the web's most notorious forums - 4chan."}
{"article": "Four police officers were injured in the incident on Friday night. A man, aged 19, and a boy, aged 16, have been charged with six counts of aggravated vehicle taking. They are due to appear before Belfast Magistrates' Court on Monday. The 19-year-old man has also been charged with driving while disqualified and using a motor vehicle without insurance.", "summary": "Two teenagers have been charged in connection with an incident in west Belfast in which a car collided with two police vehicles."}
{"article": "The injured pedestrian - a young man - is thought to have been walking with a group of people from a graduation ceremony at the Caird Hall. The incident took place on High Street at about 18:00. The man's injuries are believed not to be life-threatening. The driver of the taxi is thought to be uninjured.", "summary": "A pedestrian has been struck by a taxi in Dundee after it mounted the pavement."}
{"article": "Barca will be investigated for alleged misappropriation of funds in the \u00a348.6m (57m euros) deal with Santos. The signing of Neymar has been correct and his signing has caused despair and envy in some of our adversaries Rosell, speaking at a news conference after a Barca board meeting, insisted he had \"acted correctly\". Vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu now takes over from the 49-year-old Rosell, who came to power in 2010. Rosell's future has been a real source of concern ever since a Spanish national court judge accepted a lawsuit this week from Barcelona club member Jordi Cases, who alleged that the amount paid for Neymar was more than the reported fee. Rosell maintains the accusation is \"unfair and reckless\". He added: \"For some time, my family and myself have suffered threats and attacks in silence. These threats and attacks have made me wonder if being president means having to jeopardise my family. \"From the beginning, I have said the signing of Neymar has been correct and his signing has caused despair and envy in some of our adversaries.\" Rosell said he was resigning to spare the club's board of directors from \"unfair attacks\" that could \"negatively affect their management or the image of the club\". He added: \"It has been an honour to serve the Barcelonistas. It's been a privilege to be the president of FC Barcelona.\" Rosell was named Barca president in the summer of 2010 after winning a landslide vote to succeed Joan Laporta, earning 61.34% of a record turn-out of 57,088 voters. He had also been vice-president under Laporta before resigning in 2005.", "summary": "Barcelona football club chief Sandro Rosell has resigned following a Spanish court's decision to look into last year's signing of Brazil star Neymar."}
{"article": "The think tank said the city's 1,536 schools needed to save \u00a3360m in the first year if the government's National Funding Formula (NFF) plan goes ahead. The amount is the equivalent of 12,857 qualified teachers, on an average salary of \u00a328,000. The government said London was the highest funded part of the country. It added that under the plans, which are under consultation, inner-city schools would be allocated 30% more money per pupil than the national average. But London Councils, which represents the city's 32 boroughs and the City, said no school would gain enough funding from the NFF to compensate for increased cost pressures from inflation, higher pension contributions and national insurance. Ministers said the new formula was needed to tackle uneven levels of funding across England, with the best funded areas getting more than \u00a36,300 per pupil per year, while the worst-funded averaging \u00a34,200. It said the funding cut was on top of National Audit Office figures which showed England schools faced an eight per cent real-terms cut per pupil by 2019-20 because it wider cost pressures. In a statement, London Councils said: \"At a time when UK schools are seen as underperforming by international standards, and when businesses based in London are facing massive uncertainty about recruiting skilled staff, there is an urgent need to invest in schools in London and across the rest of the country.\" It added: \"Without the right qualifications and skills, London's children will be unable to access jobs and contribute to the national economy. Over 60% of jobs in inner London require a degree and around 45% of jobs in the rest of the capital require a degree.\"", "summary": "About 70% of London schools could face budget cuts under government plans to change how they are funded, according to London Councils."}
{"article": "His 110 means he has scored 323 runs in a week after an unbeaten 93 against Glamorgan in the One-Day Cup and 120 not out against Kent in the T20 Blast. Tim Murtagh (2-85) reduced Surrey to 23-2 inside the first six overs, before Rory Burns (88) aided the recovery. Burns and Roy put on a 118-run fourth wicket stand as Surrey closed on 384-8. Roy's century was a fine retort against Division One leaders Middlesex, who dismissed the England limited-overs opener for a first-ball duck in the One-Day Cup on Tuesday. After paceman Murtagh removed both Zafar Ansari and Dominic Sibley early on, Surrey's slump continued as James Franklin trapped Aaron Finch (37) to leave them 70-3. Burns helped turn their fortunes around as he hit 15 fours in his 127-ball knock as the visitors seized the initiative. Roy hit 16 fours himself as Surrey edged close to the 400 mark by the end of the first day's play, with Ben Foakes unbeaten on 53.", "summary": "Jason Roy continued his fine form with a second century in six days as Surrey made a strong start with the bat against Middlesex at Lord's."}
{"article": "Ms Kendall told the BBC Labour risked sending a \"resignation letter to the British people as a serious party of government\" by electing Mr Corbyn. Separately, Ms Cooper warned there was a \"serious risk the party will split\" if the left-winger becomes its leader. It comes as Labour begins sending out the first ballot papers to voters. The result of the contest will be announced at a special conference on 12 September. More than 600,000 people have signed up to vote in the four-way contest but Labour has said applications are still being verified. 610,753 total electorate, though this may fall as party removes those not entitled to vote Of which, full party members: 299,755 Affiliated to a trade union: 189,703 Registered to vote by paying \u00c2\u00a33: 121,295 Meanwhile voting in the election for the new Scottish Labour leader ended at midday. Mr Corbyn is due to unveil a 10-point policy plan while in Glasgow later. The popularity of the left-wing Islington North MP, who is promising \"a new kind of politics\", has sparked a row about the future direction of the Labour party. Another leadership contender, Andy Burnham, told the BBC Mr Corbyn's policies \"lack credibility\". \"It's not possible to promise free university education, re-nationalising the utilities, without that coming at a great cost and if you can't explain how that is going to be paid for then I don't think we'll win back the trust of voters on the economy,\" he said. BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins said there had been \"frustration\" in rival camps who accused Mr Burnham of being reluctant to take on Mr Corbyn. This appeared to be his most direct attack yet, he added. But in an interview with Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2, Mr Burnham declined to follow Ms Kendall and Ms Cooper and advise his supporters not to back Mr Corbyn with their second and third preferences. He added: \"People will say if they hear things like that, 'hang on, what do you believe?'\" In an interview with The Independent, Ms Kendall called for voters to mark Ms Cooper or Mr Burnham as second and third preferences, and avoid giving votes to Mr Corbyn. \"I have set out very clearly where I differ with all the candidates but our differences with Jeremy's kind of politics are far greater,\" said Ms Kendall. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme she said she \"can't pretend to be agnostic\" about a victory for Mr Corbyn, saying of the voting process: \"It is an alternative vote system and I want to urge party members to use all of their different preferences. \"I will be using my second and third preferences and I would urge others to do the same because I don't want to see our party go back to the politics of the '80s, just being a party of protest.\" The Leicester West MP also said she did not see the party splitting, as it did in the 1980s when Labour members formed the Social Democratic Party. However, Ms Cooper told BBC 2's Newsnight: \"I think", "summary": "Labour leadership hopefuls Liz Kendall and Yvette Cooper have said their supporters should back anyone other than Jeremy Corbyn in the contest."}
{"article": "The Association of School and College Leaders says England's schools have had to make more than \u00a31bn savings this year, rising to \u00a33bn by 2020. The government says school funding is at a record \u00a340bn, with rises ahead. Education Secretary Justine Greening will hear heads' cash grievances at Friday's ASCL conference in Birmingham. She is due to address the union, which has published a survey of its members on the issue. It suggests schools are finding it difficult to make savings without cutting provision and that things are predicted to get worse over the next two years. Cost pressures are rising as greater pay, pension and national insurance costs are having to be covered from school budgets. ASCL complains a new funding formula for schools has reduced the basic level of school funding going forwards by too much. The meeting comes two days after requests for more money to spend on daily school costs were ignored by the chancellor in the Budget. Philip Hammond however did pledge \u00a3500m for school buildings, mainly new free schools - some of which could be grammar schools. One respondent said his school was moving to a \"bare bones education\", in which \"the components that make education special and enjoyable are being eroded away\". Some 95% of the 1,054 heads, deputies and senior teachers responding to the survey said they had cut back on support services - including equipment and materials, as well as mental health and special needs support. More than eight out of 10 said class sizes had increased - a claim strongly refuted by the Department for Education. And more than two-thirds said they had cut back on activities like clubs and trips. Just under three-quarters of respondents with GCSE-level classes said they had cut courses and just over three-quarters of heads with A-level students said they had also reduced subjects. Foreign modern languages, music, arts and drama were among subjects removed at A-level. Another said: \"Through no fault of their own, students will have restricted subject choices, in larger class sizes with less pastoral support, whilst still being expected to perform at the highest of standards - nonsense!\" One head said his school may have to axe its sixth form provision for next year and another said his school was starting to \"creak\" with all staff working to full capacity. Interim general secretary, Malcolm Trobe, said: \"School leaders will do their utmost to protect provision, as they always do, but they cannot provide everything that is asked of them without the resources they need. \"Unless the government invests more in the education system, there will be a significant impact on the lives and life chances of young people.\" A spokesman for the DfE said: \"As this week's Budget demonstrates, the government is determined to ensure every child has access to a good school place and is given the opportunity to fulfil their potential. \"The government has protected the core schools budget in real terms since 2010, with school funding at its highest level on record at more than \u00a340bn in 2016-17 - and", "summary": "Head teachers say they are axing GCSE and A-level subjects, increasing class sizes and cutting support services as they struggle with school funding."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 2 November 2014 Last updated at 10:11 GMT The BBC's Ireland correspondent, Chris Buckler, reports .", "summary": "As the UK considers greater devolution in the aftermath of Scotland's independence referendum, should a troubled Northern Ireland Assembly push for more powers over its own affairs?"}
{"article": "Ann Barnes dealt with an \"ill-advised\" TV documentary, a probe into her car insurance, and youth commissioners who both had to step away from their role. But she said she judged her time as PCC as a success. She said Kent Police was now target-free, provided quality service and put victims at the heart of its work. \"Apart from one or two things I'd rather not have happened, I've really, really had a good time,\" she said. Referring to incidents that led to adverse headlines, she said: \"You have to accept what life throws at you and deal with it.\" Mrs Barnes, who is not standing for re-election, said the Kent force was recognised nationally after latest HMIC reports. \"[Kent Police] genuinely puts victims at the heart of what it does. There are no targets, people don't chase targets. They just look to do a quality service,\" she said. On her youth commissioner appointments, Mrs Barnes said: \"You can't interview for the unexpected.\" Kent's first youth commissioner Paris Brown resigned over comments she had posted on Twitter, and Kerry Boyd had to stop public engagements while reports of a relationship were investigated. Mrs Barnes said Ms Brown handled things well after making mistakes when younger, and Ms Boyd did a good job and could have continued but turned down an extended contract. After Ms Boyd left, the youth commissioner was not replaced. Mrs Barnes said she was most proud of Kent Police's \"open and transparent\" culture. And she said a new victim centre was providing \"a wraparound service\" to victims and witnesses, and she believed it would become a blueprint for delivering victims' services. Voting for Kent's next PCC will take place on 5 May, with six candidates standing.", "summary": "Kent's outgoing high-profile police and crime commissioner (PCC) has said she is proud of her achievements four years after being elected."}
{"article": "The man grabbed hold of a child's bag outside Heronsgate School in Lichfield Down, Walnut Tree, at about 08:20 GMT on Wednesday. The man said, \"you're coming with me\" before the pupil broke free. \"The incident has been reported to police who are now investigating,\" the school said. The offender is said to be white and in his 30s. He had blonde hair and a scratch on his left cheek. He was wearing blue jeans, a blue-green t-shirt and Converse trainers.", "summary": "A man tried to abduct a boy outside a primary school in Milton Keynes, the school said."}
{"article": "Taylor, 25, joined County in May from Macclesfield, but has yet to start in the league. The move has left Newport with only one goalkeeper in Joe Day, but manager John Sheridan is confident he will quickly fill the vacancy. \"Rhys is too good a goalkeeper to be kept on the bench and not playing football,\" said Sheridan. \"Financially it might enable me to bring someone else in, to try and fill in a different area.\" On Saturday Newport host fourth-placed Northampton Town hoping to win their third game in a row for the first time since last December, 2014. The Exiles are also seeking their first home win since March. Taylor's move means County are currently without a second goalkeeper. Sheridan added: \"Rhys' move to Wrexham happened quickly... but we'll definitely have a keeper by the middle of next week. \"It's only one game. I'm not really worried.\" Sheridan also confirmed that defender Janoi Donacien has extended his loan spell from Aston Villa until January. Donacien has featured in all four games since the Irishman replaced Terry Butcher as manager at the beginning of October. Meanwhile Newport have no injury concerns ahead of Saturday's game.", "summary": "Newport County goalkeeper Rhys Taylor has joined Wrexham on loan until January."}
{"article": "The Derbyshire club, who play in the eighth-tier Northern Premier League Division One North, have lost all 19 league and cup games this season. New Mills have conceded 68 goals while three managers have left since June. \"It's tough but we've got a new squad and the players are starting to gel,\" Millers boss Garry Brown told BBC Radio 5 live's Non League Football Show. Former Norwich City midfielder Keith Briggs took over from Roy Soule, who stepped down in June, but resigned after just 23 days for a job with Sheffield United's academy. Andy Fearn was put in charge in July and appointed former Manchester City striker Shaun Goater as his assistant. But Fearn and Goater lasted just nine league and cup games before resigning after a 7-1 home defeat to Prescot Cables. Brown, who has overseen 10 league and cup defeats, added: \"There's been a lot of changes to the squad and there's only three players still here from when we took over in September. \"There's no budget, it's petrol money these lads are playing for.\" All is not lost for the Millers, who are bottom of the table, 10 points behind Harrogate Railway Athletic, the next team above them. Brown, along with Paul Williams (his assistant at New Mills) and Lee Gregory, last season led Manchester team Wythenshawe Town to an astonishing 39 wins from 39 games played. Bashley, who play in the Southern League Division One South & West, are also without a point after losing all 14 league games this season. But they did manage a win in the FA Trophy preliminary round.", "summary": "If Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho thought he was having a bad time, he should spare a thought for New Mills."}
{"article": "The referendum will take place on 10 March, but Bath Conservative MP Ben Howlett said he was concerned about a \"lack of awareness\" about the issue. Mr Howlett also said he is worried about the public's level of engagement. Bath and North East Somerset Council said the referendum had been publicised in press releases and tweets. It also said it was the subject of a two-page article in the winter edition of the council magazine which was distributed to all households in the region. A further news release and polling cards will also be sent out to all households this week, the authority added. Supporters of the referendum say Bath needs a mayor to give local government more visibility. Directly elected mayors were created by the Local Government Act 2000 as one option for local government, as long as the idea was backed in a referendum. Mr Howlett said he was \"personally concerned\" that an elected mayor was not appropriate for an area \"as diverse\" as Bath and North East Somerset, and that it could \"lead to an increase in the cost of local politics\". \"The level of misinformation on this issue is worrying - many people seem to still believe this is about a mayor of Bath and not understanding it would cover all of Bath and North East Somerset. \"I hope in the coming weeks more information will be forthcoming to enable residents to make an informed decision,\" he added.", "summary": "An MP has criticised \"the level of misinformation\" about a referendum on an elected mayor for Bath and North East Somerset."}
{"article": "More than a dozen men stormed into the Kiwi cafe in the Georgian capital on Sunday evening, the cafe said, shouting and throwing meat at patrons. A brawl erupted but the attackers fled before police arrived. Police are now investigating, and say they have questioned the attackers and cafe staff. Nobody has been arrested. The cafe has appealed for public support, saying it was no prank but a case of intimidation by neo-Nazis. The attackers wore strings of sausages round their necks and threw chunks of meat onto customers' plates, the BBC's Rayhan Demytrie reports from Tbilisi. They are known as the Bergmann group, and a social media page shows their attacks on people of Arab or African origin, our correspondent reports. One photograph shows members making the Nazi salute. The Kiwi cafe is in a traditional part of old Tbilisi, and is popular among young people sporting unconventional hairstyles, tattoos and body piercings. Most Georgians are Orthodox Christians and many see unorthodox lifestyles as a corrupting influence from the West. The cafe said it had drawn some local hostility because of \"the way we look, music that we listen to, ideas we support, and the fact that we don't eat meat\" and backing of causes such as rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. \"During these hard times you can support us just by visiting our cafe, we will be very grateful if you come to show everyone that here are a lot of us who care about the issue!\" the Kiwi cafe said in a statement on Facebook. It later told the BBC it had received strong messages of solidarity - from Georgia and abroad - but that people had also left angry comments trying \"to defend those fascists\". It said it was also appealing for financial contributions to install security cameras in case of repeat incidents. The incident comes amid growing concerns about the rise of far-right nationalism in Georgia. Last week, hundreds of nationalists marched through central Tbilisi - waving Georgian flags and anti-communist banners, reports said - to mark independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Homophobia is also commonplace in Georgia, correspondents say. The country made world headlines in 2013 when a small group of LGBT activists were attacked by a large mob led by an orthodox priest. The cafe statement blames Sunday's incident on the group of men who came into the premises, talking loudly, throwing meat and smoking, and then \"yelling, laughing, and talking to us sarcastically\". These people \"were neo-Nazis... who support fascist ideas\", the cafe said. Some minor injuries were sustained. The police arrived only after the attackers had left, but the cafe said even some of those officers behaved aggressively, \"yelled with anger, said that we are guilty of what had happened\".", "summary": "A vegan cafe in Tbilisi has appealed for public solidarity after being invaded by ultra-nationalists wielding grilled meat and sausages."}
{"article": "The New Zealander made only one unenforced switch, bringing in Rhys Webb for Gareth Davies at scrum-half. Sam Warburton, Alun Wyn Jones and Alex Cuthbert miss out with injuries. \"We wanted to give the players a chance to sort of put behind us a disappointing first half from last week,\" said Gatland. Flanker Justin Tipuric, second row Luke Charteris and Hallam Amos are drafted in to the team in place of the injured players. Dan Lydiate will captain the side in the absence of Warburton and regular stand-in Jones. Gatland said he had shown faith in players who had performed well in earlier matches, a fact he acknowledged was hard on hooker Ken Owens who makes his fourth appearance on the bench in this Six Nations championship. \"He's unlucky, really unlucky,\" he added. \"We felt that [hooker] Scott Baldwin has gone pretty well throughout the campaign. \"Ken has been brilliant for us coming off the bench and I know that's a tag he doesn't want to keep, but he is unlucky not to get a start.\" Scarlets hooker Owens had made 38 appearances for Wales, but started in only eight of those games. Wales go into the match against Italy knowing a win will secure second place in the championship for the first time since it was expended to include six countries. Lydiate will lead Wales for the first time in a Test match, having previously led them in a midweek match against EP Kings on the summer tour of South Africa in 2014. He said it was a \"personal honour for me and my family\" and added his captaincy style was unsophisticated. \"I wouldn't ask someone to do something that I wouldn't do myself, so I'll throw myself in front of a bus so that's what I expect everyone else to do,\" he said. \"There are plenty of leaders and a wealth of experience in the team.\"", "summary": "Wales coach Warren Gatland resisted making more changes to his team against Italy to give his men a chance to make up for their poor start at Twickenham."}
{"article": "Then playing for Walsall, the 24-year-old won his first senior cap for Wales in their defeat by Ukraine in March, giving him the chance to rub shoulders with the duo. Injury dashed his hopes of joining them at Euro 2016, however. \"They constantly want to improve and get better so that's something every footballer should apply to their game,\" Bradshaw told BBC Radio Wales. Media playback is not supported on this device Wales have been buoyed by the success of Arsenal midfielder Ramsey and Real Madrid forward Bale in 2016 as they reached the semi-finals of the European Championships, their first international tournament for 58 years. Bradshaw, who has scored three goals in 19 appearances for the Tykes this season, puts the success of the pair down to two factors. \"You watch them train and you watch them play and you try to pick their brains about how they managed to get to that level,\" he said. \"A lot of it is natural ability and natural talent, but the thing that strikes me is their hunger; their hunger to want to improve even though Gareth's playing for Real Madrid and he's a massive part of his country's team.\" Bradshaw says he was \"gutted\" to miss out on Wales' memorable Euro 2016 campaign after a calf injury ruled him out of contention. The former Aberystwyth Town player has since concentrated on boosting his future Wales hopes by performing well for his new club Barnsley. \"It was incredibly frustrating, with hindsight as well, at how well the lads did,\" he said. \"I was incredibly proud of the boys and how impressive they were at the Euros. I was gutted, but that's football. Unfortunately that was part and parcel of the game. \"But I picked my head up and managed to get a move to the Championship and I'm just trying to improve. It hurt for a while. It took for the majority of that summer for me to get over it. \"I was watching all the games and cheering the lads on from afar, but it was invaluable experience for me to go away to Portugal although I didn't manage to train that much because of the injury, it's all experience that I've enjoyed and hopefully I can put it into good use in the future and hopefully one day I'll get an opportunity again.\"", "summary": "Barnsley striker Tom Bradshaw says every footballer can learn from the examples set by Wales stars Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey."}
{"article": "The trailer concludes with a shot of Vader and the sound of his trademark heavy breathing. Felicity Jones stars in Gareth Edwards' film as the leader of a Rebel mission to steal the plans for the Death Star. The film is set before the time of the first Star Wars film A New Hope, released in 1977, and does not form part of the main series. The two-minute promo, which is different from the one shown at last month's Star Wars Celebration event in London, begins with new character Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) telling Jyn Erso (Jones) that \"the world is coming undone\". \"Imperial flags reign across the galaxy,\" his voice continues over a shot of an Empire vessel floating above a desert landscape. The trailer goes on to show Jyn and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) being told about the mission for which they have been selected. Subsequent scenes feature a new robot character voiced by Alan Tudyk, a blind warrior played by Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen, and an Imperial Walker being struck by a missile. Actress Alyssa Milano, screenwriter Max Landis and DJ Edith Bowman are among those to welcome the new promo on Twitter. US publication Entertainment Weekly, meanwhile, has assembled a frame-by-frame analysis. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be released in the UK on 16 December. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "A new trailer for Star Wars spin-off Rogue One has been released, offering fans a fleeting glimpse of Darth Vader."}
{"article": "John MacIntosh, 46, of Dingwall, must serve at least 10 years in prison after being convicted by a jury of four serious sexual offences. At the High Court in Aberdeen, judge Lord Uist said MacIntosh was a \"sexual fiend\" who targeted vulnerable females. MacIntosh had previously been jailed for seven years for having sex with 13 and 14-year-old girls. The offences heard at the High Court in Aberdeen happened in the Inverness and Dingwall areas between 1996 and 2004. He sexually assaulted and attempted to rape the young girl and raped three women. In his sentencing statement, Lord Uist said: \"You targeted vulnerable females in order to gratify your carnal lust. \"You have called all these women liars and shown no remorse for what you did.\" The judge added: \"It is clear to me that you have no respect for women and are a sexual fiend.\" Lord Uist said MacIntosh should not assume that he would be automatically released after having served 10 years in prison. He said: \"You will be released only when the Parole Board for Scotland is satisfied that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that you continue to be held in prison.\" Police Scotland has welcomed the life sentence. Det Insp Eddie Ross said the case was brought to the attention of police by the NHS. He said: \"During the investigation there was also significant involvement from the local authority in terms of housing and social work support for not only the victims but also their children. \"However, the most important people in all this are the victims and I must pay tribute to them in both coming forward to the police and staying with the prosecution process to conviction. \"I hope that this result will bring some comfort to the victims in this case and give confidence to anyone who has suffered similar experiences to come forward in the knowledge that their case will be sensitively and thoroughly investigated.\"", "summary": "A man who attempted to rape a young girl and raped three women has been jailed for life."}
{"article": "A spokesman for the governor in Nangahar province said an Afghan commando had opened fire on the US troops during a joint operation in Achin. He was shot dead in return fire. Another US soldier was reportedly wounded in the attack. A spokesman for the Taliban said it had carried out the attack. Islamic State militants also operate in the area. Earlier, at least two Afghan policemen were killed by US forces in a so-called friendly fire incident in southern Afghanistan. The deaths are said to have occurred when a US aircraft returned fire during a joint operation in the restive province of Helmand. It is reported to be the first friendly fire incident in Helmand since US Marines returned there in May. Taliban insurgents have made widespread gains in the province. In a statement, the US military apologised for the incident and said that an investigation had been launched. It happened as police were on patrol in volatile Nad Ali district. The dead were members of the Afghan Border Police. Afghan officials told AFP news agency that the policemen were patrolling too close to a Taliban base prior to the attack. They say a number of militants were also killed in the strike. In recent months, the Taliban have captured several districts in Helmand and put provincial capital Lashkar Gah under pressure. The arrival of hundreds of US Marines - following the withdrawal of US troops three years ago - is part of the Nato-led effort to train and assist Afghan forces. They include special forces who conduct separate counter-terrorism operations. Air strikes by US warplanes have risen significantly over the last few months as President Donald Trump and other foreign leaders come under pressure to commit more troops. Afghanistan has been hit by numerous violent attacks in recent weeks with the launch of the Taliban's spring offensive, including a massive bomb attack in the capital, Kabul, that killed more than 150 people.", "summary": "Three US special forces soldiers have been shot dead by an Afghan colleague during an operation in eastern Afghanistan, US officials say."}
{"article": "The tourists were attacked when they were on their way to a temple in the holy town of Pushkar on Monday evening. The woman said her clothes were torn off and her companion was beaten up when he protested and tried to stop the men from attacking her. Pushkar is a popular destination among foreign tourists. The town hosts an annual camel fair. The men who attacked the couple \"were consuming liquor\", Indian media reports quoted superintendent of police Nitindeep Balaggan as saying. \"The goons attempted to molest a woman tourist and tore her clothes off. They inflicted serious injuries upon her male friend when he tried to intervene,\" Mr Balaggan told the Hindustan Times. Indian media reports said the woman was Spanish. The nationality of her companion was not yet clear. Increasing numbers of rapes and attacks are being reported and highlighted in India, prompting widespread outrage. Last year, five men were arrested in Kolkata (Calcutta) and charged with kidnapping and repeatedly raping a Japanese student. In June 2013, a 30-year-old American woman was gang-raped in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh.", "summary": "A foreign couple has been attacked by a group of \"drunk men\" in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, police said."}
{"article": "Cathay is one of the world's biggest cargo airlines, and its decision is expected to have a sizeable impact. Previously, the airline had said it would only transport shark fin that was sustainably sourced. Shark fin is considered a delicacy in Chinese cuisine and is often served as a soup at upmarket banquets. More than 70 million sharks are killed every year, according to WWF figures. Large numbers are exported to Hong Kong, where they are consumed or further exported to mainland China. \"On the issue of shark's fin, with immediate effect we are happy to agree to ban the carriage,\" Cathay Pacific said in a statement on Wednesday. It said it had not approved any shark fin shipments over the last year, pointing out that it had turned down 15 shipment requests for shark-related products. Early reports said the ban extended to all shark products on cargo and passenger flights, but the airline told the BBC it currently applied to shark fin only, Cathay said it would continue to review its policy. Marine conservationists hailed Cathay's decision, with one proclaiming that it would make Hong Kong \"proud\". \"More Hong Kong businesses need to follow the lead,\" Hong Kong-based conservationist Sharon Kwok told AFP. Government data cited by the South China Morning Post shows that shark fin imports to Hong Kong dropped by 42% between 2010 and 2015 to 5,717 tonnes. During this period there was also a significant decline in imports by air. Cathay now joins airlines including British Airways, American Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Emirates in banning shark fin.", "summary": "Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific has announced a ban on shipments of shark fin in a move that has been welcomed by conservationists."}
{"article": "Chester have also made their first summer signing, Solihull Moors striker Harry White, 22, who scored 12 goals in 2016-17, scoring in both of the Midlanders' two wins over City. Shaw, 30, will combine his playing duties with helping boss Jon McCarthy. Chester have also made an offer to coach Chris Iwelumo to remain. The club are hopeful that the 38-year-old much-travelled Scot will continue to combine his coaching role with his media work. On Monday, Chester announced six players would leave but offered deals to Sam Hughes and James Alabi. The club lost their last six league games of the season to finish two points outside the relegation zone.", "summary": "Chester midfielder Tom Shaw has been appointed player-assistant manager at the National League side after signing a new contract at Bumpers Lane."}
{"article": "The 5,500-year-old Neolithic axe was found during archaeological surveys ahead of a multi-billion euro tunnel project. The axe seems to have been jammed into what was once the seabed, perhaps as part of a ritual offering. The lack of oxygen in the clay ground helped preserve the wooden handle. The find was made in Rodbyhavn on the Danish island of Lolland, which is to be connected to the German island of Fehmarn via the tunnel link. \"Finding a hafted [handle-bearing] axe as well preserved as this one is quite amazing,\" said Soren Anker Sorensen, an archaeologist at the Museum Lolland-Falster in Denmark. Archaeologists have found other similarly well preserved organic material in the area during their excavations. These include upright wooden stakes, a paddle, bows and other axe shafts. Axes were vital tools for Stone Age people, who used them for working wood. However, they also played an important role during the introduction of farming to Europe, when the majority of the land was covered by dense forests. The archaeologists suggest that the Neolithic communities of south Lolland may have been using the coast as an offering area. Earlier this month, archaeologists working on the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel scheme announced that they had uncovered 5,000-year-old footprints along the edge of an ancient fish trap excavated at Rodbyhavn.", "summary": "Archaeologists in Denmark have uncovered an incredibly rare find: a stone age axe held within its wooden handle."}
{"article": "Trouble is, the aspen tree itself doesn't like to produce seeds which makes life very difficult for everyone. But last year I visited Shropshire company Forestart and helped them out with their plans to get their aspens in a seed producing mood. Forestart harvests a billion wild tree seeds every year to grow into new trees for planting. You can read a blogpost about their plans here, but here's the general gist. Aspen trees usually reproduce by sending up suckers, thin plants that are clones of the parent tree. That's no good for Forestart who need seeds to grow new aspens. The last time aspens in Scotland flowered and produced seeds was twenty years ago. So Robert Lee from Forestart had a plan. I helped him remove a ring of bark around each of his aspen trees. Not all the way around as that would kill the tree, but a strip about an inch wide round most of the trunk. The idea was to simulate a beaver attack on the tree, stressing the tree out and forcing it to produce flowers and then seeds. Well this week I returned to see if the experiment had worked and an amazing sight greeted me, eight aspen trees all covered in catkins. It's something that you very rarely see in nature. Robert explained to me I'd missed the very best display and a windy day had rather done for the flowers on the male trees but overall it was a remarkable thing to see. It's also really good news for Robert as if all goes to plan he and his team will be able to gather a huge volume of aspen seeds later in the year. Can we be sure it was our intervention that made the difference? Well yes, as Robert cut the bark so that some trees had branches below the exposed part of the tree. Those branches had no flowers, no catkins, while the rest of the tree was laden. It's not totally clear why this worked, it could be the stress as Robert first though or it might be the ring of removed bark blocks the goodness in the aspen leaves from returning to the roots and instead keeps it all in the tree canopy which in turn leads to an eruption of flowers. The trees themselves are healing nicely and while this won't be an annual event it is something Forestart could repeat in the future. Meaning more chances for people who want to plant this most wonderful of our native trees. The only slight cloud on the horizon is if the whole effort is too successful, we get a lot of seeds and the local bird population treat the aspen seeds as a very expensive lunch. Fingers crossed the siskins find something else to eat instead!", "summary": "Aspens are one of our most beautiful native trees and there's a huge demand for seeds to grow new ones for planting."}
{"article": "The hyperbaric chamber, which treats divers with \"the bends\", was operated by St John's Ambulance on a donation basis until it broke in April 2014. The health department replaced it in 2015, but says it needs to \"balance the books\". Diving instructor Steve Bougourd said he was \"gobsmacked\". \"I'm just worried that this kind of cost will put people off of actually going to the [hospital] and notifying them if they suspect a problem,\" he said. \"We may find it's going to be very expensive to get out divers insured.\" In the UK hyperbaric oxygen treatment is covered by the NHS, but Guernsey has its own health care system. Source: NHS Assistant director at Guernsey's health and social care department (HSC) Ed Freestone said renting the chamber was costing the government \u00a360,000 a year. He said the department would not make a profit from the new charges, which were based on \"the average usage that we could identify over the previous few years\". In addition to paying for the training of staff and the maintenance of a 24 hour service, the department had to fund plans to buy its own chamber for about \u00a3250,000, Mr Freestone said. Commercial divers already pay a \u00a3150 notification fee to dive which raises about \u00a310,000 a year, according to HSC. It is a legal requirement to provide a hyperbaric chamber facility for commercial diving activity to take place within Guernsey's 12-mile limit.", "summary": "Divers in Guernsey will be hit with a \u00a330,000 charge if they require treatment for decompression sickness, the government has confirmed."}
{"article": "The International Cricket Council said the 29-year-old is \"required to undergo testing within 14 days\". Eranga, who has taken 53 wickets at an average of 37.47 in 18 Tests, can bowl until the results are known. He had match figures of 0-104 as England won by nine wickets to take a 2-0 lead in the three-Test series. The final match at Lord's starts on 9 June.", "summary": "Sri Lanka seamer Shaminda Eranga was reported for a suspect bowling action in the second-Test defeat by England at Chester-le-Street."}
{"article": "Rajesh Shah, one of the shop's co-owners, told the BBC there would be a new name \"tomorrow or the day after\". Jews in the city of Ahmedabad, where the shop opened last month, said using the Nazi dictator's name was offensive. Israeli diplomats also raised the issue with the Gujarat state government. The owners said they did not know who Adolf Hitler was when the shop opened. Mr Shah told the BBC: \"Yes we are planning to change the name. There has been too much political pressure from the government.\" He said officials had promised compensation for the rebranding of the store, which sells men's clothing, although he said they had provided nothing in writing. His co-owner, Manish Chandani, told AFP news agency they had never intended to glorify Hitler. \"I was not aware of Hitler being responsible for the killings of six million people before the shop's inauguration. This time I will choose a non-controversial name.\" Mr Chandani says the shop's name was a tribute to his grandfather who was nicknamed Hitler because he was \"very strict\". Others saw the name as a marketing gimmick in a country where the former German leader attracts unusual interest in some sections of society. \"I am happy that the store owner decided to change the name. I guess he realised that it was not the right thing to do,\" Orna Sagiv, Israeli consul general in Mumbai, told AFP.", "summary": "The owners of a new Indian clothing store called Hitler say they will rename it after receiving complaints."}
{"article": "IS \"fired at everything that moved\" after entering on Thursday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. A separate IS attack on the north-eastern city of Hassakeh has displaced 60,000 people, the UN says. Kobane became a symbol of Kurdish resistance in January after an IS siege lasting several months was repelled. IS launched an apparent two-pronged offensive on Thursday after Kurdish fighters from the Popular Protection Units (YPG) cut off one of the militants' major supply routes near Raqqa. Raqqa is the de facto capital of the IS \"caliphate\", whose creation IS announced a year ago after it captured large swathes of northern and western Iraq and parts of Syria. \"According to medical sources and Kobane residents, 120 civilians were executed by IS in their homes or killed by the group's rockets or snipers,\" said Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the UK-based Observatory. He said women and children were among the bodies found inside houses and on the streets of the town, which is close to the border with Turkey. He described it as one of the biggest massacres by the group in the country since its offensive began last summer. The militants took the town by surprise when they launched their attack on Thursday, five months after IS was removed by Kurdish fighters backed by US-led coalition strikes. The attack at dawn on Thursday began when militants detonated a car bomb, followed by two more bombings. Reports said some of the militants may have hidden themselves among returning refugees and disguised themselves by wearing Kurdish militia uniforms. In a nearby village, IS reportedly shot dead at least 20 civilians, including women and children. Activists say clashes between some IS militants and the Kurdish YPG forces are continuing in the town. Separately on Friday, the UN said an estimated 50,000 people had been displaced within the city of Hassakeh after another IS offensive there. Another 10,000 have fled northwards towards a town near the Turkish border, it added. Hassakeh, about 270km (180 miles) east of Kobane, has been under the control of both government forces and Kurdish fighters, and IS militants have been trying to capture it for months. Overall, in four years of armed conflict in Syria, more than 200,000 people have lost their lives and more than 11 million others have been forced from their homes.", "summary": "Islamic State (IS) militants have killed more than 120 civilians since launching a fresh attack on the Syrian border town of Kobane, activists say."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old made seven appearances for the Hammers and netted his only goal for them in a Europa League qualification round match against Andorran side FC Lustrains last season. Lee had two loan spells in League One last term, with Blackpool and then Colchester United. He scored twice for the U's but was unable to save them from relegation. The length of Lee's contract with the promoted Tykes has not been revealed. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Barnsley have signed striker Elliot Lee from Premier League club West Ham United for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "Mr Hunter, 64, was knocked down and killed on a road in the Arab state at the weekend. The father-of-two was working as a media consultant for Northern Ireland Co-operation Overseas (NI-CO). The organisation sends local experts to advise state bodies abroad.", "summary": "A man has been arrested by police in Bahrain in connection with the death of former BBC journalist and News Letter editor Austin Hunter."}
{"article": "Energy Minister Fergus Ewing refused permission for the 21-turbine Rowantree development near Oxton last May. He said the decision was based on \"unacceptable environmental impacts\". RWE Innogy UK has submitted scoping plans to Scottish Borders Council for a wind farm of up to 11 turbines in the same location. The proposed development on land north-east and east of Burnhouse Mains farmhouse, between Stow and Fountainhall, will be known as Longmuir Rigg wind farm. A letter lodged with the council states that RWE's new plans for the site take into account the Scottish government's concerns about the Rowantree development. In the correspondence, project manager Christopher McPake states: \"It has sought to reduce or negate the identified significant environmental effects of cumulative noise as well as effects upon landscape character and visual receptors.\" It lays out plans to build between nine and 11 turbines, no more than 130m (426ft) high.", "summary": "Plans have been lodged for a wind farm in the Scottish Borders less than a year after the Scottish government rejected a scheme for the same site."}
{"article": "Eastmond, capped six times, previously played for St Helens and the England rugby league team before switching codes to join Bath in 2011. The 27-year-old made 72 top-flight appearances for Bath, scoring 16 tries, including two last season. \"Kyle has already shown his international class and still has plenty of potential to fulfil,\" Wasps director of rugby Dai Young said. Wasps have not disclosed the details of Eastmond's contract at the Ricoh Arena. He had agreed a new deal at Bath in January. Eastmond, whose last international appearance for England came against South Africa in November 2014, becomes Wasps' 12th signing ahead of the 2016-17 season. \"Kyle is one of the most exciting centres in the Premiership,\" Young told the club website. \"We're really looking forward to adding his talents to an already impressive group of backs at the club.\"", "summary": "Wasps have signed England centre Kyle Eastmond from Premiership rivals Bath."}
{"article": "Mr Mallon said businesswoman Christine Bell and councillor Len Junier had criticised him and his fellow councillors for selling land at Acklam Hall for development. They referred to it as \"dodgy\" on Twitter and at a council meeting. Mayor Mallon said they now had to provide evidence of the claims. The independent mayor said: \"You have two people here who claim the sale of Acklam Hall was dodgy. \"What those people have got to do now is produce the evidence of malpractice, corruption, or criminality and I will give you a cast iron guarantee they will not be able to produce one shred of evidence. \"Now they've actually got to put up or shut up.\" Mr Junier (Independent), who has asked the Secretary of State to investigate the sale of the land, said: \"This was all about me having a duty to ask questions and raise concerns wherever they exist. \"All I want to know is did the taxpayers get the best deal possible for that land?\" The hall was valued at about \u00c2\u00a31m some years ago but Middlesbrough Council has refused to say how much it was sold for. Critics said the 32 acres of land was worth more more than \u00c2\u00a320m. Ms Bell told the BBC she had raised a matter of concern which had not yet been resolved and now awaits the outcome with interest.", "summary": "Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon has referred himself to his council's standards committee in response to accusations a land sale was \"dodgy\"."}
{"article": "The US Commerce Department said the economy grew at an annualised pace of 1.4% in the January-to-March period. The rate was an upward revision from the previous estimate of 1.2%, which itself was an increase from the original reading of 0.7%. However, it still marks a slowdown from the final quarter of 2016, when the economy grew at a rate of 2.1%. The latest growth figure was helped by an increased estimate for growth in consumer spending, which was revised up to a rate of 1.1% from 0.6%. \"The economy is expanding at a solid, if unspectacular pace,\" said Gus Faucher, chief economist at PNC Financial Services. Growth estimates in the first quarter are often weak, a quirk some say is due to the difficulty of measuring the effect of seasonal changes. Thursday's update bolsters the perspective of the Federal Reserve, which increased interest rates in June. Policymakers at the time said they did not believe the slowdown in the first quarter was the start of a trend, pointing to one-off factors, including a relatively mild winter. Stronger-than-expected trade figures published Wednesday also led some to predict better growth in the second quarter. Even so, many say growth for the year is all but certain to fall short of the 3% goal outlined by US President Donald Trump. Mr Faucher forecasts growth around 2.2% for the year. The International Monetary Fund this week cut its forecast for US economic growth, in part citing uncertainty over the chances for tax reform and infrastructure spending, policies that many say could provide an economic boost.", "summary": "The US economy grew at a faster pace than previously thought in the first three months of the year."}
{"article": "Chris Norton, who is uploading the photos to Twitter account @UrineWatch, said he noticed men repeatedly using the wall at his premises as a toilet. The businessman, based in Bradford Street, Walsall, said he was shocked to find it happening up to five times every day. Walsall Council is investigating. More on this story and others from Birmingham and the Black Country Mr Norton, who uses the hashtag #walsallwee, said: \"It's been happening for more than two months and I reported it to the council but nothing happened. \"So I decided I had to take action myself because it was getting very depressing to see. \"I thought it was just happening at weekends, but when I saw the footage it was actually happening up to five times a day.\" Deputy council leader Adrian Andrew said the authority is looking to establish a public space protection order in the town centre to combat anti-social behaviour. \"Officers are gathering information, which includes Mr Norton's evidence, and talking to other businesses in the area and the police to determine our next course of action,\" he said. \"Both myself and the majority of residents in Walsall are proud of this town. We've worked damn hard to attract investment here and I'm not going to allow the behaviour of a few to cause such a stink.\"", "summary": "A podiatrist fed up with men urinating outside his clinic has installed CCTV to catch them in the act and posted the images on social media."}
{"article": "Class-A drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine were among the illegal substances seized, according to the data from police in England and Wales. There were more than 2,000 incidents dating back to 2011, suggest figures from 34 police forces. Teachers described the statistics as a \"worry\" and the \"tip of the iceberg\". The figures were obtained by the Press Association news agency (PA) under the Freedom of Information Act. PA sent Freedom of Information requests to every police force in England and Wales asking how many times illegal drugs had been seized or confiscated from school premises in the period from March 2011 to the end of 2014. The query asked for details of the type and amount of drug involved, its value, the type of school (primary or secondary) and details of who it was seized or confiscated from. Just over three-quarters of forces replied. Of these, 28 forces gave details of the types of drugs involved, 18 forces identified the type of school and 13 the ages of the individuals involved. The data reveals cannabis was involved in 625 of the cases and cocaine in 27. Other drugs confiscated included LSD, amphetamines and ecstasy. Overall there were two cases each of heroin possession at schools in the West Midlands, Surrey and Greater Manchester, plus another in Hertfordshire. Only four incidents involved children under 11. An eight-year-old and a nine-year-old in Staffordshire were caught with cannabis, as was a 10-year-old girl at a Leicester primary school, while another 10-year-old in Greater Manchester was carrying \u00a35 worth of the drug. There were 241 incidents involving 15- to 16-year-olds and 231 incidents involving 11- to 14-year-olds. In Greater Manchester, a 14-year-old was caught with heroin with a street value of \u00a3500, and a 16-year-old with a quantity worth \u00a3330. Other incidents involved parents or school employees, including a school gardener in Humberside and a cleaner at a Manchester primary. The highest number of incidents and offences in the three complete years to March 2014 was for Hampshire with 229 cases. There were 144 incidents in Avon and Somerset and 138 in the West Midlands. South Wales police reported 92 cases. There was a slight year-on-year decrease in the numbers which peaked at 657 in 2011-12 and fell to 611 and 560 in the next two years, while in the period March to December 2014, there were 407 incidents. Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teachers' union, said any incident of drugs on school premises was \"worrying as it will often only be the tip of the iceberg of what young people are encountering on the streets. \"Teachers and school leaders are always alert to the potential for young people being involved in drug or alcohol abuse.\" Ms Keates said many specialist programmes to help schools support and educate young people about substance abuse had been cut in recent years.", "summary": "Hundreds of schoolchildren, among them a pupil of only eight, have been caught with drugs on school premises, new figures reveal."}
{"article": "The Salomon Glen Coe Skyline was one of six races in the 2015 Skyrunning UK calendar. The other events include races in the Lake District in England and Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland. It has been announced that it will be part of the 2016 Skyrunner World Series, which will start in Norway. Other events in the series will be held in China, the USA, Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland and Andorra. The Glen Coe event will be held on 18 September. Joe Symonds, who lives in Glasgow, won the men's race and was first overall in August's inaugural event. He finished the course in a time of seven hours, 36 minutes and 21 seconds. Sweden's Emelie Forsberg won the women's event and was placed second overall with her time of seven hours, 44 minutes and 19 seconds.", "summary": "An endurance race held in Glen Coe for the first time this year will form part of an international mountain running competition next year."}
{"article": "Eighteen men, aged between 19 and 29 and some in prison, are banned from parts of Birmingham and must register phones and vehicles with police. The two-year orders aim to disrupt gang-related violence between the Burger Bar Boys and Johnson Crew. West Midlands Police said it was \"a landmark ruling\". The orders follow a spate of firearms offences in the city in 2015 and 2016, but the gangs have struck fear across parts of Birmingham for many years. They gained notoriety in 2003 when their violent feud claimed the lives of two girls - Letisha Shakespeare and Charlene Ellis - outside a late-night new year party in the city. Four men were later jailed for life for their murders. The gangs have also been behind countless drive-by shootings, drug dealing, intimidation, robberies and kidnappings. After more recent incidents of gun crime in the city, West Midlands Police and the council sought to secure the injunctions in a civil case heard at Birmingham Crown Court earlier this year. The force secured interim injunctions in 2016 and said at the time it did not want to identify anyone until they were permanent. The BBC revealed their names after obtaining the county court documents. More than 80 people from the Home Office and police gave evidence between February and June ahead of the orders being granted in July, which the force has revealed for the first time now. Two have already been issued, three men are being sought by police and three properties were visited by officers on Wednesday. The men are forbidden from associating with each other and entering the city centre, Handsworth, Newtown, Winson Green and Lozells. In a copy of an injunction seen by the BBC, gang members are also banned from appearing in music videos that include material linked to the Burger Bar Boys and Johnson Crew. One such music video was shown during the court proceedings. Ten other men will receive the orders in jail where restrictions will be imposed on certain visitors to limit any gang associations, police said. Among those to be given the injunctions in prison are two men believed to have been the \"armed response\" faction of the Burger Bar Boys. Reial Phillips, 21, from Winson Green was jailed for 27 years last year after seven people were injured in a series of shootings during a feud with members of the Johnson Crew. His co-defendant 23-year-old Ashai Gray, from Walsall, was jailed for nine years after admitting conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin. Police said their actions \"brought fear\" to people in the West Midlands. Gang injunctions came into force in England and Wales in 2011. Home Office figures show that between January 2011 and January 2014, 88 had been put in place. The first one issued in the West Midlands was in 2012. But solicitor Errol Robinson, who represented two of the four men jailed for the new year murders, criticised the move. \"They don't change behaviour or address underlying issues,\" he said. \"Injunctions become a bit of a trophy and encourage rebellion. Gang members", "summary": "Two rival criminal groups have been hit with what police describe as the largest ever gang injunction."}
{"article": "Gary Haggarty, 44, is no longer to be prosecuted for three alleged offences. His lawyers said these relate to possessing explosives and firearms. His legal team are also set to challenge the \"propriety\" of prosecuting a man they say worked as a state agent for some of the remaining 209 counts against him. On Wednesday, Belfast Magistrates' Court was told that a hearing to decide if the suspected UVF commander-turned police informer has a case to answer is scheduled for November. Mr Haggarty has been waiting to discover if he will stand trial since signing an agreement to become an assisting offender under the terms of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (SOCPA) back in 2010. The north Belfast man was charged with 212 charges covering a 16-year period between 1991 and 2007. The prosecution case against him runs to 12,000 pages, with his alleged offences including: Mr Haggarty, whose address is listed as c/o the Police Service of Northern Ireland, is believed to be living at a secret location in England. He was not present for the latest stage in an ongoing court review of the case. Outside court, Mr Haggarty's solicitor said a challenge would be mounted against some of the remaining charges. \"The defence forwarded written submissions to the PPS on 4 May dealing firstly with charges where we say the papers do not disclose a prima facie case, but also charges where there are issues in relation to the propriety of the charges at a time when the defendant was a state agent from 1993-2004,\" he said. \"\"", "summary": "Some charges against a so-called loyalist supergrass accused of a catalogue of murders and paramilitary crimes are to be dropped."}
{"article": "Mr Gargan, 48, was found guilty of eight charges of misconduct but has been allowed to return to work. The Avon and Somerset branch of the federation said it \"cannot envisage\" how the public or police can have \"confidence in his leadership\". Mr Gargan said he understood people had questions and said he would address these. In a statement issued through the Chief Police Officers Staff Association, he said he was \"very much looking forward to returning to work\" and \"beginning the process of rebuilding confidence in the force\". The comments about his return to work were made in an open letter to Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens. Mr Gargan was suspended following allegations of data protection breaches and inappropriate behaviour with women. A panel found him guilty of misconduct - but cleared him of gross misconduct. His suspension was lifted and a phased return to work prepared. Mr Gargan said his actions had \"fallen below the standards expected of a chief constable\". In the letter seen by the BBC, the Police Federation said the chief constable is \"the person that sets the standard of professional behaviour and ethical conduct\" and the role \"must be beyond reproach\" in the eyes of the public and police officers. It said its officers had been asked on a daily basis by \"the communities they serve\" how the chief constable \"can return to work in these circumstances\". The letter ends with the federation calling on the commissioner to \"show strong leadership in dealing with this issue\". Some former members of the force have also criticised Mr Gargan's return. One group of retired officers said the \"debacle\" had caused \"more pain and damage to morale than is imaginable\". Lawrie Lewis, a retired Chief Superintendent, said the force's reputation had been \"severely tarnished\". Sue Mountstevens said: \"The procedure to be followed in relation to the sanction hearing is strictly regulated. \"As with all judicial processes when proceedings are not complete it is not possible to discuss or comment upon them until they have been finalised.\"", "summary": "The Police Federation has expressed a lack of confidence in Avon and Somerset Chief Constable Nick Gargan."}
{"article": "Michael Bryn Jones, 39, from Llandudno, disappeared on 3 April 2016 after going to the door of the Hergest psychiatric unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor. He was found hanging in woodland on 21 June. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) said it has already changed its procedures. An inquest into Mr Jones' death heard he had been a patient at the Hergest unit until a few days before his disappearance and continued to suffer anxiety and paranoia after he left hospital. He turned up at the unit in the early hours of 3 April and was sent to the accident and emergency department but left without booking in or speaking to anyone. Robat Hughes, the senior nurse who spoke to Mr Jones at the unit, told the inquest he regretted not asking him whether he was already having treatment. \"He came to the door and asked to see a doctor, but I said there was no doctor there as she'd gone home sick. I said that if he went to accident and emergency then there were doctors there,\" he said. \"He was relaxed and calm. I didn't know if he was using mental health services and I didn't ask. \"I should have asked if he'd been having treatment. It has been something I've thought about a lot since.\" Dr Stuart Porter, a consultant psychiatrist who reviewed the incident, said: \"Somebody should have taken Michael Bryn Jones to accident and emergency. It's also good practice to follow that up with a phone call.\" In a statement, BCUHB said it offered \"sincere condolences\" to Mr Jones' family and \"fully accepted\" the coroner's findings. \"We have carried out our own thorough investigation, in conjunction with Michael's family, and as a result we have made changes to service provision,\" it added. Recording a conclusion of suicide, coroner Nicola Jones said: \"There should have been more effort to persuade [Mr Jones] to come into the Hergest unit for a full assessment of his condition. \"He went to that unit looking for help, and he didn't get it.\"", "summary": "A man who went missing after going to hospital with mental health problems should have been given more help, a coroner has said."}
{"article": "Wholesale prices have dropped and motoring organisations have suggested this merits reduced pump prices. Tesco and Morrisons are cutting prices by 2p a litre on Friday, and Asda and Sainsbury's said they would reduce prices by up to 2p a litre on Saturday. But drivers are being warned that prices can vary in different areas. The average UK price for a litre of unleaded petrol was 118.83p on Thursday, and 120.88p for a litre of diesel, according to the latest figures from Experian Catalist. Ten days earlier, the average unleaded price was 120p a litre, and diesel cost 122.06p. The oil price and wholesale prices fell sharply at the start of March, and motoring organisations have argued that this should have been feeding through to another 2p cut per litre in prices at the pumps. The RAC said motorists could feel \"aggrieved\" that prices had not fallen further, earlier. Asda said it had dropped prices twice in two weeks, and had a national price cap to ensure motorists were dealt with equitably. Morrisons said it had also made a second cut in two weeks. Tesco is dropping petrol and diesel prices by 2p a litre over the course of Friday afternoon at all its outlets, followed by Sainsbury's on Saturday. Luke Bosdet, of the AA, said that there was general concern that so-called supermarket fuel price wars did not actually benefit all drivers across the country. He claimed prices fell the most in areas where there were a range of supermarkets located close to each other. In other areas with less competition, the same cuts were not as likely to be seen. \"We would urge motorists to look around to find a better price. There are petrol price apps that can help,\" he said.", "summary": "Motorists will see an acceleration in fuel price cuts over the weekend as supermarkets take up to 2p off a litre of petrol and diesel."}
{"article": "More than 5,500 people signed a petition against plans to build a five-metre embankment along the waterfront. However, the council has admitted that there will never be a consensus on any flood protection proposal. A report to a meeting of Dumfries and Galloway Council's environment committee next week will attempt to find a way forward. What's happening in Scotland? Keep in touch through our live page. Chairman Colin Smyth said: \"What we are now able to do is focus on what I think is the biggest issue as far as the public is concerned. In the draft proposal, the height of the embankment and the walls were simply too high and the public did not support that. \"What we now need to do is make sure that we find a solution that deals with the flooding, regenerates the Whitesands, solves the car parking issues, but also reduces the height of any proposed flood protection scheme.\" Water from the River Nith regularly spills over into the Whitesands, flooding a major town centre car park and nearby business premises. Campaigners against the \u00c2\u00a315m proposal to build an embankment claimed it would have a detrimental effect on the town's main beauty spots. They also raised concerns that the move would lead to the loss of about 200 waterfront car parking spaces. David Slater, a local businessman who has been one of the project's most vocal objectors, said: \"However many other consultations they do now, public opinion will not change at this stage. \"It will be interesting to see how they can agree with the public to reduce the height of the bunds. There has to be better ideas because we can't put that in our town.\" Earlier this year MSPs called for the row over the flood protection plans to be brought to a \"positive conclusion\".", "summary": "Senior councillors in Dumfries have pledged to find a compromise solution to the Whitesands flooding problem."}
{"article": "The towns of Virginia Water and Cobham, in Surrey, have become Britain's first million pound towns - where average house prices are more than \u00a31m. Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire is also in the millionaire's club, according to research by Lloyds Bank. They are the first towns outside London where prices have hit seven figures. The research was based on data from the Land Registry for the first half of 2015. Prices in Virginia Water - home to the likes of Sir Cliff Richard and Sir Bruce Forsyth - average no less than \u00a31.169m, making it Britain's most expensive town outside the capital. No wonder that the town's famous golf course, Wentworth, feels able to charge joining fees of \u00a3125,000. That is on top of the annual membership fee of \u00a316,000. Cobham - familiar to Chelsea footballers and their WAGS - has average prices of \u00a31.043m. And anyone wanting to buy in Beaconsfield can expect to pay \u00a31.003m. \"We're seeing the emergence of towns where the average price is at least \u00a31 million,\" said Sarah Deaves, private banking director at Lloyds Bank. \"Whilst there are several London neighbourhoods where prices are already at this elevated level, outside of the capital this is a first.\" However the figures also show a sharp slow-down in the number of homes sold for more than \u00a31m. In the first half of 2015 there were 5,599 such sales, down from 6,303 in 2014. That amounts to an 11% fall. One reason for that is the change in Stamp Duty rates, introduced in December 2014. The buyer of a \u00a31m house will now pay \u00a343,750 in Stamp Duty, up from \u00a340,000 previously.", "summary": "One has a golf course that charges \u00a3125,000 to become a member, and the other has a post office said to stock bottles of Bollinger and Dom Perignon."}
{"article": "Shueb Salar is alleged to have posted abusive language about women and homosexuals on Twitter, in 2012. An investigation will be carried out into the \"serious issues\", said a spokesman for Labour candidate Mr Khan, an ex-shadow minister. Mr Salar, who has not commented, started working for Mr Khan in 2014. In light of the posts, cabinet minister Chris Grayling questioned Mr Khan's judgement in employing Mr Salar. \"'These comments have absolutely no place in modern society,\" the leader of the House of Commons said. \"The mayor of London makes a large number of decisions about who to hire and how to spend public funds: his record shows Sadiq Khan can't make those decisions in a way that stands up for Londoners.\" Mr Khan is tipped by the bookies to become London's next mayor on 5 May, beating his Tory rival Zac Goldsmith. A spokesman said: \"Clearly these are serious issues. Shueb Salar has been suspended from Sadiq Khan's parliamentary office pending an investigation.\"", "summary": "One of London mayoral hopeful Sadiq Khan's aides has been suspended after offensive social media messages were published."}
{"article": "Wiltshire Police said it happened just before 1800 BST on Wednesday at the junction with High Street in Codford. The motorbike was travelling south towards Salisbury when it was in collision with the car, police said. The motorcycle rider was a 49-year-old man and the car driver was a 61-year-old man. Both were local, and were pronounced dead at the scene. The road was closed for six hours while police carried out an investigation.", "summary": "A motorcyclist and a car driver have been killed in a crash on the A36 near Warminster."}
{"article": "The hoard, which includes silver pennies dating back to the 10th and 11th centuries, was discovered by Walter Hanks in Llandwrog in March. National Museum Wales said some of the coins were made under the ruler Sihtric Anlafsson and were a type rarely found on the British mainland. It said they were likely to have been hidden or lost between 1020 and 1030. Dr Mark Redknap, of the department of history and archaeology at National Museum Wales, said the mixed nature of the collection showed bullion played an active role in the 11th Century economy and gave an idea of the wealth of Gwynedd at the time. The museum now hopes to buy the coins and put them on display.", "summary": "Viking coins and ingots found by a metal detectorist in Gwynedd have been declared treasure by a coroner."}
{"article": "Eren Hasyer had denied attempting to aid the escape of Izzet Eren as he was being driven to Wood Green Crown Court in a custody van. Accomplice Jermaine Baker was shot dead by police during the escape attempt in December 2015. Jurors at Woolwich Crown Court cleared Hasyer, 25, of a firearms charge. Izzet Eren was being held on remand at HMP Wormwood Scrubs accused of gun offences when he arranged for a gang to spring him from the van en-route to a hearing, Woolwich Crown Court was earlier told. Jurors heard the prisoner hatched the escape plot from his cell using a smuggled mobile phone and the attempted breakout took place on 11 December, in what the prosecutor described as a carefully thought out and professional crime. Ozcan Eren, 31, changed his plea and admitted his part in the plot after the trial opened. Two other men, Nathan Mason and Gokay Sogucakli, admitted being part of the escape plot before the trial began. A separate investigation into the death of Jermaine Baker is ongoing. Det Ch Supt Tom Manson Met Police said: \"This was a bold, well planned and carefully thought out conspiracy that bears all the hallmarks of a professional crime. \"They put in place anti-surveillance techniques; their own surveillance 'unit' and a command structure to run the operation.\"", "summary": "The final member of a gang which launched a failed bid to free a prisoner - during which one accomplice was killed - has been found guilty."}
{"article": "They describe it as a kind of \"jet stream\" - a fast-flowing river of liquid iron that is surging westwards under Alaska and Siberia. The moving mass of metal has been inferred from measurements made by Europe\u2019s Swarm satellites. This trio of spacecraft are currently mapping Earth's magnetic field to try to understand its fundamental workings. The scientists say the jet is the best explanation for the patches of concentrated field strength that the satellites observe in the northern hemisphere. \"This jet of liquid iron is moving at about fifty kilometres per year,\" explained Dr Chris Finlay from the National Space Institute at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU Space). \u201cThat might not sound like a lot to you on Earth's surface, but you have to remember this a very dense liquid metal and it takes a huge amount of energy to move this thing around and that's probably the fastest motion we have anywhere within the solid Earth,\u201d he told BBC News. Dr Finlay was speaking here at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in San Francisco, just ahead of the official publication of the research in the journal Nature Geoscience. Most people will be familiar with the atmospheric jet stream - the high-altitude, rapidly flowing belt of air on which aeroplanes ride to get to their destination more quickly. Dr Finlay and colleagues want us to envision something similar but made of metal and 3,000km down, under our feet. They assess the jet to be about 420km wide, and say it wraps half-way around the planet. Its behaviour will be critical to the generation and maintenance of the global magnetic field, they add. \u201cIt's likely that the jet stream has been in play for hundreds of millions of years,\" said Dr Phil Livermore from Leeds University, UK, and the lead author on the journal paper. In the paper, the team puts forward a model to explain the jet. The scientists say the feature probably aligns to a boundary between two different regions in the core. They call this boundary the \"tangent cylinder\". They imagine this as a tube sitting around the solid inner core, running along Earth\u2019s rotation axis. When liquid iron approaches the boundary from both sides, it gets squeezed out sideways to form the jet, which then hugs the imaginary tube. \"Of course, you need a force to move fluid towards the tangent cylinder,\" said Prof Rainer Hollerbach, also from Leeds and another co-author on the paper. \"This could be provided by buoyancy, or perhaps more likely from changes in the magnetic field within the core.\" Although the team believes it understands how wide and how long the jet is, the depth to which it descends is far from certain. Dr Livermore told BBC News: \"It currently wraps about 180 degrees around the tangent cylinder. Although observations only constrain the jet stream on the edge of the core, our theoretical understanding suggests that the jet could in principle go very deep indeed - possibly in fact all the way down to the edge of the core in the", "summary": "Scientists say they have identified a remarkable new feature in Earth\u2019s molten outer core."}
{"article": "The Dons turned down an undisclosed bid for the 29-year-old, who has made 22 appearances this season, on Friday. \"It's one of those things. You put a value on a player and that's what happens,\" Warnock told BBC Radio Wales Sport. \"We are just weighing up two or three other players at the moment to see what we're going to do.\" He continued: \"We try to keep away from the last-minute deadline but I'm afraid it's always there. There's a possibility that we might make another offer.\" Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes says he has told Cardiff to \"be serious\" with regard to the fee if they wish to pursue their interest in Hayes. Meanwhile, Warnock revealed he was in talks to bring a Premier League goalkeeper to the Cardiff City Stadium, and said he would not have sanctioned former keeper David Marshall's move to Hull City last summer. \"If I had been here all season I would have desperately gone out of my way to make sure he didn't leave,\" he added. \"We lost two goalkeepers on the last day [of the transfer window] and didn't recruit anybody, which has really snookered me really. \"I've been looking to get a permanent goalkeeper in now, I've made two offers for players which have both been turned town and now I'm trying to get somebody on loan from the Premier League.\"", "summary": "Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock says the club may make another offer for Aberdeen winger Jonny Hayes."}
{"article": "The back-row forward, a product of the Chiefs' academy, has spent time on a dual registration deal at Championship side Cornish Pirates this year. Simmonds, 22, will make his first Premiership appearance for Exeter against Wasps on Sunday. \"He has shown an awful lot of very, very good qualities,\" said head coach Rob Baxter.", "summary": "Exeter Chiefs forward Sam Simmonds has signed a new two-year deal with the Premiership club."}
{"article": "Scotland's National Action Plan for Human Rights has been developed after four years of research by the Scottish Human Rights Commission. The plan aims to improve human rights protection in Scotland. The commission's evidence suggests basic rights are not consistently promoted, respected or protected in people's every day lives. The Scottish government, the NHS, Amnesty International and various other organisations including trade unions and local authorities were involved in creating the action plan. Areas of concern when drawing up the document included: care, disability rights, health, criminal justice and business. Commitments have been made by the bodies behind the plan to integrate human rights more closely into their work. Commission chair Professor Alan Miller said: \"Today, International Human Rights Day, Scotland is taking a big step towards building a country where everyone can live a life of human dignity. \"The Scottish Parliament has human rights at its heart, it created the Scottish Human Rights Commission and today Scotland's first National Action Plan for Human Rights is launched as the next step on Scotland's journey to progressively realise internationally agreed human rights for the benefit of everyone.\" Although this is the first human rights action plan in the UK, they do exist in other countries, such as Sweden, Spain, New Zealand and Australia. Nils Muiznieks, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights said: \"Scotland's National Action Plan for Human Rights is a bold venture which aims to bring human rights home in people's everyday life. \"It signals a strong commitment to internationally agreed human rights standards which is particularly significant in the current context of economic crisis and austerity.\" Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: \"The plan is an important milestone in our journey to create a Scotland which acts as a beacon of progress internationally. \"We will continue to work with the Scottish Human Rights Commission to make rights a reality for all in Scotland, in keeping with the importance this Government has long attached to human dignity, equality and fairness and the pursuit of social justice.\"", "summary": "A human rights action plan has been launched in Scotland, in a move described as a \"UK first\"."}
{"article": "Tevez, 31, started his career at Boca before leaving in 2004 and returns to Argentina after nine years in Europe. Former Manchester United, Manchester City and West Ham forward Tevez struck 20 Serie A goals last season and had been linked with Liverpool, Atletico Madrid and Paris St-Germain. Juventus had already replaced Tevez with Mario Mandzukic from Atletico. Boca Juniors confirmed the transfer while Tevez was on the bench for the Copa America quarter-final against Colombia. Shortly after the announcement was made, Tevez came on to score the winning penalty in a shootout to send Argentina into the last four. Boca president Daniel Angelici said: \"It is a day of joy and great satisfaction. The return of Carlos Tevez in an extraordinary moment of his career is fantastic news for all partners and supporters of Boca and Argentine football. The presence of Carlos will give another leap in quality to the great squad we have.\" Tevez, who has won three league titles in England and two in Italy, scored 38 goals in 110 games during his first spell at Boca, where he won the league in 2003 and was voted South American Player of the Year for three straight seasons. He left for Brazilian side Corinthians before the 2005 season, and moved to West Ham the following year. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Argentina striker Carlos Tevez has completed his move back to Boca Juniors from Italian champions Juventus."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device A day before turning 43, the oldest rider in the event beat Russian Olga Zabelinskaya, who returned from a doping ban last year, by 5.55 seconds. Dutch rider Anna van der Breggen, winner of the road race, took bronze. Great Britain's Emma Pooley, who, like Armstrong, came out of retirement to compete in Rio, finished 14th. Find out how to get into cycling with our special guide. Pooley, 33, told BBC Radio 5 live she \"struggled with the blustery crosswind\" on the hilly 29,7km course. \"The weather was a bit different to what we expected,\" she said. \"I had to ditch my visor halfway round because it got steamed up. \"Some people are just better at cornering in the wet, I guess.\" Armstrong became the first person to win the same road cycling event at three Olympics. Having won the time trial at Beijing 2008, she retired in 2009 to start a family before returning to win gold at London 2012 and retiring again. Media playback is not supported on this device Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "American Kristin Armstrong won the Olympic women's road time trial for the third time in succession with victory in Rio."}
{"article": "Will he be less outspoken? Will he temper his Twitter tirades? Will he back down from his calls for a Muslim ban? Maybe. Maybe not. But there are some significant ways Mr Trump is already altering his campaign strategy - sometimes in direct conflict with promises and assertions he made during his long, successful race to the top of the Republican Party. Here are five. Mr Trump has repeatedly boasted that he was paying for his campaign out of his own personal fortune. \"By self-funding my campaign, I am not controlled by my donors, special interests or lobbyists,\" he posted on Facebook back in September. \"I am only working for the people of the US!\" Even though that's not exactly true - Mr Trump was loaning his campaign money and could someday pay it back, in addition to raising funds through donations - it was a central part of his pitch to those put off by the current political system. Now, however, all pretence is gone. Mr Trump announced he's hired a veteran money man - a former Goldman Sachs partner, no less - as his national finance chairman. And on Tuesday he reached an agreement with the Republican Party to conduct joint fundraising through a network of committees that can take donations of up to $449,400 (\u00c2\u00a3307,850) per person. Mr Trump's move is an acknowledgement that he would be hard-pressed to self-finance a general election campaign, which could cost more than $1bn. He's wealthy - but he's not that wealthy. Mr Trump has repeatedly insisted campaign-funded opinion polls are a waste of money. \"I don't have pollsters,\" he said last August. \"I don't want to be unreal. I want to be me. I have to be me. You know, we have enough of that in Washington, with pollsters telling everybody what to say and everybody being controlled by the special interests, and the lobbyists, et cetera, and the donors.\" In fact, Mr Trump was dismissive of the whole idea of data-driven campaigns - including President Barack Obama's winning presidential bids. \"Obama got the votes much more so than his data processing machine, and I think the same is true with me,\" he told the Associated Press. That was before the Trump campaign hired Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio, a veteran of the presidential campaigns of Rand Paul, Rick Perry and Bob Dole and a host of other state-level candidates. Accurate, focused polling can serve as a presidential campaign's eyes and ears. It provides detailed information that helps a candidate's team determine where and how to spend resources. At least that's what high-paid professional political pollsters will tell their candidates. And now Donald Trump is listening. Like many Republicans, Mr Trump loved to make fun of Mr Obama's reliance on Teleprompters during public events. \"I've always said, if you run for president, you shouldn't be allowed to use Teleprompters,\" he said in October. \"Because you don't even know if the guy's smart.\" Part of Mr Trump's appeal was his off-the-cuff style. He could say anything at any time, no matter how controversial -", "summary": "Donald Trump has effectively won the Republican presidential nomination, leaving pundits and analysts wondering if a rhetorical \"pivot\" to a general election campaign is in the works."}
{"article": "The girl suffered injuries to her head, arm and leg in the incident in July 2014, Plymouth Crown Court heard. Christopher Budd, 20, of Trelawney Gardens, Liskeard, Cornwall, and Ryan Swaddling, 23, from Cleeve Drive, Ivybridge, Devon, both deny dangerous driving. About 200 people attended the event. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: \"I thought I was going to die. You could hear screaming. I felt my head and I had a massive bump on it.\" She added: \"You could hear bodies bang against the car.\" Another teenager told the court a car drove over her leg at the meet. The 17 injured, aged between 12 and 20, were among a crowd watching cars at the B&Q car park in Tavistock Road on 26 July. One witness told the court: \"I fell to the floor and the car went over my leg. I don't remember how I hit my head. I remember everyone looking at me and blood pouring from my head.\" Another witness said the vehicles were seeing how fast they could get to a speed bump and trying to create smoke from their tyres. He added there was one girl on the floor and there was \"blood everywhere\" after the crash. The trial continues.", "summary": "A teenager said she thought she was \"going to die\" after being hit by a car that collided with a crowd of people at a \"cruising\" event in Plymouth."}
{"article": "The double reception was first proposed by the SDLP at the end of last year, to celebrate both teams reaching the finals of the Euro 2016 competition. Unionists objected, saying the council had already held a civic reception for the Northern Ireland team in November. Unionist amendments to expand the invite to other UK teams were defeated. An amendment put forward by Ulster Unionist councillor Jim Rodgers to invite all four teams from England, Wales, Northern Ireland the Republic of Ireland was defeated by 33 votes to 20. Unionist councillors also proposed sending letters of congratulation to all teams from the British Isles who qualified for the Euro 2016 finals, but this amendment was also voted down.", "summary": "Belfast City Council has voted to invite both the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland football teams to a civic reception at Belfast City Hall."}
{"article": "20 July 2016 Last updated at 08:43 BST Better education, the availability of drugs that fight the spread of the virus and the prevention of HIV transmission to newborn babies have all played a role. But it is proving stubborn to get rid of. As South Africa hosts a major HIV-Aids conference, the BBC's Karen Allen has been to one of the country's HIV hot spots in KwaZulu-Natal.", "summary": "Remarkable progress has been made in reducing the rate of growth in new HIV infections - the virus that causes Aids."}
{"article": "Their quartet of Marcus Hellner, Lars Nelson, Johan Olsson and Daniel Richardson led from start to finish and completed the course in one hour 28 minutes 42 seconds. The battle for silver and bronze was won by Russia - who were watched by President Vladimir Putin. The bronze was taken by France - their first medal in the event. A day after their women's team came from behind to earn a narrow relay victory, Sweden's anchor Hellner skied alone for the entire fourth leg and grabbed a Swedish flag to wave as he entered the stadium and proceeded unchallenged down the final straight. Hellner started the final leg with a 14-second lead over Russia's Maxim Vylegzhanin and quickly extended the gap, eventually winning by 27.3 seconds. It was another disappointing day for Norway, who had fallen a minute behind by the second exchange and ended up fourth, a day after their heavily favoured women also failed to get a medal.", "summary": "Defending champions Sweden took gold in the men's cross country 4x10km relay at the Winter Olympics in Sochi."}
{"article": "At Turf Moor on Saturday, Burnley and West Brom played out a game in which the ball was in play for only 160 seconds more than it was out. Though these are early days, no Premier League match so far this season has seen less action. Two months ago, football's lawmakers revealed they were considering scrapping 45-minute halves, instead introducing two periods of 30 minutes, during which the clock would be stopped every time the ball went out. The proposal, the International Football Association Board said, was one of a number of options to deter football's \"negativities\". So would the rule have benefited supporters at Premier League matches so far this season? In a word, yes. Of 19 top-flight games across the opening two weekends of the campaign, the ball has been in play for more than an hour in only two of them. And no game has featured more than 61 minutes of play. Food for thought for fans and lawmakers alike. Here's the rest of the key Premier League statistics from the weekend. It was a landmark weekend for Wayne Rooney as he joined Alan Shearer in the 200 Premier League goals club with his strike against Manchester City on Monday. Here's how and when he has scored them. Rooney has some way to go to beat former Newcastle and Blackburn striker Shearer's record of 260 goals, although his goal at Etihad Stadium was his fifth in his past eight Premier League games. If he can keep that up then who knows... ... try, try again? Well doing just that doesn't appear to be yielding results in the Premier League so far this season. Harry Kane must have some sort of pox on him that prevents him from scoring in August, and it's hard not to sympathise as everything conspired to deny him a goal against Chelsea on Sunday. He's attempted 14 shots so far this term - no player has managed more - all without reward. \"Obviously my decision not to read the British press was one of the best I ever made in my life.\" Judging by the above quote, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was perhaps getting a little tired of the criticism of his side's defending before they beat Crystal Palace 1-0 on Saturday. It was a welcome clean sheet after the Reds conceded three in their Premier League opener against Watford and then let in a late goal in the midweek 2-1 Champions League play-off win at Hoffenheim. But is their defence really a problem? On the face of it, the statistics suggest it is. No team has made more errors that have led to goals than Liverpool since 2012, while the Reds have not managed to concede fewer than 40 goals a season since 2009-10. A concern, no doubt, for a side with title ambitions. Only once in the past seven seasons has the Premier League been won by a side that has shipped 40 goals or more - Manchester United in 2012-13 (43). However, things appear to be going in the right direction under", "summary": "A 90-minute match but only 47 minutes and 40 seconds of actual football."}
{"article": "Twenty years ago today, Craig Brown's side faced England at Wembley at Euro 96 and encountered the kind of cruel fate that leaves a lasting regret. Scotland were undone by misfortune and brilliance; two momentary interventions that extinguished their hopes. The performance overall was not bereft, which was in keeping with the tournament as a whole since Brown's team drew 0-0 with the Netherlands in the opening match and went on to defeat Switzerland 1-0. Even so, the game still stands out in the long history of encounters between the Auld Enemy, for its circumstances, its drama and, to an extent, its heartache. England needed to recover from a disappointing 1-1 draw with Switzerland in their opening game that exacerbated the criticism of the players. Manager Terry Venables had taken the squad to Hong Kong prior to the tournament, where some were pictured out drinking heavily. Damage caused to the plane on the journey home brought further condemnation, while also building a siege mentality amongst the players and Venables, who had already announced he would be standing down after Euro 96 and would be succeeded by Glenn Hoddle. Scotland were buoyed by holding the Dutch to a draw and although underdogs at Wembley, there was no sense of inferiority. Of the team that started the match, Colin Calderwood was at Tottenham, Colin Hendry had won the Premier League the year before with Blackburn (alongside England striker Alan Shearer), Gary McAllister was at Leeds and John Spencer was at Chelsea. The rest of the team was made up of players from Aberdeen, Celtic and Rangers. For Scotland, naturally, the tie stirred memories of past excursions to Wembley and the fans mobilised en masse to London with a sense of living up to the zealous spirit of their predecessors. The occasion worked with and against Scotland, though, since the England players were fired up by the historical significance of the game as much as the need to establish their worth at Euro 96. Before kick-off, England full-back Stuart Pearce could barely look at the Scots as they shook hands. \"You've got no friends when you play against a team like that,\" he later recalled. It was a measure of Scotland's first-half performance that England used the interval to change their line-up. The game was still tied at 0-0, which suited Brown's side because the longer the game remained in the balance, the more doubt would enter the minds of the England players. Venables was too wily to be outfoxed, though. Recognising that his side was not dominating possession enough to threaten, he brought on midfielder Jamie Redknapp at half-time. Eight minutes into the second half, Redknapp was involved in the move that resulted in Gary Neville crossing for Shearer to open the scoring with a header. Scotland were not subdued by the goal, and Gordon Durie's header forced David Seaman to desperately claw the ball away. Durie was involved in the next key moment, when he reached Stuart McCall's cross ahead of Tony Adams and was knocked over by the Arsenal defender's sliding challenge.", "summary": "It remains a game that Scotland cannot escape."}
{"article": "The project, called Historical Dances in an Antique Setting, is the work of Argentine artist Pablo Bronstein. Three classically-trained dancers will be seen weaving up and down the Duveen Galleries \"striking elegant and refined poses\". The free installation opens on Tuesday with live performances from 1100-1700. It runs until 9 October. Bronstein's work also features two large-scale architectural structures which are overlaid with images of Tate Britain's exterior architecture. The effect is described as \"visually turning the gallery inside out\". \"Grand architecture is one of the things I'm most interested in, so it was a rare opportunity to be able to create work in such a unique setting as the Duveen Galleries,\" Bronstein said. \"The commission also presented a perfect and challenging opportunity to work with performance on a large scale.\" Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson said: \"Pablo Bronstein's work consistently makes for deliciously jarring encounters between past and present, and between art and society. It's fantastic to see his work come to life in the aesthetic and institutional grandeur of Tate Britain's Duveen Galleries.\"", "summary": "A trio of dancers are to perform inside Tate Britain as part of the London gallery's latest commission."}
{"article": "A application has been submitted to extend the Advanced Manufacturing and Research Centre Campus (AMRC) on the site of the old Sheffield Airport. The centre is already home to a number of high technology companies, including a \u00a3110m Rolls Royce jet engine factory. If approved, the new site would be developed over the next 10 years. Located on the Rotherham and Sheffield border, the site closed to commercial flying in 2008, although it is still the base for South Yorkshire Police's helicopter. The business park, which is home to a training centre and a nuclear research facility, opened in 2012. A new \u00a343m \"flexible factory\" is being built in a partnership between the University of Sheffield and companies including Boeing. As well as new research facilities, offices and workspaces would be also be built. James Newman, chairman of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, said he hoped the expansion would encourage more businesses to invest in the area. \"They will be right in the nerve centre of advanced manufacturing,\" he said. \"All around them will be people doing top research in nuclear, in aerospace and in other high-tech industries.\" \"If we can bring high-tech jobs then that's what we want.\"", "summary": "Plans to expand a University of Sheffield research centre could create more than 1,800 new jobs, it has been claimed."}
{"article": "The 17-year-old, who cannot be named, committed the offence while on a community payback order he received for having sex with a 12-year-old girl when he was 14. A court heard that he had sex with the 13-year-old in the grounds of Dundee and Angus College. The meeting was arranged on Snapchat. Dundee Sheriff Court heard how the pair had met through mutual friends in 2015 but there was no contact between them until June 2016 when he added her on the social networking app. Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson said that when they met they chatted for some time and the accused was immediately affectionate towards the girl, kissing and cuddling her. \"He told her he had been 'choking to go with her' and they then walked towards the college,\" Ms Robertson said. \"He repeatedly asked her if she would have sex with him, and when in the grounds of the college he said 'have sex with me there' and pointed to a grassy area. \"They went there and had sex, after which he stood up and said he had to leave.\" The girl's mother picked her up before the 13-year-old told her what had happened the next day. She then told a counsellor who called in police. The teenager was given a community payback order last year for his previous sex offence conviction. Sheriff Alastair Carmichael told him that custody was the only option this time because he did not appear to have learned from his previous community sentence. The 17-year-old pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act. Defence solicitor Katrina Clark urged the court to impose a second community payback order instead of a jail term. She said: \"He's aware he faces more time in custody. \"The more effective way forward for him would be through the intensive project outlined for him in the social work reports. That wouldn't be an easy option. \"This could be dealt with by a non-custodial sentence due to his age, the period he has spent in custody on remand and his acceptance of his guilt at an early stage.\" Sheriff Alastair Carmichael imposed a one-year sentence of detention on the teenager, placed him on the sex offenders register for 10 years and imposed a sexual offences prevention order for six years during which time he will be monitored by specialist police officers. He said: \"Unfortunately from your perspective no other method than custody is appropriate. \"I've come to that decision based on the gravity of the offence and also because you were subject to a CPO with specialist elements which you don't appear to have learned from.\"", "summary": "A convicted teenage sex offender has been detained for a year for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in the grounds of a Dundee college campus."}
{"article": "The man tried to drive through Walcot Lane ford, in Pershore, on Saturday morning, the ambulance service said. \"The elderly man driving had managed to get himself out of the vehicle and was treated at the scene by medics for being cold and wet,\" a spokesman said. He said the man was \"extremely fortunate\" he escaped quickly and urged other drivers to avoid flooded roads. Fire crews helped rescue the man and his vehicle. Several flood alerts are in place in Worcestershire. But previous flood warnings, which urge for immediate action as flooding is expected, have been lifted.", "summary": "A driver was taken to hospital after his car became \"completely submerged\" in a ford."}
{"article": "One of them, the blogger Prof Michael Pettis of the Beijing Business School, had earned kudos as one of the first to predict the sharp slowdown in China's economy seen over the last year. The other was the Economist. The magazine, that is. Their bet - for a bottle of booze - was over whether China's economy was about to run out of puff. The country has managed 9.9% growth on average over the past 35 years, but Prof Pettis thinks that the growth rate will fall to a measly (by Chinese standards) 3% this decade. The more gung-ho Economist by contrast was forecasting that China would stay on course to overtake the US as the world's biggest economy by 2018. \"China has grown very rapidly in the last 30 years, but it has been following a model that is not unique,\" says Prof Pettis. \"In the 50s and 60s almost everyone 'knew' that the Soviet Union would overtake the US in the 70s - even Jack Kennedy - but it didn't happen. Instead, the Russian economy got mired in debt and years of stagnation.\" Other examples include the Brazilian economic \"miracle\" of the 1960s and 1970s, says Prof Pettis, that ended in a 1982 financial crisis and a \"lost decade\" of growth, or Japan's rapid ascent up until its own 1990 crisis and subsequent two-decade stagnation. What these countries have in common is an enormous level of government-led investment - in roads, trains, schools, hospitals, education and training. \"You can get tremendous growth by keeping investment levels high,\" he explains. \"And in the early days, growth is healthy and sustainable. \"But later... you very easily reach a point where you can't identify economically viable projects any more, and you overshoot and start misallocating capital in a pretty significant way. That's when debt rises more quickly than the economy's capacity to service it.\" China has been overinvesting perhaps since the 1990s, according to Prof Pettis, and certainly in the last five to 10 years. \"A lot of growth is fake,\" he says. \"If you spend $1bn building an airport, it generates the same amount of [economic output] today whether or not anyone actually uses the airport. \"If no-one uses it, however, the economic value created by the airport is not enough to repay the debt, and so future growth must decline as wealth is transferred from some other part of the economy to pay down the debt.\" He says that there are three main sources of growth for China. The first, investment, is already exhausted. The second, exports, are also no longer viable, as China's main export markets in Europe and the US are depressed, and China's trade surplus has become politically contentious in those countries. The third option is for ordinary Chinese people to increase their spending on consumer products and services. But here the numbers just don't stack up. Consumers account for just a third of spending in China - an unprecedentedly low share for any major economy - while investment accounts for a whopping half of the economy. If", "summary": "Earlier this year, two economists made a friendly wager."}
{"article": "The two firms should be barred from any US mergers and acquisitions, according to a House Intelligence Committee report. The panel says the firms failed to allay fears about their association with China's government and military. Huawei and ZTE denied the accusations in front of the panel in September. On Monday ZTE issued a statement insisting its equipment met all US standards and posed no threat. \"ZTE has set an unprecedented standard for co-operation by any Chinese company with a congressional investigation,\" China's Xinhua news agency quoted the firm as saying. How China became the US election bogeyman Huawei's vice-president, William Plummer, said the latest accusations were \"dangerous political distractions\". \"Purporting that Huawei is somehow uniquely vulnerable to cyber mischief ignores technical and commercial realities, recklessly threatens American jobs and innovation, does nothing to protect national security.\" While the House Intelligence report stopped short of calling for a boycott of the firms' mobile phone products, it was highly critical of the two companies. \"China has the means, opportunity and motive to use telecommunications companies for malicious purposes,\" the report says. \"Based on available classified and unclassified information, Huawei and ZTE cannot be trusted to be free of foreign state influence and thus pose a security threat to the United States and to our systems.\" The panel said their investigation had received credible allegations from current and former Huawei employees of bribery and corruption, discriminatory behaviour and copyright infringement. Republican committee chairman Mike Rogers said they had passed on information to the FBI to investigate the allegations. \"We've come to the conclusion, unfortunately, they are not private entities,\" Mr Rogers said on Monday. On Sunday, Mr Rogers delivered a blunt verdict to the 60 Minutes programme on US network CBS. \"If I were an American company today... and you are looking at Huawei, I would find another vendor if you care about your intellectual property, if you care about your consumers' privacy, and you care about the national security of the United States of America,\" he said. Among the report's recommendations were to exclude any Huawei or ZTE equipment or component parts from being used by government contractors, as well both companies becoming \"more transparent and responsive to US legal obligations\". China's Foreign Ministry urged the US to \"set aside prejudices\" regarding the two firms. \"Chinese telecoms companies have been developing their international business based on market economy principles,\" ministry spokesman Hong Lei said. \"Their investment in the United States embodies the mutually beneficial nature of Sino-American economic and trade relations.\" Huawei was started by Ren Zhengfei, a former member of the People's Liberation Army, in 1987. As the firm has grown to become one of the largest global players in the sector, fears about its ties with the Chinese military have frequently surfaced. There have been concerns and allegations that it was helping China gather information on foreign states and companies, charges that the firm has denied. Last year, its purchase of American computer company 3Leaf systems, was rejected by a US security panel. Earlier this year, it along with ZTE, faced", "summary": "Chinese telecom firms Huawei and ZTE pose a security threat to the US, a congressional panel has warned after an investigation into the two companies."}
{"article": "Labour MP Yvette Cooper said it was not \"appropriate\" or \"statesmanlike\" for him to use such language about a \"complex and sensitive\" issue. Shadow minister Kate Green said it was \"offensive, hurtful... and divisive\". Mr Cameron said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had told the migrants at the camp \"they could all come to Britain\". At the weekend, the Labour leader visited the Grande-Synthe Camp, near Dunkirk, and The Jungle in Calais, where more than 7,000 people are sleeping rough, describing conditions there as \"disgraceful\". Jeremy Corbyn had a good go at David Cameron over the Google tax deal, using a crowd-sourced question from Jeff (or possibly Geoff), who wanted to know whether he could join a scheme allowing him to pay the same rate of tax as the internet giant. But some commentators felt the Labour leader lost focus when he switched to other subjects for his final two questions. \"We've had no answer on Google, and no answers on Jeff,\" said Mr Corbyn, before turning to what he calls the \"bedroom tax\" and a High Court ruling that it is \"discriminatory\". For his final question, he called on the PM to launch an inquiry into arms export licences to Saudi Arabia amid UN reports of coalition air strikes on civilians in Yemen. The prime minister responded to that last point by saying the UK had some of the strictest rules for arms exports in the world. He added that Britain was \"not part of Saudi-led operations\" in Yemen. But it was one of those weeks when reaction to what was said at PMQs overshadowed anything that was said during the session, as Labour seized on Mr Cameron's \"bunch of migrants\" comment. Mr Cameron was coming to the end of a clash with Jeremy Corbyn about Google's tax deal with the government, when he decided, as he often does, to broaden out his attack to other issues. The Labour leader had just accused him of failing to stand up to Google. Mr Cameron replied: \"The shadow chancellor's pointing - the idea that those two right honourable gentlemen would stand up to anyone in this regard is laughable. \"Look at the record over the last week - they met with the unions and they gave them flying pickets. \"They met with the Argentinians, they gave them the Falkland Islands. \"They met with a bunch of migrants in Calais, they said they could all come to Britain. \"The only people they never stand up for are the British people and hard-working taxpayers.\" Several Labour MPs objected to Mr Cameron's \"bunch of migrants\" comments on Twitter, describing them as \"shameful\" and \"inflammatory\" and the PM as \"odious\". A Labour spokesman said Mr Cameron's use of the phrase \"demonstrates an attitude that is wholly unacceptable to a humanitarian crisis on our doorstep\". Yvette Cooper, who is chairing Labour's refugee task force, said Mr Cameron should use \"much more statesmanship-like\" language on such a \"complex and sensitive\" issue, particularly given ongoing commemorations of Holocaust victims. She got to her feet immediately after Prime Minister's Questions to raise", "summary": "David Cameron is facing Labour calls to apologise for calling refugees at a camp in Calais \"a bunch of migrants\" at Prime Minister's Questions."}
{"article": "The decision drops the German to third place, behind team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Max Verstappen and cuts his points lead over Hamilton to one. Mercedes were found to have gone beyond the degree permitted to help a driver solve a technical problem. They broke a rule saying: \"The driver must drive the car alone and unaided.\" Mercedes have lodged an intention to appeal against the decision. The Formula 1 rules were changed this year to introduce restrictions on how much teams can help drivers while they are out on track. Teams are allowed to intervene if the car has a \"critical problem if a failure of a component or system is imminent and potentially terminal\". Race stewards found Mercedes were allowed to give Rosberg instructions on the settings he needed to resolve the problem. But they should not have responded to his subsequent question on whether he should then change gear so the car went straight through seventh gear. Rosberg's engineer Tony Ross replied to the German's information that he had a gearbox problem with the words: \"Driver default 1-0-1, chassis default 0-1, chassis default 0-1. Avoid seventh gear, Nico, avoid seventh gear.\" Rosberg then asked: \"What does that mean, I have to shift through it? Engineer: \"Affirm Nico, you need to shift through it. Affirm, you need to shift through it.\" Both Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff and his opposite number at Red Bull, Christian Horner, questioned the need for the rules restricting driver assistance. Horner said: \"The rule is rubbish. It doesn't make a great deal of sense. But the rules are the rules. \"The cars are technically very complex and you can understand why Mercedes would want to give that message to keep their driver running. \"It's a team sport and the cars are a lot more complicated than they were even four years ago for the drivers to work out what they should and shouldn't be doing. \"The question going forward is are these rules right for F1? That's a different question.\" Wolff, speaking before the decision to penalise Mercedes, drew parallels between this situation and one in last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, when Force India did not tell their driver Sergio Perez that he had a critical brake problem and the Mexican crashed out on the final lap. Wolff said: \"We see that those rules maybe need a re-think between the FIA and the teams to maybe go more into detail on what is allowed or not because not communicating at all, you might as well unplug the radio and throw it out of the car. It is part of driving since a long time.\" However, the rule is a pet project of FIA president Jean Todt and he has so far been deaf to questions about its suitability. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Nico Rosberg and Mercedes have been penalised 10 seconds for breaking radio transmission rules during the British Grand Prix."}
{"article": "The 3kg (6.6lb) dog is set to become part of a search-and-rescue team used for disasters such as earthquakes. Its small size means it will be able to squeeze into places too narrow for dogs such as German Shepherds. Chihuahuas, named after a Mexican state, are one of the the smallest breeds of dog. \"It's quite rare for us to have a chihuahua work as a police dog,\" said a police spokeswoman in Nara, western Japan. \"We would like it to work hard by taking advantage of its small size.\" Momo, aged seven, will begin work in January.", "summary": "A chihuahua named Momo (Peach) has passed the exam to become a dog in the police force in western Japan, in what seems to be a first."}
{"article": "Caretaker manager Paul Warne has been in charge of the Millers since Kenny Jackett's departure on 28 November. \"Paul Warne, Matt Hamshaw and John Breckin will remain in control of the first team throughout the Christmas period,\" said a club statement. \"The club will continue to work towards a position where we can announce a more permanent solution in early January.\" Rotherham, who are bottom of the table and have lost 13 of their past 15 matches, host 23rd-placed Wigan on Boxing Day and 21st-placed Burton three days later. The statement added: \"Paul Warne and his staff will work closely with our new head of recruitment Jamie Johnson to indentify, and move for, targets ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.\" Warne has said that he does not want the job on a full-time basis. Former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Jackett was in charge of the Millers for 39 days before offering his resignation. Rotherham have had five permanent managers and three caretakers since the start of last season, with Neil Redfearn, Neil Warnock, Alan Stubbs and Jackett all having spells in the job following Steve Evans' departure in September 2015. Eric Black was placed in temporary charge after Evans left, while Nicky Eaden was appointed caretaker-manager when Redfearn was sacked in February - although Warnock was appointed before the former Birmingham and Wigan defender had the chance to lead the team in a game.", "summary": "Championship strugglers Rotherham United aim to name a permanent first-team boss in \"early January\"."}
{"article": "Officers had appealed for information after it was alleged a 25-year-old was threatened with a weapon and sexually assaulted by another man on Brooms Road in the early hours of Sunday. After checking CCTV and taking witness statements, police were \"satisfied no criminality has taken place\". They said they were no longer looking for a suspect. Det Insp Bryan Lee said: \"I would like to thank the public for their excellent response to our appeals for information and reassure them they can go about their normal routine. \"Our additional patrols in the area will now also return to normal levels.\"", "summary": "Police investigating a report that a man was raped in Dumfries have now said no offence took place."}
{"article": "Owen Creaney, from Lurgan, was found dead on 5 July 2014. Shauneen Boyle, 25, and Stephen Thomas Hughes, 29, are jointly charged with his murder. A friend of Ms Boyle's said she received a text on Friday 4 July which said Ms Boyle was \"in trouble\". Mairead McGuigan told the jury at Belfast Crown Court that she later phoned Ms Boyle. \"She said she got into a fight with Owen, she had went mad, she had beat a fella up after getting into an argument and she jumped on his stomach and his head. She might have said that he was in a bad way,\" she said. \"She said there was blood all over his face. She said his face was busted open.'' Ms McGuigan said Ms Boyle phoned her about 21:00 and asked her to call round to Mr Hughes's house after work. \"She asked me to bring round my hoover and my carpet cleaner as she said there was a stain on the white carpet,'' she said The witness said she called to Mr Hughes's house at Moyraverty Court, Craigavon, about 21:35 and told a prosecution barrister that she took a seat on the sofa in the living next to Ms Boyle while Mr Hughes remained standing in front of them. \"They were drinking. Shauneen said: 'I got into a fight with Owen Creaney over my dad',\" she Ms McGuigan said. \"Stephen said nothing. I asked him why he didn't break it up. He said he was afraid and said he had got his blinds broken.\" She told the court she was about to leave when she heard noises coming from upstairs and realised Mr Creaney was up there. Ms Boyle told her he had been sleeping for 28 hours and was drunk after consuming alcohol. Ms McGuigan followed the pair upstairs and saw Mr Creaney lying on a sofa. \"He was making funny breathing noises, like heavy breathing. Shauneen said he was sleeping. He was like bruised with yellow bruising. There was foam coming out of his mouth,\" she said. \"I told them to get the police, that this man has a broken rib. Shauneen said Stephen was afraid of the police coming to the house. I said he definitely has a broken rib and she said Owen had drank a litre of vodka and was lying sleeping.'' She told the court that the pair told her they had showered Mr Creaney following the fight to \"to try and bring him round\" and had changed him and washed his clothes.' Ms McGuigan left the property and told a male friend what had happened. She said she was in contact with Ms Boyle the following morning. Ms McGuigan said she asked Ms Boyle about Mr Creaney, to which she replied: \"He is dead.'' I said: 'Get that man to the hospital now.'' \"Shauneen said: 'It's too late. There is nothing more we can do for him'. But I don't think she was telling the truth.'' She said that during the phone call, she overheard a conversation between the pair talking", "summary": "A woman accused of murdering a man in Craigavon rang a friend and told her she had \"gone mad and jumped on his head and stomach'' following an argument, a jury has heard."}
{"article": "These aren't real products, of course, but an art project poking fun at Asia's obsession with beauty and its propensity for conspicuous consumption. The display was created by the inaugural cohort of Singapore-based graduates of the Glasgow School of Art, which set up its first overseas campus here in 2011. The Scottish arts institution is looking to expand its course offerings over the next few years and aims to help develop the city-state's creative scene. \"We hope that we can use this platform and build relationships with other parts of the region using it as a hub,\" said its director, Tom Inns. \"To be an international art schools you've got to understand how the world works in terms of regions and different thinking and different cultures. \"It is only by being there that you can only really begin to understand that. You can't understand that from a distance.\" But if the experience of the last foreign creative arts school to open up in Singapore is anything to go by, there may be some challenges ahead. This summer, the editing labs and sound engineering stations at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in Asia will fall silent for good. The campus, set upon three-acres of prime property in central Singapore, is closing less than 10 years after opening due to millions of dollars of debts. NYU still operates two degree-granting, liberal arts research university campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. \"Despite its significant creative success, the Tisch Asia campus failed to become financially sustainable,\" says a university statement. John Beckman, vice president for public affairs at New York University said that reflecting back, they had \"learned a number of lessons\" from their experience. \"Academically and artistically, the Tisch Asia campus was a tremendous success,\" he said. \"But academic excellence is also expensive\". \"We were too optimistic about prospective enrolments both internationally and locally, the latter of which has been pivotal to many global academic initiatives. \"We operate on the principle that we will not direct money from the campus in New York to sustain global operations, we should have factored in a greater degree of support needed beyond tuition, especially in the critical start-up years.\" Mr Beckman added that Tisch Asia \"as a relatively small, independent graduate arts conservatory, was an ambitious enterprise\". \"The general lesson we learned was that it would have been better to have developed such a significant project as part of - and not separate from - our university-wide global efforts.\" The closure was not just a high-profile and expensive failure for the school, but for the Singapore government, which had invited them to set up here in 2007. However, Tisch Asia is not alone. In recent years, Australia's University of New South Wales, the University of Las Vegas Nevada and Warwick University have all exited, mostly due to financial reasons. Singapore used to publicise its aim of becoming a global education hub, saying it hoped the sector would ultimately contribute up to 5% of its gross domestic product (GDP). More stories from the BBC's Knowledge economy", "summary": "On the shelves of \"Happy Mart,\" there are gleaming cans of \"instant nose jobs\", packets of \"Same Face\" cookies and boxes of \"Luxurios\" cereal."}
{"article": "Baroness Morgan said Labour is in a serious situation if it cannot reconnect with working class communities. She said there \"probably was an element\" of Labour's Remain campaign starting too late. \"A lot of us were exhausted\", she told BBC Radio Wales. Senior Welsh Labour sources have privately said they were wary of talking about Brexit before the assembly election in case it drove Eurosceptic supporters towards UKIP. Plaid leader no longer ruling out coalition with Labour AMs to have say on Brexit deal, says Welsh Tory leader Corbyn's Labour set for heavy losses, says Stephen Kinnock Asked if Labour's Remain campaign started too late, she told the Eye on Wales programme: \"I think there probably was an element of that. \"And don't forget in Wales we had the assembly elections where people were not talking about the European Union. We were focused absolutely on those assembly elections.\" She added: \"I think it was a mistake not to be talking about the European referendum in those assembly elections.\" Wales voted 52.5% to 47.5% for Brexit. Only five counting areas voted to Remain. The strongest Leave votes were in Torfaen (60%) and Blaenau Gwent (62%) - two traditional Labour strongholds in the south Wales valleys. The Welsh government has a programme to \"re-energise\" communities that voted to Leave, much of which would have been funded by EU money, Baroness Morgan said. \"The question for us now is how on Earth do we reorganise the economy without that European funding?\" she asked. \"Unless we find a way to reconnect with that working class element within our communities then I think the Labour party is in a serious situation in future\". Labour won 29 seats at May's assembly election - a better result than many expected - but lost 7.6% of its share of the vote on the constituency ballot. Earlier, on BBC Sunday Politics Wales, Baroness Morgan said Carwyn Jones was \"absolutely, without question\" the right man to lead Welsh Labour.", "summary": "It was a mistake for Labour to avoid talking about the EU referendum during the assembly election campaign, one of the party's AMs has said."}
{"article": "The 41-year-old has recorded 696 home runs, putting him fourth on the Major League Baseball all-time list. He was given a 162-game ban for doping in January 2014, meaning he missed the entire 2014 season. Rodriguez's final game will be at Yankee Stadium against the Tampa Bay Rays and he will then take on an advisor role at the club. He helped the Yankees win the World Series in 2009 and was voted the American League's Most Valuable Player in 2003, 2005 and 2007. \"This is a tough day. I love this game and I love this team and today I am saying goodbye to both,\" Rodriguez said. \"This is also a proud day. I was 18 when I broke into the big leagues and I never thought I would play for 22 years. \"No player ends their career the way they want to, we all want to keep playing forever but it doesn't work that way. Accepting the end gracefully is part of being a professional athlete. \"I want to thank the fans for letting me play the game I love.\"", "summary": "New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez has announced he will retire from the sport on Friday."}
{"article": "A tumultuous year in senior management, continuing into the start of this year, required revisions to the accounts. Several directors left and the chief executive, who is scheduled to leave, is no longer receiving a bonus. The accounts do not give detail of what went wrong, though the boardroom rows were well publicised in the media. However, the report to Companies House indicates the company has lost out from the drop in energy prices, buying its fuel in advance of the sharp drop in oil market. In a statement with the accounts, the directors stated: \"The group has faced significant operating and cost pressures. \"We anticipate that these cost pressures will remain in 2015 and we will remain proactive in seeking to mitigate the impact of these cost pressures\". Lothian Buses revenue in 2014 was up by 2.3% to \u00c2\u00a3135m. Pre-tax profits fell from \u00c2\u00a311.7m to \u00c2\u00a310.1m. The company is owned mainly by City of Edinburgh Council, with small stakes held by neighbouring Lothian councils. It owns more than 650 buses, and carries more than two million passengers each week. The numbers transported were up in 2014 by 2.6% to a total of 118 million.", "summary": "Lothian Buses, which dominates Edinburgh public transport, including trams and tourist tours, has reported a drop in profits during last year."}
{"article": "\"I tried to run away but my mother said she would kill herself if I did not marry him.\" \"I was not mature physically or emotionally so it was not easy for me to go and sleep with my husband.\" She had never met her bridegroom, 18-year-old Gedefaw Mengistu, before their wedding day. \"I knew she was too young. I was in grade five but my father died and I was forced to stop school, get married and keep the family going,\" Mr Gedefaw told the BBC. The couple live in Ethiopia's Amhara Region - an impoverished rural farming area where half of all girls are married before they turn 15. \"It's quite shattering to have met people who were married off,\" Archbishop Desmond Tutu told the BBC on a visit to the area. \"In one case the husband was eight and the supposed wife was seven. I mean you want to say it's abominable,\" he said. The South African Nobel Peace Prize winner may have recently announced his retirement from public life but he is out fighting injustice again as one of the Elders - the group of eminent global leaders brought together by South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela. \"I wasn't aware of the extent of the problem - and it is just fantastic that things are taking a turn for the better and incredibly so,\" he said. The archbishop was referring to the impact of government-led programmes in several dozen villages in the region which focus on delaying marriage. In this area, the lure of a bride price causes many families to push for early weddings. But there is another reason. \"Fear of abduction is also a factor,\" said Alemseged Weldegerima from the Ethiopian government's Bureau of Women, Children and Youth Affairs. \"We will try to stop abduction, not by using the police, but by increasing the awareness of the people.\" Beside a small eucalyptus plantation Archbishop Tutu was sharing a low wooden bench with two Elders who have broken the mould; the first woman to be president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, and the former prime minister of Norway, and ex-head of the World Health Organization, Gro Brundtland. They listened to young unmarried girls with big dreams, as well as women who had no chance of getting an education after being married off at a young age. Abay Asnakew is 12 and she has her life all mapped out. \"When I finish my high school I will join university; I'll complete my BA degree and get a job and help my family. Then if my partner has a degree too then I will marry him,\" she says. \"So what job do you want to do?\" I asked. \"Prime minister,\" she replied without hesitation. Look out Meles Zenawi! Abay has joined a girls' club known as Berhane Hewan - Amharic for \"Light for Eve\". She has learnt about issues which have prepared her to resist early marriage; personal health, HIV/Aids, and the medical complications associated with giving birth at a young age, like fistula. Female circumcision is also discussed and", "summary": "\"I wanted to get an education but my parents were determined to marry me off,\" says Himanot Yehewala, an Ethiopian girl who was married five years ago at the age of 13."}
{"article": "However, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Greenock Morton were knocked out despite winning and finishing second in their groups. Inverness beat Forfar 2-1 and Morton were 5-0 winners over Edinburgh City. Elsewhere, St Mirren beat Airdrieonians 5-0, Falkirk defeated Brechin City 3-0, Motherwell edged Berwick Rangers 1-0 and Raith Rovers beat Cowdenbeath 2-0. Falkirk, Motherwell and Thistle's group rivals Livingston had already secured second-round places as group winners while St Mirren, Airdrie, Brechin, Berwick, Raith and Cowden were unable to go through before playing their final group games. In Group H, Premiership Partick Thistle were kept out by League One Stranraer until the 87th minute when Elliott struck from inside the box. Thistle had beaten St Mirren 5-0 last Saturday and the Buddies recovered from that loss by putting five goals past Airdrieonians in Paisley. Former Aberdeen striker Cammy Smith and ex-Hearts forward Gavin Reilly each scored twice for Jack Ross' side and Lewis Morgan got their fifth. In Group A, top side Falkirk went ahead through Lee Miller's strike with Joe McKee and Alex Harris also on target against Brechin City. Inverness CT went behind against Forfar Athletic when Marc Scott shot home but strikes in quick succession by George Oakley and John Baird turned the match in the Highlanders' favour. In Group F, Motherwell had to wait until the 82nd minute to get in front of visitors Berwick Rangers, Elliott Frear netting after goalkeeper Robby McCrorie palmed out Chris Cadden's cross. And at Cappielow, Bob McHugh and Robert Thomson got two each and Jai Quitongo also netted for Greenock Morton against Edinburgh City. In Group C, Raith Rovers scored twice in the first half against Cowdenbeath, Lewis Vaughan and Liam Buchanan on target.", "summary": "Partick Thistle beat Stranraer to progress in the League Cup as one of the best first-round group runners-up."}
{"article": "Police were alerted to an incident in Coilte Cresent in the Highland village at about 22:00 on Sunday. A man wearing dark clothing and carrying what appeared to be a gun entered the house and demanded money from the homeowner, police said. A man was later arrested in Cumbria and has been assisting officers investigating the incident. A four-figure sum of money was stolen from the house in Drumnadrochit's Kilmore area. Police Scotland said: \"A high visibility police presence remains in area at this time to provide reassurance to the local community. \"Police are keen to hear from members of the public who may have seen any suspicious activity in the area prior to the incident. \"In addition, officers would like to hear from anyone who may have seen a silver VW Passat in the area earlier that day.\"", "summary": "A man has been arrested in Cumbria following reports of an armed robbery at a house in Drumnadrochit."}
{"article": "The 2015 winner has raced just twice since that victory and missed the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day. \"I'm afraid it's not going to happen, which is a real shame,\" said Bradstock, the wife of trainer Mark. \"When you have a horse like this you must not take any risks and there is no point going there half-baked.\" She added: \"He has just niggled the bone - he is still walking at the moment, but we must not take a risk as these niggling things can turn into fractures. \"We will not rush him and we will make sure he is fine before he comes back.\" Bradstock said she hoped to see the 10-year-old race at the Punchestown Gold Cup in Ireland on 26 April but could not guarantee he would make the Bowl Chase at Aintree on 6 April. Coneygree last raced after a year out with a hock injury at Haydock in November, impressing as runner-up to Cue Card. \"He ran a great race at Haydock, but he might have been feeling this coming on,\" said Bradstock. \"He has no miles on the clock and I'm hoping he can become a veteran record-breaker and a novice record-breaker. \"He is in very good nick, mentally, and is full of himself.\"", "summary": "Former champion Coneygree will not run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on 17 March due to a \"niggling\" injury, says assistant trainer Sara Bradstock."}
{"article": "Mr Duterte clarified that he had \"nothing against gays\", saying several of his relatives were homosexual. The controversial politician had previously appeared supportive of LGBTQ rights, saying in 2015 that same-sex marriage was \"good\". But he is otherwise known for his conservative views especially on crime. He has waged a much-criticised war on drug users and dealers leading to thousands of extra-judicial killings. His latest remarks were made on Sunday night to Filipino expatriates in the Burmese capital of Nay Pyi Taw while on an official trip to Myanmar. A transcript of the speech was only given to journalists on Monday. In a meandering speech addressing criticism of his now-suspended war on drugs, Mr Duterte accused the West of imposing its values on the Philippines, then referred to a recent Time magazine story on the transgender community in the US. \"There is no gender because you can be a he or she... That's their culture. It does not apply to us. We are Catholics and there is the Civil Code, which says that you can only marry a woman for me... a woman to marry a man. \"That's our law so why would you accept that gender?\" he said. \"Wherever God placed you, just remain there. Do not mix it up\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 You erase the great divide between a woman and a man,\" he added. Before becoming president in June 2016, Mr Duterte was the mayor of Davao city, which introduced anti-discrimination laws for sex, gender and sexual orientation during his administration. In 2015, Mr Duterte appeared on a national talk show where he said same-sex marriage was \"good... everyone deserves to be happy\". The following year, while campaigning for the presidency, he said he would \"consider\" legalising same-sex marriage if there was such a proposal. The Philippines has 80 million Catholics and remains a deeply religious society. Mr Duterte has taken issue with the church previously, once calling the Pope a \"son of a whore\". Despite his many controversial comments he still remains highly popular in the Philippines.", "summary": "Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said he opposes gay marriage, after previously declaring he would consider legalising it."}
{"article": "One hundred tracks by artists including Ben Howard, Kendrick Lamar and SBTRKT have been shortlisted with voting open until 9pm on 27 November. Lana Del Rey, You Me At Six and Eminem also feature on the list. Zane will count down from 100 to one between 1 to 4 December. The 1975, whose track Chocolate topped the poll in 2013, also appear in this year's list with their track Medicine. Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? by Arctic Monkeys and Shadow Moses by Bring Me the Horizon completed the top three last year. Ed Sheeran's Sing and Stay With Me by Sam Smith, which both went to number one in the UK, also appear on this year's shortlist. Gecko (Overdrive) by Oliver Heldens and Becky Hill and Clean Bandit's Rather Be, which also topped the chart, feature in this year's top 100 too. Mercury Prize nominees Bombay Bicycle Club, FKA Twigs, Royal Blood, Jungle and Nick Mulvey all appear as well. Voting for the 100 Hottest Records is limited to one per person, full terms and conditions can be found on the Radio 1 website. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Throughout 2014 Zane Lowe has picked his hottest records in the world, and now it's time for you to pick your favourite."}
{"article": "Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool would have drawn level on points with leaders Manchester City with a fifth successive Premier League victory, but were subdued by a classic Jose Mourinho performance of defensive organisation and discipline. United did not allow Liverpool to build the momentum and intensity that has characterised their game this season, while Mourinho's limited attacking ambitions ensured chances were at a premium. The Portuguese was still grateful for two fine second-half saves from goalkeeper David de Gea, who dived low to stop Emre Can and saved athletically from Philippe Coutinho's 25-yard effort. United's best chance also came in the second half, but the unmarked Zlatan Ibrahimovic directed Paul Pogba's cross off target. The visitors had just 35% of possession - their lowest in a Premier League match since Opta began recording the data in 2003-04. Media playback is not supported on this device While this deadlock does little for the ambitions of both teams, there is no doubt who will be the happier manager. This was, in so many respects, the most Mourinho performance of his short time at United. Klopp came on to the pitch at the final whistle to applaud Liverpool's fans, but there was a tinge of disappointment in his measured tread as he trudged off. His side's promising start to the season has been built on pressing opponents into submission - a high-pressure style that has brought victories at Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as nine goals in two home wins against Leicester City and Hull City. But Mourinho picked a powerful, athletic side and instructed them to turn the tables on Liverpool's pressing game. Ander Herrera was at the heart of United's smothering gameplan, almost operating in the pockets of Coutinho and Roberto Firmino in midfield, while Liverpool were never given a second. They simply could not find a way through. United held their shape and discipline, much to their manager's satisfaction, although he still needed those two superb saves from De Gea, and a magnificent saving tackle from Antonio Valencia to stop Firmino as he raced in on goal. It was classic Mourinho, a tactic he has perfected and utilised throughout his career, and Anfield's increasing anger and frustration will have been music to his ears. This match should have been the perfect stage for the \u00a389m Pogba - but once again he was a peripheral figure. The world's most expensive player was used in a more advanced role and is certainly on the same wavelength as Ibrahimovic, delivering a perfect cross which the Swede should have converted. In other aspects, though, he operated on the margins of the game and failed to exert the influence expected of a player of his quality and experience. United will expect much more as the season goes on. Anthony Taylor was the man in the middle in every sense after the heat generated by the appointment of the Manchester-based official for a meeting between these two fierce rivals. Mourinho said the appointment made it \"difficult\" for Taylor, and put him under pressure - comments being investigated by the", "summary": "Liverpool and Manchester United played out a goalless and uneventful stalemate on a disappointing night at Anfield."}
{"article": "Deaf and blind people face a situation that is \"still grim\", according to charities Action on Hearing Loss Cymru, RNIB Cymru and Sense Cymru. New standards were introduced by the Welsh government over a year ago aimed at ensuring equal access to healthcare. But the report says little progress has been made. Richard Williams, director of Action on Hearing Loss Cymru said the charities that authored the report are \"really concerned\" that people are leaving surgeries and hospitals unclear about what doctors have told them, what medication they need or whether operations have been successful. New standards were brought in after a BBC Wales investigation in 2013 found health boards were breaching equality laws by not providing accessible services for the deaf and hard of hearing. But 91 per cent of people surveyed for the report said they were not aware of improvements in the way healthcare providers communicate and share information with them. Kay Coleman from Swansea began losing her hearing 15 years ago and said she finds it \"incredibly difficult\" to book a doctor's appointment. An estimated 500,000 people are affected by hearing loss and 100,000 are living with sight loss in Wales. In a statement the Welsh government said it is \"committed to ensuring the standards are fully implemented\" and it is working with relevant bodies \"to establish how best to capture and record communication preferences for those with sensory loss to ensure their needs are fully met in every healthcare setting\".", "summary": "The 600,000 people in Wales living with sensory loss are not having their basic healthcare needs met, according to a new report."}
{"article": "Goals from Zlatko Junuzovic, Florian Grillitsch and Florian Kainz condemned second-placed Leipzig to their second successive league defeat. Bayern can extend their 10-point lead when they travel to Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday. Borussia Dortmund closed the gap on Leipzig to three points with Friday's 1-0 win at Ingolstadt. Hoffenheim are a point further back, and boosted their chances of a Champions League place with a 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen. Having begun their first Bundesliga season with a record 13-match unbeaten run, Leipzig's title challenge has collapsed following four defeats in seven games, taking just seven points. Elsewhere, French striker Anthony Modeste scored a hat-trick as Cologne beat fifth-placed Hertha Berlin, to take his league total to 22 for the season. At the other end of the table, a Mario Gomez goal moved Wolfsburg out of the bottom three with a 1-0 win over bottom club Darmstadt. Match ends, SV Werder Bremen 3, RB Leipzig 0. Second Half ends, SV Werder Bremen 3, RB Leipzig 0. Attempt blocked. Aron J\u00f3hannsson (SV Werder Bremen) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Fin Bartels. Goal! SV Werder Bremen 3, RB Leipzig 0. Florian Kainz (SV Werder Bremen) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal following a fast break. Attempt saved. Aron J\u00f3hannsson (SV Werder Bremen) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Fin Bartels. Substitution, SV Werder Bremen. Florian Kainz replaces Florian Grillitsch. Attempt missed. Dayotchanculle Upamecano (RB Leipzig) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Emil Forsberg with a cross following a corner. Corner, RB Leipzig. Conceded by Niklas Moisander. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Marcel Halstenberg (RB Leipzig) because of an injury. Robert Bauer (SV Werder Bremen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Marcel Halstenberg (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick on the right wing. Dangerous play by Robert Bauer (SV Werder Bremen). Corner, RB Leipzig. Conceded by Milos Veljkovic. Marcel Halstenberg (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Theodor Gebre Selassie (SV Werder Bremen). Substitution, SV Werder Bremen. Maximilian Eggestein replaces Thomas Delaney. Offside, RB Leipzig. Stefan Ilsanker tries a through ball, but Emil Forsberg is caught offside. Substitution, RB Leipzig. Oliver Burke replaces Benno Schmitz. Foul by Davie Selke (RB Leipzig). Thomas Delaney (SV Werder Bremen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Benno Schmitz (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Robert Bauer (SV Werder Bremen). Emil Forsberg (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Thomas Delaney (SV Werder Bremen). Corner, SV Werder Bremen. Conceded by Stefan Ilsanker. Substitution, SV Werder Bremen. Aron J\u00f3hannsson replaces Claudio Pizarro. Foul by Diego Demme (RB Leipzig). Theodor Gebre Selassie (SV Werder Bremen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Davie Selke (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Thomas", "summary": "RB Leipzig lost ground on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich with a costly defeat at Werder Bremen."}
{"article": "The 48-year-old man suffered a suspected heart attack five minutes into the second half of Kilmarnock's home match against Hibernian. Paramedics and medical staff from both clubs treated the man until an ambulance arrived at Rugby Park stadium and he was taken to a nearby hospital. Both managers agreed to abandon the match out of respect for the fan. The stadium was hushed into silence when medical staff and club doctors attended the stricken fan in the west stand. The referee then stopped the match with the teams drawing 1-1. Players left the pitch as the gravity of the situation became evident. Kilmarnock chairman Michael Johnston said: \"The length of time the players were off the park was a problem but the overriding factor was respect for the fan and his family. \"He collapsed and was tended to by medical staff of both clubs and was taken to Crosshouse Hospital by ambulance.\" He added that he could not reveal any more information about the fan's identity other than to say he was a long-standing season-ticket holder Later, a Police Scotland spokesman said the man died in hospital. Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels pointed out that it was the third time he had been present at such an incident while manager at the Rugby Park side. In March 2012, midfielder Liam Kelly's father died following the Ayrshire side's League Cup final win over Celtic. A month later, an Inverness Caledonian Thistle fan died during that club's visit to Rugby Park.", "summary": "A man has died in hospital after collapsing half-way through a Scottish Premier League match, police say."}
{"article": "The on-loan Fleetwood Town striker picked up the accolade after a string of impressive performances for the Ton. \"I'm delighted. To be picked ahead of Hibs or Rangers players who have played so well is a big thing,\" he said. The 21-year old has been used in a more advanced midfield role this season to accommodate team-mate Denny Johnstone up front for the Greenock club. McManus is in his second loan spell at Cappielow. Following last season's League One success, he admits things are a lot more difficult at Championship level. \"I've only been back here since January but I'm enjoying every minute,\" he continued. \"We've been getting good results and teams like Rangers and Hibs haven't found it easy against us. \"There are better players in this league, better teams. \"I've played more of an attacking midfield role this season and I've tried to fill in for the team more so the gaffer's happy with me. \"I've still got a few goals and a few assists so I'm happy all round. I hope now to just keep it up.\" Last month McManus scored once against Alloa in a 2-2 draw and a brace in a 3-2 defeat by Raith Rovers, both matches away from home.", "summary": "Morton's Declan McManus has won the Ladbrokes Championship player of the month award for February."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old Dane has made nine Championship appearances this season. He scored his first career goal in the 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest in February. Town boss David Wagner told the club website: \"We are proud he is our player. He has taken his opportunity in the team recently, showing he can bring his performance to the pitch.\"", "summary": "Huddersfield Town midfielder Philip Billing has signed a contract extension until the end of the 2019-20 season."}
{"article": "Pensions currently rise by the highest of inflation, average earnings or 2.5%. There have been warnings over the cost of the lock, and the government says it will review it after 2020. Shadow Treasury minister Rebecca Long-Bailey said this caused \"uncertainty and worry\", pledging to protect it \"throughout the lifetime of the next Parliament\", due to end in 2025. Speaking during Treasury questions in the Commons, Chancellor Philip Hammond said it was responsible for the government to decide which commitments it can afford to keep at a spending review before the end of Parliament. Attacking Labour's pledge, he added: \"I think it tells us everything we need to know about the Opposition - that three-and-a-half years out they're willing to spray around commitments without any idea of what it's going to cost them.\" During last week's Autumn Statement Mr Hammond said the triple lock would be maintained until 2020 but suggested it would then be reviewed. There have been calls for it to be scrapped, including from former pensions minister Baroness Altmann, who said the costs would become \"enormous\" after 2020, and the previous work and pensions secretary, Stephen Crabb. Speaking after Treasury Questions, shadow chancellor John McDonnell accused the Conservatives of \"abandoning older people\" by not guaranteeing to continue the pledge. He added: \"Labour will support the pensions triple lock and instead of cutting taxes for the super-rich and giant corporations will make sure our NHS and social care is properly funded.\"", "summary": "Labour says it will keep the \"triple lock\" protecting the state pension throughout the next Parliament."}
{"article": "The proposals are the brain child of Swiss businessman turned politician Thomas Minder, who runs a small family company producing natural cosmetics. Mr Minder wants shareholders to have a veto over managers' salaries, and to ban golden handshakes altogether. The \"fat cat initiative\", as it has come to be called, would, if approved, be written into the Swiss constitution, and would apply to all Swiss companies listed on Switzerland's stock exchange. Mr Minder, an outspoken man, says the culture of high salaries and high bonuses in Switzerland has got out of hand, pointing to the fact that huge sums have been paid out even when the companies concerned were doing badly. The bankruptcy of national icon Swissair back in 2001, and the subsequent huge payoffs to its failed boss Mario Corti, were the catalyst to Mr Minder's decision to act. \"That really stuck in my throat,\" he told Swiss television. \"It made me absolutely furious. \"I'm still furious today, to think that a chief executive like Mr Corti could get five years' salary to go. I mean, the company was in a disastrous situation. At the end he wasn't even paying its bills. Swissair went bankrupt. The company doesn't exist anymore.\" Salaries for Swiss top managers are higher than most and their taxes are lower. These two things alone would not necessarily anger most voters, however. What has attracted support for Mr Minder's initiative has been a series of perceived disasters for major Swiss companies, coupled with salaries and bonuses staying high. The main example is banking giant UBS, which wrote off billions in the wake of the 2007 sub-prime mortgage crisis, and then had to be bailed out by the Swiss government. After that, the bank lost more billions because of a rogue trader, and announced thousands of redundancies. But high salaries and bonuses for the bank's top managers continued throughout. \"The fat cats are getting fattest in the banks,\" says Edouard Dommen of the Swiss shareholders group Actares. \"The other companies are getting fat, but not quite so grossly.\" Mr Dommen, who supports the new measures, believes voters are especially angry about UBS, because their own tax money had to be spent to bail out the bank. \"People are fed up,\" he says. \"They know that this is at their expense. \"Small people had to dig into their own pockets to bail out these banks, and then see people, some of whom turned out to be literally crooks, walk off with their money, so of course they are angry.\" If passed, the measures would give Switzerland some of the strictest laws on executive pay in the world, far tougher than the limit on bonuses just approved by the European Union. Both the Swiss government and Swiss business leaders have been campaigning against the measures. The government says it understands that voters want some control over high salaries and has offered a milder alternative, but so far this seems to have attracted little interest. Meanwhile the Swiss Business Association has been arguing that the measures would undermine Switzerland's ability to compete.", "summary": "Switzerland's voters go to the polls to decide on controversial proposals which would impose strict limits on the salaries awarded to top executives."}
{"article": "The world champion, who won all three titles from the Russian by a controversial points decision in their first bout, is unbeaten in 32 fights. The American wobbled Kovalev with a right hand in the eighth and finished him off with a series of body shots. Kovalev said he was hit by a low blow, adding that he wanted another rematch. \"He's a great fighter, not a lot of people are going to beat him,\" said 33-year-old Ward, who has 16 knockouts from his 32 bouts. \"But when you are facing a great fighter you have to raise your game to the next level. \"I hurt him with a head shot and I just had to get the right shot in to finish him.\" Kovalev started strongly before Ward came back into the fight at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Referee Tony Weeks then stopped the fight with 31 seconds in the eighth with Kovalev, 34, kneeling down. \"It was a low blow, again another one,\" said Kovalev. \"We are boxers. I could still continue. Why stop the fight?\"", "summary": "Andre Ward stopped Sergey Kovalev in the eighth round to win their light-heavyweight rematch in Las Vegas and retain his WBO, WBA and IBF belts."}
{"article": "The decree, or fatwa, was passed on Sunday by a group of clerics. It said that according to Islam transgender people with \"visible signs\" of being male or female may marry someone of the opposite sex. But those with \"visible signs of both genders\" may not marry, it said. The 50 clerics, part of the little-known Tanzeem Ittehad-i-Ummat body based in Lahore, also said any act intended to \"humiliate, insult or tease\" transgender individuals should be considered a crime under Islam. The fatwa is not legally binding in any way. \"We are glad that somebody's talked about us too,\" transgender rights worker Almas Bobby told BBC Urdu. \"By Sharia we already had the right [to marry], but unless measures are taken to remove the misconceptions about us in society, the condition of our community will not be changed.\" Another social worker for gender issues told BBC Urdu that it was a \"good step\", but that issues would remain until transgender marriage was officially legitimised. Qamar Nasim said that many police officers had charged people in transgender marriages because \"due to a lack of knowledge... they consider it same-sex marriage\". \"This practice can only be stopped when [the] government spread awareness about rights of a transgender person.\" Transgender people are discriminated against in Pakistan and struggle to find employment. More than 45 transgender people have been killed in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the past two years, according to local rights group Trans Action. Last month, a 23-year-old transgender activist died after delays in treatment. Alisha, who was shot eight times, was in critical condition when admitted to hospital but staff could not decide whether to put her in a male or female ward, according to her friends. Trans Action, an advocacy group, say that there are at least 45,000 transgender people in the province and at least half-a-million nationwide. In 2012, Pakistan's Supreme Court declared equal rights for transgender citizens, including the right to inherit property and assets. They were also given the right to vote the year before. However, it has denied homosexual couples the permission to marry, with cases in the past of male homosexuals being charged under anti-sodomy laws.", "summary": "A religious decree declaring transgender marriage to be legal has been cautiously welcomed in Pakistan, but activists say attitudes still need to change."}
{"article": "The company said PCs and tablets running the software would go on sale on 29 July, at which point the OS would also be offered as a free download to existing users. The roll-out of the product for smartphones, Xbox games consoles and other kit will follow later. One expert said the release could prove critical to the Microsoft's fortunes. Windows 8 - the current iteration - has had a troubled life, with many deciding not to update to its touch-centric user interface. The company has acknowledged the fact by returning some features dropped from the more popular Windows 7. \"We designed Windows 10 to create a new generation of Windows for the 1.5 billion people using Windows today in 190 countries around the world,\" wrote Terry Myerson, Microsoft's vice-president of operating systems, on its blog. \"Familiar, yet better than ever, Windows 10 brings back the Start menu you know and love.\" He also highlighted new additions, including: Many company watchers had not expected the launch of the product to happen until later in the year. One analyst said the release was important as it might be \"Microsoft's last chance\" to crack the tablet market before Android and iOS became too entrenched, but added that it was unlikely to drive demand for new equipment in the same way earlier Windows updates had done. \"Microsoft and Intel are certainly pushing the two-in-one device strategy [in which laptops transform into tablets], which could result in some sales,\" said Michael Silver from the tech consultancy Gartner. \"But it's not only the fact that the upgrade is free, but Windows 10 for PCs is designed to run on computers that ran Windows 7 and even do better on less powerful hardware, so it will not spur on sales to the same extent as we've seen in the past.\"", "summary": "Microsoft's next generation of its operating system, Windows 10, is due to be released next month."}
{"article": "Ildar Dadin is serving two and a half years for a series of street protests. He told his lawyer that he had been strung up by his handcuffed wrists, had his head shoved down a toilet and been threatened with rape and death. Russia's prison service says the claims are untrue but will investigate if the activist complains formally. Unusually, the allegations made the headlines on state-controlled television on Tuesday after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the case merited \"the closest attention\" and that President Vladimir Putin would be informed. Dadin's supporters gathered outside the justice ministry on Tuesday evening in protest. Ildar Dadin, 34, says his problems began after he was transferred to Prison Number Seven in the Karelia region of north-western Russia in mid-September and sent directly to a punishment cell. More on this story: Now out of isolation, Dadin has dictated a letter to his wife via his lawyer, in which he says he was beaten and kicked repeatedly by up to a dozen prison staff. One day, he alleges, he was hung from his wrists for about half an hour causing \"extreme pain\". \"They then took off my pants and said that they would bring in another prisoner who would rape me if I didn't agree to end my hunger strike,\" Ildar Dadin writes. He had stopped eating in protest at being held in a punishment cell. Russia's FSIN prison service told the BBC that Mr Dadin was put in isolation for what a spokeswoman called \"violations of the detention regime\", but insisted that his claims of beating and torture were false. \"There's no way illegal methods were used, especially for such a well-known character,\" Kristina Belousova told the BBC by telephone. \"It's not the first time we've seen this, by people trying to attract maximum attention,\" the spokeswoman added. Ildar Dadin was sentenced in December 2015, under Article 212.1 - a controversial law that makes repeat violations of Russia's strict laws on street protests a criminal offence. \"We didn't expect this to happen. It's awful,\" lawyer Alexei Liptser told the BBC, after visiting his client on Monday and transcribing his account. \"He is frightened and subdued,\" the lawyer added. As the allegations of abuse spread on social media, and reached the Kremlin, Russia's human rights ombudswoman ordered a regional representative to visit the prison and said she was taking the case under her \"personal control\". In a dramatic conclusion to his letter, Ildar Dadin tells his wife \"I am not afraid of dying. I'm most afraid of not being able to tolerate the torture.\"", "summary": "Russian officials are investigating claims that a well-known opposition activist has been repeatedly beaten and threatened in prison."}
{"article": "Alex Williams, 22, from Christchurch, had failed to appear in court for sentencing in November, but was arrested in the town on Sunday. He appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court earlier and was sentenced to 20 months in prison for violent disorder. Williams was also sentenced to a further two months for failing to appear in court. Detectives had appealed to the public to help locate him after he failed to show up. The gang's offences included throwing a liquid, thought to be ammonia, at two victims who were each left blind in one eye. Four men were jailed for the attacks. In November Joe Warne, 21, was sentenced to 20 years; Reece Watkins, 22, was sentenced to 18 years; Dominic Barker, 20, was given 16 years and Piers Fox-Havilland was jailed for 12 years. The men, who lived in the London area, were also sentenced to 12 years for conspiracy to rob and eight for possession of imitation firearms - to run concurrently. Dorset Police said the gang was charged following a lengthy investigation into attacks at locations including Boscombe and Christchurch.", "summary": "A man who was part of a five-strong gang that committed violent acts in Dorset has been jailed."}
{"article": "Coatbridge College head John Doyle was given the money after his institution merged with two other colleges. Holyrood's public audit committee, which said the principal was paid \"in excess of the guidelines\", has passed its report to Police Scotland. Mr Doyle told MSPs in October he had done nothing wrong and that his reputation had been unfairly \"trashed\". In June, the Auditor General Caroline Gardner issued a highly-critical report of the severance deals paid out by Coatbridge College, which she said were overly-generous. She claimed Mr Doyle and chairman of the former college - John Gray - had colluded in order to \"achieve a certain outcome\" by withholding important information from the remuneration committee. The report by the Scottish Parliament's audit committee agreed with the auditor general. Mr Doyle, who earned \u00a3116,000 a year by the end of his service, was given: Six other college staff also benefited from the \u00a3850,000 pot of pay-off money. Police Scotland said that officers had had discussions with Audit Scotland and the \"matter is under review\". Following the report, the Scottish government said it would \"carefully consider its [the report's] recommendations in the coming days\". Committee convener Paul Martin said: \"There is a compelling moral argument for John Doyle to repay the tens of thousands of pounds extra he received from the college. \"The Scottish government provided more than \u00a352m between 2011/12 and 2013/14 to support the college merger process and most of that money was used to fund voluntary severance schemes. \"It was not provided however to allow already highly-paid public servants to feather their own nests at the expense of their colleagues and of their students' education.\" The report made key recommendations, including; A Scottish government spokeswoman said the way in which \"decisions involving hundreds of thousands of pounds of public money were made at Coatbridge College were completely unacceptable\". She added: \"The events in question took place before April 2014 when colleges were reclassified by ONS and stronger financial controls came into effect.\" By Glenn Campbell, BBC Scotland political correspondent MSPs on Holyrood's public audit committee were unanimous. Their report into bumper pay-offs for Coatbridge college bosses finds that the principal, John Doyle, was responsible for \"serious failings in the governance of severance arrangements\". It says he colluded with the chairman, John Gray to secure \"excessive\" pay-offs for himself and six other senior managers by deliberately withholding information from those who signed off the deals. The committee is urging Mr Doyle to pay back much of his \u00a3304,000 golden goodbye. They say this request and their decision to copy their report to Police Scotland are without precedent. Mr Doyle has previously refused to pay back any money arguing that he has \"done nothing wrong\". Mr Gray has also denied collusion. The committee convenor, Paul Martin, says in these circumstances the charity regulator or the Scottish Funding Council should think creatively about how they could force a clawback. The difficulty with these demands is that what MSPs find morally questionable may prove to be contractually correct.", "summary": "A former college principal should hand back some of his \u00a3304,000 severance pay, a committee of MSPs has concluded."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device If the former Nottingham Forest and Derby County defender had access to the sort of help and support he is now eager to offer young footballers, he may well have achieved a great deal more. Now retraining as a counsellor, Charles - still best remembered for his innocent part in the infamous tackle that almost ended Paul Gascoigne's career - is determined to give something back to the sport that gave him so much. His journey has been far from smooth, with the low point a six-month prison sentence for dangerous driving and failing to give a breath sample that was brought about by his drinking. Following his time in the East Midlands Charles, who won two England caps, was forced to retire at the age of 32 after injury-plagued spells with Aston Villa, Benfica and West Ham. It was the injuries that led to the boozing. \"While I was playing I was disciplined,\" Charles told BBC Inside Out. \"As soon as I was injured - if it was for any length of time - I would maybe go out a little bit more than I would normally. But it wouldn't be all the time. \"I am the first to admit that I have had my issues with drinking and I am a recovering alcoholic. But my drinking was very different from someone drinking every day. It wasn't all the time, it would be the odd time that would last two or three days. \"I wasn't a typical alcoholic. I could stop and go long periods of time without drinking. \"But toward the end of my football career it would last a little bit longer - definitely. As soon as I was nearly back to full fitness, I would go back in to my disciplined life again.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Charles has been sober for nine years. The 45-year-old is director of football at Nottingham University and is working with Priority Health - a specialist organisation to help young footballers. And he really wants to help. \"If a lot more people were more honest and there wasn't such a stigma around alcoholics or drug addicts then a lot of people would benefit from it,\" Charles said. \"We need to encourage young players not to live with addictions and talk to people. \"I know it is hard for a young player to go to a coach or an assistant manager and say 'listen I am struggling with drinking' or gambling or whatever because they do think it could be detrimental to their careers and maybe they will not get the contract of their dreams. \"There are things away from football clubs and there are people you can speak to. \"I want people to know that if you are struggling with addiction, speak to somebody about it because it does help. You don't have to go through hell when you can address your issues a lot earlier and go on and live a normal life.\" His time in prison was the", "summary": "Gary Charles fought alcoholism throughout his career, but still managed to play for England and feature in Wembley cup finals."}
{"article": "William Mocsari of Rodden Street in Kircubbin is charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a dog. Newtownards Magistrates' court heard he allegedly confessed to his social worker that he got a dog which was \"free to a good home\" from a website. He then strangled it with its own lead, \"skinned it and fed it to his other dog\". A police officer told the court that as well as the alleged confession to his social worker, \"traces of dog fur were found in the fire\". She said there were strong objections to Mr Mocsari being freed on bail as he is considered a danger to the public. The defendant appeared in court via video link from Maghaberry prison. He is also charged with driving offences and being in possession of class C diazepam drugs. A defence barrister told the court that Mr Mocsari still had not had a mental health assessment despite the judge ordering one in December. Judge Hamill ordered Mr Mocsari to be produced from prison and made a further order that \"someone senior in the Prison Service accompanies Mr Mocsari to explain to his court why the order about mental health has been ignored\". The case was adjourned until Tuesday.", "summary": "A 27-year-old man has been charged with killing, skinning and cooking a dog before feeding it to another animal."}
{"article": "The 35-year-old former international stand-off becomes the first French coach of the Perpignan-based club. Frayssinous replaces Trent Robinson, who has left France for a post at Sydney Roosters in Australia. Frayssinous is five months the junior of the previous youngest Super League coach, Bradford's Francis Cummins. Frayssinous had been part of the Dragons' coaching staff and played for them when they made their Super League bow with a 38-30 win against Wigan in 2006. The former assistant coach of the France national team has signed a two-year deal, with the option of a third season.", "summary": "Laurent Frayssinous has been appointed the head coach of Catalan Dragons on a two-year contract, and becomes the youngest team boss in Super League."}
{"article": "No firms in Northern Ireland have so far been affected by the ransomware attack, which wreaked havoc on organisations including the National Health Service in England and Scotland. The virus could have spread even further had a cyber security researcher not accidently discovered a \"kill switch\" in the malicious program. He was assisted by a researcher from security firm Proofpoint, which has an office in Belfast. There is no shortage of cyber security experts in Northern Ireland - the industry now employs about 1,200 people. And there is such a demand for their expertise, they can earn twice the average salary in Northern Ireland. Invest NI - the region's business development agency - says Northern Ireland is the number one location in the world for cyber security inward investment and the number one global destination for US cyber security companies with an eye for international expansion. Invest NI said companies had been enticed by the \"hard-to-find\" skillsets being nurtured at Queen's and Ulster University. \"Companies such as Black Duck, Rapid 7, Proofpoint, Alert Logic and Whitehat are recent investors here,\" said a spokeswoman. \"And with Symantec, a security software vendor, predicting the number of job openings to rise to 6m globally by 2019, there are real opportunities for our talented workforce.\" Emily McDaid writes about all things tech and edits the Techwatch blog for Catalyst Inc Connect, a not-for-profit network that runs a number of programmes to help innovation companies get off the ground or grow. Northern Ireland has a booming tech sector, she said, particularly in the fields of cyber security, data analytics, fintech (software for the financial sector) and blockchain - the technology underpinning the digital currency Bitcoin. \"London is no longer the go-to place,\" she said. \"Northern Ireland is a cheaper place to live and do business. And if the corporation tax was to be lowered, that would be massive for the sector.\" Cyber security has become big business for corporate firms and start-ups in Northern Ireland, she said, and they are in the unique position of working in both the Irish and UK markets. She has written about a start-up in Belfast, one of only two companies in the world, which uses a person's heartbeat as a way of identification, as opposed to fingerprints or retinal scan. Then there are the two female cryptography experts looking at how to keep data safe when quantum computing becomes a reality - quantum computers will be so clever they will be able to break security algorithms easily, and hack data in seconds. In addition to working with at least 500 entrepreneurs each year, Mrs McDaid's organisation inspires young people to pursue careers in tech and innovation. \"Cyber security is so big at the moment, it has an 0% unemployment rate,\" added Mrs McDaid. \"The more NI becomes a recognised centre of innovation, the more you will get the talent coming up through the generations.\" Last week, two international conferences were held in Belfast on the issue of cyber security - it is a burgeoning industry because with every technological advance comes", "summary": "Cyber security has hit the headlines after an unprecedented cyber-attack brought down computer systems around the world on Friday."}
{"article": "Researchers said they found German coins minted during World War Two in the ruins in northern Argentina. The researchers said that the buildings were probably never used by fugitive Nazis, because they found they could live freely in Argentine towns. Nazis who fled to Argentina included Adolf Eichmann and Erich Priebke. The researchers from the University of Buenos Aires said they decided to investigate the buildings because of a local legend claiming they had been used as a hide-out for Martin Bormann, a close aide to Adolf Hitler. The overgrown ruins are located in Teyu Cuare park, near the town of San Ignacio in northern Misiones province. Researcher Daniel Schavelzon told Argentina's Clarin newspaper that the architecture of the three buildings differed markedly from that of others in the region and that their purpose in the middle of a remote nature reserve was a mystery. He said that a number of objects had been found that linked the buildings to wartime Germany, such as coins minted in the late 1930s and early 1940s and a fragment of Meissen porcelain made in Germany. However, none of the objects has so far been found to have any direct links to any Nazi officers. Mr Schavelzon told Clarin that his team thought previous theories, such as that the building had been built by Jesuit priests, were \"too simplistic\". He also dismissed the local legend that Hitler's private secretary Martin Bormann had lived there. Mr Schavelzon pointed to DNA tests carried out in 1998 on a skeleton found in Berlin that proved Bormann committed suicide in 1945 and did not flee to South America as had long been rumoured. The researcher insisted, though, that the buildings in Teyu Cuare park were very unusual. He said the walls, some of which were 3m (9ft) thick, were \"on an incredible scale\". He also said that their location was \"completely inaccessible\". \"You'd never be able to find them if you didn't know their exact location,\" he said. He said the theory the team was currently working on was that the buildings were constructed as a hide-out by the Nazis in case they lost World War Two. But he said he did not think it was ever used, as the Nazis found they could live in relative comfort in Argentine cities rather than have to hide in a remote jungle fortress. Hundreds of Nazis and fascists, some of them wanted war criminals, were allowed to enter Argentina by the president at the time, Juan Peron. Adolf Eichmann, the SS officer who oversaw the logistics of the Holocaust, famously lived in a suburb of Buenos Aires for years before being captured by Israeli agents. In 2000, then-president Fernando de la Rua apologised for Argentina's role in providing a refuge for Nazi war criminals after World War Two.", "summary": "Archaeologists are trying to determine whether ruined buildings in a remote nature reserve in Argentina were built as a hide-out for German Nazi officers."}
{"article": "Anti-smoking groups say that is too long to wait, but there have been protests by some restaurant owners, who say their business will suffer. Austrians like order, or \"Ordnung\" as they say in German. It is hugely frowned upon for a pedestrian to cross the road on a red light. And the streets and underground network of Vienna are kept remarkably clean. But smoky air in cafes and restaurants has been widely tolerated for years. \"Smoking is a sort of culture, especially in Austria,\" Margit Schwed told me as she sat in Cafe Ritter in Vienna, with its gilt chandeliers and marble table tops. \"In the typical Vienna Kaffeehaus you take your coffee and your cigarette. I think people like the flair in the coffee houses.\" Austria has one of the highest rates of smoking in Europe, particularly among young people: 33% of Austrians smoke regularly, according to a 2012 Eurobarometer study. Only Greeks, Bulgarians and Latvians smoke more. A survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that 27% of Austrian 15-year-olds smoke at least once a week, more frequently than any other children in the OECD area. Several years ago, when many countries had already banned smoking in bars and cafes, Austria first adopted the idea of introducing separate smoking and non-smoking areas. Small restaurants could choose whether to go smoke-free or not. Larger restaurants, like Cafe Ritter, were obliged to provide a separate smoking section, sealed off by glass partitions. The law was heavily criticised by doctors and anti-smoking groups as half-hearted and badly enforced. Earlier this year, after the death of a prominent anti-smoking journalist from lung cancer, Austria's coalition government of the Social Democrats and the conservative People's Party announced plans to bring in a total ban on smoking in restaurants, cafes and bars by 2018. \"We have finally arrived in Europe with anti-smoking protection,\" Health Minister Sabine Oberhauser said. However there were protests from the far-right Freedom Party and from Austria's Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber of Commerce opposes the ban, because it says restaurants and cafes invested around \u00e2\u201a\u00ac100m ($109m; \u00c2\u00a3714m) to install ventilation systems and glass partitions to accommodate the separate smoking areas. The economy minister, Reinhold Mitterlehner, has said their interests will be taken into account. At Cafe Ritter, one of the waiters, Michael Schneider, told me the smoking ban should be brought in as soon as possible. \"Working in the smoke is bad for the health of me and my colleagues,\" he said.", "summary": "After years of debate, Austria's government has announced plans to introduce a total smoking ban in cafes and restaurants by 2018."}
{"article": "Will that promising full-back relish being thrown deeper into the public spotlight? What if the \u00a3200m superstar doesn't settle in Paris? These are the types of questions being asked by clubs as they consider investing eye-watering sums on new players. An emerging field of analysts and experts believe they have the answers. But how do they find them? Ever sent a tweet you've come to regret? Last season, Burnley striker Andre Gray apologised and asked \"for forgiveness\" after homophobic tweets he sent in 2012 were shared. And, just last week, Chelsea forward Kenedy was sent home from their pre-season tour of China after being accused of xenophobia and racism. He apologised for the Instagram posts. But what can a club learn from a player's social media presence? Ben Wright is head of sport at communications agency Cicero, which produces reports on players for clients across the globe, including seven in the Premier League and two in Spain's La Liga. He says: \"We look all the way through a player's online presence. By doing this you can get an idea of what kind of person they are and how their character has evolved over time. \"We analyse media coverage, social media, fans' forums, everything that is available online, across 13 languages, to build up a public picture of their life. \"Are they using social media late at night? Do they blur the boundaries of public and private? How have they changed over time as they have begun to earn more money? \"Are they posting the kind of insight into their private lives that fans really appreciate, or is it all about new cars and new clothes? And are they posting this kind of stuff regardless of whether it's been a good or bad result the weekend before?\" Some clubs have developed in-house teams - sometimes within their scouting departments - to perform similar research. But in January, Cicero produced a report on a promising young Premier League player, who will remain anonymous. The analysis uncovered a series of social media posts, dating back several years, that were sexually explicit in nature, and found angry responses to opposition fans that included offensive language. Ultimately, the client who commissioned the report decided not to offer the player what would have been a significant development in his career. Case study: Andrea Belotti Torino striker Andrea Belotti has been linked with a move to the Premier League for much of the summer. In July, Cicero was asked to produce a report on the \u00a390m-rated Italian, and the findings were largely positive. One section in the report - written for a Premier League club - analyses the \"tone and approach\" of his social media activity, while another addresses the '\"likelihood of future issues\". Belotti's posts, which featured regular tributes to his wife and family, displayed \"no instances of bad language, prejudice or public disagreements\", the report said. \"It is extremely unlikely he would ever post something or engage with fans on social media in a way that brings himself or his club into disrepute,\" it added. But, in", "summary": "Will a \u00a3300,000-a-week salary change a hot prospect's attitude to the game?"}
{"article": "Carl McHugh was red-carded for a lunge on Don Cowie early in the second half. Hearts went ahead when Alexandros Tziolis' shot took a deflection off Keith Lasley and looped over goalkeeper Craig Samson. And Esmael Goncalves struck twice late on, the striker scoring his first goals for the Tynecastle club. Goncalves had an early low shot just wide before Louis Moult's header hit the bar, but the flag was up - wrongly - for offside against the Motherwell striker. The hosts had started the match with a back three in an attempt to stymie the Hearts attack, but as the half wore on the away side became more dangerous. First, a great run from left-back Lennard Sowah forced a save from Samson. Media playback is not supported on this device Then Jamie Walker threatened with a couple of fierce efforts which were just off target. He perhaps should have had a penalty when it looked like he had his shirt pulled in the box. Malaury Martin then stung the palms of Samson with a free-kick from 25 yards, but Motherwell would finish the half strongly. From a corner Lionel Ainsworth fired in a shot which was cleared off the line by Anastasios Avlonitis. McHugh then fired an effort over the bar. Moult was wrongly awarded awarded a free-kick at the edge of the box, having actually been tripped by team-mate Ainsworth. Referee Andrew Dallas even mistakenly booked Hearts midfielder Martin. Moult took the free-kick himself and the ball flew narrowly wide of Jack Hamilton's goal. Red cards defined Motherwell's match with Rangers last weekend and another sending off played a massive part in this match. This time it was McHugh who lunged in, catching Cowie painfully. There were echoes of Scott McDonald's red card tackle on Rangers' Kenny Miller, and it looked like the right decision by Dallas. Just minutes later Hearts opened the scoring. The impressive Greece international midfielder Tziolis fired in a shot from 20 yards which took a massive deflection off Lasley and beat Samson. But Lasley almost levelled moments later, his effort narrowly off target. Goncalves has shed 8kg and with his improved conditioning and professionalism it's intriguing to ponder what he can do for this Hearts side. The management at the club clearly believe in the talents of this mercurial player, and that belief will give Goncalves added confidence. He looked determined to get his first Hearts goal and caused Motherwell problems all afternoon. It finally came as he fired home with a composed finish. It clearly meant a lot to him as he celebrated with the travelling fans - for which he was duly booked. Goncalves restrained himself from a second yellow after he scored again as Hearts made it two wins in four days following Wednesday's 4-1 defeat of Rangers. Match ends, Motherwell 0, Heart of Midlothian 3. Second Half ends, Motherwell 0, Heart of Midlothian 3. Attempt missed. Sam Nicholson (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Attempt blocked. Sam Nicholson (Heart of Midlothian)", "summary": "Esmael Goncalves scored twice as Hearts overcame 10-man Motherwell in Saturday's early Scottish Premiership match."}
{"article": "LL Camps has operated at Merry Hill in Bushey, Hertfordshire, for the past four years, describing itself as the UK's only American-style summer camp. A man aged 25, of Borehamwood, had been bailed until September, said police. They said they would contact families directly should they discover that any children had been affected. A spokesman for Ofsted said: \"We can confirm we have suspended the registrations of these early years settings while investigations are carried out. \"It would be inappropriate to comment further while investigations are ongoing.\" In a joint statement, Hertfordshire Police and Hertfordshire County Council said they were working with Ofsted and the \"safety and welfare of children is the top priority\". Anyone with specific concerns about a child is asked to call Hertfordshire County Council on 0300 123 4043. A statement from the LL Camps team was posted its Facebook page on Thursday. It said the camp had closed with \"immediate effect\" and it \"cannot disclose any further information\". The privately-run LL Camps is based at St Margaret's School in Bushey. A school spokeswoman said LL Camps was \"entirely non-related to our school\" and St Margaret's had \"no links to LL Camps except to hire out a part of the Sports Centre site during the holiday periods\". The LL Camps website, which has been taken offline, stated it had achieved \"outstanding early years provider\" awards from Ofsted in 2013 and 2014. It said the camp was about \"meeting new friends, expanding interests and learning new skills\". It added it was committed to its core values of creating a \"caring, nurturing and positive\" environment.", "summary": "A children's summer camp has been closed by Ofsted after a man was arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device A winner must be declared on the night - as an ice hockey rink needs to be laid at midnight for a match at the same Hallenstadion venue the following day. But what else do you need to know? BBC Radio 5 live's sports news correspondent Richard Conway explains. Media playback is not supported on this device Fifa's 209 nations will gather in Zurich for what is billed as an \"extraordinary congress\". It was called after Sepp Blatter dramatically announced last June that he would step aside after 18 years as Fifa president. The 79-year-old Swiss said he was \"laying down his mandate\", which has led to some concern he may not have actually resigned. However, Fifa officials are confident he will not make an awkward re-appearance - not least because he has been banned from football for eight years over a \"disloyal payment\" of \u00a31.3m to suspended Uefa president Michel Platini. Both men deny wrongdoing and are appealing against their bans. Blatter also has no accreditation to get into the conference hall on the outskirts of Zurich where the congress is being held. There are two big issues to settle. First, the FA representatives have to agree to a package of reforms designed to eliminate the problems that have plunged Fifa into crisis in recent months and restore its reputation. Then, if and when that is formalised, they have to appoint a new president. Media playback is not supported on this device Given the hype and spin around the election the reforms have been slightly forgotten about - but they are vitally important to the organisation's future. One Fifa insider believes it would be a \"disaster\" if measures to clean up the governing body fail. Specifically, Fifa wants members to agree to term limits for top officials along with disclosure of their salaries. Responsibility for everyday business decisions will be removed from the \"political\" representatives of national associations. The \"executive committee\" will be disbanded. In its place will come a new 36-member Fifa council, which will include a minimum of six women, to set global strategy. The day-to-day running of Fifa will pass to a new \"general secretariat\" - equivalent to a corporate executive board - and the secretary general, effectively the CEO, will be a powerful position. The checks and balances will be carried out by a series of committees, the most important of which will be the fully independent audit and compliance committee. Fifa wants the regional confederations and national associations to mirror their efforts over time and they will place immediate new demands on them, such as annual audits. Media playback is not supported on this device You would think so given Fifa's recent history. However, officials aren't taking any chances. The proposals need 75% approval to be passed. Acting president Issa Hayatou has been very active in spreading the message about the need to adopt the raft of proposals. Hayatou was censured by the International Olympic Committee for his part in the ISL scandal - where the sports marketing", "summary": "Football's crisis-hit world governing body Fifa will meet in Zurich on Friday and elect a new leader to try to take the damaged organisation forward into a new era."}
{"article": "The 18-year-old scored 88.40 to make history in what was the fifth and the final stop of the World Cup season. She came ahead of Sweden's Emma Dahlstrom and Swiss Mathilde Gremaud. Boston-born Atkin, who initially competed for the US before switching to Great Britain aged 15, was making her 15th appearance at a World Cup event. Atkin will be competing at the Freestyle World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain (9-19 March). The event will be live on the BBC Sport website, app, connected TV and red button.", "summary": "Izzy Atkin became the first British woman to win a World Cup ski slopestyle event as she took gold in Silvaplana, Switzerland."}
{"article": "The boarding boat at St Davids RNLI Lifeboat Station takes crew to and from its lifeboat. But the vessel has recently become a regular sunbathing spot for a 7ft (2.13m) long bull seal. Dai John, St Davids RNLI coxswain, said: \"His presence doesn't impact on our ability to save lives at sea at all so he is a welcome visitor.\" The boat is currently being kept on a mooring until the charity's new lifeboat station is completed next year.", "summary": "A volunteer RNLI crew have been given the seal of approval from an unlikely passenger."}
{"article": "David Miller, 56, died at his house on Patterdale Walk, Northampton, in the early hours of Tuesday. Northamptonshire Police said the woman was 39 and of no fixed address. Four others have been charged with murder: Zena Kane, 35; Ian Cuthbertson, 49; Michael Hallett, 37 and Joseph Catlin, 30, who were remanded in custody at Northampton Crown Court.", "summary": "A woman has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of a man who was stabbed to death at his home."}
{"article": "Fees in England are rising again, and it is the first fall in UK applications since fees were last increased in 2012. The Royal College of Nursing blamed the 23% drop in nursing applications on the removal of bursaries. Universities Minister Jo Johnson said that despite the overall drop, more 18-year-olds were applying to university. These Ucas admissions figures, up to the January deadline for courses starting in the autumn, show a 5% drop in UK students and 7% drop in students from the European Union - with a total of about 564,000. Universities have been warning about the impact of Brexit on their finances if European applications fall and these figures show a significant decline in candidates from the EU. There has also been a decline in UK students applying - and like the two previous occasions when applications have fallen - this has been when fees are being increased. The fall in applications in England of 6% has been three times greater than in Scotland at 2%, which remains without tuition fees. Applications from Wales fell most, by 7%, and Northern Ireland by 5%. Nursing had the biggest fall of any individual subject, and Janet Davies, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, blamed this on the switch from grants to fees and loans. \"We warned the government the removal of student funding would see a sharp drop in nursing applications. These figures confirm our worst fears,\" said Ms Davies. She said the \"nursing workforce is in crisis\". But there were drops across other subjects - particularly among older students not applying directly from school. Among 19-year-olds, numbers were down 9%. And among 25-year-olds, applications were down 23%. But among 18-year-olds, such as sixth-formers applying from school, numbers have continued to rise to record levels, up to 37% of the age group. And there could be an upside for those who are seeking places - with universities likely to be competing to attract students. Ucas chief Mary Curnock Cook said this \"tough recruitment environment for universities\" would mean \"unprecedented choice and opportunity for applicants\". Sorana Vieru, vice-president of the National Union of Students, said the fall in applicants was \"disappointing, but not a surprise\". \"Uncertainty around increases in tuition fees, loss of maintenance grants and the rising costs of living and studying at university are too much of a risk to some potential students,\" she said. Labour's shadow universities minister, Gordon Marsden, said: \"We warned the government at Christmas their sneaked-out tuition fee increases and the accompanying increased debts would have damaging impacts on students and their numbers.\" Universities Minister Jo Johnson said: \"More young people than ever are choosing to go to university, with record application rates for 18-year-olds this year as well as those from disadvantaged backgrounds.\"", "summary": "University applications have fallen by 5% - with the decline driven by a drop in European Union students and a sharp fall in nursing applications."}
{"article": "There are concerns about the number of deaths at the hospital, which is at the centre of a long dispute over the future of children's heart services. The medical director of the NHS, Bruce Keogh, said it was \"a highly responsible precautionary step\". But some people have questioned the decision and its timing, 24 hours after a High Court ruling kept surgery there. Leeds General Infirmary had been earmarked for closure by the NHS review to concentrate children's heart surgery in fewer bigger centres. But that decision was quashed by a High Court judge on Wednesday. Stuart Andrew, Conservative MP for Pudsey, who has led a cross-party campaign to keep the unit open, said it was a \"very odd\" decision coming after the jubilation that greeted the court ruling. \"We have always asked them 'is it safe at Leeds?' and the answer always came back 'yes it is'. \"What is the information that says that has changed?\" Congenital heart defects explained He added he had not received one complaint about care. Children who would have been treated in Leeds will be sent to other hospitals around England. Affected families are being contacted directly by the trust and the review is expected to take three weeks. Anne Keatley-Clarke, chief executive of the Children's Heart Federation, an umbrella group for different voluntary organisations, said she had raised concerns about surgery outcomes two years ago, and more recently parents had reported difficulties in getting referrals at Leeds to other heart units. In a statement on the federation website, she said: \"My concern is that it appears that managers and clinicians in Leeds, together with the parent support group, have put their own interests ahead of the well-being of critically ill children and their very vulnerable parents.\" Sir Bruce and senior managers from the Care Quality Commission visited the hospital on Thursday to say it must stop all children's heart surgery there immediately. In a statement, Sir Bruce said: \"The trust has taken a highly responsible precautionary step. \"Some questions have been raised by the trust's own mortality data and by other information. \"It is important to understand that while this information raises questions, it does not give us answers.\" The chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said outside experts would be drafted in to help review \"all aspects\" of care. In a statement, Maggie Boyle apologised to parents and families affected but assured them the trust always put the safety of patients first. The CQC said it supported the trust's decision and it was in close contact with the trust to ensure effective arrangements were in place to protect the safety and welfare of patients. Sharon Cheng, from Save Our Surgery - the group which is co-ordinating the fight to keep children's heart surgery in Leeds - said: \"We're mystified. \"We don't know of anything that could justify this step.\" Previously, an NHS review said surgery should stop at hospitals in Leeds, Leicester and London to focus care at fewer, larger sites, where medical expertise can be concentrated. More than 600,000 people signed", "summary": "Children's congenital heart surgery at Leeds General Infirmary has been suspended as a review is carried out."}
{"article": "A metal detectorist found three jugs and a bronze dish in a field in Kelshall near Royston last year, North Hertfordshire District Council said. A subsequent dig unearthed artefacts from a \"cosmopolitan\" burial including mosaic glass dishes and cremated bone. Experts are \"clamouring\" to study the \"unique find,\" the council said. The treasure hunter made the initial discoveries, including a complete Roman jug, late last year and council archaeology officer Keith Fitzpatrick-Matthews decided the finds merited further investigation. Glass bottles and cups, an iron lamp, a box with bronze corner bindings were later uncovered, as well as a bronze coin dating from 174 to 175 AD. A \"major find\" were two shattered - but otherwise complete - mosaic glass dishes, which were probably made in Alexandria in Egypt in about 200 AD, the council said. Mr Fitzpatrick-Matthews said: \"After 1800 years, finds like these still impress us with their workmanship.\" The artefacts are not currently classed as treasure and are owned by the farmer and the finder but North Hertfordshire Museum Service wants to raise the money to buy them. The value has not been revealed but is estimated to be \"more than \u00c2\u00a320,000\".", "summary": "\"Exceptional\" Roman artefacts discovered in a field in Hertfordshire date back to 174 AD, an investigation has found."}
{"article": "Banks Renewables is behind the project close to Birneyknowe Cottage, south east of Hawick. Planning officials had advised opposition due to its landscape, visual and cultural impact. The size of the project means that the final decision on whether it goes ahead lies with the Scottish government. The company has said the project would provide a \u00c2\u00a32.5m community benefit fund to support local groups and good causes.", "summary": "Councillors in the Borders have unanimously agreed to lodge an objection to a 15-turbine wind farm near Bonchester Bridge."}
{"article": "The conservationists have described it as a major milestone, there are thought to be about 70,000 coins in the hoard. By the end of the day on Friday the team had removed 55,014 coins, 63 more than the previous largest Roman Cunetio hoard found in Wiltshire. The team are clearing the coins in view of the public in a special laboratory at La Hougue Bie Museum in Grouville. The Jersey Heritage team has spent two years removing the coins one by one from the hoard discovered by two metal detector enthusiasts in 2012. The value of the hoard will not be known until next year when the States will have to decide whether to pay to keep it in the island.", "summary": "The team removing coins from the Jersey Celtic hoard have gathered more than in any other British hoard to date."}
{"article": "Conservative MPs cheered as English and Welsh members prepared to give their consent to parts of the Housing and Planning Bill that only apply to their constituencies. Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said he was \"very proud\" to be implementing the reforms. But the SNP said the changes were \"driving Scotland out of the door\". They were introduced in response to calls for a stronger voice for English MPs following increased devolution to Scotland. Where parts of a bill are deemed to only affect England, or England and Wales, a new stage is added to the usual law-making process at which only MPs for English - or English and Welsh - constituencies can vote. Following the end of the Housing Bill's report stage, Speaker John Bercow suspended the sitting of the Commons for five minutes before finalising which provisions applied to which nations. After MPs debated the new rules - MPs representing Scottish constituencies were entitled to speak but not to vote - the \"consent motion\" for England and Wales was agreed without a division. The Housing Bill, which includes an extension of the right-to-buy for housing association tenants in England, was later approved by all MPs at third reading stage.", "summary": "New \"English votes for English laws\" rules have been implemented in the House of Commons for the first time."}
{"article": "Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron called Labour \"careless\" for spending European Union (EU) money on ineligible projects and the Conservatives \"mean-spirited\" to use flood relief money to repay the wrongly used funds. The government blamed Labour's \"mismanagement\" of the money. Labour has been approached for comment. Local government minister Andrew Percy, revealed in a written statement that \u00a315m EU Solidarity Funding received in respect of the winter 2015-16 floods would be \"offset\" by the \u00a314.5m repayment. The UK was \"legally obliged\" to make the repayment because there had been \"ineligible spending under the Labour administration\" of 2007 funding. The remaining \u00a3500,000 was \"only eligible to reimburse\" the government for financial support given to affected areas, he said. Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Mr Farron said the two parties had \"combined to deprive flood-hit areas of much needed funds\". \"Labour's overspending has hurt the North and all those affected by last year's floods,\" he said. \"But it is the Conservative's mean-spiritedness which means they have chosen to use this money to pay the fine, instead of passing this money on to flood-affected areas and paying the fine from Treasury coffers.\" In response, Mr Percy said the government had delivered \u00a3300m to help flood-hit communities. \"Liberal Democrats are misleading the public by suggesting there's some EU magic money tree,\" he said.", "summary": "About \u00a315m of funding intended for UK communities hit by floods last winter will instead be used to cover a \"fine\" for misspending a previous grant."}
{"article": "Stuart Clancy, a Conservative councillor on Broadland District Council in Norfolk, was arrested by police in September 2014. The Crown Prosecution Service said there was \"insufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of a conviction for any offence\". The council, on which he represents Taverham South ward, welcomed the news. \"We are very pleased that this issue has been resolved and Councillor Clancy can now put this difficult period behind him,\" said a spokeswoman. The council said the investigation was not connected to his council work.", "summary": "No further action is to be taken against a deputy council leader arrested on suspicion of fraud."}
{"article": "The police force, which lost a High Court case in 2012, has already paid back \u00a31.2m to the football club. The figures emerged after the court examined the latest stage of the dispute, for charges over three seasons between 2009 and 2012. The force said it would now work with the club to agree what money, \"if anything\", remains outstanding. Two years ago, the High Court ruled the force overcharged for \"special police services\" between 2009 and 2012. Leeds United had argued policing streets and car parks near its Elland Road ground was the force's responsibility and the club should not have to pay. The High Court ruled in the club's favour and West Yorkshire Police lost a subsequent appeal against the decision. The judge, Sir David Eady, said one area of dispute remaining related to how charges should be made for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. Revealing details of developments in the case in a written analysis, following a further hearing in June, the judge said both parties had failed to agree a formula to calculate the appropriate rebate. Sir David said the force had \"repaid the rebate it thought due\" and \"claims now that no more is owed\". Assistant Chief Constable Mark Milsom said: \"West Yorkshire Police has already repaid the club \u00a31,238,816 following the original judgment. \"The ruling today makes clear that the force and the club should now work together to agree what, if anything, remains outstanding. \"We welcome the opportunity to now meet with the club.\"", "summary": "Leeds United claims West Yorkshire Police still owes the club \u00a3800,000 for overcharging policing at home games."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old striker is yet to make a senior appearance for Everton but twice featured in the Premier League club's Under-23 side that played in the EFL Trophy this season. Southport-born Brewster, an Everton academy player since he was 12, had a previous loan spell at Stockport. He is available to make his Southport debut against Wrexham on Sunday. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Everton teenager Delial Brewster has joined National League side Southport on loan until the end of the season."}
{"article": "The figures have been released by the States after a question from Reform Jersey chairman, Deputy Sam Mezec. It came after it was revealed two civil servants spent \u00a313,000 on flights to a mining conference in South Africa. The latest figures show Mike King and Wayne Gallichan have been to the conference every year since 2013, spending about \u00a340,000 on flights. A spokesman for the Chief Minister's Department said: \"States-wide reviews of travel policy and expenditure are underway. \"The scope of these reviews encompass the travel spend of the whole of the public sector, including all government departments and the individuals within those departments.\" Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Deputy Andrew Lewis, said the procurement system did not seem to be working properly. \"It is designed to save money, time and give a good audit trail. We've looked into it and it seems it does not do any of those three things,\" he said. \"We need to find out how it is supposed to work and if it is not working how they are going to fix it.\" Both men have apologised and are facing an internal investigation. Other flights booked through the States procurement system have cost more than the \u00a36,442 Mr Gallichan and Mr King spent travelling to South Africa. Colin Powell, the States Advisor on International Affairs flew to Hong Kong for a ministerial visit in 2011 for \u00a36,852. The figures show the Chief Minister's Department spent \u00a3177,000 on flights costing more than a thousand pounds, with Economic Development spending \u00a3141,000 over five years. Among the pages of flight costs, one was for the Principle Legal Advisor to an anti-corruption conference in 2013 to Panama City. It cost \u00a33,682.", "summary": "Civil servants splashed out nearly \u00a3400,000 on 120 flights over the past five years."}
{"article": "Physicists hope it could lead to discoveries that could potentially represent the biggest revolution in physics since Einstein's theories of relativity. Among them is Prof Jordan Nash from Imperial College London, who is working on the CMS experiment at the LHC. \"We are opening a new window on the Universe and looking forward to seeing what's there,\" he said. \"As much as we have a lot of theories of what might be out there we don't know. We'd love to find something completely unexpected and we might, and that's the exciting bit.\" They want a glimpse into a world never seen before. By smashing atoms harder than they have been smashed before physicists hope to peel back another veil of reality. The aim of the various theories of physics is to explain how the Universe was formed and how the bits that make it up work. One of the most successful of these theories is called the \"Standard Model\". It explains how the world of the very, very small works. Just as the world became very strange when Alice shrunk after drinking a potion in the children's book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, physicists have found things are quite different when they study the goings on at scales that are even smaller than the size of an atom. By doubling the energy of the LHC, it will enable them to discover new characters in the wonderful and mysterious tale of how the Universe works and came to be. The Standard Model describes how the basic building blocks that make up atoms and the forces of nature interact. And just as in Alice's stories it features some eccentric characters, notably a family of 17 elementary particles. Some are familiar from school physics lessons, household names if you like. One of the best known in the sub-atomic world is perhaps the electron, which orbits the atom and is involved in electricity and magnetism. Another flashy A-lister is the photon, which is a particle of light. But most particles from the Standard Model family are more niche, a little more art house if you like, and have strange names. In fact, one of them is actually called \"the strange quark\". And others from this group of particles are named as if by thoughtless and unimaginative parents: \"up\", \"down\", \"top\" and \"bottom\" though \"charm\" does sound a little more, well, charming. A couple of these combine in various ways to form protons and neutrons, which along with electrons make up atoms from which the world is made. These are all members of a group called \"fermions\". And there is another group called the \"bosons\", that quite literally hold the place together. They are called the \"force carriers\" in physics text books and give rise to the forces of nature: electrical, magnetic and nuclear forces, which pull other particles together or push them apart. With the discovery of the sub-atomic world's biggest celeb of all, the Higgs boson, scientists have now detected all the particles predicted by the Standard Model: a theory that beautifully explains how the Universe", "summary": "The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has been restarted after a two-year shutdown."}
{"article": "But the manager of the restaurant, called Halal KFC, said it had nothing to do with the US company. Police justified the decision saying it was operating under a false licence. The closure comes amid concerns amongst hardliners about growing Western influence in Iran as relations with a number of countries improve. \"The shutting down of Halal KFC was due to a misunderstanding,\" Abbas Pazuki, the manager of Halal KFC, told the Tasnim News Agency. He said police had thought the restaurant was a branch of the American KFC. \"We are part of a brand known as Halal KFC, which comes from Turkey. It belongs to Muslims and its target market is Muslim nations,\" said Pazuki. He said the Turkish brand was a \"rival of the American KFC\". Earlier reports suggested the authorities closed down the first branch in Tehran of the better known KFC. Ali Fazeli, head of the Iranian chamber of commerce, confirmed that the Iranian KFC has no connection with KFC in the US, according to ILNA press agency. \"In accordance with orders from the Supreme Leader, we do not give any authorisation to Western brands\" in the fast food sector, Fazeli said. The state media reported the opening of the restaurant as a first sign of creeping US influence, the BBC's Kasra Naji says. Hardliners believe the recent agreement on curbing Iran's nuclear programme, reached between Iran and Western powers, may become a vehicle for softening Iran's anti-Americanism, opening the floodgates of foreign influences, our correspondent adds. Several Western countries are seeking closer business ties with Tehran following the agreement.", "summary": "Only a day after it opened, Iran has shut down what officials reportedly thought was a branch of the US fast food giant Kentucky Fried Chicken."}
{"article": "Bilel Ayadi, 34, who is in a medically-induced coma, has been unable to tell detectives how he sustained burns to his torso and neck. He was found walking in Finsbury Park, north London, on 23 March. Mr Ayadi had walked bare-chested for about two miles, police said. He was found in Woodberry Grove at about 22:30 GMT by two security guards, who called police. Appealing for information, Det Con Anwen Clissold said Mr Ayadi would have \"been very distinctive\". \"It may well be that he was already injured as he made his way through the streets,\" she said. \"We are still trying to establish what has caused his burns but what we do know is that a young man has sustained some very serious injuries. I need to find out how.\" Mr Ayadi's brother, Abderrezak Ayadi, said: \"Bilel is my brother and at this moment he is lying in hospital with terrible injuries. \"Imagine if this was someone from your family. We just need to find out exactly what happened to him.\" Algerian national Mr Ayadi, who has lived in the UK for the past six years, is described as 5ft 11in (1.8m) tall and of medium build.", "summary": "Images of a shirtless man found wandering the streets after he suffered serious burns have been released in a bid to solve the mystery of his injuries."}
{"article": "Local photographer Ron Strathdee captured the phenomenon on Monday at about 23:30 BST. The glow is usually best seen from northern latitudes like Norway, Alaska, Iceland and northern Scotland. Mr Strathdee said seeing the Northrn Lights from Manx latitudes was \"fairly unusual.\" They happen when incoming solar radiation hits the earth's upper atmosphere and excites atoms to a new energy state, emitting energy in the form of light. The photographer said: \"I needed a place that faced north so went to Peel Hill and tried some shots over the castle which worked but half the fishing boats in the Irish Sea were discharging fish at the breakwater with enough floodlights to cover a football match! \"Going round the front of the castle it was pitch dark and it looks straight north which was where the photos were taken.\"", "summary": "The Aurora Borealis, better known as the Northern Lights, has been photographed from Peel Castle on the west coast of the Isle of Man."}
{"article": "This time last year rugby club Wasps was putting the final touches to its move from High Wycombe to Coventry, a 75 mile journey it hoped would transform it from a club losing more than \u00a33m a year into a thriving leisure business. As part of its relocation Wasps did not just move into, but acquired, the Ricoh Arena stadium complex in the West Midlands city for \u00a320m. The fact that the Barbadian artist - famous for hit singles like Umbrella, We Found Love, and Diamonds - is kicking off her high-profile tour in their stadium is a source of pride to club executives, and an indication of how far financially as well as geographically they have come. It also illustrates how the Premiership club sees its new commercial model as being as much about leisure as it is about sport. \"The entertainment side is where we see the biggest commercial growth,\" Wasps Group chief executive David Armstrong tells me. It was 13 months ago that Wasps, then based in Buckinghamshire, announced they would play their home games at the Ricoh Arena, completing the stadium purchase a month later. Their first game as owners of their new home was a win against London Irish in December 2014. A year on, the club is no longer the tenant of Wycombe Wanderers football club, but a multi-venue, multi-use business. Moving a major sporting \"franchise\" lock, stock and barrel from one city to another is not uncommon in the United States, but in the more conservative UK, such uprooting is greeted with suspicion. \"The primary reason for moving was commercial,\" Mr Armstrong said, speaking to the BBC at the annual Rugby Expo conference at Twickenham. \"We were looking to create a stable long-term business model that would take us forward over the next 250 years,\" he adds, referring to the length of their Ricoh lease. \"With our previous business model, we were losing in the region of \u00a33m to \u00a34m a year. Our only revenue then was ticket sales. Food and beverage sales went to the football club, while other revenue went to our sponsors. \"We were a shell of a club, and couldn't be competitive and make money.\" As well as its new income strands, earlier this year, the club raised \u00a335m with the issue of a seven-year bond, paying a fixed gross rate of interest of 6.50% a year until 2022 . Funds raised were used to restructure the club balance sheet and pay down existing debt, including loans acquired with the Ricoh Arena. According to Mr Armstrong the banks backed the bond issue because of the strength of the club's various income strands. Ownership of the Ricoh Stadium complex gives Wasps control over other income streams, not just from rugby matches. As well as the main sports stadium bowl, the purchase also saw the club acquire the indoor 12,000-standing-capacity Jaguar Exhibition Hall, which hosts smaller music concerts, and can also be hired for trade shows, company presentations and other business use. And the Ricoh also contains three restaurants, five bars, 20 retail", "summary": "When pop superstar Rihanna last week unveiled her 2016 UK concert tour dates, her choice of opening venue was seen as a vindication for an English rugby union club that has financially come back from the brink."}
{"article": "In the programme, a man who said he too was a former IRA and Sinn F\u00e9in member turned British agent, alleged that the Sinn F\u00e9in leader approved the killing of Denis Donaldson in 2006. The former spy cannot be identified because of fears about his safety. Mr Donaldson was shot dead months after admitting that he had been an MI5 agent for more than 20 years. Three years later, the Real IRA said it was responsible. On Wednesday, Mr Adams said he \"specifically and categorically\" denied the allegations, describing them as \"part of the British security agencies ongoing attempts to smear republicans and cover up their own actions\". He said he would consider taking legal action against the BBC. \"I've taken a number of cases against various periodicals, I got a number of corrections and apologies from a number of outlets,\" said Mr Adams. \"If my legal advisers give me the type of guidance that I require, I will sue them. I'm not reluctant to sue. \"That the BBC would broadcast unsubstantiated allegations from an anonymous person, a self-confessed agent, about me, I think it's very, very low journalism indeed.\" Mr Adams said there was a need for all agencies to \"fully co-operate with the ombudsman's investigation into the role of the police in the events that led to the killing of Denis Donaldson and for the Garda\u00ed to expedite their investigation to bring those responsible to justice.\" The Sinn F\u00e9in leader said he would \"continue to support the family of Mr Donaldson to achieve truth and justice\". Mr Donaldson had worked for Sinn F\u00e9in as a senior administrator at Stormont. He was killed at a remote Donegal cottage in 2006. What Spotlight was told Agent: I know from my experience in the IRA that murders have to be approved by the leadership. They have to be given approval by the leadership of the IRA and the military leadership of the IRA. Presenter: Who are you specifically referring to? Agent: Gerry Adams, he gives the final say. The informer told Spotlight that murders had to be approved by the political and military leadership of the IRA. Days after Mr Donaldson's killing, the IRA said it was not involved in Mr Donaldson's death. But security sources have told Spotlight that intelligence received following the killing contradicted the IRA's denial. You can watch BBC Spotlight: Spy in the IRA now on BBC iPlayer.", "summary": "Gerry Adams has denied claims in a BBC Spotlight programme that he sanctioned the murder of an IRA informer."}
{"article": "At the time Laachraoui was known as \"Abou Idriss\", a lawyer for two of the ex-hostages told French media. The hostages were freed in April 2014. Laachraoui and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui died when they attacked Brussels Zaventem airport a month ago. Their bombs and a third in the metro killed 32 people. The confirmation about Laachraoui's role as an IS prison guard in Syria came from lawyer Marie-Laure Ingouf. Laachraoui was a 24-year-old Belgian electrical engineer from the Brussels suburb of Schaerbeek. He had links to the jihadists who attacked Paris in 2015. The French daily Le Parisien reports that Laachraoui kept watch over the four Frenchmen with Mehdi Nemmouche, the jihadist accused of killing four people at the Brussels Jewish Museum in May 2014. Nemmouche is now in Belgian custody. The Frenchmen - Didier Francois, Pierre Torres, Edouard Elias and Nicolas Henin - spent 10 months in IS captivity. They had been captured in June 2013. Laachraoui and Nemmouche disappeared at the end of January 2014, according to the ex-hostages.", "summary": "One of the Brussels airport bombers, Najim Laachraoui, guarded four French journalists who were held hostage by so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria in 2013-2014, the ex-hostages say."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old, whose Colchester contract was due to run out this summer, has agreed a deal until 2017. He has scored 14 times in 29 games for the League One strugglers this season, having started the campaign with a career tally of 25 goals. \"I enjoyed my time at Colchester, but my ultimate goal was to move back up the leagues,\" he told the club website. \"This is a great opportunity to do that with a team heading in the right direction. \"I got the call on Thursday and I was down here that night, got the medical done, and I was signing Friday morning.\" Sears will be competing with Daryl Murphy, David McGoldrick and Noel Hunt for a place in Mick McCarthy's side. The former England Under-21 international began his career with West Ham and was tipped for big things after scoring the winning goal on his debut for the Hammers, aged 18, in a 2-1 Premier League victory over Blackburn in March 2008. However, he was unable to establish a regular place in the side and had loan spells at Crystal Palace, Coventry and Scunthorpe, before joining Colchester three years ago. Promotion-chasing Ipswich, third in the Championship, allowed striker Conor Sammon to end his loan spell from Derby this week to join Rotherham. Colchester, who are 22nd in League One, must now face a relegation battle without their top scorer. \"We have already made inquiries into the availability of a number of players and we will continue to do that,\" said boss Tony Humes on the search for a replacement.", "summary": "Ipswich Town have signed Colchester United striker Freddie Sears for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Cook, 32, resigned in February and in his first match under replacement Joe Root made 69 as England defeated South Africa by 211 runs at Lord's. \"I was having a laugh watching him in the field, running around in the covers,\" said Bayliss. \"He looked like he was enjoying it. For someone at this stage of his career, that's a good sign.\" Like Cook before him, Root began his reign as captain with a victory, scoring 190 in the first innings to help rescue England from 76-4. At 26, the Yorkshire batsman had only captained in four previous first-class matches before taking on the England job. \"Before this Test he was a little more on edge than I've seen him before,\" said Bayliss. \"We spoke about Joe being himself, getting the message across in his way. \"He's proactive and confident and I thought that came across in the way he led the team. \"Root and Cook are different characters, they go about their batting in different fashion, so the dressing room was a little different. A lot of the messages were similar, just delivered in a different way.\" England have named an unchanged 12-man squad for the second Test of the four-match series against the Proteas at Trent Bridge, which begins on Friday. That means the balance of the team is likely to remain the same, with left-arm spinner Liam Dawson continuing alongside Moeen Ali, who took 10 wickets at Lord's. \"The combination we had you could pretty much pick on any type of wicket,\" added Australian Bayliss, who further clarified Moeen's role in the team after saying on Sunday he thought his man-of-the-match performance could be a \"watershed\" moment. \"He wants to be in the team as a batter who bowls a little bit, so that is what we have chosen him as,\" said Bayliss. \"Mo is a bit of a complex character at times, so it's more for his benefit than anything. It takes the pressure off him. It doesn't mean he can't be the best spinner, but his number one job is to bat. \"This Test was probably a sign that this is the best way to go with him.\" Media playback is not supported on this device By BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew Alastair Cook looks like has he gulped in a huge breath of fresh air by giving up the captaincy. I interviewed him on the fourth morning and was able to draw a comparison between the Cook of now and the Cook I spoke to after the fifth Test against India in Chennai last year. It was like a different man. Cook will not be a grumpy old pro, chuntering in the corner as the team move on. He will enjoy his cricket and bat the way he does. The 69 he made in the second innings was classic Cook - playing nicely without taking the attack apart. With his schedule - no one-day internationals - he could play Tests for a long time to come. Read more", "summary": "Opener Alastair Cook is \"loving\" life without the England Test captaincy, says head coach Trevor Bayliss."}
{"article": "The woman, who has not been identified, was working in the city with a non-governmental organisation. Police said she was asleep when a security guard at the hotel where she was staying entered her room and attacked her. The woman is receiving treatment for cuts and bruises, and legal assistance. Doctors told reporters that the woman was in stable condition and had been visited in hospital by the district magistrate. According to police, she had been visiting Varanasi for more than 40 years and would stay there for long periods of time. Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus. However, brutal sexual attacks against women and children continue to be reported across the country.", "summary": "Indian police have arrested a man in connection with the rape of a 70-year-old French woman in the northern city of Varanasi."}
{"article": "Rose Polge, 25, from Torbay, has not been seen since Friday evening. Her car was found in a car park near Ansteys Cove in Devon. Police said it was \"totally out of character\" for the young woman and are concerned for her welfare. More than 100 people have been involved in the search operation, including her boyfriend and family. Devon and Cornwall Police, a Coastguard helicopter and search and rescue helicopter have assisted with the operation, as well as Teignmouth RNLI lifeboat, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team. Torbay Hospital on-call Director Martin Ringrose said: \"We are aware that one of our junior doctors is missing. \"Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones at this very distressing time. \"We will do whatever we can to support the authorities investigating her disappearance and searching for her, as well as providing support to her colleagues, who are anxious for her wellbeing.\" A police spokesperson said: \"We are searching for a missing person and we are extremely concerned for her welfare. The conditions have been rough since she was reported missing. \"We are working with the Coastguard and other agencies.\" A statement released by UK Coastguard said they had been called to support the police operation at 6.20pm on February 12. Torbay, Teignmouth and and Berry Head Coastguards have been involved in the search. Police are appealing for the public to contact them with any information or sightings of Dr Polge.", "summary": "A major search operation is under way for a 25-year-old junior doctor who has gone missing."}
{"article": "It says Tariq al-Harzi was responsible for co-ordinating suicide bombings in Iraq and moving weapons from Libya to Syria. The US had offered a $3m (\u00c2\u00a31.9m) reward for the man it called the \"emir of suicide bombers\". IS has not commented on the reports of his death. Harzi was allegedly killed in the northern-eastern Syrian town of Shaddadi on 16 June. The US Treasury Department had placed him on a sanctions list after designating Harzi as a \"global terrorist\". It is thought that he had assisted foreign fighters from the UK, Albania, and Denmark. He also raised funds for the group, including $2m from a single Qatar-based donor. A Pentagon spokesman said Harzi's death was a blow to Islamic State. \"His death will impact [IS's] ability to integrate foreign terrorist fighters into the Syrian and Iraqi fight as well as to move people and equipment across the border between Syria and Iraq,\" Capt Jeff Davis said in a statement. In June the Pentagon said it had killed Harzi's brother in a drone strike. Ali al-Harzi was a person of interest in the investigation of the 2012 bombing of the US consulate in Benghazi in Libya. The US says he was killed in a drone strike in the IS stronghold of Mosul in northern Iraq.", "summary": "A senior member of the Islamic State (IS) group has been killed in an American drone strike in Syria last month, according to the US military."}
{"article": "Jon McLaughlin made several smart stops before Chris O'Grady tapped in against his old club to put the Brewers ahead. The Millers had been on top but fell further behind when John Brayford crossed for Jackson Irvine to head in. Tom Adeyemi reacted fastest to a save to pull one back, but Rotherham lacked the quality to find an equaliser. Relive Burton's victory at Rotherham as is happened Defeat leaves the Yorkshire side, led by caretaker-boss Paul Warne, 10 points from safety, while Burton move up two places to 19th. It was a first away triumph of the season for Nigel Clough's side while O'Grady's goal was his first in 389 days, as he was on hand to score after Lewis Price spilled a shot. Burton full-back Brayford spent several minutes being treated after a head injury, but came back on to assist Irvine before being replaced at the interval. Rotherham were chasing back-to-back Championship wins for the first time this season, but they have now conceded 52 league goals. Darnell Fisher volleyed wide and Izzy Brown could not find the target from inside the area as the hosts pressed, in vain, for a point. Burton manager Nigel Clough: \"We didn't play anywhere near as well as we did at Aston Villa on Boxing Day but we battled away for three points. \"It was tough coming here, we knew that they would have their tails up. We knew they would come out and cause us problems and they did. \"The only disappointment was that we conceded just before half-time and that gave them a chance, they put us under a lot of pressure in the second half. \"The timing in the year we didn't want to go into the new year without an away win. It is important psychologically to not be in the bottom three going into the new year.\" Rotherham's caretaker boss Paul Warne: \"We played really well. We were the better team and, with respect to Burton, I thought they came for a point. \"I love my lads but with the greatest of respect to them, they aren't used to playing against and having to break down two banks of four. \"Did they underachieve in the scoreline? Yes. But did they underachieve in the performance? No, I don't think they did. \"They are devastated, it will be tough to pick them up. But I don't believe we are relegated, I still think we have got a chance. \"If I didn't then I would tell the chairman to get a different caretaker in.\" Match ends, Rotherham United 1, Burton Albion 2. Darnell Fisher (Rotherham United) is shown the yellow card. Second Half ends, Rotherham United 1, Burton Albion 2. Corner, Rotherham United. Conceded by Tom Flanagan. Foul by Isaiah Brown (Rotherham United). Lucas Akins (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Shaun Barker (Burton Albion) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Lee Frecklington (Rotherham United) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Shaun Barker (Burton Albion). Substitution, Burton Albion. Shaun Barker", "summary": "Two quick first-half goals helped Burton edge past bottom side Rotherham and move five points clear of the Championship relegation zone."}
{"article": "The 6ft 4ins midfielder was recommended to the club by former Walsall and Bermuda striker Kyle Lightbourne. The 18-year-old has been training with the League One Saddlers since appearing in a development squad match in April. \"I've loved it here, the way the club has treated me,\" he said. \"And how the players have welcomed me straight in.\" Butterfield will initially work under the vastly experienced John Ward, Walsall's professional development coach. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Walsall have completed the signing of Bermudian teenager Kacy Milan Butterfield on a one-year deal, subject to receiving international clearance."}
{"article": "Gemma Flanagan rolled herself down the catwalk for the first time at a London fashion event on Wednesday. \"It was so amazing to do it and not fall off. My biggest worry was I'd roll off the end or the side,\" she said. Before an illness left her unable to walk, she worked as an air hostess and part-time model. \"I surprisingly felt just as confident as I have done in the past which, considering it was the first one in my chair, I wasn't sure how I'd cope with. \"When you're walking you can kind of have a little strut and do your thing. That's what I was worried about - not being able to show the clothes off as well. \"The designer's just so pleased with how I showcased their items and at the end of the day that's what modelling's about.\" The fashion show was planned by the group Models of Diversity which campaigns for the fashion and beauty industries to represent diversity, and took place at the Ideal Home Show in London's Olympia. Gemma, who is celebrating her 32nd birthday this week, wants using disabled models to be the norm. \"The more people that are open to using models with disabilities then the more people will see it as normal. \"We've all been in campaigns that have been a one-off for companies and a lot of them aren't paid either. \"It would be good to use models with disabilities just as models, not as one-offs - we're better than that,\" she says. As for her future, she says: \"I've got a hair show in May and a couple of shoots lined up with local photographers. \"I want to do a lot more using my chair. I'm in it near enough all of the time now. Part of me doing this show was to embrace myself and embrace the fact that the chair isn't the enemy anymore. \"It's basically seeing past the metal and the wheels and just saying, 'that's a gorgeous model' rather than 'a girl in a chair'.\" In 2011 Gemma was diagnosed with Guillain-Barr\u00c3\u00a9 Syndrome, a serious condition which affects the nervous system. She spent seven months in rehab trying to learn to speak, write and walk again. Recently though she says she's found it harder to walk with crutches and has become increasingly reliant on her wheelchair. \"When I got ill they were hoping I'd make a full recovery,\" she said. \"But I've started getting worse again and the consultant thinks this may be the best I'm ever going to be. \"I've been a bit up and down, but now I feel OK mostly. \"I want to show other people they don't need to be defined by their disabilities.\" Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "\"Being in a wheelchair doesn't mean that I can't do it or anyone else can't do it - we're just as capable as any other models.\""}
{"article": "Chinese electronics firm Hangzhou Xiongmai issued the recall soon after its cameras were identified as aiding the massive web attacks. They made access to popular websites, such as Reddit, Twitter, Spotify and many other sites, intermittent. Security experts said easy-to-guess default passwords, used on Xiongmai webcams, aided the hijacking. The web attack enrolled thousands of devices that make up the internet of things - smart devices used to oversee homes and which can be controlled remotely. In a statement, Hangzhou Xiongmai said hackers were able to take over the cameras because users had not changed the devices' default passwords. Xiongmai rejected suggestions that its webcams made up the bulk of the devices used in the attacks. \"Security issues are a problem facing all mankind,\" it said. \"Since industry giants have experienced them, Xiongmai is not afraid to experience them once, too.\" It has also pledged to improve the way it uses passwords on its products and will send customers a software patch to harden devices against attack. The recall affects all the circuit boards and components made by Hangzhou Xiongmai that go into webcams. It is not clear how effective the recall will be in reducing the numbers of vulnerable devices hackers can call on to mount attacks. Yes, and it probably will. The smart devices making up the IoT are proving very popular with the malicious hackers who make their living by selling attack services or extorting cash by threatening firms with devastating attacks. Before the rise of the IoT it was tricky to set up a network of hijacked machines as most would be PCs that, generally, are more secure. Running such a network is hard and often machines had to be rented for a few hours just to carry out attacks. Now anyone can scan the net for vulnerable cameras, DVRs and other gadgets, take them over and start bombarding targets whenever they want. For the same reason you would care if your car was stolen and used by bank robbers as a getaway vehicle. And because if your webcam, printer or DVR is hijacked you have, in effect, allowed a stranger to enter your home. Hackers are likely to start using these gadgets to spy on you and scoop up valuable data. It's worth taking steps to shut out the intruders. Not easily. Many of the devices being targeted are hard to update and the passwords on some, according to one report, are hard-coded which means they cannot be changed. There is also the difficulty of identifying whether you are using a vulnerable product. A lot of IoT devices are built from components sourced from lots of different places. Finding out what software is running on them can be frustrating. Also, even if recalls and updates are massively successful there will still be plenty of unpatched devices available for malicious hackers to use. Some manufacturers of cheaper devices have refused to issue updates meaning there is a ready population of vulnerable gadgets available. Because security costs money and electronics firms want to make their IoT device as cheap", "summary": "Home webcams that were hijacked to help knock popular websites offline last week are being recalled in the US."}
{"article": "An estimated 1,000 properties are at risk in Kendal and about 600 in Egremont after river levels rose. Overnight rain was not as heavy as expected said the Environment Agency, but its 12 severe flood warnings for Cumbria and Lancashire remain in place on Sunday. People in parts of Kendal and Egremont have been advised to leave and stay with their family or friends. Police in Cumbria have warned drivers to avoid unnecessary journeys. BBC reporter Andy Gill, in Grasmere, said many roads in the area had minor flooding. A severe flood warning indicates a danger to life. Lower level flood warnings and alerts have been issued for large parts of northern England and Wales. Further heavy rain is expected across Cumbria, other parts of north-west England and south-west Scotland on Sunday. That rain will fall on already saturated ground, which increases the flood risk. Reception centres opened at Kendal Town Hall and West Lakes Academy in Egremont throughout Saturday night, but Dave Hughes, chairman of Kendal Mountain Rescue, said not everyone had been willing to leave their homes. \"Some people decided to stay at home. You can understand that people may be reluctant to leave their beds,\" he said.", "summary": "Hundreds of homes are under threat of flooding in two Cumbrian towns."}
{"article": "Thomas Wainwright was on the wrong side of the road and travelling at speeds of up to 95mph in his Maserati hire car, just minutes before the crash. The 27-year-old ploughed into the Berlingo van driven by Theresa Wade, 29, on Mull in October 2015. The court heard Wainwright had been drinking cider and whisky for eight and a half hours before the crash. He will be sentenced next month. During the trial Wainwright and his passenger, 42-year-old Jerome Lopez, had claimed that Miss Wade had been on the wrong side of the road and caused the accident but the jury did not believe them. Witnesses from Mull told how Wainwright, who was with Mr Lopez, his mother's partner, had been drinking at a hotel, a pub and a distillery in Tobermory before having another two pints of cider in the Craignure Inn. As he headed back towards Tobermory on the wrong side of the road his hire car smashed into the van driven by Miss Wade. The court heard Wainwright was on Mull, along with members of his family, visiting his sick grandmother. He had flown into Edinburgh airport and hired the Maserati. Prosecutor Tim Niven-Smith revealed that Wainwright, who worked as the first officer on the \u00c2\u00a36.26m yacht MY Mahogany based in the south of France, had a previous conviction for driving while unfit through drink or drugs. At a court in Nice he was fined 700 euros and given a suspended sentence. Judge John Morris remanded Wainwright in custody and banned him from driving.", "summary": "A drink-driver who killed an island vet in a head-on collision has been found guilty of death by dangerous driving."}
{"article": "The UK financial regulator will hand out the fine to the bank over the issue of inappropriate mortgage advice to customers. The FCA is expected to release further details of its ruling on Wednesday. RBS, which is 81% owned by the UK taxpayer, declined to comment. This latest fine will be another setback for chief executive Ross McEwan, whose troubled bank made a \u00a38.2bn loss last year. RBS has already been fined \u00a3390m for its part in the rate fixing scandal involving the London interbank offered rate (Libor) and has allocated \u00a33.2bn to compensate customers mis-sold loan insurance.", "summary": "Royal Bank of Scotland is to be fined about \u00a315m by the city watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the BBC has learned."}
{"article": "Spanish official David Fernandez Borbalan ruled out a late Shane Duffy winner and waved away penalty appeals. West Brom's McClean described the referee as \"Austria's 12th man\" while O'Neill said the Spanish official was \"very poor\" in the Aviva Stadium game. Fifa has begun disciplinary processes. A Fifa spokesman told the BBC they are probing remarks made by both men and it is understood manager and player have until Friday to respond to the charges. As well as ruling out Duffy's header, Borbalan also decided against giving the Republic a penalty when Jon Walters went down under a challenge from Stefan Lainer. \"It should count, the referee should have given the goal,\" the manager said of Duffy's header. \"I personally think it typified the referee's performance. \"The lineman thinks he has given a goal and he's almost up at the halfway line before he is called back.\" The Football Association of Ireland declined to make any comment when contacted on Wednesday. Fifa stated: \"We can confirm that disciplinary proceedings have been opened. \"Be informed that two cases were opened: one against James McClean and another one against the coach Martin O'Neill.\" A spokesman for the world governing body said there will be no further comment as the matter is ongoing.", "summary": "Republic of Ireland boss Martin O'Neill and winger James McClean face punishment from Fifa for criticising the referee after the 1-1 draw in their World Cup qualifier with Austria."}
{"article": "They have until 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on Tuesday to leave the southern part of the sprawling camp. Anyone remaining will be forcibly removed to allow for the makeshift structures there to be razed. The area has become a cultural hub for many of the migrants. It has shops, a school and religious structures. The authorities said up to 1,000 people could be affected but volunteers on the ground estimated that at least twice that number lived in the area. Thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa have congregated around Calais in the hope of crossing to the UK.", "summary": "Hundreds of migrants living in part of a camp in the French port of Calais known as the Jungle have been ordered to leave or face eviction."}
{"article": "The 0.2% drop in new home construction compared with a 6.1% increase in the previous quarter. Overall, total construction output fell by 2.1% in the quarter, the Office for National Statistics said, worse than an initial estimate of a 1.8% contraction. The UK housing market has been slowing over the past few months. On Thursday, the latest survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said that the number of new buyers approaching its estate agency members in England and Wales had fallen for the seventh month in a row. However, a recent survey of the UK construction sector suggested that activity had picked up again in January. And Howard Archer, an economist at IHS Global Insight, noted that while housebuilding had dipped in the final quarter of 2014, it was still up 18.7% from a year earlier. \"The outlook seems largely decent for the construction sector in 2015, although it will likely expand at a slower rate than in 2014,\" Mr Archer said. \"Meanwhile, prospects still look relatively bright overall for housebuilding, even if the growth rate is unlikely to regain the heady levels seen earlier in 2014.\"", "summary": "The number of houses being built in the UK fell during the final three months of 2014, the first such decline for nearly two years."}
{"article": "The targeted area is controlled by the so-called Islamic State group and has been under heavy bombardment from government-aligned forces. Dozens of people are said to have been killed during the combined assaults. IS members recaptured the city on Sunday, hours after Russian air strikes appeared to have driven them back. Sources in Hama province reported seeing dead bodies with no visible injuries, according to the UK-based group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The death toll was put at at least 40 by one citizens' group in Hama province. The Syrian government and its Russian backers have previously denied using chemical weapons. IS was previously driven out of the ancient desert city of Palmyra in March with the support of Russian air strikes, but the jihadist group seized it again in a sudden assault that started last week. The surprise setback for Syrian government forces came as they and their allies turned their attention to fighting local opposition forces in Aleppo and Damascus. IS destroyed a number of monuments and beheaded the archaeological director during its 10-month occupation of the Unesco World Heritage site and the adjacent city of Tadmur. Two 2,000-year-old temples, an arch and funerary towers were left in ruins. The jihadist group, which has also demolished several pre-Islamic sites in neighbouring Iraq, believes that such structures are idolatrous.", "summary": "Dozens of people have been killed in air strikes and a suspected gas attack near the Syrian city of Palmyra, monitoring groups say."}
{"article": "It currently has an outstanding balance of \u00a37.7m to pay between now and 2045 - 30 years after the first trains ran between Tweedbank and Edinburgh. However, it has now agreed to borrow money to pay off the balance in a move estimated to save about \u00a34.3m. Council leader David Parker said it would reduce the burden on local tax payers. He said the local authority had access to very low rates on its borrowing. \"When officers have looked very carefully at the financial issues around it, it makes sense to make that saving,\" he said. \"That is exactly what we will be doing now. \"For future councils we are reducing the revenue burden on them and making sure that the railway contribution is paid.\"", "summary": "Scottish Borders Council has agreed a move to cut the overall cost of its contribution to the Borders Railway."}
{"article": "The Grammy award-winning artist said in a statement that he was choosing to \"make a political stand\". He said reports of summary executions in the Philippines were \"unacceptable to anyone who loves the rule of law\". President Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to eradicate drugs and urged citizens to kill dealers who resist arrest. He was elected in May. In his previous role as mayor of Davao city, Mr Duterte built a reputation for blunt speaking and supporting the extrajudicial killings of suspected criminals. James Taylor, 68, was scheduled to have played in the capital Manila next February. \"I don't think of my music as being particularly political but sometimes one is called upon to make a political stand,\" he said in a Facebook post. \"For a sovereign nation to prosecute and punish, under the law, those responsible for the illegal trade in drugs is, of course, understandable, even commendable; but recent reports from the Philippines... are deeply concerning and unacceptable to anyone who loves the rule of law.\" Fans reacted with disappointment, but many praised the singer for his \"integrity in adopting a principled stand\". \"Thank you for your stand. I will miss seeing you perform but it's a small price to pay for standing up for one's principles,\" said Allan Victorino. Another Facebook user Patricia Lyons, said: \"We all need to take a stand, speak out and act on our truth.\" But supporters of President Duterte criticised Taylor's \"boycott\" of their country. \"It's not our loss if he decided to cancel the Manila leg of his tour, it's his. James Taylor has missed the opportunity to perform before thousands of Filipinos, given the fact that he's now in the twilight of his career,\" said Wendell Sotto. \"Only fans will benefit from James Taylor's concert but good governance will benefit our entire nation,\" said Rendell Bata.", "summary": "US singer James Taylor has cancelled an upcoming concert in the Philippines over reports of extrajudicial killings in the country's war on drugs."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old has made 13 appearances for Everton this season. Everton manager Ronald Koeman last week said the player would be allowed to leave to \"get game time\". The Spaniard joined Everton on loan from Barcelona for the 2013-14 season, making the transfer permanent in 2015 for \u00a34.3m. Milan originally announced the move via their official Twitter account on Friday, but it was quickly deleted. This site is optimised for modern web browsers, and does not fully support your browser", "summary": "Everton winger Gerard Deulofeu has joined Italian side AC Milan on loan until the end of the season."}
{"article": "Premier, the maker of Mr Kipling cakes and Bisto gravy, this week revealed it had rejected two bids from McCormick. McCormick said in a statement on Thursday that it was now \"willing to consider increasing its latest offer\". Meanwhile Japanese noodle maker Nissin Foods has agreed to buy a 17.27% stake in Premier Foods. Nissin, which Premier describes as a \"long-term shareholder\", is expected to take a seat on the Premier board. McCormick, known for its Schwartz spices and Lawry's seasonings, first made a bid of 52p a share last month and then raised it to 60p a share on 14 March. Premier rejected it \"on the basis that it significantly undervalued the company and its prospects\". Now McCormick has said it may be prepared to increase its offer following \"limited confirmatory due diligence\", i.e. a review of Premier's pensions documentation, current trading and material contracts. McCormick said \"it would be an outstanding custodian for the Premier Foods brands and, can provide benefits for Premier Foods, its pensioners, creditors and other stakeholders, which Premier Foods' current capital structure cannot deliver.\" Some shareholders are keen for Premier to seek a higher offer. David Cumming, head of equities at Standard Life Investments, the fund arm of insurer Standard Life, which controls 7% of Premier, said: \"Although we believe the 60p bid indicated by McCormick is too low, we remain open to a bid at a higher level. \"We expect the Premier Foods Board, on behalf of its shareholders, to engage with McCormick and pursue this option to the full.\" Premier shares have been on a roller coaster ride this week, soaring 50% on Wednesday following news of the McCormick bid, falling by more than 10% on Thursday on the announcement of the Nissin stake and then recouping nearly all their losses as McCormick said it might be prepared to pay more. Premier used to be one of the UK's biggest food groups but came unstuck when it expanded too fast, loading itself with debt. It has since sold off its Hovis bread business to the US-based Gores group, rebuilt its \u00a320m production line at its Mr Kipling bakery in Barnsley and pushed through a \u00a31.1bn refinancing package, which included a \u00a3353m rights issue. It still owns a range of household UK brands such as Ambrosia rice pudding, Oxo stock cubes and Batchelors soups. Premier is increasing its international operations following a recent co-operation deal with Nissin that allows Premier to distribute its products in the UK, while making its own products more widely available in key overseas markets. Nissin invented the first instant noodles in 1958 and operates in 19 countries. Its products include Cup Noodles and Top Ramen.", "summary": "McCormick, the American food flavourings business, has said it may increase its $700m (\u00a3494m) bid for the UK's Premier Foods."}
{"article": "Nabila Nanfuka, 22, and Laurene-Danielle Jackson, 19, suffered fatal injuries while trying to leave the Lava and Ignite club in Northampton in 2011. The Independent Police Complaints Commission looked into police actions. An inquest found 14 DJ announcements in 30 minutes had been the most significant cause of overcrowding. About 900 students travelled to the club from around the country and the DJs called for universities to leave one after the other, often with just a few minutes between them. The IPCC investigation found it more than likely police had not been informed of the event and was only alerted when a large number of people began arriving at the club. The report said there is \"sufficient evidence to suggest the decisions and actions of the police during the incident were appropriate\". It added there was \"no evidence of a criminal offence having been committed by any police officer\". The report concluded that \"every officer involved made a significant contribution to the effective policing of the tragedy\". During an inquest last week, it was reported that a series of announcements reminding people not to miss their coaches had been made in the early hours of 19 October. The inquest jury concluded the second most significant factor was the lack of overall management of the cloakroom. The Crown Prosecution Service previously determined there would be no criminal charges brought against anyone following the incident. Ms Nanfuka, of Neasden, north London, was studying a leisure and tourism degree at the University of Northampton. She died at Northampton General Hospital on 19 October. Ms Jackson, of Wembley, was studying psychology at Kingston University and died at Leicester's Glenfield Hospital on 6 November.", "summary": "The policing of a major incident at a nightclub in which two students were killed in a crush was \"appropriate\", the police watchdog has said."}
{"article": "The $100 (\u00c2\u00a380) Light Phone, a credit-card sized device which can only make and receive calls, received $415,000 (\u00c2\u00a3334,000) from backers on Kickstarter. Calls made to the owner's smartphone are forwarded to the phone, which has no internet functionality, via an app. It was delayed by several months as the firm grappled with software issues. \"We've run into a few limitations in our initial user experience goals due to some iOS restrictions,\" Light Phone said in a statement. \"They are not going to affect the experience of being light, but will make turning on call forwarding a little bit more manual.\" The Brooklyn-based company also apologised for missing its June shipping deadline and said the first batch of 1,800 white versions of the device will ship this month. \"We took on the ambitious task of building the software in-house with a small team in order to maintain ultimate control over the experience, however we regret not having methods for projecting accurate timelines,\" it added. The phone has been manufactured by Foxconn in China. Light Phone describes its product as a supplement phone, designed to help people \"step away\" from the distractions offered by smartphones when convenient. \"The phone is a very casual phone - if you're expecting an urgent call from your pregnant wife you shouldn't bring your Light Phone with you,\" founder Joe Hollier told the BBC. It boasts 21 days of battery life and has no camera or contacts book, although users can programme 10 numbers to speed dial. A black version of the phone will ship in January, the firm added. The Light Phone contains a 2G micro Sim card for communicating with its \"parent\" smartphone but some backers are now expressing concerns on Kickstarter that the phone will not work in countries like Australia and Singapore where there are plans to switch off 2G. Joe Hollier said the firm had contacted backers in affected regions and offered them refunds. \"Most people who launch a Kickstarter campaign set very ambitious targets about when they are going to ship,\" said analyst Ben Wood from CCS Insight. \"The grim reality is that it's not just about delivering the product, there are lots of things that go around it, like CE marking, regulatory approval and standards testing. It all takes time and costs money. \"A lot of consumer electronics projects find it takes a lot longer to get to market than they anticipated. For hardened Kickstarter enthusiasts this is regarded as the norm this days.\" Mr Wood also said Light Phone was entering a competitive marketplace. \"It's an attractive design and a fun idea and will appeal to people who want to disconnect from the constant barrage of social media and everything else,\" he said. \"I think the challenge they have is there's a huge number of small talk/text phones available out there for very little money.\"", "summary": "A crowdfunded handset designed to help people disconnect from their smartphones is due to ship at the end of November after a series of setbacks."}
{"article": "The alleged attack happened at the Glenbourne unit, part of the Derriford Hospital site in Plymouth. Bester Mashayamombe, 50, from Plymouth, who is also accused of sexual assault by touching, is due to appear before Plymouth magistrates on 7 October. Plymouth Community Healthcare, which runs the unit, said it was \"actively contributing\" to the investigation. The unit cares for up to 46 patients with serious mental health disorders. It has previously been criticised for standards of care but in its latest inspection report in September 2013, the Care Quality Commission found the unit was doing well.", "summary": "A care worker at an NHS psychiatric unit has been charged with raping a young female patient."}
{"article": "The UKIP leader tweeted he was \"at a standstill for 90 minutes\" while heading to Thursday's show in Bradford. Highways England said the the A1 northbound was closed in Nottinghamshire after a fatal crash. In 2014, Mr Farage missed a UKIP conference after getting stuck in traffic on the M4, which he blamed on high levels of immigration. A UKIP spokesman said on Thursday Mr Farage was being driven from his home in Kent to the show, which usually starts filming at about 20:30. He tweeted at 19:35 GMT: \"Now been at a standstill for 90 mins on the A1. #bbcqt doubtful. Damn.\" Updates from this story and more from Nottinghamshire He was replaced on the show by his deputy leader Paul Nuttall, who travelled from Liverpool to face off against Energy Secretary Amber Rudd, Labour's Shabana Mahmood, Lib Dem president Baroness Brinton and political journalist Isabel Oakeshott. It was the first major televised debate following the announcement of David Cameron's draft EU reform proposals. Question Time producers tweeted: \"We were making plans for @Nigel_Farage - but travel problems mean he'll be replaced by @paulnuttallukip. #bbcqt.\" Despite the late line-up change, the show was broadcast at 22:45, starting with a question on Mr Cameron's EU reforms. Mr Farage blamed his failure to turn up to a reception with supporters in Wales in 2014 on \"open-door immigration\". \"It took me six hours and 15 minutes to get here - it should have taken three-and-a-half to four,\" he said at the time. On the day of the 2010 general election Mr Farage was involved in a plane crash that left him with broken ribs. Thursday's delays came when the A1 was closed northbound at Coddington following the crash at about 17:30, in which one man was killed.", "summary": "Nigel Farage missed an appearance on BBC Question Time after getting caught in a traffic jam on the A1."}
{"article": "The star told a Cannes press conference she likes to make \"bold\" choices, as if she were at the start of her career. Kidman said while she doesn't have to work, she does so because of her passion for cinema. The star of The Killing of the Sacred Deer, in competition at Cannes, said her young children will be banned from seeing the dark psychological thriller. Kidman has two grown-up children from her marriage to Tom Cruise and two younger daughters with her current husband singer Keith Urban. \"My (younger) children have very little understanding of what me or my husband do. Their lives are obviously far more important!\" She added: \"I'm at that stage in my life where I still try to act as if I'm 21 and starting my career. \"At this stage of my life, I'm just trying to stay very bold and open and try things and support film-makers I believe in.\" The Killing of the Sacred Deer features an eminent surgeon Steven Murphy - played by Colin Farrell - who adopts a teenager into his family. Things start to go horribly wrong when the boy turns against Murphy. Kidman plays ophthalmologist Anna Murphy, who is married to Steven. It's directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, the Greek filmmaker behind indie hit The Lobster, which won the Jury Prize at Cannes two years ago. Farrell also starred in that film. Kidman said she was \"hypnotised\" by Lanthimos' script. She has four projects showing at the festival this year, but said: \"That's a confluence of events - that's not something I was aware would be happening.\" Her other Cannes showings are in The Beguiled and How to Talk to Girls at Parties, as well as the second series of TV drama Top of the Lake, from Jane Campion. She singled out Campion for praise, saying she had been a friend of hers since the age of 14 and that \"she discovered me, basically.\" Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Oscar winner Nicole Kidman says she still acts like she's 21 when it comes to acting roles."}
{"article": "20 July 2016 Last updated at 19:08 BST The crash happened near Mila's Lake in Colin Glen Forest Park on Tuesday evening. Two youths, aged 15 and 17, have been arrested. Community safety worker Michael George said there had been a number of initiatives in west Belfast to tackle the issue of scrambler motorcycles.", "summary": "A community worker has said scrambler motorcycles are a problem in west Belfast, as a woman remains in a critical condition after a collision."}
{"article": "Michael Young delivered his letter to Ms Sturgeon in person at Holyrood. His family is campaigning for the NHS to support the use of Translarna, a new drug available in other EU countries. The drug is currently being assessed by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), a process Ms Sturgeon said she could not interfere with. Michael, from Larbert in Stirlingshire, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy - a severe condition causing irreversible muscle damage. Few born with it survive to their 30th birthday. He took part in a clinical trial during the development of Translarna, a drug tackling the underlying causes of the disease which has been approved by the EU. Michael wrote to Ms Sturgeon explaining about his condition and asking for her to \"help boys to keep walking\". The first minister said she was able to explain to Michael that the assessment procedure had to be \"entirely independent of government\". She also criticised the pharmaceutical firm which developed the drug, PTC Therapeutics, for taking time to submit its proposal to the SMC. Ms Sturgeon said: \"It was an absolute delight to meet Michael today, he's a really impressive and brave young man campaigning not just for himself but for other young boys with Duchenne. \"We were disappointed that the pharmaceutical company took so long to put forward a submission on this drug to the Scottish Medicines Consortium and we have previously urged them to put forward a good quality submission with a fair offering of price. \"This government has taken a number of significant steps to improve access to new treatments for patients with rare conditions.\" Robert Meadowcroft, chief executive of Muscular Dystrophy UK, said: \"We are delighted that Michael was able to deliver his amazing, heartfelt letter to Nicola Sturgeon in person, an opportunity that doesn't come every day. \"The meeting means a great deal to the Youngs, and other families who live with Duchenne muscular dystrophy across Scotland. \"It is wonderful that the first minister gave up her time in support of Michael, and we hope their meeting will lead to positive discussions with the Scottish Medicines Consortium about Translarna.\" The Scottish Medicines Consortium is expected to come to a decision on the use of the drug in March.", "summary": "A nine-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy has met with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon after he wrote to her campaigning for a new treatment."}
{"article": "The home side were all out for 249, having been 195-6 overnight, when Jarvis had Charlie Shreck lbw with the first ball after a long hold-up. Lancashire began their second innings 119 in front, but needing to press on to have a chance of a positive result. They lost Paul Horton and Karl Brown in reaching stumps on 39-2, a lead of 158. With so much time lost to the weather, a draw appears the only realistic result unless Lancashire collapse spectacularly on the final morning or skittle Leicestershire after setting them a target. Having begun play at 12:15 BST, only 13 overs were possible before the players were forced from the field again until 17:30 BST. Tom Wells was lbw to Jarvis in the first phase of play, but the key wicket of Mark Cosgrove for 79 went to former Leicestershire seamer Nathan Buck, who took 3-64. Leicestershire seamer Clint McKay: \"The game is moving on quickly and you never know what's going to happen. \"If we can bowl as well as we did last thing, and pick up two or three early wickets, suddenly it's a very different game.\" Lancashire director of cricket Ashley Giles: \"There is still a lot to be done, and the first priority for us is to get a few more runs on the board and get a good lead. \"We've not set any targets but there is enough in the pitch for wickets to fall pretty quickly and in clumps. \"I just hope it's a clear day and it could be a fun day, all three results are possible.\"", "summary": "Pace bowler Kyle Jarvis claimed 5-69 for Lancashire as they earned a sizeable first-innings lead on a rain-shortened day against Leicestershire."}
{"article": "Nigel Farage is wondering why, as Jonathan Portes has been pointing out, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures for migration to the UK from other EU countries is so much lower than the number of National Insurance numbers allocated to EU nationals. According to the most recent comparable statistics, migration to the UK from the rest of the EU was 257,000 in the year to September 2015, but during the same period, 655,000 EU nationals registered for National Insurance numbers (Ninos). Mr Farage smells a rat: \"They are pulling the wool over our eyes. Ninos are a simple and clear reflection of the real numbers of people in this country, as without them you can neither legally work, nor claim benefits.\" Now the government has promised to tell us how many of the Ninos issued are still active - in other words, how many of the EU citizens who registered are currently paying UK tax or claiming benefits. But are Ninos a good measure of immigration? There is no question that the official immigration figures, based on a survey taken at ports and airports, are imprecise, with the ONS 95% confident that the immigration figure is within plus or minus 23,000 of the true figure. More importantly, though, the ONS figures only aim to measure long-term migration. They use the UN's definition of a long-term migrant as someone who moves country for a year or more. When it comes to National Insurance numbers, on the other hand, there is no minimum stay in the UK. Everyone who wants to work in the UK must have a National Insurance number, even if they're only working in the country for a few weeks. What's more, Ninos are unique to an individual, so once you've received one, it's yours forever. This means that not all those who HMRC reveal to be \"active\" will necessarily belong to people who have been in the country continuously since their number was issued - they could have left and returned. The ONS statistics also include people who are not planning to work or claim benefits, such as children or non-working partners. These people don't need a Nino when they arrive, but can apply for one in the future. This means someone registering for a Nino could have arrived at any time, not necessarily in the year or quarter in question. It's not hard to see how the two sets of figures would be different. The question is, should they vary this much, or is there a problem with the way the ONS currently gathers its data? HMRC has said it will work with the ONS to help reconcile all available sources of statistics, including Ninos, to ensure the figures are as accurate as possible. With this process rumbling on - and the latest immigration and Nino statistics due out on 26 May - this issue is sure to keep providing fuel for the EU debate, coming just a month before the referendum. Reality Check verdict: There are good reasons why the two numbers would be different, but they", "summary": "Campaigners to leave the European Union have been badgering the government about the reliability of the official immigration statistics."}
{"article": "Halai has scored 14 tries in 41 games for Wasps since arriving from Auckland Blues in January 2015. The 29-year-old has started only seven times this season for the Premiership leaders, scoring two tries. \"Frank still has a big part to play for the club as we enter the business end of the season,\" director of rugby Dai Young told the club website. \"His game-time has been limited this season due to the form of Christian Wade and the development of Josh Bassett, as well as Willie Le Roux coming on board, so it's a really competitive area.\"", "summary": "Wasps winger Frank Halai will join French Top 14 side Pau at the end of the Premiership season."}
{"article": "Labour, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats opposed new thresholds on when strikes can take place. The vote against Conservative ministers' Trade Union Bill is not legally binding. The UK and Welsh governments disagree over whether the assembly's permission is needed before the new rules apply to public sector workers in Wales. The bill would require at least half of union members to take part in a ballot before a strike can happen. In public services such as health, education and the fire service, industrial action would need at least 40% of eligible union members to vote in favour. The Conservatives say the bill should apply to the whole of Britain, but Welsh government ministers say the assembly's consent is needed. On Tuesday, AMs withheld their approval of the bill by voting down a motion in the Senedd chamber. Labour has said it will try to overturn the bill if the UK government ignores the assembly' vote and pushes ahead. If returned to power at May's assembly election, Labour would introduce its own legislation to repeal the bill. Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews said: \"In Wales we have a good record of resolving disputes. \"There was no junior doctors' strike in Wales, there was in England. \"Fire fighters took industrial action in England over pensions, they were not doing so in Wales. \"In contrast, we believe this bill, the Trade Union Bill, will lead to a confrontational relationship between employers and the workforce.\" Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said he supported the role of trade unions in standing up for members. But, referring to the general secretary of the Unite union, he said: \"Where I will not stand up and support is for Len McCluskey, or his mob, to use you lot [Labour AMs] to live their ambitions.\" He added: \"Where there is a discrepancy I would suggest is where general secretaries of unions choose to live their political dreams on the back of their members' subs, and that clearly is not acceptable.\"", "summary": "Assembly members have voted against UK government proposals to restrict strike ballots in the public sector."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old carded a final-round five-under-par 67 to finish on 11 under at the Trump National in New Jersey. Compatriot Choi Hye-Jin was two strokes behind in second, while China's Shanshan Feng, who held a one-shot lead overnight, went round in 75 to finish tied for fourth, five strokes adrift. A South Korean has won the US Open seven times in the past 10 years. Park told Fox Sports: \"I did not have the best first and second rounds so I wanted to believe in myself in the remaining rounds. Trusting myself definitely helped.\" England's Charley Hull finished 11 strokes behind Park on level par, with Scotland's Catriona Matthew a further six shots back.", "summary": "South Korea's Park Sung-hyun won the US Women's Open by two shots to claim her first LPGA title in her debut season."}
{"article": "The measure is \"an attack on democracy\" according to an emergency motion carried unanimously at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers conference. Earlier ATL general secretary Mary Bousted called the plan \"madness\". On Monday, School Minister Nick Gibb said the plan made schools \"profession-led\" - though he faced some heckling. Under the plan almost 17,000 schools which have not already converted to academy status - mostly primaries - must do so by 2020 or have committed to do so by 2022. Delegates applauded as the ATL became the third teachers' union to oppose the plans. The conference, meeting in Liverpool, voted to condemn the White Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere, as \"an attack on democracy\". Proposing the motion, Mark Baker said White Paper's proposals amounted to \"Educational Excellence All Over The Place\". The motion warned that conversion of schools to academy status would be achieved without regard to the wishes of parents, staff or local communities and without proper Parliamentary scrutiny. The move represented \"ever greater centralism and micro-management\". \"It takes no account of the growing evidence of failing academies but insists on a blind adherence to an ideology with no foundation in fact,\" said the motion. The ATL will now work with \"all those concerned\", including other education unions to opposed forced academisation and to consider what forms of action - including potential industrial action - may be needed. In her speech to conference on Tuesday morning, Dr Bousted backed calls for a co-ordinated response. \"Alone we can do something. Together we can do great things. \"We must fight together to protect our profession, for the sake of the children and young people whose education depends on us. \"And we will fight and if we fight together, with parents and councillors, with other unions, with politicians, with governors, with the whole of civil society which opposes the madness of forced academisation, then we will win,\" Dr Bousted concluded. Earlier in the speech Dr Bousted called the white paper a \"very strange document\". \"It asks us to believe six impossible things before breakfast, including the big whopper - that the forced academisation of all schools will improve educational standards.\" The government's plans have drawn criticism from teachers, unions and Tory local councillors. At its conference over Easter, the National Union of Teachers voted to ballot for strike action over the academies plan. The NASUWT conference also voted to consider strike action if forced academisation affects members' pay and conditions. The Labour Party has said its own analysis of official figures suggests the plan could cost \u00a31.3bn with a shortfall in funding of over \u00a31.1bn - though ministers reject these figures. But in a speech to the NASUWT Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said there was no going back on plans to make every school an academy by 2020. Ms Morgan maintained the government's plans would improve the education system in England. The Department for Education said it was \"disappointing that the ATL would rather play politics with our children's future than work constructively with us to deliver our vision for educational excellence everywhere\". The", "summary": "One of the most moderate teaching unions has voted for industrial action over government plans to force all schools in England to become academies."}
{"article": "The 33-year-old made 19 appearances for the Seagulls last term after joining on loan in January, helping them finish third, before a play-off semi-final defeat by Sheffield Wednesday. Sidwell played only four games for Premier League club Stoke last season. \"He knows exactly what the Championship is all about and what it takes to get promoted,\" manager Chris Hughton said. \"He was excellent for us in the run-in, and was a key figure on and off the pitch as one of the senior members of the squad.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Championship side Brighton have signed midfielder Steve Sidwell on a one-year deal following his release by Stoke."}
{"article": "Bakir Izetbegovic, a member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, said he was seeking \"truth and justice\". Bosnian Serb officials warned the move would trigger a \"serious crisis\" in the country. In 2007, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) cleared Serbia of direct responsibility for genocide. The ICJ found only one act of genocide during Bosnia's 1992-95 war - the massacre of about 8,000 Bosnian Muslim (Bosniak) men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces in the town of Srebrenica in 1995. It was Europe's worst atrocity since World War Two. The ICJ ruled that Serbia had violated international law by failing to prevent the killings, but absolved it of direct responsibility. On Thursday, Mr Izetbegovic told reporters that \"the request [for a review] is being submitted at this very moment\". \"I think that I am on the path of truth and justice,\" he added. The appeal was launched before a 10-year deadline expires on 26 February. Mladen Ivanic, the Serb member of the presidency, said the move should have been made collectively by the tripartite body, where a Bosnian Croat also has a seat. \"I am afraid that we have entered a really serious crisis,\" Mr Ivanic said. Meanwhile, Serbia Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic earlier described Mr Izetbegovic's intentions as \"bad\" for relations between the two countries. Following the 1992-1995 war, Bosnia is now an independent state under international administration. Its three main ethnic groups are Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), Croats and Serbs. Politicians from Bosnia's two semi-independent entities - the Muslim-Croat Federation and the Republika Srpska - have often clashed, triggering political crises. The powers of the central government in the capital Sarajevo are very limited.", "summary": "Bosnia has formally asked the UN's top court to review its ruling which cleared Serbia of genocide in the 1990s, Bosnia's Muslim leader has said."}
{"article": "Whiffin joined the club in 2005 as analyst, progressing to the roles of head of analysis and assistant coach. The Exiles are yet to confirm their coaching set-up for next season having been relegated to the Championship. A rugby department review began last month, which included head coach Tom Coventry and assistant coaches Clark Laidlaw and Grant Doorey.", "summary": "London Irish have parted company with assistant coach Richard Whiffin following Premiership relegation."}
{"article": "German Shepherd Nero jumped over railings in Watford which, unknown to his handler, had a 12ft (3.5m) drop on the other side. PC Clive Warncken said he was delighted to have Nero back and he was \"doing well and was comfortable\". An X-ray released by the vet who treated the dog showed the extent of his injuries - two clear fractures. Nero was with PC Warncken, of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire dog unit, when the accident happened in the early hours of Thursday 21 July. He had been called in to track four people suspected of assaulting a woman. PC Warncken said Nero was not used to resting. \"I suspect he might be a bit frustrated as he's used to being so active, but I will ensure he receives the rest he needs,\" he said. Surgeon Liz Tilson, from The Roebuck Veterinary Group, said Nero arrived with \"severe neck pain and weakness in his hind legs\". \"X-rays revealed that he had fractured two vertebrae in his neck,\" she said. He was kept at the surgery's Stevenage hospital for a week for pain relief and rest and has so far responded well to treatment and been incredibly brave, she said.", "summary": "A police dog that broke its neck in two places while chasing suspected muggers is at home recovering from its ordeal."}
{"article": "The programme was started after a number of attacks and attempted rapes. A police official said women and children were being taught basic judo and how to punch and kick. Police say there are around 100,000 people in camps in Kathmandu following the devastating earthquake in April. \"When we visited these temporary shelters we found there had been violence against women and children,\" said Tara Devi Thapa, deputy superintendent of police in the Kathmandu Valley. \"We thought it was a good idea to give them a skill so they can use it and benefit,\" she said. Ms Thapa said around 70 women and girls in one camp in the Boudha area of the city were being taught how to do judo holds as well as how to kick and punch. She said there had been a high demand from earthquake victims to learn how to defend themselves, and the police were considering offering the programme in all camps in the capital. \"We expect the amount of violence women and children face to increase as time goes on,\" said Ms Thapa. \"We think the shelters could be targeted by criminal and trafficking gangs,\" she said. Hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless by the 7.8 magnitude quake and resulting aftershocks. Many of these people face a long stay in temporary shelters before they can rebuild their homes.", "summary": "The Nepalese police say they are giving self-defence classes to women and children earthquake survivors who are living in temporary shelters in the capital Kathmandu."}
{"article": "The Long Island Railroad train went off the tracks as it arrived on Wednesday at Brooklyn's busy Atlantic Terminal. New York's fire department said 103 people had reportedly suffered \"non-life-threatening\" injuries. Passengers on the train said there had been a loud bang followed by a jolt that made some people on the train fall down. The New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, said the train was travelling at a \"fairly slow speed\" when it failed to stop on time and struck a buffer at the station. The impact was hard enough, however, to smash some of the train's windows and crease its doors. Some of the injured were taken away on stretchers, while others were seen sitting near the train holding ice packs to their heads. The cause of the accident, which happened at about 08:20 local time (13:20 GMT), has not been determined. The US Federal Railroad Administration said its investigators were heading to the scene. Last September, a woman died and more than 100 other people were injured when a train derailed during rush hour as it entered the station in Hoboken, New Jersey. An investigation into that incident is yet to be concluded.", "summary": "More than 100 people were injured when a commuter train derailed during rush hour in New York City, officials say."}
{"article": "The Anglo-Dutch giant said profits on a current cost of supply measure (CCS) - which strips out price fluctuations - jumped to $3.4bn (\u00c2\u00a32.6bn) from $1bn last year. A 55% rise in oil prices in the first quarter of 2017 compared with a year earlier was the main driver of profits. Excluding one-off items, profits on the CCS measure were $3.86bn, up 136%. Shell joins rivals BP, Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Total in reporting better-than-expected results. More than $1bn in cost savings and budget cuts made over the past three years from cost-cuts and assets sales have also helped to increase cash flow and boost profits. But Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden said the company would be making $25bn worth of investments this year in new oil and gas projects. \"We continue to reshape Shell's portfolio and to transform the company,\" he said in a statement. Oil and gas production, known as upstream, rose 2% in the quarter to 3.752 million barrels of oil equivalent from 3.905 million in the fourth quarter of 2016. A number of new fields continued to ramp up output, particularly in Brazil and Kazakhstan. Earnings from refining, marketing and chemicals also rose 20% to $2.5bn. \"We saw notable improvements in upstream and chemicals, which benefited from improved operational performance and better market conditions,\" Mr van Beurden said. Investors welcomed the results, marking Shell's shares up 3% at the start of trading. Energy producers across the world are reaping the benefits of higher oil prices, which have strongly increased their revenues and profits. Crude has recovered thanks to the Opec oil producers' cartel adhering to a production cut agreed late last year. However, the oil price has eased back recently.", "summary": "Royal Dutch Shell's profits surged in the first three months of the year on the back of rising oil prices."}
{"article": "Mr Blackman is championing an e-petition demanding the change in Parliament, after it was signed by more than 120,000 people. Muslims and Hindus should have \"the most important days in their faiths recognised in law\", the petition says. The government has already rejected the e-petitioners' request. In its response to the petition, the government said: \"We are very aware of the importance of these festivals which are widely celebrated in the UK. \"Whilst we appreciate a new national holiday may benefit some communities and sectors, the cost to the economy remains considerable and any changes to the current arrangements would not take place without a full consultation.\" Mr Blackman pressed ministers to reconsider during a debate in the House of Commons' secondary debating chamber of Westminster Hall. He said the government's concern about cost was \"valid\". The MP for Harrow East said: \"According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research, each public holiday costs \u00c2\u00a32.3bn per day due to a loss of retail, commercial services, and other industries. \"So we're looking at an overall economic cost of just under \u00c2\u00a35bn if the Muslim faith and the Hindu faith were to be given one specified public holiday each, if the estimate is correct.\" But, he continued, the think tank had also estimated that annual output would be raised by \u00c2\u00a319bn \"if all public holidays were scrapped\". \"That's not likely to happen. I can't believe any government would every dare to decide to cancel Christmas,\" Mr Blackman said. \"So we can't make a case for or against further public holidays just on the basis of money. If we did, we wouldn't have any public holidays at all.\" There were \"bigger considerations\", he argued. \"Wouldn't it be a statement that we as a nation embrace these religions, and the people who hold them dear, and we are ready to recognise their place in our society? \"Creating these public holidays would be an important step towards promoting the understanding and tolerance of different faiths - not just at home, but abroad too. \"We want other nations to look to the UK for a good example of positive integration, and for highly skilled prospective immigrants to consider coming to our country with a sense that their faith is a respected part of their identity.\" But Business Minister Jenny Willott was not persuaded by the MP's case. \"We are very lucky in this country to have such a hugely diverse and mixed and vibrant society that we all benefit from,\" she told MPs. \"Faith groups play a hugely important role in making life better for other people and making communities a better place for people to live.\" But she emphasised ministers' concern about cost, and concluded: \"The government does not believe that there should be a public holiday to mark these particular occasions. \"I know that will disappoint some people.\" If an e-petition gets 10,000 signatures, it is eligible for a written response from the government, which is published alongside the original petition on the government's e-petitions website. If it reaches as many as 100,000 signatures, a", "summary": "The UK should show that it \"embraces\" the Muslim and Hindu faiths by making Eid and Diwali public holidays, Conservative MP Bob Blackman has said."}
{"article": "The proposal from Buckinghamshire councils includes a 15-mile (24km) tunnel from the M25 to Wendover. Current government plans include some tunnels but leaves about eight miles in exposed or partially-covered cuttings. HS2 said it had \"considered\" further tunnelling but stood by its plans. Plans for the HS2 between London and Birmingham and then to Manchester and Leeds have been developed by the government under holding company HS2 Ltd. It promises to reduce journey times between Birmingham and London from 81 to 49 minutes, and slash the trip to Manchester by an hour, to 68 minutes. The new Chilterns Long Tunnel Route report, produced by Peter Brett Associates, was commissioned by Chiltern District Council, Aylesbury Vale District Council, Buckinghamshire County Council and the Chilterns Conservation Board to look at alternative proposals. The group said the planned route through the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) would result in an \"adverse and irreversible impact\" on the landscape. HS2 Ltd's proposal includes about 13km (8 miles) in a tunnel from the M25 to Little Missenden and 12km (7.5 miles) on two viaducts, in two green tunnels and either on embankments or in cuttings. The new plan includes a 24.2km (15 mile) tunnel from the M25 to Wendover, the first 9km (5.5 miles) of which would follow the exact alignment of the government scheme. The report concluded a long tunnel was \"technically feasible\", would protect the landscape and \"be a better route operationally\". It is the second time the group has proposed a tunnel scheme but it said the latest proposal would have less impact on the countryside. The cost is estimated at \u00c2\u00a31.85bn, as opposed to the government's \u00c2\u00a31.45bn plan, but campaigners said this was \"a small price to pay\" to \"preserve a beautiful and unique part of the countryside\". HS2 spokesman Ben Ruse said the firm was \"committed to protecting the environment\" and a tunnel through the entire AONB had been \"explored and given extensive consideration\". He added: \"However, we have clearly set out how the current proposals provide the best balance between route engineering design requirements, cost and the desire to minimise environmental impacts.\"", "summary": "Plans for an HS2 tunnel under the Chilterns to protect the area have been announced by campaigners opposing existing proposals for the high-speed rail link."}
{"article": "The two victims, both 15, are being treated in hospital. One remains in a critical condition. The attack happened at Kingsdale Foundation School at about 15:30 GMT on Thursday. The teenager accused of attacking the pair has also been charged with grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon. He will appear at Camberwell Magistrates' Court on Saturday.", "summary": "A 15-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder after two pupils were stabbed at a school in Dulwich."}
{"article": "The report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found an average satisfaction score of 7.3 on a scale from nought to 10. UK teenagers had a below average satisfaction score of seven. But anxiety about exams and bullying remains a problem for many young people. And heavy internet use leaves many feeling lonely and less satisfied. The findings are based on a survey of 540,000 students internationally who also completed the OECD Pisa tests in science, mathematics and reading in 2015. The study reveals large variations in life satisfaction out of 48 OECD countries and partner nations. The highest levels of satisfaction were found in the Dominican Republic (8.5), Mexico (8.3) and Costa Rica (8.2), while the Asian countries or economies of Korea (6.4), Hong Kong (6.5), Macau (6.6) and Taiwan (6.6) recorded low levels of satisfaction. The UK took 38th place for life satisfaction, behind countries such as Russia (7.8), Bulgaria (7.4) and Estonia (7.5). The study found girls and disadvantaged students were less likely than boys and advantaged students to report high levels of life satisfaction. Despite reasonably high average levels of satisfaction, bullying was a significant problem for many youngsters, with a large proportion saying they had been victims. On average across OECD countries, about 11% of teenagers said they were frequently mocked, 7% were \"left out of things\" and 8% were the subject of hurtful rumours. Around 4% of students - approximately one child per class - reported that they were hit or pushed at least a few times per month. But the OECD research found less bullying in schools where students had positive relationships with their teachers. Exam stress was also a problem, with 59% of students saying they often worried that taking a test would be difficult and 66% saying they worried about getting poor grades. Across OECD countries, about 55% of students said they were very anxious before a test, even if they were well prepared for it. Girls had a tendency to worry more than boys, with girls in all 72 countries reporting greater levels of schoolwork-related anxiety than boys. The report found students spent more than two hours online during a typical weekday after school and more than three hours online during a typical weekend day. The majority said the internet was a great resource for obtaining information and more than half said they felt bad if no internet connection was available. Students who spent more than six hours online on weekdays outside of school hours were more likely to report that they were not satisfied with their life or that they felt lonely at school. They were also less proficient in science than students who spent fewer hours online. The OECD research found that between 2012 and 2015, the time teenagers spent online outside of school hours increased by at least 40 minutes a day on both weekdays and weekends. The study concluded that teenagers who felt part of a school community and had good relationships with their parents and teachers were more likely to perform better academically and be", "summary": "Most 15-year-olds report being happy with their lives, an international study of students' well-being suggests."}
{"article": "The Australian and Malaysian governments say the search will now focus on an area 1,100km (684 miles) north-east of the previous zone. The move was based on further analysis of radar data that showed the plane was going faster, thus using more fuel. The Beijing-bound airliner disappeared on 8 March with 239 people on board. Malaysian officials have concluded that, based on satellite data, it flew into the sea somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean. So far no trace of it has been found. Search efforts had until Friday morning focused on an area some 2,500km (1,550 miles) to the south-west of the Australian city of Perth. Did previous photos show plane debris? Using satellite images, several nations have identified objects floating in the sea in that search area, but these have not been located and there is no evidence that they are related to the plane. John Young, general manager of Amsa's emergency response division, said that teams had \"moved on\" from that area based on the new information. Acting Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said that the fact that the search area had moved did not discount the earlier satellite images of possible debris further south. \"Because of ocean drift, this new search area could still be consistent with the potential objects identified by various satellite images over the past week,\" Mr Hussein said. A statement from Amsa - which is co-ordinating the search - said the new information had come from the international investigation team in Malaysia. This was based on \"continuing analysis of radar data between the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca before radar contact was lost\", Amsa said. \"It indicated that the aircraft was travelling faster than previously estimated, resulting in increased fuel usage and reducing the possible distance the aircraft travelled south into the Indian Ocean.\" It said that the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) had determined that this was \"the most credible lead to where debris may be located\". The new search area is about 1,850km west of Perth and covers some 319,000 sq km (123,000 sq miles). Mr Young, of Amsa, said it represented the \"best estimate of the area in which the aircraft is likely to have entered the ocean\" and took account of possible drift. The new search area was outside the \"roaring forties\" bad weather zone, meaning conditions were likely to be better. Aircraft would also be able to spend more time in the area because it was closer to land, Mr Young said. The potential flight path could be the subject of further refinement as investigations continued, Amsa said, adding that satellites would now focus on the new area. Amsa said nine military aircraft would be scouring the area on Friday, with a civilian aircraft acting as a communications relay. What we know The search for flight MH370 Five ships from China and one from Australia were also relocating to that area. One Chinese patrol ship was already at the scene, Amsa said. Mr Young said the shift to a new search area did not mean the", "summary": "The search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has moved to a new part of the Indian Ocean due to a \"credible lead\"."}
{"article": "But back in the Indian Ocean island nation, many Tamils are either too scared of official retribution, or too apathetic to mark the second 27 November commemoration since the rebels' defeat last year. The Sri Lankan government has meanwhile been busy destroying the war graves and other memorials for the 20,000 insurgents killed during the three-decade conflict. One such cemetery has been turned into a playground; another in Jaffna was converted into an army camp. And no-one knows what has happened to the records scrupulously kept by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who are thought to have financially supported the bereaved families. Suresh Premachandiran, an MP from northern Jaffna, says his party, the Tamil National Alliance, has tried in vain to stop the demolition of war cemeteries. \"Destroying graves is unacceptable,\" he said. \"Those people who were buried there are humans. They fought for the Tamil people.\" He continued: \"Recently when some Tamil civilians lit lamps to mark a Hindu festival in Kilinochchi, the local police thought they were trying to pay homage to the LTTE war dead and beat up them up.\" In the past, large numbers of Tamils visited these war graves. In many places, cultural programmes would also take place. But now they're not sure what to do. \"Those who lost their relatives would like to remember them,\" says Selva, a resident of Colombo, who did not want his full name published. \"But if they do any kind of public display - like garlanding the photos of people in LTTE uniform, they will be arrested.\" Sri Lanka's deputy high commissioner in the UK, P M Amza, defended his government's decision to demolish war graves, labelling them a rebel propaganda tool. \"We consider the LTTE a terrorist organisation,\" he said. \"We feel all those associated with it form part of terrorism. \"There is no evidence to show the LTTE represented collective Tamil aspiration. They have killed many Tamil leaders.\" Human rights groups say both government forces and the rebels committed crimes against humanity during the conflict. The LTTE were accused of recruiting children and firing at fleeing civilians during the final weeks of war. It is an established fact that the LTTE killed thousands of Tamil youths who joined other armed groups in the early years of the rebellion. But many Tamils who are outspoken about the government's alleged war crimes say little about the charges against the LTTE. For many in the diaspora across the world, Heroes' Day is an opportunity to gather and reaffirm their loyalty to the Tamil Tigers. Large gatherings are planned in Britain, Canada, Switzerland, France and Australia. Sam Krishna, media co-ordinator of the British Tamil Forum, said: \"In addition to remembering those who sacrificed their lives for the Tamil cause, we will use the occasion to focus on the war crimes. \"We will once again press for an independent inquiry.\" Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, killed on the last day of the conflict in May 2009, traditionally marked Heroes' Day with a speech outlining his agenda for the year ahead, and the", "summary": "Around the world, Sri Lanka's diaspora Tamils are meeting to mark Maveerar Naal (Heroes' Day) and remember those who died during the failed insurgency."}
{"article": "The excerpts, released on Monday, excluded the names of gunman Omar Mateen as well as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the so-called Islamic State (IS). Mateen, who killed 49 people at a gay Orlando nightclub, described himself as an \"Islamic soldier\" and pledged allegiance to al-Baghdadi during his phone calls to authorities. But in the first version of the transcript, any reference to IS or their leader was removed. For example: Police: What's your name? Mateen: My name is I pledge allegiance to [omitted]. The decision to omit the names sparked outrage among Twitter users including US House Speaker Paul Ryan. The Wisconsin Republican denounced the decision to redact as \"preposterous\" and called on the Obama administration to release the full transcript \"so the public is clear-eyed about who did this, and why\". \"We know the shooter was a radical Islamist extremist inspired by Isis. We also know he intentionally targeted the LGBT community,\" Mr Ryan said in a statement, referring to IS. Other users expressed outrage over the decision to remove IS from the text. The Department of Justice released a statement later on Monday defending the redaction. Officials said they wanted to remain sensitive to the victims, their families and the ongoing investigation, while also not providing \"the killer or terrorist organisations with a publicity platform for hateful propaganda\". \"Unfortunately, the unreleased portions of the transcript that named the terrorist organisations and leaders have caused an unnecessary distraction from the hard work that the FBI and our law enforcement partners have been doing to investigate this heinous crime,\" the statement said, before releasing the full transcript of Mateen's first 50-second phone call. The other calls he made were not released. Mateen first called a 911 dispatcher about 30 minutes after he began shooting. During the call, Mateen spoke Arabic and praised \"God the Merciful\". In a later phone call, he told a negotiator to tell America to stop bombing Syria and Iraq and that was why he was \"out here right now\", according to the FBI transcript. Mateen also told negotiators he had an explosive vest similar to the kind used by terrorists \"in France,\" making a reference to the November terror attack in Paris. But no vests were found. \"[Mateen] does not represent the religion of Islam, but a perverted view,\" said Ron Hopper, the FBI assistant special agent in charge. \"Part of the redacting is meant to not give credence to individuals who have done terrorist attacks in the past,\" he said. \"We're not going to propagate their violent rhetoric.\"", "summary": "The Department of Justice has re-issued a fuller transcript of one of the Orlando gunman's 911 calls without redactions, after facing a wave of online backlash for omitting certain words."}
{"article": "There was also a record number of EU citizens coming to live in Britain with the figure standing at 284,000. Net migration - immigration minus emigration - was the second-highest number on record. Immigration minister Robert Goodwill said the government was \"committed to getting net migration down\". Most of the period covered by the figures was before the EU referendum, but they also include one week after the poll. The ONS says the net migration figure is similar to the previous year, although it was up slightly on the 12 months ending in March, when it stood at 326,000. Immigration to the UK has also risen to a record level with 650,000 migrants in the year to June. Net migration from the EU was the highest figure on record with the number standing at 189,000. Mr Goodwill said the British people had sent out a \"clear message\" they want more control on immigration and the government was committed to getting numbers down to \"the tens of thousands\". He added: \"That is why reducing the number of migrants coming to the UK will be a key priority of our negotiations to leave the EU.\" Figures show 311,000 people came to live in the UK for work-related reasons. But the ONS said there was a \"statistically significant\" rise in the number of people who were \"looking for work\", 130,000, compared to 107,000 last year, as opposed to those who had a definite job to go to. By Danny Shaw, BBC Home Affairs correspondent The latest ONS figures have brought the government no Christmas cheer. Immigration remains at historically high levels - and its target to get net migration to less than 100,000 remains a long way off. Ministers hope the numbers will come down once they're able to exert more control over EU migration, currently at a record 284,000, when the UK leaves the Union. However, that all depends on the outcome of the Brexit negotiations: will there be new restrictions on the ability of EU citizens to move freely from state to state? One approach that might be considered is to limit travel to those who've got a firm offer of employment. It won't have escaped the Home Office's notice that 82,000 EU migrants hadn't secured a job when they came to Britain - they arrived in order to look for work. The ONS says that's a statistically significant increase of 21,000 on a year ago - and a record high. Labour MP and chair of the home affairs select committee Yvette Cooper said the number of low-skilled workers coming to the UK was \"too high\" and her party \"should be talking about immigration\" as it was a concern for people right across the country. She said the figures show the government's approach to immigration was not working and it also needed to look at different types of immigration. For the first time, Romania tops the list for the country with the most number of migrants to the UK in 2015 - with 54,000 people coming to live in Britain. China was in", "summary": "Net migration has stayed near record levels, standing at 335,000 in the year to June, the Office for National Statistics has said."}
{"article": "These colourful lizards can scamper rapidly up walls, scuttle along ceilings and even hang upside down on polished glass. Yet the secret of their amazing climbing ability remained a mystery until relatively recently. The underside of a gecko's foot looks like a tyre tread and is covered in millions of microscopic hairs. Each hair splits into hundreds of tips just 200 billionths of a metre wide. The secret of this lizard's adhesion turns out to be the relatively weak intermolecular forces that draw materials together any time they get close. These van der Waals forces nevertheless explain how a gecko can support its own body weight on just one finger, and a single gecko hair can lift the weight of an ant. To un-stick, the gecko pulls its foot away at a different angle. \"What we're talking about is something that is about as sticky as sticky tape - it's not crazy glue,\" says Prof Kellar Autumn, who became intrigued by gecko adhesion after being funded to develop climbing robots by the US military. Prof Autumn, from Lewis & Clark College in Oregon, added: \"What is special about it is that it is controllable. And its controllability is based on geometry and physics, not chemistry.\" The effort to uncover the mechanisms behind gecko climbing has already yielded synthetic material that sticks in the same way. Stick, peel and re-stick a piece of existing adhesive tape several times and it quickly loses its clingy properties. Prof Autumn and Mark Cutkosky, from Stanford University, compared natural and polymer-based synthetic gecko hairs using a machine that simulated gecko climbing. This showed both versions could be re-used some 30,000 times without losing their stickiness. Synthetic adhesives could yield transformative applications in robotics, industry, medicine, sports and clothing. But one possible use always comes up in any popular discussion: could they allow humans to scale walls like Spider-Man? In 2007, physicist and engineer Nicola Pugno, from Turin Polytechnic in Italy, calculated that a person wearing gloves and boots made of carbon nanotubes and structured to mimic gecko feet could indeed cling safely to a wall or a ceiling. Challenges would include wear and tear and the propensity for dirt particles to collect and inhibit stickiness. The suit would have to work on every kind of surface and for long periods of time. But Prof Pugno says: \"We are not very far, in my opinion, from a kind of Spider-Man suit.\" Prof Metin Sitti, from Carnegie Mellon University, says the idea is \"not impossible\". Selecting a lightweight person and applying the adhesive to many parts of the suit (not just the feet and hands) would improve the chances of success, he explains. But, he comments: \"We get questions like: 'Can you carry a one-tonne weight'. And we say: 'Maybe, but that's not our biggest advantage'.\" A. The toes of geckos are covered in ridge-like lamellae, producing a tyre tread pattern B. Millions of microscopic hairs, or setae, cover each toe. These are only as long as two diameters of a human hair C. Each seta ends in up", "summary": "Geckos are among the superheroes of the animal world."}
{"article": "Parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates have launched a final legal challenge at the European Court of Human Rights after a Supreme Court challenge failed. European judges said doctors were required to keep the 10-month-old alive until they had passed judgement. Specialists at Great Ormond Street believe he has no chance of survival. Charlie has been in intensive care in hospital since October last year. His doctors said he cannot hear, move, cry or swallow and that his lungs only go up and down because he is on a machine that does it for him. Judges in Strasbourg, France, had previously ruled an interim measure to keep him alive should remain in place until midnight on 19 June. The new extension lasts until a final ruling is made. A spokesperson said the court \"will treat the application with the utmost urgency\" but have not indicated when the final judgement will be made. Charlie's parents, from Bedfont, west London, have raised \u00c2\u00a31.3m on a crowdfunding site to pay for an experimental treatment in the US. In April a High Court judge ruled against the trip to America and said Charlie should be allowed to die with dignity. Three Court of Appeal judges upheld the ruling in May and three Supreme Court justices have dismissed a further challenge by the parents. Charlie is thought to be one of 16 children in the world to have mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a condition which causes progressive muscle weakness and brain damage.", "summary": "Terminally-ill baby Charlie Gard must continue to receive life support until judges make a ruling on whether he should undergo a trial treatment."}
{"article": "The patents include one that relates to the front face of the iPhone and one for touch-screen technology. It is another win for Apple, after it was awarded $1.05bn (\u00a3652m) in damages by a jury in a separate case in August. The ITC can block the import of products into the US. The judge's ruling will go in front of a full commission, which is scheduled to conclude its investigation in February. Judge Thomas Pender agreed that Samsung violated four of Apple's patents, but was not in violation of two others listed by Apple in the complaint. Three of the patents are related to software features, while one covers Apple's hardware. However, the Samsung products in this case do not include its latest devices, limiting the impact of a potential import ban into the US. Samsung has repeatedly argued that any sales ban would limit choice and raise prices for consumers in the US. Apple and Samsung have bought legal cases against each other in more than 10 countries, each accusing the other of violating patents, as the two battle for market share in the hugely lucrative mobile industry.", "summary": "A US International Trade Commission judge, in a preliminary ruling, said Samsung infringed four of Apple's intellectual property patents."}
{"article": "After a year of music lessons, the reading scores of nine and 10-year-olds held steady compared to a dip seen in those who were not taught any music. Another group of musically-trained children were found to be better at processing sounds and language. The research is being presented to the American Psychological Association. The research was led by Dr Nina Kraus at Northwestern University and involved hundreds of children at high schools in impoverished areas of Chicago and Los Angeles. Her research had previously highlighted that learning music could improve the concentration, memory and focus of children in the classroom by improving their neural functions. But much of the research had focused on the impact of music lessons on relatively affluent children. In this study, Dr Kraus found that giving children regular group music lessons for five or more hours a week prevented any decline in reading skills, which would normally be expected in poorer areas. Another group of teenage schoolchildren, from a poor area of Chicago, took part in band practice or choir practice every day at school as part of a music project. Researchers recorded their brainwaves to assess how they responded to speech sounds. After two years of musical training, the results showed the musical group was faster and more accurate at distinguishing one sound from another, particularly when there was background noise, compared to a group that did not participate in any musical activity. Dr Kraus said this showed music could have a positive impact on the brain, which could also help learning, but it was not a quick fix. \"Research has shown that there are differences in the brains of children raised in impoverished environments that affect their ability to learn,\" he explained. \"While more affluent students do better in school than children from lower income backgrounds, we are finding that musical training can alter the nervous system to create a better learner and help offset this academic gap.\" All the children had similar IQs and reading ability at the start of the study. Dr Kraus said music appeared to remodel the brain to improve the connections between sounds and meaning, the process by which babies learn to speak. Children growing up in poorer areas with poorly-educated mothers are more likely to have 'noisier brains', she said. This is because they are less likely to know and recognise a wide range of words and are therefore less able to respond to sounds and language. \"Music automatically sharpens the nervous system's response to sounds,\" Dr Kraus explained. The children participating in the study were part of the Harmony Project, which provides instruments and free music tuition for American schoolchildren in certain deprived urban areas.", "summary": "Learning to sing or play a musical instrument can help disadvantaged children improve their reading skills, US research suggests."}
{"article": "Three months of work will begin on 8 August on both carriageways of the M74 from J2A Fullarton to J6 Hamilton. Four months of work will begin on both carriageways of the M8 in mid-August from J8 Baillieston to J10 Easterhouse. The M73 will be similarly affected for six weeks from mid-September, between J1 Maryville and J2 Baillieston. The work is part of an ongoing \u00a3500m works programme to improve Scotland's motorway network. Graeme Reid, Project Manager for the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project, said: \"Transport Scotland is working with the contractor to ensure these works are completed as quickly as possible. \"While we're doing everything we can to minimise the disruption, delays will be inevitable, so we're asking motorists to check the Transport Scotland and Traffic Scotland websites for updates on these key routes, to plan their journeys in advance and to look at taking an alternative route if possible.\" The \u00a3500m project aims to upgrade central Scotland's busy motorways and significantly reduce congestion. It has been estimated that the road improvements could reduce the average daily car commute between Glasgow and Edinburgh by 20 minutes.", "summary": "Drivers are being warned to expect months of \"significant delays\" on central Scotland's motorways as work begins to install new signage gantries."}
{"article": "Ian \"Jacko\" Roberts, 54, of Acrefair, near Wrexham, was in Toulouse for the historic 3-0 win against Russia. But on Monday, he will return to hospital for treatment on a tumour in his nasal passage. He said of the game: \"The atmosphere was amazing...exceptional.\" The win means Wales qualified for the second round, with their next game to be played in Paris on Saturday. And Mr Roberts, a father-of-one, said he got to meet former Wales international players turned pundits Robbie Savage and John Hartson, who has had cancer, at his hotel in Toulouse. \"I was having a bit of a talk to John Hartson and he was giving me the arm around the shoulder. It was really good,\" he added. Two weeks ago Mr Roberts finished 12 sessions of chemotherapy and is about to begin radiation treatment. The carpenter and joiner, who sings for Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir, was captured singing the national anthem by Hartson who tweeted the footage before the Russia game. He said it had been brilliant watching the team in France, adding: \"Especially after all the years where we have had the heartbreaks, all them times when we failed to qualify. \"It was actually the morning of the Andorra game [a Euro 2016 qualifier which Wales won 2-0 in October] I was told I had the tumour in the nasal passage. \"For all the winter I didn't know I was coming [to France] until the Wednesday before. \"And my friends have all got me tickets. They've all chipped in money for me to come because obviously I've been out of work for a while.\" Mr Roberts said it has been hard travelling but he has had a great time with his friends, including Gareth Roberts, 55, originally of Bangor but now living in Chester. Mr Roberts said he has met lots of footballers and stars through his singing but it is nice for his son, Thomas, 14, to see him mingling with such big names.", "summary": "A football fan who has taken a break from his cancer treatment to follow Wales in France in Euro 2016 said it has been \"amazing\"."}
{"article": "Richard Westwood, 72, from Surrey, and Leonard Hawkes, 69, from Berkshire, have been summonsed to Chester Magistrates on 2 December, police said. They will both face one count each of indecent assault relating to an incident in Chester in 1968. The Tremeloes formed in 1958 and first charted in the UK in July 1963 with a version of Twist and Shout. The band went on to have a string of hits throughout the 60's, including a number one with Silence Is Golden. Guitarist and vocalist Rick Westwood left in 2012 and bass player and vocalist Len 'Chip' Hawkes, left in 1988.", "summary": "Two former members of 1960s band The Tremeloes have been accused of historical indecent assault."}
{"article": "Making them vote may halt declining election turnouts and could \"kick start the habit of a lifetime\", the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said. In 2010, 44% of 18 to 24-year-olds voted, with the \"younger and poorer\" least likely to vote, it suggested. The UK risks \"sleepwalking into a more divided democracy\" unless there is reform, the IPPR's Mat Lawrence said. \"The working class and the young have less input into political decision-making processes, with lower rates of participation and representation than older and more affluent citizens,\" the IPPR report suggested. Such inequalities undermined the \"legitimacy and effectiveness\" of democracy, the report claimed, saying it was unlikely the trend would be reversed in next month's general election. At the 1970 general election, the gap between the proportion of 18-24 year olds and over-65s who voted was 18%. However, at the 2010 general election, the gap had risen to 32% - with 76% of over-65s voting, compared to 44% of 18-24 year olds. \"Long-run decline in voter turnout in the UK is being driven by the relative collapse in participation among the young and the less well-off - not by a uniform decline in turnout among all groups,\" Mr Lawrence added. \"A distinctive non-voting population, generally younger and poorer, heightens political inequality by giving some groups far greater influence at the ballot box.\" The report comes after the voting age was reduced to 16 for the Scottish independence referendum, in September - when 109,593 16 and 17-year-olds registered to vote. Mr Lawrence said the high turnout at the referendum, as well as the rise of grassroots groups, provided reasons for optimism. Broadcaster and author Rick Edwards told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he supported the proposal, saying \"something drastic needs to happen\" to encourage young people to vote. But he said there would have to be a \"none of the above\" option on ballot papers, to allow voters to express their dissatisfaction. \"The problem is politicians are more interested in serving the interests of the demographic who vote more because they are interested in winning their votes and keeping their votes. \"Therefore what is happening is that young people are getting marginalised and their interests aren't being served as they should be,\" he added. He said that if young people felt they were not being spoken to, or were not being paid any attention by politicians, they would be even less likely to vote.", "summary": "Young people should be forced to vote in the first election after they turn 18, a centre-left think tank has said."}
{"article": "Eleven million documents held by the Panama-based company Mossack Fonseca were leaked to German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, then shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). In Russia, the three main pro-Kremlin TV channels have not reported the story so far. This is quite typical behaviour for Russia's mainstream broadcasters, which often steer clear of controversial topics involving Russian leaders. The leak reveals a suspected money-laundering ring run by a Russian bank and involving close associates of President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the allegations: \"Even though Vladimir Putin is not explicitly mentioned anywhere, it is obvious for us that our president has been and will be the main target.\" The story is covered by privately owned business channel RBK and independent digital news channel Dozhd TV - sources that seldom shy away from major international stories that cast Russia in an unfavourable light. The ICIJ report was released late on Sunday night in Moscow, missing print deadlines for newspapers. But the ICIJ's Russian partner, the opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta, featured a seven-page hard copy report and a large online version on its website. Since then, most of the popular online news sources have included reports on the story. There has been plenty of chatter on social media. The hashtag #panamapapers has been in and out of the Top 10 Twitter trends for Russia since Sunday evening. It seems the story has underwhelmed many Russian bloggers, who were not surprised to learn about potential large-scale corruption. There have been plenty of sarcastic jokes about the alleged sums involved. In Germany, Munich's Sueddeutsche Zeitung - which originally received the documents - has the online headline \"Putin's rich friends - the trail of the secret money\". The heavyweight Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung says \"Panama's state prosecutors investigate offshore firms\", while Berlin's Die Welt reports on \"The billion-dollar trails of a global affair\". The tabloid Bild says \"Data leak reveals shady transactions worth billions\". China's press is quiet on allegations that the Panama Papers involve Chinese nationals, partly because it is a national holiday, the Qingming Festival. News outlets have reported the story, omitting any mention of China being involved. However, it appears that dialogue on the papers is now being censored, as features on the Sina and NetEase web portals have been removed. There are indications that Weibo social media users want to talk about it, with thousands of posters attempting to discuss the story using the hashtag #PanamaPapers. Weibo shows that more than 2,000 users have used this hashtag, but posts using it appear currently unavailable to view. A search of \"Panama\" on verified media accounts brings up no results, suggesting that the microblog's moderators wish to limit people from searching for this term. Independent Hong Kong papers, meanwhile, highlight the involvement of the families of a senior Chinese official and a prominent figure. Arabic news websites and online version of dailies have picked up the story, although regional TV channels have yet to report on it. Egyptian dailies are leading with revelations about the family of former President Hosni Mubarak.", "summary": "Media from Moscow to Beijing are reporting the Panama Papers leak, with some outlets omitting names of local politicians and prominent figures who figure in them."}
{"article": "Pee Wee Pumps, which makes soft shoes for infants, describes its products as \"cool\" and \"diva defining\". But pictures of the fashion range posted online have led to criticism on social media sites. The shoes, which have collapsible heels and pointed toes, are available for infants up to six months old. In the latest post on the company's Facebook page, an infant in heels sits astride a miniature motorbike with the caption: \"This little #Diva, defining cool posing in her #PeeWeePumps.\" The image was criticised by a number the site's users, who suggested it was \"wrong\" and \"disgusting\" to portray infants in such a way. It comes amid growing concern at what is seen as the sexualisation of children. \"This is not ok,\" wrote Melissa Balinski. Another commenter, Jen, said that \"promoting products for babies this way is just sick\". Other promotional images for Pee Wee Pumps products include babies wearing bead necklaces, sequin dresses and tutus. The range of shoes, which features styles made from red satin and leopard-skin material, have repeatedly met mixed responses from Facebook users. \"I will definitely avoid this brand,\" wrote Barrow, commenting on a picture of a baby in \"black pump classics\". \"This is horrid,\" added Flory. But some users left positive comments, remarking how the shoes made the infants \"look adorable\". \"Too cute,\" wrote Latoyia. The Pee Wee Pumps website displays a range of designs, labelled \"Swanky\", \"Wild Child\" and \"Diva\". \"She'll make a statement in this bold, red hue,\" reads the product description alongside a design labelled \"Sassy\". The company came under fire earlier this month from UK campaign group Let Clothes Be Clothes, which posted images of the product range for infants with the warning \"beware, the photos are shocking\". \"I will definitely avoid this brand,\" wrote Owen. \"That's disturbing. Even without the heels the pics would be not even remotely okay,\" wrote Eva. Another user, Natasha, added to the campaign group's post: \"Should be banned.\" Pee Wee Pumps is based in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The founder, Michele Holbrook, wrote in a statement on the company website that her products \"are not intended for walking, but rather to meet the current and ever-growing popular demand for 'high-fashion' in infant apparel\".", "summary": "A US footwear company has sparked outrage among consumers and campaign groups over a range of high heeled shoes for babies."}
{"article": "Passengers said it was \"chaotic\", with huge crowds snaking around corridors and a lack of senior staff. Airport operator BAA said UK Border Agency's service was \"completely unacceptable\" but queues were easing. The agency blamed the Easter holiday for the length of the queues. BAA said queues began easing after 13:00 BST with passengers in Terminal 5 having to wait the longest - 31 minutes for EU passengers and 51 minutes for Non-EU citizens. The shortest waiting time was in Terminal 4, where it took four minutes for passengers from the EU to clear the checks and two minutes for non-EU nationals. BAA said on Friday the longest wait passengers had was 77 minutes at Terminal 3, 75 minutes at Terminal 4, and 54 minutes at Terminals 5 and 1, with non-EU passengers facing the longest wait at the time. Matthew Donaldson, 38, from Lincolnshire, who arrived on a flight from Cape Town in South Africa at about 06:30, said he had to wait for an hour and 45 minutes to leave passport control at Terminal 5. He said: \"It was complete chaos. Half the escalators were closed to slow down the crowds and when we got to passport control there were snaking queues. \"They gave no reason and there were no senior staff there. \"It was erratic to say the least.\" George Galanopoulos, founder of London Executive Aviation which runs private jets, wrote on Twitter: \"Just landed at Heathrow T5... total chaos! Embarrassing for London.\" Simon Baugh, director of media relations at BAA, said the earlier situation at passport control, which is managed by the UK Border Force, the section of the UK Border Agency in charge of entry to the UK, was \"fairly typical\" but \"completely unacceptable\". He said: \"It's the UK's reputation and BAA's that suffers. There's no need for it. \"It's entirely about the level of resourcing the government needs to put in place.\" A UK Border Agency spokeswoman said: \"We will not compromise border security but we always aim to keep disruption to a minimum by using our staff flexibly to meet demand.\" She said there were extra workers at the border over the Easter period. Culture Select Committee chairman John Whittingdale outlined his committee's concerns about the airport's service in a letter to Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Jeremy Hunt which was made public this week. The letter, dated 21 March, said waits in excess of an hour might deter tourists from returning to the UK. The government sets BAA targets for processing departing passengers through security but no contractual service level agreements are in place for arriving passengers, said Mr Baugh. He said the Home Office sets an \"aspirational\" waiting time of no longer than 45 minutes for non-EU passengers and 25 minutes for EU passengers. Mr Baugh said: \"That bears no relation to customer experience.\"", "summary": "Passengers have faced waits of more than an hour at passport control at London's Heathrow Airport two days after it was revealed MPs warned it may struggle to cope during the Olympics."}
{"article": "At first sight, with billions in subsidies, you might think that every farmer would automatically want to keep the cash flowing and therefore choose to stay in. But it's not so simple. In 2014, the most recent year with confirmed figures, UK farms received \u00c2\u00a33.19bn. The average payment was \u00c2\u00a317,735. The highest was almost \u00c2\u00a32m. For many farmers, particularly those working marginal land such as hills with poor soil, the subsidies act as a lifeline. Mark Williams runs a farm perched on steep slopes near Welshpool in Wales with a spectacular view over the Severn Valley. Sitting on his quad bike, a flock of sheep grazing nearby, he describes the payments as essential to keep communities like his going. He says hill farming is very difficult and that the margins on beef and sheep alone are very tight, \"so the subsidy is very important to protect those farms\". But travel the short distance from the Welsh uplands to the rich soils of Shropshire near Telford and you hear a very different story. Bruce Udale and his daughter Isabel Moseley, who grow animal feed on their 1,200 acres, are both determined to leave the EU. This is farming on an industrial scale, with huge fields and impressive machinery. We watch a giant tractor extend two vast arms to spray a bright green crop of wheat. The farm attracts tens of thousands of pounds in CAP payments, but Bruce and Isabel are convinced that British farmers would be better off without them. In their view, the subsidies swirling through the agricultural economy artificially inflate prices which means - according to Bruce - that the payments are not worth as much as they sound. \"If we don't have subsidies\", he says, \"I believe our costs would come down. Land values would probably come down, rents would certainly come down, machinery costs would come down because a lot of these things are priced at what the market thinks we've got in our pockets. \"So the loss would not be as great as many people think.\" And, because the payments come from the EU via the UK government, there is notorious bureaucracy. Isabel says it's hugely time-consuming and she resents it. \"For our children's future we should take things back in hand, make our own rules and regulations in Great Britain for our benefit. \"Now we have Brussels making our decisions. Yes, we have a slight input, but we can't change anyone's minds.\" On his hill farm, Mark Williams has an answer to that. \"If they think there's going to be any less regulation, the UK is not going to revoke sheep tagging, they're not going to revoke the licences, they're not going to revoke the burial of livestock. \"We're still going to have to put up with all of that.\" What about access to markets? Of the UK's agricultural exports, just over 63% went to the EU with about 36% going to the rest of the world. Mark says that makes the EU a crucial outlet. \"Over 90% of British beef and lamb ends up in", "summary": "Behind the quiet tapestry of farmland stretching across the UK is a turbulent debate over Britain's membership of the European Union."}
{"article": "Konta, who won 21 of her previous 22 matches and beat world number two Simona Halep on Wednesday, served for a place in the last four in the decider. However American Williams, 35, won four games on the trot to set up a semi-final against Roberta Vinci. Konta's form will see the 24-year-old take over as British number one. She started the year 150th in the world but is now 66th and will next week pass compatriot Heather Watson in the rankings. Williams, the current world number 24, has won seven Grand Slams since turning professional in October 1994. \"I went on court to win and to do my best,\" said Konta. \"I gave my all. It just wasn't enough. \"I lost to a pretty incredible champion. She played an incredible match. I just feel very fortunate that I got to share the court with her.\" Konta made Williams work hard for the victory, becoming the first person to take a set off her at the Wuhan Open after losing the first. She then led 5-3 in the final set and looked on course to record another upset at the tournament. However Williams drew upon all of her experience to grind out the victory, coming out on top in a breathtaking final game that saw the crowd applaud midway through one particularly impressive rally. \"Johanna played so well. She has had a wonderful summer,\" said Williams. \"It seemed like I was finished but I felt the energy from the crowd.\"", "summary": "Britain's Johanna Konta was beaten 6-4 3-6 7-5 by former world number one Venus Williams in the quarter-finals of the Wuhan Open."}
{"article": "The blaze broke out at a building of five apartments on Beverley Road at about 06:00 GMT, the fire service said. The 31-year-old victim was rescued from a ground floor property and taken to Hull Royal Infirmary where he later died. Humberside Police said the fire was not being treated as arson and described the man's death as \"non-suspicious but unexplained\". More on this and other local stories from across East Yorkshire Two firefighters also suffered minor injuries, Humberside Fire and Rescue said. Resident Vitalijus Lisauskas, who lives in the top floor flat, said he believed the explosion was a result of a gas leak. \"The fire was in one of the downstairs flats and luckily we exited out of the building as it happened,\" he said. \"Then it just exploded... knocking off the window and the one above it as well. \"It looked like a fireball, in a split second it went boom.\" His neighbour, who would only give his name as John, said: \"All I heard was a loud crash. \"I'm quite a heavy sleeper so I went back to sleep and then the next thing you know I've got the fire brigade knocking and banging on my window telling me I need to get out.\" The scene is near Hull and East Riding Institute of the Blind (HERIB). Beverley Road was closed between Alexandra Street and Queens Road for up to three hours while a cordon was in place around the property.", "summary": "A man has died following a fire and explosion at a flat in Hull."}
{"article": "Please click on this page for the latest listings. Fixtures and start times are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made.", "summary": "The BBC has extensive live athletics coverage across TV, desktop, mobile, tablet and app."}
{"article": "Sarah Champion faced a backlash after writing in the Sun that \"Britain has a problem with British Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls\". The Rotherham MP quit as shadow equalities minister and apologised for her \"extremely poor choice of words\". The Labour leader denied claims he had sacked Ms Champion for speaking out. He told BBC Manchester: \"Child exploitation is wrong. Child abuse is wrong. It is a crime, and it has to be dealt with. \"But you cannot blame an entire community, an entire nation or an entire ethnic community. You have to deal with it for the crime of what it is.\" Asked if he had sacked Ms Champion over her comments, he said: \"Look, she resigned and I accepted the resignation, so, clearly, I think it's right thing to do and I thank her for her work.\" Communities Secretary Sajid Javid accused Mr Corbyn of stifling debate. The Conservative minister said in a tweet: \"Corbyn wrong to sack Sarah Champion. We need an honest open debate on child sexual exploitation, including racial motivation.\" Business Minister Margot James said she was \"enraged\" by the Labour leader's \"treatment of Sarah Champion\". She wrote on her Facebook page that the Rotherham MP's comments \"might have been hard hitting, but that doesn't make them any less true\". The Conservative MP for Stourbridge added: \"There needs to be a discussion about how we overcome the cultural attitudes towards women that have contributed to these crimes; and to the ways in which they were covered up for so long. \"There has been a disgraceful history of shouting down brave Labour women MPs who have stood up to community pressures in Northern cities like Keighley (just google former MP Ann Cryer) and Rotherham in exposing these crimes, of which the appalling treatment of Sarah Champion is yet another chapter.\" Conservative former Children's Minister Tim Loughton said he did not know if Ms Champion had been sacked or not - but he accused Mr Corbyn of being \"deaf to a problem that is happening in our country\". The Equality and Human Rights Commission said it was a \"real shame\" that Ms Champion had resigned because of \"over-sensitivity about language\". Labour's shadow justice minister, Yasmin Qureshi, refused to be drawn on whether it was right that Ms Champion had stepped down. \"I think you need to ask Sarah that question,\" she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. \"Of course we should deal with abuse wherever it occurs and we should ask ourselves as to what we can do to ensure these things don't happen.\" Ms Champion's article was written after 17 men were convicted of forcing girls in Newcastle to have sex. The men, who were mostly British-born, were of Iraqi, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian, Iranian and Turkish heritage. In interviews following the convictions, the Labour MP said such crimes involved \"predominately Pakistani men\" and a fear of being called racist was hampering the authorities' investigations. She then wrote the Sun article, which also included the line: \"These people are predators, and the common denominator is their ethnic", "summary": "Jeremy Corbyn has said it is wrong to blame \"an entire ethnic community\" for child abuse after one of his frontbench team quit over a press article."}
{"article": "Spanish Trade Secretary Jaime Garcia Legaz said the EU would intervene over Argentina's seizure of the controlling stake in YPF from Spanish firm Repsol. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also offered support. But Argentine officials said they were not worried by possible reprisals over the nationalisation. Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner announced the measure on Monday, saying she was asserting sovereignty over Argentina's energy resources. Her government is taking 51% of YPF, wiping out Repsol's 57.4% majority stake. The move has wide support in Argentina but has provoked outrage in Spain, which has threatened reprisals. The Spanish government will consider what measures to take at a cabinet meeting on Friday, and has also been rallying international support. \"There are going to be very clear interventions on the part of the European Union,\" Trade Secretary Jaime Garcia Legaz said, without revealing further details. It is not clear what any reprisals might involve. EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the issue at a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said Spain would also raise the issue with the IMF, the World Bank and the G-20. \"We will try to pressurise Argentina so that it sees that this road is going nowhere,\" he said after meeting Hillary Clinton. He added that Spain and the US had agreed to work together to \"re-establish international legality\". But the Argentine government says it will not back down in its decision to nationalise YPF, which it says is a lawful action taken in the national interest. \"The government takes its decisions thinking about the Argentine people and not what the US or the Spanish government think,\" Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo said. \"We are not worried about any kind of reprisals,\" he added. Repsol has said it wants around $10bn for its stake in YPF, but Argentina has said it does not accept that valuation. It says YPF did not invest enough to increase output from its oil fields, forcing Argentina to rely on imports. YPF, Argentina's biggest oil company, was privatised in 1993. Last year it announced huge new finds of shale oil and gas.", "summary": "Spain says it is rallying international support against Argentina's nationalisation of the oil firm, YPF."}
{"article": "Staff have been told the posts will go by March and will mainly affect management and head office roles in Manchester and Stockport. Deputy chief executive Liam Coleman said the cost reductions were \"critical\" as it continues its three-year plan to rebuild the business. The bank almost collapsed in 2013 and it expects to continue to be loss-making until the end of next year. Mr Coleman said: \"These cost reductions are critical to progressing our turnaround and delivering a cost base which supports a sustainable core bank.\" He said it would continue to consult colleagues and trade unions on the proposals over the coming weeks. \"We have made progress in turning the bank around since 2013, but have always been clear that the bank's recovery is a difficult journey.\" He said the business would not make a profit this year or next year while it continues its \"turnaround plan in a challenging economic environment\". Rob MacGregor, national officer at trade union Unite, said: \"The speed and breadth of these cuts will hit the Co-operative Bank's much cherished customer service and with it the bank's unique selling point. \"Compulsory redundancies are anathema to all trade unions, but the timing of this exercise just before Christmas is a real blow to our members.\" He said the union would be supporting members and pressing the bank to reconsider the cuts where possible. The bank was owned by the Co-operative Group until 2013, when a \u00c2\u00a31.5bn hole was discovered in its finances. The group had to go to outside investors to support the Co-op Bank, which is now 80% owned by US hedge funds, with the remainder held by the Co-op Group.", "summary": "Co-operative Bank is cutting 200 jobs as it looks to continue its recovery."}
{"article": "It said Mr Russell would lead the Scottish government's negotiations with Westminster over \"our future relationship with the EU\". Mr Russell has been given the title of Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe. He has previously held the environment, culture and education briefs. But he has been out of the Scottish cabinet since Nicola Sturgeon replaced Alex Salmond as first minister in November 2014. Ms Sturgeon said the appointment, which is subject to approval by Holyrood when it returns next month, was an indication of the importance she was placing on the negotiations. She added: \"We already have an agreement with the new prime minister that the Scottish government should be fully involved in the development of the UK government's position ahead of Article 50 being triggered and beyond, and that options to protect Scotland's relationship with Europe will form part of these discussions. \"By putting a dedicated and experienced minister at their centre, it will ensure that Scotland's voice is heard loudly and clearly. I am confident that Michael Russell will make strong and constructive representation to the UK government throughout this process.\" The first minister said External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop and Europe Minister Alasdair Allan would continue to lead discussions with EU institutions and member states. She added: \"Derek Mackay will continue to have overall responsibility for the constitution, including overseeing preparations for a new independence referendum bill should that prove to be the best or only way to protect Scotland's interests.\" Mr Russell was previously Minister for Environment from 2007 until 2009 and then served as Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution before moving to the role of Cabinet Secretary for Education which he held until November 2014. He said he was \"delighted and honoured\" to accept the new role. He added: \"Following the overwhelming vote in Scotland to remain in the EU, it is essential that Scotland comes together to defend our national interest. Accordingly in these discussions, it is important that the nation speaks, as much as possible, with one voice. \"I will therefore want to listen and learn from the widest range of individuals, communities, organisations and companies about their hopes and fears for the future.\" Mr Russell, who will report directly to the first minister, is expected to attend the second meeting of the EU Standing Council next week.", "summary": "Michael Russell has been appointed as the Scottish government's new minister with responsibility for Brexit negotiations with the UK government."}
{"article": "Mark Duffus, 41, from Forres in Moray, was among at least seven people who died in a suicide attack on the Kabul base of a logistics firm supplying Nato forces in Afghanistan. He was employed by international security management group Blue Hackle. Five guards, four of them Nepali, were among those killed in the gun and bomb attack, which happened early on Tuesday. In his profile on the LinkedIn social media website, Mr Duffus said he had been employed by Blue Hackle since 2005, and was working as a site security manager. He had previously served in the armed forces for nine years. The Kabul police chief told the BBC the four insurgents, who were all killed, had a truck full of explosives. Smoke was seen rising above the scene of the attack in the north of the city. Reports suggested the bombers' vehicle was stopped outside the facility by guards. When the explosives were detonated, gunmen began shooting at guards in a 30-minute battle, officials said. As well as the Nepali guards, two Afghan truck drivers who were waiting to enter the compound were killed and an Afghan guard. Kabul police chief Gen Ayub Salangi said all four attackers were killed and the blast from the truck left a large crater in the ground. This is the latest in a series of attacks on targets in the Afghan capital in recent months. Moray SNP MP Angus Robertson said: \"The loss of anybody whether military or civilian in a conflict is terrible for their family, friends and the wider community. \"My sympathies are very much with those family and friends in Forres and elsewhere at this sad time.\"", "summary": "A Scottish security contractor has been killed in Afghanistan."}
{"article": "Speaking during a visit to communist Vietnam and talks with its leaders, Mr Obama said the move removed a \"lingering vestige of the Cold War\". The US is trying to bolster its relationship with its Pacific allies, as China asserts territorial claims. But Mr Obama said the embargo decision was not related to US policy on China. \"It's based on our desire to complete what has been a lengthy process of moving towards normalisation with Vietnam,\" he said in Hanoi. Vietnam is one of several countries in the region involved in maritime disputes with China. The US insists on the right to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. In 2014, a row over a Chinese oil rig near the Paracel islands led to clashes between Chinese and Vietnamese vessels and anti-China riots in Vietnam. Why Vietnam wants US weapons Beijing's new South China Sea islands High hopes for Obama visit White House officials had indicated the arms ban, in force since 1984, would be lifted only if human rights in Vietnam improved. \"Sales will need to still meet strict requirements, including those related to human rights, but this change will ensure that Vietnam has access to the equipment it needs to defend itself,\" Mr Obama said after talks with President Tran Dai Quang. Vietnam had been arguing for an end to the embargo, which was partially lifted in 2014. President Obama's easing of all remaining restrictions on arms sales to Vietnam is powerfully symbolic. But what does it mean in practice? Up to now, Vietnam has relied on Russia to supply most of its defence equipment, a legacy of the Cold War, when they were allies. The government would certainly like to diversify its sources, and is looking at a number of potential alternative suppliers. But it won't be rushing into the arms of US manufacturers just yet. One reason is that a lot of US technology may be too sophisticated and expensive for Vietnam's needs. And while Vietnam's defence spending, which has doubled over the past decade, is driven by the rivalry with its giant neighbour China, it will not want to antagonise China by seeking state-of-the-art US weapons that might alter the military balance. Another reason is the complicated process of procuring US weapons. In his announcement, Mr Obama said any military contracts would still be subject to provisos on human rights, and given the Vietnamese government's poor human rights record that might hold up possible arms sales in Congress. The greatest potential for US sales probably lies in areas like military surveillance systems and coastal defence. Vietnam would welcome technology that helps it track Chinese naval forces. The partial lifting of the embargo two years ago was with the specific aim of improving US sales in this area, yet Vietnam is taking its time to decide what it most wants to buy. Mr Obama's visit comes 41 years after the end of the Vietnam War in which the US sought to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam. Several million Vietnamese - civilians, communist fighters and South", "summary": "President Barack Obama has announced the US is fully lifting its embargo on sales of lethal weapons to Vietnam, its one-time enemy."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Wednesday's match in Lyon will be Wales' first in the last four of a major tournament. Coleman hopes Wales, appearing at a first competition since the 1958 World Cup, will become regular qualifiers. \"People think the end of this tournament is the end of this journey, but it's not,\" he said. \"It's part of the journey. The experience this group of boys will get from this, they'll be here long after I'm here. This success is part of the learning process. \"When I looked at the group we were in the tournament, I thought we were capable of getting out of the group. \"You never know who you'll get in the last 16, and then the quarter-final. I thought that was a possibility. I told the players that, that I genuinely believed we arrive at that stage. \"I didn't know what would happen after that, if I'm honest. But we've got a good team.\" By guiding Wales to a brilliant 3-1 win over Belgium in last Friday's quarter-final, Coleman has already overseen his country's greatest footballing achievement. They venture into the unknown on Wednesday with their first semi-final, whereas Portugal will be appearing in the last four of a major tournament for the seventh time. Fernando Santos' side are the bookmakers' favourites in Lyon, though they have yet to win a game in 90 minutes in France. They will inevitably look to captain and record goal-scorer Cristiano Ronaldo for inspiration, and his duel with Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale has been the subject of much attention in the build-up to the game. Another Real player, centre-back Pepe, could have an important role to play as Portugal aim to subdue the threat of Bale, who is second in the Euro 2016 scoring charts with three goals. Pepe returned to training on Tuesday having struggled with a thigh injury and, with the defender's confrontational style in mind, Coleman was asked about potential gamesmanship from Portugal. \"Our boys will know about the opposition. We do our homework on every team. We know their players individually and collectively, we know what to expect,\" he said. \"You call it gamesmanship, but sometimes it's being streetwise at this level. We've got better at that. \"We used to be far too honest. I'd look at what players used to do to us, and us in the same situations, and we'd be miles behind. \"Sometimes it's not pretty, or even ugly, and you can see it as negative. But anything you need to do to stay in the game, do it. It's streetwise, football smart. We've got a lot better at that in the last few years.\"", "summary": "Chris Coleman believes there is more to come from his Wales side regardless of the result of their historic Euro 2016 semi-final against Portugal."}
{"article": "Researchers assessing the results of nearly 200 studies say sperm counts among men from North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, seem to have halved in less than 40 years. Some experts are sceptical of the Human Reproduction Update findings. But lead researcher Dr Hagai Levine said he was \"very worried\" about what might happen in the future. The assessment, one of the largest ever undertaken, brings together the results of 185 studies between 1973 and 2011. Dr Levine, an epidemiologist, told the BBC that if the trend continued humans would become extinct. \"If we will not change the ways that we are living and the environment and the chemicals that we are exposed to, I am very worried about what will happen in the future,\" he said. \"Eventually we may have a problem, and with reproduction in general, and it may be the extinction of the human species.\" Scientists not involved in the study have praised the quality of the research but say that it may be premature to come to such a conclusion. Dr Levine, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, found a 52.4% decline in sperm concentration, and a 59.3% decline in total sperm count in men from North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The study also indicates the rate of decline among men living in these countries is continuing and possibly even increasing. In contrast, no significant decline was seen in South America, Asia and Africa, but the researchers point out that far fewer studies have been conducted on these continents. However, Dr Levine is concerned that eventually sperm counts could fall in these places too. Many previous studies have indicated similar sharp declines in sperm count in developed economies, but sceptics say that a large proportion of them have been flawed. Some have investigated a relatively small number of men, or included only men who attend fertility clinics and are, in any case, more likely to have low sperm counts. There is also concern that studies that claim to show a decline in sperm counts are more likely to get published in scientific journals than those that do not. Another difficulty is that early methods of counting sperm may have overestimated the true count. Taken together these factors may have created a false view of falling sperm counts. But the researchers claim to have accounted for some of these deficiencies, leaving some doubters, such as Prof Allan Pacey of Sheffield University, less sceptical. He said: \"I've never been particularly convinced by the many studies published so far claiming that human sperm counts have declined in the recent past.\" \"However, the study today by Dr Levine and his colleagues deals head-on with many of the deficiencies of previous studies.\" But Prof Pacey believes that although the new study has reduced the possibility of errors it does not entirely remove them. So, he says, the results should be treated with caution. \"The debate has not yet been resolved and there is clearly much work still to be done. \"However, the paper does represent a step forward in the", "summary": "Humans could become extinct if sperm counts in men continue to fall at current rates, a doctor has warned."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old woman, who police said was a sex worker, was found early on Wednesday in Springwell Road, off Water Lane, in Holbeck. She was taken to Leeds General Infirmary for treatment, but died a short time later. A 38-year-old man was later arrested and questioned by officers investigating the death. West Yorkshire Police said the woman's identity was known, but her family had not yet been informed. Det Supt Simon Atkinson said they wanted to hear from anyone who was in the Springwell Road area between 20:00 GMT on Tuesday and 01:30 on Wednesday. He added: \"We can confirm that the victim was a sex worker and the incident has taken place in the managed area where sex workers operate within a defined area during set hours. \"We are therefore appealing to anyone involved in any aspect of sex work in the managed area in Holbeck to let us know anything they have seen or heard that could assist the investigation.\"", "summary": "A murder inquiry has begun after the death of a woman found seriously injured in Leeds."}
{"article": "Mr Bondevik, who said he was travelling on his diplomatic passport, was held for about an hour. He said his passport also indicates he is a former prime minister. Immigration officials told him it was unrelated to President Trump's temporary ban on Iranian nationals. Instead, he was told it related to a 2015 law which places extra restrictions on countries that are part of the US visa waiver programme, according to an interview with ABC7 news. But Mr Bondevik said he has never had an issue travelling to the US with the same document before Mr Trump's order. During his 2014 Iran trip, he spoke against extremism at an international conference on behalf of human rights organisation The Oslo Centre, of which he is president. Iran is one of the seven countries affected by the controversial executive order from the new president. \"I was surprised, and I was provoked,\" he said, suggesting that the mention of Iran had made him \"stick out\". \"There is no reason to be afraid of a former head of government who has been on official visits several times to this country, including in the White House,\" he told Norwegian broadcaster TV2. The former prime minister was flying to the US to attend the national prayer breakfast event in Washington - which President Donald Trump also attended.", "summary": "The former prime minister of Norway, Kjell Magne Bondevik, said he was detained at a US airport earlier this week because he had visited Iran in 2014."}
{"article": "Ricci Gallagher, 46, died in hospital a week after being injured at the farmhouse in Little Burstead, Essex. It is owned by Richard Glanville, the ex-chief financial officer of a fashion firm that owned Oasis and Warehouse. Mr Glanville and another man have been questioned on suspicion of attempted murder. Both have been bailed. The victim's wife, Linda, said they had been excited about building their new home in the village, which they had moved into a week before. \"Ricci was a very kind, considerate person with a great zest for life and was liked by all who met him,\" she said. \"He was easy-going and good fun. \"Ricci and I had a very happy marriage and were excited about the new phase in our lives with the move to Little Burstead.\" Mr Gallagher had reported a fire at his home about half a mile away in Blind Lane, minutes before police were called to the farmhouse on Sudburys Farm Road on 30 July. Police said they were linking the incidents and were investigating why Mr Gallagher had been at the farmhouse. It is understood one line of inquiry is Mr Glanville may have found Mr Gallagher inside the house. \"The tragic events that have unfolded from the day of the fire at our home... have left me and my family devastated,\" said Mrs Gallagher. \"I would ask for anyone who can help the police to do so... and finally ask that we now be left to come to terms with this terrible tragedy and grieve in private.\" Officers are particularly keen to trace the drivers of a lorry and a Vauxhall car seen between 09:00 and 09:30 BST on 30 July.", "summary": "The widow of a man who died after being found injured at an ex-fashion executive's home has said they had been \"excited\" about their move to the area."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The former England midfielder, 34, will play for the Major League Soccer club after his contract at Anfield expires. \"We were aggressive in our pursuit of Steven and look forward to his contributions on and off the field,\" Galaxy president Chris Klein said. \"I'm very excited to begin the next chapter of my career in the United States,\" Gerrard added. Media playback is not supported on this device \"The Galaxy are the most successful club in MLS history and I'm looking forward to competing for more championships in the years to come. \"One of the reasons I chose them was because of the success they've had recently. I want to add some medals and trophies to my collection.\" Gerrard, who has won 10 trophies at Liverpool, including the Champions League in 2005, becomes the second England captain to join LA Galaxy, after David Beckham played for them between 2007 and 2012. \"We're very pleased to acquire a player of Steven's calibre, experience and character,\" said head coach and general manager Bruce Arena. \"He is one of the most decorated players in the world and will join our team with a wealth of success playing at the highest level of the sport. \"Steven will be an excellent example to our young players and we're excited to add him and his leadership to an already-talented roster.\"", "summary": "Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will join Los Angeles Galaxy in July, the American side have confirmed."}
{"article": "Police Scotland said the recovery was made after an intelligence-led operation in the Guild Street area on Tuesday. Jian Lin, 39, of no fixed abode, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Wednesday on a drugs charge. He made no plea and was remanded in custody.", "summary": "A man has appeared in court after cannabis with an estimated street value of \u00a390,000 was seized in Aberdeen."}
{"article": "From the moment it premiered at last year's Cannes Film Festival, Bande de Filles, or Girlhood, was a homegrown hit. The film - \"a work of cinematic art\" according to The Guardian - made more than \u00c2\u00a31m (1,346 euros) at the French box office, was nominated for four prestigious Cesar awards and secured an international film release. Girlhood is the story of a black teenager, Marieme, who lives in the vast banlieues, or suburbs, of Paris. With a dead-end future in front of her, she forms a relationship with a group of other young girls. None of its leads, including Parisienne Karidja Toure who plays Marieme, had ever acted before - a consequence, says director Celine Sciamma, of her not being able to find enough professional black actresses for the roles. \"We were looking for four months,\" she recalls, \"with a casting director and two assistants. We basically went everywhere. \"We went to agencies, but there were very few black girls. And then we went in to theatre classes and high schools, but we met most of our cast randomly on the street. \"We had to invent a group, with its alchemy and energy. But we also needed girls with wit, who were able to improvise, because some of the scenes required it. \"All the girls are non-professionals, whereas all the boys had already been on screen. That says something about the representation of black women in cinema.\" Toure, 21, was asked to audition as she sat outside a restaurant in Paris's 14th arrondissement. \"At first I thought the casting process was a little strange,\" she admits. \"But there aren't many black actresses in Paris, so they had to do it that way. You know, black teenagers in Paris, boys and girls, don't watch French movies. \"When you watch French films, you don't see many black characters. So we boycott them, and watch American movies instead. \"During the casting there were around 300 girls, who all have dreams about being actresses. But I guess we don't really believe we can do it, because we don't see many others doing it.\" Like Richard Linklater's Oscar-winning Boyhood, Girlhood is a coming-of-age movie. The circumstances, though, are vastly different. Sciamma grew up in the Paris suburbs herself and says she was writing \"from the things I know - that there are people who have such energy, but they are not given a vision of who they should be.\" Told by her teacher to stop studying and get a job, Marieme plays truant with her new group of friends and becomes a gang fighter. Soon, footage of her beating up other girls is filmed and put on to social media. \"It's very true to life,\" says Toure. \"If you know the suburbs, you know you have the same gangs, the same fights - every French teenager can relate to it. \"Even when I read the script, there were similarities to my life. I've been followed in stores by shop security guards who are told to do it just because I am black. \"My own teacher told", "summary": "The director and lead actress of a film about female teenagers that has been an award-winning hit across the Channel say they hope it will pave the way for more French films about young black women."}
{"article": "M&S ended 4.4% higher after like-for-like general merchandising sales rose 0.7% in the three months to March 30. Bottling company Coca Cola HBC topped the risers, closing up 4.6%. The benchmark FTSE 100 closed up almost 24 points, or 0.35%, at 6,833.46. M&S saw overall sales rise by 1.9% over the quarter, with like-for-like food sales also up 0.7%. Online sales jumped nearly 14%, returning M&S.com to growth. The biggest blue-chip faller was BHP Biliton, shedding 2.6%, while fellow miners Antofagasta and Anglo American also slipped 2.1% and 1.9% respectively. Outside the main index, drug company BTG finished up 4.8% after raising its annual revenue forecast, while Telecom Plus was the top riser on the FTSE 250, adding 4.9%. Electrocomponents shed almost 3.6%, leaving it as the biggest faller on the 250. On the currency markets, the pound was down slightly against the dollar at $1.4844, while against the euro, it was down almost 1% at \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.3655.", "summary": "(Close): Marks & Spencer was among the biggest risers on the FTSE 100 on the last day of trading before the Easter break after the retailer announced a rise in non-food sales for the first time in almost four years."}
{"article": "On market days, stalls cover the square of my local town in front of the old abbey and the car parks are full. Wander through the tight streets and it's hard to see that anything is different - it looks and feels the same as it always has - but a silent revolution is under way. Since 2010, national spending on local government has halved and all of our communities are having to make do with less. In Selby, the police cells and magistrates court have been closed, CCTV and bus services have been cut back, street wardens have been axed and many of the street lights turn off at midnight. And a voluntary army is at work. On the outskirts of the town, Terry Heselton manages a team of volunteers who run Barlby library - which would have closed without their efforts. \"Most people would prefer it if the council could carry on providing the library service, but in the real world that's simply not going to happen,\" he says. Nationally, the number of library volunteers has almost doubled since 2010. It is a new model of civic provision and it brings savings, but Terry says he had doubts. \"Your initial reaction as a group of volunteers is 'we're taking people's jobs, aren't we?' And I'm sure there are some people who still think that, but at the end of the day, I think we now know year-on-year, there's increasing cuts. We're never going to go back to running things the way they used to be.\" North Yorkshire County Council funds many of the services in Selby, but its spending power is shrinking by a third. The council has already saved \u00a3116m and it says it has done what it can to protect frontline services, with 60% of the savings found in the back office and more than 100 managers leaving. Gary Fielding has to make the figures work. He says the first cuts were genuine efficiency improvements, but it's got harder. \"You go for the low-hanging fruit, you then grasp for the medium-height fruit and we're now getting the stepladders out and really climbing up that tree,\" he says. \"We will always provide essential services to the most vulnerable, but change has got to happen - even on frontline services.\" Eighty-year-old Jean Collins volunteers in the Age UK Selby District offices in the town centre. The council used to pay for workers at the charity to visit isolated elderly people in their homes as part of a befriending scheme, but funding has now been redistributed to other Age UK organisations in Yorkshire and other befriending services in the town. The charity can now only afford to pay for a phone line in the office. One person affected by the changes is 87-year-old Betty McIntyre, who lives on her own in the village of Brayton, just outside Selby. She had a fall last year and has been confined to a chair in her living room for seven months. In one recent call, she told Jean: \"I've been crying my eyes out", "summary": "Selby is a tidy market town sitting in the flat, open countryside south of York."}
{"article": "The 36-year-old, who rejected a new contract with Partick Thistle, has signed a two-year deal. He takes over coaching duties from Neil Alexander, who has joined Aberdeen. Head coach Robbie Neilson said: \"He'll primarily be a coach, but he'll be registered as a player too and I know he'll be ready if called upon.\" Alexander, two years older than Gallacher, had been Hearts' first choice last season but was released this summer. Jack Hamilton was given his chance at the end of the season, but Neilson is likely to look for another goalkeeper to challenge the 22-year-old. Gallacher, who joined Thistle from Ross County in 2013 but only made one appearance for Hearts' Scottish Premiership rivals last season, will also challenge for a place. \"He's a vastly experienced goalkeeper and is a good goalkeeper coach too, having spent time in that role at Partick Thistle,\" said Neilson of the former Norwich City, Dunfermline Athletic and St Mirren man on Hearts' website. \"I'm sure Jack and the other goalkeepers at the club will benefit greatly from Paul's knowledge.\" Meanwhile, defender Faycal Rherras has admitted that he has joined Hearts in the hope it is a stepping stone to English football. The Belgian-born Moroccan 23-year-old signed a three-year contract this week after leaving Sint-Truiden. \"My dream is to play in England and I know that in Scotland the league is similar in physicality and the style of football that is played in England,\" he said. \"This move is a chance for me to do well and adapt to those characteristics.\"", "summary": "Goalkeeper Paul Gallacher has joined Hearts as a player-coach, but the Tynecastle club are continuing their search for another shot-stopper."}
{"article": "Police Scotland said it was informed about the find at 15:40 on Sunday. The beach esplanade was expected to be closed \"for some time\" as a public safety precaution. The road has been shut from the roundabout with the Beach Ballroom, the junction with Park Road and the junction with King Street.", "summary": "Roads have been closed around Aberdeen beach following the discovery of an ordnance device."}
{"article": "For a man supposedly worth millions, you would not know it by his boots. When the BBC interviewed Col Gaddafi in March, I was expecting the meeting to take place at a secret desert pavilion. Instead it was a seaside restaurant in central Tripoli. His eyes were hidden behind gold Cartier sunglasses. His flowing brown robes gave off the light scent of sandalwood. \"I don't like money,\" he said. \"I have a tent\". One look at his black cowboy boots and you would think he was telling the truth. The soles were cracked and pitted, the heels worn. Last week, when I walked around his Bab al-Aziziya compound on the day it fell, I saw where the money had gone. He had a tent like no other tent in the world. But by the end of the day it was just ashes. The next image shows the last big demonstration in the Tripoli area of Tajoura before the authorities cracked down with pre-dawn raids and mass arrests. It was just after prayers one Friday in March. I went back the following week when the BBC team broke away from their government minders at the Rixos Hotel. There was no demonstration. The anti-Gaddafi graffiti had been painted over and the local imam told us many young people had been taken away during the night. Soon after we turned up, government heavies arrived in minivans to take us away. This was the last time journalists were able to move easily around the capital before it fell five months later. The next audience with Col Gaddafi was on 2 March, the anniversary of the \"establishment of the people's authority\". This is when Col Gaddafi says he handed over all power to the people, so he could not technically stand down. The crowd was delighted, the rest of us bemused because he arrived in a brand new golf buggy, its front seat draped with a white sheepskin rug. He talked for three hours. Occasionally he allowed some chants and cheers, and then tapped his microphone, at which the crowd promptly shut up. The last time I saw Col Gaddafi, he was driving his buggy towards a lamp post. But his security team cleared a path and he drove off with two secret service types clinging to the back. This was one of the government soldiers who had taken back the town of Zawiya, near Tripoli, from the rebels. The fighting was brutal as was the treatment of those arrested by the authorities. Some BBC colleagues were detained for 24 hours and subjected to mock executions. When journalists did get in, it was by media bus under strict supervision of the authorities, but the green-and-white bunting could not hide the scale of the destruction. The makeshift cemetery in the town square, where the rebels had buried their fallen fighters, had been bulldozed. The rebels winning it back proved to be a turning point in the war. The man below was typical of the rebel fighters on the eastern front outside Ajdabiya in April. They were mostly disorganised", "summary": "BBC's Middle East Bureau Editor Paul Danahar reflects on six months of covering the Libyan uprising from both sides of the conflict, using pictures of some of his more memorable moments."}
{"article": "Mohammed Sidique Khan, Shehzad Tanweer and Hasib Hussain, along with a fourth man Germaine Lindsay, detonated bombs in London killing 52 people in 2005. Qari Asim, of the Leeds Makkah Mosque, said their families were still in \"this sense of shock and disbelief\". He said an event retracing their steps would take place over the weekend. Mr Asim, whose mosque is in the Hyde Park area of Leeds, said: \"Ten years on and the Muslim community, and the wider community, we are all still looking for answers, we are all still trying to find out what are the factors and what is the evidence that leads to radicalisation. \"The families of those three men who came from Leeds and blew themselves up in London, they are still looking for answers because to them they would never have imagined that their young men would do something like that and they're still going through this sense of shock and disbelief.\" He said the three were described as \"ordinary young men, they were gentlemen, they were good to talk to, they were very friendly people effectively\", he said. \"How can three young men, living their ordinary lives, become so radicalised? Can be so motivated that they can take their own lives but also take the lives of others?\" This weekend a group of young people from different faiths are to travel from Leeds to London retracing the steps of the three bombers. The Leeds Peace Ambassadors will undertake a \"peace journey\" to mark the 10th anniversary of the bombings, hoping to inspire unity among different faiths. Fifty-two people died and hundreds were injured when bombs exploded on three Tubes and a bus. Thirteen victims were killed on the bus at Tavistock Square, 26 died in a bombing at Russell Square on the Piccadilly line; six died in an explosion at Edgware Road on the Circle Line; and seven died at Aldgate on the Circle Line.", "summary": "The families of three 7 July suicide bombers are still looking for answers 10 years on, an imam from their home city of Leeds has said."}
{"article": "Seema Malhotra formally complained to Commons Speaker John Bercow, saying the \"privacy, security and confidentiality\" of her MP's office had been violated. She also said her staff had felt \"harassed, intimidated and insecure\". A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said an aide had been checking when the office would be vacated, and denied intimidation. Ms Malhotra resigned as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury last month in protest at Mr Corbyn's leadership and is now backing leadership challenger Owen Smith. In a statement, Ms Malhotra said staff working for Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell had gained \"unauthorised entry into my office in parliament\". The MP for Feltham and Heston described several incidents when people from the leader's office used digital keys to open the office door. \"The implications of this are extremely serious,\" she said. \"This is a breach of parliamentary privilege and is a violation of the privacy, security and confidentiality of a member of parliament's office. \"Furthermore, my staff, including an intern, who have always been courteous and open, have felt harassed, intimidated and insecure and decided themselves it would be best to not leave anyone alone in the office.\" She has complained to Mr Bercow and to Mr Corbyn and called for a formal investigation. A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said accusations Karie Murphy - the Labour leader's office manager - had intimidated anyone were \"untrue\". He said Ms Murphy had been checking to see if the office had been vacated by Ms Malhotra following her resignation. \"As an office manager on the leader of the opposition's floor, Karie has a key to open all offices. She accessed the office in question to confirm when it would be vacated. \"It is a month since Seema Malhotra resigned as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, and the office is intended for the person holding that position.\" BBC political correspondent Carol Walker said the incident was \"another extraordinary twist in Labour's increasingly bitter internal battle\". The complaint comes after more than 40 female Labour MPs wrote to Mr Corbyn saying he had failed to do enough to prevent \"disgusting\" threats against members. The group of female MPs - including former shadow ministers Heidi Alexander, Paula Sherriff and Kerry McCarthy - say intimidation has been carried out in Mr Corbyn's name. Speaking on Saturday, Mr Corbyn condemned abuse among members, saying \"it has no place in our party\". He said: \"I don't do personal abuse, I don't respond to personal abuse, I condemn any abuse from others.\" Meanwhile, leadership rival Mr Smith said his wife, Liz, had been a victim of online abuse and claimed there was now a level of abuse, anti-Semitism and misogyny in Labour that was not there before Mr Corbyn became leader. \"My wife stood recently for a community councillor position in the village where we live in South Wales and was subject to a torrent of online abuse. It's a community council position.\" He added: \"I think it's just absolutely unacceptable.\" Mr Corbyn is facing a challenge from the former shadow work and pensions secretary, after", "summary": "A former Labour shadow cabinet minister has accused an aide to leader Jeremy Corbyn of entering her parliamentary office without permission."}
{"article": "Leeds, playing under head coach Thomas Christiansen for the first time, went ahead through Phillips' smart finish. Last season's top scorer Chris Wood then headed in for 2-0, only for Bolton forward Gary Madine to nod home. But Phillips' tap-in quickly restored Leeds' two-goal lead, and they held on despite Adam Le Fondre's penalty. The former Reading front man smashed his spot-kick down the middle, with Conor Shaughnessy having fouled Madine almost immediately after coming on. But the headlines belonged to 21-year-old Phillips, who doubled his career tally for Leeds during the first half to put the visitors in control. New Zealand forward Wood, who scored 30 goals last season as Leeds narrowly missed out on the play-offs, also opened his account with a clinical header in off the underside of the bar. But there will be some concern over the fitness of defenders Gaetano Berardi and Matthew Pennington, who were both forced off injured prior to half-time. Bolton, promoted from League One in May, were direct throughout but struggled to create anything clear-cut from open play - and also lost midfielder Josh Vela through injury at the end of the game.", "summary": "Kalvin Phillips scored twice as Leeds United opened their 2017-18 Championship campaign with victory at Bolton Wanderers."}
{"article": "The 31-year old joins from Gloucester City and reunites with boss Graham Westley for a third time. Reid scored 66 goals in 112 appearances for the Exiles between 2008 and 2011, helping them win the 2010 Conference South title, before Westley paid \u00a3100,000 to take him to Stevenage. Newport have also re-signed former club captain David Pipe. Defenders Mark O'Brien and Sid Nelson have also arrived at Rodney Parade. \"I am delighted to confirm I have signed a contract back at Newport County, the club I enjoyed so much success with,\" Reid wrote on Facebook.", "summary": "Newport County have re-signed striker Craig Reid, the fourth signing made by the Exiles in 24 hours."}
{"article": "Earlier the Saudi foreign ministry said it had turned down the non-permanent seat, accusing the world body of \"double standards\". The ministry said the UN needs to be reformed first. It said the Security Council had failed in its duties towards Syria as well as in other world conflicts. Mr Ban refused to say whether he would be speaking to the Saudi king about the matter. \"I understand that some member states, particularly some concerned group of member states, are discussing [this] among themselves,\" Mr Ban said. The reaction among diplomats to this unprecedented decision has been one of shock and confusion, the BBC's Nada Tawfik reports from the UN. France's UN ambassador Gerard Araud said: \"We think that Saudi Arabia would have brought a very positive contribution to the Security Council, but we do also understand the frustration of Saudi Arabia.\" \"The fact is that the Security Council has been unable to act now for more than two years,\" Mr Araud said, according to AFP. However, Russia's foreign ministry called the move bewildering, and said Saudi Arabia's criticism of the UN Security Council about its actions over Syria \"is particularly strange\". By Bridget KendallDiplomatic correspondent, BBC News Usually there is fierce competition to secure one of the 10 rotating seats on the UN Security Council - a chance to sit alongside the five permanent members for two years on the top UN body which rules on international security issues. Instead Saudi Arabia has used the coveted position to lodge a very public protest. This is the second protest from Saudi Arabia. Earlier this month the Saudi foreign minister pulled out of giving a speech at the UN General Assembly, expressing similar frustration. It is a dramatic gesture, but whether it makes immediate reform of the Security Council more likely, as the Saudis demand, is probably questionable. Saudi Arabia has previously expressed frustration at what it sees as an international failure to act on Syria, where it staunchly backs the rebels. The announcement came hours after Saudi Arabia was elected for the first time to one of the 10 rotating seats on the Security Council. The non-permanent members sit on the council for two years, along with the five permanent members - the US, the UK, France, China and Russia. As well as accusing the council of \"double-standards\" and demanding reform, the Saudi foreign ministry pointed to its failure \"to find a solution to the Palestinian cause for 65 years\", which had led to \"numerous wars that have threatened world peace\". It also criticised the UN's \"failure\" to rid the Middle East region of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. And it accused the UN of allowing the Syrian government \"to kill its own people with chemical weapons... without confronting it or imposing any deterrent sanctions\". The UN Security Council last month finally broke a two-and-a-half year deadlock on how to deal with conflict in Syria after voting unanimously to adopt a binding resolution on ridding the country of chemical weapons. Saudi observers say Riyadh would have been working for years", "summary": "UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he has received no notification from Saudi Arabia that it will turn down a seat on the UN Security Council."}
{"article": "", "summary": "Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, has had a makeover over the last decade, as this gallery from the BBC's Ayo Bello shows:"}
{"article": "Police made the discovery when a van was stopped on the Hillsborough Road in Hillsborough on Friday. The man, 34, is due to appear before Lisburn Magistrates' Court on Monday. Police said the cocaine was \"destined for distribution and sale\" on the streets of Northern Ireland. \"We are delighted to have removed it from circulation,\" said Det Insp Alan Pyper. \"The Police Service of Northern Ireland is continually working to identify those involved in the supply of drugs and put an end to their deadly trade.\"", "summary": "A man has been charged with possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply after cocaine worth an estimated \u00a3100,000 was seized by police in County Down."}
{"article": "Joanne Lees said she believed his missing body could still be found. The 43-year-old returned to the Outback as part of a TV special, revisiting the place where the 28-year-old was shot. Bradley Murdoch was convicted in 2005 of murdering Mr Falconio and assaulting Ms Lees, then 27, on a remote stretch of highway on July 14 2001. The murder took place near Barrow Creek, about 200 miles north of Alice Springs. The couple, from Huddersfield, were travelling when Murdoch waved down their camper van and shot Mr Falconio in the head. Ms Lees was threatened with a gun, punched in the head and bound with cable-tie restraints before she managed to escape, hiding in bushes for hours while her attacker stalked her with a dog. Murdoch is believed to have hidden Mr Falconio's body, which has never been found, despite extensive searches. Ms Lees said she had \"no choice\" but to run from Murdoch because \"it was either run or be raped and killed\". In adverts for the special edition of 60 Minutes, she says: \"Pete's still missing. I know that he's somewhere here.\" Asked if she is \"stepping inside\" her attacker's mind, she says: \"I guess it is a very alien thing for me to do because I'm not a violent person. \"I'm not a murderer but if that's what I have to do and that's how I'm gong to find Pete then that's what I'm prepared to do.\" She adds: \"It's because I love Pete so much and I want to bring him home and I need to bring him home.\" Northern Territory Police renewed its appeal to help find his remains last year. The interview will be aired on Channel Nine in Australia at 21:40 GMT on Sunday.", "summary": "The girlfriend of murdered British backpacker Peter Falconio has gone back to Australia 15 years after his death to \"bring him home\"."}
{"article": "Iwan Lewis, 36, of Penygroes, Gwynedd, was a patient at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, before his death last May. Speaking at his inquest, his mother Elizabeth Lewis accused Betsi Cadwaladr health board of not listening to her concerns. The trust said it would give the family a written apology. Coroner Nicola Jones recorded a narrative verdict, saying it was impossible to say for certain whether Mr Lewis' death was an accident or suicide. The inquest in Caernarfon previously heard that Mr Lewis, a paranoid schizophrenic, had been sectioned at the hospital's Hergest unit for an alleged assault on his mother, who cared for him. He was later moved to the Cynan ward, where the day before his death he was refused extra medication for feeling agitated. A police officer also visited the ward a few days earlier to speak to Mr Lewis about his bail arrangements, a visit which consultant psychiatrist Dr Olufemi Adebajo told the inquest he was \"extremely unhappy\" about. After the hearing, North Wales Police said the officer had acted \"perfectly reasonably\". Supt Nigel Harrison confirmed Mr Lewis had previous contact with the police and an officer did visit him in hospital to undertake a \"legal requirement\" and \"having sought permission to do so\". He said: \"As part of our multi agency work with our partner agencies, we regularly hold meetings with the local health board, where the now raised concerns by the consultant will be discussed. \"The coroner made it clear that the officer acted perfectly reasonably and we are satisfied that our officers acted entirely appropriately throughout.\" Speaking at the inquest on Friday, the trust's clinical director of mental health, Dr Sandeep Matthews, said they \"could have engaged more with Mrs Lewis, and taken her views on board\". Questioned by the coroner, he agreed that \"on the balance of probability\" the trust had breached their duty of care to Mr Lewis. As well as an apology to the family, the trust said it was making several improvements which included better co-operation with the police, better communication with the families of patients and improvements in documentation.", "summary": "A senior health board official has admitted a breach in the duty of care to a mentally ill patient whose body was found in the Menai Strait."}
{"article": "The picture of Men Drinking in a Pub appears to have another work on the reverse, partly covered by wall paint. The piece was found during renovation of the artist's previous home in Whitworth Terrace, Spennymoor, by new owners Joe and Deborah Smith. Auctioneer and art expert John Anderson said it was \"a piece of salvage that may yield a masterpiece\". \"Most artists, if suddenly touched by the muse will grab whatever is available to work out the inspiration,\" he said. The artist, who died last year, started working in the mines when he was 14 and became famous for his paintings of everyday life in the industrial North East after attending the Pitman's Academy. \"In this case, presumably, he looked at it and thought 'there's a painting I'm not satisfied with',\" said Mr Anderson. \"Rather than going to the shop when he was panelling the bathroom cupboard, this was a cheap and convenient expedient.\" Mrs Smith, whose father was Cornish's cousin, said the panel was not signed but \"it is definitely a Cornish because his son-in-law Michael has authenticated it and has written a letter of authentication\". The painting is to be auctioned by Anderson and Garland in September. An early self-portrait of the artist with a hidden portrait of his wife on the other side was sold by the auctioneers for \u00c2\u00a313,500 in January.", "summary": "A painting by \"Pitman painter\" Norman Cornish has been discovered being used as a bath panel in his former home."}
{"article": "The group, who have sold 70 million records, said Mr Corbyn had inspired young people and offered a \"believable\" alternative to business as usual. Mr Corbyn has been backed by several stars, such as actor Daniel Radcliffe. But best-selling Harry Potter author JK Rowling has called him a lousy leader. Mr Corbyn is being challenged for the leadership by Owen Smith. The result of the election will be announced on 24 September. The Labour leader, who has said he wants the arts to be a priority for the next Labour government, has received a number of celebrity endorsements in recent weeks. Birmingham-based UB40, named after the then government's unemployment benefit form, were one of the most successful British groups of the 1980s and 1990s, notching up 50 hit singles - among them the chart toppers Red Red Wine, Can't Help Falling in Love and I Got You Babe. Although three members of the original line-up have left in recent years, sparking a legal dispute over the use of the band's name, the remaining members led by guitarist and vocalist Robin Campbell have endorsed Mr Corbyn. \"Jeremy has re-ignited an interest in politics for people who no longer felt included, and engaged and inspired a new generation of young voters who, for the first time, believe that they have an incorruptible politician who truly represents them,\" Mr Campbell said. Drummer Jimmy Brown said Mr Corbyn was the only frontline politician \"willing to speak up for working people who have been badly treated by successive governments, including New Labour, in recent decades\". Mr Corbyn, who is opposed by the majority of his MPs and lost a vote of no confidence after the EU referendum, welcomed the band's backing ahead of a planned joint appearance on Tuesday. \"UB40's story was and remains inspiring; people from across cultures and backgrounds coming together and combining their talents - in a time when prejudice was more prevalent - and creativity to produce music that has endured across decades,\" he said. As part of his arts manifesto released last month, Mr Corbyn pledged that all primary schools in England would get extra cash to fund arts activities and a single national scheme for arts scholarships would be set up. The Labour leader told the Guardian on Monday he would be happy to meet JK Rowling to discuss their differences after she said he was taking the party in the wrong decision. Her suggestion that Mr Corbyn risked destroying Labour and that the poorest in society need an \"electable\" alternative to the Conservatives not \"mouthy, impotent socialism\" provoked an angry response from Corbyn backers on social media.", "summary": "British reggae band UB40 have praised Jeremy Corbyn as an \"incorruptible politician\" who will put working people first as they backed his campaign to remain as Labour leader."}
{"article": "Gordon Underwood, 39, was fined \u00c2\u00a3300 after admitting the charge, and one of obstructing three of his colleagues, at Hull Magistrates' Court on 23 March. Underwood worked as a licensing officer at Humberside Police. He was dismissed at a disciplinary hearing for discreditable conduct. More on this and other Hull stories The hearing, chaired by temporary Chief Constable Garry Forsyth, found Underwood's behaviour \"fell far short of the standards of a police officer\". Underwood did not attend the proceedings but accepted the charge. The tribunal heard Underwood had served as an officer for 15 years and was of \"previous good character\". The incident that led to his conviction took place in Hull city centre on 15 February. Ch Supt Judi Heaton, head of the force's professional standards branch, said: \"The public can be reassured that the vast majority of our workforce are hard-working, dedicated and committed professionals and it is important that those who let down the force are held to account and are not able to damage its good reputation.\"", "summary": "A police officer who was responsible for the safety of pubs and clubs in Hull has been sacked after being convicted for being drunk and disorderly."}
{"article": "A \"concrete plan\" was in place for the operation over the eastern city of Deir al-Zour, said Jan Egeland, who chairs a humanitarian taskforce. Convoys of UN trucks on Wednesday began delivering much-needed aid to 80,000 people in five other besieged areas. The UN says 200,000 residents remain besieged in parts of Deir al-Zour. \"It's a complicated operation and would be in many ways the first of its kind,\" Egeland said of the air drops. The UN will work with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and other local groups to drop aid by parachute for distribution, World Food Programme spokeswoman Bettina Luescher said. She did not specify when the air drops would begin but said a single aircraft would be used initially. The World Food Programme had previously ruled out humanitarian air drops in Syria due to the complexities of obtaining use of airspace, organising distribution on the ground, and finding suitable drop zones. The UK government also said air drops were \"high risk and should only be considered as a last resort when all other means have failed\". But Egeland said the strategy was the only way to feed people in Deir al-Zour. \"It is either air drops or nothing. Air drops are a desperate measure in desperate times,\" he told Reuters. Speaking after a meeting of the 17-member International Syria Support Group (ISSG), he also said that UN aid was expected to reach all of Syria's 18 besieged areas within a week. The UN believes more than 480,000 Syrians are living in besieged areas, with four million more people in so-called \"hard-to-reach\" areas. All parties to the conflict are believed to have used siege warfare - where military forces surround an area and cut off essential supplies - in breach of international law. On Wednesday, aid trucks reached rebel-held Muadhamiya and Madaya, near Damascus, and pro-government northern villages of Foah and Kefraya. Another town, Zabadani, was reached later. The supplies, which included some medical supplies, are expected to last for about a month. The deliveries were part of an agreement approved by the ISSG that world powers hope will lead to a \"cessation of hostilities\" by Friday. The agreement does not apply to the fight against IS or al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate, and offensives by Syrian government forces and Kurdish militia fighters on rebel-held areas of the northern province of Aleppo have dimmed hopes of a truce. A new report from humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says 1.9 million people are under siege in Syria. It said data from hospitals and clinics it supports recorded 154,647 war-injured people and 7,009 war dead in 2015, 30 to 40 percent of whom were women and children. The data, MSF said, showed \"civilians and civilian areas continued to be devastated\" by the conflict. A strike on an MSF-supported hospital in Idlib province on Monday killed 25 people, the group says. \"Permanent members of the UN Security Council, four of whom are actively involved in the war in Syria, must answer for their failure to uphold their most basic responsibilities", "summary": "The UN is planning to air drop food and other aid to a Syrian city besieged by the so-called Islamic State (IS), officials have said."}
{"article": "Jake Morrison triumphed over Lord Storey in Wavertree as the Liberal Democrats - who held power only two years ago - took heavy losses. Another high profile Lib Dem casualty was former education spokesman Paul Clein, who said his defeat was not \"a reflection on local candidates\". Labour took 12 of the 14 Lib Dem seats being contested. Mr Morrison, a healthcare assistant at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, said: \"It's absolutely fantastic - I'm over the moon. \"Obviously I hope to follow in some of Mike's (Lord Storey's) footsteps. He's been a councillor for over 38 years and is respected by residents in Liverpool and I wish him well.\" Local Lib Dem leader Flo Clucas said the party had suffered at the hands of a national \"hate campaign\" against Nick Clegg. \"We had an extremely good reception on the doorstep,\" said Mrs Clucas. \"There was no animosity against those candidates who were standing. \"But as soon as you mentioned the words Lib Dem the words that came back were: 'We all know what Nick Clegg has done. He has jumped into bed with the Tories'.\" Mrs Clucas said the national Labour Party had run a negative campaign which she thought was \"very bad for politics indeed\". Lib Dem councillor Richard Kemp, who represents Church ward, said his party would come back from the brink. \"I thought we would have done badly, but not this badly,\" he said. \"We have lost some really good people but it's by no means the end of the Lib Dems in Liverpool.\" Labour council leader Joe Anderson said: \"Liverpool has suffered the worst cuts of any city or town in the country. \"They are hurting but not working. It's no wonder the Lib Dems suffered their biggest defeat in 50 years.\" Former Lib Dem leader Warren Bradley had to stand down as the party's leader last month, after an email he had written predicting big losses in the city was leaked. Labour swept to power in Warrington Council taking six seats from the Lib Dems. The council previously had no single party in control but Labour now has a majority with 34 out of 57 seats. Labour became the largest party on Sefton council - after it gained five seats and the Lib Dems lost five - although the authority remains in no overall control. Labour also became the largest single party on the hung Wirral Council with the five seats they took from the Lib Dems, leaving the party with 29 seats to the Tories' 27. The Lib Dem leader Simon Holbrooke was one of the party's casualties. Labour retained control of Halton Council, gaining seven seats, and kept hold of Knowsley, where the party took three seats from the Liberal Democrats, two from the Conservatives and two from other representatives. Labour also strengthened its grip on St Helens where it gained seven seats. The party now holds 35 of the council's 48 seats.", "summary": "A former leader of Liverpool City Council has lost his seat to an 18-year-old Labour candidate."}
{"article": "It also says professions like politics and the law continue to be dominated by privately educated Oxbridge graduates. The Trust said a child's chances of reaching the top still came down to their schooling and contacts. The government said the state sector was increasingly matching the private sector in terms of academic attainment. Researchers for the Trust, which campaigns for greater social mobility, looked at the educational backgrounds of more than 1,200 people, working in high positions in medicine, the law, the military, journalism, politics, the civil service, business, film and pop music. They also looked at Nobel Prize-winners. The report - Leading People 2016 - found that more than two in five (42%) of British Bafta winners went to a private school, compared with around a fifth (19%) of those who have been awarded a Brit music award. Also, two-thirds (67%) of British Oscar winners were privately educated, among them Eddie Redmayne, who went to Eton, and Kate Winslet, who studied at Redroofs Theatre School. The Sutton Trust suggested the successful state-funded BRIT school in Croydon, which counts Adele and Jessie J among its former pupils, may be one reason why the proportion of state-educated top music stars is higher. The research found that three-quarters (74%) of the UK's top judges went to a fee-paying school, and nearly eight in 10 (78%) went on to Oxford or Cambridge University. Among top military personnel, some seven in 10 (71%) were educated in the private sector, although just 14% were Oxbridge educated. Slightly more than half of leading print journalists and solicitors (51% each) attended fee-paying schools. Just over half (54%) of these journalists attended Oxford or Cambridge, along with 55% of solicitors and 51% of the senior civil servants included in the study. In politics, half the Cabinet were privately educated (including old Etonian Prime Minister David Cameron) compared with 13% of the shadow cabinet, and around a third (32%) of MPs. The current Cabinet does have fewer former independent school pupils than the coalition cabinet of 2010, the report notes, but slightly more than Tony Blair's post-election Cabinet in 2005. Just under half (47%) of the current cabinet are Oxbridge graduates, along with 32% of the shadow cabinet. The trust said that of the country's top doctors, 61% were educated at independent schools, nearly one-quarter at grammar schools (22%) and the remainder (16%) at comprehensives. The private school sector educates 7% of the population. \"The top of many of the UK's most prestigious professions remain disproportionately constituted by those with elite educational and socio-economic backgrounds,\" the study says. Sutton Trust research fellow Dr Philip Kirby, who wrote the report, said: \"Young people from more advantaged backgrounds often have broader professional social networks, which can be used to access certain jobs, as well as parents who might be more able to support them through unpaid internships, which are increasingly important for career development.\" Chairman of the Sutton Trust Sir Peter Lampl said: \"Our research shows that your chances of reaching the top in so many areas of British life are very much", "summary": "Leading British actors are more than twice as likely as stars in the music industry to have attended fee-paying schools, the Sutton Trust says."}
{"article": "Many larger firms offer to \"match\" additional pension saving by their employees, by adding a contribution when workers save more. But insurer Royal London said that many workers were unaware of the option, and failed to take advantage. This could make a difference of hundreds of pounds in retirement income, it said. Despite having to make a number of assumptions in calculations, Royal London has estimated that an estimated \u00a32bn of employer pension contributions would be available if workers took up the option of saving to a maximum rather than minimum level. It estimated that 3.2 million workers could receive an extra \u00a3650 per year each. That would mean somebody on average earnings who chose to take up an additional 3% matched contribution to their pension pot would receive a retirement income of \u00a322,500 rather than \u00a319,050, thanks to the extra contribution and tax relief. The Nationwide Building Society has changed its default level to a maximum, rather than a minimum contribution. Steve Webb, a former pensions minister and now director of policy and Royal London, said more could be done to make workers at other businesses aware that their employer might add to their pension if they were willing to contribute at a higher level. \"At a time when money is tight for many people and pay rises may be limited, getting your employer to contribute more to your pension can be a very cost-effective strategy,\" he said. \"When individuals are thinking about where to put their money to get the best return, the chance to more than double your money through an employer contribution and tax relief from the government takes a lot of beating.\" Graham Vidler, director of external affairs at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, said; \"If your employer offers a workplace pension, you should certainly consider joining and putting in as much as possible as if you don't you will miss out on free money in the form of employer contributions as well as the tax relief. \"This research highlights how much UK employees could be missing out on each year. It is also vitally important that people start saving into a pension as soon as possible as the longer you save, the bigger your final pot is likely to be and the more you can benefit from your employers 'matching' contributions.\"", "summary": "Workers are missing out on pension top-ups from their employers by only saving at a minimum level, research suggests."}
{"article": "Mr Corbyn has not visited Wales during the campaign, and a planned visit for Friday was cancelled on Thursday night. Mr Jones said the visit was \"not possible\" after the suspension of former London Mayor Ken Livingstone. He also told BBC Wales the response to Mr Corbyn on the doorsteps in Wales was \"mixed\". Mr Livingstone has been suspended from Labour for his comments saying Adolf Hitler had supported Zionism. Mr Jones has called for the former mayor to be expelled from the party altogether. The Welsh Labour leader said: \"It was planned he was going to come. We all saw what happened yesterday with Ken Livingstone, he is dealing with that in London, so it's just not possible.\" The decision not to proceed with the visit took place after \"discussions between the two offices\", Mr Jones said, adding that \"given all the publicity yesterday it would detract from our campaign today\". Asked if Mr Corbyn would be in Wales before voters go to the polls next week, Mr Jones said: \"Probably not, because there isn't much time and parliament is sitting next week. \"If it's possible, great, but I don't think it's going to be possible between now and Thursday.\" Asked how voters were responding to Mr Corbyn on the doorstep, Mr Jones said: \"I think if I'm honest with you, it's mixed. \"Yes, there are some people who are saying to me, well, I'm not sure about Jeremy Corbyn. There are others who take the opposite view. \"What we're finding is that fewer and fewer people are mentioning him on the doorstep and more and more people are saying David Cameron and the Tories, they're divided on everything.\" On Friday, a source close to Labour's UK leader said: \"Jeremy Corbyn cancelled the visit due to a high level of media interest that would have affected the day's campaigning.\" A spokesman for Welsh Labour said the party was trying to reschedule a visit by Mr Corbyn before polling day on Thursday. Analysis by BBC Wales political editor Nick Servini Senior Welsh Labour figures are putting a brave face on things but behind the scenes there is barely concealed irritation at the way the headlines have been dominated by further question marks over the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. The party has been effective so far in running a Jeremy Corbyn-free campaign. The UK leader has not been to Wales of late and there has been little mention of Westminster politics by Labour candidates so far. There is a reason for this - Jeremy Corbyn plays badly on the doorstep with plenty of voters in key marginal seats. Carwyn Jones says fewer and fewer people have been mentioning him, which may be a reflection of the success Labour have had in largely keeping him out of the assembly campaign. Whether they like it or not, Labour's internal divisions at a UK level are back out in the open and it is something they are going to have to deal with as we head into the final weekend of the campaign. Commenting earlier on", "summary": "Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will \"probably not\" visit Wales before next week's assembly election, First Minister Carwyn Jones has said."}
{"article": "The slow left-armer, who had managed only six wickets in his previous 17 Tests, helped dismiss India after tea despite the home side winning the toss. Murali Vijay top-scored with 75, while leg-spinner Imran Tahir claimed 2-23. South Africa struggled to 28-2 in the 20 overs possible before the close, with opener Elgar unbeaten on 13. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, opening the bowling, trapped Stiaan van Zyl lbw for five before Faf du Plessis - also playing no shot - was bowled by Ravindra Jadeja. Nine of the 12 wickets in the day fell to spin, with Vijay - lbw attempting to sweep Simon Harmer - part of a collapse from 102-3. \"This is not a good Test pitch wicket though it's a result-oriented one,\" said Elgar. \"We sort of expected it to play like that but we didn't expect it to crumble so early. \"It was right up there with the hardest ever Test cricket I've played. Let's hope that it backfires [on India] and turns out to be a great victory for us.\" India's batting coach Sanjay Bangar responded: \"It's a very challenging wicket where run-making is not easy. \"It says 201 runs on the scoreboard but it's worth far more. But I think runs can be made on this wicket as Vijay showed. It's going to be a test of patience both for batsmen and bowlers.\" This Test is followed by matches in Bangalore, Nagpur and Delhi.", "summary": "Part-time spinner Dean Elgar took 4-22 as South Africa bowled out India for 201 in Mohali, on the opening day of the four-Test series."}
{"article": "Despite always affirming a strong bond with Scotland, she was a divisive political figure. First Minister Alex Salmond said Baroness Thatcher was \"truly formidable\". Scottish Conservative leader, Ruth Davidson, also paid tribute saying she was \"one of the truly great Prime Ministers\". Mr Salmond said the former Conservative Party Prime Minister's \"policies defined a political generation\" for many people in Scotland. \"No doubt there will now be a renewed debate about the impact of that legacy\", he continued. By Brian TaylorPolitical editor, Scotland She never quite got Scotland. However, Margaret Thatcher is not alone among Westminster leaders in that regard. For the most part, she was adored by her party in Scotland, just as in England. But, even as they worshipped, quite a few Scottish Tories fretted that her politics would prove particularly divisive north of the border and thus electorally unpopular. Read more on Brian's blog \"Today, however, the proper reaction should be respect and condolences to her family.\" Ms Davidson praised Lady Thatcher's policies, including extending the right for people to buy their council house. Ruth Davidson said: \"She defended Britain's sovereignty, helped win the cold war, empowered thousands to own their own home by democratising property ownership and smashed the glass ceiling. \"My thoughts are with her family.\" Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont said: \"I came into politics to fight the ideology and values of Margaret Thatcher which I believe damaged our country. But today is not a day to debate that. \"Today is a day to offer the deepest condolences to her family, friends and all who loved her. \"No-one can deny she made a deep mark on the history of this country.\" Under Baroness Thatcher's leadership the Conservative government implemented social and economic policies which were unpopular in Scotland, including the Community Charge or poll tax. The introduction of the poll tax, which took place in Scotland in 1989 - 12 months before the rest of the UK, led to widespread protests and a lasting animosity towards the Conservative party in Scotland. Sir Malcolm Rifkind, served as Secretary of State for Scotland in her cabinet, said many of her major achievements also continued to be reflected in public opinion. He told BBC Scotland: \"In a sense what made her so magnificent is occasionally what made her a very difficult and controversial character because she had very strong views, she put them forward uncompromisingly. \"She didn't mind being challenged, indeed she would listen with great care if she thought the person challenging her actually knew what they were talking about and she could change her mind and opinions, but only on the basis of solid evidence and solid argument. \"She would not be influenced by the fact it would be unpopular. That she despised, as well as disapproved of.\" Baroness Thatcher's economic policy was also praised by Iain McMillan, director of CBI Scotland. He said: \"It is all too easy to overlook the dreadful state that the UK economy was in at that time and the challenges that she and her government faced. \"Through sheer tenacity and immense", "summary": "Scottish politicians have paid tribute to Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first woman Prime Minister, who has died."}
{"article": "James Stark, 37, Steven Sheldon, 35, and Martin Williams, 36, all from south Wales, died in Wiltshire in June 2014. Stephen Jenkins, 39, of Abercwmboi, was driving a van that crashed into a lorry, near Chippenham. He was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving at a previous hearing at Swindon Crown Court. Speaking after sentencing, Sgt Barrie Card, from Wiltshire Police, said: \"Falling asleep at the wheel doesn't happen straight away, you will get telltale signs and that's when you must act before it's too late. \"Every driver owes it to themselves, their passengers and other road users to make sure they are fit to get behind the wheel, and that includes not being too tired. \"The road safety message 'tiredness kills' is true and sadly so true in this tragic case.\" Jenkins, of Park View Terrace, was also disqualified from driving for four years and three months and will have to take an extended retest to get his driving licence back.", "summary": "A van driver who killed three passengers in a crash on the M4 after falling asleep at the wheel has been jailed for four-and-a-half years."}
{"article": "Robson made 15 appearances for Oyonnax in the Top 14 last season after joining the French side in February 2015. The 30-year-old had previously spent his entire career at Harlequins, where he made 146 Premiership appearances. \"I'm looking forward to the challenge of trying to win promotion back to the Premiership,\" he told the London Irish website. For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "Championship club London Irish have signed Oyonnax and former Harlequins lock George Robson on a one-year deal."}
{"article": "The Space Vision app gets children to tap increasing faint black and white squares on a grey background to make aliens pop up and make a noise. Their ability to keep track of the squares can be used to screen for vision problems and developers hope it will ease the burden on the NHS. The co-founder of Vision Games, said it was an \"exciting prospect\". Luke Anderson started the company with Dr Stephanie Campbell with support from the Centre of Excellence in Mobile and Emerging Technologies at the University of South Wales. Early tests picked up vision problems, such as lazy eye, in children as young as two. Mr Anderson said: \"We're living in a time where there's increased pressure on the health service and if you can get patients monitoring their own vision at home that takes stress off hospital systems.\" The app, once publically available, would initially flag up any vision problems it identified to the user and advise them if they needed to make an appointment with a GP or optician. In the long-run, Mr Anderson said the data could be synced with family GPs so doctors could access the information to make an assessment. Mr Anderson, a consultant eye surgeon at Cwm Taf University Health Board, said the idea came from the \"extremely difficult\" experience of trying to assess children's eyesight using charts. They often struggled to get young children to sit still, so developing a game children would take an interest in helps them gather more data. Areas of vision tested include colour, motion, black on white and differentiating between shades of grey. The app is about to undergo larger clinical tests after a small initial run, but Mr Anderson said if everything went to plan, it could be downloadable within 18 months. Mr Anderson said getting children to sit still \"was still a problem,\" adding: \"But, looking at my children, the time when they're quiet is when they're sitting there on a tablet or a phone. \"So we just naturally took the science and tried to implement it on that platform. The use of technology for efficiency within the NHS is an exciting prospect.\"", "summary": "A game for tablets is being developed in Wales which parents can use to test their children's eyesight at home."}
{"article": "Why? Because of compound interest. When you save money, it earns interest. The lump sum grows from interest being added every year or every month. Interest added on top of that interest is known as \"compound interest\" - and means that the longer you save, the better off you are. So people who leave it late - like Dave in the example above - have compounded their financial problems when it comes to cashing in their savings. But it is worth remembering that pensions usually depend on the success of investments which, unlike savings, do not guarantee a set level of interest.", "summary": "Saving a small amount of money regularly from when you start work will leave you better off than saving a bigger amount in later life."}
{"article": "It blamed its own \"hubris\" for overloading the Model X with technology. It revealed that it delivered 14,820 cars in the first quarter, falling short of the expected 16,000. It comes after the firm revealed that its new Model 3 car already has 276,000 pre-orders. The carmaker said that it had delivered 12,420 Model S sedans and 2,400 Model X SUVs in the first quarter of 2016. In a statement, Tesla added that its Q1 delivery count was \"impacted by severe Model X supplier parts shortages in January and February that lasted much longer than initially expected\". It said that once \"issues were resolved\", production and delivery rates \"improved dramatically\". \"By the last full week of March, the build rate rose to 750 Model X vehicles per week, however many of these vehicles were built too late to be delivered to their owners before end of the quarter.\" It was frank about the reasons for the delay: \"The root causes of the parts shortages were: Tesla's hubris in adding far too much technology to the Model X in version one, insufficient supplier capability validation and Tesla not having broad enough capability to manufacture the parts in-house.\" Back in February, Elon Musk admitted that the car had been \"over-engineered\". The shortage involved about six out of the 8,000 parts that go into the Model X but Tesla did not specify which ones. It has raised doubts about how prepared Tesla will be to deliver its new Model 3 car which was announced to much fanfare last week. The basic model will sell for $35,000 (\u00a324,423) - less than half the cost of Tesla's previous models - and has a range of at least 215 miles per charge. The car is due to go on sale in late 2017 and customers must put down a $1,000 (\u00a3704) deposit. It can be ordered in advance to dozens of countries, including the UK, Brazil, India, China and New Zealand. Mr Musk has revealed that the company is focusing on ramping up productions and will eventually need to build a factory in Europe to satisfy demand. Stephanie Brinley, a senior analyst with research firm IHS, said that it was crucial that it gets production of the new vehicle right. \"Given its history of missed deadlines, this one needs to be met, to earn the faith of consumers and investors alike,\" she said. Last year Tesla posted a net loss of $889m (\u00a3620m) for 2015, partly because of the large sum it spent on research and development.", "summary": "Tesla Motors has revealed that supplies of its Model X electric car have been impacted by a shortage of parts meaning delays for some who have ordered them."}
{"article": "The Scots are preparing for friendly matches against Italy in Malta on Sunday and France in Metz on 4 June. \"We can definitely get to the World Cup,\" said the Cardiff keeper. \"We've got a good group of young lads coming through, so we don't see it [the Euro 2016 failure] as a last chance.\" Gordon Strachan's men begin their World Cup qualifying campaign against Malta in September. Their qualifying group also contains England, Slovakia, Slovenia and Lithuania. Marshall concedes it will be tougher to qualify for the World Cup than the Euros, but believes good showings in the upcoming friendlies can set them up for a successful campaign. \"It's only the top two in the group that proceed so it's going to be harder,\" said the 31-year-old, who should add to his 22 caps against Italy and France. \"We're going to come up against England in the qualifiers, so the higher level you play against benefits everybody. \"For the young lads coming in and getting that experience, it's going to be big games, big atmospheres, especially the France game over there. \"The better the team you play against, the harder the game, but it definitely benefits us in the long run. \"Obviously the disappointment was there from the Euros, but I think we can take a lot of belief and confidence from a lot of the games.\" With Marshall's chief rivals for the Scotland goalkeeping jersey - Allan McGregor and Craig Gordon - absent from the squad, the former Celtic stopper feels it is a good opportunity for him to cement his place for the national side. \"I'm just looking to keep playing,\" he said. \"I've got an opportunity now to probably play most of the two games because Craig and Allan have pulled out. \"Hopefully I can get the two games, do well again and keep my place.\"", "summary": "David Marshall says Scotland's failure to make Euro 2016 was not their \"last chance\" to qualify for a major finals, insisting they can make it to the 2018 World Cup in Russia."}
{"article": "Junead Khan, 25, of Marlow Avenue in Luton, downloaded a bomb-making recipe and browsed the internet for a knife used by British militant \"Jihadi John\". He was jailed for life in May for preparing a terror act. This has now been replaced with a 20-year jail term with five years on licence. The Appeal Court heard Khan opened the bomb pack computer file \"only once\" and, although he looked for a knife, he never placed an order. Although he went close to US military bases in East Anglia, including RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, he never deviated from his planned route. \"There is no doubt about the heinous nature of the crime, which Junead Khan formed an intention to commit,\" the judge said. \"In terms of steps actually taken, he did not carry his intention far.\" He had committed a serious crime but not one that needed a life sentence, the panel of judges including Lord Justice Treacy and Mr Justice Leggatt, concluded. The judges also dismissed an appeal by Khan and his uncle Shazib Khan, 24, also of Marlow Avenue in Luton, against their sentences of seven-years jail, with five years of extended licence, for preparing terrorism offences. The pair had planned throughout 2014 and 2015 to travel to Syria to live under the so-called Islamic State regime, but failed to raise enough money for the fare and to buy all the kit their IS contacts had asked them to bring.", "summary": "A delivery driver jailed for life for plotting to kill US personnel outside an air base has had a new sentence imposed by the Appeal Court."}
{"article": "Fintan Kelly and Karl O'Connell goals helped the Farney County to a 2-10 to 0-5 half-time lead, with Ben Brosnan finding the net soon after the break. Kieran Duffy grabbed Monaghan's third goal as his side bossed the game to book a place in Monday's Round 3B draw. Wexford had three players sent-off in the second half, as well as Kelly. Kelly and Ciaran Lyng were dismissed for two yellow card offences, while Adrian Flynn was flashed a black card four minutes later, with Wexford having used their six substitutes. Substitute John Leacy was shown a straight red card moments later. Monaghan will be joined in Monday morning's qualifier draw by Tipperary, conquerors of Cavan, Carlow, who saw off Leitrim, and Armagh, who saw off Westmeath. The match pitted Wexford manager Seamus McEnaney against his native county, whom he guided to two Ulster finals in 2007 and 2010 during a six-year tenure from 2005 to 2010. In his first season in charge of Wexford, McEnaney saw his side lose to Carlow in the first round of the Leinster SFC, before edging out Limerick by a point in the first round of the qualifiers. Monaghan, who saw off Cavan in Ulster, before losing to Down, made four changes to their starting line-up prior to throw-in, with Dessie Mone, Gavin Doogan, Shane Carey and Dermot Malone replacing Vinny Corey, Darren Hughes, Kieran Duffy and Conor McCarthy. From the outset, the Ulster county appeared determined to ensure that there would be no repeat of their surprise three-point demise to Longford at the same stage of the All-Ireland series last year. Jack McCarron played a part in fashioning both first-half goals, Kelly firing a left-foot strike into the bottom corner in the seventh minute and midfielder O'Connell finding the back of the net in the 26th. A black card for Conor McManus did little to dent Monaghan's superiority as they built up an 11-point advantage at the interval. Brosnan's goal proved a mere consolation as the visitors continued to pile up the points, Duffy's well executed goal a deserved reward for their supremacy throughout. Fifteen players in total got their names on the scoresheet for the victors, Kieran Duffy top-scoring with 1-2 and McCarthy contributing four points. McCarron and Kieran Hughes weighed in with three scores apiece.", "summary": "Monaghan bounced back from their shock Ulster SFC semi-final defeat by Down with a convincing win over Wexford in Round 2B of the All-Ireland qualifiers."}
{"article": "Prof Deaton, 69, is currently professor of economics and international affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, in New Jersey. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards the prize, said that Prof Deaton's work has transformed several fields of economics. More specifically, the organisation said he had made an impact on economic theory, and on the practical application of data to investigate poverty, and devise economic policy. The headline to the statement from the academy that announced that Prof Deaton was its 2015 winner said: \"Consumption, great and small\". What does this mean? Consumption, to an economist, means spending on goods and services by individuals and households. Understanding it means looking at how consumers allocate spending between different things, how they divide their incomes between spending and saving, and how these patterns vary over time. The \"great and small\" in the academy's headline reflects Prof Deaton's analysis of consumer spending across a whole economy, and at the level of the individual and the household. One theme that runs through the academy's analysis of his work is the extensive use of data on spending taken from household surveys. Previously, economists worked much more from aggregate data for the whole economy. This focus enabled Prof Deaton to produce a theoretical approach that was more consistent with the fluctuations in consumer spending that he found. A more arcane achievement was in developing (with another economist John Muellbauer) a theory of demand for goods and services - how people allocate their spending between different products - that was motivated by problems in earlier analysis. Their system, and subsequent improvements by other researchers, \"has had an immense impact in academia as well as being greatly influential in practical policy evaluation\". Prof Deaton has been an influential figure in development economics. The academy describes him as an important driving force in the transformation of this area of economics - in moving from aggregate data to household surveys. To take one example - his research shed light on the question of whether rising incomes do lead to more calories being consumed, in other words to reducing malnutrition. His work suggests that it does - so encouraging economic growth can help tackle malnutrition. If that were not the case it would be an argument for reorienting policy towards direct food aid. In addition to the greater recognition of his work, and the further respect of his peers, Prof Deaton receives a financial price of 8m Swedish krona ($966,000; \u00c2\u00a3630,000). Born in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, Prof Deaton attended Fettes College, a private school in the city, before going on to study at Cambridge University. After teaching at Cambridge and the University of Bristol, he continued his economics career in the US. He holds both British and American citizenship. Unlike the other five annual Nobel prizes, the economics one was not established by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, although like the Physics and Chemistry prizes it is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Instead it was set up by Sweden's central", "summary": "The 2015 Nobel Prize for Economics has been awarded to Scottish-born economist Angus Deaton."}
{"article": "Oxfordshire County Council spent \u00a325m in 2014-15 on direct payments to support about 1,770 social care users. But an internal review has found \"insufficient controls in place\" to ensure money was not being misused. Payments were spent on utility bills, household repairs, food and parents paying themselves high salaries. Updates on this story and more from Oxfordshire The report added: \"The deputy director has confirmed these example items may not be relevant to meet assessed eligible need.\" The authority's website said direct payments were intended to pay for \"a variety of care and support services\". It said: \"Unless there are exceptional circumstances, you can't use the money to employ a close relative or person living in your home. \"You must not use your direct payment to pay for [...] items such as food, drinks, utilities, gifts or for other everyday items.\" A report to the authority's Audit and Governance Committee said some expenditure had not been approved \"but was not stopped nor recovered\". It added the current system \"does not adequately clarify what is or isn't acceptable\" and \"does not require evidence to support payments\". \"Finance queries had gone unanswered and also questionable expenditure not challenged,\" it said. Labour councillor and committee member John Tanner said he would be pressing for more investigation into direct payments, because they were \"wide open to abuse\". A council spokesman said investigations were continuing into the possible misuse of \"a very small proportion\" of the \u00a325m budget. He said steps would be taken to recover any misspent money and a new direct payment policy was being developed to make it clear how it should be used. Last year, David Cameron wrote to council leader Ian Hudspeth and said he was \"disappointed\" at proposed cuts to Oxfordshire frontline services. In response Mr Hudspeth said the council was trying to cope with \u00a372m in funding cuts and increased demand for its services.", "summary": "Money given to people to pay for their care was spent on items such as mobile phone bills and Apple computer equipment, a council audit has found."}
{"article": "The alcohol is flowing, the skirts short: this is the epitome of Turkey's most liberal, Westernised city - and my first stop as I travel across the country ahead of Turkey's upcoming election. \"You have pepper spray, you have tear gas\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6but we're still free\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6this country is ours,\" the fans sing. On the stage at Izmir's seafront is Duman, one of Turkey's best-loved rock bands. As they belt out tunes about the anti-government protests of 2013, the thousands-strong crowd goes wild. \"When I was studying in Poland, people there thought Turkey is a heavily Muslim country; that the women are all covered and men have four wives,\" laughs Serbay Kos, a volleyball trainer. \"But Izmir isn't like that - we're like Europe and America.\" He takes a swig of beer as the song changes. \"I'm worried that this government is trying to make Turkey into a more Muslim country, like Iraq or Syria - but we want to be free.\" It is a sentiment you hear frequently in this relaxed, coastal city - Turkey's third largest. Izmir has always looked across the Aegean to Europe; its Greek heritage and affluent bon-viveur feel shaping its politics. The centre-left Republican People's Party, or CHP, has its stronghold here - Izmir is known as the \"CHP's castle\". Staunchly secular, it is the party of modern Turkey's founding father, Kemal Ataturk. In the last election, the CHP took 44% of the vote in Izmir - more than double its national share. And it is aiming higher for the poll on 7 June. Many here fear the growing conservatism of the current government. Under the 12-year rule of the Islamist-rooted AK Party, constitutionally-secular Turkey has fundamentally changed. There is now a push to raise a \"pious generation\" - in the words of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan - and CHP-dominated Izmir appears increasingly isolated. But in the Bostanli market of Izmir, local CHP candidate Zeynep Altiok is full of confidence. We stroll through the rows of artichokes, succulent tomatoes and oranges. These are rich pickings for the customers - and for campaigning politicians, as she secures vital votes. \"Turkey is a big mosaic,\" Ms Altiok tells me, as she is handed a slice of melon by one supporter. \"There should be no extremes. Neighbours live beside each other, one wearing a headscarf, one without - that's what we must do. \"But the government labels you: you're either with them or against them. We have to break this.\" Warm words, but the CHP's history isn't exactly inclusive. For decades it embodied old-school nationalism, taking a hard line towards Turkey's minorities, especially the Kurds. And it is still seen by critics as the party of the so-called \"white Turks\", the wealthier, Westernised parts of society. But Ms Altiok insists the party has changed. \"It's now totally modern. We don't discriminate. Our approach is to bring freedom for everybody in this country.\" At the top of its agenda is the issue of women's rights. The government has constantly stressed its vision of stay-at-home mothers, urging three children per family. Last year,", "summary": "The guitar riff builds, the lyrics boom out - and Izmir's music-loving fans roar."}
{"article": "Scottish Children's Services Coalition made the call after \"disappointing\" waiting times for appointments were revealed in the region. Figures show in the Lothians 15% of children had to wait more than a year. Less than half of the 665 children referred were seen within the target of 18-weeks. Two years ago the Scottish government set a target for Mental Health services that 90% young people should be seen within 18 weeks. The figures for treatment from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) relate to the period between October and December 2016. A spokesperson for the Scottish Children's Services Coalition, a network of support groups, said: \"The figures from NHS Lothian indicating that more than half of those who started their treatment between October and December had been waiting more than the Scottish government target of 18 weeks is clearly disappointing. \"In addition, of the 101 children and young people in Scotland who had been waiting for more than a year before they started treatment, these almost all relate to NHS Lothian. \"We know that half of all diagnosable mental health problems start before the age of 14 and 75% by the age of 21. \"As such it is vitally important that an action plan is put in place for NHS Lothian, radically improving mental health services and increasing investment in these, with an overall aim of ensuring that children and young people get the help they need, when they need it. \"A target of 18-weeks is in itself still far too long. \"Families usually experience months of waiting even before a referral to CAMHS. \"The consequent delay in diagnosis and appropriate support can lead to a crisis situation for the child or young person concerned, as well as for their family, and the need for costly extra resources to address this. \"We hope that NHS Lothian takes account of these figures and takes urgent action to address this matter.\" Alex McMahon, NHS Lothian's executive director of nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals, said: \"More young people than ever before are accessing mental health services and we have seen a steady rise in the number of children and young people being referred to our services. \"Unfortunately patients are having to wait longer than we would like and we are working hard to reduce this number. \"We have invested significantly in CAMHS over the years to support the delivery of expert services for children. We are confident they will be strengthened through integration of education, social and health services. \"Our CAMHS team is working on an agreed action plan to reduce the length of time children and young people are waiting and we have approximately 200 less children and young people waiting more than 18 weeks as a result and are confident we will see further significant reductions in waiting times over the coming months.\"", "summary": "Support groups are calling for an action plan to \"radically\" improve mental health services for children and young people in the NHS Lothian area."}
{"article": "Police and the British Army's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team were called to Motorhog in Empire Way at 12:15 BST on Friday. Part of Bristol Road was closed and nearby properties were evacuated while a controlled explosion was carried out. Police have confirmed there were no explosives in the package and are now investigating.", "summary": "A suspicious package discovered at a vehicle dismantler's yard in Gloucester was \"not a bomb\", police have said."}
{"article": "Geraldine Newman, 51, daughter Shannon, 11 and son Shane, six, were found on Tuesday in Allerton Bywater. The children's father, Paul Newman, 42, from Normanton, was found dead on cliffs on Anglesey the same day. Mr Newman was charged with common assault on Mrs Newman in July 2013. He received a custodial sentence, West Yorkshire Police said. The assault case was assessed as high risk, subject to detailed review and monitored for 12 months. During that time there were no further incidents reported to it, the force said. There is also to be a full review of the current case, West Yorkshire Police said. Mrs Newman was found in the house near Leeds and had died of head injuries, a post-mortem examination showed. Her two children were stabbed to death. Police said the case was \"shocking\". They are not looking for anyone else over the deaths. Mrs Newman, a branch manager for Wilko in Castleford, was found downstairs while the two children were discovered upstairs. Stacey Swinson, a daughter of Geraldine Newman, said: \"What has happened to my family is absolutely tragic. \"I would like to thank everyone for their kind wishes and condolences. \"This is a very difficult time for us and I would ask that people respect our privacy while we continue to grieve with family and friends.\" Mr Newman was discovered on a cliff ledge at South Stack, a rocky island about 180 miles away.", "summary": "A man suspected of killing his family in West Yorkshire had been previously jailed for domestic violence."}
{"article": "George \"Johnny\" Johnson was 22 when he took part in the 1943 air raid using experimental bouncing bombs in Germany. Despite being nominated for the New Year's Honours list this year, the 95-year-old was omitted. Oliver Koehler, from the Dambusters Museum in Germany, said \"of course\" he should be honoured. Carol Vorderman has also petitioned for him to be knighted. A 237,000-signature petition calling for Mr Johnson to be knighted was taken to No 10 by Carol Vorderman and Gulf War veteran John Nichol in January. It followed a petition by campaigner Paul Walmsley, who also wanted the recognition for the former airman. Bomb-aimer Mr Johnson, from Bristol, joined the newly-formed 617 Squadron in March 1943. Two months later, he was one of the 133-strong squadron who dodged anti-aircraft fire, power cables and mountainous terrain to drop the four-tonne skipping bomb on dams in the Ruhr Valley. Codenamed Operation Chastise, eight of the 19 planes were lost, 53 men died and three were captured. Despite Mr Johnson describing it as a \"thrilling experience\", he said he was \"disgusted\" Bomber Command had never been given its own campaign medal. \"I feel there's been no attempt to recognise the sacrifice these people made,\" he said. But historian and author of Bomber Command, Max Hastings, said there was \"an embarrassment\" and \"an uncertainty\" about how the country \"should look back on the bombing\". \"I do think the reluctance to issue a campaign medal does reflect how controversial it is and the possible upset it could cause in Germany,\" he said. But Mr Koehler said Mr Johnson was \"courageous\" and had been \"ready at any time\" to \"risk his life\" and should be honoured. The Cabinet Office said it could not comment on individual applications.", "summary": "A museum in Germany is calling for the last surviving British member of the Dambusters to be honoured."}
{"article": "Heffernan finished fourth in the 50km walk at the London Games in 2012, a race won by Russia's Sergey Kirdyapkin. Kirdyapkin's competitive results from 2009 to 2012 The ruling should also see fellow Ireland walker Olive Loughnane upgraded to World Championship gold. Loughnane was pipped to 20km gold by Russian Olga Kaniskina in Berlin in 2009. Kaniskina's results, covering the period 15 August, 2009, to 15 October, 2012, have also been disqualified. \"I'm delighted to hear about this long-awaited ruling and, most importantly, that Robert and Olive will now get the medals that they deserve,\" said Professor Ciar\u00e1n \u00d3 Cath\u00e1in, President of Athletics Ireland. \"This now completes the set of European, World and Olympic medals for Robert to put him up there with one of Ireland's most successful athletes. \"Hopefully Robert can go to Rio and win a medal to get the proper experience and feeling he deserves standing on the podium.\" Australian Jared Tallent will be awarded the gold medal after coming second to Kirdyapkin in London.", "summary": "Irish walker Rob Heffernan is expected to be upgraded to Olympic bronze after The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) upheld IAAF appeals against Russian athletes relating to doping."}
{"article": "Martyn Ashton, 41, from Margam, Neath Port Talbot, had set out to raise about \u00a37,000 for rehabilitation equipment. Friends suggested he set up a crowd funding page rather than sell his Colnago C59 bike worth \u00a37,000. He described people's generosity as humbling and touching. Mr Ashton was a professional stunt cyclist, with his videos Road Bike Party and Road Bike Party 2 gaining more than 28 million views between them on YouTube. But he lost the use of his legs in an accident during a live show in 2013. He said equipment for people with disabilities could prove expensive so the money would be put to good use. \"I never, ever thought it would reach \u00a350,000,\" he said. \"I can now think long term. It's a remarkable thing.\"", "summary": "A paralysed stunt cyclist has said he can start planning his own long-term care and rehabilitation after receiving \u00a350,000 in donations since starting an appeal four days ago."}
{"article": "The black-headed gull was unable to fly off after getting trapped about 20ft (6m) from the bank of the lake in Leicestershire. Firefighters chipped him free from the icy water at Grove Park, Enderby, after being called by the RSPCA at about 16:50 GMT on Tuesday. He was taken to a vet to warm up. The gull was then taken to a nearby wildlife centre for further care before he will be released into the wild. Firefighters used a rescue sled, which is like an inflatable raft, to reach the gull. The RSPCA said in a statement: \"He was about 20ft out on the lake and was stuck fast. \"Thankfully the the fire service came out to assist our officers and using an inflatable raft managed to reach the gull and chip him free from the ice.\"", "summary": "A bird that became stuck in a lake when the water froze around its feet is recovering after being rescued by firefighters."}
{"article": "Powys council said the latest phase of work in Talgarth to help protect 19 properties was due to start in March. However, they say a single objection has delayed the process which has resulted in funding being lost. Councillor John Brunt said: \"We are extremely disappointed and are actively seeking a resolution to the objection.\"", "summary": "Work on flood protection in Powys has been stopped due to an objector to the scheme."}
{"article": "But when she was physically attacked in January, while walking in Georgetown, the South American country's capital, she decided to seek justice. \"The young man came up to me and asked if it was me who disrespected him the other night,\" she said, in reference to a previous argument with her alleged assailant. \"And he joock [stabbed] me to my neck with scissors. I fell to the ground and when he left, I ran away. Then he came back with some glass bottles and pelted me down.\" \"It happens a lot here in Guyana to transgender women,\" she added. \"We live in a very homophobic society.\" Ms Trotman reported the matter to the police and the case went to Georgetown Magistrates Court. But seeking justice as a transgender woman is not easy in Guyana due to a colonial-era law, now 124 years old, that criminalises cross-dressing. Guyanese Summary Jurisdiction Act On her first day in the courtroom, Ms Trotman was told by the presiding magistrate to \"dress like a man\" at her next court date. When she returned to court on 2 March to hear the final verdict, she defiantly wore a blue top and a long, patterned skirt. This time, Magistrate Dylon Bess refused her entry, citing \"inappropriate dress\". \"I felt really bad because the magistrate ordered me out of the court and he literally tried the case without me,\" Ms Trotman told the BBC. The case was dismissed and, with Ms Trotman not allowed inside the court, she only learned of the decision when her alleged attacker shared the news upon leaving the courtroom. Magistrate Bess defended his demand that Ms Trotman dress in male clothes. He said that while it was \"a preference and not a requirement\" that transgender women dress as men in his courtroom, \"sometimes persons commit offences dressed as males and then when they appear in court dressed as a female it can have implications for how a victim can identify his or her accuser, or vice versa\". He also said that it would be up to parliament to abolish Guyana's law criminalising cross-dressing and not a court of law. The managing director of Guyana's Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), Joel Simpson, strongly disagrees. \"It's really a dereliction of duty for Magistrate Bess to say that parliament has to change the law,\" he said. \"While he is a magistrate, not a judge, the court should not be applying an unjust, unconstitutional law... Where there's conflict, the constitution prevails.\" A former president of the Guyana Bar Association, Ronald Burch-Smith, also questioned the continued application of the law. \"There's a legitimate concern when it comes to things like crime and robbery, that persons dressed in disguise might take advantage of female clothing,\" he said. \"But in the [cases] that have come up so far that has never been an issue. It's taking advantage of an already oppressed minority. \"I think the courts should take the lead in recognising that these things are irrelevant to justice.\" Opposition to the cross-dressing law was sparked in 2009 when transgender activist", "summary": "As a transgender woman living in Guyana, Petronella Trotman has grown accustomed to violence and daily abuse on the streets."}
{"article": "Ms Conway is seen clutching her phone as US President Donald Trump poses with leaders of historically black colleges and universities. Twitter users accused her of \"disrespect\". Ms Conway was taking her own photos at the time. \"That's no way to act in the People's Oval Office,\" tweeted one user of the social media site. \"Think of all the great people who sat on that couch and put your feet down,\" wrote another. The images led some to question Ms Conway's body language, suggesting that she was not taking the meeting on Monday seriously. Others downplayed the excitement, indicating that it was all a bit of a storm in a teacup. The images of Ms Conway also drew comparisons to a photograph taken in 2013 showing then President Barack Obama with a foot up on the Oval Office desk. \"What a story. Hope Obama never put his feet up on the furniture,\" writes Kevin. Mr Trump was meeting leaders of historically black colleges and universities to discuss his administration's support for the schools, including contracts and grants. Ms Conway is no stranger to controversy. Earlier this month she was criticised after citing a \"massacre\" which never happened while defending Mr Trump's controversial immigration ban. Her recent promotion of products linked to Mr Trump's daughter, Ivanka, led to calls for an investigation into whether she had violated ethics rules.", "summary": "Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway has sparked a social media storm after pictures emerged of her kneeling on the sofa in the Oval Office with her shoes on."}
{"article": "Witnesses compared the blast, which sent a plume of smoke hundreds of metres into the sky, to an earthquake. The explosion occurred in the Faj Attan area of the capital, near the presidential compound. A Saudi-led coalition bombing campaign has been targeting Yemen's Shia Houthi rebels since late March. Local resident Adel Mansour told Reuters news agency it was largest explosion in more than three weeks of bombing by the coalition. \"My children are terrified and one of my relatives fainted because of the force of the blast.\" Meanwhile, a BBC correspondent in the contested port city of Aden says its hospitals lack the supplies to treat patients. Orla Guerin says medical teams in the city are complaining that patients are dying for lack of equipment. They have appealed for more antibiotics and bandages. The Houthi rebels and their allies have been trying to capture Aden for weeks but have been held back by the air strikes and by forces of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, who has fled Yemen for Saudi Arabia. In a televised address on Monday, rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said Yemenis would never give in to the Saudis' \"savage aggression\". The blast in Sanaa followed an air strike that hit an Oxfam humanitarian store in Saada, a Houthi stronghold in the north of the country. The charity condemned the strike, saying it had provided the co-ordinates of its warehouses to the Saudis. The UN says 150,000 people have been displaced by the latest fighting, and some 12 million are short of food.", "summary": "At least 25 people were killed and 300 injured in Yemen's capital Sanaa after an air strike on a missile base caused a huge blast that flattened buildings."}
{"article": "From her office near the Indonesian capital's landmark Hotel Indonesia roundabout, the 24-year-old needed to cover the 30km (19 miles) to Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in under an hour. In a city notorious for its endless traffic jams it seemed impossible. However, as Ms Hauser was travelling light, one of her colleagues suggested that she tried a new mobile phone-based motorcycle taxi service called Go-Jek. Downloading the app, Ms Hauser used her smart phone to book and pay for a scooter to take her to the airport. Within minutes a Go-Jek rider turned up, and she hopped on the back. After a journey weaving around cars and lorries that perhaps wasn't suitable for those of a nervous disposition, Ms Hauser did indeed get to the airport on time. \"I was very content, and since then have become a regular Go-Jek customer,\" she says. The brainchild of 30-year-old Indonesian entrepreneur Nadiem Makarim, the Go-Jek app has been downloaded more than 500,000 times since the service launched in Jakarta at the start of this year. Mr Makarim claims that no other app in Indonesia has reached half a million downloads so quickly. With no money spent on advertising, the success has solely come thanks to positive world of mouth. While motorcycle taxis, known locally as ojek, have long been a popular form of transport in Jakarta, Go-Jek is the first attempt to introduce a hi-tech booking system and guaranteed service standards. Outside of Go-Jek, ojek riders congregate on street corners, and are not officially registered. Payments have to be made in cash, and prices are a matter of negotiation. By contract, Go-Jek recruits and trains its staff, who get uniforms, helmets, and a smart phone on which they manage their pick ups. The company also sets standard fare levels, and provides its drivers with insurance. Go-Jek now has no less than 10,000 riders on its books, based not just in Jakarta, but also across the cities of Bandung and Surabaya, and the island of Bali. The company makes its money by taking a 20% commission from each journey. Mr Makarim has been a regular ojek user since his early 20s, but he admits that his childhood journeys were often a lot more luxurious. Born into an affluent Indonesian family, he would be taken to primary school in Jakarta in a chauffeur-driven car. Mr Markarim was then educated overseas, attending high schools in both New York and Singapore, before going to Brown University in the US state of Rhode Island to study international relations. This was followed by getting a master of business administration degree from Harvard University in Boston. Returning to Indonesia to work as a management consultant in Jakarta, the idea of creating Go-Jek came to him when he was speaking with his regular ojek rider. Mr Markarim says: \"\"I asked him, 'how long do you work?'. \"The ojek driver said he normally works 14 hours a day. \"And, I also asked him how many orders he normally took in a day. He said about four or five, so it meant that for", "summary": "With Jakarta's traffic gridlocked in the middle of a Friday afternoon rush hour, German expat Jana Hauser thought she had little chance of catching her flight."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Britain led New Zealand 21-0 at half-time and clung on as the All Blacks responded with three second-half tries. They go on to face Argentina in the quarter-finals at 22:00 BST. New Zealand were in danger of going out but qualified after Fiji's 24-19 win over the USA, and the All Black Sevens will play Fiji in the last eight. The other quarter-finals will see Japan take on France and South Africa play Australia. Britain's men are aiming to secure a medal in Rio, having seen the women's team play so well to reach the semi-finals, then miss out on bronze after a 33-10 defeat by Canada in the third-place match. New Zealand, meanwhile, have had a difficult tournament, with 15-a-side World Cup winner Sonny Bill Williams being ruled out of the Olympics after partially rupturing an Achilles tendon during the All Blacks Sevens' shock 14-12 defeat by Japan. The All Blacks Sevens only made it through to the last eight as one of the two best third-placed finishers in the group stage. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Britain's men finished top of Pool C in the Olympic rugby sevens by beating New Zealand 21-19 to make it three wins from three matches."}
{"article": "Within a few years it had achieved domination on a global scale, spawning a series that has sold more than 125 million copies. E. L. James's personal story has become a tantalising fantasy for aspiring authors. But one that technology and social media are making increasingly realisable. \"There was a time when self-publishing was equated with vanity,\" explains John Bond, co-founder of Whitefox, one of several new companies helping 'amateur' authors publish professionally on platforms like Amazon Kindle, Google Play, Apple's iBook Store or Kobo. \"Because of the digital revolution, democratisation has happened. It's almost as if the writer has become his own entrepreneur around the publication process.\" In their competition to get noticed, self-publishers are proving willing to take risks. Andy Weir's The Martian eventually went on to become a Hollywood blockbuster. But the story was originally published chapter by chapter on the author's blog for free. This turned out to be great exposure and it became a huge hit as an audiobook, e-book and physical book. \"There was an adversarial attitude between mainstream publishing houses and self publishers a few years ago,\" says Mr Bond, \"but I think that's changed dramatically.\" He attributes this to traditional publishers' new-found admiration for the self publishers' social media skills, which have helped them find new readers without the benefit of expensive marketing campaigns. Lawyer-turned-author Mark Dawson, for example, uses his website and Facebook page to give out free copies of his thrillers and curates 'Readers' Groups'. Online conversations help him establish a closer relationship with his readers encouraging them to come back for subsequent publications. Another thriller writer Joanna Penn has bolstered her following by helping others to self-publish through her website which explains how to go about self publishing. She also hosts a popular podcast interview series. So-called \"Instapoets\" like New Zealander Lang Leav have built up huge followings on Instagram and Tumblr, publishing their work on these platforms, before securing traditional publishing deals. Douglas Wight has just completed his first self-published book and has a more cautionary tale to tell. The former News of the World tabloid journalist set up his own company to self-publish a biography of pop diva Rita Ora, in the run up to Christmas. He and his co-author opted to sell the e-book version on Amazon, but also took the added risk of organising their own hardback print-run. Self-publishing wasn't as straight-forward as he had hoped. \"You have control of what you are doing, but it's not for everyone,\" warns Mr Wight. \"It's a lot of work and a huge learning curve.\" That work includes satisfying all the different formatting requirements of the various e-book outlets, organising cover illustrations and marketing, all while bearing the financial risk of the whole enterprise, explains Mr Wight. That said, he feels his gamble paid off. The hardback version has sold more than 3,000 copies and performed better than expected on Kindle. He has covered his costs and is now hoping to begin a new chapter of profitability. But what if it is not just readers you are after, but cash", "summary": "Erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey began life as a humble, self-published e-book, unable to satisfy the tastes of traditional publishers."}
{"article": "They reveal that a few minutes before the plane went down, the pilots asked to move a few nautical miles north of their flight path because of weather conditions. The Dutch Safety Board says its preliminary report was based on the contents of the flight and cockpit data recorders, other communication with the plane, as well as forensic examination of the wreckage where possible. These are its key findings.", "summary": "Dutch investigators say the damage to Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which crashed in eastern Ukraine on 17 July, suggests it was pierced by a large number of objects from outside the plane."}
{"article": "The \"respect and responsibility review\" will seek to change the \"macho\" culture of the country's national sport, the sporting body said. One of the most contentious episodes saw a woman hired to strip assaulted at a team party earlier this year. NZR was heavily criticised for its response to this and several other incidents that have sparked rows. This season itself, star scrum-half Aaron Smith was at the centre of a scandal after he was seen entering a toilet cubicle with a woman at Christchurch Airport. He was later found guilty of misconduct. \"In the same way that rugby seeks to do better on the field, we must constantly seek ways to improve off the field,\" NZR chief executive Steve Tew said. The scandals that tainted New Zealand's national sport The review will consider what further action needs to be taken \"to build a culture of respect and responsibility in the professional rugby environment\", according to NZR chairman Brent Impey. A nine person panel will be headed by Law Society president Kathryn Beck. \"I think it was quite deliberate that a woman was made chair of this panel,\" said Ms Beck. \"It is a very clear focus on women and the impact of the respect and responsibility within the rugby community on women, both within the community and externally.\" The panel will also comprise of Olympic athlete Lisa Carrington, former All Black athletes Michael Jones and Keven Mealamu and Sport NZ board member Jackie Barron amongst others. The panel will provide the New Zealand Rugby board with a preliminary report next April, with panel recommendations expected to come in May.", "summary": "New Zealand Rugby (NZR) is to form a panel to tackle sexism, after a series of scandals involving players."}
{"article": "First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described the case as \"shocking\" after Moray SNP MSP Richard Lochhead raised the issue earlier this month. He said rural constituents were being \"fleeced\" with such charges. Halfords said the fee was exceptional for an online exclusive product but that a \u00a32.99 fee would now be charged. Halfords said in a statement: \"When ordering from Halfords.com, normal carriage costs to the Highlands and Islands region apply in over 95% of cases. \"The exception to this was if a customer purchased an online-only exclusive product on Halfords Marketplace which is an online platform that Halfords hosts for smaller independent retailers who deliver direct. \"We agree that the previous charge did not make sense if a Marketplace customer was ordering one item at a small cost and having completed a review, we have reduced the carriage costs to a standard \u00a32.99. \"All suppliers have been notified. Halfords will subsidise the difference whenever the carriage cost is more. We would like to apologise for the frustration this charge has caused for our Marketplace customers.\" Moray SNP MP Angus Robertson had initially written directly to Halfords chief executive Jill McDonald. He said: \"Halfords' decision to quickly review and change their delivery charges policy so that a flat rate now applies regardless of where the customer lives is a very welcome change of heart. \"This action by Halfords demonstrates how important it is to challenge companies large and small on their delivery policies to areas like Moray and the Highlands.\" Welcoming the news, Mr Lochhead said: \"Excessive delivery charges are a massive frustration for people in Moray and across Scotland. \"Halfords decision to now apply the same charge across the board is to be welcomed and I want to see other companies following this example. \"There are many delivery options available to companies, including Royal Mail and there is simply no excuse for companies to discriminate against consumers in Scotland. \"Until companies stop treating customers in rural Scotland with contempt when it comes to delivery charges then we will continue to take a hard line on naming and shaming them.\" A study by the Citizens Advice Bureau in 2015 found consumers in the Highlands and islands were paying substantially more for delivery charges.", "summary": "Halfords has revised delivery charges for the north of Scotland after a \u00a350 delivery charge to send towels costing \u00a35.99 to Speyside was criticised."}
{"article": "Anti-bullying charity, Bullies Out wants a true understanding of what is going on. Currently, schools must record all racist incidents but there is no legal requirement for them to record other types of bullying. The Welsh Government said it was in the process of reviewing its policy \"to make sure it is as strong as possible\". Bullies Out founder Linda James said: \"We need to have that consistent definition of what exactly bullying is. \"We know that some schools are really proactive with their anti-bullying and they deal with it - but we also hear the stories that others are not. \"I think if there was some consistent reporting and recording procedure for all schools then maybe that would make it a lot easier for the schools in general.\" Earlier this month, the funeral of 14-year-old Nyah James from Swansea was held. Her mother, Dominique Williams claims she took her own life as a result of being bullied at school. She said: \"It makes us feel terrible because we weren't there to stop it. To find out she was being bullied and going through such pain of her own and we didn't know nothing about it - that kills us every day.\" Ms Williams added: \"We feel like we've failed her. I think to myself, did I fail her as a mum because she wasn't able to come and talk to me - thoughts like that go through your head.\" A South Wales Police spokesperson said officers were still investigating the matter. In Northern Ireland, legislation making it a legal requirement for schools to record all reports of bullying was given Royal Assent last year and Bullies Out wants similar legislation in Wales. Rob Williams, director of policy at the National Association of Head Teachers Cymru, said the call to record all bullying incidents was \"understandable\". But he warned there was a danger that more focus will be put on the recording process and \"not on the effective use of the data\". \"Utilising the information to safeguard children is the key part here, and how this translates into positive action,\" he said. A Welsh Government spokesman said schools must record all racist incidents - including racial bullying, but there is no legal requirement for them to record other types of bullying. He added: \"Our guidance - Respecting Others - sets out guidance and practical solutions on preventing and responding to incidents of bullying in schools. \"We are in the process of reviewing this policy to make sure it is as strong as possible.\"", "summary": "There are calls for schools in Wales to be legally required to record all incidents of bullying."}
{"article": "A group of employees from the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (Nipsa) union are in dispute with their employer over pay and job grading. The grievance involves 12 higher executive officers (HEOs) at Nispa offices in Belfast and Londonderry. In a statement, Nipsa said it was \"committed to resolving this dispute\". Nipsa employees are not permitted to become members of the union they work for, but the staff involved are members of another trade union, Unite. Unite representative Kevin Kelly said it was a long-standing dispute and he accused Nipsa's governing general council of a \"failure to practice a standard of industrial relations that they would expect of their officials\". \"My members are disgusted that their employer, who routinely challenges poor industrial relations practice across Northern Ireland, is acting in a manner which no employer would dare,\" Mr Kelly said. \"This dispute is resolvable if the will of the employer existed. \"It is therefore with reluctance and sadness that our members have been forced to take the ultimate action left open to them, that is the withdrawal of their labour\". The affected Nipsa employees are to hold a one-day strike on Friday 30 October and will then begin a work-to-rule protest from Monday 2 November. Nipsa general secretary Brian Campfield said: \"Nipsa is aware of the concerns of this group of its staff and has been involved in negotiations with their trade union, Unite, about how the issues in contention can be resolved to the satisfaction of both parties. \"Nipsa has advised Unite that it is committed to resolving this dispute and is presently engaged in further work which will hopefully settle any outstanding matters.\"", "summary": "Trade union staff are to take strike action against their own organisation, claiming it has been \"acting in a manner which no employer would dare\"."}
{"article": "He had month-long summer jobs there in 2009 and 2010, the EU Parliament said, without revealing his identity. Sources, however, say he is Najim Laachraoui, one of the airport bombers. The Belgian prime minister has defended his country's approach to fighting terror threats, insisting Belgium is not a \"failed state\". Charles Michel said everyone in authority had to take a share of the blame for failings before and after 22 March. The attacks by so-called Islamic State on a Brussels airport and metro station killed 32 people. Laachraoui, already a major suspect on the run after the Paris attacks in November, was named as one of the two bombers who targeted Zaventem airport. The EU Parliament said the cleaning firm had provided proof that the person hired had no criminal record at the time. The BBC's James Reynolds in Brussels says the capital's metro and its airport are gradually reopening. Mr Michel said 30 measures were being put place in Belgium, including a ban on pre-paid mobile phone cards. \"Our key message today is we return to normal life in Brussels and in Belgium,\" the Associated Press quoted him as telling reporters. \"When there is an attack like that of course that's a failure and nobody can deny this,\" Prime Minister Michel said. \"[But] I cannot accept the idea that we're a failed state.\" Belgium has been accused of taking an un-co-ordinated approach to terror threats because it has multiple institutions representing the country's complex linguistic and political makeup. The Brussels region alone has six police zones. According to Belgium's De Tijd newspaper, Mr Michel said it was \"short-sighted to say a unified police force could have prevented the attacks\". He said there had been some successes like the recent arrest of the surviving suspect of the Paris attacks last November, Salah Abdeslam, adding it had taken 10 years to track down al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks in the US. The prime minister told our correspondent that giving more capacity to Belgian's security services would be \"crucial for the next months to succeed\". \"This means more equipment but also more capacities for our intelligence services,\" he said. He added that his country's geographical position meant that Belgium was a particular attraction for potential attackers. \"Belgium is a small country in the heart of Europe, it means that it is very easy to go to London, Paris etc,\" he said. \"It is an easy place to organise attacks in other countries of Europe. It means we have to work better with our partners, and we have to upgrade our capacities for security.\" The search for the 22 March attackers is not yet over as pictures taken at Zaventem airport show three men entering the terminal building with explosives. Laachraoui and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui detonated their bombs and the third is thought to have escaped.", "summary": "One of the men who carried out the devastating bomb attacks in Brussels once worked as a cleaner at the European Parliament, officials say."}
{"article": "The tides are set to reach their peak between Sunday and Monday evening, with a threat to homes and roads near the Wye estuary in Tintern, Monmouthshire. Natural Resources Wales also warned people living in Crofty, Gower, to install their flood protection gates. There are 10 alerts, with three in south east Wales, four in south west, one in Ceredigion and two in the north. Warnings in south east Wales cover the Wye estuary and also the rivers Severn and Usk, with Tintern, Monmouthshire, highlighted as a potential trouble spot. The road at the village could be closed, while there was a alert about a risk to some properties. A warning was also issued for Crofty in the Gower. Locals there have been told to install their flood protection gates - supplied to keep sea water at bay. NRW's Rick Park said astronomical tides will be \"very high\" over the coming days. However, he said: \"With relatively settled weather the risk of flooding to the majority of Wales is very low.\"", "summary": "Flood alerts have been issued to people in and near coastal areas, with high spring tides set to hit."}
{"article": "Revenue for the three months to the end of September was 22.2bn yuan ($3.5bn; \u00c2\u00a32.3bn), up 32% from a year earlier. Revenue from mobile devices grew particularly strongly. The value of transactions conducted through the website totalled 713bn yuan, with the number of active buyers growing to 386 million. \"This was a great quarter for Alibaba Group, with strong growth across the board and particular outperformance in mobile,\" said chief executive Daniel Zhang. \"We are winning in mobile and remain focused on our top strategic priorities, including internationalisation, expanding our ecosystem from cities to villages and building a world-class cloud computing business.\" Alibaba said it had increased the number of villages in China it offers sales and delivery services to by more than 4,000 during the quarter. Growth outside of China has been more muted. \"The performance of Alibaba's international division is reasonable but far from spectacular,\" said Neil Suanders at retail analyst Conlumino. \"At retail level, sales were up by a fairly modest 14.8%. In our view, this underlines the fact that, despite its scale and its technical expertise, Alibaba continues to struggle in carving out a niche in crowded and competitive Western markets.\"", "summary": "Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has reported a sharp rise in sales as more customers spent money through the online retailer."}
{"article": "The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 2.47 points to 17789.67, while the wider S&P 500 index gained 2.37 to 2099.33. The tech-focused Nasdaq edged up 4.2 points to 4952.25. A larger than expected slowdown in car sales however sent shares of US carmakers tumbling. Ford shares lost 2.8% after reporting a 5.9% fall in May sales. Similarly General Motors fell 3.4% after the US carmaker reported sales for May were down 18% compared to the previous year. Data showed global manufacturing slipped for another month, but US investors are waiting for employment data out Friday to get a better sense of whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in June. \"There's an abundance of economic data this week that investors are confused on how to digest,\" said Jonathan Corpina, senior managing partner for Meridian Equity Partners. Ecommerce firm Alibaba tumbled 6.5% after its largest investor announced a plan to sell its shares. Japan's SoftBank said it would sell $7.9bn worth of Alibaba shares to pay off some of its own debt. Sportswear company Under Armour saw its shares fall 4%. The company warned investors on Wednesday that its results would be hurt by the bankruptcy of the sporting goods chain Sports Authority. Shares in Michael Kors rose 6.6% to $44.85 after the handbag and accessories retailer reported a big rise in fourth-quarter revenues. Revenue in the three months to 2 April rose 10.9% to $1.2bn, although this was helped by the opening of 142 new stores over the past year. Same-store sales - seen as a better measure of underlying strength - rose by 0.3%, which Neil Saunders, of retail analysts Conlumino, described as \"anaemic\".", "summary": "(Closed): Wall Street markets rose on Wednesday despite poor data from the manufacturing, housing and car industries."}
{"article": "Henson was part of Wales' 2005 Six Nations Grand Slam team coached by Ruddock, kicking a famous match-winning penalty against England. The back, 35, has returned to Wales for the first time since 2012 to play for the region Ruddock coached in 2003-04. \"Hopefully he can play, but also become the leadership figure at the Dragons I am sure he is capable of at this stage of his career,\" Ruddock said. \"He would still be very ambitious and want to prove he can still perform at the very highest level. \"I hope Gavin could reflect on his career, on what has worked for him and what hasn't. \"Some of those experiences that have been positive for him hopefully he can use those to help shape the way forward in the Dragons.\" Henson last played in Welsh domestic rugby for Cardiff Blues in 2012, after making his name with Swansea and the Ospreys between 2000 and 2009. In between, Henson - who won 33 caps for Wales and one for the British and Irish Lions - has played club rugby for Saracens, Toulon, London Welsh, Bath and Bristol. Ruddock's one season in charge of the Dragons was their most successful, and he hopes the Welsh Rugby Union's takeover of the region this summer will pay dividends. \"It was definitely time for a change and probably long overdue,\" Ruddock added. \"Since my time there the Dragons have huffed and puffed and not lived up to the standards we thought they were capable of. \"It sounds like the right things are being done with the [new] pitch coming in already, that sounds like a fantastic move.\" The Dragons also have a new head coach in former Ireland hooker Bernard Jackman. \"Bernard is a good young coach who had cut his teeth in France and in the All-Ireland League where I am currently coaching with Lansdowne,\" said Ruddock. \"He was with Clontarf and did well there. \"He's worked under a lot of good coaches during his time and would have had a good understanding of the game.\" Ruddock's son Rhys captained Ireland on their summer tour against USA and Japan, while his older son Ciaran is captain of All-Ireland side St Mary's College. \"That was a big day for him and the family to see Rhys captain Ireland,\" said Ruddock, whose wife Bernadette is Irish. \"Ciaran has just been made captain where he will be playing against my team, so that has become all of a sudden an even tougher job!\" After coaching stints in Wales, England and Ireland with international, regional, provincial and age-grade sides, Ruddock is settled in Dublin, guiding Lansdowne in the All-Ireland League and working part-time in private business. \"I have learned a lot of lessons along the way, good and bad and am trying to help a lot of youngsters in Lansdowne,\" said Ruddock. \"At 58 next month, I still think I am in my prime! \"What I love about the All-Ireland League is that you can go to places like Young Munster in Limerick and Cork Constitution and there is", "summary": "Mike Ruddock believes Gavin Henson can be a success at Newport Gwent Dragons."}
{"article": "BBC Radio Norfolk host Nick Conrad made the comment during a phone-in about the future of the former Sheffield United and Norwich City footballer. Rape campaigners have condemned the remarks. Conrad has apologised. A BBC spokesman said some of the 29-year-old presenter's comments were \"very ill-judged\". During his programme on Monday, Conrad said: \"I think women need to be more aware of a man's sexual desire, that when you're in that position that you are about to engage in sexual activity, there's a huge amount of energy in the male body, there's a huge amount of will and intent, and it's very difficult for many men to say no when they are whipped up into a bit of a storm. \"It's the old adage about if you yank a dog's tail then don't be surprised when it bites you.\" He went on to suggest feminists who had \"hijacked\" or \"jumped on\" the argument \"neglect that very important part of the argument\". \"In their fury against men and masculinity they actually forget to stop and say if you tease, if you jump into bed naked with a man, if you give him all the signals and then he acts upon them, then you are partially responsible,\" he said. \"If you don't wish to give out the wrong signals it's best probably to keep your knickers on and not get into bed with him.\" Conrad added he needed to be \"careful\" about what he said because he did not \"want this to be explosive\". \"The onus has to be on the men.... if a woman says no and they persist then that's absolutely abhorrent,\" he said. The BBC said Conrad had spoken to the charity End Violence Against Women Coalition during the programme and there had been no formal complaints. \"As part of a wide-ranging discussion.... he made it clear that rape is an abhorrent act,\" a spokesman said. \"BBC management has told Nick that some of his comments were very ill-judged and he has apologised for any offence that may have been caused.\" Katie Russell, from Rape Crisis, said the \"ignorant comments\" showed there were \"still a number of pervasive and harmful myths around sexual violence\". \"The idea that men's sexual desires render them incapable of taking responsibility for their actions, or of respecting another person's right to choose what happens to their body, is unfounded, outdated and offensive to men,\" she said. \"The idea that women should take responsibility for men's sexuality is equally insulting to both men and women.\" Jessica Asato, Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for Norwich North, called for Mr Conrad to apologise on air. Posting on her Twitter account, she called his comments \"demeaning and crass towards women\". Wales international striker Evans was jailed in April 2012 for raping a 19-year-old woman in a hotel room the previous year and released last month. The question of whether he should be allowed to play professional football again for Sheffield United, his employer at the time he was convicted, or any other club has been hotly debated since his release.", "summary": "A BBC radio presenter has apologised after saying women should \"keep their knickers on\", during a live debate about convicted rapist Ched Evans."}
{"article": "Popular attraction Waterhead, on the northern shore of Windermere, is home to a ferry pier, hotels and cafes. South Lakeland Council has agreed proposals to spruce up the area including new seating and an information board to identify key local landscapes. Plans also include widening part of the promenade and new bicycle stands. Lake District National Park planners will have the final say on the development, which if approved, work could start on later this year.", "summary": "Plans to give a Lake District promenade a \u00a3250,000 makeover have moved a step closer."}
{"article": "Brown and Barclay have won 107 caps between them but have been omitted from Vern Cotter's 32-man pool. \"We seem to be promoting players who've come in from New Zealand at the expense of John Barclay and Kelly Brown. \"Your chances of playing for Scotland are greatly heightened by playing for Edinburgh and Glasgow,\" said Nicol. Edinburgh flanker Hugh Blake has been called into the squad for the first time, in preference to both Brown and Barclay. Blake qualifies to play for the national team through his Scottish grandparents. Brown, 32, led Scotland into last year's Six Nations as captain, only to be dropped from the squad for the home defeat to England then recalled as captain for the loss to France at Murrayfield. He was overlooked for selection for the three Autumn tests against Argentina, New Zealand and Tonga. Barclay has excelled in the back-row for Welsh side Scarlets this season and, at 28, is likely to have several seasons left at the top level. Former Bath and Glasgow scrum-half Nicol says favouring players who play their rugby in Scotland isn't necessarily wrong, but that ultimately the decision should come down to ability. \"There's not been a stated policy about not picking players playing in Scotland,\" Nicol continued. \"There are a number of players (in the squad) who play outwith Scotland, but I think it's very clear that your chances of playing for Scotland are greatly heightened by playing for Edinburgh and Glasgow. \"That might be the right thing to do, don't get me wrong. \"I just think that, if you're picking your best players for this Six Nations, and forget the World Cup, because if they're good enough for the Six Nations then you're good enough for the World Cup, you pick your best players and I would've thought Kelly Brown and John Barclay in particular are two that would come in there.\" Despite reservations about the omission of some experienced players, Nicol is positive about Scotland's chances in the Six Nations. \"I'm quite excited about what could happen,\" he said. \"It was a good Autumn series. \"A very good performance against Argentina, good again against the best team in the world, New Zealand, and then finished it off well against Tonga. \"So there's a lot of confidence in the squad. \"Edinburgh have improved markedly since the Autumn tests and that's reflected in more players coming in from Edinburgh. \"That's a good sign. These players will be a bit more confident coming into the Six Nations.\"", "summary": "Kelly Brown and John Barclay are among Scotland's best players and should be in the squad for the Six Nations, according to former captain Andy Nicol."}
{"article": "Zimbabwe-born Armand, 28, joined the Chiefs from Super Rugby side Stormers in 2013 and has since played 55 Premiership games, scoring six tries, and represented England Saxons. Hill, 22, has made 12 league appearances for the Chiefs since moving from Gloucester in 2015. The pair are among 11 Chiefs players to re-sign beyond this season. In addition, Chiefs have signed Gloucester flanker Matt Kvesic, Bridgend winger Tom O'Flaherty and Rotherham forward Toby Salmon, and others could follow. \"We are really pleased,\" head coach Rob Baxter said. \"We are very close to completing the signing of a high-quality player, and we will probably be able to announce that in the next couple of weeks. \"We are still actively in the market for potentially one more high-quality player.\"", "summary": "Back-rower Don Armand and lock Jonny Hill have signed new contracts with Exeter Chiefs that will expire in 2019."}
{"article": "Local media said the T-Team captain, who was 30, collapsed three minutes into the match in Kota Bharu and was taken to hospital. The match was abandoned after 60 minutes when a message was received from the hospital that Oniya had died. Oniya had only just joined the Malaysian club this season.", "summary": "Nigerian defender David Faramola Oniya died on Saturday after collapsing on the pitch during a friendly between his Malaysian club T-Team and Kelantan."}
{"article": "Lambert will be the headline act of a lavish New Year's Eve show organised and televised live nationally by state-owned broadcaster MediaCorp. Over the course of the week, thousands of Singaporeans have flocked online to sign two duelling petitions. One, started on Wednesday, calls on MediaCorp and the government to drop Lambert, on account of his support for gay rights and reputation for risque performances, which it called \"contrary to mainstream Singaporean values\". Comments on the petition called Lambert's performances \"disgusting\", \"disturbing\" and \"lewd\". \"Please give more wholesome role models to our youths,\" said one petitioner Elaine Lui. A counter petition was started on Thursday night and quickly gathered steam, calling on organisers to keep Lambert as a demonstration that Singapore \"shuns discrimination and promotes diverse inclusive points of view\". \"In no way whatsoever does his sexual orientation have any relation to his role as an entertainer and singer. Asking for him to be banned on TV is ludicrous and is akin to asking retailers to stop selling iPhones because [Apple has a] gay CEO,\" said commenter Ivan Lin. As of Friday evening, both petitions were neck-to-neck with thousands of signatures each, drawing in supporters from Malaysia, Australia, Hong Kong and Japan as well. Lambert previously performed in Singapore in 2013 to few complaints, and concerts by other artists such as Lady Gaga have generated greater controversy. The debate over Lambert this time stems from a cultural divide in Singapore that has widened recently. A modern and open city-state with a thriving gay scene and liberal minority, much of its society also remains deeply conservative. A religious right, supported by some Christians and Muslims, has grown in tandem with a burgeoning gay rights movement. The annual gay rights event Pink Dot, where supporters don pink as a message of inclusion, has sparked a counter campaign called Wear White where conservatives tog themselves in white as a symbol of purity. Both sides have become more vocal in recent years, and though the conflict has not gone beyond heated debate, it has unnerved Singapore officials charged with maintaining the peace on the tiny island. They have tried to strike a balance. A controversial law that bans gay sex - a key flashpoint in the divide - remains on the books, but the government has promised never to enforce it. Authorities have also sought to rein in both camps by curbing their public demonstrations, in some cases refusing permits to both conservative and gay rights groups to hold or expand their public events. As for Lambert, they appear to have come to a compromise. MediaCorp has not dropped him - but has promised that the show will conform to strict broadcast regulations and be made \"suitable for family audiences\". Meanwhile, Lambert has said in a statement that his performance would \"celebrate the entire human family in all its diversity\" and that he was \"a uniter, not a divider\".", "summary": "A growing controversy over a Singapore concert starring openly gay US singer Adam Lambert has highlighted a widening cultural divide in the strait-laced city-state."}
{"article": "Investor sentiment was also up after a positive US jobs report on Friday. Sydney-listed shares in mining giant Fortescue Metals rose by a staggering 23.7%, while BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto were up 5% and 3.5% respectively. By the end of trading, Sydney's benchmark ASX/200 had climbed to 5,142.80 points. In China, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was flat at 20,159.72. Hong Kong-listed shares of Chinese telecoms firm ZTE Corporation were halted from trade on Monday morning. On Sunday, Reuters news agency said the US Commerce Department was \"set to place export restrictions on [the] Chinese telecoms equipment maker... for alleged violations of US export controls on Iran\". The firm did not respond to written requests from the BBC for more information about the possible restrictions. Meanwhile, the mainland Shanghai Composite finished the day 0.8% higher at 2,897.34 points. Over the weekend, China's chief economic planner said the country would \"absolutely not experience a hard landing\" despite growth forecast cuts. Elsewhere, Japan's Nikkei 225 was bucking the regional trend, closing the day 0.6% down at 16,911.32. In South Korea, the Kospi index finished flat at 1,957.87 points.", "summary": "Shares in Australia led markets on Monday, closing 1% higher, boosted by commodity and energy-related stocks."}
{"article": "The Piece Hall in Halifax opened in 1779 as a trading centre for locally-woven cloth. Calderdale Council leader Tim Swift said the \"fascinating finds\" hinted at life in the Piece Hall over the past 230 years. It is undergoing a \u00c2\u00a319m refurbishment scheme and is due to re-open in Spring. Three photographs were found behind skirting boards of one of the former shops. One shows a young boy holding what may be a catapult, standing next to a young girl in a hat. Two other Victorian studio portraits are of smartly-dressed gentlemen. Calderdale Council said one was a tintype photograph, widely used in the 1860s and 70s. An un-lidded wooden box was found labelled with Emsley & Collins Ltd, possibly a local company, and a pile of oyster shells was found in the cellar. Mr Swift said: \"The fascinating items provide a tantalising view of a forgotten world. It would be great to know the stories behind them but unfortunately we know very little. \"The artefacts have little historic value but they provide a hint at what daily life may have been like in the Piece Hall during the past 230 years.\" In the 1970s, the 18th century hall became a tourist attraction with an art galley, museum and shops. It closed in January 2014 for a two-year renovation and to add an extension and new visitors centre. The \u00c2\u00a319m project is funded by Calderdale Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation and the Wolfson Foundation.", "summary": "Old photos, oyster shells and a World War Two booklet have been found by workmen renovating a Grade I listed building in West Yorkshire."}
{"article": "Officers say the 18-year-old suffered an adverse reaction and later died, after taking MDMA at The Warehouse in Byker, early on Sunday. A 19-year-old man was arrested shortly afterwards and another two men aged 19 and 21 were arrested on Monday. Both 19-year-olds have been released on bail, while the 21-year-old remains in custody. All three were arrested on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug. Police have urged anyone who was at the venue on Saturday night and took drugs to see a doctor. MDMA forms the active ingredient in ecstasy pills.", "summary": "Police have made further arrests over the death of a woman who took drugs at a Newcastle nightclub."}
{"article": "Rebecca Coriam, 24, from Chester, fell overboard from the Disney Wonder near Mexico. Her body has not been found. Bahamas police investigated because the ship is registered in the island state, leaving it outside UK jurisdiction. There are calls for all suspected crimes at sea involving UK citizens to be investigated by the UK authorities. Former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott said that should be the case whatever the ship's \"flag of convenience\" - where it is registered. Ms Coriam's MP Chris Matheson said he feared she was murdered and has called for a UK inquiry. The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said disappearances overboard were \"incredibly rare\". Ms Coriam was last seen alive on 21 March 2011 on board the ship where she worked as a child minder. Her credit card, which was not found among her personal effects, was used after she vanished. Mr Matheson said: \"I believe there's sufficient evidence to indicate a crime may well have taken place. \"Whatever the circumstance, there's an obligation to investigate. My worst fear is Rebecca Coriam was murdered.\" He said it was a \"real possibility\" she had been killed and the case had not been properly investigated. \"Now is the time for that investigation to take place,\" he said. Information collated in the police report from the Bahamas has been shared with the UK authorities, but not with Ms Coriam's family. Her father Mike said he was \"totally baffled and it's upsetting as well\" that the authorities in the UK can have a file with instructions not to disclose to the family. \"We're the victims here as well,\" he said. Cheshire Police insist the report is not its property to share. But Mr Coriam said: \"It's our daughter. There's been an investigation. Why hold it from us? \" In addition to the frustration over the report, the family has been unable to hold an inquest or a funeral as Ms Coriam's remains have not been recovered. Under the Flags of Convenience system, ships are registered in offshore nations, often for tax purposes, and if crimes are committed on board it is up to the flag nation to investigate. National jurisdiction only extends up to 24 miles beyond a coastline - beyond that, the law of the country whose flag the ship flies applies. The Bahamas sent over police Supt Paul Rolle to investigate Rebecca's case. Lord Prescott called for an end to the flags arrangement and for a US-style system in which the FBI investigates maritime crimes involving US citizens, no matter where a ship is registered. Lord Prescott, a former ship steward, echoed calls for an inquiry, saying: \"People don't know whether she died or she was thrown over the side. \"What is so alarming is many people are going missing and nothing is being done about it, except for America.\" He said there was \"almost like a conspiracy of silence\" surrounding the case, adding there should be a change in the law as we \"should be looking after our citizens\". Bill Anderson, a maritime investigator, said Supt Rolle \"only interviewed", "summary": "The mysterious disappearance of a British woman on a cruise ship four years ago should be investigated by UK authorities, campaigners have said."}
{"article": "It is thought to be the first such case since the plane went missing between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing in March 2014. The children's mother said she had accepted compensation from Malaysia Airlines and the government so the boys could move on with their lives. The amount has not been disclosed. The search for the plane, which was carrying 239 people, continues. The family of Jee Jing Hang, who was on the plane, brought a lawsuit against Malaysia Airlines on behalf of his two young sons last October for breach of contract, as it had failed to deliver passengers to Beijing. The family also brought claims against the Malaysian government, the Department of Civil Aviation, the immigration department and the air force for negligence. \"The court was informed that all the parties in the suit had come to an amicable settlement,\" Gary Edward Chong, a lawyer for the family, told the AFP news agency on Tuesday. The families of other victims have been following the case closely and experts believe this settlement will trigger other similar legal actions. No wreckage from the flight has ever been found and an Australian-led team is still scouring the southern Indian Ocean seabed in hope of finding the aircraft. Four months after MH370 vanished, another Malaysia Airlines plane - flight MH17 - was shot down by a suspected ground-to-air missile while in Ukrainian airspace, with the loss of 298 passengers and crew. The airline was declared \"technically bankrupt\" by its chief executive on Monday as he announced plans to cut about 6,000 jobs.", "summary": "Two Malaysian children who lost their father on flight MH370 have settled their negligence case out of court."}
{"article": "Scott, 23, joined the Royals' academy aged eight and helped Kelly Chambers' side maintain their top-flight status last term, following promotion in 2015. \"I am absolutely delighted to have signed a new deal with my childhood club,\" Scott told the club website. Manager Chambers added: \"Her work ethic and tenacity adds a great dimension to our defence.\"", "summary": "Reading Women defender Harriet Scott has signed a new deal with the Women's Super League One club until 2018."}
{"article": "Rail electrification is already going ahead in south Wales but no decision has yet been made on the north. The Wales Office and Welsh government are working with businesses to make the case for the investment needed for the project to get the go-ahead. But Mr Osborne said a decision would be affected by the HS2 project and a rail hub possibly being created in Crewe. Electrification means faster and more reliable services which help businesses and their workers who commute. Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb also said electrification could be a game-changer and could happen in the longer-term. Speaking on a visit to Denbighshire, Mr Osborne said: \"Lets make the decision first on HS2 because that new rail hub at Crewe will be crucial for north Wales and it's crucial for the investments we're making in the north Wales economy.\"", "summary": "There is a \"really strong case\" for the electrification of the north Wales rail lines, Chancellor George Osborne said."}
{"article": "Diver Daley, 18, who won a bronze medal and swimmer Meilutyte, 15, who won a gold for Lithuania, were among a number of local athletes taking part. Both are pupils at Plymouth College, where the parade departed from before heading to the city's Guildhall. Crowds six deep greeted them, waving flags as the Olympians appeared. Daley said: \"It's been crazy. The amount of people along the streets is amazing. \"A massive thank you from all of us for showing your support.\" He also thanked Plymouth College. \"They have been incredible adapting the timetable so we can train at the same time. \"It's a lot of thanks to Plymouth College that I got to the Olympics. \"It's been pretty crazy since the Games, but it's getting back to normal now with school and training and my two annoying brothers.\" Lithuanian swimmer Meilutyte said: \"I have been here for almost two and a half years and it's been incredible. \"Plymouth is almost like my second home and I'm really proud to be here.\" By Chris EllisBBC News Online, South West Thousands of people lined the streets of Plymouth to congratulate the city's Olympians and Paralympians. For most of the journey from Plymouth College to the Guildhall there was a stream of people, many with union flags and banners saying 'Well Done Tom' and 'I Love You Tom'. Drivers of buses and cars honked their horns and one woman in a parked car was leaning out of the sunroof and honking the horn with her foot. As we approached Royal Parade hundreds of people were lining the streets and the noise was deafening. Gallery: Olympics 2012 homecoming Other Olympic athletes taking part included divers Tonia Couch and Sarah Barrow, swimmers Antony James, Jamila Lunkuse and Jade Howard, and fencer Corinna Lawrence. Barrow tweeted: \"How incredible was the Plymouth welcome home parade! Thank you to everyone who came :)\" Couch said: \"The parade makes you feel really special, especially in your home city.\" Wheelchair basketball player Judith Hamer and Paralympic table tennis player David Wetherill, from Torpoint in Cornwall, joined them. Wetherill said: \"I'm not used to this much attention. This was so much better than London.\" Daley's diving coach Andy Banks and Meilutyte's swimming coach Jon Rudd also took part in the parade. London 2012 Games Makers from Plymouth, the volunteers who helped at Olympic venues, joined the parade in their uniforms and walked behind the bus as it travelled down Royal Parade. Stella Goodman, who was watching the parade with three generations of her family, said: \"We are proud, proud to be Plymothians and see them today.\" Deputy council leader Peter Smith said: \"It's fantastic that so many of the city's sportsmen and women were selected to take part in the Games and that two of them have won medals. \"They are a true inspiration - not just to youngsters here in Plymouth but all over the country - some of whom will one day follow in their footsteps.\"", "summary": "Crowds of cheering fans welcomed London Olympics 2012 medal winners Tom Daley and Ruta Meilutyte as they toured Plymouth in an open-top bus."}
{"article": "Jaymie Stuart Hall suffered a number of serious injuries during a disturbance in Dumbryden Gardens, Wester Hailes, at about 21:25 on Saturday. The 35-year-old was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh but died a short time later. The arrested man is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday.", "summary": "A 41-year-old man has been charged with murder following the death of a man in an Edinburgh street."}
{"article": "The 36-year-old winger announced last month that he would be retiring at the end of the season. Third on Scotland's all-time list with 105 caps, Lamont has made 111 Warriors appearances over two stints, scoring 31 tries. \"It would be great to see Sean run in one or two more tries before he finally hangs up his boots,\" said Townsend. \"Sean has shown a real consistency and resilience to get over a couple of major injuries and to continue to play at a really high level. \"He'll be one of a very small number of players to have played in every position in the back five. Obviously he played most of his rugby on the wing, but he also performed very well at inside centre when I was an assistant coach with the national team back in 2011. \"It was really good to see Sean score that try against Connacht a few weeks ago [in Glasgow's 35-24 win]. You could tell from the players' reaction how much Sean means to them and our supporters loved it. \"It was the bonus-point try and a really good finish.\" With Glasgow 11 points off fourth place with just three games remaining, hopes of reaching the play-offs were virtually extinguished by last weekend's 10-7 loss away to Munster. Lamont, who returned to Glasgow in 2012, has also featured for Rotherham, Northampton Saints and Scarlets over a 17-year period. He made his Scotland debut in 2004 and scored 70 points for his country. \"I took a real interest in Sean's game when he was playing at Northampton and started to become a regular in the Scotland team,\" explained Townsend on the Warriors' website. \"Probably as a supporter seeing Sean score two tries against France [in 2006] was a real breakthrough moment, it was a brilliant win for Scotland that day and Sean - with his gloves and blonde hair - was a key part in the victory.\"", "summary": "Glasgow Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend hopes to see Sean Lamont end his career with a flourish."}
{"article": "Canon Bill Brassell from Gloucester served in the Royal Navy in the 1940s, and battled storms, bombers and U-boats to ferry war supplies to Russia. He has been awarded the Arctic Star medal for the maritime missions, which Winston Churchill said were the most dangerous of the war. \"I'm very, very grateful to receive this,\" he told the BBC. \"It's only 70 years I suppose, and at last it's happened. Not just because it's a nice thing for me, but because of all those who served with me and they paid the supreme sacrifice. \"Of all the bits that one served during the war, this was the effort that was made by so many. \"I take it [medal] very much in memory of all those who didn't come back, all my shipmates, and that's something that I will very much treasure\". The medal presentation took place at the headquarters of Gloucester-based A Company 6 Rifles. In 2005, an Arctic badge was awarded to the veterans of the convoys but they felt that it did not go far enough. They lobbied the government for a specific medal to recognise the service of those involved in the mission. The Arctic Star medal was created this year. \"This is a medal that we've introduced to honour those people who served on the Arctic convoys in World War II,\" said Conservative MP Mark Francois, the minister of state for defence personnel, welfare and veterans. \"I'm privileged to present this to Canon Brassell.\" The Arctic convoys brought crucial supplies and weapons to Russia, to help fight off Hitler's armies. The icy voyages claimed over 3,000 lives and Winston Churchill described them as the worst journey in the world. The supply ships were under constant threat of attack by German U-boats and aircraft and also had to negotiate severe cold, storms, and ice floes. The voyages began in 1941 and by May 1945, the Arctic route had claimed 104 merchant ships and 16 military vessels.", "summary": "An 89-year-old Gloucestershire man has been honoured for his efforts in the World War II Arctic convoys."}
{"article": "Angelika and Marcin Klis had not been seen since the explosion at the Ariana Grande concert on Monday night. The couple's daughter Alex Klis, 20, a student at York College, had posted an appeal on Facebook for information about their whereabouts. The Polish foreign ministry confirmed two Polish nationals had been killed. It is understood Mr Marcin, 42, worked at York Cars Taxi Service, a cab company in York. Mr Marcin and his wife, aged 39, had taken a picture of themselves together in Manchester shortly before going to the concert to collect their daughters. This was shared on social media by their daughter on Tuesday. She wrote: \"Anyone who is in any safe place or hospital in Manchester, if anyone comes across my parents please please let me know as they've been missing ever since the attack, this is a picture taken tonight so this is exactly what they were wearing.\" In a statement, the Polish foreign ministry said: \"We share the pain of the family and the loved ones of the victims and express our most sincere condolences. \"Consuls have offered assistance to the family of the victims.\" The Polish Foreign Minister, Witold Waszczykowski, told a radio station: \"The parents came after the concert to collect their daughters and unfortunately we have information that they are dead. The children are safe.\" Dr Alison Birkinshaw, principal at York College, described the deaths as \"devastating news for Alex and her family, the whole college and the wider community\". She said: \"We are in touch with Alex and will do whatever we can to support her and her family.\" A JustGiving page has been set up to raise money for Ms Klis and her sister Patrycia and has so far raised more than \u00c2\u00a34,000.", "summary": "A Polish couple living in York who had gone to Manchester Arena to pick up their daughters have been killed in the terror attack."}
{"article": "Home Secretary Theresa May said Mr Bristow would lead an agency of \"powerful operational crime fighters\". The NCA becomes fully operational in 2013 when it takes over from the Serious Organised Crime Agency. Its expanded role will include powers to order police forces to run operations into drugs and trafficking. As well as replacing the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), the new agency will take in the work of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop), and also house the national cyber crime unit. It will also cover border policing and economic crime. \"For too long we have lacked a strong, collaborative national response in the fight for criminal justice. The NCA will make the UK a more hostile environment for serious and organised crime and strengthen our border,\" Mrs May said. She said Mr Bristow would play \"a vital role\" in developing the agency. Details of an extensive policing shake-up, which included the creation of the National Crime Agency, were unveiled last year by Mrs May in a Home Office consultation paper - Policing in the 21st Century. She described it as the \"most radical reform of policing for 50 years\". Mr Bristow said he would work with the government and other crime agencies \"to ensure that the NCA delivers the maximum protection possible for communities within the resources it has available\". \"In partnership with other law enforcement agencies, we will ensure that criminals are identified, pursued and brought to justice, their groups dismantled and their activities disrupted. We will do even more to strip away their illegally obtained assets,\" he said. Association of Chief Police Officers president Sir Hugh Orde said Mr Bristow had been chosen from \"a very strong field of police leaders\" to lead the NCA. \"A better co-ordinated response between the international reach and capability of this new agency and the 'eyes and ears' of local neighbourhood policing teams can help keep our streets and communities safer,\" Sir Hugh said. Mr Bristow was appointed chief constable of Warwickshire Police in 2006 and chairs the G8 Law Enforcement Group. He has been the Association of Chief Police Officers' head of crime and worked in the West Midlands Police and as director of the National Criminal Intelligence Service.", "summary": "The first head of the UK's incoming National Crime Agency (NCA) will be Keith Bristow, currently chief constable of Warwickshire."}
{"article": "The pontiff has supported the Buenos Aires-based team since he was a boy. A delegation travelled from the Argentine capital to the Vatican with the trophy. San Lorenzo recently won the Copa - South American club football's most prestigious competition - for the first time in the club's 106-year history. Earlier in the week, Pope Francis said: \"I am very happy about it, but, no, it is not a miracle. \"For me, San Lorenzo was the team all my family supported. My father played in the basketball team and when we were kids, we sometimes went to the stadium with mum,\" he added. San Lorenzo beat Paraguay's Nacional 1-0 on 13 August to secure a 2-1 aggregate victory.", "summary": "Pope Francis has been presented with the Copa Libertadores trophy by players and officials of Argentine side San Lorenzo."}
{"article": "On the second anniversary of Stephen's death, the charity has also outlined how the cash has aided cancer services for young people. Stephen died on 14 May 2014, after contracting bowel cancer. The 19-year-old, of Burntwood, Staffordshire, became well known after posting a picture online of his \"final thumbs up\" from a hospital bed. He had pledged to raise \u00a31m himself for the charity and hit the target three weeks before his death. The trust said \u00a32.7m had been spent refurbishing cancer units at hospitals across the country, with four more - in Cambridge, Hull, Newcastle and the Wirral - now to benefit. A total of \u00a31.6m has been used to train specialist nurses, as well as fund the charity's International Conference and Adolescent and Young Adult Global Cancer Congress in December. Stephen's legacy is also helping fund JTV Cancer Support, a project helping young sufferers express their feelings and record their personal journeys. Around \u00a3500,000 has been spent on education and awareness programmes, and \u00a3200,000 on conference weekends for youngsters called Find Your Sense of Tumour. Stephen's mother Jane has now been made an official ambassador for the trust. \"Not a day goes by when I don't miss my brave and brilliant son. But when I think about everything he achieved and how much he's helping other young people, it makes me feel so proud,\" she said. \"With his voice in my ear, I've run a marathon, jumped out of a plane and in a few months, I'll be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. \"I'm honoured to call myself an ambassador for Teenage Cancer Trust, and feel privileged to be able to continue to spread Stephen's unique message of positivity.\" Kate Collins, director of fundraising and marketing at the charity, said: \"Stephen was the most incredible young man and has helped us take huge steps forward for young people with cancer.\"", "summary": "More than \u00a35.5m has been raised in memory of teenager Stephen Sutton, the Teenage Cancer Trust has revealed."}
{"article": "A member of the public found the two bodies as the tide receded at about 20:00 BST on Wednesday, the RNLI said. A search is under way for a third person missing at the East Sussex beach. Lifeboats and a helicopter are combing the water off the coast. Seven other people have died around the British coastline since Friday. Richard Tollett, lifeboat operations manager at Rye Harbour, told the Press Association the RNLI received a request to launch at around 20:30. He said: \"As the tide has receded it has left a couple more bodies on the beach in the sand. \"A member of the public found them and that person reported another one in the water so we have got two lifeboats and a helicopter searching the area trying to find the other one.\" The first alert came just after 14:10 when coastguard helicopters, a lifeboat, rescue teams and an air ambulance were sent to the scene after reports three men were in need of urgent medical assistance. The beach was cleared and the public were asked to stay away while the emergency services dealt with the incident. Suggestions that their deaths may be linked to jellyfish have been ruled out. Sussex Police stated there was nothing to suggest the men were migrants. Ch Supt Di Roskilly said: \"This has been an incredibly tragic situation. At this stage we are doing all we can to establish who the men are and to identify next of kin.\" Eyewitness Natalja Taylor, 30, said she saw three people being pulled out of the water, apparently by \"regular people, not emergency personnel\". \"There were so many people there. They were still on the beach when we left,\" she said. She said police drove on to the beach with a loudspeaker telling people not to go into the water until further notice, and also taped off \"a huge chunk of the beach so no-one could get near it\". She said: \"It's pretty scary. I'm not sure how it happened. We decided not to go into the sea after seeing warning signs about some kind of fish. \"It wasn't particularly windy down there, it was just a hot, sunny beach day.\" Charlotte Frederick, from London, who saw the rescue operation take place, said: \"One was taken away on a rescue truck and the other two were left behind.\" She said she realised later that the other two men had also died. \"We saw them take up a blanket and then after that we saw them taken in a body bag. It was really distressing,\" she said. The incident happened on the hottest day of the year when the beach was packed with people. Ch Supt Roskilly said: \"This has been an incredibly tragic situation and very traumatic for those who were there on the beach at the time.\" Last month, 19-year-old Brazilian Gustavo Silva Da Cruz died after getting into difficulty while swimming in the sea there. He was one of three men who got into trouble in the water. Camber Sands is a popular destination for", "summary": "Two more bodies have been found on the beach at Camber Sands, hours after three men were pulled from the water on the hottest day of the year."}
{"article": "The Swede, 35, joined Jose Mourinho's side last summer on a one-year deal and has scored 20 goals this season. Mourinho said on Friday he believed the club's top scorer would still be at Old Trafford in 2017-18. When asked about his future, Ibrahimovic said: \"We'll wait and see.\" Ibrahimovic's goals have helped Manchester United into the EFL Cup final - where they will face Southampton - as well as the fifth round of the FA Cup. The Red Devils are also in the Europa League knockout stage. Manchester United won the Community Shield in August and Ibrahimovic is confident of adding at least one more trophy to the collection. \"We have one and we can get our second one,\" he added. \"We are still in the Europa League and FA Cup, so if we don't become champions in the Premier League at least we can try and win two or three trophies.\"", "summary": "Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic says \"nothing is done\" with regards to his future but insists he has fulfilled requirements needed to extend his contract."}
{"article": "The incident happened in the Corrigan's Court area on Saturday morning. Police said the victim was assaulted by two men. It is understood the 27-year-old man's injuries are not life-threatening.", "summary": "A 27-year-old man has been arrested in Armagh in connection with the stabbing of a 24-year-old man in the city."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Jake Jervis hit the post in the second half, after Graham Carey and Paul-Arnold Garita had both gone close. Liverpool went through with a rare goal from Lucas Leiva, ending an FA Cup run which has been worth \u00a31m to Argyle. \"We were really unfortunate to go out of the cup because we had the opportunities to score,\" Adams said. \"We had to twist, we had to push forward and the players did that really well,\" added Adams, whose side had held Liverpool to a 0-0 draw with a very defensive display at Anfield 10 days earlier. \"We've got a lot of creative players in our team and at times we were in and around the penalty area. Could we have scored and seen the pressure that would have put on Liverpool?\" More than 17,000 people watched the game at Home Park, making it Argyle's biggest attendance for nine years. \"It was a fantastic atmosphere, it started really early and just got better as the evening went on,\" said Adams. \"The supporters sang their hearts out and the players responded to that.\"", "summary": "League Two side Plymouth were unlucky not to progress in the FA Cup after their 1-0 replay loss to Liverpool, said Argyle manager Derek Adams."}
{"article": "A total of 28% had not talked about the symptoms, the University of Aberdeen paper revealed. Lead author Dr Peter Murchie said it highlighted the complications surrounding emergency cancer diagnosis. Cancer Research UK said it was a complex area. The study - published in the British Journal of Cancer - said that, of those who had previously flagged symptoms to their doctor, 81% had been appropriately referred on by their GP for further treatment or investigation of their symptoms. However it said 19% could be viewed as missed opportunities for earlier diagnosis. The study, funded by the Scottish Chief Scientist's Office, involved a review of the case notes from 1,800 patients diagnosed with cancer in northern Scotland and registered at GP surgeries across NHS Grampian, Orkney and Shetland. Dr Murchie, a GP and researcher at the University of Aberdeen, said: \"This study sheds light on the complications surrounding emergency cancer diagnosis and how quickly circumstances can change for the patient. \"It's vital we do more to ensure people with persistent or unusual symptoms feel confident about getting them checked out by a doctor without delay. \"And it's equally important to give GPs better access to the tests and specialist advice they need to help them spot potential cancer symptoms at the earliest stage.\" Jodie Moffat, Cancer Research UK's head of early diagnosis, said: \"For some patients, emergency presentation may be difficult to avoid, but for others there are often things that could have been done differently. \"Studies like this help us to understand this complex picture and identify what needs to change. \"Cancer patients diagnosed as an emergency are more likely to have late stage disease and poorer survival. So it's vital we do all we can to break down barriers to people visiting their doctor with symptoms that could be cancer. \"Cancer Research UK is also working with GPs in Scotland to help improve early cancer diagnosis and ensure they have the freedom to refer patients for further tests and access specialist advice if cancer is suspected.\"", "summary": "More than a quarter of cancer patients diagnosed as an emergency in the north of Scotland had not discussed any relevant symptoms with their GP beforehand, according to a new study."}
{"article": "Speaking in South Carolina, Mr Huntsman endorsed the candidacy of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Mr Huntsman received just 17% of the vote in the New Hampshire primary despite campaigning extensively there. He has struggled to build momentum in South Carolina, where the conservative vote is traditionally strong. The Palmetto State goes to the polls on Saturday to pick a candidate for the Republican nomination. The Huntsman campaign had difficulty gaining traction nationally, attracting about 1% to 2% in most opinion polls. As he announced his withdrawal from the race, Mr Huntsman, who pitched himself at his campaign launch as a \"civil\" candidate who would not play dirty, bemoaned the state of the Republican contest. By Mark MardellBBC North America editor Read Mark's thoughts in full Profile: Jon Huntsman \"This race has degenerated into an onslaught of negative and personal attacks,\" he said, calling on the Republican party to unite behind a single candidate. \"Divisiveness is corrosive,\" he added, saying that the \"the current toxic form of our political discourse does not help our cause\". Mr Huntsman, 51, is a fluent Mandarin speaker and served as US President Barack Obama's first ambassador to China. In the early 1990s he became the youngest head of a US diplomatic mission for a century when he was appointed ambassador in Singapore. Mr Huntsman's withdrawal from the race came the morning after he received an endorsement from The State, the largest newspaper in South Carolina. They called Mr Huntsman and Mr Romney the \"two sensible, experienced grown-ups in the race'', but said the former ambassador was \"more principled\" and offered \"a significantly more important message''. Mr Huntsman threw his support behind Mr Romney, calling him the candidate most likely to defeat President Obama in November's presidential elections. Acknowledging differences between him and Mr Romney - whom Mr Huntsman sharply criticised in recent weeks - he said he would nevertheless support the former Massachusetts governor. Grover Norquist, a prominent advocate for tax reform, writes in Politico's The Arena that \"there was a possible Huntsman strategy. He just needed to get started earlier... He could have been Wisconsin's Scott Walker before Walker. He could have been Chris Christie.\" But The Washington Post's The Fix wonders whether there was ever a way for the Huntsman campaign to have influenced the race: \"He needed a vulnerable Romney. And Iowa was the entire field's best chance to show that Romney's front-runner status was shaky at best. Huntsman couldn't have beaten Romney in Iowa, but he could have kept the former Massachusetts governor from winning.\" Meanwhile, The Caucus blog at the New York Times questions how much of an impact Huntsman's backing will make to the Romney campaign: \"The endorsement may not significantly change the shape of the race, but it could inject a new dynamic into a debate Monday night on the Fox News Channel.\" Paul West writes in the LA Times that the Huntsman campaign probably failed to meet its own targets: \"It's unlikely that Huntsman met his own goals as a presidential candidate, and an argument can be made", "summary": "Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman has ended his presidential campaign, saying that \"negative and personal attacks\" have marred the Republican race."}
{"article": "The jury in Father Benedict Seed's trial found five other charges not proven by a majority. The 83-year-old, who appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court under the name Thomas Michael Seed, belted Paul Curran on the wrists until he bled. Seed, of Brora, denied all the charges against him. He has been fined \u00c2\u00a31,000. Mr Curran, now a 50-year-old businessman living in Hong Kong, told the jury at Inverness Sheriff Court that he had dreams of being \"hunted\" by Seed for the five years he attended the now closed Fort Augustus Abbey school in the Highlands. He said he was belted with a leather tawse which left his hands and wrists bleeding, swollen and bruised after being caught swearing. Seed, was a housemaster before being promoted to headmaster at the school, told the court that \"housemasters gave corporal punishment\". But he said caning was \"very rare\" and belting \"pretty rare\".", "summary": "A former priest has been found guilty of assault to injury of a pupil at a former Catholic boarding school at Fort Augustus in the 1970s and 1980s."}
{"article": "Ferrari's Vettel, 29, swore at Whiting over his team radio while duelling with Max Verstappen on the track. The German, who won four world titles at Red Bull, later apologised. But Horner said: \"In any sport, you can't give abuse to the referee.\" He suggested the sport's governing body the FIA would look at the incident, and added: \"I would be surprised if that went unreprimanded.\" Vettel was stripped of his podium finish in Mexico after he was ruled to have raced in a dangerous manner. After switching to Ferrari from Red Bull in 2015, Vettel won three races and came third overall behind Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. This year he is yet to win a race and lies fourth in the overall standings. Both Horner and former Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo suggested Vettel's lack of success at Ferrari could have played a part in his outburst. \"It is not an attribute he had when he drove for us. Obviously his frustration he is vocalising, and everybody can hear that,\" Horner said. \"I definitely sense he has been a bit more frustrated this year,\" Ricciardo added. Available FIA sanctions include a fine, or even suspending Vettel from the next race in Brazil. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says he would be \"surprised\" if Sebastian Vettel escaped punishment for an expletive-filled outburst at race director Charlie Whiting during Sunday's Mexican Grand Prix."}
{"article": "Spain had 72.4% of possession in the first half but failed to score. They finally took the lead after 55 minutes when keeper Gianluigi Buffon missed an attempted clearance to leave Vitolo to sidefoot in. Italy rarely threatened but, after Sergio Ramos tripped Eder, De Rossi equalised to extend his country's unbeaten run in qualifiers to 52 games. The last time the Azzurri lost a World Cup or European qualifier was in September 2006 when they were beaten 3-1 by France on their way to reaching Euro 2008. Italy and Spain now have four points from two games, with Albania, who beat Liechtenstein 2-0, top of Group G on six points. Israel won 2-1 in Macedonia in the other game in the group. Spain were out to avenge their defeat by the Azzurri in the last 16 of Euro 2016 and quickly took control of the match. They went close when Andres Iniesta played a one-two with David Silva only to see a weakly struck left-footed shot saved before Gerard Pique sent a close-range header straight at Buffon. Spain looked set for victory after 38-year-old Buffon's error as he completely missed the ball when trying to clear a through ball to Vitolo. However, substitute Ciro Immobile brought some much-needed energy and threat to the home attack and a rash Ramos challenge allowed De Rossi to score. Iceland shocked England when they knocked them out of Euro 2016 and seemed to be on course for a reality check when trailing Finland 2-1 in their first home 2018 World Cup qualifier since then. But Alfred Finnbogason equalised in the 90th minute before Fulham's Ragnar Sigurdsson, who scored in the 2-1 win over England, got a winner in the fifth minute of added time. Finland had opened the scoring through Teemu Pukki and, even though Kari Arnason equalised, Robin Lod quickly restored the visiting side's lead. Gylfi Sigurdsson missed a penalty to compound Iceland's misery before the late drama. Iceland are now second in Group I, level on four points with leaders Croatia, who beat Kosovo 6-0 in Albania. Ukraine drew 2-2 in Turkey and they are third and fourth respectively in the same group. Match ends, Italy 1, Spain 1. Second Half ends, Italy 1, Spain 1. Nacho (Spain) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Alessandro Florenzi (Italy). Nacho (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Andrea Belotti (Italy). Foul by \u00c1lvaro Morata (Spain). Daniele De Rossi (Italy) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. Andr\u00e9s Iniesta (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Leonardo Bonucci (Italy) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. \u00c1lvaro Morata (Spain) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Leonardo Bonucci (Italy). Offside, Italy. Alessandro Florenzi tries a through ball, but Ciro Immobile is caught offside. Attempt missed. Ciro Immobile (Italy) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left misses to the right. Assisted by Daniele De Rossi following a set piece situation. Gerard Piqu\u00e9 (Spain) is shown", "summary": "Italy salvaged a draw in a 2018 World Cup qualifier against Spain with a late Daniele de Rossi penalty."}
{"article": "The ISS recently was fitted with a high-definition projector, which the astronauts use for special movie nights, as well as video conferences with space scientists back on earth. It is isn't the first time they have watched movies in space. Commander Scott Kelly and her team used the same kit last month to watch space disaster movie Gravity.", "summary": "Astronauts have been watching Star Wars on board the International Space Station."}
{"article": "The money was raised in a funding round led by the Royal Mail Group and backed by investors, including the Scottish Investment Bank, Par Equity and technology entrepreneurs. Mallzee said the cash would allow it to \"scale its global offering\". The company was founded in 2013 by 27-year-old Edinburgh-based entrepreneur Cally Russell. Mr Russell pressed ahead with developing the app after turning down an offer of investment on the BBC's Dragons' Den programme. Mallzee is a personalised shopping app, which allows users access to more than 100 fashion stores at one go. It also lets shoppers build their own \"style feeds\". Mr Russell said: \"This round of investment is going to allow us to become the leading fashion shopping app in the world and the mix of investors is going to be vital to allowing us to achieve this. \"With Royal Mail Group we have a partner that plays a vital part in the online shopping environment and one which is well positioned to enable us to access new retailers.\" Earlier this year, Mallzee secured an exclusive promotional link-up with tech giant Samsung. In a separate development, daily fantasy sports operator FanDuel announced it had acquired Edinburgh-based mobile app developer Kotikan. FanDuel said the firm had designed and developed its mobile offering and it was \"logical\" to bring the Kotikan team in-house to further innovate and develop FanDuel's mobile products. FanDuel reported last week it was set for major expansion after raising $275m (\u00a3176m) in a funding round, It was founded in Edinburgh in 2009 and only operates in North America. The business focuses on US sports such as basketball, baseball and American football.", "summary": "Fashion shopping app developer Mallzee is set to expand after securing \u00a32.5m from investors."}
{"article": "The two-time Olympian, 38, told BBC Sport the country must be punished over its ongoing doping crisis. \"The scale, co-ordination and leadership of a doping system like this is arguably the most heinous crime possible against the Olympic movement,\" said the former skeleton racer. \"So, somewhat reluctantly, I am led to one conclusion: exclusion from Rio.\" Many Great Britain Olympic and Paralympic stars have endorsed a letter sent by The Times to the IOC urging the organisation to ban Russia from Rio. The signatories include swimmer Rebecca Adlington, 400m hurdler Sally Gunnell, long jumper Lynn Davies and 11-time Paralympic gold medallist Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson. The letter, which was organised by the newspaper, has been sent to the IOC's executive board, which will make the decision on whether to have a blanket ban on Russia's participation. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has already excluded Russia's track and field team from the Games. Pengilly, a member of the IOC's Athletes' Commission and one of four British IOC members, conceded: \"I say reluctantly [that Russia should be banned] because there are very probably clean Russian athletes, and they will suffer, and this is nothing short of terrible. \"It's an incredibly tough decision. There's no fair outcome for everyone.\" But he insisted: \"The Russian flag should not be flown at the Rio Olympic Games.\" In 2013 Pengilly received praise for raising the issue of doping before the vote to decide a host of the 2020 Games, questioning both Spain and Turkey during their bid presentations in Buenos Aires. Russia could face a blanket ban after a damning report compiled by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren claimed it operated a state-sponsored doping programme from 2011 to 2015. The IOC is exploring \"legal options\" before deciding whether to implement \"a collective ban\" on all Russian competitors for the global showpiece, which starts on 5 August. A decision by its executive board could come on Sunday. \"Clean athletes, the Olympic Games and the wider Olympic movement have been mocked,\" Pengilly said. \"However, Russia is an important sporting nation - we want and need them fully involved in the future, but only when they can do it cleanly. \"Therefore, I firmly believe that we should offer support and assistance to the Russian Federation so they can escape from this ugly culture and cycle.\" Russia will find out in August if it is to be banned from the 2016 Paralympics in Rio. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has \"opened suspension proceedings\" following the publication of the McLaren report earlier this week. Paralympian David Weir has accused the IPC of being \"naive\" in their handling of doping allegations. The wheelchair athlete, who won four golds at London 2012, told BBC Sport: \"It looks like they are being naive and maybe thought that Paralympians don't cheat, but they are all public funded and there are sponsors so if you want that margin gain maybe you will cheat. \"The IPC should have put their foot down straight away.\" Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev said he was \"saddened\" by the \"unacceptable\" prospect of", "summary": "Russia should be banned from Rio 2016, says British International Olympic Committee member Adam Pengilly."}
{"article": "A statement said \"several main locations of the wreckage\" had been identified. A deep sea search vessel had also sent back the first images of the wreckage, the statement added. There were 66 people on board flight MS804 when it crashed on 19 May while flying from Paris to Cairo. The Airbus A320 plane vanished from Greek and Egyptian radar screens, apparently without having sent a distress call. The Egyptian investigation committee said that investigators on board the John Lethbridge search vessel, which has been contracted by the Egyptian government, would now draw up a map of the wreckage distribution. What do we know so far? Who were the victims? Earlier this month, search teams said signals from one of the \"black box\" flight recorders had been detected. Signals emitted by the recorders are expected to expire by 24 June, experts have warned. The cause of the crash remains a mystery. A terror attack has not been ruled out but no extremist group has claimed the downing of the plane. Analysts say human or technical error is also a possibility. Flight data revealed that smoke detectors went off in the toilet and the aircraft's electrics, minutes before the plane's signal was lost. According to Greek investigators, the plane turned 90 degrees left and then 360 degrees to the right, dropping from 11,300m (37,000ft) to 4,600m (15,000ft) and then 3,000m (10,000ft) before it was lost from radar.", "summary": "Wreckage of the EgyptAir flight that went missing over the Mediterranean last month has been found, Egyptian investigators say."}
{"article": "She told her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in Berlin she expected her toughest campaign yet and would \"fight for our values and our way of life\". An election is due to be held next year after four years of coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD). Mrs Merkel's poll ratings have slipped since the height of her popularity but she retains wide support. The chancellor, who has been in office since 2005, is also being challenged by the populist right-wing AfD party. She announced she would stand again after meeting party leaders at CDU headquarters. She told reporters that the decision to run for a fourth term had been \"anything but trivial after 11 years in office\". She added that she expected challenges from both the right and the left of the political spectrum. Is Merkel really on the ropes? Profile: Angela Merkel In September, Mrs Merkel accepted responsibility for election defeats for the CDU in several states and conceded that her open-door policy towards migrants was a factor. Germany expected up to 300,000 migrants to arrive in the country this year, the head of the country's federal office for migration and refugees said earlier this year. In 2015, Germany received more than a million applications for asylum. She's kept Germany guessing for weeks, but it looks as though Angela Merkel has finally answered the so called K-frage (chancellor question). A poll for one Sunday newspaper (in German) found that 55% of Germans would vote for her. Mrs Merkel's approval ratings have gone up and down in recent months as a result of her refugee policy but they remain the envy of other world leaders. Even so, she will be battling the tide of populism that swept Donald Trump to victory in the States and which is also washing across Europe. The anti-Muslim party Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) is likely to win seats in the national parliament next year. It's highly unlikely to take Mrs Merkel down but it is leaching votes from Germany's established political parties. Those parties are - by and large - likely to be relieved by Mrs Merkel's decision. In the past few years the job of German chancellor has become one of the most powerful political positions in the world. The next incumbent must not only lead the country but deal with a fragmenting EU, in a world which may be much changed by the new US administration. It's widely (sometimes grudgingly ) accepted here that there simply isn't another realistic candidate for the job. As one broadcaster put it: \"Angela Merkel - the indispensable\". Read more: Germany jolted by AfD success A pastor's daughter who grew up in communist East Germany, Mrs Merkel has run the united country since 2005. If she wins next year's general election, due to take place between August and October, she will equal the post-war record set by Helmut Kohl, who was chancellor from 1982 to 1998. Germany - Europe's economic powerhouse - does not have term limits on the country's top job.", "summary": "Germany's centre-right Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that she will run for a fourth term in office."}
{"article": "Gavin Egan, 34, was found in Peasholm Park, Scarborough, on 24 February 2016. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said PC Helen Hardie \"had a case to answer for gross misconduct\". The force said it \"disagreed with the content of their [IPCC] report\". More on this and other North Yorkshire stories In its report, the IPCC said an ambulance had gone to the park after a member of the public had contacted them to say he had pulled a man out out of the lake. A paramedic searched the park for about 38 minutes but could not find the missing man, so he called the police. PC Hardie attended the scene at about 04:00 GMT. The IPCC report said: \"A four-minute search was carried out before PC Hardie left the area, she did not seek assistance and the incident log was closed soon after.\" It added that the officer concluded the missing man had fled the scene \"despite a paramedic's view that he would be incapable of such action because of freezing temperatures\". She later told an inspector \"there was no evidence a man had been pulled from the lake\". Mr Egan's body was found at about 11:30 GMT. The IPCC investigator said that in his opinion \"PC Hardie had a case to answer for gross misconduct\". In a statement, North Yorkshire Police said: \"We disagreed with the content of their report and their finding that it amounted to gross misconduct. \"We appealed their report and it was subsequently agreed with the IPCC that a misconduct meeting would be held. \"This has been carried out and the officer has been issued with a written warning.\"", "summary": "A North Yorkshire Police officer made \"errors\" in the search for a missing man who was later found dead in the lake of a public park, the police watchdog has found."}
{"article": "The decision came after an inquiry found that the tragedy could have been avoided if Harry Clarke had not lied about his history of blackouts. Mr Clarke, 58, was unconscious when the lorry veered out of control on 22 December 2014, killing six people. The inquiry found he had \"repeatedly lied in order to gain and retain jobs\". Relatives of Erin McQuade and Jack and Lorraine Sweeney made the announcement about the private prosecution after a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the crash published its findings. In their statement, they criticised a decision by the Crown Office not to prosecute Mr Clarke and said they had instructed their own lawyers to take action. The family said: \"The family note the press release by the Crown and they contend they were right not to prosecute the driver. \"We firmly remain of the view that they are wrong as is their interpretation of the findings and recommendations. \"As a result we have instructed our solicitor to commence a prosecution against the driver.\" The family's statement came after the Crown Office said: \"There are no findings in the determination that undermine the decisions not to prosecute the driver. \"There was no finding that the driver knew or ought to have known that he was unfit to drive.\" The statement concluded: \"We note the sheriff's findings on the driver's motivation to retain or gain employment. \"It is important to note the sheriff was considering evidence at an FAI where a lesser standard of proof is required and where more relaxed rules of evidence apply. \"A criminal prosecution requires sufficient evidence to the much higher standard beyond reasonable doubt.\" The fatal accident inquiry (FAI) at Glasgow Sheriff Court, before Sheriff John Beckett, was set up after the Crown Office decided not to prosecute anyone over the crash. The inquiry, which concluded in August, examined the circumstances of the tragedy. Sheriff Beckett's determination is critical in particular of driver Harry Clarke, stating outright that the crash might have been avoided had he not lied about his medical history. But there are also implications for Glasgow City Council and potentially all local authorities; for doctors and GPs; and for the DVLA and driver licensing right across the UK. It includes appeals to government ministers and could see changes to the law. As well as eight \"reasonable precautions\" which could have prevented the crash - all relating to Mr Clarke's health - the sheriff outlined 19 recommendations which could reduce the chances of such an incident recurring in future. Read more from BBC Scotland reporter Philip Sim, who covered the inquiry at Glasgow Sheriff Court In his report, Sheriff Becket concluded: \"The most effective measure to prevent such an occurrence would be to seek to avoid drivers becoming incapacitated at the wheel. \"Responsibility in that regard lies with drivers themselves and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). \"It may well be that the single most useful outcome of this inquiry would be to raise awareness of the dangers involved in driving if subject to a medical condition which could cause", "summary": "A family which lost three members in the Glasgow bin lorry crash is to go ahead with a bid to stage a private prosecution of the driver."}
{"article": "I called it a circus act, a freak show. I said it had all the weird fascination of one of those Victorian Odditoriums with Wang the Human Unicorn and Ella the infamous Camel Girl. The appeal of an Old Firm derby is not so much the football but the grisliness surrounding the football. That's the marketability of this game - the rot. It's not known as one of the most storied derbies in world football because of the quality of the action on the field. Maybe it was back in the day - undoubtedly it was - but that hasn't been the case for a long time now. Those who get drawn to it do so because of its essential madness, its toxicity, its poison. That's an uncomfortable admission given the nature of some of the things that go on around this match - the bigotry, the violence, the viciousness and hysteria on social media. But it's the truth. At its craziest, it's football's equivalent of the Jim Rose Circus. And, love it or loathe it, for the next three months, there will be little escape from it. It's back - or soon will be. It was inevitable. Plenty have missed it. Plenty of others have not. It is possible to celebrate its return while also having an acute dread. That might seem like a contradiction, but in the strange world of the Old Firm, it makes some kind of sense. By the time it comes around, it will have been almost three years since the previous meeting of these two clubs. Expect that to be reflected in the acreage of newsprint and radio hours that will be expended on this Scottish League Cup semi-final. Before a previous meeting, I spent the week counting the number of newspaper pages given over to the fixture, from the Monday before to the Monday after. I gave up halfway through when the count had soared to over 100. One title had 27 pages dedicated to the game on one day alone. After a gap of three years, the mind boggles as to what lays ahead in terms of countdown. If you stop your stopwatch at the point when it was obvious that they would be drawn together, it probably it took a fraction of a millisecond for the first tweets to land, like blows to the jaw of their rivals. Media playback is not supported on this device Some among the Celtic support are steadfast in their belief that a unique occurrence is going to take place next year - the first meeting of the sides. Something akin to virtual spontaneous combustion happened on social media. As commentators ran through the gamut of Things We Cannot Say (TWCS), there was a predictable and plentiful response. \"Previous meetings\" - there's been none. \"Rivalry\" - doesn't exist. \"Rangers\" - no such club. This coterie of Celtic fans say they see this League Cup semi-final as a match with no history. We must assume, by extension, that they believe the Celtic crowd at Hampden for the semi-final will", "summary": "A few years back, in the days before former owner Craig Whyte ever darkened Rangers' door and in a time when Charles Green was selling his bombast elsewhere, I wrote a column about the nature of the Old Firm derby as I saw it."}
{"article": "The woman, 26, was filmed cycling through the barrier at Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire on 12 September. Following an appeal by British Transport Police (BTP), she came forward voluntarily, officers said. At the time of the incident, rail bosses described it as \"one of the closest near misses we've seen\". BTP released the CCTV of the Cambridge woman passing the closed barrier and ignoring warning signals and lights. Hundreds of thousands of people watched the footage of her cycling up to the tracks before slamming on her brakes, and edging backwards as the train sped past. Moments later the woman was seen mopping her brow before cycling off in the direction she had come from. Her actions forced the driver of the train to apply the emergency brake when he saw her, operator Greater Anglia said. More than 100 trains travel through the Waterbeach crossing each day, at speeds of up to 75mph (120km/h). Since 1 January, there have been 70 reported incidents at level crossings in Cambridgeshire, a BTP spokesman said. However, incidents such as this one were \"extremely rare\", he added. The woman was cautioned under section 36 of the Malicious Damages Act 1861. The section covers incidents of \"obstructing engines or carriages on railways\", which carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail.", "summary": "A cyclist who dodged a closed level crossing barrier, coming within inches of being hit by a train, has been formally cautioned by police."}
{"article": "20 July 2016 Last updated at 17:05 BST The special drone can search for objects 100m under the surface of the water. It's been exploring an old steam ship at the bottom of a lake in Nevada, America. Ricky has been finding out more...", "summary": "Scientists in America are working with a new type of drone - but instead of flying high up into the sky, this one goes deep underwater."}
{"article": "The Kitchener memorial in Orkney is among those in line for financial assistance. The monument, which sits on an exposed cliff edge, and faces extensive weathering - is getting \u00a330,000. Memorials in Helensburgh, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Huntly, Tullibody and Keiss have also received War Memorials Trust funding. The recipients are: Frances Moreton, the director of War Memorials Trust, said: \"The charity is delighted at the level of interest in this scheme and the enthusiasm of people across the country to do something about the condition of their memorials. \"There are still plenty of funds available for the right projects so get in touch to see if we can help your local war memorial.\"", "summary": "Grants totalling \u00a3190,000 have been offered to restore 21 First World War memorials across Scotland."}
{"article": "Third Energy submitted an application to extract shale gas at a site near Kirby Misperton in Ryedale in May 2015. The authority said a report on the application had not yet been finalised but it had received more than 4,000 representations about the proposals. Third Energy said it aimed to \"minimise disruption to the local community\". Rasik Valand, chief executive of the company, said: \"The hydraulic fracturing and testing is a key step towards determining the viability of producing gas from this hybrid sandstone and shale formation in North Yorkshire.\" The county council's decision on the planning application had originally been expected last November but was delayed after the authority requested more information from Third Energy. The council said it recognised there would be considerable public interest in the decision and was making arrangements to ensure the meeting, at County Hall in Northallerton, was managed \"safely and effectively\". Environmental permits have already been granted to Third Energy by the Environment Agency.", "summary": "A decision on whether to allow fracking at a site in North Yorkshire will be taken on 20 May, the county council has said."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Belfast bout was cancelled after Gutierrez, 24, slipped in the shower on Friday and suffered facial cuts, two broken teeth and bruising to the head. Northern Irishman Frampton, 30, had earlier weighed in for the fight a pound over the featherweight limit. That meant the contest would not have been a WBC title eliminator for him. Media playback is not supported on this device It is not clear if the rescheduled fight would be a title eliminator and much depends on the time required for Gutierrez to fully recover from his injuries. Frampton's manager Barry McGuigan said on Friday: \"We're all so disappointed. It was a freak accident. \"He slipped in the shower, smashed his face, the guy is concussed. He has a deep gash on his chin, his nose, lost two of his teeth.\" WARNING: Image of Gutierrez's facial injury below Saturday's bout was due to be Frampton's homecoming fight after losing to Mexican Leo Santa Cruz in Las Vegas in January. \"Since the accident on Friday night and subsequent event cancellation, Cyclone Promotions, the SSE Arena, the Gutierrez management team, boxing authorities and relevant broadcasters have been working to agree a new date for the fight,\" Cyclone Promotions and the SSE Arena said on Saturday. \"We appreciate the patience of all ticket holders who can retain their tickets pending confirmation of a rescheduled fight. For anyone wishing to arrange a refund, further details will be released early next week. \"We wish to apologise once again for this very unfortunate cancellation and wish Andres a speedy recovery from the serious injuries he sustained last night.\"", "summary": "Work has started on agreeing a new date for Carl Frampton's featherweight fight against Mexican Andres Gutierrez after Saturday's contest was called off."}
{"article": "They described a horrific scene at the end of the two day stand-off at Moulvibazar near Sylhet. Police told local media the militants detonated a grenade after failing to escape and to avoid being captured. The dead are believed to include members of a local jihadist group. On Saturday six people - two police officers and four civilians - were killed in twin bombings in Sylhet when commandos flushed out another group of suspected Islamist militants. So-called Islamic State (IS) claimed on messaging app Telegram that it was behind one of the blasts. In the latest incident on Thursday, police told The Daily Star that the bodies were discovered when a bomb disposal team entered the militants' den after \"disposing of grenades and bombs [which were] lying scattered on the floor\" of the building. The paper says that the sound of gunfire and explosions could be constantly heard right up until the time the security forces entered the premises. It is unclear how a child was apparently caught up in the violence. The BBC's Waliur Rahman in Dhaka says that another suspected hideout in the same north-eastern area has also been surrounded by police since Wednesday. Meanwhile, law enforcers are also keeping a close watch on a building in the eastern town of Comilla, where a similar raid to flush out militants is imminently expected. The escalation in violence comes at a time when many in Bangladesh thought security forces had managed to curb Islamist militancy, following the deadly siege on a cafe in Dhaka last year. Recent suicide attacks on security camps and checkpoints have surprised many. IS has claimed to be behind at least two other incidents this month, including one at a checkpoint near Bangladesh's international airport and one involving a man who tried to cross a checkpoint run by an elite police unit. However, Bangladeshi police maintain that an offshoot of the banned Islamist outfit Jamiatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) is responsible for many of these attacks, despite claims to the contrary by IS and al-Qaeda.", "summary": "Up to eight people including a child were killed when suspected Islamist militants blew themselves up after being surrounded in a hideout in north-eastern Bangladesh, police say."}
{"article": "The deal would see Dublin Bus staff receive pay rises totalling 11.25% over three years. This is more than the increase of 8.25%, as recommended by the Labour Court. Drivers have been seeking a 15% pay rise over three years. The latest deal would not be linked to additional productivity. Strikes had been scheduled for 11 more days in October, including this Saturday, when Dublin face Mayo in the All-Ireland senior gaelic football final replay. Under the proposal, staff will be expected to cooperate with the introduction of drug and alcohol testing at work. Irish broadcaster RT\u00c3\u2030 reports that cooperation will also be expected on measures to reduce absenteeism. The proposal also included items relating to scheduling, pensions, and other policies. The ballot of Dublin Bus staff is expected to take about ten days. Hundreds of thousands of people have already been disrupted by a series of strikes by bus drivers in September.", "summary": "Bus strikes in Dublin have been suspended pending a ballot of staff, after talks between management and unions at the Workplace Relations Commission."}
{"article": "\"I recovered from anorexia, I became bulimic and struggled with self-harm and depression and I was diagnosed with bipolar after that,\" says Ruby, who is now 22. The illustrator and author, now known as Ruby etc, found herself in a cycle of hospitalisation from the age of 14, and she found each return to the classroom painfully stressful. \"I was too unwell for school a lot of the time and hated formal art classes in particular,\" she says, and night-school was a non-starter too. Ruby is now building a successful career in art and has landed a publishing deal. At 17 she left education and began to draw every day. At the time, it was one of the only things she could engage with and it became an important coping mechanism. \"When I drew it was a relief. It was catharsis,\" she says. Her sketches started on post-it-sized bits of paper always with the aim of making herself laugh. The \"bizarre\" nature of the mental health system provided plenty of inspiration - from the therapists to the mood stabilisers, which she thought of as bike stabilisers that required her to \"do the peddlin'\". \"Often when I'm feeling really down I'll draw very silly things to take my mind off it all. Other times I might be feeling okay, but want to focus on something a little deeper or more serious,\" she says. After encouragement from a friend, Elliot started to post her images online. Over the next three years she amassed 200,000 subscribers to her Tumblr blog, 31,000 fans on Facebook and 28,000 Instagram followers. \"I was so unwell and isolated but being able to put stuff on the internet and communicate with other people is something I could do from inside the house when I couldn't leave due to paranoia.\" Elliot now takes her sketchpad everywhere she goes and regards it as her \"safety blanket\". She doesn't do draft versions of her work, she just goes straight to it in pen - generally in black ink. Being depressed for me feels like I've been steam-rollered by an external force that renders me a grotty non-human pancake of sadness. I become so saturated and overwhelmed with feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness that the simplest of things become a giant effort - it can take me a week or more to convince myself to crawl into the shower. The subsequent shame and embarrassment about not being able to Do Anything is the icing on the cake really. I become noticeably slower. I sleep more. It's a scary place to be. The other side - mania - or hypomania (mania but without psychotic symptoms) is like a switch flicks within me and I suddenly have masses of energy; I sleep less, I do more. I can seem quite happy and 'well'. But I will have a pretty constant stream of rushing thoughts I'm trying to manage, and although they can be exciting, when I get sleep deprived I get agitated. It can get to a point where I can't 'switch off' and that gets", "summary": "For Ruby Elliot her sketchbook was her only sanctuary from a life in \"constant crisis mode\"."}
{"article": "Now, after nearly two years in the post, his union is involved in four simultaneous fights with four different rail companies. On Southern railway and ScotRail, his members have staged strikes against plans by the train companies to run more trains on which drivers, rather than guards, operate the doors. The ScotRail dispute may be nearing resolution, while the latest Southern train strikes have now been called off for talks. More recently, Virgin East Coast rail workers have voted for strike action, while RMT staff on Eurostar are set to stage two walkouts this month. It seems that Mr Cash has a lot on his plate at the moment. But his tactics are still the same as those he outlined to the Guardian in September 2014, shortly after taking office. \"We negotiate first, we seek to get deals, but if we can't, we give our members the opportunity to have their say,\" he told the newspaper. Mr Cash has been a member of the RMT, and its predecessor the National Union of Railwaymen, for 35 years. He had some big shoes to fill when he became the union's general secretary. The previous occupant of the post, Bob Crow, widely portrayed as a left-wing bogeyman and a throwback to the more militant era of the 1970s, had become the best-known trade unionist in the UK. In contrast, Mr Cash, who had been Mr Crow's deputy for 12 years, was immediately labelled a \"moderate\", despite his assertions that there would be \"no deviation from the industrial, political and organising strategy mapped out by RMT under Bob's leadership\". Mr Cash is a long-time Labour supporter who has served on the party's National Executive Committee and as a local councillor. His association with Labour has continued even after the RMT was expelled from the party in 2004, while the union itself is now affiliated to the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition. He has never made any secret of his view that the railways should be renationalised. He has referred to rail companies as \"parasites\" and written that \"the only answer to this continuing rail chaos is public ownership\". But rail industry observers say the RMT's main objective in the current round of disputes is not a political one, merely a desire to hold back a growing tendency to hand more tasks to train drivers and reduce the role of guards. This, for the union, is an issue of safety. And given the way that passenger numbers have increased and trains have lengthened in recent years, some analysts feel the RMT does have a case. Mr Cash is a railwayman through and through, having begun work with British Rail in 1978 in the signal and telegraph department. He joined the RMT full-time in 2002. In the current wave of industrial action, he has been popping up on picket lines from Glasgow to Eastbourne, always ready to denounce rail bosses for \"ripping apart the safety culture on our railways\". True, his public profile remains self-effacing, unlike that of his ebullient predecessor. But that may not matter too much,", "summary": "When Mick Cash took over as general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, he defined his approach as \"pick your fights\"."}
{"article": "Traditionally a place for studios to show off what they have been working on, this year the gaming industry extravaganza has shaped up a little differently. Publisher EA has decided to run a separate event aimed at gamers, while rival Activision is letting the console companies promote its games, rather than having its own showcase. \"Usually it has been a retail show connecting publishers with buyers, but that is less relevant now due to the digital opportunities in gaming,\" said Piers Harding-Rolls, director of games at consultancy IHS Technology. \"But E3 still has an important role to play. It's where people learn about new products coming to market.\" And plenty of studios have capitalised on the excitement around E3 to tease their new releases, many squeezing out announcements before doors open on 14 June. Of course, if previous years are anything to go by, there are likely to be a few surprises during the week. Harvey Smith has worked on critically acclaimed games including cyberpunk role-playing adventure Deus Ex, and stealth-action thriller Dishonored, which won the Bafta award for best game in 2013. The BBC asked him to share the games he's most looking forward to at E3. Overland I'm a big fan of Adam Saltsman. His game Capsule - an incredibly tense and claustrophobic space travel game - is sublime. Overland is a thoughtful, soulful, post-apocalyptic road trip game with a beautifully laconic art style. Every year, there's an indie game or two that just feels like it was made for me. This year, it might be Overland. Luna I really like Robin Hunicke's work and the art style is super cute - but it goes beyond that. I love that you're not really sure what kind of game it will be. It's the combination of looking sweet and naive on the surface, but somehow hinting at something more complex and sophisticated. I suspect it's a bit of a Trojan horse in that respect. No Man's Sky We play games for a variety of reasons. Some people play games to demonstrate mastery over systems; some play to marvel at a reality beyond ours; some play to feel a sense of wonder at the ecological grandeur of the world. No Man's Sky promises all of that, seducing us with unknown possibilities. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided As one of the people to have participated in the genesis of the Deus Ex brand of dystopia, I am full of hope for the new Deus Ex game. If it's all I want it to be, it will present players with a gritty world gone wrong, challenging moral terrain, and flexible game systems that lead to improvisational \"play\" in the true sense of the word. State of Decay 2 (Rumoured) As a fan of often nihilistic zombie fiction, I was really drawn to State of Decay. The original was a gem in the rough. The best thing about the game was the way it kept enabling player-driven stories. So many times, I got into a tight spot of my own making, then managed to get out", "summary": "This year's E3 could prove to be a turning point - not just for gaming, but for the event itself."}
{"article": "Mr Trump invited the County Down golfer to play at his Trump International Golf Club on Sunday. After 18 holes on the Florida course, McIlroy said of his playing partner: \"He probably shot around 80. He's a decent player for a guy in his 70s.\" However, following a backlash on social media, McIlroy took to Twitter on Friday evening to defend his actions. In the post, he said he respects Mr Trump's office and hit out at those who described him as a fascist and a bigot in the wake of the meeting. \"I don't agree with everything my friends or family say or do, but I still play golf with them,\" he tweeted. \"Last week, I was invited to play golf with the president of the United States. Whether you respect the person who holds the position or not, you respect the office that he holds.\" He added that the game was \"not an endorsement, nor a political statement of any kind\". \"It was, quite simply, a round of golf,\" he wrote. \"I've travelled all over the world and have been fortunate enough to befriend people from many different countries, beliefs and cultures. \"To be called a fascist and a bigot by some people because I spent time in someone's company is just ridiculous. I hope, to some degree, this clarifies my decision to accept the invitation.\"", "summary": "Rory McIlroy has said a round of golf he played with Donald Trump was not an endorsement of the US president."}
{"article": "The database is reported to contain information on 100,000 US Department of Defense employees, among others. Troy Hunt, who published news of the leak, said the information had \"enormous\" potential for scammers. Business services firm Dun & Bradstreet confirmed to tech news site ZDNet that it owns the data. Information on government departments and private sector employees is commonly collated by business services that sell the data to other companies, such as marketing firms. In this case, the records - including names, job titles and contact details - were originally compiled by NetProspex, which was acquired by Dun & Bradstreet in 2015. Organisations with employees mentioned in the data include the US Postal Service, telecoms giant AT&T and the retailer Walmart. Mr Hunt pointed out that people might try to use the names and email addresses in the database to scam or retrieve sensitive information from recipients - a practice known as spear phishing. \"The value for very targeted spear phishing is enormous because you can carefully craft messages that refer to specific individuals of influence and their roles within the organisation,\" he wrote on his blog. Dun & Bradstreet told ZDNet: \"Based on our analysis, it was not accessed or exposed through a Dun & Bradstreet system.\" The leak is the latest in a long string of personal data caches dumped online. In January, personal information of health workers in the US Army was found online by another security professional.", "summary": "Details of more than 33 million US employees - including military staff - have been released online, according to a security researcher."}
{"article": "The Oromo and the Amhara make up about 60% of the population. They complain power is held by a tiny Tigrean elite. Violence has intensified since last Sunday when at least 55 people were killed in clashes between police and protesters at an Oromo festival. Hundreds have died in months of protests, human rights groups say. Tens of thousands have also been detained, they say. Declaring the state of emergency, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said in a televised address: \"We put our citizens' safety first. Besides, we want to put an end to the damage that is being carried out against infrastructure projects, education institutions, health centres, administration and justice buildings.\" The state of emergency will last for six months. BBC World Service Africa editor Mary Harper says the violent protests are the most serious threat to Ethiopian stability in a quarter of a century. Source: CIA World Factbook estimates from 2007 The protesters have been attacking foreign companies, she says, threatening Ethiopia's reputation as a growing economy, ripe for international investment. The details of the state of emergency remain unclear, but she adds that protesters have already shown they will not back down when faced with force. Many roads into and out of the capital, Addis Ababa, are blocked by protesters. The protests since last November are for manifold reason, and include: In the most recent unrest in Oromia, at least 55 people were killed in a stampede. Opposition activists blame the police for causing panic at the annual Ireecha celebrations - a traditional Oromo religious festival. The government blames \"anti-peace forces\" demonstrating in the crowd. Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters angered at their handling of the event, witnesses told the BBC. Protesters say violence by the security forces led to the stampede, but the PM denied security forces had opened fire. Correspondents say that while the ruling coalition has some solid achievements to show for its 25 years in power, it has been unable to manage the transition from being a secretive revolutionary movement to running an open, democratic government.", "summary": "Ethiopia has declared a state of emergency following months of anti-government protests by members of the country's two largest ethnic groups."}
{"article": "Goodwin, who gave Trevor Francis his Blues debut, led the club to two FA Cup semi-finals and promotion to the old Division One in his time in charge, from June 1970 to September 1975. He had previously been manager of both Scunthorpe United and Brighton. During his playing career, he was a wing-half for Matt Busby's United, then Leeds before finishing at Scunthorpe. As one of the Busby Babes, he made his first team breakthrough at Old Trafford following the Munich Air Disaster in 1958. He played in the first game after Munich, just a fortnight later, when the team-sheet in the programme was famously left blank for the club's FA Cup fifth-round win over Sheffield Wednesday. And he was in the rebuilt United team all the way to Wembley, where they lost 2-0 to local rivals Bolton Wanderers. Heywood-born Goodwin also played first-class cricket over two summers, making 11 appearances as a fast bowler for his native Lancashire, in which he took a career-best 5-35 against Middlesex at Lord's in June 1955. After leaving Birmingham in 1975, Goodwin took up an offer to move to the then burgeoning North American Soccer League, where he had two spells as coach, then club president of the Minnesota Kicks. He remained in the United States for the rest of his life, and died at home in Gig Harbor, Washington State at the weekend. Birmingham City will pay tribute at Tuesday night's home game with Bolton Wanderers at St Andrew's. The players will wear black armbands and there will be a minute's applause.", "summary": "Former Birmingham City manager and Manchester United player Freddie Goodwin has died at the age of 82."}
{"article": "The dig at Auckland Castle's walled garden revealed a pioneering pinery-vinery, created by Bishop Richard Trevor in the 1750s. This utilised furnaces and flues to allow the cultivation of exotic fruits, particularly much coveted pineapples. It is believed to be one of the first of its kind in the North East and set the standard for following ones. The dig, by archaeologists from Durham University and volunteers from the Auckland Castle Trust, was in advance of a \u00c2\u00a310m scheme to grow fruit and vegetables under glass domes in the walled garden to supply a new on-site restaurant.", "summary": "Heating systems to grow fruit have been uncovered at the former private palace of the Prince Bishops of Durham."}
{"article": "Hugh Shaw, the UK government official overseeing the salvage operation, said preparations were being made to allow the Hawk to begin the journey to Malta. From Malta the 17,000-tonne drilling rig is to be taken to a yard in Turkey to be broken up. The structure ran aground at Dalmore on Lewis in a storm in early August while being towed to Malta. Last week, Transocean Winner was floated on to the deck of the Hawk, a semi-submersible ship used for transporting large maritime structures over long distances.", "summary": "The rig Transocean Winner is expected to be moved on a heavy lift ship from Broad Bay, Lewis, on Wednesday."}
{"article": "The US company says the \"limited edition\" Toq is designed to showcase its new technologies rather than compete with its other products. Qualcomm is best known for making processors that power smartphones. However, one analyst suggested the device was too bulky to appeal beyond a niche enthusiast audience. The $349 (\u00c2\u00a3215) gadget is being made available via only Qualcomm's website to US customers, and the company said it was \"unlikely\" it would sell the watch elsewhere. The Toq is designed to be paired with any smartphone running Android 4.0.3 or higher. It allows its owner to receive and send text messages, manage reminders and view other information - such as weather forecasts or stock prices - obtained via their handset. There is no software store for the watch itself, but existing handset apps can be adapted to send details to its display and activate a vibrate function. In addition it can be used to accept or reject calls, and control what music is being played from the linked phone's library. The company says that the watch's key innovation is its use of its proprietary Mirasol technology. Rob Chandok, president of Qualcomm Interactive Platforms, described this as being similar to the e-ink displays commonly used by e-book readers and another smartwatch - the Pebble - but better. \"In addition to the fact it offers colour, the refresh rate of Mirasol can be 30 frames a second, which allows you to build a touch interface,\" he told the BBC. \"That's tremendously important when you are trying to offer some of these experiences. \"In an e-ink display you can't refresh the screen fast enough to follow the finger.\" Mirasol is significantly less power-hungry than the OLED tech used by Samsung's Galaxy Gear watch, meaning that unlike its rival, its screen does not have to turn itself off when angled away from the user's face to extend battery life. Sony's Smartwatch 2 does offer an always-on LCD display - however, it requires the user to switch on a backlight in dim conditions. Although Qualcomm suggests the Toq's lack of an on/off switch makes it the superior option, Mr Chandok acknowledged that the Toq display's graphics were not as vibrant or crisp as the alternatives. \"But we've got other versions of Mirasol in the pipeline that are going to have a better colour gamut and vibrancy,\" he added. Qualcomm has also included three other technologies it has developed that it hopes will attract the attention of manufacturers: Mr Chandok said \"tens of thousands, but not hundreds of thousands\" of the watches were being produced, adding that its appeal was likely to be limited to an \"early adopter\" crowd. \"We would consider making more if the demand were high,\" he said. \"But our preference is for our partners to bring out products [using the new technologies] in the next six months, and we're working hard with a few people to do that.\" He declined to name the companies involved, but did reveal that in theory the Toq could be made compatible with Apple's iPhones. \"We limited the spend", "summary": "Qualcomm has released a smartwatch that it says can last days between recharges despite the fact its touchscreen display is always on."}
{"article": "Trains to London Victoria, Charing Cross and Cannon Street are affected. Passengers were urged to check the Southeastern trains website before they travel, with more than 50 services currently delayed or cancelled. Southeastern apologised, saying it had been caused by \"a complete loss of signalling\". The signal is now working again, but delays are expected to continue. Train passengers are being advised they can use their tickets on London Underground, Docklands Light Railway and London Overground, and on London Buses between Lewisham and central London. Commuters delayed by more than half an hour can claim compensation. The general secretary of the RMT union blamed the problem on a \"toxic mix of massive overcrowding and infrastructure failures\". A Network Rail spokesperson said: \"We apologise for the delays passengers experienced this morning on the line through London Bridge to Charing Cross and Cannon Street. \"The signalling problems have been fixed but there are delays as the service recovers. We would advise passengers to check the latest travel information on National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator.\"", "summary": "A major signal failure at London Bridge has caused severe disruption for commuters trying to reach central London from Kent and the South East."}
{"article": "She has lost her British citizenship and exclusion is expected to follow, meaning she cannot travel to the UK. Ms Chapman was among 10 Russians arrested in the US who admitted to being agents for a foreign country. Last week her lawyer said she would like to come to the UK as she has a UK passport through a previous marriage. Russia agreed to exchange four US spies for the 10 Russian agents and the swap was carried out in Vienna on 9 July. Ms Chapman, who is also known as Anya Kushchenko, is the daughter of a Russian diplomat. Until the Home Office's decision, she had dual Russian-UK nationality. BBC home affairs correspondent Andy Tighe said Ms Chapman became the best-known of the Russian spy ring after details and photographs from her Facebook entry were picked up by newspapers around the world. He said her lawyers were handed a letter formally revoking her citizenship and she was told her passport was no longer valid. It is understood steps are also being taken to permanently exclude Ms Chapman from travelling to the UK in the future, our correspondent said. Earlier this month, Briton Alex Chapman, 30, from Bournemouth, Dorset, talked to a newspaper about his four-year marriage to the 28-year-old Russian. He said they had met at a party in London in 2002 and married five months later. He said she changed dramatically during the marriage, and by the end was having \"secretive\" meetings with \"Russian friends\". Ms Chapman did not seek to conceal her Russian identity when she arrived in New York from Moscow in February 2010, saying she wanted to build up a recruitment agency targeting young professionals in both cities. But following the Vienna spy swap, a Home Office spokesperson had said they were reviewing Ms Chapman's passport situation. Russian agents' all-American lives Viewpoint: Life after spying 'Russian spy suspect was my wife' \"The home secretary has the right to deprive dual nationals of their British citizenship where she considers that to do so would be conducive to the public good. This case is under urgent consideration,\" the spokesperson said. Shadow home secretary Alan Johnson had said it \"cannot be in our interests\" to let Ms Chapman settle in the UK. The BBC's Dominic Casciani said only half a dozen people have been stripped of British citizenship since the law was introduced in 2002. The law was partly introduced to make it easier to deport radical cleric Abu Hamza al Masri. The home secretary can strip someone of citizenship if their presence is \"seriously prejudicial\" to British interests: for example, if they are a threat to national security. The 10 Russian agents had pleaded guilty in New York to \"conspiracy to act as an unregistered agent of a foreign country\". More serious money-laundering charges against them were dropped. Prosecutors said the accused had posed as ordinary citizens, some living together as couples for years, and were ordered by Russia's External Intelligence Service (SVR) to infiltrate policy-making circles and collect information. On Sunday it was reported that two of the", "summary": "Anna Chapman, one of the Russian spies deported from the United States, has been deprived of her British citizenship, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "Professor Alexis Jay's report detailed how girls as young as 11 were raped, trafficked, abducted, beaten, and intimidated, predominantly by men of Pakistani-heritage. It said there had been \"blatant\" collective failures by the council's leadership, a failure by South Yorkshire Police to prioritise the issue and said senior managers had \"underplayed\" the scale of the problem. The report prompted a raft of resignations and further inquiries, one of which led to the council being taken over by government-appointed commissioners. But, 12 months on, BBC News asked those most closely involved what has changed in Rotherham? Jessica, not her real name, said she was first abused when she aged just 12. Since the report was published, she believes there has been \"real change\" in the way the authorities deal with victims of child sexual exploitation (CSE). \"We're now being listened to, there's more support in place and survivors and their families are now on board and helping agencies shape services,\" she said. \"We're telling them what we need and what's going to help us move forward.\" However, she said more needed to be done and called for \"mandatory education\" for children on the dangers of grooming and increased funding for police forces. \"I know a lot of people find it difficult to trust the authorities but I do think things are really changing now,\" she continued. \"I think the way people look at abuse is changing and I think the authorities recognise that it's not the victim's fault, it's not the parents' fault and that the perpetrators are the ones to blame.\" In a video message posted on Rotherham Council's website, council leader Chris Read said: \"We've begun to make the changes that we need and we are making progress. We've been listening and we are acting. \"Our child sexual exploitation team has been rebuilt and we're working more closely than ever with our partners to deliver the services that people need and deserve. \"We are rebuilding our council so it can't fail so badly ever again.\" Ian Thomas was appointed director of children's services at the council in January, following the resignation of Joyce Thacker. \"When you look at where we've come in the last few months it's been a long way, especially when you look at the amount of services in place now for victims and survivors,\" he said. \"We're supporting around 300 victims and survivors of CSE through investing over half a million pounds. \"But, let me be very, very clear - we still have a long way to go.\" Dr Alan Billings was elected as South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) in October 2014 following the resignation of Shaun Wright. Since then he has set up a \"Victims, Survivors and Families panel\" to allow those affected by CSE in Rotherham to discuss their experiences with officers. In June, he also appointed Prof John Drew to lead an independent review of South Yorkshire Police's handling of CSE reports. \"I think very few of us understood the nature of grooming, the police ought to have done, but I don't think", "summary": "It has been a year since a report found at least 1,400 children were subjected to appalling sexual abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013."}
{"article": "8 September 2016 Last updated at 02:42 BST When the PS4 Pro is released in November, it will be the first time the Japanese firm has had two consoles on sale with significantly different graphics capabilities within the same generation. The head of PlayStation Europe, Jim Ryan, told the BBC's Michelle Fleury that the move was designed to future-proof the PlayStation 4.", "summary": "Sony has announced a more powerful version of its PlayStation 4 console at an event in New York."}
{"article": "Losses unlike any suffered by a main opposition party between elections for three decades. But - of course - that may all turn out to be a naively rosy expectation when the results are finally in. The votes have yet to be counted, after all, and it's possible the Labour Party may end up wishing the outcome was merely painful and no worse. It could just conceivably turn out to be catastrophic. If this all sounds a little apocalyptic, forgive me. Hair-rending and teeth gnashing Doom-laden adjectives are the stock in trade of political punditry at election time, especially when the occasion lends itself to a little hair-rending and teeth-gnashing. And there is already a not-especially-orderly queue of Jeremy Corbyn's critics in the Labour Party, waiting to blame poor results for their party on his leadership, and clearing their throats to strike up the chorus of voices wanting him to go. In so far as an objective analysis exists, what would a bad night for Labour look like? No main opposition party has suffered net losses of council seats for 30 years. The English local council seats up for grabs were won at the height of Labour's popularity under Ed Miliband - though that's not saying a great deal. Now, losses look inevitable, and a pantheon of psephologists predict 150, 190, more? Mr Corbyn's Labour enemies have set the bar for respectability impossibly high. Four hundred gains are the minimum to show progress, according to the likes of defeated leadership contender Liz Kendall, and given the fact Labour's trailing the Conservatives in the national polls, she might as well have demanded 400,000. If Labour comes third in Scotland - though that's not thought very likely - or loses in London - something almost no-one expects to happen, the hair-rending and teeth-gnashing will be so frenzied as to leave the entire Labour Party, Corbynistas and anti-Corbynistas alike, bald and toothless. As it is, we can expect a cacophonous set of rival choruses. Those loyal to the leader blaming the disloyalty of dissident MPs for vote-sapping disunity. And those who want the leader gone blaming him; demanding a change of direction and some a change of leader. There's no plan among the mutineers in waiting to move against Mr Corbyn this side of the European referendum. That would smack too much of treachery with a defining struggle for Britain still to be won and lost. Will they strike afterwards? Will any MP risk the certain wrath of Mr Corbyn's army of loyal supporters subsequently? From all I hear, at least two and possibly more Labour MPs of vintage and deep anti-Corbyn conviction, have told friends and colleagues that they will. As of now - tonight - a challenge looks to me more than a plausible possibility. But let's see. Remember Michael Foot? Remember Gordon Brown at the nadir of his fortunes? Yes, Labour dumped Tony Blair, but he had a truly dedicated and ruthlessly ambitious replacement in Mr Brown (and the compromises he forced on the party grated horribly with the faithful well before", "summary": "A bad night, and a worse morning ahead for the Labour Party."}
{"article": "Her husband, 29-year-old Aash Bahadur Gurung, was one of the Sherpa climbing guides caught up when a huge mass of snow suddenly gave way a few hundred metres above Everest Base Camp as they prepared for the climbing season. \"I still feel he's alive,\" the 25-year-old told the BBC, struggling to control her tears as she carried her 10-month-old son, Anish Gurung. \"Before going to Everest, he said it was his last time to work as a guide. \"He wanted to go to America. He wanted to make some money and make our lives better.\" Sixteen Sherpas lost their lives on 18 April in what has been described by many as modern mountaineering's deadliest single tragedy. Three of them have not been found and are presumed dead. Since the avalanche, more than 300 international climbers have abandoned their plans to scale Mount Everest - the world's highest mountain at 8,848m (29,029ft), which straddles the border between China and Nepal. Nepal's tourism and mountaineering authorities have been left high and dry. Anita Lama, 23, is the widow of Asman Tamang, 26, who also died on the mountain. \"I never thought that such a tragedy would happen,\" she told the BBC, her eyes welling up as she carried her daughter, 11-month-old Dolma Tamang. \"He started going to the mountains for work for the past four years or so. \"Before the accident he said he would come back after two months. He was planning to build our own house after a couple of years.\" After the disaster struck, the Nepali government announced a compensation and insurance package worth about $15,000 (\u00a38,800) to the families of the Sherpa climbers. But the families and friends of those killed were not satisfied. Nimi Sherpa, who is a climber herself and an aunt of Phurba Ongyal Sherpa, 25, who also died in the avalanche, said the government had insulted the country's climbing community by initially announcing compensation worth merely $400 (\u00a3238). \"We are being treated like beggars,\" she said. \"We were treated miserably in the past, too, that's why many Sherpas have left the country.\" Nepal's Himalayan Sherpa people are believed to have migrated from eastern Tibet centuries ago, and their population in Nepal currently stands at just over 112,000, according to Nepal's Population and Housing Census 2011. The term \"Sherpa\" is now widely used to identify a climbing guide, and not all come from the ethnic Sherpa community of Solukhumbu, the district where Mount Everest is located. According to the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), around 9,000 Sherpas are engaged in mountaineering working as guides and climbing aides, and they make between $5,000 (\u00a33,000) and $7,000 each climbing season - several times higher than the average Nepali income. But the job is fraught with risks and there is no proper official social security arrangements, senior Sherpas say, so thousands have chosen to migrate to greener pastures. Many have gone to America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and others to neighbouring India. After the avalanche, Nepal's tourism and mountaineering officials were unable to persuade the 300 international climbers at the", "summary": "Menuka Magar-Gurung is struggling to come to terms with what happened on that bright, sunny morning."}
{"article": "It follows proposals put forward last year in a review for an overhaul of police pay, conditions and allowances. The Police Federation says it is \"disappointed\" by the announcement. What are the key changes? The recommendations of the mammoth two-part Winsor Review of police pay had one simple aim: to stop paying police officers for the time they have served and start paying them for their skills and the challenges they face. In other words - the days of paying an officer more just because he had done 28 years would go. The first part of the review said police were being paid under a system that had been devised for a world that no longer existed. Forces have shifted resources increasingly into specialised units. That's because (broadly speaking) expert teams - be they officers working on burglary intelligence or those who deal with child abuse - should be able to amass the knowledge needed to solve more crimes more quickly. Winsor said that reforming pay and conditions would help chiefs to focus resources where they were needed, while preventing some officers from seeking out the easiest of posts. The second part of the review called for chiefs to be able to make officers redundant - a fundamental shift in the employment protection enjoyed by sworn officers. it also called for physical fitness tests and direct entry into senior ranks for recruits with relevant outside experience - be it military or business management skills. He also wanted accelerated promotion to inspector for the best recruits, to encourage more top graduates into policing. Police pay is set through a national negotiating board - and disputes go to a arbitration tribunal. There were a number of sticking points during the negotiations: The government said that pay needed to be based on skills and how they were used, rather than number of years served. It said forces needed this flexibility because of the different challenges each area of the country faced. Although forces were broadly on track to make spending cuts of up to 20% by March 2015, that was not guaranteed. Starting salaries will be cut by up to \u00a34,259 from April, making the starting salary \u00a319,000. This salary will be given to those with the least or no relevant experience - such as those who join at 18. But some recruits will start on \u00a322,000 if they have some experience, such as time spent as a special constable. The change in starting salaries will save an estimated \u00a3140m over five years. But the deal also means that many constables will have the opportunity to move to the top of the pay scale - currently around \u00a336,000 - more quickly, . The Police Federation which represents rank-and-file officers says this cut in starting salary fails to reflect the dangers inherent in the job and that police constables have lost out because of an unfair comparison between their jobs and those of other public sector workers. From April, chief constables will have discretion over whether to pay officers regional allowances. Currently, all officers in the", "summary": "The Home Secretary is implementing a range of major reforms to police pay in England and Wales after two years of tense negotiations between officers and government."}
{"article": "While opinion is divided, Mrs Clinton is largely thought to have come out on top in Sunday's debate in St Louis. But columnists raised the issue of her failure to tackle Mr Trump effectively, allowing him to \"exceed expectations\". \"The smiling Hillary we saw throughout the first debate on Long Island? She didn't make the trip west.\" Fox News concludes that Mr Trump managed to pull off a surprising performance, although the news channel does not explicitly state that the Republican candidate won the debate. The conservative network says he performed well, pivoting and manoeuvring through questions, allowing him to save his presidential hopes. Political analyst William Whelan said the night fell into the hands of Mr Trump. He said the Republican defended his record and unlike the first debate, when he was often blown off course by the former secretary of state and \"torpedoed by his own badgering performance\", he improved as the night went on. Mr Trump's decision to launch a blistering attack against Hillary Clinton and her husband is described by Fox as the equivalent of \"Hillary dropping Alicia Machado on Trump\" in the previous debate. That was the line used by Breitbart news, which is in a minority in handing the title to Mr Trump. In a leading story quoting comments from former mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, it reports that Mrs Clinton was \"pounded on bad decisions\". It refers to accusations from Mr Trump that Mrs Clinton and the Democratic Party helped \"create the vacuum in the Middle East\" that allowed so-called Islamic State to form. The hard-right news website, whose executive chairman Stephen Bannon was appointed Mr Trump's campaign chief in August, is running its own readers' poll, the results of which have yet to be announced. The site also highlights support from Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence, who said in a tweet that he was proud of Mr Trump and congratulated him on \"a big debate win\", while ending it with a shortened form of Mr Trump's 'Make America Great Again' slogan. \"All Hillary Clinton had to do was remain upright for 90 minutes.\" The Washington Post's verdict is that the debate highlighted an \"increasingly isolated\" Mr Trump during an \"unusually dark and bitter face-off\". Over the past year, the newspaper has been at the forefront of investigations into Mr Trump, and has published several editorials condemning the candidate. On the news site's Right Turn blog, Jennifer Rubin says Mrs Clinton had very little to do in order to go \"the last little way in wrapping up the election\". She writes that Mrs Clinton handled the audience well when answering questions, adding that the former secretary of state effectively won the debate early on by \"simply keeping her cool\". Issues ranging from Mr Trump's tax payments to his foreign policy have, according to the Post, given Mrs Clinton plenty of material for a new raft of political ads. In a separate piece for the Post, opinion writer Eugene Joseph Dionne Jr writes that Mr Trump's \"petulant\" and \"boorish\" approach on the night was", "summary": "The US media have given their verdict on who won the second presidential debate after Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton engaged in attack and counter-attack."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called to the line near Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, at about 21:30 GMT on Monday. A tow truck had to be called to remove the car, which was stuck on the track. No one was trapped or badly hurt. The 18-year-old driver was arrested at the scene on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, driving without insurance and careless driving. Train operator c2c apologised for delays to passengers. It said services were disrupted for about three hours while the car was removed and Network Rail engineers examined the track and repaired the fence.", "summary": "A motorist crashed through a fence and onto a train track, causing several hours of delays for passengers."}
{"article": "Shaun McKerry tried to rob Shildon Post Office in County Durham on 15 March. CCTV showed the 31-year-old threatening staff with the axe before shopkeeper Sab Dhillon tackled him to the floor and restrained him. Durham Crown Court heard McKerry, of Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, had earlier admitted attempted robbery. McKerry, whose face was hidden by a scarf and hood, brandished the weapon as he ordered shop assistant Andrea Brighty to fill a bag with money from the till, the court heard. But Mr Dhillon ran from a back office, grabbed McKerry from behind and wrestled him to the floor. The court heard McKerry, dubbed Boomerang Boy because of his repeated spells in prison, had been arrested more than 80 times. He was told he must serve an extended four-year licence period after he is released. The court was told McKerry started shoplifting at the age of 12 and by 15 he had been arrested 80 times, and had convictions for aggravated vehicle-taking, sending indecent letters, and burglary. McKerry once stole 22 charity boxes while dressed as a woman, and locals dubbed him a one-man crime wave. Dramatic CCTV footage from the shop showed the masked McKerry waving an axe as he demanded cash from terrified assistant Andrea Brighty. But he did not see Mr Dhillon's rugby tackle, which dropped him to the floor, sending shelves and produce tumbling. As the men wrestled, and with McKerry still holding the axe, Mr Dhillon's wife Sam helped, hitting him twice with a baseball bat to make him drop the weapon. Blood can be seen coming from the would-be robber's nose and Mr Dhillon gestured to his wife to drop the bat. Minutes later the police arrived and arrested McKerry, who, the court heard, had been arrested more than 80 times and had 64 previous convictions. Speaking to BBC Tees shortly after the raid, Mr Dhillon said: \"I was in the back storeroom on the computer and I heard Andrea, who was behind the counter shouting 'no, no, no'. \"I saw a guy waiving an axe at her. I came up behind him and pulled him away from Andrea and the counter. We struggled, fell on the floor. \"I managed to keep hold of him and get the axe off him and hold him there until the police arrived.\" During his summing up in court, Judge Christopher Prince described Mr Dhillion's actions as a \"conspicuous display of bravery.\" The court was told McKerry's history of offending also included burglary, assaulting a police officer, attempted robbery and criminal damage.", "summary": "A serial criminal who was brought to the ground by the owner of a shop during a failed axe raid has been jailed for six years."}
{"article": "Haki Africa said the figure could be higher but some families were reluctant to come forward for fear of victimisation by state security agents. The police oversight body said 52 officers were on trial in connection with such killings countrywide. The coastal region has suffered several terror attacks in recent years. The Somali Islamist militant al-Shabab group has been targeting Kenya over the deployment of Kenyan forces to Somalia. Most of the victims were youths including returnees from Somalia who had surrendered after the government promised them amnesty, Haki Africa's report said. Others were allegedly killed as a result of excessive use of force during police crackdowns on protests and other religious groups that had been accused of radicalising young people. Saada Suleiman, who attended the report's launch in the capital, Nairobi, said her husband had been missing for two years since his arrest in a raid on Masjid Musa mosque in Mombasa known for its radical sermons. Haki Africa Executive Director Hussein Khalid said some of those killed were terror suspects, including several radical Muslim clerics, but this was no excuse for the state to execute them without due process. The BBC's Abdinoor Aden in the capital, Nairobi, says officers from the anti-terror unit have been heavily implicated in the report. Murshid Nassir, who heads the National Police Service Commission which vets officers, told the BBC that so-called \"death squads\" did not exist within the force and extrajudicial killings were not condoned. While the chairman of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority promised to take action against officers found guilty of engaging in the killings. Macharia Njeru said 52 officers had been charged and more than 300 officers were being probed for gross human rights violations.", "summary": "Kenya's anti-terror police have carried out at least 81 extrajudicial killings in country's mainly Muslim coastal region since 2012, a rights group says."}
{"article": "The top places are invariably filled with the US and UK academic powerhouses. And then coming up fast are the ambitious Asian universities. But what about the French, with their centuries of scholarship and ancient institutions? There was a university in Paris before Oxford or Cambridge. French universities are conspicuous by their absence. In the most recent QS World University Rankings there were none in the top 20 and only two in the top 100. That could all change from next year. As part of a huge government-driven academic and economic project, there will be a new university called Paris-Saclay, with a campus south of the French capital. The project has initial funding of 7.5bn euros (\u00c2\u00a35.9bn) for an endowment, buildings and transport links. The French government is bringing together 19 institutions into a single structure, with the aim of building a university big enough to compete with global giants like Harvard or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dominique Vernay, the president of this new university, says that within a decade he wants Paris-Saclay to be among the top ranking world universities. \"My goal is to be a top 10 institution,\" he says. In Europe, he wants Paris-Saclay to be in the \"top two or three\". In university rankings, big is beautiful, and the Paris-Saclay will have 70,000 students and 10,000 researchers. There will be an emphasis on graduate courses and recruiting more international students and staff. More stories from the BBC's Knowledge economy series looking at education from a global perspective and how to get in touch The idea of bringing together individual colleges into a \"federal university\" has been borrowed from the UK. \"Our model isn't that far from the Oxbridge model,\" he says. To put it into scale, Mr Vernay says Paris-Saclay is going to be twice the size of the University of California, Berkeley, one of the flagships of the US university system. Without any extra investment, he says that the existing component parts of the university will put Paris-Saclay straight into the top 20 of the Shanghai global university rankings. It will inherit staff with Nobel Prizes and some very well-established founding partners, including the Ecole Polytechnique, the HEC Paris business school and the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). Getting into the top end of the league tables is not the purpose of the investment, he says. But it would be an important indicator of how France can create a much more concentrated and globally competitive research base. The big idea is to create a \"knowledge hub\" around Paris, bringing together top-level universities with research institutes, hi-tech businesses and start-ups. The classic example of such a project would be Silicon Valley in California where Stanford University has been the launchpad for firms such as Google and Hewlett Packard. Boston would be seen as another such hi-tech cluster, with Harvard and MIT feeding ideas into technology firms. In London, Imperial College and University College London are planning expansions to tap into this drive for innovation. But in this industrial geography of the internet age, with the", "summary": "Imagine the chagrin of French universities whenever international rankings are published."}
{"article": "Mr Schleicher, who runs the tests, says the high results of deprived pupils in some Asian countries shows what poor pupils in the UK could achieve. The most disadvantaged pupils in Shanghai match the maths test results of wealthy pupils in the UK. Mr Schleicher says it \"debunks the myth that poverty is destiny\". On Monday, Education Secretary Michael Gove said individual schools in England should take Pisa tests, so that they could compare themselves against international standards. The latest Pisa - Programme for International Student Assessment - test results were published last year by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, ranking developed countries in terms of how well 15-year-olds performed in tests in reading, maths and science. Source: OECD This showed the UK as a middle-ranking country, with Asian school systems, such as in Singapore, South Korea and Shanghai and Hong Kong in China, as the highest performers. But Mr Schleicher's latest analysis compares the performance of the most deprived 10% of pupils. This reveals how the poorest in many countries overlap with the results of the wealthy in other countries. The poorest 10% of pupils in Shanghai are as good as the most privileged 20% of teenagers taking the test in the UK and the United States. In Europe, the Netherlands has the highest-performing pupils from the poorest families. Poor pupils in the Netherlands are as good at maths as much better-off teenagers in France. The poorest 10% of pupils in Hong Kong scored at a higher level than the wealthiest in Sweden and Norway. The very lowest performers among this group were in the Slovak Republic. Mr Schleicher says it shows how academic differences attributed to social background should not be unquestioningly tolerated. \"We tend to overestimate the impact of poverty,\" he says . There was also a challenge to the idea that the UK has an unusually poor record on social mobility. Dr John Jerrim at the Institute of Education published a study suggesting that in international terms the UK was mid-ranking in the link between family background and future employment opportunities - 17th out of 34 developed countries. There was greater equity in Scandinavia and some European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands. But Dr Jerrim said social mobility in the UK was not dissimilar to France, Spain and Italy - and the UK's record was better than some central and eastern European countries. \"Policymakers often state that the relationship between family background and labour market earnings is stronger in the UK than most other countries,\" he said. \"It is not true that we stand out compared to the rest of world. Policymakers should avoid making such exaggerated claims when discussing this politically sensitive issue.\"", "summary": "There is nothing inevitable about the weaker academic performance of poorer pupils, says an analysis of Pisa tests by the OECD's Andreas Schleicher."}
{"article": "With the Windies chasing 261, pace bowler Perry took a wicket in each of her first three overs to reduce the Caribbean side to 41-3. Merissa Aguilleira and Deandra Dottin briefly threatened some fireworks, but after both fell to Lisa Sthalekar, West Indies limped to 145 all out. Rachael Haynes (52) and Jess Cameron (75) had earlier made half-centuries for the Aussies, with some late-order hitting from Perry and Jodie Fields taking them to 259-7. By contributing with the bat and then starring with the ball, Perry made a dramatic return to the Southern Stars' line-up after three games out with an ankle injury. The last of those was an eight-run defeat by West Indies, their first win over Australia and the result that sealed their place in a maiden final. Because of that victory, Windies skipper Aguilleira said her side had a \"psychological advantage\" over the team that had lifted the trophy on five previous occasions. But Australia were too clinical for a West Indies side that were sloppy in the field, wayward with the ball and unable to keep up with the run chase. In reclaiming the trophy they last won in 2005, Australia add to the World Twenty20 they won in October and the Ashes they will try to defend in England in August. It is the first time they have held all three of women's cricket's major titles simultaneously. Only once in the match were they under pressure, as four wickets fell for 28 runs around the batting powerplay. \"If an emerging sport needs a star to help raise its profile, then women's cricket has struck gold with Ellyse Perry. An international in both cricket and football, the 22-year-old also somehow manages to find time to present shows on radio and television as well as studying for an economics and social sciences degree.\" Read the rest of our feature Before that, Haynes, who added 52 for the first wicket with Meg Lanning, shared a second-wicket stand of 64 with Cameron. With fielding mistakes and ill-disciplined bowling hampering the Windies, powerful right-hander Cameron played some particularly eye-catching strokes, going past 50 with two sixes in one Tremayne Smartt over. By this point, Haynes had been well held by Kyshona Knight, running back at mid-wicket to give impressive leg-spinner Shaquana Quintyne her first wicket, and Alex Blackwell had fallen cheaply to Smartt. Cameron dominated a fourth-wicket partnership of 55 with Sthalekar but, when Cameron slapped a Shanel Daley full toss to deep mid-wicket, Australia lost their way. With the bowlers finally able to gain some control, Sthalekar, Sarah Coyte and Erin Osborne all found ways to hole out to West Indies fielders. However, from 209-7 Fields and Perry combined to add 50 exactly, Perry hitting a maximum over long on and skipper Fields improvising with sweeps and pulls. The Windies batters were always likely to have to deal with movement in the Mumbai night, but openers Natasha Mclean and Kycia Knight looked comfortable until the introduction of Perry. With no small sense of theatre, the right-armer twice aborted attempts to", "summary": "Ellyse Perry ripped through the West Indies top order to help Australia to a 114-run win in the Women's World Cup final in Mumbai."}
{"article": "The FA plans to introduce what it calls \"temporary dismissals\" in England's step seven - six tiers below the National League - and the leagues below. They will only apply to yellow cards shown for dissent, and will see players leave the field for 10 minutes. It will also be tested in Sunday League and male and female youth football. More than 1,000 clubs received emails over the weekend asking if they were willing to be part of the pilot process. \"There has already been a positive response with over 60 leagues in support of it,\" an FA spokesperson said. Clubs are normally charged a \u00a310 fine for each yellow card but the FA will not be charging this administration fee for those that participate. Step seven is the bottom level of English football's National League System, which feeds into the country's professional leagues. The highest league within that structure - step one - is the National League. The move has been backed by teenage Sunday League referee Ryan Hampson, who earlier this year organised a nationwide strike by officials in protest at the amount of abuse they face in the grassroots game. \"There's obviously a lot more to be done but it's a step in the right direction and a great start,\" he told BBC Radio 5 live.", "summary": "The Football Association will trial 'sin bins' in the lower leagues of English football from next season."}
{"article": "Locals in the Kathmandu Valley are being supported with food and water from The Brick Children School. Headteacher Anita Shrestha said staff have been busy preparing food packages for 50 families. The school, a charity project founded in Wrexham, has also been turned in to a refuge shelter. Since the earthquake, the death toll has risen to over 7,000 and the Nepalese authorities have ruled out finding more survivors.", "summary": "Families and children left homeless following the Nepal earthquake are being provided with help from north Wales."}
{"article": "Luck was shining on Public Service Broadcasting when they came to writing the follow up to their 2013 debut album Inform-Educate-Entertain. The band had previously worked with the British Film Institute in sourcing archive recordings to sample, and they turned to BFI again in their hunt for material from the Cold War space race. \"At the time I called them up to ask them if they had any space footage they'd only just inherited it from another collection,\" said J Willgoose. \"One of my biggest concerns about writing this album was about finding the material for the Soviet missions. \"It was an incredible stroke of luck that the BFI happened to come across these films just as I started asking after them.\" A fan of space exploration, Willgoose was familiar with the battles between the USA and USSR to beat one another to historic firsts. The Soviets got the first satellite into space in the 1950s and the first man in the 1960s, while the Nasa's Apollo missions put the first men on the Moon. But Willgoose was still surprised by what was in the BFI's newly-acquired collection. He said: \"Most of the Soviet stuff was new to me - even now it's hard to find a great deal of good quality literature or footage of their missions because their space programme was shrouded in such secrecy. \"A good deal of the material from the Apollo missions I hadn't heard before - I really went very deep into the mission logs and dug out stuff that I hadn't heard of before. \"The public relations feed for the Apollo 8 lunar orbit was one of my favourite pieces of audio for the whole album.\" One of the tracks on the new album - The Race for Space - is dedicated to cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. However, in a strange twist the music ended up evoking an American theme. Willgoose said: \"I'd had this guitar riff lying around for a couple of years as I'd tried to use it on another song and it hadn't worked, and it was always at the back of my mind because I really liked it. \"Then when it came to matching up musical ideas that I'd had with likely topics for the album, and having watched the footage of Gagarin's reception on returning to Earth, it seemed to make sense to me in quite an attractively odd and incongruous way. \"It seemed like a strange song to write about him, and a very non-literal one, which appealed to me. \"We treat the source material in different ways on different songs across the album but I loved the idea of making him a pseudo-70s cop show soundtrack and trying to capture some of the exuberance and euphoria I saw on film. \"The original riff ended up being almost totally re-written in the process, and then the brass came on board, so it moved on quite a lot from the original germ of an idea.\" PSB first worked with BFI on 2012's five-track EP The War", "summary": "The new album from Public Service Broadcasting recalls the triumphs and tragedies of early space exploration through samples from films and recordings of Nasa and USSR rocket launches, many previously unavailable to the public."}
{"article": "On 30 June, the trust reported a year to-date deficit of \u00c2\u00a3738,000 compared to a planned shortfall of \u00c2\u00a3125,000. Monitor said the trust's \"finances will continue to deteriorate\" and is yet to decide on whether further regulatory action is needed. The BCPFT said its finances were its \"biggest challenge\". Karen Dowman, chief executive of the trust, said: \"We have already started a programme of activity to identify cost-savings and improve our financial sustainability, and to put in place safeguarding checks to ensure efficiencies do not compromise care.\" Marianne Loynes, regional director at Monitor, said: \"No decision has been taken about whether further regulatory action is required and an announcement about the outcome of the investigation will be made in due course.\" The trust provides mental health, learning disability and community healthcare services across Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton.", "summary": "The Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (BCPFT) is being investigated by a health regulator due to concerns over its finances."}
{"article": "Every year about 76 people aged between 14-25 are diagnosed with cancer. Figures from the NI Cancer Registry reveal there is a higher diagnosis rate among young people in Northern Ireland compared to the rest of the UK. Five charities have come together to provide a new service that includes five new nursing posts, one in each health trust. There are also social workers and community workers to guide young people at home, school and work. The service aims to ensure young people have equal clinical and psychological support for their medical and social needs no matter where they live. Figures also reveal that the amount of miles that local families, seeking support, clock up is the second highest compared to their counterparts elsewhere. Up until now, the service has been confined to the Belfast Cancer Centre and The Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. Bridging that gap means the service will now be available in four hospitals including Belfast, Craigavon, Altnagelvin, Ulster and Antrim Area. That means fewer families will have to make the average 100 mile round trip to get treatment in Belfast. Leona McManus, 22, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last year. \"Travelling while undergoing treatment is hard. You are tired, sick, often in pain. I had to travel from Limavady to Belfast. \"This new service means I can go to Altnagelvin - young people will also have a nurse, even a community worker. Every little helps when living with cancer.\" James Doggart was 18 when he was diagnosed with bowel cancer. The cancer spread to other organs, but 18 months in remission he is now looking forward to celebrating his 21st birthday on Friday. \"When first diagnosed I was told I would probably die. It was a lonely time. I was being treated alongside older men,\" he said. \"There wasn't the support for a teenager. I had to leave university, my friends were all moving on - I just wanted to speak to someone at my own level. This service will now provide that. It's good.\" Darren McKinley is the Teenage and Young Adults Project Manager with the Northern Ireland Cancer Network. \"This means teenagers and young adults with cancer can now access the best possible outcomes and have access to age-appropriate services targeting their needs, their language, their lives,\" he said. Dr Anthony McCarthy, a consultant paediatric oncologist at the Royal Belfast Hospital said the new regional service would provide the specialism that young people require when living with cancer. \"When cancer comes it's like a bolt out of the blue. Young people aren't expecting a cancer diagnosis. Their treatment does need to be different. \"It is a distinct specialism in the treatment of cancer. The aim of the regional service is to reduce mortality rates and to provide support for patients and their families.\" Dr McCarthy said as more people are surviving, the service will need to grow, and that means they will need the financial support from the Department of Health.", "summary": "A new service for teenagers and young adults living with cancer is being rolled out across Northern Ireland."}
{"article": "The Twilight star is one of 12 female creatives making films for women-focused media company Refinery29. Fellow actresses Gabourey Sidibe and Chloe Sevigny will join Stewart under the umbrella of Refinery29's ShatterBox Anthology. Oscar nominee Sidibe will direct her own short film titled A Tale of Four Women, according to Variety. Meanwhile, Sevigny's Kitty, the first film of the anthology, will premiere at Cannes Film Festival later this month. Speaking during Refinery29's presentation at the Digital Content NewFronts event in New York, Sidibe said it was important to tell a story through her own voice. She said: \"[In my acting career] everything I do, my image and who I am and what I feel represents me is in the hands of a man, usually a white man... I realised very recently that I want to be the one that decides what image I show the public.\" It was also announced that Ugly Betty star America Ferrera will produce a multimedia project titled Behind the Headlines, and a documentary series titled Only Girl.", "summary": "Kristen Stewart is to make her directorial debut with a short film about the power of women."}
{"article": "The striker, on loan from Aberdeen, latched onto Scott Fraser's pass for the opener and grabbed his second with a high-class solo run and smart finish. He dispatched a penalty for his treble by the 30th minute and United could have had several more by half-time. Sean Welsh's penalty gave Thistle hope but United saw out the win comfortably. The hosts were sluggish in the first half of their Championship opener against Queen of the South on Saturday but there was nothing to fault the way they started this tie. United had too much pace and ingenuity for their top-flight opponents, the outstanding Scott Fraser and Tope Obadeyi causing havoc with their movement. Obadeyi, twice, and Blair Spittal might have added further goals by the interval but United boss Ray McKinnon manager must have been happy with the three they did score. Smith showed the benefit of a regular start on loan, taking his goal tally to four for the Terrors, the same number he scored in nearly 90 appearances for Aberdeen, though a high percentage of those outings were as a substitute. His first was a sublime finish, gathering a delicious Fraser pass, controlling the ball then steering it behind Ryan Scully. For his second, Smith picked up possession just inside the Thistle half, run away from Callum Booth then held off the defender to score when he got back to him in the box. The 20-year-old completed his hat trick with a penalty struck straight down the middle after Ziggy Gordon blocked Blair Spittal's shot with an arm. Thistle were given a glimpse of a way back from a penalty of their own when Chris Erskine was pushed over by Mark Durnan and Welsh scored with 25 minutes left, but United's defence held firm. United boss Ray McKinnon: \"We played some very good football in the first half, especially the forward play, and when the penalty was given against us in the second, I was really pleased with how we reacted. We showed some resilience. \"Some of the link-up play and finishing was pretty special. Cammy's composure and movement for the goals was outstanding, he has done really well since coming in on loan. I am delighted for him. \"There were huge positives all over. Young left-back Jamie Robson was outstanding, Scott Fraser was outstanding, Blair Spittal was excellent and Tope Obadeyi playing as a lone striker was fantastic.\" United hat-trick hero Cammy Smith: \"The standard has been set after that. We looked dangerous every time we went forward and could have had a few more goals, but we have to be happy with our night's work. It is a great victory for us. \"It wasn't like [Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes] was pushing me out the door. We had a few chats and thought going out on loan would be best for my development. I am here to play games and long may it continue.\" Thistle boss Alan Archibald: \"It was awful right from kick-off - a really poor performance. I didn't see that coming. \"It was the total opposite", "summary": "Cammy Smith's hat-trick inside 20 first-half minutes saw Championship side Dundee United beat Partick Thistle to reach the League Cup quarter-finals."}
{"article": "It will consider the deployment of police officers in undercover roles by police forces in England and Wales. It comes after controversy surrounding the conduct of undercover officers. Meanwhile, a separate review into the relationship between the Home Office and the SDS says a key file is missing. The inquiry announced on Thursday will also make recommendations about how undercover policing is conducted and will scrutinise the use of undercover officers by the now-defunct SDS and National Public Order Intelligence Unit. Among the allegations are that undercover officers took fake identities from dead children, had relationships with campaigners and fathered children. Mrs May said that the work of barrister Mark Ellison and Operation Herne - an investigation into undercover policing at the Metropolitan Police - has unearthed \"serious historical failings\" in undercover policing practices. Mr Ellison - who in 2012 successfully prosecuted Gary Dobson and David Norris for the murder of teenager Stephen Lawrence - has been examining police corruption during the original investigation into the killing in 1993. She added: \"As I said last year, I was profoundly shocked by Mark Ellison's findings and committed to establishing a public inquiry to thoroughly investigate undercover policing and the operation of the SDS. \"While I initially said that Mark Ellison's further work and criminal investigations needed to conclude before the inquiry commences, it has become apparent that these pieces of work were much larger than initially envisaged. \"In the interest of learning the lessons of past failures, I have decided to establish the inquiry now while ensuring existing work is not affected. \"Undercover policing is an essential tactic in the fight against crime but to improve the public's confidence in undercover work we must ensure there is no repeat of these failings in the future.\" This latest inquiry will be led by judge Lord Justice Pitchford. Mrs May had announced her intention to set up a judge-led public inquiry following the report of the independent Ellison Inquiry in March last year. That had found Scotland Yard spied on Stephen Lawrence's family. And Operation Herne found that the SDS had carried out undercover operations to gather information on 18 justice campaigns over 35 years. This included the campaign regarding Jean Charles de Menezes, shot by police after being mistaken for a terrorist in the days following the London Underground bombings in 2005. The SDS was set up in 1968 to infiltrate pressure groups and remained operational until 2008. It has been the focus of controversy over claims that some undercover officers had sexual relationships and fathered children with campaigners, to help build trust in their false identities. Chief Constable Mick Creedon of the Association of Chief Police Officers said: \"Undercover policing is a vital police tactic has saved lives, protected victims and brought dangerous criminals to justice.\" He also said that the public inquiry would help make sure that the \"unacceptable behaviour of some officers in the past never happens again\". \"Changes have already been made to the authorisation and management of these operations. \"New training and guidance for undercover officers guidance developed with", "summary": "An inquiry into undercover policing and the operation of the Metropolitan Police's Special Demonstration Squad is being established by Home Secretary Theresa May."}
{"article": "\"I said no to the last one and then ended up doing it, and was pilloried by all my friends,\" he said. \"But I do think this is probably it.\" Mendes directed 2012's Skyfall and the forthcoming Bond film, titled Spectre. \"I don't think I could go down that road again,\" he said. \"You do have to put everything else on hold.\" Spectre, in which Daniel Craig will make his fourth appearance as the MI6 agent, will come out on 26 October in the UK and 6 November in the US. Spectre and Skyfall took a total of five years to make, he told BBC Radio's Test Match Special. \"It feels almost, even though we've just finished shooting it, like one big experience and it was a fantastic life-changing thing,\" he said. But he added he did not think he could go through it again. \"It really is more a lifestyle choice than a job,\" he said. Mendes made his name in theatre, and directed a new stage production of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in between making the Bond films. But shooting a Bond movie is \"pretty much all encompassing\", he explained. \"I'm happiest rehearsing a play or editing a movie, and when I've finished editing a movie I generally want to be back in a theatre environment again,\" he said. \"It feels like home, it feels controllable after the chaos of a movie set. But it won't be long before I want to do another film, and I'm very fortunate to be able to go back and forth between the two.\" Spectre has been filmed in locations including London, Mexico, Italy and Morocco, and the cast and crew totalled more than 1,000 people, Mendes revealed. \"And you really do feel it,\" he said. \"This is a bigger movie than Skyfall. It's shot in more places - we were in Mexico City and Tangiers and northern Sahara and Rome and the Alps and London. It's been an enormous undertaking.\" Spectre also stars Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Andrew Scott, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Dave Bautista, Monica Bellucci and Ralph Fiennes. The plot involves \"a cryptic message from Bond's past [that] sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation\". Mendes revealed that the Spectre theme song was finished - but would not disclose who had recorded it. \"I can say that the song's been recorded and it's fantastic and I'm very excited about it,\" he said. \"You won't have to wait long.\" Skyfall made \u00c2\u00a3700m ($1.1bn) at box offices worldwide.", "summary": "James Bond director Sam Mendes has said he does not want to make any more 007 films after the next instalment, which comes out in October."}
{"article": "A fatal foetal abnormality diagnosis means doctors believe an unborn child has a terminal condition and will die in the womb or shortly after birth. The proposal to allow abortion in such cases was defeated by 59 votes to 40. The result followed a passionate debate at Stormont after some MLAs proposed the law change be introduced by way of an amendment to the Justice Bill. Unlike other parts of the UK, the 1967 Abortion Act does not extend to Northern Ireland. Currently, a termination is only permitted in Northern Ireland if a woman's life is at risk or if there is a risk of permanent and serious damage to her mental or physical health. Politicians have been lobbied to reform the law since 2013, when Northern Ireland woman Sarah Ewart spoke out about having to travel to Great Britain for an abortion after she was told she was carrying a baby that had no chance of survival. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) faced criticism from other parties during Wednesday's debate for asking the Health Minister Simon Hamilton to set up a working group to examine the issues raised by fatal foetal abnormality. It could take six months for the group to complete its work and the Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt claimed it was a DUP \"device\" to delay decision making on abortion reform until after May's assembly election. Justice Minister David Ford, who brought forward the proposed change to the legislation, told Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show it could now remain in limbo for some time. \"It would appear that that is what some people want, that it was any excuse at all to avoid taking a decision last night so they can fudge the issue,\" he said. \"We will wait and see what happens to the DUP's supposed working group for the next six months. Certainly, we'll get the DUP past the election, maybe that's why they're doing it.\" However, the DUP has argued that the issue required proper consideration by MLAs and ministers and that the Justice Bill was not intended for this purpose. The amendment to legalise abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality was proposed by Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson. He told MLAs: \"If we are to continue to fail women in Northern Ireland in this area then we are abdicating our duties as representatives. \"The traumatic journey to England for many young women is becoming a shame on Northern Ireland and to force women with a fatal foetal pregnancy to look elsewhere for help and support make this worse.\" The amendment relating to pregnancies which are the result of rape or incest was put forward by Anna Lo, also of the Alliance Party, and was defeated by by 64 votes to 30. Mr Nesbitt said that as a man he did not feel comfortable \"discussing what a woman should do with her body\" but he added that MLAs had a responsibility to legislate. He claimed the DUP's request for a commission was a delaying tactic designed to \"kick the decision to the far side of", "summary": "Northern Ireland Assembly members have voted against legalising abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality."}
{"article": "The warnings, which indicate a possible danger to life, have been issued around the towns of Egremont and Kendal. The north of England and parts of Wales are warned to prepare for the risk of flooding, as heavy rain approaches. There are amber warnings, meaning \"be prepared\", for Greater Manchester, and North and West Yorkshire. People in certain locations around Kendal and Egremont, on opposite sides of the Lake District, have been advised to move out to stay with family and friends who live in areas with lower risk of flooding. Reception centres have opened at Kendal Town Hall and West Lakes Academy. South Lakeland District Council said up to 1,000 properties could be at risk and that military personnel could be deployed to install temporary flood defences to protect vital infrastructure. The worst of the weather is expected from Saturday evening through to Sunday. In some places, a month's worth of rain has been forecast to fall in 24 hours. Falling on already saturated ground, it is likely to cause localised surface water flooding and high river levels, the Environment Agency said. The Met Office has also warned of possible flooding in parts of Scotland in the wake of Storm Abigail. Nicola Willis, from the Met Office, said high ground was likely to be most affected by heavy rain. \"These areas have had a lot of rain already this week and they are already quite saturated,\" she said. \"We are expecting the rain to be heavy and persistent, although the heaviest rain will not necessarily continue through the whole of the warning period.\" Cumbria was hit by severe floods in November 2009. During those incidents, Pc Bill Barker, 44, died after the bridge he was standing on collapsed in Workington, a town about 13 miles north of Egremont. Craig Woolhouse, from the Environment Agency, said it was working closely with emergency services to prepare for any problems. He added: \"Our teams are already in action clearing watercourses, maintaining existing defences and standing ready to deploy temporary pumps and defences where these can be effective.\" The latest band of rain comes in the wake of Storm Abigail, which closed schools and brought down power lines in parts of Scotland. The Christmas lights switch-on in Bradford on Saturday was cancelled because of the weather forecast.", "summary": "Twelve severe flood warnings have been issued for Cumbria and Lancashire, warning people to take immediate action and prepare for flooding."}
{"article": "Two men found the victim lying on Hope Street, near to Argyle Street, at about 04:30 on Friday 19 February. The man was treated in hospital for a head injury and released. He was re-admitted at a later date and told he needed surgery for a fractured skull. The incident was reported to police on 3 March. They want to trace the two men who found the man and other witnesses. Det Con Stephen Palmer said: \"A man has been left with a very serious head injury as a result of this attack and inquiries are at an early stage to establish what happened. \"I would like to speak to anyone with information about this incident, particularly the two people who called an ambulance for the victim.\"", "summary": "A man found lying in the street in Glasgow had suffered a fractured skull after being attacked, police have said."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Craig Benson finished second, with Commonwealth champion and pre-race favourite Ross Murdoch third in Glasgow. London 2012 silver medallist Michael Jamieson was fifth in what could be the final race of his career. \"This means so much. It's such a great field,\" Willis, 25, told BBC Sport. He is the fifth swimmer to manage a Rio 2016 qualification time, following Adam Peaty, Hannah Miley, James Guy and Max Litchfield. Willis, who won in two minutes 8.08 seconds - inside the qualifying time of 2:08.52 - reached the London 2012 final and finished third behind Murdoch and Jamieson at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. \"I did expect Ross to go quicker, but the strength in depth is only going to help us GB breaststrokers progress,\" Willis said. Murdoch remains unsure over an Olympic place, having finished second to Peaty in the 100m on Tuesday. Siobhan-Marie O'Connor warmed up for her favoured 200m individual medley event on Saturday with victory over Fran Halsall in the 100m freestyle in 54.18 secs. Two-time Olympian Lizzie Simmonds won 200m backstroke gold but her time of 2:09.24 was almost a second outside the qualifying time of 2:08.21. \"I know if I get that place that I can go quicker, as I've done it in the past,\" she said. \"I was fourth at the last Olympics, so perhaps it'll be a case of third time lucky.\" Freestyle specialist Guy followed up his 400m gold and Olympic place from Tuesday with victory in the 100m butterfly. He won in 52.15 secs, which, although outside the qualifying time of 51.24, he hopes will earn him a spot in the men's 4x100m medley relay team for Rio. \"Last year we were fourth [at the World Championships] and we hope that with the right mix we can potentially win a medal in Rio,\" Guy told BBC Radio 5 live. If swimmers do not achieve the qualifying times or win selection for the relay events, they must rely on discretionary picks by the GB selectors. The team for Rio will be named on 21 April.", "summary": "Andrew Willis produced a stunning display to win a surprise 200m breaststroke gold at the British trials and secure a place at the Rio Olympics."}
{"article": "13 October 2016 Last updated at 00:23 BST Many analysts think Sony's kit will outsell rival headsets from HTC and Facebook's Oculus division because of its lower price and the fact that more than 43 million PS4 consoles have been shipped. Even so, they add, it is likely to remain a niche product for some time to come. Strategy Analytics forecasts that only 3% of Brits will own a VR headset this year and the PlayStation model will account for just 7% of that number. The bulk, it says, will instead own more basic \"shells\" into which they can slot a smartphone. BBC Click's Marc Cieslak put the PS VR to the test and had reservations of his own. More at BBC.com/Click and @BBCClick.", "summary": "The PlayStation's virtual reality headset is making its way into gamers' homes - the last of this year's three big VR hardware releases."}
{"article": "The result moved Stranraer off the bottom of the division while Airdrie's visit to Brechin City was called off because of a waterlogged pitch. Queen's Park moved into the top four with a 2-0 win over Stenhousemuir, who slipped to bottom on goal difference. And Peterhead drew 1-1 with Albion Rovers in the other League One game. Alloa Athletic v East Fife had previously been postponed due to the Fifers' Scottish Cup meeting with St Mirren. East Fife lost 3-2. At Ochilview, on-loan Hearts forward Dario Zanatta fired Queen's Park ahead and although the Spiders had Ross Millen sent off for two bookings, Anton Brady added a stoppage-time second for Gus MacPherson's side. They are two points in front of Brechin, who have a game in hand, and a point off Alloa. Eighth-placed Peterhead led Albion Rovers through Rory McAllister's cool first-half finish but Ross Stewart swept in an equaliser in the second half. The two sides are level on points - four ahead of Stranraer and Stenhousemuir. Livi, who threatened through Scott Pittman at home to Stranraer, are 11 points clear of Airdrie and 12 ahead of Alloa.", "summary": "Scottish League One leaders Livingston were held to a 0-0 draw with Stranraer while nearest challengers Airdrieonians saw their game postponed."}
{"article": "The Portugal left-back struggled for first-team football at the Spanish club last season. Former Manchester United manager David Moyes tried to bring him to Old Trafford in September 2013 but a transfer deadline day loan move fell through. The 27-year-old joined Real from Benfica for a reported \u00a325m in 2011. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Real Madrid defender Fabio Coentrao has joined French side Monaco on a season-long loan deal."}
{"article": "Ouseph, 30, became the first Englishman in 27 years to win the men's singles title with a narrow 21-19 21-19 victory over home favourite Anders Antonsen. The husband-and-wife Adcocks beat Danes Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen in the mixed doubles final. Scot Kirsty Gilmour lost in the women's singles final to Carolina Martin. The Spanish top seed triumphed 21-14 21-12. It is the first time England have won two golds at the Euros since 1988, when Darren Hall won the men's singles and Gillian Clark claimed the mixed doubles title with Danish partner Steen Fladberg. The success at the Euros comes after GB Badminton had all its funding cut by UK Sport before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Ouseph, who had previously won two bronzes and a silver in the men's singles at the European Championships, is just the third Englishman to win the event with Steve Baddeley the previous player to triumph in 1990. Between the wins for Baddeley and Ouseph, players from Denmark had won gold in eight out of nine European Championships. The second-seeded Adcocks took full advantage of their first appearance in a Euros final to see off top seeds Nielsen and Pedersen, who had won the event in the past two Championships. The Adcocks were pegged back after winning the first set but held their nerve to triumph 21-17 18-21 21-19.", "summary": "England claimed two gold medals as Rajiv Ouseph and Chris and Gabby Adcock triumphed in finals at the European Badminton Championships in Denmark."}
{"article": "Russell Sherwood, 69, of Cilfrew, Neath, went missing while heading to Ewenny, Vale of Glamorgan, after Storm Angus hit in November. Three days later, his body was found in the River Ogmore. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is reviewing issues, including the force's call-handling. Mr Sherwood was reported missing on 20 November after failing to collect his wife from work. He was found dead on 23 November inside his Ford Focus, which had become submerged in the river. The IPCC said it would investigate the police response to an earlier report of flooding across New Inn Road in Ewenny on the day of Mr Sherwood's disappearance. It will also consider \"whether call-handlers properly risk-assessed the information provided to them\", but not Mr Sherwood's death specifically. IPCC Commissioner for Wales Jan Williams said: \"My thoughts are with the family of Mr Sherwood and all those affected by his tragic death. \"Our investigation will examine police actions prior to his disappearance and whether appropriate policies and procedures were followed. \"We have made contact with Mr Sherwood's family to explain our role and we will be keeping them updated as the investigation progresses.\"", "summary": "An investigation has been launched into South Wales Police's response to reported flooding before the death of a missing man."}
{"article": "Some reported death threats, with more than half of those questioned saying they had had physical threats. More than a third of the UK's 195 female MPs took part in the research. Of these, two thirds said they felt \"less safe\" following the murder of the Labour MP Jo Cox last summer. Deputy Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said Parliament was working with police to ensure MPs' safety and offer training to enhance their security while away from Westminster. The anonymous 5 Live survey, conducted last month, saw one respondent remarking that \"the level of violence and abuse has significantly increased in the last years. At times I have been very frightened.\" Another wrote: \"Had to phone the police once, [after] a constituent threatened to kill me.\" Following the murder of Mrs Cox, who represented Batley and Spen, one MP said she had received \"absolutely zero\" support from Parliament or her party. Another wrote: \"I asked my kids' view on whether I should stop after Jo's death, but their support was all I needed. Standing up to bullies is the only answer.\" \"I won't give in,\" wrote another. The research reveals how abuse faced by politicians can affect their families. One MP wrote: \"The feeling of not being able to protect my children was unexpected, as was having panic buttons fitted.\" One revealed she had \"worries for the safety of my parents in the constituency\", while another found she was \"more protective of my family and info on where they live/go to school\". In the wide-ranging survey, female politicians were asked for their views on getting more women into Parliament. More than half were in favour of all-female shortlists, while almost half wanted a crackdown on \"unprofessional or sexist\" language at Westminster. But the idea of allowing breastfeeding in the chamber was resoundingly rejected. One MP said: \"I wouldn't breastfeed my baby if I worked on the checkout at Tesco, so why would I do it in the chamber?\" Two-thirds of those who responded to the survey said getting more women elected would mean Parliament would make better decisions. One commented that \"less time would be wasted. Too much hot air from men\". Another said: \"Parliament might be run more sensibly - less time wasted on posturing and debate for the sake of debate.\" Almost two-thirds of the female MPs who responded to the survey said they had received sexist comments from fellow workers or MPs - with one told she should be \"in the kitchen washing the dishes\". One woman MP said she had experienced sexual assault and two said they had been groped. Of the women with children who responded, the majority found long-distance travel, irregular hours and late parliamentary sittings a problem. One mother commented that \"constant 'dissing' and lack of valuing what an MP does, children pick this up\". Another worried about the \"embarrassment of my kids if I do anything controversial\" and a \"risk of bullying\". The women MPs were asked whether they would still stand for Parliament if they were just starting out, knowing what they do", "summary": "An overwhelming majority of women MPs have received online and verbal abuse from the public and a third have considered quitting as a result, a BBC Radio 5 live survey suggests."}
{"article": "It started happening when Apple's operating system, iOS 8.3 came out. By tapping and holding on a chosen emoji, iPhone users of iOS 8.3 or above are now given the choice between five different skin tones and new flags. Apple users who are still using iOS 8.2 and below are not able to see the new emojis. Instead they are replaced with a picture of an alien face inside a black square, next to the original emoji. Apple wouldn't give us a comment on this, but on their website it says: \"If you get a message with unexpected characters instead of emoji, try updating your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Mac.\" If you're viewing the new iOS emojis on devices other than Apple they can appear as lots of other things, like blank spaces, boxes, equal signs, question marks, or even line breaks.", "summary": "Have you noticed any of these little guys creeping into your texts and social media, when you know they weren't intended to be there."}
{"article": "But does the fate of Greece matter to the wider world? Does it matter if Greece eventually leaves the eurozone, or even the European Union? The short answer is yes. Most people care about the fate of Greece, and hope that it can maintain stability and feel secure. Many people, but by no means all, believe that its membership of \"Club Europe\" is one guarantee of a stability which has so often been denied to Greece in the past. For at least the past hundred years, Greece has swung between democracy and dictatorship, between civilian and military rule, and the outside world would like to be sure the pendulum now stays firmly in the position marked \"democratic, civilian government\". Both history and geography help explain why Greece matters far beyond its borders. The society which gave the world the embryo of modern democracy in Ancient Greece has only enjoyed 40 years of continuous parliamentary democracy in modern times. The days of the \"Greek colonels\" are still in the not-very-distant past. The last military regime in Athens was overthrown in 1974. Thirty years earlier, in 1944, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin, as uncomfortable wartime allies against the Nazis, were carving up the Balkans between East and West for the post-war era. In Moscow, Churchill put it to Stalin: \"Let us settle about our affairs in the Balkans.\" Britain's wartime leader wrote down his proposals in pencil on a sheet of paper: A couple of later additions and amendments in red ink are important. The Greece section is changed so that \"the others 10%\" becomes \"Russia 10%\". And after Great Britain's claim to 90% influence has been added the words \"in accord with USA\", recognising where the real post-war power would lie. It was part of the far larger, so-called \"percentages agreement\" attempting to parcel out Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Hungary too. There's a blue pencil tick near the top of the page, apparently in Stalin's hand. He may have honoured that limit to his influence in Greece, but certainly not his apparent agreement to share Hungary and Bulgaria. After that, Churchill moved very swiftly to try to ensure that the Greek Communists - who had been such a strong force in the divided Resistance to Nazi occupation - would not prevail. He made a dangerous flight to Athens on Christmas Day, 1944, and on 26 December posed with the Greek Orthodox Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens. Churchill backed him as regent, or temporary head of state, ahead of Greece's descent into the nightmare of civil war between communists and anti-communists. That civil war is called by some the first battle of the Cold War. If you accept that another contest for influence between Vladimir Putin's Russia and the West is now under way, it's not hard to see why anything like \"Grexit\", which would detach Greece from the inner core of EU states, alarms not just fellow European leaders, but also the United States. President Putin has been courting the Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras. It's true that the Russian leader has offered only limited", "summary": "We know that the Greek agony is not over - the country's future is still hugely uncertain."}
{"article": "Ferdos Rabani, 48, currently at HMP Marshgate but formerly of Sheffield, was sentenced at the city's crown court. Rabani, who is also known as Joshua Abdul, was found guilty of rape in November, said South Yorkshire Police. In April 2016, he approached a 34-year-old woman, offered her a lift home before he drove to a remote area and raped her. Rabani had offered her cigarettes, believed to have been drugged to make her drowsy, before the attack. Several weeks afterwards the woman came forward to report to police what had happened. PC Jess Hawley said: \"Rabani could clearly see that the victim was vulnerable. \"He preyed on her and took advantage of her, leaving her incredibly traumatised by what happened.\"", "summary": "A man who raped a \"vulnerable\" woman has been jailed for 24 years."}
{"article": "Two days later Hyundai Trajet Y264 TKP is shunted into a Cornish garage, and declared by the owner George to be \"finished\". Or in the words of the recycling industry, it has become an end-of-life vehicle. Here rusty hulks lie forlornly in a line waiting for scrap - after hundreds of thousands of miles of family holidays, car-sick children, back-seat driving, wasp-rich picnics and school runs. Remembering the car was 12 years old, I chirpily mention that a \u00a3150 cheque from a scrap merchant would come in handy. \"\u00a3150? Lucky to get \u00a350,\" says George. George sits in his office outside the tiny Cornish village of Doublebois and patiently explains the macroeconomic forces at play that have reduced my car to a hunk of worthless metal. China, he reckons, is the problem. With Chinese demand falling, the price of iron ore is on the way down and scrap metal prices are following in their wake. A year ago George could have got \u00a3160 for my car. During the Beijing Olympics prices skyrocketed. Not now. \"There's a worldwide glut of metal,\" he explains. And Y264 TKP is 75% metal, albeit dented and scratched by bike racks, my mother's gate post and, for reasons too complex to go into, the teeth of a small pony. There are other problems too - the collapse in demand, unsurprisingly, from Ukraine, and the eurozone recession. One insider put it bluntly: \"The business is bloody painful\". Charles Ambrose of the UK's Motor Vehicle Dismantlers' Association (MVDA) said: \"In the last few years we've lost 30 members or so going out of business. Most of them are long term players. They are being kicked from all sides.\" George will bear away poor crippled Y264 TKP to be eviscerated in an \"authorised treatment facility\". It will be \"de-polluted\", the battery, and tyres removed, the diesel, oils, and brake fluids sucked out. The oils will be re-refined or used as fuel. The battery will be ground down, the acid neutralised, the polymers separated from the lead, to go towards making a new one. Of course, I could bypass George altogether and get a little more - cash in hand - from someone, er, less respectable. The MVDA believes 600,000 of the 1.7 million cars scrapped every year simply fall off the official radar, unregistered, untaxed. The paper trail vanishes into a black hole, or rather a black market. Environmental niceties are not observed on the black market. But the expense of putting anything in a landfill in the UK and the difficulty of dumping cars means even the vanished ones work their way back into the recycling system. \"It's hard to know exactly where those cars go,\" says Mr Ambrose. \"We know a tremendous number are broken up and the parts end up on eBay. \"Others are exported as whole cars or as spare parts. Parts of your car could end up in a vehicle in Nigeria. That's not a problem environmentally. It's still recycling. \"But the money involved in this kind of black market is often also involved in crime.\"", "summary": "A few miles short of Swindon my car, laden with four teenagers, my wife, one teenager's boyfriend, a dog, and attendant baggage comes to a sudden and it turns out, permanent, halt."}
{"article": "Farc leader Ivan Marquez said the group would start by making an inventory of its weapons before handing them over to United Nations monitors. He said it was a sign of the Farc's \"unconditional commitment to peace\" after more than 50 years of conflict. The government has yet to reach a peace deal with the ELN rebel group. The Farc said its fighters would register their weapons with UN monitors and reveal the location of any stashed explosives. Almost 7,000 rebels are now gathered in 26 transition zones where they are being registered and offered help to reintegrate into civilian life. But it took months rather than weeks to get them there because of what the government said were logistical difficulties. And when they arrived many Farc members complained the camps were unfinished and they had to build their own accommodation. The Colombian government and the Farc insist that by 30 May - the date set in the peace accord for the disarmament process to be completed - all the guerrillas will be leaving the transition zones and entering civilian life. But there have been serious delays, and the government and the rebels are trying to reassure Colombians that the peace process is still on track. According to the original plan, the Farc were supposed to hand over 30% of their arms on 1 March. But now only 320 rebels are set to disarm by the end of Wednesday, far short of the original target. However, both the government and the Farc insist the disarmament will be completed in time and that they will meet the May deadline.", "summary": "Colombia's Farc rebels say they will begin laying down their arms later on Wednesday as agreed in a peace deal signed in November."}
{"article": "The Toomebridge rider lies ninth in the overall standings on 28 points, having scored points in every round to date. Laverty, 29, charged into ninth place on the opening lap on his Aspar Ducati, then made it up to eighth, before being overtaken by Spaniard Pol Espargaro. Valentino Rossi was a start-to-finish winner, with Jorge Lorenzo in second. Pole position man Rossi enjoyed a two-second advantage over his Yamaha team-mate at the chequered flag, with Honda pair Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa taking third and fourth places respectively. Marquez leads the championship by 17 points from Lorenzo, with Italian Rossi a further 17 points behind in third. Laverty lapped consistently throughout, with Espargaro coming past with 16 laps to go, but failing to significantly increase the gap between the two. Laverty ended only 1.5 seconds behind the Spaniard and although Hector Barbera tried a last-lap attack on the former World Superbike rider, he couldn't make it stick. Laverty was 12th in the previous round, the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, having clinched his best-ever result of fourth in Argentina a week earlier. He also occupied 12th spot in the season opener in Qatar.", "summary": "Eugene Laverty secured another seven points in the MotoGP championship by finishing ninth in the fourth round of this year's series at Jerez in Spain."}
{"article": "Their flight from Slovenia to the UK was diverted to Cologne after the pilot was alerted to a \"suspicious conversation\" with \"terrorist content\". \"The criminal investigation against them has been halted. No evidence was found,\" police said. \"We now believe that there was never any real danger.\" All 151 passengers were evacuated from the Airbus 319 aircraft using emergency slides, and nine received medical treatment. The men, aged 31, 38 and 48, were returning to Stansted, in Essex, from Ljubljana on 10 June when the disruption arose. They are said to have been on a business trip. According to prosecutors, the flight was diverted when fellow passengers reported the men were discussing \"terrorist matters\" and carrying a book entitled \"Kill\" with a sniper rifle on the cover. They said the contents of the alleged conversation could not be verified. No explosives were found in the passengers' luggage or on the plane. A backpack belonging to the men was nonetheless blown up by police. The German tabloid newspaper Bild said passengers told airline staff they had heard the men using the words \"bomb\" and \"explosive\", and said one was carrying a suspicious rucksack. A spokesman for Cologne-Bonn airport said: \"The pilot had been informed about a suspicious conversation on board, after which he decided to make an unscheduled landing in Cologne-Bonn. \"After the safe landing... the 151 passengers left the [aircraft] via emergency slides and were taken to a transit gate.\" The diverted plane landed in Stansted airport on Sunday. Passenger Daniel Noonan told the BBC that armed police entered the aircraft and escorted two men off. The third was led away on the tarmac after the passengers had exited via the slides. Passenger Richard Peters said he saw the two Asian men being handcuffed on the tarmac at Cologne-Bonn airport. He added that people on the flight were quarantined for about nine hours while police interviewed passengers about the men. He said: \"To be fair spirits were quite high considering what had happened. \"In the current climate you have to take everything seriously. My suspicion is it was, hopefully, nothing sinister. But you have to take everything seriously. \"The right thing was done.\" Another passenger, Dave Hargreaves, said: \"In the flight I didn't see the suspects at all. But I noticed quite a bit of activity, with aircrew popping into the cockpit repeatedly. And a slower than normal serving of the food and drink service. \"Then at our cruising altitude I was surprised to see the air brakes go up on the wings and us start a rather speedy descent. It wasn't until perhaps 10 minutes later that we were told 'due to operational reasons' we would be diverting to Cologne airport.\" Easyjet said the captain had taken the decision to land as a precaution to allow additional security checks to take place. All the other passengers were given a hotel for the night, a spokeswoman said, adding: \"We thank passengers for their understanding. The safety of Easyjet's passengers and crew is our highest priority.\" Get news from the BBC in your", "summary": "Three British men who were detained in Germany after their conversations on board an Easyjet flight sparked alarm have been released without charge."}
{"article": "It said it had introduced the technology to help people get better results when they search. Often, it said in a blogpost, the best answers to a query were found in an app rather than a web page. Initially nine apps have been selected to work with the streaming system as it is tested. Jennifer Lin, Google engineering manager, said the firm started indexing information found in apps two years ago to bolster its larger corpus of search data. About 40% of searches done via Google now turn up content found in apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Airbnb or Pinterest, she said. Until now, Google has only answered queries with information that is available both on the web and in apps. Now, however, it is starting to show results that are only found in apps. One example of when these results would show up might be when someone is looking for hotels during a spur-of-the-moment trip to an unfamiliar city, wrote Ms Lin in the blog. Google said it was using an in-house developed streaming system to give people access to results in apps they do not have installed on their Android handsets. This lets people try the app and use it as if it were installed, said Ms Lin. An experimental cloud-based virtualisation technology Google has developed underpins the streaming system. Apps from HotelTonight, Useful Knots, Daily Horoscope and Gormey are among the first to be available via streaming. Danny Sullivan, founding editor of the Search Engine Land news site, said the streaming system made visible a lot of information that was hard to get at easily. \"It's a bad experience to show links to an app that no-one can view unless they install an app,\" he said. Plus, he added, it could mean data found in apps was now more widely available and could be put to other uses. \"Potentially, the new system could even cause some apps that might seem to lack linkable content, such as games, to consider app-only links,\" he wrote. Streamed versions of apps are available via Google's own app and on its Chrome browser. Users must also be on a fast wi-fi connection and be using a handset running Android Lollipop or a more recent version. Lollipop was released in November 2014. The test of the app streaming and search responses is currently only taking place in the US. Google has not said when, or if, it will be expanded to other parts of the world.", "summary": "Google has started streaming apps to Android phones so people can use them even if they are not installed on a handset."}
{"article": "The President says it's unlikely that power companies will switch back to coal, regardless of Mr Trump's plans to boost production. Mr Trump has also said he wants the US to pull out of the Paris climate agreement. But President Obama says this would see the US lose its \"seat at the table\". The President's views appeared in a policy forum article in the highly regarded research journal, Science. The editors believe it is the first time that a sitting President has written such a feature. In the article, the President argues that a \"massive scientific record\" shows that climate change is \"real and cannot be ignored\". Mr Obama also details the reasons he believes the trend towards a low-carbon economy is now \"irreversible\". He points to the fact that between 2008 and 2015 the US economy grew by 10% while emissions of CO2 fell by almost the same amount. Mr Obama says that US businesses have increasingly seen the financial benefits from cutting carbon through greater energy efficiency. Citing the examples of corporations like General Motors and Alcoa, the President says the US consumed 2.5% less energy in 2015 than in 2008 while the economy was now a tenth bigger. There would be a huge financial penalty if economies don't reduce their emissions, Mr Obama writes. If CO2 continues to rise then global temperatures could go up by 4 degrees C by the end of this century, and that could cost the world economy 4% of GDP. In US terms that would equate to the loss of federal revenue of between $340bn and $690bn every year. Pointedly, Mr Obama says that 2.2 million Americans now work in jobs connected to energy efficiency - double the 1.1 million that work in fossil fuel production and electricity generation. Thanks to hydraulic fracturing, gas has emerged as a transformative energy source, now accounting for 33% of US electricity production. Despite Mr Trump's plans to revive the coal industry by cutting red tape, \"it is unlikely that utilities will change course and choose to build coal-fired power plants, which would be more expensive than natural gas plants, regardless of any near-term changes in federal policy.\" Even states that supported Donald Trump in the presidential election had moved heavily to renewables. Iowa generated 32% of their electricity in 2015 from wind, up from 8% in 2008. On the Paris climate agreement, Mr Obama said this was a \"fundamental shift in the diplomatic landscape which has already yielded substantial dividends\". Pulling out of the agreement, as Mr Trump has mulled doing, would see the United States lose its seat at the table, and be unable to hold other countries to their commitments, the President wrote. Continued participation in the Paris process, Mr Obama said, would yield great benefit for the American people and the international community. However, the outgoing president was careful to offer an olive branch of sorts to President-elect Trump. Mr Obama argued that the targets that the US signed up to in the Paris agreement could be achieved in many different ways and \"this", "summary": "Renewable energy sources will continue to grow in the US despite the antipathy of the incoming Trump administration, says President Obama."}
{"article": "Some of the weapons were discovered when officers stopped two vehicles in Ratoath - the same village where a man was shot dead on Wednesday night. Two assault rifles and ammunition were found in the vehicles and in follow-up searches nearby two pistols, silencers and more ammunition was recovered. Police said the operation is ongoing. It involved officers from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, supported by national police units, including the Emergency Response Unit. The investigation follows the fatal shooting of Noel Duggan in The Old Mill housing estate in Ratoath at about 19:45 local time on Wednesday. Mr Duggan was a well-known criminal linked to cigarette smuggling and also had connections to a Dublin family who were caught up in a fatal feud in the city last month. A police statement said Thursday evening's operation was targeted at \"organised criminal groups involved in the provision and distribution of firearms\". The men who were arrested are in their 30s.", "summary": "Three men have been arrested after police seized guns and several hundred rounds of ammunition in County Meath in the Republic of Ireland."}
{"article": "Contractions in the construction and production industries were balanced out by a growth in services. UK GDP grew by 0.4% over the same period. Scottish GDP per person - which takes population changes into account - was also flat during the first quarter of 2016. During the first three months of the year services in Scotland grew by 0.4%, while production contracted by 1.2% and construction by 1.5%. On an annual basis, Scotland's economy grew by 0.6%, compared with UK growth of 2%. The figures were compiled by Scotland's chief statistician. The GDP figures were released on the same day as official data showed that unemployment in Scotland fell by 18,000 between March and May. A leading economic forecaster described the two sets of figures as \"a mixed bag\" for the Scottish economy. Graeme Roy, director of the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde, said growth had been \"stagnant\" over the first three months of the year. \"While the all-important services sectors grew, there was a sharp fall in production and construction,\" he said. \"Of greatest concern was the fall in manufacturing, which was down 2.6% over the three months and 5.4% over the year. This was the sharpest fall in annual manufacturing output since the 2008/09 financial crisis. \"On the plus side, revisions to the data paint a rosier picture of growth last year. The Scottish economy is now estimated to have grown in each and every quarter of 2015, with growth of 1.4% in 2015 up from the previous estimate of just +0.9%. \"Despite that, Scotland continued to lag behind the UK as a whole.\" Responding to the GDP figures, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce called for \"a concerted government response to Scotland's growth problems and swift clarification of the position of EU nationals working in the UK\". Chief executive Liz Cameron said: \"Scotland's growth has now been at a fraction of that of the UK as a whole for a full year and there are few signs of a major improvement in sight. \"In the light of the EU referendum result, the Scottish and UK governments must take all steps necessary to support businesses at this time and help them to invest for the future and get our economy back on the path of growth.\" The Federation of Small Businesses said the growth figures presented a challenge. Scottish policy convener Andy Willox said: \"These pre-referendum figures demonstrate that the Scottish economy was underperforming before the vote. \"Business surveys and feedback suggest that some investment plans and deals have been put on hold as a consequence of recent economic and political turbulence. \"As Number 10 and Bute House draw up plans to restore business confidence, they must think about community firms as well as the stock market. \"They must shelve proposals that would give business owners headaches and think about local infrastructure as well as large national projects.\" In a report released last week, accountancy firm PwC downgraded its growth forecasts for Scotland's economy. It suggested house prices were set to fall north of the border amid", "summary": "There was no growth in the Scottish economy in the first three months of this year, according to official figures."}
{"article": "South Central Ambulance Service and South East Coast Ambulance sent out land and air crews to an area near the Discovery Centre at Swinley Forest, Crowthorne at 15:57 BST on Saturday. Crews were responding to reports that a man had come off his mountain bike. The cyclist died at the scene. The man's death is not being treated as suspicious. His name has not yet been released.", "summary": "A male cyclist died at a popular mountain biking area in Berkshire."}
{"article": "Darren Ferris, 24, from Motherwell, lost control of his Ford Mondeo which hit 44-year-old Linda Carson in the town's Muirhouse Road on 27 September. Mrs Carson later died at the scene from multiple injuries. Ferris admitted causing her death by dangerous driving. He was jailed for nine years and six months. Jailing Ferris at the High Court in Edinburgh, judge Lord Turnbull told him: \"Your behaviour on that evening, when seen in the context of your previous offending, demonstrates you have no sense of the civilised values by which others in our community live their lives.\" Lord Turnbull said Mrs Carson had been a mother and wife \"in the prime of her life\" who, through the random timing of taking her dog for a walk, found herself in the path of a drunk driver travelling at excessive speed. He said the author of a background report on Ferris could \"detect little by way insight or genuine remorse\" on his part. \"The consequence of your conduct was predictable, but it was also truly tragic for Mrs Carson and her family,\" he said. A previous hearing at the High Court in Glasgow was told that on the day of the crash Ferris had been drinking Buckfast and was \"pretty drunk\". At about 20:00, Mrs Carson left her home in Gresham View, Motherwell, to walk the family dog. Ferris was seen driving the Mondeo at excessive speed, causing some witnesses to remark that he was \"flying past\" and driving \"like an idiot\". He then lost control on Muirhouse Road, causing the car to mount the pavement, hit Mrs Carson and then smash into a wall. Afterwards, Ferris got out of the car and spoke to Mrs Carson who was lying on the pavement. What he said was not heard, but a bystander then saw him put his hands to his head and shout before running from the scene. One of the people who tried to help Mrs Carson called the mobile number on the dog's collar and spoke to 47-year-old Mr Carson. He then rushed to the scene with their 11-year-old daughter and both were comforted by locals while a nurse attempted CPR on Mrs Carson until paramedics arrived. The court was told that Mrs Carson died from multiple injuries. Ferris was later seen dropping car keys from the window of his flat at Grange Tower, before police arrived and forced entry. When he saw them he became aggressive, told them to leave and denied that he had been driving. A breath test carried out on Ferris 90 minutes after the crash gave a reading of 63mcgs. The legal limit is 22mcgs. Police experts who examined the crash scene concluded that blame for the fatal collision lay with Ferris who drove at an inappropriate speed in a 30mph limit area, under the influence of alcohol and failed to negotiate a right-hand bend. Speaking after sentencing, Insp Darren Faulds, of Police Scotland, said: \"Ferris, despite having already been banned from the road for a previous conviction, took the decision to get behind the wheel of that", "summary": "A man with two previous drink-driving convictions has been jailed for killing a woman in a crash while he was over the limit and flouting a driving ban."}
{"article": "\"By the time you're 40 years old, you've learned a great deal, both professionally and personally, and made a lot of mistakes. And I think respect comes with age - people take you more seriously.\" It certainly worked for Johnson. It was as she was turning 40 that she set up the San Francisco-based product design company, Coupage, with her engineer husband. Business has been booming ever since. She is not alone, it seems. Many women entrepreneurs are waiting for the right moment, and are starting their businesses in their forties or beyond - as a second or even third career - having bided their time until they are absolutely ready. Having worked in product design and then in advertising, Raquel Johnson realised that she did not want to return to the corporate world after she had her younger daughter. It was challenging walking away from the \"sure thing\" of a steady salary, she says, but she also found it liberating. She has found her \"true passion,\" she says. \"Even the stress I feel now is more enjoyable,\" she explains cheerfully. \"It motivates me and pushes me forward.\" Starting small, the business was run from home and was self-funded at first. \"[When you are older] there is more opportunity for some savings to have accumulated,\" points out Johnson. \"You don't have to take out large loans or search for funders right away.\" Having started with a prototype for a device to integrate an iPod into a car, Coupage has grown steadily, bringing ideas to life in the fields of audio, energy, cars and Apple-related products. \"Once you reach your forties you have the confidence to follow your own path,\" says the US-born businesswoman, Karen Scofield, who set up her company when she was 46. A sense of humour is also important, she adds with a smile. In the early days, she had to run her firm, London-based fashion brand Lucza, single-handedly. It was all down to her, from technology mishaps and admin dramas to sudden, urgent errands, like dashing out to the shop to buy a copier cartridge. \"Humour was definitely needed on that day,\" she laughs. All of which is a far cry from her previous career as a television executive in New York, working for a smooth-running corporate machine. When she moved to London with her husband and started a family, it was time to think again. But the skills she had learnt in TV - time and people management, organisation, as well as research and analysis - were highly transferable, she says: Some things, however, she is doing very differently from her old workplace. Her leadership style at Lucza is \"inclusive,\" she says. \"But the main difference is, now you are the boss, the final decision maker, which can be daunting. \"You decide what is best and you must make these decisions with confidence.\" It is something she relishes. So what advice would Karen Scofield give to other entrepreneurs when the going gets tough? \"You have to push yourself forward, set your own deadlines and keep going.\" The hard", "summary": "\"Timing is everything,\" says entrepreneur Raquel Johnson."}
{"article": "DUP leader Arlene Foster said the \"wide-ranging\" pact was \"good for Northern Ireland and the UK\" - so where will the money be spent? The heart of the financial package is infrastructure spending - \u00a3400m of it over two years. That is a significant sum given that Northern Ireland's annual infrastructure budget is about \u00a31bn. The deal specifically mentions the York Street Interchange, a project to ease congestion where three major roads meet in Belfast. It is expected to cost about \u00a3150m, so there should be plenty left over for other major projects. They could include a planned transport hub in the centre of Belfast and other major roads schemes like the completion of the A5 or A6. On top of the \u00a3400m, there is a further \u00a3150m for ultra-fast broadband. This was a project which was already being scoped by the Department of the Economy before the collapse of Stormont. It is ultimately about improving the connectivity of rural businesses. Previous Stormont/Westminster deals have also included infrastructure but they typically involved allowing Stormont to borrow more. This time it is cold, hard, no-strings-attached cash. The money for health and education is more modest - given that a figure of \u00a31bn for health alone was being mentioned during the negotiations. There is a minimum of \u00a3250m for health and and we can assume it will get about half the \"immediate pressures\" money, bringing it to a total of \u00a3300m. That will help ease the problems with waiting lists and give the system some breathing space ahead of a major reform programme. The \"immediate pressures\" money for education (about \u00a350m) will go some way to easing a growing row with head teachers who have said they will not impose any more cuts. There is also \u00a3100m to be spent on deprived communities over five years. It will be interesting to see what the delivery mechanism for that money will be. Stormont's Social Investment Fund, which was also designed to help those communities, has been mired in controversy. Another part of this deal is to give flexibility to a previously agreed \u00a3500m fund for investment in shared education and housing projects. Stormont has struggled to spend this money, in its first year just \u00a33m of a \u00a350m allocation was spent. So its is possible that the new flexibility will allow all that money to go into general infrastructure spending.", "summary": "Northern Ireland will receive an extra \u00a31bn over the next two years as part of the deal that will see the Democratic Unionist Party's 10 MPs back Theresa May's minority government in Commons votes."}
{"article": "Bowe, 30, scored the second of Ireland's tries in Saturday's 29-15 win over South Africa at the Aviva Stadium. He has won 55 caps for Ireland, scoring 27 tries, and has made 124 appearances for Ulster, scoring 48 tries. Earlier this week, the IRFU confirmed that Rob Kearney had also signed a new three-year deal to stay with Leinster. Bowe made his competitive debut for Ulster against Connacht in April 2004 and enjoyed a spell with the Ospreys, before returning to his home province for the 2012-13 season. He made his Ireland debut against the USA in November 2004 and has twice toured with the British and Irish Lions. The Monaghan man played in all three Lions Tests against South Africa in 2009, and in two Tests in Australia in 2013. He was a member of Ireland's 2009 Grand Slam-winning team and was named Six Nations Player of the Championship in 2010. \"I'm delighted to have signed a new contract with the IRFU and Ulster,\" Bowe said. \"It is an exciting time for both the province and the national team and I hope to play a part in achieving success on both fronts in the years to come.\"", "summary": "Ireland winger Tommy Bowe will remain with Ulster until at least June 2018 after signing a new three-year contract with the IRFU."}
{"article": "Any player who dives or feigns injury in an effort to influence match officials will be liable for sanction. At the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, officials were instructed to sin-bin players who committed those offences. Players who need to be substituted because of an injury following foul play will no longer count as one of their team's six allotted replacements. And a change has also been made in the application of a maul law, punishable by a penalty. It means a player in possession cannot slip to the back of a maul, with the ball having to be moved backwards hand to hand instead. The changes have been in effect in the southern hemisphere since January. England are scheduled to play a three-match Test series in Australia in June, while Wales play New Zealand in three Tests and Ireland are touring South Africa. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "World Rugby has introduced a number of law changes to the northern hemisphere game in an effort to stop simulation."}
{"article": "The screens of the Galaxy S8 and bigger S8+ are also larger despite the devices being about the same size as last year's S7 and S7 Edge. This time, both models feature displays that curve round the phones' sides. The launch follows Samsung's botched release of the Note 7, which was recalled twice after fires. The South Korean firm blamed the problem on battery faults and said it had since put in additional safety measures, including X-ray scans of batteries. The company has also become mired in a corruption scandal in its home country. \"The Galaxy S8 is arguably the most important launch of the last 10 years for Samsung and every aspect will be under the microscope following the Note 7 recall,\" commented Ben Wood from the CCS tech consultancy. \"The S8 is a unquestionably a strong product but Samsung must now deliver a faultless launch to move on from its earlier difficulties. If this happens it will emerge in an even stronger position.\" The new devices will be released on 21 April. The S8 is priced at \u00a3690 and the S8+ at \u00a3780 - a jump on last year's entry prices of \u00a3569 for the S7 and \u00a3639 for the S7 Edge. Samsung was the bestselling handset manufacturer for 2016 as a whole, according to market research firm IDC. However, Apple overtook it in the final three months. Source: IDC The displays of the S8 and S8+, measuring 5.8in (14.7cm) and 6.2in (15.7cm) respectively, mean a more stretched aspect ratio than before, pushing the screens closer to the top and bottom of the handsets. As a consequence, Samsung's logo no longer features on the front, and the physical home button is replaced with an on-screen icon - in a similar manner to rival Android phones from Huawei and LG. A pressure sensor and vibration module have, however, been built into the space behind the new virtual button to provide feedback. Samsung suggests the displays' 18.5:9 ratio makes them better suited to running two apps side by side. For example, there is now space to watch a video, use a chat app and still have room for a full touch-keyboard. The screens are the same resolution as before but are now brighter, supporting high dynamic range (HDR) playback of videos for extra clarity. The S8's body is a little narrower than that of the S7, while the S8+'s is a bit wider than the S7 Edge but lighter - Samsung says both new devices can still be used one-handed. The phones also introduce Bixby - a virtual assistant based on technology acquired from some of the original developers' of Apple's Siri. The helper is activated by a dedicated side-button and allows 10 built-in apps - including a photo gallery, messages and weather - to be controlled by voice. It is \"context-aware\", meaning users can ask follow-up questions and assume it is aware of what is currently displayed. Samsung said it expected owners to mix together voice commands and physical controls - for example asking to see all the photos taken today,", "summary": "Samsung's latest flagship phones have ditched the physical home button found in their predecessors and introduced a new virtual assistant."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old made 243 appearances for the Canaries, and was promoted to the Premier League twice. \"It's disappointing obviously, but I think the direction that the club needs to go, it's a rebuild in structure,\" Ruddy told BBC Radio Norfolk. \"For reasons other than football, it was a decision that was made.\" Ruddy, whose final match for the club was their 4-0 win over QPR, continued: \"The club did have the option on me, but mitigating circumstances within that contract meant that it was probably impossible for the club to uphold that. \"It was nice that we were told when we were and nice that I was able to go out in this manner on Sunday.\" Ruddy joined Norwich from Everton in 2010, and as well as helping them reach the top flight twice, he was capped once by England in 2012. But he is one of seven out-of-contract players to leave a club that failed to achieve an instant return to the Premier League and are currently without a permanent manager. \"Going back to when I was first here, Paul Lambert took what was a calculated risk, I'd say, of \u00a3250,000. \"You look back on that now, it's not an awful lot of money. I'm not sure you get too much goalkeeper for \u00a3250,000 these days,\" said Ruddy. \"I was grateful to him, to (majority shareholder) Delia Smith and (former chief executive) David McNally for allowing me to join the club, for the years after that, apart from this season and last season, have been superb. \"Four of the seven years here have been in the Premier League. It's been a special time in my life. I'm only 30 years old, I'm not retiring tomorrow. \"We move onto a new day, a new challenge and hopefully I've got 10 years left in me.\"", "summary": "Norwich City goalkeeper John Ruddy was \"not massively\" surprised about being released by the Championship club this summer after seven years."}
{"article": "In 2009, world leaders met in Copenhagen but got nowhere. I was among the last to leave that summit and delegates were in tears. The glass roof of the conference centre was dark with snow. But since then, a remarkable set of changes has allowed the Paris Agreement to take shape. Paris climate deal enters force as focus shifts to action UN review says carbon plans fall well short of climate goals For a start, the world's two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, China and US, jointly decided to make a serious push. For President Obama, this has always been a priority. And for China the new middle class is demanding an end to the toxic pollution smothering the biggest cities. And that's spurred another shift: renewable energy is falling in price. Out in the deserts of western China, along the ancient Silk Road, I've seen for myself new forests of wind turbines. Recently, China has planted two of them every hour. The Chinese push for renewable energy is the largest the world has ever seen. And look at the global figure for solar panels installed last year - it was half a million every day. A third big change is the involvement of leading companies. A decade ago, it was rare for me to get a corporate press release making a green boast. Now my inbox is bursting with them. On Friday, 10 oil companies announced a one-billion-dollar fund for low-carbon technology - something inconceivable not long ago but, let's be clear, the sum is dwarfed by the money spent developing new sources of oil. So will the Paris Agreement get anywhere? On the one hand, it doesn't oblige any government to cut their greenhouse gases. But, on the other, each country's efforts will be scrutinised every five years. And although the agreement has no teeth, it does represent something unique: the first time that every nation on the planet has signed up to try to head off the worst effects of global warming.", "summary": "Only seven years ago, the very idea that an international climate agreement would come into force today looked hopeless."}
{"article": "Women's rugby sevens appears at the Olympics for the first time and Joyce, 20, is the only Welsh player to make the otherwise all-English GB squad. \"We're coming out here to achieve a medal and hopefully gold,\" she said. \"Sevens is a game anything can happen, anyone can win. You might be up top and five seconds later you're losing.\" On the prospect of facing Brazil in their opening Pool C game, Joyce said: \"We're just going to take it like it's any other team, go out there fighting. It's going to be one of our hardest games.\" Team GB also face Japan on Saturday, before a match against Canada on Sunday with the quarter-finals to follow. The only non-English member of the squad, Joyce says she has settled in well and is enjoying the experience. \"The facilities here are amazing, we are loving every second of it,\" she said. \"We get free time and chances to play monopoly, cards and we're all loving Mario Kart [a video game]. \"It's honestly amazing and one of the best experiences I can ever imagine.\" The Team GB squad have now arrived in the athletes' village in Rio after a training camp in Belo Horizonte. \"I think it's going to be completely different level of excitement in the athletes' village. It will be amazing to get to be with everyone else,\" said Joyce. \"Imagine just walking past Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and Andy Murray. It would be a dream come true.\" Joyce, from St David's in west Wales, is the first Welsh women's rugby player to compete in the Olympics, something which she says is \"pretty insane\". \"I'm getting so much support,\" Joyce added. \"When I went home a couple of weeks ago to my parents' house they had the GB flags and the Welsh flags all around the house. \"I live in a little city and they're all cheering for me and wishing me good luck, giving me cards. I've had amazing support.\" Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Team GB rugby sevens wing Jasmine Joyce says her side are aiming for an historic gold in Rio as they prepare to take on hosts Brazil on Saturday."}
{"article": "The veteran US businessman was the largest shareholder in MGM Resorts International, which owns the MGM Grand and Bellagio hotels in Las Vegas. He was well known for buying and then selling the MGM film studio three times, making a profit each time. Kerkorian was reported to have died on Monday night in Los Angeles but no cause of death has been given. \"Mr Kerkorian was a quiet but powerful force behind the transformation of the Las Vegas Strip into one of the world's most popular tourist destinations,\" MGM Resorts said in a statement. A school dropout at 16, Kerkorian became a boxer and later flew dangerous missions delivering warplanes from Canada to Britain during World War Two. He carried on flying after the war and opened a charter flight business ferrying gamblers who wanted to get from Los Angeles to Las Vegas more quickly than by driving. He began buying property in Las Vegas in 1962 after selling his charter airline, which he later re-purchased. \"When you're a self-made man you start very early in life,\" he once told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. \"You get a drive that's a little different, maybe a little stronger, than somebody who inherited.\" He was also a player in the automobile industry, losing a battle for control of Chrysler in the 1990s before taking stakes in General Motors and Ford in the 2000s. In May this year, Forbes magazine estimated Kerkorian's wealth at $4.2bn (\u00c2\u00a32.7bn) after taking a hit on his investments during the financial crisis in 2008, when the magazine said he was worth $16bn. \"MGM Resorts and our family of 62,000 employees are honouring the memory of a great man, a great business leader, a great community leader, an innovator, and one of our country's greatest generation,\" MGM chief executive Jim Murren said in a statement.", "summary": "Kirk Kerkorian, the son of Armenian immigrants who became a billionaire Las Vegas mogul, has died at the age of 98."}
{"article": "Tony Smith's side followed up a 28-16 win at Wigan on 1 April with a convincing home victory, although they fell behind to Josh Charnley's try. Daryl Clark, Ben Westwood and Kevin Penny all crossed for the hosts before half-time to forge an 18-4 lead. Ryan Atkins' brace, Benjamin Jullien and Westwood's second sealed Wire's biggest Super League win over Wigan. The Warriors, for whom captain John Bateman scored a late consolation, would have gone top themselves with a win but defeat left them third. Catalans Dragons will join Warrington at the summit on 20 points if they win at Hull on Friday. The two tightest defences in the division at the start of play held firm until Charnley slid in at the corner after 17 minutes, but Shaun Wane's 150th game as Wigan head coach quickly turned sour as Clark and Westwood, who barged over with his first touch of the game, overturned the deficit. Warrington, who lost winger Tom Lineham to a head injury early in the first half, saw off a burst of Wigan pressure before Atkins' close-range try stretched the lead to 20 points and his second effectively killed the contest. The Wolves' half-back pairing of Stefan Ratchford and Kurt Gidley, who extended his contract on Wednesday, played influential roles throughout, with Gidley also landing five of his six attempts at goal. Former Great Britain international Iestyn Harris, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra \"In the first 20 minutes, Warrington didn't get into their stride. As soon as Ben Westwood came onto the field and gave them some momentum, they didn't look back. \"For 60 minutes they totally dominated Wigan - physically, in ability and for me that little bit of hunger. They really wanted this. \"They've put a statement of intent there - they've put 40 points on Wigan Warriors. \"Wigan are going to get some players back and they are going to come back strong.\" Warrington head coach Tony Smith: \"The players were terrific tonight, particularly defensively. \"We were outstanding without the ball and really played a physical game, which you have to do when you play Wigan. If you don't, they dominate you. \"I love watching Ben Westwood - he's tough, hard, effective and keeps going. He's doing a great job for us.\" Wigan head coach Shaun Wane: \"It's not tough to take - they were the better team. Warrington were outstanding. \"For 25 minutes we handled them physically, but we made changes and lost a bit of momentum. \"Their line speed killed us, we found ourselves under pressure and we couldn't get ourselves back into the game.\" Warrington: Russell; Penny, R. Evans, Atkins, Lineham; Gidley, Ratchford; Hill, Clark, Sims, Hughes, Currie, Westerman. Replacements: G. King, Cox, Jullien, Westwood. Wigan: Sarginson; Charnley, Gelling, Gildart, Tierney; Gregson, Smith; Clubb, Powell, Mossop, Bateman, Isa, Sutton. Replacements: Williams, Tautai, Burke, Wells. Referee: Phil Bentham", "summary": "Warrington Wolves completed a Super League double over Wigan to move two points clear at the top of the table."}
{"article": "South and West Yorkshire would both control some tax and spending if local councils devolve powers to new combined authorities run by a mayor. Under the proposals, strategic planning, transport and economic regeneration powers would be handed over. The Chancellor, George Osborne, could announce the plan on Wednesday. The five West Yorkshire councils - Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield - joined the neighbouring City of York in North Yorkshire to form a combined authority six months ago. Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield councils have created a similar South Yorkshire body. The existing councils would continue to run services such as education and waste management individually. Under the current agreement one of the council leaders is chosen by the others to chair the combined authority. The chancellor's idea takes this on much further with extra powers for the combined authority to control social welfare policy, raise tax and control public spending. In return leadership would be given to a new generation of \"metro mayors\" wielding considerable executive powers. Councillor Peter Box, Labour leader of Wakefield City Council and current chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said he would welcome any extra power and budgets but totally reject a regional executive mayor. Wakefield, Bradford, Leeds and Sheffield all rejected individual city mayors in referendums just two years ago. \"Just a couple of weeks ago the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was in Leeds and told us that we could have the devolved powers without having to accept an executive mayor,\" said Mr Box. \"Go on any street and it becomes clear the public will simply not accept another elected politician.\" Andrew Carter, leader of the opposition Conservative Group on Leeds City Council, voted against creating a local executive mayor in the 2012 referendums. \"But, a metro mayor is a completely different proposition,\" he said. Support for the idea has come from two of Bradford's MPs. Gerry Sutcliffe, Labour MP for Bradford South, who was leader of the city council before being elected to parliament, says West Yorkshire has to follow the Manchester lead or it will see potential investment and economic growth being sucked over to the other side of the Pennines. George Galloway, Respect MP for Bradford West, said he believed that West Yorkshire could reap the same benefits that have resulted from the strong leadership of London's mayors. \"We have had two now, both of them bigger-than-life figures, who have clearly made a difference to London,\" he said. The individual councils would not enter into a formal merger. A similar arrangement has been announced for Greater Manchester's 10 councils. \"I am a great believer in the power of our cities to be big forces in the world,\" Mr Osborne said as he signed the deal with the Greater Manchester councils in November. \"Great cities like Manchester don't quite have a strong enough voice. And I want to improve that. I think you do that by having a directly elected mayor. I think that has worked in London\".", "summary": "Parts of Yorkshire could be run by a London-style directly-elected mayor if new plans are proposed in the government's Autumn Statement."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old from Ashford, Kent, admitted the offences against victims aged between six months and 12 years, from 2006 to 2014. He was given 22 life sentences and will serve a minimum term of 23 years. It is believed Huckle abused up to 200 children from mainly poor communities in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. He presented himself as a practising Christian and first visited Malaysia on a teaching gap year when he was 18 or 19. He then went on to groom children while doing voluntary work. Sentencing Huckle, Judge Peter Rook QC said: \"It is very rare indeed that a judge has to sentence sexual offending by one person on such a scale as this.\" He added that Huckle's life \"revolved around your obsession with your own sexual gratification by child sex abuse\". How abuser Richard Huckle was caught Malaysian reaction to Huckle's abuse \"It is also clear that, had you not been arrested, you planned to continue the same lifestyle using the expertise that you were keen to show off to and share with other abusers so as to continue your sexual exploitation of the children of such communities.\" Investigators found more than 20,000 indecent pictures and videos of his assaults on children, which were shared with paedophiles worldwide through a website hidden in the so-called dark web He even tried to make a business out of his abuse by crowd-funding the release of the images and was compiling a paedophile's manual at the time of his arrest by the National Crime Agency in December 2014. He boasted about his crimes in online posts, saying in one discussion that \"impoverished kids are definitely much easier to seduce than middle-class Western kids.\" Ahead of his sentencing, Huckle claimed to a psychiatrist that he wanted to put his \"madness\" behind him and settle down with a south Indian woman. But the court was shown a posting from 2013 in which he outlined his plan to marry one of his victims in order to help him abuse more children. Judge Rook said: \"In my view, you may well harbour feelings of regret but there is no feeling of genuine remorse in this case.\" James Traynor from the NCA's child exploitation and online protection command said Huckle had \"deliberately travelled to a part of the world where he thought he could abuse vulnerable children without being caught\". \"He spent several years integrating himself into the community in which he lived, making himself a trusted figure. But he abused that trust in the worst possible way. The NCA were able to use legislation which allows UK nationals to be prosecuted in the UK for offences that have been committed overseas. Mr Traynor added: \"Borders are no barrier - we are determined that those who go abroad to abuse children will be held to account.\" The NCA has now referred itself to the police watchdog over the way it handled parts of its inquiry. Huckle is known to have returned to the UK and attended two churches in Kent and London. But the BBC has", "summary": "British man Richard Huckle has been jailed for life by a judge at the Old Bailey after admitting 71 charges of sex abuse against children in Malaysia."}
{"article": "Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said Mr Peres \"was the greatest living example of an unshakable belief in the pursuit of peace against all odds\". Former British PM Tony Blair also paid tribute describing the Nobel Peace prize winner as \"a political giant\". Mr Peres died aged 93 on Tuesday, two weeks after suffering a stroke. He was one of the last of a generation of Israeli politicians present at the new nation's birth in 1948, serving twice as the country's prime minister and once as president. He also won the Nobel Peace prize in 1994 for his role negotiating peace accords with the Palestinians a year earlier. Rabbi Mirvis said Mr Peres \"gave hope to millions of people\" that a peace deal would be achievable. He added: \"Tragically, thus far, we have not succeeded. But from Shimon Peres we learned that we must never let go of that audacious commitment to peace, even when all around us are ready to do so.\" He went on: \"For those of us whom he inspired during his remarkable lifetime, we say: No matter what the future holds, your legacy lives on in the Jewish people who will never rest until we achieve our eternal dream of peace among the peoples of the world.\" Mr Blair paid tribute to Mr Peres on twitter, writing: \"Shimon Peres was a political giant, a statesman who will rank as one of the foremost of this era or any era, and someone I loved deeply\".", "summary": "The chief rabbi of the UK and Commonwealth has paid tribute to former Israeli PM Shimon Peres, describing him as a \"true giant amongst men\"."}
{"article": "Israeli president Reuven Rivlin has sent a pink dress embroidered with the words, \"From Israel with love\". Princess Charlotte was born on Saturday in London's St Mary's Hospital, weighing 8lbs 3oz (3.7kg). The Queen met her new great-granddaughter at Kensington Palace for the first time on Tuesday. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said a cot blanket made from Tasmanian merino wool was being sent on behalf of the Australian people to mark the royal birth. It was made at the country's oldest weaving mill, Waverly Woollen Mills, Tasmania, and has been embroidered with the Australian floral emblem, the wattle. Mr Abbott said his government would also be making a A$10,000 (\u00c2\u00a35,200) donation to the Healesville Sanctuary, in Victoria, in honour of the princess. \"I hope one day the princess can visit Australia and hold a Mountain Pygmy-possum herself,\" he said. The Mountain Pygmy-possum is Australia's only hibernating marsupial, and there are fewer than 2,000 left in the wild. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and his wife Nechama Rivlin wished the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge \"joy, health and happiness\" at the birth. They have sent a beaded brooch which features a heart-shaped charm and the \"hamsa\" symbol - a Middle Eastern sign of protection - as well as a dress, according to a statement from Rivlin's office. Sharona Barzilai, who designed the dress, said: \"For me this closes a circle as I learned to be a dressmaker in London, and I am delighted that my design has been sent as a present to the new princess.\" Meanwhile, a Lego figure of Princess Charlotte has been added to the Buckingham Palace model at Legoland Windsor. More than 7,000 souvenir mugs are being produced at the Emma Bridgewater factory in Stoke-on-Trent to mark the birth of the princess, whose name - Charlotte Elizabeth Diana - was announced on Monday. About 200 staff worked throughout the night, with the first mugs finished at 06:00 BST on Tuesday. The fourth in line to the throne will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. The Queen is due to return to London, three days after the birth of her fifth great-grandchild. It is believed she could meet Princess Charlotte for the first time, but a Buckingham Palace spokesman declined to comment on \"speculation\". Other members of the family have already met the new addition. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall spent more than an hour with their new granddaughter on Sunday. The duchess's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, and sister Pippa also met the princess. Last year, the princess's brother Prince George was given 774 gifts - including 603 presents from Australia alone. They included a leather flying jacket, a polo mallet and a teddy bear from US president Barack Obama.", "summary": "A blanket and a donation to a rare possum sanctuary from the Australian government are among gifts sent from around the world to Princess Charlotte."}
{"article": "Junction One and The Outlet are for sale with a combined guide price of between \u00a358m and \u00a362m, according to property consultants CBRE. The Outlet opened on the outskirts of Banbridge in County Down in 2007, but was effectively taken over by Ulster Bank in 2011. Junction One opened near Antrim in 2004. Ulster Bank also lent the money for that development. The Outlet is currently held by an Ulster Bank company called West Register (Northern Ireland) Property. It is a Northern Ireland branch of a group of companies set up by the bank's parent company RBS to hold \"distressed properties\". Earlier this year another West Register firm sold the Richmond Centre in Londonderry. The Outlet was opened in 2007 at a cost of \u00a370m but struggled to fill all its units. There are plans to switch part of its use from retail to leisure with a cinema and restaurants. The last set of accounts for the company that holds Junction One valued the development at \u00a37.85m, compared to a valuation of almost \u00a380m in 2009. Junction One Ltd had Ulster Bank borrowings of about \u00a348m and its liabilities outweigh its assets by \u00a353m. Leona Barr, centre manager for Junction One, said: \"We welcome that the Junction One complex is on the market as it brings great potential for future development and continued investment. \"We believe that the time is right for new owners to build on the success already achieved and to input additional investment to enable the complex to reach its full potential.\"", "summary": "Two major out-of-town retail centres that struggled in the economic downturn have been placed on the market."}
{"article": "Archbishop Philip Tartaglia said Scottish bishops were \"shamed and pained\" by the suffering of those who had been harmed. His apology followed the publication of a report from the McLellan Commission, which was set up to investigate abuse. It called on the church to make an \"unmistakeable and unequivocal\" apology and \"heal the hurt\" of victims. In response, Archbishop Tartaglia said: \"As the president of the Bishops' Conference, and on behalf of all the bishops of Scotland, I want to offer a profound apology to all those who have been harmed and who have suffered in any way as a result of actions by anyone within the Catholic Church. \"Child abuse is a horrific crime. That this abuse should have been carried out within the church, and by priests and religious, takes that abuse to another level. \"Such actions are inexcusable and intolerable. The harm the perpetrators of abuse have caused is first and foremost to their victims, but it extends far beyond them, to their families and friends, as well as to the church and wider society.\" He told survivors that the Catholic Bishops of Scotland were \"shamed and pained by what you have suffered\". And he added: \"We say sorry. We ask forgiveness. \"We apologise to those who have found the church's response slow, unsympathetic or uncaring and reach out to them as we take up the recommendations of the McLellan Commission.\" The church asked Dr Andrew McLellan to lead a review of how it handles allegations of abuse following a series of scandals. It took evidence from victims in a bid to improve support services and protect vulnerable children and adults. Dr McLellan, a former moderator of the Church of Scotland, was tasked with coming up with proposals aimed at making the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland \"a safe place for all\". The 11 review commissioners, who include a senior police officer, a journalist and an MP, were tasked with assessing the quality of support available to survivors. It was not within the scope of the commission to investigate or adjudicate on current or historical allegations. The commission made eight recommendations, including calling for support for survivors of abuse to be an \"absolute priority\". It also said justice must be done for those who have been abused. The report also recommended that the church's safeguarding policies and practices be completely rewritten and subject to external scrutiny. It called for a consistent approach to dealing with allegations across Scotland and improved training for those in the church. Mr McLellan said: \"The Bishops' Conference of Scotland should make a public apology to all survivors of abuse within the church. \"An apology must be made in a way that is unmistakeable and unequivocal.\" He added: \"The Bishops have said from the outset that they will accept our recommendations. \"That means that three things will happen. \"First and most important a beginning will be made to heal the hurt and address the anger which so many survivors feel. \"Second, the Catholic Church in Scotland will begin to confront a dark part of its", "summary": "The Roman Catholic Church in Scotland has issued a \"profound apology\" to victims of child abuse."}
{"article": "The island, which has only been an international nation in the sport since January 2015, will host the division three tournament from 4-7 April 2017. Jersey finished third this year, having come fifth on their debut in 2015 \"This is fantastic for Jersey and fantastic for our squash community,\" Jersey director of squash, Nick Taylor, told BBC Radio Jersey. Portugal, Sweden and Israel will be among the nations competing in Jersey. \"We had a delegate over who looked at the facilities and was very impressed with the club,\" Taylor added. \"It's great that we've been accepted, we just need to deliver a world-class event now. \"Last year there were players within the top 100 in the world.\"", "summary": "Jersey is to host part of squash's European Team Championships for the first time."}
{"article": "Iselle made landfall early on Friday morning on the chain's Big Island, shortly after it was downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm. But Hurricane Julio, a Category 3 storm with winds of more than 120mph, is about 1,000 miles (1,609km) away. Hawaiian officials have urged residents to stock up on emergency supplies. The last cyclone to hit Hawaii, Hurricane Iniki in 1992, killed six and caused $2.4bn (\u00c2\u00a31.4bn) in damage. Five to eight inches of rain are forecast, along with heavy winds and potential flash flooding in some parts of the state. The storm was weakening as it hit the terrain of the eastern-most island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island, according to Chris Brenchley, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Honolulu. \"As wind blows into the terrain, the terrain kind of redirects the wind,\" he said. The state's department of emergency management has asked residents to prepare a seven-day emergency kit, including non-perishable food and water. Hawaii's remoteness from the mainland makes it hard to get emergency supplies to the state. Stores have had to quickly restock bottled water and other supplies. The storm has already knocked out power for more than 18,000 people on the Big Island, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Another 2,700 were without power on the island of Maui. At least 50 flights from major airlines were canceled on Thursday and an inter-island airline cancelled all of its flights on Friday. Rudy Cruz and Ashley Dochnahl from California told the Associated Press they had attempted to fly back early but failed to secure a flight. \"We were trying to beat it, but we now will have to ride it out,\" Mr Cruz said. Big Island resident Andrew Fujimura said the waves were topping 20ft (6m) along the coast. \"I can't say I'm too worried,\" he said. \"Worst-case scenario, the power may go out a day or two. But we're prepared for that kind of stuff out here.\"", "summary": "A rare tropical storm battering Hawaii has already caused power blackouts and blocked roads on one island, but no deaths have been reported."}
{"article": "It was suggested to him, on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, that the current action by junior doctors would be more effective if the ban was ended. \"Sympathy action is legal in most other countries, it should also be legal here,\" Mr Corbyn said. The Tories said the remarks show Labour is a \"threat\" to economic security. Asked if he would end the ban on secondary strike action - also known as solidarity action - brought in by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government in 1990, Mr Corbyn said: \"Yes, of course\". He added: \"Nobody willingly goes on strike. They go on strike as an ultimate weapon... So let's look at the causes of people being upset rather than the symptoms.\" Reaction to Sunday's political interviews Mr Corbyn also did not rule out allowing the return of flying pickets - where workers travels to support others' action - which were first used in the coal disputes of the 1970s. He said: \"It was merely people moving around showing support during a very difficult industrial dispute.\" Referring to the walkout by junior doctors in their dispute with the government about a new contract, Mr Corbyn said they \"would be better served if we had a health secretary who was prepared to get involved, meet them and look for a solution\". There were calls for the laws on secondary strikes to be repealed in 2005 while Labour was in power, amid action by baggage handlers at Heathrow Airport in support of sacked staff at the catering firm Gate Gourmet. However, the government then ruled out the prospect of lifting the ban. The issue re-emerged three years later but then Prime Minister Gordon Brown said there would be \"no return\" to past laws.", "summary": "A ban on sympathy strikes by unions not directly involved in a dispute would be repealed under a Labour government, the party's leader Jeremy Corbyn has said."}
{"article": "But who will win it on goal difference? Data company Gracenote has the answer, but you'll have to scroll down for their prediction. In the meantime, it's looking bleak for the Black Cats of Sunderland at the other end of the table. After 10 games, they have just two points in the bag, are bottom of the pile and have just a 19% chance of avoiding the drop into the Championship. Gracenote say they will finish on 28 points, well adrift of safety, although they will not be the worst side in Premier League history. They will not even be the worst Sunderland side in the top flight. The Black Cats managed 15 points in 2005-06 and 19 in 2002-03, relegated to the Championship on both occasions. There is a sliver of hope for Sunderland boss David Moyes, though. Crystal Palace and Everton managed just three points from their opening 10 matches in the 2013-14 and 1994-95 seasons respectively but stayed up. For the record, the worst Premier league performers are Derby County, who collected just 11 points - one win and eight draws - in 2007-08. It will perhaps come as no surprise to learn that Leicester City's hopes of retaining their crown are already over. According to Gracenote, the Foxes have a 0.1% chance of emulating their success of last season. Currently 11th, they are predicted to finish eighth. It is looking bleak, too, for Manchester United. Their title chances are rated at just 1.3% by Gracenote, who think Jose Mourinho's side will finish in sixth on 64 points, well adrift of the top four. That is one place lower and two points fewer than last season, which ended with an FA Cup victory but with manager Louis van Gaal losing his job. Worse news for United fans is that neighbours Manchester City will finish top, pipping Arsenal on goal difference. Gracenote predicted City and the Gunners would battle it out for the title before the season started and the duo are currently locked on 23 points at the top. Liverpool have also collected 23 points thanks to seven wins and two draws from their opening 10 games, but Gracenote predicts Jurgen Klopp's side will ultimately finish three points back in third. \"Liverpool are still improving and we may be underestimating them still,\" says Simon Gleave, Gracenote Sports' head of analysis. The fourth and final Champions League spot will go to Chelsea in Antonio Conte's first season in charge, with Tottenham four points back in fifth. Look away if you are a fan of Sunderland, Hull City or Swansea. Manchester City supporters may want to post it all over social media. Gracenote runs season simulations 10,000 times to come up with its predictions, using results from the past four years. Points are awarded per match based on the probability of a win/draw/defeat and added to points already won to calculate the predicted points.", "summary": "Just one point separates the top four sides in the Premier League - and the title race is destined to remain extremely tight to the very end."}
{"article": "A second soldier was moderately wounded in the incident, near Mount Arif, said army spokeswoman Avital Leibovich. Lt Col Leibovich said the militants had opened fire on the soldiers after crossing the border from Sinai. The troops were guarding a site where work is continuing on a new security barrier along the border with Egypt. The violence comes amid a crackdown by Egypt on Islamist militants operating in the Sinai Peninsula, launched after an attack last month left 16 Egyptian soldiers dead. In that incident, the militants subsequently crossed the border with Israel in an apparent attempt to carry out another attack. However, they were killed in Israeli air strikes. In June, militants fired an anti-tank missile at a vehicle convoy carrying construction workers helping to build the new border fence. One Israeli construction worker and two of the attackers were killed. Analysts say that the security situation in Sinai has deteriorated following the fall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak last year, and that local Bedouin criminal gangs, radical Palestinian groups and possibly militant Islamists sympathetic to al-Qaeda have gained a foothold. By Kevin ConnollyBBC News, Jerusalem Israel's border with Egypt in the baking, hostile wilderness of the Sinai desert was among the most dangerous flashpoints in the Middle East until the two countries signed a peace treaty in 1979. They had been to war four times there in the previous 30 years. Under Anwar Sadat and then Hosni Mubarak, Egypt kept an iron grip on the region offering Israel such strategic certainty that the border between the two countries was not properly fenced. Since the fall of Mubarak concern is deepening in Israel that Egypt is less able, or less willing to maintain the same degree of control. There have been a series of incursions over the last year - in the most serious, militants killed 16 Egyptian soldiers before blasting their way through the border fence. Israel fears more - and is building a fence which will run the entire length of the frontier. This latest attack came at one of the last points where work is still to be completed. Lt Col Leibovich said the militants who crossed the border from the Sinai peninsula on Friday were heavily armed with rifles and equipped with bullet-proof vests and explosive belts. The attack happened about half-way down Israel's 240km (150-mile) southern border, at a point where work is under way to complete the new barrier. \"[The militants] opened fire towards IDF troops that were guarding the workers in that area. Another force that was nearby... rushed to the area and targeted those three terrorists,\" Lt Col Leibovich told reporters. \"A very big terror attack was thwarted by the quick response of these soldiers,\" she added. The dead Israeli soldier, named as 20-year-old Cpl Netanel Yahalomi, was reportedly shot in the head during the gun battle. Egyptian security sources said one of the militants died when his explosive belt was detonated, while the other two were shot dead by the Israeli soldiers. The nationalities of the assailants were not immediately clear. Defence", "summary": "An Israeli soldier and three militants have been killed in a clash inside Israel near its southern border with Egypt, the Israeli military has said."}
{"article": "The transit was a very rare astronomical event that would not be seen again for another 105 years. Observers in north and central America, and the northern-most parts of South America saw the event start just before local sunset. The far northwest of America, the Arctic, the western Pacific, and east Asia witnessed the entire passage. While the UK and the rest of Europe, the Middle East, and eastern Africa waited for local sunrise to try to see the closing stages of the transit. Venus appeared as a small black dot moving slowly but surely across the solar disc. The traverse lasted more than six and a half hours. Some of the best pictures of the event were provided by the US space agency's (Nasa) Solar Dynamics Observatory , which studies the Sun from a position 36,000km above the Earth. \"We get to see Venus in exquisite detail because of SDO's spatial resolution,\" said agency astrophysicist Dr Lika Guhathakurta. \"SDO is a very special observatory. It takes images that are about 10 times better than a high-definition TV and those images are acquired at a temporal cadence of one every 10 seconds. This is something we've never had before.\" Many citizens keen to observe the transit first hand attended special events at universities and observatories where equipment for safe viewing had been set up. In Hawaii, one of the best places to see the whole event, the university's Institute of Astronomy set up telescope stations on Waikiki beach. \"We've had 10 telescopes and the queues have been 10 deep to each telescope all day long,\" said the institute's Dr Roy Gal. \"It's a great opportunity to get people excited and teach them stuff. I was hoping for a big turn-out, and it's been fantastic,\" he told BBC News. Joe Cali viewed the transit on the edge of the Outback in New South Wales, Australia, another ideal vantage point. \"It is exciting. It may look like just a black dot on the Sun but if you think about it, it's one of the few times you get to see a planet in motion,\" he said. UK skywatchers had to deal with quite extensive cloud conditions across the country. \"We've had total cloud and rain,\" said Brian Sheen from the Roseland Observatory in Cornwall . \"But we've been improving our chances by connecting with the Shetland Islands and the people up there have done rather better than we have. We've been seeing the transit through [a feed] of one of their telescopes,\" he explained. Scientists observed the transit to test ideas that will help them probe Earth-like planets elsewhere in the galaxy, and to learn more about Venus itself and its complex atmosphere. Venus transits occur four times in approximately 243 years; more precisely, they appear in pairs of events separated by about eight years and these pairs are separated by about 105 or 121 years. The reason for the long intervals lies in the fact that the orbits of Venus and Earth do not lie in the same plane and a transit can", "summary": "Planet Venus has put on a show for skywatchers by moving across the face of the Sun as viewed from Earth."}
{"article": "Phillip Smith, 40, was arrested in a hostel in Rio de Janeiro by Brazilian police. He is expected to be extradited or deported. Smith used a passport in his birth name, Phillip Traynor, to fly to Chile and then go to Brazil on 6 November. He escaped while on a three-day release from a prison south of Auckland. Smith was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1996 after he murdered the father of a 13-year-old boy he had sexually abused between 1992 and 1995. The family had moved house but he had tracked the boy to their new home in Wellington in December 1995. He repeatedly stabbed the father, killing him. The boy managed to escaped and raise the alarm. The victim, who is now 30, told New Zealand's Fairfax media after news of Smith's capture, that he could now stop sleeping with a knife under his pillow. \"It's great news, it's excellent,\" he said from his new home in Australia. \"[I feel] relief, a bit of peace of mind that I can carry on with my life without having that fear over my shoulder.\" Smith's escape has thrown Corrections and various other government agencies into controversy. It has led to calls for an overhaul of short-term prison release and the monitoring of high-risk offenders. In an email Smith sent to Radio New Zealand he said he had planned the escape by running a criminal check on his birth name and discovering that it had not been red-flagged. \"My only anxiety was that somebody that knew me might happen to be at the airport at the same time to identify me,'' he wrote, according to Radio NZ. He also said he had been able to fund the escape with money from various businesses he had run from prison. Smith said he chose Brazil because he thought it would be more difficult to extradite him if he was caught, as the two countries do not have a formal extradition treaty. He was arrested after a member of the public in Rio De Janeiro recognised him from images being circulated in hostels and tipped off police. Smith appeared in court after his arrest and has been remanded in custody for 60 days. New Zealand Police Detective Superintendent Mike Pannett said in a press conference on Thursday that it was a relief to have Smith back in custody. He would not, however, say how long he expected Smith to remain in Brazil. \"New Zealand will bring him back as soon as possible but we are reliant on the Brazilian justice system to process and deal with the situation,\" Mr Pannett said. Criminal Bar Association President Tony Bouchier said police needed to be more thorough when checking the names of criminals. \"There's got to be a far more robust process gone through when police are entering people's names into their systems and starting somebody off with a criminal record,\" he told Radio NZ. Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga urged a review of the incident \"so we can make some decisions as to how we can improve how", "summary": "A New Zealand man serving a life sentence for child molestation and murder who escaped to Brazil is now in custody, New Zealand police say."}
{"article": "Emma West, 36, of New Addington, admitted racially-aggravated disorderly behaviour likely to cause harassment or distress at Croydon Crown Court. West was filmed shouting racist abuse at passengers travelling on a tram between Croydon and Wimbledon. She was bound over to keep the peace and handed a 24-month community order. A judge said West was clearly suffering from mental health problems at the time of the outburst. She received a mental health treatment order for assaulting a constable in a separate incident. The court heard she was \"reeking of alcohol\" when she carried out the verbal attack. Prosecutor Julius Capon said: \"She in essence persecuted a number of passengers on the tram, subjecting them to some disgusting racial abuse.\" The things she said included \"you're not English\", \"none of you are English\" and \"get back to your own countries\". Mr Capon said many of the passengers were \"upset\" by West's behaviour. \"Some of them described themselves as being disgusted, shocked and horrified,\" he said. David Martin-Sperry, defending West, said the defendant's offending was out of character, she was taking anti-depressants and she does not harbour any racist views. Mr Martin-Sperry said she had unwittingly taken two and a half times the recommended dose and drunk a large glass of wine before launching the tirade.", "summary": "A woman who was filmed shouting racist abuse on a London tram in a video watched by 11 million people has been given a community sentence."}
{"article": "It gives them the same rights as married couples regarding inheritance, pensions and tax allowances. The law comes into effect on 6 April. Civil partnerships gained legal recognition in the UK in 2006. Allan Bell, MHK, Minister for Economic Development, who tabled the bill says gay rights have been brought in line with the UK after a 20-year battle. \"It has been an extremely difficult time for gay people wishing to have open, loving caring relationships,\" he said. \"But gay rights have changed beyond recognition over the last 20 years on the island. It is a very different place now, it is more tolerant, understanding and inclusive.\" The Isle of Man has its own parliament and own laws, some of which are very different to those in the UK. Abortion laws are much stricter, the death penalty was only abolished in 1993 and homosexuality was illegal until 1992. Same-sex couples on the island have welcomed the bill claiming they have been discriminated against for years. One man told the BBC that he and his partner were forced to take HIV tests in order to get a mortgage and life insurance on the island. \"I told our broker in no uncertain terms that I didn't want to take out a policy with someone who discriminated against gay people but most on them on the island weren't prepared to give a policy unless the HIV test was taken,\" he said. Mr Bell said the island used to have \"a very negative image with the UK and Europe\". \"The island was subject to a boycott of the UK trade unions who used to use the island for a lot of their conferences,\" he said. \"We are trying to compete internationally for business and there is still the suspicion that we tend to be a backward society.\" \"That is no longer the case. This legislation is a major statement to the outside world that we have changed. \" The bill has now passed through both houses of parliament but not without resistance. It has sparked fierce debate among some groups on the island. Peter Murcott, Methodist preacher, said: \"It will have a fundamental change in due course on how the next generation is brought up to conceive family life and ultimately it is going to introduce an anti-Christian attitude and it will be contrary to the beliefs of many other religions as well.\" Allan Bell said: \"Not everyone will feel comfortable with this legislation but it's been a much easier debate than the fierce resistance we had 20 years ago when we first started this process. \"The gay community on the Isle of Man has been a repressed community on the island for many years. \"Today is a red letter day for the island and for those groups.\"", "summary": "Gay couples on the Isle of Man will get the right to a civil partnership after a new law was signed in Tynwald."}
{"article": "Smith, 93, was one of the most influential guitar-players in country and early rock 'n' roll. He found fame with his 1948 single Guitar Boogie and enjoyed other hits including Feudin' Banjos in 1955. When the Warner Bros film studio used a cover version and renamed it Dueling Banjos for Deliverance, he sued them and won substantial royalties. As well as being a musician, Smith also ran a recording studio and record labels and had a successful career as a radio and TV presenter. The Arthur Smith Show, on WBTV, was syndicated across the US and ran for 32 years. He was nicknamed Arthur \"Guitar Boogie\" Smith after the title of his breakthrough tune, which became a hit around the world. In Liverpool in 1957, a young Paul McCartney played it during his first concert with The Quarrymen, who went on to become The Beatles. But nerves got the better of McCartney, who made a mess of it. \"I was just too frightened,\" he later said. \"It was too big a moment with everyone looking at the guitar player. I couldn't do it. That's why George was brought in.\"", "summary": "Country music guitarist Arthur Smith, best known for the theme tune from the 1972 film Deliverance, has died."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old England international has played just twice since he picked up the injury in the 2-1 loss to Manchester United on 22 March. \"Just want to let the world know I've had a successful operation on my hip and I want to thank God for allowing that to be possible,\" Sturridge said. \"Onwards and upwards from here. Thanks for the support.\" Sturridge scored 24 goals from 33 appearances last season but has been blighted by injuries this term, appearing in only 18 matches. It is the second time this season he has travelled to the States in an attempt to rectify his fitness problems. Towards the end of a five-month absence with a thigh problem sustained on international duty in early September - which was then followed by a calf strain - he spent 10 days in Los Angeles as part of his rehabilitation. The striker has not featured since playing 85 minutes of the FA Cup quarter-final replay at Blackburn on 8 April. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers last week said the club's medical team believed they had made a breakthrough in the diagnosis of Sturridge's injuries, which the player has previously suggested may be hereditary. \"I think we have found some underlying issues that maybe relate to Daniel's problems this season and the ongoing ones he's had,\" Rodgers said.", "summary": "Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has had \"successful\" surgery on a hip injury in the United States."}
{"article": "The singer appeared on stage clutching the sparkly stationery for a production of Dick Whittington a day after returning from television commitments in Australia. The star told ITV's Loose Women the clipboard was for \"safety reasons\" to make sure she hit technical cues. She said producers at the the Milton Keynes theatre were \"adamant about it\". \"They made me feel really comfortable about it. They were just - 'Go on, let the audience know that it's your first time even standing on the stage and just have fun with it',\" she said. \"The audience were lovely and the cast were amazing and everyone was really supportive, but I did know my lines.\" Ms Solomon said the show's producers knew she would not be available for rehearsals because of presenting commitments in Australia for ITV show I'm a Celebrity. \"I landed, I woke up the next day, took the boys to school, went into panto,\" she said. \"I'd had no rehearsals. The company were well aware and ... really supportive of the fact that I was going to be working up until the day that it started and they still wanted me to do it.\" She was grateful to co-presenter and boyfriend Joe Swash, who waded in to defend her on Twitter after criticism from EastEnders actor Aaron Sidwell. She said: \"I'm so glad I've got such an amazing boyfriend.\"", "summary": "Former X Factor finalist Stacey Solomon has defended the use of a clipboard on the opening night of a pantomime."}
{"article": "Four men, aged 17, 18, 25 and 27, were injured during the incident, which took place in Whatriggs Road in the early hours of Saturday. They were taken to the town's Crosshouse Hospital for treatment and were later released. Police said four men, aged 17, 18, 19 and 20, had been arrested in connection with the incident. They are expected to appear at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Monday.", "summary": "Four men have been arrested after four people were stabbed during a disturbance in a Kilmarnock street."}
{"article": "Hull keeper Eldin Jakupovic saved two penalties after the hosts had played the whole of extra time with 10 men following Dieumerci Mbokani's dismissal. Newcastle had taken the lead in extra time when Mohamed Diame prodded home Vurnon Anita's cross to score against his former club. The lead lasted a minute, Robert Snodgrass equalising after Matz Sels had spilled Markus Henriksen's shot into his path. Mbokani was sent off in the 89th minute for lunging forward with his head at Jamaal Lascelles. The tie only came to life in extra time, the first 90 minutes featuring just two shots on target. Newcastle have now lost nine of their 10 penalty shootouts in all competitions, yet Rafael Benitez's side will be wondering why they did not win the tie in 120 minutes. They had 32 shots in that time, but their finishing was as wayward as their penalties. Jonjo Shelvey set the tone for Newcastle's spot-kick nightmare when his attempt was kept out by Jakupovic. Hull's first penalty fell to Snodgrass and he made no mistake, before Dwight Gayle hit the bar with his attempt for Newcastle. Skipper Michael Dawson made it 2-0 before Christian Atsu scored for Newcastle. Tom Huddlestone made it 3-1, and Hull's players and fans were celebrating a first EFL Cup semi-final appearance when Jakupovic kept out Yoan Gouffran's tame attempt. Hull had just one shot on target in normal time, and their hopes of reaching the semi-finals looked over when Mbokani was sent off. The forward, on loan from Dynamo Kiev, kicked out and pushed Lascelles before lunging forward at the Newcastle defender with his head. The 31-year-old has appeared in five league games since arriving at the end of August. He now faces a three-match ban - something Hull could do without as they look to climb away from the Premier League relegation zone. Hull City boss Mike Phelan: \"This is the furthest the club has ever been and the players are really pleased. \"For this football club, it's a tremendous achievement. Hopefully we can go one step further now.\" Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez: \"The way that we played we deserved to score goals in the first half and in extra time. Then when we did score the goal we didn't manage the situation. \"It's something you learn with experience. Maybe we will do a little better the next time we have this many chances.\" Newcastle have little time to dust themselves down. The Magpies return to Championship action on Friday away to Nottingham Forest (19:45 GMT). Middlesbrough await Hull in the Premier League at the Riverside next Monday (20:00 GMT). Match ends, Hull City 1(3), Newcastle United 1(1). Penalty Shootout ends, Hull City 1(3), Newcastle United 1(1). Penalty saved! Yoan Gouffran (Newcastle United) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner. Goal! Hull City 1(3), Newcastle United 1(1). Tom Huddlestone (Hull City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner. Goal! Hull City 1(2), Newcastle United 1(1). Christian Atsu (Newcastle United) converts the", "summary": "Newcastle United missed three spot-kicks as Hull City beat the Championship leaders 3-1 on penalties to reach the EFL Cup semi-final."}
{"article": "He was selected to fight the South Basildon and East Thurrock seat after ex-Tory MP Neil Hamilton pulled out. In a recording obtained by the Mail On Sunday, Mr Smith made offensive remarks about gay people, other UKIP members and Chigwell in Essex. He later issued a \"wholehearted and unreserved apology\". UKIP leader Nigel Farage told BBC News that Mr Smith had resigned \"by mutual consent\", and described his behaviour as \"loutish and wholly inappropriate\". He said UKIP had had \"great difficulty\" with the Basildon selection, adding: \"The party has got to grip this and sort it out, in short order\". Mr Farage also said UKIP's national executive committee had the power to impose a candidate if it wanted. UKIP hopes to make a serious challenge for the South Basildon and East Thurrock seat in the forthcoming general election, in which it is seeking to win a handful of seats and potentially hold the balance of power. But Mr Smith's resignation, four days after he was re-adopted as a candidate, capped a week of negative headlines for the party. Mr Hamilton pulled out of contention for the seat amid questions raised by the party over his expenses while another candidate, Natasha Bolter, withdrew amid an investigation into allegations she made against Mr Bird, whose job is to vet election candidates. Following his resignation on Sunday, Mr Smith said in a statement: \"I want the best for South Basildon and Thurrock and I want to see the real issues discussed that touch the lives of people. \"Therefore I have chosen to resign so that UKIP can win this seat next May.\" A parliamentary candidate resigns having tried blaming his racist comments on taking painkillers. This comes days after an alleged sex scandal at UKIP Head Office in which the party's chief executive did - or did not - sleep with another candidate. Meantime a wealthy donor is said to be threatening to stop funding the party if his friend doesn't get a seat. You may think that UKIP's week of bad headlines is just a diverting soap opera. You may think it simply shows the growing pains of Britain's fastest growing political force. You may think it has no significance at all. If so, you'd be wrong. Read Nick's full blog During the recorded conversation, Mr Smith talks about UKIP's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) group. He can be heard jokingly referring to it as BLT UKIP, and adds \"what the old poofter groups call themselves\". He jokes about \"shooting peasants\" from the Essex town of Chigwell and supporting \"a peasant's hunt through Chigwell village\". A UKIP spokesman confirmed to the BBC that Mr Smith had apologised to Mr Farage for allegations made against him during the phone call - which Mr Smith has since retracted. UKIP MEP Steven Woolfe, the party's immigration spokesman, said that \"racist and homophobic language\" would not be tolerated. \"When there is someone who has come out and expressed these type of views, which I abhor and dislike intensely, we have acted rapidly and we have got", "summary": "Kerry Smith has resigned as a UKIP prospective parliamentary candidate after apologising for offensive remarks he made in a phone call."}
{"article": "The scheme will see the town hall converted to house \"nationally significant\" collections. Kirkcudbright Common Good Fund agreed to support the project with a total of \u00a3130,000. The money will allow the creation of a second floor gallery to host a hoard of Viking treasure found in the region.", "summary": "An additional slice of funding has been agreed in order to allow \u00a33.1m plans for a major art gallery in Kirkcudbright to proceed."}
{"article": "Rob Davies, 32 from Brecon, and his fellow Welshmen won their first three matches in the round-robin stage. In the final Italy won the doubles 3-2, but Matthews levelled the tie with a 3-1 win against Federico Falco. Rob Davies then secured gold with 3-0 win against Andrea Borgato. Elsewhere in the British Para Table Tennis Team, Aaron McKibbin and Ross Wilson took silver in the men's class 8. Megan Shackleton, 18, and her Russian team partner Aleksandra Vasileva took silver in the women's class 4-5, and there were bronze medals for Paul Karabardak and Martin Perry in the men's class 6. Further bronzes followed for Will Bayley and Billy Shilton in the men's class 8, and Ashley Facey Thompson and his German partner Yannick Ruddenklau in the men's class 9. Find out how to get into table tennis with our special guide.", "summary": "Paralympic table tennis gold medallist Rob Davies, Tom Matthews and Paul Davies beat world champions Italy to win gold in the men's class 1 team event at the German Open on Saturday."}
{"article": "Officers are investigating whether one of the men fell from a 12th floor balcony of the 19-storey Donside Court, in the Tillydrone area of the city. Emergency services were called to the building at about 20:15 on Tuesday evening. A witness has described hearing a woman screaming \"help me, help me\" before police arrived. Police Scotland said it believed the incident was contained and there was not a threat to the wider community. A blue forensics tent had been erected inside a police cordon at the foot of the building, close to the main entrance. An eyewitness said they saw a man fall from the 12th floor of the building, which police confirmed they were pursuing as a line of inquiry. Another witness, Toni Dey, 19, who lives a short distance away in Gordon's Mills Road, said she heard screaming from the block. The mother of two said: \"I heard some girl screaming 'Help me, help me', then about 10 minutes after I heard loads of screaming and shouting. \"I didn't call the police as I thought it was kids messing around, then I heard loads of police. \"It's very scary to think that something like that had happened. All I kept thinking was 'Why was that poor girl shouting help me?', and about a two-minute walk out my back door. \"I just moved in here in May and it's been so quiet. I was shocked to hear anything as I never normally do.\" Another woman told BBC Scotland that she had known one of the men involved, describing him as a \"nice boy\". Det Supt Dave McLaren said further information about the incident would be released in due course. \"At this time the investigation is in its very early stages,\" he said. \"However, the circumstances as they present at this time would indicate that this is a contained incident and we are not looking for any other person in relation to the deaths.\" Police dismissed reports on social media that a police officer had been injured and said there was no suggestion the incident was terrorism-related. Neighbour Susan Smith said police initially went up to the flat carrying what looked like a battering ram. \"There were loads and loads of police cars. I've never seen so many police cars. Four ambulance vans,\" she said. \"They took a lassie out and they were still trying to give the guy CPR. Then they put a tent up and the next thing forensics arrived. \"The police actually went in with a great thing like a battering ram at one point. Then they went in with stretchers and a chair thing - and came out with them empty.\" Councillor Martin Greig, chairman of Aberdeen Community Safety Partnership, said: \"There will be families grieving profoundly at this terrible news. \"Our sympathies are with those who have lost loved ones. \"The local community and the city will share feelings of shock at this violent incident.\"", "summary": "Police are searching the area around a tower block in Aberdeen where a woman and two men died in a disturbance."}
{"article": "The veteran striker drilled home from Jordan Marshall's corner and pounced on a rebound to make it 2-0 at the break. John Rankin added to the lead with a tap in before Chris O'Neil pulled one back in the 75th minute. Lyndon Dykes restored the hosts' three-goal cushion almost immediately, chipping goalkeeper Graeme Smith to put the game beyond doubt. Match ends, Queen of the South 4, Brechin City 1. Second Half ends, Queen of the South 4, Brechin City 1. Substitution, Queen of the South. Jesse Akubuine replaces Kyle Jacobs. Jack Leighfield (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Paul McLean (Brechin City). Foul by Shaun Rooney (Queen of the South). Kalvin Orsi (Brechin City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Brechin City. Elliot Ford replaces Chris O'Neil. Goal! Queen of the South 4, Brechin City 1. Lyndon Dykes (Queen of the South) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left to the high centre of the goal. Corner, Queen of the South. Conceded by Sean Crighton. Goal! Queen of the South 3, Brechin City 1. Chris O'Neil (Brechin City) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ally Love. Foul by Kyle Jacobs (Queen of the South). Finn Graham (Brechin City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Andy Stirling (Queen of the South) wins a free kick on the right wing. John Rankin (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Kyle Jacobs (Queen of the South) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Foul by Chris O'Neil (Brechin City). Foul by Finn Graham (Brechin City). Attempt missed. Shaun Rooney (Queen of the South) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Substitution, Brechin City. Jordan Sinclair replaces Gary Fusco. Substitution, Brechin City. Kalvin Orsi replaces Isaac Layne. Corner, Queen of the South. Conceded by Willie Dyer. Attempt saved. Derek Lyle (Queen of the South) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Chris O'Neil (Brechin City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Andy Stirling (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Chris O'Neil (Brechin City). Attempt saved. John Rankin (Queen of the South) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by John Rankin (Queen of the South). Andrew Jackson (Brechin City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jordan Marshall (Queen of the South). Andrew Jackson (Brechin City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Substitution, Queen of the South. Andy Stirling replaces Daniel Carmichael. Goal! Queen of the South 3, Brechin City 0. John Rankin (Queen of the South) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Willie Dyer (Brechin City) is shown the yellow card. Foul by Shaun", "summary": "Derek Lyle scored twice as Queen of the South battered Championship new boys Brechin City."}
{"article": "The House of Representatives passed the measure unanimously two days after the Senate approved it. Hamid Aboutalebi was a part of the Muslim student group that seized the US embassy in Tehran in 1979. The White House has told Iran Mr Aboutalebi was \"not viable\" but has not taken a position on the bill. Fifty-two Americans were held for 444 days at the height of Iran's Islamic revolution, which saw pro-American Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi sent into exile and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini take power. Mr Aboutalebi, who previously served as Iran's ambassador to Belgium, the European Union, Italy and Australia, told Iranian media his participation in the hostage crisis began only after the initial seizure of the embassy, and primarily involved translation. On Thursday, White House spokesman Jay Carney said, \"We've made clear and have communicated to the Iranians that the selection they've put forward is not viable.\" But he declined to say whether President Barack Obama would sign the bill into law. The Iranian government, meanwhile, has called the US rejection of Mr Aboutalebi \"not acceptable\". The bill passed on Thursday in the House denies entry into the US to individuals engaged in espionage or terrorism or who pose a threat to national security. Senator Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who introduced the legislation in the US Senate, urged Mr Obama to sign the bill. \"We, as a country, can send an unequivocal message to rogue nations like Iran that the United States will not tolerate this kind of provocative and hostile behaviour,\" Mr Cruz said. The bill's sponsor in the House, Republican Doug Lamborn, said, \"Terrorists, from Iran or elsewhere, should not be allowed to walk the streets of Manhattan with diplomatic immunity.\" As the host country of the United Nations, the US has previously but rarely denied entry to an envoy or head of state. Those included a previous Iranian diplomat and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. In those cases the applications were withdrawn after the US signalled opposition, or the state department simply declined to process the visas. Those options are available in Mr Aboutalebi's case. On Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham told state-run media he had previously received a US visa as part of a visit to the UN in the 1990s. In an interview with an Iranian news site, Mr Aboutalebi said he was not part of the group that took over the US embassy and was only later asked to translate for the students. Others involved in the hostage-taking have corroborated that account.", "summary": "The US Congress has sent a bill to the president that would bar Iran's pick for ambassador to the UN from entering the country."}
{"article": "ScottishPower Renewables' Kilgallioch development will straddle the border of South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway. The company has signed an agreement with Spanish firm Gamesa to supply turbines to the site near New Luce. Delivery of the 96 turbines is expected to begin in February 2016. The site is expected to be completed in early 2017. Keith Anderson, CEO of ScottishPower Renewables, said: \"Kilgallioch wind farm will become our second largest wind farm in the UK and this year marks a real milestone as we approach 2 GW of installed onshore wind capacity - enough to power more than one million homes. \"We are delighted to reach this agreement with Gamesa, and we look forward to work commencing on the site next month.\" The firm has previously claimed the development could meet the energy needs of more than 130,000 homes and its construction will create about 200 jobs. Meanwhile, SSE has confirmed that it has completed the sale of three Scottish wind farms to Blue Energy for an undisclosed sum. Blue Energy will now have responsibility for constructing the Whiteside Hill and Blackcraig developments in Dumfries and Galloway, and Cour wind farm in Argyll. All three have planning consent.", "summary": "The renewables firm behind plans for a major wind farm in the south of Scotland has confirmed that work will start on the site next month."}
{"article": "He walked alone and in silence around the concentration and extermination camp in what was Nazi-occupied Poland where 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were killed. Pope Francis also met elderly survivors of the camp, kissing them on the cheeks and speaking to them softly. He is on his third day of a visit marking 1,050 years since Poland's adoption of Christianity. Francis has become the third Pope to walk through the main gate of Auschwitz, under its infamous inscription \"Arbeit Macht Frei\" - work sets you free. But unlike his German and Polish predecessors, he is not speaking about the horrors that occurred there, says the BBC's Adam Easton in Warsaw. Francis passed under the gates alone, wearing white robes and skullcap. After meeting the survivors, he placed a candle at the Death Wall, where prisoners were executed by the Nazis, before continuing on his own. The Pope stopped to pray at the prison cell of Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Catholic friar who sacrificed his life to save that of another man. The Church made him a saint in 1982. Pope Francis knelt for many minutes in the underground cell, illuminated only by the light from a tiny window, the Associated Press news agency reports. The Argentine Pope is on a five-day trip to Poland. During a World Youth Day rally in the southern city of Krakow on Thursday, he urged compassion for migrants. He told hundreds of thousands of people that \"a merciful heart opens up to welcome refugees and migrants\" - a statement that puts him at odds with Poland's anti-immigrant right-wing government.", "summary": "The Pope has offered a private prayer at the former Auschwitz death camp."}
{"article": "English Heritage has organised the trek on horseback and foot from York to East Sussex to mark the 950th anniversary of the famous clash. The volunteers will arrive on the battlefield 950 years to the day since Harold fought William of Normandy. Nigel Amos, leader of the march for English Heritage, said it was a \"once-in-a-lifetime opportunity\". King Harold defeated a Viking army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in East Yorkshire, on 25 September, 1066, before travelling south to face the Normans. On 14 October, he fought and was killed at the Battle of Hastings. William then seized the English throne. Emily Sewell, head of events for English Heritage, said 1066 and the Battle of Hastings was \"one of the most famous battles and most transformative years in English history\". Nigel Amos, who is leading the march on behalf of English Heritage, added: \"There's nothing like a personal experience to understand what it was like and offer an even more authentic window on that world to inspire and inform others.\"", "summary": "A group of \"warriors\" are staging a 300-mile march to echo King Harold's journey to the Battle of Hastings."}
{"article": "\"No matter what I did, I always felt I was fighting a losing battle,\" he said. But Burgess said he had not been badly treated by England and refused to blame coach Stuart Lancaster. The 26-year-old, who joined Bath last October, re-signed for the South Sydney Rabbitohs last week. He was part of England's squad for the Rugby World Cup, in which they were eliminated at the group stage, and played in the hosts' crucial 28-25 defeat by Wales. Burgess said criticism directed at him following his performance in that match had contributed to his feeling of unease in rugby union. \"A lot of people outside the England camp had an agenda against both England and, in some circumstances, me,\" he wrote in the Daily Mail. \"This was an upsetting factor to me, that people who are supposed to love the game are actually tearing it to shreds. \"Some ex-players just kept letting rip. It's almost like they don't want anyone else to do well in the jersey. I didn't want to stay in a sport like that.\" Burgess also said he had not found the 15-man code as enjoyable as rugby league. \"I want to spend the rest of my career playing the game that's in my heart,\" said Burgess, who played 21 games for Bath as a blind-side flanker after switching codes last year. \"What makes me love [rugby league] is the physical battle of it; I never found myself reaching that point [in union]. \"My heart just isn't in [rugby union], and if my heart's not in it then [Bath and England] won't get the best performances from me.\" He said he was satisfied with his displays at the World Cup and believed coach Lancaster had been unfairly criticised after the team's early exit. Burgess, whose selection for the World Cup squad ahead of the established Luther Burrell reportedly caused disquiet in the England camp, said his decision to quit union had dismayed his international and club team-mates. \"I wanted to go in and see [the Bath squad], but Stuart Hooper, our captain, said he didn't think I'd be well received there, which was fair enough,\" he said.", "summary": "Former England centre Sam Burgess returned to rugby league because his \"heart wasn't in\" rugby union and because he was also stung by criticism from ex-players."}
{"article": "Wayan Sudarsa's body was found on Bali's Kuta beach on 17 August with head and neck wounds. Sara Connor, 46, and her British boyfriend David James Taylor, 33, are both on trial for Mr Sudarsa's murder. In court on Tuesday, his widow Ketut Arsini said she would not accept \"even a cent\" from Ms Connor. The Australian woman read extracts to the Denpasar hearing of a handwritten letter she had sent to Ms Arsini offering 25m rupiah (\u00c2\u00a31500; $1900). \"I am not a rich person but to express my sympathy and my sadness I would like you to accept a donation of 25 million rupiah to help you and your children in this difficult moment,\" Ms Connor said. People in the courtroom applauded when Ms Arsini said she did not want any money. \"I want the court to give the maximum punishment that fits what she did, based on Indonesian laws,\" Ms Arsini said. Ms Connor again claimed her innocence, saying she tried to separate Mr Taylor and Mr Sudarsa after they began fighting over her missing handbag. She told Ms Arsini she felt \"great pain\" over the tragedy. \"I'm deeply sorry for you and your family now left alone without Mr Sudarsa to care for you and your children. You have been always in my prayers,\" Ms Connor said. Both Ms Connor and Mr Taylor face up to 15 years in jail if they are found guilty of murder. The British man is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. Bali is a popular destination for Western tourists, known for its tropical climate and palm-fringed beaches. Petty crime is common on the resort island, though more serious crime is rare.", "summary": "The widow of a policeman allegedly murdered in Indonesia has rejected a \"donation\" from his accused Australian killer."}
{"article": "King's has been collaborating with Technische Universit\u00c3\u00a4t Dresden on a research initiative, known as Transcampus, since 2015. But, according to Times Higher Education, an \"offshore King's College Europe\" is now on the cards. King's College confirmed that it was discussing potential further collaborations with TU Dresden. The two institutions already offer 10 joint professorships and several joint PhD programmes through Transcampus. However, its dean, Prof Stefan Bornstein, has told Times Higher Education that plans for the new King's campus are already \"in the process\". Prof Bornstein, who is director and chairman of TU Dresden's department of medicine and an honorary consultant in diabetes and endocrinology at King's, said the plan would allow King's to have a presence in Europe and maintain access to European research funding post-Brexit. Likewise, he said, TU Dresden would benefit from increased ties to London, one of the \"leading academic centres in the world\". Prof Bornstein said the new campus would hopefully run new undergraduate courses \"linked to innovation and the needs of industry and society\". The aim would be to recruit leading scholars from around the world, he added. Prof Bornstein said the Transcampus project had been envisaged before the EU referendum but admitted that it had become \"a lot more interesting\" since the vote. \"We cannot allow things that have developed for so many years in a positive way [to be] hampered by political decisions that actually nobody wanted,\" he said. \"It's a nice way to have a solution to get around this very stupid Brexit idea.\" A number of UK universities are believed to be considering opening branch campuses in Europe after Brexit - though earlier this year Oxford University rejected reports that it was in talks to open a Paris campus. Prof Bornstein said he would expect the Transcampus model to be replicated by other universities in the UK and Europe, but stressed that the key was a long history of collaboration between researchers at the two institutions. In a statement, King's said the university valued the Transcampus initiative \"which demonstrates the success of cross-national and institutional links\". \"We will continue to work together in various fields on research and exchange and discuss potential further collaborations.\"", "summary": "King's College London could become the first British university to open a European campus since the referendum."}
{"article": "Saturday Night Takeaway and I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here have both been nominated for Best Entertainment Programme. If they win, it will be the presenters 13th consecutive National TV Award. The Voice will go up against Strictly and The X Factor in the Best Talent Show category. The winners will be revealed on the 22nd of January.", "summary": "Ant and Dec are in competition with themselves at this year's National Television Awards."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old centre, a graduate of the Exiles' academy, has scored four tries in his first three appearances. Two of those came on his Premiership debut against Wasps in front of a crowd of more than 42,000 at Twickenham. \"Scoring at Twickenham, it's something I've dreamed about since I started playing at the age of six,\" he said. But, the Reading-born inside centre is keeping his feet firmly on the ground as he targets both a continued run in Tom Coventry's side and a first Premiership win of the season for Irish. \"We've been unlucky with injuries in the centre and I've been given a shot,\" he told BBC Sport. \"I know those players are coming back and they're fantastic, but I'd love to keep the number 12 shirt and I hope I do. \"For me, it's about getting this experience and trying to be the best player that I can.\" Williams, who has already represented England at under-17 and under-18 level, is now hoping to break through into the under-20 squad. His brace against Wasps caught the national for the first time, but he still found fault in his own performance. \"I don't think I carried the ball as much as I have in previous games,\" Williams said. \"I made a lot of tackles as we spent a lot of time without the ball. It was a fantastic occasion with lots of friends of family, but it was a shame about the result.\"", "summary": "Johnny Williams knows he has a fight on his hands to keep hold of the number 12 jersey at London Irish, despite a whirlwind start to his senior career."}
{"article": "In a thinly veiled attack on president Sepp Blatter's leadership, Michael Garcia reiterated the need for \"greater transparency\". \"The investigation and adjudication process operates in most parts unseen and unheard,\" continued Garcia. He added that the organisation needs a \"leadership that sends a message that the rules apply to everyone\". Talking about the current investigation process, Garcia said: \"That's a kind of system which might be appropriate for an intelligence agency but not for an ethics compliance process in an international sports institution that serves the public and is the subject of intense public scrutiny.\" American lawyer Garcia concluded his lengthy investigation into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process last month and handed his report to Fifa's ethics adjudicator Hans Joachim Eckert, but he is disappointed by the world governing body's insistence on keeping his report confidential. In a keynote speech at an event organised by the American Bar Association in London, Garcia added: \"The natural next step of the development of an effective ethics process at Fifa is greater transparency. \"The second element that is vital to fulfilling the promise of this reform process is tone at the top. \"More simply put, the second element an institution like Fifa needs in order to meet the challenge of ethics enforcement is leadership. An ethics committee - even a serious, independent ethics committee backed by a strong code of ethics - is not a silver bullet. \"What is required is leadership that sends a message that the rules apply to everyone; leadership that wants to understand and learn from any mistakes or mis-steps the ethics committee may have identified; leadership that makes it clear to everyone - this is what we've set up the ethics committee to do, this is why they do it, and this is what they've done. \"It's that kind of leadership that breathes the life into a code of ethics. Because true reform doesn't come from rules or creating new committee structures. It comes from changing the culture of the organisation.\" Garcia's views on publishing the report have been supported by a number of Fifa executives, including Uefa president Michel Platini and Britain's representative Jim Boyce. But Fifa president Blatter insists the contents of the report must remain confidential, and that no member of his executive committee made a specific request when the issue was raised in a meeting earlier this month. Garcia said other sports organisations have already demonstrated the value of transparency, highlighting the publication of a report into allegations concerning the 2002 Winter Olympics being awarded to Salt Lake City, which allowed the International Olympic Committee to \"move forward\". He added: \"We have seen that recently with the NFL where a lack of transparency in its initial investigation concerning Ray Rice fostered scepticism and questions about the integrity of its leadership. Now the NFL has has to bring in outside counsel to investigate the investigation. \"Notably, the NFL has made clear the results of the new investigation will indeed be made public. \"That in turn would help foster a culture of compliance internally and", "summary": "Fifa's chief independent ethics investigator has called for a \"change of culture\" at the organisation."}
{"article": "Davina Ayrton, 34, admitted being sentenced for having the images in 2014, but denies committing rape in a garage in Portsmouth in 2004. The girl, aged 15 at the time, met Ms Ayrton, then called David, on the day of the attack, the jury was told. Portsmouth Crown Court also heard the girl had run away from home. Ms Ayrton, who has a son, admitted being previously sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court in January last year. When Ann-Marie Talbot, representing Ms Ayrton, asked her why she entered guilty pleas, she replied: \"Because I was guilty of them.\" Ms Ayrton admitted being in the garage in the autumn of 2004 and drinking four cans of Foster's beer but denied drinking vodka because, she said: \"I was on benefits at the time and didn't have enough money\". The attack is alleged to have taken place while two other people were asleep nearby. The teenager, who cannot be identified, said she had \"only drunk a can and a half of Foster's\" and clearly recollected the events. The court heard that Ms Ayrton has learning difficulties and told a worker at the care home where she lives in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, about the incident in 2014. But she denied confessing to the care worker that she was a paedophile, or saying: \"I have always known there was something wrong with me and I need help.\" Ms Talbot asked the defendant about her sexuality, and whether she had \"made any physical changes or enhancements\" to her body or was taking any medication. The defendant replied \"No, I have not\" and said she changed her name in 2012. Ms Ayrton denies one charge of rape between October and November 2004. The trial continues.", "summary": "A transgender woman accused of raping a girl when still living as a man, has a conviction of possessing indecent images of children, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Rooney, 31, played 559 times for United, scoring 253 goals. He won five Premier League titles and each of the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup once after joining from Everton for \u00a327m in 2004. Rooney, who has signed a two-year deal, said he was \"ecstatic\" and his \"first game back will be an emotional day\". \"It's a great feeling to be back. I cannot wait to meet the lads, get on the training pitch and then get on the pitch to play,\" he added. Rooney's return comes as United look set to sign Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, with a \u00a375m deal for the Belgium international agreed between the two clubs. Everton confirmed Rooney will wear the number 10 shirt previously worn by Lukaku. \"I'm not just coming back because it's the team I support, the team I grew up playing for - I'm coming back because I feel the club can move forward and be successful,\" said Rooney, who scored 17 goals in 77 games in his first spell at Goodison. \"I want to be part of it. There will be pressure on me to perform, but I'm ready to go. I believe I can help move this club forward and be more successful on the pitch.\" Rooney says when he spoke to Everton manager Ronald Koeman, he \"saw it in his eyes that he wanted me to be part of his team\". He added: \"It was a no-brainer for me and the only place I was going to go.\" Rooney said he told his agent Paul Stretford to \"go and speak to them, let's make it happen\" when he found out Everton were interested in signing him and it \"was obvious I was going to be leaving Manchester United this summer\". \"There were other options there but once I knew that Everton wanted me to come back then it was the only option for me,\" he added. Media playback is not supported on this device Koeman began talking about Rooney's potential return as far back as October, stating he would be \"pleased\" to sign England's all-time leading goalscorer. On Sunday, he said: \"Wayne has shown me that ambition that we need and that winning mentality - he knows how to win titles and I'm really happy he's decided to come home. \"He loves Everton and he was desperate to come back. He is still only 31 and I don't have any doubts about his qualities. It's fantastic he's here. \"We have a lot of young players and sometimes in life you need somebody who you look up to, who you learn from. That was also one of the messages when we spoke about on and off the pitch what his function will be in the team. \"One of the functions for Wayne is to show the rest of the team why he is - and still is - that player.\" Rooney, who was often left out of United's starting line-up by manager Jose Mourinho last season, appeared in 25 league games - the fewest he has played in one", "summary": "Manchester United record goalscorer Wayne Rooney has rejoined Everton for an undisclosed fee, 13 years after leaving the Merseyside club."}
{"article": "His journey towards the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games as a para-canoeist has been one filled with life-changing obstacles and defined by a steely resolve. He began as a record-breaking junior world champion powerlifter. Then, after suffering a serious spinal injury, he embarked on an illustrious handcycling career. Marsden raced on the European circuit while based in the Czech Republic, before a neck problem again saw him admitted into the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in 2009 for what he thought was a prolapsed disc. Instead it was revealed that he suffers with a rare motor-neurone condition which affects his arms, legs and brain. \"Through powerlifting I damaged my back many years ago, and after that I managed to damage my neck and had a couple of plates and (carbon) cage put in,\" the 44-year-old from Stoke-on-Trent told BBC East Midlands Today. In a matter-of-fact manner, Marsden says his sporting journey \"has not been an easy one\". When handcycling was no longer an option, he took up air rifle shooting and set his sights on London 2012, but while more representative honours came his way, he missed out on the Paralympics. Eventually, he turned to the water where he was able to combine aspects of his his first two sporting loves - powerlifting and handcycling - together in one explosive sport. \"I didn't want to give up on sport,\" he said. \"The cycling and powerlifting work quite well with the para-canoe - the gym work, the power and strength and then you have the endurance and speed work on the bike.\" The two-time para-canoe European champion and two-time world silver medallist now wants to realise his Paralympic ambition in Brazil when the British line-up is decided at the trials in Nottingham in June. \"It would be the highlight of my sporting career,\" Marsden said. \"As a kid I watched TV and watched the Olympics. I've seen how the Paralympics has built up over the years, from not really knowing what it was about to the status it has now, with athletes being household names. \"It would be an honour to represent Great Britain at the Paralympics. \"I'll be aiming for gold in Rio. There is no other place you want after all the hard work.\" At a warm weather training camp in Brazil, Marsden got a picture-perfect view of what he can look forward to if he does make the trip to Rio later this year. Taking a look at the city's regatta venue on the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, the backdrop itself motivated him further. \"It's a fantastic place,\" he said. \"With Christ the Redeemer looking down on the regatta course, it has to be the best sporting location of any sport in the world.\" Interview by BBC East Midlands Today's Mark Shardlow. If you want to find out about how to get into canoeing, read our special guide.", "summary": "Ian Marsden has lifted, cycled, fired and paddled for Great Britain during a sporting career that has seen him requiring reconstructive spinal surgery which left him needing to use a wheelchair."}
{"article": "Bringing together the major influences that shaped the city's cultural output Beirut-based curator and designer Rana Salam pinpoints the impact of external wars and civil conflict on design with an insider's eye for detail. The French mandate ended in 1943, after 23 years of colonial rule, ushering in the new republic. But it was in the 1950s that architecture, interior and product design flourished fusing European and Arab influences. The economic emphasis shifted from agriculture to industry, tourism and trade, creating a new skyline, and growing consumerism encouraged brand advertising. A 1960s poster (pictured) for Middle East Airlines, Lebanon's national carrier, which began flying the newly wealthy to international destinations. The French-designed poster suggests it's made of mosaic while appearing modern, and designer Jacques Auriac - also responsible for the creating iconic French cigarette packets - conjured up posters to destinations beyond the immediate region. Opening its doors in late 1967, the boutique L'Artisan du Liban et L'Orient was the response of May El Khoury, the wife of an eminent architect, to the trauma of defeat in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. The defeat eroded confidence and left a profound impression on the Arab psyche. Modernising overlooked local crafts and selling them in a chic setting might be interpreted as an act of cultural activism. It softened the humiliation of military defeat for the middle classes, who were attracted to the new Arab aesthetic and to the idea of patriotism through ethical consumerism. The desire to create a contemporary Islamic architecture marked architect Assem Salam's early career in reaction to the 1967 war. Along with Pierre Khoury he felt the construction of specifically Lebanese-Arab religious buildings would revive spirits crushed by the defeat and designed the Khashoggi Mosque (pictured above). After the civil war he founded an association for the preservation of historic buildings seeking to slow down the rush to reconstruct Beirut at the cost of cultural heritage. The nightclub known as B 018 was designed by Bernard Khoury in 1998 in the Quarantaine, the Beirut neighbourhood that saw some of the worst atrocities during the conflict. It has its roots in the 1980s in the thick of the civil war when gatherings were held at a semi-secret location code named B 018. The circular lid covering the subterranean club looks like a helicopter landing pad from above. The lid can also be raised revealing activity below. Khoury claims that in the absence of public spaces above ground his club was designed not for entertainment but to bring people together for therapy. The Egg, a scarred reminder of the civil war, stands near Martyrs Square. It was originally planned to be a cinema at the heart of the largest leisure and shopping complex in the Middle East, part of a modernist, avant-garde architectural movement, but it was unfinished when the civil war broke out in 1975. Fierce fighting around the building left the edifice pock-marked but still standing. This iconic building occasionally hosts cultural events. The Basilica of the Cathedral of Harissa, designed by Pierre Khoury, is pictured at the top of", "summary": "The main exhibition at this year's Dubai Design Week, Iconic City: Brilliant Beirut, presents a cleverly conceived display of the Lebanese capital's design evolution from 1950 until the present."}
{"article": "Possibly the worst headline I've ever written. But before I'm accused of completely failing to perform basic contractual duties, allow me to explain why those seven words are rather important. Since 2013, the BBC and almost every other leading news organisation in the UK has been locked in a bizarre battle to tell you the truth about Erol Incedal. \"Who he?\" I hear you ask. He's a student from London who was accused of preparing some kind of major terrorism plan. And then after two trials he was found not guilty of that allegation. But I can't tell you why. The prosecution of Erol Incedal has been, without a shadow of a doubt, the strangest criminal trial that those of us who report on the law have ever seen. Apologies. I meant to write \"not really seen much of\" because almost all of what happened was behind closed doors. And now the Court of Appeal has ruled that the unprecedented gagging order in the case will remain in place forever. Incedal was charged with another man, Mounir Rarmoul Bouhadjar, in October 2013. Rarmoul Bouhadjar admitted possessing bomb-making plans. Incedal denied the allegation, saying he had a reasonable excuse for holding them. In 2014, a jury convicted him of that, but they failed to agree whether he was guilty of a more serious charge of preparing an act of terrorism. At a retrial the following year, a fresh jury cleared him. I don't know why that jury cleared him. If I did, I couldn't tell you. Some of my colleagues do however know. But they can't tell me. Or you. They'd be in Contempt of Court and could end up in prison. Erol Incedal's trials involved an unprecedented level of secrecy in courts that are normally open to the public. There were brief periods of public evidence and then slightly longer periods when a group of accredited journalists were allowed in to listen to some of the mysterious evidence. The third and highest level of the case operated in complete secrecy, with the media totally banned. At the end of each secret session that journalists could attend, police took their notebooks and put them in a safe. Where are those notebooks now? You know that scene at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark in which anonymous officials lock away Indiana Jones's greatest discovery? You get the idea. And that's been the whole point of this legal battle - to try to find some way to peel the legal gaffer tape from my colleagues' mouths. At the earliest stage of proceedings in 2013, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) sought anonymity for the defendants. Both the home and foreign secretaries had raised concerns with the CPS. lt later told the trial judge, Mr Justice Nicol, that should the \"factors of concern be ventilated in a public trial\", the prosecution would be \"presented with representations\" to drop the charges on grounds of national security. Mr Justice Nicol ruled the case would be prosecuted \"in camera\". There would be a jury, as ever, but they", "summary": "BREAKING: Reporter can't tell you what's happened."}
{"article": "Ex-policeman Antony Lowry-Huws, 68, of Kinmel Bay, and Sheila Whalley, 70, of Abergele, were jailed in 2013 after duping lenders across north Wales. Lowry-Huws' wife Susan, 63, who got a suspended sentence, must pay back the largest amount of \u00a375,790. The three were convicted of conspiracy to defraud along with two others. At a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing at Mold Crown Court, it was agreed Antony Lowry-Huws and Whalley made \u00a34m each from their crimes. Lowry-Huws was ordered to repay \u00a327,905, while developer Whalley will give back \u00a318,350. His wife, who was said to be on the periphery of the scam and under the influence of her husband, benefited \u00a3896,351 and must pay back \u00a375,790. During the trial, the court heard mortgage lenders were conned into lending thousands of pounds in mortgages on properties across north Wales, Cheshire and the north west of England. The prosecution said the deceit was achieved by inflating the value of the property used as security, hiding that in some cases no deposit was put down, or inflating the rental income potential to make the mortgage rate more acceptable. In some cases the homes on which mortgages were advanced did not exist.", "summary": "Three people involved in one of the UK's biggest mortgage frauds, worth up to \u00a324m, must repay some of the money they made."}
{"article": "The YouGov poll for The Times of 1,400 eligible voters put Mr Corbyn on 53%, 32 points ahead of Andy Burnham. The left-wing MP said his campaign was \"going very well\" but ballot papers had not yet been sent out. Alastair Campbell has warned Labour risks \"driving itself off a cliff\" if Mr Corbyn is elected. Tony Blair's former spokesman is urging support for \"anyone but Corbyn\" in the leadership vote, arguing that the Islington North MP could never win a general election. Mr Corbyn, a backbencher who was seen as a rank outsider at the start of the campaign, has been packing out meeting halls across the UK, with many of his supporters joining the Labour Party to vote for him. The party has gained 79,000 members since the general election and 145,000 registered supporters. If the findings of the YouGov poll were repeated in the leadership election, Mr Corbyn would win without the need for second preferences to be counted. YouGov president Peter Kellner said he \"would personally be astonished if Corbyn does not end up as Labour's leader\" despite voting not starting until Friday and the result not being declared until 12 September. But others were warning about reading too much into one poll, given the difficulties of carrying out a representative survey of Labour's membership and those who have signed up as party supporters. Joe Twyman, also from YouGov, cautioned that the poll was a snapshot and there was still \"a lot to play for\" for all of the candidates in the race. \"The ballot papers haven't gone out, we've still got a month to go. What it shows to me is that there's a lot of movement on our previous poll and there still could be a lot of movement in the remaining four weeks,\" he told BBC Radio 4's World at One. A spokeswoman for Yvette Cooper's campaign said: \"This does not reflect our extensive phone banking data, which does not suggest any single candidate will receive 50% of first preferences.\" Mr Corbyn told BBC Radio London his campaign was going \"very well\" but added: \"We should be a little bit cautious.\" \"There is still time for people to register as supporters and no ballot papers have been sent out yet\", the Islington North MP added. Asked about Mr Campbell's criticism, he said the leadership contest was \"very democratic\". He said the large number of new Labour Party members was a \"good thing\", adding: \"If they choose somebody, the leader that others don't like, well I think we have to accept the democratic process.\" But he described \"Corbynmania\" as a \"bit embarrassing\". Former Labour Welsh Secretary Peter Hain told the World at One he did not think Mr Corbyn would make a successful party leader, or lead Labour to victory in 2020 \"unless there is some kind of major seismic change in British politics\". But he said the choice of candidates on offer was \"underwhelming\", saying that Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper, who he described as \"the most credible candidates\", had failed to capture \"the mood", "summary": "Jeremy Corbyn has urged his supporters to be \"a bit cautious\" after an opinion poll suggested he will romp to victory in Labour's leadership contest."}
{"article": "Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness met David Cameron on Friday. There is no confirmation on the content of the talks, but it is understood they are likely to have covered financial matters related to the talks process. NI Secretary Theresa Villiers says she believes a deal is possible next week. Sinn F\u00e9in leader Gerry Adams has predicted that the talks at Stormont will conclude soon. The round-table talks between Northern Ireland's political parties are aimed at finding a resolution to the crisis at Stormont. The political row was triggered by a police assessment that IRA members were involved in the murder of former IRA man Kevin McGuigan Sr last month. Police said the IRA still existed, but added that it was not engaged in terrorism. Sinn F\u00e9in said the IRA has \"left the stage\". The talks are also focussing on the issue of welfare reform. The Northern Ireland parties had agreed on a welfare reform deal in December but Sinn F\u00e9in withdrew its support in March.", "summary": "The first and deputy first ministers have held a private meeting with the prime minister in London, Downing Street sources have confirmed."}
{"article": "The 60-metre steel tube was called \"dirty\" and \"gross\" by critics, after Kapoor was quoted as saying it signified \"the vagina of the queen who took power\". The vandalism was discovered on Wednesday, and the work is currently being cleaned. Kapoor called the incident \"a tragedy\". Speaking to Le Figero, he said the vandals represented \"a small fraction of people who have been told that any creative act is an endangerment of a sacred past, revered to the extreme.\" The installation, called Dirty Corner, sits in the grounds outside the palace, the home of Marie Antoinette, the 18th Century queen of France. He stressed to the newspaper he had never used the word \"queen\" to refer to the subject of the sculpture, and claimed he had been mis-quoted. Kapoor was originally quoted in a French interview saying the work signified \"the vagina of the queen coming into power\" - but later said the work was open to interpretation. \"Inevitably, one comes across the body, our bodies and a certain level of sexuality. But it is certainly not the only thing it is about,\" he said. In a statement, the artist added: I am aware of the power of art and its ability to offend. Dirty Corner is in some ways itself an act of artistic violence. \"It attempts to lay bare the tidy surface of Le Notre's Versailles... It looks under the carpet of Le Notre's \"Tapis Vert\" and allows the uncomfortable, even the sexual. Kapoor is a former Turner Prize-winner whose work has been shown around the world. He is perhaps best known for the Orbital Tower at the heart of the Olympic Park in east London and for his Marsyas sculpture in the Turbine Hall of Tate Modern in London.", "summary": "Vandals have sprayed-painted a controversial Anish Kapoor sculpture on display in the gardens of France's Palace of Versailles."}
{"article": "Andy Symonds and Cooper Vuna both went over for the hosts, either side of Neil de Kock's try for the league leaders. Two tries from Ashton and Samuela Vunisa gave the visitors a 29-14 lead at the break. Ashton and Ben Ransom touched down after half-time before Vuna claimed his second of the match. As well as playing in the final of European rugby's elite competition against French Top 14 side Racing 92 in Lyon on 14 May, Saracens must now also prepare for a Premiership semi-final against Leicester Tigers. Worcester, who have finished 10th in the table, are to follow in Sarries' footsteps by moving from playing on grass to an artificial pitch from the start of next season. Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall: \"We've led the Premiership for three out of the last four seasons. To get 80 points, without our internationals (who were) away for such a long period is a tremendous achievement, but the best is yet to come as we have a young squad. \"Last week we played poorly in the first half against Newcastle but we were impressive today.\" Worcester Warriors director of rugby Dean Ryan: \"They are an outstanding side - we struggled with their power and we need to increase depth in our squad if we are going to improve. \"For the 15 minutes before half-time we were nowhere near, we struggled with our kicking game and kept feeding Alex Goode and we never laid a hand on him. \"It's a stark reminder of the top and where we are. We have to bring more power into our squad.\" Warriors: Pennell; Heem, Symons, Mills, Vuna; Heathcote, Baldwin; Leleimalefaga, Annett, Schonert, O'Callaghan, Sanderson, Betty, Kirwan, Dowson (capt). Replacements: Bregvadze, Bower, Johnston, Hewitt, Cox, Mulchrone, Lamb, Grove. Saracens: Goode; Ashton, Bosch, Tompkins, Wyles; Hodgson (capt), de Kock; Barrington, George, Du Plessis, Kruis, Hamilton, Wray, Brown, Vunisa. Replacements: Saunders, Lamositele, Figallo, Smith, Fraser, Spencer, Streather, Ransom.", "summary": "Chris Ashton scored a hat-trick as Saracens prepared for next weekend's European Champions Cup final by comfortably beating Worcester."}
{"article": "The tourists closed on 317-5 and, with a lot of batting to come against an inexperienced South African attack, they could still get a total that takes the home side out of the game. However, if they do, they will have done it the hard way, because the first-day performance with the bat was below their best, with too many players getting in, then getting out. All the talk surrounding England after their convincing win in the first Test concerned the prospect of them finding some consistency, particularly with the bat. Could they nail another good performance to put this series out of South Africa's reach? On this first day in Cape Town, they had the opportunity to do just that after winning the toss and batting first in ideal conditions on a good pitch. But too many of the top order - Alastair Cook, Alex Hales, Nick Compton and Joe Root - did the hard part and then got out. England want to play freely and busily, they want to be ticking along and that is a fair enough approach. But allied to that is the need to build a careful platform, especially when so many things are in your favour. In these conditions, four wickets down at the close would have been about right, so it can be argued that England lost one too many. That they ended the day with the upper hand was thanks to Stokes who, after a relatively lean spell, once again showed what a fine cricketer he is with an unbeaten 74. The Durham man is a proper all-rounder, always ready to contribute with bat and ball. If one part of his game isn't firing, then he will probably deliver with the other. On top of that, he is a brilliant fielder. Stokes is a fierce competitor and he further demonstrated that in the way he shredded the second new ball late in the day. South Africa had built up to that point, putting all their eggs in one basket in the hope that more wickets would come. For Stokes to then smash the ball around must have been pretty deflating. Yes, he took a chance, but he also created his own luck. He forced South Africa to remove their catchers and go on the defensive. It is performances like this that show Stokes to be a rarity in the world game. It's hard to think of many Test sides that have a genuine all-rounder in their ranks - Australia's Mitchell Marsh and Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews are the only others that come to mind. That dearth of all-rounders shows just how lucky England are to have Stokes at their disposal. While Stokes has his career up and running, Hales is a man who is looking to do just that. After he made his debut in the first Test in Durban, I spoke of his need to learn from his mistakes, namely a waft outside off stump and a needless big shot. He did to some extent, making a maiden Test half-century, but there was", "summary": "England were in danger of wasting a good platform on the first day of the second Test against South Africa until Ben Stokes got going late on."}
{"article": "The Office for National Statistics said there were 3.5 million such households in the UK between April and June this year, about 17.1% of all households including a working age adult. This was down from 3.7 million, or 17.9%, a year earlier. The highest percentage of workless households was in north-east England. Some 23% of households including a working age adult were workless in the region. The lowest was in south-east England, where 13% of households were in this category. Workless households are defined as homes where no-one aged from 16 to 64 is in employment. This could be because they are looking for work, or they have chosen not to work, or they are unable to work. People may choose not to work because of family commitments, early retirement or study. They may be unable to work because of sickness or disability. The data shows that the number of workless households in the UK dropped by 182,000 over the year. This means that 4.9 million people aged 16 to 64 lived in workless households. The ONS said this was the first time the figure had dropped below five million since 2008. Some 14% of all children in the UK, or 1.6 million, were living in these households. About two-thirds of them were in single-parent households. Children's charities - Barnardo's and The Children's Society - said they welcomed the fact that the number of children living in workless households was falling. However, a move into work did not necessarily mean a move out of poverty, they argued. They said it was imperative for the government to reduce childcare costs for families on low incomes. The proportion of workless households was at its highest in 1996, when comparable records began, when it stood at 20.9% in the UK. This fell steadily to 17.3% in 2006 before rising to 19.2% in 2010. It has fallen relatively sharply in the past three years. In 2013, there were 297,000 households in which no adult has ever worked, down 43,000 on the previous year. If student households are excluded, this figure drops to 224,000. Mark Hoban, the Minister for Employment, said: \"Helping people off benefits and into work is one of this government's top priorities, so it is good news that the number of workless households has fallen by more than 425,000 since the coalition took office. \"By reforming the welfare system to ensure that people are better off in work than on benefits, and through schemes such as the Work Programme and Youth Contract we are giving people the support they need to get a job and fulfil their aspirations of looking after themselves and their families.\" Stephen Timms, Labour's shadow employment minister, said: \"Any fall in worklessness is welcome, but the truth is Britain's unemployment crisis is far from over. \"Underemployment is at record highs, long-term unemployment is at its highest level for 17 years, the number of young people out of work is edging back towards a million, and millions are working harder for less. It is becoming harder and harder for millions to", "summary": "The proportion of UK households where no adult aged 16 to 64 is in work is at its lowest since comparable records began in 1996, official figures show."}
{"article": "A statement from his publicist said the entertainer had been diagnosed with \"an incurable brain tumour\", and thanked well-wishers for their support. Middlesbrough-born Daniels, whose career has spanned nearly four decades, found fame in the 1980s with his BBC TV series The Paul Daniels Magic Show. His wife, Debbie McGee, tweeted: \"With great sadness.\" Mark Linsey, acting director of BBC Television, said: \"We're sorry to hear this sad news and our thoughts are with Paul and his family.\" Daniels, whose real name is Newton Edward Daniels, developed his magic skills in working men's clubs. He made his TV debut on talent series Opportunity Knocks in 1970, and came second. He was then given a regular slot on ITV variety show The Wheeltappers And Shunters Social Club, hosted by the late comedian Bernard Manning. He made the move to the BBC in 1979 and launched The Paul Daniels Magic Show, which ran for 15 years. He became one of the biggest stars on British TV, becoming known for a string of catchphrases, including the line: \"You'll like this... not a lot, but you'll like it.\" He said he had first used the line at a club in Yorkshire as a way of dealing with a heckler. Daniels and his wife, a fellow performer and his on-stage assistant, married in 1988. As well as numerous appearances on magic shows, Daniels has presented game shows including Wipeout and Odd One Out. He appeared as a contestant on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, and was the second person to be voted off in the series. In a 2014 interview, McGee explained how, having left the Iranian national ballet where she was a soloist, she was initially unenthusiastic about working with a magician. But she said she was converted after seeing Daniels on quiz show Blankety Blank. \"He was very funny - he took his jacket off and had a Superman T-shirt on and red knickers over his trousers. I was in hysterics. \"He still makes me laugh, all day long, even when I want to be angry,\" she said. In recent years, the couple has toured regularly with a magic and comedy show, but a planned appearance at the Leicester Comedy Festival two days ago was cancelled at short notice, as was another date in Nottingham the following night. Daniels' manager said all his future shows had been cancelled. A statement said: \"We can confirm that one of our greatest magicians and entertainers of all times, Paul Daniels, has sadly been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour. \"On behalf of Paul, Debbie and their families, we thank you for your kind concerns and support at this sad time and ask that their privacy continues to be respected. There will be no further comments at this time.\" Illusionist Dynamo, whose real name is Steven Frayne, wrote on his Instagram account: \"Just read this sad news! Sending my love and respect to Paul, Debbie and all the family! #MagicLegend\". A tweet was also published on the official Dick and Dom page of children's entertainment presenters Richard", "summary": "Magician and entertainer Paul Daniels, 77, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, his family has said."}
{"article": "More than 83,000 items were confiscated by the Border Force at airports in one operation over six days in December. The haul of counterfeits included Harry Potter wands, \"Louis Vuitton\" handbags and \"Nike Air Max\" trainers. In recent weeks, \u00c2\u00a31m worth of goods had been stopped at the border of UK ports and hubs. The government published the figures to warn consumers on the hunt for last-minute Christmas presents to check they were buying legitimate gifts. In the recent seizures, the Border Force collected: Source: ActionFraud Immigration Minister Robert Goodwill said: \"The international trade in counterfeit goods undercuts honest traders, and is linked to serious and organised crime, sweatshop working practices, child labour, and even the funding of terrorism. \"Unsuspecting customers are also left out of pocket with inferior and potentially dangerous goods. \"We are determined to crack down on this criminality and Border Force officers help protect consumers by working around the clock at ports, airports and mail sorting centres identifying and seizing counterfeit goods.\" Once seized, the force's specialist international trade team contacts the brands to discover if the goods are fake or genuine, and if they are the former, the items are destroyed. It is then up to each brand to decide if they want to prosecute those trying to import them. Matthew Cope, from the Intellectual Property Office, said its operations had intensified in the build up to Christmas. \"We have detained goods destined for shops and markets, proving the worth of the co-ordinated approach,\" he added. \"It is important that we have a united response and that people are protected from this type of crime. \"Anyone looking for a bargain this Christmas should be wary of prices which look too good to be true, from cut price alcohol to heavily discounted electronics, and report anything suspicious.\"", "summary": "Christmas shoppers are being warned to check their presents after a raft of fake goods were seized on their way into the UK."}
{"article": "The advert from the Northamptonshire Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) called for someone who was \"resolutely client-centred and victim-focused\". The campaign group said PCCs were \"serial offenders\" in using \"jargon\". Adam Simmonds, PCC, said: \"The best communicators talk to people using the type of language they understand.\" The existing chief constable, Adrian Lee, will be leaving the force in July. The candidate information pack said the force was looking for an \"agent of change\" who can get \"client-side\" and \"is a pioneer in blue-light collaboration\". Steve Jenner, spokesman for the Plain English Campaign, said: \"The sentence that 'our chief constable must be able to see beyond the horizons of convention to make the paradigm shift' is a prime example of 'ploddledegook'. \"Police and crime commissioners seem to be repeat offenders in this regard for their mangling of the English language and this advert is borderline criminal. \"Senior police officers are probably used to this kind of jargon so they will understand it but the danger is they use it when they talk to the public.\" The information pack also said the chief constable should not just issue \"management speak from above\" because \"inevitably such statements of corporate aspiration can feel like yet another list of jargon and management-speak\". In response to the criticism, Mr Simmonds said: \"Anyone who knows me knows I am a straight talker, but it is a fact, highlighted by the Plain English Society, that senior police officers have to understand the type of language used in the advert. \"What I want from our next chief constable [is] someone who can talk to politicians and judges as easily as they can their own staff and members of the public.\" The deadline for applications is 1 June and the job's salary will be up to \u00c2\u00a3150,000.", "summary": "A 26-page job advert for a chief constable has been described as \"ploddledegook\" by the Plain English Campaign."}
{"article": "Catherine Smith narrowly defeated Conservative Eric Ollerenshaw in Lancaster & Fleetwood with a majority of 1,265. In Burnley, Julie Cooper secured 14,951 votes, unseating Liberal Democrat Gordon Birtwistle in a 6.3% swing. Across the rest of the county, Labour held on to six seats while the Tories retained eight. MP elect for Lancaster & Fleetwood Catherine Smith said she would represent and champion the area \"to the best of my ability\". She also paid tribute to her predecessor Eric Ollerenshaw's work in the constituency. Mr Ollerenshaw said he hoped he \"hadn't let anyone down\" after a \"long and hard battle\". Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire after her win in Burnley, Julie Cooper said: \"It's a fantastic end to the day. \"I have worked for this for a very long time. I promise to give 100% for the people of Burnley.\" The married English teacher and Burnley FC season ticket holder added: \"People have been told times are getting better but that is not what it seems if you have lost your job or are suffering welfare cuts.\" Mr Birtwistle said: \"Labour threw the kitchen sink at this seat and we had far less resources.\" He added that he now plans to \"go back to being retired, like I was before I was elected\". In Blackburn, Kate Hollern retained the seat for Labour, increasing the majority that Jack Straw held by 2,904 votes for a total of 12,760. Mr Straw had been the town's MP since 1979 before he recently retired. However, the news wasn't so good for Mr Straw's son. Will Straw, Labour's candidate for the Rossendale & Darwen constituency failed in his bid to unseat Conservative Jake Berry. To find out your election result, go to BBC Election 2015.", "summary": "Labour has made two gains in Lancashire taking one seat from the Conservatives and another from the Liberal Democrats."}
{"article": "The winner, trained by Gordon Elliott, led home an Irish 1-2-3 with the runner-up and third-placed Don Poli both trained by Willie Mullins. Leading English fancy Cue Card fell with three fences to go. Later, Olympic cycling champion Victoria Pendleton finished fifth in the Foxhunter Chase on Pacha Du Polder. Pendleton gave her mount a patient ride at the rear of the field, before moving through nicely and staying on strongly, but Nina Carberry was too good in front, winning on the 13-8 favourite On The Fringe by a neck for back-to-back wins in the race. It made it another success for the Irish on a day when Don Cossack showed his strength in the feature race, winning by four and a half lengths. It was a first Gold Cup for Elliott, who won the Grand National in 2007 with Silver Birch, and for Cooper. The 23-year-old jockey from Kerry had a dilemma over which horse to ride with both Don Cossack and Don Poli owned by airline boss Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud, for whom Cooper is the retained rider. His decision to opt for the nine-year-old, who recovered from a fall in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day to win at Thurles in January, paid dividends and afterwards he paid tribute to the late trainer Dessie Hughes with whom he started his career. \"Fair play to Gordon, he stuck by me. I had the hardest decision and he had him right for today. He never missed a beat,\" said Cooper. \"It was a hard decision to make, but there's a man up there looking out for me, Dessie Hughes.\" The 9-2 favourite Ivanovich Gorbatov gave Aidan O'Brien his first Festival winner since Istabraq's third Champion Hurdle win in 2000 when he stormed home in the JCB Triumph Hurdle. With O'Brien concentrating on the Flat, it is his son Joseph - recently retired from riding - who supervised the hurdler's preparation as he prepares to get his full training licence. The win for the JP McManus-owned 9-2 favourite gave jockey Barry Geraghty his first success of the week, with Willie Mullins training the second and third in Apple's Jade and Footpad. O'Brien Jr, who won two Epsom Derbies as well as the 2000 Guineas and St Leger in his riding career, said: \"It's unbelievable. I don't think it's sunk in yet. It's very hard to put into words what I'm thinking right now. \"It's hard to compare [to winning the Derby] but it's right up there.\" Elsewhere, two former assistants to Paul Nicholls, Dan Skelton and Harry Fry, both enjoyed success while Nicholls himself claimed a final-day double. It was a family affair for Skelton as younger brother Harry rode Superb Story (8-1) to victory in the Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle to give them their first Festival success, watched by their father Nick, who won equestrian gold at London 2012. \"I'm so delighted for them, they work really hard,\" said their proud dad. \"Harry's been saying for two weeks this horse would win. Everything worked out. I thought", "summary": "The 9-4 favourite Don Cossack and jockey Bryan Cooper held off the challenge of Djakadam to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup."}
{"article": "The American stunned the mixed martial arts world by knocking out champion and undefeated Ronda Rousey, the 1-20 favourite, in a UFC title fight last November. Now the 34-year-old former boxer, who has won all 10 of her UFC fights, is preparing to defend her title against Miesha Tate at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday. READ MORE: McGregor not worried about stepping up two divisions \"I don't want to create my whole career and life in one moment,\" Holm, nicknamed the Preacher's Daughter, told the BBC World Service. \"There's a lot weighing on this fight, there's a ton of emotional stresses. In a lot of ways, it's tougher for me. People have high expectations after the last fight.\" American Tate, the number two ranked bantamweight, has won her last four fights in the octagon but has been beaten twice by Rousey. The 29-year-old's last loss came against the former champion in 2013 when she submitted in 58 seconds. \"She's really good at grinding it out,\" said Holm of Tate, a wrestling specialist. \"She can be behind in a fight and she is not mentally broken. \"She is coming out of a two-year winning streak. She has had way more time in the octagon than me, a lot more fighting, so there's a lot of things that present a threat to me.\" UFC's co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta told the BBC World Service that he believes mixed martial arts will eventually become an Olympic sport. It is an idea backed by Holm, a former professional boxing champion. \"Why not? The Olympics, to me, is seeing the best that every country has to offer,\" he said. \"I hope they let it be professional fighters. A lot of the other sports in the Olympics are professional. I say let it be. How awesome would it be to be in the Olympics?\" Author and newspaper columnist Matthew Syed recently wrote in the Times that he felt \"unease\" at the sport's \"no-holds-barred nature.\" He added: \"I do wonder about the way this slickly marketed activity legitimises the basest instincts of the human psyche, and celebrates bloodshed. The sooner it falls out of favour, the better.\" But Holm dismisses claims the sport is too brutal, insisting the critics have the wrong view. \"Sometimes I think they look at this sport and see it as two caged people going crazy,\" she said. \"That's not it at all. It's two people chasing a common goal, chasing a dream.\" She added: \"You can't be the champion without another fighter, you can't get through without the other person. \"It's not like you pick on someone from the street. They both sign a contract, train very hard and are really reaching for greatness. There's nothing brutal about that, it's beautiful.\" Holm, who was also a kickboxing champion before making her mixed martial arts debut in 2011, says it requires \"passion\" to make it to the top and there is not much money when you start out. \"You're starting in amateur shows, putting money out of your own pocket to learn the sport,\"", "summary": "Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champion Holly Holm says she does not want to be known as a \"one-hit wonder\"."}
{"article": "Clive Lewis said it would be \"foolish to say never\" to the possibility, but that he backed Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Lewis said he was \"75% hopeful\" Mr Corbyn could lead Labour to victory at the next general election. And he said he was \"greatly\" annoyed by \"mischievous\" speculation about his leadership ambitions. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live's Pienaar's Politics, the Norwich South MP - who quit the shadow cabinet last month rather than vote in favour of the government's Brexit bill - said it was \"flattering\" to be \"touted as a future leader\". It was \"possible\" that some figures close to Mr Corbyn could be behind the speculation, he said. Pressed on whether he wanted to ever lead Labour, he said: \"Never say never, I will say that. But at this moment in time we have a twice democratically elected leader, Jeremy Corbyn. \"I'm still supportive of Jeremy Corbyn. I will be doing all I can along with the rest of my colleagues in the Labour Party to varying degrees to make sure that he becomes the next prime minister of this country. \"There is no ifs, no buts. That's where I am.\" Asked how confident he was on a scale of one to 100 that Mr Corbyn could lead Labour to a general election victory in 2020, he replied: \"I would say I'm 75% hopeful it can happen. \"Given ... the situation we find ourselves with Brexit - the chaotic situation - it's constantly moving. It would be a challenge for any leader I think.\" The Labour leadership came in for renewed criticism after the party lost the seat of Copeland to the Conservatives in last month's by-election. It was the first by-election gain by a governing party since 1982. Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr show, shadow chancellor John McDonnell said Mr Corbyn would lead Labour into the 2020 general election. \"Of course we are building up a succession for the long term future and we have got some really great young talent coming through but they need more experience before eventually they will succeed,\" he added. Mr McDonnell also categorically ruled himself out of a future run for the leadership. Asked about his claim of a \"soft coup\" against Mr Corbyn, he said a \"number of people\" within the party had been \"stirring\" ahead of the by-elections in Copeland and Stoke Central. But he said he planned to \"have a cup of tea\" with arch critic Lord Mandelson. \"There will be lots of things we agree upon. There will be some disagreements. But I think the most important thing that we have got is a responsibility to our party but more importantly to the country,\" he said.", "summary": "A Labour MP who quit the frontbench to rebel over Brexit says he will \"keep the option open\" of one day running for leader."}
{"article": "20 January 2016 Last updated at 12:03 GMT It had been stuck on the side of the mountain in Snowdonia, Wales, for days and couldn't move from its dangerous position on the ledge. A rescue team from the RSPCA had to lower themselves down the mountain using ropes to reach the sheep, who was then lowered down with them, to the bottom of the cliff. They said that the sheep wasn't injured but was very hungry after its cliff-side adventure. Pictures and video courtesy of RSPCA Cymru.", "summary": "A sheep trapped on a ledge on the side of a cliff has been rescued."}
{"article": "Burgess went over to put the visitors ahead and the boot of George Williams ensured they led 8-4 at the break despite Vincent Duport's try. After the restart Duport scored in the corner as Catalans took a 10-8 lead. But Burgess put Wigan back ahead and further tries by Williams and Sam Tomkins followed by another Burgess effort saw Wigan home. The Warriors move up to seventh, four points clear of ninth-placed Warrington with two games remaining before the Super 8s. And they are now four points behind fourth-placed Hull - and the top four spot that would give them the chance to defend their title. Catalans are 10th, four points behind Huddersfield, who are eighth. A Wigan win or any sorts looked in doubt when Duport collected a last-tackle kick to go over, with Luke Walsh adding the two points to give the French side their two-point advantage. But Wigan, who were without coach Shaun Wane as he recovers after a hip operation, then dominated. A brilliant team try ended with Burgess going over in the corner and Williams skipped through to give them a 10-point lead. A Tony Gigot error then gifted Tomkins the away side's fourth try and the Burgess treble came when he went over from close range. Catalans head coach Steve McNamara: \"For 60 to 65 minutes, there was not a lot to choose between the two teams - in fact I think we were two tries to one up. \"It was really pleasing that we were in that contest but really disappointed with the last 15 minutes. I don't think we deserved that scoreline. \"Having said that, if you give Wigan those opportunities they'll take them and that's what they did. I think that our performance today was a whole lot better than our win over Leigh last weekend. \"We can take a lot of positives out of that and hopefully we can improve next week as much as we have this week going into next week's game against St Helens.\" Wigan assistant John Winder: \"I was really pleased with the result. For 60 minutes I thought it was a real arm wrestle and it was a really tough game. \"Both sides were very competitive. We just stuck at it and got through that 60-minute mark and things just started to open up for us. \"I thought we got what we deserved and we stuck with the process long enough and we managed to snag a couple of tries before the momentum went with us at the end. \"It was very hot out there and a really physical game. The quality of the game was really high, the opening 15 minutes saw both teams complete in the high eighties and there weren't a lot of errors.\" Catalans: Gigot, Broughton, Inu, Wiliame, Duport, Walsh, Albert, Moa, Aiton, Casty, Anderson, Horo, Baitieri. Substitutes: Bousquet, Da Costa, Margalet, Belmas. Wigan: S. Tomkins, Davies, Gelling, Gildart, Burgess, Williams, Leuluai, Nuuausala, McIlorum, Sutton, Bateman, Farrell, O'Loughlin. Substitutes: Isa, Clubb, Powell, Tautai.", "summary": "Joe Burgess scored a hat-trick as Wigan produced an emphatic final 20 minutes to win at Catalans Dragons."}
{"article": "The forces were taking part in a counter-terrorism operation when they came under fire, US officials said. A medical helicopter sent to rescue casualties was forced to land and has yet to be recovered. Some 12,000 international soldiers are still deployed in Afghanistan to help local forces tackle the Taliban. Some of the foreign troops were sent to counter the recent militant insurgency in Helmand. Details of what happened in the incident, which took place near the town of Marjah on Tuesday, remain sketchy. US military spokesman Brig Gen Wilson Shoffner said one service member had died as a result of wounds, adding: \"We are deeply saddened by this loss... our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families and friends of those involved.\" The identity of the casualties has not yet been revealed and no official details given on their service branch. A number of Afghan forces were also reported to have been wounded. The casualties occurred before the \"medevac\" helicopter was called in. Some reports said the helicopter, believed to be a UH-60 Black Hawk, had also come under fire. A US defence official said it had \"sustained damage while on the ground\" but had not been shot down. He said it remained on the ground and the military was working to recover it, but gave no further details. In 2011, 30 Americans were among 38 people killed in a Chinook helicopter crash in Wardak province. Helmand has long been a stronghold of the Taliban. Afghan forces, aided by the US military, have been engaged in a fierce conflict recently with Taliban fighters who seized large swathes of Sangin district. The fighting also sparked the deployment of a number of UK forces to Helmand for the first time in more than a year. In September, the Taliban briefly overran the northern city of Kunduz in one of their biggest victories in 14 years of war.", "summary": "One US service member has been killed and two wounded reportedly during a special forces mission in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province."}
{"article": "This comes after a public outcry following revelations in November that a neo-Nazi cell had apparently been able to go on a nationwide spree of racially motivated murders over several years, under the noses of the German intelligence services. The group of three are being held responsible for the deaths of eight Turkish and one Greek immigrant between 2000 and 2006, as well as a German policewoman in 2007. Yet the existence of the group, dubbed the Zwickau cell after the name of the town where they spent most of their time in hiding, only came to light in November when two of its members died in an apparent joint suicide or murder-suicide and the third handed herself in to the authorities. The NPD has been linked to the group, though the allegations have yet to be accepted in a court of law. The trio had made a DVD in which they boasted of the killings and said they had acted to serve the German nation and its people, describing themselves as the National Socialist Underground - echoing the national socialism (Nazism) of Hitler's Germany. The story of the killers has dominated headlines in Germany for months now and given rise to one of the biggest scandals in post-war Germany. It turns out intelligence agencies had had the group under surveillance for years, and even found a bomb-making factory in their garage back in 1998. So why were the trio not stopped earlier? Why were they allowed to disappear and then stay underground? And why was it that security services blamed the murders on the Turkish mafia at the time? A right-wing motive was never investigated. The failures have prompted some to ask whether there is more than incompetence to blame, whether Germany's police and security services contain elements sympathetic to the far right - an accusation the institutions vehemently deny. A parliamentary inquiry is currently under way into their activities, and Newsnight has seen a secret internal report revealing serious blunders by law enforcement agencies. When we spoke to Peter Altmaier, a senior official in Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrat party, he admitted that mistakes had been made: \"You have to know Germany is a federal state, and competencies are shared and divided between federal and state levels... and because we have drawn the lessons from the Nazi dictatorship, we have very limited powers of police and security institutions. \"There have been hints and indications of right-wing extremism that were not taken seriously enough, and therefore we have put this very high on the political agenda.\" Another question that now worries many Germans is just how big a threat the far right poses. Human rights groups say more than 180 people have been killed in right-wing attacks in Germany over the last 20 years. Neo-Nazis have murdered more people in post-war Germany than any other single group, including Islamists and the far left. But this is not yet reflected in official data. Could it be that Germany's sensitivity to its history has made it want to play down modern-day right wing", "summary": "The security services in Germany are scrambling to track down and arrest far-right fugitives and Germany's federal and state interior ministers have announced they are taking concrete steps towards banning the country's far right National Democratic Party, the NPD."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Yu, 29, took the final three frames, closing with breaks of 66 and 70, for a 6-4 victory and a place in the last 32. World champion Mark Selby held his nerve to see off world number 68 Daniel Wells 6-4 after trailing 4-3. Scotland's three-time champion John Higgins came back from 3-2 down to beat Thailand's Noppon Saengkham 6-4. Welshman Mark Williams eased past England's Andrew Higginson 6-2, while Matthew Stevens beat Michael White 6-4 in an all-Welsh contest. England's Ali Carter beat Robbie Williams 6-2, but fellow Englishman Barry Hawkins went down 6-5 to Ireland's Fergal O'Brien, who made five centuries including three in a row at one stage. Media playback is not supported on this device \"It was a battle,\" Selby told World Snooker. \"My focus dipped in and out. It is still the early stages of the tournament, I don't want to peak too soon.\" Higgins won four of the last five frames to overcome Saengkham, ranked 69 places below him at 73 in the world. \"I dodged a bullet there, I'm just delighted to get through,\" said Higgins. \"I really did think I'd be heading up the road when I went 4-3 down. A lot of these boys are not frightened of top players any more. I felt as if the luck had ran out but the luck's still with me just now.\" Sign up to My Sport to follow snooker news and reports on the BBC app. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "World number two Stuart Bingham suffered a shock defeat by world number 62 Yu Delu of China in the second round of the UK Championship in York."}
{"article": "At a news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Mr Kerry said the two Nato allies shared a common goal - to end the suffering of innocent civilians in Syria. Turkey and the US both oppose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but differ on how best to support the opposition. The visit has been overshadowed by the Turkish PM's remarks about Zionism. Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier this week called Zionism a \"crime against humanity\" - remarks that have been widely condemned, and which Mr Kerry on Friday called \"objectionable\". On the subject of Syria, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said on Friday he was \"personally pained and distraught\" by the ongoing violence and suffering of civilians. He said there was a \"very small window of opportunity\" for the Syrian government and the opposition to hold talks, and admitted that, for the UN, there was \"not much political space\". Mr Ban went on to say that, in his opinion, the only thing for the moment was to increase humanitarian assistance but it was \"almost impossible\" for aid agencies to provide enough relief, as they were continually \"outpaced\" by the need. The crisis in Syria has been a central issue in John Kerry's first overseas trip as secretary of state, which is taking him to 11 countries in Europe and the Middle East. He said in Ankara that the US and Turkey \"both believe the first priority is to try and have a political solution. We would like to save lives, not see them caught up in a continuing war\". Mr Davutoglu said their main objective was to \"protect the innocent civilians of Syria\". In Rome on Thursday, Mr Kerry promised direct aid to Syrian rebels in the form of food and medical supplies, but not the weapons they say they need to win. Turkey has taken in more than 200,000 Syrian refugees and has been hit by deadly shelling across its 900km (560 mile) border with Syria. Turkey wants the Syrian rebels to win the war as soon as possible and will be keen to convey its sense of frustration to Mr Kerry, the BBC's James Reynolds in Istanbul says. The US and other Nato allies have deployed Patriot missile interceptors to repel any possible attack by missiles or aircraft from Syria. Mr Erdogan has been outspoken in his support for Syrian rebels and has advocated the creation of a buffer zone inside northern Syria to protect people fleeing the fighting. Turkey began massing troops along the frontier in June last year after Syria shot down a Turkish reconnaissance jet off its coast. In October the Turkish army fired on military targets in Syria in retaliation for cross-border mortar fire. The rebel Free Syrian Army is thought to receive weapons and other supplies from Turkey. The US has refrained from arming the rebels, in part because of concerns the weapons could eventually fall into the hands of Islamist militants who might attack its interests. On Thursday in Rome, Mr Kerry promised an additional $60m (\u00c2\u00a340m) in aid to the opposition Syrian National", "summary": "New US Secretary of State John Kerry has been holding talks with his Turkish counterpart on the conflict in Syria."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Arsenal were 4-0 down but took the game to extra-time, with a Theo Walcott hat-trick and two Marouane Chamakh goals helping them into the last eight. \"We went from disaster to rescuing some pride,\" Wenger said. \"You cannot play for Arsenal and give up.\" Reading boss Brian McDermott said the defeat was the \"worst\" of his career. Arsenal found themselves 4-0 down after 35 minutes but Walcott made it 4-1 just before half-time to set up the platform for an incredible second-half revival that took the game into extra time. Chamakh put Arsenal in front for the first time on the night with a goal in the first period of extra time, only for Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak to make it 5-5. But Walcott restored Arsenal's lead before Chamakh scored their seventh. \"It was 4-0 and could have been one or two more,\" Wenger added. \"We came back but at 89 minutes it was still 4-2. Then the miracle happened. There were so many turning points. Our first goal before half-time was important. It's my first 7-5. It was a tennis score.\" Wenger said he knew the pain of relinquishing a four-goal advantage, having drawn 4-4 with Newcastle after being 4-0 up in February 2011. He explained that his team had drawn inspiration from their supporters. He said: \"I know how it feels to lose a 4-0 lead - it happened to me at Newcastle. I always hoped we could come back. It's strange to explain. At 4-0 you think you have won the game, but at 4-2 the panic starts to set in. \"At 4-0 I didn't feel great, I started to think about half-time. Inspiration was not difficult. I just felt sorry for the fans, they stuck with us. A big part stayed and supported us and I give them credit. I give the ones who left less credit. Premier League, Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal, 5 February, 2011 Arsenal led 3-0 inside 10 minutes at St James' Park and 4-0 at half-time but were pegged back with Cheick Tiote's stunning late volley capping the comeback. Champions League final, Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan, 25 May, 2005 Liverpool were down and out after going into half-time 3-0 down but scored three times in six minutes to turn the game on its head. FA Cup fourth round, Tottenham 3-4 Manchester City, 4 February, 2004. Spurs were 3-0 ahead at half-time before Joey Barton was sent off. But somehow City fought back and Jon Macken scored a dramatic late winner. Premier League, Tottenham 3-5 Manchester United, 29 September 2001. Again Spurs went in at half-time 3-0 ahead but were ripped apart in the second half by a breathtaking United performance. FA Cup final, Blackpool 4-3 Bolton, Wembley, 2 May, 1953. Bolton had led 3-1 and, were still leading with three minutes to go until Stan Mortensen and Bill Perry struck. \"This was maybe my greatest comeback. [The League Cup] is not my priority but had we gone out like we could have gone out it would not", "summary": "Arsene Wenger says Arsenal's recovery in their incredible 7-5 victory over Reading in the Capital One Cup took them from \"disaster to pride\" ."}
{"article": "The latest issue was when the team were denied lunch at a hotel on Tuesday due to an unpaid bill. Later that day Cameroon lost 2-1 in a friendly to Guinea after which he said he was considering his future. \"I'm happy with the reaction because they realised what happened,\" he said. Media playback is not supported on this device \"If they want an inquiry, it means they know there were mistakes and maybe in future those mistakes won't happen again.\" The 64-year-old Belgian conceded that his reaction may have been a 'little bit too heavy' but that there was a good reason for his approach. \"I hope that things will change after my comments - this is the most important thing,\" said Broos, who won the Africa Cup of Nations last month in spite of having worked on the continent for just a year. \"Sometimes you have to make the problem bigger than it is so that everyone is awake and says 'what happened there?'\" \"Now all the country knows what happened and this is a good thing because everyone realised that this is something that has to not happen again in the future.\" \"In a few months, there is the Confederations Cup and we are playing against the best teams in the world (Germany, Chile, Australia) so everyone has to be awake again.\" His words have already had a reaction with Fecafoot opening an inquiry into the matter on Tuesday, while also stating that the circumstances which prompted Broos' public complaints were 'unacceptable.' We have to work like we worked during the Nations Cup when there was no problem. Everything was well-organised so they showed that they can do it. After the match in Brussels, the Cameroon coach said he was 'seriously considering' his future as he also outlined various logistical failures since he took charge in early 2016. He highlighted that team doctors had sometimes footed the costs for medical equipment themselves while also relating how the team had once had to travel without equipment or kit because it was too expensive to fly. \"It's unacceptable that when players are going to eat something, the hotel tells us that we cannot eat because the bill has not been paid,\" he said. \"Three to four hours after the hotel (took their action), the bill was paid so it's not a matter of money - it's a matter of organisation and responsibility.\" In the run-up to this year's unexpected African title, the fifth in Cameroon's history, at least seven internationals refused call-ups for the tournament. \"I think when Joel Matip hears this again, he will not be so happy to come again to the national team,\" Broos lamented. \"Also this is not good for players who will maybe (be called up) in the future. If they hear this, this is reason I think to say: 'I'm not going to play with that team because there are always problems.'\" \"We have to work like we worked during the Nations Cup when there was no problem. Everything was well-organised so they showed that", "summary": "Coach Hugo Broos has told BBC Sport he welcomes an inquiry by the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) into the administrative problems suffered by the African champions."}
{"article": "But being an editor isn't just an editorial job. The editorial side of it is the most fulfilling and intellectually stimulating part, but it is only a part. There are also huge commercial responsibilities - how do we make money and save money? - and leadership and management duties. Leadership is about creating a moral vision for where you want to take a team; management is the daily activity of getting them there. It has always seemed to me that in rich newspapers, the editor gets to focus on editing, while other people think about the commercial and managerial side of it. For instance, the Daily Mail has several busy managing editors, whereas the Evening Standard has only one. George Osborne to become Standard editor Osborne Evening Standard job prompts call for inquiry George Osborne: From history buff to austerity editor Read more from Amol At organisations that are strapped for cash - and the Standard is facing big commercial challenges - editors have to spend relatively more of their time thinking about commercial and managerial obligations. And all of that is hugely time consuming. It leaves less time than you would like for the really exciting bit: editing. Editing is an exercise in selection and judgement: what to put in and - just as important - what to leave out. Which pictures, campaigns, and above all stories to run? What's the best headline on that front page splash? Shall we give this or that person a kicking in the sports pages? And should our cartoonist really depict Nigel Farage as an amphibian yet again? When making these decisions, based on your judgement, which is in turn informed by your values and experience, an editor has three sacred loyalties - in my view, in no particular order. First, to the truth; second, to the reader; and third, to the integrity and reputation of the newspaper. Some would argue that there are other loyalties. An editor of The Catholic Herald might think they had a duty to God, for instance; an editor of Country Life might feel they had a duty to England's enchanted land; and all editors are likely to feel a duty to those paying the bills. But those earlier loyalties are supreme. They are very different to the loyalties required by political parties. I have never been a member of a political party, but I suspect those who have would say their loyalties aren't primarily to truth, readers, or newspaper reputations. A political party is an institution that organises its members to acquire and exercise legislative power. Its members have loyalty above all to that task. If they are committed, they wake up every day thirsting for power. Once they have acquired it, fidelity to their tribe makes them determined not to relinquish it. Quite aside from the sheer practical workload, it is not easy to see how the loyalties required by editorship and the loyalties required by membership of a political party can be reconciled. The latter long to inhabit the corridors of power. The former want to throw", "summary": "Editing a newspaper is an extremely rewarding and tough job, probably harder these days than a few decades ago, because of scarcity of resources and the demands of the internet."}
{"article": "The force has urged bargain hunters to refuse to buy illicit food, alcohol, fashion, medicines and beauty goods, which could contain hidden dangers. Make-up laced with paint stripper was another product highlighted at a summit being held in Edinburgh on counterfeit goods and criminal gangs. The event includes speakers from Interpol and US Homeland Security. Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: \"Buying counterfeit goods might be seen as a victimless way to get presents for family and friends on the cheap, but many of these items will have a long back story of criminality, often involving violence. \"However, the problem doesn't just lie with fake bags, perfume or alcohol. \"There is a serious global problem in counterfeit medicines, machinery and engine parts which can be seriously damaging to people's health and potentially deadly.\" Mandy Haeburn-Little, director of summit organiser the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, said: \"Everyone loves a bargain. But people need to stop to think about the true cost of fake goods. Can you be confident that those cheap cigarettes, perfumes and alcohol are actually safe? \"However, it goes much deeper as those products are likely to have supported child labour or human trafficking or used to fund serious organised crime. \"Illicit trade also hurts businesses in Scotland very hard. People choosing bargains at markets, car boot sales or on the internet impacts hugely on retailers and manufacturers - less genuine goods being sold closes businesses and puts people out of work.\"", "summary": "Dog skin boots and perfume containing urine were among a range of fake goods seized by Police Scotland."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Leicester's Selby, runner-up in 2007, was 10-5 behind but won 10 of the next 12 frames for a 15-12 lead. Five-time champion O'Sullivan, who had never lost a world final, reduced the deficit to 15-14, only for Selby to win the next three frames. Age: 30 Nickname: The Jester from Leicester Turned pro: 1999 Ranking titles: World Championship 2014, UK Championship 2012, Shanghai Masters 2011, Welsh Open 2008 Non-ranking titles: Masters 2008, 2010, 2013 His victory means he returns to the top of the world rankings and leaves O'Sullivan two behind Stephen Hendry's record tally of seven world titles. Selby dedicated his win to his late father, who died when he was 16. \"To beat Ronnie in the final to win my first world title is a dream come true,\" he added: O'Sullivan said: \"I tried my hardest but he was just too good,\" Selby, 30, is \u00a3300,000 richer for his Crucible triumph and is the ninth player to win the Triple Crown, having won three Masters titles and a UK Championship. Selby looked jaded on Sunday following his epic semi-final against Neil Robertson but managed to win the final two frames to stay within three of O'Sullivan, who wrapped up his last-four encounter against Barry Hawkins with a session to spare. He then won five of the six frames in Monday's opening session to drag his rival into unfamiliar territory, O'Sullivan having never before trailed heading into the final session of a Crucible final. Selby made breaks of 55, 52 and 74 - his highest of the match so far - to level the contest at 10-10 before winning a tense 21st frame to lead for the first time. O'Sullivan retook the lead after the mid-session interval, winning an error-strewn frame courtesy of a run of 50, but missed a simple pink into the middle pocket to clinch the frame after deciding to play it with pace. Selby duly cleared up before punching the air and ramming his cue into the ground in a mixture of relief and elation. Media playback is not supported on this device Eight frames were scheduled for the session but it was a measure of the attritional nature of the action that they could only fit six in before the interval. O'Sullivan won the first frame of the evening session with a fluent break of 100, his third century of the match, to level at 12-12, but Selby won a 28-minute frame to restore his advantage before opening up a two-frame lead for the first time. Selby compiled a break of 56 to increase his lead to three frames before the mid-session interval, his run of take 10 of the last 12 frames. O'Sullivan started well after the restart, rattling in breaks of 30 and 49 to reduce the gap to two frames. He then potted a magnificent yellow down the cushion before clearing up the rest of the balls to make it 15-14. But Selby reacted brilliantly, knocking in a break of 127, his first century of", "summary": "Mark Selby staged a remarkable comeback to beat defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 18-14 in the final of the World Championship in Sheffield."}
{"article": "The US, UK and France have been calling for air operations, given the reluctance of Damascus to allow relief into rebel-held areas. This comes as Syria says it has approved the delivery of aid to 36 regions, including 11 besieged areas. Meanwhile, air strikes in and around the northern city of Aleppo have reportedly killed 31 civilians. They included 10 people on a bus going down a road used by rebels as a supply route, rescue workers from the Syrian Civil Defence force said. Stephen O'Brien, the UN aid chief, told the Security Council that consent from Damascus was needed to carry out the air operations, diplomats who were in the closed door meeting said. The formal request would be made on Sunday, they added. The UN has 19 areas designated as \"besieged\" in the country, where an estimated 600,000 people live. The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said it had already drawn up a plan to carry out air drops but that funding was also needed. However, a senior UN official warned that air operations were \"not imminent\". Earlier, a statement by the Syrian Mission to the UN said permissions for humanitarian aid included access to Kafr Batna, Saqba, Hammura, Jisrein, Zabadin, East Harasta, Zamalka, Madaya, Foua, Kefraya and Yarmouk. Eight other towns were approved to receive medical assistance, school supplies and milk for children, including Daraya and Douma, also under siege, it said. The Syrian opposition has warned the government may open the door just enough to alleviate international pressure before restricting access again. In February, the WFP carried out a 21-pallet air drop of aid to a government-held area of Deir al-Zour in eastern Syria, which ended in failure. Of the 21 pallets, 10 were unaccounted for, seven landed in no-man's land and four were damaged. But it has since carried out 44 air drops over the city, delivering mainly rice, chickpeas and beans to meet the immediate needs of around 100,000 residents. The WFP has identified some 592,700 people in 19 besieged areas that may need to receive aid by air. But the operating conditions are challenging, it says. Many besieged locations are in built-up, urban areas with no suitable space for a drop zone. High-altitude drops are not possible in those areas because of the risk of harming people on the ground. The UN food agency says airdrops are always a last resort as access by land is more efficient. Meanwhile, aircraft from the US-led coalition dropped ammunition to rebels in the town of Marea, in Aleppo province, the UK-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. It was not clear if weapons were also delivered. Rebels are fighting militants from so-called Islamic State (IS), who cut off supply routes between Marea and Azaz, both under rebel control, near the Turkish border. The area between the city of Aleppo and the Turkish border is split between IS, rebel and government-controlled zones. The US is also supporting an offensive by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), made up by Kurdish and Arab fighters, against IS-held Manbij. The Syrian", "summary": "The United Nations will ask Syria to allow the air drop of humanitarian aid to areas under siege, diplomats say."}
{"article": "Two dozen national football teams and at least two million foreign visitors will be here for the Euro 2016 football championships. But how ready is the nation to focus on \"the beautiful game\"? This was meant to be France's feel-good moment. But like cherries that are always hanging just out of reach, the build-up to Euro 2016 has been interrupted by one distraction after another: Having got through all of that, on the eve of the championship, France is facing fresh strikes at the national airline, and rubbish left to rot in the street as bin-men join the rolling protests over labour reforms. It's a wonder people have any time left to think about whether Didier Deschamps has got the right men in his defence line-up for the French national side. But it's not as if football has been entirely out of the headlines either. Last month, Eric Cantona implied that the French coach had allowed racism to colour his selection for the squad. That followed an earlier scandal that saw two of the country's top players embroiled in blackmail allegations - and consequently dropped from the Euro 2016 team. So if the mood here ahead of kick-off has been, well, muted, perhaps it's no surprise. But there is, of course, another reason for the rather subdued atmosphere ahead of the games. When President Hollande arrives at the Stade de France in northern Paris tomorrow for the opening ceremony, it will be a poignant moment. Many of those watching will be remembering the night he was bundled out of the stadium during another match last November, as three suicide bombers blew themselves up outside. It was the start of France's night of terror, in which 130 people were killed on the streets of Paris. Now, the fears of police, public and politicians as they head into the tournament hang heavy in the air. The Euros are spread between 10 French cities, each requiring its own security plans. One hundred thousand police, soldiers and security guards have been detailed to protect the games but, as the interior minister points out, \"even 100% preparation cannot guarantee zero risk\". A leaked police document, calling for the partial closure of vast \"fan-zones\" set up in cities including Paris and Marseille, has been widely reported in French media. On the eve of the tournament, workers in Paris said they were planning to stay away from the zones, considered softer targets than the stadiums themselves. \"It's fun to have the Euros in France,\" said Eva, a 32-year-old jurist, \"but with everything that's happening, it could create more problems than anything else. It's fun in principle, but with the strikes for example, we're not going to see a good image of France.\" \"Even though I'm not a big football fan, I'm excited by the ambiance,\" said David, a finance worker in the city. \"But the recent events are on everyone's mind and there's a lot of talk about security, so the euphoria is dampened by that. If there is a target, it will be the Euros.\" While an attack", "summary": "Seven months after a terrorist massacre in its capital city, France raises the curtain on Friday evening on one of the world's biggest sporting events."}
{"article": "Edinburgh-born Collins went into a coma after suffering a stroke and two haemorrhages in 2005. The Possibilities are Endless, explores his journey from the brink of death to rediscovering memories lost because of his medical condition. NHS Highland and Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland will host the screening in Inverness on 17 September. The film will be shown at Eden Court. Sandra Hewitt, of NHS Highland, said: \"This is an inspirational film showing one man's personal journey and I think it will have a profound effect on stroke survivors, not just here in Highland, but across the UK and beyond. \"Stroke is a lifelong condition but you can improve with time.\" She added: \"I'm looking forward to the film. It's one man's story which many of those we hope will attend can see similarities with their own situation and they can also get the chance to meet their peers and learn about what support is available for them.\" After waking from his coma, the first two phrases Collins was able to say were \"Grace Maxwell\" - which is his wife's name - and \"the possibilities are endless\". The singer-songwriter is known for his work with the band Orange Juice and his 1995 solo hit A Girl Like You.", "summary": "A film about songwriter Edwyn Collins is to be given a special screening to raise awareness about strokes."}
{"article": "Bees debutant Marco Djuricin had given his side the lead when he found the net with a curling strike. And the Austria international almost doubled his tally after the break when his first-time shot clipped the post. But, after Chris Wood saw his attempt turned onto the woodwork at the other end, substitute Antenucci dispossessed Ryan Woods before firing in to level. Leeds have now scored just twice against Brentford in five matches, having failed to win any of the games dating back to the 2009-10 season. Media playback is not supported on this device The visitors took the lead when Djuricin, who joined on loan from Red Bull Salzburg on 31 August, found the net midway through the first half. Jake Bidwell then went close to doubling the lead when his second-half header bounced across goal, before another Djuricic attempt hit the post. Leeds striker Wood also saw a deflected effort hit the woodwork, when his shot was turned onto the post by Bees goalkeeper David Button. But, just when it looked like it might turn out to be a first defeat of the season for the hosts, Brentford's debutant substitute Woods - who had only been on the pitch for two minutes - was easily dispossessed by Antenucci and the Italian, who had come on at half-time, fired home the equaliser into the corner with his left foot. The result means Leeds remain unbeaten this season, having drawn five of their six opening games in the Championship. Leeds manager Uwe Rosler: \"We lost our fearlessness and we made a mistake. When you do that against Brentford they can find the holes. \"Then we were down on confidence and they scored. We looked like we were afraid to get on the ball, that can happen. We deserved to trail at half-time. \"In the second half we started 0-0 and the substitutes helped us. The last 25-30 minutes we battered them in a football sense and could have won the game. I think it was a fair result for two teams who wanted to win.\"", "summary": "Mirco Antenucci's second-half strike saw Uwe Rosler's Leeds rescue a point against his old club Brentford."}
{"article": "Tobias Badila's own goal put the visitors ahead with Bernardo Silva doubling their lead before the break. Thomas Lemar added a third four minutes from time as Monaco made it 98 league goals in 35 games so far this season. Paris Saint-Germain had earlier beaten Bastia 5-0 to draw level on points with Monaco, who have a game in hand. The Champions League semi-finalists boast a far superior goal difference to PSG and realistically need just one win from their final three matches to become champions for the first time since 2000. Match ends, Nancy 0, Monaco 3. Second Half ends, Nancy 0, Monaco 3. Corner, Monaco. Conceded by Guy N'Dy Assembe. Attempt saved. Kylian Mbappe (Monaco) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Tiemou\u00e9 Bakayoko. Offside, Nancy. Guy N'Dy Assembe tries a through ball, but Youssouf Hadji is caught offside. Attempt missed. Jo\u00e3o Moutinho (Monaco) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Thomas Lemar. Substitution, Monaco. Andrea Raggi replaces Bernardo Silva. Goal! Nancy 0, Monaco 3. Thomas Lemar (Monaco) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Kylian Mbappe. Attempt missed. Amine Bassi (Nancy) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Attempt missed. Kylian Mbappe (Monaco) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Tiemou\u00e9 Bakayoko. Tiemou\u00e9 Bakayoko (Monaco) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Issiar Dia (Nancy). Substitution, Monaco. Kylian Mbappe replaces Val\u00e8re Germain. Attempt missed. Djibril Sidibe (Monaco) right footed shot from long range on the left is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Jo\u00e3o Moutinho. Attempt missed. Tiemou\u00e9 Bakayoko (Monaco) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jo\u00e3o Moutinho with a cross following a corner. Corner, Monaco. Conceded by Tobias Badila. Attempt blocked. Jo\u00e3o Moutinho (Monaco) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Substitution, Monaco. Tiemou\u00e9 Bakayoko replaces Falcao. Delay in match (Nancy). Attempt saved. Falcao (Monaco) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Fabinho. Foul by Christophe Mandanne (Nancy). Nabil Dirar (Monaco) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Nancy. Christophe Mandanne replaces Antony Robic. Foul by Fabinho (Monaco). Antony Robic (Nancy) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. Diallo Guidileye (Nancy) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Amine Bassi. Falcao (Monaco) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Modou Diagne (Nancy). Substitution, Nancy. Issiar Dia replaces Faitout Maouassa. Attempt blocked. Bernardo Silva (Monaco) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Corner, Nancy. Conceded by Kamil Glik. Corner, Nancy. Conceded by Djibril Sidibe. Foul by Fabinho (Monaco). Diallo Guidileye (Nancy) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Monaco. Conceded by Modou Diagne. Attempt blocked.", "summary": "Monaco restored their three-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 thanks to a comfortable victory at relegation-threatened Nancy on Saturday."}
{"article": "North Yorkshire Chief Constable Dave Jones steps in following David Crompton's suspension after the jury concluded the 96 victims were unlawfully killed. Mr Crompton's initial replacement, deputy Dawn Copley, stood down after her appointment was criticised. Mrs Copley had been investigated over her conduct with another force. As agreed with North Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan, Mr Jones will remain in post until a permanent appointment is made, Ms Mulligan's South Yorkshire counterpart Dr Alan Billings said. \"I am confident that he will be able to move the force forward to a position where trust and confidence in the force can begin to be restored,\" said Dr Billings. David Crompton, who was due to retire in November after four years in the post, was suspended after what Dr Billings described as \"an erosion of trust and confidence in South Yorkshire Police\". Mr Crompton and the force have faced continuing criticism not only in relations to Hillsborough but also over its handling of investigations into child sexual exploitation. Mr Jones began his career in Greater Manchester and was Assistant Chief Constable for Police Service Northern Ireland until moving to North Yorkshire in 2013. He said he realised he was taking the post at a very difficult period and said he wanted to make a difference. \"First and foremost, I will engage with those communities both inside and outside of South Yorkshire who have been let down by the police service,\" Mr Jones said. \"I want to understand how their confidence in policing has been affected, and work with them to build it back up and restore pride back into the police service.\" He added he would be seeking support for a full review of South Yorkshire Police. The Deputy Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Tim Madgwick, has been named as the temporary chief of that force.", "summary": "South Yorkshire Police has appointed its second interim chief in the wake of the Hillsborough inquests."}
{"article": "Kenneth Gibson and his wife Patricia - the MP for North Ayrshire and Arran - lost their baby towards the end of her pregnancy in 2009. Staff at the Southern General hospital in Glasgow had failed to spot that Mrs Gibson had pre-eclampsia. A review of baby deaths at Crosshouse Hospital was announced on Tuesday. It came after a BBC Scotland investigation revealed that there had been six so-called \"unnecessary\" deaths of babies at the hospital since 2008. \"Unnecessary\" or \"avoidable\" deaths are referred to as those where harm was caused to a healthy baby during childbirth - usually resulting in them being deprived of oxygen. Reports into some of the deaths referred to failings in monitoring of the child's heartbeat during childbirth. Speaking in the Holyrood chamber, Mr Gibson urged Health Secretary Shona Robison to make the review \"wider and deeper\" so it could look at similar cases in other hospitals across the country. His wife has previously opened up in the House of Commons about the \"devastating\" effect of losing her baby. Mr Gibson said: \"On her due date in 2009, my wife Patricia, having been sent home and been physically sick, was finally admitted to the Southern General maternity unit despite their protests. \"A consultant junior doctor and two midwives examined her that day. Despite being 41, a first-time mother and in extreme pain from head to toe, no-one picked up her pre-eclampsia. She was given morphine and put to bed. \"Overnight our baby died and had to be delivered by caesarean. Patricia's liver ruptured and she spent 19 days in intensive care and high dependence.\" Mr Gibson said the couple had spent 20 months asking NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to explain how they would prevent such a failure of care reoccurring and impacting other lives. He added: \"They blanked us and when we were thereby forced to take legal action, hired a QC, wasting thousands in taxpayers' money to defend the indefensible. \"It took five years before they eventually conceded this year. What will the Cabinet secretary do to ensure other people in Ayrshire, Glasgow and elsewhere in Scotland are not treated as badly when they experience such a tragedy?\" Ms Robison said she sympathised with the Gibsons' \"appalling\" experience, adding: \"We would expect all health professionals to treat anyone who has suffered any bereavement with care, dignity and respect. \"Clearly that didn't happen in that case and we should learn the lessons from that case.\" Labour MSP Anas Sarwar raised figures from the BBC investigation, which showed that Scotland's maternity hospitals had recorded more than 25,000 adverse incidents since 2011. The figures, released under freedom of information legislation, showed the most serious incidents included the deaths of 26 newborns and three mothers, as well as 79 stillbirths. Mr Sarwar called for the review to be extended to look at staffing across all maternity units in Scotland, highlighting 500 incidents relating to staff shortages. The health secretary responded by saying NHS Scotland met the Royal College Of Midwives' recommended midwife-to-birth ratio, and patient safety programmes had resulted", "summary": "An SNP MSP has spoken about the loss of his child as he urged Scotland's health secretary to widen a review into baby deaths at a Kilmarnock hospital."}
{"article": "Terry, 35, said last week that he had not been offered a new deal when his contract expires in the summer. Asked after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Manchester United whether anything had changed, he told Sky Sports: \"Not from my point of view.\" He added: \"I made it very clear I wanted to stay.\" Since Terry suggested last weekend that he would leave, Hiddink appeared keen to discuss a possible contract extension with the centre-back. But speaking on Sunday, Hiddink said was not going to speculate further. Terry added: \"It's a difficult one. The club is the most important thing. There is no communication between me and the club at the moment. \"I'll never forget my memories here and they will live with me forever.\" Terry has been linked with moves to Qatar side Al Arabi - managed by his ex-Blues team-mate Gianfranco Zola - as well as Major League Soccer in the United States and the lucrative Chinese Super League.", "summary": "Chelsea captain John Terry said there has been \"no communication\" between him and the club despite boss Guus Hiddink suggesting he could stay."}
{"article": "The incident happened at Scarva Walk in Banbridge at about 16:00 BST on Friday. The victim, who is aged in his 40s, was taken to hospital for treatment for head and facial injuries. Two men in their 20s were arrested and are being questioned by police on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. One of the men is also suspected of assaulting police and causing criminal damage. He was taken to hospital for treatment for a hand injury. Det Sgt Colin Patterson of the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: \"Anyone who saw this assault taking place and has information that could be useful to police should contact us.\"", "summary": "Two people have been arrested after a man suffered head injuries in an serious attack in County Down."}
{"article": "Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, was sentenced for attempted rape, four counts of indecent assault and one of having sex with a girl under 13. Sentencing, Judge Alistair McCreath said he could find \"no real evidence\" that Gadd had atoned for his crimes. The 70-year-old showed no emotion as he left the dock at Southwark Crown Court. Judge McCreath told Gadd it was clear his victims \"were all profoundly affected\" by his abuse of them. \"You did all of them real and lasting damage and you did so for no other reason than to obtain sexual gratification for yourself of a wholly improper kind,\" he said. Judge McCreath said he assessed the seriousness of the offences by current guidelines, but he was limited to the maximum sentences that were available at the time the offences were committed, when \"the sentencing climate was less severe\". \"The offences for which I must pass sentence today took place many years ago at a time when in particular, in respect of one of them, the maximum sentence was considerably lower than that which is now available,\" he said. Judge McCreath said the modern equivalent offence of unlawful intercourse with a child under 13 would be equivalent to rape of a child, but said he was not permitted to pass a life sentence. He said the offence of attempted rape was \"so serious\" as to justify the maximum available sentence under the old regime of seven years, which he noted would be a lenient sentence under modern guidelines. Sallie Bennett-Jenkins QC, defending, told the court that Gadd had been subject to a \"very high degree of vilification\" and \"demonification\" in the press after being jailed in Vietnam in 2006 for molesting two girls aged 11 and 12. She said he had led \"an increasingly isolated life\" for the last decade and had been unable to walk down the street \"without being the subject of vilification\". Gadd, from Marylebone, central London, had denied the allegations against him but was found guilty at the end of a three-week-long trial earlier this month. He had been at the height of his fame when he attacked two girls aged 12 and 13 after inviting them backstage to his dressing room. His youngest victim had been less than 10 years old when he crept into her bed and tried to rape her in 1975. Judge McCreath described Gadd's abuse of a girl under 10 as \"appalling\" and said: \"It is difficult to overstate the depravity of this dreadful behaviour.\" He noted that in 2011 Gadd sought professional help to understand his sexual behaviour but said: \"Whatever changes may have been effected in you by this treatment, they did not include any admission at all on your part of the wrong that you had done.\" The allegations against Gadd came to light only years later when he became the first person to be arrested under Operation Yewtree - the investigation launched by the Met in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal. Scotland Yard confirmed that it had received other information", "summary": "Former pop star Gary Glitter has been jailed for a total of 16 years for sexually abusing three young girls between 1975 and 1980."}
{"article": "Currently, they can be punished only if unsolicited calls cause \"substantial damage\" to householders. Ministers will also consult on imposing heftier fines. Some consumer groups say the measures do not go far enough. The Information Commissioner's Office received 120,310 complaints about \"unsolicited marketing calls\" from April-November 2013. It is illegal for companies to call domestic numbers registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). The Telephone Preference Service runs a register that allows people to opt out of any unsolicited sales or marketing calls. Individuals can register free of charge by visiting the website. Or they can call 0845 070 0707. It takes 28 days for registration to become effective. Mobile phone numbers can also be registered, although this will not prevent unsolicited text messages. It is a legal requirement that all organisations - including charities, voluntary organisations and political parties - do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS unless they have the individual's consent to do so. Telephone Preference Service The rules do not apply when people consent to their details being used for marketing purposes. But BBC business correspondent Joe Lynam said members of the public continued to get unwanted calls - often pre-recorded - despite being registered with the TPS. That was because not all companies were members of the Direct Marketing Association - the UK telemarketing industry body - some were overseas and some were \"good old-fashioned fraudsters\" out to steal money, he said. The problem of unwanted calls may never be fully eradicated, he added. Repeat offenders include firms inquiring about mis-sold payment protection insurance. Firms which flout the TPS rules can currently be fined up to \u00c2\u00a3500,000 by the Information Commissioner's Office. Those which break media regulator Ofcom rules on silent and abandoned calls face fines of up to \u00c2\u00a32m. Critics say the system is not working because rules on enforcement are skewed in favour of rogue firms. Under Culture Secretary Maria Miller's plans, the current \"substantial damage\" threshold could be lowered. They would also make it simpler for regulators such as Ofcom, the Insolvency Service and the Information Commissioner's Office to swap data about who the offenders might be. And the Ministry of Justice will launch a consultation on Monday on whether firms that break the rules should face fines of up to 20% of their annual turnover. \"Nuisance calls must stop,\" Ms Miller said. \"At best they are an irritation and an unwanted intrusion; at worst they cause real distress and fear, particularly to the elderly or housebound. \"People need to feel safe and secure in their homes. \"The rules are clear - people have the right to choose not to receive unsolicited marketing calls. We will work to ensure their choice is respected.\" Which? executive director Richard Lloyd welcomed the plans saying he hoped regulators would now be given \"the tools to get rid of the unwanted calls that millions of us are getting bombarded with\". \"But we've got to be honest about this - some of this is firms that are operating overseas,\" he told BBC Radio 5 live.", "summary": "The government is planning to make it easier to fine firms that hound members of the public with nuisance calls."}
{"article": "The largest numbers of children rescued were in San Francisco, Detroit, Milwaukee, Denver and New Orleans. FBI assistant director Ronald Hosko said the Operation Cross Country VII raids had been the agency's largest action against child exploitation. The FBI said 2,700 children have been rescued in such US raids since 2003. The victims in the most recent raids were almost all girls and range in age from 13 to 17. They had been prostituted in a variety of locations, including truck stops, casinos, motels as well as on social media and online advertisements. Mr Hosko said the accused had preyed on vulnerable teenagers, exploiting them over a period of time. \"Girls are enticed with compliments or offers, [asked] do they want to make some money,\" he said. \"Then they are trapped into this cycle that involves drugs, that involves physical abuse. It may involve torture.\" Since 2003, some 1,350 people have been convicted in such cases, including life prison sentences for 10 pimps, the FBI said. Assets of more than $3.1m (\u00c2\u00a32m) have been seized. The US justice department has estimated as many as 450,000 children run away from home each year. It says a third of teens living on the street will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home. Some lawmakers have said further legal protections are needed. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden has introduced a bill to require local police, as well as foster care and child welfare programmes to identify children lured into sex trafficking as victims of abuse and neglect, making them eligible for protection and services. \"In much of the country today if a girl is found in the custody of a so-called pimp she is not considered to be a victim of abuse, and that's just wrong and defies common sense,\" Sen Wyden said during a hearing last month.", "summary": "The FBI says it has rescued 105 children and arrested 150 pimps in 76 US cities over the weekend, in an operation against child prostitution."}
{"article": "A test transmission has already begun on Freeview channel 23 in south east Wales. The broadcaster will be based at Elgin House in St Mary Street in the city centre and will have around 20 staff. The Made TV group holds licences for local TV in Cardiff, Bristol, Leeds, Middlesbrough and Newcastle. The other two local TV stations in Wales, Bay TV Swansea and Bay TV Clwyd in Mold, are both due to launch in 2015. Made in Cardiff will shortly appear on the Sky satellite TV service in the area on channel 134, and Virgin Media channel 159.", "summary": "Cardiff's local TV channel, Made In Cardiff, has announced that it will begin broadcasting programmes on 15 October at 20:00."}
{"article": "Cracks in its structure were spotted in March and the area was sealed off. The IFA has confirmed to the BBC that it received a preliminary engineer's report into the damage and is studying the findings. The venue is scheduled to host the Euro 2016 qualifier against Romania on 13 June. Kevin McShane of the Institute of Civil Engineers told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme that it was a surprise \"nothing more serious\" had happened because the foundations had moved. \"We can see at the base of the columns that the wall and the beams have moved,\" he said. \"That's caused stress throughout the structure, given the shape of the structure it's very top heavy, it's leaning on one side towards the pitch. \"So if there's some problems with the foundation, the natural reaction of the whole structure is to try to topple over onto the pitch.\" On Wednesday, the IFA's chief executive Patrick Nelson said staging the international at Windsor Park remained its \"only focus\". He said an alternative venue for the qualifier, such as the Kingspan Stadium, had not yet been considered. It is believed that at least two independent reports are being carried out on the damaged stand, with cracks first spotted on 31 March, two days after Northern Ireland's Euro 2016 qualifier against Finland. Linfield are unable to use their home venue and the Irish Cup final on 2 May, which was scheduled to be played at Windsor Park, has been switched to the Oval.", "summary": "The Irish Football Association (IFA) has been advised to demolish the damaged west stand at Windsor Park, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "But it leaves the issue at the heart of the dispute unresolved: could the FBI have forced Apple to help it unlock the device? It is unlikely that this will be the last time a law enforcement agency tries to compel a tech company to help bypass security measures. It had been reported that there were about a dozen other cases in which the US Justice Department was pursuing court orders to force Apple to help its investigators. The highest profile of these was in Brooklyn, New York, where the FBI wanted access to an iPhone belonging to a defendant who had already pleaded guilty to drug dealing. In that case, a federal judge had rejected the DoJ's effort to invoke the All Writs Act - a three-centuries-old statute that allows court orders to be issued in circumstances where other laws don't apply. The DoJ had launched an appeal, but it is not yet clear if it will continue or drop it. Its decision may be based on whether the technique used to extract data from Farook's handset can be used in other cases. The New York case involved an iPhone 5S running the iOS 7 operating system, while the San Bernardino, California case was about an iPhone 5C running the more modern iOS 9. What works against one device might not work against the other. But assuming the US government will at some point try again to use the All Writs Act to force Apple or some other tech company to circumvent its data protection measures, it may take a Supreme Court ruling to determine whether this is truly within the authorities' power. At this point, there is nothing to compel the FBI to reveal how it was done, although Apple is likely to be pressing hard to find out. The tech firm's lawyers have already said they would want details of the technique to be made public if evidence from the cracked iPhone is later used at trial. But it could remain secret. There is scope within US law for the authorities to withhold the source of information if it was supplied to them on a confidential basis, and to protect sensitive intelligence-gathering methodologies. Not necessarily. The court order originally obtained by the FBI had instructed Apple to come up with a special version of its operating system that would have prevented Farook's iPhone from deleting its data or imposing long lockout periods if too many incorrect passcode guesses were made. However, the latest court filings do not say that someone else has now done this, but merely that some data stored on the device has been obtained. Researchers at the cybersecurity firm IOActive had proposed that one way of getting data off an iPhone would be to \"de-cap\" its memory chips. The process they described involved using acid and lasers to expose and copy ID information about the device so that efforts to crack its passcode could be simulated on another computer without risk of triggering the original iPhone's self-destruct tool. If indeed this is what happened, it is", "summary": "The US government's declaration that it has \"successfully accessed the data stored on [San Bernardino gunman] Farook's iPhone and therefore no longer requires\" assistance from Apple, ends a six week-long legal clash between the tech firm and the FBI."}
{"article": "The company reported a 21.8% increase in pre-tax profits to \u00c2\u00a314.5m for the year to 27 November. Ocado chief executive Tim Steiner said it had achieved \"robust trading\" in a challenging environment. However, the average order size fell 2.7% to \u00c2\u00a3108.10 against the backdrop of continuing supermarket price wars. The rise of German competitors Aldi and Lidl has shaken up the sector, putting pressure on the big four supermarkets, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons. But investors welcomed Ocado's latest results, sending its share price up by more than 7% to 262p in morning trading. Annual revenues rose 14.8% to \u00c2\u00a31.27bn, and the retailer's customer base grew by almost 14% over the year to 580,000. However, Ocado said it was still in continued talks with several international retailers in regards to a partnership using the Ocado Smart Platform. When it released its full-year results in February last year, Ocado said it was in \"advanced discussions with multiple potential international partners\" for the platform, adding it expected to sign \"multiple deals\" in the medium term. Analysts believe agreements with retailers in the US and western Europe are important in driving Ocado's share price. George Salmon, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown said: \"The group has long said it's making progress on deals with third parties, but there hasn't been much in the way of tangible progress recently. \"The appointment of Luke Jensen [from Sainsbury's] as head of Ocado's Smart Platform will raise hopes that the group can finally get someone to sign on the dotted line.\" However, Mr Salmon warned that \"following Amazon's entry into the market, competitive pressures are rising in its core business\". \"In this context, it's arguably more important than ever for the group to get something over the line.\" Last year, Morrisons agreed to supply groceries to Amazon customers in the UK under a new deal with the US online giant. Amazon's entry into the market was seen as escalating competition in the sector. In August 2016, Morrisons also built on its existing relationship with Ocado expanding its home delivery service nationwide in a new deal with the online grocer. Ocado said it had \"provided the capability and execution for strong growth\" in regard to its partnership with Morrisons.", "summary": "Online grocer Ocado has announced a rise in annual profits, but a long-awaited overseas deal has not yet materialised."}
{"article": "The incident occurred at around 13:00 (11:00 GMT) on the 4,010m (13,155ft) Lagginhorn mountain. \"The five climbers fell several hundred metres. They all died at the scene,\" a local police statement said. The hikers were descending the Lagginhorn when they fell. Police said it was not yet clear what caused the accident. The BBC's correspondent in Geneva, Imogen Foulkes, says it appears the five were roped together. A sixth climber who had not made the final attempt at the summit, because he felt unwell, raised the alarm immediately. Police said he had been airlifted to safety by helicopter. Police confirmed the hikers were all foreign, but said they would not disclose their nationalities until their families had been informed. Lagginhorn is the lowest of the 4,000-metre chain of mountains in the Alps, about 10km from the Italian border. It is regarded as one of the easier peaks to climb. Weather conditions in the area were said to be relatively good.", "summary": "Five foreign climbers have fallen to their deaths in the Valais canton in the Swiss Alps."}
{"article": "As first reported by the Southend Echo, Doreen Mann became stuck in her bath and kept herself warm by topping it up with hot water. Fortunately, Sonia Congrave, 39, became concerned when Mrs Mann did not appear at Tomassi's cafe for a couple of days. She called the police who helped the 86-year-old out of the tub last week. For more on this and other stories, visit Essex Live \"Doreen is an amazing lady,\" Ms Congrave said. \"When she didn't come in for a day or two, we realised something was wrong.\" Mrs Mann said she usually went to the cafe four times a week for lunch and a glass of wine and described the establishment as \"her second home\". Ms Congrave said now planned to pop round to Mrs Mann's to help her in and out of the bath. She also plans to buy her a mobile telephone for emergencies.", "summary": "An elderly woman, who was stuck in her bath for four days, was rescued by a waitress who realised she had not come in for her usual lunch and wine."}
{"article": "The accident, involving a Jaguar which struck a bridge barrier, happened at 05:45 at Junction 18 Charing Cross in the city. The affected lane and slip road reopened at 09:00 following repairs. Police said a 38-year-old man had been taken by ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary following the crash. His condition was not thought to be life-threatening. Traffic Scotland had warned drivers that the route was likely to remain shut through the early morning rush hour. The delays affected traffic from Glasgow Airport and drivers on the M77 from Junction 5. At one point, the tailback stretched as far back as Junction 29, St James Interchange. The queues had largely dissipated by mid morning but traffic was slower than usual.", "summary": "Drivers have faced a seven-mile tailback after an early morning accident on the M8 in Glasgow caused damage to a bridge."}
{"article": "\"We will absolutely want him to have the death penalty,\" Nikki Haley told NBC television. Suspect Dylann Roof, 21, is due to make his first court appearance on Friday. He was arrested on Thursday more than 200 miles away in North Carolina and flown back to South Carolina. Police are treating the killings at the Emanuel AME Church on Wednesday evening as a hate crime. Prayer vigils have been held in churches in Charleston and across the US for the six women and three men who died. At the vigil for victim Sharonda Singleton, her teenage children told the BBC they had forgiven her killer and wanted to focus on moving on in a positive way. \"We already forgive him for what he's done,\" said her son, Chris. \"And there's nothing but love from our side of the family. Love is stronger than hate.\" Churches in Charleston were full to overflowing on Thursday evening as prayer services were held. Some services were held outdoors. Hundreds gathered outside the Emanuel AME Church to pay tribute. Governor Haley told NBC's Today show that South Carolina had been \"hurt\" by the deaths of nine innocent people. She said she wanted the suspect tried on state charges in South Carolina rather than federal charges. Mr Roof is due to appear in court via video link for a bail hearing on Friday. He is being held at a detention centre in the Charleston area, the county sheriff's office said. He was detained on Thursday after police acting on a tip-off stopped his car in Shelby, North Carolina. Police had earlier released CCTV images of the suspect and the dark saloon car he had driven away in. Mr Roof's social media presence suggests he was interested in white supremacy. His Facebook profile page shows a picture of him wearing a jacket with flag-patches from apartheid-era South Africa and Rhodesia - the name of Zimbabwe during the era of white minority rule. He also had a Confederate flag plate on his car. Dalton Tyler, who said he was a friend of Mr Roof, told ABC News the suspect had spoken in support of racial segregation and had said \"he wanted to start a civil war\". It emerged on Thursday that the gunman had sat in a Bible study group at the church for nearly an hour before launching his attack. In pictures: Americans share images of racial imbalance after Charleston \"The suspect entered the group and was accepted by them, as they believed that he wanted to join them in this Bible study,\" Charleston County Coroner Rae Wilson said. She said he then became \"very aggressive and violent\". Eight people died at the scene and one person died later in hospital. There were three survivors. The victims were named as Pastor Clementa Pinckney, 41; Cynthia Hurd, 54; Tywanza Sanders, 26; Ms Singleton, 45; Myra Thompson, 59; Ethel Lance, 70; Susie Jackson, 87; the Rev Daniel Simmons Sr, 74; and DePayne Doctor. Cynthia Taylor, a niece of Ms Jackson, said she had spoken to a survivor, Felecia Sanders, who said", "summary": "The man suspected of shooting dead nine people at an African-American church in Charleston should face the death penalty if convicted, South Carolina's governor has said."}
{"article": "Sheikh Nawwaf al-Melhem, a leader of the officially-tolerated opposition People's Party, told the BBC he had brokered an agreement between the state and inmates at Hama Central Prison. The prison's power and water supplies had now been restored, he said. Interior Minister Mohammed Shaar said the situation at the prison was normal and denied there had been any disorder. Human rights and opposition activists say the prisoners took guards hostage about a week ago as they tried to halt the transfer of several inmates to another facility where they believed they might be executed. Security forces reportedly surrounded the jail and twice failed to retake it by force. Sheikh Nawwaf, who is also a prominent tribal leader in central Syria, said he travelled to Hama Prison on Saturday afternoon. The inmates' demands focused on ensuring fair and speedy trials for those detained without trial, and the release of those held without charge, he added. Sheikh Nawwaf said he had presented the demands to Mr Shaar and Justice Minister Najm Hamad al-Ahmed in Hama on Sunday. He said a deal to end the mutiny was reached later that day and included a promise from the government of fair trials for political detainees. Leading rights activist Mazen Darwish, who is in touch with the prisoners, confirmed that a verbal agreement had been reached, but did not give any details. Another activist told Reuters news agency the government had \"agreed to most of our demands to release those political detainees held without charge\". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that monitors the conflict in Syria, reported that 26 detainees would be released soon. Later on Monday, the official Sana news agency reported that Mr Shaar and Mr Ahmed had visited the prison, and that they promised to \"provide inmates' needs\" and ensure that none were mistreated. But it also cited a statement by the interior minister as saying that the situation there was \"normal, contrary to the lies and fabrications spread by malicious media outlets as part of their anti-Syria propaganda\". The reported deal came after conditions worsened inside the prison, with authorities cutting electricity and water supplies, and inmates reporting a food shortage and serious medical cases. Security forces also tried to storm the cell block where the prisoners were holding out on Friday and Saturday, using tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition. The BBC was told that 15 prisoners were shot and wounded. The revolt was sparked by a move to transfer several detainees to the notorious Sednaya Prison near Damascus. \"You can't imagine, even in your worst nightmare, what kind of torture [takes place] in Sednaya,\" a lawyer who is in contact with the prisoners told the BBC. One activist group, the Syrian Network for Human Rights, has documented the arrest and detention of more than 117,000 people in Syria since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011.", "summary": "A deal is reported to have been reached to end a mutiny at a prison in Syria by hundreds of mostly political detainees."}
{"article": "A gothic horror novel, a Victorian murder mystery and a biography of the creator of modern environmentalism were also category winners. The overall Costa book of the year will be revealed on 26 January. Atkinson won the top prize in 1995 with Behind the Scenes at the Museum. Other category winners include former teacher and librarian, Andrew Michael Hurley, who has won the first novel award for his debut, The Loney. The gothic horror initially had a first print run of just 300 copies. The judges called it \"as close to the perfect first novel as you can get\". Scottish poet Don Paterson won the poetry category for a second time for his \"tour de force\" collection titled 40 Sonnets. He last won the award 12 years ago. Historian and writer Andrea Wulf won the biography award for The Invention of Nature: The Adventures of Alexander Von Humboldt, The Lost Hero of Science. She tells the story of the visionary German naturalist whose ideas changed the way we see the natural world and created modern environmentalism. Young adult fiction and children's writer Frances Hardinge won the children's book award with The Lie Tree, a Victorian murder mystery. The five Costa book award winners each win \u00c2\u00a35,000 and are all now in the running to win the Costa book of the year. It is the only major UK book prize that is open solely to authors resident in the UK. Last year's Costa book of the year went to Helen Macdonald's H is for Hawk. In 2013 it was The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer and in 2012 it was Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel.", "summary": "Kate Atkinson has won the Costa novel award for the second time in three years for A God in Ruins - the companion novel to Life After Life, which won the award in 2013."}
{"article": "The freighter sank after the collision on Wednesday night, about 11km (7 miles) off the Indonesian island Batam, Singapore officials said. It was carrying 560 tonnes of fuel but there are no reports of an oil spill. The Singapore Strait is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, although major accidents are rare. Officials said the tanker Stolt Commitment, registered in the Cayman Islands, collided with freighter Thorco Cloud, which had the Antigua and Barbuda flag, around 20:00 local time (1200 GMT). The tanker had only minor damage. The missing are among the freighter's crew of 12 men. The rest were rescued and are currently being treated in a Singapore hospital. Anti-pollution craft have been put on standby in case of an oil spill, said Singapore's marine and port authority.", "summary": "Authorities from Singapore and Indonesia are searching for six people, after a chemical tanker collided with a freighter in the Singapore Strait."}
{"article": "New measures announced by ECB boss Mario Draghi to support the region's economy did not meet market expectations. At close, the FTSE 100 was 145.93 points lower at 6,274.00 Whitbread rose 0.28% after Credit Suisse raised its price target for the hotel and coffee shop operator. Biggest faller was Sports Direct, down 5.4%, as Goldman Sachs cut its target price. Mining shares weighed on the index after metals prices fell, with BHP Billiton down 3.3%. Copper prices hit a one-week low and other metal prices fell as the dollar rose following comments from Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen. Ms Yellen said the US economy had \"recovered substantially\" and consumer spending was \"particularly solid\", raising expectations of a US rate rise this month. Shares in Ashtead Group fell nearly 5% after Exane BNP Paribas cut its rating on the equipment hire group to \"neutral\" from \"outperform\". In the FTSE 250, Go-Ahead Group shares were up 2.3% after it was announced that London Midland, in which Go-Ahead owns a 65% stake, will continue to run the West Midlands rail franchise until October 2017. On the currency markets, the pound was up 0.94% against the dollar to $1.5092, but fell 1.67% against the euro to \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.3845.", "summary": "(Close): The FTSE slumped in afternoon trade after being ahead at midday."}
{"article": "Warren Whiteley and Johan Goosen went over to give South Africa an early lead before an Adam Coleman try reduced the arrears to 14-13 at the break. Eben Etzebeth was shown a yellow card for the visitors just after the restart then Bernard Foley scored a crucial try to seal a morale-boosting win. Earlier on Saturday, New Zealand beat Argentina to stay top of the table. The Wallabies, who stay bottom, eventually opened their account in this year's championship after back-to-back defeats by the All Blacks. They have had their troubles since losing the World Cup Final to New Zealand at Twickenham in October. A 3-0 series defeat to England and those defeats to New Zealand had put pressure on coach Michael Cheika. Many Wallabies fans voted with their feet and the Suncorp Stadium was half empty as the Springboks heaped on further misery in the opening minutes. Whiteley barged over for his third international try, then Goosen dived over after Adriaan Strauss intercepted a Quade Cooper punt. There were boos around the stadium with the Wallabies trailing 14-3, but they were soon silenced as a high pass from Will Genia picked out Coleman who went over in the corner. The home side carried the momentum into the second-half and Foley gave them the lead for the first time with a penalty after Etzebeth was sin-binned for a challenge. Samu Kerevi thought he had gone over in the corner for the Wallabies but his knee was adjudged to have been in touch before he grounded the ball. The Wallabies were now under the cosh and Foley gave the home side some breathing space when he dived over after a dummy pass. Australia: Folau, Haylett-Petty, Kerevi, Foley, Hodge, Cooper, Genia, Pocock, Hooper, Mumm, Coleman, Douglas, Kepu, Moore, Sio. Replacements: Polota-Nau, Slipper, Alaalatoa, Arnold, McMahon, Phipps, Kuridrani, Mitchell. South Africa: Goosen, Habana, Kriel, de Jongh, Hougaard; Jantjies, de Klerk; Whiteley, Mohoje, Louw, de Jager, Etzebeth, Adriaanse, Strauss, Mtawarira. Replacements: Mbonambi, Kitshoff, Nyakane, Mostert, du Toit, Kriel, Steyn, Mapoe.", "summary": "Australia ended a six-match losing run with a 23-17 victory over South Africa in the Rugby Championship in Brisbane."}
{"article": "John Askey's men were second-best on the day, but rallied in the last minute and striker Chris Holroyd bundled in from close range to draw his side level. The Daggers nosed in front in the first quarter when Corey Whitely squared for Fejiri Okenabirhie, and the onrushing midfielder dispatched firmly into the bottom corner. John Still's men remained in relative control before the interval, but could not put the match beyond doubt. Whitely struck the top of Craig Ross's bar on the stroke of half-time. They remained largely on top in the second half, but were to be undone by Holroyd's sucker punch. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Dagenham and Redbridge 1, Macclesfield Town 1. Second Half ends, Dagenham and Redbridge 1, Macclesfield Town 1. Substitution, Dagenham and Redbridge. Shomari Barnwell replaces Jordan Maguire-Drew. Goal! Dagenham and Redbridge 1, Macclesfield Town 1. Chris Holroyd (Macclesfield Town). Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Chris Sutherland replaces Danny Whitaker. Substitution, Dagenham and Redbridge. Josh Staunton replaces Craig Robson. Frankie Raymond (Dagenham and Redbridge) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Corey Whitely (Dagenham and Redbridge) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Second Half begins Dagenham and Redbridge 1, Macclesfield Town 0. First Half ends, Dagenham and Redbridge 1, Macclesfield Town 0. Substitution, Dagenham and Redbridge. Luke Howell replaces Fejiri Okenabirhie. Paul Lewis (Macclesfield Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Goal! Dagenham and Redbridge 1, Macclesfield Town 0. Fejiri Okenabirhie (Dagenham and Redbridge). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Macclesfield earned a last-minute point from a 1-1 draw at second-placed Dagenham."}
{"article": "The number eight was capped 15 times at international level, touring Australia and New Zealand and skippering the side during the 1965 Five Nations. Perry featured for Cambridge in the 1958 Varsity match, before going on to play for Bedford between 1962 and 1966. He made 105 appearances and scored 115 points for Bedford. A Bedford statement said: \"The club extends its deepest sympathy to David's family.\"", "summary": "Former England rugby union captain David Perry has died at the age of 79."}
{"article": "Entitled 100 Stories of Migration, some of the images are positive and celebratory. There's a picture of a smiling young mother and her child from Somalia on the beach at Brighton. Most images though are menacing and hostile, reflecting the UK and the Midlands' often contradictory response to migrants. Some show National Front marches in the 1970s and a landlady's window notice saying in stark terms: \"No coloureds\". \"What we wanted to do was to challenge people,\" curator Sarah Plumb told me. \"It's about asking them to question some of their negative stereotypes that are presented around migrants, often in the mainstream media.\" Screened on the staircase is the 1968 Birmingham speech of Enoch Powell. His anti-immigration \"Rivers of Blood\" warning to West Midlands Conservatives still casts a long political shadow. Prof Martin Halliwell, deputy pro-vice-chancellor at the University of Leicester, has been building links with university colleagues in Gujarat in west India. But UK political sensitivities over migrants is clouding attempts at deeper exchanges. \"The government's tightening of visas for migrants from Eastern Europe has affected us dramatically and detrimentally, especially in South Asia,\" he said. \"We are seeing a drying up of the flow of students, which is vital for the life of our universities.\" On Leicester's Hinckley Road, the Polish delis reflect the arrival of new migrants. In excess of 45,000 migrants have settled in the East Midlands since 2011 alone. That's the estimate in findings compiled for the BBC by researchers at Oxford University. According to new figures from the Office of National Statistics, net annual migration to the UK last year was under 300,000, with the largest group coming from Poland. The East Midlands parliamentary constituencies with the biggest migrants are Boston and Skegness in Lincolnshire, with 9,500, and Nottingham East with just over 8,000. It's the food processing industries and farms that have made the East Midlands a particularly popular destination of choice. Only London noticeably attracts more. \"Migrant labour is hugely important to the East Midlands,\" said Simon Fisher, of the National Farmers' Union in Lincolnshire. \"They offer us the labour flexibility for picking potatoes and vegetables. Without them, we wouldn't be producing the food we do.\" But that influx worries East Midlands council leaders. They commissioned their own research on the knock-on effects, in a report entitled The Impact of International Migration on the East Midlands. It revealed that up to 448,200 people in the East Midlands were foreign born. That's 10% of the region's population, compared with the UK average of 13.8%. \"Our findings showed there was an economic benefit from migration,\" said councillor Paul Kenny, leader of Boston Borough Council and chairman of the migration board of East Midlands Councils. \"But we also know from our experience that there are issues for our local communities.\" In its report, it presses for \"People in the region have got concerns about migration and we need to make sure we address those needs,\" he added. \"It's about working together in partnership. What we are saying to the future government is that we want the East", "summary": "At the University of Leicester, there's been a remarkable exhibition of photographs charting the impact of immigration on Britain and the city itself."}
{"article": "The \u00a312m January signing from West Bromwich Albion has yet to score for the Potters in nine appearances. But Hughes told BBC Radio Stoke he is backing the 23-year-old to justify the transfer fee Stoke paid for him. \"Next season is when we feel Saido will have the maximum impact,\" said Hughes. \"It's always difficult coming in half-term, so to speak, during the January transfer window, but he's integrated well within the squad - there's no issues in terms of that.\" After missing so much football during the 16 months between Albion turning down his move to Tottenham in August 2015 and his eventual move to Stoke, Berahino made only his fifth Stoke start in Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Liverpool. \"He hasn't played a lot of football and is still getting up to speed, it's fair to say,\" said Hughes. \"But these games between now and the end of the season will be invaluable in terms of him understanding what we are about and what he needs to do. \"We want to get him scoring and get him off and running - that will be good for him. Then we'll see a marked difference next season in terms of his impact.\" It is now over a year since Burundi-born former England Under-21 international Berahino scored his last goal - in Albion's 3-2 home win over Crystal Palace in February 2016.", "summary": "Stoke City manager Mark Hughes says that fans should give January signing Saido Berahino time to make an impact in the Potteries, and that he should be truly judged from next season."}
{"article": "Daley dived twice from 10m and once from 3m, while Gallantree completed the reverse routines. They scored 434.65, with Ukraine (426.45) winning silver and China (425.40) bronze in Kazan, Russia. Britain won bronze on Tuesday in the synchronised 3m springboard. It is the first time Britain has claimed two medals at a World diving championships and Gallantree becomes the first British female to win a medal at World level. \"We didn't have any expectations ahead of the competition as we know China is so strong and it felt surreal to be competing and, the next thing, we're on top of the podium,\" said Olympic bronze medallist Daley. \"It's an insane feeling and thanks to Becky for diving so well.\" Gallantree said she could not believe she and Daley had won, saying: \"We came in for a bit of fun and to practise ahead of our individual events, but it became a bit more than that. \"I never thought I would be a world champion and it's amazing to say now that I am.\" Earlier on Wednesday, Olympian Tonia Couch qualified for Thursday's individual 10m platform final and in doing so secured Team GB a place in the event at the Rio Olympics. The British pair were in third after the first round of an event which featured China's multiple world champion Ruolin Chen and USA's London 2012 10m champion David Boudia. Two stunning routines by Daley and solid performances from Gallantree saw them move clear of their opponents in the final rounds. Daley was using the non-Olympic Team event as a warm-up before his individual 10m platform campaign begins on Saturday. Gallantree, who came 10th alongside Alicia Blagg in the synchronised 3m springboard final on Saturday, will compete in the individual 3m event on Friday.", "summary": "British divers have claimed their second medal of the World Aquatics Championships with Tom Daley and Rebecca Gallantree combining to win gold in the team event."}
{"article": "Microplastics from tyres and textiles are a bigger source of marine pollution than the breakdown of larger plastic waste in some areas, says the IUCN. Up to 30% of plastic released into the oceans each year comes from primary microplastics, not the disintegration of larger pieces, a report found. Debris from tyre abrasion and synthetic fabrics are the main sources, they say. The IUCN reviewed data from seven global regions to look at how much of the estimated 9.5 million tonnes of new plastic waste released into the oceans each year comes from primary microplastics. These are tiny plastic particles from the likes of consumer products rather than the degradation of larger bits of plastic in the oceans. The report found between 15% and 31% of plastic pollution came from primary microplastics, of which the biggest contributors (almost two-thirds) were abrasion of synthetic textiles, while washing, and abrasion of tyres, while driving. Synthetic rubber, made from a variant of plastic, makes up around 60% of the rubber used in tyres. Other sources included microbeads in cosmetics, which contributed about 2% of the releases to the ocean globally. Fran\u00c3\u00a7ois Simard, deputy director of IUCN's marine programme, said the findings came as a surprise. \"We discovered that most of the microplastics are coming from either the clothes or from the tyres,\" he told BBC News. \"Microplastics are going everywhere in the sea and into the food chain, let's close the plastic tap.\" IUCN director general Inger Andersen said the report was \"a real eye-opener\". \"Our daily activities, such as washing clothes and driving, significantly contribute to the pollution choking our oceans, with potentially disastrous effects on the rich diversity of life within them, and on human health,\" she said. The release of microbeads from cosmetic products has received widespread publicity, resulting in action from manufacturers. However, solving plastic pollution from tyres and synthetic clothes will be harder to address. Joao de Sousa, marine project manager for the IUCN's global marine programme, said solutions must include product and infrastructure design as well as consumer behaviour. For example, synthetic clothes could be designed to shed fewer fibres and consumers can act by choosing natural fabrics. In parts of the world, such as North America, primary microplastics are a bigger source of marine plastic pollution than plastic waste, according to the report. Meanwhile, synthetic textiles are the main source of primary microplastics in Asia and tyres dominate in the Americas, Europe and Central Asia. Last month, a separate report by a scientific body that advises the UN on marine environmental protection highlighted concerns about debris from vehicle tyres. Report co-editor Peter Kershaw called for further investigation and partnerships with industry to tackle the problem. Follow Helen on Twitter.", "summary": "Particles of debris from car tyres are ending up in the ocean as \"plastic soup\", conservationists warn."}
{"article": "Martin Hamilton's body was discovered by a dog walker in woodland near West Calder on 17 December. The 53-year-old, who was from Glasgow, was released from prison in September 2014 but was sought by police in April for breaching the terms of his licence. Police described him at the time as \"potentially dangerous\". His death was being treated as unexplained. Hamilton was nicknamed the Blackhill Butcher, after the Glasgow housing estate from which he operated. He had been on the police's most-wanted list before he was jailed in 2000 over a string of charges including drug dealing, torture, abduction and sodomy. Hamilton was sentenced to a minimum of nine years in prison after being found guilty at the High Court in Inverness. The case was moved 200 miles from Glasgow amid fears that witnesses could be intimidated. Hamilton had evaded justice on 12 previous occasions when witnesses were too terrified to testify. In court, a sickening picture emerged of how Hamilton, also known as the Fat Controller, entrapped young men with offers of drugs. Two young drug addicts were imprisoned in a Glasgow flat, stabbed through the cheek and had boiling water poured over them. Another attack in Edinburgh included an attempt to cut off a victim's finger. Passing sentence, judge Lord Kingarth said: \"You showed yourself capable of taking sadistic pleasure in the infliction of pain and the inspiration of real terror over long periods. You pose a substantial danger to the public.\" When Police Scotland issued an appeal to find Hamilton in April they said he may be dangerous and urged members of the public not to approach him. A further appeal was made in June. In October, an appeal was made on the BBC's Crimewatch programme and the Crimestoppers charity also offered a reward of \u00c2\u00a32,000 for information leading to his arrest. Det Supt Kenny Graham said the site near West Calder where the remains were found would stay closed off or several more days \"whilst we complete further searches and specialists carry out their work\". The nearby B7105 will also remain closed. Det Supt Graham said: \"My condolences go out to the family of Martin Hamilton, who have had to receive such devastating news so close to Christmas. \"A team of officers is dedicated to this inquiry, so we can seek to give them answers as quickly as possible. \"We are continuing to conduct examinations with various scientific experts to establish exactly when and how Mr Hamilton died, and to ensure any evidence available can be captured from the scene and from the remains themselves.\"", "summary": "Human remains found in West Lothian last week have been identified as one of Scotland's most wanted men."}
{"article": "The \u00a380,000 needed for a monument to Alice Hawkins was given in one donation from a city businessman. Ms Hawkins, a shoe machinist, helped lead the Suffragette campaign in Leicester and gave speeches in London. Her grandson said the statue would be in recognition of all the women who fought for universal suffrage. The anonymous donor had originally pledged some of the funds needed for the artwork but was moved to donate the full amount after watching the film Suffragette. Ms Hawkins' grandson, Peter Barratt, said the donor had \"made dreams and ambitions come true\". \"The statue will feature Alice but it is in recognition of all the women in the Leicester Suffragette movement 100 years ago, to gain a basic human right that that we all have today.\" Ms Hawkins left school in Stafford in 1876 to start work as a shoe machinist, later joining Equity Shoes, which encouraged workers to take part in political activism. From there she joined the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) and was one of 18 women to be jailed when they were charged by mounted police in Hyde Park in February 1907. After her time in prison, she organised meetings and protests in Leicester, inviting Sylvia Pankhurst and helping form the city's section of the WSPU. She died in 1946, aged 83, and was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave. Mr Barratt said he was now inviting ideas from artists for the statue and hoped it would be put up in about 18 months' time.", "summary": "A statute to a Leicester woman, jailed five times for her part in the Suffragette movement, will be built after an anonymous donor came forward."}
{"article": "Aseel Muthana, from Cardiff, followed his older brother Nasser - who is already on the UN's list - in travelling to Syria in early 2014. From Syria the 18-year-old told the BBC in an online interview last year: \"I am willing to die but Allah knows the truth behind the words.\" He faces a travel ban and a freeze of his assets. The other four UK jihadists fighting or recruiting for Islamic State militants in Syria who are subject to UN sanctions at the UK's request are: Aseel's brother, Nasser Muthana, from Cardiff, Omar Hussain from High Wycombe, Aqsa Mahmood from Glasgow and Sally-Anne Jones from Chatham in Kent. The move is a new tactic to stem the flow of recruits to the IS group. At least 700 Britons have travelled to support or fight for jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq, according to British police. About half have since returned to the UK. The UN sanctions regime was set up to tackle suspected al-Qaeda terrorism and extended to IS. The UN list contains the names of 72 organisations and 231 individuals. British nationals Abu Hamza al-Masri, currently serving a life sentence in prison after being found guilty of supporting terrorism, and Syrian-born Mohammed al Ghabra, 35, from east London, who has been linked to al-Qaeda, were already on the list.", "summary": "A fifth UK jihadist fighting for Islamic State militants in Syria has been added to a UN sanctions list."}
{"article": "The victim, in his 60s, had been karting at the Ellough Park circuit in Suffolk on Sunday afternoon. Ambulance crews found the man unconscious and not breathing when they arrived at the track near Beccles and treated him at the scene but he died there. Suffolk Police have started an investigation into the death, working with Waveney District Council. More updates on this news story and other stories in Suffolk A spokesperson for the council said: \"As part of our responsibility for health and safety issues, our Environmental Protection team are working with Suffolk Police regarding this incident to establish the course of events.\"", "summary": "A man has died after apparently being thrown from a go-kart at a track."}
{"article": "She was making dinner in her flat in the Leith area of Edinburgh when she made the discovery. The woman called for a friend to help contain the animal, only to find it had disappeared. It was later found in a cupboard and is now being cared for by the Scottish SPCA, which has named him Zak while it tries to trace his owner. The California Kingsnake is non-venomous but can bite and rattle its tail. It is thought he may have squeezed through the pipework in the block of flats. Fiona Thorburn, of the Scottish SPCA, said: \"The lady was just about to have her dinner and got a real fright when she reached into the drawer to grab cutlery and found Zak curled up on the knives and forks. \"As she has a phobia of snakes, she called her friend for help to contain him only to discover that he had disappeared from the drawer. \"Thankfully they managed to locate him in a cupboard elsewhere in the kitchen before he sneaked away. \"Zak is quite large for an escapee and it's usually smaller snakes that can squeeze through pipework in flats. \"However, all snakes can be really good escape artists, so there's every chance Zak has an owner nearby who is looking for him.\"", "summary": "A woman with a fear of snakes discovered a 2ft-long kingsnake curled up in her kitchen drawer."}
{"article": "The female spaniel was found by an off-duty policeman in West Malling, Kent, on Wednesday morning. The charity said the dog - thought to be a springer or cocker spaniel - had been thrown into an enclosed gateway to a designated dog walking field. It believed the pup, which has a docked tail, was left the night before. RSPCA inspector Rosie Russon said: \"This poor pup is lucky to be alive. When she was found, there was frozen solid faeces on the floor next to her. \"How she survived in such freezing conditions, I don't know.\" The dog is receiving treatment for a skin condition and sore eye at the charity's centre in Chobham, Surrey. Ms Russon said that after a 14-day abandonment notice ends and she is fully recovered, the team will find her a new home. She added: \"It's outrageous that somebody thought this was an appropriate way to dump their dog. It was an extremely cruel thing to do.\" The charity is keen to hear from anyone who may have information.", "summary": "A dog is \"lucky to be alive\" after it was discovered \"dumped\" over a six foot fence, surrounded by \"frozen solid faeces\", the RSPCA has said."}
{"article": "A 10-year spending plan, published in 2015, added \u00a324.4bn for new maritime patrol aircraft, infantry vehicles, and to speed up the purchase of F35B jets. However, a National Audit Office report warned it must first find \u00a35.8bn in new savings to meet the extra commitments. Defence minister Harriett Baldwin said it was delivering an affordable plan. The government set out its Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) in November 2015, announcing \u00a312bn in extra defence spending. The review included plans for nine Boeing P8 maritime patrol aircraft - to replace the RAF's scrapped Nimrod jets - and that the purchase of 24 new F35 fighter aircraft would be accelerated. The NAO report said additional planned expenditure amounted to \u00a324.4bn of new commitments to the MoD budget. The projected cost of funding the plan increased to \u00a3178bn - a rise of 7% - it said. 4,500 miles (7,200 km) maximum range without refuelling 490 knots (910km/h; 560mph) maximum speed 28 P-8A Poseidon aircraft in use by the United States 2 other countries, India and Australia, have variants of the aircraft in use or on order The review said the MoD was already having to use a \u00a310bn contingency fund set aside for emergencies and will have to find another \u00a35.8bn in savings over the next 10 years. The report warned the MoD had yet to generate \u00a32.5bn of the \u00a37.1bn savings already factored into the plan. However, head of the NAO, Sir Amyas Morse, said the affordability of the equipment plan \"is at greater risk than at any time since its inception\". \"It is worrying to see that the costs of the new commitments arising from the review considerably exceed the net increase in funding for the plan. \"There is little room for unplanned cost growth and the MoD must actively guard against the risk of a return to previous practice where affordability could only be maintained by delaying or reducing the scope of projects.\" The spending plans have also been hit by recent currency fluctuations as the MoD looks to buy new equipment from the US. Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin said the 10-year plan would deliver \"the best kit for our armed forces at the best value for the taxpayer\". \"We are focused on maintaining an affordable programme and delivering the efficiencies we need to reinvest in cutting-edge ships, planes, versatile strike brigades, and greater cyber capabilities, so that our Armed Forces have the equipment they need to keep the UK safe and secure.\"", "summary": "The Ministry of Defence will struggle to afford plans to buy new jets, ships and armoured vehicles, the government spending watchdog has warned."}
{"article": "JP Morgan Chase and American Express were among the biggest risers on the Dow Jones index, up 2.01% and 1% respectively. Overall, the Dow was up 141.49 points or 0.66% at 21,452.15. The broader-based S&P 500 was 21.31 points or 0.88% higher at 2,440.69, while the tech-focused Nasdaq was up 87.79 points or 1.43% at 6,234.41.", "summary": "Wall Street shares closed higher on Wednesday, with financial stocks leading the way."}
{"article": "After the show, a cast member thanked Mr Pence for attending and read a letter to him on stage. \"We, sir, are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us,\" Brandon Dixon said. The incident has angered President-elect Donald Trump, who has accused the cast of \"harassing\" his running mate. The President-elect has gone as far as to demand an apology to a \"very good man\", apparently misunderstanding that the cast implored the audience to stop booing Mr Pence. \"Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton, cameras blazing. This should not happen!\" Mr Trump tweeted. \"The theater must always be a safe and special place. The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize!\" His tweet did not go unnoticed by Mr Dixon, who immediately stepped in to defend his castmates. \"@realDonaldTrump conversation is not harassment sir,\" he wrote. \"And I appreciate @mike_pence for stopping to listen.\" Mr Pence was loudly booed as he entered the theatre. Audience members said the performance was repeatedly stopped because of jeers. However, the message, which was reportedly penned by the show's writers when they learned that Mr Pence planned to attend, was greeted with cheers from the audience at the Richard Rogers Theatre in New York. An audience member tweeted to say there was a three-minute standing ovation when one character performed a song directly to Mr Pence which included the lyrics: \"A small query for you / What comes next? / You've been freed / Do you know how hard it is to lead?\" When Mr Dixon addressed theatregoers at the end, he urged them not to boo and asked Mr Pence, who was leaving, to stay and listen. \"You know, we had a guest in the audience this evening, and Vice-President-elect Pence, I see you are walking out but I hope you will hear us. \"There's nothing to boo here, ladies and gentlemen... We have a message for you, sir, and we hope you will hear us out.\" Mr Dixon continued: \"We truly hope that his show has inspired you to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us. \"We truly thank you for sharing this wonderful American story told by a diverse group of men and women of different colours, creeds, and orientations.\" A staunch conservative, Mr Pence sparked an outcry earlier this year after signing a law critics said discriminated against the LGBT community by allowing businesses to refuse service over religious beliefs. He later amended the bill. He is not the first high-profile politician to attend the critically-acclaimed and hugely popular Hamilton, which tells the story of US founding father Alexander Hamilton. President Barack Obama saw the musical last year and joined the cast backstage after the performance. Hillary Clinton, who lost to Mr Trump in last week's election, also saw the show. She was supported by its creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, during her campaign. Read more: Trump's vice-president-elect: Who", "summary": "US Vice-President-elect Mike Pence was booed on Friday at a performance of the hit musical Hamilton."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Latics have lost all three of their games this season but could have picked up a point against Walsall were it not for Erhun Oztumer's 90th-minute winner. Sheridan's side have conceded seven goals in their opening three fixtures. \"I'm watching players who I'm telling at half-time are excellent, and in the second half they're not at the races,\" he told BBC Radio Manchester. \"I pick the team, I need five or six players. I need changes to the system and some players, unfortunately, are not good enough at this moment to get in the team. \"A couple of them are playing as well and I don't like saying that, but we're not going to go where I want us to go.\" Saturday's defeat by Walsall means Oldham are now without a win in their past six games in all competitions. \"Luckily for me only two games have gone in the season, and I want to sort it out as quickly as I can,\" Sheridan continued. \"There's lots of positives to take from [the defeat by Walsall] but we've only had a drink and sat down for 10 minutes, so why am I watching a different team in the second half?\"", "summary": "Oldham boss John Sheridan says he needs at least five or six new signings before the transfer window shuts."}
{"article": "Brian O'Hagan, 22, whose address was given as Maghaberry prison, abused members of the hospital's A&E department as they tried to treat him for head injuries. The incident happened hours after O'Hagan was caught stealing a bottle of alcohol from a supermarket. The judge said that his behaviour in the hospital was appalling. A prosecution solicitor said his behaviour upset other patients in the hospital. The judge warned that neither he nor other judges would tolerate what he called the loutish behaviour by people in the hospital.", "summary": "A man who verbally abused staff at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry has been jailed for 10 months."}
{"article": "Net profit was up by 1% to \u20ac1.69bn (\u00a31.51bn). In the UK, its biggest market, Santander said the Brexit vote had resulted in \"economic uncertainty and financial market volatility\". It said it had put aside \u00a330m extra for Payment Protection Insurance claims. The bank's net profit for the quarter dropped to \u00a3477m in the UK, down from \u00a3496m for the same period last year. It was also down in its third-biggest market, Spain. However, its second-biggest market, Brazil, saw a \"strong performance\", with an increase in both profit and net interest income. The group's net interest income - the money it made on lending, measured by the difference between the interest it gets from borrowers and what it pays savers - fell by 2.3% to \u20ac7.79bn. \"While the low-interest-rate environment within developed economies remains a challenge for parts of our business, the resilience of our business model has allowed us to continue to deliver, with our Latin American and consumer finance franchises growing particularly well throughout the year.,\" said the group's executive chairman, Ana Botin. However, she added: \"We expect to end 2016 exceeding last year's profit, enabling us to increase our dividend per share and earnings per share.\" In its UK management statement, the bank said it expected the country's decision to leave the EU to result in the near term in \"lower consumer confidence and, over time, lower economic growth\". \"In addition, the lower value of sterling, when combined with an ongoing increase in oil prices, is likely to lead to higher inflation,\" it added. Nathan Bostock, UK chief executive, added: \"Although we have not seen a material impact on our business in the short period since the EU referendum, we do expect a more challenging macroeconomic environment ahead.\" The additional \u00a330m provision for PPI mis-selling in the third quarter means that in the first nine months of this year, Santander has set aside \u00a3397m for compensation and related costs. It said the provision \"represents our best estimate of future PPI-related claims costs, including the impact of the delayed two-year time bar\". Lloyds Banking Group announced on Thursday it had set aside an extra \u00a31bn in the third quarter to handle PPI costs. Challenger bank Metro Bank also reported quarterly profits on Wednesday. The bank, which listed on the London Stock Exchange in March, saw underlying pre-tax profits jump by 118% to \u00a3600,000 compared with the second quarter, when it made a loss of \u00a33.4m. It did not report an equivalent figure for the third quarter of 2015. Its net interest margin was 1.95% - up from 1.93%, compared with the second quarter, where, again, it did not report an equivalent figure. Metro, which offers retail, business and private banking, said customer accounts had risen from 780,000 in the three months to 30 September to 848,000. Lending increased by 73% to \u00a35.19bn. while total deposits were up 66% to \u00a37.3bn. \"I am delighted to announce another strong quarter, with substantial growth across lending, deposits and customer accounts, as well as the bank reporting its first quarterly underlying profit,\" said chief", "summary": "Spanish bank Santander has reported a rise in net profit in the third quarter compared with a year ago, helped by its performance in emerging markets in Latin America."}
{"article": "Since the pair crashed in Spain in May, Hamilton has won four out of five races to move to within one point of Rosberg. \"Ever since the low of Barcelona I've been able to cultivate this really strong mental attitude,\" he said. \"I'm feeling fresh, powerful and confident heading to Hungary.\" World champion Hamilton, 31, has won four times in Hungary, but his last victory at the circuit came in 2013 and he was sixth last year. \"I have incredible support there, so I can't wait to get out on track,\" said the Briton. \"The past couple of years I haven't had the smoothest of weekends in Budapest - but I know I've got the pace, so I'm gunning to turn that around this time.\" German Rosberg, 31, finished eighth in Hungary last year and has a highest-placed finish of fourth at the Hungaroring. He said: \"The battle is on with Lewis and I'm feeling great in myself and great in the car - so bring it on.\" Mercedes chief Toto Wolff is expecting a tough challenge this weekend and said the track \"plays to the strength of our rivals\". He added: \"The Red Bull, for example, is a car that functions well where high drag isn't penalised as much as at other types of circuit. \"In wet conditions and at low-speed circuits such as the Hungaroring, they are a major threat. \"We will need to be flawless to come out on top.\" Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Lewis Hamilton says he is \"feeling that fire inside me\" as he tries to leapfrog Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg at the top of the drivers' championship in Hungary this weekend."}
{"article": "Mr Pompeo said he was \"honoured and humbled\" to accept US President-elect Donald Trump's job offer as Central Intelligence Agency director. The 52-year-old, a three-term tea party Republican from Wichita, Kansas, is a vehement critic of the Obama administration's nuclear deal with Iran. He has also defended the National Security Agency's bulk data collection programme and opposes shutting the prison at Guantanamo Bay. After visiting the detention facility in 2013, he remarked that some inmates who had declared a hunger strike looked like they had put on weight. Mr Pompeo also defended the CIA after the 2014 release of the Senate Intelligence Committee Report on Torture, which detailed such interrogation practices as waterboarding. He declared: \"These men and women are not torturers, they are patriots\". The CIA tactics, he declared, \"were within the law, within the constitution\". Mr Pompeo graduated first in his class at West Point and graduated from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of its Law Review. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 with the support of the Republican mega-donors Charles and David Koch. Mr Pompeo became a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Before joining Congress, Mr Pompeo founded an aviation parts firm and an oilfield supply company. He was accused of Islamophobia for remarks he made following the deadly 2013 Boston marathon bombing. Mr Pompeo took to the House floor to suggest some Islamic faith leaders might be tacitly encouraging terrorist attacks. \"When the most devastating terrorist attacks on America in the last 20 years come overwhelmingly from people of a single faith and are performed in the name of that faith a special obligation falls on those that are the leaders of that faith,\" he said. \"Instead of responding, silence has made these Islamic leaders across America potentially complicit in these acts and, more importantly still, in those that may well follow.\" While he was a congressional candidate in 2010, one of his campaign aides sent a tweet linking to an article that labelled his Indian-American Democratic opponent Raj Goyle a \"turban topper\". Mr Pompeo apologised; his campaign also sent out billboard ads urging everyone to \"vote American\". He also served on the House Select Benghazi Committee, a special panel created in 2014 to investigate the deadly attack two years earlier on a US diplomatic compound in Libya. Democrats described it as a political witch hunt against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Mr Pompeo released a report afterwards accusing her of intentionally misleading Americans about the nature of the attack to help President Barack Obama's re-election bid.", "summary": "The United States' likely new spymaster, Mike Pompeo, is a hardline Republican Congressman and a national security hawk with a background in military and intelligence affairs."}
{"article": "The visitors moved on from their overnight 182-7 to 313 all out, giving them a first-innings lead of 188 runs. Ollie Robinson (81) and Ben Brown (71) put on 133 for the eighth wicket. Having been bowled out for 135 on day one, Leicestershire fared little better as paceman Jofra Archer (3-31) added to his four first-innings wickets. David Wiese (3-20) helped Sussex to 22 points from the match - enough to lift them above Worcestershire and up to third in the Division Two table. Leicestershire captain Mark Cosgrove: \"We didn't play well, and it was pretty disappointing. To put in a performance like that on the back of the defeat by Essex was poor. \"I think the effort and respect we should have showed wasn't there. We were lucky to be in the game this morning, thanks to Neil Dexter's efforts on day one, but no-one helped him out. \"I don't think there's been a reaction to the news [director of elite performance] Andrew McDonald is leaving, definitely not. \"This is professional sport, people move on, so I'd be pretty disappointed if I heard any of the boys talking about that. There are no excuses.\" Sussex captain Ben Brown: \"It takes a lot of character to come back from losing as comprehensively as we did against Kent last week, but we have to understand we're a young side and there are going to be ups and downs. \"We had a long honest chat about moving forward, and this is a step in that direction. \"I felt there was a huge amount in the pitch, it wasn't a great one to be perfectly honest, and Ollie and I looked to counter-attack this morning. As we went on it got a little bit easier, as it always does, and we took it to the opposition, and a lead of 178 was always going to be decisive: to get over 300 on a 160 pitch was a fantastic effort. \"Jofra Archer is a great talent, he'll have good and bad spells, but he bowled some frightening deliveries, cleaning guys up with balls going like off-spinners at 85mph.\"", "summary": "Sussex completed victory over Leicestershire by an innings and 59 runs inside two days by skittling them for just 119 at Grace Road."}
{"article": "Yassin Salhi, 35, caused an explosion by ramming his vehicle into an area containing flammable liquids, prosecutors say. His boss, the owner of a delivery firm, was found beheaded alongside flags with Arabic inscriptions. President Francois Hollande has held a security meeting with ministers. Prime Minister Manuel Valls cut short his visit to South America to return to France which is on its highest state of alert after the attack in the small town of Saint-Quentin-Fallavier some 40km (25 miles) from Lyon. Officials and residents of Saint-Quentin-Fallavier gathered outside the town hall on Saturday morning to observe a minute's silence. Mr Salhi was arrested at the Air Products factory on Friday morning. Later, anti-terror police searched the apartment of Mr Salhi, a father-of-three, in the Moines neighbourhood of the town. They took his wife and sister into custody. Another man was arrested but released without charge. Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre, spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor's office, has said police have so far not found any motive or possible foreign connection, and that Mr Salhi is not speaking to investigators. Under French anti-terrorism laws, suspects can be held for up to four days before either being released or charged. Yassin Salhi had been investigated in the past about his alleged links with Islamist militants. It is alleged he was waved through the gates of the factory because he was a regular delivery driver. Police and firefighters later found a half-destroyed car which had been rammed into canisters containing chemicals and a man trying to ignite more. Mr Salhi's boss, a 54-year-old man whose name has not been released by police, was found beheaded at the scene. His head had been placed on the factory railings. It is not clear when he died. Speaking after the attack, President Hollande said: \"We have no doubt that the attack was to blow up the building. It bears the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.\" He said the attack would remind people of the attacks in and around Paris in January that killed 17 people. \"We all remember what happened before in our country. There is therefore a lot of emotion,\" he said. US-owned Air Products makes gases and chemicals and has employees in 50 countries around the world. Chief Executive Seifi Ghasemi said: \"I believe I speak for all of our Air Products family around the world in expressing our deepest sympathies to the family of the victim of this unspeakable act. \"My heart also goes out to the people who work at the site and their families.\"", "summary": "A man suspected of carrying out an attack on a factory near Lyon in France in which a man was found decapitated continues to be questioned by police."}
{"article": "About 40,000 homes have been damaged by floods caused by heavy rains, and 20,000 people have been rescued. In Livingston Parish, home to 138,000 people, officials estimate that 75% of homes have been completely destroyed. Residents returning to their homes are finding standing water, mould, and pest infestations, while the threat of further flooding and rainfall remains. David Key arrived at his house in Prairieville by boat this morning to find five inches (12.7 cm) of \"muddy nasty bayou water\". \"I'm not going to lie, I cried uncontrollably,\" he said. \"But you have to push forward and make it through. Like everybody says, you still have your family.\" The National Weather Service is predicting that the chance of thunderstorms will continue in the region throughout the week, with temperatures expected to reach 32C (92F). At an afternoon press conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards updated the death toll to eight people, and described how emergency crews are continuing with rescues. \"Nobody is going to be forgotten and we're going work around the clock,\" Mr Edwards said, calling the disaster a \"historic flooding event\". \"It's unprecedented,\" he told reporters. \"We understand that there are a lot of people who are suffering.\" Emergency crews are checking washed away cars for the bodies of motorists who may have become trapped inside. Floodwaters have been receding today in most of the effected areas, however water levels are rising in the southern parts of the state as the excess water washes downriver and out to sea.", "summary": "Residents are beginning to return to their flooded homes, even as more rains are expected in the state of Louisiana."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Gareth Furlong gave Wales the lead in the first period before securing a second goal from a penalty stroke. Rupert Shipperley finished a strong team goal to take Wales 3-0 up as they dominated the game. Wales will now face either Ireland in Saturday's semi-finals with the hope of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in India. Co-captain Luke Hawker says they squad have developed over the course of the eight-day tournament. \"It is probably the first time this week we've put a 70 minute display together on both sides of the ball. \"Really pleasing to come away with the three goals and the victory but equally as pleasing to keep a clean sheet. That's something we pride ourselves on. \"We keep pushing ourselves. Keep asking a bit more. Every time we go back to the video and review the game just gone. \"Both our rest days were down here on the training ground and fine tuning really. It's great to see that transferring into on field performances\" A top-two finish in the eight-team tournament would lift Wales in the rankings and give them a chance of a first World Cup appearance. Their victory against Italy puts them just one win away from the final, which would enable them to qualify for the World League Semi Finals tournament to be played this summer, which acts as a World Cup qualifier. Wales could also qualify for the 2018 Commonwealth Games if they are ranked in the top 10 eligible nations by the end of the season. \"For us this is a victory in a sense. The tournament and coming here and getting to semi-final is great for us as a group,\" Hawker continued. \"We are not the sort of squad who will rest on our laurels. The hard work's done. I think we can play with a bit of freedom and go on and see if we can get that cherry at the end.\"", "summary": "Wales men's hockey team are through to the semi-finals of the World League 2 tournament with a 3-0 win over Italy."}
{"article": "Suleiman Al-Sadi, from Bristol, said members of staff at a store in the city whistled and laughed at him while he was shopping for a sofa last Tuesday. He said he was \"shocked and horrified\" when they made jokes about his \"camp\" appearance. DFS said an investigation was under way and several staff had been suspended. Mr Al-Sadi said \"five sales guys\" looked at him and started laughing when he walked into the shop at Cribbs Causeway. He said one of them joked they \"should probably take him to look around the beds\". \"I was shocked, confused, horrified. A couple of them started whistling. I felt like I'd stepped back into the 1970s. \"They were trying to taunt me. It was making fun and jokes of my appearance. They didn't take me seriously.\" Mr Al-Sadi complained to DFS. The company said it was \"disappointed\" to hear of the allegations and was \"taking it extremely seriously\". A spokesman said: \"We have apologised to the customer for any unintentional distress caused and remain in regular dialogue with him as we look into the issue further. \"Following the complaint, a formal investigation is under way and several employees have been suspended pending completion of the investigation. \"Should anyone be found to have breached our standards, further disciplinary action will be taken.\"", "summary": "A number of employees at a DFS furniture store have been suspended over allegations they made fun at the appearance of a customer."}
{"article": "Llai na mis ar \u00f4l dechrau ar ei swydd newydd, mae is-ganghellor Prifysgol Aberystwyth, Elizabeth Treasure, wedi ysgrifennu llythyr at staff yn gofyn iddyn nhw ystyried diswyddiadau gwirfoddol. Yn y llythyr, sydd wedi dod i law BBC Cymru Fyw, mae'r is-ganghellor yn dweud bod angen i'r brifysgol wneud arbedion o fwy na \u00a311m dros y ddwy flynedd nesaf. Fe ddywedodd undeb UNSAIN bod pryder am ddyfodol \"150 o swyddi\". Daw'r newyddion ychydig fisoedd ar \u00f4l i Brifysgol De Cymru gadarnhau bod 139 o swyddi yn cael eu colli ar draws tri champws yn Nhrefforest, Casnewydd a Chaerdydd. Dywedodd Prifysgol Aberystwyth bod toriadau yn sgil newidiadau a heriau, yn cynnwys cystadleuaeth gynyddol am fyfyrwyr a chostau cynyddol. \"O ganlyniad i'r ffactorau hyn, rydym yn wynebu diffyg yn y gyllideb ac yn darogan bod angen gwneud arbedion sylweddol o \u00a36m yn 2017-18 a \u00a35.4m yn 2018-19,\" meddai llefarydd. Yn \u00f4l y brifysgol, mae ansicrwydd ariannol pellach o ganlyniad i benderfyniad y DU i adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd, yn ogystal \u00e2 rheoliadau fisa mwy llym ar gyfer myfyrwyr rhyngwladol. Ychwanegodd y llefarydd na fydd newid i gyllidebau prosiectau cyfalaf Campws Arloesi a Menter Aberystwyth, Pantycelyn a'r Hen Goleg. Doedd y brifysgol ddim am gadarnhau nifer y swyddi, na'r adrannau lle gallai swyddi gael eu colli. Mae'r undeb UNSAIN yn cynrychioli tua 300 o staff Prifysgol Aberystwyth. Dywedodd swyddog ardal Ceredigion, Jeff Baker: \"Mae'r brifysgol wedi cwrdd \u00e2'r undebau llafur ac o ystyried graddfa'r arbedion sydd eu hangen, rydyn ni'n deall bod hyd at 150 o swyddi mewn perygl.\" Ychwanegodd: \"Prifysgol Aberystwyth yw un o'r tri chyflogwr mwyaf yn y gorllewin a bydd y golled yma'n cael dylanwad anferthol ar yr economi'n lleol. \"Dylai unrhyw ddiswyddiadau gael eu cyflwyno'n deg ar bob lefel, ac ein gobaith yw sicrhau mesurau ychwanegol i amddiffyn staff cyflogedig sydd ar raddfa is. \"Mae staff ar y cyflogau isaf eisoes wedi cael eu bwrw gan doriadau i'w hawliau pensiwn.\" Ychwanegodd y swyddog bod amserlen y brifysgol o gyflwyno'r newidiadau cyn diwedd mis Mai yn \"gwbl afrealistig\".", "summary": "Mae diswyddiadau yn \"debygol iawn\" o gael eu cyflwyno ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth, yn \u00f4l is-ganghellor y sefydliad."}
{"article": "It had been thought that being unhappy was bad for health - particularly for the heart. But the decade-long analysis, published in the Lancet, said previous studies had just confused cause and effect. However, experts argued that unhappiness in childhood may still have a lasting impact. A series of studies had shown that how happy people are, strongly predicts how long they are going to live. Ideas included detrimental changes in stress hormones or the immune system resulting in a higher risk of death. But the research team in the UK and Australia said those studies failed to deal with reverse causality - namely, that people who are ill are not very happy. Participants in the Million Women Study were asked to regularly rate their health, happiness and levels of stress. The results showed that whether people were \"never\", \"usually\" or \"mostly\" happy had no impact on their odds of dying during the duration of the study once other factors such as health or whether they smoked were taken into account. Dr Bette Liu, one of the researchers at the University of New South Wales in Australia, said: \"Illness makes you unhappy, but unhappiness itself doesn't make you ill. \"We found no direct effect of unhappiness or stress on mortality, even in a 10-year study of a million women.\" Co-author Prof Sir Richard Peto, from the University of Oxford, said light smokers had double the risk of an early death and regular smokers had three times the risk of dying during the study period, but that happiness was \"irrelevant\". He said it could have indirect effects if people started consuming large amounts of alcohol or massively overeating, but happiness itself \"does not have any material, direct, effect on mortality\". But he warned the myth may be too entrenched to shake off: \"People will still believe stress causes heart attacks after this story has been and gone. \"It isn't true, but it suits people to believe it.\" In a commentary, Dr Philipe de Souto Barreto and professor Yves Rolland from the University Hospital of Toulouse in France, said: \"Further research from a lifecourse perspective is needed since happiness during critical periods, such as childhood, could have important consequences on health in adulthood.\"", "summary": "Being miserable or stressed will not increase your risk of dying, according to the UK's Million Women Study."}
{"article": "Formula 1's bosses decided on Thursday not to introduce the protection until 2018 because they felt the 'halo' device tested so far needed more work. But Rosberg said: \"It is all ready to go. It just needs to be put on the car. \"For sure we all want it to be put on the car as soon as possible. I am disappointed and we'll look into that.\" Some drivers believe it was the right decision to postpone the introduction of the halo. Media playback is not supported on this device Renault's Jolyon Palmer said: \"F1 safety is very good at the moment. We have very big run offs, I am pretty happy with the safety levels we have at the moment. \"It is personal preference, I know a lot of the drivers, especially the younger ones, are in the same camp as me.\" But Rosberg said: \"The large majority of drivers agree we need to get it on the car as soon as possible. It makes sense. \"It is such a huge step for safety.\" The Grand Prix Drivers' Association [GPDA] has been vocal in pushing for the introduction of the halo and on Thursday its chairman, former F1 driver Alexander Wurz, said he \"hoped F1 does not come to regret the decision\". Wurz added that it \"could almost be seen as 'business first and safety second'\". Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, a director of the GPDA, said: \"I haven't read exactly what the reasoning was. It still remains positive that from 2018 onwards it is going to be on the car.\" The decision to postpone the introduction of the halo caught some team insiders by surprise as all had been given the impression so far this year by the FIA, motorsport's world governing body, that it was working towards introducing the device in 2017. F1 race director Charlie Whiting said the main reason for the delay was to give more time for drivers to assess its impact. Whiting said: \"The decision was taken that simply because only three drivers have ever tried it, and they have only done a total of four laps. \"This was something that everyone felt was quite a relevant thing and it wouldn't really be feasible to expect, in the short term, to get the relevant number of laps with the halo. That was the reason for introducing if for 2018 instead of 2017.\" Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg says he is \"disappointed\" with the decision to postpone the introduction of extra cockpit head protection until 2018."}
{"article": "22 November 2015 Last updated at 14:58 GMT Yusf Pirot said he wanted to show people that \"not all Muslims are terrorists\". Another video of a blindfolded Muslim man asking for hugs in the aftermath of the Paris attacks has also gone viral.", "summary": "A video of a blindfolded Muslim teenager in Nottingham giving out free hugs has attracted millions of views on social media."}
{"article": "Welfare crews warned it risked death because it was so woolly from living in the wild for several years. More than 40kg (88lb) of wool was removed in what the RSPCA says is the heaviest wool haul from one shearing. National shearing champion Ian Elkins was urgently called in on Wednesday to tackle the mammoth merino. Mr Elkins described Thursday's marathon sheering session as one of his biggest challenges, saying he had never seen anything like it in 35 years of work. Chris the sheep had to be sedated during the very delicate operation. Mr Elkins said he was proud Australia had claimed the title from New Zealand, likening it to \"the rivalry on the rugby field\". The massive bundle of fleece tipped the scales at more than 42kg (92lb), but was revised down to 40kg (88lb) to counter the weight of the bag. Animal welfare officials said Chris was \"four-to-five times its normal size\" before going under the knife. In 2004, Shrek the New Zealand sheep was found after six years on the loose. The animal - also a merino - later lost his giant 27kg (60lb) fleece in a televised shearing broadcast live around the world.", "summary": "An overgrown Australian sheep affectionately named Chris has set a new unofficial world record following a hair cut from five shearers."}
{"article": "The government's policy was challenged over data security and privacy concerns. Aadhaar, which means foundation, started out as a voluntary programme to help tackle benefit fraud. However, it has become increasingly critical for any financial transactions and for access to welfare schemes. States have been using Aadhaar to transfer government pensions, scholarships, wages for a landmark rural jobs-for-work scheme and benefits for cooking fuel to targeted recipients, and distribute cheap food to the poor. The government argues that Aadhaar has cut waste, removed fakes, curbed corruption and made substantial savings. But questions have been raised about the moral authority of the government to force citizens to share biometric data. Activists say it is in breach of the UN's Fundamental Right of Privacy.", "summary": "India's Supreme Court has rejected an attempt to stop the government making a controversial biometric identity card mandatory for social welfare schemes."}
{"article": "A large tipper truck was observed delivering the tyres under cover of darkness on Wednesday night. A council spokesperson said the bonfire was on land owned by the Housing Executive (NIHE) in Ballybeen. \"The council has been in touch with the NIHE to raise the issue of the tyres at the site and to request the matter is investigated,\" they said. \"The Northern Ireland Environment Agency has also been contacted by the council regarding the nature and volume of the bonfire material.\" Asked about the burning of tyres on bonfires on the Radio Ulster's Nolan programme, community worker Jim Wilson there was \"a very, very small minority we are talking about where we have problems\". \"You're talking about businesses making money out of it, and that comes down to the PSNI to deal with it.\" Meanwhile, Belfast City Council said it had received reports that tyres had been collected at a bonfire at Avoneil in the east of the city. \"We have been engaging with the local community at this site to have the tyres removed and will continue in our efforts to manage the negative impacts of the bonfire which includes the burning of tyres,\" a spokesperson said. Ulster Unionist Cllr Jim Rodgers said the inclusion of tyres in bonfires was \"a worrying development\". He said that councillors had met the police and asked them to be \"more pro-active\" regarding bonfires.", "summary": "Lisburn and Castlereagh Council is investigating the dumping of tyres at a bonfire site in Dundonald."}
{"article": "Nile Ranger was involved in the first meaningful chance as his neat flick found Anthony Wordsworth on the edge of the box, but the midfielder's low shot was well saved by James Shea. Ranger then got a brilliant opener for Southend in the 35th minute, shuffling past three players and prodding a shot into the right-hand corner while off balance to score his third goal in as many games. The Dons had been wasteful in possession but Lyle Taylor nearly latched onto Tom Soares' through-ball just before half-time. Simon Cox doubled Southend's lead shortly after the hour mark after taking advantage of a fortunate rebound in midfield and lashing past Shea from 20 yards. Shrimpers substitute Theo Robinson hit the post after latching on to a ball over the top, but the away side were rarely troubled at the other end as they maintained their play-off hopes. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, AFC Wimbledon 0, Southend United 2. Second Half ends, AFC Wimbledon 0, Southend United 2. Foul by Darius Charles (AFC Wimbledon). (Southend United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Dean Parrett (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Theo Robinson (Southend United). Will Nightingale (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Nile Ranger (Southend United). Attempt blocked. Darius Charles (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is blocked. Foul by Andy Barcham (AFC Wimbledon). Will Atkinson (Southend United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Paul Robinson (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Nile Ranger (Southend United). Substitution, AFC Wimbledon. Dominic Poleon replaces Lyle Taylor. Substitution, AFC Wimbledon. Tyrone Barnett replaces Tom Elliott. Corner, Southend United. Conceded by Darius Charles. Theo Robinson (Southend United) hits the right post with a right footed shot from the centre of the box. Substitution, Southend United. Theo Robinson replaces Simon Cox. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Simon Cox (Southend United) because of an injury. Lyle Taylor (AFC Wimbledon) is shown the yellow card. Attempt blocked. Dean Parrett (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Delay in match Andy Barcham (AFC Wimbledon) because of an injury. Corner, AFC Wimbledon. Conceded by Jason Demetriou. Substitution, AFC Wimbledon. Dean Parrett replaces Tom Soares. Attempt missed. Lyle Taylor (AFC Wimbledon) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Goal! AFC Wimbledon 0, Southend United 2. Simon Cox (Southend United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Corner, AFC Wimbledon. Conceded by Anton Ferdinand. Attempt missed. Jake Reeves (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Will Nightingale (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Ben Coker (Southend United). Corner, Southend United. Conceded by James Shea. Attempt saved. Will Atkinson (Southend United) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom", "summary": "Phil Brown marked his fourth anniversary in charge of Southend with a third consecutive win as his side beat Wimbledon in League One."}
{"article": "The move could allow it to eventually better compete with the likes of YouTube and traditional television channels for advertising revenue. Users with Apple TV, Amazon's Fire TV and Samsung's Smart TVs will be able to watch Facebook's user-generated videos directly on their televisions. The announcement is in line with Facebook's increasing focus on video. The company has recently been paying creators for exclusive premium video content, and is heavily promoting the Facebook Live feature that allows users to live stream events. Facebook says the standalone app will be released \"soon\". The only screen Facebook doesn't dominate right now is the biggest one in your home. The company's decision to launch these TV apps - which we've been expecting for some time now - is the first significant step the company has made to build its challenge to the likes of Netflix and Hulu. To do that, though, it will need to offer programmes that are of a far higher quality than what is on Facebook right now. That will require big investment in getting top talent to make Facebook-only video. One interesting move will be how it plans to make money from TV. If Facebook feels it can make its content free (with income coming from advertising), then it could give subscriber services like Netflix and Amazon Prime serious pause for thought. The announcement by the social media giant was made together with several other news about the company's video features. Videos will now autoplay sound in the news feed and will be displayed in full, even if they are vertical.", "summary": "Facebook is to roll out an app that lets users watch the platform's video content on television."}
{"article": "McKinnon was also interviewed for the vacancy at St Mirren, but the Paisley club instead appointed Dumbarton's Ian Murray. The 44-year-old has joined Rovers on a two-year contract. Chief executive Eric Drysdale said: \"Ray ticks all the boxes and we are confident he can take us forward.\" Rovers were seeking a new manager after Grant Murray, who had been in charge for three years, was sacked in April following five straight defeats. Now Malpas, the 52-year-old former Motherwell and Swindon Town manager who had been in his role since December, has also left the Kirkcaldy club. \"As promised, the board has taken great care in its search for someone to replace Grant Murray,\" said Drysdale. \"We spoke in detail to four of the very best candidates from a very long list of applicants. \"Only one, Ray, was formally offered the job and we are very pleased that he has accepted.\" Former Rovers player McKinnon, who previously managed junior club Lochee United, recently signed a new contract at Glebe Park. First-team coach Laurie Ellis took charge of the Kirkcaldy side for the final Scottish Championship match of the season - a 2-2 draw away to Dumbarton - as they finished in sixth place. McKinnon, who took over as Brechin boss in 2012, led his side to a fourth-place finish in League One this season. However, they missed out on promotion after losing 2-1 on aggregate to Alloa Athletic in their play-off semi-final. McKinnon, who began his career at Tannadice, had two spells as a player at Stark's Park. He made five appearances in 2000 after leaving Livingston before joining Portadown, and Rovers were his final senior club, making 12 appearances in 2003 after leaving Montrose. McKinnon also had spells with Nottingham Forest, Luton Town, Stirling Albion, East Fife and Torquay United and finished his career in junior football with Lochee and Broughty Athletic.", "summary": "Ray McKinnon has left Brechin City to become Raith Rovers manager, with Maurice Malpas standing down as director of football at Stark's Park."}
{"article": "400 Football League games later, however, Flynn will lead the Exiles to Crewe Alexandra at the weekend as their manager after the sacking of Graham Westley, albeit with the club teetering on the edge of being relegated back to non-league. But the wilderness of the non-league scene is exactly where the lifelong association between Flynn and Newport begun. Given a reprieve by manager Tim Harris and a chance with the first team after his youth team axing, Flynn also found employment as a postman. Thanks to his form with the Exiles, a nickname earned rather than chosen after years spent out of the city as a reformed club without a home, Flynn impressed as a midfielder with an eye for goal. In the non-league pyramid at least, this postman did always deliver. A switch to full time football was the dream, achieved with a transfer to Barry Town, a move that changed the course of Flynn's life. There was to be no future in shelf stacking or letter delivering for Flynn after joining the full time Welsh Premier League side, as he went on to make over 400 Football League appearances for the likes of Gillingham, Wigan and Bradford City. He returned to his first club and first love Newport County five years ago, helping to steer them to a promotion 25 years in the making. Flynn was 'heartbroken' when the club released him as Terry Butcher axed 11 players, after Newport's millionaire chairman Les Scadding opted to walk away from the club. He soon returned when the Supporters' Trust succeeded Scadding, working in various roles including as a club ambassador, in marketing, and as a first team coach. He even found time to get in a few games for Welsh League third-tier side Undy, so it was no surprise this season when Flynn came out of retirement to help the beleaguered Exiles. Flynn's career at County, and in football, was almost over before it started. \"I got kicked out of the youth team. The youth team manager Glyn Jones asked me what I had done at the weekend and I said I had played for Pill. He said 'I know, I saw in the local paper you scored a hat-trick.' So he kicked me out for breaking his rules,\" he recalls. \"I went away crying, it killed me. But the next day Tim Harris rang me and said 'come and train with the first team.' I had just started working as a postman and I had been stacking shelves in Tesco. so it was a relief. \"I earned a contract though and then a move to Barry, which meant I went full time. \"But I always looked out for Newport, for my entire career and I played over 400 games in the Football League. \"It was hard to leave the club and the city. I had to do it to better my career, to better my life.\" Flynn, generally a bubbly and talkative character, struggles to express how he feels about his hometown club. \"It is really difficult to put it", "summary": "When Newport County threw a teenage Michael Flynn out of their youth academy for defying club rules, he feared he would spend his life doing his part time job, stacking shelves in the local supermarket."}
{"article": "The Markit/CIPS construction purchasing managers' index rose to 56 from 53.1, its highest level since December 2015. A figure above 50 indicates expansion. Builders also hired more workers and ordered more supplies to deal with an increase in new projects. Economists said the sector was recovering after a slow start to 2017. \"A sustained rebound in residential building provides an encouraging sign that the recent a soft patch for property values has not deterred new housing supply,\" said Tim Moore, senior economist at IHS Markit. \"Instead, strong labour market conditions, resilient demand and ultra-low mortgage rates appear to have helped boost work on residential development projects.\" The data contrasts with reports earlier this week suggesting greater caution by homebuyers and lenders. Building society Nationwide said house prices had fallen for a third consecutive in May - the longest run of decline since 2009, just after the financial crisis. Meanwhile, the Bank of England said loan approvals fell to a seven-month low in April. The latest Markit/CIPS construction reading was still much weaker than the post-crisis high of 64.6 seen in January 2014. However, the survey found there had been solid rises across the whole sector in May, including in civil engineering and commercial building. Input prices for construction firms also rose at the slowest pace for seven months, despite the prolonged weakness of the pound. Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the result suggested the Brexit vote's \"dampening influence on construction activity is fading\". But he added: \"Note, however, that the PMI has had to exceed 53 in the past to signal growth. \"May's PMI reading, therefore, is consistent with quarter-on-quarter growth in construction output of only about 0.5%.\"", "summary": "Activity in the UK construction sector expanded at its fastest rate in 17 months in May, boosted by a surprise rebound in homebuilding, a survey says."}
{"article": "Biju John, 44, pleaded guilty to outraging public decency in Harlow and was due to be sentenced in 2011 when he fled the UK. The details emerged as John was struck off by a panel, which heard one of his victims felt \"degraded and scared\". Essex Police said John was still wanted by officers. John, then a doctor at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, took covert videos of women, without their knowledge, at The Harvey Centre in April 2011. It is understood he used a bag containing a concealed camera. One victim told police: \"The incident has made me feel dirty and degraded. I feel like I can't wear a skirt anymore and I am going to be scared every time I see a man with a bag. \"I feel violated as if he has actually touched me inappropriately. At this moment in time I am very upset and shocked.\" Chelmsford magistrates released John on bail to be sentenced in May 2011, by which time he had already left the UK. The panel heard he then phoned his colleague Jeffrey Philips, a consultant in intensive care. \"He understood that Dr John had flown out on the day of the Royal wedding, which took place on 29 April 2011, in the belief that the airport would be quiet,\" the panel heard. Police broke down the door of his rented flat in Dads Wood, Harlow, a week later and found food in the fridge that was weeks out of date. Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service said it had served notice about its hearing to John's parents in India. In reaching its decision, the panel said: \"Public confidence in the medical profession would be seriously undermined if Dr John was not erased from the medical register after indicating a guilty plea to an offence related to his actions in filming beneath women's skirts, and then fleeing the country prior to sentencing. It added: \"Ms A [the victim] had been caused significant and understandable distress. \"In addition, it considered that the public would also regard Dr John's action in absconding before sentencing to be wholly reprehensible and unbecoming of a doctor. An Essex Police spokeswoman said: \"He is believed to have left the country and is currently wanted.\" A hospital spokeswoman said: \"Dr Biju John joined The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust as an anaesthetic registrar on 14 April 2009. \"Following his arrest on 10 April 2011 internal disciplinary proceedings were instigated and he was immediately excluded from duty.\"", "summary": "A hospital doctor who went on the run after covertly filming up women's skirts in a shopping centre has been struck off."}
{"article": "The tradesman was using a portable toilet on a Sydney building site on Wednesday morning when he was bitten. A spokesperson for St George Hospital confirmed that a 21-year-old man was treated for a redback bite. The redback spider, closely related to the black widow spider, is distinguished by a long red stripe on its abdomen. The spider's bite causes severe pain, sweating and nausea. The BBC spoke to the owners of the property who confirmed that the man had been bitten on the penis as described in media reports. He was later discharged from hospital in a stable condition. Although there are recorded cases of deaths from redback bites, none have occurred since the development of antivenom in 1956.", "summary": "An Australian man has taken himself to hospital after a venomous redback spider bit him on the penis."}
{"article": "Lt Col Gill Wilkinson was commanding officer of 154 (Scottish) Regiment Royal Logistic, based in Dunfermline. She handed over to her husband, Lt Col Alan Wilkinson, last month. The exchange makes the pair, who married in 1998, the highest ranking couple to follow each other in a command role. Gill, 45, originally from Northern Ireland, was in the Army from the mid-90s but left when her two children were born. She re-enlisted in the Army reserve in 2003 and took command of the regiment in 2014. Husband Alan, 46, who was also in the Army before joining the Army Reserve, took on the role of main carer for their children when Gill became CO (commanding officer). Gill told BBC Scotland: \"It almost feels like I handed over the children to him two-and-a-half years before taking command and this feels very similar. \"You do feel a responsibility for a regiment. It is quite a parental role. Your soldiers are like your family. \"Normally when a commanding officer leaves command they don't look back at the regiment, they leave the next CO to carry on. \"Obviously I'm trying to do that but I can keep an eye out and ask how people are getting on and satisfy that parental bit.\" Alan, originally from the Borders, met Gill at Dundee University before joining the Army. He joined the reserves in 2009. Alan said taking over from his wife was no different to any new job. He said: \"We have worked closely together throughout our career in the Army. I was in the fortunate position of being able to speak to Gill in the months before about it so it only took about four days to handover. It was fine.\" Gill, who will now work with the Army Reserve part-time, said opportunities for women were \"getting wider\". She said: \"When I joined the Royal Logistic Corps it was because it offered, as far as I was concerned, the greatest opportunity to do the same job as men were doing. \"It is still majority male but the regiment I was commanding was about a quarter to a third female.\" \"I think ever since I joined the Army it has been increasing with more and more opportunities opening up. \"But we are really at the final bastion now where women are moving into combat roles.\" Alan says his wife has offered him advice on his new role. He says: \"Some is good, some I listen to but I do make my own assessment.\"", "summary": "A Scottish couple made an unusual bit of British military history when the wife handed over command of an Army unit to her husband."}
{"article": "A Lords EU committee has called for an immediate \"unilateral undertaking\" that EU nationals can continue to live, work and study in the UK after Brexit. It said failure to do this would have a severe impact on migrants' rights. Ministers say they expect this to happen but need equivalent guarantees for UK citizens on the Continent. The question of what will happen to the estimated 2.9 million citizens of other EU countries who have made their home in the UK in recent years is one of the most controversial arising from the UK's vote to leave the EU in June's referendum. The government has said it expects an early resolution of the issue once official talks on the terms of the UK's separation from the EU begin next spring. But it has refrained from giving any guarantees on their future status - saying this is impossible without similar safeguards for the estimated 1.2 million Britons living in Spain, France, Italy and other EU countries. But the Lords EU Justice sub-committee said the UK should not wait to hear from other EU countries and that making a binding commitment now was \"morally the right thing to do\". If this was not possible before Article 50 is triggered, expected before the end of March, the peers said the issue should be negotiated separately from other matters to ensure a \"preliminary\" agreement as quickly as possible. Without any agreement, it said EU nationals living in the UK would be subject to \"Byzantine\" national immigration laws and many would be unable to meet the criteria for permanent residency despite having been here for more than five years. \"The government is under a moral obligation to give a unilateral declaration immediately to safeguard the EU citizenship rights of all EU nationals in the UK when the UK withdraws from the EU,\" said Baroness Kennedy QC, the Labour peer who chairs the cross-party committee. \"I also believe that such a gesture will stimulate reciprocal commitments from the other EU countries where UK citizens are currently living. \"For the last six months, the lives of EU citizens living in the UK and UK citizens living in the EU have been shrouded in anxiety. \"Their rights to live, work and reside in their country of choice are now so unclear that people have no idea how, or even where, they should plan their futures.\" The government has said it wants to limit the currently unconditional right of EU citizens to come to the UK as part of the Brexit settlement. In their report, the peers said the principle of \"acquired rights\" was narrow and hard to enforce in international law and that the full scope of rights would have to be guaranteed in the Brexit agreement for it to withstand legal challenge. Officials have indicated there would have to be some cut-off point after which full rights could not be guaranteed but have not said when this would be. A government spokesman said: \"We're determined to get the best possible deal for the UK and are preparing for a", "summary": "The UK has a \"moral\" duty to guarantee the status of EU nationals living in the country ahead of negotiations over its exit, a group of peers has said."}
{"article": "A number of houses were broken into early on Monday, officers said. Goods left outside affected homes in the Calderdale of West Yorkshire were also stolen, it emerged. \"It is impossible to comprehend why anyone would want to bring further suffering to those already in a very vulnerable situation,\" said acting Supt Mark Grange, of North Yorkshire Police. Houses in Huntingdon Road, York, were targeted after the River Foss broke its banks, with one being looted after the back door was forced, as well as tools being taken from a shed at another property. West Yorkshire Police said it had received reports of people using white vans to take \"dry goods left outside flooded homes\", in the Calderdale area. No arrests have been made in connection with the thefts and burglaries, which emerged after the levels of the Foss dropped by several metres on Tuesday. Six severe flood warnings, in place since Boxing Day, were lifted by the Environment Agency, which said emergency repairs to the Foss Barrier had allowed four of eight pumps to begin working again. Areas across northern England however, are braced for further disruption as Storm Frank, which hit the UK late on Tuesday, brings in more high winds and heavy rain.", "summary": "Looters who targeted flood victims' homes in York have been condemned by police."}
{"article": "Harry John Neville Vane, the 11th Baron Barnard, died at Raby Castle near Staindrop on Sunday. He was 92. In a short statement, his family said he died peacefully surrounded by loved ones. Lord Barnard, who succeeded his father in 1964, held numerous titles in County Durham. He is survived by five children. The Raby estate covers large parts of Teesdale including numerous farms and houses which can be recognised by their whitewashed walls. Raby Castle staff tweeted: \"So much thanks for the messages of condolence we've received. Lord Barnard will be sadly missed.\" The Vane family have held the Barnard title since 1698. Click here for more on this story and other news from across the North East", "summary": "Lord Barnard has died at his County Durham castle, his family has confirmed."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old, who won the English Amateur Championship last summer, had previously said she would stay amateur. Giles. who is the first golfer to win all three major English women's amateur titles, has applied for the Access Series of the European Ladies Tour. \"This season just gone I achieved everything I wanted to achieve in the amateur game, so I'm ready to take on the pro game now,\" she said. \"I'm hoping to eventually end up in America on the LPGA tour, that's where everyone really aims to get to, that's where the best competition is, that's where the best golf courses are and it would be a really awesome experience to go out there.\" Giles says she is inspired by Charley Hull, who like Giles had an impressive amateur career before turning professional at the age of 16. \"I'd love to play in the Solheim Cup one day, that would be the aim,\" she added to BBC Radio Cornwall. \"That's what Charley Hull's done in the last few years, she was an amateur playing in the same stuff I was playing in and now she's doing really well in America and played two Solheim Cups.\"", "summary": "Cornwall golfer Sammie Giles says she is planning to turn professional."}
{"article": "Morocco start their Group C campaign against DR Congo on Monday, then face Togo on 20 January and take on Ivory Coast four days later. Rherras, 23, and Cameroon midfielder Arnaud Djoum, 27, will miss Hearts' Scottish Cup meeting with Raith Rovers on 22 January. Cameroon are in Group A with Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau and hosts Gabon. Djoum has five international caps while Rherras made his Morocco debut in August. Scottish Premiership clubs are currently on their winter break and Hearts' next league fixture is away to Celtic on 29 January.", "summary": "Hearts left-back Faycal Rherras has been given a late call-up to Morocco's Africa Cup of Nations squad."}
{"article": "State-funded Holyport College near Maidenhead, opened to pupils for the first time in September. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were given a tour of the school before unveiling a plaque watched by its 122 pupils, staff and parents. Holyport College, sponsored by Eton College, accepts boarders and gives its pupils access to some of Eton's facilities. During the visit, the royal couple met Sir Nicholas Winton, who lives near the school which has named its reception building after him. Sir Nicholas, dubbed the \"British Schindler\", helped to save hundreds of children, mainly from Jewish families, from the Nazis by transporting them by train from Prague to the UK in 1939. The wheelchair-bound 105-year-old said: \"I think it's a wonderful honour to have the building named after me. \"I hope the school will make contact with a school in the Czech Republic that is also named after me.\" Other guests included Home Secretary Theresa May, MP for Maidenhead. The school was proposed in February 2012 and then approved by the Department for Education through the free schools programme in June 2012. Once it reaches capacity, the school will have 500 pupils, including 225 boarders aged 11-19 years. Parents pay \u00a33,850 a term for boarders but daytime education is free. Free schools, which anyone can apply to set up, are funded directly by central government and are free from local council control.", "summary": "A free school in Berkshire has been officially opened by the Queen."}
{"article": "The online retail giant reported a $92m profit compared to a $126m loss for the same period a year ago. Sales also rose 20% to $23.2bn in the second quarter to the end of June, boosted by strong growth in the US. Its shares, which fell 1.3% during the day, leapt 18.5% to $571.24 a share in after-hours trading on Wall Street. The firm was also upbeat on its prospects for the current third quarter, forecasting sales would grow between 13% and 24% compared to last year, much higher than analysts had predicted. Sales in North America rose 25.5% to $13.8bn in the second quarter, driven by purchases of electronic goods and general merchandise, helping to drive the strong performance. Its cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services, also made a contribution, with sales up 81% compared to the same quarter last year. It said its widely promoted \"Prime Day\" on 15th July - which offered special deals to customers who signed up to its fast delivery service - had been a success with more new members trying it globally than any other day in the firm's history. Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos credited hard work for the results: \"The teams at Amazon have been working hard for customers,\" he said. Throughout its history, Amazon's revenue has climbed while its profit has hovered around or below zero. On Thursday evening, the e-commerce company reported a profit. As customers in North America bought electronics and others products, sales in its biggest market rose more than 25% compared to last year. And if you thought Microsoft's cloud computing business did well, then take a look at Amazon web services which includes its cloud business - revenue soared more than 80 percent. The only slight negative was that sales growth outside the US wasn't nearly as impressive. Still after years of ploughing its cash into new technology , mostly aimed at making it easier and faster for customers to get what they want, the results are starting to pay off - at least in the eyes of Wall Street", "summary": "Amazon shares have surged more than 18% in after-hours trading after it reported a surprise profit and better-than-expected sales figures."}
{"article": "A late Clint Hill equaliser secured a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park and Murty said the team had proved a point. \"I'm pleased for the players,\" he said after his last game in charge. \"They showed the kind of tenacity and grit that they've been questioned about. \"It's a difficult environment, but two outstanding saves from Craig Gordon or it could have been more.\" A Celtic victory would have been their 23rd in succession in the league and their 18th in all competitions. The Premiership leaders took a first-half lead thanks to Stuart Armstrong's well-taken goal. Rangers, in front of their new manager, Pedro Caixinha, who was watching from the stands, continued to battle and were rewarded with Hill's 88th-minute goal. \"He saw the players deal with an unbelievable atmosphere,\" Murty said. \"It takes a real man's performance to play in that and stand up to it. \"I'd been challenging them all week, saying you're the only ones who believe in yourselves. \"They showed that right to the end and I'm proud of them. \"From the moment I saw them at breakfast, I knew they were right where I wanted them to be.\" The two Glasgow rivals will meet again in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on 23 April. Murty, who had gone into the league game with a record of three wins and two defeats in his previous matches in charge, hands over to Caixinha with the side sitting third in the table. \"This should give them lots of confidence,\" he said. \"They didn't get rattled or lose their discipline. \"We made it difficult for them and put a shift in.\" Caixinha will hold a staff meeting at Rangers' Auchenhowie training ground on Monday as he begins his spell in charge of the first-team. In a message on Rangers' Twitter account, he urged fans to back the team. \"We are doing our very best, in a club like this, to keep up a track of winning,\" said the Portuguese manager. \"We want a winning mentality. We want a winning team. And you [the Rangers supporters] need to be here to support us.\" Murty is expected to return to his role as head coach of the development squad.", "summary": "Rangers caretaker Graeme Murty praised his players for answering their critics as they ended Celtic's winning streak."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old has not won Olympic gold, having fallen short at the 2008 and 2012 Games. He hopes to compete in the multi-event omnium in Rio. \"If he can't make the top three, he would pursue his dreams of the Tour de France yellow jersey,\" said Sutton. \"I believe he can do it, we wouldn't have selected him otherwise. That's not us being brutal, that's Cav being Cav, probably the greatest road sprinter of all time. He needs to know he can go to Rio and get the medal.\" Cavendish has had a successful road season to date, having won the Tour of Qatar. He is aiming to compete at the Tour de France, although men's endurance coach Heiko Salzwedel believes the Isle of Man rider will have to prioritise. \"If you ask me realistically, riding for two or three weeks on the Tour de France, he might be fit for the [Olympic] road race but not for the Olympic omnium,\" he said. \"Cav has to digest and make a decision about this Cavendish will also compete in the madison - a non-Olympic event - with Sir Bradley Wiggins at the World Championships, being held in London early next month. They combined to win the title eight years ago.", "summary": "Mark Cavendish must finish in the omnium top three at the Track Cycling World Championships to have a chance of competing at the Olympics, says British Cycling technical chief Shane Sutton."}
{"article": "Developer Sirius Minerals wants to mine near Whitby and build a 23-mile (37km) tunnel to a Teeside processing plant. Chris Fraser, of Sirius, said its case stood \"up to scrutiny\" and it was determined to pursue the plan. The North York Moors National Park Authority is to consider a planning application on 30 June. The 229-page report by the park authority does not make any recommendation about the proposed mine. It acknowledged that there were likely to be economic benefits but said the proposal did not represent \"exceptional circumstances\". The report said the National Park Authority's statutory responsibility was to \"conserve and enhance the North York Moors for the enjoyment of present and future generations\". Sirius said it believed exceptional circumstances had been demonstrated and the mining was in the public interest, with environmental effects \"mitigated\". The term \"potash\" is used to describe a range of minerals containing potassium, and the proposal is to mine polyhalite. The mine would transform North Yorkshire's economy, Ryedale District Council and Scarborough Borough Council has claimed. However a report published earlier this month suggested that the five-year construction phase of the mine would cost the area's tourism industry \u00a310m a year. The Campaign for National Parks said it hoped the authority would reject the planning application. The decision was an \"important test of the protection afforded national parks\" and there were strong planning grounds for turning it down, it added. Plans include a construction of a minehead at Dove's Nest Farm and Haxby Plantation about 1.6 miles (2.5km) from the village of Sneaton involving mining shafts, buildings, roads and a helicopter landing site on a 64-hectare site.", "summary": "A report into a planned \u00a31.7bn potash mine has said its economic benefits do not outweigh the harm it would cause the North York Moors national park."}
{"article": "The competition will be extended to 64 teams, with sides from 16 of the 21 category one academies invited to join League One and League Two clubs. In a change from the current knock-out format, there will be 16 regional groups of four for the opening round. The proposals were approved at the English Football League's annual general meeting in Portugal this week. Since the decision was announced Portsmouth, Accrington Stanley, AFC Wimbledon, Hartlepool United and Luton Town have released statements to confirm they voted against the trial. EFL clubs approve academy 'Rooney Rule' In a statement, the EFL said it was piloting the changes as part of their \"ongoing commitment to creating more and better home grown players\". The changes will see the 16 academy sides evenly distributed throughout the groups alongside the League One and League Two clubs, with the competition continuing to run on a north/south basis until the final. Each team will play each other once in the group stage, with the academy team getting just one home game. The knockout stages will be single ties apart from the semi-finals, where there will be two legs. At the AGM, clubs approved a 'Rooney Rule'-style application process to try to improve the number of black and ethnic minority coaches in the game. They also discussed the EFL's proposals to add a new division of 20 teams to the English pyramid - meaning that there would be 100 teams in a five-division structure, rather than the current set-up of 92 clubs across four tiers. There are currently 24 teams in the Championship, League One and League Two, below the 20-club Premier League. The final decision on those proposals will be taken in June 2017.", "summary": "Premier League academy teams will be allowed to play in the EFL Trophy in a one-season trial in 2016-17."}
{"article": "The seats in the Grand Tier are located five boxes away from the royal box in the Grade I listed building. Agents Harrods Estates said it was the first time such a box had come on the market in almost a decade and there had \"already been a bit of interest\". Buying the box will give the owner access to two-thirds of events. They will also become a member of the Corporation of the Hall of Arts and Science which helps to operate the South Kensington building. Nicholas Shaw of Harrods Estates said it was \"the most expensive box we have ever offered for sale\". The box is on the western side of the auditorium and has approximately 849 years remaining on its lease. A five-seat box situated on the second tier, whose previous owners included Earl Spencer and the Duke of Devonshire, went on sale in 2011 for \u00a3550,000.", "summary": "A 12-seat private box in the Royal Albert Hall close to where the Queen sits when she attends events has gone on sale for \u00a32.5m."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old ex-Fulham, Gillingham, Aldershot, Macclesfield and Dover Athletic forward first arrived in Shropshire on loan from Oakwell in last season's January window. After being injured in his first game, he came back to help Shrewsbury stave off relegation from League One. Payne has signed a two-year contract with the Shrews. He is expected to figure in this Saturday's home game with Rochdale, against whom he scored his first goal for Shrewsbury four months ago. He is the fifth striker brought in by Town boss Paul Hurst since the end of last season, among his 12 summer signings. Goalkeepers: Craig MacGillivray (Walsall), Dean Henderson (Manchester United - loan) Defenders: Zak Jules (Reading), James Bolton (Gateshead) Midfield: Jon Nolan (Chesterfield), Ebou Adams (Norwich City - loan), Daniel James (Swansea City - loan) Strikers: Lenell John-Lewis (Newport), Arthur Gnahoua (Kidderminster Harriers), Carlton Morris (Norwich City - loan), Niall Ennis (Wolves - loan), Stefan Payne (Barnsley) Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Shrewsbury Town have re-signed striker Stefan Payne from Championship side Barnsley for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "St Mary's Church in Llanfair Kilgeddin, between Abergavenny and Raglan, was targeted between 2 and 3 August. An oak door, valued at about \u00c2\u00a31,000, was damaged, along with four oil lamps dating back 300 years. Metal organ pipes and a brass plaque were stolen. Matthew Saunders, director of Friends of Friendless Churches, said: \"They left it looking like a bomb landed.\" Gwent Police is investigating the theft and Mr Saunders said he thought thieves were targeting metal inside the building. \"It's completely absurd because the metal is worth practically nothing,\" he said. \"We're very upset by it, but we will not be deterred from opening the church.\" Friends of Friendless Churches saved St Mary's from closure when it took over in the late 1980s. The building is medieval in origin. Mr Saunders said the total value of the theft and damage was not fully known, adding: \"It's both petty and monstrously disrespectful.\" A decision on what to do about the missing pipes from the mid-19th Century organ will be taken when the church committee meets in October.", "summary": "\"Monstrously disrespectful\" thieves have wrecked and ransacked a church in Monmouthshire."}
{"article": "The 80-year-old Tokyo market is known for its tuna auctions which supply many of the capital's top sushi restaurants. Smoke could be seen billowing from shops on the outskirts of the market on Thursday, as dozens of fire engines tackled the flames. The fire was out by Thursday night and there were no reports of injuries. Tsukiji's interior industrial market - where the famous tuna auctions take place - was undamaged and the area was open to tourists as usual. The blaze broke out at about 16:50 local time (07:50 GMT), Japanese broadcaster NHK said, in the outer region of the market and close to the surrounding area's narrow streets. The area is home to many sushi restaurants and shops, some of which have been evacuated, NHK reports. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The blaze seems to have affected several old wooden buildings. The market was constructed in 1935, in the aftermath of the great Kanto earthquake of 1923, and built largely from corrugated iron sheds. Today, it is a sprawling, busy market, but is seen by many as rundown and overcrowded. Nonetheless, its enormous volume and variety of produce means it receives tens of thousands of tourist visitors each year. The market is due to be moved by the end of 2017. Efforts to move the market to a more modern location have been met with resistance by many of the workers, some of whom have been in the family business for generations. Tokyo's governor, Yuriko Koike, has previously said the market needs to be rebuilt because of its age - and the associated risk of it being vulnerable to earthquakes, which are not uncommon in Japan.", "summary": "Firefighters have extinguished a blaze at Japan's famous Tsukiji fish market - the largest in the world and a top tourist attraction."}
{"article": "The rules will also apply to less senior staff who could nonetheless do serious harm to a bank. It comes two years after a parliamentary commission proposed a shake-up of the UK banking industry in the wake of the financial crisis. The regime will take effect from March. The new rules follow a public outcry after a series of scandals in the industry, including Libor rigging and foreign exchange rate fixing. The Chancellor George Osborne said in his annual Mansion House speech last month: \"The public rightly asks why it is that after so many scandals, and such cost to the country, so few individuals have faced punishment in the courts.\" The Bank of England governor, Mark Carney, said at the same event that the \"age of irresponsibility\" was over as he set out new plans for jail terms for rogue bankers and traders who manipulate markets to be lengthened from seven to 10 years. Earlier today, the former UBS and Citigroup trader Tom Hayes, who is accused of manipulating the Libor rate, told a court at his trial that senior managers knew what he was doing. \"I acted with complete transparency... My managers knew, my manager's manager knew. In some cases the CEO [chief executive] was aware of it,\" he said. Mr Hayes is the first person to be prosecuted over the Libor scandal which cost Barclays Bank a then record \u00c2\u00a3290m in 2012 before Royal Bank of Scotland \u00c2\u00a3390m for its part in the scandal. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA) - part of the Bank of England - said their new rules would place the \"burden of proof\" on top banking executives in incidents of wrongdoing within their companies. The rules replace existing arrangements that require regulators to prove senior executives were responsible for wrongdoing. FCA chief executive Martin Wheatley said: \"Today we have given clarity on rules that will embed personal accountability into the culture of the City. New conduct rules will add further momentum to improving standards across the industry.\" The PRA's rule book sets out a list of key individuals to be held to account including chief executives, finance directors, chairmen and senior non-independent directors. It means senior banking figures will be subject to a new \"presumption of responsibility\", meaning they will be guilty of misconduct if rules are broken in a part of a bank under their control. The PRA will consider what they knew or ought to have known about the breach, scrutinising meeting minutes, email and telephone records. Bankers will avoid punishment if they can show they took reasonable steps to avoid rules being broken, such as pre-emptive actions including reviews of the business. A certification regime will cover staff who give investment advice as well as traders submitting benchmarks - such as for interbank lending rate Libor. The FCA said it was consulting on expanding the latter to cover a wider scope of traders' activity. Regulators are also proposing a new package of measures to formalise banks' procedures for whistleblowing. British Bankers' Association (BBA) executive director Simon Hills", "summary": "City regulators have published final rules that make top bank executives responsible for the misconduct of their employees -unless they can show they took steps to stop it."}
{"article": "Ingram made 101 not out off 47 balls and, although Wright later matched his score, Glamorgan won by 18 runs. Colin Ackermann hit a six off the final ball as Leicestershire edged out Lancashire in a thrilling finish. Surrey beat Somerset despite a 12-run over-rate penalty and there were also wins for holders Northants and Kent. A total of 66 sixes were struck in Sunday's five games, 19 of them in the Sussex v Glamorgan game. While South Africa's Test team crashed to a 211-run defeat against England at Lord's, it was a good day for some of their compatriots on the county circuit - especially those playing for Glamorgan. Chief among them was Ingram, who hit seven sixes to rescue his side from 7-2. He added 130 with former Proteas batsman Jacques Rudolph (49) and then 70 off the final six overs with Johannesburg-born Chris Cooke (37 not out) as they posted 198-3. When it was Glamorgan's turn to field, Ingram weighed in with the wickets of Ross Taylor and Ben Brown. And although Wright equalled Ingram's sixes tally in his 101 off 53 balls, he fell to another South African, Marchant de Lange, in the penultimate over as they came up short on 180-6. At Aigburth, Liam Livingstone (48 off 34 balls) and Jos Buttler (39 off 21) were the main contributors to Lancashire Lightning's 173-9. Leicestershire looked comfortable needing only six off the final over, but Mathew Pillans was run out after four singles to start the over. Ackermann was on strike for the final ball from Kyle Jarvis and managed to clear the rope at deep extra cover to finish with an unbeaten 62 off 41 balls as they won by three wickets. \"In T20 cricket you have to come in with good intent, to hit the ball and to run hard,\" he told BBC Radio Leicester. Somerset looked dead and buried against Surrey at The Oval as they were reduced to 82-7 after Arran Finch's 61 off 42 balls led the home side to 181-7. But Surrey had reckoned without New Zealander Corey Anderson, who raced to a 30-ball half-century - and a decision by the umpires to award 12 penalty runs to the visitors because of their poor over-rate. Somerset needed 12 to win off the last over, but Anderson was run out for 81 - and innings featuring seven sixes - and Surrey scraped home by four runs. \"They said we were tight, but I certainly was trying to do everything I could (to keep the rate up),\" Surrey skipper Jade Dernbach told BBC Radio London. \"The other night, being on TV, there seemed to be a different kind of timekeeping taking place compared to this game. I'd like to see some consistency from a captain's point of view, so we know we're at. But we still got over the line and that's the most important thing.\" Essex import Mohammed Amir came in for some rough treatment from the Kent batsmen at Beckenham, with Joe Denly hitting three sixes and a four in his second", "summary": "Glamorgan's Colin Ingram and Luke Wright of Sussex hit the first T20 Blast centuries of the summer in a high-scoring clash at Arundel."}
{"article": "The woman was hit by the car on Emma Street at about 09:40 on Monday and became trapped between the pavement and the vehicle. Firefighters used chocks and blocks to stabilise the car and free the casualty. Police and the ambulance service also attended, and the woman was treated by paramedics for a leg injury.", "summary": "Fire crews had to free a 79-year-old woman who was trapped under a car following a crash in Blairgowrie."}
{"article": "Rosie Batty, 52, from Tyabb, a small town in Victoria, began her work after her son Luke, 11, was stabbed to death. She received the award from Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott at a ceremony at Parliament House, Canberra. The award winners are selected from public nominations and announced ahead of Australia Day, on 26 January. The 2015 Young Australian of the Year is 21-year-old West Australian Drisana Levitzke-Gray, a young deaf woman who advocates for other deaf people. Senior Australian of the Year is 61-year-old Jackie French from New South Wales, a children's author and advocate for children with learning difficulties, and the Australian Local Hero is 41-year-old Juliette Wright from Queensland, who established an online platform to get goods and services to vulnerable and marginalised people. This year was the first time in the 55-year history of the awards that women have secured the top honour in all four categories. The recipients were great Australians and great role models, said chairman of the National Australia Day Council, Ben Roberts-Smith. \"It is a great moment in the 55-year history of these awards to honour four women. \"Rosie, Jackie, Drisana and Juliette remind us of the many ways in which women contribute to our nation; that women are a force for change, a voice for rights, influencers, educators and the heart of our communities,\" he said. After her son's death, UK-born Ms Batty emerged as an articulate and powerful advocate for the rights of women and children living in violent relationships, giving new force to efforts to prevent family violence across Australia. Family violence activists say Ms Batty's ability to explain to the public why so many women struggle to protect their children from violent partners helped make the issue of family violence a key campaign issue for all political parties in last November's Victoria state election. Greg Anderson, 54, killed Luke Batty in front of shocked onlookers at a cricket oval in Tyabb. The father and son had been playing together during an access visit in February 2014 when Anderson suddenly struck his son with a cricket bat and stabbed him. Anderson was shot by police after threatening them with a knife when they tried to detain him. He died later in hospital. Ms Batty was at the cricket ground when the attack happened. The public killing shocked Australians in a way that many other acts of family violence committed every week in the country have not.", "summary": "A woman who became a campaigner against domestic violence after her son was killed by his father last February has been named Australian of the Year."}
{"article": "Gareth Graham was giving evidence to a Stormont inquiry into the National Asset Management Agency's (Nama) \u00c2\u00a31bn sale of its Northern Ireland loan portfolio. Loans held by his property companies were sold to Cerberus, the US investment fund, as part of that deal. Mr Graham said he has tapes of \"thousands\" of phone calls made by Frank Cushnahan, a businessman who worked with him and was later a Nama advisor. The tapes were made between 2005 and 2008 when Mr Cushnahan worked with the Graham family's bookmaking business. The committee was told the tapes would be made available to law enforcement agencies. Phonecalls in and out of the Grahams' business were recorded for regulatory reasons. The business relationship between the Grahams and Mr Cushnahan broke down in 2008. Mr Graham claimed Mr Cushnahan was then \"intent on destroying our businesses\". Mr Cushnahan has previously issued a statement to the media denying any wrongdoing. Mr Graham added that he has already spoken to the National Crime Agency and made a complaint to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Read more: Nama deal - the background and the key figures Mr Graham said Mr Cushnahan relinquished his shareholding in the bookmaking business in 2010 but kept a 5% shareholding in the Grahams' property businesses. The loans held by those property businesses were later moved into Nama. Mr Graham said that should have led to a declaration of interest by Mr Cushnahan when he became a Nama advisor. Mr Cushnahan has previously said he did give up the property firm interests and that it was due to an \"administrative error\" that he was still listed as a shareholder. Nama committee minutes seen by the BBC also show that Mr Cushnahan did make declarations of interests on a number of occasions. Mr Graham is fighting a High Court battle in an attempt to win back control of his firms. He told the committee that Cerberus had been \"ruthless, unjust and unreasonable\". Earlier, the committee voted to call loyalist blogger and flag protestor Jamie Bryson to give evidence to its inquiry. Mr Bryson has made allegations on social media regarding the deal and has written to the committee claiming to have relevant information. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) members of the committee and the Alliance Party's Judith Cochrane voted against calling him. The DUP's Jim Wells said he opposed calling Mr Bryson as he could make \"even wilder allegations\" under committee privilege than the claims on his blogs. Mrs Cochrane voted against on the basis that the committee needed to take further steps to ensure Mr Bryson's evidence remains with the inquiry's terms of reference. The committee has been investigating the circumstances of the Nama deal after an allegation by Irish politician Mick Wallace that a Northern Ireland politician was in line for a \u00c2\u00a37m payment as a result of the transaction. But it has been constrained in the questions it can ask as events surrounding the loan sale are now being investigated by police. Last week, the Law Society of Northern Ireland appeared before the committee but", "summary": "A Belfast businessman has said he has hundreds of hours of tapes showing an \"ingrained culture of inappropriate and possibly illegal conduct\" across political, banking, legal and accountancy sectors."}
{"article": "For chief executive Somnath Saha, the economics of tea are simple and brutal. Typhoo Tea produces 125 million tea bags a week at its factory in Moreton, Wirral, which have just one ingredient - tea leaves, and they are imported. Black tea is a global commodity, traded in dollars. Following the fall in sterling since the Brexit vote, costs have soared for this renowned brand as 95% of its sales are in the UK. \"This is an absolute disaster for a company the size of ours,\" says Mr Saha. \"The very sharp fall in the pound means the impact is at least a quarter of a million pounds a month for us. This is having a very negative impact on our business and we are really suffering. It's now come to a point where it's not sustainable for us.\" The news comes amid warnings of rising prices in the grocery sector, and with supermarket chain Morrisons increasing the cost of a jar of Marmite by 12.5%. There are plenty of winners from the fall in the value of sterling. But Typhoo Tea is a graphic illustration of what it's like for a business with one raw imported material. Typhoo has been trading for more than a century. These days, most of its black tea comes from Kenya. It's then blended and packaged on site. The company also packages own-label tea for most of the major supermarkets. In addition, it produces a range of herbal teas and those ingredients are sourced in euros. It's a high-volume, low-margin business. The cost of the ingredient depends on the quality of the leaf. A typical 80kg bag of black tea could be bought for \u00a390 to \u00a3100 at the beginning of the year. The company says that same bag now costs \u00a3120 to \u00a3150 at the weekly international auctions. In other words, it is paying an awful lot more for the same amount of tea. \"We don't have big enough margins between us and retailers to absorb all these costs. We're looking at how to mitigate some of them, from our labour, overheads and marketing costs, which will affect the growth of the business and employment in long run. But some of these currency costs will have to be passed on, as neither us nor the retailers can absorb any more cost increases,\" Mr Saha says. Like other suppliers, he is in discussions with the supermarkets about price rises. He denies posturing to try to secure a better deal. \"Absolutely not. This is a really serious situation for us. Nobody wants to do this, but ultimately some of the costs will go to the shoppers. There is no other option,\" Mr Saha says. \"It's one of the favourite drinks of this country. It's very unfortunate. It's nobody's fault - it's due to the economic conditions.\" Typhoo Tea is owned by the Indian conglomerate Apeejay Surrendra Group, which Mr Saha says has supported the UK business for the last few months. But he warned that if the fall in the pound was sustained, his business would be", "summary": "The cost of a cuppa will have to rise, according to the boss of Typhoo."}
{"article": "Maj Matthew Collins, 38, from Backwell, in Somerset, and L/Sgt Mark Burgan, 28, from Liverpool, died on Wednesday when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb. Their commanding officer said their loss was \"a devastating blow\". Their deaths take to 362 the total number of UK military personnel to have died in Afghanistan since 2001. Maj Collins joined 1st Battalion Irish Guards and had also served in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Northern Ireland and Iraq. He was the company commander of Number 3 Company, and leaves behind two children and his wife, Lucy. His family said in a statement: \"Not only a soldier but a caring husband, devoted father to Freya and Charlie, caring son, wonderful brother and friend to many. We will all miss him and remember him always.\" L/Sgt Mark Burgan joined the Guards in 1999 and had also served in Northern Ireland and Iraq. His wife, Leanne, said: \"I am so honoured to be Mark's wife. I will always love my hero. \"Mark was an extremely proud Irish Guardsman, dad, husband, brother and son. He will forever be in our hearts.\" The two men were returning to base from an operation aimed at disrupting insurgent groups in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb. Lt Col Christopher Ghika, commanding officer of 1st Battalion Irish Guards, said: \"Two more committed and professional soldiers it would be hard to meet; they epitomised what it meant to be a member of this family regiment.\" He said Maj Collins had played a key role in training Afghan soldiers, adding: \"It is a telling fact that there is a deep sense of sorrow hanging over the 3rd Kandak of the Afghan Brigade today, such is the respect in which they held Matt Collins.\" Speaking about L/Sgt Burgan, Lt Col Ghika said: \"The notes given to me by his company commander, alongside whom he died, say it all: 'Knows what has to be done, does it brilliantly and has the next thing ready before you ask'.\" The commanding officer added: \"It is perhaps a comment on the character of this regiment that both Lucy Collins and Leanne Burgan are the daughters of distinguished and long serving Irish Guardsmen. \"The events of last night are a family tragedy in every sense.\" Defence Secretary Liam Fox said both were men \"of great experience and exemplary commitment\". \"They have laid down their lives protecting our national security, a loss made all the more poignant as they were so close to finishing their tour of duty and returning home,\" he said.", "summary": "Two soldiers from 1st Battalion Irish Guards killed in Afghanistan just six days before they were due to return home have been named."}
{"article": "A letter has been sent to all 45 elected members setting out Market Abuse Regulations. They have been asked to sign the letter acknowledging the terms and return it to the authority's legal department. It comes after the council became the first in Scotland to issue bonds on the stock exchange worth \u00a3370m. That followed credit rating agency Moody's assigning Aberdeen an Aa2 rating. It will be used to fund infrastructure projects including the new Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) and the City Centre Masterplan. The local authority said the bonds were less expensive than other available loans. BBC Scotland understands that some councillors were initially concerned about the terms of the letter and whether it would impact on their ability to raise concerns publicly about the council's finances. Insider dealing - where a person uses inside financial information to their benefit - is a criminal offence and is punishable by a heavy fine or imprisonment. Market abuse is when someone can be given an unlimited fine for disclosing financial information that might affect the value of bonds and investments. As well as councillors, senior officials at Aberdeen City Council are also included in the insiders list that must be disclosed to the Financial Conduct Authority on request. An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said: \"Aberdeen City Council successfully issued bonds on the London Stock Exchange in 2016 and as a result must comply with the Market Abuse Regulations. \"In line with these regulations, the council is obliged to keep a list of those individuals who have access to inside information. \"Elected members and staff who have been identified as having access to inside information relating to Aberdeen City Council have been notified in writing and asked to acknowledge receipt of that letter, which contains further detail of the insider list and its purpose. \"Training sessions on the Bond and compliance with associated regulations are under way for elected members and staff, underlining the responsibilities of the organisation and individuals. It should be stressed that the requirements for confidentiality in relation to specific subjects and issues are in line with the existing terms of employment and Councillors' Code of Conduct. \"The Bond issue was the subject of several reports to full Council in 2016, which outlined the implications of the public listing on the London Stock Exchange and made it clear it was highly likely all elected members would be on the Aberdeen City Council Insider List. These reports were considered and recommendations approved by elected members during full Council prior to the Bond issue.\" The council said that so far no one had refused to sign the letter, and councillors have been given until Friday to respond. Currently all of Scotland's councillors are governed by a code of conduct. In extreme cases, a councillor can be disqualified from office for five years for any breach. Aberdeen City Councillors now face a potential police investigation if they are suspected of breaching Market Abuse Regulations.", "summary": "Aberdeen councillors are being warned they face prison or fines if they break London Stock Exchange laws on insider dealing, BBC Scotland has learned."}
{"article": "Both teams had first-half openings, with Clarets defender Michael Keane twice unable to keep headers on target, while Hull's Robert Snodgrass failed to beat Tom Heaton with a volley. Moses Odubajo forced another save from Heaton at the start of the second half. Tigers keeper Allan McGregor spilled Joey Barton's shot to Sam Vokes and he kept his cool to slot home the rebound. The result meant the third-placed Clarets are one point behind both the Tigers and Middlesbrough, but have played more games than both. Media playback is not supported on this device Hull hammered Dyche's men 3-0 when the two sides last met on Boxing Day, but a repeat of that never looked likely with the hosts deserving their narrow win. Barton came close to opening the scoring after half an hour when his skidding free-kick forced a low save from McGregor before the keeper denied the same player from a header. The pivotal moment in the game came in the 77th minute when Wales international Vokes reacted quickest to McGregor's save from another Barton effort. Hull substitute Chuba Akpom had a shot saved but he could not prevent his side suffering a first defeat since 28 December. Burnley manager Sean Dyche: \"I always knew it was going to be tight, but looking back I think we controlled the quality of the game overall. \"Hull are a very strong defensive side with a real depth of experience, but we've managed to breach them one more time than they breached us. \"We're right up there in the hunt, but nothing will be decided yet.\" Hull manager Steve Bruce: \"There was loads of heart and endeavour out there, and that from two top-class teams. It was never going to be a classic in weather like that. \"We carved out some great chances, but maybe we just missed that killer instinct in front of goal that you need. \"We've lost, but you just have to accept the result and move on. And we will do. \"We've played well in really difficult conditions. It's been an opportunity missed for us to create a bit of daylight at the top, but I couldn't fault the players.\" Match ends, Burnley 1, Hull City 0. Second Half ends, Burnley 1, Hull City 0. Substitution, Burnley. Rouwen Hennings replaces Andre Gray. Corner, Burnley. Conceded by Allan McGregor. Foul by Joey Barton (Burnley). Isaac Hayden (Hull City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Substitution, Hull City. Tom Huddlestone replaces Jake Livermore. Delay in match Ben Mee (Burnley) because of an injury. Offside, Burnley. David Jones tries a through ball, but Sam Vokes is caught offside. George Boyd (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Robert Snodgrass (Hull City). Sam Vokes (Burnley) is shown the yellow card. Sam Vokes (Burnley) has gone down, but that's a dive. Attempt blocked. Andre Gray (Burnley) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by George Boyd. Goal! Burnley 1, Hull City 0. Sam Vokes (Burnley) right footed shot", "summary": "Burnley celebrated boss Sean Dyche's new contract by beating leaders Hull City to close within a point of them."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old Swede joins the League One club on a two-year deal, with the option of a one-year extension. Former Malmo and Hacken player Pekalski is Oxford United's fourth overseas signing since manager Pep Clotet was appointed in July. \"I'm happy to be here and it's been a pretty natural decision to make the move,\" he told BBC Radio Oxford. \"After 11 years of playing in Sweden, I was looking for something that would be a challenge and a bit of an adventure. \"I've worked with Pep before (at Malmo), he's a brilliant coach and I've heard a lot about Oxford's ambition, which I think is really interesting.\" Pekalski has made 15 appearances for Halmstads in the Swedish top division this season after joining the club in March. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Oxford United have signed midfielder Ivo Pekalski from Swedish side Halmstads for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "The deal will keep the Ivory Coast international at the Etihad Stadium until 2017. \"This is where I want to be,\" the 29-year-old told the club website. \"I will never forget how I have been treated here by the fans, the club and the owners and nothing would give me greater pleasure than to finish my career as a Manchester City player.\" Toure joined City from Barcelona for a reported \u00a324m in 2010, having helped the Spanish giants win the Champions League title a year earlier. The box-to-box midfielder has since been an integral member of Roberto Mancini's side, scoring the winning goal in the 2011 FA Cup final and a crucial double against Newcastle United last May to keep the eventual Premier League champions in the title hunt. We must try to finish on a high note and then start preparing to win more next season Toure has scored eight goals this season as City have progressed to a Wembley FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on Sunday 14 April, but his side made an early Champions League exit and are 15 points behind Manchester United in the league with only seven games remaining. \"Of course now it looks likely that we will not successfully defend the Premier League title and that is sad for all of us,\" Toure added. \"But we can still finish second and win the FA Cup for a second time in three years and that is still an achievement for a club that won nothing for a long time. \"We must try to finish on a high note and then start preparing to win more next season. Football is always a challenge and always a puzzle to solve and that is why we all love the game. \"You have to use your skill, intelligence and strength to constantly improve and that is what we at City intend to do.\"", "summary": "Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has signed a new four-year contract with the Premier League club."}
{"article": "Three Pugs, a Chihuahua, a Jug - a Pug crossed with a Jack Russell - and a Puggle, a Pug-Beagle crossbreed, were taken in Kemble Road, Forest Hill. A witness said they saw two men load the animals into a black VW van and drive off. The Met confirmed four dogs were swiped in a similar incident outside a house in nearby Streatham in July. Dog owner Yuriko Matsukawa, whose five-year-old pug Pia was taken earlier, said the stolen pets were valuable, with pug puppies worth around \u00c2\u00a31,000. She added: \"I'm devastated. I'm desperate to be reunited with her.\" The Evening Standard reported the dogs in Streatham were stolen from a dog walker's van in Glennie Road. The Met Police confirmed the pets were still missing. The Greater London Authority said last month there had been an an increase in dog thefts in the capital since 2013. It found dog thefts made up the majority of domestic pet thefts across London and had increased from 186 in 2014 to 217 in 2015.", "summary": "Six pets worth thousands of pounds have been stolen from a dog walker's van in south London."}
{"article": "The actor was killed by his own car at his home in Los Angeles in June. It struck him after rolling backwards down the steep drive, pinning him against a brick postbox pillar and a security fence. Court records show Victor and Irina Yelchin filed to become administrators of their son's estate on Friday. The filing states Yelchin left behind at least $641,000 (\u00a3486,000) in personal property and had $731,000 (\u00a3554,000) in equity in his home. Yelchin was best known for playing Pavel Chekov in the new Star Trek films. TMZ reports that Yelchin's parents plan to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler, which made the Jeep that killed their son. They are expected to announce their intentions to file the suit at a press conference on Tuesday. In April, the company recalled 1.1m vehicles worldwide over the risk they could roll away after drivers exit. The vehicle that killed Yelchin, who was 27 years old, was one of those subject to a recall because the gear shifters confused drivers, causing the vehicles to roll away unexpectedly. Fiat Chrysler offered their sympathies to Yelchin's family in a statement, but said it could not comment on their plans for a lawsuit. The company added it was speeding up its recall of the vehicle. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Anton Yelchin did not write a will before he died and left behind a $1.4m (\u00a31.06m) estate, according to court documents filed by his parents."}
{"article": "The Reds had failed to score more than once in their previous 10 League Two games, but were dominant against Warren Feeney's side. County striker Scott Boden opened the scoring at the wrong end when his header beat Joe Day after 36 minutes. Shamir Fenelon then headed home eight minutes after the break, before Newport's Medy Elito was sent off with five minutes left for two yellow cards. \"It was disappointing, I don't think we got going from the first whistle, we couldn't get into a rhythm and our passing was poor,\" Newport manager Feeney told BBC Radio Wales. \"We have to put it to bed and move on to the next game, we are still in a fantastic position to avoid relegation and that is still my aim. \"You have ups and downs in a season and this was a down, the worst performance since I have been the manager. No-one likes to get beaten.\"", "summary": "Crawley completed a double over Newport County with a comfortable 2-0 victory."}
{"article": "The unfortunate moggy was found by Darren Sumner when the vehicle broke down in Reading, Berkshire. Mr Sumner said: \"He was warm and scared so I sat and stroked him for about 30 minutes until I coaxed him out.\" The RSPCA wants to reunite the cat with his owner, thought to be in Tottenham where the van started its journey. The cat, nicknamed Sparky, was unscathed by his ordeal on 28 August. Mr Sumner, who took the cat home overnight, said: \"He used a litter tray so I think he's probably someone's pet. \"He woke me up at about 3am in the morning for a play. I hope his owners can be found.\" Sparky, who is thought to be about a year old, was taken to the vet for a check up. He was also scanned to see if he was micro-chipped - which would have revealed details of his owner - but unfortunately no chip was found. Helena Peace, from the RSPCA in Reading, said: \"He was traumatised but physically unhurt. He's certainly used up one of his nine lives.\"", "summary": "A cat has been rescued from under the bonnet of a van after travelling about 60 miles in a space behind the heater matrix."}
{"article": "The teenager said James Comey's decision to publicise part of the FBI's investigation into Mr Weiner had led to her being hounded by news reporters. Mr Comey announced last week that the investigation had turned up fresh emails relating to Hillary Clinton. Mr Weiner is married to Mrs Clinton's political aide Huma Abedin. In an open letter, the teenager said reporters had \"canvassed\" her area. \"Every media outlet from local to national has contacted me and my family to get my 'story'\", she wrote. \"Why couldn't your letter have waited until after the election, so I would not have to be the centre of attention the last week of the election cycle?\" She accused the FBI director of taking a \"vague approach\" in announcing that emails had been discovered on Mr Weiner's laptop that related to Mrs Clinton. She said the lack of detail in his announcement led reporters to chase her for clues about what might have been found. In the letter, addressed directly to Mr Comey and published by Buzzfeed, the alleged victim wrote: \"I am the 15-year-old (now 16) who was the victim of Anthony Weiner. \"I now add you to the list of people who have victimized me. I told my story originally to protect other young girls that might be a victim of online predators.\" She went on to say: \"I thought your job as FBI Director was to protect me. I thought if I co-operated with your investigation, my identity as a minor would be kept secret. That is no longer the case. My family and I are barraged by reporters' phone calls and emails. \"I have been even been blamed in a newspaper for causing Donald Trump to now be leading in some polls and costing Hillary the election. \"Anthony Weiner is the abuser. Your letter helped that abuse to continue. How can I rebuild my life when you have made finding out my \"story\" the goal of every reporter?\" She signed the letter \"Girl that lost her faith in America\". Mr Weiner and Ms Abedin recently split following a series of revelations that Mr Weiner had exchanged sexual messages with other women. Reports on Thursday said he had entered a rehab clinic to treat sex addiction. The FBI last month closed a large-scale investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, but Mr Comey announced last week that the law enforcement body was examining fresh emails found on Mr Weiner's laptop. The FBI director has been heavily criticised by leading Democrats, who allege that the timing of his announcement threatens to influence next week's general election. US law prohibits public officials such as Mr Comey from using their position to influence the outcome of an election. Opinion polls showed that Mrs Clinton's lead over her Republican rival Donald Trump had narrowed slightly in the wake of Mr Comey's announcement. Both candidates have been campaigning in the key swing state of Florida ahead of next Tuesday's election.", "summary": "A 15-year-old girl who was allegedly sent indecent messages by former US congressman Anthony Weiner has criticised the director of the FBI."}
{"article": "There's no getting away from it - the big-screen adaptation of the 1990s TV series is simply two hours of pure entertainment. The action sequences are huge, the soundtrack is awesome, and the people are ludicrously good looking. But it's also just totally ridiculous, which may not surprise those who have seen the trailer. Or read the somewhat less-than-kind reviews. Dwayne Johnson - the highest paid (and most annoyingly likeable) movie star in the world - takes the lead in the reboot as Mitch alongside Zac Efron, who plays Brody. Kelly Rohrbach, Alexandra Daddario and Priyanka Chopra also star, and there are, most importantly, cameo appearances from David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson. (I would've thought they'd want to keep those as a surprise, personally, but their names appear in giant letters at the beginning alongside the rest of the cast.) But this incarnation of Baywatch is much more knowing and tongue-in-cheek than it was in Hasselhoff and Anderson's day. The film itself is long - presumably to allow for the slow-motion button to be used to its full potential when any character is running down the shoreline. Those who lived through the TV show will remember the appeal of such bouncy scenes, which were a key part of helping the series become a worldwide phenomenon. And a phenomenon it was. Baywatch became the most-watched television show in the world at the time and represented a huge cultural shift. Anderson was the embodiment of a look which rose to prominence in the 90s - skinny, blonde, and enhanced by plastic surgery. But strangely, the show arguably also had a moral compass, which may help explain why it got its early evening slot on TV. The lifeguards were portrayed as something of a family, working as a cohesive team and looking out for each other while saving lives. A lot of the storylines felt wholesome and saw characters doing the \"right thing\" - an odd juxtaposition with the highly sexualised elements of the series. Mitch's relationship with his son is a good example - Hasselhoff's character is seen as a model single father to Hobie, doing his best to raise him with good morals and life skills despite the absence of the boy's mother. But in many other ways, Baywatch is rather problematic. It goes without saying that, in real life, very few of us indeed look as good as the Baywatch lifeguards as they dash down the beach in their orange swimsuits. The male characters played by Johnson and Efron are muscular to a borderline unhealthy degree, while the women are tanned, big-chested and and impossibly skinny. Nearly 30 years on from the show's TV premiere, you'd like to think we've come further than still accepting these as beauty ideals. Stars such as Lena Dunham and Sarah Hyland have started to hit back at \"body shaming\" in recent years - a term which barely existed when the TV show aired. Social media has helped drive a movement of being proud of who you are and how you look, and there's now a bigger", "summary": "It's strange to go to the cinema and come out feeling like you've seen an utterly brilliant film and a truly awful film at the same time - but the new Baywatch really does tick both boxes."}
{"article": "Walt Disney said subscriber numbers for its sports channel ESPN had dropped. Viewers are moving away from packages offered by cable companies to simpler services and stand-alone streaming. Time Warner also fell 9%, despite better-than-expected profit figures. The Dow Jones shed 0.06% to 17,067 points. The S&P 500 gained 0.31% to 2,099.88 points. The Nasdaq rose 0.67% to 5,139.95 points. Discovery Communications fell 13% after reporting lower advertising sales and a strong dollar for below forecast profits. Twenty-First Century Fox were down 7%, CBS down 5% and Viacom shares 7%. Barton Crockett, an analyst at FBR Capital Markets, said: \"If Disney can get dinged, maybe nobody's safe.\" But bucking the trend, Dish Network reported higher-than-expected revenue and profit and shares rose 4%. Priceline Group rose 6% after the travel company reported profit and revenue that beat analysts' forecasts. First Solar, up 17% and Ralph Lauren, turned an earlier 2.3%, gain into a loss of 1% despite releasing results that pleased investors. Economic data was disappointing. Private employers hired 185,000 workers last month, according to the ADP National Employment Report. That fell short of economists' forecasts for an increase of 215,000. The report also revised down June's private payroll gains to 229,000 from the 237,000 reported before. Investors will be looking to Friday's non-farm payroll data.", "summary": "(Close): Disney shares closed down 9% after disappointing earnings figures sparking share price falls in rival cable companies."}
{"article": "Joe Cardle slotted in his eighth of the season before setting up Kallum Higginbotham to extend the Pars' lead. Dumbarton's Craig Barr hit the crossbar with a second-half header but the Sons then had Andy Dowie sent off for two bookings. Substitutes Nicky Clark and Andy Ryan added late goals to add gloss to the visitors' victory. That is four wins on the bounce for Allan Johnston's men and on this form Dunfermline appear to be more than capable of sustaining a promotion challenge. Of the six players playing in midfield or attack, only Nate Wedderburn really sits back. That security allowed Cardle, Higginbotham, Declan McManus, Dean Shiels and Callum Smith to roam forward in the first half. Cardle converted at the back post after a messy scramble following good initial play down the right by McManus. A superb counter-attack brought the Pars their second, as Higginbotham rolled the ball calmly into the far corner from a fairly tight angle. Dumbarton nearly reduced the deficit, but Barr's header bounced off the woodwork after he had connected with Tom Walsh's corner. The Sons also felt aggrieved not to be given a penalty when Ally Roy appeared to be clipped just inside the box. Dowie was given his marching orders with 15 minutes to go, before Clark made his comeback from an ankle injury to head in David Hopkirk's cross. Clark then back-heeled to tee up another substitute Ryan for a well-executed, low curled shot into the far left corner. Dunfermline manager Allan Johnston: \"I'm happy but I'm realistic as well because we know it's only the start of the season. We've started really strongly, we've got a really good, competitive squad and we've got people that can score goals. \"We're defending really well as well, so it's a good balance to have. We've just to make sure we keep up that kind of performance. \"I don't think we lacked confidence last season, it was a step up and it took us a bit of time to get in our stride. It's about consistency and coming to places like Dumbarton and winning. We can't take our foot off the gas.\" Dumbarton manager Stevie Aitken: \"We gave Dunfermline a two-goal start and you can't do that with a team of the quality of Dunfermline. There was indecision by the goalkeeper in the first one, then we gave the ball away cheaply for the second. \"Second half there was plenty of endeavour and we hit the crossbar, but it was a disappointing day. \"Danny Handling has come in and has this problem with his knee we weren't aware of. We don't know what's wrong with it, but we can't go into a game having to take a player off after 10 minutes because of a knee injury - so we'll have to get that looked at.\" Match ends, Dumbarton 0, Dunfermline Athletic 4. Second Half ends, Dumbarton 0, Dunfermline Athletic 4. Attempt blocked. Christian Nade (Dumbarton) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Stuart Carswell (Dumbarton). Kallum Higginbotham (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a", "summary": "Dunfermline climbed to the top of the Championship with an emphatic victory at Dumbarton."}
{"article": "It warned last year that profits would be \u00c2\u00a320m lower than in the year before. Operating profits were down 22% at \u00c2\u00a369.5m, in line with that guidance, but the company also chopped its dividend from 42p to 25p. De La Rue, which is more than 200 years old, makes notes for 150 countries including the UK. Shares in De La Rue fell by 10% in early trade before recovering slightly. However, in lunchtime trade they were still 47.5p, or 8.6%, lower at 506p. The company complained last year that its latest contract from the Bank of England was less favourable and that other countries would be encouraged to improve their contracts when renegotiating. It has been battling rising costs, largely the price of paper, for a number of years. De La Rue, which has customers in 65 countries, also makes biometric passports.", "summary": "Shares in banknote printer De La Rue tumbled almost 9% after the firm reported lower full-year profits and cut its dividend by 40%."}
{"article": "Wales international McCusker, 30, has impressed in the back row since a return from injury last month. Eleventh-placed Irish face Northampton on Saturday, looking for a first Premiership away win in almost a year. \"We'll be keen to stay in touch with them as much as possible,\" McCusker told BBC Radio Berkshire. Irish sit level on points with fellow strugglers Newcastle ahead of the trip to Franklin's Gardens and will be keen to maintain the momentum of their recent home form. \"We've had some games recently where we've been in it or just behind at half-time,\" said McCusker. \"But in the second half we've had games where we've just capitulated and been a totally different team. \"If we let Northampton get too far ahead, they'll be buoyed by that.\" The former Scarlets captain left the Pro 12 club in September by mutual agreement as he joined Irish on an initial one-year deal. Capped six times by his country, McCusker admitted the decision was driven by a need to play more games. \"I didn't really know how I'd ever leave,\" he said. \"But circumstances changed and it wasn't the place I had fallen in love with. \"So it made the decision a lot easier. It was probably the right time and felt like the right thing to do.\"", "summary": "London Irish number eight Rob McCusker believes confidence can flourish among his team-mates after their crucial Premiership victory against Worcester."}
{"article": "Some firms said they could not recruit or retain the staff they needed. The Local Government Association said it was the result of \"historic under-funding\" and an ageing population. The government declined an interview but said English councils had received \u00a39.25bn for social care. The figure for the number of cancelled contracts comes from a Freedom of Information request, which was responded to by 197 of 212 UK councils. According to the research, carried out for Panorama by Opus Restructuring and Company Watch, 69 home care companies have closed in the last three months and one in four of the UK's 2,500 home care companies is at risk of insolvency. Councillor Izzi Seccombe from the Local Government Association - which represents councils across England and Wales - said: \"We have warned that the combination of the historic under-funding of adult social care, and the significant pressures of an ageing population and the national living wage, are pushing the care provider market to the brink of collapse. \"These figures show the enormous strain providers are under, and emphasises the urgent need for a long-term, sustainable solution to the social care funding crisis.\" Many home care companies say their biggest problem is recruitment and retention of carers. The Centre for Workforce Intelligence estimates at least two million more carers will be needed by 2025 in England alone, in both in-home care and care homes, to cope with growing demand. Last October, the regulator for England, the Care Quality Commission, warned that adult social care was at a tipping point. One home care company, Cymorth Llaw, which had contracts with three councils in north Wales, told Panorama it had recently stopped working with one - Conwy, which had initially paid \u00a314.20 an hour for care. It offered to raise that to \u00a315, but the company decided that still wasn't enough and handed back the contract. Ken Hogg, at Cymorth Llaw, said: \"We didn't think we could do it for the money - it was as simple as that. \"We pay as much [in wages] as we possibly can and we've always paid above what was the national minimum wage and the national living wage. \"[Carers] get a mileage allowance, they get paid travelling time between their clients.\" Mr Hogg said the company was legally obliged to pay 1% pension and 13.8% national insurance contributions, along with training and other staff-associated costs, which \"doesn't leave a great deal\". Conwy Council said it was committed to supporting vulnerable people in communities, despite the financial challenges. Home care company Mears used to have a contract with Liverpool City Council but cancelled it in July, saying \u00a313.10 an hour was not enough to cover costs. Mears said it needed at least \u00a315 an hour, and like other companies across the UK, argued its costs are often greater than what councils pay. Alan Long, executive director at Mears, said: \"That was a terrible thing to do for both service users and for care staff. \"We absolutely did not take that lightly, but frankly what choice did we have? \"We just", "summary": "Care firms have cancelled contracts with 95 UK councils, saying they cannot deliver services for the amount they are being paid, a BBC Panorama investigation has found."}
{"article": "American Chris Zablocki again finished second, while James Faudemer was the first Jersey runner home in a new personal best of 2:39.15. Nollaigh O'Neill, who led from early on, dominated the women's race. \"I'm so happy, but the time was slow,\" said the 44-year-old Irish runner. \"I was flying up until about mile 20 or 21 and my quads started to seize and tighten up, so I just had to pull back and run strong and smart.\" O'Neill made it over the line at the Weighbridge just outside the three hour mark (3:01.48) and more than 10 minutes clear of second-placed Ffion Davies. More than 400 runners took on the full 26-mile course, with hundreds more in the 3K fun run and relay events. While Troshkin stole the headlines in the men's race, Faudemer's run smashing quarter of an hour off his personal best was amongst the local highlights. \"I'm just so happy,\" Faudemer told BBC Radio Jersey. \"Long distance running is picking up in Jersey - I knew I had it in me with the sessions I've done in the build up. \"The support was amazing throughout the whole course, friends and family, it was awesome and made a big difference.\" SportsHub Men, featuring Jersey's top triathlete Dan Halksworth, took the relay title while SportsHub Women were the first female team home. Peter Holmes won the 3K race, narrowly ahead of Jack Kennedy.", "summary": "Russian Aleksey Troshkin won the Jersey Marathon for the third year in a row, with his time of two hours, 18 minutes and 28 seconds just outside his own course record."}
{"article": "2 December 2015 Last updated at 09:17 GMT Emi, 22, wrote The Things She Told Me to reflect her own experiences as a woman, but she hopes it will resonate across the world. The Sudanese-American who originates from Darfur only began writing slam poetry - work that is written for performance and that is often powerful and emotional in tone - when she arrived at university. She is studying anthropology and molecular biology at Yale, and is one of the BBC's 100 Women 2015 Our 100 Women season showcases two weeks of inspirational stories about the BBC 100 Women and others who defy stereotypes around the world. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram using the hashtag #100Women and listen to our programmes here.", "summary": "Emi Mahmoud, the reigning World Poetry Slam Champion, has written a poem for the BBC 100 Women season."}
{"article": "State media also repeated threats to the US Pacific island of Guam, which it called \"an advanced base of invasion\". The missile launched on Tuesday crossed Japan's northern Hokkaido island, triggering public alerts to take cover, before landing in the sea. The UN Security Council has unanimously condemned North Korea for its actions. Meeting late on Tuesday in New York, the council called the launch \"outrageous\", demanding North Korea cease all missile testing. While the statement said the regime's actions were a threat to all UN member states, it did not threaten new sanctions against Pyongyang. Russia and China said US military activity in the region was partly to blame for the increase in tensions, and urged negotiations. Arriving for a visit to Japan, British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday called on China to put more pressure on North Korea, saying that Beijing had a key role in the international response to Pyongyang's \"reckless provocation\". North Korea has repeatedly conducted missile launches in recent months, despite being barred from doing so under UN rules. The latest, a domestically made Hwasong-12, was launched early on Tuesday Korean time from a site near Pyongyang. It travelled some 2,700km (1,678 miles), at an unusually low height for North Korean missile tests, over Hokkaido before crashing about 1,180km off Japan's eastern coast. Japan sent out alerts telling people in Hokkaido to take cover. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later called it \"unprecedented, serious and a grave threat\". For the first time, North Korea's official news agency KCNA admitted deliberately firing a ballistic missile across Japan. Previous projectiles which crossed the mainland were later claimed to have been satellite launches. It said the launch was in direct response to joint US-South Korean military drills which are currently taking place, as well as to mark the anniversary of the Japan-Korea treaty of 1910, which saw Japanese forces annex the Korean peninsula. KCNA, quoting leader Kim Jong-un, said that, \"like a real war\", the latest drill was \"the first step of the military operation of the KPA [Korean People's Army] in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam\". Mr Kim has also ordered more rocket drills targeting the region, it said. North Korea first threatened to fire missiles towards Guam - a major US military centre in the Pacific and where some 160,000 US citizens live - earlier this month. US officials had suggested that the fact it had not carried out its threat so far was a sign of possible progress. US President Donald Trump, in a statement released by the White House, said the world had \"received North Korea's latest message loud and clear\". \"This regime has signalled its contempt for its neighbours, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behaviour,\" he said. \"Threatening and destabilising actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world. All options are on the table.\" Earlier this month, President Trump warned Pyongyang would face \"fire and fury\" if it continued to threaten the", "summary": "North Korea says its firing of a missile over Japan was \"the first step\" of military operations in the Pacific, signalling plans for more launches."}
{"article": "It follows an incident which saw a S92 spin more than 180 degrees on landing. One-off inspections of the tail rotor on all S92 helicopters around the world took place last week, following the incident on the West Franklin platform in December. Operators are now being told to increase inspections on the aircraft's tail rotor. No-one was injured in the incident, but there was significant damage to the deck of the platform. As a result of the initial safety checks, 11 tail rotor bearings were returned to manufacturer Sikorsky for further tests. The Federal Aviation Administration has now said further inspections using specialist cameras must be carried out every 10 hours of flying time. North Sea operators said they were fully complying with the latest directive.", "summary": "Additional checks are being carried on a North Sea helicopter fleet in the wake of safety fears."}
{"article": "The off-duty officer suffered serious leg injuries in a booby-trap car bomb near Castlederg, County Tyrone. The accused has also been charged with causing an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property and membership of a proscribed organisation. He is due to appear before Strabane Magistrates Court on Thursday. A 44-year-old man arrested on Wednesday remains in custody, while a 37-year-old man has been released unconditionally.", "summary": "A 38-year-old man is due to appear in court charged with the attempted murder of a Catholic police officer in 2008."}
{"article": "The Big Sleep Hotel, once part-owned by Hollywood star John Malkovich, received complaints from guests about blood stains on walls, rubbish on floors and unclean bathrooms. X-Ray also found dirty duvets, mouldy windows and dead insects. The hotel, now owned by Compass Hospitality, has promised to improve. The Big Sleep, opposite the Motorpoint Arena, was hailed as a \"designer budget hotel\" when it was opened by Malkovich in 1999. But unhappy customers have spoken to X-Ray about how shocked they were by the cleanliness in the rooms when they visited. Jan Jones, 58, from Porthcawl in Bridgend county, paid \u00c2\u00a368 to stay at the hotel following a night out with friends in January. But she said when she went to her room, it was strewn with rubbish and the bed was unmade. \"I really thought it was occupied by someone because it was just an absolute mess,\" she said. \"There were empty food containers in there, there were empty beer bottles, the mattress was exposed and it was stained. \"The bathroom was filthy dirty. And the smell was awful because there was stale food in there. It was just shocking.\" Another guest, Lina Tsaltampasi from Thessaloniki, Greece, who stayed in September, bought cleaning products to clean the room herself. After speaking to guests, the BBC X-Ray team also booked a room at the hotel and presenter Omar Hamdi found a broken bed and a stained mattress and bedding. \"Everywhere I looked there was grime,\" he said. \"A blood stain on the wall, hairs on the bedding, thick dust on the skirting boards, and stains in not one, but both drawers of the bedside table.\" The Big Sleep apologised and said its \"lapses in quality\" were unacceptable. It said it was taking action to improve its housekeeping and to tackle poor management. It added it was confident the hotel would be transformed once its current refurbishment was complete. The hotel has said it will refund all the customers featured on X-Ray.", "summary": "A hotel in the heart of Cardiff has admitted \"unacceptable\" failings, after a BBC Wales investigation uncovered dirty rooms."}
{"article": "Sun Maya Tamang, 50, is accused of killing Man Limbu, who was found unconscious at a flat in Victoria Road, Aldershot, on Friday. She is also accused of attempted murder, aggravated burglary and false imprisonment relating to an incident at a property in Grove Road. Ms Tamang, of Victoria Road, is due at Basingstoke magistrates on Tuesday. Police said Man Limbu was discovered at 17:30 GMT on Friday and was later pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives said the alleged attempted murder, burglary and false imprisonment related to a 47-year-old woman.", "summary": "A woman has been charged with murdering a 75-year-old man and with attempting to murder a woman on the same day."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Wes Hoolahan gave the Republic a deserved lead shortly after half-time with a crisply struck half-volley worthy of opening the scoring in any match. Martin O'Neill's team had struck the woodwork and gone close several times prior to scoring. But, after taking the lead they found themselves under increasing pressure and conceded when Clark, chosen ahead of Richard Keogh in the centre of defence, headed a low cross from Zlatan Ibrahimovic into his own net. The equaliser came from one of the few moments of quality from the Sweden captain, who collected a neat backheel from substitute John Guidetti and raced to the byeline before drilling in a low cross. Jeff Hendrick drew a late save from Andreas Isaksson but there was to be no winner at the end of a feisty, scrappy match the Republic shaded but could not close out. Commitment, passion and determination were much in evidence at the Stade de France, with those workmanlike qualities comfortably eclipsing any quality and finesse on show. But, in the end, neither side had quite enough to prevail and are left to ponder a result that is hardly disastrous but not exactly what either wanted. Both have remaining Group E fixtures against Italy and Belgium - the two favourites to progress - and have arguably missed out on their best chance to get a crucial victory. In a tournament with 16 qualifiers from the group stage, three points would have taken one of them a huge step towards reaching the next round. Media playback is not supported on this device The Republic lost all three of their games at Euro 2012, when Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni set up his team to try to stymie their opponents and snatch the points. Yet after qualifying from a group that included Poland and Germany, there was no lack of adventure and ambition here in Paris. Robbie Brady was a menace down the left, Hendrick struck the crossbar with a caressed right-foot strike and drew a superb save with a crisp shot from the edge of the area, and John O'Shea was inches from converting Clark's flick-on. There was also no disputing the quality of Hoolahan's goal three minutes after the restart. Seamus Coleman delivered a superb cross after a teasing, jinking run down the right and Hoolahan, who had found space at a premium in a generally congested midfield, superbly smashed home a half-volley from 14 yards across goal and beyond Isaksson. Hendrick forced another save from the Sweden goalkeeper with a low strike after his team conceded and the men in green showed enough to suggest that whatever happens to them in this tournament they will leave everything on the field. Ibrahimovic said before the match that \"the legend can still deliver\", but it did not look like it for most of the match. On many occasions - especially during the first half - the 34-year-old was drawn so deep in search of the ball that he looked more like a midfielder. Ibrahimovic, strongly linked with", "summary": "Ciaran Clark scored an agonising own goal as the Republic of Ireland were held to a frustrating draw against Sweden in their opening Euro 2016 fixture in Paris."}
{"article": "The move earlier this year sparked widespread public and political backlash with many questioning whether the British royal deserved Australia's top honour. It came after Mr Abbot revived Australia's honours system last year. The new cabinet under Malcolm Turnbull is set to review the honours system. Mr Turnbull, the new prime minister, ousted Mr Abbott from power in an internal party challenge last month. On 26 January - Australia's national day - Mr Abbott announced he had nominated Queen Elizabeth II's husband to receive the knighthood. He had said then that the Duke of Edinburgh's life of \"service and dedication\" should be honoured. The Queen awarded the knighthood in April. Asked on Thursday in an interview with radio station 3AW about his decision, Mr Abbott said: \"Obviously it was an injudicious appointment.\" Australia's honours system The move was met with scorn from many among the Australian public, who questioned the Prince's contributions to Australia and pointed out that as a British royal he was a symbol of another country. Some media outlets called it a \"Knightmare\", opposition leader Bill Shorten called it \"anachronistic\", and Mr Abbott faced criticism from within his own Liberal party. Mr Turnbull, who used to chair Australia's republican movement, had previously defended the honours system's revival in 2014, noting that most republics have an honours system and an order of knighthood. But he is now said to be in favour of abolishing the system, according to Australian media reports.", "summary": "Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said his decision to award Prince Philip a knighthood was \"injudicious\"."}
{"article": "Henrietta Yakubu, a spokesman for the aviation authority, said repair works were completed 24 hours ahead of schedule. An Ethiopian Airlines flight was the first to land on Tuesday morning. Flights had been diverted to Kaduna, 160 km (100 miles) from the capital, and some international carriers refused to operate the new route. Those airlines are now taking bookings for flights later this week. The runway at Nnamdi Azikiwe airport was supposed to be upgraded in 2002 - it was built in 1982 and was only meant to have a 20-year lifespan. There have been celebrations that the repair project was completed ahead of time but the fact the capital was without a functioning airport for more than a month highlights the state of Nigeria's crumbling infrastructure, the BBC's Martin Patience says.", "summary": "Nigeria's airport in the capital, Abuja, has reopened six weeks after it was closed for urgent repairs."}
{"article": "Lewis Elliot, 19, predicted both teams would score in both halves of the Crawley v Carlisle, Hibernian v Aberdeen and Chelsea v Tottenham games. The bet came in at odds of 6,858/1 when Eden Hazard scored for Chelsea in their FA Cup semi-final. \"I am absolutely delighted,\" said Mr Elliot. \"I went crazy when Hazard scored.\" The first two legs of his bet came in as Aberdeen reached the Scottish Cup final with a 3-2 win over Hibs. Later, Crawley and Carlisle shared the spoils in a 3-3 draw in League Two. Mr Elliot's win was confirmed at Wembley on Saturday evening, with Chelsea's Willian and Spurs' Harry Kane scoring in the first half of the two London sides' cup clash. Dele Alli scored for Tottenham just after the break to leave Lewis requiring just one more Chelsea goal to land his bumper bet. That goal came courtesy of Eden Hazard, who scored in the 75th minute to give the Blues the lead and send them on their way to the FA Cup final.", "summary": "An apprentice joiner from Hawick has won more than \u00a320,000 from a \u00a33 football bet."}
{"article": "Harry Gould, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, will be presented with the Legion d'Honneur by the Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire. Mr Gould served with the Royal Army Service Corps and was involved in the transportation of supplies to troops. The charity that helped him apply said Mr Gould had been unaware he was eligible until told over a cup of tea. Latest stories from Staffordshire Mr Gould said he had been 18 years old when he landed at Arromanches, in Normandy. \"We had to come off the landing crafts. There were thousands of [men] just dead on the ground. \"The cargo we were carrying was mainly fresh water, ammunition and food. \"The water was important because the water in in Normandy had been polluted by the Germans.\" Later, as Mr Gould was travelling in convoy, the two wagons in front of him exploded after being hit by aircraft fire. \"It made you feel terrible, but you had to keep going,\" he said. He said he had been overwhelmed when learning he was eligible to receive the medal. \"It's like having an OBE in this country,\" he said. Geoff Harriman, chairman of Tri Services and Veterans Support Centre, helped Mr Gould apply for the honour. \"Through conversations over a cup of tea, we found out Harry took part in the D-Day landings,\" he said. \"We knew the French government were awarding medals, so we applied on his behalf. \"It's France's highest award to non-French nationals. It's a way of saying thank you for assisting in the liberation of France.\"", "summary": "A 91-year-old former soldier has been awarded one of France's highest honours for his role in the D-Day landings."}
{"article": "The stamps will feature characters such as Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and Yoda and will also feature three scenes from the new film, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. They will go on sale on 20 October.", "summary": "Eighteen new first class stamps are being released by the Royal Mail to celebrate the Star Wars movies."}
{"article": "The Supreme Court has ruled against a father who took his daughter on an unauthorised term-time break. But between travel companies' elevated school holiday prices and the need to juggle work commitments, some parents say they cannot always go away during the school holidays and that it should be their decision to make. Hayley, 39, says she is \"fuming\" at the ruling. Together with her husband Martin, the couple, from Cheshire, took their children Archie, aged five, and Ruby, six, out of school in January to attend a family wedding in India. As Archie was under five at the time, his absence did not cause problems. But Ruby's did. Not long after they returned, letters arrived from the local council to inform them that they were being fined a total of \u00c2\u00a3120. \"I'm not going to pay it,\" she said. \"They basically brandish you a criminal.\" Hayley had asked the school for permission but says she never received a reply. \"Why should you be dictated to?\" she said. \"It's made no difference to Ruby. She's never missed anything important. \"India was such a different country to go to. It taught them things. It was such a good experience.\" Hayley is frustrated by what she sees as inconsistencies in the enforcement of the rules. \"Some children have a really bad attendance but don't get fined. Ruby's attendance was close to 100%. \"We took work on the plane and I encouraged her to do writing and reading while we were away.\" There has been criticism that the rule does not allow enough discretion for people's individual circumstances. Marcus, 41, has a very good reason for not being able to take his children away during school holidays - it is his job to refurbish schools while the pupils are away. \"You need to spend time with your children. Just saying no is unrealistic for people,\" he said. \"I haven't been able to go away during the summer break since my children were born.\" Harry, his eldest, is nine and Samuel is five. With his partner Laura, Marcus took his children out of school for two weeks in October to visit Disney World in Florida. \"It was a very special one,\" he said. \"The memories will last for a lifetime. \"They swam with dolphins and Harry came back with loads of knowledge about dolphins.\" But the school recorded the absence as unauthorised leave and Marcus is worried they may now be fined. \"They sympathised with my situation but said that they could not risk getting into trouble authorising it,\" he said. \"My children have high attendance rates and I understand the need to prevent unnecessary absence, but if you make the children do a diary and read while on holiday then I honestly do not see the harm going during term-time.\" Though the Supreme Court ruling might make Marcus think twice about taking his children out of school to go on holiday, he does not think it would stop him. \"I feel I deserve time with my children away from work, school and day-to-day pressures. \"I", "summary": "Would you take your children out of school during term-time?"}
{"article": "People have reported dead fish in Aberaeron, Aberystwyth, Barmouth, Harlech and Chwilog. Other beaches are also likely to be affected. NRW experts said it was a \"natural phenomenon\" caused by mackerel and other fish chasing food in calm seas. Rowland Sharp, marine fisheries officer for NRW, said: \"The calm seas means that mackerel chase small fish all the way on to the beaches. \"The fish in these bait balls will ground themselves on beaches in an effort to escape.\" He added: \"It may appear worrying, but it's only nature at work really.\"", "summary": "Reports of thousands of small fish being washed up on beaches in Ceredigion and Gwynedd are no cause for concern, said Natural Resources Wales (NRW)."}
{"article": "The country's Consul General will present more than 40 Ushakov Medals to surviving veterans and representatives of those who have died. Other ceremonies for veterans are being held in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness before Remembrance Sunday. From 1941 to 1945, Allied ships sailed from Scotland and Iceland to Russia to supply it with food and weapons. More than 3,000 seamen lost their lives to the freezing conditions and attacks by German submarines and aircraft. In total, 214 Ushakov Medals are being presented by the Consul General Andrey Pritsepov to veterans or their families in Scotland. The Consul General said: \"The Ushakov Medal is one of Russia's most important naval awards, presented only to those who demonstrated courage in sea warfare. \"These medals are well-deserved by the Scottish veterans of the Arctic Convoys who sailed alongside our fathers and grandfathers on extremely dangerous missions and returned home victorious against all odds.\" The ceremony at Glasgow City Chambers on Friday is being hosted by Lord Provost Sadie Docherty. She said: \"In this centenary year of the outbreak of the First World War, we are remembering the fallen in all conflicts and the bravery of those who defend our shores and freedoms. \"Those who served in the notorious Arctic Convoys have a special place in history and we owe them a huge debt for their bravery and tenacity. \"I know it means a great deal to the veterans and their families that they are finally being honoured in this fashion for their role in maintaining a vital naval lifeline that helped Britain and her allies win the war.\" The medal is named after Fyodor Ushakov, an 18th Century naval commander who never lost a battle and the patron saint of the Russian navy. The medal was originally established in 1944 for those who demonstrated courage and prowess in sea warfare. It is now awarded to veterans \"for personal courage and valour shown during World War Two while participating in the Arctic Convoys\". Convoys left the Clyde and Loch Ewe in Wester Ross during the effort to supply Russia with food and weapons from 1941 to 1945. The British Merchant Navy, along with Russian, US, Canadian, Norwegian and Dutch merchant fleets, were involved. In total, 78 convoys sailed to and from Russia under escort from Allied warships.", "summary": "Russia is honouring Scottish veterans of the World War Two Arctic Convoys at a ceremony in Glasgow."}
{"article": "The remains of this large, rodent-like creature give clues about how mammals \"took over\" when dinosaurs died out. They think the newly-discovered species was a plant-eating creature that looked a bit like a beaver. The researchers noticed, in particular, the animal's teeth, which were designed for chewing plants. This group of now-extinct mammals lived alongside the dinosaurs and thrived for more than 100 million years. The scientists say that this discovery helps explain how mammals made it through the event which killed off dinosaurs, thought to be an asteroid hitting Earth. \"A whole lot of mammals did die, but this group is one that made it through pretty well,\" Dr Brusatte explained. \"That asteroid hit and suddenly the dinosaurs are wiped out. It looks like mammals were just waiting their turn and as soon as the dinosaurs disappeared, they thrived.\"", "summary": "Scientists have discovered a species of ancient mammal that survived the event that led to the end of the dinosaurs."}
{"article": "The SPFL has set up a working group to examine the issue of unacceptable conduct. And it is understood that they would seek financial assistance from the Scottish government. The facial recognition system was mentioned at a meeting of all 42 clubs on Tuesday. The debate over the extent to which clubs should be held accountable for the conduct of their followers has been sparked by recent incidents involving Rangers, Celtic and Dundee United supporters. Hibernian's visit to Ibrox on 28 December was marred by sectarian chants from the home end, while there were complaints of sectarian songs during Celtic's Scottish Cup trip to Stranraer. Celtic and Dundee United have both condemned their own fans for setting off pyrotechnics. SPFL board member Mike Mulraney revealed there was not appetite to introduce new strict liability rules. The Alloa chairman said there is \"no chance whatsoever\" of clubs agreeing to regulations that could see them punished for the conduct of supporters regardless of whether the club itself is to blame. A spokesman for the league body said: \"The SPFL is working with government and other partners with the aim of establishing a workable solution to help rid our football grounds of unacceptable conduct. \"This work is at an early stage and is not being led by any one club. \"The issue of unacceptable conduct is something that the SPFL, its board and its member clubs are absolutely committed to addressing. \"Recognising that certain behaviours are for society to face and address as a whole, we believe football can take a leading role in moving this issue forward for Scottish society.\" The prospect of facial recognition technology has been met with scepticism from the Scottish Football Supporters' Association. Chairman Simon Barrow said the fans' group is concerned by \"a rushed move towards intrusive surveillance\". He added: \"There needs to be careful consultation with fans and clubs, alongside wider consideration of how to deal effectively and proportionately with threatening and insulting behaviour. \"The best way forward will involve working with the great majority of supporters who deplore such abuses, rather than making them feel under accusation themselves.\"", "summary": "The Scottish Professional Football League is considering the use of facial recognition technology at stadiums to help combat anti-social behaviour."}
{"article": "Sadie Hartley, 60, was stunned with a cattle prod and stabbed at her home in Helmshore, Lancashire, in January. Preston Crown Court heard Sarah Williams, 35, exchanged naked photographs with Ms Hartley's partner Ian Johnston in the weeks prior to the death. Ms Williams denies murder. The court has heard Ms Williams was obsessed by Mr Johnston, 57, and \"eliminated\" Ms Hartley with the help of Katrina Walsh, 56, who also denies murder, when he refused to leave her. Mr Johnston, who had been in an \"intermittent\", \"intimate\" relationship with communications director Ms Hartley, began a sexual relationship with Ms Williams after they met in December 2012. The former firefighter told Ms Williams the relationship was over months later, he said, but she kept contacting him in person or by text and even sent an anonymous letter to Ms Hartley, boasting the sender had had \"fantastic\" sex with Mr Johnston. John McDermott, prosecuting, said Mr Johnston and Ms Williams exchanged naked photographs on 3, 4 and 5 December last year. Mr Johnston said he didn't block the messages and responded \"in kind\" to Ms Williams' messages. But he told the prosecutor he did not seek to rekindle the relationship and was \"distraught\" when he read the texts the next day. There were further similar exchanges between the pair on Christmas Day, and again 10 days before the murder, Mr McDermott told the court. Mr Johnston had been in Switzerland when the messages in January were sent, the court heard. Mr McDermott asked: \"What were your intentions with Sarah Williams once you would return to this country?\" Mr Johnston said: \"Nothing at all. I can't recall half the text messages.\" Ms Williams and riding instructor Katrina Walsh, 56, of Hare Lane, Chester, both deny murder. Walsh is said to have played a key role in helping her friend to \"eliminate\" her love rival. The trial continues.", "summary": "The partner of a woman killed with \"demonic savagery\" exchanged explicit texts and photos with the woman accused of her murder, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Cherryl Henry-Leach from Doncaster Children's Services Trust, which runs Getting On, said it was one of the only programmes of its kind in the UK. Families work with police, the health service, voluntary sector and council to avoid violence at home. Ms Henry-Leach said parents were often reluctant to get help. \"They feel shame and stigma attached to being a victim of domestic abuse, while also fearing the consequences for their child if reported,\" she said. The programme seeks to stop children moving from one abusive relationship to another, using a \"whole-family approach\" unique to Doncaster to build families' self-esteem and resilience, Ms Henry-Leach said. Many teenagers on the programme have lived with domestic violence between parents so the project attempts to \"de-normalise\" abuse and help them move on to healthier relationships. Mother and son, Anne and Luke (not their real names) from Doncaster, said the techniques derived from University of Oxford research taught them how to listen. \"There was a lot of swearing and abusive behaviour before,\" Anne said. \"Luke never actually hit me, but he'd go to hit me, or push me which could be frightening. \"I can now sit down and talk to my son without us shouting at each other. We can actually have a conversation without being abusive. Luke agreed that they have a \"healthier relationship.\" Five Doncaster families have now completed the nine week programme, which is funded by \u00c2\u00a33.1m from the Department for Education's Innovation Fund. A further six families are still on the programme.", "summary": "A project aiming to tackle violence suffered by parents at the hands of their children has been hailed a success in Doncaster."}
{"article": "The brawl on Saturday began after the families objected to photos being taken, witnesses say. Stones and bottles were thrown. Reports say some of the brawlers were armed with hatchets and harpoons. Unrest continued on Sunday at a protest in the regional capital. The head of the regional executive, Gilles Simeoni, has appealed for calm. The incident took place on a creek near the village of Sisco, Upper Corsica. Tension has grown this summer between local communities and Muslims of North African origin in the south of France, especially following the massacre of 85 people by a lorry driver in the city of Nice on 14 July. At the end of last month, an outlawed Corsican paramilitary group warned Islamist militants against targeting their island. Earlier this week, the resort town of Cannes controversially banned the wearing of the Islamic bathing costume for women, the burkini. Three of the injured have been released from hospital in Bastia and the other two were due to be sent home shortly, prosecutors said in a statement (in French). They described the brawl as being of \"great violence\". French media report that the trouble began around 18:15 (16:15 GMT) when tourists took photos of women bathing. Reports say the women were wearing burkinis. Ange Vivoni, mayor of Sisco, told reporters that when a local teenager was stabbed, the victim's \"family and all the people of Sisco got together\". According to the newspaper Le Figaro (in French), some of the older men in the bathing party had attacked a group of local teenagers on the beach with hatchets. When the teenagers' parents arrived from the village, two of them were reportedly injured with harpoons. Villagers allegedly then set alight cars belonging to the bathers. Another French daily, Le Monde, reports (in French) that one man was injured twice by a harpoon after his son was beaten up. Stones and bottles were also thrown. Two fathers from among the bathing party were also injured during the brawl, the paper adds. According to Le Monde newspaper, the three involved in the brawl are all Muslims. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve condemned the violence and also appealed for calm. Hundreds of people held a protest in Bastia, heading for a housing estate, where some of those involved in Saturday's brawl are said to live. Riot police could be seen pushing them back and tear gas was reportedly fired when stones were thrown.", "summary": "A beach brawl on the French island of Corsica between three families of North African descent and local youths has left five people injured and three cars burnt out, regional prosecutors say."}
{"article": "Mike Brandon, 31, from Bristol, is being treated in Philadelphia after his British consultant said all NHS routes were \"exhausted\". Kate Brandon said it had been \"by far the hardest three weeks of our lives.\" She said her husband had spent the last week in intensive care but was now back on the \"wonderful oncology unit\". Mr Brandon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia two years ago. In May, his wife raised enough money using a social media campaign to fund his taking part in \"revolutionary\" cancer trials at the University of Pennsylvania. Mrs Brandon said: \"We were told that paradoxically the sicker that people become during this treatment, the more likely they are to have a good outcome. \"This knowledge has helped carry us through this excruciatingly difficult time. Boy, did our boy get sick.\" Mr Brandon said: \"There are plenty of things about a leukaemia diagnosis that are tough: the constant worry about things that may never happen, the strain of the things that have definitely happened, and the stress it places on those closest to me. \"When my leukaemia relapsed in March, we were told that it was time to plan our last days together, but Kate point blank refused. We would fight on, and we have.\"", "summary": "A man with a rare type of leukaemia whose wife raised \u00a3400,000 to cover his medical costs in the USA is \"well under way\" with his cancer treatment."}
{"article": "This is an account of the critical days leading up to the killings. 6 - 8 July 1995: Bosnian Serb forces had laid siege to the Srebrenica enclave, where tens of thousands of civilians had taken refuge from earlier Serb offensives in north-eastern Bosnia. They were under the protection of about 600 lightly armed Dutch infantry forces. Fuel was running out and no fresh food had been brought into the enclave since May. Serb forces began shelling Srebrenica. Bosnian Muslim fighters in the town asked for the return of weapons they had surrendered to the peacekeepers but their request was refused. The Dutch commander called UN Headquarters in Sarajevo asking for \"close air support\" after shells and rockets landed close to refugee centres and observation posts manned by peacekeepers. 9 July 1995: The Bosnian Serbs stepped up their shelling and thousands of refugees fled to the town from southern camps ahead of advancing Serbs, who attacked Dutch observation posts, taking about 30 soldiers hostage. One peacekeeper was fatally wounded when Bosnian Muslims fired on retreating Dutch troops. 10 July 1995: Dutch Commander Col Karremans filed a request for UN air support after the Bosnian Serbs shelled Dutch positions. UN Commander Gen Janvier initially refused, but agreed after another request from the colonel. Serb attacks stopped before the planes arrived and strikes were postponed. Some 4,000 refugees were in the town by the evening and there was panic on the streets. Large crowds were gathered around the Dutch positions. The Dutch commander told town leaders that Nato planes would launch massive air attacks against the Serbs if they had not withdrawn from the safe area by 06:00 the following morning. 11 July 1995: The Serb forces did not withdraw, but at 09:00 Col Karremans received word from Sarajevo that his request for close air support had been submitted on the wrong form. At 10:30, the resubmitted request reached Gen Janvier, but Nato planes had to return to base in Italy to refuel after being airborne since 06:00. By midday, more than 20,000 refugees - mostly women, children and the infirm - fled to the main Dutch base at Potocari. At 14:30, two Dutch F-16 fighters dropped two bombs on Serb positions surrounding Srebrenica. The Serbs responded with a threat to kill their Dutch hostages and shell refugees, causing the suspension of further strikes. The Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic entered Srebrenica two hours later, accompanied by Serb camera crews. In the evening, Gen Mladic summoned Col Karremans to a meeting at which he delivered an ultimatum that the Muslims must hand over their weapons to guarantee their lives. 12 July 1995: Buses arrived to take women and children to Muslim territory, while the Serbs begin separating out all males from age 12 to 77 for \"interrogation for suspected war crimes\". It is estimated that 23,000 women and children were deported in the next 30 hours. Hundreds of men were held in trucks and warehouses. About 15,000 Bosnian Muslim fighters had attempted to escape from Srebrenica overnight and were shelled as they fled through", "summary": "In the summer of 1995, two years after being designated a United Nations Safe Area, the Bosnian town of Srebrenica became the scene of the worst massacre in the Bosnian war."}
{"article": "The adder's-tongue spearwort is only found in two places in the UK - Badgeworth, near Gloucester, and on Inglestone Common, near Bristol. At Badgeworth, the tiny nature reserve boasts a small crop of the plant but in South Gloucestershire the buttercup is only spotted once every five years. Plant expert Richard Lansdown said: \"We wouldn't normally reintroduce but Inglestone is down to a single plant.\" The species, more commonly known as the Badgeworth buttercup, relies on bare, wet ground that has been churned up by cattle to set seed and thrive. But with fewer animals grazing the common in recent years, it has become overrun with scrub and the buttercup now \"only grows intermittently\" at a single pond. \"I sieved out the mud and extracted all the seeds [at Inglestone] and didn't find any from the Badgeworth buttercup - there weren't any left at all,\" said Mr Lansdown. \"So we've had to use seed originally collected from the site some years ago that was sent to the Millennium Seed Bank.\" Using the 270 plus seeds held at Kew, 200 plants were propagated and about 80 planted out at Inglestone with a further planting planned for mid-June \"The two sites have been declining for a very, very long time,\" said Mr Lansdown. \"But we've planted out 83 plants in different locations at Inglestone and at least half of them are surviving and doing well and have begun fruiting which will add to the seed bank.\"", "summary": "A rare buttercup is being reintroduced in South Gloucestershire."}
{"article": "April Jones was playing with friends near her home in Machynlleth but was seen getting into a grey or light coloured van at 19:00 BST on Monday. Around 200 people helped in a search of streets, farmland and woodland through the night. April was last seen wearing a purple knee-length coat with a fur hood, white school polo top and black trousers. The Ysgol Gynradd Machynlleth pupil had been playing on her bicycle with friends near her home on the Bryn-y-Gog estate. Dyfed-Powys Police said all the witnesses to her suspected abduction were children. Det Supt Reg Bevan said getting information from the children would take time. \"It's a delicate and difficult process interviewing young children who were the witnesses to this,\" he said. \"That's continuing - it commenced last night and it will continue this morning and hopefully I will have more information for you later.\" A hotline number has been released for people to call with information - 0300 2000 333. Det Supt Bevan added: \"We're liaising with our colleagues, neighbouring forces, [getting] specialist advice. By Cemlyn DaviesBBC Wales I've already heard shouts and cries of 'April' as the search resumed this morning. I'm standing near the spot where the five-year-old was last seen around half past seven on Monday evening. The community has really pulled together and that was clear last night. A few hundred people gathered at the town's leisure centre. I was there to watch them come together. They divided themselves into groups to go out into the town to keep searching for April. This morning, I've spoken to the local councillors who have said they will do everything possible to help April Jones's family at this very, very difficult time. They've described the family as a wonderful family who play their part in the community, and they'll do everything they can to help find April safe and sound. \"We've got specially trained family liaison officers supporting April's family.\" He also praised the \"tremendous response\" from the community. Local people gathered at Machynlleth Leisure Centre on Monday evening to help look for the girl, as news of her disappearance spread on social network sites. Posters of April were also circulated and put up around the town. Police also set up road blocks to check vehicles, while the street where April disappeared has been cordoned off. Det Ch Supt Simon Powell of Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were \"becoming increasingly concerned for her safety\". He said the force had launched an \"intensive search and criminal investigation\" into the abduction. \"April was last seen playing on a bicycle near her home address and was seen getting into what we believe was a light-coloured van which then drove off,\" he added. Insp Kevin Davies said the fire service and police dog teams had been mobilised, and vehicle check-points set up. \"There is mention of a grey van, we're looking at that as one of the angles of inquiry,\" he said. \"Nothing is being overlooked. It's an angle, it's an inquiry that we're pursuing along with other angles. \"We're searching the area.", "summary": "Police are treating the disappearance of a five-year-old girl in Powys as a suspected abduction."}
{"article": "Fighting that broke out in the capital, Juba, in July is responsible for the latest surge in those fleeing, it says. More than 1.6 million people are also displaced within South Sudan, meaning about 20% of the population have been made homeless since December 2013. A fragile peace deal signed last year is on the brink of collapse. \"The violence in July came as a major setback to peace efforts in South Sudan,\" the UNHCR spokesman Leo Dobbs said in a statement. The UN says more than 185,000 people have fled South Sudan since July. \"The fighting has shattered hopes for a real breakthrough and triggered new waves of displacement and suffering, while humanitarian organisations are finding it very difficult for logistical, security and funding reasons to provide urgent protection and assistance to the hundreds of thousands in need,\" Mr Dobbs said. South Sudan refugees: Many of the refugees arriving in Uganda, which hosts the most South Sudanese, are \"exhausted after days walking in the bush and going without food or water. Many children have lost one or both of their parents\", the UNHCR says. A fall-out between President Salva Kiir and former Vice-President Machar - the most powerful members of their respective Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups - led to the civil war which erupted in December 2013. They only agreed to settle their differences under intense international pressure, signing a peace deal in August 2015 - and Mr Machar returned to Juba as vice-president in a unity government in April. But battles then broke out between his bodyguards and presidential guards three months later, prompting him to flee. Another member of his party has been appointed as vice-president, a move Mr Machar does not recognise. Earlier this week, a report funded by George Clooney accused both Mr Kiir and Mr Machar, as well as their officials, of personally profiting from the war. Both men have denied the allegations. The UN wants to deploy a 4,000-strong regional protection force for Juba which would have a more robust mandate than the 12,000 UN soldiers already in the country, however the mandate and size of the force still have to be agreed. More on South Sudan's crisis:", "summary": "The number of people who have fled South Sudan because of the country's civil war has passed the one million mark, the UN refugee agency says."}
{"article": "Addressing the party's UK conference, Ms Dugdale restated her support for the tax policy her party ran on in May. She wants a 50p tax on those earning over \u00a3150,000, and a penny increase in income tax to pay for public services. The conference will vote on Tuesday on plans to give the Scottish and Welsh leaders more power over their parties. The proposals would allow Kezia Dugdale and Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones the power to appoint a representative to the party's UK national executive committee (NEC). The plans would also give the Scottish and Welsh parties more autonomy. Sources have said there was an attempt to \"unpick\" the plans by removing the extra seats from the package. This was defeated, but it is possible there could be a second attempt prior to Tuesday's vote. Speaking at the weekend, Len McCluskey, head of the UK's biggest trade union Unite, said Ms Dugdale should not have the power to appoint Scotland's representative on the NEC. He said that while there was wide support for the autonomy proposals, coupling them with the NEC seat plans had created a \"difficult position\". Ms Dugdale has said she is confident the full package will be passed. It appears Kezia Dugdale and Jeremy Corbyn are involved in their first dispute since his re-election. A series of reforms to the way the Labour Party works are due to be passed on Tuesday. The package includes autonomy plans praised by Ms Dugdale last week. This part is uncontroversial and supported by everyone I've spoken to. But there is a row over another part. The reforms would also allow Ms Dugdale - and her Welsh counterpart Carwyn Jones - to appoint someone to represent them on the party's UK executive. Mr Corbyn's supporters think the extra NEC seats could be used to try and undermine him as the battle for the party's future plays out. They want to postpone the plan. For now, it appears Ms Dugdale will get her way. But it's possible there will be another attempt to scupper the NEC plan tomorrow. In her address to the conference in Liverpool on Monday afternoon, the Scottish Labour leadersaid her party will not support \"another austerity budget\" in Scotland. The speech is Ms Dugdale's first to conference since the Holyrood elections earlier this year, when Labour fell to third place in terms of the seats it holds in the Scottish parliament, behind the Conservatives. MSPs at Holyrood will be responsible for setting income tax in Scotland from April 2017, but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already rejected increasing the basic rate for the five year lifetime of the parliament, as well as ruling out upping the top rate in the first year. Ms Dugdale said her party would \"place amendments to introduce a 50p tax on those earning over \u00a3150,000 and to add a penny to income tax to pay for public services\" when the Scottish government brings forward its budget for 2017-18. She said: \"With the full range of powers the Scottish Parliament now has, the SNP government", "summary": "Scottish Labour Leader Kezia Dugdale has pledged to oppose the Scottish government's budget if it does not embrace a 50p top rate of tax."}
{"article": "More than 300 male evacuees have been held for screening after leaving the Old City under an agreed ceasefire. Talal Barazi, governor of Homs, says 111 men have been questioned and released, while 190 others are still being held. More than 1,100 people have fled the city since Friday under a truce. Aid organisations in Syria had hoped to evacuate more civilians on Tuesday after the ceasefire was extended by three days, but the operation was delayed by a day due to logistical reasons. \"The evacuation of civilians and delivery of food aid will continue tomorrow morning,\" the regional governor told the AFP news agency. A truce agreed until Wednesday night could be extended if necessary, he added. The UN human rights office says it is \"deeply concerned\" that boys and men were seized as they left the besieged area. \"It is essential that they do not come to any harm,\" said Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN commissioner for Human Rights. \"We will continue to press for their proper treatment according to the international humanitarian and human rights law.\" Melissa Fleming, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said detainees were being held at an abandoned school. \"We are monitoring the situation. We are definitely taking account of the number there and who is there,\" she said. Meanwhile, face-to-face negotiations between Syrian government and opposition delegations in Geneva have been adjourned for the day. A second round of peace talks was held on Monday with separate meetings between UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and the two sides. \"The beginning of this week is as laborious as it was in the first week. We are not making much progress,\" he told a news conference at the United Nations headquarters. The first round ended last month with no firm agreements and both sides trading insults. The opposition wants the government to commit in writing to the 2012 Geneva Communique, which called for the formation of a transitional administration with full executive authority. President Bashar al-Assad's government has ruled out any transfer of power. On the ground, efforts to evacuate hundreds more women, children and elderly people from Homs, which has been under siege for 18 months, were temporarily halted on Tuesday for logistical reasons. More than 450 civilians left on Monday, amid mortar fire and shooting. The BBC's Lyse Doucet, who is in Homs, said it was not expected that so many young men would try to leave. So their fate is being scrutinised very closely, our correspondent adds. She was at a press conference on Tuesday where the Homs governor gave the latest figures on how many detainees had been released. He said he expected around 80% of those held would be let free. Matthew Hollingworth, Syria director for the UN's World Food Programme, told the BBC \"the floodgates have opened\" as many more people try to leave. \"The levels of destitution inside the Old City are like nothing I've ever seen before,\" he said. \"People are living in tunnels underground, moving between shells of buildings to find roots to eat", "summary": "UN aid agencies have expressed concern about the safety of scores of men and boys detained by the Syrian authorities after being evacuated from Homs."}
{"article": "Danni Jordan found the net for the Welsh with just a minute to go, to make the final score 2-1 in Glasgow in the final Test of the series. Phoebe Richard had equalised just before half-time in a hard-fought encounter after Fiona Burnet had opened the scoring for the hosts. Wales take the series 3-0 after beating Scotland 2-1 and 1-0 previously. The dramatic series win was a fitting way for defender Tina Evans to celebrate winning her 100th cap for Wales. \"We're absolutely thrilled considering Scotland are ranked considerably higher than us in the world rankings,\" Evans said. \"We knew it was going to be a really difficult test for us but we're really pleased with how we've performed in getting three really good results. \"We came here with high expectations and probably exceed them but we're delighted with the performances and the results we've got. \"It was a really special day and it was really amazing to captain today and for the girls to come in and put in that huge amount of effort makes me really chuffed and excited for what the future holds.\" Wales are currently ranked 26th in the world and are preparing for the European Championships in Cardiff in August, so will relish an important series win over 17th-ranked Scotland. Find out how to get into hockey with our special guide.", "summary": "Wales women hockey came from behind to complete a three-Test whitewash over their Scottish counterparts."}
{"article": "Last year Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service attended 37 incidents, compared with 16 in 2014 /2015. The service is now carrying out special training sessions using a 28 stone (179kg) dummy. Figures obtained by the BBC show a rise in \"bariatric rescues\" from four assistance requests in 2011/12. More on this and other Lincolnshire stories. The type of rescues logged by the fire service included removing bedroom doors and banisters, to using lifting equipment to help patients from their homes into ambulances. Spencer Creek, technical response manger for the service said that more than 60 firefighters had taken the specialist training course. \"What we are looking at now is how the guys practically deal with the weight of the casualty,\" he said. \"And how do we deal with it in a number of different scenarios.\" As well as the training, the service has invested in specialist equipment including, inflatable chairs and strengthened stretchers at the cost of \u00c2\u00a33,000 per fire engine. East Midlands Ambulance Service has equipped all its ambulances with stretchers capable of holding patients weighing up to 30 stones (190kg).", "summary": "Firefighters in Lincolnshire have seen a doubling in the number of calls to assist the ambulance service treat obese people in one year."}
{"article": "Hansons Auctioneers said the Gibson UB3 banjolele is expected to attract worldwide interest at the sale on 30 June, in Etwall, Derbyshire. In 2008, another George Formby banjo ukulele sold for for \u00a372,000 at auction to Queen's Brian May. In 1936, the BBC banned Formby's song The Window Cleaner for being smutty. John Croft, former president of the George Formby Society and ukulele expert, said: \"There is huge interest in this instrument. George Formby has fans all over the world - young and old.\" Mr Croft, from Llanyblodwel, Shropshire, added it was a \"wonderful piece of social history\". \"In his heyday in the late 1930s, George Formby earned more than three top Hollywood stars put together - Errol Flynn, Douglas Fairbanks and Clark Gable. \"And we should never forget Formby's contribution to boosting morale among the troops during World War Two. \"He and his wife Beryl flew out to dangerous war zones, including El Alamein. This country owes a great deal to them both. \"I hope the instrument stays in the UK but the most important thing is that it is loved and played.\" This banjolele was originally purchased by Bill Logan, the first president of the George Formby Society. Who was George Formby? He was born George Hoy Booth on 26 May 1904, in Wigan and was the eldest of seven children The actor, singer-songwriter and comedian's show business career started in 1921 and lasted 40 years until his death in 1961 He was famous for playing the banjolele and by 1939 was the most popular and highest paid entertainer in the British Isles - he was estimated to be earning more than \u00a3100,000 a year Formby appeared in 21 films, made more than 230 records, entertained on stage hundreds of times, performed twice by royal command and entertained an estimated three million allied servicemen and women during World War Two In 1960, Formby made his last record, Happy Go Lucky Me, and in December that year made what was his final television programme, The Friday Show George Formby Society Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: \"This is such a rare opportunity. This was one of George Formby's favourite banjoleles and the chance to own and play it is very special. This instrument is a priceless treasure for Formby fans.\" Formby was said to have owned three Gibson UB3 models.", "summary": "A banjo ukulele owned by popular 1930s and 40s entertainer George Formby is to be auctioned, with an estimated sale price of \u00a330,000."}
{"article": "Hollywood actress Glenn Close stars in the musical, which opened on Monday evening at London's Coliseum theatre. Writing in The Guardian, Michael Billington said the new production had given the show \"a new lease of life\". \"Close delivers the big lines not with a camp flourish but as if they were sincerely felt,\" he said. Billington noted that the show had \"none of the epic scale of the original London production\" but added this was to the producers' credit: \"Sometimes semi-staged is better than the luxurious grandeur of an elephantine West End musical.\" Glenn Close is reprising the role of Norma Desmond, a character she first played in Los Angeles in 1993. She won a Tony award for her Broadway performance in 1995. Holly Williams from theatre website WhatsOnStage said: \"It might be 20 years since she bagged a Tony in this part, but I wouldn't bet against her scooping a few shiny new gongs this time round.\" However, some critics did note that Close's voice occasionally struggled with the higher notes. \"[Close's] vocal instrument may not be as sharp as it once was, but she brings an utterly ferocious intensity to the part and the songs,\" Mark Shenton wrote in his review for The Stage. Time Out also had some criticisms of the production: \"Like many later Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, Sunset Boulevard is not brilliant.\" Andrzej Lukowski added that \"69-year-old Close is definitely a bit old to play 50-year-old silent movie star Norma Desmond\". Rod McPhee, writing in The Daily Mirror, said Close \"masterfully belts out the show's biggest numbers, and earned rapturous applause as a result. Her first musical in London's West End proves that she's far from a fading star.\" Sunset Boulevard tells the story of a Hollywood writer named Joe (played in the new production by Michael Xavier), who is being chased by mob creditors. Joe seeks refuge in a Los Angeles mansion, only to discover it is already being inhabited by Norma Desmond, a wealthy but forgotten silent movie star. Culture minister Ed Vaizey attended Monday evening's performance, tweeting: \"Absolutely wonderful. Glenn Close gives the performance of a lifetime. One of the best things I have seen.\" Speaking to the BBC after she came off stage on Monday evening, Close said: \"Norma Desmond is one of the best parts ever written for a woman.\" \"It's a phenomenal show, it's such an exciting journey and it has been the best adventure. I feel so lucky. I am on such an emotional high, I've never had this kind of response.\"", "summary": "A new production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Sunset Boulevard has received a positive response from critics."}
{"article": "Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed them as \"failed lies\". He claimed they were published \"just in time\" for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference, which took place earlier this week. On Wednesday, Israel's military said it had found the rockets on a ship it seized in the Red Sea off Sudan. The Klos-C, a Panamanian-flagged vessel, is currently being escorted to the southern Israeli port of Eilat, and is expected to arrive on Saturday. Its 17-member crew were apparently unaware of their cargo. The Klos-C was transporting dozens of M-302 rockets, which have a range of 150km to 200km (93-124 miles), Israeli military spokesman Brig-Gen Moti Almoz said. \"The ship may be carrying other weapons as well, but we can only know this when it reaches Eilat.\" \"There is clear and unequivocal information that this came from Iran.\" On Wednesday, the Israeli military said it had tracked the weapons for several months as they were flown from Damascus to Tehran and then taken to a port in southern Iran. From there, it added, they were loaded on to the KLOS-C, which sailed to Iraq, where containers of cement were added. The ship was eventually intercepted while on its way to Sudan. On Thursday, Mr Zarif rejected the allegations and questioned why they had surfaced just after the conference a pro-Israel US lobby group. \"An Iranian ship carrying arms for Gaza,\" he wrote on Twitter. \"Captured just in time for annual AIPAC anti-Iran campaign. Amazing Coincidence! Or same failed lies.\" A spokesman for Hamas, the militant Palestinian Islamist movement that governs Gaza, said they were a \"silly joke\". Israel has long accused Iran of arming groups such as Hamas. More than 60 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip have hit Israel since the start of last year, Israel says. Hamas denies that it has fired any rockets since a 2012 ceasefire agreement with Israel, with other Gaza-based groups claiming responsibility. However, Israel says it hold Hamas responsible for any attacks from Gaza and has repeatedly launched deadly air strikes. During a visit to California on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the discovery of the shipment had revealed \"the true face of Iran\" to world powers attempting to negotiate a comprehensive agreement on its controversial nuclear programme. \"Iran has been exposed for what it is,\" he told reporters. \"It smiles in the Geneva talks about its own nuclear ambitions, gives soothing words, and as they're doing that, they're shipping these deadly weapons to the world's worst terrorists.\" In a speech at the AIPAC conference on Tuesday, Mr Netanyahu had reiterated his unhappiness with the prospect of a long-term deal that would allow Iran to continue enriching uranium and engaging in other activities that might allow it to develop nuclear weapons. At a news conference in Jakarta on Thursday, Mr Zarif insisted that Iran's nuclear programme was solely for peaceful purposes. \"I do not believe dismantling of this programme is helpful to the cause of non-proliferation because Iran has technology, Iran has the scientists, Iran has the capability,\" he said.", "summary": "Iran has rejected Israeli allegations that it was behind a shipment of Syrian-made rockets intended for Palestinian militants in Gaza."}
{"article": "Zaur Dadayev shot the former deputy prime minister, a vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin, in February 2015 near the Kremlin. Four others acted as accomplices. The group were allegedly promised $250,000 (\u00c2\u00a3192,000) to kill Nemtsov. They all denied the charges. Nemtsov's relatives fear that whoever ordered the murder will never be found. Russian authorities are still looking for another Chechen said to be behind the killing, Ruslan Mukhudinov. He believed to have fled abroad. But lawyers for Nemtsov's family have said the investigators have exaggerated Mr Mukhudinov's role and \"the masterminds are high-ranking people\". The jury in Moscow convicted the five men after more than eight months of hearings. Zaur Dadayev is former member of an elite military unit. He was under the command of pro-Moscow's Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Russia's Chechen Republic in the North Caucasus. The other four defendants are brothers Anzor Gubashev and Shadid Gubashev, Khamzat Bakhayev and Tamerlan Eskerkhanov. A sixth man, Beslan Shabanov, died while he was being detained in Chechnya. Nemtsov served as first deputy prime minister under President Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s, and later became a vocal critic of President Putin. The 55-year-old was shot dead on 27 February 2015 on his way from a restaurant in central Moscow. Earlier that day he was interviewed on a liberal radio station, in which he had called on listeners to join a rally. At the time, Nemtsov was working on a report examining Russia's alleged role in the conflict in Ukraine. President Putin called the murder \"vile and cynical\" and vowed to hold those responsible to account. Russia has seen several killings of high-profile politicians and journalists in recent years. But the country has a long history of prosecuting alleged hit-men and failing to follow the chain of command to discover who ordered the murder, correspondents say. It took the 12 jury members more than 12 hours to reach their verdict. They spent it in a closed room in one corner of the military courthouse with a guard posted outside the window. But when they finally filed back into court, it was to pronounce every one of the accused guilty. In each case they ruled by a clear majority. Standing opposite them inside a glass cage, surrounded by armed police and a Rottweiler, the men from Chechnya listened in silence, looking relaxed and even smiling as they had for much of this trial. There was speculation that one of the accused, Khamzat Bakhayev, might be acquitted for lack of evidence. When the jury found him guilty too, his wife burst into tears. But outside, lawyers representing Boris Nemtsov's family said they believe the trail of evidence leads to senior figures within Chechnya, loyal to Vladimir Putin. They've vowed to go on pushing until they uncover who actually ordered Boris Nemtsov killed, and why.", "summary": "A Russian jury has found five ethnic Chechen men guilty of murdering leading opposition politician Boris Nemtsov."}
{"article": "The Chelsea skipper is alleged to have made racist comments towards Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand in a league match on 23 October 2011. A not guilty plea was entered on Mr Terry's behalf at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. He will now stand trial on 9 July, nine days after Euro 2012. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Mr Terry, 31, is accused of a racially-aggravated public order offence. Following Wednesday's hearing, the footballer's legal team said in a statement: \"Mr Terry looks forward to the opportunity to clear his name. By Dan RoanBBC Sports News Correspondent The fact that Terry will not stand trial until July means he is now free to lead England into the European Championship, the Football Association, along with Chelsea, having made clear it will not suspend him. However, it also means these serious charges will hang over him for a further five months. Terry says he does not wish to talk about the case, but you can be sure he will be asked. Some will worry about the effect this uncertainty will have over on his performances in the summer and the England team's morale. \"Mr Terry denies making any racist statement and will establish in court that he is not guilty of any such offence. \"Mr Terry has never racially abused another player in his entire career.'' Police questioned Mr Terry under caution in November and a file on the matter was sent to the CPS at the beginning of December. The decision to charge Mr Terry was taken after police received a complaint from a member of the public after the Premier League match at Loftus Road. The maximum sentence for the offence is a fine of \u00a32,500. As a summary offence under the Crime and Disorder Act, it will be fully heard in a magistrates' court.", "summary": "England football captain John Terry will stand trial for alleged racist abuse in July, after the final of the European Championship in July."}
{"article": "At one point the drone was just 30m (100ft) from the plane which had to take evasive action to avoid a collision, officials said. A navy spokesman accused the Iranians of behaving in an \"unsafe and unprofessional\" manner. Tensions between the countries are high with the Gulf a potential flashpoint. US Naval Forces Central Command spokesman Commander Bill Urban said the incident happened in international air space as an F/A-18E Super Hornet was preparing to land on the USS Nimitz. Despite radio warnings to stay clear of the carrier, the drone carried out \"unsafe and unprofessional\" altitude changes near the jet, he said. \"The dangerous manoeuvre by the QOM-1 [drone] in the known vicinity of fixed-wing flight operations and at coincident altitude with operating aircraft created a collision hazard and is not in keeping with international maritime customs and laws,\" Cdr Urban said. The incident is the latest in a series of close encounters in the Gulf between US and Iranian forces. In July, a US Navy ship fired warning shots at an Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessel after it came within 140m (450ft) and ignored radio calls. In January, a US destroyer fired three warning shots when Iranian fast-attack vessels approached at high speed in the Strait of Hormuz.", "summary": "An Iranian drone has flown dangerously close to a US fighter jet as it was about to land on a carrier in the Gulf, the US Navy says."}
{"article": "Researchers found residues of potassium bromate and potassium iodate in 84% of the samples collected from Delhi. The chemicals are banned in many countries, but India continues to allow their use in bakeries. The All India Bread Manufacturers' Association said the chemicals were \"considered safe\". Health Minister JP Nadda has urged people not to panic and to wait for his ministry's report on the issue. \"I have told my officials to report to me on an urgent basis. There is no need to panic. Very soon we will come out with the [inquiry] report,\" he said. Delhi-based environmental think-tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said in its report that it had collected 38 bread and bakery samples from retail stores, bakeries and fast-food shops in Delhi for its study. \"More than 84% of samples tested were found to contain potassium bromate and/or iodate,\" it said. The CSE has urged the government to ban the use of these chemicals in bakery products. \"Considering that it [potassium bromate] can cause cancer, is banned in most parts of the world, and has healthy alternatives, there is no reason why this chemical should be allowed, specifically when residues are found to be present in the end-product.\" The CSE said potassium iodate should also be banned because \"it can potentially affect the functioning of thyroid\". The bread manufacturers' association said it was yet to see the CSE report, but added that the two additives were safe and \"widely used in advanced countries like the US\". \"Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's regulations permit the use of potassium bromate and/or potassium iodate at 50 ppm max for bread and at 20 ppm max for bakery purpose,\" the association said in a statement.", "summary": "India's health ministry has ordered an inquiry after a study found cancer-causing chemicals in many bread and other bakery products."}
{"article": "The celebrated singer, who died in January aged 69, is joined by Adele, Calvin Harris, Coldplay and Jess Glynne on the five-strong shortlist. Adele was named British artist of the year in 2015, one of the two awards she won at last year's event. This year's awards, to be broadcast live on BBC One, will be held at the ExCel in London on 12 December. Bowie's nomination follows his surprise omission from the album of the year shortlist announced last month. Blackstar, his final release, had been tipped for inclusion but was shut out by Rick Astley's 50, Adele's 25 and three other titles. Kaiser Chiefs, Craig David, John Legend and Robbie Williams are among the performers at this year's ceremony. It was announced last week that pop singer Izzy Bizu will be crowned BBC Introducing artist of the year at the event. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "David Bowie has been posthumously nominated for the British artist of the year prize at the BBC Music Awards."}
{"article": "A BBC investigation reveals Southampton docks does not monitor its air pollution rates, despite the city being among the most polluted in the UK. Southampton City Council estimates the port contributes up to 23 per cent of air pollution in the city. Ships can use a \"plug-in\" system to reduce emissions but not in the UK. It comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) called Southampton one of the most polluted cities in the UK. The city's port welcomes thousands of ships a year, including some of the biggest cruise liners and container ships in the world. The vessels leave their engines running while docked to power their electrics, but elsewhere in the world ships use a shore-based electricity supply, virtually eliminating their emissions. Cargo and cruise ships, including the Queen Mary 2 and Britannia which regularly dock in Southampton, use the method - just not when visiting the British port. Port Director Alastair Welch from ABP said: \"The challenge has been in particular there is no one standard for shore power. I'd like it in place as soon as possible. \"I should emphasise shore power is not the only answer and that's why we're working with solar power and hybrid ships now, because all of them have a part to play for the future.\" A review of Air Quality in Southampton in 2015 by the local authority showed the port is believed to contribute between seven and 23 per cent of the air pollution, while cars contribute 18 per cent and HGVs 12 per cent. The government has since told Southampton to implement clean air zones by 2020 and the council is implementing a Clean Air Strategy to meet national goals.", "summary": "Southampton, the biggest cruise port in Britain, has no way of monitoring air pollution generated by emissions from the largest ships in the world."}
{"article": "\"Had I been president, Captain Khan would be alive today. We wouldn't have been in this horrible, horrible mistake, the war in Iraq,\" he said. The soldier's father, Khizr Khan, said it was a \"cruel\" remark. He is campaigning for Hillary Clinton, who is making her first appearance with First Lady Michelle Obama. The two shared a stage at Winston-Salem in North Carolina. Introducing Mrs Obama, the former first lady said her voice was needed in this election \"more than ever\". Mrs Clinton referred to Mr Trump's ongoing feud with the Khans and accused him of \"rubbing salt into the wounds of a grieving family\". Mr Khan's son Humayun was killed by a car bomb in 2004 in Iraq at the age of 27. Their grief became part of the presidential campaign in July when Khizr Khan made an emotional speech at the Democratic Convention attacking Mr Trump for anti-Muslim rhetoric, as his wife stood next to him. The Republican candidate's reaction, in which he implied the mother was not allowed to speak up, attracted strong condemnation from within his own party. Speaking to ABC News in an interview aired on Thursday, Mr Trump repeated his insistence that their son would be alive, but added he believed the soldier was a \"great hero\". In response, Mr Khan said: \"This is the most cruel thing you can say to grieving parents, that if I was there this would not have happened.\" In other campaign developments: Former Illinois Representative Joe Walsh tweeted: \"On November 8th, I'm voting for Trump. On November 9th, if Trump loses, I'm grabbing my musket. You in?\" He later said he was speaking metaphorically about \"acts of civil disobedience\". Mrs Clinton's campaign is dealing with more questions arising from hacked emails published by Wikileaks. The Trump campaign has seized on the latest dump to suggest the line between Bill Clinton's personal income and the donations for the Clinton Foundation has been blurred. Doug Band, a top aide to Mr Clinton, said in an email that he had solicited donations to the foundation and also generated personal income for him through gifts and paid speeches. Who will win? Play our game to make your call", "summary": "Republican Donald Trump has been criticised by the family of a dead US soldier after saying as president he would have kept him alive."}
{"article": "The taskforce was appointed by the Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland. It was asked to examine the impact of negative equity and repossessions. The taskforce has warned that the number of people falling behind on their mortgage payments could increase as interest rates begin to rise. The taskforce is now undertaking further work aimed at developing policy recommendations. Northern Ireland suffered a huge housing bubble followed by a crash that saw prices fall by almost 50%. As a consequence, rates of negative equity are much worse than elsewhere in the UK and repossessions have also increased. A major \"at risk\" group identified by the taskforce are households who undertook \"equity release\" remortgages at the height of the market. They are people who increased their mortgages to release cash for other purposes, such as home improvements or to finance buy-to-let properties. In 2007, 74% of remortgaging in Northern Ireland was for equity release. The taskforce said this category of \"credit hungry\" borrower was disproportionately active in Northern Ireland. Lower income groups who took out \"second charge\" mortgages with subprime lenders are also at high-risk. The taskforce said those lenders have shown \"a more tenacious approach to arrears management\". However, it said, in general, lenders have shown \"forbearance\" and if they had not done so rates of repossessions would be higher. The taskforce warned that, despite a gradual recovery in the Northern Ireland economy and the housing market, major risks remain. It said that the Northern Ireland economy \"remains some distance from reaching escape velocity\"' and that borrowers are \"poorly equipped to absorb future income shocks\".", "summary": "The Northern Ireland housing market remains \"dysfunctional\" and poses a risk to economic recovery, a Stormont-backed taskforce has concluded."}
{"article": "Borge helped to create the Sandinista National Liberation Front in 1961. In 1979, the Sandinista revolution overthrew dictator Anastasio Somoza and Borge served as interior minister in the new government of Daniel Ortega. US President Ronald Reagan saw the revolutionaries as a threat and backed the right-wing Contras in the civil war that followed. An estimated 30,000 people died in the fighting which lasted a decade and wrecked the country's economy. Borge was born into a poor family and dedicated himself to the struggle against the Somoza family, which had run Nicaragua for 40 years. He received military training in Cuba before he helped to found the Sandinista movement. The organisation was named after Augusto Cesar Sandino, who fought against US intervention in Nicaragua in the 1930s. Borge became the powerful interior minister in the Ortega government of the 1980s, where he imposed censorship on the media and was accused of human rights violations. However, he denied accusations that he was responsible for expelling and harassing clergymen during the war. The Sandinistas were voted out of power in 1990. Congressman Jacinto Suarez was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying Borge was \"a transcendental figure in Nicaraguan history\". But the news agency also quoted Nicaraguan writer Gioconda Belli, who said of Borge's later life: \"After 1990, I have the sense he gave up his revolutionary ideas... He ended up a tragic-comic figure\". Borge's final years saw Daniel Ortega return to government - he won presidential elections in 2006 and again in 2011. Borge was admitted to hospital earlier this month for a lung infection and underwent surgery.", "summary": "The last surviving founder of the left-wing Sandinista movement in Nicaragua, Tomas Borge, has died aged 81."}
{"article": "It will be the 30-year-old's first competition of 2016 as she prepares to defend her Olympic title in Brazil. The double world champion missed the indoor season with an Achilles injury. Ennis-Hill is not yet ready for a full heptathlon and will miss an event in Gotzis, Austria on 28 May.", "summary": "Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill will begin the build-up to Rio 2016 by competing in the javelin at the Loughborough International Athletics match on Sunday."}
{"article": "From star players to influential club legends, the 62-year-old Dutchman has made a few enemies during his 42 years in football, the past 23 of those coaching some of Europe's leading clubs and the Netherlands national team whom he led to third place at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. During his first news conference at Old Trafford, Van Gaal insisted he was more \"democrat\" than autocrat, extolling his \"strong personality\" - a trait, he reminded his audience, he shares with former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. But why does Van Gaal come to English football with such a fearsome reputation? BBC Sport gets the inside story on his biggest bust-ups. The time he was told he was too slow Louis van Gaal never lacked confidence and his strong personality was there, even as a player. He made his name as a midfielder with the Royal FC Antwerp, under Guy Thys, the legendary Belgian coach. \"I was annoyed that he did not always play me,\" Van Gaal later recalled. \"I was one of four foreigners and he could only play three in those days. Thys reckoned I lacked pace.'' Thys said: \"He'd come up to me and ask me why I did not play him. 'Boss, I am the best player, aren't I?' And then I would tell him he was not. He could not believe that. \"I do admit he had by far the strongest personality of all the players I have come across. But, sorry to say, he was slow\u2026 \" One of Van Gaal's best performances came in a 4-1 victory over Aston Villa in the home leg of the Uefa Cup tie in 1975. \"That day against Villa he was absolutely brilliant,\" Thys remembered. \"For the return match he asked how he should play. I said: 'Like you normally do, slowly.' \"I remember that conversation well. He could not see the funny side of my answer. But we needed to take the pace out of the game. And it worked. We beat them in Birmingham 1-0. And Louis was fantastic again. He never played such a brilliant game again.'' Van Gaal was infuriated by Thys's negative approach to the second leg. He felt Antwerp should have kept attacking. \"I had respect for him as a person, but I did not rate him as a coach,\" Van Gaal said. \"Probably because he put me on the bench too often. I reckoned I should play. He did not.'' Van Gaal was so unhappy in Belgium football he wanted to leave. \"I wrote 80 letters to get a job elsewhere. I only got one or two replies, but I did get my move,\" he said. \"Thys threatened to stop me from leaving by demanding a big transfer fee. So I said, do what you like, but I will take my old job of PE teacher again, if you do that. No sweat at all. So they let me go.'' The time Rivaldo wanted to change position In 1999 Van Gaal was in charge of Barcelona and Rivaldo was at the peak", "summary": "New Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has never been afraid to have an argument or make it clear who is in charge."}
{"article": "Tess Newall, who had worn her great-great grandmother's dress at her wedding in June, posted a plea on Facebook to help find it, which was shared more than 300,000 times. Luckily her dress was found but what is the appeal for brides of choosing a dress once worn by a relative? Three women explained why they had ditched trawling the bridal shops for the perfect dress in favour of a borrowed gown. Kate Ridgway, from Stockport, made the decision to wear her grandmother's wedding dress in 2014. \"I remember it from when I was a child,\" said the 27-year-old. \"I always knew nan had kept it and I tried it on for dressing up, but back then I thought it was a horrid lacy thing.\" However, when she got engaged to her now-husband Stu, Joan Chatfield, known as \"Nanny Chat\", asked if she would like to wear it on her big day. \"I was heavily pregnant at the time, so I couldn't try it on,\" said Kate. \"But she had always wanted me to wear it.\" Then, three days after Kate's eldest son was born, her nan passed away. When she travelled down to Sussex for the funeral, her mother handed her the box with the vintage wedding dress from 1951, and everything fell into place. \"When I tried it on, it fitted perfectly,\" she said. \"I had it cleaned but I didn't have to do anything else to it. \"I had tried on brand new wedding dresses and I had fallen in love with one, but this felt different and so special. \"It meant so much to us as a family for me to wear it and, as you can imagine, it made for a very emotional day.\" London-based digital designer Emily Clark also hopes to start a tradition of her own by using her mother's frock for her wedding this October. The 33-year-old said her mother's dress, which was first worn in 1980, had played a big part in her childhood. \"I used to dress in my mum's wedding dress from the age of five or six to - if I'm truthful - until I was 15. \"It's one of a kind, it's a dress you wouldn't be able to find now and you wouldn't be able to replicate.\" The dress was bought by her grandfather, who died last year. She said the dress would act as a way of commemorating him at her wedding to fiance Andrew Stewart. The dress is currently being altered, and when she heard that Mrs Newall's had gone missing at the dry cleaners she says she \"did panic\". She added: \"I just think it's wonderful that they've had it returned.\" For Rachel Cohen, from Edinburgh, the discovery of her grandmother's dress in the loft spurred on the idea to go retro. \"I knew there were dresses up there amongst a lot of random stuff,\" she said. \"I even found one dress which much have been from a previous generation, but it just couldn't have been worn.\" However, the one Granny Marie Waterston wore in", "summary": "Social media was captivated by a 150-year-old wedding dress that had been lost after a dry cleaners went bust."}
{"article": "Myles Bradbury has lodged an appeal against a 22-year jail sentence imposed last December. He admitted abusing 18 children at Addenbrooke's in Cambridge between 2009 and 2013. The mother of the 11-year-old abused when he was kept on as a patient told the BBC Bradbury should never be freed. Bradbury, 41, from Herringswell in Suffolk, was jailed at Cambridge Crown Court for sexual assault, voyeurism and possessing more than 16,000 indecent images. The court heard the images of his victims were taken in the hospital. Victims told investigators Bradbury had focused on examining their private parts when there was no medical need to do so. The child, who is now 13, was referred to Bradbury because his older sister had a blood disorder and it was feared he might have the same condition. But, his mother said, there was nothing wrong with him. Instead of discharging him from his patient list, Bradbury continued seeing and abusing the boy for a year. The boy is currently on heavy medication to deal with the mental effects of his abuse. His mother said she did not know how Bradbury could appeal. She said: \"He is in prison now, probably doing his crafts or whatever. We are suffering every day. \"He does not understand the knock-on effect he has had on families.\" Bradbury's appeal will be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice on 12 June.", "summary": "A paedophile doctor who abused young cancer victims kept one boy on as a patient for a year even though he was not ill."}
{"article": "Consumer group Which? said nearly half of its members surveyed said such reassurance was most likely to make them see red while hanging on the line. Next on the frustration list was being directed to the company's website, and apologies for all operators being busy. Callers would rather be told how long they would have to wait, Which? found. Many also wanted to know where they were in the queue, and to be given the choice of being called back. Nearly half of those asked said that classical music was the most soothing while waiting. Nine in ten of those asked felt that they were prepared to wait on the line for no longer than five minutes. Richard Headland, editor of Which? magazine, said: \"Waiting on hold is a waste of time, but some organisations make the experience needlessly annoying through objectionable messages and music. \"If these drive you round the bend, vote with your feet and take your custom elsewhere. The best companies know the value of answering your call quickly.\" Businesses lining up a queuing strategy Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service, a trade body, said: \"People are time-poor and less likely to be happy waiting for service as a result. It means consumers are less understanding of organisations that do not make it easy to get in touch. \"If businesses want to enjoy ongoing customer loyalty - and attract new business - their focus should be on convenience and efficiency. In short, this means getting it right quickly, and getting it right first time. Anything less, and customers will think twice about spending money or recommending them to others.\" She pointed out that the phone is now consumers' third most popular method for getting in touch with an organisation, behind face-to-face contact and online.", "summary": "Being told that your call is valued is the most annoying feature for those waiting on the phone to a company, a new survey suggests."}
{"article": "But Good Day Out, in Heol Senni, Powys, gives people the chance to go for a stroll with Kunekune pigs Babz, Holly, Hazel and Willow. Helena Barnard, who runs the walks with Julia Blazer, began after she adopted two pigs and walked them with family. \"It's really about getting people closer to nature,\" she said. They are Kunekune pigs - a New Zealand breed whose name means \"fat and round\" in Maori. Mrs Barnard and Ms Blazer needed to get a Defra-approved licence and have a vet inspect the routes in order to get the go-ahead. The pigs are not on a leash and wander alongside people, motivated in no small part, by the promise of food. Mrs Barnard was a nurse and a sergeant for Bedfordshire Police and then Dyfed-Powys Police before making the switch to pottering about with pigs and she juggles it with her work as a dance teacher. The duo stared doing the walks in summer 2016 after Mrs Barnard adopted two pigs. She said: \"Julia said to me 'if you like walking pigs, then I'm sure other people would do as well'. \"There's a thing about walking pigs that's very calming because they walk slowly and happily just jog along with you. \"They are very, very social animals and they love human contact.\"", "summary": "If someone told you they were taking pigs for a walk in the Brecon Beacons, you might think they were telling porkies."}
{"article": "Having gone behind through Macauley Gillesphey's free-kick after Jason Kennedy had been hauled down, Orient overturned the deficit. Jay Simpson found space to level after half-time, firing into the left corner. Ollie Palmer then streaked clear to put Orient ahead, before Raynes headed in from Alex Gillead's cross to level. The goal denied Kevin Nolan's visitors the chance to go fifth in the table, as they remain seventh, while Carlisle are three points behind in 11th. Leyton Orient player-manager Kevin Nolan told BBC Radio London: \"You've got to respect the point, especially when you come to a place like this. \"In the end we probably could have snatched it, but if we would have I think (Carlisle manager) Keith Curle would have been equally disappointed. \"I'm delighted with the response. Since I've come in we've taken 16 points out of eight games so it's fantastic form and we've got to take positives out of it because we're all disappointed at the moment.\"", "summary": "Michael Raynes' late equaliser earned Carlisle United a key point in a 2-2 draw with fellow League Two promotion hopefuls Leyton Orient."}
{"article": "Hardie is expected to start in Gregor Townsend's team having had an injury-interrupted season. Once Scotland's undisputed number seven, he has suffered an awful run of bad luck culminating with the loss of his Test place to Hamish Watson. \"I've been unfortunate, but I'm looking to put it behind me and finish the season on a real high,\" said Hardie. The New Zealand-born back-row, 28, was one of Scotland's stars at the 2015 World Cup, his work-rate and impact at the breakdown catching the eye. He was talked about as one of the players of the tournament, but this season has brought one setback after another. In November, during a bruising Test against Australia, Hardie suffered damage to his ankle and knee, while also suffering a concussion. It took him two months to recover. Following on from that, he was selected to play against Wales in the Six Nations but had to retire after just 24 minutes. Then he appeared as a substitute in the game against France but only lasted five minutes before having to go off injured again. Townsend named Hardie in the starting line-up for his first Test as Scotland coach, against Italy in Singapore, but Hardie suffered a back spasm in the warm-up and had to withdraw. \"Everybody gets injuries and everybody has low patches, but rehab is a really good time to look at it as a positive, even though it isn't so much,\" Hardie told BBC Scotland. \"You have to get your body right and get other aspects of your rugby game right. I've had a lot of time to do that. \"You can't look at the negative side too much. You'd love to be out there every week with the boys, but that's just the way rugby is sometimes. I'm a really positive person. I've had my fair share of injuries and I know how to overcome them. \"It does toughen you mentally, it helps you be more resilient and when you get on the field you realise how important it is. I'd never take anything for granted, but you realise when you get the injuries and you're not playing every week how hard it is. \"Hamish is playing some great rugby and I'm really happy for him. He's come on in leaps and bounds in the last year or two and he's getting lots of experience. The competition is healthy. It's bringing out the best in us. \"It's a privilege to be in camp and I've got to make the most of it. The boys have built a really good culture across the last two or three years, starting with Vern (Cotter) and now with Gregor, and we're just going to see more special things from this group.\"", "summary": "Scotland flanker John Hardie wants to end a nightmarish eight months with a win against Fiji on Saturday in Suva."}
{"article": "Abigail Klem, president of the US first daughter's eponymous clothing line, says it has seen \"some of the best performing weeks\" in its history. The reported sales surge comes amid an ongoing boycott targeting business interests of the fashion entrepreneur's father, President Donald Trump. Last month several retailers dropped Ms Trump's label, citing falling sales. In an interview with fashion magazine Refinery29, Ms Klem declined to cite specific sales figures, but research by a market analytics firm seems to support the claim. According to Lyst, a London-based e-commerce website which tracks clothing retail, sales of Ivanka Trump products rocketed in February. It says sales increased 346% from January to February this year and 557%, compared with average orders last year. \"To see such an extreme spike in one month is completely unheard of and came as a huge surprise to us,\" says Lyst's US spokesperson Sarah Tanner. Ms Klem said that most products are sold to women in New York, California and Texas, and the average shopper earns between $60,000-100,000 per year (\u00c2\u00a350,000-\u00c2\u00a382,000). She said the political controversy surrounding President Trump, and the boycott, may have helped his daughter's brand. The reported sales surge comes after Kellyanne Conway, a counsellor to President Trump, was accused of breaking ethics rules by promoting Ivanka Trump products during a live TV interview from the White House. The first daughter's perfume is currently highest ranked on Amazon.com, with many shoppers leaving pro-Trump comments. \"I bought this without knowing what it smelt like, and I didn't care! I support the Trumps! MAGA! Who needs nordstroms!\" Dustin M wrote, in reference to Nordstroms, which was the first retailer to drop Ivanka's products. \"Oh and by the way, the smell is aweosme!\" Another apparently happy customer wrote: \"Bought this as a gift for my wife, and to support Ivanka's position.\"", "summary": "Ivanka Trump's brand is booming, says the fashion firm, as one estimate says sales have jumped five-fold."}
{"article": "Allan Bell made the statement during peaceful demonstrations by pro-choice and anti-abortion campaigners outside the Manx parliament on Tuesday. Mr Bell said work on changing the legislation would begin \"at the end of this year, early next year\". The Termination of Pregnancy Act 1995 is the current law governing abortions in the Isle of Man. This means a termination can only be carried out on the island in the case of a pregnancy arising from a criminal offence such as rape, or on mental health grounds. For most women seeking an abortion, the only option is to travel to the UK to pay for the procedure. Manx campaign group, CALM (Campaign for Abortion Law Modernisation), which was established in April, wants island legislation to be brought in line with the UK. Although it is not currently illegal, the group said it is \"almost impossible\" for women to have a termination on the Isle of Man. A spokesman added: \"The current act is incredibly restrictive. We are not saying abortion should be available to everyone at the drop of a hat.\" Anti-abortion campaigners at the rally held banners saying: \"Thou shalt not kill\". A spokesman said: \"I'm part of a group which is here to represent the rights of unborn babies.\" Chief Minister Allan Bell said the legislation was due to be reviewed after the Isle of Man's general election in September.", "summary": "The chief minister of the Isle of Man has said abortion laws on the island \"need changing\"."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 6 September 2015 Last updated at 11:33 BST Huge crowds of German people gathered at the station to cheer them on as they arrived. Many of them held signs saying \"welcome\" written in German and Arabic, and offered bottles of water and sweets to them. German police said around 7,000 refugees arrived at Munich station on Saturday, most of them had travelled from Syria. They will now be sent on to special reception centres all over Germany where they will receive hot food and clothes. BBC reporter Jenny Hill is at the train station in Munich...", "summary": "Hundreds of migrants were given a warm welcome when they arrived at Munich train station in Germany."}
{"article": "His plan to deport the estimated 11 million people living illegally in the US was decried as impractical during an election debate in Wisconsin. But he said on Wednesday it was cheap, \"doable\" and humane. Democratic President Barack Obama wants to lift the threat of deportation to millions of undocumented people. But his plan to allow about four million people to apply for work permits has been hindered by legal challenges. Mr Trump, a billionaire New Yorker who has been leading in the polls, defended his plan to build a wall on the US-Mexico border and deport all the people living illegally in the US. \"You're going to have a deportation force, and you're going to do it humanely,\" he told MSNBC's Morning Joe. \"You have millions of people that are waiting in line to come into this country and they're waiting to come in legally.\" How do you deport 11m people? Debate exposes Republican divisions He pointed to the actions of former US President Dwight Eisenhower, who authorised what was probably the largest deportation operations in US history. Senator Ted Cruz backed Mr Trump during the debate, condemning any form of \"amnesty\" because illegal immigration kept wages low for American workers. But his fellow Republican, Ohio Governor John Kasich, said that mass deportation was a \"silly argument\" that could never work and would split families. The issue has exposed the diverging views within the party, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio clarified his stance on Wednesday. He described his position as a \"very long path\" to citizenship when people had spent at least 10 years on a work permit.", "summary": "Donald Trump has defended his hardline stance on immigration, a day after it was attacked by fellow Republican presidential candidates on national TV"}
{"article": "Chester, 38, was appointed Trinity coach last March and guided them to the semi-final of the Challenge Cup and Super League safety. The former Hull KR coach's new deal will see him remain at the club until the end of 2019. \"The negotiations were very easy and over quite quickly, we both have the same thoughts of how we want the club to progress,\" he said. Trinity are eighth in Super League, with three wins from their opening six games.", "summary": "Wakefield coach Chris Chester has signed a new two-year deal."}
{"article": "Steve Huffman said that he had not created the news comment platform \"to be a bastion of free speech, but rather as a place where open and honest discussion can happen\". He promised to provide further details on Thursday. One expert said the plan would probably enrage many of the site's users. Last week, Reddit's previous chief executive, Ellen Pao, resigned after an online petition calling for her dismissal attracted more than 213,000 signatures. The petition had accused Ms Pao of leading the site into a \"new age of censorship\" after five \"subreddit communities\" run by volunteers had been banned for failing to tackle the \"harassment of individuals\". However, one of Reddit's other former chief executives - who no longer works for the company - has since suggested that Ms Pao was less minded to restrict users' activities than many of her critics had assumed. \"On at least two separate occasions, the board pressed [Ms Pao] to outright ban all the hate subreddits in a sweeping purge. She resisted,\" wrote Yishan Wong. \"She probably would have tolerated your existence so long as you didn't cause any problems. I know that her long-term strategies were to find ways to surface and publicise Reddit's good parts - allowing the bad parts to exist but keeping them out of the spotlight.\" Reddit attracted more than 163 million visitors last month, according to its own figures, making it one of the net's most popular destinations. Mr Huffman co-founded Reddit in 2005 and was announced as the site's new chief last week, following Ms Pao's resignation. In a message posted to the site on Tuesday, he said his top priority was to develop a \"comprehensive content policy\" and tools to enforce it. \"The overwhelming majority of content on Reddit comes from wonderful, creative, funny, smart, and silly communities. That is what makes Reddit great,\" he wrote. \"There is also a dark side, communities whose purpose is reprehensible, and we don't have any obligation to support them. And we also believe that some communities currently on the platform should not be here at all. \"We as a community need to decide together what our values are. To that end, I'll be hosting an AMA [Ask Me Anything session] on Thursday.\" More than 14,000 comments have been posted below the announcement by the site's users. Some support his action, others suggest it will destroy the community. Several members said they now intended to switch to Voat - a rival site that promises to \"not meddle and not censor content\" unless it is illegal. One analyst said it was inevitable that Mr Huffman's plans would antagonise many of Reddit's users, but added that was not necessarily a bad thing. \"When you try to formalise things that have emerged as an organic mess, there is absolutely a risk that you are going to lose a lot of the core of what you were and alienate a big bunch of users,\" said Mark Mulligan, from Midia Research. \"But Reddit has had a couple of years of incredibly strong growth in terms of", "summary": "Reddit's new chief executive has confirmed he plans to take fresh action against parts of the site containing offensive and obscene content."}
{"article": "Loch Glascarnoch near Garve supplies water to Mossford power station. A road that used to link Inverness and Ullapool, two bridges and part of a telegraph pole have been visible and were photographed by Calum Maclean. Glascarnoch and its dam form part of energy giant SSE's Conon hydro electric scheme, which involves six dams and seven power stations. The dams and power plants were built in stages between the 1940s and 1960s. A new road to Ullapool was built to replace the one lost under Loch Glascarnoch. SSE said the water level of the loch had been lowered for operational reasons. A spokesperson said: \"As we head into the winter we've pulled the level down because the rain we usually get in October and November can raise the levels up by as much as one metre a day.\"", "summary": "Water levels at a loch created in the 1950s have dropped low enough to reveal structures usually hidden underwater."}
{"article": "A police investigation has been launched into the death of the 67-year-old - a wanted man in Russia, and an opponent of President Vladimir Putin. A former Kremlin power-broker whose fortunes declined under Mr Putin, Mr Berezovsky emigrated to the UK in 2000. Thames Valley Police said the death, at a property in Ascot, Berkshire, was being treated as unexplained. The area around the property has been cordoned off to allow the investigation to take place, the force said. The inquiry was at a very early stage and more details will be released when available, it added. A South Central Ambulance Service spokeswoman said it had been called to the property at 15:18 GMT. \"We sent a number of ambulance officers and an ambulance to the address. The 67-year-old male was confirmed deceased at the scene,\" she said. Last year, Mr Berezovsky lost a \u00c2\u00a33bn ($4.7bn) damages claim against Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich. Mr Berezovsky claimed he had been intimidated by Mr Abramovich into selling shares in Russian oil giant Sibneft for a \"fraction of their true worth\". The allegations were completely rejected by the London Commercial Court judge, who called Mr Berezovsky an \"inherently unreliable\" witness. By Steve RosenbergMoscow correspondent, BBC News Russians have little sympathy for oligarchs, whether alive or dead. That's because while Boris Berezovsky - and the tiny number of other tycoons - were striking rich in the 1990s, millions of people here were sliding into poverty. As he gained in power, many Russians saw Berezovsky as the \"grey cardinal\" in the Kremlin - exerting huge political influence for his own benefit. Having fled to London, he became a vocal Kremlin critic and pledged to work from self-imposed exile to depose President Putin. But back home in Russia, many of Mr Putin's opponents blamed Berezovsky for having engineered the transfer of power from Yeltsin to Putin. Boris Berezovsky will be remembered as a towering figure of the 1990s and as one of the most powerful men in Yeltsin's Russia. BBC world affairs reporter Richard Galpin said sources have told him that Mr Berezovsky was depressed after the loss of the court case and was under financial pressure. The tycoon's wealth is thought to have considerably diminished in recent years, leaving him struggling to pay debts in the wake of costly court cases. Mr Berezovsky had made his fortune in the 1990s selling imported Mercedes as well as Russian-made cars. He was one of the first Russian oligarchs - a tiny group of tycoons who at the end of communism used their connections to become rich almost overnight. Later owning Sibneft, the national airline Aeroflot, and as primary shareholder in Russia's main television channel, he supported Boris Yeltsin's rise to power, enjoying huge influence during this era. Mr Berezovsky survived numerous assassination attempts, including a bomb that decapitated his chauffeur. During the later years of Yeltsin's presidency, Mr Berezovsky was part of the leader's inner circle as deputy secretary of Russia's security council. \"Boris Berezovsky was one of the most powerful men in Russia back in the", "summary": "Exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky has been found dead at his home outside London."}
{"article": "The former Blackpool boss has been ruthless with a squad that even flirted with bottom spot and appears to be placing his faith this time on players with recent experience of the Scottish Championship. Fellow former Scotland international Gary Naysmith has had a similar clear-out of an East Fife squad that also under-performed by finishing fourth in the table, although they did pick up in time to reach the play-off final, where they lost to Stenhousemuir. Defender Julen Etxabeguren Leanizbarrutia and goalkeeper Alan Martin have made the biggest jump up the ranks during the close season. Former Real Sociedad 24-year-old Leanizbarrutia has left East Fife to sign for Dundee, while Martin has left Clyde for Hamilton Academical. Annan Athletic and East Stirlingshire have had their annual mass cull of their squads, with Berwick Rangers the most active in adding to their numbers. Key signing: Jordan Hart spent the second half of last season on loan from Celtic and the 19-year-old goalkeeper has now made the move from the Scottish champions permanent. Intriguing arrival: Having started his career with Partick Thistle, versatile 24-year-old Nigeria-born Smart Osadolor headed to Tiffin University in Ohio after spells with junior outfits Irvine Vics and St Anthony's, but the left-side player returns to Scotland after his scholarship. One that got away: Former Rangers youth defender Andrew Mitchell returned to Annan on loan from Southport in February, but the 23-year-old has now moved to Crusaders in his native Northern Ireland. In: Jordan Hart, goalkeeper (Celtic); Blair Currie, goalkeeper (Hamilton Academical); Jamie Watson, forward (Airdrieonians); Smart Osadolor, midfielder (Tiffin University Athletics). Out: Kieran Brannan, forward (Kilbirnie Ladeside); Chris Dickinson, forward (West Auckland); Alex Mitchell, goalkeeper; Iain Chisholm, defender; Kenny MacKay, forward; Steven Logan, midfielder; Callum Cook, midfielder; Michael McAnespie, defender; Craig Murray, goalkeeper; Danny Graham, midfielder; Dion Irving, defender; Benjamin Wagner, forward. Loan ended: Junior Ogen, forward (Rangers); Andrew Mitchell, midfielder (Southport); Calum Cook, midfielder (Dumbarton). Last season: 5th Prediction: 2nd. Having knocked Airdrieonians out of the Petrofac Training Cup then came close to ousting Queen of the South in the League Cup, Jim Chapman's side look to have the basis for a promotion challenge this season. Key signing: Arbroath have high hopes for Kane Hester, a 20-year-old striker signed from junior club Arbroath Vics after scoring four goals in three pre-season games. Intriguing arrival: Midfielder Sergio Cecilia Alvarez, previously of Atletico Victoria of Tenerife in the fourth tier of Spanish football, won a contract after the 25-year-old impressed on trial. One that got away: Simon Murray ended the season with 24 goals, the 23-year-old striker having ended the season on loan to the Red Lichties after being loaned back following a \u00a350,000 January transfer to Dundee United. In: Sergio Cecilia Alvarez, midfielder (Atletico Victoria); Jamie Reid, midfielder (Dundee); Calum Brodie, goalkeeper (Dundee); Andrew Munro, defender (Raith Rovers); Martin Grehan, forward (Stenhousemuir); Allan Fleming, goalkeeper (East Fife); David Gold, midfielder (Berwick Rangers); Jamie Clarke, midfielder (Broughty Athletic); Graham Hay, defender (Formartine United); Craig Wilson, defender (Linlithgow Rose); Kane Hester, forward (Arbroath Vics). Loan: Darren Ramsay, defender (Rangers); Andy Ryan, striker", "summary": "Many had tipped Clyde as promotion favourites last season based on their appointment of Barry Ferguson as manager, but the former Rangers midfielder has had to return to the drawing board after failing to even reach the play-offs."}
{"article": "Bristol Crown Court heard that Vielstone and Gatooma homes in Devon had a room where residents were left alone, often without food and water. Paul Hewitt, 70, denies charges of conspiracy to detain and falsely imprison residents. Mr Hewitt also said he was unaware that residents missed meals and he would have \"made sure\" they were fed. The court heard that a woman resident said she had been tied up in the room at Gatooma in Holsworthy Mr Hewitt, from Teignmouth, said he would not approve of this, telling the court: \"Absolutely not. Mechanical restraint was a no no.\" He also denied stopping residents making home visits as a punishment. Mr Hewitt said he purchased Gatooma in 2004 for residents with behavioural issues. \"It was about giving them a better quality of life,\" he said. \"They had been in hospital or locked units. We wanted them to be free to be part of a community set up and be free to go to the shops or the pub.\" Mr Hewitt, founder of Atlas Project Team Ltd, ran the two care homes for adults with learning disabilities. He sold the business in 2006 but continued to be in charge, the court heard. Mr Hewitt and employees Lee Farrant, 30, James Lawson, 41, Julie Barlow, 51, and Aaron Jones, 33, all from Devon, deny a series of charges against seven residents at Vielstone near Bideford and Gatooma in Holsworthy between 2010 and 2011. Mr Lawson denies eight charges of false imprisonment, Mr Farrant six charges of false imprisonment and Mr Jones and Ms Barlow three charges each of false imprisonment. The trial continues.", "summary": "The boss of two care homes said he was unaware vulnerable residents were being locked in so-called punishment rooms."}
{"article": "Marchant, 20, has made 37 appearances for Quins since making his senior debut in May 2015, scoring 11 tries. \"I'm delighted to have re-signed with Harlequins,\" he said. \"This is such a great club and I have loved my time here. It was an easy decision to stay.\" Marchant had been due to tour Argentina with England last month but was ruled out with a toe injury.", "summary": "Harlequins centre Joe Marchant has signed a new and extended contract with the Premiership club."}
{"article": "Discussions are set to focus on Syria and Iran, particularly the nuclear deal bitterly opposed by Mr Netanyahu. Mr Cameron said the UK \"remains staunch\" in its \"defence of Israel's right to exist and to defend itself\". Pro-Palestinian campaigners have denounced Mr Netanyahu's visit. There were angry confrontations outside Downing Street on Wednesday between protesters demanding Mr Netanyahu's arrest for what they say amount to war crimes in Gaza and pro-Israel activists. Although a petition calling for the Israeli PM's arrest secured enough signatures to be considered for a debate in Parliament, the bid was rejected earlier this week because \"visiting heads of foreign governments... have immunity from legal process, and cannot be arrested or detained\", the UK government said in a statement. Arriving in Downing Street, Mr Netanyahu said: \"The Middle East is disintegrating under the twin forces of militant Islam - militant Sunnis led by Isis [Islamic State] and militant Shiites led by Iran. \"I believe that we can co-operate in practical ways to roll back the tide of militant Islam both in the Middle East and in Africa.\" The Israeli premier also said he was \"ready to resume direct negotiations with the Palestinians with no conditions whatsoever to entering negotiations... immediately\". Talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down in April 2014. Mr Cameron praised the \"close relationship between Britain and Israel\" and the \"growing economic and commercial ties\" between the countries. He said he wanted to talk about the \"enormous important global threats\" in particular so-called Islamic State.", "summary": "Action is needed to stop the Middle East \"disintegrating\" under the threat of militant Islamists, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of talks in London with David Cameron."}
{"article": "Known as \"The Bulldozer\", he won with 58% of the vote to the 40% of his main rival Edward Lowassa. The victory margin was a surprise - many analysts had predicted a tighter race after four opposition parties united behind Mr Lowassa's candidature. It boiled down to Mr Magufuli's popularity, which superseded that of the governing Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) that has dominated politics since independence from British rule in 1961. So what are the five big challenges he faces once in office? Change was the buzzword during the election campaign. Now people will expect him to engage in a major house-cleaning exercise by showing the door to corrupt government officials and old-school public servants. This will pose a huge political risk, as they are well-entrenched in CCM. But Mr Magufuli, the former works minister, will have to tackle corruption head-on, as Tanzanians have had enough of it. His first big test will come with the appointment of a cabinet. Will it be made up of people untainted by corruption? If not, voters will be disappointed. After all, he has built his political career on the promise that he is not scared of taking risks, and that he works hard and acts fast. Although the official unemployment rate is at around 10%, people sometimes get the impression that the crisis bigger - a recent advert for 70 jobs in the public service posts attracted more than 10,000 applications. Interviews had to be held in a football stadium. Almost half of Tanzania's 50 million-strong population is made up of young people, and they are worst-affected by unemployment. They voted with great enthusiasm, believing their fortunes will change under Mr Magufuli. He will be under most pressure from them to deliver on his promise to create jobs - and end poverty. He has promised to revive industries which are in bad shape, like the cotton and fish processing sectors. Mr Magufuli has promised children free education from kindergarten to secondary school. While many Tanzanians welcome this, they feel it is not enough. They want a higher standard of education with improved curriculums so that Tanzania can have a better-skilled work force. Mr Magufuli will be hard-pressed to meet their demands - almost all state schools are short of desks, books and teachers. With last week's local elections in Zanzibar scrapped because of alleged rigging, Mr Magufuli will have to make sure that a re-run takes place, and that it is free and fair. When Mr Kikwete came to power, he promised to keep a close eye on the semi-autonomous islands, which are popular with tourists. But as he leaves the office, more than 60% of Zanzibaris want more autonomy for the archipelago - an indication of their dissatisfaction with the union. If Mr Magufuli can bring about a lasting solution, he will go down in history as one of Tanzania's most successful presidents - but it is a big if. Outgoing President Jakaya Kikwete promised a new constitution, but failed to deliver on it during his 10 years in office. The opposition gained many", "summary": "Tanzania's President-elect John Magufuli will be inaugurated on Thursday following his landslide victory in fiercely contested elections."}
{"article": "The midfielder, 32, twice won the league during a nine-year spell at Stamford Bridge, including one success under Jose Mourinho in 2006. Essien thinks Mourinho could do it again with his side top of the table. He told BBC Sport: \"There is still a long way to go but I'm sure they are in a good position and once Jose is ahead it is very difficult to overtake him.\" Essien, who now plays for AC Milan, sees similarities between the current Chelsea side and the one he played for when Mourinho signed him from Lyon during his first spell in charge in 2005. In an interview with BBC Sport, the Ghana international - who also played under Mourinho during a loan spell at Real Madrid - assesses the qualities of his former boss and Chelsea's prospects. He also discusses his work with the #UnitedAgainstEbola project, a campaign for Health Africa International launched to try and combat the threat of ebola and the potential impact of the disease on the up-coming Africa Cup of Nations. Essien on Chelsea: \"It's not a big surprise they are doing so well. Whoever works under Jose will tell you that he is the sort of man who always gets the best out of his players. \"The way they are playing now reminds me of when I first came to Chelsea. We were very hard to beat and we won most of our games and they are doing it this year. \"They have a lot of young players who can step up. I think they are going to become like Chelsea of years ago. And they will win trophies for their club.\" Essien on Mourinho: \"He is very close to his players and he knows how to talk to them. Sometimes he might ignore you a little bit just to get you a little bit angry and then go out there and perform. So he has his little ways to keep his players going. \"He is not scared of anyone. Sometimes he is too honest, but you don't have to take it personally. You have to prove to him that when you are on the pitch you are better. And that's what he wants.\" Essien on United Against Ebola: \"There was a joke about me on the internet that I have got ebola. I said this in not a joke and I came up with this campaign to try and educate people in Africa about the disease. \"I was not worried. I had not travelled to Africa. I was fine. I was in good health. People around the world were more worried about me so I tried to calm everybody down. \"I'm still working on it to try and get some of my team-mates and people I know to get involved and to promote this campaign and try to raise awareness and to raise money for those who need it. \"The most important thing is when someone has the virus how to deal with the person and how to go close to the person. Essien on the impact", "summary": "Michael Essien believes former club Chelsea will be hard to catch in the Premier League title race."}
{"article": "Spaniard Tena, 26, joined Accies from Livingston in 2013 but has not played since suffering a knee injury against Ayr United in July. Seaborne signed from Partick Thistle in August but only made 13 appearances. \"We thank both players for their service and wish them well for the future,\" a club statement said.", "summary": "Hamilton Academical have released defenders Jesus Garcia Tena and Dan Seaborne \"in order to allow them to find new clubs ahead of next season\"."}
{"article": "The specialist system monitors the strain from wind, traffic and the weight of the bridge. Specialists were brought in to install the monitors which will feed data back to the control room. The bridge was closed to all traffic on 4 December after a crack was discovered in a truss under the carriageway. Engineers hope to have it repaired and open to traffic again by 4 January. An inquiry will begin after that, with MSPs agreeing that the \"immediate\" priority should be to get the bridge reopened. The lorries were sent over the bridge in different patterns over five hours of tests on Saturday. An inquiry will focus primarily on the structural defect, and an independent technical adviser will be asked to take part. The inquiry aims to call officials from bridge operator Amey, its predecessor the Forth Estuary Transport Authority, Transport Scotland staff and Transport Secretary Derek Mackay.", "summary": "Ten lorries have been used during tests of a new state-of-the-art structural monitoring system installed at the Forth Road Bridge for the first time."}
{"article": "GSA established a Phoenix Bursary scheme to help those affected by the blaze which ripped through its iconic Mackintosh building in May last year. Of the 100 students given grants, 90 are exhibiting at the Reid Building. The show has paintings, video work, multi-media installations, sculptures, interactive pieces and photography. It will open to the public on Friday. An investigation by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service concluded the fire was caused by flammable gases from a canister of expanding foam. The report, released in November, said the gases ignited as they came into contact with the hot surface of a projector in Studio 19. In the aftermath of the blaze, GSA launched a \u00c2\u00a320m fundraising drive to pay for the restoration of the Mackintosh and its contents. The art school confirmed earlier this year that Glasgow-based Page\\Park Architects would lead the restoration project.", "summary": "Students who lost work in the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) fire are showing new work made possible through a special programme set up to help them."}
{"article": "The officer told French media how he and a colleague came face-to-face with one of three gunmen launching an attack, and shot him dead. Ninety concert-goers were killed at the Bataclan concert hall, where Eagles of Death Metal were playing. Dozens more people died in co-ordinated attacks across Paris on 13 November. The policeman, a department head at the Paris anti-crime brigade (BAC), told FranceInfo radio (in French) that he and his colleague had been responding to reports of an explosion at the Stade de France when they were redirected. They were ordered to go to the 10th and 11th arrondissements of Paris following news of shootings. On the way, they found panicked concert-goers fleeing the Bataclan and quickly decided to go inside. \"What surprised us immediately was the extremely bright light that blinded us,\" said the officer, whose identity has been protected for security reasons. \"The bewildering silence... and then hundreds of bodies one on top of the other.\" What happened at the Bataclan? Who were the victims? Soon after entering the music venue, the police duo saw a gunman walk on stage and point a Kalashnikov at an audience member. \"He was very calm,\" the officer said. \"Given the carnage, there was no doubt about what we had to do. We opened fire straight away. We kept shooting until he fell to the floor.\" The gunman was later identified as Foued Mohamed-Aggad, a 23-year-old French national from Strasbourg. The two officers, who reportedly only had service weapons and light bulletproof vests, then heard an explosion from elsewhere in the building and realised there were likely to be more attackers. Faced with extreme danger, the men phoned their loved-ones. \"We decided we could not leave the scene - we could not leave these people,\" the officer said. \"I was ready to die with my team that night. I phoned my girlfriend to say goodbye.\" Elite police units soon arrived at the scene. Two other attackers who took people hostage in the concert hall eventually died in a final police assault hours later. They were later identified as Frenchmen Omar Ismail Mostefai, 29, and Samy Amimour, 28. Paris attacks: Who were the attackers?", "summary": "The first police officer to arrive at the Bataclan has described the \"indescribable moment of fear\" he felt on entering the scene of the massacre."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old Jamaican set both current world records, 9.58 seconds for 100m and 19.19 seconds for 200m, at the 2009 World Championships. Despite winning five Olympic and World individual sprint titles since, he has yet to improve on those times. \"Everybody wants to see the 100m go but the 200m is for me,\" he said. \"If I can get a perfect season where I'm working well, without any injuries, with no time off, I'll definitely have the chance to break the 100m world record. \"The 200m is my personal focus. One of my biggest goals is to try to run sub-19, pushing the barrier a little bit will be great for me.\" Bolt's 2014 campaign was disrupted by foot and hamstring injuries and he only ran in three races - including a leg for Jamaica's victorious 4x100m relay team at the Commonwealth Games - before bringing his season to an early end. Bolt's quickest 200m time since setting his world record in Berlin was the 19.32 seconds he clocked at London 2012. Similarly the closest he has come to beating his own 100m mark was the 9.63 seconds he ran to defend his Olympic crown two years ago. In an interview with Al-Jazeera, Bolt also offered a partial defence of the six positive doping tests returns by Jamaican athletes - including Asafa Powell and Veronica Campbell Brown - in 2013. \"There were mistakes but there weren't any serious drugs,\" he said. \"It is still bad: the drug scandal. But it was a good thing it wasn't like they were deliberately going out of their way to take drugs.\"", "summary": "Usain Bolt believes he can lower both his 100m and 200m world records, and aims to be the first man to break 19 seconds for the longer distance."}
{"article": "Gary Boyce uncovered the 8th Century cemetery six months ago in Great Ryburgh, Norfolk. He had been carrying out work to build a fishing lake. Mr Boyce has been given a \u00a390,000 grant from England Heritage, but feels there should be more support for landowners who find themselves in his position. Landowners are responsible for the initial exploration costs of excavations found on their property, and the cost rises if human remains are discovered and have to be excavated. Mr Boyce told BBC Inside Out: \"History has been changed (by the discovery) but you've seriously got to weigh up the costs. To nearly lose your house, that's massive.\" Will Fletcher, inspector of ancient monuments for Norfolk, Suffolk and Bedfordshire for Historic England, said: \"We tried to operate as quickly as we could and provide some support to Gary because obviously he was in a very difficult position.\" Tim Pestell, the curator of Archaeology at Norwich Castle, said it was an unusual discovery. \"Because the site was so unique, it is nationally significant. Great Ryburgh will go down in the academic textbooks as an example of an early Christian community,\" he said. \"The landowner got unlucky because it was so wonderful, it wasn't expected. That's why Historic England has put thousands of pounds into rescuing that site.\" It is hoped that some of the artefacts will eventually go on display at Norwich Castle along with one of the coffins, after it has been sent to York for conservation. See the full story on Inside Out BBC ONE East Monday 19:30 GMT.", "summary": "A developer says he has had to remortgage his house to pay the \u00a3250,000 excavation costs after finding 81 Anglo-Saxon coffins on his land."}
{"article": "The so-called Islamic State (IS) group said it was behind the attack. The incident came hours after three foreign tourists were stabbed by suspected IS militants who stormed a hotel in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada on Friday. Egypt is battling an insurgency largely based in the Sinai Peninsula which became more active after the overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Hundreds of security force members and government personnel have been killed, with attacks creeping closer to the capital Cairo. The instability has threatened Egypt's important tourism industry. Those injured in the attack in Hurghada - two Austrians and a Swede - are said to be in a stable condition. Security forces shot dead one of the attackers and wounded the other. Both were armed with knives and reports say they raised the IS flag. \"Everything happened so quickly,\" said the wounded Swedish tourist, Sammie Olovsson. \"I thought I would bleed to death.\" Egypt's ambassador to the UK, Nasser Kamel, said his country was no less safe than other countries, adding there was no reason to stop visiting. \"We are facing the exact same threat in Paris, unfortunately in London, all over the world,\" he said. IS has an affiliate based in the Sinai Peninsula, known as Sinai Province. It said it was behind the downing of a Russian jet last year that killed 224 people.", "summary": "Gunmen have killed two Egyptian police in the city of Giza, officials said."}
{"article": "Dwr Cymru Welsh Water also announced that finance director Chris Jones will be taking on the chief executive role when Nigel Annett steps down. The firm, with three million customers, said it had kept bills to the same level in real terms as in 2001. Meanwhile, research by Cardiff University claims the company is worth \u00a31bn a year to the Welsh economy. Its financial results come in a different form to companies with shares on the stock market. It is owned by the not-for-profit company Glas Cymru and savings or efficiencies are ploughed back into Dwr Cymru or used to keep bills as low as possible. Mr Annett, with Mr Jones, founded Glas Cymru 12 years ago, and he said the idea stems from the notion that having a public service company, which is a monopoly, being run on the basis of profit maximisation for shareholders does not work in the customers' interest. He said there were cases where the Glas Cymru non-profit model of ownership could work elsewhere in other businesses and industries. Mr Jones said of the job awaiting him: \"There are some big challenges ahead. \"We're a company that has to have a long-term vision, looking to invest in assets that will be around for the next for the next 20, 30 and 40 years, so we have to make the right decisions. \"We have to balance that investment with the need to strive to keep bills down for our customers as well because everyone is feeling the pinch in difficult circumstances.\" Research also published on Thursday by Cardiff Business School said that Dwr Cymru contributes \u00a31bn into the Welsh economy every year. The study claims for every \u00a31 spent by the company, another 56p is generated for the rest of the Welsh economy. The report also quotes the water regulator Ofwat saying that between 2009/10 and 2014/15 Dwr Cymru customers face the lowest increase in average household bills of all water and sewerage companies in England and Wales. On top of the \u00a3338m spent on infrastructure last year, the company is committing another \u00a3650m over the next two years, which it is argued will employ 1,000 construction workers. The company has also reported that their financial reserves amount to \u00a31.6bn, that's a tenfold increase compared with 2001 when Dwr Cymru was taken over by Glas Cymru. Dwr Cymru's borrowing or gearing has also come down. It now stands at 63% compared with 65% last year and 93% in 2001.", "summary": "Welsh Water put \u00a3338m into capital projects in the past year, up \u00a376m on 2012, its financial results show."}
{"article": "His 2016 budget would impose a one-off 14% tax on US profits stashed overseas, as well as a 19% tax on any future profits as they are earned. The $238bn (\u00c2\u00a3158bn) raised would be used to fund road projects in the US. But analysts say it is unlikely the Republican-controlled Congress will approve the proposals. Mr Obama told broadcaster NBC that despite several years of economic improvement, wages and incomes for middle class families were \"just now ticking up\". \"They haven't been keeping pace over the last 30 years compared to, you know, corporate profits and what's happening to folks in the very top,\" he said. Research firm Audit Analytics calculated last April that US firms in total had $2.1tn-worth of profits stashed abroad. It found US conglomerate General Electric had the most profit stored overseas at $110bn. Tech giants Microsoft and Apple and drugs companies Pfizer and Merck all featured in the top five. No tax is currently due on foreign profits as long as they are not brought into the US. As a result some companies put their earnings in low tax jurisdictions and simply leave them there. The White House said its plans for an immediate 14% tax would raise $238bn, which would be used to fund a wider $478bn public works programme of road, bridge and public transport upgrades. \"This transition tax would mean that companies have to pay US tax right now on the $2tn they already have overseas, rather than being able to delay paying any US tax indefinitely,\" a White House official said. The official said that after this one-off tax, the 19% permanent tax firms would have to pay on overseas profits \"would level the playing field, and encourage firms to create jobs here at home.\" The tax rate is far lower than the current US top corporate tax rate of 35%. Also expected in Mr Obama's budget proposal is a tax cut on earned incomes, including tax credits for child care and \"second earners\". Mr Obama will also seek to ease restrictions on military and domestic spending in place since a budget deal in 2011. Republicans in Congress have largely rejected many of Mr Obama's proposals for increased domestic spending and tax rises on corporations but support increased military spending. Representative Paul Ryan, the Republican's top budget official, accused Mr Obama of exploiting \"envy economics\" in his proposal. \"This top down redistribution doesn't work,\" Mr Ryan told NBC.", "summary": "US President Barack Obama plans to close a tax loophole that allows US firms to avoid paying taxes on overseas profits, the White House says."}
{"article": "Third seed Halep won 6-4 3-6 6-3 to set up a final against unseeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia. Czech second seed Pliskova would have become world number one next week had she won the second semi-final. Ostapenko celebrated her 20th birthday with a 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-3 win over Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky. Mimi Jausovec was the last unseeded player to reach the French Open final in 1983, losing to Chris Evert. Saturday's final will see a new Grand Slam champion crowned, and a new name at the top of the rankings should Halep win and overtake Angelique Kerber. \"It is nice to be in the final again,\" said Halep, who lost to Maria Sharapova in the 2014 French Open final. \"I hope I can play better and win it. I'm playing a young player - it is a big challenge.\" After recovering from a set and 5-1 down against Elina Svitolina in the quarter-final, Halep led from the front against Pliskova. With the number-one ranking and the prospect of a first Grand Slam title on the line, it was Halep who grasped the opportunity. The 25-year-old broke serve in game three as her speed and accuracy proved too much for the wayward Pliskova. The Czech made 24 errors in losing the first set, but finally edged ahead at 4-2 in the second. Pliskova, 25, had said throughout the tournament that she was surprised at her progress on the clay, but for half an hour her powerful hitting held sway and there was little Halep could do. The Romanian was under pressure early in the decider but finally chased down a forehand and fired a brilliant cross-court winner to grab a 3-1 lead. Pliskova would cut the deficit to 4-3 only to blaze a forehand long, leaving Halep to serve out the match after two hours. Ostapenko was well into uncharted territory, ranked 47th and having never been past the third round at a Grand Slam before, but she relished the big stage. The former Wimbledon junior champion held her nerve to become Latvia's first major finalist, and the youngest woman in a Slam final since 19-year-old Caroline Wozniacki at the 2009 US Open. Ostapenko edged a first-set tie-break but looked to have lost her way in the second when she dropped four games in a row. Bacsinszky was knocked out of the tournament at the semi-final stage at Roland Garros in 2015 and appeared determined to avoid the same fate as she comfortably levelled at one set all. But Ostapenko turned on the style in the decider, edging ahead at 4-3 with the 15th break of the match before holding for 5-3. Ostapenko then hit a winning forehand to secure her place in the final, prompting the crowd to sing \"happy birthday\" as she celebrated the biggest win of her career so far. \"I felt a little bit tight because it was a semi-final,\" she said. \"But then I was just trying to be calm and just to try to play my game and just enjoy every moment.\"", "summary": "Romania's Simona Halep moved within one win of a first Grand Slam title and the number one ranking with victory over Karolina Pliskova at the French Open."}
{"article": "North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue helped 26 Easingwold School pupils off the vehicle when it became stranded near Newton-on-Ouse just after 08:00 GMT. None of the children was injured in the incident. North Yorkshire County Council said the bus driver went through a road closure sign and it would be investigating. In a statement it said the route taken by the bus, operated by Stephenson's of Easingwold, had been closed due to flooding. The bus operator apologised and said it was carrying out a detailed investigation. \"We put road closure signs out during flooding for a very good reason - to keep people safe,\" said Councillor Don Mackenzie. \"It is not possible to tell how deep the water is on flooded roads and drivers can quickly find themselves in trouble, along with their passengers.\" Dave Stephenson, from the bus operator, said: \"We have yet to interview the driver but obviously as soon as we speak to him we will know more about what's happened. \"We express our sincere apologies to the children who were on the service this morning as well as to their families for this unfortunate incident.\" North Yorkshire Police said they would be investigating how the bus became stranded on the eight-mile (12km) journey to the school. Head teacher Phil Benaiges said: \"A number of students were brought into school but most went home with their parents to get warm and dry. \"Some were upset and all were cold and wet.\" River levels remain high following flooding over the Christmas and New Year period and around 15 roads across North Yorkshire remain closed. The fire service and police said it was essential motorists did not attempt to drive through flood water. Further heavy rainfall on Monday virtually cut off the seaside town of Whitby where the fire service had to rescue two people from a car which became trapped by flood water.", "summary": "A bus carrying almost 30 school children became stuck in flood water near York after the driver allegedly ignored a road closure sign."}
{"article": "Low numbers of staff with the right specialist training at Stafford's County Hospital forced the closure of A&E to patients under 18, on 25 August. The hospital trust said it was looking at putting in a service to deal with minor injuries. Plans for a full range of services have been submitted for scrutiny. The A&E department is open to adults. The hospital, under its former guise of Stafford Hospital, was the subject of a public inquiry after a higher than expected number of deaths between 2005 to 2008. More on this and other stories from Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Robert Courteney-Harris, chief executive of the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, said staff understood concerns over the decision to suspend children's emergency services. \"We recognise that a small number of patients and their families have now had to travel further for non-urgent treatment and we are very sorry for this,\" he said. \"However, ignoring external advice about the safety of our services could put some children's lives at risk, something the trust is simply not prepared to do.\" The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has been asked to carry out a service review and to make recommendations about how it can be made safe. The process is expected to last 10 weeks, he said. In the meantime, staff are looking at ways of setting up a minor injuries service to deal with broken bones and sprains. University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust took over the County Hospital in October last year, after the previous trust was declared clinically and financially unviable. The now-defunct Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust was fined \u00c2\u00a3500,000 last year after admitting four charges over the deaths of elderly people, between 2005 and 2014.", "summary": "An A&E unit hit by staff shortages should have an emergency service for children with minor injuries within a few weeks, doctors hope."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 4 March 2015 Last updated at 07:38 GMT The 22 humans who live on Aoshima, off Ehime prefecture, are greatly outnumbered by a population over of 120 cats. Originally brought in to deal with mice infesting fishing boats, the cats now eat scraps, crops or food given to them by tourists or local people. The big increase in visitors to the island has worried the elderly residents living there because it might disrupt their quiet lives.", "summary": "Tourists from around Japan have been flocking to a tiny fishing community, to see what has been nicknamed Cat Island."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old was one of three Pakistan players jailed in November 2011 for conspiring to bowl deliberate no-balls against England in 2010. He was banned for five years, but returned in January last year. \"He made a mistake and he paid a price for that mistake and as far as we're concerned that's over,\" Bowden said. \"It is as straightforward as that, there've been one or two other cases with players that have had a history and we've taken the same view. \"It was a relatively straightforward, not an easy choice and one has to think about it, but he paid a price and therefore he should be free to go on and further his career and enjoy his life.\" When he arrives next June, Amir will bolster a bowling line-up that has seen Graham Napier and David Masters retire after helping Essex win the County Championship Division Two title this year. \"He's going to bring pace, he's going to bring experience and I hope he brings some ambition,\" Bowden added. \"Our ambition is to do well in Division One, to stay in Division One, and to do well in white-ball cricket. \"He's going to have a big impact in the second half of the season in four-day, and for the entire Twenty20 competition.\"", "summary": "Essex chief executive Derek Bowden says Mohammad Amir must be allowed to get on with his career, with the Pakistan bowler set to join the club in 2017."}
{"article": "The church at Tabgha is built where Christians believe Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes, also known as the Feeding of the 5,000. Hebrew graffiti found on a wall is thought to indicate the attack may have been the work of Jewish extremists. Police detained 16 teenagers for questioning but later released them. Spokeswoman Luba Samri told the AFP news agency that they were freed \"with no conditions attached, after being interviewed and giving statements\". The BBC's Kevin Connolly in Jerusalem says Tabgha is a sacred site to the many thousands of Christian pilgrims who visit the Holy Land every year. The arson attack on the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes caused extensive damage to a book shop and other buildings at the complex but did not destroy the 5th Century mosaic floors which are its key archaeological feature. Two people who had been staying at the complex were also taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. A verse from a Hebrew prayer denouncing the worship of \"idols\" was found spray-painted in red on a wall of the church. Our correspondents say the graffiti will suggest to many that the attack is part of a sporadic campaign by a small group of right-wing Jewish extremists against non-Jewish targets in Israel, but police said it was too early to tell. \"The torching of the church is a cowardly and despicable act which contradicts Israel's basic values,\" Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan said in a statement. The Israeli pressure group, Rabbis for Human Rights, says there have been 43 hate crime attacks on churches, mosques and monasteries in Israel and the occupied West Bank since 2009, Reuters news agency reports.", "summary": "Arsonists are believed to have started a fire which has damaged a Roman Catholic church on the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel, police say."}
{"article": "The former \"It Girl\" and reality TV star said she began receiving treatment in January for a non-malignant growth in her pituitary gland. Ms Palmer-Tomkinson, 44, told the Daily Mail: \"I got terribly frightened. I started thinking, 'I'm going to die.'\" The tumour has been successfully reduced by the treatment, she said. Ms Palmer-Tomkinson said the tumour was discovered after she went for blood tests after feeling ill in the summer of 2015. She said: \"'I actually feel very lucky. My growth was non-malignant but it affected the production of prolactin. I've been with people who have malignant brain tumours so I don't want to be like, 'Hey look at me'. \"I have been - touch wood - luckier. I've taken medication and, thankfully, it seems to have gone away for now.\" The pituitary is a pea-sized gland on the underside of the brain which controls the release of hormones in the body. A prolactinoma is normally a benign, slow-growing tumour in the pituitary gland, but its effect on the secretion of the hormone prolactin can cause infertility. Ms Palmer-Tomkinson was also diagnosed with an auto-immune condition, which causes tiredness, joint pain and acute anaemia. Having been treated for cocaine addiction in the past, she has criticised media coverage which had blamed her frailty on drugs. \"That's always their take on it... cocaine. That was so many years ago. But not many people can contemplate Tara's life without it,\" she said.", "summary": "Socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson has revealed that she feared she was going to die when she learned she had a brain tumour."}
{"article": "Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Ireland's first gay PM, attended Sunday's event with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau. The leaders also held talks, where they discussed a range of issues, including Brexit and abortion. Mr Varadkar and Mr Trudeau met for the first time when the Canadian prime minister visited Ireland in July. Mr Trudeau said the taoiseach was the first foreign leader to take part in a pride event in Canada. Speaking at a joint news conference after the bilateral talks, Mr Varadkar said he discussed the issue of abortion with Mr Trudeau. He stated that he wanted to hold a referendum on the Eighth Amendment in the first half of next year. The Eighth Amendment to the Irish constitution was passed in 1983 and granted a foetus equal right to life as its mother, effectively outlawing abortion.", "summary": "Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar began his three-day visit to Canada by taking part in the Montreal Pride Parade."}
{"article": "President Putin signed a decree to make the award to the martial arts expert, who starred in Hollywood action thrillers during the 1990s. Seagal is friends with Mr Putin, who he has described as \"one of the greatest world leaders\". Mr Putin's spokesman said Seagal was known for his warm feelings towards Russia and his status as a famous actor was a reason to make him a citizen. Seagal made headlines when he described Russia's actions in Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, as \"very reasonable\". A keen guitarist, he played a concert there the same year. In 2013 Mr Putin reportedly proposed that Seagal be made an honorary consul of Russia in California and Arizona. The move would have made Seagal a potential intermediary between the White House and the Kremlin, Buzzfeed reported. The US refused. Seagal, whose grandmother was from Vladivostok in Russia's far east, has made frequent trips to Russia in recent years and visited Kamchatka and Sakhalin in September. He said during the visit that he wanted to spend several months a year in the country, Russia's Tass news agency reported. Seagal follows other celebrities including French actor Gerard Depardieu, US mixed martial arts fighter Jeff Monson, US boxer Roy Jones and US snowboarder Vic Wild in taking Russian citizenship. Earlier this year Seagal was given Serbian nationality after offering to set up a martial arts school in the capital Belgrade. The action star's movie credits include Under Siege and Flight of Fury and he has also starred in his own US reality TV show, Steven Seagal: Lawman.", "summary": "US actor Steven Seagal has been given Russian citizenship, the Kremlin says."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old previously spent time in England with Notts County, and has played for St Mirren and Ross County. He will officially join the Stags on 1 January, subject to international clearance, and is Steve Evans' first signing for the League Two club. \"We are working hard to add to the quality we have and this lad will give us that initial quality,\" said Evans. Mansfield have not disclosed the length of Arquin's deal.", "summary": "Mansfield Town have signed striker Yoann Arquin after the Frenchman left Swedish side Syrianska."}
{"article": "The crew, from Camborne fire station in Cornwall, were called to a house in Fore Street, Barripper, at about 09:00 GMT. The boy's parents contacted the fire brigade after they tried, but failed, to free him. Cornwall Fire and Rescue said the crew used small tools to free the child, who was unharmed.", "summary": "Six firefighters have rescued a young boy whose head was stuck in a toilet trainer seat."}
{"article": "In Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, researchers say they looked at all evidence and found supplements did not boost the health of mothers and babies. But pregnant women should make sure they take folic acid and vitamin D, as well as eating a well-balanced diet, as per NHS guidelines, they add. Supplements-makers said some women were not getting enough nutrients. The researchers said folic acid had the strongest evidence to support its use - taking 400 micrograms a day can protect against abnormalities called neural tube defects in the developing baby. Vitamin D - 10 micrograms a day - is recommended for healthy bones in the mother and baby. Some women can get these two pills for free on the Healthy Start scheme. A supplement that can be dangerous in pregnancy is vitamin A. Too much can harm the baby. The researchers said pregnant women might feel coerced into buying expensive multivitamins in order to give their baby the best start in life. But they would do well to resist the marketing claims, which did not seem to translate into better outcomes for mother or baby, they said. \"The only supplements recommended for all women during pregnancy are folic acid and vitamin D, which are available at relatively low cost,\" they said. Janet Fyle, from the Royal College of Midwives, said: \"We would encourage women who are pregnant or are thinking of becoming pregnant to have a healthy, varied diet including fresh fruit and vegetables, alongside taking folic acid supplements. \"We would also stress that there is no need for pregnant women to 'eat for two'. \"This is a myth, and all that is required is a normal balanced amount of food.\" The Health Food Manufacturers' Association, which represents the food supplements industry, insists that a substantial proportion of women of child-bearing age are not getting enough nutrients from diet alone. The industry-funded Health Supplements Information Service said food supplements could help plug dietary gaps.", "summary": "Pregnancy multivitamins are a waste of money because most mothers-to-be do not need them, according to researchers."}
{"article": "And the Ibrox boss is amazed the word \"crisis\" is being used in the media. \"We've played 14, drawn one, lost one - if that's a crisis then there's a crisis in football,\" said Warburton. \"At the start teams saw how we play, it's quite natural then to put eight, nine, 10 men behind the ball - teams will do what they have to do to win.\" He added: \"That's not a criticism, but we have to deal with it and it's tough to break down compact, solid defences of that number of men.\" Despite winning their first 10 Scottish Championship matches, their run was broken by Hibernian at the start of this month when they lost 2-1 at Easter Road. But Warburton played down accusations that their goal-scoring has dried up, and pointed to their goal difference of 31 after 14 games, which he said speaks volumes about the potency of his squad. \"Other teams have gone on a very, very good run of form and teams who dropped points at the start of the season have put a run together,\" he said. \"All credit to them as it's hard to put a run together at any time in football. So I don't think it's Rangers' form dipping, it's other teams improving. \"If we are 10, 11 or 12 points clear and we lose three games of football, while the other teams win their games, then I would agree (there is a crisis). Rangers currently sit level with Hibernian on points at the Championship summit, topping the table on goal difference, but have a game in hand over the Edinburgh outfit. The two meet next at Ibrox on 28 December and, while it is on his radar, Warburton said they will not take their eye off the ball in preparation for that clash. \"I think it's dangerous to do that, and that's the natural outlook I understand that perfectly and everyone will be saying all eyes are on the 28th, but I think we've got to look at the fact that that's a banana skin - you've got to watch games in between. \"There's no point focussing on the game four or five weeks ahead if you drop points in the meantime.\" Striker Martyn Waghorn, meanwhile, who has scored 17 goals in Rangers' 14 league fixtures, is not worried about finding the net. \"We've not been as clinical in front of goal or not scored as many goals as we could have, but that's down to other teams sitting in more defensively, holding their shape and making it difficult for us,\" he said. \"But we've only lost one game and everyone is saying we're going through a slump - that's crazy, but something we've got to deal with. \"It gives us a challenge on a Saturday, how to break teams down and find different ways to score.\" Waghorn believes the current pressure is simply part and parcel of playing for Rangers; he too welcomes the competition at the top of the Championship. \"Hibs are level with us now and it's going", "summary": "Rangers manager Mark Warburton denies his side are enduring a slump in form, and said their recent goal-scoring record is down to tougher defences."}
{"article": "There were 1,500 earthquakes recorded in Edinburgh and the Lothians over the same period. The largest earthquake in the Lothians was in Rosewell on 9 October 1986 with a 2.8 magnitude on the Richter Scale. Among the other areas with the most geological activity were Clackmannanshire and Dumfries. A seismometer at the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh records earthquakes within a 30km (19 miles) radius. More recently there was a 2.2 magnitude earthquake recorded in Penicuik in Midlothian on 13 November 2014. There were two 2.3 magnitude earthquakes in Penicuik on 30 November and 9 December 2007. Davie Galloway, British Geological Survey seismologist, told the BBC Scotland news website, that an earthquake over 2 magnitude would feel like a lorry passing your house and it would make windows rattle. He said: \"People think we don't get earthquakes because we are not on the edge of a plate but we do. \"Although we sit on the middle of a plate on the earth's crust we still have earthquakes although not on the same magnitude as for example Japan. \"We also get them in old mining areas. If the stress exceeds the strength of the rock then it can create an earthquake.\" The largest-known earthquake to ever hit the UK had a magnitude of 6.1 on 7 June 1931 in the North Sea. It was felt across most of Britain with damage reported from 71 different places. Ben Flanagan at Esri UK, said: \"We wanted to examine where Scotland's earthquakes occurred to see if any patterns emerged and uncover the myth that the country doesn't get that many. \"Modern mapping techniques enabled us to plot all 10,000 across the UK and reveal Scotland's areas of highest seismic activity.\"", "summary": "There were more than 4,000 earthquakes recorded across Scotland over the past 50 years, including a 4.4 magnitude quake in Knoydart Peninsula in 1974."}
{"article": "Known for its beaches and cricket - its national sport - the former British colony has a dual heritage: English - evident in its stone-built Anglican churches and Saturday race meetings - and African, reflected in its music and dance. Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring Barbados is one of the more populous and prosperous Caribbean islands. Political, economic and social stability have given it one of the highest standards of living in the developing world. As well as being a centre for financial services, it also has offshore reserves of oil and natural gas. However, the economy took something of a knock in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis. The country's public debt rose sharply in 2009-11, mainly because of a slowdown in the tourism and financial services sectors. Prior to the economic crisis there was a construction boom, with new hotels and housing complexes springing up. The trend accelerated as the island prepared to host some of the key Cricket World Cup matches in 2007. However, a shortage of jobs has prompted many Barbadians - more often known as Bajans - to find work abroad. The money that they send home is an important source of income. Most Barbadians are the descendants of African slaves who were brought to the island from the 17th century to work the sugar cane plantations. Limestone caverns, coral reefs and a warm climate tempered by trade winds are among the island's natural assets. Barbados is relatively flat, with highlands in the interior.", "summary": "The eastern Caribbean nation of Barbados was historically heavily dependent on the export of sugar as its main revenue earner, but in recent decades the economy has diversified into tourism and offshore finance."}
{"article": "Some see in this the potential for a new era in Russian-French relations. Maybe not the strategic alliance of old, but certainly an end to the modern-day chill. Events have certainly moved quickly. A year ago France was in the middle of a nasty spat over warships which it was refusing to sell to Vladimir Putin. For France, the Russian leader was a destabilising presence on Europe's eastern borders. EU sanctions - intended to contain Russian ambitions in Crimea and Ukraine - had full French backing. Today there are more pressing concerns. In the wake of the Paris attacks, President Hollande had a vision of a single, united international coalition - the nations of the world working together to eradicate IS. Realities have since deflated that ambition. The Americans and the Russians are not going to work together any time soon. And the Turko-Russian crisis over the downed Sukhoi Russian warplane is a further complication. But still, the French want as many countries on side as possible. And the Russians - by dint of their military presence in Syria - are a major player. As one diplomatic official told Le Monde: \"Right now we are probably more prepared to work with the Russians than Barack Obama is.\" President Hollande has two goals in his talks with Vladimir Putin. First he wants to persuade Russia to direct its airstrikes away from the \"moderate\" Syrian opposition and onto targets belonging to IS. Second, he wants a firmer understanding that Russia will not stick indefinitely behind Bashar al-Assad. The French feel they have made a significant change in policy by de-prioritising the removal of the Syrian leader. It took a good deal of pride-swallowing to make the concession, because until two weeks ago Paris was President Assad's greatest scourge. But there is only so far that the French will go down this line. And they feel Russia should also give some slack. There are a number of factors in favour of a rapprochement. First of all, Russia has itself now come face-to-face with IS terrorism - with the destruction of the tourist plane from Sharm el-Sheikh. This has jolted perceptions in Moscow, for which IS is now a designated enemy. Second, Russia has every interest in cultivating Paris as a new friend. Straight after the Paris attacks, Mr Putin ordered his military to co-ordinate with the French in the campaign against IS - an unprecedented act given that France is in Nato. The Russian leader was effusive with compassion, and even sent a dog - Dobrynya - to replace Diesel the French special forces Alsatian who was killed in the raid in Saint Denis. It was all very deliberate, because there is nothing the Russians would like more than to lure the French out of the American-Western orbit. In the geopolitics departments of Russian universities - and some French ones too - this is regarded as a historically-determined necessity. France and Russia, after all, are two great nations lying at either end of the European continent - with a shared interest in preventing its domination", "summary": "French President Francois Hollande's visit to Moscow comes at a time of fast-shifting diplomatic alignments and priorities, triggered by the spread of Islamic State (IS) terror."}
{"article": "The authority said relocating the station could generate up to 6,500 more jobs and bring in hundreds of millions of pounds in business rates. The figures emerged after a Freedom of Information request by BBC Look North. An HS2 spokeswoman said the Meadowhall site provided \"significantly better connections to more people and places\". Figures show that the council spent \u00a378,090 on an assessment of the case for a city centre station, \u00a325,525 on \"understanding the economic impact relocating the station and \u00a36,000 on a business breakfast with HS2 representatives. A Sheffield City Council said: \"The differences in predicted economic impact between a city centre or an out-of-town parkway location are vast. \"A city centre station will help connect Sheffield to Leeds and Manchester to help create the 'Northern Powerhouse'. An out-of-town parkway station will be a massive economic opportunity lost. \" It was announced in 2013 that a new station linking Sheffield with London and Birmingham via the HS2 high-speed rail network would be situated at Meadowhall shopping centre. Katherine Button, of HS2 Ltd, said: \"The Sheffield Meadowhall station is the best location to serve the wider South Yorkshire region. \"We have scrutinised other options including a city centre site, but Meadowhall provides significantly better connections to more people and places across the region and at a lower cost, and provides the quickest onward journey times to Leeds, Newcastle and Scotland. \"That is why the majority of Sheffield City Region authorities, as well as Leeds City Region and East Midlands authorities support Meadowhall, and are keen to see faster progress in the coming months. \"The final decision will come from the Government and we anticipate an announcement will be made later this year.\"", "summary": "Sheffield City council has spent \u00a3190,000 lobbying for a proposed HS2 station to be moved from Meadowhall to the city centre, it has emerged."}
{"article": "Aidan, 16, who was born female, claims he was effectively excluded because Hereford Cathedral School refused to let him wear a boy's uniform. This was despite the support of his mother and the family's GP as he began his transition. The action is being taken under the 2010 Equality Act. The school said it would defend its position. Aidan said that when he came out as a boy his mother was \"definitely heartbroken\". \"I feel like she had dreams of seeing her daughter getting married and having children,\" he said. \"She definitely needed time to mourn and I needed to let her have that time.\" Source: Department for Education, The Equality Act 2010 and schools When he told the school he did not want to be addressed as a girl or wear girl's clothes, he claims staff said it was a \"phase\" that he would grow out of. He said he was told he was \"attention seeking\". \"They didn't really take it seriously,\" he added. Mother Jackie described the school's treatment as \"appalling\". \"They made my child out to be a freak and someone who would contaminate other students,\" she claimed. A letter from Aidan's mother to the school's chair of governors says she had no choice but to remove her son from the school after being told the school was \"inadequately prepared to accommodate Aidan's needs and give him the high level of support and pastoral care that he deserves\". The legal action is currently ongoing through the courts. It is understood part of the school's defence claims Aidan was withdrawn from the school by his family, prior to a final decision being made by them about whether his needs could be met. In a statement Hereford Cathedral School said: \"The continued happiness, wellbeing and safety of our pupils is the top priority. \"The family's grievances against the school are the subject of current legal proceedings. For that reason the school is unable to discuss any details relating to this matter at the present time, other than to state that it will defend its position in the proceedings.\" Note: The family wished to remain anonymous so names have been changed.", "summary": "A transgender teenager is taking legal action against his former school for discrimination."}
{"article": "16 January 2016 Last updated at 12:15 GMT The CCTV, recorded on 5 January, shows the HGV passing the van at speed near Ulceby, forcing the van driver to stop on the crossing. Inspector Graham Bridges said it was an example of \"extremely dangerous driving\" and the police are now trying to trace both drivers.", "summary": "Footage of a lorry overtaking a van on a level crossing in Lincolnshire has been released by British Transport Police."}
{"article": "The American, who cannot be identified, said the therapy for Charlie Gard would be \"treatment but not a cure\". A decision whether to turn off his life support machines is being considered by the High Court. Connie Yates and Chris Gard want to take their son who has progressive muscle weakness to the US. A crowdfunding campaign for the trip is now less than \u00a360,000 short of its \u00a31.3m target. The judge is analysing medical evidence at a hearing in the Family Division before deciding what option is in Charlie's best interests. The neurologist who would oversee the treatment told the court that while Charlie was in the \"terminal stage\" of his illness, treating him would be compassionate. He said the therapy, which would be tried for six months, would provide a \"small chance\" of a meaningful improvement in Charlie's brain function. \"[Charlie] may be able to interact. To smile. To look at objects,\" he said. Sophia Roper, representing Charlie's parents, also told the court there was \"no evidence that he is on a regular basis in pain\". Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital said the baby receives 24-hour care and should be allowed to die with dignity. But the couple, who live in London, believe seven-month-old Charlie may have a chance of surviving if he receives treatment abroad. \"We just want to have our chance. It would never be a cure but it could help him live. If it saves him, amazing,\" Miss Yates said. \"I want to save others. Even if Charlie doesn't make it through this, I don't ever want another mum and their child to go through this.\" Though born healthy in August, Charlie began to lose weight and strength by the time he was eight weeks old. He was admitted to Great Ormond Street in October after developing aspiration pneumonia and was diagnosed with mitochondrial depletion syndrome. Last month, his parents told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme they would continue to fight for their child's survival. They said: \"He can move his mouth, he can move his hands. He can't open them fully, but he can still open his eyes and see us, in response to us.\" An online campaign raised an initial \u00a31.2m, but an extra \u00a3100,000 is now needed to help pay fees on the GoFundMe website and extend Charlie's stay in America. While it is free to host a campaign on GoFundMe.com, fees are deducted from each donation. In the UK 5% of each donation goes towards supporting GoFundMe, while 2.68% is charged for processing fees plus VAT. Those paying towards UK-based campaigns from outside the European Economic Area can expect up to 9.48% of their donation to go towards these fees, the website says. Charlie is thought to be just one of 16 children in the world to have mitochondrial depletion syndrome. Earlier this month, a spokesperson for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust said it had \"exhausted\" all proven treatment options. \"We cannot imagine how hugely distressing this is for his family,\" they added. \"We continue to support them", "summary": "The doctor who would give experimental treatment to a baby who has a rare genetic condition has admitted the case was \"uncharted territory\"."}
{"article": "Three-quarters of Scotland's top-flight clubs have told BBC Scotland they would consider a move to summer football. But Doncaster says the amount of games played and international tournaments have to be taken into consideration. \"We are effectively playing for 11 months and using pretty much every date we can in that period,\" he explained. \"We currently start in July and finish in May. The missing month is the one the World Cup and European Championship takes place in. Media playback is not supported on this device \"The key question is do we want to be playing games at a time when a World Cup or European Championship is going on? \"If we want to go head-to-head with those major tournaments, that's a decision we can make but we should make it in an informed way and understand what that really means.\" The chief executive also highlighted the possible economic impact of changing the Scottish season. \"I think we need to look at other league formats that result in fewer games and that might create more flexibility to take games out of the worst of the winter weather,\" he said. \"I think most managers would agree that we play too many games but the problem with shortening the season is the knock-on impact on income, so it's much easier said than done. \"We can't simply create a winter break if we are using 11 months at the moment. We played seven [rounds of Premiership] games in January this year, not because we wanted to but because of the constraints. \"Unless there is a debate around how many games we play and the league structure, there is very little scope to alter the current calendar.\" Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan was asked about summer football at his organisation's annual general meeting on Wednesday and described it as \"an interesting concept\". \"We are discussing a raft of matters relating to the fixture calendar,\" he said. \"We [Scotland] play Ireland on Saturday night and [Scottish clubs'] first Europa League qualifier is [in early July]. \"The traditional close season has gone and it's important to consider how we move towards a mid-season break rather than summer football. \"So you would have two half-seasons with a gap in the middle. It's important for players to have down time and holidays and that we're managing international and club fixtures side by side.\"", "summary": "Scottish Professional Football League chief executive Neil Doncaster believes the possible advent of summer football is an issue of some complexity."}
{"article": "The incident happened at Dalscone Farm Fun in Dumfries on Saturday night after the park's three wallabies were chased around their enclosure by five boys. Two of the animals escaped the enclosure but the third was so shaken it died. Police Scotland confirmed in a short statement that a 16-year-old boy had been arrested. It added that inquiries were continuing into the incident but thanked the public for their assistance with the investigation.", "summary": "A teenager has been arrested following the death of a wallaby at a farm play park in the south of Scotland."}
{"article": "Sebastian Prodl is suspended while Christian Kabasele, Craig Cathcart and Younes Kaboul are all out injured. Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany should be fit despite being substituted during the 3-1 win over West Brom. John Stones has also recovered from a groin strain and could replace Nicolas Otamendi in defence. Steve Wilson: \"Pep Guardiola's been saying some interesting things this week. Firstly that his side's performance this season would have got him sacked at the kind of club he's been accustomed to working at. \"Then he asked an interviewer to give him one good reason to think that the English league is anything special compared to Spain, Italy and Germany. \"I'm certainly not saying that Guardiola is wrong - just that it's odd that he was willing to say this stuff. You might interpret it as a pointed signal to those he works with at City to up their game if they want to get to his level. \"Speaking of managers, Walter Mazzarri has been told to pack his bags with Watford issuing a statement remarkable only for its brevity. \"The Hornets are on their longest losing streak in nine years - should they lose again on Sunday it will be their longest for 44 years. Enough said.\" Twitter: @Wilsonfooty Watford head coach Walter Mazzarri: \"I would like to thank the main characters of this season - the players and the fans. \"Our fans have always been extraordinary with their participation and with their fantastic passion for the whole season. \"Also I thank the players, who have always given 200 per cent of what they had, always going further and pushing their limits.\" Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola: \"It's a crucial game for us absolutely - a final. It's in our hands. We have to go there and win. We have won three in a row but we still have 95, 96 minutes to fight. \"Watford have had a good season. They are safe. We have to be careful. \"We are going to make changes [in the summer].\" I had been wondering for a while what was going to happen to Watford boss Walter Mazzarri, and it was no surprise when it was announced this week that he will be leaving. I think the Hornets will play well in his farewell game but I still think Manchester City will get the win they need to secure third place. Prediction: 0-3 Lawro's prediction v rock band Royal Blood. Head-to-head Watford Manchester City SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.", "summary": "Watford could be without up to six central defenders, with Adrian Mariappa (knee) and Miguel Britos (calf) facing late fitness tests."}
{"article": "Two other boys, aged 15 and 16, were assaulted and required treatment. Police were called to reports of a large number of teenage boys involved in a disturbance at Auchinairn Gardens in Bishopbriggs at about 00:05. The 16-year-old who was seriously assaulted was treated at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and later released. Police are seeking witnesses to the incident. Det Sgt Jas Juttla said: \"Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding this disturbance and I would appeal to any witnesses to come forward.\"", "summary": "A 16-year-old boy has been seriously assaulted in what police said was a \"large-scale disturbance\" near Glasgow."}
{"article": "Dubbed Nuit Debout (Up All Night), it is a self-styled \"popular assembly\" in which participants share views about politics and the state of the world. As night descends, the speakers stand patiently in line and, turn by turn, take the microphone for their allotted five minutes. Before them, sitting in twos and threes on paving stones, the young audience responds with the occasional cheer or boo. Not that there is a huge amount to react to. The speeches are rambling and platitudinous. One orator says the essence behind society should be \"values\" - but she does not say which. Another urges an end to hierarchy - \"no more pride, no more ego - just ideas\". A third wants to speak of human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo. One theme that recurs is the need to tolerate divergences of opinion. This is significant. Two nights previously, one of France's best-known philosophers - a man who a generation ago would have himself been at the mike - was spat on and told to leave. Both speakers and listeners appear to be mainly students - an impression confirmed by a tour of the various \"stands\". The feminists are in a large huddle, and I am asked not to take photographs. Elsewhere, a screen shows a laborious film made by a woman who took a job distributing junk mail and wants to expose the exploitation. There is a group of anti-speciesists, and a \"TV studio\" (TV Debout!) consisting of a camera and white sheet and a lap-top. No-one is using it. Someone has planted a minuscule vegetable patch beneath a tree (Jardin Debout!). One banner calls for a new French constitution. Another proclaims the \"convergence des luttes\" - the ultimate left-wing dream: the coming together of all the struggles. It is like wandering through a university campus during a sit-in. The same mixture of wide-eyed joy and po-faced earnestness. The same thrashing out of texts that no-one will read. The same evanescent self-importance. All of which would be perfectly unexceptionable, were it not for the fact that - this being France - the Nuit Debout movement has been accorded a public status that it does not remotely deserve. The media - with rare exceptions - have been predictably breathless in their reporting of this \"democratic awakening\". The impression is put about that la jeunesse (the youth) is once again - as in May 1968 - doing a service to society by reclaiming debate from a decrepit political establishment. Worse, the politicians themselves go along with this myth. No-one dares say boo to a \"popular manifestation\" that borrows its imagery from the country's revolutionary past. Even some right-wing politicians have said they are \"solidaire\". The crowning irony is that - in the face of la jeunesse en colere (angry youth) - the Socialist government has already made major concessions. The origin of Nuit Debout was the protest movement against Prime Minister Manuel Valls's vaguely pro-business new labour law. But under pressure from President Hollande (who is petrified by the prospect of youth on the", "summary": "Since the end of March, hundreds of people have been gathering every evening in the Place de la Republique in Paris."}
{"article": "The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded the funding to Cwm Community Action Group of Betws-y-Coed to help create the Snowdonia Slate Trail. It comes as Gwynedd council bids to secure World Heritage Site status for the region's slate villages. The pathway, which will use existing rights of way, will also gather stories about the area's rich history. The Snowdonia Slate Trail will start at Porth Penrhyn, near Bangor, and pass through a number of villages including Bethesda, Ffestiniog, Penmachno, Capel Curig and Betws-y-Coed. A Snowdonia National Park Authority spokesman said: \"This new route will be of benefit not only to walkers who wish to walk short distances, but also for long distance walkers, encouraging them to stay in the area over several days which in turn will be of great benefit to the local economy.\" The total cost of the project is \u00a385,000, and funding has also come from Magnox, Ffestiniog and Bethesda town councils, the Snowdonia National Park Authority's Cae Fund and the community fund in Wales. The walkway is due to be completed in October 2017.", "summary": "The creation of a new 85-mile trail through Snowdonia has been boosted by a \u00a353,000 grant."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old, who arrived from Dinamo Zagreb in the summer, last featured in the 3-1 victory over St Johnstone on 23 January. Simunovic, who missed Sunday's League Cup semi-final defeat by Ross County, also had a spell on the sidelines in the first half of the season. Kris Commons is close to a return from a muscle injury. The midfield playmaker, 32, has missed the last three matches and manger Ronny Deila said Wednesday's visit to Aberdeen \"would probably be too soon\" for a return. Celtic captain Scott Brown made his first appearance in two months as a late substitute at the weekend.", "summary": "Celtic's Croatian defender Jozo Simunovic will be absent for four to six weeks with knee ligament damage."}
{"article": "The 65-year-old was detained 10 years ago on suspicion of the rape and murder of Stuart Lubbock in Essex. Mr Barrymore, who was not present for the High Court decision, values his claim at more than \u00c2\u00a32.4m. Essex Police said there were still \"unanswered\" questions over Mr Lubbock's death. Michael Barrymore: How the British TV king lost his crown A figure for the damages to be paid to Mr Barrymore - whose real name is Michael Parker - is yet to be set. Mr Barrymore was arrested in 2007 in connection with the 31-year-old's death. Mr Justice Stuart-Smith, sitting in London on Friday, ruled against the force, which had argued Mr Barrymore should only receive a nominal payout. The judge did not decide on the sum to be awarded, as his ruling dealt only with the preliminary issue of the level of damages to be awarded to Mr Barrymore. The case centred on whether Essex Police had reasonable grounds to lawfully arrest Mr Barrymore. While Mr Justice Stuart-Smith found there was \"information available to the police that could have provided an arresting officer with reasonable grounds for a lawful arrest\" the one officer with sufficient information to carry it out was not there at the time the entertainer was arrested. That officer was stuck in traffic at the time, Essex Police said. As a result, said Mr Justice Stuart-Smith, the arrest was unlawful and Mr Barrymore was therefore \"entitled to recover more than nominal damages\". During a previous hearing, a lawyer for Mr Barrymore told how the arrest had affected his client. Hugh Tomlinson QC said Mr Barrymore, the former host of My Kind Of People and Strike it Lucky, was never charged with any offence and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) later made it \"crystal clear\" there was no basis for any charges. He said Mr Barrymore remained convinced that Mr Lubbock's injuries were not caused at his home but he did not know what happened. He added: \"This arrest was made without any proper evidential foundation. \"However, the fact that it had happened, and the worldwide publicity it received, destroyed the claimant's career.\" In a statement issued after the High Court hearing, Essex Police said: \"Today's judgement must not overshadow the questions which are still unanswered for Mr Lubbock's family and friends. \"Sixteen years on they still need to know what happened to Stuart on that night, how he was injured, and who is responsible for his death. \"A small number of people know the answers to those questions and over the years loyalties change and somebody may want to help us at this time.\"", "summary": "The entertainer Michael Barrymore is to get \"more than nominal damages\" after claiming his wrongful arrest by police destroyed his career."}
{"article": "Hill, 18, scored 15/16 in the skeet final to beat Thailand's Sutiya Jiewchaloemmit. Scott, 30, triumphed in the double trap, shooting 27/30 to beat Qiang Pan of China. \"To come away with a gold is an amazing end to the year and I couldn't have asked for a lot more,\" said Hill, who won gold at the European Games in June.", "summary": "Amber Hill and Steve Scott both won gold medals at the 2015 ISSF Shotgun World Cup final in Cyprus."}
{"article": "Patrick Joseph Connors, 59, his son Patrick Dean Connors, 39, and nephew William Connors, 36, denied requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour between 2010 and 2013. They were convicted by a jury at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday. Connors senior was jailed for 14 years, Patrick Dean for six-and-a-half years and William for four years. Patrick Joseph Connors' son-in-law Lee Carbis, 34, who was cleared of forced labour, but found guilty of kidnap, was jailed for two-and-a-half years. Catrin Evans, of the Crown Prosecution Service in Wales, said the men were guilty of \"exploiting and controlling\" their vulnerable victim in a \"callous manner over a prolonged period of time\". 'Modern slavery' victim 'emotionally broken' The Connors kept Michael Hughes, 46, in \"appalling conditions\" in south Wales and paid him less than \u00a310 a day for years. He said: \"I am over the moon at today's verdict. Both myself and my family can now move on and I am so happy to have my life back - a life that I never knew existed. \"Those people stole my life but the outcome of today's trial means that they will now face the justice that they deserve.\" Judge Neil Bidder QC said the three Connors, who operated a tarmacking business based at a farm in Rumney, treated their victims as little more than objects. He said: \"All the offences which you, Patrick Joseph Connors, have been convicted of are examples of conduct designed to keep two vulnerable men in what can only be described as modern-day slavery - in the case of Michael John Hughes, for 21 years. \"By the end of that time he had been completely conditioned to being used by you as a serf.\" The court heard over the course of the trial, Patrick Joseph Connors forced Mr Hughes to work for him for long hours, paying him tiny sums or just with alcohol and tobacco. Mr Hughes was \"hunted down\" when he escaped and beaten \"all the time\", he said in evidence. He was made to live in \"appalling conditions\", including in a 1.2m (4ft)-wide garden shed with no heating or running water for two years. The court heard the only respite came when Mr Hughes was sent back to Scotland for unpaid fines and jailed. He said prison was \"like a holiday camp\" compared to his ordeal in Wales. Connors senior was also convicted of eight counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), four of kidnap and one charge of conspiracy to kidnap, while Patrick Dean Connors was also found guilty of kidnap. The jury was told to return not guilty verdicts on a charge of conspiracy to kidnap against Patrick Dean Connors and another of assault against William Connors. Gwent Police's Ch Supt Paul Griffiths, who led the investigation, said: \"These types of crimes have a lasting effect on the victims - it is not just the physical degradation, it's psychological too. It causes deep and long-lasting trauma.\"", "summary": "Three family members have been jailed for forcing a man to do heavy labour for tiny amounts in Cardiff."}
{"article": "The General Penitentiary of Venezuela in central Guarico state was closed in October after violent clashes between inmates. The bodies, which are in an advanced state of decomposition, were found during works to refurbish the jail. So far none of the remains have been identified. The grave was discovered on Thursday and the number of bodies found since has risen from seven to 14. Forensic experts are continuing with their search and have not ruled out finding more bodies buried on the prison grounds. On Friday, prison minister Iris Varela wrote on Twitter that she had contacted the relatives of two inmates to ask for their help identifying the remains. The two prisoners disappeared when inmates were relocated from the General Penitentiary of Venezuela to other jails in October. An estimated 9,000 prisoners were locked up in the jail near the town of San Juan de los Morros prior to its closure, according to non-governmental organisation A Window on Freedom. The NGO says Venezuelan jails are woefully overcrowded and that last year 173 inmates died while in custody. But Ms Varela told Venezuelan state broadcaster VTV that the country had taken huge steps to improve the conditions of its prisons. She said that all of the country's women's and youth prisons had been brought up to new standards set by the Venezuelan government. \"This is an achievement without precedent of the Bolivarian Revolution and the government of our president, Nicolas Maduro,\" she said. She said that President Maduro had asked her in 2014 to \"impose maximum discipline\" in Venezuelan jails. \"Well, here I am fulfilling the president's orders,\" she said. She did not refer further to the remains found except to say that forensic tests were being carried out.", "summary": "The number of bodies found in a mass grave in Venezuela's largest prison has risen to 14, the public prosecutor's office said in a statement."}
{"article": "\"The Turks\", he said, had \"decided to lick the Americans in a certain place\". He was giving his wide-ranging annual news conference. Touching on next year's US presidential election, the Russian leader called Donald Trump a \"very colourful, talented person\" and the \"absolute frontrunner in the presidential race\". Mr Putin is now into his third term as president since 2000, battling an economic crisis. Critics say civil liberties have been steadily eroded under his rule. He remains one of the world's most recognisable politicians, and has topped the list of The World's Most Powerful People compiled by Forbes magazine for the third year running. On other issues raised at the news conference, President Putin Russia deployed its air force to Syria in September in support of President Bashar al-Assad and has been carrying out air strikes on his opponents. Its intervention has been heavily criticised by Turkey, the US and Gulf Arab states. Mr Putin said the downing of the Russian jet by Turkish warplanes on the Syria-Turkey border was a \"hostile act\" but Russia was \"not the country\" to run away. He said he saw \"no prospect\" of ties improving with Turkey - which Russia has put under sanctions - under its current leaders. There was, he said, a \"creeping Islamisation of Turkey that would have Ataturk rolling in his grave\". The remark appeared to be aimed at President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose AKP party, with its Islamist roots, has been accused of seeking to dismantle the secular state founded by Kemal Ataturk. Mr Putin said Turkish officials should have picked up the phone to talk to Russia about their concerns that air strikes in Syria were hitting Turkmen rebels. Vladimir Putin: Russia's action man president Ever noticed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has an unusual walking style? He does not swing his right arm much at all when he walks - instead all the movement is on the left side of the body, giving him a very distinct lop-sided gait. A team of European neurologists analysed countless YouTube videos of the president and other top Russian officials to find out why. They discovered that they all had a similar gait, and it is probably linked to their KGB military training which requires them to keep their weapons close to their chest or in the right hand, giving them time to draw a gun on an unexpected enemy. As a result, only the left arm moves freely. So President Putin officially has a \"gunslinger's gait\" - but doctors should be aware that a reduced right arm swing can also be an early sign of Parkinson's disease too, the British Medical Journal research says. Is there such a thing as a 'hard man' walk? Mr Putin insisted his country's economy was recovering. While oil prices had fallen sharply, he said, manufacturing had shown slight growth and there was a healthy trade balance in agriculture. \"Our economy depends on oil and gas prices, we expected Brent to be worth $100 per barrel, but then it was $50, but this was an optimistic prediction", "summary": "Russian President Vladimir Putin has used crude language in a furious new attack on Turkey over the shooting down of a Russian combat jet last month."}
{"article": "The former England Under-19 international made four appearances last season as the Belles were promoted from Women's Super League Two. \"I have tried so hard to get back but my legs just won't go,\" she said in a message posted on Twitter. \"Unfortunately, this disease cannot be beaten and has taken my dream.\" Belles manager Glen Harris said: \"It is sad that a young player, with the talent Ash has, has had to stop playing at the top level. \"Ash has been a pleasure to work with, always turning up and training with a smile on her face... even if it's not always in the right kit!\" Mills added: \"My three years with the club have been absolutely fantastic. \"I have enjoyed every minute of my time here. I feel very honoured to have represented this great historic and successful club.\" Mills said she plans to cheer on the Belles from the stands. Doncaster start the new Women's Super League One season at home to reigning champions Chelsea on 24 March. Around 100,000 people in the United Kingdom have multiple sclerosis or MS, according to the Multiple Sclerosis Society. It is normally diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 40. Symptoms might include fatigue, vision problems and difficulties with walking, but MS is different for everyone. In MS, the protective layer surrounding nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord - known as myelin - becomes damaged. The immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin, causing scarring or sclerosis. The damaged myelin disrupts the nerve signals - rather like the short circuit caused by a frayed electrical cable. If the process of inflammation and scarring is not treated, then eventually the condition can cause permanent neurodegeneration. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of the MS Society, said: \"MS is an unpredictable and challenging condition to live with and diagnosis can be upsetting and scary. The MS Society is here to help anyone affected by MS.\" MS Society helpline: 0808 800 8000.", "summary": "Doncaster Rovers Belles midfielder Ashleigh Mills has ended her playing career at the age of 20 after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis."}
{"article": "Several gunmen stormed the Corinthia Hotel and opened fire in the reception area. A car bomb also exploded nearby. Unconfirmed reports say some of the assailants have blown themselves up. The officials say the dead include one US and one French citizen. The security forces say the stand-off has now been brought to an end. The US state department has confirmed the death of a US citizen, without giving any further details. The dead American is believed to have been a security contractor. The French national is reported to have been working for Libya's Buraq Air. There are conflicting reports as to the total number of attackers. A Twitter account linked to Islamic State said the militant group had carried out the attack. There has been strong evidence to suggest an IS presence in the eastern Libyan city of Derna since October, with a group there publicly declaring allegiance to its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. However, the command structure is still a mystery to most foreign observers. The BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli says that in the past month there has been a string of incidents in western Libya, including abductions and bombings, that have been claimed by IS social media accounts. But she says it has not been clearly established whether these groups are IS foot soldiers or people inspired by them. A civilian who witnessed the attack told the BBC: \"I suddenly heard shots and saw people running towards me, and we all escaped from the back [of the hotel] through the underground garage. The hotel did a lockdown after that.\" Analysis: BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli The militant group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Corinthia Hotel, which was housing Omar al-Hassi, prime minister of Tripoli's self-proclaimed government, and the makeshift offices of an unknown number of foreign companies. Although this cannot be verified with absolute certainty, the brutality and style of the siege suggests it was the work of extremists targeting foreigners. Libya is in a state of political chaos with a security vacuum and there are few reliable sources with whom to check facts. On a day when Tripoli witnessed this brazen and deadly attack, reporters were faced with statements from competing political blocs who seemingly tried to capitalise on the incident. Mr al-Hassi claimed he was the target. The elected government in the east will use it to make the case for broadening their crackdown on Islamist groups - which some blame for further radicalising some of them. What it has shown is that this lawless land is making it easy for extremist groups to mushroom. Different sources at the scene said there were between three and five attackers - footage released later on Tuesday showed the body of a man reported to be one of the militants. A security source told the BBC that one gunman had been arrested. Four security guards are among the dead and several people are reported to be injured. One hotel employee told the Associated Press news agency that the hotel was mostly empty at the", "summary": "Militants have attacked a hotel in the Libyan capital Tripoli, killing at least nine people including five foreigners, officials say."}
{"article": "All are members of the Diocese of West Yorkshire and Dales Motorcycle Club, formed for clergy and lay motorcyclists. Ten bikes will start the trip on Monday from Leyburn in North Yorkshire. Reverend Michael Hepper from St Matthew's in Leyburn said it would be a \"very different kind of retreat\". The 725-mile round trip will begin with a 200-mile ride to Barnard Castle, over the moors to Hexham and through the Kielder Forest to Jedburgh and Edinburgh. The riders will continue to Fionnphort on the west coast of Scotland via the Trossachs and the Isle of Mull. The \"pilgrimage\" ends on the island of Iona, known as \"the cradle of Christianity\" because St Columba is said to have landed there by coracle from Ireland in AD563, bringing the Gospel. Mr Hepper said the trip would be \"a spiritual experience and an adventure\". Reverend Neal Lefroy-Owen, of St Hilda's, Halifax and St John's, Warley, said: \"It's great to be able to share my love of riding with fellow Christians from the new diocese and to get to know them better.\" Reverend Canon Stephen Kelly - area dean of Wakefield and priest in charge of Woolley and West Bretton, Reverend Canon Paul Tudge of Farsley near Pudsey, and Reverend Vic Iwanuschak, Incumbent of All Saints Pontefract will also take part in the pilgrimage ride. Five lay riders and four pillion passengers will accompany them.", "summary": "Five Yorkshire vicars are preparing for a five-day motorbike \"pilgrimage\" from Yorkshire to Iona off the west coast of Scotland."}
{"article": "\"After much soul-searching, it is clearly time for us to live by Michael's words about love not war,\" wrote Jermaine, in a statement. Jermaine also withdrew his support for a leaked letter which calls on executors of the estate to resign. On Thursday his mother, Katherine, was reinstated as guardian of Michael's children along with his cousin, TJ. Days earlier, TJ became a temporary guardian for the three children amid reports Katherine, 82, was missing. Michael's siblings, Jermaine, Randy and Janet, are understood to have driven to the Jackson home and insisted they leave with Michael's three children. Police were called following a \"minor scuffle\". \"Mistakes have been made and irrational things have been said on both sides in a highly charged emotional environment,\" Jermaine Jackson wrote in his statement. \"It is time for us all to draw a line in the sand and move towards peace, co-operation, love and healing.\" 'Mutual suspicions' Katherine Jackson was on a 10-day spa trip to Arizona, when speculation arose about her whereabouts and her health. Prince Michael, 15, Paris, 14, and 10-year-old Prince Michael II (also called Blanket) have lived with the singer's mother since his death in 2009. Lawyers for the estate this week confirmed a number of unnamed relatives have been barred from visiting the Jackson family home. Writing in his statement about the confrontation at the Jackson family home on 23 July, Jermaine said \"it was clear that mutual suspicions had allowed events to spiral out of control\". \"I regret that events were ever allowed to reach such a stage,\" he wrote. \"I regret any distress caused to Prince, Paris and Blanket. That was never, ever the intention of myself, Janet, Rebbie or Randy.\" Michael Jackson's will left nothing to his siblings when he died aged 50 of an overdose of the anaesthetic propofol in June 2009. 'Overwhelmed' Janet, Randy, Jermaine and Rebbie are all understood to have signed a letter, which was leaked to the press, alleging the will was a fake and calling on executors of the estate to resign. The letter states the family was too overwhelmed at the time of the singer's death to meaningfully challenge the will that gave only Katherine Jackson and Michael's three children a stake in the estate. The estate has denied the accusations, saying they are \"saddened\" by \"false and defamatory accusations\". Any legal challenge to the will should have been filed within four months of the will's acceptance in November 2009.", "summary": "Michael Jackson's brother Jermaine has called for an end to the Jackson family feud over the late pop star's estate."}
{"article": "Ambulance staff dealt with 2,184 calls between 19:00 on Hogmanay and 07:00 on New Year's Day. Additional crews, call handlers and dispatchers were on duty. The busiest time was from 01:00 to 04:00, with 739 calls. The new year total was 35 higher than the previous year. The Christmas period, from 23 to 27 December, saw a 10% increase on 2015. Scottish Ambulance Service chief executive Pauline Howie said: \"The overall level of demand for our service over the festive period has exceeded previous years and Hogmanay was one of our busiest nights of the year.\"", "summary": "The Scottish Ambulance Service had a busier Hogmanay than last year."}
{"article": "Mr Morsi said he was not \"calling for war\", but that he would not allow Egypt's water supply to be endangered. Egypt was apparently caught by surprise when Ethiopia started diverting the Blue Nile last month, amid works to construct a hydroelectric dam. The river is a tributary of the Nile, on which Egypt is heavily dependent. The Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is a $4.7bn (\u00c2\u00a33.1bn) project that Ethiopia says will eventually provide 6,000 megawatts of power. It says the Blue Nile will be slightly diverted but will then be able to follow its natural course. \"Egypt's water security cannot be violated at all,\" Mr Morsi said on Monday. \"As president of the state, I confirm to you that all options are open.\" \"If Egypt is the Nile's gift, then the Nile is a gift to Egypt,'' he said, quoting popular sayings about the river in an emotive televised speech. \"The lives of the Egyptians are connected around it... as one great people. If it diminishes by one drop then our blood is the alternative.\" Analysts say Mr Morsi could be using the issue to distract attention from severe domestic political and economic challenges. Egypt is particularly dependant on water supply from the Nile, and its growing population has been placing that supply under increasing strain. Sudan is also reliant on Nile waters. Egypt cites a colonial era ruling to claim a right to the majority of the Nile's waters for itself and Sudan, but Ethiopia says the ruling is outdated. Mr Morsi said Egypt had no objection to development projects on Nile basin states, \"but on condition that those projects do not affect or damage Egypt's legal and historical rights\". Last week, Egyptian politicians were inadvertently heard on live TV proposing military action over the dam.", "summary": "Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has said \"all options are open\" to deal with any threat to his country's water supply posed by an Ethiopian dam."}
{"article": "An independent Rugby Football League tribunal ruled on charges brought in April, and an independent body upheld the verdict on Thursday. Koukash told BBC Radio Manchester: \"You start questioning 'is the sport with this governing body worth keeping my involvement in it and keep investing like I have been doing?'\" Independent body Sports Resolutions also upheld Salford's fine of \u00a35,000 for \"seeking to avoid declaring payments\" to one player and \"non declaration of benefits\" to two others. \"I have no doubt whatsoever the RFL are out to get Salford at every opportunity as long as I'm involved in the club, and the six-point deduction is very harsh,\" continued Koukash. \"It's as harsh as it was a couple of years ago when they deducted a couple of points from the club for fielding 14 players. \"When we saw it a few weeks ago, Widnes did it twice and they got a fine, so we can see that they have been targeting Salford for quite a while. \"That's probably due to the fact that I'm outspoken against them and they see me as a person who is not welcome in the sport. If that's the case then maybe I shouldn't be in the sport.\" After the Red Devils were initially charged in March, Koukash had promised \"all-out war\" if his club were punished by the RFL. In 2013, Salford were fined \u00a35,000 and deducted two points for fielding 14 men during their 34-30 win over Castleford, while Widnes beat Hull FC 46-6 earlier this season when had an extra man on the field. When asked for a response to Koukash's comments, the RFL responded with the same statement released after Salford's appeal was rejected. \"The independent body Sports Resolutions upheld the decision by an independent RFL tribunal to find Salford Red Devils guilty of breaching the salary cap in the 2014 and 2015 season,\" said the statement. \"The tribunal found Salford guilty of the following: One of the main points of the appeal was that the independent tribunal found Salford guilty on undeclared payments which Koukash conceded were not registered. Wigan were the last club to be found in breach of the salary cap in 2007 and they were docked four points, compared to Salford's six. \"What we couldn't get away from was yes, there were three undeclared payments dating back in 2013 and 2014, two of them for [helping the players pay] rent,\" added Koukash. \"They could be argued due to admin or mismanagement - that's why we are getting the six points deduction, for breaking operational rules and not the salary cap itself. \"If you add the three undeclared payments to our spend we do not go over the salary cap. I think it is unfair. Yes, we did not declare the payments, but is it a six-point deduction? No, it is not.\"", "summary": "Salford Red Devils owner Marwan Koukash is considering his future involvement in rugby league after losing their appeal against a six-point deduction for breaching salary cap regulations."}
{"article": "TV network NBC announced Sir Elton will host and perform on stage with fellow musical guest and collaborator Leon Russell on 2 April. It is the singer's first return to the show in nearly three decades. Meanwhile, Dame Helen will make her debut as host a week later with musical guests Foo Fighters. Sir Elton last appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1982 when he performed Empty Garden and Chain in a show hosted by Johnny Cash. He recorded his latest album, The Union, with American musician Russell. Dame Helen will be soon be seen on screens opposite Russell Brand in the remake of Dudley Moore film, Arthur. Brand also hosted the show for the first time last month. Saturday Night live is one of the longest-running programmes in the US with nearly 700 episodes broadcast over 36 series.", "summary": "Sir Elton John and Dame Helen Mirren have been lined up to host episodes of US comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live in April."}
{"article": "The full-back, 25, was hurt in Town's 3-1 defeat by Millwall on 9 April - his first game since last December - and a scan has shown he needs surgery to repair ligaments. \"It's disappointing - he's just got back into the side,\" assistant boss Mike Jackson told BBC Radio Shropshire. \"Hopefully he'll get it sorted and be back playing as quickly as he can.\" Demetriou, who is out of contract in the summer, has made 50 appearances for Shrewsbury, scoring three goals, since joining from Kidderminster Harriers in June 2014. He spent the first half of this season on loan at Cambridge United and returned to the Shrews in January. Following last season's automatic promotion, Shrewsbury are trying to avoid an immediate return to League Two over their final six games. One point clear of the relegation zone, Town have a tough-looking start to their run-in with back-to-back home games against fourth-placed Bradford City and Sheffield United before trips to Gillingham, in sixth, and automatic-promotion chasers Walsall. Micky Mellon's side then finish with two games against mid-table sides - Peterborough, currently 14th and Swindon in 16th.", "summary": "Shrewsbury Town defender Mickey Demetriou will miss the rest of the season because of a knee injury."}
{"article": "But the independent report voiced concern that no clear scientific, medical or social benefits had emerged from nearly one in 10 projects. It also said that in a minority of experiments, the justification for using monkeys was \"not compelling\". The review was led by Professor Sir Patrick Bateson. The current president of the Zoological Society of London was commissioned by the main bodies that fund medical research in Britain. They wanted him to assess whether the studies on non-human primates (NHPs) were necessary, high-quality and yielded significant advances in medical science. Animal welfare groups opposed to experimentation on monkeys called again for the practice to be banned outright. They described Prof Bateson's review a \"chilling insight into primate research\". Although the proportion of monkeys used in research compared with other animals is low, less than 0.1%, there is concern that they suffer more than other species during experimentation, and so should only be used if those studies are expected to yield important medical benefits and if there is no other way of carrying out the research. The review suggested that this standard might not have been achieved in all cases. \"Not everything is rosy in the garden,\" Prof Bateson told reporters. He reviewed experiments on monkeys carried out between January 1997 and December 2006. Just under 3,000 animals were used in experiments in that period. The bulk of the research focused on neuroscience. Research on great apes is not permitted in the UK and so monkeys provide the next best animal models to study the human brain. Researchers often cite the widespread prevalence of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, as a justification for research in this area. However, Prof Bateson said that the \"size of the problem should not be accepted as the sole justification for individual areas of research\". He added: \"Funders and researchers should avoid overstating and generalising the medical benefit (of research on monkeys). Instead, statements should be based on the actual scientific basis for funding decisions.\" Considerable suffering Prof Bateson and his team looked at 31 neuroscience studies. Half of the experiments involved considerable animal suffering. These were assessed as having a high scientific value. But in most cases, according to Prof Bateson, there was \"little direct evidence of medical benefit\". He did concede, though, that there might not have been sufficient time for the advances gained in scientific understanding to be translated into new drugs or treatments. The report recommends a body to be set up to assess whether commissioned research will lead to improvements in healthcare. Prof Bateson's review found a few instances of research that caused a high degree of suffering, but was not judged to be the highest-quality science. One example was of UK-funded research on reproduction carried out overseas. It involved performing a hysterectomy in which the mother and its foetus were, in the words of the review, \"compromised\". The study was undertaken to train students and repeated a study that had been carried out a decade earlier. According to Prof Bateson, \"it is not acceptable knowingly to fund work outside", "summary": "A review of the use of monkeys in UK medical research says the practice should continue and finds the current work to be generally of good quality."}
{"article": "The Briton, 31, who begins his title defence at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, posted videos on Snapchat of him travelling on a motorway. It is illegal to use phones whilst driving in New Zealand. Police reviewed the incident but will not be taking further action after citing a lack of \"sufficient evidence\". \"Auckland City Police will be taking no further action in relation to recent media publicity about Lewis Hamilton and his motorcycle journey in Auckland,\" a police spokesperson said. \"The video footage available does not provide us with sufficient enough evidence that an offence has occurred.\" It is not the first time three-time world champion Hamilton has been involved in driving incidents. The Briton was fined around \u00a3300 after performing car stunts for fans outside Melbourne's motor racing circuit, before the 2010 Australian Grand Prix. He also had his driving licence suspended for a month in France in 2007 for speeding on a motorway. And in November, Hamilton crashed his \u00a31.6m super car in Monaco because \"heavy partying\" had left him tired.", "summary": "Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has been investigated by police after appearing to take a selfie while riding a motorbike in New Zealand."}
{"article": "The Assembly Rooms, which opened in 1977, was badly damaged in a huge blaze that broke out in its roof car park last March. The city council said rebuilding would be too expensive and the venue would be sold to a private company and could be knocked down and the site redeveloped. As well as live music, the Assembly Rooms also hosted British Open snooker. Perhaps its most famous musical moment was in 1983, when Morrissey was hit in the eye with a flower during a Smiths gig and fans invaded the stage at the end. The venue also hosted performances from acts such as The Clash, Paul Weller and Manic Street Preachers and was home to the city's pantomime each year. City council Labour leader Ranjit Banwait said he hoped the venue would be replaced with \"some kind of cultural offer\". The opposition Conservative group said the local authority had dithered over the plans. Councillor Robin Wood said the venue could have been kept \"alive\" in the interim until a bidder was found. He said: \"For over a year now we have been wondering what on earth is going to happen. Now we are told the wrecking ball is going to go at it. \"I think it would be much better to refurbish it and reopen it and look at other alternatives. What we will end up with is a pile of rubble and nothing.\" Dave Parry, of the Derby Civic Society, said the venue was too big for the market place and never really achieved what it set out to do. \"We would like to see something that would be representative of the city,\" he said. \"I'm not sure that it is the right place for a cultural thing, but we also don't want to see a supermarket or block of flats there.\"", "summary": "The curtain is set to fall on a music venue in Derby where a host of famous acts have thrilled fans for decades."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old midfielder, who has 249 caps for England and Great Britain, was in the squad that played two matches against Canada last weekend. But head coach Jason Lee decided he could not rely on her fitness for the tournament, which starts on 31 May. Ellie Watton and Zoe Shipperley have made the 18-strong squad. Beeston forward Watton and Buckingham defender Shipperley have 15 international caps between them, but there is experience elsewhere with captain Kate Richardson-Walsh having played in three previous World Cups. England have been drawn in Pool B alongside Argentina, China, Germany, South Africa and the United States. The top two nations will qualify for the semi-finals. \"We're facing some of the best teams in the world and playing the USA in our first game on 1 June is significant as they come into the tournament off the back of winning the Champions Challenge at the end of last month,\" said Lee. England World Cup squad: Goalkeepers: Maddie Hinch (Holcombe), Kirsty Mackay (East Grinstead) Defenders: Laura Unsworth (Holcombe), Kate Richardson-Walsh (Reading), Sam Quek (Reading), Hollie Webb (Surbiton), Sally Walton (Wakefield), Zoe Shipperley (Buckingham) Midfielders: Georgie Twigg (Surbiton), Susannah Townsend (Reading), Susie Gilbert (Reading), Ashleigh Ball (Slough) Forwards: Hannah Macleod (Leicester), Alex Danson (Reading), Sophie Bray (East Grinstead), Ellie Watton (Beeston), Lily Owsley (University of Birmingham), Nicola White (Leicester)", "summary": "London 2012 Olympian Helen Richardson-Walsh has missed out on England's Hockey World Cup squad after back surgery."}
{"article": "The lead investigator was seeking to clarify earlier comments by police that suggested some of the driver's actions were deliberate. Band members Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Jack Dakin and Tomas Lowe died, along with manager Craig Tarry, 33, near Stockholm on 13 February. Lars Berglund said the driver's \"only intention was to avoid a crash\". Witnesses reported seeing the car going though red lights and barriers before the Warrington band's car plunged 80ft (24m) into a canal off a bridge, the middle section of which was raised. Mr Berglund told Mirror reporter Rhian Lubin: \"I have not suggested that [the driver] was doing this in order to kill himself or the band. I said he was making a move from the right lane to the left lane and that was not accidental. \"We can see the brake lights. His intention was to stop the car. But maybe his speed was too high and it was too late.\" Earlier, a Stockholm police spokesman said: \"It looks like he [the driver] tried to drive past red lights, barriers. \"All the witnesses thought it looked like he was trying to drive past... there weren't supposed to be cars on the left. 'It is a possibility he deliberately crashed the car, but he may have misunderstood the signs. \"[It is] still subject to investigation and we are still waiting for results of technical investigation too.\" Police have previously confirmed the driver, who has not been identified, had no traces of alcohol or drugs and said it would have been very difficult to pass two lines of parked cars if he was asleep. The car, carrying the four members of the band and their manager, was recovered from the canal under the E4 highway bridge in Sodertalje, Sweden. In the week after the accident, the band reached number one in the iTunes chart following a social media campaign backed by Oasis singer Liam Gallagher and Tim Burgess from The Charlatans. A concert in the band's memory at Warrington's Parr Hall on 2 April has now sold out. The gig, which will feature friends and bands they have played with, will be hosted in their Warrington hometown by BBC Radio 1 DJ Phil Taggart.", "summary": "Swedish police say they do not believe the Viola Beach crash driver \"intended to kill himself or the band\"."}
{"article": "The BCCI, which governs the game in India, has agreed to trial the technology against Alastair Cook's side in the five-match Test series which begins in Rajkot on 9 November. Whatever you think of DRS, which uses different types of technology to determine if a batsman should be given out, it's very good that it's now being standardised. Everybody should play with it or nobody plays with it. At least now it brings everybody into line to play cricket together under the same regulations. However, on pitches which are bound to suit the spinners - an area where India excel - and wear appreciably over the five days of a Test, I imagine the decision will help the Indians immensely. Playing spinners with DRS in place is an altogether different and more challenging prospect than without it and it will make India more difficult to beat for England. That's not the main point though: it's good India have joined in with what everyone else has been doing for a few years. India v England tour schedule That's an interesting question and many of the answers lie in the fact there has been a changing of the guard at the top of Indian cricket recently. That has brought about a much more open mind to these things. Their head coach Anil Kumble, who was opposed to the DRS system to begin with, has now changed his view. With a number of new players coming into the side, he's been able to show that it might possibly be the right thing for his side. Beforehand, batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar, for instance, were opposed to it. They felt the opposition would always keep a review up their sleeve especially for them because they were such key players. Ultimately, however, it's as simple as a change of attitude within the administration of the Indian cricket team which has led to this decision. Once we get onto the pitch, I think India, under their innovative new captain Virat Kohli, will use it well. Spin bowlers tend to have more success on the turning pitches of the subcontinent, and India have the world's number one bowler - off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin - in their ranks. England's batsmen must be careful how they play the spinning ball. For instance, you can't just plant your pad and play around the ball because of the risk of getting out lbw. We've seen in the current Test match in Chittagong how central the DRS system is to games on the subcontinent. Moeen Ali overturned three lbw decisions to remain at the crease and score a determined 68. Those decisions were reversed because the ball was shown to be missing the stumps, but if it comes down to fine margins and the umpire has already given a batsman out then it will stay that way. That's the challenge for England, and one which they are dealing with in Bangladesh at the moment. Jonathan Agnew was speaking to BBC Sport's Marc Higginson Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "There might have been a few concerned England batsmen when news filtered through that the decision review system (DRS) will be in place for their tour of India next month."}
{"article": "Ednane Mahmood, 19, from Blackburn, Lancashire, then fled his home to allegedly travel to Syria to fight for so-called Islamic State (IS). The video showed the beheading of David Haines and aid worker Alan Henning kneeling on the ground after his kidnap, Manchester Crown Court heard. Mr Mahmood denies all charges. He has pleaded not guilty to attempting to travel to Syria to commit acts of terrorism. Mr Mahmood also denies two counts of providing internet links to others with speeches and propaganda that encouraged acts of terrorism. He searched \"British man beheaded\" on his laptop before downloading the video, the court was told. It began with Prime Minister David Cameron talking about IS before images showing the beheading of Mr Haines. Julian Evans, prosecuting, said Mr Mahmood, \"undeterred by this graphic and violent imagery\", began looking up cheap flights to Bulgaria and Turkey. Then in the early hours of 18 September 2014, he left his home to board a flight from Manchester Airport to Bulgaria leaving a letter addressed, \"to family\", stating his intentions. Mr Evans said: \"He was telling his family in the clearest terms that he was leaving the comforts of his life in the UK in order to fight abroad on behalf of Allah and on behalf of Muslims. \"He did not care what others might think of him and his decision. \"Mr Mahmood planned to travel to Syria with the intention of committing acts of terrorism.\" The court heard his family had been unaware of his intentions and on the day he fled had reported him missing to police. Before he reached Syria, Mr Mahmood's brother persuaded him to come back to the UK via communications over Twitter. Mr Mahmood's interest in Syria, Jihad and IS was said to have developed over time from 2012, the court heard. The trial continues.", "summary": "A man accused of terrorism offences downloaded a video showing a British aid worker being beheaded, a court heard."}
{"article": "Last year, there were about 14,000 visits, compared to 8,000 in 2005, when the county became an approved destination for Chinese citizens. Their spending, including at Bicester Village outlet, has also increased from almost \u00c2\u00a38m to more than \u00c2\u00a320m, according to Visit Britain. A further rise has been predicted for the next ten years. Martin Walker, from not-for-profit group Experience Oxfordshire, said Chinese tourists were \"increasingly important\" to the county's economy. However, he said, the UK was currently \"underperforming\" with about 290,000 visitors a year, compared to countries such as France, which gets 350,000. A number of attractions and travel organisations in Oxfordshire had signed up to the Great China Welcome initiative in a bid to encourage more visitors, he said. In 2013, consultancy company Spectrum Insights found Chinese tourists spend 90% of their budget on shopping during UK visits. It said Bicester Village was the most popular shopping destination in the UK, with 27% of Chinese visitors naming it as their favourite. Keith Slater, a former director of several UK retailers, said bosses had \"deliberately set out to market to the Chinese and to promote it as a must-go place.\" \"It's actually marketed as Bicester Village London, so is seen as part of the capital,\" he said. \"It's the designer brands, like Burberry, which really attract the Chinese and they prefer to buy a UK brand in the UK.\"", "summary": "The number of Chinese visitors to Oxfordshire has almost doubled in the last ten years, figures have shown."}
{"article": "Some of the victims reported the abuse to police after reading press reports about Peter Farrands being jailed for seven years in May 2015. As well as working at Folville Rise Junior School in Leicester, Farrands was a scoutmaster and lay preacher. The four victims were aged between six and 12 when Farrands abused them. Sentencing Farrands, Judge Nicholas Dean QC said: \"This was a breach of trust as a school teacher and a scoutmaster and the effect continues to haunt the victims. \"The sentence must seem lenient to the victims but they should look at the total sentence.\" He pleaded guilty to seven additional charges of indecent assault against boys between 1976 and 1981. Leicestershire Police said Farrands committed most of his crimes at Folville Rise Junior School. Det Sgt Hazel Sandall hopes the case will encourage other victims of historical abuse to come forward. She said: \"No matter how old the offender and no matter how many years ago crimes took place, we will conduct a thorough examination of the evidence and will not hesitate to seek charges being brought against perpetrators of crime where evidence is available to us.\" Two of the victims came to Leicester Crown Court, where Farrands appeared via video link, to see him sentenced. The court heard one victim contacted the NSPCC in 2014 and said he had been abused by Farrands and two other people, who he believed have since died. Some of the boys were assaulted multiple times. In a statement read out in court, one of the victims said he is still receiving counselling because of what happened. \"There is still a lot of pain,\" he said. \"I'm still unable to enjoy the simple things like Christmas and birthdays.\"", "summary": "A 90-year-old former teacher who is already in jail for child sex offences has had two years added to his sentence after four more victims came forward."}
{"article": "The winger scored three times in 21 second-half minutes to draw level with Lomu's mark of 15 World Cup tries. The Springboks ran in eight second-half tries in all to earn a bonus-point win at the Olympic Stadium. South Africa top Pool B and will now play the loser of Saturday's Pool A decider between Australia and Wales. A mixture of South Africa's ill-discipline and poor finishing kept the score down in the first half, while USA only made it into the Boks' 22 in the last minute of the half, despite enjoying plenty of possession. Centre Damien de Allende scored his first international try before South Africa were awarded a penalty try as USA struggled at the scrum. A different South Africa came out after the break as Habana scored almost from the restart, collecting a Fourie du Preez kick to go over in the corner. Bismarck du Plessis and Francois Louw both crossed the line, before Habana scored two tries in two minutes to complete his hat-trick. Louw scored his second with Jesse Kriel also getting on the scoresheet, before Lwazi Mvovo rounded off a dominant Springboks performance. Habana had a subdued first half, with his only contribution of note seeing him clatter into Blaine Scully as the pair competed for a high ball. But he came out firing in the second half and his hat-trick not only saw him equal New Zealand legend Lomu as the tournament's all-time leading try scorer, but also draw level with Australia's David Campese for joint second in the list of Test try scorers with 64. The 32-year-old, a 2007 World Cup-winner with the Boks, scored 62 seconds into the second half for his 13th World Cup try. He then went over unopposed in the 59th minute after a break by De Allende and swooped on a loose ball to dive over in the corner just two minutes later. Habana could have broken All Black winger Lomu's record but a knock-on as he tried to collect another chip through denied him a fourth try on the night. South Africa's World Cup campaign started in the worst possible way with that shock loss to Japan, but they recovered with a bonus point victory over Samoa and a comfortable win against Scotland. If they are to win the tournament, they will be the first side to do so having lost a pool match. Before the USA game, Boks coach Heyneke Meyer talked about his side \"doing a Roger Bannister\", citing the British runner who broke the four-minute mile barrier as an example of overcoming the impossible. He also spoke about respecting their opponents but in the first half they showed signs of complacency and failed to pile the points on an under-strength USA, who had made 12 changes from their defeat by Scotland. A rejuvenated and more clinical Springboks came out after the break - and eight tries in 40 minutes will certainly send out a message to the teams left in the competition. South Africa: Le Roux, Habana, Kriel, de Allende, Mvovo, Pollard, du Preez,", "summary": "Bryan Habana equalled Jonah Lomu's World Cup try-scoring record with a hat-trick as South Africa reached the quarter-finals by thrashing USA."}
{"article": "Paul Finlay-Dickson's civil partner, Maurice, died of cancer in January. He, himself, is ill. Attacks on the couple's home began nearly two years ago. After his partner's death, Mr Finlay-Dickson had been due to move to a new house in Cosgrave Heights. However, vandals attacked it at the weekend. On Saturday, a gang smashed windows and daubed graffiti on the building in Tiger's Bay. Mr Finlay-Dickson said he now felt too frightened to move in. \"The house was boarded up, there was black paint above the window,\" he said. \"On either side of the door they wrote 'pedo'. I'm not a paedophile. I'm a gay man, I'm not a paedophile.\" He said he had suffered 15 attacks in the past four months. \"They make me feel as if I am living in fear,\" he said. \"I am being segregated and attacked because of my sexual orientation. \"I am not the only gay man in Northern Ireland. This is a homophobic hate crime attack. Something needs to be done, I cannot take much more.\" Gavin Boyd from the Rainbow Project said he felt a lot of sympathy for Mr Finlay-Dickson in what had been \"a very difficult year\". \"My heart goes out to Paul,\" he said. \"It is deeply disconcerting that anyone should have to go through such a sustained period of homophobic attacks and crimes. \"With all kinds of prejudice or hate-based violence, it is about whatever someone can identify as a weak spot - that is something people will prey on.\" Mr Boyd called for a joined-up approach from the police, the Housing Executive, politicians and community leaders to tackle homophobic attacks. \"For far too long, people have been putting up with these sustained campaigns of intimidation,\" he said. \"Police need to adopt a robust response to these kind of crimes.\" A spokesperson for the Housing Executive said they would make contact with Mr Finlay-Dickson as a matter of urgency to discuss his options.", "summary": "A grieving man who has been the target of a series of homophobic attacks has had his new north Belfast home vandalised."}
{"article": "Vicki Russell told the CBC that Air Canada bumped her from the 1 April Toronto-to-Miami flight that she had booked two months in advance. As a result she missed her connecting flight to meet the cruise ship. Ms Russell has since received C$800 (US$592; \u00c2\u00a3463) compensation from the airline. She says everything went according to plan until an agent told her about two hours after she had checked in and received her boarding pass that the flight was overbooked and she did not have a valid ticket. Despite showing her travel documents and getting the tour company to email her trip receipt to prove her ticket was valid, the flight left without her. \"It was extremely upsetting,\" Ms Russell told the CBC. \"The woman could not have been more rude, hostile. In all my years of travelling, I have never had a travel person treat me so badly.\" She was sent to Air Canada customer service at the airport to find a new flight to Miami. By the time she was seen by an agent, no flights were available that would allow her to make the connection. She also had to wait to get back her checked luggage. She filed a complaint for missing her \"dream vacation\" with Air Canada the next day. The $10,000 National Geographic cruise, organised by Lindblad Expeditions, tours the famous Pacific Ocean archipelago's varied islands and habitats. A spokeswoman for Lindblad Expeditions said on Friday they have been in contact with Ms Russell throughout the situation and have rebooked her expedition at no charge, including airfare from Miami to Galapagos. Air Canada confirmed that the flight had been oversold. But the carrier said their agents spent \"a great deal of time\" looking at options for Ms Russell, including exploring \"outside the box\" solutions for getting her directly to the Galapagos Islands despite her flight ticket being issued only to Miami. They noted they refunded her initial fare and paid compensation. \"This is a very regrettable situation and we are sorry this occurred,\" said an Air Canada spokesman in a statement. The practice of airlines bumping passengers from flights has been under scrutiny since the footage of United Airlines passenger David Dao being forcibly removed from a flight made headlines worldwide. Following that incident, Canada's federal government reiterated its pledge to table a passenger rights law this spring. It is expected to include compensation rules for those denied boarding due to factors within the carrier's control. The Canadian Transportation Agency receives an average of about 50 complaints a year from passengers saying they were denied boarding.", "summary": "A Canadian woman missed a \"trip of a lifetime\" Galapagos cruise after being bumped from a flight."}
{"article": "Eight former and serving officers have been called to give evidence at the hearings. South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Billings said the sum was \"substantially less\" than required. The force, which has a legal duty to support its staff, said that as of January more than \u00a312m had been paid out on legal representation. The total spend had now risen to \"considerably more than that\", it added. Dr Billings described the financial situation for the force as \"grave\" and said taxpayers in the region would \"have to bear the additional cost\". He said it would ultimately impact on the police budget and the force's ability to provide policing and crime services. Dr Billings said he would be calling an emergency meeting. Ninety-six Liverpool fans died after crushing at the FA Cup semi final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest held at Hillsborough in 1989. Fresh inquests into the deaths were ordered after the original accidental death verdicts were quashed in 2012 following an independent report. The inquests are expected to continue for another year. Dr Billings said: \"The special grant application I submitted was for the full amount, which leaves us the shortfall to pay. \"My office now has to undertake a financial analysis to establish the size of the shortfall and its impact on our budget.\" \"While I recognise that the Home Secretary's decision was a matter of discretion, I am extremely disappointed by both the timing of the announcement and the amount of funding granted.\" Dr Billings said he would submit another application to fund \"the further legal costs we will incur during 2015/16\". A Home Office spokesman said: \"On 27 March the home secretary agreed to provide a special grant to the South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner in relation to legal costs incurred by the inquests into the Hillsborough tragedy. \"The amount is up to \u00a35.1m in 2013/14 and \u00a35.6m in 2014/15.\" Special grants can be provided to police forces facing unexpected or exceptional costs exceeding 1% of its annual budget.", "summary": "South Yorkshire Police has been awarded \u00a310.7m to cover legal fees incurred from the new Hillsborough inquests."}
{"article": "The victim, in his 30s, was shot in Swancote Green, Bracknell after answering the door to two men at about 18:00 BST last Sunday. He was treated in hospital and later released. Police said 28-year-old Scott Kennedy of Sturdee Close, Frimley, Surrey, is accused of one count of attempted murder. A 63-year-old man, also from Frimley, Surrey, arrested in connection with the shooting has been bailed until 26 June. Mr Kennedy is due to appear before Reading Magistrates' Court.", "summary": "A man has been charged with the attempted murder of a man who was shot in the chest at his Berkshire home."}
{"article": "The Robins have won six of their 10 League One games since former Brighton Under-21 and reserves coach Williams took interim charge in December. The 35-year-old replaced Martin Ling at the County Ground, after Ling stepped down citing \"health reasons.\" \"He is a fantastic coach, the best I've come across in 25 years of football,\" chairman Lee Power said. \"The reason Luke is 'head coach' and not 'manager' is because that is what he is: the head coach. \"No players will come into the club that Luke is not happy with, but his main job is to coach the group and improve them.\" Williams is the fourth person to take charge of Swindon this season, following Mark Cooper, Ling, and chairman Power, who looked after the first team for a spell following Cooper's dismissal in October. The Robins are currently 13th in the League One table, seven points outside the play-off places.", "summary": "Swindon Town have appointed caretaker boss Luke Williams as head coach on a five-year contract."}
{"article": "Sally Ann John, who disappeared from Swindon, aged 23, in 1995, had been working as a prostitute. On Thursday police arrested three men in their 50s on suspicion of her murder. \"Every day is difficult without Sally Ann and I appreciate the understanding I have been shown,\" said Lesley John. In a statement released through Wiltshire Police, she said: \"The police have been keeping me informed of progress with the investigation into Sally Ann's disappearance and the arrests yesterday give me hope. \"I feel it is important that the police are able to continue to investigate without speculation from anyone and I hope that the community will support me in this.\" The trio, including two men from Swindon aged 50 and 52, and a 52-year-old from Chippenham, are still being held on suspicion of kidnap and murder. Sally Ann's disappearance was initially classified as a missing person but police launched a murder investigation in 2014. She was last seen on Aylesbury Street on the morning of Friday 8 September 1995. Her body has never been found.", "summary": "The mother of a woman who went missing 20 years ago and is believed to have been murdered has said the recent arrests have given her hope."}
{"article": "The hosts went in front when Tyrone Barnett stabbed in as the Blades appealed in vain that goalkeeper George Long had control of the ball. Dean Hammond headed an equaliser but David Worrall drilled home to re-establish the Shrimpers' lead. Jack Payne sealed the victory with a dinked finish just seconds after Che Adams hit a post for the away side. Southend climb to eighth, six points adrift of the play-off places, while Sheffield United slip to 13th.", "summary": "Southend United gave their fading League One play-off hopes a boost with a home victory over Sheffield United."}
{"article": "Jarvis, 29, has won 17 caps for Wales and last played in the Six Nations win over Italy in March 2016. James, who will miss the first match of the three-Test series against the world champions in Auckland, has not recovered as quickly as hoped, but remains with the squad. Wales have lost 26 matches against the All Blacks since beating them in 1953. James is also likely to miss the game against the Chiefs in Hamilton on Tuesday, 14 June. Jarvis, who is joining French Top 14 side Clermont Auvergne from Ospreys, will arrive on Wednesday morning in New Zealand. The Exeter-born player graduated to professional rugby via the Bath academy, and played for England Under-16s and U19s. But he successfully pursued Wales honours via Ospreys, having been eligible because of his Merthyr Tydfil-born grandmother. He has started six Wales games, coming off the bench for the remainder of his caps.", "summary": "Tight-head prop Aaron Jarvis is flying to New Zealand to join Wales as cover for Paul James, who has a calf injury."}
{"article": "There was no secret that the picture today's Autumn Statement would paint would not be pretty. But more than \u00a3100bn of extra borrowing, roughly equivalent to the entire NHS budget - nearly \u00a360bn of that the costs of Brexit - make a brutal backdrop for Theresa May's government as it only just gets going. Remember all the figures ought to be taken with a giant pinch of salt. Forecasts like these have so often been wrong. And no one is forecasting a recession. But what the chancellor said today and the Office for Budget Responsibility has calculated have big implications. First off, with the goal of balancing the books now an aspiration to be met as \"early as possible\", next Parliament, the Tories will be going into the next election, a decade after they took charge, without having kept the central promise they made 10 years before of clearing the deficit. Yes, you read that right - a full decade. As political promises go, that is a less than glorious record. Voters will see the national debt hitting 90% of GDP, not shy of \u00a32 trillion, 10 years after being told that tough spending cuts were worth it, because within five years we would be on our way back to the mythic sunlit uplands. There is a separate debate about whether that was ever achievable, and how much Brexit can be blamed for the fact Mr Hammond has pushed those targets back again. But at the very least, it means the Conservatives will still be borrowing, and borrowing significantly, busting their own timetable by at least five years. And with wages predicted to slow, and inflation expected to rise, the public will feel the pinch too. Simply, if today's forecasts are right, the government's finances are set to be shaky for a lot longer, and more voters will feel skint. Despite Theresa May's repeated desire to help families who are finding it hard to make ends meet, there were few measures that will make a big difference. Privately, Treasury sources acknowledge they haven't done that much, despite Number 10's hopes. The truth is that they didn't have much cash to play with. And Mr Hammond's ambitions to rebuild the fundamentals of the economy were clearly his priority, rather than major concessions to help some groups of voters feel a bit more flush. Indeed, the charts that estimate who is bearing the brunt of the government's policies suggest that when everything is taken into consideration, not just today's measures, the three poorest groups are all slightly worse off. The only group that loses more is the top 10%. Beyond all the charts and tables and documents, though, Mr Hammond dropped one giant hint which is perhaps politically one of the most important things of the day. He was talking about the \"triple lock\", the guaranteed increases in the state pension, seen by many in Westminster privately to be completely unaffordable in the longer term, but few will yet say it in public. He said: \"And we will meet our pledge to our country's", "summary": "Ouch!"}
{"article": "A recent event at the end of August left at least 30 soldiers injured. At least 24 cadets were reported to have been left unconscious because pillows were stuffed with hard objects. West Point Superintendent Lt Gen Robert L Caslen said the academy was pursuing unspecified disciplinary measures against those involved in the fights. He was quoted in the New York Times as saying that those facing such measures included \"senior military members and cadets alike\". Gen Caslen was not reported to have identified or provided the ranks of those who may be punished, but said he was determined \"to send a clear message that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated\". An army investigation dated the pillow fights to 2001, but congressional testimony reported in the New York Times suggests they date back more than a century. One cadet suffered a broken nose in the August pillow fight, while others had dislocated shoulders. West Point academy argued at the time the fight was designed to build \"esprit de corps\". None of the injuries was severe and all cadets have returned to duty, it said. Video of the fight posted online shows crowds of yelling cadets, some wearing body armour as well as helmets, surging together in a central quad. The annual night-time event has been described as a harmless way of blowing off steam at the end of a gruelling summer of training. But this year's event seems to have been a little over-exuberant, with pillow cases reported to have been stuffed with hard objects, thought to have been helmets. A report into the incident cited by the New York Times said that the injuries were largely caused by cadets being struck by \"elbows or other body parts\" or from being knocked down.", "summary": "Huge pillow fights among US cadets to mark the end of summer training at the prestigious West Point military academy are to be banned, officials say."}
{"article": "Fake Ophelia is a large collage on canvas by Steven Campbell - one of the \"new Glasgow Boys\" who studied at the school. Forsyth and his partner Moira Wylie gifted the work made in 1991 by Campbell, who died at the age of 54 in 2007. It will hang in the art school's library. Gregory's Girl director Forsyth first met Campbell in the 1980s. The two were fishing buddies. When Campbell was asked to paint a famous Scot for the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, he chose Forsyth, as the only famous person he knew, and a friend. Fake Ophelia is formed of paint, textiles, string, wallpaper and paper cut work. Campbell went to the GSA as a mature student, graduating in 1982 with a Fulbright Scholarship which he used to travel to New York. He returned to live in Glasgow in 1986 and emerged in the group of Scottish figurative painters which also consisted of fellow GSA alumni Ken Currie, Peter Howson and Adrian Wiszniewski. Alison Stevenson, head of learning resources at the GSA, said: \"We are grateful to Bill and Moira for this generous donation to the GSA's archives and collections. \"Steven was an incredibly talented artist whose life was cut tragically short. \"We are delighted to be able to add Fake Ophelia to our rich collection of works by GSA graduates.\"", "summary": "Film-maker Bill Forsyth has donated an artwork to Glasgow School of Art."}
{"article": "Cleveland Police used anti-terror powers as part of an investigation into alleged leaking of confidential material to newspapers in 2012. However, the force claimed it was justified in secretly monitoring the phones of two former officers. Mark Dias and Steve Matthews claim they were targeted after challenging misconduct by fellow officers. The decision over whether the force's covert techniques used against its former employees were lawful will be made in the new year, following an Investigatory Powers Tribunal. At the hearing in London, Judge Sir Michael Burton said although he reserved judgement until 2017, it was clear what his decision would be. He said the force should start thinking about compensation for the two officers. Cleveland Police claimed it was justified in using the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) - which has since been replaced. In a four-month period the force monitored over a million minutes of telephone data, the tribunal heard. Mr Matthews, the former head of Cleveland's Police Federation, said: \"I honestly think they were trying to stitch me up.\" If anyone criticised the force \"they would be jumped on and, as part of that campaign, I was singled out\", he said. Mr Dias said the force monitored his phone calls, emails and activity. The officers' legal team said the \"force's casual disregard for the legal framework beggared belief\".", "summary": "A police force has admitted to unlawfully accessing the private phone records of journalists and a solicitor."}
{"article": "He was taken into custody on Thursday in Lurgan. Four other men arrested after searches in the County Armagh town and in Coalisland, County Tyrone, on Wednesday, are still being questioned. Police evacuated an estimated 15 homes in Lurgan's Woodville Avenue during Wednesday's searches. Forensic teams and police using a sniffer dog carried out the searches. Three men, two aged 22 and one aged 24, were arrested in Lurgan and a 46-year-old in Coalisland.", "summary": "A 22-year-old man who was arrested by police investigating dissident republican activity has been released unconditionally."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old has featured in 53 U's games since joining in 2015, 18 of which have come this season. \"He came and requested the opportunity to leave for personal reasons,\" said director of football Tony Humes. \"We have been working with him over the past few weeks to resolve the situation in the best way possible.\"", "summary": "Colchester United midfielder Owen Garvan has had his contract with the League Two club cancelled by mutual consent for personal reasons."}
{"article": "A statement said all employees involved in industrial action would be locked out from Monday evening and flights grounded from 0600 GMT on Saturday. Aircraft currently in the air will complete their flights, but there will be no further departures. Chief executive Alan Joyce called his decision \"unbelievable\". Fair Work Australia, the national industrial tribunal, adjourned a hearing on the Qantas dispute on Saturday night. The tribunal - which has the power to suspend or terminate industrial action - is to reconvene later on Sunday. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has warned that the dispute could have \"implications\" for the national economy. The airline has been hit by a series of costly strikes. Baggage handlers, engineers and pilots have been involved in the action which the company says is costing A$15m (US$16m) a week. The airline issued a statement on its Facebook page saying customers booked on Qantas flights should not go to the airport until further notice. The airline said a full refund would be available to those affected. Relations between the unions and Qantas management started deteriorating in August after the airline announced plans for restructuring and moving some operations to Asia. By Phil MercerBBC News, Sydney At the heart of the dispute are concerns about pay and job security along with cost-cutting and the subcontracting of work overseas as Qantas looks to set up new airlines in Asia and sack hundreds of staff to revive its sagging international fortunes. At Sydney international airport, feelings among marooned passengers oscillated between anger and frustration. Qantas' decision to pull its entire international and domestic fleets from the skies comes during one of Australia's busiest travel weekends, with tens thousands of people converging on the hugely popular Melbourne Cup horse race, an event that stops the nation for a few, brief minutes. Anger and dismay at Qantas move Qantas grounded: Your stories Qantas has a 65% share of the domestic Australian market, but has been making heavy losses on its international flights. The restructuring is expected to mean the loss of 1,000 jobs from its 35,000-strong workforce. The disruption to flights has also affected a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government in Perth, with reports that members from 17 delegations have been stranded in the city because of the dispute. It comes on a busy travel weekend, just days before the country's biggest horse race, the Melbourne Cup. The Australian minister for transport, Anthony Albanese, said the government would take action to intervene in the dispute. \"We are very concerned about Qantas' actions, of which we were notified only mid-afternoon, with no advance notice from Qantas at any stage,\" he said. Qantas homepage Qantas boss risks all for Asia In pictures: Qantas grounds flights \"The government is making an urgent application to Fair Work Australia to terminate all industrial action at Qantas. This will be aimed at both actions by unions and by Qantas management.\" Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce announced the grounding of the airline on Saturday: \"The airline will be grounded as long as it takes to reach a conclusion on", "summary": "The Australian airline Qantas is grounding all international and domestic flights with immediate effect due to an industrial dispute."}
{"article": "Charlie Alliston, of Trothy Road, Bermondsey, was 18 when he allegedly hit Kim Briggs as she crossed Old Street, east London, in February 2016. The Old Bailey heard a witness saw the cyclist fly \"through the air\". Mr Alliston, now 20, denies manslaughter and causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving. In court, prosecutor Duncan Penny QC read a statement from eyewitness David Callan who said he was walking in Old Street at about 12:15 BST when he heard a male voice calling. \"It made me look up immediately, just in time to see a collision between a cyclist and a pedestrian,\" he said. Mr Callan said the crash caused the cyclist to fly \"through the air\" while the pedestrian \"fell at the point of impact\". \"The cyclist clattered to the ground further down the road but quickly sprang to their feet and shouted something at the pedestrian... who lay on the ground,\" the court was told. Mark Wyeth QC, defending, suggested his client had the right of way as the lights on the stretch of Old Street were green. He added that Mrs Briggs could have avoided danger by using a pedestrian crossing less than 10 metres away. Jurors heard the 44-year-old HR consultant suffered \"non-survivable brain injuries\" and died in hospital a week later. They were previously told Mr Alliston was using a bike which which had no front brake so was not legal to use on the road. The court has been told crash investigators had concluded Mr Alliston would have been able to stop and avoid the impact if the bike had been fitted with two brakes. The trial continues.", "summary": "A cyclist accused of killing a woman by ploughing into her in a London street began shouting at her as she lay injured, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Witnesses said a man carrying two knives was Tasered by police after running from the discount shop in Bury Street, Abingdon, at about 11:20 GMT. Staff at a nearby Spar store said they barricaded themselves inside as the man tried to gain entry, before he was restrained by the police. A 36-year-old man, who is from Abingdon, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Updates on this story and more from Oxfordshire Police said the deceased was yet to be identified and his next of kin had not yet been informed. Kash, who works at the Spar shop, said after the stabbing a man tried to push his way into the store. He said: \"He approached with two knives in his hands and he tried to enter. He said 'I just want to shake your hand' and we held the door closed. \"Then a policewoman caught up with him and Tasered him.\" Poundland chief executive Jim McCarthy said he was \"shocked\" that one of the company's customers had been killed. He said: \"Our sympathy and thoughts centre on the family of the deceased and of course with other customers and colleagues who were in the store at the time of this terrible incident.\" Supt Rory Freeman said: \"Members of the public will understandably be shocked and upset by this incident today, which has happened in a very public place. \"At this stage, this is not being treated as a terrorist incident.\" A second man nearby suffered a minor injury to his thumb. Thames Valley Police are investigating whether the incidents were connected. Joanna posted on Twitter: \"Watching everything that happened today in Abingdon from my office window was terrifying. Rest in Peace.\" The leader of South Oxfordshire District Council John Cotton said on Twitter it was \"dreadful news\" and praised the quick response by police. A local trader, who did not want to be named, said: \"People are absolutely devastated. Normally it's a very busy vibrant market, but everyone has gone home.\" Thames Valley Police has appealed for anyone who captured footage at the scene to come forward.", "summary": "A customer has been stabbed to death in a Poundland store in Oxfordshire."}
{"article": "Immobile joined the La Liga club on a season-long loan spell from Borussia Dortmund in July 2015, before signing on a permanent deal worth 11m euros. The 26-year-old was then loaned to Serie A side Torino, where he scored five goals in 14 games last season. Immobile made two appearances for his country at Euro 2016.", "summary": "Lazio have signed Italy striker Ciro Immobile from Sevilla for an undisclosed fee - reported to be around 8.5m euros (\u00a37.1m)."}
{"article": "In one case a worker allowed their partner to access and amend personal data. There were also several cases of posting personal data on websites, and an e-mail which accidentally disclosed sensitive details of 24 dead people. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) called for effective data handling to become second nature. Seven of the 22 local authorities said they had recorded no breaches last year. BBC Wales' Welsh-language news website Newyddion Ar-lein obtained the information in a Freedom of Information request. The ICO was informed about \"several incidents\" in Anglesey council in 2012 in which documents including personal data \"were either disclosed or disposed of inappropriately, or there was a risk of unauthorised access\". After an investigation, the ICO said that the council's guidelines on data protection were insufficient and the chief executive committed to making improvements. An Anglesey council spokesperson said: \"In order to secure improvements, we have recently established a corporate information governance project board to embed and improve a culture of data protection compliance throughout the whole organisation.\" The 17 breaches in Powys council included five internal cases of misdirecting information, and 12 cases of sending information to the wrong address, recording wrong personal data in correspondence, and placing personal data on the council's website. Disciplinary procedures were taken against one staff member. There were seven cases recorded in Cardiff council. Among them were a member of staff accidentally sending an email to a number of third party individuals - including Cardiff council employees, Vale of Glamorgan council and individuals in the NHS - which accidentally disclosed sensitive details of 24 dead people. However, the Data Protection Act does not apply to the deceased. Also in Cardiff council, a worker sent an e-mail with sensitive personal data to the wrong person internally and a planning file containing personal data was lost. There were seven cases in Wrexham Council. On two occasions the social services department mistakenly shared information with a third party; e-mail addresses of subscribers to the housing department portal were shared by mistake, and the council failed to respond to a request for data within the necessary 40 days four times. Four cases were recorded in Flintshire council. Disciplinary action was taken against one worker who allowed a partner to access and amend personal data. In addition, two committee reports which included personal data were mistakenly published on the website, a letter about children's services was sent to the wrong house, and a CD with personal data was lost. Five cases were reported in Newport council, and two workers were given final written warnings. Gwynedd council said that none of the data involved in its five breaches was sensitive, while in Caerphilly council further training was provided after three cases in which personal data was mistakenly revealed. In Conwy \"several cases\" were recorded of missing data, involving e-mails, faxes and letters being misdirected, and information being stolen from vehicles and property. There were two breaches in Carmarthenshire council. A private company was used to send a circular to each member of the Dyfed Pension Fund. It printed", "summary": "Local authorities in Wales broke data protection laws over 60 times in 2012, BBC Wales has learned."}
{"article": "Mourners wore Chelsea and Cambridge United colours to celebrate the life of Tommi Miller, who was eight. Terry met Chelsea fan Tommi last year, and when he was told of the boy's death he volunteered to pay for the service. Tommi was laid to rest near his Cambridge home in a Chelsea-blue casket bearing the club logo. Tommi, who was diagnosed with leukaemia aged three, died last month after a bone marrow transplant proved unsuccessful. More on this and other stories from Cambridgeshire Family friend Tawney Bianca Toogood contacted Terry on Instagram to tell him the boy he had been photographed with had died. When she explained the family could not afford the funeral they wanted for their son, the former England captain got in touch with the funeral parlour and covered the full \u00c2\u00a31,600 costs. Tommi's mother Ruth said she was \"overwhelmed\" by the gesture and \"very proud\" the footballer - one of her son's favourite players - remembered him. Most of the arrangements for Tommi's funeral were made by Mrs Toogood's mother Mally Beaver, and sister Chelsea. The families became friends after meeting on the cancer ward at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. \"My father battled leukaemia for just 12 weeks, but Tommi fought it for five years,\" Mrs Beaver said. \"His family found times tough and we did everything we could to help them out.\" When Tommi died the Beaver family, from the travelling community, reached out to other travellers for help. \"Roo and Kevin [Tommi's father] aren't from the community, but everyone took them to their hearts,\" Mrs Beaver said. Travellers from as far afield as Canada, Australia, Scotland, Lancaster and Harlow raised more than \u00c2\u00a34,000 to help towards \"a celebration of Tommi's life\". As well as the specially-made casket, Mrs Beaver arranged for 100 blue balloons to be released at the service, and had 100 blue roses brought over from Holland \"to make it special for him\". The extra money raised will be put towards a headstone for Tommi's grave.", "summary": "The football-themed funeral of a boy who died from cancer has taken place after Chelsea captain John Terry paid for it."}
{"article": "Hibs' 15-year stay in the Scottish Premiership was in danger after Jason Scotland's goal reduced their 2-0 first-leg lead in the play-off final. Anthony Andreu squared the tie 10 seconds from the end of stoppage time. Neither side managed to score in extra time, but Hibs' Kevin Thomson and Jason Cummings both had penalties saved. It was goals from teenager Cummings that had given Terry Butcher's side a 2-0 advantage over the Championship runners-up after the first leg at New Douglas Park. But it was Accies goalkeeper Kevin Cuthbert who was the hero of the return leg, parrying away two nervously struck spot kicks to spark scenes of joy among the Accies faithful and protests outside Easter Road from their angry home counterparts. The spirits of the majority of the 18,000 near-capacity crowd had already not only been dampened by a dreich Edinburgh downpour but the kind of abject display all to familiar from the men in green and white this season. And four perfect penalties from Hamilton will send shockwaves through Easter Road after a season that started with a 9-0 aggregate defeat by Malmo under one manager and ended with a run of one win in 15 games and relegation under another. They are now facing the prospect of chasing one automatic promotion spot in a Championship that will not only contain relegated neighbours Hearts but League One champions Rangers, two clubs recovering from their respective financial meltdowns. Few had given Accies, who had already come through a two-leg semi-final against Falkirk, much chance of rescuing their promotion hopes as they arrived in Edinburgh looking for a first win in four away games. However, the statistics also gave them hope - having only lost two of their last 16 games, while Hibs had not won any of their last six at home and their midweek win being their first in 14 outings. Butcher had given on-loan Notts County forward Danny Haynes another chance to show why he was capped for England at youth level by starting the 26-year-old ahead of off-form teenager Alex Harris. After a crunching Jon Routledge tackle had the former Ipswich man limping for the touchline after seven minutes, Hibs were back to their midweek line-up. Six minutes on and Haynes' pain spread to the home stands after a misplaced Ryan McGivern pass led to the ball being swiftly dispatched into the back of the Hibs net. An interception by Accies midfielder Ali Crawford, who had started ahead of James Keatings, was flicked on by Routledge and Scotland's quick turn mugged Michael Nelson before the striker's left-foot drive from just inside the penalty box slipped under the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Ben Williams. The veteran former Trinidad and Tobago international had not been considered match fit at New Douglas Park, but his introduction in place of Mikael Antoine-Curier had provided the missing goalscoring link. As with the first leg, it was Accies who were playing the prettier possession football while Hibs were relying on hopeful balls to expose flaws in a second-tier defence. The ploy, either by", "summary": "Hamilton Academical ended their three-year absence from Scotland's top flight after a dramatic penalty shootout that consigned Hibernian to relegation."}
{"article": "19 January 2016 Last updated at 19:50 GMT Eddie Girvan, 67, was found in his home on Station Road in Greenisland by police at about 21:30 GMT on Monday. BBC News NI's Kevin Sharkey reports.", "summary": "A murder inquiry has begun into the death of a man who was found tied up and stabbed in his home in County Antrim."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Wendie Renard glanced in a header from a corner deep into injury time to consign Mark Sampson's side to a cruel defeat in Pennsylvania. Marie-Laure Delie had headed France level with 10 minutes to go after Jordan Nobbs' 25-yard opening goal. England's second game in the four-team tournament is against hosts the United States in New Jersey on Saturday. They then finish with a game against Germany in Washington on 7 March. Wednesday's result means England are still waiting for their first victory in the SheBelieves Cup, having drawn one and lost two in last year's event, and are without a win over the French since 1974. Sampson's team are the lowest-ranked side in the event, with World Cup holders USA first, European and Olympic champions Germany second and France third. The USA later beat Germany 1-0, with Lynn Williams scoring for the hosts. Match ends, England 1, France 2. Second Half ends, England 1, France 2. Goal! England 1, France 2. Wendie Renard (France) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Amel Majri with a cross following a corner. Corner, France. Conceded by Demi Stokes. Foul by Amandine Henry (France). Jill Scott (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Wendie Renard (France) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Amel Majri with a cross following a corner. Corner, France. Conceded by Jill Scott. Karen Bardsley (England) is shown the yellow card. Foul by Amandine Henry (France). Nikita Parris (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Marie-Laure Delie (France) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Millie Bright (England). Substitution, England. Isobel Christiansen replaces Jordan Nobbs. Foul by Eug\u00e9nie Le Sommer (France). Lucy Bronze (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Amel Majri (France) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Nikita Parris (England). Substitution, France. Amel Majri replaces Griedge Mbock Bathy because of an injury. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Griedge Mbock Bathy (France) because of an injury. Sarah Bouhaddi (France) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ellen White (England). Goal! England 1, France 1. Marie-Laure Delie (France) header from very close range to the top left corner. Assisted by \u00c9lodie Thomis with a cross. Marie-Laure Delie (France) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jade Moore (England). Offside, France. Amandine Henry tries a through ball, but Wendie Renard is caught offside. Eug\u00e9nie Le Sommer (France) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Lucy Bronze (England). Substitution, France. \u00c9lodie Thomis replaces Ga\u00ebtane Thiney. Hand ball by Eug\u00e9nie Le Sommer (France). Delay over. They are ready to continue. Substitution, England. Alex Scott replaces Rachel Daly. Substitution, England. Nikita Parris replaces Ellen White because of an injury. Delay in match Ellen White (England) because of an injury. Substitution, France. Eug\u00e9nie Le Sommer replaces Kadidiatou Diani because of an injury. Delay over.", "summary": "England conceded a 95th-minute goal as they suffered an agonising defeat by France in their SheBelieves Cup opener."}
{"article": "The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said sales were up 8.4% compared with February last year. Sales of alternatively fuelled vehicles jumped 19.9% year-on-year, with diesels up 5.6%. Fleet sales fell 1.4% but still accounted for 53.1% of new vehicle sales in the month. SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: \"February is typically one of the quietest months of the year ahead of March's plate change, but this positive performance is encouraging and puts the sector in a good position for the coming 12 months.\" Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said only 4% of cars typically were registered in February, so \"small movements in the absolute number of registrations have a big impact on the headline growth number\". \"High consumer confidence, lower petrol prices and cheaper unsecured credit have enhanced the attractiveness of car ownership, but these drivers will be less supportive of sales growth in 2016,\" he added. \"Growth in car sales therefore looks likely to moderate, contributing to a slowdown in the overall consumer spending recovery this year.\" A record 2.63 million new vehicles were registered last year - about 6% higher than in 2014 and the fourth consecutive year of growth, according to the SMMT. The top selling models in February were the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Golf and Nissan Qashqai. VW sales were down 13% compared with February 2015, although Toyota recorded a 16% drop and Vauxhall a 17% slide. Ford sales were 12% higher compared with February 2015 at 11,513 vehicles,", "summary": "Almost 84,000 new cars were sold in February in the UK - the highest level for the month since 2004."}
{"article": "Skomer Island and Marloes Sands are included in travel guide Lonely Planet's Best in Europe 2015 list. Kent was ranked top, followed by County Kerry in Ireland, with destinations in Germany and Hungary also making the top five. The guide said Skomer's marine nature reserve and 500,000-strong bird population were among its draws. It also recommended visiting Marloes Sands - \"a mile-long sweep of beach that does a vanishing act at high tide\". Europe's 10 Best Places for Family Holidays, by Lonely Planet", "summary": "Two Pembrokeshire beauty spots have been named among the 10 best places to go in Europe for a family holiday."}
{"article": "The Ryder Cup veteran, 41, finished two over par, two shots adrift of the projected cut and down in tied 93rd. He needed to win at least \u00a323,905 ($30,639) - equivalent to a top-30 finish - to retain his tour place. But the 2008 Open runner-up said: \"It doesn't mean you're never going to see me again.\" He later added on Twitter: \"You don't get to number five in the world and help lift a few Ryder Cups and disappear. \"You come back stronger and more determined than ever.\" Scotland's Martin Laird, who won the Texas Open in 2013, remains in contention at the halfway stage in San Antonio. The 34-year-old shot a second-round 67 to leave him five under par, three shots behind the joint leaders, American pair Bud Cauley and Tony Finau. Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell is two under but England's Luke Donald, runner-up in last week's RBC Heritage, missed the cut on four over. First-round leader Branden Grace carded a one-over 73 to drop back into a seven-way tie for 10th, alongside Laird. Poulter, who shot 75 and 71, said he would still play on the PGA Tour through sponsors' invites and add more European Tour events to his schedule. The world number 190 added he thought his struggles had been \"slightly over-dramatised\". \"It means I've got some work to do and I need to go away and do some work,\" he said. After missing the second half of last season with a foot injury, Poulter started this season needing to earn either 218 Tour points or \u00a3271,514 ($348,000) in 10 events to retain his full playing privileges. He has accrued 155 points and prize money of \u00a3247,335 ($317,010).", "summary": "England's Ian Poulter says he will \"come back stronger than ever\" after losing his PGA Tour card by missing the cut at the Texas Open."}
{"article": "Now it's been announced that Bryan Cranston is to make his UK stage debut in an adaptation of the 1970s Oscar-winning film Network. The 60-year-old US actor will play Howard Beale, a TV news anchor who announces he will kill himself on air after he's told he's being sacked for declining ratings. In a famous scene, Beale implores his viewers during an on-air meltdown to shout out of the window: \"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this any more!\" Adapted by Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall, Network will open on the National Theatre's Lyttelton stage in November. It will be directed by Ivo van Hove, whose Hedda Gabler at the NT is currently a sell-out hit. Announcing its new season on Friday, National Theatre boss Rufus Norris described Network as \"one of the greatest media satires of all time\". \"It's incredibly prescient in terms of the world today,\" he said. \"I think it will stand up in our digital world.\" The 1976 film, directed by Sidney Lumet, won four of its 10 Oscar nominations. Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight cleaned up in three of the four acting categories while writer Paddy Chayefsky won for original screenplay. Norris said van Hove had been talking about the idea with Cranston for \"a couple of years\". \"He's got a fantastic pedigree as a stage actor,\" he said. \"It's a part that requires something compelling and special.\" Norris pointed out that Beale's \"mad as hell\" line was still being quoted at demonstrations - and had appeared on a placard held by singer Charlotte Church at a rally in 2015. Cranston won a Tony award in 2014 for his Broadway debut in Robert Schenkkan's play All the Way. He was Oscar nominated last year for Trumbo. Other announcements made by the National Theatre on Friday included: Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "He's best known for his role as criminal mastermind Walter White in Breaking Bad."}
{"article": "Police said the incident happened at the corner of Jamaica Street and Argyle Street at about 09:45. Emergency services attended and the man was taken by ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary. There is currently no information on his condition. Jamaica Street has been closed while police carry out investigations into the circumstances of the incident.", "summary": "A man is being treated in hospital after he was struck by a bus in Glasgow city centre."}
{"article": "Rajinder Sidhu, of Crathie Avenue, Dumfries, was on a petition before Sheriff Brian Mahon in private. The appearance follows an alleged attack at the Tesco car park in Dumfries earlier this month. A spokesperson for the procurator fiscal said that no plea or declaration was made and Mr Sidhu was committed for further examination. He was remanded in custody.", "summary": "A 30-year-old man has made a brief appearance in court at Dumfries on a charge of rape."}
{"article": "The singer hasn't given a reason for his decision yet, but his team have said that it was because of \"unforeseen circumstances\". Bieber has already performed in more than 150 shows since starting his tour in March 2016, with an average of 40,000 tickets sold for each date. A statement on his website said: \"Justin loves his fans and hates to disappoint them. \"He is grateful and honoured to have shared that experience with his cast and crew for over 150 successful shows across six continents during this run. \"However, after careful consideration he has decided he will not be performing any further dates. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.\"", "summary": "Justin Bieber has cancelled 14 concerts that he was due to perform in Asia and North America as part of his Purpose World Tour."}
{"article": "He has launched a consultation to try to find agreement on how universities should be paid for. The consultation has been called the 'Big Conversation'. Speaking in the assembly, Mr Farry said that Northern Ireland was the only part of the UK actively \"disinvesting\" in higher education. The consultation process will involve a number of events and online presentations in order to seek opinion from students, university staff, unions and the wider public. Just under 40% of funding for Queen's University, Belfast (QUB) and Ulster University comes directly from Stormont's Department for Employment and Learning (DEL). However, the universities faced cuts of more than \u00a316m in funding from DEL in 2015/16, which followed cuts in funding during previous years. Ulster University is shedding about 200 jobs in 2015/16 and 1,200 student places over the next three years, while Queen's University announced in April that it was cutting 236 jobs in 2015/16 and 1,010 student places over the next three years. Ulster University also closed a number of courses and departments including their School of Modern Languages at Coleraine, County Londonderry. The universities also draw about 30% of their annual funding from student tuition fees, which are currently \u00a33,805 per year for students from Northern Ireland. Some students also study for degrees at further education colleges, and that budget was also reduced this year by about \u00a312m. DEL's budget was reduced by \u00a362m earlier this year, and its budget for higher education institutions fell from \u00a3203m to \u00a3186m, a reduction of 8.2%. Mr Farry said that, given its importance to the local economy and the fact that just under half of young people in Northern Ireland entered higher education, the status quo was no longer an option. During subsequent questions, a number of MLAs including Phil Flanagan of Sinn F\u00e9in, Jim Allister of the Tradition Unionist Voice (TUV) and Basil McCrea of NI21, expressed concern about a possible rise in tuition fees. In response, Mr Farry said that he had an \"open mind\" and that \"this is not a conversation about whether we have fees or don't have fees\". \"All options have to be on the table and fees are only one of many options facing us. This is not a done deal process.\" The consultation ends on 23 October, and Mr Farry said he wanted to present options to the Northern Ireland Executive in the autumn.", "summary": "The way that higher education is funded in Northern Ireland is \"no longer sustainable\", Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry has said."}
{"article": "He said the DUP would speak to the PSNI to seek answers about the killing. Mr McGuigan was shot at Comber Court in east Belfast on Wednesday night. Asked if he was concerned about IRA involvement, Mr Robinson said: \"I think everyone should be concerned that would be the case.\" \"Let's allow the police to fully investigate the matter,\" he said. \"We will speak to the PSNI to see what their findings are in terms of the involvement of any organisation. \"But let's be very clear, there will be repercussions if that was found to be the case.\" He added: \"It would certainly be totally unacceptable for any organisation which is involved in violence to be part of the Executive of Northern Ireland.\" Mr Robinson was referring to the potential political consequences for Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in, the main republican party in Northern Ireland and the second biggest party in the assembly. Mr Robinson described the murder as a \"savage killing\" and said it \"should be a warning to all politicians and others about how easy it would be to slip back into those bad old days.\" He said there were people who would step into a \"void\" to \"exploit political difficulties\". \"The collapse of the assembly will feed that kind of activity we have seen over the last number of weeks from dissidents in our society,\" the DUP leader added. Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in MLA Alex Maskey said he did not believe the PIRA was involved in the murder and expressed concern about \"unhelpful speculation\". \"I don't accept for one second that the IRA has been involved in this, it just doesn't register at all,\" he said. \"We will be meeting the PSNI shortly to make sure that they do their job, which is to have a very thorough and rapid, speedy and professional investigation into whoever caused this killing and whoever caused this killing should be and hopefully will be brought to justice as speedily as at all possible. \"We're calling for calm, we're calling for respect for this particular family at this time in the midst of their grief and we're cautioning against unhelpful and unwelcome speculation.\" In a separate development, Mr Robinson said there had been talks over the summer between parties about the deadlock over welfare and that they would continue. He said: \"We've gone through the exploratory stage. \"We're now at the preparatory stage where we look at what can be done in the circumstances. But clearly by the autumn it will be necessary to have reached an agreement.\" He said he did not want to be \"too precise\" over the date by which there had to be a resolution, but that the autumn was the critical time. Mr Robinson added that progress was being made on all of the other issues in the Stormont House Agreement, including new mechanisms to deal with the past and the civil service voluntary exit scheme. But he said the main issue holding up the process was welfare. He warned again that the political institutions in Northern Ireland were in danger if the situation", "summary": "First Minister Peter Robinson has said there will be repercussions if it is found that the Provisional IRA was involved in the murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr."}
{"article": "Two communities are claiming compensation and want Shell to clean up their land. Shell said it is at an \"early stage\" in reviewing the claims and that the case should be heard in Nigeria. The Ogale community of about 40,000 people in Rivers State, on the coast of Nigeria, who are mainly farmers or fishermen, are some of the claimants. Their case is being handled by law firm Leigh Day. Spills since 1989 have meant they don't have clean drinking water, farmland or rivers, their claim says. It points to a November 2015 report by Amnesty International which says four spill sites Shell says it planned to clean up are still contaminated. The first court hearing at the Technology and Construction Court, held on Wednesday, found that the claimants can can lodge a case against Shell's Nigerian business, known as Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC). Shell declined to comment on the ruling. Amnesty's findings followed a 2011 report by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) which found water contaminated with oil by-products including benzene, thought to be a carcinogen. It suggested a clean up, but said a \"sustainable recovery\" of the area could take up to 30 years. Shell says it has agreed a clean-up plan. \"In mid-2015 SPDC JV, along with the government, UNEP and representatives of the Ogoni community, agreed to an 18-month roadmap to fast-track the environmental clean-up and remediation of Ogoniland which includes a governance framework,\" it said in a statement. The Bille community, who are mainly fishermen and are the other party to sue, claims Shell should be liable for \"failing to protect their pipelines from damage caused by third parties\", according to Leigh Day. Pipelines in the area have been targets for thieves who steal crude oil and try to refine it locally. This has lead to more spills and damage though explosions. \"Both Bille and Ogale are areas heavily impacted by crude oil theft, pipeline sabotage and illegal refining which remain the main sources of pollution across the Niger Delta. \"Ogale is in Ogoniland and it is important to note that SPDC has produced no oil or gas in Ogoniland since 1993. Access to the area has been limited following a rise in violence, threats to staff and attacks on facilities,\" Shell said. But the communities say Shell pipelines lack the technology to detect and shut off leaks, whatever the cause. Daniel Leader, partner at Leigh Day said: \"It is scandalous that four years after the UNEP Report Shell is yet to clean up its oil in either Ogale or Bille. Our client's patience has now run out and we intend to force Shell to act since it is clear they have no intention of doing so on their own.\" In January last year, Shell agreed to an $84m (\u00c2\u00a355m) settlement with residents of the Bodo community in the Niger Delta for two oil spills. The same law firm, Leigh Day, said their 15,600 clients would receive $3,300 each for losses caused by the spills. The remaining $30m would be left for the community,", "summary": "Oil giant Shell is being sued in London for the second time in five years over spills in the Niger Delta."}
{"article": "Ruth Munro's mother, Margaret McPartlin, died in September 1993 aged 73. But a court heard she continued to draw Ms McPartlin's pensions from British Steel Corporation and Diageo. Munro, 67, from Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, admitted defrauding the schemes of \u00c2\u00a318,577. Alloa Sheriff Court was told that between 1993 and May 2015 - by which time Ms McPartlin would have been 94 - she pretended to the administrators of both pension schemes that her mother was still alive. Sheriff Linda Smith deferred sentence for a criminal justice social work report until 10 November and ordered Munro to reappear then. She said: \"I'll continue this for reports to be made available.\" It is expected that Munro's solicitor, Jay Goodwillie, will outline mitigating circumstances at the November hearing.", "summary": "A woman has admitted pretending her dead mother was still alive for more than 20 years so she could carry on drawing her pension."}
{"article": "The high jumper won bronze in 2008 but that result is now in doubt after 454 samples from those Games were retested. \"It's the most complete shock,\" said Chicherova, who went on to win gold at the 2012 Games in London. \"I can't explain how it could have happened. I was always sure what supplements and medicines I was using.\" Earlier this month, the International Olympic Committee said up to 31 athletes from around the world could be banned from the Rio Olympics as a result of the retests, which were conducted using the latest scientific methods. The Russian Olympic Committee subsequently revealed that 14 of those 31 athletes were Russian. A Russian TV report then claimed those 14 athletes included 10 medallists, among them 33-year-old Chicherova, who is planning to defend her Olympic title at the Rio Games, which begin on 5 August. Sports minister Vitaly Mutko admitted the news did not \"look good\" but said the results were \"not an objective picture\" of Russia's doping situation. Media playback is not supported on this device Russia's athletes are already banned from international competition following allegations of state-organised doping. But in an interview with BBC sports editor Dan Roan, Mutko said he expected the ban to be lifted for Rio because it would be \"useless\" for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to continue punishing them. He also held the IAAF partly responsible for Russia's predicament, claiming it helped cover up the positive tests. \"The priority for them [IAAF] must be the development of track and field worldwide and you cannot achieve that with punishment,\" he said. \"It damages hugely the reputation and image of track and field. It would decrease the popularity of the sport in Russia. Kids would not want to do it.\"", "summary": "Olympic medallist Anna Chicherova has vowed to clear her name after learning she is one of 14 Russian athletes to have failed a doping retest."}
{"article": "Seventeen student bodies have endorsed the BDS movement - which calls for an international boycott of Israel over the way it treats Palestinians. Some Jewish students in the UK say growing support for BDS has fuelled a rise in anti-Semitism on campuses. The Commission said it would assess the concerns and take action if necessary. The BDS - which stands for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions - describes itself as a human rights organisation and criticises Israel for its human rights record. It says it stands for \"freedom, justice and equality\", saying it is \"inclusive and categorically opposes as a matter of principle all forms of racism\" - including anti-Semitism. Devora Khafi, a student at Queen Mary University of London, is one of nearly 10,000 Jewish students in the UK. She told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme she felt physically intimidated when other students hijacked a speech at London's UCL given by a former Israeli defence force officer. She said she was pushed against some doors, jostled and shouted at by protesters. She says she fears having a connection with Israel has made other people at her university hostile towards her. \"If I ever express a viewpoint in class or on social media, I get comments, in public or private,\" she said. \"It has been hard. It's been two years of constant fighting for our freedom of speech, our rights, our wellbeing. I've missed deadlines, I've had counselling, I've had anxiety episodes,\" she said. Devora believes the BDS movement is adding to a climate of hostility against Israel on campus, which she says has turned her and other Jewish students into scapegoats. \"If you look behind the BDS lens, it calls for these things that are not peaceful. They harm Jewish students and pro-Israel students and they don't support a peaceful, atmosphere on campus.\" Support for BDS has been growing rapidly on British campuses. London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) students' union in London was one of the first to endorse the BDS, after students voted in favour in a referendum in 2015. The students' union implemented an academic boycott of Israel. The BBC found 17 students' unions have now passed motions to endorse the BDS boycott of Israel. They include Belfast, Birkbeck, Brunel, Essex, Exeter, Goldsmiths, Kings College London, Kingston, Lancashire, Liverpool, Manchester, SOAS, Strathclyde, Sussex, Swansea, University of Arts London and UCL. But it is possible they may be breaking the law by backing the movement. Since 2010, students' unions have become registered charities, meaning they have a legal duty to represent the interests of their members. According to guidance, public comment should also be limited to matters that affect the welfare of the union's members as students. The BBC understands these issues have been raised with the Charity Commission, which is assessing them to determine if any regulatory action should be taken. A Charity Commission spokesperson said concerns about links to the BDS Movement would be \"assessed consistently\" and, where appropriate, it would \"take regulatory action\". David Holdsworth, from the commission, said students' unions must not be discriminatory", "summary": "Concerns over some students' unions' support for a boycott of Israel are being looked into by the Charity Commission, the BBC has learned."}
{"article": "Resuming on 111-4, Voges moved his overnight score on from 29, occupying 196 deliveries to frustrate Hampshire's attack, led by Kyle Abbott (5-59). As Voges, James Franklin and John Simpson fell to the new ball, it left them on 215-8 and Hampshire in hope of a win, with the lead at just 133. But the Middlesex tail held on and hands were shaken on a draw after tea. Middlesex were the only side to remain unbeaten over the entire 2016 season as they claimed their first title since 1993, but they looked in danger of beginning a new campaign with a loss when they got under way. Without the injured Fidel Edwards, Abbott - who took his total to 16 Division One wickets in two matches - led Hampshire's attack, with Brad Wheal (3-73) also contributing. Voges survived an lbw appeal on 29 before nightwatchman Steven Finn (16) was caught off a Wheal bouncer, but Simpson joined the former Australia Test batsman to stop any Hampshire momentum. However, with the new ball in hand, Abbott gave the hosts a glimmer of hope, having Voges caught behind and Franklin taken in the slips before Gareth Berg snared Simpson (22) for wicket-keeper Lewis McManus' fourth catch. It wasn't to be for Hampshire though as Toby Roland-Jones (25), Ollie Rayner (17 not out) and Tim Murtagh (19 not out) took Middlesex to a lead of 196 and safety at tea. Michael Carberry and Jimmy Adams were brought on to bowl, signalling their intentions to agree on a draw, which brought both sides 10 points and moved Hampshire into second place in Division One behind Surrey. Hampshire captain James Vince told BBC Radio Solent: \"The way the guys fought back from Middlesex being 220-2 in their first innings to get into a position where we were really close to being able to chase a gettable score on that wicket is an incredible effort from everyone. \"The bowlers, having lost Fidel early in the first innings, were outstanding to put in a shift to get us into that position. \"We did exactly what we wanted with the new ball and came within one wicket of probably setting up a 150-run chase in 40-odd overs. So it's huge credit to all the boys.\" Middlesex head coach Richard Scott told BBC Radio London: \"We showed the old resilience of last year when we were up against it. \"When the new ball came, a couple of quick wickets fell, but Ollie Rayner, Toby Roland-Jones and Tim Murtagh were magnificent. \"We put ourselves under the pump this game. We dropped some crucial chances - if we'd have taken those chances we'd at least of had parity after the first innings. But that wasn't to be and I thought they played very well.\"", "summary": "Adam Voges scored 92 as Middlesex's lower order kept Hampshire's bowlers at bay to earn a draw for the champions."}
{"article": "An article in Buzzfeed suggesting that the social network was about to introduce what is known as an algorithmic timeline - promoting tweets deemed most relevant rather than publishing them in reverse chronological order - sparked a wave of what can only be described as furious panic. Under the hashtag #RIPTwitter, thousands, perhaps millions, told the world that this was the end of civilisation as we know it, that a beautiful thing was being crushed, that the company, whose share price has been tumbling for months, was signing its own death warrant. Finally, the CEO Jack Dorsey was forced to react. \"Hello Twitter!\" he called out. \"Regarding #RIPTwitter: I want you all to know we're always listening. We never planned to reorder timelines next week.\" He went on \"Twitter is live. Twitter is real-time. Twitter is about who & what you follow. And Twitter is here to stay! By becoming more Twitter-y.\" But was Dorsey right to blink in the face of pressure? And should he be \"always listening\" to his users? That depends on whether you believe the hoariest old cliche of management books: \"The customer is always right.\" I certainly sympathise with those who say that Twitter isn't broken, so it does not need the kind of radical fixing implied by an algorithmic timeline. For me, it works just fine, connecting me to like-minded communities of dog-owners, sourdough loaf bakers, and gadget enthusiasts, while providing the best breaking news service on the planet. Like many other heavy users of Twitter, I have been sniffy about recent innovations such as \"Moments\" and would rather things carried on just as they are. But perhaps Mr Dorsey and his management team should not be listening to people like me - we're almost certainly going nowhere. He has to cock an ear to the concerns of three other constituencies - investors, advertisers and the people who use Twitter infrequently or not at all. Because the crisis in his company is not about revenues, which are growing nicely, and it's not about what loyal users think - it is about growth. The last set of results showed Twitter user numbers had barely moved over the previous three months, up just four million. Investors who bought into the business when it floated on the hope that it would grow at the same rate as Facebook, shuddered at that news and will be watching nervously when the next set of results is published on Wednesday. Advertisers are asking why they should spend money with a network when it is not delivering the kind of audience available elsewhere. So Twitter's top team is trying all kinds of tricks to make the experience of joining and using the network more intuitive. And there's another reason why Jack Dorsey might be tempted to ignore those users protesting about a change that has not even happened yet. If he looks at the history of Facebook, he will see that just about every innovation introduced by Mark Zuckerberg has met with dismay from existing users. Here's how Techcrunch reported the arrival of", "summary": "For the last 48 hours Twitter has been\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 well, all of a Twitter."}
{"article": "Typhoon Nida hit Hong Kong on Tuesday with high winds and torrential rain, forcing schools, businesses and transport services to shut. But the storm was reported to be weakening as it moved to the mainland. Guangzhou in Guangdong province issued a red alert, its highest weather warning, and people have been advised to stockpile food and essentials. The southern cities of Zhuhai and Shanwei are also on red alert, with transport, industry and public services largely grinding to a halt. Nida, which earlier passed over the Philippines, is set to be the strongest typhoon in the region since 1983, one official told Chinese state media, warning it could bring severe flooding. In Hong Kong, thousands of workers were evacuated from an offshore oil platform and from a series of tunnels and bridges being built to link the territory with two other cities. Hundreds of people took refuge in government shelters in the city, amid torrential rain and gusts of over 150km/h (93mph). Although Hong Kong officials ended their rainstorm alert at midday on Tuesday, they warned residents there was still a risk of flooding in low-lying areas. Southern China is hit by heavy rains every monsoon season, but this year has been particularly bad. In July, Typhoon Nepartak killed dozens of people in Fujian province and forced hundreds of thousands of Chinese people from their homes. It also caused deaths and damage in Taiwan.", "summary": "Large areas of southern China are on emergency alert as a powerful typhoon batters the region."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 10 January 2015 Last updated at 07:53 GMT A farm in Dorset have got a trusty group of 25 goats that love to eat them. The goats eat all of the greenery and leave just the bare branches. The extra food is good for the animals and helps to keep them full up over the winter months. Watch Hayley's report to find out more...", "summary": "Goats are being used as a handy new way to recycle unwanted Christmas trees."}
{"article": "The unidentified woman was helped to safety after running into waters in Ellel earlier, the fire service said. Fourteen flood warnings have been issued, including in Croston, which was hit by a severe deluge last year. Some rail services between Preston and Lancaster have also been cancelled after heavy flooding on the track. Read breaking news updates on BBC Lancashire Live Elsewhere, Burrow Beck in Lancaster has burst its bank, and there are two flood warnings for the River Condor at Galgate amid prolonged periods of heavy rain. No properties have been affected, although water is being pumped from culverts in some areas. Dave Wilkinson, who lives in Galgate, said: \"If the river levels keep up like this it's obviously going to come over in the next 24 hours I would say. \"This is just one night's rain. We've been here for six years now and it's never gone up as quickly as this before.\" The Environment Agency's flood warnings mean flooding is \"expected\", with \"immediate action required\". Police are advising people to avoid travelling where possible, to turn off electricity in their homes and avoid walking through floodwater. Drivers have also been urged to exercise caution.", "summary": "A pregnant woman was rescued from her car by a farmer after becoming trapped amid widespread flood warnings across Lancashire."}
{"article": "The 55-year-old tweeted from the hospital in Tooting to thank the professionals who \"saved his life\". Moore won 64 England caps between 1987 and 1995, played for the British and Irish Lions, and trained as a solicitor while pursuing his rugby career. The former England hooker now works in the media.", "summary": "Former England rugby international Brian Moore is recovering in intensive care at St George's hospital in London after suffering a heart attack."}
{"article": "The A9 drops from 150m (492ft) to 20m (65ft) as it enters a valley at the Berriedale Braes. Transport Scotland will run an exhibition at Berriedale Parish Church in Berriedale on 26 November outlining the proposed work. The plans will also be made available on the agency's website. The draft road orders for the work involved will be published on Friday. Transport Minister Keith Brown said: \"The hairpin bend and steep hill at Berriedale Braes has presented drivers with a very challenging road to negotiate - and is why we are working hard towards delivering improvements right along the A9, including at the Braes.\" In August, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) called for work to tackle the bend to be accelerated. The Berriedale Braes were the scene of a lorry fire on 5 August which blocked the road for five hours. A 77-mile (124 km) detour was unsuitable for HGVs. The SCC said accidents were a \"frequent occurrence\" and adversely affected businesses in the far north and Orkney. Transport Scotland said a solution to the hairpin was being progressed.", "summary": "Transport Scotland will present a draft outline of the proposed improvements to a challenging hairpin bend on the A9 in Caithness next week."}
{"article": "After decades of debate, years of acrimony over the issue in the Conservative Party, months of brutal brinksmanship in Westminster, and hours of debate this week, MPs have just approved the very first step in the process of Britain leaving the European Union. There are many hurdles ahead, probably thousands of hours of debate here, years of negotiations for Theresa May with our friends and rivals around the EU, as she seeks a deal - and possibly as long as a decade of administrative adjustments, as the country extricates itself from the EU. On a wet Wednesday, the debate didn't feel epoch-making, but think for a moment about what has just happened. MPs, most of whom wanted to stay in the EU, have just agreed that we are off. This time last year few in Westminster really thought that this would happen. The then prime minister's concern was persuading the rest of the EU to give him a better deal for the UK. His close colleagues believed the chances of them losing, let alone the government dissolving over the referendum, were slim, if not quite zero. Then tonight, his former colleagues are rubber stamping the decision of a narrow majority of the public, that changed everything in politics here for good. This isn't even the last vote on this bill. There are several more stages, the Lords are likely to kick up rough at the start. But after tonight, for better or worse, few will believe that our journey to the exit door can be halted. As government ministers have said in recent days, the moment for turning back is past.", "summary": "It's begun."}
{"article": "They scored 428.91 to come second behind Chen Aisen and Lin Yue of China. Daley, 21, and Goodfellow, 19, improved on their effort in the first round of the series in Beijing, where they picked up bronze. Tonia Couch and Lois Toulson took bronze in the women's event, while Chris Mears and Jack Laugher won 3m synchro bronze for Britain. Coach and Toulson's bronze followed a silver won in Beijing, but Mears and Laugher's success was their first medal of 2016. The third round of the series takes place in Windsor, Canada from 15-17 March before the final leg in Kazan, Russia a week later.", "summary": "British pair Tom Daley and Dan Goodfellow won 10m syncro silver in the Dubai leg of the Diving World Series."}
{"article": "Former special constable Debra Martin previously said Kevin Williams spoke to her in the ground's temporary mortuary. But, intensive care expert Dr Jasmeet Soar said he had not found \"a medical explanation for that\". He said Kevin's heart was likely to have stopped after 15:30 following an unsuccessful resuscitation attempt. The teenager was one of 96 people who died following a crush at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989. Kevin's mother Anne campaigned for more than 20 years for a new inquest into his death, but died before the current hearings began. Dr Stefan Popper, the coroner who oversaw the original Hillsborough inquests in the early 1990s, ruled all those who died had suffered fatal injuries by 15:15. As such, he said, he did not need to hear evidence on any events after that time. It was, according to the current coroner Sir John Goldring, a \"highly controversial decision\", which the bereaved families \"strongly disputed\". The new jurors have heard how the 15:15 cut-off meant the first inquests did not look into whether the police, ambulance service and others handled the aftermath of the disaster properly. They have now heard evidence that some of the 96 may have been alive after 15:15, with one expert witness saying there was a \"strong possibility\" Jimmy Hennessy was alive on the pitch between 15:15 and 15:20 that day. Dr Soar, an expert in intensive care medicine and resuscitation, was asked to give his opinion of what happened to Kevin based on the evidence heard about the teenager's movements. The jury saw how Kevin was carried out of pen three at 15:28, at which point Dr Soar said he was \"deeply unconscious\", \"unresponsive to stimulation\" and did not appear to have \"any body tone or muscle tone\", which was \"significant\" because it indicated he was not conscious. Kevin was carried on a makeshift stretcher to the opposite end of the pitch, where a group of Liverpool fans and medics tried to resuscitate him after 15:32. The jury has heard evidence from Derek Bruder, an off-duty Merseyside police officer who was at the match, who said he found a \"slight pulse\" in Kevin. Dr Soar said Mr Bruder may have felt a \"weak heartbeat\" or he could have been mistaken. He said a series of photographs of Mr Bruder breathing into Kevin's mouth showed he was carrying out \"textbook, exemplary\" help, but he was confident that following 10 to 15 minutes of CPR, \"there are no signs of life reported by the three individuals, so, yes, he was in cardiac arrest\". In October, Ms Martin told the inquests she later felt a pulse in Kevin inside the stadium's gymnasium, when he was said to have woken up and said \"mum\". Dr Soar said he and his colleague Prof Nolan had \"discussed at length\" Ms Martin's evidence. \"We don't think it's possible to be deeply unconscious for that duration and then to restore an adequate level of breathing and oxygen level and blood pressure for the brain to then regain adequate", "summary": "It was not \"medically plausible\" a 15-year-old Hillsborough victim regained consciousness and said \"mum\" before he died, an inquest jury heard."}
{"article": "For just a few weeks of the year, Scotland is peppered with stunning pockets of pink as cherry tree blossom comes into full bloom. BBC Scotland news readers have been sending us their photographs of the beautiful blossom in their neighbourhoods. To celebrate this all-too-brief season, we have compiled a selection of some of the best. If you would like to share your photos of Scotland's blossoming trees, send them to scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk or our Instagram at #bbcscotlandpics", "summary": "All pictures are copyrighted."}
{"article": "Daniel James' late penalty gave Wales a first win in the competition after an opening draw against hosts France. Page's side face Ivory Coast in their final Group B game on Monday. \"It's always a good sign when you win games of football and you haven't been at your best,\" said former Wales defender Page. \"We probably played better against France and didn't win. \"If someone would have said before the tournament that we'd be two games in and with four points going into the third game I'd snap their hand off. \"It's our first time in this tournament and we've been up against excellent opposition against France and a different challenge against Bahrain.\" Wales are second after their win over Bahrain with next opponents Ivory Coast top of Group B after they beat France.", "summary": "Intermediate teams manager Rob Page says Wales Under-20s were under par despite a 1-0 win over Bahrain in the Toulon Tournament."}
{"article": "The approval of the austerity measure is an important victory for President Michel Temer. He took office earlier this year promising to lead the country out of its worst recession in many decades. Protests against the measure turned violent in the capital Brasilia and at least a dozen states in the country. The opposition says the measures will mainly hit areas such as health and education, which are already underfunded. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets during the Senate session to protest against the austerity plan. After the vote, many demonstrations descended into violence. In Brasilia, masked protesters set fire to a bus and marched on the local offices of Globo TV, which they say is biased towards Mr Temer's government. But the marchers were blocked by riot police. In Sao Paulo, the headquarters of the state's conservative Industrial Federation (Fiesp) was attacked. To pass the constitutional amendment, the government needed the votes of 49 senators - three-fifths of the Senate. The measure was approved by a narrower margin than the government expected, passing by 53 to 19 votes. \"We have won. That was the main thing: to deliver the product in the middle of a storm,\" said government leader in the Senate Romero Juca. The project, known in Brazil as PEC 55, freezes expenditure in the executive, judiciary and legislative branches of power, allowing them to grow only by the rate of inflation n the previous year. The government argues it is necessary to boost growth and investments, and contain the country's growing public deficit. But critics say the poorest in society will be harmed and that setting a spending cap for two decades in advance is unrealistic, says the BBC's Julia Carneiro in Rio de Janeiro. The measure takes effect on Thursday.", "summary": "The Brazilian Senate has approved a controversial amendment to the constitution capping public spending for the next 20 years."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has also banned 15 horses trained by the 37-year-old for six months. Godolphin is run by the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Q&A - read more \"Al Zarooni acted with recklessness and caused tremendous damage to Godolphin and British racing,\" said the stable's racing manager Simon Crisford. \"I think it will take a very long time for Godolphin to regain the trust of the British public. We're shocked and completely outraged by the actions he has taken.\" Al Zarooni continued to be repentant after hearing of his punishment, saying: \"I apologise to Sheikh Mohammed and all those at Godolphin, and the public who follow racing. \"I accept it was my responsibility to be aware of rules and regulations around banned substances. \"I can only apologise and repeat what I said in my statement earlier in the week - I have made a catastrophic error.\" One of the banned horses is Certify, the former 1,000 Guineas favourite, who will be clear to race again on 9 October 2013, as will the other 14 suspended thoroughbreds. Eleven horses were caught by drug testing, while Al Zarooni admitted at Wednesday's hearing to doping four others. Al Zarooni gave the steroids ethylestranol and stanozolol, which are prohibited substances, to his horses and he was charged with violating multiple rules related to banned substances, as well as failing to keep medication records and with conduct prejudicial to the sport. It's a hefty ban, but one that officials at the British Horseracing Authority say reflects how seriously they take their good record when it comes to drugs in the sport. Not long ago Mahmood Al Zarooni, personally picked by Sheikh Mohammed to be his trainer, was rated a rising star, yet now his promising career lies in tatters. Meanwhile, the Sheikh and the huge Godolphin operation will endeavour to re-group, but some of the mud is sure to stick, and things can never be quite the same again. Steroids are allowed in some countries, including Dubai, out of competition. Hopefully, this whole episode acts as a catalyst for the world's racing authorities to get their drugs rules consistent across the globe. BHA chief executive Paul Bittar said he hoped the bans for Al Zarooni and the doped horses \"will serve to reassure the public, and the sport's participants, that use of performance-enhancing substances in British racing will not be tolerated\". Bittar added: \"We welcome the proactive response of Godolphin and Sheikh Mohammed in announcing their intention to review the procedures of this stable and the need to ensure that all horses formerly trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni are tested and cleared before they race again. \"The BHA will itself consider the wider issues raised by this matter and we will seek to ascertain and collate all other relevant information including, where necessary, interviewing other employees or contractors of Godolphin.\" Sheikh Mohammed, who is worth an estimated \u00a310bn, has \"locked down\" the Moulton Paddock stables in Newmarket where Al Zarooni trained. Speaking", "summary": "Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni has been banned from racing for eight years after doping horses at one of the world's leading racing operations."}
{"article": "The initiative returns from 19-25 June ahead of a busy summer of elite sport which includes the cricket and rugby World Cups in the UK and Ireland. The European Football Championship starts in July in the Netherlands. The campaign will encourage the public to watch, listen, volunteer and take part in sporting activities. Crouch added: \"We want more women and girls to get involved in sport and enjoy the huge benefits that being active brings to their lives.\" Shelley Alexander, editorial lead for women's sport for BBC Sport, said: \"We'll devote even more resources to showcasing the best of women's sport across television, radio and online this year. \"We'll also examine the pertinent issues across women's sport, with our original journalism interrogating the state of play of women and girls' sport from the grassroots to the elite.\"", "summary": "Women's Sport Week will be \"a fantastic campaign\" and \"encourage more women to try a new sport\", says minister for sport Tracey Crouch."}
{"article": "The valuation caps a strong month for the virtual currency, with its value growing by more than 65% in a month. The steady rise in value is believed to be linked to policy changes in Japan and China that have made it easier for speculators to trade in bitcoins. Many other virtual currencies have also enjoyed a sustained rise in value over the last few weeks. Bitcoin first broke the $1,000 (\u00a3768) barrier in November 2013 but its value has fluctuated wildly since then. For instance, in early 2014 one bitcoin was worth only $280 (\u00a3215). And at the end of 2016, each one was changing hands for about $900 (\u00a3690). Bitcoin emerged in 2008 and is a digital currency based around cryptography. Individual coins can be split into smaller denominations and many people involved with the currency use computers to verify the globally-held log, known as the blockchain, of who spent what where. Verifying transactions involves solving a complicated mathematical problem and the first person to do so gets rewarded with bitcoins. Rising interest in bitcoin has sparked the creation of many other crypto-currencies. These have proved popular as the technology underlying bitcoin has struggled to cope with its popularity and growth. One estimate suggests bitcoins now make up only 47% of all traded crypto-currencies. Rivals such as Ethereum and Ripple have been gaining value far faster than bitcoin over the last few months. The surging valuations has led some commentators to suggest that an unsustainable crypto-currency bubble is developing. \"The question is not if but when the market will turn,\" said an editorial in The Economist.", "summary": "The value of Bitcoin has hit a new high with each individual coin now worth more than $2,100 (\u00a31,615)."}
{"article": "It follows hours of disturbances during the early hours of 17 March as hundreds of students and other young people celebrated St Patrick's Day. The Holyland is a residential part of south Belfast popular with students. Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry is to meet residents' representatives on Monday afternoon. Eleven people were arrested in the area and the city centre over the St Patrick's Day period. One policeman was injured when bottles were thrown at officers in Agincourt Avenue. A number of vehicles were also damaged and residents complained about excessive noise and litter in their streets. There has been a history of trouble in the Holyland on previous St Patrick's Days and talks have been held before in a bid to prevent students engaging in anti-social behaviour. The chairman of the Holyland Regeneration Association, Ray Farley, said the existing measures had not worked and called for Stormont ministers to intervene. Speaking last Friday ahead of the meeting, Mr Farry said he was \"appalled\" by the behaviour of some young people in the area but said the majority of them were not university or college students. However, he added that further steps to address students' bad behaviour would now be considered in light of this year's trouble.", "summary": "Residents of Belfast's Holyland are due to meet the minister responsible for universities later to discuss students' involvement in disorder in their area."}
{"article": "People who depend on being able to harvest forest resources should receive payment under the schemes. But researchers say there is a \"reality gap\" between safeguards designed to help affected communities and who actually receives the compensation. The findings have been published online in Global Environment Change. \"About 11% of global emissions come from deforestation and degradation of tropical forests so the idea is that if you can slow this down then that can offset emissions and that is good for climate mitigation,\" explained Julia Jones from Bangor University, Wales. Over the past decade, schemes called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (Redd/Redd+) have been developed as part of the global effort to mitigate climate change. These mechanisms are designed to improve forest management and reduce the net emission of greenhouse gases in tropical forest and sub-tropical forest nations. \"It finally got approval (at the UN climate summit) in Paris in December that Redd+ will go ahead as a global climate mitigation mechanism,\" Prof Jones told BBC News. \"What that means in reality is more protected areas and more funding. This sounds brilliant, after all it is a win-win situation and what is there not to like about it?\" However, it has been widely acknowledged that such schemes - if not implemented properly - can have a significant negative impact on people's livelihoods, such as indigenous communities, and exacerbate poverty. \"This has been taken on board by, for example, the World Bank,\" observed Prof Jones. \"They have made commitments that anything they fund [and] people are displaced as a result, they must be compensated for it. \"These commitments are also encapsulated in other doctrines, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity.\" But she added: \"The problem is how do you go about doing that? The way that the World Bank guidelines work is that households affected by a scheme must be identified and then compensated for the negative impact of the establishment of a protected area on their livelihoods.\" In order to test whether the commitment to \"social safeguards\" were working on the ground, the team of UK and Madagascan researchers looked in detail at an area within Madagascar where a new protected area was being established. The work was being funded by the World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. \"We have shown that, yes, they have gone out there and identified households that they think are affected negatively by conservation and have delivered compensation.\" However, she added, the compensation was not reaching those most affected by the project. \"We have mapped every single household that should have been covered by the compensation and have shown that\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 the process had some very serious biases in it,\" she said. \"Essentially, the people that were identified were easier to reach physically - such as closer to the road or closer to the administrative centre. \"They also tended to be more socially connected; members of local forestry management committees, and they were - on average - richer or, at least, less poor.\" Prof Jones said it was not what would be expected from a", "summary": "Remote communities are not receiving the compensation they are entitled to from schemes designed to conserve tropical forests, a study suggests."}
{"article": "She officially opened the games, which is marking its 150th anniversary. And she was photographed pouring whisky from a quaich to anoint the new Aboyne Games caber, and meeting competitors. The monarch is thought to be in residence at nearby Balmoral, the Royal Family's Scottish holiday home.", "summary": "The Queen has made a surprise visit to the Aboyne Highland Games in Aberdeenshire."}
{"article": "Robert Norman, 54, is charged with misconduct in a public office while working at Belmarsh, a top-security prison in south-east London. He was allegedly paid more than \u00c2\u00a310,000 for 40 tips to reporter Stephen Moyes between 30 April 2006 and 1 May 2011. Mr Norman, of Swanscombe, Kent, denies the charge against him. Opening the case at the Old Bailey, prosecutor Julian Christopher QC said Mr Norman was an \"extremely experienced\" prison officer and a member of the Prison Officers Association, acting as union representative to colleagues. The court heard Mr Norman first phoned the Daily Mirror in 2006 and gave Mr Moyes a story about staff cuts at the prison, for which he was paid \u00c2\u00a3400. The exclusive story described Belmarsh as a \"terror prison\" and ran alongside a photograph of one of its most notorious prisoners, radical preacher Abu Hamza al-Masri, the court heard. As the relationship developed, it became a \"two-way affair\" and Mr Norman carried on dealing with Mr Moyes when the journalist moved to the News of the World, the court heard. Mr Christopher said: \"Sometimes Robert Norman would approach Stephen Moyes with something he thought would be of interest, at other times Stephen Moyes would approach Robert Norman for inside information about a topic in which he was interested, or for confirmation which he would not be able to get for free from the official channels at the Ministry of Justice press office. \"Effectively, Robert Norman became the journalist's paid mole within HMP Belmarsh.\" The court heard that when Mr Norman was arrested in 2013 he maintained he had acted in the public interest as a whistleblower. Cheques for the stories were made out to Mr Norman's son Daniel and the money was then transferred into Mr Norman's account, showing he was \"worried about the trouble he would get into\" if found out, Mr Christopher said. The trial continues.", "summary": "A prison officer became the \"paid mole\" of a reporter working at the Daily Mirror and News of the World over five years, a court has heard."}
{"article": "24 June 2015 Last updated at 14:21 BST But this is a hoverbike - one of the world's first flying motorcycles, that travels in the air at low levels. It's makers Malloy Aeronautics say it's based on drone technology and has been developed over many years. It can be flown by a driver or remotely. The first version was made in 2011 using a 1200cc BMW motorbike engine. The latest prototype is powered by four bladed fans. It's still not clear when the first ones will be ready to buy but there's a lot of interest, including from the US Military. Watch the hoverbike in action.", "summary": "It's billed as having the simplicity of a motorbike and the freedom of a helicopter."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old full-back has signed a two-year deal, having turned down the offer of a new deal with the Pilgrims. \"The last couple of years at Boston I've always wanted to make the step up,\" said Mills. \"I'll be jumping two steps, but I'm sure I will pick it up quite quickly.\" Mills' arrival follows the signing of fellow full-back Danny Andrew from League One side Fleetwood Town.", "summary": "Promoted Grimsby Town have made their second signing since returning to the Football League by bringing in defender Zak Mills from National League North neighbours Boston United."}
{"article": "The \"Co-bikes\" are currently available from five sites in Exeter, including the central train station, the university and Sowton Park and Ride. It's hoped that by spring 2017 there will be eight hubs around the city. The initiative has been launched with support from Department of Transport, while Devon County Council has helped to fund the scheme. Mark Hodgson, Managing Director of Co-bikes, said: \"After years of planning, we're very excited to be launching Co-bikes in Exeter. \"The Co-bikes electric bikes are changing the way that people travel around the city and are affordable and easy as well as being great fun to ride\", he added. For people who choose to become members, the service will cost 75p for 30 minutes, while non-members will pay double. The bikes have small electric motors which can travel distances of between 40 and 60 miles, and allow speeds of up to 15mph.", "summary": "The UK's first city-wide electric bike scheme has been launched in Exeter."}
{"article": "Thousands upon thousands of local council jobs look like getting the axe due to the spending squeeze, yet 270 jobs rolling steel slabs get a task force, all hands are on deck to find a buyer, while the opposition calls for nationalisation. It's not hard to see why. Nostalgia is part of it, these being the remnants of a once great and noble industry, around which large parts of Lanarkshire was built. It's partly because Clydebridge and Dalzell are symbolic of the impact of globalisation, forcing transition on workers and communities at a local level as the price of enriching the broader economy. Other parts of Britain and Europe feel the strain of in-migrating people. In Motherwell and Cambuslang, the concern is about out-migrating jobs. But it's also because there's discomfort that the new economy and the new labour market is unplanned and haphazard, buffeted by market forces and lacking in the security of big plants with jobs-for-life. It is not always easy to appreciate that Britain has grown quite successfully in recent years by retreating from the making of things. The service sector makes up 75% of the economy, and while it ranges from high-value finance and professional roles to burger-flipping and care homes, it lacks that noble quality with which the old heavy (and dirty) industries are seen in hindsight. There is widespread agreement that Britain needs to think again about manufacturing. On the freer market end of things, George Osborne coined the evocative ambition for there to be a \"march of the makers\". The rhetoric hasn't always matched the policy outcomes. Industrial policy at Westminster now consists of a push towards a more technically literate workforce, and incentives aimed at 11 chosen sectors, ranging across aerospace and automotive to nuclear and wind power, life sciences and professional and business services. There are also 'catapult centres' for propelling ideas towards the market in robotics, synthetic biology and better batteries. If you want to see what British manufacturing looks like these days (under German management and with a lot of robots), I'd highly recommend 'Building Cars Live' on the BBC iPlayer for two more weeks. We could do worse than make it required viewing for all secondary school pupils, particularly those with a bad experience of work placements. Meanwhile, the recent success of Jeremy Corbyn in winning the Labour leadership points to a desire, in some quarters, for a more interventionist government, willing to take control of strategic industries to serve a social purpose in addition to the shareholder one. So is this time to think again about an industrial policy? Even the Confederation of British Industry, which was closely aligned with the free market orientation of recent governments, wants to see a lot more intervention. Without it, Mr Osborne may find the makers are marching backwards. Wood Mackenzie, the economic consultancy based in Edinburgh, this week issued its projection of future manufacturing sectors in Europe. Largely because oil and gas is in decline, it showed Britain as one of only two countries, with Italy, where production is on track to", "summary": "There's a retro vibe afoot: the planned mothballing of two steel plants in Lanarkshire brings back the 1980s as if it were... well, 30 years ago."}
{"article": "Yn ystod cyfarfod mis Mawrth, \u00e2 hithau'n ddiwedd blwyddyn ariannol, y cafodd y syniad ei drafod gan aelodau o bwyllgor Ymddiriedolaeth James Pantyfedwen. Yn \u00f4l y Parchedig Ddr R Alun Evans, un o'r ymddiriedolwyr, y nod yw gwneud y defnydd gorau o'r arian sydd ar gael. \"Trafod fu yngl\u0177n \u00e2'r posibilrwydd o edrych ar waith eglwysi sydd \u00e2 chenhadaeth amlwg a phendant ganddyn nhw oddi fewn i'w henwad neu yn gyd-enwadol - gorau oll os mae hynny yw e - neu oddi fewn i'r gymuned. \"Beth 'ych chi'n chwilio amdano yw elfen o fywiogrwydd a gweithgarwch yn hytrach na brics a morter yn unig felly. \"Oherwydd mae e wedi digwydd, dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, lle 'dan ni wedi dyfarnu grantiau a chael, gyda siom wir, bod y capeli yn peidio \u00e2 bod mewn rhyw bum mlynedd. \"Gwastraff arian yw hynny.\" Nod Ymddiriedolaeth James Pantyfedwen yw \"hybu a hyrwyddo crefydd, addysg, y Celfyddydau ac amaethyddiaeth a phwrpasau elusennol eraill\". Mae'r elusen yn cael \u00a3450,000 bob blwyddyn ac nid capeli ac eglwysi'n unig sydd yn gallu elwa ond gwyliau fel eisteddfodau ac elusennau hefyd. \"O ran capeli ac eglwysi, falle bod ni yn gallu rhoi mwy o arian i lai o eglwysi wrth edrych eto ar amodau'r ymddiriedolaeth,\" meddai R Alun Evans. \"Yn hytrach na gallu rhoi \u00a31,000 neu \u00a32,000, rhoi \u00a37,000, \u00a38,000 i \u00a310,000 dywedwn, fel bod gwaith pwysig o genhadu yn y cymunedau yn gallu digwydd.\" Dyw R Alun Evans ddim yn pryderu y byddai'r newid pwyslais yma yn golygu prinder llefydd i bobl fynd i addoli yn y dyfodol, gan ddweud eu bod yn edrych yn ofalus iawn ar bob cais gan ystyried a oes yna gapeli o'r un enwad yn gyfagos. Ac mae ystyriaeth yn cael ei roi, meddai, i adeilad sydd yn bensaern\u00efol bwysig neu o bwysigrwydd diwylliannol. \"Yn ddiweddar iawn mi oedd 'na gapel yn Nyffryn Ogwen, sydd yn gapel ac iddo hanes gloyw iawn, iawn ond mae trafferthion i gynnal a chadw'r adeilad hwnnw. \"Ond am ei fod o'n adeilad eiconig mi oedd o'n haeddu cefnogaeth.\" Er bod nifer y ceisiadau ar gyfer grantiau gan gapeli ac eglwysi wedi lleihau yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf wrth i fwy ohonyn nhw gau, mae mwy o geisiadau gan fyfyrwyr sydd eisiau gwneud gradd bellach mewn gwahanol feysydd. Mae'r ymddiriedolaeth wedi penderfynu felly rhoi mwy o arian iddyn nhw. Ond ers rhyw flwyddyn dyw elusennau mawr ddim yn derbyn grantiau. \"Er bod nhw yn gwneud cais, dywedwch, am gyfrifiadur i swyddfa rhywle yng Nghymru, o'ch chi yn dweud, wel, mae digon o arian gyda chi wrth gefn,\" meddai R Alun Evans. \"Mae gennych chi yn llythrennol filiynau wrth gefn ac felly mae'r elfen o gyfrannu at elusen, am y tro, wedi cael ei rhoi i'r neilltu.\"", "summary": "Mae elusen sydd yn cynnig grantiau i gapeli ac eglwysi yn ystyried rhoi'r arian i'r rhai sydd \u00e2 \"chenhadaeth amlwg\" yn hytrach nag i drwsio'r adeiladau pan fo yna beryg iddyn nhw gau."}
{"article": "Jones, 39, and Cardiff Blues pair Danny Wilson and Matt Sheratt have been added to Wales' staff for the Pacific Islands tour in June 2017. Wales head coach and assistant Rob Howley are away with the British and Irish Lions next summer. \"Stephen will obviously get a lot out of it but I think there'll be more going the other way,\" said Pivac. Jones played well over 200 matches for Llanelli and Scarlets and returned to west Wales as a backs coach in 2015 after a spell as part of Dai Young's coaching team at Wasps. Pivac believes he has a future at international level. \"He's been identified as a coach with a lot of potential and someone I believe will be a fine international coach going forward. He's going to be world class,\" said the New Zealander. \"Wales are talking about playing an attacking game so I think Stephen will be able to add something there. He's taken a lot of his qualities he showed as a player into his coaching.\" Jones scored 917 points in 104 appearances for Wales and played fly-half in six Test matches for the British and Irish Lions. He is now sharing his expertise with Scarlets stand-off Rhys Patchell, a combination Pivac says is key to the team's success. \"The relationship between the two is blossoming and that's great for Welsh rugby going forward,\" he added. \"Technically Stephen is very very sound, tactically very switched on. We're in a pretty good place as a result of the hard work he's been doing.\"", "summary": "Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac says Wales will gain when Stephen Jones joins their coaching team next summer."}
{"article": "Owen Lane's two tries set Wales on their way with Reuben Morgan-Williams and Phil Jones also crossing for the hosts. Robbie Smith, Blair Kinghorn and Ben Appleson were Scotland's try scorers. Wales begin their World Rugby Junior Championship campaign in Georgia against Australia on 31 May, They will also face England and Samoa in Pool A, while Scotland are in Pool B with Ireland, New Zealand and Italy.", "summary": "Wales Under-20s warmed up for the 2017 World Rugby Junior Championship with a 29-22 victory over Scotland at Bridgend's Brewery Field."}
{"article": "The star, who had a string of pop hits in the 1960s before presenting TV shows like Blind Date and Surprise Surprise in the '80s, died on Saturday, aged 72. A book of condolence has been opened in her home city at Liverpool Town Hall. Childhood friend Terry McCann said Black told him she knew she was going to die and her beloved late husband Bobby Willis was \"waiting for me\". A post-mortem examination has been carried out. The results may not be officially published for several days or possibly weeks, but Spanish police have said the indications point towards natural causes. BBC News correspondent Robert Hall - who is in the resort of Estepona where Black lived - said she was found on her balcony by her son who was staying nearby. He said paramedics arrived at around 18:00 local time (17:00 BST) but were unable to save her. Mr McCann said he had seen the star in Spain during the last year. \"I wasn't surprised when I found out she had died,\" he told BBC News. \"The last thing she said to me was she was going blind, she showed me her hands, she had arthritis,\" he said. \"She willed herself to die. She said, 'Bobby's waiting for me.' \"Her mother went the same way. I don't know what her mother died of but it seemed she associated it with her mother's death and she just knew it was going to happen. \"She just said, 'Look at me, I'm a wreck.' I was trying to cheer her up. She knew something we didn't. \"She knew she was going to die and she said she wasn't going to linger like her mother. \"Her mother was ill for two years and she had the same complaint and she said she was never going to linger like that.\" Liverpool City Council say that between 400 and 500 people have so far left messages in a book of condolence at the town hall, where the flag is also flying at half mast. The book will be open to the public until Friday. Fans signing the book on Monday included: Sylvia Lewis (above): \"Occasionally I used to work on the cloakroom at the Cavern with her. One Saturday, when I wasn't [working], Cilla was the cloakroom girl. When it came to the end of the evening my coat had gone. Cilla had given it away to somebody else! I met Cilla at the Pride of Britain Awards every year and she always used to come up to me and say 'Girl, do you remember your coat? And we never found it, did we?'\" Ann Stalker: \"I absolutely love her. She was an icon from my era. I just wanted to pay my respects. I wrote: 'Ta-ra Cilla. You were a credit to us all. Rest in peace.'\" Cheryl McFarlane: \"She's somebody I remember so much and love very much. She's got a beautiful family and she was so wonderful to Liverpool. I just wanted to come and visit and say rest in peace.\" Since Black's", "summary": "Cilla Black was ailing and \"willed herself to die\", according to a long-time friend."}
{"article": "Lawrence, who competed for Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, finished her swim, bike and run in a total time of four hours, nine minutes and 11 seconds on the Sunshine Coast. The 26-year-old was nearly two minutes ahead of Australian two-time winner Melissa Hauschildt. Fellow Welsh competitor Leanda Cave won the same title in 2012.", "summary": "Swansea triathlete Holly Lawrence has won the women's half ironman 70.3 World Championship in Australia."}
{"article": "The Premier League team, who are on a two-game post-season tour of the United States and Canada, are scheduled to play Houston on Friday. Several people have died and dozens have been injured following record rainfall over the weekend. On Monday, hundreds of basketball fans were trapped inside an arena after an NBA basketball game. Supporters were advised to stay in their seats overnight following Houston Rockets' win against Golden State Warriors in the NBA Western Conference Finals. Many spent almost 11 hours at the Toyota Center, until the early hours of Tuesday morning. Manchester City are currently in Canada, ahead of their match against Toronto FC on Thursday.", "summary": "Manchester City's friendly trip to face Major League Soccer side Houston Dynamo is in doubt after flooding in the city."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old, who scored 20 goals last season, has started in both of the Baggies' league games this season. \"We have no interest in selling Saido which is what I have told Spurs chairman Daniel Levy,\" said Albion chairman Jeremy Peace. \"I know we are living in an age where no club can say 'never' about the possibility of selling a player.\" He added: \"However, the prospect of selling Saido is simply not on our agenda. \"We are going forward with Saido very much in our plans and still striving to add players to improve the balance of our squad.\" The Daily Telegraph reports the offer from Spurs is worth \u00a315m, with Albion valuing Berahino at \u00a325m. In February, Baggies boss Tony Pulis said he put Berahino \"on the naughty step\" after the forward said that \"he hoped to move on to bigger things\". Berahino, with 14 strikes, was the third top English scorer in the Premier League last season behind Spurs' Harry Kane and QPR striker Charlie Austin.", "summary": "West Brom have rejected an offer from Tottenham for England Under-21 striker Saido Berahino."}
{"article": "A report for ministers called for Literature Wales to have much of its funding and responsibilities removed. Literature Wales then described the review as a \"dud\", filled with \"inaccuracies\", which its funder, the Arts Council of Wales, also criticised. Mr Skates said he had been surprised to see \"personal statements\" that could undermine his response to the report. The review by Prof Medwin Hughes found the board of Literature Wales was \"lacking the skills and experience\" to spend public money. It said there was no evidence of strong governance at Literature Wales and its mission and goals were \"unrealistic and vague\". In response, Mr Skates announced that several responsibilities would transfer from Literature Wales to the Welsh Books Council. They include the Wales Book of the Year award, bursaries for writers and literary events. Mr Skates has now written to the Arts Council of Wales and Literature Wales to tell them he notes the \"concern\" they have with elements of the report. He has asked Prof Hughes and his panel to consider their criticism of the report and to respond during the summer break. In the letter, Mr Skates assured the organisations that their \"concerns are being looked at\" but criticised their public responses. \"Some of you clearly perceive serious issues with the report,\" he wrote. \"You have raised these with me and have agreed with me that the review panel should consider your concerns and respond to them. \"I have therefore been surprised in recent days to see personal statements appear online which could be seen as seeking to undermine the process we have all committed to, without awaiting the panel's response. \"This is not helpful.\" In the letter, Mr Skates adds: \"I hope and expect that we will move forward in a way that allows this work to be completed in good faith and in doing so maintain productive and positive working relationships, both now and in the future.\"", "summary": "The way arts bodies responded publicly to a critical review was \"not helpful\", Economy Secretary Ken Skates has said."}
{"article": "The man cycled towards the girl in Enfield saying she had been caught shoplifting and he would search her. As he did so, he raped her and threatened her with a knife, the Met Police said. A 32-year-old man has been arrested. The attack in Sandhurst Road at 17:30 GMT on Wednesday has been linked to an earlier incident with a 12-year-old. The 12-year-old girl was approached by a man on a bike on Shirley Grove, near Sandhurst Road, at about 16:30 on the same day. He told the girl he was a police officer and that she fitted the description of a girl he needed to arrest. He told her she needed to go to a van with him and when she refused he grabbed her by the wrists. He eventually let go and she managed to run off. The arrested man remains in custody. Det Insp Tracey Cormack urged anyone who \"may have witnessed these offences or think they may have been approached by this man\" to contact the police.", "summary": "A man claiming to be a police officer raped a teenager at knifepoint after stopping her on a street in north London and accusing her of shoplifting."}
{"article": "South Korea has returned from a public holiday. At the end of the session, the Kospi index closed up 1.75% at 2,015.93. In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index ended the Thursday session higher by 3.2% at 16,911.05. That is the highest closing level for the index this month. The Japanese currency has steadily weakened to a one-week low against the US dollar. Overnight, the yen was at 109.21 against the US dollar, after trading at about 107 earlier in the week. A weaker Japanese currency would be welcomed by many Japanese exporters, as that would make their goods cheaper and more competitive overseas. Shares in electronics giant Panasonic closed up by 4.1%. Shares of car manufacturer Toyota gained 3.25%, while its rival Nissan saw a 2.5% gain at the close of trade. In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng index added 0.89% or 187.71 points to 21,346.42. On the mainland in China, the Shanghai Composite index edged up 0.06% to 3,068.58. In Australia, the benchmark S&P ASX 200 closed up 1.3% - or 63.95 points - at 5,118.6, rounding off three days of gains. Mining stocks led the rally in Australian markets, following a jump in iron ore prices. Shares of BHP Billiton surged by 5.3% at the close, while shares of rival Rio Tinto were up by 2.5%. Data from Australia showed the economy added 26,100 jobs in March. That led to a dip in the unemployment rate to 5.7% - the lowest rate since September 2013. In February, the unemployment rate was at 5.8%. The latest data could ease pressure on the Australian central bank to lower interest rates further, to help spur economic growth. The central bank's key lending rate is currently at a record low of 2%. The last rate cut was in May 2015. US markets closed positive overnight, led by gains in shares of financial institutions. JPMorgan shares surged by more than 4% after it reported a quarterly profit that beat market expectations for the three months to March. JPMorgan is the biggest US bank by assets.", "summary": "Asian stock markets held on to gains in Thursday trading, following the positive trend from US and European markets."}
{"article": "Mokhtar Belmokhtar was killed in the eastern city of Ajdabiya, a statement from Libya's government said. The US says Belmokhtar was targeted and the strike was successful, but it is assessing the operation's results and would give details \"as appropriate\". Mokhtar Belmokhtar's death has been reported many times in the past. Born in Algeria, Belmokhtar was a former senior figure in al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), but left to form his own militia. He gained notoriety with the attack on the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria in 2013, when about 800 people were taken hostage and 40 killed, most of them foreigners, including six Britons and three Americans. The US has filed terror charges against him and officials said they believed he remained a threat to Western interests. \"Belmokhtar has a long history of leading terrorist activities as a member of AQIM, is the operational leader of the al-Qaeda-associated al-Murabitoun organisation in north-west Africa, and maintains his personal allegiance to al-Qaeda,\" said Pentagon spokesman Col Steve Warren. The Libyan government said the strike came after consultation with the US. Their statement said it resulted in the death of the \"terrorist Belmokhtar\". Libya has been in chaos since the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Its internationally recognised parliament is operating in exile in the eastern port of Tobruk. A rival parliament, the Islamist-dominated General National Congress, is nearly 1,000km (620 miles) to the west in Tripoli. Rival militia have been battling to fill the power vacuum, with Islamic State militants battling other Islamists in the east.", "summary": "A top Islamist militant who ordered a deadly attack on an Algerian gas plant two years ago has been killed in a US air strike in Libya, officials say."}
{"article": "The Times reported that telecoms firms AT&T and Verizon, as well as car rental company Enterprise and pharmaceutical giant GSK, have withdrawn all non-search advertising. An investigation by the newspaper found major brands were appearing next to YouTube videos promoting extremist views - generating revenues for the creators. The company has apologised and promised better tools for advertisers. Despite Google\u2019s efforts to contain the row, which began in the UK earlier this week, it appears to have now caught the attention of the US advertising industry - creating a huge problem for Google as it seeks to reassure brands their ad spend is not funding hate groups. According to The Times, Verizon\u2019s advertisements were appearing along side videos made by Wagdi Ghoneim, an Egyptian cleric who had been banned from the US over extremism, and Hanif Qureshi, whose teachings inspired the assassination of a Pakistani politician. \u201cWe are deeply concerned that our ads may have appeared alongside YouTube content promoting terrorism and hate,\u201d AT&T said in a statement on Wednesday. \"Until Google can ensure this won\u2019t happen again, we are removing our ads from Google\u2019s non-search platforms.\u201d The UK-based investigation led more than 250 brands to pull their advertising. In a blog post published on Monday, Google\u2019s chief business officer Philipp Schindler announced the company was expanding its policies on hate speech to include videos targeting vulnerable groups. In response to the latest boycott from the US brands, Google said on Wednesday: \u201cWe\u2019ve begun an extensive review of our advertising policies and have made a public commitment to put in place changes that give brands more control over where their ads appear.\u201d \u201cWe\u2019re also raising the bar for our ads policies to further safeguard our advertisers\u2019 brands.\u201d Google is the dominant player in online advertising, and ads are by far the company\u2019s biggest source of money. In 2016, the firm generated $80bn in ad revenue - accounting for almost 90% of the firm\u2019s total income for the year. Of the boycotts announced on Wednesday, both Verizon and AT&T have major online advertising ambitions of their own. Verizon in particular recently agreed to purchase embattled web portal firm Yahoo for $4.48bn - a deal it hopes will help it compete with Google for ad sales. Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC. You can reach Dave securely through encrypted messaging app Signal on: +1 (628) 400-7370", "summary": "At least four major US firms have pulled millions of dollars in advertising from Google\u2019s platform amid rows over extremist content."}
{"article": "Scientists found that the long dry spell that year - the UK's most intense drought between 1914 and 2006 - killed off many drought-sensitive beech trees. Growth of the trees is still restricted more than 30 years later, a study in the journal Functional Ecology said. The more drought-tolerant Sessile Oak survived better and is now dominating the beech. The scientific work was carried out at Lady Wood Park in the Wye Valley. This 45 hectare (111 acre) site is a national nature reserve and is attractive to researchers because it has been deliberately unmanaged since 1945. Detailed forest surveys have been carried out in the park over the past 70 years and the ecologists were able to use these along with tree ring data to discover how the different tree species fared over the period. Before 1976, beech was the dominant species in this area. But that summer's drought has permanently changed the makeup of the forest. That dry spell was the most exceptional drought in the years between 1914 and 2006 - it was 30% more intense than the next driest year, 1921. The researchers found that in the period immediately after 1976, there was a significant growth in beech mortality. Between 1977 and 1992, 17% of these trees died, while there were no deaths among the oaks. \"The beech growth dropped very suddenly,\" said Prof Alistair Jump from the University of Stirling who carried out the work along with researchers from Joint Nature Conservation Committee. \"The Sessile Oak which is slightly less competitive but is more drought tolerant took advantage and grew much better - and beech has never fully recovered in the system.\" The researchers say the oaks increased their growth rate by approximately 20% in the years immediately after 1976. The beech trees eventually stabilised their growth rate but only at around 75% of pre-drought levels. The scientists say that beech trees can appear to tolerate drought without a long term impact until a threshold is reached. \"I think tipping point is a key idea, and that's something that we see very clearly in the work,\" said Prof Jump. \"They are resistant up to a point and then we hit a tipping point and the system shows very severe impacts. The problem is we don't know where these tipping points are for other species.\" The researchers say they expect the changes that they recorded at Lady Park Wood to have been replicated across the UK. This perspective is echoed by Ray Townsend, arboretum manager at the Royal Botanic Gardens, at Kew. He lived through the drought of 1976 and owns a home in the New Forest and he has been spending a good deal of time among the beech trees there in recent months. \"Quite clearly you can see that the beech aren't happy,\" he told BBC News. \"You can see evidence of the restriction of growth - I've seen that, the beech don't look as they should look - The oaks seem to be growing well, I'd never really thought about the reasons, but reading the", "summary": "The sizzling summer of 1976 caused permanent changes to British forests, new research suggests."}
{"article": "\"Ma Kali\", as she is popularly known, is the Hindu goddess of destruction. Since it was uploaded a day ago, the Instagram post has received more than 11,000 comments, most of them abusive and by Indians. Many called for her to take down the picture. Perry has not responded to the comments and has left the image as is. The image she has used is commonly found on calendars and posters in India. Although some of her fans have tried jumping to her defence, they are far outnumbered by angry and emotional Indians. Indians tweet 'Who is Maria Sharapova?' Amazon sorry over India flag fiasco Perry is not the first international celebrity to offend Indian sensibilities online. Tennis star Maria Sharapova was mercilessly trolled for not knowing who cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was and Hollywood actor Richard Gere had a police case registered against him for kissing actress Shilpa Shetty on the cheek. More recently, online retail giant Amazon got into trouble for retailing doormats with the Indian flag emblazoned on them. The company was forced to apologise after India's foreign minister threatened action.", "summary": "Pop star Katy Perry is facing the wrath of Indians online after uploading an image of the Hindu goddess Kali with the caption \"current mood\"."}
{"article": "The rescue means that nine people have been recovered alive from the Rigopiano hotel in the eastern Abruzzo region. At least 15 people are still missing after the avalanche that came after several earthquakes and heavy snowfall. While one more survivor has yet to be rescued, Italian media said other voices may have been heard in the ruins during the night. Five people have been confirmed dead. The first five survivors were taken to safety on Friday, some 40 hours after the avalanche hit on Wednesday. They had reportedly taken refuge beneath a collapsed portion of ceiling, where they were able to light a fire to keep warm for two days. The rescue has been hampered by deep snow blocking an access road. There are also concerns that further avalanches could follow, Italian newspaper La Stampa reported. The first person pulled out on Friday was an eight-year-old boy, the son of a holidaymaker, Giampiero Parete, who had gone to his car when the avalanche struck and first sounded the alarm by calling his boss. The boy's mother, Adriana, was pulled out next, telling rescue workers her six-year-old daughter was still trapped inside. The little girl was also later saved and the family was reunited at a hospital in the coastal town of Pescara. Hospital officials told the Associated Press news agency they had symptoms of hypothermia and dehydration, but were otherwise in good health. Reports said all four children who survived did so because they were all playing in the same games room, that avoided the worst of the damage. The latest rescues, of two men and two women, took place at about 03:00 local time (02:00 GMT) on Saturday. Wednesday's earthquakes included four stronger than magnitude 5, in a region already struggling with heavy snowfall that buried phone lines and took out power cables. Many of the guests had gathered on the ground floor of the hotel to await evacuation following the earthquakes. But the avalanche completely buried the hotel at about 17:00 (16:00 GMT) on Wednesday. The force of the snow partially brought down the roof and, according to some reports, shifted the building 10m (32 feet) off its foundations. Rescuers, who were forced to ski and shovel their way towards the site of the avalanche, were reportedly only dispatched hours later. Rescuers are unsure of the exact total of people - guests and staff - who were at the hotel, but say it could be as many as 35. Italy has seen a wave of damaging earthquakes in recent months. The Apennines region saw three magnitude-6 tremors between August and October. It is believed that the geological stress is spread across a number of fault lines in Italy's mountain ranges - with recent earthquakes as the result.", "summary": "Four more people were rescued overnight from a hotel in Italy destroyed by an avalanche three days ago."}
{"article": "The BBC found a disregard for health and safety on an estate in north-east India owned by Assam Company. The Rainforest Alliance, an ethical certification organisation, has now stripped a group of Assam Company's plantations of its green frog seal. The Assam Company said it was appealing against the decision. A group of Assam Company's estates lost its certification because \"it was found to be in breach of critical criteria relating to the use of personal protective equipment\", the Rainforest Alliance said in a statement. The Assam Company said the loss of its certification was because of a \"minor error\" on one estate - Hajua - while spraying a plant extract, which it understood did not require personal protective equipment. It said that because the Assam company estates operate in a \"single cluster\", the other estates were automatically decertified. Twinings, Taylors of Harrogate and Fortnum & Mason have suspended business with the company while Harrods took the tea off its shelves shortly after the investigation, which was broadcast in September. Workers at the company's Hajua estate were seen spraying agrochemicals without the protective equipment employers are required to provide, when the BBC visited. Men spraying reported breathing difficulties, numbness of the hands and face, a burning sensation on the skin and profound loss of appetite. The Rainforest Alliance said its auditor confirmed the BBC's evidence of unsafe spraying and the organisation had tightened its rules on the subject. Taylors of Harrogate said it will maintain a relationship with the estates and support efforts to improve standards. Twinings plans to continue working with the Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP) - an organisation set up by UK tea companies to improve workers' lives - to monitor the working and living conditions on all the tea estates from which it buys. It also plans to conduct a review of the Assam estates it sources from in the next few months. Because of the way ETP and the Rainforest Alliance work together, a Rainforest suspension automatically results in a suspension of ETP certification. Fortnum & Mason says it will not buy from Assam Company until its \"problems have been successfully resolved and they are once again Ethical Tea Partnership certified\". The original investigation also found workers on a number of Assam estates and plantations belonging to other producers living in broken houses with terrible sanitation. The Assam Company said it was \"committed to the practices of sustainability and work to this end is in progress, with most of the work on housing, latrines and creche being planned after the closure of the plucking season, in December to March.\" It said this had been company practice for \"many years\". The Rainforest Alliance has ordered improvements to living conditions on two other plantations, owned by the world's biggest tea producer, McLeod Russel. The Moran and Behora tea estates supply the companies that own PG Tips and Tetley, as well as Twinings. Many workers were found to be living in leaking homes, without electricity. Many of the latrines had been blocked or broken for many years and families said they", "summary": "Three of the UK's top tea brands have stopped buying from a group of Indian plantations after a BBC investigation exposed dangerous working conditions."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device He once again helped rescue England's flaky batting as he hit an unbeaten 107 at a sun-kissed Lord's. Together with 85 from skipper Alastair Cook, Bairstow's third ton in six Tests dragged the hosts out of a hole in near-perfect conditions for batting. Rash strokeplay mixed with disciplined bowling from Sri Lanka had reduced Cook's men to 84-4 just after lunch. But Bairstow profited from a dropped catch and then the most marginal of lbw decisions to continue his wonderful early summer run of form. Not since beating India 4-0 in the summer of 2011 have England whitewashed a Test opponent in a series of three or more matches. And while the weather forecast for the remainder of the match is uncertain, Bairstow's fightback has given them a hold in a contest that had been drifting Sri Lanka's way. Media playback is not supported on this device While England have improved both in style and substance over the course of the last year, serious flaws remain - and the vulnerability of the top order is the most pressing of all. On a true pitch and under benign skies, they once again lost key wickets cheaply - four this time for 28 runs, having chosen to bat and looked completely untroubled in the first hour of play. First Alex Hales lost patience, having been kept runless for 22 balls, heaving unnecessarily at Rangana Herath to send a looping edge to Angelo Mathews at slip. Then Nick Compton, mired in a horrible trot of form and seemingly bereft of confidence, chased a wide half-volley and edged Suranga Lakmal behind for just one. Joe Root followed four runs later, pinned lbw by the same bowler after the initial not-out decision was correctly overturned by the third umpire, and when James Vince had his bail removed by Nuwan Pradeep for 10 just after lunch, England had slumped from 56-0 to 84-4. Compton's dismissal was the most chastening of all: to a ball that should have been routinely driven away for four, greeted by a ghastly silence from the near capacity crowd, followed by a slow walk back to the old pavilion, Lord's suddenly the loneliest place in London. It could have been worse had Shaminda Eranga held on to a straightforward chance at mid-wicket when Bairstow was on 11, the ball flying straight into his hands and out again. But the Yorkshireman, a stark contrast to Compton this summer in terms of sweet touch and confident animation at the crease, continued to play his shots with Cook in more sedate style at the other end. Cook reached his fifty off 89 balls - his first half-century of the series - and the only surprise was that his unflustered progress ended on 85, Pradeep trapping him lbw with a fine inswinger from round the wicket. Bairstow then had his second life, given not out to an lbw shout from Eranga on 56 when the review indicated that the ball appeared to be hitting enough off leg stump to send", "summary": "Jonny Bairstow's second century of the series helped England recover from another top-order collapse to reach 279-6 on day one of the third Test with Sri Lanka."}
{"article": "Southgate was delighted with aspects of England's display in defeat in the friendly against Germany in Dortmund on Wednesday while the unspectacular win against Lithuania was all about getting three more points towards World Cup qualification. So what will Southgate take away from the last week as England look ahead to their next qualifier in Scotland on 10 June? Southgate set the normal rules about strikers and age aside to bring 34-year-old Jermain Defoe back into the England fold four years after his last goal for his country, scored in a victory against San Marino. Injuries to main striker Harry Kane and all-time record goalscorer Wayne Rooney forced Southgate's hand but he was able to call on the hard evidence provided by Defoe's 14 Premier League goals in a Sunderland side renowned for not making chances and rooted to the bottom of the table. Defoe has always traded in the game's most important currency, goals, throughout his lengthy career. This was a performance designed to demonstrate to doubters and Southgate he has not outlived his usefulness at international level. He was sharp and saw one chance saved before he demonstrated his poacher's instinct in the penalty area to slide in Adam Lallana's pass in the 21st minute before flashing another shot narrowly off target. In many respects he is an old-fashioned attacking operator in that his first thought is always the back of the net and shooting at it. No extra touches or passes are required. Defoe had two shots on target, one off target and one blocked with very limited opportunities - but most significantly made England's breakthrough. He is selfish in just the right way and in a World Cup qualifying group where England will be confronted by the sort of mass defence Lithuania presented here, it is unlikely this will be a temporary return to the colours. Dele Alli was given heavy-handed - or more precisely heavy-footed - treatment from Lithuania as they tried to light the short fuse that has brought Tottenham's 20-year-old some unsavoury headlines in his short career. It meant Alli was nowhere near as influential as he was in Dortmund on Wednesday, where his efforts will have imprinted his importance for both the present and the future in Southgate's mind. With Alli subdued, this was the chance for Liverpool's Adam Lallana to step forward and confirm his progression into a fully-fledged first-choice member of this England side. The 28-year-old is a late developer for England but his rejuvenation under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool is now reaping dividends for Southgate as a very important spin-off. Lallana has been directly involved in four goals in his last five England appearances, three goals and one assist, and was unlucky to strike the post in Germany. He combined natural energy and creation with subtlety at Wembley, the qualities needed to make a difference in an attacking framework with England - with his beautiful, imaginative touch inside a crowded penalty the perfect invitation for Jamie Vardy to make the game safe against Lithuania. If his Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and", "summary": "Gareth Southgate will feel a sense of cautious optimism after his first two matches as permanent England manager in succession to Sam Allardyce - but some familiar questions remain."}
{"article": "The 1.9-million-year-old fossils were first described in 2010, and given the species name Australopithecus sediba. But the team behind the discovery has now come back with a deeper analysis. It tells Science magazine that features seen in the brain, feet, hands and pelvis of A. sediba all suggest this species was on the direct evolutionary line to us - Homo sapiens. \"We have examined the critical areas of anatomy that have been used consistently for identifying the uniqueness of human beings,\" said Professor Lee Berger from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg \"Any one of these features could have evolved separately, but it is highly unlikely that all of them would have evolved together if A. sediba was not related to our lineage,\" the team leader informed BBC News. It is a big claim and, if correct, would sideline other candidates in the fossil record for which similar assertions have been made in the past. Theory holds that modern humans can trace a line back to a creature known as Homo erectus which lived more than a million years ago. This animal, according to many palaeoanthropologists, may in turn have had its origins in more primitive hominins, as they are known, such as Homo habilis or Homo rudolfensis. The contention now made for A. sediba is that, although older than its \"rivals\", some of its anatomy and capabilities were more advanced than these younger forms. Put simply, it is a more credible ancestor for H. erectus, Berger's team claims. The sediba specimens were unearthed at Malapa in the famous Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, just to the northwest of Jo'burg. They were pulled from a pit - a depression left in the ground by a cave complex that had lost its roof through erosion over time. Identified as an adult female and a juvenile male, the two individuals were quite possibly mother and son. What seems certain is that they died together in some tragic accident that saw them either fall into the cave complex or become stuck in it. After death, their bodies were washed into a pool and cemented in time along with the remains of many other animals that got trapped in the same way. In the months since their 2010 announcement, Professor Berger and colleagues have subjected the remains to further detailed assessment. X-ray scans reveal ape-man's brain Age: The latest dating technologies were applied to the sediments encasing the fossils. Whereas original estimates had put the age of the remains at somewhere between 1.78 and 1.95 million years old, the new analysis has narrowed this window of uncertainty to just 3,000 years. The new age is now between 1.977 and 1.98 million years old. The refined dating is important, says the team, because it puts A. sediba deep enough in time to be a realistic ancestor to H. erectus. Dr Robyn Pickering, from the University of Melbourne, Australia, who led the dating, told BBC News: \"This is a very interesting time in human evolution because it is when we think we should be seeing the", "summary": "The ancient remains of two human-like creatures found in South Africa could change the way we view our origins."}
{"article": "An explosion was reported at the Cheesecake Factory at about 18:00 local time on Thursday, according to police. Diners were safely evacuated and no one was injured in the reported blast. The man tossed a \"homemade pyrotechnic device\" containing gunpowder inside the restaurant before fleeing, a police official said. Garrett Gunkle, who was sitting with his wife at the bar, told KNBC-TV there was chaos as customers ran for the exits in the Los Angeles suburb. \"People were jumping over one another, fighting to get over bar stools,\" he said. \"It was very chaotic.\" The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department bomb squad joined Pasadena Police Department at the scene. Police Lt Mark Goodman said the device was not a pipe bomb or a Molotov cocktail, and no shrapnel or projectiles were ejected. Investigators say the suspect was described as Latino or Middle Eastern, about 6ft tall (1.82 metres), with a heavy beard and wearing all-black clothing. No getaway car was seen. A motive for the incident was unclear. \"It could be a dissatisfied customer, a disgruntled employee,\" Lt Goodman added. Federal authorities were alerted to the incident, police told KABC-TV, but local authorities are handling the investigation.", "summary": "Authorities are searching for a suspect who hurled a homemade incendiary device into a crowded restaurant in Pasadena, California."}
{"article": "Page, 20, has agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract at The Valley. He made three first-team appearances for West Ham, all in the Europa League, and has previously been on loan at Coventry City and Cambridge United. \"He's quick, likes to get forward and is a good crosser. I really like that in a full-back,\" Charlton manager Karl Robinson told the club website. \"I got a chance to see him during his loan spell at Coventry and he's a left-back that fits in well with our system. \"We're building a squad here to get into that top six and Lewis will be an important part of what we are trying to do.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League One club Charlton have signed left-back Lewis Page from West Ham for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "Groups of tourists, fresh off the ferry from Cape Town, pass by with barely a glance. But for Mr Mandela, the garden held a special value. And if you stand inside the tiny cell where South Africa's struggle icon spent 18 years hidden from the world, and peer through the barred window into the high-walled courtyard, you can just make out the thin strip of green and brown foliage where he once tended tomatoes and chillies. \"A garden was one of the few things in prison that one could control\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 The sense of being the custodian of this small patch of earth offered a small taste of freedom,\" Mr Mandela wrote in his autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom - an early draft of which, incidentally, he tried to hide from the prison guards by burying in the garden. Today, the garden's weeds - and the rotting stump of an apple tree - hint at the alleged mismanagement and corruption that have blighted Robben Island for years. But along one wall, two grape vines now stand out in sharp contrast - the lush green foliage of a promising harvest suspended on a wooden frame. \"They're still growing, thriving, regardless of the difficult conditions on the island. They're very much a symbol of the resilience of the leaders imprisoned here,\" said Philip Jonker, a South African wine maker as he and two colleagues carefully pruned the vines by hand. It is seven years since Mr Jonker first spotted the two plants on a family visit to the island. It is not clear whether Mr Mandela himself tended the vines or whether, as seems more likely, they were planted shortly after he was transferred to another prison on the mainland. But Mr Jonker sees them - there are seven vines around the prison in total - as part of the island's heritage, and a way of preserving \"South African history in a bottle\". After four years of petitioning, he finally secured permission to tend the vines, and, last year, to take the first harvest - previous ones had been devoured by the island's ravenous birds - back to his Weltevrede family wine estate two hours' drive east of Cape Town. At this moment - leaving aside the current headlines about low pay and grim conditions in the local wine industry - you may be wondering if this is simply another potentially uncomfortable attempt to exploit the Mandela \"brand\". The short answer is no. Although Weltevrede will surely not mind the publicity. \"Mandela is my grape father,\" said Weltevrede worker Jan Blaauw, with a broad grin, as he and Mr Jonker pulled away some dead branches. The staff make regular trips to the island - their progress with the vines offering an increasingly sharp contrast with the visible neglect seen elsewhere here. Mr Mandela \"brought us everything\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Freedom. This is my way to pay him back for all he has done for me,\" said Mr Blaauw. Thirty workers at Weltevrede have been given their own small vineyard to farm as part of an empowerment scheme designed", "summary": "In the sun-bleached corner of Nelson Mandela's old prison yard on Robben Island, the desiccated remains of a tiny, weed-ridden garden lie exposed and sadly neglected."}
{"article": "Margaret Loughrey, 50, from Bridge Street, Strabane, admitted a number of offences. She was ordered to pay \u00a3559 for damaging the driver's glasses and \u00a3200 compensation to the driver. Ms Loughrey's win was the largest ever jackpot win in Northern Ireland. As well as assaulting the driver, Ms Loughrey also pleaded guilty to causing criminal to his glasses and SatNav during the incident in his taxi at Chestnut Park in Strabane on 14 May. Ms Loughrey's solicitor said she had come to court with a clear record and had been drinking vodka with friends all night before the incident. He described her behaviour as shameful and said it was unfortunate her reputation was now blemished. The deputy district judge at Strabane Magistrates' Court said he believed it was a \"one-off incident\" caused by Ms Loughrey consuming a lot of alcohol. \"You have had more advantages than most people in the last number of years, but they have obviously brought some problems,\" he said. \"I accept you have made a major contribution to the local community, but you will be treated as anyone else will be treated coming before the court with a clear record.\"", "summary": "A County Tyrone woman who won \u00a327m in the Euromillions draw in 2013 has been ordered to complete 150 hours of community service after pleading guilty to assaulting a taxi driver."}
{"article": "Nadal faced a match point but the 18-year-old German missed an easy volley - admitting: \"On match point I sucked.\" Three-time champion Nadal plays Japan's Kei Nishikori next and could face Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. Serena Williams beat defending champion Simona Halep 6-4 6-3 to reach the last four in the women's draw. The world number one now plays Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat Petra Kvitova 6-2 7-6 and will reclaim the world number two ranking when the new list is released on Monday. \"She knows how to play in big stadiums and big matches, big games,\" Williams said of Halep. Zverev has been widely tipped as the teenager most likely to make the breakthrough among the game's elite and he went agonisingly close to a landmark win over Nadal. The 6ft 6in German, the younger brother of tour player Mischa Zverev, led 5-3 and 40-30 in the final set, only to make three straight unforced errors. Nadal, 29, battled back impressively, but had glowing praise for the teenager, who is set to rise to a career-high ranking of 52 next week. \"He is amazingly talented,\" said Nadal. \"He is probably going to be the number one in the world. \"With his second serve at 120mph, with a lot of spin and at 124, 123, 120mph, it was impossible. If he puts the first serve in at over 130 mph then you are in big trouble. \"So I think that I'm here, and still alive.\" The world number one beat Spain's Feliciano Lopez 6-3 6-3 to set up a quarter-final with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France. Djokovic had not been at his best in the previous rounds but saw off Lopez with little trouble. \"I was very solid. I didn't allow him to come to the net too many times,\" said the Serb. \"It was a good performance.\" David Goffin beat French Open champion and third seed Stan Wawrinka 6-3 5-7 7-6 (7-5), while Milos Raonic knocked out sixth seed Tomas Berdych 6-4 7-6 (9-7). In the doubles, Jamie Murray will rise to the top of the world rankings if he wins his quarter-final later on Thursday. Murray and partner Bruno Soares face Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez from 22:00 GMT.", "summary": "Rafael Nadal reached the BNP Paribas Open quarter-finals in Indian Wells after winning the last five games to beat Alexander Zverev 6-7 6-0 7-5."}
{"article": "Brash? Arrogant? Ostentatious, perhaps? Hold on a minute, did someone say introverted? \"I've got this reputation of being confident, yet I go and do all these psychology tests and I'm an introvert,\" Pietersen tells his former team-mate Andrew Flintoff in an interview to be aired on BBC Radio 5 live on Tuesday at 20:30 BST. Source: ESPN Cricinfo \"I'm very much an introverted person. I like my own company, my own family. I don't really go out much. \"I think the confidence has grown from what I've achieved on the cricket field but I'm not as confident as anybody thinks.\" The disarming revelation is one of many in Pietersen's fascinating chat with Flintoff, a player with whom he occasionally clashed during the years they shared an England dressing room. In it, Pietersen talks about growing up in South Africa unaware of what the Ashes were, his see-saw relationship with Shane Warne, his ill-fated spell as captain and his regret over the silly shots that have left him looking \"a complete mug\" at times. He opens up about England captains past and present, relives the anguish of injuries and loss of form and reaffirms his ambition to clock up 10,000 Test runs. Like many top sportsmen, Pietersen is public property, someone we think we know much better than we actually do. This interview goes behind the bling and the bravado to reveal an insecurity over his image, a recognition of his faults, a light-heartedness - he calls Flintoff \"chubby\" at one point - and perhaps less surprisingly, an absolute obsession with his performance on the field of play. After leaving South Africa in protest against the racial quota system - which insisted on a certain number of non-white players in every team - and qualifying to play for England through the Kolpak rule, Pietersen announced himself with three one-day centuries against the country of his birth in early 2005. He went on to play a decisive role in England's historic Ashes victory over Australia later that year, making back-to-back fifties on his Test debut at Lord's and sealing the series with a breathtaking 158 at The Oval. The sheer audacity with which Pietersen took on the team that had dominated the game for more than a decade was jaw-dropping, but as he reveals to Flintoff, his close relationship with Australian talisman Warne - they were team-mates at Hampshire - was one of the major reasons why he settled so quickly into Ashes cricket. Media playback is not supported on this device \"Having the great Shane Warne as my mate, walking onto the field and not having him hammer me from first slip, but just laugh and have a joke helped a lot,\" says Pietersen. \"I think I could have been fearful playing Australia but because this huge figure was a mate of mine, it calmed things down.\" There was nothing calm about the celebrations that followed England's Ashes win as the players famously partied the night away before arriving at a Downing Street reception the next morning somewhat the worse for wear. One", "summary": "What adjective would you use to describe England batsman Kevin Pietersen?"}
{"article": "The award for Age Concern Jersey is the highest given to voluntary groups by the Queen. The charity, which supports the elderly and campaigns on their behalf, said it was \"absolutely thrilled\" volunteers had been recognised \"by the most prestigious award\". It will receive the accolade at the Queen's birthday reception at Government House later this month. Daphne Minihane, from the charity, said: \"We couldn't manage without our volunteers. \"Not just the present ones, but the ones who have been with us since we started 26 years ago. They've all been fantastic. \"It is indeed a great honour.\" The charity has dozens of volunteers helping in its charity shop, as well as drivers delivering meals to elderly people.", "summary": "A charity has won a Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in Jersey."}
{"article": "Pro-democracy activists have staged huge protests, the most recent on the 1 July anniversary of the day Hong Kong was handed back to China from Britain. They have threatened to occupy parts of the city if their demands are not met. Public discontent in Hong Kong is at its highest for years with concern over Beijing's influence over elections. The city's police estimated Sunday's turnout at more than 110,000 people, but a specialist polling group based at the University of Hong Kong put the figure at around 80,000. \"We want to let the world know that we want peace, we want democracy, but please, do not threaten us, do not try to turn this place into a place of violence,\" Robert Chow, co-founder of the pro-government Alliance for Peace and Democracy told AFP. Political rallies are a common sight in Hong Kong, a special Chinese city with a high level of freedom. But large-scale demonstrations supportive of the Chinese government in Beijing are extremely rare. The demonstrators -- much older than their pro-democracy rivals and clearly mobilised by dozens of pro-China clan organisations -- carried signs opposing the civil disobedience movement called Occupy Central. Questions have been raised about the legitimacy of the demonstration. Hong Kong media reports have suggested some companies and business groups had asked their employees to take part. Despite those controversies, Johnson Yeung, a pro-democracy activist who organised the recent 1 July protest, told BBC News the rally was indeed an historic event. \"For the first time since the handover in 1997, the central government has organised a mass rally of this scale. It really shows their commitment against Occupy Central.\" The large turnout is a reminder there is still no consensus in the battle for Hong Kong's political future. In the other camp, pro-democracy activists from the \"Occupy Central\" group have said they would mobilise protesters to take over some of the busier areas of the central business district if electoral reform is not put in place. City authorities say such an occupation would be illegal however, and argue that it could tarnish Hong Kong's reputation. Hong Kong's next elections will take place in 2017, and China says it will introduce universal suffrage for the vote. However the current Chief Executive of Hong Kong CY Leung was elected by a committee largely loyal to the Chinese government. The pro-democracy protesters fear that the shortlist of candidates to replace him will be a similar group also loyal to Beijing. The chief executive is currently elected by a 1,200-member election committee. A majority of the representatives are viewed as pro-Beijing. The Chinese government has promised direct elections for the leader, known as the chief executive, by 2017. However, voters will only have a choice from a list of candidates selected by a nominating committee, and Beijing has said all candidates must be \"patriotic\". Activists fear China will use the committee to screen out candidates it disapproves of.", "summary": "A major pro-government rally in Hong Kong is drawing in thousands of supporters, in response to civil disobedience campaigns by activists."}
{"article": "The Pioneering Spirit, owned by Allseas, used its vast lifting capacity for the first time to remove a platform for scrappage. It carried out the operation on Monday, and is taking the platform to a Norwegian yard. The ship's first lift was in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. After the fitting of additional lifting equipment in the Netherlands, the ship is booked later this year to start work on platforms in the UK North Sea. Its arrival begins to open up the market for scrapping ageing North Sea equipment, which is estimated as being worth around \u00c2\u00a340bn in the next four decades. The Pioneering Spirit was built in Singapore and fitted out in Rotterdam. It is also capable of lifting the steel jackets on which platforms have been sitting since the 1970s.", "summary": "One of the world's biggest ships has begun a new era for the North Sea oil and gas industry."}
{"article": "Haigh, 39, left Leeds in April 2014 after Massimo Cellino bought the club. \"Penzance is a great grounding of a club, with an awful lot of potential to grow in the community,\" Haigh told BBC Radio Cornwall. Penzance are bottom of the South West Peninsula League Division One West, the 11th tier of English football. \"The club contacted me through Twitter asking if I could help out,\" Haigh said. \"I'd had one or two offers since Leeds, and I said no to them. \"But, the reason why I said yes to Penzance is because of the potential. They're at the bottom, so they can only go up. \"What I liked when I chatted to the committee was the passion. They're without debt, they can build on that and that's why I was really interested.\" After leaving Leeds, Haigh moved to Dubai where he was acquitted in March over charges of sending an offensive tweet about a business partner. But, he served a two-year sentence on separate charges of financial misappropriation. Haigh, who grew up in Cornwall and has relocated to the county since leaving Dubai, will be sponsoring Penzance rather than financially backing them. \"There's no reason why clubs in Cornwall can't play at a higher level,\" he added. \"But, it's going to take some investment in terms of infrastructure.\"", "summary": "David Haigh, the former managing director of Leeds United, has been appointed as a committee member at Cornish non-league side Penzance AFC."}
{"article": "Selby was ringside in Brooklyn to see Frampton beat champion Leo Santa Cruz on points to win the title. Frampton wants to defend the title in his home city of Belfast and did not rule out a rematch, although he also has Selby in his sights. \"He's mentioned me a few times, sounds like he wants the fight,\" Selby said. \"I want the fight and it shouldn't be too difficult to make.\" Selby said any possible meeting could be held in Belfast or Cardiff's Principality Stadium. Barry-born Selby insisted before the fight there was no chance of him meeting British rival Josh Warrington, who beat Patrick Hyland to retain his WBC International featherweight title. Selby accused Warrington of 'running scared,' after talks fell through over arranging a summer contest at Leeds' Elland Road. Frampton inflicted the first defeat of 27-year-old Mexican Santa Cruz's career to become the first Northern Ireland fighter to win a world title in two weight divisions. It was Frampton's first pro bout at featherweight, having moved up a division after unifying the IBF and WBA super-bantamweight titles by beating England's Scott Quigg in Manchester in February. Selby said he was not surprised by Frampton's majority verdict over Santa Cruz, who has held world titles at three weights. \"I thought it was a brilliant fight and very competitive from the first bell to the last,\" Selby added. \"Carl Frampton boxed excellent and he surprised me with his tactics. I thought he would box on the back foot and use his range and jab. \"But at times he held his feet, stood in the middle of the ring and went toe to toe and beat Santa Cruz at his own game.\"", "summary": "IBF world champion Lee Selby is confident his next fight will be against new WBA world featherweight champion Carl Frampton."}
{"article": "Met Police officers are also searching a property in Southwark, London, where they have found human remains. Westminster officer Gordon Semple, 59, from Greenhithe, Kent, was last seen on 1 April in the London Bridge area. Police said his family had been informed about the \"significant development\". A spokesman said: \"We are unable to make formal identification at this stage, but this is devastating news for all those involved in the search for Gordon.\" Police who were called to an address on the Peabody Estate on Thursday afternoon found human remains, he said. He said forensic work was under way at the scene which may take some time. A post-mortem examination would be held in due course, he added. He said police would not speculate about what had happened or any possible motive at this stage, and would not speculate on the cause of death until post-mortem tests had taken place. On 1 April, PC Semple, who is originally from Inverness, had a work meeting at the Shard's Shangri-La hotel and left at about 12:30 BST. He was seen on CCTV in Great Guildford Street at 15:00 BST and his partner reported him missing later that night. PC Semple has no children but still has family in Scotland. The man under arrest is being held in custody.", "summary": "Detectives searching for a serving police officer who has been missing for six days have arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion of murder."}
{"article": "Wiggins, 36, had hinted the race in the city of his birth could be his last, but afterwards said he was \"not sure yet\" what his plans are. \"I don't know, I've still got really good legs,\" he said. \"This might not be my last race. This for sure is my last ever race with Mark Cavendish, though.\" The 2012 Tour de France winner added that he \"just wants to enjoy this moment\". Wiggins' admission follows his comments after last month's London Six Day, when he hinted he could be tempted to race there again next year. Wiggins and Cavendish claimed overall victory in Ghent after winning the final madison event. The pair also contested the Ghent Six in 2007 and won madison gold together at the World Track Championships in London in March. They competed together in the madison at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, finishing joint eighth. \"We've had an incredible 12 years and have achieved so much together. It's been a pleasure,\" Wiggins added.", "summary": "Sir Bradley Wiggins refused to confirm whether he plans to retire after winning the Ghent Six Day event alongside fellow Briton Mark Cavendish."}
{"article": "It is understood the pilot reported problems with the hydraulics system. The issue was reported within minutes of the plane taking off from Belfast International Airport. The plane has now landed safely.", "summary": "A United Airlines flight from Belfast to Newark has been diverted to Manchester Airport."}
{"article": "The Liverpool singer, whose 1987 single Wonderful Life was a top 10 hit around the world, suffered head injuries in the crash in Ireland on 10 January, and was placed in an induced coma. He died on Tuesday surrounded by his family in hospital, his publicist said. His wife Camilla said she was \"deeply grateful\" to staff who cared for him. The father-of-three, who was in intensive care at Cork University Hospital, \"died peacefully\" with his family at his side \"who were singing him on his way\", a statement said. \"Colin received the best possible care from the expert and highly professional staff there and we are deeply grateful for everything they did,\" his wife and three sons said in a statement. Fellow Liverpool musician Pete Wylie of 80s band The Mighty Wah! paid tribute to his friend on Twitter, saying the news was \"just so very sad\". \"I want to send all the love I can muster to Colin's parents, brother & partner + to all who loved him, and who he loved too,\" he wrote. \"I could still sing the very first song Colin recorded with me in the WAH! studio. I remember it that clearly. And that voice!\" Born in Liverpool in 1962, Vearncombe had his first top 10 hit with the single Sweetest Smile in June 1987 when he was 25 years old. His second hit song Wonderful Life, which he had previously released but only got to number 72 in the charts, made the top 10 in the UK, Switzerland, Germany, France, Austria, the Netherlands and Italy. However, despite having found fame, Vearncombe later said \"the pop star life\" was not as he had imagined it. \"I was frustrated by how few of the people in the music world I respected. Maybe I just didn't go to the right clubs. I've never been a great schmoozer or networker and the idea of setting out to meet a certain type of people is anathema to me,\" he said. \"It was two years of disappointment - I didn't have any wild sex, I'm not a druggie, so I was just digging a hole for myself.\" Wonderful Life has since been used in numerous advertisements and films, and has been covered by artists including Tina Cousins and Katie Melua. The album of the same name sold more than 1.5 million copies and peaked at number three. Although he is best known for Wonderful Life and another 1980s single Sweetest Smile, Vearncombe released 15 albums under his own name. Last year, he returned to his original stage name for a crowd-funded album, Blind Faith, which received positive reviews. He has also published poetry and staged exhibitions of his paintings in south-west Ireland, where he lived in later life. Hundreds of fans wrote messages of support on the musician's Facebook page following the crash. His publicist said there would be a private funeral, as well as a memorial service for him in Liverpool \"as we know there are many, many people who will want to celebrate Colin's life and work\".", "summary": "Singer-songwriter Colin Vearncombe, who performed under the name Black, has died at the age of 53, two weeks after being injured in a car crash."}
{"article": "Greater Manchester Police said the corrosive liquid hit a man and a woman in the eyes on Ashton Old Road, Openshaw, Manchester on Friday evening. Shortly afterwards, bleach was thrown at a second man on the same road by a passenger in a silver Ford Fiesta heading towards Audenshaw. Police said those affected were \"lucky\" to escape serious injury. Insp Cherie Dunn, of Greater Manchester Police, said: \"I am so thankful that none of the victims of these senseless attacks has been seriously injured. \"We could easily have been dealing with life-changing injuries. \"Anyone thinking that throwing bleach at people is funny or that a crime like this does not have consequences couldn't be more wrong. \"The victim's here were lucky. Bleach attacks could have had catastrophic consequences.\"", "summary": "A pregnant woman was among three people targeted when bleach was thrown from a car in two separate attacks."}
{"article": "A woman fell from a bridge over the motorway at junction three, near Nursling, and died at the scene. No-one else was injured. Thousands of motorists were caught up in the resulting chaos as the westbound carriageway was closed during the evening rush hour. The motorway fully reopened at 01:00 on Friday.", "summary": "Nine people had to be treated in hospital for shock after witnessing an incident on the M27 at Southampton."}
{"article": "14 May 2015 Last updated at 08:26 BST The goslings needed to leap from the first floor onto tarmac, so crash mats were placed below to create a soft landing. It seemed to do the trick as the little birds made it safely down, bounced on to the mat and waddled off with their parents across the campus. Finlay Macniell from the University of Calgary said: \"I was just answering some emails in my office, and a goose flew up onto the roof outside my office window, and was honking loudly, and strutting back and forth, and tapping on my window.\" He added: \"I wasn't sure what was going on at first but then a gosling dropped from a higher level roof above my office down next to mum, and then it was quite clear what the fuss was about.\" The video, posted by Calgary University, has already been viewed more than 100-thousand times. Pictures from the University of Calgary", "summary": "When a group of baby geese got stuck on the roof of a university building in Canada, fast thinking staff decided to help."}
{"article": "It said the investigation following complaints from price comparison websites had failed to understand the \"reality\" of online shopping. It blamed a drop in traffic for price comparison sites on Amazon and others. Europe's competition commissioner first accused the firm of abusing its dominance in search in April 2015 and made further claims in July 2016. Google's shopping results appear as a box of images and links displayed alongside other search results. In 2015, the EU competition commissioner claimed these results gave prominence to Google's own services and advertisements, to the detriment of price comparison websites, which may have lost visitors. Google responded that the EU had failed to take into account the significance of online shopping giants such as Amazon, which it said also competed against price comparison websites. In its updated claim, the EU said Amazon could not be considered a rival to price comparison websites because it sometimes paid such sites to be included in search results. Google's latest response says websites such as Amazon get a \"tiny fraction\" of their visitors from price comparison websites, \"hardly enough to support the idea that they don't compete\" with one another. It also pointed out that Amazon provides its own price comparison tools for its customers. \"The commission's revised case still rests on a theory that just doesn't fit the reality of how most people shop online,\" the company said in a blog. \"It's not surprising that when Amazon and other new competitors arrived in European countries, traffic to sites offering only price comparison went down.\" The company said it would \"look forward\" to continuing discussions with the commission. FairSearch Europe - a lobby group that was one of the complainants against Google - said Google's actions were \"anti-consumer\". In a statement, the group said: \"We believe it is the European Commission that has the interests of consumers in mind, not a private company that makes money by using its market power to charge high prices to advertisers. \"When consumers look at Google ads they do not get the best, most relevant results. Instead, they get results from advertisers willing to pay Google the most money.\"", "summary": "Google has again rejected the EU's objections to how it displays shopping links in its search results."}
{"article": "The Seasiders, who started with five debutants, took the lead after 19 minutes when new signing Kyle Vassell was played through by another debutant Colin Daniel and netted from 12 yards via a deflection from keeper Bobby Olejnik. But Exeter should have been level five minutes later as Lee Holmes picked out Ollie Watkins, who could only put a diving header on to the post from two yards with the goal gaping. The woodwork denied Exeter for a second time after 44 minutes, as Jake Taylor's flick came back off the inside of the far post before Watkins had a header saved by Sam Slocombe. Blackpool's new keeper Slocombe produced a sensational reflex save to prevent an Andy Taylor own goal six minutes after the break but, straight down the other end, Troy Brown was not so fortunate as he deflected Brad Potts' cross past Olejnik to ensure a Blackpool victory. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Blackpool 2, Exeter City 0. Second Half ends, Blackpool 2, Exeter City 0. Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Brad Potts. Attempt blocked. Ryan Harley (Exeter City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Liam McAlinden (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Will Aimson (Blackpool). Attempt missed. Mark Yeates (Blackpool) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Attempt blocked. Mark Yeates (Blackpool) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Jordan Moore-Taylor (Exeter City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Will Aimson. Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Will Aimson. Attempt blocked. Ollie Watkins (Exeter City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Attempt blocked. Danny Pugh (Blackpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Foul by Ryan Harley (Exeter City). Kelvin Mellor (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Mark Yeates (Blackpool) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right. Attempt missed. David Wheeler (Exeter City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Foul by Brad Potts (Blackpool). Jake Taylor (Exeter City) wins a free kick on the right wing. Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Kelvin Mellor. Foul by Jim McAlister (Blackpool). Lee Holmes (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Mark Yeates (Blackpool) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Jim McAlister (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Ryan Harley (Exeter City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Ryan Harley (Exeter City). Danny Pugh (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by David Wheeler (Exeter City). Attempt missed. Brad Potts (Blackpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Attempt blocked. Jamille Matt (Blackpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.", "summary": "After successive relegations, Blackpool won their first game in the fourth tier since 2001 with victory at home to Exeter."}
{"article": "With the windows down, I sang along to cheesy Mediterranean songs on the radio, watching the scenery flash by. But I was there to make a documentary about Europe dancing to a worrying tune - popular discontent, fear, anger and, in many corners, an absence of hope. There is always a section in society that feels abandoned or ignored by their government, but after the 2008 crash, the bank bailouts, the migrant crises and a string of terror attacks, a growing number of Europeans have felt unprotected, exposed and worried for the future of their families. And the answer to their fears? Well if my Fiat 500 were Europe - bear with me on this one - it would be hesitating at a crossroads. The signpost pointing one way reads Angela Merkel. And in the opposite direction, Marine Le Pen. These two determined women, tough and seasoned politicians, both standing for election this year, hope to drag their own countries and Europe as a whole down dramatically different paths. A passionate European and Christian Democrat, mindful of the horrors of her country's Nazi and Cold War past, Ms Merkel is increasingly viewed as the continent's number one defender of liberal values. Barack Obama pointedly chose to visit her in Berlin on his last official trip abroad before handing over the presidency to Donald Trump. Ms Le Pen, on the other hand, is the poster child of Europe's new wave of populism. She demands what she described to me in an interview as a \"new world order\". A new France, a new Europe, free, she says, of the \"prison\" of the European Union and the \"artificial\" joining of European nations. She laughed at those wringing their hands on both sides of the Atlantic over the Trump Presidency. Brexit, Trump and Europe's new \"patriotic leaders\" in Ms Le Pen's words, are merely the end of one world and the start of a new one where, in her opinion, the people and the nation state are strong and don't answer to what she called \"Globalisationists\". Gone are the days in the not so distant past when national elections met a wall of public indifference - 2017 has been dubbed 'Election Year' in Europe, with key EU nations Germany, France, the Netherlands and possibly Italy heading to the polls. With populist parties standing strong, those for and against them feel motivated to vote. And not just with their pockets in mind. The famous campaign slogan, \"it's the economy, stupid\", associated with Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential bid, is no longer pertinent. Look at the Netherlands - holding an election next month. The economy there is on the up and unemployment is down. But rather than flocking around their centrist prime minister, voters are flirting with anti-immigration, Eurosceptic populist, Geert Wilders. Wherever you look at the moment in Europe - north, south, east and west - there are populist parties shouting loudly from the sidelines. The Five Star Movement is Italy's most talked-about political party right now. They listen to people, they say, not Big Business, and", "summary": "My shiny red rental Fiat 500 wound its way up and round the narrow, olive-tree lined lanes like a ladybird humming through the Tuscan countryside."}
{"article": "The state oil firm's technicians discovered one of the world's largest oil reserves deep beneath the seabed - under miles of layers of salt. And then two years later, it struck gold again, finding yet another giant oil reserve. Optimism was running high. The firm went to the markets and raised over $70bn - the world's largest share issue ever. Brazil's economy was at cruising speed too, finally taking off after years of meagre growth. But the good times did not last long - for neither the company nor the country. A massive corruption scandal last year eroded much of Petrobras's market value. Brazil's economy too has been on a downward spiral - with high inflation, slow growth and low confidence. So how did it all go so wrong, so fast? Petrobras's oil bonanza and Brazil's emerging star status are fairly recent phenomena. Just a few decades ago, prospects were dire for both. In the early 1990s, Brazil was a young democracy in deep economic trouble. Annualised inflation was running close to 5,000%. Decades of protectionism meant there was little competition in most sectors and many national firms had become inefficient. Petrobras was seen as part of that landscape by many who wanted to privatise it. One critic used to refer to it as \"Petrossauro\" - a large, outdated structure that moved slowly and was doomed to extinction in the modern world. Brazil's fortunes started to change in the mid-1990s - both internally and externally. Through reforms, successive governments were able to defeat hyperinflation, open up Brazil's economy to the world and redistribute growth, lifting millions out of poverty. A decade of global economic boom favoured Brazil's champion exports - commodities like coffee, soya, beef and oil. Brazil's oil sector was opened to foreign companies, but local laws made sure Petrobras kept its role at the top of every major project. A decade of high international oil prices helped give a great boost to the firm's investment plans. By 2010 - after all oil discoveries - it felt like Brazil and Petrobras had finally \"arrived\" at the top. But then things took a turn for the worse. One problem was Petrobras's desperate need for cash. Brazil's treasure trove is buried deep below the pre-salt layer and can only be extracted with expensive methods. President Dilma Rousseff was adamant that Petrobras should play a major role in all fields, although it did not have the resources to do it alone. So the company sought to attract partners and raise money abroad by selling many of its assets. Just as it was taking on its biggest financial challenge ever, Petrobras was hit by a recurrent obstacle in Brazil's history: corruption. An investigation by Brazil's Federal Police revealed that the state oil giant was being used illegally as a cash cow for most parties in the government coalition. Its top executives are all politically appointed by the government. They allegedly handed out Petrobras contracts in exchange for party donations and bribes. A string of high-profile arrests were made - from top Brazilian CEOs to the", "summary": "In 2008, Petrobras and its main stakeholder - the government of Brazil - hit the jackpot."}
{"article": "Mr LaBeouf was arrested following a confrontation at his live-streamed video project in New York, and was charged with assault and harassment. Those charges have now been dropped. A spokeswoman for the district attorney in New York's Queen's district told US media the case would be dismissed because of insufficient evidence. Mr LaBeouf's art project, a 24-hour live stream called He Will Not Divide Us, encouraged members of the public to say those words into a camera outside New York's Museum of the Moving Image. But Mr LaBeouf and a member of the public allegedly entered an altercation during a live broadcast in January. The museum later said the site had become \"a flashpoint for violence\". The live stream was planned to continue for the four years of Mr Trump's presidency, but the museum pulled support for the project in early February. The project was forced to move location twice in the US, after opponents tried to disrupt it. It then arrived in a new form in Liverpool in the UK - but faced similar problems. Liverpool's Fact arts centre had been live-streaming a flag with the words, but cancelled the project after people climbed on the roof to try and remove the flag. In addition to his performance art, LaBeouf is best known for films like Transformers, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.", "summary": "Actor-turned-artist Shia LaBeouf will no longer face assault charges over a January incident at his anti-Donald Trump art installation."}
{"article": "Scott Diver, 16, from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, was last seen at home on 17 September. His father, who is also called Scott, said he was not in any trouble and he just wanted to know he was OK. The teenager, who is 5ft 7in tall, with a slim build, dark hair and blue eyes, is said to need regular medication. When Scott last seen, he was wearing a navy blue Adidas tracksuit with light blue stripes down the arms and legs, a white T-shirt and navy Adidas training shoes with grey stripes. Speaking at a police news conference, Mr Diver said: \"Scotty, if you see this please get in touch. You are not in any trouble we just want you home or at least let us know you're safe. \"All the family are missing you especially me and nana and your family in Isle of Man. \"Can I ask anyone who might be helping Scott stay away from home to remember he relies on daily medication which he hasn't had for at least 10 days.\" Mr Diver added: \"Scotty, we love and miss you and want you home. \"You can contact us on the missing person's text service on 116 000 through phone or text even if you have no credit.\" Mr Diver's comments came after police made a public appeal at the weekend in a bid to trace Scott. On Saturday, one week after he went missing, officers carried out a \"stop and speak\" operation in the teenager's home town. They spoke to about 1,000 people at Clydebank's bus station, shopping centre and near Scott's home. The operation has also seen an air support unit deployed in the area along with a search team. Insp John Mullen said that anyone with information could contact police at a dedicated email address: scottdiverinquiry@scotland.pnn.police.uk He added: \"Scott is a vulnerable young boy who has just turned 16. \"His family are devastated at his disappearance and I would urge anyone who knows where he is to contact police.\"", "summary": "The father of a vulnerable teenage boy, who has been missing from his home for more than a week, has appealed for him to get in touch."}
{"article": "Polish national Daria Pionko, 21, was found seriously injured in Springwell Road, Holbeck, on 23 December and died later in hospital. Det Supt Simon Atkinson said Miss Pionko had been the victim of a \"sustained and vicious attack\". A 38-year-old man arrested in connection with the incident was released without charge. A post mortem examination found Miss Pionko died as a result of head and facial injuries. She was found in a defined managed area where sex workers operate during set hours. Mr Atkinson said: \"This was a sustained and vicious attack and it is absolutely vital that the person responsible is caught and taken off our streets.\" The managed area has been in operation since 2014. It was introduced by the police, council and other agencies in an effort to reduce the impact of prostitution on residents and better engage with sex workers. Speaking last week, Supt Sam Millar said it had seen some \"significant successes\", including improving relationships between sex workers and police.", "summary": "Detectives investigating the \"brutal\" murder of a sex worker in Leeds have released a picture of the victim."}
{"article": "Jonathan Tran, 26, was in the grounds for more than 16 minutes before he was detained, it said. He now faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. In a statement, the Secret Service said it was \"extremely disappointed and angry\" about the events of 10 March. Mr Tran did not gain entry to the White House, where President Donald Trump was staying at the time. However, Congressman Jason Chaffetz - whose House Oversight Committee oversees the Secret Service - claimed the intruder had managed to rattle a door-handle at the South Portico entrance. According to court documents, Mr Tran told federal agents that he was a friend of the president and had an appointment. He was carrying two cans of mace, a US passport, a computer and one of Mr Trump's books, authorities said. The president praised the Secret Service for doing a \"fantastic job\" in apprehending the intruder. Mr Tran had managed to climb a 5ft (1.5m) fence near the US Treasury Department, which is next to the White House. He then scaled an 8ft vehicle gate, and a shorter fence near the east wing of the White House grounds. CNN reports that he set off several alarms after jumping the fence, but was able to avoid other sensors. Mr Tran, who comes from Milpitas, California, had reportedly been spotted \"looming around\" Washington's Pennsylvania Avenue, where the White House stands, nearly six hours before his arrest. The Secret Service said it had taken immediate steps to avoid further security lapses, and that over 50 people had been interviewed about the incident. The intrusion was the latest in a series of breaches at the White House in recent years. Security has been enhanced. In 2015, sharp spikes were installed on top of the black iron fence that circles the property.", "summary": "The US Secret Service has released new details of last week's White House fence-jumping incident, in which an intruder was discovered just steps from the main building."}
{"article": "The Taliban attacked from the mountains as the convoy was travelling through Laghman valley, officials say, and at least 22 insurgents were also killed. The Sar-e-Pol provincial governor said that a number of security force vehicles were destroyed. Earlier a civilian was killed in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul. Villagers also accused Nato of killing seven civilians, including a nine-year-old child, in an air strike in eastern Paktia province. They were the first people reported killed in air strikes since the new government was installed at the end of September. However, Nato said Sunday's strike had killed \"eight armed enemy combatants\". The issue of Nato air strikes was the most contentious of the many disputes that former President Hamid Karzai had with the international community, reports the BBC's David Loyn in Kabul. The violence comes ahead of the withdrawal of most foreign troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year, with Afghan security forces increasingly taking over from Nato-led forces in the fight against the militants. Officials say that at least seven security force members were wounded in the Sar-e-Pol ambush. Correspondents say that the early morning attack highlights Afghanistan's fragile security structure as Nato withdraws all of its combat troops. The ambush took place as security forces were travelling to reinforce colleagues in another district of Sar-e-Pol, officials say. \"They called for foreign forces' air support, but they arrived very late,\" provincial governor Abdul Jabar Haqbin told the AFP news agency. He said the attack triggered a gun battle that lasted several hours. The Taliban were not immediately available to comment", "summary": "Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan have killed at least 22 security force members in an ambush in Sar-e-Pol province north of Kabul, officials say."}
{"article": "Ednane Mahmood, of Plane Street, Blackburn, is accused of disseminating a terrorist publication. The 19-year-old, who was arrested after allegedly trying to travel to Syria, is also accused of engaging in conduct in preparation of acts of terrorism. At Manchester Crown Court he denied both charges and was bailed until his trial date on 26 October. The teenager is accused of providing a service to others to enable them to obtain, read, listen to or look at a terrorist publication between 1 June and 25 November 2014. He is charged with providing links to poems and other propaganda, and at the time of doing so was allegedly reckless as whether his conduct would be a direct or indirect encouragement to the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. Mahmood is further charged with the intention of committing acts of terrorism on 21 September 2014 in that he planned to travel to Syria in order to engage in acts of terrorism.", "summary": "A teenager from Lancashire has denied trying to travel to Syria to engage in acts of terrorism."}
{"article": "Lorraine Kirkwood, 37, was last seen with a man as they got on to a bus in the East Dunbartonshire town. Police had appealed for other passengers to contact them.", "summary": "A Kirkintilloch woman reported missing, after last being seen on Saturday night, has been found safe and well."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 25-year-old Englishwoman finished nine seconds ahead of Australia's Ashleigh Gentle, with Wales' Helen Jenkins seven seconds adrift in third. Stimpson and Jenkins, 31, will vie for Britain's third Olympic place at next month's World Series event on Australia's Gold Coast. Non Stanford and Vicky Holland have already secured their places in Rio. Both missed the race in Abu Dhabi, as did world champion Gwen Jorgensen. Stimpson said: \"I am extremely motivated to make one of the Olympic spots and my winter couldn't have gone any better. \"Me and Helen are great rivals. She is a fantastic athlete and I've got a lot of respect for her. We couldn't have made it harder for the selectors.\" Stimpson, who won the first gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014, clawed her way back after a modest 1500m swim to join two-time world champion Jenkins in the leading group for the 40km bike section. The two Britons led from the front as the challengers were gradually whittled down, before Stimpson used her greater power to pull away in the final kilometre of the 10km run. Jenkins, who has had a catalogue of injuries in the past two years, said: \"Everything is moving in the right direction for our selection race at the Gold Coast. \"It is just a pity Britain could not get four Olympic spots. We will just have to fight it out and do our best.\" Britain's selectors have chosen the Gold Coast race as the decider because it most resembles the Olympic course in Rio. In the men's race, Mario Mola made it back-to-back World Series victories after winning last year's final race in Chicago in September. Adam Bowden, in 11th, was the highest-placed Briton. Brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee have already qualified for this summer's Olympics and will not compete until later this season. Britain's selectors will decide who will get the third spot by the Yokohama race on 14 May - the fourth event of the year. The second of the nine World Series events takes place at the Gold Coast on 9-10 April.", "summary": "Commonwealth champion Jodie Stimpson won the opening race of the 2016 World Triathlon Series in Abu Dhabi."}
{"article": "The Xylella fastidiosa bacteria also threatens citrus fruit and vineyards. The Commission says at least 10% of the 11 million olive trees in Lecce are infected. It wants Italy to destroy infected trees and restrict any trade in species vulnerable to the disease. New emergency measures are to be proposed by the Commission this week. Thousands of hectares of olives are affected by the outbreak - a major worry for Italy, which is the EU's second biggest olive oil producer after Spain. The Commission set out a range of measures to contain the outbreak last July, but says the situation has deteriorated since then and more action is needed. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says the disease, which kills trees by desiccation, is spread by various sap-sucking insects. An EFSA spokesperson told the BBC that there remain \"a lot of uncertainties\" about the Italian outbreak, despite a comprehensive EFSA study of it published in January. \"Even trees not showing symptoms might carry the bacteria, which makes it really difficult. Just cutting down trees with symptoms might not be enough,\" he said. Italian officials in Lecce say 15km-wide (nine-mile) buffer strips will be created around plantations which have infected trees. Those strips should be free of species vulnerable to the disease, so that the blight is contained. Local officials, quoted by Italy's AGI news agency, suspect the disease entered Italy through ornamental plants imported from Costa Rica. The Xylella blight has previously ravaged vineyards in California and citrus groves in Brazil, EFSA says. A local campaign group called Peacelink disputes the EU data on the disease, however, arguing that a fungal infection is most likely to blame. In a letter to EU Health and Food Safety Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis, Peacelink says more than 500 olive trees treated for fungi have recovered since spring last year. It says research by the University of Foggia pointed to fungi, rather than Xylella, as the cause. Peacelink urged the EU not to destroy olive trees en masse in the affected area, saying such a move would be \"totally unnecessary\".", "summary": "Italy must step up efforts to contain a bacterial disease blighting olive trees in the southern province of Lecce, the European Commission has warned."}
{"article": "It said its food and funerals business had performed \"robustly\", with same-store sales in food up 0.4%, but its insurance business had lost money. The Co-op has begun a three-year plan to steady the business after deep problems emerged in 2013 with its bank, which it has since largely sold off. In 2014, it made a net profit of \u00a3216m selling its pharmacy chain and farms. Chief executive Richard Pennycock said without the proceeds of the sales the group would have, \"at best, broken even\". He said the organisation had made good progress reducing its costs, which had fallen from \u00a3176m to \u00a3146m and it had also cut its debts from \u00a31.4bn to \u00a3808m. Co-op Group chairman Allan Leighton told the BBC that the business had strayed a long way: 'We lost the heart of what the Co-op was. I mean look at what's happened to the business, it's terrible. \"The Co-op did used to stand for something and it was in the community, membership was important. Co-operation was important, but we've had unco-operation, we should have been called the unco-operative. Because that's the reality of where we've been.\" The Co-op is the country's largest mutually-owned organisation with more than eight million members, who share in the profits of the business. It is the UK's fifth-largest food retailer with almost 2,800 stores. In the last year, the group added 82 convenience stores and refurbished more than 700 stores. It plans to expand by adding another 100 outlets this year. But despite the improving performance, the business warned it would not be paying a dividend to its members until 2018. Last year, the Co-op recorded a net loss of \u00a32.3bn, once one-off losses relating to its bank and its then-owned Somerfield business were taken into account. It was forced to divest itself of a large chunk of the bank to a number of private investors, largely hedge funds, and now owns just 20% of that business. That prompted a review by Lord Myners in which he called the group \"manifestly dysfunctional\" and recommended a major shake-up in its organisational structure. Co-op members will also get the chance to vote on whether the group should continue to make donations to political parties. BBC business editor Kamal Ahmed says that in effect, the board is asking the members of the Co-operative Group whether they want to continue financially supporting the Co-operative Party. The Co-op Party includes among its members a number of prominent Labour MPs such as Ed Balls, Stella Creasy and Chris Leslie. They stand as candidates of both the Co-operative Party and the Labour Party. Our business editor points out that the board has \"carefully not given a view. But it is interesting to note that the new Co-op chairman, Allan Leighton, did sign a letter backing Labour in 2001\".", "summary": "The Co-operative Group has revealed it made a profit of \u00a3124m in 2014 compared with a loss of \u00a3255m the previous year."}
{"article": "The six-year-old victor, ridden by Noel Fehily, was cut to about 16-1 from 66-1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. Alary, trained by Colin Tizzard, had been considered a Gold Cup hope but was pulled up before the third last fence. Bristol De Mai sealed a Haydock double for Nigel Twiston-Davies after The New One became the first horse to win the Champion Hurdle Trial three times. The nine-year-old, ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies for his trainer father, produced a gutsy display to edge past runner-up Clyne. Unbeaten Neon Wolf ran out a nine-length victor of the novices' hurdle, while 2014 Champion Hurdle winner Jezki returned from a 632-day absence with a comfortable success at Navan. Earlier, Ascot's Grade One meeting and Taunton's card on Saturday were called off because of frozen ground. The Ascot fixture was due to feature the Clarence House Chase, which has been rescheduled to take place at Cheltenham on Festival Trials Day on 28 January. Cheltenham will now have a nine-race card next week, with racing starting at midday. Cornelius Lysaght, BBC horse racing correspondent Abandoned Ascot was billed as the day's top fixture, but had it been on, it'd have struggled to compete for interest with Haydock in terms of the build-up to March's Cheltenham Festival. The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained pair The New One and Bristol De Mai showed off the fact they are players - not necessarily the biggest - but definitely players in whatever they go for at Cheltenham. But the horse to really catch the eye was the Harry Fry-trained Neon Wolf who breezed home under jockey Noel Fehily (2-05) and will line-up in one of the Festival's big novice hurdles.", "summary": "Bristol De Mai romped home to win the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock as the well-touted Alary disappointed."}
{"article": "In February, clubs agreed \"in principle\" to use the system from next season and those plans were confirmed at an EGM on 6 April. Goalline technology has been used in the Premier League since 2013. It has also been utilised in previous Football League play-off finals. However, this season the technology will be available for both Championship semi-finals, as well as the final at Wembley on Monday, 29 May. \"The introduction of goalline technology is a significant step forward for Championship clubs and reflects the importance of the outcome of every single game in the division,\" said EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey. \"It has already proved successful elsewhere in our competitions and I'm confident it will have a similar positive impact week in, week out in the Championship, starting with this year's Championship play-off semi-finals.\"", "summary": "Goalline technology will be used in this season's Championship play-offs before being introduced in all second-tier matches in 2017-18, the English Football League has said."}
{"article": "Each course teaches students, who must be 18 or older when attending, about GCHQ's work to combat cyber-threats and helps them develop their \"cyber-skills\". The schools are held at four sites in the UK, an increase from two last year. The expansion was made following high demand for places, GCHQ has said. One of the schools, Cyber Insiders, will give participants the chance to learn from a range of cybersecurity experts and will be held at Cheltenham from 4 July to 9 September. Another, named Cyber Exposure, is targeted at students with a \"natural curiosity for technology and problem-solving\". The Cyber Exposure courses will be held at sites in Scarborough, the Manchester area, and the Thames Valley between 11 July and 19 August. \"It is good that GCHQ is doing this, it increases the number of people that are learning about cybersecurity,\" cryptography expert Prof Mark Ryan, at the University of Birmingham, told the BBC. \"We do have a cybersecurity skills gap where we just aren't training enough people in cybersecurity.\" The Cheltenham-based school is targeted specifically at first- and second-year students studying computer science, maths, physics or related subjects. The other courses are open to students of any subject who have five GCSEs, including maths and English, who are also on track to achieve two A-levels at C grade or higher. In a statement, GCHQ said that work at the summer schools would cover a wide range of technologies. \"Students will learn about GCHQ's role in defending the UK against cyber-threats whilst being paid \u00a3250 a week,\" the agency said. Applications are now open at the GCHQ careers website.", "summary": "UK intelligence agency GCHQ has announced it will pay \u00a3250 per week to students attending its Cyber Summer Schools this year."}
{"article": "The 77-year-old retired farmer lives alone in his isolated rural cottage at Aughabrack near Dunamanagh. Neighbours heard him calling for help at about 20:00 GMT on Sunday. Two men rushed to help and used their car to block the gang's vehicle. As they approached, three men came running out, their faces masked by scarves. \"All I saw was the barrel of the shotgun being pointed at us. One of the gang was shouting; 'Shoot them, shoot them',\" one of the neighbours said. As the men withdrew, the gang managed to escape. The two neighbours gave chase before losing them on country roads. They returned to the house to find the elderly farmer badly shaken. It is understood he suffered serious burns to his arm when he tried to throw boiling water at his assailants. He had also been threatened with a knife. It's understood the shotgun used by the gang to threaten the neighbours belonged to the farmer. It was loaded. The pensioner is staying with relatives. Police are seeking information about a Seat car used by the gang. A Seat Toledo car CKZ 8800 was found burnt out at Daisyfield Park off the Letterkenny Road, Londonderry early on Monday. SDLP councillor Patsy Kelly described the gang who carried out the attack were \"cowards\".", "summary": "A gang of men who assaulted a County Tyrone pensioner during a robbery threatened to shoot two neighbours who came to his aid."}
{"article": "The Leyton Orient defender, who used to play for Liverpool, was held in Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, on Tuesday, the BBC understands. The Met Police said a 33-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman were arrested and taken to a west London police station. They have been bailed until late April. In a statement, Leyton Orient Football Club said: \"The club are aware of the incident reported earlier today involving Andrea Dossena.\" It added it would not comment further whilst it was being dealt with by the authorities. Dossena scored against Manchester United and Real Madrid while he was at Liverpool. After joining Liverpool for \u00a37m in July 2008, Dossena scored in the Reds' 4-0 win against Real Madrid in the Champions League in March 2009 and then again in the club's 4-1 away victory at Old Trafford against Manchester United. The Italian, who won 10 caps, joined Napoli in January 2010 before a spell at Sunderland in 2013-14. He joined League One Leyton Orient in November last year.", "summary": "Ex-Premier League footballer Andrea Dossena has been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting at London department store Harrods, the BBC has learned."}
{"article": "Save Fenton Town Hall say they are protesting because the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is selling the building. They say a World War One memorial is at risk of being destroyed if the building is sold. However, the government has said \"a legal covenant\" means any buyer would have a duty to preserve the memorial. The group said they wanted to see the building preserved for community use and were prepared to stay there all night. The magistrates' court, which was built in 1886 as a town hall, closed in December 2012 as part of government plans to shut 93 courts in England and Wales in a bid to save \u00c2\u00a341m. The Great War Memorial, which contains 498 names of soldiers from Fenton, is built into the wall of the court. An MoJ spokesman said: \"We are aware of the issue at the court. We understand the police are in attendance and the protest will be a matter for them.\"", "summary": "Some 30 campaigners have occupied a former town hall and magistrates' court in Stoke-on-Trent."}
{"article": "The Ivorian government has approved a near \u20ac6 million euros (\u00a35.1m) budget for the team's campaign in Gabon. It is an increase of \u20ac600,000 euros (\u00a3507,000) from the last finals in Equatorial Guinea two years ago. Ivory Coast kick off their tournament against Togo on 16 January, before facing DR Congo and Morocco in the group stage. The two-time champions opened a training camp in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Monday where they will face Sweden in a friendly on 8 January and will complete their warm-up with a game against Uganda, another Nations Cup-bound side, three days later. The Confederation of African Football has revealed the winners of this year's Nations Cup will collect $4m (\u00a33.26m) in prize money, which is a 64% increase from a previous $1.5m (\u00a31.2m). Kicking off on 14 January, the tournament ends with the final on 5 February.", "summary": "Defending champions Ivory Coast have been given extra financial support for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals."}
{"article": "At Warwick Crown Court her barrister accused the prosecution of launching a \"tabloid attack\" against her. Mrs Wadsworth and her husband Tony are on trial accused of indecently assaulting seven boys in the 1990s. The couple deny the offences and charges of outraging public decency. Mrs Wadsworth's barrister, David Hislop QC, criticised the prosecutions use of a \"Naughty but Nice\" charity calendar, in which Mrs Wadsworth posed as Lady Godiva, to suggest her career was forged \"on the twang of a stocking\". He suggested the prosecution used the calendar because of \"shortcomings in their evidence\". Mr Hislop claimed that prejudice and emotion had infected the investigation into allegations against the couple who previously worked for BBC Leicester and Birmingham-based BBC WM. He stressed to the jury that Mrs Wadsworth was not on trial to assess her morals. She accepts having sexual encounters with \"young men\" but denies they were underage. The couple, from Broughton Astley in Leicestershire, are charged with five counts of outraging public decency alleging they engaged in sexual activity \"against a tree\" in woodland in Warwickshire in view of others between July 1992 and June 1996. They deny the charges. Mrs Wadsworth has pleaded not guilty to 11 charges of indecent assault, while her husband denies nine counts of the same offence. The trial continues.", "summary": "Former BBC presenter Julie Wadsworth, accused of sex offences against under-age boys, is the victim of \"poisonous and untrue\" allegations, her defence claims."}
{"article": "The so-called \"cold cases\" include ones dating back to the founding of the force in 1974. Det Supt Simon Atkinson, from the Homicide and Major Inquiry team, said the money would be used to employ 35 new staff. The funding comes from the office of the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner. Det Supt Atkinson said: \"One undetected murder is one too many. \"That is why the PCC has announced these extra resources to recruit staff to review all these cases and we are determined to do our best to get some answers, to find the people responsible and to bring them to justice.\" He said major advances in forensic techniques could make a real difference in reviewing all 55 cases. West Yorkshire's most well-known unsolved murder cases include the death of 13-year-old Lindsay Rimer, from Hebden Bridge, in 1995. Her body was found in the Rochdale Canal five months after she disappeared. Lindsay's sister, Kate Rimer, said: \"We miss her so much and every memory of her is tainted because of what happened to her.\" Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson said: \"There are still people out there, in our communities, enjoying their liberty, who are responsible for terrible crimes. \"They present a real threat of further harm and need bringing to justice.\" Mr Burns-Williamson said the money had been found from spending reviews and would fund the team for 18 months.", "summary": "Funding of \u00a31.5m will be used to help West Yorkshire Police review 55 unsolved murders."}
{"article": "Glenn Murray put the Eagles ahead when he headed in from close range after Bolasie's deflected cross. Bolasie added a second soon afterwards as he poked the ball past Costel Pantilimon after Murray's knockdown. A lofted finish from Bolasie made it 3-0 and he completed his treble from Murray's pass before Connor Wickham volleyed in a late consolation. The result, the second time in three home games that Sunderland have conceded four goals, increases the Black Cats' relegation fears. Media playback is not supported on this device They have been in the Premier League for eight successive seasons but are now 16th in the table, only three points above QPR and Burnley. Sunderland have only six games left to save themselves, but their last two matches of the season are away at Arsenal and then at current leaders Chelsea. Dick Advocaat, brought in after former manager Gus Poyet had been sacked following a 4-0 home defeat by Aston Villa, had stressed the importance of this match to his side. But he was let down by some woeful defending as the hosts capitulated and conceded four goals in a 14-minute spell early in the second half. After a quiet first half that was low on quality and goalscoring chances, but high on fierce challenges, the match sprung into life within three minutes of the restart. Murray headed in his sixth goal in six games to set Palace on their way to their eighth win in 12 Premier League games since Alan Pardew took over at the start of the January. But even he could not have expected what was to follow. The hosts fell apart and three minutes later Bolasie, with one goal in his previous 27 league matches this season, got to Murray's flick-on first to make it 2-0. Media playback is not supported on this device The third goal was a poor one to concede, although Bolasie showed great technique to lift the ball over advancing Sunderland goalkeeper Pantilimon. Sunderland, who had beaten Newcastle 1-0 in their last match, fell further behind as Murray again linked up with Bolasie and he scored at the second attempt after being initially denied by Pantilimon. Advocaat had named what looked an attacking line-up with Jermain Defoe, Steven Fletcher and Wickham named in a three-man forward-line, although it took the hosts 44 minutes to record a shot on target. In front of a near-empty home support, who left the ground en masse after Palace's fourth goal, Wickham did well to steer the ball into the net in the 90th minute after Patrick van Aanholt's pullback. But it could not take the shine off Palace's day as they boosted their hopes of finishing in the top half of the Premier League for the first time ever. However, for Sunderland it was another dark day at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat said: \"We have to recover in 14 days with an away game against Stoke and we have to do better as this was not good enough. \"After the Newcastle game we did not", "summary": "Yannick Bolasie's 11-minute hat-trick helped Crystal Palace humiliate relegation-threatened Sunderland."}
{"article": "England's last one-day international tournament meeting with the Black Caps ended in an eight-wicket defeat at the World Cup in February 2015. Morgan says that heavy loss was like \"men against boys\", with New Zealand going on to reach the final. \"It's completely different now, two years down the line,\" said Morgan. England recovered later that year to beat Brendon McCullum's tourists 3-2. Another victory in Tuesday's match, which starts at 10:30 BST, would put them into the Champions Trophy last four, after New Zealand's game with Australia on Friday was abandoned because of rain. \"We've got a completely new team, pretty much,\" added Morgan. \"A lot of it has to do with confidence. We come into this tournament full of confidence. \"The dominant factor in New Zealand was that they had that confidence, whereas we didn't.\" Morgan's side face Australia at Edgbaston on Saturday in their final Group A game. Steve Finn has replaced injured all-rounder Chris Woakes in the squad and Morgan says the Middlesex seamer was an automatic choice. \"It was backing up consistency in selection and trying to get guys together as a group that we've showed trust in over the last couple of years,\" he said. \"We've tried to go like-for-like as often as we can. But when we can't, we go for a guy we can throw the ball to at any stage in order to try to make an impact in the game. \"Finny is one of those guys, and I'd have no hesitation in playing him if we felt it was the right thing to do.\"", "summary": "England captain Eoin Morgan says his side have the confidence to beat New Zealand in Cardiff on Tuesday and reach the Champions Trophy semi-finals."}
{"article": "The 8,000 capacity stadium at Huntington was due to open in August 2016 but will not be ready for occupation until around December, the club said. York Council said it would work with the Minstermen to \"minimise any impact to the club and its fans\". City said the delay would have \"very little impact\". In a statement, it added: \"Although some may be slightly frustrated that the club will not be in a position to move into the new stadium for the start of the 2016/17 season, ensuring the future development is built correctly is crucial in providing a fantastic new home for York City for decades to come.\" Work on the Jockey Lane site was expected to start in June but the council said it is still finalising contracts. A spokesman added: \"Once these matters are finalised the development phase can commence and work can begin on the stadium itself.\" York FC will continue to play at Bootham Crescent until the new stadium is complete. \"The club wish to point out that precedents have been set by fellow football clubs switching stadiums during a season and although some fans may not view it as ideal, the eventual move to the York Community Stadium will be fundamental in securing York City's long term future,\" the club said.", "summary": "A new \u00a337m home for York City FC will not be finished until part way through the 2016/17 football season."}
{"article": "He is the highest-ranking US official to publicly implicate Beijing since news of the data breach emerged. China always dismissed suggestions that it was behind the hacking. The statement comes after three days of high-level talks in which China and the US agreed to a \"code of conduct\". \"China remains the leading suspects,\" said Mr Clapper at a conference in Washington DC, but \"the US government continues to investigate\" he added, according to his office. Background to a \"massive\" hack in five points US hit by 'massive data breach' China military unit 'behind prolific hacking' At the Washington talks where cyber security was a top priority, US Secretary of State John Kerry said there was a need to work with China to develop a \"code of conduct\" on state behaviour in cyberspace - Chinese representatives had agreed with these conclusions. \"It's something that we agreed needs to be addressed and hopefully it can be addressed soon,\" State Department spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday. China has said any suggestion that it was behind the hacking is \"irresponsible and unscientific\".", "summary": "China is the \"leading suspect\" in the massive hack of a US government agency holding the personnel records of millions of Americans, US intelligence chief James Clapper has said."}
{"article": "Mae cronfa a elwir yn Daliad Tai yn \u00f4l Disgresiwn (DHP) yn cael ei roi i gynghorau sir bob blwyddyn gan Lywodraeth y DU. Bwriad yr arian yw helpu pobl lle nad yw eu budd-dal yn ddigonol ar gyfer talu rhent. Y cyngor sydd \u00e2'r penderfyniad i ddosbarthu'r arian i bobl sydd ei angen. Os nad yw'r arian yn cael ei wario erbyn ddiwedd mis Mawrth, mae'n mynd yn \u00f4l i'r Llywodraeth ac mae Cymru yn derbyn llai yn y flwyddyn ganlynol. Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Shelter Cymru: \"I filoedd o bobl yng Nghymru, Taliadau Tai yn \u00f4l Disgresiwn yw'r unig beth sy'n sefyll rhyngddyn nhw \u00e2 digartrefedd. \"Dangosodd ffigyrau yn 2015/16 bod cynghorau Cymru wedi anfon swm o \u00a3289,000 yn \u00f4l i San Steffan.\" O ganlyniad, yn gynharach yn y flwyddyn lansiodd Shelter Cymru ymgyrch \"Gwariwch neu fe Gollwch\" er mwyn codi ymwybyddiaeth am y gronfa ac annog cynghorau i wneud defnydd llawn o'r adnodd. Meddai Shelter: \"Gwnaeth rhai cynghorau fynd gam ymhellach i helpu pobl yn eu hardal gan ychwanegu arian ychwanegol i'r gronfa DHP. Gwnaeth eraill recriwtio staff ychwanegol i brosesu ceisiadau i sicrhau bod mwy o bobl yn cael eu helpu. \"Fodd bynnag, doedd y darlun ddim yr un peth ar draws Cymru gyda rhai cynghorau ddim hyd yn oed yn gwario'r swm yn llawn. \"Pam na wariwyd yr arian hwn? Rydym yn gwybod bod y galw yn uchel ar draws Cymru. Gyda mwy na 15,000 o bobl yn cael eu gwneud yn ddigartref bob blwyddyn, yn cynnwys dros 2,800 o blant, mae'r gronfa hon yn hollbwysig. Yn \u00f4l Shelter y pum cyngor a ddychwelodd y mwyaf o arian i Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig oedd Sir Gaerfyrddin, Gwynedd, Blaenau Gwent, Ceredigion a Wrecsam. \"Roedd y cynghorau hyn yn gyfrifol am tua 75% o'r tan wariant o \u00a3100,000 a gafodd ei ddychwelyd i 'r Adran Gwaith a Phensiynau. \"Gallai'r arian hwn fod wedi helpu o gwmpas 300 o aelwydydd i aros yn eu cartrefi ac osgoi digartrefedd.\" Wrth ymateb dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Cyngor Gwynedd wrth Cymru Fyw: \"Mae gan Gyngor Gwynedd bolisi Taliad Tai yn \u00f4l Disgresiwn (DHP) i sicrhau fod y modd yr ydym yn dyfarnu yn gyson a thryolyw ac wedi'i seilio ar haeddiant. \"Rydym yn hyrwyddo taliadau DHP mewn sawl ffordd, gan gynnwys gweithio yn agos gyda'n partneriaid megis Cymdeithasau Tai, Shelter Cymru a Chyngor ar Bopeth, ac rydym yn gwneud pob ymdrech i ddosbarthu'r dyraniad blynyddol sy'n cael ei dderbyn gan y Llywodraeth. \"Yn 2016/17, roedd ein dyraniad DHP gan y Llywodraeth yn \u00a3659,887, ac fe wnaethom lwyddo i ddosbarthu \u00a3646,656 sy'n cynrychioli 98%. \"Roedd ein dyraniad DHP yr ail uchaf trwy Gymru, gan fod y Llywodraeth (Adran Gwaith a Phensiynau) wedi cydnabod fod Gwynedd yn un o'r ardaloedd gyda'r poblogaeth lleiaf dwys ym Mhrydain. Mae hyn yn golygu fod yna lai o opsiynau ar gael i denantiaid lle mae eu Budd-dal Tai wedi ei effeithio gan doriadau diwygio lles.\" Yn y cyfamser, mae Shelter Cymru yn galw ar y cyhoedd i adael i ffrindiau, teulu a chymdogion i wybod y gallant o bosibl", "summary": "Nid yw cynghorau yn gwneud y gorau o arian sy'n cael ei roi iddyn nhw i helpu pobl sy'n cael trafferth talu rhent, medd elusen, Shelter Cymru."}
{"article": "Northumberland County Council is planning to scrap Haydon Bridge station as well as downsizing West Harton Community Station. Dave Ledger, chairman of the Northumberland Fire and Rescue Authority, said the council had \"no choice\" but to make the cuts. The council also plans to scrap engines in Ponteland, Seahouses and Wooler and replace them with smaller appliances. It has to save \u00a3500,000 on top of \u00a31.5m cuts and has just finished a three-month consultation on its proposals. The authority said a number of concerns had been raised, including how the county would cope in the face of further flooding when fire crews are called to help. During the consultation it received three petitions, 84 online responses and 76 letters raising concerns over the plans, a spokesman said. Mr Ledger, who is also the deputy Labour leader of Northumberland County Council, said: \"To say I am concerned about the future is an understatement. \"We simply have no choice. The Government keeps saying we have choices - well I'd like them to tell us what the choices are.\" The fire service has 88 full-time firefighters and 180 on-call officers in the county. A full cabinet meeting will be held on 21 March when a final decision will be made. Mr Ledger added: \"Should the recommendation be approved, we will continue to have 21 emergency response vehicles and, through the introduction of smaller fire appliances, in some areas we will be able to increase the cover we provide.\"", "summary": "A fire station in Northumberland is facing closure amid \u00a3500k budget cuts."}
{"article": "The BHA aims to halt a decline in the number of horses taking part in races lower down the scale with an increase in prize money and appearance fees. The scheme has the support of the Racecourse Association and Horsemen's Group. The proposals come as the 2018 fixture list is released, with 1,508 meetings next year, 11 more than in 2017. Richard Wayman, chief operating officer for the BHA, said: \"Although there has been growth in total prize money in recent years, much of this has been at the top end. The returns to our sport's participants further down the scale are simply not sufficient at present to be sustainable. \"Targeting grassroots with extra funding will help racing's participants to maintain their involvement in the sport, keeping more horses in training, as well as helping with the recruitment and retention of staff to care for our horses.\" The BHA proposes to invest additional levy income in racing from 2018, with the aim of delivering three key objectives for the sport - supporting ownership, delivering more competitive and compelling racing, and increasing customer engagement. A statement by the BHA proposed that, in addition to the increased number on meetings next year, there will also be \"customer-friendly slots on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons throughout summer with the aim of increasing attendances\". \"We need the fixture list and race programme to work in a manner that meets our customer's requirements. As customer and betting habits change it is essential that our sport evolves with them,\" Wayman added.", "summary": "Grassroots racing will receive an extra \u00a39.7m in 2018 under new proposals from the British Horseracing Authority."}
{"article": "The National Housing Federation inquiry shows a worker paid the region's average wage - \u00a323,405 - would need close to a \u00a315,000 pay rise to qualify for an 80% mortgage. The average home in the region costs almost \u00a3166,000, more than seven times the average salary. In Harrogate, North Yorkshire, the average cost rises to 11 times salary. The NHF report shows Harrogate has an average house cost of almost \u00a3277,000, where the average salary is still \u00a324,731. In comparison it found in Barnsley, Hull, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire the average house cost less than six times the average salary. \u00a3277,000 Average house price in Harrogate \u00a3166,000 Average house price in Yorkshire and the Humber \u00a338,000 The minimum salary needed for an 80% mortgage \u00a323,405 Average salary in Yorkshire and the Humber The cost of renting or buying a home in the region was getting \"further out of reach for many\", according to the NHF. Jo Allen, of the NHF, said: \"In some places people are completely priced out of their local communities. In others we see areas which need employment opportunities and investment in empty homes.\" The foundation represents independent non-profit housing associations in the United Kingdom. It uses the mean average for house costs and wages and assumes an 80% mortgage based on a lending ratio of 3.5 times salary. Salary data is based on the Annual Survey on Hours and Employment by the Office for National Statistics. Yorkshire and the Humber is one of nine regions of England identified for statistical purposes.", "summary": "Workers need to earn about \u00a338,000 a year to afford a mortgage in Yorkshire and the Humber region, a report said."}
{"article": "The assessment, to be published in mid-October, will be used to inform parties at Northern Ireland's political talks. In a statement on Friday, Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said she is also to establish a fund to tackle organised crime associated with paramilitary groups. The two unionist parties now say they will join cross-party talks on Monday. Unionists had said the issue of continued paramilitary activity was crucial to their involvement. Democratic Unionist Party leader Peter Robinson said he was \"content\" with the announcement. \"Policing and security in Northern Ireland is not just the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive, the secretary of state has a particular responsibility as well,\" Mr Robinson said. The National Crime Agency (NCA) became operational in Northern Ireland in May. Given its wide-ranging remit and resources, it would be reasonable to assume it knows the extent of paramilitary involvement in organised crime in Northern Ireland. It should be in a position to provide an assessment of paramilitary involvement to the Northern Ireland Secretary and political parties. So, it seems unlikely that the review to be published by the independent panel in October will tell Theresa Villiers and political parties anything they could not be told today by the NCA and the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Read more He said \"permanent and statutory steps\" to address paramilitary activity and links should be determined within the talks process. The Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt described Ms Villiers statement as a \"positive step forward\". Ms Villiers said the assessment of paramilitaries would be carried out by UK security agencies and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and would be reviewed and checked by three people whose names would be announced early next week. \"I also intend to establish dedicated funding aimed at increasing the capability of agencies working to tackle criminality and organised crime associated with paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland,\" she said. \"It will support agencies to enhance specialist capabilities such as forensic accounting to strengthen their capacity to seize criminal assets. \"Lastly, I am planning to discuss with the Northern Ireland justice minister and the Irish justice minister how we can work best together in our efforts to tackle cross-border crime.\" Read more on how the crisis unfolded In response, Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in's Martin McGuinness said: \"Obviously with today's developments and the response of unionist leaders, as we hoped all-party talks will resume on Monday. \"We're entering the talks on Monday in a positive and constructive spirit.\" But on the subject of the assessment, the deputy first minister added: \"I don't think anybody is going to learn anything over the next four weeks that they didn't know over the last 20 years.\" The Police Service of Northern Ireland's Chief Constable George Hamilton said he welcomed the \"clear focus\" on organised crime that the assessment would provide. Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan said it would be a \"once-off exercise\". He added that it was intended to assist the political parties in considering \"how the impact and legacy of paramilitary activity should best be addressed\". Alliance Party leader David", "summary": "The government has commissioned an independent assessment of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland."}
{"article": "Father-of-two Greg Gilbert, 39, from Southampton, has been diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer. His fianc\u00e9e Stacey Heale said his only chance of survival was to go abroad for treatment which she said was not available to him on the NHS. GoFundMe said the appeal was one of the \"fastest ever\" campaigns on its site. More than 4,000 people have so far donated to the fundraising page, posted at 10:30 GMT on Wednesday, including music stars Craig David and Ellie Goulding. In a Facebook post, Mr Gilbert said the response was \" truly humbling\". \"I can't begin to express our gratitude - not a penny is being taken for granted and we've been moved to tears many times over the last few days reading the supportive messages from not only friends and family but also strangers from all over the world.\" Ms Heale said she and Mr Gilbert had been \"in tears and holding hands\" as they watched the pledges come in. She said: \"It's been overwhelming; our phone has been ringing off the hook. I was refreshing the page this morning and were just like, 'oh my God, we've done it'. \"Grateful doesn't cover it. We've had one person donate \u00a32,000. After such a difficult year for people, to have this at Christmas is so hopeful for us.\" Ms Heale said she was researching options for treatment, including personalised immunotherapy in Germany and the USA. She said she was considering posting a new fundraising target of \u00a3250,000, after a private specialist warned that Mr Gilbert's medical bills could amount to \u00a3100,000 a year. Writing on the funding page, Ms Heale said her fianc\u00e9e had begun chemotherapy for the cancer, which had spread to his lungs. She said she was disappointed the drug Avastin, for advanced bowel cancers, was currently not routinely available on the NHS. A fundraising gig has been organised on 5 January at the Southampton venue, the Joiners, where Delays have played many times during their career. The band was formed in Southampton in 2001 by brothers Greg and Aaron Gilbert with Colin Fox and Rowly.", "summary": "An appeal to pay for cancer treatment for the lead singer of indie band Delays has reached its \u00a3100,000 target in 48 hours."}
{"article": "Although ratification in national parliaments will be needed before its total application, approval of the deal would be an important symbolic moment. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is due to speak to MEPs on Thursday, the day after the ratification vote. The speech will be the first made to a full meeting of the Parliament by a Canadian PM. New Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen will also make his first address to MEPs on Tuesday. As well as that, MEPs are due to vote on new legislation relating to border checks and terrorist offences. They will also vote on a motion setting out their position on where the EU should go after Brexit. Here are the main events coming up in the week ahead... The sitting will kick off in the afternoon with a debate on ways to promote greater use of natural pesticides in European farming. In a motion on Wednesday, MEPs are likely to call for current EU authorisation rules for such pesticides to be eased. The day's main debate is on suggestions for improving the EU's Emissions Trading System (ETS), a scheme which aims to reduce carbon emissions. The scheme works by making large power plants buy \"allowances\" authorising them to emit greenhouse gases, within an overall agreed limit. Critics of the system say it is ineffective because the price of permits is too low and the overall cap has become overly generous due to lower economic activity. The EU Commission has proposed to increase the speed at which emissions permits are withdrawn from the market in the nine years running up to 2030. MEPs will take a position on the changes on Wednesday, although the necessary agreement from EU governments on where to go from here has not yet been found. In the evening, they will debate non-binding reports in a number of areas, including one on the EU's competition policy. They will also debate a draft motion which calls for whistleblowers to gain greater protection in EU law. The day begins with a debate on three separate motions on the future of the treaties and powers of the EU. These non-binding reports will set out the Parliament's position on the bloc's future ahead of next month's events to mark the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. The most notable is the one drafted by the assembly's Brexit observer Guy Verhofstadt, which calls for a \"comprehensive\" review of the EU's current treaties. Among the many recommendations endorsed at committee stage was a call for the European Banking Authority and the European Medicines Agency - both currently based in London - to be moved out of the UK after Brexit. The three motions - along with amendments - will be put to a vote on Thursday. At lunchtime, MEPs will decide whether to support an agreement to allow Europol to conclude data-sharing powers with Denmark after it quits the body. Denmark is due to leave the EU police co-operation agency in May, when it is due to acquire a raft of new powers. Continued membership would have", "summary": "After seven years of talks, MEPs will finally decide whether to ratify the EU's trade deal with Canada during their plenary sitting in Strasbourg this week."}
{"article": "3 February 2015 Last updated at 17:47 GMT He's been in prolific goal scoring form for Derry City and by the time he tucked himself into bed on Monday night, the transfer window had closed and Michael Duffy was living his boyhood dream. He will be moving to Celtic after passing a medical and agreeing personal terms with the Scottish champions. BBC Newsline's North West reporter Keiron Tourish has more.", "summary": "He's 20 and a Northern Ireland U21 international."}
{"article": "The Northern Ireland striker headed home on the hour mark as Ian Cathro's side struggled at Borough Briggs. Dunfermline, having played a game more, top Group B after a 9-8 penalty shootout win over East Fife following a goalless draw. The shootout victory meant the Pars picked up two points with East Fife taking one. After 17 penalties without a miss, Ben Gordon was the unlucky man to fail with his spot-kick. Hearts head coach Cathro was happy to see summer signing Lafferty open his account for the club. \"We anticipated it would be difficult, it's not an easy place to come and play,\" he told BBC Scotland. \"They defended well and we had to be patient. \"I'm pleased that we stayed calm and that Kyle (Lafferty) got a goal. It was a good finish.\" In Group A, Inverness Caledonian Thistle held on to top spot despite needing a shootout following a 0-0 draw away to Stirling Albion. Liam Polworth and Iain Vigurs were the only ones to score in the shootout to hand John Robertson's men a 2-0 win on penalties and the bonus point. In the derby between Brechin City and Forfar Athletic, Mark Millar took the game to spot-kicks with a late penalty after Isaac layne had given Brechin a second-half lead. Brechin moved into third place, one point behind Falkirk, after Kalvin Orsi's winning penalty earned the bonus point. Inverness Caley Thistle manager John Robertson blamed a lack of a killer instinct for his side failing to earn all three points. \"In terms of the ball, we dominated most of the match,\" said Robertson. \"We knew Stirling would be at it and they were, all credit to Dave Mackay and his team. \"We lacked belief in the first half, had great chances to score and didn't take them. Second half we said up the tempo and get at them, which we did. But we just couldn't find that killer instinct. \"The more it went, the more frustrating it was. I thought we were going to be here until midnight with the penalties. Two scored out of eight, that's incredible. Two of our guys missed the target and for professional players that's bad technique.\"", "summary": "Kyle Lafferty scored on his debut to give Hearts a 1-0 win over League Two Elgin City in the League Cup."}
{"article": "Dubbed \"swirl face\" due to efforts he made to disguise himself, Neil is classed a \"high-risk sex offender\". The 42-year-old Canadian was arrested in Thailand in 2007 following a global manhunt and a worldwide appeal for public information by Interpol. He has spent time in jail in both Thailand and Canada for sexually abusing young boys. Corrections officials from the province of British Columbia (BC) issued a public warning following Neil's release on Sunday. BC Corrections spokeswoman Cindy Rose said in a statement that Neil will be \"subject to an intensive level of monitoring and supervision in the community\". It includes: Neil was arrested 10 years ago when Interpol, the international police agency, appealed for help after experts unscrambled his digitally-swirled internet photos. It was the first time Interpol had made a direct worldwide appeal for public information in a case. Online images of Neil showing him abusing young boys had been manipulated to disguise his face with a swirl pattern, but German computer specialists were able to produce identifiable images. Neil was jailed in Thailand between August 2008 and September 2012 following a conviction for sexual offences against two boys. He was released and deported to Canada. In December 2015 he pleaded guilty to five new charges involving the sexual abuse of young boys in Cambodia and possession of child pornography in Canada. His sentenced was reduced due to time already served. Neil, originally from Maple Ridge, BC, had spent about 15 years in Asia teaching English.", "summary": "Convicted paedophile Christopher Paul Neil has been released from custody and will settle in Vancouver."}
{"article": "It looked at the number of accidents recorded at each junction, then weighted the results according to the severity of injuries sustained and how many cyclists were active in the area. The Arkleston Road/A761 junction in Paisley headed the list. The charity, which promotes walking and cycling, said the results highlight the importance of better infrastructure. The findings will be presented at the Scottish Transport Applications and Research conference this week. Locations with dangerous junctions included Wallyford, Dundee, Tranent, Inverness and Stirling. Roundabouts were featured in eight of the dangerous junctions, with seven others being T-junctions or staggered junctions. Sustrans Scotland director John Lauder said: \"Safety is often cited as the main reason why people don't cycle for more of the journeys they make every day. \"This research highlights the importance of having high-quality cycling infrastructure in place at junctions, so that collisions can be prevented. \"We know that better cycle infrastructure increases the feeling of safety and ultimately the number of people on bikes.\" He added: \"Put quite simply: the more people in a place who cycle, the safer it becomes for everyone.\" Sustrans Scotland has been working with local authorities to address some of the specific concerns. It contributed to a consultation on improving one of Edinburgh's busiest junctions, at Sheriffhall roundabout. A Transport Scotland spokesman said: \"The Scottish government remains committed to undertaking improvements at Sheriffhall roundabout having announced the preferred route option earlier this year. \"As part of the scheme, grade separation at Sheriffhall will improve access for pedestrians and cyclists compared to the existing arrangement. \"By allowing Edinburgh City Bypass traffic to pass over it will significantly reduce congestion and improve accessibility for all modes of transport including pedestrians and cyclists.\"", "summary": "A list of the country's top 20 cycling collision hotspots has been drawn up by the charity Sustrans Scotland."}
{"article": "The 70-year-old will take charge of pre-season after having a tumour removed from his bladder, the Sun on Sunday has reported. Tests later showed that the tumour was not malignant, but Redknapp will have further check-ups every three months. \"I could feel it in my body - I knew it wasn't right. This is the first time I've been properly worried,\" he said. Redknapp took charge of the Championship club in April after Gianfranco Zola resigned, and succeeded in saving them from relegation. The former West Ham and Tottenham boss signed a one-year contract with Birmingham the following month. He told the paper that it was his wife Sandra who urged him to seek medical advice. \"They cut it out, took it away, sent it away to make sure it is not malignant and luckily everything was OK. I know I am fortunate,\" Redknapp said. \"They cut it out, there was no other option. Once they did that I was up and about after a couple of days. I am relaxed about it now because what can you do?\" Redknapp and the Birmingham squad arrived in Austria on Sunday for a pre-season trip that will see them play friendly matches against German club Union Berlin and Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona from Israel.", "summary": "Birmingham City boss Harry Redknapp has been given the all-clear by doctors after emergency cancer surgery."}
{"article": "Notts folded on the eve of the Women's Super League One Spring Series season, prompting concern that players would be left without a club for the campaign. Players told the BBC on Friday that the timing had left them \"abandoned\". Four of England's squad for Euro 2017 - Carly Telford, Jo Potter, Laura Bassett and Jade Moore - played for Notts. A Football Association statement on Thursday said: \"The FA can confirm that it has given Notts County Ladies players the opportunity to move to new clubs within England with immediate effect. \"Following Notts County's decision last week to terminate its women's team, the FA has worked closely with the PFA and wider stakeholders to enable players to find new clubs as soon as possible. \"Players are now in a position to sign for new clubs in England. They may also move to leagues in other countries where the transfer window is open.\" A statement from the Professional Footballers' Association on Friday had said: \"We have also been in discussions with the FA and FAWSL to ensure that players can register with other clubs outside of the transfer window given the exceptional circumstances the players find themselves in due to no fault of their own.\" What remains unclear is how many WSL clubs will have contingency within their budgets for the Spring Series to sign additional players.", "summary": "Notts County Ladies players will be allowed to sign for other sides after the club were liquidated, despite the English transfer window being closed."}
{"article": "It has announced that loans made to students in England between 2002 and 2006 will be put up for sale - to be followed by other pre-2012 loans - with the aim of raising \u00a312bn. Universities Minister Jo Johnson said the sale would have \"no impact on people with student loans\". But the National Union of Students said it was an \"ugly move on students\". \"It is outrageous that bankers will profit off the backs of graduates who took out loans because they had no other option,\" said the union's vice-president Sorana Vieru. The government has had a long-standing aim to sell the student loan book to private investors - with types of loans being sold in separate stages. Over the next four years it aims to dispose of the loans from before 2012, when tuition fees in England were trebled to \u00a39,000 per year. The slice of loans now being put on sale - dating from 2002 to 2006 - have a face value of \u00a34bn. The government is promising that there will be \"no changes to the terms and conditions\" for borrowers - so that rates of repayment for former students will remain the same. It means that interest on these student loans will become an income for private investors, but repayments will continue to be collected through taxation and the Student Loans Company. The Intergenerational Foundation think tank has calculated that a student borrowing for three years' tuition could pay back \u00a354,000 - before debts are cancelled after 30 years. The Universities Minister Jo Johnson says the sale of assets is part of the drive to bring \"public finances under control\". But he said it would \"only proceed once we are satisfied that it represents value for money for the taxpayer\". David Gauke, chief secretary to the Treasury, said it was the right time to start the sale process. \"This sale makes sense for taxpayers and will play an important contribution in our work to repair the public finances,\" he said. But John Pugh, the Liberal Democrats education spokesman, said: \"The Conservative Brexit fire-sale is well underway, as ministers scrabble around to sell just about anything that isn't nailed down.\" Earlier versions of student loans have previously been sold - but it is now approaching the point in which the bigger \"income-contingent loans\", introduced in 2006 when fees rose to \u00a33,000, will be the next in line for sale. The National Union of Students attacked the sale as \"economic illiteracy\" and warned that it would begin a process in which loans would have to be made more attractive to private buyers - at the expense of student borrowers. \"It doesn't just penalise students and graduates, it is taking money from the public purse which could and should be spent on services over the long term,\" said Ms Vieru. However, Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said that there was much \"misinformation\" about the sale of loans, and the key issue was making sure that the taxpayer received good value. \"What the government is doing may make", "summary": "The government has started the process of selling more student loan debt to the private financial sector."}
{"article": "It was widely anticipated the Spending Review would confirm the need for police efficiencies would remain at the top of the agenda, at least until 2020. The Home Office is not one of the favoured \"protected\" ministries shielded from cuts. And as 71% of its gross spending goes on crime and policing, that is where most of the department's cuts have bitten. Add to that Home Secretary Theresa May's determination to reform policing, and there was a strong sense the government would not change course. That was certainly the expectation at Manchester Town Hall, where chief constables and police and crime commissioners (PCCs) had gathered for their annual joint conference. At 12:30, a large group of them took their places around a television set in a room set aside for exhibitors to watch the chancellor's statement. The mood was sombre. Most chiefs and PCCs had been planning for cuts of 20-25%. The Inspectorate of Constabulary had suggested that by 2018, forces would have to shed at least 12,000 officer, staff and police community support officer (PCSO) posts, with further reductions after that. The inspectorate, known for its careful, measured commentary, warned some forces might not be able to withstand another round of cuts, because they were not efficient enough. It said the \"operational viability\" of some could be \"in jeopardy\". The National Police Chiefs Council, which co-ordinates the work of forces, feared the job losses would be even worse - 35,000 by 2020, which, Sara Thornton, who chairs the council, said in July, would be a \"game changer\". Constabularies with large urban areas stood to lose the most, as they tend to rely more on Home Office funding, among them Northumbria, which gets 85% of its income from central government, and the West Midlands, 83%. So, when the announcement came, towards the end of Mr Osborne's statement, that there would be no further policing cuts, there was genuine disbelief, mixed with delight. Kevin Hurley, Surrey's PCC, described the atmosphere as \"euphoric\", as though England had won the World Cup. Essex Chief Constable Steve Kavanagh held his hand over his mouth in shock. \"I'm aghast,\" he said. At moments such as this, journalists reach for the official documents to look at the small print. Could it really be true? The Treasury statement appears unequivocal. \"The government will protect overall police spending in line with inflation - an increase of \u00c2\u00a3900m by 2019-20,\" it says. The Home Office press release, however, says the funding will enable individual forces to maintain their budgets at current cash levels. That means each force will not automatically get enough money to keep pace with inflation. They will get the same in 2019-20 as they are getting this year. Instead, extra funding will be distributed in certain specialist policing areas - firearms, tackling cybercrime and child sexual exploitation, some of which might be dealt with regionally - as well as to forces that demonstrate efficiencies. It is that extra funding that enables the government to say overall police funding is going up in real terms. In other words, the", "summary": "Finding savings and fending off cuts has dominated the policing debate in England and Wales for more than five years."}
{"article": "Watch out for plenty of brinkmanship, particularly on a key amendment to the Criminal Finances Bill (see below). This will also make the whole timetable pretty fluid and prone to last minute alteration as new events are crowbarred in. A few of the MPs who are departing at this election may deliver their Commons swansongs - and the final PMQs could be a particularly bare-knuckle occasion. Meanwhile, up on the committee corridor, it's raining reports, as the various select committees rush out the results of their inquiries - up to 50 more reports should be out before dissolution. The subjects include: the Women and Equalities Committee on Building for Equality: Disability and the Built Environment; the Education Committee on Exiting the EU: challenges and opportunities for higher education; Scottish Affairs on Jobcentre Plus closures, and Public Accounts (which has quite a few offerings in the pipeline) on the HMRC Estate. The Commons meets at 2.30 pm for Communities and Local Government questions - with any urgent questions or ministerial statements likely to be slotted in at 3.30pm. The main event will be the rushing through of the Northern Ireland (Ministerial Appointments and Regional Rates) Bill, which is designed to keep the devolved system in place while the political parties on the Assembly negotiate to set up a new executive. The adjournment led by the Conservative Richard Drax in on primates as pets - it will raise the issues highlighted in a petition of more than 110,000 signatures calling for new welfare standards for primates. This had been gathered by visitors to Monkey World, a primate rescue centre in Mr Drax's constituency, which calls for a change the law so that those who want to keep primates have to meet exacting standards of welfare that equal those found in zoos and wildlife parks. In Westminster Hall (4.30pm) MPs debate e-petition 172405 on closed book examinations for GCSE English Literature. The exams require students to learn and memorise as many as 250 quotations from 15 poems, two plays and a novella. The petition argues that the exams should not test the student's memory, but how they interpret texts. The petition has attracted 109,285 signatures. The scheduled hearing of the Commons Liaison Committee, the super committee of select committee chairs with the prime minister, has been cancelled because of the election. They now aim to hold a hearing as soon as possible in the new parliament, but since the new set of chairs are unlikely to be in place before mid-July, that may not be before the summer recess. In the Lords, business opens (2.30pm) with tributes to Sir David Beamish who has stood down as the top official of the House, the Clerk of the Parliaments (the Clerk of the Commons is \"under-clerk\") to be led by the Leader of the House, Baroness Evans. And then peers move on to a series of orders and regulations, including the Trade Union (Deduction of Union Subscriptions from Wages in the Public Sector) Regulations 2017, the Immigration Act 2016 (Consequential Amendments) (Biometrics and Legal Aid) Regulations 2017,", "summary": "It's the last rites of the 2015 Parliament - and in a frenzy of last minute deal-making, the legislation which can be completed will be rushed to the finishing line, while all manner of bills and other parliamentary business is dropped for lack of time."}
{"article": "All Japan's nuclear plants were gradually shut down after a series of meltdowns at the Fukushima plant sparked by the tsunami and earthquake. But after passing stringent new safety tests, Kyushu Electric Power restarted the number one reactor at its Sendai plant on Tuesday morning. There is still strong public unease about a return to nuclear power. Protests have been taking place outside the Sendai plant and at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's residence in Tokyo, about 1,000 km (600 miles) away. The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo says that after being told a disaster like Fukushima could never happen, public confidence has been shaken. A total of 25 plants have applied to be restarted, he says, but all are facing legal challenges from concerned locals. What is happening inside the Sendai reactor? Kyushu said reactor No.1 at Sendai began operating again at 10:30 local time (01:30 GMT). TV images showed the plant's control room as workers turned the reactor back on. Kyushu Electric spokesman Tomomitsu Sakata said the reactor had gone back online without any problems. It will be about 24 hours before a full reaction takes place, and the plant is expected to start generating power by Friday. It will reach full capacity some time next month. Prime Minister Abe said on Monday that the reactors had passed \"the world's toughest safety screening\". \"I would like Kyushu Electric to put safety first and take utmost precautions for the restart,\" he said. Since shutting down all nuclear plants, Japan has been relying on imported fossil fuels for its energy, at huge expense. The government has said nuclear power must resume to cut both import bills and growing CO2 emissions. Experts have also warned that reactors left idle for years tend to experience teething problems and that such a mass restart of dormant reactors has never been attempted before, says our correspondent. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority approved two reactors at the Sendai plant last September under stricter safety rules. The second reactor is due to be restarted in October. More than $100m (\u00c2\u00a364m) has been spent on fitting new safety systems at the Sendai plant. But local residents say the new safety regulations are not stringent enough - they are worried about potential dangers from active volcanoes in the region. Protesters were rallied by Naoto Kan, prime minister at the time of the Fukushima crisis, who told the crowd: \"We don't need nuclear plants.\" He said the Fukushima disaster had \"exposed the myth of safe and cheap nuclear power, which turned out to be dangerous and expensive\". One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded struck off the coast of Japan in March 2011, triggering a huge tsunami which damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant, leading to meltdown. Almost 16,000 people died and more than 2,500 are still listed as missing, though none of the deaths has been linked to the nuclear disaster. Some 160,000 people were evacuated from the surrounding areas in the following weeks - continuing high radiation levels mean most have never been able to return home.", "summary": "Japan has restarted its first nuclear reactor under new safety rules following the 2011 Fukushima disaster."}
{"article": "The Northampton skipper will not be able to play until 14 May, meaning he is free to take part in England's June tour to South Africa if selected. Ireland flanker Ferris drew attention to the incident during England's 30-9 Six Nations victory on 17 March, but it was not spotted by referee Nigel Owens. \"I am disappointed by the result,\" said Hartley, who may decide to appeal. \"I will wait for the written judgment as to how the panel came to their conclusion. \"I now have to put it behind me and focus on supporting Saints in training and off the field.\" Hartley has been ruled out of the rest of the regular domestic season but he could return if Saints reach the Premiership final on 26 May. The lowest suspension for biting is 12 weeks, with a maximum sanction of four years. But an independent Six Nations disciplinary committee decided Hartley's case was worthy of a lesser punishment after Tuesday's hearing. \"The offence merited a low entry point in the International Rugby Board's table of sanctions and allowed mitigation of four weeks,\" said a statement released by the committee. The panel listened to evidence from both Hartley and Ferris, who spoke via videolink, while England forwards coach Graham Rowntree and Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder also represented their player. Rowntree said: \"It is unfortunate for Dylan and Northampton, especially as he was in good form during the Six Nations, and he has developed as a player and a leader. \"However, we are looking forward to him being available for the tour to South Africa.\" Mallinder added: \"We are disappointed that Dylan has been suspended, especially at a crucial part of the season.\" It is the second time Hartley has received a lengthy suspension from the game. He received a six-month ban for eye gouging while playing for Northampton against Wasps in 2007.", "summary": "England hooker Dylan Hartley has been handed an eight-week ban for biting the finger of Ireland's Stephen Ferris."}
{"article": "The pro-European cabinet minister said UKIP had no positive policies and was just \"against\" foreigners. UKIP leader Nigel Farage hit back by accusing Mr Clarke of holding millions of British people \"in utter contempt\". He said Mr Clarke was \"obviously not interested\" in winning back disaffected Tory voters at Thursday's local elections in England and Wales. It comes as UKIP accused the Tories of conducting a \"morally reprehensible\" smear campaign against its local election candidates. The anti-EU party has expanded rapidly, recruiting a record 1,732 candidates to contest Thursday's local elections. It admits it has not had the time or money to vet all of them properly. UKIP says it has evidence that smears about its candidates are being spread by Conservative Central Office, which it claims has been trawling would-be UKIP councillors' Twitter and Facebook pages for months. \"Were we inclined to return the favour, we would find even more examples to use against them. \"We deem that using our candidates as cannon fodder to undermine a political campaign (is) morally reprehensible and downright dirty,\" said a spokesman. The party is investigating six candidates over links to the BNP and other far right groups or alleged racist and homophobic comments, following stories in national and local newspapers. \"I am glad they have found some candidates in the BNP because we don't want them. We are quite pleased. We don't want these people in the party,\" a UKIP spokesman said. He said the row showed the Conservative Party was \"rattled\" by UKIP, which is hoping to make significant gains in Tory heartlands on Thursday, but added: \"This isn't scrutiny, it's smear.\" Asked on the BBC's Andrew Marr show about UKIP's claims, Transport Secretary Patrick McLaughlin said all candidates had to be scrutinised, but added: \"I don't know anything about a smear campaign.\" But his cabinet colleague, Ken Clarke, minister without portfolio, added fuel to the row in an interview with Sky News. He said: \"They of course have not been able to vet their candidates. Fringe right parties do tend to collect a number of waifs and strays... \"Some of them are saying quite different things now they are in politics than their actual views.\" Asked whether he agreed with David Cameron's 2006 claim that UKIP was made up of \"fruitcakes and closet racists\", Mr Clarke replied: \"I have met people who satisfy both those descriptions in UKIP. \"Indeed, some of the people who have assured me they are going to vote UKIP I would put in that category. I rather suspect they have never voted for me.\" Mr Clarke said he was sure that \"most of the UKIP people are perfectly nice when they are having a drink\". But he added: \"The trouble with UKIP really is it is just a protest party. \"It is against the political class, it is against foreigners, it is against immigrants. But it does not have any very positive policies. They do not know what they are for.\" He added: \"The temptation to ordinary voters to UKIP is these are very difficult times, the political", "summary": "Veteran Tory Ken Clarke has waded into his party's war of words with UKIP by branding them \"a collection of clowns\"."}
{"article": "Fe gafodd corff Christine Solik, oedd yn 57 oed ac yn wreiddiol o Aberpennar, ei ddarganfod wedi'i glymu 50 milltir o'i chartref yn nhalaith Kwazulu-Natal. Yna ddydd Llun fe gafodd corff ei g\u0175r Roger, oedd yn 66 oed, ei ddarganfod gerllaw. Mae'r heddlu yn Ne Affrica yn credu bod y cwpwl wedi cael eu herwgipio o'u cartref yn ystod lladrad ddydd Gwener, 17 Chwefror. Fe wnaeth Mrs Solik ddychwelyd i Gymru fis diwethaf i fynd i angladd ei thad Glyn Savage. Mae pedwar plentyn y cwpwl wedi cyhoeddi datganiad yn annog pobl i roi cymorth wedi'r lladrad. Fe ddywed y datganiad: \"Roedd ein rhieni yn anwahanadwy ac roedd eu perthynas yn ysbrydoliaeth. \"Mae'n anodd deall sut y gallai rhywbeth mor dreisgar ddigwydd ar eu st\u00e2d fferm gymunedol, gyda bryniau naturiol hyfryd a chymdogion 100 metr i ffwrdd.\" Fe wnaeth y cwpwl, sydd hefyd \u00e2 dau o wyrion, briodi yng Nghymru yn 1980 a symud i Dde Affrica y flwyddyn ganlynol. Yn wreiddiol fe wnaethon nhw ymfudo am ddwy flynedd, ond yna fe wnaethon nhw benderfynu aros yn Ne Affrica.", "summary": "Mae cwpwl, o dde Cymru yn wreiddiol, wedi cael eu llofruddio yn Ne Affrica."}
{"article": "Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi announced that Tiran and Sanafir would be transferred in April, during a visit by Saudi Arabia's King Salman. More than 150 people were jailed in connection with protests over the deal, though many were later acquitted or had their sentences reduced on appeal. The Egyptian government has said it will challenge Tuesday's ruling. Tiran and Sanafir are uninhabited and located at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, a strategic part of the Red Sea bordered by Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Egyptian troops have been stationed there since 1950 at Riyadh's request. Mr Sisi's decision in April to cede control of them to Saudi Arabia sparked widespread criticism. The president was accused of violating the constitution and \"selling\" the islands in return for a multi-billion dollar aid package unveiled by King Salman during his visit. But Mr Sisi insisted that Tiran and Sanafir had always belonged to Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday, Egypt's State Council, an administrative court, issued a verdict annulling April's maritime borders agreement between Cairo and Riyadh. The maritime border agreement signed earlier this year between Egypt and Saudi Arabia took many Egyptians by surprise. Since then, protesters have taken to the streets calling the arrangement unconstitutional, and accusing the government of giving away Egyptian territories in return for aid packages and investments worth billions of dollars from Saudi Arabia, a strong backer of President Sisi. Some of these protesters were arrested and charged with disrupting public order. A few are still behind bars. The lawsuit was filed by a number of prominent human rights lawyers, headed by a former presidential candidate, Khaled Ali. When the verdict was issued, many cheered inside the courtroom, chanting \"the islands are Egyptian\". But the legal battle has not come to an end yet, because the decision can be appealed. The verdict stated that the two islands would \"remain under Egyptian sovereignty\". If it is approved by the country's High Administrative Court it will become legally binding. However, the State Lawsuits Authority, which represents the Egyptian state in lawsuits, said on Tuesday evening that it would challenge the ruling, state television reported. Mr Sisi has cracked down on all dissent since leading the military's overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. Since then, more than 1,000 people have been killed and 40,000 are believed to have been jailed, most of them supporters of Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.", "summary": "An Egyptian judge has quashed a government decision to hand control of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia."}
{"article": "Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Thomas Winsor said forces had mainly \"done well\" with 20% cuts in four years and more savings were likely. Sir Thomas said a \"smaller service\" would have to \"work smarter\". In December, the chief of the Met Police warned public safety would be at risk unless radical measures were taken to deal with funding cuts. But speaking on BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend, newly knighted Sir Thomas said: \"Austerity is here to stay. \"The police have already made, and done it well in the main, cuts of 20% in the last four years and they are facing cuts of a further 5% next year. \"There will inevitably be a time where they can't take any more but let us remember that measured crime has fallen dramatically - but so have the demands made on the police.\" Asked if there was room for further cuts, Sir Thomas said: \"In some respects there are further efficiencies to be obtained, that is undoubtedly the case. \"They [police forces] need to work smarter because they will be working smaller.\" Sir Thomas said forces had not done enough work to analyse new demands being made on them, particularly with regards to cyber crime. He also said that while any crime reported to the police had to be taken seriously, there were some crimes that were \"more serious than others\". \"Nobody would argue that shoplifting is as serious as a violent assault and therefore the police need to look for the crimes that matter most to people, that do greatest harms to communities - serious and organised crime, drugs, violent offences, the grooming and sexual exploitation of children,\" he said. Last month, Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said that unless police \"act fast\" and with \"courage\" to implement far-reaching reforms, the cuts would endanger public safety. He suggested police forces in England and Wales should merge and share resources with other emergency services. Sir Hugh Orde, the Association of Chief Police Officers' president, has also recently warned that police forces were struggling to deal with reductions in funding.", "summary": "Police cuts in England and Wales are \"here to stay\", the head of the police watchdog has said."}
{"article": "Scottish Borders Council will set up a working group to examine how it handled the procedure. It comes after more than 4,000 people signed a petition against the project, to which the council allocated \u00c2\u00a33.5m. Concerns have also been raised that its planning application was approved by a committee of just four members. Tweeddale councillor Keith Cockburn said the group will address \"public disquiet\" over the decision-making process. \"We can definitely make sure that we can learn some things about the consultation,\" he said. \"There's been many questions about how we looked at the alternative sites, how we looked at the feasibility of the business plan, etc. \"A decision has been made so we have to recognise and respect that, but also look at what we can learn from it.\" A petition against basing the tapestry at Tweedbank was considered \"very carefully\" by councillors, council leader David Parker said at the time. However the petitions and deputations committee decided to take no further action. Councillor Jim Torrance said the working group was not needed as the subject had been fully debated twice at council. \"It's been debated so much I don't see what any working group is going to find out from it that's going to be of any use,\" he added. The council's scrutiny committee voted to set up a tapestry working group at its next meeting.", "summary": "The process which led to the decision to house the Great Tapestry of Scotland in Tweedbank is to be the subject of an investigation."}
{"article": "The 77-year-old man, from Newhaven, and the woman, from Lewes, were on the A259 at White Rock when the accident happened on Thursday evening. They and the motorcyclist were taken to the Conquest Hospital in Hastings, where the man later died. Police said the 22-year-old motorcyclist, from St Leonards, and the woman were not detained. Sussex police are appealing for witnesses to the accident, which happened just after 21:00 BST on Thursday.", "summary": "A man died and a 90-year-old woman was injured in a collision with a motorcycle on a busy road in Hastings."}
{"article": "Dead Sheep focuses on the events leading up to Howe's infamous 1990 resignation speech, in which he savaged his long-time boss and one-time political soulmate Margaret Thatcher. That speech - one of the first to be shown on television live from the House of Commons - was the beginning of Thatcher's downfall as prime minister. It was all the more remarkable because no one thought Howe had it in him to be Thatcher's political assassin. Least of all Thatcher herself. Howe had been at her side as her chancellor, foreign secretary and deputy prime minister since the very beginning of her reign in Downing Street. But he was often viewed as an ineffectual yes-man, and was someone she increasingly treated with impatience and disdain, in front of cabinet colleagues. The play's title comes from one of the most widely-quoted political put-downs of all time, when Labour's Dennis Healey described being attacked by Howe as like being \"savaged by a dead sheep\". Howe's frustration at Thatcher's increasingly strident anti-EU stance at a time when he was trying to negotiate Britain's membership of the European Exchange Rate mechanism, and his demotion to the \"non-job\" of deputy prime minister, was the trigger for his resignation. His resignation speech, given two weeks after he quit the cabinet, stunned the Commons into silence, as he compared himself to a cricketer who had been sent out to the crease, only to discover his bat had been smashed by the team's captain. But in an era packed with larger-than-life Conservative politicians such as Michael Heseltine, Alan Clark and Thatcher herself, the famously uncharismatic Howe is still not the obvious choice to place centre stage. \"I just admire him so much because he really, really meant it. In all these films and plays I've seen he gets treated like a shifty-eyed buffoon and I was thinking 'No!,'\" playwright Jonathan Maitland told BBC News after the play's opening night. \"I've read his book umpteen times. He agonised over it and he really, really cared. \"And it was a very difficult thing for him to do and he stood up and did the right thing for his country and his party and I just think that's incredibly heroic. He's just a hero. He's a political hero.\" Maitland is hoping Dead Sheep will strike a chord with fellow Howe fans. \"A lot of people have nursed a secret admiration for him, because he's like Captain Mainwaring meets William Gladstone.\" The play focuses on Howe's relationship with the two formidable women in his life - Margaret Thatcher and his wife Elspeth. Maitland describes him as a \"panda between two lionesses\". \"It's a personal drama. It's a love story. Two types of marriage - Geoffrey's and Elspeth's, and Geoffrey's and Margaret's. One's a traditional marriage, one's a political marriage.\" He admits to using a bit of dramatic licence when it comes to portraying Howe's wife, played by Jill Baker, in the Lady Macbeth mould - a key scene sees Elspeth, encouraging a hesitant Howe, played by James Wilby, to go for the jugular in his", "summary": "The grey, unassuming Sir Geoffrey Howe, now Lord Howe of Aberavon, is not many people's idea of a political hero - but a new play opening in north London aims to change that."}
{"article": "No advantage was being sought for Britain's 264 athletes in Rio, he said. Concerns have been raised that some Paralympic athletes are being deliberately mismatched. But Hollingsworth said: \"We are here to win medals, but within both the letter and the spirit of the Paralympics.\" Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, an 11-time Paralympic champion, has said the issue \"goes to the heart of the integrity of the sport\". The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) says the system is always under review, while UK Athletics said it will review classifications after Rio. The Paralympics start on 7 September and run until 18 September. The classification system puts athletes into groups depending on the level of their impairment to try to ensure fair competition. But British T37 200m sprinter Bethany Woodward told the Sunday Times she was withdrawing from the ParalympicsGB squad for Rio and had lost faith in the way the team was selected. Woodward, 23, who has cerebral palsy, said: \"I represented my country for a long time but if I can't compete like I used to compete, because they've brought in people who are not like me in terms of disability, what's the point?\" UK Athletics has said that Woodward was not in consideration for selection because she had not met the necessary criteria. It has also been claimed some competitors try to manipulate their classification to compete against athletes with more severe impairments and therefore improve their chances of success. A recent IPC report found no clear evidence of \"intentional misrepresentation\" after analysing some 80 cases. Media playback is not supported on this device IPC head Sir Philip Craven has defended the classification system but told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was \"permanently being reviewed\". \"It is a developing system and a developing science,\" he said. Asked whether there was a \"risk\" some countries were too keen on winning medals, Craven said he would not \"respond to that question\", adding: \"All countries are very keen on performing well and performing within the rules.\" Former Paralympic swimmer Natalie Jones said classifying athletes was a \"really hard job\", with more than 4,000 athletes to test worldwide. But Hollingsworth insisted: \"We are very focused on getting the right athletes in the right class. We've got nobody going into the Games in our view who doesn't have the appropriate classification. \"I dispute a view that what has been discussed over the last few days should lead to conclusion there is anything along those lines going on.\" Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson told BBC Radio 5 live: The reality is athletes will fall one side of the line or the other and that's what happens when you have these groupings. The old system used to be very disability specific. They're moving it to sports-specific so it's how your impairment affects you doing that sport. There's a system in place and athletes have to have faith and people watching have to have faith that the system is right. It doesn't mean it doesn't evolve and doesn't change and need to be looked at from time to time to check it's", "summary": "Claims that the classification system for disabled athletes is being manipulated to boost medal chances has been rejected by British Paralympic Association boss Tim Hollingsworth."}
{"article": "The gaffe was picked up by a number of viewers, among them Sanjeev Bhaskar, who suggested the broadcaster had \"misunderstood diversity issues\". ITV News blamed the mistake on \"an error in the production process\". Sir Lenny said he was \"very thankful\" to receive a knighthood from the Queen for services to drama and charity. The Comic Relief co-founder has often spoken out on the subject of diversity in the media, a topic he was again asked to comment about on Friday. \"We've made progress as far as on-screen representation is concerned,\" said the 57-year-old following the investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle. \"But there's a lot of work to be done in the furthering of diversity behind the camera.\" \"ITV News apologises for the error broadcast in the lunchtime news package today regarding Sir Lenny Henry's knighthood at the palace,\" said an ITV News spokesperson. \"This was the result of an error in the production process in a piece intended to celebrate Sir Lenny's significant achievements in British entertainment.\" BBC News has contacted Ainsley Harriott for comment.", "summary": "ITV has apologised for showing a news item about Sir Lenny Henry receiving a knighthood that briefly featured footage of TV cook Ainsley Harriott."}
{"article": "The Magpies held crisis talks with manager John Carver earlier this week after losing their last eight league matches - their worst run since 1977. They are now two points above the relegation zone with three games left. \"On behalf of the squad we would like to apologise for the moment we are going through,\" wrote Coloccini. \"Players and staff have come together in order to leave all past problems aside and to focus 100% on the three 'cup finals' that we have left. \"I would like to make a call to all fans today to also leave aside all differences, all different opinions, anything that divides us as people who love this club.\" Newcastle host West Brom on Saturday before travelling to QPR on 16 May and then hosting West Ham on 24 May. \"The time we have left to turn around this situation is short but after the end of the season we will try to learn from the mistakes we made so that we don't have to go through this again,\" added Coloccini. \"This is as painful for us as it is for you, because when this team comes onto the pitch we do so with the intention of winning and to defend not just the colours of this club, not just our shirt, but also to represent thousands of fans, the whole city.\" Carver's position came under fresh scrutiny after he accused defender Mike Williamson of deliberately getting himself sent off in Saturday's 3-0 defeat by fellow strugglers Leicester City. However, the club issued a statement insisting he was staying. BBC Sport understands Derby County boss Steve McClaren was asked to take over for the final three games but turned the job down.", "summary": "Newcastle United captain Fabricio Coloccini has written an open letter to fans calling for unity as the club battles to stay in the Premier League."}
{"article": "In the 1960s and 70s, the spirits of scores of convicted Japanese war criminals were \"enshrined\" there. The most controversial were the 14 \"Class A\" war criminals, including wartime leader Hideki Tojo, who were \"enshrined\" in the late 1970s. These men were the ones who ordered and oversaw Japan's brutal war in China and South East Asia. Yasukuni Shrine It was a war in which millions died, in which there were widespread massacres of civilians, in which rape was routinely used as a weapon and where Japan used chemical and biological warfare against civilians. So if the shrine is so offensive to China and South Korea why did Mr Abe go? Firstly, because he wanted to. Close observers of the Japanese prime minister say he is at heart a nationalist and a historical revisionist. He believes the trials that convicted Japan's wartime leaders were \"victors' justice\". His own grandfather Nobusuke Kishi served in the war cabinet and was arrested by the Americans on suspicion of being a Class A war criminal. He was later released without charge. But the stain of association with Japan's war crimes in China never completely went away. Secondly, Mr Abe's support base comes from the right wing of the Liberal Democratic Party. According to Professor Jeff Kingston of Temple University in Tokyo, Mr Abe is \"showing he is a tough guy\", that he is not afraid of China. It is something that plays very well to his base. But there is perhaps a bigger goal that Mr Abe has in mind. He wants to radically revise Japan's post-war constitution. This, too, is a long-held dream that started with his grandfather in the 1950s. Mr Abe believes he is the man to complete the historic task of getting rid of the hated \"peace constitution\". Like many on the right here, Mr Abe believes that constitution was forced on Japan by America and is a humiliation. It imposes not only pacifism, but also Western notions of human rights and civil liberties. It rejects Japan's uniqueness in favour of \"universal values\". Mr Abe would like to change a lot of this. But it will be very hard. And so he will need some help. \"Abe has provoked China, and China has reacted just as Abe wanted it to,\" says Prof Kingston. \"There is a shrewd political calculus at work here.\" What he means is that having an external threat in the shape of big and frightening China may be just what Mr Abe wants to help push through his controversial nationalist agenda at home.", "summary": "Whatever Shinzo Abe says, any visit to the Yasakuni shrine by a Japanese prime minister is deeply political and sure to cause offence."}
{"article": "As a result, people should be cautious about using them to judge what to eat, Stanford University scientists said. The study recommended that companies release data showing how their devices work out measurements. The accuracy of seven wrist devices were tested while 60 volunteers were asked to walk, run and cycle. Researchers found that six out of seven of the fitness devices were good at estimating the heart rate of the person wearing it, with an error rate under 5%. They were the Apple Watch, Fitbit Surge, Basis Peak, Microsoft Band, PulseOn and MIP Alpha 2 - but the Samsung Gear S2 had the highest error rate of 6.8%. However, when it came to keeping track of energy used during exercise, the five devices that performed this function were all a long way out. Not one of the devices had an error rate below 20% - and some, such as the PulseOn, were much more inaccurate, the US research team found. Dr Euan Ashley, co-author of the study from the department of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University, said the public should be aware of the strengths and limitations of fitness devices worn on the wrist. \"People need to know that on energy expenditure they give rough estimates. \"If you go to the gym, and you think you've lost 400 calories, then you might feel you've got 400 calories to play with,\" he said. That could be an issue if people were basing their diet on what they thought they had burnt off, he said. Technology for measuring heart rate had moved on quickly over the past five or six years, but on energy expenditure \"it's not quite there yet\", he added. It may be that companies are not using heart rates in their calculations. There is also a very wide difference in calories burnt between one person and another. For example, 10,000 steps could equate to anything from 400 kilocalories to 800 kilocalories lost, depending on a person's height and weight alone, the study said. Dr David Ellis, lecturer in computation social science at Lancaster University, said working out the number of calories burnt was a tricky business and relied on many different factors such as height, weight, percentage of body fat, heart rate and more. \"However, because manufactures do not share the algorithms [which are constantly updated] used to determine calories burned, it is almost impossible to know the exact source of error at this stage,\" he said. Fitness trackers can have a very positive effect on people's activity levels, so complete 100% accuracy may not be vital if the devices are encouraging more exercise. But recent trials have suggested that wearing them doesn't always result in a positive outcome, or improve the chances of losing weight. The researchers urged companies to be more transparent and publish the results of their own accuracy tests. They said this would ensure the public and clinicians were aware of the devices' limitations. The Stanford team has set up their own website to share this kind of data with others.", "summary": "Most fitness trackers are good at measuring heart rate but poor at measuring calories burned, a study suggests."}
{"article": "Jason Nelson, 32, admits killing Jordan Maguire, 20, at his Luton home, in a \"spree of violence\" on 26 May 2013 but claims it was done in self-defence. The former resident of Marsh Farm Estate in Luton has pleaded not guilty to murder, rape and sexual assault. A man who saw Mr Maguire stabbed three times said the accused \"showed no regrets or remorse\" afterwards. Luton Crown Court heard the attacks happened at Mr Maguire's home in Thrales Close between 18:00 and 20:15. The prosecution allege Mr Nelson was in the middle of a spree of violence, having sexually assaulted a 25-year-old woman in the stairway of some flats and then a 60-year-old woman in her flat. Witness Dennis Kamau said he and his girlfriend were looking to buy some cannabis when he came across Mr Nelson near the Nisa store on the estate. He took the pair to Mr Maguire's home where the men entered the house while the woman stayed outside. After the pair agreed to share a deal, they went to the kitchen where Mr Maguire removed a tin from a kitchen cabinet. Mr Kamau said: \"The next thing I saw was a knife rise above and attack Jordan. \"I saw the knife go into Jordan. Jordan acted all shocked. He stabbed him a second time.\" Mr Kamau told the jury the victim was then stabbed in the back by Mr Nelson who said \"You little pussy\" before putting the knife away and riding off on his bike. \"I was scared, terrified and shocked,\" said Mr Kamau. Asked how the accused appeared, he said: \"He showed no regrets or remorse.\" A stab wound to the chest had punctured Mr Maguire's aorta and he was fatally injured. The jury earlier heard Mr Nelson stayed for two weeks with a girlfriend in Ipswich before flying to his native Grenada and was later arrested in Trinidad.", "summary": "A man who stabbed a drug dealer to death showed no remorse after the knife went in, a jury has heard."}
{"article": "Baker made his name as the robot in the first Star Wars film in 1977 alongside Anthony Daniels' C-3PO character. Lucas said Baker was \"a real gentleman\" and Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, said he had lost \"a lifelong friend\". Born in Birmingham, Baker's other films include Time Bandits and Flash Gordon. Star Wars R2-D2 actor Kenny Baker dies Preston pays tribute to R2-D2 actor Lucas said: \"Kenny Baker was a real gentleman as well as an incredible trooper who always worked hard under difficult circumstances. \"A talented vaudevillian who could always make everybody laugh, Kenny was truly the heart and soul of R2-D2 and will be missed by all his fans and everyone who knew him.\" Writing on Twitter, Hamill said: \"Goodbye #KennyBaker A lifelong loyal friend-I loved his optimism & determination He WAS the droid I was looking for!\" Anthony Daniels, who played C-3PO, added his voice to the tributes, tweeting: \"Sad to hear of Kenny's passing. One of the truly original cast, so famed for his iconic role as R2. He'll always be remembered by so many fans.\" C-3PO may have once described him as a \"nearsighted scrap pile\" and an \"overweight glob of grease\", but he like film fans all over the world has always had a huge degree affection for R2-D2. Artoo's appearance may have been likened by some to that of an industrial vacuum cleaner, but Kenny Baker worked hard to make sure he managed to convey the right emotions at key moments. Kenny used an array of movements ranging from subtly shuffling himself forward to rocking from side to side to give the robot personality. Together with the Ben Burtt-designed whistles and beeps that are Artoo's voice, it made the droid as real a character as any other in the saga - human or alien. We were all also able to relate to Artoo; here was a character who bickered with his friend C-3PO, occasionally manipulated those around him and displayed his courage when necessary. We may never have been able to understand exactly what the astromech droid was saying, but we always seemed to know what he was thinking, thanks to the way Kenny Baker was able to humanise him. Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie, who plays Captain Phasma in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VIII, tweeted: \"Rest in peace Kenny Baker. It was a pleasure to meet you & thank you for all the joy you brought us.\" Chris Weitz, one of the screenwriters for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which is due out this December, wrote the touching tribute: \"RIP Kenny Baker. You made my childhood better, \" while Greg Grunberg, who played Snap Wexley in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, simply added: \"RIP 'Star Wars' Kenny Baker. So sad.\" Ant Man writer and Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright paid tribute by tweeting: \"RIP R2D2. Farewell Fidget, Time Bandit. Goodbye Mister Kenny Baker.\" Game of Thrones star Daniel Portman, who plays squire Podrick Payne, added: \"Met Kenny Baker multiple times, a real", "summary": "Star Wars' George Lucas and Mark Hamill are among the big names paying tribute to actor Kenny Baker, who has died aged 81, describing him as \"the heart and soul of R2-D2\"."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old played 31 games for Hull KR in 2016 but could not help them avoid relegation from Super League. His loyalty has been criticised by Rovers chairman Neil Hudgell, who says the club supported Walker during child sex charges that were dismissed in May. \"We're looking forward to seeing him develop further at the club,\" said Saints head coach Keiron Cunningham.", "summary": "St Helens have signed Scotland international forward Adam Walker from Hull KR on a two-year contract."}
{"article": "The first bird emerged at the Cors Dyfi reserve near Machynlleth on Friday, followed by a second on Sunday. The eggs were laid six weeks later than usual leading to concerns over whether the chicks would hatch. Parents Monty and Glesni set up home on a 30ft (9m) tall man-made nest on 3 May. They are one of only two known breeding pairs in Wales, with a second pair nesting near Croesor in the Glaslyn Valley. Staff and volunteers at the Cors Dyfi nature reserve had an anxious wait for the chicks who took 32 hours to emerge from their shells. Cracks in the first egg were spotted on Friday afternoon, with the bird finally hatching at about 21:00 BST. The second chick started chipping away from inside its egg on Saturday afternoon but did not hatch until 20:40 BST on Sunday. Monty and Glesni became a breeding pair for the first time this year after Monty's previous partner of two years, Nora, did not return from her African migration. Ospreys return from migration in late March or April and usually lay eggs two or three weeks later. But Monty and Glesni did not pair until 3 May and their two eggs were laid between 22 and 25 May - six weeks later than average. Alwyn Evans, of Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust, said: \"By the time Monty finally paired off with his new partner, Glesni, a three-year-old bird from Rutland Water, it was getting late in the season. \"At that stage none of us knew if they would lay eggs, let alone whether they would hatch. \"It's been an emotional weekend to say the least.\" Mr Evans said cracks in the second egg on Saturday were greeted with loud applause and shouting from visitors at the wildlife trust's osprey centre who had gathered to watch the birds hatch. Last month the wildlife trust said ospreys were still persecuted and egg collecting remained a problem in the UK. To protect the Powys eggs, more than 50 trust volunteers have worked 1,300 hours to ensure the nest has been watched 24 hours a day during the six-week incubation period. The first osprey chick in the Dyfi valley for 400 years hatched in 2011. Once prolific birds of prey in the UK, their numbers were drastically reduced in the 1840s after years of persecution, including egg collecting, hunting, taxidermy and loss of habitat. The Dyfi Osprey Project has been popular with tourists, with an average of about 30,000 people visiting the nesting site annually.", "summary": "Two osprey chicks have hatched at a nature reserve in Powys despite fears their parents had paired up too late in the mating season."}
{"article": "Falcons twice led through Vereniki Goneva and Rob Vickers tries, with James Short and Harry Williams replying to level before a Simmonds penalty put Chiefs 17-14 up at the break. Simmonds landed his fourth kick to convert a second-half penalty try. A Sam Skinner score and a second Short effort ensured the bonus-point victory. The win lifts them to within a point of leaders Wasps, who face Gloucester on Sunday. For 20-year-old fly-half Simmonds, it was the perfect day with the boot as he replaced injured veteran Gareth Steenson in a side that was missing a number of players - including England's Jack Nowell and Henry Slade - due to Six Nations duties. Newcastle, who a week earlier earned an impressive 46-31 win over Northampton at Kingston Park, made a strong start with Goneva crossing for a superb try, which started with a bustling run from Calum Green. Short, who would finish the day by touching down for the fifth time in two games, restored parity for the first time with a 90-metre effort, which came from an error as Newcastle closed in on a second try. While Exeter were made to work hard for their first-half lead after Vickers again edged Falcons ahead, the hosts were more ruthless after the break and heavily restricted Newcastle, who are still without a win at Sandy Park. Exeter Chiefs assistant coach Ali Hepher: \"Newcastle are a good side and in good form and came here with a good deal of confidence but we started poorly, especially in defence. \"We were hesitant in that first half particularly when we had ball in hand as we needed to run hard instead of trying the clever ball. \"There was plenty to address at half-time but our defence was outstanding in that second half and to earn a bonus point was invaluable. \"Moving one point into second and above Saracens at this stage is not important as the top four places are really tight but we are hoping to remain there and to secure a top two finish would be really nice.\" Newcastle Falcons director of rugby Dean Richards: \"I'm disappointed as we started really well but we weren't accurate enough and this allowed them back into the game. \"We should have been further in front but we didn't take our chances and too many kicks went straight into touch. \"They are very good side, who are incredibly patient, as they wait for a chink in your defence before striking.\" Exeter: Dollman; Woodburn, Whitten, Devoto, Short; Simmonds, Maunder; Moon, Yeandle (capt), Williams, Lees, Parling, Horstmann, Armand, Waldrom. Replacements: Malton, Rimmer, Low, Skinner, Atkins, Townsend, Hooley, Hill. Newcastle: Tait; Goneva, C Harris, Waldouck, Sinoti; Hodgson, Takulua; Vickers, Cooper, Wilson, Green, Olmstead, M Wilson, Welch (capt), Latu. Replacements: Sowrey, B Harris, D Wilson, Young, Chick, Egerton, Delany, Burdon. For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "Joe Simmonds kicked 11 points in his first Premiership start to help Exeter Chiefs move into second in the table with victory over Newcastle Falcons."}
{"article": "In mathematical terms it means that he has ridden more winners than any other jockey this season. In the context of horse racing, and sport in general, it is a triumph of commitment and perseverance which may never be rivalled. Johnson has been trying to win it since the 1990s. It is his curse, and his blessing, that his career coincided with Sir Anthony (AP) McCoy. For 20 years in succession McCoy was champion. Throughout that time, almost every year, the man who finished behind him in second place was Richard Johnson. I met up with Richard Johnson in Somerset at the yard of trainer Philip Hobbs - their relationship has been an important part of the jockey's career. At 7.30 on an April morning Johnson was helping to school a group of the yard's horses, taking them over hurdles and fences on a field high above the Bristol Channel. In racing this might be termed 'work' but for Johnson, even at 38 years of age, he insists it is still pleasure. \"This is all I've ever wanted to do so it's not a job. Unfortunately I'm going to have to get a job one day when I have to stop doing it, but genuinely you love doing it. I think the 'job' is the driving round, the long days, but riding the horses is the fun bit,\" he said. Media playback is not supported on this device \"But for me being champion jockey was the thing I've always wanted to do since I was a child growing up. So I suppose actually to reach that goal is always what I wanted to do and there's a lot of satisfaction. \"When AP McCoy retired at the end of last year I sort of thought, well I should be able to have a good chance at it. But there was a pressure. If I don't become champion jockey now maybe I'll not achieve what I wanted to. But the season's been absolutely amazing. My agent Dave Roberts works tirelessly to keep me busy and sends me round the country on a daily basis to hopefully achieve what I have.\" Roberts was McCoy's agent too and in simple terms Johnson has picked up rides this year which may have previously gone to McCoy. It's helped him dominate the Jockeys' Championship. In the history of jump racing McCoy is the only man to have ridden more than 4,000 winners. But only one other jockey has gone past 3,000 winners, and that's Johnson. When McCoy was riding in his first championship winning season in 1995, Johnson was in his first year as a conditional, or apprentice, jockey. For two decades they were in each other's company on almost a daily basis. The relationship was simultaneously bitter rivalry and deep appreciation. Johnson said: \"I used to tell him regularly, you'd get to Christmas, I'd say to AP, 'just go on holiday for a couple of months, give me a bit more of a chance!' With our sport you can win the Gold Cup or the Grand National", "summary": "On Saturday at Sandown, Richard Johnson lifted the trophy confirming that he is jump racing's champion jockey."}
{"article": "The bill regulates agreements between occupiers and site owners over the termination of contracts and the sale of caravans. It also brings the definition of a caravan into line with the rest of the UK. The Private Members Bill was sponsored by UUP MLA, John McAllister. It is the first since 1948 to have gone through all the stages of the Assembly to become law and is likely to take effect from the Autumn. Mr McAllister was congratulated by politicians from other parties including the DUP MLA, Jim Wells, who said he welcomed the legislation. Fabulous \"It will hopefully stop the situation that saw some people signing away their rights to how they insure, sell and maintain their caravans.\" More than 14,000 static holiday caravan owners will also have increased protection including the right to a written contract and to have a greater say in how their caravan site is run. Jack Moore, who lives in a mobile home in Ballyhalbert in County Down, had been campaigning for the change since 2008. \"It's absolutely fabulous it had gone through, it brings us into line with legislation in England and Wales,\" he said. \"We were way behind, the park homes in England have been in use for over 50 years, whereas the park homes here are in their infancy.\" Social Development Minister, Alex Attwood, said: \"For years, some caravan owners have been forced, at the drop of a hat, to accept changes made by site owners. \"Many have faced raised fees, moved caravans and even eviction from sites, without much protection,\" he said. \"This bill will make a real difference to those people, by clearly setting out in law the obligations for site owners and holiday caravan owners.\" \"I'd like to pay tribute to John McCallister, the Bill's sponsor, for his considerable efforts in completing the bill which will make a real difference to the lives of static caravan owners, in both the residential and holiday sectors.\"", "summary": "The Caravans Bill has been passed granting legal protection in NI to both those who holiday in caravans and those who live in them permanently."}
{"article": "It was back in 2008, and the young Indian woman was in Paris studying to be a pastry chef. When her college friends realised that she had never tasted a macaron - a small, colourful circular cake made from ground almonds and filled with cream or icing - they whisked her to one of the best macaron shops in the French capital. After just one bite, Ms Dhingra decided there and then that when she returned to Mumbai she would open her own macaron store, the first of its kind in India. \"This might sound dramatic, but I realised that yes, this is what I want to do, I want to go back to India and take macarons with me. This was my mission,\" she says. Fast forward seven years, and Ms Dhingra, now 28, is the owner of three busy macaron shops in Mumbai. Another three stores will open in the city this year, and she has plans to expand her business, Le 15 Patisserie, across the country. Yet as a young businesswoman in India, she says it hasn't always been plain sailing. Ms Dhingra should have been a lawyer. But while studying law at university in Mumbai, she decided that she wanted to quit to do something more creative. Remembering helping her mother in the kitchen during her childhood, she decided to work with food instead of legal cases. So she convinced her parents to let her go to Switzerland to study hospitality and management. After three years at a Swiss catering college, Ms Dhingra did one year at the well-known Le Cordon Bleu school in Paris. Returning to Mumbai upon graduation, she set to work in her parents' kitchen on developing her own macaron recipe. Yet with the weather in Mumbai being substantially hotter and more humid than Paris, she struggled for half a year, as the heat and humidity makes it difficult to make the delicate cakes. \"When I started making macarons, first at my home kitchen, it was a complete disaster,\" she says. \"It took me around six months of research and 60 failed recipes to finally get something right.\" When she finally had a recipe she was proud of, her businessman father agreed to invest the initial funds she required to set up the business. Yet being both young and female meant she faced additional challenges. \"The biggest problem was to get people to take you seriously,\" she says. \"For example, if I had to sign a lease for a place, or buy machinery, I would have to ask my father to make these calls for me.\" Ms Dhingra also found it difficult to deal with Indian red tape. \"My education in Switzerland, and working in hotels there, gave me a good idea of what working in hospitality would be like, but dealing with the bureaucracy is extremely difficult when starting a business in India.\" The Boss is a series profiling entrepreneurs from around the world. However, she eventually secured the premises for a small commercial kitchen in 2010, and began hiring and training staff. The", "summary": "When Pooja Dhingra tasted her first macaron she immediately knew what she wanted to do with her life."}
{"article": "Local man, Joe McMinn, 28, was discovered in an area known as Devil's Den, near Goodwyns housing estate in Dorking, in the early hours of Easter Monday. Richard Taylor, 21, of no fixed address, is due to appear at Guildford Magistrates Court later. A post-mortem found Mr McMinn died of multiple stab wounds.", "summary": "A man has been charged with murder after a body was found in a woodland stream in Surrey."}
{"article": "Morgan King, a single mother, had apologised to her professor for being absent due to childcare problems. The University of Tennessee professor emailed to say she could bring her daughter, Korbyn, to lessons and she would be \"delighted\" to hold her. Ms King said the warm words made her cry. In an interviewed with US news channel WBIR-TV, she said: \"I just didn't know what else to do. I emailed my professor after class and was apologising for missing class that day.\" Professor Sally Hunter, from Knoxville, then wrote back with her \"very serious\" offer of help. \"Let me know if there are any other ways I could be supporting you,\" she said, before signing off. Ms King shared the email on Twitter and it was shared thousands of times. On Wednesday, the university's chancellor, Beverly Davenport, responded: \"Morgan, thanks for showing us challenges college students face. Prof Hunter, thanks for being part of the solution.\" Ms King said her professor, who teaches in the Department of Child and Family Studies, is not on Twitter and is nonplussed by the reaction. \"She just doesn't think she did anything special, which speaks about the kind of person she is,\" Ms King told WBIR-TV. The student said she has not needed to take her up on the offer yet. When she graduates she hopes to become a recreational therapist, working with children with disabilities. \"I have to get my degree for Korbyn, not just for me. It means a lot that people are really supportive,\" Ms King said.", "summary": "A US student with a three-month-old baby has expressed gratitude to a teacher who offered to babysit so she would not miss classes."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device A German television documentary claimed to present evidence of systematic doping and corruption in Russian sport. IAAF chief Lamine Diack told BBC Sport athletics is \"in crisis\" but said \"90% to 95%\" of athletes are clean. Meadows, 33, was beaten to European gold by a Russian drug cheat in 2011. German television station WDR broadcast three documentaries alleging that 99% of Russian athletes are doping and that IAAF officials were implicated in covering it up. The claims have been rejected as a \"pack of lies\" by the Russian Athletics Federation and Diack told BBC Sport that the figure was \"a joke\" and \"ridiculous\". Meadows, from Wigan, said: \"If it is as widespread as those allegations do deem, I just think it would just kill our sport. \"Sponsors may walk away from the sport and fans may walk away from the sport. We may never get a 100% accuracy of the scale of doping. \"I really hope it isn't true to that scale but I do think doping is widespread in athletics.\" In 2011 Meadows finished second in the 800m to Yevgeniya Zinurova in the European Indoor Championships, only to be upgraded to gold the following year when the Russian was banned for two years for doping. Meadows added: \"It might be the case that we have to prove how many people are doping, destroy the image of the sport and then rebuild it again and look for positive role models who can succeed and win medals on the international stage who are clean athletes.\" The BBC has not independently verified the documentary's allegations and is awaiting responses from athletes targeted in the programme.", "summary": "British athlete Jenny Meadows fears the Russian doping allegations could \"kill\" the sport if proven by an ongoing International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) investigation."}
{"article": "Rising energy prices pushed inflation to 1.8% in January, a near four-year high and up from 1.1% in December. Eurostat data also showed the jobless rate fell to 9.6% in December, the lowest rate since May 2009. GDP growth edged up to 0.5% in the final three months of 2016, up from 0.4% in the previous quarter. The rise in eurozone inflation last month was driven by an 8.1% jump in energy prices in January compared with the year before. The spike in the rate takes it up to the European Central Bank's inflation target of close to, but below, 2%. Some have called for the European Central Bank to further scale back its bond-buying programme. However, the ECB also looks at core inflation, which excludes energy and unprocessed food prices, in its policy decisions, and this rate remained unchanged at 0.9% in January. In December, the ECB said it would buy bonds worth 60bn euros a month from April. The 80bn euro-a-month quantitative easing scheme had been due to end in March, but was expected to be extended. The stimulus programme was an effort to increase the supply of money in the economic bloc to keep interest rates low, and encourage borrowing and spending. The European Central Bank's key job is to maintain \"price stability\" in the Eurozone, which it interprets as inflation of below but close to 2%. For the last few years it has been wrestling with inflation that its governing council considers too low, at times even below zero - a situation of deflation or falling prices. That has led the bank to choose very unusual policies intended to stimulate prices rises - ultra-low interest rates (one of its rates is negative) and quantitative easing, buying financial assets with newly created money. So with inflation now at 1.8%, pretty much in line with the target, is that job done? Time to turn the policy taps off? Not necessarily. The rise in inflation is down to higher food and especially energy prices. The impact of those factors is likely to fade and other price rises are still relatively slow. There are different views in the ECB's governing council but the majority are not likely to be in a hurry to get policy back to normal. The eurozone's unemployment rate of 9.6% in December was down from 9.7% in November and compares with a rate of 10.5% a year earlier. The countries with the lowest unemployment rates in December were the Czech Republic (3.5%) and Germany (3.9%), while countries with the highest levels of unemployment were Greece (23.0% in October 2016) and Spain (18.4%). Despite the pick-up in economic growth during the final quarter of 2016, across the year as a whole eurozone GDP rose by 1.7%, which was down from 2% in 2015. Analysts also questioned whether the recent improvement could be sustained. \"While recent economic news points to improved growth, we suspect the eurozone may find it difficult to sustain this momentum amid appreciable political uncertainties during 2017 and likely reduced consumer purchasing power due to higher inflation,\"", "summary": "The eurozone's economy is showing signs of recovery after the latest data pointed to a fall in unemployment while growth and inflation picked up."}
{"article": "Peter Lloyd, 45, lives in a tent in the garden of an \"uninhabitable\" house, Cardiff Civil Justice Centre heard. Mr Lloyd, who has electromagnetic hypersensitivity, said he was entitled to direct payments to employ a helper. The council, which was ordered to pay \u00c2\u00a312,000 in costs, had claimed he was not capable of managing money. Quashing the council's decision on Wednesday, Mr Justice Singh said electromagnetic hypersensitivity was not a recognised condition in the UK. He added it was \"not a matter for the court to say what the decision would have been if the authority went about its decision correctly\". Direct payments are given to individuals by councils so they can buy help or services instead of having them supplied by the authority. Mr Lloyd lives in the back garden of a privately-owned home in Thornhill and has refused alternative accommodation and a portable toilet, the court heard. He urinates in plastic bottles and defecates in bed pans lined with black bin bags. He has no running water and an insurance company deemed the house uninhabitable after flooding and the discovery of asbestos - although that has since been removed. When council workers went to collect Mr Lloyd's waste in May, they found 90 litres of urine and 40 bags of faeces. He has meals delivered five times a week, including supplies for the weekend on a Friday. As he has no fridge, he has to have food which will not go off. Representing Mr Lloyd, Christian Howells said: \"Where he lives has to be adapted because the symptoms are very real to him.\" He described the situation as \"chicken and egg\" - Mr Lloyd wants the money to pay for help to improve his day-to-day life but the council felt he was not in a position to be given the funds. Rebecca Stickler, for the council, said: \"The housing department has offered housing in a field and various properties and he has refused them all. \"It can't possibly be the case that a local authority should be compelled to use the public purse to pay money to someone who they know cannot manage that payment.\" Mr Lloyd's private landlord has begun eviction proceedings in county court, he is estranged from his family and the council recognises him as homeless. Speaking after the hearing, councillor Susan Elsmore, cabinet member for social care, health and wellbeing, insisted the council had never said Mr Lloyd was not capable of managing money. \"The council's role as a social services authority is to ensure that individuals have the opportunity to benefit from an appropriate assessment of their needs, and any services that may be necessary to meet them,\" she said. \"The council maintains that it has acted in keeping with its responsibilities, and in relation to this case that it has acted in good faith.\"", "summary": "A man who says he is allergic to electricity should not have had his payments from Cardiff council refused, a judge has ruled."}
{"article": "The Troup seat has been vacant since the death in September of Conservative councillor John Duncan, who had represented the ward since 2002. Independent Jack Moodie resigned from the Kirkwall West and Orphir seat on Orkney in the same month. Votes can be cast between 07:00 and 22:00, with the counts being held on Friday.", "summary": "By-elections to replace councillors in Aberdeenshire and Orkney are being held."}
{"article": "All four, two aged 13 and two aged 14, have been bailed pending further inquiries following the attack in Workington, Cumbria, on Tuesday. The victim was walking along Black Path when she was raped close to Cloffocks car park at about 19:00 GMT. A fifth boy, aged 13, was arrested on suspicion of rape and later released without charge.", "summary": "Four teenage boys arrested after a 15-year-old girl was raped have been released on bail."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Ainslie, 35, admits it would have been \"difficult to top\" the feeling of winning at his home Olympics and is keen to move on with new challenges. \"It was a tough decision,\" Ainslie told BBC Sport. \"I've had a fantastic Olympic career but I want to make it clear that the focus is now on the Americas Cup.\" Ainslie won a silver medal at Atlanta 1996, with golds in Sydney, Athens, Beijing and London. He has won more medals than any other sailor, ahead of Denmark's Paul Elvstrom, who has four golds. He is fourth in Britain's all-time individual medallist's list, behind Sir Chris Hoy (cycling; six gold, one silver), Sir Steve Redgrave (rowing; five gold, one bronze) and Bradley Wiggins (cycling; four gold, one silver, two bronze). Media playback is not supported on this device Ainslie added: \"I considered all of the factors - my fitness and the issues with my back, the venue for the next Olympics and the type of boats, but what it really came down to was this opportunity with the Americas Cup.\" The sailor envisages skippering his Ben Ainslie Racing AC45 catamaran to glory in the historic competition will be one of the \"biggest tests\" of his career. \"It's always been a dream of mine since I was a kid to be part of a winning Americas Cup team and ultimately I want to try and bring it back to the UK where it all started in 1851.\" Ainslie, who won his first Games medal - a silver in the Laser fleet - at Atlanta 1996, says he may have extended his Olympic career into a twentieth year had the International Sailing Federation [ISAF] reversed their decision to axe the Star class from Rio 2016. \"There was a possibility that it may have been reinstated, but that didn't happen,\" reflected the four-time World Sailor of the Year Award winner. \"There would have been no guarantees I would have made it to the Olympics going up against 2008 gold medallists Iain [Percy] and Andrew [Simpson], but certainly it was an option to go into that class.\" Ainslie ranked his success in London as his greatest personal Olympic moment, but that attaining a first gold at the Sydney 2000 Games was a close second. \"It meant a huge amount to me to reverse the silver medal from 1996 and it gave me a huge amount of confidence that I could go on and achieve more,\" stated Ainslie who switched from the Laser to the Finn dinghy for Athens 2004. \"I am proud of what I achieved [in the Olympics] but I think this decision [to retire from dinghy sailing] really helps to make it clear what the goal is and the intensions are. \"Hopefully now we can go ahead and get the support to make that [Americas Cup success] happen.\"", "summary": "British sailor Ben Ainslie will not bid for a fifth Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games and will instead focus on his Americas Cup campaign."}
{"article": "Ashbourne's Royal Shrovetide Football game involves two sides competing to move a ball to posts at opposing ends of the town. It takes place across fields, streets, car parks and waterways each Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. The game was won 1-0 by the Up'Ards, who defeated the Down'Ards in the two-day event. The Up'Ards - traditionally those born north of Henmore River - play against the Down'Ards from the south of the town's river. Each game begins with a guest of honour throwing the elaborately painted ball into the crowd. Prince Charles and the late Nottingham Forest and Derby County football manager Brian Clough are among the famous names chosen to \"turn up\" the ball in previous years. This year the honour fell to Dallas Burston, a former GP who became a businessman, and John Stubbs, a retired dairy farmer. Shop windows around the town were again boarded up ahead of the famously hard-fought contest. Players were also reminded they were not allowed to climb over parked cars or enter cemeteries, churchyards and memorial gardens. A goal was scored by Kurt Smith at about 20:20 GMT on Tuesday and it took nearly and hour for it to be confirmed. There were no goals on Wednesday.", "summary": "Play has ended in a mass game of football that has been played in a Derbyshire town for centuries."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old Australian-born forward represented Scotland at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. He holds the record for the most consecutive appearances in the NRL with 215 between 2006 and 2014. \"The club has a great profile and stature in the game and I hope to be able to contribute to developing that wonderful culture,\" he said. Douglas will join St Helens ahead of the 2017 season. \"I am told Saints have the best fans in the game and I can't wait to engage with them. I'm really looking forward to this next chapter in my life,\" he added.", "summary": "Super League side St Helens have signed prop Luke Douglas from NRL's Gold Coast Titans on a three-year deal."}
{"article": "GCSE results are being changed to grades 9 to 1, with the first such grades to be published this week. But there will be two different pass marks - grade 4 as a \"standard\" pass and grade 5 as a \"strong\" pass. Researchers say pupils need to be at grade 5 to match global rivals. The study from the Education Policy Institute says England's school system faces an \"immense challenge\" if it is going to match the levels of achievement in countries such as Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan. GCSEs in England are being made more challenging and will be decided by final exams rather than coursework, with the first results of these new-style GCSEs being published for English and maths this week. These will be graded from 9 to 1, with a grade 4 being counted as a \"standard\" pass, similar to a grade C. But the researchers say that on average pupils should be achieving a \"strong\" pass at grade 5, if England is going to keep up with international competitors. At present, the researchers say, only 40% of pupils in state schools have reached this \"world-class standard\". To keep up in maths, the study says, it would require an increase of over a third of pupils getting top grades and an average above grade 5. \"The old C grade is not an adequate national aspiration if England wants to compete with top education nations,\" says David Laws, former Education Minister and executive chairman of the Education Policy Institute. \"This analysis highlights the gulf between education outcomes in England and the performance of the world's best education nations,\" he said. \"In certain subjects, such as maths, England needs both to significantly raise the number of top performers and almost halve the number of low performers if it is to compete with the world's best.\" Paul Whiteman, leader of the National Association of Head Teachers said: \"This report shows that England's obsession with structural change, under a succession of governments, has had little impact on either standards or equity. \"Policy makers have routinely pursued the wrong priorities,\" said Mr Whiteman. \"The highest performing school systems are those that invest in their teachers and that respect and value education.\" Kevin Courtney, leader of the National Union of Teachers, said that even if the overall results at national level were kept in line with previous years, individual schools \"will still experience volatility in their results\". He warned that such volatility could have \"unfair consequences\". There have been warnings about confusion over having two pass grades - with universities using different versions of a pass in their entry requirements. Education Secretary Justine Greening had explained the plans for two pass grades to the education select committee earlier this year. \"I want to provide certainty about how this new grading will work and, in particular, the consequences for individual pupils of achieving a grade 4 or grade 5,\" Ms Greening had written to the committee chairman. \"Rather than reporting on the \"good pass\", we will instead distinguish between a grade 4 as a", "summary": "Pass marks for GCSEs in England need to be pushed upwards to catch up with high performing education systems in Asia, say researchers from the Education Policy Institute."}
{"article": "The Shadow Man, and a Christmas poem called Noel, were found at Our Lady's School, Abingdon. It is thought Tolkien got to know the school while he was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University. The poems were printed a year before Tolkien's first literary sensation The Hobbit was published. The Shadow Man is an earlier version of a poem eventually published in 1962 in Tolkien's Adventures of Tom Bombadil collection. The existence of the poems came to light after American Tolkien scholar Wayne G. Hammond got in touch with the school. He knew from notes made by Tolkien that two of his poems appeared in a magazine he called The Abingdon Chronicle. This was actually the 1936 annual of Our Lady's School, which was then run by the Sisters of Mercy. School principal Stephen Oliver said: \"At first we couldn't find the 1936 edition and referred Mr Hammond to the archives of the Sisters of Mercy in London. \"Then, while preparing for an event for former pupils of the school, we uncovered our own copy and I saw the two poems Mr Hammond had been looking for. \" The school hopes to put the annual on display at a future exhibition.", "summary": "Two poems by author JRR Tolkien have been discovered in a 1936 copy of a school annual."}
{"article": "Unite union members based at plants in Cowley, Goodwood, near Chichester, Hams Hall in the West Midlands and Swindon, turned down the offer by 56.6%. Workers have already staged four walkouts during the dispute, which is over the closure of a final-salary pension scheme. BMW said the offer was \"fair\" and it was disappointed at the ballot result. Unite representatives will meet on Tuesday to discuss the next steps in the dispute, which has seen the first-ever strikes by the company's British employees. Three 24-hour strikes scheduled in May were suspended while workers considered the offer, which the union did not recommend to its members. Unite national officer Fred Hanna said: \"It is clear that it did not go far enough or deal with the concerns many of our members have over BMW's pension plans. \"We would urge BMW bosses to reflect on the result and listen to the workforce by further engaging in meaningful talks with Unite.\" A BMW spokesman said: \"We are now considering the implications of the ballot result and we will be meeting with the union in due course to discuss next steps. \"We believe the offer, which resulted from lengthy negotiations with the union since September last year, was fair. \"It was designed to improve competitiveness, which is in the long-term interests of all our employees in the future.\"", "summary": "Workers at car giant BMW have voted to reject an offer aimed at resolving a long-running dispute over pensions."}
{"article": "The plane was heading from Heathrow to Dubai on Thursday - a seven-hour flight. Abhishek Sachdev, who was on board tweeted: \"Insane. Our BA flight to Dubai returned back to Heathrow because of a smelly poo in the toilet\". He told a newspaper: \"The pilot made an announcement requesting senior cabin crew, and we knew something was a bit odd. \"About 10 minutes later he said 'You may have noticed there's a quite pungent smell coming from one of the toilets'. \"He said it was liquid faecal excrement. Those are the words he used.\" The plane had been airborne for just 30 minutes when it turned round. The next available flight was 15 hours later, so passengers had to be put up in a hotel overnight. Speaking to Radio 1's Greg James, Sarah, who works for the airline said: \"When you're up at that altitude the cabin has to be pressurised so the problem is that anything like that is actually a health and safety problem because only 50 percent of the air is being recycled and cleaned\". In a statement, BA says \"A decision was taken to return for the safety and comfort of our customers on board. \"We're very sorry for the discomfort to our customers. \"We provided them with hotel accommodation and rescheduled the flight to depart the next day.\" Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "A British Airways flight was forced to turn around because of a \"smelly poo\"."}
{"article": "The Common dolphin was discovered on the high water line at Gyllingvase near Falmouth early on Wednesday. Members of British Divers Marine Life Rescue covered the animal with wet towels and seaweed to keep it comfortable. A vet who was called to the scene assessed that it was too sick to be returned to the sea. There have been 41 strandings of Common dolphins in Cornwall in the past year according to figures from the Marine Strandings Network. Almost 3,500 whales, dolphins and porpoises have been stranded on UK coastlines over the six years up to December 2011, according to the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Overall it recorded a fall in the number of strandings but said that some still were not being reported. The Society has launched a campaign to encourage the public to tell them when they find beached mammals.", "summary": "A dolphin found stranded on a Cornish beach has been put down, say marine rescuers."}
{"article": "The pro-Rouhani reformist group Omid (Hope) won all 21 seats, ousting their conservative rivals who had been in power for 14 years. Mr Rouhani won Friday's presidential election in the first round. He promised voters a moderate and outward-looking Iran and criticised the conservative-dominated judiciary. Council elections were held alongside the presidential vote and the results were announced on Sunday. The new city council must convene within 45 days when it will elect a new mayor to oversee services for Tehran's nine million residents. Incumbent Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was a candidate in the early stages of the presidential election but dropped out to back hardliner Ebrahim Raisi. Mr Raisi only received 38.5% of the vote, which was not enough to take the election to a second round. President Rouhani, 68, said his resounding victory showed that voters rejected extremism and wanted more links with the outside world. Analysts say he is in a strong position to seek reforms and to revive Iran's ailing economy. After his re-election there were celebrations in the capital, Tehran, with crowds of young people singing and dancing in the central Vali Asr Square. In his first speech after the result was announced Mr Rouhani said: \"The Iranian nation has chosen the path of interaction with the world, a path which is distant from extremism and violence.\" Mr Rouhani supports the landmark deal with world powers to curb Iran's nuclear programme.", "summary": "Iran's re-elected moderate President Hassan Rouhani has received a further boost after reformists won key council elections in the capital, Tehran."}
{"article": "Kylle Godfrey is subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order which means he must tell police of any relationship lasting more than 14 days. Shira told the BBC she hoped it would make him \"think twice before getting into a relationship\". Godfrey, 30, is currently serving a three-year prison sentence. It is believed to be the first time in England and Wales such an order has been made. Shira - who did not want to disclose her full name - told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme the abuse started shortly after they met in 2011. \"The first incident was a few months after we met and it started over the phone. I thought he was being overprotective but he was really being jealous. \"He was constantly checking on me on the phone, being paranoid and accusing me of things all the time.\" Over time, she said, Godfrey became \"more and more\" violent. \"I went through hell with him physically, mentally and emotionally, and now I can see I risked my life with him.\" On one occasion she remembers him \"smashing my head on the floor four or five times\". \"I thought 'I'm going to die.' \"I just had a little pray, and I realised no-one deserves to be in that position. My life is more important than this.\" Godfrey's Criminal Behaviour Order - which lasts for seven years - also allows police to inform future partners of his previous violent behaviour to women, under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme. Shira said the order \"makes me feel more safe, and other women will be protected\". \"Instead of us women trying to prevent them [from being abusive], they have to go away from us.\" \"The emphasis is on the perpetrator, not the victim.\" Shira said she now hopes Godfrey \"will think twice before getting into a relationship\". \"It's also good for me and my children, this order, as it will help us know where he is and what he's doing - to protect ourselves.\" Godfrey could be jailed if he breaches the terms of the order. He was jailed on 14 February after admitting to two counts of actual bodily harm, perverting the course of justice and witness intimidation. A court heard how over several days in October last year, he attacked his ex-partner, banging her head on the floor and grabbing her around the throat. Following his arrest, Godfrey continued to intimidate the woman and, while on bail, assaulted another woman he had started a new relationship with. Shira said she felt \"relief\" at the sentencing. \"Now I can just concentrate on just moving on. \"No-one deserves to [suffer] domestic violence\u2026 especially women with children.\" Detective Inspector Jane Topping, of the Met Police's Hackney Community Safety Unit, said the order \"gives us a new way of protecting victims of domestic abuse and prevent other women from suffering at the hands of people like Godfrey, and help our efforts to tackle domestic violence\". \"The victim in Godfrey's case was subjected to a horrendous ordeal by him following a sustained campaign of domestic violence. She has", "summary": "A woman whose abusive ex-partner has become subject to a landmark police order has said it will keep her family and other women safe."}
{"article": "Business and political circles in Switzerland had supported the plan, which was designed to prevent taxes rising sharply for foreign investors. However 59% of voters opposed the plan in Sunday's referendum vote. The government will now need to find an alternative, which may involve higher tax rates for multinational companies. \"It will not be possible to find a solution overnight,\" said Ueli Maurer, Switzerland's finance minister. He told a press conference it could take a year to come up with a new plan, and that Switzerland risked losing foreign investment as a result. Currently Switzerland grants special status to foreign firms which allows cantons, or districts, to offer them lower rates of tax than domestic firms, making Switzerland an attractive destination for foreign investors. But international organisations such as the OECD have deemed the system unacceptable and Switzerland has made a commitment to reform it by 2019. To avoid raising taxes for multinational companies too sharply the government had agreed to abolish the special status for multinationals but instead offer new tax breaks for research and development and other activities. As part of the proposal, Switzerland's cantons planned to lower their tax rates for businesses across the board, including domestic business, helping to avoid steep rises in tax bills when foreign firms' status was brought into line. Some of the resulting budget shortfall in the cantons would have been plugged by federal funds. But the plan was opposed by Social Democrats, Greens, trade unions and churches who argued that the reduced tax revenue would still lead to cuts in public services or higher personal taxes. \"The conservative parties wanted to push through tax reform with arrogance and haughtiness against the interests of the people. The Greens demand a new proposal with a sense of proportion,\" the opposition leftist party said of the vote.", "summary": "Swiss voters have rejected a plan to reform the country's corporate tax system, sending the government back to the drawing board."}
{"article": "How much wealth your parents have is likely to matter more than it did for older generations. Here's why. It used to be the case that young adults could expect to start their working lives with higher incomes than those born earlier. This is because incomes normally rise over time, as the economy grows. Then we had the financial crisis of 2008. The upshot is that today's young adults are the first generation since at least World War Two not to start their working lives with higher incomes than those born before them. For example, someone born in the 1980s could expect a household income of \u00a327,000 at the age of 28, compared with \u00a328,000 for those born in the 1970s. The figure was \u00a321,000 for those born in the 1960s and \u00a315,000 for those born in the 1950s. Despite having about the same income, those born in the early 1980s are much less wealthy than those born in the 1970s were at the same age. By their early thirties, the 1980s generation had accumulated wealth of about \u00a327,000 each, on average. By the time they had reached the same age, the 1970s generation had twice as much wealth on average - \u00a353,000 each. A large part of the explanation is that an individual's wealth is mainly made up of property and pensions - and younger adults are faring well with neither. At the age of 30, 40% of people born in the early 1980s were owner-occupiers, down from 55% of those born in the 1970s. Home ownership rates were higher still among earlier generations, with six out of 10 people born in the 50s and 60s owning their own homes at the age of 30. Similarly, the Local Government Association reported in December that just 20% of those aged 25 own their own property, compared with 46% two decades ago. The lower home ownership rate doesn't just explain why young adults have lower wealth now. It also means they are likely to be poorer as they get older, because fewer of them will benefit from future increases in house prices. In their late twenties, renters born in the early 1980s were spending 28% of their income on housing costs. At the same age, those born in the 1960s were spending 22% of their income on rent. Those born in the 1950s spent 13% and those in the 1940s just 10%. Part of the rising costs of renting is explained by the decline of social housing. For today's renters, it seems likely that raising a deposit is a greater barrier to home ownership than actually paying a mortgage. Lower interest rates mean housing costs for young homeowners have fallen and they are quite likely to be paying much less than renters relative to their incomes. Mortgage interest costs for homeowners born in the early 1980s amounted to just 15% of income. Of course, the low interest rates that have benefitted homeowners are themselves likely to be one of the factors pushing up house prices. The vast majority of young adults working in", "summary": "From unattainable house prices to disappointing pay rises, the financial challenges faced by young adults can seem daunting."}
{"article": "Nonsuch Palace was painted by the Flemish artist Joris Hoefnagel in 1568. Culture Minister Ed Vaizey has placed a temporary export bar on the watercolour in the hope a UK buyer can match the asking price of \u00a31m. \"We have very few paintings of the palace so I really hope we can find a buyer to keep this masterpiece here in Britain,\" he said. The piece is the oldest of six remaining depictions of the palace, considered to be one of the Renaissance period's most stunning buildings. Nonsuch Palace - named because no other palace could equal it - was built in 1538 for the Tudor king to celebrate the birth of his first legitimate son and mark his 30th year on the throne, It was intended to rival the opulent residences of French king Francis I. In 1670 Charles II gave the palace to his mistress, Barbara Villiers, who began to dismantle and sell parts of the building to pay off gambling debts. By 1690 the building had all but disappeared. The painting went for auction in 2010 but failed to meet its reserve price of \u00a31.2m. The decision to defer the export licence follows a recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), administered by Arts Council England. They made their recommendation on the grounds of its close association with our history and national life, its outstanding aesthetic importance and its outstanding significance for understanding the nature of English Renaissance architecture. The decision on the export licence application for the watercolour will be deferred until 31 May.", "summary": "The earliest depiction of Henry VIII's \"lost\" palace in Surrey could leave the UK unless a buyer comes forward."}
{"article": "They will be joined at next year's Olympics by South Africa who defeated Equatorial Guinea in Bata 1-0. It is the first time that any Zimbabwe team has qualified for a global football tournament. Rudo Neshamba's 8th minute goal was enough to send Zimbabwe to Brazil. It's a great achievement for us, I'm so happy I can't even explain how I'm feeling right now The result meant the tie finished level at 2-2 on aggregate, with Zimbabwe qualifying on the away-goals rule. It was disappointment for Cameroon who represented Africa at the Women's World Cup in Canada, reaching the second round. Neshamba (pictured) was again Zimbabwe's match-winner, having scored their crucial away-goal in the first leg in Yaounde. Her captain, Felistas Muzongondi, said it was a famous day in their footballing history. \"It's a great achievement for us, I'm so happy I can't even explain how I'm feeling right now,\" Muzongondi told BBC Sport. \"This is our first time in history to beat Cameroon, and we were expecting this because we prepared very well.\" Zimbabwe's skipper also admitted it was a very tough match. \"There was so much intensity so we had to put much pressure on them because they have so much more physical fitness than us.\" Zimbabwe booked their place in Rio despite severe financial difficulties facing football in their country. They were only able to continue in this qualifying tournament after Ivory Coast withdrew. Also on Sunday, South Africa defeated Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Bata to win the tie by the same score on aggregate after the first leg had ended goal-less. Jermaine Seoposenwe's second half goal proved crucial for Banyana Banyana and was enough to win them their place in Rio. The South African Football Association (Safa) President, Dr Danny Jordaan congratulated Banyana Banyana for their achievement. \"Today is a historic day for women football; not only have they qualified for the Rio Olympics but have done so in style - winning away from home in 'hostile' Bata environment,\" Jordaan said in a statement. \"Few teams survive trips to Equatorial Guinea as Nigeria would attest but coach Vera Pauw plotted one of the greatest wins in South African football history,\" Jordaan added. South Africa's progress to the Olympics makes up for their disappointment of missing out on qualification for the Women's World Cup earlier this year.", "summary": "Zimbabwe's women beat Cameroon 1-0 in the second leg of their final Olympic qualifier in Harare to book a place at Rio 2016."}
{"article": "Brett Rogers, 25, was jailed for a minimum sentence of 32 years last May. He had been found guilty by a jury of killing his mother Gillian Phillips, 54, and her friend 60-year-old David Oakes in 2015. Rogers, previously of Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, was found in his cell at HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire last Wednesday. Live: More news from Essex A post-mortem examination found he died as a result of compression to the neck. Gary Lindley, 41 and Billy White, 24, have been charged with his murder. They have been remanded in custody to appear at Worcester Crown Court on Tuesday. The jury at Rogers' trial was told how he was found at his mother's home in Bentfield Gardens, Stansted Mountfitchet, after the attacks, laughing and covered in blood. Mrs Phillips had been stabbed at least 41 times in the head, neck and torso. Mr Oakes suffered 56 wounds to his head, face and neck and died of severe head injuries.", "summary": "A double murderer who killed his mother and her friend has been found strangled in his cell."}
{"article": "\"In the history of betting, certainly since it was legalised in 1961, a [single event] winner with odds of 5,000-1 has never happened,\" says Simon Clare from the betting firm Coral. \"Every bookmaker is crying out in pain. \"That's a barometer of what Leicester have done and just how amazing this win is.\" Jessica Bridges from rival Ladbrokes agrees. \"This is the biggest sporting upset of all time. We've all got a bit of egg on our face.\" Bookmakers have been cheering Leicester's success, whilst simultaneously putting their hands in their collective pockets. William Hill has paid out more than \u00a320,000 to 39-year-old carpenter, Leigh Herbert. He was one of the canny few to take up the now-famous odds of 5,000-1 for his team to win. Although he has been a supporter since he was 10, he doesn't usually put his money where his heart is. But, mulling over their prospects on a camping holiday he found he was encouraged by the team's performance at the end of last season, and, taking a shine to the appointment of Claudio Ranieri as manager, he decided to put down the \u00a35 bet for his team to win. \"I thought, they're going to do something special this season,\" he says. \"I really enjoyed the first half of the season, the second half just got harder and harder. \"I would feel sick watching them play.\" Eventually, he cashed out \u00a32 of his \u00a35 bet, making \u00a35,600, but left the \u00a33 remainder in place, which eventually won him \u00a315,000. A big party is in order this weekend - as well as house hunting with his new deposit. Bookmakers, like Coral, estimate the industry as a whole will have paid out around \u00a320m over the title win. Coral themselves lost \u00a32m. But bookmakers won't have lost out overall, admits Ladbrokes' Alex Donohue. Although Ladbrokes are losing \u00a33m on Leicester this week, throughout the season a lot of bets were placed on the favourites, such as Chelsea and Manchester City, which will have more than cushioned the blow. \"\u00a33m is a record net payout for a title winner, but we did well out of Leicester upsetting the odds to get there. No complaints at all,\" he tweeted. Ladbrokes are \"by no means crying out in pain\" over the season in general, says Mr Donohue. Bookmakers do best when a second or third favourite team wins the title, he says. Title win an amazing feeling - Ranieri Leicester 'can make \u00a3150m from PL title' The greatest sporting story of all time? The wearable tech giving sports teams winning ways More importantly for bookmakers Leicester's win is a great story. The bookmakers were much slower than the punters to believe that Leicester could win the title. The problem was not so much the long odds at the start of the season, but the fact that they were so slow to respond to Leicester's success. At Christmas, when the Foxes were unbeaten for 10 games in a row, the odds were still quite high, in Coral's case they were still at 33-1", "summary": "The betting industry is licking its financial wounds."}
{"article": "About 20 firefighters helped bring the fire under control at Thorpe Willoughby, near Selby, on Saturday night. It is not thought anyone was injured. An investigation is under way to find out how the fire started. Pictures circulated on social media showed smoke from the fire was visible from several miles away from the site.", "summary": "A large blaze has ripped through the site of a former mushroom farm in North Yorkshire."}
{"article": "The tech-heavy index rose 68 points, or 1.3%, to 5,132.95 Meanwhile the Dow Jones closed up 180 points, or 1% to 18,115 while the S&P jumped 21 points, or 1%, to 2,121.22 As traders digested the Federal Reserve's statement from Wednesday, they were encouraged by its insistence that rates will only be increased gradually. \"The Fed's likely to raise rates later this year, but maybe not as aggressively as some market participants worried,\" said Michael Baele, managing director and senior portfolio manager at US Bank Private Client Reserve. The Nasdaq closing high was more than 25 points above its last record on 27 May. On the economic front, new figures showing an uptick in inflation and fewer jobless claims sketched a picture of modest improvement. US consumer prices registered their largest increase in two years on higher oil prices. The CPI rose 0.4% in May, after a 0.1% rise in April. The US Labor Department said initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 267,000 for the week ending 13 June. It was the 15th consecutive week that claims held below 300,000, a threshold usually associated with a firming labour market. In corporate news, shares in Martha Stewart Living, which owns the Martha Stewart publishing and homeware brands, jumped more than 20% on reports that Sequential Brands was close to buying it. Another company to do well was Harley Davidson, which rose more than 4%, after UBS upgraded the company. On the downside, technology giant Oracle shares dived more than 4% as it reported disappointed net income for the quarter.", "summary": "(Close): US stock markets rallied on Thursday with the Nasdaq closing at a record high."}
{"article": "Fe fydd Radio Cymru 2 yn darlledu o 7:00 tan 10:00 bob bore'r wythnos ar radio digidol, teledu digidol a BBC iPlayer Radio. Cymysgedd o gerddoriaeth ac adloniant fydd ar y gwasanaeth newydd, tra bydd Radio Cymru yn parhau i ddarlledu'r Post Cyntaf. Dywedodd golygydd Radio Cymru, Betsan Powys, ei bod yn ddatblygiad \"hanesyddol\". Daw'r cyhoeddiad ar \u00f4l i'r BBC arbrofi gyda gorsaf dros dro, Radio Cymru Mwy y llynedd. Dywedodd Betsan Powys: \"Does dim dwywaith fod hwn yn un o'r datblygiadau mwyaf hanesyddol a phwysig yn natblygiad yr orsaf ers ei sefydlu yn 1977. \"Mae gwrandawyr Radio Cymru gyda'r gwrandawyr radio mwya' ffyddlon yng Nghymru ac mae gallu cynnig dewis iddyn nhw ac i wrandawyr newydd yn hynod gyffrous.\" Mae t\u00eem golygyddol Radio Cymru yn bwriadu lansio'r gwasanaeth newydd cyn diwedd y flwyddyn. Wrth ymateb i'r newyddion dywedodd Carl Morris, llefarydd darlledu Cymdeithas yr Iaith: \"Ry'n ni'n croesawu'r newyddion yma - mae'n ddatblygiad addawol iawn gan fod dybryd angen rhagor o gynnwys digidol amrywiol yn y Gymraeg. \"Gall un orsaf ddim bod yn bopeth i bawb, felly gobeithio bydd y gwasanaeth newydd yma yn golygu y bydd rhagor o amrywiaeth.\" Mewn cyhoeddiad arall, fe ddywedodd y BBC y bydd gorsaf Radio Wales yn ehangu ar FM i gyrraedd 330,000 o bobl ychwanegol. O ganlyniad bydd yr orsaf yn cyrraedd hyd at 91% o'r boblogaeth ar FM, o'i gymharu \u00e2 79% ar hyn o bryd. Gwrandawyr yn y gogledd ddwyrain a'r canolbarth yn benodol fydd yn elwa ar y cynnydd yn argaeledd Radio Wales ar FM. Bydd yr orsaf yn defnyddio tonfeddi FM sydd yn darlledu BBC Radio 3.", "summary": "Mae'r BBC yn bwriadu sefydlu ail orsaf radio genedlaethol yn Gymraeg."}
{"article": "The first bomb was found during an alert at Ramoan Drive on Saturday morning. A device found in the Glencolin Walk area of west Belfast later on Saturday has also been declared viable. There is another security alert in Ballygally in County Antrim. Both alerts in west Belfast have now ended. The alert in Glencolin Walk followed the discovery of a suspicious object. The Glen Road was closed between the junctions of Shaw's Road and Suffolk Road. Police are attending a security alert at a country park on the Coast Road, Ballygally, in County Antrim, following the discovery of a number of suspicious objects. There are no more details on that incident at this stage. On Friday, a bomb exploded under a prison officer's van in east Belfast. The device partially detonated when he drove over a speed ramp at Hillsborough Drive in Belfast, at 07:10 GMT.", "summary": "Police have said two devices found in separate security alerts in west Belfast are viable."}
{"article": "Ben Purdy, 18, was shot in the head in Bermondsey after confronting his girlfriend's ex, Michael Bagnall, about \"threatening\" messages. Bagnall, 22, of Hospital Way, Lewisham, must serve at least 28 years. His uncle Andrew Bayne, 37, of Trundleys Terrace, Lewisham was sentenced to at least 30 years. During the trial at the Old Bailey, jurors heard that they both suffered from learning disabilities, but Judge Christopher Moss said they were still \"able to organise and carry out this dreadful murder\". As they were led from the dock, Bagnall launched into a tirade of abuse at the judge and shouted out \"I'm glad he's dead\" in the courtroom packed with Ben's family. In a statement, Ben's mother, Joanne Treston-Smith, said: \"The void that Ben's death has left will never be filled. We will always have him missing in our lives.\" The court heard that the murder followed a feud between Michael Bagnall and the victim, who was going out with the Bagnall's ex-girlfriend. Bagnall was said to have resented the new relationship and sent the girl \"threatening messages\" by phone or Facebook. On the day of his murder, Ben Purdy decided to confront Bagnall, tracking him down in which led to a \"skirmish\" in Bermondsey, south London. After that encounter, the jury heard Bagnall and and his uncle Andrew Bayne decided Mr Purdy needed to be \"taught a lesson\". The pair armed themselves with a self loading pistol and an array of other weapons and got in a car to scour the streets for Mr Purdy and his friends. When they caught up with them, Bayne shot Mr Purdy in the head on 23 November 2014. He died in hospital the next day.", "summary": "A man and his uncle have received life sentences after being found guilty of shooting dead a teenager in south London to \"teach him a lesson\"."}
{"article": "He said William McNeilly's allegations were either factually incorrect or the result of misunderstanding or partial understanding. The Royal Navy submariner has claimed missile programme system on the Clyde was a \"disaster waiting to happen\". He wrote a report, detailing \"serious security and safety breaches\". In a statement addressing the 25-year-old's concerns, Mr Fallon insisted that neither the \"operational effectiveness\" of the fleet \"nor the safety of our submariners or public have been compromised\".", "summary": "The UK's Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has said a whistleblower's concerns about Trident nuclear submarine safety have not been proved."}
{"article": "Most swimmers will be take to the waters of Windermere to swim a mile (1.6Km) with some longer swims scheduled for Sunday. The event is expected to attract 10,000 swimmers, organisers said. A 10k marathon distance has also been introduced and is expected to take experienced swimmers four hours to complete. Great Swim Director Alex Jackson said: \"The Great North Swim is proving to be as popular as ever, with 10,000 expected in Windermere for our ninth event here.\" Introducing the \"10k event will provide a new challenge\" he added.", "summary": "Thousands of swimmers have headed to the Lake District this weekend to take part in the Great North Swim."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old spent last season on loan at Chesterfield, scoring 15 goals in 38 appearances for the Spireites. Novak has agreed a three-year contract at The Valley and becomes the Addicks' third signing of the summer. \"Lee has shown a consistency at both Championship and League One level and is a proven goalscorer,\" Charlton boss Russell Slade told the club website. Novak joined Birmingham from Huddersfield in summer 2013 and scored 12 goals in 69 outings for the Blues. Meanwhile, Charlton striker Igor Vetokele has joined Belgian Pro League side Zulte-Waregem on a season-long loan deal. Zulte-Waragem have an option to buy the 24-year-old Angola international as part of the deal. Vetokele moved to south-east London in the summer of 2014 and scored two goals in 18 appearances in 2015-16. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League One side Charlton Athletic have signed Lee Novak following the striker's departure from Birmingham."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old, from Staffordshire, died on Wednesday after a four-year battle with the disease. Stephen's appeal in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust on his Just Giving page has now raised \u00a33.7m. There are now plans to make a film about his life, using footage shot over the past 12 months. Film-maker Grigorij Richters, 26, from Hamburg, Germany, met Stephen at the Champions League final at Wembley in May 2013 and they became friends. The visit to Wembley was on the \"bucket list\" of 46 ambitions Stephen wanted to achieve before he died, along with raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. The pair agreed to film the bucket list together and he now has hours of footage, which he wants to use to tell Stephen's story. Mr Richters said Stephen was \"a young man who did the inconceivable, the unbelievable, at a young age\". At his former school, Chase Terrace Technology College in Burntwood, people have queued to sign a book of condolence and leave flowers. Tributes have also been written in chalk on pavements in Birmingham. Suggestions on social media that there should be a permanent memorial in the city will go before the Broad Street Walk of Stars committee in the summer. Mike Olley, the manager of Broad Street in Birmingham, where the stars are located said: \"We are always happy to take suggestions for the Walk of Stars. \"Many people have nominated Stephen now and I am delighted to put this before the committee.\"", "summary": "An appeal started by the cancer fundraiser Stephen Sutton has raised a further \u00a3400,000 - only a day after the teenager died."}
{"article": "Alana Annette Savell, 32, was hosting a couple at her Panama City home when the visitors apparently became noisy. Police say she ordered them to go, before shooting the man and woman in the legs. The victims went to hospital with non life-threatening injuries. Ms Savell has been charged with aggravated battery by a firearm. Bay County Sheriff's Office told the BBC the female victim had turned up with a male friend, whom she had just met in a bar, at the accused's home at around 01:00 local time on Monday. Ms Savell told police her hospitality began to wear thin after her guests began drinking and raising their voices. But instead of dropping a hint by yawning or loading the dishwasher, she armed herself with a 22-calibre handgun and shot at her guests' feet, officials said. As well as shooting the woman, Kristy Jo Mohr, in both legs in the incident, and her companion, who went by name \"Cowboy\", Ms Savell's own boyfriend was struck by a bullet in the leg. Ms Mohr told police she believed eight or nine shots were fired in total. Bay County Sheriff's Office said: \"The victim (Ms Mohr) stated she felt herself get hit in the legs and ran away from the home and got into a vehicle. \"Savell stated that the victim and her friend had come to her home to hang out and began drinking and getting too loud. \"Savell stated she did not want them in her house and started shooting at their feet. \"The suspect's boyfriend stated to investigators that he has told his girlfriend that once someone is told to leave their property three times, she is to go get the gun and shoot it at the ground. \"If that does not work, she is to shoot people in the leg.\" Ms Savell remains in custody at the county jail.", "summary": "A Florida woman opened fire on her house guests because they were \"too loud\" and had overstayed their welcome, police say."}
{"article": "Mr McMullin, the former chief policy director of the House Republican Conference, is expected to formally file his candidacy on Monday. He is likely to face challenges on ballot deadlines and fundraising just three months before Election Day. The 40-year-old Mormon has never held elected office. Mr McMullin, an outspoken critic of the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, released a statement to ABC News. \"It's never too late to do the right thing, and America deserves much better than either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton can offer us. I humbly offer myself as a leader who can give millions of disaffected Americans a conservative choice for President,\" Mr McMullin said. The little-known, unmarried conservative worked for the CIA for 11 years before leaving the agency in 2010. He later went to work for Goldman Sachs and became a senior adviser on national security for the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in 2013. Mr McMullin resigned from his position at the House Republican Conference on Monday, US media reported. The Utah native graduated from Brigham Young University and earned a master's of business administration from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, according to his LinkedIn page. He had just 135 Twitter follows when his pending candidacy was first announced and gained more than 12,000 within hours. Mr McMullin has voiced his opposition to Mr Trump on social media, calling him an \"authoritarian\" and denouncing the Republican nominee's attacks on the family of fallen Capt. Humayan Khan. In a Facebook post, Mr McMullin condemned Mr Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric, saying \"attacking them as a group makes America weaker, not stronger\". Mr McMullin joins third-party candidates Libertarian Party's Gary Johnson and the Green Party's Jill Stein, who are also in the race for the White House. Mr McMullin faces a series of hurdles over the next three months, having already missed the deadlines to get on the ballot in 26 states. He will have to collect tens of thousands of signatures in the coming days to make the 10 August deadline for several more states. But the Morman candidate will have time to appear on the ballot in his native Utah, where Mr Trump is deeply unpopular among the Mormon electorate. Senator Ted Cruz overwhelmingly defeated Mr Trump in Utah during the primary election, taking 69% of the vote to 14%. Though Mr McMullin is not likely to appear on majority of state ballots across the country, he could block Mr Trump from taking the historically red state of Utah and peel off some of the billionaire's conservative voters. Mr McMullin will also have to chase millions of dollars in donations over the next few weeks in order to keep up with his opponents this fall. The group Better for America, which was formed by Never Trump conservatives, had been reportedly searching for an independent presidential candidate to put up against the nominee. The group has insisted key Republican donors would throw their support behind his candidacy, according to ABC News. Prominent Republican operative Rick Wilson is expected to help run Mr McMullin's campaign. Mr", "summary": "Former CIA agent Evan McMullin has launched an independent campaign for the White House with support from members of the Never Trump movement."}
{"article": "Notices of intended prosecution claimed 991 drivers had broken a 40mph (64km/h) speed limit in Conwy tunnel last October. But the limit had been imposed for night maintenance only and not lifted in the morning as it should have been. Within days the drivers got an apology in the post. North Wales Police released the figures in a Freedom of Information reply. The force said: \"The issue was caused by an administration error surrounding the enforcement period. \"North Wales police do not record the cost of cancelling notices.\"", "summary": "Nearly 1,000 drivers were wrongly sent speeding notices after a temporary limit on a north Wales road was not lifted, figures have shown."}
{"article": "Organisers said rain and ground conditions had caused delays and festival founder Michael Eavis has apologised. The festival's Twitter account said it was \"open for business\" but advised festival-goers to expect to queue. More than 100,000 people are due to descend on Worthy Farm for the event. Glastonbury gridlock: Latest updates In pictures: Glastonbury welcomes muddy arrivals The gates officially opened at 08:00 BST but people reported long queues to get on to the site. One ticket-holder told the BBC he had been in the queue for \"about four and a half hours\" and only moved half a mile. \"We're trying to get in the campervan field but we're glad we've come today because we think it's going to be even worse tomorrow,\" he said. Glastonbury live album to be dedicated to Jo Cox MP Glastonbury 2016: Eleven acts to watch Glastonbury weather - latest BBC forecast Others took to social media to vent their frustrations, with Angela Gibbon tweeting: \"7 hours in the queue now...so near yet so far away!\". Steve Saunders posted a shot of the roadside saying: \"This is a view of a hedge we've had for a hour. It's a beaut!\" while Patrick Dear tweeted: \"Talking about necessary survival plans now - which of us to eat first.\" Mike Ross said he had \"never been on a roundabout long enough to take a nap before\" and Moira tweeted that she had \"been in this traffic for 12 hours, that's longer than any of my relationships\". Mr Eavis said he was \"sorry for the delay\" but the problem was because \"people were coming before the gates were open\". \"We did ask people to postpone their trip by about six or seven hours but instead of that - funnily enough - more people have come early this time,\" he said. \"I don't mind them coming early but they're going to have to wait because we don't have the staff or the car parks until 8 o'clock in the morning.\" Festival organisers earlier advised people \"not to set off\" yet or \"grab some essentials\" for the journey. A temporary campervan and caravan holding site was set up at the Bath and West show ground near Shepton Mallet and festival-goers were advised to go there. Avon and Somerset Police said traffic was queuing on the A37, north and south of the A361 junctions, with further congestion around the A303. The force advised people to avoid the area \"unless absolutely necessary\". Somerset County Council said traffic heading to the festival had caused widespread disruption. It said a number of school buses had been caught up in the traffic, and were running late or not at all. Residents described the gridlocked roads as a \"traffic disaster\". Lorry driver Jason Barnes called the situation \"absolute carnage\" and said: \"In six hours I've only driven 11 miles. I'm supposed to be working\". Nigel White said the A39 through Ashcott was \"virtually at a standstill\" while Judith Templeman said \"no other event would be allowed to cause this level of mayhem\". \"If they can't handle the influx", "summary": "Glastonbury festival-goers have been stuck in queues of up to 12 hours as traffic chaos hit all major routes to the site."}
{"article": "Andrew Boyce's late equaliser had cancelled out Sido Jombati's delicate free-kick, but the home earned all three points in stoppage time. Wycombe defender Joe Jacobson's free-kick on 13 minutes drew a decent save from James McKeown. Garry Thompson had another good chance for the hosts on 50 minutes, but wastefully blazed his half-volley wide from 25 yards. Wycombe led five minutes later, though. Luke Summerfield brought down Jacobson on the edge of the box, and Jombati stepped up to place the ball beyond McKeown for the home side's first goal in 112 days. Cameron Dawson was forced into a sharp double save after 69 minutes, diving to his right to stop Summerfield's fierce shot, then saving Kayden Jackson's follow-up with his legs. Ten minutes later, though, Grimsby deservedly equalised when Boyce passed the ball beyond Dawson after Wycombe failed to clear a corner. But Stewart popped up to tap home from two yards after substitute Adebayo Akinfenwa's flick-on bounced off both posts for Wycombe's first points of the season. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Wycombe Wanderers 2, Grimsby Town 1. Second Half ends, Wycombe Wanderers 2, Grimsby Town 1. Joe Jacobson (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Kayden Jackson (Grimsby Town). Attempt blocked. Ashley Chambers (Grimsby Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Goal! Wycombe Wanderers 2, Grimsby Town 1. Anthony Stewart (Wycombe Wanderers) left footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Adebayo Akinfenwa (Wycombe Wanderers) hits the left post with a header from the centre of the box. Substitution, Grimsby Town. Rhys Browne replaces Tom Bolarinwa. James Berrett (Grimsby Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Joe Jacobson (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by James Berrett (Grimsby Town). Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Nick Freeman replaces Matt Bloomfield. Corner, Wycombe Wanderers. Conceded by James McKeown. Attempt saved. Garry Thompson (Wycombe Wanderers) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Sam Wood (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Kayden Jackson (Grimsby Town). Foul by Matt Bloomfield (Wycombe Wanderers). James Berrett (Grimsby Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Sam Wood (Wycombe Wanderers) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Goal! Wycombe Wanderers 1, Grimsby Town 1. Andrew Boyce (Grimsby Town) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner following a corner. Corner, Grimsby Town. Conceded by Aaron Pierre. Attempt blocked. Kayden Jackson (Grimsby Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Omar Bogle (Grimsby Town) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Corner, Grimsby Town. Conceded by Anthony Stewart. Corner, Grimsby Town. Conceded by Dan Rowe. Attempt blocked. Omar Bogle (Grimsby Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Substitution, Grimsby Town. Ashley Chambers replaces Sean McAllister. Substitution, Wycombe", "summary": "Anthony Stewart scored an injury-time winner against Grimsby to earn Wycombe Wanderers their first victory since March."}
{"article": "Clifton, 18, spent the 2016-17 season on loan with Grantham Town in the Evo-Stik League Northern Premier division. He turned professional in July 2015 after coming through the academy, but is yet to play a game for the Mariners, who finished 14th this season. However, Clifton has earned a new deal after impressing manager Russell Slade, who replaced Marcus Bignot in April.", "summary": "Midfielder Harry Clifton has signed a one-year contract extension with League Two side Grimsby Town."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old suffered the injury during the second half of Saturday's win at Swansea. \"We're very disappointed, but that's football and that can happen,\" Koeman said. \"It's unlucky but OK. \"The boy has to keep going and it's difficult because he had a great start to the season, but it's part of the football and he will come back.\" Up until the injury, Ward-Prowse had played for Southampton in every fixture this season. Meanwhile, Koeman said that another young English player, Nathaniel Clyne, should be called up by the national side. The 23-year-old scored Southampton's second in their 2-1 win at Arsenal in the League Cup, with a brilliant 35-yard strike. \"I think he's ready [to play for England],\" Koeman said of Clyne, who has played at under-19 and under-21 level. \"He has a lot of experience, he is playing very well from the beginning of the season. \"He scored a great goal. I think his performance was very good and I think it's an option for the national coach and I'm very happy to have Clyney in our team because he brings a lot of experience. \"He brings a lot of spirit and I like to have and play with offensive full-backs. He shows that quality and it's very important for the team.\"", "summary": "Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse has been sidelined for 10 weeks with a fractured foot."}
{"article": "A child welfare agency and hospital in Pennsylvania have paid Elizabeth Mort $143,500 (\u00c2\u00a394,500) for the mistake. Her three-day old daughter, Isabella, was removed from her for five days in April 2010. The lawsuit argued that the opiate test in question had a far lower threshold than federal guidelines. Jameson Hospital failed to inform Ms Mort that she had failed the test, then reported it to Lawrence County children and youth services without a secondary test. \"Elizabeth Mort never imagined that the last thing she ate before giving birth to her daughter - a poppy seed bagel - would lead to the loss of her newborn, but that is exactly what happened after the Jameson Health System failed to account for the possibility that her positive urine drug screen was due to her ingestion of poppy seeds,\" the lawsuit said. Child welfare officials arrived the day after the family returned from hospital with an emergency protective custody order and took Isabella. She was later returned after the agency could find no evidence Ms Mort had used illegal drugs. The lawsuit, which was filed on her behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), was settled on Tuesday. ACLU officials said Jameson had changed its policy to ensure newborns were not taken from parents solely on the basis of maternal drug test results. \"We hope that this case will encourage hospitals that routinely test pregnant women for drug use to reconsider that practice due to the harm that can result from false positives,\" said ACLU lawyer Sara Rose.", "summary": "A US woman whose newborn was taken from her because she failed a hospital drug test after eating a poppy seed bagel has won a settlement, says her lawyer."}
{"article": "Off the court, where she makes the bulk of her earnings, the question is - can she be as big a sponsor draw as she was before her enforced absence? The 29-year-old will return to action on Wednesday, 26 April, in Stuttgart after being handed a wildcard. Although some fellow players have expressed misgivings, she has the support of the WTA tour, and her fans. And, with biggest commercial rival Serena Williams announcing she is pregnant and facing time away from the game, the Russian's return is certainly timely. In the year from June 2015, Forbes estimates the five-time Grand Slam winner made $1.9m (\u00c2\u00a31.5m) in prize money from playing, but a whopping $20m from endorsements, a sum matched only by Williams. And it is this primary source of earnings that Sharapova will be looking to reinvigorate. \"During her time out there will have been some continued relationship with her sponsors,\" says Simon Chadwick, professor of sports enterprise at the University of Salford. \"But I am sure there will have been some sort of penalty clause in her sponsor contracts for incurring a suspension.\" Following Sharapova's admission in March 2016 that she had tested positive for a banned drug at that year's Australian Open, she was initially banned by the International Tennis Federation for two years, later reduced on appeal. But unlike golfer Tiger Woods, who haemorrhaged sponsors very quickly after his extra-marital affairs came to light, Sharapova's backers waited to see how things played out. \"That was because they had invested so much money and effort into their deals,\" says Prof Chadwick. \"Also, to terminate deals could have been dangerous as she might come back successfully, and if you as a sponsor have decided to cancel her contract then the door has been left wide open for a rival.\" As it was the sponsor reaction was mixed - Head and Evian were immediately supportive, Nike and Porsche put their relationships on hold but later came back on board, while Tag Heuer and Avon chose not to extend deals that had ended. Given the large amounts of money and time invested - Nike's relationship with the player dates back to when she was 11 years old - it is not surprising the major brands wanted to think hard before reaching their decisions. \"In terms of brands and reputation, what all this has highlighted is that first of all Sharapova is a major brand in her own right,\" says Karen Earl, chairman of the European Sponsorship Association. \"She commands a lot of media attention, as the furore about her comeback demonstrates. It also highlights that she is a huge star, and that women's tennis feels it needs her. \"That is one of the reasons why brands want to continue to associate with her. Those that stuck with her value the association of her brand with their brands.\" Mrs Earl says the fact that Sharapova immediately put her hand up and admitted the drugs breach helped mitigate the damage to her brand, and those of her partners. \"Sharapova admitted she had done a wrong", "summary": "Maria Sharapova faces the biggest challenge of her tennis career - namely her return to the sport after a 15-month drugs ban - and it is not just her continued sporting success that is in the spotlight."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Inst led 6-3 at the break thanks to two Hume penalties while John Crowther slotted over a Campbell penalty. Campbell piled on the pressure in the second half but could not find a way through a resolute RBAI defence, even when Mark Keane was yellow-carded. Hume sprinted clear from deep in his own half to run in a try, which he converted in the game's final action. Campbell will rue missed opportunities during the St Patrick's Day decider in a sun-kissed Belfast. They dominated the latter stages of the first half and entire second period. Penalty opportunities were turned down in favour of going for a try but they were thwarted by handling errors and Inst defending. Campbell launched a final attack but Hume collected from a bouncing ball and raced away to seal a second straight Schools' Cup triumph. RBAI captain Conor Field said: \"I can't describe my feelings after that but I am so proud of the boys. \"Credit must go to Campbell as they put us under so much pressure although we defended strongly throughout the game. \"To see James run clear to win it for us so late in the match was absolutely brilliant.\"", "summary": "James Hume scored a late try as RBAI beat Campbell College 13-3 at Kingspan Stadium to retain the Schools' Cup."}
{"article": "It puts new, lower limits on the size of each country's nuclear arsenal, and updates the verification mechanism. There are limits on warheads and on launchers, which must be implemented within seven years of the treaty's entry into force. Warheads: Under the New Start treaty each side is allowed a maximum of 1,550 warheads. This is about 30% lower than the figure of 2,200 that each side was meant to reach by 2012 under the Start treaty (as revised in the 2002 Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty). Launchers: Each country is allowed, in total, no more than 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear arms. Another 100 are allowed if they are not operationally deployed - for example, missiles removed from a sub undergoing a long-term overhaul. The new limit on delivery systems is less than half the ceiling of 1,600 specified in the original Start treaty. Not as dramatic as they might appear. The rules for counting warheads contain a big loophole. While each warhead on a ballistic missile is counted as one warhead, a heavy bomber is counted as carrying \"one warhead\" even though it may carry (in the case of a US B-52) up to 20 of them. According to the Arms Control Association, a pro-disarmament pressure group, the US could theoretically meet the new limits by cutting just 100 warheads, while Russia would only need to cut 190. In addition, the agreed ceilings refer to deployed warheads, not to warheads in storage. A warhead could, in theory, be put into storage, and then redeployed when needed. The cuts in launchers are also, in practice, not all that challenging. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists estimates that Russia currently has 566 - well under the permitted ceiling of 700. It estimates that the US has 798, necessitating a cut of about 12%. Supporters of the deal say that while it does not make big cuts, it is a useful confidence-building measure, which could pave the way for further nuclear deals with Russia. They say it also signals to the rest of the world that the US and Russia are not ignoring their commitment under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to progressively disarm. The important difference, according to the Arms Control Association, is that each side will now be able to carry out on-site inspections to verify how many warheads a missile is carrying. Together with satellite imagery, this should give an accurate picture of the other country's nuclear strength. Some other forms of verification will cease. Yes, it says that both sides can engage in \"limited\" missile defence. Russia has warned that it will withdraw from the treaty if a future US missile defence shield weakens its nuclear deterrent. The US Senate ratified it on 22 December, after much delay, so now all it needs is Russia's final approval. Russia's parliament, the Duma, is expected to ratify it - and the process may begin on 24 December. The US wants further cuts in strategic nuclear arms, but is also keen to negotiate a reduction", "summary": "The New Start treaty, signed by the US and Russian presidents, replaces the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start), first proposed by US President Ronald Reagan in 1982 and signed in 1991, as the USSR sped towards collapse."}
{"article": "In April 2014 Jack Sexty completed the Greater Manchester Marathon on a pogo stick in 16 hours and 24 minutes. But earlier this month the course was found to be 380m too short and all timings for the 2013, 2014 and 2015 events were declared null and void. Guinness World Records said the record Mr Sexty set will no longer stand. \"We would invite Jack to go for the record again in the future and we hope this won't deter him from breaking records in the future,\" a spokesman said. Mr Sexty, from Bristol, said he \"wouldn't be losing any sleep\" over the decision. He said in reality he believed he had done more than a marathon because of having to hop on and off pavements. \"I have video of the event and if Guinness want to watch all 16 odd hours they are more than welcome. \"I still have the record for the most distance bounced in 24 hours. That was the original record I was going for. \"The only reason I had the fastest marathon record is because I'm the only person to have done it.\" Marathon courses are measured out using a bicycle fitted with a counter to calculate distance by the turning of the wheels. The Association of UK Course Measurers (AUKCM) said an accredited measurer had ridden the course in 2013 but indicated there had been an error in the calibration of the bicycle wheel. The mistake, caused by a measuring error, affected some 24,000 runners who competed in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Their timings are no longer recognised. A true marathon distance is 26 miles and 385 yards.", "summary": "A student who bounced his way into the record books has been stripped of the accolade after it emerged a marathon route was too short."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old damaged knee ligaments in the at the end of December. \"We're hoping I can feature in the pre-season block of games if all goes well,\" Sturgess said. I don't like sitting on the bench behind anybody so I definitely want to be fighting for the position \"I'm 16 weeks post-op and I'm running and doing really good leg weights again and progressing next week to off-line running and upping the load a bit.\" Sturgess has had a difficult couple of seasons with injury, having missed a large chunk of the 2012-13 campaign Next season will be his eighth at Sandy Park after joining Exeter from Connacht in 2007. \"One of the disappointing things about the injury is that I wasn't able to get the starting jersey back. \"You're not guaranteed your place, but after previous seasons you may feel you're going into the next season holding the jersey,\" he said. \"This season I definitely know I'm going in as second choice and will need a good pre-season and perform in the pre-season games to try to get my place back. \"I don't like sitting on the bench behind anybody so I definitely want to be fighting for the position.\"", "summary": "Exeter prop Brett Sturgess hopes to return to action in time for pre-season as he recovers from knee surgery."}
{"article": "Keepers at Drusillas Park in Alfriston could not work out why Sofia and male Tupee had failed to bond since being introduced to each other in 2011. Head keeper Mark Kenward said it was not easy to establish the sex of a sloth and medical records had shown Sofia was female when she arrived. \"We are going to have to find a more suitable name for Sofia,\" he said. It is likely that either Tupee or Sofia will now be re-homed to another zoo, and another female introduced. Mr Kenward said: \"We had never looked after sloths before and were relying on the information provided. \"Unfortunately we cannot keep our two boys together and it would also be a waste of their breeding potential.\" After enlisting the help of Bristol Zoo, Mr Kenward said it all made \"perfect sense\" given the problems they had been experiencing with the animals.", "summary": "A pair of sloths at an East Sussex zoo failed to breed after it emerged that they were both in fact males."}
{"article": "Sophie Burgess, who was 11 months old, had a seizure on 16 June last year. She was taken to St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey, and died after an overdose of the anti-seizure drug phenytoin. Surrey Police asked the Woking coroner to halt the inquest to allow officers to re-examine the case after fresh expert evidence emerged at the hearing. During the last two months of her life, Sophie suffered a series of seizures triggered by a reaction to infections. The inquest heard this week that Dr Lojein Hatahet and paediatric consultant Dr Fiona MacCarthy had attempted to administer the anti-seizure drug using an automated syringe-driver. It failed to work and it was decided Dr Hatahet would administer the drug from a handheld syringe, despite the protests of nurse Polly Leavold, who said the drug was not needed and that giving it by hand was against the hospital's protocol. A Surrey Police spokesman said the investigation into the circumstances of the baby's death would be re-examined \"in light of new expert testimony presented at the coroner's court\". \"We are keeping an open mind, and it would be inappropriate to comment further.\"", "summary": "An inquest has been suspended to allow police to reinvestigate the death of a baby girl who died after being given a fatal drug overdose in hospital."}
{"article": "The Roslea surgery closed last week, leaving the village without a doctor for the first time in 100 years. Several hundred people who attended the meeting were told that no doctors applied to take over the contract. Patients will now have to travel to the health centre in Lisnaskea. \"It will have a very, very serious impact on me because we have a member of the family who isn't in very good health,\" said Rosemary Mulligan. \"I have to go to the doctor a lot about this person and then have to go on a round trip of over 30 miles for any medication or anything I need.\" She added: \"We had a lovely doctors and everything was going well and they were coming from Lisnaskea and we were happy enough and now its gone. We're angry and we're sad.\" Jimmy Flynn had a hip replacement in November said it was \"a terrible mistake that we haven't got a surgery\". \"I'm 87 years of age and it's not a good idea for me to have to drive down to Lisnaskea. \"We're hoping that this meeting will maybe entice somebody to come back here to Roslea.\" Ann Began said it will lead to increased waiting times for appointments. \"You could be waiting three weeks if you want to see a particular doctor,\" she said. \"I think it's terrible because the area goes right out to the border and old people are going to have to travel and they mightn't have transport. \"Not everybody can drive. I just think it's awful.\" Representatives from the Health and Social Care Board said they had found it increasingly difficult to replace retiring GPs in rural practices, as doctors no longer want to work on their own. They said this contrasted to the situation 20 years ago when there were about 40 applicants for a GP post in the nearby village of Newtownbutler. Maple Health Care has taken over the patients of three single-handed practices in Roslea, Newtownbutler and Lisnaskea. Dr Sloan Harper, director of integrated care at the Health and Social Care Board, said the temporary model of a GP from Lisnaskea providing services in Roslea for part of the week was not sustainable in the long term. \"It will mean some inconvenience, unfortunately, for a small number of patients living in the Roslea area and the board is disappointed that we haven't been able to continue that service,\" said Dr Harper. \"The doctors working here are taking on a major change process, going from a practice of 8,500 to 14,500 patients, taking over three practices. \"So it felt safer and more sustainable for them to work out of two sites, and so Newtownbutler - being the larger premises and having better car park arrangement - was felt to be doable. \"To spread their medical and nursing workforce, its not just about a doctor going down there... it was felt that was too big a stretch and so we feel the current arrangement is the best option available.\" Dr John Porteous from Maple Health Care in Lisnaskea,", "summary": "The long-term future of single-handed rural practices is \"unsustainable\", a public meeting to protest against the closure of a County Fermanagh GP surgery has been told."}
{"article": "The striker hammered home a low right-footed shot from 15 yards out after Byron Moore's pass across the box had created the opportunity. It proved the decisive moment of a low-key contest. Both goalkeepers made fine second-half saves, Oldham's Connor Ripley keeping out a stinging drive from Stuart Sinclair and Rovers' Joe Lumley diving to keep out a Lee Erwin volley. A drab first half featured nothing more than long-range efforts from both teams. Rovers midfielder Billy Bodin produced two of them, but on each occasion was denied by Ripley. Harrison also brought a save from Ripley, while - at the other end - Oldham's Tope Obadeyi fired straight at Lumley and as Erwin shot wide. Rovers edged a close contest and left Oldham with nothing to show for a spirited performance. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Bristol Rovers 1, Oldham Athletic 0. Second Half ends, Bristol Rovers 1, Oldham Athletic 0. Attempt blocked. Chris Taylor (Oldham Athletic) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Billy Bodin (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ousmane Fane (Oldham Athletic). Delay in match Billy Bodin (Bristol Rovers) because of an injury. Attempt missed. Ryan Flynn (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Foul by Ryan Broom (Bristol Rovers). Ryan McLaughlin (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Robert Harris (Bristol Rovers). Ryan McLaughlin (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Lee Croft replaces Oliver Banks. Robert Harris (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Ryan Flynn (Oldham Athletic). Corner, Oldham Athletic. Conceded by Tom Lockyer. Corner, Oldham Athletic. Conceded by Ellis Harrison. Corner, Oldham Athletic. Conceded by Ryan Sweeney. Jermaine Easter (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Brian Wilson (Oldham Athletic). Corner, Oldham Athletic. Conceded by Joe Lumley. Attempt saved. Lee Erwin (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner. Corner, Oldham Athletic. Conceded by Stuart Sinclair. Goal! Bristol Rovers 1, Oldham Athletic 0. Ellis Harrison (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Byron Moore. Attempt saved. Stuart Sinclair (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner. Robert Harris (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Lee Erwin (Oldham Athletic). Substitution, Bristol Rovers. Ryan Broom replaces Joe Partington. Attempt missed. Byron Moore (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from the left side of the box is just a bit too high. Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Ousmane Fane replaces Aiden O'Neill. Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Paul Green replaces Tope Obadeyi. Byron Moore (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Ryan Flynn (Oldham Athletic). Stuart Sinclair (Bristol Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Stuart Sinclair (Bristol Rovers).", "summary": "Ellis Harrison's 75th-minute winner was enough for Bristol Rovers to deny Oldham Athletic League One safety as they recorded a narrow victory at the Memorial Stadium."}
{"article": "The Houthi delegation, which was due to arrive on Sunday, was still in Djibouti in east Africa on Monday evening. Mr Ban warned that \"while the parties bicker, Yemen burns\" and urged an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. An estimated 20 million Yemenis are in need of aid following months of fighting in the country. The humanitarian situation has been described as \"catastrophic\" by the UN, with more than 2,000 people killed in the conflict. Opening the talks, Mr Ban said: \"Today Yemen's very existence hangs in the balance.\" He urged action on three main areas: \"First, a renewed humanitarian pause to allow critical assistance to reach all Yemenis in need and provide a respite for Yemenis as the holy month of Ramadan begins. \"Second, I urge the parties to reach agreement on local ceasefires. Third, I call on them to resume a peaceful and orderly political transition and to ensure that the process includes more representation from other political parties, women, youth and civil society.\" The BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva said the Houthi representatives were apparently delayed over what airspace their plane could fly through. She said that the confusion did not bode well for the talks. A Saudi-led coalition of Arab states has been bombing the Houthi rebels and their allies since March. The bombing campaign was launched to support Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, who escaped to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, when the Houthis advanced on his stronghold in Aden in southern Yemen. In recent weeks, fighting between Saudi forces and the Houthis has intensified on Yemen's border with Saudi Arabia. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia claimed to have shot down a Scud missile fired by the Houthis. The attack followed fighting on the border on Friday, in which four Saudi soldiers and a number of Yemeni rebels died. On the same day, bombs hit the Old City of Yemen's capital, Sanaa, killing five people according to local sources.", "summary": "UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has opened talks in Geneva on the conflict in Yemen but without the presence of Houthi rebel representatives."}
{"article": "Northumbrian Water, which supplies water across the north-east of England, is expanding its cohort of water rangers. It is recruiting new volunteers to walk by streams, becks, burns and bathing waters which are prone to pollution and report back on their condition. The company's wastewater director, Richard Warneford, said the scheme had been \"hugely successful\" \"[It] has helped us to spot and deal with potential threats to the environment at the earliest possible opportunity on a number of occasions,\" he said. New routes have been added in Northumberland, Tyneside, County Durham and Teesside. The rangers are trained in environmental issues and what to look out for when monitoring watercourses. The new routes are situated in:", "summary": "A scheme to tackle water pollution is to be extended."}
{"article": "Michael March banged the weapon on the floor to scare a couple walking past a pub in South Shields in October 2016. Prosecutors said the offence was carried out during the \"killer clown\" craze. The 18-year-old admitted possessing a bladed article at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court. He was bailed and will be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on 6 February. Paul Anderson, for the Crown, said March - who was 17 at the time - carried out the offence the night before Halloween. He had waited for the couple outside the Sand Dancer pub and struck the floor with the axe to frighten them. The woman, who was 22 weeks pregnant, picked up a brick and threw it at him. Mr Anderson said: \"[March] tried to explain it was a prank and ran off in something of a panic. \"He said it was all meant to be a joke that went badly wrong.\" March, of Hopedene, Gateshead, was traced by police via CCTV and still had the axe and the mask in his backpack. Magistrates heard he told police: \"I'm sorry, I was not going to hurt her.\"", "summary": "A teenager in a clown mask who brandished an axe at a pregnant woman left her so scared she threw a brick at him, a court heard."}
{"article": "The Markit construction purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 55 from 57.8 - well below the 57.5 forecast by economists. The figure contrasted with a stronger-than-expected start for the manufacturing sector published on Monday. Factory output rose from 52.1 in December to 52.9 in January. Any figure above 50 indicates growth in the sector. Markit economist Tim Moore said construction firms were struggling for momentum, with increased economic uncertainty holding back new orders and contributing to one of the weakest rises in output levels since summer 2013. \"Taken together with the slowdown in new order growth, the latest survey suggests that construction companies are braced for a relatively subdued first quarter,\" he said. David Noble, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, which compiles the survey along with Markit, said a shortage of bricks and blocks contributed to the slowdown. Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said weakness in construction orders and a downturn in public sector infrastructure work, which accounts for about a quarter of total construction and is not covered by the PMI, suggested the sector would post only \"lacklustre growth\" this year. Optimism among construction companies waned to its lowest level since December 2014, the survey showed. \"Some firms highlighted concerns that underlying demand conditions had started to soften,\" Markit said. Analysts use the PMI surveys for early signals about the economy. However, the construction sector figures have been at odds with data used in official growth figures in recent months. Growth in the dominant UK service sector fell slightly in December to 55.5 in December, down from 59.9 in November, but remained above average.", "summary": "Growth in the UK construction sector slowed down in January to its weakest level for nine months."}
{"article": "That is a key department policy which decides whether schools should close or not. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said that the policy is undermined by \"flawed and inaccurate data\". Education Minister John O'Dowd said he would consider what additional action, if any, needed to be taken. He said: \"The sustainable schools policy has been tested in court on several occasions and found to be a competent policy upon which to make decisions both about the future of individual schools and area planning more widely. \"I have already accepted the eight recommendations within the Northern Ireland Audit Office report and these are being progressed by my department.\" The policy is also used to plan educational provision across Northern Ireland. The PAC also said that the number of empty places in schools in Northern Ireland is \"likely to be overstated\". A Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) report previously found the number of empty places totalled over 71,000, about 20% of capacity. However, the NIAO also said that the department did not have a standard method for calculating school capacity. The PAC said it was \"unacceptable\" that the department could not provide accurate numbers of surplus places. The committee is calling for up-to-date school enrolment figures to be gathered \"as a matter of urgency\". The PAC report also said the department took too long to take decisions on whether to close schools, and whether suspended teachers should be dismissed. It found that 106 teachers had been suspended during the past five years, but only six had been dismissed. The department paid \u00c2\u00a34.2m on wages, national insurance and pension contributions for suspended teachers during that period. The committee also concluded that Northern Ireland's education system was still failing too many young people.", "summary": "There should be a \"root and branch\" review of the Department of Education's sustainable schools policy, a Stormont committee has said."}
{"article": "Robyn Malcolm had been photographing a pod of whales on a feeding frenzy 500km (310 miles) south of Sydney. But she only realised she had taken the unusual picture when she went through the photos later, she told the Sydney Morning Herald. Animal experts say that witnessing such a partnership is rare. New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife whale expert Geoff Ross told the paper the coupling was very rare but he had heard of it happening once before. \"The only other time was a seal trying to get away from a killer whale. The seal hopped on the back of the pectoral fins of a humpback whale,\" he said. Ms Malcolm insisted that the photo was not doctored. \"I'm positive, because I don't know how to use Photoshop. And I do still have it on the camera so I can prove it,\" she told the newspaper. The meeting of seal and whale is the latest in a series of serendipitous animal piggyback rides which have been captured this year. In March, amateur photographer Martin Le-May shot this picture of a weasel clinging on to the back of a woodpecker at Hornchurch Country Park in east London. In June, a family walking in a forest in central Florida spotted this raccoon hitching a ride on the back of an alligator. Mr Richard Jones told local television station WFTV that he \"snapped a lucky picture right when the gator slipped into the water and before the raccoon jumped off and scurried away\".", "summary": "An Australian photographer has captured a rare moment of animal communion with a shot of a fur seal surfing a humpback whale off the New South Wales coast."}
{"article": "That is the view of the organisation representing micro breweries which says the thirst for craft beer in pubs and beyond shows no signs of drying up. It comes as the number of traditional pubs have declined, with a pub closing every couple of days in Wales. But the number of breweries has doubled in the past five years to 88. \"It's growing really rapidly,\" said Buster Grant, chairman of Drinks Wales, which represents independent brewers as well as cider and wine producers. Welsh brewers are set to showcase their beers at two key events. There is Cardiff Brew Fest this weekend and a three-day festival in London next month will feature 100 Welsh beers and ciders. Mr Grant, managing director of Brecon Brewery, said: \"There's a growth of craft beer in places like Cardiff where people like stronger, hoppier beers and more extreme flavours but also there's still growth in more traditional ales. \"In an age of austerity, people are not going out quite as much but when they do they're seeking out something different; they're a little bit more picky about where they go and are prepared to pay a little bit more.\" He said Welsh brewers are taking their beers across the UK and looking abroad. At home, 20 small Welsh breweries now have their own pubs. Four micro breweries - Bragdy Nant, Bragdy Conwy, Purple Moose and Great Orme - got together to reopen one pub in Conwy three years ago and recently bought two more. Bragdy Conwy employs nine people and has enjoyed 20% year-on-year growth, supplying supermarkets, bars, restaurants and pubs. Owner and head brewer Gwynne Thomas said it was difficult to predict the industry's future. \"About 2008, during the financial crisis, I thought we'd reached saturation point but the last few years growth has accelerated. \"It's a relatively straightforward but there are people who are good at the technical side of brewing but haven't got the organisational side right. You have to be strong at both.\" Q&A: Real ale? Craft beer? Confused? The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) included 14 new Welsh breweries in its annual beer guide last year. This is set against a background of a pub closures, which is running at a net loss of about 10 a month in Wales. Spokesman Neil Walker said the boom in people setting up their own micro breweries or finding work in the industry \"can only be good news for the future of beer and pubs\" .", "summary": "If the number of independent brewers in Wales continues to rise, it could hit the 100 mark within the next year."}
{"article": "Police said the six Liverpool men were ruthless and petrified their victims in 23 robberies between 2008 and 2015. Ian Stewart, Kieron Whittle, John Stewart, Alan Lea, Shaun McDonald and Gary McNeill were sentenced to between 12 and 16 years in prison. All pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court to conspiracy to commit robbery. Police said the gang wore masks and either used \"brute force\" to force their way into premises or removed roof tiles to allow them to drop down through the ceiling. Most of the raids - which happened in Sefton, St Helens, Wirral, Liverpool, Warrington, Neston, Birkenhead, Bootle, Southport, Hull and Sutton - occurred when staff were either opening or cashing up. The gang members were given the following sentences: Det Insp Mike Dalton of Merseyside Police said: \"This gang enjoyed a criminal lifestyle on the back of the misery of many decent, hard-working people who were simply doing their job when these men burst in and changed their lives forever. \"This gang was completely ruthless in what they did. \"They did not care who they harmed or what damage they caused as long as they got the money.\" He said: \"Innocent members of staff who were petrified at the time have remained too traumatised to return to work. \"A young mum was robbed of the enjoyment that having a young baby brings. \"Another who had a baby long after the robbery feared the stress she still felt could harm her unborn child.\"", "summary": "A gang of armed robbers who stole up to \u00a31.5m in a series of bank and post office raids in Merseyside, Cheshire and east Yorkshire have been jailed."}
{"article": "An exhibition in London explores the global refugee crisis through the eyes of eight photographers reporting from 13 countries on behalf of Oxfam. The pictures aim to capture something of the personal stories behind the migration facts and figures. Photography director Rebecca McClelland said: \"My aim was to be as sensitive as possible to the subject, whilst stretching the limited language of crisis photography.\" The Stand as One exhibition can be seen at 4 Holywell Lane, London from 8-15 September 2016.", "summary": "All photographs courtesy Oxfam"}
{"article": "The SFO says the probe is \"into suspected corruption in the conduct of business in the Republic of Guinea by the Rio Tinto group, its employees and others associated with it\". It is asking anyone with relevant information to get in touch. Rio Tinto says it \"will fully co-operate\" with the investigation. The firm employs 50,000 people in 35 countries across six continents. Last October the mining firm agreed to sell its entire stake in the Simandou iron ore project in the west African country to Chinese firm Chinalco for between $1.1bn and $1.3bn. The following month, Rio Tinto said it had contacted regulatory authorities in the UK and US over certain consultancy payments made in 2011 with regard to the Simandou project. In a statement the company said: \"Rio Tinto will fully co-operate with the Serious Fraud Office and any other relevant authorities, as it has done since it self-reported in November 2016.\"", "summary": "The UK's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) says it has opened an investigation into British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto Group."}
{"article": "Their study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, argued elderly people had the least to gain. The team at University College London (UCL) has called on doctors to discuss the risks more clearly with patients. The charity Diabetes UK said doctors needed to strike a careful balance when prescribing treatment. Type-2 diabetes is an inability to control blood sugar levels and is linked to lifestyle factors including diet and obesity. In the long-term it is linked to heart disease, kidney damage, nerve damage and even blindness. Drugs such as metformin can be used to lower blood sugar levels to prevent the side effects. The report, which was carried out by the University of Michigan as well as UCL, said an average 45-year-old who dropped their blood sugar levels by one percentage point would gain 10 months of healthy life, compared with three weeks for a 75-year-old starting treatment. It added this needed to be balanced against the down-sides to a lifetime of medication including: Having to have multiple injections and blood sugar tests each day, drugs causing indigestion or sickness, or insulin treatments risking blood sugar levels dropping dangerously low (hypoglycaemia). One of the report's authors, Prof John Yudkin, told the BBC: \"What it means is if you're someone with type-2, it's your right to know what the benefits of the treatment are in terms of gain in life expectancy or reduction in heart attacks or going blind. \"And then you are entitled to decide, but not many doctors have got those figures to hand.\" He said GPs were too \"target focussed\" and were often looking only at the blood sugar level. The findings do not apply to people with type-1 diabetes. Commenting on the report, Simon O'Neill, the director for health intelligence at Diabetes UK, said: \"Sometimes there is a balance to be struck where certain medications might help give someone a longer life, but also cause side effects that might negatively impact on quality of life. \"This study highlights the importance of looking at the individual needs of the person with type-2 diabetes, rather than adopting a blanket approach.\" Patients are advised not to make any decisions without consulting their GP. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which advises the NHS on medication, said: \"The current NICE guidance on the management of type-2 diabetes recognises that glycaemic [sugar] control targets should not impair a person's quality of life as a result of the side effects of treatment. \"Where medication does not help achieve this target level, lifestyle therapies such as dietary advice should be offered.\" Refreshed guidelines are due to be published next summer.", "summary": "The downsides of taking medication for type-2 diabetes may exceed the benefits for some patients, researchers have advised."}
{"article": "Abdul Hakim Belhaj claims the UK government helped to arrange for him to be forcibly transported from China to Libya in 2004, just as he was about to fly to London to claim asylum. Mr Belhaj says he was then tortured as he had opposed the Gaddafi regime. Last December, the High Court found the claims were beyond its jurisdiction. At last year's hearing, the judge, Mr Justice Simon, said Abdul-Hakim Belhaj had a \"well-founded claim\" but pursuing it would jeopardise national security. Lawyers for Mr Belhaj have now taken the case to the Court of Appeal, where Richard Hermer QC said Mr Belhaj and his wife believed \"the UK played a key role in their mistreatment and wish to pursue a remedy against the UK and its officials for that\". Mr Belhaj, one of the leaders of the uprising against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, says he was abducted - along with his pregnant wife, Fatima Boudchar - in China in 2004 as he was about to fly to London to claim asylum. He alleged the UK had tipped off Libyan intelligence services and helped the US arrange his rendition. After he was returned to Libya, Mr Belhaj spent six years in jail, while his wife was released shortly before giving birth. The couple had been attempting to bring a case against former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and former senior MI6 official Sir Mark Allen. The High Court ruled that because most of the claims related to officials in China, Malaysia, Thailand and Libya the allegations were \"non-justiciable\" in the UK. Analysis By Dominic Casciani This case matters for one simple reason: it involves allegations that the UK colluded in handing over a man to a regime that tortured him. And a decade on from these events we are still no closer to finding out exactly what happened. The government has settled similar claims from former Guantanamo Bay inmates at a cost of millions of pounds - but a planned judge-led inquiry into these issues was scrapped. That judge, Sir Peter Gibson, said there needs to be further investigation into complicity in rendition and torture - and the task was handed to Parliamentarians on the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC). Critics believe the ISC isn't equipped to get the answers - an accusation the committee would deny - but that's another reason why the Belhaj case is so important. However, addressing the Court of Appeal, Mr Hermer, representing Mr Belhaj, said the court was \"constitutionally competent\" to deal with the case. \"This court is the only forum in which remedies could possibly be obtained for those acts and omissions of the UK executive and its officials. \"If it can't be heard before this court, it will not be heard anywhere else as the principle of state immunity means it is highly unlikely that proceedings could be brought against UK officials in any other jurisdiction,\" he said Mr Hermer said the case had \"profound and far-reaching\" implications for the rule of law in a world in which counter-terrorism was being fought by international co-operation.", "summary": "Lawyers for a man who says he was tortured after his rendition to Libya have said the Court of Appeal should overturn a block on him suing the UK."}
{"article": "The quake happened at about 21:10 local time on Friday (04:10 GMT on Saturday) and its epicentre was 1 mile (2km) east of the town of La Habra. There were no immediate reports of significant damage or injuries. A 4.4-magnitude quake was felt near Los Angeles earlier this month, rattling nerves but causing no major damage. The latest earthquake was shallow at only 1.2 miles (2km) deep, according to the USGS. It was felt across four counties, from Palm Springs in the east and Ventura County to the north, Reuters news agency reported. The Los Angeles Fire Department said it was checking buildings and transport infrastructure for damage. It said the quake was a reminder for people to be prepared. The San Andreas fault, on the edge of the Pacific tectonic plate, runs directly through California, and the western US state has long braced for a devastating quake. The 1994 Northridge quake, at 6.7 magnitude, left at least 60 people dead. A 6.9-magnitude quake in San Francisco five years earlier killed 67 people.", "summary": "A magnitude 5.1 earthquake has struck the Los Angeles area of southern California, the US Geological Survey says."}
{"article": "The Kurdish Peshmerga had held 20% of the town since December 2014, and although there had been daily fighting since then, the two sides had been at a stalemate. Since Thursday, though, the Kurdish forces - backed by US air strikes - have made important ground, cutting early on the Highway 47 which passes Sinjar, the main supply line between IS' self-styled capital of Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in northern Iraq. Capturing Sinjar will not only secure the highway, but the road south of Sinjar, towards the IS-held town of Baaj, is also reported to be under control of the Peshmerga forces. This is supposed to provide a buffer zone large enough to keep Sinjar safe in the near future. However, it is by no means preventing IS from using scores of small countryside roads south of Sinjar that are still available until the winter weather makes them unusable. The next step has to be against the IS-held town of Tal Afar, and then Mosul. If not, Sinjar will always face attacks from those points. Yet, if Sinjar is de facto Kurdish territory, Tal Afar and Mosul are not. Profile: Who are the Peshmerga? Who are the Yazidis? Tal Afar is populated with Arabs and Turkmen: this means that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will not have any strategic interest in liberating and holding an area to which it has no claim. The same goes for Mosul and Baaj. While KRG President Massoud Barzani has repeatedly hinted that his government would contribute to the retaking of Mosul, recapturing an Arab city could be perceived as an act of Kurdish aggression against Arabs, raising tensions with the Baghdad government and potentially harming the Kurdish minority that has continued to live in Mosul since IS took it. Tactically, the town of Baaj, situated on higher grounds than Sinjar, will remain a perfect spot to target Sinjar. Since the Peshmerga do not possess long-range missiles, how will they be able to create a strong enough buffer zone for the 3,000 Yazidis trapped on the mountain for more than a year to be able to safely return and live in their homes? Moreover, as the IS frontline has been dissolved in Sinjar, IS is likely to return to its next best tactic: sending armoured vehicles packed with explosives to Peshmerga positions. Once again, the Peshmerga are underequipped to face this daily threat. The impending attack on Sinjar was an open secret. Two weeks ago, I witnessed long military convoys that were already on their way to retake the town, only to be derailed by a claim by Peshmerga rivals - Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels based in northern Iraq that it had already been recaptured from IS. The claim did not just halt Peshmerga operations: it gave ample time for IS fighters to prepare and tactically retreat from Sinjar, just as they did in Tikrit last spring, only to take Ramadi a few weeks later. The PKK is not the only local force that might get in the way of the Peshmerga as they", "summary": "Retaking Sinjar would be extremely important strategically and for the morale of the Kurdish people in their fight against so-called Islamic State (IS) - but what happens in the days and weeks afterwards will be crucial."}
{"article": "The prisoner swap came after secret talks between the US government and the Taliban, brokered by Qatar. Bergdahl was serving with an Alaska-based infantry regiment in Paktika province near the Pakistani border and went missing on 30 June 2009, five months after being deployed to Afghanistan. The circumstances of his capture remain murky, with speculation he may have walked away from his base out of disillusionment with the US campaign. In March 2015, he was charged with desertion and misbehaviour before the enemy. The US believes he was across the frontier in Pakistan for most of his captivity, reportedly held by the Haqqani network, which operates in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region and is allied to the Afghan Taliban. Profile: Sgt Bowe Bergdahl The circumstances of Sgt Bergdahl's capture in 2009 remain unclear, although a Pentagon investigation a year later concluded he left his post in Paktika Province without authorisation, according to a Pentagon official speaking to Associated Press news agency. Several commentators and soldiers have branded him a deserter and called for him to be punished. The New York Times said on his disappearance in 2009 had noted he had left military areas before, during a training programme in California and an Afghan outpost, but returned each time. US officials told the newspaper the report did not conclude whether Sgt Bergdahl had intended to permanently desert the military. The US military's top-ranking officer, Gen Martin Dempsey, has that the Army would not ignore misconduct but that the 28-year-old was innocent until proven guilty. \"When he is able to provide the facts, we'll learn what happened.\" The defence department opened up an investigation into his disappearance and capture, appointing a two-star general with combat experience in Afghanistan to lead the inquiry. Taliban officials say the 28-year-old was handed over near Khost, close to the the Afghan-Pakistan border, on the evening of 31 May. A several-dozen strong US special forces team flew in by helicopter and briefly met some 18 Taliban on the ground. The exchange, captured on video, shows Sgt Bergdahl sitting in a pick-up truck before being walked to the helicopter. Once the helicopter was in the air, Bergdahl wrote the letters \"SF?\" on a paper plate - an abbreviation for special forces - and reportedly broke down when the men responded: \"Yes, we've been looking for you for a long time.\" Taliban release video of handover Sgt Bergdahl was the only US soldier being held by the enemy in the Afghan conflict, and Washington had long been seeking his release, spurred on by the \"Standing with Bowe\" campaign led by his parents in Hailey, Idaho. Negotiations for the US-Taliban prisoner swap began three years ago with US and Taliban officials meeting face-to-face in Qatar. But the talks did not move forward because the US were pushing for a wider peace process, while the Taliban wanted to limit the talks to a prisoner swap, Taliban sources told the BBC's David Loyn in Kabul. Direct negotiations broke down a year ago when the Afghan government opposed the opening of a Taliban office in", "summary": "US Sgt Bowe Bergdahl has been released five years after being captured by Afghan Taliban, in a controversial exchange for five Taliban officials being held at Guantanamo Bay."}
{"article": "It is an astonishing mass of material that has essentially been created only in the last 65 years or so. The 8.3 billion tonnes is as heavy as 25,000 Empire State Buildings in New York, or a billion elephants. The great issue is that plastic items, like packaging, tend to be used for very short periods before being discarded. More than 70% of the total production is now in waste streams, sent largely to landfill - although too much of it just litters the wider environment, including the oceans. \"We are rapidly heading towards 'Planet Plastic', and if we don't want to live on that kind of world then we may have to rethink how we use some materials, in particular plastic,\" Dr Roland Geyer told BBC News. A paper authored by the industrial ecologist from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and colleagues appears in the journal Science Advances. It is described as the first truly global assessment of how much plastic has been manufactured, how the material in all its forms is used, and where it ends up. Here are some of its key numbers. There is no question that plastics are a wonder material. Their adaptability and durability have seen their production and use accelerate past most other manmade materials apart from steel, cement and brick. From the start of mass-manufacturing in the 1950s, the polymers are now all around us - incorporated into everything from food wrapping and clothing, to aeroplane parts and flame retardants. But it is precisely plastics' amazing qualities that now present a burgeoning problem. None of the commonly used plastics are biodegradable. The only way to permanently dispose of their waste is to destructively heat it - through a decomposition process known as pyrolysis or through simple incineration; although the latter is complicated by health and emissions concerns. In the meantime, the waste mounts up. There is enough plastic debris out there right now, Geyer and colleagues say, to cover an entire country the size of Argentina. The team's hope is that their new analysis will give added impetus to the conversation about how best to deal with the plastics issue. \"Our mantra is you can't manage what you don't measure,\" Dr Geyer said. \"So, our idea was to put the numbers out there without us telling the world what the world should be doing, but really just to start a real, concerted discussion.\" Recycling rates are increasing and novel chemistry has some biodegradable alternatives, but manufacturing new plastic is so cheap the virgin product is hard to dislodge. The same team - which includes Jenna Jambeck from the University of Georgia and Kara Lavender Law from the Sea Education Association at Woods Hole - produced the seminal report in 2015 that quantified the total amount of plastic waste escaping to the oceans each year: eight million tonnes. This particular waste flow is probably the one that has generated most concern of late because of the clear evidence now that some of this discarded material is getting into the food chain as fish and", "summary": "US scientists have calculated the total amount of plastic ever made and put the number at 8.3 billion tonnes."}
{"article": "The culprits tried to to pull the cashpoint at Aboyne Filling Station free using a blue Land Rover Defender at about 01:45 on Sunday. The vehicle was abandoned at the crime scene. Det Insp Richard Taylor appealed for anyone who saw the vehicle in the area in the hours before the incident to contact Police Scotland. It is not known how much money was in the machine. The Land Rover Defender is thought to have been stolen from the Dinnet area.", "summary": "Thieves fled empty-handed after an attempted raid on a cash machine in Aberdeenshire failed."}
{"article": "The attempted abduction happened at about 08:00 GMT while the boy was walking to school along North Road, Bourne. The offender is described as 6ft and white, with short spiked brown hair and tattoo on his neck. Officers are warning the public to not let children go out alone. Det Insp Pete Grayson, from Lincolnshire Police, said the boy was very frightened by the incident. He urged anyone with information to contact the force.", "summary": "Police are hunting a man who tried to force an 11-year-old boy into the back of a black van in a Lincolnshire market town."}
{"article": "Fury, 27, is the second Briton to win the award, after he shocked Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko to claim the IBF, WBA and WBO titles in November. \"I can't believe I've just won Ring magazine fighter of the year,\" Fury said. \"I'm so flattered.\" The magazine said Fury's defeat of Klitschko \"turned boxing's traditional glamour division upside down\". Following his title win in Dusseldorf, Fury caused controversy over derogatory remarks he made about women, and for criticising homosexuality and abortion. Almost 140,000 people signed a petition calling for Fury to be removed from the BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortlist. Fury remained on the list and, during the show in December, apologised if any of his comments \"hurt anybody\". He finished fourth in the vote for the award, which was won by tennis player Andy Murray. American former WBC, WBA and IBF title-holder Mike Tyson said about Fury: \"He is the best heavyweight champion of the world since myself. He is the man, I don't care what anybody says. \"I know this is going to sound ignorant, he can say what he wants to say. You know who is going to look up to him? The people who never thought they had a chance in their life.\" Former world welterweight and light-welterweight champion Ricky Hatton, in 2005, is the only other Briton to win the Ring award.", "summary": "The Ring magazine has named world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury as its 2015 fighter of the year."}
{"article": "Mr Justice Mostyn said the game could be said to be a legitimate sport under English law. He has granted the Aylesbury-based English Bridge Union permission for a full judicial review of its status. Sport England has refused to recognise the game and said it was no more a sporting activity than \"sitting at home, reading a book\". Mr Justice Mostyn, who said he played Bridge on social occasions, heard a claim the game ought to be recognised as a \"mind sport\" that exercises the \"brain muscle\". Kate Gallofent QC, for Sport England, said the definition of a qualifying sport was an \"activity aimed at improving physical fitness and well being, forming social relations and gaining results in competition\". That definition is based on a European Sports Charter promoting \"a common European definition of sport\". However, the judge was told other EU countries, including the Netherlands, Ireland and Poland, \"recognise Bridge as a sport\". Miss Gallofent insisted: \"The starting point of the definition of sport is physical activity. Bridge cannot ever satisfy this definition.\" Mr Justice Mostyn told her: \"If the brain is a muscle, it does. \"You are doing more physical activity playing Bridge, with all that dealing and playing, than in rifle shooting. \"In 1999, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognised that Bridge and Chess should be recognised as mind sports.\" The judge granted the union permission to mount a full judicial review challenge to Sport England. Contract Bridge is a complex game played by millions of people across the world in competitions and at social events. All the cards are dealt from a normal 52 card deck for each game. Two players from each of two teams sit opposite each other across a table and through a bidding process (auction) agree to win a number of tricks. Suits are ranked upwards - clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades and no trumps. If they achieve the number of tricks agreed at auction they win the game but if not they lose. The team with the highest number of games takes the rubber. These are the simple basic rules. At higher levels, the game includes bonus points, complex dealing and other laws.", "summary": "The card game Bridge is \"arguably\" a sport and could qualify for lottery funding, a High Court judge has found."}
{"article": "Malik said: \"My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band. \"I'd like to apologise to the fans if I've let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right.\" One Direction will continue their world tour as a four piece and record a fifth album later this year. Last week, Malik walked away from the band's world tour after being signed off with stress. He returned to the UK shortly after being forced to defend his relationship with his fiancee, Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards. A photo had earlier emerged of him holding another woman around the waist. A second photo, taken from behind, showed Malik standing close to the woman. Their hands and arms looked as though they were linked. In a statement, the rest of the group said: \"We're really sad to see Zayn go, but we totally respect his decision and send him all our love for the future. \"The past five years have been beyond amazing - we've gone through so much together, so we will always be friends. \"The four of us will now continue. We're looking forward to recording the new album and seeing all the fans on the next stage of the world tour.\" Simon Cowell, who discovered the boyband on talent show The X Factor, said: \"I would like to say thank you to Zayn for everything he has done for One Direction. \"Since I first met Zayn in 2010, I have grown very, very fond - and immensely proud - of him. I have seen him grow in confidence and I am truly sorry to see him leave. \"As for One Direction, fans can rest assured that Niall, Liam, Harry and Louis are hugely excited about the future of the band.\" Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson signed with Simon Cowell's record label Syco Records in 2010 after finishing third on The X Factor. Zayn's had a tumultuous time with the band and almost quit during bootcamp. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Zayn Malik has quit One Direction, the band have confirmed in a statement."}
{"article": "However, with today's decision to recommend a third runway at Heathrow, this government has arrived at a point that its predecessors failed to. From beating ourselves up for not building anything, we are suddenly building everything. Heathrow was chosen because of the extra boost it gives to the UK economy, but it is not the only mammoth project out there. After a last minute wobble, the \u00c2\u00a318bn Hinkley Point nuclear power station has been given the green light, while the biggest of them all is coming down the track fast. Construction on the \u00c2\u00a342bn HS2 high-speed rail line from London to the North is scheduled to begin next year. And that is probably not all. The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, has hinted he may reveal some moderate government borrowing to fund targeted infrastructure spending in his Autumn Statement next month. It is enough to make the Victorians sit up and take notice. If projections for a fairly sharp post-Brexit slowdown in the economy next year are correct, we may need this spending boost. Yet if these projects proceed on time, there is something else we will need: people to build it all. With unemployment close to historic lows, it is not clear we have enough. As the Victorians did, it seems very likely we will need to look abroad to find the workers for what some say promises to be a golden age of infrastructure. And that, post-Brexit, will present a political rather than an engineering challenge.", "summary": "We have a long way to go before the we see the proverbial shovels in the ground - there will be legal and planning challenges aplenty to come."}
{"article": "The poll has been triggered by the resignation of Tory MP Zac Goldsmith in protest at the government's backing for a third runway at Heathrow. Mr Goldsmith, who will run again as an independent, has said it \"must be a referendum on Heathrow expansion\". But the likely Lib Dem candidate said Mr Goldsmith's backing for Brexit would be \"uppermost in voters' minds\". Sarah Olney, who has already been selected to fight the seat at the next General Election, said it was a \"farce\" the by-election was taking place, saying it was the result of Tory in-fighting but added that the Lib Dems were looking forward to \"putting our message in front of voters\". Ms Olney, who like Mr Goldsmith is opposed to Heathrow expansion, told the BBC's Daily Politics: \"We are on the same side as far as Heathrow is concerned, so for the voters to be able to choose between us, it's going to be fought on other issues - and I think Brexit is currently going to be the main issue that's uppermost in voters' minds.\" A local breakdown of the EU referendum results shows almost 70% of voters in the Richmond council area, which makes up the bulk of the constituency, backed Remain. Ms Olney is expected to be confirmed as the party's pick for the by-election after party leader Tim Farron rejected the idea of parachuting in one of its big names. The Conservatives are not fielding a candidate against Mr Goldsmith, who held the south-west London seat in 2015 with a 23,015 majority. The Lib Dems, who held the seat until 2010, finished second. Labour says it will field a candidate despite three of its MPs urging it to consider standing aside to maximise the chances of a Tory defeat. The Green Party said it was also likely to put forward a candidate although it said it supported \"progressives working together to beat the Conservatives\". In standing down, Mr Goldsmith - who has long campaigned against a third runway - fulfilled a pledge to quit if the government backed the expansion. He said: \"There was no small print, no expiry date, no ambiguity. It was a simple promise. And it mattered. \"I know it mattered, because the thought of Heathrow expansion fills most of my constituents with dread.\"", "summary": "The Liberal Democrats have vowed to make the Richmond Park by-election about Brexit, not Heathrow."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old came through the Rams academy and has played 27 first-team games, including eight this season. Hanson, an ex-England Under-20 player, can also play in defence. \"Jamie is an exciting prospect and Derby feel that his development will be better served by coming on loan to us,\" said Wigan boss Warren Joyce. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "Wigan Athletic have signed midfielder Jamie Hanson on loan for the rest of the season from fellow Championship side Derby County."}
{"article": "The weakness in the oil and gas market has resulted in \u00a32.56bn turnover between January and June, down from \u00a33.07bn at the start of 2015. Profits fell even faster. Pre-tax profits on continuing operations were down by 39% to \u00a396m. However, that does not include exceptional items. Post-tax reported profit was down 68% to \u00a344m. The company has had one-off costs of cutting back sharply on its overhead costs, shedding a 10th of its workforce in the first half of this year. Wood Group is currently in a pay dispute with maintenance workers on Shell platforms in the UK North Sea. Chief executive Robin Watson said: \"We have continued to focus on what we can control and what we can manage during a period where lower oil prices have endured and activity has fallen. \"Our focus remains on managing costs, improving efficiency and maintaining capability. We are working with our customers to work smarter, streamlining work processes while increasing quality and efficiency.\" The engineering firm has told investors it expects full year profits to be 20% lower than in 2015. The outlook was helped, it said, by early signs of oil production projects being given approval, and signs that the sharp drop in North American onshore drilling may have bottomed out. Wood Group has also announced a $700m multi-year contract for oilfield automation services in Kazakhstan. This continues work it has been doing there for Tengizchevroil since 2013. In other energy news, Cairn Energy, based in Edinburgh, announced a significant increase in the estimated size of its oil discovery in Senegal. An independent company has assessed it as containing 473 million barrels of potentially recoverable oil or its gas equivalent, and up to 2.7 billion in total in the field. The company said the new North Sea fields in which it has a significant interest, Kraken and Catcher, remain on schedule to be in production by the end of next year. The downturn in the oil market means the capital expenditure behind them has fallen between 10% and 20%. The Wood Group share price rose 2% in morning trading after its half-year results were announced. Cairn Energy was up nearly 3%.", "summary": "Wood Group, the oilfield services firm based in Aberdeen, has reported half year revenue falling 17%."}
{"article": "Thirty-six year old Marie Low died in Ninewells Hospital after an incident in the city's Ballantrae Terrace. She was found with serious injuries at about 14:55 on Sunday. A 30-year-old is expected to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court on Tuesday. Police Scotland said there would be a continued police presence in the area. Tributes have been paid online to Miss Low by friends and family. Her daughter, Shanice Low, wrote on Facebook: \"R.I.P mummy I love you millions I can't believe your gone. I'm going to make you proud love you loads mummy.\" Her brother, Kevin Low, added: \"Love you sis - gone but never forgotten.\" Several other friends have changed their profile photos on social media to images of Marie. Her sister, Denise Low, said: \"It was our dad's birthday yesterday - we can't believe this has happened. \"My sister was strong and beautiful and will be sorely missed by us all. \"She was one of the best people I knew. \"She was a very, very strong woman. She always looked great.\" One friend has also started a crowdfunding page.", "summary": "A woman has been charged following the death of another woman in Dundee."}
{"article": "A police cordon has been set up at a lane near Broad Street, following the incident at about 04:00 BST. Police have arrested two men aged 29 and 42. Officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward.", "summary": "A 27-year-old man has died following a disturbance in Barry, South Wales Police have said."}
{"article": "This is on a par with US President Barack Obama meeting with Cuba's Raul Castro except, unlike Washington and Havana, the two sides still haven't normalised relations. In fact they haven't even signed a peace treaty and in 66 years they have taken very different paths. No agreements will be signed, no joint statements made, but China's Xi Jinping and Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou will have an hour-long meeting and a casual dinner afterwards. It could get awkward and here are some of the questions that could crop up. China has hundreds of missiles targeted at Taiwan to warn the island against declaring formal independence. Beijing still considers Taiwan a province to be reunified with the mainland one day and has not renounced the use of force to take it back. In fact, one of the main reasons for its military build-up is to counter possible US assistance to Taiwan if Beijing were to try to take back militarily. Mr. Ma would argue: \"If you want to be friends, you must remove these missiles.\" \"Not that simple,\" Mr Xi might answer. Doing so could embolden pro-independence groups in Taiwan who want the island to be recognised as a completely separate country from China. The meeting will take place less than three months before Taiwan holds presidential and legislative races, but truly democratic elections like these are not in China's vocabulary. Taiwan, on the other hand, has developed into a vibrant democracy and is proud of its system. Over dinner, Mr Ma could share his low approval rating headaches with Mr Xi and even make jokes about how hard it is to finish a speech when protesters are trying to throw shoes at him. Mr Xi might just politely smile and think to himself: \"And you wonder why we run things like we do?\" Mr Xi will be eager to push relations forward. During Mr Ma's seven years in office, the two sides have signed many agreements - from those that have allowed first-ever direct flights to ones that bring millions of Chinese tourists to Taiwan each year, not to mention tariff-cutting trade deals. China is eager to link Taiwan's economy and society even closer to the mainland's, and begin talking about unification. But Mr Ma will have to explain that public opinion does not support more deals and such talks at the moment. Many people are worried too many deals signed too quickly and without enough public oversight may make the island over-dependent on China and vulnerable to unification pressures. Mr Ma might explain to Mr Xi: \"In Taiwan, unlike mainland China, public opinion matters a lot. That is how I got my job in the first place.\" Like many Chinese people who consider Taiwan the long-lost sibling they must see at least once in their lifetime, Mr Xi would want to eventually travel to \"our treasured island\" which is what many Chinese people call Taiwan. But Mr Ma will not be able to extend the invitation. That would be asking for trouble. Given China's motive for developing stronger ties, Taiwanese not in", "summary": "On Saturday, for the first time since their bitter split at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, the leaders of China and Taiwan will meet."}
{"article": "The Canadian company, a major employer in Belfast, has faced a public outcry over the planned pay increases. Over the last two years Bombardier has cut thousands of jobs and been bailed out by the Canadian state. Yesterday a protest against the pay rises was held outside its Montreal headquarters. The company says the executives will get half their pay rises now but will have to hit performance targets to collect the rest in 2020.", "summary": "The chief executive of the Bombardier aerospace firm has asked the company's board to defer significant pay rises for its top executives."}
{"article": "Most of the passengers are reported to be from Latin America. The crash happened on Interstate 10 close to the resort town of Palm Springs in the early hours of Sunday morning. Investigators are examining the cause of the crash, which happened as the bus was bound for Los Angeles. Rescuers used ladders to climb into the bus windows to remove bodies. Five of the injured passengers are in critical condition. The Los Angeles Times described the crash as the deadliest in California for several decades. It said that the bus careered into the rear of the truck at high speed, mangling the front third of the bus. Most of those who died were apparently at the front of the bus, the newspaper reported. The driver was among the fatalities. Officials quoted by the paper said that identifying the victims could take days, because some were not carrying identity cards or had lost their belongings when they were taken to hospital. They have warned that it may not be possible to determine exactly why the accident happened because of the driver's death. Investigators will assess whether he might have fallen asleep or had a heart attack, in addition to determining if there was a mechanical failure or some other kind of emergency. The westbound lanes of the interstate were closed near the crash site but are now reported to have been reopened. According to the Desert Sun newspaper, the tour bus, run by US Holiday, was coming from Red Earth Casino, near Salton City in California. The small Los Angeles-based company, runs trips to casinos in California and Las Vegas. The driver of the bus was one of the owners of the tour company. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records show the company had one vehicle and one driver. According to the data the company held a satisfactory safety rating and had not been in a crash for two years.", "summary": "Thirteen people have been killed and more than 30 injured in southern California after a tour bus ran into the back of a lorry, media reports say."}
{"article": "The authority will hold public meetings between 16 November and 7 December to discuss services which could be cut. It believes it has found two-thirds of the \u00a321m savings needed in the next financial year, but it still needs to find a way of slashing \u00a37m more. Councillors and officers hope residents can help persuade the Welsh government to reduce the impact of the cuts. Council leader Aaron Shotton said: \"We are trying to put up an argument and stand up for local services and not simply passport through austerity cuts. \"There's a window of opportunity to save services in Flintshire.\" The council has previously warned it cannot find ways of saving the money and that, if the government cannot be persuaded to limit the loss to Flintshire's grant, then services may be at risk. It has suggested the grant to Clwyd Theatr in Mold could be withdrawn, bins may be emptied less frequently, leisure centres could be closed and winter road gritting could be cut to a minimum.", "summary": "Flintshire residents have been invited to help save services threatened by \u00a321m of council spending cuts."}
{"article": "The Costa Rican embassy's trade attache, Guillermo Cholele, was abducted in his diplomatic car from outside his home on Sunday night. Details of his release are not known but a ransom was reportedly demanded. He was the latest diplomat to be kidnapped in recent months in Venezuela, which suffers from high levels of violent crime. Venezuelan Interior Minister Tarek El Aissami said via Twitter that Mr Cholele was in good shape and being taken by police to be reunited with his family. His release had been secured due to investigative work and police pressure, Mr El Aissami wrote. He said that more details on the diplomat's release would be issued later. The Costa Rican authorities had earlier said that a ransom had been demanded. It called the abduction \"extremely serious\" and said Mr Cholele needed medication for a heart condition and high blood pressure. \"For me, this kidnapping is organised crime and unfortunately Caracas is one of the most dangerous cities in the world and this is not an isolated case,\" Costa Rica's Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Roverrsi said. In January Mexican ambassador Carlos Pujalte and his wife were briefly kidnapped in Caracas before being released. Last November the Chilean consul in Caracas was abducted, beaten and shot in the leg before being released. In December, a diplomat from Belarus was also briefly kidnapped. And just last month Karen Berendique - the teenage daughter of a Chilean diplomat - was shot dead by police. Officers said she had failed to stop at a roadblock. Venezuela has some of the highest rates of murder and kidnap in Latin America, with Caracas particularly affected. The opposition coalition have made crime and insecurity a key issue in their campaign for October's presidential election.", "summary": "Venezuelan officials say a Costa Rican diplomat who was kidnapped in the capital, Caracas, has been freed."}
{"article": "The claim: The UK leaving the European Union would mean cuts to pensions, defence and the NHS. Reality Check verdict: What, if anything, gets cut if there is a Brexit will be a matter for the government to decide. \"If we restrict our access [to the single market] we will be less well off and that obviously affects what we can spend on our public services,\" he said. In the past few days, voters have been warned that leaving the European Union would have severe effects on different areas of public spending. We've been told both by David Cameron and Labour's Tom Watson that the triple-lock protection on state pensions would be threatened. We've had Chancellor George Osborne warning that Brexit would lead to between \u00a31bn and \u00a31.5bn of cuts to defence spending. He pointed out that even if the government stuck to Nato's target of spending 2% of national income on defence, if national income fell, then so would defence spending. And the prime minister has also warned about spending on the NHS being threatened if the UK left the EU. Why are they making these warnings? Because economic forecasters have said that leaving the European Union would mean the economy would grow by less than it would have done. That would mean lower tax revenues for the government, which would mean it would struggle to achieve a budget surplus as promised in 2019-20. What the government chose to do about that would be a question of policy, as David Cameron confirmed, but that has not stopped various groups having a guess. The Institute for Fiscal Studies predicted the government would decide to delay balancing the budget, bringing in an extra one or two years of austerity at the current rate. Labour In for Britain said the government would attempt to balance the budget in 2019-20, meaning it would need to make savings of \u00a328bn, which would be divided equally between tax rises, departmental spending cuts and cuts to social security spending. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research said the government would be trying to save an extra \u00a344bn in 2019-20. It is also possible that the government could decide not to balance the budget and borrow more instead. There is a pretty strong consensus that the initial economic shock from a vote to leave the EU would make it harder to achieve a balance in 2019-20, although it could be smaller than some groups have predicted. Read more: The facts behind claims in the EU debate", "summary": "On the Andrew Marr Show, David Cameron talked about the effects of leaving the European Union."}
{"article": "De Niro is opening the Sarajevo Film Festival on Friday with a screening of his 1976 classic Taxi Driver, digitally restored for its 40th anniversary. He is also due to be presented with a lifetime achievement award. Sarajevo's film festival was founded in 1995 during the Bosnian war, after nearly four years under siege. About 300 taxi drivers have put up posters in De Niro's honour, Reuters reported. \"Many of our colleagues became taxi drivers after being retired from the Bosnian army and in a sign of gratitude and compassion with the main character we have decided to stage him a warm welcome in this way,\" Hasib Losic of the Sarajevo Taxi Association told the agency. Taxi Driver depicts the life of an isolated, angry army veteran turned taxi driver on the streets of New York.", "summary": "Taxi drivers in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo have been putting posters of Robert De Niro on their vehicles in tribute to the actor ahead of a visit."}
{"article": "Speaking ahead of the register's launch, Alison White conceded a lot of lobbyists would not be listed on it. But she said her job was to make sure the rules were implemented and she would do so with \"extreme verve and vigour.\" But one critic of the register said it was \"fake\" and full of \"loopholes\". Lobbyists are companies or individuals paid to influence government decisions. The coalition promised to introduce a statutory register of lobbyists when it came to power in 2010, and legislation was passed last year, with ministers saying the move would help clean up politics. However, the new register will only cover consultant lobbyists and will not apply to lobbyists working \"in-house\" for companies or organisations. A person or company will only need to be registered if they are contacting a government minister or permanent secretary in a government department - leading to criticism it will not come close to reflecting the scale or nature of lobbying that goes on across Whitehall. But Ms White, who is independent of the government, said her task was to implement the law as it stood not to question the powers she had been given. \"We are having something that has never been in place before,\" she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. \"This is a statutory register. The industry tells me it is a professional industry. I expect them to conform with the legislation. It is my job to make sure they do so.\" Ms White, who was appointed as the registrar of consultant lobbyists in September, acknowledged the register would not indicate different \"levels of lobbying\". \"The legislation was quite narrowly drafted to address a particular issue, which was that it was not always particularly clear, when ministers were being lobbied, who the client of the lobbyist was. That is what the register was set up to do,\" she said. She added: \"This will give anyone who wishes to access the register the opportunity to be able to see who is lobbying and being paid for it and who their clients are. That is the main information the register will contain. \"If a lobbyist sets out to influence government policy in some way, they would have to be registered. If they are not registered, then they would not be conforming. They have to go on the register before they lobby.\" Ms White said last month that the register would not have any entries on its launch day but she had received more than \"20 expressions of interest\" about joining and companies and individuals might be required to sign up retrospectively. Potential registrants will be able to log on and create an account to file an \"information return\". But Tamasin Cave, from the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency coalition, said \"hardly anyone\" in the industry would be covered by the provisions of the new law. \"You have a huge commercial lobbying industry, and very few of them will have to sign up,\" she told Today. \"The second flaw is that it won't show the interaction between lobbyists and government, and that is", "summary": "The woman in charge of the government's new register of lobbyists has said she expects the industry to \"conform\" with the statutory system."}
{"article": "Thirty years since Johnny and Baby first appeared in cinemas and created a cult hit, the producers of the TV remake have offered a glimpse at the updated version. Starring Little Miss Sunshine star Abigail Breslin as Frances \"Baby\" Houseman and Colt Pratte as Johnny Castle, it recounts their 1987 love story and what happened to their romance after the summer ended. Fans will relive memorable scenes like the lift in the lake, dancing on the log, and the infamous: \"Nobody puts baby in the corner.\" The stars of the remake also teased viewers with their own images on social media. Breslin shared photos of herself dancing in front of a fireplace with a shirtless Pratte. In one he is seen dipping Breslin backwards and another sees her dancing with her arms above her head. She captioned the shots: \"Casually dancing around a fireplace, as one does,\" and \"just casually dippin' around a fireplace. As one also does.\" Modern Family star Sarah Hyland, who plays Baby's sister Lisa Houseman, also shared a photo on Instagram of herself in costume. Will and Grace star Debra Messing, who plays their mother Marjorie, posted pictures including a shot of the Houseman family sitting around a table when Johnny tells them: \"No one puts Baby in the corner.\" She also included a picture of former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger dancing in character as Penny Rivera. She captioned the collection: \"The Catskills are alive with music and [dancing emojis].\" The three-hour TV movie will be broadcast on US network ABC on 24 May, and promises to take the story beyond where the 1987 film ended. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "It's the moment Dirty Dancing fans have been waiting for."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old, who will join City on 1 July, said: \"I'm now at one of the best teams in the world\". Silva has made 58 appearances for Monaco this season - including two against City in the Champions League - scoring 11 goals and 12 assists. He said the chance to work with Pep Guardiola influenced his decision. \"Of course when you have the opportunity of being trained by Guardiola, you don't say no,\" added the playmaker, who has played 12 times for Portugal, scoring once. \"If not the best coach in the world, he is one of the best.\" Guardiola's City finished third in the Premier League this season, securing Champions League football next year. Silva was integral to the Monaco side that reached the semi-finals, suffering eventual defeat to Juventus, who play Real Madrid in the final on Saturday, 3 June. Former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas, speaking on BBC Radio 5 live I am surprised in that I think that is the one area of the pitch where they have enough options. Manchester City's attack has been sensational this season. Bernardo Silva is very similar to David Silva. I wouldn't let David Silva go, I think he's been tremendous. You don't know if other clubs were ready to push the button and City thought 'we have got to do it'. There are some players that come along and you have to do it there and then. Tottenham defender Danny Rose, speaking on BBC Radio 5 live I played against him away this season and he's the best opponent I faced. It's a great addition and gives Pep Guardiola another attacking option. BBC Sport's Simon Stone: Silva was excellent in Monaco's 5-3 Champions League defeat at Etihad Stadium in February and Pep Guardiola decided the Portuguese was a man he wanted. So much so, in fact, that he is prepared to put him among the top five most expensive players in City history. A product of the Benfica academy, Silva is an attacking right-sided midfield player and is, at 22, just the kind of age Guardiola likes - old enough to understand his role, young enough to absorb the intricate tactical lessons his new manager imparts. If, as expected, Kyle Walker also arrives this summer from Tottenham, Guardiola will have the raw pace from his full-back that creates the danger - and space - for Silva to cut inside and slice open defences. *Initial reported fees", "summary": "Manchester City have completed a \u00a343m deal for Portugal attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva from French champions Monaco."}
{"article": "The company owns the network of lines, poles and substations that brings electricity from power stations to homes and businesses. It does not generate electricity, nor does it sell power to consumers. It makes money by charging suppliers to use the infrastructure and the cost is then passed onto consumers. Sara McClintock of NIE Networks said: \"We know that there is nothing more frustrating than being told: 'We can't deal with your query, you need to speak to someone else.' \"That is why we are trying to clarify the difference between NIE Networks and electricity suppliers. \"If there is a power cut, it's our job at NIE Networks to fix it.\"", "summary": "Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) is changing its name to NIE Networks in an effort to clarify its role in the Northern Ireland electricity market."}
{"article": "Nicholson reported on the fall of Saigon in 1975, the Falklands War, the Balkans conflict, the Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He joined ITN in 1964 and was the network's senior foreign correspondent between 1989 and 1999. He died while on a cruise with his wife Diana. ITN chief executive John Hardie said he was a \"true legend\". Nicholson, who died on 11 December, presented reports from around the world on ITV's flagship current affairs programme Tonight. He had four children and three grandchildren. He was known for smuggling an orphaned girl out of Sarajevo while reporting on the conflict - and bringing her back to the UK, where he adopted her. The correspondent met nine-year-old Natasha Mihaljcic while he was working on a story about children being trapped by shelling in the Bosnian capital in 1992. He went on to write a book about the events which was used as the inspiration for the 1997 film Welcome To Sarajevo. Nicholson was ITN's first bureau chief in South Africa in 1976 and was the first television correspondent to live in the country during apartheid. He also witnessed the toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue in Baghdad in 2003. Former ITN presenter Sir Trevor McDonald said Nicholson \"was almost without doubt the finest television journalist of his generation\". \"His aggressive pursuit of stories came to symbolise what the new kid on the block, as ITN then was, was all about.\" ITV News presenter Alastair Stewart said he was \"deeply saddened to learn of the death of ITN giant Mike Nicholson\". Mr Hardie said: \"Michael Nicholson is rightly regarded as a true legend of ITN. \"As a journalist he is renowned and revered throughout our industry and beyond for his courage, his intelligence, and his compassion.\" In a statement, his family described him as \"an amazing father, devoted grandfather, loving husband and dear friend\".", "summary": "Veteran ITN war correspondent Michael Nicholson, whose career spanned more than five decades, has died aged 79."}
{"article": "Ezewele, 20, joins on a one-year deal with the option for a further 12 months and is Fylde's sixth summer signing. He started his career at West Brom but failed to make a first-team appearance before moving to Yeovil in July 2016. The defender will link up again with Kidderminster team-mates Jordan Tunnicliffe and Zaine Francis-Angol, who have also joined the Coasters. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Newly promoted National League side AFC Fylde have signed full-back Josh Ezewele from Kidderminster Harriers."}
{"article": "Meeting in Berlin, they also criticised Russia's air strikes in Syria. It was their first summit since Donald Trump won the US presidential election. Mr Trump has criticised Nato and said he hoped for warmer ties with Russia. Meanwhile, Mr Trump and Nato's chief \"underlined the enduring importance of Nato\", the military alliance said. In a statement, it said Nato General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg had spoken by phone to Mr Trump, congratulating him on his election victory. In the German capital, President Obama - who has been on a farewell trip to Europe at the end of his two terms - met German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. A White House statement later said the leaders had \"affirmed the importance of continued co-operation through multilateral institutions, including Nato\". It said they had \"agreed on the necessity of working collectively to move the transatlantic agenda forward, particularly on bringing stabilisation to the Middle East and North Africa\". On Ukraine, the leaders said the sanctions imposed against Russia must remain in place until Moscow fully met its commitments to resolve the conflict. Western nations accuse Russia of sending its troops and weapons into eastern Ukraine to support separatist fighters - a claim Moscow denies. On Syria, President Obama and the EU leaders said attacks on the city of Aleppo by Syrian government troops and Russia \"should be immediately halted\". Mrs May said the leaders \"were united in our condemnation of the atrocities that are taking place there\". \"We agreed the need to keep up the pressure on Russia, including the possibility of sanctions on those who breach international humanitarian law,\" she added. Russia launched its air strikes in Syria in September 2015, saying it was acting at the request of President Bashar al-Assad. Moscow denies targeting civilians, saying it is bombing Islamic militants. In a separate development in Berlin, Mrs May said preparations for the UK's exit from the EU were \"on track\". \"We do stand ready to trigger Article 50... by the end of March 2017.\" German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble earlier told the Financial Times the UK might have to continue paying into EU budgets for more than a decade after it leaves the EU. He said Britain would \"certainly have to fulfil its commitments\" to the EU until its departure - and possibly after.", "summary": "Outgoing US President Barack Obama and EU leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to Nato unity and sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis."}
{"article": "Peers backed a government bill paving the way for gay couples to marry. It is set to become law by the end of the week, with the first weddings in 2014. Labour's Lord Alli said its passage meant \"my life and many others will be better today than it was yesterday\". But Tory peer Lord Framlingham said the \"ill-thought through\" change had been \"bulldozed\" through Parliament. Peers approved the principle of same-sex marriage last month, despite efforts by opponents to \"wreck\" the legislation. MPs had earlier done the same, in the face of opposition from many Conservatives, the Church of England and other faith groups. Supporters of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill wore pink carnations during Monday's proceedings in the Lords, during which a series of minor amendments - including one relating to pension benefits for same-sex couples - were proposed. Government minister Lady Stowell said the bill \"puts right something which is wrong\" and had been improved by detailed scrutiny in the Upper House. \"I can't claim to be a gay rights campaigner, but I am a firm believer in justice and fairness,\" she said. But the Gay Marriage No Thanks group claimed it had been prevented from mounting an advertising campaign around Parliament after its truck was vandalised and its driver threatened. After clearing the Lords, the bill will return to the Commons for a short debate on government amendments before the Commons begins its summer recess on Thursday. The bill must then receive Royal Assent before it becomes law.", "summary": "Same-sex marriage in England and Wales is a step closer to becoming law after the House of Lords approved the change."}
{"article": "We were told by the pro-Russian rebels, who guided us, and other journalists, that things were quiet in the village of Shyrokyne, near the strategic port city of Mariupol. But within minutes of arriving, there are loud explosions. A man lies seriously wounded on the ground. He's bleeding badly from the head. We learn he's called Andrei and is a journalist working for Russia's military TV channel. A member of the BBC's team starts to treat him. He's joined by two medics from the OSCE. Andrei has lost a lot of blood and his body is shaking violently as he goes into shock. A local woman is screaming hysterically, as blood stains the pavement outside the local shop where he's now lying, and the journalists brought to monitor this peace mission crowd around. The three men treating Andrei manage to stem the bleeding, but there are then exchanges of gunfire nearby. What sound like rocket propelled grenades are also fired. There is no ceasefire here, even when the OSCE are in the village. The BBC-OSCE team gets Andrei into an old green Soviet-era van, and he is driven away to the local hospital. Later we learn he is still alive, but in a serious condition. His colleague tells us that Andrei said he needed the toilet. When he walked behind the shop, we believe he triggered a booby trap. It was a short walk that might have cost him his life, and it was a reminder of how volatile the ceasefire agreement is here. Later we meet two elderly women who are still living in this village on the frontline. Their eyes quickly fill with tears - this is a common scene in eastern Ukraine.", "summary": "This was supposed to be a mission to monitor the ceasefire by a team from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)."}
{"article": "The remarkable victory means the Devils have a five-point advantage over the second-placed Giants. New signing Jerome Leduc scored twice and Mike Forney got the other as the Giants took control of the contest. Mark Richardson gave Cardiff hope and Sean Bentivoglio got it back to 3-2 before Joey Haddard equalised and Patrick Asselin netted the winner. It was a devastating final period for the Giants who had hoped to cut the Devils lead to a single point. Now Derrick Walser's men must pick themselves up immediately as they host Cardiff again in Belfast on Saturday night. As befitting a clash between the top two teams, the game started at a frenetic pace which lasted the entire first period. Both keepers were kept busy but it was the Devils' Ben Bowns who was beaten first as debutant Giant Leduc, signed only this week, finished with aplomb in front of goal to give the home side the lead in the 14th minute. With 48 seconds of the period remaining, a Forney shot sneaked past the unsighted Bowns to raise the roof at the SSE Arena as the Giants snatched a two-goal advantage. Leduc's fine start in a Giants shirt continued in the second period when he slammed in his second goal of the night to make it 3-0 on a Belfast power play. The visitors were not daunted by that deficit and came back hard at the Giants with a number of impressive saves from Stephen Murphy keeping the three-goal margin intact. But there was an almighty twist in the tale. The Devils struck early in the final period as Richardson arrowed the puck into the top corner of the net past Murphy. Now it was the small but vocal contingent of fans from Wales who were making all the noise in the arena as the scoreline became 3-2 as a Bentivoglio shot was deflected into the net off Giants' player-coach Walser, setting up a tense finale. Haddard then made it 3-3 with less than six minutes remaining. Then, incredibly, Patrick Asselin's close-range finish completed a remarkable turnaround by the Devils in what could well have been a huge step towards the Elite League title.", "summary": "Leaders Cardiff Devils came from 3-0 down to beat their main rivals for the Elite League title in Belfast."}
{"article": "Arlene Foster, Martin McGuinness, Mike Nesbitt, Colum Eastwood and David Ford all took part in Election 2016: The Leaders' Debate. They were questioned by a studio audience made up mostly of grassroots supporters and some undecided voters. The debate was simulcast to UK-wide audiences on the BBC News channel. It was hosted by Noel Thompson. An early flashpoint in the debate came between Mike Nesbitt and Arlene Foster over who should be first minister. \"I think that Arlene has a five-word plan - do not mention Peter Robinson,\" said Mr Nesbitt. \"I have a one-point plan - the Ulster Unionist one-point plan is make it work. Make Stormont work.\" Mrs Foster replied: \"Unlike Mike Nesbitt, I remember the bad old days of pushover unionism. \"I remember what it was like in 1998 when we had a concession a day to the IRA, I remember what happened in relation to prisoners, I remember what happened to the RUC.\" David Ford said that the argument over who should be first minister was about trying to frighten people. \"I think it's rather sad that this is now the third election in a row that the DUP's campaign has been based on the politics of fear. He added: \"Not looking forward to the future, not looking about growing our economy, not looking about growing a united community, not looking to meet the needs of our children to stop them emigrating. \"Instead of that we're just into who's biggest and who's not biggest.\" Martin McGuinness and Colum Eastwood also clashed over who would be in government or opposition after the election. Mr McGuinness accused the SDLP leader of not knowing \"what he wants to do\" over being in government, but Mr Eastwood responded that the election is \"not a coronation\". \"I am going into government. Colum can't say that tonight. I am going into government,\" said Mr McGuinness. Mr Eastwood replied: \"Not like in the south, where they've refused to go into government at every opportunity.\" During the debate, the leaders also faced questions on health, the past, the economy and the make-up of the government after the election. Following the debate, political discussion continued in The Spin Room, a programme that provided instant analysis and reaction to the leaders' debate. The programme featured senior representatives from the Green Party, TUV and UKIP. An invited audience of commentators, members of the public and private sector, and young people from the BBC Generation 2016 initiative also gave their views on the debate.", "summary": "The leaders of Northern Ireland's five main parties have gone head-to-head in a debate before Thursday's assembly election."}
{"article": "Offences for which lower compensation was awarded included ones involving drink, drugs or violence. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority said statutory guidance obliged it to reduce or refuse awards if victims had unspent convictions. A leading child abuse lawyer called for a review of the \"scandalous\" approach. Alan Collins said civil case judges increasingly took the opposite view, and accepted that abuse could have a lifelong effect, with addictions being a possible consequence. Since 2010, CICA - an executive agency sponsored by the Ministry of Justice - has awarded compensation to 12,665 people who were sexually abused as children, or as adults lacking mental capacity. But some 438 people have had their government-funded compensation reduced because they had committed criminal offences themselves, the BBC learned after a series of Freedom of Information requests. Of the 27 cases where compensation was reduced between June 2014 and June 2015, half were for drink, drugs, theft or property offences. Eight involved violence against people. CICA would not say how many applications by such victims had been rejected. \"The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme has always asked that awards are reduced or refused if the victim had unspent convictions,\" it said in a statement. The Ministry of Justice said the refusal or reduction of an awarded payment reflected the fact the individual \"may have caused distress, loss or injury to another person, and cost the taxpayer money through a police investigation or court proceedings\". It said there were no plans to review the scheme. Odette Tovey, a Sheffield-based legal representative for several grooming victims whose applications have been rejected by CICA, said: \"The crimes committed against the victims far outweigh the crimes that these victims committed.\" Some of these had been abused for many years, from their early teens, added Ms Tovey, and CICA was their only route to potential compensation. Ms Tovey said CICA needed to take into consideration that victims' crimes \"were as a result of mental health problems developed because of the period of abuse they went through\". Victims could be eligible for compensation of \u00c2\u00a327,000 if no deductions were made, said Ms Tovey. The average award after CICA compensation reduction was \u00c2\u00a38,423. Jane was groomed and abused for more than four years after running away from her South Yorkshire home at the age of 15. She was given drugs and alcohol and forced to have sex with men she did not know. A lead witness at her abuser's trial, Jane was turned down for compensation because she has unspent convictions for theft and assault - offences which took place before the trial took place and when she says she was addicted to so-called legal highs. She has since given up drugs, has married, and is pregnant with her first child. Jane - not her real name - has paid back the money she stole and says she feels remorse for her actions, but says they should not negate her compensation. She told the BBC: \"I've hurt someone else, they didn't expect to be hurt, they didn't deserve to be hurt, I just hurt", "summary": "Compensation has been reduced for more than 400 sex abuse victims in Britain who later committed criminal offences, the BBC has learnt."}
{"article": "Spectators were joined by pagans and druids at the ancient monument in Wiltshire, but the dense cloud cover meant the sun remained hidden. Police, who estimated 21,000 people attended, targeted the crowds with sniffer dogs and took 22 people into custody for drugs-related offences. The solstice has had spiritual significance for thousands of years. The word itself means a stopping or standing still of the sun. What are the mysteries behind the Summer Solstice? Find out more: BBC Religion Paganism A crowd had gathered to spend the night near the giant stones, with police reporting 2,000 people on site by 21:30 BST on Thursday. The sun then rose at 04:52 on the longest day of the year. Supt Matt Pullen, from Wiltshire Police, said: \"The majority of people respected the conditions of entry and the amnesty bins provided were used. \"Approximately 70 cannabis street warnings were issued. As with previous years, the passive drugs dogs proved very effective.\" Twenty-two miles away (35km) at Avebury, where there are three stone circles, the crowd peaked at some 500 people. BBC Radio Wiltshire reporter Rachel Royce said: \"There are some very serious druids here in their long cloaks, taking it very solemnly. There are also some party-goers, and ordinary visitors who love the atmosphere. \"It really is a very peaceful and nice event.\"", "summary": "Thousands of people have gathered at Stonehenge for the sunrise on the longest day of the year."}
{"article": "Every year hundreds of thousands of children see domestic abuse at home and it can happen to anyone. Alesha Dixon tells her story to Newsround, along with children who have experienced it first-hand themselves. We also see CBBC presenter Barney Harwood discover how widespread the problem is, when he spends time with a police unit responding to 999 calls.", "summary": "Behind Closed Doors explores the rarely talked about issue of children witnessing domestic violence."}
{"article": "The Bluebirds could receive up to \u00a35m for the Scotland goalkeeper. But Giles says the 31-year-old is worth at least \u00a38m, underlining Cardiff's malaise in the Championship. \"They are going to get \u00a33.5m and they're selling him on the cheap. And that tells me where the club is going: nowhere,\" said Giles. Marshall agreed personal terms with Hull after being omitted from Saturday's Championship defeat by Reading. The 31-year-old has made more than 280 appearances for Cardiff since arriving from Norwich City for free in 2009. Cardiff are 17th in the 24-strong division with one win, two draws and two defeats. Marshall is widely regarded as their star player and Giles, who had two playing stints with the club lasting a combined total of six years, is unhappy at the player leaving. \"I think it's a joke. Personally I think David Marshall is worth \u00a38m, probably more than that to any club,\" said Giles before Marshall's move was finalised. \"Football today, I hate it, all these stats - they keep going on with stats, but if you look at Marshall's stats, they would without a doubt be better than anyone in the Championship and be a lot better than goalkeepers in the Premier League and they've let him go. \"Probably if Hull win the Premier League they'll get \u00a35m.\" \"They are going to get \u00a33.5m and they're selling him on the cheap. And that tells me where the club is going: nowhere.\" Giles agrees that Cardiff City need a proven goalscorer, but does not believe one will be signed. \"Without a doubt Cardiff need a striker and talking to fans, they're looking for someone to score 15-20 goals a season,\" he told Radio Wales Sport. \"Well that's not going to happen this year and unfortunately we're looking at a season where if they finish half way, they've done well. \"Is that going to bring your fans back? You'll always get your diehards going, but is that going to get enthusiastic people coming down to Cardiff City Stadium? \"It's a poor Cardiff City when they're watching second-rate football.\"", "summary": "The sale by Cardiff City of captain David Marshall to Hull City has been described as \"a joke\" by former midfielder David Giles."}
{"article": "Police said the crash happened at 07:10 on the B7066 Whitburn Link Road, near Polkemmet Country Park. Several roads have been closed. They are due to open at 12:30. The 58-year-old man who died was a driver in the stationary car. The occupants of the van suffered minor injuries. Police are appealing for witnesses.", "summary": "A man has died after a van crashed into a stationary car in West Lothian."}
{"article": "The father of two from Ballymoney was diagnosed with a rare stomach cancer after nurses discovered his iron levels were low when he went to give blood in November 2012. Chris, who works as an electrical wholesaler, strongly believes it was a trip that saved his life. \"I was one of the fortunate ones, just so lucky when I think about it,\" he said. Chris initially thought he may have had an ulcer and was not concerned. \"My health was fine, I was a 40-something rugby player. I worked shifts and thought any tiredness was down to an unusual sleep pattern.\" But after receiving a pinprick test at his local blood clinic in Ballymoney, nurses told Chris that he could not donate blood because his iron levels were unusually low and advised him to visit his local GP who then referred him for a colonoscopy. Chris was then diagnosed with GIST, a rare cancer that occurs in the wall of the stomach and small intestine. Doctors discovered the 9cm (3.5in) tumour in March 2013 and carried out a successful operation at the Royal Victoria Hospital in May. \"I tried to keep things as normal as I could at home, I have two young girls. Thankfully the cancer didn't spread. I had surgery to remove my stomach. I was 16 stone (100kg) before surgery, now I'm 12 stone (79kg). The Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service (NIBTS) has shared Chris' story on their Facebook page, describing it as a \"story with a difference\". In a post, Chris said: \"If it hadn't been for me giving blood, I never would have known about this until it would have been too late. Now, Chris McIlmoyle is enjoying his life and has returned to work full-time. He has completed an abseil and bungee jump down Belfast City Hospital with his wife in aid of Friends of the Cancer Care Centre. According to the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service (NIBTS), some 6% of the eligible population donate blood in Northern Ireland. A spokesperson said: \"Most people aged between 17 and 65 years of age could give blood and save lives but unfortunately don't.\" Writing on Facebook, Chris said: \"Donating blood saves lives and in a different way than normal, it saved mine. Every blood test is like a mini MOT.\"", "summary": "A spur of the moment decision to donate blood changed the life of 42-year-old County Antrim man Chris McIlmoyle."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device But this 7ft tall New Zealander with a sleeve of tattoos is fast becoming the star of the NBA play-offs and is even putting the league's most valuable player Stephen Curry in the shade. Adams and his Oklahoma City Thunder side beat Golden State Warriors 118-94 in game four of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday, to lead last year's champions 3-1 in the best-of-seven series. It was the first back-to back defeats for the Warriors this season, a team who set a new NBA record of 73 wins in the regular season. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant were the stars of the show for the Thunder, but even they were eclipsed by a moment of magic from Adams. The 22-year-old, who scored 11 points and seven rebounds in the win, threw a one-handed bullet pass to Andre Roberson just before half-time. More than 22,000 tweets were sent in an hour about Adams' baseball style throw and the player began trending on Twitter in his native New Zealand and the US. Then there was a young fan who turned up to the game at Oklahoma's Chesapeake Arena, dressed as Adams with a fake moustache and tattoos in tribute to her hero. Many Twitter users felt the youngster was the real star of game four and even Adams himself tweeted that it was \"absolutely amazing\". In game three Adams hit the headlines after Warriors forward Draymond Green kicked him in the groin area, but avoided suspension. It led to Thunder fans using the hashtag #standupforsteven in the build-up to Tuesday's game. Adams has rarely been out of the headlines in the series. After game one he had to apologise for referring to the Warriors' players as \"quick little monkeys\". \"It was just a poor choice of words,\" said Adams, who blamed differences in dialect for his comments. \"I wasn't thinking straight. I didn't know it was going to upset anyone.\" Then there is his family - Adams is the youngest of 18 siblings. His brothers are around 6ft 10in to 6ft 11in, while his sisters stand at 6ft 5in to 6ft 6in. Six of his brothers have played basketball for New Zealand, while his half-sister Valerie, 31, is a double Olympic champion shot putter.", "summary": "With his long, ragged hair and handlebar moustache, Steven Adams looks like he has stepped out of the 1970s."}
{"article": "An appraisal of stock has found some items have an uncertain provenance while others are in a \"poor condition\". Curators have compiled a list of items that could go at Brecknock, Powysland, Llanidloes and Radnorshire museums. A decision will be taken by councillors at a meeting on Thursday. \"The museums accept that one of its key functions is to acquire artefacts and to keep them for posterity,\" said the report. \"In recent years staff have followed a strict collecting policy, however, historically a number of items, often with uncertain provenance and sometimes in extremely poor condition have been taken into the collection. \"The main driver for the collection review was to reappraise items and to assess their suitability for long-term preservation. \"There are no financially motivated reasons for disposal of any items.\"", "summary": "Old bottles, bikes and blacksmith's bellows are among the items that could be disposed of amid plans to cut back on museum collections, according to Powys council."}
{"article": "Andy Carroll poked home his sixth goal in six matches, and Mark Noble added two penalties to put the hosts 3-0 up. The first spot-kick was awarded after Jose Holebas felled Diafra Sakho, and Almen Abdi brought down Michail Antonio for the second after the break. Sebastian Prodl hooked one back for Watford and they also earned a late penalty, but Troy Deeney saw it saved. And in the final minute of injury time, Hornets winger Nordin Amrabat was sent off for picking up his second yellow card. The Hammers remain sixth in the Premier League, still three points behind fifth-placed Manchester United after their 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. Liverpool also beat Everton 4-0 on Wednesday and are two points behind West Ham in seventh. Watford remain 12th and will now focus on Sunday's FA Cup semi-final at Wembley against Palace. Both sides have had their fill of penalty action this week. Carroll scored one for the Hammers before they conceded a late spot-kick and equaliser against Leicester on Sunday. And Watford earned a 1-0 victory over West Brom on Saturday - their first win in seven league games - largely thanks to Heurelho Gomes' two penalty saves. However, Gomes was not able to save his side for a third and fourth time in 135 minutes of play. Noble slotted both penalties home with ease, after Carroll had given the Hammers the lead by poking in from close range after a pinpoint ball from Dimitri Payet. Watford got in on the action late on, when Angelo Ogbonna was adjudged to have brought down goalscorer Prodl in the area, but Deeney - on as a second-half substitute - was denied by Adrian. West Ham came up against a much-changed Watford side, as manager Quique Sanchez Flores kept seven first-team players rested for Sunday's trip to Wembley. And the Hammers dispensed of the Hornets with ease to earn a new club record. Slaven Bilic's side have now gone 15 games without losing at home in the Premier League - their last defeat at Upton Park coming against Bournemouth on 22 August. The record came in the third-from-final game at Upton Park ahead of the Hammers' move to the Olympic Stadium. West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: \"We can say they had half of their mind on the weekend and they rested players, but their line-up still had internationals. Media playback is not supported on this device \"We are victims of our success as the bar is always rising. We are coping with that well. This game was a big one because I told the players 'the season is good or very good anyway but after this game are we going to look up and try to catch those teams'. Still we have to look down as Liverpool are in good form.\" Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores: \"The application was very good from us. We conceded really early and then it was very tough to play against a tough team like West Ham as they had confidence. \"In the second half, we reacted really well", "summary": "West Ham beat Watford in a dramatic encounter at Upton Park to maintain their push for a place in Europe."}
{"article": "Pregabalin, also known by the brand name Lyrica, is an anti-epileptic drug also used to relieve chronic pain. Last year, pregabalin was prescribed more in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the UK. The drug has been linked to the deaths of two teenagers earlier this year. It was one of a cocktail of drugs used by Aaron Strong, 19, and Aaron Fox, 16. 'With Lyrica, I see people running about like zombies' An ex-drug user, who lost his teenage friend to suicide after a battle with drugs, has told BBC News NI that abuse of Lyrica is \"wrecking lives\". The Belfast teenager, who spoke anonymously, said he first took the drug when he was 16 and that it is freely available in his community. Read more on his story here. It is illegal to have class C drugs without a prescription and illegal to supply or sell them to others. The Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs made the recommendation in a letter to ministers, including the then home secretary Theresa May, in January. The letter cited warnings from the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) who highlighted \"significant misuse and abuse\" of the drug. Pregabalin is known as \"bud\" or \"Budweisers\" by recreational users because it is makes them feel the same high as if they were drunk. Life on Lyrica: Geoff Savage, drug counsellor I am a prescribed user of Lyrica. There's a stigma around drugs prescribed by professionals. That they're safe and not harmful. Prescribed drugs can sometimes be more serious if they're not taken properly. Being someone who takes it, I know the dangers with it. I once overdosed by accident. I was out of my head. Read more of Geoff's story here. Joe Brogan, the HSCB's head of pharmacy, said the problem \"appears to be a growing issue\". In 2012, Mr Brogan wrote to GPs and pharmacists telling them to be aware of the \"potential misuse of the drug\". It is understood that some doctors have written to patients who have been prescribed Lyrica to say they may need to review the dosage. \"We've been raising it with general practitioners and prescribers in primary care to be mindful of repeat prescriptions of the drug,\" said Mr Brogan. \"It can be a challenge for prescribers to understand if the patient is getting sufficient treatment as it's often used for a chronic pain issue.\" Pregabalin can be ordered online. It is understood it has been coming into Northern Ireland in fairly constant levels for a number of years, along with other prescription drugs including diazepam and temazepam. Packages of the drug ordered by customers in Northern Ireland are intercepted by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the UK Border Agency at airports in England every week. Analysis: Vincent Kearney, BBC News NI home affairs correspondent The organised crime branch of the PSNI is notified about every seizure of the drug and decides what action, if any, is to be taken. If the quantity of drugs intercepted is considered insignificant the police may decide not to take investigative", "summary": "A prescription drug being abused by teenagers in NI should be made a class C drug, health officials have said."}
{"article": "The 34-year-old joins the county as cover for fellow West Indies paceman Fidel Edwards, who broke an ankle while playing football last week. Best has played 25 Tests and 26 one-day internationals for his country, and taken 316 wickets in 115 first-class wickets at an average of 28. Like Edwards, he is a Kolpak signing, with South African Ryan McLaren Hampshire's designated overseas player. \"Tino trained with us in Barbados during pre-season and looked good,\" Hampshire director of cricket Giles White said. \"It's come about at short notice, initially on a short-term contract. He seems excited about the opportunity and very motivated to do well.\" Best will play for Hampshire in a three-day second XI match against Somerset at the Ageas Bowl starting on Monday with a view to joining the first-team squad for the County Championship game that begins against Middlesex on Sunday. As well as Edwards, who will undergo surgery on Tuesday, Hampshire are currently without the services of bowlers Reece Topley, Gareth Berg and Ryan Stevenson through injury. Ireland seamer Craig Young has also joined the county on a short-term loan deal. \"We'll support Fidel through his recovery and look forward to having him back in a Hampshire shirt as soon as possible,\" White added. \"He's a class act and the team will miss him.\"", "summary": "Fast bowler Tino Best has joined Hampshire on a short-term deal."}
{"article": "The Geminid shooting stars are due to peak overnight on Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 December. But it's going to be a bit trickier to see them this year because it's happening at the same time as a supermoon - the third one this year. The light from the closer full moon will make it harder for stargazers. Meteors are small space rocks ranging from the size of a grain of sand to a pea that enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up, producing a bright streak of light. Most meteors break off from comets, which are dirty \"snowballs\" mainly made of ice, but the Geminids are different. The object they come from, the 3200 Phaethon, is more like an asteroid. As it orbits, the heat of the Sun causes surface material to crumble, before it tumbles off into space, leaving a trail of rocky debris behind it. The Earth passes through this trail each year as it orbits around the Sun, and we see them glow as the rock burns up in the Earth's atmosphere. You don't need any special equipment to view the meteor shower. Find a clear space away from street lights or the light coming from your house. Give your eyes enough time to adjust to the dark, and look up. Hopefully, with clear skies, you will be able to spot them as they blaze across the night sky.", "summary": "One of the most dazzling meteor showers of the year is lighting up the sky this week."}
{"article": "Mr Kerry, 71, was cycling in France when he hit kerb and broke his leg. He arrived back in the US late on Monday and will be treated at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. It remains unclear how his injury will affect his work as the top diplomat for the US. He is due to have surgery later on Tuesday. On the flight back Mr Kerry tweeted with #Onward, \"Headed back to Boston. Look fwd to getting leg set & getting back to @StateDept! Meantime, work goes on.\" Mr Kerry had been holding talks over the future of Iran's nuclear program in Geneva, Switzerland, one day before his accident. Experts see any potential agreement as a key diplomatic achievement for the Obama administration. The deadline to build on the already achieved \"framework agreement\" is the 30 June. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters on Monday the deadline would not change. \"To be very clear, the secretary is absolutely committed to moving forward with the negotiations, to proceeding with them on the exact same timetable as before his accident,\" Ms Harf said. Mr Kerry was unable to attend recent scheduled meetings in Madrid and Paris in person. Mr Kerry remotely participated in Monday's Paris conference, which has convened the nations who oppose IS. \"I would love to see anyone at the hospital try to stop @JohnKerry from negotiating and working while recovering from breaking his leg,\" tweeted Jen Psaki, a former State Department spokeswoman. Medical experts have told US media that it often takes six months to recover from a fractured femur. Since the accident, Mr Kerry has spoken to President Barack Obama and to Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, according to the State Department.", "summary": "Negotiations with Iran about its nuclear programme will continue despite US Secretary of State John Kerry's recent injury, US officials say."}
{"article": "The man said he shot at their car after they refused to stop when he challenged them on Saturday. They were not hurt. He said that earlier he had heard the pair say \"did you get anything\"? Police in Florida have used the incident as an opportunity to issue guidelines for teenagers and parents on safely playing the game. Police say they received a call from the parents of one of the teenagers when it was noticed later that bullets had caused a flat tyre, News4jax reported. The parent said the teenagers did not realise they were being shot at, and thought that the man was only trying to scare them. The guidelines issues by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office include best practice tips for Pokemon Go players. They advise players to: The sheriff's office also advises parents of Pokemon Go players to: According to data from SimilarWeb, people are now spending more time playing Pokemon Go than they are on Snapchat, Instagram and WhatsApp. The game has also been installed on more Android smartphones in the US than the dating app Tinder.", "summary": "Two teenagers playing Pokemon Go late at night in their car in Florida were shot at by a householder who mistook them for burglars, police say."}
{"article": "The 68-year-old was discovered in Fairisle Place in the Moray town at about 00:30 on Sunday. He was taken to Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin but died later that day. Police said inquiries were ongoing to establish how he sustained his injuries and the death was being treated as \"unexplained\". Det Ch Insp Kevin Walker, who is leading the inquiry, said: \"Our thoughts are obviously with this man's family at this sad time. \"Our inquiries are continuing to establish the exact circumstances leading up to his death and at this stage his injuries are still being treated as unexplained. \"Several members of the public have already assisted with our investigation and I would like to thank them for their help. \"I would still encourage anyone who saw a man fitting his description, however, to please contact police if you think you have information which could help.\" The man, who had white hair with a greying beard, was wearing a checked shirt, blue jeans and a dark-coloured hooded top.", "summary": "An elderly man found with serious head injuries in a street in Lossiemouth has died in hospital."}
{"article": "The tech giant sold 45.51 million iPhones in the three months to 24 September, beating an average estimate of 44.8 million. The company also forecast higher-than-expected holiday season revenue of between $76bn and $78bn. But revenue in the fourth quarter fell 9% to $46.85bn. That meant annual revenue fell for the first time since 2001, highlighting a slowdown in the smartphone market as well as intensifying competition, particularly from Chinese rivals. Analysis: Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC Technology correspondent It was no surprise that Apple saw its first fall in annual revenues for 15 years. It became apparent earlier in the year that sales of the iPhone - surely the most profitable product in history - had plateaued and they continued to disappoint this quarter. It was hard to spot any product or market delivering outstanding results - the fact that Apple still hasn't released any figures for its Watch tells its own story - and the 30% fall in China sales looked particularly worrying. But somehow Apple's Chief Executive Tim Cook still managed to paint a rosy picture. He pointed to the 24% rise in income from services like Apple Music and Apple Pay. He told us that he was thrilled with the response of customers to the iPhone 7 - and that round the world, including in China, demand was outstripping supply. And crucially he looked forward to a return to growth in the next quarter, with Apple forecasting a record-breaking holiday season. Investors have been looking for reasons to buy back into Apple and that prediction may help continue the recent upward path of the shares. But the technology crowd is still waiting for some radical new innovation, to prove the company founded by Steve Jobs hasn't lost its creative spark. Tim Cook wouldn't be drawn when quizzed about moves into TV or building a car or a connected speaker like the Amazon Echo. He did say \"we have the strongest product pipeline we've ever had\". But that is a line we have been hearing for some time. Apple executives said demand for the new iPhone 7 was strong, despite fiscal fourth-quarter revenue falls in China and the Americas, its two most important markets. Revenue from Greater China, once seen as Apple's next growth hope, fell 30% in the quarter, after dropping 33% in the previous quarter. In the same period last year, revenue from Greater China doubled. Apple's shares were down 3% at about $114.80 in after-hours trading. \"Apple didn't have a great [fourth quarter] as iPhones, Macs, China, the US and what appears to be Watch were down,\" said Patrick Moorhead, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. Net income fell to $9.01bn in the fourth quarter, down from $11bn in the same quarter last year. For the year, net income fell to $45.7bn from $53.4bn. Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri said it was \"impossible to know\" if there was any effect yet from rival Samsung halting production of Galaxy Note 7 phones earlier this month.", "summary": "Apple has reported its third quarter in a row of falling iPhone sales and revenue, but sales beat analyst expectations."}
{"article": "The ban is being imposed at the Kumbh Mela, a pilgrimage that has attracted nearly three million people since July. Authorities say that selfies will be banned on the days that people ritually bathe in the sacred Godavari river. Organisers say they conducted a study that showed people took too long taking selfies. This slows down the flow of people, leading to pushing and panic. Signs saying \"no selfie zone\" can be seen around the two festival sites in the state of Maharashtra. The festival takes place every three years. It began in mid-July and runs until late September. The decision was taken after over 100 volunteers conducted a study on behalf of the Kumbhathon group which works with the authorities to help monitor the festival. \"Since 13 July, our volunteers on the field have been collecting data which showed that people stop to take selfies. They also climb to dangerous spots to take selfies,\" Kumbhathon CEO Sandip Shinde told the Indian Express. Local official Dr Pravin Gedam told the paper that selfies would only be banned during the \"days of the holy dip as we don't want to take away from the festive mood on other days\".", "summary": "A \"no selfie zone\" will be implemented at a major Hindu festival in India due to fears they could cause stampedes."}
{"article": "The Broncos needed to better Salford's result at Batley to keep their hopes of a Super League return alive, but the Red Devils won 42-14 to finish fifth. Rhys Williams scored three of London's nine tries against Featherstone, who lost all seven games in the Qualifiers. Both clubs will play in the Championship again in 2017.", "summary": "London Broncos thrashed Featherstone in their final Qualifiers match but Salford's victory meant they missed out on a place in the Million Pound Game."}
{"article": "However, only a fraction of those affected may receive compensation. Legal filings indicated that 250,000 people had lost some \u00c2\u00a3130m in benefits. The Court of Appeal suggested the Department for Work and Pensions would owe a mere 1% of that amount, \u00c2\u00a31.3m, to just 2,500 people. The complex judgment on Friday was originally prompted by a challenge from Cait Reilly, a geology graduate from Birmingham. She had argued that requiring her to work at Poundland for no pay constituted a breach of her human rights. The government - to counter such claims - had retrospectively altered the law to validate the docking of benefits. Today, the Court of Appeal ruled that even under that new revised law, the docking of benefits could be incompatible with the European Convention of Human Rights. The Court's ruling represented a defeat for the government. Padraig Hughes, of Public Interest Lawyers, the group that brought Ms Reilly's case, said: \"It is yet a further example of the reckless approach this Government continues to take towards the constitution and the rule of law.\" The Court of Appeal judges did nevertheless acknowledge that government ministers can change laws to affect cases retrospectively. And the judges decided that the only rights infringed upon where those of people that had already claimed the benefits docking was unfair. This narrowing of the claimants explains why only a tiny fraction of people will be eligible for a payout. \"We are considering the judgment\", a DWP spokesman said. \"It is only right that jobseekers do all they can to find work while claiming benefits.\" It is not clear yet whether either side will make a further appeal.", "summary": "The government has lost the latest round of an extended legal battle involving the docking of benefits for jobseekers who refused to participate in unpaid back-to-work schemes."}
{"article": "One device was listed with a previous sale price of \u00a32,378, but was \"reduced\" to \u00a31.58. The computer firm briefly took its UK store offline on Saturday to resolve the error, and said it would not honour the sales that had been made. \"We apologise sincerely to impacted customers for any inconvenience caused,\" the firm said in a statement. Over the weekend, a handful of people posted on social media that they had taken advantage of the mistake and ordered laptops. But according to consumer rights group Citizens Advice, retailers can often cancel online orders if they have made a \"genuine and honest mistake on their part that you should have noticed\". HP said buyers would be refunded. \"We can confirm that due to a processing error, select products were wrongly priced on our UK website over the weekend,\" HP said. \"This has now been corrected with related orders cancelled.\"", "summary": "HP has apologised after an error on its website let shoppers buy expensive laptop computers for less than \u00a32."}
{"article": "Activists in Brighton voted in favour of a motion tabled by the Unite union to make their support for strikes conditional on UN backing. The vote is not binding on MPs but Jeremy Corbyn has said the party must heed the opinion of members. It follows calls from a senior Labour figure for a free vote in Parliament. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell told a meeting hosted by The Guardian at the Labour conference that Syria and the renewal of Trident were issues on which he did not expect consensus within the party and he believed a vote on military action in Syria should be made \"on the basis of conscience\". The government was defeated in 2013 in a parliamentary vote on military action in Syria, but ministers have since said the case for UK intervention in the country should be made again. In 2014 MPs voted in favour of RAF air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq. Labour's new leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for a UN security council resolution and a fresh diplomatic push to end the violence in Syria. The Labour conference will also consider an emergency motion, tabled by the union Unite, opposing the extension of the RAF's campaign against IS into Syria without \"clear and unambiguous\" authorisation from the UN. But Mr McDonnell told a meeting on the fringe of the conference that many MPs did not back the leader's stance and said it may be necessary for them to \"agree that we can't agree\" - though he said that efforts to reach a consensus within the party were still ongoing. Mr McDonnell said: \"When you are sending people to potential loss of life, I think it is a conscience decision. It is a moral decision. \"On Syria, my view is it should be a free vote on the basis of conscience.\" Prime Minister David Cameron has indicated he would like to extend the RAF airstrikes against the Islamic State group into Syria and could gain parliamentary backing from rebel Labour MPs, even if the party's leadership refuses to offer its support. Mr Corbyn set out his views on Syria during his conference speech on Tuesday, saying that \"the answer to this complex and tragic conflict can't simply be found in a few more bombs\". He added: \"I believe the UN can yet bring about a process that leads to an end to the violence in Syria.\" Meanwhile, the defeated Labour leadership contender Andy Burnham is to offer a tougher line on EU immigration during his speech on the final day of the conference. Mr Burnham is to say that rules around the free movement of people in the EU are \"widening inequality\" and measures are needed to prevent the undercutting of wages by migrant workers. In a speech aimed in part to win back voters from UKIP, the shadow home secretary will say the EU must provide a \"floor beneath all workers\" and protect the \"going rate\" on pay. Mr Burnham, who was appointed shadow home secretary after he was heavily defeated by Mr Corbyn in", "summary": "Labour members have voted to oppose airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Syria, without a mandate from the United Nations."}
{"article": "Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) said rock was dug away from cliffs near Bearreraig Bay in an apparent organised search for valuable specimens. The agency said Skye was known as Scotland's \"Dinosaur Isle\" because of its important fossil records. SNH has appealed for witnesses to contact the police. Skye is a key dinosaur fossil site in Scotland. Bearreraig Bay, north of Portree, is within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). A crowbar is suspected to have been used to prise away some of the rock. Dinosaur footprints may also have been removed from Valtos on Skye, SNH said. Evidence gathered at Valtos has been used by palaeontologists to explain what has been called the Dino Stampede in Australia, an incident where a group of dinosaurs were pursued by a predator. SNH said the Bearreraig Bay dig had been done without the landowner's permission or the consent of SNH, which manages the SSSI. Dr Colin MacFadyen, SNH's geologist, also said the actions went against guidelines in the Scottish Fossil Code. The codes does allow for the use of mechanical diggers, rock saws and even explosives for extracting fossils, but only when it was to the benefit of palaeontological research. Dr MacFadyen said: \"Fossil collecting is important for scientific and educational purposes, and is a popular hobby. \"It is better for fossils that fall from cliffs to be found, collected and enjoyed rather than be eroded and washed away by the tide. \"However, speeding up the process by large scale rock removal as in this alarming case is irresponsible and illegal, and also potentially dangerous to people as the cliff faces are undermined and destabilised.\" Dr MacFadyen said permission to remove material from the SSSI would have been needed from SNH, but it had not been sought. He said fossil-rich rock had been damaged at the Bearreraig Bay site. Dr Neil Clark, of University of Glasgow's Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, has described Skye as one of the world's most important palaeontology sites. Its standing is underlined by the number of finds from the Middle Jurassic, about 170 million years ago. Dr Clark told the BBC News Scotland website: \"This is quite a shock. It is not something I have heard of happening before. \"Without knowing exactly where the damage is I can't say what they were after. It may have been plesiosaur.\" He added: \"Whatever has been taken is now lost to science.\" Finds on Skye have included the earliest turtles known to have lived in water. The 164-million-year-old reptile fossils were found embedded in a block of rock at the bay of Cladach a'Ghlinne, on the Strathaird peninsula. The new species formed a missing link between ancient terrestrial turtles and their modern, aquatic descendants. The discovery of Eileanchelys waldmani, which translates as \"the turtle from the island\", was reported in the Royal Society journals in 2008.", "summary": "Tonnes of rock has been disturbed at a Jurassic site on Skye in what has been described as one of Scotland's most reckless acts of fossil collecting."}
{"article": "Police said the suspect was 26 years old and born in the United Arab Emirates. They said he acted alone and he was overpowered by passersby. Mayor Olaf Scholz said the attack was motivated by \"hate\" but did not say it was a terror attack. There are unconfirmed reports that the man shouted \"Allahu akhbar\", Arabic for \"God is great\" while attacking people. Police said they were still seeking to confirm his current nationality. Mr Sholz said he was a failed asylum seeker. The man attacked customers in the supermarket at random, ran outside and was chased by customers and by people outside the shop. They brought him to the ground before he was detained by plain-clothes police officers. Mobile phone footage on German media that is purportedly of the attack's aftermath shows several people chasing a man and throwing chairs at him. A 50-year-old woman and four men aged between 19 and 64 were stabbed, while a 35-year-old man was injured while helping overcome the suspect. The attack happened in the Barmbek region in the north of the city in a branch of Edeka, Germany's largest supermarket chain. Police say the man's weapon may have looked like a machete but they are, for now, assuming it was a kitchen knife. One eyewitness made a gesture about 50cm (20 in) long when asked on German TV how big the knife was. Asked whether this was a terror attack, a police official told the BBC: \"We are at an early stage of the investigation... At the moment we can't rule anything out. We are investigating all avenues.\" Speculation in German media said the attack may have been part of a robbery attempt but police said that that motive could not be confirmed. One eyewitness, who ran from the scene into a nearby shop as the situation unfolded, told German broadcaster NTV that it seemed \"hectic and confused, not like a properly planned attack\".", "summary": "A 50-year-old German man has been killed and six people injured in a knife attack in a Hamburg supermarket."}
{"article": "The claim: \"We are giving \u00a320bn a year or \u00a3350m a week to Brussels.\" Reality Check verdict: We are not giving \u00a320bn a year or \u00a3350m a week to Brussels - Britain pays \u00a3276m a week to the EU budget because of the rebate. He has gone with that figure despite a letter from the head of the UK statistics watchdog Sir Andrew Dilnot on Thursday, which described it as \"potentially misleading\". The figure used is roughly the UK's gross contribution to the EU - the amount that would be contributed to the EU Budget were it not for the rebate. We say \"roughly the UK's gross contribution\" because the annual figure that Boris Johnson used was \u00a320bn, somewhat higher than the \u00a318.8bn figure for 2014 - the most recent figure available - while the \u00a3350m a week figure is a bit below the actual figure of \u00a3361m. The important point is that it's not the sum we send to Brussels because the rebate is deducted before any money is paid. In 2014, the UK's contribution to the EU budget - the amount we paid to Brussels - was actually \u00a3276m a week. If Britain were to give up the rebate, then the UK would have to pay the gross contribution, and it should be noted that the rebate is not a permanent feature of Britain's membership of the EU. But we do not pay the gross contribution at the moment, the rebate is safe until 2020, and Britain has a veto over the process that would remove or reduce it. Sir Andrew Dilnot is particularly concerned about suggestions from Vote Leave that a sum of money equivalent to the gross contribution could be spent on other priorities such as the NHS, when some of it is not spent at all (the rebate) and some of it is currently used to support UK farmers, for example. READ MORE: The facts behind claims in the EU debate", "summary": "Mayor of London Boris Johnson used the figure in The Sun this morning that the UK gives \u00a3350m a week to Brussels."}
{"article": "Abel Hernandez was the hero for the hosts, scoring twice on his first start since injuring his groin against Southampton on 6 November. That match against the Saints was the final league victory under Silva's predecessor Mike Phelan, who was dismissed on 3 January with the team bottom of the league. Hull have now won twice in three games under former Olympiakos and Sporting Lisbon boss Silva, having beaten Swansea in the FA Cup third round a week ago. Tyrone Mings' own goal added gloss to the scoreline for Hull, who took a long time to grow into the match after falling behind to Junior Stanislas' third-minute penalty, awarded for Harry Maguire's challenge on Ryan Fraser and the 10th the Tigers have conceded in 21 games this season. Bournemouth have now shipped three goals in eight of their last 10 games in all competitions, and drop to 11th place after their 10th defeat of the campaign. It has been a bleak winter for Hull so far and the loss of \u00a310m striker Hernandez to injury certainly contributed to their plight. The Tigers went nine games without a win during his absence, dropping them to the bottom of the table by Christmas and culminating in the departure of Phelan early in the new year. His return has coincided with the appointment of Silva, and it has quickly become apparent that the influence of both could prove vital in turning Hull's season around. The 26-year-old's goal against Swansea in the cup was a timely reminder of the ability that brought him 20 goals in Hull's promotion campaign last season, and his first against Bournemouth bore all the predatory instincts that the hosts have been missing these past few weeks. Huge credit must go to Andrew Robertson for the quality of his cross from the left wing, which presented Hernandez with a headed chance from around a yard out that he simply could not miss. The second was more of a self-made effort, the Uruguay international picking the ball up on the right, advancing into the area and selling a couple of cute stepovers to Mings before curling a precise finish into the left-hand corner. Media playback is not supported on this device It was a huge result for Hull but also a significant one for the visitors, who have now conceded 24 goals in their last 10 league and cup games. Their mid-table position - and nine-point gap to the drop zone - means Bournemouth have some wiggle room as they bid to shore up at the back. But they cannot continue to leak goals at the present rate and not expect to find themselves flirting with danger at the end of the season. Hull's third goal here was certainly unfortunate - Mings diverting in Tom Huddlestone's hopeful shot from the edge of the area - but nevertheless continues a sequence of results that is clearly worrying boss Eddie Howe, who conceded that there was a \"pattern emerging\". Hull head coach Marco Silva: \"I'm happy because what I saw was a team with big", "summary": "New boss Marco Silva guided Hull City to victory in his first Premier League match as the Tigers moved off the foot of the table with an impressive performance against Bournemouth."}
{"article": "Kaikai, 20, is back with Town for a second spell from Premier League Crystal Palace and has scored six goals in his last five appearances to lift the club two points clear of trouble. \"He's very important for us,\" Ogogo, 26, told BBC Radio Shropshire. \"He's got the quality and can score goals out of nothing.\" Kaikai, who scored on his only appearances to date for Palace in their League Cup tie against Newcastle in September 2014, first moved to Greenhous Meadow last September and scored five times in 17 games before returning to Selhurst Park at the start of January. Since coming back to Shropshire the goals have flowed, leading Shrewsbury boss Micky Mellon to question why he has not been part of the England Under-21 squad. Ogogo, who is wearing the armband in the absence of suspended Nat Knight-Percival, thinks Kaikai has improved since he was last at the club. \"He's always played well but he's now adding goals to his game,\" said Ogogo. Kaikai's 11th strike of the season put Town ahead league leaders against Wigan last Saturday before the title challengers hit back in style to win 5-1. But Ogogo is staying confident over their survival chances despite having to play four sides currently in the top six in their next five games. \"One defeat in 10 games isn't bad - we've been on a good run so we need to dust ourselves down and go again,\" said Ogogo. \"We've got a tough run-in bit we can't look at other teams.\"", "summary": "Stand-in captain Abu Ogogo says in-form striker Sullay Kaikai will play a key role in Shrewsbury Town's bid to avoid relegation from League One."}
{"article": "The first half was a tame affair with little for the 1,842 fans to get excited about. Queen's looked the most threatening but could not find an opening. And Cairney found the only goal of the game, picking up the ball on the edge of the box and rifling a low shot into the back of the net. The first real piece of action was for the visitors and their front man Stephen Dobbie. He won the ball from Peter Murphy, but he dragged his shot wide of the target. Minutes later Mark Millar tried his luck for Queens, but his shot was saved by the legs of Greg Fleming in the Ayr goal. The next clear cut chance came just before the half time whistle. Jordan Marshall slipped away from his marker, he whipped in a great ball from the left, but Dobbie couldn't get his head to it. The breakthrough came in the second half with Cairney's goal, and Ayr could have doubled their lead through Gary Harkins. The striker had time, but failed to get the shot on target and launched the ball over the bar. Ayr United move up to sixth spot in the Championship, with Queens now down to third after their second defeat in a row. Match ends, Ayr United 1, Queen of the South 0. Second Half ends, Ayr United 1, Queen of the South 0. Corner, Queen of the South. Conceded by Conrad Balatoni. Attempt missed. Lee Robinson (Queen of the South) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Foul by Gary Harkins (Ayr United). Jordan Marshall (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Brian Gilmour (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Stephen Dobbie (Queen of the South). Foul by Kevin Nisbet (Ayr United). Andy Dowie (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, Queen of the South. Conceded by Nicky Devlin. Attempt missed. Kevin Nisbet (Ayr United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Jordan Marshall (Queen of the South) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Brian Gilmour (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jordan Marshall (Queen of the South). Attempt missed. Stephen Dobbie (Queen of the South) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Conrad Balatoni (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Andy Dowie (Queen of the South). Andy Dowie (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Kevin Nisbet (Ayr United). Corner, Ayr United. Conceded by Kyle Jacobs. Substitution, Ayr United. Jamie Adams replaces Paul Cairney. Attempt missed. Gary Harkins (Ayr United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is just a bit too high. Foul by Gary Harkins (Ayr United). Andy Dowie (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Queen of the South. Steven Rigg replaces", "summary": "A second half strike by Paul Cairney was enough to give Ayr United all three points against Queen of the South at Somerset Park."}
{"article": "The car mounted a pavement within the grounds of Maidstone Hospital, in Barming, at about 14:40 BST on Tuesday, police said. The woman, in her 90s, was taken to a hospital in London, where she was later pronounced dead. Police have appealed for witnesses to the crash, which happened near the hospital's birthing centre.", "summary": "A woman in her 90s who was in a wheelchair when she was hit by a car outside a hospital has died."}
{"article": "Two army generals, a ruling coalition MP and an opposition MP had been arrested over the alleged plot, the officials added. A \"small group\" conspired for four months, the officials said. Chad, a staunch ally of France, has a long history of coups and revolts. Mr Deby himself seized power in a coup in 1990. The BBC's Nathalie Magnien in N'Djamena says it is business as usual in the capital and no-one seems particularly concerned about the news. There is no visible sign of increased security in the city or patrols on the streets, she says. \"Between four and eight people were killed in fighting at a military barracks in the east of N'Djamena,\" said a police source who requested anonymity, Reuters news agency reports. By Celeste HicksFormer BBC Chad correspondent Chadians are used to news of suspected coups - power has never changed hands peacefully and President Idriss Deby Itno is constantly aware that a soldier or even someone in his own family could overthrow him. It is not yet clear who was behind this \"attempt at destabilisation\". Government sources say the main figure arrested is Saleh Makki, a hitherto relatively unknown member of the political opposition with no association with rebels in the past. Some are speculating that there may be a connection to Chad's recent military interventions abroad and President Deby recently accused Libya of supporting militias against him. Recent threats from the former Chadian rebel group UFR do not carry much weight as they are a spent force. What is known is that it is very difficult for the opposition to win an election - weak and divided they boycotted the 2011 presidential vote which Mr Deby won with 83%. Mr Deby changed the constitution to abolish presidential term limits in 2005. Police sources told the AFP news agency a shoot-out took place on the outskirts of N'Djamena, with three members of the security forces being among the dead. \"A small group of ill-intentioned individuals attempted to carry out a destabilisation plot against the institutions of the republic,\" a government statement said. It said that the country's security forces \"neutralised\" them, without specifying how many people were involved in the alleged action. Prosecutor Mahamat Saleh Youssouf named the generals who had been arrested as Weiddig Assi Assoue and Ngomine Beadmadji David. Ruling coalition MP Mahamat Malloum and opposition MP Saleh Makki had also been arrested, he said. Mr Makki's coalition Co-ordination of Political Parties for the Defence of the Constitution (CPDC), told the BBC it was confused by his arrest. Mr Makki was arrested by police between 21:00 and 22:00 local time on Wednesday evening, his wife told the CPDC. Our reporter says it is not clear what charges they will face. Since its independence from France in 1960, Chad's history has been marked by instability and violence stemming mostly from tension between the mainly Arab-Muslim north and the predominantly Christian and animist south. Mr Deby has survived two attacks on the capital - in 2006 and 2008 - from rebels in eastern Chad. These rebels were supported", "summary": "At least four people were killed in Chad's capital, N'Djamena, as government forces foiled a \"destabilisation plot\" against President Idriss Deby, officials said."}
{"article": "The latest round of bloody protests over Oromo rights had a tragically surreal beginning. A bus filled with a wedding party taking the bride to the groom's home was stopped at a routine checkpoint on 12 February near the southern Ethiopian town of Shashamane. Local police told revellers to turn off the nationalistic Oromo music playing. They refused and the bus drove off. The situation then rapidly escalated and reports indicate at least one person died and three others were injured after police fired shots. The exact details of the incident are hard to verify, but what is clear is that days of protest followed, including armed local militia clashing with federal police, leaving seven policemen dead, the government says. Oromia at a glance: Why Ethiopia is making a historic \u2018master plan\u2019 U-turn Since last November, Ethiopia has seen a third phase of the recent unrest in the Oromia region which has been unprecedented in its longevity and geographical spread. The region is the largest in Ethiopia and the Oromos, who make up a third of the population, are the biggest of the country's more than 80 ethnic groups. Initially the protests were in reaction to a plan to expand the administrative border of the capital, Addis Ababa, which is encircled by Oromia. But even after the region's governing party, the Oromo People's Democratic Organisation, which is part of Ethiopia's governing coalition, shelved the plan in January, protests have continued. \"There is a strong sense of victimhood, extending back 150 years,\" says Daniel Berhane, a prominent Addis Ababa-based political blogger, covering Ethiopia for the website Horn Affairs. \"People remember the history. The scars are still alive, such as how the Oromo language was suppressed until 20 years ago.\" Despite there being an ethnic basis to these protests, observers say that the deeper issues behind them, frustrations over land ownership, corruption, political and economic marginalisation, are familiar to many disenchanted Ethiopians. The numbers killed since November following clashes between protesters and security forces given by international rights organisations, activists and observers range from 80 to 250. The government has dismissed various death tolls as exaggerations, and said that a recent report on the situation by the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) was an \"absolute lie\". Ethiopian citizens had a right to question the plan to expand Addis Ababa, but the protests were hijacked by people looking to incite violence, according to government spokesman Getachew Reda. He says the security forces have faced \"organised armed gangs burning down buildings belonging to private citizens, along with government installations\". A security analyst who closely watches Ethiopia says \"there could be radical elements and factions taking advantage, but you cannot define a movement by isolated events\". Despite violent incidents, the protests have been described as \"largely peaceful\" by HRW and observers in Ethiopia. \"There is a perception of lack of competence in governance on the ground,\" Mr Daniel says. \"There were easy remedies to appease initial protests, it was not hard science, but the right actions were not taken.\" In its defence, the government says it", "summary": "As protests in Ethiopia over the rights of the country's Oromo people continue, Addis Ababa-based journalist James Jeffrey considers if they are threatening the country's unity."}
{"article": "The government last year pledged \u00a31.4bn for child mental health by 2020, but a report says millions of pounds is being used to offset NHS cuts elsewhere. Specialist teams are also turning away up to a quarter of youngsters, it said. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the government was \"determined to address\" mental health problems. The previous coalition government promised in 2015 an extra \u00a3250m a year during this parliament to improve mental health services for children in England. However, Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb - who was a health minister at the time - has now overseen a report by an independent commission that says much of the money has failed to reach the areas where it is most needed. The report - by the Education Policy Institute Independent Commission on Children and Young People's Mental Health - says only \u00a375m made it to the clinical commissioning groups who pay for services last year. The commission says young people are still struggling to access help - partly because of difficulties in recruiting staff, including mental health nurses and psychiatrists. According to the report, specialist services are turning away 23% of children and young people referred to them, often because there are \"high thresholds\" for accessing services. The authors warned that \"something has to go drastically wrong before some services will intervene\". The report challenged Theresa May to develop a \"prime minister's challenge on children's mental health\", similar to former PM David Cameron's \"dementia challenge\", which led to increases in investment and awareness. Mr Lamb, chairman of the commission, said: \"The prime minister, in her very first speech, rightly highlighted the inadequacies of the country's mental health provision as a 'burning injustice'. \"Today we call on the government to meet this commitment - and take urgent action to ensure children and young people with mental health problems receive the care they need.\" Bev Humphrey, chairwoman of the Mental Health Network - which represents mental health and learning disability service providers in England - said the government had failed \"to come close to fulfilling its existing promises on mental health funding\". \"This situation means underfunded NHS and social services are struggling to help the growing number of children experiencing serious mental health problems. \"With many services almost at breaking point the commission is right - it really is time to deliver.\" Mr Hunt said mental health services for children remained a priority and further plans to improve care would be announced \"soon\". \"We are already investing \u00a31.4bn to help make sure children get the right care and every area in the country has put together plans on how they will spend the money to transform children's mental health services. \"We are also strengthening the links between schools and mental health services, and driving forward innovation to improve prevention and early support.\"", "summary": "Money earmarked to boost mental health provision for children in England is failing to make it to front-line services, a new report suggests."}
{"article": "Prof Trevor Purt was suspended from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) after it was put into special measures. BCUHB ran the much-criticised Tawel Fan ward at Glan Clwyd Hospital, Denbighshire, which closed in 2013. A health and care union boss said the move would \"do nothing\" to address \"deep-seated\" problems at the board. Jon Restell, chief executive of the Managers in Partnership (MiP) union, said: \"This will only create more instability, which is not in the patients' interests.\" A report found there was \"institutional abuse\" at the Tawel Fan mental health unit, where patients were allegedly treated like animals in a zoo. Deputy chief executive of the Welsh NHS Simon Dean was appointed as interim head of the board on Tuesday.", "summary": "The suspension of the chief executive of a troubled health board is \"short-sighted\", a union boss has said."}
{"article": "Cardiff hit the woodwork twice as Joe Ralls smashed the post with a long-range first-half strike and Anthony Pilkington hit the bar with a volley. Johnnie Jackson wasted a good opening as the Charlton captain headed over Johann Berg Gudmundsson's cross. And Charlton's Simon Makienok missed two late chances as Cardiff hung on. The Bluebirds were reduced to 10 men for the final minute of injury time after midfielder Sammy Ameobi was dismissed for a second yellow card. The point moves Charlton off the bottom table but they are now six points from safety after MK Dons and Bristol City both won. It was a battle of the sides with controversial owners and in a week where Vincent Tan vowed to halve Cardiff's \u00a3140m debt, Charlton fans handed out 2,000 Pinocchio masks and stickers before kick-off in the latest protest at Addicks owner Roland Duchatelet. And their mood would not have been helped if Anthony Pilkington's header had not been deflected over with barely a minute on the clock. Ameobi and a Peter Whittingham free-kick went close for Cardiff before midfielder Ralls' 25-yard shot cannoned back off the post. Charlton's Reza Ghoochannejhad tested Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall before an unmarked Jackson headed Gudmundsson's corner into the ground and over. Pilkington twice worried the Charton defence either side of the interval before the Cardiff striker hit the crossbar when his clever flick from Scott Malone's cross had home keeper Stephen Henderson beaten. But Charlton, with the second worst defensive record in the league, held firm and the hosts could have won their first home game since early November in added time. Zakarya Bergdich forced Marshall into a smart save before Cardiff defender Bruno Ecuele Manga cleared Makienok's effort off the line as the Welsh side drew their 13th match this season, the joint highest in the whole league. Charlton head coach Jose Riga: Media playback is not supported on this device \"Cardiff deserved to win the game, but for me the most important was to see a reaction from my players. The way we played pleased me a lot. \"Now we must make sure we keep this up in the next game. With these efforts we will get what we deserve. I'm realistic. Results have not been the best, but what can we do? \"If you think and act like a team you can do a lot things. I believe in work, commitment and I always stay optimistic. It's a step forward.\" Cardiff City manager Russell Slade said: \"We opened up in an effort to try and win three points rather than take just one. We had something like 22 shots and if there's any criticism we've probably only had three or four on target and that is what cost us dearly. \"We felt it was two points dropped massively. We were in some good situations and it was the final shot or pass that let us down. We didn't have the final ruthless streak which was going to bring us home the three points. \"The Ameobi red card was a little bit", "summary": "Cardiff City missed a chance to close the gap on the Championship play-off places as Charlton Athletic battled off the bottom in a pulsating draw."}
{"article": "One private hospital told the BBC that 90 people are on a waiting list after it ran out of supplies last week. Hundreds of thousands of people have signed a national petition for the jab to be offered to all children It follows a case in England where a mother shared pictures of her daughter dying in hospital from the illness. Under national guidelines, the vaccine is only available to babies. All babies in the UK are offered a potentially life-saving vaccine against meningitis B as part of a national immunisation programme. However, there have been calls for the age limit to be extended to children and teenagers.", "summary": "Private hospitals in Northern Ireland are reporting an increase in the number of inquiries from the public about getting the Meningitis B vaccine."}
{"article": "Mr Gulen, who is in self-imposed exile in the US, is accused of establishing and running an \"armed terrorist group\". He was once an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan but has now been accused of plotting to overthrow the Turkish government - a claim the cleric strongly denies. The US is thought to be unlikely to act on any extradition request. The move comes amid a national crackdown on perceived supporters of the cleric. Over 20 journalists working for media outlets thought to be sympathetic to the Gulen movement were arrested last weekend. Eight of them were freed on Friday on the orders of a court in Istanbul. Those released include Ekrem Dumanli, editor-in-chief of Zaman newspaper. Four others, including a TV station boss, remain in custody. According to the BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul, it was expected that the authorities would go after Mr Gulen after having targeted those linked to him. While the US and Turkey have an extradition agreement, the warrant is considered to be largely symbolic - and unlikely to be acted upon. The relationship between Washington and Ankara has grown fractious, though they remain allies. Mr Erdogan has faced criticism from international leaders and his opponents, who accuse him of authoritarianism and undermining free press. Many abroad believe that the charges against Mr Gulen are politically motivated. The wealthy cleric, who operates an international network of schools and businesses, has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999. According to media reports, the prosecutor filing the arrest warrant accused Mr Gulen of leading an armed terrorist group - a charge that carries up to 15 years in prison.", "summary": "A Turkish court has issued an arrest warrant for the influential cleric Fethullah Gulen."}
{"article": "The company, founded by billionaire Newcastle United boss Mike Ashley, has seen its shares rise 86% since the start of the year. The FTSE 100 is updated every three months, reflecting changes in the market value of companies. The reshuffle takes effect from 23 September. Greek coke bottler Coca Cola Hellenic is also set to join the top flight of London-listed companies after it switched its primary listing from Athens to London earlier this year. But outsourcing firm Serco has been dropped after its shares fell 8.5% since the end of June. It is facing an investigation into its practices, and the potential suspension of future government contracts, saw its share price plunge earlier in the summer, before recovering slightly. Sports Direct, said in a trading update on Wednesday that sales had risen by 18.2% in the 13 weeks to the end of July, compared to the same period last year.", "summary": "Retailer Sports Direct will enter the FTSE 100 as part of the latest reshuffle of the 100 biggest companies on the London Stock Exchange."}
{"article": "The survey, carried out days after Scotland voted \"No\", found 3% wanted to Wales to be independent. But there was support for the idea of more powers being devolved to the Welsh Assembly, with 49% in favour. ICM Research interviewed a random sample of 1,006 people in Wales over the telephone. The survey found 12% wanted to see the assembly abolished. The poll also found growing support for UKIP in Wales ahead of next year's general election. Nigel Farage's party is on 14%, up seven points from the last BBC Wales poll in March. Labour are down four points to 38%, with the Conservatives on 23% (down one), Plaid Cymru on 13% (down one) and the Liberal Democrats on 7% (down two). Prof Roger Scully of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University said: \"Support for independence is the lowest I've seen anywhere. \"There has been a clear move towards supporting more powers, and some of the people who may have said 'independence' have gone in that direction. \"We're getting close to a majority saying they want things to go further. There are also pretty low levels of support for abolition of the assembly - the extreme positions are losing out.\" An analysis of the voting intention figures by Prof Scully suggests that, on a uniform swing, Labour would gain two seats in the capital - Cardiff North and Cardiff Central - at next May's general election. The Conservatives would lose Cardiff North but gain Brecon and Radnor; Plaid Cymru would retain their three seats but the Liberal Democrats would be reduced to a solitary Welsh seat at Westminster - Ceredigion. UKIP's level of support is too low to win their own seat, but high enough to have an impact on some marginal constituencies. \"UKIP's support is clearly going up,\" said Prof Scully. \"They are starting to reach the sort of level where they could make a serious difference in marginal seats.\" He said most evidence suggests they are taking more support from the Conservatives than anywhere else, which could be of importance in Tory-held marginal seats like the Vale of Glamorgan and Aberconwy. ICM Research interviewed a random sample of 1,006 Welsh adults aged 18 or over by telephone on 19-22nd September 2014. Interviews were conducted across Wales and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. There is more on this story on Week In Week Out on BBC One Wales at 22:35 on Wednesday 24 September.", "summary": "Support for Welsh independence has fallen to its lowest recorded level in the wake of the Scottish referendum, according to a poll for BBC Wales."}
{"article": "Watson's deal expires at the end of the season, but he says he has a \"sense of unfinished business\" at the club. \"I want to stay,\" the 25-year old told BBC Scotland ahead of Edinburgh's derby against Glasgow Warriors on Monday. \"At this point in time, I'm doing well for Edinburgh, and the best place for me to keep getting capped is playing in Scotland.\" Edinburgh have finished no higher than eighth in the past five Pro12 seasons, and Watson, who played every minute of Scotland's three autumn internationals, wants to follow back-row colleague Magnus Bradbury in pledging his future to the capital side. \"Even though this is my sixth season, it's quite frustrating, because we win really tough games, and once we put together a season, this squad can achieve big things, and I don't want to miss that,\" he said. \"Definitely, there is a sense of unfinished business. I believe in the next two years we can achieve a lot if we hold on to all of our players.\"", "summary": "Scotland flanker Hamish Watson says he \"wants to stay\" at Edinburgh beyond the end of his contract."}
{"article": "About 80 items, including artwork, letters and clothing from collections around the world will go on display in Winchester in the summer. Exhibits will include the author's silk pelisse coat, her purse and sewing box. A portrait, not been seen in public for more than 40 years, is also included. It is one of five to be brought together for the show. The exhibition takes place at The Gallery in Winchester Discovery Centre - a few miles from Austen's birthplace of Steventon - from 13 May to 24 July. Co-curator Louise West said: \"The bringing together for the first time of five portraits of Jane Austen will, we hope, provoke reaction and excite argument about the mysterious Miss Austen. \"This is a new way of exploring Austen's identity and we are thrilled to be sharing this opportunity with the public.\"", "summary": "An exhibition marking the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's death will feature writings from her teenage years and the original ending she wrote for her novel Persuasion."}
{"article": "Connors, 21, began his career with Fulham and joined the Daggers in 2011 on a two-year scholarship. \"He is versatile, can play in two or three positions and he knows Scott Doe and Luke Howell from their time at Dagenham,\" said boss Luke Garrard. \"Jack's signing was important for us in terms of quality and squad depth.\"", "summary": "Boreham Wood have signed defender Jack Connors on loan from League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge until the end of the season."}
{"article": "Henrikh Mkhitaryan's sublime solo goal proved the difference as second-placed Dortmund moved within five points. The Armenia captain ran at the away defence from deep before firing into the bottom corner from 20 yards. Pep Guardiola's side can restore their eight-point lead with a win at relegation battlers Augsburg on Sunday. Bayer Leverkusen moved into third when they fought back from behind to win 2-1 at Darmstadt, while Hertha Berlin dropped to fourth after losing 2-0 at Stuttgart. Second-bottom Hoffenheim, with new 28-year-old manager Julian Nagelsmann taking charge for the first time, drew 1-1 at relegation rivals Werder Bremen.", "summary": "Borussia Dortmund narrowed the gap on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich with a hard-fought win against bottom side Hannover."}
{"article": "The pool will have a see-through bottom so that people using it can peer down to the ground as they swim. It will be 35 metres up in the air and will link two blocks of flats near Battersea, in London. Nicknamed \"Sky Pool\", it has been described as a world first. These pictures are artists impressions of what the pool bridge will look like when it's completed in the summer of 2019.", "summary": "Plans to build a 25 metre swimming pool, that will join two 10 storey tower blocks, have been announced."}
{"article": "The chancellor claimed Britain was \"walking tall again\" after five years of austerity. He also cut 1p from beer duty, 2% from cider and whisky and froze fuel and wine duty. Cigarettes will go up by 16p a pack as earlier planned. Labour leader Ed Miliband said Mr Osborne had \"failed working families\". \"This a Budget that people won't believe from a government that is not on their side,\" Mr Miliband told MPs. The Lib Dems - who will set out their own tax and spending plans on Thursday - claimed credit for coalition plans to raise the personal income tax allowance to \u00a310,800 next year, more than previously expected. Users of the BBC News app tap here for the Budget Calculator. Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable told BBC News: \"Where we differ from the Conservatives... is that we don't believe you can deal with this deficit problem simply by cutting public spending. \"Many of our public services are already under a lot of pressure so we will be arguing for a different mix.\" In his final set-piece pitch to voters before May's election, Mr Osborne announced that if the Conservatives win power the first \u00a31,000 of savings interest would be tax free - meaning 95% of savers would pay no tax. He also said savings put aside for a deposit by first-time buyers would be topped up by the government - to the tune of \u00a350 for every \u00a3200 saved - in a move that will come into force this Autumn. The new Help to Buy ISA accounts will be made available through banks and building societies. Other measures include: Mr Osborne hailed slightly better than expected growth figures, which suggest the economy will expand by 2.5% this year, rather than 2.4% and described his economic package as a \"Budget for Britain - a comeback country\". He said the government had met its 2010 target to end this Parliament with Britain's national debt falling as a share of GDP, meaning the \"the hard work and sacrifice of the British people has paid off\". Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here Setting out his plans in the Commons, Mr Osborne said: \"We took difficult decisions in the teeth of opposition and it worked. Britain is walking tall again. \"Five years ago, our economy had suffered a collapse greater than almost any country. \"Today, I can confirm: in the last year we have grown faster than any other major advanced economy in the world.\" He said he would use a boost in the public finances caused by lower inflation and welfare payments to pay off some of the national debt and end the squeeze on public spending a year earlier than planned. In 2019/20 spending will grow in line with the growth of the economy - bringing state spending as a share of national income to the same level as in 2000, the chancellor told MPs. The BBC's Robert Peston said this was a move aimed at neutralising Labour's claim that the", "summary": "George Osborne has announced tax cuts for first-time buyers, workers and savers in his final Budget before May's general election."}
{"article": "A security source told the BBC that at least 35 soldiers and allied Sunni tribesmen were killed in a series of suicide car bomb attacks. A senior IS leader was also said to have been killed east of the city. Government forces have encircled Ramadi and are preparing for a final assault on the city, which IS overran in May. Last week, troops retook the key western district of Tamim, which is only separated from the city centre by a tributary of the Euphrates, and the headquarters of the Iraqi military's Anbar Operations Command. On Monday, a senior source in the Anbar Operations Command said IS militants launched a wave of attacks across Ramadi as they tried to regain areas recently recaptured by government forces. Five suicide bombers drove cars packed with explosives at government positions, including those in the northern district of Albu Farraj, killing more than 20 soldiers and tribesmen, the source added. At least 15 militants were subsequently killed in a gun battle, before Iraqi and US-led air strikes forced the rest of the attackers to retreat. A sixth suicide car bomb attack, in south-western Ramadi, killed another 15 soldiers and tribesmen, the source said. Iraqi media also reported that an IS leader in charge of setting up car bombs had been killed along with four of his aides in a military operation in the Jazirat al-Khalidiya area, 12 miles (20km) east of Ramadi. Security sources identified the militant as Ibrahim al-Halabi, a Syrian national. The US military believes there are between 600 and 1,000 IS militants in Ramadi. It says they have developed a strong defensive system in and around the city, including using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to create minefields.", "summary": "Islamic State militants have reportedly launched several counter-attacks in the Iraqi city of Ramadi, which government forces are trying to recapture."}
{"article": "About 80,000 lightning strikes were recorded, some damaging power generation facilities, while winds toppled over 22 transmission towers. Power was restored to Adelaide area by 03:00 local time (17:30 GMT) but tens of thousands of homes remain cut off. On Thursday, authorities advised people to leave work early as winds were expected to intensify again. How 'unprecedented' storm played out The state premier said \"twin tornadoes\" had hit northern areas in \"an extreme weather event\" on Wednesday. Jay Weatherill compared the storm to Hurricane Sandy which hit New York in 2012. He said officials in charges of the power grid had told him \"any system would not be able to cope with a weather system of this kind\". \"We had winds which were so strong that when they hit power lines they created such energy they were tearing the towers out of the ground.\" While South Australia's wild weather was widely forecast, no-one could really predict the impact it would have on everyday life. In Adelaide, commuters were left feeling their way in the dark as the lights went off on their way home. Gridlock followed, as trains and trams came to a standstill. At the airport, some passengers had to depend on handwritten boarding passes, after power for the printers failed. Some describe the whole experience as \"apocalyptic\", while one woman, who was on the operating table in the local hospital and about to undergo surgery, said it was simply \"funny\". What has been predictable is that an extreme weather event has very quickly turned into an Australian political storm, with the state's dependency on renewable energy now being debated with the full force and bluster of a tornado. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said the storm was a once-in-50-years event. It is forecasting further heavy rainfall throughout Thursday and into Friday. Further gales of up to 140km/h (87mph) are expected, and flood warnings remain in place. On Thursday, South Australia's State Emergency Service has warned residents to prepare for more high winds and rain, cautioning there was \"a potentially very dangerous\" weather system gathering, with winds of up to 125km/h (78mph) predicted. \"As the winds increase, rainfall intensity is also expected to increase,\" said Chief Officer Chris Beattie. \"High tides this afternoon and evening will result in significant storm surges\" he added, recommending that workers go home early. Influential South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon has called for a independent inquiry. \"This is a disgrace. How did this happen? How is an entire state blacked out?\" he said. The Australian Energy Market Operator, which controls the nation's electricity network, said it was still working to understand the cause of the fault. It urged Australians to \"take care during this outage and to follow the safety advice and guidelines issued by the South Australian government and emergency services\".", "summary": "South Australia is enduring a second day of severe weather, after the entire state was left without power overnight."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old netted on her debut for Arsenal Ladies in 2013 and scored 22 goals in her first full season with the north London club. Humphrey is the Belles sixth signing following their promotion to Women's Super League One. \"I want to get some more experience and help the team do as well as we can,\" she told the club website.", "summary": "Doncaster Rovers Belles have signed Arsenal Ladies' teenage midfielder Carla Humphrey on loan."}
{"article": "The huge red crane crashed into a part of the Grand Mosque as it was filled with worshippers, less than two weeks before the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Officials say strong winds and heavy rains caused the crane to fall. Correspondents say there have previously been concerns about safety on Saudi construction sites. The Grand Mosque, known as the Masjid al-Haram, is the largest mosque in the world and surrounds Islam's holiest place, the Kaaba. At least 230 people were injured in the incident. It is unclear how many people were hurt by the collapse or the stampede that followed it. Those killed are reported to include Indonesian, Indian, Iranian and Egyptian citizens. The incident happened at 17:23 local time (14:23 GMT) on Friday. Videos posted online showed the moment the structure collapsed, with a loud crash followed by panic and shouting. Bodies and blood could be seen on the floor of the mosque. The head of Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency, Lt Sulayman Bin-Abdullah al-Amr, said an investigation was being carried out to assess the damage, and the \"extent of the safety of these sites\". Essam al-Ghalib, a Jeddah-based journalist, said the crane fell through the outer ring of the Grand Mosque and punctured through the roof sending down tonnes of cement and debris onto people either praying or walking through. Up to two million people are expected to arrive in Mecca for the Hajj from all over the world later this month. Saudi officials say the crane disaster will not prevent the Hajj going ahead. Irfan Al-Alawi, from the Islamic Heritage Research Foundation, told the BBC that the Grand Mosque is currently surrounded by 15 large cranes amid major redevelopment work. \"The entire area is like a salvage yard,\" Mr Al-Alawi said. \"Saudi Arabia has to re-think its health and safety strategy,\" he said, \"as there were 800,000 people in the mosque area at the time of the accident.\" The original parts of the Grand Mosque date back 1,400 years. Consisting of a large square surrounded by covered prayer areas, the building has since been extensively modernised, notably from the mid-20th Century. Saudi authorities began a major expansion of the site last year to increase the area of the mosque by 400,000 square metres (4.3 million square feet), to allow it to accommodate up to 2.2 million people at once.", "summary": "Saudi Arabia has begun an investigation into why a crane collapsed in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, killing at least 107 people."}
{"article": "Officials laid wreaths at a memorial to victims of the Ustashe puppet regime, which incarcerated Jews, Serbs and others in brutal conditions. However, the service at Jasenovac was boycotted by Jewish and Serb groups. They say the new Croat government has not acted against renewed use of Ustashe salutes by nationalists. In January, ultra-nationalists shouted pro-Nazi slogans at a rally attended by thousands of people, including Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Ivan Tepes. Similar slogans were also chanted during a football match between Israel and Croatia in March, attended by Prime Minister Tihomir Oreskovic. Croatia's Jewish community held a separate Holocaust commemoration a week ago. Mr Oreskovic and President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic both voiced regret over the boycott. Earlier this month they explicitly condemned the Ustashe regime's crimes for the first time during a visit by Nicholas Dean, the US State Department's special envoy for Holocaust issues. Three-quarters of about 40,000 Croatian Jews were killed by the Ustashe and Jews now make up less than 1% of the population.", "summary": "Croatia has held a memorial service for tens of thousands of people murdered by Nazi Germany's allies at the Jasenovac death camp."}
{"article": "It was originally designed and built for billionaire adventurer Steve Fossett, who wanted to make the world's first solo dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. But after he died in a plane crash, former property investor Chris Welsh, who is based in California, bought the submarine and is now taking on the lonely challenge himself. Chris said: \"I've been working day and night for two years pursuing this. I'm really excited to get out there and do it - I can't wait. \"The rewards of this is breaking ground in so many ways - in raw human exploration, on bringing back science, and in getting a better understanding of our world.\" The experimental sub was created and built by British engineer Graham Hawkes. Fitted with wings and a tail fin, its design is based on that of a plane. Chris Welsh hopes to \"fly\" down to the bottom of the trench, and break the record for the first lone dive there, later this year. After this, he and the Virgin team also plan to plunge down four other trenches around the world, with the hope of reaching the deepest point in five oceans.", "summary": "The Deep Flight Challenger submersible has been backed by Richard Branson's Virgin empire, and is currently undergoing its first water trials."}
{"article": "In a letter urging congregations to vote on 7 May, the House of Bishops does not endorse a political party but encourages debate on issues such as nuclear defence and the economy. It speaks of Britain's \"almost moribund political culture\". Conservative MP Conor Burns said the letter was \"naive\", but David Cameron said he welcomed the move. The 52-page letter - an unprecedented intervention by the House of Bishops - says \"it is the duty of every Christian adult to vote, even though it may have to be a vote for something less than a vision that inspires us\". The Bishop of Norwich, the Right Reverend Graham James, said there was \"disengagement with the contemporary political culture\" and rejected the pleas of some, such as comedian and actor Russell Brand, for people not to vote. He told reporters: \"We as bishops are not as sexy as Russell Brand but we say 'do vote, do engage and do use the hard-won political freedoms that you possess'.\" The letter says the country needs \"a new approach to political life that will change the political weather as decisively as did the administrations of 1945 and 1979\". \"The ideals that the Big Society stood for should not be consigned to the political dustbin,\" the letter adds. The Big Society was among the Conservatives' flagship 2010 election policies and encouraged greater personal responsibility and community activism in shaping society and running public services. But by January 2013 charities expressed \"huge frustration\" at a lack of progress with the idea, which they said appeared to be \"going nowhere\". The document covers various issues including: The bishops are well aware that their pre-election letter will be seen by some as a left-wing document - although they have been at pains to stress that their intention is not to back one party over another, nor to create a wish-list of policies - although they do ask voters to back the \"living wage\". They say that the two UK administrations that offered genuinely new visions - Clement Attlee's Labour party in 1945 and Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives in 1979 - changed the way people in Britain looked at society, politics and the role of government and human relationships - but that today, neither vision addresses contemporary needs, at a time of increasing public alienation from mainstream politics. In recent weeks, the Archbishops of York and Canterbury have asked questions about the increasing divides between North and South, or richest and poorest in the UK. So this latest intervention, questioning what kind of society an increasingly diverse Britain wants to be, and what kind of power it wishes to wield on the world stage, is a sign of a Church more willing to use its position to speak truth unto power, even if it is not always welcomed. Conservative MP Nadine Dorries said she believed the letter had \"glaring inaccuracies\" regarding the economy and the Church should be more concerned with issues people wanted to hear its views on, such as abortion. She said the bishops had a \"very definite left-wing leaning to", "summary": "Politicians need to deliver a \"fresh moral vision\" ahead of the general election, the Church of England says."}
{"article": "The 28-mile road - previously predicted to cost \u00a3347m - was given the green light by Scottish ministers in 2009, but was delayed by legal action. Protesters lost their appeal to the Supreme Court earlier this month. Transport Minister Keith Brown said the \"unwanted delays\" had resulted in a \"substantial increase\" in the overall cost of the project. William Walton from the protest group RoadSense, which spearheaded the legal challenge against the construction of the bypass, told BBC Scotland he believed the total cost could be even higher. It is anticipated that construction will get under way in 2014, with completion by spring 2018. In answer to a parliamentary question lodged by Aberdeen Central SNP MSP Kevin Stewart, Mr Brown said the scheme had been costed at \u00a3347m in 2008 - an estimate based on 2003 prices. He said that the figure had now risen to \u00a3653m as a result of \"scope changes, the inclusion of standard risk costs and rebasing to 2012 prices\". Mr Brown said inflation had been responsible for a \u00a3230m increase in the cost. A scheme to make the A90 a dual carriageway between Balmedie and Tipperty in Aberdeenshire is also expected to cost \u00a392m, giving a total of \u00a3745m for the combined project. Mr Stewart criticised the added costs caused by the legal challenges. He said: \"Not only has an essential piece of infrastructure been delayed unnecessarily, but inflation has driven up costs. \"Now that the legal challenges have been exhausted, we can now move towards construction as quickly as possible.\" Aberdeen City Council leader Barney Crockett said: \"We realised that the cost of the AWPR (Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route) would be roughly what it now is and we have made adequate provision for that. \"The economic performance of the area will be underpinned by the AWPR.\" Tom Smith, chairman of Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future (Acsef) business development agency, said: \"The delays caused by the legal challenges were always going to impact on the costs outlined in 2003. \"However, the economic and other benefits of the road are so significant that the cost will still represent a major return on investment for the public purse and people of the north east. \"The final mechanics of how they will be paid are still being worked out and there will be delicate negotiations between the Scottish government and our local authorities. \"But with the Scottish government paying 80% of the route and the total cost of the fast-link, the north east is getting a great deal in terms of investment in our woefully under-invested roads infrastructure.\"", "summary": "The cost of the Aberdeen bypass has risen to an estimated \u00a3653m, it has been revealed."}
{"article": "The Innovation Factory has been built on the site of the former Mackies engineering works on Springfield Road. About half the money for the \u00a39m project came from the EU, with the rest split between the city council and Invest NI. The building will be managed by Oxford Innovation, who run a network of similar centres across the UK. It has 111 business units and is targeting firms specialising in technology and product development. About a dozen tenants have already been signed up. Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said the scheme is \"an impressive space for entrepreneurs and growing businesses\". Finance Minister M\u00e1irt\u00edn \u00d3 Muilleoir said it was \"great to see the former Mackies site reborn as a hub of innovation\".", "summary": "A building that will provide workspace for about 100 start-up businesses in west Belfast has officially opened."}
{"article": "Premiership Aberdeen 4-0 Ross County Celtic 2-0 Motherwell Heart of Midlothian 2-0 Dundee Partick Thistle 2-2 Hamilton Academical St Johnstone 0-1 Kilmarnock Championship Dumbarton 0-3 Ayr United Falkirk 2-1 Dunfermline Athletic Queen of the South 0-5 Greenock Morton Raith Rovers 0-0 Hibernian St Mirren 0-2 Dundee United Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0-1 Rangers", "summary": "Match reports from Saturday's Scottish Premiership and Championship games."}
{"article": "Elstree 1976 was directed by Jon Spira, from Thrupp, Oxfordshire, and completed after a Kickstarter campaign raised more than \u00c2\u00a340,000. He said a follow-up, Elstree 1979, would focus on the stunt team from Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back. Filming is due to start this summer with the filmmakers hoping to release the documentary next year. It is being produced by the Works Film Group. However, it has not yet been decided whether there will be a second Kickstarter campaign. Mr Spira said: \"Where '76 dealt with the supporting artists of A New Hope, this film will look at the stunt team from Empire Strikes Back. \"Wider than that, we will tell the story of that generation of British stunt performers. We can't wait to start shooting it.\" The first film featured Star Wars legends such as Dave Prowse, who played Darth Vader, and Jeremy Bulloch, who played Boba Fett, alongside little known extras. Elstree 1979 will look at the work of stuntmen Colin Skeaping and Vic Armstrong, and recreate the scene in which Luke Skywalker is blown through a window during the film's climactic duel. About 1,000 people backed Elstree 1976 on Kickstarter.", "summary": "A sequel to a crowdfunded film about the lives of supporting artists in Star Wars has been announced."}
{"article": "With the PM away on his EU renegotiation tour, the shadow first secretary of state clashed with the chancellor for the first time, quoting Tory MPs unhappy at his progress. Mr Osborne questioned the wisdom of quoting backbenchers in a dig at the unrest in Labour ranks. He also pledged \u00a350m in flood relief. Mr Cameron is attempting to secure reforms to the UK's relationship with the EU before holding an in-out referendum by the end of 2017. Ms Eagle, who was greeted with loud cheers as she stood up at the despatch box, said Mr Cameron had been \"jetting all over the place\" on his \"seemingly endless European tour\", adding to laughter from Labour ranks: \"Can I ask the chancellor: How's it all going?\" \"The good news is we have a leader who is respected abroad,\" replied Mr Osborne, saying the PM was \"fighting for a better deal for Britain, something that would never have happened had there been a Labour government\". George Osborne, the bookies' favourite to replace David Cameron as Conservative leader, was then asked whether he really aspired to be \"the first post-EU prime minister\" by Ms Eagle, who quoted some Eurosceptic Conservative MPs as being \"pretty unimpressed by how it's going\". She then imitated Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's PMQs approach of reading out questions from emails he has received. In this case it was \"Donald from Brussels\" - a reference to EU Council president Donald Tusk, who warned of the \"destabilising\" effect of uncertainty over the UK's future in Europe in a letter to fellow EU leaders this week. Mr Osborne said the UK had received the \"lion's share\" of EU investment since announcing its EU referendum plans. George Osborne went on to say \"someone called Tony\" has been writing today, referred her to comments from former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair, who said in an interview published today that the current state of the party was a complete \"tragedy\". Ms Eagle, who is shadow business secretary, was ready with an alternative Blair quote: \"Just mouth the words five more Tory years and you feel your senses and reasons repulsed by what they've done to our country.\" David Cameron is visiting Romania and Poland, so the chancellor - who is PMQs deputy by virtue of also having the First Secretary of State title - stepped up for his second appearance at the despatch box. Meanwhile Ms Eagle, who is shadow business secretary, was also given the shadow First Secretary of State title in Jeremy Corbyn's first shadow cabinet. This means she gets the job of deputising for her leader on such occasions, and this was her first opportunity since getting the role. Mr Osborne was given a promotion at the end of the session by Tory backbencher Peter Bone, who called him the \"acting prime minister\". Ms Eagle dedicated her opening questions to the flooding that has hit North West England, asking the chancellor to guarantee that money would be \"no object\" in the relief effort. In his response, Mr Osborne pledged \u00a350m fund for families and", "summary": "Labour's Angela Eagle poked fun at David Cameron's EU reforms as she traded jokes with George Osborne at Prime Minister's Questions."}
{"article": "Jedburgh became the latest town to receive the provision last week. Councillor Stewart Bell said by the end of the latest rollout, 94% of homes in the region should have access. He added that a range of groups were working on ways to deliver superfast services to those not covered by that programme. There have been concerns in the past that the region was missing out despite major investment in broadband. Mr Bell said there were technical reasons why some sites would not see their services improve. \"Over very long distances the speeds run down a bit and therefore there are some premises that are very distant from cabinets that won't see a significant improvement in services,\" he said. \"The target for this superfast scheme which will be fully operational between 2017 and 2018 is to get 94% of premises in the Borders connected. \"The remaining 6% is something that is being considered by Digital Scotland and Community Broadband Scotland in co-operation with local authorities to see if we can come up with customised local solutions.\"", "summary": "A Borders councillor has said work is being done to deliver superfast broadband to homes in the region currently missing out on the service."}
{"article": "The Met, the largest force, topped the list, spending \u00a35.2m from 2011-16, the data showed. One critic said it did not stop the \"cycle of crime\", however, the National Police Chiefs' Council said it was \"a cost effective tactic\". A Home Office spokesman said it was \"an operational matter for police\". Informants can get anything from a few pounds for basic information, up to several thousand pounds for helping break up organised crime. Payments are typically used to solve - or prevent - crimes including murder, terrorism and serious sexual offences, and can also be made to recover valuable stolen items. Ronnie Howard, a former undercover police officer, said he made regular payments to informants, and in one case paid out \u00a315,000 over 12 months in order to recover \u00a33m worth of cannabis. He said informants were usually recruited after being arrested and offered either money or a possible sentencing deal in court in return for information supplied. Figures obtained by 5 live Breakfast, under a freedom of information request revealed 41 forces in England and Wales collectively paid \u00a319.59m to informants between 2011 and 2016. The Police Service of Northern Ireland spent almost \u00a32m during the same period while Police Scotland, who only released figures for 2013-16, revealed it had spent \u00a3565,248. There are no statistics available to show how many convictions have come as a result of paying informants - or covert human intelligence sources as they are officially known - but the National Police Chiefs' Council defended the practice. Deputy Chief Constable Roger Bannister said: \"The intelligence provided helps to prevent and solve the most serious of crimes and is vital in bringing offenders to justice through the courts. \"This is a well-established and highly regulated, worthwhile, and cost effective tactic, with the money paid to informants being very closely scrutinised.\" But, Neil Wood, who worked as an undercover police officer and ran many informants, said the tactic has its limitations. \"It can be effective for certain crimes but for others - such as the war on drugs - using informants merely ensures that the cycle of violence and brutality continues,\" he said. \"Nobody wants to inform on the drug lords because of fears of violent reprisals, so it's only the low-lying fruit that gets caught out - and the trade continues regardless. \"Nobody can call that effective. Overall it does little to bring down the level of overall crime.\" Of those which responded, 39 forces in England and Wales provided annual breakdowns, which suggested payments had fallen from \u00a34.1m in 2011/12 to just over \u00a33.1m last year. North Wales Police paid out the smallest amount, handing over just under \u00a340,000 over five years. South Yorkshire Police and Cleveland Police did not provide figures. Police forces are audited on their use of informants and are inspected annually by the Office of Surveillance Commissioners to ensure they are not breaking the law. A Home Office spokesman said decisions on the operational deployment of resources \"are matters for chief constables\", adding: \"There is no question that the police still have the", "summary": "Police forces across the UK paid out at least \u00a322m to informants over the last five years, according to figures obtained by BBC Radio 5 live."}
{"article": "However, Better Together leader Alistair Darling said \"there is no way back\" from independence and his campaign would target undecided voters. The latest opinion polls have suggested the vote is too close to call. Both men were speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr show. Mr Salmond said: \"We're not aiming to win by one vote. We're aiming to achieve a substantial majority if we can.\" He added: \"We tend to take the attitude that there isn't so much as a 'No' voter in Scotland, there are only deferred 'Yeses', and that's been one of the successes of our campaign.\" Asked if he would seek another referendum if there was a \"No\" vote on Thursday, the SNP leader said: \"If you remember that previous constitutional referendum in Scotland - there was one in 1979 and then the next one was 1997. \"That's what I mean by a political generation. \"In my opinion, and it is just my opinion, this is a once in a generation opportunity for Scotland.\" Mr Darling commented: \"I said a year ago that this race would narrow as we got towards the wire and that is precisely what has happened. \"It's not surprising. It's the biggest single decision we will ever take. \"If we vote to leave the UK on Thursday then there's no going back. It's not like an election where you can change your mind if things don't work out. \"If things go wrong this time, we've already voted - we're leaving. \"There is no way back, which is why in the next five days we will be targeting the 500,000 or so voters who have still got to make their minds up, because the decision is that critical.\" He argued there was uncertainty over whether firms would move their headquarters out of Scotland and over how the NHS and pensions would be funded if the country became independent. And he argued that \"about a million jobs here in Scotland depend on us being part of the UK\". Mr Salmond told the Andrew Marr programme that if \"Yes\" won there would \"cease to be a 'Yes' campaign and a 'No' campaign - there will be a Team Scotland\". He said he wanted \"as many voices as possible\" and welcomed an indication from Secretary of State for Scotland Alistair Carmichael last month that he would join such a negotiating team. Mr Salmond said his negotiating team had \"recruited specialism in a variety of fields\". The first minister renewed his claim that the Bank of England would be \"a shared central bank\" after independence. \"There will be a sustainability agreement between the governments in terms of borrowing levels and debt levels,\" he said. \"We set that out in our proposals.\" The UK government has said it would not agree to a currency union with an independent Scotland, but Mr Salmond argued American economist Joseph Stiglitz had said \"a shared currency is a very, very viable and common sense thing to do\". Meanwhile, Mr Darling again said the pro-Union parties would deliver more powers for the Scottish Parliament if there", "summary": "Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said the independence referendum was \"a once in a generation opportunity\" and he was aiming for \"a substantial majority\"."}
{"article": "Seven people were charged with stealing and conspiracy to steal a baby from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital earlier in February. Suwaiba Mumuni, whose baby is among the five missing, told the BBC she believes her child is still alive. The hospital, the second largest in Ghana, has denied the allegations. The BBC's Sammy Darko in the capital, Accra, says the case of the missing babies has caused outrage in Ghana. Youths stormed the hospital in Kumasi, 270km (167 miles) north-west of Accra, on Thursday, temporarily closing the maternity wards, he says. Ms Mumuni said after she gave birth on 5 February, she was told that her baby was stillborn and it was taken away by attendants. When her relatives arrived later in the day to collect the body for burial, it could not be found, she said. \"The only news I am expecting to hear is that my baby has been found,\" Ms Mumuni told the BBC. \"They told me my baby is dead, but they have not been able to produce the body... I am confident my baby is alive.\" The bodies of another four babies allegedly delivered stillborn that day are also missing. \"The ministry will leave no stone unturned until the truth is established,\" Health Minister Sherry Ayittey said in a statement. Ms Ayittey said the hospital had 14 working days to find the bodies of the babies \"for burial by the families\". Staff at the hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they often felt overwhelmed and there were inadequate resources to deal with demand. Our reporter says the seven people charged on Thursday over Ms Mumuni's missing baby were given bail.", "summary": "Ghana's health minister has given a hospital in the city of Kumasi 14 days to produce the bodies of five babies that were allegedly stillborn."}
{"article": "The site owned by Global Energy Group joins Wick Harbour in Caithness in securing work on the \u00c2\u00a32.6bn Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (Bowl) project. Siemens, one of the companies involved in Bowl, will use the yard for assembling turbines from spring 2018. Once assembled the turbines would be towed out to the wind farm site. The project, which also involves energy giant SSE, is to be created about eight miles off Wick. Global said Nigg's involvement would help to secure work for more than 100 people. The Scottish government, Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) and Scottish Renewables have welcomed the announcement. Business, Innovation and Energy Minister, Paul Wheelhouse, said: \"Offshore renewables represent a huge opportunity for Scotland; an opportunity to build up new industries and to deliver on Scotland's ambitious renewable energy and carbon reduction targets for 2020 and beyond. \"I am delighted that this multi-million pound contract between Global Energy Group and Siemens will enable Nigg Energy Park to develop into a genuine multi-energy site, securing around 100 direct and indirect jobs and associated supply chain opportunities. \"This contract arising from installation of the Beatrice Offshore Wind farm will provide a very welcome boost to the local economy in Ross-shire and the wider Highland Council area.\" Regional director for the Highlands and Islands, Fraser Grieve, said: \"Today's announcement of Nigg's involvement in the Beatrice Offshore wind project shows the positive economic impact that this major development will have on the region over the coming years. \"Nigg, and the wider Cromarty Firth, has much to offer and this agreement is not only a boost for the Global Energy Group but will benefit the supply chain through the area.\" Lindsay Roberts, senior policy manager at renewable energy industry group Scottish Renewables, said: \"The contract signed today will help breathe new life into this Highland port. \"Scotland's offshore wind industry has huge potential for both our economy and our environment, and it's great to see Nigg reaping the benefits. \"As other wind farms with planning consent in the Scottish North Sea begin to develop, agreements like this will play a key role in securing benefits not just for communities on the east coast, but for the whole of Scotland.\"", "summary": "The Nigg Energy Park on the Cromarty Firth is to be used during construction of an 84-turbine offshore wind farm."}
{"article": "Their evidence, obtained from the cockpit voice recorder and other information outlines in more detail how co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, 28, brought down the Airbus. So how did this final half hour unfold? Germanwings flight 4U 9525 took off from Barcelona Airport in Spain heading for Duesseldorf, Germany, with 150 people on board, at 09:00 GMT on 24 March. The Airbus 320 began travelling over the sea towards France, taking about half an hour to climb to 38,000ft (11,600m). It should have been a two-hour flight and, in the first 20 minutes, the pilots could be heard discussing the stop-over at Barcelona with a flight attendant. At 09:30 the plane made its final contact with air traffic control - a routine message about permission to continue on its route. Everything seemed to be going as planned. Shortly afterwards, the captain told the co-pilot he was leaving the cockpit and asked him to take over radio communications. The cockpit door is heard opening and closing on the recording. Seconds later, shortly before 09:31, the selected altitude was changed from 38,000 ft to 100 ft and the plane began its descent. At 09:33, the plane's speed increased. Air traffic control contacted the co-pilot - and continued to do so over the coming minutes - but received no answer. A buzzer requesting access to the cockpit sounded at 09:34. Knocking and muffled voices asking for the door to be opened can be heard until the end of the recording. At 09:39, \"noises similar to violent blows on the cockpit door were recorded on five occasions\" over the course of a minute. The flight crew of another plane also tried to make contact with the cockpit by radio around this time. In the next minute - 93 seconds before impact - \"low amplitude inputs\" on the co-pilot's flight controls were recorded. But the level of movement was too low to disengage the autopilot, so the input made no change to the flight path. The \"Terrain, Terrain, Pull Up, Pull up\" warning was triggered at 09:40: 41 and it continues until the end of the recording at 09:41:06. French prosecutor Brice Robin gave details of events on board the Airbus when he briefed journalists after the cockpit voice recorder was analysed in the days after the crash. During the first 20 minutes of the flight, he said, the co-pilot's responses were courteous but he became \"curt\" when the captain began the mid-flight briefing on the planned landing. It was shortly after this that the captain left the cockpit, probably to go to the toilet, and within seconds Lubitz had altered the flight monitoring system to send the aircraft into descent. \"This action on the altitude controls can only be deliberate,\" said Mr Robin. In the 10 minutes it took for the plane to plummet through the sky, Lubitz did not say a word and his breathing remained normal - despite repeated attempts by crew members and air traffic control to get him to respond. The Airbus descended at a rate of about 3-4,000ft per minute. The last radar", "summary": "French accident investigators released their final report into Germanwings Flight 4U 9525, which crashed in the Alps in March 2015, about a year later."}
{"article": "A video of the 13-year-old's murder has gone viral on social media. The killers accused the boy of trying to steal a bicycle rickshaw van in the north-eastern city of Sylhet. Three people have been detained, including the main suspect who fled to Saudi Arabia after the attack. Suspected thieves are often attacked by mobs in Bangladesh. But the BBC's South Asia editor, Joanna Jolly, says that the brutality of the assault has caused widespread outrage and led to police forming a special squad to investigate the killing. One of the attackers filmed the assault on Samiul Alam Rajon on Wednesday on his mobile phone, while the others tied the boy to a pole and hit him repeatedly with a metal rod. He screamed for help, the Daily Star reported, and cried for water as he begged for his life. The men can be heard laughing and jeering at him as they told him that they would post the video on Facebook. After the boy was killed, the attackers took his body to a secluded dump, the paper reported, about 600ft (180m) away from the torture spot. But they were spotted by some locals who chased them. Three of the group escaped, but one man was caught and handed over to the police. Another was later detained, while the main suspect was arrested in Saudi Arabia. \"It's a sad and unfortunate incident,\" Bangladesh's Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was quoted by bdnews.24 as saying. \"One [man] has been remanded and another has been arrested. The rest will be arrested soon. None will be spared.\" An autopsy report said that Samiul - who helped his family to sell vegetables - died of a brain haemorrhage after sustaining head injuries. More than 60 injury marks were found on his body. A Twitter page in his honour has been set up.", "summary": "Thousands of people in Bangladesh are demanding justice for a teenage boy who was beaten to death by a group of men who filmed themselves laughing and jeering as they carried out the attack."}
{"article": "Now, on the surface, these words from Michael Gove shouldn't be surprising. A minister wouldn't advertise disunity. The surprise though is that - as one of the most prominent Leave campaigners - he was talking about an implementation period post-Brexit which could last for an unspecified amount of time. Insiders say his arrival at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and dealing with the powerful farming lobby may have influenced his view. Some of the most prominent Remain ministers have been expressing relief - tinged in one case with just a hint of triumphalism - that they think in recent weeks that they have managed to sell the idea of a soft landing - or as some say \"no cliff edge\" - after the UK leaves the EU in 2019 to some of their more sceptical colleagues. So much for unity. Where do differences still lie? It was interesting that, in answering my question on whether freedom of movement would continue under an implementation period, that Michael Gove didn't rule this out. Migration, he argued, would be decided by the needs of the economy. But for how long? The tectonic plates may have moved on a transitional deal but its duration is where cabinet fault lines persist. Liam Fox has been pretty clear he doesn't want to contemplate anything more than two years. As one minister put it - he has waited forty years to leave the EU so two more won't matter. But anther prominent cabinet Brexiteer told me he thought it would be a \"disaster\" if the implementation period hadn't concluded by the assumed date of the next election in 2022 while others have talked about anything up to a four year period. Then what form will any transition take? Could there be temporary membership of the European Economic Area? Some leavers might be suspicious that temporary would become permanent. Should we stay in the customs union a bit longer until we hammer out a bespoke deal post Brexit? The EU is unlikely to get the clarity it seeks until there is clarity around the cabinet table. So while some Remainer ministers I have spoken to this week were upbeat, relaxed and chipper - and believe that British business is making its influence felt - many issues remain unresolved. And, of course, I use the term 'Remainer\" historically - the cabinet is also united on leaving the EU but the question is how. There has been talk of soft, hard and clean Brexits. Increasingly another word has entered the lexicon. David Davis uses it. Michael Gove used it today. Expect to hear more of it. Pragmatic. That's now the goal - a pragmatic Brexit. And that necessarily means compromise at cabinet level as well as with the EU.", "summary": "The government and the cabinet \"is united\"."}
{"article": "After 100 minutes of gruelling rugby union in front of a packed Twickenham, Alex Waller's score in the final minute of extra-time was eventually allowed to stand and Jim Mallinder's side were left celebrating their maiden league crown. On Friday night, Saints will embark on the defence of their trophy against Gloucester at Kingsholm, hoping to become only the third side to win successive titles in the play-off era. It kicks off an exciting opening weekend of action, which sees last year's Premiership and Heineken Cup runners-up Saracens take on Wasps, before Harlequins play London Irish, in the London double header. Elsewhere, Leicester Tigers, also denied by a late Northampton try in the play-off semi-finals, host Newcastle Falcons, and newly-promoted London Welsh kick off their return to the top flight with a home match against Exeter. With a home World Cup starting in September 2015, this season could take on extra significance for those plying their trade in the Premiership as they look to muscle their way in on the action. BBC Sport has teamed up with BBC local radio and experts for an at-a-glance guide to the campaign ahead. BBC local radio will be providing live commentary of matches throughout the Premiership season, which you can access through the rugby union commentaries page. How have Bath fared in the transfer market? BBC Points West's Damian Derrick: \"Most significantly, Bath have the arrival of the hugely-talented Sam Burgess to look forward to. The West Country club's marquee signing from rugby league will certainly make an impact and could add yet another significant dimension. \"The recruitment otherwise has been low key and shows the faith head coach Mike Ford has in his players.\" What are their hopes and ambitions for the new season? \"Bath's biggest challenge may well be emulating their performances of 2013-14, with all the other teams now knowing what's coming. They made huge strides last season with new players and a developing style of play which surprised many in the rugby fraternity. \"However, they must start their campaign without two key members of a largely dominant pack. Matt Garvey misses the first couple of months, with a recurrence of the ankle injury that saw him miss the end of last season, and Francois Louw doesn't return from South Africa duty until October. \"Missing out on a top-four Premiership place and losing the European Challenge Cup final has been Bath's motivation over the summer to make that next step.\" Damian Derrick's Premiership prediction: Third How have the Chiefs fared in the transfer market? BBC Radio Devon's Nigel Walrond: \"The Chiefs have added three internationals to their squad to bolster hopes for the new season, with Scotland prop Moray Low arriving from Glasgow, former England number Thomas Waldrom from Leicester and Namibian full-back Chysander Botha from South African Super 15 franchise the Lions. \"Mitch Lees, Tomas Francis, Elvis Taione and Adam Hughes have also been picked up from Championship clubs.\" What are their hopes and ambitions for the new season? \"Exeter are looking to improve on their eighth-place finish last season, and", "summary": "It seems like only yesterday that television match official Graham Hughes was deliberating over whether to award the try that would win Northampton the Premiership title at Rugby HQ."}
{"article": "Mark Gourley, from the Castlemara estate in Carrickfergus, was reported missing in March 2009. He was last seen in the Burney's Lane area of Glengormley. In 2013, police investigating the 36-year-old's disappearance said they had begun a murder inquiry. On Monday, two men, aged 45 and 43, were arrested in Carrickfergus. The pair were released on police bail on Monday night pending further enquiries. The body of Mr Gourley, who was described by police as a \"vulnerable individual\" who had been on medication at the time of his disappearance, has never been found. Det Insp Darren McCartney appealed to anyone who may have information about Mark's disappearance or who may have seen Mark on or after 7 March 2009 to contact police. \"Previous appeals for information did generate reports of sightings but the last definite sighting of Mark was at 2.30pm on 7 March 2009 in the Burney's Lane area of Glengormley,\" he said. \"Mark did not have a mobile phone or a significant amount of money with him when he disappeared.\" Police said although Mr Gourley was last seen in the Glengormley area, he was from the Castlemara area of Carrickfergus and he may have returned to that area on 7 March 2009. \"Police are asking for anyone who may have noticed vehicles or individuals acting suspiciously in either the Burney's Lane area of Glengormley or in the Castlemara area of Carrickfergus around 7 March 2009 to contact police on the non-emergency number 101,\" Det Insp McCartney said. \"I believe there are people in these communities who have knowledge of what happened to Mark. \"Additionally, people may have heard rumours about what happened to Mark. I would appeal to them to share this information with police. \"If anyone has information about him, I would ask them to examine their conscience and come forward to police.\" Mr Gourley was about 5ft, 9\" tall, described as well-built, with fair, cropped hair, and an eyebrow bolt in his right eyebrow. At the time of his disappearance, was wearing a black, zipped jacket with a grey motif on the back of the shoulders, dark Umbro tracksuit bottoms, black trainers and may have been wearing a blue Glasgow Rangers woollen hat.", "summary": "Two men, who were arrested in connection with the murder of a missing County Antrim man, have been released."}
{"article": "The Chinese game is viewed as a much tougher challenge than chess for computers because there are many more ways a Go match can play out. The tech company's DeepMind division said its software had beaten its human rival five games to nil. One independent expert called it a breakthrough for AI with potentially far-reaching consequences. The achievement was announced to coincide with the publication of a paper, in the scientific journal Nature, detailing the techniques used. Earlier on Wednesday, Facebook's chief executive had said its own AI project had been \"getting close\" to beating humans at Go. But the research he referred to indicated its software was ranked only as an \"advanced amateur\" and not a \"professional level\" player. Go is thought to date back to ancient China, several thousand years ago. Using black-and-white stones on a grid, players gain the upper hand by surrounding their opponents pieces with their own. The rules are simpler than those of chess, but a player typically has a choice of 200 moves compared with about 20 in chess. There are more possible positions in Go than atoms in the universe, according to DeepMind's team. It can be very difficult to determine who is winning, and many of the top human players rely on instinct. DeepMind's chief executive, Demis Hassabis, said its AlphaGo software followed a three-stage process, which began with making it analyse 30 million moves from games played by humans. \"It starts off by looking at professional games,\" he said. \"It learns what patterns generally occur - what sort are good and what sort are bad. If you like, that's the part of the program that learns the intuitive part of Go. \"It now plays different versions of itself millions and millions of times, and each time it gets incrementally better. It learns from its mistakes. \"The final step is known as the Monte Carlo Tree Search, which is really the planning stage. \"Now it has all the intuitive knowledge about which positions are good in Go, it can make long-range plans.\" Tested against rival Go-playing AIs, Google's system won 499 out of 500 matches, And last October, DeepMind invited Fan Hui, Europe's top player, to its London office for a series of games, each of which the AI won. \"Many of the best programmers in the world were asked last year how long it would take for a program to beat a top professional, and most of them were predicting 10-plus years,\" Mr Hassabis said. \"The reasons it was quicker than people expected was the pace of the innovation going on with the underlying algorithms and also how much more potential you can get by combining different algorithms together.\" Prof Zoubin Ghahramani, of the University of Cambridge, said: \"This is certainly a major breakthrough for AI, with wider implications. \"The technical idea that underlies it is the idea of reinforcement learning - getting computers to learn to improve their behaviour to achieve goals. \"That could be used for decision-making problems - to help doctors make treatment plans, for example, in businesses or", "summary": "A Google artificial intelligence program has beaten the European champion of the board game Go."}
{"article": "A skeleton of a meat-eating Jurassic dinosaur, the theropod, was uncovered by spring storms at Lavernock beach, Vale of Glamorgan, in 2014. The dinosaur's missing foot was found at the beach by palaeontology student, Sam Davies, of Bridgend, at the beginning of this month. \"My first reaction was that I was very lucky,\" he said. The fossilised skeleton of the theropod - a distant cousin of the giant Tyrannosaurus rex - went on display at the National Museum Cardiff's main hall in June after it was found by fossil-hunting brothers Nick and Rob Hanigan. Mr Davies, who studies at the University of Portsmouth, visited Lavernock, near Penarth, after his tutor told him its cliffs were rich with fossils. He arrived only hours after a cliff fall had exposed the fossil and before it could be washed away by the tide. \"It was pure luck that I found it. It was just sitting on top of a slab of rock,\" he said. His tutor, Dr David Martill, confirmed the find was the missing foot of the recently discovered dinosaur, after the student emailed a picture. Dr Martill said: \"This was a chance-in-a-million find and highlights how important it is to encourage fossil hunting in this country.\" He said the specimen would help chart the evolution of dinosaur feet. The foot has been donated to the Amgueddfa Cymru, which hopes to put it on display with the rest of the skeleton soon. Dr Caroline Buttler, head of palaeontology at the museum, said: \"The dinosaur found by Nick and Rob Hanigan is the first skeleton of a theropod found in Wales. \"Sam's find adds to its significance because we can learn more about the animal and how it is related to the dinosaurs that eventually evolved into birds.\"", "summary": "The fossilised foot of a dinosaur has been discovered on a south Wales beach, National Museum Wales has announced."}
{"article": "Union flags and and Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) flags are flying in Global Crescent and Cantrell Close. The housing developments are part of the Together Building United Communities programme. DUP MP Emma Little Pengelly said she had visited about 100 homes and found mixed views among residents. But a DUP spokesman said earlier flags or any other emblems supporting paramilitaries had no place in communities and should all be all removed. \"Paramilitaries are a plague on society,\" the spokesman told the BBC's Nolan Show. \"The DUP condemns all those who cling to criminality and violence.\" The Police Service of Northern Ireland said removing flags was not its responsibility, and police would only act to remove flags where there were \"substantial risks to public safety\". \"We will work with local communities and respond to any issues where there is a concern for public safety or where it is believed a criminal offence has occurred,\" said the PSNI in a statement. Mrs Little Pengelly spent a number of hours going door-to-door to meet local residents on Monday evening, and afterwards spoke to the BBC. \"There were some people who were very supportive of the flags, people who felt very much it was part of the tradition of the local area and the wider area,\" she said. \"The majority of people said to me: 'We understand that the flags have gone up, but we also understand that they will come back down again'. \"Really they didn't want a public fuss around this matter,\" she added. \"And there were some who had concerns around this, who would prefer for the flags not to be there. \"The way I would put this is that it was a much more complex picture than I was imagining. \"There were some concerns raised, I reassured those individuals that I would be here to support them as well, I would represent their views to the housing association.\" The housing developments are near the Ravenhill and Cregagh roads, which border the South Belfast and East Belfast constituencies. Mrs Little Pengelly became the new MP for South Belfast earlier this month. Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw said it was \"almost beyond belief\" that Mrs Little Pengelly believes there was no widespread demand for removal of flags from a mixed housing development in the area. \"A shared community should be welcoming to all and intimidating to none,\" she said.", "summary": "A DUP MP has said she has found no widespread demands for the removal of flags from a mixed housing development in her South Belfast constituency."}
{"article": "19 September 2016 Last updated at 07:50 BST They used recyclable materials such as shoe boxes, plastic packaging and egg boxes to make them. They went to see how a team from Swansea University are building a real classroom for the future, whose aims are the same. Their classroom is designed to be energy positive - that means they don't have to buy electricity and they have solar panels that use the sun to power them.", "summary": "Kids in Swansea have been showing us their designs for buildings for the future, which they say should be as energy-efficient and kind to the environment as possible."}
{"article": "Edward Bright, from Ripley, Derbyshire, lost his limbs when he was seven and needs help with much of his life. When he turned 16 and reapplied for a benefit he was told he had to attend a meeting to be assessed. The Department for Work and Pensions has now said a face-to-face meeting is not necessary. Edward's family claimed disability living allowance (DLA) on his behalf to help towards the added cost of life as a quad-amputee but when he turned 16 he had to reapply for a personal independence payment (PIP). The family were horrified to receive a letter calling him to a meeting with an assessor in Derby and threatening to withdraw the money if he did not attend. His dad Steve said: \"He has already been through all the assessments. Nothing has changed [in his situation] in the last seven years; nothing will change, so being called in to interviews every year is pointless. \"People with disabilities have enough appointments anyway. You should reach a level when it's flagged up on the system: no more interviews needed.\" Since the family's case featured in the Daily Mirror, the Department of Work and Pensions has admitted the assessment is unnecessary. \"All DLA claimants are invited to apply for the working-age benefit Personal Independence Payment when they turn 16. In this instance a paper-based assessment has been completed and there is no need for a face-to-face assessment. \"We've tried to call the Brights numerous times to make clear there's no need to attend a meeting on Monday. A letter has been sent through the post.\"", "summary": "The family of a teenager who lost his arms and legs from meningitis were shocked when told he had to prove he still needed a disability payment."}
{"article": "Stephen Ngila has been arrested for allegedly attacking Jackline Mwende almost two weeks ago, reports say. Kenya has high levels of domestic abuse but Mrs Mwende's case was \"particularly shocking\", activists added. Mr Ngila has not yet commented. Mrs Mwende, 27, said a drunk Mr Ngila, 34, told her \"today is your last day\" before he attacked her at her parents' home in a village in southern Machakos County, Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper reports. This was despite the fact that doctors told them she was fertile and he was impotent, Mrs Mwende was quoted as saying. A video of her with stitches on her head and stumps where her hands once were, wrapped in bandages, has also been shown by Kenyan media. The couple were living separately when Mr Ngila allegedly attacked Mrs Mwende, reports said. Reuters news agency quotes Kenyan women's rights group Equality Now as saying that Mr Ngila has been charged with attempted murder, but there has been no independent confirmation of this. \"This is a particularly shocking case for Kenya... even though domestic violence is rampant,\" Naitore Nyamu of Equality Now told Reuters. \"We can't afford to let the perpetrators act with impunity - which has sometimes been the case in recent years,\" she added. The chairwoman of Kenya's Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Josephine Mong'are, said cases of violence against women had been \"escalating\" and police should ensure that \"all culprits are brought to book\". \"FIDA Kenya reiterates that violence against women is unacceptable and must not be condoned in society,\" she said.", "summary": "A Kenyan man accused of chopping off his wife's hands and hacking her head with a machete after blaming her for their childless marriage should face the full force of the law, rights activists have said."}
{"article": "First up, it's the scandal that refuses to burn out - the Belfast Telegraph and News Letter both carry stories relating to that rather infamous heat scheme on their front pages. \"\u00a32.5m fraud probed in just one RHI case\" says the Belfast Telegraph, reporting that energy watchdog Ofgem is investigating a suspected multi-million pound claim to the scheme. According to the paper, it's been suggested it would take four biomass boilers running non-stop every day for 20 years to rack up a \u00a32.5m claim. That's a lot of heat. Meanwhile, the News Letter leads on the news that the public inquiry into the scheme will not sit for any public hearings before March's assembly election. It reports that Finance Minister M\u00e1irt\u00edn \u00d3 Muilleoir has confirmed that Sir Patrick Coughlin will chair a three-person panel into the scheme. Judging by events just in the last month or so, the panel has its work cut out. Elsewhere, the News Letter dedicates the rest of its front page, and three pages inside, to what it describes as Stormont's condemnation of a \"missing man bail scandal\". The debate at Stormont was inspired by the case of Damien Joseph McLaughlin, a man charged in connection with the murder of prison officer David Black who has gone missing after being bailed. Meanwhile, all the papers on Wednesday dedicate at least some space to yesterday's Supreme Court judgment over Brexit, with the Belfast Telegraph and Irish News both calling for unity among Northern Ireland's politicians over the Article 50 saga. \"(Northern Ireland's MPs) may not agree on whether leaving the EU is a good or bad move,\" says the Belfast Telegraph. \"But they must speak with one voice in ensuring that the best possible deal - taking into account our peculiar interests - is pursued during the divorce negotiations.\" \"It is up to our politicians to fight for the best deal for the people of Ireland, north and south,\" says the Irish News. Brexit has involved plenty of discussion around the UK's financial and economic future but, according to the Daily Mirror, one Irish person need not worry about money ever again. \"Irish punter wins \u00a375m\" says its front page, adding that it's not yet known where on the island this extremely jammy individual lives. However, Northern Ireland's record lottery win of \u00a320.1m in 2004 could be under threat if the lucky winner turns out to be from up here. Speaking of gold, the Irish News is talking Oscars. The nominations came out on Tuesday with some Irish interest among the nods, including Best Actress nominee Ruth Negga who has attracted praise for her role in Loving. But, the paper reports, there was also a nod for Dublin-born costume designer Consolata Boyle (for Florence Foster Jenkins) and a Best Original Screenplay nomination for the Irish-funded (and Colin Farrell starring) film The Lobster. And finally, a tribute in the Daily Mirror after Ireland's oldest cow died from a heart attack. Jenny passed away in Clonakilty, County Cork, after racking up 33 years. \"She was the queen among cattle,\" says her", "summary": "The RHI scandal continues to make headlines, but there's also room for a bumper Irish lottery win, Oscar nominations and the fallout from yesterday's Supreme Court Brexit decision in Wednesday's newspapers."}
{"article": "Following the acquisition of Cyprus defender Jason Demetriou, Etheridge, 25, fills the gap left by Richard O'Donnell's move to Wigan Athletic. The ex-Chelsea trainee, who has made just 20 Football League appearances, was released by Charlton in May. \"We had a number of good options but Neil stood out,\" said boss Dean Smith. \"He ticks all the boxes in age, room for development and experience at this level and above,\" said Smith. He's an extremely driven young man who wants to be successful. These are the characteristics we're looking for. \"Neil will compete with Craig MacGillivray for a first-team place. They will both push each other on, exactly the kind of competition that we want.\" Etheridge, who began his professional career at Fulham, added: \"The faith that the gaffer and Neil Cutler (Walsall goalkeeping coach) have shown in me means a lot. Now is the time to get my head down and work hard. \"I have gained plenty of international experience in front of big crowds, but I've not played as many league games as I'd have liked. I intend to rectify that here.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League One side Walsall have made their second international signing in 24 hours by bringing in Philippines keeper Neil Etheridge on a two-year deal."}
{"article": "Two generals said the jihadist group had suffered the losses as troops and allied fighters, backed by US-led air strikes, advanced on several axes. Up to 5,000 IS fighters were believed to be in Mosul ahead of the assault. Despite the territorial gains, commanders have warned that securing Mosul could take weeks, if not months. About 50,000 Iraqi security forces personnel, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen are involved in the operation. More than 100 US military personnel are embedded with them, advising commanders and helping direct coalition air strikes. Other US troops are providing fire support from nearby bases. Lt Gen Stephen Townsend, the commander of US forces in Iraq, said on Wednesday that the coalition forces had delivered more than 2,100 aerial bombs, artillery and mortar shells, rockets and missiles since 17 October. \"This relentless campaign of strikes has removed hundreds of fighters, weapons, and key leaders from the battlefield in front of the Iraqi advance,\" he added. On Thursday, the head of the US military's Central Command, Gen Joseph Votel, told the AFP news agency: \"Just in the operations over the last week and a half associated with Mosul, we estimate they've probably killed about 800-900 Islamic State fighters.\" The Iraqi government informed US commanders on Wednesday that 57 Iraqi soldiers had been killed and about 250 wounded. Kurdish Peshmerga fighters are thought to have suffered about 20 to 30 fatalities. Despite the removal of hundreds militants from the battlefield, Gen Townsend warned that IS defences were likely to grow stronger the closer they got to Mosul. The group had \"used an extraordinary amount of indirect fire - mortars, artillery and rockets - and an exceptional number of VBIEDs (Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices),\" he told reporters during a visit to the Qayyarah airbase. Fierce resistance by jihadists has held up soldiers in the Shura area, 40km (25 miles) south of Mosul, prompting elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces to pause their advance near the village of Bazwaya, only 6km east of the city. CTS commander Brig Gen Haider Fadhil told the Associated Press his forces would wait for other units to reach Mosul's outskirts before entering the city. But he stressed: \"The operation has not been stopped and is proceeding as planned.\" Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it had trained 90 Iraqi medics in \"mass casualty management\" as part of its preparations for the Mosul operation, with a special focus on responding to chemical attacks, AP reported. IS has previously used chemical weapons in attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces, and there are fears that it might do so again inside Mosul, where more than a million civilians live. Some 11,700 residents have fled since the offensive began and, according to the UN's worst-case scenario, as many as 700,000 others could follow suit. \"There's been quite a dramatic upturn in the last few days,\" said Karl Schembri of the Norwegian Refugee Council, who warned that there were currently only spaces in camps for 60,000 people. The WHO is working on the assumption that 200,000 of", "summary": "Hundreds of Islamic State militants are thought to have been killed since Iraqi forces launched an offensive to retake Mosul last week, the US military says."}
{"article": "Soldiers from the island, as well as Kingussie and Beauly in the Highlands, lost their lives at Festubert in France in 1915. Portree on Skye lost 10 men in a single night. In total, more than 20,000 men died over 10 days of fighting. Three days of events will start on Friday and will include talks by historians and poetry readings. Festubert's impact on the Highlands and Islands was recalled in BBC Two Scotland documentary, The Machine Gun and Skye's Band of Brothers, last year. This week's commemorations will be held in Portree. Many of the men from Skye, Kingussie and Beauly who died at Festubert had played shinty, a fact that will be recalled in some of the events. A set of bagpipes recovered from the battlefield's trenches will be used to play the tune The Beauly Shinty Club. The music was composed by one of two brothers who died in the conflict. Shinty commentator and historian Hugh Dan MacLennan will be among those taking part in the commemorations. He said: \"Festubert is our focus because it was one of the first great killing battles, which saw death on an industrial scale. \"Not only that, but its impact on Highland communities is beyond belief.\"", "summary": "One of the bloodiest battles of World War One will be commemorated in events to be held on Skye later this week."}
{"article": "From the release of It's Not Unusual in 1965 to his current judging role on BBC One's The Voice, Sir Tom has won fans across the generations. It is well-known he is adored by legions of women the world over, so we canvassed the opinion of some plain-talking Welshmen in a bid to uncover the secret of his enduring appeal. Former NME journalist Iestyn George describes him as \"one of the last surviving stars of his time who still has any kind of credibility\". He partly puts this down to his ability and that he remains close to his roots. Speaking about his first appearance on The Voice, Mr George said: \"When Tom turned up, you were thinking 'how's this going to work?' It should be a bit embarrassing'. \"But it's one of the rare opportunities people have had to see his character and it's made him more of a much-loved figure than ever before. \"He's spent a great deal of his life away from home, but there wouldn't be any misunderstanding about where he's from. \"For me, if you're not authentic or for real, it's just patronising.\" Mr George described Sir Tom, who remains married to his high school sweetheart Melinda Trenchard, as \"a true professional. There's no side of him, backstage or front stage, there's no pretence\". And he said this extended to his interviews with the media. \"He's really happy to tell the warts-and-all stories, he's happy to tell people 'I've messed around, I've not been great always'. \"I'm uncomfortable with the lovable rogue thing, but what helps people who get away with it is they're not trying to pretend they're anything else. \"Ultimately it's just about being yourself and being very, very comfortable in your own skin.\" One of Sir Tom's contestants on The Voice, Ragsy, echoed that sentiment. \"Talking to him, you kind of forget who he is and what he's achieved. His valleys charm kind of comes through,\" said the rocker from Aberdare. \"The first time I met him... one minute I was thinking 'Oh my god it's Tom Jones, this living legend, this iconic figure'. But within minutes we were just two Welsh people talking about words like cwtch. \"It's his charm first of all and then obviously his God-given talent of having that voice.\" Ragsy, whose real name is Gary Ryland, said Sir Tom told him the key to success was confidence. \"He believes in his ability and oozes confidence. He told me I had a powerful voice, but it was that thing of believing in it. \"He still sounds as strong today. He's like the grandfather, the don, of music.\" Mr George said despite that confidence, Sir Tom, who is managed by son Mark Woodward, was also good at taking advice. \"The only person I can compare him to is Paul Weller, managed by his father from age 16 onwards,\" he said. \"He's engineered his own career without any need for representation. They're very different people but there are similarities in the way they represent themselves. \"Tom realises it's tough being yourself, being", "summary": "Sir Tom Jones celebrates his 75th birthday on Sunday and the appeal of the Welshman is as strong as ever."}
{"article": "Since then the country has seen the creation of a multi-party parliamentary system, a decade-long Maoist insurgency and the abolition of its monarchy. Flanked by China and India, it is home to eight of the world's highest mountains including Mount Everest, known locally as Sagarmatha. As one of the world's poorest countries, Nepal's economy relies heavily on aid and tourism. A devastating earthquake in April 2015 killed thousands of people, flattened villages and reduced numerous heritage sites to ruin. Since then political infighting has delayed much of the reconstruction despite billions of dollars having been pledged. Population 31 million Area 147,181 sq km (56,827 sq miles) Major languages Nepali Major religions Hinduism, Buddhism Life expectancy 68 years (men), 70 years (women) Currency Nepalese rupee President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari Bidhya Devi Bhandari was elected as Nepal's first woman president in a parliamentary vote in October 2015. She is the deputy leader of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) and a former defence minister. She is a campaigner for women's rights and widow of late communist leader Madan Kumar Bhandari. The post of president is mainly ceremonial. Prime minister: Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda Pushpa Kamal Dahal was elected as prime minister for the second time in August 2016. Better known as Prachanda (Nepali for \"fierce one\"), he led a decade-long insurgency against the monarchy which culminated in the king relinquishing his absolute powers and being forced to give up his throne in June 2008. He became the first elected prime minister of Nepal in August 2008 but his government collapsed nine months later in a row over his attempt to dismiss the army chief. Mr Dahal is the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist-Centre). Media freedom is restricted by the fact that journalists have been the victims of violence, activists say. There is a small film industry, nicknamed \"Kollywood\". Some key dates in Nepal's history: 1768 - Gurkha ruler Prithvi Narayan Shah conquers Kathmandu and lays foundations for unified kingdom. 1814-16 - Anglo-Nepalese War; culminates in treaty which establishes Nepal's current boundaries. 1846 - Nepal falls under sway of hereditary chief ministers known as Ranas, who dominate the monarchy and cut country off from outside world. 1950 - Anti-Rana forces based in India form alliance with monarch. 1951 - End of Rana rule. Sovereignty of crown restored and anti-Rana rebels in Nepalese Congress Party form government. 1960 - King Mahendra seizes control and suspends parliament, constitution and party politics. 1991 - Nepali Congress Party wins first democratic elections. 1995-2006 - Maoist revolt which kills thousands. 2008 - Nepal becomes a republic after abolition of monarchy. 2015 September - New constitution adopted - the first in Asia to specifically protect gay rights.", "summary": "With its ancient culture and the Himalayas as a backdrop, landlocked Nepal was closed to the outside world until the 1950s."}
{"article": "It has been launched by the association that represents thousands of officers. The Police Federation said officers took 37,674 days off sick last year because of the problem. Federation chairman Mark Lindsay described the resources the PSNI devotes to tackling the issue as \"pitiful and wholly inaccurate\" In his speech to the association's annual conference in Belfast, he described the current situation within the police as \"a professional scandal\". \"This problem needs this urgent intervention,\" he said. \"Whole families are suffering because those hurting are falling through the cracks.\" He said the fund announced on Wednesday would be used during the next three years to provide additional therapists and psychologists dealing with the issue. Mr Lindsay said the fund was a temporary measure, and that it was the \"statutory duty\" of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and Department of Justice to address the problem. Last week, three officers who have been treated for post traumatic stress disorder PTSD spoke to the BBC about their experiences, and problems getting treatment.", "summary": "A \u00a31m fund has been set up to help police officers suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and other psychological illnesses."}
{"article": "The regiment has strong links to the city as an Army Reserve unit is based in Raglan Barracks and the Freedom of Newport was granted to them in 1978. They paraded through the city centre with colours flying, drums beating and bayonets fixed as they were led by the Band of the Royal Artillery. The parade started at 12:30 BST. It began on Cambrian Road before continuing on to Bridge Street and High Street to the D-Day Memorial where a short ceremony took place. The parade then reformed and travelled down High Street, across Stow Hill and followed Commercial Street to its junction with Charles Street and Llanarth Street.", "summary": "About 100 soldiers from the 104th Regiment Royal Artillery marked their 50th anniversary with a freedom parade through Newport on Saturday."}
{"article": "In the latest incident, a man escaped with a three-figure sum after threatening two members of staff with a hammer at McColl's in West Doura Court, Kilwinning, at about 18:20 on Saturday. Police said the staff were uninjured but \"extremely distressed\". In December, a man robbed the same shop at knifepoint while wearing a 'Joker' mask. The suspect in the latest robbery was described as being white, 5ft 10in, with a stocky build. He was wearing dark trousers and a black hooded top featuring the \"McKenzie\" logo. Det Sgt Craig Semple said: \"I'd like to speak to anyone who may have seen the suspect hanging around the area prior to the robbery taking place or anyone who saw him running out of the shop afterwards.\"", "summary": "A convenience store in North Ayrshire has been robbed for the second time in five months."}
{"article": "The classic 1970s sitcom starred her father Richard Beckinsale as Lenny Godber, cellmate to Ronnie Barker's Norman Stanley Fletcher. Porridge will return for a special episode, again written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Set 40 years on, Kevin Bishop will play Fletcher's prison inmate grandson. Nicknamed \"Fletch\" Fletcher, Nigel is behind bars for a series of cyber crimes. Beckinsale said in an interview for Radio 5 live, Afternoon Edition: \"I don't think that's such a terrible idea. I think that's quite nice really. \"When it's beloved characters and a beloved project, it's quite nice to have an imaginary, 'what is their grandson doing?'\" But Beckinsale, whose new film is Love & Friendship - a romantic comedy based on Jane Austen's novel Lady Susan - has no desire to make a cameo in her father's old show. \"In Porridge? You've got to be joking. It's a boy's prison. I'm not that versatile. Tea lady?\" Her father died from cardiac arrest at the age of 31 in 1979. He appeared in all three series of Porridge between 1974 and 1977 and finished making the film version a few weeks before his death. Beckinsale, who starred in 2012's reboot of Total Recall, which originally starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, does not now believe remakes are a good idea, she says. \"I think it's a shame sometimes when they take something that is almost perfect or perfect and then remake it. That's a silly idea. \"They should remake things that aren't very good and have another go at it.\" The new episode of Porridge will be broadcast this summer as part of a landmark sitcom season to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the start of Hancock's Half Hour on BBC TV. It will include contemporary follow-ups to Are You Being Served?, Keeping Up Appearances and Up Pompeii! while lost episodes of Steptoe and Son, Till Death Do Us Part and Hancock's Half Hour will be remade from their original scripts for BBC Four. The interview with Kate Beckinsale can be heard on Radio 5 live's Afternoon Edition on Tuesday 31 May at 1300. Love & Friendship is currently in UK cinemas.", "summary": "Hollywood actress Kate Beckinsale, best known for the Underworld Series of films, has given her blessing to the BBC bringing back Porridge."}
{"article": "Ian Sawyer from Manchester said: \"I'm homosexual, I'm not a paedophile. Does Mr Fury know the difference?\" Fury has been quoted as saying a woman's \"best place is on her back\" and criticised homosexuality and abortion. The boxer, also from Manchester, has denied making any homophobic comments. He said: \"Tyson Fury loves his fellow humans. He doesn't hate anybody.\" Mr Sawyer told the Victoria Derbyshire programme he was offended \"to such an extent that I went to Greater Manchester Police\" but has yet to be interviewed by police for an official statement. He said 27-year-old Fury, who became world champion by beating Wladimir Klitschko last month, was entitled to his opinions, but \"if they are offensive he should keep them private\". \"After he won the championship I woke up thinking how wonderful it was to have a world champion in Manchester at a sport that I've admired since Muhammad Ali and then when I woke up yesterday morning and listened to his words [on the Victoria Derbyshire programme] I thought he had gone from hero to zero,\" he added. In an interview in the build-up to his world title fight, Fury, who comes from Wythenshawe, said: \"There are only three things that need to be accomplished before the devil comes home: one of them is homosexuality being legal in countries, one of them is abortion and the other one's paedophilia. \"Who would have thought in the '50s and '60s that those first two would be legalised?\" Fury has been stripped of his IBF belt because he will not be fighting the organisation's mandatory challenger Vyacheslav Glazkov in his next fight, instead planning a rematch with Klitschko. The Ukrainian former champion has exercised a rematch clause in the contract for his original fight with Fury, who still holds the WBA and WBO belts. Watch Victoria Derbyshire weekdays from 09:15-11:00 BST on BBC Two and the BBC News Channel. Follow the programme on Facebook and Twitter, and find all our content online.", "summary": "A man who made a hate crime complaint to police about world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury has said Fury is \"ignorant to the difference between homosexuality and paedophilia\"."}
{"article": "The testimonial, usually held to honour a player's long service at a club or to mark retirement, are supposed to be light-hearted, non-competitive affairs that raise millions of pounds for charity. But that has not always been the case. From celebrities and brawls to handsome pay-offs and injuries, BBC Sport takes a look at the dos and don'ts of hosting a testimonial. Testimonials began as a way to set up a player for retirement, back when wages paled in comparison to those today, with money made from the game paid to the player. Former Arsenal and England goalkeeper David Seaman made \u00a3600,000 tax free from his match in 2001. The recent trend has been for a player to donate the proceeds to charity, which began with former Republic of Ireland and Sunderland striker Niall Quinn. Quinn gave an estimated \u00a31m raised at his benefit match to charity. Rooney has followed suit and said proceeds from the game on 3 August will be split between the NSPCC, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Claire House Children's Hospice and Manchester United's own foundation. Former Coventry defender David Busst suffered one of the worst injuries in football in 1996 against Manchester United, which forced him into retirement aged 29. The Sky Blues granted Busst a testimonial match against United to benefit him and his family. The match was memorable for being Eric Cantona's last game for United, the Frenchman retiring from football two days later. Didier Drogba, retired Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher, Lothar Matthaeus, Andriy Shevchenko and Philipp Lahm all turned out for former Germany captain Michael Ballack's testimonial in 2013. Cristiano Ronaldo could be returning to Old Trafford for Rooney's testimonial while the England striker made his return to Goodison Park for Duncan Ferguson's testimonial in August. Then there were the stellar line-ups involved in Portugal legend Deco's benefit match in 2014 at the Estadio do Dragao. The match was between Porto's 2004 Champions League winners and Barcelona's 2006 European champions, both teams that Deco had played for and players on show included Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o, and Edgar Davids. But the stars are not always guaranteed to turn up. George Best reportedly snubbed Manchester United team-mate Bobby Charlton's testimonial against Celtic in 1972 and spent the night drinking. The match at Old Trafford still attracted a crowd of 60,538, which was then a British record for a benefit match. By August 2012, full-back Tony Hibbert had played 308 times for Everton, but had never scored for the Toffees. He made amends in his testimonial, scoring a stunning free-kick in a 4-1 win over AEK Athens. And still after 15 seasons it remains his only goal for the club. \"The lads were saying to me in the changing room that it was like a fairytale,\" he said afterwards. Former England striker Alan Shearer had injured his knee three weeks before his testimonial in 2006 so could not play a full role but he kicked the first and last ball of the match. The Premier League's all-time top scorer came off the bench to score a", "summary": "When Wayne Rooney starts planning his testimonial game for next summer he may want to heed a few lessons from previous benefit matches."}
{"article": "Grant Bradburn's side must top their group, which also features Hong Kong, to progress to the Super 10 stage. This will be played alongside the women's event from 15-28 March. Should they prevail, Scotland will be entered into a group containing England, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the West Indes. The Scots will play all their group matches at Vidarbha stadium in Nagpur. First up, they tackle Afghanistan on 8 March, before taking on Zimbabwe two days later. Scotland will complete their Group B campaign against Hong Kong on 12 March. The winners of the first qualifying group, which comprises Ireland, Bangladesh, Netherlands and Oman, will face India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand in the Super 10 phase.", "summary": "Scotland's men will face Zimbabwe and Afghanistan in the first stage of next year's ICC World Twenty20 tournament in India."}
{"article": "Millions of people have \"signed\" online petitions calling on Parliament to do everything from bring in rules for a second EU referendum to introducing a Meningitis B vaccine for all children. Sorry, your browser cannot display this content. Enter your postcode or parliamentary constituency: BBC England's data unit found there were 17 parts of the UK where the number of people taking part was consistently higher than elsewhere. Eight of the 17 were London constituencies. All but two have Labour MPs. The constituencies, and the party of their MP, were: Some critics of petitions suggest they are in danger of becoming symbols of protest rather than effective instruments of change. Stephen Coleman, professor of political communication at the University of Leeds, said: \"We should be very concerned about how representative these petitions are. \"If they are only empowering the usual people who vote and participate in other ways, they will exacerbate the gap between the political efficacy of the already active and the limited influence of the least confident.\" But Darren Hughes, deputy chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, said petitions were an effective way of engaging with people who would not normally be interested in politics. \"The more ways to engage the better, and while there always going to be places that sign petitions more than others, that's normal, and millions of people are using this tool right across the county,\" he said. \"What would be a positive change would be for these petitions to encourage some further engagement - if the site asked them to register to vote, get more involved in politics, and follow more closely the work of Parliament.\" We focussed on the top ten most popular petitions. The same 17 constituencies were in the top 10% of signatures in six of the most popular petitions since Parliament launched a website in July 2015. Where they were not in the top 10, it was mainly because the other petitions were calling for the opposite of the other petitions they had signed. For the most popular Parliament petition of all time, calling for a second referendum on leaving the European Union, 17 of the 65 constituencies that signed it the most were also in the top 10% for: We excluded an earlier petition demanding Donald Trump be banned from visiting the UK altogether and another petition about Jeremy Hunt as the issues were too similar to others. 100,000 signatures for MPs to consider a debate in Parliament 10,000 signatures for the government to formally respond 11 MPs on the Petitions Committee 6 months is how long petitions stay open for signatures Only British citizens or UK residents are allowed to sign However, they were not in the top 10% for petitions calling for: Taking the most popular petitions, Brighton Pavilion, represented by Green MP Caroline Lucas, has the highest median rate of signatures as a % of its population. BBC News found no correlation between the proportion of people signing petitions and turnout in the 2015 General Election. Northern Ireland constituencies made up the majority of the 10", "summary": "MPs will later debate two petitions about the state visit of US President Donald Trump, but what do online polls and their signatories say about the UK?"}
{"article": "Cpl Stuart Robinson was injured when his vehicle hit an explosive device near Camp Bastion in February 2013. He will be joined on the 38 mile (60km) course by former colleague Kurt McGuinness, the brother of 23-time TT winner John McGuinness. The 33-year-old said the challenge had been a \"lifesaver\" for him. He said that after the \"life changing situation... I just had to get on with it. I lost my legs but got away with my life\". \"Kurt is really into the Isle of Man TT and suggested the challenge.\" The pair will be joined on the charity challenge by Blackburn's Anton Shepherd, who was paralysed from the chest down following a motocross accident, and soldier Darren Norman. Mr McGuinness said their training for the attempt, which will take place on 26 March, had been \"brutal\".", "summary": "A former soldier who lost both legs in Afghanistan is to attempt the Isle of Man TT course using a hand-powered bike."}
{"article": "The veterans have set off from the Canary Islands. They aim to row the 3,000 miles in under 55 days as part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. The Row2Recovery group are competing against 25 other teams in the race, which will end in Antigua in the Caribbean. The race was scheduled to start on 15 December, but stormy weather postponed the challenge. One of the rowers, Lee Spencer, said: \"We'll literally be on our own. \"We have a life raft and personal location devices and if we end up in the water swimming is not a big deal. We only have three legs between us. \"But the day-to-day chores are the things we'll struggle with.\" Mr Spencer said they had been training their upper bodies to compensate for having lost lower limbs. \"We want to be an example to all people; we're just normal guys who have suffered some misfortune, but life carries on,\" he said. Cayle Royce - 29, from Dartmouth. Suffered serious injuries serving in Afghanistan Paddy Gallagher - 30, from Cambridgeshire. He was injured in Afghanistan while serving with the Irish Guards Nigel Rogof - 56, from Hereford, who lost his leg while taking part in an RAF parachuting display Lee Spencer - 46, from Yelverton in Devon. He lost a leg when he was struck by debris when he stopped to rescue a seriously injured motorist on the M3 Also competing are a group of four women aged 44 to 51 from Yorkshire, and 20-year-old University of Bristol aerospace engineering student Callum Gathercole, who is a solo competitor. Crews will spend at least a month at sea, living on freeze-dried food, while raising money for charity. Carsten Heron Olsen, race organiser, said: \"This year we have 26 teams from the US, Italy, the UK, Antigua, Australia and South Africa, and there are 62 rowers in total. \"Winds look extremely favourable for the rowers for the first few days at sea, and alongside the high level of professionalism of the participants, we're anticipating a quick and competitive race and hopefully break some records. \"The race was planned to start on Tuesday, but due to strong winds going in the wrong direction we had to delay the race for a few days.\"", "summary": "Four ex-servicemen are rowing across the Atlantic in a bid to become what is believed to be the first all-amputee team to make the trip."}
{"article": "The 31-year-old left-armer was released by Sussex in September having been at Hove since 2006. The ex-Leicestershire paceman has taken 34 first-class wickets at an average of 51.05, 79 one-day scalps at 29.22 and 82 T20 wickets at 23.90. \"It's great to have Chris on board,\" said Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson. Middlesbrough-born Liddle also played for Dhaka Gladiators in the Bangladesh Premier League in 2013. \"He's got a lot of experience in one-day and T20 cricket, having performed strongly for Sussex and he will add excellent competition to our bowling unit,\" added Dawson. \"It's a great opportunity for him to come here and compete in all formats of the game as he has a lot of potential in Championship cricket. We are all looking forward to him joining up with the lads.\"", "summary": "Gloucestershire have signed former Sussex seam bowler Chris Liddle on a two-year contract."}
{"article": "Rose, 26, was replaced by Ben Davies during Tuesday's 0-0 draw at Sunderland and had a knee scan on Thursday. The England international has started 18 of Spurs' 23 Premier League games this season, but will miss the visit of Middlesbrough on Saturday. \"We need to wait until Monday to see the specialist,\" said Pochettino. The Argentine is also without defenders Kieran Trippier and Jan Vertonghen, who suffered an ankle ligament injury two weeks ago. \"Jan Vertonghen is better and starting to run, which is very positive,\" added Pochettino.", "summary": "Tottenham left-back Danny Rose will see a specialist on Monday to confirm the extent of his knee injury, manager Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed."}
{"article": "The material is to be transported by road from the nuclear power complex to Scrabster harbour for shipping to Sellafield in Cumbria. A nine mile (14.4km) stretch of the A836 would be involved. Dounreay is being decommissioned and tonnes of its radioactive material is being reprocessed at Sellafield. Other items have been taken to the Cumbrian nuclear site by train, and also flown to the US and shipped to Belgium. Dounreay said the removal of the latest material formed part of a new phase of the clean up of the site near Thurso. A spokesperson for Dounreay said: \"Dounreay is being demolished, so nuclear materials are being returned to national stocks. \"This programme started in 2001 and is expected to take several more years to complete. \"Our priority at all times is to comply with regulations designed to ensure the safety and security of nuclear materials, both while in storage and transit.\" The A836 forms part of the North Coast 500 (NC500) tourist route. Tom Campbell, managing director of the tourism initiative, said: \"The North Coast 500 is based on roads where people live, work commute as well as visit and enjoy the north Highlands and these roads, like all roads are subject to closures, roadworks and diversions. \"The nine mile stretch represents less than 2% of the NC500 and our understanding is that actual closures will be rare and infrequent.\"", "summary": "A stretch of road in Caithness is to be closed for short periods on occasions over the next 12 months so nuclear material can be moved from Dounreay."}
{"article": "Irish slipped back to the foot of the table after defeat at Sale and Newcastle's win against Harlequins. The Exiles host 10th-placed Worcester on Sunday and could move above the Warriors with a win. \"We've already spoken about next week and what we need to do,\" Coventry told BBC Radio Berkshire. \"The boys have had a bit of a hurry up in the changing room. We've spoken about how disappointed we were with our second half performance (at Sale).\" Media playback is not supported on this device Irish conceded 26 unanswered points in the second half as Sale ran in a total of six tries at the AJ Bell Stadium. It was the second time in their last three Premiership matches Irish failed to score any second-half points. And following news that prop Ben Franks will be ruled out until late April with a ruptured bicep tendon, Irish have been hit by a further injury to winger Alex Lewington. The 24-year-old is expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks following surgery on a fractured thumb. \"Injuries are a big part of the game, we have to rely pretty much on the squad that we've got,\" Coventry added. \"We can't lament our losses too much, we have to get on with it. \"Losing Ben and Alex is a frustration, but we'll just have to manage without out them until we can get them back on the field.\"", "summary": "London Irish head coach Tom Coventry admits their meeting with fellow Premiership strugglers Worcester will be a \"huge\" game for his team."}
{"article": "Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox will pay \u00a311.7bn for the 61% stake it does not already own. Sky shareholders will receive \u00a310.75 in cash for each share, valuing the entire company at \u00a318.5bn. The deal comes amid concerns that Rupert Murdoch, who also owns the Sun and the Times newspapers, will have excessive influence over UK media. Karen Bradley, the Culture Secretary, will have 10 days to decide whether the Fox bid raises public interest concerns, in this case media plurality, starting from when the companies notify the competition authority. She has the power to ask Ofcom, the media watchdog, to examine the deal. Tom Watson, shadow culture secretary, urged Ms Bradley to refer the deal to Ofcom: \"When she stood on the steps of Downing Street this summer, the prime minister said to the people of this country that 'when we take the big calls, we'll think not of the powerful, but you'. \"This is a big call. The government needs to decide whose side it's on.\" A number of Sky shareholders, including Standard Life Investments and Jupiter Asset Management, have questioned the independence of the non-executive directors and their ability to extract a higher price since a possible bid was announced last Friday. Richard Marwood, senior fund manager at Royal London Asset Management, owner of a 0.36% stake in Sky, urged Sky's board to share more information on the independent financial advice that they based their agreement with Fox on. \"Such disclosure would help shareholders assess the fairness of the offer and give greater confidence in the independence of the committee in the bid process,\" he said. James Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch's son, is both chairman of Sky and chief executive of Fox. Shares in Sky closed 2.1p lower at 981.4p. Sky deputy chairman Martin Gilbert, who is also chief executive of Aberdeen Asset Management, which owns a 0.39% stake in the broadcaster, said: \"[We] believe 21st Century Fox's offer at a 40 per cent premium to the undisturbed share price will accelerate and de-risk the delivery of future value for all Sky shareholders. As a result, the independent committee unanimously agreed that we have a proposal that we can put to Sky shareholders and recommend.\" Not all Sky shareholders agree with Martin Gilbert. One told the BBC: \"This is a patsy deal. Many of the directors are not really independent and as a group they should be ashamed of themselves.\" The BBC understands that James Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch's son who is both Sky chairman and chief executive of 21st Century Fox, met with Sky directors earlier this month. He told them: \"We are either a buyer or seller of our stake. The status quo is not an option.\" James Murdoch offered a 30% premium to the existing share price on the condition the directors recommended it. After further meetings, that premium was raised to 40%. But even with that premium, the sale price is roughly what Sky was worth six months ago and many shareholders will feel short-changed. Read more from Simon here. Chase Carey, the former chief executive of", "summary": "Broadcaster Sky and 21st Century Fox have reached agreement on the terms of a takeover deal."}
{"article": "The Met said the \"vast majority\" of the work in its inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance had been completed. It said no conclusion had been reached but it was now following a \"small number of focused lines of inquiry\" which was why the team had been cut. Madeleine's parents said they \"fully understand\" the decision. They said they remained \"hopeful\" their daughter would be found. Madeleine, from Rothley in Leicestershire, was three years old when she went missing from her family's holiday apartment at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007. Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, from the Met, said: \"The Met was asked to take on this exceptional case as one of national interest. \"We were happy to bring our expertise to bear only on the basis that it would not detract from the policing of London; and the Home Office have additionally funded the investigation above normal grants to the Met. \"That will continue at the reduced level.\" Clickable map and timeline Madeleine's parents Gerry and Kate McCann praised the \"meticulous and painstaking work\" done by police. They said: \"We are reassured that the investigation to find Madeleine has been significantly progressed and the Met has a much clearer picture of the events in Praia da Luz leading up to Madeleine's abduction in 2007. \"Given that the review phase of the investigation is essentially completed, we fully understand the reasons why the team is being reduced. \"We would also like to thank the Home Office for continuing to support the investigation. \"Whilst we do not know what happened to Madeleine, we remain hopeful that she may still be found given the ongoing lines of inquiry.\" Detectives from the Met began working through material and following lines of inquiry after the Home Office requested a review of the case in May 2011. Operation Grange, which has been supporting the Portuguese police's investigation, became a full investigation in July 2012. Officers have now finished bringing together and investigating the information held by Portuguese police, the UK investigation and the private investigators working on behalf of the McCann family, the Met said. 1,338 statements taken 1,027 exhibits collected 60 persons of interest investigated 8,685 potential sightings considered 560 lines of inquiry identified 30 requests made to other countries asking for work to be carried out The force said the inquiry had taken 1,338 statements and collected 1,027 exhibits but had not reached a conclusion yet. Clarence Mitchell, spokesman for the McCanns, said: \"Kate and Gerry are far from disillusioned. This is no way the end of Operation Grange. \"If anything it will now continue on a newly-focused, smaller yes, but focused basis that will hopefully lead to Madeleine being found somewhere in the near future.\" Officers have investigated more than 60 persons of interest, the Met said, adding that a total of 650 sex offenders had also been considered as well as reports of 8,685 potential sightings of Madeleine around the world. Having reviewed all of the documents, \"7,154 actions were raised and 560 lines of inquiry identified\", the Met said.", "summary": "The number of UK officers investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has been cut from 29 to four, the Metropolitan Police says."}
{"article": "She beat the 21st seed 4-6 6-4 8-6 in the fourth round, in a match that lasted three hours and four minutes. \"It was mentally, emotionally and physically draining,\" Konta said. At 24 years old, Konta is ranked 47th in the world. Her next opponent will either be 15th seed Madison Keys, or China's Shuai Zhang. The 'Grand Slam' tournaments are the four most important annual tennis competitions. Players travel from around the world to take part in them. They include the Australian Open, US Open, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon. The last British woman to play in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam was Jo Durie, at Wimbledon in 1984.", "summary": "Johanna Konta has become the first British woman to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final for 31 years, after beating Ekaterina Makarova at the Australian Open."}
{"article": "Dan Biggar was heard querying whether to kick for the corner when Wales won a penalty while trailing 16-13 but denied he overruled Jones' decision. Leigh Halfpenny admitted he turned down the chance to kick at goal, however. \"Things happen on the field which challenge everybody at the best of times,\" Thorburn told BBC Radio Wales. He continued: \"I don't think it questions his ability as captain at all. \"Alun is unquestionably one of the most inspirational players that has been around in the Welsh camp for a long time.\" Thorburn says he would have no reservations over picking Jones as captain of the British and Irish Lions in light of Wales' poor start in the Six Nations. \"He [Jones] leads from the front,\" he said. \"Are you going to base it on the argument about Dylan Hartley, the England captain, whose team didn't know how to cope with some bizarre scenarios against Italy on Sunday?\" Wales could have levelled the scores at 16-16 from the penalty if they had kicked for goal instead of the corner, but Thorburn says it is the kicker's responsibility to decide what happens, not just the captain's. \"I've been on both sides of the fence - a captain and the goal kicker - what we don't know is what the conditions were like on the field,\" Thorburn added. \"The wind does swirl around Murrayfield and I suspect Leigh probably thought that it was going to be a long kick into what would be a very difficult conditions. \"The issue is whether Alun, as captain, should have consulted with him first. We can argue about that until the cows come home but ultimately the kicker is the one who is taking the shot and has to be comfortable.\"", "summary": "Former Wales skipper Paul Thorburn says there is no question over Alun Wyn Jones' captaincy despite claims he was overruled in the loss to Scotland."}
{"article": "Britain's and champion teams up with Heather Stanning as she aims to repeat her success in Chengdu in 2013. \"It's the first big title I've had to defend,\" Glover said. \"There's a little bit of pressure, but it I think it's important to feel the pressure,\" she told BBC Radio Cornwall. \"If you're going to define the season for us, when we look back at the 2014 season, it'll be 'we did this at the World Championships',\" she added. \"In non-Olympic years it's the biggest event by far, it's a really big deal to have that to your name.\" Glover and Stanning have resurrected their partnership from London 2012 after Stanning took a year off in 2013 to concentrate on her military career. Glover and Polly Swann won the world title last year in Stanning's absence and the both women have rowed with Glover this season before Stanning managed to secure the spot alongside the Cornwall rower for the Worlds. \"It's going to be Heather's first chance since the Olympics [to win a world title] and I'd love the opportunity to keep my title so it's important and special to both of us. \"When we first came back together we realised it had been a long time since the Olympics. We needed to find our feet again and found that actually everything was really natural. \"That gave us the confidence over the last month or so away on training camp to not just let it be the same as it was - we've really worked on pushing it on. \"I feel we've moved on and made changes, looking to be a better crew than we were in 2012,\" Glover added.", "summary": "Helen Glover says she is feeling the pressure of defending a major title for the first time at next week's World Championships in Amsterdam."}
{"article": "The New York-based singer won the award for her Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg collaboration, Sings. \"I want to dedicate this Grammy to all the traditional musicians in Africa, in my country, to all the young generation,\" Kidjo said. Her album beat one by Malawi's Zomba Prison Project and South Africa's Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Kidjo, one of Africa's most prominent musicians, has now won the award for the second consecutive year. The album merges African song writing and rhythms with European classical instrumentation, a fusion on which Kidjo has repeatedly experimented. Kidjo described the album as an artistic challenge as traditional African bands follow the lead of the soloist much more closely, unlike Western orchestras that generally play off refined scores. The singer, who has worked for a long time with Philip Glass, a leading US composer, said Africa was on the rise. \"Africa is positive, Africa is joyful,\" she said after collecting the award. The 55-year-old singer added that she has been fighting for a positive image of Africa for a long time and believed music could connect the world and served as a tool for peace. She later told the BBC: \"I have to continue to working... to open the way for many artists from Africa to come.\" African-American rapper Kendrick Lamar won the most prizes on the night with five awards. The 29-year-old performed The Blacker The Berry, walking on stage as part of a chain gang from inside a prison, before transitioning to Alright, in front of a huge bonfire and African dancers. His performance ended with the unveiling of a new track with Lamar in front of a map of the African continent and the word \"Compton\" - his hometown in California - written on it.", "summary": "Benin's Angelique Kidjo has won the best world music album of the year at this year's Grammys in Los Angeles."}
{"article": "Mitroglou scrambled in the decisive goal for the Portuguese champions from Luisao's header in the second half. Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit a penalty straight at keeper Ederson after Ljubomir Fejsa handled. The German side were the top scorers in the group stage, but failed to find a way through a stubborn home defence. Dortmund will host the second leg on 8 March, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake. Relive Benfica's win against Borussia Dortmund PSG stun Barcelona to leave Luis Enrique's side on the brink The Bundesliga side were expected to pose a greater threat to Benfica after scoring 21 goals in the group stage. Gabon international Aubameyang had contributed four of those strikes but epitomised an out-of-sorts Dortmund, scooping a close-range chance over the bar and missing his penalty before being substituted after an hour. Dortmund's form has faltered since December, with the German side winning just two of their last seven league matches. Thomas Tuchel's side suffered a shock defeat by the Bundesliga's bottom club Darmstadt on Saturday, and the malaise continued as they were held at bay by a stubborn Benfica display. The Portuguese club have never lost a last-16 tie in the Champions League - having reached that stage three times - and will have a lead to defend in Germany after scoring with their only shot on target. Benfica coach Rui Vitoria: \"We fought, gave our best, and victories are also made of that. \"Congratulations to Ederson too, a keeper who showed his quality once again, this time against a team that scored so many goals in the group stage.\" Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel: \"Aubameyang is not fully fit after the Africa Cup of Nations and his body language did not suggest that he would do better after missing the penalty. \"We played an outstanding game and conceded a goal with their first shot in the second half. \"It is an extremely complicated result, but I am very proud of how we played tonight. Even though I am very disappointed, I am proud of how we presented ourselves.\" Match ends, Benfica 1, Borussia Dortmund 0. Second Half ends, Benfica 1, Borussia Dortmund 0. Foul by Marcel Schmelzer (Borussia Dortmund). Ederson Moraes (Benfica) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Borussia Dortmund. Conceded by Eduardo Salvio. Marc Bartra (Borussia Dortmund) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Marc Bartra (Borussia Dortmund). Ra\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez (Benfica) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high following a corner. Corner, Borussia Dortmund. Conceded by Eliseu. Julian Weigl (Borussia Dortmund) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Filipe Augusto (Benfica). Attempt missed. Marc Bartra (Borussia Dortmund) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Julian Weigl. Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund). Pizzi (Benfica) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Borussia Dortmund.", "summary": "Kostas Mitroglou gave Benfica a one-goal advantage in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie with Borussia Dortmund."}
{"article": "He also won four Mobo awards, co-wrote an album with Mary J Blige and scooped an astonishing six Grammy nominations. The 22-year-old, from Cambridgeshire, is the son of a London banker who was fired for spending too much time trying to jumpstart her offspring's pop career. He got his break singing on other people's songs - Latch, by dance act Disclosure, and La La La by soul producer Naughty Boy - before scoring his own record deal. Much has been made of his soaring, multi-octave vocals but his technical abilities never mask his emotions. In the Lonely Hour was love letter to a man who never returned Smith's affections, and its honesty spoke to record-buyers in their millions. Ahead of the announcement of the Sound Of 2015 next week, the singer reflects on the highs and lows of his first year in the spotlight. I had hopes of number ones, but I never thought it would actually happen. When you come from being a featured artist there's a sudden fear: \"Oh God, was it me that people liked - or was it Disclosure and Naughty Boy?\" So when Money On My Mind came out, it was a reassurance - a boost of confidence for me. Just letting me know \"things are good, people like your songwriting\". That will never happen again - going to the Brit Awards knowing you already have a Brit Award. It was the first time I'd ever been, and I was number one that week. That was very, very surreal for me. I really celebrated hard that night. SNL was the scariest moment of my life, ever. It was the first time I played Stay With Me or Lay Me Down on television. I don't think I'll ever be that scared again... Four million people watching and no-one knew who the hell I was. Four days previous to the SNL performance, I remember reading tweets from people saying \"who the f is Sam Smith?\" [laughs] But it changed my life. You could feel it the morning after. I walked out of my hotel and people recognised me. Stay With Me went to number two on iTunes. It was mental. Sam's album shifted 166,000 copies in its first week on sale in America, the most ever for a debut by a British male artist. It was only kept off the top by Lana Del Rey's Ultraviolence. Every UK artist prays for US success but, genuinely, it was 50/50 for me. It was either going to work or it wasn't. What I didn't expect was for it to work hand-in-hand with the UK. I didn't think I'd be going to America until\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 well, about now, actually. Was I cursing Lana Del Rey? I wasn't, actually, because it gave me something to work towards. If I'm going to get number ones all the time, it leaves nothing for me to achieve in the future. Also, what I've realised now is that it isn't about chart positions. I was number two for the first week, and I was number two for the", "summary": "Sam Smith topped the BBC's Sound Of 2014 list last January, and went on to sell a million copies of his debut album, In the Lonely Hour, on both sides of the Atlantic."}
{"article": "The Orange Order says flagship parades in Portadown and Kilkeel will provide \"an enhanced cultural experience\" for spectators. The parades mark the 326th anniversary of King William III's victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Here are all the details of the 12 July celebrations, including parade locations and routes. Portadown - Flagship Twelfth The Orange Order expects 5,000 members to take part in the parade, along with 80 bands. The main parade will commence at 10:15 BST, and proceed through the town centre via Bridge Street, High Street, Market Street and Church Street to the demonstration field on the Armagh Road. Kilkeel - Flagship Twelfth One thousand Orangemen are expected to take part, with 14 of the 15 lodges accompanied by their own band. Kilkeel lodges will leave Kilkeel Orange hall at 09:30 BST and walk several miles to the Council Road on the outskirts of the town. Here they will be joined by other district lodges. The parade will then proceed via Newcastle Road, Newcastle Street and Greencastle Road, to the demonstration field at Manse Road. Belfast This year's Belfast parade will leave Belfast Orange Hall, at Carlisle Circus, at 10:00 BST, making its way along Clifton Street, Donegall Street, Royal Avenue, Castle Junction, and Donegall Place to Belfast City Hall. A wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the Cenotaph in the grounds of the City Hall. This year the service marks the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme and those who served with the 36th Ulster Division. At 10:40 BST, the parade will then proceed via Donegall Square West, Bedford Street, Dublin Road, Shaftesbury Square, Bradbury Place, Lisburn Road, Balmoral Avenue and Malone Road to the demonstration field at Barnett Demesne. Around 60 bands will walk the six-mile route, traditionally the longest of all the Twelfth demonstrations. The parade is due to leave the field for the return leg at 16:15 BST. Maguiresbridge Orangemen from Donegal, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan will join 90 lodges and 70 bands from Northern Ireland. This year, to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme the parade will be headed by soldiers dressed in First World War period costume. Lodges and bands will move off at 12.30 BST from the assembly point at Killyshambley on the Tempo Road before proceeding through the village to the demonstration field on the Lisnaskea Road. Limavady The Limavady demonstration will be the largest Orange parade in County Londonderry. Approximately 3,000 Orangemen, representing 60 lodges, will be accompanied by over 50 bands. The main procession will commence at 12:00 BST from Church Street. It will move through the town centre via Ballyclose Street, Main Street, Linenhall Street, Catherine Street, Roemill Road, William Street, Protestant Street, Catherine Street, Irish Green Street and Roemill Gardens to the Limavady Orange field. Castledawson Up to 50 bands will accompany around 60 Orange lodges as the village hosts the Twelfth for the first time since 2001. The main parade will set off at 12:00 BST from the Hill Road. It will then proceed across the River Moyola and", "summary": "A total of 18 demonstrations are being held as part of the Twelfth of July commemorations on Tuesday."}
{"article": "George Rogerson, 22, of Plean, admitted stabbing Leon Cairney 11 times in the village last December after the pair rowed in the street in the early hours. He told the High Court in Dundee he had been provoked into the attack on the 25-year-old. Judge Lord Kinclaven deferred sentence until November 20 and Rogerson was remanded in custody. Rogerson had earlier tried to plead guilty to the lesser crime of culpable homicide, a plea rejected by the Crown. He then went on trial accused of murder at the High Court in Dundee - a charge he denied. The jury was told how Rogerson had rowed with neighbour Simon Blair, who had then called on Mr Cairney to help confront Rogerson. Giving evidence in his own defence, Rogerson said he had grabbed a kitchen knife from a block and stormed out the back door during the incident. He said: \"I went out to the side of the house - I opened the side gate and when I did that they came flying in. \"It was Leon Cairney and Simon Blair - I recognised them both. \"I had the knife in my right hand. We started fighting and he was hitting me on the side of the head and I started stabbing him. \"It stopped when he let me go and fell backwards.\" The court earlier heard from a pathologist that Mr Cairney had been stabbed 11 times - including four in the chest and one in the abdomen that had penetrated up to the hilt of the knife. Rogerson said he had \"panicked\" by going outside with the knife. A jury of eight men and seven women took two hours and 50 minutes to find him guilty of culpable homicide.", "summary": "A man who stabbed a former soldier to death in Stirlingshire has been convicted of culpable homicide."}
{"article": "It was a trip that would take longer to materialise than he could have ever imagined. \"My partner and I were in Key West, 55 or 56 years ago, and he said to me 'do you want to take the ferry over to Havana?'\" \"I said 'I don't know, let's do it next time'. Then, along came the revolution, and this is that next time.\" As the Adonia pulled out of the Port of Miami and past South Beach, Rick held a Cuban flag aloft and his Italian husband Toni, the Stars and Stripes. He says it was a special moment. \"I wanted to show that I'm willing to wave the Cuban flag on an American ship because I think we have to make our relationships better with Cuba.\" \"I hear the Cuban people are wonderful, we're wonderful people - so let's get to know each other better.\" Those are exactly the kind of sentiments the Obama administration had hoped for when it made it easier for Americans to obtain licences to visit the communist-run island. But while the Adonia set off into the Florida Straits in near perfect sailing conditions, the political journey to reach this point has been far more stormy. This voyage has provoked protests and threats of legal action in Florida against the company operating the ship, Carnival Cruises. The Cuban American community was furious that the company initially complied with a much-reviled Cuban rule banning Cuban-born nationals from entering the country by sea. However, last month the offending measure was removed by the Cuban authorities. The CEO of Carnival Cruises, Arnold Donald, rejects the idea that they forced the Cuban government into a corner by threatening to suspend the service. \"Not at all, that would be a mischaracterisation,\" he says. \"First of all, we believed all along that they were going to allow us to bring Cuba-born people to and from Cuba.\" Secondly, he said, the company was getting a lot of \"positive indications to that effect\". \"They had a lot of things to consider. Whether it was going to be this one ship, whether it would be the cruise industry, whether it's going to be commercial vessels.\" \"But there was always a positive tone,\" he insists. Either way, the change meant Cuban-American Isabel Buznego and her husband, Robert, could make their first journey back to Havana since they left the island \"many years ago\". \"I feel a lot of different emotions: I'm nervous, I'm happy, I feel proud, a little scared and frightened,\" says Isabel. \"My father always wanted to come but he never could. He died recently and I'm doing this trip for him. That's why it's so emotional.\" Of course, not everyone in Florida sees the trip to Cuba in such terms. A small boat emblazoned with anti-Castro banners and the word \"democracy\" in Spanish painted on its side circled the Adonia while it was still in port. It was not a large protest, but the organisers made clear their opposition to the whole process of rapprochement with Havana. Up on the deck, though,", "summary": "Almost 60 years ago, Rick Schneider was considering taking a cruise with his then boyfriend."}
{"article": "Exam board Pearson has confirmed plans to develop a new history of art A-level for teaching from next September. October's decision by the AQA board to drop the subject provoked an outcry from experts who argued \"society had never required its insights more\". \"It's amazing - just about in the nick of time,\" said teacher Sarah Phillips. Ms Phillips, from state sixth form Godalming College, developed the new syllabus with AQA and added: \"Now we need to get the message out to Year 11 students as soon as possible.\" Subject to approval by Ofqual, Ms Phillips says she expects Pearson to build on her work which has been made available to the Department for Education by AQA. \"It is a global specification. Students won't just study the work of dead white men,\" she said. \"They will have the opportunity to study Islamic architecture and work by men and women of all colours and creeds. The support has been overwhelming,\" she added. In October, top experts signed an open letter to AQA condemning the decision not to offer the A-level to new students after this year. AQA was the last board to offer the subject and the decision represented \"a vital loss for students\", they argued. At the time AQA said the change \"was not about money or whether history of art deserves a place in the curriculum\", but said that it feared the new qualification was so wide-ranging that accurate marking would be impossible. Pearson, which also announced plans to take on AS and A-levels in statistics, also dropped by AQA, said awarding organisations, government and schools should work together in the interests of students to secure the future of important qualifications. \"The response from the public, from teachers and from young people shows many people have a real passion for these subjects. We're happy to help make sure they remain available,\" said the company's president, Rod Bristow. The move was welcomed by leading academics and museum directors as well as by Turner Prize winners Anish Kapoor, Cornelia Parker and Jeremy Deller. Mr Kapoor said it was \"a huge relief\" while Mr Deller called it \"a good day for art and culture\" and added: \"Art history is the study of power, politics, identity and humanity, it makes perfect sense to keep the exam.\" Ms Parker said she had studied art history \"as a working-class girl, receiving free school dinners... It has hugely enriched my life\". The Association of Art Historians hopes the battle to save the A-level will boost the subject's popularity, particularly in the state sector. \"The threat to the A-level has galvanised support for art history, which will, I hope, provide a platform for a concerted effort to ensure that more people get the opportunity to study a subject that will enrich their lives,\" said Dr Ben Burbridge of Sussex University who was central to the campaign to save the A-level.", "summary": "Campaigners for art history A-level say they are \"absolutely thrilled\" by a late decision to save the subject, which was set to be discontinued."}
{"article": "The visitors were shot out for only 109 by an electric bowling and fielding performance, with James Anderson taking 3-42 and Luke Procter 3-14. James Vince, watched by England coach Trevor Bayliss and selector James Whitaker, was run out for nought. Haseeb Hameed and Proctor then shared an unbroken stand of 104 to take the hosts to 157-1, a lead of 48 runs. The comfort of Lancashire's reply on a true surface at Old Trafford further highlighted the impressive effort of the home bowlers. Under a blue sky, Anderson bowled with good rhythm a week before England's first Test against Sri Lanka, while Neil Wagner swung the ball to remove both Michael Carberry and Liam Dawson in successive deliveries. By then the biggest drama had already taken place, with Vince - widely tipped for a Test debut at Headingley on 19 May - run out by Steven Croft's brilliant direct hit. Responding to such a meagre total, Lancashire were given a flying start by Karl Brown's boundary-laden 40 from 33 balls. He was pinned lbw by Gareth Andrew's first delivery in first-class cricket for more than a year, the former Worcestershire all-rounder making his debut after joining Hampshire on a match-by-match basis. That, though, was Hampshire's only cheer, as the watchful Hameed and wristy Procter saw Lancashire through the rest of the day without any hint of alarm. Lancashire's Karl Brown: \"The bowlers have done it in every game so far. You can't put it down to one person doing everything because, as a unit, they've bowled really well and kept the pressure on. \"As a batter I know when you are chewing up dot balls it gets difficult and you can play a shot you shouldn't. Creating pressure has been the key to us taking wickets. \"The squad has a lot of confidence and everyone is backing each other to get the job done. It's a very nice pitch and hopefully it will make for a lot of runs and we can get a good lead.\" Hampshire's Gareth Andrew: \"I got the call to play on Friday afternoon while I was making my cricket club's teas so I was in a bit of a flap. I've played a couple of second team games so I'm a bit under-cooked but I'm ready to take my chance. It's match-to-match and we'll go from there. \"Lancashire bowled really well and obviously we didn't bat as well as we'd have liked to. We need to stay in the game so we'll be fighting on Monday. We need to keep it simple, hit the deck hard and bowl nice and straight. \"It was a dream start for me to take a wicket with my first ball and hopefully my old man was looking down. I lost him only four weeks ago so it's been a tough time but it's been great to have the opportunity to get back into first class cricket.\"", "summary": "Lancashire completely dominated Hampshire on day one of the County Championship Division One match."}
{"article": "Strong winds helped the blaze to spread across the 336.1m (1,105ft) high building in the marina district. One eyewitness told the BBC \"there was debris flying everywhere, falling into neighbouring buildings\". The fire was later extinguished. It is not known what caused the blaze. Hundreds of people were evacuated and there are no reports of any casualties. Footage posted on social media showed what looked like molten glass and pieces of masonry falling to the ground. \"In an hour-and-a-half the fire is almost out on about 60 floors, it looks like mostly the outer apartments that are damaged,\" eyewitness Rola told the BBC. She said it looked like the blaze had started on the 50th floor. \"It's an iconic building, people were out on balconies all around it watching - even though it was 3am [23:00 GMT Saturday],\" she said. \"The civil defence came really quickly and they have said there were no casualties, everybody was told to evacuate in a timely manner and we think everybody is OK.\" One of the tower's residents, Kathryn Dickie, said she had seen panels from the building tumble to the ground. \"Those panels were catching fire and then coming off the building and being picked up by the wind,\" she said. \"And I was watching them, they were falling down on to the street still in flames, they weren't going out and they were actually knocking into the buildings across the road.\" US resident RJ Morlock told the Associated Press news agency: \"I was really surprised they got it under control pretty quickly. It looked like it was going to go up.\" In 2012, a fire swept through Dubai's 34-storey Tamweel Tower. No-one was injured in that incident but hundreds of residents were left homeless after the blaze, started reportedly by a cigarette butt.", "summary": "A fire has swept through the Torch skyscraper in Dubai, one of the tallest residential buildings in the world."}
{"article": "The 20-year-old spent the latter half of 2015-16 on loan with the Bantams. He made four Europa League appearances and one Premier League appearance for the Hammers in 2015, before playing against Juventus in Sunday's friendly. \"I am excited to try to push this club on again,\" he told Bradford's club website. \"The fans, players and staff were all brilliant first time around.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League One club Bradford City have re-signed West Ham United midfielder Josh Cullen on loan until January."}
{"article": "The debate over the legislation reflected deep divisions in Argentina, which is a mainly Roman Catholic country. BBC Mundo looks at the key aspects of the law and the situation across Latin America: What does the law consist of? The law foresees a modification of article 2 of the Argentine Civil Code, which establishes matrimony as being between two individuals of different gender. The new legislation will replace the expression \"man and woman\" with \"couple\". Homosexuals will have exactly the same rights as heterosexuals. This includes the right to adopt, which was one of the most controversial aspects of the proposed bill, inheritance, pension rights and other rights relating to social security. When does the law come in to force? The law will take effect when it has been published in the official gazette, which could take a couple of days. What is the difference between civil union and marriage? Civil partnerships bestow many but not all of the rights and obligations of marriage. The scope of same-sex marriage and civil union laws vary from country to country. For example, Portugal's gay marriage law does not allow adoption, while Uruguay's civil partnership legislation does. However, the difference in scope is not just legal but often has a significant symbolic and cultural component. For those who support same-sex marriage, it is a historic advance that grants rights to people irrespective of sexual orientation. For those opposed, recognising same-sex unions as marriage undermines the traditional concept of family. Where else is same-sex marriage recognised? Just a handful of countries recognise gay marriage - see box. In the US, same-sex couples can marry in five states and in Washington DC. Some of the countries that recognise civil partnerships are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Slovenia, Finland, France, Hungary, Iceland, Israel. Luxembourg, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. What is the situation in the rest of Latin America? Mexico City until now had been the only place in Latin America where homosexuals had the same rights as heterosexual couples to marry and adopt children. Uruguay allows gay people to adopt children but not to marry. In Chile, the government is drawing up proposals which would grant homosexual couples the same rights as heterosexual couples regarding their finances, including pension rights, and being recognised as next of kin. However, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera has said that civil unions would not under any circumstances be equivalent to marriage. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has indicated he backs the legalisation of civil unions. However, various legislative proposals regarding this have failed in Brazil, which has the world's biggest Catholic population. Other countries, such as Colombia, do not recognise gay marriage but do offer civil guarantees, including the right to draw a pension if one partner dies. In the majority of Central American and Caribbean countries there are no major legal or social initiatives regarding gay marriage or civil partnerships. In Costa Rica, however, gay rights activists and some deputies have backed a proposed bill to guarantee civil rights. There was a proposal in Cuba in", "summary": "Argentina has become the first country in Latin America to legalise same-sex marriage."}
{"article": "The Championship club had been in talks with the former owner of San Diego Padres. However, Al Hasawi, who took control at the City Ground in 2012, says negotiations have \"come to an end\". \"A deal as it stands is not in the interests of the long-term future of our club,\" said the Kuwaiti. \"We feel strongly that we have acted in good faith on behalf of the club and its fans.\" In October, it was reported that Moores, who had previously been interested in buying Premier League side Everton, was on the verge of securing a \u00a350m deal to take an 80% stake in the East Midlands club. The American was reportedly ready to finalise the deal on 22 December, but was waiting for final sign-off from Al Hasawi. Two-time European Cup winners Forest are 20th in the Championship after 25 games, two points above the relegation places. Forest had been under a transfer embargo since January 1 due to a delay in submitting audited accounts, but that was lifted on Friday. Former Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Jermaine Jenas on BBC Radio 5 live \"The fanbase will be devastated. I am a Forest fan and am disappointed by it too. I know they were looking forward to that takeover. \"There were a few names linked with the club in terms of who would be brought in to help bring stability, growth and get the club back to where it belongs. \"This just digs deeper into the fans' hearts in terms of bad news for the season.\"", "summary": "Nottingham Forest's proposed takeover by a United States-based consortium led by John Jay Moores has collapsed, according to owner Fawaz Al Hasawi."}
{"article": "Anaya Ellick from Chesapeake, Virginia, does not use prosthetics. To write, she stands to get the proper angle, holding a pencil between her arms. Her principal, Tracy Cox from Greenbrier Christian Academy, describes her as an \"inspiration\". \"She does not let anything get in the way of doing what she has set out to do,\" says Ms Cox. \"She is a hard worker and has some of the best handwriting in her class.\" The girl reportedly beat 50 other competitors to get the special-needs category prize at the National Handwriting Contest. This category rewards students with an intellectual, physical, or developmental disability. Competition director Kathleen Wright told ABC News that her \"writing sample was comparable to someone who had hands\". This is what her winning entry looked like: Sponsors of the contest Zaner-Bloser said they planned to award each student $1,000 (\u00c2\u00a3690). They tweeted a picture of the student, happily holding her trophy. Having no hands was also not an obstacle to 30-year-old pilot Jessica Cox. In 2013, we reported on her inspirational example. Also born without hands, she has been able to drive a car, fly a plane and play piano - all with her feet.", "summary": "A seven-year-old student born without hands has won a US national handwriting contest."}
{"article": "Eight journalists and two policemen were among the dead. Police issued photos of two suspects, describing them as \"armed and dangerous\". A third suspect reportedly handed himself in to police. Protests and vigils over the attack, the deadliest the country has seen in decades, have been held across France. President Francois Hollande called it a \"cowardly murder\" and declared a day of national mourning on Thursday. He said the country's tradition of free speech had been attacked and called on all French people to stand together. \"Our best weapon is our unity,\" Mr Hollande said in a televised address late on Wednesday. Security has been stepped up across France in the wake of the attack, with Paris placed on the highest alert. Police said arrest warrants had been issued for Cherif Kouachi, 32, and his brother Said, 34, who they said were believed to be \"armed and dangerous\". Another suspect, Hamyd Mourad, 18, was named earlier in a police document, according to media reports. However, unnamed officials said that Mr Mourad handed himself in to police after seeing his name circulating on social media. He was arrested and taken into custody, AFP reported. Media reports described Cherif Kouachi as a militant sentenced in 2008 to three years in prison for belonging to a group sending jihadist fighters to Iraq. BBC Paris correspondent Lucy Williamson says there are separate reports of police operations taking place outside the capital and in the eastern city of Reims, 140km (90 miles) from Paris. Police did not give any details but forensic teams were later seen searching an apartment in Reims. The satirical weekly has courted controversy in the past with its irreverent take on news and current affairs. It was firebombed in November 2011 a day after it carried a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad. The attack took place as the magazine was holding its weekly editorial meeting. French media have named three cartoonists killed in the attack as Cabu, Tignous and Wolinski, as well as Charlie Hebdo contributor and French economist Bernard Maris. Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier, 47, had received death threats in the past and was living under police protection. Cartoonist Corinne Rey, said the hooded gunmen entered the building after forcing her to enter the code to open the door. \"They said they belonged to al-Qaeda,\" she said, adding they had spoken in fluent French. Eyewitnesses said they heard as many as 50 shots fired by the attackers both inside the Charlie Hebdo office and on the streets outside. The gunmen were captured on amateur video shooting one injured police officer at point blank range in the head on the pavement outside. They were heard shouting \"we have avenged the Prophet Muhammad\" and \"God is Great\" in Arabic (\"Allahu Akbar\"). Police said the masked gunmen fled to northern Paris, before abandoning their car and hijacking a second one. The Paris prosecutor, Francois Molins, said 11 people had been wounded in the attack, four of them seriously. He told reporters all efforts were being made to find those responsible, without giving any details", "summary": "A major manhunt has been launched for gunmen who shot dead 12 people at the Paris office of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old scored one try in two appearances for the Welsh region but crossed eight times in 26 games for Welsh Premiership side Cardiff RFC, who come under the umbrella of the Blues. Bath have also handed a new two-year contract extension to back row Levi Douglas, 20, who joined the English Premiership club's academy in December. He has made three senior appearances since signing from French side Oyonnax. On Tuesday, Bath announced Argentina wing Horacio Agulla will leave the club at the end of the season. Mike Ford's side are ninth in the table ahead of their final match of the season against Leicester Tigers on Saturday,", "summary": "Bath have signed Cardiff Blues' Welsh wing Harry Davies ahead of next season."}
{"article": "The ex-France and Arsenal striker wore glasses and a wig to surprise teenagers at Pen-y-Dre High School, Merthyr. Henry, a Sky Academy ambassador, was there to present the Sky Sports Living for Sport Student of the Year Award for Wales to pupil Emma Morgan. The awards programme is on Sky Sports 1 on Sunday. A talented swimmer, Emma became the school's youngest student to represent Wales at the annual European 'Superschools' competition, in Sweden, where she won silver. She will attend the awards ceremony in London at the weekend where the overall UK and Ireland Student of the Year will be announced. Henry said Emma was a \"deserving winner\". Head teacher Keith Maher said: \"Everyone was sworn to secrecy and it was an idea that Thierry and Sky came up with. \"It was absolutely a complete surprise and very few staff knew about it.\"", "summary": "Football legend Thierry Henry amazed pupils at a south Wales school by walking into their classroom disguised as a supply teacher."}
{"article": "Lamborghini, which is owned by Volkswagen, said Italy had beaten a bid from Slovakia to build the car there. Reports say the sports car maker received \u00e2\u201a\u00ac90m ($98m; \u00c2\u00a364m) of tax breaks and other incentives from the government to produce the car in Italy. Executives from Lamborghini joined the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at a signing ceremony in Rome. The Urus SUV was unveiled as a concept car in 2012 and is expected to go on sale in 2018, with a planned production level of 3,000 cars a year. That will more than double production at Lamborghini's factory near Bologna and is expected to create 500 jobs. Other car markers have been attracted by the strong growth and in the SUV market. In January, Jaguar Land Rover said it would build its first Jaguar SUV at its Solihull plant in the West Midlands. And in February Rolls-Royce, owned by BMW, also announced plans to launch an SUV.", "summary": "Lamborghini confirmed the launch of a sports utility vehicle (SUV) and signed a deal to build the car in Italy."}
{"article": "Rescuers are still battling to reach the dead and injured inside, more than 24 hours after the inferno began. Hundreds were trapped inside - the building had metal grilles on the windows and no fire exits. Many workers jumped from the upper floors. The fire began hours after a blaze at a Lahore shoe factory killed 25 people, highlighting lax safety regulations. Investigations have been announced into both fires. Reports say they may have been caused by faulty generators. Some 40 firefighting vehicles tackled the Karachi blaze, officials said. People trapped inside the building frantically rang their friends and relatives as flames engulfed it, reports say. The Ali Enterprises factory in the Baldia town area of Karachi was mobbed by shouting and sobbing relatives as rescuers pulled out body after body. \"The death toll is 289. This is not final - the search for more bodies continues,\" the city's top official, Roshan Shaikh, told AFP news agency, in the afternoon. By Syed Shoaib HasanBBC News, Karachi It is not just textile mills - industries across Pakistan are increasingly prone to disaster. Sometimes it is the collapse of poorly constructed premises - but fires remain the main danger. In general, the problem is the same that plagues all matters of governance in Pakistan - enforcement of the law. Industrial standards are disregarded to minimise cost as inspectors are paid to look the other way. Textile factories are particularly at risk because of the lethal combination of chemical dyes and stacks of cotton often stored next to each other - ensuring a deadly result. Fire exits - as in the case of the factory in Karachi - exist only on paper, a factor in raising casualty figures. The city administration itself has a limited number of fire engines to serve the growing needs of an increasingly sprawling metropolis. What is generally a small and controllable mistake is made worse by years of official disregard for workers' safety. That in turn produces such tragedies - which are then covered up, only to be repeated a few months later. Workers had little time or opportunity to escape from the four-storey building's single exit - many could do so only by jumping from the windows. Dozens suffered broken bones, or worse. One survivor, Allah Warayo, said there was a stampede as the fire spread. He ended up jumping from the third floor, but five members of his family did not escape. \"We started running towards the exit. There were 150-200 people all running and pushing each other. I fell down unconscious,\" he told BBC Urdu's Riaz Sohail. \"Then I managed to get some air from a vent. I started screaming. A crane made a hole in the wall and I was able to jump. I begged the rescue workers to help my relatives, but no-one paid any attention.\" Mr Warayo told the BBC people had tried to break the metal grilles but could not. He said the door to the back stairs leading to the roof was also locked. He screamed to the guards below to throw", "summary": "At least 289 people have died in one of Pakistan's worst fires, at a garment factory in Karachi, officials say."}
{"article": "The ??359m Independent Living Fund pays out an average of ??300 a week, to help people pay for carers so they can live at home and not in a care home. It was already shut to new applicants for this year and will now shut to new claims permanently, said the minister for disabled people, Maria Miller. Payments to existing users are to continue until 2015. Ms Miller said: \"An independent discretionary trust delivering social care is financially unsustainable.\" But Richard Hawkes, chief executive of disability charity Scope, said the decision to phase out the fund was \"bemusing\". \"The fund is comparatively very small and is designed to support disabled people to live at home rather than in care homes,\" he said. \"It's hard to see how phasing out this fund will do anything but narrow down options and push people towards greater dependence on the state.\" The phased closure was described as \"foolhardy and lacking in humanity\" by Labour peer Lord Morris of Manchester. Lord Morris, who was the first minister for the disabled, said: \"This will not save money. If you make it harder for disabled people to live at home, it will cost more because more of them will have to be in hospitals and other places of full-time care. \"It will mean far more of them having to be in institutional care at far greater cost to the taxpayer.\" The government said local authorities had a statutory responsibility to provide social care support to their residents. And it said it remained its priority to safeguard the position of the recipients of the fund. It said it would carry out a formal consultation next year on how best to continue to support existing users.", "summary": "A fund which supports more than 21,000 people with severe disabilities is to be phased out by 2015."}
{"article": "The RMT union is balloting more than 1,000 members who work at stations. GTR, which includes Southern and Great Northern, plans to close 34 station ticket offices and staff 49 others only at peak times. The two sides are in a long-running dispute over the role of conductors. Stations listed for reduced ticket office hours include Chichester, Crawley, Dorking, Huntingdon, Hove, Lewes, Reigate, Stevenage, Welwyn Garden City and Worthing. Ticket window closures include Alexandra Palace, Caterham, Cricklewood, Lancing, Purley and Sutton. GTR said new \"station hosts\" would work on the concourse instead to assist passengers and help sell tickets. The RMT claimed 130 station jobs were at risk and said the cuts would also have a \"devastating\" impact on safety and services offered to passengers. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: \"These plans fly in the face of the response from the thousands of passengers who objected to the closure of ticket offices and the de-staffing of stations as Govia drives on with plans for a \"faceless railway\" where the public are left to fend for themselves on rammed-out, dangerous and unreliable services.\" But GTR director Keith Jipps said: \"The RMT's threat of further industrial action is entirely unwarranted and clearly another bid by the union to disrupt passengers and GTR across as many parts of our franchise as possible.\" \"Our new station hosts will be paid more, be able to work in safety and provide passengers with better customer service, but the RMT is not concerned with improving the experience for passengers and are dismissing significant improvements to the terms and conditions for staff,\" he added. The union is to ballot staff in the first two weeks of August on \"strike action and action short of a strike.\" GTR's franchise covers four railways: Southern, Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Great Northern.", "summary": "Britain's largest rail franchise, Govia Thameslink (GTR) is facing the threat of more industrial action, in a fresh dispute over planned cuts to ticket offices."}
{"article": "The RT-branded box contains food packaged in laboratory bottles, such as Medonium honey - \"med\" being honey in Russian and Meldonium a performance-enhancing drugs taken by athletes. There is also raspberry jam tagged \"anabolic\" in reference to steroids also banned in sports. \"Not everyone realised this was a humorous present from RT,\" the broadcaster said. It has consistently denied and ridiculed allegations of a state-sponsored doping programme in Russia. One of the gift boxes was sent to Yulia Efimova, who won two swimming silver medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics. A photo posted on Russia's leading social networking website VKontakte shows a smiling Efimova with test tubes and vials apparently containing food, such as jam, honey and condiments. On its website, RT gave further details of its gift pack which it suggested had also been sent to other people. The website carried a video from the Twitter account of blogger Evgeny Kozlov showing one of the kits being unpacked. People from RT are \"unbelievably creative\", he said. The kits also include cards said to be based on drawings by children from an orphanage. \"A New Year's card that you will never throw away,\" said Yulia Ostroukhova, apparently another recipient of the gift box. \"Very nice. Many thanks for the delicious Medonium, too,\" she said on Facebook. It is not clear how many kits were produced or how many recipients there were. In July, an investigation commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) said Russia's sports ministry \"directed, controlled and oversaw\" manipulation of urine samples provided by its athletes. A number of Russian athletes were banned from competing at the Rio Olympics, but no blanket ban was imposed. Another report later in the year alleged more than 1,000 Russians benefited from a doping cover-up between 2011 and 2015. Russian officials have strongly denied there has been a state-sponsored doping programme. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "summary": "The Kremlin-funded international broadcaster RT, known as Russia Today, has produced New Year gift boxes branded \"Russian doping\"."}
{"article": "The Lincolnshire side reached round one for the first time by beating National League Wrexham 3-2 after extra-time in a fourth qualifying round replay. Stamford, who play in the eighth tier Northern Premier League Division One South, now face League One Hartlepool. \"We're on a bonus for the FA Cup and we're determined to go to America,\" manager Graham Drury said. \"At the minute we've got nearly \u00a32,000 and if we beat Hartlepool in the next round I'll be saying to the chairman I want another \u00a35,000 to go into that players' pot. \"That's our goal, our dream, to send the boys to America.\" Drury, who led Conference North side Corby Town into the first round of the FA Cup five years ago, took over as manager of Stamford last season but was unable to save them from relegation from the Northern Premier League Premier Division. And he said was delighted to make club history by giving them some cup success. \"When I came into Stamford at the back end of Christmas last year they'd won one home game in 18 months,\" Drury told BBC Radio Lincolnshire. \"We've turned that round and made Stamford a bit of a fortress. We've lost one game here this season and we've played some top-quality sides. \"We've stuck at it and we've got our rewards, and to take them to the first round proper, I'm a very proud man.\"", "summary": "Stamford's players are hoping to earn enough money from their FA Cup run to fund an end-of-season trip to the US."}
{"article": "Steven Dishman, 60, went on the run on 28 May 1985 while serving seven years for burglary and theft of property. He was sentenced in December 1984, and would have been eligible for parole in December 1987. Dishman was taken into custody by law enforcement officials and the Arkansas State Police. The inmate escaped from the Cummins Unit in Lincoln County, where convicted murderer Ledell Lee was executed in April. Solomon Graves, Public Information Officer for the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC), said Dishman will have to serve what is left of his sentence. Further charges may follow in connection with his escape. According to the ADC website, four prisoners are still at large in Arkansas. Of those, the longest standing escapee is Veal Lee, a thief who went on the run on 15 July 1984.", "summary": "An Arkansas prisoner who escaped more than 30 years ago has been recaptured in the city of Springdale, a prisons spokesman said."}
{"article": "The charges include rape, attempted rape, child prostitution, child pornography and drug charges linked to boys from Leicester and Coventry. The men, aged between 24 and 78, face accusations the boys were abused by a group of men who befriended them. One man appeared at Birmingham magistrates court on Tuesday and has been remanded into custody. Tahir Hussain, 33, from St Joseph's Road in Ward End, Birmingham, appeared before magistrates on Tuesday and is charged with four counts of rape, one charged of sexual assault, three of sexual activity with a boy, six of facilitating child prostitution and a count of trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Six of the offences are said to have been carried out against in a 15-year-old in February 2010. He has been remanded in custody until 24 August. The other nine men have been bailed until 18 August. They are", "summary": "Ten men from London and the Midlands have been charged with child sexual exploitation offences against two boys."}
{"article": "United's 2-0 win over Ajax in Stockholm came two days after 22 people were killed by a suicide bomber following a concert at Manchester Arena. The club tweeted a photo of a banner reading: \"Manchester - A City United.\" United manager Jose Mourinho said: \"If we could, we would change obviously the people's lives for this cup.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Manchester-born striker Marcus Rashford said the win was \"for you Manchester,\" while the world's most expensive player Paul Pogba said: \"We played for the people who died.\" Captain Wayne Rooney encouraged people to donate to help the families of the victims; Juan Mata said the players had \"focused on the game and to win and to lift the spirit of the town at least for some hours - and we feel proud of that\" and midfielder Ander Herrera said: \"I want to dedicate this trophy to the victims.\" He added: \"What happened two days ago was horrible. Yesterday morning we were devastated. It was difficult to train but the manager told us the only thing we could do is win this for them, and that is what we have done. \"We are just football players but we have an audience so we want to work together for a normal world. This happened in Manchester but everywhere we want to see a united world and fight for peace.\" Media playback is not supported on this device On an emotional night in Sweden, Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored the goals that won the Europa League for the first time in United's history - and with it a place in the group stages of next season's Champions League. Officials considered postponing Wednesday's game following the bombing 48 hours earlier, but it was decided it should go ahead. However, United did cancel their pre-game news conference. United boss Jose Mourinho said: \"It is really hard and that is why we didn't want to have a press conference because we had to prepare ourselves to do our job and try to forget events that are obviously much bigger than our job. \"But the world goes on. It doesn't stop and we have to do our work. The players put a wall up and stayed isolated from everything and did really well. \"I agreed with the decision to play the game, but if we could exchange these lives we would do it immediately. We wouldn't think twice.\" Media playback is not supported on this device United's victory in Stockholm means they have now won all three of Europe's major competitions, having previously won the Champions League three times - in 1968, 1999 and 2008 - and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1991. The Europa League is their second major trophy of Mourinho's debut season in charge, having also won the League Cup in February. However, the Old Trafford club finished sixth in the Premier League and their Portuguese manager has often appeared frustrated. The former Chelsea boss recently said he has had to work \"harder than ever\" this campaign and his delight was", "summary": "Manchester United dedicated Wednesday's Europa League victory to the victims of Monday's attack in the city, as the club made tributes in their memory."}
{"article": "Co-operative Energy received 136 complaints per 100,000 customers in the third quarter of the year, the Energy Ombudsman said. This was 50% higher than any other supplier, the ombudsman's figures show. Co-operative Energy blamed continuing problems with its new computer system for the results. It upgraded its IT systems in March, with many customers complaining of being locked out of their online account or not receiving their bills following the switch. \"We would like to thank customers for their patience and continued support in recent months,\" a spokesman for the supplier said. \"We have made significant progress to resolve a number of technical issues which ultimately related to the introduction of a new IT system. We will continue to make further improvements to ensure our customers receive the high level of service they expect and deserve.\" The energy ombudsman said it had received a total of 13,212 complaints about the energy sector in the third quarter of the year, slightly lower than the previous quarter's total of 13,490. Disputed charges, inaccurate invoices and missing bills were the most common complaints.", "summary": "One of the UK's smaller energy suppliers has topped a list of the highest proportion of consumer complaints."}
{"article": "The crash, which involved the bike and a Range Rover, took place at about 19:30 BST on Saturday at Groesonen Road in Clytha, near Abergavenny. The driver of the Range Rover was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. The motorcyclist, from Bristol, was pronounced dead at the scene.", "summary": "A motorcyclist has died after a crash in Monmouthshire, Gwent Police has said."}
{"article": "The company said that Kensington and Chelsea had seen prices plummet by 16% since a peak in September 2014. In Westminster it claimed there had been a fall of 22% between a peak in November and the end of May. It blamed the fall on the new stamp duty regime, introduced in December, which penalises expensive properties. Based on average prices, anyone buying a property in Kensington and Chelsea can now expect to pay more than \u00c2\u00a3118,000 in stamp duty alone. \"This fall-off in the top tiers of the market has cooled activity levels too,\" said Adrian Gill, director of Reed Rains and Your Move estate agents, part of the LSL group. He said the number of homes being sold in London as a whole had dropped by 16% in the year to April. A wider survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reported that the stock of houses per surveyor has fallen to its lowest level for at least 37 years. However, prices in the London suburbs - and other parts of England and Wales - continued to hit new highs, said LSL. According to its calculations, prices rose by 4.5% in the year to May, making the average cost of a home \u00c2\u00a3277,178. That is similar to estimates by the Office for National Statistics, but much higher than figures from Halifax and Nationwide. Buyers of properties worth less than \u00c2\u00a3937,000 now pay less in stamp duty than they used to. Prices in England's smallest county - Rutland - rose by 23.8% over the year, while those in the Welsh county of Carmarthenshire went up by 16.4%. Thirteen outer London boroughs saw prices hit new highs. Previous figures from the Land Registry have suggested that prices in the suburbs across England and Wales have been taking off, including in parts of Manchester. The separate RICS survey suggests prices in England and Wales could rise by as much as 25% over the next five years, due to the shortage of housing stock. It said that, away from the South East, the strongest growth was expected in north-west England, as a result of the government's northern powerhouse initiative. LSL's house price index is based on statistics released by the Land Registry, so includes cash sales.", "summary": "House prices in the smartest parts of London have fallen by up to 22% since last Autumn, according to the property services group LSL."}
{"article": "Ward defended his WBO, WBA and IBF light-heavyweight titles against Sergey Kovalev in a rematch on Saturday. His coach Virgil Hunter has talked up a move to cruiserweight or heavyweight and backed the American to beat Joshua. \"He's the heavyweight champion and the man but that's just my coach's belief,\" Ward, 33, told BBC Radio 5 live. \"Anything is possible. Virgil will speak his mind and I will back him up. That's no disrespect to Anthony Joshua. \"Cruiserweight and heavyweight is definitely an option. Is it easy? Absolutely not. Is it a risk? Absolutely. Are people going to think you're crazy? Absolutely.\" Ward held world titles at super-middleweight before claiming all but one of the recognised belts at light-heavyweight and said he would meet WBC title holder Adonis Stevenson \"if there is enough buzz and people want to see it\". He added that he did not want to fight at cruiserweight or heavyweight regularly, saying: \"Ideally you want it to be for a title, to make history and move on.\" Britain's Tony Bellew - the WBC champion at cruiserweight - could therefore be an option and would ultimately require less of a weight jump than a contest with Joshua. In beating Kovalev, Ward weighed in at 175lbs - around 24lbs lighter than Bellew scaled when capturing his title in 2016 and 75lbs less than Joshua prior to his win over Wladimir Klitschko in April. \"I've shown we are willing to fight the best,\" added Ward, who has won all of his 32 fights. \"I'm coming up to 13 years as a pro. You want meaningful fights. \"The situation at heavyweight or cruiserweight, it wouldn't be to try to match them size for size. \"I'd not try to get to the maximum of 200lbs at cruiser, I'd come in at 188-190, understanding I'm the smaller man and that I'd have to use my ability.\" If Ward were to win a world title at heavyweight, he would emulate Roy Jones Jr, who moved from light-heavyweight to heavyweight to take the WBA title from John Ruiz in 2013. Jones won that title despite weighing in 34lbs less than his 226lbs opponent.", "summary": "Andre Ward says \"anything is possible\" regarding a move up in weight which could see him meet WBA and IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua."}
{"article": "Only 3.2mm of rain fell at Gogarbank and 4mm in the Botanic Gardens - 7% and 10% of the respective monthly average. According to data from the Met Office Midlothian, Fife and Middlesex, were the driest historical counties this month with just 12% of the rainfall expected in April. Sutherland was the wettest part of Scotland with 36% above average. The UK as a whole experienced just 47% of the expected rainfall. Scotland was the wettest area of the UK with 65mm and southern England the driest area with 16mm.", "summary": "Edinburgh was the driest place in the UK in April despite Scotland as a whole being the wettest."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Irish lost a 9-3 half-time lead as Sean O'Brien, Dave Kearney, Johnny Sexton and Mike McCarthy were all forced off as France snatched victory. \"France came out in that second half and played very strongly,\" said the Ireland coach after the game in Paris. \"On the back of that we were starting to lose our legs a little bit.\" As the Six Nations holders tired, Maxime Medard's 70th-minute try helped seal France's narrow win with Jules Plisson's conversion seeing the hosts secure victory. Media playback is not supported on this device O'Brien was forced off by a hamstring injury in the 19th minute while Schmidt said wing Kearney is likely to miss the remainder of the Six Nations after sustaining a shoulder injury before the interval. Lock McCarthy (concussion) will be another doubt for the game against England on 27 February while fly-half Sexton had to be replaced with 10 minutes remaining after taking several heavy hits. Schmidt also revealed that centre Jared Payne had been forced to soldier on in the closing 30 minutes despite suffering from a dead leg. Keith Earls and Simon Zebo missed Saturday's defeat because of injury after starting in last weekend's draw against Wales while Schmidt was also without the likes of Peter O'Mahony, Iain Henderson, Tommy Bowe, Mike Ross and Cian Healy in Paris. The Irish coach said he was not surprised that former Racing Metro fly-half Sexton had been on the receiving end of some French physicality. \"He knows what he's going to get when he comes here,\" said the Ireland boss.\"He was pretty knocked around by the end of the match.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Schmidt expects the match's citing commissioner to examine a number of incidents in the match - including Yoann Maestri's first-half late hit on Sexton. \"We had some very clear indications coming into the Six Nations about what would be tolerated and what would not be and what sanctions would follow,\" the New Zealander said. \"There's a fair degree of frustration, but some of that reflects the frustration at ourselves for not taking the opportunity - to lead 9-3 for so long when we had a couple of opportunities in the first half in tough conditions to maintain possession. \"It was a very greasy surface but at the same time you have to play those conditions. \"We were unable to capitalise on what was a pretty strong kicking game early on.\" The 45th-minute introduction of props Rabah Slimani and Eddy Ben Arous helped turn the contest in France's favour but home coach Guy Noves insisted that there was more to his side's victory. \"I don't want to hear that changing the props was the right strategy,\" said Noves. \"What we were doing from the 30th minute to the end, that feels good, that was the right way. \"The players really focused hard to rectify the mistakes from last week. The players won, not the coaching.\"", "summary": "Ireland coach Joe Schmidt was left \"hugely disappointed\" after his injury-ravaged side were beaten 10-9 by France in a bruising Six Nations contest."}
{"article": "Amar Hussain, 29, was involved in a hoax 999 call claiming an officer would be kidnapped by a radical Muslim with links to so-called Islamic State. The call led to West Midlands Police putting in \"unprecedented\" measures to check officers' safety, jurors heard. At Stafford Crown Court, two other men were convicted of the same charges. Live updates on this story Hussain, along with civilians Adil Bashir, 26, and Muhammad Ali Sheikh, 31, were all found guilty of two counts of perverting the course of justice. Judge Michael Chambers QC said Hussain, of Yardley, Birmingham, was guilty of a \"vast breach of trust\". All three defendants were remanded in custody and are due to be sentenced on 27 May. During the trial, the prosecution told the court how all police on the West Midlands force had to call to report getting home safely due to the threat made on 8 December 2014. Jurors heard Hussain hoped his fake tip-off would discredit an official within the Islamic community group Dawat-e-Islami. Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale, from West Midlands Police, said Hussain's actions \"let down\" the force and risked losing the public's trust. \"The impact of the threat had a huge effect on officers and staff and in turn on their loved ones,\" he said. \"Never before have we had to instruct officers and staff to call in after their tour of duty to let us know they had returned home safely.\"", "summary": "A PC who falsely claimed a fellow officer was going to be kidnapped by terrorists has been convicted of perverting the course of justice."}
{"article": "Some 670 arts organisations will receive annual grants worth a total of \u00a3340m per year. Three quarters of those have had their funding frozen. Among the losers is the English National Opera which has a funding cut close to 30%. Here, some of the other winners and losers reflect on their positions. The news that Richmond's Orange Tree Theatre had lost all of its funding came on new artistic director Paul Miller's first official day in the job. The funding represents almost a quarter of the theatre's income. \"I think the big, national contradictory pressures that are on the Arts Council were just so great that something had to give - and on that occasion it was us,\" Mr Miller told the BBC. \"I think there is an element of rebalancing out of London. Perhaps there was a perception about the kind of work that the Orange Tree was doing that was not easy to shift. \"Once upon a time, the Orange Tree was a fledgling start-up company that had its first Arts Council funding. For new younger companies to get into the system, it means that existing organisations cannot simply take for granted that they will continue to be regularly funded.\" He said talks with the Arts Council would continue while until he developed a new business model. \"There are still many ways in which we can continue to take wonderful theatre in our lovely space. We just have to find a financially different way of doing it.\" Salford's The Lowry arts centre had a 22% funding drop to \u00a3800,000 per year. But it also received a \u00a33m capital grant from the Arts Council and a \u00a31 million private donation - the largest in its 14-year history. \"It's a mixed result for us but one that we're broadly pleased with,\" said chief executive Julia Fawcett. The Arts Council funding currently represents about 6% of The Lowry's total budget, and this will drop to about 4% from 2015. \"It means we'll have to recalibrate, refocus and work harder,\" said Ms Fawcett. She didn't see \"too many seismic shifts\" in the way funding had changed outside the capital. \"The shift out of London is so marginal it hardly bears attention. It does look as if London-based organisations have taken a cut but it's at the margins. \"There's been some degree of restoration for some of our significant touring companies - like Birmingham Royal Ballet and Opera North.\" Unicorn Theatre, which specialises in arts for young people, had a 30% boost taking its annual grant to \u00a31.3m from April. \"Children's theatre has come a long way since the Unicorn was founded in 1947 and it's a terrific milestone to be recognised in this funding round as being equally important to the cultural life of the nation as any of the country's leading theatres,\" said artist director Purni Morell. \"We're absolutely committed to making this vital public investment count, not just for the Unicorn but for the whole of children's theatre in the UK, as we embark on an ambitious programme of commissions, productions, tours", "summary": "The Arts Council for England (ACE) says its spending plans for the three years from 2015 will help strengthen and promote activity outside London."}
{"article": "Howard, who was the president of the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), died at his home near Los Angeles on Wednesday. He was best known for the 1970s high school basketball series The White Shadow, in which he played the coach. SAG-AFTRA acting president Gabrielle Carteris said he was \"inspirational\" and \"a light that never dimmed\". A spokesman for the union added that Howard left \"a legacy of service, commitment and superlative success\". \"He was an extraordinary actor, a Tony and Emmy Award winner, whose career spanned Broadway, motion pictures and television,\" he said. Stars of TV and film took to social media to pay tribute to Howard, who began his acting career on Broadway in 1968 after touring Europe and recording two albums with his college choral group, The Zumbyes. Mindy Kaling, who worked with Howard on The Office, tweeted he was \"a great guy\", while Terminator 2 star Robert Patrick wrote \"glad I worked with 'Class'\". Rob Lowe, who starred alongside Howard in The West Wing, tweeted he would \"always remember\" working with him on one of his \"favourite scenes ever\" from the show. George Clooney shared a memory with Deadline about meeting Howard while auditioning as a young actor. \"I didn't get that audition, but I did get the chance to work with him years later. It was an honour,\" he said. \"Today, his obituary read that he was six foot six, but he was so much taller than that.\" Born in California on 24 March 1944, Howard first came to prominence on stage, winning a Tony Award for his role in Child's Play on Broadway in 1970. He made his Hollywood debut in the same year, opposite Liza Minnelli in the drama Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon, and would go on to star in a wide variety of films, including 1994 thriller Clear and Present Danger and 2005 comedy In Her Shoes. However, the SAG-AFTRA spokesman said it was as Coach Reeves in the \"groundbreaking\" series The White Shadow he would be best remembered, adding that years after the show ended in 1981, Howard was \"frequently recognised on the street by fans who greeted him with a handshake and a 'Hey, Coach'\". Howard won two Daytime Emmys for his work on television and starred in a range of shows, including Dynasty, The Colbys, Melrose Place and Crossing Jordan. He also made guest appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Murder She Wrote, The Golden Girls and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. He was elected as the Screen Actors Guild's president in 2009 and later helped it merge with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to form a new 160,000-member union. In 2011, he said in a letter to members that serving them as president was \"the most important thing I have ever done\". He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Linda Fetters Howard, and three adult stepchildren from a previous marriage.", "summary": "Veteran TV and film actor Ken Howard has died at the age of 71."}
{"article": "Tommy Thompson was arrested on a criminal contempt warrant for evading a civil case brought by his investors. They accuse him of cheating them out of promised proceeds from one of the biggest shipwreck hauls in US history. In 1988 Thompson recovered millions of dollars' worth of gold from a ship that sank off the US coast in 1857. Thompson went missing in 2012 amid demands he appear in court. He and an associate, Alison Antekeier, were arrested in January in Boca Raton, Florida. They had been at the hotel for two years, paying cash for their room under a false name and using taxis and public transport to avoid detection. The Columbus Dispatch reports that Thompson's plea deal with prosecutors requires him to turn over $425,380 (\u00c2\u00a3286,000) to the court, money that was seized when he was arrested. Under the deal, Thompson will be sent to prison for no more than two years, but in exchange the government will not charge him with other offences arising from the case. A total of 161 investors had given Mr Thompson $12.7m (\u00c2\u00a38m) to find the ship on the understanding they would see returns on their investment. Thompson, then an oceanic engineer at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, and his crew brought up thousands of bars and coins in 1988, much of them later sold to a gold marketing group in 2000 for about $50 million. But the criminal complaint unveiled in January said the gold bars and coins he recovered from the seafloor were worth up to $400m (\u00c2\u00a3260m). One of the investors has asked an Ohio state judge to freeze all of Thompson's assets.", "summary": "A US treasure hunter - who spent years evading authorities - will go to prison rather than testify about gold he discovered in a historic shipwreck."}
{"article": "But Mr Obama said those who looted and started fires on Monday \"should be treated like criminals\". The rioting came after the funeral of Freddie Gray, a black man fatally injured in police custody in Baltimore. A week-long curfew has been announced and thousands of troops have been deployed to the city. The National Guard has been sent to Baltimore to stop unrest for the first time since 1968, when some of the city's neighbourhoods went up in flames after the assassination of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. On Tuesday evening, hundreds of protesters took to the streets to express their frustration with what they see as excessive police force. The peaceful demonstrations were a contrast to the day before, when about 200 people were arrested as more than 100 cars were set alight and 15 buildings destroyed. Mr Obama harshly criticised \"a handful of people\" for \"senseless violence and destruction\". \"That is not a protest, that is not a statement, they are stealing.\" But the US president said the rioting had distracted from the frustration over Gray's death. \"This has been a slow-rolling crisis. This has been going on for a long time. This is not new. And we shouldn't pretend that it's new,\" Mr Obama said. He added such problems would not be solved just by changes to policing. \"It would require everybody saying this is important, this is significant, and that we don't just pay attention to these communities when a CVS burns and we don't just pay attention when a young man gets shot or has his spine snapped.\" At an afternoon briefing, Baltimore Captain Eric Kowalczyk was asked why the police had not responded with more resources to prevent fires and rioting. He said police had originally deployed for a \"high school event\", expecting young students. \"I don't think there's anyone in the country that would expect us to deploy automatic weapons and armoured vehicles to an event with 13, 14 and 15 year olds,\" but saw it turned into an incident that drew in older troublemakers and escalated in violence. It's been hours since the CVS was set alight here at Pennsylvania Avenue in Baltimore, but fire fighters are still battling the flames. Earlier the stench of burning fumes filled the air as groups of people, armed with brooms and bin bags helped clear the mess from the night before. As the day progressed the crowds of protestors built up. A line of police, wearing full riot gear and carrying batons and shields have been blocking one of the road's here. For most of the afternoon protestors, danced and beat drums close by. There was the air of a carnival - a contrast to the violence this same area witnesses just the night before. At one point things did get a little tense. A conversation between protestors and police ended with pepper spray being directed at the crowds. But things have been calm overall. Protestors formed a human chain as the sun beat down on this bruised city. As nightfall a there'll be a curfew.", "summary": "President Barack Obama has said police violence against African-Americans is a \"slow-rolling crisis\" after a night of violence in Baltimore."}
{"article": "Officers forced entry to the house in Wood End Lane, Northolt, west London, at about 20:10 BST and detained a man in his 40s. They say a search of the house is under way to make sure it is safe so that evacuated neighbours can return home. Police said negotiations with the man had been unsuccessful. A cordon of 200m had been in place at Wood End Lane since 01:00 BST on Friday, which was extended to 300m on Saturday. About 80 residents have had to spend two nights away from their homes as officers negotiated with the man. Scotland Yard said officers from the Territorial Support Group were supported by the London Fire Brigade as they moved in on the address. Ch Supt Paul Martin said: \"I am really pleased that this incident has now ended, and importantly ended without anyone coming to harm. \"Our key priority throughout this was to get the man out of the address safely as we had growing concerns about his well-being and believed him to be in crisis. \"After attempts to negotiate over a number of days did not work we used specialist officers to work out how we could gain entry to the address as safely as we could. They did that this evening.\" Ch Supt Martin said police had also worked closely with the ambulance service and the local authority during the operation. Searches of the property will be conducted \"as quickly as we can to make sure people get home\", he added. Police had said there was no suggestion the incident was terror-related or linked to any ongoing police operations or investigation.", "summary": "A three-day stand-off between armed police and a man feared to have stockpiled petrol at his home has ended after officers entered the property."}
{"article": "Her account comes after a report from the Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group said pregnant women were \"systematically overlooked\" in the UK's trafficking response. Marta, not her real name, told the Victoria Derbyshire programme that she came to Birmingham in November 2014 thinking she would get a job in a poultry factory, where a number of her friends were working. \"But my boyfriend and I had our passports taken and we were put to work on a dump,\" she explained. \"They took our documents and our bank cards and they took our wages. We were being moved from site to site. We were given old stale food that was obviously very cheap.\" Marta and her partner do not speak English so they struggled to get help. She claims it was during this time she realised that she was pregnant. \"If you didn't follow and obey their orders you were not given any food,\" she said. \"The worst time was when I was five months pregnant, we were so hungry that we had to eat from rubbish bins. \"We found a sandwich factory who were throwing out old sandwiches so we mainly survived on them.\" Marta claims when she told the gang she was pregnant they reduced the amount of work they sent her out to do. \"Even though I was pregnant I was losing a lot of weight,\" she said. \"I wasn't feeling well and they gave me my phone. I was able to get wi-fi and texted my friends in Ireland telling them where I was working. \"They went to the police and the police found us three days later.\" Marta was rescued in April 2015 and taken to a safe house in Manchester where volunteers got her medical help and took her to see a midwife. She was told she was malnourished and that the baby was not feeding properly in the womb. She was also interviewed by police and claims the translator told her that the reason the gang had stopped her working is that they probably had plans to sell her baby. \"I was really worried when I heard they might have sold my baby,\" she said. \"There was another pregnant woman there and when her baby was born we never saw her again.\" After leaving the safe house Marta returned to Poland. Her son is now six months old and his health is beginning to improve. No charges have been brought in relation to her case. In a statement, Home Office Minister Karen Bradley said:\"We are currently working with a broad range of interested parties on how best to support trafficked children and intend to announce proposals before Easter.\" The Victoria Derbyshire programme is broadcast on weekdays between 09:15 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.", "summary": "A young Polish woman has described how she was forced to eat rubbish from bins while she was pregnant after being trafficked to the UK."}
{"article": "Government plans would give applicants a right to complain to an employment tribunal if they believed they had suffered discrimination. Jeremy Hunt said he wanted to create \"a culture of openness\" where staff feel they can speak up about patient safety. Barrister Sir Robert Francis recommended the measure after a public inquiry into Stafford Hospital deaths. Protecting NHS whistleblowers was a key recommendation from the inquiry into the scandal, which resulted in the trust that ran Stafford Hospital being fined \u00c2\u00a3500,000 for \"basic\" blunders linked to the deaths of four patients. Sir Robert, the inquiry chairman, warned that staff often faced bullying and isolation if they tried to speak out and that staff struggled to find new jobs in the NHS. Under the UK-wide plans, applicants for an NHS job would have the right to complain to an employment tribunal if they had been discriminated against because they had previously raised concerns about the safety of patients. Applicants would also have the right to bring a claim in court in order to prevent discriminatory conduct. And the draft guidelines, which are out for consultation, say that discrimination of an applicant by an NHS worker should be treated like discrimination by the NHS body itself. Health Secretary Mr Hunt said: \"Today we move another step closer to creating a culture of openness in the NHS, where people who have the courage to speak up about patient safety concerns are listened to, not vilified.\" He said the changes would ensure \"staff feel they are protected with the law on their side\". There has been a growing focus on patient safety since Sir Robert's inquiry in 2013. One of the main findings of that report was that people within the NHS had known about the poor levels of care at the hospital, but did not raise the alarm. Since then, a number of initiatives have been launched to improve safety. In 2015, the government introduced plans to appoint guardians to support staff who wanted to speak up about concerns over patient safety. Peter Walsh, chief executive of Action against Medical Accidents, said the plans were modest, but a \"welcome move in the right direction\". \"It is clearly unfair that staff who have been forced to become 'whistleblowers' should be discriminated against when they seek alternative jobs. \"However, this is a symptom of a much deeper cultural problem in the NHS which will not be solved with tinkering with rules here and there. \"So far we have not seen a joined-up approach to supporting and protecting staff from unfair treatment when they try to do the right thing and end up having to be whistleblowers.\" Mr Walsh said many NHS trusts had still not appointed guardians, as recommended by the Stafford Hospital inquiry. The current consultation is open for eight weeks and will close on 12 May.", "summary": "NHS whistleblowers could be protected against discrimination if they apply to work for the health service again."}
{"article": "Jonathan Browning, a former chairman of Vauxhall, has succeeded him. UK Sport was expected to publish a report this month after an independent investigation into the culture and practices at British Cycling - but that has been delayed. The governing body is also being investigated by UK Anti-Doping over allegations of wrongdoing. Howden, who was re-elected in December, has denied that the move is related to the publication of the report. A former managing director of Jaguar Cars, Browning was appointed to the British Cycling board as a non-executive director in March 2015. \"British Cycling has delivered tremendous success at every level over the past two decades, but there is clearly work to do to take the organisation to the next level,\" he said. Ian Drake left his post as chief executive officer in January, saying it was the \"natural moment\" as preparations began for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Browning's appointment comes after a turbulent year for one of the country's most successful and well-funded sports governing bodies. British Cycling is preparing for the results of the investigation into whether there was a culture of bullying at its world-class performance programme. Publication of a report sources have described as \"explosive\" has been delayed until next month. Former world champion Nicole Cooke has accused the organisation of sexism. And Howden was criticised for his performance in front of a parliamentary select committee at the end of last year. \"The appointment of an independent chair brings British Cycling more closely in line with the new code for sports governance,\" Howden said.", "summary": "Bob Howden has stepped down as chairman of British Cycling, but will remain the organisation's president."}
{"article": "The Navitus Bay project was for up to 121 turbines off Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The Department of Energy and Climate Change rejected the offshore project in September. The developers' \"extensive\" research will be made available via the Crown Estate's Marine Data Exchange. The \u00c2\u00a33.5bn plan, developed jointly by Dutch firm Eneco and French giant EDF Energy A, would have seen up to 121 8MW turbines at 200m (656ft) high constructed. Developers said it would have provided electricity for up to 700,000 homes, but opponents argued it would damage tourism and was too close to protected coasts. It was only the second time the government rejected an offshore project. A statement on the Navitus Bay website read: \"After careful consideration, Navitus Bay has chosen not to challenge this decision. \"We would like to thank the communities on the South Coast and all our stakeholders for their engagement throughout the project.\" It added a \"wealth of information\" gathered, including bird and mammal surveys, archaeological data and sediment sampling, would be left as a \"legacy...to stimulate research, support academia and contribute towards the sustainable management of the seabed\". The Challenge Navitus campaign group, which had opposed the development, said in a statement it was \"delighted and relieved\" at the announcement. \"The examiners' recommendation for refusal to the government was unequivocal and carefully considered, as was the Secretary of State's decision, so it would have been surprising if there were legal flaws in the process that the developer could challenge,\" it added.", "summary": "Developers behind a wind farm plan off the south coast of England which was refused consent by the government have decided not to appeal the decision."}
{"article": "The Israeli ambassador to the UN called the database a \"blacklist\" and said the body was acting obsessively against it. But the Palestinian envoy said the move was a \"message of hope\" for his people. Settlements built on territories occupied by Israel in 1967 are considered illegal under international law, but Israel disputes this position. About 500,000 Jews live alongside 2.5 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Thirty-two of the 47 members of the Geneva-based Human Rights Council voted on Thursday to adopt the motion calling for the establishment of the database. None voted against the motion, while 15, mostly European nations, abstained. The BBC's Yolande Knell in Jerusalem says the database will provide a resource for any organisation wanting to divest from companies involved in Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands. It will potentially include a number of Israeli and international firms working in industries from banking to construction and security services, our correspondent adds. The Palestinians have been campaigning for tougher sanctions against settlements. The Palestinian envoy to the UN said that the passage of this resolution and others by the Human Rights Council were a \"message of hope\" to his people. \"Israel continues to systematically violate the inalienable rights of the Palestinians while enjoying impunity from the international community,\" Ibrahim Khreisheh added. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the body \"an anti-Israel circus which attacks the only democracy in the Middle East and ignores the blatant violations of Iran, Syria and North Korea\". He added that it was absurd to condemn Israel rather than deal with attacks by Palestinians on Israelis and by so-called Islamic State in Europe.", "summary": "Israel has criticised the UN Human Rights Council for voting to establish a database of firms doing business in settlements in the occupied West Bank."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Bolt, who completed a sprint double in Beijing with Thursday's 200m win, added he would run at the 2016 Olympics. \"I want to run but I think the sport is not as fun as it used to be - it's more taxing,\" the 29-year-old, who has won 10 world titles, told the BBC. \"I can't enjoy it as much as I want to because I have to sacrifice more.\" He added: \"It is 50-50.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Bolt could make his gold-medal tally to 11 this weekend when he competes for Jamaica in the 4x100m relay. Once again he is likely to face Justin Gatlin in the final, with the United States one of the favourites for gold. The Jamaicans were beaten by an American quartet at the IAAF World Relays in May. \"In the World Relays, Justin Gatlin had a big game in their victory,\" added Bolt. \"I guess he will be tired now. There will be no reason why we should not win the relay.\" Some media outlets have been accused of portraying Gatlin as the \"villain\" to Bolt's \"hero\" following two career doping bans. He came into the World Championships having set the best times over 100m and 200m this season. Bolt pipped Gatlin to the 100m title, before the American fell to a more emphatic defeat in the longer sprint on Thursday. Asked by BBC Radio 5 live if a double silver was a disappointment, Gatlin said: \"Not at all. I'm out here competing. I'm aged 33. \"I think a lot of people now see the hard work and effort I put into it. It's not a personal race, it's also for my country. \"In the 100m, I beat myself. In the 200m, technically I ran to the best of my ability.\" When asked about the media's portrayal of him in the lead up to Beijing 2015, Gatlin said: \"I go into shutdown mode. I don't worry about what the media has to say. \"You guys do your job, sensationalise stories sometimes. My job is to compete and get to the line.\"", "summary": "Jamaica's Usain Bolt says he is \"50-50\" to compete at the 2017 World Championships in London because athletics is less enjoyable for him."}
{"article": "The EU said the meeting in Istanbul, which ended early on Wednesday, was \"useful and constructive\". Mr Jalili said they assessed \"common points\" reached by technical teams. Talks in June between Iran and the P5+1 - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany - ended without a breakthrough. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said afterwards that the proposals they had seen from Iran had been \"non-starters\". State department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the purpose of Tuesday's meeting was to gauge whether the Iranians were \"prepared to bring anything new\". The talks between Baroness Ashton and Mr Jalili, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, were not considered formal negotiations. Afterwards, an EU spokesman said in a brief statement that it had been \"a useful and constructive meeting and an important opportunity to stress once again to Iran the urgent need to make progress\". Baroness Ashton would brief representatives of the P5+1 next week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, it added. Mr Jalili said he and the EU's foreign policy chief had assessed some proposals agreed at a lower-level technical meeting in July. \"We discussed common points found by the experts and technical teams... so that they may be brought closer together and that a framework for future talks can be drawn,\" he added. \"We hope [our] talks can help bring the common points closer together.\" \"We are awaiting the result of the six powers' assessment.\" On Monday, the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran said the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency might have been infiltrated by \"terrorists and saboteurs\" who \"might be making decisions covertly\". Fereydun Abbasi-Davani cited an incident on 17 August, when power lines from the city of Qom to the underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordo were cut, shortly before an unscheduled visit by IAEA inspectors. His comments came days after the IAEA's governing body expressed \"serious concern\" that Iran had continued to defy UN Security Council resolutions demanding it suspend uranium enrichment and had failed to resolve questions about possible nuclear weapons development. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran was only six or seven months from having \"90%\" of what it needed to make a nuclear bomb, and urged the US to draw a \"red line\" which if crossed would lead to military intervention. Iran has insisted that its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes, and warned that it will retaliate if it comes under attack.", "summary": "EU foreign affairs representative Catherine Ashton has held talks with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, in a bid to end the stand-off over the Iranian nuclear programme."}
{"article": "He has not scored the runs, and his technical difficulties around fourth stump have not withstood the severe cross-examination of the high-profile media pundits who fuel the opinions of so many others in and around the sport. It's a tough place to be - knowing you are good enough to excel but feeling so out of form, and feeling your chances of success are diminishing innings by innings, partly because of the unwelcome focus on you when the selectors' guillotine is hovering over your head. The only way to rid yourself of it is to score big runs. Hopefully Jennings can find his best form again for Durham and return for England's Ashes tour this winter. He may even discover that his style of play is better suited to Australian conditions. The England selectors will have debated whether or not to allow him an extended spell in the team. Maybe he would have come through the experience a better player? But playing with the axe hanging over you is not helpful to recovering your best form. I felt in May of 2013 that if Alastair Cook and I had the opportunity to open together for the whole summer, we could have made a real go of the job. The lack of backing I received was because of my poor performances against New Zealand, but I reckon if I could have been allowed to move through that challenging learning experience of my first real dip in form as an England player, I would have been better for it. After all, my partnership with Cook was a success in terms of the runs we put on together, and the team was winning matches and series. Moving through the difficult learning process of being a newcomer to Test cricket is not straightforward and, should a player receive the full support of selection when experiencing a dip in form, it offers a healthy return on the investment of your initial selection. Very few players experience a consistent graph of top performance in their first 15 Tests, but the best ones benefit from the exposure and learning over time. After all, South Africa's Jacques Kallis did not enjoy the best of starts to his Test career and look what happened to him. Now the focus of attention is on Mark Stoneman, who looks set to become England's oldest debutant this century when England face West Indies in the first Test at Edgbaston on Thursday. England's selectors have received much criticism for the number of players coming and going since the days of Geoff Miller when the panel embraced a 'consistency and continuity' policy. Rather than blaming the selectors, it is ultimately down to players to be in charge of their own destiny and make the most of any chance that comes their way. If anyone is looking for a scapegoat for England's recent problems at the top of the order, then I can recommend pointing the finger at me. If I had taken my first chance with both hands in 2013 as Andrew Strauss' replacement, none of", "summary": "I watched England's final Test against South Africa and really felt for Keaton Jennings."}
{"article": "The Irish, who have set 2020 as their target entry date, are currently ICC associate members, which means they play one-day internationals and T20 games but not Test matches. They have earned wins over Pakistan and England at the last two World Cups. Central contracts are to be given to 23 Ireland players while coach Phil Simmons has signed a new two-year deal. Simmons's contract extension will keep him in charge until the completion of the qualifying campaign for the next World Cup. Cricket Ireland published a strategic plan on Tuesday which, it maintains, outlines a road map that will take the country to the Test arena by 2020. The plan outlines proposals to establish a domestic first-class cricket structure in Ireland and to increase the numbers playing the game to 50,000. Cricket Ireland chiefs also believe the country can improve its one-day world ranking from its current position of 11th to eighth and that the sport can become firmly established as the country's fourth most popular team sport behind Gaelic games, football and rugby. \"We have set ourselves a very clear long-term ambition - to become a full Test nation by 2020, nothing less,\" said chief executive Warren Deutrom. \"This is not a dreamy aspiration but a real ambition founded on the playing talent being developed on this island, the growing passion and profile of the game here, a sustained and proven track record of achievement on and off the field, and a clear roadmap set out by us for how to get there.\" Cricket Ireland also confirmed that several new commercial funding deals are in place, while principal sponsors RSA Insurance are understood to have extended their deal until 2015. Ireland's application for Test status aims to build on the momentum created by last year's memorable World Cup victory over England. Irish cricket was stunned a month later when the International Cricket Council appeared to close the door on qualification for the 2015 World Cup by announcing plans to restrict places at the tournament to its 10 full member nations. But after an outcry, the world governing body's executive board said in June that it was retaining the 14-team format and Ireland are already in a qualifying campaign for the 2015 tournament. The win over England came four years after the heroic performance at their first World Cup appearance in 2007 when they shocked Pakistan to qualify for the second round of the competition. But while Ireland have claimed notable scalps in the one-day game, the lack of Test cricket has led to players such as Ed Joyce and Eoin Morgan declaring for England - albeit Joyce later resumed his Ireland career. Irish fast bowler Boyd Rankin has also spoken of his desire to represent England at Test level and has already represented the England Lions side.", "summary": "Ireland have announced that they are applying to the International Cricket Council for Test match status."}
{"article": "At an event in New York on Monday, Madonna, Beyonce, Kanye West, and 13 other performers announced they had become co-owners of Tidal. The service launched last October, but was recently bought by rapper Jay Z. It is hoping to compete with the likes of Spotify, Deezer and Google Play. However Tidal offers 25 million music tracks, fewer than the 30 million offered by many rival services. As well as a standard subscription for $9.99 a month, Tidal offers a \"high fidelity\" option for $19.99, which claims to deliver better sound quality. Singer Alicia Keys spoke on behalf of the artists as they all lined up on stage at Skylight at Moynihan Station in Manhattan. Describing the event as a \"graduation\", she said the artists hoped Tidal would alter musical evolution. \"So we come together before you on this day, March 30th, 2015, with one voice in unity in the hopes that today will be another one of those moments in time, a moment that will forever change the course of music history.\" Their mission, she said, goes beyond commerce and technology. \"Our intent is to preserve music's importance in our lives,'' she said. Notably, the majority of the company will be owned by artists, a symbolic move in a business where musicians often have little control over how their work is distributed and consumed. Jay Z's strategy will include encouraging artists to lobby their labels to give Tidal new music a week in advance of other services, giving it a short window of exclusivity. He told Billboard: \"We didn't like the direction music was going and thought maybe we could get in and strike an honest blow. \"Will artists make more money? Even if it means less profit for our bottom line, absolutely. That's easy for us. We can do that. Less profit for our bottom line, more money for the artist; fantastic.\"", "summary": "Some of the biggest names in entertainment have re-launched the music subscription service Tidal, which they are billing as the first artist-owned platform for music and video."}
{"article": "They have been removed to stop the spread of ash dieback, a fungal disease that can infect mature trees and saplings. Scientists have warned that if it is not contained it could change the landscape and affect our biodiversity. It has been found on around 100 sites in Northern Ireland. All those sites were planted with imported saplings, some of which had the infection. Infected ash trees were destroyed along with any others planted alongside. That led to the removal of 100,000 young trees. The disease is widespread in Europe where it is killing mature trees. In Northern Ireland, it is mostly in saplings planted within the past five years. It spreads on the wind by spores. Scientists at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in Belfast are trying to establish if that is happening in Northern Ireland yet. Prof Alistair McCracken, a plant pathologist with AFBI, said: \"This is a serious disease. In Denmark they say up to 90% of the ash trees have been infected. \"Now they haven't all died, but they have been affected and are looking quite sickly so potentially this could have a huge impact on the Northern Ireland environment.\" Infected ash trees will not recover, although mature trees can survive for a long time. The fungus appears between June and September on leaf litter. Each pinhead size fungus can produce large numbers of spores. When they land on a fresh ash leaf they germinate, penetrate the surface and grow into the stem. The first symptom is wilting leaves. As it gets worse the trees will develop a diamond-shaped dark-coloured lesion on the bark. In Denmark, Sweden and east European countries, where the disease has been present for 30 years, large numbers of trees have become infected. Scientists are worried about its impact in Northern Ireland, where ash is a common tree. They are carrying out a survey of more than 1,000 sites to identify any further problems. And they have asked for the public's help. The authorities have developed a smartphone app called Tree Check that the public can use to report potential problems, including a picture and a GPS position. They will then be assessed and, if necessary, the site visited by experts. Jim Crummie, plant health expert with the Forest Service urged the public to download the app and to be the \"eyes and ears\" of the authorities in the fight to combat the disease. Tree Check can be used to report all tree diseases, not just ash dieback.", "summary": "One hundred thousand young ash trees have been destroyed in Northern Ireland in an attempt to combat a potentially devastating disease."}
{"article": "Celtic lead the Dons on goal difference with a game in hand after losing at Pittodrie on their last league outing. \"They're going to be more hungry,\" manager Deila said of his team. \"They know that it is very important to keep momentum and winning games and getting performances. So, it [Aberdeen drawing level] is doing us better.\" Aberdeen beat Celtic 2-1 three days after Deila's side lost their League Cup semi-final to Ross County, who visit the champions on Saturday. \"I am very impressed with what Aberdeen have done,\" he added. \"We have won many games in the league, we have lost three games in one year and they have done very well. \"Up in Aberdeen is always a tough game. We should have doe more there but now we need to just get back on track again. \"You need to react even better if you are pushed from behind.\" Deila rejected the notion that Saturday is an opportunity for revenge but added that his team has a point to prove against County. Celtic took an early lead at Hampden but were soon reduced to 10 men following a red card for Efe Ambrose and lost out 3-1 to the Dingwall outfit. \"We really want to bounce back after the semi-final,\" said Deila. \"We have to take with us the first 12-15 minutes when we created a lot of chances and do that for 90 minutes. \"It's about getting momentum now, getting on the right track, winning football games. If we do that, everything will be good, we'll get confidence in the team and play well.\" Deila also said that it was \"normal\" that other clubs would be interested in signing Charlie Mulgrew, who is out of contract at the end of the season. He insisted that the focus for the player and the club just now is to \"get him back up to his highest level\" following a prolonged spell out with injury. There was no progress to report on midfielders James Forrest and Stefan Johansen, who have 11 and 17 months to run on their respective deals. \"It's never [straightforward] in football,\" said Deila. \"They have to really want to play for Celtic as well. We will see in the end who is with us for the future and who is not.\" Deila added that he has not spoken to Leigh Griffiths following threatening remarks aimed at the striker's family on social media but is confident that the player's form will not suffer. \"He's quite strong mentally and he knows what's right or wrong,\" he said of Celtic's top scorer. \"He's performed very well this season and he just needs to keep his focus on the same things as he did earlier.\"", "summary": "Ronny Deila thinks the challenge from Aberdeen will only increase the determination of his Celtic players to stay at the top of the Premiership."}
{"article": "Gwent Police said the man was arrested in Hamburg on 12 August and will be extradited to the UK. The man is believed to be Thomas Doran, who is wanted as part of Gwent Police's Operation Imperial - an investigation into serious offences against vulnerable adults on the Gwent Levels. The extradition process can take six weeks, police added.", "summary": "A 60-year-old man from Cardiff has been arrested in Germany on suspicion of conspiracy to kidnap."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old arrived on trial with the Dingwall club last month following his release from Go Ahead Eagles in the second tier of Dutch football. Having started his career at NAC Breda, he will provide competition for Liam Boyce, Brian Graham and Craig Curran. Curran has not featured since suffering a head injury in late August. Boyce is the Staggies' leading scorer with 11 goals, while Graham has netted once during the current campaign.", "summary": "Ross County have signed former Netherlands Under-21 striker Alex Schalk until the end of the season, subject to international clearance."}
{"article": "Sufism or Islamic mysticism was once suppressed by the Taliban, but the sect is recovering its place in the country and its millions of followers are once more emerging from the shadows. Sufis have considerable influence in both rural and urban settings - they are an effective popular force to bring change into society - and people consider them as disinterested mediators in disputes. ''The influence of Sufis will be very significant in bringing peace and tranquillity,'' says Sayed Mahmood Gailani, a Sufi master. ''There are a few people with Sufi backgrounds who are involved in the peace process. But there hasn't been any concerted effort to give the Sufis a systematic and prominent role in it.'' Sufism in Afghanistan is considered an integral part of Islam. People in general respect Sufis for their learning and believe they possess \"karamat\" - a miraculous spiritual power that enables Sufi masters to perform acts of generosity and bestow blessings. Ziyarats - Sufi shrines - are popular pilgrimage sites all over the country. In addition to Afghanistan, Sufi orders have millions of followers in both Pakistan and India too. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the following armed resistance by the mujahideen resulted in the arrival of thousands of Middle Eastern fighters and the introduction of foreign ideologies including Wahabism. Wahabism insists on a literal interpretation of Islam and sees Sufism and its ideas as anathema. This created tension between Sufis and Ulamas (religious scholars) in some parts of the country. But it was during the Taliban's rule (1996-2001) when many Sufis were driven underground. A number were initially part of the Taliban movement but gradually people influenced by the Wahabi ideology became more prominent. Sufis were silenced. Some Sufis, especially members of the Chishtiyya Sufi Order which considers music to be an effective route to reach Allah, were prosecuted. \"The Taliban invaded Sufi gatherings, humiliated and beat up many of them and their musical instruments were smashed,'' said Afghan Culture Minister Sayed Makhdoom Rahin, who has a Sufi background. ''Sufis are free to hold their ceremonies once again with the same old exuberance denied to them by the Taliban.'' Given the respect and influence Sufis enjoy among the local population, their involvement at the grass roots level could help the peace process in war-torn Afghanistan. Although Taliban members come from various backgrounds, some have great respect for Sufis and are even followers of Sufism. \"Influential and knowledgeable Sufis can persuade a large number of Taliban to lay down their arms and can also provide guarantees to the Taliban about their safety and peaceful future,'' a Sufi leader, Ahmad Shah Maududi, said. ''But we need to be careful and vigilant because many so-called Sufis have exploited and fooled ordinary people in the garb of Sufism.'' Sufism has been part of Afghanistan almost as long as Islam itself - more than 1,300 years. Afghanistan is commonly called \"the home of Sufi saints\". The mystics have been an integral part of the life of the people for centuries. The word Sufism is derived from \"suf\",", "summary": "As the Afghan government and its international allies intensify efforts to bring the conflict to an end, the role and influence of mystics is being sought to help bring the Taliban into talks on a political solution."}
{"article": "Molloy has made 40 appearances for the Wildcats since joining from Huddersfield in April 2013. Meanwhile, centre Bill Tupou will also miss Saturday's Challenge Cup semi-final at Warrington after suffering a minor tear in his hamstring. \"The injuries are a loss but we've got depth in the squad,\" head coach Chris Chester told BBC Radio Leeds.", "summary": "Wakefield Wildcats second-row forward Jon Molloy will be out for four weeks after suffering a torn pectoral muscle."}
{"article": "The streets of Sur - the city's old town - are slowly filling with people again but there is still a sense of unease in the air. There was little mood to celebrate the Kurdish New Year last week, known as Newroz. \"People are waiting something to happen,\" says cafe-owner Mustafa, summing up the feelings of many in Diyarbakir. \"We feel like we are in purgatory, either there will be peace again or a full-on war.\" It was during Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakir in 2013 that a statement was read out by imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan called for a cease-fire with the Turkish state. Ocalan's message of ideas and politics rather than guns and bombs was relayed by Kurdish officials to some two million people who had gathered in the city. There was dancing in the streets adorned in yellow, green and red - the Kurdish national colours. It raised hopes for an end to a decades-long conflict that has claimed some 40,000 lives. But the peace process that followed was short-lived, and collapsed last July, plunging south-east Turkey back into violence. Mustafa's cafe is in the Hasanpasa Hani, a 16th-Century inn and market normally bustling with shoppers, students and artists. Despite the end of a three-month curfew, only a handful of people are sitting in Hasanpasa Hani's shady courtyard, sipping tea. \"This place used to be full of people,\" he says. The district of Sur has been at the centre of some of region's fiercest battles between the security forces and the PKK. The Turkish military says it killed 279 militants in Sur. Activists say some of the dead were civilians. Thousands fled their homes, and some neighbourhoods are still cordoned off by police barricades. Lorry-loads of rubble are being removed from residential areas. The violence has also spread to big cities outside the southeast, including two car bombs in the capital Ankara that left dozens of people dead. Critics have accused the Turkish government of responding with an authoritarian clampdown on all Kurdish dissent. Recently, three academics were arrested after calling for an end to the security operations. Young locals in Diyarbakir are also feeling the government's tight grip. \"We censor our lives a lot. We're scared to share anything on social media,\" says Bahri, 28, one of four young residents sitting around a table in Hasanpasa Hani. \"We have friends who were detained for posting tweets.\" Sevket, a university student, says young people have been pushed towards the PKK by the government's \"heavy-handed approach\". For Ozge, the end of the peace process has meant dashed hopes. \"Politics has failed us: both the government and the Kurdish political movement,\" she says. The fighting is over for now, but the police presence in Sur is very prominent, and visitors trying to enter are searched at checkpoints. The district is full of shops but there is little trading to be seen. \"Sur is part of me, it makes me sad to see it like this,\" says Dilek, a painter and teacher buying painting supplies. \"I don't think the city will heal", "summary": "The mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir, in southeast Turkey, appears shell-shocked after three months of fighting between the security forces and the militant Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK)."}
{"article": "The measures include killing animals in infected areas and banning sales of poultry products from those areas. The Dutch government has reported the \"highly contagious\" H5N8 strain at a poultry farm there. The UK reported a case at a duck farm in East Yorkshire, and the Commission said it was \"probably identical\". H5N8 can potentially affect humans. EU officials say the outbreaks may be linked to bird flu recently found in Germany. They say it could have been spread by migratory wild birds heading south for winter, but that tests are continuing to confirm any links between the three cases. The European Commission said in a statement that the UK and the Netherlands were already applying directives on culling affected poultry, prohibiting sales of affected poultry products and live birds, and establishing protection zones. It said: \"The measures aim at quickly bringing the disease under control and at preventing the spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza within the affected member states, to other member states and to third countries.\" At the scene: BBC's Anna Holligan in Hekendorp It was a tense and traumatic day at the farm. The idyllic Dutch image was destroyed by the hum of a truck carrying an industrial size gas canister and the appearance of men in orange boiler suits. The health and safety teams came to Hekendorp to gas 150,000 hens. Their primary concern is to contain the outbreak. Poultry farmers, even those operating outside the 10km exclusion zone, have an additional concern. Many are worried about the potential damage to the reputation of Dutch poultry products. The industry has been brought to a standstill. A nationwide transportation ban will remain in place until at least Tuesday. The Netherlands is the second largest exporter of agricultural products in the world. It exports more than six billion eggs annually. We watched from behind the fire retardant barrier as diggers poured hundreds of dead chickens into trucks. Neighbours living around the contaminated farm see the cull as an unpleasant but essential sacrifice. The Dutch authorities have already begun destroying 150,000 hens at the infected farm, in the village of Hekendorp. \"This highly pathogenic variant of avian influenza is very dangerous for bird life,\" the Dutch government said in a statement (in Dutch). \"The disease can be transmitted from animals to humans.\" The Dutch economics ministry says humans can only be infected through very close contact with infected birds. The authorities have imposed a three-day nationwide ban on the transportation of poultry and eggs. Earlier this month, a farm in north-eastern Germany detected cases of H5N8, which had previously not been reported in Europe. The strain has never been detected in humans, but an outbreak in South Korea meant millions of farm birds had to be slaughtered to contain it. Also on Monday, Egyptian health officials said a woman had died from the deadliest strain of the virus, H5N1, after coming into contact with infected birds in the south of the country. Meanwhile, officials in the UK confirmed at least one case of bird flu in Yorkshire, but insisted", "summary": "The European Commission has adopted protective measures to try to contain a bird flu outbreak after new cases were reported in the UK and the Netherlands."}
{"article": "AMs are not meant to use assembly facilities for party-political campaigning. But in March, South Wales Central AM Neil McEvoy discussed the campaign at a press conference held in an assembly briefing room. Mr McEvoy accepted that he was in breach of the AM's code of conduct. The standards committee has recommended to the assembly that Mr McEvoy be censured for the breach - a formal reprimand. Their conclusion follows an investigation by the standards commissioner Sir Roderick Evans who said Mr McEvoy \"failed to comply\" with the rules on 14 March. The press conference was held while Mr McEvoy was suspended from his party group in March - a suspension that was later lifted. In a statement, Mr McEvoy said he distributed copies of a document at the press conference which contained seven policies relevant to the local elections, saying they were relevant to his suspension. He said: \"This was not appropriate. I accept that it was in breach of the code of conduct.\" A Plaid Cymru spokeswoman said: \"This is a matter for the individual member who apologised and we are pleased that this matter has been resolved.\"", "summary": "A Plaid Cymru AM has apologised for discussing his party's council election campaign at a press conference in the Senedd building."}
{"article": "Sir Thomas Winsor was consulted about Avon and Somerset PCC Sue Mountstevens' plans to \"call upon\" Nick Gargan to resign. The PCC says Mr Gargan has lost the confidence of the force at all levels, having been found guilty of misconduct. But some local Conservative MPs say he has been treated unfairly. In August, Sue Mountstevens became the first police and crime commissioner to say she would start the process of using new powers to call upon a chief constable to quit, a process which would effectively force him out. She referred her decision to Sir Thomas - her office has not confirmed his response. But BBC Points West's home affairs correspondent Steve Brodie said he understood the letter backed Ms Mountstevens' decision. Mr Gargan told the BBC he was unable to comment further. Now the decision will go to the local police and crime panel for scrutiny, although ultimately, Ms Mountstevens has the final word. Mr Gargan was suspended in May 2014, amid allegations of inappropriate conduct towards female staff. An IPCC investigation found those allegations were not proven, but that he had \"repeatedly breached data protection principles\" and had stored \"intimate\" material on his police-issue phone. An independent QC-led panel cleared him of gross misconduct, a sackable offence, but found him guilty of eight misconduct charges and recommended eight final written warnings. But his three predecessors as chief constable said he should quit for the good of the force. Announcing her decision in August to initiate the process to call upon him to go, Ms Mountstevens said his position had become \"untenable\". But MP for Bridgwater Ian Liddell-Grainger said Mr Gargan was the victim of a \"witch hunt\", and Bristol North West MP Charlotte Leslie said he had been tried in a \"media court\".", "summary": "Moves by a police commissioner to force out her suspended chief constable have been backed by the chief inspector of constabulary, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "England won the toss and chose to bat but went from 110-2 to 184 all out as they were dismissed in 40.2 overs. Daniel Bell-Drummond top-scored with 51 but it was in vain as England went 3-0 down in the five-match series. Sri Lanka A reached their target in 37 overs as Shehan Jayasuriya followed up his 5-35 with a knock of 83.", "summary": "England Lions have lost their one-day series against Sri Lanka A after being beaten by four wickets in the third ODI in Kurunegala."}
{"article": "Asif Khan, 25, fled Afghanistan to come to the UK 11 years ago, but his younger brother Aimal, 14, stayed behind. Six months ago, his sibling made it to Calais, but had not yet made the final leg of his journey across the Channel to be reunited with his brother. Now he is one of 14 migrant children who have been brought into the country to join their families. Asif, who works as a chef, told the Press Association: \"I really appreciate this. It was a blessing to receive him from there - I'm really happy. \"His journey was so difficult, it was by walking, by bus to Calais. He gets a new life now, because there are many people who died in Calais.\" He said his journey to the UK was \"hell\" every night and he felt huge relief that the experience was over for his brother. Asif added: \"I will just hug him because I haven't seen him since I left - I just miss him.\" The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, travelled to Croydon, south London, to meet the children on their arrival and accused the government of dragging its feet over accepting the young people from Calais' Jungle camp. All 14 migrant children aged 14 to 17 have now arrived in the UK and will later be reunited with relatives. French President Francois Hollande has said he wants the camp to be shut by the end of the year and on Monday, signs began to go up on shops giving them 48 hours to vacate. The chief of police in Calais would not confirm the date that the camp would be demolished, but said notices would go up either 48 or 24 hours beforehand to warn people. But Lord Williams said no process had yet been put in place to accept children without family in the UK. Home Secretary Amber Rudd last week indicated unaccompanied children, both those with and without relatives in the UK, would be allowed into Britain. An EU regulation allows children to seek UK asylum because they have close relatives in the country but a number of other children became eligible for admission under an amendment to the Immigration Act introduced in May by the Labour peer Lord Dubs. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Lord Williams said the UK had a \"basic moral imperative\" to offer security to \"deeply traumatised and deeply needy people\". He said: \"We have the beginnings of some sort of response to what is still a hugely troubling... situation.\" Lord Williams said more than 3,000 places for children without relatives in the UK had been offered by 44 local councils. He said while it was \"very welcome that at last the government has taken some official steps to get the children coming... I'm not sure why there is such foot-dragging\". He added: \"But we have had confirmation that the home secretary is eager to see movement... and we want to press that willingness and make sure it delivers\". Under EU rules, asylum claims must be made in", "summary": "The brother of a child migrant coming from Calais to the UK said it will be a \"blessing\" to have him back."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 25 July 2014 Last updated at 20:04 BST A company based in Solva has developed new mobile phone technology to record the animal's position. The app is free and can be used in remote areas without wi-fi. Its inventor told Abigail Neal how mapping these sightings could help protect the birds.", "summary": "Technology pioneered in Pembrokeshire is being used to track endangered birds of prey in Africa."}
{"article": "The open prison, in Warrington, houses 304 young adults aged 18 to 25. A report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons found it is \"safe\", with low absconding rates, low incidence of self-harm and any anti-social behaviour addressed. However, some prisoners criticised officers as \"petty\" and complained the food was poor. The report found security levels were appropriate, but some rules were being used unnecessarily, with disciplinary procedures invoked too hastily. Most prisoners were engaged in learning and many of those go on to earn qualifications. Inspector Nick Hardwick said more work was needed to promote diversity and integrate foreign national prisoners. He added: \"In three of our four healthy prison assessments, we have awarded our highest marking, and managers and staff should be commended for this. \"This report highlights a small number of important issues requiring improvement and our recommendations will, hopefully, assist in that process.\" Michael Spurr, CEO of the National Offender Management Service, said: \"I'm pleased that Thorn Cross has been recognised for its continued good work around preparing the young men for their release.\"", "summary": "Thorn Cross is \"one of the better\" prisons, with low levels of violence and high numbers of inmates achieving qualifications, inspectors said."}
{"article": "A public sale of the items will be held at the venue on Saturday and Sunday. Aberdeen Performing Arts, the organisation that manages the hall, held the last performances there earlier this month. The building is due to be fully closed to the public for 20-months of building work. A new performance studio and new creative learning space will be created. The box office and reception will also be moved and ramped entrance added to the main doors from Union Street, as well as improved access to the balcony.", "summary": "Aberdeen Music Hall is selling off props, clothing, mirrors and other furniture ahead of a \u00a37m revamp of the 155-year-old building."}
{"article": "The U's are now three games unbeaten in League One, but remain seven points from safety with six matches to play. \"The club as a whole is going in the right direction,\" Keen told BBC Essex. \"The players are playing with heart and soul and they're having a right go. \"I thought it was a good competitive game with both teams going at it.\" The result means the U's have only conceded once in their last three games, a drastic improvement for a team with the worst defensive record in England's top four divisions. \"I thought we were fantastic defensively,\" continued Keen. \"I'm really pleased with the clean sheet. The boys are disappointed because they know we've got to win matches, but to get a clean sheet against that team, I'm pleased for them. \"They're up in the play-offs for a reason. Realistically, a point is probably a fair result.\"", "summary": "Colchester United are \"going in the right direction\" following their 0-0 draw against sixth-placed Millwall, according to manager Kevin Keen."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Paula Radcliffe, Jonathan Edwards and Colin Jackson are among \"collateral damage\" says European Athletics taskforce chair Pierce O'Callaghan. But he told BBC Radio 5 live: \"There is a bigger picture out there.\" All pre-2005 records could be rewritten under the new rules, which need to be ratified by governing body, the IAAF. O'Callaghan said: \"Apologies to the athletes, we never intended to damage their reputation and legacy. It is intended to give the public belief and credibility in what they are watching in the sport.\" It's going to affect everybody - and it lumps us all in with the cheats But BBC athletics commentator and former world 1500m champion Steve Cram called the proposals an \"easy route out\" and \"a PR exercise\". Cram set world records for the 1500m, mile and 2,000m in the space of 19 days in 1985, and still holds the European records for the latter two distances - although under the proposals those pre-2005 European records would join world records in being reset. He added that the measures are \"not going to stop people cheating\". Media playback is not supported on this device The IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) has only stored blood and urine samples since 2005 and current records that do not meet the new criteria would remain on an \"all-time list\", but not be officially recognised as records if the IAAF accepts the proposal. European Athletics president Hansen said he would encourage the IAAF to adopt the proposal at its August council meeting, while IAAF president Lord Coe said the changes were \"a step in the right direction\". The world records to fall would include Edwards' triple jump mark of 18.29m - set in 1995 - and Jackson's 1994 indoor 60m hurdles world best of 7.30secs, as well as Radcliffe's marathon time of two hours 15 minutes 25 seconds, set in 2003 using two male pacemakers. O'Callaghan compared the changes to English football introducing the Premier League above the First Division in 1992 and rugby union's Five Nations becoming the Six Nations in 2000, and said the records will be \"recalibrated\". \"We hope people look at it in that vein, rather than stripping great athletes like Paula of their records,\" added O'Callaghan, who said he had spoken to Radcliffe and Edwards. \"Unfortunately Paula ran her records in a golden period that happens to be two years before the technology moved on. \"People should not look at Paula's records and throw them in with doping records - she achieved her performance, as did Jonathan, with 100% integrity. \"This is about the bigger picture of reform in athletics and ensuring the public in events like the London World Championships [in August 2017], that they can believe what they are watching.\" Media playback is not supported on this device If the proposals are accepted by the IAAF, a world or European record would only be recognised if it meets all three of the following criteria: More than 100 Olympic athletes who competed at the 2008 and 2012 Games have", "summary": "British athletes who may lose their world records have received an apology from the man responsible for the controversial anti-doping proposal."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 9 February 2015 Last updated at 07:44 GMT Backstage, he spoke to the BBC's entertainment reporter Lizo Mzimba about working with director JJ Abrams, his co-star Daisy Ridley and why fans should be excited about the latest Star Wars blockbuster.", "summary": "John Boyega, who stars in the new Star Wars film - The Force Awakens, presented a prize at this year's Bafta Film Awards."}
{"article": "The area has been selected by the government to host the \u00a35m Great Exhibition of the North in 2018. It was chosen above three other shortlisted bidders - Sheffield, Bradford and Blackpool. Former Chancellor George Osborne came up with the idea as part of his Northern Powerhouse package. Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said she was won over by Newcastle and Gateshead's \"ambition\", including the organisers' estimate that the exhibition will attract three million people. By Will Gompertz, arts editor The only potential problem I can see at this stage with the Great Exhibition of the North is the title. It sets expectations high, don't you think? What with its echoes of The Great Exhibition (1851), which was a World Fair and therefore rather different. There was also the famous Art Treasures of Great Britain exhibition, which was held in Manchester in 1857. That was a blockbuster show if ever there was one, with around 1.3 million visitors going to take a look at the 16,000 artworks on display. It ran for just over five months. The team behind the Newcastle-Gateshead bid are hoping to attract three million people in two months to their multi-site showcase of the North of England's contemporary arts and enterprise scene. That's an ambitious target. I hope it, together with the hyperbolic title, doesn't overwhelm the event's programmers and lead them down the Millennium Dome-type route of worthy but dull quasi-educational installations. It should and could be a terrific show, leaving visitors to conclude for themselves that it was a great (with a lowercase G) exhibition. \"That level of ambition really did stand out,\" she told BBC News. \"But that doesn't mean this is just for Newcastle-Gateshead.\" The 77-day exhibition will have the overarching theme of The Blazing World - The Fires of Invention. Newcastle and Gateshead's joint bid said: \"Inspired by the trailblazers of the north, the exhibition will have several cross-cutting themes for all to respond to, showing how the north's fires of invention continue to transform our world. \"Crucially, we will connect artists with scientists and inventors to work closely together, to create new artworks and respond to the great innovations of our time. Arts will meet industry in powerful and memorable ways.\" The region has already proved it can host major art events, with a record 140,000 people visiting the Turner Prize exhibition when it was staged at the Baltic in 2011. But cultural venues in both Newcastle and Gateshead have struggled in the face of local council funding cuts in recent years. As well as the \u00a35m for the exhibition, the government has pledged \u00a315m for a legacy fund, which will be open to cultural organisations across the north. Mrs Bradley said: \"This is an exhibition for the whole north, and certainly through the legacy work, we are looking for bids across the whole of the north of England so we can really show everything the north has to offer.\" Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Newcastle and Gateshead have been selected to host a major exhibition showcasing art, design and innovation from the north of England."}
{"article": "9 December 2014 Last updated at 16:43 GMT Mrs Mujuru, once seen as a future possible leader, has denied plotting against the president. State media and Mr Mugabe's wife, Grace, have conducted a campaign against her for months. BBC Africa reviews the demise of Mr Mugabe's main opponents - in 90 seconds. Video produced by Baya Cat", "summary": "President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has sacked his Vice-President, Joice Mujuru, after accusing her of plotting to kill him."}
{"article": "That is the warning in a report from economists at the World Bank. But there are some more upbeat aspects of their assessment. They don't reject the idea that this might just be a temporary soft patch. And they say emerging economies are not as vulnerable as they were in previous decades. The starting point for this report is the marked slowdown in growth that has already taken place in the emerging market economies since 2010. They have grown more slowly than the five years before the international financial crisis. By last year, the growth rate had slipped below the long-term average. China is the most high-profile example and in a way it's a special case. A slowdown there was seen as inevitable after three decade of rapid economic expansion. But many others in this group have also seen their performance weaken including Brazil, Russia and South Africa. (India is something of an exception.) Their slowdown contrasts with a weak but steady recovery in the advanced economies. The central question posed by the report is whether this is a temporary problem or the beginning of a new era of slower growth. There is no definitive answer in this report, but there is a clear sense of unease that it might be the latter, less attractive of the two possibilities. Some of the factors behind the slowdown are likely to be persistent. Many are affected by sliding prices of commodities such as metals and oil. There has also been weaker demand in export markets for their products, which in turn partly reflects what the report calls \"anaemic growth in the advanced economies\". International trade is likely to stay weak as the rich countries' recovery remains hesitant. Large investments in commodity production in recent years are likely to mean strong supplies which will keep downward pressure on prices. Some, especially oil exporters, have seen a deterioration in government finances as tax revenue has fallen sharply. There also been a marked decline in foreign investment going into emerging economies. It fell by about a quarter between 2010 and 2014. In the first part of 2015 there was a marked increase in capital leaving the emerging economies. There are also domestic factors, including aging populations in many emerging economies. The growth in productivity - the amount that each worker produces - has slowed in many. The report describes the slowdown as \"unusually synchronous (affecting many countries at the same time) and protracted\". Looking, ahead the report notes the prospect of higher borrowing costs as the US Federal Reserve is expected to start raising interest rates - widely expected to begin as soon as next week. That is likely to lead also to a stronger dollar. That makes money borrowed in dollars more expensive to repay and the amount of foreign currency debt has increased from 30% of emerging economies' national income in 2007 to 36% last year. Declining currencies could also cause an inflation problem - they make imports more costly. There are clearly some reasons to be concerned. But the World Bank's economists also emphasise", "summary": "The emerging market countries are at a crossroads, facing the possibility of new era of slower economic growth."}
{"article": "Swedish prosecutors issued a European arrest warrant for Mr Assange after allegations of sexual assault related to a 2010 visit Mr Assange made to Stockholm to give a lecture. He denies the claims. These are the key dates: Below is more information on how events have unfolded: Julian Assange arrives in Sweden on a speaking trip partly arranged by \"Miss A\", a member of the Christian Association of Social Democrats. He has not met \"Miss A\" before but reports suggest they have arranged in advance that he can stay in her apartment while she is out of town for a few days. \"Miss A\" and Mr Assange attend a seminar by the Social Democrats' Brotherhood Movement on \"War and the role of media\", at which the Wikileaks founder is the key speaker. The two reportedly have sex that night. Mr Assange reportedly has sex with a woman he met at the seminar on 14 August, identified as \"Miss W\". Some time between 17 and 20 August, \"Miss W\" and \"Miss A\" are in contact and apparently share with a journalist the concerns they have about aspects of their respective sexual encounters with Mr Assange. Mr Assange applies for a residence permit to live and work in Sweden. He hopes to create a base for Wikileaks there, because of the country's laws protecting whistle-blowers. The Swedish Prosecutor's Office issues an arrest warrant for Mr Assange on allegations of rape and molestation. Both women reportedly say that what started as consensual sex became non-consensual. Wikileaks quotes Mr Assange as saying the accusations are \"without basis\" and that their appearance \"at this moment is deeply disturbing\". A later message on the Wikileaks Twitter feed says the group has been warned to expect \"dirty tricks\". The arrest warrant is withdrawn. \"I don't think there is reason to suspect that he has committed rape,\" says one of Stockholm's chief prosecutors, Eva Finne. Prosecutors say the investigation into the molestation allegation will continue but it is not a serious enough crime for an arrest warrant. The lawyer for the two women, Claes Borgstrom, lodges an appeal to a special department in the public prosecutions office. Mr Assange is questioned by police in Stockholm and formally told of the allegations against him, according to his lawyer at the time, Leif Silbersky. The activist denies the allegations. Swedish Director of Prosecution Marianne Nye says she is reopening the rape investigation against Mr Assange. \"Considering information available at present, my judgement is that the classification of the crime is rape.\" The Wikileaks founder is denied residency in Sweden. No reason is given, although an official on Sweden's Migration Board tells the AFP news agency \"he did not fulfil the requirements\". Stockholm District Court approves a request to detain Mr Assange for questioning on suspicion of rape, sexual molestation and unlawful coercion. Ms Nye says he has not been available for questioning. By this time Mr Assange has travelled to London. His British lawyer, Mark Stephens, says his client offered to be interviewed at the Swedish embassy in London or Scotland Yard", "summary": "Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London since 2012, after seeking asylum there in his bid to avoid extradition to Sweden on a rape allegation."}
{"article": "However, the first of the Seattle bands which made up the grunge music scene - a fusion of punk, indie and rock - Soundgarden, released their most successful album, Superunknown, that year. The Grammy-winning album produced the hit singles Black Hole Sun and Spoonman, and helped the band achieve worldwide sales of more than 20 million records. The re-mastered digital version of the album will be released this year to mark its 20th anniversary of release. The group, which reformed in 2010 after a 13-year hiatus, also played the album in its entirety for the first time at the iTunes festival in Austin, Texas, last month. \"We were touring at the time of Kurt's death,\" lead singer Chris Cornell recalls, \"and we just came off stage to be told of the reports that they had found Kurt, and he was dead. \"We were very emotional. All of the bands in Seattle had grown up together, we were all friends. I wanted to deny it, I didn't want to believe it was true. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to hear.\" Guitarist Kim Thayil adds: \"In some ways, I agree, grunge was already coming to an end at the time of Kurt's death. \"Sure, we released Superunknown that year, but all of us, the successful grunge bands, had left Seattle and were endlessly on the road. In the meantime the city was full of musicians moving there, wanting to make it in the industry. It was like LA during the '80s, the Sunset strip and hair metal. It had lost its vibe.\" In the past, Cornell has described Soundgarden, who formed in 1984, as \"the band that created the soundtrack\" for grunge music. Out of all the groups that formed in Seattle in the late 1980s - most famously, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Mudhoney - they were the first to sign to a mainstream label. But it was the release of Nirvana's Nevermind album, in September 1991, which put the city, and its then-unique style of music, on the musical map. \"I don't think there ever can be those conditions in the industry again to produce something like the Seattle band scene, of which Nirvana were the cultural event,\" he says. \"Seattle was an isolated and provincial place that was left alone for years to develop its musical scene. None of us had overnight success, it's not like suddenly one day Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam all formed. \"It all changed after Nevermind, it became commercialised. Everyone wanted to discover the next big thing.\" \"I don't think the grunge movement was actually original,\" continues Thayil. \"It was just a a synthesis of different underground music genres. What made it original was the kind of people doing it - it was our extreme youth. I think most of us were trying to fit in with the rock scene in the city, but because we were also fans of darker music - British bands like Joy Division, Killing Joke, Bauhaus, The Smiths - our shows reached a", "summary": "The death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain on 5 April 1994 in Seattle, Washington, has sometimes been described as the event that marked \"the end of grunge\"."}
{"article": "The BBC said on Thursday it had \"parted company\" with the Radio 2 DJ because he had not co-operated fully with the Jimmy Savile sex abuse inquiry. Mr Blackburn strenuously denies any wrongdoing. The BBC said the corporation and Mr Blackburn were \"clearly in disagreement on a range of issues\". The inquiry, by Dame Janet Smith, concluded that Mr Blackburn had been questioned by the BBC in 1971 about a complaint by a teenage girl. The DJ insists he was not. Dame Janet Smith report: Key sections Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House, in an interview to be broadcast on Sunday, Mr Blackburn said he had been told that by resigning \"you don't cut off all ties, and we can probably bring you back in a few months\". But he said he had refused, adding: \"I said: 'No I wouldn't do that, because I've got nothing to hide'.\" Mr Blackburn said the inquiry - which looked into abuse by the late DJ Jimmy Savile and broadcaster Stuart Hall - included an accusation he had been among celebrities who had \"seduced\" a 15-year-old girl who later killed herself. The 73-year-old denies the allegation and says he was cleared of wrongdoing. Dame Janet said both senior BBC executive Bill Cotton and a senior lawyer said they had had conversations with the DJ. She rejected evidence Mr Blackburn had given, in which he had said he had not been asked at the time about the allegation. BBC director general Lord Hall said Mr Blackburn, who had most recently presented the Saturday afternoon Radio 2 show Pick of the Pops, \"fell short of the standards of evidence that such an inquiry demanded\". But Mr Blackburn, who has said he will sue the BBC, where he worked for nearly 50 years, said he had told the truth. \"Now it's, I suppose, my word against a judge's - I've got no idea,\" he said. \"I was by myself, I told the truth, now if that's not up to BBC standards, I don't know what he [Lord Hall] means by that.\" Mr Blackburn added that he wished he had been \"investigated properly\" in 1971 \"because we wouldn't be in the mess we are now\". Mr Blackburn, who was the first DJ to broadcast on Radio 1 when it launched in 1967, also told the Daily Mail he would return to his job at the BBC \"without any hard feelings\" if he was offered it back. He added: \"If the BBC said: 'Let's wipe the slate clean and start again', I'd forget it. Absolutely. \"I'd shake the director general's hand and say: 'If the whole thing's been a mistake, let's say no more about it.'\" A BBC spokesman said: \"Clearly Mr Blackburn and the BBC are in disagreement on a range of issues. Our position hasn't changed. \"As matters are potentially subject to a legal process, we have nothing further to add at this stage.\" The full interview with Mr Blackburn can be heard on Broadcasting House on Radio 4 at 09:00 GMT on Sunday.", "summary": "DJ Tony Blackburn has claimed he was offered the chance to resign from the BBC and return to work \"in a few months\", before he was sacked."}
{"article": "Gytis Griskevicius, 32, was found guilty of murdering Marina Erte, 33, at her Boston flat on 20 May 2016. The jury in the trial at Lincoln Crown Court heard he was jealous of her relationship with a new boyfriend. Lithuanian national Griskevicius, of St Ann's Lane, Boston, was told he must serve a minimum of 23 years. Read more about this and other stories from Lincolnshire Sentencing him, judge Michael Heath said: \"I have detected not a shred of remorse in your body. \"You inflicted upon your wife a brutal assault. She suffered a traumatic brain injury. You weren't satisfied with that and you finished her off.\" The court heard Griskevicius tried to set fire to the flat after killing Ms Erte, who worked at a fruit packing plant in Spalding, but the flames failed to spread. In a statement, Ms Erte's family described her as a \"much loved mother, daughter, sister and friend\". They said her death \"left a big void\" in all their lives. Ms Erte's injuries included fractures to both eye sockets, her nose and her jaw. Her naked body was found in the bath by firemen who had been called out by neighbours. Griskevicius, who denied murder, had been celebrating his birthday before heading to Ms Erte's flat. He told police the couple had sex at her flat and she was \"fine\" when he left her, the jury heard. The couple married in 2010 but had begun divorce proceedings in January 2016.", "summary": "A man who killed his estranged wife by drowning her with a shower attachment in a bath after badly beating her has been jailed for life."}
{"article": "Jamieson, who lost his place to on-loan Rangers 20-year-old Liam Kelly, had been sent out on loan to junior outfit Bo'ness United earlier this month. He would become Accies' third goalkeeping addition of the summer. Gary Woods was signed permanently from Leyton Orient and Remi Matthews on loan from Norwich City. The Premiership club lost Michael McGovern to Norwich this summer after his Euro 2016 displays for Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Jon McCracken followed him from New Douglas Park to Carrow Road earlier this month. Jamieson had made 101 appearances for Livingston, 16 while they were in the Championship last season.", "summary": "Goalkeeper Darren Jamieson has been released by Livingston, with the League One club saying that the 25-year-old is to join Hamilton Academical."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device David Kenworthy, chairman of UK Anti-Doping (Ukad), told the BBC: \"We've been told to expect cuts of up to 25%. \"Ukad would be in jeopardy if we had large cuts like that because the purpose for which we're here, I'm not sure we could fulfil it properly.\" The warning comes in a year when sport has suffered widespread doping claims. \"We've got to have the time and means to try to make up that income if we're to survive - if we don't, the integrity of UK sport is at risk,\" said Kenworthy. \"That would be desperate. With the amount of money invested in the integrity of sport over the years, to get it to where it is, that would be a huge blow to UK plc.\" Last year Ukad, which is responsible for protecting clean athletes, conducted 8,728 tests across 40 sports. The organisation has a budget of \u00a37m - largely made up of state funding - which is less than when it was established in 2009, but has now been told to plan for a possible further cut of up to 25%. A government spokesperson said: \"The government is clear that Ukad works tirelessly to ensure athletes and sport are clean, and continues to be recognised internationally for its work. \"Decisions on future funding are rightly for the spending review on 25 November, but we have also been clear that all parts of the public sector will be required to find savings through efficiencies and reforming the way things are done, so that we deliver more with less. \"It's part our plan to build a strong and stable economy for working people and ensure the sustainability of our priority public services.\" But Kenworthy described the proposed cut as \"drastic\", and added: \"Something's got to give, so the testing would certainly go.\" \"Tests are very expensive. The standard urine sample to be tested costs \u00a3371, the athlete biological passport costs \u00a3439 for each test. \"I think we'd be almost dead in the water frankly - you can't function on that basis. It would be an appalling cut, and appalling waste of our experience that we have built up. \" As well as testing athletes, Ukad has been investing increasing amounts of time and money into intelligence-based work, joining forces with the National Crime Agency as it looks to cut off the supply of imported, illicit supplements at source. As part of Operation Bloodthirsty, Ukad has been raiding underground drugs labs in Britain as it tries to crack down on the illegal trafficking of steroids. \"I'd be horrified if we had to reduce our intelligence and investigations because we are dealing there with not just athletes but suppliers, coaches and people encouraging athletes to dope,\" said Kenworthy. \"Testing is a very blunt tool. So we target test based on intelligence. We're looking at a health problem. People in gyms have no idea what they're buying.\" Kenworthy says if its budget is cut, Ukad may be forced to ask the sport industry - which generates", "summary": "The head of the UK's national anti-doping agency says the body is \"in jeopardy\" because of potential government funding cuts."}
{"article": "Wayne Rooney Sr and seven other men had been held at addresses in Merseyside. Motherwell FC player Steve Jennings had been arrested at his home in Glasgow. Police said the men had been arrested for conspiracy to defraud. The probe relates to alleged betting irregularities surrounding a game between Motherwell and Hearts. Concerns about the game, on 14 December 2010, were raised by the Association of British Bookmakers after a number of bets from the Liverpool area were placed on there being a sending off. During the match Jennings, who had already been booked, was shown a straight red card for foul and abusive language aimed at referee Stevie O'Reilly late in the 2-1 home defeat. The 26-year-old, who is from Liverpool and joined Motherwell from Tranmere two years ago, has denied any wrongdoing. It is believed that Manchester United and England striker Rooney's uncle Richie, 54, was also among those detained. Stewart Regan, SFA chief executive, said: \"While the investigation involves several other individuals outwith Scotland, it is important to stress that the evidence gathered throughout this thorough period of investigation has involved only one Scottish match. \"Motherwell FC are aware of the situation and will issue a response in due course.\" In a statement, Merseyside Police said: \"Detectives have today executed warrants at 10 addresses across Merseyside and Glasgow and arrested nine men as part of an investigation into suspicious betting activity. \"The arrests are the culmination of a joint operation with the Gambling Commission and the nine who have been arrested for conspiracy to defraud are being interviewed by detectives. \"Those arrested are a 29-year-old from Bootle, a 48-year-old from West Derby, a 54-year-old from Norris Green, a 26-year-old from Croxteth, a 22-year-old from Kirkdale, a 31-year-old from Litherland, a 68-year-old from Fazakerley, a 36-year-old from Kirkby and a 26-year-old from Glasgow. \"The investigation relates to a match between Motherwell and Hearts on December 14 2010.\"", "summary": "Nine men, including Wayne Rooney's father, who were arrested in a probe into betting irregularities have been released on bail."}
{"article": "Mr Gordhan will be replaced by Malusi Gigaba, said a statement issued late on Thursday by the preisdent's office. Earlier this week, President Zuma recalled Mr Gordhan from planned events in the UK and US. Sfiso Buthelezi will become Deputy Finance Minister, replacing Mcebisi Jonas. \"I have directed the new ministers and deputy ministers to work tirelessly with their colleagues to bring about radical socioeconomic transformation and to ensure that the promise of a better life for the poor and the working class becomes a reality,\" President Zuma's statement said. Last October, Mr Gordhan was charged with fraud - but the charges were later dropped. He has described the allegations as politically motivated. Mr Gordhan has been seen as standing up to President Zuma in cabinet and has warned against corruption becoming rampant. The South African Communist Party, an ally of the governing African National Congress, had earlier lodged a formal objection to plans to dismiss Mr Gordhan, who is widely respected internationally. Many senior ANC figures also opposed the finance minister's removal.", "summary": "South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has dismissed Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan after days of speculation that rocked the country's markets,"}
{"article": "Jordan Dawson, 19, from Guisborough, North Yorkshire, was killed in the crash, in February 2014, on the A174 Loftus bypass. Cleveland Police said a 20-year-old man, also from Guisborough, had been charged earlier on Monday. The man is due to appear at Teesside Magistrates' Court on 27 February.", "summary": "A man has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, almost a year after a teenager died in a car crash."}
{"article": "Photos shared by local media show copies of the Islamic holy book in three toilet bowls. Campus police say the case is \"strange\" and \"very unusual\" due to the religious and ethnic diversity at the school. Police are trying to identify one of six people seen entering the toilet on the evening of the incident, 28 March. Investigators have been reviewing security footage to find a suspect. X-Men artist fired over Koran verse A reflection room where multi-faith prayer books are kept on the building's ground floor was not touched, according to investigators. Police Chief Larry Zacharias told the Dallas Morning News: \"No one knows who owns the books, so that makes it difficult.\" Mohammad Syed, president of the college's Muslim Student Association, told local media the case was \"definitely saddening and a little disturbing as well\". \"While there is a little voice of hate, there is an overwhelming voice of love and support and we definitely appreciate that,\" he said. Why was Koran ripped up at school meeting? He added that the university is \"a very welcoming environment\". The Korans were discovered by members of the student government after an evening meeting. \"I was appalled,\" said Jonathan Schuler, who found the sacred texts in the toilets. \"It made a lot of the hate I had been hearing and seeing on national news real, and very present.\" The student senators have released a statement calling it an isolated incident that does not represent the university community. 'I escaped death by reciting from the Koran'", "summary": "Police are investigating after copies of the Koran were found in toilets in the student union building of the University of Texas at Dallas."}
{"article": "Kieren Church, 30, died after bottles he was hiding broke when he was tackled by a store guard in a shopping centre car park on 9 February. The 20-year-old guard was arrested the following day after the incident at The Shires shopping centre in Trowbridge. Wiltshire Police said a report would be passed to the coroner. A post-mortem examination showed the provisional cause of Mr Church's death was glass injuries to his abdomen.", "summary": "A security guard arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after an alleged shoplifter bled to death will face \"no further police action\"."}
{"article": "Local co-ordinates, used to produce maps and measurements, and global ones differ by more than 1m. The body responsible for the change said it would help the development of self-driving cars, which need accurate location data to navigate. Australia moves about 7cm north annually because of tectonic movements. Modern satellite systems provide location data based on global lines of longitude and latitude, which do not move even if the continents on Earth shift. However, many countries produce maps and measurements with the lines of longitude and latitude fixed to their local continent. \"If the lines are fixed, you can put a mark in the ground, measure its co-ordinate, and it will be the same co-ordinate in 20 years,\" explained Dan Jaksa of Geoscience Australia. \"It's the classical way of doing it.\" Because of the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates, these local co-ordinates drift apart from the Earth's global co-ordinates over time. \"If you want to start using driverless cars, accurate map information is fundamental,\" said Mr Jaksa. \"We have tractors in Australia starting to go around farms without a driver, and if the information about the farm doesn't line up with the co-ordinates coming out of the navigation system there will be problems.\" The Geocentric Datum of Australia, the country's local co-ordinate system, was last updated in 1994. Since then, Australia has moved about 1.5 metres north. So on 1 January 2017, the country's local co-ordinates will also be shifted further north - by 1.8m. The over-correction means Australia's local co-ordinates and the Earth's global co-ordinates will align in 2020. At that point a new system, which can take changes over time into account, will be implemented. \"We used the old plate fixed system to make life simple, but we don't want to do this adjustment every so often,\" said Mr Jaksa. \"Once we have a system that can deal with changes over time, then everybody in the world could be on that same system.\"", "summary": "Australia is to shift its longitude and latitude to address a gap between local co-ordinates and those from global navigation satellite systems (GNSS)."}
{"article": "Andrejs Trofimovics, 25, was found stabbed at a flat in Cleveland Road, in the Springbourne area of the town. Vladislav Pomozov, 45, of Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth, was found guilty of murder and of wounding with intent. He was remanded in custody and is due at Winchester Crown Court for sentencing on 6 July. Mr Trofimovics, from Riga in Latvia, died from a single stab wound, a post-mortem test concluded. Dorset Police said Latvian national Pomozov was the partner of Mr Trofimovics' mother. The stabbing followed a \"minor confrontation\" between Mr Trofimovics and Pomozov at a New Year's party, which was held at Mr Trofimovics' father's flat, police added. Pomozov was found not guilty of the attempted murder of Mr Trofimovics' father Jevgenijs who sustained non-life threatening injuries. Following the conviction, Det Sgt Mark Jenkins described Mr Trofimovics' death as \"tragic and avoidable\".", "summary": "A man has been found guilty of murder after a man was stabbed to death at a flat in Bournemouth on New Year's Day."}
{"article": "The zero-fuel aircraft arrived in Dayton at 21:56 local time (01:56 GMT) having flown from Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 1,113km journey took pilot Andre Borschberg about 16 hours to complete, a relatively short hop for the plane. Solar Impulse is aiming to get to New York in the next couple of weeks before it crosses the Atlantic - the last big leg in its global endeavour. To complete the circumnavigation, the aeroplane needs to get to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates where the journey started in March last year. As well as setting new aviation milestones, the stated purpose of the project is to demonstrate the capability of clean technologies. The plane gets all its energy from the sun, captured by 17,000 photovoltaic cells on its top surfaces. These power the craft's propellers during the day but also charge batteries that the vehicle's motors can then call on during the night. The craft is wider than a 747 jumbo jet but weighs just 2.3 tonnes. Low flight speed means mission legs can take several days and nights of continuous flight. The pilot is permitted only catnaps of up to 20 minutes, and the cockpit is little bigger than a public telephone box. LEG 1: 9 March. Abu Dhabi (UAE) to Muscat (Oman) - 772km; 13 Hours 1 Minute LEG 2: 10 March. Muscat (Oman) to Ahmedabad (India) - 1,593km; 15 Hours 20 Minutes LEG 3: 18 March. Ahmedabad (India) to Varanasi (India) - 1,170km; 13 Hours 15 Minutes LEG 4: 18 March. Varanasi (India) to Mandalay (Myanmar) - 1,536km; 13 Hours 29 Minutes LEG 5: 29 March. Mandalay (Myanmar) to Chongqing (China) - 1,636km; 20 Hours 29 Minutes LEG 6: 21 April. Chongqing (China) to Nanjing (China) - 1,384km; 17 Hours 22 Minutes LEG 7: 30 May. Nanjing (China) to Nagoya (Japan) - 2,942km; 1 Day 20 Hours 9 Minutes LEG 8: 28 June. Nagoya (Japan) to Kalaeloa, Hawaii (US) - 8,924km; 4 Days 21 Hours 52 Minutes LEG 9: 21 April. Kalaeloa, Hawaii (US) to Mountain View, California (US) - 4,523km; 2 Days 17 Hours 29 Minutes LEG 10: 2 May. Mountain View, California (US) to Phoenix, Arizona (US) - 1,199km; 15 Hours 52 Minutes LEG 11: 12 May. Phoenix, Arizona (US) to Tulsa, Oklahoma (US) - 1,570 km; 18 Hours 10 Minutes LEG 12: 21 May. Tulsa, Oklahoma (US) to Dayton, Ohio (US) - 1,113 km; 16 Hours 34 Minutes", "summary": "Solar Impulse has landed in the US state of Ohio following the 12th stage of its circumnavigation of the globe."}
{"article": "Hilary McClintock was elected as mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council on Monday. The SDLP's Jim McKeever is the new deputy mayor. In 2012, the DUP mayor of Londonderry Maurice Devenney refused to hand his chains to Sinn F\u00e9in's Kevin Campbell. Mayor McClintock said it was \"significant\" but things had moved on. \"Its part of the process towards normality, the same thing happened in Belfast council a few days ago,\" she said. \"It was something that we discussed locally and it wasn't really a big deal so we're quite happy to accept it (mayoral chains) from the outgoing mayor.\" The Drumahoe based councillor said that during her term she wants more investment because people in the north west feel like \"second class citizens\". \"I don't want us to be second class I want us to punch a bit higher and I will hopefully lead on that,\" she said. \"I don't think it's even a party thing. I think west of the Bann we sometimes do feel neglected. \"There's a lot more that can be done for the city, in terms of unemployment we have absolutely woeful figures. \"We do need to bring more jobs and more infrastructure,\" she added. Family, friends and councillors from different parties clapped and cheered as former mayor Elisha McCallion placed the mayoral chain around Mrs McClintock's neck. The former mayor told BBC Radio Foyle she was delighted to be able to do so. \"I'm delighted everything went well for the new mayor and I want to wish her all the best for the future, and the deputy mayor as well,\" Mrs McCallion said. \"Its a very symbolic day because that was actually the very first time a DUP mayor has accepted a chain from a Sinn F\u00e9in ex-mayor. \"It just goes to show you where we are as a society here in this city so I was delighted to do that honour,\" she said. Mrs McClintock, who is married with two daughters, has previously worked as a civil servant and a classroom assistant.", "summary": "For the first time in Londonderry an outgoing Sinn F\u00e9in mayor has placed the chains of office around the neck of a DUP successor."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 17-year-old was named in the senior squad for the World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland. But his club boss has been left perplexed he was not consulted and believes the call-up has come too early. \"Actually, I was surprised about this,\" said Klopp. Nottingham-born Woodburn, who qualifies to play for Wales through his maternal grandfather, has played for Wales at under-16, under-18 and under-19 level. But Klopp believes he should have been in the loop when Coleman decided to move him up to the seniors. Klopp added: \"I don't know exactly how normal it is here. \"This should not be a criticism, but usually when you call up a player, a 17-year-old player, I thought it would be possible to call me. \"I'm not sure if he knows him well. He didn't play in the team so far for Coleman I think.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Despite the fact he does not believe now is the right time for Wales to call on Woodburn, Klopp expects the youngster to deal with the situation. \"Obviously Ben is happy about it, so I am happy about it so that is the first thing,\" Klopp said. \"Do I think [Woodburn's selection for Wales] should it be now? I would say probably not. But is it a problem? No. \"Ben is a wonderful kid and he can deal with it 100%. He understands it all and knows really what he still has to learn and I can understand.\" Woodburn has played seven games for Liverpool this season and became their youngest scorer when he netted against Leeds in the EFL Cup in November. Wales had been urged to go to 'war' with England to claim Woodburn, but Coleman says the decision to select the youngster was his alone and Liverpool did not intervene. \"I make my own mind up about a player,\" Coleman said after announcing his squad on Thursday. \"I understand when you pick young players then clubs go, 'Oh, calm down,' but I make my own mind up. \"No matter how old he is, if he is good enough and I think he has something to offer us and can help us in this challenge then I am going to pick him. \"That's no disrespect to Jurgen or anybody else who say maybe he's not [ready], but that's their opinion.\" Wales are third in their 2018 World Cup qualifying group and face a crucial tie against the Republic on 24 March and Coleman insists Woodburn \"belongs\" in his squad. \"He belongs to them [Liverpool], but I've got a job to do for Wales and I have to pick my strongest squad,\" Coleman said. \"At the minute, from what I have seen, he belongs in our strongest 23. That's why he is there.\" Meanwhile, Klopp says he is happy to share Woodburn's development as a player with Coleman. \"I heard the manager said he's one of the best 23 players in Wales so he needs to be there, so that", "summary": "Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he was surprised Wales boss Chris Coleman did not contact him before calling up teenager Ben Woodburn."}
{"article": "Those held in a series of raids in the capital Kuala Lumpur were mainly from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, officials said. Machines to make fake passports and to forge Malaysian immigration documents were among the items seized. Security in the city is being tightened up ahead of the Southeast Asian Games which begin in just over a week's time. Monday's raids saw police break down doors and lead scores of people away in handcuffs to waiting buses. They were taken to police stations for investigation and screening. Authorities said they were targeting anyone with missing or fraudulent travel documents or who was believed to be affiliated with terror groups in Syria and Iraq. \"We will detect and take action against foreigners suspected of having links with terrorists, especially those involved in activities in Syria,\" police counter-terror official Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, said, quoted by Free Malaysia Today. Officers were also equipped with devices to detect radioactive materials, police said, although no such items were found.", "summary": "More than 400 people have been detained in a counter-terrorism operation in Malaysia, authorities say."}
{"article": "The film director had originally meant to shoot the sunset, but pointed the drone downwards to return home when the battery ran low. It wasn't until he was going through his footage later that he saw the shot. Mr Li says he posted it online in a bid to find out who the pair are, but the photo is not entirely what it seems. \"I was with a friend trying to get a good shot of the sunset but the drone battery was running low so we just pointed it down as it returned home, and I thought we'd just keep the camera rolling,\" Mr Li told the BBC. \"I didn't notice anything interesting until I went through the footage later and saw this grassy rooftop.\" Mr Li, who was raised in the US but has family in Hong Kong, then posted the picture on Facebook hoping one of his friends would know the couple. From then, it \"kinda just took off\", he says. The shot, which he believes shows the roof of the J residence apartments in Hong Kong, was definitely not staged, says Mr Li. \"So many people think that I staged the photo,\" he says. \"I'm a filmmaker not a wedding photographer so I don't really have an incentive. It's really just a lucky catch.\" But he did make some adjustments to the original photo, which was taken on 28 September. The photo he captured shows two people standing near the couple's feet, presumably photographers, who Mr Li airbrushed out to make the couple stand out more. A person sprawled out on some seating in the corner, however, was spared the cut. Mr Li says he applied some colour correction to the image as well. For now, the identity of the couple - who might in real life not actually be a couple - remains a mystery, though Mr Li has made enquiries with the building's management who have yet to respond. But even if the photo fails to make it into the wedding books, he thinks it's a great metaphor for life in Hong Kong. \"You usually see these really cold pictures of Hong Kong looking really crowded and grey, and here's this moment where two people are doing something very good and joyous. \"It's like making your own oasis of joy in the city.\"", "summary": "A \"lucky catch\" is how Brandon Li describes the accidental drone shot he captured of \"newlyweds\" on a rooftop in Hong Kong."}
{"article": "Prosecutors said the aim was to prevent evidence being destroyed. Police seized luxury cars from the home of the former Brazilian President, Fernando Collor de Mello. The bribery scandal has undermined the standing of the current President, Dilma Rousseff. Mr Collor denied any wrongdoing and posted on social media that \"the measure was invasive, arbitrary and flagrantly unnecessary considering that the facts of the case have been investigated for at least two years... and I have never even been called to give any clarification.\" Fifty-three searches were carried out \"in homes, offices, company headquarters, law firms and public institutions.\" the police said in a statement. Brazilian media said a senator, Ciro Nogueira, a congressman, Eduardo da Fonte and the ex-Cities Minister, Mario Negromonte, were also being investigated. The police said the operation had taken place in the Federal District of the capital Brasilia and six states. Since March last year the Petrobras investigation, nicknamed by police \"Operation Car Wash\", has placed former Petrobras executives and some of Brazil's most powerful construction contractors behind bars. Thirty-four congressmen and one state vice-governor are under investigation. Investigators allege firms paid corrupt officials in order to get lucrative Petrobras contracts. The scandal has rocked Brazil's governing Workers' Party, with top politicians in several parties accused of taking bribes. But President Rousseff, who chaired Petrobras when much of the corruption is believed to have taken place, has been cleared of involvement.", "summary": "Brazilian police have searched properties linked to politicians suspected of taking bribes in a scandal involving the state-run oil company, Petrobras."}
{"article": "John Barclay is one of the few men who played then and who's still playing now. Whenever the game is mentioned and he's asked if it feels like half a decade ago, he smiles and says, no, it doesn't, it feels a whole lot longer ago than that. It does. Barclay's partners in the back-row that day were Alasdair Strokosch and Ross Rennie. Nick de Luca was in the midfield, Joe Ansbro on the wing. Tom Brown won his one and only cap in that match. Tom Ryder was the back-up lock on the bench. That Scotland side didn't possess much in the way of an attack compared to this one. Scotland didn't score a try in Newcastle and yet they won. In their last two meetings with the Australians, the Scots have scored six tries and lost them both. As they left Singapore after a pleasing performance in the win over the Italians, Gregor Townsend's team arrived in Sydney for a proper Test against a side that has caused them no end of strife in recent times. They'll have travelled in good heart. Some of the stuff that Scotland produced against Italy was really good, but it has to be viewed in the context of a woeful opponent. It was a solid win laced with some excellence in difficult conditions. It got things off to a nice beginning under Townsend, but Italy are so lamentable these days that nobody in the Scotland camp will be fooling themselves about the significance of the win. There were obvious successes. Some players - Damien Hoyland and Ben Toolis - that have previously been bit-part, or no-part, performers stepped up impressively. An old soldier, WP Nel, returned. A class act, Duncan Taylor, reappeared. What will have gladdened Townsend's heart wasn't just the way the five tries were constructed, it was the way his player options now look to be increasing. Australia will be an infinitely bigger test of that theory in Sydney next weekend, but if Townsend is going to take this thing where he wants to take it then building depth is paramount. Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour, Greig Laidlaw, Huw Jones, Sean Maitland, Mark Bennett, Alasdair Dickinson, Richie Gray, Jonny Gray, Hamish Watson and John Hardie were absent against Italy. Most of them won't be involved in Sydney either. That's another dimension to what should be an intriguing Test match. Can Scotland beat an eminently beatable Wallabies side while missing so many go-to men? What do we know of Australia? We know that they are experimenting with selection right now, we know that they played Fiji on Saturday and put them away 37-14 after racing into an 18-0 half-time lead. We know that the wondrous attacker, Israel Folau, who hadn't scored a try for his country in a year, scored two against the Pacific Islanders. We know that, despite the dire straits of some of their clubs in Super Rugby, they can still pick a squad of 23 that is formidable. They are also flawed, however. They're not to be feared. They were good", "summary": "Five years - and a whole lot of pain - have passed since Scotland last beat the Wallabies, a 9-6 gruntathon in the monsoon of Newcastle in New South Wales."}
{"article": "The body of James Chadwick, 37, was found at an address in Holland Street last Wednesday. At Aberdeen Sheriff Court, Ryan Gibb and Cameron Laurie, both 30, were charged with murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice. They made no plea and were remanded in custody. They are due to appear in court again next week.", "summary": "Two men have appeared in court charged with the murder of a man in Aberdeen."}
{"article": "Heather Farmer told the jury that in the five years she had been a registered childminder, Liam was the only child she had concerns about. Rachel Fee, 31, and her partner Nyomi Fee, 28, deny murdering Liam in March 2014 at a house in Glenrothes, Fife and ill-treating two other boys. Ms Farmer said she had looked after Liam since the summer of 2012. The jury heard Ms Farmer kept a diary during the time she looked after him, noting he had bruises on a number of occasions. She said by Christmas 2012 she had begun to have doubts and contacted the Scottish Childminding Association for advice because she thought \" somebody was hurting Liam.\" Rachel Fee and Nyomi Fee, who are originally from Ryton, Tyne and Wear, are accused of murdering Liam in March 2014 and attempting to defeat the ends of justice by blaming the killing on a young boy. The couple are also charged with a catalogue of allegations that they neglected Liam and abused two other children, one of whom they blame for killing Liam, in their care over a two-year period. They deny all the charges against them. The trial at the High Court in Livingston continues.", "summary": "A childminder has been telling the Liam Fee murder trial that she had concerns about the toddler."}
{"article": "Dr Margaret Ann Rous, who was 37, and her 28-year-old husband David Rous were killed when a light aircraft struck the ground in Glen Etive. The couple, from Newport-on-Tay in Fife, had been flying from Dundee to visit relatives on Tiree. The emergency services had been alerted when contact was lost with the Piper Cherokee at about 13:50 on Saturday. Police Scotland said the wreckage was discovered on the northern aspect of Glen Kinglass at 20:00, along with the remains of the two people on board. Dr Rous' sister Johann Maclean paid tribute to her on social media. She posted on Facebook: \"Today has been the hardest day of my life, I love you Minnie xxxx\" She also thanked friends and family for their sympathy messages. \"Thank you all for the heartfelt messages, phone calls and visits,\" she wrote. \"We appreciate your thoughts at this heartbreaking time xx.\" Following the discovery of the wreckage, specialist officers remained at the scene in the Beinn nan Lus area of Glen Kinglass. Inquiries are continuing into the cause of the accident.", "summary": "Tribute has been paid to a Dundee GP and her engineer husband who died in a plane crash in Argyll."}
{"article": "Nick Alexander, 35, from Weeley in Essex, was killed on 13 November, 2015, at the nightclub in Paris. Artists including Fran Healy from Travis and Supergrass' Gaz Coombes performed at Shepherd's Bush Empire on Tuesday. There was also a minute's standing ovation in Nick's honour. LIVE: For more on this and other Essex stories Mr Alexander was selling band merchandise for Eagles of Death Metal, who were performing at the nightclub, when he was killed. The concert - called Peaceful Noise - marked the official launch of the Nick Alexander Memorial Trust, which will provide musical equipment to small charities and vulnerable groups across the country. Mr Alexander's older sister Zoe, 43, said the event was \"really personal\" to Mr Alexander and included performances by artists who had toured with her brother or were friends with him. She said she would remember her brother as someone who \"approached life head on\". \"He packed a lot into those 35 years so we will remember him in that way - as somebody who embraced life and forged their own path,\" she said.", "summary": "Hundreds of people have attended a concert held in honour of the only Brit killed in the Bataclan terror attack a year ago."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 33-year-old Swiss announced he was \"not match-fit\" as he apologised in person to the crowd at the O2 Arena. Federer beat Stan Wawrinka 4-6 7-5 7-6 (8-6) on Saturday in a thrilling semi-final lasting two hours and 48 minutes. It is Djokovic's fourth victory at the season-ending event and he also becomes the first man to win three titles on the trot since Ivan Lendl in the 1980s. Federer - who has won the tournament six times - confirmed his withdrawal following the doubles final on Sunday afternoon, won by American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan. \"I'm sorry I'm not fit to play,\" he said. \"I hope you understand. I wanted to come out personally and explain. \"I did everything I could. I took pain-killers, had rest until the very end, but I just cannot compete at this level with Novak. \"At my age it would've been a risk. \"It's not that much of a surprise. This back spasm, whatever it might be, it's just not a fun thing to have during the day. It's just uncomfortable. But I'm positive and I'm hopeful that it's going to go away soon.\" Tournament organisers arranged two exhibition matches to take the place of the final. Djokovic defeated Andy Murray 8-5 in a pro set in the first match and the British number one then paired up with John McEnroe to beat Tim Henman and Pat Cash 8-6 in a doubles contest. Djokovic, 27, who finished the year with only eight defeats from 66 matches, collected the ATP World Tour Finals trophy before his exhibition with the Briton. \"It's clearly not the way I wanted,\" he said. \"It's an incredible achievement, but at this moment it's hard to talk about it. I'm not one of the players that celebrate this particular type of win. \"I have to reflect on the whole season and this trophy is the crowning moment for the efforts this year. I'm very happy to be able to stand here and finish off with a trophy.\" Federer is scheduled to join Switzerland team-mate Wawrinka for the Davis Cup final against France next week and said his immediate plan was for \"recovery\" and then \"travelling to France and getting ready for the clay\". He suffered with a back problem in 2013, and there were signs in the closing moments against Wawrinka that he was struggling again. Federer did not complete his post-match media duties until after 01:00 GMT on Sunday, and missed his scheduled practice session at O2 Arena in the afternoon. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Roger Federer has withdrawn from the ATP World Tour final against Novak Djokovic because of a back injury."}
{"article": "McInnes felt the Dons were \"pushed about\" too easily in Perth as their title dream all but ended with their defensive frailties exposed. \"We got dominated at both ends of the pitch and the more determined team won,\" McInnes told BBC Scotland. \"I know what I need to get in but there won't be wholesale changes.\" With Ash Taylor injured, McInnes handed a debut to 20-year-old defender Michael Rose, but he went off injured at half-time with Aberdeen 2-0 down following a David Wotherspoon free-kick and Steven MacLean adding a second. More defensive mistakes followed as Liam Craig took advantage of a Mark Reynolds error to make it three. \"We were lacking in physicality, we were vulnerable at every set play,\" said McInnes, whose side remain eight points behind Premiership leaders Celtic. \"We didn't win enough headers. When we don't have Ash Taylor in the team - he gives us real size and aggression at centre-back - we never had that dominance there. \"There's been a few games this season where we've lacked that physicality, strength and size. We need to make sure we get more players in the building in the summer that can deal with that and stand up to that. \"The introduction of [Barry] Robson, a guy at 37 and a young boy at 16, Connor McLennan, making his debut - they played the game with the enthusiasm and determination that everyone should have treated the game. \"When the game is a technical game we can take on anybody. But tonight we needed more strength of character, we needed more first headers, we needed physicality because we got pushed about tonight and the best team won.\" St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright saw his side move into fourth in the Premiership and was delighted with their dominant performance. \"Tonight we made it so difficult for them from the first whistle in terms of the pressure we put them under and how hard we worked,\" said Wright. \"That gave us a platform to go and play well; lots of good possession, lots of good balls into the box. It was a really good performance and when we're like that we're a match for anybody. \"I thought [Graham] Cummins was good tonight, that is him back to his best. MacLean gives us what he gives us all the time and young Joe Shaughnessy at the back I thought was strong. \"Overall I thought everybody played extremely well.\"", "summary": "Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes will attempt to sign more physical players this summer after they were swept aside 3-0 by St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park."}
{"article": "The 10 letters were penned between 1951 and 1960 to her mentor and lifelong friend Sir Felix Aylmer. They reveal details of a dramatic decade of the screen siren's life as she rose from an unknown ballerina to Hollywood fame. In them she mentions her broken-off engagement, marriage, miscarriages and the birth of her first child. The letters are estimated to sell for up to \u00c2\u00a34,000. In one of the letters, dated 1951, a then 22-year-old Hepburn, wrote: \"Would you believe it. I'm in Monte Carlo working on a French picture. The place is heavenly and this is the best thing that's ever happened to me.\" The actress was referring to filming Monte Carlo Baby, one of her very first movies. A year later she wrote that \"with a heavy heart\" she had broken off her engagement to socialite James Hanson. \"It is all very unhappy-making,\" she said. \"I fear I thought it possible to make our combined lives and careers work out.\" This was followed by joy at finding her future husband, actor Mel Ferrer, whom she married in private in 1954. \"We want to keep [the wedding] a dark secret in order to have it without the 'press',\" she confided a few weeks before the ceremony, which was to be held \"in a tiny chapel with a wedding breakfast after\". Hepburn and Ferrer went on to become co-stars in films such as Sabrina (1954) and War and Peace (1956) after they were married. Following two miscarriages the final letter in the collection ends on a celebratory note as the actress celebrated the birth of her first child, Sean Ferrer. \"Sean is truly a dream. I find it hard to believe he is really ours to keep. I long to show him to you. We all three send our love and kisses, Audrey,\" she wrote. The letters will go on sale at the Bonhams Entertainment Memorabilia sale in London on 29 June.", "summary": "A series of never-before-seen letters written by Audrey Hepburn will be auctioned later this month."}
{"article": "Based on a video game series, Assassin's Creed stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard and was directed by Justin Kurzel. The movie follows Fassbender's Cal Lynch, a convict facing a death sentence but given a second chance by a mysterious organisation, Abstergo Industries. Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks the genetic memories contained in his DNA, Lynch is sent back to 15th Century Spain. There he lives out the experiences of his distant relative, Aguilar de Nerha, a member of a secret society known as the Assassins who fight to protect free will from the power-hungry Templar Order. Much of the film's action scenes, including a series of spectacular leaps across roof tops, were shot on Malta. But it was another island that played a key part in bringing Assassin's Creed to the big screen. On the Isle of Skye, Fassbender - who had just finished making Slow West with Scots film-maker John Maclean - Cotillard and Kurzel came together to make a film adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. The filming was done on the island early in 2014, in often challenging weather. Fassbender, who starred in the lead role, later described Skye as \"cold, wet and beautiful\" and said the production encountered \"rain, sleet and snow - all the wetness of the elements\". Cotillard, who plays Lady Macbeth, fell down a hole in a bog during filming. Fassbender said: \"One minute she was there, the next she was gone.\" The experiences of making Macbeth forged strong bonds between Cotillard, Fassbender and Kurzel. \"There's a trust that was built from working on Macbeth and Macbeth was a very intense and very unique project,\" says Cotillard. \"We had the chance to work for more than a month together before we started shooting. We shared this time of exploration of the story, of our characters, and it's really rare to kind of attend the secrets of making a movie of bringing a character to life.\" The French actress adds: \"It created this very, very strong relationship that we have.\" Cotillard says Kurzel's approach to movie-making and Fassbender's to acting helped to overcome challenges in adapting Shakespeare's play. \"Justin's actually one of the best directors I worked with and definitely one of the best directors for actors I worked with,\" she says. \"And attending an amazing actor such as Michael. Attending his preparation and his exploration of the character, I mean, it created something very, very special and very, very strong. \"Macbeth was very stressful for me because of the language, but I had a lot of joy working with them (Kurzel and Fassbender) and I knew that working on a different project would bring the same amount of joy. \"There's this simplicity that is there because we know each other and we already had an amazing experience together.\" Kurzel says Assassin's Creed presented Fassbender with physical challenges, adding that Macbeth showed that the actor had the abilities to cope with them. \"In Macbeth we saw a little bit of action from him, but this is of a whole new level,\" says Kurzel. \"For him to", "summary": "New action movie Assassin's Creed arrives in UK cinemas in the New Year, in part thanks to Shakespeare's \"Scottish Play\" and the Isle of Skye."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 50-year-old Portuguese, who first managed the Blues between 2004 and 2007, was officially announced as Chelsea's new boss on 3 June. \"I am the Happy One,\" said Mourinho at a Stamford Bridge news conference. Career record up to 1 June 2013 \"Calmer? I believe so. I'm in the best moment of my career in terms of knowledge.\" He added: \"I began management in 2000. I thought I knew everything, but after 13 years you realise you know nothing and have to learn every day. My adventures around Europe were fantastic for me, different countries, different cultures, different media. It was fantastic. \"At 50, I think I am still very young as a manager and I think it is like the beginning of a new period. Do I have a different personality? No, but for sure I have a different approach and perspective.\" Former Real Madrid boss Mourinho, who replaces Rafael Benitez at Stamford Bridge, has signed a four-year deal and said he wants to stay for the entire term. \"I hope I can go to the last day of the contract. If the club is happy and the club wants me to stay then I'll be more than happy to stay.\" When asked whether he was disappointed that neither Manchester United nor Manchester City had approached him about their managerial vacancies, he said: \"I am where I want to be - I wouldn't change it for anything.\" The former Porto and Inter Milan boss helped Chelsea win five major trophies during his first spell at the club - two Premier League titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup. He believes he can emulate that achievement. \"I want to believe it is possible - I always trust my work,\" added Mourinho. \"I know many people who belong to the club and I know the type of mentality and ambition people have. \"My career has been built and raised on success. I was able to achieve success and win trophies and leave different types of legacies at every club. I have to believe in that.\" When Mourinho left the Blues in 2007 it came as a surprise to many, although it was widely reported that his relationship with owner Roman Abramovich had become strained. But the Portuguese boss stressed on Monday: \"That is not true. \"I read and keep reading that I was fired and we had a complete breakdown in relationship. At the time we thought it was the best for both of us [to go our separate ways]. \"Jose Mourinho produced none of the fireworks that marked his first arrival at Stamford Bridge. This was a studied Mourinho, a mature Mourinho, a Mourinho intent on hammering home that this was an older, wiser manager. \"And he was at pains to stress how happy he was to be back. So happy he repeated it countless times, although his subdued manner did not exude joy. \"Mourinho, the master controller, perhaps knew the media expected an equally spectacular performance on his second coming. And he", "summary": "Jose Mourinho proclaimed that he is \"the Happy One\" on his return to Chelsea, adding that he is calmer and a better manager than he has ever been."}
{"article": "Wright picked up the injury against League Two leaders Northampton Town on Tuesday and was replaced by Chey Dunkley for the final 14 minutes. \"It looks like a grade one tear to his hamstring, which rules him out for around 10 days to start with,\" manager Michael Appleton told BBC Radio Oxford. \"It's a blow from a playing point of view and also because he's a leader.\" Wright, 29, has made 30 appearances in all competitions for Oxford this season. On Saturday they host fourth-placed Accrington, who are six points behind Appleton's side with two games in hand.", "summary": "Oxford United captain Jake Wright is set to be out for three to four games with a hamstring tear."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Reds are fifth in the Premier League and lost to Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-finals last weekend. Rodgers, 42, is the first Liverpool boss not to win a trophy inside three seasons in charge since the 1950s. Asked if he expected to be manager next season, he replied: \"Very much so, yes. I don't think there's anyone better.\" He added: \"That's the reality of how I see it. Three months ago I was a tactical genius, performing to a good level. \"We lost a couple of games, some important games, and now you're not so good. But that is football, that's what will happen, people will speculate.\" Rodgers succeeded club legend Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool manager in the summer of 2012 and guided the club to runners-up spot in the Premier League in his second season. Outgoing Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp has been linked with Rodgers' job, but the Northern Irishman says he is unaffected by the speculation. \"There will always be people linked with this job because it's such a great club,\" Rodgers added. \"In my time alone there have been lots of names mentioned. \"This is a club that's worldwide so there's absolutely no problem, it's something that happens all the time if you lose a couple of games. \"We've had former managers linked here with the job before and that will continue for however long I'm here - whether you're doing good, bad or indifferent.\" \"Their representatives are speaking to the club but no update on them,\" Rodgers said. \"The likes of Jordon Ibe and Raheem Sterling are very important players for us and the club are working very hard behind the scenes to make sure we sign these players. \"It's very important you nail them to the club and that they're here for the best part of their careers. Raheem's representatives will speak to club and we hope to get that sorted.\" \"There was a lot of money spent last summer and a lot of players coming in. If you take the emotion out of last weekend, this was a team that probably overachieved last year,\" Rodgers explained. \"We brought in some players because we needed to improve the squad and where we sit now at this moment in time - fifth place, two cup semi-finals - it's probably on par with where we're at. \"The ambition is, of course, to be much greater than that so we have to be planning forward and that means bringing in players in the summer. That's something that's well under way and we'll look forward to that.\"", "summary": "Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says there is \"nobody better\" than him to lead the club and \"very much\" expects to be in charge at Anfield next season."}
{"article": "Evacuation advice has been issued to Kennett River, Grey River and Wongarra. Most residents have left their homes. But a wind change on Thursday afternoon eased the threat to these communities, fire authorities said. Firefighters and aircraft from NSW and New Zealand are on standby in case the fire breaks containment lines. The fire is the same one that destroyed more than 100 homes at Wye River and Separation Creek over Christmas Day. It now covers around 2,800 hectares (7,000 acres) and is likely to pose a threat to communities along the famous Great Ocean Road for months. In South Australia a fire is threatening homes at Mosquito Hill south of Adelaide. Aircraft have been sent to the area but the fire is burning very fiercely, South Australia Country Fire Service spokesman Brenton Eden told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Mr Eden said residents in the area should execute their emergency plans.", "summary": "More than 500 firefighters are set to battle a blaze in the Australian state of Victoria, one of the world's most fire-prone regions on New Year's Eve."}
{"article": "Dijkhuizen's assistant, Roy Hendriksen, has also left the Championship club. Brentford won only two of their eight league games under the Dutchman, 43, and are 19th in the table. Former Blackburn, Coventry and Everton midfielder Carsley, 41, had been working as manager of Brentford's development squad. Media playback is not supported on this device Dijkhuizen was appointed head coach by Brentford in June, following the controversial departure of previous boss Mark Warburton. It was confirmed in February that Warburton, who went on to lead the Bees into last season's play-offs, would leave the club at the end of the campaign. Warburton had guided Brentford to promotion from League One the previous season. A former striker, Dijkhuizen had previously been manager at Excelsior in the Netherlands, where his side finished 15th in the Dutch Eredivisie. Ex-Republic of Ireland midfielder Carsley will be assisted by Paul Williams and will take charge of the Bees for the first time when they host one of his former clubs, Birmingham City, on Tuesday. \"The club believes Lee deserves the opportunity to step up and help shape Brentford FC's future on the pitch,\" said a statement from Brentford. Dijkhuizen's departure comes just days after he said he \"felt no pressure\" about his job despite Brentford's stuttering start to 2015-16. His final game in charge at Griffin Park was a 2-1 defeat by Sheffield Wednesday, the club's third at home in all competitions this season. \"A chaotic start to English management comes to an abrupt end for Marinus Dijkhuizen. \"During his brief tenure, he has had to deal with matters out of his control, such as problems with the pitch leading to a postponed fixture. \"On the pitch it has been far from a successful spell, with last season's Championship play-off semi-finalists winning just two of their opening eight league games. \"In his defence, Dijkhuizen has been unlucky with injuries and has had to deal with the departure of some key players. His undoing may well be that he was indeed too honest in interviews with the media, something that may well have irked owner Matthew Benham. \"Question marks also hovered over whether he had a strong enough relationship and rapport with players who he didn't sign.\"", "summary": "Brentford have sacked head coach Marinus Dijkhuizen after nine matches and placed Lee Carsley in charge until the end of the season."}
{"article": "The 41-year-old has been out of work since leaving Alloa in March. Chris Barker, who has been in caretaker charge since Andy Scott was sacked in January, will remain with the Shots as player-assistant manager. \"Barry is ambitious and has great experience of developing young players,\" said chairman Shahid Azeem. Smith began his playing career at Celtic and then spent 11 years at Dundee, captaining the side between 1997 and 2006. Media playback is not supported on this device He returned to Dens Park as manager in 2010 and spent almost two and a half years in charge before parting company with the club in February 2013. He was appointed Alloa manager in January 2014 but resigned last month, with the Wasps bottom of the Scottish Championship following a run of one win in 13 league matches. \"I see Aldershot as a great club with the same aspirations as myself. It felt an ideal fit,\" he said. \"We are looking to build a new squad and we have to build slowly. Ultimately we want to take the club back to the Football League.\" Centre-back Barker, 35, won five of his 15 games in charge of the Hampshire side and led the Shots to an 18th-placed finish in the table.", "summary": "Aldershot Town have appointed former Dundee and Alloa Athletic boss Barry Smith as their new manager on a one-year rolling contract."}
{"article": "It is Vitesse's first major trophy in their 125-year history. Striker Van Wolfswinkel, 28, headed home his first after 80 minutes and followed it up with a second two minutes from time. Vitesse, who sit sixth in the Dutch League, qualify for the Europa League group stage next season. Their cup final team included three players on loan from Chelsea - Brazilian midfielder Nathan, 21, United States defender Matt Miazga, 21, and 22-year-old midfielder Lewis Baker. AZ Alkmaar's team included goalkeeper Tim Krul, 29, who is on loan from Newcastle United.", "summary": "Former Norwich City striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel scored two late goals as Vitesse Arnhem beat AZ Alkmaar 2-0 to win the Dutch Cup final in Rotterdam."}
{"article": "Could they be trusted to get the public finances \"back in order\". It was an age-old attack narrative used by the Conservatives over the decades - to great success. Labour breaks the national bank, eventually, it was claimed. And the Conservatives are voted in to sweep up the mess. It was a policy that became known by a single word - austerity. In the Budget of 2010, Mr Osborne, the Chancellor, announced \u00a381bn of cuts over four years, some of the sharpest reversals in public financing seen for decades. \"It is a hard road, but it leads to a better future,\" he said. The argument held, just, in 2015. Ed Miliband relentlessly attacked the Conservatives on the issue of \"cuts\". And was rejected at the ballot box. Yesterday, a change, and economically as well as politically, a pretty fundamental one. Yes, Labour didn't win the election. But Jeremy Corbyn - on a vision of higher spending, higher taxes and higher levels of investment - came closer than almost everyone, apart from maybe Jeremy Corbyn, believed possible. So close that Theresa May will need the support of the Democratic Unionist Party to maintain her government. What next for the \"sound money\" pledge contained in the Conservative manifesto, the idea that cuts would continue for the sake of the health of public finances? Well, like a number of pledges made by Mrs May, let's say it might well be flexible. One Tory close to Number 10 told me that the message would need to change or Mrs May would not be able to convince non-Conservative voters to back her. \"It's time for the austerity policies to shift,\" he said. Nick Macpherson, the former permanent secretary at the Treasury, tweeted the election result \"guarantees a higher deficit\". In short, many economists believe the government will be obliged to borrow more as political uncertainty weighs on growth, leading to less wealth creation and therefore the need for higher borrowing. Mrs May and her chancellor were already saying before the election - most clearly in private - that the age of constant cuts was harder to sell to the public. But rather than make an increase in spending the focus of their \"offer\" to the voter - as Labour tried to do - they allowed the whiff of tax rises to hang over their campaign. The triple tax lock of 2015 (no increases in income tax, national insurance contributions or VAT) was dumped in favour of a single lock on VAT and a vaguer pledge to lower taxes generally. Mrs May also abandoned the pensions triple lock, which guaranteed a rise in the annual pension of at least 2.5% a year. And said nothing about curtailing the public sector pay freeze or reversing any of the in-work benefit reductions announced in previous Budgets. Cuts to public services would continue, Mrs May suggested. Cuts so deep that the Institute for Fiscal Studies wondered whether they were actually deliverable. The \"tough\" party was still on show, and with poll leads storming above 20%, it seemed like a tactic that", "summary": "Before the 2010 election, David Cameron and George Osborne believed they would be tested on one issue."}
{"article": "It follows a damning report into the Tawel Fan ward at Glan Clwyd Hospital. Simon Dean, interim chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr health board, confirmed nine staff have been reported to the Nursing and Midwifery Council and three to the General Medical Council. He will give an update on action being taken at a meeting on 11 August. Nine members of staff have been suspended, another four redeployed and three placed on restricted duties.", "summary": "The number of staff reported to their professional bodies over care at a Denbighshire mental health ward has risen to 12."}
{"article": "Loosehead Barrington, 26, has featured 82 times since joining Sarries from Jersey in 2013, and has agreed a three-year contract at Allianz Park. USA international Lamositele, 21, has signed a new two-year deal. \"Both Richard and Titi are valuable members of our squad,\" director of rugby Mark McCall said.", "summary": "Prop forwards Richard Barrington and Titi Lamositele have signed new deals with Premiership and European Champions Cup winners Saracens."}
{"article": "The Vue chain ditched a scheme granted planning permission in 2012 for a cinema in the Buttermarket centre. But the borough council has approved a new proposal for a 16-screen multiplex, gym, new shops, restaurants and bars. The centre, which opened in 1992, was bought in March for \u00a39.2m by Capital & Regional and Drum Property Group. The application has been granted subject to a number of conditions. It is hoped the multiplex will increase visitor numbers to the town, especially in the evening. Hugh Scott-Barrett, chief executive of Capital & Regional, said: \"We believe our proposals will revitalise not just Buttermarket shopping centre but Ipswich town centre as a whole by introducing a tailored mix of retail and leisure facilities.\" The new scheme also includes the widening of the St Stephen's Lane atrium inside the centre and six new restaurants and bars on the ground floor. The new 16-screen cinema will span the building's three floors. An area for a large store will remain on the ground floor but there will also be seven other shops, restaurants and bars. \"We have a real opportunity to develop Buttermarket into a vibrant shopping centre everyone can be proud of,\" Mr Scott-Barrett said.", "summary": "An Ipswich shopping centre is to be transformed with a multi-screen cinema after previously abandoned plans were altered."}
{"article": "Police said there was \"an altercation\" between a motorcyclist and a car driver after the collision in North Wingfield Road, in Grassmoor, Chesterfield, at about 21:00 BST on Tuesday. The 74 year-old man, who was driving the car, died in hospital. The biker is in police custody being questioned. A murder investigation is under way into the death. Det Ch Insp Gareth Meadows, who is leading the investigation, has asked anyone who witnessed the crash outside the Boot and Shoe Inn to contact the force. More on this and other stories from across the East Midlands", "summary": "A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following an argument after a crash in Derbyshire."}
{"article": "Sarah Cooke was principal of Foxhole Academy in St Austell where Peter Cooke carried out occasional maintenance. A disciplinary panel found she did not tell bosses of a possible safeguarding issue relating to a 2012 police caution to Mr Cooke for stealing underwear. The panel found she breached professional standards and recommended a prohibition order. The education secretary is to make a final decision on the case in due course. Mrs Cooke resigned after her husband of 30 years was arrested early last year, this time over an allegation of outraging public decency in front of a teenage boy. The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) professional misconduct panel found Mrs Cooke had showed \"a lax attitude\" and \"complete disregard\" for safeguarding her pupils, and stated she was guilty of five charges of wrongdoing. It found she had \"displayed behaviour of serious dishonesty\" in lying to her bosses that she had filled in child safeguarding paperwork. She also failed to carry out proper staff background checks for both her husband and herself. The panel was told Mrs Cooke failed to carry out a check for her husband, despite being reminded three times in the space of six months that it was her job to do so. She was also found to have allowed her husband to continue working at the school, despite knowing of his police caution for theft. Peter Cooper, NCTL panel chairman, said Mrs Cooke should have known that her husband \"had the potential to pose a significant risk to the children in her care\". An allegation Mrs Cooke failed to disclose to employers that her husband was under investigation last year for outraging public decency was found not proven. Mr Cooke, of Newquay, was given a suspended three-month jail term at Truro Crown Court in November after being found guilty of the offence. The panel was told that he was seen by neighbours, a teenage boy and the boy's mother, watching pornography and masturbating in the garden. Panel members decided his wife did not know the exact detail of the criminal inquiry at the time, but should have taken independent advice so a risk assessment could be undertaken.", "summary": "A head teacher who failed to disclose her school caretaker husband's police caution is facing a classroom ban."}
{"article": "The defending champions were all out for 282 on day one, but were 51-6 at one stage during the morning session. Hodd put on 132 with Azeem Rafiq (74) and 88 with Jack Brooks (48) but was left on 96 not out when Brett Hutton (3-67) had Ryan Sidebottom lbw. Notts lost Jake Libby and debutant Tom Moores as they closed on 38-2 in reply. Yorkshire went into the game second in the table, but needing a victory to close the 26-point gap between themselves and leaders Middlesex, who are not playing this week. Steven Mullaney (3-57) ran out Adam Lyth backing up in the ninth over and then proceeded to remove Alex Lees, Jake Lehmann and Tim Bresnan with his medium-pace. Hodd and Rafiq, who was capped during the day, led the fightback over the next 33 overs before the latter was lbw to Samit Patel. Brooks, however, played his part in their revival with his highest score of the summer before sending back Libby lbw with his opening delivery of Notts' reply, and Bresnan had Moores caught at slip with the final ball of the day.", "summary": "Andrew Hodd ran out of partners just short of a century after rescuing Yorkshire from a dismal start to their Championship game at Scarborough."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Swans fans called for the American to be sacked during Boxing Day's 4-1 home defeat by West Ham. Bradley was only appointed in October but has lost seven of his 11 matches in charge, leaving Swansea second from bottom. \"I believe in my work and the message I give to the players,\" he said. \"Having said that, there is no getting around the fact when things go against us and when the margins are small, it makes it difficult. \"I have been in difficult situations before. \"I continue to look the players in the eye, challenge them and tell them the only way we can do this is if we all stick together and keep going.\" Prior to the West Ham match, Bradley had admitted his future could depend on the outcome of the Boxing Day fixture and the home encounter with Bournemouth on New Year's Eve. Defeat by the Hammers was Swansea's third in succession, and the heavy manner of the loss means Swansea have conceded 29 goals in Bradley's 11 games at the helm. The Liberty Stadium crowd turned on the 58-year-old after West Ham's second goal, with chants of 'we want Bradley out' and 'you don't know what you're doing'. The Swans are now four points adrift of safety in the Premier League, having conceded 19 goals in their last six games. \"At the moment, we are our own worst enemies. No matter what do, we seem to put ourselves in terrible spots,\" Bradley added. \"We all heard the response in the stadium today. It doesn't feel good but sometimes in football, you have to fight when everything is going against you. \"There is no magic formula, other than having a bunch of guys who don't give up and find a way to turn things in a better way. \"I said when I came here, I understood it was a difficult situation. \"I committed myself to the club, to work, fight, to do the job. I continue to be fully committed to that.\" West Ham manager Slaven Bilic had some sympathy for Bradley, saying: \"It would be crazy for them [Swansea] to change the manager again.\" Former England captain Alan Shearer: \"Swansea just aren't working hard enough. There's no excuse for the second goal. Winston Reid gets above the two defenders - there's no way he should win the ball - but he gets above them because he wants it more, it means more to him. \"It was a big punt bringing Bob Bradley in, with his lack of experience of Premier League players and lack of experience in the Premier League. It was always going to be a big ask of him to keep Swansea up.\"", "summary": "Swansea City manager Bob Bradley believes he can save them from relegation and remains \"committed\" to the Premier League strugglers."}
{"article": "Andrejs Borodins was in charge of the 1,300 tonne cargo ship Frifjord when a pilot from Dundee harbour found him staggering and incoherent. The 53-year-old Latvian had planned to sail the 250ft ship from Perth to Norway in July. Borodins was jailed for four months at Dundee Sheriff Court. The captain's drunken state was discovered when pilot Barry Nisbet came aboard at Balmerino to help steer the vessel past the road and rail bridges on the Tay. He sent Borodins to his bunk to sleep off his intoxication, with the first mate taking the wheel as the ship docked in Dundee. Police attended and arrested Borodins, who failed a breath test. He pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge under the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003. Defence solicitor John Kydd said Borodins had been working at sea for 25 years, having previously done his national service in the Russian military. He said: \"It is lucky for him that the pilot did what he did otherwise there could have been a disaster - there could have been an accident. \"He was exhausted from doing back to back six hour shifts and that was his reason for drinking. \"He says he doesn't normally drink much - this was abnormal for him.\" Sheriff Alastair Brown jailed Borodins for four months, reduced from six months for his early guilty plea. He said: \"This charge is not equivalent to drink driving. \"You put yourself in a condition where you were unable to discharge your responsibilities as master of the vessel. \"I regard that as very serious - it is a gross breach of your duty.\"", "summary": "A drunken sea captain caught sailing a cargo ship up the River Tay while almost four times the legal alcohol limit has been jailed."}
{"article": "Too many over-65s end up in accident and emergency unnecessarily, says the NHS Confederation's Commission on Improving Urgent Care for Older People. The group said this was because of a lack of help when they fell ill. It called for radical steps, including providing urgent care at home and getting doctors to carry out \"ward rounds\" in care homes. The commission's report said older people were \"poorly served\" and \"all too often forced to go to A&E\". And once in hospital, they faced longer stays and losing some of their independence. The report said older people needed more help navigating the complexities of the health and care system. It pointed to an Age UK scheme in Cornwall, where the frailest people had co-ordinators helping organise their care. It also said GPs could identify and work with patients most at risk of hospital admission. The report also highlighted a scheme in north-east London, where hospital and ambulance staff were working together to provide emergency care in people's homes. Nurses and paramedics assess and treat older people who have fallen but not suffered a fracture. Equipment, such as walking frames, can be arranged. And from April to July last year, seven in 10 of the patients seen had stayed at home. Another project highlighted was in Hertfordshire, where GPs visited care home residents on a regular basis, with rapid response teams on call to attend to residents who needed urgent help. Source: Commission on Improving Urgent Care for Older People Dr Mark Newbold, who chairs the commission, said: \"Older people do need to access A&E at times, and the best hospitals tailor their service to meet their needs. \"But all too often, older people are forced to go to A&E because the alternative services that would help them be cared for at home are not available at the time they need them.\" A spokeswoman for the Department of Health in England said the government was fully supportive of the ideas put forward. She pointed out a pot of money known as the Better Care Fund - amounting to \u00c2\u00a35.3bn this year - had been set aside to fund schemes largely focused on keeping people out of hospital. The vision of improving care for older people was \"being realised\", she added. Meanwhile, the Local Government Association has called for more to be done to tackle loneliness, now a \"major public health concern\". Councillor Izzi Seccombe said it was increasingly being reported as an issue among older people referred to councils for care. She said the solution lay in supporting befriending schemes and those that tackled social isolation, many of which were run by the voluntary sector. \"The impact of loneliness can be devastating,\" she added.", "summary": "Older people in need of urgent help are being failed by the NHS, a group of English and Welsh health leaders say."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old will play Arsenal in a competitive fixture for the first time when Forest face the Gunners in the EFL Cup third round on Tuesday. \"Most people don't celebrate when they score and some go absolutely crazy and start chaos, which is fun,\" he said. \"For me out of respect I will celebrate a little bit, but it won't be crazy.\" Bendtner began his senior with Arsenal and spent nine years with the club, before moving to German side Wolfsburg in 2014. \"[Arsenal] feels like a long time away. I had been there a long time but so much has happened since, so it's a little bit of a distant memory,\" he told BBC Radio Nottingham. \"Things happen in football, it's a quick career and you have 15 or 20 years. \"I was there at an early age and there's many things - ups and downs - that have happened but it's in the past and I only look to the future.\" The Denmark international says he has good memories of his time at Arsenal, but hopes his new club can progress to the fourth round of the EFL Cup for the first time since 2004-05. \"I am sure I will probably pop into the dressing room after the match,\" he continued. \"In 90 minutes when I go onto the pitch I am focused on Forest to win the match for them and after all the emotions it's a different story.\"", "summary": "Nottingham Forest forward Nicklas Bendtner will not \"go crazy\" if he scores against Arsenal despite his time at the club being a distant memory."}
{"article": "The deceased was the driver of a white coloured van that was involved in a collision on the Tullyvar Road shortly before 20.30 BST on Saturday. The road was closed for a time but has now reopened. Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the collision to contact police.", "summary": "A man in his 40's has died following a road traffic collision in Aughnacloy, County Tyrone."}
{"article": "Stevenson was under contract until the end of the season, but having started just four games during this campaign, an early release was agreed. The 31-year-old had a spell with Exeter during the 2008-09 season, before a two-year spell with Harlequins. He moved back to Belfast in 2011 to join his home province, Ulster. Lock Stevenson made 89 appearances for the Irish province, scoring one try, which came against Treviso at Kingspan Stadium earlier this season. \"I am extremely proud to have played a part in this Ulster team over the last five seasons. Every time I pulled on the shirt it meant something to me\" said Stevenson. \"However, the time is right for me to face a new challenge and I am excited about being part of Exeter Chiefs again. \"I appreciate how Ulster have handled this and I wish them every success for the rest of the season.\" Ulster's Operations Director, Bryn Cunningham, commented that Stevenson would be \"missed both on and off the pitch\". \"Player welfare is crucial for this club and in dealing closely with his agent and Lewis himself, we believe that this outcome will give him the best chance of furthering his rugby career,\" stated Cunningham. \"It also gives an opportunity during the remainder of the current season for Academy players like John Donnan and Alex Thompson, who have been working with Pete Browne in the 'A' set-up, to move up the pecking order, therefore getting exposure at a higher level, as we continue to develop our young, home-grown indigenous players.\" \"With the addition of the very promising and exciting Kieran Treadwell coming in next season, plus the current impressive displays and continued improvement of Alan O'Connor, this again bolsters our resources of planning for the future in the second row department.\"", "summary": "Second row Lewis Stevenson is to join Exeter Chiefs with immediate effect after being released from his contract with Ulster Rugby by mutual agreement."}
{"article": "Kompany - back after a five-month injury lay-off - left the field by his own choice in injury time after City had made all three substitutions. Gael Clichy's fourth goal in English football had put City in charge before Aleix Garcia swept home a second. Swansea's record signing Borja Baston missed several chances before Gylfi Sigurdsson scored a late consolation. Belgian centre-back Kompany sat out Euro 2016 and had not played since injury forced him off in City's Champions League semi-final defeat by Real Madrid on 4 May. \"The doctors are speaking with him, but hopefully it is not a big, big problem. We're going to wait for the result,\" said City manager Pep Guardiola. \"Once they scored the goal, after I said: 'What happened?'. They said that Vincent had gone to the locker room. Hopefully, it will not be a big problem. We will have to wait. If he's injured, he's injured. He cannot stay on the pitch.\" \"It's not easy after a long, long time without playing. Defensively, he was so strong - he played really good.\" Both sides rang the changes for this game but City showed they have the depth to compete in all competitions - despite Guardiola scoffing at the notion of winning four trophies - with the likes of Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta and John Stones restored by the Spaniard. Swansea made eight changes themselves, and starts for the likes of Jay Fulton and defender Kyle Naughton, as a winger, gave their team an experimental look. A close first half saw chances limited, but City surged ahead after the break through Clichy's deflected goal and might have added to Garcia's smart second after Jesus Navas' pinpoint cross. City twice came close to gifting the Swans a goal, but Borja was denied by Willy Caballero either side of half-time, before Sigurdsson's late consolation effort from close range. Swansea manager Francesco Guidolin: \"It is not a good moment for us. Little things are going against us, we are missing chances. \"Manchester City are a very good team, even though they changed their players around. But I am optimistic, as I saw my team play a good game. \"This is my job. With my experience, I know football is like this. it does not bring any added pressure for me. I have to work with my players, my staff and to pick up better results.\" Match ends, Swansea City 1, Manchester City 2. Second Half ends, Swansea City 1, Manchester City 2. Corner, Swansea City. Conceded by Tosin Adarabioyo. Goal! Swansea City 1, Manchester City 2. Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Modou Barrow. Attempt missed. Modou Barrow (Swansea City) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Substitution, Manchester City. Tosin Adarabioyo replaces Aleix Garc\u00eda. Corner, Swansea City. Conceded by Vincent Kompany. Fernando (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Leon Britton (Swansea City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by", "summary": "Vincent Kompany suffered an injury scare on his return as Manchester City eased past Swansea in the EFL Cup."}
{"article": "The 18-year-old man was taken to hospital with multiple stab wounds following the altercation in Bowleymead in the Eldene area on Saturday. Daniel Peapell, 20, and Zac Doyle, 19, both from Swindon, were charged alongside 19-year-old Raffaele Bretti from Wroughton. The three were remanded in custody by Swindon magistrates. They will all next appear at Bristol Crown Court in July.", "summary": "Three men have been charged with the attempted murder of a teenager who was stabbed repeatedly in Swindon."}
{"article": "The 51-year-old is in the town performing as Baron Hardup in the pantomime Cinderella. Tweeting about being stopped by North Wales Police officers on Sunday night, he said: \"Randomly stopped for breathalyser test, had a laugh, made some new friends! Safe, clean town, love it!\" Osmond passed the test - oh yes he did!", "summary": "American singer Jimmy Osmond has posted a video of himself being breathalysed by police officers in Llandudno."}
{"article": "But he later broke his promise and came out of retirement earlier this month to compete in the Leger Legends charity contest at Doncaster. Unsurprisingly, he ended up winning. And as it turns out, it was not to be his last appearance in the saddle at a public event. He was back in the saddle during a special homecoming event in Moneyglass, County Antrim, on Saturday. The difference this time was the 20-time champion's choice of mount and the event. The 41-year-old was back in the village where he spent his childhood to take part in a donkey derby. Also taking part were the boxing world champions Barry McGuigan and Eamon Magee and Northern Ireland record goal scorer David Healy. So did the champion jockey continue his winning form that he set at Doncaster earlier this month? Alas not, the derby was won by Barry McGuigan.", "summary": "When the record-breaking jump jockey AP McCoy retired in April, he vowed that would be his last race."}
{"article": "Of the 2,007 people polled 27% had seen a hate crime, with 20% witnessing abuse based on religion and 25% on race or ethnicity. The questionnaire was carried out by Censuswide to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day on Wednesday. More than 3,000 events are taking place across the UK to mark the event, which has taken place each year since 2001. Ceremonies are also being held around the world, including at former death camp Auschwitz, which was liberated 71 years ago. In separate figures, the Everyday Antisemitism Project - a scheme where Jewish people share experiences of discrimination - reported a surge in submissions, with 303 received in the last three months of 2015, compared to a monthly average of 32 in the preceding 14 months. Olivia Marks-Woldman, chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, which commissioned the questionnaire, said: \"The theme for the thousands of Holocaust Memorial Day events taking place across the country today is 'Don't stand by', and these figures show just how important that message is. \"Today is about remembering the atrocities of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides, but it's also about finding ways to make sure they can never happen again. \"We know that silence and indifference in the face of discrimination and hatred allows persecution to take root, so we want to encourage people to stand up and speak out, in the way many brave souls have in the past.\" The most common form of hate crime reported was verbal abuse. Of the incidents witnessed 28% were online on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. More than three quarters of those asked [77%] said there was no difference between bullying or \"trolling\" someone online and shouting abuse at them in the street. Some 300 people polled said they had been victim of a hate crime, with 61% saying no-one intervened while the incident was happening. Censuswide surveyed the over-16s in Britain between 2 and 7 December last year. Holocaust Memorial Day also remembers atrocities in countries such as Cambodia, Bosnia and Rwanda. The main UK memorial ceremony will take place at the Guildhall in London and will be broadcast on BBC Two at 19:00 GMT.", "summary": "More than a quarter of people in the UK have witnessed a hate crime in the last year, a new poll suggests."}
{"article": "The 34-year-old was struck on Lochend Road, near the junction with Auchingill Road just after midnight. He was taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary with serious injuries. Sgt Andy Shearer of Police Scotland said inquiries were at an early stage and appealed for anyone with information to get in touch.", "summary": "A man is in a critical condition after being hit by a bus in the Easterhouse area of Glasgow."}
{"article": "Martin Hamilton said water used for washing crops on his land had leaked into the Enler River, near Comber. He estimated about 25 tonnes, or 25,000 litres of the dirty water, which kills the oxygen in the river, left the farm. Local people estimate thousands of fish had died. The Department of the Environment (DoE) said it was a water pollution incident of \"high severity\". Two government departments are investigating. Martin Hamilton told the BBC: \"We have a massive run-off on one of the fields and we have got ourselves into a real mess. A total apology from ourselves to everyone involved.\" He said not all of the dirty water had gone into the river. \"It is a situation that we are deeply embarrassed by. We plan to throw every resource at it to recover it,\" he said. \"We are giving cast iron guarantees that we will be replacing any stock that is lost.\" The DoE said a \"definite line of inquiry\" was being followed. It said evidence was being collected from premises with a view to prosecution. A joint investigation is being carried out by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, part of the DoE, and the Inland Waterways and Fisheries branch of the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure. In a statement, the DoE said an anonymous call had been made to the water pollution hotline on Thursday, indicating that a large number of dead fish had been found in the river. An inspection was subsequently carried out by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. The Enler River is a tributary of Strangford Lough. Councillor Robert Gibson said the local council had been aware of pollution on the river, and a smell in the town, for some time. \"So many years work have gone into this and now it's all gone,\" he said. \"Today we have lost thousands (of fish). We've probably lost them all, up to a five-metre span of the river.\" Eddie Donnelly from the Enler Angling Club said it was the worst fish kill he had ever seen. \"I was devastated by the amount of dead fish. The whole life has been taken out of the river,\" he said.", "summary": "A farmer has said he is deeply sorry that his business was responsible for a major fish kill in a County Down river."}
{"article": "The incident happened at the junction with the B937, near Collessie, at about 21:05 on Saturday. Police have appealed for witnesses to the accident which involved a silver Volkswagen Beetle. Sgt James Henry, of Police Scotland, said: \"Anyone who may have seen a man walking in the area of the A91 around that time on Saturday, or who witnessed the incident, please get in touch.\"", "summary": "A man has died after being hit by a car on the A91 in Fife."}
{"article": "That is the rather startling advice in a blogpost that is being widely shared right now. Its author, Quincy Larson, is a software engineer, who has previously written about the importance of protecting personal data. He now fears that data could be at risk every time you cross a border. His concerns were sparked by the story of Sidd Bikkannavar, an American-born Nasa engineer, who flew home from a trip to Chile last month. On arrival in Houston, he was detained by the border police and, by his own account, put under great pressure to hand over the passcode to his smartphone, despite the fact that the device had been issued to him by Nasa. Eventually, Bikkannavar did hand over both the phone and the passcode. It was taken away for 30 minutes and then returned, and he was free to go. Larson sees this as a very dangerous precedent: \"What we're seeing now is that anyone can be grabbed on their way through customs and forced to hand over the full contents of their digital life.\" We also know that the new homeland security secretary, John Kelly, has talked of requiring visa applicants to hand over passwords to their social media accounts - though whether that could apply at the border too is not clear. And on Thursday, a new Republican congressman took to Twitter to announce proudly that he had introduced his first bill - to require the review of visa applicants' social media. Larson predicts that a policy where travellers are asked to download the contents of their phones will soon become commonplace, not just in the United States but around the world. Hence his advice to leave your mobile phone and laptop at home and rent devices when you get to your destination. Which seems a little extreme. I can't imagine being separated from my smartphone on a flight - and I'm sure many others feel the same. So I decided to seek some advice from the UK Foreign Office and the US embassy in London. Was there a danger that I would be forced by border officials to unlock my phone or hand over my social media passwords? The Foreign Office told me their travel advice did not cover this subject because they had not received any calls about it. But they did suggest that if I happened to be trapped in immigration at JFK airport with a border agent demanding my passcode, I could call the British embassy and arrange a lawyer. As for the American embassy, well I called before lunchtime on Thursday and got a perfectly pleasant response. They would need to speak to Washington and would get back to me later about the matter of my smartphone and my Facebook and Twitter accounts. As I write, it's Friday morning and I've heard nothing. Perhaps Washington has other matters on its mind. So perhaps I'd better take what I believe is known as a \"burner\" phone the next time I fly across the Atlantic. Update: Forty-eight hours after my first enquiry, I have now", "summary": "\"The next time you plan to cross a border, leave your phone at home.\""}
{"article": "One of Afghanistan's largest cities, it has long been a strategically important transport hub for the north of the country. Kunduz is linked by highways to Kabul in the south, with Mazar-e-Sharif in the west and with Tajikistan in the north. But it has always held symbolic significance for the Taliban because it was a key northern stronghold before 2001. Kunduz is considered a gateway to Afghanistan's northern provinces and shares a border with Tajikistan, Afghanistan's Central Asian neighbour. The border with Tajikistan is porous, and it is used for the smuggling of Afghan opium and heroin to Central Asia, which finally finds its way to Europe. Any side controlling Kunduz would not only influence the surrounding areas, but could also control one of the most important drug smuggling routes in the region. Security for the region - which was a flagship project for the German army - was transferred to Afghan forces in 2013. But Kunduz has many other problems: bad governance as well as incompetence and intimidation by some local officials have alienated many in the province. It has long been at the frontline of a determined campaign by the Taliban to reclaim it. In May last year the BBC's David Loyn reported from there as fighting between government forces and the Taliban unfolded. The Taliban already control huge chunks of the province's rural areas, where the majority of the population lives. The insurgents have intensified their fighting in the province over the past two years. A BBC reporter visited the city after it was back in government hands following its September 2015 capture. He found shock, a jail emptied of prisoners and many residents fearful of a Taliban return. The battle for the city saw one of the worst incidents in the recent Afghan war when a Medecins sans Frontieres hospital was hit by a US air strike. The city is estimated to have about 300,000 residents but those numbers are likely to be fluid because fighting has prompted many to flee the city. Tens of thousands of people were displaced, living in shelters, spread across large tracts of countryside. Although the insurgents were pushed back, they always had numbers in the region and many observers believed it was only a matter of time before a determined assault was attempted. BBC Afghan's Dawood Azami and Inayatulhaq Yasini contributed to this report.", "summary": "The brief militant seizure of Kunduz in 2015 was one of the Afghan government's worst setbacks since Taliban forces were ousted in 2001."}
{"article": "Thousands of miners and police clashed at the South Yorkshire coking site. Campaigners met with Home Secretary Amber Rudd to renew calls for a probe into police handling of the event. It comes after an ex-PC told Channel 4 officers were told to write statements for arrests they had not made. He said: \"I knew in my own mind that was wrong.\" A delegation from the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC), which met with the Home Secretary, said they were feeling \"positive\" after the meeting. The so-called Battle of Orgreave saw miners attempt to stop lorry loads of coke leaving for the steel works, with police holding them back. About 6,000 officers are alleged to have used excessive force to suppress the miners' strike at the plant. What was the 'Battle of Orgreave'? Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham, who was also in attendance, said it was an \"encouraging meeting\" and he hopes a decision will be made to \"shine a spotlight on our country's past\". Former miner Kevin Horne said: \"I think we have reached another milestone. There's still a way to go, but we're getting there.\" Earlier, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and other MPs gathered for a demonstration outside Parliament to lend their support. Veteran Labour MP Dennis Skinner, who was at Orgreave, said: \"The police at Orgreave were called upon to write the same thing over and over again about every single miner they arrested.\" A total of 95 miners were charged following the clashes but their trial collapsed.", "summary": "Campaigners calling for a public inquiry into the 1984 Battle of Orgreave disorder have been told a decision will be made by the end of October."}
{"article": "The level of compensation is set at \u20ac100,000 per person per account across the European Union. Since 2010, that has meant a limit of \u00a385,000 in the UK. But that amount is recalculated every five years. Due to a weak euro in the summer of 2015, the new level has been set at \u00a375,000 from Jan 1 2016. The limit offers compensation to anyone who has money in a UK authorised bank, building society, credit union or friendly society that goes bust. On the assumption that the insolvency stopped you getting your money out in the normal manner, you would be invited to apply to the FSCS for compensation. Any savings institutions should be formally authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority to hold your money. If it is not, it is operating fraudulently. The plan now is that most savers will receive their compensation within seven days, and the remainder of them within 20 days. As before, holders of joint accounts are both eligible for compensation in their own right. So, a payment of up to \u00a3170,000 (\u00a3150,000 from Jan 2016) may be made in relation to a joint account. Your debt to the bank will still exist and you will still have to repay it - the loan will not evaporate just because your lender has gone bust. Any money owed to you by the bank, e.g. in a savings account, will be paid in its totality - up to the new limit. Previously it would have been offset by any sum you owed to the savings institution. Firstly, there is only one chunk of compensation per saver, per authorised institution. So if you have two or more accounts with one bank your compensation limit will not be greater than for someone with just one account. This is a more complicated issue, though, if you have money in two or more banks with different names. If they are all part of a wider banking group, or one of its divisions, which has just one overall PRA authorisation, then you will still be eligible for only one chunk of compensation. If, however, the banks holding your money have separate authorisations, despite being part of a larger group, then you will still be able to claim compensation per bank, regardless of the fact that they may all be owned by one giant institution. You can check whether an institution is authorised at a group level or as a separate entity by checking the authorised firms register on the PRA's website. This specifies the biggest authorised deposit takers and the different names and bank brands that they cover. For example, if you have \u00a385,000 saved with Barclays and \u00a385,000 with HSBC Bank, all of this would be protected. However, if you have money in accounts with two different brands within the same authorised institution, then only \u00a385,000 is covered. An example would be having two accounts, one with Barclays and one with Standard Life Bank, as Standard Life Bank has been part of Barclays since the start of 2010 and is covered by Barclays'", "summary": "Bank and building society accounts in the UK come with a guarantee: if the institution holding your money goes bust, you will be compensated."}
{"article": "Millions of Iranians voted on Friday for members of the assembly, which appoints Iran's supreme leader, and also in parliamentary elections. Reformists and moderates have won all the seats in the capital Tehran. But Sadeq Larijani said reformists had worked with \"American and English media outlets\" during the poll. \"Is this type of coordination with foreigners in order to push out these figures from the Assembly of Experts in the interests of the regime?\" he said in a statement. Early results gave former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a moderate conservative, and Iran's reformist President Hassan Rouhani the most votes for the assembly. The vote for the assembly has assumed added significance given that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, is 76 and has suffered ill-health. It is the first time Iranians have gone to the poll since last years landmark nuclear deal and the lifting of international sanctions. The parliamentary result in Tehran is significant because lawmakers from the capital usually determine the political direction of the house, analysts say. But with a mixed vote outside the capital neither the reformist or hardliners are likely to have overall control of parliament. This stunning election result will make a difference in Iran's engagement with the wider world. President Rouhani's hand has been strengthened in parliament to help open his country to greater trade and investment. That will help him, and others in his reformist camp, to deepen the dialogue with the West, which began with negotiations on a landmark nuclear deal. But much of this opening will continue to be with Europe, rather than the US. Iran's relationship with America is still complex and controversial. Iran's ambitions in the region are also deeply rooted - it has strategic interests in countries like Syria, Iraq and Lebanon as well as Afghanistan, and a strong sense of its right to remain engaged. These are areas where Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards and its conservative Supreme leader hold sway. But Iran wants to be regarded as an equal partner, able to sit at the world's top tables to work on common threats like the so-called Islamic State. President Rouhani's team may now feel empowered to engage a bit more, more often. What is the Assembly of Experts? Mr Rouhani said on Saturday that the election was an endorsement of his efforts to end Iran's international isolation. \"The competition is over. It's time to open a new chapter in Iran's economic development based on domestic abilities and international opportunities,\" the official Irna news agency quoted him as saying. Despite securing the nuclear deal he has faced resistance at home to domestic reform. Ayatollah Khamenei said the turnout, at 60%, showed \"the brilliant face of religious democracy to the world\", Iran's conservative Tasnim news agency reported. But he also urged \"vigilance\" against what the agency called \"foreign meddling\". BBC Persian's Ali Hamedani says the economy was a key issue in the process. With sanctions lifted and Western investors beginning to return to Iran, there are high hopes for an improvement in daily life, he says.", "summary": "A leading Iranian cleric has accused reformists of colluding with the West to block hardline appointments to the country's Assembly of Experts."}
{"article": "Neptune's Army of Rubbish Cleaners (NARC), which is celebrating its 10th year of diving for marine litter, will take to Milford Haven's waters on Tuesday. Welfare charity World Animal Protection has funded the dive. NARC said 20,000 lobster pots had been lost in Wales in winter storms. The group - which has collected 70 lost pots so far this year and is working with local fishermen to locate more - said the gear could trap marine life and eventually kill them. NARC chairman David Kennard said: \"It is great to be making close links with local fishermen who are able to tell us where their gear was last sighted, giving us a chance to dive, locate and bring it back to the surface.\" The group said the clearing of marine litter had a \"significant impact\" on the sustainability of local fisheries and biodiversity. Christina Dixon, of World Animal Protection, said it was supporting the dive as part of the Sea Change campaign to get rid of so-called \"ghost fishing gear\".", "summary": "A volunteer diving group is to trawl the Pembrokeshire coast to clear up lost or discarded lobster pots which endanger marine life."}
{"article": "Manchester City Council used a crane to remove the 44ft (13.5m) trailer, which had sunk into the road surface in South Street, Openshaw. The cost of removal and disposal was almost \u00c2\u00a310,000. Councillor Nigel Murphy said the people who dumped it had \"stolen from Manchester taxpayers\". The trailer, which weighed double the legal limit, had been stripped of usable parts and scrap metal, as well as all its identifying features, such as registration plates. Mr Murphy said investigators suspected the waste had \"come from a site used to sort skips\". A council spokesman said it was hoped \"someone working in logistics\" would recognise the vehicle, which was described as \"an old tri-axle steel waste hydraulic ejector trailer\".", "summary": "A trailer filled with 90 tonnes of domestic waste was dumped on a street in an act of \"fly-tipping on an industrial scale\", a council has said."}
{"article": "Thieves stole about 12 tonnes of lead from the roof St Mary's Church, Great Brington, Northamptonshire, in the early hours of Tuesday morning. They stripped more than 3,000 sq ft of lead from the church. Princess Diana's father, the 8th Earl Spencer, is buried at the church, which also includes the Spencer Chapel. The church is sited near the Princess's ancestral seat of Althorp, which was inherited by her brother Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, in 1992. Northamptonshire Police said it was believed the thieves broke through a gate then drove a vehicle into the churchyard, knocking over a gravestone on the way. Officers investigating the theft have asked anyone who was in the area at the time or who knows anything about the theft to contact police. Rev Sue Kipling, rector of the Spencer benefice - which includes the church of St Mary the Virgin with St John in Great Brington - said: \"It's a huge loss to us. It will cost more than \u00a340,000 to replace. \"You can now see the sunlight coming into the church through the roof, although the Althorp estate has provided tarpaulin to protect the inside of the building in the short term.\" She said the church held a service and prayed for the thieves. The church is also connected to the first president of the US. George Washington's great-great-grandfather Lawrence Washington is buried in the chancel.", "summary": "More \u00a340,000 of lead has been stolen from a 13th Century church with links to the family of the late Princess Diana."}
{"article": "The claim: Sir Michael Wilshaw, England's chief inspector of schools, says there is a noticeable north-south divide when it comes to the rate at which schools are improving, giving children in the North poorer chances of educational success. Reality Check verdict: There is evidence that the children in the North of England have less chance of educational success than children in the South of England at secondary level, but it is difficult to point to a single reason for this. There is a link between deprivation and poorer school results, but the most deprived areas of London have experienced dramatic improvements in schools in the past 20 years. In an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Thursday, chief inspector of schools Sir Michael Wilshaw said that in northern England \"children have less of a chance of educational success than children south of the Wash\". Delivering the report, he said the gap between the North and Midlands and the South was widening and now stood at 12 percentage points - in the North and Midlands, 72% of secondary schools were rated good or outstanding compared with 84% in the South. This means there are 135,000 more secondary school children being taught in under-performing schools in the northern England and the Midlands than in the South. According to Ofsted, there are more than twice as many secondary schools judged inadequate in the North and Midlands (98 schools or 6%) compared with 44 in the South and East (3%). Sir Michael also said that of the 10 worst performing local authority areas, seven were in the North or Midlands and pupils in these regions were less likely to achieve the highest grades at GCSE. The seven in the North and Midlands were: The three in the South were: The government says the proportion of good schools is increasing in every region. It has certainly increased overall - the proportion of schools judged to be good or outstanding has increased by 12 percentage points since 2011. But improvement is not happening at the same rate across the country, as is clear from the widening gap between the North and the South. The Ofsted report says that in some parts of the North and Midlands, improvement over the past five years has \"stagnated\". \"In 2011, the North West was one of the stronger regions, but the proportion of pupils in good and outstanding schools is now just over three percentage points higher than five years ago,\" it says. \"This means there are only just over 3,000 more pupils in good and outstanding secondary schools in the region compared to an increase of over 90,000 pupils in London in the same period.\" Some of this difference will be down to a declining pupil population, but according to Ofsted this does not account for it entirely. A report from think tank the IPPR in 2015 found there was a north-south gap in GCSE attainment, in terms of the number of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs including English and maths. On average, 55% of pupils in the", "summary": "The north-south divide in education was a central theme in Ofsted's annual report for the second year in a row."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The session was called off after just two of the three parts because conditions had deteriorated to the point that the track was too dangerous. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel took fifth but will be demoted 10 places. Hamilton needs to beat Rosberg by two points and Vettel by nine to seal his third title this weekend. The Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat will be on the second row with the Force India cars making up the third after Vettel's demotion. Media playback is not supported on this device Vettel and team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who qualified eighth, have been penalised for using more than the permitted number of engines. Force India's Sergio Perez will start fifth ahead of team-mate Nico Hulkenberg. The Ferrari drivers' penalties mean Williams's Felipe Massa, who qualified ninth, will start seventh, ahead of Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen and McLaren's Fernando Alonso. \"I felt comfortable with the car,\" Rosberg said. \"It is quite challenging - the car snaps quite suddenly, but I got a good lap together.\" Hamilton said: \"It was lots of fun out there for all of us. It's a shame we couldn't go out at the end. \"I had hoped we could go out and clean the track. It looks like a lot of people have turned up today to watch. I hope the weather eases up for the race.\" Ricciardo said he expected \"we will have a lot of run\" in the race. The race is due to start at 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT) and weather forecasts suggest conditions will improve by then. Austin, Texas, is still being affected by rain on the periphery of tropical storm Patricia and has seen record amount of rain in the last 24 hours. Behind Alonso will be Williams's Valtteri Bottas, Lotus's Romain Grosjean and the second McLaren of Jenson Button. Alonso has a new-specification Honda engine in his car, which was not available to Button this weekend, prompting the Englishman to joke on Thursday that he hoped his team-mate would \"annihilate\" him. Unfortunately for him, he got his wish, at least in qualifying - Button was 0.928secs slower than Alonso, significantly more than the small improvement in power in the upgraded engine was worth in lap time. Media playback is not supported on this device Button, who was complaining about a lack of rear grip, said conditions at the end of the second part of the session were too dangerous. \"At the end,\" he said, \"the team were like, 'Come on, one last big push.' And I was like, 'Right'. I was just floating.\" Vettel added that the weather had meant the track was in \"red flag conditions\". A number of drivers had spins during the treacherous session, with the fast kink at Turn 10 proving the most dangerous part of the track - Hamilton, Vettel, Hulkenberg and Raikkonen were among the drivers who lost control there. Media playback is not supported on this device But despite the difficult conditions only one driver crashed - Toro Rosso's Carlos", "summary": "Nico Rosberg beat Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to pole position at the United States Grand Prix as qualifying was truncated by rain."}
{"article": "Inland Fisheries Ireland said the pink salmon, which are of Pacific origin, were found in rivers in Counties Galway, Mayo and Donegal. The fishing board said it was concerned about the impact the fish may have on Ireland's Atlantic species. The pink salmon was also found earlier this month in Scotland. Pink Salmon, also known as humpback salmon, originate from the west coasts of the United States, Canada and northern Asia. The fish are a favourite prey of North America's grizzly bears. A potentially invasive species to the UK, the salmon may be related to fish introduced to the Barents Sea in Russia in the 1950s. The species can be identified by the following characteristics: However, Dr Greg Forde, head of operations at Inland Fisheries Ireland, said \"it seems unlikely that these fish made a migration due to their small size\". He said the appearance of the species was a \"mystery\". \"We are appealing to the public, and the angling community in particular, to be vigilant and to report any catch of pink salmon to Inland Fisheries Ireland,\" he added.", "summary": "A non-native species of salmon has been found in rivers along the west coast of Ireland, causing concern among Irish fishing authorities."}
{"article": "She is calling the brand Cefinn - taking inspiration from the initials of her four children Elwen, Florence, Ivan and Nancy. Mrs Cameron said she wanted to design \"an urban uniform for busy women\" and that she felt there was a \"gap in the market\". Her husband stood down in July after the EU referendum. She was lauded for her sartorial choices during his tenure as prime minister and regularly championed the British fashion industry. Items from the 40-piece ready-to-wear collection, launching for spring/summer 2017, will retail at between \u00c2\u00a3100 and \u00c2\u00a3300. Mrs Cameron said: \"I wanted to create an urban uniform for busy women who love fashion. \"I felt there was a gap in the market for a designer British brand at a contemporary price point offering a capsule wardrobe that takes you from day to evening.\" A publicity picture shows her in a sleeveless black outfit with scarlet piping at the shoulders, taken from the collection. Mrs Cameron, who has a consultancy role at luxury leather goods makers Smythson, where she was previously creative director, was named one of the best-dressed women in the world by Vanity Fair last year. She is also a British Fashion Council ambassador. She told Vogue she had \"spent a lot of time trying stuff on friends\", and added: \"I felt that there was a lot of American and French brands out there that fit that bracket of designer contemporary with the right price point and the right styling, but there aren't that many British brands which fill that space.\" Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Samantha Cameron, the wife of former Prime Minister David Cameron, is launching a new fashion label."}
{"article": "Baker, 23, and Thornton, 20, trained with Wales ahead of the 2015 World Cup, but were omitted from the squad. Both have signed three-year deals, taking the total of players on NDCs to 16, with Ospreys contributing half. Their salaries funded 60% by the Welsh Rugby Union and 40% by the regions. Baker has been capped three times and Thornton led Wales Under-20 in the 2015 Six Nations. The duo's deals were announced a day after Ospreys hooker Scott Baldwin and back-five player James King signed dual contracts. Baldwin, 27, was his country's first-choice hooker at the recent World Cup and has signed until 2019. Lock or back-rower King, 25, has secured a deal until 2018. The deals, which give the Welsh Rugby Union more control over players, were introduced to help stem the exodus of stars such as Toulon's Leigh Halfpenny from Wales. Newport Gwent Dragons number eight Taulupe Faletau turned down a dual contract in May 2015 and Bath's recent bid to sign him was vetoed by Wales coach Warren Gatland. Baker, Thornton, Baldwin and King have signed against a backdrop in which fly-half Rhys Priestland has taken an 18-month Test rugby sabbatical to concentrate on playing for Bath after leaving Scarlets. Gatland said: \"Dan and Rory are players of significant potential. \"We look forward to continuing to work with them at national squad headquarters, but also to watching them continue to flourish for the Ospreys.\" Fly-half Biggar is expected to sign a contract extension, but lock Jones is considering his future beyond the end of the 2015-16 season. Wales captain Sam Warburton was the first of the nation's current generation to commit to a dual deal.", "summary": "Ospreys number eight Dan Baker and uncapped lock Rory Thornton have become the latest Welsh players to sign national dual contracts (NDC)."}
{"article": "Tomas Driukas, 26, from Birmingham, was jailed for life in 2016 for killing his daughter Deimante Driukaite. An investigation found the baby died as a result of a brain trauma consistent with being shaken with force. The NSPCC said the review highlighted that healthcare professionals \"must leave no stone unturned when dealing with vulnerable families\". Police said Driukas had shaken his daughter because she would not stop crying. Deimante died on 1 April 2015 in hospital after her father called an ambulance to the family home in Perry Barr, Birmingham. The serious case review said Driukas and his partner were Lithuanians who had settled in England in 2010. Its author Jim Stewart, an independent social work consultant, said the family had faced pressures related to Deimante being born prematurely and having complex health needs. \"They were young parents living in another country... clearly facing a challenge,\" he added. \"The family lived in a privately rented multiple-occupancy house and had limited extended family support.\" Mr Stewart said the family's needs were not clearly understood by healthcare professionals. \"A significant opportunity was missed to explore the complex needs, [the] parents' capacity to meet their needs, cramped home conditions and for joint planning between hospital and community health professionals.\" However, the report concluded Deimante's death could not have been prevented. An NSPCC spokesperson said: \"Deimante suffered horrifically at the hands of her own father, who carries sole responsibility for her violent and tragically early death. \"While Tomas Driukas's vile actions could not have been predicted, the review highlights that professionals in Birmingham and elsewhere must leave no stone unturned when dealing with vulnerable families with complex needs.\"", "summary": "A four-month-old baby's murder by her father could not have been predicted, a serious case review has found."}
{"article": "The archive is making available thousands of items too fragile to go on public display. There will also be pages on the conservation work carried out by the Jersey Heritage Trust as it tries to preserve the past. The trust looks after over 350,000 artefacts, works of art and information relating to the island's history. The website also includes Occupation Archive material which was listed on the UNESCO UK memory of the world register in early 2011. Linda Romeril, Head of Archives and Collections at Jersey Heritage, said the collections were \"at the heart of what we do and it is our duty to protect and pass on these unique items to future generations\". \"These collections define the Island; they hold the evidence for its historical development and act as the community's memory,\" she said.", "summary": "Historical documents and works of art held by the Jersey Archive have been published online for the first time."}
{"article": "Mr Fillon has denied allegations that members of his family were paid taxpayers' money for fictitious jobs. He has lost support within the centre-right party and in opinion polls ahead of the first round on 23 April. Mr Juppe, seen as his most likely replacement, attacked his rival's \"obstinacy\" but said he would not run. Opinion polls had shown that Mr Juppe would have progressed into the second round of the election. Mr Fillon is not projected to make it past the first round. They have been rumbling on for more than a month now - and the less likely they like going away, the more Mr Fillon has dug in (seemingly at the expense of his own chances of the presidency). He has fought allegations that his Welsh-born wife, Penelope, was paid for a number of years for work that she did not do as his parliamentary assistant. However Mrs Fillon, who insists she did work for her husband, told French magazine Journal du Dimanche on Saturday that \"everything was legal and declared\". Also under scrutiny are claims that two of the children, Marie and Charles, were paid by their father's office for legal work though they had not yet qualified as lawyers. At a mass rally in Paris on Sunday, a defiant Mr Fillon told tens of thousands of supporters, once again, that he would fight on. But key members of the Fillon campaign team have abandoned him and several leading Republicans have wavered in their support. Yes and no. Polls had shown the Bordeaux mayor would (unlike Mr Fillon) make it through to the second round on 7 May, alongside far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. But since losing the primary to Mr Fillon, he has repeatedly said he does not want to run as a Plan B. His announcement on Monday was consistent in that respect - he said it was \"too late\" for him to step in and unite the people. Mr Juppe, like Mr Fillon a former prime minister, did not hold back against any of the leading candidates on Monday. But he reserved his angriest comments for Mr Fillon, whose talk of a plot, and criticism of judges and the media, \"has led him into a dead-end\". \"What a waste,\" Mr Juppe said. He also warned of the difficult journey ahead for the Republicans at a time when voters wanted fresh faces. The pressure on Mr Fillon is likely to grow next week, when he is due to appear before a judge to be placed under formal investigation for embezzlement. In the short-term, his party will hold a unity summit on Monday evening, a meeting he has been urged to attend. His drop in favourability, and Mr Juppe's decision, look like clearing the way for the young centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron to battle it out against Mrs Le Pen in the second round. Polls give him a clear edge over the National Front candidate. A big question mark now hangs over former President Nicolas Sarkozy. Defeated in the first Republican primary by Mr Juppe and Mr", "summary": "Alain Juppe, the leading candidate to replace under-fire French presidential hopeful Francois Fillon, says he will not run, despite pressure to do so."}
{"article": "Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder confirmed the news following his side's 25-23 defeat at London Irish. England international Brookes, 25, had surgery on Thursday after suffering an injury against Racing 92 in the European Champions Cup. \"It's a big blow for us as he's been playing well all season and will be out for quite a while,\" Mallinder said. Brookes, capped 15 times by his country, joins fellow prop Alex Corbisiero on Northampton's injury list. Hooker Dylan Hartley did return for Saints at the Madejski Stadium on Boxing Day, lasting 60 minutes in his first appearance since 7 November having recovered from concussion.", "summary": "Northampton prop Kieran Brookes is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after having an operation on his knee."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Christian Benteke scored Liverpool's winner in the March meeting after Marriner gave a stoppage-time penalty. \"He gives the penalty last year so we've got a negative in our mind anyway,\" said Pardew. \"I don't think Andre Marriner should have reffed this game.\" Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy said: \"I don't agree with not refereeing. You can't look back at every game and start taking referees off games.\" The Professional Game Match Officials Limited - led by general manager Mike Riley - assign officials to matches. In April, it stood down Leicester fan Kevin Friend from officiating a match involving their title rivals Tottenham. Wilfried Zaha twice went down in the box for Palace, while team-mate Benteke, who left Liverpool in the summer, also had appeals for a penalty rejected. \"They are tight but they are probably no worse than Christian's last year,\" Pardew said. \"Why was Mike Riley giving him the game today? I can't understand it. It's just a little bit frustrating.\" Marriner awarded 15 fouls and a yellow card against Palace and five fouls and two bookings against Liverpool. Liverpool were twice pegged back by headers from James McArthur before Joel Matip climbed highest to restore the visitors' lead before the break. Roberto Firmino made the game safe for Liverpool with a chipped finish with 19 minutes to go. Palace, who have taken one point from their past four Premier League games, are 12th in the table.", "summary": "Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew said Andre Marriner should not have refereed Saturday's 4-2 Premier League defeat by Liverpool - because he awarded the Reds a penalty in last season's fixture."}
{"article": "Richard Ferrand, a minister in Emmanuel Macron's government, rented office space from his own partner for a fund he managed, it has emerged. The revelation comes as Mr Macron's government prepares a law to tackle political corruption. Both Mr Ferrand and the government say there was nothing illegal or unethical in the deal. No public money appears to have been involved in the deal, which took place when Mr Ferrand was head of a health insurance fund, the Mutuelles de Bretagne. However, tackling corruption in public life was a major campaign pledge from Mr Macron, who opposed MPs working as consultants or employing family members. The new justice minister is also currently drafting a bill on ethics in public life. The allegations were first unveiled in the satirical French newspaper Le Canard Encha\u00een\u00e9. In its report, it said the organisation led by Mr Ferrand had decided to rent office space from a building his partner was involved in. On the basis of that guaranteed rental income, she was then able to secure a business loan worth about \u20ac402,000 (\u00a3347,000), the paper reports. Renovations carried out by the fund would also have increased the property's value, it added. But Mr Ferrand was quick to address the issue on national television, saying the decision was made with full knowledge of his connection to the building. \"The administrators of the board, on which I did not sit, picked the best offer... which was a building owned by my partner,\" he told French broadcaster BFMTV. He also said the buildings were still being used years later - indicating satisfaction with the arrangement. He described the story as a \"pseudo-scandal\" and a \"welcome present\" for the beginning of his public life. A government spokesman, Christophe Castaner, said that while the disclosure comes as a \"bad time\", there was no question of the minister resigning, or any suggestion of illegality. Le Canard Encha\u00een\u00e9 also alleged that Mr Ferrand's son had worked as a parliamentary assistant in 2014, which the minister dismissed as minor work which lasted for only four months. Mr Ferrand has been appointed by President Macron as minister for territorial cohesion - a job he was picked for after helping the president to electoral victory as secretary general of the political party La R\u00e9publique en Marche (Republic on the move). Financial dealing between family members has become a political hot potato in France since the revelation last year - also by Le Canard Encha\u00een\u00e9 - that presidential hopeful Francois Fillon had paid his wife for parliamentary work. Media reports questioned whether she had actually performed the work she was paid for, and the controversy damaged his campaign, arguably clearing the way for Emmanuel Macron's victory.", "summary": "A close ally of France's new president is facing accusations over a property deal involving his partner."}
{"article": "It accused the leaders of the recall referendum movement of fraud. On Friday the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared more than 600,000 signatures on a petition for the referendum invalid. The opposition says the electoral authorities are biased against them. Venezuela is on the brink of economic collapse, facing high inflation and the shortage of food and basic goods. The opposition blames the Socialist policies of Mr Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, for the country's economic decline. The government says the country's economic elite, backed up by conservative forces in the United States and other countries, has been plotting to topple the government. One of Mr Maduro's closest allies, Jorge Rodriguez, has been appointed to check whether there are any irregularities in the recall referendum process. \"We have found a huge fraud against the Constitution,\" he said, after beginning legal action at the Supreme Court. \"Stop lying to the international community and stop lying to the Venezuelan people,\" he said. He stressed once again that it would not be possible to hold the referendum this year as the opposition wishes. On Saturday, Mr Maduro said the recall referendum would be held in 2017 if the opposition met the legal requirements. \"If they don't meet the requirements, there will be no recall referendum, full stop,\" said Mr Maduro. Timing is essential for both sides. If the referendum is held by 10 January 2017 and President Maduro loses, a new election will be called. If it is held after that date and the vote goes against him, his vice-president takes over and remains in power until the end of the presidential term, in January 2019. The opposition handed over the petition on 2 May. It said it had gathered the signatures of 1.85 million voters backing a recall referendum, many more than the 197,000 needed at this initial stage. The CNE said on Friday there were 1.97 million signatures on the list. The voters whose signatures have not been struck off by the CNE - more than 1.3 million people - will need to turn up at regional electoral offices to confirm their identities later this month. They will have five days from 20 June to have their signatures checked, CNE President Tibisay Lucena announced on Friday. Opposition leader Henrique Capriles urged voters to get ready to go to government offices to have their identities checked so the process can reach its next stage.", "summary": "Venezuela's government has asked the Supreme Court to reject the opposition's proposal to hold a referendum to remove President Nicolas Maduro from office."}
{"article": "He won a by-election in Clifton-with-Maidenway with almost 70% of the vote, beating the Conservative candidate who took 15% of the vote. The vacancy in the ward was opened up after Liberal Democrat Ruth Pentney died earlier this year. Mr Sanders lost his Torbay seat to Conservative Kevin Foster in May's general election after 18 years.", "summary": "Former Liberal Democrat Torbay MP Adrian Sanders has been elected to Torbay Council."}
{"article": "We have a mass of information for you to digest on our election hub at Election 2015 - Northern Ireland - BBC News We have profiles of all 18 constituencies and the main political parties and, over the coming weeks, will take an in-depth look at the party leaders. There will, of course, be analysis from our top team of political experts. All our stories are tagged, enabling you to personalise your news feed on your mobile; whether you want to follow a particular political party or you want to keep an eye on a constituency, we will keep you up to date. We also have a clickable guide to the issues at the heart of this election. And there will be a full list of candidates by the close of nominations on 9 April. We will have all the stories as the campaign builds momentum, manifestos are launched and political broadsides are exchanged between candidates and parties. On election night, the constituency streams will really come into play as you can keep across how the vote is looking in your part of Northern Ireland. We will also have an overnight live page bringing you constant updates on how the parties are faring, who is out who is in, the big stories of the election and latest from the count centres. We'll bring you up-to-date content from our reporters and correspondents in the count centres, and will be across social media with the very latest commentary. In this election, more than ever before, the focus could be on the Northern Ireland parties if there is a hung parliament. So even after the results are in, we'll bring you all the wheeling and dealing that could result in another coalition government or a minority one. And we'll bring you analysis of what this will mean for Northern Ireland. What are the top issues for each political party at the 2015 general election? Policy guide: Where the parties stand", "summary": "The general election campaign is now in full swing and you can follow every step of the way on the BBC News NI website."}
{"article": "Kyriakos Amiridis had been missing since Monday. His body was found in a burnt-out car on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro on Thursday. Police say the ambassador's Brazilian wife, Francoise Amiridis, plotted the murder with her lover. Sergio Gomes Moreira Filho confessed to strangling him to death, police said. Mrs Amiridis, 40, has been detained along with Mr Moreira, 29, and his cousin, Eduardo Melo. Mr Melo is said to have been paid about 80,000 reais ($25,000; \u00c2\u00a320,000) to act as a lookout. The three suspects have been questioned and will be held in police custody for another 30 days. Investigator Evaristo Pontes Magalhaes described the murder as \"a tragic, cowardly act,\" which police are treating as \"a crime of passion\". \"Francoise initially denied the facts. She said she had nothing to do with that. We managed to make her see that she had no alternative and that there was no point in continuing to deny it,\" said Mr Magalhaes at a news conference. \"She fell into contradictions, burst into tears and began to say that the police officer [Sergio Moreira] had carried out her husband's murder,\" he added. Mr Magalhaes said Mr Moreira had a fight with the ambassador and ended up killing him when he went to confront the diplomat about claims of violence against his wife. He said he acted in self defence. But Brazilian police have dismissed his statement. They say the policeman's cousin confessed to moving the ambassador's body and gave full details of the plot to murder Mr Amiridis, implicating both Mr Moreira and Mrs Amiridis. The 59-year-old ambassador had travelled from Brasilia to the city of Nova Iguacu, north of Rio, to spend the Christmas and new year holidays there with his wife and her parents. The couple had been living together for 15 years and their daughter is 10 years old, local reports said. Mrs Amiridis reported her husband missing on Wednesday. She told police that he had left on Monday in a car he had rented. The burnt-out vehicle was found on Thursday under a flyover on one of the main access roads to Rio with a body inside. The body was burned beyond recognition, but police said it was that of Mr Amiridis. Investigators also said that they had found blood stains on the sofa in the house where the couple was staying and say he was probably stabbed to death there. Mr Amiridis served as consul in Rio de Janeiro between 2001 and 2004 and returned to the country as ambassador earlier this year.", "summary": "Police in Brazil say the Greek ambassador to the country was killed by a local police officer who was having an affair with the envoy's wife."}
{"article": "Referee Simon Barrow went down with an injury in the ninth minute at a rainy and blustery Plainmoor, and was eventually replaced by one of his assistants. Both teams struggled to get into their rhythm after a long delay, but the game sprang into life thanks to a 25th-minute strike from Gulls skipper Aman Verma - his second goal of the season. The Gulls nearly doubled their lead when Brett Williams' header from Luke Young's corner crashed against the crossbar. Guiseley's hopes of salvaging anything from the game were dealt a severe blow 10 minutes into the second half when Jake Lawlor received a second yellow card for a late challenge on Dan Sparkes. But they equalised in fortunate circumstances when a long ball struck the shoulder of Jake Cassidy who kept his composure to steer the ball home. And the West Yorkshire side clinched the points 11 minutes from time when Will Hatfield controlled a long punt from goalkeeper Jonny Maxted before guiding the ball past Brendan Moore. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Torquay United 1, Guiseley 2. Second Half ends, Torquay United 1, Guiseley 2. Substitution, Guiseley. Javan Vidal replaces Will Hatfield. Jon Maxted (Guiseley) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Torquay United. Ruairi Keating replaces Jamie Reid. Dan Sparkes (Torquay United) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Guiseley. Adam Boyes replaces Jake Cassidy. Substitution, Torquay United. Sam Chaney replaces Lathanial Rowe-Turner. Goal! Torquay United 1, Guiseley 2. Will Hatfield (Guiseley). Substitution, Torquay United. Shaun Harrad replaces Damon Lathrope. Goal! Torquay United 1, Guiseley 1. Jake Cassidy (Guiseley). Substitution, Guiseley. Ashley Palmer replaces Jordan Preston. Second yellow card to Jake Lawlor (Guiseley) for a bad foul. Second Half begins Torquay United 1, Guiseley 0. First Half ends, Torquay United 1, Guiseley 0. Jake Lawlor (Guiseley) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Torquay United 1, Guiseley 0. Aman Verma (Torquay United). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Ten-man Guiseley staged a remarkable comeback to secure victory and keep Torquay mired in the relegation zone."}
{"article": "He is not thought to be seriously hurt, but a decision was taken to airlift him because of the remote location. The island is a popular tourist spot reached by a rope bridge suspended almost 100 ft (30 m) above the sea. Emergency services called a helicopter rather than taking the risk of walking the casualty back over the rope bridge. The Royal Navy search and rescue rescue helicopter was sent from its base in Prestwick, Scotland. Its crew transferred the injured man, who is in his 60s, to the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, County Londonderry. A spokesman for the hospital said the patient is in a stable condition.", "summary": "A man has been airlifted to hospital by Royal Navy helicopter after he fell while walking on Carrick-a-Rede island off the coast of County Antrim."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The men's team set an Olympic record with a shock victory against world champions New Zealand. \"There's no better way to win: beating the world champions; setting the Olympic record and getting the gold medals,\" said the Scot. Sir Chris Hoy praised his \"phenomenal\" performance when it mattered most. It was Britain's fourth gold at Rio 2016, taking their overall medal tally to 16 as Skinner reflected on the first gold for a Scottish competitor. \"We felt we were getting there but always felt we were on the back foot,\" he said. \"In the last few World Championships we haven't managed to string it together and, to be honest, if we made the [Olympic] final then we'd have been very happy with that. \"So, for it all to come together as well as it has done is just amazing. I looked at the bookies the other day and it was like 14-1 for us to win! To set two Olympic records is fantastic - so, over the moon!\" Skinner said the legacy of the Rio Games should be improving facilities in order to produce more talent in Scotland. \"Scotland used to have one velodrome which was outdoors and was the equivalent of all the Scottish swimmers training in one outdoor pool,\" he added. \"It's great to see investment in the facilities and it'd be great if Edinburgh City Council could build us an indoor velodrome but I know they're committed to an outdoor one. \"It [cycling] seems to be something Scotland gets relative success from; with more investment in facilities then the names will come through.\" Sir Chris Hoy, six-time Olympic cycling champion: \"I was looking at a picture earlier on that someone had posted on Twitter that had been taken about 12 or 13 years ago from Meadowbank. It was me holding him [Callum Skinner] up for a standing start; and he had little stick legs and he was only about 12 at that point. \"It just brought it home how far he's come from being that young lad training at Meadowbank, where I started, and so many of the Scottish riders started there. \"The way he dealt with that pressure tonight, he knew it was all on his shoulders because he had the fastest man in the world going off the first lap and the fastest man in the world off the second lap. \"It was all on his shoulders and he was so calm - just phenomenal. And to finish with an Olympic record on top of the gold medal: amazing. \"For people who don't watch track cycling within that four-year period and then watch it at the Olympic Games, they may be forgiven for thinking this was just another medal for the Team GB who always seem to win gold medals. \"But this was one of the least predicted ones; they haven't won a medal at world level in the past six years. \"There wasn't a massive expectation but in the last six months in training they've really stepped it", "summary": "Callum Skinner is \"over the moon\" after securing gold for Team GB in the men's team sprint - and joked about their 14-1 odds with the bookmakers."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old fly-half, who has four Wales caps, sprained an ankle in a win over Cardiff Blues on 1 January. Scarlets earned a bonus point before half time thanks to further tries from Wyn Jones and Olympian James Davies. Edinburgh have won only one of their last 10 matches in the Pro12 and only four games all season. Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac named seven returning internationals after the conclusion of the Six Nations, while Edinburgh welcomed back nine Scotland players. But it was Wales hopeful Patchell who boosted his chances of selection for Wales' summer tour in which they face Samoa in Apia and Tonga in Auckland. Scarlets were be looking to bounce back following a disappointing defeat to Leinster in the last round and made the perfect start when Hadleigh Parkes' sensational dummy allowed Patchell to pounce and score after a surging run. Duncan Weir reduced the arrears for Edinburgh with a penalty, but the Scarlets then powered over, a driving line-out resulting in prop Wyn Jones crossing for the second try in the opening 15 minutes. Media playback is not supported on this device Parkes was again the instigator as James Davies surged clear for the Scarlets' third try, his perfectly weighted pass splitting open the Edinburgh defence and giving Davies an easy run in through the gap. However, the hosts gave Edinburgh a gift of a reply, a charged down kick rebounding kindly into the path of Phil Burleigh who went over, with Weir adding the extras. The Scarlets had however, secured a bonus point by the 30 minute mark when Patchell again found space and was able to cross the whitewash for try number four. Patchell was withdrawn to a standing ovation on the 50 minute mark, replaced by Dan Jones, with the contest petering out as the Scarlets looked to protect what they had. Scarlets rang the changes throughout the second period, introducing Emyr Phillips and DTH van der Merwe, but they lacked execution to match their industry and a slew of handling errors restricted the contest to no further scores. Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac: \"We created some opportunities [in the second half] but just didn't get to finish them off. Certainly to get four tries by half time is half the job done. \"We talked at half time and we needed to go on and score first and it didn't happen. \"After a few weeks off we were a little bit slow to finish them off.\" Scarlets: Johnny McNicholl; Liam Williams, Jonathan Davies, Hadleigh Parkes (capt), Steff Evans, Rhys Patchell; Aled Davies, Wyn Jones, Ryan Elias, Samson Lee, Tom Price, Tadhg Beirne, Aaron Shingler, James Davies, Will Boyde. Replacements: Emyr Phillips, Rob Evans, Werner Kruger, Lewis Rawlins, John Barclay, Gareth Davies, Dan Jones, DTH van der Merwe. Edinburgh: Blair Kinghorn, Damien Hoyland, Chris Dean, Phil Burleigh, Tom Brown, Duncan Weir, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Allan Dell, Ross Ford (capt), Simon Berghan, Anton Bresler, Ben Toolis, Viliame Mata, Jamie Ritchie, Cornell Du Preez Replacements: Stuart McInally, Murray McCallum, Kevin Bryce, Grant Gilchrist, Viliami Fihaki, Nathan Fowles, Jason", "summary": "Wales fly-half Rhys Patchell scored two tries within thirty minutes of his return after three months out injured as the Scarlets beat Edinburgh 26-10."}
{"article": "In passing the law that allows legal action against Saudi Arabia over the 9/11 attacks, Congress over-ruled a veto by Mr Obama for the first time in his presidency. So why is it so controversial, and what are its wider implications? The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) was brought by the families of 9/11 victims, to allow them to sue any member of the Saudi government suspected of playing a role in the attacks. In practice, the bill permits civil claims against a foreign state or official for injuries, death, or damages from an act of international terrorism. Fifteen of the 19 terrorist who hijacked planes on 9/11 were Saudi nationals, and it has long been rumoured that senior Saudi officials were in some way linked to the attack. Official inquiries since 2001 have found there is no evidence of either the Saudi government or senior Saudi individuals funding al-Qaeda. However, a previously classified document earlier this year revealed \"while in the United States, some of the 9/11 hijackers were in contact with, and received support or assistance from, individuals who may be connected to the Saudi government\". While the document did not provide any direct evidence of top-level Saudi involvement, it did raise new questions. A veto is one of the most significant tools an American president has at his disposal, and has been used more than 2,500 times in America's history to prevent the passage of legislation. According to the US' House of Representatives, even the threat of a veto can bring about changes. Congress can overrule a veto however - but only if it has the support of two-thirds of the House and Senate. This has only happened on 110 occasions since 1792. Despite this, it is unusual for a president in recent years to get through two terms without congress overruling a veto. George W Bush had four overturned, while Bill Clinton had two during his tenure. The last presidency to go unchallenged was that of Lyndon B Johnson. President Barack Obama, who has only used a veto on 12 occasions and had, until now, never had one overruled, fears the amended law will leave America open to similar suits from other countries - especially as there is little consensus internationally on what constitutes an act of terrorism. Stephen Vladeck, professor of law at the University of Texas, explained: \"The real concern is that the more the US weakens the concept of foreign sovereign immunity, the more that the weakening will be used against it. \"President Obama is concerned that [something like] a drone strike against a suspected al-Qaeda target in Yemen or Pakistan or Somalia could very well be deemed by those countries as terrorism which could subject the US to significant liability in those courts.\" But Terry Strada, national chair for 9/11 Families United For Justice Against Terrorism, has disagreed that the bill could backfire in the way the White House has warned. \"If we're not funding terrorist organisations and killing people, then we don't have anything to worry about,\" she said. The bill", "summary": "A new bill passed through the US Congress is creating a storm - with President Barack Obama and the CIA warning of its dire consequences."}
{"article": "A worldwide one-child policy would mean the number of people in 2100 remained around current levels, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Even a catastrophic event that killed billions of people would have little effect on the overall impact, it said. There may be 12 billion humans on Earth by 2100, latest projections suggest. Concerns about the impact of people on the planet's resources have been growing, especially if the population continues to increase. The authors of this new study said roughly 14% of all the people who ever existed were alive today. These growing numbers mean a greater impact on the environment than ever, with worries about the conversion of forests for agriculture, the rise of urbanisation, the pressure on species, pollution, and climate change. The picture is complicated by the fact that while the overall figures have been growing, the world's per-capita fertility has been declining for several decades. The impact on the environment has increased substantially, however, because of rising affluence and consumption rates. Many experts have argued the best way of tackling this impact is to facilitate a rapid transition to much lower fertility rates. To work out the impact on population, the team constructed nine different scenarios for population change up to the year 2100, using data from the World Health Organization, and the US Census Bureau's international database. They also used \"catastrophe scenarios\" to simulate the impacts of climate disruption, wars or global pandemics on population trends. According to the study, attempts to curb our population as a short-term fix will not work. If China's much criticised one-child policy was implemented worldwide, the Earth's population in 2100 would still be between five and 10 billion, it says. \"We've gone past the point where we can do it easily, just by the sheer magnitude of the population, what we call the demographic momentum. We just can't stop it fast enough,\" said Prof Corey Bradshaw from the University of Adelaide. \"Even draconian measures for fertility control still won't arrest that growth rate - we're talking century-scale reductions rather than decadal scale, because of the magnitude.\" In their paper, the researchers also look at the impact on numbers of a global catastrophe in the middle of this century. They found that even an event that wiped out two billion people would still leave about eight and a half billion in 2100. \"Even if we had a third world war in the middle of this century, you would barely make a dent in the trajectory over the next 100 years,\" said Prof Bradshaw, something he described as \"sobering\". The scientists said the issue of population and its impact on global consumption was often described as the \"elephant in the room\" - a problem that the world ignores as it is politically and ethically difficult to tackle. But the research shows that curbing numbers will not deal with environmental challenges in the short term. \"Our work reveals that effective family planning and reproduction education worldwide have great potential to constrain the size of", "summary": "Restricting population growth will not solve global issues of sustainability in the short term, new research says."}
{"article": "In summer 1974, the UK got its first sense that something interesting was happening at a scruffy theatre on Hope Street in Liverpool. A Beatles musical called John, Paul, George, Ringo... and Bert, written by a 26-year-old playwright called Willy Russell and starring unknown actors Trevor Eve, Bernard Hill, Anthony Sher and Barbara Dickson, had become a big hit. It was seen by 15,000 people in six weeks before transferring to the West End, where it ran for a year and won a string of awards. That would have been fairly impressive. But when the show moved to London, most of the Everyman's company moved with it, leaving a big gap back in Liverpool. A young Jonathan Pryce was charged with assembling a new acting company, and signed up Julie Walters, Bill Nighy, Matthew Kelly and Nicholas le Provost to appear in The Taming of the Shrew that October. That play would also have featured Pete Postlethwaite as Petruchio. But he had just accepted another job at the Playhouse, the Everyman's city rival. He came on board for the next production, however, for a period that saw the Everyman act as a springboard for the careers of some of Britain's most popular and acclaimed actors. The story of the Everyman's class of '74 has come to the fore again, but is tinged with sadness following Postlethwaite's death. His conviction and charisma made a big impression on his fellow cast members. \"Peter was at the centre of that amazing ensemble in Liverpool in the early 70s,\" recalls Walters. \"I was in a production of Brecht's Coriolanus with him and I have never ever seen anybody act like that. \"It was just absolutely extraordinary. Talk about being enthralled - the audience were completely terrified part of the time. \"I've never seen anything like that before or since. When he came off stage, his mother said to him: 'Oh Peter, you'll go round the bend if you carry on like that.'\" Pryce recalls Postlethwaite as an \"enormously likeable, hugely talented, compassionate, political man\". \"You couldn't help but like him, and audiences loved him. And he had a great sense of fun about him,\" he says. Pryce puts the theatre's golden spell down to its former artistic director Alan Dossor, who was determined to reflect real life in the region and to draw the city's population in. That included a highly political agenda, with Dossor commissioning plays about local issues and scandals. \"The idea was to tackle the political establishment,\" Pryce recalls. \"There were lots of targets at the time, and it was felt that it was possible to do things at a local level.\" Dossor's determination to put real voices on stage was coupled with an attempt to nurture the talent of his performers. \"People were taken care of,\" says Pryce, who went on to win two Laurence Olivier Awards in the West End as an actor and a pair of Tony Awards on Broadway. \"It was a family. You look back on it and think, yes, it was an extraordinary time. For a lot", "summary": "Pete Postlethwaite, who died last week, was part of a remarkable group of young actors and writers who started their careers at the Liverpool Everyman theatre in the 1970s, alongside Julie Walters, Bill Nighy, Jonathan Pryce and Willy Russell."}
{"article": "Biometrics Commissioner Alastair MacGregor said police were \"risking public safety\" by failing to apply for extensions to hold DNA profiles of suspects who have not been convicted. He also said some records which were still stored should have been removed. The Home Office said the system worked well \"in the vast majority of cases\". A new system limiting DNA record storage was introduced in October 2013. Previously, DNA profiles and fingerprints could be stored indefinitely, regardless of whether someone had been charged or convicted. The anomalies were revealed in the commissioner's second annual report since the new rules were introduced. The report also revealed that DNA profiles and fingerprints of 7,800 people were held on a separate police counter-terrorism database as of October last year. The database holds biometric records of those convicted in relation to terror investigations and others who have not been convicted but where retention is deemed necessary for national security purposes. It also allows for the extended retention of material taken from an individual who has not been convicted when a senior officer makes a national security determination (NSD). Of the 7,800 individuals, 4,350 - or around 55% - had never been convicted of a recordable offence. Source: Biometrics Commissioner's annual report, 2015, and Home Office and National DNA database annual report The commissioner's report suggested the new system had led to a series of problems which meant DNA profiles were not being stored when they should be, and that some records had been retained when they should have been deleted. Mr MacGregor said the DNA profiles of 450 innocent people were automatically deleted from the database before police could decide if they wanted to keep the information on national security grounds. He blamed \"procedural errors and delays\" - and said police would have applied to hold about 10% of the records. \"Those errors and delays have led, or will lead, to the loss of a significant number of biometric records that probably could and should have been retained.\" A spokeswoman for the National Police Chief's Council said: \"The fingerprint and DNA data of a small number of individuals who potentially pose a threat to national security have been deleted from biometric databases as the retention period expired before a national security determination could be submitted for approval. \"The identity of these individuals is known and the risks they potentially pose are being managed in conjunction with partner agencies. \"Comprehensive measures have been put in place to prevent the loss of further biometric data from individuals of concern before a NSD is applied for.\" By BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw The previous system for storing DNA was eventually declared to be unlawful - but it had the advantage of being simple to execute. The scheme the coalition government replaced it with is proving to be the exact opposite: difficult to understand, unwieldy to operate and prone to error. Perhaps it's not surprising then that the Home Office has taken three months to publish this report which sets out the many failings. Solutions are hinted at, such as", "summary": "Hundreds of DNA and fingerprint records that could have been held for national security reasons in England and Wales have been deleted, a report reveals."}
{"article": "Jim Shaw suffered broken ribs when the footbridge near Maidstone was hit by a lorry carrying a digger on Saturday. The 73-year-old was travelling at 70mph towards London when \"chaos broke loose\" and \"bits were flying everywhere\". \"I moved to the outside lane. There was only one place to go. I threw the bike on the floor and went under,\" he said. Mr Shaw's bike was trapped under tonnes of concrete following the collapse. Part of the bridge also fell on to a second lorry, the driver of which was treated for shock at the scene. Speaking from his hospital bed in Tunbridge Wells, Mr Shaw said he had been \"riding down the motorway, enjoying life as it goes by\" on his bike when he was forced to take evasive action. Describing what unfolded, he said \"the bridge was coming down, almost like in slow motion, because it's eating its way through the lorry\". \"But then it tore away from the other side. As that came down, it was a matter of throw the bike on the floor and go for it.\" \"I've a few broken ribs, but they mend,\" he said. The bridge, between junctions three and four, came down on the London-bound carriageway just after 12:05 BST. The M20 had to be closed in both directions as two large cranes worked to clear the road, which is the main route to the Channel Tunnel and Port of Dover. It fully re-opened on Sunday, with the remaining part of the footbridge still hanging over the coast-bound side. Officials have said the structure is safe and an operation to remove it will take place in the coming weeks. No-one has been arrested in connection with the incident.", "summary": "A motorcyclist who was injured when a pedestrian bridge collapsed on to the M20 has described how he threw himself off his bike to avoid the impact."}
{"article": "Ministers say it is necessary so police and security services can access the data they need after a legal ruling which declared existing powers invalid. The proposed law has the backing of Labour and the coalition parties. A special cabinet is being held to agree the planned laws, which will only last until 2016. Prime Minister David Cameron and his Lib Dem Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will tell a special cabinet meeting on Thursday that emergency legislation is necessary to keep the country safe. A recent ruling of the European Court of Justice has removed the obligation on telecoms companies to retain records of when and who their customers have called, texted and emailed. Without a new law Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg will claim that that information could be destroyed within weeks by companies fearing legal challenges. Labour is backing emergency legislation after all-party talks agreed that this law would enshrine existing rights and not be used to extend them by re-introducing the so-called \"snoopers charter\". It will also bring in so-called safeguards including: Critics will no doubt argue that the time for that debate is now. To pass any new law in just a week is rare. So too is it to have the backing of all three main parties even before it is published. On a subject as sensitive as giving the police and security services access to phone and internet data this is bound to be controversial. Update 08:45 BST: The emergency legislation will oblige telecom firms to retain data for 12 months. Under the European law which it replaces companies could be asked to retain data for 24 months. More controversially the new law will also produce what is being described as a \"clearer legal framework\" to allow access to the content of calls, texts and emails after a warrant is signed by a senior government minister. Telecoms companies are said to have warned ministers that after the Edward Snowden revelations they are vulnerable to legal challenge by their customers. The Labour MP Tom Watson has condemned the plans as a \"stitch up\" which prevent MPs from considering the legislation properly.", "summary": "Emergency legislation will be brought in next week to force phone and internet companies to log records of customer calls, texts and internet use."}
{"article": "The Norwegian Nobel Committee and the UN both urged China to free Liu Xia. She has been held under house arrest without charge since 2010. China has rejected international criticism for not allowing Mr Liu, who had been serving an 11-year prison term for \"subversion\", to be treated abroad. The Nobel Committee, which gave him the Peace Prize in 2010, said Beijing bore a \"heavy responsibility\" for his death. The committee's leader, Berit Reiss-Andersen, says the Chinese consulate in Oslo has refused to receive her visa application for travel so she can attend a possible funeral for Mr Liu. She told the BBC she wanted to show her respect for the dissident's family \"in this tragic situation\" but that Beijing had missed an opportunity to make a \"fantastic gesture\" by letting her do so. Amid the controversy, attention is shifting to Mr Liu's wife, with mounting concern for her mental health. In a statement the Norwegian Nobel Committee said it was \"deeply worried about Liu Xia's situation\" and called upon the Chinese authorities to \"lift all restrictions they have put upon her\". \"If she wants to leave China, there is no justification for denying her the opportunity to do so.\" Liu Xia, a poet, is said to be suffering from depression after spending years under house arrest and heavy surveillance. She was allowed to visit her husband in hospital. \"She has been, what shall I say, contaminated by her husband's situation,\" Ms Reiss-Andersen told the BBC. \"She has been held in house arrest and has been isolated for several years now... and she has not been a political activist as her husband has been.\" Germany, UK, France, the United States and Taiwan have called on China to allow her to leave the country if she wishes. The call was endorsed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, who urged China to \"guarantee Liu Xia's freedom of movement\". Rights group Amnesty International has started a petition for her release, saying \"it's time the Chinese authorities stop cruelly punishing\" the artist. The Chinese foreign ministry said Liu Xia would be treated in accordance with the law. Read more: The life of Liu Xiaobo The ministry earlier hit back at criticism of Beijing's treatment of Mr Liu, saying: \"The handling of Liu Xiaobo's case belongs to China's internal affairs, and foreign countries are in no position to make improper remarks.\" Mr Liu won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 for his \"long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China\", but he was not permitted to travel to Norway to accept it. Chinese authorities announced last month that he had liver cancer and moved him from prison to a hospital in the north-eastern city of Shenyang, where he was kept under heavy security. In his final days, Western countries repeatedly urged China to give Mr Liu permission to seek palliative treatment elsewhere, which Beijing refused. Chinese medical experts insisted he was too ill to travel, although Western doctors who examined him disagreed. Mr Liu died \"peacefully\" on Thursday afternoon,", "summary": "The committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize says it is \"deeply worried\" about the widow of Liu Xiaobo, China's most prominent critic who died of liver cancer on Thursday."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old beat Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell and fellow American Michael Thompson by one shot at a foggy Olympic Club in San Francisco. Simpson shot 68 to set the target at one over and watched as 2010 champion McDowell missed a 25ft putt to force a play-off on the 18th. Lee Westwood took 73 for five over, while Tiger Woods (73) was seven over. Clubhouse scores in full Simpson, who climbs to fifth in the world, becomes the 15th different major winner in a row, the ninth straight first-time winner and the third consecutive American to win one of golf's grand slam events. \"I've never felt nerves like I felt today,\" said Simpson, who was pipped to the US money list title by England's Luke Donald last year. \"I had to hit my legs because I couldn't feel them. \"I probably prayed more the last three holes than I ever did in my life.\" Starting the final day four shots behind co-leaders McDowell and Jim Furyk, Simpson made his move with a spell of four birdies in five holes from the sixth. Parring his way home, he bettered the clubhouse mark of first-round leader Thompson, who shot 67, and took the outright lead when Furyk, who had been in front all day and led by two at one stage, bogeyed 16. Both 2003 champion Furyk and McDowell had a chance to force an 18-hole play-off on Monday, but the 42-year-old American finished with another bogey via the left bunker on 18 for a 74 to end two back and McDowell could only make par for a 73. \"It was grind and a slog, but I'll be back,\" said the 32-year-old McDowell, who had hoped to make it three Northern Irish wins in a row following Rory McIlroy's success last June. \"There's a mixture of emotions inside me right now, disappointment, deflation, pride but mostly just frustration.\" Furyk, whose hooked drive on the par-five 16th sparked his downfall, said: \"I don't know how to put that one into words, but I had my opportunities and my chances and it was right there. \"On that back nine, it was my tournament to win. I've only got myself to blame.\" Ireland's Padraig Harrington put up a serious challenge for a fourth major title and first since 2008 with a run of five birdies in 11 holes. But needing a birdie at the last to join Thompson, he ran up a bogey five after finding sand with his approach and ended with a 68 to finish three over. Americans David Toms (68), John Peterson (70) and Jason Dufner (70) also finished three over with 1994 and 1997 US Open winner Ernie Els on four over. The South African, who was third to McDowell at Pebble Beach, was one stroke off the lead after 15 but bogeyed the 16th and 18th for a 72. We shouldn't be too surprised at Simpson's victory. Twice a winner of big tournaments on the PGA Tour last year he is part of the wave of younger American players which shows that", "summary": "American Webb Simpson clinched his maiden major title with victory on an absorbing final day of the US Open."}
{"article": "Twenty people died following explosions at a military checkpoint outside the north-eastern town of Biu. Troops present at the checkpoint fired back, killing 17 of the insurgents. It is believed they were from Boko Haram. On Tuesday the group released a video in which Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau vowed to disrupt Nigeria's elections at any cost. The 15-minute film was released via the group's newly created Twitter account, prompting some analysts to question whether they had been influenced by Islamic State. Previous Boko Haram videos were of a lower quality and distributed to journalists on DVD. Also on Tuesday, a suicide bomber killed four and injured five at a restaurant near a military checkpoint in Potiskum, north-eastern Nigeria. Meanwhile an attack at an opposition rally in the south of the country killed one police officer and injured four others, while a reporter covering the event was stabbed, according to news agency AFP. The attack targeted a rally by the All Progressives Congress (APC) - Nigeria's main opposition - in Okrika, a small port town south of Port Harcourt in the heart of Nigeria's oil-producing region. APC members were waiting for the rally to begin, witnesses said, when there was several explosions and gunfire. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack. Boko Haram is not known to operate in the region. There are fears that Nigeria is becoming increasingly unstable ahead of its delayed general election, pushed back from 14 February to 28 March after the military requested more time to curb the insurgency in the north-east. The Nigerian Human Rights Commission says at least 58 people have been killed in pre-election violence. President Goodluck Jonathan, who is seeking re-election, has been strongly criticised for his handling of the Islamist insurgency. He is facing a strong challenge from opposition leader Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler. Nigeria's electoral commission said on Tuesday it had distributed 75% of voter cards to its 68.8 million voters and said it was on track to reach 100% by the delayed election date.", "summary": "Dozens of people have been killed in suicide attacks in Nigeria."}
{"article": "Enterprise Management Services has been named as the frontrunner to become Peterborough City Council's strategic partner. The organisation would be involved in recycling, street cleaning and grounds' maintenance. The council said a final decision would be made later this month. Deputy council leader Matthew Lee said: \"We are looking for a strategic partner to deliver some of our key frontline services for many years, so it's important that we get it right. \"I'm pleased to have two strong contenders in the final stage of this process and will consider the recommendation carefully before making my decision.\"", "summary": "A council in Cambridgeshire has named its recommended preferred organisation to become its partner in the running of waste collection and other services."}
{"article": "The alleged cyber-attack against the Houston Astros is thought to be the first time a professional sports team has been hacked by another. Trade discussions and proprietary statistics were reportedly targeted. Major League Baseball has confirmed the investigation. Baseballs officials told the Washington Post that the breach is being taken seriously in the sport, which is known for its data-heavy approach to managing players and schedules. The Cardinals said they were co-operating with authorities but did not comment further. The Astros said they would not comment while the investigation was ongoing. The Cardinals, which currently have the best record in baseball, are one of the most popular teams in the sport. They have won the sport's championship, the World Series, 11 times, last earning the title in 2011. Only the New York Yankees have won more. The Astros and the Cardinals were divisional rivals in the National League between 1994 and 2012.", "summary": "The FBI is investigating the St Louis Cardinals on charges that the US baseball team hacked into the computers of a rival club to steal player data, the New York Times has reported."}
{"article": "Smyth, 30, who is visually impaired, had already won 100m gold and remains undefeated in both events in every Paralympics and Worlds since 2008. Great Britain failed to win a medal on day five of the championships - having won gold on every day so far. GB's T42 long jumper Luke Sinnott came fourth in his debut at a major event. And there was a fourth-place finish for team-mate Richard Chiassaro in the T54 200m, with compatriot Nathan Maguire sixth. Elsewhere for Britain, Sabrina Fortune, who won F20 shot put bronze at Rio 2016, could only come sixth, while teenager Polly Maton was fifth in the T46/47 100m. In the morning session, Sammi Kinghorn came second in her heat to progress to Wednesday's T53 400m final, where she will look to add to the 200m title she won on Saturday. GB are third in the medal table with 11 golds and 20 total, with the US leading and China second. Smyth, born in Northern Ireland, holds the world record in the T13 100m and 200m - his times of 10.46 and 21.05 seconds are quicker than the records from any other classification. A legally blind athlete, he has won 10 Paralympic and world titles and has raced in able-bodied events at the European Championships. \"This is incredible. Today you actually get to enjoy it. In the 100m on Sunday I knew I was back out again and had to rein it in,\" he told BBC Radio 5 live. \"I'm delighted to be back in London. I wish we could have the Worlds in London every time.\" Sinnott, 36, lost both of his legs in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion while serving with the Royal Engineers in Afghanistan in 2011. He has gone to compete in sailing and has raced at the Invictus Games, before committing to long jump last year. The Hampshire athlete's best jump of 6.15m came after four fouls from his first five attempts and was 10cm short of third-placed German Leon Schafer, with Atsushi Yamamoto of Japan taking silver and Denmark's Daniel Wagner winning with a jump of 6.50m. \"I really had to go into a deep, dark place to get what I needed for that last jump. I knew if I didn't put something on the board in that last jump then I'd be very disappointed,\" he said. \"I can't believe I'm here. Those days you wake up and feel fate dealt you a bad hand, it just goes to show that if you take what's handed to you and you turn it around then you can become part of amazing stuff like this. \"There's a sensitive tipping point where you either end up here or you end up feeling sorry for yourself. Strapping a pair of blades was one of the best things I ever did.\" Maton, 17, was a spectator at London 2012 and has been earmarked as a prospect for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. \"I'm quite happy, the time wasn't great but I've had calf problems the last couple of days. You just try", "summary": "Ireland's Jason Smyth won T13 200m gold to complete a sprint double at the World Para-athletics Championships in London."}
{"article": "Hermine is expected to make landfall in Florida around midnight on Thursday night, the first hurricane to hit the state since 2005. Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for 51 counties as residents braced for the dangerous storm. Wind gusts reached 70mph (110kmph) on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. \"This is life threatening. We have not had a hurricane in years,\" Governor Scott said. He added that 8,000 members of the Florida National Guard were prepared to be deployed in the wake of the storm. Mr Scott ordered evacuations in five counties in Florida's northwest and called for voluntary evacuations in three other coastal counties. Weather officials predict Hermine will cross Georgia and the Carolinas, and could bring heavy rains along the East Coast over Labour Day Weekend. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal also has declared a state of emergency for 56 counties ahead of the storm. The system also poses a risk of tornadoes near the central Florida coast, according to the NHC. The last hurricane to strike Florida was Wilma in 2005, which made landfall in the US the same year as Katrina.", "summary": "Tropical Storm Hermine has strengthened into a hurricane, threatening to bring a dangerous storm surge to Florida."}
{"article": "Murray, the world number one, will meet Swiss third seed Wawrinka in the opening match on Philippe Chatrier Court at 11:45 BST. It is a repeat of last year's semi-final, which Murray won before going on to lose in the final. \"Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do to win,\" said the Scot. \"It's not always about how well you play or the level that you play at.\" Spain's nine-time champion Rafael Nadal will play Austrian eighth seed Dominic Thiem in the second semi-final. Murray, 30, arrived in Paris short of wins after a season interrupted by illness and injury, but has found his form over the course of five matches at Roland Garros. However, the other three semi-finalists are yet to drop a set, while Murray has lost three so far. \"They are all obviously playing extremely well,\" said Murray. \"Rafa's had a great clay-court season, as has Thiem. Stan, this tournament, has played great. He won in Geneva [before Paris] so is obviously confident. \"I came in playing garbage. I'm the odd one out in the semis, but hopefully I can keep it up.\" It will be the 18th time Murray has played Wawrinka, with the Briton having won both last year's meetings at the French Open and ATP Finals. An added dimension to the contest is the fact that both men have won three Grand Slam titles, with Murray yet to win in Australia and France, and Wawrinka missing a Wimbledon victory. The Swiss, 32, has won majors in each of the last three years and has been in scintillating form, hitting as many forehand winners (70) as Murray in three fewer sets, and six more aces at 30. \"Hopefully a different result,\" was Wawrinka's response when asked to look ahead to a repeat of last year's semi-final. \"That's what I expect and I hope. \"I think he's probably a bit less confident. He's a bit more hesitant. Hopefully I can take advantage of that and find solutions to beat him.\" Seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe: \"Andy's much tougher to beat in best of five, he's worked so hard on his conditioning. \"He exerted so much energy and effort to get to number one at the end of last year, I wasn't surprised that he tailed off for a while. \"I think he's been pointing towards the French for quite a while and he's acting like the player that we look at and go 'that guy's ranked number one in the world right now.' \"You've got to live up to it.\" Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash: \"I think Andy's done really well. Grand Slams excite him. He puts the hard work in throughout the year. \"Stan's the guy who's a danger to everybody. \"Once he gets rolling he can just hit winner after winner and nobody can do anything about it, nobody can stop him. \"It doesn't matter who you are, including Rafa.\"", "summary": "Britain's Andy Murray will try and \"find a way to get the win\" when he takes on in-form Stan Wawrinka in the French Open semi-finals on Friday."}
{"article": "Speaking to 1Xtra's Semtex, the rapper said: \"I'm not trying to tell people not to use it and I'm not saying that you should use it. \"I'm just saying here's the information that I've gathered. \"I've put it into five minutes, and I want you to take that information and go and research yourself.\" Swiss, who is best known for being part of So Solid Crew, added: \"Gather the information and then make a decision on what you want to do with it.\" Before the show, Radio 1Xtra explained to Newsbeat that: \"The track, which tackles the complex issues around the word, will be played in the late-night specialist show with full warnings ahead of its play and an appropriate introduction giving context to the song. \"The decision to play the track is based on musical merit and it is in line with audience expectations.\" Before playing the five-minute track in full during his 22:00 - 01:00 show, Semtex reflected the mixed response the track has had online. He said: \"In case you haven't heard it this is a track that stopped the internet this week. \"It didn't break the internet it stopped the internet. \"It stopped everybody to put down what they were doing and think about what this guy was saying on the track. \"Some people got offended, some people were like 'I'm glad somebody said that', other people were educated.\" The track opens with a series of samples referencing black slavery, including quotes from Django Unchained and references several cases of when the media has reported the term being used in a negative way. A sequence of lyrics, which ends with the song's title, reiterate the point Swiss made during the interview. \"It can be a term of endearment or an emotional trigger. \"It can be the difference between jovial and bitter. It depends on how it's presented, said, spoken delivered. But the expression presents a social dilemma. \"Everybody should understand the historical picture before we ever choose to use the word nigger.\" After the track was played a clip of Professor Randall Kennedy Harvard University, who teaches a course on race relations, explained the thought that some rappers put into their use of the N-word. He said: \"With hip-hop there have been some who have put great store on the spelling... because that differentiates from [the traditional spelling] which has principally been used a as racial slur.\" Following the clip Semtex added: \"I think in hip-hop it's confusing\" before playing a Y.G track and referring to a Rick Ross song which both contain heavy use of the word. He asked Swiss if hip-hop is at fault for using the word, even when it's seemingly used in an endearing way. \"I don't think hip-hop's at fault,\" replied the rapper. \"A lot of negative things are celebrated in our society. \"I think the word's got a strange journey. \"The way our language works if that it can change over time. \"It has no sort of loyalty to any gender, any race or any time period. Words can change and this", "summary": "Swiss has said the aim of his new track is for people to educate themselves about the use of the N-word, rather than trying to stop them using it."}
{"article": "\"Where is Mullah Omar?\" is a question sources say is being increasingly and angrily directed at the commander regarded as the acting head, Akhtar Mohammad Mansour. Commander Mansour has long been reported to be fighting off threats to his authority from more hardline Taliban opposed to any peace talks, including Abdul Qayum Zakir. The Taliban are also facing a growing challenge from the still small, but increasingly significant presence of the so-called Islamic State in Afghanistan. Videos have emerged of disgruntled Taliban fighters swearing allegiance to the IS's self-declared Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The Iraqi cleric, who also declared a modern day caliphate in areas under IS control in Iraq and Syria, has publicly mocked the religious and political leadership of Mullah Omar. In a Taliban movement said to be founded on a pledge of allegiance to the Amir ul-Mumineen (Commander of the Faithful), Mullah Omar's authority was regarded as a binding force of political and military strength. \"I really hope peace talks are concluded before Mullah Omar dies,\" a former senior Taliban official nervously remarked to me several years ago with unexpected candour about the movement's leader. \"When he's gone, it will be much harder to maintain Taliban unity,\" he admitted with palpable concern. Our conversation, outside Afghanistan, took place at a time when Nato-led forces were killing many mid-level Taliban commanders in their operations in southern Afghanistan. That was raising concern that younger, more radicalised fighters, without a strong allegiance to the Taliban leader, would rise through the ranks and be hard to keep in line. In 2010, when US diplomats first engaged in face-to-face talks with the Taliban through what later became known as the movement's Political Office in the Gulf state of Qatar, they first sought to establish that the Talibs were acting with Mullah Omar's authority. At the time, US diplomats involved in the process told me credible assurances were received that Syed Tayyab Agha, his former personal secretary, had his blessing. That green light was, however, said to be strictly limited to negotiations with the Americans about Taliban prisoners and the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan. They eventually resulted in last year's swap of the remaining American soldier in Taliban captivity, Bowe Bergdahl, for five Taliban members held at Guantanamo Bay. This year, in the midst of a series of unprecedented informal meetings between the Taliban's Political Office and Afghan government officials, Taliban sources emphasised they still did not have formal authorisation from Mullah Omar to negotiate officially and openly with the Afghan government. That again raised the most salient issue: how to get a ruling from a leader who has not been seen in public since late 2001 when the Taliban movement was ousted in Afghanistan after the attacks of 11 September. Even his recorded messages stopped several years ago. Taliban officials often insisted their leader had to keep an exceptionally low profile because of US efforts to kill or capture him. But he was widely rumoured to be in Pakistan, despite Islamabad's denials. A senior Afghan official told me a few years ago", "summary": "Whether or not Mullah Omar is dead or alive, his long absence from public view is posing a growing threat to the strength of his splintering Afghan Taliban movement."}
{"article": "The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) hopes they will end a wide variation in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. They include advice on diagnosing how far the cancer has progressed, identifying the best treatment, and improvements to follow-up care. Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that claims more lives than any other. In 2012, the UK saw more than 2,000 deaths from melanoma and the number of melanoma cases is growing faster than any of the 10 most common cancers. Experts believe this is largely down to the boom in foreign holidays over the past 40 years and, more recently, a big increase in the use of sunbeds. Prof Mark Baker, from NICE, said everyone wants to enjoy the sun, but there are safe ways to do so. \"Using a sunscreen with a high SPF, spending time in the shade between 11:00 and 15:00, ensuring you don't burn, and covering up with a hat, T-shirt and sunglasses. \"But overexposure to ultraviolet light from the sun can have very serious repercussions. \"Melanoma causes more deaths than all other skin cancers combined. Its incidence is rising at a worrying rate, faster than any other cancer. \"This new guideline addresses areas where there is uncertainty or variation in practice, and will help clinicians to provide the very best care for people with suspected or diagnosed melanoma, wherever they live.\" Experts warn that even though more people are now aware of the dangers of too much sun, it will be a generation or so before the number of melanoma deaths starts to fall.", "summary": "New guidelines for diagnosing and treating melanoma skin cancers have been issued to the NHS in England."}
{"article": "Protests have been held at the Little Plumpton site since shale gas extraction was approved in 2016. More officers are needed as activity increases, costing an extra \u00a3200k this financial year, said a spokesman. Last month, the Home Office said the force would \"continue to have\" resources \"to keep communities safe\". Planning permission for energy firm Cuadrilla to carry out fracking at the Preston New Road site was initially declined by Lancashire County Council, but that decision was overturned by Communities Minister Sajid Javid in October. Protests have been held regularly at the site since initial works began in January. Energy firm Cuadrilla has said drilling would start in the spring. It would mean that, for the first time, UK shale rock will be drilled horizontally, which is expected to yield more gas. However, the process has prompted environmental concerns. A force spokesman said the additional \u00a3450,000 a month policing cost would be kept under review and published. \"We also estimate we will have spent up to \u00a3200k additional costs in the current financial year. \"The increase is because activity at the site is increasing and so are the number of officers there.\"", "summary": "Policing the fracking operation in Lancashire will cost the force an additional \u00a3450,000 a month while it continues, say police."}
{"article": "The airline has been loss-making in all but two years since 2003, when it was bought by the States for \u00a35m. Previously the Treasury and Resources Department had expected Aurigny to return to profit by 2016, but that has now been revised to 2018. Its report, which will be voted on next month, said the \"ongoing loss-making position\" was a \"cumulative result of a number of key factors\". Cabernet Ltd, the holding company for Aurigny Air Services and Anglo Normandy Engineering, operates through borrowing guaranteed by the States. The debt to be written off is \u00a319.9m accumulated from 2003 to 2014 and the expected \u00a35.3m loss up to 2017 - \u00a32.3m in 2015, \u00a31.5m in 2016 and \u00a31.5m in 2017. It will be paid out of the island's capital reserve. Aurigny performance in 2014 Aurigny has borrowed more than \u00a350m, guaranteed by the States, to support its business and the purchase of new aircraft. The proposals also include allowing the department to be able to provide short-term borrowing to Cabernet to cover the annual losses. The department's report said it was \"firmly of the view\" retaining the company \"remains overwhelmingly in the Bailiwick's strategic interest\", although it said this included recognising the \"risk that ongoing financial support will be required\". Treasury Minister Gavin St Pier said it was a \"strategic asset\" acquired to secure the route to Gatwick, which \"is as important now as it was in 2003\".", "summary": "Aurigny could have debts of more than \u00a325m paid off by Guernsey's government."}
{"article": "A census of Scottish Christians found that there are around 390,000 regular churchgoers north of the border, down from 854,000 in 1984. The research also revealed that 42% of churchgoers were aged over 65. One leading cleric said the findings presented a \"crisis and an opportunity\" for Christians in Scotland. The statistics were revealed in the results of 2016 Scottish Church Census, which was recently published by Brierley Consultancy. Other key findings include: Lead researcher Dr Peter Brierley said the figures indicated a crisis in Christianity across Scotland. \"We are living in the 21st century and one of the features of the 21st century is that people's allegiance to particular faiths is no longer as strong as it used to be,\" he said. He said the main reason for the decline in church attendance was the deaths of elderly churchgoers. \"Part of the problem is the proportion of people in the church who are elderly is much greater than in the population of Scotland as a whole,\" he said. \"So, you have a great number of churchgoers dying. The rate of replacement is not as many. That's the basic reason for decline. \"It's not that people are moving away from the faith, although I'm sure some are, but in general terms that is not the case. \"There are also quite a lot of invisible Christians who used to go to church, still believe in God, but they have moved house, perhaps to a rural area, and simply haven't found a church to go to.\" The census also revealed growth among some denominations in some parts of Scotland. Attendance among the Pentecostals has doubled since 2002 and now stands at 19,000, making up 5% of all churchgoers in Scotland. The census also revealed a growth in new churches - 12,000 people regularly attend around 300 new churches started since 2002. Researchers said many immigrant churches and so-called \"Messy Churches\", which are more informal gatherings, account for much of the new growth. They credit a 2% growth in church attendance in Aberdeenshire to the influx of a large number of Polish migrants, mostly Roman Catholic, to the oil industry. The Reverend Dr David Pickering, Moderator of the United Reformed Church Synod of Scotland, said the census did not make \"terribly happy reading\". He said: \"It's a crisis and an opportunity. Both present themselves. \"The Scottish Church Census doesn't make terribly happy reading. But it also presents a new opportunity for the church to portray the love of God and the good news of Jesus in a new way for a new generation. That's an opportunity and a challenge for us. \"Although I wish it were different, I think we must acknowledge that most congregations have more older people than younger, and most young people simply do not see the relevance of God, of Jesus, of the church, to their lives. \"And, of course, there are now more things to do on Sundays than there were even a generation ago. \"I think if the church doesn't respond [to the decline in numbers], it is a", "summary": "The number of people who regularly attend church services in Scotland has fallen by more than half over the last 30 years, according to a new survey."}
{"article": "Arguing in Cardiff for a Remain vote, Leanne Wood did not think her side had lost but said: \"It's close\". She was speaking alongside ex-Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, who said the positive case for the EU had been missing from the campaign. But Commons leader Chris Grayling, in Caerphilly, said the Brexit case was an \"overwhelmingly positive one\". He was campaigning in the south Wales valleys for a Leave vote alongside Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies, Monmouth Tory MP David Davies, and UKIP AMs Nathan Gill and Mark Reckless. The two sides have been stepping up their campaigns with just one week to go before the UK's in-out referendum on 23 June. Talking to BBC Wales in Cardiff city centre on Thursday, Mr Salmond agreed the vote was close, describing it as \"nip and tuck\". \"There's going to be a strong remain vote in Scotland as in Northern Ireland,\" he said. \"I'm hoping for a Remain vote in Wales to make it a Celtic triple, as it were. \"It's on a knife edge in England.\" Mr Salmond predicted a \"surge of European enthusiasm\" as \"you go deep into the European football championships\". \"What the campaign has been missing has been the positive aspect of Europe,\" he said. Claiming the EU had been a force for peace and prosperity, Mr Salmond urged voters not to \"jeopardise what we've built over 60 years\". Asked if she had been taken aback by the strength of the Leave campaign in Wales, Ms Wood said: \"Yes, I have.\" \"I've been quite surprised by how so many people have been able to be persuaded around this question of fear of immigration. \"We've got a week now to try to persuade as many people as possible that it is in Wales' best interests to Remain as a part of the European Union,\" she added. Earlier, Ms Wood said politicians in Wales wanting the UK to stay in the EU had failed to organise a \"proper, decent campaign\". She told BBC Radio Wales the assembly election in May had \"dominated all of us in Wales on the political scene\". \"The timing of this referendum was a bit of a disaster from a Welsh perspective,\" she said. \"It's been very difficult and challenging.\" Mr Grayling and his fellow Brexit vote campaigners gatherer around the Tommy Cooper statue in Caerphilly on Thursday, with drivers tooting their horns as they drove past. \"This is a battle between those who don't like the European Union and say we should definitely leave, and those who don't like the European Union but say 'oh well, we should stay',\" he said. \"I have to say there is little support for the EU anywhere in the United Kingdom.\" Mr Grayling added: \"I know how tough it is in parts of the valleys - I've been here many times before. \"I've seen some of the challenges in and around this area. \"I've spoken to some of the people who face the consequences of migration into this area.\" Mr Gill, UKIP Wales' leader, said that Leave had the", "summary": "The leader of Plaid Cymru has said she has been taken aback by the strength of the campaign in Wales to leave the EU."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old had a loan spell at Stanley in 2014, making three appearances, and played five games with Bristol Rovers last term. Despite joining the Spireites on a permanent basis in May 2013, Chapman played just one first-team game. \"It's strange to be back but it's nice,\" Chapman told the club website. \"I knew the goalkeepers from last season had gone on to pastures new and the manager [John Coleman] gave me a call asking if I was interested in coming back and I was delighted to.\" Coleman added: \"It's a key position and I'm hopeful of bringing another keeper in over the next few days - and the aim is to get two good goalkeepers fighting for one place.\"", "summary": "Accrington Stanley have re-signed goalkeeper Aaron Chapman on a two-year deal, following his release by League One side Chesterfield."}
{"article": "An international team of researchers found that the region was, in total, home to an estimated 390 billion trees. Writing in Science, they added that the rarest 11,000 species made up only 0.12% of tree cover. However, they added that the new data could help unlock ecological secrets held by the biodiversity hotspot. The results were based on a survey of 1,170 plots and half-a-million trees across the six-million-square-kilometre area, often described as the lungs of the world. The authors said that the underlying cause of the hyper dominance of the 227 species, which accounted for 1.4% of the estimated number of species in the region, remained unknown. \"We knew that, normally, a few species dominate ecosystems, but if you have a system that has 16,000 tree species but just 227 make up half of the trees, that was pretty surprising even for us,\" said lead author Dr Hans ter Steege from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands. He told the Science podcast: \"We don't really know why these species are so incredibly dominant because they do not have any particular ecological feature that stands out.\" In the paper, Dr ter Steege and the team of more than 100 scientists wrote that there was no evidence that two key functional traits for trees - seed mass and wood density - played a part in determining what species dominated the landscape. \"The 227 hyperdominant species include both shade-tolerant, typically large-seeded climax species with dense wood and shade-intolerant, small seeded pioneer (species) with light wood,\" they observed. The most dominant species was indentified as Euterpe precatoria, a palm tree native to central and southern America, with a mean estimate population of more than five billion individuals within Amazonia. Conversely, the researchers noted that the rarest 5,800 species had communities with fewer than 1,000 individuals, adding: \"which is sufficient to classify those that are endemic as globally threatened\". They suggested further analysis would show that the species identified as hyperdominant would be \"disproportionately resistant to pathogens, specialist herbivores and other sources of frequency-dependent mortality\". Dr ter Steege said the data could also be used by conservationists to find out what species were found in protected areas, such as national parks, and what ones were located in unprotected areas, and were therefore vulnerable to threat such as deforestation.", "summary": "Despite being home to about 16,000 tree species, just 227 \"hyperdominant\" species account for half of Amazonia's total trees, a study suggests."}
{"article": "Charles Henry Chester, 86, from Bedlington was killed when his Nissan Micra collided with a Vauxhall Astra near Hartford Bridge. Katherine Scott, 93, from the Morpeth area, and a passenger in the Astra, also died. Its driver remains in the Royal Victoria Infirmary with injuries which are not thought to be life threatening. Police have renewed a appeal for witnesses to the incident at 12:05 BST.", "summary": "Northumbria Police has named two people who died in a crash in Northumberland on Wednesday."}
{"article": "Ukraine prosecution officials said there was no evidence of a crime but one politician called for the president to face impeachment proceedings. Eleven million documents from Mossack Fonseca show how some of its clients use it to avoid tax and launder money. The firm says it did nothing illegal. The Panamanian firm is alleged to have set up a company in the British Virgin Islands for Mr Poroshenko called Prime Assets Partners, which describes itself as a holding company of the Roshen confectionery group. Before becoming president, Mr Poroshenko had been known as the \"chocolate king\". During his presidential campaign in 2014, Mr Poroshenko vowed to sell most of his business assets. He won the election and was sworn in in June 2014. The assets were transferred to the newly created holding company. In October 2014 a Ukrainian bank, of which Mr Poroshenko owns a controlling stake, sent a letter of recommendation to Mossack Fonseca saying that his accounts had been \"conducted properly up to our satisfaction\", according to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Journalists from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) argued that President Poroshenko's action might be illegal on two counts: starting a new company while president and not reporting the company on his disclosure statements. The BBC cannot independently confirm this. Anti-corruption group Transparency International also believed that the \"creation of businesses while serving as president is a direct violation of the constitution\". But a spokesman for Mr Poroshenko said the company it set up for the president had no active assets and was part of a legitimate corporate restructure aimed at helping to sell the Roshen group. None of the three associated accounts held more than \u00e2\u201a\u00ac2,000 (\u00c2\u00a31,600; $2,270), he said. The Ukrainian leader went on Facebook to insist that, on becoming president, he had delegated management of his assets to consulting and law firms. \"I believe I might be the first top office official in Ukraine who treats declaring of assets, paying taxes and conflict of interest issues profoundly and seriously, in full compliance with the Ukrainian and international private law,\" he wrote. Legal firm Avellum, which was given the task of selling Roshen, said that using a company with foreign jurisdiction was the only way to move the company into a blind trust. \"Any allegations of tax evasion are groundless,\" it told Reuters news agency. However, Oleh Lyashko, head of the populist Radical party which had earlier been part of the governing coalition, called for impeachment proceedings to be initiated, although that was unlikely to take place.", "summary": "Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says he did nothing wrong, after leaked documents suggested he had set up an offshore company as a tax haven using Panamanian legal firm Mossack Fonseca."}
{"article": "The rail network has more than 9,000 locomotives - 43 of which are still steam-powered. This vast fleet pulls almost half a million wagons and more than 60,000 passenger coaches over 115,000 or so kilometres (70,000 miles) of track. The railways operate more than 12,000 trains, carrying some 23 million passengers daily. This vast public enterprise is virtually a state within a state. It runs schools, hospitals, police forces and building companies and employs a total of 1.3 million people, making it the seventh biggest employer in the world. But it could soon be broken up. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been chided for a lack of radical reform since he took power last year. Yet potentially hugely controversial proposals to restructure the country's railways slipped through last week with barely a ripple. They came from a committee exploring options for reform of Indian Railways, the state-owned enterprise that runs the country's train network, and borrow heavily from the British experience of railway privatisation. The committee's interim report is unambiguous: Indian Railways needs a bracing injection of competition. It says the network should be opened up so private companies can run passenger and freight services in competition with the state. It argues the track should be separated from the train operation business, just it was in Britain. And, just as in Britain, it proposes the whole thing be overseen by an independent regulator whose job is to ensure the new private operators get fair access to the track. The committee wants to shake up the rolling stock business too. Private companies already make wagons for the network - they should be allowed to supply passenger coaches and locomotives as well, the report argues. The authors fear that Indian Railways' manufacturing operations would wither in the face of competition so it suggests they be placed in a new independent company. This would remain publicly owned but would be arms-length from the state and would be free to set salaries and borrow money as it saw fit. In the meantime, management structures and accounting systems across the network need to be completely overhauled. It is impossible to work out whether a project makes money or not, complains committee chief and economist Bibek Debroy. The report also urges that Indian Railways should stop running its myriad hospitals, schools, police forces and other non-core activities. India's biggest railway union has attacked the report, claiming it is an attempt to privatise the railways. That's something Mr Modi has explicitly ruled out. \"We are not privatising railways,\" he assured trade unions last year. \"You do not have to worry, it is neither our wish or nor thinking.\" Yet Mr Modi could adopt all the committee's recommendations without breaking his promise to the unions. The report's authors are careful to avoid the \"P\" word. \"There is a difference between privatisation and competition,\" explains Gurcharan Das, one of the committee members and a former chief executive of Proctor and Gamble India. \"We don't want to sell off the railways, what we want to do is introduce competition. That will bring", "summary": "India is a trainspotter's paradise."}
{"article": "The vehicles, which come in various sizes, will distribute post from the central London depot. They were produced by Oxfordshire-based carmaker Arrival, which recently opened a new factory in Banbury. Another batch of 100 electric vans for Royal Mail has also been ordered from Peugeot. Having already been trialled by Royal Mail, these will enter service in December. Arrival says the nine vehicles it has supplied come in sizes of three and a half, six and seven and a half tonnes. Although the current prototype versions of the vans are fitted with wing mirrors, a spokeswoman for Arrival told the BBC they will be removed from the final design - as cameras will be used to monitor traffic to the rear instead. Royal Mail was \"delighted\" to be collaborating with Arrival, said Paul Gatti, Royal Mail Fleet's managing director. \"We will be putting them through their paces over the next several months to see how they cope with the mail collection demands from our larger sites,\" he added. Royal Mail's fleet comprises about 49,000 vehicles in total. \"European postal providers, starting with DHL in Germany, have been taking this approach for a while now,\" said Ananth Srinivasan, a mobility expert with research consultancy Frost & Sullivan. He added that five countries - the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain - had the potential to convert significant proportions of their fleets to electric vehicles in the coming years. \"Our research indicates that by 2025 these countries may have 100,000 postal service vehicles going electric between them,\" he told the BBC.", "summary": "Royal Mail is beginning trials in London of nine fully electric vans with ranges of up to 100 miles."}
{"article": "Swansea's 1-0 win over Everton, after Hull had lost 2-0 at Sunderland, saw the Welsh side climb out of the bottom three with two games remaining. But the Swansea boss says there is still work to do and his side must remain focused. \"It can swing so quickly the other way,\" Clement said. \"We have to really focus on making sure we do a good job at Sunderland. \"We know that Hull have got a difficult game with Crystal Palace still not out of it and that's going to be hard. \"But the most important thing is to do a good job when we go to Sunderland.\" The Swans were bottom with only 12 points from 19 games when Clement was appointed in January. Clement says keeping Swansea City in the Premier League would be the highlight of his career and eclipse winning the Champions League. Media playback is not supported on this device Clement was Carlo Ancelotti's assistant when Real Madrid won the Champions League in 2014. He was also the Italian's number two when Chelsea won the Premier League and FA Cup double in 2010. \"I've been in a very privileged position in the past to have worked with some fantastic teams and different players and got my hands on some unbelievable silverware,\" Clement said. \"But this will be the best by far if we manage to stay in this league, because I'm the one making the decisions. \"I'm the one in charge and because of the position when I came into this club. \"It was difficult for the supporters and for the players. I was the third coach in one season, so it will be a fantastic achievement if we do it.\" Fernando Llorente scored the only goal against Everton as Swansea's win combined with Hull's defeat against already-relegated Sunderland saw Clement's side move out of the bottom three. Swansea travel to Sunderland next Saturday and the club's players will cover the cost of 3,000 away tickets. \"We have picked up seven points from games against Stoke, Manchester United and Everton and that's a tough run,\" Clement added. \"Now we go to Sunderland and I am glad they won. \"One because it helped us, but also because it shows we can not underestimate them.\"", "summary": "Paul Clement says Swansea City cannot waste their opportunity after moving out of the Premier League relegation zone."}
{"article": "The incident happened at Llanymynech near the Cross Keys hotel on Saturday, affecting the A483 until it reopened at about 15:00 BST. Dyfed-Powys Police said highways officials had put a diversion in place after the collision on the adjacent B4398 road.", "summary": "A two-vehicle collision closed a main road leading to hold-ups in Powys."}
{"article": "Fellow centre Duncan Taylor, of Saracens, is back after missing the autumn Tests through injury. Uncapped Edinburgh forwards Simon Berghan and Cornell du Preez are included but David Denton is not fit. Alasdair Dickinson is also absent through injury, while fellow Edinburgh prop WP Nel is listed but is a doubt with a neck problem. Nel lasted just 27 minutes of his return from a long injury lay-off at the weekend and is awaiting the results of a scan. This year's championship will be New Zealander Cotter's last in charge of the national side. He will take over as Montpellier coach this summer and will be replaced by Glasgow Warriors' Gregor Townsend. The Scots open their Six Nations campaign at home to Ireland on 4 February before facing France away eight days later. With Dickinson missing and doubts over Nel, Newcastle front-rower Jon Welsh returns for the first time since the 2015 World Cup. John Hardie, who started all five matches in last year's tournament, is another Edinburgh player in Cotter's plans working his way back to fitness. Edinburgh lock Ben Toolis is also selected having not appeared since the Six Nations of 2015. \"It's a well-balanced and exciting group that have played a lot of rugby together, know each other well and are ambitious to do well in a Scotland jersey,\" said Cotter. \"I think if we get our mind-set right we can be competitive and push for wins in every game in this campaign.\" Last year, Scotland finished fourth in the championship after victories against Italy and France. In November's autumn Tests, the Scots beat Argentina and Georgia after a narrow defeat by Australia. BBC Scotland's Tom English The competition in Scotland's midfield is now fierce. This is probably - almost certainly - the best set of centres the country has ever had. Cotter has named five - Mark Bennett, Alex Dunbar, Huw Jones, Matt Scott and Duncan Taylor. Alasdair Dickinson's injury is a blow. Scotland could do with his experience at loosehead. Scotland squad: Forwards: Alex Allan, Zander Fagerson, Gordon Reid (all Glasgow Warriors), Simon Berghan, Allan Dell, Willem Nel (all Edinburgh Rugby), Jon Welsh (Newcastle Falcons), Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Ross Ford, Stuart McInally (both Edinburgh Rugby), Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Richie Gray (Toulouse), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby), Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors), Ben Toolis (Edinburgh Rugby), John Barclay (Scarlets), Cornell Du Preez, John Hardie, Hamish Watson (all Edinburgh Rugby), Rob Harley, Josh Strauss, Ryan Wilson (all Glasgow Warriors) Backs: Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester), Ali Price, Henry Pyrgos, Finn Russell (all Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Weir (Edinburgh Rugby), Mark Bennett, Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Huw Jones (Stormers), Matt Scott (Gloucester), Duncan Taylor (Saracens), Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Damien Hoyland (Edinburgh Rugby), Sean Maitland (Saracens), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Tim Visser (Harlequins) 4 February - Scotland v Ireland (14:25) 12 February - France v Scotland (15:00) 25 February - Scotland v Wales (14:25) 11 March - England v Scotland (16:00) 18 March - Scotland v Italy (12:30)", "summary": "Scotland head coach Vern Cotter has recalled Gloucester centre Matt Scott to his squad ahead of the Six Nations."}
{"article": "A spokesman said the woman's attacker covered her mouth and dragged her backwards in Spotland Road, Rochdale at about 06:45 BST on Tuesday. He said she lost consciousness and woke up on the floor having been raped. She then walked to a nearby butchers' shop and told staff she had been assaulted. Supt Alistair Mallen said it was \"vile, wicked and despicable crime\". The woman's attacker was described as white. Officers are reviewing CCTV footage, speaking to people in the area and carrying out forensic tests. \"I am sure the entire community will share our revulsion at this,\" Supt Mallen said. \"I now want people... to imagine if that had been your mum or grandma. \"I want to harness these feelings and use them to help the police do their job - catch this man and put him before the courts.\"", "summary": "A 90-year-old woman was dragged off a street and raped in Greater Manchester, police have said."}
{"article": "The Indomitable Lions, who lifted the trophy on Sunday after beating Egypt 2-1 in the final in Gabon, attended a ceremony in Yaounde on Wednesday. They presented the Nations Cup trophy to President Biya at Unity Palace. Later, they travelled in open-top vehicles through the streets of the capital to parade the trophy to fans. Cameroon's players were given medals by the president, who said their victory should be celebrated by Cameroonians as one nation. At the end of the ceremony Cameroon First Lady Chantal Biya posed for a series of photos with the players - at one point she used Fabrice Ondoa's phone to take a 'selfie' with them. Cameroon's success in Gabon ended a 15-year wait to win the tournament again and gave them their fifth title. The country will host the next edition of the Nations Cup in 2019.", "summary": "Cameroon's Africa Cup of Nations-winning squad have been given a special state reception by the country's president Paul Biya."}
{"article": "Williams, aiming for a 22nd Grand Slam singles title, thrashed Magdalena Rybarikova 6-2 6-0 in just 42 minutes. Djokovic, a defeated finalist in three of the last four years, beat Chinese Taipei's Yen-Hsun Lu 6-4 6-1 6-1. Earlier, Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber was beaten by world number 58 Kiki Bertens. Fifth seed Victoria Azarenka was another high-profile casualty, forced to retire with a thigh injury when trailing Italy's Karin Knapp 4-0 in the third set. But nine-time champion Rafael Nadal advanced at speed and in style, taking only one hour and 20 minutes to overcome Sam Groth 6-1 6-1 6-1. The 29-year-old Spanish fourth seed, who hit an astonishing winner through his legs in the third set, will face Argentine world number 99 Facundo Bagnis in the second round after taking his career French Open record to 71 wins and two losses. Djokovic will face Belgian Steve Darcis next, ahead of a potential third-round encounter with British number two Aljaz Bedene in the third round. Djokovic, who won bronze at the Beijing 2008 singles and came fourth at London 2012, believes ranking points should be on offer at the Olympics. The Olympics is organised by the International Tennis Federation, which has not reached an agreement with the men's and women's tours to recognise players' performances at Rio 2016. John Isner admitted that the lack of points on offer was \"a pretty big factor\" in his decision not to represent the United States at the Games. Australian Bernard Tomic and Austria's Dominic Thiem have also made themselves unavailable to their countries. \"We have the best players in the world participating in arguably the fifth Grand Slam. It's of that importance for all of us, even more, because it happens every four years,\" Djokovic said. \"I would definitely encourage people to rethink getting points out there.\" Third seed Kerber, who has yet to advance past the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, lost 6-2 3-6 6-3. The German, 28, lost her opening matches at the Madrid and Rome tournaments and a shoulder injury ruled her out of Nuremberg last week. Bertens, from the Netherlands, won the title in Nuremberg. \"First rounds are always tough in the tournament, especially for me. What can I say? It happens,\" said Kerber, who stunned Serena Williams in Melbourne to win her maiden Grand Slam title earlier this year. Eugenie Bouchard is now down at 47 in the rankings but her form of late has been a little more encouraging and she eased past Germany's Laura Siegemund 6-2 6-2. The Canadian had a difficult season in 2015 after reaching the top 10 the previous year and found the whole experience so stressful it led to an eating disorder. She said: \"I felt a lot of pressure and kind of this expectation that if you win a match it's normal and if you lose it's a disaster. \"Before matches I was very nervous and definitely had trouble eating. I just felt like it would come right back up. It's a difficulty I went through. And not just before matches, but it", "summary": "Top seeds Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic eased through to the French Open second round with comprehensive victories."}
{"article": "Former world heavyweight champion Bruno says he would like to box again, but has battled with bipolar disorder since he was diagnosed in 2003. David Haye, who is also a former heavyweight champion, says Bruno would need to face boxers of a similar age. But Hearn said: \"Frank is a national institution. He needs help and support, but not through returning to boxing.\" Bruno, who has not fought since losing the WBC belt to Mike Tyson in 1996, said on Monday he wanted to return to the ring, but had been denied a licence by British boxing officials. \"He won the heavyweight world title. It would be a travesty to see him back in the ring,\" said Hearn. \"It's not the answer but I fully understand all the things that boxing can give him, and I hope he can find that through being involved in the sport, whether it's coaching, whether it's being an ambassador because he trains all the time and that's because he feels he needs to.\" Fellow Briton Haye does not feel Bruno should meet boxers in their 20s or 30s. \"As long as he fights somebody his own age, I've got no problem with that,\" Haye, 35, told Radio 4's Today programme. Haye made a comeback of his own in January, taking 131 seconds to win his first fight in three-and-a-half years. He added that Bruno was in \"fantastic shape\" but added there should be a seniors division in boxing, as there is in tennis. Promoter Kellie Maloney said Bruno should not risk his health and instead channel his energy into other things, like training up-and-coming boxers. \"He's got a lot of knowledge and he could pass that on to the young fighters,\" said Maloney. \"There's so much more out there for him.\"", "summary": "Frank Bruno returning to boxing at the age of 54 would be a \"travesty\", says promoter Eddie Hearn."}
{"article": "\"If you have money then you can control people,\" she seems to say on the tape which has been widely circulated. Ms Hammah has not yet commented on the tape or her sacking. The BBC's Sammy Darko in Accra says she played a key role in President John Mahama's election last year. Some pundits will feel vindicated over her sacking, as they warned that she was too young and inexperienced to serve in government, our correspondent says. In August, she said there was a lot of pressure on her to steal public money because people thought that, as a minister, she was rich. She described such demands as \"obnoxious\", reports the Ghanaweb news site. \"Corrupt politicians are the reflection of [a] corrupt society!\" it quotes her as saying. Ms Hammah first came to the public attention after stumbling several times while making a speech and then saying she had been given the wrong text. On the tape, which has not been independently verified, she says: \"I will not quit politics until I make one million dollars.\" She also criticising another deputy minister, calling her \"senseless, ugly, loud and egoistic\". Information Minister Mahama Ayariga did not give any reason for Ms Hammah's dismissal in her one-sentence announcement. But it comes 24 hours after the tape went viral on social media and was played on a local radio station. Her driver has been questioned by the police, after she lodged a complaint, saying her right to privacy had been infringed. Police spokesman Freeman Tetttey told the BBC they were investigating whether an offence had been committed.", "summary": "Ghana's Deputy Communications Minister Victoria Hammah has been sacked after she was recorded allegedly saying she would stay in politics until she has made $1m (\u00a3600,000)."}
{"article": "Pipe, 26, hit Rhys Morris over the head with a wine bottle outside a nightclub in Park Street in September 2009. Mr Morris, 29, was left with a four-inch hole in his skull and needed emergency surgery. Pipe had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Jailing Pipe at Bristol Crown Court, Judge Mark Horton called the player a \"talented man with too much time and too much money''. He added: ''A tragedy would be too small a word to describe the tale which has led us to this courtroom.\" The former Welsh under-21 international, who has also played for Coventry City, was released by Rovers at the end of last season and is currently without a club. The court heard that Pipe had been drinking heavily at Antix nightclub with friends before the attack. He had become involved in a dispute over a woman and once outside the club he hit Mr Morris with the bottle. The court heard that Mr Morris, who needed metal plates inserted into his head after the attack, was an \"entirely innocent\" bystander. Pipe, who was identified by CCTV, told police that he had no memory of the event. He had made 89 appearances for the Pirates after signing from Notts County in 2007.", "summary": "Former Bristol Rovers midfielder David Pipe has been jailed for 38 months for fracturing the skull of another man in an unprovoked attack in Bristol."}
{"article": "French media reported that a five-year deal had been agreed to host the race at Le Castellet, near Marseille. Ecclestone told Reuters: \"Yes, I think it will happen,\" adding that it would be held in late July, not a month later as the initial reports had suggested. France hosted the first ever grand prix in 1906 but lost its slot in 2008. There have been several attempts since to revive the race but this one looks to be the first to succeed. A news conference has been organised for an announcement about the future of the French Grand Prix in Paris on Monday, to be hosted by Christian Estrosi, the president of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur. The French sports newspaper L'Equipe reported that a five-year deal had been agreed with the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region in association with the city of Toulon, department of Var and the French motorsport association. Le Castellet - also known as the Circuit Paul Ricard - last hosted the French Grand Prix in 1990. From 1991-2008 it was held at Magny-Cours in central France. Ecclestone's family trust owns the track but the 86-year-old said: \"It's nothing to do with them at all. I think they are renting it to the people that are going to be the promoters.\" He said the race would be held on \"more or less sort of the German date probably\", without specifying what that meant for the future of the German Grand Prix. That race has dropped off the calendar for next year because the Nurburgring, one of two venues that alternate as hosts, cannot meet its financial obligations under its contract with F1. But Hockenheim, which held the race in 2016, has a contract to do so again in 2018. The return of France will be greeted with widespread delight by both F1 insiders and fans of the sport. This is because of its historic significance and because it is another race in the sport's heartland of Europe rather than, as has been the recent trend for new events, in a country where the sport has limited support and no heritage. F1 is in the process of being bought by US group Liberty Media, and it has said that protecting races in F1's heartland is a major priority, along with expanding its presence in the US, the rest of the Americas and Asia.", "summary": "The French Grand Prix will return to the Formula 1 calendar after an absence of 10 years, the sport's boss Bernie Ecclestone has said."}
{"article": "The wall at Oxgangs Primary collapsed during stormy weather in January 2016. A senior employee at the subcontractor that built it, VB Contracts, told the BBC the inner and outer walls were not constructed at the same time. Architecture professor Alan Dunlop said this \"design issue\" could have been the root of the problem at Oxgangs. VB Contracts went bust in 2010, but the BBC spoke to a former employee, who did not want to be identified, as part of the BBC Scotland Investigates: How Safe is My School? programme, which was broadcast on Monday evening. The collapse of the Oxgangs wall led to 17 schools across Edinburgh being closed over safety concerns. They have all since reopened. The schools had all been built or refurbished following a \u00c2\u00a3360m deal between the city council and a private finance consortium under the Public Private Partnership 1 (PPP1) scheme. The lead contractor for the Edinburgh schools project, Miller Construction, was bought by Galliford Try in 2014. Miller Construction had outsourced some of the work to VB Contracts, which was responsible for the brick and blockworks at Oxgangs Primary, and built the wall that collapsed. Internal blockworks for such walls are generally built at the same time as the brick which forms the outside skin of the building. This allows the builder to ensure the two parts are properly connected, with wall ties in the right places. But the former employee said Miller Construction had told VB Contracts to build the internal wall at Oxgangs first so the building could be made water and wind tight as quickly as possible in order to allow inside work such as plastering to get started. It was the outer wall that subsequently fell down at Oxgangs school. Architect Alan Dunlop told the BBC the way the walls were built was therefore not \"standard practice\" and in his view was at the \"root of the problems\" at Oxgangs school. He said: \"If you're going to do that, I would expect a method statement for that to be done. That's a design issue. It's not an add, it's not something you do ad hoc. And you have to do it properly and you have to specify the right wall ties for doing it. \"In the evidence of the photographs that we have seen, that doesn't look to be the proper wall tie that you would actually use in circumstances like that.\" Mr Dunlop added: \"The evidence is clear in the Oxgangs project. The wall collapsed and evidently it doesn't look as though it was safe at all. That's another whole shocking and worrying aspect of this whole process.\" In a statement, Galliford Try said it had contractual responsibility for four of the 17 Edinburgh public private partnership schools built 10 years ago. The statement added: \"Work required to reopen those four schools temporarily closed has been completed and the schools opened on 24 May and 6 June 2016. \"Throughout, Galliford Try's priority has been to ensure the children return to their studies at the earliest opportunity. We worked tirelessly with", "summary": "The collapse of a wall at an Edinburgh primary school could have been caused by the way it was built, a BBC Scotland investigation has found."}
{"article": "He has made 155 appearances for the Lions since signing from MK Dons for an undisclosed fee in January 2014. The 30-year-old played 56 games in all competitions last season. \"Having such success last season made it an easy decision for me to sign another contract,\" Williams told the club website.", "summary": "Millwall midfielder Shaun Williams has signed a 12-month contract extension with the newly-promoted Championship club, with an option for an extra year."}
{"article": "Zhang Dejiang, the leader responsible for Hong Kong affairs, arrived amid discontent with alleged interference by Beijing. Mr Zhang said he was in Hong Kong \"to listen to all sectors of society\". More than 6,000 police have been deployed amid planned protests by pro-democracy groups. In a five-minute speech on arrival, Mr Zhang, 69, conveyed \"President Xi Jinping's warm regards and well wishes for the people of Hong Kong\" and said he came \"with the care of the central government and all Chinese people\". Noting his trip had \"attracted wide attention\", he said: \"I will listen to the chief executive and the [Special Administrative Region] government regarding their work, and to all sectors of society about what recommendations and requirements they have about implementing the principles of \"one country, two systems\". He heads China's Hong Kong and Macau affairs office but is also chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, making him China's third-highest ranking leader after President Xi and Premier Li Keqiang. Mr Zhang is to speak at a policy conference on President Xi's One Belt, One Road economic project that aims to improve connectivity between China and Eurasia. He will meet a group of four pro-democracy legislators at a reception, ahead of a banquet. As head of Hong Kong affairs, Mr Zhang was responsible for a key decision in 2014 on Hong Kong's political future and is the highest-ranking mainland official to visit since then. The mini-constitution, or Basic Law, under which Hong Kong is governed, says the ultimate aim is for the leader to be elected by universal suffrage. Although China had promised direct elections by 2017, it said in 2014 that the leader, or chief executive, put up for election would come from a list of two or three candidates chosen by an effectively pro-Beijing nominating committee, angering pro-democracy campaigners. The decision led to full-scale protests, dubbed the Umbrella Movement. Tens of thousands of protesters camped in the streets for weeks but the camps were gradually dismantled with no concessions from the government. Current Chief Executive CY Leung remains unpopular. Commentators will be watching and listening carefully to see whether Mr Zhang will hint at endorsing him for another term. Following the 2014 protests, a number of so-called \"localist\" groups sprung up and showed themselves willing to use violence to battle what they see as a dilution of the city's identity, fearing growing social and political influence from mainland China. In February, hundreds of demonstrators dug up and threw bricks during a violent clash with police trying to shut a night food market. The market was seen by the protesters as a symbol of local traditions. There have also been increasing concerns over the freedoms Hong Kong enjoys - unseen on the mainland - which were integral to the agreement that enabled Hong Kong to be returned to China by the British in 1997. They include freedom of speech, the press, assembly, association, travel and trade union membership. One incident that raised particular concern was the disappearance of five Hong Kong booksellers known for publishing controversial books", "summary": "Tight security is in place in Hong Kong for the visit of the most senior official from Beijing since large pro-democracy protests in 2014."}
{"article": "More than 200 houses inside the enclave were burnt down. Residents reportedly refused to return the body of a Bangladeshi villager allegedly killed by the Indians. The Indian enclave, Garati, is situated inside Bangladesh, about 3.5km (two miles) from the border which is not properly demarcated. About 2,000 people live in the enclave, which is surrounded by the Bangladeshi district of Panchagarh. Indians allege that the intruder from Bangladesh was a robber but villagers from the neighbouring area deny the accusations. Reports say only half the population of the enclave has returned to the area so far. Hundreds of people have spent the last few nights out in the open as their homes were destroyed in the violence. Residents of the enclave say they had lost household goods and valuables in the mob attack. \"Normalcy is slowly returning to the area. We have deployed additional forces to prevent further violence,\" Shahriar Rahman, a senior police official in the district of Panchagarh, told the BBC Bengali service. There has been no comment yet from the Indian side on the incident. Local journalists say this is the first major attack on an Indian enclave in many years. The incident has once again highlighted the tense relations in the border areas. India and Bangladesh have enclaves in each other's territory and the two sides have been holding talks for years to resolve all border-related issues. The two countries share a border of more than 4,100km (2,550 miles). There are more than 100 Indian enclaves inside Bangladeshi territory and there are about 50 Bangladeshi enclaves in India - thousands of people live in them. Residents of these enclaves often complain that there is virtually no infrastructure and no government. They say there is a lack of water, roads, electricity, schools and medicine. Activists say neither government is seriously interested in addressing the plight of people living in the enclaves.", "summary": "Police in Bangladesh say they have arrested 11 people over an arson attack on a village in an Indian enclave inside Bangladeshi territory."}
{"article": "The Russian, 28, has been taking the drug since 2006 for health issues. But it was banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) on 1 January and the former world number one has been provisionally suspended from 12 March and could eventually be hit with a four-year ban. It appears a lot of athletes take meldonium, but what exactly is it, where does it come from, will we be hearing a lot more about it now and how easy is it to get hold of? Watch: Sharapova reveal she failed test Meldonium - also known as mildronate - is a drug designed to treat ischemia, a condition where there is a reduction in blood supply to body tissue. It is also said to have benefits for diabetes sufferers. According to Dr Tom Bassindale, a lecturer in forensic science at Sheffield Hallam University, it was developed in Latvia and approved in the early 2000s to treat diabetes and various heart-related diseases. Dr Bassindale says it has the ability to adjust the body's use of energy, stimulating glucose metabolism and also helping to clear fatty build-up in the arteries. Media playback is not supported on this device The ability to increase oxygen movement to muscles means meldonium could have a positive effect on stamina and endurance. Dr Bassindale said: \"It's advertised as giving a mental focus, removing external stress so you feel sharper. There is a slight central nervous system effect, like with stimulants such as caffeine, which gives you a sharper edge. \"But it will aid recovery quicker from a hard effort, whether that's playing multiple games of tennis or a cyclist coming back the next day for another stage. There is also an endurance effect.\" In a word: yes. It is not licensed in the UK, so is therefore illegal to sell there. But it is not illegal to import it from abroad for personal use. Following Sharapova's announcement, Russian supplements website RUPharma told BBC Sport it is had sold 150 packets of the drug in 24 hours, compared with 850 in the past 12 months. The website says it has increased the price of a packet of 40 250mg tablets from \u00a315 to \u00a327 and employ a new member of staff to deal with the demand. \"As a joke, we now call mildronate the Sharaponate,\" said a spokesperson, who added that most of their sales are to UK and USA customers and the majority are for sport, rather than medicinal, use. The UK government's Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency urges people to not buy unlicensed drugs from abroad, as there is no guarantee that customers know if the product is safe. Assuming the product is what it says on the label, there are no tests that show any serious side effects. A Latvian manufacturer of the product - OlainFarm - says it is possible that some using the drug will suffer \"headaches\" and \"agitation\". It is also possible for there to be some skin irritation, though this is \"very rare\". RUPharma said: \"We do not know of any negative side", "summary": "Meldonium was barely on the radar until five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova revealed she recorded a positive drugs test for the substance."}
{"article": "Human Rights Watch (HRW) says it has analysed images of the Rohingya village of Wa Peik in Rakhine state. According to HRW the images show that during the period when Wa Peik was being burned, there were military trucks active at a nearby army post. This proves that soldiers were in the area, the group says. \"It's difficult to believe that militants burned down over 300 buildings in Wa Peik over a one-month period while Burmese security forces stood there and watched,\" said Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch. \"Burmese government officials have been caught out by this satellite imagery, and it's time they recognise their continued denials lack credibility.\" Asked about the allegations, the main government spokesman, Zaw Htay, said he would not be commenting as an investigation into events in northern Rakhine state was under way. A government appointed team has spent the past few days visiting affected villages and is expected to release its findings at the end of January. This is the third Human Rights Watch report on the current crisis and the burning of Rohingya villages. On previous occasions the government denied that soldiers were to blame, saying the Rohingya have been setting fire to their own homes to attract international sympathy. The rights campaigners go on to say that their analysis of when and where the villages burned shows a methodical approach, making it more likely to have been carried out by the military. Independent journalists have not been allowed into northern Rakhine since armed militants attacked border posts on 9 October, killing nine policemen. The area has been closed since then amid allegations of army atrocities against the Rohingya. The latest figures from the United Nations show that since then 27,000 Rohingya have fled across the border into Bangladesh.", "summary": "New satellite images establish a link between the Burmese army and the burning of Rohingya Muslim villages, human rights campaigners say."}
{"article": "Mr Hands said officials would be able to choose the type of products to be covered by agreements. The union operates alongside the EU's single market and free trade area. It comes after the Brexit secretary said the UK would consider paying for \"best possible\" single market access. The customs union includes all 28 EU nations, but also Turkey, Monaco, San Marino, Andorra and non-EU UK territories such as the Channel Islands. They enjoy free trade with each other, but must impose the same tariffs on goods from nations outside the pact and are barred from doing bilateral trade deals with other countries. Bloomberg news agency published remarks Mr Hands made in an interview this week in which he said the \"history of international trade has got all kinds of examples of customs unions\". He said the UK could be selective about which individual sectors it wished to be covered by any customs union arrangement. Mr Hands added: \"You can choose which markets, which products the customs unions affect and which they don't, so there isn't a binary thing of being inside the customs union or outside of the customs union.\" As the pound posted its fifth consecutive week of gains against the euro, Mr Hands's words were cited by financial market commentators as further evidence that fears over a \"hard Brexit\" were easing. In the Commons on Thursday, Brexit Secretary David Davis had said the \"major criterion\" was getting the best access for goods and services to the European market. Later, in a speech to CBI Wales in Cardiff, Mr Davis sought to reassure business leaders that immigration controls after Brexit will not be imposed \"in a way that it is contrary to the national and economic interest\". But Brexit-backing Tory MP Peter Bone said \"people would be absolutely outraged\" if the UK continued to pay the EU after Brexit. And another prominent Leave campaigner and former Conservative cabinet minister, Iain Duncan Smith, told the BBC he believed Mr Davis had been simply not ruling anything in or out of the government's Brexit negotiations.", "summary": "The UK could seek a deal which would allow sections of the economy to remain within the EU's customs union after Brexit, international trade minister Greg Hands has suggested."}
{"article": "Prof Wendy Savage told the Mail on Sunday that withholding the information because of fears over sex-selective abortions was \"outrageous\". Some hospitals have a policy not to reveal the sex, but Professor Savage said it was a woman's right to know. She also said it was a \"woman's right to decide\" when to ask for an abortion. Speaking after MPs voted to introduce a bill to repeal an 1861 law criminalising abortion this week, she told the Mail on Sunday: \"It's her body and her foetus, so she should have that information. Parents who want to find out the sex of their foetus can usually do so in a mid-term scan at about 20 weeks but some hospitals have a policy of not telling, according to the NHS Choices website. Some hospitals say they are too short-staffed to establish the sex and there have been concerns that the scans can sometimes be inaccurate. But experts have also claimed that the policies may be intended to prevent the risk of selective abortions. \"She is the one taking the risks. \"If a woman does not want to have a foetus who is one sex or the other, forcing her is not going to be good for the eventual child, and it's not going to be good for (the mother's) mental health,\" she added. Professor Savage, 81, a retired obstetrician and gynaecologist and a member of the British Medical Association's (BMA's) ethics committee, was speaking to the paper in a personal capacity. Under the 1967 Abortion Act in England, Scotland and Wales, a pregnancy can be aborted before 24 weeks if two doctors approve it. The law does not apply in Northern Ireland, where abortion legislation is based on the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. The majority of abortions in England Scotland and Wales take place before 24 weeks, and are allowed in exceptional circumstances after that time. More than 90% take place at 13 weeks or earlier, according to the BMA. Prof Savage added: \"The foetus is a potential human life at that stage (in the womb); it is not an actual human life... I think you've got to concentrate on the (rights of the) woman.\" Prof Savage said in her long career she had \"only a couple of cases\" of being asked to approve an abortion past 24 weeks. \"It's not something women tend to do,\" she said. \"This is another myth propagated by the anti-abortion lobby, like women wanting sex selection.\" She also advocated making abortion pills, for early termination, available over the internet, without it being mandatory to consult an expert. MPs last week voted in favour of progressing the Reproductive Health (Access to Terminations) Bill. It would remove criminal sanctions over abortion for women and doctors in England and Wales. A spokesman for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children said although the comments came in a personal capacity they were in the context of the \"BMA's exploration of further abortion liberalisation\". And, he said, in light of a recent Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists event presenting", "summary": "Women should be told the sex of the foetus when they are scanned during pregnancy, a senior, retired obstetrician has said."}
{"article": "In the three months to August, output fell by 0.8%, the biggest such decline since March 2013. Meanwhile, the UK trade deficit was \u00a33.3bn in August, a narrowing of \u00a31.2bn from July, it said. But the deficit was larger than expected and is set to weigh on growth, the ONS added. An ONS official said the weak figures for construction in August may have been linked to wet weather during the month. Housebuilding fell by 3% from July and output in other parts of the sector also contracted for the first across-the-board decline since 2010. The trade figures showed the UK's deficit in its trade in goods narrowed to \u00a311.1bn in August compared with \u00a312.2bn in July, although some analysts had expected it to shrink further. The deficit of \u00a311.1bn on goods was partly offset by a \u00a37.9bn surplus on services. Exports increased by \u00a30.8bn, boosted by cars. The combined goods deficit for July and August is already twice that of the previous quarter, and is likely to have a negative effect on overall GDP growth. The UK's economy grew by 0.7% in the second quarter of the year, but Howard Archer of IHS Global Insight said overall growth prospects for the third quarter had received a \"double blow\" from the construction and trade data, which was \"seriously bad news overall\". \"Overall, the data reinforce our belief that GDP growth is likely be no better than 0.5% quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter, and there is now a significant risk that it could have been weaker still.\" David Kern, chief economist of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: \"The large trade deficit remains a major national problem. Greater efforts are needed to support our exporters and to secure a long-term improvement in our trading position.\"", "summary": "Construction output fell 4.3% in August, its sharpest drop since late 2012, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said."}
{"article": "Rod Mackenzie, described as a life-long crofter, was one of six commissioners elected in March and represents the East Highlands. Mr Ewing said the appointment would bring stability to the Crofting Commission. The regulatory body had been involved in a lengthy row that saw calls for the last convener to resign. Earlier this year, Scottish ministers urged for action to address \"worrying failures\" indentified by a review of the commission. The review ordered by the government found \"personality clashes\" amid issues with management at the organisation. Crofting is carried out in the Highlands, Northern and Western Isles and Argyll. Mr Ewing said: \"As a life-long crofter, Mr Mackenzie will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role and I look forward to working collaboratively with him in the future. \"With the appointment of the new convener, the creation of the new board of commissioners and the recruitment of a new chief executive earlier this year, I believe crofting can look forward to a period of stability and a positive focus on issues that will greatly improve the lives of those living in remote and rural areas.\" Mr Mackenzie said he was delighted to be selected for the role. He said: \"We've had several meetings of the board of commissioners since the elections in March, both for business and for training as a new group coming together and I've been impressed by just that - how everyone wants to come together, to do a good job for crofting. \"And what I've quickly learnt is that it is no simple thing. As a public regulator, you are working within constraints - there's no magic wand. \"But what there is, is the will to work together to make a difference.\"", "summary": "A new convener of the Crofting Commission has been appointed by Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing."}
{"article": "Apple won a ban on the devices, claiming Samsung had copied its iPhone and iPad. South Korean Samsung had been unable to sell products in Australia since July. The two companies are engaged in legal battles in more than 10 countries since April accusing each other of infringing smartphone and tablet patents. Last month, Samsung won an appeal against a temporary ban on sales. However, Apple was awarded a stay of the orders. On Friday Apple's bid to extend the ban was turned down by the High Court. The ruling is a rare win for Samsung as it allows the company to sell its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in time for the busy Christmas shopping season, a lucrative time for the industry. The decision comes after a US court ruled against Apple's bid to ban Galaxy phones and tablets, another win for Samsung. Apple has appealed against that ruling. However, the legal tussle in other markets is not going as well for Samsung. The company said on Friday that a French court had turned down its request to ban sale of the latest iPhone in that country.", "summary": "Australia's High Court has lifted a ban on the sale of Samsung's Galaxy tablet in the country in time for the Christmas shopping season."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Ethiopian great Kenenisa Bekele, who won last year's Berlin Marathon in the second-quickest time ever, heads the men's elite field along with Kenya's Stanley Biwott. In the women's race, Great Britain's Jo Pavey will have qualification for this year's world championships in her sights as part of a strong field. Six-time Paralympic gold medallist David Weir has said he will retire after the men's elite wheelchair race. BBC One will have comprehensive coverage from 08:30 BST on race day, with BBC Red Button viewers able to watch the elite races from start to finish. Fans can also watch the amateur runners complete the 26.2 mile course with a special Finish Line stream, available via Connected TV and on the BBC Sport website. You can also follow text updates from 08:30 to 16:00 on the BBC Sport website, plus live radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 live. Saturday, 22 April 13:15-13:45, Marathon Preview, BBC One Sunday, 23 April 07:50-08:50, Marathon Preview, BBC Red Button (repeat) 08:00-14:00, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra (simulcast of BBC London's coverage) 08:30-14:30, BBC One 08:50-12:30, Elite Races, BBC Red Button and online 12:30-16:00, Finish Line, Connected TV and online 18:00-19:00, Highlights, BBC Two *All times listed are BST. Fixtures and event start times are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes. Also, coverage on BBC Red Button can be subject to late schedule changes, so details may differ from this page. Media playback is not supported on this device National and regional variations have been included in this list where possible. Please check your local listings for more detailed information. You can view all our TV and Red Button broadcasts as well as listen to our radio sports programming on the BBC iPlayer.", "summary": "On Sunday, 23 April, the world's best elite runners as well as keen amateurs take on one of the most iconic races - the London Marathon."}
{"article": "President Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn agreed the deal in the border town of Moyale. The deal aims to tackle youth unemployment by creating jobs in the energy, mining and livestock industries. Tensions between rival ethnic groups have risen due to lack of land and water. There was a heavy security presence ahead of the meeting on the Kenya-Ethiopia border. \"This is a historic function,\" Kenya's President Kenyatta was quoted as saying. He said a tarmac road would be built by September 2016, linking the two countries' capital cities. Cross-border raids have forced thousands to flee their homes in recent years.", "summary": "Kenya and Ethiopia have signed a UN-backed trade deal worth $200m (\u00c2\u00a3130m) in a bid to ease cross-border conflict."}
{"article": "The world champion went into Saturday's racing as the overall leader and managed a victory and a third place. With the lowest score winning, Scott is on 22 points - 16 clear of Slovenia's Vasilij Zbogar with three races left. Scott, 29, is a four-time world champion bidding to follow in the footsteps of compatriot and four-time Olympic champion Sir Ben Ainslie. \"It's looking good going into the next two races but there's still a lot to play for,\" said Scott. \"Obviously having that points margin is a big confidence booster but I think the thing for me to be focusing on is that it isn't over. \"You can't get complacent. You have to attack days like I've done today so nothing really changes. But clearly having that margin is a good place for me.\" Nick Thompson's medal hopes in the Laser category took a blow, as he finished 22nd in the 10th race, dropping to sixth. Thompson, 30, was second after six races, but is 10 points outside the top three going into the medal race, which is worth double points. Alison Young kept alive her hopes in the Laser Radial, winning the penultimate race to be eighth going into the medal race. Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves dropped to third in the Nacra 17 mixed category, after they finished outside the top 10 in three of their four races on Saturday. Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth are sixth in the women's 49er class while in the men's equivalent Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign are 12th. Dylan Fletcher and Alain Sign have risen from 14th to 12th in the 49er fleet, but face a tough ask to finish in the medal hunt.", "summary": "Britain's Giles Scott enjoyed another dominant day in sailing's Finn class to close in on Olympic gold."}
{"article": "That includes broadband operators, schools, universities and libraries. Ofcom said that the savings could be passed on to consumers. It follows a review that found the former state monopoly had \"significant\" market power. BT said that more regulation could damage investment in infrastructure. \"These are proposals for discussion, so we'll be making our views known to Ofcom. We don't expect a final decision for some time,\" the company said in a statement. \"We believe there should be less regulation in this market, not more, as businesses already have diverse and growing choice amongst a large number of providers.\" The consultation - which runs until July - will consider a form of charge control that aims to bring prices down over a three-year period. The charge controls relate to two groups of services - older leased lines that offer speeds up to 8Mbps (megabits per second) and newer Ethernet lines that offer speeds up to 1Gbps (gigabit per second). \"The slow speed traditional service on up to 8Mbps leased lines is not likely to help mobile and other broadband operators, since slow lines like this are not sufficient for modern backhaul,\" said Andrew Ferguson, editor of broadband news site ThinkBroadband. \"The real market is the Ethernet sector where the price reduction will be very welcome by those buying these lines.\" But he added: \"There is also the real risk that BT - if revenue is reduced in one area - will seek to maintain profits by increasing prices elsewhere.\" Ofcom is also proposing that companies providing leased lines should be granted access to BT's networks through a process known as dark fibre. This would involve BT giving competitors physical access to its fibre-optic cables, allowing them to take direct control of the connection. It is called dark fibre because the cable would not be lit using BT's electronic equipment. Instead the competitor would install its own equipment at either end of the cable. Ofcom expects to publish its decision in the first quarter of next year, with any price cuts coming into effect in April 2016.", "summary": "UK regulator Ofcom is proposing cutting what BT charges for its leased telecoms lines, which could see significant price cuts for those who buy them."}
{"article": "A section of Victoria Pier in Colwyn Bay collapsed into the sea in February and a fire broke out there in March. The planning and listed building consent applications have been submitted by the owners, Conwy council. They include redeveloping a shortened pier and salvaging heritage elements of the structure for potential use in its restoration. The Colwyn Victoria Pier Trust wants to restore the pier to its original 1900 length, complete with kiosks and a pavilion, but has recognised the remaining pier needs to be dismantled \"so the community can move forward\". The 116-year-old pier was already closed to the public for safety reasons before its partial collapse. The council said the applications would be registered by the planning authority in due course and then be subject to the usual planning process. Once they have been considered and assessed, the listed building consent application will be submitted to the Welsh Government. That decision will be made by a Welsh Government minister who will be advised by CADW. In 2013, Conwy council voted to demolish the pier but this move was refused by the Welsh Government in 2015.", "summary": "Permission has been requested to dismantle and redevelop a Grade II-listed pier in Conwy county."}
{"article": "It said fracking could be safe for human health and the environment, but added that the industry needed to be more transparent. The report did not look at fracking's cost and climate change implications. The task force is an independent body funded by the oil and gas industry. There has been a great deal of public opposition to fracking - which involves blasting shale rock with water, sand and chemicals to release the gas trapped inside - in both the UK and elsewhere. There are concerns over the possibility of water contamination, methane leakage, earth tremors and disruption to local communities. However, the government is keen to exploit the UK's shale gas resources to reduce dependence on imported gas and increase energy independence. And this latest report suggests that, if regulations are tightened and a National Advisory Committee is established to monitor data from any shale gas operations, fracking could be safe. Lord Smith, chair of the Task Force on Shale Gas, said: \"Our conclusion from all the evidence we've seen is clear. Only if the drilling is done properly and to the highest standard, and with rigorous regulation and monitoring, can shale gas fracking be done safely for local communities and the environment.\" But the report did say that the practice of injecting waste water back into rock formations, which has been associated with earthquakes in the US, should be avoided. Lord Smith said: \"We have not yet concluded that fracking is a good idea for the UK. \"We still have to look at climate change and the economics. It would be premature to make conclusions yet on whether it is a good or bad thing.\" He added that if fracking would lead to a \"substantial raising of greenhouse gas emissions\", it should not be allowed. Environmentalists argue that if we are to avoid dangerous levels of climate change, fossil fuels need to be left in the ground in favour of cleaner, renewable energy such and wind and solar power. The task force will publish two further reports this year, covering climate change and economics. A final report on the potential risks and benefits of shale gas for the UK will be published in the spring of 2016.", "summary": "Fracking could potentially be done safely in the UK under \"rigorous regulation\", but it is too early to say whether it would be \"a good idea\", the Task Force on Shale Gas has reported."}
{"article": "Nicola Collingbourne was found at her home in Ivel Court on the Jackman's Estate in Letchworth on Tuesday. Yvonne Caylor, 52, of Grove Road in Hitchin, will appear before Hatfield Remand Court on Monday. Hertfordshire Police said officers want to speak to anyone who saw a person \"of large build wearing a high-vis jacket\" near the flat on Monday morning.", "summary": "A woman has been charged with murder after a 26-year-old was found dead at a flat in Hertfordshire."}
{"article": "The fifth most common cancer in UK women affects more than 6,500 a year. Researchers funded by the Department of Health compared the survival rates of 20,000 patients in five countries - Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway and the UK. The UK ranked worst. Its record of managing advanced stages of the disease was particularly poor. Survival rates have been improving - more than two-thirds of women with this cancer survive more than a year now in England and Wales compared with fewer than half in the mid-70s. But they still lag behind other countries. As the symptoms of ovarian cancer are similar to those of other conditions, it can be difficult to recognise until the disease is more advanced, and experts had thought late diagnosis could explain the UK's poorer track record. But the findings, in the journal Gynecologic Oncology, suggest problems accessing successful treatment are to blame. Lead author Dr Bernard Rachet, of the Cancer Survival Group at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: \"Our research is the first population-based study to examine whether low ovarian cancer survival in the UK is due to more women being diagnosed with advanced disease, or to the outcome of treatment in the UK being inferior at each stage. \"The results show that the proportion of women with advanced disease is similar to that in other countries, but that survival for women with advanced disease is much lower. \"This suggests that the success of treatment is lower in the UK, and more effort should be made to ensure that UK women with ovarian cancer have the same access to the best treatments.\" One year survival was 69% in the UK compared with 72% in Denmark and 74-75% in the other three countries. Women with advanced stages of the disease fared the worst - 61% survived for at least a year in the UK compared with up to 74% elsewhere. The UK was also worse at recording how far tumours had spread. Although these percentage differences may not sound large, they are significant and big in terms of avoidable cancer deaths, say the researchers. Past work by some of the same team suggested around 500 ovarian cancer deaths a year could be avoided in Britain if the country had a survival record that matched the rest of Europe. Sara Hiom, of Cancer Research UK (CRUK), said: \"This disturbing research advances our knowledge about what needs to be done to tackle lower ovarian cancer survival in the UK.\" A recent study by the charity predicted that many cancers would see improvements in survival rates over coming years. CRUK estimates ovarian cancer death rates will drop by 43% by 2030. Gilda Witte of the charity Ovarian Cancer Action said: \"We believe that women who have reached the advanced stages of the disease should have the opportunity to be treated within expert specialist centres, where they will benefit from the expertise of leading specialist surgeons implementing the latest research within experienced multidisciplinary teams. \"We know that when these conditions are in place, it drastically increases a", "summary": "Women in the UK are dying unnecessarily of ovarian cancer because of a lack of access to the best treatment, say experts."}
{"article": "Sitting in an urban utopia - a sky garden overlooking Hong Lim Park, surrounded by hanging vines, infinity pools, pavilions shaped like giant birdcages and 15,000 square metres of greenery - Townsend announced his line-up to face Italy at the air-cooled indoor national stadium on Saturday amid an architectural wonder. What Townsend is about to build on the rugby field is unknown, but this was the first stop. In the absence of Richie Gray through injury and his brother Jonny, who sits out Saturday's Test but will feature against the Wallabies next weekend, he has a new second-row partnership. Glasgow's Tim Swinson and Ben Toolis, the Edinburgh lock being one of the few who managed to rise above the team's malaise in the season just gone, pair up in the engine room. \"Ben gets his reward for the form he's been in with Edinburgh,\" said Townsend. \"His work-rate, his physicality, his athleticism is really good and it gives Jonny the chance to get up to full match fitness.\" This will be Toolis' second cap and his first start. His one and only cap lasted just eight minutes off the bench in a game that has gone down as one of the most painful in recent years, for Scotland as a collective and for Toolis as an individual. It was February 2015 and the lock replaced his Saturday partner, Swinson, after 69 minutes of the Six Nations game with Italy at Murrayfield. Scotland were ahead 19-15 at the time. In the 77th minute, Toolis got sin-binned and the Scots ended up losing the game in what was arguably the low point of Vern Cotter's time in charge. Toolis hasn't played a Test since. Against the same opposition in Singapore, Toolis has a shot at changing his Scotland story. With Stuart Hogg and Tommy Seymour away with the Lions, Townsend has converted Duncan Taylor into a full-back and, on the wing, he gives Damien Hoyland his first cap since last summer. It will be Hoyland's second start for Scotland in what will be his third cap. His debut was also against Italy in August 2015. WP Nel returns at tight-head after the most frustrating injury-plagued year of his career, the same going for Taylor who has not played for his country in 12 months, a period that he described last week as a \"mental battle\". The Saracen had two different hamstring injuries that put him out for two months, two operations on his ankle that cost him four months, a head injury that kept him out four weeks, then shoulder damage that had him in treatment for another four. He made it back in time for Saracens' Champions Cup retention, appearing as a second-half substitute. Josh Strauss also comes into the side after being invalided out of the Six Nations in France while at the peak of his powers. Townsend joked that, in the searing humidity in training, his players have been using Strauss' magnificent beard - in its own way a fabulous creation to rival anything on the Singapore skyline - as a", "summary": "As settings go, the roof of the Scotland team hotel in downtown Singapore wasn't the worst place for Gregor Townsend to name his first team as coach of the national side."}
{"article": "The Royals secured their play-off place with a 1-0 win over Wigan on Saturday and are third with a game left to play. \"For us, it's important to stay up there and be happy with where we are going into the semi-final,\" Stam said. \"It's going to hard and a big battle as all the teams up there are good and have quality individuals.\" Stam, who took charge of Reading in the summer, praised the squad's achievement in finishing in the top six. \"I'm very proud of the players,\" he told BBC Radio Berkshire. \"A top six finish is something you hope for at the beginning of the season, but that depends on the progress of the team. \"It's a big achievement and a big compliment to the squad in how they've done this season.\" Reading travel to Burton for their final game of the regular season on Sunday and would face sixth-placed Fulham in their play-off semi-final as things stand. But, former Manchester United defender Stam is not too concerned with who they might face. \"We're going to give it our best shot,\" he said. \"We want to finish the final game well as we don't want to go into the play-offs with a disappointment.\"", "summary": "Reading manager Jaap Stam believes momentum rather than a highest-placed finish will be most important going into the Championship play-offs."}
{"article": "According to a pair of scientific studies, key genes in the immune system come from our ancient \"cousins\". The findings, which appear in The American Journal of Human Genetics, suggest we have Neanderthals to thank for being able to fight off pathogens. But interbreeding may have had a downside, as the same genes may have made us more prone to allergies. Modern-day people can trace their ancestry to a small population that emerged from Africa about 60,000 years ago. As the African humans spread out across the world, they came into contact with other ancient humans based in Europe and Western Asia. Genetic evidence suggests that these different \"tribes\" interbred, with part of the genome of Neanderthals still present in humans alive today. About 1% to 6% of the modern Eurasian human genome seems to come from Neanderthals and Denisovans - another extinct member of the human family. Scientists in Germany analysed the genes of both modern humans and our ancient relatives to find the source of changes in our immune system's genetic blueprints. They found some of the fragments of Neanderthal DNA in humans alive today play a key role in the immune system as the front line of defence against pathogens such as bacteria, fungi and parasites. \"The evidence suggests that this genetic region contributes to the immune system of modern day humans,\" Dr Michael Dannemann of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, told BBC News. \"At some point in history it might have been an advantage to have these Neanderthal genes in terms of fighting off infections or lethal pathogens from 10,000 years ago. \"It could also still be an advantage today but this is difficult to pinpoint.\" Dr Danneman, a co-researcher on one of the papers, said this inheritance from the Neanderthals could also have left some people more prone to allergies - because of the effect on the immune system - although this needs further investigation in the laboratory. A second group of researchers - in France and the US - independently analysed genetic data on modern people from the 1000 Genomes project together with the genome sequences of ancient humans. They came to similar conclusions - that a particular cluster of important human immune genes come from Neanderthals and Denisovans. Dr Lluis Quintana-Murci of the Unit of Human Evolutionary Genetics, Institut Pasteur, Paris, said the findings came as a big surprise. \"Our big surprise was to find that this gene region has such a high Neanderthal ancestry because this region has been shown to have a major biological relevance in host survival against pathogens,\" he said. \"Maybe we should thank Neanderthals for having given us diversity in innate immunity to survive better against pathogens.\" Follow Helen on Twitter.", "summary": "We may owe our ability to fight disease to our extinct relatives - the Neanderthals and Denisovans."}
{"article": "The Iraqi authorities hope the joint offensive will succeed in pushing IS out of the city, which would be a crushing defeat for the militants and leave them with very little territory in Iraq. But over the past week IS has been hitting back hard on the battlefield, and in various towns and cities. It is gradually revealing a battle plan which it has probably been working on since it seized control of Mosul in June 2014, knowing that this day of reckoning would eventually come. This is the latest tactic deployed by the militants since the offensive began, with a spate of attacks around the country starting last Friday in the strategic, Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk. At least 100 IS gunmen and suicide bombers, including some who had been members of sleeper cells living inside the city, tried to take control of key government and police buildings as well as attacking a power station being built there. As they entered Kirkuk, they called on Sunni Muslims to come out of their homes and fight with them and some heeded the call, according to one source who spoke to the BBC. At least 98 people were killed in the attack, most of them civilians. Sources say 2,000 Kurdish fighters (known as the Peshmerga) were pulled back from the Mosul offensive, to help bring the situation in Kirkuk back under control. The security forces' commander in Kirkuk, Halo Najat, told the BBC he believed the militants also planned to cut the main road from Baghdad to Kirkuk and the road from Kirkuk to Mosul to disrupt supply lines for Iraqi and Kurdish troops involved in the Mosul offensive. However, they were killed before they could do this. Since the assault on Kirkuk, there have been attacks on the town of Rutba in western Iraq and the Sinjar region to the west of Mosul. The sight of a cluster of cars or trucks speeding towards the front lines of the Mosul offensive has sparked panic among some Iraqi troops and Kurdish fighters, who know it is highly likely the vehicles are packed with explosives and driven by suicide bombers. This is a new tactic by IS designed to make it difficult for troops to stop all the vehicles reaching their positions. Small arms fire is not effective as the vehicles normally have armoured plating around them. Destroying them requires several anti-tank missiles to be fired rapidly. The alternative is to call for air strikes, if there is time. The militants try to conceal suicide vehicles before they are used. As the Iraqi army and Kurdish forces have advanced towards Mosul, regaining control of towns and villages which had been in the hands of IS, they have discovered networks of tunnels dug in many areas, a classic tactic for guerrilla warfare. They seem to be primarily defensive, designed to protect the militants from air strikes, artillery and other attacks. Inside the tunnels troops have found sleeping bags, food supplies, water, and even electricity cables so the users have light. The tunnels are often dug beneath", "summary": "After more than a week of fighting, the Iraqi army and Kurdish forces are now getting close to the eastern outskirts of Mosul, the last city in Iraq still under the control of so-called Islamic State (IS)."}
{"article": "Mr Green was charged after arriving at Livingston police station. Mr Whyte later attended a police station in Glasgow and was detained in custody. A third man, former Rangers co-administrator David Whitehouse, was earlier arrested in England. All three men are expected to appear at Glasgow Sherriff Court on Wednesday. Craig Whyte, 44, took over Rangers in May 2011. The club entered administration the following year. Charles Green led the consortium which bought Rangers assets in 2012 following the club's liquidation. But he stepped down from Rangers a year later following allegations that he was working in conjunction with Craig Whyte. A police spokesman said: \"Police Scotland can confirm a 44-year-old man has been arrested and is presently detained in police custody in connection with an ongoing investigation into an alleged fraudulent acquisition of Rangers FC in 2012. \"A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.\" An earlier police statement said a 62-year-old man had been arrested and detained over the same investigation. Arriving at the police station on Tuesday morning, Mr Green, 62, said: \"I've been invited to attend an interview with Police Scotland. I have done that on a number of occasions in the past.\" Asked why he was there, Mr Green replied: \"Well, one of the difficulties with today is my legal people had asked Police Scotland to provide us information that we're likely to be questioned on and they wouldn't provide that so I'm at a loss really.\" David Whitehouse, 50, who worked for administrators Duff and Phelps, had earlier been arrested in connection with the 2012 acquisition. Police said in a statement: \"Following a Police Scotland operation on Tuesday, a 50-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged fraudulent acquisition of Rangers FC in 2012. \"Around 6am officers from Police Scotland's economic crime unit, assisted by officers from Cheshire, attended at an address in England and detained the 50-year-old man. \"He has now been arrested and is presently detained in police custody.\"", "summary": "Former Rangers owner Craig Whyte and ex-chief executive Charles Green have been arrested as part of an inquiry into the \"alleged fraudulent acquisition\" of the club in 2012."}
{"article": "The Institute for Science and International Security says images of the Yongbyon plant show patterns of melting snow indicating new activity. Yongbyon's reactor was shut down in 2007 but was restarted in 2013. Six-nation talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear programme have been stalled since early 2009. The think-tank's report says that its assessment in late 2014 was that the reactor at Yongbyon, in the country's west, had been \"shut down or partially shut down\" but more recent images suggested the plant \"may be operating at low power or intermittently\". As well as the patterns of melting snow, the satellite photos are also said to capture a stream of warm water coming out of the reactor's discharge pipeline and steam rising off the turbine. This study is a powerful reminder that North Korea's nuclear weapons programme has not gone away. It also shows the important role that independent analysts with access to civilian satellite imagery can play in helping to publicise what previously would have been top secret material available only to a handful of governments. The winter snow and ice provides a helpful environment to reveal tell-tale signs that the Yongbyon reactor may have restarted. There's still considerable uncertainty about the scale of North Korea's nuclear arsenal. Recently Chinese nuclear experts provided their US counterparts with a new assessment of North Korea's nuclear capabilities suggesting it may already have 20 warheads with the capacity to double this total by next year. US estimates are much more conservative. It means that over the past 12 years Pyongyang has developed an expanding arsenal which many see as a significant threat to the region. In 2008, North Korea walked away from six-party talks with South Korea, the US, China, Japan and Russia on its denuclearisation. The other countries have since tried to persuade North Korea to return to the negotiating table. Earlier this year North Korea offered to stop nuclear tests if the US stopped holding military drills with Seoul, but the offer was rejected. North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests, in 2006, 2009 and 2013. Also on Thursday, Russia said the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had cancelled his plans to attend World War Two victory commemorations in Moscow. The visit next week would have been his first trip abroad since taking power three years ago. However, a Kremlin spokesman said Mr Kim had decided to stay in North Korea due to \"internal issues\".", "summary": "A US think-tank says satellite pictures taken earlier this year suggest North Korea may have restarted one of its nuclear reactors."}
{"article": "Lee and Drilona Perry got married at Newark register office late on Saturday afternoon. They headed to the adjacent Newark Castle after to take photos but, in the meantime, register office staff went home and the gates were locked. They were rescued along with their 50 guests after an hour and the council has now apologised. Mr Perry, from Newark, Nottinghamshire, said he thought it was a joke at first. \"You plan a nice, beautiful wedding that you expect to be the most wonderful day of your life....only to find you get locked in,\" he said. \"As it started to get dark and the rain started to come down we thought let's wrap this up and get to the function, but the gates were locked.\" He said they had been given no explanation as to how it had happened but \"it will be a wedding to remember\". \"We can laugh about it now. It could've been a lot worse,\" added Mr Perry. Jeanette Hall, registration area manager at Nottinghamshire County Council, said they appreciated it \"must have been frustrating for all involved\". She said: \"Newark and Sherwood District Council lock these gates at around dusk and unfortunately we should have alerted the couple to the possibility that the gates may be locked when they went into the grounds.\" She said they were trying to contact the couple to investigate what happened.", "summary": "A newly-wed couple had an eventful start to their marriage when they found themselves locked in a castle grounds."}
{"article": "Louis Ross was with friends when he lost control on a slope in the Meribel resort on Wednesday, police said. The 17-year-old was a lower-sixth form pupil at the independent Canford School in Wimborne, Dorset. In a statement, the school said: \"We are devastated by this shocking news and doing all we can to support the family during this time.\" \"The thoughts and prayers of the entire Canford community are with them.\" The resort is the same one where former F1 world champion Michael Schumacher suffered a brain injury in 2013. French police said Louis lost his balance and crashed into the slope during the morning and, despite wearing a helmet, suffered injuries to his face. Mountain rescuers were on the scene within 10 minutes but nothing could be done to save him. A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said: \"We are in contact with the local authorities and providing support to the family at this difficult time.\"", "summary": "A British teenager has died in a skiing crash while on a family holiday in the French Alps."}
{"article": "At the beginning of the season, Claudio Ranieri's side were as much as 5,000-1 to finish as champions, while the odds were 1000-1 to be top at Christmas. The Foxes lead the Premier League by five points from Tottenham and have lost just three times all season. Leicester can guarantee themselves a shock title triumph with three wins from their remaining four games. Betfred are the only bookmakers to have already paid out on Leicester as champions, after they beat Southampton 1-0 on 3 April. \"I've been wrong before but this time I can't see Spurs or Arsenal catching Ranieri's men,\" said Betfred boss Fred Done. At the start of the season, 47 people placed a bet with Ladbrokes for Leicester to win the title at 5000-1 - of which 23 have cashed out, while 24 are still awaiting their fate. \"Leicester's win would be the biggest upset in the history of betting,\" Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes told BBC Sport. \"It would be the worst result for us financially and our biggest payout by a distance. \"If Chelsea, Manchester City or Manchester United would have won, the total payouts would have been in the few hundred thousands. \"Leicester have been upsetting the odds all season but it is a brilliant Hollywood story that we are a part of. Hats off to anyone who backed them at the start of the season.\" Last month, a Leicester fan cashed out for \u00a372,000 from a \u00a350 bet on his team to win the title.", "summary": "The UK's leading bookmakers face paying out more than \u00a310m if Leicester City win the Premier League title."}
{"article": "The 11 members of the cross-party Home Affairs Committee will use their findings to inform recommendations to the government. Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who chairs the committee, said too often only the \"loudest, angriest voices\" were heard. She said immigration would be central to the Brexit deal. Immigration to the UK rose to a record level with 650,000 migrants in the year to June, Office for National Statistics figures released earlier this month showed. There was also a record number of EU citizens coming to live in Britain, 284,000. While net migration - immigration minus emigration - stayed near record levels, at 335,000. Launching the inquiry on Thursday, Ms Cooper told the committee: \"There has been a lot of noise about immigration. \"Too often all that gets heard are the loudest, angriest voices and others are silenced. \"Some people exploit public concern to whip up fear and hatred. \"But just because some people exploit the issue in a way that is totally wrong, [that] doesn't mean the rest of us should be silent from talking about it or ignore the problem. \"It is not racist to worry about immigration. \"We have to make sure we have a sensible debate.\" Earlier, Ms Cooper told the BBC's Breakfast programme: \"People really need a say on what kind of reforms people want to immigration. \"For too long successive governments have failed on immigration, and public concern has just gone up. \"We should be having a really honest debate all round the country about what sorts of reforms, what kinds of controls people want to see.\" She said the government would be \"crazy\" not to listen to what people were saying about immigration. \"If we don't get a consensus around the final Brexit deal, it will unravel,\" she added. The committee plans to hold public meetings, debates and online consultations. They are also encouraging community groups, business organisations, faith groups, think tanks and local councils to run their own debates.", "summary": "A group of MPs are to hold public meetings across the UK to hear people's views on immigration and how it should be handled after the UK leaves the EU."}
{"article": "Zack Davies, 26, tried to kill dentist Dr Sarandev Bhambra, 25, in revenge for the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby. The racially motivated attack happened in Tesco in Mold in January and earlier this month Davies was jailed for life. Speaking for the first time since the attack, Peter Fuller, 44, said it was \"like something out of a horror movie\". \"I will think about what happened for the rest of my life,\" he said. \"That's the image I still have in my head every night - him running towards me with the machete raised and dripping blood. \"It is like something out of a horror movie.\" Mr Fuller spoke out about the ordeal before accepting an award for outstanding bravery from the Pride of Britain Awards. Mr Fuller said he heard Davies shout \"remember Lee Rigby\". \"Initially I just thought it was kids larking about but then as I moved about four paces I saw a man on the floor surrounded by blood and the guy standing over him and hitting with a hammer,\" he said. \"I decided then that there was no way I was backing away. \"There was no-one else around me, they were all running and screaming, so I moved to one side to let Mr Bhambra run past and then I moved into the middle of the aisle and made myself as big as possible. \"I started shouting at the guy that what he was doing was madness and that I was ex-Forces. I made it clear that he was either going to have to go through me or he was going to stop.\" During the trial, Gareth Preston, senior prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Wales, said: \"Such was the level of violence involved that, were it not for the extremely courageous actions of ex-serviceman Peter Fuller, this offence could have become an act of murder.\" Mr Fuller will be honoured at the Daily Mirror's Pride of Britain ceremony at London's Grosvenor House on Monday night.", "summary": "An ex-soldier who stopped a neo-Nazi beheading a Flintshire shopper with a hammer and a machete says he is still haunted by the savage attack."}
{"article": "Paul Simmons-Turner, of East Ham, London, was killed in what police believe was a targeted attack on Tuesday at the Marriott Hotel in Waltham Abbey, Essex. An inquest into his death has opened and adjourned. Essex Police said the dead man had been wanted for questioning over an assault in Loughton in May. Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray, sitting at the court in Chelmsford, said she was waiting for a full post-mortem examination and toxicology report and the next hearing would be on 9 January. Mr Simmons-Turner, a father of three, was shot in the hotel car park at about 09:45 GMT and then chased on foot. He flagged down a passing motorist who drove him to nearby pub The Volunteer, but paramedics could not save him. Police said a suspect was seen getting into a dark-coloured car being driven by an accomplice following the shooting. Read more on this and other news from across Essex", "summary": "A 38-year-old man killed outside a hotel was shot in the chest with a handgun, an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "After more than 1,000 years underground - and nearly three since its discovery - part of the Galloway Viking hoard is going on public display in Edinburgh. A collection of \"international significance\", it comprises more than 100 gold, silver and other items. There is understandable excitement at the National Museum of Scotland at being able to give a glimpse of its treasures to a wider audience. In future, it is planned, it will also go on show in Kirkcudbright - closer to the spot it was discovered. It was September 2014 when metal detectorist Derek McLennan made the discovery of a lifetime on land in Dumfries and Galloway. Buried at the beginning of the 10th Century, some of the artefacts date back to an even earlier period. The hoard brings together the richest collection of rare Viking-age objects ever found in Britain. \"It is very exciting to finally have the hoard on display,\" said NMS senior curator Dr Martin Goldberg, \"To see it all laid out together for the first time is a real eye-opener for me - just seeing how much there is.\" He said a small treasure vessel in particular had produced some remarkable finds. \"It is amazing - it is only 10cm high and 10cm in diameter - but the amount of things that were packed into it that we can now put on display,\" he said. The range of items spread out across the glass cabinets on display is impressive - the bulk of it silver jewellery and ingots. A tiny, gold, bird-shaped pin is particularly eye-catching as well as a number of brooches - some of a kind never previously found in Scotland. The temporary display of the hoard - which runs until October - is aimed at helping to raise funds towards the nearly \u00c2\u00a32m required to \"save it for the nation\". That process has not been without controversy. Dumfries and Galloway Council had put in a bid to secure the hoard for a new art gallery being built in Kirkcudbright but that was ultimately unsuccessful, despite going to appeal. NMS has pledged to put part of the collection on permanent display in the town in due course and, on occasions, let all the artefacts come to the region. Not everyone in Dumfries and Galloway is happy with that outcome but NMS director Dr Gordon Rintoul insisted it was the right one. \"This hoard is of major national and international significance but it also needs a lot of work done,\" he said. \"It is going to take a conservation programme which we think is going to take at least two years.\" He said a lot of specialised expertise and equipment would be needed to carry out that work. \"It is also going to need a lot of very detailed academic research to uncover its secrets - there are lots of mysteries around some of the items in the hoard,\" he said. Dr Rintoul said that meant the museum in Edinburgh was the right place for the items. \"But it has always been our intention to aim", "summary": "It has been an unusual and not entirely straightforward journey."}
{"article": "Multiple attacks in the French capital on Friday killed 129 people. The 2024 Olympic hosts will be named in 2017 and Bach said: \"IOC members know terrorism is not a French or a Parisian problem, it is a global challenge.\" On Sunday, Euro 2016 organiser Jacques Lambert said next year's tournament in France should not be cancelled. Rome, Hamburg, Budapest and Los Angeles are also bidding for the 2024 Games. Asked whether Friday's attacks could influence the vote, Bach told French sports daily L'Equipe: \"No, the IOC members have a lot of experience. \"We are talking about the Olympic Games that will be held in nine years and terrorism is global, it is not just about a country or a city. \"It does not only concern sports but all the big events and the whole society.\" He added: \"You cannot concede victory to the terrorists. \"We must be united and firm, especially with the Olympic Games.\"", "summary": "Last week's attacks on Paris will not influence the city's chances of hosting the 2024 Olympic Games, IOC president Thomas Bach has said."}
{"article": "India is already the world's third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and it plans a massive increase, proposing to treble CO2 emissions within the next 15 years. What is more, unlike virtually every other country attending the Paris conference - including the two biggest polluters, the US and China - India has not set a future cap on emissions, let alone proposed cuts. That's because, for India, economic growth comes first. And because India's energy policy is based on coal - the dirtiest fuel there is - the pace of economic growth sets the rate of emissions. The scale of what India is planning becomes shockingly real when you visit one of the country's many open cast coal mines. Looking across the vast pit is impressive enough: the opposite bank blurs into the blue distance. But it is only when you get up close to the operations that you get a true sense of scale. The dozens of bright yellow trucks you saw from your eyrie rumbling with their loads across the valley floor take on vast proportions. Every one of this monstrous insect army is the size of a family home. But even these behemoths are dwarfed by the queen that squats at the heart of the operation. She is a true titan, a giant crane whose gaping jaws take great bites from the 20 metre high wall of coal before spewing it into the waiting trucks. And the numbers are as large as the machines. India plans to open a mine like this every single month until 2020 as part of its strategy to double coal output to a billion tonnes a year. And, it can maintain that output for the next 300 years, if it so wishes, because according to the Indian coal ministry the country has 301 billion tonnes of accessible coal. Now hold those huge numbers in your mind as you recall the ambitions of Paris conference: to reduce carbon emissions to avoid catastrophic climate change. It isn't hard to conclude that India is effectively saying to the world: \"Climate change is your problem, you deal with it!\" But India has some powerful arguments to justify its position. It talks in terms of \"climate justice\". First off, it says it isn't responsible for the emissions that are causing the current warming. That's down to the developed world which used fossil fuels to power its path to wealth. If you look at emissions since 1850 - what is sometimes called the \"carbon space\" - then US is responsible for a third of the total, Europe and the other developed countries for 45%. India, according to figures from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, accounts for just 3% of emissions to date. And that tiny total explains why India is still so poor. Remember, India is the second most populous country in the world with one and a quarter of a billion people. Hundreds of millions of those still live in terrible poverty. India's enduring poverty explains the second arm of India's argument: the fact that Indians use way", "summary": "If any single country embodies the challenge of reaching an agreement at the huge United Nations climate conference that begins in Paris on Monday, it is India."}
{"article": "It is the same XV that faced Fiji in their opening game of the tournament. Bernard Foley returns at fly-half over Quade Cooper, with Michael Hooper alongside David Pocock in the back row and Matt Giteau at inside-centre. Australia trail Wales in Pool A after two victories, while an England defeat would see the hosts all but eliminated. Media playback is not supported on this device England have recalled centre Jonathan Joseph in place of Sam Burgess, while number eight Ben Morgan and lock Joe Launchbury also start. Morgan believes the Wallabies' forwards will have \"doubts\", with the 26-17 defeat by England at Twickenham last November, fresh in their memories. But Australia coach Michael Cheika responded by saying his side would not be \"looking backwards\" at previous matches between the sides. \"I know they think we are weak in the forwards, they are saying it out loud. They have stuck it to us the last couple of times we have played,\" he said. \"The only place we can show the difference is on the field on Saturday night, that is where we will show our colours. Talk is cheap.\" Australia's eight-man replacements' bench will also be confirmed later. Wales, who beat England 28-25 on Saturday and are second in the pool, beat Fiji 23-13 at the Millennium Stadium on Thursday to head the group. The Wallabies squad has been hit with injuries, with lock Will Skelton and number eight Wycliff Palu ruled out of the tournament after being hurt against Uruguay. Sam Carter and James Hanson have replaced them. \"This selection has been really clear on where we must improve and the level we must be at to compete with England,\" added Cheika. \"We know that it's going to be a very tough challenge.\" Australia: Israel Folau; Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Giteau, Rob Horne; Bernard Foley, Will Genia; Scott Sio, Stephen Moore, Sekope Kepu; Kane Douglas, Rob Simmons; Scott Fardy, Michael Hooper, David Pocock. Replacements: Tatafu Polota-Nau, James Slipper, Greg Holmes, Dean Mumm, Ben McCalman, Nick Phipps, Matt Toomua, Kurtley Beale.", "summary": "Australia have made 14 changes to the team that beat Uruguay for Saturday's crucial World Cup match against England at Twickenham."}
{"article": "First floated in January and included in the Conservative manifesto, the cap would apply to central and local government and other public bodies. The BBC, Channel 4, Bank of England, the Armed Forces, Royal Bank of Scotland and other taxpayer-owned banks would be among organisations exempt. But ministers said they would expect such bodies to introduce \"their own, commensurate cap on exit payments\". The government says it wants to significantly reduce the cost to the taxpayer of public sector pay-offs, which totalled about \u00a36.5bn between 2011-12 and 2013-14. \"It's not right that highly-paid public sector workers should receive huge taxpayer-funded payouts when they're made redundant,\" said Chief Secretary to the Treasury Greg Hands. \"The cap we are bringing into law will mean no more six-figure pay-offs in the civil service, local authorities and the NHS. We also expect other bodies who rely on taxpayers' money to follow suit.\" Under its plans, which would apply to bodies whose remuneration is determined at a UK level, any eligible organisation which wanted to exceed the cap would have to seek permission from ministers. The Treasury-led consultation, which will seek views on the scope, level and design of the proposed cap, will close on 27 August. Union leaders criticised the exclusion of RBS and the firms which manage the remaining publicly owned assets of Northern Rock and Bradford and Bingley. They claim the cap will potentially affect nurses, teachers, firefighters and police officers on relatively modest incomes. \"Ministers are portraying this as being aimed at highly paid public servants who enjoy 'golden goodbyes',\" said Mark Serwotka, from the Public and Commercial Services Union. \"But the reality is that capping the redundancy payments at the proposed level will impact on long-serving, loyal staff earning just above the average civil service pay who have built up pensions and other entitlements under their terms and conditions.\" The BBC introduced a \u00a3150,000 maximum limit on redundancy payments in 2013 following criticism of severance packages paid to some departing senior executives.", "summary": "Ministers are to consult on plans to cap public sector pay-offs at \u00a395,000."}
{"article": "The wreck of the 3rd Century trading ship Asterix was discovered in the mouth of St Peter Port harbour entrance in the 1980s. The timbers are to go on display as part of an exhibition about a Celtic hoard of 70,000 coins. The hoard was found in a field in Jersey by two metal detector enthusiasts in 2012. The timbers have been undergoing conservation work at the Mary Rose Trust in Portsmouth. Val Nelson, Jersey Heritage Trust Registrar, said the timbers from the Asterix would be on display with a scale model of the original ship. She said: \"This is the first public airing for the timbers, the restoration work has just been completed. \"The coin hoard will be the major part of the exhibition, but we have borrowed objects from Guernsey, Normandy and Brittany to put the hoard in context and show what was happening in this part of the world at the time. \"As well as the timbers, we will have a very special piece from Normandy that is considered a French national treasure.\" The timbers had to be lifted into the museum gallery, on the third floor, using a large crane. The vessel is the \"biggest object from Roman Britain and the most intact sea going ship [of its age] found outside the Mediterranean,\" said Jason Monaghan, director of Guernsey Museums, which owns the wreck. The whole ship, for which a permanent home has yet to be found, could not be included in the exhibition as it is too large at about 5m (16ft) wide and 17m (56ft) long. The exhibition opens at the Jersey Museum in St Helier on 2 June. It will visit Guernsey in 2015.", "summary": "Timbers from a Gallo-Roman wreck found off Guernsey will go on display in Jersey later as part of an exhibition."}
{"article": "The north Belfast derby could have a huge bearing on whether the Crues will retain the Irish Premiership crown. The clash of two in-form sides is one of the biggest fixtures of the season. Cliftonville have lost just one of the 19 league matches played since Lyttle took over in October while Crusaders have been beaten just once in 25 games. \"Cliftonville will come to Seaview and throw the kitchen sink at us,\" said Crusaders manager Stephen Baxter, who is without suspended striker Michael Carvill. \"We know that, and have to be prepared for it. We need to give back as much as we receive. \"It is a big match but there is a long way to go in this league. \"Our job is to concentrate on our own game and just get on with the task ahead of us.\" Earlier in the campaign, Crusaders won 1-0 away to the Reds while the north Belfast rivals drew 2-2 at Seaview on Boxing Day. \"We have been on a good run for some time now,\" said Cliftonville manager Lyttle whose side beat Ards in last weekend's League Cup final. \"We had a wee blip with a number of draws but we have got things sorted out and are a team in form. \"Hopefully, we can drive on for the rest of the campaign.\" Victory for Cliftonville would also be a boost to Linfield's ambitions of being the ones to deny Crusaders back-to-back titles. David Healy's Blues, who lost 2-1 at Portadown last time out, go to Coleraine aiming to beat the Bannsiders for the third time this season. \"We had been on a nice little run before the Portadown game,\" said boss Healy. \"Portadown had been struggling but they have now taken six points from us. It shows how teams raise their game when they play Linfield. \"We must pick ourselves up and go on another unbeaten run.\"", "summary": "Gerard Lyttle takes his Cliftonville team to Crusaders on Saturday confident of a victory which would move them to within six points of the leaders."}
{"article": "This is their first major operation in CAR since about 150 troops were deployed in recent weeks to Bangui, amid warnings of a genocide. Around a quarter of CAR's 4.6 million population have fled their homes since conflict erupted in March 2013 between mainly Muslim and Christian militias. The African Union and France have about 7,000 troops in the country. They have been battling to curb the conflict, and the EU has pledged to send up to 1,000 troops and the United Nations (UN) about 12,000 troops. French troops handed control of the airport in the capital, Bangui, to the EU force on Wednesday. Bangui has seen some of the worst fighting, and AU troops escorted more than 1,200 Muslims out of the city on Sunday to protect them from the mainly Christian anti-balaka militia. The EU force is under the command of a French officer, Maj-Gen Philippe Ponties, and is made up of French and Estonian troops. Source: Index Mundi Their deployment to the airport is intended to allow French troops to move elsewhere in the country. UN officials and aid agencies have warned that hatred between Christians and Muslims could lead to a genocide and the partition of the country. Few Muslims remain in Bangui, with most of them fleeing to the north or neighbouring states. Christians form the majority in CAR, and the anti-balaka say they took up arms after coming under attack from the mainly Muslim Seleka rebels who seized power in March 2013. Seleka leader Michel Djotodia was forced to step down in January, because of his failure to stem the violence. He had been the CAR's first Muslim ruler. His supporters accuse troops loyal to the president he overthrew, Francois Bozize, of fuelling the conflict.", "summary": "European Union (EU) troops have taken control of security at the Central African Republic's (CAR) main airport."}
{"article": "Armed officers forced a car to stop on Spring Garden Street in Ballybough at about 18:00 on Friday. They discovered what they believe to be a quantity of detonators and Semtex explosives. The surrounding area has been cleared and cordoned off and an army bomb disposal team is attending. The two men are being held under Ireland's Offences against the State Act and can be questioned for up to three days.", "summary": "Two men have been arrested after explosives were discovered by police investigating dissident republican activity in Dublin."}
{"article": "Two vehicles collided on the A32 Gosport Road shortly after 08:00 GMT, Hampshire Constabulary said. The biker was treated by paramedics at the scene but later died from his injuries. Motorists are urged to avoid the area as the road, which has been closed near Wych Lane, will remain shut for several hours.", "summary": "A motorcyclist has died after being involved in a crash with a lorry in Fareham, Hampshire."}
{"article": "The city's old and new towns have held Unesco status since 1995 and are among six world heritage sites in Scotland. The aim is to gather feedback for the City of Edinburgh Council, Edinburgh World Heritage, and Historic Environment Scotland. The consultation will close at the end of July. Ian Perry, convener of the City of Edinburgh Council's planning committee, said: \"Our World Heritage Site is of crucial importance to the future vision and development of the city. \"This consultation process is an opportunity for everyone to have their say on how the site is being run. \"We would like as many people as possible to let us know what they think is working well, and where we can make improvements.' Adam Wilkinson, director of Edinburgh World Heritage, said: \"The management plan consultation may sound like a theoretical exercise, but the plan is a living document that provides the base from which the partners in the management of the World Heritage Site guide change. \"Its review is an important opportunity for the communities of the World Heritage Site and the city in general to ensure their voice is heard. \"We would urge everyone to get involved and take part in this consultation process.\" Barbara Cummins, of Historic Environment Scotland, said: \"As partners in the Management Plan, we welcome the launch of the consultation - this provides an opportunity to gather suggestions and ideas from those who live, work and visit Edinburgh on how we manage and celebrate the Old and New Towns World Heritage Site.\"", "summary": "A major public consultation has been launched to canvass views on how Edinburgh's world heritage site should be protected."}
{"article": "The Lib Dem leader dismissed a Comres poll as \"bogus science\" and said his party would win \"many more seats\" than predicted. He also warned of a \"hard-line right-wing\" government - if Lib Dem seats are lost to the Conservatives, who would then be reliant on UKIP and DUP votes. The Conservatives and Labour have both insisted they can win on their own. But Mr Clegg said \"everyone knows\" that they will not and \"that means that someone else will hold the balance of power on May 8\" - be it a \"left-wing alliance between Labour and the SNP\" or a \"right wing alliance\" between the Conservatives, UKIP and the DUP. The Lib Dem leader is campaigning in north-west England on Thursday. He and David Cameron are not taking part in tonight's BBC TV debate involving the leaders of other parties. Asked how he stayed positive after a poll suggested his party could be wiped out in south-west England, losing all of its 14 seats in the region to the Conservatives, Mr Clegg said the poll itself was flawed. The Comres poll of 1,005 adults across the 14 seats suggested a 13-point swing from the Lib Dems to the Conservatives, with Labour, UKIP and the Greens also making gains at the expense of Mr Clegg's party. But the Lib Dem leader told LBC radio the poll had questioned the equivalent of 72 people per seat \"without even mentioning the candidates' names\". \"Polls like that are just absolute baloney,\" he said. \"The bogus science from some of this stuff is just extraordinary.\" He added: \"We will win so many more seats than this endless cottage industry of pessimistic punditry allows for.\" His party says there are 20 marginal seats where a Conservative win, at the expense of the Liberal Democrats, would result in a minority Conservative government reliant on UKIP and DUP votes to stay in power \"an alliance that will drag Britain further and further to the right\". The Lib Dems have dubbed the alliance \"Blukip\". The seats are; St Ives, St Austell and Newquay, North Cornwall, North Devon, Torbay, Cheadle, Hazel Grove, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Solihull, Brecon and Radnorshire, Bath, Montgomeryshire, Maidstone, Chippenham, Berwickshire, Watford, Mid Dorset and North Poole, Taunton, Somerton and Frome and Oxford West and Abingdon. At a news conference in Cheadle, Mr Clegg said that would mean an alliance involving people who did not believe in climate change, wanted to bring back the death penalty and who were against gay rights: \"There's a real prospect that David Cameron may have to rely on those people to stay in Number 10.\" Mr Clegg said he wanted to \"lift the lid\" on a \"genuine threat to our country\" - because he said moderate Conservative voters in marginal seats were being told if they did not vote Conservative, they would end up with a Labour administration propped up by the SNP. He said \"moderate, centre-ground\" voters did not want David Cameron being \"held hostage\" by the \"swivel-eyed brigade\" on the Conservative backbenches who had been \"waiting for its moment to reclaim the", "summary": "Nick Clegg says reports that his party could lose 14 south-west England seats to the Conservatives are \"baloney\"."}
{"article": "The deal with AEVI will see the Edinburgh-based firm's scheduling and booking software being made available to more than 500,000 firms worldwide. The software will feature on AEVI's cloud-based suite of business-to-business apps and services. From February, users will be able to schedule appointments on AEVI-enabled point-of-sale devices. Appointedd's software is designed to help small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) make appointments with colleagues and customers wherever they are in the world. Appointedd was founded by Leah Hutcheon in 2011 and has attracted support from several high-profile investors, including Skyscanner founder Gareth Williams and Macklin Enterprise Partnerships founder Marie Macklin. Ms Hutcheon, said: \"At Appointedd, we're passionate about supporting businesses to grow and flourish and this new partnership with AEVI exposes Appointedd to a wide range of businesses across the globe, enabling us to help them to scale their businesses. \"We know that SMEs are short on time and Appointedd can help them streamline processes, grow their businesses and gain a competitive advantage.\"", "summary": "Online booking firm Appointedd has formed a strategic partnership with a global payment transaction provider."}
{"article": "Hilda Marcel died in 1987 from lung failure and her husband Eugenios died from prostate cancer seven years later. Their mummified bodies were kept in a basement flat in the city's Gilmore Place, which was regularly visited by a son of the couple, until 2002. Since their discovery, the bodies have been stored in the city's mortuary. Edinburgh city council has been trying to get the family's consent to bury Mr and Mrs Marcel, but this has been repeatedly refused. Now, almost 30 years after Mrs Marcel died, the council has lodged a petition at the Court of Session to seek permission to dispose of their bodies. Prof Roderick Paisley from Aberdeen University's Law School said: \"The wheels of justice do grind slowly, and they appear to be grinding incredibly slowly on this particular hearse. \"I think this should have been dealt with three or four years ago. \"I do appreciate there are sensitivities here, but the law is reasonably clear.\" A police investigation was carried out when the bodies were found in 2002, but no charges were brought. Death certificates had been correctly issued and the pair had died of natural causes. Cameron Rose, leader of the Conservative group on Edinburgh City Council, said it was an \"extraordinary story\". He added that there needed to be \"sensitivity for the families\". The Court of Session has now agreed to hear the case, although so far no date has been set.", "summary": "A council has launched a legal action in an attempt to bury the mummified bodies of a husband and wife who died decades ago in Edinburgh."}
{"article": "In a major report drawing together findings on Scottish schools over a four-year period, he highlighted \"variable\" standards in primary education. Dr Maxwell said financial constraints had been a challenge for education. But he said that, overall, inspectors had been impressed with the commitment shown by leaders and staff. Dr Maxwell said he had found \"many strengths\" across all sectors of education and examples of \"outstanding innovative practice\". The report - Quality and Improvement in Scottish Education 2012-2016 - set out five key areas for improvement: Education inspectors said Scottish education had gone through a period of \"very significant reform\". Speaking at Larbert High School, where the report was launched, Dr Maxwell said: \"Overall, our inspectors have been impressed by the strong commitment of leaders and staff to improving outcomes for children and young people. \"High-quality leadership will be essential to ensuring that sufficient progress is made, across all sectors, in order to continue to secure improvements in education practice and achieve our national ambition of ensuring all learners can reach their potential, regardless of their background. \"We believe that addressing these five priority areas for improvement effectively will make a decisive contribution to achieving the twin aims of excellence and equity for Scottish learners which is at the heart of the National Improvement Framework.\" EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said the report was a \"substantial piece of work\" which highlighted \u00c2\u00a3the continuing strengths of Scotland's education system including the very high levels of commitment that are demonstrated by Scotland's teachers\". He added: \"Education Scotland itself has to be more proactive in supporting schools and teachers. \"Criticism has been voiced by many members, for example, about poor support and a lack of communication around the introduction of new national qualifications. \"As a well-funded agency it needs to deliver that crucial support as well as provide a critical voice to government policy making, which should be evidenced based at all times.\" \"One thing that is very clear throughout the report is the degree of change compared to the scale of cuts throughout education, and this will continue to create challenges until the politics of austerity cease and education budgets are substantially increased.\"", "summary": "Scotland's Chief Education Inspector Bill Maxwell has said key aspects of education need to be improved."}
{"article": "The proposed panel would be chaired by former police ombudsman Nuala O'Loan. They want the panel to examine all documents and papers relating to the deaths. Eleven people were killed during an Army operation in Ballymurphy in August 1971 to arrest people suspected of paramilitary activity. The seven-strong panel would also include Prof Phil Scraton, author of the independent Hillsborough report into the deaths of 96 football fans in 1989, and civil rights lawyer Gareth Pierce. The relatives said the panel should report within 12-18 months, and should be funded by the British and Irish governments. Its work would reflect the terms of reference of the government-funded Hillsborough Independent Panel. In a statement the families said \"they have amassed strong evidence that all who died were killed unlawfully and in breach of Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights. \"The case raises serious questions regarding human rights abuses committed by the British Army and of a culture of impunity in the north of Ireland in which members of the security forces routinely were above the law.\" The families have criticised the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) investigation into the killings at the time. They have also expressed no confidence into the review of the deaths currently being conducted by the Historical Enquires team (HET). Members of the Parachute Regiment claimed they opened fire after being shot at by republicans during Operation Demetrius in 1971. A Catholic priest and a mother-of-eight were among those killed. After an application from the families the attorney general directed the coroner to re-open inquests into the deaths in November 2011.", "summary": "The families of 11 people killed by the Army in west Belfast more than 40 years ago have called for an independent panel to investigate the deaths."}
{"article": "British institutions are in talks with their US colleagues to try to make it easier for scientists to travel, collaborate and share facilities. Research Councils UK said it would deliver benefits for both countries. UK research groups are currently marketing themselves at the US's largest scientific meeting in Boston. Thirty-three researchers are speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) conference and over 200 scientists and science policy specialists are also attending. Prof Philip Nelson, chair of Research Councils UK and part of the British delegation, told BBC News: \"We all reap the social and economic benefits when the best researchers in the world can freely collaborate and share ideas, knowledge and facilities. \"The US and the UK are two of the world's preeminent science, research and innovation nations\". The hope eventually is to develop ways to make it easier for researchers in the US and the UK to work together on big flagship projects. The impetus for the deal came following the UK referendum result to leave the European Union. British universities, in collaboration with small businesses, receive \u00c2\u00a3850m in research grants each year from membership of the EU's research programmes. EU membership also makes it easy to form collaborations. But there are fears that much of the funding and collaborative work with EU scientists will be in jeopardy once the UK leaves the union. British researchers are being encouraged to foster links with other nations. While most, if not all, research leaders are still dismayed by the referendum result, some are beginning to become excited by what they see as an opportunity for greater collaboration with America. A spokesman for Britain's Department for Business Enterprise and Industrial Strategy, which overseas science, said that developing scientific collaborations with countries outside the EU was a priority: \"As we prepare to leave the EU, we are determined to secure the best possible outcome for our world-leading research base. \"Our international relationships make us a global centre of excellence and we want to enable UK researchers to partner with the best in the world, gaining access to large-scale facilities with unique resources.\" James Wilsdon, professor of research policy at the University of Sheffield welcomed the new initiative. \"We need to lift our sights and look beyond Europe, for opportunities to deepen and extend the collaborative networks that are so central to 21st Century science and innovation. \"The US and UK remain two of the world's science superpowers, and researchers in both countries will grab with open arms any measures that can better enable fast and frictionless collaboration. \"I hope this is the first in a wave of new bilateral agreements, involving both EU and non-EU countries, that can restore vital connective tissue between UK and international research networks, that may otherwise be ripped apart by Brexit.\" Prof Venki Ramakrishnan, the current president of the Royal Society, is in Boston for the AAAS meeting. He told BBC News: \"Science is becoming increasingly international and the UK and US are already at the forefront of that. \"Greater cooperation between our two countries would", "summary": "The UK and US are in talks to extend their \"special relationship\" in science after the UK leaves the European Union, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "The 15-year-old South Korea-born New Zealander finished with a five-under-par 67 to win by three shots. She broke the age record of 16, set by Lexi Thompson in the Navistar LPGA Classic in Alabama last September. Only four other amateurs have ever won on the Tour, and Ko became the first since JoAnne Carner took the 1969 Burdine's Invitational tournament. In January, Ko won the New South Wales Open in Australia at 14 to become the youngest player to win a professional tour event, a mark broken by 14-year-old Brooke Henderson in June in a Canadian Women's Tour event in Quebec. Ko also won the US Women's Amateur two weeks ago in Cleveland, Ohio. Starting the final round at The Vancouver Golf Club one shot clear, she surged away from the field on the backward nine, shooting five birdies in six holes to finish at 13 under. Inbee Park shot a 69 to finish second on 10 under, while US Women's Open champion Na Yeon Choi, Chella Choi and Jiyai Shin tied for third at eight under.", "summary": "Lydia Ko won the Canadian Women's Open to become the youngest tournament winner in LPGA Tour history."}
{"article": "Trading standards officers in Knowsley on Merseyside seized a \"large number\" of the vaping liquids which are used in e-cigarettes. A council spokesman said they were packaged to appeal to children and lacked the necessary warning signs. E-liquids contain nicotine and can be \"extremely dangerous\" if swallowed by mistake. The council removed the items from five business premises in Huyton, Prescot and Kirkby in September. The products taken off the shelves include: According to the Food Imitations Safety Regulation 1989, it is an offence to supply products which are not food, but could easily be confused with food due to their packaging or shape, particularly by children. Eddie Connor, councillor responsible for public health wellbeing, said: \"I'm pleased that our Trading Standards team have investigated and removed these potentially harmful products from sale in Knowsley. \"The safety of customers is always our highest priority and I'm concerned that young children could be attracted to these products because of their appearance. Mr Connor added that Knowsley's trading standard officers are investigating the supply chain for the e-liquids.", "summary": "Concern has been raised over potentially harmful e-liquids being sold to look like \"children's sweets\"."}
{"article": "16 February 2017 Last updated at 08:27 GMT The four pups are from Newquay Zoo in Cornwall and they are learning how to swim. The four young Asian short-clawed otters are being taught by their parents and four uncles. They were born in October last year and we think they're otter-ly gorgeous!", "summary": "How cute are these otter pups?"}
{"article": "Y gred yw bod mwy nac un person wedi eu hanafu, ond nid oedd unrhyw gerbydau eraill yn rhan o'r digwyddiad. Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Y Weinyddiaeth Amddiffyn: \"Rydyn ni'n ymwybodol o ddigwyddiad ym maes saethu Castell Martin. \"Mae'r ymchwiliad yn parhau ac felly byddai'n amhriodol gwneud unrhyw sylw pellach.\" Dywedodd Gwasanaeth Ambiwlans Cymru eu bod wedi eu galw i'r digwyddiad am tua 15:30 ddydd Mercher. Cafodd Gwasanaeth T\u00e2n ac Achub Canolbarth a Gorllewin Cymru eu galw yno hefyd. Mae gwybodaeth ar wefan y ganolfan yn dweud bod disgwyl i fwledi byw gael eu tanio yno drwy gydol yr wythnos. Mae'r safle dros 5,900 acer ar hyd arfordir Sir Benfro.", "summary": "Mae'r Weinyddiaeth Amddiffyn yn parhau i ymchwilio yn dilyn digwyddiad yn ymwneud \u00e2 thanc ar faes tanio Castell Martin yn Sir Benfro ddydd Mercher."}
{"article": "The loggerhead turtle, known as Terri, was found on a beach in Jersey 12 days ago, and has since been treated by the New Era Veterinary Hospital. Terri is currently housed in a special water tank at a fish suppliers, but vets say she needs a warmer climate. Vet Peter Haworth, who launched the campaign, said: \"She wants to go free\". So far more than \u00a32,500 has been raised by the funding campaign website, but Mr Haworth said they need to hit the total within the next week. He said: \"We're not stupid...it's a huge huge amount of money but we were given a very ill animal to try and save.\" The campaign group Get Terri the Turtle Back Home said there were no direct flights to the Canary Islands until late February, by which point the turtle might have died. The group said chartering a private jet at a cost of \u00a322,000 was \"the most reliable way to ensure her a future\", and no-one was profiting from the campaign. The turtle's medication expenses have been covered by the New Era Veterinary hospital, while her water temperature has been regulated by The Fresh Fish Company. Mr Haworth said Terri was now \"very strong\" but \"the water depth we can have her in here isn't deep enough to encourage her to eat\". Mr Haworth said if the target was not reached they would try to send the turtle to an aquarium in the UK.", "summary": "An endangered turtle will fly by private jet to the Canary Islands at a cost of \u00a322,000, if an online fundraising campaign succeeds."}
{"article": "Voters go to the polls on 4 May to elect local councils, and the Greens are fielding a record 218 candidates. Party co-conveners Patrick Harvie and Maggie Chapman will set out their priorities for the elections at a launch event in Glasgow. These are expected to centre on the protection of public services such as schools and social care. In the last council elections in 2012, the Greens put forward 80 candidates, securing 14 council seats. They are aiming to build on this total and the six MSPs won in the 2016 Holyrood elections with their largest-ever local election campaign. Party groups in local authority areas will have their own local manifestos, but over-arching national priorities to be set out will include class sizes, better bus services, affordable housing and better wages for social care workers. The party is also crowdfunding to raise money for a television party election broadcast. The Green spring conference in March focused on \"renewed local democracy in Scotland\", where Mr Harvie said the \"constitutional obsession\" of other parties should not distract from local services. He said: \"Our job is simple - to build on the fantastic start that our former and existing councillors have achieved, building strong local economies that are healthy to live in, making the opportunities from the new greener industries into something everyone can access a reality for everyone, and renewing real local democracy.\" Ms Chapman also told the conference that Green councillors could be \"champions for change\" in local government. And MSP Andy Wightman said \"genuine political and fiscal power should be in the hands of local communities\". He said: \"Greens at council level are fighting hard to revitalise local democracy, pushing for every community to have a say in council budgets and for councils to have the powers other European towns and cities take for granted. While some other parties are shamefully treating the council elections as a proxy for constitutional issues, Greens are clear that local services matter, communities should be trusted to decide their future, and that local democracy is worth fighting for.\"", "summary": "The Scottish Greens are to launch their national manifesto for May's local authority elections."}
{"article": "Sierra Leone and Guinea both recorded the lowest weekly total of confirmed Ebola cases since August. Liberia, which reported no new cases on two days last week, had its lowest weekly total since June. The death toll from the world's worst Ebola outbreak has reached 8,429 with 21,296 cases so far. According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) report, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone now all have sufficient capacity to bury all the people known to have died from Ebola. But it said under-reporting of deaths meant that not all burials were being done safely. While cases were decreasing in Sierra Leone, it remained the worst-affected country, with western areas still reporting the most new transmissions, the WHO said. Last week, there were 59 new reported cases in the capital, Freetown. The spirit of Freetown seems to be back with residents in the capital celebrating, albeit quietly, the low Ebola infection figures. For over a week the reported daily infections have been in single figures and on Tuesday there were only two deaths. Like Premier League football fans, people converge at internet cafes and street corners to follow the daily updates. The usually grim faces are now grinning. The ubiquitous blaring of ambulance sirens has also reduced considerably. In fact, the national daily infection rate is around 20 - in November it was 60. \"Ebola is in trouble,\" says Ahmed Turay, a teenager who has not been to classes since July. \"I look forward to returning to school,\" he says, smiling broadly. The eastern district of Kailahun, which first recorded Ebola eight months ago, has had no cases for 35 days and the other former hotspot of Kenema has had only four cases since November. But the authorities are warning all to exercise caution, insisting Ebola is still here. Meanwhile, in Guinea it has been announced that schools and universities are to reopen next Monday after a five-month closure because of Ebola. The BBC's Alhassan Sillah in Guinea says the authorities there are also stepping up Ebola information campaigns as in some areas people are still suspicious of official attempts to fight the disease. Over the weekend, two policemen were killed by villagers who feared they had brought Ebola to the western district of Forecariah. Earlier this month, the outgoing head of the UN team fighting Ebola, Anthony Banbury, said he believed cases of the virus would be brought down to zero by the end of 2015. Ebola basics: What you need to know", "summary": "New Ebola cases in the three West African countries worst affected by the deadly outbreak of the virus are declining, weekly UN figures show."}
{"article": "Police Scotland said that John Hamilton died after an incident at a house in Burnside Avenue, Bellshill, at about 20:15 on Tuesday. Two men, who are both aged 20, have been detained by police in connection with his death. They are expected to appear from police custody at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Friday.", "summary": "Two men have been arrested after a man was fatally injured during a disturbance in North Lanarkshire."}
{"article": "17 July 2016 Last updated at 19:25 BST Arriving into Belfast International Airport on Sunday morning, most of them told BBC News NI reporter Claire Graham they were happy to be home.", "summary": "Northern Ireland holidaymakers returning from Turkey have been giving their reaction to the attempted military coup on Friday."}
{"article": "Lives were lost across five provinces, according to the National Flood and Storm Control Agency, quoted by the Associated Press. In Quang Ngai province, flood waters reportedly rose above a previous peak recorded in 1999. A tropical depression has dumped rain on the country. Earlier in the week, at least 13 people died and 81 were injured when Tropical Storm Haiyan made landfall in north Vietnam after wreaking havoc in the Philippines. There has been disruption to the coffee harvest and bean drying in Vietnam's central highland provinces, Reuters news agency reports. The country is the world's top robusta coffee producer, accounting for around 17% of the world's output. Flood waters have started to recede in some areas, allowing residents to return and begin digging out their homes, officials said. Binh Dinh Province reported the highest number of deaths, followed by Quang Ngai, the official Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper reports. Bui Thi Thanh Chuyen, a woman in Binh Dinh, told Vietnamese state TV on Saturday she had rushed home to try and help her mother, who was trapped in her house. \"All I heard [on the phone] from my mother was 'Help me, daughter' before the connection was cut off,\" she said. \"I rushed here to try to help her but I cannot cross the flood to the house.\" In the Danang area, villager Vo Ngoc Nghiem described the speed of the disaster: \"We are familiar with floods every year but this time it rose so quickly that we had no time to cope with it. \"We weren't warned about the reservoir release. The children were at school and they were stranded there.\" Some 100,000 houses were submerged and roads were closed and some national train services cancelled. Flood waters rose quickly after 15 hydro power plants opened their sluice gates as a safety measure. Earlier reports on the flooding gave a slightly higher estimate for deaths.", "summary": "Flooding and landslides in central Vietnam have left at least 28 people dead, nine missing and some 80,000 homeless since Friday."}
{"article": "The supermarket chain said like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, rose 0.2% in the nine weeks to 3 January. Analysts had expected a fall in sales at Morrisons, which has been under intense pressure from rivals. It is the first time the supermarket has reported a rise in sales for more than a year. The results sent shares in Morrisons up sharply, and they closed more than 8% higher at 165.5p. Paul Thomas, an analyst at Retail Remedy, said Morrisons' sales had been expected to fall by between 2% and 3%. He said the UK's fourth-largest supermarket chain was clearly focusing on \"its core market and core product\" and that the sales figures were evidence that the new strategy was \"paying off\". David Potts, who became chief executive of Morrisons in March last year, said he was pleased with the performance over Christmas: \"While there is of course much more to do, we are making important progress in improving all aspects of the shopping trip.\" He sold its 140 M Convenience stores at a loss of \u00a330m in September and has also embarked on a cost-cutting and store closure programme. Last year, Morrisons reported a 52% drop in annual profits to \u00a3345m - its worst results in eight years. The retailer also dropped out of the FTSE 100 list of the UK's biggest companies in December. The increase in sales came as Morrisons continued to cut prices - by 3.2% in the last year and 7% over two years. It said customers were also returning, with transactions up 1.3% in the period. However, total sales were down 1.2%, which Mr Thomas said suggested that customers were buying fewer items. Morrisons maintained its profit forecast, saying it expected full year underlying profit in the region of \u00a3295m to \u00a3310m, before \u00a360m of restructuring and store closure costs. According to new figures from research firm Kantar Worldpanel, Morrisons' share of the overall grocery market was 11% in the 12 weeks to 3 January, down from 11.3% a year earlier. Sainsbury's was the best performing of the \"big four\" supermarkets - which includes Tesco, Sainsbury's Asda and Morrisons. Its market share rose 0.1 percentage points to 17% compared with the same period in 2014, making it the only one of the big four to increase its share. Discount chains Aldi and Lidl, as well as the Co-operative and Waitrose, were the other chains to increase their market share in the 12-week period. Tesco kept the number one slot, with a 28.3% share, although this was down from 29.1% a year earlier. Overall, the value of sales in the 12-week period was down 0.2% due to continued price deflation, Kantar said. Analysts reacted to Morrisons' sales figures with surprise, with Nick Bubb tweeting: \"Wow Morrisons was actually up 0.2% LFL at Xmas\". Morrisons is the first of the \"big four\" to release Christmas sales figures, with Sainsbury's publishes its third-quarter results on Wednesday, followed by Tesco on Thursday. Walmart-owned Asda does not release its figures until February, but it has predicted another year of \"intense pressure\". Last week,", "summary": "Morrisons has reported better-than-expected sales over the Christmas shopping period compared with a year earlier."}
{"article": "The image of Saffiyah Khan has been shared thousands of times since it was taken at Saturday's demonstration. Ms Khan, from Birmingham, said she felt moved to intervene when she saw another woman surrounded by about 25 men. \"I don't like seeing people getting ganged up on in my town,\" she said. Ms Khan, who said she was not part of an organised counter-protest, told the BBC she had been \"quite surprised\" when the photo was retweeted around the world. She said she had initially been happy \"to stay out of the way\", but \"stepped forward\" when another woman shouted \"Islamophobe\" at members of the EDL who had gathered in Centenary Square. \"A group of 25 quite big-looking EDL lads, they surrounded her,\" she said. \"She was 360 surrounded... I stepped forward and identified myself as someone who supported her and contradicted them.\" After that, Ms Khan said, protestors gathered around her instead, which led to the scene captured by a Press Association photographer. Ms Khan, who was born in the UK and is half-Pakistani, half-Bosnian, said she \"wasn't intimidated in the slightest\". She added: \"He put his finger in my face. It was very aggressive. A police officer was there and the man took his finger out of my face. I wouldn't have responded violently.\" The picture was shared by, among others, Piers Morgan, who called it \"photo of the week\", and Birmingham Labour MP Jess Phillips. The BBC has been unable to reach the EDL for comment.", "summary": "A viral photo of a woman smiling at an English Defence League (EDL) protester in Birmingham was snapped after she stepped in to defend a \"fellow Brummie\", she has told the BBC."}
{"article": "Kyles beat Glasgow Mid Argyll 2-1 at Yoker and remain two points clear of Shiel, who edged Lovat by the same score at home. Meanwhile, a 2-0 success over visitors Glenurquhart kept Newtonmore six points off the lead. Oban Camanachd bounced back from their defeat in the Celtic Society Cup final to record a 3-0 away victory in the league over Lochaber. Caberfeidh's opponents in the Balliemore Cup final on 15 July will be Fort William after their 3-1 semi-final victory at Inveraray. All the scoring at Yoker was over within the first half hour. Gordon Whyte got an early opener for Kyles, but Mid Argyll's Finlay MacMillan equalised. Thomas Whyte grabbed what turned out to be Kyles' winner before the joint-bottom side held the leaders for the rest of the game. Fraser MacVicar and Keith MacRae gave Kinlochshiel a 2-0 lead. Ryan Ferguson replied just after the restart, but Lovat could do no more and drop to fifth place. Lovat were leapfrogged on goal difference by Newtonmore after Fraser MacKintosh, late in the first half, and Iain Robinson, late in the second, struck to send the champions home against Glenurquhart. Malcolm Clark and Daniel Cameron gave Oban Camanachd a 2-0 half-time lead at Spean Bridge and David Lafferty put the game beyond doubt with 10 minutes remaining. Lochaber remain bottom by a goal difference of 10 and as one of three teams on five points alongside local rivals Kilmallie, who have also played 10 of their 18 games, and Glasgow Mid Argyll, who have a game in hand. After a goalless first half at Inveraray, the second was almost all Fort William, whose opener came from Seamus Gall. Calum Fraser doubled their lead and a goal from Calum Shepherd secured Fort's trip up the A82 for the Balliemore final in Drumnadrochit. Inveraray's late consolation came from Allan MacDonald. Leaders Caberfeidh and second-placed Skye maintained their unbeaten National Division records with comfortable home victories. Leading Scotland scorer Kevin Bartlett got a hat-trick for Cabers as they brushed Inverness aside 5-1. Meanwhile, Iain MacLellan and Will Cowie both got doubles in Skye's 6-0 romp against Strathglass. Beauly beat Oban Celtic 4-3 at Braeview. The Sutherland Cup final for shinty's reserve standard championship will be between Oban Camanachd's second string, Lochside Rovers, who beat Glenurquhart 5-0, and Kingussie, who prevailed 6-4 in a goal-strewn Badenoch derby against Newtonmore.", "summary": "Victories for Kyles and Kinlochshiel maintained the status quo at the top of the Marine Harvest Premiership and left Newtonmore no closer to their aim of an eighth consecutive title, despite their own victory."}
{"article": "The facility is its second in Europe, after Brussels, and promises to provide faster access times to nearby clients. Google is currently the third most capable cloud computing service provider, according to a recent study. But the report, by Gartner, suggested Amazon and Microsoft had a clear lead. The technology consultancy added that in terms of sales to the \"cloud infrastructure as a service\" market, Google's share was also a \"distant third\". Until now, the search giant has focused on opening data centres for its cloud computing platform in the US and Asia, where it has bases in Singapore, Taiwan and Tokyo. But in announcing the London centre, it also disclosed plans to open facilities in Finland, the Netherlands and Frankfurt. \"GCP [Google Cloud Platform] customers throughout the British Isles and Western Europe will see significant reductions in latency when they run their workloads in the London region,\" said product manager Dave Stiver, referring to processing delays caused by the distances data has to travel. \"In cities like London, Dublin, Edinburgh and Amsterdam, our performance testing shows 40% to 82% reductions in round-trip latency when serving customers from London compared with the Belgium region.\" A spokeswoman for the company added that the decision to build a London centre had been taken before the Brexit vote and was therefore unrelated to speculation that the UK's data privacy laws may diverge from the EU's in the future. Google's platform allows clients to offload data processing tasks and information storage, including support for apps they may offer to the public and analysing feedback gathered from internet-connected devices. By charging customers for the amount of compute time they use rather than a flat rate, Google seeks to provide IT departments with a cheaper alternative to maintaining their own data centres. The company's existing customers include the Telegraph newspaper, Coca-Cola and the online education service Khan Academy. At present, GCP offers fewer features than Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure, but it is catching up, according to Gartner. \"Google uses deep discounts and exceptionally flexible contracts to try to win projects from customers that are currently spending significant sums of money with cloud competitors,\" its June report said. And that had led some companies to use Google to supplement their use of Amazon or Microsoft's rival platforms. Gartner added: \"GCP is increasingly chosen as a strategic alternative to AWS by customers whose businesses compete with Amazon.\" Last month it emerged that Wal-Mart had urged its IT vendors not to use Amazon's service because it did not want its \"most sensitive data... sitting on a competitor's platform\". Google does not disclose revenue for its cloud platform, but analysts estimate that it generated about $1bn (\u00c2\u00a3776m) of sales last year and forecast it will double that amount in 2018. By contrast, market leader AWS generated $12.2bn of sales in the past financial year, and is more profitable than Amazon's better-known retail business. Microsoft will update investors on Azure's performance when it posts its full year's results next week. On Monday, it announced a new hybrid service that would allow", "summary": "Google has revealed it has built a London data centre for the cloud computing services it rents to third parties."}
{"article": "It happened in the car park at Morrisons supermarket in King Street in the city at about 13:10 on Sunday. Dale Davidson, 30, of Peterhead, was charged with assault to injury and robbery at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. He made no plea and was remanded in custody.", "summary": "A man has appeared in court after a 72-year-old woman was robbed in Aberdeen."}
{"article": "Nothing unusual there, you might think. But one writes about Allah and her mosque, the other about her synagogue and the Star of David. The two met at a Washington DC youth slam poetry event and write and communicate about their faiths in ways that aim to engage and provoke their audiences. It's a type of dialogue that will be much needed now, after the killings in Paris and the attack on a kosher supermarket there. The young poets were taking part in a session at Limmud, which has been likened to a Jewish Edinburgh festival, Hay and Glastonbury rolled into one and is held on Warwick University campus just before New Year. Limmud (from the Hebrew word for \"learning\") began life in 1980 and now has some 50 offshoots around the world. In the UK this year, it drew over 2,500 people from 27 countries - all the more remarkable given the relatively small size of the UK's Jewish community, which numbers under 300,000 people, a community with close links to Jewish families in Paris and elsewhere in France. The question of identity and security was tackled in many of Limmud's discussions, as Judaism and the role, lives and place of Jewish people in Europe and across the world was examined from every perspective, from the historical to the feminist, and from the religious to the secular. Even before the Paris attacks, there were worries over a sharp rise in anti-Semitism in the UK and mainland Europe in 2014, during and after the latest conflict in Gaza. In France, the killing of Jewish schoolchildren in Toulouse in 2012 by a Frenchman of Algerian descent, and the murders of four people inside the Jewish museum in Brussels by another Frenchman of Algerian descent in May 2014 heightened fears amongst the Jewish community in France and elsewhere. The uneasy mood was articulated by BBC's director of television, Danny Cohen, at a conference in Jerusalem last year. He said he had \"never felt so uncomfortable as a Jew in the UK\", as figures showed that anti-Semitic incidents in Britain also rose to record annual levels in 2014. Mr Cohen said levels of hatred were on the rise across Europe. \"You've seen the number of attacks rise, you've seen murders in France, you've seen murders in Belgium. It's been pretty grim actually.\" The killings at Charlie Hebdo in Paris last week have further focused attention on radical Islamism in Europe, and the safety of Jewish communities in France, Germany and the UK. At one Limmud seminar, Michael Whine, of the Community Security Trust (CST), which seeks to protect Jewish communities and offer advice on security, sought to place last summer's figure in a wider European perspective, citing research by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research showing that Jewish people in the UK felt safer than those in France. However, CST figures still showed a significant rise in both verbal and physical attacks on Jewish people in the UK in 2014 compared with 2013, with 543 recorded in July and August 2014 alone - although the", "summary": "Two young college student poets, Hannah Halpern and Amina Iro, are talking about their faith."}
{"article": "Hooker Dylan Hartley and locks Christian Day and James Craig all come in to the Saints starting line-up. Billy Vunipola makes his first appearance of the season for Saracens after recovering from a knee injury he suffered at the World Cup with England. Brad Barritt, Richard Wigglesworth and Chris Wyles come into the back line. Media playback is not supported on this device Hooker Schalk Brits makes his 150th appearance for Sarries while Mako Vunipola and Jacques Burger also come into the pack. Argentine World Cup pair Juan Figallo and Marcelo Bosch are named as replacements. Northampton: Foden; Elliott, G Pisi, Burrell, North; Myler, Fotuali'i; Waller, Hartley, Brookes, Craig, Day, Gibson, Wood (capt), Dickinson. Replacements: Haywood, Waller, Hill, Patterson, Harrison, Dickson, Hanrahan, Tuala. Saracens: Goode; Ashton, Taylor, Barritt, Wyles; Farrell, Wigglesworth; M. Vunipola, Brits, Du Plessis, Kruis, Hargreaves (capt), Itoje, Burger, B. Vunipola. Replacements: George, Barrington, Figallo, Rhodes, Brown, Spencer, Hodgson, Bosch. For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "Northampton wing George North will make his first Saints appearance of the season following his time at the World Cup with Wales."}
{"article": "Gudjohnsen, who has also played for Barcelona, Bolton, Stoke and Fulham, has been with Norwegian club Molde since February. His short spell with Chinese Super League club Shijiazhuang Ever Bright ended in November 2015. Iceland co-manager Lars Lagerback said: \"If he hadn't found a club in January, he would not have been picked.\" Listen: Iceland can be a Euro 2016 surprise, says Bergsson Gudjohnsen, who has won 84 caps for Iceland, is arguably his country's most celebrated player, having enjoyed an international career spanning 20 years, in addition to winning two Premier League titles with Chelsea and the Champions League and La Liga with Barcelona. He retired from international football in November 2013 after Iceland lost a 2014 World Cup play-off to Croatia, but was recalled in March 2015. Gudjohnsen played three of Iceland's 10 Euro 2016 qualifying matches, scoring one goal as they reached a major tournament for the first time. He moved to Molde - coached by former Manchester United striker and Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - with the intention of playing regular games in order to secure a Euro 2016 place. Heimir Hallgrimsson, who co-manages Iceland with Lagerback, said: \"He has taken a step up at Molde. He looks fitter and has shown the desire necessary.\"", "summary": "Former Chelsea forward Eidur Gudjohnsen has been named in Iceland's Euro 2016 squad at the age of 37."}
{"article": "The Tunisian electoral commission had asked for the delay, saying it needed more time to prepare a credible vote. The country's interim Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi said the vote will now take place on 23 October 2011. Critics say that elections should go ahead soon to bring an end to the instability following the overthrow of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. But many recently formed political parties say they need more time to prepare. Last month, the electoral commission sought a delay, saying that it needed more time to organise the vote, including putting three million Tunisians into the electoral database and ensuring hundreds of thousands of others get valid identity cards. Reputation \"There are parties who did not agree, even the government did not agree, but our mission is to hold free and transparent elections,\" said Mr Essebsi, adding that Tunisia and its revolution \"have a reputation that we must protect\". The date was the result of several weeks of negotiations between political groups to establish a date for the first election since the popular uprising which brought about the fall of Mr Ben Ali, forced to cede power on 14 January after 23 years in power. Mr Essebsi said that Tunisia's fledgling experiment with democracy - which triggered a series of pro-democracy revolts across the Middle East - was being closely observed. \"The world is watching us. Tunisia today has an extraordinary image because its revolution happened peacefully, without weapons,\" he said, adding: \"The wind of freedom has blown through other countries... but we will be the only ones to succeed in putting into place a democratic government.\" October's vote is for a constituent assembly to write a new constitution that would pave the way for legislative and presidential elections. The new assembly will decide whether the country gets a presidential or parliamentary system, and whether a separation of religion and state becomes law. Under Mr Ben Ali's 23-year rule, a single party - now officially dissolved - controlled the country and opposition parties in parliament were largely symbolic. Since his overthrow a total of some 81 new parties have been officially registered.", "summary": "Tunisia's interim government has said elections, due to be held in July, will be postponed for three months."}
{"article": "The group's State of Nature 2016 report says 18% of butterflies, 15% of dragonflies and 13% of plants face dying out. Across the UK, 13% of species assessed are under threat of disappearing. The report calls for \"significant investment in the environment to ensure year-on-year improvement\". It says changes in agricultural practices - including the use of pesticides and the loss of hedgerows - are among the biggest factors behind the \"widespread decline\" of nature. The State of Nature 2016 UK report will be launched by Sir David Attenborough in London on Wednesday. It will be followed later by separate launches in Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff. Sir David said: \"The natural world is in serious trouble and it needs our help as never before. \"The rallying call issued after the State of Nature report in 2013 has promoted exciting and innovative conservation projects. Landscapes are being restored, special places defended, struggling species being saved and brought back. \"But we need to build significantly on this progress if we are to provide a bright future for nature and for people. The future of nature is under threat and we must work together; governments, conservationists, businesses and individuals, to help it.\" The Edinburgh event will be held at the Holyrood Hotel and will be attended by Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham, as well as leading conservation and research organisations. Ms Cunningham said: \"This report highlights the challenges which lie ahead in conserving Scotland's wonderful nature. \"The Scottish government is committed to driving forward Scotland's Biodiversity Strategy, the 2020 Challenge for Scotland's Biodiversity, and its accompanying Route Map to 2020. \"We will publish a progress report at the end of this month and early indications show the majority of actions included in the Route Map are on track to achieve their targets. \"We have so much to be proud of in Scotland and so much to protect and enhance. That means we all have much work to do and I look forward to working with our partners to improve the state of nature in Scotland.\" Mark Eaton, one of the lead authors on the report, said \"ambitious action\" was needed to preserve Scotland's natural world. He said: \"Never before have we known this much about the state of nature in Scotland and the threats it is facing. \"The partnership and many landowners are using the knowledge we're gathering to underpin some amazing scientific and conservation work. But more is needed to put nature back where it belongs - we must continue to work to help restore our land and sea for wildlife. \"There is a real opportunity for the Scottish and UK governments to build on these efforts and deliver the significant investment and ambitious action needed to bring nature back from the brink.\"", "summary": "One in 11 native species of animals and plants in Scotland is at risk of extinction, a report by 50 wildlife and research organisations has suggested."}
{"article": "Zaha's agent told BBC Sport on Thursday that Spurs had bid \u00a315m for the 23-year-old England international. Pardew is keen to keep the former Manchester United player and said Parish had \"made his position clear\". \"He was our player of the year and is a fans' favourite,\" Pardew said of Zaha, who scored five goals last season. \"Wilf came and saw me, he believed there was interest from Tottenham. I don't even know what the bid is. The chairman has made his position clear and I stand by that. That's the right thing for us.\" Zaha, who rejoined Palace in February 2015 for \u00a33m just two years after a \u00a315m move to Old Trafford, made the first of his two England appearances in 2012 but has not been picked since 2013.", "summary": "Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish \"put the full stop\" on Tottenham's interest in winger Wilfried Zaha, according to Eagles boss Alan Pardew."}
{"article": "Six cases caused by a bacteria similar to Mycobacterium lepromatosis have been confirmed in the squirrels since 2006. It is the first time the disease has been found in the species and little is known about the spread of the potentially fatal disease. Conservationists, however, say there are other more significant threats to red squirrels such as squirrelpox. Scientists are urging the public to report sightings of squirrels which may be suffering from leprosy. They said the information would help them build up a more detailed understanding of the disease. There is no suggestion of any risk to human health. Infected animals have been found from Dumfries and Galloway to the Moray Firth. Symptoms include hair loss and severe swelling to the snout, eyelids, ears and feet. Prof Anna Meredith of the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies at Edinburgh University is leading the research. She told BBC Scotland: \"We suspect this disease is more widespread than the six cases we have confirmed. \"Red squirrels are in decline. They are threatened by the grey squirrel and already face the major threat of the squirrelpox virus. \"This is the last thing that they need - another disease which could potentially threaten the population.\" However conservationists from Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels said the leprosy infection appeared to be extremely rare and would not be a major threat to the wider population. Project manager for Mel Tonkin, said : \"Much more of a threat is the squirrelpox virus which is virtually always fatal to red squirrels, but finds a reservoir in grey squirrels. \"Research indicates that squirrelpox disease is responsible for accelerating the rate with which grey squirrels have replaced red squirrels throughout most of England and Wales. \"However, the conservation community has shown that red squirrel populations can be protected in the midst of grey squirrels carrying the virus by keeping the grey squirrel population density at a very low level.\" Researchers in Edinburgh investigating the leprosy infection said dead red squirrels could be sent to them by post provided they were appropriately packaged. But they advised members of the public to follow basic hygiene rules before and after handling dead squirrels. Details can be found on this webpage under the \"post-mortem guidance note section\".", "summary": "Scotland's red squirrels are facing a new threat from a form of leprosy, according to scientists in Edinburgh."}
{"article": "The images were taken by architect Dennis Calow during the city's regeneration from the mid-1950s to the 1970s. The collection has been added to an online map created by the University of Leicester. It is hoped it will inspire other people to share photos and memories. Dr Simon Dixon, archives manager at the university, said at least 12,500 buildings and homes were demolished in Leicester when the clearance of working class Victorian housing resumed after being interrupted by World War Two. He said Dennis Calow was interested in the historical value of pre-20th Century buildings due to be torn down. Mr Dixon said the project was inspired by the growing number of Facebook pages dedicated to historical photos of cities. He said he hoped the photos would encourage people to come forward to share information about Leicester's lesser-known lost buildings.", "summary": "Hundreds of photos of buildings demolished during Leicester's post-war slum clearance programme have been published online."}
{"article": "Ruth Davidson delivered that message during a speech at the Tory conference in Manchester. She addressed delegates ahead of Prime Minister David Cameron's speech. Her focus was on the 2016 Holyrood election in which she said every vote for the Conservatives would \"promote Scotland's place\" as part of the UK. The Conservatives have only one Scottish MP but 15 MSPs at Holyrood. Speaking at a fringe event at the conference on Sunday, Ms Davidson told activists her party was on track for its \"best ever result\" in next year's Holyrood elections. There is a new Jerusalem we want to build and we will work towards it every day.\" In last year's independence referendum people in Scotland voted to remain in the UK by 55% to 45%. In her speech to conference, Ms Davidson said the Scottish Conservatives were the party who represented the two million Scots who chose to back the Union. She insisted the Tories would target the regional vote in next year's Scottish Parliament elections and she urged people, whatever their party allegiance, to consider giving their second vote to the Conservatives. Ms Davidson told those gathered: \"I don't want us to be just the party of the technocrat. The grudging vote of competence. \"I want us to be the party of the thinkers, the dreamers, the reformers and the visionaries too. \"The zeal of the missionary, the courage of the pioneer, the ambition to lift our eyes to the horizon and say there's a new Jerusalem we want to build and we will work towards it every day. \"And, more than that. We'll take people with us.\" She added: \"So long as the SNP refuses to rule out another referendum, our message for voters looking to cast that second vote is clear. Whichever party you support, use that vote intelligently. \"And if you're one of the two million people who voted 'No' in last year's referendum, use it as your intelligent vote for the Union.\" Ms Davidson went on to tell conference \"Every cross in the Scottish Conservative box is a vote to promote Scotland's place as part of the United Kingdom we built. And every vote for the Scottish Conservatives will help return a Conservative MSP.\" Ahead of Ms Davidson's address, Scottish Secretary David Mundell spoke to party members. Mr Mundell said: \"We are stronger and safer together as partners in our UK. That is what just over two million voted just over a year ago, to keep our nations together. It was a 'no thanks' to independence.\" He added that the Conservative Party was in \"the vanguard\" of the No to Scottish independence campaign. However, Mr Mundell said there could not be room for complacency and \"championing the UK must be a full time job\".", "summary": "Only the Conservatives represent those in Scotland who want to remain part of the UK, according to the party's Scottish leader."}
{"article": "A roof will be placed on the tank, which will hold more than 60,000 cubic metres of gas. The work is being done by the plant's owner Ineos to hold imported shale gas from the US, obtained through the controversial fracking process. The development of unconventional gas extraction has been halted by a Scottish government moratorium. Ineos announced plans last year to invest up to \u00c2\u00a3640m in shale gas exploration in the UK and use it as a raw material for its chemicals plants. The company hopes they will eventually be able to use gas that has been fracked locally in future rather than relying on stocks from the US. The new storage tank is 56m (183ft) in diameter and 44m (144ft) high - 560 double decker buses could fit inside its 108,372 cubic metre interior. The 330 tonne roof of the tank was lifted into place using a cushion of air similar to a hovercraft. John McNally, chief executive of Ineos Olefins and Polymers UK, said it was a \"landmark day for Grangemouth\". He said: \"We know that US ethane has transformed US manufacturing and now Scottish industry will benefit as well. \"This will secure a cost-effective supply of ethane for the next 15 years, and give a sustainable base for Grangemouth for that time.\" Ineos has They have started a community consultation process to try to win support for fracking. The firm said it was unconcerned about the moratorium and a spokesman promised to drink \"a lot of tea in a lot of village halls\" to try to win the argument. However, Friends of the Earth Scotland director Dr Richard Dixon said: \"We strongly suspect Ineos' plans for fracking in Scotland would result in blighted communities, with planning permissions sitting unused for years. \"The last thing anyone wants is to have a site next to their home where fracking may happen at some unspecified time in the future. \"Communities could have to wait until nearly 2030 to find out if they are going to be fracked or not. This threat of blight is another good reason for the Scottish government to decide that fracking has no place in Scotland.\"", "summary": "Work to complete the biggest shale gas tank in Europe is continuing at the petrochemical plant in Grangemouth."}
{"article": "The race - the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) - starts in Llandudno, Conwy county, on 12 November and finishes in Deeside, Flintshire, on 15 November. Along the way, it will take in towns and villages in Powys, Gwynedd and Denbighshire. The rally is thought to be worth \u00c2\u00a310m annually to the Welsh economy. Councillor Avril York, Powys council's cabinet member for regeneration, said north and mid Wales was an ideal location for the event. \"The area lends itself so well to rallying as we have the forests, mountains and magnificent scenery,\" she added. \"This prestigious event brings so many benefits to the area.\" The line-up includes the world's top stars including the newly-crowned 2015 World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier and Welsh driver Elfyn Evans. The final round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), the race will receive \u00c2\u00a34.5m from the Welsh government over three years.", "summary": "The route has been confirmed for the Wales Rally GB, with 78 cars competing in the international race."}
{"article": "A Freedom of Information request by the Huffington Post UK found the cost of a journey transporting just government documents had often exceeded \u00a3100. The total bill could be higher as figures for additional trips using pool cars were not available. The government said there had been a \"substantial reduction\" in the cost of ministerial cars since 2011. David Cameron announced plans to shrink the bill for ministerial cars shortly after coming to office in 2010, and the number of ministers with access to their own chauffeur-driven car was cut. The practice of carrying ministers' \"red boxes\" in official cars is used for sensitive documentation. In 2010, journalist Sarah Vine, the wife of the then education secretary Michael Gove, wrote that while her husband could travel home by public transport, his red box would travel separately \"in air-conditioned splendour, snug and secure in the back of a locked car\". The red boxes travelled alone using the Government Car Service 1,910 times between 2012-13 and 2014-15, with the number of journeys rising over the course of the three years. 2011-12 \u00a3110,865 2012-13 \u00a365,447.70 2013-14 \u00a356,581.28 2014-15 \u00a379,426.23 2015-16 \u00a341,520.58 Source: Freedom of Information request to the Department for Transport Since 2012, pool cars have also been used by departments but their use is not recorded by the DfT, the department said. Labour MP Graham Jones told the Huffington Post: \"The Tories said they'd clamp down on wasteful spending yet they still allow hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money to be spent ferrying round briefcases in chauffeur-driven cars.\" But the Department for Transport said the total cost of carrying ministers' paperwork was just 5% of the total spent on the Government Car Service\u200e and that it was committed to ensuring the service provided value for money. A spokeswoman added: \"That is why, since 2010, the number of cars that make up the service has been reduced from 227 to 78. \"We have also been working hard to cut our operating costs in order to further reduce the cost to the public purse. \"Before April 2012, all cars were part of a government car pool and could be booked separately by ministers. After April 2012, cars were allocated to departments as departmental pool cars for use by ministers. These cars are managed by each department.\"", "summary": "Chauffeuring ministers' paperwork around Whitehall has cost more than \u00a3350,000 since 2011, figures show."}
{"article": "But he hopes they will not create pressure to increase salaries in Wales. There is an agreement which limits the regions bidding for each other's players, however Scarlets faced competition when re-signing centre Scott Williams who was out of contract at the end of the season. \"You've got to be realistic because it is a free market,\" Short said. \"No agreement can constrain someone's ability to look for work, and regions will be ambitious and will have their own player requirements. \"How the financial fallout from that works is part of the regions' agreement, and one would hope that you wouldn't see pressure within Wales to increase salaries because we've got enough to deal with outside of Wales.\" Wales international Williams had been expected to renew his national dual contract (NDC), funded 60% by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). However, the WRU withdrew their offer with union chairman Gareth Davies saying it was because the regions had \"upped the ante\". Williams ended up signing a conventional deal with the Scarlets. The NDCs were introduced as a mechanism to stop high-profile players leaving Wales for England and France. Short was chairman of the regions' representative body - now called Pro Rugby Wales - when they negotiated the deal which funds and governs domestic rugby in Wales. He said he would not have expected the union to get involved in a bidding war, and backed the dual contracts. \"The union have been excellent in supporting regions in the past year,\" he added. \"The NDCs are working well and everybody should recognise that it's a new concept and will take some time to settle down, but it is settling down well. \"And congratulations to the union - it's been a sea-change in the relationship over the past year or so.\"", "summary": "Scarlets chairman Nigel Short admits it will be hard to stop regions competing against each other for Welsh players."}
{"article": "The manifesto issues a \"challenge\" to the other pro-independence parties by calling for a second referendum within the next five years. It also proposes a \"living income\" for carers, and a higher rate of income tax for the wealthiest 1%. Rise is fielding 40 candidates across the eight electoral regions. Among them will be former MSP Jean Urquhart, who left the SNP over its stance on Nato, former Scottish Socialist Party MSP Colin Fox, and Cat Boyd, who rose to prominence during the independence referendum campaign. Rise - which grew from the wider \"Yes\" movement during the independence referendum - said a key to its election campaign would be its pledge to hold another referendum within the lifespan of the next parliament, with or without Westminster's consent. It has claimed the SNP is being \"deeply cautious\" on independence, and that its first major act at Holyrood would be to table a resolution asserting the right of the Scottish Parliament to \"call for and achieve a second referendum on independence, at the time of its choosing, during the lifetime of this parliament.\" During the launch event at the Glasgow Science Centre, Mr Fox criticised the SNP's \"managerial\" approach to government, saying the party had a \"conservative vision\", accusing them of \"talking left and acting right\". He said independence was the \"elephant in the room\" of the Holyrood campaign, and said \"we need a mandate to force Westminster's hand\" into allowing a second referendum. Ms Urquhart also attacked the \"cynical\" SNP and hit out at the Scottish Greens, saying they are \"not motivated by independence\" despite backing a Yes vote in the 2014 referendum. Rise would also replace the Council Tax with a Scottish Service Tax which would be based on individual incomes, as well introducing a whisky tax which it believes would raise \u00a31bn a year - although alcohol duty is currently reserved to Westminster. Among the manifesto's other key pledges is a living income of \u00a310,399 for Scotland's 170,000 carers, which Rise has estimated would cost \u00a31.7bn a year. This would be paid for by a combination of tax changes, including increasing the income tax rate for those earning more than \u00a3150,000 from 45% to 60%, and introducing a new 45p rate for people earning between \u00a350,000 and \u00a3150,000. When asked how this meshed with calls for a maximum wage of \u00a3100,000 per year, national organiser Jonathon Shafi said these were \"campaigning policies\". Rise describes itself as being \"100% anti-austerity\", and has pledged to campaign alongside trade unions, workers and communities to \"resist Tory cuts at every level\", and to demand that councillors and MSPs \"refuse to implement a single penny of Westminster's cuts\". It wants to see a minimum salary of \u00a320,000, with a \u00a310 per hour minimum wage for all public sector workers, to increase in line with inflation, alongside the \u00a3100,000 wage cap. The party has proposed allowing communities to purchase land regardless of the landlord's wishes, wants to abolish Police Scotland and replace it with police forces under local community control, and has called for the Dungavel immigration", "summary": "Rise has unveiled its manifesto for the Holyrood election, with the left-wing alliance saying it will offer a \"comprehensive prospectus for change\"."}
{"article": "Based on the true story of the sinking of the Essex in 1820, the film, In the Heart of the Sea, portrays the whale as a merciless monster that pushes its shipwrecked victims to the brink of madness. Did such a terrifying creature ever exist? Scientists at the Smithsonian Institution say it probably did - but 15 million years ago. They've identified an ancient genus of sperm whale that, unlike its modern cousins, had enormous teeth. \"Modern sperm whales only have teeth in their lower jaw, partly because their main food source is squid,\" says Alex Boersma, lead author of the new research published in the open access journal PLoS One. \"To see a fossil sperm whale like ours that has these big prominent teeth in both the lower and upper jaws suggests they were feeding on something very different - possibly other marine animals.\" The fossil was part of a collection amassed in the 1920s by Remington Kellogg, a palaeontologist who helped introduce protections for whales and became the first chairman of the International Whaling Commission. The specimen was placed in the vast stores of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington where staff noticed that the label was incorrect. It said the bones belonged to an extinct walrus instead of a sperm whale. Confusion reigned until 90 years later when Nick Pyenson, the curator of fossil marine mammals and research co-author, decided to take another look. But examining the fossil posed its own problems. It weighed around 300 pounds (140kg) and was thoroughly encased in rock. \"We could see places where people had tried to excavate the bone and where it had gone wrong because it's very hard to do,\" says Pyenson. Fortunately, a relatively recent tool to science made things easier. The fossil was scanned using lasers and the 3D data taken from the surface enabled the two scientists to study detailed digital models that could be rotated without having to move the rock itself. \"This specimen is huge and the first time we rolled it over to see the underside, it took four people and we sacrificed a couple of fingers,\" says Boersma. \"Having that 3D model was crucial.\" It was also critical to establishing the fact that the fossil contained upper teeth. \"The discovery was pretty late on in the process and we had already written most of the manuscript,\" says Boersma. \"We were looking at the computer model and talking over the phone and Nick said, 'I think it has upper teeth'. \"We had to re-evaluate our paper which was exciting and stressful at the same time because it opened up our research to new possibilities and was the moment we realised that this whale was different to anything else in the fossil records.\" And although the fossil was incomplete and fragmented, the 3D models also helped Boersma create artistic impressions of what it may have looked like in the flesh. \"This is where art meets science,\" says Pyenson. \"3D lets you be creative and work with the resources you have in a very", "summary": "In Hollywood's version of the events that inspired the classic novel Moby Dick, a giant sperm whale terrorises the crew of a whaling ship and eventually destroys the vessel."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Efimova, who was allowed to compete after appealing against a doping ban, took silver with Tutton fourth. \"I would've preferred it to have been a completely clean Games,\" the 20-year-old Welsh swimmer said afterwards. \"I couldn't help who was here. I'm not happy with it, but that's how it is.\" Rie Kaneto won Japan's seventh gold medal at Rio 2016 to beat Efimova into silver. China's Jinglin Shi won bronze, just six one-hundreths of a second ahead of fourth-placed Tutton. Her British team-mate Molly Renshaw, 20, finished sixth. \"Being fourth is a bit gutting, no matter who is in front of you,\" Tutton added. \"It's a great experience and I'm a bit disappointed to come fourth. I'm so close to a medal and that would have been a dream. \"But just to get into the final is a great experience that I'll take on with me for years to come.\" \"It was a bit gutting but it will make me tough in the long run and it just makes me more hungry for a medal so hopefully next time I'll get closer.\" Efimova, who said she was tired of answering questions about her doping past, defended her right to compete at Rio. She was banned for 16 months in 2013 after traces of an anabolic steroid were found in her system. Earlier this year she was given a provisional ban after testing positive for meldonium, but the International Swimming Federation lifted the suspension after advice from the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada). The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) has ruled that athletes cannot be banned from Rio on the basis that they have been previously sanctioned. \"Cas considered my appeal and I won. If someone dislikes it and has a different opinion, they can go to CAS,\" she explained. \"I am not for doping and I have never used it. The second case was completely not my fault. Everyone should have a second chance. When you drive and you are just issued a ticket, no-one puts you in jail.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Earlier, Ben Proud set a British record to reach the men's 50m freestyle final. Commonwealth champion Proud, 21, swam a time of 21.54 seconds to qualify fifth fastest for Friday's final (02:44 BST Saturday). Find out how to get into swimming with our special guide. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Great Britain's Chloe Tutton appeared to criticise controversial swimmer Yulia Efimova's presence in Rio after the Russian finished ahead of her in the 200m breaststroke."}
{"article": "Kymberley Holden, 27, of Codnor in Derbyshire, died in November 2014 from high levels of OxyNorm. She had been prescribed ten times the correct dosage by Dr Lawrence Axten, who has apologised for his error. Dr Axten told her inquest he unwittingly gave her a concentrated dose of the medication. Ms Holden was prescribed OxyNorm to help her deal with severe pain in her right leg and took three doses in the hours leading up to her death. Tests showed she died from oxycodone intoxication - the generic name for OxyNorm - and Devic's disease. Lalitha Vaithianathar, her consultant neurologist and a forensic toxicologist, told Nottingham Coroner's Court it was the dosing of liquid OxyNorm over a short period of time in the final hours that caused the respiratory depression that led to her death. Coroner Elizabeth Didcock said the prescription error did not cause the 27-year-old's death, but made a \"significant contribution\". She added she \"did not have confidence that the GP practice understands fully the duty to report serious incidents nor the duties to co-operate with a coronial investigation\". Ms Holden's father Stephen said after the inquest: \"I found the conclusion was satisfactory and as good a conclusion as she could come to. \"I understand ... there are more policies and procedures and changes to come to hopefully prevent this from happening to anybody else. \"It has been a very long, very difficult and very trying time.\" Ian Dye, her boyfriend, said: \"She was the love of my life \"I hope the coroner's recommendations are followed. There was a lack of knowledge about certain controlled drugs and I hope that will improve in the future and prevent something like this happening again.\" The family said a civil case was being considered.", "summary": "A prescription error \"significantly contributed\" to the death of a woman who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a coroner has ruled."}
{"article": "A combination of high tides and strong winds caused a storm surge which overtopped flood defences. Hundreds of properties were evacuated with residents moved to emergency shelters. The Environment Agency said the tide on Thursday that caused the damage had been the highest since 1953. More than 500 properties were evacuated in the village of Keadby, near Scunthorpe, after a hole opened up in the bank of the River Trent. The Environment Agency said about 50 buildings in the village flooded after high tides. Others were evacuated in nearby Burringham on Thursday. One Burringham resident said the village's main street was \"like a river\" when the water flooded over the riverbank. \"It's a bit devastating really, the damage it's caused,\" he said. \"I haven't seen anything like that before. \"The banks were like paper, just floating away when it went.\" Up to 100 properties have been flooded in Reedness in the East Riding, with some residents taken to Goole leisure centre. Homes in Gunness, Amcotts and South Ferriby in North Lincolnshire have also been evacuated. In Hull, residents living on some streets in the city centre were also removed to safety. Some hotels and shops near the city's waterfront lost power and were flooded. Philip Woods, manager of the Ibis Hotel in Hull, said all of the ground floor area was under water. \"The surge of the water came into the hotel came down the long corridor and came into the rooms,\" he said Road and rail links to Hull were also affected. Part of the A63 in the west of the city was closed on Friday morning after water from the Humber covered the carriageway. Rail services in Hull and parts of North Lincolnshire were suspended. Richard Hannigan, chief fire officer at Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, said firefighters had saved 181 people from flood water. \"We've moved now from the rescue phase into the recovery phase,\" he said. \"We're putting out our high-volume pumps to start pumping out the residual water that of course is trapped in by the sea defences.\" Firefighters have been pumping water away from Hessle foreshore next to the Humber Bridge. James Jackson who lives next to the bridge said he thought it would be at least six months until his flooded home was back to normal \"There'll be no Christmas party or anything this year,\" he said. \"It's just going to be trying to get a resemblance of life again.\"", "summary": "People across northern Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire are cleaning up after extensive flooding along the Humber Estuary."}
{"article": "Amar Mehraj, 29, was one of four men who gang raped a 17-year-old girl while she was unconscious in July 2009 in Oldbury, West Midlands. He then left the country but was caught at Birmingham Airport in November. Police said Mehraj had been jailed for nine years and nine months after admitting taking part in the attack. Three other men were jailed in 2010. Det Con Mark Timmins of West Midlands Police said: \"This was a sickening crime against a vulnerable young girl, who was plied with alcohol and drugs before being sexually abused. \"Protecting young people from harm is a priority for West Midlands Police and partner agencies and we take reports of sexual offences extremely seriously. \"This case just goes to show that we will never give up on bringing offenders to justice. \"Thankfully, justice has finally caught up with Mehraj.\" Mehraj, of Giles Road, Oldbury, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday, having admitted his role in the attack at an earlier hearing.", "summary": "A man who fled to Pakistan after raping a teenage girl has been jailed after he was caught trying to return to the UK."}
{"article": "In a first half of few chances, Oldham's Ryan Flynn had a 20-yard shot turned over the bar by Simon Moore while the home side's best effort came from Mark Duffy whose free-kick was saved by Connor Ripley. Sharp saw his header deflected wide and Kieron Freeman had a shot blocked. Soon after the restart, Duffy also had an effort blocked while Sharp tried a first-time shot from inside the area which went over. Josh Law floated a free-kick just over for the Latics before the hosts took control of the game. Sharp produced an emphatic finish on 72 minutes after receiving the ball from Duffy on the right-hand side of the area. Away substitute Freddie Ladapo went close to equalising when his 25-yard volley forced Moore to tip the ball wide. But Sharp added a second two minutes from time to wrap up the points for the Blades, sweeping home the loose ball after Leon Clarke put Ripley under pressure from Duffy's cross. Report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Sheffield United 2, Oldham Athletic 0. Second Half ends, Sheffield United 2, Oldham Athletic 0. Chris Basham (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Josh Law (Oldham Athletic). Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Peter Clarke (Oldham Athletic). Substitution, Sheffield United. Stefan Scougall replaces Mark Duffy. Attempt missed. Leon Clarke (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Cameron Dummigan. Substitution, Sheffield United. Jake Wright replaces Paul Coutts. Goal! Sheffield United 2, Oldham Athletic 0. Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Leon Clarke. Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Carl Winchester replaces Paul Green. Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Brian Wilson. Attempt saved. Mark Duffy (Sheffield United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Brian Wilson. Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Lee Croft replaces Charles Dunne. Corner, Oldham Athletic. Conceded by Simon Moore. Attempt saved. Freddie Ladapo (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Foul by Billy Sharp (Sheffield United). Peter Clarke (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Freddie Ladapo replaces Darius Osei. Goal! Sheffield United 1, Oldham Athletic 0. Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Mark Duffy. Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Cameron Dummigan. Ethan Ebanks-Landell (Sheffield United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Ethan Ebanks-Landell (Sheffield United). Paul Green (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Attempt missed. Jack O'Connell (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left following a set piece situation. Cameron", "summary": "Two second-half goals from Billy Sharp gave high-flying Sheffield United victory over struggling Oldham Athletic."}
{"article": "It is up for six Razzies - including worst picture, worst director, worst actor and worst actress. Jupiter Ascending, Pixels, and Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 also have six nods each for the Golden Raspberry Awards, to be announced next month. The awards launched in 1980 as a spoof of the Oscars. Nominees for the Razzies have been named the day before the Oscars shortlist is announced. Superhero film Fantastic Four, sci-fi adventure Jupiter Ascending, comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 and Adam Sandler's video game film Pixels complete the line-up for worst picture. Fifty Shades of Grey, the film version of EL James' erotic novel detailing the sadomasochistic affair between student Anastasia Steele and billionaire Christian Grey, is also nominated for worst screenplay. Its stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan are cited for worst screen combo. Sam Taylor-Johnson, nominated as worst director, has since pulled out of directing its planned two sequels. The next Fifty Shades film is due for release next year. Sandler is Razzie-nominated for a fifth consecutive year and could pick up awards for worst actor, for Pixels and The Cobbler, and worst screen combo, for \"Adam Sandler and any pair of shoes\" in the latter film. Eddie Redmayne, tipped for an Oscar nomination for his role in The Danish Girl, is in contention for worst supporting actor for playing villain Balem Abrasax in Jupiter Ascending. Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum are nominated for worst actress and worst actor for the Andy and Lana Wachowski-directed film. Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow gets a worst actress nod for comedy heist Mortdecai - with co-star Johnny Depp scoring two nominations, for worst actor and worst screen combo for his partnership with his glued-on moustache. It isn't all bad news for the nominees however, with the Razzie Redeemer Awards rewarding previous Golden Raspberry recipients who have gone on to do good work in the past year. Nominees for that prize include Sylvester Stallone, for his Golden Globe-winning role as Rocky Balboa in Creed, director Elizabeth Banks for Pitch Perfect 2, M. Night Shyamalan for directing horror film The Visit and Will Smith for Concussion. The winners will be announced in Hollywood on 27 February - the day before the Oscars ceremony - having been voted for online by around 900 members of the Razzies committee. Those \"honoured\" for the worst films of the past 12 months will win a gold spray-painted trophy worth $4.97 (\u00a33.44) if they bother turning up - but unlike the Oscars, the winners usually stay away. Sandra Bullock is among those who have attended the ceremony - showing up with DVDs of All About Steve to hand to the audience after being named worst actress in 2010.", "summary": "The contenders for the worst films of the year have been announced, with Fifty Shades of Grey dominating the nominations."}
{"article": "Paterson, 59, who exaggerated or invented cancer risks in patients, was convicted of 17 counts of wounding with intent last month. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said his malpractice was \"profoundly shocking\". Baroness Lorely Burt, former Lib Dem MP for Solihull, called for any inquiry to be held in public. Paterson, from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, was convicted on 28 April following a nine-week trial which found he intentionally and unlawfully wounded 10 patients. He is due to be sentenced this month. Mr Hunt said Paterson \"totally neglected\" his duty of care for the patients he treated at two privately run West Midlands hospitals. \"As a result I have agreed that, if returned to government, we will hold a comprehensive and focused inquiry to ensure that any lessons are learnt in the interests of ensuring patients are protected in future. \"We will take any testimony from those affected, their families, and others who may wish to come forward.\" Baroness Burt said: \"I'm sure the patients harmed by Paterson are all very grateful that the health secretary has announced an inquiry into the case, after they battled alone for years to get justice. \"It's just a shame he never intervened on behalf of the private patients who had to go it alone through obstacle after obstacle.\" She said she hoped it would reveal why Paterson was allowed to operate for so long with impunity, but called for the inquiry to be held in public so a \"bright light be shone into the way the NHS and private practice is being run which allows such things to happen\". Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Labour would support an inquiry into Paterson's \"reprehensible actions\". \"Not only have his actions cost the public purse dearly, but they have devastated the lives of innocent people who deserved better,\" he said. \"This unacceptable practice must never be repeated again.\" Victims have claimed Paterson had a \"God complex\" and jurors were told he performed \"extensive, life-changing operations for no medically-justifiable reason\". Ian Paterson: Surgeon was 'psychopathic like Shipman' Patient 'violated' by breast surgery The Heart of England NHS Trust has paid out almost \u00c2\u00a318m in damages and legal costs to hundreds of his former patients. These cases did not form part of the criminal proceedings. An independent report into his work in 2013, by lawyer Sir Ian Kennedy, found concerns dated back to 2003 but were not dealt with for four years. Later this year, 350 private patients who had unnecessary operations will seek compensation at the High Court, solicitors have said. Some former patients have been calling for a public inquiry into what he did and complained this week that they have been \"airbrushed\" out. 1,207 patients given a mastectomy, including \"cleavage-sparing\" operations 675 mastectomy patients have since died 68 of his surviving patients have seen their cancer return", "summary": "The Conservatives have pledged to hold an inquiry into the actions of disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson, if the party is returned to power."}
{"article": "\"You look for the deep characteristics. There's no need to concentrate on the appearance.\" For someone who has worked in the tea industry for more than 50 years, Anglo-Indian businessman Nirmal Sethia has lost none of his passion for the drink. Now in his 70s, he also still takes tea very seriously. \"Tea is life,\" he says. \"Tea is religion, tea is music.\" The co-founder and boss of upmarket brand Newby Teas, Mr Sethia's relationship with tea started in London after the end of World War Two. However, Mr Sethia, the son of a successful third-generation Indian businessman, initially just wanted to have fun in life. Looking back on his teenage years, he says: \"I was a rebel. \"I used to see all the boys smoking in London and wanted some of that. Smoking, and drinking, and girls looked exciting to me, even at 13.\" It was then that he told his father that he didn't want to go to school any more. \"I knew that route wasn't for me. I didn't want to do exams, and wanted something more exciting.\" A chance encounter one day with someone who worked in a tea supplier led to Mr Sethia becoming an apprentice tea taster for one of the biggest tea merchants in London, something he believes was the hand of God guiding him. \"It was my first lucky break,\" he says. \"Divine intervention I suppose. \"Someone I knew saw me smoking outside the tea offices, and seemed to see something in me. He worked there and introduced me to the boss.\" That first encounter on a London street in the late 1950s started a lifelong love affair with tea for Mr Sethia. He was soon working for one of biggest tea importers in the Republic of Ireland as a buyer in India, tasked with buying tea at auctions in Kolkata (formerly called Calcutta). His father was impressed with how his son had taken to working in the tea industry, and encouraged him to do more. So with his dad's support, the young Nirmal Sethia started his own business - Sethia Tea Estates - from the family's home in Kolkata, buying and selling teas from all over the world, for tea merchants the length and breadth of the UK and Republic of Ireland. By then tea had really taken over his life, and Mr Sethia bought a tea plantation in the north eastern Indian state of Assam. \"I didn't have any money [left over]... I used to sleep on the veranda of one of the buildings in the tea garden and drink tea,\" he says. \"I taught myself about the different characteristics and subtleties in flavour. I seemed to have a gift for tasting tea. I was able to distinguish and discern teas from different parts of India and beyond, something that impressed the buyers I met.\" Having made a success of his tea business, Mr Sethia's destiny took a different path in 1965 when he started his own company dealing in jute, a vegetable fibre used to make rope and bags. He says:", "summary": "\"Tea is like a beautiful woman,\" says Nirmal Sethia."}
{"article": "The arrangement will see Glasgow-based Clyde Space build two small satellites called CubeSats to observe the changing biology of the surface ocean. Scientists believe it has implications for the marine food chain, fisheries and climate scientists, among others. Clyde Space said the collaboration could be a \"game changer\". The project is being led by John M Morrison, Prof of Physics and Physical Oceanography at the University of North Carolina. It also involves scientists from other organisations such as Nasa and the Hawk Institute for Space Sciences. Clyde Space chief executive Craig Clark said: \"We're extremely excited to be involved in this mission. \"Previous missions have used large satellites which come with a big price attached whereas the CubeSats are flexible, low-cost and economically viable.\" Clyde Space specialises in producing small satellite, nanosatellite and CubeSat systems. It built the UKube-1 which was launched into space from Kazakhstan in July last year.", "summary": "The company which designed and built Scotland's first satellite has teamed up with US-based scientists to develop new technology to study ocean biology."}
{"article": "Five men were jailed in March for the \u00a3400,000 spree of raids and burglaries across the east of England. About 140 officers from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and two other units swooped on properties linked to the men on Wednesday. It is thought the gang bought the goods with money from the robberies. Police seized an Audi A5, a pick-up truck, a caravan, quad bikes and heavy machinery including diggers from properties in Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, Potton in Bedfordshire and Upwell in Norfolk. Cannabis factories, with a combined street value between \u00a318,000 and \u00a354,000, were also discovered at the Potton and Upwell properties. Police said the properties were connected to Joseph Upton, John Smith and Albert Smith. Along with John Christopher Smith and Alfred Stanley, they were sentenced to 22 years for carrying out ram-raids at 12 banks in 2012 across Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. They stole more than \u00a3300,000 from cash machines and cars and jewellery more than \u00a3100,000 during burglaries. Damage caused in the ram-raids was estimated at costing about \u00a3250,000 to repair. The courts will eventually decide what goods the gang accumulated from their wrong-doing and if they should be confiscated. Det Ch Insp Chris Balmer, from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit, which helped to serve the warrants, said the ram-raids affected \"rural communities who lost their access to cash machines\" and those who had \"cars and machinery stolen by the gang in order to carry out the crimes\". \"We will continue to pursue criminals after they have been convicted at court in order to strip them of any assets they may have gained,\" he said.", "summary": "Thousands of pounds' worth of cars and machinery have been seized by police from a ram-raid gang that used JCB diggers to rip out cash machines."}
{"article": "Fifty-one Syrian refugees arrived in Belfast last month under a government scheme, having been deemed as being at \"real risk\" in their home country. Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry said language classes would help people settling in Northern Ireland to \"integrate into society\". The lessons are expected to cost about \u00c2\u00a320,000 each year. A second group of refugees is expected to arrive in Northern Ireland before April, and they will be settled in Londonderry. The lessons will be provided at further education colleges, but would not apply to economic migrants. Mr Farry said it was in the \"public interest\" to help refugees settling in Northern Ireland. \"The measures ensure that no one who comes to Northern Ireland seeking refuge from persecution or war is disadvantaged simply because of their immigration status,\" he added. He said the lessons would be offered to all people in Northern Ireland with refugee status. \"Analysis indicates that demand for provision is relatively small so any additional costs will be affordable within the department's budget.\"", "summary": "Refugees in Northern Ireland will be offered free English lessons, a Stormont minister has said."}
{"article": "He faces charges including hostage-taking, kidnapping and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction. Belmokhtar remains at large and the US is offering a $5m (\u00c2\u00a33.2m) reward for information leading to his arrest. Three US citizens were among at least 37 hostages killed when Algerian troops stormed the Tigantourine plant. Days earlier, gunmen had seized local and foreign workers at the complex. \"Belmokhtar brought terror and blood to these innocent people and now we intend to bring Belmokhtar to justice,\" said Preet Bharara, US attorney for the Southern District of New York, in a statement. Profile: Al-Qaeda in North Africa The charges unveiled on Friday said Belmokhtar had appeared in an online video the day after the siege ended, claiming he had carried out the attack on behalf of al-Qaeda. George Venizelos, head of the FBI's New York office, said the charges \"describe a fanatical jihadist leading an extremist vanguard of an extremist ideology''. Belmokhtar is a former leading figure in al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) but is now believed to head a group of militants known variously as the Signed-in-Blood Battalion, the Masked Men Brigade and the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade. He was designated a foreign terrorist by the US Treasury Department in 2003. The hostage crisis began on 16 January when militants attacked two buses carrying foreign workers from the Tigantourine gas facility near In Amenas in eastern Algeria. The militants took foreign workers hostage at the gas complex, which was quickly surrounded by the Algerian army. Special forces stormed the living area on 19 January and the gas treatment plant two days later. At least 29 militants also died in the shoot-out.", "summary": "US prosecutors have charged militant Islamist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar over a deadly siege at an Algerian gas plant in January."}
{"article": "Dahl's daughter Lucy will accept the accolade on behalf of her father in a special episode of the children's TV show, to be aired on CBBC on Thursday. Dahl much-loved works include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and The Twits. Had he not died in 1990, the author would have been 100 on 13 September. Thursday's programme will see science presenter Greg Foot recreate Frobscottle - the favourite drink of the BFG, or Big Friendly Giant. The show will also feature a performance by the cast of the West End musical version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Only a handful of gold Blue Peter badges are given out each year, in recognition of bravery, inspiration, citizenship and outstanding achievements. Lucy Dahl said it was \"extraordinary\" and \"truly amazing\" for her father to receive the accolade. \"When you read a book you create your own version of the story, and you create your own pictures in your own mind,\" she said. \"Dad felt that reading books was one of the most important things a child could do, because he felt that imagination was so important.\" \"Roald Dahl's literary magic continues to enchant generations of children and will do for years to come,\" Blue Peter editor Ewan Vinnicombe said. \"Blue Peter is honoured to be able to celebrate his remarkable imagination in this special show.\" Previous recipients of the gold Blue Peter badge include US film-maker Steven Spielberg and the illustrator and children's author Chris Riddell. Schools across the UK marked Roald Dahl Day on Tuesday by asking pupils to dress up as their favourite characters from his books. Celebrations continue this weekend in Cardiff, which will be transformed into \"The City of the Unexpected\" in an arts event involving 6,000 participants. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Children's author Roald Dahl is to become the first person to be honoured posthumously with a gold Blue Peter badge."}
{"article": "Luke Davenport, 24, from Cambridge, was left in an induced coma after the collision in June. He is now home and undergoing rehabilitation to recover from multiple broken bones. Mr Davenport will be on the sidelines at the British Touring Car Championships in Norfolk on Sunday. He said the crash had not thwarted his dream of participating in the Le Mans 24-hour race one day. The incident on 10 June, at the Croft Circuit, in North Yorkshire, happened when Mr Davenport aquaplaned off the track. He was unable to restart the car and other drivers ended up colliding with Mr Davenport's driver's side door. Mr Davenport, who lives in Madingley, broke his left tibia, fibula and ankle, damaged ligaments in his right leg and broke his pelvis. He also broke four ribs, punctured both lungs and broke his collarbone. Mr Davenport, who dreamt of becoming a racing car driver from the age of seven, started physiotherapy this week. He said: \"We are so fortunate that I'm going to make a full recovery. \"There are a lot of stories of some big names in the sport who have come back from serious crashes to fuel the fire.\" Mr Davenport, who started karting before stepping up to touring cars in 2012, said being at Snetterton on Sunday will be \"emotional\". \"It's Snetterton where I got my first drive, it's my local track and my friends and family were going to be there to watch. \"Just when the car's got race-winning potential, I'm not going to be racing,\" said the Shredded Wheat Racing driver.", "summary": "A touring car driver who was seriously injured in an 11-car pile-up is prepared for an \"emotional\" return to the racing scene."}
{"article": "Trinity chairman Michael Carter said in Sunday's Salford programme notes that 2017 is their final year at Belle Vue. The venue would not meet minimum ground standards for the top flight. \"We believe Wakefield playing at Featherstone would be the best-possible fit for supporters,\" Rovers general manager Davide Longo said. \"[Particularly] given the fact our stadium is situated less than five miles away.\" Longo said informal talks had been held between the clubs which, if successful, would see Trinity play home fixtures in the town in addition to their existing training agreement. \"I think it goes without saying that our stadium meets minimum standards set by the Rugby Football League,\" he added. \"And we are constantly making improvements to ensure it continues to develop as a high-quality facility - fit for top-flight and even international rugby league. \"I, for one, sympathise a great deal with the Wakefield board of directors, staff, players and supporters, given the predicament they find themselves in. \" It is not the first time Wakefield have considered moving on - with Dewsbury tipped as a destination - before an agreement to redevelop the site was completed. However, there has been no further development six months on and Trinity, who moved into the ground in 1895, have issued notice of their intentions to leave. Super League's minimum requirements for 2016 stipulate that grounds must have a minimum capacity of 5,000, with 2,000 of that seated. Belle Vue's capacity is just over 7,000 while Post Office Road has an 8,000 capacity. There are other requirements including media facilities, disabled access and provision as well as closed-circuit television and parking.", "summary": "Featherstone Rovers have made a formal offer to Super League club Wakefield Trinity to ground-share at Post Office Road for at least 2018."}
{"article": "Lough Swilly lifeboat station is the first in Ireland to get the brand new Shannon Class lifeboat. The 2.4m euros (\u00c2\u00a31.8m) boat was built in England and is the smallest, fastest and lightest in the RNLI fleet. The boat was designed by Peter Eyre from Londonderry who was rescued by a Lough Swilly lifeboat when he was 14. Lough Swilly lifeboat operations manager John McCarter said it was an amazing new addition. \"It is probably the most advanced lifeboat that has entered the lifeboat fleet. It is absolutely new and fully up to date oat that has immense capabilities and we're the first station in Ireland to receive one. \"Indeed it's the first class of lifeboat to be named after an Irish river so it's a double first. It's an amazing bit of kit, we've had crews on it bringing it home and they are really over the moon on the capabilities the boat has and what an upgrade it will bring to the service here out of Lough Swilly. \"Peter cut his teeth sailing in Lough Swilly and got the bug for the water and has done a lot of good work within the RNLI and is pretty much the chief designer of this Shannon class boat and we're delighted that that is also a great connection to Lough Swilly, Derry and the north west.\" Peter Eyre who is now an RNLI naval architect based in Poole, in England was instrumental in the development of the new lifeboat. Mr Eyre attended Foyle and Londonderry College before studying ship science at the University of Southampton. He began designing the hull form at the age of 24 in his spare time. He said his own experience with the RNLI as a teenager was the inspiration for the boat. \"It was quite a stormy day on the Swilly and we were out sailing in our family yacht and lost the mast because of the strong winds and the Swilly crew came out to us and brought us to safety so that was my first foray with the RNLI. \"This boat is much quicker than the one it replaces, it does 25 knots. Time is of essence for most of these rescues and it's also much safer for the crews especially in rough weather. \"We would share a lot of the same base of suppliers with formula one so it's quite similar in the design approach using all the cutting edge technology available. I'm incredibly proud.\"", "summary": "A new RNLI lifeboat designed by a man who was saved by the service as a teenager has arrived in County Donegal."}
{"article": "Wilson, Blues attack coach Matt Sherratt and Scarlets backs coach Stephen Jones will join tour head coach Robin McBryde in Tonga and Samoa. \"It's a great opportunity and I think we [Sherratt and I] will both come back as better coaches,\" said Wilson. \"[It] will hopefully benefit Cardiff Blues as well.\" Wilson continued: \"It was an honour to be asked. I'm not thinking about anything at the moment other than doing my job here at Cardiff Blues and at the end of the season I'll start thinking about the tour and the opportunity that presents.\" Former Wales Under-20s head coach Wilson joined Cardiff Blues from Bristol in 2015 having previously worked with Scarlets and Newport Gwent Dragons. Wilson admits he had to think hard before accepting the role. \"It was more a discussion with my wife than anything else because it falls during our time off when we're away from Cardiff Blues, but it's a great opportunity for me,\" he added. \"We'll also be organising pre-season so it'll be a busy time. But for me personally, with where I am with my career, it was a great opportunity I wanted to take with both hands, and also I hope I'll come back to Cardiff Blues better for the experience.\" Formerly a scrum coach, Wilson is expecting to primarily to work with Wales' forwards in Tonga and Samoa. \"Obviously my area is set-piece and forward play and that will be a heavy part of the role,\" he said. \"It's all happened quite quickly and we've had the rough discussions around it, but they're ongoing.\"", "summary": "Cardiff Blues head coach Danny Wilson says his experience with Wales on next summer's two-Test tour of the Pacific Islands will improve him as a coach."}
{"article": "Three drivers had sued Uber, arguing they were employees of the company. Being classed as contractors meant they had not been able to claim expenses or receive tips, they claimed. Uber said few current drivers would qualify for the lawsuit, while the judge estimated the number of eligible drivers could be in the hundreds. The lawsuit had sought to include the 160,000 drivers who had worked for Uber in California since 2009. The ruling by US District Judge Edward Chen means that Uber drivers in California can sue as a group over whether they should have received tips. Shannon Liss-Riordan, a lawyer representing drivers in the case, said that contrary to Uber's argument, \"many thousands\" would be eligible to participate in the legal action. \"This decision is a major victory for Uber drivers,\" she said. Lonnie Giamela, a labour lawyer in Los Angeles who has been following the case, said the ruling \"sets the stage for a trial and a legal battle that will have dramatic implications for Uber's business model as well as more generally how independent contractors are viewed under California law\". Judge Chen rejected Uber's argument that there was no typical Uber driver, saying there was little evidence for that claim. He said the drivers had much in common, including that Uber sets their pay, uses feedback from customers to evaluate them and could fire them. The judge also found there was \"no basis\" to support Uber's claim \"that some innumerable legion of drivers prefer to remain independent contractors rather than become employees\". An ultimate finding that drivers were employees could threaten Uber's business model by forcing it to make social security contributions and thus raising its costs. Its use of contractors has kept costs low and allowed the company to undercut traditional cab operators, sparking protests by taxi drivers in cities including London, Paris and Rio de Janiero. In June, a California labour commissioner ruled that an Uber driver was an employee, not a contractor. Uber has appealed against that decision. Meanwhile, a woman who was suing Uber over an alleged rape by a driver in India has withdrawn her lawsuit. The passenger, who reported being raped and beaten after hailing a ride with the Uber driver in Delhi last year, sued the company in a US federal court in January, claiming the company failed to maintain basic safety procedures. Uber had argued in court filings that the woman sued the wrong corporate entity as the driver had a contract with Uber BV, a Netherlands-based entity with no US operations. The court filing did not disclose any details about how the case was settled, and representatives for Uber and the woman both declined to comment.", "summary": "A judge has allowed Uber drivers in California to take legal action to determine whether they are contractors or employees."}
{"article": "The company reported revenue of almost $2.8bn (\u00c2\u00a32.1) in the three months to 30 June, up from $1.3bn during the same period last year. Losses increased to $336m, compared with $293m last year. But investors were encouraged by the firm's prospects and shares rose by more than 7% in after-hours trading. Tesla, which also has a solar energy division, said almost $2.3bn in revenue during the quarter came from the firm's automotive unit - roughly the same as in the previous quarter, but 93% higher than the same period in 2016. However, the company's costs, including for research and development and sales, also rose contributing to the 15% rise in its losses for the quarter. Tesla is preparing to ramp up car production, as it rolls out its most affordable ($35,000) car yet for the mass market. Tesla told shareholders it expects revenue to grow \"significantly\" in the second half of the year, while expenses hold steady. The firm delivered more than 47,000 of its earlier high-end Model S and Model X cars in the first half of 2017, growth of more than 50% from the prior year. Since it rolled out its latest car, Model 3, to a small group last week, it is averaging more than 1,800 reservations for the car a day, adding to the more than 400,000 orders that are already placed. So far, demand for the new make isn't cannibalising interest in the older models, chief executive Elon Musk added. \"July was one of our best months ever,\" he said. \"Who knows if this will continue, but all indications are that it will, so that's very exciting.\" The firm hopes to make 5,000 of the Model 3 cars per week by the end of 2017. The firm plans to eventually make more than 500,000 a year at its Fremont factory - or about 10,000 per week. Elon Musk's company is spending big to make sure the target of 50,000 Model 3s by the end of the year isn't missed. Production of the \"affordable\" ($35,000) car being on schedule is critical to the company's future - perhaps even the future of Mr Musk himself as he seeks to court even more money for outlandish projects. That's why Tesla burned through over $1bn in the last quarter, as analysts had anticipated. There are half a million pre-orders for the Model 3, and Mr Musk said the company is facing \"manufacturing hell\" to get them all made. According to the latest projections, Tesla thinks it's on course to keep customers happy. Any wavering on that goal would send the stock price south. For now, things are on track.", "summary": "Electric car-maker Tesla quarterly revenues have more than doubled helped by higher deliveries of its upmarket vehicles but its losses also grew."}
{"article": "Parts of Madeira Terraces, have been fenced off since summer after warnings the Victorian structure could collapse. Council leader Warren Morgan revealed in a Facebook post the authority has applied for \u00c2\u00a350,000 from the government's coastal revival fund. Homeless people had been sleeping under the arches. Mr Morgan said: \"It is the preliminary step of the restoration process and whilst it does not detail our plans, I hope that it shows that a process, however slow, is underway.\" The concern with the structure surrounds the corrosion of steel beams embedded in concrete which supports the deck of the terraces. It was announced in October that more fencing was to be installed after rough sleepers were discovered. At the time, Mr Morgan said the site would be secured and staff would help people find safer accommodation.", "summary": "Brighton's crumbling seafront arches may be restored after the council revealed it has applied for funding to help redevelop the site."}
{"article": "The Glasgow Kelvin MSP Sandra White is proposing legislation which would also make it illegal for vehicles to double park. Her bill won unanimous support, but is unlikely to complete its passage through Parliament before the election. The SNP government has pledged to legislate to tackle irresponsible parking if it returns to power after the May poll. The Footway Parking and Double Parking (Scotland) Bill would make it illegal to park on pavements and dropped kerbs, and restrict double parking on roads. It gained broad support from the public during consultation. When Ms White's bill was originally introduced to the Scottish Parliament in May last year it was unclear whether Holyrood or Westminster has the power to legislate. The powers have now been agreed as part of the package of further powers included in the Scotland Bill. Ms White said she was \"delighted\" the bill had passed the first stage of the parliamentary process. She added: \"Reckless parking can make life extraordinarily difficult for those with mobility or sight issues as well as many other pedestrians. It's right that we make it clear that bad parking is unacceptable. \"After raising this issue for several years I am glad that we now have the power to act.\"", "summary": "MSPs have voted in principle to make it an offence to park on pavements."}
{"article": "The celebrated US fashion designer was found dead in her New York flat on Monday in an apparent suicide. Sir Mick earlier said he failed \"to understand how my lover and best friend could end her life in this tragic way\". In a statement on their website, the band thanked fans for their support. They said: \"The Rolling Stones are deeply sorry and disappointed to announce the postponement of the rest of their 14 On Fire tour of Australia and New Zealand following the death of L'Wren Scott. \"Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood wish to thank all of their fans for their support at this difficult time and hope that they will fully understand the reason for this announcement. \"The Rolling Stones are planning to reschedule these postponed shows at a later date.\" The British rock band had been due to begin the tour in Perth on Wednesday, having flown in to the Western Australian city on Sunday. On his website, Sir Mick, who started dating Scott in 2001, said they had spent \"many wonderful years together\". He described his partner as having \"had great presence\" and said \"her talent was much admired, not least by me\". Sir Mick added: \"I have been touched by the tributes that people have paid to her, and also the personal messages of support that I have received. I will never forget her.\" Scott, 49, was found by her assistant at 10:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Monday. Ninety minutes earlier, Scott had sent her assistant a text message asking her to come to her Manhattan apartment, without specifying the reason why, the Associated Press news agency reported. Police said there was no sign of foul play and no note has been found. Supermodel Naomi Campbell, Vogue editor Anna Wintour and singer Madonna were among those who were fans of the designer. The former model founded her own high-end fashion label in 2006 and created a more affordable line of clothes with Banana Republic. She was also a costume consultant on films including Ocean's Thirteen and Eyes Wide Shut. Wintour described Scott as \"a total perfectionist... always unbelievably generous, gracious, kind and so much fun.\" Madonna wrote in a statement: \"This is a horrible and tragic loss. I'm so upset. I loved L'Wren's work and she was always so generous with me.\" Actress Nicole Kidman, said to be a friend of many years, was \"heartbroken and in shock right now and unable to say anything\", according to a spokeswoman. Bianca Jagger, one of Sir Mick's former wives, tweeted: \"Heartbroken to learn of the loss of the lovely and talented L'Wren Scott. My thoughts and prayers are with her family. May she rest in peace.\" The UK's Press Complaints Commission (PCC) told the BBC it had received a small number of complaints from the public over images published which apparently showed an upset Sir Mick at the time he was told Scott had died. It is understood the singer has not yet complained personally, but the PCC said it would deal with the", "summary": "The Rolling Stones have postponed their Australia and New Zealand tour after the death of Sir Mick Jagger's girlfriend L'Wren Scott."}
{"article": "The New York real estate mogul has posted a consistently commanding lead in presidential preference polls in the state, which holds its primary election just two weeks after Iowa and New Hampshire. He's made more than a dozen trips there, drawing crowds in the thousands, while the gatherings of his competitors pull in hundreds at best. In fact, across the South - in states like Mississippi, Florida, Texas, Georgia and North Carolina - Mr Trump has been immensely popular. Last August, the candidate gave a speech at a football stadium in Mobile, Alabama, that drew an estimated crowd of 30,000 - orders of magnitude above what any other Republican has tallied. It all makes for a rather unusual attraction, given that Southerners can look askance at brash Northerners like Trump, whom they often derisively refer to as Yankees. Four years ago, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich - from neighbouring Georgia - shocked eventual nominee Mitt Romney with a double-digit win in South Carolina. In 2008, Mike Huckabee - a former governor of Arkansas - dominated the Deep South, taking five states. Rudy Giuliani, the last New Yorker to mount a serious campaign for the Republican nomination, was trounced in South Carolina and Florida, and killed his campaign before the other Southern states voted. But as Donald Trump stood in a packed basketball arena on Friday in Rock Hill, South Carolina - the state where the first shots of the US Civil War were fired - it appeared clear that the New York businessman's appeal transcends accents and upbringing. \"He'll take the South,\" said Thomas Goodson of Harksville, South Carolina. \"No doubt about it.\" He added that he found the candidate's New York bluntness refreshing. \"He tells you like it is, and it hits you right, square between the eyes.\" Goodson was one of a crowd of more than 6,000 cheering for Mr Trump that night, and the candidate basked in the adoration. \"South Carolina is a special place,\" Mr Trump said to cheers. \"They're all saying how well I do in South Carolina, like, beyond any place. I want to just thank you.\" He pointed to one man standing near the front of the stage. \"This guy, he's been to 10 of my rallies,\" he said. \"He's like a brother to me, this one.\" Mr Trump spoke for nearly an hour - despite repeated interruptions from protesters - with his usual string of derisive comments about his political opponents and calls for a strong US foreign policy, a border wall with Mexico and a temporary prohibition of Muslims entering the country. \"They say my tone isn't nice,\" he said. \"They're killing us all over the world. Who the hell cares? We've got to have a tough tone.\" Patty Teter of York, South Carolina, said that she didn't find Mr Trump's tough tone, delivered in his sharp New York accent, at all disagreeable. \"Contrary to popular belief, Southerners are a lot tougher than we look,\" she said, adding that Mr Trump's carnival-style rally - complete with popcorn concessions and souvenir vendors - was", "summary": "When Donald Trump takes the stage at the Republican debate in Charleston, South Carolina, on Thursday night, he'll have an unlikely home field advantage."}
{"article": "The victim, who is in his 40s, sustained head injuries in the attack outside a licensed premises in Flax Street at about 05:25 BST. He was taken to hospital and a police spokesman said he is \"said to be in a critical but stable condition\". Det Insp Heather Whoriskey appealed to anyone who was in the area at the time to come forward with information.", "summary": "A man is critically ill after he was attacked by a number of people in an overnight assault in north Belfast."}
{"article": "The show's creator, Ryan Murphy, tweeted the announcement saying: \"Kathy Bates is running the Hotel. \u00e2\u20ac\u00aa#AHSSeason5.\" It's unclear exactly what her job will be, but it sounds like she'll be in charge of the hotel. The 66-year-old actress played lead roles in previous seasons American Horror Story: Coven and American Horror Show: Freak Show. Chloe Sevigny, Lady Gaga, Wes Bentley, Matt Bomer and Cheyenne Jackson all have parts in the fifth series. Kathy Bates played a bearded lady, Ethel Darling in Freak Show and won an Emmy for her role in Coven playing Madame Delphine Lalaurie. The actress is arguably best known for her role as a psychopathic nurse in Misery in 1990 for which she won the best actress Academy Award and a Golden Globe. She later received two more Oscar nominations for 1998's Primary Colors and 2002's About Schmidt. Filming for AHS: Hotel is expected to begin in the next few months with the premiere in October. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Kathy Bates is to star in the new series of American Horror Story: Hotel."}
{"article": "Timothy Smith, 57, was pushed during the robbery in The Drive, Hullbridge, at about 23:00 GMT on 19 March. He fell heavily on to a low level wall and suffered a serious brain injury. He died two days later. A 50-year-old man from Southend has been detained on suspicion of murder, robbery and possessing a firearm. Detectives are appealing for anyone who saw a Ford transit van in or near Ferry Road, or two men at or near a bus stop on Ferry Road in Hullbridge on 19 March between 19:00 and 23:00 GMT, to contact them.", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of committing a murder during an armed robbery in Essex."}
{"article": "Footage from the area shows a huge column of lava and ash being sent several kilometres into the air. The authorities have declared a red alert and evacuated more than 4,000 people within a 20km (12 mile) radius. The Calbuco volcano is one of the most active in Chile, but its eruption took officials in the area by surprise. Alejandro Verges, an emergency director for the region, said Calbuco had not been under any special form of observation. Calbuco eruption: your pictures The inhabitants of the nearby town of Ensenada - along with residents from two other smaller communities - have been ordered to evacuate their homes. Schools in the area have been shut and some flights cancelled. The nearby city of Puerto Montt - a gateway to the popular Patagonia region - has already been blanketed in a cloud of ash. TV footage showed traffic jams in the city and long queues at petrol stations. The nearby town of Puerto Varas was also under a state of alert. Mayor Gervoy Paredes said residents were \"very, very frightened\". \"I had never seen this before. It scares you in the beginning. You start to wonder what is going to happen to you,\" said one unnamed woman. \"Everyone starts to think about gathering water and I don't know what. We got together with the neighbours to see what we would do and wait for news over the radio because we knew that they were evacuating Ensenada and other places near the volcano.\" Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo called on people affected to \"remain calm and stay informed\". Neighbouring Argentina has also put emergency measures in place for the city of Bariloche - about 100km from Calbuco - where ash clouds are expected. Residents there have been warned to stay indoors. Chile has the second largest chain of volcanoes in the world after Indonesia, with about 500 that are potentially active. It is southern Chile's second volcanic eruption in as many months. In March, the Villarrica volcano erupted in the early hours of the morning, spewing ash and lava. The authorities say this latest eruption is more serious.", "summary": "The Calbuco volcano in southern Chile has erupted twice in the space of a few hours - having lain dormant for decades."}
{"article": "Voting was extended three times as crowds reportedly flocked to polling stations. Turnout was said to be high. Iranians have been electing a new parliament and Assembly of Experts, a clerical body that appoints the Supreme Leader. Reformists are hoping to gain influence in the conservative-dominated bodies. But of 12,000 people who registered as candidates, only half were allowed to stand, including just 200 moderates. The outcome could affect reformist President Hassan Rouhani's chances of re-election in 2017. What is the Assembly of Experts? Iran elections: Five things to know Elections highlight divisions Punchy politics on social media Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for a big turnout to \"disappoint\" the country's enemies. \"Whoever likes Iran and its dignity, greatness and glory should vote,\" he said after casting his ballot. State TV said polling stations had closed at 23:45 (20:15 GMT), more than five hours after the scheduled closing time of 18:00. The parliamentary elections are to choose 290 MPs for four-year terms. Voters will also select 88 clerics to the Assembly of Experts, who serve eight-year terms. Members of the new Assembly might end up choosing the successor to Ayatollah Khamenei, who is 76 and has suffered ill-health. Some 55 million people were eligible to vote. BBC Persian's Ali Hamedani says the economy has been a key issue in this election. With sanctions lifted and Western investors beginning to return to Iran, there are high hopes for an improvement in daily life, he says. Reformists and moderates say they are targeting greater foreign investment which, our correspondent says, will drive jobs for young people. More than half of Iranians are under 35 but the youth unemployment rate is 25%, more than two and a half times the national average. However, conservatives say strong economic growth is more likely to come from domestic production in what they describe as a \"resistance economy\" that draws on the ideals of the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Results for the Assembly of Experts are expected over the weekend. The results of the parliamentary election could take longer and it is likely to go to a second round in April. Candidates need 25% of the vote to win outright and there are an average of 17 candidates per seat.", "summary": "Polls have closed in Iran's first election since a deal with world powers over the country's nuclear programme and the lifting of sanctions."}
{"article": "Later this month, the city will launch a new public bicycle hire scheme, following the lead of London, Dublin, Paris, Madrid, and Milan, where similar initiatives have proven popular. But already one of the bicycle docking stations has been vandalised just two days after its installation, and some critics are arguing that cycling infrastructure in Belfast is not sufficient to allow users to bike safely. So is the city really ready for the Belfast Bikes scheme, and will it catch on? Belfast City Council, which is behind the scheme, says almost 600 people have already registered their interest ahead of the launch on 26 April. Three hundred bicycles will be available to hire between 06:00 and midnight each day from 30 locations dotted around the city. The council is expecting the bikes to be used by the city's residents, commuters, students and tourists. Anne Madden, of sustainable transport charity Sustrans, says the scheme is proof that Belfast is catching up with cycling-friendly cities across the world. \"The bike has come of age in Belfast and about time, too, \" she says. \"More people are turning to the bike as a way of getting around and for health and fitness. \"Cycling Ulster, the governing body for cycling in here, have told us they've seen a seven-fold increase in their membership in the last five years.\" Belfast businessman Conor Devine says he has been waiting for two years for the scheme launch in the city, having seen the success of the Dublin model. \"The scheme works really well in Dublin - people have embraced it, it's very normal and there are bikes everywhere,\" he says. \"So it's about time. It's a great thing and it just shows you where the city has come from in the last 20-odd years. \"I imagine there will be good take-up. I think in 12 to 18 months' time it'll be something we will be very used to.\" Commentator Jude Collins, a cyclist in the past, says he \"loves the idea\", but has grave concerns about the dangers of biking in Belfast. \"It sounds wonderful and it's flourishing in Dublin, Paris and other cities throughout the world,\" he says. \"But it's the safety of it. I'd be afraid to cycle in Belfast. Will there be the secure bike routes for people to use the scheme?\" While Anne Madden agrees to some extent, she explains that Sustrans has recently provided cycle training to over 200 people in preparation for the scheme's introduction. \"Cycling in Belfast has, until recently, not been properly catered for. Feeling safer comes with better infrastructure - it is slightly chicken-and-egg.\" Anne Doherty, from Belfast City Council, says Belfast Bikes has created employment, and while it will not be profitable initially, the council hopes that will change by the end of its six-year plan. A sponsorship deal will provide \u00c2\u00a3300,000 over three years, while the council will cover the operating costs of \u00c2\u00a3400,000 per year. Funding from the Department of Regional Development has allowed for the initial 30 stations. If the scheme proves a success, it could", "summary": "The cycling revolution has begun and now Belfast is hoping to join in."}
{"article": "The data was posted on a procurement website, revealing details such as health conditions and social care needs. Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) said it had \"done everything we can\" to remove the online material. The victims of the breach had been informed and an investigation is under way, the authority added. The council uses online procurement portals to post notices when urgent residential or non-residential care was needed for people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities or mental health needs. But staff had attached personal \"pen pictures\" of adults requiring such urgent help to notices available to the public on the supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk portal, dating from the start of 2017. The council's chief executive Pete Bungard \"sincerely apologised\" for the error, and said staff had already been retrained while an internal investigation was carried out. A spokeswoman for the authority said GCC had \"worked with the procurement websites and search engines\" and added she was \"confident the council has done everything it can to remove the information\". Earlier this year, GCC launched an investigation after it unwittingly revealed details online of a \u00c2\u00a3500m contract for a controversial incinerator project.", "summary": "A council has apologised to 14 vulnerable adults whose personal details were published online."}
{"article": "The Alaskan fishing village taking on 'Godzilla'. By Matt McGrath Alaska is a vast wilderness of natural beauty. But it also holds more coal than all the other US states put together. As world leaders prepare to gather for a major climate change summit, plans to build an open coal mine that would cover 78 sq km (30 sq miles) surrounding a valued Alaskan river could be coming to a head. Read the feature Chernobyl: Containing the worst nuclear accident. By David Shukman BBC science editor David Shukman inspected the colossal dome being constructed to house the crippled Chernobyl nuclear power station. Radiation immediately above the reactor is still too intense for the new enclosure to be built where it is needed. So engineers had to come up with an innovative solution. Read the feature Big year ahead for James Webb telescope. By Jonathan Amos It's been a long time in the making, but the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope is about to be assembled. The spectacular new observatory, designed to find the \"first light\" to shine in the universe, is taking shape ahead of a planned launch in 2018. Read the feature Is the world ready for GM animals? By Paul Rincon The use of genetically engineered animals could revolutionise whole areas of public health and agriculture, according to advocates. But is the world ready for modified mosquitoes and GM salmon? Read the feature Large Hadron Collider: A quest to break physics. By Jonathan Webb As the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) gears up for its revamped second run, hurling particles together with more energy than ever before, physicists there are impatient. They want this next round of collisions to shake their discipline to its core. Read the feature The hunt for Albert Einstein's missing waves. By Rebecca Morelle The Advanced Virgo experiment will search for Albert Einstein's \"missing waves\". If it's a success, one of Einstein's greatest predictions will have been directly observed for the first time. But if it fails, the laws of physics might have to be reconsidered. Read the feature", "summary": "A festive collection of the best science and environment reads this year."}
{"article": "The former Sunderland player, who denies two counts of sexual activity with a child, has begun giving evidence in his trial at Bradford Crown Court. Mr Johnson admits \"passionately\" kissing the teenager at the centre of the case and an offence of grooming. Replying to questions from his defence barrister, Mr Johnson, 28, also admitted he had texted \"other women\". Orlando Pownall QC defending, asked Mr Johnson: \"You pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child and meeting a child following sexual grooming. Did you accept kissing (the girl)?\" The footballer said: \"Yes.\" Mr Pownall continued: \"Did you digitally interfere with her or indulge in oral sex with her?\" The winger, capped 12 times by England, answered: \"No, I never.\" Mr Johnson told the jury he knew kissing the girl was an offence but said he did not realise that communicating with her with the intention of kissing her prior to meeting was also an offence. The court heard Mr Johnson accepted the girl as a friend on Facebook and exchanged telephone numbers because she had been asking for signed shirts. Mr Pownall asked: \"Were you contemplating any kind of sexual encounter with her?\" Mr Johnson replied: \"No.\" When asked why he told her not to tell anyone she was messaging him, he said: \"Loads of reasons - I had a girlfriend, I knew what could be made of speaking to a girl that age, I didn't want her to tell her friends and them to come and ask me for shirts as well.\" Earlier, the court heard that Mr Johnson made a prepared statement to police in which he accepted the \"stupidity\" of his actions and apologised to the girl. Daniel Thomas, junior prosecutor in the case, said Mr Johnson admitted kissing the girl \"fully on the lips\" during the meeting in his Range Rover on 30 January last year but denied more serious allegations. He said his initial meetings with the girl were \"platonic in nature\" and she would regularly approach him and request signed shirts. He said Mr Johnson described his actions as \"wholly unacceptable\" and said he withdrew from any further contact with the girl because of her age and his own personal situation. In the statement, Mr Johnson said: \"She's a child and ought to have been safe in my company.\" Mr Johnson told jurors that it was the girl who suggested they meet in a car park to exchange a football shirt and he said he wanted to do it while it was dark so neither he nor his black Range Rover would be identified. He admitted some of the messages they exchanged were \"flirty\" and he was ashamed of himself, blaming boredom for some sent while he was away in a hotel. He also admitted he was attracted to the girl and asked her to delete their messages \"just to be safe\". Mr Johnson also accepted searching for the age of consent online but said it was unrelated to the girl and he was simply following up on changing room conversations held with foreign players", "summary": "England footballer Adam Johnson has told a jury he \"wasn't a good person to his girlfriend or his daughter\"."}
{"article": "The notorious 18th Century Welsh privateer, Black Bart, signed a pirate code promising that crippled members of his crew could leave the ship with a share of the treasure as a pension. What they did with the booty was up to them. No-one expected them to use it all up buying an annuity. No-one stopped them from giving cash to whoever they chose to give it to. Similarly, 100 days ago, the chancellor gave current savers the right to do what they wanted with their pension pots once they made landfall on the wrong side of 55 years of age. The move has prompted a wave of interest, with hundreds of thousands a week phoning up to find out more. Many have discovered that exercising their freedoms is a frustrating process, fraught with delays. But according to the Treasury more than 85,000 people have dipped into their pension plans so far, cashing in \u00a31.3bn. Are they like the wary ex-pirates who had to hide their treasure chests and keep a low profile, knowing that any carousing would attract the attention of the King's officers? They are not. These are the ones who have celebrated with a dream holiday or bought a new car or ordered a kitchen extension, although some - more sensibly - have paid off mortgages and other debts. The average withdrawal is just over \u00a315,000, probably not much different in value to the 800 pieces of eight promised by Black Bart. Now the insurers who manage pensions have revealed more about the choices being made. What appears to be happening is that those with small pension pots, of only a few thousand pounds, are rushing to cash them in. Those with larger pots are more likely to buy an income for their retirement. But there has been a 75% drop in purchases of old-style annuities. Instead, in the first two months of the freedoms \u00a3720m was spent on income drawdown policies, which give you a regular income plus the ability to dip into the underlying cash when you need it. Some will take that as an encouraging sign that the over-55s are taking more care with substantial pension plans which really could provide an income for life. Source: HM Treasury/ABI Even so these are shark-infested waters. People have to watch out for high charges and scam merchants. They have to think about tax as well, because the chancellor is entitled to his share of the treasure. Pension income has always been taxable, but the revenue can be brought forward by decades if people dip into their funds. The first 25% withdrawn is tax-free, but after that you pay normal income tax. Some who cash in large sums could find they are pushed into the 40% tax bracket. Pension experts are forecasting that excitement about the reforms will result in a tax windfall for the Treasury this year of hundreds of millions of pounds. Not to imply, of course, that there is any likeness between George Osborne and Black Bart the pirate, who met his end in 1722 in a", "summary": "In a way the pension freedoms you hear so much about have taken us back to the old pirate days when some of the first pensions were paid."}
{"article": "Ganesan Nimalaruban died and several other inmates, all Tamil Tiger suspects, were reportedly injured after a failed prison mutiny in the north. The authorities deny mistreating him, saying he died of a heart attack. They say that the prisoners were working with Tamil separatists abroad. Human rights lawyers working with the parents of Mr Nimalaruban have lodged a petition over the death at the Supreme Court. They want to overturn a court ruling that he must be cremated near the capital, Colombo. His grieving mother and father say they would prefer to give him the last rites in their home district, Vavuniya in northern Sri Lanka. They reject assertions by the authorities that such a funeral would be a security risk. It was in the Vavuniya prison that 32 inmates who are Tamil Tiger suspects took three prison guards hostage in late June, holding them for 19 hours in a protest against prisoner transfers. The siege was successfully broken and all the prisoners relocated. But rights campaigners and Tamil MPs say the prison authorities and police worked with other inmates to exact a terrible revenge, attacking them with stones and weapons, physically throwing them or breaking their legs. Nimalaruban's parents said his body was covered in blood. The authorities deny all the accusations. At least one other prisoner is reported to be in a coma and in hospital.", "summary": "The parents of a prisoner who died in obscure circumstances in Sri Lanka are locked in a battle with officials who say his body cannot be taken to his home town for the last rites."}
{"article": "The government says GPs must try harder to stay open from 08:00 to 20:00, seven days a week, so fewer patients are forced to seek care at hospitals. It warned GPs risk losing extra funding if they fail to meet their commitments to longer surgery opening times. But the BMA and Labour said underfunding of the NHS was to blame. Dr Chaand Nagpaul of the BMA told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"We have got a very serious problem that we don't have the capacity in general practice. \"The crisis in the NHS won't be solved by scapegoating or deflecting blame on to GPs.\" One in three GP practices were reporting unfilled vacancies, while eight in 10 said they were unable to provide safe care, he added. Why bother with seven-day GP opening? Patient films A&E corridor bed 'chaos' Leak shows full extent of NHS crisis Pressure on A&E was down to seriously-ill patients, he said, not access to GPs, and the government needed an emergency plan to tackle NHS under-resourcing. Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, said the \"whole of general practice and primary care\" was \"close to the precipice\" after being \"under-funded and under-resourced for a decade\". 32,628 GPs in England 5,000 more planned for 2020 1 in 3 considering retirement in next five years 13% of GP training places went unfilled last year Surgeries are currently expected to open between the core hours of 08:00 and 18:30, Monday to Friday. Extra funding is available to those offering appointments outside those hours. Downing Street said surgeries should do more to ensure they offered appointments in the evening and at weekends. \"Most GPs do a fantastic job, and have their patients' interests firmly at heart,\" it said. \"However, it is increasingly clear that a large number of surgeries are not providing the access that patients need - and that patients are suffering as a result because they are then forced to go to A&E to seek care. \"It's also bad for hospitals, who then face additional pressure on their services.\" The government highlighted October 2015 figures from the National Audit Office (NAO), which showed that 46% of GP surgeries closed at some point during core hours, and 18% closed at or before 15:00 on at least one weekday. Three-quarters of those that closed early were receiving extra funding in 2015-16 to provide access outside of core hours, the NAO said. More than four in 10 hospitals in England declared a major alert in the first week of the new year. The director of acute care for NHS England, Professor Keith Willett, has estimated that 30% of patients attending A&E would be better cared for elsewhere in the system, the government said. Downing Street said the prime minister wanted to help reduce pressures on hospitals in a number of ways: Dr Matt Owen, from Manchester, qualified as a GP three years ago. \"I would say demand for a seven-day week is actually not high. \"I do work extended hours on the weekend. On Sundays, it is not uncommon", "summary": "The doctors' union, the BMA, has accused the government of making GPs in England scapegoats for the pressure on A&E departments."}
{"article": "Victor Mlotshwa, 27, told the court how he was forced into a coffin, allegedly by farmers Theo Martins Jackson and Willem Oosthuizen. The pair deny several charges including kidnapping, attempted murder and possession of an illegal firearm. The case has caused outrage in South Africa and highlighted racial tensions in the town's farming communities. A video of the incident was shown in court, in which Mr Mlotshwa was heard crying and pleading. He told the Middleburg High Court that his mother had sent him to Middleburg, a small farming town, to buy stock for her shop, when he came across one of the suspects while using a foot path as a short-cut through the farm. Mr Mlotshwa only reported the matter after footage of the alleged assault in August 2016 emerged on YouTube months later. \"I thought these men were going to kill me. They were kicking me with their boots and pressing me down,\" he told a packed courtroom. Local papers report that gasps could be heard in the courtroom when a two-minute video of the assault was played, while some people walked out. Mr Mlotshwa was heard pleading for his life, explaining that he had not stolen and copper cables as they accused him of doing. He gave a detailed account of how the men bound him with cable ties, beat him and threatened to shoot him if he did not get into the wooden coffin as he was told. In a court affidavit, the pair, who are out on bail, said they didn't mean to harm him but merely wanted to \"teach him a lesson\". The trial continues on Friday.", "summary": "The victim in South Africa's coffin assault case has broken down during the trial of his alleged attackers."}
{"article": "Internal emails obtained by ABC under the Freedom of Information act show officers were to do \"status checks\" of suspected illegal immigrants. Operation Fortitude was cancelled in August after a public outcry and accusations of racial profiling. The ABF at the time blamed a \"clumsily worded\" media release for the furore. Senior officials have since apologised for the \"public confusion, concern and distress\" caused by the operation, which had been planned as part of a general crime crackdown involving several security agencies. The emails obtained by ABC's 7:30 programme show that six ABF officers were to carry out checks at the taxi ranks on Flinders Street and Southern Cross Station. The documents state that special \"talking points\" were also provided to the officers by the immigration authorities. These instructed that when asked about who the operation was targeting, the officers should reply: \"We will be speaking with any individual we cross paths with.\" The initial public statement from the ABF in August said a \"diverse team of transport and enforcement agencies\" would be operating in Melbourne. \"You need to be aware of the conditions of your visa; if you commit visa fraud you should know it's only a matter of time before you're caught out.\" The ABF later issued a \"clarifying statement\", saying: \"[We] will not be 'stopping people at random' in Melbourne to 'check people's papers' as reported in media.\" \"The ABF does not and will not stop people at random in the streets and does not target on the basis of race, religion, or ethnicity.\" But Operation Fortitude was aborted only hours after it was announced, as hundreds of people responded to a social media outcry by holding a protest rally near Flinders Street station. Earlier this week, Immigration Secretary Mike Pezzullo told a Senate committee: \"It is clear that the media release issued that morning was very badly worded and gave rise to the impression that the ABF has general powers of questioning people in the street.\" \"It does not, and I apologise for the impression that was wrongly created. We certainly don't rely on racial profiling at all.\"", "summary": "The Australian Border Force (ABF) had planned random checks at Melbourne taxi ranks as part of an aborted visa fraud operation, local media report."}
{"article": "Scarlet flew back into the lives of the Underhill family when she found nine-year-old Shannon during lunch break. The talkative African Grey swooped into the playground of Llangewydd Junior School, Bridgend, a quarter of a mile from the family's Laleston home. \"I was nearly crying I was so happy,\" said Shannon, whose mother called the parrot's return a miracle. She and her family had feared they would never see Scarlet again. The bird escaped from her cage at the family home on Saturday. When a teacher approached Shannon in the playground following Scarlet's arrival, the bird squawked: \"Do you want a kiss?\" The school then called Shannon's father, Mark, and four-year-old Scarlet greeted him with the words \"Hello daddy\". Shannon's mother Emma said: \"After Scarlet was gone for more than 24 hours we never ever expected to get her back. \"But then I got a call from the school. \"I could not believe it and I said 'you must be joking' but the secretary told me 'no, she's sitting here right here on Shannon's shoulder.\" School administration officer Charlotte Jury said: \"I like to think she wanted to go home, and she found Shannon - the person who could take her there.\"", "summary": "A missing parrot turned up two days after it disappeared by landing on the shoulder of its young owner at school."}
{"article": "The fire started in a bin in a nearby underpass, according to a spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS). They said the fire broke through into a tunnel and set fire to the dental building, run by Queen's University. The building sustained smoke damage and some damage to its pipework, but there are no reports of injuries. The blaze was reported about 20:20 BST on Thursday. The NIFRS sent at least four fire engines to the scene, along with a team who specialise in dealing with hazardous materials. The fire has been extinguished but a cordon was put in place for public safety.", "summary": "A fire has damaged a dental building close to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast."}
{"article": "Wales host the showpiece event on Saturday, 3 June, at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Speaking to BBC Wales, chief executive Jonathan Ford said he \"would love the FAW to be considered in the future to host these major events\". He also said Wales' run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 has boosted their standing in the game. Hundreds of millions of people around the world are expected to tune in to watch the Champions League final live. Ford said the FAW had built up its credentials in hosting major tournaments and matches, and he wanted more. \"We do not want it to just stop there in June,\" he explained. \"We would like to continue to do it.\" Wales has already hosted the Uefa under-19s Women's championship in 2013 and the Super Cup final in 2014, but the Champions League final is a giant step up, with estimates it will generate \u00a345m for the local economy. \"We are at the business end now,\" Mr Ford said. \"We have got a team of 12 people at the FAW working full time on it, and in Wales alone there are probably several hundred people working on it. \"That will go up when Uefa are over here and if you add in the volunteers and the people working in the stadium then you are probably talking about four to five thousand people who will work this event. \"There is a lot of work being done to make sure this is successful and to make sure we utilise it to achieve the objectives we have with football.\" Hundreds of thousands of spectators - with and without tickets - are expected to travel to south Wales in the days leading up to the final, with the FAW, police, governments and local authorities involved in a huge logistics exercise. Details of road closures and restrictions in the Welsh capital are yet to be officially published, but significant disruption is expected. Major sporting events in the Welsh capital have been dogged by transport problems in the past, down in part to capacity issues at Cardiff Central railway station and pinch-points on the M4 at the Second Severn Crossing and Brynglas Tunnels in Newport. BBC Wales has been told that 10% of the UK's entire rolling stock of coaches will be used to bring fans in and out of Cardiff on the day of the final and 21 intercity trains will be in place after the match to take supporters from Cardiff back to London. Wales take on Ireland in a World Cup qualifier on Friday, still unbeaten in their group, but needing a win to improve their chances of qualifying for the finals in Russia next year.", "summary": "The Football Association of Wales is considering a future bid to host another Champions League final."}
{"article": "Journalist Ben Jacobs tweeted that Mr Gianforte had \"body slammed\" him, breaking his glasses. The front runner's campaign said that Mr Jacobs had initiated the incident by grabbing Mr Gianforte's wrist. But other journalists said they saw the reporter show no physical aggression. The incident took place on Wednesday, the eve of a special election to fill a vacant seat in the House of Representatives. The Guardian released an audio recording of the clash, in which crashing sounds can be heard when Mr Jacobs presses the candidate for a response to a question. Mr Gianforte then shouts \"I'm sick and tired of you guys\" and tells the reporter to \"get the hell out of here\". Alicia Acuna of Fox News was in the room with two colleagues preparing for a television interview with Mr Gianforte at the time. She said Mr Jacobs entered the room, put a voice recorder up to Mr Gianforte's face and asked about the Congressional Budget Office report on the American Health Care Act. When Mr Jacobs persisted, \"Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him\", she wrote. \"Faith, Keith and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the reporter. As Gianforte moved on top of Jacobs, he began yelling something to the effect of, \"I'm sick and tired of this!\", she added. \"At no point did any of us who witnessed this assault see Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte,\" she said. Mr Jacobs later told MSNBC he then went to a hospital to have his elbow X-rayed, because he landed on it during the incident. He said he believed the campaign staff were unhappy about previous dealings with Guardian colleagues. Three of the state's largest newspapers, the Billings Gazette, the Helena Independent Record, and the Missoulian, have since their endorsements of Mr Gianforte. \"We are also sick and tired - of Gianforte's incessant attacks on the free press,\" said the Independent Record. The Missoulian noted that as the eyewitness report came from right-wing Fox News, the incident could not be construed as liberal \"fake news\". Mr Gianforte's campaign spokesman said Mr Jacobs entered the office without permission and \"aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg's face and began asking badgering questions\". The candidate, \"attempted to grab the phone\", then \"Jacobs grabbed Greg's wrist and spun away from Greg, pushing them both to the ground\", Shane Scanlon wrote in a statement. \"It's unfortunate that this aggressive behaviour from a liberal journalist created this scene at our campaign volunteer BBQ,\" he added. Gallatin County Sheriff's Office said that after an investigation a citation was issued to Greg Gianforte on Wednesday night for misdemeanour assault. This is a lesser offence than felony assault, for which \"the nature of the injuries did not meet the statutory elements\", Sheriff Brian Gootkin said. The maximum penalty for the offence is a $500 (\u00c2\u00a3385) fine and a six-month jail term. Records show that Sheriff Gootkin has donated $250 to Mr Gianforte's congressional campaign. The vacancy in Montana arose after President", "summary": "The Republican candidate in a special congressional election in Montana, Greg Gianforte, has been charged with a misdemeanour for assaulting a Guardian reporter."}
{"article": "And the National Trust, which holds one of the world's biggest collections, has started cataloguing every scrap in its collection. Members have been meeting at the trust's Erddig Hall, Wrexham, where there is already an extensive collection with the oldest dated to the early 1700s. \"We care for paper in all sorts of contexts,\" said Joanne Hodgson, assistant house steward at Erddig. \"It's on walls, ceilings, inside boxes and cupboards, fragments that have been found behind water pipes and skirting boards, and even a miniature collection in our dolls' house. \"We also have one of the oldest exactly dated wallpapers at Erddig date stamped 1714.\" The wallpaper working group is trying to decide how best to catalogue its wallpaper given most of its examples remain in situ. Erddig's grand rooms are lined with early examples of wallpaper from China, inventors of the fashion for wall lining 2,000 years ago and which was later taken on by the French. But it is below the stairs, in the servants' quarters, where there are equally impressive examples, even though these were considered \"cheap\" examples from the 19th and 20th Century.", "summary": "Whether it is wood chip or William Morris, there are many forms of wallpaper."}
{"article": "Aged between five and 13, they appeared to have drunk a bottle of pesticide, officials say. Police have not ruled out suicide. The parents of the three girls and a boy had reportedly left the village, near Bijie city, in search of work. The area is one of the poorest in the country and has seen previous deaths of abandoned children. Chinese state media report that the mother of the four siblings left three years ago, followed by their father in March. The children had reportedly dropped out of school a month ago, according to the Xinhua news agency. It added that their only food was corn and preserved meat. The mass urban migration of Chinese parents looking for work has led to millions of children being left behind in villages; many of them are cared for by grandparents. Correspondents say that such children can be highly vulnerable. Three years ago there was a national outcry after five abandoned children died in Bijie. The children had suffocated inside a rubbish bin where they were sheltering, after apparently lighting a fire to keep warm. Chinese officials have said that at least 80 million people live below the poverty line, surviving on less than $1 (\u00c2\u00a30.65) a day.", "summary": "Police are investigating the apparent pesticide poisoning of four abandoned siblings in rural south-west China."}
{"article": "The accusations come via a formal complaint in the US by consumer groups. They, along with several EU bodies, are calling for investigations into the manufacturers. Genesis Toys, which makes the products, has not responded to a request for comment. Nuance Communications, the firm that provides speech recognition software for the products, said it takes data privacy seriously. The firm is a subject of the US complaint, filed with the Federal Trade Commission, but said it had \"adhered to our policy with respect to the voice data collected through the toys referred to in the complaint\". \"Nuance does not share voice data collected from or on behalf of any of our customers with any of our other customers,\" spokesman Richard Mack said. In addition to the data protection concerns, a hack allowing strangers to speak directly to children via the My Friend Cayla doll is still possible. The Norwegian Consumer Council also assessed the toys and their terms and conditions. They found the products lacking and potentially in breach of advertising regulations. \"It's quite disturbing because the company reserves the right to direct marketing towards kids,\" said Finn Myrstad, technical director of digital services at the council. In January 2015, the BBC and security researcher Ken Munro, at Pen Test Partners, revealed the vulnerability in Cayla's software that allowed the doll to be hacked. And Mr Myrstad said it appeared the problem had not yet been fixed, nearly two years later. According to the US complaint, the doll prompts children to provide personal data verbally - including their parents' names, the name of their school and the place where they live. It also says the toys allow unauthorised Bluetooth connections from any phone or tablet within 50ft (15m). The Norwegian Consumer Council has now filed its own complaints to three authorities in Norway, including the consumer protection ombudsman. Further complaints from other bodies are to be filed in France, Sweden, Greece, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands. Mr Myrstad added that he was concerned the manufacturers also reserved the right to change the terms and conditions at any time. \"We think this is particularly worrying because we're dealing with recordings of voice - kids' data,\" he told the BBC. \"How the data's collected how it's stored and shared - all of that appears to be almost entirely unregulated,\" said Rik Ferguson, a researcher at security firm Trend Micro. \"And the parents are certainly not made aware in any comprehensible fashion of the extent of data that's collected or how it may be used in the future.\"", "summary": "The makers of the i-Que and Cayla smart toys have been accused of subjecting children to \"ongoing surveillance\" and posing an \"imminent and immediate threat\" to their safety and security."}
{"article": "Massey, 22, has signed until 2017, while 22-year-old Eastman has agreed a deal until 2016 and Kent, 18, will stay with the League One side until 2018. All three have featured prominently this term, with teenager Kent making his first senior start in August. \"It's been a long journey to get to where I am and I can't thank everyone enough,\" he told BBC Essex. \"I'm feeling comfortable in the team and I'm getting used to my surroundings. \"Once I started playing a few games I think the club wanted to reward me. I couldn't turn it down - I love playing here.\" Young U's midfielder Sammie Smzodics also signed a contract until 2018 last week.", "summary": "Colchester United have handed new deals to striker Gavin Massey and defenders Tom Eastman and Frankie Kent."}
{"article": "She was cut free from the wreckage by firefighters and was airlifted to hospital. The accident happened at about 10:10. The emergency services have also been dealing with a collision involving a lorry and a car on the A96 near Inverness. There were no details at this stage on any casualties. The lorry ended up in a field during the accident near the Barn Church Road junction. The incidents follow two separate accidents in the Highlands on Thursday. A male biker was airlifted to hospital after he was involved in a collision with another vehicle on the A835 north of Ullapool in Wester Ross. A man was injured in Lochaber after his lorry overturned on A82 near the Corran Ferry terminal.", "summary": "A woman has died after a one-vehicle crash on the A87 near Broadford on Skye."}
{"article": "Gordon Irvine, of Broxburn, lifted cash from the back of the ATM at the Lochee branch of Santander before depositing it into his own account. The 33-year-old spent the money on a car and foreign holidays, and gave \u00a3250 to a customer before sleeping with her. He was found guilty after a trial at Dundee Sheriff Court and will be sentenced next month. Irvine's lawyer described the crime as \"the craziest embezzlement you will ever come across\", while prosecutors said he was \"living a Walter Mitty lifestyle\". The father-of-two paid for trips to New York, Lanzarote and Rio de Janiero in cash - although he could not go on the trip to Brazil because he could not get the time off work. He paid \u00a36,900 for a car, fitted his flat with a pool table and three 50-inch televisions, and investigators found \u00a341,000 in his bank account when he was caught. When one female customer complained about a \u00a325 charge on her account, he credited her \u00a3250 before asking to come round to her home that night and sleeping with her. Irvine's accounts were frozen when he was suspended in June 2013. He resigned the following month. He denied a charge of embezzling \u00a389,340 from the Lochee High Street bank between November 2010 and June 2011, but the jury returned a majority verdict of guilty. Sheriff Alistair Carmichael remanded Irvine in custody until his sentencing hearing next month. He said: \"You have been found guilty by the jury of a serious charge of embezzling from a bank where you were in a position of trust. \"Given the nature of what you have been convicted of, I'm not sure I can trust you to turn up and as a result you will be remanded in custody meantime.\"", "summary": "A Dundee bank manager has been found guilty of embezzling \u00a390,000 from his own branch."}
{"article": "Labour MP Meg Hillier, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee, said the Education Funding Agency, which oversees free schools, had paid above the market value in 60% of cases. And some purchased sites had later been deemed unsuitable to turn into schools. The government said it paid over the odds only if there was no alternative. Ms Hillier said in her constituency of Hackney South and Shoreditch civil servants had purchased the former police station for \u00a37.6m - even though it had been valued at \u00a33m six months previously. The site was bought as a potential permanent home for the Olive School - an Islamic faith school - currently housed in temporary accommodation nearby. But, after the sale had gone through, Hackney Council refused planning permission to convert the property to a school. An appeal against that decision will be considered in a six-day hearing in June. Ms Hillier said: \"There is a real concern about whether the Olive School will ever open. \"Children are being taught at a temporary site - it is not good for pupils, and it is not good for the taxpayer.\" But a Department for Education (DfE) representative said: \"Hackney Police Station represented the best value option to meet the school's needs at the time of purchase. \"The site had been marketed openly, and the competition for it was such that the vendor received offers in excess of the original valuation. \"In this context, we believe we secured this site for the best price possible.\" But Ms Hillier said many MPs and councillors in England could \"name sites in their areas that have been bought for more than their market value\". \"The Education Funding Agency is one of the biggest purchasers of land in the country - and it keeps paying over the odds,\" she said. \"People see the EFA coming. \"The desire to build 500 new free schools by 2020 means there is a rush to secure sites.\" Ms Hillier added: \"It is a real worry and not getting value for money for the taxpayer.\" In response, the DfE said it would be launching a government owned company called LocatEd that would be led by property experts and responsible for securing sites quickly and providing good value for the taxpayer. \"We do not pay in excess of what a site is worth or purchase expensive sites if there are better value for money alternatives in the area,\" a representative said. \"The construction costs of a newly built free school are 29% lower than schools built under the previous school building programme.\" The representative added: \"Free schools are playing a vital role in creating more good school places. \"They are popular with parents, ensuring thousands more families have the choice of a good local school.\"", "summary": "Too much money is being paid for the land and buildings needed for new government-funded free schools, the Commons spending watchdog has said."}
{"article": "He was injured at a friend's barbecue on 8 April and remains in hospital. Jackson, 28, underwent neck surgery for what his region at the time described as a \"non-rugby related injury.\" \"After hitting my head on the bottom I realised I couldn't swim to the surface because I'd lost movement in my legs and power in my arms,\" Jackson said. Jackson, who has also played for Bath, Wasps, London Welsh and Doncaster Knights, said his father - a retired GP - and a friend realised immediately something was wrong. They pulled him to the surface and stabilised him until the ambulance arrived to take him to Southmead Hospital in Bristol. \"After a number of MRI scans and X-Rays the Drs decided to operate at 2am to stabilise my neck as pressure was being put on my spinal cord,\" Jackson added in a Facebook post. \"In surgery they removed my shattered disc, relocated my vertebrae and fixed it in place with a metal plate. \"I woke up in ICU, luckily completely coherent, however no feeling below my neck other than limited movement in my right arm.\" Bath-born Jackson has made 36 appearances for the Dragons since joining from Wasps in 2015 and signed a contract extension with the region in December.", "summary": "Newport Gwent Dragons forward Ed Jackson has revealed he suffered a serious spinal injury after diving into the shallow end of a swimming pool."}
{"article": "Californian scientists found traces of everything from caffeine and spices to skin creams and anti-depressants on 40 phones they tested. We leave traces of molecules, chemicals and bacteria on everything we touch. Even washing hands thoroughly would not prevent the transfer to everyday objects, the researchers said. Using a technique called mass spectrometry, the University of California San Diego research team tested 500 samples taken from 40 adults' mobile phones and hands. They then compared them to molecules identified in a database and produced a \"lifestyle profile\" of each phone owner. Dr Amina Bouslimani, an assistant project scientist on the study, said the results were revealing. \"By analysing the molecules they left behind on their phones, we could tell if a person is likely to be female, uses high-end cosmetics, dyes her hair, drinks coffee, prefers beer over wine, likes spicy food, is being treated for depression, wears sunscreen and bug spray - and therefore likely to spend a lot of time outdoors - all kinds of things,\" she said. Most of the molecules are thought to be transferred from people's skin, hands and sweat to their phone. Mosquito repellents and sunscreens were found to linger for a particularly long time on people's skin and phones, even when they had not been used for months. Previous research by the same team found that people who had not washed for three days still had lots of traces of hygiene and beauty products on their skin. The study said the testing method could: The researchers now want to find out more about the multitude of bacteria that cover our skin - and what they reveal about us. Senior author Prof Pieter Dorrestein said there were at least 1,000 different microbes living on the average person's skin, in hundreds of locations on the body.", "summary": "Molecules found on mobile phones reveal an astonishing amount about the owner's health and lifestyle - including their food preferences and medication."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Tom Habberfield's counter-attack try was the only score of the first half. Warriors lock Brian Alainu'uese was sent off for a charge to the head of Rory Thornton six minutes after the break. Tom O'Flaherty and Dan Baker touched down soon after, with Ashley Beck grabbing the bonus-point try before Junior Bulumakau's consolation. Ospreys move into second place in the Pro12 behind Leinster, while Glasgow drop out of the play-off spots behind Munster and Scarlets. The autumn internationals deprived these sides of a combined 26 players, with other Test regulars still injured. Neither the patchwork nature of both line-ups, nor the polar temperatures and slick ball, did much for the fluency of the contest. There were fleeting glimpses of first-half flair and dynamism, Ospreys fly-half Josh Matavesi puncturing the home midfield, while Alainu'uese was an industrious and effective battering ram before his evening was curtailed. Far more precision, though, is expected from a Warriors line-out spearheaded by an ex-All Black and World Cup-winning hooker in the shape of Corey Flynn - his first four throws failed to hit their target. Meanwhile, at scrum-half, Grayson Hart was too desperate, and too impatient, to be the fulcrum in his first start of the season, flinging several ambitious offloads that were never likely to come off. Habberfield's try, on 37 minutes, was what is known in modern sporting parlance as a \"coach-killer\", a sting in the tail at the end of a turgid first half. Lewis Wynne, the Warriors eight, lost possession in contact and neither Flynn nor Rory Clegg booted the loose ball off the pitch, nor fell to secure it. Instead, the Ospreys scooped it up, Daf Howells punted downfield into yards of unguarded turf, captain Habberfield hacked on and plunged to touch down ahead of the desperately back-tracking Nick Grigg. Prior to that, Ospreys had more than 60% possession and territory - and though Matavesi's conversion struck the post, Steve Tandy's side held a 5-0 half-time lead for their toil. World Rugby has recently ordered its referees to police high tackles, charges and contacts to the head with greater stringency, given the prevalence and peril of head injuries in the game. Six minutes after the break, Alainu'uese stooped to clear Thornton, his opposite number, from a ruck, his shoulder and cocked upper arm connecting with the head of the Osprey, sending him sprawling. George Clancy studied the television replays before dismissing the towering lock and incensing Scotstoun. Some may deem the sanction an affront to good, hard rucking, but under the World Rugby directive, Clancy had cause to show red. The Ospreys duly capitalised, replacement O'Flaherty gathering Matavesi's arrowed crosskick to stretch the lead and number eight Baker powering over before the hour. Beck swerved and slalomed home from five yards to notch the bonus-point try, Matavesi finally slotting a conversion. Patient Glasgow phase play culminated in Bulumakau scampering in from Clegg's looping pass in the final two minutes to at least prevent a whitewash. Glasgow Warriors coach Gregor Townsend: \"I'm obviously disappointed we", "summary": "Ospreys earned their first win in Glasgow since 2009 by easing aside the 14-man Warriors at Scotstoun."}
{"article": "Officers had been searching for the 36-year-old, from Petworth in West Sussex, since 22:00 BST on Thursday. Ms Weeks, who plays Samantha Stewart in ITV drama Foyle's War, had last been seen 14 miles away in Chichester. Sussex police said she had been \"found safe and well, and is with police\". Her actress sister Perdita Weeks had earlier tweeted: \"Safe and sound thank you all xxxx\". Officers had said they were concerned for Honeysuckle Weeks' welfare and it was unlike her not to get in touch. She had recently told family and friends she was feeling anxious. Her agency, the Artists Partnership, said it had been \"unable to get hold of Honeysuckle\". Earlier this year the Cardiff-born star was reportedly ordered to wear an electronic tag after she was caught speeding on the A3 in south-west London in August 2015. A child in the back seat had not been wearing a proper seat belt and it emerged Ms Weeks had already been banned from driving. Ms Weeks recently finished work on shooting Lewis for ITV and a Sky mystery The Five. She has also appeared in The Bill, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Death In Paradise.", "summary": "Missing actress Honeysuckle Weeks has been found safe, police have said."}
{"article": "Rewilding Britain has been established with the goal of restoring several key species which were hunted to extinction. Its supporters argue other European countries are home to large predators. They believe there is no reason why Scotland, and some other parts of Britain, should be any different. The group's proposals have already drawn criticism from farmers' leaders. And the Scottish government says there are no plans to reintroduce large predators such as lynx or wolves. Rewildling Britain says its plans would allow \"native forests to regenerate, while giving the seas a chance to recover from industrial fishing\". But it is the group's goal of reintroducing species including the lynx, and ultimately the wolf, which will attract most scrutiny. Spokeswoman Susan Wright told BBC Scotland: \"A lot of our important animals were hunted to extinction, species like the wolf, the wild boar, the lynx. \"These are important keystone species which actually drive ecological processes and we should be looking a lot more seriously at bringing these animals back.\" NFU Scotland has called on politicians and Scottish Natural Heritage to \"show stronger leadership\" on the issue of rewilding. Vice President Andrew McCornick said: \"Our countryside provides food, forestry, tourism, renewables, field sports and environmental goods. \"Recent history has taught us any species introduction, whether legal or illegal, can have an impact on the many benefits that the Scottish countryside currently delivers.\" Opponents of rewilding cite the return of beavers and sea eagles to Scotland as examples of how reintroductions can cause problems for farmers and crofters. Landowners on Tayside say dams built by beavers have increased erosion and the risk of flooding in neighbouring fields. The animals' supporters argue they improve biodiversity by creating valuable habitats for a range of other species. The beavers found in the Tay catchment were not part of an official reintroduction project. A second Scottish population, at Knapdale in Argyll, was reintroduced as part of a detailed scientific study. Scottish government ministers are currently considering whether the beavers should remain, now that the research work is complete. Meanwhile, on Scotland's west coast crofters and sheep farmers have complained that sea eagles, also known as white tailed eagles, kill their lambs. The extent of the predation is disputed by scientists and the birds have proved to be a popular tourist attraction, providing an economic boost for the Isle of Mull. Prof Des Thompson is Principal Advisor on Biodiversity at Scottish Natural Heritage. He believes a wide range of rewilding projects in Scotland have already proved successful. \"There's been a huge effort and week on week, month on month, we're learning from these experiences\", said Prof Thompson. \"It all depends on what you want to do with the landscape and the challenge is having a proper conversation with everyone who has a stake in the countryside.\" Previous proposals to introduce wolves and bears on the Alladale Estate in Sutherland were criticised by walkers, concerned about plans to use fences to prevent the animals escaping from an area covering at least 50,000 acres. But several of Rewilding Britain's goals have been welcomed", "summary": "Lynx, wild boar and, eventually, wolves, could all be reintroduced to Scotland under plans set out by a new campaign group."}
{"article": "Researchers hope the data will help them understand how species will migrate in response to climate change. During the month-long survey, 87 different species were recorded. The survey is one of the Earthwatch projects being highlighted at the organisation's annual lecture on Thursday evening in central London. One of the speakers, Dan Bebber - Earthwatch's head of climate change research - will use his presentation to deliver some of the main findings from the survey. During the course of a month in the summer of 2009, volunteers from the charity helped a team of researchers from the University of Oxford mark the wings of more than 13,000 moths. The survey, known as a mark-release-recapture (MRR) experiment, was co-ordinated by Dr Eleanor Slade in conjuction with the university's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), in a well-researched woodland habitat in Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire. More than 650 moths, from 41 species, were recaptured. Dr Bebber said: \"A small percentage of those marked moths were recaptured again, but from the number we did recapture we were able to determine what factors affect the ability of moths to disperse.\" Sea moths: George McGavin sets out to discover how moths migrate The largest recorded distance travelled by a one moth - a broad-bordered yellow underwing - was 13.7km. Dr Bebber said the survey seemed to suggest that woodland species were the most effective when it came to dispersing. \"Relatively large species with pointed wings that preferred woodland landscapes dispersed further than other species,\" he told BBC News. However, he added that even these species did require wooded corridors, such as hedgerows, to disperse and were not found on maiden trees - single trees found in fields. \"The habitats within the UK had been fragmented for a long time,\" Dr Bebber explained. \"It is probably the ones that can move relatively long distances that are still found in the UK. \"Those species that were not able to disperse so well have probably disappeared over millennia.\" Dr Bebber will present his findings at the Earthwatch Institute's annual lecture, Climate Change and Forests, which is being chaired by TV presenter Kate Humble.", "summary": "About 13,000 moths have been captured and recorded by citizen scientists in southern England in a project described as the largest of its kind."}
{"article": "David Mundell made his pledge during Scottish Questions in the Commons. The response came after the SNP's Angus Robertson pressed both Mr Mundell and Prime Minister Theresa May about powers over agriculture and fisheries. On Tuesday, Scotland's first minister accused the UK government of using Brexit to undermine devolution. Nicola Sturgeon told a gathering in Edinburgh that the Scottish Parliament faced a \"graver challenge\" after \"20 years of progress\". She also warned that without compromise, a second independence referendum may become a \"necessary\" way of protecting Scotland's interests. Ahead of First Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Mr Robertson asked Mr Mundell if \"all decisions\" relating to agriculture and fisheries would be taken by the Scottish government and the Scottish Parliament after Brexit. The minister answered: \"This government's plan is to engage with the Scottish government and with the other devolved administrations to discuss these very serious issues. \"It is not to go out and tell the people of Scotland that the devolved settlement is being undermined by Brexit - a Brexit which will lead to more powers being exercised by the Scottish Parliament. \"What I can give the right honourable gentleman is an absolute guarantee that after the UK leaves the EU the Scottish Parliament and Scottish ministers will have more powers than they have today.\" Moments later, Mr Robertson continued the same line of questioning to Mrs May. He said: \"Prior to FMQs, Scottish ministers were unable to answer basic questions on government plans for agriculture and for fisheries. \"These are important industries for the rural economy and they are devolved areas to the Scottish government and the Scottish Parliament. \"With Brexit ending the role of Brussels in these areas, will all decisions about agriculture and fisheries be made at Holyrood - yes or no?\" The Conservative PM said Mr Robertson knew \"very well\" that the UK government was discussing with the devolved administrations \"the whole question of the UK framework and devolution of issues as they come back from Brussels\". She added: \"The overriding aim for everything that we do when we make those decisions is making sure that we don't damage the very important single market of the UK. \"A market, I might remind the honourable gentleman, that is more important to Scotland than the EU is.\"", "summary": "The Secretary of State for Scotland has given an \"absolute guarantee\" that the Scottish Parliament will get more powers as a result of Brexit."}
{"article": "It comes as figures suggest a big spike in the number of GP practices being handed back to health boards to manage. The British Medical Association (BMA) said GPs \"can't simply carry on working under the stresses and strains they're facing\". A senior health official acknowledged a greater pace of change was needed. Measures include trying to recruit more nurses, physiotherapists and pharmacists to become part of \"multi-disciplinary teams\" in primary care to relieve the pressure on GPs. But the BMA has warned more family doctors could quit unless surgeries get more money. The concerns are also echoed by a group representing grassroots GPs. \"Yes there is a GP crisis - there's a crisis of numbers, there's a crisis of funding and there's a crisis of demand,\" said Sophie Quinney, GP and representative of GP Survival Wales. \"Patients are struggling to see their GP because the workload is becoming unmanageable.\" Meanwhile, the BMA said despite frequent warnings, changes designed to relieve the pressure were happening too slowly, with no improvement seen in three years. Dr Charlotte Jones, chairwoman of the BMA's GPs committee in Wales, said it was hearing \"week on week\" of doctors being unable to carry on. She said there was a \"perfect storm\" of GPs nearing retirement, recruitment difficulties to find younger replacements, longer working hours and more complex needs of patients. Dr Jones said despite new strategies coming in to try to deal with the problem, the pace of change was not moving quickly enough and she had seen no improvement in the last three years. \"I would say things are getting worse and that's exactly what I'm hearing from my colleagues across Wales and that's being borne out now by the number of practices saying enough is enough,\" she said. She said the health service was working hard at a national and local level to address issues \"but I'm afraid change is not happening quickly enough\". Dr Jones said Wales was better placed than other parts of the UK, but added: \"Health boards have to grab the nettle, put the investment in and start making the change, otherwise the situation is going to get significantly worse.\" The BMA said patients in \"large swathes of north Wales\" now had directly-managed GP practices and they did not see the same doctors a lot of the time. GP SURGERIES HANDED BACK The concerns appear to be backed up by figures from health boards which show the numbers of GP surgeries across Wales having to be taken back into central control because doctors have given up. A total of 33 GP practices were \"handed back\" to health boards across Wales over a five year period between 2010 and 2015. This included 17 surgeries which closed. But in the past year, figures from health boards obtained by GP Survival Wales, show a spike in some areas. In the south Wales valleys, there were four surgeries handed back in Cwm Taf in 2015/16 alone - twice the total in the previous five years. Across Wales, 20 practices were handed back in the last", "summary": "The \"crisis\" facing GP services in parts of Wales is \"getting worse\" with more practices than ever facing an uncertain future, say doctors' leaders."}
{"article": "Nofa Mihlo Rafo arrived in Canada this year as a refugee with four of her six children. She was separated from her husband and two eldest sons after their town was captured by the so-called Islamic State in 2014. She learned this week that one missing son is still alive after a relative alerted her to a photo posted online. Ms Mihlo Rafo learned last Sunday that 12-year-old Emad Mishko Tamo was alive and had been rescued. She \"was jumping, crying at the same time, just happiness\", said Hadji Hesso, with the Yazidi Association of Manitoba. His group, in partnership with the Kurdish Initiative for Refugees, Winnipeg Friends of Israel and the Liberation of Christian and Yazidi Children of Iraq (CYCI), has launched a campaign to reunite the boy with his family. On Thursday, Canada's federal immigration department said it is aware of the boy's case and noted that the government has committed to bringing up to 1,200 vulnerable Yazidi women and children and other survivors of IS to Canada. \"All Yazidi cases are being expedited,\" said a department spokeswoman in an email. Steven Maman, the founder of CYCI, says that all 338 Canadian members of parliament were sent information about the boy. \"Everyone has received an email from us with Emad's story, his mother's identification cards, everything,\" Mr Maman said. \"It's a moral obligation for us human beings to help her.\" There is also a special programme that allows refugees to apply to bring in dependent children within a year of arrival. Iraqi troops who found the boy posted his image online in hope of finding his family, said Mr Hesso. The boy's uncle saw the photo, contacted Emad's mother, and met the boy at the hospital where he was being treated for shrapnel and gunshot wounds. Mr Hesso says the boy is recovering and now with his uncle in a camp in Iraq. Ms Mihlo Rafo and her children are all members of the persecuted religious Yazidi minority. They were rounded up by IS jihadists in their town of Sinjar in northern Iraq and held captive for two years. She eventually managed to escape to a refugee camp with four of her children.", "summary": "Canada says it is aware of the case of a Yazidi boy recently rescued by Iraqi forces whose mother is in Winnipeg."}
{"article": "The Children and Social Work Bill would let local councils apply to set aside children's rights and checks on care to try out innovative ways of working. The government argues it is a bold approach to removing red tape. But campaigners say allowing councils to opt out of these long-standing duties is risky and unnecessary. The legal duties affected by the Bill relate to nearly all the social care services children receive from local authorities laid down in numerous acts of Parliament. These include statutory rights on child protection, family support, children's homes and fostering, support to care leavers and services for disabled children. About 50 organisations publicly oppose the proposed exemptions - including the British Association of Social Workers, The Care Leavers' Association, Women's Aid, Liberty and the National Association of People Abused in Childhood. They have banded together to form a group called Together for Children to oppose the Bill, which was debated by a House of Lords committee on Tuesday. The organisation said: \"Children's social care laws have evolved over many decades, often in response to failures in care and protection but also because of new knowledge and understanding.\" Carolyne Willow, director of independent children's rights organisation Article 39, said: \"More than 107,000 members of the public have signed a petition opposing the plan. \"With such a radical and unprecedented change to children's law, it's not unreasonable to demand a Green and White Paper consultation. \"We have been unable to find any example of any other country which allows councils to opt out of their duties to very vulnerable children and young people, including those the state is directly responsible for by law.\" If the Bill becomes law, local authorities would be able to apply to the Secretary of State to be exempted from one or more legal duties for a period of three years, initially, so it can try out new ways of working. This could then be extended for a further three years. The government argues this would allow children's services departments to pilot new ways of working and potentially achieve better outcomes. It also insists no-one would be put at risk. A Department for Education spokesperson said: \"Local authorities should have the freedom to work with social workers so they can develop new and effective ways of supporting the vulnerable children in their care. \"We know that over-regulation can get in the way of good social work practice and the power to innovate will allow us to test new approaches in a carefully controlled and monitored way. To suggest it would place children at risk is simply wrong.\" It comes after a government-commissioned review of social work suggested departments were tied up in procedural knots and tick-box regulations. But children's groups, as well as peers who debated the bill, argue there is no need to scrap key planks of primary legislation which guarantee children's rights, to allow innovation. They argue that it is more the rules, regulations and guidance attached to that legislation that could be set aside. The Bill has seen significant sections defeated by", "summary": "A Bill described as \"a bonfire of child protection rights\", which would let councils opt out of key legal duties to children, was debated on Tuesday."}
{"article": "Wales led going into the final 10 minutes but finally succumbed after enduring a second-half battering. Fly-half Handre Pollard kicked five penalties and a drop-goal for the Springboks. Wales' Dan Biggar scored 14 points and created the chance for Gareth Davies to score his fifth try of the tournament. Veteran scrum-half Du Preez had to be persuaded to play in the tournament by South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer after a series of career-threatening injuries, but repaid the faith with a moment of coolness in a tumultuous atmosphere. South Africa now face New Zealand in the last four after the world champions annihilated France 62-13 in Saturday's second quarter-final. The Springboks pack gave a powerhouse display in the second half, but were met by extraordinary Welsh defence with captain Sam Warburton giving an outstanding display. But a clever move from a scrum in the Wales 22 saw number eight Duane Vermeulen feed Du Preez, who exploited a huge gap on the blind-side to dive over in the corner. Another veteran, flanker Schalk Burger, was outstanding as the Springboks turned the screw. There were shades of Wales' preceding tournament defeat by Australia in the opening minutes as George North was hauled down short of the line. Then Wales blew an overlap when Gethin Jenkins' lobbed pass went over centre Tyler Morgan's head and into touch. Although on top, the Welsh were behind as Wayne Barnes punished silly errors and the impeccable Pollard was unerring with his boot. The battle of the breakdown saw skirmishes won by Sam Warburton and Gethin Jenkins for Wales and Duane Vermeulen and Bryan Habana for South Africa. Wales' 13-12 lead at the interval was thanks to a full-blooded forward effort and the brilliance of Biggar, whose drop-goal edged them ahead after his chip-and-gather had set up Davies' try. A chaotic start to the second half saw Biggar nail a long-range penalty, before South Africa - with Vermeulen, Burger, Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager in the vanguard - stepped up a gear. Pollard's drop-goal got the Boks back to within a point, but he missed two penalties to mar an otherwise excellent display. Wales were hanging on as Willie le Roux sliced through, but for all their dominance, the Springboks only reclaimed the lead when Pollard rediscovered his range with a penalty to edge his side ahead 18-16. Biggar put Wales back ahead at 19-18, but with Gatland's men making more than twice as many tackles as their opponents, it was too much for a team who had survived the group of death to hang on in the face of waves of attacks. South Africa flanker Schalk Burger defied the years with a barnstorming display of ball-carrying and tackling. Vintage stuff. Wales boss Warren Gatland: \"We don't want to make any excuses. South Africa won... and we weren't good enough to win. \"At the end of the day South Africa did what South Africa do. They got one chance and they took it and that was the result.\" Read more from Gatland here. South Africa: Le Roux; Pietersen, Kriel,", "summary": "Fourie du Preez's 75th-minute try ended battling Wales' World Cup dream in a colossal quarter-final against South Africa at Twickenham."}
{"article": "The strikes will affect hundreds of thousands of people who use the Southern Rail network in England every day. But many commuters say strikes are just part of the ongoing daily disruption to Southern's service that is having a huge impact on the way they live. Businesses are suffering and some workers have had to stay at home, while others have tried to find alternative routes into work, they say. Frustrated by the continuing disruption, three passengers and a cafe owner agreed to video blog their mornings. 50-mile cycle ride again John Holah, 36, is from Earlswood, Surrey. He works as a web developer in east London. John says it's not just on strike days that it's quicker to cycle the 50-mile (80km) round trip to work. Cafe 'losing business' Debbie Davis, 54, runs Beryl and Pegs Coffee, Tea and Sandwich Bar opposite Reigate station. Debbie says her cafe has been empty all morning. Bus from Gatwick Alison Braganza, 39, normally travels from Ifield, West Sussex, to central London. She's just started a new job and has been repeatedly late during her probation period. Flying to meeting Mark, 52, is an asset management consultant and had a meeting in Scotland. He couldn't catch a train into London so his company had to change its policy to allow him to fly to Glasgow. Production by Dan Curtis and Ed Ram.", "summary": "Rail passengers have faced more travel chaos as striking train drivers hold the first of six, day-long stoppages planned for this month."}
{"article": "Kashket's 49th-minute strike, against his former club, registered his 11th goal of the season and gave Wanderers an eighth win in a row, while Orient are languishing close to the relegation zone. All eyes were on the in-form Kashket, facing Orient for the first time since his summer move, and it was the 20-year-old who opened the scoring just after the break. The ball fell to the winger who guided his left-footed shot beyond the reach of goalkeeper Alex Cisak. However, the visitors had nearly taken the lead on the half-hour mark when Jay Simpson's left-footed strike whistled past Jamal Blackman's post. And Orient again thought they had the lead when Paul McCallum turned Jay Simpson's low cross into the roof of the net. However, the goal was ruled out for offside. The game petered out in the final half hour as neither side went close, handing Wanderers maximum points. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Wycombe Wanderers 1, Leyton Orient 0. Second Half ends, Wycombe Wanderers 1, Leyton Orient 0. Nigel Atangana (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Garry Thompson (Wycombe Wanderers). Corner, Wycombe Wanderers. Conceded by Nicky Hunt. Attempt missed. Sam Wood (Wycombe Wanderers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt missed. Matt Bloomfield (Wycombe Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Myles Weston replaces Paris Cowan-Hall. Substitution, Wycombe Wanderers. Sam Wood replaces Scott Kashket. Nicky Hunt (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Anthony Stewart (Wycombe Wanderers). Attempt missed. Aaron Pierre (Wycombe Wanderers) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right following a corner. Corner, Wycombe Wanderers. Conceded by Nigel Atangana. Attempt blocked. Luke O'Nien (Wycombe Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Corner, Wycombe Wanderers. Conceded by Myles Judd. Substitution, Leyton Orient. Sam Dalby replaces Robbie Weir. Paris Cowan-Hall (Wycombe Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Sandro Semedo (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Paris Cowan-Hall (Wycombe Wanderers). Foul by Jay Simpson (Leyton Orient). Joe Jacobson (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Paul McCallum (Leyton Orient) is shown the yellow card. Nicky Hunt (Leyton Orient) is shown the yellow card. Teddy Mezague (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Paris Cowan-Hall (Wycombe Wanderers). Substitution, Leyton Orient. Sandro Semedo replaces Jordan Bowery. Corner, Leyton Orient. Conceded by Joe Jacobson. Corner, Leyton Orient. Conceded by Michael Harriman. Teddy Mezague (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Paris Cowan-Hall (Wycombe Wanderers). Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Alex Cisak (Leyton Orient) because of an injury. Foul by Nicky Hunt (Leyton Orient). Scott Kashket (Wycombe Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Substitution, Leyton Orient. Teddy Mezague replaces Callum Kennedy because of an", "summary": "A Scott Kashket goal was enough for Wycombe Wanderers to see off a well-organised Leyton Orient side at Adams Park."}
{"article": "Hughie Saunders, 20, from Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, was attacked at Cobham services in Surrey on 26 June and died two days later. His mum said \"[He] was the heart of the whole family. Our hearts are broken.\" Mikey Coyle, 21, from Barnes, and Simon Baker, 22, of Outwood, have been charged with his murder. Mr Saunders, who was known as Quhey, was \"always laughing and lived life to the full\", his mother said. She added: \"He had his whole life in front of him and was taken for no reason at all. \"The family is very close and he will be missed by his brothers and sisters.\" Mr Saunders' mother thanked the staff who cared for him at St George's hospital, describing them as \"angels\". She also revealed that he had donated his organs to save lives and wished all those who benefitted \"a long and happy life\". Surrey Police is still keen to speak to every witness in the petrol station between 15:00 and 15:30 BST on 26 June. Anyone with any information is asked to come forward.", "summary": "The family of a man who died after an attack at a petrol station on the M25 two weeks ago have paid tribute to their \"kind-hearted boy\"."}
{"article": "The businessman headed to Clacton-on-Sea after he admitted he knew \"nothing\" about the Essex town. But following his visit, he said he would be backing local party councillor Jeff Bray. Mr Banks initially planned to take on current MP Douglas Carswell, before he announced he would not be standing. The multimillionaire businessman said: \"I have no intention of standing in the way of hard-working activists who are the soul of the party. \"Therefore, after visiting Clacton, I believe it would be wrong of me to stand against Jeff in the forthcoming hustings.\" Mr Banks previously said he only knew Clacton from a \"fabulous day out\" during the referendum campaign, and as one of the strongest supporting areas for Euro-scepticism. He said he has agreed to give the local UKIP party financial assistance to fight the election. His arrival in the constituency follows the announcement by knife crime campaigner Caroline Shearer that she intends to stand as an independent there. Her son, Jay Whiston, was 17 years old when he was murdered by Edward Redman in Colchester in 2012.", "summary": "Former UKIP donor Arron Banks has said he will not stand for the Clacton seat in the general election after a fact-finding mission to the town."}
{"article": "It looked at progress in England following the introduction of a \u00a35.3bn Better Care Fund to help local authorities invest in services to keep patients out of hospital. It says in its first year, the fund has helped join up health and social care. But it hasn't led to the expected reduction in hospital workload. The Department of Health said it was too soon to judge the Fund's impact. According to the NAO, within the first year of the Better Care Fund being introduced: A week of coverage by BBC News examining the state of the NHS across the UK as it comes under intense pressure during its busiest time of the year. The total Better Care Fund budget for 2015-16 was \u00a35.3bn (some local authorities added extra money to the \u00a33.8bn earmarked by the government). It was hoped the Fund would return a saving of around \u00a3500m in its first year by reducing demand for costly hospital care. Using the Fund, local authorities had estimated they could cut emergency hospital admissions by 106,000. Instead, they went up by 87,000, compared to the previous year. The number of delayed transfers of care cases - when a patient is healthy enough to leave the hospital but is unable to do so - was meant to drop by 293,000. It went up by 185,000. The NAO report says cash flow worries are mounting in both health and social care and it remains unclear whether more integration of services will help. It says the government should take stock and evaluate how best to move forward. The Department of Health says it wants to make care even more joined-up. Sir Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, said: \"Integrating the health and social care sectors is a significant challenge in normal times, let alone times when both sectors are under such severe pressure. So far, benefits have fallen far short of plans, despite much effort.\" Its director, Ashley McDougall, said it could take years to see results from integration and suggested expectations should be lowered around the effectiveness of integration to move people out of hospital more quickly. He told BBC Radio Four's Today programme that it was not a waste of money but funding might be better spent elsewhere. A spokesman for NHS England said: \"Joining up local NHS and council services may be worthwhile, but is not by itself a silver-bullet solution to wider pressures on health and social care.\" Prof Jane Dacre, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: \"We should not take the slow progress so far as a signal to stop or reorganise the initiatives - it takes time to transform services and evaluate them to show benefit, so they should be allowed to continue, but with much more involvement from local authorities upfront in planning and implementation, and a funding boost for social care.\" James Taylor from the charity Scope said: \"Over 400,000 working-age, disabled people rely on social care, but a chronic lack of funding has left many completely isolated, cut off from society, slipping into crisis", "summary": "Government plans to treat more patients in the community are not easing pressure on NHS hospitals or saving money, says the National Audit Office."}
{"article": "West Midlands PC Zaid Malik was off duty when he got into an argument with another driver in Birmingham. He convinced friend Roger Baker, 50, to provide a false alibi. Both denied a charge of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Malik, 51, of Sparkhill and Baker, 50, of Acocks Green, were jailed for 21 months and 12 months respectively. See more stories from across Birmingham and the Black Country here West Midlands Police said the incident took place in Stechford on 26 February 2015. The force said witnesses accused the former Coventry-based PC of being the aggressor, but police decided not to press charges when a seemingly independent account from Baker backed Malik's claim he was the innocent party. Police said investigators became suspicious after revealing inconsistencies in the men's statements. They discovered the two were friends and Baker, of Westfield Road, had not been at the scene of the dispute. Both men were found guilty following a trial and sentenced on Tuesday at Birmingham Crown Court. Malik, of Durham Road, continued to work for West Midlands Police in a role outside the evidential chain up to his court appearance. The force said a special case hearing would be held with Chief Constable Dave Thompson to determine his future. Ch Insp Brian Carmichael, from the Professional Standards Department, said: \"We demand the highest standards from all our officers. The public should expect to be treated fairly and respectfully.\"", "summary": "A police officer has been jailed for lying about his part in a road rage row."}
{"article": "The Death of Poor Joe, which dates back to March 1901, was discovered by British Film Institute (BFI) curator Bryony Dixon, in February. Until now the earliest known Dickens film was Scrooge or Marley's Ghost, released in November 1901. \"It's wonderful to have discovered such a rare and unique film,\" Ms Dixon said. \"It looks beautiful and is in excellent condition. This really is the icing on the cake of our current celebration of Dickens on Screen.\" The Death of Poor Joe will be screened as part of the Dickens bicentennial celebrations on 9 March and 23 March at London's BFI Southbank. The film organisation said it is also planning to release the footage on a DVD at a later date. Accidental find Ms Dixon stumbled across the find as she carried out research on early films of China. A catalogue entry referred to The Death of Poor Joe, which she recognised as a reference to the character Jo in Bleak House. After checking on the BFI's archive database, she found the film was listed as part of a collection under an alternative title of Man Meets Ragged Boy, which had been wrongly dated 1902. The film, which is just one minute long, depicts Joe dying in the freezing snow against a churchyard wall. As he falls to the ground a local watchman tries to help him and cradles him as he dies. The footage, which was directed by film pioneer George Albert Smith, was handed to the BFI in 1954, by a collector in Brighton who had known Smith. The BFI said it believes the director's wife, Laura Bayley, played Joe and the character of the watchman was played by Tom Green. The footage is believed to have been shot in Brighton. The BFI said the storyline has similarities with Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl, which features a child dying in the snow and the tragic death of 'Poor Joe', the crossing sweeper in Dickens' Bleak House.", "summary": "The oldest surviving film featuring a Charles Dickens character has been discovered, in the year of the 200th anniversary of the author's birth."}
{"article": "Jordan Renwick, 24, covered his face with a scarf but his standout footwear was flagged up to police. He was caught on camera still wearing the trainers while spending cash at a shop later the same day. Renwick, of Galashiels, had previously admitted carrying out the robbery in February this year. He armed himself with a hammer to stage the raid on the Gala Park post office on Balmoral Place. During the robbery he repeatedly punched manager Farrukh Sair, who was also struck on the head with an object. Renwick, who lived directly opposite the premises, also robbed another man, John Hardie, who had come into the store. A judge told Renwick at the High Court in Edinburgh: \"You have 31 convictions encompassing some 53 offences. \"For a young man that is a formidable record and you are placed at high risk of future offending.\" Lord Burns ordered that Renwick serve 220 days of an unexpired part of a previous prison sentence, from which he had been freed early, before he starts the four-year term. Renwick will be monitored for a further three years following his release from prison. During the raid he stole between \u00c2\u00a32,000 and \u00c2\u00a32,500 in cash, along with stamps, cigarettes and mobile phones. He also robbed Mr Hardie of a phone and a wallet containing \u00c2\u00a340. Renwick had jumped over a counter armed with the hammer and told Mr Sair to get to the floor before taking cash. Mr Sair required six stitches to a head wound he sustained during the struggle with Renwick. Defence counsel Victoria Dow said that Renwick had a \"fairly significant\" drug debt at the time of the offence and owed the money to what he had described as \"a heavy drug dealer\". She said Renwick had been panicking, and that his offending took place when he was under the influence of drugs. Det Insp Keith Mackay welcomed the sentence and said Renwick was responsible for a \"serious assault and two robberies\". \"This was a very distressing incident for the two victims, one of whom sustained a head injury during the robbery,\" he said. \"I hope this jail sentence will give them some sense of closure. \"I want to thank the local community for all their assistance with our investigation.\"", "summary": "A masked robber who wore a distinctive pair of pink trainers during a violent raid on a post office has been jailed for four years."}
{"article": "Fridays Ltd, which produces thousands of free range eggs in Cranbrook, wants to expand its operation in Horsmonden. Residents fear the extra traffic and noise from the 32-hectare site will have a detrimental impact on the area. The company said it was responding to a 5% year-on-year increase in demand for free range eggs. The family-run business is one of the three biggest egg producers and packers in the country. If agreed, its new chicken farm would be located at Pullens Farm, in Lamberhurst Road, which is on the outskirts of the village of Horsmonden. Resident Sarah Overton said: \"The sheer scale of this development is extraordinary. \"We're talking the equivalent of 80 football pitches, 64,000 birds at any one time producing 360,000 eggs a week, using mechanical processes and only needing one full-time person to look after them, and three part-time egg collectors. \"It equates to industrialisation in the countryside, which is bad enough, but this is industrialisation of an area of outstanding natural beauty with protected species that we all need to be careful to preserve,\" she said. Fridays Ltd has lodged its application with Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, with a provisional decision expected in August. Horsmonden Parish Council is discussing the plans on Monday.", "summary": "Plans by a company that wants to put 64,000 chickens on an area of outstanding natural beauty in Kent have been met with anger by local residents."}
{"article": "Concerns include physical, psychological and financial abuse. Scottish Borders Council's social work director Andrew Lowe admitted cases dealt with by the authority's adult protection unit had \"rocketed\". However, he said changes to reporting methods and greater awareness of the issue had contributed to the increase. The council report shows a sharp rise in significant incidents and concerns over the care of the elderly and those with difficulties. Mr Lowe said he anticipated they would keep rising - but pointed out a different method of reporting which sees all medical issues reported as adult protection concerns. He said he believed the systems now in place were more robust and that there was a greater awareness of protection issues for vulnerable adults. \"One of the heartening things to see is the source of referrals - we are getting many more now from independent agencies than we ever used to,\" he said. \"It used to be that the referrals came from either social workers or family or whatever. \"We now see a range of all the different agencies - health board, GP, private sector, self-referral - they are all putting referrals in and that, to me, is healthy. \"That's a sign of public awareness of this as an issue.\" He added that there was always more that could be done. \"All we can hope to do is have a good and effective system, good policies, and to make sure that we are raising the profile and ensuring people are aware of the vulnerability of people in our community,\" he said. He urged the public to contact the authorities if they saw something which caused concern. \"It doesn't matter if you are wrong,\" he said. \"If your hunch is wrong we can make a discrete inquiry and nothing will happen and there will be no threat to you. \"But if you see something and you think it is wrong, I think acting on that is very helpful.\"", "summary": "The number of reports of vulnerable adults being harmed in the Scottish Borders has risen sharply, according to a social work report."}
{"article": "The Independent Paralympic Athletes (IPA) Team will appear under the Paralympic flag and will parade first at the opening ceremony on 7 September. The team will stay in the Athletes Village, with travel and other expenses covered by the IPC. A 10-strong refugee team will also compete at the Olympic Games. \"This is the moment to shine a light on the people with impairments affected, as well as highlight the broader situation,\" IPC President Sir Philip Craven said.", "summary": "A team of refugee athletes will compete at Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced."}
{"article": "Police said the Bolton man was riding a BMW motorbike when it collided with a Citroen car driven by a local man on Hailwood's Rise on the (A18) Mountain Road at 06:45 BST. The rider was treated at the scene but was pronounced dead on arrival at Noble's Hospital. Both vehicles were travelling in the direction of Douglas. Insp Dave Dobbie said it was a \"very sad outcome\". Police closed the road for four hours following the crash and are appealing for witnesses.", "summary": "A 55-year-old motorcyclist from Greater Manchester has been killed in a crash involving a car on the Isle of Man."}
{"article": "Wales led after an hour of the first Test before losing 39-21, and succumbed 36-22 in the second after being level 10-10 at the break. That extended New Zealand's winning run against Wales to 28 games since 1953. \"We just switch off for five-10 minutes and before you know it, New Zealand have pulled away,\" said Williams. \"But there are encouraging signs that we are playing a more expansive game.\" Wales' efforts have had the former Cardiff Blues and Pontypridd player \"on the edge of his seat\". But the former Wales captain and British and Irish Lions tourist has been disappointed that his country have not been able to beat an All Blacks team in transition following high-profile retirements. After the 2015 World Cup, the All Blacks lost record-breaking flanker and captain Richie McCaw, fly-half Dan Carter and midfield pair Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith. \"There are two schools of thought at the moment in Wales,\" said Williams. \"One, 'yes we've gone toe-to-toe with the All Blacks and played some great rugby'. \"And the other one is, 'well we've failed again' because they are a team in transition. I don't care how good the players are \u2026 I'm a little bit disappointed. \"Whenever you take 700 caps of experience out of a squad, it's got to leave a dent and traditionally they are slow in June. \"On the flip side, you look at our squad - it was the most experienced that's ever left these shores. We didn't have injury worries so I thought this was our opportunity.\" The All Blacks have made five starting changes for the third Test, with coach Steve Hansen hoping the risk will have its rewards. Flanker Elliott Dixon makes his debut at blind-side flanker in place of Jerome Kaino, while George Moala takes over at centre from injured Malakai Fekitoa. Fly-half Beauden Barrett makes only his eighth All Blacks start in 38 appearances as he takes over from Aaron Cruden, who was injured in the second Test. Barrett has scored 26 points, including three tries in four appearances against Wales. Two of those tries came in a 15-point haul as New Zealand beat Wales 34-16 in Cardiff in 2014 in his previous start against Warren Gatland's side. Barrett crossed for his third try against Wales in Wellington last weekend. Charlie Faumuina takes over from Owen Franks at prop and Julian Savea returns on the wing in place of Waisake Naholo, who drops to the bench. Injury has forced out veteran Wales prop Gethin Jenkins as well as lock Bradley Davies. Rob Evans is back at loose-head prop, while Gatland brings in Tomas Francis at tight-head as Samson Lee is relegated to replacement duty. Gatland, a leading candidate to return to New Zealand as British and Irish Lions coach in 2017, wants his team to stop 'shooting themselves in the foot'. If so, Williams, who was coached by Gatland and Hansen in a 100-cap Wales career says the Dunedin encounter \"could well be\" the one in which his countrymen end 63 years of hurt. Referee: Jerome Garces", "summary": "Former flanker Martyn Williams hopes Wales can avoid the pitfalls of their two previous defeats by New Zealand in the third and final Test on Saturday."}
{"article": "Once complete, Atlantic Shed will provide an extra 7,200 sq m (668,000 sq ft) metres of storage for the port, mainly for the steel industry. Associated British Ports said the investment meant the site would be able to meet the increasing demands of its customers. It said the development would support the future growth of the port.", "summary": "Work has started on a \u00a32.7m project to redevelop part of the Port of Newport to increase cargo volumes."}
{"article": "Those who died in Ondo state suffered from blurred vision and headaches, and then lost consciousness before dying within 24 hours. A spokesman for the WHO said tests done so far had been negative for viral and bacterial infections. He said the current theory was that the deaths were caused by weedkiller. The outbreak started in the town of Ode-Irele. All of those affected started showing symptoms between 13 and 15 April. The WHO spokesman, Gregory Haertl, tweeted: \"Current hypothesis is cause of the event is herbicides\" and \"Tests done so far are negative for viral and bacterial infection.\" The tests were carried out at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, the WHO said.", "summary": "The World Health Organisation (WHO) says pesticide poisoning is the probable cause of 18 mysterious deaths in south-western Nigeria."}
{"article": "The data for January from NHS England showed 88.7% of patients were dealt with in four hours. The target is 95%. That is the worst monthly performance since the target came in in 2004. NHS England blamed rising demand - overall attendances were up by more than 10% compared with the same time last year. There was also a sharp rise in emergency admissions and calls to NHS 111. Richard Barker, from NHS England, said: \"Against this backdrop it's not surprising hospitals saw a dip in their performance and it is credit to all those working in emergency care that we are still admitting, treating and discharging almost nine in 10 patients within four hours \"Winter pressures have come late this year with a sustained cold period and an increase in seasonal infections.\" During January the BBC reported how hospitals were being forced into taking extreme measures to cope. Some cancelled routine operations en-masse, while there were reports of GPs being advised not to cut back on hospital referrals and emergency treatment areas being set up outside A&E units. The monthly performance publication also showed the NHS was struggling in other areas:", "summary": "A&E delays in England have reached record levels, official figures show."}
{"article": "Shanay Walker was found dead in her bed in Nottingham in July 2014. Juanila Smikle, 53, of Easegill Court, Top Valley, is accused of cruelty to Shanay and to four other children, dating back to 2011. Mrs Smikle's daughter Kay-Ann Morris, 24, of Nottingham, denies murdering Shanay, her niece, and charges of cruelty against two other children. Ms Morris elected not to give evidence at the trial at Nottingham Crown Court. Describing her own childhood, Mrs Smikle told the jury she had been routinely beaten with tree branches while growing up in Jamaica in the 1960s and 1970s. She described being \"peppered\", meaning that a vinegar, salt and chilli pepper solution was poured on to her genitals. She said her upbringing made her think beatings and \"pepperings\" were right and fair. The court heard how Mrs Smikle beat each of her own eight children in Jamaica but when she moved to the UK, she realised it was not acceptable. She said Kay-Ann and her twin sister Kerry-Ann would \"never forgive me for beating them because they're hurt and vexed.\" However, the court was told that in January 2007, Kay-Ann was \"peppered\" by her sister at the instigation of Mrs Smikle after she had lied about having sex. At this point, Kay-Ann Morris broke down in the dock. The jury was told that within a few months of this incident both twin daughters had moved out of the home. Subsequently Kay-Ann and Shanay came back to live with Mrs Smikle. Asked by the defence if she had ever smacked Shanay, Mrs Smikle replied: \"Never\". The trial continues.", "summary": "A woman accused of harming her seven-year-old granddaughter has told a court she was beaten as a child."}
{"article": "The larger than life billionaire retail tycoon, his Monaco-based wife, a former racing driver and bankrupt, surrounded by advisers and regulators, all help to weave a tale that affects 160 high streets and 31,000 mere mortals. (That's 11,000 workers and 20,000 pension scheme members). The parliamentary inquiry into the sorry tale begins in earnest on Monday. Sir Philip Green, the former owner of BHS, has agreed in principle to appear before the inquiry in June. With so many fingerprints on this scandal it's difficult to figure out how to apportion blame for a collapse that almost everyone in the industry seemed to predict but no-one seemed able to prevent. Let's take a look at when some of the main players made their exits and their entrances: No wonder the Serious Fraud Office, Pensions Regulator, Insolvency Service and two Commons select committees are queuing up to ask questions. The biggest question is why no-one seemed to want to know BEFORE it happened.", "summary": "The cast of characters who have played a part in the demise of BHS is arguably worthy of a mini-series."}
{"article": "John Place, from Sutton Coldfield, is accused of hitting Poppy Clarke in his Volkswagen Passat as she and her mother crossed Chester Road in the town. He is also charged with causing serious injury to her mother, Rachel Clarke in the collision in June. Mr Place, of Bakers Lane, was bailed by magistrates in Birmingham to appear the city's crown court on 5 January.", "summary": "A 72-year-old man has appeared in court charged with causing the death of a three-year-old girl."}
{"article": "Top Gear is one of the BBC's most popular and profitable series, but it has a history of controversy, led by Clarkson. Last year, the presenter revealed that the BBC warned him he would be sacked if he made \"one more offensive remark, anywhere, at any time.\" He had been told to apologise for using the \"n-word\" in a programme out-take. In the clip, which had been filmed in 2012, the presenter chooses between different models of car by reciting the schoolyard rhyme Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe. After initially denying his use of the word, Clarkson later released a video statement \"begging forgiveness\" for the error. Clarkson complained about the final warning in his weekly column in the Sun: \"Even the angel Gabriel would struggle to survive with that [threat] hanging over his head.\" The presenter has survived several scandals but this is the first time he has been suspended from his position. 'Difficult year' In December 2014 Clarkson described his \"difficult year\" during an appearance on ITV1's The Jonathan Ross Show. It followed an incident in Argentina where the Top Gear presenters and crew were forced to flee the country after trouble erupted over a number plate reading H982 FLK, which some suggested referred to the Falklands conflict of 1982. The show was also censured by Ofcom in July 2014 for breaching broadcasting rules after Clarkson used a derogatory word for Asian people during the Top Gear Burma Special. Labour MP Jim Sheridan, who sits on Parliament's culture, media and sport committee, called for him to be sacked. He said: \"Already he's insulted nations, he's insulted disabled persons, he's insulted people with mental illness. Every time he apologises, and every time the BBC say that they've told him to cut it out, and he's not doing it.\" \"His whole career is littered with apologies, and I doubt very much if indeed he is sorry.\" Top Gear began as a local show on BBC Midlands in 1977 and Clarkson took the helm in 1988. It was first broadcast in its current format in 2002, when Clarkson was joined by Richard Hammond and, a year later, by James May. Top Gear is the most watched factual programme in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records. It has an estimated global audience of 350 million, and is sold to 214 countries. The programme has three million YouTube subscribers, 15 million Facebook fans, and 1.74 million Twitter followers. The programme acquired a reputation for a reviewing style that could make or break a new car. Over the years Clarkson's comments have led to a number of complaints by vehicle manufacturers. Hyundai complained to the BBC in 1998, saying that Clarkson had made \"bigoted and racist\" comments at the Motor Show in Birmingham. A decade later, Tesla tried to sue the show for libel after Clarkson said its \u00c2\u00a392,000 electric sports car did not perform as advertised. When the case was dismissed, after five years and one appeal, the programme's executive producer Andy Wilman said: \"I'd also like to apologise to the judges for", "summary": "The suspension of Jeremy Clarkson is the latest in a string of complaints surrounding the Top Gear presenter."}
{"article": "The exercise follows a number of recent attacks in London and Manchester. Garda\u00ed responded to three potential scenarios - stabbings, hostage-taking and a car being driven at pedestrians - echoing real-life events in London. Irish officers are not routinely armed but it has been announced that 10 new armed-support units are being set up. According to Irish broadcaster RT\u00c9, the new units will be established in towns and cities outside Dublin to deal with the threat from terrorism and organised crime. Garda\u00ed also said that it has increased its armed-response capability in Dublin by a third to deal with the threat of gang warfare and potential terrorism. The head of the force, Garda Commissioner N\u00f3ir\u00edn O'Sullivan, said 24-hour armed police cover will be available across the Republic of Ireland from the end of the year. She was speaking in Dublin as her officers practiced their response to dealing with multiple attacks. Commissioner O'Sullivan added: \"We're measuring all the response times so I'm very confident that we have the response capability. \"I'm very confident, as we saw simulated here today, that officers, including our uniform members, know precisely what to do if something does happen.\" The training exercise involved members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit and the Armed Support Unit. Staff from Iarnr\u00f3d \u00c9ireann (Irish Rail) also played a part as one of the simulated attacks involved a car being driven at a pedestrian at Spencer Dock rail station. Two actors, armed with a knife and gun, simulated stabbing and attacking passers-by and commuters at the train station before taking hostages. In the exercise, Irish police simulated arresting one of the attackers and shooting the other one dead. The training exercise had been planned since April and followed a series of similar exercises involving other emergency services, including ambulance and fire-fighting staff.", "summary": "A counter-terrorism training exercise has taken place in Dublin to test the responsiveness of Garda\u00ed (Irish police) in the event of a real attack."}
{"article": "The first year student at the University of Surrey died while returning from a sports trip to Italy. The other two students have both been treated and are \"recovering well\", the university said. The university is working with Public Health England (PHE) to inoculate students living in halls of residence. All three students were diagnosed with meningitis, but two of them - including the one who died - had the meningitis B infection, prompting the \"precautionary vaccinations\". A total of 4,200 full-time students - about one third of the student population - will be offered the jab. Vice Chancellor Prof Max Lu said the university had been \"reassured that the risk to staff, students and visitors is still very low\". Prof Kamila Hawthorne, associate dean for medicine at the university said evidence showed the infection was not \"highly contagious, comparatively rare and the risk to the wider community remains very low\". \"Only people who have prolonged, close contact with an ill person are at a slightly increased risk of becoming unwell.\" Source: NHS Choices", "summary": "A student has died from meningitis and another two are recovering, prompting a university to offer undergraduates a vaccination."}
{"article": "Cantona said on Thursday that Deschamps intentionally left two players of African origin, Karim Benzema and Hatem Ben Arfa, out of the squad. \"Benzema is a great player. Ben Arfa is a great player,\" he told the Guardian. \"But Deschamps, he has a really French name. Maybe he is the only one in France to have a truly French name.\" He went on to say: \"Ben Arfa is maybe the best player in France today. But they have some origins. I am allowed to think about that.\" Speaking to French sports newspaper L'Equipe, Deschamps' lawyer called the remarks \"unacceptable, slanderous and defamatory\" and said his client would sue. Benzema's failure to qualify comes after he was issued a domestic ban for his involvement in an alleged blackmail scandal over a sex tape. France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls said publicly before the selection that the Real Madrid striker \"has no place\" in the team. Ben Arfa, who plays for Nice and previously played for Newcastle and Hull, is among the reserves for the tournament so could still be called up to cover for injury. Noel Le Graet, the head of the French Football Federation, called Cantona's allegation \"ridiculous.\" Cantona and Deschamps, who are former France teammates, have fallen out numerous times since they played together in the mid-1990s. Cantona has previously called Deschamps a \"muppet\" and a \"vulgar water carrier\", a football insult implying Deschamps was good only to pass the ball to others. Cantona was dropped from the French national team in 1995 after he attacked a fan during a Manchester United game with a kung fu-style kick. He never played for France again.", "summary": "Lawyers for France's football manager Didier Deschamps say he will sue Eric Cantona for suggesting his Euro 2016 squad selection was racially motivated."}
{"article": "Joel Richards, 20, was left at Birmingham's City Hospital on Sunday, where he died from his injuries. West Midlands Police said a 17-year-old arrested at a service station on the M40 near Oxford on Monday had been charged with Mr Richards' murder. The teenager, who cannot be named due to his age, will appear at Birmingham Magistrates' court on Thursday.", "summary": "A teenager has been charged with the murder of a man who was left outside a hospital after being stabbed."}
{"article": "Cardiff Metropolitan University wants to create the seven-storey facility at Queenswood - part of its Cyncoed campus. Residents and the Woodland Trust said it would affect species including bats, birds and foxes. The university said it had done environmental impact studies. On Cardiff council's website, the application is listed with 133 objections, mainly from Cyncoed residents and councillors, and three petitions against it. A spokeswoman for Cardiff Metropolitan University said it was decided to build the new accommodation as demand from students to live on-site outstrips supply. Its plans for the 518-bed facility is on a third draft, with its position moved four times to protect the woodland, part of the campus since the original college was established in 1962. However, the Woodland Trust has objected to Cardiff council about \"damage and loss\" of the \"irreplaceable habitat\". The body's Heini Evans said: \"Ancient woodlands support a huge array of wildlife and we need to protect these special areas.\" An ancient woodland is an area that has existed continuously since 1600 or before, with these supporting more than 256 species. But only 2% of the UK's land area is covered by them. Resident Neil Gardner said Queenswood has mature oak trees, bluebells, protected bats, hedgehogs, foxes and many species of birds. \"As the wood is destroyed all these will be lost to the community with a considerable environmental impact on local residents,\" he said. \"This is an ecological and environmental crime and is intolerable to local residents.\" The university spokeswoman added: \"There has been lots of work to negate possible impact on wildlife including biodiversity and environmental studies. \"The university has also completed the various 'in season' studies which have been forwarded to the planning authority.\" A public consultation period ended last week and council planners will meet to discuss the proposal at a later date.", "summary": "Plans to build student flats on ancient woodland have been described as \"an environmental crime\" by campaigners opposed to the move."}
{"article": "The plane took off at 12:40 and was bound for Hamburg, Germany, when it experienced a technical issue. It diverted to Newcastle Airport and landed safely at about 13:25, where it was met by emergency services. A spokeswoman for Easyjet said flight EZY6931 was diverted to Newcastle as a \"precautionary measure\" due to a technical issues. \"The safety of its passengers and crew is easyJet's highest priority and easyJet operates its fleet of aircraft in strict compliance with all manufacturers' guidelines,\" she added. \"We apologise to passengers for the resulting delay.\"", "summary": "An Easyjet plane has made an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Edinburgh Airport."}
{"article": "Jackson Whistle is moving to the Giants from the Kelowna Rockets who play in the Western Hockey League in Canada. The 21-year-old's father is Dave Whistle who led the Giants to league and play-off titles during his period in charge from 2000 to 2003. First choice goaltender Murphy, from Dundee, has signed on for an eighth season with the Giants. The 34-year-old has won the British Netminder of the Year award eight times. Steve Thornton, Head of Operations at the Giants, said: \"The decision to sign Stephen Murphy is one of the easiest for me to make each year. \"He has been the backbone of our organisation since I signed him back in 2009.\"", "summary": "The Belfast Giants have signed the son of their first ever coach as back-up netminder to number one Stephen Murphy."}
{"article": "In a post on Twitter, the woman said she was \"perplexed\" by the request and posted several images of naked female statues from the museum's exhibitions. She went on to say she had a lovely day at the V&A \"exploring depictions of breasts through the ages\". Its director Tristram Hunt said women may breastfeed \"wherever they like\". Tweeting under the name @vaguechera, the woman said: \"Flashed a nanosecond of nipple while breastfeeding and was asked to cover up in the V&A courtyard. I am perplexed.\" Her tweet has been liked more than 6,700 times and received more than 3,900 retweets, with many people offering messages of support. The mother pointed out the irony of the request at a museum which displays many statues of naked women. Posting a photo of a statue showing a man holding up a naked woman, she captioned it: \"'I will throw you out of this museum with your naked breasts!' 'But I'm made of marble!' 'Oh sorry you're fine then.'\" The woman told the BBC she was \"stunned into silence\" by the request from a female member of staff. She said it was the first negative experience she has had in three-and-a-half years of breastfeeding. \"I had been attempting to be discreet and to feed under a cardigan, but with a distracted one-year-old it can be challenging. \"The staff member was friendly and polite, but obviously asking me to cover up was still intrusive, unpleasant and embarrassing for me, as well as obviously ludicrous.\" The mum said she felt it was important to highlight the incident because \"the shame and embarrassment caused by that kind of interjection when you are trying to feed could be crushing for a woman who was less Teflon than me\". She added: \"It could really badly affect someone's attempt to breastfeed if they were struggling with their confidence.\" Mr Hunt, a former Labour MP and shadow minister, apologised on twitter, saying: \"Very sorry. Our policy is clear. Women may breastfeed wherever they like, wherever they feel comfortable & should not be disturbed.\" The museum also tweeted an apology and said it was investigating the incident, adding: \"Women are welcome to breastfeed in the museum & we have quiet spaces for those who prefer privacy.\" The museum said its staff received regular customer service training and they will be reminded of their breastfeeding policy. The woman said she appreciated the apology and that the support she received on Twitter and the museum's response \"show that attitudes are on the most part positive\". She added: \"That said, clearly not everyone is aware of the legal protection that women are afforded when feeding in a public space. \"Policies are important, but they only work if staff are supported to understand and carry them out.\"", "summary": "The Victoria and Albert Museum has apologised after a mum said she was asked to \"cover up\" while breastfeeding on a visit to the London attraction."}
{"article": "Donald Trump has fixed on immigration as one of the causes of the tide of anger on which his campaign has risen. If it's not the threat to American jobs from an influx of cheap skilled labour, it's the steady flow from Mexico, much of it illegal, that he says is unsustainable. Hence his famous promise to build a 2000-mile wall, which has come to define his campaign. He is right that this nation of immigrants struggles with the question, and his proposed \"solution\" has now turned it into a dividing line that will help to shape the autumn campaign. There is a sour whiff in America of the European immigration debate: never before has it been used so deliberately to raise the political temperature. Mr Trump knew what he was doing, and it has worked. Donald Trump wants to deport every single illegal immigrant - could he? Trump's foreign policy: So crazy it just might work? Trump's immigration plan savaged by rivals Why Mexicans are troubled by Donald Trump But visit the border in southern California - where they say it is the busiest international crossing point in the world - and you witness the complexities, not the simplicities. I stood looking through the fence with border agent Chris Harris, and he told me: \"There's no silver bullet. No easy answer. A wall won't solve it.\" I spent a few hours with him on his stretch of the border, about 20 miles south of San Diego. He is an interesting witness - a Republican voter, who has worked all his life in law enforcement (he was a narcotics detective and then a prison officer in New York), the union representative for the border guards, who spends every day with his colleagues on the stretch of border running due east from the Pacific shore. When he arrived nearly 20 years ago, the border seemed hopelessly porous, with untold thousands of illegal immigrants crossing easily, slipping through the undergrowth, mounting elaborate deceptions to occupy the guards and bring whole parties over, squeezing through tunnels. That has changed. Chris Harris still reckons that 5,000 (and probably more) get through each year on the short six-mile stretch where we're walking - but compared with the past, that is a trickle. Across the rough terrain, roads have been built for patrols, navigable canyons blocked, and two fences built. They are dotted with repairs where illegal immigrants have cut through, and we handled one of the metal ladders designed to be hooked over the top and get a few people over in a few seconds in the dark. It is a cat-and-mouse game, constant and dangerous. And where many of the crossings in the past were by individuals desperate to find work, much of the traffic is now controlled by violent people-smuggling cartels who are running a big, nasty business. The drama on the border can easily be used to make it sound like a simple problem of law enforcement, and right and wrong. But there are problems apart from the fact that the agents believe a", "summary": "The Mexican border is a line that sends an electric charge through the US presidential campaign."}
{"article": "Some detainees began a hunger strike at Harmondsworth Detention Centre on Sunday in protest at living conditions. Earlier, they were filmed protesting in the exercise yard by aerial cameras. The Home Office said detention and removal were \"essential parts of effective immigration controls\" and it took detainees' welfare very seriously. The detention facility in West Drayton holds 615 men who are awaiting removal or deportation from the UK. A Home Office spokesman said: \"Detention is only ever used as a last resort after all attempts to encourage individuals to leave voluntarily have failed.\"", "summary": "About 100 men at the UK's largest detention centre have been spotted in the exercise yard and are believed to be protesting about living conditions."}
{"article": "Peter Dawson said he was also surprised to hear Rory McIlroy say he \"probably won't watch the golf\" from Rio on TV. \"Rory is entitled to his opinion but I found it disappointing,\" he said. McIlroy is one of a string of players who have pulled out of the Rio Games, citing concerns over the Zika virus. The world's top four - Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Northern Ireland's McIlroy - will all be missing after raising fears over the mosquito-borne virus, which has been linked to brain defects in newborn babies. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has said the withdrawals will be one of the factors taken into account when the roster of sports for the 2020 Games is confirmed next year. The Rio Games will see golf return to the Olympics after a 112-year absence. \"We have a great competition, the players are going to have a wonderful experience and the withdrawals are restricted to players from only four countries,\" Dawson said. \"I am very confident golf has a place in the Olympic programme and we will do everything we can to keep it there.\" The Olympics take place from 5 to 21 August, with the men's golf tournament running from 11 to 14 August.", "summary": "The absence of top players from the Olympics \"isn't going to help\" golf's case for staying at future Games, the president of the International Golf Federation has said."}
{"article": "The 18-year-old Manchester United supporter was watching at home in a village near Bingham, Nottinghamshire. He felt the red card shown to the United winger was a crime so called police. He later apologised for the call, saying he was caught up in the moment. Police will not take any action. The fan, who has not been named, called police at about 21:20 GMT during United's second leg clash against the Spanish giants. He was incensed by the referee's decision to show Nani the red card for a high challenge on Alvaro Arbeloa. Ch Insp Ted Antill said: \"While this recent example may be amusing, it illustrates the sort of insincere calls we have to deal with on a daily basis in the control room. \"They waste our time and they direct us away from genuine victims of crime, particularly if we dispatch officers out to something that turns out to be a bogus report.\" He warned that prank 999 calls were a crime and said people had been prosecuted in the past. \"It's no joke. In this case, the man realised his bad judgement and apologised and we decided not to pursue it further,\" he added. Nottinghamshire Police said it received 6,933 recorded hoax calls in 2012, which is about 2% of all reported incidents. Had Tuesday's 999 caller followed Sir Alex Ferguson's example, he would have avoided a police telling off - the Manchester United manager was said afterwards to be \"too distraught\" to speak about the match. The game turned after the dismissal of Portuguese winger Nani - whose real name is Luis Carlos Almeida da Cunha - with Real Madrid scoring two quick goals to win the match 2-1, knocking United out of the competition 3-2 on aggregate.", "summary": "A football fan was so disgusted with the referee's decision to send off Nani in Tuesday's Champions League clash with Real Madrid he called 999."}
{"article": "28 August 2016 Last updated at 12:38 BST Christopher Oates, who runs camel treks at Rosuick Farm on the Lizard Peninsula, said they were very sociable animals and would make great pets. He said a successful breeding season meant the farm had more camels than required. The camels, which range in age and trekking experience, are expected to sell for between \u00c2\u00a33,000 and \u00c2\u00a38,000.", "summary": "Up to 10 camels have been put up for sale at a farm in Cornwall."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Unseeded Puig, 22, beat the German world number two 6-4 4-6 6-1. Reigning Australian Open champion Kerber, 28, simply could not match the intensity of her younger opponent in the deciding set. Earlier, Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic beat USA's Madison Keys in three sets 7-5 2-6 6-2 to win bronze. \"It's just amazing,\" said Puig. \"I know my country really appreciates this and I wanted to give it to them. The way that I did it tonight, I wouldn't want it any other way.\" Puig, who was born in Puerto Rico but raised in Miami, added: \"I always have been 100% loyal to where I was born and the roots I was raised in. \"I still have family in Puerto Rico and I have been back to visit quite a lot. I think it honestly is my favourite place to go when I want to go to the beach or see family. \"That island has given me so much. So much love and support throughout my career and I just wanted this one for them.\" There will be a fifth Olympic medal for Venus Williams after the 36-year-old reached the mixed doubles final with Rajeev Ram. Williams, the singles champion in Sydney in 2000 and winner of three doubles golds with sister Serena, made early exits from the singles and women's doubles. But Williams and Ram defeated India's Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza in the mixed semi-finals, and will play fellow Americans Jack Sock and Bethanie Mattek-Sands for gold. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Monica Puig beat Angelique Kerber in three sets in the women's singles final to win Puerto Rico's first ever Olympic gold medal."}
{"article": "The Irish defender struck eight minutes from time after Danny Livesey looked to have put the hosts on course for victory with a headed opener three minutes earlier. Bluebirds forward Jordan Williams came closest to breaking the deadlock in a tight first half, firing his first opportunity over the crossbar before being denied by Macc goalkeeper Scott Flinders minutes later. Barrow, who were eight games unbeaten going into the game, eventually edged in front when captain Livesey rose to nod in Williams' 79th-minute cross. But they were denied all three points as Byrne grabbed his first goal of the season. Report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Barrow 1, Macclesfield Town 1. Second Half ends, Barrow 1, Macclesfield Town 1. Liam Hughes (Barrow) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Jack Mackreth replaces Jack Sampson. Goal! Barrow 1, Macclesfield Town 1. Neill Byrne (Macclesfield Town). Goal! Barrow 1, Macclesfield Town 0. Danny Livesey (Barrow). Substitution, Barrow. Andy Haworth replaces Richard Bennett. Second Half begins Barrow 0, Macclesfield Town 0. First Half ends, Barrow 0, Macclesfield Town 0. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Neill Byrne bundled home a late equaliser as Macclesfield rescued a draw at fellow National League high-flyers Barrow."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Captain Thiago Silva set Luiz Felipe Scolari's side on the way with an early goal, and Brazil looked to be set for a comfortable passage into the last four after David Luiz's brilliant second-half free-kick. In a magnificent atmosphere built on a cascade of colour and a wall of sound, new World Cup star James Rodriguez set up a thrilling finale when he pulled a goal back from the penalty spot with 10 minutes left. In a frantic closing phase, Colombia were unable to force the chance that could have brought extra time, and it is the hosts who will meet Germany in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday, a game which will be live on BBC One. \"It was a fantastic occasion and a great game. Not in terms of quality but in terms of endeavour and passion. \"The game was scrappy and bitty but Brazil wanted it that little bit more. Colombia were overawed from the beginning and lost the game after conceding the first goal. \"The South American way is win at all costs and you saw that today. Yes, they gave away fouls, yes David Luiz was trying to put James Rodriguez off for the penalty, but if Brazil win this World Cup playing like that nobody will be bothered. \"If they lose, different story.\" But Brazil will be without superstar and main striking hope Neymar, who has been ruled out of the World Cup with a fractured vertebra after being kneed in the back by Juan Zuniga. They will also be missing captain Thiago Silva, who is suspended after being booked. Colombia had complaints of their own, chiefly the lack of protection offered to Rodriguez, who was on the receiving end of some fierce challenges as Brazil sought to nullify his influence. He broke down in tears at the final whistle as he was consoled by the Brazil players who had offered him none of that commodity during a harrowing physical ordeal which proved he has the courage to go with his natural ability. Brazil and their supporters, in contrast, went wild with elation at the final whistle. The goal of reaching the final - and making up for the 1950 World Cup loss to Uruguay in Rio that is still one of this nation's darkest sporting days - lives on. Germany, who beat France 1-0 in their quarter-final, will need to show mental strength to cope with the tidal wave of emotion and support that Scolari hopes will carry Brazil to the Maracana a week on Sunday. Fortaleza offered up a cauldron of noise and a sea of yellow shirts in an atmosphere that ensured Brazil would launch into a series of adrenalin-fuelled attacks. Scolari's hope was to push Colombia into unknown territory and the strategy was helped by a goal built largely on defensive carelessness after seven minutes. Neymar's corner was a routine affair with little serious menace but it was allowed to drift to the far post, where Carlos Sanchez switched off to allow Silva to bundle home.", "summary": "Brazil secured a World Cup semi-final against Germany with victory over Colombia on a night of gripping tension and passion in Fortaleza."}
{"article": "The regulator said the bid did not comply with the laws of having its principal place of business in the Chinese territory. The city's other carriers had also objected, it said. Qantas said it would reconsider basing the low-cost carrier in Hong Kong. The carrier is a three-way joint venture between Qantas Airways, China Eastern Airlines and Hong Kong investment firm Shun Tak Holdings. \"Jetstar Hong Kong cannot make its decisions independently from that of the two foreign shareholders,\" said the Air Transport Licensing Authority when handing down its decision. It also said the city's other carriers, including Cathay Pacific and Dragon Airlines, had objected to Jetstar's application. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said the decision was disappointing for shareholders as well as \"for the travellers that Jetstar Hong Kong planned to serve\". \"It's the travelling public who have lost out, because the message from this decision is that Hong Kong appears closed to fresh aviation investment even when it is majority locally-owned and controlled,\" he said in a statement on Friday. He added that Hong Kong was going in the opposite direction of other aviation markets in Asia that were \"opening up\". \"Given the importance of aviation to global commerce, shutting the door to new competition can only serve the vested interests already installed in that market.\" The airline, along with its partners, said it had not yet decided on whether to appeal the decision. The joint venture was valued at $10m Australian dollars ($7.7m; \u00c2\u00a34.9m), according to Qantas. Shares of Qantas were down 1.4% in Sydney in reaction to the news.", "summary": "Hong Kong authorities have rejected an application by Qantas-backed Australian budget carrier Jetstar to set up a local airline, after nearly two years of deliberation."}
{"article": "He says there was no talk of heroics in the songs the soldiers were singing in the trenches or in the music halls back in Blighty. \"Another surprise was that there were very few songs with any animosity towards the Germans, who they were fighting,\" says McCalman. \"It was quite unbelievable that the wrath of the soldiers was directed at their own Command.\" Last week, England's education secretary Michael Gove sparked a heated debate when he hit out at \"left-wing academics\" and TV comedies and dramas which had led people to view the conflict as a \"misbegotten shambles - a series of catastrophic mistakes perpetrated by an out-of-touch elite\". McCalman, whose show Far Far From Ypres will be performed at Celtic Connections later, says the theme of disillusionment with their situation and their commanders carries through all the songs, the poetry and the letters of the time. One song - Hanging on the Old Barbed Wire - asks why various army members are not to be found in the combat zone or anywhere near the trenches. The popular song has the quarter-master \"miles and miles behind the line\", the Sergeant-major is \"stealing the privates' rum\" and the Commissioned Officer is \"down in a deep dug-out\". The final line of the song asks, where are the \"old battalion\"? It answers poignantly: \"They're hanging on the old barbed wire.\" It is a simple song, says McCalman, but one of the saddest in the show. Far Far From Ypres began life as an album of songs and poems from WW1, which were recorded by Scottish folk singers. McCalman, who says he is \"not very proud\" to admit that he knew very little about World War One or its songs before he began the project, was then inspired to write a narrative around the songs. It tells the story of Jimmy MacDonald who \"comes from any village, town or city\" in Scotland. Everyman Jimmy is full of enthusiasm and joins up as soon as he can, as so many did. Jimmy gets his basic training on Salisbury Plain before heading off to the trenches of Flanders field. The show, which is narrated by broadcaster Iain Anderson, features 28 of the finest singers from the Celtic Connections family, such as Barbara Dickson and Dick Gaughan. It will play out at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall against a backdrop of images from the war. It was such a success when first performed in 2012 that it has been brought back to the festival to mark 100 years since the start of the \"war to end all wars\". McCalman says the show is a labour of love for the performers, whom he jokes are \"appearing for World War One wages\". The songs, simple as many of them are, give a vivid insight into the attitudes and concerns of the troops in the trenches, he says. \"They survived on bitter humour. They just had to grin and bear it. \"The simplest song of the whole lot was called 'We are here because we're here'.\" This song just repeats its title over", "summary": "The songs of World War 1 often speak of disillusionment, bitterness, boredom and a very dark sense of humour, says Scottish folk singer and producer Ian McCalman."}
{"article": "Tower Hamlets Council said it would sell Draped Seated Woman after \"unprecedented\" budget cuts. The work has not yet been valued but a Moore sold for \u00a317m earlier this year. The council said the rising threat of metal theft and vandalism made it too expensive to insure if it was on show. The sculpture was bought by the former London County Council for \u00a36,000 in 1960. The bronze sculpture, nicknamed Old Flo, was installed on the Stifford council estate in 1962 but was vandalised and moved to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in 1997. A council spokesperson said: \"With unprecedented cuts to council budgets, the council finds itself in a difficult situation and being forced to make hard decisions. \"As the borough does not have the funds required to insure or maintain the upkeep of the work, releasing these necessary funds will enable the council to support front-line services.\" Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman added: \"It is with great regret that I take this decision but we are faced with a stark choice in these times of recession.\" The sculpture is expected to be auctioned by Christie's in February. No valuation has been made but Tower Hamlets said estimates had ranged from \u00a34m-\u00a317m. The council is having to make cuts of \u00a3100m per year over the next three years. Richard Calvocoressi, director of the Henry Moore Foundation, said he sympathised with the council's position but added that it would be \"very sad\" if the sculpture was no longer on public display. Metal theft has become a major problem in recent years. In 2005, a large Moore work was taken from the foundation in Hertfordshire, while a sundial by the artist was removed from the same location this July. Last December, a bronze work by Barbara Hepworth was stolen from Dulwich Park in south London. Tower Hamlets Council had considered moving Draped Seated Woman to private land in Canary Wharf but has instead chosen to \"explore options\" for a sale. The auction of council artworks to meet budget shortfalls is normally frowned upon in the art world. The last significant case was in 2006, when Bury Council was expelled from the Museums Association for selling an LS Lowry painting for \u00a31.4m. The Museums Association said it could not act in this instance because Draped Seated Woman was an individual piece of public art and not part of a museum collection.", "summary": "A major Henry Moore sculpture is to be sold by a London council to pay for front-line services after it was decided that it could not be safely displayed on council land."}
{"article": "The cooling-off period for an online order has been extended to 14 calendar days from seven working days. Shoppers can claim a full refund during this period without having to give a reason for the cancellation. Companies must also offer phone lines that cost no more than a local call for customer inquiries or complaints. The rules see the final stage of implementation of the EU Consumer Rights Directive. The regulations cover a number of areas of consumer rights, including the introduction of a cooling-off period for digital music, films and books for the first time. Retailers must not supply the content within the 14-day cancellation period unless the consumer has given their express consent to this happening, and the consumer must also acknowledge that once the download starts they will lose their right to cancel. Any extra charges for those buying with a debit or credit card must be clear from the start, the rules state. The rules should bring an end to calls that can cost up to 41p a minute, for those trying to make a complaint. Companies will still be able to use phone numbers that carry higher charge rates when customers are purchasing goods or services, but not when they call afterwards to raise questions or complaints about them.", "summary": "Online shoppers now have longer to cancel orders while complaints calls should be cheaper, under laws that take effect on Friday."}
{"article": "Households were sent a leaflet giving \"three reasons to back Beverley Nielsen for West Midlands Labour mayor\". One reason not to do so would be that Ms Nielsen was actually standing for the Liberal Democrats. A campaign spokesman said the leaflet had been created by the local party - the Hall Green group. Read more Birmingham and Black Country stories Ms Nielsen said: \"This leaflet was home published by a volunteer, not professionally published. It's clearly a mistake that is embarrassing to the person who made it, so we're not going to investigate further or name and shame. \"Our mayoral campaign relies heavily on volunteers and doesn't have the luxury of the big budget funding that some of the other candidates have, so I'm very grateful that supporters are contributing their time and effort in the Lib Dem fight back.\" Other candidates include Graham Stevenson (Communist Party), Andy Street (Conservatives), James Burn (Green), Sion Simon (Labour) and Pete Durnell (UKIP). They are bidding to become the first elected mayor of the West Midlands, leading the Combined Authority. The polls open on 4 May.", "summary": "A Lib Dem mayoral candidate was mistakenly billed in campaign material as standing for Labour."}
{"article": "Alan Cronin, 60, from Guilden Sutton, near Chester, was found with serious injuries near Rossett flyover on the A483 Wrexham bypass on Thursday. Polish national Damian Niepieklo, 22, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, failing to stop and failing to report an accident. He was remanded in custody to appear before magistrates on Monday. Mr Cronin, died following the collision at Junction 7 of the northbound carriageway at about 14.20 BST. Ch Insp Darren Wareing repeated an earlier appeal for witnesses, urging anyone with information to get in contact via the 101 line. In a tribute, the family of Mr Cronin, a member of Chester Triathlon Club, described him as the \"best possible dad, husband, brother and partner to have, willing to do anything for anyone\".", "summary": "A man has been charged in connection with the death of a cyclist in a Wrexham crash, say North Wales Police."}
{"article": "Their report has recommended sentencing statements by judges and sheriffs could be shown. The review group, chaired by Lady Dorrian, also backed the idea of live tweeting by reporters in court. But they said broadcasting or recording of cases involving children, sexual offences and vulnerable witnesses should not be allowed. Lord President Lord Gill, Scotland's most senior judge, ordered the review because technology had changed dramatically in the 20 years since broadcasters were first allowed to televise some proceedings. Three or four applications are submitted each year to film in court, but permission has rarely been given. Lord Gill said: \"I am grateful to Lady Dorrian and her group for having carried out this exercise so thoroughly. \"These well-considered recommendations have the support of the judges. I accept all of the recommendations. \"They are entirely appropriate in the contemporary world. My office will now prepare guidance on the implementation of Lady Dorrian's report.\" The recommendations of the report include: A total of 17 individuals and organisations responded to a consultation process during the preparation of the report. The report has been welcomed by the Faculty of Advocates. Its dean, James Wolffe QC, said: \"In keeping with his vision of an open and accessible justice system - a vision which I share - the Lord President has made an important announcement about televising the courts. \"While there must be safeguards to protect the interests of justice, public understanding of the work of the courts - which is fundamental to our democracy - will be enhanced by these proposals, and I welcome them.\" The Law Society of Scotland has also backed the proposals. Fiona Robb, secretary to the Law Society of Scotland's Civil Justice Committee, said: \"Used responsibly, cameras in court and the use of features like live tweeting will help to demystify the law, allowing the public to gain insight into the process and improve access to justice. \"While we have previously expressed concerns about significantly increasing the jurisdiction limit of the Court of Session and the huge impact that it is likely to have on Scotland's sheriff courts, we do believe that there will be significant improvements to the running of our courts as a result of these reforms.\"", "summary": "Some court cases could be shown live on television under proposals put forward by Scotland's judges."}
{"article": "Shortly after 22:35 BST, the streets of the city centre were suddenly lit up in blue flashing lights, and helicopters buzzed overhead. It was obvious from the beginning that this was incredibly serious. Closer to the arena, dozens of people could be seen streaming away in confusion, unsure what they were running from. Once at a safe distance, some stopped to sit and rest, many of them in tears, and to telephone relatives. Manchester Arena blast: 19 dead and more than 50 hurt Manchester explosion: Latest updates 'Some of the people looked dead' One mother who attended the concert by US singer Ariana Grande told the BBC her priority was simply getting her daughters home. Other people were more candid, and spoke of seeing people left \"covered in blood\", as they desperately tried to flee a scene of \"chaos\". Coats and mobile phones were reportedly left strewn on the arena floor as people dumped their possessions and ran. Paramedics were quickly at the scene, treating the injured. College student Sebastian Diaz, 19, travelled to the concert from Newcastle. \"Ariana Grande had just finished her last song and there was a huge bang,\" he said. \"I just saw running and it was just instinct to run with them. \"We actually ended up in a corridor and it was a dead end. It was terrifying. \"I found the main doors and people were crying everywhere. Back at the hotel people were crying and on their phones.\" Calvin Welsford, 18, travelled to the concert from Bristol, and described initially running down a corridor and also hitting a dead end. He said: \"I was in the front row and it seemed to happen at the very back of the arena. \"It almost sounded like a gunshot. That's how I would describe it. It was very loud. \"I looked around and people were just spilling down, heading out of the building. \"It was sheer panic. Security told us we needed to leave but they were very caring. People were crying.\" A wide area around the venue was quickly cordoned off, and the crime scene later appeared to widen with police pushing people further and further back. Police officers cut a calm and reassuring tone, and urged people to move away. One thing that has been apparent is the many young people who had attended the event, some of them with parents or guardians. There was a huge sense of confusion with dozens of people seen searching for information on their phones. Some shops and takeaways in the busy city centre area around the Arena appeared to be handing out drinks, while taxis swarmed to the area to help take people away.", "summary": "People have described the \"sheer panic\" of the Manchester Arena blast that left 19 dead, more than 50 injured and survivors fleeing for their lives."}
{"article": "Terry Taylor, 59, of Oldham, Greater Manchester, was found at the Globe Hotel in Main Street, Cockermouth, early on 31 May. He was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. Michael Sanderson, 31, of Arkleby Hall Cottages, Arkleby, Aspatria, previously denied murder at Carlisle Crown Court. He was jailed at Manchester Crown Court and must serve at least 14 years. Cumbria Det Ch Insp Roy Ledingham, said: \"Terry died as a result of severe trauma to the head caused by a serious and sustained assault, and today Sanderson has been brought before the courts to answer for this terrible crime. \"Nothing will ever bring Terry back to life, however I hope today's result will provide his family with some closure. Our thoughts remain with them during this difficult time.\"", "summary": "A man has been jailed for life for the murder of a retired paramedic at a Cumbria hotel."}
{"article": "Daniel Mason, who works for William Graham, said he had not \"fully understood\" the meaning of the speech. Mr Powell was sacked as shadow defence secretary after his 1968 speech criticising the level of immigration. In a Facebook post, Mr Mason asked if Mr Powell had been a \"mad racist\" or a \"visionary\". The post was removed. A Conservative MP for Wolverhampton South West, Mr Powell spoke of his concerns about immigration, claiming that \"British\" families could lose out on matters such as housing, resulting in racial tension. Quoting Virgil's Aeneid during a speech in Birmingham, he said: \"As I look ahead, I am filled with foreboding. Like the Roman, I seem to see 'the River Tiber foaming with much blood'.\" The then Tory leader Edward Heath sacked Mr Powell from his front bench team, telling the BBC: \"I believed his speech was inflammatory and liable to damage race relations.\" Despite widespread condemnation, the MP said he received about 100,000 letters from ordinary people backing his comments. Mr Mason had written on Facebook: \"Enoch Powell gave a speech 'Rivers of Blood'.. worth reading today.. 'blood on the streets' the rantings of a mad racist? or a visionary?\" He later said: \"I want to apologise unreservedly for this Facebook post. \"Ignorance is no excuse but had I fully understood the meaning behind the speech I would never have shared it.\" A spokesman for Mr Graham said: \"This misinformed, disappointing and deeply disrespectful post is unacceptable and totally at odds with the views of any right-thinking person. \"Clearly this is a matter for William as the employer and he will be taking appropriate action.\"", "summary": "An aide to a Tory AM has apologised for a social media post after the Paris attacks referring to Enoch Powell's notorious \"rivers of blood\" speech."}
{"article": "Leading an opposition day debate on education and social mobility, Ms Rayner urged ministers to drop plans to expand the grammar system. She called for a more wide-ranging approach to improving standards. Education Secretary Justine Greening said grammars boosted social mobility. Speaking in the Commons, Ms Rayner said: \"The purpose of today's debate is to send a message that members of all parties are committed to an evidence-based approach to education policy and not pursuing the failed policy of academic selection - because we know that this policy is not the answer to Britain's social mobility crisis and the government knew that too until very recently.\" She said: \"Already in the consultation document launched in November, the government pledged \u00c2\u00a350m to help existing grammar schools expand. \"The same green paper made a series of substantial un-costed pledges to those schools that want to become grammars, or the academy chains that want to open them. \"Now, just this weekend, government sources have briefed the Sunday Times that there will be tens of millions more to help grammar schools expand. \"The idea that this is the way the government should spend taxpayers' money is simply baffling when nurseries across the country are facing closure because the government will not deliver the investment needed to deliver on their manifesto pledge to deliver 30 hours of free childcare a week, when our schools are facing deeper cuts in their budgets than any time since the 1970s.\" But Ms Greening said the expansion of selective education could help promote social mobility. \"In reality, as challenging as it is for our country, there is no country in this world that has managed to crack the issue of social mobility yet,\" she said. \"The reality is that grammars can have potentially a transformational impact in some of the most deprived communities where we want to see the biggest changes.\" Later in the debate, Conservative MP for Croydon South, Chris Philp, spoke of \"the terrible, terrible unfairness that in our system today, very often, the only way to be sure of an outstanding education is to pay for it - either by going private or buying a much more expensive house in the catchment area of a good school\". He said: \"And it is a disgrace that the only way to be sure of an academically elite education is to pay for it today.\" Mr Philp also cited evidence he said suggested children from \"ordinary\" backgrounds did better in grammar schools. White boys from under-privileged backgrounds who attended a grammar school had a \"30% higher chance of going to university\" than those who did not,\" he said. But former shadow education secretary Lucy Powell accused him of \"absolutely rubbishing\" the existing system. Intervening in Mr Philp's speech, Ms Powell said: \"I think any parent or teacher watching this and hearing somebody from the government benches saying that the only way to guarantee an excellent education is to pay for it is absolutely rubbishing our excellent education system.\" Former Tory cabinet minister and MP for Wokingham John Redwood said new grammar", "summary": "Allocating cash for the expansion of grammar schools in England when other parts of the education sector face funding concerns is \"baffling\", shadow education secretary Angela Rayner says."}
{"article": "Antonio rose highest at the back post to head in Gokhan Tore's cross and decide a game of few chances. The goal came eight minutes after Bournemouth's Harry Arter was sent off for a second bookable offence. Cherries goalkeeper Artur Boruc saved well from Enner Valencia in the first half, while Adrian denied Joshua King. A club-record 56,977 supporters were in attendance as West Ham played their first league match at their new home, having left Upton Park at the end of last season. As the players came on to the pitch, the traditional bubbles were blown in to the air and their club song played over the tannoy. For the most part the home supporters were fairly quiet, though, with the vast arena meaning they are not as close to the pitch. In fact, the noise levels were so low the travelling Bournemouth contingent chanted \"is this the Emirates?\" in reference to the atmosphere at Arsenal's stadium. But having seen their team concede late in Monday's league defeat by Chelsea and Thursday's Europa League qualifying draw with Astra Giurgiu, the Hammers fans had a late goal of their own to cheer when Antonio nodded in. Bournemouth's start to the season will concern manager Eddie Howe. The Cherries have lost their opening two games to slip to the bottom of the table. They created very little against West Ham and tested goalkeeper Adrian just twice through King - the second in stoppage time when the Spaniard got down well to save. Club-record signing Jordon Ibe showed flashes of his talent with his direct running, but fluffed a big chance in the second half when he squared the ball rather than shooting when in front goal. Once midfielder Arter was dismissed - his first yellow card for dissent towards the assistant referee, and second for dragging back Cheikhou Kouyate - Bournemouth dropped closer to their own area and were soon punished. Media playback is not supported on this device West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: \"It was difficult, we knew it would be. The guys did brilliantly. Bournemouth were better than us in the first 15 minutes of the second half but they didn't hurt us. \"We just deserved it. We were pushing and wanted it more. We're delighted to end the first game at this beautiful stadium with a win and a clean sheet.\" Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe: \"It was a tight game with little goalmouth action. It was going to swing on a moment of brilliance or a mistake. Unfortunately the mistake for us was going down to 10 men. \"We've been told about dissent - it's been drilled into us. If we lose our discipline we could have a flurry of red cards. Unfortunately we fell victim to that. The first booking has really cost us.\" Media playback is not supported on this device West Ham host Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the second leg of their Europa League qualifying play-off match on Thursday (kick-off 19:45 BST). The match is tied 1-1 after the first leg. Bournemouth travel to Morecambe in", "summary": "Michail Antonio scored five minutes from time to give West Ham victory over Bournemouth in the first Premier League match at the London Stadium."}
{"article": "The worst-affected state was Puebla in central Mexico, where at least 28 people were killed after torrential rains set off mudslides. Puebla Governor Rafael Moreno Valle said dogs had been brought in to search for those missing. Officials said some outlying areas had not yet been reached. At least 40 people have been confirmed dead after Tropical Storm Earl moved over Mexico on Saturday. Earl had earlier hit Belize and Guatemala in Central America. But it was in the Mexican states of Puebla, Veracruz and Hidalgo where its heavy rains caused most damage. Among those killed in Puebla were 15 children who died when their homes were buried by mud which slid down the rain-soaked hills. A whole hill collapsed near Huauchinango, sweeping down on a nearby village. \"It is a tragedy what has happened to our people in Huauchinango,\" Mayor Gabriel Alvarado said. About two hundred people were left homeless in the state of Puebla alone. In neighbouring Veracruz, 11 people were killed and in Hidalgo a 15-year-old died in hospital after being pulled from the mud. More than 10,000 people were affected and 18 villages remained cut off in the eastern state. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned of another storm approaching Mexico. It said Tropical Storm Javier could strengthen into a hurricane by Monday afternoon local time. \"On the forecast track, the centre of the tropical cyclone should pass near or over the southwest coast of Mexico later today, and approach the southern portion of Baja California peninsula on Monday,\" the NHC said.", "summary": "Emergency workers in Mexico are searching for survivors after landslides killed dozens in the wake of Tropical Storm Earl."}
{"article": "Mr Osborne, in Brussels for a meeting of finance ministers, said the UK would be \"constructive but firm\" in talks with EU leaders. The UK has said it will not take part in any EU scheme to relocate migrants travelling across the Mediterranean. The Home Office said it opposed a \"mandatory system of resettlement\". The European Commission is to propose that EU member countries take in refugees under a quota scheme in the wake of the deaths of more than 800 people in a single incident when their boat capsized last month. The United Nations estimates that 60,000 people have attempted to make the journey from North Africa to southern Europe on people smuggling boats this year already. The Home Office said the UK had a \"proud history\" of granting asylum to refugees from conflict zones and victims of persecution and would continue to support existing search and rescue efforts in the Mediterranean. But it said its focus was on identifying and detaining people traffickers, improving co-operation between law enforcement agencies and making the removal of illegal immigrants more effective. \"When a new piece of legislation in the area of justice and home affairs - including asylum policy - is proposed, the UK can choose whether or not to participate in it,\" a spokesman said. \"We will not participate in any legislation imposing a mandatory system of resettlement or relocation.\" Prime Minister David Cameron has said he is confident he can secure a \"better deal\" for the UK in Europe, focused on returning powers to the UK Parliament, tightening welfare rules for EU migrants, accelerating the single market across Europe and ensuring the UK is not bound by moves to \"ever-closer union\" with the other 27 EU members. Speaking ahead of the Ecofin meeting in Brussels, Mr Osborne said no-one should underestimate the government's determination to improve Britain's relationship with the EU and to hold a referendum by the end of 2017. \"We come here with a very clear mandate to improve Britain's relationship with the rest of the European Union and to reform the European Union so that it creates jobs and increases living standards for all its citizens,\" he said. \"We go into the negotiations aiming to be constructive and engaged but also resolute and firm and no-one should underestimate our determination to succeed for the working people of Britain and and the working people of the whole of the European Union.\" Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, has said he will work constructively to try to secure a \"fair deal\" for the UK and other members and has not ruled out changes to existing EU treaties before 2020. However, other EU governments have said they will not countenance any changes to freedom-of-movement rules, enabling citizens of EU countries to live and work in other nations. The BBC's Alex Forsyth said that although the prospect of a referendum in the UK was not on the agenda during Tuesday's meeting it was certain to be have been discussed on the sidelines. And Austrian finance minister Hans Joerg Schelling has", "summary": "Chancellor George Osborne has said the new Conservative government has a \"very clear mandate\" to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the European Union."}
{"article": "Dean Saunders, 25, died at HMP Chelmsford, Essex, in January 2016. He had been arrested after he stabbed his father during a paranoid episode. Kathy Goodchild, clinical team leader at the prison, told the inquest into his death that psychiatrists were not always present during reviews of care given to vulnerable prisoners. LIVE: For more on this and other Essex stories She told how when she was involved in a review of Mr Saunders' care on 20 December 2015 he eventually told her he did not intend to harm himself. However, she said better psychiatric cover was needed and there was \"not always a psychiatrist on call\" for things like approving medication. She wrote on 20 December that Mr Saunders should be seen by a psychiatrist the next day but that did not take place. \"Any review,\" she said, \"should be done by people who actually have got the information.\" She said Mr Saunders' family - who have strongly criticised the prison service for not watching him more closely - had raised concerns about him harming himself with her. However, she said: \"I can't put people on constant watch because of families, it has to be on presentation or harm.\" The hearing continues.", "summary": "Better psychiatric cover is needed at a prison where an inmate was found electrocuted in his cell, an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "He accepted that he made contact with Sophie Cahill's face when he flailed his arms during a scuffle. But he told Croydon Magistrates' Court it was accidental. Ms Cahill, of Cwmbran, Torfaen, said Mr Bowers had hit her in the face, bloodying her nose, and had pulled her hair and squeezed her throat. Asked by John Blandford, defending, if it was true that he had beaten her up, the former Another Level singer said: \"No, of course not.\" The court has been told that the incident in January happened after Ms Cahill quizzed him about why he had glitter on his face. She became suspicious after spotting it as she tried to wake Mr Bowers. The couple had already split up but were living separately in the home they shared with Bowers' parents in Croydon, south London. Ms Cahill said after she pointed out the glitter, he launched an attack in which he grabbed her by the shoulders, threw her out of a bedroom and hit her in the face, giving her a bloody nose, pulled her hair and squeezed her throat. Mr Bowers, 35, who denies one count of assault by beating, said he had been to a circus-themed nightclub the previous evening because he was trying to help a friend get a job. He says he got home at 02:00 or 03:00 GMT and spent time talking with his father. The trial is ongoing.", "summary": "Pop singer Dane Bowers has denied assaulting his ex-girlfriend, saying he was acting in self-defence when he hit her."}
{"article": "The fee for the 19-year-old will be decided by a tribunal, with Liverpool expected to pay around \u00a33m. Solanke, who is currently part of England's squad at the under-20 World Cup in South Korea, spent the 2015-16 season on loan at Vitesse Arnhem, scoring seven goals in 25 games. He made one senior Chelsea appearance. As Solanke is older than 17 and will sign a professional contract, Liverpool's transfer embargo, which is enforced on signing academy players from other England clubs for two years, will not apply. Celtic were also understood to be interested in Solanke, whose only Chelsea game came as a substitute in a Champions League victory against NK Maribor in October 2014. Solanke will officially become a Liverpool player on 1 July. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Liverpool are to sign Chelsea's teenage forward Dominic Solanke after he failed to agree a contract with the Premier League champions."}
{"article": "MiHomecare had not been paying employees to travel between clients, meaning their hourly rates of pay did not comply with the legal minimum. Richie Lewis, of the Unison union, said the firm was \"rectifying systemic errors\" and valuing its staff. MiHomecare said it had taken steps to ensure there were no future problems. Unison said, typically, care providers do not pay their employees to travel between clients and Mr Lewis urged other companies to review pay procedures. \"Home carers work long hours under increasingly difficult conditions and it is often the case that they end up out of pocket in order to provide the level of care that their clients need,\" he added. MiHomecare, which operates Village Home Care, employs 6,000 home care workers in England and Wales who look after 10,000 elderly, disabled and infirm people. The company, said it had completed a comprehensive review of payments for all of its care workers \"to be absolutely certain that they are treated fairly and that we comply with wage legislation\". \"We have found some errors in calculating travel time pay and we have decided to make a one-off payment to all affected people,\" a spokeswoman said. \"Additionally we took steps in June 2015 to ensure that this should not be an issue in future by revising some pay rates and amending care rosters.\"", "summary": "About 100 home care workers in Swansea and Carmarthenshire are to be paid up to \u00a32,500 each after a company breached minimum wage rules."}
{"article": "Known as the Queen of Ranthambore, Machli was described as one of the world's most photographed tigers. She had distinctive fish-shaped markings on the left side of her face. She featured in many documentaries and amazed viewers when her fight with a 14-foot crocodile was caught on film. She was one of the biggest draws for thousands of tourists visiting Ranthambore National Park, India has more than half the world's tigers, at 2,226 in the latest estimate. Machli was found starving and lying on her side near the park's boundary in northern Rajasthan state. She had not eaten in days, officials said. \"We were trying to provide her treatment but she died,\" Ranthambore tiger project director Yogesh Kumar Sahu told AFP news agency. \"It was a natural death linked to her age.\" Machli had slowed down in recent years and lost almost all of her teeth, according to the park's website. Her death has made headlines in India, and fans have taken to social media to pay their respects to the Queen of Ranthambore. She was named Machli, the Hindi word for fish, because of the markings on her face. Natural World BBC photo credit: MACHLI - TIGER QUEEN/Natural World/Mike Birkhead Associates/BBC", "summary": "India's most famous tiger, 19-year-old Machli, has died, officials say."}
{"article": "Christophe Hillairet expressed concern that food produced outside the European Union could easily cross a \"soft\" Irish border and enter EU markets. He is the president of the Chamber of Agriculture of Ile de France. However, his comments were criticised as \"disappointingly self-centred\" by an Irish dairy industry leader. Speaking to the Agra Europe website, [\u00c2\u00a3] Mr Hillairet said he was worried that the British government will sign deals to import food from Commonwealth countries post-Brexit and that those products could then be transported across a future EU land border via Northern Ireland. \"Ireland is a big problem but for the French farmer, we will need to have a hard border between the north and the Republic, as otherwise we will have a lot of products that will cross from north to south. \"That would be very dangerous for our producers.\" Both the British and Irish governments have repeatedly said they do not want a return to a hard border on the island of Ireland, expressing concerns over the potential impact on the economy and the Northern Ireland peace process. However, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has said that there will have to be some form of customs controls along the Irish border after Brexit. On a two-day visit to the Republic of Ireland last week, Mr Barnier said: \"We want to find solutions without rebuilding any kind of hard border, but we have to find solutions also compatible with the single market.\" Mr Hillairet has been president of the Chamber of Agriculture of Ile de France since 2006. He told Agra Europe that he believed it was \"simply not possible to have a soft Brexit and still maintain the advantage which the EU has a trading bloc\". He urged remaining EU member states to \"work together to protect Europe\". Mr Hillairet's remarks were criticised by the president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), John Comer. He argued that the interests of Irish border communities, who had suffered during Northern Ireland's Trouble, must also be protected. Mr Comer said that \"with respect to our French friends, we would prefer them to reflect on the common good and not just on their own particular sectoral anxieties\".", "summary": "The president of a French farming union has called for the re-introduction of a hard border between Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland after Brexit."}
{"article": "Monsignor Angel Lucio Vallejo Balda has said he was manipulated by a woman co-defendant with whom he was romantically entangled. He was questioned as the so-called Vatileaks II trial resumed. It centres on two books that depict a Vatican plagued by graft and where Pope Francis faces resistance to his agenda. The books came out last year and were based on the leaked information. The five people on trial face jail terms of up to eight years. Leaks lift lid on Pope Francis's financial fight Vatican reforms may be starting to bite Mr Vallejo Balda, 54, was questioned for three hours and most of his testimony revolved around his relationship with Francesca Chaouqui, 35, a married public relations consultant. They were members of a now-defunct commission appointed by Pope Francis to tackle the Vatican's financial holdings and propose reforms to improve cash flow to the poor. \"Yes, I passed documents,\" Mr Vallejo Balda told the court in Spanish. He also admitted to giving one of the authors some 87 passwords to access electronic documents and email accounts in the Vatican. The priest said his actions were the result of a combination of sexual tension and blackmail by Ms Chaouqui, who claimed she was a spy with Italy's secret services. Saying he felt \"compromised\" as a priest, Mr Vallejo Balda recounted how she once entered his room in a Florence hotel. The priest, at one point, described the feeling of being \"in a situation with no way out\". In the testimony, he also said he received threatening messages from Ms Chaouqui and her husband, especially after the commission's work was over. Ms Chaouqui, who is in late pregnancy, attended the hearing and is expected to give evidence next week. She denies accusations of conspiring with Mr Vallejo Balda and his assistant Nicola Maio to leak information they had access to as members of the commission. The two journalists on trial, Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipaldi, wrote the books Avarice and Merchants in the Temple. They are accused of putting pressure on the priest and Ms Chaouqui to get the documents, allegation both journalists deny. The five are on trial under a legislation criminalising the leaking of documents, introduced in 2013 after a scandal known as the first Vatileaks.", "summary": "A Spanish priest has admitted to leaking classified Vatican documents to journalists, saying he had felt intimidated."}
{"article": "The man was hit by a vehicle also involved in the road repairs on Calderwood Road at about 16:30 on Saturday. Police said he had died at the scene. No-one else was injured. Firefighters and an air ambulance was sent to the scene. The Health and Safety Executive and South Lanarkshire Roads Department have been informed. A Police Scotland spokesman added: \"A full investigation into the circumstances of the incident is now under way. \"A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.\"", "summary": "A worker has been killed after being hit by a truck during resurfacing work in East Kilbride."}
{"article": "Khashayar Ghaharian called another member of staff a \"cockroach\" in his native Farsi, a Medical Practitioners Tribunal heard. It also found he asked staff about their sex lives and made references to his sexual activities on holiday. In total, 22 misconduct allegations against the Nottingham GP were proved. Live updates and more from Nottinghamshire The retired physician, whose surgery closed despite protests from patients, now has 28 days to appeal. The hearing considered allegations relating to a period between 2006 and 2012 at the Wollaton Vale Health Centre. It heard Mr Ghaharian said he \"hated\" a doctor at another practice in the same building and said he hoped he died. Another complaint included having called a receptionist \"thick\" and throwing prescriptions on the floor for her to pick up. The tribunal report concluded: \"It is clear that Dr Ghaharian's conduct has breached a number of the principles... and did not meet the standards expected of a registered medical practitioner. \"His unsavoury, bullying, harassing and deeply unpleasant conduct can readily be described as deplorable.\" The report also noted the NHS had been forced to apologise to Mr Ghaharian after an investigation into alleged fictitious clinics. It had been claimed that he had made up clinics on his computer in September 2012 in order to make it look like he had carried out work that he had not done. However it still ruled against the former doctor in that he asked others to provide false statements to the investigation.", "summary": "A \"deplorable\" doctor has been struck off for calling his receptionist \"the fat blob\" and using expletives to describe patients."}
{"article": "Sundowns went to Uganda leading 2-1 from last weekend's home leg, with the Kampala City outfit buoyed by their away goal. It was KCCA who went ahead in the second leg of the last-32 tie, leaving the defending champions stunned. Geoffrey Sserunkuma, who had scored in all three of Kampala City's African Champions League games during this campaign, netted again after half an hour to make it 1-0 on the day and 2-2 on aggregate. Crucially, because of their away-goal, that strike also meant that if the score stayed that way, KCCA would oust the holders and advance to the last sixteen. However, the hosts' fairy-tale run came to an end ten minutes from time when substitute Anthony Laffor of Liberia smashed the ball into the net to equalise and give Sundowns a 3-2 aggregate lead. That was how the match ended, with Laffor later revealing what his coach Pitso Mosimane had urged him to do before coming off the bench. \"I'm happy to have been trusted to make the difference,\" Laffor said on Sundowns' official twitter feed. \"The coach said to me that I must get in the box and fight,\" the Liberian added. Elsewhere on Saturday, Bakry Al Madina scored a hat-trick as Al Merrikh of Sudan trounced Rivers United of Nigeria 4-0 snatch a group place. Merrikh qualified 4-3 on aggregate after a dramatic recovery from a three-goal first leg loss last weekend in the last-32 tie. Experienced Al Madina opened the scoring after eight minutes in Omdurman and completed his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time. Substitute Mohamed Abdulrahman scored the fourth Sudanese goal 18 minutes from time with his first touch of the ball. Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, who reached the semi-finals last year, edged Mounana of Gabon 5-4 on penalties after losing 1-0 in Libreville. Hamidou Sinayoko forced a shootout by scoring four minutes into stoppage time, but Zouheir Laaroubi saved the third Gabonese spot-kick. The other Moroccan challengers, FUS Rabat, defeated Al Ahly Tripoli of Libya 3-1, but were eliminated on away goals. After Brahim El Bahri bagged a brace to give FUS a two-goal lead by the break, Mouayad Ali halved the deficit three minutes into the second half. USM Alger of Algeria, the 2015 runners-up, secured a group slot despite playing 65 minutes with 10 men in a 1-0 defeat by Rail Kadiogo in Burkina Faso. Amir Sayoud, who scored in a 2-0 first leg win by USM, was sent off after two yellow cards and Mohamed Kahan scored the Kadiogo goal on 53 minutes. Hopes of a Madagascar club reaching the group stage for the first time were dashed when CNaPS Sport were held 1-1 by Coton Sport of Cameroon in Antananarivo. Coton took a 1-0 first leg lead and doubled their overall advantage when Souleymanou Moussa struck on the hour mark. Zanaco of Zambia were another team to progress, although they could only draw 0-0 with Young Africans of Tanzania in Lusaka. The Zambians won on away goals after drawing 1-1 in Dar es Salaam a week ago. Another nine second", "summary": "The African Champions League title-holders, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, survived a scare in Kampala on Saturday as they drew 1-1 at KCCA to progress to the group phase of this year's competition."}
{"article": "Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan travelled aboard the first train in the service from Ankara, stopping at a town en route to make a campaign speech. The tracks allow trains to reach speeds of up to 250 km (155 miles) per hour. Mr Erdogan, a candidate in presidential elections in August, has pledged to overhaul Turkey's transport network. \"We made a promise. We worked hard. We crossed the mountains, and passed over rivers,\" Mr Erdogan said, at a campaign stop in the town of Eskisehir. \"Despite all the attempts of sabotage, blockade, and slowdown, we completed the line and opened it for service today.\" The inauguration of the train link has been beset by hitches and delays, most recently when a train crashed into a maintenance vehicle. The new service will terminate in the Istanbul suburb of Pendik, on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. The government plans to build a further rail link, under the Bosphorus, to the centre of the city, but it is unclear when this will happen.", "summary": "Turkey has inaugurated a high-speed rail link between Istanbul and Ankara, slashing by half the seven-hour journey time between the two cities."}
{"article": "He is refusing to stand for the The Star-Spangled Banner in protest against the plight of black people in the US. On Sunday Kaepernick, 28, threw his first touchdown pass in 364 days in the 49ers' 45-16 loss to the Bills. \"To be honest, I was focused on football,\" Kaepernick said. \"I really wasn't listening to what was going on in the stand,\" he added. Some fans also chanted \"U-S-A\" before the national anthem at Buffalo's New Era Field, while t-shirts featuring the player's face and a rifle target were reportedly on sale close to the ground. Kaepernick added: \"I had some Bills fans come up before the game and say they support me.\" The quarterback said he has received death threats as he continues his protest, which stems from racial tensions that increased across the nation this year amid a string of police killings and subsequent revenge attacks. His protest has drawn strong reactions both in opposition and support, with some fans calling it disrespectful to the US flag. But some veterans and military members have tweeted their support for Kaepernick with the hashtag #VeteransForKaepernick. \"At the end of the day, I'm going to continue to fight for what I'm fighting for,\" he said. \"I think the message carries weight because people realise what's happening - it's something that needs to be addressed.\" Asked about a claim that someone in the stands threw a bottle at him, Kaepernick replied: \"If they did, they didn't have very good aim.\"", "summary": "San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has polarised opinion by kneeling during the national anthem, was booed on his return to the starting line-up against the Buffalo Bills."}
{"article": "The Robins have lost 11 of their past 12 league games, winning just once in that time, and are 20th in the table - two points above the relegation zone. \"It is a horrendous statistic,\" Johnson told BBC Radio Bristol. \"I'm ashamed of that. It hurts. We have to keep fighting.\" Former Barnsley boss Johnson arrived at Ashton Gate in February 2016 and steered Bristol City clear of relegation last season. A promising start this term saw his side occupy fifth spot in October, but Saturday's loss at the City Ground saw them drop below Forest - who had not won since 2 December. \"It was a frustrating watch for all of us,\" Johnson said. \"We were good in the second half and had a couple of chances we needed to take. \"The Championship was never going to be easy - we are in a rebuilding phase. \"We spoke at the start of the season about history makers and it was supposed to be positive - not bad history. \"We've got to make sure we make history in positive ways and we can still do that this year. We need to fight our way back up the table. I believe that we can.\"", "summary": "Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson admitted he was \"ashamed\" to see his side set a new club record of eight straight league defeats with a 1-0 loss at fellow-strugglers Nottingham Forest."}
{"article": "The hosts were a threat from Jed Wallace's set-pieces, twice forcing the Iron to head over their own crossbar. Lee Gregory missed the game's biggest chance, his low shot saved by the legs of Joe Anyon when put in one-on-one. Skipper Tony Craig volleyed over for Millwall as they pressed, while the visitors had just one shot on target. The second leg will be played at Glanford Park on Sunday, with only champions Sheffield United boasting a better home record than Scunthorpe in the division. Gregory was put through by Wallace for the only real opening, but his first touch was unconvincing and Anyon was able to close the angle and block. In a niggly tie with five bookings, Josh Morris eventually tested Millwall keeper Jordan Archer after 80 minutes, but his long-range free-kick was easily held. It is only the fifth time that Scunthorpe have drawn 0-0 in Graham Alexander's 64 matches in charge of the side. Millwall manager Neil Harris told BBC Radio London: \"I thought we had everything. We created some chances, just not as many as we'd like to - all that was missing was a goal. \"I'm not disappointed with that at all - a clean sheet I'm really pleased with and I think we're in a really good position going into the second leg, where the onus will be on them. \"All I will bemoan is just a little bit of composure and a little lack of quality at times in certain areas, but I think that's down to Scunthorpe's work-ethic as well.\" Scunthorpe boss Graham Alexander told BBC Radio Humberside: \"It's a good result - we haven't done anything yet, as in the overall tie, but it's still there to play for. \"We came here and put on a real solid, professional away performance to get the clean sheet - that was important for us. \"We knew we weren't going to win the overall tie tonight, we didn't want to lose the overall tie tonight, so that's where we are.\" Match ends, Millwall 0, Scunthorpe United 0. Second Half ends, Millwall 0, Scunthorpe United 0. Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Murray Wallace. Foul by Ivan Toney (Scunthorpe United). Mahlon Romeo (Millwall) wins a free kick on the right wing. Ivan Toney (Scunthorpe United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Byron Webster (Millwall). Substitution, Scunthorpe United. Sam Mantom replaces Stephen Dawson because of an injury. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match (Scunthorpe United). Tony Craig (Millwall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Stephen Dawson (Scunthorpe United) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Tony Craig (Millwall). Foul by Josh Morris (Scunthorpe United). Mahlon Romeo (Millwall) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt saved. Josh Morris (Scunthorpe United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Stephen Dawson (Scunthorpe United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Shaun Williams (Millwall). Attempt saved. Steve Morison (Millwall) right footed shot from the centre of the", "summary": "Millwall were held to a lacklustre goalless draw at home in the first leg of their League One play-off semi-final by a determined Scunthorpe side."}
{"article": "The 66-year-old was placed in interim charge of the R's after Chris Ramsey was sacked on 4 November. He oversaw the 0-0 draw with Preston on 7 November and has brought in Kevin Blackwell to assist him at Loftus Road. Warnock, who was boss of QPR from March 2010 to January 2012, returned to the Championship club in an advisory role in October. QPR's next two matches are at Middlesbrough on Friday and home to Leeds next Saturday, suggesting an appointment before their trip to Reading on Thursday, 3 December. Former Leicester boss Nigel Pearson has been linked with a move to west London, while Burton Albion say they have not received an approach from the R's to speak to manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Under Warnock's leadership, QPR were promoted to the Premier League in 2011 as winners of the Championship, but he was sacked the following January with the club 17th in the top flight. He had been out of management since being dismissed by Crystal Palace in December 2014, after four months in charge. After joining QPR in an advisory capacity to Ramsey in October, Warnock said \"full-time management doesn't interest me any more\". Rangers are 13th in the Championship table, eight points off the play-off places.", "summary": "Neil Warnock expects to be in charge of Queens Park Rangers for two more games, BBC Radio London reports."}
{"article": "The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) confirms that bills and emissions have been forced down since 2008 by EU energy efficiency rules. Appliances like fridges, freezers and boilers are now designed to use less energy for the same work. Ministers say they will make new energy efficiency policy in the Autumn. But the government's critics point out that its Clean Growth plan for an efficient low-carbon society is already many months behind schedule. The CCC says the UK must shift much more swiftly towards electric cars to reduce carbon and tackle local air pollution. It also says a strategy is urgently needed to insulate millions of homes and create new forms of heating that don't foul the air or crank up climate change. The report's finding on home energy bills will surprise people amidst allegations of energy company profiteering and fears that many households find energy prices too high. It confirms that although the cost per unit of electricity and gas has indeed risen, household bills have fallen thanks to EU and UK efficiency standards which forced engineers to design appliances that use less energy. It says since 2008, when the Climate Change Act was introduced, electricity demand is down 17% (despite all our gadgets) and gas demand is 23% lower, thanks to better insulation and UK rules on improved boilers. The CCC chair Lord Deben told BBC News: \"Really good EU regulations have made all our appliances much more efficient. It's meant we've been able to cut bills by about \u00c2\u00a320 a month for the average consumer. \"It's been a remarkable success story. But the crucial thing is we've got to keep on doing it.\" It is not yet clear how the UK will be affected by future EU efficiency rules, although it will be impossible for UK manufacturers to sell inefficient goods into the EU market. Catherine Mitchell, professor of energy at Exeter University, told BBC News: \"I don't think most people have any idea about the positive role EU standards play in our appliances in our houses - and have done for the last 25 years, or so. \"They have brought down bills considerably, they have brought down carbon emissions and they have stimulated innovation. It would be quite mad to get rid of them when we leave the EU.\" Meanwhile, the CCC says the government's carbon cutting policies are already off track to meet its obligation under the Climate Change Act to cut emissions of 57% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels. The CCC wants: more low-carbon electricity through the 2020s; faster uptake of electric vehicles; a strategy for deploying the carbon capture and storage technology (still very expensive); and a strategy for the uptake of low-carbon heat, perhaps by switching from natural gas to hydrogen for home heating. The new climate change minister Claire Perry told Parliament that she wanted to see if the government's embryonic Clean Growth plan could be made more ambitious. She promised to bring forward policies in the Autumn. But green groups question the government's sincerity. They say that in a meeting of", "summary": "Household energy bills and carbon emissions will rise unless ministers devise new policies to save power, a report says."}
{"article": "Police, fire and ambulance personnel were called to scene at about 15:00. They were assisted by a coastguard rescue helicopter. Unconfirmed reports have said a Ford Transit van and a campervan collided head-on. One person is thought to have been taken to hospital by helicopter with serious injuries. Traffic Scotland has warned drivers in the area to expect delays.", "summary": "The A9 Perth to Inverness road has been closed in both directions following an accident near Kincraig."}
{"article": "Crowds gathered outside the presidential palace on Saturday morning and then marched to parliament. Inside parliament itself, opposition MPs have continued a sit-in that began on Friday. Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, in a televised address, called the MPs' actions \"scandalous\". She said people were free to protest, but had to respect the views of others. Poland's populist right-wing government wants to limit the number of reporters allowed to cover parliament. But opposition MPs accuse it of trying to stifle press freedom. Amid a heavy police presence, a crowd of about 2,000 people gathered outside the presidential palace on Saturday chanting \"freedom, equality, democracy\". Some held up copies of the constitution. The crowd later marched to the parliament building where they remained throughout the day. European Council President Donald Tusk, a former Polish prime minister, urged the government to respect the constitution on Saturday. Addressing reporters in the western city of Wroclaw, he criticised the government's plans, saying that without media access \"democracy becomes dictatorship\". In extraordinary scenes on Friday, opposition MPs blockaded the parliamentary plenary chamber, forcing MPs from the PiS party into another room to vote on next year's budget. It was the first time since the restoration of democracy in 1989 that such a vote was held outside the main chamber of parliament. Outside parliament, several thousand protesters gathered overnight on Friday. Police had to forcefully remove people to allow MPs to leave the building. Protester Szymon Roginski said on Saturday that the confrontation was entering \"a new, more aggressive phase\". \"Every day we hear news that makes us understand that we are further and further away from democracy. People have had enough,\" he said. Leader of the opposition Nowoczesna party, Ryszard Petru, accused the government of usurping parliament's authority. \"They [the government] do not allow journalists [access], they close themselves off and meet in other places and call it the parliament,\" he said. \"This is an usurpation of power and there will be no consent from the opposition or Polish society for it. We will protest both at the parliamentary podium and on the streets of Polish cities.\" PiS has been accused of restricting press freedom since coming to power last year. Next year only a few reporters will be allowed into parliament, with five selected TV stations permitted to make recordings of parliamentary sessions. PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said on Friday that the proposals were no different to the media access in many other European nations. He accused protesters of hooliganism and threatened them with unspecified \"consequences\".", "summary": "Demonstrators in the Polish capital Warsaw have renewed their protest against government plans to restrict journalists' access to parliament."}
{"article": "While Leyton Orient conceded the fact that their 112-year stay in the top four tiers had come to a sad end, Swindon brought a whole new meaning to avoiding relegation - by completely glossing over their fall to League Two in their club website match report. It was not all doom and gloom in the EFL, though, with plucky underdogs prevailing, the late-goal specialists striking again and a side which conceded relegation a long time ago tasting rare success. Here are five stories you might have missed among all the drama. If you were a Swindon fan reading the report of their 2-1 defeat by Scunthorpe on the club's website, you would be forgiven for not knowing what the result meant. There was no mention that the outcome, combined with Bury's victory, sent them down from League One. \"Town suffered a 2-1 defeat to Scunthorpe United at The County Ground earlier this afternoon,\" reads the first paragraph, rather underplaying the result's significance. The piece goes on to state that a win was needed to \"keep alive their survival hopes\", but you'd have thought that might have been a bit more prominent. Mind you, they're not the first club to bury bad news this season. Here was Coventry's effort... League Two side Leyton Orient have been through five managers this season, but change in the coaching staff failed to produce change on the pitch, as their relegation to the National League was confirmed. The O's had staved off relegation by beating Hartlepool on Easter Monday, but Crewe showed no such mercy at Gresty Road, easing to a 3-0 win which leaves the financially-imperilled east London club facing an uncertain future in non-league football. There was disappointment of a rather different kind for Bolton fans, who must have thought their side were heading back to the Championship as they battled to a 2-0 victory at Port Vale. But their celebrations were delayed for at least a few more days, as third-placed Fleetwood scored a last-minute winner at Gillingham to take the promotion race into the final week. When you are a striker and your birthday falls on a Saturday during the football season, you must be rubbing your hands. After all, it is a chance to grab a goal or two to cap your special day. Huddersfield striker Elias Kachunga would undoubtedly have had that dream earlier in the week as the Terriers hosted Fulham in a Championship play-off showdown - but the German's 25th birthday did not go to plan. Having scored twice in his past four games Kachunga was ruled out of the game through illness, so like any loyal player he decided he would spend his afternoon following the game on Twitter... He might have thought his birthday would be salvaged when Huddersfield went ahead through Chris Lowe's spot-kick, the first goal of the afternoon in the EFL, but Fulham are the top scorers in the division and grabbed two quickfire responses to lead... At this point Kachunga stopped tweeting, as the Terriers conceded twice more in the first half to", "summary": "It was an afternoon when two clubs in the English Football League had to accept the reality of relegation - or did they?"}
{"article": "It comes after 17 schools in Edinburgh were closed earlier this year due to safety concerns. The BBC sent Freedom of Information requests to councils across the country asking what, if any, structural faults had been found at schools in their areas in the last five years. So what schools have been affected and when? In 2010, defects were discovered at St Ninian's in East Renfrewshire. Engineers found wall ties were not properly embedded because the joints in the walls were not aligned. Photographs obtained using Freedom of Information legislation showed metal ties dangling mid-air rather than linking the exterior and interior walls. East Renfrewshire Council paid more than \u00a3870,000 to carry out the necessary repairs. The local authority said it did not inform parents of the issue because \"at no time was there a health and safety risk to pupils, staff or visitors\". It said the matter was discussed \"openly\" at a full council meeting in May 2013. In January 2012, problems were identified at two schools in South Lanarkshire. In stormy weather, during the Christmas holidays, walls collapsed at both Trinity High School in Rutherglen and Duncanrig High School in East Kilbride. Repair work was overseen by Morgan Sindall, the company which runs the schools. It then looked at all 16 schools it has responsibility for in South Lanarkshire and found a small number of wall and header ties needed replaced at an additional eight schools: After the problems with schools in Edinburgh were identified earlier this year it emerged that a similar structural fault had been found at Lourdes Primary in Glasgow in November 2012. Engineers found header ties missing. The building firm involved, Miller Construction, was also involved in the Edinburgh school crisis. Lourdes Primary was temporarily closed with pupils moved to other schools. Glasgow City Council said the issue was handled quickly and effectively, with Miller Construction accepting all responsibility and covering the cost of the repair work. Structural surveys were subsequently carried out on all Glasgow schools built by Miller Construction and came back clear. In May this year, Balfron High School in Stirlingshire was partially closed after structural problems were identified. A wall at the school had been damaged during winter storms and after checks were carried out by engineers issues with walls in the stairwell, gym and atrium were discovered. Again, the problems centred on wall and header tie defects. Initial repair work was carried out before the holidays with further work due to be completed ahead of pupils returning after the summer break. The problems with schools in Edinburgh came to light earlier this year during inspections carried out following a wall collapse at Oxgangs Primary School. Other schools affected included: Repairs have now been completed at all the Edinburgh schools, with pupils due to return to their classrooms this week. The council has assured parents all the buildings affected by the closures are now safe. BBC Scotland Investigates: How Safe is My School? On BBC1 Scotland at 19:00 on Monday 22 August.", "summary": "A BBC Scotland investigation has revealed that a total of 30 schools in Scotland have had to make repairs due to structural defects in the last five years."}
{"article": "The young sparrowhawk - nicknamed Jack - had spent three days among pipes and beams of the ceiling Monkton Stadium. Staff dragged soft toys along the floor to imitate live prey, then brought in a Harris hawk to frighten it outside. Eventually paper was hung from the ceiling which encouraged it to fly lower down, and it was caught in a net. The bird then flew off into nearby woodland unharmed.", "summary": "Soft toys, paper and a hawk were used in a bid to lure a bird of prey which had taken up temporary residence in a South Tyneside sports hall."}
{"article": "The World War Two cipher machine was bought at a flea market by a cryptography professor, who apparently recognised its true worth. It was sold to an online bidder in Bucharest, Romania, on Tuesday. Enigma machines were used to carry coded military communications during the war. First developed in Germany in the 1920s, the codes created by the electromechanical encryption devices were eventually cracked by mathematician Alan Turing and his team at Bletchley Park. Bucharest auction house Artmark put this particular Enigma machine on sale with a starting price of \u20ac9,000. Cristian Gavrila, the collectible consignment manager at Artmark, told Reuters: \"The collector bought it from a flea market. He's a cryptography professor and... he knew very well what he was buying.\" However, the eventual sale price fell far short of the record amount for an Enigma machine at auction, after one sold at Christie's in New York for $547,500 last month.", "summary": "A 100 euros typewriter has sold for 45,000 euros (\u00a340,000; $51,500) at auction, after it was discovered it was actually a German Wehrmacht Enigma I."}
{"article": "The 33-year-old has not played for Celtic since Brendan Rodgers took over as manager at the start of the season, and will provide midfield cover. Hibs are currently without John McGinn and Fraser Fyvie until January, while Dylan McGeouch suffered an ankle injury in training this week. Commons could feature against Morton on Saturday. \"Kris is an experienced, technically gifted player,\" said head coach Neil Lennon. \"So him coming in at this time is of benefit to the side as the games start coming in over the festive period. \"With us missing a lot of our regular midfield players, it is good to bring in someone with a lot to offer, even just on a short-term basis.\" Commons, who was a key player for Lennon during his time in charge of the Scottish champions, says that the deal can be beneficial for both parties. \"It has come about very quickly, but I think it makes sense on both parts,\" he said. \"I can try to get some football under my belt and give Hibs a helping hand as well. \"As much as I am trying to help Hibs, the club are trying to help me out a lot, so I'm grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to play football. I'm also thoroughly looking forward to hopefully helping them on the way and putting on the jersey and doing my best.\" Hibs remain top of the Scottish Championship on goal difference, though the Edinburgh side have lost their points advantage over Dundee United in recent weeks. The two pre-season favourites for the title are eight points ahead of Falkirk, with Morton another three behind. Commons joined Celtic in January 2011, but his current contract is due to expire at the end of the season.", "summary": "Celtic midfielder Kris Commons has joined injury-hit Hibernian on an emergency loan until 15 January."}
{"article": "In June, a coroner found the shooting of the 29-year-old, from Silverbridge, County Armagh, was not \"necessary, reasonable or proportionate\". He stated his intention to name the soldier in a hearing on Tuesday when he concludes the case later this month. Father-of-six Mr Thornton was shot in the head after his van backfired as it passed a police station. The Parachute Regiment soldier, known as Soldier A, opened fire on the van believing the occupants had fired shots at the Springfield Road police station in August 1971. The inquest into the unarmed labourer's death began in November 2015 and in his preliminary findings in May last year, the coroner said there were \"other options available\" to the soldier. Mr Thornton's death sparked serious rioting. Within days, 10 other people had been shot dead by the Army in a period the bereaved families refer to as the Ballymurphy Massacre. In 2012, the government wrote a letter of apology to Mr Thornton's widow, Mary, confirming her husband had been an \"innocent man\".", "summary": "The now-deceased soldier who shot and killed Henry Thornton in Belfast in 1971 will be named, a coroner has said."}
{"article": "The blaze broke out at Coed Eva Primary School, in Cwmbran, at about 02:25 GMT on New Year's Day. Most pupils returned on Monday, though nursery children will have to wait until 25 January when temporary classrooms will have been installed. Six people, including four teenage boys, arrested in connection with the fire have been released on bailed.", "summary": "An infants and nursery school in Torfaen has reopened 10 days after it was gutted by fire."}
{"article": "After mopping up Kent's first innings for 236 in the morning session, despite Sam Northeast racking up a century, Durham had a 212-run lead. Graham Clark's career-best 83, helped by skipper Paul Collingwood's 51, saw Durham declare with a lead of 483. Kent survived the final 10 overs of the day to end of 35 without loss. Northeast had been the Kent hero on day two, with his unbeaten 109 aided by Yasir Shah's hard-earned 48 in a 113-run eighth-wicket partnership, before Durham hit back to reduce Kent from 236-8 to 236 all out. South African opener Stephen Cook (44) continued his resurgence in Durham colours once he took to the crease, although partner Keaton Jennings was not so lucky as he departed for a first-ball duck. Cameron Steel, who made 43, along with Clark and Collingwood put Jon Lewis' side in a decent position at the declaration, in spite of early exits for Ryan Pringle and Stuart Poynter. Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sean Dickson nursed Kent to stumps without loss, but still trailing by 449 runs.", "summary": "Durham put themselves in strong position to earn a first Championship win of the season after declaring with a big lead on the third day at Kent."}
{"article": "The Highways England scheme will take place between Low Newton junction and Meathop roundabout near Grange-over-Sands. Resurfacing, drainage and sign improvements will also be carried out near the Brettargh Holt roundabout. The work is due to be finished on 20 December and will involve some overnight closures.", "summary": "A \u00c2\u00a3330,000 project to improve the A590 in south Cumbria by installing new safety barriers begins later."}
{"article": "The facility at Brow Top, which has a 24m pool and squash courts, had to been due to open to the public on Saturday. However, because of \"a small number of snagging and technical issues\" relating to the learner pool, the opening date has been put back by a least a week. The council's deputy leader, Mark Fryer, said the centre would not open until it was \"pristine\". He said: \"We can handle it being late but we can't handle it not being perfect. I wanted this facility to open as soon as possible but I wanted it to be pristine. \"There's a technical problem with the small pool and problems with drains which are not finished.\"", "summary": "The opening of a new \u00a311m leisure centre in Workington has been delayed."}
{"article": "The number of victims has risen from 560 to 741, with 96% aged between four and 20. Meanwhile, 276 potential suspects have been identified - a rise of 24 in the past three months. Some 328 football clubs, spanning all tiers of the game, are involved in the inquiry, called Operation Hydrant. A hotline was set up to report abuse last year when a number of ex-footballers said they were victims as youngsters. Police forces across the UK have received an increased number of calls from victims and from people offering information. The investigation is being co-ordinated by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), which urged anyone who may have been a victim to report it. Chief constable Simon Bailey, NPCC lead for child protection, said all allegations and information received is being acted on. \"When allegations are reported it enables police to assess whether there are current safeguarding risks and ensure that appropriate action is being taken to prevent children being abused today,\" he added. The NPCC said 27 referrals to the inquiry related to sports other than football. These referrals include basketball, rugby, gymnastics, martial arts, tennis, wrestling, golf, sailing, athletics, cricket and swimming. The Football Association has also begun an independent review, led by Clive Sheldon QC, into its handling of abuse allegations in the years prior to 2005. The hotline set up by the NSPCC is available 24 hours a day on 0800 0232642.", "summary": "Police have identified 181 new victims in the investigation into child sex abuse within football in the UK since April."}
{"article": "The collapse took place very close to the famous Ponte Vecchio, a medieval covered bridge over the Arno. The hole is about 200m (650ft) in length and 7m (23ft) across. Firefighters believe the chasm has been created by the failure of a large water pipe beneath the surface. Florence's Mayor Dario Nardella tweeted (in Italian) that no-one had been harmed in the incident on Lungarno Torrigiani. He appealed to motorists to remove their cars from the nearby area, and said the water supply to part of the city centre was cut off. Regional paper Corriere Fiorentino reports that thousands of residents are without water. The first sign of the problem came not long after midnight, when the police were called, the mayor told Italy's Ansa news agency. The major collapse took place at 06:14 local time, Mr Nardella said.", "summary": "A section of the embankment of the River Arno in central Florence collapsed on Wednesday morning, sending part of the road and at least 20 parked cars into a newly formed ditch."}
{"article": "Manbij sits on an intersection of roads linking the IS stronghold of Raqqa to the Turkish border and other areas under its control in Aleppo province. The routes have become key to the group's ability to move fighters, weapons and supplies into and out of Syria. On 31 May, a US-backed alliance of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters called the Syrian Defence Forces (SDF) began an operation to take Manbij and cut the supply routes. After some heavy fighting, Manbij was encircled and completely cut off earlier this month. We steered clear of the main roads leading to the town as our guides warned us that IS had planted mines and roadside bombs. So we bumped along on dusty side roads. On the way in we passed through Kobane, a town on the border with Turkey that was wrested back from IS control by Kurdish-led forces in January 2015, after a gruelling four-month battle. Much of Kobane is now in ruins and pictures of Kurdish fighters - both women and men - who were killed in the fighting festoon the wrecked buildings. As we get closer to the frontline near Manbij, some 55km (35 miles) to the south-east, we saw the first of the hundreds of civilians who have fled their homes since the fighting began. They were mainly Arab villagers, camped out along the roadside and flying white flags. When they saw an SDF vehicle, they ran forwards begging for food and water. A young SDF fighter, also an Arab, was clearly moved. \"We are at the gates of Manbij now,\" he told us. \"God willing, we will end Daesh injustice in Manbij and liberate our families and this city from them,\" he added, using an Arabic acronym based on the previous name of IS. We were taken to the site of an IS base which was recently destroyed in a US-led coalition air strike. The bodies of dead IS militants were still lying in the field. Kurdish fighters pointed out one who appeared to be Sudanese and another they said was a Chechen. One of the militants was still wearing a suicide belt. In death, his fingers were frozen inches from the detonator. Much of the SDF advance in this area was made possible by US-led coalition air support, and we could hear warplanes circling overhead. The air strikes are being directed by foreign special forces personnel on the ground, as we saw for ourselves when we ran into a group of them close to the frontline. They appeared to be French and American and told us to stop filming. The Kurdish fighters told us there were also British special forces operating in the area. Although air power has been decisive, it is not without cost. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, 49 civilians have been killed in air strikes since the offensive on Manbij began. Civilians are often caught in the crossfire on the ground too. In a field just behind the frontline, we came across a group of families huddled together for", "summary": "We travelled along the road to Manbij, a small town in northern Syria that has become the new frontline in the battle against the jihadist group Islamic State (IS)."}
{"article": "Chile beat Argentina on penalties last year to win a first major trophy. The 100th anniversary of football's oldest international championship sees hosts USA drawn with Colombia, Costa Rica and Paraguay. Uruguay, the tournament's most successful team, play Jamaica, Mexico and Venezuela, while 2007 winners Brazil face Ecuador, Haiti and Peru. The 2016 Copa America has been expanded by four teams and is being staged outside the South American Football Confederation for the first time. The tournament starts on 3 June when USA play Colombia in Santa Clara, California. The final is on 26 June at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.", "summary": "Holders Chile have been drawn in the same group as Argentina, Bolivia and Panama at the 2016 Copa America."}
{"article": "Last month, the BBC learned an undeclared payment of \u00a36,195 was made to Conservative David Mackintosh's party by the director of a company overseeing work at Northampton Town FC. Northamptonshire Police said the Electoral Commission (EC) was not investigating the payments. The EC and Mr Mackintosh have been approached for comment. Mr Mackintosh's local party received the payment for tickets from Howard Grossman, whose company 1st Land was set up to oversee the rebuild of the League Two club's Sixfields stadium. Three individuals with links to Mr Grossman also paid \u00a310,000 each into Mr Mackintosh's general election fighting fund, but one of the payments - from Gary Robert Platt - was also not declared to the EC. By law, personal donations of more than \u00a3500 and donations to local associations of more than \u00a31,500 must be declared to the EC. The company 1st Land subsequently went into administration. Work on the stadium remains incomplete and the main contractor is owed \u00a32m. Mr Mackintosh was leader of the borough council when it approved a \u00a310.25m loan for the Sixfields stadium plans, but millions of pounds of the money is currently unaccounted for. Police said they are still investigating \"alleged financial irregularities\" surrounding the council's loan to the club. A Northamptonshire Police spokesman said: \"We have liaised with the Electoral Commission and understand they have considered both the undeclared \u00a310k and the gifted \u00a36,195.\u200e \"The Electoral Commission are not undertaking an investigation into either of these matters and nor are they referring any suspected criminality to Northamptonshire Police. \"On the basis of the Electoral Commission's position and in the absence of any direct link to the loan made by Northampton Borough Council to Northampton Town FC, we as a force will not be investigating the donations made to David Mackintosh MP\". Suresh Patel, chairman of Northampton South Conservatives, previously told the BBC the Electoral Commission was not informed of the payment by Mr Platt because of an administrative error and he had subsequently done so. He has declined to comment on the police's latest announcement. Mr Grossman previously told the BBC in a statement: \"Howard Grossman paid \u00a36,195 for tickets to attend an event hosted by Mr Mackintosh as part of his election campaign.\" The BBC has been unable to contact Mr Platt.", "summary": "Undeclared payments made to an MP's office by a businessman will not be investigated by police."}
{"article": "He said: \"With significant Tory and UKIP power blocks in the next parliament, we will be the left-of-centre backbone of a Labour administration. \"Along with the SNP and Plaid Cymru, (we) will ensure that the next Labour government remains true to its values.\" Dr McDonnell said that, while his party had always worked closely with Labour, the SDLP was not tied to any other party. He said its MPs would be elected on their own manifesto. \"During the last Labour government, we were unwavering in opposition to the Iraq War,\" he said. \"Our MPs voted against the cut in the 10p tax rate. We refused to accept 42 day detention. \"These were all issues that Labour supported.\" The SDLP leader added that his party would \"categorically refuse\" to support David Cameron and the Conservative Party.", "summary": "SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell has said if Labour leader Ed Miliband becomes the next prime minister \"it will be with our support, on our terms, that he takes power\"."}
{"article": "Druids and pagans were joined by a mass of revellers at the ancient monument, accompanied by a soundtrack of pounding drums, chanting and dancing. Although Sunday was officially the shortest day, Monday's sunrise was the closest to the moment when the North Pole was tilted furthest from the sun. However, a heavy blanket of grey cloud kept the sunrise from clear view. Senior druid King Arthur Pendragon, said: \"What we're really here for is to celebrate the fact that the cycle of the world turns, and from now on the days get longer and it's the return of the sun. \"It's a time of change and hope is renewed - the same message really from a pagan perspective as from a Christian perspective. \"That's what this season is all about - a message of hope.\" Last week English Heritage - which manages the stones near Salisbury in Wiltshire - reported a record number of tourists in the past year. I've just been passed by a giant lampshade playing the accordion and I think I've seen the widest selection of wellingtons ever known in one place on the earth. It's the middle of Salisbury Plain, it's an ancient monument. We never [usually] get as close and everyone is here because they want to be here. In front of me there are people from Korea and I can hear German accents behind me. I have spoken to Canadians and all sorts of people - all here for one reason and that's because Wiltshire has one of the best ancient monuments in the world. The body said 1.3 million people had visited the site since the opening of the \u00c2\u00a327m visitor centre in December last year - a 9% increase on the previous 12 months. This means a continual reinforcement of the message that the stones need to be looked after and treated with respect, it added. Heather Sebire, English Heritage's curator for Stonehenge, said: \"People think that because it's stone it's virtually indestructible - but in fact the stones are quite fragile. \"We know through our research - we had a wonderful laser survey done - that many stones have carvings that you can't see with the naked eye. \"So they can be damaged and we do ask people to respect the stones while they're here.\"", "summary": "The winter solstice has been celebrated by about 1,500 revellers who gathered to watch the sunrise at Stonehenge."}
{"article": "The Brit Award winner and three-time Mercury Music Prize nominee tops the bill at the 13th annual festival at Glanusk Park, Powys, on 20 August. Fellow UK acts Belle and Sebastian, on Thursday, James Blake, on Friday, and Wild Beasts, on Sunday, have already been named as the other headliners. The festival was a sellout last year, with about 20,000 people attending. Festival director Fiona Stewart said: \"Laura returns for her third performance at Green Man, her legendary performances have always gone down a storm and we're already feeling awestruck imagining her Saturday night set, full of new album material.\" Other new acts booked for this year's Green Man festival include Charlotte Church's Late Night Pop Dungeon - \"a karaoke experience unlike any other you've experienced before, or ever will again\", re-formed 1990s alt-rockers Lush, and DJ Pete Paphides. Among the other prominent acts appearing are Grandaddy, Tindersticks, White Denim, Fat White Family, Cate Le Bon, Gun Outfit, and The Membranes. Previous headliners have included legendary Belfast-born blues and rock singer Van Morrison, ex-Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, US singer-songwriter Patti Smith, Cardiff rockers Super Furry Animals, Fleet Foxes, Jarvis Cocker and Doves. Founded in 2003, Green Man has become one of the most popular alternative festivals. It won the 2010 best medium-sized event and 2012 best \"grass roots\" event at the UK Festival Awards, and 2015 best festival at the Live Music Business awards.", "summary": "Alt-folk singer-songwriter Laura Marling has been unveiled as a headline act for the 2016 Green Man festival."}
{"article": "He died on Monday, aged 89, in a nursing home in Newmarket-on-Fergus in County Clare, following an illness. Bishop Casey resigned as Bishop of Galway following the revelation he had been making payments to a woman in the United States for a long period. He had a relationship with an American divorcee and was the father of her son. Peter Murphy was born in 1974 and was the result of Bishop Casey's affair with Annie Murphy. Speaking on BBC's Evening Extra programme, Michael Kelly of The Irish Catholic newspaper described the event as \"the beginning of the end of the extreme dominance of the Catholic Church in Irish public life\". When the relationship became public in 1992, Bishop Casey resigned his post and went to America. He later moved to Mexico to learn Spanish, worked as a missionary priest in Ecuador and then worked in a parish in England before retiring to Galway 14 years later. In 2006 he came home to live in Shanaglish, near Gort, County Galway, and then Carrigoran Nursing Home in County Clare in 2011. Born in County Kerry on 24 April 1927, Bishop Casey was educated in Limerick and in Saint Patrick's College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1951. For the next nine years he worked as a curate in two Limerick city parishes before being appointed to the Irish Emigrant Chaplaincy Service in England. He became well-known while working in London for sourcing adequate housing for thousands of Irish emigrants. On Monday, the Catholic Church said \"his passionate advocacy for social justice and for those marginalised by inequality gave him a significant public profile and his work in this area continued throughout his life\". He was appointed Bishop of Kerry in 1969 before taking on the larger and more high-profile diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh in 1976. \"Perhaps the highlight of his time in Galway was his organising and hosting the visit of Pope John Paul II to the city in 1979 to meet and pray with 300,000 young people from all over Ireland,\" the Catholic Church said. Bishop Casey was present at the funeral of his murdered friend Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador when the liturgy was interrupted by bombs and intense gunfire which left almost 50 mourners dead. He also voiced strong objections to the visit of US President Ronald Regan to Galway in 1984 because of \"American foreign policy\". Archbishop Eamon Martin said: \"It is with great sadness that I learned today of the death of Bishop Eamonn Casey. \"I wish to sincerely acknowledge the contribution of Bishop Casey to the work of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference over twenty-three years during his time as Bishop of Kerry and as Bishop of Galway\".", "summary": "Former Bishop of Galway, Eamon Casey, who was at the centre of a scandal that rocked the Catholic Church in the early 1990s, has died."}
{"article": "This comes after the country's highest court ruled earlier this year that Mr Zuma repay some of the $23m of public funds spent on his house in 2009. The upgrades included an amphitheatre, pool, chicken run and cattle enclosure. Mr Zuma must now repay the money - about 3% of the total spent - within 45 days. An anti-corruption body, known as the public protector, ruled in 2014 that Mr Zuma had \"unduly benefited\" from the non-security renovations to his rural home in Nkandla in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. In March, the Constitutional Court then ruled that he had violated the constitution when he failed to repay some of the money. It gave the treasury two months to come up with a figure for Mr Zuma to repay. The treasury says it hired two independent quantity surveyors to conduct separate investigations to come up with the figure. The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), one of the parties which brought the case, welcomed the treasury's report but said it had hoped the figure would be higher. \"This sends out a clear message to those involved in corruption, especially those in the ANC, that you will be held accountable for your actions, even if you are the president,\" the AFP news agency quotes DA spokesman Mabine Seabe as saying. What has been a long and drawn out fight between President Zuma and opposition parties seems to be coming to an end, reports the BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg. The Nkandla scandal has been a hotly debated subject in parliament for almost three years and has damaged the president's reputation, she says. In April, President Zuma apologised for the controversy and said he would abide by the Constitutional Court's ruling. A few days later he survived an impeachment vote in parliament, showing his opponents that he is a true political survivor, our correspondent says. What Mr Zuma's money will go towards How Zuma's Nkandla home has grown Profile: Jacob Zuma", "summary": "South Africa's treasury has recommended President Jacob Zuma pay back $509,000 (\u00c2\u00a3385,000) to the government for upgrades made to his private home."}
{"article": "The mission would have a mandate for a year which could be extended if both sides request it. Negotiators for the two sides issued a joint request for the UN's involvement last week during peace talks in Cuba. They have set a deadline of 23 March for the signing of a peace accord. The UN \"political mission\" will consist of unarmed observers from Latin American and Caribbean nations. Colombia has seen decades of fighting between the government and the left-wing Farc movement, with more than 220,000 people killed and millions displaced in unrest which has also involved other guerrilla groups and right-wing paramilitaries. It is the longest-running armed conflict in the Western Hemisphere. \"It isn't common for a country to refer itself to the council, but it's exactly the kind of role the United Nations should be playing,\" said British UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft. \"I hope today will mark the start of the final stage of peace talks.\" US Ambassador Samantha Power warned that issues between the two sides still needed to be resolved, such as the removal of land mines and the re-integration of guerrillas into the population. The UN resolution asks Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to make detailed recommendations on the mission's size and operation to be approved by the security council within 30 days of a ceasefire. Last week, the Colombian government's lead negotiator, Humberto de la Calle, described the request to the UN as a \"transcendental\" moment. He said it was an \"unequivocal demonstration of our desire to end confrontation\". Since official peace talks started in Havana in November 2012, negotiators have reached agreement on key issues such as the political participation of the rebels, land rights, drug trafficking and transitional justice. Last September, President Juan Manuel Santos and Farc chief Timoleon Jimenez, known as Timochenko, said they wanted an agreement within six months.", "summary": "The UN Security Council has approved the creation of an unarmed mission in Colombia to oversee a bilateral ceasefire, if Farc rebels and the government sign a peace agreement."}
{"article": "The players in question are believed to include Sam Burgess and Danny Care. Reports suggest they invested in an oil-drilling firm and lost a combined total in excess of \u00a3100,000. An RFU spokesperson said: \"The RFU takes the allegations extremely seriously. It is an internal matter and we are taking the appropriate action.\" England boss Stuart Lancaster and his coaching team are understood to have had no knowledge of Tennison's alleged shares advice. Lancaster's side endured a poor World Cup on home soil as they were eliminated at the group stages. Their performance - and Lancaster's position - are being reviewed by the RFU and chief executive Ian Ritchie will report to a management board meeting on 17 November. Burgess has since returned to rugby league, having left Bath to move back to Australia to join South Sydney Rabbitohs.", "summary": "England kit man Dave Tennison is under investigation by the Rugby Football Union over claims he urged players to buy shares which fell in value."}
{"article": "The 33-year-old freelancer has been working in the country for three years for a number of media outlets, most recently NBC News. More than 3,330 people have died in four West African countries in what has become the world's worst outbreak. President Barack Obama has pledged federal support to contain the spread in the US, after the first case there. A Liberian man diagnosed in Texas on Tuesday remains in a serious condition. The unnamed cameraman is the fourth American known to test positive for Ebola, all diagnosed in Liberia. Three American aid workers were separately flown back to the US for treatment and they are all recovering. The man was only hired by NBC News on Tuesday, the US broadcaster said, and he came down with symptoms - including fever and aches - the following day. After seeking medical advice, he tested positive for the virus. NBC News President Deborah Turness informed staff of the news in a statement. \"We are doing everything we can to get him the best care possible. He will be flown back to the United States for treatment at a medical center that is equipped to handle Ebola patients.\" The rest of the NBC crew including the network's chief medical editor, Dr Nancy Snyderman, are being flown back to the US on a private charter flight and will be placed under quarantine for 21 days, Ms Turness added. Meanwhile, as many as 100 people in Texas are being checked for exposure to Ebola, after Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian national, was diagnosed with the virus in Dallas. He flew to the US two weeks ago to visit relatives. A number of them have been ordered to stay home while they are watched for signs of the disease. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings was called by Mr Obama on Thursday who promised to help with whatever was needed from federal resources to stop it spreading. Mr Duncan was the first person diagnosed on US soil and on Thursday, Liberian officials said they would prosecute him for lying on an Ebola questionnaire form prior to leaving the country. Deputy Information Minister Isaac Jackson said Mr Duncan had \"lied under oath about his Ebola status\". He is alleged to have taken a sick relative to a clinic. In West Africa. the outbreak has prompted dire warnings of economic collapse if infection rates continue. There have been 7,178 confirmed cases in total, with Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea suffering the most. Leading charity Save the Children has warned that Ebola was spreading at a \"terrifying rate\" in West Africa, with the number of new recorded cases doubling every few weeks. It said that a rate of five new Ebola cases an hour in Sierra Leone meant healthcare demands were far outstripping supply. At a conference in London co-hosted with Sierra Leone, the UK called for urgent decisive action from the international community. Ebola virus: Busting the myths", "summary": "A cameraman working in Liberia has tested positive for Ebola and is to be flown home to the US for treatment."}
{"article": "The University of Glasgow's \u00a332m Imaging Centre of Excellence (ICE) aims to bring clinical academics together with industry to improve patient care. It is the first time a 7 Tesla MRI scanner will be used in the UK in a clinical setting. It will be used to improve treatment for conditions such as stroke, vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The facility was built in collaboration with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC), with \u00a316m of funding from the Medical Research Council and Glasgow City Region City Deal. The project is expected to bring 396 new jobs to the city over a seven year period, contributing about \u00a388m to the local economy. The 7 Tesla MRI scanner was delivered to the site last November. A giant crane eased the 18-tonne device down an alleyway with inches to spare on each side, then through a hole in the wall of the new building. The building will also house the Clinical Innovation Zone to help biomedical companies improve healthcare technology through collaborative work. There willl be a further floor of neuro-operating theatres, which will be funded by the NHS GGC. Prof Dame Anna Dominiczak, of the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, said it would be a \"world-leading\" example of a precision medicine centre. \"The ICE isn't about ivory tower research,\" she said. \"It is about bringing world-leading clinical academics together with industry to collaborate and to create something that not only positively benefits patients but also brings a meaningful economic benefit as well.\" Glasgow City Council leader Frank McAveety said the facility was a great example of how the Glasgow City Region City Deal was helping to reinforce Glasgow's global reputation, while also delivering economic and social benefits. Principal of the university, Prof Anton Muscatelli, said: \"ICE exemplifies the university's goal to create visionary buildings that promote interaction with industry and other key stakeholders, bringing inspiring people together in a world-class environment to share knowledge that can ultimately change the world.\"", "summary": "A new state-of-the-art medical research facility, which houses a powerful MRI scanner, is to be officially opened."}
{"article": "The tests have been made tougher and Mrs Morgan says lower results should not be interpreted as a decline in performance by pupils. \"They simply cannot be compared directly,\" says Mrs Morgan. Heads have called for this year's test results not to be published. Mrs Morgan's warning comes in advance of the publication of results from Sats tests taken by 11-year-olds, which this year have been made more difficult and based on a new curriculum. There will be national level results published on Tuesday and individual schools will receive their results. There has been an expectation of volatile and unpredictable results - and Mrs Morgan is pre-empting claims that they will show that standards are falling. \"I expect critics of the new primary curriculum will be quick to try and suggest that any lower results are evidence of a failure of the system,\" says Mrs Morgan. \"Nothing could be further from the truth. I don't know what the results will look like yet. But I have always been clear that politicians trumpeting ever-rising test results, at the expense of high standards is entirely wrong.\" If results do turn out to be lower than previous years, then Mrs Morgan feels: \"It wouldn't mean children have performed any worse this year; simply that we have raised the bar on what counts as good enough. \"Neither schools nor parents should try to compare this year's results with previous years. The tests are new and are based on a new, more rigorous national curriculum - based on the best evidence from across the world.\" Mrs Morgan said that parents should \"see the results as what they are - a reflection of how well children this year have performed against a new curriculum\". The National Association of Head Teachers had previously written to the education secretary calling for the publication of this year's results to be cancelled. They warned that there had been \"serious mistakes\" in how changes had been introduced and said results were too \"unpredictable\" to be used for league tables. Head teachers said the results were likely to be so \"skewed\" that \"comparisons between schools become very risky\". Kevin Courtney, acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said the results would be used by the Department for Education and Ofsted to make judgements on schools, with potentially \"serious consequences for the jobs of school leaders and the future of the school\". But he said that from the perspective of teachers, the changes to the tests had been \"shambolic\", with frequently changing guidance and leaked test papers.", "summary": "The results of Sats tests taken in primary schools in England, due to be published on Tuesday, should not be compared with previous years, says Education Secretary Nicky Morgan."}
{"article": "Atherton, 28, became the first rider in history to complete a perfect downhill World Cup season and then won a fourth World Championship title a week later. However, the downhill discipline is not an Olympic sport. Atherton said: \"I'm proud and content with what I have achieved. I don't need the validation of an Olympic medal.\" Other British riders have changed disciplines in the pursuit of winning Olympic medals. Mark Cavendish, the only member of the 2008 Beijing Olympic track team to miss out on a medal, returned to the velodrome for the 2016 Rio Games and was rewarded with silver in the omnium. He quit this year's Tour de France early, after winning his 30th career stage in the three-week road race, to focus his attentions on Rio. And four-time BMX world champion Shanaze Reade is also heading back to the more controlled environment of track cycling for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Reade, who won world team sprint titles in 2007 and 2008 with Victoria Pendleton, missed out on Olympic BMX medals in 2008 and 2012 despite starting as favourite because of the \"lottery\" nature of the sport. Atherton said: \"I definitely used to want to switch to track at some point but in mountain biking you spend a lot of time outside in the mountains - I think I would miss that lifestyle. \"Mountain biking has a huge following and a life on its own without [downhill being included in] the Olympics.\" The Trek factory rider has won 13 downhill World Cup races in a row, including all seven this year to win her fifth title. Atherton could now target the two-day enduro races, which include both uphill and downhill sections. \"That would be a huge challenge, having the fitness to do that, but it is something that I would be pretty excited to give a go,\" she said. And, after a year \"beyond anything\" she imagined, Atherton has returned home to a small village north of Aberystwyth for the off-season. \"It is surreal getting back into home life. It is pretty cool to bring the trophy home to this tiny village in the middle of Wales,\" she said. \"When you are at the top of your sport it is a stressful thing, it is hard to enjoy because you are so focused. \"I'm actually looking forward to a year enjoying racing a bit more and not having to prove myself is going to be nice.\"", "summary": "British world champion Rachel Atherton does not feel the need to go chasing Olympic medals despite dominating downhill mountain biking."}
{"article": "The contents of 56 safe deposit boxes were taken during the raid in London's jewellery district over Easter weekend. Twelve addresses in the London and Kent area were raided by about 200 police officers on Tuesday morning. Nine men were arrested and a number of high-value items were recovered, police said. Searches of the houses are ongoing. Scotland Yard first arrested seven men, aged between 48 and 76. They later arrested a 58-year-old man and a 43-year-old, bringing the total number of men arrested to nine. Police have also appealed for information on a white Transit van seen in the area at the time of the raid. The van, with a registration of DU53 VNG, was caught twice on CCTV during the Easter heist. During a press conference, the Met said it felt officers had been portrayed as the Keystone Kops, while a relative of a victim said finding some of the haul could actually make things worse for those affected, as it could delay insurance pay-outs. Thieves used heavy cutting equipment to break into a vault at Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Ltd, where they ransacked about 70 boxes. The men were arrested in Enfield, east London and Dartford. Police said bags containing a significant amount of high-value property were recovered at one of the addresses and they were confident some were items stolen during the burglary. Head of the Met's Flying Squad, Det Supt Craig Turner, urged victims of the crime to \"stay patient\", adding police officers would be in contact with them in order \"to restore this property back to its rightful owners\". He said the investigation had been \"complex and exceptional\". In response to questions about why police did not respond to an alarm that went off at the premises during the time of the heist, Det Supt Turner, said: \"We are now in a position to confirm that on this occasion our call handling system and procedures for working with the alarm monitoring companies were not followed. \"Our normal procedures would have resulted in police attending the scene and we apologise that this did not happen.\" There has been no official detail of what was stolen but it is believed jewellery worth up to \u00a3200m was taken during the raid. Cdr Peter Spindler said: \"At times we have been portrayed as if we've acted like Keystone Kops. \"But I want to reassure you that in the finest traditions of Scotland Yard, these detectives have done their utmost to bring justice for the victims of this callous crime.\" A relative of one of the victims said those affected were \"probably worse off after this morning's raids\". \"With the stolen goods vanished, there was pressure on insurance companies to settle quickly to enable holders to trade again,\" the relative, who did not want to be identified, said. \"But now, with a whole mess of stuff to sort out, it may drag on for months. \"If batches of the stones were mixed up, it may be impossible to reunite them with their owners.\" The biggest heist in the UK was carried", "summary": "Detectives hunting the gang behind the Hatton Garden safe deposit raid have arrested nine suspects."}
{"article": "Glovers midfielder Matty Dolan was born in Hartlepool and has spent two loan spells at the club. But, presented with a second-half penalty to level the scores, he made no mistake, sending keeper Adam Bartlett the wrong way from 12 yards on 69 minutes. The penalty came after Andrew Nelson, making his Pools debut after signing from Sunderland on loan, needlessly felled Francois Zoko in the area. Hartlepool also gave a debut to Louis Rooney, signed from Plymouth, and he was lively up front, sending Padraig Amond clear early on to lob just over. Rooney then skirted around keeper Artur Krysiak, but his angled finish was blocked by covering defender Darren Ward. Pools took the lead on 64 minutes when Nelson's deep cross picked out Amond and he looped home a header from 16 yards for his 11th of the season. After Dolan's leveller, he almost won it with a curling free-kick from 22 yards which Bartlett dived full-stretch to keep out. Report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Hartlepool United 1, Yeovil Town 1. Second Half ends, Hartlepool United 1, Yeovil Town 1. Attempt missed. Nathan Thomas (Hartlepool United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Foul by Ben Whitfield (Yeovil Town). Andrew Nelson (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick on the left wing. Andrew Nelson (Hartlepool United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Ryan Dickson (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Andrew Nelson (Hartlepool United). Omar Sowunmi (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Matthew Bates (Hartlepool United). Attempt blocked. Francois Zoko (Yeovil Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Louis Rooney (Hartlepool United). Liam Shephard (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick on the left wing. Corner, Yeovil Town. Conceded by Adam Bartlett. Attempt saved. Matthew Dolan (Yeovil Town) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Foul by Nicky Featherstone (Hartlepool United). Matthew Dolan (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Yeovil Town. Owain Jones replaces Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro. Attempt missed. Louis Rooney (Hartlepool United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Foul by Nathan Smith (Yeovil Town). Nathan Thomas (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Hartlepool United. Nathan Thomas replaces Lewis Alessandra. Goal! Hartlepool United 1, Yeovil Town 1. Matthew Dolan (Yeovil Town) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner. Penalty Yeovil Town. Francois Zoko draws a foul in the penalty area. Penalty conceded by Andrew Nelson (Hartlepool United) after a foul in the penalty area. Hand ball by Omar Sowunmi (Yeovil Town). Substitution, Yeovil Town. Omar Sowunmi replaces Tom Eaves. Goal! Hartlepool United 1, Yeovil Town 0. Padraig Amond (Hartlepool United) header from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Andrew Nelson. Attempt missed. Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.", "summary": "Hartlepool were denied victory by one of their own as Yeovil earned a draw against Dave Jones' side."}
{"article": "The Dragons explained in a statement that Jackson suffered a 'non-rugby related injury on 8 April.' \"He has undergone a neck operation, which was a success, and the surgeons are satisfied with the results. Ed is making significant progress and is currently recovering,\" Dragons said. Jackson, 28, signed a contract extension with the region in December. However, he suffered a shoulder injury in February that required surgery. Jackson has made 36 appearances for the Dragons since joining from Wasps in 2015.", "summary": "Newport Gwent Dragons forward Ed Jackson is recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery for a neck injury."}
{"article": "Olympic Games-qualified O'Flaherty will defend her Seeley Cup title in Ormeau Park after finishing fourth at Sunday's Irish Cross Country Championships. Men's holder Pollock will not compete in the Belfast race. Pollock has opted to return to his regular training base in London ahead of the European Cross Country tests. The Holywood man was third in the men's race an Santry which represented his first competitive outing since running the Berlin Marathon in September. Pollock went into the Irish European trials as the defending champion but he insisted that he was content with his third place on his return to racing after his Berlin disappointment. The medical doctor achieved the Olympics marathon standard in Berlin but was only the fourth Irishman over the finish line in the German capital which means he will have to race again in the spring if he wants to achieve his Rio ambition. In his regular blog, the latest instalment of which was published earlier this week, Pollock revealed that, after the suggestion of his coach Andy Hobdell, he opted to take several weeks off following his Berlin exertions. The Santry race represented Pollock's return to competitive action and his target was to secure the top-three finish which would guarantee a sixth appearance at the European Cross Country Championships \"On each of the previous five attempts at the Europeans I have run poorly, having peaked for the Irish trials,\" said Pollock in his blog. \"This year however, I know that, at least, I will be in better shape than what I was at Santry. \"With three weeks of hard training ahead of me and the knowledge that my fitness should come back quickly, the nerves are already setting in. \"This championship is an unexpected but very welcome bonus. The bigger races will come in the Springtime. \"For now however, it is time to focus on the task at hand. The Irish vest is an extremely special thing to wear and come 13 December, I want to run well.\" While Pollock will not race in Belfast, the Seeley men's race should still be a competitive affair with Letterkenny athlete Danny Mooney and Paddy Hamilton both expected to be in the field. Letterkenny man Mooney represented Northern Ireland at last year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and also competed for Ireland at this year's European Indoor Championships in Prague. Steeplechase track star O'Flaherty, 34, has opted to compete in Belfast even though she will join Pollock in the Irish team in Hyeres on 13 December. The Newcastle woman, was delighted with her fourth placing at Santry as she picked her way through the field in the closing stages. The Dublin race came immediately after a five-week training sting in French Pyrenees as she continued her build-up towards next summer's Olympics. O'Flaherty may opt to have a short indoor season in February in addition to running in the Armagh Road Races before heading back for another training stint at Font Romeu in mid-April. Commonwealth Games Gladys Ganiel and Kelly Neely will also join O'Flaherty in the Seeley Cup women's field. Ireland", "summary": "Kerry O'Flaherty will race in Belfast on Saturday after booking her place at the European Cross Country Championship in France on 13 December."}
{"article": "As part of a discussion paper on the future of Defined Benefit (DB) pensions, it said financially \"stressed\" companies might be allowed to water down previous promises. About 5% of businesses are in that category, according to the green paper. As many as eleven million people are members of private sector DB schemes, which link pensions to salaries. In particular, some companies might be allowed to adjust the way they up-rate pension payments annually to compensate for inflation. Instead of using the Retail Prices Index (RPI), it could be that some companies would be allowed to use the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) instead, the government said. Since CPI is usually lower than RPI, it would save firms money. However, such a change could cost the average pensioner up to \u00c2\u00a320,000 over the course of their retirement, according to the discussion document. Most public-sector Defined Benefit pensions schemes moved to the CPI measure in 2011. Steve Webb, who was a pensions minister under the Coalition government, said allowing such a change would be worrying. \"There is a significant risk that relaxing standards on inflation protection - with the best of intentions for exceptional cases - could be exploited and lead to millions of retired people being at risk of cuts in their real living standards,\" he said. In the paper, the government also raises the idea of temporarily suspending any sort of inflation indexation at all, when pension schemes are in serious trouble. Yet it admits this could raise \"moral hazard issues\", whereby companies might be tempted to deliberately increase their deficits to save money on pension pay-outs. Most DB pension schemes remain \"affordable\" for employers, the government said, even though most are currently in deficit. So the government's message to employers is unequivocal: most can clear their pension deficits if they want to. It said the total deficit of all DB schemes in January 2017 was \u00c2\u00a3197bn, down from \u00c2\u00a3459bn in August 2016. \"Our modelling suggests that these deficits are likely to shrink for the majority of schemes, if employers continue to pay into schemes at current/promised levels,\" the paper declares. \"While DB pensions are more expensive than they were when they were set up, many employers could clear their pension deficit if required.\" DB schemes have declined over recent years, as employers have switched to more affordable defined contribution (DC) schemes, where pension payouts are linked to investment returns. The pensions industry is now being asked to comment on the ideas in the green paper.", "summary": "Firms in financial trouble could be allowed to reduce the generosity of pensions, the government has suggested."}
{"article": "Welsh economy minister Edwina Hart said despite criticism of UK ministers, her counterparts in London know how important the industry is. She met UK Business Secretary Sajid Javid on his visit to Port Talbot steelworks on Friday. Tata Steel has said it would sell its UK business, putting thousands of jobs at risk. Mr Javid said he had been concerned at talk of a time-frame for the sale of three to four weeks, but says there is now an understanding it is \"much longer\" than that. Ms Hart told the BBC: \"It's very important to recognise in UK terms we can't allow the steel industry to go. \"What happens to defence contracts, what happens now in terms of nuclear? We need a steel industry. I think the UK government is as aware of that as us. \"We've got to be hopeful, because it's important we keep steel, and that is what both governments are trying to do, to ensure we've got the best results in terms of the purchase of the plant.\" Port Talbot has the largest steelworks in the UK, with 4,000 jobs at risk. Tata has other Welsh plants at Trostre, Shotton, Llanwern and Newport, while UK plants in Rotherham and Corby are also affected. Eluned Parrott, Liberal Democrat economy spokeswoman, said: \"It is all very well for Sajid Javid to come here and promise action, but his words of support for the steel industry are in stark contrast to his record. \"The fact is that Mr Javid and his Tory colleagues have done nothing to mitigate this crisis.\" Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood said: \"Inaction and indifference by governments at both ends of the M4 mean that months of lost time have gone by in which decisive action could have been taken.\" A UKIP Wales spokesman said Mr Javid arrives in Wales \"with a long face but an empty portfolio\". \"As long as we are members of the EU we cannot decide to change our tariffs on Chinese steel and we are condemned to paying artificially expanded rates for energy.\" Britain Stronger In Europe, which is campaigning for the UK to stay in the EU, said the European Commission had a record 37 anti-dumping measures in place, with 16 of those specifically targeting Chinese imports.", "summary": "The UK and Welsh governments are working to keep steel production in Britain, a minister has said."}
{"article": "In a statement on Twitter, the band said it was \"with great regret, due to illness, we cannot perform at Customs House Belfast\". Organisers said they were working to re-schedule the concert. Many concert goers said they were disappointed with the last-minute cancellation. Stephen Nelson said the stage was set-up for the band when the news was announced to the audience. \"They had set up everything, all the gear, their background was up, their roadies were on stage. \"Then 10 minutes before an announcement came on the PA that the gig was cancelled. \"People were like, 'are you serious?' Then the announcement was repeated and there was some booing.\" Kathryn McKeown said the crowd were \"disappointed\" when the announcement was made. \"It was lashing rain on and off, everyone was drenched. Blossoms (the support band) were saying, 'are you excited for Kasabian?' before they finished. She added: \"About 10 minutes before the band were due on stage there was an announcement to say that due to last-minute illness the band would be unable to perform, tickets would be valid for a re-scheduled show. \"At first, I think everyone thought it was a joke. After about the third announcement it started to sink in and everyone started booing, some people were even chucking pints and plastic cups at the stage.\" In a statement, organisers said: \"Due to a last-minute illness we regret that the band have had to cancel tonight's show. \"We are working at this minute on scheduling a new date for Belfast. We will communicate with all ticket buyers via Ticketmaster and on the Custom House Square social media. \"Tickets will remain valid for the new date. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.\" The band were due to play as part of a series of concerts at Custom House Square.", "summary": "Rock band Kasabian have cancelled a concert in Belfast minutes before they were due to take to the stage on Tuesday night."}
{"article": "The 18-year-old was walking through Cardonald Cemetery at about 15:30 on Friday when she was attacked. Police have said she was touched inappropriately by a man who approached her from behind. She managed to push him away and he ran off towards Corkerhill Road. The woman was not injured and did not require medical treatment but is said to have been very distressed by the experience. The suspect is described as white, between 40 and 50 years of age, slim and of gaunt appearance. He had a Glasgow accent. He was wearing a navy and blue waterproof jacket, black shorts and trainers which may also have been dark in colour. Det Con Lauren Docherty said: \"The young woman... had taken a shortcut through the cemetery. \"She had come in to the grounds from the Mosspark side and was nearing the exit at Tarfside Gardens when the man came up to her and indecently assaulted her. \"He then grabbed her roughly but she managed to push him off and he ran off towards Corkerhill Road. Ms Docherty added: \"The cemetery is used by a lot of local people as a shortcut between Mosspark and the Tarfside flats and I am sure at this time of day there would have been people about who may have seen this happen. \"It was also quite cold yesterday, so if you saw someone wearing shorts - the man didn't look like he was going to or coming from a sports centre - it may have looked out of place.\" Anyone with information has been asked to call police on the 101 number or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.", "summary": "A young woman has been indecently assaulted in a Glasgow cemetery."}
{"article": "Luis Suarez scored twice, while Neymar and Andres Iniesta also scored as Barcelona moved six points clear of Real at the top of the table. BBC Sport reviews each player's performance, with BBC Radio 5 live co-commentator Chris Waddle, who was at the Bernabeu, giving his ratings out of 10.", "summary": "Barcelona took the honours in the first El Clasico of the La Liga season with a dominant 4-0 win at Real Madrid on Saturday."}
{"article": "So, you'd think that when one of the tech sector's biggest events - TechCrunch Disrupt New York - moved to the birthplace of hipsters, that cutting-edge development and a good amount of facial hair would be on display. But this year's New York Disrupt didn't seem very disruptive. TechCruch's biggest Disrupt conference in San Francisco, its London version, and past New York events have always attracted innovative technology developers. Jordan Crook, senior writer for TechCrunch, was unconcerned by what seemed to be a slow burn in the sector, even in areas like virtual reality and artificial intelligence. \"It's easy to see with hindsight that what seemed to be a slow transition was really a massive shift,\" she says. Take the technology for drones, which started as toys. Over the last year this has shifted and drones are being used for farming and policing and are being tested by companies like Amazon for delivering packages. SeaDrone, a finalist in Disrupt's start-up battlefield, is using drones to improve fishing. But along \"start-up alley\" many companies seemed focused on disruptive ideas from the past like dating apps, search engines and coffee-makers. Tony Xu, the creator of delivery company Door Dash, pushes back on the idea that there is limited disruption going on. \"You need to understand your segment of the market,\" he tells the BBC. His company connects people looking to order food from local restaurants with \"dashers\" - ordinary people who can collect and deliver food from restaurants that don't typically offer this service. \"Delivery isn't novel, but we claimed this space,\" he adds. Since 2013 Door Dash has given the 85% of US restaurants that don't deliver, the opportunity to participate in this market. Mr Xu points out disruption doesn't have to be totally new, simply changing the way we think a certain industry operates is enough. Ever heard of Uber? Connecting riders with taxis didn't seem that novel when it launched. Uber's success - connecting drivers and passengers in a given area and allowing them to pay via their phone - has spurred hundreds of businesses to copy the model for other industries. K. Kavi Raj, founder of app development company On Demand Bay, saw this as his chance for innovation. \"When Uber became big we got a lot of requests for similar apps, so we thought we should come up with something ready-made,\" he explains. His company has sold mobile platforms to companies all over the world, helping to launch an \"Uber\" for tutors, for delivering alcohol and for musicians. One of the most disruptive things about tech start-ups has been their ability to change the way we do everyday tasks and there was a big focus on that at the conference. For example, Dog Parker offers dog owners peace of mind for a small fee. The company puts dog houses outside shops so owners can ensure their pets are safe while they are inside. Peloton is looking to break into the fitness industry with a stationary bike that allows users to follow a gym class on a tablet screen in", "summary": "The Brooklyn Cruise Ship Terminal opened in 2006 - the same year that Twitter launched."}
{"article": "It has proposed setting up a new Scotland-wide statutory board to co-ordinate the activities of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The government said services already provided in the Highlands and Islands would be protected. A new service has also been proposed for the south of Scotland. The activities of Scottish Enterprise and HIE include the running of Scottish Development International, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council. The Scottish government carried out a review of enterprise and skills support earlier this year. It examined the roles, responsibilities and relationships of HIE and Scottish Enterprise. HIE supports businesses and promotes economic growth in the Northern Isles, Western Isles, Highlands, Moray and Argyll. It began as the Highlands and Islands Development Board 50 years ago. HIE was established in 1990. The CairnGorm Mountain ski resort and its funicular railway is among the assets it manages. A report on the first phase of the review of enterprise and skills services has been released. The contents of the report are due to be debated at Holyrood on Wednesday. Concerns about the future of HIE have already been raised by Highlands MSPs David Stewart and John Finnie. Mr Stewart said he would oppose any move to merge HIE with Scottish Enterprise. Earlier this month, in a response to a question from Mr Finnie, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish government would make sure HIE could continue to provide its services. Following the release on the new report, Economy Secretary Keith Brown said: \"We are proud of our enterprise and skills agencies, and in recent years their efforts have contributed to real improvements in our economic performance. \"But we know that further improvement is required - our ambition is for Scotland to rank among the top-performing OECD nations for productivity, equality, sustainability and wellbeing. \"Since the review was announced, the EU referendum result has made the economic context more challenging. It requires that we renew our focus and prioritise our efforts. \"This review has focused on how we can build on existing strengths and successes to further improve the enterprise and skills support system in Scotland. \"This will ensure a system in which all of our agencies work both hand in glove with each other and collaboratively with our business, academic and civic partners to optimise economic impact across the whole of Scotland.\" Scottish Conservative economy spokesman Dean Lockhart said: \"While I am pleased that the SNP have followed our lead once again in suggesting a South of Scotland enterprise agency, a lot more needs to be done. \"Our enterprise agencies are already doing a great job in encouraging business growth, but as Audit Scotland have said, it's the Scottish government that is holding them back. \"They need far more support in the work that they do, and a clear plan on exactly how the Scottish government want them to deliver its economic strategy.\"", "summary": "The Scottish government has set out plans to reform Scotland's enterprise and skills agencies."}
{"article": "Is the new popularity of anti-EU parties in the UK, France, Greece and Spain a hangover from the crash of 2007-8, the euro crisis of 2010-13 and long years of squeezed living standards - a protest from those who feel dispossessed in an economic sense? Or does the surge of UKIP, the Front National and Syriza, inter alia, reflect a more profound sense that the mainstream parties and conventional political institutions no longer serve the interests of millions of people? Is it \"the economy, stupid\", or is it \"globalisation and a dysfunctional EU, stupid\"? The answer matters. Maybe the economy is easier to fix - although not necessarily in the eurozone, which still lacks the requisite cross-border political solidarity that would allow the excessive debt burden to be pooled, and its growth-deadening impact to be mitigated. As for the UK, it is possible that the current economic recovery will suddenly translate into a significant rise in living standards, that has been so elusive for six years. But the prime minister might not be best advised to count on it. A significant microcosm of both the problem and the solution is London - where, significantly, UKIP resonated less and performed less well than elsewhere. Part of the explanation is that globalisation - which gives many a sense that they have little direct control over their economic destiny - enriches London. Much of the rest of the UK sees globalisation and its manifestations - such as immigration - as disempowering, impoverishing and a threat. Whereas for Londoners, globalisation is an economic competition they are apparently winning. Of course, there are tensions within London generated by the nature of its success - the west London ghettoes of the non-dom super-rich aren't everyone's cup of tea, and high and inflationary property prices undermine social cohesion. But I haven't heard many Londoners describe the capital as \"the dark star of the economy\", which is how it was characterised in March by the First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond. The capital's gravitational pull for what Mr Salmond called \"resources, people and energy\" is bound to be seen with different degrees of enthusiasm by those inside and outside the Great Wen. Alex Salmond's hope was that an independent Scotland would be able to exert a new pull for talent and money, and provide more economic balance in this island. Which some would say is a challenging argument to make, since the trends that are pumping up London are supra-national. In a world where barriers to the flow of money, services, people, goods and data have progressively been removed, vast flows of money, services, people, goods and data are drawn to where they find their ilk. Or to put it another way, the rise of London is the rise of one of the world's megacities, those urban centres which thrive semi-independently of the countries where they are located. According to the consultancy McKinsey, some 70% of all worldwide economic activity takes place in the world's 600 largest cities. And the most vital cities, on its analysis, are those that are", "summary": "How much of the rise in Europe's anti-establishment parties of right and left is cyclical and how much is long-term and secular?"}
{"article": "Members of the Unite union working for Wood Group on eight Shell installations will vote on whether to strike. The union said its members were \"deeply worried\" and felt they had no other option but to consider industrial action. Wood Group said it was \"extremely disappointed\" at the news during the consultation process. The platforms involved are Shearwater, Gannet, Nelson, Curlew, Brent Delta, Brent Alpha, Brent Bravo and Brent Charlie. In February, Aberdeen-based Wood Group PSN announced it was cutting rates paid to about a third of its UK contractor workforce.", "summary": "Hundreds of North Sea workers are to be balloted for industrial action in a dispute over pay cuts."}
{"article": "Each week in the UK, about 12 seemingly healthy people aged 35 or under are victims of sudden cardiac death, largely due to undiagnosed heart conditions. If you have a family member who has been diagnosed with an inherited heart condition, or has a family history of premature deaths, doctors will suggest you be tested. Having angina or a heart attack at a young age can also prompt a test. Young people should also be checked if they have: They carry out an electrocardiogram test - also known as an ECG. This looks at the electrical activity of the heart. It is painless and involves having small stickers placed on the chest, which are connected to the ECG machine. A cardiologist checks the results. Sometimes, an echocardiogram - an ultrasound test that looks at the structure of the heart - is also done. If someone under 35 has died suddenly, the NHS will offer \"cascade testing\" to family members to see if they have inherited a faulty gene. Just being identified helps. People can then be monitored, and encouraged to make any lifestyle changes that could help them. There are drug treatments available - and people can be fitted with internal cardioverter defibrillators - a matchbox-sized device placed just under the collar bone that gives the heart electric pulses or shocks to get the heart rhythm back to normal. Other procedures and surgery are also available. Talk to your GP if you have any concerns. These websites have more information:", "summary": "About 620,000 people in the UK have a faulty gene that puts them at risk of developing coronary heart disease or sudden death, and most are unaware, heart experts have warned."}
{"article": "The 133-year-old statue depicted General Robert E Lee, the top military leader in the Confederacy, crossing his arms as he faced north towards his old enemy. Critics say monuments to the Confederacy are racially offensive, but supporters say they are important symbols of the city's Southern heritage. The three other statues were all removed at night to limit clashes. The workers on the job were wearing bullet-proof vests as well as masks. In a statement on Thursday, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said the condemned statues \"were erected decades after the Civil War to celebrate the 'Cult of the Lost Cause', a movement recognised across the South as celebrating and promoting white supremacy.\" Barricades went up overnight around the park where the 16ft (4.8m) statue was perched atop a 60ft column. The cables for a nearby streetcar were also temporarily taken down to allow construction equipment into the park. Before police cleared the area on Thursday, nearly 200 protesters gathered to voice support and opposition to the monument. Demonstrations were mostly peaceful, local media report. The only flashpoint was when a pro-removal protester snatched a Confederate battle flag. One man was arrested for climbing on to the monument's pedestal and refusing to come down. The monument to Lee was erected on 22 February 1884 - nearly 20 years after the Civil War ended. On the day of the unveiling, a crowd of nearly 15,000 people came to watch, the Daily Picayune newspaper reported the next day. At the exact moment that the statue was unveiled, a 100-gun salute was fired, and \"a mighty shout went up from the soldiers of the Confederacy\", the Daily Picayune reported. City officials say the monuments will be moved somewhere such as a museum where they can be \"placed in their proper historical context from a dark period of American history\". But WWL-TV has found the removed monuments to Confederate President Jefferson Davis and PGT Beauregard in a city-owned scrap yard. Supporters of the monuments say they are a cultural legacy that promotes heritage rather than racism. The decision to remove the statues came in December 2015, six months after a white supremacist shot dead nine black worshippers at a South Carolina church.", "summary": "Masked city workers in New Orleans have removed the last of four monuments to the pro-slavery rebellion defeated in the US Civil War."}
{"article": "From mid-June councils will have powers to issue penalty charge notices to the registered owner of a car, regardless of who littered. CCTV images will be used to record number plates and trace owners, said London Councils. The AA said the majority of its members wanted tougher penalties for people who drop litter from cars. Littering is already a criminal offence which incurs a fine, under the Environmental Protection Act. To prosecute someone for littering from a car required proving beyond reasonable doubt which passenger disposed of the rubbish, which is very difficult, said a spokesman for London Councils. But the organisation which represents London's 33 councils put a private bill through Parliament to amend the London Local Authorities Act so that the owner of a vehicle or pedicab will be liable to pay littering fines. Council officers and Police Community Support Officers will be among those who can issue penalties, said London Councils. The exact level of fine will be decided on 14 June and the new law should come into effect on 18 June. An AA spokesman said the organisation's research suggests the majority of drivers in London and Britain would like greater penalties for littering from cars. In a survey of 1,628 AA members in London in 2009, 58% said they loathed motoring \"litter louts\" enough to support tough penalties, such as points on their driving licence, large fines and community sentences. Ninety-three percent agreed that roadside litter gave a bad impression of Britain and spoilt local communities. Seven per cent admitted littering. He said: \"A cigarette thrown from a car will spark and make a driver jump. Similarly a container coming at your windscreen will make you duck.\" But he pointed out that enforcement will be an issue and there will be cases where items are dropped accidentally. He said: \"In amongst rubbish you will always find a baby's dummy and know that it's unlikely that its mother wanted that littered. \"What happens if a six-year-old opens the back door, drops something and walks off? That could be littering.\"", "summary": "Car owners in London will face fines of up to \u00a3100 if someone drops litter from their vehicles, under a law change."}
{"article": "Players involved in the incident with Morpeth Town, following Newton's 3-2 FA Vase defeat, have also left the club. Dixon was dismissed \"due to the on-going ill-discipline\" of some players. \"It's not been easy but we've acted straight away and want to draw a line under it,\" chairman Allan Oliver told BBC Sport. \"If there are any investigations we will fully take part, but it is difficult to comment further.\" Newton Aycliffe, of Northern Football League Division One - the ninth tier of English football - have previously been the subject of a Durham Football Association investigation after Spennymoor Town refused to play the second half of a pre-season friendly in July after the match took an \"aggressive direction\". Oliver said Dixon's departure was related only to Saturday's incident. Morpeth's joint-chairman Gary Munday said the club, who play in the same league as Newton Aycliffe, are in the process of submitting a full statement to the Football Association as the incident is understood to have also been witnessed by the match referee. While the club have not made a complaint to police, they said that if any player was to report an assault they will fully support any investigation. Video footage of the clash at Newton Aycliffe's Moore Lane Park ground against their north east rivals shows a number of players from the home side running towards and gathering at the visitors' dressing room door. Morpeth staff and coaches are said to have kept Newton Aycliffe players back, with at least one member of the home club's staff also trying to keep players out. Oliver and another staff member are also understood to have walked Morpeth players back to their cars after the match. Munday said he \"had never witnessed anything like it at a football match\" and \"applauded Newton Aycliffe's strong stance\" in dealing with the matter internally. However, he fears it could have an effect on the club's support. \"We are shocked and disgusted by what happened,\" he said. \"Morpeth Town is a very family-orientated football club as we encourage our juniors, free of charge to support the club - that grass-root support is the future of football. \"Unfortunately, we have had parents say that they will never take their children to away games again. \"We will try to encourage them back as we do feel that this is a one-off.\" The BBC have contacted the FA for comment, but are yet to get a response.", "summary": "Newton Aycliffe sacked their manager Peter Dixon after players from the non-league club fought their way into their opponents' dressing room."}
{"article": "Tree surgeon Jon Sterkel told the BBC he used an explosive rifle target which sent blue smoke billowing into the air. The blast was reportedly so loud that it was heard nearly 5km (3 miles) away. Mr Sterkel has apologised after causing a police alert. He said that he was not aware his actions were illegal. \"The explosives I bought are readily available in most department stores, and even most law enforcers I have spoken to are not aware that they are illegal,\" he told the BBC. He said that he had detonated exploding targets before on his remote farmland west of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, without upsetting anyone. How are new babies celebrated around the world? He said that Saturday's explosion contained blue smoke - caused by chalk powder - to tell the outside world that his wife Ashley is expecting a baby boy. Mr Sterkel, 26, can be heard proclaiming \"it's a boy!\" on the video of the explosion which has been widely featured on numerous US websites. But the blast was so loud that police in nearby Scottsbluff were alerted, with some residents concerned that a major disaster had taken place. Mr Sterkel said that he immediately called the local sheriff to explain what had happened in addition to apologising for his actions. \"I would like to say sorry for all of the confusion,\" he said. \"I am a man of character and will willingly go to court if the district attorney chooses to prosecute me. \"This was just our way of announcing what gender our baby was.\" Mr Sterkel faces charges for detonating the explosive without a valid permit. There was no damage or injury but he could be punished with a prison sentence and a fine of $1,000 (\u00c2\u00a3800). Police told the Omaha World Herald that although exploding targets, which are detonated when shot with a high powered rifle, have recently become popular, people who use them need to follow the correct procedures. Mr Sterkel told the BBC that he does not plan any more spectacular blasts once the baby, his first child, is born around 16 June. And the baby's name? \"Possibly Wesson, in honour of the rifle maker Smith and Wesson,\" he said.", "summary": "A US man who celebrated news that his wife was expecting a baby boy by setting off an explosion in Nebraska is facing police action which could result in a year in jail and a fine."}
{"article": "Brett this week told BBC Scotland he hoped to have a future with Cowdenbeath but would accept their decision. And the 24-year-old has now been dismissed by the Central Park club. This week Brett was also banned by the Scottish FA for four matches, with a further four suspended, for offensive posts on Twitter. Brett was initially suspended by Cowden as a result of the betting offences, which came to light after the SFA looked at his Twitter account over the alleged offensive tweets. It was found that he had placed 2,787 bets, with eight of those against his own team, and five of those involving matches in which he played. Players in Scotland are not allowed to bet on any football matches. Brett had faced a traumatic few years in his personal life, with his 22-year-old wife having died of cancer in January 2015, four months after their daughter Mollie, who was born prematurely, had died. Media playback is not supported on this device Cowdenbeath revealed a club hearing over the betting offences had determined the player was guilty of gross misconduct, and said it was with a \"very heavy heart\" that the board decided to dismiss the player. A statement read: \"The board's duty was clear. A player betting on his own team to lose, often in matches in which he was playing, is not a situation Cowdenbeath FC could accept or excuse. Simply put, no Cowdenbeath FC player committing such an act could remain in the employ of the club. \"The board of Cowdenbeath FC therefore has today conveyed to Dean its decision is that he is dismissed and his employment has been terminated without notice. We believe this decision to be one that any reasonable employer would make and that it is both fair and reasonable in the circumstances.\" The club also revealed that the SFA had found Brett guilty of making \"comments upon a social networking site, namely Twitter, that were of a discriminatory, and offensive nature, based upon sexual orientation as well as comments that were otherwise of an offensive nature,\" resulting in the ban.", "summary": "Cowdenbeath defender Dean Brett has been sacked by the League Two club after admitting betting against his own team."}
{"article": "The company's board met on Sunday but has not released any details on Mr Kalanick's future yet. The board also voted on a review of its policies and corporate culture by former US Attorney General Eric Holder. The review was instigated in February after former Uber engineer Susan Fowler made claims of sexual harassment. Uber confirmed to the BBC that \"the board unanimously voted to adopt all the recommendations of the Holder Report. The recommendations will be released to the employees on Tuesday.\" It has not been confirmed what those recommendations are. It is possible that Mr Kalanick could take time off from Uber and then return to a role with less authority, or remain as chief executive but face more scrutiny, the Reuters news agency reported. The New York Times reported that one of Mr Holder's recommendations was that Emil Michael, Uber's senior vice-president of business and a close confidant of Mr Kalanick, should leave the company. The board meeting comes just days after Uber said it had fired more than 20 people, and was taking other actions against staff, for issues including sexual harassment and bullying. If Mr Michael does leave it would be the latest high-profile departure from Uber. Last week Uber's finance chief, Gautam Gupta, said he was leaving, following New York general manager, Josh Mohrer, and the head of Uber's self-driving unit, Anthony Levandowski, out of the door. Mr Kalanick has earned a reputation as an abrasive leader and was criticised earlier this year after being caught on video berating an Uber driver. He said in response to the video: \"I must fundamentally change as a leader and grow up.\" Uber board member Arianna Huffington said in March that Mr Kalanick needed to change his leadership style from that of a \"scrappy entrepreneur\" to be more like a \"leader of a major global company\". The board has been seeking to recruit a chief operating officer to assist the chief executive. Some investors are concerned at the power Mr Kalanick has over Uber because of the number of voting shares he controls. San Francisco-based Uber is valued at nearly $70bn (\u00c2\u00a355bn) but is yet to make a profit.", "summary": "Uber's chief executive could be forced to take a leave of absence under changes being considered by the firm, reports say."}
{"article": "Cheap Trick, and Steve Miller also made the 2016 list, but Chic - nominated for a record tenth time - missed out on the honour. The five acts were chosen by fans and more than 800 voters of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. They will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony in April. To be eligible, artists or bands need to have released their first single or album 25 years ago. Others who were nominated this year but didn't make the cut include Janet Jackson, Nine Inch Nails and The Smiths. It was the fourth time rap stars NWA - the subject of this year's hit biopic Straight Outta Compton - had been nominated. Led by Dr Dre and Ice Cube, NWA are described as \"unexpected, shocking, flawed, revolutionary and worthy,\" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. \"NWA's improbable rise from marginalized outsiders to the most controversial and complicated voices of their generation remains one of rock's most explosive, relevant and challenging tales\", it said. It was the third nomination for British metal band Deep Purple. A statement from the organisers said: \"Deep Purple's non-inclusion in the Hall is a gaping hole which must now be filled,\" calling them \"the Holy Trinity of hard rock and metal bands\" along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath who are already inductees. Seventies rock band Chicago, led by Peter Cetera is also an omission according to organisers. \"Chicago's early line-up created such an unmistakable sound and their inclusion into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is not only well-deserved, but an honour that has been overlooked. \"With over 21 top 10 singles, five consecutive number one albums, 11 number one singles - fans that stretch across the globe and countless bands that have followed in their wake, Chicago's legacy is unquestionable.\" Steve Miller and Cheap Trick are first time nominees. Earlier this year, Green Day, Lou Reed, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and Ringo Starr were among those inducted into the Hall of Fame as the class of 2015.", "summary": "Ground-breaking rap act NWA, Deep Purple and Chicago have been announced as inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."}
{"article": "Continuing changes to secondary education mean the situation can be confusing. With only a few days to secure a sixth-form place or take an alternative path, such as an apprenticeship or vocational college course, getting the right advice is key. Vicky Coleman, an adviser with the National Careers Service, is offering advice to readers. My daughter is in year 10 and has received her results today. She is devastated that she got C and D grades in her science exams - and a C in English literature. Can these exams be sat again? Diane, Gloucestershire I'm sorry that your daughter did not get what she was expecting, although she should still be really proud of the C grades she has received. As she is only in year 10, she still has plenty of time to resit exams if she so wishes. It is possible to retake maths, English language and English (combination of literature and language) in November but unfortunately it is not possible to resit English literature on its own at this time. However your daughter can resit all of her exams next summer including science and English literature, it could help to speak to her school if she would like to resit, as they would be able to give her more information on their processes for resits. Most colleges and sixth forms will accept young people with four or five GCSEs at C grades and there are lots of other opportunities now post-16 such as apprenticeships and vocational qualifications. Your daughter still has lots of doors open to her and she should be very proud of what she has achieved so far. I have a better grade than I have expected, as a result of very hard work. My question is, I want to try better sixth forms than the ones I have got. How do I go about doing this, as I did not apply to these schools originally? Adannaya, Edmonton Firstly, a huge congratulations on your grades. It's fantastic to hear that all of your hard work has paid off. If you would like to go to a different sixth form or college, you would need to speak to them directly to see if you can get a place. The website Ucas Progress is great for looking for level-three courses in your local area. There is also a course-search facility on the National Careers Service website. After you have found colleges or sixth forms that would be of interest to you, I would suggest giving them a phone call over the next week to find out about places and their admissions process. My daughter has received her GCSE results and is disappointed with some of her grades. She had very good course work results and studied hard for the exams but in four subjects in particular she is gutted. These are geography where she was predicted A* and she got a B, English language where she had extra tuition and was expecting an A and got B, history predicted high A got a B and music predicted A", "summary": "What do you do if your grades are different from those you were expecting?"}
{"article": "Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez slotted in the winning spot-kick after Argentina's Gonzalo Higuain fired over and Ever Banega was denied by Claudio Bravo. Higuain had earlier missed from close range after 90 minutes of few chances. Sanchez came closest in extra time for Chile, who scored all four of their penalties in the shootout. Where Chile held their nerve, Argentina wilted in the shootout at the end of a performance that fell well short of the heights they reached in their 6-1 semi-final win over Paraguay. Le Albiceleste are without a major trophy in the last 22 years since winning the 1993 Copa America in Ecuador. Chile's victory brought an end to almost a century of competing in the Copa America without claiming a title. They were one of four teams who played in the very first tournament in 1916 in Argentina but the best they had done until this year was runner-up, which they have achieved on four occasions (1955, 1956, 1979 and 1987). The Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos was a cauldron of noise on Saturday, full of flag-waving red-clad home supporters, some of whom had reportedly paid up to $25,000 for tickets. They were not treated to a dazzling attacking display from their side but rather one of drive, discipline and, ultimately, composure, epitomised by the industrious and energetic Sanchez and Charles Aranguiz. Both sides scored their opening penalty, with Matias Fernandez emphatically finding the top corner for Chile before Lionel Messi sent his kick low into the bottom corner. However, after Arturo Vidal had powerfully dispatched Chile's second, Higuain blazed his effort way over the bar. Charles Aranguiz made it 3-1 to the hosts and it remained that way as Ever Banega's tame effort was palmed away by the diving Claudio Bravo. Sanchez showed supreme composure to chip his effort down the middle and in to win the game and the competition for his side. Following Argentina's World Cup final defeat to Germany last summer, four-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi once again missed out on his first major international medal. He put in a supreme showing in the Copa America semi-final demolition of Paraguay, playing a part in all six of his nation's goals, but on Saturday he was largely on the periphery throughout, with his most significant contribution being a trademark run towards the Chile box to set up a wasted chance for Higuain in the final minute. The 28-year-old is not entirely to blame for his failure in Santiago. His team-mates did little to create the space the forward needs to be effective, not did they find him with the regularity he is used to when playing for his club. Credit must also go to Chile, who were quick to close him down whenever he did receive the ball in a threatening position. Napoli forward Higuain was criticised for missing a superb chance in the World Cup final defeat to Germany in Brazil last summer and he was once again in the spotlight for the wrong reasons on Saturday. He was guilty of spurning an opportunity to", "summary": "Chile secured the first major trophy in their history on home soil courtesy of a penalty shootout win over Argentina in the Copa America final."}
{"article": "The law is to be changed in Spring 2017 to make directors personally liable for breaches of regulations. At the moment only firms can be fined for ignoring rules on cold calling, but many declare bankruptcy - only to open up again under a different name. Consumer group Which? said it was a \"massive victory\". Companies offering to help to reclaim mis-sold payment protection insurance or with accident claims are behind some of the most common nuisance calls. The change will mean the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) would be able to impose combined penalties of up to \u00a31m on company directors and their businesses for breaches of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. The ICO has issued fines totalling almost \u00a33.7m to companies behind nuisance calls and spam text messages. Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said companies behind the calls have \"little regard for the anxiety and upset they cause all in the name of turning a fast profit\". \"We are inundated with complaints from people who are left shaken and distressed by the intrusion on their daily lives,\" she added. Source: BBC Skillswise Which? has campaigned on the issue and its managing director of home and legal services Alex Neill said \"the government has listened to consumers\". \"This legislation will stop rogues dodging fines for bombarding consumers with nuisance calls and side-stepping the rules by closing one business and re-establishing a new one.\" Digital and culture minister Matt Hancock said: \"Nuisance callers are a blight on society, causing significant distress to elderly and vulnerable people. \"We have been clear that we will not stand for this continued harassment and this latest amendment to the law will strike another blow to those businesses and company bosses responsible.\"", "summary": "Company directors could be fined up to \u00a3500,000 if their business is behind nuisance phone calls, under government moves to clamp down on the problem."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device A feeling every professional footballer has when thinking about pre-season is pure dread - even while the tans are being topped up on a beach far, far away from a sweaty British gym or open field. Just how hard can it be, though? Are they just overpaid moaners or are they athletes pushed to their absolute limit? To find out, some idiot from BBC Sport (me) did the same test many footballers up and down the country are doing for their fitness. I'm a 24-year-old occasional runner, casual cyclist and failed box-to-box midfielder with severe weaknesses for chicken wings, chocolate milkshake and custard doughnuts. That makes me decidedly 'average' with a body to match - a perfect comparison between the everyday individual, whatever that is, and finely tuned athletes. With trepidation, I travelled to the University of Essex on one of the warmest weeks of the millennium to take a test \"to the point of exhaustion\" alongside players from League One side Colchester United. The test I did was very similar to the notorious VO2 Max test, in that you run on a treadmill with incremental speed increases until you can literally go no longer - the only difference being I was not wearing a Bane-like oxygen mask so would not find out what my VO2 Max was. \"The players don't like it because they don't want to be taken out of their comfort zone,\" said U's sports scientist Stefano Russo. \"But for us, we get to see blood lactate measurements which we can compare to the end of the season to see where they are at and what they've been doing. \"We also measure their maximum heart-rates so we can monitor their training and make sure training loads aren't pushing them too hard.\" Russo talked about blood lactate - but what is it and why is it important to test? \"During exercise, lactic acid is broken down into lactate and a hydrogen ion,\" explained Chris McManus from the University of Essex. \"It is this lactate that accumulates in the blood and is reflective of the intensity of the exercise bring completed. \"Well-trained athletes are able to maintain a lower level of lactate accumulation during exercise at higher intensities.\" If pain is your thing, you can have a go at it yourself. Start the treadmill at about nine kilometres per hour and increase it every three minutes, with a 45-second break in between. You also need someone to take a blood sample during that short haven when you can suck in some oxygen. For the footballers and I, however: \"We start at 11 kmh, and they typically last up to 18-19 kmh,\" said McManus. \"We could all probably jump on the treadmill and run at 20 kmh for a couple of minutes, but these guys are starting at 11 and every three minutes it goes up by around 1.5 kmh.\" Sounds great, doesn't it? So great that it was the only thing that the players - and therefore myself - were allowed to do", "summary": "Profusely sweating, panting for air and feeling lunch turning in my stomach - I thought to myself 'Why did I volunteer for this?'"}
{"article": "End of Instagram post by chloeayling The 20-year-old woman, named in reports as Chloe Ayling, had travelled to the city to attend a photo shoot. Italian police said she was attacked by two men on arrival on 11 July and drugged and abducted, apparently to be sold in an online auction. The officers said they had arrested Polish national Lukasz Herba, who lives in the UK, on kidnapping charges. Ms Ayling said she feared for her life throughout the \"terrifying experience\", according to the Telegraph. Italian police said the model was drugged with ketamine before being locked in a bag and transported in a car to a house in Borgial, north-west of Turin. She was handcuffed to a wooden chest of drawers in a bedroom for six days until she was released taken to the British consulate in Milan, they added. It is alleged the kidnappers attempted to sell the model online for \u00a3230,000 ($300,000) and demanded her agent pay a ransom fee. Investigations into the case are being carried out by authorities in Italy, Poland and the UK. A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said an address in Sampson Close, Oldbury, had been raided on 18 July in connection with the inquiry. A National Crime Agency (NCA) spokesman said: \"The NCA and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit have been providing support to the Italian authorities during this investigation.\"", "summary": "A British model who was allegedly kidnapped in Milan and held captive for six days has returned to the UK."}
{"article": "Explosives lit up the sky and loud bangs were heard as the fire took hold at 05:00 BST on Bitterne Road West. Homes and properties within 100 metres (328ft) of the fire on the site of the Southern Fireworks Factory and the Flower Factory were evacuated. No-one was injured. Surrounding roads are expected to remain closed overnight. More than 70 firefighters in 13 engines and support vehicles helped bring the blaze under control. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service group commander Howard Watts said: \"It was a challenging scene when we arrived - with all the explosions we couldn't get too close to the fire. \"Our main concern making sure everyone in the area was safe and to make sure no-one was in the building.\" At the height of the blaze, a plume of black smoke billowed over the area. Resident Jill Sainsbury said she heard an \"almighty bang\" and saw different colours appear in the sky at around 05:00. She said: \"We thought it was coming from the river until we saw a massive plume of smoke coming from the Fireworks Factory near the Flower Factory. \"The fireworks had been going off for at least an hour - it has stopped now - but certainly the plume of smoke is still pouring over the river and the city.\" Ryan Gregory, who lives nearby, said he initially thought the bangs were gunshots. He said: \"I looked out of my window to see there was a lot of smoke. Immediately I knew it was from the Firework Factory, but I didn't expect it to go up in the blaze that it did.\" The A3024 Bitterne Road West and and Bitterne Bridge have been closed in both directions while firefighters deal with the blaze. Southampton City Council said it had lifted the toll on the Itchen Bridge until the road reopens. The authority said the road closures were expected to remain in place overnight Southern Water also warned the considerable use of hydrants in the area had left some residents with poor pressure or temporary loss of their water supply. Bitterne Manor Primary School on Quayside Road was also closed. A rest centre has been set up at the Ascension Centre in Thorold Road for 60 residents who have had to leave their homes. The council confirmed a licence to store fireworks had been issued to Southern Firework Factory Ltd in September. A spokesman said the storage conditions at the premises \"complied with the relevant conditions\". \"At the time of the licence application the premises was purely commercial with no residential accommodation attached. As such the licence permitted 250kg (550lbs) net explosive content to be stored in a steel container secured against unauthorised access,\" he said.", "summary": "A huge blaze broke out at a shop in Southampton, setting off dozens of fireworks stored inside."}
{"article": "Nearly one-third of voters backed the anti-immigration FN, which won in six out of France's 13 regions. Despite the FN surge, a second round on 13 December will be the decider. It was the first electoral test since last month's Paris attacks, in which jihadist gunmen killed 130 people. The nationalist FN got about 28%, ahead of the centre-right Republicans party led by former President Nicolas Sarkozy, which polled just under 27%, and the governing Socialist Party (PS), trailing with 23.5%. The PS said it was withdrawing from the second round in two regions, in the north and south, to try to block a run-off victory for the FN. On Twitter, Marine Le Pen said both the PS and Republicans \"are crumbling\" and \"the French people are sick and tired of that old political world\". French press sees traditional parties in meltdown Has France's National Front changed? The far right's charm offensive In a series of interviews she condemned the PS for withdrawing some candidates from the second round, saying the PS was \"neither loyal nor democratic\" and was \"treating its voters like ballot fodder\". The PS candidate in a third region, Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine in eastern France, rejected a call from party leader Jean-Christophe Cambadelis to withdraw in the second round. Jean-Pierre Masseret said he could not be expected to leave 5.5 million people in the hands of a Republican party that had veered to the extreme or an extreme nationalist right. Mr Sarkozy refused to do any tactical deals with the PS for the second-round ballot. The result on Sunday was a major blow for Socialist President Francois Hollande, who had seen improved poll ratings after the Paris attacks. France's new regional authorities have wide powers over local transport, education and economic development. The vote is also an important test of FN support ahead of the 2017 presidential election. There is a surly anti-establishment mood in France, of which the National Front- a quintessential anti-establishment party - is taking full advantage. Of course triumph for the FN will not necessarily translate into power. The regional elections (like most French elections) are in two rounds. Next Sunday, voters may rally around the two main parties. But in two regions - the north and on the Cote d'Azur - the National Front has smashed the opposition. In a third - Alsace - its chances are very strong. Others are not beyond reach. Read more from Hugh Marine Le Pen has distanced the FN from her father Jean-Marie Le Pen, who founded it and has been prosecuted for anti-Semitism. She argues that France cannot take in more Muslim immigrants. Widespread anxiety about immigration and the fear of further terrorist attacks are believed to have boosted the FN's support. Marine Le Pen stood in Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie, an economically depressed northern region that used to be a Socialist stronghold. Her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen stood in Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur in the south. Both won more than 40% of the vote, breaking previous records for the party. Marine Le Pen called it a \"magnificent result\" which proved the FN was", "summary": "The triumphant leader of the far-right National Front (FN), Marine Le Pen, says French voters rejected the \"old political class\" in regional elections that put her party top."}
{"article": "The story - which originally appeared in the Huffington Post - says the mayors will be left off the speakers list at the event in September. It says the Labour leader and four shadow cabinet members will be given prime speaking slots in Brighton. Mr Corbyn said the conference agenda had not been drawn up yet. Asked about the story on a campaigning visit to Morecambe, the Labour leader said he had \"no idea\" why The Sun was reporting it. He said: \"The Sun seem to be trying to run the Labour Party. Well I have news for The Sun - they don't.\" On Wednesday, Labour's shadow equalities minister Sarah Champion quit her role over an article she wrote for the Sun about grooming gangs. The Rotherham MP told the newspaper a week ago that \"Britain has a problem with British Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls\". She apologised for her \"extremely poor choice of words,\" after earlier suggesting the Sun had altered what she had written, something denied by the newspaper. According to Huffington Post political editor Paul Waugh, Mr Corbyn and four shadow cabinet members - John McDonnell, Emily Thornberry, Diane Abbott and Keir Starmer - will be pushed as the face of the party and given prime speaking slots at the conference. This means there will be less time for other leading figures, suggests Waugh, adding that some in the party fear the leadership want \"revenge\" on Mr Burnham and Mr Khan for being critical of Mr Corbyn in the past.", "summary": "Jeremy Corbyn has hit back at a report in the Sun newspaper claiming Labour mayors Andy Burnham and Sadiq Khan will be \"frozen out\" of Labour's conference."}
{"article": "Police were called to the gorge, near Blair Atholl, at about 17:50. Officers have been joined by the fire service, ambulance crews, a helimed and the local mountain rescue team for the search. A spokesman for Police Scotland said: \"There is currently no sign of the individual who is missing.\"", "summary": "Emergency services are carrying out a search after a person went missing in the Falls of Bruar in Perthshire."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old St Eunan's clubman won the All-Ireland title with Donegal in 2012 and was in the side which lost to Kerry in last year's decider. Kavanagh also helped Donegal to three Ulster Championship triumphs and a National League title. He made his debut against Cork in 2001 and clocked up 132 Donegal appearances. Kavanagh's last game for Donegal came in the defeat by Kerry in September's All-Ireland final at Croke Park. The highpoint of the Letterkenny man's career was winning the Sam Maguire Cup two year earlier thanks to victory over Mayo. Kavanagh, who will continue to play for St Eunan's, has become the first member of that All-Ireland winning squad to retire. He played 49 championship games for Donegal, starting with his Ulster SFC debut in 2002. Eamon McGee, Karl Lacey and Mark McHugh have been among the Donegal players to pay tribute to Kavanagh's service to the county. \"Rory Kavanagh was one of the best players I've played with. A true professional on and off the field. Taught me so much,\" said McHugh on Twitter. McGee described Kavanagh as \"without a doubt one of the best I've played with\" while Lacey said the St Eunan's club was \"still an unbelievable athlete\".", "summary": "Donegal midfielder Rory Kavanagh has announced his retirement from inter-county football because of work and family considerations."}
{"article": "The new P1 pupils will have teachers across the area seeing double when they begin the new term on Monday. The new intake means there will be a total of 72 sets of twins at primary schools in Inverclyde. Education officials were surprised when the number of twins rose to 16 in 2011. The huge increase since then has left them wondering if there is \"something in the water\".", "summary": "Schools in Inverclyde are preparing to welcome a record 19 sets of twins."}
{"article": "The pair, who were wearing stage make-up, fake blood and white contact lenses, were returning from filming online sitcom Dead Town on Sunday. Steve Lowe and Diane Holden of Ashton-under-Lyne were on the M62 near Warrington when they were pulled over. Police shared a picture and tweeted \"posing as Zombies - takes all sorts\". The pair were filming the third and final episode of Dead Town which is based in Runcorn, Cheshire when the North West Motorway Police officer pulled them over in an unmarked car. Mr Lowe said the officer burst out laughing when he saw their attire. \"I think he was very surprised; he wasn't frightened but pleasantly amused. \"He asked if he could take a photograph because no-one would believe him back at the station.\" Mr Lowe, 60, said he has been dressing up as a zombie for a couple of years. \"It is brilliant; really good fun. There is a big zombie community - it's a nice big zombie family.\" A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police added: \"No further action was taken.\"", "summary": "A couple dressed as zombies were stopped by concerned motorway police responding to reports of a woman being assaulted in a car."}
{"article": "State department spokeswoman Marie Harf confirmed that Mr Fowle was on his way home on Tuesday following negotiations. She said the US was working to secure the release of two other US nationals, Matthew Miller and Kenneth Bae, who remain in detention in North Korea. The US has accused North Korea of using the detained Americans as pawns in a diplomatic game. Mr Fowle, 56, entered North Korea on 29 April and was detained in early June as he was leaving the country. He was charged with \"anti-state\" crimes. He was reported to have left a Bible in the toilet of a restaurant in the northern port city of Chongjin but his family have insisted that he was not on a mission for his church. Missionary activity is considered a crime in North Korea. In August, he and fellow detainee Matthew Miller made a televised appeal to the US government to help secure their release. Responding to the appeal, the US authorities vowed to make securing the release of the detainees a \"top priority\". Mr Miller was later sentenced to six years' hard labour for committing \"hostile acts\". The state department's Marie Harf said Washington welcomed Mr Fowle's release, adding that US officials \"remain focused on the continued detention of Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller and again call on the DPRK [North Korea] to immediately release them\". She said North Korea had asked the US government to transport Jeffrey Fowle out of the country as a condition of his release. She also thanked Sweden, which serves as the US protecting power in North Korea, for the \"tireless efforts\" of its embassy in Pyongyang. No reason was given for Mr Fowle's release. Washington has been trying to send high-level representatives to negotiate the detainees' release, but these visits have been cancelled by North Korea in recent months. Pyongyang has denied accusations that it is using the arrested Americans as diplomatic bargaining chips.", "summary": "Jeffrey Fowle, one of three US citizens detained in North Korea, has been released, US officials say."}
{"article": "14 September 2015 Last updated at 11:49 BST Brothers George Skrzynecky and Lucian Poznanski were born in Germany after their Polish mother was sent to a forced labour camp. When she became ill and could not look after them, the twins were taken to Poland and adopted separately. For many years they did not know each other existed. In the 1960s George, who now lives in America, tried to find his brother but he could not be traced. But after a successful search last year the twins have finally been reunited. Watch the clip to see the moment the twins meet each other for the first time.", "summary": "A pair of twins, separated at birth at the end of World War Two, have been reunited after almost 70 years apart."}
{"article": "Negotiators have been accused by charities and NGOs of not moving fast enough at interim talks in Germany. Countries are working towards options to limit greenhouse gas emissions from 2020 ahead of a crunch December summit. But the UN said progress had been made in streamlining the text of a new agreement. The climate talks in Bonn are designed to pave the way towards the signing of a new deal in Paris at the end of the year that will shape the world's actions over climate change for decades to come. On Wednesday, Christian Aid said there was a danger of ''sleepwalking into Paris''. ''There has been too much time spent fiddling around with the unimportant details of the text,'' said the charity's senior climate change adviser, Mohamed Adow. ''Negotiators have acted like schoolchildren colouring in their homework timetable and not getting round to any actual homework.'' He said negotiations must deliver ''a robust text soon otherwise they will cause further unacceptable delays and result in countries sleepwalking into Paris''. Momentum is building towards the UN climate summit in Paris. Key sticking points include finance to help developing countries adapt to climate change and agreeing on immediate and binding targets for carbon emissions. But negotiating time is running out with only around 10 days' worth of negotiations remaining after the Bonn talks close. On Wednesday, countries discussed new draft text for the agreement designed to boost climate action in the short term. A network of NGOs known as the Climate Action Network said there were ''solid suggestions for delivering near-term action that will be up for decision in Paris''. ''Parties have moved forwards to consolidate the draft Paris text here in Bonn, this will help give ministers more clarity and enable them to provide political steer on crunch issues over the coming months,'' said Jake Schmidt of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Delegates will return to Bonn in August and October for another two rounds of climate talks, before the summit in Paris at the end of the year. Scientists say ambitious action is needed to avert the most severe impacts of climate change. So far, more than 30 countries have pledged to limit emissions of greenhouse gases, with around 150 smaller countries yet to set goals. Analysis suggests these do not go far enough to keep global warming below 2C.", "summary": "International talks towards a new global climate deal are due to end on Thursday, amid concern that progress has been slow."}
{"article": "The annual hand ba' game took place in Jedburgh on Thursday - one of a number of Scottish Borders towns to stage such events on their streets.", "summary": "All images by Dougie Johnston."}
{"article": "Such unannounced inspections treated staff like \"naughty children\", says Brian Lightman, head of the Association of School and College Leaders. On Monday, Ofsted said there would be 40 no-warning inspections this month. These will test the feasibility of unannounced inspections, proposed after the Trojan Horse inquiries in Birmingham schools. There were calls for inspections to take place without any advance warning after claims some schools in the city were being taken over by hard-line Muslim groups, This followed concerns that some of the schools were able to conceal unacceptable behaviour when they knew Ofsted inspectors were about to call. But head teachers' leader Mr Lightman said: \"Moving to no notice for routine inspections is unnecessary and would be counter-productive. It stifles creativity and treats professionals like naughty children.\" \"Schools currently only receive half a day's notice. This is the absolute minimum time needed so that key staff and governors are available to meet with inspectors and staff can gather the facts and figures that inspectors need during their visit,\" said Mr Lightman. He accepted that where there is an \"urgent cause for concern\", unannounced inspections could be appropriate, but it should not become the standard procedure. This month Ofsted plans to test the idea of no-notice inspections, with a wave of two-day unannounced visits across England. \"I'm currently giving thought to whether Ofsted should move to more routine, no-notice inspections as part of our wider education inspection reforms, which we will be consulting on later this year,\" said Sir Michael. \"In the meantime, under our regional structure, inspectors are well-placed to use their local knowledge and contacts to identify where these sorts of problems may be taking hold so we can respond swiftly and report publicly on what we find.\" Meanwhile Ofsted is investigating claims that a number of schools in academy trusts in Norfolk were given advance warning of inspections. The education watchdog also revealed that inspectors have returned for monitoring checks on five of the Birmingham schools placed into special measures after the Trojan Horse investigations. The National Union of Teachers says it opposes adopting a system of routine no-notice school inspections. \"For accountability to be meaningful, there needs to be proper professional and respectful dialogue,\" said the union's general secretary, Christine Blower. \"The government should look to and learn from the light touch accountability systems of high-performing countries such as Finland and New Zealand which are based on trusting schools and teachers to do the best by their students, rather than the issuing of threats or penalties.\"", "summary": "Head teachers have attacked the idea of Ofsted inspectors visiting schools in England without any warning."}
{"article": "The Gobbins is a dramatic cliff face walk in Islandmagee, County Antrim. The pathway had been damaged by storms and record rainfall, according to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. Its bridge structures have not been damaged and the council plans to restore access and reopen the coastal pathway \"as soon as possible\". However, no date has yet been set for when the public can expect to use the path again. \"Mid and East Antrim Borough Council wishes to ensure that all experiences at The Gobbins are safe and enjoyable and the health and safety of our visitors is of paramount importance,\" a council spokesperson said. \"We are working to have the path reopened as soon as possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused.\" The Gobbins Visitor Centre and exhibition remains open to the public while the repairs are being carried out. The original Edwardian structure first opened in 1902 but fell into disrepair and closed to the public in the 1950s. In August last year, it was unveiled as the council's newest tourist attraction. The path is carved into black basalt cliffs and is connected by a network of walkways and bridges, including a new tubular bridge which is an almost identical replica of the original Edwardian structure.", "summary": "A coastal tourist attraction, which reopened to the public five months ago after a \u00a37.5m revamp, has been forced to close because of storm damage."}
{"article": "Many of us can rarely put down our phones, which are filled to the brim with social apps such as Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat. In recent years, emergency services and public authorities have been getting in on the act too. Social media applications allow them to share information faster, easier and with a wider audience. When it works, it does so really well, but it is often the social media blunders and 140-character faux-pas that stick in the memory. Northern Ireland's Chief Constable George Hamilton apologised to his officers on Sunday, after posting a tweet that appeared to dismiss the pressure under which they work. He used Twitter to post a video apology, saying: \"Last night's frank Twitter conversation was what the police actually do, however, such important issues are not best dealt with in the 140 characters of a tweet. \"I've clearly caused some offence in what I've said, and for that I apologise.\" Mr Hamilton isn't alone in causing controversy after posting seemingly offensive comments on social media. In January, politician Gerry Adams apologised for using the 'N-word' in a tweet comparing the plight of slaves in the United States to the treatment of Irish nationalists. The tweet was later deleted, but it provoked an angry reaction. Social media consultant Sue Llewellyn advises users: \"Think before you tweet.\" \"If you mess up, 'fess up and apologise,\" Ms Llewellyn told BBC News NI. \"The worst thing you can do is to either ignore it, or hide it by deleting your tweet.\" The difficulty that many people face on social media, she adds, is that humour often doesn't translate well in 140 characters or less. \"You can't really see humour or sarcasm in a tweet, for example, and it can make you look offensive. \"One way to deal with this is to use emojis, or hashtags to add that level of emotion,\" said Ms Llewellyn. Sue Llewellyn's social media dos and don'ts But if there are so many potential ways to trip up on social media, what makes it worth using? While users need to be mindful of the pitfalls, the benefits of social media far outweigh the downsides, said Ms Llewellyn. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have Twitter and Facebook accounts for each policing district - and for the most part, these have proved to be a really effective way of communicating with the public. In 2015, the PSNI held a 24-hour Twitter event to give people an insight into the everyday work of officers. More recently, they jumped on the 'Be like Bill' internet meme bandwagon, using the trend to deliver a more serious message. This approach to social media gives public authorities a \"human voice\", said Sue Llewellyn. \"It puts a human face on what was once a closed door, it makes what they're doing more transparent.\" \"I think it's a fantastic way of reaching more difficult to reach members of the public, especially younger people, and speak to them in their own language, on their own terms in their own turf.\" That authentic approach seems to", "summary": "Let's face it - most people use social media in some form to communicate these days."}
{"article": "US biologists used homing pigeons to test the potential impacts of oil spills on birds' flight. \"Lightly oiled\" pigeons, they found, veered off course and took longer to return and longer to recover than birds with no oil on their feathers. The results are published in the journal Environmental Pollution. It is the first time that the effects of low level exposure to crude oil on long-distance bird flight patterns have been tested and suggests that even small amounts of oil could have serious impacts on migrating birds that are caught up in a spill. The researchers were surprised by their findings, as lead author Dr Cristina Perez explained: \"The general notion would be that these birds are 'fine', but in fact we found that even lightly oiled birds are not uninjured.\" Dr Perez continued: \"We expected that the birds would have difficulties with flight and be slower in their arrival, but we did not expect such an obvious flight path difference.\" The study used crude oil collected from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill which was applied onto the wing and tail feathers of some of the homing pigeons with paintbrushes. This pattern of oiling reflected that seen in wild birds from the spill. The pigeons were trained to repeatedly undertake flights of 161km between release points and their home loft, all the while carrying GPS data loggers. After release, most of the oiled birds took different flight courses which were longer in duration and distance than those of un-oiled birds. These longer flights, more than double the length of the un-oiled birds, avoided crossing lakes and made use of the updrafts from mountains. They chose to minimise the risk of overwater crossings and may have been using their knowledge of the environment to make the journey easier. Such options would be unavailable for migrant water birds that had become oiled on their first migration. Young birds, with their pre-programmed flight plans would have no idea of the environmental barriers, such as long overwater flights, that they would meet on their onward migration. Historically, the focus has been on understanding the impact on heavily oiled seabirds, but study co-author and project leader Prof Chris Pritsos stressed the importance of such work to understand the impact on lightly-oiled birds, which he pointed out \"were observed oiled but still alive and functioning\" after the Deep Water Horizon spill. Prof Pritsos stressed that these sub-lethal effects could seriously impact subsequent breeding attempts by migrant birds caught up in the spill. The team found that oiled pigeons failed to regain the body mass lost between flights, unlike the un-oiled birds. This is a bad sign for migrant birds as it suggests that they may not be able to refuel sufficiently on their migratory stopovers in order to continue their journeys. Oiled pigeons also delayed their journeys for longer than the un-oiled group; they even experienced physical difficulties in getting airborne. Dr Perez indicated that a combination of GPS data loggers and free-flying homing pigeons could be \"considered for testing the effects of other environmental contaminants\" for", "summary": "Even light exposure to oil from disasters like the Deep Water Horizon oil spill makes flying more difficult for birds, a study has revealed."}
{"article": "Ernst Tremmel was accused of 1,075 counts of accessory to murder for his time working at the death camp in German-occupied Poland. Tremmel worked at the camp from November 1942 to June 1943. The trial was to have started on Wednesday in the western city of Hanau, where Auschwitz survivors were expected to give testimony. \"All the appointments related to these proceedings have now been cancelled,\" the regional court in Hanau said in a brief statement. No cause of death was released. Tremmel served with an SS Totenkopf unit processing the arrival of prisoners at the camp and was allegedly directly involved in three transports, from Berlin, the French city of Drancy, and Westerbork in the Netherlands. \"Among the deportees, at least 1,075 people were cruelly murdered immediately after their arrival at Auschwitz,\" the Hanau court said when it announced the trial in February. Because Tremmel was aged 19 or 20 at the time of his alleged crimes, he was to have been tried under juvenile criminal law despite his advanced age. Because of his frail health, the court had ordered hearings to be limited to four hours per day. How the Holocaust unfolded, year by year Why did ordinary people commit atrocities in the Holocaust? The legal foundation for prosecuting ex-Nazis changed in 2011 when German authorities convicted former death camp guard John Demjanjuk solely on the basis of his having worked at the Sobibor camp in occupied Poland. Last July, Oskar Groening, dubbed the \"Bookkeeper of Auschwitz\", was sentenced to four years in prison for being an accessory to the murders of 300,000 people at the camp. But the trial of 95-year-old Hubert Zafke, a former Auschwitz medic, was suspended for the second time last month due to his ill health. A third man, former SS guard Reinhold Hanning, 94, went on trial on 11 February accused of complicity in 170,000 deaths at Auschwitz. Further investigations are ongoing.", "summary": "A 93-year-old former guard at Auschwitz has died a week before he was due to stand trial in Germany."}
{"article": "Upper chamber leaders resumed work overnight on a deal to raise the US borrowing limit and end a partial government shutdown. Amid the congressional disarray, a top ratings agency warned of a possible downgrade in US creditworthiness. The US must raise its $16.7tn (\u00c2\u00a310.5tn) debt limit by Thursday or risk default. Politicians, bankers and economists have warned of global economic consequences unless an agreement can be reached. By Robert PestonBusiness editor The Democratic-controlled Senate took control on Tuesday night, working on a bipartisan deal that aides said would extend the federal borrowing limit until 7 February and fund the government to mid-January. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and his Republican counterpart, Mitch McConnell, were expected to brief their colleagues on Wednesday. The Senate is due to reconvene at noon (16:00 GMT). But even if a compromise can overcome procedural hurdles, it remains unclear whether it can muster enough votes in the Republican-led House to pass before the 17 October deadline. The Wall Street Journal writes: \"None of this is worth a partial government shutdown, much less the risk of a debt default, and both sides are looking like losers.\" The New York Times urges an end to \"debt-ceiling moments\", making them \"less fraught with peril, less prone to stalemate and more conducive to productive negotiations\". The Republicans, says The Washington Post, seem \"determined to thrash about in search of something it can call a political win for a few more hours, or days\". The Los Angeles Times compares the Republican leaders of the House and Senate saying the latter, Mitch McConnell, has been able to \"discern when his party is holding a losing hand and make the decision to cut a deal\". Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski warned her colleagues that the US was \"hours away from becoming a deadbeat nation, not paying its bills to its own people and other creditors\". The Senate's negotiations were initially put on hold on Tuesday to give House Republicans a chance to come up with a deal. But the lower chamber's efforts ended in chaos after two proposals floated in the space of a few hours were torpedoed from right and left, forcing the leadership to shelve plans for a vote. Embattled House Speaker John Boehner failed to rally his fractious rank-and-file Republicans behind either plan. Amid the legislative turmoil, the Fitch credit agency warned it could downgrade the US government's AAA rating, while the Dow Jones index ended the day down 133 points. On Tuesday afternoon, President Barack Obama told a local ABC broadcaster he expected the debt ceiling impasse would be resolved. 23 October: Social Security benefits $12bn 28 October: Federal employee salaries $3bn 30 October: Medicaid payments to providers $2bn 31 October: Interest payment on public debt $6bn 1 November: Medicare payment to providers & plans $18bn; Social Security benefits $25bn; military active pay, retirement and veteran benefits $12bn; supplemental security income benefits $3bn 14 November: Social Security benefits $12bn 15 November: Interest payment on debt $29bn Note: These are the key payments, not all the payments, the US Treasury must make in", "summary": "Frantic US political attempts to avert a federal debt default have pivoted back to the Senate after plans in the House of Representatives collapsed."}
{"article": "It follows an upsurge in attacks blamed on the Nigerian militants. Three suicide bombings killed 33 people in Cameroon's main northern city, Maroua, since last week. The reinforcements will raise the number of troops deployed to the north to 8,500, AFP news agency reports. Cameroon's army uses Maroua as the headquarters for its operations against the group. Authorities in the region have announced several measures, including a ban on wearing the full-face veil, in an attempt to prevent suicide bombers from disguising themselves as devout Muslim women. They have also closed some mosques and Islamic schools and banned large gatherings of Muslims without permission. Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari is due in Cameroon on Wednesday for talks with President Paul Biya in a bid to strengthen the regional alliance against Boko Haram. After several months of delay, a multinational force of 8,700 soldiers, police and civilian personnel is due to start operations at the end of July. It will be based in Chad's capital, N'Djamena, which has also been affected by the violence. At least 17,000 people have been killed since Boko Haram launched its insurgency in northern Nigeria 2009, according to Amnesty International.", "summary": "Cameroon will deploy an extra 2,000 troops along its northern border with Nigeria to fight militant Islamist group Boko Haram, state television reports."}
{"article": "Arvind Kejriwal blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the \"raid\", calling him a \"coward and a psychopath\". \"When Modi couldn't handle me politically, he resorts to this cowardice,\" he added. Officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have denied the allegations. \"It is not a raid on Arvind Kejriwal's office, it was a raid on Rajender Kumar, principal secretary to the CM [chief minister],\" CBI spokesperson Devpreet Singh told BBC Hindi. However, Mr Kejriwal has accused the CBI of \"lying\". India's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the upper house of parliament that the \"raid has nothing to do with Mr Kejriwal\". Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu added that it had become a \"fashion\" for Mr Kejriwal to blame the prime minister. Mr Kejriwal's local government has been locked in a tussle for power with the federal government since he was elected to power in February. Unlike in much of India, Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-run local government does not have absolute administrative powers over the state. Control of the state's police force, land, and law and order rests with the BJP-controlled federal government. The AAP has consistently campaigned for greater autonomy for the state, and its tenure has been peppered with confrontations. Party members have tweeted, calling it the \"darkest day in democracy\".", "summary": "The chief minister of India's capital, Delhi, has alleged that his office has been raided by the country's federal investigation agency."}
{"article": "Taylor is out of contract in the summer and has been linked with West Brom, Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace. The 23-year-old pulled out of the 1-1 draw with Wigan as Leeds failed to reach the Championship play-offs. \"I'm hugely disappointed with Charlie. I think he's been terribly advised all season,\" Monk told BBC Radio Leeds. Taylor has been with Leeds since the age of nine and has made 104 first-team appearances since his debut in August 2011. However, he told the club last summer he did not want to open talks on a new deal and then had a transfer request rejected. Monk suggested Taylor's head had been turned by the interest reportedly shown in him from Premier League clubs. \"I understand he's very young, and we've tried to help him and guide him from within, but it's very difficult to get him fully committed,\" he said. \"Had he had some better advice from the outside, I think we would have seen a better Charlie Taylor this season and left on better terms, if that's what's going to happen. But that's over to the club and the player now. \"The club's stance on it is very strong. Hopefully he learns from the mistake he's made.\"", "summary": "Leeds United manager Garry Monk has blamed Charlie Taylor's withdrawal from the squad at Wigan on Sunday on the defender's advisors."}
{"article": "Boro are unbeaten in their last seven matches and are two points clear of second-placed Burnley, who drew 1-1 with Karanka's team on Tuesday. \"We are top of the table because we have an amazing squad and we have an amazing club,\" Karanka told BBC Tees. \"We are in a privileged position and we showed everyone we are a good team.\" He added: \"If we are at the top of the table at this point, it is no coincidence. \"We can say that we've lost two points, but I prefer to keep calm with the performance and with the players.\" Jordan Rhodes gave Boro the lead with 20 minutes left to play against Burnley, but Michael Keane's 92nd-minute equaliser rescued a point for the Clarets. \"The way we were playing it was difficult to lose, but we played really well and everybody could feel at home and feel the difference between us and Burnley,\" Karanka said. \"We have a lot of different ways to get the ball into the box and they have just one: long balls.\" Middlesbrough face Ipswich and Birmingham City before they meet promotion-chasing Brighton at the Riverside on the final day of the season. \"At home we are a really confident team and we have won the last three games there,\" Karanka said. \"We need the supporters' help because we're going to need everything at this point of the season, where every point is gold.\"", "summary": "Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka says his side fully deserve to be top of the Championship table with three games left to play."}
{"article": "Care worker Alec Wallbank, 30, of Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff, is alleged to have carried out the offence between July and September 2014 in Cardiff. He appeared at Cardiff Magistrates Court wearing a black shirt and tie. He was released on bail and the case was sent to Cardiff Crown Court. A plea and case management hearing is due to be held on 18 August.", "summary": "A deputy manager of a mental health ward has appeared in court accused of engaging in sexual activity with a woman patient."}
{"article": "Pensions have become increasingly difficult to understand, especially for those in final salary schemes and higher earners. This Budget has added further traps for the unwary. As expected, the amount that can be saved in a pension free of tax over the course of a lifetime is to be reduced from \u00a31.25m to \u00a31m from April 2016. If your pension savings are more than \u00a31m by that date, or you expect that what you have already saved will have grown to more than \u00a31.25m by the time you take your pension, it is likely that you will be able to protect the funds you already have, as long as you do not put any more into the pension. This is known as \"fixed protection\". HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are expected to publish details of this shortly. The amount that can be saved in a pension tax-free each year - the annual allowance - has been set at \u00a340,000 since April 2014. There will be changes to this system too. At present, you can contribute up to \u00a340,000 a year into a personal pension scheme. If you have a \"defined contribution\" employer scheme, the total of employer and employee contributions must not exceed \u00a340,000. The position is more complicated if you have a final salary scheme. Each year you are in the scheme, the value of the pension you will receive on retirement increases. The tax law assumes that you need a fund of 16 times that increase in order to pay the pension. So if you are a member of the pension scheme for a year, and your pension would go up by \u00a32,000 as a result, tax law treats you as having increased your pension fund by \u00a332,000. This increase must not be more than \u00a340,000, or you have to pay tax on the excess. However, if you have not used your annual allowances in previous years, you can carry forward the unused amounts from up to the last three years. Under the new rules announced in the Budget, this \u00a340,000 allowance will be reduced for those whose total income is above \u00a3150,000. In working out whether your income is above \u00a3150,000, you need to include the value of any pension contributions you make, any pension contributions made by your employer, and the increase in value of any final salary scheme over the tax year. This is called \"adjusted income\". For every \u00a32 of adjusted income you have over \u00a3150,000, your annual allowance will be reduced by \u00a31. The maximum reduction is \u00a330,000, leaving an annual allowance of \u00a310,000. So once your income is over \u00a3210,000, there is no further reduction. If you have unused annual allowances from earlier years, these can be carried forward in the usual way and added to your tapered annual allowance. If your taxable income - after pension contributions and other reliefs - is \u00a3110,000 or less, then these rules will not apply. In April, there was a major overhaul of pensions, allowing people to take out some of their pension in cash - possibly", "summary": "This Budget not only chipped away at the pension tax regime, but also suggested that the entire edifice might be pulled down and replaced."}
{"article": "Senior Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi and several government ministers from the state of Punjab were among the large crowd attending the state funeral in Singh's home village. Singh, sentenced to death by Pakistan in 1991, died after being attacked with bricks by inmates in Lahore's jail. Delhi called the attack \"barbaric\". Indian PM Manmohan Singh has demanded that the perpetrators be brought to justice. Sarabjit Singh had been convicted of spying and over his role in bomb attacks that killed 14 people in Pakistan in 1990. By Ravinder Singh RobinJournalist A 21-gun salute was fired as thousands of mourners gathered at the cremation ground in Bhikhiwind village, in Punjab's Tarn Taran district. Sarabjit Singh's sister, Dalbir Kaur, who had campaigned relentlessly for years to get her brother freed, lit the funeral pyre with help from a local politician. Singh's coffin was carried through village streets lined with thousands of spectators, before reaching the cremation ground. Thousands of policemen were deployed to ensure security. All roads leading to the small village on the India-Pakistan border were jammed with people trying to get to the venue. Earlier, Singh's body was kept in a local school where thousands of people visited since early on Friday to pay their respects. His coffin was kept on a platform, draped in the national flag, and visitors were seen putting flowers on his body. His wife, daughters and sister sat nearby, mourning, while some of the visitors raised slogans of \"Long live Sarabjit\" and \"Death to Pakistan\". His family always insisted he was innocent and had strayed into Pakistan by mistake when he was arrested. The issue risks stirring fresh tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours and long-time rivals, correspondents say. Meanwhile a Pakistani prisoner, Sanaullah Haq, suffered critical head injuries after he was attacked by a fellow inmate at the high-security Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu, in Indian-administered Kashmir. He has been admitted to intensive care at a Jammu hospital and doctors say he is in a coma. Police say Haq has been in prison for the past 17 years on militancy-related charges. His attacker, police say, is a former Indian army soldier convicted of murder. Reports said the attack happened on Friday morning after an argument between the two men. Pakistan's government issued a statement expressing \"deep concern\" over the attack and saying it had sought \"immediate consular access\" to Haq. The attack was \"obvious retaliation\" for the killing of Sarabjit Singh, it added. The body of 49-year-old Sarabjit Singh was flown to Amritsar, northern India, from Lahore on Thursday. Hundreds of mourners waited at the airport, describing Sarabjit Singh as a \"martyr\". His death triggered protests in India, as people burned Pakistani flags and accused Islamabad of a conspiracy to kill him. By Soutik BiswasIndia correspondent His body was handed over to his family in the village of Bhikhiwind for Friday's cremation. In a statement, Manmohan Singh called Sarabjit Singh \"a brave son of India\" and said the attack was \"barbaric\". \"It is particularly regrettable that the government of Pakistan did not heed the pleas of", "summary": "Sarabjit Singh, the Indian convicted of spying in Pakistan and killed in a Pakistani jail last week, has been cremated in India amid mass outrage."}
{"article": "Angus MacColl was victorious at the solo competition, which was held at Blair Castle in Perthshire. To win the accolade, Mr MacColl performed against nine of the best pipers in the world. The competition was in its 42nd year, with Mr MacColl winning the event for the fourth time. He said: \"All competitors are part of a close knit community where we often get to compete in various piping competitions. As a result, we each know just how tough competing in the Glenfiddich Championship is going to be. \"Everyone has worked and competed hard to earn their place here, therefore to win amongst such talent is an incredible honour.\" The Glenfiddich Piping Championship was established in 1974 to bring together the world's finest pipers. Competitors are invited to compete having won prestigious accolades at other piping events during the past year.", "summary": "A piper from Oban has won the prestigious Glenfiddich Piping Championships."}
{"article": "The Care Quality Commission (CQC) blames a \"lack of urgency\" to treat people because there are not always enough senior doctors or nurses. The emergency department has been rated inadequate and the trust as requiring improvement. The trust claimed it had addressed many of the areas identified as needing improvement. Click here for live updates on this story Overall Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, which includes community health services and adult social care services, was rated outstanding for caring. Mental health services and adult social services were both rated good, while patient transport services were outstanding. Community health dental care, special care dental services and community health services were rated outstanding. The trust was created from two separate trusts seven months ago. Chief inspector of hospitals, Professor Sir Mike Richards, said: \"I appreciate that it is sometimes hard to manage change in large organisations yet, despite challenges we have found that there is a strong vision for the future. \"However, there are some areas where improvements are required. \"On our inspection we found there was an apparent lack of urgency to assess or treat some patients promptly by at Torbay Hospital.\" Mairead McAlinden, the trust's chief executive, said: \"We are a new organisation at the beginning of a massive change programme to deliver an exciting new model of care and tackle the long standing challenges we face as a health and care system. \"We have had longstanding pressure on our urgent care service and at the time of our inspection our urgent and emergency care service was at maximum escalation. \"We have already addressed many of the areas identified as needing improvement.\"", "summary": "Patients in Torbay Hospital's emergency department are \"at risk of avoidable harm\" say inspectors."}
{"article": "Profits for the July to September period are forecast to be 5.6% higher at 7.8 trillion won ($7bn; \u00a35.7bn). Analysts had expected worse numbers after the Note 7 recall over faulty batteries and \"exploding\" phones. The earnings guidance does not give any details about the performance of individual businesses. The flagship Galaxy Note 7 was recalled in 10 markets around the world, including the US, Europe and South Korea. Some estimates had suggested the recall would reduce Samsung's profits by 1tn won or more. However, a strong performance by its chip and display business is expected to have offset some of those losses. The earnings guidance did not comment on calls by investors to radically restructure the firm into two separate holding and operating companies. On Thursday, Samsung had said it was \"carefully reviewing\" the suggestion.", "summary": "Samsung Electronics says its operating profits are expected to have risen in the third quarter, despite the recall of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone."}
{"article": "The Scot's brother Jamie, Kyle Edmund, Dan Evans and Dom Inglot are in the team for the round-two tie in Belgrade. Murray, 29, is into the last eight at Wimbledon after beating Nick Kyrgios. \"Both Murrays are still involved at Wimbledon so we'll have to see how it pans out,\" captain Leon Smith said. \"It's a brutal schedule. To turn around from Wimbledon, fly over to another country and change surface, it's not easy,\" he told BBC Radio 5 live. \"Our team is extremely passionate about the Davis Cup. Andy wanted to be named in the initial team. He loves the competition. At the moment the most important thing for him is Wimbledon. He has to see how he feels. If he says he can't do this then of course we'll respect it.\" Serbia's world number one Novak Djokovic has already announced he will not play. The 29-year-old admitted he was not 100% fit after he was knocked out of Wimbledon in the third round by American Sam Querrey. Viktor Troicki, who is ranked 27 in the world, has also made himself unavailable for Serbia, who will be relying on Dusan Lajovic (82) as their only player inside the world's top 100. Also selected are Filip Krajinovic (108) and Janko Tipsarevic (411). Nenad Zimonjic will play doubles. The winners of the match will face either Italy or Argentina in the semi-finals in September. Britain are the Davis Cup holders, having won the event last year for the first time since 1936.", "summary": "Andy Murray is one of five players named by Great Britain for this month's Davis Cup tie with Serbia, although the world number two will not confirm his involvement until after Wimbledon."}
{"article": "International figures having been responding to the unfolding situation in the country. The White House said US President Barack Obama had spoken to US Secretary of State John Kerry and agreed that all parties in Turkey should support the \"democratically elected\" government. The pair urged all sides to \"show restraint and avoid any violence or bloodshed\" in Turkey - a key ally and a strategically important member of the coalition fighting so-called Islamic State. Mr Kerry - who is on a visit to Russia - said he had spoken to the Turkish foreign minister, saying he had emphasised \"absolute support for Turkey's democratically elected, civilian government and democratic institutions\". \"The United States views with gravest concern events unfolding in Turkey,\" Mr Kerry said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov highlighted the need to avoid all \"bloodshed\", saying that \"problems in Turkey need to be resolved in accordance with the constitution\". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was \"deeply concerned\" at reports from Turkey, saying Russia's priority was to secure the safety of Russian institutions and citizens in Turkey. \"Moscow hopes that however events in Turkey develop, whoever initiated what's happened, the security of Russian citizens will be protected\", he said \"Turkey is a very important regional power. Of course stability in Turkey and situation there has an impact on the situation in the region . \"So we all want whatever it is that is happening in Turkey to finish as quickly as possible, in a legitimate manner and for the country to return to the path of stability, predictability and order\" United Nations' Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appealed for calm, a UN spokesman said. \"The Secretary-General is closely following developments in Turkey. He is aware of the reports of a coup attempt in the country. \"The United Nations is seeking to clarify the situation on the ground and appeals for calm,\" spokesman Farhan Haq said. Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Turkey was \"a valued Nato ally\", calling for \"calm and restraint, and full respect for Turkey's democratic institutions\". Iran said it was deeply concerned about the situation. \"Stability, democracy and safety of Turkish people are paramount. Unity and prudence are imperative,\" Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on his Twitter account. The Gulf state of Qatar - an ally of Turkey - denounced and condemned the apparent attempted coup, a Qatar state news agency reported. Bulgaria has bolstered its patrols along the Bulgarian-Turkish border and appealed to Bulgarians not to travel to the country's southern neighbour, the government said in a statement. It said Prime Minister Boiko Borisov had held talks with the security and intelligence services about the situation. A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said \"the democratic order must be respected\" in Turkey. Steffen Seibert tweeted: \"Everything must be done to protect human lives.\" The UK's new Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said he was \"very concerned\" about events, while the UK embassy advised British nationals in the country to avoid all public places and \"remain vigilant\". European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini urged \"restraint\" in Turkey after an attempted", "summary": "An army group in Turkey says it has taken over the country, with gunfire heard and military jets flying low over the capital, Ankara."}
{"article": "Manning, 39, has described the allegations, made by broadcaster Al Jazeera, as \"complete garbage\". Its source - Texas-based pharmacist Charlie Sly - has since recanted. The allegations surfaced in an Al Jazeera report that said Manning's wife received deliveries of HGH, which is banned by the NFL, at their home. At the time, Manning was recovering from neck surgery suffered during his spell with the Indianapolis Colts. The NFL does not expect to reach a verdict before Manning's Denver side play the Carolina Panthers in the Super Bowl on 7 February. Manning holds the records for most passing yards and touchdown passes and has been voted the NFL's most valuable player on a record five occasions. The 39-year-old been plagued by injury and there is speculation that the Super Bowl - his fourth appearance in American football's showpiece event - could be the final game in his illustrious career.", "summary": "The NFL has opened an investigation into allegations that Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning had human growth hormone sent to his house."}
{"article": "The Food Standards Scotland (FSS) board was set up in April. It has recommended that Scots should increase their fibre intake to 30g per day and have no more than 5% of their total energy from sugar. Previous dietary goals, including a target to have no more than 11% energy intake from sugar, have not been met. The current intake of food energy from sugar is 14.4%, the FSS said. It said 50% of the sugar consumed by Scots comes from discretionary foods, such as biscuits, cakes, confectionery, savoury snacks and sugar-sweetened drinks. The FSS has published a situation report which collates and presents current evidence to provide information for policymakers. The report says: FSS chair Ross Finnie said: \"The Scottish diet is not improving and the problem of diet-related ill-health is now spanning the generations. \"There is a disconnect between the scale of the problem and how healthy people believe their diet to be. \"We all need to recognise there is a problem and everyone including consumers, the food and drink industry, retailers, media and government has a part to play in finding a solution.\" Public health minister Maureen Watt said:\"We recognise that there are issues with the Scottish diet and that many of these are long-standing, however there are some indications of progress in recent years, for instance a reduction in the purchase of sugary drinks. \"We are working to ensure that everyone in Scotland has the opportunity, ability and confidence to access a healthy diet for themselves and their family.\"", "summary": "Scotland's new food standards body has recommended tougher targets for healthy eating after finding \"little or no progress\" over the past 15 years."}
{"article": "It follows recent controversy over MLAs' expenses. The Assembly Commission has asked IPSA, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, to update a report on the Stormont system it compiled last year. The commission held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the matters raised over the last few days. There was a public row between the Independent Financial Review Panel, which sets MLAs' allowances, and the Assembly Commission, which administers the expenses system. The IPSA report of September 2015, which was leaked to BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show, called for changes in the way the assembly reviewed expenses claims which had initially been refused. But the Assembly Commission, which is made up of the Speaker and MLAs from the five biggest parties, has made the point that the report, in its own words, \"did not identify any major issues of concern\". The recommendation about the assembly's review procedure is one of a \"small number\" of recommendations which the assembly authorities say they are acting on. The changes recommended in the IPSA report are to be added into the MLAs' handbook. IPSA will examine the new handbook to \"quality assure\" it before it is approved by the assembly. In Wednesday's meeting, the commission also confirmed its intention to develop plans for legislation to \"strengthen the effectiveness\" of the Independent Financial Review Panel.", "summary": "The cross-party body which runs the assembly has asked the Westminster expenses regulator to do some more work reviewing the Stormont expenses system."}
{"article": "Some 7.2 million people tuned in to the three-hour show, hosted by How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris. The telecast came second to an NBA finals game between San Antonio and Miami, watched by 11.6 million. Kinky Boots dominated the awards, winning best musical as well as five other prizes. Harris, who made his fourth appearance fronting the event, again drew plaudits for his hosting duties and show-stopping opening number. \"It took Neil Patrick Harris only about three minutes to banish any worries that the fearsome Host Fatigue Syndrome would overtake him and the Tony Awards on Sunday night,\" said the New York Times. \"He set the bar so high with his introductory flourish that fears of another familiar Tony malady haunted the rest of the CBS broadcast: the dreaded How Do We Top the Opening Number Disease.\" The Los Angeles Times also praised the \"invaluable, unshakeable\" Harris. The 39-year-old, its critic wrote, \"was never too long out of view, and when he was around, he was put to good use\". The event also featured appearances from Tom Hanks, Jake Gyllenhaal, Scarlett Johansson, Sally Field and Mike Tyson. Last year's Tonys was watched by six million viewers, down from the 6.9 million who saw the show in 2011.", "summary": "This year's Tony Awards scored its best US TV ratings since 2009, with viewership up 20% from last year's show, according to the CBS network."}
{"article": "After a pregnancy lasting 22 months, Thi Hi Way, a 34-year-old Asian elephant at the zoo, gave birth to the female on Thursday afternoon. Zookeepers said the calf, which is yet to be named, was on its feet within three minutes and was doing well. Andy Mckenzie, team manager of elephants at Chester Zoo, described the \"very smooth\" birth as a \"real family occasion\". He said: \"They all knew that something was going to happen, especially the older elephants that have seen it all before. \"It was great to see the younger individuals being around the birth and learning from the older cows in the family.\" Asian elephants Source: Chester Zoo", "summary": "The birth of an elephant calf has been captured on CCTV at Chester Zoo."}
{"article": "The party won 28 seats, the minimum number that was needed to secure a majority. The Liberal Democrats came second with 18 seats while UKIP, which previously had no seats, won three. Labour won three and Independents won two seats. There is still one seat to declare at a by-election in Coker on 16 May, due to the death of one of the candidates there. Alex Wood, who was suspended from UKIP after a photo of him apparently making a Nazi-style salute appeared on his Facebook page, failed to win a seat but came second. Mr Wood, who said the photo actually showed him trying to grab a phone, received 665 votes in Blackmoor Vale. The Tory winner William Wallace had 1,410 votes. Council leader John Osman said: \"The people of Somerset have spoken. \"They've said they clearly understand some of the tough decisions which we had to make, but also they've seen the plan which we have for the future - the plan for jobs, the plan for investment, the plan for our vulnerable children. \"They've said 'yes' to that plan and I'm really, really happy they've said yes to it.\" Conservative Mike Lewis, who won the Castle Cary seat, said: \"The turnout in Castle Cary was 45% which was the highest in south Somerset. \"The turnout really does matter when it's a tight election. There's a lot of support for the Conservatives, particularly in rural areas.\" The council was praised by North Somerset Conservative MP Dr Liam Fox for its \"hard work\". The party held on to control with the minimum of 28 seats needed for a majority. Dr Fox said: \"The Conservative result in Somerset was truly remarkable and a just reward for an excellent, hard-working council. \"The Conservative vote held up really well despite the rise in UKIP, with the real losers being the Liberal Democrats who came nowhere near their target of retaking the council.\" Nigel Pearson, who won Chard North for UKIP, said \"hard work\" had won the party its seats. He said: \"We were out there every day on the doorstep talking to local people. \"This is just the start for UKIP - up until now we haven't been well organised.\" The Liberal Democrat MP for Wells, Tessa Munt, said they had not had the number of gains they wanted but had \"shown we can hold our own in the face of pretty interesting onslaughts from different groups\". She said: \"You have to say UKIP is here with a vengeance. It's clearly a political force that can measure itself against the best of us across Somerset.\" Boundaries have changed since the last election in 2009 and the total number of seats on the council has decreased from 58 to 55.", "summary": "The Conservatives have retained overall control of Somerset County Council."}
{"article": "His 14th-minute volley, in the last game of his emergency loan from Celtic, was enough to see off a determined Dumbarton side. The hosts created several openings and will wonder how Christian Nade failed to score from close range. It was not vintage from Hibs, but a potentially important win in the title race as Dundee United could only draw. Technique alone was not enough to separate Hibs from the home side - and both Martin Boyle and Chris Humphrey found early runs affected by a bobbly surface and Marvin Bartley had to hack a Gary Fleming shot clear from inside the area. The visitors had to be resourceful and their shrewdest, most assured figure inevitably delivered a telling moment. When Humphrey's cross was headed away inside the area, the ball dropped to Commons and he carefully steered the ball into the bottom corner. The goal ought to have empowered Hibs, but they were unable to take command of the game. The home side, instead, proved persistent and Lewis Vaughan briefly rose to prominence. First, he created a chance for Robert Thomson with good skill, only for Hibs captain David Gray to make a goal-saving tackle, and then drew a good save from Ross Laidlaw with a powerful shot from 25 yards. Hibs were more assertive after the break, with Boyle making several forays down the left with his quick and direct running. Lewis Stevenson also saw a strike bundled away by Dumbarton goalkeeper Alan Martin, with Humphrey then shooting wide The home side remained ambitious, though, and some neat skill from Vaughan saw him skip past two Hibs defenders only for Laidlaw to rush out and smother the ball at his feet. Gray then had to head another effort off the line. On a rare foray upfield by Hibs, an attack ended with Dumbarton defender David Smith clearing off the line. Moments later, Nade should have equalised at the back post, but failed to connect. Dumbarton manager Steve Aitken: \"My team were magnificent. They were up against a strong side, a big club and Neil will get them over the line, but we matched them and for spells were better. On another day, we would have taken more. \"We had chances, Christian's probably came too quickly at him. \"If they can keep giving me that [level of performance], we'll be fine.\" Hibernian head coach Neil Lennon: \"It was very tough. Dumbarton are on the up, Stevie's going a great job, [and it was] difficult conditions. \"It's a fantastic win and in the end we missed some good chances to put a more flattering scoreline on it. \"Dumbarton put us under pressure for periods of the game and we had to see it out. In the end, we just about deserved to tip over the line.\" Match ends, Dumbarton 0, Hibernian 1. Second Half ends, Dumbarton 0, Hibernian 1. Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Tom Lang. Attempt missed. Christian Nade (Dumbarton) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt blocked. Tom", "summary": "Kris Commons cracked in the only goal as Hibernian stretched their lead in the Championship to six points."}
{"article": "Ms Leigh won an Oscar for her portrayal of Scarlett O'Hara in the 1939 movie. Heritage Auctions said the grey jacket and skirt worn by the actress were among 150 items offered by collector James Tumblin. He originally bought the outfit for $20 from a costume shop.", "summary": "An outfit worn by Vivien Leigh in the film Gone with the Wind has been sold for $137,000 (\u00a391,000) at an auction in California."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Hoff has been seduced by the Scottish Premiership outfit during a Panto stint in Glasgow. The former Baywatch and Knight Rider tweeted his support for the side earlier this month. \"They've been around since 1876 and I love that. It's about playing for themselves and playing for your honour,\" he told BBC Scotland. Partick Thistle's new mascot Kingsley - designed by Turner Prize-nominated artist David Shrigley - caused a social media storm on its home debut in June. The yellow character was paraded at Firhill Stadium, but The Hoff insists he is the club's new lucky mascot. And he drew parallels with the side and one of his acting successes. \"It's like Knight Rider was a show about how one man can make a difference; you can make a difference in your own life and someone else's life,\" he said. \"That's what the team's about I think. \"We came over here [to Glasgow] and [were] making a joke about the worst team in the history of the world - if they win four games in a row then it's the best record in 40 years. \"There's something strange about that; it's a wonderful thing when you can come over and draw that energy. I am the lucky mascot and I'm proud to be the lucky mascot. \"I'm putting it out in a positive way and I'm the one who did all this. I said, 'let's give reference to Partick Thistle. I didn't know who they are? Let's find them'. We did. \"And that's what we do and I think that's why we've lasted so long and people respond to me. Knight Rider was real for me and when I got it I called my Dad and said, 'Dad, I've got the greatest show in the world'. I'm still living the dream.\"", "summary": "American actor David Hasselhoff says he supports Partick Thistle because they are \"a team for the people\"."}
{"article": "In particular, we wanted to find out what you really feel about selfies. So, for Safer Internet Day 2017, we spoke to a big group of 10 to 12-year-olds to see what they thought. How many post like to post them? How many do they take before they get the perfect snap? Do they edit their pictures before putting them online? See if you can guess what they said about social media with our quiz, and then read on to find out more about what they said. While many websites say you shouldn't have a social media account until you are 13, we found out last year that many 10 to 12-year-olds have at least one account. This year, the first thing they told us was that they enjoy to use it. More than 4 in 5 said they feel happy, sociable or excited when on social media. Many also told us they'd feel left out if they didn't have it. A selfie is when you take a picture of yourself on a smartphone or camera People use social media for lots of different reasons: talking with friends, sharing funny videos or posting photographs. We wanted to know how many 10 to 12-year-olds use social media to post selfies. Our survey revealed that many do, with more than half of everyone saying they use social media to share pictures that they've taken of themselves. Posting selfies is also slightly more popular with girls than boys. Of course, even if you take a selfie, not everyone posts them on social media. But the ones that do like to do it told us it's not as simple as taking one quick photo and sharing it. More than 4 in 5 said that if they take a picture of themselves to put on social media, it was \"important\" to look good. And it can be hard to take the right photo first time. On average, the 10 to 12-year-olds who put pictures of themselves on social media said they take about four pictures before getting the perfect snap. But about one in six take six or more pictures before they're happy with the result. Even when they get the right picture, some still aren't happy to publish it online. The majority said that, at least sometimes, they edit the picture too, by putting filters, effects or stickers onto it, a bit like in the picture above. The results suggest that, for many, there is pressure to look a certain way in selfies. One in five told us that when they look at photos of celebrities on social media, it makes them worry about how they look. It wasn't just the group's own selfies which Newsround asked about. Many people like to look at selfies posted by their mates too. Half of the 10 to 12-year-olds we spoke to said looking at selfies posted by their friends makes them feel happy. Survey conducted online by ComRes of 1,001 10 to 12-year olds in the UK between 4 and 11 January 2017 While there are always different", "summary": "You've been telling us exactly what you think about social media."}
{"article": "Official figures show the number of district nurses has fallen by 40% in the past decade. However, NHS England says this has been countered by rises in other community staff. The Royal College of Nursing and Queen's Nursing Institute say the situation is adding to the pressure on hospitals. In recent weeks there have been repeated warnings that pressure on hospital emergency departments is unsustainable. Attendances have risen by 50% in the past decade. For more than 150 years, district nurses have been supporting people in their own homes, keeping them out of hospital. They are community team leaders, detecting problems before they become more serious, supporting patients after they are discharged from hospital, and caring for them in their own homes at the end of their lives. Official figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre indicate that a decade ago there were nearly 13,000 NHS district nurses in England. Last year there were fewer than 7,500. Many of those who remain are approaching retirement age. Royal College of Nursing chief executive Peter Carter says the overall state of community nursing in the health service is \"lamentable\". \"With this huge reduction in the numbers of district nurses, while at the same time the massive growth in the population and more and more people with complex conditions, I have to say unfortunately we really are failing people who deserve so much more.\" Many district nurses feel overstretched. But for some the job remains hugely rewarding. Janice Jones is a district nurse with Central Surrey Health, a not-for-profit firm providing community healthcare for the NHS. Here, staff satisfaction - at 96% - is much better than the NHS average. \"When you're doing your job you get to know your patient and their families and what their problems are. And you build up a relationship which is based on trust and respect, and you feel you're making a difference to their lives.\" CSH has responded to the spending squeeze by cutting inefficiencies, for example using IT - including mobiles and laptops - to reduce unnecessary journeys and to access and share information. As a result CSH says the nurses have an extra hour each day to spend with patients. He says that is leading to many avoidable hospital admissions, placing additional pressure on ambulance services and A&E units. In a statement, community nursing charity the Queen's Nursing Institute expressed similar worries about the fall in numbers and \"the loss of skills and capacity in community nursing teams\". \"Qualified district nurses are specialist practitioners in community nursing and are absolutely central to patient-centred care in the NHS. High-quality community nursing services are imperative if we are to support people with long-term conditions to stay in their own homes, rather than be admitted to hospital.\" District nurses told the BBC about their frustrations, including long working hours, having to see more patients in less time, and the burden of form-filling. \"Staffing is the number one issue,\" said one. \"If you go to a shop and there aren't enough staff it's not the end of the", "summary": "The state of NHS community nursing in England is \"lamentable\", nursing leaders say."}
{"article": "Wrexham and Denbighshire will be the latest authorities to withdraw the service after Powys, Monmouth and Newport stopped providing it in recent years. Carmarthenshire was the first council to withdraw the service in 2011. Nine local authorities now charge for dealing with all infestations, which is up from six councils two years ago. Swansea, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Flintshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Ceredigion and Conwy deal with rats for free, but charge for other types of infestations. Health professionals are now warning of potential risk to children and pets from accidental poisoning as people try to solve problems themselves, rather than call private pest control companies. Julie Barratt, director of Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Wales, told Newyddion 9: \"It's important to remember that council officers, pest control operatives were specialists. \"They knew what they were doing. They put pest products down in the right places, in safe places, they came along and checked them regularly and took them away. \"There is a real risk if people are left to their own devices that we're going to see cases of accidental poisoning of children and domestic pests and that's a real concern.\" A Welsh Local Government Association spokesperson said: \"Local councils in Wales face huge financial challenges, and this year alone will have to manage a collective \u00a3300m shortfall in their budget. \"With public sector austerity expected to last well into the future it is unavoidable that non-statutory services like pest control will continue to be placed under increasing financial pressure as councils try to balance the books.\"", "summary": "More than a quarter of Welsh councils will not provide pest control services to private homes from 1 April."}
{"article": "The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found long queues of ambulances outside the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, while patients with serious symptoms waited hours to be assessed. It gave the hospital an overall rating of \"inadequate\". Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust's chief executive resigned in May. The Trust gave no reason for Ursula Ward's decision to stand down. CQC inspectors, who visited in February and March, said the emergency department was \"chaotic\" with an \"unacceptable\" risk to patients. At times, sixteen ambulances were stacking up outside the department, representing a third of the emergency ambulance fleet for Hampshire. Inspectors found on 11 occasions, there were no ambulances available to respond to 999 calls. Vulnerable patients including frail pensioners were left in ambulances for more than two hours. The department was \"severely overcrowded\" with some patients waiting on trolleys, in corridors, or in a specialised \"Jumbulance\", a large ambulance, parked outside. Waiting times were among the worst in the country with almost a third of patients waiting more than four hours to be treated. Patients with suspected life-threatening conditions such as stroke or sepsis were not assessed quickly, and one patient with potential heart failure waited more than 5 hours for a first assessment. The CQC said the trust had been slow to improve despite warnings and had to take \"immediate action\" to protect patients, including ceasing the use of the Jumbulance. The NHS trust's Interim Chief Executive, Tim Powell, said: \"We recognise the picture painted by the CQC in this report and we are very sorry that we have failed to provide to our patients, on a consistent basis, the high standards of care that we expect of ourselves. \"We fully accept the inspector's findings and... we are determined to ensure that by... next winter, our service will be better.\"", "summary": "Health inspectors have condemned a \"chaotic\" hospital emergency department which they said was failing to keep patients safe."}
{"article": "Jorge Grant netted his third goal in four matches as County, now unbeaten in five matches, moved eight points clear of danger. Grant scored the winner in the 21st minute after a defensive mix-up caused by an under-hit Yann Songo'o back pass, with Jonathan Forte's initial effort initially blocked and in-form Grant first to react. In first half stoppage-time on-loan Forest striker Grant should have claimed his second of the game but fired wide from 10 yards after his first strike was bravely blocked by right-back Oscar Threlkeld. Plymouth striker Ryan Taylor's spectacular volley at the start of the second half had to be tipped over by goalkeeper Adam Collin. In the 65th minute County substitute Jon Stead headed wide from Marc Bola's deep cross into the six-yard box. Argyle almost secured a point but substitute Jordan Slew volleyed over 10 minutes from time after Collin's poor punch landed at his feet. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Plymouth Argyle 0, Notts County 1. Second Half ends, Plymouth Argyle 0, Notts County 1. Foul by Sonny Bradley (Plymouth Argyle). Jon Stead (Notts County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Jordan Slew (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Curtis Thompson (Notts County). Attempt missed. Michael O'Connor (Notts County) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Robert Milsom (Notts County) is shown the yellow card. Corner, Notts County. Conceded by Antoni Sarcevic. Foul by James Spencer (Plymouth Argyle). Elliott Hewitt (Notts County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt saved. Robert Milsom (Notts County) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Jordan Slew (Plymouth Argyle) is shown the yellow card. Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Curtis Thompson (Notts County). Foul by Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle). Jon Stead (Notts County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, Notts County. Conceded by Luke McCormick. Attempt blocked. Jon Stead (Notts County) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is blocked. Attempt missed. Jordan Slew (Plymouth Argyle) right footed shot from the left side of the box is just a bit too high. Antoni Sarcevic (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jorge Grant (Notts County). Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Jorge Grant (Notts County). Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jon Stead (Notts County). Substitution, Notts County. Curtis Thompson replaces Jonathan Forte. Attempt saved. Jordan Slew (Plymouth Argyle) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. Jordan Slew replaces Matthew Kennedy. Foul by Ryan Taylor (Plymouth Argyle). Haydn Hollis (Notts County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Corner, Plymouth Argyle. Conceded by Marc Bola. Foul by", "summary": "Notts County upset second-placed Plymouth at Home Park to edge further away from the League Two relegation zone."}
{"article": "General Gilbert Diendere's mea culpa - however sincere it may be - contains, perhaps, the first lesson of this coup. \"Human lives were lost,\" he said, admitting that seizing power had been \"a waste of time and resources for Burkina Faso.\" Between 10 and 20 people were killed (the exact death toll is still unknown) and more than a hundred more were left injured with bullet wounds. Coups often have a human cost that is unnecessary. Burkina Faso's coup: Who's who? Gen Diendere explained that the coup was precipitated by the interim authority's decision to prevent associates of former President Blaise Compaore from taking part in the elections, and by a plan to disband the elite presidential guard. It remains to be seen whether the transitional government will now allow Mr Compaore's allies to contest the elections, while the role of the presidential guard within the army will certainly be redefined. \"The biggest mistake was to carry out this coup,\" he said, \"because nowadays, when we talk about democracy, we can't afford such acts.\" This was Gen Diendere's third coup. He helped Thomas Sankara take power in 1983 and he then overthrew him, along with Mr Compaore four years later. Whether you look at Cpt Sankara's popular support or at the 27 years that Mr Compaore spent in power, you may conclude that Gen Diendere's first two coups were successful. This one was not. \"We have taken lessons for the future,\" Gen Diendere went on to say. What is behind the coup? Why presidential guards stage coups This is the second time in less than a year that the people of Burkina Faso have succeeded in ousting those who they saw as trying to confiscate power. In October last year, when former President Compaore tried to change the constitution so he could run for another term in office, people took to the streets and forced him out. Civil society groups, and the youth in particular, have shown that in one of the world's poorest countries, democracy may come from grassroots initiatives rather than built by a power-hungry elite. The 'heroes' of Burkina Faso's revolution In today's Africa, there are military coups and what many call \"constitutional coups\". The Burkinabe example has certainly spread democratic hopes and actions in Africa. Benin's President Thomas Yayi Boni has since abandoned plans to change the constitution. Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo-Brazzaville has just announced that he will hold a referendum over the very same issue. Let's see whether the vote is free and fair. Of course, it doesn't work everywhere on the continent yet but citizens are mobilising. Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza violently resisted months of popular discontent earlier this year. He eventually got his third term in office but at a bloody cost - dozens have been killed. His move sparked anger within the international community, including some African countries. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, grassroots activists have received support from their counterparts in Burkina Faso and Senegal but some of them have been jailed. President Joseph Kabila is widely believed to want to", "summary": "BBC West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy looks at the lessons we can learn from the coup in Burkina Faso, which has been reversed just a week after the presidential guards seized power:"}
{"article": "Lukas Jutkiewicz missed an early Blues penalty after Che Adams was fouled. Adams was then sent off following a 23rd-minute challenge on Martin Cranie but Jonathan Grounds put Birmingham ahead four minutes before the break. Craig Gardner doubled the lead from Blues' second penalty, following Dean Whitehead's foul on Jacques Maghoma. Victory kept Birmingham out of the relegation zone and, with just one match remaining, they are two points above Blackburn and Nottingham Forest but have an inferior goal difference. In a tense atmosphere in front of a 26,914 near full house, Blues wasted a glorious chance with their missed eighth-minute penalty, after Adams was brought down by Mark Hudson. Joel Coleman dived to his right to save Jutkiewicz's low spotkick - and worse followed when Adams was given his straight red card by referee Mike Jones. But, against the odds, despite being a man short and having lost club captain Paul Robinson for his indiscretion in last weekend's 1-0 local derby defeat at Aston Villa, the hosts rallied. They took the lead when Gardner's right-wing cross was headed back across the goal by Jutkiewicz and Grounds forced the ball home at the near post - for only his second goal of the season. Then boyhood Blues fan Gardner scored only his second goal since returning to the club in January when he took over penalty-taking duties after Maghoma had been brought down. Huddersfield, who made 10 changes after being assured a play-off place with Tuesday's 1-0 win at Wolves, drop two places to fifth ahead of next Sunday's final home game against ex-Terriers boss Neil Warnock's Cardiff. This was only City's third win in 24 Championship games, lifting them a place to 20th as Forest lost at QPR. Blues have a considerably worse goal difference than both Forest and Blackburn going into the final day on Sunday, 7 May. New manager Redknapp and his assistant Steve Cotterill must now take their side to Bristol City, where Cotterill was manager from December 2013 to January 2016, knowing only a win will guarantee safety. If either 21st-placed Forest or 22nd-placed Blackburn fail to win then Blues will be safe regardless of their own result at Ashton Gate. But Forest, who are at home to Ipswich, and Rovers, who are at Brentford, will send Redknapp's side down if they both earn final-day victories while Blues fail to win. Birmingham caretaker boss Harry Redknapp told BBC WM: \"Amazing, To miss a penalty in the first 10 minutes, then have a man harshly sent off, it was an awful start, but the lads showed a lot of character. \"We defended fantastically. The back four stood strong, as did our four across the middle. They did their jobs and Lukas Jutkiewicz up front held the ball up well and caused problems when he had the chance. \"It was a great team effort and Michael Morrison gave a real captain's performance. He put himself up to play and proved a real leader for us.\" Huddersfield boss David Wagner: \"At Wolves I made five changes and everyone knows my", "summary": "Struggling Birmingham City earned their first win under Harry Redknapp with 10 men as they beat Championship play-off favourites Huddersfield Town."}
{"article": "Spurs took the lead in the first half when Ben Davies was fouled inside the area and Nacer Chadli rolled home the subsequent penalty. However, Federico Bernardeschi equalised when his deflected strike looped into the net. Dele Alli shot over late on for Spurs, but a draw was a fair result. Relive Tottenham's draw at Fiorentina here Tottenham would be forgiven for prioritising domestic success over European glory this season, given they are in a strong position to challenge for a first league title in 55 years. They are second in the Premier League, two points behind leaders Leicester, but manager Mauricio Pochettino has expressed a desire to win every competition they are involved in. Although he made six changes to the side that beat Manchester City on Sunday, there were still several first-teamers involved, including Alli, Christian Eriksen and Chadli. For large periods of the match they looked like the home side as Fiorentina, perhaps aware of the visitors' threat on the counter-attack, adopted a cautious approach and did not have a shot on target in the first half. It was not a classic Tottenham display, but the fact a much-changed team was able to secure a positive result away to a team that has won 10 of their 13 home games this season bodes well for Pochettino's ambitions. Pochettino has been widely praised for nurturing Tottenham's young talent, with Alli one of the most exciting to emerge during his tenure. The 19-year-old once again showed glimpses of the brilliance he is capable of, notably producing a neat bit of skill that almost got him out of trouble when surrounded by four Fiorentina players. He did, however, show immaturity when he appeared to kick out at defender Nenad Tomovic, and was perhaps lucky to only be booked. It might have been easy for Pochettino to substitute the midfielder soon after to avoid a potential sending off, but the Argentine instead showed his trust in the youngster by keeping him on. Pochettino was almost rewarded late on when Alli's spectacular acrobatic effort was just over. Tottenham boss Pochettino, speaking about Alli appearing to kick an opponent: \"We need to try to teach him \"He is a young player and he has a lot to learn about elite football. \"It is his first season in the Premier League at Tottenham. He came from League One, he needs to learn a lot. But I didn't see it. Some people say 'yes', say 'no', so I don't know.\" Read more from Pochettino The return leg is at White Hart Lane on 25 February. Before then, Spurs host Crystal Palace in the FA Cup on Sunday.", "summary": "Tottenham will take an away goal into the second leg of their Europa League last-32 tie with Fiorentina after a draw in Italy."}
{"article": "Eskinder Nega was awarded the Pen America's \"Freedom to Write\" annual prize for publishing articles critical of Ethiopia's human rights record. His wife Serkalem Fasil, who is a journalist and also spent time in jail, received the award on his behalf. In the past decade, more journalists have fled Ethiopia than any other country, press freedom groups say. \"I accept this award on behalf of Eskinder Nega at a time when freedom of expression and press freedom are at the lowest in Ethiopia,\" Ms Serkalem said on Tuesday night in a ceremony in New York. \"If Eskinder were standing here, he'd accept this award, not just as a personal honour, but on behalf of all Ethiopian journalists who toil under withering conditions today: Those who went into exile over the years\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 those in prison with whom he now resides,\" she said. Mr Eskinder has been in Maekelawi prison in the capital, Addis Ababa, since his arrest in September last year. He is being tried under Ethiopia's anti-terrorism laws - which criminalise commentary that is critical of the government - and could face the death penalty if he is found guilty. He had published a column questioning the government's claim that a number of journalists it had detained were suspected terrorists, and for criticising the arrest of well-known Ethiopian actor and government critic Debebe Eshetu. Mr Eskinder is \"that bravest and most admirable of writers, one who picked up his pen to write things that he knew would surely put him at grave risk\", said Peter Godwin, president of the Pen American Center. \"Yet he did so nonetheless. And indeed he fell victim to exactly the measures he was highlighting,\" Zimbabwean-born writer Mr Godwin added. The Pen award is given to writers who have been persecuted or imprisoned for exercising the right to freedom of expression. Mr Eskinder opened his first newspaper in 1993, and has been detained at least seven times by the government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. He was stripped of his licence to work as a journalist in 2005, but continued to write for the US-based news forum EthioMedia, which is banned in Ethiopia. He and his wife Ms Serkalem were both jailed in 2005 for criticising the government's violent crackdown of protests following disputed elections. During their 17 months in prison, Ms Fasil gave birth to their son. Correction 27 June 2012: This report has been amended to clarify that Eskinder Nega was not found guilty of anti-terrorism charges in January.", "summary": "An imprisoned Ethiopian journalist and blogger has been given a prestigious freedom of expression award."}
{"article": "Charlotte Bevan, who had schizophrenia, walked out of St Michael's Hospital in Bristol in December 2014 with daughter Zaani Tiana Bevan-Malbrouck. Their bodies were found in undergrowth in the Avon Gorge days later. The serious case review also found the lack of a lead clinician overseeing Ms Bevan's care led to confusion. The Bristol Safeguarding Children Board's report said there was a system for controlling entry to the ward \"but mothers and babies were allowed free access throughout the hospital\". It went on to say that, \"this allowed CB [Charlotte Bevan] to leave the ward with ZBM [Zaani Tiana Bevan-Malbrouck] unnoticed and unchallenged\". The report said once the alarm was raised that Ms Bevan and her four-day-old daughter were missing, there was a quick response. However, it said the safeguarding concerns were \"everybody's business\" as Ms Bevan was \"able to walk outside at night, in unsuitable clothing, carrying a newborn baby, in a public place unchallenged by anyone\". Since their deaths, the report said ward security had been \"reviewed and improved\" and changes had been made to the reception area. Charlotte's mother Rachel Fortune, who contributed to the review, said in a written statement \"no single thing, action or person was to blame\". In the statement, released jointly with her daughter Janet, she said there were eight main findings which offered \"clear, constructive learning\", including how to manage long-term mental health in pregnancy, \"honest, accurate and timely communication\" and how several agencies could work together with a lead clinician. She added: \"This was a particularly difficult case to manage as long-term ill mental health and pregnancy came together. It's our hope now that any families and individuals facing such difficulties will have a multi-agency team with accountable clinicians in each service, as they now do in Bristol.\" The review also found Ms Bevan's explanation for stopping her medication due to breastfeeding concerns was not followed up with a pharmacist until after she had given birth. She later revealed she had not been taking medication for the last five months of her pregnancy, which the review team speculated was a sign of \"disguised compliance\". The report said: \"It is notable that it was not until CB [Charlotte Bevan] had given birth to ZBM [Zaani Tiana Bevan-Malbrouck] that any professional contacted a pharmacist to confirm the safety of her medication on ZBM when breastfeeding or otherwise.\" There was also confusion over who was leading, co-ordinating and overseeing Charlotte's overall care, the report found. In some cases, it found, health professionals assumed it was the Mother and Baby Unit Doctor, the mental health care co-ordinator or her GP. The report also found there was confusion over the terminology in describing her mental health condition. It found that describing her as \"well\" meant there was no clarity in what this meant in mental health terms. Independent chair of the Bristol Safeguarding Children Board, Sally Lewis said: \"This review provides constructive learning for many agencies and professionals working in Bristol and beyond. \"A great deal has already changed in local professional practice since this tragic incident, some", "summary": "A mother who jumped off a cliff with her baby was able to leave a maternity ward unchallenged as she had \"free access\" in the hospital, a report said."}
{"article": "An estimated 40% of cash dispensers are empty, meaning people are unable to withdraw new notes to replace the old ones they have handed in. There has been widespread disruption since Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in November that 500 and 1,000 rupee notes would no longer be legal. The move was meant to curb corruption. It has divided opinion, especially over how the ban was implemented. Early last month the government scrapped the 500 and 1000 rupee notes to crack down on undeclared money and fake cash. Deadlines for spending the notes or swapping them for new currency have already passed. Some people, including those of Indian origin living abroad, will be able to exchange the notes in branches of India's central bank until 31 March 2017 - but the process will be more complicated than going to a regular bank. Parliament is preparing laws that will make it a criminal offence to hold the old notes from 1 April 2017 onwards. Together the two notes represented 86% of the currency in circulation and there have been chaotic scenes in India ever since, with people having to spend hours queuing outside banks and cash machines which have been running out of money. ATM queues and cash withdrawal limits mean getting currency can still be tricky, and there have been several changes of the rules around how much money people can access or deposit. The government hopes the measures will encourage more people to have bank accounts and move towards a society less reliant on cash. But there are concerns that many poorer people and those in rural areas have yet to get bank accounts. Local firms which allow people to make digital payments both online and in shops have reported a surge in transactions as people look for cashless alternatives. The government says the move has been a success with the banks flush with cash and significant increases in tax collection. But critics argue the move has failed to root out corruption and unearth illegal cash, since most of the money in circulation has been put back into the financial system. Instead, they say, the economy which was growing at a rapid pace, has slowed down significantly.", "summary": "There have been long queues outside many banks in India as people tried to deposit discontinued banknotes ahead of a deadline that has now passed."}
{"article": "In a landmark hailed as \"long overdue\", Prof Maryam Mirzakhani was recognised for her work on complex geometry. Four of the medals were presented in Seoul at the International Congress of Mathematicians, held every four years. Also among the winners was Prof Martin Hairer from the University of Warwick, UK, whose work on randomness could prove useful for climate modelling. Awarded by a committee from the International Mathematical Union (IMU), the Fields Medal is regarded as something akin to a Nobel Prize for maths. It was established by Canadian mathematician John Fields and comes with a 15,000 Canadian dollar (\u00c2\u00a38,000) cash prize. First awarded in 1936 and then every four years since 1950, the medal is awarded to between two and four researchers, who must be no older than 40, because Fields wanted to encourage the winners to strive for \"further achievement\" as well as recognise their success. The other two medals were won by Dr Artur Avila, a Brazilian mathematician who earned his PhD in dynamical systems at the age of 21, and Prof Manjul Bhargava, a Canadian-American number theorist at Princeton University. In becoming the very first female medallist, Prof Mirzakhani - who teaches at Stanford University in California - ends what has been a long wait for the mathematics community. Prof Dame Frances Kirwan, a member of the medal selection committee from the University of Oxford, pointed out that despite maths being viewed traditionally as \"a male preserve\", women have contributed to mathematics for centuries. She noted that around 40% of maths undergraduates in the UK are women, but that proportion declines rapidly at PhD level and beyond. \"I hope that this award will inspire lots more girls and young women, in this country and around the world, to believe in their own abilities and aim to be the Fields Medallists of the future,\" Prof Kirwan said. Prof Sir John Ball, another British mathematician and a former president of the IMU, agreed that Prof Mirzakhani's win was \"fantastically important\". Speaking to BBC News from the congress in Seoul, South Korea, he said that a female winner was overdue and that Prof Mirzakhani is one of many brilliant women mathematicians. He added that the committee had an unenviable job choosing the winners. \"These four are really deserving of this recognition, but of course any work at this level also builds on exceptional work by other people.\" Prof Mirzakhani's seminal research concerns shapes called Riemann surfaces. These are convoluted mathematical objects that can be analysed using complex numbers - i.e. numbers with real and imaginary parts. In particular, she has studied \"moduli spaces\" of these shapes, which map all of the possible geometries of a Riemann surface into their own, new space. Prof Alison Etheridge, a lecturer in applied mathematics at the University of Oxford, said she was thrilled by the announcement. \"Women are doing so well now in mathematics that this is just icing on the cake,\" Prof Etheridge told the BBC. \"It's the sort of thing which will really catch the public's imagination - and as a result I", "summary": "An Iranian mathematician working in the US has become the first ever female winner of the celebrated Fields Medal."}
{"article": "Seagulls defender Shane Duffy headed in Oliver Norwood's corner against his former side to put the visitors ahead. Dale Stephens' volley after the break doubled the lead before Rovers' Sam Gallagher fired in from close range. Brighton substitute Glenn Murray chipped in to seal the win after Blackburn's Gordon Greer was sent off, before Gallagher grabbed a consolation. Murray's 13th league goal of the season and first away from home this campaign, came after Rovers goalkeeper Jason Steele dropped Lewis Dunk's shot at the striker's feet. Any chance of a comeback by the hosts had already been made more difficult at 2-1, when ex-Brighton captain Greer was shown a second yellow for a foul on Bournemouth loanee Murray 16 minutes from full-time. Gallagher smashed in his ninth Championship goal this season and second of the evening after racing clear in stoppage time, but it was too late for Owen Coyle's struggling side in front of a season-low crowd of 9,976 at Ewood Park. Rovers have now lost 11 of their 21 Championship fixtures and Cardiff's win over Wolves ensured they slipped into the relegation zone. In contrast, Brighton have been defeated in just seven of their past 68 league games in a run stretching back to May 2015, but will be replaced by Newcastle at the summit if the Magpies win at Wigan on Wednesday. Duffy, who arrived on the south coast in August, has now scored four times against Rovers this season - three of them own goals. The 24-year-old turned into his own net in a 3-0 defeat at Wigan on 13 August. Four days later Duffy scored two first-half own goals and was then sent off in stoppage time in a 2-1 loss at Cardiff - his final league match for the Lancashire club. Blackburn manager Owen Coyle told BBC Radio Lancashire: \"I thought we started the game really well on the front foot against a team I would say along with Newcastle look very, very big favourites certainly for automatic promotion. \"We certainly made one or two chances, but we accepted they were very dangerous on the counter-attack. At 2-1. We felt we were right back in it with a chance to turn the game on its head. \"But, it's a huge turning point when Gordon picks up the second yellow card. There was certainly contact and it leaves us with 10 men against one of the most difficult sides to face. \"They battled away and kept going, giving everything they could. There's plenty of heart and plenty of spirit, but we're conceding far too many goals. Brighton manager Chris Hughton told BBC Sussex: \"That was closer than what we deserved and what it should have been. That's my only disappointment of the night. \"But, I thought we broke really well at times and at certain stages of the game, we could have been really out of sight. \"Ultimately, it's about three points and every away victory is a valued victory. No games are easy on the road so I'm delighted with the three points.\" Match ends, Blackburn", "summary": "Brighton went top of the Championship and made it 15 games unbeaten with a win at 10-man Blackburn Rovers."}
{"article": "An aircraft transporting Jeffrey Fowle, 56, landed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base early on Wednesday. Mr Fowle was greeted by his wife, children and relatives upon arrival. A US state department official said the agency was working to secure the release of two other US nationals, Matthew Miller and Kenneth Bae, who remain in detention in North Korea. There were tearful scenes as Mr Fowle was reunited with his family. His children were brought to the base without being told their father would be on a plane home. Following the arrival, a spokesman for the family said Mr Fowle was feeling well. He was treated well by his captors but has requested privacy as he readjusts, his spokesman added. When asked directly how he felt, Mr Fowle gave reporters a thumbs up. The US had earlier accused North Korea of using detained Americans as pawns in a diplomatic game. Mr Fowle, 56, entered North Korea on 29 April and was detained in early June as he was leaving the country. He was charged with \"anti-state\" crimes. He was reported to have left a Bible in the toilet of a restaurant in the northern port city of Chongjin but his family have insisted that he was not on a mission for his Church. Missionary activity is considered a crime in North Korea. In August, he and fellow detainee Matthew Miller made a televised appeal to the US government to help secure their release. Responding to the appeal, the US authorities vowed to make securing the release of the detainees a \"top priority\". Mr Miller was later sentenced to six years' hard labour for committing \"hostile acts\". Washington had been trying to send high-level representatives to negotiate the detainees' release but those visits were cancelled by North Korea in recent months. Pyongyang has denied accusations that it is using the arrested Americans as diplomatic bargaining chips. US Secretary of State John Kerry has said there was \"no quid pro quo\" in Mr Fowle's release this week. \"We are very concerned about the remaining American citizens who are in North Korea, and we have great hopes that North Korea will see the benefit of releasing them also as soon as possible,\" he told reporters.", "summary": "A US citizen released from detention in North Korea has been greeted to an emotional homecoming in Ohio."}
{"article": "The move is in line with UN sanctions aimed at curbing Pyongyang's nuclear weapons capability. German media say City Hostel Berlin is run by a Turkish hotelier who pays more than \u20ac38,000 (\u00a332,000; $41,000) a month in rent to North Korea. The embassy also derives income from a conference hall at the site. North Korea has conducted several nuclear tests and launched missiles, provoking fears that it could one day hit Japan or the US with a long-range nuclear strike. German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Sch\u00e4fer said \"any kind of commercial activity on the site of the embassy or in relation to the embassy is prohibited\". \"City Hostel in Berlin constitutes neither a diplomatic nor consular activity of a North Korean foreign representation,\" he said, adding that the government will move to \"shut down the financial source to the North Korean regime as quickly as possible\". Germany's Berliner Zeitung newspaper says (in German) the ministry has warned the leaseholders that they must end their contracts with North Korea - otherwise they face hefty fines. City Hostel Berlin was built in former communist East Germany and at the time housed North Korean embassy staff. It is a popular budget option for travellers to Berlin, who can stay in an eight-bed dormitory room for just \u20ac9.50 per night. The business relationship with North Korea was not confirmed by hostel staff, German media said. UN Resolution 2321, adopted unanimously in November, tightened sanctions on North Korea, in response to Pyongyang's 9 September nuclear test. It includes a clause stating that \"all Member States shall prohibit the DPRK [North Korea] from using real property that it owns or leases in their territory for any purpose other than diplomatic or consular activities\". Markus Ederer, state secretary at the German Foreign Ministry, said \"we must step up the pressure in order to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table\". The UN sanctions must be implemented to the letter, he said, \"so it is especially important that we act to cut off the activities funding the nuclear programme\".", "summary": "German authorities plan to terminate a North Korean business in the heart of Berlin - a big hostel next to the communist state's embassy."}
{"article": "Rowling, who was made an OBE in 2001, has now become a member of the elite Order of the Companions of Honour. Judy Murray, mother of world tennis number one Sir Andy, was made an OBE. And Brit Award winner Sande, who was raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, was made an MBE. Scottish comedian Billy Connolly was given a knighthood. Judy Murray adds to the honours already handed to her two sons. The tennis coach and former captain of Great Britain's Fed Cup team is being recognised for her work to grow the sport and for encouraging more women into sport. Sir Andy Murray, was knighted in the New Year Honours List, while his brother Jamie was made an OBE last year. Harry Potter author Rowling, who was made an OBE in 2001, becomes a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour, which has a maximum of 65 members, in light of her services to literature and philanthropy. It comes days before fans of her boy wizard mark 20 years since Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone was first published. As well as being one of the world's best-selling authors she has set up a charitable trust which supports projects that alleviate social deprivation and founded Lumos, a charity working to transform the lives of institutionalised children. The 30-year-old musician from Aberdeenshire will be made an MBE. Sande was born in Sunderland to a Zambian father and English mother but moved to the north-east of Scotland when she was four. She released her first solo singles Heaven and Read All About It, for which she gained her first number one, in 2011. The following year she kicked off the opening ceremony of 2012 Olympics in London. The principal of Glasgow University has been awarded a knighthood for services to higher education. Known as a world-class economist, he chairs the Standing Council on Europe which advises the Scottish government on securing Scotland's relationship with the EU. Prof Muscatelli said: \"I'm absolutely delighted to receive this honour, but this is, of course, an award for the whole of the University of Glasgow as much as it is for me.\" He added: \"I am also pleased, and proud, as someone who came to the UK from abroad and who believes that science and knowledge transcends national boundaries and borders that this honour has been bestowed upon me.\" Prof Muscatelli was born in Bari, Italy, and has both Italian and British citizenship. He has been principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Glasgow since October 2009. Dr Hood, a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, has been made an OBE. She was recognised for her \"exceptional and long service to the Church of Scotland and promoting tolerance and understanding\" through the Scottish board of the Remembering Srebrenica charity. The 1995 Bosnian massacre was the worst atrocity on European soil since World War Two. Dr Hood, who lives in Paisley with her husband Peter, stepped down from her role at Renfrew North Parish Church in October after 37 years. She first", "summary": "Tennis coach Judy Murray, pop star Emeli Sande and Harry Potter author JK Rowling are among the well-known faces in Scotland to have received awards in the Queen's Birthday Honours."}
{"article": "McCarthy, 26, only spent one season at Palace, following a move from QPR last summer, and signs a three-year deal with the Saints. Pied, 27, played for new Southampton boss Claude Puel for Nice last season, as well as working under him at Lyon. He has signed a two-year contract with the south coast club. The Saints have now made four signings this summer, following the arrivals of Nathan Redmond from Norwich and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Bayern Munich. McCarthy, who only played seven times for Palace, will compete with England international Fraser Forster for a first-team place at St Mary's. \"The club is known for producing young players and they've had successful seasons,\" the former Reading keeper said. \"There's the Europa League to look forward to this season, so there are going to be a lot of games.\" Pied, who can also play on the wing, said: \"I am very happy to be able to join this new team. The English league is a very attractive one and it was a goal of mine to be able to play in it.\"", "summary": "Southampton have signed Crystal Palace goalkeeper Alex McCarthy for an undisclosed fee and French right-back Jeremy Pied on a free transfer."}
{"article": "The Caixin/Markit manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 47 in September, below forecasts of 47.5 and down from 47.3 in August. A reading below 50 indicates contraction in the sector, while one above shows expansion. The disappointing data will stoke concerns about slowing growth in China. The survey comes just a day after the Asian Development Bank lowered its growth forecast for China this year to 6.8% - below the government's target of about 7%. Last week, the US Federal Reserve also held off raising interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade in part due to concerns over the impact of the slowdown in China. The closely watched private survey focuses on smaller and medium-sized firms, while the official one is based on larger firms. An acceleration in shrinking factory production, export orders and employment were the key factors behind the weaker-than-expected reading. Economist Julian Evans-Pritchard at Capital Economics said that while the result was \"clearly disappointing, it is not enough to lead us to change our view that the current pessimism over China is overdone\". He said in a note on Wednesday that China still faced \"structural drags on growth\" but that \"with most of the key leading indicators such as fiscal spending and credit growth now looking supportive, we continue to expect a cyclical recovery in economic activity\". Chinese policymakers have cut interest rates five times since November, among other measures to boost lending and consumer spending. The government has also repeatedly said that growth in the world's second largest economy is on track despite the fears of a hard landing. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is visiting the US, sought to reassure the world in a speech on Wednesday, saying the economy was on a steady course with fairly fast growth.", "summary": "China's factory activity contracted at the fastest pace for six and a half years in September, according to a preliminary survey of the vast sector."}
{"article": "The Gunners came from two goals down to win 3-2 after extra time and lift their first trophy for nine years. \"It was an important moment in the life of this team,\" said Wenger, who confirmed he will sign a new contract. \"To lose would have been a major setback but to win will be a good platform to build on.\" \"Arsene Wenger is a winner again. Arsenal are winners again after 120 dramatic minutes that forced manager, players and fans through so many of the experiences they have shared in recent years - only this time with a happy ending. \"Wenger has every right to celebrate this success but he must not - and surely will not - believe that this means Arsenal do not still require serious investment.\" Read more from Phil McNulty Wenger's contract is due to expire at the end of the season but he has repeatedly expressed his desire to continue in the role he has held since 1996. Asked whether he would now sign a new deal, he said: \"That should normally happen yes, and we are in very normal circumstances. It was never a question of leaving. It was a question of doing the right job for this football club.\" James Chester and Curtis Davies put Hull two up inside eight minutes but Santi Cazorla pulled a goal back before half-time. Laurent Koscielny equalised to send the game into extra time, when Aaron Ramsey scored the winner. Wenger, who won the FA Cup for the fifth time in his Arsenal career, said: \"It was more important today than all the others. Twice we had won the double, so we had already won something and were not under the pressure we were under here. \"It is a feeling of relief and happiness as we were under severe pressure to win and we didn't start well of course. Hull started stronger and you could see we were hesitant. We demonstrated how to respond to being 2-0 down but we also demonstrated how not to start an FA Cup final. \"It is a big moment to win and when it happens after a long time it sometimes comes with suffering so it was a great moment.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Former manager George Graham, who led Arsenal to the league title in 1989 and 1991, said the club need to bring in \"three quality players\" if they are going to challenge for top-flight honours, including a midfield dynamo in the mould of 1998 World Cup winner Patrick Vieira. \"In midfield there's an embarrassment of riches, they're all very similar and I think they need a strong, Vieira type player who leads the team,\" the Scot told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek programme. \"Up front, there's no question, that's been their failing this season. They've only got one out-and-out centre-forward and they need a class forward to add to the team.\" Like Wenger, Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna is also out of contract and has been linked with a move to Manchester City. \"I think until", "summary": "Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said the FA Cup final comeback against Hull City can be a turning point towards a successful new era for the club."}
{"article": "Businessman Dimitri Kovtun told a news conference in Moscow he thought the death was \"suicide by negligence\". Mr Litvinenko, 43, died three weeks after drinking tea laced with the radioactive substance polonium-210. English prosecutors suspect Mr Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoi of poisoning him at a London hotel in November 2006. Before he died, Mr Litvinenko - a former officer with the Federal Security Service (FSB), the successor to the KGB - accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of ordering his assassination. The claims were denied by the Kremlin. However, speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Mr Kovtun said he believed Mr Litvinenko may have poisoned himself. \"I am more than sure that he dealt with polonium without knowing it,\" the Russian news agency Interfax reported him saying. \"Maybe it was leaking and polonium accumulated in his body gradually. It is possible that something he carried with him led to a gradual accumulation of polonium in the body,\" he added. Mr Kovtun and former KGB bodyguard Mr Lugovoi have denied any involvement and have remained in Russia, despite an ongoing public inquiry into Mr Litvinenko's death. Sir Ken Macdonald, who was then director of public prosecutions, had recommended in May 2007 that Mr Lugovoi should be charged with the murder of Mr Litvinenko. Last month, Mr Kovtun offered to give evidence to the inquiry, at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, via video link. Inquiry chairman Sir Robert Owen said he would grant Mr Kovtun \"core participant\" status to give evidence, if he met a number of conditions - including the provision of a witness statement and any relevant evidence.", "summary": "Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko may have accidentally killed himself after handling radioactive material, a key suspect in his death has said."}
{"article": "First Greater Manchester plans to increase the price of onboard tickets by 10p in January but freeze the cost of those bought via its mTickets app. It said it wanted to encourage customers to buy tickets in advance on smartphones to speed up journey times. Passenger group TravelWatch NorthWest said it may reduce delays but penalised those without the technology. A spokesman for the bus operator said about 15,000 passengers already use the app and its research showed boarding times would be 75% faster if all passengers used it. He said the company were confident freezing ticket prices on the app would encourage more customers to pay that way. TravelWatch NorthWest's John Moorhouse said while he understood it was \"an incentive to use the app, a lot don't have the internet and rely on buying [tickets] on the bus\". He also said it was \"unfortunate\" for the 22% of passengers who do not travel with smart phones. The majority of single onboard tickets will see a 10p increase from 2 January.", "summary": "Passengers buying tickets onboard some Greater Manchester buses are to pay more than those using a smartphone app."}
{"article": "A major upgrade is currently under way at Hawick's Wilton Lodge Park. The trees - some of which are showing signs of disease - are being removed to allow passers-by to see the new attractions planned in the area. Councillor Gordon Edgar said the works would let the park \"meet its potential as a significant tourist attraction\". The tree felling is part of wider work to overhaul the area which is well ahead of schedule. The majority of work is due to be completed by April next year, a year ahead of the overall project completion date of April 2018.", "summary": "A council has said the removal of a number of trees from a Borders park as part of a \u00a33.65m overhaul is \"unfortunate\" but \"necessary\"."}
{"article": "Doctors at the hospital in Leipzig said the man, 56, originally from Sudan, died despite receiving experimental drugs to treat the virus. More than 4,400 people have died from the outbreak, mainly in West Africa. The rate of new cases at some of the \"epicentre\" areas has slowed down, the World Health Organization says, but the number of cases in the capitals of the worst-affected countries is rising. Senior WHO official Bruce Aylward told reporters on Monday that the outbreak was also continuing to spread geographically to new districts in the capitals of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Elsewhere: *In all cases but two, first in Madrid and later in Dallas, the patient was infected with Ebola while in West Africa. How not to catch Ebola: Why Ebola is so dangerous How Ebola attacks Ebola: Mapping the outbreak The man who died in Leipzig had been working as a UN medical official in Liberia - one of the worst affected countries - when he caught Ebola. He arrived in Germany last Thursday for treatment and was put into a hermetically sealed ward, accessed through airlock systems. \"Despite intensive medical measures and maximum efforts by the medical team, the 56-year-old UN employee succumbed to the serious infectious disease,\" a statement from St Georg hospital said. He was the second member of the UN team in Liberia to die from the virus, the BBC's Jenny Hill in Berlin says. He was also the third Ebola patient to be treated for the virus in Germany after contracting the disease in West Africa. One patient - a Ugandan doctor infected in Sierra Leone - is still receiving treatment in a hospital in Frankfurt, while a Senegalese aid worker was released from a hospital in Hamburg after five weeks of treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is alarmed by the number of health workers exposed to the disease. The WHO has warned the epidemic threatens the \"very survival\" of societies and could lead to failed states. Source: WHO Note: figures have occasionally been revised down as suspected or probable cases are found to be unrelated to Ebola. They do not include one death in the US recorded on 8 October.", "summary": "A UN medical worker infected with Ebola has died at a hospital in Germany."}
{"article": "Angela Reakes, 24, of the ACT Meteors in the Women's National Cricket League, was guilty of breaching Cricket Australia's (CA) anti-corruption code. She pleaded guilty to placing five bets on the Australia v New Zealand final man-of-the-match betting market. CA integrity unit chief Iain Roy said: \"Angela knows she made a bad mistake.\" He added: \"All elite cricketers are reminded regularly that betting on any form of cricket is strictly prohibited.\" Australia won the World Cup final in March, beating New Zealand, with James Faulkner named man-of-the-match.", "summary": "An Australian cricketer has received a two-year suspended sentence for bets totalling Aus $9 (\u00a34.36) during the 2015 Cricket World Cup."}
{"article": "Organisers of the event, which has seen Judi Dench, Stephen Fry, BB King and JK Rowling appear, want to \"secure its future for the next 50 years\". They say each year they must raise \u00a3500,000 to keep the event afloat. Prince Charles said the festivals \"played a crucial role in nurturing new talent.\" The festivals' Future 50 Appeal aims to raise \u00a31m for the arts charity \"that has been at the heart of Harrogate for half a century - to secure its future for the next 50 years\", organisers said. Backing the appeal, Prince Charles said: \"I am so pleased to be able to support such an innovative charity organisation as it launches the Future 50 Campaign, which will help safeguard the festivals' heritage and reputation for excellence, as well as playing a crucial role in nurturing new talent and providing opportunities for all, making life that little bit more worthwhile.\" Sharon Canavar, Head of Harrogate International Festivals, said: \"We have a strong heritage and an ambitious future. We are passionate about building on this remarkable legacy for future generations.", "summary": "The Prince of Wales has given his backing to a campaign to raise \u00a31m to secure the future of Harrogate International Festivals."}
{"article": "14 February 2016 Last updated at 09:45 GMT Although she did not win Lord Sugar's investment - he judged the project too risky - she has continued work on her app, which she hopes will make online dating more fun. One analyst said companies would have to work hard to challenge the dominance of Match - which owns brands such as OKCupid, Plenty of Fish and the UK market leader Tinder. \"Whatever competitors do, they will need to be cash rich and able to support the business to stand a chance of success,\" says Paolo Pescatore, director of Multiplay and Media at CCS Insight. \"But there is scope for new players to emerge that focus on a specific niche.\" Read the full story: The dating apps taking on Tinder", "summary": "Apprentice star Vana Koutsomitis is preparing to launch the dating app she first pitched on the BBC show."}
{"article": "They were put on the market in March and bought by the Sedgwick family, who bought the town's North Pier in 2011. Present owners Crown Entertainment Centres sold the pair of piers to Peter Sedgwick, who currently operates rides on both piers. Central Pier - which is 341m (1,118ft) long - houses a distinctive 33m high (108ft) Ferris wheel. The Central Pier and Blackpool South Pier, which is 150m (492ft) long, do not benefit from listed status, despite opening in 1864 and 1892 respectively. At the time the sale was announced, a spokesman for the National Piers Society - which promotes the preservation and continued enjoyment of seaside piers in the UK - described them as \"in good order and trading successfully\". Richard Baldwin, director at Bilfinger GVA Retail, Hotels and Leisure, which completed the sale on behalf of the leisure operator, said: \"After considerable interest in both piers, we are delighted to have completed these two sales in such a short timescale. \"The conclusion of these sales... is a clear illustration of a strengthening in the alternative leisure markets, which is extremely encouraging.\" St John Stott, director at Crown Entertainment Centres, said: \"Peter Sedgwick is an experienced, longstanding leisure operator and we are delighted to have sold both the Central and South Piers to him.\" The North Pier was badly damaged in storms in 2013 which cost about \u00a31m to repair. Mr Sedgwick said: \"To add these two iconic piers to our portfolio is extremely exciting and we hope to capitalise on a group ownership of all three Blackpool Piers to ensure that many thousands of visitors continue to enjoy these wonderful attractions for years to come.\"", "summary": "Blackpool's Central and South piers have been sold for about \u00a38m to a family with close ties to the town."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Beating Ireland in Dublin next Saturday would equal Scotland's three wins of 2006, and likely secure third place. \"It will be a tough game but we are determined to finish the competition well,\" Laidlaw told BBC Scotland. \"Ireland are a good side and it is going to take one huge effort to try to get what would be a massive win.\" Sunday was a special day for Laidlaw, who celebrated his 50th cap by equalling David Sole's record of leading Scotland in 25 Tests. \"To lead this team out at Murrayfield is something that will stay with me forever,\" he said. \"But it is not about individuals. The whole team and the crowd were literally as one today. It was outstanding.\" Scotland suffered the early setback of losing fly-half Finn Russell to a head knock after just five minutes, in the build-up to France's opening try. But Laidlaw paid tribute to his replacement Peter Horne, usually a centre and who has only started one Test at stand-off. \"Peter deserves enormous credit,\" he said. \"I thought he was fantastic when he came on. He's probably not played a huge amount of rugby there but he fitted in brilliantly and made it as smooth as possible for the team. \"I thought we scored a couple of great tries in amongst some very gritty defence. France put a lot of width on the game at times and we really had to scramble at times and fought for each other. You could see how much it meant to us all.\" Scotland were inspired by full-back Stuart Hogg, who scored their opening try, landed a penalty from inside his own half and created the clinching try for Tim Visser with a wonderful overhead pass. \"When we lost Finn, everyone stepped up but Hoggy was great,\" acknowledged coach Vern Cotter. \"It was nice to see that chemistry among the players. There was constant talking and encouragement and the positivity on the field was great. \"The players adapted well when Finn went off, there was no panic in the ranks. It was nice to see a composed team believing in its strengths and eeking out a win. \"The guys are a humble bunch and they will enjoy this, but they know there is another game to come.\" Man-of-the-match Hogg admitted to a \"wee bit of luck\" in his assist for Visser's try, but believes hard work on the training ground is reaping its rewards. Scotland's three tries took their tally for this year's Championship to eight, their best since scoring eight in 2005 and one fewer than their best tally of nine in 2000. \"You don't get many opportunities in international rugby and the ones we have created we have finished them off,\" he told BBC Sport. \"We have worked hard in training on that and it is great to see that coming off in the game. \"The team worked incredibly hard during the week to get that victory. You could see how much it meant to us in front of", "summary": "Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw wants one more \"huge effort\" from his team to win a third straight game and match their best Six Nations campaign."}
{"article": "The PM said he had rejected \u00c2\u00a38bn in child benefit cuts the Lib Dems claimed the Tories had proposed in government. Ed Miliband said Labour did not overspend when in power and that he would not lead a government if it involved a deal with the SNP. Nick Clegg was grilled over tuition fees, trust and coalition deals. While insisting they could both win outright, the Conservative and Labour leaders gave the clearest indications to date of the terms of possible post-election deals, with Mr Cameron saying his pledge of an EU referendum in 2017 would be a \"red line\" in any negotiations. Three other leaders also faced audience questions: The prime minister was first in the firing line at Leeds Town Hall. Mr Cameron said he did not want to cut child benefit or child tax credits if he won the election, but that it was possible to save more from the welfare budget. Asked if this amounted to an \"absolute guarantee,\" he said child tax credit \"would not fall\" and child benefit was \"one of the most important benefits there is\" and did not need to change. Brandishing the note left in 2010 by outgoing Labour Treasury Secretary Liam Byrne, stating there was \"no money left\", Mr Cameron said: \"It takes a long time to fix the mess that I was left.\" \"We are half way through a building job,\" the PM added. Asked if his vow to pass laws preventing tax rises was an admission he usually lied, Mr Cameron said he wanted to put the policy \"beyond doubt\". He said he had not agreed to a head-to-head debate with Mr Miliband because: \"This, giving you the chance to answer questions directly, this is more powerful than a televised debate.\" Mr Cameron was then asked why people did not trust the Conservatives on the NHS, replying that improving the health service was \"my life's work\" but only possible with a strong economy. He refused to speculate on what might happen in the event of a hung Parliament, saying he did not want to do a deal in a \"darkened room with Nick Clegg\", but said an in/out referendum on the EU would be a \"red line\" in any coalition negotiations. The Labour leader said nothing he has not said repeatedly before - explaining his view that the deficit resulted from the financial crash and not from over spending by the last Labour government. He gave no new hostages to fortune but it was, nevertheless, the toughest ride he's faced in this campaign. With David Cameron looking confident the Tories and the Tory press will claim that this was the night the election turned. But - and it is a big but - the prime minister's performance relied on either ignoring or dodging the hostile questioning he faced about welfare cuts, the bedroom tax, food banks and the morality of his policies. Read more from Nick Read Carole Walker's leader-by-leader analysis. Ed Miliband faced tough questions, with one man accusing the Labour leader of lying and telling him it was", "summary": "David Cameron and Ed Miliband have faced tough questions from a Question Time audience over their economic plans in the final TV event of the campaign."}
{"article": "Jack Greene, Dwayne Cowan, Aikines-Aryeetey, Eilidh Doyle and Dan Bramble all won their individual events to take maximum points for Great Britain. Aikines-Aryeetey led a British quartet to victory in the men's 4x100m final in a championship record of 38.08 seconds. Germany lead on 166 points with Poland second with 150.50 and GB on 144.50. Britain did not finish in the women's 4x100m relay after a failed final exchange. Shannon Hylton, making her senior team debut, could not find the outstretched hand of Daryll Neita before the final leg. CJ Ujah led off GB in the men's relay with Zharnel Hughes and Danny Talbot extending the team's lead before Aikines-Aryeetey powered down the home straight. \"Getting full points was the objective today,\" said Aikines-Aryeetey. \"I ran 10.21 into a -0.7 wind, but equally I'm happy.\" GB have fielded a developmental team with many of the big names opting to focus on qualifying for August's World Championships at the British Team Trials in Birmingham next weekend. Greene secured GB's first win of the day taking first place in the men's 400m hurdles in a time of 49.47. Cowan then followed up with victory in the 400m in a new personal best time of 45.46. But the British athlete was only awarded first place after the Netherlands' Liemarvin Bonevacia was disqualified for a false start despite being allowed to run the race. Aikines-Aryeetey claimed victory in the men's 100m final in 10.21 ahead of Germany's Julian Reus and Churandy Martina of the Netherlands. Scotland's Doyle, who has struggled for form in this season's Diamond League, took a second off her season's best to win the 400m hurdles in 54.60. \"That's what I was looking for. No big stutters and putting together a technically much better race,\" she said. \"Even there it wasn't perfect but I think it was the best I could do in those conditions. I knew there was a sub-55 in there, it was just putting it all together.\" And Bramble equalled his season best of 8.00m in the long jump to take first place and 11 points for GB. Elsewhere, Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist and GB captain Sophie Hitchon finished fifth in the women's hammer throw final. Jake Wightman (men's 1500m), Lennie Waite (women's 3,000m steeplechase) and Nick Goolab (men's men's 5,000m) all finished second. Welshman David Omoregie is among the athletes competing on day two having qualified fastest for the 110m hurdles final. Rio 2016 Olympians Morgan Lake and Jasmin Sawyers also compete in the high jump and long jump respectively.", "summary": "Harry Aikines-Aryeetey won twice as Great Britain sit in third place after day two at the European Team Championships in Lille, France."}
{"article": "As of next week, users will be warned if they are about to be taken to a malicious website. The social network has suffered to date as many of its 700 million users unwittingly click on dangerous links supposedly posted by their friends. Such attacks usually trick users into sharing passwords or data. Facebook already tells users if they are about to visit an external site, but the current set up makes no distinction between friendly and dangerous sites. The new technology will present a warning screen whenever it suspects a page poses a threat to the users, giving details of the risk. From here, users are encouraged to return to the previous page. If they wish, users can continue to the intended page, albeit very much at their own risk. Both Facebook and Websense will hope the extra measures will be enough to deter potential scammers from focusing their efforts on the network. Scams regularly catch out hundreds of thousands of users at a time. \"There's over 700 million users on Facebook,\" Websense's Spencer Parker told the BBC. \"As a piece of real estate, it's extremely profitable to be targeted by malware writers.\" The protection will be powered by Websense's \"Threatseeker Cloud\", a system which stores a database of known malicious URLs. The system can also detect unknown dangerous URLs by assessing threats in real-time. This means harmful URLs can be blocked even before they are known to the company - cutting off a key tactic used by phishers in which constantly changing URLs fool database-driven protection. In addition, the system will \"follow\" links made using popular URL shorteners - such as bit.ly and ow.ly - to verify their safety. Due to the nature of how we interact with our friends, Mr Parker says phishing attacks on Facebook are much harder to prevent than other commonly used techniques. \"One of the things with Facebook, of course, is that you have that element of trust in a social network. If one of your friends posts something, you automatically trust it more than if it just received as a spam email. \"As more of these 'friend in the middle' attacks happen, you start to trust your friends less.\"", "summary": "Facebook have stepped up their battle against phishing and malware scammers by partnering with security firm Websense."}
{"article": "Two bombs exploded in the Mulberry Bush and the Tavern in the Town in November 1974, killing 21 people and injuring 182 others. Six men were jailed in 1975 but their convictions were quashed in 1991. The service, at the city's St Philips Cathedral, paid tribute to other terrorism victims. As part of the service, Birmingham Library was lit up in blue, white and red to also remember the victims of the recent Paris terrorist attacks, the council said. Justice 4 the 21 campaign group, set up by victims' relatives, is calling for another memorial to remember the victims. There is already a monument off St Philip's Place in the city. But the University of Birmingham and victims' families are discussing plans for a more prominent tribute - possibly in New Street near to where one of the pubs used to be. The families are also lobbying the government for inquests into the 21 deaths. Relatives met Home Secretary Theresa May and Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers earlier this year to make a fresh call for the hearings. An inquest was opened days after the bombings - at the time the worst ever terrorist attack on English soil - but it closed without hearing evidence in 1975 after the guilty verdicts. After the convictions were quashed, the former Director of Public Prosecutions, Barbara Mills, placed a 75-year embargo on files relating to a Devon and Cornwall Police inquiry into the West Midlands Police investigation, meaning those files are not due to be released until 2069.", "summary": "Relatives of the victims of the IRA Birmingham pub bombings have attended a memorial service to mark the 41st anniversary of the attacks."}
{"article": "But host John Torode says all is not creamy between himself and fellow judge Gregg Wallace. \"It's funny, we've never been friends,\" he told the Daily Mirror, admitting they'd had \"a couple of standoffs over the years\", despite Wallace telling ITV's Lorraine Kelly the pair were \"very close\". Behind-the-scenes differences are nothing new however - here's a look at some of the most famous off-screen TV feuds. There's nothing like the tension of a legal drama to keep viewers glued to their seats and The Good Wife more than fulfilled this brief. But early in the show's history, rumours began to surface that all was not quite right between leading ladies Julianna Margulies and Archie Panjabi. The pair played on-screen best friends who fell out in season two and then rarely interacted with each again - something which appeared to spill over into real life. Panjabi left at the end of season six and her final scenes showed her sharing a drink with Margulies. But viewers were shocked to later find out they filmed the scene apart and they were stuck together in post-production afterwards. Addressing the rumours surrounding her departure last year, Panjabi said: \"In terms of anything that happened on The Good Wife, I think it's only respectful for it to stay on The Good Wife. \"It was time for me, for many reasons, to unzip the boots and step into another show.\" Fans of the hit '90s US sitcom the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air were delighted last week when a cast reunion picture was posted on Instagram by Alfonso Ribiero. But one person who wasn't so happy was Janet Hubert, who played Aunt Viv in the first three series of the hit show. She wrote on Facebook in response: \"There will never be a true reunion of the Fresh Prince. I have no interest in seeing any of these people on that kind of level.\" Ouch. The actress was sacked and replaced in 1993 after a conflict over money and egos with the show's star Will Smith. Smith said later Hubert considered him the \"antichrist\" and \"a snotty-nosed punk\" and she wanted the comedy to be \"The Aunt Viv of Bel Air Show\". In the years since, Hubert has been publicly vocal in her criticism of Smith and has also claimed he and Ribiero had \"destroyed\" her \"20-year career with untruths\". More instalments of this feud may be yet to come. With two divas working together it was possibly inevitable there would be some fireworks. So Mariah Carey saying she didn't exactly enjoy her time as a judge on 2012's American Idol while working with Nicki Minaj may not be a total surprise. \"Ugh. It was the most abusive experience,\" the singer said last year on a press tour. There were many reports of on-set cat fighting and increasingly heated exchanges between the two stars, with producers forced to stop auditions at one point. Footage of Minaj yelling at \"her highness\" Mariah emerged in the media, and the rapper claimed Carey didn't want another female star on the talent", "summary": "The ovens are on and the pots are simmering in the Masterchef kitchen with a new series having just begun on BBC One."}
{"article": "He will aid boss Gordon Strachan and assistant Mark McGhee, after the departure of Andy Watson to a coaching role at a football school in Oman. The Scots host Canada in a friendly on 22 March, four days before a vital 2018 World Cup qualifier against Slovenia. \"Tony is well respected within the game,\" said Strachan. \"I would like to thank [Dons manager] Derek McInnes and Aberdeen for allowing Tony to work with the Scotland backroom staff for these next two games.\" Scotland are on four points after four matches and sit second bottom of World Cup qualifying Group F, four points adrift of second-placed Slovenia.", "summary": "Aberdeen assistant manager Tony Docherty will join the Scotland national coaching team for the March fixtures against Canada and Slovenia."}
{"article": "23 June 2014 Last updated at 14:32 BST Two men from the city have been identified taking part in what appears to be a Jihadist recruiting video, which was posted online last week. It is thought Reyaad Khan travelled to Syria with friend Nasser Muthana who also appears in the footage. An expert on radicalisation, Dr Suraj Lakhani of Cardiff University, said: \"As far as I'm aware, there has been an issue in Cardiff for a while now.\" Nicky Smith spoke to one of the families and the local community, while Jordan Davies speaks to Sheikh Zane Abdo, Imam at the South Wales Islamic Centre.", "summary": "Cardiff has an ongoing problem with the radicalisation of young Muslims, said an academic who has studied the issue."}
{"article": "Peter Kibisu was lodging with trainee lawyer Elizabeth Nnyanzi and her family at their Harrow home when he attacked the 31-year-old in her bedroom. The court heard Kibisu, 24, had tried to cover his tracks after the murder in August 2015 but was caught when police found his DNA on the victim. He was ordered to serve a minimum jail term of 27 years at the Old Bailey. More on this story and other news from London Judge Richard Marks QC said Ms Nnyanzi was an \"outstanding young woman of immense talent and ability\" who had died as a result of \"unspeakable wickedness\". Mark Heywood QC told the court Kibisu had been living with the Nnyanzi family for nine months and was regarded as a younger \"cousin\" by the victim. On 14 August the 24-year-old returned to the house after a drink and drug-fuelled night out to find Ms Nnyanzi alone, and raped and killed her. He tried to cover his tracks by sending a text message to the victim while on the way to work later that day. When he returned he called police to say he had discovered the victim in her room not breathing and the home's rear patio doors ajar. Kibisu was arrested after a pair of bloodied boxer shorts were found in a bin and a tissue sample Ms Nnyanzi's fingernails matched his DNA. Det Ch Insp Tim Duffield said the 24-year-old only admitted his guilt \"when confronted with a whole raft of evidence\". In a statement Coleen Nnyanzi, the victim's mother, called Kibisu a \"wolf in sheep's clothing\" who had turned on a family that had \"helped him in his hour of need.\"", "summary": "A mechanic who admitted raping and strangling a family friend who he was living with has been jailed for life."}
{"article": "Only 1,338 spectators turned up for the EFL Trophy second-round tie against Crawley Town, which they won 1-0. League gates have already dipped this season, with an average attendance more than 3,000 down on last season. Sky Blues fans are unhappy at the way their club is run by owners Sisu. Only one and a half stands were open at the 32,609-capacity stadium for the game against Crawley, with just 57 away fans making the trip. The crowd was lower even than the 1,603 who watched City's game against Carlisle United in February 2014, during their season at Sixfields, Northampton - the club's previous lowest ever 'home' crowd. Although attendance figures initially rose when City left Highfield Road for the Ricoh Arena in 2005, interest in the club has been decreasing steadily over the past decade, especially since relegation to League One in 2012. The Sky Blues are in their fifth campaign in the third tier of English football - and only once has their average seasonal attendance increased in that time - last term's relatively successful campaign, when they briefly led League One under Tony Mowbray before falling away to finish eighth. Under interim manager Mark Venus, they are currently in the relegation zone, in 21st place, after four straight league defeats. Relegation would take the club to their lowest place in the Football League since winning promotion from the old Division Four in 1959. City fans, who boycotted home games in the year at Northampton, have become increasingly dispirited this season. At the recent home fixture against MK Dons, they staged a mock funeral procession \"in affectionate remembrance of Coventry City Football Club which is dying due to neglect and abuse at the hands of Sisu from 2007 to 2016\". They also joined in with equally disaffected Charlton Athletic supporters in the joint 'pigs might fly' pitch protest in the away match at The Valley in October. Coventry have had some success in the Football League Trophy, reaching the two-leg Northern final in 2012-13, before going out in the Southern semis in 2014-15. However, there appears to be less interest generally in this season's revamped competition, and Coventry's two previous home ties this season each attracted just over 2,000 fans. But prior to this season, City's average home attendance in the Trophy was 12,284. 2012-13: Beaten Northern section finalists 2013-14: Knocked out in second round (no home tie) 2014-15: Beaten Southern section semi-finalists 2015-16: Knocked out in second round (no home tie) 2016-17: Last 16", "summary": "Struggling Coventry City's off-field problems were further highlighted at the Ricoh Arena on Wednesday night as they attracted their lowest-ever crowd for a first-team game."}
{"article": "The S&P 500 index, which ended Friday at a new high, fell 8.8 points or 0.41% to 2,108.92. The tech-heavy Nasdaq, which also set a new record last week, lost ground as well. It decreased 31.84 points or 0.63% to hit 5,060.25. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones dropped 42.17 points or 0.23%, closing at 18,080.14. Shares in drugs firms slid after Mylan rejected Teva Pharmaceutical's $40.1bn hostile takeover bid, saying the Israeli firm undervalued the company. Mylan sank 5.1% and Teva dropped 4.3%. Meanwhile, one of the top gainers was technology giant Apple, whose shares rose 1.8% ahead of its second quarter results announcement. Shares in Tesla Motors also rose 6%, boosted by reports that the electric-car maker's planned announcement on Thursday could be more significant than anticipated.", "summary": "(Close): US stocks closed lower on Monday, bringing a three-day winning streak to an end."}
{"article": "Mr Joyce was giving a speech in Perth on Tuesday when the man walked on stage and shoved the pie in his face. A man identified by local media as the attacker later criticised the airline chief's support for same-sex marriage, which is not legal in Australia. \"I will have every intention of pressing charges,\" Mr Joyce said. Police charged the 67-year-old man with giving false details after the incident, which happened in front of 500 people. He may yet face an assault charge, police told the BBC. \"On the west coast, there is very limited opportunity to have connection with national figures,\" the pie-wielder, identified as Tony Overheu, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. \"From my reading, it would appear that Alan Joyce is very much part of a network trying to subvert the federal parliamentary process around the issue of marriage equality.\" Mr Joyce was one of 20 company chief executives who signed a petition in March calling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to legalise same-sex marriage. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, the government's most prominent conservative, described the attack as \"a disgrace\". \"The person should be ashamed. The threats any of us receive is unacceptable,\" Mr Dutton tweeted. Mr Joyce had been discussing the airline's recent decision to operate non-stop flights from London to Perth when the incident happened. \"I don't know what that was about,\" he said, before continuing his speech.", "summary": "Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has said he intends to press charges against a man who hit him in the face with a pie."}
{"article": "President Donald Trump has questioned the neutrality of Mr Mueller, who was appointed to investigate Russian interference in the US election. He has also blamed Attorney General Jeff Sessions for Mr Mueller's probe. Mr Graham warned Mr Trump that firing Mr Mueller \"would be the beginning of the end\" of his presidency. \"Any effort to go after Mueller could be the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency unless Mueller did something wrong,\" Mr Graham told reporters on Thursday. The Trump administration has sought to discredit Mr Mueller over his friendship with former FBI chief James Comey, who had been heading the inquiry until he was sacked by Mr Trump in May. The president has also suggested Mr Mueller's team of lawyers could be biased as some had made campaign contributions to Democrats. By Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington There's no telling if Lindsey Graham's legislation insulating the independent counsel Robert Mueller from Donald Trump's wrath will go anywhere. The South Carolina Republican has been known to occasionally wander from the Senate flock. Still, this could be the first glimmers of bipartisan congressional efforts to construct a restraining barrier around the Trump presidency. Already it appears likely a bill preventing Donald Trump from unilaterally loosening current Russia sanctions will wind up on the president's desk. Despite the administration's objections that this infringes on executive foreign policy prerogatives, hardly any members of Congress have voted against the legislation. Now, amid concerns that Mr Trump may fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions as a way of getting at Mr Mueller, another set of handcuffs could be applied. The White House appears to be girding for war against those investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election and any connections to the Trump campaign. Chances are this more aggressive posture, including a presidential feud with Mr Sessions - who served in the US Senate for 20 years - will only make matters worse, however. Like a person trapped in quicksand, the more the president struggles, the deeper he sinks. Mr Mueller has not given any details of his investigation but US media have reported he is investigating Mr Trump for possible obstruction of justice, both in the firing of Mr Comey and whether Mr Trump tried to end an inquiry into sacked national security adviser Michael Flynn. President Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia, calling it a \"witch hunt\". The South Carolina Republican announced he was creating a measure aimed at protecting Mr Mueller by mandating that any special counsel appointed to investigate a president or his staff could not be fired \"unless you have judicial review of the firing\". He added that Mr Trump was crossing a \"red line\" in his consideration to axe Mr Mueller, who was appointed by the Justice Department to lead the probe after Mr Comey was fired. Mr Graham's warning comes as the president has repeatedly attacked Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who recused himself from the Russia inquiry after failing to disclose a meeting with the Kremlin's envoy during his confirmation hearing. Mr Sessions, known for his hardline", "summary": "US Senator Lindsey Graham has said he is drafting legislation to stop any attempt by the Trump administration to fire Russia investigator Bob Mueller."}
{"article": "The 69-year-old from Brazil was a pillion passenger on a BMW motorbike. Her family have been informed. The ride of bike was seriously injured and was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after the crash, at about 17:35 on Wednesday. The occupants of the other vehicle, a Nissan Navara, were uninjured. The road was closed for several hours. Road Policing Sergeant Rob Warnock said: \"My thoughts, and that of my officers, are very much with the family and friends of the female who sadly died in this collision. \"Several people witnessed this incident and I am acutely aware that they, and others who assisted at the scene, have also been affected by the tragic circumstances. \"I would appeal to anyone who may have seen the crash or who may have seen either vehicle shortly beforehand and who hasn't yet spoken with police to do so to help us piece together exactly what happened.\"", "summary": "A woman had died in a crash involving a motorbike and a car on the A939 road near Tomintoul."}
{"article": "Eugene Gunderman, 28, from Old Windsor in Berkshire, admitted stealing the Audi which knocked over PC David Oram in Chorleywood last July. At St Albans Crown Court he was jailed for four years and ten months. Damon Denham, 27, from Old Windsor, admitted car theft and was jailed for nine months. Gunderman, of Queens Close, who also pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, ABH and dangerous driving, and disqualified from driving for five years. Both men's sentences will run consecutively with convictions they received last August at Guildford Crown Court for their part in a conspiracy to rob a jeweller. The court was told Denham drove Gunderman to Berkhamsted, in Hertfordshire, on 10 July. Gunderman had arranged to test drive a grey Audi RS6, being advertised for sale, but instead sped off in it from the owner's home in Upper Hall Park. Drivers on the M25 saw the vehicle racing along the hard shoulder at speeds of between 70 and 100 mph. PC Oram and PC Stuart Fraser later found it parked in a lane where it was driven at them by Gunderman, who knocked down PC Oram, running over the base of his lower back and up his shoulder, before speeding off. The defendants were arrested after the car collided with a number of other vehicles. PC Fraser said he thought his colleague \"had been killed\". \"I have never been so relieved in my career to see someone get off the ground .... I have no idea to this day how he escaped,\" he said. Mr Oram said his back was \"never going to be 100 per cent\" but hoped to remain as a front line officer as long as his back allowed. Chief Supt Bill Jephson praised both officers for continuing to pursue the defendants, despite Mr Oram's \"significant injuries\". \"This proves how dedicated our officers are in facing life-threatening situations in order to prevent crime and protect the public, and their bravery should be commended,\" he said.", "summary": "Two men have been jailed after they stole a car which was used to run over a Hertfordshire police officer, leaving him seriously injured."}
{"article": "Lafferty has not played for Norwich this season but his injury-time equaliser moved his country to within two points of qualifying for Euro 2016. It took his tally of goals to seven in this qualifying campaign. \"That's something that's been evident in this campaign, the change in him,\" said Davis. Lafferty picked up a booking for a late tackle which rules him out of the next qualifier at home to Greece on 8 October. \"With the occasion, maybe a few years ago he [Lafferty] might have ended up getting sent off but he's shown a great maturity about him,\" Davis said. Media playback is not supported on this device \"He's put in a great shift for the team.\" Lafferty last played for the Canaries in January, having spent the latter part of last season on loan at Rizespor in Turkey, where he scored two league goals. While he remains out of favour at Carrow Road, he is an unstoppable force for Northern Ireland, who are chasing a first major tournament appearance in 30 years. \"To play two games in the space of three days is not easy, but he kept plugging away and obviously was in the right place at the right time to get the equaliser,\" added Davis. Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill admitted he was tempted to substitute his star striker on Monday night, but he changed his mind when Richard Guzmics put the visitors in front after a dreadful handling error from Michael McGovern. \"Kyle gives the squad belief,\" said Northern Ireland boss O'Neill, whose side remain top of Group F with two games to play. \"We were taking him off at 0-0 but by the time we were ready to make the change it was 1-0 and it suddenly changed. \"Kyle hasn't played a single minute of club football this season, or in pre-season, and he was really struggling. \"We just felt he couldn't give us any more. But the thing about taking off Kyle is you're taking off your talisman. \"If I'm the opposition manager I'm happy to see Kyle going off so we didn't want to give them that hope or satisfaction. \"At 1-0 it was essential to keep him on the pitch. He treaded water for the last 20-25 minutes but he was there at the right time.\" Hungary need to win their two remaining matches to deny Northern Ireland a top-two finish, while one more victory - or two draws against Greece and Finland - will be enough for O'Neill's side.", "summary": "Northern Ireland captain Steven Davis has hailed Kyle Lafferty's \"maturity\" after he struck late to salvage a 1-1 draw against Hungary at Windsor Park."}
{"article": "This has been a gruelling week for the primates of the Anglican Communion: 39 of them in total meeting for a make or break gathering, spending several days living, eating, praying and negotiating together in Canterbury over the future of the world's third biggest Christian grouping. The meeting saw high stakes diplomacy by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and his team, as the already fissiparous Communion threatened to split apart over the issue of same sex marriage. The primates were kept well away from the glare of the media as the delicate talks got under way. This was in the knowledge that comments in the public domain could prompt a walkout by the most traditionalist nations, who are part of Global Anglican Future (GAFCON) - a potential rival leadership should the Anglican Communion divide on this issue. Their resolution was leaked on Thursday. It shows that they have agreed that by recognising same-sex marriage, the Episcopal Church in the US departed fundamentally from the faith and teaching of the Anglican Communion on the doctrine of marriage. The church will now be suspended from participating in the life and work of the Anglican Communion. The resolution stated that there were no victors and no vanquished. But LGBTi Christians and others are bitterly disappointed by the result and had hoped to see more support from the more liberal churches. In the end, though, it seems that the Anglican Communion as a whole valued unity over diversity. And there was clear strength of feeling at the meeting that for the vast majority of Anglicans represented there, marriage remains between a man and a woman, for life - even if secular societies in the west have moved rapidly over the past few years towards recognising equal or same sex marriage after years of similarly heated debate over the issue. So what does the resolution mean? It is clearly a shot across the bows for any other Anglican churches that may be thinking about changing doctrine unilaterally. The Anglican Church of Canada, for example, takes a similar position on homosexuality to the Episcopal Church, though it has not yet formally endorsed services of same sex marriage. Many of the provinces represented in Canterbury this week are having their own discussions about sexuality and whether to bless same sex unions in the future. This is an issue that will not go away, even if the primates would like it to. The Church of England itself is holding shared conversations on sexuality, in which LGBTi supporters and opponents are meant to share their views (although some participants have been critical of the reality). In the end, the action taken over the Episcopal Church will not have a major impact on its congregations. However, it will make many LGBTi supporters and those in favour of equality for all congregants question the Anglican Communion's claim to represent a loving church. Although the deal represents a major achievement in keeping the Communion together, it remains extremely fragile. And quite what walking together at a distance means in practice will be tested", "summary": "As Anglican leaders bar a liberal US branch from decision-making for allowing same-sex marriage, the BBC's religious affairs correspondent Caroline Wyatt considers what this means for the Anglican Church."}
{"article": "The warning means South Korea is considered to pose significant threats to tourism, and Hong Kong residents are advised to cancel non-essential travel. South Korea confirmed a seventh death from the Mers infection on Tuesday, and 95 infections. The outbreak is the biggest since Mers was first detected in the Middle East. The latest victim was a 68-year-old woman with a pre-existing heart condition. She was infected at the same hospital as all the other victims so far. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) How dangerous is Mers? In pictures: How Seoul is dealing with outbreak The Hong Kong red alert is its second-highest level, and says people should \"avoid non-essential travel to Korea, including leisure travel\". The warning said anyone who did still visit South Korea should \"avoid unnecessary visit to healthcare facilities\" and take precautionary measures, including wearing a mask and washing hands. Ko Wing-man, secretary for Food and Health Bureau, said the measures had been taken in part because of the \"frequent communication between Hong Kong citizens and South Koreans\". Hong Kong was badly hit by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) outbreak in 2003, which was brought to the territory from Southern China by a doctor, so it is sensitive to new disease threats. Eight new Mers cases were confirmed in South Korea on Tuesday, a significant drop from the 23 new cases reported on Monday. The South Korean government believes the fact that all cases have been linked to hospitals which treated known patients means the virus can still be contained. All the fatalities have been people who were already unwell. As of Monday, 2,500 people who may have come into contact with the virus were under quarantine, said the Yonhap news agency, and nearly 1,900 schools have been closed. The first Mers case in South Korea was a man who became infected during a business trip to Saudi Arabia, where the disease was first identified three years ago. Medical authorities have been criticised for the way they have handled the outbreak. Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon accused central government of not providing enough information to citizens about the virus. But Health Minister Moon Hyung-pyo rejected the claim, saying such comments risked increasing public concern. Are you in South Korea? Have your travel plans to South Korea been disrupted because of the Mers outbreak? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk Please leave a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can contact us on WhatsApp +44 (0)7525 900971", "summary": "Hong Kong has issued a red alert warning against travel to South Korea, which is battling an outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers)."}
{"article": "The broadcaster's media service was one of the most prominent online platforms to use Flash. Adobe's plug-in has been criticised by some security experts, who said it was a weak point of many sites. Flash use has been decreasing and the move will provide a further blow, but it will not kill off Adobe's product, said one security expert. The BBC announced the decision to move towards HTML5 on Tuesday. In a blogpost, it said it was \"now confident [it could] achieve the playback quality you'd expect from the BBC without using a third-party plug-in\" such as Flash player. Users have been invited to visit a BBC site where they can set a cookie in their browsers that will allow them to access the HTML5 player when they visit iPlayer in future. However, the Flash version will remain available. The BBC said it was testing the new player on a range of browsers, including Google Chrome on all platforms, Firefox 41 and Safari on iOS 5 and above. Others chosen for the test are Opera 32, Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 and Blackberry OS 10.3.1. The BBC added that it was also going to \"move away from the BBC Media Player app on Android devices\" with users invited to join a limited beta test in the blogpost. \"We've been working for the last few months to upgrade our existing HTML5 player to make it usable on the desktop as well as mobile and tablet,\" wrote James East, the BBC's product manager for media playout. \"We'll be working over the coming months to improve the HTML5 player to match the abilities of our Flash player and to refine the functionality and design based on your feedback.\" He said that most video programmes would be available on HTML5 on iPlayer immediately but, for those that took longer to become playable, users would be able to use the old player. Adobe's Flash is one of many plug-ins used to display multimedia content on websites. HTML5, the latest version of the dictionary used by the majority of the worldwide web, incorporates video hosting, where its predecessors did not. The BBC has joined Netflix and other major firms in adopting HTML5 and information from analytics website Built With shows a downward trend in the number using Flash over the last 12 months. The iPlayer, which the BBC said received 250 million TV and radio requests in July this year, was one of the most prominent. However, many of the internet's largest sites still do use Flash, including Amazon, IMDB and the US video site Hulu. The plug-in has been repeatedly criticised over its security record and, in June this year, Adobe had to release an emergency software patch after a serious vulnerability was found. But the security expert Chris Green said Flash still had an important role to play and was sometimes unfairly maligned. \"The industry has moved on from trying to shoehorn one thing in, whether that is Flash or Microsoft's Silverlight. It continues to be very effective in delivering rich content", "summary": "The BBC's iPlayer has been made available using the HTML5 web language, at the expense of Adobe's Flash player."}
{"article": "The University of Alabama and the sheriff's office mishandled Megan Rondini's case, her parents say. Ms Rondini, then a 20-year-old student, claimed she was sexually assaulted by a local man at his home in July 2015. The lawsuit claims police treated her as a crime suspect instead of a victim and the school failed to support her. According to the lawsuit, Ms Rondini met Terry Bunn Jr at a popular Tuscaloosa bar and was sexually assaulted and possibly drugged at his home. Mr Bunn, who maintained the encounter was consensual, was not charged. Upon leaving Mr Bunn's house, Ms Rondini said she took his gun to protect herself and $3 from his wallet to pay for a taxi home. Her parents claim police wrongly focused on her actions after the incident and were sympathetic towards Mr Bunn, whose family owns a local construction company. Cindy and Michael Rondini allege that Mr Bunn evaded prosecution because of his family's local prominence. Cindy Rondini told CBS News on Wednesday she drove from Texas to Alabama after the incident to comfort her daughter, who said she felt that police thought she was at fault. \"It was the most heartbreaking moment of my life,\" Mrs Rondini said. \"Megan ultimately was treated as a crime suspect and her status as a victim of a sex crime was completely disregarded,\" the lawsuit contends. The 25-page legal action, filed on Monday, names Mr Bunn, the Tuscaloosa County sheriff, a sheriff's deputy, a sheriff's office investigator and two university employees. It claims the sheriff's office did not take Megan Rondini's claims seriously and the university failed to give her adequate psychological treatment and support. Ms Rondini left the university and returned home to Austin, Texas, where she suffered depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, directly leading to her suicide, say her parents. She hanged herself shortly after transferring to a college in Texas in February 2016. The university told CBS News that school officials \"handled their responsibilities with care at all times keeping Megan's wellbeing as their absolute highest priority\". Mr Bunn's lawyer denied the accusation in a statement. \"The allegations against my client as set forth in this baseless lawsuit are simply false,\" said the attorney, W Ivey Gilmore. \"No sexual assault occurred.\" The Rondinis say any money won in the lawsuit would be donated to groups to support rape victims. Her case was raised last week on the floor of Congress. Texas Republican Ted Poe, chairman of the Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus, said Ms Rondini \"got the death penalty\" after investigators treated her \"with disdain and disbelief\".", "summary": "The parents of an Alabama student who killed herself after claiming she was raped have sued her alleged attacker and local officials for wrongful death."}
{"article": "The Scottish Sentencing Council has launched a consultation on new guidelines. It said it would be the first time a comprehensive definition was provided for the principles underlying sentencing decisions. Observers called for the guidelines to help courts ensure prison was not used as an alternative to the welfare state. The body's first draft guideline sets out the principles and purposes of sentencing for all offences. It is designed to assist judges in court and help the public better understand how sentences are decided. The consultation, which will run until 27 October, asks people to comment both on the principles and purposes of sentencing and on how easy the guideline is to understand. The sentencing council has also created a website explaining how judges decide a sentence. This includes videos and an interactive scenario that lets people choose what happens next in a realistic court case, and then select the sentence they would give - if they were the judge. The council, which is made up of judicial, legal and lay members, was established as an independent advisory body to promote consistency in sentencing across Scotland. Its chairwoman, Lord Justice Clerk Lady Dorrian, Scotland's second most senior judge, said judges and sheriffs had a variety of factors to take into consideration when passing sentence. \"The overall principle is that the sentencing should be fair and proportionate,\" she told BBC Scotland. \"But that must take into account things like the impact on society, the circumstances of the offender, whether there needs to be a balance between the issue of punishment or the potential for rehabilitation. \"These are all matters for the individual sentencing judge, but they are all matters which are touched upon in this guideline.\" She said sheriffs and judges would have a framework against which they could assess the sentence they were imposing. \"They are required to take into account any guideline and to follow it,\" she said. \"And if they don't take it into account, they must state that they have not taken it into account, and why.\" The sentencing said those passing sentence should ensure similar offences are treated in a similar manner, that they are no more severe than necessary and reasons for sentencing decisions should be stated clearly and openly. Professor Cyrus Tata, director of the Centre for Law, Crime & Justice at Strathclyde University, welcomed the publication of the guideline, which he said could lead to important changes in sentencing. He said: \"It's very important that we have a public principle which says 'we are not going to use imprisonment as, if you like, the last stop shop in the welfare state'. \"Too many people are ending up in prison at the lower end, not because they have committed serious violent offences - if they have, they need to go to prison - but because there doesn't seem to be anything else available in the community. \"And that's a tragedy, and it's crackers.\" The organisation is developing guidelines on the sentencing of young people, and preparatory work is being undertaken in relation to the way sentences", "summary": "Members of the public are to be asked to comment on how offenders are sentenced by the courts."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old has agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract with an option for a further 12 months. \"He's left-footed, which gives us good balance. We've been looking for a left-footer for a while,\" boss Nathan Jones told the Luton website. Gambin has six caps, but was suspended for Malta's 2-0 defeat by England at Wembley last October. He made 23 appearances for Barnet this season, scoring four goals, the last in a 3-1 defeat at Luton on New Year's Eve. The Hatters are currently sixth in League Two, six points off the automatic promotion places. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "Luton Town have signed Malta international winger Luke Gambin from Barnet for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "The 65-year-old will appear in Belfast Magistrates Court on Monday to be charged with the murders of John Devine in 1989 and John O'Hara in 1991. John Devine, 37, was shot dead at his home on Fallswater Street in west Belfast on 23 July 1989. He was sitting in his living room with his 13-year-old son when three men forced their way in and shot him. John O'Hara, 41, was murdered on Dunluce Avenue in south Belfast on 17 April 1991. He was working as a taxi driver and had gone to pick up a passenger at 22:15 BST, when he was approached by two masked men who fired several shots at the car, fatally injuring him. Officers from the Legacy Investigation Branch (LIB) of the PSNI arrested Mr Rea on Tuesday. Last September the LIB announced that it would re-examine the murders after they gained access to tapes containing interviews Mr Rea gave to the Boston College 'Belfast Project'.", "summary": "Belfast loyalist Winston 'Winkie' Rea has been charged with two counts of murder dating back more than 20 years."}
{"article": "Brendon Mason died in hospital as a result of head injuries after being found in Abbey Park, Leicester, on Tuesday morning. Joshua Hack, 21, of St Helen's Drive, Leicester; and Keith Lowe, also 21, of Rockingham Close, Leicester, appeared before magistrates in Leicester. A woman, 18 and a man, 20, arrested on Friday have been released on bail. A 27-year-old man arrested on Tuesday was also released on bail pending further inquiries.", "summary": "Two men have been charged with the murder of a man found injured near a boating lake."}
{"article": "The Beast Race featured 20 obstacles - many of them involving cold water and mud. Entrants could complete the event near Inverness solo or as part of a team.", "summary": "A 10km obstacle race was held at Aldourie at Loch Ness at the weekend."}
{"article": "The fire swept through the secondary school dorm in Aladag in Adana province and authorities said it may have been caused by an electrical fault. However, there were fears that the girls may have been unable to escape. The mayor said it was likely that a fire door had been locked. The girls who died were aged 11 to 14. The dormitory housed girls from impoverished families in nearby villages, reports said. One of the girls who died was Zeliha Avci, 13. Her father was waiting on Wednesday for the authorities to allow him to collect her body for burial in her village. \"No-one has called me,\" Mustafa Avci complained. \"We learned about the fire from the news and ran to the scene. Our children have been burnt to death and no-one gives us any information.\" Mr Avci last saw his daughter at the weekend. \"She was very keen to go to school and get educated, but her days are over now,\" he said. Her old dorm, he explained, was torn down in 2015 and he was unhappy about the new one. \"This was the only dorm in town. We didn't want to send her there, but we had no other option.\" TV footage showed flames leaping from the roof of the building as firefighters battled to put it out. Adana governor Mahmut Demirtas said some students had been injured when they jumped from windows to escape the fire. He said 34 students had been staying in the dorm and 22 were taken to hospital. A government minister who visited the scene said claims that the fire exit had been locked would be investigated. Turkish authorities imposed a media blackout on local coverage of the disaster. Anadolu news agency said the six people in custody included the head of the dormitory, three teachers and two other staff. They were being investigated on suspicion of causing death by negligence.", "summary": "A dormitory manager and five others have been detained in southern Turkey after a fire claimed the lives of 11 schoolgirls and a teacher, reports say."}
{"article": "Backbench Tory MP Chris Davies had asked the Welsh secretary if the UK government should have the power to put the Welsh Government in special measures. The leader said it was not his policy. Dai Lloyd, a Plaid Cymru AM, suggested that devolution was under attack following the EU referendum vote. Andrew RT Davies told a news conference: \"I disagree with Chris's comments, full stop. \"What Chris is advocating is from the position of a backbencher in Westminster of an opinion that he hears expressed in his constituency on a regular basis. \"It's not government policy, it's not Welsh Conservative policy.\" \"Our policy is very very clear. Devolution needs to be respected. It is here. It is permanently here,\" he said. \"We are the government in Westminster that is delivering the Wales Bill that will see a huge transfer of responsibility,\" he said. He added: \"Of course this place shouldn't be put into special measures. Ultimately it is for the politicians who are democratically elected here to actually be accountable to the people of Wales, whether they are in government or are assembly members. Mr Davies asked Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns at the Welsh Affairs Select Committee on Monday: \"Do you not wish there would be a mechanism in there to take powers back to this place to be able to sort out, just as the Welsh Assembly have the powers to put local authorities under special measures and hospitals into special measures. \"Don't you think there should be an opportunity for us to do the same?\" But Mr Cairns said people would be able to have their say at the assembly election over the devolved matter. Chris Davies, speaking on BBC Radio Wales, said he thinks education \"should\" be unravelled from devolution. He told the Good Morning Wales programme that \"we have to be careful\" and look at May's assembly election. \"We had a party, a party I do not support, the Abolish the Welsh Assembly party, which started from nothing, from nowhere. \"In just a matter of weeks, they took 4.5% of the vote,\" he said. \"We need to be careful out there, because just before we know it there may be a massive tide, a massive swave across Wales who decide they don't want the assembly any longer.\" Dai Lloyd, of Plaid Cymru, called Mr Davies's suggestion that UK ministers could become involved in education in Wales a \"crass idea\" and a \"Conservative attempt to wheel back powers from this place to London\". \"We're under attack from all places now, post-Brexit,\" he said. \"We have Andrew RT Davies saying we can't cope with agriculture here, keep it up there. Now we have Chris Davies... also suggesting something equally ludicrous.\" \"People keep saying we've got to respect the result of the referendum,\" Mr Lloyd said. \"The corollary of that is that we need to respect the result of every referendum, particularly in the context of this place.\" Vale of Clwyd Conservative MP James Davies tried to widen the debate on Monday, suggesting in a tweet that the UK government should", "summary": "Comments suggesting UK ministers should be able to intervene on education in Wales have been rejected by Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies."}
{"article": "William Ross Casement is the second man to appear in court in connection with the death of Enda Dolan. Mr Dolan was a first year architecture student at Queen's University from Killyclougher. The 18-year-old died after being struck by a van as he was walking along the Malone Road in Belfast in 2014. He was returning to his student accommodation at Queen's Elms. On Tuesday, 31-year old David Lee Stewart, from Grays Park Avenue in Belfast, admitted five charges arising from the death of Mr Dolan, including causing his death by dangerous driving. Casement, 21, from Belvoir Drive in Belfast, appeared at Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday. He admitted two charges - aiding and abetting dangerous driving, and aiding and abetting the failure to remain at the scene of an accident where an injury had occurred. When both of the charges were put to Casement, he replied \"guilty\". Casement was informed by Judge Gordon Kerr QC that he will be sentenced for the two charges on 22 April - the same day as his co-accused, David Stewart.", "summary": "A south Belfast man has admitted offences linked to the death of a County Tyrone student who died after being struck by a van."}
{"article": "The announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO), was made at a meeting of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in New York. It follows Nigeria going more than a year without a case of wild - naturally occurring - polio. Three years without cases are required before it can be declared polio free. The decision means there are just two endemic countries - Pakistan and Afghanistan - where transmission of the paralysing virus has never been interrupted. Jean Gough, Unicef country representative in Nigeria, told me: \"This is an important milestone, but it is too early to celebrate. We need to continue the efforts at every level if polio is to be eradicated.\" Polio is spread by poor sanitation and contaminated water and usually affects children. The virus attacks the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis - usually of the legs - within hours. GPEI was established in 1988 when tens of thousands of children in more than 125 countries were paralysed by polio each year. Partner organisations include the WHO, Rotary International and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Nigeria's progress against polio has been hard-fought. In 2003, some northern states boycotted the oral polio vaccine for nearly a year after scare stories that it caused sterilisation. It led to the virus spreading to many countries that had been declared polio free. In 2013 nine vaccinators were shot dead in Kano. But instead of being a deterrent, it galvanised support at every level. The Nigerian government declared polio a national health emergency and greatly increased the number of vaccinators. And community and religious leaders voiced their support. As a result, the number of families refusing to have their children immunised has decreased sharply. The success has come despite the Islamist militant insurgency in north-east Nigeria. Earlier this month Unicef said half a million children had fled attacks by Boko Haram over the past five months. Vaccine teams have been focussing attention on displaced families who have moved elsewhere in Nigeria, as well as fleeing to neighbouring countries like Cameroon, Chad and Niger. I last visited Kano in northern Nigeria in 2005 and met Aminu Ahmed, and his son Umar - both of whom have been paralysed by polio. Like other children, Umar did not get the drops of polio vaccine and was infected, partially paralysing his right leg. His father - who runs a charity making hand-operated tricycles for polio sufferers - has become a campaigner for polio immunisation. I went back to meet the family. Umar is doing well at school and he now joins his father in persuading families to be immunised. Aminu Ahmed told me: \"Ten years ago, it was very common to see families saying no to the vaccine - now they all want it. \"We say you do not want your children to be unable to walk, like me.\" Nigeria, like the rest of the world, is switching from the oral polio vaccine, given in two drops into the mouth, to an injectable, inactivated form of polio vaccine (IPV). The oral vaccine, which contains", "summary": "Nigeria has been removed from the list of polio endemic countries in what is being regarded as a \"milestone\" on the quest to eradicate the disease."}
{"article": "British Heart Foundation Cymru (BHF) wants emergency life support (ELS) skills on the national curriculum, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). BHF says such a move would create a new generation of lifesavers across Wales. The Welsh petition has collected 4,000 names since being launched in February. The charity wants to teach children first aid skills, such as resusciation techniques, incorporating them into areas of the existing curriculum. \"If they are properly trained they are as capable as adults and by acting promptly they can prevent disabilities and help save lives,\" Delyth Lloyd, public affairs manager for BHF Cymru, told BBC Radio Wales. She said ELS are a set of actions which can \"keep someone alive until professional help arrives\" such as CPR which can include rescue breaths and chest compressions. Ms Lloyd acknowledged that while it is not currently a compulsory part of the curriculum some schools do teach ELS skills. \"We'd like to see a new generation of lifesavers across Wales with every child leaving secondary school knowing how to save a life,\" she said. Across the UK over 100,000 people have signed the petition.", "summary": "A petition has been handed over to the Welsh assembly calling for first aid to be taught to all pupils in secondary schools."}
{"article": "Built in the 1970s, the 21 and 23-storey Aston University blocks had been accommodation for generations of students living on campus. Billy Young, from Demolition Ltd, said it was a complex operation because of the site and need to divert services. The demolition is part of a ??300m regeneration of the campus. Students were able to watch the event. He said: \"The logistics of working on a live campus, live services - there were a lot of services that had to be diverted in and around the site before the implosion could take place. \"We also had complications of a Victorian water main and gas mains and adjacent footpath that had to monitored on the day in case of any vibration damage.\" The Aston Student Village and new research centres will be completed by 2014. The first phase of the ??215m village project was finished last year which provided more than 1,300 bedrooms for students. The next stage of the scheme will provide another 1,050 rooms by next yea and will start now Dalton and Lawrence Towers have been brought down.", "summary": "Two university tower blocks have been demolished in a controlled explosion in central Birmingham."}
{"article": "Pressure has grown on Shaun Wright, who was in charge of children's services in Rotherham from 2005 to 2010, to step down in the wake of a damning report. The report found at least 1,400 children in the town were sexually exploited by mainly Pakistani heritage criminal gangs between 1997 and 2013. Mr Wright said he was the most appropriate person to hold the office. Jack Dromey told the World Tonight on Radio 4: \"Shaun should go and we're absolutely clear if he does not agree to resign he will be suspended from the Labour party tomorrow morning.\" Mr Wright needs to \"exercise his conscience and face up his responsibility\", said Mr Dromey. Senior politicians from other parties have also called on Mr Wright to step down from his role as police and crime commissioner (PCC). Home Secretary Theresa May said he should \"heed calls\" to resign. She said it was not her job as home secretary to hire and fire PCCs. She added: \"I think he has real questions to answer. I think in the circumstances he should heed those calls.\" BBC Newsnight's Laura Kuenssberg earlier tweeted that Mr Wright was said to be at home, \"consulting with his family about his future\". Sarah Champion, the Labour MP for Rotherham, said Mr Wright \"needs to stand up and be counted for what happened under his watch\". Other senior party figures, including shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, shadow chancellor Ed Balls and shadow welfare minister Chris Bryant, also joined calls for him to resign. Mr Wright apologised to victims but insisted he had no knowledge of the \"industrial scale\" of child abuse when he was a Labour councillor in the South Yorkshire town. A report commissioned by the council was published on Tuesday and revealed the massive level of abuse in Rotherham. The inquiry team noted fears among council staff of being labelled \"racist\" if they focused on victims' descriptions of the majority of abusers as \"Asian\" men. 1,400 children were abused, 1997-2013 1/3 of victims were already known to social services 157 reports concerning child sexual exploitation made to police in 2013 10 prosecutions were made between 2013 and April 2014 However, Mr Wright told the BBC the scale of the problem in Rotherham had \"come as a surprise\". \"Had I known then what I know now I could have done more,\" Mr Wright said. \"As an elected member I came into this role to make a difference. At every stage I've done my utmost to protect those people. \"I have taken lessons learned in that office and brought them to bear in my new role with South Yorkshire Police. \"I believe I am the most appropriate person to hold this office at this current time,\" he said. Rotherham Borough Council leader Roger Stone quit following the publication of the report, which was commissioned by the council and detailed gang rapes, grooming, trafficking and other sexual exploitation on a wide scale in the South Yorkshire town. Race, fear and abuse in Rotherham Town consumed by shock and disgust But calls for", "summary": "A Labour frontbencher has said the party will suspend South Yorkshire's PCC if he fails to quit by the morning."}
{"article": "The woman, identified as Babli, told media she called Uber after emergency calls to hospitals went unanswered. The driver of the vehicle told the Times of India that he pulled over because Babli was in excruciating pain. He then helped deliver the baby with two other women before taking them to hospital. \"He picked me up, put me on a stretcher and dragged it into the hospital,\" the Times of India quoted Babli as saying. \"I named him after Uber because the baby was born in an Uber cab,\" she told the Reuters news agency.", "summary": "An Indian woman has named her baby \"Uber\" after giving birth in a car belonging to the taxi aggregation service."}
{"article": "Prime Minister Theresa May has said she wants to preserve barrier-free trade between the UK and the EU as far as possible. One option that has been floated, if the two sides can't agree a comprehensive free trade agreement, is sectoral deals. They might cover cars, for example, or perhaps financial services. But there is a problem with this approach: World Trade Organization rules. Perhaps the most fundamental idea behind the WTO's rule book is non-discrimination. It goes by the rather confusing name of \"most favoured nation\". It is Article 1 of the WTO's main legal agreement. It means that you must give the same degree of access to your home market that you give to the most favoured nation to all WTO members. A favour for one should be given to all. You should not discriminate for or against any WTO member. There are a few situations where the rules allow countries to depart from this principle - the one that is relevant here is for free-trade areas and customs unions (the two have important similarities, but are not the same). The WTO's rule book says the member countries \"recognise the desirability of increasing freedom of trade by the development, through voluntary agreements, of closer integration between the economies of countries parties to such agreements\". So a trade agreement between the UK and the EU would be allowed under WTO rules, in fact welcomed, even though it is something that is intrinsically discriminatory. It would involve the EU and the UK discriminating in favour of each other against outside countries. Of course, the EU itself has the same effect, offering EU members better access to each other's markets than is available to either China or the United States, for example. But there is a catch. The WTO rules say such agreements should cover \"substantially all the trade\" between the members of the customs union or free-trade area. What does \"substantially all\" mean? There is some case law which touched on this. A dispute between Turkey (which has a customs union agreement with the EU) and India went to the WTO's appeals body, which said in its report: \"It is clear, though, that 'substantially all the trade' is not the same as all the trade, and also that 'substantially all the trade' is something considerably more than merely some of the trade.\" Not as cut and dried as you might hope, but all the trade experts I have spoken to say that a deal covering just a few sectors wouldn't qualify. That seems to be reinforced by what a WTO dispute panel said in another case. This one, as it happens was about cars, an agreement between the US and Canada in the 1960s known as the Auto Pact. There is one line in the panel's ruling that is particularly relevant here: \"The Auto Pact, nevertheless, is a purely sectoral agreement which does not meet the requirements of Article XXIV:8\" - that is the provision that sets out the \"substantially all the trade\" requirement. So such a narrow sectoral deal might well", "summary": "So the UK, it seems, is headed out of the European Union's single market, perhaps also out of the customs union."}
{"article": "New by-laws will \"regulate\" camping in three zones in the park - West Loch Lomond, Trossachs (West) and Trossachs (North). The authority said the plans only affected 3.7% of the national park and included investment in new facilities. But the by-laws have been criticised by many outdoor recreation groups. Those opposed to the legislation, including Ramblers Scotland and the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, said they were concerned the laws would damage access rights. The seasonal by-laws, which come into effect next year, will be active from 1 March to 30 September. They will cover much of the west side of Loch Lomond, the northern tip of Loch Long and many of the Trossachs lochs, including Loch Earn, Loch Venachar and Loch Lubnaig. The national park convener Linda McKay said: \"This is tremendously positive news for all those who, like us, want to protect and enhance some of Scotland's most precious natural places. \"These carefully-considered proposals reflect the views of a wide body of interests and demonstrate the delicate balance that needs to be struck when caring for our national parks.\" As part of the plans, 300 low-cost camping places will be introduced. Some of the sites will be new or improved camping facilities and in other areas permits will be issued which will allow \"informal\" lochshore camping at \"sustainable levels\". The national park said the by-laws were necessary to tackle anti-social behaviour. They will also make it an offence to cause damage to the natural environment and prevent long-term encampments in lay-bys. But some outdoor groups have greeted the Scottish government announcement with \"disappointment\". Kim Atkinson, chief executive officer of the Scottish Sports Association said: \"Our Outdoors Pursuits Group (OPG) members have always acknowledged that there are significant problems arising from certain roadside camping activities which take place along loch shores within the national park. \"However, our OPG remains unconvinced that by-laws are the solution, and remains concerned that they will undermine Scotland's much-prized access legislation.\" Jess Dolan, director of Ramblers Scotland, said the new by-laws would penalise the \"vast majority\" who camped responsibly. She said: \"This is a sad day for everyone who holds Scottish access rights dear. The national park itself has admitted that most of the anti-social problems arising from some camping activities are caused by a lack of infrastructure and enforcement of existing legislation. \"Therefore we are disappointed that the minister has decided to approve by-laws, albeit with a short delay before they come into effect.\" Ms Dolan added that Ramblers Scotland would be working to ensure the legislation was not renewed when it comes up for review in three years' time. And Dave Gibson, chief executive officer for the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, argued the national park and police already had the powers they needed to tackle lochside problems. \"We believe that an outcome of the by-laws will be that they will criminalise those who would otherwise wish to exercise their rights to wild camp responsibly under the terms of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003,\" he said. \"As such, this decision goes against the rights to", "summary": "Plans to restrict camping around several lochs in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park have been approved by the Scottish government."}
{"article": "Southwark Crown Court heard she was raped by Sgt Edwin Mee at the Mitcham Barracks Army Careers and Information Office in Croydon. She said when she told him about the pregnancy he said: \"Oh, I did not think you would get pregnant.\" She later miscarried. Mr Mee, 45, of Tavistock Road, Croydon, denies a string of sex assaults. Mr Mee is charged with 17 counts of sexual assault, three rapes and one count of assault by penetration against 11 victims between 2010 and 2011. The woman, aged 27, broke down as she told the jury how she was raped, later miscarried and felt she had no-one to turn to about her ordeal. Speaking from behind a curtain, she said Mr Mee made her feel \"uncomfortable\" during the recruitment process but she felt she had to attend his appointments because she wanted a job in the Army. She only later became able to say what had happened once an investigation was launched and she later got married, the jury heard. Her husband found out about the alleged rape through a family friend and \"told me not to be scared, he gave me the courage to come here today,\" she said. On the night of the alleged rape, she was nervous after Mr Mee had organised an evening appointment and told her he \"liked her\". She told the jury: \"He said 'there is no other way out. The front door is locked. There is no camera in here and this door is closed - so you have to choose. You have to give me sex. If you do not want to do it then you cannot leave. You have to choose and then you cannot say anything to anyone.\" The woman said she did not feel as if she could escape: \"Everywhere was closed... I tried and tried to get to the main door but he said 'that door is already locked'.\" After the alleged assault, she said, he took her out the back door and dropped her off in his car so she could catch the bus home. The trial continues.", "summary": "A woman has told a court she became pregnant after an Army recruitment sergeant raped her in a locked room."}
{"article": "Chester Nez, 93, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, had told US media he was \"very proud\" of his part developing the cipher the Japanese never broke. It was credited with saving the lives of thousands of US troops in the Pacific. Nez, who was also a painter, died of kidney failure on Wednesday. \"It saddens me to hear the last of the original code talkers has died,\" Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly told Reuters, adding he was ordering flags to be flown at half-mast in Nez's honour. \"We are proud of these young men in defending the country they loved using their Navajo language.\" Nez was chosen from among 250 Navajos who arrived at the Army base in Arizona for the project. He was in high school at the time of his enlistment and lied about his age. The code took words from the Navajo language, which was spoken by less than 30 non-Navajos at the time, and matched them to military terms. The Navajo word for turtle became \"tank\", chicken hawk became \"dive bomber\" and \"our mother\" meant America. About 400 code talkers used the cipher to relay messages sent from field telephones and radios throughout the Pacific. Messages read aloud by the code talkers were immediately destroyed. \"It's one of the greatest parts of history that we used our own native language during World War II,\" Nez said in 2010. \"The Japanese did everything in their power to break the code but they never did.\" The Code Talker mission was only declassified in 1968. But the original group received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2001, and the programme was dramatised in the 2002 movie Windtalkers. After World War 2, Nez volunteered in the Korean War, and retired in 1974 after a 25-year career as a painter at the Veterans Administration hospital in Albuquerque. Despite difficulties travelling since both of his legs were partially amputated, he loved to tell his story, said Judy Avila, who worked with Nez on his memoir. \"He always wanted to go, he loved meeting people,\" she said. \"And with something like kidney failure, it comes really gradually. At the end, he was really tired.\"", "summary": "The last of the 29 Navajo Americans who developed a code with their native language to encrypt military messages in World War 2 has died."}
{"article": "But if visitors from EU countries wanted to work, study or settle in the UK they would have to apply for permission under the proposals. EU citizens are currently free to live and work in the UK without a permit. The Home Office says managing migration is about access to work and benefits as much as the ability to control entry at a physical border. But ministers are likely to face questions about whether there will be a \"back door\" into Britain and how the Home Office would stop visitors staying longer and getting jobs without a visa or a work permit. Labour MP Ben Bradshaw, a member of the Open Britain campaign against a \"hard Brexit\", said: \"Nobody who voted to leave the European Union expected Brexit to mean Britain losing control of immigration, yet that is exactly what the government proposes. \"Restricting the right to come and work in Britain while leaving an open door for everyone else seems to be opposite of a common sense immigration system. \"It will not restrict anybody coming here from Europe who does not intend to work and may push other EU nationals into the black economy.\" He said the proposed new system \"offers little control while burdening British businesses with yet more red tape\" and the government should \"put single market membership back on the table\" instead. The Migration Watch pressure group said it was a \"sensible, proportionate\" proposal but the government would need to spend more money on immigration enforcement to deal with overstayers. The Home Office said: \"Proposals for the future immigration system for EU citizens will be published in due course.\" Prime Minister Theresa May said free movement \"as we've seen as members of the European Union\" will end and there will be immigration rules \"for people coming from inside EU - as today we have rules for people coming from outside the EU\". The UK already grants visa-free travel to nationals from 56 countries - ranging from the United States to the Maldives. Passports are stamped on entry, and people are allowed to stay for a maximum of six months. But they are not allowed to work, study or settle. It's hardly surprising that a similar scheme is being considered for nationals from EU countries after Brexit - not least because future arrangements are likely to be reciprocal. In other words, if EU citizens needed visas to come to the UK in the future, UK citizens would need visas to travel to the EU. So it may be that the government's immigration plans will be to add several hundred million Europeans to a scheme that already exists. And the main burden for policing it, and checking whether people are here legitimately, would not fall on a beefed up border guard or immigration service. Rather, it would rest with employers - everyone from the NHS to a small high street cafe - as well as landlords, banks and local government agencies. According to The Times, the new system for EU visitors will be phased in after Britain officially leaves the", "summary": "The government plans to keep visa-free travel to the UK for EU visitors after Brexit, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "The cities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge have suffered the worst damage. On Thursday, country music legend Dolly Parton said her charity would donate $1,000 (\u00c2\u00a3797) a month to families affected by the fires. Rain on Wednesday helped quell the blaze, but officials said fires could rekindle as months of drought had left the ground extremely dry. The wildfires, likely started by a person, spread on Monday to the tourist city of Gatlinburg. More than 14,000 residents were forced to evacuate. Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller said: \"We had trees going down everywhere, power lines - all those power lines were just like lighting a match because of the extreme drought conditions. \"So we went from nothing to over 20 plus structure fires in a matter of minutes. And that grew and that grew and that grew.\" Wildfires- Why they start and how they can be stopped Around 45 people have been treated in hospital as a result of the wildfires, and over 700 buildings have been damaged. City mayor, Mike Werner said: \"Gatlinburg is the people, that's what Gatlinburg is. It's not the buildings, it's not the stuff in the buildings. \"We're going to be back better than ever. Just be patient.'' Mr Werner has spent days reassuring his city \"everything is going to be okay\". Meanwhile, he has lost his home and seven other buildings he owns as part of a property business. He said the city was still working to identify those killed by the fire. The wildfires are also threatening Dollywood, Parton's theme park in Pigeon Forge, Sevier County. A spokesman said guests had been evacuated from some of its properties, and that several cabins and holiday structures had been damaged. Parton said she was \"heartbroken\" by the fires and that she was \"praying for all the families affected by the fire - and the firefighters who are working so hard to keep everyone safe\". She said she hoped money from her charity can help to people \"until they get back up on their feet\". \"I know it's been a trying time for my people, and this assistance will help,\" she said. \"I've always believed that charity begins at home.\" Singer Miley Cyrus, also a Tennessee native, sent her sympathies and support to Parton and the people of the state in an Instagram post. Sharing a picture of the pair performing together, she wrote: \"Love my fairy god mother @dollyparton and sending protective energy to the ever so sacred Dollywood and all of the homes/folks in TN who are experiencing this devastating fire!\" Twenty-six active fires have burned nearly 12,000 acres (4,855 hectares) across the state, Tennessee's Department of Agriculture reported. Neighbouring Georgia, as well as North and South Carolina, are also battling wildfires after months of drought.", "summary": "The death toll from wildfires across the US state of Tennessee has risen to 11 as search and rescue continues."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old, recently dropped from the Great Britain team, alleged that Sutton made sexist comments and told her to \"go and have a baby\". \"I want to change the culture and their treatment of women,\" she said. \"I hope by shining a light and sharing my experiences, the relevant people can investigate and make changes.\" UK Sport, which funds British Cycling's elite performance programmes, said it had been in contact with British Cycling to ensure the allegations were investigated. \"We take allegations of sexism extremely seriously,\" it said. \"As a recipient of funding, British Cycling should assure us this will be dealt with fairly, swiftly and transparently. \"We expect the highest levels of professionalism from athletes and staff and have zero tolerance to sexist behaviour.\" Varnish has been been invited to meet the equalities officer of British Cycling to discuss her concerns. A British Cycling spokesman said: \"A gold medal is valued by us, no matter who wins it and we are equally proud of all our Olympic and world champions.\" He added that medals won by the Great Britain cycling team are \"testament firstly to the dedication and talent of our riders\" but also a \"tribute to a significant investment in passion, commitment and resources by our performance staff\". Sutton, 58, denies any wrongdoing and says British Cycling did not renew her contract because her times had slowed over the past three years. Media playback is not supported on this device Varnish added: \"I remain open to sharing my experiences with both British Cycling and/or UK Sport, and will happily engage with any investigations into the comments that Shane Sutton has made to me, and other riders.\" The Worcestershire-born rider also said she would like to compete for Britain again, adding that she was not too old and \"not a waste of UK Sport's money\". Earlier, Olympic champions Victoria Pendleton and Nicole Cooke both criticised British Cycling following Varnish's claims. \"I know exactly how miserable they made me,\" two-time Olympic gold medallist Pendleton told the Daily Telegraph. \"I never really felt I had the same respect as my male team-mates.\" Cooke, the 2008 Olympic road race champion, told the Guardian: \"I have my own experiences of Shane and sympathise with Jess. \"Speak out and your dreams will be destroyed and years of hard work wasted. Or put up with it and hope.\" \"I spoke out from the age of 19 and I know what happens.\" Olympic gold medallist Joanna Rowsell Shand said on Monday that she was \"surprised\" at Varnish's claims of sexism.", "summary": "Jess Varnish says she spoke out against British Cycling technical director Shane Sutton with the hope of changing attitudes at the organisation."}
{"article": "Silvanos Mudzova, a member of the pressure group Tajamuka, said he had been abducted from his home in Harare on Tuesday night by unknown men. He told the BBC he had been blindfolded and tortured with sharp objects. He was also electrocuted on several parts of his body, including his genitals, Mr Mudzova said. He said his captors had been armed. The activist said his attackers had interrogated him, wanting to know who was funding his Tajamuka pressure group and why they were campaigning against President Mugabe's government. The spokesman for the group was also arrested but granted bail on Wednesday. Despite the latest government ban on protests in the capital, Harare, a massive demonstration has been planned for Saturday, according to Mr Mudzova. Zimbabwe has seen a wave of protests recently over the declining economy. Earlier this month, President Mugabe criticised judges who gave permission for anti-government protests which later turned violent. He said the judges had shown a reckless disregard for peace and warned they should take care when making decisions. The opposition has accused Mr Mugabe of trying to intimidate the judiciary. Last week, Zimbabwe's high court overturned a two-week ban by police on demonstrations in Harare. Activists who are opposed to President Robert Mugabe and his government challenged the ban in court. The president recently warned protesters there would be no Zimbabwean uprising similar to the \"Arab Spring\".", "summary": "A man who has been at the forefront of protests against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is in hospital after allegedly being beaten and tortured."}
{"article": "The Bank of Scotland PMI found that a sharp rise in goods production north of the border last month was offset by shrinking services output. In England, activity grew at its fastest rate so far this year, helped by a strong increase in new orders. The improvement was seen across all English regions. The PMI for Scotland - which measures changes in combined manufacturing and services output - stood at 50.6 last month, up from March's four-month low of 50.1. By comparison, England's business activity index rose to a four-month high of 57.1. Any figure above 50 suggests expansion. April saw job creation in Scotland reach an eight-month high, despite business confidence easing to its lowest in six months. There was also a modest increase in new orders in both the service and manufacturing sectors, with the latter showing the more marked rate of growth. Firms expanded their workforces to meet increased demand requirements, according to anecdotal evidence. On the price front, input cost inflation accelerated and was steep overall, leading to a marked rise in charges. Meanwhile, confidence about future growth prospects remained \"strongly positive\" in April. That said, expectations had eased from March. Fraser Sime, from Bank of Scotland Commercial Banking, said April's PMI signalled \"a tentative upturn\" in Scottish private sector growth. He added: \"The latest survey's results were driven by a strong manufacturing sector, which moved up a gear in April. \"There was good news all round from steep production growth, to solid job creation and a further easing of cost pressures. \"Meanwhile, the service sector marred April's PMI score as business activity in the sector shrunk for the second month running. \"A faster rise in new orders bodes well, though continued growth in the second quarter remains heavily dependent on the relatively stronger manufacturing sector.\"", "summary": "Scottish business activity has picked up slightly but still lags well behind England, according to a monthly survey of purchasing managers."}
{"article": "In September he got a two-game ban for allegedly swearing at Pakistan-born Sussex batsman Ashar Zaidi and telling him to \"get back to your own country\". However, Yorkshire's Andrew Gale missed four games after a similar exchange with South African Ashwell Prince. Coach Jason Gillespie says Yorkshire will probably \"seek clarification\". New details of the Overton case emerged in a report in the Guardian. All ECB cases are handled by an independent body, the Cricket Discipline Commission. Yorkshire captain Gale was initially banned for two matches for the incident involving Prince in 2014, but the CDC decided to extend the suspension by two further games. Overton, 21, who has been part of England's one-day squad and came close to selection for the winter Test tour to South Africa, was found guilty of a level one offence for abusive language. He reportedly denied the claims concerning the incident, which occurred during Somerset's Championship game with Sussex in September. The ECB also denied Overton received favourable treatment, after he was picked for the England Performance Programme (EPP), which will travel overseas this winter. \"After reviewing the umpires' report, the chairman of the CDC gave clear guidance that this should be reported as a level one offence and that no further action would be taken by the CDC,\" the ECB said in a statement. \"The automatic penalty for a level one offence was subsequently applied and this took Craig Overton to nine points, the threshold for an automatic suspension. \"Craig Overton's selection for the EPP squad would have played no part whatsoever in the CDC's ruling in this matter. The ECB refutes any suggestion of interference or bias in the proper disciplinary process.\" Before the England team left for their winter tour of South Africa, Test captain Alastair Cook said he did not know about the case but added: \"Everyone knows the responsibility we have when you pull on that England shirt. \"Of course you want everyone to be committed and give everything for the cause but there is always a line you should not go past.\" Somerset chairman Andy Nash added: \"The matter is closed as far as we're concerned. I think the ECB dealt with it entirely satisfactorily, and we will always abide by and respect the ECB disciplinary committee\".", "summary": "The England and Wales Cricket Board has defended its disciplinary process following a case involving Somerset bowler Craig Overton."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old, whose current contract ends at the end of 2016, was offered a four-year extension by the Scottish Premiership leaders in January. Forrest came through the youth ranks with the reigning champions, for whom he has made 144 appearances. However, his outings have been restricted by a series of injuries. Forrest, who has 13 Scotland caps, was missing from Celtic's squad for Saturday's 3-0 victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Celtic signed Manchester City winger Patrick Roberts on an 18-month loan deal from Manchester City in January and last week secured a summer move for 17-year-old midfielder Kristoffer Ajer from Norwegian club Start. Deila admitted on Saturday that Celtic had too many midfielders on their books and that he would have to slim his squad at the end of this season.", "summary": "Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers are among clubs showing an interest in James Forrest after the Scotland winger rejected a new Celtic contract."}
{"article": "They are signed by \"composer Mark Jones\" and are posted from Lancashire. Raffaele Hairdressing manageress Clare Harper said she was \"bewildered\" by the first one but had now received four, which she has framed. She said they had become a talking point with customers, though her husband had asked if any of them \"looked like they had a crush on her\". \"I'm waiting for the next one coming, I'm practically on the doorstep now,\" she said. The mystery author has been posting poems, written on black card in silver pen, around the country for more than five years. He has sent five to a salon in Penygroes in Gwynedd and seven over three years to a salon in Lancashire. There are reports of poems being sent to Yeovil Town and Hednesford Town football clubs, churches and salons in the north-east of England and hotels in Aberystwyth and Machynlleth in Mid Wales, among others. They appear to be love poems and each include the phrase \"keep your chin up, keep smiling\". Some recipients have attempted to find the poet but with no success.", "summary": "A Hartlepool hair salon has joined a growing collection of businesses around the country being sent mystery poems."}
{"article": "The action alleges that Intermex, a firm which arranges money transfers, tracked employees even when off-duty. Myrna Arias alleges that she was \"scolded\" for removing the app and fired a few weeks later. The company has not responded to the allegations. According to court documents published by website Ars Technica, employees were instructed to download the app, called Xora, to their phones in April 2014. Xora is described on its website as a workplace management app which allows companies to \"remotely manage\" their workers by keeping track of their hours and other aspects of their job. Xora's website says that the app uses GPS to allow bosses \"to see the location of every mobile worker on a Google Map\". According to the lawsuit, Ms Arias's manager \"admitted that employees would be monitored while off-duty and bragged that he knew how fast she was driving at specific moments ever since she had installed the app on her phone\". \"He confirmed that she was required to keep her phone's power on 24/7 to answer phone calls from clients,\" reads the court document. It goes on to detail that Ms Arias had \"no objection\" to being monitored at work but felt that monitoring her location during non-work hours was an invasion of her privacy. She likened the app to a prisoner's ankle bracelet. Her boss \"scolded the plaintiff when she de-installed the app in late April in order to protect her privacy\", reads the court document. She was fired on 5 May. Ms Arias is seeking damages for lost earnings in excess of $500,000. Mark Weston, a partner at law firm Matthew Arnold & Baldwin, told the BBC that an employer \"would not be allowed to track an employee without the consent of that employee\". Clauses that allow for tracking apps would have to be built into contracts, he said. As for the legality of firing an employee for refusing to use such an app, Mr Weston said: \"In the US, things may be looser because many employees there are employees 'at will'. Accordingly, employers have far greater flexibility than in Europe to dismiss an employee who is not playing ball.\"", "summary": "A US sales executive is suing her employer for invasion of privacy, alleging that she was fired after deleting an app which tracked her movements."}
{"article": "If only there was a simple way to compare their strengths and weaknesses... Who's got the most campaign money? Who really electrifies a crowd? What is their Achilles heel? All your questions are answered - on a candidate card, so you can test the powers of one against the other. Trump has been tops for so long it's hard to remember what the Republican race was like before he emerged on the scene. The New Yorker has thumbed his nose at political convention, embraced controversial positions that would be radioactive for other candidates, dominated the headlines and kept his opponents perpetually off balance. He appeals to disaffected Republicans across the board, whether they're evangelicals, grassroots Tea Party supporters or even moderates. It's been an incredible run - but can it hold up once voting starts? He's shown a thin skin and flashes of a temper that, if repeatedly provoked, could eventually prove his undoing. Dismissed when he launched his campaign last March, Cruz has cruised to the top of the Republican pack thanks to a gift for rhetoric and a campaign strategy that has taken advantage of the anti-establishment mood among conservatives. He's formed a seemingly unlikely coalition of religious voters, libertarians and Tea Party activists. To win, however, he'll have to fend off attacks from Republican colleagues who overwhelmingly dislike what they see as his me-first attitude. Rubio looks like a winner. He's charismatic, he has a compelling story as a child of Cuban immigrants, he's generally well-liked by the Republican establishment, and he's run a largely error-free campaign. That probably explains why every candidate not running as an outsider has done everything they can to tear him down. Rubio is distrusted by grassroots conservatives, however, for his leadership on the 2013 immigration reform efforts that have since become politically toxic. He's the second choice of many Republicans, but he'll have to find an opportunity to break away from his mainstream competitors or risk falling too far behind someone like Trump or Cruz. Many Republicans practically begged Christie to run against Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination in 2012. That was before he became mired in scandal in New Jersey and turned many conservatives against him for seeming to be too supportive of Barack Obama. In 2016 his brash, straight-talking New Jersey style has been one-upped by Trump and his limited resources have forced him to set up camp in New Hampshire in the hope that a win there will surge him into national viability. He has solid political-street-fighting abilities, however, so in a crowded, rough-and-tumble battle for the mainstream Republican vote, he could still claw his way to the top. Bush once was the man to beat. His huge campaign war chest and solid support within the party deterred Mitt Romney from entering the race and hampered other establishment candidates. He's proven to be a paper tiger, however. After nearly a decade out of public office, his political instincts seem dulled. He's constantly fumbled with his words, leaving him overmatched against more skilled debaters. His depth of knowledge on policy", "summary": "Eleven Republican candidates are doing battle for the White House and after months of campaigning their first electoral test, in Iowa, is just days away."}
{"article": "Neil Gordon, 61, started the independent pharmacy chain in Donaghadee, County Down, 34 years ago, along with his brother, Robert. By 1996 the pharmacy chain had grown to 11 pharmacies and in 2006 the business expanded into Scotland where there are now nine stores. Today, the chain has 62 stores and employs approximately 800 people. Neil Gordon was born on 17 October 1952 in Newry, County Down. The son of a farmer, and one of five brothers, his interest in pharmacy was sparked at a young age. He was educated at Newry Model Primary school and Newry Grammar school before studying pharmacy at Bradford University. After a period of employment that included working in England, Neil established the first Gordons Chemists in Donaghadee in 1980. He was also a co-founder of the Donaghadee Comunity Workforce, assisting the long-term unemployed back into employment, while engaging in work of community benefit. He served as an elder at Shore Street Presbyterian Church, Donaghadee and was a trustee of the Lighthouse Trust, a charity serving children with cerebral palsy. Neil was elected to the executive committee of Belfast city centre management in 2004 and served until his death. He was elected to the board of the PCC (Pharmaceutical Contractors Committee), the committee responsible for negotiating community pharmacy services with the Department of Health, and served for seven years. He also served on the board of SOS Bus NI, a charity helping vulnerable people on the streets of Belfast. In 2013, Neil was awarded a Fellowship of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland. Neil passed away on 20 June. He is survived by his mum, Jean, wife, Carol, sons, Ryan and Gareth, and daughter Fiona.", "summary": "A co-founder of Gordons Chemists in Northern Ireland has died."}
{"article": "The implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was tested at the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank. ICD devices shock the heart back into rhythm when they detect a potential cardiac arrest. Doctors have had difficulty monitoring heart problems with older devices amid fears that MRI scanners would disrupt their electronics. The Ellipse ICD, developed by US manufacture St Jude Medical, will now be tested in a further 165 patients at 60 MRI centres around the world. Consultant cardiologist Dr Roy Gardner, who is leading the trial at the Golden Jubilee, said: \"While these devices are often life-saving, they do not allow patients to undergo MRI scans, which are crucial for detecting and monitoring a number of conditions, including signs of a stroke, tumours and complex cardiac abnormalities, which means that these vulnerable patients have to be treated using less detailed imaging systems. \"Recruiting patients to this trial could help provide a better and safer standard of care for patients all across Scotland. \"It also means we are playing a key role in making these devices available for use in the United States, sharing our knowledge and expertise with other specialist centres to help thousands of individuals suffering from heart conditions every year. \"Our first patient's procedure went very smoothly and provided a great start to an incredibly important project. As such, we are now about to recruit our sixth patient to this study.\" Dr Mike Higgins, medical director of the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, said: \"The ability to implant MRI-ready pacemakers is a unique innovation that allows us to continue to offer the highest standard of care possible for individuals with complex heart conditions and improve treatment for future generations across the world.\"", "summary": "An new implantable heart device which resists interference from magnetic scanners has been tested in Scotland."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Jonathan Franks' injury-time winner for the Staggies condemns Accies to a relegation play-off at best, and offers bottom side Inverness CT slight hope. \"It sums up the way things have been going,\" Canning told BBC Scotland. \"I can't believe we lost. The amount of bad luck we have got tonight is scary. I couldn't ask more of the players.\" Second-bottom Hamilton can now no longer catch Motherwell, 3-1 victors over Kilmarnock on Tuesday, or Dundee. Instead, Accies are faced with a Premiership play-off final over two legs against Dundee United or Falkirk, or automatic relegation if Inverness win their two remaining matches against Dundee and Motherwell and they themselves fail to beat Dundee on Saturday. Lamented Canning: \"We have hit the post twice, we've had one roll along the line, we've had numerous other opportunities and their second goal has come off the post, hit our keeper and gone in. \"That is when you know your luck is out. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I asked them to be brave and express themselves and I thought it was probably one of our best performances of the season. \"Ross County had very little in the game; they had one or two breakaways in the second half when Remi (Matthews) has made a couple of decent saves. \"How we have managed to lose that game, I don't know. We haven't had the breaks tonight and hopefully things start to turn for us.\" While Canning, 35, hopes for some good fortune soon, he acknowledged that their league position is of their own making. \"You can't be unlucky after 37 games,\" he said. \"We have drawn far too many games (14). We've probably chucked away 10 or 12 points from good positions, games we were doing well in. We find ourselves where we are because of that. \"It's going to be a tense few days in terms of waiting to see what's happening (with the Inverness game at Dundee) and if it is the play-offs, seeing who gets through. \"We need to win on Saturday, depending what happens tomorrow, and then come through a difficult play-off against a team that has done well in the league.\"", "summary": "Hamilton manager Martin Canning was left bewildered after his team's 3-2 defeat away to Ross County, describing his team's misfortune as \"scary\"."}
{"article": "Aberconwy's Guto Bebb said some constituents have been given contradictory information on whether they can receive it or not. The Welsh government and BT are delivering the scheme, Superfast Cymru. A spokesman said it was a \"challenging and ambitious project\" and so far 560,000 properties have accessed superfast broadband because of it. It provides access to fibre broadband for the majority of premises not covered by any commercial roll-out of superfast broadband. Conservative party member Mr Bebb said: \"Superfast Cymru is publicly funded and my experience would indicate that the programme is out of control, and there's a lack of clarity in what it will deliver and how it will deliver.\" The Superfast Cymru spokesman said in a project of its size, issues can arise that affect delivery dates. He added that while this can be \"frustrating\", more than 80% of properties in Wales can access fibre broadband if they want.", "summary": "Confusion is undermining a project to get superfast broadband to more people in Wales, according to an MP."}
{"article": "Special prosecutors said they raided National Pension Service (NPS) chairman Moon Hyung-pyo's home on Monday, before arresting him on Wednesday. The NPS is the world's third-largest pension scheme. It comes amid President Park Geun-hye's impeachment over the scandal involving her longstanding mentor Choi Soon-sil. In the latest arrest, investigators are looking into NPS's support of an $8bn (\u00a36.5bn) merger between two Samsung Group affiliates and whether Mr Moon used his influence as health minister at the time, to pressure it to back the deal. The Ministry of Health and Welfare runs the pension service, which manages 545 trillion won ($451bn; \u00a3367bn) and was a major shareholder in Cheil Industries Inc and Samsung C&T Corp when they merged. The NPS has denied previous reports that Mr Moon pressured the organisation to back the deal, and Mr Moon told reporters on Tuesday that he would cooperate with the investigation. The scandal has also caught Samsung up in allegations that it backed foundations controlled by Choi Soon-sil in the hope of receiving political favours, which investigators are also examining. Politicians voted on 9 December to impeach President Park - a decision South Korea's constitutional court has six months to uphold or overturn. Until then she remains formally president but stripped of her powers, which are handed to the prime minister, a presidential appointee. Ms Park denies wrongdoing but has apologised for the way she managed her relationship with Ms Choi, who also denies committing criminal offences.", "summary": "South Korea's pension fund head has been arrested in a probe into alleged corruption involving electronic firm Samsung and the country's president."}
{"article": "Pending a successful medical, the 20-year-old Colombian would become the sixth signing of the summer at Ibrox. Morelos spent 16 months in Finland, after arriving from Independiente Medellin, and scored 47 goals in 62 appearances for HJK. The forward, who has six Under-20 caps, would require a work permit to play in the UK. Morelos would join Bruno Alves, Ryan Jack, Dalcio, Fabio Cardoso and Daniel Candeias as new arrivals at Ibrox, as manager Pedro Caixinha looks to overhaul his squad in time for the Europa League qualifiers, which begin on 29 June.", "summary": "HJK Helsinki striker Alfredo Morelos arrived in Edinburgh this morning ahead of his expected move to Rangers."}
{"article": "The MP, who has represented Chichester in Sussex since 1997, said at the age of 60 it was time to do other things but he was committed to public service. Mr Tyrie, who worked for BP before entering politics, has led the Treasury committee since 2010. Veteran Tory MP Sir Alan Haselhurst is also quitting after 40 years. Sir Alan, who has held the Essex seat of Saffron Walden since 1977, initially intended to contest the seat again on 8 June. But, in a statement on Tuesday, the 79-year old said he had changed his mind after consulting with his family and close friends. \"When I heard the prime minister's announcement of an early general election I reacted enthusiastically with my only thought being to play my part in strengthening the position of the Conservative Party in Parliament,\" he said. \"I feel now that my initial instinctive response was premature... \"Whilst I have no doubt as to my capacity and commitment to carry out my representative duties I have begun to recognize that it might test the friendship and goodwill of so many people whose support I have enjoyed if I sought to do so for a further five years.\" Sir Alan, who was first elected to Parliament in 1970 for Middleton and Prestwich and was deputy Commons speaker between 1997 and 2010, has faced opposition to his candidacy from within his local party. In his resignation letter, Mr Tyrie - who opposed Brexit - said he was proud of his contribution to strengthening the select committee system and making Parliament more relevant. Known for his forensic, and at times, acerbic style, Mr Tyrie clashed with then Prime Minister David Cameron on several occasions in his capacity as chairman of the liaison committee of senior backbenchers. He also served as chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on extraordinary rendition, in addition to his Treasury committee duties. \"I remain deeply committed to public service,\" he said. \"I am determined, and hopefully young enough, to contribute in other ways in the years ahead.\"", "summary": "Conservative MP Andrew Tyrie, who chairs the powerful Treasury Select Committee, is to stand down from Parliament at the general election."}
{"article": "The tiny spacecraft, nestling in a dark corner of the comet's rugged surface, will have a ringside seat as this alien world approaches the Sun and starts to generate its tail. Never before in the history of exploration has anything like this been remotely possible and the potential for discovery is extraordinary. The official line had always been that the device had every chance of remaining alive, but privately few people had been quite so bold. But not only has Philae survived, it's come back to life at the best possible moment. The original plan was for Philae to land and use its instruments to study the comet before it became too active - the fear was that emerging jets of gas may make the place too unstable or even dangerous. But what seemed to be incredible bad luck as the lander bounced away from its intended landing site last November may prove to open up a treasure-trove of new information. The unexpected hibernation since last November - and the fact that the spacecraft is tucked safely beneath a cliff - mean it is poised to witness what could be a spectacular process at its most interesting time. That's because the spacecraft is hitch-hiking just as the comet's orbit brings it nearer the Sun with a predicted closest approach during August. If it continues, it will be able to gather information about what's inside the comet as the gas jets grow and accelerate, and possibly even take pictures as parts of the surface break apart to form the tail. One possibility is that the strangely shaped comet, which may be formed of two distinct bodies, will split in two as the Sun's rays intensify. Imagine what images of that would be like. In the 60 hours after its dramatic touchdown last November, Philae managed to carry out an initial batch of experiments before its batteries died. A lot remains to be discovered. Already we have found out that the water inside the comet, locked away as ice, does not have the same chemical signature as water here - so this type of comet cannot have brought water to the early Earth, though other types may have done. But another theory is that comets delivered the building-blocks for life - the carbon molecules without which nothing could have got started here - and now we have an unprecedented chance to investigate that. So this has become one of the most exhilarating opportunities for space exploration. But Philae's reawakening represents more than that. It is a remarkable story of brilliant engineering in which clever design combined with bold ambitions. Across Europe, in labs and companies, clean rooms and workshops, there are people who had a hand in dreaming up and building Philae, and waited 10 years for it to reach its destination, and then seven months for it to wake up. No wonder emotions are running so high. Professor Monica Grady, of the Open University, which designed and built the ptolemy instrument on Philae, was so excited at the landing last November that she", "summary": "The astonishing survival of the comet lander Philae means we have a unique opportunity to witness something previous generations could only dream of."}
{"article": "One of 15 children of West African parents, he remembers bunk beds gradually filling up the bedroom until the window could no longer be opened. New arrivals then had to sleep in the living room of their flat on the south-eastern fringes of Paris. \"We used to tell each other stories at night,\" the 40-year-old recalls. \"I've always liked living in a housing estate because we're on top of each other. Mixing and sharing are part of life there.\" Mokobe, who has filled venues from Chad to California over a two-decade career, believes his banlieue roots have given him an edge as a performer. This picture belies the image of the ethnic hinterland of French cities as ghettos. The country often stands accused of failing to integrate migrants, leaving them to fester in crime-ridden poverty. Marginalisation is often blamed for regular waves of rioting and for the rise of home-grown jihadists, such as those who struck Paris last year and Nice in July. After the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January 2015, the French prime minister denounced \"geographic, social and ethnic apartheid\". But, wretched as they undoubtedly are, the banlieues are in reality hotbeds of upward mobility. Mokobe sees bright side of suburbs Entertainers like Mokobe and sports stars are not the only people to arise from the banlieue and thrive. Most of the rapper's childhood friends, he says, have moved on to have successful careers. Research shows that far from being ghettos, \"Sensitive Urban Zones\" in official parlance (ZUS) - are the parts of France that have the highest population turnover. Two-thirds of those who lived there 10 years ago have left and been replaced by newcomers, typically other migrant families, says Christophe Guilluy, a geographer. It is true that the ZUS score poorly on every economic indicator. Unemployment there is two to three times the national figure. Crime is rampant. But this disturbing social picture is not inconsistent with individual success. \"The jobless banlieue-dwellers of today are not the same as yesterday's and will not be the same tomorrow,\" as Mr Guilluy puts it. For most residents, ZUS are transit zones. If they were traps, they would be full of pensioners. \"Outside the tower blocks you would see men playing cards, just like in villages,\" Mr Guilluy says. But what first strikes you in any banlieue is how young people are. Those people who rioted in 1990 are now pushing 50 and have moved on. \"It is not them who throw stones at police cars today,\" Mr Guilluy says. \"This shows the very real economic integration of people who have left the banlieues.\" Moussa Camara has worked to channel the youthful energy of immigrant areas for almost a decade. In 2007, as a budding entrepreneur from a rough estate in Cergy-Pontoise, west of Paris, he decided to take action after police shot and wounded a local boy while chasing joy riders. Memories of nationwide banlieue riots 18 months earlier were still fresh and tensions high. Mr Camara convinced people that lobbying was the most effective form of protest and got them", "summary": "Like many French rap stars, Mokobe has drawn inspiration from growing up in one of the bleak \"banlieues\" (suburbs) where immigrants make up a large part of the population."}
{"article": "The Court had postponed the second round of voting amid allegations of electoral fraud. Mohammed Nasheed, who was forced from office in an alleged coup last year, won 45% of the vote, falling short of the total needed to avoid a run-off. Mr Nasheed came to power in 2008 in the country's first free elections. The country's highest court annulled the 7 September result by a majority decision of 4-3, an official told reporters outside the courthouse. Any run-off vote should be held before 4 November so that a new president can take office by the 11 November deadline, the official said. Qasim Ibrahim, who came in third in the first round of voting, had asked the court last month to void the results citing electoral fraud. Local and international observers had described the first round of voting as free and fair. Mr Nasheed had needed more than 50% to avoid a run-off against his nearest rival, Abdulla Yameen, who won 25% of the vote. Mr Yameen is the half-brother of the Maldives' former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who led the country for 30 years. Just hours before the court ruling on Monday, masked men set fire to the studios of pro-opposition television station Raajje TV, which is known to support Mr Nasheed.", "summary": "The Maldives Supreme Court has annulled results from the first round of voting in presidential elections, and called a fresh ballot by 20 October."}
{"article": "Ireland's O'Driscoll, 34, was expected to be named captain in Sam Warburton's absence, but has been omitted from the squad by head coach Warren Gatland. Tours: 4 (2001, 2005, 2009, 2013) Matches: 18 (8 Tests) Tries: 9 (1 in Tests) Captain: 7 times (1 Test) Test record: 2 wins, 6 defeats \"O'Driscoll has been quiet. But he has been the clarion call once [lock] Paul O'Connell got injured,\" said Wood. He added on BBC Radio 5 live that the XV had left him \"totally at a loss\". Former Ireland and Lions lock Willie John McBride believes Australia coach Robbie Deans will be \"laughing\" at the \"absolutely amazing\" decision to drop O'Driscoll. On BBC Radio 4's World at One programme, he said: \"I must admit I am quite gutted today because Brian O'Driscoll in my book has been the greatest player Ireland has ever seen. \"You live and die by your decisions, though, so we will see what happens at the weekend.\" The series is currently level at one game apiece after Australia hit back with a gritty 16-15 second Test victory following the Lions' 23-21 win in the opener. Gatland - who also coaches Wales - has made six changes to the team beaten in Melbourne, with 10 Welshmen set to start in Sydney. England prop Alex Corbisiero and Ireland flanker Sean O'Brien come into the pack while four Welshmen - fit-again centre Jamie Roberts, hooker Richard Hibbard, scrum-half Mike Phillips and number eight Toby Faletau - complete the changes. Media playback is not supported on this device Lock Alun Wyn Jones captains the side while the 10-strong contingent equals the record for Wales - the previous occasion was the first Test against Australia in 1950 - while England hold the overall record with 12 players in the 1880s. \"You should pick a team with the best players in it and for me the ethos of the Lions is slipping,\" added McBride. \"I don't think this is the concept of the Lions that I know but let's see what happens on Saturday, we will all eat our words if we win.\" The direct approach favoured by Gatland has been dubbed \"Warrenball\" by sections of the Australian media and Wood - who played on two Lions tours and featured 58 times for Ireland - admitted he was concerned about the tourists' lack of creativity. The 41-year-old said: \"You could say he is picking on form, but he has picked an unbelievably direct team, with very little guile, specifically to play this game-plan. \"You just wonder if they got a lucky bag and picked some names out. The Lions won the first Test and made eight changes to their squad. The Wallabies won the second and probably won't make any changes. The Lions lose by one point and there are six changes in the team and three guys on the bench who were nowhere near the team for the second Test. I was convinced Brian O'Driscoll should have been named as captain. It's catastrophic leaving him out. He's still one of the top centres", "summary": "Former Lions hooker Keith Wood says the decision to drop centre Brian O'Driscoll for Saturday's deciding Test with Australia is a \"terrible mistake\"."}
{"article": "At a press conference in Sochi, Mr Cameron admitted the two men differed over how to deal with the conflict. But he said they agreed on the need to end the violence, prevent the growth of extremism and stop Syria \"fragmenting\". Mr Putin said the two had a \"common interest\" in stabilising the country. The talks, at Mr Putin's summer residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. were dominated by the two-year conflict in Syria, in which 80,000 people have been killed. The UK has recognised the coalition of forces opposed to the Syrian government and said President Bashar al-Assad must step down as part of a transition to a more representative government. By Steve RosenbergBBC News, Sochi David Cameron flew to Sochi seeking common ground with Russia on Syria. There didn't appear to be any major breakthrough. Vladimir Putin said vaguely that the two leaders had discussed \"various options\". There were no details about when an international peace conference proposed this week by Russia and America would take place. But the talks themselves signalled a thaw in British-Russian relations. President Putin gave Mr Cameron a tour of the stadium being built for next year's Sochi winter Olympics. And the prime minister announced a resumption of \"limited co-operation\" between UK and Russian security services for the Sochi Olympics. At the end of their talks, the Kremlin leader reportedly presented David Cameron with a bottle of Armenian cognac, noting that Stalin had given Churchill cognac in 1945. Mr Cameron replied that he often sits in Churchill's study at Chequers - and would keep the bottle there as a memento. Britain has stepped up support to the opposition, providing armoured vehicles and body armour as well as communications supplies, and said the EU arms embargo may need to be lifted to help opposition forces. In contrast, Russia has opposed further action against Damascus and expressed concerns about the prospect of a political vacuum in the event of the government's collapse and the rise of Islamist extremist groups. Despite their different approaches to the crisis, Mr Cameron said the two had made \"real progress\" in discussions he described as \"substantive, purposeful and frank\". He welcomed Russia's recent agreement to convene an international conference to find a political solution to the crisis. He said there was an urgent need to \"break the vicious cycle that threatens to destroy Syria\" and that the UK and Russia, as members of the UN Security Council and the G8, must take the lead in helping shape a political transition. \"As permanent members of the United Nations, we must help to drive this process, working with partners in the region and beyond, not just bringing the regime and opposition together at one negotiating table but Britain, Russia, America and other countries helping shape a transitional government that all Syrians can trust to protect them.\" President Putin said he and Mr Cameron had discussed a number of steps and options to resolve the crisis\", The two, he added, had \"a common interest in putting an end to the violence in the", "summary": "Prime Minister David Cameron has said the international community must do more to \"help shape\" a transitional government in Syria after holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin."}
{"article": "A total of 16 properties owned by housing association One Manchester will have cladding removed following tests prompted by the fatal London fire. The city council in Salford has also confirmed nine blocks in Pendleton have failed safety tests. The council opted to remove cladding on Friday before the test results were known. Dave Power, group chief executive at One Manchester said: \"We will act on the advice of the fire service to ensure that all necessary safety measures are in place to avoid the need for homes to be evacuated for any period.\" In Manchester, the Village 135 development in Wythenshawe also failed the government tests last week. In Salford, three high-rise buildings failed and work has already begun to remove cladding from nine tower blocks in Pendleton over safety concerns. City Mayor of Salford Paul Dennett said the Pendleton test results vindicated the council's decision to start removing the cladding. \"We decided not to wait around and now the test results have come back it has just confirmed that this was definitely the right call to make,\" he said. The Grenfell Tower fire in north Kensington on 14 June started in a fridge-freezer and outside cladding and insulation failed safety tests, police have said. One Manchester said the type of cladding used on its flats is Alucobond, which is non combustible, differs from that used on Grenfell - Reynobond PE - because it uses a mineral rock wool insulation. The latest One Manchester blocks affected are:", "summary": "Eleven more high-rise buildings in Manchester have failed fire tests following the Grenfell Tower disaster."}
{"article": "Events were held around Wales on Thursday to mark the monarch's milestone birthday, including a 21-gun salute and fireworks at Cardiff Castle. The Queen was in Windsor to light the first of more than 900 beacons in the UK and around the world. Army Cadets lit the Snowdon one while others were lit in Swansea, Wrexham, Llantrisant and Cardiff Bay. The 21-gun salute was sounded at 12:00 BST and there was a drinks reception for other people celebrating milestone birthdays and anniversaries. \"This is a wonderful opportunity for people to come together and commemorate their special milestones with that of Her Majesty,\" said Cardiff Lord Mayor, David Walker. Meanwhile, 40 giant fibreglass models of the Queen's head are being displayed at a farm in Flintshire. David Pickering won lottery funding to create them for the Diamond Jubilee in 2012. He has decided to display them again on his land near Higher Kinnerton as the nation pays tribute to Britain's longest-serving monarch.", "summary": "A beacon has been lit at the top of Snowdon as part of festivities to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday."}
{"article": "The child was struck by the vehicle in Montrose Avenue at the junction with Burnt Oak Broadway, Edgware, at about 19:15 BST. Police and the ambulance service attended the scene, but he was pronounced dead in hospital. The driver of the car stopped and police said he was helping with their investigation. No arrests have been made. The boy's next of kin have been informed.", "summary": "A four-year-old boy died when he was hit by a car in north-west London."}
{"article": "The Ibrox side were outclassed by their Glasgow rivals, only really threatening in the closing stages while 2-0 down. Caixinha also admitted he changed his pre-match team talk on the advice of assistant Helder Baptista to ease tension among the players. \"By respecting the opponent we dropped off too much. It wasn't what we prepared during the week,\" he said. Caixinha said he did not believe his game-plan had been unclear to his players, but he gave an uncommon insight into his pre-match approach. \"Helder came to me just at the end of the warm-up and told me 'please, in your speech, don't be so tough. They need to feel a little bit more freedom',\" the Portuguese added. Media playback is not supported on this device \"When you don't feel that freedom you don't enjoy and you don't perform the way you need to. \"We were a little bit 'blocked' and if you're blocked - even if you have the best organisation and the best ideas - you can't perform.\" Caixinha said Baptista felt the players were tense, but stressed he did not believe they were frightened by the occasion or their opponent. The Portuguese was asked about his tactics for the game, prompting a detailed response, outlining what he had hoped his players would execute. \"We organised our defending in three ways. The first one was to try to place a high block - if you see they were trying to build from the back - they open the centre-halves and Scott (Brown) is always in the middle. We had three players down there,\" he explained. \"In the middle of the park what we were trying to get them to play the ball to (Mikael) Lustig, block it, block Brown who was making the triangle with the centre-halves, and with this block we could have space to explore after we regain possession. \"We could not do it in this match because we were a little bit lower on the pitch. In the lower block, we were expecting not to allow them to divide the game. \"We just played wide when the spaces were inside. The idea was for our wingers to come inside and fill the space.\" Despite seemingly thorough planning, Caixinha accepted his strategy had failed to work. \"The game-plan is one thing, what we put in practice was a totally different thing,\" he acknowledged. \"So it wasn't our day. We couldn't perform the way we prepared. We expected more from our players but we need to keep going. \"After tomorrow's day off we need to get back to Murray Park to start preparing the next match and we still have five matches to go until the end of the season.\"", "summary": "Pedro Caixinha felt his Rangers team gave Celtic too much respect as they lost the Scottish Cup semi-final 2-0."}
{"article": "The double Olympic champion clocked the fastest time in the world this year, winning in seven minutes 34.66 seconds \"The crowd have been amazing, as has the support I have got for the last few months,\" Farah, 32, told BBC Sport. He was running in England for the first time since allegations of doping were made against coach Alberto Salazar. Salazar denies the claims while Farah himself is not accused of any wrongdoing. Briton Farah withdrew from June's Diamond League meeting in Birmingham following the accusations against his coach, stating he was \"emotionally and physically drained\", but went on to win the 5,000m race in Lausanne earlier this month. He was given generous applause from the crowd inside the arena when his name was announced at the start and the Somalia-born athlete responded with a smile and his trademark 'Mobot' gesture. Having celebrated wildly when winning in Switzerland, he showcased Usain Bolt's celebratory pose after the finish line, in homage to the Jamaican who won the 100m event. \"I was pleased with tonight,\" added Farah. \"I felt a bit tired at the start but you have to win the race and not to think about the time. \"You can only do what you do best. For me, that is running. It is great for the people to understand and support me. \"It was great memories from 2012 and I saw Usain Bolt win before me. We take it for granted what he does, to come out year after year and keep winning medals.\" Farah took the lead after the 2,000m mark, controlling the pace of the race, and he opened up a comfortable gap before sprinting the last 200m in 26.5secs.", "summary": "Britain's Mo Farah received a raucous reception as he eased to victory in the 3,000m at the Anniversary Games in the Olympic Stadium, London."}
{"article": "Four other members of the council abstained while the remainder voted in favour. The killing of some 8,000 Muslim men and boys in 1995 by Bosnian Serb troops was the worst massacre in Europe since World War Two. The motion had angered Serbia, which rejects the term. It had been drafted to mark the 20th anniversary of the atrocity, which came amid the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia into independent states. During the Bosnian War, which saw Serbia-backed Bosnian Serb forces fighting the Muslim-led Bosnian government, thousands seeking shelter at what was supposed to be a UN refuge were slaughtered. The resolution said that \"acceptance of the tragic events at Srebrenica as genocide is a prerequisite for reconciliation\". But Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said adopting it \"would be counter-productive, would lead to greater tension in the region\". The vote had been put back a day to allow the US and the UK - which drafted the resolution - to try to persuade Russia not to veto it. The Serbian President, Tomislav Nikolic, called it a \"great day\" for his country, the AFP agency reported. Serbia does not have a seat on the Security Council, and had asked ally Russia to block the resolution, warning it would be divisive. The US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, said: \"Russia's veto is heart-breaking for those families and it is a further stain on this council's record.\" A UN tribunal at The Hague has already convicted numerous people of genocide in relation to the Srebrenica killings, but a formal recognition by the UN could compel individual states to pursue prosecutions.", "summary": "Russia has vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have described the Srebrenica massacre as \"genocide\"."}
{"article": "A multi-faith prayer and release of doves is due to take place at 09:15 BST. Organisers are encouraging attendees to wear or accessorise in \"green for Grenfell\" in a display of \"reverence and respect amidst the revelry\". A \"ring of care\" will be formed around the tower by police. More than 80 people are believed to have died when fire engulfed the Grenfell Tower block of flats on 14 June. The carnival route passes near the tower. Pepe Francis, chairman of the carnival trust, said: \"We support the suggestions of the local community and wider carnival community to start this year's carnival earlier. \"This will be the first opportunity for visitors to carnival to pay their respects for those affected by Grenfell.\" Hundreds of hand-drawn tributes, flowers and candles will be protected by fencing, while the public have been asked not to take selfies at the site. A reflection zone will be placed near the burnt high-rise, where performers will lower the volume of their music. MP Emma Dent Coad, who likened the carnival to a wake, will give a speech ahead of the dove release. At 15:00 on both days, hundreds of thousands of revellers along the route are expected to pause and observe a minute's silence to mark the tragedy. A spokesman for Grenfell United, a residents and survivors group, said: \"We hope people will follow these requests from us and our friends and family in the wider community. \"They will enable people to pay their respects; be conscious of our vulnerability; and show solidarity for our ongoing demands for housing and full justice, in the creative spirit of carnival.\" Steel barriers, concrete blocks and a ban on vehicles will be in place to protect revellers from the threat of terrorism. Scotland Yard said there was no specific intelligence but security plans had been \"thoroughly reviewed\" after the Barcelona attack. Is the fun being sucked out of Notting Hill Carnival? Rewind: More than 50 years of fun at Carnival", "summary": "Notting Hill Carnival will open with a special ceremony as a \"small act of remembrance\" following the Grenfell fire tragedy."}
{"article": "The former maths teacher captured the explosion of the post-punk rock scene in Scotland as well as the new wave of acts which rose to success in the early 1980s. Papadopoulos was a staff photographer for the music weekly Sounds, where he became close friends with Scots bands such as Orange Juice, Aztec Camera and The Bluebells. Ken McCluskey, who was the lead singer of the Bluebells, has co-curated the exhibition What Presence! The Rock Photography of Harry Papadopoulos which is at Paisley Museum until 1 March, admission free. It includes many of the big names from the Scottish music scene of the time and some who never quite made it as rock stars but had success in other fields. One photo shows Peter Capaldi, now famous for his role in Doctor Who, as the lead singer of art school punk band the Dream Boys, with Scottish comedian turned US talk show host Craig Ferguson on drums. McCluskey, whose band had a number of hits including Young at Heart, told BBC Scotland: \"My first memory of Harry is seeing him outside the Apollo in Glasgow and he was selling 10in by 8in photographs. \"He would go to Edinburgh and take live shots of a show by David Bowie or someone, develop them overnight and then sell them outside the Glasgow gig. He was quite entrepreneurial.\" McCluskey adds: \"A year or so later he was taking my photograph when I was in the Bluebells.\" A distinctly early 1980s shot of McCluskey's band in a car showroom on Glasgow's Woodland's Road is one of the photos in the exhibition. McCluskey says: \"Harry got a job on Sounds magazine as a staff photographer and he got a flat in London that was a home-from-home for all the Glasgow and Edinburgh bands like the Fire Engines, Orange Juice, the Bluebells, Aztec Camera and Joseph K. \"There would be sleeping bags all over his floor.\" According to McCluskey it was Harry's fearless attitude that made his photographs special. \"He was gung-ho and would be right up on stage,\" says McCluskey. \"He was a guerrilla photographer. In the live shots you get lots of the sweat and frenzy of the time. \"There was no airbrushing. That's why they have lasted the test of time.\" Harry suffered a brain aneurism in 2002 and returned to Glasgow in 2006. He says he is proud of the shots he took. \"I never used lighting or anything like that, I just chanced my arm,\" he says. McCluskey says the photos have a feeling of social history to them. He says that the 1980/81 period was one where Scottish bands such as those on the small independent Postcard record label were taking the UK pop scene by storm. \"It was a time when there was a light shining on central Scotland,\" he says. \"It has been said that central Scotland invented Indie music.\"", "summary": "An exhibition of images taken by Glasgow photographer Harry Papadopoulos is on display in Paisley."}
{"article": "\"I have been saving for nearly four years now, and I still can't afford to buy even the cheapest vehicle here,\" a frustrated Girma Desalegn tells me. He has been shopping around for a whole week in capital, Addis Ababa, and has still not found an affordable car. He is looking to buy a second-hand car imported from the Gulf states or Europe - but even they are prohibitively expensive because the government classifies cars as luxury goods. This means even if a vehicle is second hand, it will be hit with import taxes of up to 300%. \"I have a budget of $15,000 (\u00c2\u00a312,300) and had expected that with that I could buy a decent family car. \"I don't want to buy the Toyota Vitz,\" he says pointing to a row of small hatchbacks that have now become popular on Ethiopian roads. These cost about $16,000 in Ethiopia; in neighbouring Kenya the same car costs not more than $8,000. It seems little wonder that Ethiopia has the world's lowest rate of car ownership, with only two cars per 1,000 inhabitants, according to a 2014 Deloitte report. Henok Demessew, who has been running a car import and sales business in the capital, blames taxation. \"If it was not for that, we would have been able to import better cars either from Europe or America. But in order to make any profits we have to sell cars at such high prices. \"On top of the cost of shipping the cars from say from Dubai via Djibouti, we have to deal with multiple taxes to the government, making this one of the toughest businesses to be in, even though it's seen as lucrative.\" The Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority says both commercial and private vehicles imported into the country can be subjected to five different types of taxes. However, despite the heavy tax burden there is a rise in the numbers of car imports. In 2016, government records show that 110,000 cars were imported to Ethiopia, an increase of more than 50% on the previous two years. Kasaye Ayele, a tariff officer at the customs authority, says there is some discretion. \"Vehicles that are imported to be used for public transport - we collect a much lower tax of 10% and not all five taxes are applied,\" he explains. \"But for private cars we check the engine capacity and if the capacity is big, we collect anything between 60% and 100% [of taxes due].\" Once all taxes are added to an imported car's price tag, it could cost nearly three times more than the retail price in its country of origin. But Mr Kasaye defends the taxation policy, saying it was fair and staggered. He cites examples of discounts given for buying second-hand cars. In a bid to encourage people to buy cheaper, locally made cars, the Ethiopian government has given incentives such as tax breaks to foreign car manufacturers to set up and assemble new vehicles in the country. Currently Ethiopia produces 8,000 commercial and private vehicles for the local market a year", "summary": "Owning a car for many Ethiopians - even those with ready cash to spend in one of the world's fastest-growing economies - remains a pipe dream."}
{"article": "Hull succeeds Derry/Londonderry as the UK's City of Culture, after beating Leicester, Dundee and Swansea Bay for the rights to the 2017 title. Officials have described winning the title as a \"real game-changer\", and the \"beginning of a cultural renaissance\". Hull council leader Stephen Brady said: \"It will give Hull a platform to tell the world what this great city has to offer, transform perceptions and accelerate our journey to make Hull a prime visitor destination.\" Abigail McIntosh, who went to university in Hull, published photos of the city on Buzzfeed in response to the negative image the city sometimes attracts. It is jokingly titled 29 Things That Prove You Should Never, Ever Go To Hull. She said: \"When I applied to Hull, and received an offer, I was apprehensive because I had only ever really seen bad things about Hull in the press.\" Ms McIntosh said she hoped events would help change people's attitudes. The first event of the year will be an installation across the city, telling the story of the last 70 years of Hull, accompanied by a fireworks display to \"rival London's New Year's Eve celebrations\", officials said. A \"musical Humber Bridge\", an art work featuring thousands of naked, painted people on the streets of Hull are part of the \u00a332m programme taking place in 2017. Made In Hull will be free and will run every night from 1-7 January. Deborah Stevenson, who regularly posts about the city on social media, said: \"I think Hull needed this, it was down and out and at the end of the line. \"We have the history of the city, but to be able to build the tourism we need to celebrate it more.\" In the run-up to 2017, locals have faced traffic misery while improvement work takes place. People have been asked to open up their houses to accommodate visitors, due to a shortage of hotel beds. But Mr Brady said what was planned would \"improve the lives and opportunities of everyone who lives, works, visits and invests here\". \"For Hull, 2017 is just the beginning,\" he said. 2013 was a year Derry will never forget. From BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend to the Turner Prize, the eyes of the world were on Derry and it certainly felt there was a new confidence to the city and its people. Three years on though, our listeners have have been left asking what do we really have to show for it? Legacy funding dried up in 2015, with city of culture community projects, which were such a success, suffering. The advice to Hull would be enjoy every second of your title year, but keep in mind what you want to have to show for it once the party is over.", "summary": "As the schedule of events for Hull's year as City of Culture are announced, BBC News looks at what the title means for the city, and what is has to offer."}
{"article": "The former Wales fly-half's long-range drop-goal was the highlight of an otherwise low-key first half. Bath's Harry Davies and David Denton had tries disallowed before Semesa Rokoduguni intercepted to score. But Rhys Priestland crucially missed the conversion and Bristol held on to move two points behind Worcester. Mark Tainton's side remain bottom of the table despite the victory, which ended their seven-game losing streak, while Bath are in the final play-off spot just a point above fifth-placed Leicester. Veteran Henson won 33 caps for Wales between 2001 and 2011 and got the better of the kicking battle with his opposing number 10 and countryman Priestland. Bath's Davies and Denton were denied scores by last-gasp tackles from Will Hurrell and Alby Mathewson respectively, on both occasions their feet ending up in touch. The Premiership's record try-scorer Tom Varndell was forced off against his wishes after failing a head injury assessment but, in front of their biggest crowd of the season, they stood firm to defeat Bath for the first time since December 2006. Todd Blackadder's side have now lost their last four away games in the league. Bristol interim head coach Mark Tainton: \"Our defensive effort was massive and to beat our neighbours was fantastic as we stood up to them but the fight against relegation will go all the way to the end. \"Gavin will be sore after his comeback but he controlled the game as he was accurate with both his place kicking and line-kicking. \"He's a confidence player and grew into the game. He's a big man so he threatens the defence before releasing good off-loads and pop-up passes.\" Bath director of rugby Todd Blackadder: \"We beat ourselves as we didn't hold on to the ball enough and had plenty of opportunities to win. \"The breakdown was messy where they did a good job at slowing us down, but there are no excuses as Bristol showed real tenacity and never stopped believing.\" Bristol: Woodward; Lemi, Hurrell, Piutau, Varndell; Henson, Mathewson; Bevington, Jones, Perenise, Tuohy, Evans, Eadie, Lam, Crane. Replacements: Crumpton, O'Connell, Ford-Robinson, Jeffries, Fenton-Wells, Williams, Pisi, Wallace. Bath: Homer; Rokoduguni, Joseph, Tapuai, Davies; Priestland, Cook; Obano, Batty, Lahiff, Stooke, Ewels, Ellis, Denton, Grant. Replacements: Van Vuuren, Marfo, Palma-Newport, Douglas, Mercer, Homer, Hastings, Clark. Referee: Greg Garner. For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "Gavin Henson kicked all Bristol's points on his injury return as they beat rivals Bath for the first time in 11 years to boost their survival hopes."}
{"article": "Thomas Scanlon, 23, attacked Jamie Bagnall with a piece of wood at a flat in Pensarn near Rhyl, Denbighshire, Mold Crown Court heard. Scanlon, of no fixed abode but who had lived at Rhos-on-Sea, admitted wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm. On Monday, he was jailed for four-and-a-half years. Prosecuting barrister James Coutts said Scanlon was in a relationship with Mr Bagnall's sister. It was accepted Mr Bagnall had stolen an iPad from her, and the defendant had made a threat to \"get\" him. The court heard that after the attack in March 2015, he posted the photograph of Mr Bagnall cowering on the floor on Facebook with a caption which read \"I am sorry, ha, ha, ha\". Mr Bagnall, who has since moved to the Manchester area, needed surgery, had severe injuries including four deep cuts to the head and an injury to his elbow. Owen Edwards, defending, said he appreciated that he had got himself into a huge amount of trouble. Judge Niclas Parry told him: \"This was a revenge attack - a total over-reaction to a dispute between you and Mr Bagnall.\" A 10-year restraining order was made preventing him from contacting Mr Bagnall.", "summary": "A man who attacked another man in a row over a stolen iPad and then posted a photograph of his injured victim on social media has been jailed."}
{"article": "Determined to not repeat their first innings collapse, Lightning batted with resolve on a placid Contarf pitch. North Down leg-spinner Jacob Mulder (2-62) struck twice in the morning session to offer the Knights some hope. But Lightning skipper John Anderson and Simmi Singh negotiated the final two sessions with a century partnership. Despite following on from a first innings deficit of 294 runs, Leinster were never in trouble as Anderson and Singh produced the best partnership of the match with an undefeated 146. Only two wickets fell all day as the home team accumulated 221 in 91 overs.", "summary": "Leinster Lightning produced an improved batting performance in their second innings against Ulster Knights to keep their unbeaten Inter-pro record."}
{"article": "Openers Mark Stoneman (93) and Phil Mustard (88) shared a 180-run first-wicket stand and Scott Borthwick hit a quickfire 63 off 53 balls as the Jets pummelled 340-6 from their 50 overs. A century stand between Kevin O'Brien (89) and Mark Cosgrove (63) put the Foxes on course for their target. They were restricted to 329-9, though, as paceman Jamie Harrison claimed 4-40. Earlier, Mustard looked to attack for Durham from the first ball and hit 10 fours and four sixes before being caught off Kevin O'Brien after facing just 70 balls. Stoneman and Borthwick later fell in quick succession to Rob Taylor (4-58) as Leicestershire tried to stem the scoring rate. Their response began disastrously as Chris Rushworth bowled Mark Pettini and Harrison had Neil Dexter caught behind to reduce them to 26-2. O'Brien and Cosgrove shared a 115-run third-wicket partnership to put Leicestershire back in the match, but the former was caught off Harrison as Durham held on to win. Leicestershire all-rounder Kevin O'Brien told BBC Radio Leicester: \"To get close when chasing a big total is disappointing but we probably have to blame ourselves. \"Three of us who got in, myself, Cossie and Niall (O'Brien), if we're being honest, we threw our wickets away at crucial times. \"If one of us had gone on and got 100, 110, 130, we'd have been on the other end of this result.\" Durham batsman Phil Mustard told BBC Newcastle: \"The pitch today was a little bit better, we had the odd one that did a little bit but as the day went on, it did get better. \"Once your two openers get you off to the start that we did today, I think 330, 340 was always going to be our target. \"Scotty came in at number three and did a fantastic job, and then the boys near the end of the innings put on a nice partnership, and the bowling was really good as well.\"", "summary": "Durham earned a narrow 11-run victory over Leicestershire in a high-scoring One-Day Cup match at Grace Road."}
{"article": "Leeds United's Chris Wood gave the All Whites a first-half lead but second-half goals by Benfica's Raul Jimenez and Oribe Peralta sealed victory. But the game boiled over in the dying stages when Mexico skipper Diego Reyes pulled back Michael Boxall, who then lunged at Hector Herrera. New Zealand's Ryan Thomas also became involved and a mass brawl ensued. Referee Bakary Gassama consulted the video assistant referee before issuing three yellow cards to Reyes, Herrera and Boxall. Mexico head coach Juan Carlos Osorio apologised for losing his temper during the match. The 56-year-old had a heated argument with one of New Zealand's assistant coaches after Mexico's Carlos Salcedo went down with a shoulder injury in the first half. And the Colombian coach later had to be restrained by his own bench during the brawl in injury time. \"I would like to apologise to our fans, the way I spoke to one of their assistant coaches was not OK,\" he said. \"There is no place for disrespect in football and I am sorry. The game was rough, almost violent on occasion, so I lost my temper.\" New Zealand's head coach Anthony Hudson played down the incident. \"I thought it was bizarre really, it was like we had elbowed the player the way it was going on,\" he said. Mexico, who left striker Javier Hernandez on the bench, top the group ahead of Portugal on goals scored. Portugal beat Russia 1-0 earlier in the day - and Mexico now only need a draw against Russia in Kazan on Saturday to be sure of reaching the semi-finals. Hosts Russia are third in the group while New Zealand remain bottom and are out of the tournament. Match ends, Mexico 2, New Zealand 1. Second Half ends, Mexico 2, New Zealand 1. Foul by Ra\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez (Mexico). Michael Boxall (New Zealand) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Mexico. Conceded by Stefan Marinovic. Attempt saved. J\u00fcrgen Damm (Mexico) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Marco Fabi\u00e1n. Michael Boxall (New Zealand) is shown the yellow card. Diego Reyes (Mexico) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. H\u00e9ctor Herrera (Mexico) is shown the yellow card. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match (Mexico). Foul by Diego Reyes (Mexico). Michael Boxall (New Zealand) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt blocked. Ra\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez (Mexico) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Javier Aquino. Alfredo Talavera (Mexico) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Andrew Durante (New Zealand). Foul by H\u00e9ctor Herrera (Mexico). Chris Wood (New Zealand) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. H\u00e9ctor Herrera (Mexico) left footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Ra\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez. Corner, Mexico. Conceded by Stefan Marinovic. Attempt saved. J\u00fcrgen Damm (Mexico) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ra\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez. Ryan", "summary": "Mexico came from behind to beat New Zealand and moved top of the group amid ugly scenes at the Confederations Cup."}
{"article": "The 31-year-old carded a four-under 67 to finish seven under with Haas, who was one ahead overnight. He then claimed the play-off with a par for his 15th professional win, but only his second on the PGA Tour. World number one Jordan Spieth, the defending champion, birdied the last for a 73 and was tied 18th, seven back. Playing partner Lee McCoy, the 22-year-old amateur who grew up next to the Copperhead course, followed his third-round 66 with four birdies in a 69 and finished fourth to qualify for the Houston Open. Haas was two shots ahead into the closing stages, but having made par from a greenside bunker at the par-three 15th, he was unable to do so from a similar scenario at the next and was tied with Schwartzel, who birdied three of his final six holes, including a putt from 64 feet at the 13th. At the first play-off hole, the par-four 18th, Haas put his tee shot with a three wood into the trees on the right and his second into a greenside bunker. Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, took an iron off the tee and was pin-high in two, before calmly two-putting to secure the title after Haas could not hole for par from 18 feet.", "summary": "South African Charl Schwartzel won the Valspar Championship in Palm Harbour, Florida with victory over American Bill Haas at the first play-off hole."}
{"article": "With one hole of his third round remaining, the 30-year-old is a shot behind leader Kevin Kisner, as are Dustin Johnson and China's Haotong Li. Kisner leads on 16 under after shooting a two-under-par 70 on Saturday. Jordan Spieth, who is hoping to return to world number one, had a nine-under 63 to move to 13 under overall. Spieth began the day 10 shots behind Kisner, but carded nine birdies to move three adrift of his fellow American, who had his first bogeys of the week. On a day when play was delayed because of the weather, the final group of Knox, Kisner and Branden Grace were asked on the 18th tee if they wanted to play the hole. Knox opted not to, while Grace carded a birdie to finish on 12 under and Kisner had a par. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy is eight under after a four-under 68. With Knox choosing not to finish in the dark, he will have to return on Sunday to play the par-five 18th. \"I played beautifully the first 12 or 13 holes and then I started to limp in a little bit so I decided not to play the last hole because it was awfully dark,\" said Knox, from Inverness. \"Branden and Kevin wanted to get done. It was into the wind and I was like, maybe I'll just wait until the morning and see if I can catch it downwind or no wind. \"I was happy with my decision. My caddie didn't want me to play the last. \"I'm going to have to wake up a lot earlier, starting at 7.45 and I won't tee off again until probably 10.45. It's going to take the best round of my life, so I'm going to have to go for it.\" Spieth, playing in his first tournament for two weeks, showed signs of rustiness as he shot 68 and 72 in his first two rounds but was close to his best in his third. \"This will be the first and only time I would say this, but I was not expecting to be in this position come Sunday when the week started,\" said the American, who needs to finish in the top 13 to reclaim the world number one ranking from Jason Day, who is absent as his wife is due to give birth to their second child. \"I've struggled to shoot lower than two or three under on this golf course in the past couple years, but Saturday was the day to do it with ball in hand, very little wind and some gettable pins. \"I missed four putts inside eight feet - I'm not going to complain about the round but I felt like the way I played could have been 10 or 11 under, for sure.\"", "summary": "Scot Russell Knox was one shot off the lead when the third round of the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai was suspended because of darkness."}
{"article": "Charlie Hodgson converted Samuela Vunisa's try and added two penalties to give Sarries a 13-3 lead at half-time, with Tom Catterick replying. Hodgson then kicked two penalties after the break either side of Nick Tompkins' score from close range. Fly-half Hodgson added a breakaway try late on before Billy Vunipola's score in added time sealed a bonus point. Saracens remained the only unbeaten team in Europe this season and recorded their 13th consecutive victory over Newcastle Falcons in all competitions. With new England head coach Eddie Jones in the crowd at Kingston Park, the north London side had to wait to be sure of victory as a kicking battle in the first half made for a scrappy game. Newcastle, still without a league win this season, put pressure on Saracens' defence in the second half, but despite going through the phases they could not trouble the visitors' line. It was from a Falcons attack that former England international Hodgson, who will retire at the end of this season, got the third try of the afternoon on 78 minutes after intercepting a loose pass and racing clear. With the home side attempting to get on the scoreboard themselves in added time, a turnover and breakaway from Ben Ransom eventually allowed Vunipola to add Saracens' fourth score of the afternoon in the fourth minute of added time. Newcastle director or rugby Dean Richards: \"I've not spoken to Eddie Jones, but I would have thought a lot of our guys should be in with a shout for England in the future, especially our hooker George McGuigan. \"It was 13-3 at half-time after we gifted them a try and, when it was 23-3, we started to push, made mistakes and conceded those two late tries. \"We started to chase the game and that fell right into their hands. \"They have a huge kicking game and they are very accurate in what they do. It enables them to sit back and wait and in the end their accuracy was far greater than ours.\" Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall: \"It wasn't the most attractive of games. \"Newcastle came with a kicking plan and I was pleased with the patience and energy we showed. \"We stayed with it until the end and proved it's very important to be able to bring impact players like Billy [Vunipola] off the bench.\" Newcastle: Tait; Agulla, Powell, Socino, Watson; Catterick, Young; Vickers, McGuigan, Welsh, Robinson, Green, Wilson, Welch (capt), Latu. Replacements: Lawson, Rogers, Vea, Botha, Hogg, Takulua, Willis, Harris. Saracens: Goode; Ellery, Tompkins, Taylor, Wyles; Hodgson, Spencer; Barrington, George (capt), Figallo, Itoje, Kruis, Wray, Fraser, Vunisa. Replacements: Saunders, Vunipola, Du Plessis, Rhodes, Vunipola, De Kock, Streather, Ransom. Referee: Andrew Small. Attendance: 5,200. For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "Saracens returned to the top of the Premiership table after securing a late bonus point in their win at Newcastle."}
{"article": "The fire broke out at the Student Lodge on Player Street on Monday afternoon. Fire group manager David Stevenson said it was proving to be a \"very difficult fire to tackle because of a number of hidden voids\" in the old building. Students were evacuated on Monday. Residents of nearby terraced housing are now being moved as a precaution. Flames could be seen coming from the roof of the building in Radford earlier. Mr Stevenson said a cordon around the scene had had to be widened because high winds were blowing around debris. The fire is thought to have started between the third and fourth floors. Part of the building is occupied, but about three quarters is still under construction. Builders who were working on the site were evacuated on Monday. Crews from Leicestershire and Derbyshire are also at the scene. The accommodation block is owned by a private landlord.", "summary": "About 60 firefighters are still at the scene of a blaze at a student accommodation block in Nottingham's former Player's cigarette factory."}
{"article": "There were 108 inward investment projects counted in the 2015-16 financial year. In the previous two years, there were 122 and 119. The number of jobs created was well below a proportionate share of the British jobs, at 4,200. The British numbers had another strong showing in both projects and jobs supported. Foreign investment in the UK reached more than 2,200 projects, up 11%. This Whitehall report says nearly 83,000 jobs were created that way, down slightly, but the second highest since the data began. The projects counted in these figures included new factories and branch offices, expansion of existing plants, and firms being taken over. The sectors most affected were in finance, professional services, and manufacturing. Although London dominates, with 889 projects attracted last year, Scotland is rated as being attractive to foreign investors. In a separate annual survey by the business consultancy EY, it has recently come second, after London. It has been helped by the experience built up in Scottish Enterprise and the government agency Scottish Development International. By contrast, in recent years, English regions' efforts have had to adapt to the dismantling of regional development agencies. They may now be catching up. Northern England saw 228 new projects in 2015-16, a rise of 24%, linked to 10,700 jobs. Wales secured 97 projects, with 5,400 jobs attached. Commenting on the most recent figures, International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox said they show \"the UK continues to be the place to do business\". He added: \"We've broadened our reach with emerging markets across the world to cement our position as the number one destination in Europe for investment. \"This continued vote of confidence in the UK will help attract foreign investment to create jobs, security and opportunities for people across the UK.\" The UK government report does not say why Scotland's share of projects and jobs created has fallen. But among possible explanations: the competition from England is getting tougher, the slump in oil and gas has hit Scottish numbers, and investors may be discouraged by political uncertainty. We never know how many potential projects go elsewhere, because it's very rare for a foreign company to announce which options it has rejected. With political and economic uncertainty resulting from the European Union referendum, a key test of the UK government and its trade secretary Dr Liam Fox will be how well inward investment performs in 2016-17 and beyond. One of the main reasons given for locating factories and offices in the UK has been its access to the European Union's single market, and it is far from clear whether that will be retained after the UK leaves.", "summary": "Scotland's share of inward investment projects has fallen, according to the latest figures from the new UK Department for International Trade."}
{"article": "The Brotherhood is an Islamist movement which has been declared a terrorist group by Egypt's military rulers. Reports suggested members of the group moved to London to escape a crackdown in Cairo and plotted a response to the ousting of President Mohammed Morsi, a Brotherhood leader. There has been no reaction yet from No 10 regarding the lawyers' announcement. The organisation's backing helped install Egypt's first civilian president, Mr Morsi, in 2012, but he was ousted in a military coup last year after widespread street protests. The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt but now operates in many states and has influenced other Islamist movements around the world with its model of political activism combined with Islamic charity work. The prime ministerial review ordered by David Cameron back in April into the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood in the UK was always going to be controversial. A number of Arab countries, notably the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, all see the Brotherhood as a threat to their rule and want the UK as their ally to ban it. There have even been veiled hints from the Gulf that trade deals with the UK could suffer if the review did not result in a ban. The report's author, Sir John Jenkins, UK ambassador to Riyadh, spent three months taking testimony from a number of sources, including secret intelligence, before delivering his findings to No 10 where they have remained unpublished since July. Whitehall insiders have been saying privately that - while there are concerns about some individual members - nothing has emerged to link the Brotherhood as an institution to any acts of terrorism. While the Brotherhood - or al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun in Arabic - says it supports democratic principles, one of its stated aims is to create a state ruled by Islamic law, or Sharia. Its most famous slogan, used worldwide, is: \"Islam is the solution.\" In December 2013, the new Egyptian government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group after blaming it for an attack on a police station that killed 16 people. Mr Cameron commissioned the review into the group's UK links in April. The review was led by Sir John Jenkins, the UK's ambassador to Saudi Arabia - another country which has declared the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation. At the time, Downing Street released a statement which said: \"The prime minister has commissioned an internal government review into the philosophy and activities of the Muslim Brotherhood and the government's policy towards the organisation.\" Since Mr Morsi's overthrow, more than 1,000 people have been killed and thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters detained in a crackdown by the interim authorities which has been condemned by human rights campaigners.", "summary": "A review of the Muslim Brotherhood's UK activity has cleared it of links to terrorism, its lawyers have said."}
{"article": "Dionisio Vilca set off on his search, protesting that the authorities had abandoned efforts to find his police officer son Cesar. Cesar Vilca had been missing for 20 days, after his unit came under attack by rebels in the southern Cusco region. Another officer, Luis Astuquillca, was shot in the leg but walked for 17 days through the rainforest to safety. With the help of two local people who had spotted Cesar's body, Mr Vilca set off to recover his remains. Travelling in a pick-up truck, the group reached the spot and took the police officer's corpse back to the nearest community. Mr Vilca had complained that the authorities had wound down their efforts to locate Cesar. But the interior ministry noted that there had been \"an intense and prolonged search\" that had cost the lives of three members of the security forces. Cesar Vilca and his unit were deployed on 12 April to search for a group of 36 gas workers abducted by Shining Path rebels. They came under fire from the guerrillas and four officers were killed. The hostages were released by their captors six days after being abducted in a remote region close to the Ene-Apurimac valley - one of the last strongholds of the Shining Path. The Shining Path posed a major challenge to the Peruvian state in the 1980s and early 1990s, but is now reduced to small gangs involved in cocaine trafficking.", "summary": "A Peruvian father has recovered the body of his son, after embarking on a nine-hour journey through the jungle."}
{"article": "The application was rejected in September 2014 by Fifa's executive committee, which said its requirements had not been met. But the Court of Arbitration for Sport has told Fifa to submit Gibraltar's application to its Congress, which has the power to grant membership. European football's governing body Uefa accepted Gibraltar in 2013. Fifa is now set to discuss the situation at their next Council meeting, scheduled to take place on 9-10 May. It will decide whether to amend the agenda at the next Congress in order to submit Gibraltar's application for membership. A 6-0 defeat by Scotland in October saw the part-timers finish bottom of Group D in Euro 2016 qualifying without collecting a point. However, without being accepted by Fifa they will not be able to enter the World Cup qualification process. Cas said on Monday that Fifa's Congress \"shall take all necessary measures to admit the Gibraltar FA as a full member of Fifa without delay\".", "summary": "World football's governing body Fifa has been instructed to reconsider Gibraltar's application for membership."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Fans chanted \"We want Moyesy out\" as the Black Cats lost 1-0 to fellow strugglers Middlesbrough. Sunderland are 12 points adrift of safety with five games remaining, and could be relegated at the weekend. Asked if he would leave, Moyes, 54, said: \"No, I'm here, I'm the manager, you take it on the chin.\" While there's a chance, I've got to keep going He added: \"I'm a football supporter, I know what it's like. You don't like seeing your team lose. \"There is nobody who wants to win more than me. I am used to winning, I'm not used to losing and I don't want to get used to it either.\" Sunderland have failed to score in 17 Premier League games this season - more than any other side in the league. The players were booed off at full-time at the Riverside, but Moyes - who was charged by the Football Association earlier on Wednesday after telling BBC reporter Vicki Sparks she might \"get a slap\" - said his team had to keep going. \"We are not enjoying it, we are not enjoying losing or the position we are in,\" the Scot added. \"Criticism is rightly due, but I wouldn't do it on tonight's performance. \"While there's a chance, I've got to keep going and we've all got to keep going.\"", "summary": "Sunderland manager David Moyes has resisted calls from fans to quit with his side facing relegation from the Premier League."}
{"article": "A Royal Navy Frigate and submarine are also thought to be involved in the search, along with Canadian and French maritime patrol aircraft. The Telegraph reports the French plane has searched for the submarine for at least 10 days. The RAF currently has no maritime patrol aircraft of its own. But according to the BBC's defence correspondent Jonathan Beale, this lack of patrol aircraft is expected to be addressed in Monday's Strategic Defence and Security Review. The submarine was detected north of Scotland. The Ministry of Defence did not confirm it was looking for a foreign submarine. \"We can confirm that allied maritime patrol aircraft based at RAF Lossiemouth for a limited period are conducting activity with the Royal Navy,\" a statement said. \"We do not discuss the detail of maritime operations.\" There have been previous concerns that Russia could be developing plans to have submarines sever key internet communications during future wars, following a spike in its naval activity near the locations of undersea cables.", "summary": "An RAF plane is \"conducting activity\" off the Scottish coast, the Ministry of Defence says, amid reports of a Russian submarine being spotted in the area."}
{"article": "A well-known reporter who was sacked from a long-standing job at the liberal Hurriyet newspaper last year, Mr Mumay says the news was a shock. \"It's difficult to be facing such accusations,\" he told the BBC, \"but I wasn't surprised.\" Mr Mumay described Turkey's record on press freedom as \"troubled\". The country ranked 151 out of 180 in media watchdog Reporters Without Borders' 2016 World Press Freedom Index. Mr Mumay said he had several journalist friends who had been arrested in recent years. \"I am just a person who practises journalism and describes himself as a critic,\" he said. \"So I am one of those they point the finger at and accuse of being part of the group who planned the coup.\" Mr Mumay called on the authorities to look at his social media accounts which would show that he had taken a stand against the coup from the moment he first heard military jets flying overhead. \"Just look on Twitter and you will find several tweets from me strictly rejecting any kind of military coup,\" he said. Another name on the list is Fatih Yagmur, an investigative journalist sacked from another liberal daily, Radikal, after writing a story alleging the Turkish government was arming militants in Syria. In a defiant message on Twitter on Monday, he said that he had no intention of handing himself in to prosecutors, having witnessed torture in Turkish police stations. Many of the journalists named on the prosecutor's list only found out they were facing arrest when their names were published by the state news agency. So far only five have been detained, in dawn raids on Monday.", "summary": "Bulent Mumay found out he was on a list of 42 journalists facing arrest when a friend called him on Monday morning."}
{"article": "Ms Saunders will head the Crown Prosecution Service when Keir Starmer stands down in October. The career CPS lawyer has overseen some of the country's most important prosecutions and is currently the organisation's London chief. The DPP is the most senior criminal prosecutor in England and Wales, responsible for more than 6,800 staff. By Clive ColemanLegal correspondent, BBC News The role of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is critical within the criminal justice system of England and Wales. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the organisation that can deliver justice by making independent decisions as to whether there is sufficient evidence to charge a suspect, and when it decides that there is, by prosecuting the case effectively. It works closely with the police but must always be seen to make independent and dispassionate decisions based upon the evidence gathered. It can only prosecute when it concludes that there is sufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction, and that the prosecution is in the public interest. The DPP is the hands-on, day-to-day head of the CPS - which is currently negotiating a period of austerity and modernisation. Maintaining public confidence in it will be critical. The Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, said: \"Alison will make an excellent director of public prosecutions and is the right person to help the Crown Prosecution Service meet the challenges it will face in the coming years. \"I am particularly pleased that Alison is the first head of the CPS to be appointed from within its ranks as proof of the high quality of the professionals that work within the service. \"I'd also like to thank Keir Starmer for the great contribution he has made - not only to the CPS but more generally to the criminal justice system. He can be proud of the reforms that he and his staff have led to keep our criminal justice system one of the best in the world.\" Ms Saunders said: \"I am delighted and privileged to be appointed as the next director of public prosecutions. To lead an organisation of committed and professional staff is an honour, especially having worked for the CPS since its inception.\" Ms Saunders spent the early part of her career prosecuting in south London before working on CPS policy in relation to child victims and witnesses. In 2001 she became chief crown prosecutor for Sussex and oversaw the prosecution of Roy Whiting for the abduction and murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne. She then briefly left the CPS to join government as a deputy legal adviser to the attorney general. On her return, she set up the CPS organised crime division which deals with complex cases including human trafficking, drugs, counterfeiting and money laundering across borders. In 2009 Alison Sanders was named chief crown prosecutor for London, which deals with more than 200,000 cases a year. She oversaw the successful 2012 prosecution of two of the men who attacked and killed Stephen Lawrence in 1993. She also oversaw the huge number of prosecutions in London in relation to the August 2011 rioting,", "summary": "The new director of public prosecutions is to be Alison Saunders, the attorney general has announced."}
{"article": "Djokovic beat Japan's Kei Nishikori in his quarter-final match in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. He admitted after the match that he hadn't practiced before his match because he'd played five sets against Gilles Simon. \"I was determined, focused. In important points and moments I managed to stay composed and make him play an extra shot,\" he said.", "summary": "World number one Novak Djokovic will play Roger Federer in the men's semi-final at the Australian Open."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old, who has spent eight years at Deepdale, has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with a option for a further 12 months. Head coach Lee Johnson said: \"Bailey has a warrior spirit and represents a good signing for us. \"He has great Championship experience, he's tough, an Australian international - an old-fashioned stopper.\" In December, Preston manager Simon Grayson said he was keen for Wright to sign a new deal at Deepdale and that the defender \"owes the club a lot\". Wright was part of the Preston team which won promotion via the League One play-offs in 2014-15. Since scoring on his Australia debut against Saudi Arabia, he has been capped 12 times and was in the squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Wright is Bristol City's third signing of the January transfer window, with Bosnian striker Milan Djuric and German midfielder Jens Hegeler already added to the squad. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Bristol City have signed Australian centre-back Bailey Wright from Preston North End for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "Omar Gonzalez, 42, made it past the front door and all the way to the executive mansion's East Room before being tackled. As part of a plea deal, he will serve between 12-18 months in prison and be barred from entering Washington DC. He was previously ordered to undergo a 30-day mental health evaluation. Gonzalez will be sentenced in June. The breach was led to the resignation of the director of the Secret Service, the agency responsible for protecting the president. \"We are pleased that Mr Gonzalez has chosen to take responsibility for his incomprehensible decision to leap a fence and charge into the White House with a knife,\" US Attorney Ronald Machen said in a statement. \"He is lucky to be alive,\" Mr Machen said, adding the US anticipates he will be required to undergo psychiatric treatment. Gonzalez scaled the White House fence on 19 September, dashed across the lawn and gained entry through an unlocked door, then barrelled past a guard and ran into the East Room before being tackled. Eight hundreds rounds of ammunition, two hatchets and a machete were found in his car, officials say. Gonzalez, an Iraq War veteran said to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, was previously stopped by Virginia police in July. Officers found two powerful rifles, four handguns and other firearms and ammunition in his vehicle along with a map marking the White House. In addition, it has been reported Secret Service agents interviewed Gonzalez twice during the summer but concluded he was not a security threat.", "summary": "An Iraq war veteran who jumped the White House fence and ran into the building with a knife has pleaded guilty to two charges."}
{"article": "The government's preferred route for the second phase of the line, linking Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds, includes a spur junction at Crewe, but no stop at Stoke-on-Trent. The council has submitted a bid and leader Mohammed Pervez said Stoke-on-Trent would become a \"core city\". A decision is due later in 2014. Alison Munroe, chief executive of HS2 Ltd, told BBC News that the public consultation had just been completed and the secretary of state would make a decision at the end of the year. Current proposals for the \u00c2\u00a350bn HS2 project would allow trains to run at 225 mph (362km/h) from London to Birmingham from 2026, with branches to Manchester and to Leeds via Sheffield planned by 2032. Mr Pervez has said the proposed station would put Stoke-on-Trent within 55 minutes of London. Councils in Coventry, Warwickshire and rural Staffordshire are opposed to the rail plan. \"This would make Stoke-on-Trent a core city,\" Mr Pervez said. \"The amount of growth that will happen is unimaginable and actually, the amount of contribution the area that Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire can make to the overall economy of the UK is absolutely huge.\"", "summary": "A station in Stoke-on-Trent as part of the high-speed rail project \"has not been ruled out\", the HS2 boss says."}
{"article": "TPG Capital and the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan want to buy parts of Fairfax Media including its newspapers and property advertising arm, Domain. A deal could be worth as much as A$2.5bn (\u00c2\u00a31.4bn). However, loss-making Fairfax said the offer \"may not optimise shareholder value\". It also said the proposal may not get off the ground \"given the complexity involved in splitting the businesses\". A deal would also need approval from the federal government's Foreign Investment Review Board. Fairfax, which also publishes The Age and the Australian Financial Review, posted a loss of A$893m last year as it struggled with plunging print advertising revenue and newspaper sales. Last week journalists at the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in Melbourne went on strike for a week in protest after management announced more job cuts. However, the Domain division, which accounts for half of Fairfax's profits, is growing strongly and the company wants to spin it off and retain a majority stake. Domain is Australia's second-biggest real estate website after one owned by Rupert Murdoch and is valued by analysts at about A$2bn. According to Fairfax, the consortium has offered 95 cents a share for Domain, along with the metropolitan newspapers, an events business, and a start-up investing arm. That would leave existing Fairfax shareholders with assets including newspapers in regional Australia and New Zealand, as well as stakes in the Macquarie Radio Network and Stan, a video-streaming service. Shareholders would also be left with existing debt. Lee Mickelburough, of Henderson Global Investors, which owns about 5% of Fairfax shares, said: \"It's a troublesome structure to say that we get 95 cents for the good business and you get to keep the debt for the transition businesses. It's cheeky, the way they've structured it.\" Shares in Fairfax gained 2.4% in Sydney on Monday following news of the bid, valuing the company at about A$2.5bn.", "summary": "The owner of Australian newspapers including the Sydney Morning Herald is in takeover talks with a North American private equity consortium."}
{"article": "As reported by The Sun, a utility worker had planned to buy a Persimmon Homes property near Colchester. But he pulled out after learning a clause in the contract meant he would not be able to park his van outside. The town's Conservative MP Will Quince said the ban \"seemed unreasonable\". Persimmon has yet to respond to the BBC. LIVE: For more on this and other Essex stories It is understood the restrictive covenant on homes in the new Oakwood Meadows development also bans boats and caravans from being parked either on the property or out on the road. Mr Quince said: \"I am a former property solicitor and am well used to these kinds of covenants and there's always a reason why they are included. \"The commercial vehicle one has always seemed unreasonable to me, particularly in a county like Essex which is an entrepreneurial county and many of those people will operate out of vans. \"They cannot always afford to own a car as well so effectively you're saying van drivers are not welcome in Essex which is a particularly snobby attitude.\" Commonly used restrictive covenants can dictate parking arrangements, letting, the display of advertising posters on property and pets. Restrictive covenants are not only imposed on commercial or other large vehicles. Residents on a new development in Beverley, East Yorkshire, for example, are subject to a covenant banning them from hanging out the washing or airing clean clothes outdoors. Covenants prohibiting hanging washing in the front garden are not uncommon, but the one at Westwood Park covers windows, balconies, roof terraces, communal gardens and potentially even the back gardens of individual houses on the site. The developers, though, did fit every home with a washer-dryer to help the enforcement of the covenant. Other common covenants prevent occupiers from erecting fences in their front garden, keeping livestock other than domestic pets, washing their cars on the premises and removing any grassed areas. Covenants can also be imposed on who can buy a property. In Wales, for example, a covenant on a home in Maentwrog meant it could only be bought by a local person.", "summary": "A housing developer has been accused of \"snobbery\" for banning traders from parking vans outside their homes."}
{"article": "The All Nippon Airlines (ANA) flight will take off from Tokyo around 1230 local time, bound for Hong Kong. The Dreamliner had originally been scheduled for delivery in 2008, but Boeing has suffered a string of setbacks. Boeing plans to make 10 of the planes a month from 2013. Wednesday's flight is a special charter, with normal services due to start in November. Because of the materials used in construction, Boeing says the Dreamliner is about 20% more fuel efficient than similarly sized models flying today. That would be a big help for airlines coping with the high cost of jet fuel, which is usually their biggest single cost. Japan, a country in which Boeing dominates rival Airbus, is a major market for the Dreamliner. ANA will take delivery of dozens more of the aircraft in the coming years. But Boeing's delays have hurt its business. Last week, China Eastern Airlines cancelled orders for 24 Dreamliners, rather than wait for production to pick up.", "summary": "After three years of delays, Boeing's Dreamliner jet is set for its maiden commercial voyage."}
{"article": "The League One champions have confirmed Leon Barnett, Ryan Jennings, Kevin McNaughton and Reece Wabara will be allowed to exit. Midfielders Chris McCann and Jordan Flores are offered new deals. Emyr Huws, Jack Hendry, Billy Mckay, Andrew Taylor, Dan Lavercombe and Danny Whitehead have all been out on loan but will return for pre-season.", "summary": "Wigan Athletic have announced that four players will leave the club when their contracts expire during the summer."}
{"article": "Nancy Soderberg said the Northern Ireland peace process was a large part of Mr Clinton's legacy as US president. \"This is something he cares very deeply about, and if there's a way he can help, of course he would be willing to,\" she told the BBC's Sunday News. Northern Ireland's political parties have been holding round-table talks. It follows a row sparked by a police assessment that IRA members were involved in murdering a former IRA man. In the wake of the killing of Kevin McGuigan Sr, police said the IRA still existed, but added that it was not engaged in terrorism. Three Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) ministers subsequently resigned from Northern Ireland's ruling executive, and Peter Robinson, the party's leader, stepped aside as first minister. Mr Clinton's offer of assistance was made public on Saturday by Irish prime minister Enda Kenny, who met him last week in New York. Ms Soderberg said the ultimate responsibility for achieving progress lay with the Northern Ireland parties. In an Irish Times article last year, she accused Northern Ireland politicians of an \"abysmal abdication of leadership\" and being \"stuck in the past\". Asked if this was still her view, she said: \"The fact that you need to call back Bill Clinton to move things forward is evidence that this remains true. \"That's not to say that this is easy - I don't mean to sit over here on this side of the pond and just throw darts, but after all that Washington has invested in this, as well as London and Dublin, the fact that they're still questioning whether you can have a devolved government is quite stunning.\" She added: \"It should give the leaders pause to say 'what's missing in this equation?' \"My view is it's trust - this generation doesn't trust itself and what it's not doing is cultivating the next generation that will.\" Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said on Thursday that this week's talks had been \"useful and intensive\". Ms Villiers said the talks would resume on Monday to \"discuss the impact of continued paramilitary activity\".", "summary": "Bill Clinton has a genuine willingness to help Northern Ireland parties resolve the crisis at Stormont, a former senior aide has said."}
{"article": "Four years ago, Veronica Boquete's winner denied Anna Signeul's side a place at the Euro 2013 finals. But the disappointment this time round was every bit as real as Virginia Torrecilla cancelled out Emma Mitchell's opener in the dying seconds. It kept intact Spain's unbeaten record under new head coach Jorge Vilda. Despite the visitors enjoying the bulk of possession early on, it was Scotland who created the first real chance, Leanne Ross combining with Jane Ross before firing in a low cross that goalkeeper Dolores Gallardo managed to smother at the feet of the on-rushing Kim Little. The visitors' best chance fell to Amanda Sampedro, but her header looped harmlessly over goalkeeper Gemma Fay's crossbar. Jane Ross was a constant threat for Scotland, causing problems with her pace and movement, but neither team were able to create much in the way of a goalscoring opportunity. It was no surprise then that the opening goal came from a strike from distance, Mitchell going on a powerful run from her left-back position before unleashing an unstoppable effort that Gallardo could only parry into her own net. The goal sparked Spain into life and Alexia Putellas should have found an equaliser after a passage of intricate build-up play found her in space in the box, but the strike was well over. Jane Ross came agonisingly close to ensuring the win late on as she connected with Mitchell's cross from the left, but Gallardo was able to get her body in the way and deny what would have been a very deserved goal for the Scotland striker. Then came the sucker punch. With the clock ticking over to 90 minutes, Spain won a corner and Torrecilla found the touch to finally beat Fay in the Scotland goal. Scotland, presently ranked 21st in the world, will take positives from a match where they went toe-to-toe with a top-15 ranked nation - Spain are at their highest-ever position of 14th. Signeul's side now build towards next month's crucial Euro17 qualifier against Slovenia in Paisley. Scotland head coach Anna Signeul: \"I thought we did better in the second half and started to take the game to them and played some really good passes. \"It was just fantastic to see what excellent players we have on the pitch and I think Kim Little was brilliant. \"Spain had some great chances also, so maybe it was a fair result, although it was sad to lose at the end from a set-piece. \"It was important that we redeemed ourselves after the defeat in Sweden and I felt this was the standard we are capable of. \"Spain played their strongest team and we put in a very strong performance.\"", "summary": "There was a sense of deja vu as Scotland lost a last-minute goal against Spain for the second successive meeting between the two sides."}
{"article": "Relatives of Kailash Chander, ex-mayor of Leamington Spa who is assisting police with inquiries, said the crash was \"beyond anyone's imagination\". Passenger Rowan Fitzgerald, seven, died when the bus crashed into Sainsbury's on Trinity Street on Saturday. Pedestrian Dora Hancox, in her 70s and from Nuneaton, was also killed. Mr Chander has not been arrested in connection with the crash. When the crash happened Rowan, of Leamington Spa, was on the upper deck with his grandparents and his cousin, an eight-year-old girl, who was seriously hurt. She remains in a stable condition at Birmingham Children's Hospital. Five other people required hospital treatment. A statement issued by unnamed relatives of Mr Chander said: \"Being a grandfather himself, he is devastated to the core by what has happened. \"He is a very quiet man, and a caring and devoted person. He has strong ties with the local community and has spent most of his life helping and thinking of others.\" The relatives said they would \"only ask that the privacy of the families is respected at this tragic time\" and the police \"are given space to complete their investigation\". \"We want to express our deepest and most sincere condolences to those involved, particularly the families who have lost their loved ones,\" it concluded. A friend of the driver, Baldev Singh Sandhar, said: \"He is such a good character. He always helps people. He never likes to see any people suffering from anything.\" A former colleague of Mr Chander, who was mayor in 2008, said he had been left \"deeply traumatised\". Rowan was a pupil at St Anthony's Catholic Primary School where pupils are being supported by staff. Head teacher Jane McSharry said he was \"the most beautiful little soul\". She said: \"Rowan was a perfect, kind, unassuming, gorgeous little boy, with a smile to melt any heart. \"He loved to learn, but he also loved to play. So he loved his sport, he loved his football.\" Insp Paul Bennett said as the families of Rowan and Ms Hancox \"struggle to come to terms with their loss, they have chosen at this time not to release any images of their loved ones or to provide any words of tribute\". \"They have also asked for the media to respect their privacy as they grieve.\" The bus company, Stagecoach Midlands, said: \"No driver we employ is allowed behind the wheel of our buses without us being satisfied that they are fully qualified, safe and meet all necessary legal requirements. In this case, our driver has many years' experience and has also passed a mandatory annual medical. \"Both our driver and our company are co-operating fully in helping police determine the full circumstances involved. Police have not yet completed their investigation and it is inappropriate to speculate in advance of their inquiries being concluded.\" Almas Fatima from Pleck, Walsall, said her two daughters, aged 12 and 14, were not able to sleep after they saw the crash and narrowly missed being hit. \"I just remember a bus coming towards us and we survived. That's the only thing we", "summary": "The family of a 77-year-old bus driver whose vehicle crashed into a Coventry supermarket, killing two people, say he is \"devastated to the core\"."}
{"article": "He told the BBC he had been in talks with Labour MPs but added: \"We've got to keep building the case\". He admitted it would be harder to get the support if Labour ordered its MPs to vote against air strikes in Syria. Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, who opposes air strikes, said he had not decided whether to offer them a free vote. MPs could vote next week on whether to extend UK air strikes against IS into Syria, but the government has said it will not call the vote unless it is certain to win. Ministers need the support of enough Labour MPs to compensate for Conservative rebels who will vote against military intervention, and Mr Fallon said he had been briefing Labour MPs on the government's case. It's all about the numbers. Even though the government has a majority of 12, a number of Conservative MPs - perhaps a dozen - have strong doubts about extending air strikes to Syria. And the government will not risk a defeat in the House of Commons. In fact, it wants an emphatic win. The government won't get the support of SNP MPs, the third largest party in Parliament, so it needs a chunk of Labour MPs with it. Some Labour MPs had briefings with the MoD this weekend and are wrestling with the arguments, listening to constituents. It is why Jeremy Corbyn's decision is so important. If he allows a free vote, perhaps half his shadow cabinet and around 60 Labour MPs may vote for air strikes. If he insists on collective opposition there will be an almighty row within the Parliamentary Labour Party that could scupper the government's plans. One shadow cabinet minster has told me there's a chance Labour will not agree a position on Monday at all and will wait for the wording of the government's motion before deciding how to vote. It will be a crucial week. Asked if the numbers were in place to support action, Mr Fallon said \"not yet\", but that ministers were \"working at it\".. \"You shouldn't extend military operations lightly,\" he said. \"There are legitimate questions to answer and we're doing our best to answer them.\" He also rejected suggestions attacking IS, also known as Isil, would make the UK more of a target. saying: \"There are always risks in war but there is a greater risk from not doing something about Isil and leaving our streets vulnerable to the kind of slaughter we saw in Paris.\" MPs rejected a vote for air strikes against Syrian government targets in 2013. However, it is taking part in air strikes against IS in Iraq after MPs backed the move last year. Mr Corbyn, who has set out his opposition to bombing, reiterated his position, saying he \"seriously questions\" the government's claim there are 70,000 moderate opposition fighters on the ground. He said: \"There also has to be a recognition that if we bomb in Raqqa we are going to take out civilian lives, we may not in effect do very much damage to Isil and actually may", "summary": "The government does not yet have enough votes from MPs to back air strikes against Islamic State (IS) in Syria, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said."}
{"article": "Surrey Police said bottles were thrown in the disturbance at the Epsom Downs Racecourse on 4 June. The all-male group, charged in connection with disorder near a music stage, is due in court over the next four weeks. During the violence a police officer's tooth was knocked out. He had to be treated in hospital for his injuries. Those charged are aged between 16 and 20. About 100,000 race-goers attended the two-day festival.", "summary": "Eleven people have been charged following a fracas at last year's Epsom Derby."}
{"article": "The club's annual accounts show turnover for last season was up by \u00a3337,000 to \u00a313.4m. An operating profit of \u00a3448,000 was slightly down on the previous year. The Scottish Premiership club's wage bill increased by about \u00a3150,000 to \u00a36.8m. According to chief executive Duncan Fraser, that was \"as a direct result of our continuing investment in the overall quality of the playing squad\" in a season in which they finished second behind Celtic. But their wages to turnover ratio of 51% compares favourably to many clubs. The report confirmed that planning application for a new stadium at Kingsford, seven miles west of the city centre, would be submitted before the end of the year. Chairman Stewart Milne said: \"We have now completed the opening round of public consultations and, whilst there are specific issues to be addressed in relation to traffic management, there is also widespread support across various supporters' groups for the Kingsford site. \"Subject to planning consent being obtained, the proposed site layout will feature much-needed training, community and youth academy facilities. \"The final stadium design will incorporate many of the features being proposed in feedback received from supporters and as part of the detailed consultation process that was undertaken in July.\" Milne said that the club and project team were visiting stadia in the United Kingdom and northern Europe to collect ideas for the facilities. However, he added: \"There are significant challenges ahead, not least in the raising of the funds that will be required to deliver the project, which would provide the club, the community trust and our youth academy with appropriate facilities and infrastructure to increase their portfolio of activities in the local area. \"The fact that we have continued to make progress, both on and off the field of play, without a permanent training base and with accommodation that is simply not fit for purpose in the 21st century is quite remarkable and demonstrates what great potential there is for this club if we were operating on a level playing field with the competition. \"If we can maintain the momentum on the playing front and build our average home attendances, that will greatly assist in raising the finances that can deliver the much-needed facilities that can take our club to new levels on so many fronts.\"", "summary": "Aberdeen have posted a record turnover and another profit but warned of \"significant challenges\" in raising funds to complete their move from Pittodrie to a new stadium."}
{"article": "The number of turbines on the Kentish Flats wind farm is being increased from 30 to 45, with the operation being co-ordinated from Ramsgate. Swedish energy company Vattenfall said six turbines had so far been installed on its site, off Herne Bay. All 15 will be switched on later this year, and it is expected they will be fully operational and exporting power to the national grid by early 2016. Matthew Green, project director, said the original 30 turbines could produce enough power for 40,000 homes. The additional 15, which are slightly larger, will be enough for another 35,000 homes. \"They have larger rotors so we're able to make use of lower wind speeds to get more power,\" Mr Green said. Vattenfall also owns and operates the Thanet offshore wind farm.", "summary": "Work to expand one of Kent's three offshore wind farms has got under way."}
{"article": "The hotel is considered a modernist masterpiece and a perfect representation of 1960s Japanese style. A pair of glass towers designed by Yoshio Taniguchi, son of the Okura's original architect, will replace it. Built in 1962, the hotel has been favoured by world leaders, celebrities and was even James Bond's preferred abode in You Only Live Twice. US President Barack Obama joined a roll call of other US leaders when he stayed there in 2009. A farewell concert was held in the hotel's lobby on Monday. The main building will be torn down next month but an annex will remain open. The hotel's management say that the redevelopment is necessary for the hotel to keep its five-star rating. \"It is difficult for us now to provide a top Japanese hotel due to the building's age,\" an Okura spokeswoman told the AFP news agency. The new hotel will have 510 rooms housed in towers reaching 41 storeys. It is due to open in 2019. However, the decision to demolish the hotel has been controversial, with a social media campaign and petitions launched to save it. The British design magazine Monocle described the closure as \"a heartbreaking and irreparable loss\". Academics have also said that the Okura's design is unique and irreplaceable. \"It is a destruction of culture. This building is a one and only, which truly integrates Japanese aesthetics with a Western-style hotel,\" Tadashi Yamane a professor of urban design at Tokyo City University told AFP.", "summary": "Tokyo's iconic Okura hotel has closed ahead of its demolition and redevelopment for the 2020 Olympics."}
{"article": "Many commentators condemn the police action against the Zaman newspaper and Samanyolu TV channel as a clampdown on press freedom. Both are described as being close to Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, the spiritual leader of the Hizmet movement, whom Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses of running a \"parallel state\". Pro-government newspapers, however, defend the authorities' action. \"Hitler also started like this,\" says opposition leftist daily Taraf. \"A strike against democracy,\" exclaims pro-Gulen newspaper Bugun. \"A raid meant to silence,\" declares Cumhuriyet. A commentary in the secular daily states that the administration led by President Erdogan \"doesn't like anything that is associated with freedom of the press\". \"It is indisputable that this operation is aimed at strengthening RTE's [Recep Tayyip Erdogan's] authoritarianism and dictatorship,\" says the article. \"Opposing the raid against Zaman and Samanyolu TV and the detentions does not mean defending their [the Gulen community's] opinions, beliefs and activities. What is at stake here is the freedom of press,\" argues centre-left daily Radikal. Zaman, the moderate, pro-Islamic and pro-Gulen daily whose editor in-chief Ekrem Dumanli was detained by the police, has replaced its blue and white masthead with black lettering. \"Dark day for democracy,\" says the paper's headline. Zaman also runs an article by Mr Dumanli in which he condemns those \"who want to turn the country into a spy state and a republic of fear, and want to govern it as if it was their own private fiefdom\". \"We have a duty to make sure this won't be the case,\" writes the arrested journalist. Turkish TV also aired criticism of the arrests. Privately-owned NTV and CNN-Turk showed footage of protesters in front of Zaman's headquarters in Istanbul, holding posters saying, ''We all need free press'' and ''Free media cannot be silenced.\" CNN Turk and NTV broadcast critical statements from Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). He condemned the police action as a \"coup\". Mr Kilicdaroglu was also seen on state TRT Haber TV saying that ''if this country's media are not free, then the people will not be free either''. Pro-government media have largely expressed strong support for the arrests. All the participants in a studio discussion on pro-Erdogan Kanal 24 TV backed the actions of the authorities, with one of the guests warning that \"this is only the beginning\", and that new measures were imminent against a \"large gang'' made up of subversive elements in the police, the courts, the media and business circles. \"Those who see this as an issue of media freedom know pretty well where the real problem lies,\" argues pro-government Yeni Safak. The paper states that no journalist should use his position \"as a cover for other things\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6[to] turn journalism into a weapon and make it an extension of the struggle for power\". Referring to last year's corruption allegations against Mr Erdogan, which he says were part of a plot to topple him, pro-government Sabah also points out that \"it is time for those who made hundreds of people suffer with fake evidence to account for what they did\".", "summary": "The arrest of more than 20 people, many of them from Turkey's media, has ignited a war of words between pro-government and opposition press and TV outlets."}
{"article": "Ten Atlanta teachers have been jailed after investigators found wrong answers on test papers were erased and children told the right answers. The incentive - financial bonuses for good marks. Here are five more notorious examples of exam cheating. Red faces all round when allegations emerged in January that 34 US Air Force officers in charge of launching US nuclear missiles had cheated in proficiency tests. According to the US Air Force, some staff had sent answers by text message to others at the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. It was a monthly test that all those dealing with nuclear missiles in the US must take. Other officers were accused of knowing about the cheating but failing to do anything about it. In Shaanxi province, 2,440 pharmacists were accused of cheating in a national licensing test according to China's state TV. The scam involved the use of earpieces last October. Fake candidates were sent into exams to get hold of the questions, the South China Morning Post reports. They then left the test centres early to find out the answers. Candidates who had paid the scammers the appropriate fee then received the correct answers through their earpieces. Several hundred people have been arrested in connection with mass school exam cheating in the Indian state of Bihar. Parents climbing school walls to pass the answers though windows may not be the most subtle method, but it's by no means the only one. Many students smuggled in textbooks and notes into the examination centres despite tight security. \"Sports, Ethics and Religion\" - the title of an undergraduate course at this US college in New Hampshire. The ethics element seems to have been a bit lost on some students though. Up to 64 were suspended for cheating in January, the Boston Globe reported. At issue were electronic hand-held clickers registered to individual students to answer questions in class. Some of these apparently fell into the wrong hands, enabling students to cheat. Some face a one-term suspension, the college says. Money seems to have been central to this one, according to the Cuban authorities. Eight people, five of them teachers, were arrested last year accused of selling university entrance exams. Thousands of of secondary school pupils in Havana were obliged to re-sit their exams, official newspaper Granma said.", "summary": "Dubbed one of the biggest test cheating scandals in the US, more than 170 teachers and principals were found to have helped cheating in exams in 2009."}
{"article": "The long-term proposals for Hay Castle in Hay-on-Wye would allow it to open to the public for the first time. Hay Castle Trust has been awarded \u00a3528,600 to help develop the plans which include an arts centre. The castle was built in the late 12th Century by the powerful Norman Lord William de Braose. It was sacked the following century and rebuilt by Henry III. Castle House, the adjoining Jacobean mansion, was built in 1660 but was severely damaged by fire in 1939 and 1977. The castle has been owned by Richard Booth, the man credited with transforming Hay into a global attraction for second-hand book lovers, but was purchased in 2011 by the Hay Castle Trust. The Heritage Lottery Fund said the grant would help the trust to develop its plans. It eventually hopes to secure more than \u00a34.8m to put towards proposals which include conserving the medieval and Jacobean buildings, and creating a new centre for arts and culture.", "summary": "A medieval castle which stands over a Powys town is to receive more than \u00a3500,000 as part of plans to restore it."}
{"article": "Philip Moreton, 31, and Cheyrell Davie, 36, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court on a petition alleging the charge at the maximum security jail. They made no plea or declaration at a brief hearing in private. They were granted bail and the case against them was continued for further examination. A spokesman for the Crown Office confirmed that the couple face charges under the Prisons (Scotland) 1989 Act section 41, relating to the introduction of illicit items into the prison.", "summary": "A couple have appeared in court accused of attempting to smuggle a mobile phone into Perth Prison by flying it over the security wall with a drone."}
{"article": "She met the country's Princess Stephanie and Prime Minister Xavier Bettel at the capital city's museum of modern art, Mudamon. The Duchess was given a guided tour of the exhibitions by British artists Sir Tony Cragg and Darren Almond. The treaty, signed in 1867, confirmed Luxembourg's independence and neutrality. On the trip Kate, who is a patron of the National Portrait Gallery, met people who worked in the arts and charitable sectors in Luxembourg. She also spoke to Oscar-winning director Laurent Witz, who won an academy award in 2014 for the Best Animated Short Film, Mr Hublot. Before leaving Luxembourg she was introduced to schoolchildren, aged five and six, from St George's International School. The UK's deputy ambassador to Luxembourg said: \"We have a good strong bilateral relationship and always have with the Luxembourgers, they still very much recognise the role we had in liberating them during the war and we have a very strong relationship between the two financial centres particularly, and that's something we are very anxious to continue and maintain. \"There are also close ties between the two royal families, with three generations of the Luxembourg royal family having been educated at our military academy at Sandhurst.\"", "summary": "The Duchess of Cambridge has visited Luxembourg on her second solo trip, to mark 150 years of the Treaty of London."}
{"article": "A parade and service was held at Blandford Camp where thousands of sailors from the Collingwood Battalion trained. The Princess Royal attended the ceremony at the battalion's memorial. The service commemorated those who died during the Third Battle of Krithia on the Turkish peninsula. The battalion were almost totally destroyed during the eight-month campaign that was fought from 25 April 1915 to 9 January 1916. More than 100,000 troops were killed and hundreds of thousands more were wounded.", "summary": "The centenary of the Gallipoli campaign - one of the bloodiest of World War One - has been marked with a memorial in Dorset."}
{"article": "The jet has been painted in the colours used at the time of the battle, which ran from July to September 1940. It also bears a red devil emblem in honour of the only RAF Fighter Command pilot awarded a Victoria Cross in the conflict. It was revealed during a ceremony at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. The Battle of Britain was the German air force's attempt to gain air superiority over the RAF. Their ultimate failure was one of the turning points of the Second World War and prevented Germany from invading Britain. During the unveiling ceremony, Wing Commander James Heald from RAF Coningsby, said: \"What we've tried to do is recreate the paint job of the Hurricane flown by Flt Lt James Nicolson, who was the only Victoria Cross winner of the Battle of Britain. \"He was damaged and wounded and was in the process of bailing out when an enemy aircraft appeared in front of him,\" he said. \"So he climbed back in - shot down the enemy aircraft - then continued with his bail out.\" The commemorative Typhoon will fly alongside a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire at air shows during the summer. It will be flown by Flt Lt Ben Westoby-Brooks, who said: \"It is a great privilege to fly this extraordinary aircraft in recognition of the sacrifices made by our predecessors 75 years ago. \"Their task of securing the skies was critical in the summer of 1940 and it's an honour to pay tribute to those few brave airmen who gave their all when the stakes were so high.\"", "summary": "A specially painted Eurofighter Typhoon commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain has been unveiled."}
{"article": "The tie-up could worsen the position for shoppers in local areas owing to a cut in quality, fewer promotions and store closures, an initial probe found. Poundland wants to buy its closest rival in an agreed deal worth \u00a347.5m in cash and \u00a37.5m in shares. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said this could hit 80 areas. These were where the companies, which have a combined network of 800 stores, currently overlap. There was a further 12 areas where they would be competitors in the near future. Following an initial investigation, the CMA said there was \"a realistic prospect of substantial lessening of competition\" in these areas. The authority said it would now move to a more in-depth investigation unless these concerns were addressed in a \"clear-cut manner\" by the companies.", "summary": "Discount store Poundland's proposed purchase of rival 99p Stores for \u00a355m faces an in-depth investigation by competition authorities."}
{"article": "Passengers were terrified as a gust of wind sent empty carriages swinging at the top of the 60m (198ft) Sky Swing at Cardiff's Winter Wonderland. Sayers Amusements, which operates it, said there was no fault with the ride. It said it shut down automatically - as it should - when the wind got too strong on Friday. The operator released a statement after it had investigated what happened on the towering ride. It said when the ride started the wind had not exceeded the ride's wind speed limit, which is 10m per second. However, when gusts picked up the ride shut down. \"It took less than five minutes to get all gondolas unloaded,\" the operator said. \"No one was hurt as the safety system was working correctly at all times, and a full explanation was given to everyone on the ride, and they were all given a full refund, and all stayed onsite for a while afterwards.\" It added that the ride re-opened after the wind eased. The Winter Wonderland is a Cardiff Council event and the authority said it has sought assurances steps have been taken to ensure there is not another incident.", "summary": "An amusement ride which was shut down after its carriages crashed into each other in mid-air with people on board is safe, its operator says."}
{"article": "The trend in transport systems is towards growing automation. But it seems that plans for drivers to operate train carriage doors instead of guards can still cause industrial strife. Not so long ago, such a change would not have been possible. As recently as 2005, some Southern services were still using old-fashioned \"slam-door\" carriages, which could be opened at any time, even while the train was moving. These were phased out on safety grounds and replaced by sliding doors, which can be centrally locked. The question now is, who should do the locking? As far as the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union is concerned, safety is still an important issue, and one which also forms part of its separate dispute with Virgin East Coast, where workers have also just voted to go on strike. The RMT says that guards are needed on trains for more than just operating doors, and if that role is taken away from them, they will eventually disappear altogether, leaving no-one to protect passengers from robbery or physical attack. Southern's response is that no-one will lose their job as a result of the change. Guards will remain on trains, but they will become \"on-board supervisors\", making them more, not less responsive to passengers' needs. In the latest development, Southern has said it is prepared to have talks \"any time, any place, anywhere\" with the RMT in an effort to break the deadlock. The RMT, for its part, has accused the government of blocking a deal. Southern says 40% of its services already have \"driver-only operation\", while the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, part of the Department for Transport, says it has found \"no evidence\" that driver-only trains are unsafe. On the other hand, Southern has said that the change will allow trains to run without a guard in the event of staff shortages, reducing the number of cancelled services. This is a particular issue for the company, which has had to cancel large numbers of trains in recent months because of guards calling in sick. Southern says this amounts to \"unofficial industrial action\", while the RMT says Southern is not recruiting enough staff and that many of its members are suffering from work-related stress. Whatever the truth of the matter, it suggests that there is more to this dispute than a mere reallocation of roles. The RMT certainly thinks that the possibility of allowing trains to leave the station without a guard on board strengthens its argument that there will be job losses in future. So who is suffering most from this five-day strike? The RMT's members are certainly paying for their action, since they lose a week's pay, but that hardly seems to have dented their resolve. Even so, they have failed to bring the network to a standstill, since Southern has said roughly half its trains are operating as normal - and since that \"normal\" level actually refers to an emergency timetable that already involves hundreds of cancellations, hard-pressed commuters may feel that the service can scarcely get any worse. As for Southern, the system of", "summary": "At a time when the driverless car is said to be just around the corner, the rail dispute that has brought five days of strike action to Southern trains seems to belong to another age."}
{"article": "Light installations have been placed at locations around the city including Piccadilly, Mayfair, King's Cross, Trafalgar Square and Westminster. Lumiere London runs from 18:30 GMT to 22:30 on Saturday and Sunday. The art installations include a life-size 3D elephant, human figures floating in the sky, giant fish, LED stickmen and stars. The festival has been developed by creative producers Artichoke.", "summary": "London has been illuminated by its first festival of light, featuring 30 artists."}
{"article": "Eve Stratford, 22, who worked at London's Playboy club, was found with her throat slashed in her home in Leyton, east London, in March 1975. Six months later, Lynne Weedon, 16, died after being attacked and raped near her home in Hounslow, west London. A link was made in 2006 after matching DNA was found on the victims. Investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh said: \"I firmly believe there is someone out there who has information about who carried out these murders. \"It's inconceivable the killer of Eve and Lynne has kept the perfect secret for 40 years.\" Describing the guilt as a \"heavy burden to carry\", Mr McHugh appealed in particular to mental health professionals and prison officers who may have received disclosures from a patient or prisoner. He said that the killer \"must have let details slip over the years - maybe to a partner, a friend, even a cellmate - and I would appeal to anyone with information to contact us.\" Ms Stratford, who was last seen walking home on 18 March 1975, was found dead with her hands tied by a scarf in the bedroom of her flat after her neck had been cut almost a dozen times. A neighbour had heard a conversation between a man and a woman coming from her flat, followed by a loud thud. On 3 September 1975, Lynne Weedon was hit over the head with a blunt instrument as she walked home. She was then thrown over a fence into the grounds of an electricity sub-station, where she was raped. She died a week later of her head injuries. Police have described the killer as a white male, aged between 17 and 30 in 1975. Now likely to be in his 60s or 70s, police say whoever killed Eve Stratford may have known her - as there was no sign of forced entry into her flat. The killer also would have had a clear link to both the Leyton and Hounslow areas, according to police. Eve's father, her last living relative, has since died without finding out who killed her or why. Lynne's parents, now both in their 80s, said they are still waiting for answers. Her mother, Margaret Weedon, described the murder as a \"true life sentence\" for the family. Making a \"mother's plea\" for anyone with information to come forward, she said: \"We have missed out on so much; she missed out on life, no relationship or marriage, no career or children or even just travelling the world, all taken from her. \"We are left 40 years on always wondering what it would have been like. \"We are well aware that whoever murdered Lynne also murdered Eve Stratford. That young lady also had her life snubbed out. Her family have died now.\" Mrs Weedon said the pain of her daughter's death still sits \"deep somewhere inside\". She added: \"There are so many questions. So many thoughts. So much heartache. \"Please, please give us some sort of closure.\"", "summary": "The Metropolitan Police has offered a \u00a340,000 reward for information on the linked murders of a bunny girl and a teenager."}
{"article": "The 31-year-old joins former QPR team-mates Joey Barton and Clint Hill at Ibrox as he becomes Mark Warburton's sixth summer signing. Kranjcar, capped 81 times for his country, was a free agent following a spell with New York Cosmos. \"We are delighted to secure a player of Niko's undoubted qualities,\" said manager Warburton. \"Such a signing shows our desire to achieve a positive balance between young, hungry players and the undoubted necessity of experience and maturity. \"In addition, I would like to thank the Cosmos for the highly professional manner in which they have conducted their business throughout this process. It has been a pleasure to deal with them.\" Kranjcar, who has not represented Croatia since 2013, had only been with Cosmos since March after being released by Dynamo Kiev. He revealed a three-hour dinner with Warburton in New York last month convinced him that coming to Scotland was the right move. \"It was probably the most important thing,\" Kranjcar said. \"We had a great, great talk where I found out how much I really wanted this deal to happen. \"That was my first question - I hope the goal is to win the league. \"I believe a club the size of Rangers, whatever situation it is in or was in the previous years, has to fight to win the league and to win it. \"That is something you want to achieve when you come to a club the size of Rangers, you want to win the league and you want to fight for every title.\" Kranjcar previously had spells at Portsmouth, Tottenham and QPR in England after starting his career at Dinamo Zagreb in his native Croatia and then moving to Hajduk Split. As well as Barton and Hill, he joins ex-Liverpool youngster Jordan Rossiter and former Accrington duo Josh Windass and Matt Crooks as new arrivals at Ibrox. Former Burnley goalkeeper Matt Gilks could be the next, while Warburton is also looking for more cover at full-back and up front. \"With his passing, creativity and top-level experience, a fully-fit and match sharp Kranjcar would be an asset to Rangers but where does he fit into the side? \"He has never been a winger, even if he was often posted out wide during his spells at Portsmouth and Tottenham. By nature and talent, he is a classic number 10, a player to sit in the hole behind a main striker and orchestrate attacks without being concerned about defensive duties. \"Rangers manager Mark Warburton has always tended to play 4-3-3 with a sitting midfielder, so Kranjcar would need to play in one of the advanced central midfield roles.\" Read more: 'Kranjcar can shine if rust is overcome' Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Croatia midfielder Niko Kranjcar has signed for Rangers on a two-year deal after completing a medical."}
{"article": "Average household income rose by 1.4% in 2015-16 after adjusting for inflation, new data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) shows. Working-age household incomes have been stagnant since 2007-08 compared with a 10% rise for pensioners. Yet, 14% of pensioners households are still on low incomes. The DWP figures also show that in 2015-16, rises in pensioner incomes stalled. A number of reports and previous data have shown that income growth has been faster among pensioners than working-age people since the financial crisis. This has led to widespread debate over the future of the triple-lock - a promise made to pensioners that the state pension will rise in line with prices, wages or 2.5%, whichever is highest. This latest set of figures shows that recently retired pensioners in the UK have seen their incomes rise compared with a decade ago. Average incomes among this group have risen from \u00a3314 in 2005-06 to \u00a3357 in the last financial year. The DWP figures show a regional split, with older people in the South East of England having much higher incomes than those living in Wales and the West Midlands. Steve Webb, a former pensions minister and now director of policy at Royal London, said: \"While there are clearly some pensioners who enjoy good company pensions and have benefited from house price inflation, there are clearly also many who are not in such a fortunate position. \"Any change to policy on state pensions need to take full account of the diversity of experience of pensioners in Britain today, and not simply assume that pensioner living standards will keep on rising.\" For all UK households, the median average income rose by \u00a38 in a year to \u00a3481 a week before housing costs in 2015-16. This stood at \u00a3413 a week after taking housing costs into account, the DWP figures show. Agnes Norris Keiller, a research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), said: \"Growth in household incomes in 2015-16 was modest but widespread, continuing the pattern seen in recent years. \"The period since the recession has been defined not by sharp rises in inequality or poverty, but historically slow growth in average incomes - in 2015-16 average income for working-age adults was no higher than eight years previously.\" Official figures published on Wednesday showed that wage growth had slowed to 2.3% (excluding bonuses) in the three months to the end of January, from 2.6% in the previous three-month period.", "summary": "A generational divide in UK households' income growth has been confirmed in the latest government figures - but incomes are little changed in the last year."}
{"article": "Seamus James Laverty, 58, of Deer Park Road in Toome, pleaded guilty to 16 counts of fraud by false representation at Antrim Crown Court. Laverty sold ordinary glass as fire safety glass between 2010 and 2013 when he worked on the factory floor of Glassworks Ireland. The fraud totalled \u00a3145,000. The glass was sold to the construction industry and later used in buildings across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and England. These include the Ulster Hospital, Strathearn School in east Belfast, Lisburn Road Methodist Church in Belfast, Magherafelt High School in County Londonderry, Carrickfergus Primary School in County Antrim, Tallaght Hospital in Dubin and Manchester University. A whistleblower, who was a competitor of Laverty, became suspicious of his company's cheap tenders and acquired a sample of fire safety glass from Glassworks Ireland. He discovered it was, in fact, ordinary laminate glass which had been stamped as fire resistant. The whistleblower alerted police and an investigation began. The court heard that Laverty had his own glass business but had gone bankrupt, so the company was taken over by his son under a new name. He was an employee of his son's business when the fraud occurred. A judge described the case as \"chilling\". Referring to potential harm to members of the public in a fire, he said: \"By the grace of God it was avoided but that's no thanks to you.\" The judge added that because of the extreme financial pressures Laverty had been under and mental difficulties he had experienced because of those, he was prepared to \"temper justice with mercy\". Members of Laverty's family wept as he was sentenced to two years - one year to be served in prison and the other on licence. A police spokesperson said Laverty's actions were \"absolutely reckless\". They added: \"\"This was a fraud designed to make large amounts of money but which put lives, many of them vulnerable lives, at risk.\"", "summary": "A County Antrim man has been jailed for a year for selling fake fire safety glass that was later installed at schools, universities and hospitals."}
{"article": "Wallspot - a website that helps people manage public space for art - has teamed up with Throwupgallery for the Sunnybank Park venture. The website has already established similar legal street art space in countries including in Spain, Switzerland and Sweden. Throwupgallery promotes arts and culture in Aberdeen and identified Sunnybank Park as an \"ideal location\". It said the timing was right, on the back of the success of the recent Nuart event in Aberdeen which saw images both large and small appear on city buildings.", "summary": "A legal graffiti wall is being introduced in Aberdeen."}
{"article": "Dr Kate Parkins said, in the last 18 months, another five children in Greater Manchester have also suffered life-changing injuries as a result. She said the button-shaped batteries \"look like sweets\" to children but can cause severe internal bleeding which medics struggle to treat. Lithium batteries are found in items such as toys, keys and smartphones. Dr Parkins, a lead consultant for the region's Paediatric Intensive Care Transport Service, is calling for a national campaign to highlight the dangers. \"They look innocent enough and therefore nobody thinks to put them out of reach from children,\" she said. One child died in May last year after a battery got lodged in the upper part of the feeding tube, she said. \"It had been removed and then, about a week later, caused catastrophic bleeding which we couldn't control.\" The most serious cases are associated with Lithium button batteries larger than 20mm (the size of a 10 pence piece) which can cause severe injury within two hours. And they do not have to be damaged, crushed or chewed to cause serious harm. \"It's not what's inside the battery,\" she explained. \"The battery sets up an electrical current which causes a build-up of sodium hydroxide which is caustic soda. \"That causes a burn through the oesophagus, the feeding tube, and that can then burn through into major blood vessels and that's why the bleeding is then pretty much impossible to control and stop.\" The consultant at Central Manchester University Hospital Trust also wants to raise medical awareness \"because a lot of doctors are unaware that this can cause harm either\". Dr Parkins said in the second fatal case, medics did not know if the three-year-old had swallowed a button battery. \"She suffered catastrophic bleeding which again with all medical intervention we couldn't control. \"She died because of severe haemorrhaging, severe blood loss.\" Children who have survived have been left with \"severe life-changing injuries\", she said. \"Two deaths is too many as far as we're concerned. Two or three patients having severe injuries is too many when it's something potentially preventable.\" Central Manchester University Hospitals said the children treated after swallowing the batteries were aged between 12 months to six years old.", "summary": "A leading paediatrician has warned of the dangers of lithium batteries after two children swallowed them and died."}
{"article": "The \u00c2\u00a314.8m scheme will transfer heating and hot water between the John Radcliffe and Churchill Hospitals. Officials have questioned whether officers should have been allowed to grant a licence for roadworks. The scheme is already in limbo after problems over planning permission. County councillors are demanding a review into the type of decisions officers are allowed to make. In December, Vital Energi started the project for Oxford University Hospitals Trust but work was halted in January when it emerged planning permission was needed. A retrospective application was ruled \"invalid\" by Oxford City Council. Oxfordshire County Council had granted a Section 50 street works licence but county councillors and residents were not consulted. The county's scrutiny committee, which met on Thursday, recommended a review of which decisions could be made by officers and which should be decided by councillors. The committee was told officers had not viewed the roadworks as a single project. Headington councillor Roz Smith said: \"Some decisions do have to be made by officers... but when it's something as big as this, that's going to affect so many people... for officers to say it's not a significant decision is absolutely incredible.\" A report by Sue Scane, director for environment and economy at the council, said while county staff \"acted within their powers and remits\" the \"exceptional nature\" of the project and \"level of disquiet expressed\" meant the authority should consider reviewing its processes in future. The Hospital Energy Project is an 18-month scheme to install a 1.6 mile-long (2.2 km) pipeline in Woodlands Road, Sandfield Road, London Road, Latimer Road, All Saints Road, Stapleton Road, Old Road and Churchill Drive.", "summary": "Oxfordshire's councillors are calling for a review into how decisions are made after the installation of a pipeline between two hospitals had to be halted."}
{"article": "The most profitable, in fact, looking at figures for last year. But for how much longer is the question occupying the minds not just of big pharma executives, but of health professionals and governments the world over. There are already signs of trouble ahead - thousands of job losses and widespread consolidation are hardly characteristics of an industry in rude health. But this is just the beginning of a process that could fundamentally change the pharmaceutical sector forever. For a start, big pharmaceutical companies are no longer providing the service they once did. \"The system has served us well in terms of developing good new medicines, but in the past 10-20 years there has been very little breakthrough in innovation,\" says Dr Kees de Joncheere at the World Health Organisation. Of the 20 or 30 new drugs brought to the market each year, \"many scientists say typically three are genuinely new, with the rest offering only marginal benefits,\" he says. This dearth of genuinely new potential blockbuster drugs is a grave problem for big pharmas, and of course society at large, particularly given the industry is falling off a patent cliff the like of which it has never seen. \"Over the past three or four years, we have seen the biggest collection of patent expiries in history,\" says Stephen Whitehead, chief executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceuticals Industry (ABPI). \"This has cost the industry some \u00a3150bn ($240bn).\" Also weighing heavily on pharma companies is the process known as stratification. Scientific advances have led to a far better understanding of both genetics and disease, which means individual drugs can now be targeted far more directly at a much smaller number of patients. Whereas previously one drug would be used to treat different types of cancer, for example, now different strains can be treated with a specific medicine. The cost of developing these drugs remains high, typically $1.5bn-$2.5bn (\u00a3900m-\u00a31.5bn), but the market for them is tiny - in some cases only 100-150 patients. This all means drugs are becoming increasingly expensive, and prohibitively so in some cases. Gilead's new hepatitis C drug Sovaldi - costing upwards of $100,000 for a full course - has caused quite a stir. \"Increasingly questions are being asked,\" says Dr de Joncheere. \"Are we getting a fair price? Are we getting enough transparency in research and development? \"If France were to treat all its hepatitis C patients with Sovaldi, it would add \u20ac1.5bn ($1.9bn; \u00a31.2bn) to the country's drugs bill. \"[These kinds of drugs] are just not affordable any more.\" And particularly so when fragile economic growth and high debt levels are squeezing government budgets across the world. Even in the US, where free market pricing rules absolutely, Congress is becoming increasingly concerned about the price of some drugs. And it's not just the cost of the drugs that are being developed that is a big problem, but those that aren't. Big pharma companies are in the business to make money, so will generally develop those drugs that offer the greatest potential for profit. This means a", "summary": "Pharmaceuticals is an extraordinarily profitable business."}
{"article": "Five windows, including door panels, were smashed at Strawletterdallon Orange hall, near Newtownstewart in an attack discovered on Wednesday night. Police described it as a sectarian hate crime. The Orange Order said more windows were smashed at about 19:00 GMT on Thursday. The same hall was damaged five years ago in an arson attack. The damage to the hall discovered on Wednesday is thought to have been caused during the previous night. Inspector David McIlwaine said that the damage was caused to the rear of the building. An Orange Order spokesman described those responsible as \"mindless thugs intent on causing community division.\" He said: \"This was an act of wanton vandalism with the clear intention to cause damage and destruction to Orange property. \"However, the culprits are actually harming the wider community and groups who use the hall as a social hub and meeting place.\" The Orange Order said that last year nine halls were targeted.", "summary": "An Orange hall in County Tyrone has been attacked for the second time in two days."}
{"article": "Pain is etched across her face, her body is stiff as she slowly eases herself into a seat. The Belfast woman appears to be in agony and a lot older than her years. \"I have come out partially disabled. I went in able bodied and I have come out in crutches. I am mentally wrecked; I don't know what is going to happen down the line,\" she said. \"I don't know what the diagnosis is, I don't know what the prognosis is, but I do know that if the pain keeps continuing on like this I am going to end up in a wheelchair.\" After a routine smear test, Susan was advised that she had a prolapse. This explained why she leaked urine every day. A vaginal prolapse is a condition in which structures, such as the uterus, rectum, bladder, urethra, small bowel or the vagina, itself may begin to prolapse, or fall out of their normal positions. Susan says she dreaded going out shopping and seeking the nearest public toilet when out and about became routine. \"Everyday life was impossible. At times standing became unbearable, running and playing with my daughter impossible,\" she said According to Susan, while a consultant advised having an implant, she was never informed of the potential problems. \"I was never advised, for instance, that it was actual mesh. I wasn't given any leaflets to say of the side effects or anything like that. \"I did ask questions, I did ask about the side effects and was there anything I needed to worry about and I was told there wasn't.\" Susan's problems emerged almost immediately after the procedure. In fact she left hospital in tremendous pain and said during the past 12 months she has been passed round several specialists. She said part of the problem is convincing people that there is something wrong. The 51-year-old said she has been told by specialists not to be frightened of her pain and to try to live and work through it. As a result she is taking various medications that make her physically sick. \"The pain changes day to day. It (the mesh) can cut into your groin where it is like barbed wire gripping you. I have had pain right down my legs. My hip often gives way when I am walking,\" she said Susan said she wants the mesh removed. Sitting close by is 58-year-old Yvonne McIntosh. She had vaginal mesh inserted four years ago to try and fix incontinence. While it was a success at the start, she said it now feels like it is starting to unravel inside her body. \"I have been having excruciating pain. I have felt something within me is coming out and would have to go into the bathroom to push it up,\" she said. \"My husband could also feel it when we were being intimate - he said he could feel something sharp.\" A mother of three, Yvonne said it feels like it is making its way out of her body and coming through her groin. Even while talking to", "summary": "Susan McLarnon arrives on crutches to tell her story."}
{"article": "Mr Hofer, 45, won last month's first round but failed to avoid the run-off. If he wins on Sunday, Mr Hofer could become the EU's first far-right head of state, although Austria's president plays a largely ceremonial role. On Thursday, the two rivals traded accusations during a TV debate. Mr Van der Bellen, 72, accused Mr Hofer of wanting to dismiss any government that did not suit him. He was referring to the fact that, despite limited powers, the president can sack governments and also swears in chancellors. Mr Hofer countered that Mr Van der Bellen was the one who had refused to swear in a Freedom Party chancellor if the party won at the next general election in 2018. However, the debate was said to be less feisty than last Sunday's TV encounter, described by some commentators as a slugfest. In the first round of voting, Mr Hofer secured 35% of the votes, while Mr Van der Bellen, polled 21%. For the first time since World War Two, the candidates from Austria's two main parties - the Social Democrats and the People's Party - did not make it to the run-off. Both parties have governed Austria for decades - either alone or in coalition. This is a big shake-up in Austrian politics, as the country has had a president from the centre-left or centre-right since 1945. The victory in the first round of the far-right candidate reflects widespread discontent with the status quo, as well as concerns about immigration and the economy, correspondents say. Support for the Social Democrats and the People's Party has been falling in recent years. In the last general election in 2013, the two parties won just enough votes to govern in a \"grand coalition\". Incumbent President Heinz Fischer, 77, cannot run again after two terms in office.", "summary": "Austria's far-right Freedom Party presidential candidate Norbert Hofer and his rival, Green-backed Alexander Van der Bellen, are holding final rallies ahead of a run-off vote."}
{"article": "The video clearly shows the car number plate, but it was a hire vehicle and Nottinghamshire Police said it cannot prove who was driving. Instead, a man who was eligible to drive the car has been fined \u00c2\u00a3150 for failing to provide driver details. In a statement, the force said it was \"disappointed\" with the outcome. The incident happened on 15 November 2014 but the victim has now posted the video online to highlight what he feels is a lack of justice. \"At the time there was an ongoing criminal investigation and I didn't want any footage that I released online to hamper that investigation,\" he said. Updates on this story and more from Nottinghamshire \"It's left me feeling surprised at the injustice and the ability for criminals to get away with crimes so easily, especially those perpetrated against cyclists, and it's left the wider cycling community feeling totally betrayed. \"It would never put me off cycling but it has made me very annoyed at the fact that cyclists are being let down time and time again when it comes to justice.\" He said he needed four months to recover from his injuries, with a further month of physiotherapy, having suffered a severe back injury and internal haemorrhaging. The video shows the Volvo being driven behind the cyclist around a roundabout in Nottingham city centre. The car follows the cyclist from a distance, but then suddenly accelerates and shunts the bicycle. The camera falls to the ground and the cyclist can be heard groaning and breathing heavily. Nottinghamshire Police said it had investigated the incident thoroughly. \"While we share the victim's disappointment at the outcome, we feel the investigating police officer made every effort to ensure that the occupants of the car were found and brought before the courts,\" the force said in a statement.", "summary": "Police say there is not enough evidence to prosecute a hit-and-run driver who accelerated into a cyclist - despite the incident being captured on video."}
{"article": "The UK's largest bakery chain said like-for-like sales - which excludes new store openings - for its third quarter ending 2 October rose 0.2%. Greggs said its breakfast bacon roll was now its best-selling sandwich. It is now adding more breakfast products, including croissants and pains au chocolat. The 0.2% rise in Greggs' sales for the third quarter was down from the 0.7% growth seen in the first half of its financial year. Greggs chief executive Ken McMeikan said: \"As we expected, the trading environment has been tough and is likely to remain so, with consumer spending continuing to be constrained and inflationary pressures building for next year. \"We anticipate that like-for-like sales in the final quarter will be broadly flat and therefore marginally positive over the year as a whole.\" He added that the company was keeping a \"very tight focus\" on costs. Greggs currently operates 1,451 shops. It said that its expansion programme was on track, having opened a net 32 new shops in the year to date.", "summary": "Strong demand for its breakfast range has helped Greggs report a small rise in sales, despite \"an increasingly challenging trading environment\"."}
{"article": "The Six Nations' annual start could move from February to April with bonus points and promotion and relegation being introduced. Davies says the current demands on players are \"unsustainable\", prompting talks over a \"global season\". He says the WRU held \"discussions\" with New Zealand in June over the issue. Recently installed World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said moving the Six Nations to April \"could be a solution\" in a global calendar. The idea was on the agenda in 2003 amid concerns over fixture overlaps and clashes between clubs and countries. In 2014 the Rugby Players' Association, representing players in England, urged changes to the playing calendar for the sake of player welfare. Davies witnessed Wales' 18-Test season ending in a 3-0 whitewash against the All Blacks in June, a year after preparations for the 2015 World Cup started. \"The main reason for the global season is player welfare, to try to cut down the numbers of games players are playing,\" Davies told BBC Radio Wales. \"Our guys were in New Zealand in June, July. They started training the first week of June the previous year. \"The New Zealand guys couldn't get over it. These guys had been going for 13 months playing international rugby - that is not sustainable. \"And it was a World Cup year and exceptional year etc, finishing with the New Zealand tour.\" For southern hemisphere teams, hosting rivals from the northern hemisphere also disrupts their Super Rugby domestic tournament calendar. Davies added: \"Basically they want us to move a month or so so they can have a clear run-in. \"I think we see it, just moving three or four weeks is not going to help the northern hemisphere with player welfare, for example. \"So it is a bigger question than just the Six Nations. That is being looked at at the moment. \"There's a Six Nations council meeting at the end of this month and this isn't to fuel speculation, it is an annual review of where the Six Nations sits. \"So is it worth considering moving it? Do we look at bonus points, which is something that people have asked for to make it more exciting, scoring tries etc? \"Do we look at 'is it a closed shop for Six Nations?' Do we open the gates to Georgia, Romania or anybody else who is deemed worthy and is capable of being in there? \"So all those are up for grabs really. \"Moving the Six Nations - I don't see it as a problem if it helps other things. \"I don't think we need to move it for the sake of it because it does work where it is now - it gets huge following, huge TV audiences etc. \"But if it were necessary to move it in order that it were a piece of the jigsaw that enabled northern and southern hemispheres to have a coherent global season, then it's worth doing.\" Wales' next international fixture is against Australia at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, 5 November. Throughout the season Warren Gatland's players and those of England,", "summary": "Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chairman Gareth Davies believes a Six Nations revamp is \"up for grabs\" when tournament organisers meet this summer."}
{"article": "The \u00c2\u00a312.5bn deal brings together the UK's largest fixed-line business and the largest mobile telecoms business. The CMA said it was unlikely to harm competition as BT was \"smaller in mobile\" and EE a \"minor player\" in broadband. But rival Vodafone said it still had \"wider market concerns\". The deal creates a communications giant covering fixed-line phones, broadband, mobile and TV. John Wotton of the CMA said: \"The evidence does not show that this merger is likely to cause significant harm to competition or the interests of consumers.\" BT chief executive Gavin Patterson said: \"The combined BT and EE will be a digital champion for the UK, providing high levels of investment and driving innovation in a highly competitive market.\" BT has around 88,000 employees in 61 countries, with 72,000 of those working in the UK. It controls 31% of the UK fixed-broadband market, according to Ofcom, and has a 37.6% share of the market for UK home phone traffic. The deal would add EE's 33.8% mobile market share to BT's portfolio. It started in 2014, but now the reshaping of the UK's telecoms landscape is finally nearing completion. BT and EE, with 35 million customers between them, will be a formidable force across both the fixed and mobile broadband markets that are vital to Britain's economic wellbeing. Too powerful, said rivals, with a third of each of those markets - but the UK's Competition and Markets Authority did not agree. The other piece in the jigsaw is the planned takeover of O2 by Hutchison, owner of Three, which would leave the UK with three big mobile players. That is in the hands of Brussels, but the CMA has lobbied hard to have its voice heard - and it's hard to see why this deal would be blocked now that the BT/EE merger has gone through. But there is still one more opportunity for rival firms and consumer groups to halt this consolidation. The regulator Ofcom is nearing its decision on the shape of the whole UK telecoms market - including the key question of whether BT's Openreach division, which runs the broadband network, should be hived off. Ofcom's boss Sharon White has indicated that the status quo isn't her preferred option. Her decision was due by the end of January, but has now been put back until the end of February. Perhaps Ofcom still needs to work out whether this jigsaw is coming together to produce a pretty picture for consumers. BT's EE acquisition was originally announced in February last year, and the CMA provisionally approved the merger in October last year. Rivals TalkTalk and Vodafone at the time called for competition authorities to force BT to spin off its Openreach operation. Reacting to Friday's CMA announcement, Vodafone said: \"We are reviewing the CMA's document in full. \"As previously stated, we believe it is imperative that the wider market concerns relating to BT Openreach raised by a number of parties and recognised by the CMA, need to be thoroughly scrutinised by Ofcom in its Digital Communications Review.\" Openreach maintains the UK's", "summary": "BT Group's takeover of mobile phone network EE has been given final clearance by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)."}
{"article": "Mr Obama said his administration had struck \"the right balance\" between security and privacy. He also stressed US internet communications of US citizens and residents were not targeted. And he tried to reassure the US \"nobody is listening to your phone calls\". Mr Obama was commenting on revelations this week in the Guardian and Washington Post newspapers that the US National Security Agency (NSA) was collecting or tapping into vast amounts of telephone and internet communications data. The news accounts - subsequently confirmed by officials - roiled Washington DC, with privacy advocates criticising the surveillance as an unlawful intrusion and many in Congress defending the programmes as appropriate counter-terrorism tools. By Paul AdamsWashington, United States President Obama said he experienced some \"healthy scepticism\" about some of the national security operations he inherited when he took office. He's hardly the first American president to realise that it's easier to stick to your core principles outside the White House than inside. But after managing to keep words like Prism out of the public eye for one and a bit terms, he's having to grapple with how to explain some scary-sounding stuff to the American public. He still believes that he's successfully navigated between the requirements of security and the need to uphold the Constitution, even if he admits that there are \"trade-offs.\" Those trade-offs have been the subject of rumour and speculation for years but are now glaringly apparent. Mr Obama says he welcomes the debate. On Wednesday night, the UK's Guardian newspaper reported a secret court had ordered phone company Verizon to hand over to the NSA millions of records on telephone call \"metadata\". That report was followed by revelations in both the Washington Post and Guardian that the NSA tapped directly into the servers of nine internet firms including Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo to track online communication in a programme known as Prism. Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, said the press reports were \"outrageous\" and denied Facebook's participation in the programme. His statement echoed those of other internet companies, who said they had not given the government direct access to their servers. Mr Zuckerberg said: \"We have never received a blanket request or court order from any government agency asking for information or metadata in bulk, like the one Verizon reportedly received. \"And if we did, we would fight it aggressively. We hadn't even heard of Prism before yesterday.\" And on Friday, the Guardian reported that the UK's electronic surveillance agency, GCHQ, had been able to see user communications data from the American internet companies, because it had access to Prism. The Guardian reported that GCHQ had access to the system since June 2010 and information from Prism had contributed to 197 British intelligence reports last year. In California on Friday, Mr Obama noted both NSA programmes had been authorised repeatedly by Congress and were subject to continual oversight by congressional intelligence committees and by secret intelligence courts. The president said he had come into office with a \"healthy scepticism\" of both programmes, but after evaluating them and establishing further safeguards,", "summary": "President Barack Obama has defended newly revealed US government phone and internet surveillance programmes, saying they are closely overseen by Congress and the courts."}
{"article": "A judge will now consider the deportation of Ethan Couch, 18. He and his mother were arrested in the resort town of Puerto Vallarta after a phone call for pizza tipped off police. Couch left Texas for Mexico after he allegedly broke probation. His lawyer had argued a privileged upbringing left him with no sense of responsibility. An arrest warrant was issued earlier this month for Couch after he failed to report to his probation officer. His disappearance came shortly after he had apparently been filmed at a party where people were consuming alcohol, police said. He could go to prison for up to 10 years if found to have violated his probation by drinking. His mother Tonya Crouch faces charges of hindering an apprehension. She and her son planned their disappearance and even held a going-away party, said police. It is not yet clear if she has also sought to delay her extradition. They were being held at immigration offices in Guadalajara and had been due to fly to Houston on Wednesday evening. Couch was on juvenile probation after killing four people in a 2013 drink-driving crash in 2013. He pleaded guilty and a judge sentenced him in juvenile court to 10 years' probation and a stint in rehab. A psychologist at his trial successfully argued that his privileged upbringing - an unrecognised condition known as \"affluenza\" - meant his parents had not taught him a sense of responsibility.", "summary": "A fugitive who made headlines for using an \"affluenza\" defence after a fatal drink-driving crash has delayed his extradition from Mexico to the US."}
{"article": "Northern Constabulary have named the man as Daniel Maddox, 41, who was from Clackmannanshire. Emergency services were alerted to the incident at an \"off-piste\" skiing area in the Etive Glades on Saturday. Glencoe Mountain Resort said the experienced off-piste skier had been caught in a major avalanche. Northern Constabulary co-ordinated the search, with members of Glencoe and Lochaber rescue teams. Mr Maddox was found at about 12:00 on Sunday, in 18-20ft of snow. Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team said they would like to extend their thoughts to the family of the dead man. The searchers were assisted by an RAF Lossiemouth helicopter. John Grieve, leader of Glencoe Mountain Team, said the avalanche travelled about 1,000ft down the slope's rocky face. \"The avalanche has actually gone into a gully, and in some places the snow is about 40ft deep,\" he said. There have been a number of serious incidents as a result of avalanches in Scotland this year. In January, four experienced climbers died on Bidean Nam Bian in Glencoe. Three people also died after an avalanche in the Cairngorms in February. Two of the climbers were off-duty members of the RAF Mountaineering Association. The third fatality was a student on a course at the Glenmore Lodge outdoor centre. In the same week there was a second fatal avalanche involving a hillwalker.", "summary": "Searchers have found the body of a skier who went missing in an avalanche near Glencoe Ski Centre in the west Highlands."}
{"article": "8 August 2016 Last updated at 10:28 BST", "summary": "The BBC's Dave Lee reports from the Def Con hacking conference in Las Vegas, where Hillary Clinton has gained some unlikely support from the hacking community."}
{"article": "Set 238 to win, Pakistan reached their target with 23 balls to spare thanks to Sarfraz Ahmed's unbeaten 101 in Adelaide. Ireland captain William Porterfield earlier made 107, but his wicket triggered a slide to 237 all out. The Irish finish fifth in Pool B, behind West Indies on net run-rate, while Pakistan go on to meet Australia in Adelaide in the last eight on Friday. Before the tournament, Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom said it would be a \"failure\" if Porterfield's side did not reach the quarter-finals. But for the third World Cup in succession, the Irish have acquitted themselves well, winning three games and beating two Test-playing sides in West Indies and Zimbabwe. England won only two matches, neither against Test nations. Indeed, Ireland could have reasonably expected to go through with six points, only for their elimination to come as a result of several factors. Heavy losses to South Africa and India damaged their net run rate, West Indies earned three big wins to boost theirs, while Pakistan recovered from two opening defeats to claim four successive victories. This latest win continues the improvement of Misbah-ul-Haq's men, echoing the Pakistan side that began poorly when the tournament was last held in Australia and New Zealand in 1992, only to go and lift the trophy. For Ireland, their creditable showing will be used as evidence by those who say the next World Cup should not be cut from its current 14-team format to only 10 sides. The Irish still have the chance to qualify for that tournament as well as the opportunity to earn Test status through the 2017 Intercontinental Cup. Victory over Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval would have seen them progress past the first round of the World Cup for the second time, but they were unable to take enough runs from a disciplined attack, then lacked the penetration and accuracy to make the chase uncomfortable. Plenty of the Ireland top order got starts, but there was not enough support for Porterfield, who pulled, clipped and drove his way to the highest score made by an associate captain in a World Cup match. However, the collective accuracy of the Pakistan pace attack was impressive and, when left-hander Porterfield miscued Sohail Khan to mid-on, the lower order was exposed. Despite the sluggish nature of the wicket, the Irish regularly found trouble playing the short ball, with the last six wickets falling for 55 runs. Ireland's collection of medium-pacers and spinners may have been able to use the conditions to their advantage, but regular width aided the Pakistan cause. Sarfraz, dropped by wicketkeeper Gary Wilson standing up to Kevin O'Brien on 37, shared an opening stand of 120 with Ahmed Shahzad, whose cut shots benefitted from Irish inaccuracy. When he skied Stuart Thompson to mid-on and Haris Sohail was run-out in a mix-up with Sarfraz, Irish hopes were revived. But Misbah arrived to steady in a stand of 82, taking two sixes over the leg side before treading on his stumps off Alex Cusack with 30 still required. That", "summary": "Ireland were knocked out of the World Cup by Pakistan, who qualified for the quarter-finals with a seven-wicket win."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Sean Geddes' two goals helped the Conference North side through at the expense of the League One Sky Blues, Cup winners in 1987. League Two Portsmouth, winners in 2008, left it late to draw 2-2 at home with Conference club Aldershot. Northern Premier Blyth Spartans beat Conference Altrincham 4-1 to take their place in the next round. Media playback is not supported on this device Worcester took full advantage after Coventry goalkeeper Lee Burge was sent off in the first half for lashing out at visiting striker Daniel Nti. Geddes scored the resulting penalty and added a second goal 10 minutes into the second half. Coventry's Reda Johnson missed a penalty before the break and, though he scored late on, Worcester held on. \"We were the better side,\" Worcester manager Carl Heeley told BBC Sport. \"We're nine games unbeaten now, so we're a good footballing side. But to come to a League One club and to beat them on their own patch - it's a brilliant day.\" Coventry boss Steven Pressley said: \"This defeat ranks as one of the worst in the club's history.\" Blyth's Robbie Dale maintained his record of scoring in every round of this season's competition with two against Altrincham, while Danny Maguire also scored twice for team from the seventh tier of English football. Aldershot were nine minutes away from a famous win over their Hampshire rivals, but Danny Hollands' header earned the former Premier League side a replay. Bradford City came from behind against non-league opposition, overcoming an early FC Halifax Town goal to win 2-1 thanks to two goals in quick succession early in the second half. Two deflected goals from Gary McSheffrey were enough to give Scunthorpe United victory at Forest Green Rovers, while League One pair Chesterfield and Colchester put six past Braintree and Gosport Borough respectively. Maidstone United, of the Ryman Premier Division, held Stevenage of League Two to a 0-0 draw, while a lacklustre encounter between Notts County and Accrington Stanley ended in the same scoreline. Rob Ramshaw hit a hat-trick as Gateshead eased to a 4-0 win away at Norton United, while Wrexham are also into the second round after a 3-0 victory at home to fellow Conference side Woking. The second-round draw takes place on Monday at 19:00 GMT. You can watch it live on BBC Two and the BBC Sport website.", "summary": "Worcester City beat Coventry City 2-1 to produce the biggest shock of Sunday's FA Cup first-round ties."}
{"article": "He was leading after the first run but was beaten by home favourite Marcel Hirscher to record the first podium of his career. It was the best result for just over 35 years, since Konrad Bartelski came second in a downhill in Italy in 1981. The 30-year-old had finished sixth and seventh already this season. He told BBC Sport: \"The first run was just insane. I knew I had skied it clean, but couldn't believe it when I crossed the finish line. \"In between runs I tried not to get the heart rate up or get stressed. I was trying to tell myself I wasn't the last one to go but it was tough. It was a mental battle with myself but I won the mental battle. \"Hirscher skied so well, so coming second almost felt like a victory. It's crazy. I'm just really proud of what I've achieved.\" The Lancastrian races without UK Sport funding after it was withdrawn from the alpine programme in 2010 but does receive other sponsorship. Ryding, who learnt to ski on a dry slope at Pendle Ski Club, has been a member of the British ski team since 2006 and competed in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, finishing 17th. He had a 0.29 seconds lead over Italy's Stefano Gross going into the second run with Hirscher 1.02 seconds behind. But the Austrian, who won the race in 2013 and has won the overall slalom title three times, had a storming second run to move from seventh to first, with Ryding ending up 0.76 seconds adrift. More than 60,000 spectators were watching and Ryding said the noise was deafening. \"Kitzbuhel is like the FA Cup final in England. The downhill race is the number one but the slalom is also massive. The fans are incredible.\" The alpine ski World Cup was formed in 1967 and, in 50 years of racing, Ryding and Bartelski are the only British men to finish on the podium while Gina Hathorn (1967) and Divina Galica (1968) scored top three finishes on the women's circuit. When Bartelski did it in Val Gardena, Italy, it led a French commentator to say: \"This is not possible, he is English!\" In the pre-World Cup era, Britain's Gordon Cleaver won the combined race on the Kitzbuhel's Hahnenkamm course in 1931. While the alpine team are no longer funded by UK Sport, the Great British freestyle ski and snowboard team are. Following Jenny Jones' historic slopestyle bronze in Sochi, they will receive \u00a34.9m for the four-year cycle leading to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. They have had numerous World Cup successes with Katie Ormerod becoming the first snowboarder to win a World Cup big air, while cousin Jamie Nicholls has won in slopestyle, Lesley McKenna and Rowan Cheshire in halfpipe and Zoe Gillings-Brier in snowboardcross. Skier James Woods has won three World Cup slopestyle events. Meanwhile in cross-country skiing, Briton Andrew Musgrave recorded his best World Cup result, when he came sixth in a 15km race in Sweden on Saturday.", "summary": "Skier Dave Ryding matched Britain's best ever alpine World Cup result when he finished second in the Kitzbuhel slalom in Austria."}
{"article": "The former England international, who switched his allegiance to The Elephants ahead of their Nations Cup defence, came off the bench in Abu Dhabi to provide the perfect cross for Giovanni Sio who headed home a winner. An own-goal from Wilfried Kanon had put Sweden ahead, with Yao Serge Nguessan equalising on the stroke of half-time. 24-year-old Zaha was born in Ivory Coast but has two England caps having played against Sweden in November 2012 and Scotland the following year. As both were friendly matches, he was permitted to commit his international future to his country of birth. The Ivorians have been preparing for the Nations Cup in the United Arab Emirates. They will be heading to Gabon on Thursday and will play their opening Group C game on 16 January against Togo. In other friendly internationals this weekend, Algeria were 3-1 winners over Mauritania; Burkina Faso beat Mali 2-1; Uganda defeated Slovakia 3-1; Senegal were 2-1 winners over Libya and Egypt recorded a rare victory over North African rivals Tunisia, winning 1-0.", "summary": "Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha provided the decisive cross on his Ivory Coast debut as the African champions beat Sweden 2-1 in an Africa Cup of Nations warm-up match on Sunday."}
{"article": "Staff shortages and weaknesses in consistency, accuracy and timeliness of inspection reports have all been flagged up as areas of \"concern\" by the Public Accounts Committee. Chairwoman Meg Hillier said there was an \"alarming lack of attention to detail\" when reports were prepared. The CQC - set up six years ago - said it was proceeding with improvements. The CQC's inspection programmes for hospitals, primary care and adult social care services in England are all behind schedule, the MPs' report said. It was concerned by the CQC's ability to respond quickly and effectively to information received from patients, staff and whistleblowers. On one occasion an NHS trust told the committee it found more than 200 errors in a draft CQC report, including data inaccuracies. \"The fact these errors were picked up offers some reassurance but this is clearly unacceptable from a public body in which taxpayers are placing their trust,\" said Ms Hillier. The cross-party committee also said the regulator had \"struggled to recruit inspectors and analysts\" and as a result it was \"not meeting the trajectory it set itself for completing inspections\". By mid-April the vacancy rate was 34% for inspectors, 36% for senior analysts and 35% for managers. Staff turnover in 2014-15 was nearly 8%, which is higher than the CQC's 5% target. And the MPs warned that the CQC was not ready to assume new responsibilities for assessing the efficiency of hospitals in April 2016. \"Recruitment at the commission is going too slowly, meaning too many members of the public don't have up-to-date independent information about the quality of services provided,\" Ms Hillier warned. \"It is vital the public is clear on what the commission has actually inspected and when. If the commission is to properly fulfil its duty to taxpayers we must see improvements in the way it collects, acts upon and publishes information.\" The MPs did also acknowledge that the CQC had made \"substantial progress\" since its previous report into the regulator back in 2012. David Behan, chief executive of the CQC, said: \"We have always maintained that there is more we have to do, in particular with regards to improving the timeliness of our reports and inspecting all health and adult social care services. \"These are not new issues and we have been working hard to improve our performance. We have reported on our progress in public every month and we will continue to do so. \"What is essential is that we do not take any shortcuts, which could compromise the quality of the important work that we do.\"", "summary": "The Care Quality Commission, the health watchdog in England, is \"not yet an effective regulator\", MPs say."}
{"article": "Over the course of 43 years, WG (if you don't already know, the initials stand for William Gilbert) scored 54,211 first-class runs, including 124 centuries, and took 2,809 wickets and 876 catches. Friday marks the centenary of the death of the man they call 'the father of the game', the original 'beard that was feared'. WG Grace was born in Downend, near Bristol in 1848 and to many that play the game, he is known as \"the greatest\". Former England and Gloucestershire wicketkeeper Jack Russell is one who is well aware of the impact of Grace both locally and internationally. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I don't think you realise until you delve into it what a big superstar he was,\" Russell told BBC Inside Out West. \"In cricketing terms he was massive. Everything he achieved in those early days in the game set the platform for the history of the game. If you spoke to a lot of people outside of cricket who don't know a great deal about the sport, I'd be surprised if they hadn't at least heard of WG.\" Grace is widely credited with transforming cricket with his performances for both Gloucestershire and England and his legacy lives on at Nevil Road - 100 years after his death. \"I remember playing as a youngster at the County Ground and we used to sleep in sleeping bags in the changing room,\" added Russell. \"There was this room that was always locked but we knew it was full of old dusty memorabilia and in the middle of the night you could sometimes here footsteps and creaking floorboards. Our coach Graham Wiltshire used to say if you lot mess about, WG will come down and get you. I didn't see him but I heard him.\" Grace made his Test debut against Australia at The Oval in September 1880, scoring 152, and two years later was in the side which lost at the same ground, marking the birth of the Ashes. He made his highest Test score of 170 in 1886, again at The Oval, but in 1892 became the first England captain to surrender the Ashes urn when they were beaten 2-1. In 1895, at the age of 47, he scored 1,000 runs before the end of May, completed his 100th century and eventually totalled 2,336 runs that summer. His score of 318 not out against Yorkshire in 1876 stood as a Gloucestershire record for 128 years until it was beaten by Craig Spearman (341) in 2004. Piers Morgan, former editor of the Daily Mirror and lifelong cricket enthusiast, once nominated WG Grace as the greatest English player of all time. \"Boxing gave us Muhammad Ali, football you would have Pele, and in cricket Grace was the greatest. Botham rolled into Flintoff rolled into John Bull,\" Morgan told BBC Radio 4's Great Lives in 2006. \"He had everything. He was physically imposing, he was comfortably the best player of his generation, if not all time. Media playback is not supported on this device \"He was there when cricket", "summary": "For a man who played his cricket in an era of poor pitches and limited time for practice, WG Grace was nothing less than a phenomenon."}
{"article": "Rifleman William Aldridge of Bromyard, Herefordshire, was 18 when he died trying to save comrades in 2009. A plaque commemorating his sacrifice was unveiled in the town's St Peter's Church. It followed a campaign for a permanent memorial by William's mother, Lucy Aldridge. She said she was \"absolutely delighted\" that her son, killed by a bomb in Helmand province, had received \"the recognition he deserved in his home town\". The service on Saturday afternoon coincided with William's regiment, The Rifles, being given the freedom of Bromyard. A ceremony took place in Market Square, with a parade of service personnel through the town. Among them were representatives of William's 2nd Battalion, the Hereford company of 6th Battalion The Rifles, the Bromyard platoon of Hereford and Worcester Army Cadet Force, Herefordshire Light Infantry, and the King's Shropshire Light Infantry.", "summary": "The youngest British soldier to be killed in Afghanistan has been honoured in his home town - seven years after he died."}
{"article": "Christopher Hales was found guilty of professional misconduct over property deals linked to MP Michelle Thomson. She was elected an SNP MP but withdrew the party whip after the case emerged. The Law Society found that claims staff might have deliberately halted progressing the case until after the election were \"completely unfounded\". Mr Hales had carried out work for M&F Property Solutions, a firm businesswoman Ms Thomson was a partner of. Following a hearing in May 2014, the Scottish Solicitors' Discipline Tribunal said Mr Hales failed to provide mortgage companies with key information used to prevent fraud and must have been aware that there was a possibility he was facilitating mortgage fraud, whether or not it occurred. The deals he was investigated for had been carried out on behalf of M&F Property Solutions, a firm businesswoman Ms Thomson was a partner of. She remains an MP at Westminster and has strenuously denied she did anything wrong. After the link between Mr Hales and Ms Thomson came to light, the Law Society undertook a review of its handling of the case. It concluded that; Christine McLintock, president of the Law Society, said: \"We took swift action after identifying the issues at Christopher Hales' firm in 2011, which included rapidly suspending Mr Hales from practice and making a suspicious activity report. Following our investigation we prosecuted him before the the Scottish Solicitors' Discipline Tribunal (SSDT) , which resulted in him being struck off. \"We said we would examine the issues raised as a result of this case to determine what lessons could be learned. \"We have now identified where operational improvements can be made and are taking these forward in conjunction with other organisations. \"This work will be overseen by the Society's Regulatory Committee, which comprises both solicitors and non-solicitors.\"", "summary": "A review into the handling of a case involving a solicitor who was struck off has found no wrongdoing by Law Society of Scotland staff."}
{"article": "BAM Nuttall handed over the project two years late in August 2011. The council said it was left with \u00a331m of defects on the St Ives to Cambridge route. It said while there were no safety concerns, the defects needed to be fixed. No-one from BAM Nuttall was available to comment. At a meeting of the general purposes committee, the council's technical advisers said the contractor should be held responsible for fixing problems including shallow foundations and inadequate drainage. Although these were not dangerous, \"ride quality would deteriorate\" over time. Councillors voted unanimously to begin legal action against BAM Nuttall. It is estimated the repairs could take three years to complete. The council originally paid BAM Nuttall \u00a3117.7m for its work. However, last August after an on-going legal battle over the late delivery of the project, the company paid back \u00a333m of that, reducing the cost to \u00a384.7m.", "summary": "The company which built Cambridgeshire's guided busway is to be \"held to account\" for the cost of defects, the county council has agreed."}
{"article": "Alec Bedford later showed a video of the incident to colleagues at Daventry Police Station. A misconduct hearing in Northamptonshire concluded Special Sgt Bedford had been guilty of misconduct but not gross misconduct. The officer, aged 26, did not attend the hearing. For more on this and other stories, visit BBC Local Live: Northamptonshire Sgt Bedford had been called to a house in Daventry in July 2015. A 90-year-old man had refused to go to the police station after being arrested. The man, referred to at the hearing as JA, had been accused of threatening behaviour towards a neighbour and of pulling his wife - JMA - by the hair two weeks previously. The hearing heard Sgt Bedford had adopted a \"confrontational approach\". At one stage he had bodily moved JMA across the room and had then pushed her in to a chair. JMA had scratched his arm and he decided to arrest her. David Ring, a solicitor acting for the police force, said Sgt Bedford had acted unprofessionally by shouting at and \"roughly handling\" JMA. JA was eventually taken to Daventry Police Station. His wife was given bail. Sgt Bedford later showed video of the arrest to colleagues at Daventry Police Station. Mr Ring said the officer had \"behaved unprofessionally by laughing\" and his actions constituted \"a very complacent attitude to confidentiality.\" Sgt Bedford pleaded guilty to charges relating to the use of excessive force, failing to act with courtesy and deliberately breaching confidentiality. The misconduct panel's independent chairman, Geoffrey Payne, said: \"This was a deeply disturbing and entirely unacceptable matter.\"", "summary": "A part-time volunteer police sergeant who pushed an 87-year-old woman and shouted in her face has been given a final written warning."}
{"article": "Gen Mejia, 80, is accused of ordering massacres in indigenous Maya villages during Guatemala's 1960-96 civil war. His lawyers say he recently suffered a stroke and is not physically or mentally capable of answering the charges. Prosecutors dispute this, saying he was under sedation at an initial hearing. Oscar Mejia was arrested in Guatemala City earlier this month after a warrant was issued against him on charges of genocide. He ruled Guatemala from 1983-86 after seizing power in a coup. He also served as an army general and defence minister during the long civil war, in which an estimated 200,000 people were killed as the army battled left-wing guerrillas. A UN-backed truth commission found that the security forces were responsible for the vast majority of killings. It also concluded that massacres of indigenous Maya communities accused of supporting the rebels amounted to acts of genocide. Few senior army commanders have ever faced trial for the atrocities, but in recent months the government of President Alvaro Colom has begun to try to bring suspected war criminals to justice. Another former general - Otto Perez Molina - is favourite to win the presidential election next month. President Colom is not allowed to stand for a second term.", "summary": "Former Guatemalan military ruler Oscar Mejia Victores has been sent to hospital to see if he is well enough to stand trial on genocide charges."}
{"article": "It is alleged the attack happened on Friday night. The court heard the alleged victim told police she was out with friends and had consumed half a bottle of vodka and a quarter bottle of rum. The boy denies the charge. He was released on bail until May 23rd. Around 18:30 GMT on Friday evening she went for a walk with the accused and he started kissing her on the neck. A short time later he ripped her tights and they fell into bushes. She claims she was then raped by him. The detective constable told the court that the girl told the boy to stop and said she did not have the ability to fight him off. Two police officers later observed that she was upset and crying and in pain from the injuries she sustained. She had injuries to her back, buttocks and upper thighs and bruises on her arms. The police officer said these were consistent with attempts to hold her. The boy told police he had drank four bottles of beer but was not drunk and said the girl had been slurring her words but could walk and talk. He said he engaged in sexual activity with her but did not rape her. He claimed the girl \"didn't say no.\" He said her injuries were from the fall. The detective constable told the court the injuries sustained by the girl supported her account. Her injuries were consistent said the detective with \"no consent\" being given. She said this was a case where the accused had \"led a drunk girl off by herself to rape her.\" A defence solicitor said the accused, who was a student, had fully co-operated with police and had not attempted to flee. Despite objections from police the boy was released on bail. He must not take alcohol and be subjected to a curfew. He was also ordered not to have any contact with the injured party or any witnesses.", "summary": "A 15-year-old boy has appeared at Londonderry Magistrates Court charged with raping a 17-year-old girl in the city."}
{"article": "16 March 2017 Last updated at 09:20 GMT Well Ricky has been speaking to 12-year-old Junior who loves to dance, but it made him very unpopular with bullies. He ignored them and has since gone on to become the UK's Freestyle Street Dance champion. And even got a chance to dance with singer Justin Bieber. Junior has been telling his story as a part of BBC's School Report News Day where young people get a chance to do just that and report with the BBC. Hundreds of schools all over the UK are turning their classrooms into newsrooms for a day. Take a look at Ricky's chat.", "summary": "What would you do if something you loved made you a target for bullies?"}
{"article": "The interim New Democracy leader, 61, represents the old way - serving for years in centre-right governments accused by the left of bringing painful austerity and institutionalised corruption. But after months of political strain, exhaustive bailout negotiations and continued economic despair, Greece is seemingly starting to regret its flirtation with the new. According to latest opinion polls, Mr Meimarakis is now challenging Alexis Tsipras, Greece's youngest prime minister in modern times, for first place in this month's elections. Commentators say he is a voice of economic stability, who has successfully unified his party to make a comeback. Born in Athens in 1953, Vangelis Meimarakis's family were from Crete and his father was an MP in the island's main city Heraklion. He trained as a lawyer at the University of Athens, and became involved in student politics while studying public administration at Panteion University. He was one of the founding members New Democracy's youth wing (ONNED). First elected as an MP in 1989, he was ND's chief whip from 1991 to 1992 and served as defence minister from 2006 to 2009. He is married to Joanna Kolokota, daughter of Greek actress Nitsa Marouda, and they have two daughters. Mr Meimarakis became speaker of the Greek parliament in 2012, briefly standing down that year amid a corruption scandal involving an inquiry into money laundering allegation. He strongly denied any wrongdoing and returned to his position soon after, remaining as speaker until early 2015. A strong supporter of keeping Greece in the eurozone, Mr Meimarakis was appointed interim leader of New Democracy in July 2015 after the resignation of Antonis Samaras. Mr Samaras stepped down after voters backed Mr Tsipras in a bailout referendum by a bigger-than-expected margin. New Democracy looked fragile - without the figurehead who had led the party for six years, and trailing Syriza by a wide margin in the opinion polls. But a few months later, its fortunes seem to have turned. Analysts say Mr Meimarakis has managed to unite ND in his short time at the top, sidelining some of its right-wing elements in an effort to woo centrist voters. And the polls are looking up too - Syriza and ND now appear to be neck-and-neck ahead of the snap election on 20 September. Mr Meimarakis has accused Mr Tsipras of mismanaging the economy and pushing the country towards another recession - a tactic that has boosted his approval ratings at his rival's expense. He has repeatedly painted the former PM as a \"pampered child\" - calling him \"kiddo\" and \"a little liar\" - while painting himself as a picture of experience and stability. But his association with the discredited old political elite continues to haunt him. During the first televised leaders' debate on Wednesday, Mr Meimarakis had a heated exchange with Independent Greeks head Panos Kammenos, who accused him of being embroiled in a suspicious submarine deal during his time as defence minister. The ND leader responded by accusing his opponent of acting as a proxy for Mr Tsipras, Mr Kammenos's one-time coalition partner. Occasionally criticised for being sharp-tongued,", "summary": "Part of Greece's political establishment for decades, Vangelis Meimarakis is everything voters rejected when they backed Alexis Tsipras and his left-wing Syriza party in January's election."}
{"article": "In a report, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said there were \"significant areas of concern\" at the Widbrook Medical Centre in Trowbridge. Inspectors found issues with systems and processes, but said the level of care given to patients was \"good\". The medical centre has pledged to improve services. The health regulator inspected the practice in December and was told the booking and telephone systems made it difficult for patients to get an appointment that was suitable for them. Inspectors found staff were good at raising concerns and reporting incidents but there was no formal structure for \"sharing any learning within the practice\". Sufficient recruitment checks to verify that staff are \"of good character and have the qualifications and competence\" to carry out their jobs was also criticised. However, inspectors said the majority of patients \"were treated with compassion, dignity and respect\". A spokesman for the medical centre said an action plan to address the findings of the inspection was being put in place. He said: \"We will continue to improve the service we provide to our patients so that our patients are confident they are receiving a quality general practice service and are reviewing our appointment system to support our patients.\"", "summary": "A GP practice in Wiltshire has been placed in special measures after its overall quality of services was rated \"inadequate\"."}
{"article": "You may want to choose another fantasy destination after the British Foreign Office told tourists to be aware that some political demonstrations in the capital, Male, have led to violence. It did add, though, that most trips there are trouble-free. At the end of last month the Maldives celebrated its birthday, 52 years since independence from Britain. But the festivities were marred when the government ordered troops to storm the country's parliament and prevent opposition MPs from entering. It was the latest dramatic attempt by President Abdulla Yameen to maintain his grip on power, and the latest twist in a tale of tropical intrigue worthy of a thriller. The story is certainly set against a suitably exotic backdrop. The Maldives is justifiably famous for its breathtakingly beautiful beaches and breathtakingly expensive luxury hotels. But while the water of the coral reefs that surround them may be crystal clear, politics in the so-called \"island paradise\" has always been very murky indeed. The political drama is centred, not on the beaches but on Male, the tiny, urbanised island where all of the Maldives' major institutions are based and which is one of the most densely populated cities on Earth. For 30 years the country was a corrupt autocracy, ruled with the proverbial \"iron fist\" by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. President Gayoom shrugged off numerous coup attempts during his three decades in power, but the wily tactician could not resist forever the growing demand for democratic reform. In 2008, a charismatic young progressive, Mohamed Nasheed, swept to power in the country's first democratic elections. He rolled back repressive laws, bolstered democratic institutions and captured the world's attention with an underwater cabinet meeting to highlight the risks of rising sea levels. But the Maldives' brief moment as a model Islamic democracy was not to last. Less than four years later, Mr Nasheed resigned following a mutiny by the police and weeks of demonstrations after the arrest of the chief justice, something he now calls a coup. In November 2013, Mr Yameen took office, but as he is Mr Gayoom's half-brother, it looked like a return to the old order. However, over the last year the two strongmen have had a spectacular falling out. So much so that Mr Gayoom, the grizzled old dictator, has thrown in his lot with the dashing young democrat, Mr Nasheed. To give you an idea of just how improbable this union is, you should know that Mr Nasheed was imprisoned and tortured during Mr Gayoom's rule. Nevertheless these unlikely allies have prospered and - bolstered by defections from the ruling party - the opposition has managed to gain a small majority in the Maldivian parliament. They had a plan - to stage a coup, but a democratic one. They tabled a no-confidence vote against the speaker of the country's parliament. The idea was to replace him and his deputy with opposition figures, who would lead an emergency government until elections early next year. It looked likely to work, until, that is, Mr Yameen literally called in the troops. They barred opposition MPs", "summary": "Are you dreaming of a holiday in the Maldives?"}
{"article": "The BBC understands the report suggests the number of UK workers unemployed due to non-EU immigration is well below the figure previously cited by ministers. No 10 denied claims the report had been suppressed, saying it was not ready. But it insisted it would be published in \"due course\", possibly within days. The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said the row over the report reflected splits within the coalition over the benefits of immigration, with the Lib Dems refusing to back a Conservative commitment to reduce levels of net migration to below 100,000 by 2015. Home Secretary Theresa May has previously used research from 2012 by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), a group of independent academics, as a basis for saying that for every additional 100 immigrants from outside the EU, 23 British workers \"would not be employed\" as a consequence. But the new analysis by civil servants is much less pessimistic, estimating that the cost to existing British workers of new arrivals is much lower. Although the estimated figure for the so-called \"displacement\" of British workers has not been disclosed, Nick Robinson said he understood it was \"virtually negligible\". He said the two reports were not directly comparable since the 2012 research covered a specific period between 1995 and 2010 while the new findings analysed all the research available on the impact of immigration. But he said the row over the report's publication reflected fault lines within the coalition on the issue, with Mrs May keen to flag up evidence backing up her argument that migration has an economic \"downside\" while Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable sought to do the opposite. The BBC's Newsnight programme, which first reported the story, said it had been told by officials that No 10 had prevented publication of the report to avoid igniting controversy. By Nick RobinsonPolitical editor According to emails seen by Newsnight, the old research cited by Mrs May was not considered sufficiently \"robust\" by either the Treasury or the Department for Business. The new report, it argued, had been checked by external academics and agreed across all the departments with a hand in migration - including the Home Office. However, Newsnight said Home Office officials had protested that the new research, in parts, reflected an \"institutional bias\" in favour of migration among officials at the Treasury, Foreign Office and business department. For Labour, shadow immigration minister David Hanson said the report would help inform the highly charged debate about immigration. \"The government's record on immigration is one of failing to meet their own net migration target and ramping up the rhetoric. Now they want to keep their own research hidden rather than scrutinised,\" he said. \"We need an open, calm and fact-based debate on the impact of immigration and this should be facilitated by the government and not made harder.\" And economist Jonathan Portes, who questioned the validity of the 2012 research at the time, said there was no excuse not to release a report that was \"purely analytical and is clearly of wide public interest\". Lib Dem MP Martin Horwood", "summary": "Labour has called for the immediate publication of a government report about the impact of immigration on the UK economy following suggestions that it has been withheld by Downing Street."}
{"article": "24 February 2015 Last updated at 14:27 GMT Animal experts say the creatures, who look like giant seals and are known as sea cows, went into the pipe seeking warmth before getting trapped. The rescue operation took the whole of Monday night. All mammals, including a mother and her baby calf were eventually pulled from the pipe and are safe and well.", "summary": "More than a dozen manatees who got stuck in a pipe in Florida have been rescued by firefighters."}
{"article": "Sciver's single came from her first ball as England reached their target of 131 for the loss of six wickets. A partnership of 75 between Charlotte Edwards (28) and Sarah Taylor (51) was the backbone of England's innings. Katherine Brunt took 2-15 to help restrict New Zealand to 130-6, with Sophie Devine top scoring with 40.", "summary": "Natalie Sciver hit the winning run off the final ball as England women beat New Zealand by four wickets in a warm-up game for the World Twenty20."}
{"article": "Thea Brookes (30 not out) and Paige Scholfield (38) shared a 69-run eighth-wicket partnership to leave the hosts needing eight runs from the final over. However, Hayley Matthews bowled Rebecca Grundy and then Beth Langston was caught, with Lightning all out for 158. Thunder had posted an imposing 164-8 after Amy Satterthwaite's half-century and Deandra Dottin's quickfire 42. A close run chase from Lightning had looked unlikely when captain Georgia Elwiss (20) was run out at the non-striker's end and the hosts slipped to 57-4. England spinner Sophie Ecclestone's 3-23 then reduced Loughborough to 88-7 but Brookes and Scholfield looked to counter-attack - striking eight fours and a six as they brought up their fifty partnership from only 28 balls. Despite Scholfield being reprieved on 36 when she was dropped by Nat Brown, she was bowled by Dottin off the next ball as the enthralling game swung one final time in Lancashire's favour. Both sides now have one victory and one defeat after their first two matches, but Lightning remain above Thunder thanks to their bonus-point win in the league's inaugural match on 30 July.", "summary": "Lancashire Thunder edged to a nail-biting six-run victory over Loughborough Lightning at Haslegrave."}
{"article": "Beatrice Lovane, 22, from Rochdale, fell ill before 21:30 BST on 26 August. Returning a narrative verdict Heywood coroner Lisa Hashmi said she died of liver disease and damage caused by painkillers. North West Ambulance Service admitted errors and is staging another inquiry. Miss Lovane who was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, died in Fairfield General Hospital, Bury almost five hours after emergency services were called. At Rochdale Coroner's Court, Ms Hashmi said \"timely steps were not taken to instigate emergency treatment and basic life support\" and there were \"delays in indentifying the cause of her sudden collapse\". However, Ms Hashmi added it was \"not possible to link the gross failure in care to the cause of death\". The North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) NHS Trust told the inquest, which concluded on Friday, it had identified a number of significant errors and omissions by the crew who attended. After the verdict a NWAS spokesperson said in a statement it had received a complaint from Miss Lovane's family in March and a \"full and thorough\" investigation was undertaken. The spokesperson added: \"New evidence has recently been disclosed and as a result of this two paramedics and an emergency medical technician have been suspended from duty pending further investigation. \"We fully accept that the level of care Miss Lovane received was below the standard we would expect.\"", "summary": "Three ambulance crew members have been suspended after an inquest heard there were delays and \"gross failure\" to provide care to a woman who died from an adverse reaction to paracetamol."}
{"article": "Prosecutors say managers at Peanut Corporation of America shipped peanuts and products they knew were tainted. More than 575 people in more than 40 states were sickened in the outbreak, including hundreds of children. A lawyer for former owner Stewart Parnell said inspectors had been aware of the company's testing practices. The charges carry maximum penalties of 20 years in prison, prosecutors say. Mr Parnell, his brother, former Vice-President Michael Parnell, as well as former plant managers Samuel Lightsey and Daniel Kilgore, have been charged with fraud, selling \"adulterated and misbranded food\", and conspiracy. In addition, former plant worker Mary Wilkerson was charged with obstruction of justice. Kilgore has already pleaded guilty in the case. Prosecutors say the Parnells, Mr Lightsey and Kilgore conspired to manufacture and sell peanuts and peanut products that lab tests had shown were tainted with salmonella. They created fake certificates saying the foods were safe, when in fact they had either not been tested or had been found to have been contaminated, prosecutors said. Stewart Parnell, Mr Lightsey and Ms Wilkerson lied to visiting government inspectors, they said. \"When those responsible for producing or supplying our food lie and cut corners, as alleged in the indictment, they put all of us at risk,\" said Stuart Delery, head of the justice department's civil division. \"The Department of Justice will not hesitate to pursue any person whose criminal conduct risks the safety of Americans who have done nothing more than eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.\" After federal prosecutors unsealed the indictment on Thursday, lawyers representing Stewart Parnell promised \"a vigorous defence\". \"As the facts in this case are revealed, it will become apparent that the FDA was in regular contact with [Peanut Corporation of America] about its food handling policy and was well aware of its salmonella testing protocols,\" the law firm said in a statement. After the outbreak, the US Food and Drug Administration found widespread contamination at the company's plant in Blakely, Georgia, after identifying it as a possible source of the tainted peanuts and peanut products. The plant roasted raw peanuts to make granulated peanuts, peanut butter and peanut paste. The products were sold across the US. The company went bankrupt after a recall of its products. In 2010, a judge approved a $12m (??7.7m) settlement to compensate more than 100 salmonella victims.", "summary": "Former managers at a peanut company have been charged in the US state of Georgia over a salmonella outbreak that caused nine deaths in 2008 and 2009."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device O'Sullivan, 38, was outplayed by his fellow Englishman in two high-quality opening sessions and was fortunate to trail only 9-7 in the best-of-25 match. The next four were shared, before O'Sullivan won three straight frames to move ahead for the first time at 12-11. And a break of 113 saw O'Sullivan set up a tie with Shaun Murphy or Marco Fu. Barry Hawkins repeated last year's semi-final win over Ricky Walden as he edged past his fellow Englishman 13-11 to reach the last eight, where he will face Dominic Dale or Michael Wasley. O'Sullivan, who will play in his 16th World Championship quarter-final, told BBC Sport: \"That was the closest I've been to going out here for quite a while. I was never in control of that match at any point. \"But I was determined to stay in it right to the end, I wasn't going to give in. That's probably one of the most exciting matches I've ever had at the Crucible.\" Perry added: \"I'm gutted. I gave it everything I had but I just ran into a genius at the end of the match. \"When he plays like that, it's hard to see anyone other than him winning the title.\" Coming into the tournament, O'Sullivan was the overwhelming favourite to win his sixth world title and third in a row. \"That was Ronnie O'Sullivan playing pressure snooker when he needed to. I think he's the best pressure player I've ever seen. The trouble for the other players is that O'Sullivan now does not have any weaknesses in his game. And because he is so strong in every department, it puts huge pressure on his opponents. It's hard for them not to enter the match in a negative frame if mind.\" He cruised through his opening match, beating qualifier Robin Hull 10-4, but faced a far more experienced opponent in world number 15 Perry. O'Sullivan was never ahead in the opening two sessions as Perry kept the champion off the table with some big break building. But the statistics told the story in the final session, with O'Sullivan upping his pot success rate to 97% and Perry dropping down to 85%. The opening four frames of the morning were scrappy and it was Perry who retained his two frame advantage at the mid-session interval. But O'Sullivan looked rejuvenated after the break, knocking in breaks of 52 and 53 to pull level. The Englishman then took the lead for the first time in the match with a scintillating break of 124 in the 23rd frame. And a third century of the match sealed a brilliant comeback win, O'Sullivan punching the air in celebration and waving to the crowd before leaving the arena. Also on Saturday, last year's semi-finalist Judd Trump reeled off four straight frames to finish the first session with a 6-2 lead over Ryan Day.", "summary": "Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan reached the World Championship quarter-finals with a hard-fought 13-11 victory over Joe Perry in Sheffield."}
{"article": "Bell, 23, can play at either fly-half or full-back and has scored 72 points in 10 appearances in all competitions for the Tigers this season. A former England Under-18 and Under-20 international, Bell kicked 23 points against Irish in a 28-16 Premiership victory at the start of the season. The younger brother of Chris, he began at Sale Sharks before joining Wasps. \"I'm delighted to be joining London Irish next season,\" said Bell. \"Having met the coaches, there's a clear vision of where they want to take the club, which is exciting.\"", "summary": "London Irish have agreed a long-term deal to sign Leicester Tigers back Tommy Bell from next season."}
{"article": "The Manbij Military Council, part of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance, announced it had \"transferred defence of the frontline\". The move came after a deal was agreed with Russia, a staunch ally of President Bashar al-Assad, it added. The villages have been a focus of fighting in recent days. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government or Turkey, whose troops have been supporting a rebel offensive aimed at driving Islamic State militants from a border area north-west of Manbij and limiting gains by Kurdish fighters. Syria's military has accused Turkey of a \"flagrant violation of Syrian sovereignty\". Since launching Operation Euphrates Shield in August, the Turkish-backed rebels have captured more than 1,900 sq km (734 sq miles), according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency. After they captured the IS stronghold of al-Bab last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that the rebels would next move towards Manbij. Mr Erdogan also said the Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) militia, which dominates the SDF and the Turkish government considers an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), should be forced to withdraw. The YPG captured Manbij from IS militants in August, but it agreed three months later to move its forces east of the River Euphrates after setting up the Manbij Military Council with local Arabs. But Mr Erdogan rejected claims by the US that Kurdish fighters had left. On Wednesday, a spokesman for the Manbij Military Council told Reuters news agency that a string of eight villages about 27km (17 miles) west of Manbij that it controlled had come under heavy artillery bombardment by the Turkish-backed rebels and that there had been fierce clashes. One SDF fighter and two Turkish-backed rebels were killed in the fighting, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. On Thursday, the Manbij Military Council said in a statement that defending the town and countering Turkey's \"invasion plan\" were among its objectives. It had therefore \"agreed with Russia to hand over villages on the frontline with Euphrates Shield... to the border guards of the Syrian state\", the statement added. Syrian government forces are deployed just to the south of al-Bab and were involved in clashes with the Turkish-backed rebels shortly before the town fell. In a separate development, the commander of the US-led coalition against IS said Russian aircraft had mistakenly bombed SDF fighters 16km (10 miles) south-west of Manbij, resulting in an unspecified number of casualties. Lt Gen Stephen Townsend said the Russian military had thought it was bombing villages held by IS. However, Russian media cited the Russian defence ministry as denying that Russian or Syrian aircraft had launched any strikes on US-backed forces.", "summary": "A US-allied Syrian militia has said it will hand over villages west of the town of Manbij to the army in order to stop Turkish-backed rebels taking them."}
{"article": "Michael Coe, 35, stopped driving and allegedly confronted the 16-year-olds, demanding to know if they were Muslims. When they lied and told him they were not, he grabbed the boy around the neck before throwing him to the floor. At Southwark Crown Court Mr Coe, a Muslim, denied assault occasioning actual bodily harm and battery. He admitted assaulting the 16-year-old boy in Wilson Road, Newham, on 15 April but claims it was self-defence. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court he was hugging his girlfriend goodbye when Mr Coe shouted \"let that little schoolgirl go\". He said Mr Coe grabbed him by the throat, causing him to black out. He said: \"I woke up - there was blood on my hands and I could feel blood on my face, my head was throbbing and I was very dizzy and also felt sick.\" The court heard schoolteacher Boutho Siwela went over to help the pair when Mr Coe also allegedly attacked him. Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay told the jury: \"This case is about what started as unpleasant bullying with religious overtones in the street, followed by an attack by this 35-year-old man on a 16-year-old schoolboy. \"This was completely unpleasant and utterly unwarranted - this is a grown man on a child.\"", "summary": "A \"bully\" grabbed a schoolboy by the throat and called a teenage girl a \"whore\" after spotting them cuddling in east London, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Police believe it was planted by \"violent dissident republicans\". The device - which police described as more intricate than a pipe bomb - was reportedly discovered under a car at Ardanlee, in the Culmore area of the city, on Wednesday morning. Children were in the area at the time, police said. Police have not confirmed whether anyone was injured in the blast. Debbie Watters, vice-chairwoman of Northern Ireland's Policing Board, said the officer had had a \"very lucky escape\". The area remains cordoned off and a number of homes have been evacuated in an ongoing security alert. The device was intended to kill and inflict harm in the community, said the PSNI's Supt Gordon McCalmont. \"This was an attempt to kill one of my colleagues,\" he said. \"My thoughts are with my colleague and his family. You can imagine the impact this trauma will have on them.\" Ms Watters said she was grateful that the \"evil intent\" of those responsible had not succeeded \"Such activity reinforces the continuing threat that exists for our police officers both on and off duty,\" she said. \"As a community, it is our responsibility to ensure those behind such activity are brought to justice.\" Police have extended the security cordon to all of Spruce Meadows and part of Ardanlee while the investigation continues. Residents who were asked to leave the estate are using the nearby St John's Parish centre until they are allowed to return home. Mary Davey, who lives at Ardanlee with her three young children, said she was shocked by the incident. \"We looked out the window and saw the police cars arriving with the lights flashing and then the tape going over across the front of the estate,\" Mrs Davey told BBC Radio Foyle. \"We're very angry, they're putting everyone's life at risk, not just the people they are targeting.\" Her husband, Barry, said they had lived in Derry peacefully for 20 years. \"We have three young children here and I'm from Belfast, so where we can actually go is very limited,\" he said. \"We're anguished because this is not daily life for us. We came here thinking we would have a quiet life, people don't want this.\" Meanwhile, in a separate incident, homes were evacuated in County Tyrone after the discovery of a pipe bomb at Sion Mills. Police have not linked the two incidents. The Sion Mills security alert ended shortly before 17:00 GMT.", "summary": "A bomb has exploded outside the home of a serving police officer in Londonderry as Army technical officers were trying to defuse it."}
{"article": "The cross-party group said speaking English was \"the key to full participation in our society and economy\". They also said ministers should consider letting different parts of the UK set their own immigration policy. The government said it was spending \u00c2\u00a320m on English language provision. Last month a report by Dame Louise Casey warned of \"worrying\" levels of segregation in some areas and called for more English classes for isolated groups. The report by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Integration urges the government to go further, saying all immigrants should have either learnt English before coming to the UK or be required to sign up to classes when they arrive. The group said integration should begin upon arrival in the UK and described speaking English as a \"prerequisite for meaningful engagement with most British people\". The government has promised new migration controls once the UK leaves the EU but has not yet set out a detailed model. According to the cross-party group, \"substantial\" immigration powers should be devolved to the UK's nations and regions, with devolved governments or city regions setting quotas. 4.1m population increase 2001-11 50%+ of the increase is due to immigration 2.8m people in Britain are Muslim - the biggest religious group after Christians 70-85% of the populations in some wards in Blackburn, Birmingham, Burnley and Bradford are Muslim 511 schools in 43 areas take more than 50% pupils from Pakistani or Bangladeshi backgrounds 27% of births in 2014 were to mothers born outside the UK It said replacing the current \"one-size fits all\" approach would lead to a \"more positive\" public debate about immigration. Addressing the \"economic and cultural needs\" of an area would \"have a positive knock-on effect on the public debate on immigration\", the report said, adding that this \"could instil confidence among members of the public that the immigration system works for their area, and give incentives for politicians to actively make the case for immigration in their area\". Pointing to a similar model in use in Canada, where provincial governments can set region-specific requirements for immigrants, it said visas could be issued specifically for certain regions or certain sectors. The report also called for a new national strategy to integrate immigrants, including \"awareness of the host country's laws, traditions and culture\" and access to the labour market, and for councils to set up local integration action plans. Net migration is well above the government's target of below 100,000, and ministers have said they will reduce it after the UK leaves the EU and is no longer subject to freedom of movement rules. Labour MP Chuka Umunna, who chairs the all-party group, said a \"meaningful\" integration programme would be needed when the rules are changed after Brexit. He said: \"It's clear that immigration has impacted on different communities in different ways and the pace of change has alarmed many. \"The government has a duty to address the lack of integration of immigrants if it is to address this. Failing to do so has left a vacuum for extremists and peddlers of hate to", "summary": "A group of MPs and peers says migrants should be expected to learn English before coming to the UK, or attend language classes when they arrive."}
{"article": "There are many things about it that have attracted comment from US columnists to the blogosphere: that he oversaw such controversial and costly wars but should ultimately fall on a matter of personal behaviour; that President Barack Obama was not apparently informed until election day that Gen Petraeus was under investigation by the FBI; and that the issue is now drawing in more people, including General John Allen, who replaced Gen Petraeus as the commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan. The inquiry resulted from complaints by a woman that she had received threatening e-mails from Paula Broadwell, Gen Petraeus' biographer and for several months apparently also his lover. The FBI investigation is now moving on to issues such as whether the author had unauthorised access to classified material. Some have written of the general's vanity, suggesting he liked to be surrounded by admiring staffers, academics and indeed journalists. Having met and interviewed him several times, I can certainly confirm that he took particular care of his image (for example preferring to be filmed favouring the patch on his right shoulder - the combat one of the 101st Airborne Division, which he commanded during the 2003 invasion of Iraq), and that lately his staff tried hard to discourage challenging lines of questioning, whereas during our earlier meetings he had proven more than happy to tackle whatever we threw at him. It was during one of these later meetings with Gen Petraeus that he introduced me to Mrs Broadwell, who at that time was working on her book about him and with whom, it emerged last week, he was having an affair. I will not pretend that I had any great presentiment or intuition about what was going on, but did note that during our off-camera conversations, he and I reflected in a humorous way on the ageing process and how it played out in men. Gen Petraeus had gone through cancer treatment in 2009 and it is in this context that a friend of his, a fellow general, sought to explain to me today what had happened: \"Almost everyone considered him to be immortal, but he had been shaken by the cancer business and continually deployed for five-and-a-half years.\" The same officer concluded that while his friend was right to offer his resignation once the extramarital affair with Ms Broadwell had come to light, that \"the president shouldn't have accepted it\". Some reports today suggest that the CIA director did not even himself feel it was a resigning matter, but was persuaded to write the letter by the Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper. The head of the wider US intelligence community apparently felt it would not be possible for Gen Petraeus to discipline CIA staff accused of marital indiscretions, if he had shown himself fallible in the same regard. General Stan McChrystal, Gen Petraeus' predecessor as Nato commander in Kabul, also suffered a public fall from grace in 2010, stepping down after staff members were quoted by Rolling Stone magazine being critical about the Obama administration. Some used a similar formula at", "summary": "The fall of David Petraeus, director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the general who successfully commanded America's troop surge in Iraq during 2007-8 is a modern morality tale, even if it did arise from one of the most ancient human failings, marital infidelity."}
{"article": "The USS Stethem sailed within the territorial limits of Triton Island, part of the Paracel Islands, claimed by China and others. China responded by sending battleships and fighter jets to the island. The incident happened just before leaders of the two countries were due to speak on the phone. The US has repeatedly warned China against its occupation and aggressive reclamation of islands in disputed waters, but Beijing says it is within its sovereign rights to do so. US President Donald Trump is due to speak to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in a pre-arranged call on Monday. In a statement late on Sunday, China's foreign ministry confirmed reports that the USS Stethem had entered waters claimed by China. The warship had sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island as part of its \"freedom of navigation\" operations, according to news agencies and Fox News citing US defence officials. UN rules dictate that any territory can claim the waters up to 12 nautical miles from its coast. The sailing of a US ship within those limits indicates the US does not recognise those territorial claims. Beijing said it would use \"all necessary means to defend national sovereignty and security\". It also accused the US of \"deliberately stirring up troubles\" in the region as China and South East Asian neighbours have \"cooled down and improved the situation\". The tiny island is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. China has been embroiled in maritime disputes with several of its regional neighbours in recent years. The US conducts a programme called \"freedom of navigation\" which challenges \"excessive claims\" to the world's oceans and airspace. It was developed to ensure all countries adhere to UN maritime rules. The US State Department says the programme operates through diplomacy, \"operational assertions\" by the US military, and consultations with other governments. The military operation is the second since Mr Trump took office. In May, the USS Dewey sailed less than 12 nautical miles from an artificial island built by China called Mischief Reef, which is part of the Spratly Islands. US Defence Secretary James Mattis said a few days later that the US would not accept China's militarisation of man-made islands in the region. In previous years, the US has conducted such operations against China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Rival countries have wrangled over territory in the South China Sea for centuries, but tension has steadily increased in recent years as Beijing has begun re-asserting its claims. The area is a major shipping route, and a rich fishing ground, and is thought to have abundant oil and gas reserves. The various islands and waters are claimed in part or in whole by Taiwan, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Much of the conflict has been centred on two clusters of islands, the Paracels and Spratlys. China claims the largest portion of territory, saying its rights go back centuries, and issued a map in 1947 detailing its claims. Under President Xi Jinping, China has ramped up its territorial assertions, building artificial islands and military facilities on", "summary": "Beijing has called the presence of a US warship near a disputed island in the South China Sea \"a serious political and military provocation\"."}
{"article": "And in recent years Barcelona, inspired by the brilliant Lionel Messi, managed to achieve untouchable status on the pitch at the same time as remaining true to that motto. If somebody thinks that there is damage to the name of Barcelona then there is damage to be repaired But things are changing at the Nou Camp. Not only has the team's form suffered since Pep Guardiola left at the end of 2012, there are now serious questions over the way this great club do business. When forward Neymar joined from the Brazilian team Santos last June, Barcelona said they paid a total of \u00a348.6m. But one of their members, a pharmacist called Jordi Cases, asked the club whether this was really the final bill. When Barcelona refused to answer, he went to the Spanish courts who launched an investigation. From that point on the story really began to unravel. First the Spanish prosecutor said they would investigate the deal to see if the club had defrauded the treasury of unpaid tax. The club said they had nothing to hide but then in January, under intense public pressure, the club's president Sandro Rosell resigned. He said it was for personal reasons but Rosell had personally overseen the mission to land the 22-year-old, one of the hottest properties in world football. Shortly after Rosell's departure, his successor Josep Maria Bartomeu, called a news conference to reveal the true cost of signing Neymar was actually \u00a371.5m. Between the initial fee paid in the summer, signing-on fee, wages during his five-year deal, agents fees and this latest tax payment, Neymar will have cost the club \u00a3106.8m In an unprecedented move, Bartomeu - a close ally and friend of Rosell who was vice president at the time of the signing - went further, explaining exactly where all the money had gone. There was a \u00a333m compensation fee paid to Neymar's father to ensure he joined Barcelona. Santos got \u00a314m. But there was also an \u00a38m signing-on fee, a \u00a36m fee for taking an option on future Santos players, \u00a32m in agents fees (also paid to Neymar's father) and a further \u00a32m to Neymar's charitable foundation in Brazil. The club also revealed that Neymar was being paid \u00a39m a year in wages. The numbers are mind boggling. And I can't recall a major European club ever opening the books on a transfer in this way. It provides a fascinating insight into the sort of agreements and payments teams have to make to secure the top players - especially from South America where many stars are owned by companies and wealthy individuals rather than clubs. By unwrapping the deal in public, Barcelona hoped that the problem and the Spanish courts would go away. Media playback is not supported on this device If anything it only added to their determination to investigate the transfer and two weeks ago the judge Pablo Ruz announced the case would go ahead. That prompted Barcelona to pay \u00a311m to the Spanish treasury as a \"complimentary tax declaration\". And yet the problem just won't go", "summary": "They pride themselves on being \"mes que un club\" - more than a club."}
{"article": "More than 160 people died when the mudslide tore through homes in Santa Catarina Pinula on Thursday. Emergency workers are still excavating the area but have given up hope of finding any survivors. It is not yet clear what will happen to the survivors and whether the state will offer them help to relocate to safer ground. Guatemala's National Disaster Reduction Commission (Conred) says it had warned as early as 2009 that the neighbourhood of El Cambray 2, which lies 16km (10 miles) east of Guatemala City, was at risk. The middle-class neighbourhood was built at the bottom of a steep hillside next to a river. Conred said its most recent warning came in November 2014, when it alerted local authorities to the fact that the river was eroding the base of the hill, making the hillside very unstable. However, residents said they had not been made aware of the risks. A spokesman for the local authorities in El Cambray 2 said what had happened was \"a natural disaster, like an earthquake or a volcanic eruption, which can't be foreseen\". He also said that residents had been told of the Conred report, \"but had decided to stay put for a variety of reasons\". Heavy rains had soaked the earth causing it to come crashing down on the houses below late on Thursday, when most residents were asleep. One-hundred-and-sixty-one people have been confirmed dead and 300 are still missing. Another 230 people are staying in shelters. President Alejandro Maldonado on Monday declared three days of national mourning. He also said that he was determined to find all those buried under the mud: \"We're not going to stop until we finish this job.\" However, conditions at the site of the landslide worsened on Monday. Conred officials said they had detected cracks in the hilltop through which water was seeping, heightening the risk of further mudslides.", "summary": "Guatemalan officials have declared a neighbourhood which was buried in a mudslide uninhabitable."}
{"article": "Confirmation of his departure was made in an email to staff on Tuesday. The 57-year-old, who has headed news operations since June 2011, will be replaced by interim head Peter MacRae. Mr Boothman has been with the BBC for 30 years and recently oversaw general election and Scottish independence referendum coverage. In an email to staff, BBC Scotland Director Ken McQuarrie said: \"We are now entering the most important period of work ahead of the forthcoming Charter Review discussions as we shape our plans for the future of BBC Scotland. \"I am writing to let you know that John Boothman, Head of News and Current Affairs will be joining the team working on Scotland's proposals for Charter Review. \"Working to Bruce Malcolm, he will play a key role focusing on service development for Scotland including our news offer for audiences for the new Charter period. \"Pete MacRae will take on the role of Head of News and Current Affairs on an interim basis until a permanent appointment is made.\"", "summary": "John Boothman is to leave his position as BBC Scotland's head of news and current affairs to work on the corporation's Charter renewal bid."}
{"article": "Wing Fu Cheung, also known as Nelson Cheung, was stabbed to death after his car was forced off the road outside Randalstown in January 2015. The 65-year-old Ballymena man ran the Double Value Chinese takeaway restaurant in Randalstown. Gary Thompson, 34, pleaded guilty to three charges lat Belfast Crown Court. He was previously accused of Mr Cheung's murder, but that charge was left on the books. Gary and Lisa Thompson had been due to stand trial and a jury was sworn in yesterday, but they were re-arraigned today. Both were released on continuing bail, to be sentenced at a later date. Gary Thompson, formerly of Cunningham Way in Antrim, admitted robbing Mr Cheung's wife, Kam-Fung Cheung, also known as Winnie. He also pleaded guilty to assisting offenders by allowing two men who have admitted the murder - Virgilio Augusto Fernando Correia and Christopher David Menaul - to take refuge in his home, as well as letting them remove clothing and clean themselves after the killing. Thompson also admitted perverting the course of justice by threatening Correia in an attempt to stop him talking to the police. Lisa Thompson, 34, from Erskine Park in Ballyclare, admitted assisting offenders, handling stolen goods and perverting the course of justice. The offences happened between 6 and 9 January 2015. Last month, 35-year-old Correia admitted killing Mr Cheung, wounding his wife with intent to do her grievous bodily harm, and robbing her. In November, 25-year-old Menaul pleaded guilty to the same three charges. Both men are in custody, on remand, awaiting sentence.", "summary": "A county Antrim husband and wife have admitted helping the murderers of a Chinese restaurant owner try to cover up their crime."}
{"article": "The producers of 20% of the world's oil and gas say they share the ambition to limit warming to 2C. They promise to work to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of the global energy mix. But green groups were dismissive, saying that \"arsonists don't make good firefighters\". The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative represents major producers including BP, Shell, Saudi Aramco and Total among others. In their declaration they call for an \"effective climate change agreement\" at Cop21 - the 21st UN conference on climate change, which takes place in Paris at the end of November, when 196 countries will attempt to reach a new deal. \"Our shared ambition is for a 2C future,\" the 10 chief executive officers said in a statement which acknowledges that the existing trend of the world's net greenhouse gas emissions is not consistent with this aim. \"It is a challenge for the whole of society. We are committed to playing our part. Over the coming years we will collectively strengthen our actions and investments to contribute to reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of the global energy mix.\" The companies say they will attempt to make their own production operations more efficient and say that over the past 10 years they have already reduced their emissions by 20%. They promise to promote natural gas as a better option than coal and invest in carbon capture and storage as well as renewable energy. \"Sometimes in all these discussions you have the impression that all fossil fuels are the bad guys. But the bad guys are part of the solution,\" Total's CEO Patrick Pouyanne told a gas and electricity summit in Paris earlier this week. \"Whatever people think, we still need fossil fuels. We need to make advocacy for gas. We need to explain to our policy makers that gas has to be encouraged,\" he told news agencies. However the group of 10 does not include major US oil companies such as Exxon and Chevron. Environmental campaigners were quick to pour scorn on the oil and gas producers' initiative, saying it would do little to aid the decarbonisation of the global economy. \"The oil companies behind this announcement have spent years lobbying to undermine effective climate action, each and every one of them has a business plan that would lead to dangerous global temperature rises, yet suddenly they expect us all to see them as the solution, not the problem,\" said Charlie Kronick from Greenpeace. \"The world should thank them for their offer of advice but politely turn it down. Arsonists don't make good firefighters.\" Climate negotiators reassemble in Bonn next week in an effort to advance a new global deal. They will have their first opportunity to respond to a slimmed down draft that is expected to be the basis of the Paris agreement. Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc.", "summary": "The leaders of 10 of the world's biggest oil companies have offered their qualified support for a new global treaty on climate change."}
{"article": "Set up at Nostell Priory, near Wakefield, it has been created to celebrate the life of clockmaker John Harrison. Harrison, the son of a carpenter, was born at the estate in 1693 and went on to invent the marine chronometer. The Harrison's Garden installation was created by artist Luke Jerram and fills an entire room. He said: \"It is a glimpse of a surreal fictional world or perhaps an image from one of John Harrison's dreams. \"Like a garden, the installation is a living and growing collection of different clock 'species'.\" Harrison and his family moved from Nostell to the Lincolnshire village of Barrow upon Humber in around 1700. He spent his early years creating clocks entirely from wood and he was producing long-case clocks by the time he reached his 20s. The mechanism was made entirely out of wood and one of only three to survive, dating from 1717, is also displayed at Nostell. He spent much of his later life trying to solve the problem of determining longitude at sea. Sailors of the period had no way of calculating where they were when travelling east to west. They knew that for every 15 degrees travelled eastward, the local time moves forward one hour. Harrison realised the solution was creating a reliable clock that could keep the time of a reference place, such as Greenwich, and provide an accurate local time. Harrison's Garden is on display at Nostell Priory until 9 July. It will then tour other National Trust properties including Castle Drogo in Devon, Gunby Hall in Lincolnshire and Penrhyn Castle in Wales.", "summary": "More than 2,000 ticking clocks have gone on display in an art installation as British Summer Time (BST) begins."}
{"article": "Broad Oak Toiletries Ltd, based in Tiverton, manufactured toiletries and health and beauty products, employing 214 staff. A spokesperson said the company had ceased to trade immediately after a deal fell through to sell the business. Capacity issues at its Tiverton plant were also blamed. One employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said: \"I am so scared for the future now. We haven't been paid for January and are worried any new buyer will take it on without honouring the debts.\" In a statement the company said: \"Regrettably it has been necessary to effect the redundancies of all employees.\" Administrators said: \"The company exhausted all possible options to continue to trade and, ultimately, in the absence of a buyer of the business as a going concern, it was forced to cease to trade and unfortunately all employees have been made redundant.\"", "summary": "More than 200 people have lost their jobs after a Devon toiletries company confirmed it has closed."}
{"article": "7 October 2016 Last updated at 09:34 BST When he sells water and other beverages to motorists, he dresses immaculately in suits he has tailored himself. Video journalist: Tendai Msiyazviriyo", "summary": "Farai Mushayademo is one of more than 100,000 vendors operating on the streets of Zimbabwe's capital Harare, but he has found a way to stand out from his rivals."}
{"article": "Some 789 people at a music festival in eastern Finland went skinny dipping on Saturday, organisers said, beating the previous record set in Australia by just three, reports said. Organisers were waiting for Guinness World Records to confirm the record. It is the third Finnish attempt at the record, Yle news website said. Previous attempts in Helsinki in 2015 and 2016 each attracted about 300 participants. Organisers at the Ilosaari Rock music festival in Joensuu had hoped to entice 1,000 people into the chilly water. As in previous attempts, only a few hundred volunteers appeared to be willing to participate, but shortly before the event was due to begin the sun came out and this boosted the numbers, Yle reported. The record they were hoping to break was achieved in 2015 in Perth by 786 people at an attempt to celebrate positive body image. Outdoor swimming is a tradition in Finland, where \"avantouinti\" - ice-hole swimming - is promoted by the country's tourist board as an energy-boosting experience.", "summary": "Hundreds of naked swimmers have taken to the water in Finland in a bid to break the world record for the biggest naked swim."}
{"article": "Gary McCann, 26, of Bray Street, Belfast and Aaron McCrory, 29, of Caledon Street, took a rucksack full of stock from a city shop. They also broke into Soho Books, Gresham Street, and took \u00a3800 in cash. The men had planned to contest the charges at Belfast Magistrates Court on Tuesday, but pleaded guilty to burglary and theft. The court heard McCann worked at the counter and McCrory was a security man in the city centre shop. CCTV footage showed them filling a rucksack with sex toys and paraphernalia belonging to shop boss Ian Brown before leaving without paying at the end of their shift last October. They were recorded coming back on the same night and entering without permission. Cash was stolen during that raid. The men had been planning to fight the case by claiming they acted under duress. A defence lawyer for McCrory said Soho Books was allegedly selling so-called legal highs at the time. The barrister said these were an \"absolute scourge on society\". \"The very next day this shop closed,\" he said. Separate criminal proceedings have been brought against the business for allegedly supplying a dangerous product, Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS). Neither McCann nor McCrory face charges in connection with that prosecution which has been taken by Belfast City Council. Lawyers for both men said that they had been candid during police interviews. The judge said the offences warranted a prison sentence, but he gave the two men credit for their guilty pleas and suspended the five-month jail terms for 12 months.", "summary": "Two Belfast men who stole \u00a3700 worth of sex toys have been given suspended prison sentences."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old from Southend won Q School in May to earn a first tour card and guarantee a chance to qualify for every ranking and European Tour event. But he says that playing \"between six to 10 hours a day\" to improve your game can begin to get frustrating. \"You do get tired of it, it does get very mundane and repetitive, but it has to be done,\" he told BBC Essex. \"I'm sure all of the guys who take the game seriously are putting in the serious hours,\" he added. \"I think the guys at the top of the game have already done all the hard graft in practice and got to a certain level where they are so good - they're playing all the time and in every tournament.\" Wilson, who has played in amateur events from Gloucester to Barnsley and Doncaster, is currently at the Riga Open in Latvia and will play former world number one Judd Trump on Friday. But he says that as he tries to make his way in the professional game, he needs to rely on his father for financial support. \"Currently my dad helps me a lot. He's essentially my sponsor,\" Wilson added. \"The idea of the whole thing is that someday I can pay him back.\"", "summary": "Snooker player Sydney Wilson says practising to make it as a professional cueman can be \"mundane and repetitive\"."}
{"article": "All of the managerial movements for July will appear below, followed by the full list of each club, league-by-league. To read the list for April-June, visit the ins and outs page.", "summary": "BBC Sport tracks all the manager ins and outs as well as listing all the current bosses in the Premier League, Scottish Premiership, Football League and National League."}
{"article": "Earlier this month, she lost her presidential immunity and was dismissed from her post when the constitutional court upheld a decision by parliament to impeach her. Ms Park is accused of allowing her close friend Choi Soon-sil to allegedly extort money from big firms. Ms Park has denied the allegations. The former president apologised to the public last week, before being questioned by authorities for 14 hours. \"The case is very grave as the suspect has demonstrated acts of abuse of power by making companies give money and infringing on the freedom of corporate management by using powerful position and authority as president,\" prosecutors said in a statement on Monday. The prosecutors argue that evidence like computer hard drives might be destroyed if Ms Park is not arrested. Ms Choi has been charged with bribery and corruption and is already on trial. At the heart of the drama lies the close friendship between Ms Park and Ms Choi. Ms Choi is accused of using her presidential connections to pressure companies to give millions of dollars in donations to non-profit foundations she controlled. The acting head of electronics conglomerate Samsung, Lee Jae-yong, was arrested for his role in the scandal. Ms Park, 65, is alleged to have been personally involved in this, and to have given Ms Choi unacceptable levels of access to official documents. Parliament voted to impeach Ms Park in December. On 10 March, the constitutional court ruled that Ms Park's actions \"seriously impaired the spirit of... democracy and the rule of law\". Judges said she had broken the law by allowing Ms Choi to meddle in state affairs, and had breached guidelines on official secrets by leaking numerous documents. Ms Park had \"concealed completely Choi's meddling in state affairs and denied it whenever suspicions over the act emerged and even criticised those who raised the suspicions,\" the ruling said. The Seoul Central District Court will now determine whether there are grounds to issue the arrest warrant for Ms Park. If it is issued, prosecutors will have up to 20 days to continue investigations and file charges against her, reports Reuters news agency. As president she had enjoyed immunity and repeatedly refused to take part in questioning. But now she could face several charges, including abuse of power, coercion, bribery and leaking government secrets.", "summary": "South Korean prosecutors have applied for an arrest warrant for former president Park Geun-hye, for her role in a corruption scandal."}
{"article": "Tata Steel blamed the decision affecting the plant's hot strip mill on \"continuing poor UK steel demand\". The Welsh government said it was \"hugely disappointing news\" that would be a blow to the local economy and community. Tata employs about 7,500 staff in Wales, with about 1,400 at Llanwern in Newport. The Indian-owned company said the plant was expected to remain mothballed until the UK economy and steel demand justified a restart. In the meantime the market would be supplied with material from Tata Steel's other hot strip mill in south Wales at Port Talbot, where costs are lower, the firm said. The Llanwern cold rolling mill and Zodiac galvanising line would continue in operation. The jobs to go consist of roles carried out by fixed-term contract employees, agency workers and contractors, said the company. Jon Ferriman, strip products hub director for the company at Port Talbot and Llanwern said the decision had been made with great regret. \"I would like to pay tribute to those valuable people who have helped us make the flexible working model a success at Llanwern,\" he said. \"Clearly this is a very difficult time for them. \"The Llanwern hot rolling mill is an important operation for us, and our intention is to bring it back into operation as soon as market conditions permit.\" Mr Ferriman said the decision was not connected to the effects on primary steelmaking of UK or EU environmental legislation. Keith Hazlewood, GMB national secretary, said the announcement \"yet again demonstrates what a rollercoaster industry the steel industry is\". He added: \"This decision is a devastating blow for the UK steel industry, the economy and the local community of Newport, south Wales and the supply chain in the surrounding area, especially at this time of the year.\" Last month, the company announced it was cutting 70 jobs by closing its construction products business at the same site. Mr Hazlewood said the GMB along with the other steel unions would work with the company \"to mitigate any compulsory job losses.\" Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan said she understood the disappointment being felt in Newport as a result of Tata's decision. But she added: \"I am aware this is not the first time the company has taken this decision and I remain optimistic that the rolling mill will be brought back on line when economic circumstances allow. \"Given the difficult economic climate faced by all businesses in Wales it is important both they and government - whether in London or Cardiff - remain sufficiently flexible to adapt quickly to changing circumstances.\" Mrs Gillan said that while the UK government was putting in place measures to support business, the Welsh government also had a key role to play in helping the local economy and create jobs. \"Today's news underlines the continued importance of our two governments working together, rather than in isolation, in the interests of the Welsh economy,\" she said. John Griffiths, Labour AM for Newport East, commented: \"This is yet another hard blow for workers at Llanwern, after the 70 job losses announced in November.\"", "summary": "Part of Llanwern steelworks in south Wales is to be temporarily mothballed, with the loss of 115 jobs."}
{"article": "The new rules - known as the Mortgage Market Review (MMR) - came into effect at the end of April. It meant home loan applicants had to give more details about their income and outgoings during longer mortgage application interviews. Lenders are reporting a steady rise in first-time buyers despite the changes. There were 28,600 loans given to first-time buyers in June, a rise of 7.1% on the previous month and 18.7% higher than in June 2013, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). In the second quarter of the year, first-time buyers borrowed an average of \u00c2\u00a3122,000, up from \u00c2\u00a3118,750 in the first three months of the year. They typically borrowed 3.46 times their income, up from 3.43 times their income in the previous quarter. \"For the second month running since new FCA rules took effect, lending characteristics remain similar to the market beforehand,\" said Paul Smee, director general of the CML. \"We now feel confident that, as we would hope, the MMR effect is more gentle dampener than hard brake.\" Under the new rules, potential borrowers have to give evidence to the lender about the funds in their personal budget. This could include regular payments for haircuts, gambling and club subscriptions and deliveries, to holidays, travel season tickets and childcare. Borrowers might also be expected to say if their financial position is expected to change. That could include any predicted changes in income or working hours, but might also include any plans to have children in the near future. Some brokers and estate agents have said the process of a mortgage application can take longer now. \"Those who are lucky enough to be buying with cash have the best choice in the marketplace. The new mortgage rules will hamper those who need to borrow, as they are constrained by what they can afford and the length of time it will take,\" said Hugo Thistlethwayte, managing director of buying agency Prime Purchase. Overall, the CML said that there were 60,500 mortgages advanced for house purchases in June. This was a rise of 5.4% on the previous month and 14.6% up on June 2013. Low interest rates and a recovering economy have both assisted the pick-up in the housing market in many parts of the country, commentators have said. A survey by Aviva, published on Monday, suggested that people buying a home in the last year typically spent 33 minutes looking around the property before making an offer. Enter your details into the calculator to find out: Find out more about this calculator", "summary": "New affordability checks have only put a \"gentle dampener\" on the UK mortgage market during their first months of operation, lenders say."}
{"article": "The length of the airport runways in Guernsey and Alderney, the airline's role in economics and the needs of the community will also be included. The loss-making airline no longer runs a Guernsey-Jersey service and concerns have grown about flights to Alderney. Deputy Lyndon Trott, leading the review, said transport was the biggest policy issue facing the States. Mr Trott said: \"The many issues surrounding our air and sea connectivity currently present the Bailiwick with its number one strategic policy challenge.\" He described the review as \"a genuine opportunity\" to set long-term plans for the future of the States-owned airline. The island's government bought the airline in 2003 in a bid to safeguard slots at London Gatwick. The public has been asked to contribute to the review and the report including recommendations is due to go before the States in early 2017. Included in the Terms of Reference Source: Strategic Review of Aurigny", "summary": "The future role of Guernsey States-owned airline Aurigny will form part of a review into its services."}
{"article": "VJ Day on 15 August 1945 followed the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by atomic bombs. On Saturday, services have been held at St John's Church in Cardiff and at the war memorial in Llandudno, Conwy. A national service is taking place at Llandaff Cathedral on Sunday where First Minister Carwyn Jones will give a reading. The Cardiff Branch of the Burma Star Association has held its service at St John's Church. About 300 people joined the parade from Llandudno Pier Head to the war memorial where a drumhead service was placed. Canon of Dr Sarah Rowland Jones, from St John's Church, said: \"The Burma Star Association was set up in 1951, and ever since we've had the veterans coming and holding a service annually. \"They're now down to single figures, only a couple of them are hail and hearty in their mid-90s and so they decided the time had come on the 70th anniversary of VJ Day to lay up their standard. \"So what we are doing today is holding a service in which the standard will be paraded as usual but at the end of the service it will be handed over to the church's safe keeping and we shall we hanging it up permanently right next to the Burma Star window so that it can be there for future generations to look at and be prompted to remember.\" The national service the following day, which is open to the public and has been organised by the Welsh government, Cardiff council and Llandaff Cathedral, will start at 15:30 BST. Speaking ahead of the event Mr Jones said: \"We must never forget the sacrifice allied forces made for our freedoms during World War Two. \"Victory in Japan by the allied forces brought to an end six years of conflict which saw the tragic loss of so many lives and the destruction of so many communities across the world. \"Their heroics in battle, often so very far from home, will always have a special place in our hearts and it's important we remember and show our gratitude for their service.\"", "summary": "Commemorations have taken place across Wales to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in Japan day."}
{"article": "Pathology, eye and audiology services have been affected by the bug which originated in an email attachment. Mary Sherry, chief operating officer for Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, said a number of outpatient appointments also had to be rescheduled. The trust said the virus has not affected patients' data. According to the trust, priority has been given to patients who have the most urgent need or who are ready for discharge pending pathology results. Ms Sherry added: \"At the same time, the trust's services remain under pressure because of the volume of patients needing emergency care and the demand for our services and for beds remains high. \"The trust has locked down its network to protect it from any further intervention and informed the relevant authorities. \"Teams are working around the clock to resolve this issue and continue to protect the trust's network.\" The virus is believed to be a variant of a known XP bug designed to disrupt services.", "summary": "A number of operations have been postponed at Royal Berkshire Hospital due to a computer virus."}
{"article": "Police made the discovery in the River Mersey in Chorlton, close to Darley Avenue and Barlow Moor Road, at about 09:45 GMT. Officers were working to identify the victim and inform her family. The death is not being treated as suspicious and police believe the woman may have suffered medical complications.", "summary": "The body of an elderly woman has been found in a river in Manchester."}
{"article": "The expedition to the north-eastern Antarctic peninsula will study how they reacted to previous climate changes. The polar experts will collect 100 boxes of rock samples to date how long they have been exposed to sunlight. A team from Aberystwyth and Swansea universities spent five months studying the Greenland ice sheet last year. The Antarctic team will be led by Professor Neil Glasser of Aberystwyth University. Prof Glasser and his colleagues will hunt for clues about how the glaciers and ice sheets behaved in past climates and what we can expect in the future. The Antarctic peninsula has suffered above average warming over the past 50 years, with around a 2.5\u00c2\u00b0C temperature increase since 1950, said the universities. This warming is causing glaciers and ice shelves to melt, releasing large volumes of fresh water into the oceans which not only raises sea level, but also influences regional climate change. However, scientists do not fully understand the relationship between air and sea temperature, and the melting of ice. It is difficult for them to assess whether the melting being observed at the moment is unprecedented in the context of geological time. To address these outstanding questions, the team will collect samples of rock to date their exposure to cosmic radiation and analyse how glaciers and ice have retreated since the last ice age, around 20,000 years ago. \"The collapse of Antarctic ice shelves is largely thought to be caused by warming of the atmosphere, but it appears that changes in sea temperature and ice-shelf structure are also important,\" said Prof Glasser. \"With the climate expected to warm in the future, it is important for us to understand how Antarctic glaciers and ice shelves behaved in the past so we can predict how they will react in years to come if temperatures continue to rise.\" The team of three scientists and one British Antarctic Survey (BAS) field assistant will be dropped off by the Royal Research Ship Ernest Shackleton on James Ross Island, just off the Antarctic Peninsula. They will be heavily laden with equipment including four quad bikes, two trailers, scientific equipment, tents and enough food and fuel to last three months. \"Normally when researchers work in Antarctica they operate from a research ship or at an established station, whereas we will be dropped off with all our kit and left for two months with just radio contact to the rest of the world,\" said Dr Jonathan Carrivick from the University of Leeds, who will take part in the trip. The research is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council.", "summary": "Scientists from Aberystwyth and Leeds have joined forces to learn how glaciers behaved in the past so they can predict the future."}
{"article": "It also demonstrates the growing calamity in the country where the conflict moves from phase to phase, but shows no sign of ending. Perhaps at the outset it should be established what we know. There seems no doubt that a chemical incident occurred, and there were Syrian government air attacks in the area. The opposition of course has no air force. The West places the blame squarely on the Assad regime. Russia - one of President Assad's few allies - has a different story. It says an air attack hit a weapons dump, thus releasing the chemical agent. All of the Western experts on chemical warfare contacted by the BBC have been highly sceptical about the Russian claim. As yet there has been no clear analysis of samples from the location of the strike or from the victims. More information will undoubtedly become available. Reports of the first significant use of chemical weapons - including Sarin nerve agent - by the Assad regime in 2013, prompted the international community's first purposeful diplomatic intervention in the Syrian War. The Obama administration had marked down the use of chemical arms as \"a red line\", which, if crossed, would lead to serious consequences for the Assad regime. In the event, President Obama decided to pull back and avoid military action. The US and Russia came together and brokered a deal under which the Assad regime would give up its chemical arsenal under international inspection. The problem of chemical weapons in Syria appeared to have been resolved. But this was not so. Since then there have been sporadic reports of the further use of chemical weapons both by the Assad regime and so-called Islamic State. These have often involved the use of commercial chemicals like chlorine. But this latest use of what looks to be a nerve agent like Sarin, and the frightful images of the attack, have underscored just how little progress has been made. Between the Ghoutta attack in August 2013 to the incident in Idlib province this week, the situation on the ground in Syria has changed dramatically. Then the Assad regime seemed to have only a tenuous grip on power. The policy of the West and its allies was to see Syria's leader - already branded by some as a war criminal - forced from office. There was still a good deal of talk about a credible \"democratic\" opposition, which, if given sufficient means, could wrest control of much of the country from the Assad regime and IS alike. Fast forward to today. Such hopes proved illusory. The \"democratic\" opposition proved to have a very limited military capacity. Many of its most capable elements are closely linked to al-Qaeda: the next major problem that is likely to face the West some way down the line. The Assad regime, bolstered by Iranian military assistance and Russian air power, has more than consolidated its position. And the most successful Western-backed elements of the opposition - the coalition of Kurdish and Arab fighters in northern Syria - may be advancing against IS, but its success", "summary": "The response to this latest chemical \"attack\" in Syria will provide a measure of just how far the international community has come in struggling with the security crisis in Syria."}
{"article": "30 November 2016 Last updated at 01:55 GMT She's been telling the BBC about working on her debut album and teaching jazz and the sax to young kids in the Namibian capital Windhoek.", "summary": "Suzy Eises is a saxophonist from Namibia who has shared the stage with South Africa\u2019s Jimmy Dludlu and other African artists."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 23-year-old Yorkshireman, who won silver at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, lost every round on all the judges' cards in a below-par performance. Reigning Asian Games champion Butdee, 31, floored Ashfaq with a jolting left hand midway through the second round. \"I know I am well capable of beating guys like that,\" said Ashfaq. \"But I'm a strong believer that what is meant to be will be and it wasn't my night. \"I just wasn't myself. But on the night I was beaten by the better kid. \"I'm in the best shape of my life. I guess he's a lot older than me, he's been to three Olympics and that maybe helped him.\" Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Bantamweight Qais Ashfaq became the fifth British boxer to exit the Rio 2016 Olympic Games after being beaten by Thailand's Chatchai Butdee."}
{"article": "He scored the opener from a penalty after he was fouled by Saidy Janko. Thiago Motta then scored the second after Marquinhos chested down a free-kick from Neymar - who was lively throughout with tricks and flicks. And Cavani turned home a late third with his heel from substitute Julian Draxler's cross to ensure PSG remain top of the league. Saint-Etienne - who had also won their opening three games - were better than the scoreline suggests and had 12 shots to PSG's 14. It was the first game \u00a3200m world record signing Neymar has not scored in for PSG, having netted three and assisted three others in his first two matches. Match ends, Paris Saint Germain 3, St Etienne 0. Second Half ends, Paris Saint Germain 3, St Etienne 0. Attempt missed. Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Attempt blocked. Saidy Janko (St Etienne) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Ronael Pierre Gabriel. Foul by Julian Draxler (Paris Saint Germain). Bryan Dabo (St Etienne) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint Germain). Ole Selnaes (St Etienne) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Adrien Rabiot. Corner, Paris Saint Germain. Conceded by Saidy Janko. Goal! Paris Saint Germain 3, St Etienne 0. Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Thomas Meunier with a cross. Corner, Paris Saint Germain. Conceded by St\u00e9phane Ruffier. Attempt saved. Giovani Lo Celso (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Oussama Tannane (St Etienne) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Neymar (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Oussama Tannane (St Etienne). Attempt missed. Vincent Pajot (St Etienne) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Oussama Tannane. Foul by Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint Germain). Oussama Tannane (St Etienne) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Yuri (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Giovani Lo Celso. Yuri (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Oussama Tannane (St Etienne). Substitution, Paris Saint Germain. Giovani Lo Celso replaces Javier Pastore. Substitution, Paris Saint Germain. Julian Draxler replaces \u00c1ngel Di Mar\u00eda. Foul by Yuri (Paris Saint Germain). Oussama Tannane (St Etienne) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Javier Pastore (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Neymar. Substitution, Paris Saint Germain. Yuri replaces Layvin Kurzawa. Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Oussama Tannane (St Etienne). Foul by Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint Germain). Bryan Dabo", "summary": "Edinson Cavani scored twice as Paris St-Germain beat Saint-Etienne to make it four wins out of four in Ligue 1."}
{"article": "Mirfin, 32, helped the Iron to the League One play-offs and played in their semi-final loss to Millwall. \"We were in a queue to speak to David. He is an outstanding centre-back,\" Stags boss Steve Evans said. Hunt, 26, left Chester after two years with the National League club, having played 39 league games last term. Like Mansfield's other eight summer signings to date, the lengths of their contracts have not been disclosed. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Mansfield have signed defenders David Mirfin and Johnny Hunt on free transfers after their departures from Scunthorpe and Chester respectively."}
{"article": "A report from Bristol City Council found vinegar was more expensive and less effective than glyphosate. Contractors were also unwilling to use vinegar as they were afraid of residents' complaints about the smell. But a local councillor says potential health concerns should take a higher priority. The council started a year-long trial in 2016 to see how effective vinegar would be in replacing glyphosate, following pressure from campaigners who fear it can cause cancer. The World Health Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have, however, decided that food grown with it is unlikely to cause harm to human health. In the report out this week, the cost of using vinegar was found to be 3.6 times greater than glyphosate, and weeds treated by vinegar would reappear within a month instead of five to six months after being sprayed with the chemical weed-killer. Contractors added they were not willing to recommend the use of vinegar and \"were concerned that complaints about its 'smell' would harm their reputation\". Councillor Anthony Negus said the trial \"must be redone much more rigorously\", describing the report as \"patchy\". \"Cost has to be a minor factor. If there is a real risk to health, that trumps everything,\" he said. Community gardener Karen Sillence called on the council to \"mobilise the public to help\". \"There have to be other ways they haven't tried to clear weeds without using chemicals. I want to see them persevering.\" A Bristol City Council spokesman said the authority would \"now consider our options and continue to keep up to date with relevant research and emerging products and techniques, to see if we can find a better solution\".", "summary": "Campaigners have urged a city council not to give up on using vinegar instead of controversial chemicals to kill weeds on its streets."}
{"article": "It has been nearly a month since Sharp accepted Foxconn's more than 600bn yen (\u00c2\u00a33.7bn; $5.4bn) offer, but no final agreement has been signed. According to reports, Foxconn is looking to reduce the price it pays. Japan's benchmark Nikkei index, on which Sharp is listed, closed up 1.9% at 17,048.55 on Tuesday. Elsewhere, Asian stock markets had a mixed day. In South Korea, the Kospi index ended 0.35% higher at 1,996.81, while in Australia the S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.3% to close at 5,166.62 after data showed house price growth cooled in the final three months of 2015. Stocks in China snapped their recent winning streak. Markets had rallied on Monday after China relaxed margin trading rules, but on Tuesday the Shanghai Composite closed down 0.6% at 2,999.36. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index ended the day down 17.40 points at 20,666.75.", "summary": "Shares in Japanese electronics firm Sharp have fallen by 6.5% on concerns a delayed takeover deal with Taiwan's Foxconn may fall apart."}
{"article": "Downing Street and the White House are believed to be looking at options for the visit. Mr Trump accepted the Queen's invitation for him to travel to Britain on a state visit when UK PM Theresa May visited Washington in January. But the prospect of a state visit caused much controversy and reportedly led Mr Trump to change his mind. It was said he did not want to visit while there was potential for protests against him. Nearly two million people signed one of a number of petitions saying Mr Trump should not be invited to the UK on a state visit. What is a state visit? Senior politicians, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron who called Mr Trump \"an embarrassment to America\", said the visit should not go ahead. Questions were also raised as to why Mr Trump was invited so soon after taking office - it was two-and-a-half years into his first term before his predecessor Barack Obama came to the UK for his state visit. Mrs May extended the invitation to the president just as he sparked anger across the world with his proposed travel ban on visitors from seven predominantly Muslim countries. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, clashed with Mr Trump over the immigration measures, later saying the UK should not \"roll out the red carpet to the president of the USA in the circumstances where his policies go against everything we stand for\". Confirmation of Mr Trump's visit had been expected in last month's Queen's Speech, in which the Queen set out her official plans for the year. But there was no mention of it, and October was later mooted as a possible date. The White House denied reports that Mr Trump had reservations about visiting, saying they looked forward to working out a \"mutually acceptable date\". The Queen usually receives one or two heads of state a year. She has hosted 109 state visits since becoming monarch in 1952. State visits are grand, ceremonial occasions, but have a political purpose too, with governments using them to further what they see as Britain's national interests.", "summary": "US President Donald Trump is likely to come to the UK next year, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "Fe ddaeth prif weithredwr Cyngor Sir G\u00e2r, Mark James ag achos preifat yn erbyn y blogiwr Jacqui Thompson am sylwadau a wnaeth hi ar-lein. Mae cais dan y Ddeddf Rhyddid Gwybodaeth wedi dangos bod y cyngor wedi talu \u00a329,414.08 tuag at ffioedd cyfreithiol Mr James yn yr achos. Dywedodd Swyddfa Archwilio Cymru nad oedd addewid yr awdurdod i dalu'r bil yn gyfreithlon. Yn 2012, dywedodd Mr James y byddai unrhyw arian y byddai'n derbyn fel iawndal \"yn cael ei dalu i'r awdurdod\". Cafodd Mrs Thompson orchymyn i dalu iawndal o \u00a325,000 i Mr James, ond yn flaenorol mae ei gyfreithwyr wedi gwrthod cadarnhau y bydd yr arian yna'n cael ei ad-dalu. Nid yw Mr James wedi gwneud unrhyw daliadau, ond dywedodd yr awdurdod: \"Hyd y gwyddom, nid yw Mr James wedi derbyn unrhyw iawndal gan Mrs Thompson.\" Ond mae Mrs Thompson yn dweud ei bod wedi gwneud dau daliad o \u00a3250 i Mr James, a'i bod yn credu y dylai ad-dalu'r bil cyfreithiol. Mae gan Mrs Thompson hefyd ddyled o \u00a35,000 mewn llog a bron \u00a315,000 mewn costau - sy'n rhaid eu talu erbyn 2032 - ynghyd \u00e2 \u00a3190,393 am gostau cyfreithiol y cyngor. Ym Mawrth 2016, fe benderfynodd cabinet y cyngor yn unfrydol y byddai'n mynd ar \u00f4l y costau yna, ond yn gohirio mynd ar \u00f4l ffioedd cyfreithiol Mr James am ei achos enllib yntau. Dywedodd y cyngor bod ei safbwynt ar y mater \"yn wybyddus ac yn gyhoeddus. Does dim mwy i ddweud\". Dechreuodd y ffrae yn 2011 pan gafodd Mrs Thompson ei thaflu allan o gyfarfod cyngor a'i harestio am wrthod rhoi'r gorau i ffilmio'r cyfarfod. Ar dudalen flogio, fe gafodd llythyr agored ei gyhoeddi oedd yn feirniadol o Mr James a'r cyngor gan annog iddo ymateb. Fe wnaeth hynny, gan ddweud bod Mrs Thompson wedi rhedeg \"ymgyrch o erlid, bygwth ac enllibio staff ac aelodau'r cyngor am beth amser\". Fe ddaeth hi ag achos o enllib yn erbyn Mr James a'r cyngor, ond methodd yr achos wrth i'r llys ddweud bod hynny'n wir. Fe ddaeth Mr James - a fydd yn ennill cyflog o hyd at \u00a3171,539 yn 2017-18 - ag achos preifat ei hun yn erbyn Mrs Thompson am y sylwadau ar y blog yn 2011. Yn \u00f4l yr Uchel Lys, fe wnaeth \"gyfres o ddatganiadau ffug...a nifer o honiadau o lygredd, celwydd, celwydd dan lw a chamddefnydd o arian cyhoeddus\" yn erbyn Mr James. Dywedodd Mrs Thompson: \"Rwy'n credu y dylai ad-dalu'r arian am ei fod wedi ei gael yn anghyfreithlon. Ni ddylai'r cyngor fod wedi gwneud hyn - mae yn erbyn y gyfraith. \"Mae hon jyst yn bennod arall yn yr hanes trist yma. Yn fy marn i, dyw hi ddim yn ymddangos fod gan Mr James fawr o gydwybod wrth feddwl am y trethdalwr.\"", "summary": "Mae trethdalwyr wedi cyfrannu bron \u00a330,000 i gronfa i dalu bil cyfreithiol pennaeth cyngor mewn achos enllib preifat, a does yr un ceiniog o'r arian wedi cael ei ad-dalu."}
{"article": "The aim was to fulfil demands for housing and \"return to normal life\", the defence ministry said. A Palestinian official condemned the move and warned that chances for peace were being destroyed. It is the third such announcement by Israel since US President Donald Trump took office. Mr Trump has hinted he will be more supportive on the issue. The announcement came as Israeli security forces started evicting hardline settlers from an unauthorised outpost. Thousands of soldiers and police have been sent to Amona, which the Israeli Supreme Court says must be evacuated because it is built on private Palestinian land. More than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. There are also more than 95 outposts - settlements built without official authorisation from the Israeli government - across the West Bank. Tuesday's announcement follows on from the recent approval of 2,500 housing units in the West Bank and 550 in East Jerusalem. Many in the international community condemned those, saying they undermined hopes of creating a future Palestinian state. But the White House did not express any disapproval. Mr Trump has indicated that he will be more sympathetic to settlement construction than his predecessor, Barack Obama, and has appointed a staunch settlement supporter as his ambassador to Israel. Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi warned that the \"frenzied escalation of Israel's illegal enterprise\" signalled \"the final demise\" of the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. \"The silence of the new American government, including those who actively support the settlements in the White House and the administration as a whole, has emboldened Netanyahu to persist with his settlement activities,\" she said. The BBC's Yolande Knell in Jerusalem says that although many members of the Israeli governing coalition strongly support settlements, they have been unable to prevent plans to demolish the homes of about 50 Israeli families at Amona. Located on a hilltop near the settlement of Ofra, north-east of Ramallah, the illegal outpost was built in 1996 on land registered as privately-owned by Palestinians In 2006, following a decision by the Israeli Supreme Court, nine permanent structures in the outpost were demolished, sparking clashes between settlers and security forces. In December 2014, the court ordered the Israeli government to completely remove Amona within two years. But the deadline was recently extended until 8 February. On Tuesday morning, the Israeli military posted leaflets at Amona ordering the settlers to leave within 48 hours. Israeli media reported that order came into effect at midnight on Monday, and that the settlers had until midnight on Wednesday to remove their property. Dozens of youths set fires to tyres at the entrance to the outpost on Wednesday morning and threw stones at soldiers and police as they advanced. \"This is a difficult and sad day for the people of Israel, a day the law enforcement authorities are asked to implement a High Court decision ordering the destruction of a community", "summary": "Israel says it will build 3,000 new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank."}
{"article": "Thomson, who is based in Gosport, was due to sail from France to Portsmouth Harbour this weekend after finishing second in the race last month. But organisers called off the event as heavy rain and gale force winds have been forecast. They said the event will be rescheduled for 11 or 12 February. Bangor-born Thomson, 42, crossed the line 15 hours, 59 minutes and 29 seconds after winner Armel le Cleac'h - who set a record time of 74 days, three hours and 35 minutes. Thomson had threatened to overtake Le Cleac'h with 309 miles left of the race before a malfunctioning autopilot ended his challenge. He has now matched Dame Ellen MacArthur as the best British competitor in the Vendee Globe. She finished second in the 2001 race. Thomson is expected to sail his boat Hugo Boss, surrounded by a flotilla of craft, in a parade down The Solent into Portsmouth. Hundreds of fans are expected to attend the celebrations in the city and at Thomson's team base at Haslar Marina. Organisers said full details of the rescheduled celebrations will be announced next week.", "summary": "An event to mark the achievements of sailor Alex Thomson in the round the world Vendee Globe race has been postponed due to forecast storms."}
{"article": "It also showed the depth of squad head coach Alan Stubbs has assembled as they chase honours in three competitions. He made seven changes to the team that started last Tuesday's Scottish Cup replay win against city rivals Hearts. Danny Carmichael scored between Boyle's brace, and Stubbs' men rarely looked like slipping up against a gutsy but impotent bottom side Alloa. Media playback is not supported on this device It was a brilliant bit of vision from on-loan Celtic midfielder Liam Henderson that created the opener with a sublime diagonal pass. That sent Boyle clear and he rounded Scott Gallacher to mark his first start since mid-December with a goal. Steven Hetherington ought to have levelled for the visitors barely a minute after the restart, but he could only divert a bouncing cross straight into Mark Oxley's arms. James Keatings' lovely through-ball set up Carmichael for the second six minutes from half-time in his first start since August - his maiden goal for the Hibees. Alloa did create a number of chances throughout the match but they lacked the quality to exploit those opportunities. It was tough on them when Boyle completed the scoring in 76 minutes with a back post tap-in when the part-timers were caught on the counterattack. Hibs now make up their game in hand over Rangers at home to Morton on Wednesday night while Alloa face a vital home match against second-bottom Livingston on Saturday. Media playback is not supported on this device Hibernian head coach Alan Stubbs: \"To score so early on settled all the players down and I think from then onwards it was a matter of being professional. When our chances came we took them. \"It's great to see the changes that I made to the team get on the scoresheet.\" Alloa Athletic manager Jack Ross: \"I don't have any qualms over the result, but I thought our players gave a good account of themselves individually and as a team. If we'd taken one of our opportunities early in the second half, it would have gotten us back to within a goal and the game could have been different, but there is a lot to be pleased about.\"", "summary": "Martin Boyle's double piloted Hibernian past Alloa Athletic to within five points of Championship leaders Rangers."}
{"article": "Eleven passengers and three crew were on Friday morning's Eastern Airways flight T3 722, which safely returned to Norwich at 07:26. The airline said there was a smell but no smoke. The passengers were transferred to another flight so they could continue their journey to Aberdeen. Eastern Airways said the Saab 2000 aircraft had returned to Norwich as a precautionary measure. A spokesman said: \"The captain operating this morning's T3 722 flight from Norwich to Aberdeen made a precautionary return to Norwich to have the aircraft checked following an unusual odour in the cockpit. \"The airport fire service was initially put on standby, but was stood down on arrival. Our engineers will be carrying out an inspection of the aircraft. \"We apologise to passengers for the inconvenience, but the safety of our passengers and crew is our primary concern.\"", "summary": "A plane headed for Aberdeen was turned back to Norwich Airport after the crew reported smelling an \"unusual odour\" in the cockpit."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old, who joined Fulham's academy in 2009, has played four times for the Cottagers and spent a month on loan at Accrington last season. The Finn also had spells on loan with Maidenhead United, Cambridge United and Finnish Premier League side FC Lahti. The 6ft 5in goalkeeper has represented Finland at several youth levels and made his senior debut in 2013. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Stevenage have signed Finland goalkeeper Jesse Joronen on a six-month loan from Championship side Fulham."}
{"article": "21 July 2015 Last updated at 07:09 BST They say the habitats of these important insects are being squeezed in both Europe and North America. The study added that humans may have to move bumblebees to cooler areas to help them survive. Ayshah went to meet some young beekeepers to find out more.", "summary": "Climate change is threatening the survival of bumblebees, hugely reducing the areas in which they can survive, according to scientists."}
{"article": "Creepy clowns, lurking in dark corners, wielding the odd weapon, have closed schools, created mass panic and kept police officers in the US and UK busy. If you saw one lurking outside your window, you'd have good reason to be terrified. But just how dangerous are these red-nosed children's entertainers really? Popular culture - from Batman's The Joker to Pennywise in Stephen King's It - certainly suggests the children's party favourites do give us something to fear. And, to be fair, history does have its share of killer clowns. The most notorious - by a long way - was John Wayne Gacy, otherwise known as Pogo the Clown - or, later, the Killer Clown. Between January 1972 and December 1978, he murdered 33 young men and teenage boys - burying most of them in the crawl space under his house. At the same time, the twice-married Gacy was appearing as Pogo, the friendly neighbourhood clown, bringing his own brand of humour to parades, children's hospitals and the odd Democratic fundraiser around Illinois. But the former manager of a fast-food franchise, later executed by lethal injection, doesn't appear to have been dressed as a clown when committing the killings. What's more, it is undeniable that his other passion - politics - has produced far more murderers over the years. More than a decade later, an actual \"clown killer\" struck: Marlene Warren was fatally shot by a clown who arrived at her Florida home holding flowers and two balloons. When Mrs Warren opened the door, the brown-eyed clown shot her before fleeing in an unmarked car. One of the balloons left behind as the killer made their escape said, \"You're the greatest\". More than 25 years later, her murder remains unsolved and the identity of the gunman behind the white mask is unknown. And that would be it for the list of actual clown killers, if not for one more high-profile murder. Francisco Rafael Arellano Felix was enjoying his birthday party in Baja California, Mexico, when he was gunned down by a clown wearing a pink wig and a round, red nose. This was no ordinary victim, however. The 64-year-old man shot dead in front of his family and friends, as well as politicians and sportsmen, had once controlled the drugs trade along the US border. But at the time of his death his cartel had been severely weakened. The clown's motive, and choice of costume, remain a mystery. With just a handful of actual clown killers in the past century, the answer to whether or not this latest craze should have us quaking in our boots has to be no. Between 1972 when Gacy began his killing spree and Mrs Warren's death in 1990, killings known to have been committed by clowns in the US accounted for just 0.0088% of all murders, nationally. In fact, in the same time frame there have been at least double the number of doctors-turned-serial killers. On top of that, arrests of clowns in the US have tended to be for minor offences only. So on balance, you", "summary": "It is the craze which is terrifying children and adults alike on both sides of the Atlantic, whether you like it or not."}
{"article": "The four board members stood down ahead of a review of services at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, which is due to be published next week. The trust came under fire after Connor Sparrowhawk drowned at its Slade House facility in Oxford. Its boss Katrina Percy resigned in October amid public pressure. Previous interim chairman Tim Smart also stood down after he was criticised for creating a new job for Ms Percy. Current interim chairman Alan Yates, said: \"The trust leadership will need to look quite different if it is to meet the needs of patients and service users, as well as its stakeholders. \"Four non-executive directors have this week jointly offered their resignation from their posts so that the governors can, with my help, recruit to the need for all five new non-executive directors.\" Mr Yates, previously the trust's improvement director, said the trust would also need to find a new chairman before he leaves in July. The review looks at the trust's mental health, learning disability, and community physical health services. \"The board has identified the benefits of much greater inclusion of service users and carers in the organisation as well as the delivery of its services,\" Mr Yates said. July 2013 - Connor Sparrowhawk, 18, drowns after an epileptic seizure at Oxford unit Slade House. An inquest later rules neglect contributed to his death 11 December 2015 - The BBC reveals details of a leaked Mazars report which highlights a \"failure of leadership\". Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says he is \"profoundly shocked\" 17 December 2015 - The report is officially published and shows out of 722 unexpected deaths over four years, only 272 were properly investigated 6 April 2016 - The Care Quality Commission (CQC) issues a warning notice to significantly improve protection for mental health patients 29 April 2016 - A full CQC inspection report is published, which says the trust is continuing to put patients at risk 30 June 2016 - Following a review of the management team competencies, it is announced that Katrina Percy is to keep her job 29 July 2016 - The BBC reveals the trust paid millions of pounds in contracts to companies owned by previous associates of Ms Percy 30 August 2016 - Ms Percy announces she is standing down as chief executive, but is staying on in an advisory role 19 September 2016 - Interim chairman Tim Smart resigns after admitting he created a job for Ms Percy 7 October 2016 - Ms Percy resigns completely from the trust", "summary": "All the non-executive directors of an NHS trust criticised for failing to properly investigate hundreds of deaths have resigned."}
{"article": "But the Labour-controlled authority, which says it must save \u00a3200m by 2018, also confirmed up to 1,600 job losses. Approving the council's budget for the next year, leader Simon Henig said \"extremely difficult decisions\" still had to be made. Planned cuts to adult care, school transport, refuse collections and libraries will go ahead. The council, which employs about 10,000 people, said cuts in government funding meant that initial forecasts of a total reduction of 28% to the budget were now more likely to equate to 36% up until 2018. Savings of \u00a390m have already been identified and a extended public consultation will hope highlight further areas for savings. Mr Henig, said: \"Our recent consultation shows a high level of understanding of how we have managed spending reductions so far. \"However, there is no doubt there are many more extremely difficult decisions which we will have to make. We will make these while continuing our discussions with residents and businesses in the county and while protecting those who are most vulnerable as best we can.\"", "summary": "Durham county councillors have agreed to freeze Council Tax for the fourth consecutive year."}
{"article": "It was a second day of gains following big falls earlier in the week linked to worries about the Chinese economy. Chinese markets were closed due to a public holiday. The Dow Jones rose 23 points, or 0.1%, to close at 16,375, while the S&P 500 rose 0.1% to 1,951. The Nasdaq fell slightly, closing down 16 points, or 0.4%, at 4,734 Non-farm payrolls figures for August are due out on Friday. They are expected to show a similar rise to the 215,000 jobs that were added in July. US shares had made bigger gains earlier in the day after European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi hinted there might be more stimulus measures to come for the eurozone. The chipmaker Intel was the biggest gainer, rising 1.7% the day after it unveiled its new range of processors at a technology show in Berlin. Construction equipment maker Caterpillar, down 2.2%, was the biggest faller on the Dow Jones. \"I think the market is trying to calm down a little bit with the fear factor reducing somewhat and the data points to a growing US economy,\" said Peter Cardillo at Rockwell Global Capital in New York.", "summary": "(Close): Wall Street shares closed slightly higher on Thursday ahead of Friday's jobs report."}
{"article": "The UK will vote on whether or not to remain in the EU on Thursday 23 June, Prime Minister David Cameron has said. Mr Goldsmith's opposition candidates, Labour's Sadiq Khan and the Lib Dems' Caroline Pidgeon, have both said they will campaign to stay in the EU. Current London Mayor Boris Johnson has also said he will campaign to leave. London Labour has responded to Zac Goldsmith by tweeting: \"No serious candidate for Mayor of London would put the prosperity of our city at risk by voting to leave the EU\". Mr Goldsmith, the MP for Richmond Park and north Kingston, has yet to release a statement as to why he has taken this decision.", "summary": "The Conservative candidate for London Mayor, Zac Goldsmith, will vote to leave the European Union, his team has confirmed."}
{"article": "Dorset County Council said the rock fall on East Beach near West Bay appears to have happened in the early hours of Friday. It follows other landslips earlier in the year caused by winter storms. The Jurassic Coast World Heritage team urged visitors to pay heed to warning signs and avoid \"putting yourself or others at risk\" by venturing close to the bottom of cliffs. Drone pictures taken by local photographer James Loveridge show debris from the sandstone cliff spread out on the beach below. Sam Scriven, earth science manager for the Jurassic Coast World Heritage team, said the cliffs were being monitored. \"As ever, keep your wits about you, whether you are out walking, fossil hunting, having a picnic or taking selfies. \"Always stay away from top and bottom of cliffs. Landslides and rock falls can, and do, happen anytime. Never ignore a warning sign - they are there for your safety.\" Bridport Harbour also posted a warning on Facebook. It said: \"These can happen at anytime and without warning. Stay a safe distance away from the bottom of the cliffs.\"", "summary": "A section of cliff has collapsed onto a beach on Dorset's Jurassic Coast."}
{"article": "Justine Damond, 40, was gunned down on Saturday after calling police to report a possible crime in her quiet Minneapolis neighbourhood. State investigators say the officers whom she encountered failed to activate their body or dashboard cameras. Every police officer and squad car in Minneapolis is equipped with cameras. \"I have the same questions everyone else does. Why weren't the police cameras on?\" said mayor Betsy Hodges on Tuesday. Minneapolis police are required to switch on their body cameras only during certain encounters, unlike in Los Angeles or Washington DC, where cameras must be switched on for any response to a call for service. Instead, there are more than a dozen situations in which cameras should be used, according to the police manual, which adds that failure to use the camera could result in job termination. \"If a BWC [body-worn camera] is not activated prior to a use of force, it shall be activated as soon as it is safe to do so,\" reads the manual. Local media reported that Ms Damond was dressed in her pyjamas and had approached the driver's side door to talk to the officer at the wheel after police arrived. Officer Mohamed Noor, who was sitting in the passenger seat, fired his weapon across his partner and through the driver's door, striking Ms Damond in the abdomen. Her fianc\u00e9, Don Damond, said on Monday that the family is \"desperate\" for answers from officials. Speaking in Sydney, her father John Ruszczyk said: \"Justine was a beacon to all of us, we only ask that the light of justice shine down on the circumstances of her death.\" Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says he will personally decide whether to charge Officer Mohamed Noor, rather than put the question to a grand jury. And he also questioned why the cameras were not turned on. Officer Noor, who has been described by local media as a Somali-American, has been with the police force for two years. A statement from his lawyer said he had arrived in the US \"at a young age\" and described him as \"a caring person with a family he loves and he empathised with the loss others are experiencing\". But KSTP-TV, citing city records, reports that in two years of policing the officer had attracted three formal complaints, two of which remain unresolved. Sources say his partner who was at the scene is Matthew Harrity, 25, who joined the force last year. Ms Damond's death has made headlines across her native Australia. The Australian: \"Justine Damond and Mohamed Noor were two strangers from distant lands who arrived in America to fulfil their dreams, but in a tragic meeting in a Minneapolis alley one was killed and the other could face serious criminal charges.\" The Sydney Morning Herald: \"The 40-year-old's family and wide network of friends on Sydney's northern beaches have been left reeling. They struggle to comprehend how Ms Damond became a victim in America's ongoing and controversial police shootings.\" The Age: \"The scale of the deaths [of people at the hands of police in the US]", "summary": "Questions are being raised by officials about why a police officer who shot an Australian woman and his partner did not record the fatal incident."}
{"article": "The search to find someone for the bellowing role in Swadlincote, Derbyshire first began in April. But one applicant withdrew ahead of the second round of auditions last Friday and the second was unable to attend. The council said it has not given up just yet and are \"optimistic\" of finding someone eventually. Kate Allies, from the recruiting team at South Derbyshire District Council, said she was \"surprised\" so few people applied but said: \"We are not giving up trying to find a town crier. \"It has to be the right candidate because this is very important for Swadlincote.\" The role was introduced after residents asked for a town crier as part of a survey on what they wanted in their area. It would be paid for with some of the \u00c2\u00a340,000 Heritage Lottery Funding that was given to the Swadlincote Townscape Heritage Scheme to revive the town. Ms Allies said they were trying to rearrange a new trial with the one applicant left before re-advertising the vacancy for a third time. \"It will definitely happen,\" she said. \"People have asked for it and there has been a lot of interest for it, we just need the right candidate.\"", "summary": "A town has struggled to find its first town crier after only two people applied for the job and then failed to turn up to auditions."}
{"article": "Mr Hernandez said that poverty and drug-related violence have led to a sharp increase in the number of children trying to enter the US illegally. The region lacks the resources to deal with the problem, he said. Some 57,000 unaccompanied children have arrived at the US border with Mexico since October 2013. \"We have to recognise that our countries can't do it by themselves. We need the support of the US and Mexico in a common problem,\" Mr Hernandez said. He was speaking at a special conference in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, to address the problem. Mr Hernandez said there was a clear link between the violence generated by the drug-trafficking cartels operating in his country and the exodus of children. \"Seven out of nine children who venture on the dangerous journey towards the United States come from the most violent areas of Honduras. \"Those are also the regions where the drug cartels are most active,\" he said. Mr Hernandez said the United States should set up in Central American anti-narcotics strategies implemented in Colombia and Mexico. In both countries, however, critics said that the \"war on drugs\" policies backed by the United States led to an increase in violence. The Organization of American States (OAS) President Jose Miguel Insulza called for immediate action. \"There must be an urgent solution to a regional crisis involving several countries,\" Mr Insulza said at the conference. Last month, US President Barack Obama announced he was shifting border patrol staff to the US border with Mexico in the face of the \"humanitarian crisis\". He also boosted aid to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, which will all receive millions of dollars to combat gang violence.", "summary": "Honduras President Juan Hernandez has called on the United States to create an anti-drugs plan for Central America."}
{"article": "Mr Barr, originally from Strabane, was killed in Sunset House pub in the north inner city, on 25 April. The victim worked in the pub as a barman but was known to garda\u00c3\u00ad (Irish police) for alleged involvement with dissident republicanism. A paramilitary-style funeral was held for Mr Barr in Strabane last month. At the time of his death, detectives said that they were keeping an open mind about who was responsible for Mr Barr's murder but were not ruling out the possibility that the killing was linked to a violent feud between two criminal gangs. The Kinahan - Hutch feud is believed to have claimed the lives of seven men. The man who was arrested on Friday morning is in his late 20s. He is being questioned at Bridewell Garda Station in Dublin.", "summary": "Police investigating the murder of County Tyrone man Michael Barr, who was shot dead in Dublin two months ago, have arrested a man."}
{"article": "Former England batsman Carberry hit 50 off 36 balls as Perth made 144-7 despite a maiden in the final over. Pietersen, who fired a stunning six with a switch hit, and Luke Wright both made 31 but the visiting side were all out for 126 in the final over. Perth will play Brett Lee's Sydney Sixers in Wednesday's final. That match in Canberra will be the Australia paceman's final competitive game before his retirement. There were boos ringing out from a vociferous home contingent when their tailender Andrew Tye swung and missed at six nearly identical slower deliveries from Clint McKay at the end of the Perth innings. Pietersen looked to be guiding his team to victory but with 57 needed from 32 balls became the fifth wicket to fall when he advanced down the pitch to paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile and edged to the wicketkeeper. Tye atoned for his batting with superb slower balls of his own to return 4-15 from his four overs and take Perth through to their fourth successive final as the Stars, who had won five matches in a row in this campaign, lost their fourth BBL semi-final. On Saturday, Australia T20 left-hander Nic Maddison inspired the Sydney Sixers to a comprehensive 87-run win over the Adelaide Strikers in the first semi-final, with seven fours and five sixes in his 85 from 48 balls. Sydney made 181-4 after choosing to bat and then dismissed Adelaide for 94 inside 15 overs, with burly left-arm seamer Doug Bollinger taking 3-21 and Sean Abbott claiming 2-14. The Sixers also have former England opener Michael Lumb, and Carberry's former Hampshire team-mate, in their side.", "summary": "Michael Carberry helped Perth Scorchers beat Kevin Pietersen's Melbourne Stars by 18 runs at the Waca and reach the Australian Big Bash League final."}
{"article": "The Sahara chief was arrested on Friday after he failed to appear before the judges in connection with a fraud case. Two Sahara firms were ordered to repay 240bn rupees ($3.9bn; \u00c2\u00a32.3bn) to investors that market regulators said they had raised illegally. On Tuesday, a protester threw ink on Mr Roy's face as he arrived at the court. \"Subrata Roy is a thief. He has cheated and robbed us,\" his attacker shouted. The man, identified as a lawyer by Indian television channels, was taken away by the police. Profile: Subrata Roy It was not immediately clear whether the businessman would now be sent to jail. Since his arrest, he has been lodged in government guest houses. The Supreme Court set the next hearing for 11 March. On Tuesday, Mr Roy apologised to the court saying his reasons for not appearing before the judges last Wednesday \"were genuine\". He said Sahara would sell its assets and pay back the investors and asked the judges to give him more time. But the court rejected his proposal saying \"we are not interested in selling the properties, you have been telling us for the last two years, it is your headache, you should have done it\". The judges also ordered police to take two other Sahara directors into custody and hold them until the next hearing. The case against Mr Roy stretches back to August 2012, when the court ordered the two Sahara firms implicated to refund money to 22 million small investors within 90 days and with 15% interest. In December 2012, the court gave the firms more time to repay. In February last year, market regulators froze the firms' bank accounts saying they had failed to refund the money. But Sahara disputes the amount it should pay back, saying its liability should be no more than the 51.2bn rupees it has already paid back. Mr Roy is a household name in India. His group, worth $11bn, has businesses ranging from finance, housing and manufacturing to aviation and the media. It also has interests overseas - it owns New York's landmark Plaza Hotel and London's iconic Grosvenor House. Sahara also sponsors the Indian hockey team and owns a stake in Formula One racing team, Force India. With more than 1.1 million workers, the group is India's biggest private sector employer.", "summary": "India's Supreme Court has ordered the continuing detention of businessman Subrata Roy and asked his firm to come up with a plan to repay its investors."}
{"article": "Mr Jammeh has denied similar allegations in the past. He will be seeking re-election for a fifth term and for the first time he will be facing a single major opposition candidate. HRW urges external pressure on The Gambia to prevent further violence. In a report published on Wednesday, the group says two Gambian activists have died in custody, with dozens of critics of President Jammeh in jail. They are being denied medical or legal help, the report says. The Gambia, a popular tourist destination because of its beaches, has never experienced a democratic transition of power since independence. Mr Jammeh took over in a 1994 coup. His critics accuse him of running a repressive state, an allegation he denies. Most of the major Gambian opposition parties last week picked a single candidate - businessman Adama Barrow of the United Democratic Party (UDP). Mr Barrow's nomination is the result of the biggest opposition alliance in Gambia since independence, the AFP news agency reported. HRW says the prospect of political change in December has prompted Mr Jammeh's government to step up oppression against critics. It claims a torture squad, linked to the presidential guard, is terrorising opponents ahead of the election. The group wants freedom benchmarks to be imposed now - by the United States, the European Union and The Gambia's West African neighbours - to prevent more bloodshed. Last week, The Gambia said it would pull of the International Criminal Court (ICC) after accusing the tribunal of persecuting and humiliating Africans. The small West African nation joined South Africa and Burundi in saying it will withdraw from the court.", "summary": "President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia is using violence to silence critics in the lead-up to presidential election in December and pressure is needed to stop it, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says."}
{"article": "About 600 people had to be evacuated from their homes in the Borders town of Hawick. There are multiple diversions on roads throughout Scotland and high wind warnings on most of the bridges. Dozens of flood warnings remain in place and police have urged drivers to travel with caution. A severe flood warning in Hawick has now been lifted but flood alerts are active along sections of rivers in the Borders, Tayside and Moray and Speyside. At the scene BBC Scotland's Catriona Renton The sky above Hawick is now blue and there has not been a drop of rain for hours. So very different from last night when the River Teviot flowed fast and angrily through the town. Throughout yesterday 600 people were evacuated from their homes along the river bank. Some sought refuge in the local sport centre, many spent the night in bed and breakfasts or with friends and family. In nearby Newcastleton people were also moved out of their homes temporarily as Storm Desmond made its mark. The local volunteer flood group in Hawick were busy helping throughout. Now the town counts the cost and assesses the damage. Last night the famous Pringle shop in Hawick had water up to its letterbox. Today to look at Hawick you would hardly know there had been a flood here but while the water drains away its effects remain. The River Tay in Perth was expected to reach its highest level for more than a decade and other rivers are at risk of bursting their banks. Homes close to the River Esk in Langholm were also evacuated on Saturday night as water breached the bank, while flooding has also been reported in some areas of Annandale and Eskdale including Wamphray, Cummertrees and Hoddom. The bad weather has also hit rail travel, with services between Glasgow/Edinburgh and Inverness cancelled after flooding on the Perth to Inverness line. And Virgin, ScotRail and First Transpennine have all suspended train services between Glasgow and Carlisle. Find updates about travel problems on the Traffic Scotland website and keep up to date with our Severe Weather Twitter list. However, Nigel Goody, from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said the weather situation was improving. He said: \"The heavy rain which we've had overnight, over the last 48 hours really, is now dissipating. And the river levels are responding accordingly. \"However, I would say that the danger is not over yet. River levels continue to be high, and in some areas unprecedentedly so. \"So the public should be vigilant and should certainly not approach rivers in these conditions.\" Met Office weather warnings which had been in place throughout Saturday have now all been lifted. Live flood warnings from the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. View the flood map by tapping on the image below Tap here for the interactive flood map. Note: the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency display their flood alert data differently. While the Environment Agency highlights individual rivers only, in Scotland the entire region is coloured to indicate the level of", "summary": "Flooding is affecting many parts of Scotland after the country was battered by strong winds and heavy rain brought in by Storm Desmond."}
{"article": "On Thursday, the hospital urged mothers-to-be to ring before arriving as its neonatal cots were full. It had said only women in advanced stages of labour who could not travel were being admitted. But on Friday the hospital said the unit was now accepting most mothers-to-be in labour. Consultants and senior midwives were said to be assessing each case of premature labour to see if they may still need to go elsewhere. Although the unit remained extremely busy, caesarean sections and inducements were also now going ahead. Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board said: \"The neonatal unit, which cares for poorly babies, is still extremely busy but the situation has eased enough for most mums-to-be to have their babies in the hospital. \"Earlier this week the neonatal unit was completely full, meaning that only women who were too advanced in their labour to travel were being accepted and all others were being asked to call ahead in advance. \"The situation is constantly evolving but the service is expected to remain under some pressure for a few days at least.\" Women due to give birth at Singleton who go into premature labour - less than 36 weeks into their pregnancy - are asked to call the ward on 01792 205666.", "summary": "Swansea's Singleton Hospital says it is accepting \"most\" expectant women in labour again after pressures on its neonatal services eased."}
{"article": "Anthony Knockeart converted Gaetan Bong's fine cross to give Brighton the lead in an otherwise even first half. Bournemouth loanee Murray doubled the lead from close range after the break and he tapped in his second late on. Defeat was Forest's first of the season under new head coach Philippe Montanier, who joined in June. Relive Brighton's win over Nottingham Forest Adding victory to their draw at Derby on the opening day, the result saw Brighton go to the top the table ahead of the rest of the weekend's fixtures. Murray returned to the Seagulls on a season-long loan this summer and his second-half goals made the points safe as Brighton, who finished third in the Championship last season, took control after half-time. Tomer Hemed went close to adding further goals for the hosts, while Czech Republic winger Jiri Skalak had a goal correctly ruled out for offside. Forest have now conceded three goals in both of the first two league games, while Brighton are yet to concede this season.", "summary": "Glenn Murray scored the first two goals of his second spell at Brighton & Hove Albion as they beat Nottingham Forest to claim a first league win of 2016-17."}
{"article": "The hosts lost their last five wickets for 54 runs and were 333 all out in their second innings, which was wrapped up just before the close on day three. England all-rounder Ben Stokes (3-50) broke a second-wicket stand of 114 between Procter and Haseeb Hameed when the latter was caught at slip for 53. But Procter (122) got to three figures off 235 balls, his second ton of 2016. The 28-year-old left-hander spent exactly six hours at the crease, although he should have been run out and was also dropped by wicketkeeper Michael Richardson before bringing up his third first-class century. Procter was eventually caught at leg gully off leg-spinner Scott Borthwick (3-98), who took some late punishment as tail-ender Nathan Buck smashed 27 not out, including two huge sixes in an over which cost 18 runs. The victorious team will climb up to second in Division One. Durham's Stokes and Lancashire paceman James Anderson have been recalled by England for the second Test against Pakistan, which starts at Old Trafford on Friday Hameed was Stokes' first scalp, the teenage opener gloving a rising short ball to substitute fielder Jeremy Benton at slip, and he returned later to remove Simon Kerrigan and Matt Parkinson. Buck replaced Anderson, who successfully proved his fitness to the England selectors following a shoulder injury, in the Lancashire side at the start of the third day's play. Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes: \"The back's fine and the knee's fine, which is the main thing. \"It's my first game back and I've got through it - to know I can run in unrestricted and bowl overs is good.\"", "summary": "Luke Procter's watchful century for Lancashire left Durham a final-day victory target of 247 at Southport."}
{"article": "\"The hateful language... from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country,\" she said, to loud cheers and applause. \"Don't stoop to their level. Our motto is, when they go low, we go high.\" Earlier, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders urged Democrats to back Mrs Clinton. She will accept the party's presidential nomination on Thursday, when a roll call of how states' delegates are voting is to be read out. \"While Donald Trump is busy insulting one group after another, Hillary Clinton understands that our diversity is one of our greatest strengths,\" Mr Sanders said. Some supporters of the senator, who had been Mrs Clinton's rival in the Democratic primary, booed at mention of Mrs Clinton's name; others wore duct tape with the word \"silenced\" over their mouths. Mrs Obama's speech was widely seen as an attack on Mr Trump, although she did not mention the Republican nominee by name. She said she wanted her husband to be succeeded by \"somebody who knows this job and takes it seriously\" and that could only be Mrs Clinton. Watch: Michelle Obama speech in full Because of the Democrats' candidate, she said, \"my daughters and all our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States.\" In other remarks, she praised Mrs Clinton as a \"true public servant\" who had shown \"devotion to our nation's children\" and \"never buckles under pressure\". After her speech, President Obama wrote on Twitter: \"Incredible speech by an incredible woman. Couldn't be more proud & our country has been blessed to have her as FLOTUS [first lady]. I love you, Michelle.\" Mr Trump, who has criticised his rivals, both Republican and Democrat, in sometimes colourful language on Twitter, said Mr Sanders had \"sold out\" to Mrs Clinton. He also condemned other speakers at the Democratic convention including senators Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren, but made no mention of Mrs Obama. In other key moments from the convention on Monday: The Washington Post said the party's \"opening day of discord\" ended on a \"high note\" but USA Today said the Democrats proved \"they can be dysfunctional too\". The Boston Globe meanwhile asked: \"Has Bernie Sanders lost control of his delegates?\" But it was the First Lady who was credited with invigorating things. This was Hillary's convention, but it was \"Michelle's night\" says Gail Collins in the New York Times. The LA Times says she \"delivered one of the most passionate Clinton endorsements of the night\". 1. What is the point? At a convention, each party formally nominates its candidates for president and vice-president, and the party unveils its party platform, or manifesto. 2. Who is there? There are about 5,000 delegates attending, selected at state and congressional district conventions, and representing each US state and territory. Plus about 15,000 journalists and tens of thousands of other party grandees, lawmakers and guests. 3. What is the schedule?", "summary": "US first lady Michelle Obama has denounced Republican Donald Trump and passionately backed Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia."}
{"article": "The victims were Nepali nationals on their way to the Canadian embassy where they worked as security guards. The attacker waited for the bus as it left a compound, police said. The blast was followed by a separate bomb attack on a market in Badakhshan province that killed at least eight people and wounded 18. The Taliban said they carried out the Kabul bombing, the first such attack since the start of the holy month of Ramadan. The bomb went off shortly before 06:00 local time (01:30 GMT) on a main road leading out of the capital towards the city of Jalalabad. The guards were employed by a private security company, an official told AFP news agency. At least eight other people were injured. The incident follows a suicide attack on a bus near Kabul last month and an attack on a court in Ghazni in June. Both attacks were claimed by the Taliban in revenge for the execution of six prisoners. The Taliban have been waging an insurgency against the government since 2001. Nato ended its combat mission in December 2014, although about 13,000 training and counter-terrorism troops remain in Afghanistan. Peace efforts have stalled after the Taliban refused to participate in new talks with the Afghan government until foreign forces had left the country.", "summary": "A suicide attack on a minibus in Kabul has killed at least 14 people and injured several more, Afghan authorities say."}
{"article": "The Mourne County were 4-1 outsiders for their semi-final against Monaghan but clinched a 1-14 to 0-15 victory. \"I'm confident if we go there and express ourselves and play hard, we have a realistic chance of becoming Ulster champions,\" says Burns. \"But we know that it's going to be a huge task.\" 1991 and 1994 All-Ireland medallist Burns endured a torrid start to his Down managerial stint as his side lost 11 straight competitive games before a remarkable escape act earlier this year saw them avoid a second successive league relegation as they remained in Division Two. \"When I took over the job, I knew there were going to be tough times ahead. I had prepared for that but at times there was quite a bit of undue criticism of the team,\" adds the Down boss. \"Whenever I took the job, I lost maybe eight or 10 players and they were the most experienced players in the panel. \"So you are starting from scratch as such. You are having to start and build a panel and you are bringing in young and inexperienced players who might have played at minor and under-21 level. \"There is a massive step up from under-21 to having to play at senior level. But we worked away, we kept our heads down, we introduced quite a few players and the ball is starting to roll in the right direction for us.\" Burns believes the concluding league draw in Cork which kept Down in Division Two as Derry and Fermanagh suffered the drop was a key moment in his team's development. \"We knew we were going to have to get something when we were down there and it had been a long time since Down had got anything in Cork. \"We had a tough second half with them but we battled it out and the result kept us in Division Two and gave us a platform to build on in the lead-in to the championship.\" Despite avoiding the drop to join Armagh in Division Three, Down still went into the Ulster derby against the Orchard County on 4 June as underdogs but the Mournemen produced a composed second-half display to earn a deserved 0-15 to 2-7 victory. \"We knew if we performed on the day that we had a massive chance of beating Armagh. That result gave us a great boost and then we had another great win against Monaghan.\" Burns' matter of fact description of belies the emotion he showed at the final whistle of the provincial semi-final in the Athletic Grounds as he emotionally embraced the Down county secretary Sean Og McAteer. \"I think there are a couple of of pictures of me hugging him. It was just great to give the players an opportunity to play in an Ulster Final. The players had taken the brunt of the criticism when we struggled after I took on the job.\" As for Sunday's final, Burns knows full well that his side be even bigger underdogs than in their two most recent games. \"Tyrone are laden with a", "summary": "Down manager Eamonn Burns believes his side are capable of causing another shock by beating holders Tyrone in Sunday's Ulster Football Final."}
{"article": "Ryan Lock, 20, from Chichester in West Sussex, died on 21 December during a battle for the IS group's stronghold of Raqqa. He was fighting as a volunteer with the Kurdish armed fighting forces, the YPG. The YPG told the BBC that \"trace of a gunshot wound was found under the chin\", suggesting suicide. Sources said five fighters came under siege by IS - also known as ISIS - in the village of Ja'bar, and they showed \"considerable resistance\" before they were killed. After the bodies were retrieved examinations showed that \"it seems that the British fighter committed suicide in order not to fall captive with Isis\". A report said the gunshot wound indicated \"that the gun made contact with the bottom of the chin\". \"This suggests that the fighter committed suicide,\" it concluded. Kurdish rights activist Mark Campbell, from KurdishQuestion.com, told BBC South: \"Ryan Lock may very well have turned his own gun upon himself rather than be taken prisoner by ISIS. \"There are no words to describe the bravery required to take such an action. \"ISIS were robbed of a predictable macabre propaganda opportunity by Ryan's action. \"I personally believe he deserves the very highest of military honours for such outstanding bravery in the face of such a barbaric enemy.\" Mr Lock, a chef, had travelled to Syria in August having told friends and family he was going on holiday to Turkey. Earlier on Tuesday his body was transported into Iraq in preparation to be flown back to the UK. In a statement to the BBC, his father Jon Plater, from Chichester, said: \"Since we heard the devastating news of Ryan, it's been pretty tough, especially the difficulties surrounding the repatriation. \"We are grateful to the YPG for bringing him home.\" Mr Lock's body had been in the hands of IS militants. The volunteer, who attended school in Havant, Hampshire, became the third British man to die fighting alongside the Kurds against so-called Islamic State. The Foreign Office continues to advise against all travel to Syria.", "summary": "A Briton fighting in Syria \"turned the gun on himself\" to avoid being taken prisoner by so-called Islamic State, Kurdish sources have told the BBC."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Morgan's men are through to the semi-finals after beating New Zealand, but have the chance to put Australia out. \"If we're going to be contenders, we need to beat the best and Australia are one of the best,\" said Morgan. \"So to go in to a game like that with no other attitude than winning is very important to us.\" England will go through to the semis as Group A winners regardless of the result against Australia, but Saturday's clash could be the final time the two sides meet before this winter's Ashes series. New Zealand will also be looking for England to do them a favour, as an Australia win would send the Kiwis out. In Cardiff on Tuesday, England posted 310 and looked under pressure when New Zealand reached 158-2. Media playback is not supported on this device But after Mark Wood found extra bounce to remove Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson for 87, it began a collapse that saw New Zealand lose their last eight wickets for 65 runs. \"We batted OK,\" said Morgan. \"We weren't that pleased at halfway and thought we were maybe 20 or 30 short of par. \"The guys did the right things, but it doesn't always work. But, when you post over 300 you're always in with a shout.\" In an all-round display from the England side, four of the batsmen made scores in excess of 48, while all five bowlers used took at least one wicket. However, the form of opener Jason Roy remains a concern. The Surrey man, who had not passed 20 in his previous seven ODIs, made 13 before being bowled by Adam Milne. Morgan, who has previously backed Roy to remain in the England side throughout the tournament, said: \"It doesn't change very much. \"We'll obviously have a chat about the team, but, certainly within a winning side, it's very hard to make changes going into a game where you don't really have much to lose.\"", "summary": "England captain Eoin Morgan says his side will show no let-up when they meet Australia in the Champions Trophy at Edgbaston on Saturday."}
{"article": "Racing Metro centre Roberts, 28, is understood to have rejected Cardiff Blues and agreed to join Quins after the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Head coach Gatland has previously stated he would prefer Welsh internationals to play in Wales. \"There's not a hard and fast rule as there is with England,\" Gatland told BBC Wales Sport. \"There are exceptions where players have been playing outside of Wales and there are one or two wildcards we could pick. \"They do play outside of Wales but they could be selected, but I think the long-term goal is to have a policy where, ideally, we pick players who are playing in Wales.\" English players who move to play abroad are currently not considered for national team selection. To complete the move to Quins, Roberts must first be released by French Top 14 club Racing Metro, where he has a contract until June 2016. Under the so-called 'Gatland's Law', Wales-based players are likely to be favoured for Test selection over those who choose to play elsewhere. In August 2014, the Welsh Rugby Union and Wales' four professional regions signed a \u00a360m, six-year deal that settled a long-running dispute over the sport's future. That deal included rules that mean players based outside Wales could also be overlooked in favour of home-based talent, with coach Gatland expected to tighten selection policy. The selection policy ruled that no player based overseas should represent Wales, although Gatland is able to make exceptions. However, that only applied to players who moved before the deal was agreed, and so at the time would not have applied to Roberts, who joined Racing in June 2013. A move to Harlequins now would bring the centre into the category of players who could be overlooked for selection, though Gatland remains pragmatic on the matter. \"The ideal for me is you want players playing in Wales,\" Gatland said at an event where tickets went on sale for Wales' World Cup warm-up matches. \"It's important we work closely with the regions to make them as successful as possible. \"That will encourage players to stay and encourage players to come back to Wales.\" Wales host Ireland on Saturday, 8 August, visit Dublin on Saturday, 29 August, and then welcome Italy to the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, 5 September.", "summary": "Warren Gatland insists Jamie Roberts' expected move to Harlequins will not preclude him from Wales selection."}
{"article": "The FTSE 100 index was down 73.57 at 6,112.02 points. Mining companies saw some of the biggest falls as the price of metals declined. The biggest faller on the FTSE 100 was mining giant Rangold, whose shares lost 11%. Fellow BHP Billiton, was down 6%, with its shares also being affected by news of a lawsuit in Brazil. Federal prosecutors in Brazil have filed a $43.5bn (\u00a330bn) civil lawsuit against iron miner Samarco and its owners BHP and Vale, over the collapse of a dam last year that killed 19 people. Shares in Sainsbury's extended losses throughout the afternoon to lose 6% after the supermarket reported a fall in underlying full-year profits. Profits fell to \u00a3587m from \u00a3681m in the previous year as the supermarket price war continued to have an impact. Shares in rivals Tesco and Morrisons were also lower, with Tesco down 5% and Morrisons 1.7%, as research from Kantar Worldpanel indicated that all the big four supermarkets had lost market share in the 12 weeks to 24 April. Next shares rose 3.5% despite the retailer cutting its full-year sales and profit forecasts on fears of a slowdown in consumer spending. On the currency markets, the pound slipped 0.4% against the dollar to $1.4478, and was 0.3% lower against the euro at \u20ac1.2593.", "summary": "(Close): London's top share index closed down 1.2% as mining and supermarket shares fell."}
{"article": "More than 1,800 cases have been recorded in recent weeks, compared to 1,695 cases for all of 2010. Five deaths have been reported so far. The mosquito that carries the dengue virus breeds in containers with clear, stagnant water. Dengue cases usually jump during and just after the rainy season, which normally lasts from June to September. Hospitals and clinics across the city have been inundated with patients, putting a strain on emergency services. News channels are showing patients sharing beds and scores of people queuing up at clinics for free fever tests. The government in Delhi has ordered 1,000 extra bed in hospitals to treat dengue patients after the suicide of a couple whose seven-year-old son died from the tropical illness after being allegedly refused treatment at a number of city hospitals. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain has also ordered the setting up of \"fever clinics\" at hospitals to deal with the rush of patients. \"There is no need to panic. I have ordered all government hospitals that they should not refuse to admit dengue patients even if they have to treat two patients on a single bed,\" he said. \"The panic in people about the spread of dengue is leading to a huge burden on hospitals.\" YK Mann, director of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, told the AFP news agency that this was \"the worst outbreak in the last five years and it is going to further increase as the weather remains humid\". The government's latest move comes after a couple jumped to their death from a four-storey building in Delhi last week, two days after their son died of the fever. The authorities ordered a magisterial inquiry into the death after local media reported that the boy was refused admission at five private hospitals. The reports sparked outrage and anger in the city. Monsoon rains provide more breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes, who lay their eggs in stagnant water, including pots of clean water, puddles and open sewage drains.", "summary": "The Indian capital, Delhi, is in the grip of the worst outbreak of dengue fever in five years, officials say."}
{"article": "The claim: Prime Minister Theresa May says there is no turning back from the triggering of Article 50, which starts the process of leaving the EU. Reality Check verdict: The government is clear that it respects the result of the referendum, so it argues that any debate is theoretical. However, the question of whether Article 50 is irrevocable is the subject of legal dispute. As a result, the UK government has been unable to make any definitive legal statements on the issue. The Justice Secretary, Liz Truss, has said \"My understanding is that it is irrevocable,\" while the Brexit Secretary, David Davis, said in December 2016: \"Is it irrevocable? I don't know.\" In the recent UK Supreme Court case on Article 50, both sides assumed that it was irrevocable and the court judgement concluded: \"We are content to proceed on the basis that that is correct, without expressing any view of our own.\" So this is not an issue that has been formally tested in a UK court. But European Council President Donald Tusk has said that he believes Article 50 can be reversed. When asked if the UK could unilaterally withdraw its Article 50 notification during the next two years, he said, \"Formally, legally, yes.\" Lord Kerr - the former British ambassador to the EU, who helped draft Article 50 - agreed. \"You can change your mind while the process is going on,\" he said. He acknowledged that this might annoy the rest of the EU, and be seen as a huge waste of time. \"They might try to extract a political price,\" Lord Kerr said, \"but legally they couldn't insist that you leave.\" The distinction between political and legal opinion on this issue is critical. The politics might become way too complicated if the UK tried to change its mind. But who might have the final legal say on what could yet become a critical question? Article 50 is a piece of European law, so the ultimate arbiter on this issue is the European Court of Justice. There is an ongoing case in Dublin at the moment that is seeking to refer the question of irrevocability to the European Court to get a definitive answer. One other point is worth bearing in mind: everyone is talking about a two-year period for negotiating under Article 50, at the end of which the UK would leave the EU. But Article 50 does provide for that two-year period to be extended, if all 28 EU countries, including the UK, agreed. No-one is advocating that, but it remains a legal possibility. The argument that Article 50 cannot be reversed once it has been triggered has not been tested in court. The rest of the EU has said it does not want the UK to leave, but - politically speaking - it would be very difficult to revoke notification of Article 50, and the current UK government says it has no intention of doing so. Read more from Reality Check", "summary": "Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty was written with a deliberate lack of clarity - it does not say whether it can be revoked once it has been triggered."}
{"article": "The girls ate othalanga, a local fruit, at the Water Sports Centre in southern Kerala state, reports said. The girls, all rowers, were allegedly being harassed by senior athletes and their trainer, their families allege. The government-run Sports Authority of India which runs the centre has ordered an inquiry into the incident. \"They had left behind a suicide note. The jurisdictional magistrate has also recorded the statement of one of them. The police investigation is also on,\" SAI (Sports Authority of India) director general Injeti Srinivas told reporters in Delhi. SAI official G Kishore, who has been asked to conduct the inquiry, told BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi that the condition of one of the girls admitted to hospital was critical while the other two were out of danger. The athletes were taken to hospital on Wednesday evening after they were found unconscious in a room of their hostel.", "summary": "A 15-year-old Indian athlete has died and three others are in hospital after allegedly consuming poisonous fruit in what is suspected to be a suicide pact."}
{"article": "The Lady Black Cats beat Reading 3-0 to make the semi-finals with Arsenal, Manchester City and holders Chelsea. \"If you want to win a trophy you've got to beat the best,\" Williams told BBC Newcastle ahead of Tuesday's draw. \"Whoever we get, we'll prepare appropriately. We're not going down without a fight.\" Carlton Fairweather's side had drawn 1-1 with Reading in Women's Super League One on 26 March. Ex-Doncaster defender Williams continued: \"We played Reading in the league last week and we felt that we underperformed quite badly. \"So we had a chat first thing on Monday morning, we had a look through the videos, discussed what we needed to improve on and we applied that.\" Sunderland Ladies have only played in an FA Cup final once, losing 2-1 to Arsenal in 2009. \"It would be massive if we get there [the final],\" the 25-year old added. \"It's every kid's dream, isn't it? You don't get many chances to play at Wembley and you've got to work hard to get there.\"", "summary": "Defender Victoria Williams says Sunderland Ladies will \"not go down without a fight\" after reaching the last four of the Women's FA Cup."}
{"article": "The Australian rode 13.8km in 14 minutes and 56 seconds at an average speed of 55.446 km/h, with German Tony Martin five seconds behind in second. \"To wear the Tour de France yellow jersey, it's a dream,\" Dennis said. Team Sky's Chris Froome was 50 seconds back as Steve Cummings placed highest of 10 British riders in 10th. Defending champion Vincenzo Nibali was the best performer among Froome's fellow contenders for overall victory at the 21-stage race, which ends in Paris on 26 July, Astana's Italian rider finished 22nd, seven seconds ahead of 2013 winner Froome, 15 seconds clear of Spaniard Alberto Contador and 18 seconds ahead of Colombia's Nairo Quintana. \"It's the longer efforts I've been training for and I'm happy to have that out the way,\" said Froome. British former Olympic champion Chris Boardman set the previous fastest individual average speed over a Tour de France stage with 55.152 km/h at the 7.2km prologue of 1994. \"Everything went perfectly,\" said Dennis, who will wear the leader's yellow jersey for the start of stage two on Sunday - a 166km ride along the Dutch coast that is likely to end in a bunch sprint. \"We went with the tactic of going out early and setting a benchmark and making everyone chase me,\" the 25-year-old BMC rider added on ITV4. Dennis's Swiss team-mate Fabian Cancellara came third with a time of 15 minutes and two seconds, while Britons Geraint Thomas of Team Sky and Alex Dowsett of Movistar came 12th and 13th respectively. Cummings, 34, last rode the Tour in 2012 and this year is competing for Team MTN-Qhubeka, the first African-based team to tackle cycling's most prestigious race. Meanwhile, Astana's Lars Boom completed the stage despite suggestions he should be withdrawn for failing a test for low cortisol levels, which can indicate abuse of cortisone. Stage 1 result and general classification 1 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing Team 14mins 56secs 2 Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx - Quick-Step +5secs 3 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Trek Factory Racing +6secs 4 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin +8secs 5 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo +15secs 6 Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Movistar Team a +23secs 7 Matthias Brandle (Aut) IAM Cycling at same time 8 Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar Team +29secs 9 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo +30secs 10 Stephen Cummings (Gbr) MTN - Qhubeka +32secs Selected others: 12 Geraint Thomas (Gbr) Team Sky +33secs 13 Alex Dowsett (Gbr) Movistar Team +36secs 22 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana +43secs 33 Simon Yates (Gbr) Orica GreenEdge +46secs 39 Christopher Froome (Gbr) Team Sky +50secs 46 Alberto Contador (Spa) Saxo-Tinkoff +58 57 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar +1min 1sec 68 Peter Kennaugh (Gbr) Team Sky +1min 08secs 74 Ian Stannard (Gbr) Team Sky +1min 11secs 97 Adam Yates (Gbr) Orica GreenEdge +1min 18secs 123 Mark Cavendish (Gbr) Etixx - Quick-Step +1min 26secs 180 Luke Rowe (Gbr) Team Sky +1min 54secs", "summary": "Rohan Dennis rode the fastest individual time trial in Tour de France history to claim victory at the opening stage of this year's race in Utrecht."}
{"article": "Mr Osborne said the changes would allow councils to allocate more sites for building homes specifically for people who already live or work in the area. He said he also wanted to improve transport, schools and broadband in rural areas to boost the rural economy. But Labour said the plans were ignoring the need for more affordable homes. The chancellor wants to extend the government's \"starter homes\" scheme, announced before the election for brownfield sites, to some villages. The initiative offers young local first-time home buyers a 20% discount on the price of the property. As it stands, the discount will be offered on homes up to \u00c2\u00a3250,000 outside London and \u00c2\u00a3450,000 inside London. The measures are part of Mr Osborne's new rural productivity plan, which will be unveiled later. Steve Reed, Labour's shadow local government minister, said the Conservatives' housing policies had made things worse for people in rural communities. \"The government says it wants to build starter homes in rural areas but it seems these will replace affordable homes to buy and rent - starter homes should be additional to affordable housing supply not instead of it,\" he said. \"In many rural areas buying or renting a home has become increasingly unaffordable. Yet the government has undermined the provision of affordable housing at every step by watering down requirements on developers to build new affordable homes.\" Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Osborne said rural areas were an increasingly dynamic part of the economy, with 60,000 people moving from the city to the countryside each year. He has pledged to continue to protect the Green Belt but said he wanted to \"make it easier for people to stay in their rural communities and for newcomers to settle there too\". He and Environment Secretary Liz Truss write in their joint newspaper editorial: \"For rural areas, we want better internet and mobile phone communications, better transport, better schools, better skills, better housing, better business growth and better local government. \"And we'll look at planning and regulatory constraints facing rural businesses. In a recent survey of rural businesses the main barrier to growth that most identified was planning restrictions. \"So for a start, we'll review rules around agricultural buildings such as barns to allow rural businesses to expand more easily.\" The Campaign for Rural England said it welcomed the government's recognition that rural areas could boost the economy, but it voiced concern that the \"beautiful English countryside\" was at risk of \"inappropriate developments\". Planning officer John Rowley said: \"We recognise that providing the right houses in the right places that meet local need is a vital part of ensuring our villages remain vibrant and sustainable. \"However, the proposals risk alienating local communities and reducing the amount of affordable housing in rural areas. The government's suggestion that young families will be able to afford houses at even 20% discount will not ring true in many low-waged rural economies.\" He added it was likely that commuters would be able to outbid local families, taking advantage of the discount which would not continue on resale -", "summary": "Chancellor George Osborne has said he wants to reform planning laws to make it easier for villages in England to build new starter homes."}
{"article": "Rachel Booth was at the rally on 11 June in Manchester, which organisers said was \"against Islamic hate\". She said she attended in sympathy for the victims of the Manchester attack that killed 22 people on 22 May. Moor Nook Primary School, in Preston, confirmed a member of staff has been suspended \"pending further inquiries\". Thousands of people attended the march by a coalition that calls itself UK Against Hate, held three weeks after a suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert. The rally also drew hundreds of people in a counter-demonstration against the march. Mrs Booth, who has worked at the school for four years, said the suspension was \"a big shock\". \"I have never been in any kind of trouble with police. \"The grounds for suspending me are it was an EDL march, which is a load of rubbish. Even if I was part of the EDL, which I'm certainly not, it should not have affected my job.\" She said she attended with her mixed race husband, who is a former serviceman, to show solidarity with the bombing victims, not to support far-right extremism. \"I thought it was for the children and so I went,\" she added. The march was criticised at the time by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham who tweeted: \"These EDL-types who came today need to have a look at themselves.\" In a letter to the school, Mohammed Fyaz, one of the march's organisers, wrote \"the event in question was not organised by or linked to the EDL in any way\". He added: \"In the democracy in which we live political, religious and moral issues should be allowed to be discussed, questioned and at times challenged freely, without fear of persecution or discrimination.\" It is understood a suspension in such circumstances is a \"neutral\" act and will allow the school to investigate footage from the march featuring Mrs Booth.", "summary": "A primary school dinner lady who attended a march co-organised by former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson has been suspended."}
{"article": "The latest figures available suggest more than 1.5 million homeowners may not have cover if the worst was to happen to their home. Until last year Violet, a pensioner, lived in a semi-detached, thatched cottage which she inherited from her parents. Then in March, a fire believed to have started in her neighbour's chimney spread to her house, burning both of them down. Speaking to Radio 4'sMoney Boxshe said: \"It quickly spread to my side. The wind was blowing my way, we had about 10 fire engines here but I lost just about everything.\" Violet's neighbour has buildings insurance and his insurer has agreed to meet his claim. Violet had cover until a few years ago but then cancelled it because of the cost, something she now bitterly regrets: \"Being on a low income, I had to let the contents and house insurance go, but in retrospect I wish I had been insured because now I can't claim on anything.\" Since the fire Violet has lived in a mobile home in her garden which local people clubbed together to buy her. Vulnerable properties It is unclear exactly how many other homeowners like Violet would not be covered if something similar happened to them. But figures published by the Financial Services Authority in 2006 estimated that more than 10% of people do not have buildings insurance and UK government figures for 2010 put the number of owner occupiers at more than 17 million. This suggests the number of uninsured could be more than 1.5 million. There is no evidence that the cause of the fire was as a result of negligence nor anything other than an accident. Malcolm Tarling, from the Association of British Insurers, says the only way someone in Violet's position might be able to claim is if they were able to prove their neighbour had been negligent: \"The law says if you want to claim against someone else you have to show they were negligent, and their negligence resulted in your property being damaged.\" However, that may not be an easy thing to prove. Laura Checkley, a property litigation solicitor at Pemberton Greenish, says an accident which was not easy to predict would not fall into this category: \"A person has to take reasonable care to make sure they don't cause reasonably foreseeable harm to another person's property. So you would have to show that their behaviour fell short of that reasonable standard.\" Money Boxis broadcast on Saturdays at 12:00 GMT onBBC Radio 4and repeated on Sundays at 21:00 GMT. You can listen again via theBBC iPlayeror by downloading Money Boxpodcast.", "summary": "If your home was destroyed by a fire that was not your fault and you did not have buildings insurance, could you recoup the cost of rebuilding it?"}
{"article": "Whyte, who won bronze at the 2014 Worlds, was left out of the initial GB squad for this year's event, but a wrist injury to Liam Phillips gave him a reprieve. The 23-year-old is joined by Rio Olympian Kyle Evans in the men's senior event, with Beth Shriever, 18, leading the women's junior team. \"I was gutted to miss out but now I'm motivated,\" he told BBC Sport. Paddy Sharrock will join Evans and Whyte in the men's elite competition at the Rock-Hill World Championships in USA on Saturday. Blaine Ridge-Davis joins Shriever in the junior women's team, with Kye Whyte the only junior man in the GB line-up. Whyte was not selected for last year's Rio Olympics, and admits he has struggled to recover from the \"devastating\" decision. \"I've had a lot of setbacks with selections and races. It leaves you sad and it's a real struggle because you're left wondering why you trained so hard,\" he said. \"For me this is the first step towards Tokyo [2020 Olympics] and although people are getting faster and more hungry I'm ready to prove I'm up for the challenge.\" Evans, 23, reached the quarter-finals in his Olympic debut in Rio and is hoping the experience will boost his prospects of success at the World Championships. \"The Olympics only come around every four years and it's the World Championships that you grow up dreaming of winning as you get to wear the rainbow jersey,\" he told BBC Sport. \"I feel like I've been in this grey area and just on the knuckle of breaking into the podium positions but what I've experienced is pushing me on to be an even better athlete. \"Hopefully I'll continue to learn and grown and I'll be pushing hard for the top of the podium in the near future.\" Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "British BMX rider Tre Whyte aims to \"prove\" he deserves the chance to compete in the World Championships this weekend."}
{"article": "Campaigners and the area's MP have argued Ilkeston in Derbyshire is one of the largest towns in the UK without a railway station. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin visited the site on Friday and said trains will be running through there within 12 months. Work had been delayed because of great crested newts and flooding concerns. The station should have been open by last Christmas, and the Transport Secretary questioned whether newts should have delayed it so much. \"The truth of the matter is it seems that nearly every site we start work on, that's got any water or anything like that, we find the great crested newt,\" said Mr McLoughlin. \"I don't wish the newt any ill at all, but I don't think it should delay us to the length that it has delayed us on this site.\" Ilkeston once had three railway stations, but the last one closed in 1967 as a result of the Beeching Report, published in 1963. The new \u00c2\u00a39.6 million station has been part-funded from the government's New Station Fund. It will provide direct, hourly connections to Nottingham, Chesterfield and Sheffield. The main building work is expected to start in the summer, once any remaining newts have been trapped and relocated.", "summary": "Work has begun to demolish and rebuild a railway station 50 years after it was axed in the Dr Beeching cuts."}
{"article": "General Ali Fadavi accused those detained of \"unprofessional\" acts. But he suggested the group, who are being held by the guards, could be released soon. The incident comes at a sensitive time, as the US and Iran try to implement the deal on Iran's nuclear activities. US Secretary of State John Kerry has contacted Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif over the incident. Giving his assessment of the talks, Gen Fadavi said \"Mr Zarif had a firm stance, saying that they were in our territorial waters and should not have been, and saying that they [the US] should apologise\". \"This has been done and it will not take long, and the naval force, according to its hierarchy, will act immediately upon the orders it receives,\" he added. This naval incident comes at a delicate moment for both Washington and Tehran. The process to begin lifting the sanctions imposed on Iran due to its nuclear activities is expected to get under way at the end of this week. There are many conservatives and hardliners in both countries who would dearly love to sabotage the deal and consequently both governments may be eager - whatever the attendant rhetoric - to get this episode resolved as quickly as possible. How it plays out will be an important signal as to the balance of power in Tehran itself. The Revolutionary Guard Corps, whose naval branch detained the US vessels and their crews, is amongst the more hardline elements ranked up against the nuclear deal. But the potential economic benefits of lifting the sanctions may be too great an inducement for the agreement to be derailed now. US officials have said the sailors - nine men and a woman - are likely to be released on Wednesday. There has been no confirmation from Washington that Mr Kerry apologised. One of the two US riverine patrol boats developed mechanical problems while on a training mission between Bahrain and Kuwait, the US officials added. The crew and vessels have been taken to Farsi Island, the site of an Iranian naval base. Iran's influential Revolutionary Guard - tasked with protecting the country's 1979 Islamic revolution - has strongly defended Iranian sea borders in the past. Fifteen British sailors and marines were held for 13 days in 2007 after they were captured in a disputed area between Iran and Iraq. Despite last year's breakthrough nuclear deal tensions remain between the US and Iran. In December, Iran's navy conducted rocket tests near US warships in the Strait of Hormuz, something the US called \"highly provocative\".", "summary": "The US has apologised to Iran after 10 American sailors were arrested for entering Iranian waters, the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards naval forces has said."}
{"article": "Hendry, who retired in 2012, has seven Crucible titles to his name, while O'Sullivan has won snooker's showpiece event on five occasions. \"Ronnie is the best player to ever pick up a cue,\" Bingham, 39, told BBC Sport. \"But to be the greatest player you have to beat the records.\" O'Sullivan, 40, is looking to go within one world title of the Scot, who won a total of 36 ranking titles, when this year's event gets under way on Saturday. Bingham added: \"Hendry was a born winner; he only loved winning and he was more ruthless than anyone. Ronnie is the most talented and the best in the world, but to be the greatest ever you need titles.\" Bingham beat O'Sullivan on his way to lifting snooker's biggest prize in Sheffield for the first time last year and he is in no doubt that the unpredictable talents of the 28-time ranking event winner make him the man to beat once again. \"He is the only person in the game who has the aura that Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis had,\" Bingham added. \"Whatever tournament he enters, he is probably going to be favourite - and rightly so. He is the best player in the world.\" Bingham said the game's best players were capable of toppling O'Sullivan, but it was also a matter of believing it, and lasting the distance at the 17-day tournament. \"Anyone now in the top 16 will fancy their chances,\" the Basildon-born potter said. \"But, when it comes down to the crunch, to actually beat Ronnie, it's a different ball game. \"I remember saying to Ronnie last year: 'How have you won it five times?' I won it last year and it took me three weeks to get over it. \"How he has done it five times I will never know. It just shows you what a class act he is.\"", "summary": "Ronnie O'Sullivan must match Stephen Hendry's World Championship title haul to be considered snooker's greatest player, according to reigning world champion Stuart Bingham."}
{"article": "Police said the 34-year-old had been dropped off by taxi in the Milton area when he became involved in an argument. The man was then attacked and badly injured after making off into Ashgill Road at about 00:25 on Saturday. He was taken by ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary where his condition was \"critical but stable.\" The stabbing is being treated as attempted murder. The attackers are described as white, all aged in their 20s. Det Sgt John Dowds, of Police Scotland, said: \"The injured man had just been dropped off by a taxi in Balmore Road near to Ashgill Street where it is believed he became involved in an argument with some people in the area. \"However, he made off into Ashgill Road where he was attacked by four men. \"He was very seriously injured with what was originally thought to be life-threatening injuries, however, thankfully now he seems to be in a critical but stable condition.\" Police are urging anyone with information about the attack to come forward.", "summary": "A man is critically ill in hospital after being stabbed by four men in a street attack in Glasgow."}
{"article": "The vessels, found by archaeologists at Must Farm near Peterborough in 2011, have now been dated to about 1500 BC, 200 years older than was first thought. Samples taken during the conservation process have revealed the boats to be made from oak, lime and field maple. The vessels are undergoing a two-year preservation programme at Flag Fen. The wooden craft are being sprayed with a special wax to stop the timbers from degrading, the same technique that was applied to the 16th Century Mary Rose warship. It is hoped the process will reveal more about the Must Farm log boats, one of which is almost 30ft (9m) long. Mark Knight, from Cambridge Archaeological Unit, said: \"We've been carbon dating the sediment the boats were found in to try and create a detailed chronology of the river channel that once ran from the Midlands to the North Sea. \"This will tell us when each of the boats were disposed of by the people of the time. \"What we're now working on is carbon dating the actual boats which will give us an idea of when they were constructed. \"This will then tell us how long they were in use and gives us a much greater depth to the history of the area.\" Visitors to Flag Fen will be able to watch conservators at work, with the aim of eventually putting the boats on public display in glass cabinets. Mr Knight said: \"As we lack any texts from the time to tell us what was going on, the boats help us to better understand the levels of craftsmanship and technical sophistication of the time. \"In the future we'll be judged by the technology we leave behind and these boats are a similar marker for the people of the Bronze Age.\" See more on the boats of Must Farm on Inside Out East, Monday at 19:30 on BBC One and for seven days after on the iPlayer.", "summary": "Eight Bronze Age boats discovered in a deep Cambridgeshire quarry are much older than it was first thought, carbon-dating research has revealed."}
{"article": "The Super League side moved from their Willows home in 2012 after 110 years at their former ground. Former dual-code Wales international Harris, 39, had a 17-month stint as head coach at Salford. \"Growing up and playing against Salford for many years, they were always a passionate club,\" he said. Harris told Rugby League Extra: \"I think what's been a big struggle for them is the move to a new stadium. \"Part of what was symbolic with Salford whenever I went there was the stadium - although it was creaking, it still had that home feel about it and you're in Salford. \"I'm not sure the new stadium has got that and I'm not sure that Salford, as a club, have quite got the identity which they probably had 10 years ago. \"It's whether they can recapture that identity of what Salford was, because the fans are fantastic. \"If they can capture that identity again, I think that's how they can improve.\"", "summary": "Salford Red Devils have lost some of their identity after their move to the AJ Bell Stadium, says former head coach Iestyn Harris."}
{"article": "The striker opened the scoring in the fifth minute as he tapped in a Liam Nolan knock-down from a corner. Nolan then got on the score-sheet himself to double the hosts' advantage in first-half stoppage time before Southport made it 3-0 shortly after the break when Allen got his second of the game. Maidstone pulled a goal back as Yemi Odubade's close range finish reduced the deficit for the visitors. The Stones made it 3-2 in stoppage time when Bobby-Joe Taylor dispatched a penalty but it proved to be too late for Maidstone. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Southport 3, Maidstone United 2. Second Half ends, Southport 3, Maidstone United 2. Goal! Southport 3, Maidstone United 2. Bobby-Joe Taylor (Maidstone United). Substitution, Maidstone United. Liam Enver-Marum replaces Seth Nana Ofori-Twumasi. Substitution, Southport. Ashley Grimes replaces Jordan Lussey. Substitution, Southport. John Cofie replaces Andrai Jones. Callum Howe (Southport) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Maidstone United. Ben Greenhalgh replaces Bradley Hudson-Odoi. Substitution, Southport. Liam Hynes replaces James Caton. Jamie Coyle (Maidstone United) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Southport 3, Maidstone United 1. Yemi Odubade (Maidstone United). Substitution, Maidstone United. Jack Evans replaces Dan Sweeney. Goal! Southport 3, Maidstone United 0. Jamie Allen (Southport). Second Half begins Southport 2, Maidstone United 0. First Half ends, Southport 2, Maidstone United 0. Goal! Southport 2, Maidstone United 0. Liam Nolan (Southport). Seth Nana Ofori-Twumasi (Maidstone United) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Southport 1, Maidstone United 0. Jamie Allen (Southport). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Jamie Allen scored at the beginning of each half as Southport defeated Maidstone in the National League."}
{"article": "Jason Roy hit 59 and Alex Hales 40, putting on 92 for the first wicket inside seven overs in Abu Dhabi. Although the tourists faltered as they posted 174-6, the UAE managed only 95-9 in reply, with off-spinner Moeen Ali taking 4-11 and Chris Jordan 2-14. The first T20 of the three-match series is in Dubai on Thursday at 16:00 GMT. Eoin Morgan's side are building towards the World Twenty20 in India, which starts in March 2016. Pakistan won the Test series 2-0 before England took the one-day series 3-1.", "summary": "England eased to a 79-run win over the United Arab Emirates in their only warm-up game before the Twenty20 series against Pakistan."}
{"article": "The Colombia international, on a season-long from Monaco, was reportedly in the Spanish capital on Monday in the hope of sealing a return to La Liga. However, those hopes were ended when a move to China fell through for Atletico's Jackson Martinez. Falcao has made just one Premier League start for Chelsea and his only goal in 15 appearances came as a substitute. Media playback is not supported on this device The 29-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge last July having had a disappointing loan spell at Manchester United during the 2014-15 season. He has not played for Chelsea since 31 October, was sidelined with a thigh injury at the start of November and suffered a recurrence of the problem in a training game in December. During two years at Atletico, Falcao helped the side win the 2012 Europa League and 2013 Copa del Rey. He scored 52 goals in 68 league games for the Colchoneros.", "summary": "Chelsea striker Radamel Falcao was denied the chance to re-join Atletico Madrid on transfer deadline day."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old joined Stanley in June 2015 from Derby County and made 24 appearances last season. He played in both legs of the League Two play-offs as Stanley lost 3-2 to AFC Wimbledon in extra-time. \"It is important we get players who understand the league who are real quality and Ross ticks that box,\" boss Darren Ferguson told the club website. Accrington will be owed compensation for Etheridge, as he is under the age of 24 and was offered a new contract to remain at the club. Doncaster were relegated to League Two on the final day of the season as they finished 21st in League One. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Doncaster Rovers have signed Accrington Stanley goalkeeper Ross Etheridge on a two-year deal starting on 1 July."}
{"article": "25 November 2015 Last updated at 07:49 GMT They discovered that mucus and saliva moves in different ways once it leaves your nose. It moves in sheets, bursts, bags and strings before it becomes droplets. It's hoped the research will help experts learn more about how sneezing spreads germs. Take a look at this.", "summary": "Scientists in America have used a high-speed video to find out how snot, or mucus, travels and separates after it leaves our mouths during a sneeze."}
{"article": "Percy Jeeves played for the Goole Cricket Club and professionally for Warwickshire and Hawes before his death in World War One in July 1916. PG Wodehouse used his name for the immaculate valet after seeing him play at Cheltenham in 1913. The plaque is on the corner of Manuel Street, Goole, where Jeeves lived. Live updates on this story and others from Hull and East Yorkshire It was organised by the Goole Civic Society and unveiled by his great nephew Keith Mellard. Mr Mellard, 79, said: \"I'm absolutely thrilled to be unveiling the plaque. \"His brother, Alec Jeeves, was my grandfather. He used to talk about him a lot and I grew up feeling I knew him. \"To be honoured in this way is very exciting.\" Margaret Hicks-Clarke, chair of the society, said: \"We could think of no finer person to honour with our first blue plaque, being unveiled in the anniversary year of Percy Jeeves's death. \"He was a great cricketer and a brave soldier who paid the ultimate sacrifice for his country.\" Jeeves, who was born in 1888 near Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, grew up in Goole before playing county cricket for Warwickshire. Mrs Hicks-Clarke said: \"His father had moved to Goole to work on the railways at the start of the 1900s and Percy lived in a little terraced house with his family.\" Comic novelist PG Wodehouse brought the Jeeves character to life in a series of short stories and books in which the knowledgeable and perceptive butler helped his master Bertie Wooster cope with life's vagaries. The plaque, which is placed on the Oddfellows building at the corner of Manuel Street and Boothferry Road, has been funded by the Goole and District Lottery, Goole Town Cricket Club and the PG Wodehouse Society.", "summary": "A blue plaque honouring a cricketer whose name inspired author PG Wodehouse's butler Jeeves has been unveiled."}
{"article": "The 27-year old made the podium at Rio 2016 in the men's 85kg category with a lift of 390kg. Having already served a two-year doping ban, he could now face a lifetime ban. \"There is no final decision on sanctions relating to the Rio Olympics yet,\" the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said in a statement. The IWF has declined to make any further comment until the case is closed, but the officially endorsed World Weightlifting magazine has promoted fourth-placed Denis Ulanov from Kazakhstan to the bronze medal and lists Sincraian as disqualified. Norwegian three-time Olympic cross-country skiing medallist Therese Johaug has also failed a doping test for the prohibited steroid clostebol. Her country's ski federation said the substance had been in dcame from a sun lotion given to her by team doctor Fredrik Bendiksen, who has resigned and described the violation as his \"personal mistake as a doctor\".", "summary": "Romanian Olympic weightlifting bronze medallist Gabriel Sincraian has tested positive for the banned substance testosterone."}
{"article": "The Nikkei 225 closed up 50.80 points at 20,650.92, its fifth gain in a row, having risen by 4.4% over the week. The market was lifted as the yen remained weak against the dollar, which is considered good news for exporters. In mainland China, stocks rose with the Shanghai Composite climbing 3.5% to 3,957.35. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index closed 1% higher at 25,415.27. In South Korea, shareholders of construction firm Samsung C&T have approved the merger plans with holding company Cheil Industries. The deal had been strongly criticised by US hedge fund Elliott Associates, the third-largest shareholder in Samsung C&T. The share prices of both firms dived after the vote, with Samsung C&T closing down 10.4% and Cheil dropping 7.7%. The country's benchmark Kospi index closed down 0.5% at 2,076.79. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index ended flat at 5,670.11. But Evan Lucas, market strategist with IG, said in a note that he was optimistic about the general outlook for Australian stocks. \"China worries have died down and Greece is now a non-issue (until September, anyway). The next month or two may be the first positive months since February.\"", "summary": "Japan's Nikkei index registered its biggest weekly gain since October, while Asian shares were mostly higher as worries over Greece and China eased."}
{"article": "The resolution is the first passed by the Security Council to tackle sex abuse claims against peacekeepers. It was passed by 14 of the 15-member body, with Egypt abstaining. Last year there were 69 allegations of child rape and other sexual offences by peacekeepers from 10 missions. The number rose from 52 in 2014. The allegations involve military personnel, international police, other staff and volunteers. Under UN rules, it is up to the country that contributes the peacekeepers to investigate and prosecute any soldier accused of misconduct while serving under the UN flag. But the organisation has been criticised for failing to act quickly on sexual abuse allegations made against peacekeepers. Drafted by the US, the biggest funder of UN peacekeeping missions, the UNSC resolution endorses a recent decision by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to repatriate military or police units where there's credible evidence of sexual abuse. The resolution also calls upon the UN to replace contingents where allegations are not properly investigated. Egypt put forward a last-minute amendment that would have added criteria for the repatriation of entire contingents, a move US Ambassador Samantha Power said would have \"watered down\" the resolution. The amendment was backed by Angola, Russia, China, Egypt, Venezuela but fell short of the nine votes needed for approval. Some countries have raised concerns that soldiers innocent of any wrongdoing might fall victim to collective punishment. Last August, the UN envoy to Central African Republic (CAR), Babacar Gaye, was sacked amid multiple allegations of sexual abuse by peacekeepers. It came after Amnesty International alleged that a 12-year-old girl was raped by a UN peacekeeper. The 10,000-strong UN force, deployed in 2014 to help restore order in CAR, has also faced allegations of sexually abusing street children. Last December, an independent panel called the UN response to allegations in the CAR \"seriously flawed\" and a \"gross institutional failure\". It accused senior UN officials of abusing their authority by failing to take action over allegations of abuse by soldiers from France, Equatorial Guinea and Chad.", "summary": "The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution calling for the repatriation of peacekeeping units whose soldiers face allegations of sexual abuse."}
{"article": "The Dow Jones rose 40.68 points to 18,202.62 while the wider S&P 500 edged up 4 points to 2,144.29. Oil prices rose over 2% after figures suggested a drop in US stockpiles. Shares in Chevron added 0.5% and Chesapeake Energy climbed 3.1%. The tech-focused Nasdaq rose just 2.6 points to 5,246.41, with Intel down nearly 6% after its latest results. Intel reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings and revenue, but its shares were hit after its forecast for fourth-quarter revenues fell slightly short of expectations. Intel is predicting revenues of $15.7bn in the quarter, plus or minus $500m, compared with analysts' expectations of $15.86bn. Morgan Stanley shares rose 1.9% after the bank reported a 62% jump in third-quarter earnings to $1.5bn. Like the other major US investment banks, Morgan Stanley's results were boosted by a big increase in bond trading, with revenues from that activity rising to $1.5bn in the quarter from $583m a year earlier. Volumes of bond trading have been strong in recent months, partly due to the UK's vote to leave the EU and also due to speculation about moves in US interest rates.", "summary": "(Close): US markets closed higher, with energy stocks lifted by rising oil prices."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old man, from Wigan, is being held by Greater Manchester Police in connection with attacks on two men. One, a 25-year-old from Skelmersdale in Lancashire, has been charged with attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming. The other, 19, has been released on bail on suspicion of a similar offence. Police said the first incident occurred at about 21:00 BST on Friday when the 19-year-old arranged to meet what he believed was a 14-year-old girl in a church car park in Atherton, near Wigan. On his arrival he was filmed being attacked by a group of men who accused him of being a paedophile. He escaped but later received messages demanding money and threats the footage would be uploaded to Facebook. He reported the incident to the police on Saturday, was then arrested and subsequently bailed pending further inquiries. Later that day, at about 14:40 BST, shoppers at Market Place in Wigan witnessed the Skelmersdale man being assaulted. He also was accused by a group of arranging online a meeting with a 14-year-old girl. One of the men in the group attacked him, knocking out two of his teeth. The episode was filmed by the group and has since been posted on the internet. The man got away and reported the events to the police, who arrested him and charged him with grooming.", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of vigilante assaults and blackmail of men alleged to have tried to meet with underage girls, police said."}
{"article": "Jean Uwinkindi organised and participated in attacks on the minority Tutsi ethnic group, the court ruled. Some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by militias from the majority Hutu ethnic group. The 64-year-old Hutu pastor was the first genocide suspect to be sent back to Rwanda for trial by the Tanzanian-based UN tribunal. The tribunal shut down this month after sentencing 61 individuals and acquitting 14 others. Uwinkindi - the former head of a Pentecostal church on the outskirts of the capital, Kigali - had opposed his transfer. He said he would not get a fair trial in Rwanda, where there is now a Tutsi-led government. His lawyers said he would appeal against the High Court's ruling. \"The court finds that there were killings of the Tutsi at Rwankeri and Kanzenze hills and that the attacks were led by Uwinkindi,\" said Judge Kanyegeri Timothee, Reuters news agency reports. The prosecution alleged that in investigations after the genocide, some 2,000 bodies were found near the church in Kanzenze, just outside Kigali, where Uwinkindi was pastor. He was indicted in 2011 after he was arrested in 2010 in neighbouring Uganda. Another key suspect, Ladislas Ntaganzwa, who has a $5m (\u00c2\u00a33.2m) US bounty on him, was arrested two weeks ago in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.", "summary": "Rwanda's High Court has sentenced a pastor to life in prison for his role in the 1994 genocide."}
{"article": "It has also doubled the prison term for offenders to 20 years. Activists hope the law will encourage more slaves to take legal action to secure their freedom and will encourage the courts to punish slave owners. Mauritania abolished slavery in 1981, but activists say it is still widely practised and many in the West African country inherit their slave status. According to the AFP news agency, the new law, passed on Wednesday, also criminalises \"10 other forms of slavery\", including forced marriage and handing a woman over to another man without her consent after the death of her husband. Boubacar Ould Massoud, chairman of campaign group SOS Slavery, told the BBC it also provides for legal help for victims and enables them to seek compensation. He said it was laughable to think that slavery did not exist in Mauritania. \"Often judges sympathise more with the slave owners than with the slaves. Slavery cases taken to court have up until now referred to the slaves as 'non-paid workers' or 'exploited and underage workers,'\" he told BBC Afrique. Anti-slavery activists in Mauritania also say they have faced harassment from the authorities. AFP reports that three anti-slavery activists will be judged on appeal on 20 August in the central town of Aleg. They include two members of the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement in Mauritania, a well-known non-governmental organisation. They had been sentenced to two years in prison for \"membership of an unrecognised organisation\", the agency reports. According to a 2014 survey by anti-slavery campaign group Walk Free, Mauritania has the highest number of slaves as a proportion of the population, at 4%.", "summary": "Campaigners have welcomed Mauritania's new anti-slavery law which makes the offence a \"crime against humanity\"."}
{"article": "Based in Doncaster, he simply asked a bunch of strangers: \"What do you want?\" With support from the Arts Council England, the results have been put on display in the Frenchgate Centre, Doncaster. \"The project became led by the answers that subjects gave,\" says Monaghan. \"Political and societal changes have rendered us all as individual consumers, those portrayed have been photographed alone, but when exhibited they are grouped together and their desires for health, happiness and a better world coalesce. \"We want the same things, we want to get along, we want to be social, we want community.\" Monaghan also points out that, of the 150 on show, only one wanted a commodity. Here is a selection of pictures from the project. You can see more work by Les Monaghan on his blog.", "summary": "There are times when it is best to keep things simple, and that's just what Les Monaghan has done for The Desire Project."}
{"article": "The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2013 questioned about 1,500 people. The survey said that 41% of people were in favour of the Scottish government policy to charge a minimum unit price for alcohol. The research found 35% were against the policy and 22% had no strong view either way. Of those who were against the policy, 17% of people said they were \"strongly against\". There was even less certainty among those in favour of the policy, with just 15% \"strongly in favour\". The research was part of an annual survey of social and political attitudes run by ScotCen Social Research since 1999. The questions on alcohol were funded by the Scottish government and managed by NHS Health Scotland. They want to track changes in attitudes to drinking alcohol from 2004 and 2007 when the questions were last included in the survey. Scottish government ministers claim minimum unit pricing for alcohol is vital to address Scotland's \"unhealthy relationship with drink\". They want to curb excessive consumption by raising the price of high-strength booze. However, the flagship legislation, which was passed in 2012, could be delayed for another two years after the Scotch Whisky Association's legal challenge was referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Scottish government wants to set a 50p rate per unit of alcohol, which would mean the minimum price a shop or supermarket would be allowed to charge for four large cans of beer would be \u00a34.40, a bottle of wine would be \u00a35 and a standard bottle of vodka \u00a313. Between 55% and 66% of adults thought the suggested minimum prices for beer, wine and vodka were \"about right\". Just under half (46%) of the people surveyed thought supermarkets sold too much alcohol at very cheap prices. The Social Attitudes Survey also asked people how much price was an issue when buying alcohol. About 65% of adults said price did not prevent them from buying as much as they liked. Attitudes to minimum pricing varied across different groups with women more likely to support it than men. People educated to degree level were much more likely to approve of minimum pricing than those who were not. Support for the policy was lowest among higher risk drinkers and highest among non-drinkers. People who expressed the view that alcohol causes Scotland \"a great deal\" of harm were also likely to strongly support unit pricing. The three most commonly mentioned reasons for supporting minimum pricing were preventing health problems, stopping young people drinking and tackling problem behaviour. People not in favour of minimum pricing said it would not make a difference to heavy drinkers who would drink \"whatever the price\". They also thought the policy was unfair as it \"punishes everyone for what some drinkers do\" and it \"punishes those who are less well off\".", "summary": "A new study of Scotland's attitudes to alcohol has suggested people are slightly more in favour of introducing minimum unit pricing than against."}
{"article": "The average fee for a fixed-rate mortgage is now more than \u00a31,000 - the most expensive for four years, according to Moneyfacts. The financial information service said that borrowers and lenders tended to focus on mortgage interest rates. Rates are now among the lowest ever seen in the UK mortgage market. However, Moneyfacts said that some borrowers would be better off by choosing a slightly higher rate with a lower fee, or no fee, when they remortgaged. \"Those savvy borrowers heeding the advice to remortgage could find that moving deals can be a costly affair, especially if their preference is for shorter-term fixed rates. Therefore, with fees on the rise, it is more important than ever for borrowers to consider the true cost of a mortgage before obtaining a deal,\" said Charlotte Nelson, of Moneyfacts. \"Deals with larger fees often allow you to add the fee to the mortgage advance, however, this increases the amount borrowed, pushing up monthly repayments. \"The extra saved by opting for a deal with no fee could be better used to overpay the mortgage, which could help borrowers become mortgage-free quicker.\" Figures from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) show that, on a seasonally-adjusted basis, property transactions have generally been close to the 100,000 mark each month for the past three years. This climate, in part, has resulted in lenders launching new products to try to attract new borrowers, often with very low rates. Moneyfacts said that, for those with a \u00a3150,000 mortgage and repaying over 25 years, some deals with the lowest rates on the market have fees of around \u00a32,000, with one as high as \u00a34,000. The average fee for these customers was now \u00a31,018, compared with \u00a3986 a year ago, and \u00a3886 in July 2014.", "summary": "Homeowners are making a \"costly mistake\" by turning a blind eye to additional fees when they remortgage, it has been claimed."}
{"article": "The Soyuz rocket carrying Fyodor Yurchikhin, Karen Nyberg and Luca Parmitano lifted away from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 02:31 local time on Wednesday (20:31 GMT Tuesday). Russian Yurchikhin and American Nyberg have both been into space before. Italian Parmitano is a first-timer. They arrived at the orbiting platform five hours and 46 minutes later. Their Soyuz capsule was using a new flight profile that dramatically reduces the rendezvous time from the traditional two days. It is technically more difficult and requires some very precise orbital adjustments, but it is deemed to be easier on the crew because it means they do not have to spend so long inside their cramped vehicle. Leak and pressure checks were conducted following docking at the station, with a hatch opening at 04:14 GMT. The trio, whose designation is Expedition 36, were greeted with hugs and smiles by the three individuals already on the ISS - Russians Pavel Vinogradov and Alexander Misurkin, and American Chris Cassidy. The new crew members will be given a week of light duties in which to acclimatise to their weightless surroundings. Work will then begin in earnest. Luca Parmitano's participation in this expedition is particularly notable. At 36, he is the youngest person to get a long-duration (six months) stay on the station. He is also the first of the European Space Agency's (Esa) new intake of astronauts to get a flight assignment. Selected in 2009, the former fighter pilot has a packed schedule ahead of him. ISS crews are now completing about 70 hours a week of science, conducting experiments that exploit the unique microgravity environment on the platform. Parmitano has a package of specific European activities to work through, which cover fields as diverse as fluid physics and materials science. The Italian will see all of the vehicles now used to service the station come and go during his time in orbit, including possibly the new Cygnus freighter which is made in part in the Italian city of Turin. He is also scheduled to make two spacewalks to work on the exterior of the platform. \"I've dreamt of doing that. Being an astronaut is about walking in space. For me, they are one and the same thing,\" he told BBC News. One of the spacewalks will help prepare the ISS for the arrival of Russia's big science laboratory, which will grow the 420-tonne complex still further. The lab will come up with Europe's major robotic contribution to the platform - a large arm that is able to move around the station to conduct work wherever it is needed. Born in the Sicilian town of Paterno, Parmitano expects to bring a strong Italian flavour to his stay in orbit - literally. Italian chefs have prepared a range of special astronaut foods for him, including lasagne and risotto. These will be delivered to the ISS in the coming weeks on the European robotic freighter Albert Einstein. Fyodor Yurchikhin, Karen Nyberg and Luca Parmitano are due back on Earth on 10 November. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos", "summary": "Three new crew members have arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) after launching from Kazakhstan."}
{"article": "Three weeks on from the violence, the bullet holes that pockmarked the windows of La Bonne Biere are gone and Parisians have returned to its terrace. \"It is time for us to gather together again, united, and to go forward in order not to forget,\" the owners said. The attacks on 13 November left 130 people dead and more than 350 wounded. Close-circuit cameras at La Bonne Biere recorded the moment two gunmen approached the cafe and opened fire at those sitting on the terrace. Piles of flowers and candles still line the pavement where the victims died, but for the first time in three weeks on Friday a handful of customers returned to the tables and chairs outside. A banner above the entrance reads \"Je suis en terrasse\" - I am on the terrace - a message of defiance popular among Parisians in the wake of the attacks. Manager Audrey Bily thanked supporters and said the cafe would \"bounce back\". \"I would like to thank everyone who has supported us for your poems, your messages and posts that have so helped us,\" she said. \"We are going to start again, to bounce back. We have carried out some work and repainted the walls to wipe away the signs of this nightmare. \"The Bonne Biere cafe was a place where people meet and exchanged and shared. That is what we want it to be again today.\" A handwritten message on a blackboard outside the cafe offered condolences to the victims' families and thanked the emergency services at the scene that night. Paule Zlotnik, a neighboring shopkeeper, praised the cafe's decision to reopen. \"It's time they open and that we continue life as it was before,\" he said. The Casa Nostra restaurant opposite the cafe, which was also hit, remains closed. The four other cafes and restaurants targeted in the attacks as well as the nearby Bataclan concert hall, where 89 people died, are also still closed.", "summary": "A Paris cafe where five people were killed during the terror attacks last month reopened its doors on Friday - the first of the targets to do so."}
{"article": "The event - Scotland's Thatched Buildings: Developing a plan for the future - will follow up on a survey of Scotland's thatched buildings last year. Scotland has about 305 thatched roof buildings. May's event will be held close to the historic Leanach Cottage. Other thatched roof properties in Scotland include Balevullin Cottage on Tiree and several in Swanston Village, on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Historic Environment Scotland has organised the event in collaboration with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (Scotland), the National Trust for Scotland and the Scottish Vernacular Buildings Working Group. Owners and managers of thatched roof properties and craftspeople have been invited to attend. Last year, the roof of a traditional blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis was given a new thatch. The property at Arnol was built in the 1880s on a site that had been occupied by people for more than 2,000 years. Blackhouses were built in the area by generations of crofting families until 1900. The home that survives today was still inhabited up to 1966.", "summary": "Experts on traditional thatched roofs are to gather for a one-day conference at Culloden Battlefield visitor centre later this year."}
{"article": "The lizard-like creatures lived about 355 million years ago, when the ancestors of modern reptiles, birds and mammals emerged from swamps. The discovery plugs a 15 million-year gap in the fossil record. There are five complete fossils and many more fragments of bones that have yet to be classified. Some resemble lizards or newts, while others are larger, with almost crocodile-like proportions. \"We're lifting the lid on a key part of the evolutionary story of life on land,\" said Prof Jennifer Clack of the University of Cambridge. \"What happened then affects everything that happens subsequently - so it affects the fact that we are here and which other animals live with us today.\" The fossils suggest that the first backboned animals to crawl around on land may have lived in what is now the Scottish borders. Alternatively, there may be many more similar fossils in other parts of the world that have yet to be discovered. Dr Nick Fraser, of National Museums Scotland, who worked on the fossils, said they represent a \"critical step in the evolution of life on Earth\". \"Without this step of vertebrates - animals with backbones - coming on to land, we wouldn't be here, birds wouldn't be here, crocodiles wouldn't be here, lizards, frogs, dinosaurs would never have roamed the Earth - all these things would not have evolved,\" he told BBC News. Around 360 million years ago, many life forms, including early fish, were wiped out in a mass extinction. For the next 15 million years or so, a key time in tetrapod evolution, there is a gap in the fossil record. This means we know very little about how fish-like animals grew the limbs that could support them on land. Dr Fraser said the focus of attention is on Scotland, as it may be the place where these animals \"first colonised land\". \"These are the oldest animals with four legs that were able to move around on land,\" he said. \"If you want to draw the analogy to Neil Armstrong's first step on the Moon - it was one small step for man but a giant leap for mankind, well, this in some ways is a small step out of the water for these animals but it's a giant leap forward for the future evolution of life on land.\" Only a handful of sites in the world have yielded similar fossils from this time period. One is in Scotland - in Dumbarton, west of Glasgow, where only a single fossil (Pederpes) has been unearthed. Fragments of fossils have been found in the US and Canada. Details of the latest discoveries are published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. Dr Per Ahlberg, of Uppsala University, Sweden, said the fossils \"substantially change our picture of early tetrapod evolution\". And Dr Mike Coates, of the University of Chicago, said \"they predict more diversity, earlier in the fossil record\" and suggest \"a greater range of extinction survivors among the early tetrapods\". Dr Jason Anderson, of the University of Calgary, said the fossils show that the apparent gap in", "summary": "Fossils of what may be the earliest four-legged backboned animals to walk on land have been discovered in Scotland."}
{"article": "Pacquiao, 37, has not fought since he was convincingly beaten on points by Floyd Mayweather in May. Promoter Bob Arum says Pacquiao and WBO welterweight champion Bradley, 32, will meet in Las Vegas on 9 April. Khan also hoped to fight Mayweather in 2015 but the American great retired after beating Andre Berto in September. Khan, 29, only fought once in 2015, outpointing Chris Algieri in May, and looks set for a clash with Sheffield's IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook in the summer. \"He has a spotty record, hasn't done great ratings, Arum told the Los Angeles Times. \"Why would we feel he'd do well on pay-per-view?\" Bradley was awarded a controversial decision against Pacquiao in 2012 before the six-weight world champion earned revenge in 2014. Arum claims he has agreed deals with both fighters, though the paperwork for the bout has yet to be finalised. The Bradley fight could be Pacquiao's last, although Arum refused to confirm that would be the case.", "summary": "Britain's Amir Khan has missed out on a fight against Manny Pacquiao, with the Philippine great choosing a third match with American Timothy Bradley instead."}
{"article": "Anthony Steppie, Euan Stevenson, David Gowans, Kennedy Miskimmons and Scott Steppie all appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court accused of attempting to \"engage in violence with rival fans\" prior to the match at Tannadice on 13 December. They all deny the charges against them. Three men from Dundee earlier admitted similar charges from the same day. Anthony Steppie, 49, Stevenson, 20, Gowans, 21, Miskimmons, 39, and Scott Steppie, 21, all deny charges under the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act. They are all charged with engaging behaviour likely to incite public disorder by forming part of a disorderly crowd and repeatedly attempting to engage in violence with rival fans prior to the Scottish Premiership clash between Dundee United and Aberdeen. The offences are said to have taken place in Main Street and Church Street. Stevenson faces a further charge of assaulting an unknown male by kicking him on the body, on Church Street, while Scott Steppie is accused of punching an unknown male on the head on Caldrum Street. Sheriff Alistair Carmichael set a trial date in August and released the men on bail, on the condition they do not attend any Aberdeen FC matches in the meantime.", "summary": "Five men from Aberdeen are to stand trial accused of trying to incite violence prior to a football match in Dundee."}
{"article": "The ATM at the Cooperative store on Argyll Road was robbed at 03:00 on Tuesday. Police said the gang made off with a \"quantity of cash\". Officers are carrying out door-to-door inquiries and reviewing CCTV of the raid. Police Scotland asked anyone who noticed suspicious activity near the store to contact them.", "summary": "Thieves have stolen money from a cash machine in Perth after smashing their way into a supermarket."}
{"article": "Denmark international Fischer, 21, has been with the Amsterdam club since 2011 and scored 24 goals in 79 league games. The forward visited Boro, who were promoted to the Premier League this season, for a medical and agreed terms. \"It's the greatest league in the world and I feel really ready,\" Fischer told Danish TV station TV2. Eight-times capped Fischer has agreed a three-year deal. Fischer emerged as a key player at Ajax under recently departed coach Frank De Boer, alongside compatriots Lasse Schone and Christian Eriksen - the latter whom he will play against in next season's top flight when Boro face Tottenham Hotspur.", "summary": "Ajax winger Viktor Fischer will join Middlesbrough for around \u00a33.8m at the start of the international transfer window next month, BBC Tees reports."}
{"article": "But there are others who would argue that the accolade belongs to Garrincha, a football genius who played 50 times for his country, but whose career was blighted by drink problems. Not surprisingly, one of his greatest fans is his only living son, Ulf Lindberg, born from a brief affair the footballer had during a tour of Sweden in 1959. He never met his father but said proudly: \"There is no one like Garrincha. His playing style was and will always be unique.\" With his right leg pointing inwards and his left leg pointing outwards, Manuel Francisco dos Santos - Garrincha's real name - seemed more destined to end up in poverty and anonymity than in the pantheon of great footballers. But put a ball at his feet and Garrincha, which means \"the little wren\", demonstrated incomparable skill and is regarded by many as the greatest dribbler of all time. His biographer, Ruy Castro, described the man fans called \"the angel with bent legs\" as \"the most amateur footballer professional football ever produced\". Garrincha also had a talent for charming women and it was during a tour of Sweden with the Rio team Botafogo that he had a brief affair with Ulf's mother. She gave him up for adoption to a middle-class Swedish family when he was only nine months old. It was only at the age of seven that his adoptive parents told him that his father was Garrincha, who had 14 children through various relationships. But the meeting of father and son never happened. \"I very much regret never having met him,\" Ulf admitted. Ulf is in Stockholm this week as a special guest at the farewell friendly game between Brazil and Sweden on Wednesday at the Rasunda, the stadium where his father played in the final of the 1958 World Cup, the first of five Brazil have won. The arena is to be knocked down and its newer replacement has already been built in the same neighbourhood. \"Until today, I often find myself thinking how it would be nice to have known my father and say how much I admire him,\" Ulf told BBC Brasil. After a match in Gothenburg against the Russian team, the paper said he was an alien talent, asking: 'What planet is he from?' \"But it was not possible. Unfortunately, he had serious problems with alcohol. If not, he could be among us celebrating the reunion with his companions from '58.\" In 1977, a Swedish newspaper reported that Garrincha wanted to meet his son. It was agreed that it would happen in the following year, when Ulf was expected to travel to Argentina, during the 1978 World Cup, where Garrincha was due to work as a commentator. \"But the trip did not happen,\" Ulf said. \"My father used to drink a lot and unfortunately was not well.\" Garrincha died on January 20, 1983. Ulf has been to Brazil three times and, during one trip for a TV documentary, discovered he would never know his mother either - she had died months earlier. Garrincha had ten", "summary": "When asked to name the greatest Brazilian footballer of all time, most people will offer up the name of Pele, whose unique status gave him a starring role at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device After a scoreless first period, James Desmarais fired a shot across Mike Clemente into the net for the Giants. Taylor Dickin levelled and Cody Cartier scored the decisive goal just 43 seconds into the third period. The Giants remain six points behind leaders Cardiff Devils in the standings, with one game in hand. Storm kept Jackson Whistle busy in the first period and the Giants netminder again excelled in the second period. Belfast player-coach Derrick Walser rattled the outside of the post in the second period and the visitors soaked up Giants pressure in the final minutes of the contest. The Giants' next match is at home to Braehead Clan on Friday (19:00 GMT), the team they defeated 5-1 on Boxing Day. After that, Coventry Blaze visit the SSE Arena on 2 January (16:00).", "summary": "The Belfast Giants' unbeaten run of 10 games came to an end on Wednesday night with a 2-1 Elite League defeat by Manchester Storm at the SSE Arena."}
{"article": "Rachel Fee, 32, argued the judge in her 2016 trial misdirected the jury about the lesser charge of culpable homicide before they considered their verdict. Two-year-old Liam Fee died at his home near Glenrothes on 22 March 2014. Fee, also known as Trelfa, and her civil partner Nyomi Fee, 30, were both convicted of abusing and murdering the toddler. He had suffered fatal heart injuries similar to those found on road crash victims and spent the last few days of his short life in agony from an untreated broken leg and fractured arm. The pair - originally from Ryton, Tyne and Wear - were also convicted of being behind a catalogue of cruelty against two boys in their care, one of whom they tried to blame for Liam's death. Judge Lord Burns last year handed both women life sentences and ordered Rachel Fee to serve a minimum of 23-and-a-half years behind bars while \"domineering\" Nyomi Fee was sentenced to spend at least 24 years in prison. Senior judges at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh heard arguments from Fee's legal team and the Crown last month, and have now rejected the appeal in a written opinion. Fee's appeal centred on what her defence team said was a misdirection by the trial judge during his legal summing-up at the High Court in Livingston in May. Defence QC Brian McConnachie told the court the judge did not present to the jury with \"the possibility that they could convict Nyomi Fee of murder and convict the appellant (Rachel Fee) of culpable homicide\". The lawyer submitted there was a case, on the evidence, for the jury to identify co-accused Nyomi Fee as having been the main \"actor\" in committing the murder. Advocate depute Alex Prentice QC, for the Crown, argued it was a \"clear case in which the Crown had established concert for murder\". The appeal verdict, delivered by Lord Turnbull, concluded: \"There is therefore no basis upon which it could be said that the appellant did anything less than actively associate herself with a common criminal purpose which included the taking of human life, or carried the obvious risk that human life would be taken, in the carrying-out of which murder was committed. \"In the circumstances of this case the evidence led by the Crown clearly established that the appellant had associated herself with a purpose which carried with it the obvious risk that life would be taken. \"We therefore agree with the trial judge and the advocate depute that the directions argued for by the appellant were correctly omitted. \"For the reasons which we have given, the appeal against conviction is refused.\"", "summary": "A mother jailed for life for murdering her toddler son in Fife has had her appeal against conviction rejected."}
{"article": "18 March 2017 Last updated at 13:49 GMT All sorts of wonderful kite designs have been on show including among others wolves, wheels and butterflies. The kite which drew the most attention was a huge \"Chinese dragon\" shaped one. It was 48 meters long and took the owner around three months to make. Have a look at this.", "summary": "The Seventh International Kite Festival has taken place in Chengdu, a city in the southwest of China."}
{"article": "The 64-year-old minister, who has a history of chronic diabetes, was admitted to a hospital in Delhi earlier this month. She tweeted to her followers on Wednesday that she was currently on dialysis. Ms Swaraj is one the most high-profile ministers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet. Officials at the hospital told the PTI news agency that \"chronic diabetes has affected her kidney functioning but her condition was stable\". She is known for reacting quickly to calls for help from Indians living or travelling abroad. Earlier this month, she helped a Pakistani bride get a visa to attend her wedding in India.", "summary": "Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has said that she is undergoing tests for a kidney transplant."}
{"article": "The appointment of the chairman of energy supplier SSE and engineering firm Weir Group came as the bank was formed as a public company. His deputy will be Sir Adrian Montague, who has led the bank's advisory group. The green bank is being set up with \u00c2\u00a33bn of public money to help firms finance early-stage renewable energy schemes. Its headquarters will be based in Edinburgh after the city beat off competition from 31 other bids. The newly formed board will begin recruiting other directors and senior executives with a view to the bank becoming fully operational this autumn, subject to state aid approval from the European Commission. The advisory group, led by 3i and Anglian Water Group chairman Sir Adrian, will be disbanded after the appointments. In addition to his roles at the Weir Group and SSE, Lord Smith of Kelvin is chairman of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games organising committee and director of Standard Bank Group. Sir Adrian was previously chairman of Friends Provident Group and British Energy Group. Mr Cable said the Green Investment Bank was a \"major new innovation\", vital to securing investment in the decarbonisation of the UK's energy supply. \"It has found two candidates of outstanding calibre well suited to leading the bank through its important early phase,\" he added. Scottish Secretary Michael Moore said: \"This is a UK institution headquartered in Edinburgh supported by a strong team in London and the news that Lord Smith and Sir Adrian Montague have been appointed is another step towards the bank opening for business. \"They bring a wealth of experience to the roles and will bring that to bear as we look to encourage private sector investment in key energy projects.\" Although the headquarters of the bank will be in Edinburgh, its main transaction team will be based in London.", "summary": "Lord Smith of Kelvin will chair the UK Green Investment Bank (GIB), Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced."}
{"article": "Revenue Scotland is responsible for the administration and collection of Land and Building Transaction Tax (LBTT) and Scottish Landfill Tax (SLfT). It collected \u00a3425m through LBTT and \u00a3147m from SLfT in the year from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016. The Scottish government had originally forecast revenues of \u00a3498m in 2015-16, which was later increased to \u00a3508m. Almost all (98%) of the 115,000 tax returns were submitted through the new online Scottish Electronic Tax System, exceeding an initial target of 90%. Revenue Scotland's operating costs for administering the collection of taxes was \u00a34.67m - lower than the Scottish government's original \u00a34.81m budget allocation for the organisation. Revenue Scotland's chairman, Dr Keith Nicholson, said the agency's first year had been \"hugely successful\", with the online tax system having \"exceeded expectations and received widespread praise\". He added: \"These achievements are a clear signal to the Scottish taxpayer that Revenue Scotland is operating efficiently and effectively as Scotland's devolved tax authority.\" Welcoming the figures, Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said: \"The scale of the challenge of introducing the first Scottish taxes in more than 300 years should not be underestimated, and it's encouraging to see this has been done so effectively.\" LBTT and SLfT came into effect on 1 April 2015, replacing their UK equivalents (Stamp Duty Land Tax and UK Landfill Tax respectively) in Scotland. The revenue collected is transferred to the Scottish Consolidated Fund to support the delivery of public services in Scotland. Revenue Scotland will also collect a Scottish replacement for Air Passenger Duty when it is introduced, but will not administer the Scottish Rate of Income Tax, which will continue to be the responsibility of HMRC.", "summary": "Scotland's new tax agency has collected \u00a3572m in its first year - well above the amount that had been expected."}
{"article": "The National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) said donations had come from as far afield as Los Angeles and Hong Kong to raise \u00a34m to secure the painting. Public donations totalled more than \u00a3260,000, with the biggest donor the Heritage Lottery Fund, who gave \u00a32.65m. The work, which was being sold by drinks giant Diageo, will be hung in the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh before going on tour. The fundraising bid was launched in February after Diageo announced their intention to sell it. The 163.8cm x 169cm painting, which features a Highlands red deer stag with 12 points on its antlers, has been in private or corporate hands since it was painted in 1851. NGS said it was overwhelmed by the public response to the campaign, with donations made from across the world, including from Anchorage and Queensland. Private trusts and foundations also gave \u00a3634,000, while the Art Fund donated \u00a3350,000 and the Scottish government \u00a3100,000. Sir John Leighton, director-general of the National Galleries of Scotland said: \"We are thrilled that we have been able to secure this iconic work for the national collection. \"The enormous support from the public has been incredible with donations coming from all over the world and from the length and breadth of Scotland and the rest of the UK. \"Thank you so much to everyone who has donated. Your gift has helped to ensure that this magnificent work will be enjoyed by millions of people for generations to come.\" The National Lottery and Scottish government have also given \u00a3175,000 to enable the painting to go on tour across Scotland. NGS said plans were being for the tour to a \"number of venues across Scotland\", starting later this year. Diageo first said it was selling the painting in November, leading to speculation it could fetch in excess of \u00a310m on the global art market. The drinks firm later agreed to reduce its selling price from \u00a38m to \u00a34m to help it remain in public view in Scotland. The Monarch of the Glen, which features a \"royal stag\", is thought to be set in Glen Affric. The NGS describe the work as \"an important Victorian picture that has taken on various layers of meaning, which include its use in advertising and as a Romantic emblem of the Highlands of Scotland.\"", "summary": "Sir Edwin Landseer's iconic Monarch of the Glen has been saved for the nation."}
{"article": "After nearly 40 years of being a housewife, she launched her business at the age of 64. She designs bespoke children's furniture which all come with an individual story book. The products are manufactured in Poland. Zandra lives with her husband in a comfortable, leafy suburb, in Hertfordshire. She says she was not forced into self-employment financially - she simply wanted to unleash her creative side. \"I suppose it was all the ideas I had, they were so different and there were so many of them,\" she enthuses. \"I did a lot of market research and the response I got was, 'Yes that's great, we'd sell that.' So I progressed from there.\" She launched Fairytale Furniture at the onset of the recession and has survived the downturn. Now in its sixth year of trading, she hopes to finally turn a profit. Zandra is already exporting to South Africa, Dubai and Singapore and has her eye on cracking the US market. She buys in expertise, when needed, including a marketing expert and an export adviser. She loves the flexibility of being self-employed. \"I can work at midnight if I want to, I can take a longer lunch if I want to - especially when the weather is good - and I can make the time up later. I just love it, I love all of it. It's fun.\" Self-employment is one of the big stories of the recovery. One in seven workers in the UK are now working for themselves. The latest jobs figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that there are now 4.54 million self-employed people. That is about 8% higher than a year ago. In fact, there are now 780,000 more people in employment than there were this time last year, and 40% of those are self-employed. Over the longer term, the biggest rise in self-employment has been seen in the number of older workers. According to the ONS, self-employment among the over-50s is up 36% on 10 years ago. The independent think tank the Resolution Foundation believes the main reason for this is the fact that self-employment seems to be growing as an alternative to retirement. It says that more than a quarter (28%) of the rise in the number of people working for themselves is due to a decline in the rate at which people leave self-employment. Through analysis of data from the ONS, the Resolution Foundation also found that more than half of self-employed people aged 60 or over now work part-time, that is up from 46% in 2005. In other words, self-employment is increasingly an option that allows older people to keep earning but by working less. This trend helps explain the big growth in overall part-time self-employment seen in recent years. The proportion of women joining these ranks is also growing. Source: Labour Force Survey, ONS But for many people, self-employment has often been a last resort, especially as the recession took hold. Akbar Vindhani was forced into working for himself after being unemployed for three months with no sign of a job,", "summary": "Zandra Johnson is living proof that it is never too late to start your own business."}
{"article": "The soap star confirmed her living situation on Twitter, saying that she's had a tough year and had \"lost\" her home. \"I have the love of my kids and a few good friends,\" she said. She last appeared in the BBC One soap in 2010, playing the role of Sam Mitchell. Ms Westbrook says she spoke out because someone was trying to sell a story about it to a magazine. The 41-year-old first appeared on Albert Square in 1990 but left in 1996. She had a brief second stint in the show between 1999 and 2000. In 2002, she was replaced in the role by another actress, Kim Medcalf, who left EastEnders in 2005. Ms Westbrook then returned to the role in 2009. Ms Westbrook has previously dealt with cocaine addiction. She was one of the contestants in I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2003 but left the competition because she feared it was interfering with her recovery. \"I was living hour to hour in a world of hurt and thought, 'I've got to go to an AA meeting and centre myself',\" she said in a later interview. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Danniella Westbrook, who is best known for her role in EastEnders, has confirmed she is homeless, living in \"sheltered housing\"."}
{"article": "Johnson was found guilty of sexual touching but cleared of one charge relating to another sexual act following a trial at Bradford Crown Court. The court was told the grounds for appeal had been lodged on Thursday. The former Sunderland winger is in court awaiting sentencing. Johnson previously admitted grooming the girl and one charge of sexual activity. Judge Jonathan Rose previously warned him he faced a \"substantial prison sentence\".", "summary": "Ex-England footballer Adam Johnson is to appeal against his conviction of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl."}
{"article": "The Tigers, who have not won a major trophy since 1986, finished fifth in Super League last year. \"We want to be competing in finals and we've shown that we can do that,\" Powell told BBC Radio Leeds. \"I think we're capable of winning something. I'm pretty confident that we have got what we need and we have to believe that we can win something.\" He added: \"We'd like to think that we will be there or thereabouts. All my communications to the players have been that it is time to take the next step. We'll find out in a month or so if we are going to do that. \"I think you see pretty quickly what you have got in your ranks and we have got good depth, balance and we can play a bit. Whether we can defend tough enough to be able to win something is what we'll find out.\" Powell took over the Tigers in May 2013 after the departure of Ian Millward. The team are preparing to go on a pre-season camp in Lanzarote and Powell is hopeful the change of scenery will be beneficial for the players. \"The start of the season does give you tough conditions and soft pitches so you need to train in that to get you ready but it'll be great to get a different environment,\" he added. \"It's not something we've done in my time here and hopefully it can give us that extra push to help us crack that top four.\"", "summary": "Castleford Tigers coach Daryl Powell believes he has the squad in place to compete for silverware this season."}
{"article": "Storms and tornadoes have lashed the region in recent days, swelling rivers and causing flash flooding. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said 13 people in the state had died. Another seven have died in Illinois, where there is a disaster proclamation in seven counties. Mr Nixon said the National Guard had been called in to help local authorities. Aerial footage showed water from the Mississippi River engulfing buildings in the evacuated town of West Alton, north of St Louis, on Tuesday. In the town of Union, about 50 miles (80km) west of St Louis, buildings were partly submerged by severe flooding from the Missouri, Meramec and Bourbeuse rivers. Coast Guard spokesman Capt Martin Malloy said the high water levels and fast currents had led them to close the section of the Mississippi near St Louis - a busy route for commercial shipping. River levels are forecast to peak on Thursday and Mr Nixon warned that the situation could get worse before it gets better. He said the National Guard would provide security in evacuated areas and direct traffic away from closed roads. \"These citizen soldiers will provide much-needed support to state and local first responders, many of whom have spent the last several days working around the clock responding to record rainfall and flooding,\" he said in a statement. Nr Nixon added that three new flood-related deaths had been discovered on Tuesday, raising the death toll in the state since the storms began over the weekend to 13. Many of the victims have been trapped in vehicles swept off flooded roads. South-west of St Louis, a section of Interstate 44 was closed by flooding near the town of Rolla while part of Interstate 70 was also closed in the neighbouring state of Illinois. Many other smaller roads were also closed across the two states, where flood warnings were in effect. Floods also inundated a wastewater treatment plant south of St Louis on Monday, causing sewage to flow directly into rivers and streams. The flooding in Missouri and southern Illinois began over the weekend after as much as 10ins (25cm) of rain fell in some areas in a matter of hours. It came after severe storms over the Christmas holiday claimed at least 49 lives across southern and western states of the US. Parts of eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas and Illinois are still subject to flood warnings.", "summary": "A five-mile (8km) section of the Mississippi River near St Louis, Missouri, has been closed to vessels as rising water levels caused \"hazardous conditions\", the US Coast Guard said."}
{"article": "The tie will be played on Saturday 2 July at 15:00 BST in Portlaoise. Laois brought on seven replacements at O'Moore Park, one more than permitted. The Central Competitions Control Committee released a statement on Tuesday night, adding that Laois had accepted the proposal. Shane Murphy came on as the seventh substitute in added time as Laois took a 1-10 to 0-10 win in Portlaoise. Conor Meredith scored the decisive goal and Laois were subsequently drawn to face Clare in the second round of the qualifiers. However, Murphy's introduction as a black card sub for Brendan Quigley could prove costly for the Leinster side if Armagh were to triumph in the re-playing of the game. Saturday 2 July Round 1A All-Ireland SFC qualifier refixture Laois v Armagh, 15:00 BST, O'Moore Park, Portlaoise Round 2A Sligo v Leitrim, 18:00 BST, Markievicz Park, Sligo Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 July Round 2A Clare v Laois/Armagh, Cusack Park, Ennis, Time tbc. Derry v Dublin/Meath, Details tbc. Cavan or Tyrone v Carlow, Details tbc.", "summary": "Armagh are set to replay their All-Ireland qualifier Round 1A game after Laois were found to have used too many substitutes in their victory over the Orchard County on Saturday."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old, who started his career at Carlisle, has signed a three-year dealt with an option of a further year. Head coach Paul Heckingbottom said: \"He brings something different to our midfield with his height and strength. \"He's shown real progression and ability throughout his time in football and is someone we have wanted to bring to the club for a while.\" Barnsley begin their Championship season with a trip to Ashton Gate to face Bristol City on Saturday. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Midfielder Brad Potts has joined Championship side Barnsley from Blackpool for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "Scuffles broke out between Mr Zuma's supporters and opponents, resulting in all speeches being cancelled. The main labour federation, Cosatu, called on Mr Zuma to step down last month after he sacked his widely respected finance minister. Mr Zuma's allies say he will remain in office until his term ends in 2019. He was seen on live television hastily leaving the podium and being whisked away in a motorcade from the rally in Bloemfontein city, Reuters news agency reports. Mr Zuma attended the rally despite the fact that powerful affiliates of Cosatu, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, had opposed his presence. Cosatu is part of a formal alliance with the governing African National Congress (ANC). Earlier, sections of the crowd sang a song which, loosely translated, means: \"Have you heard the good news? Zuma is going\", South Africa's privately owned News24 site reports. Cosatu leader Sdumo Dlamini said the rally had been marred by \"chaos\", forcing its cancellation. The protest required \"thorough reflection\" on the part of the country's leaders, he said. Senior ANC officials were also booed at a May Day rally in Durban city, the political heartland of Mr Zuma. Pressure on Mr Zuma to resign has been mounting since he sacked Pravin Gordhan as finance minister in March. It led to global rating agencies downgrading South Africa to junk status. The reshuffle was condemned by trade unions, big business, the opposition and and senior members of the government, including Deputy President Cyril Rampahosa. The opposition has repeatedly accused Mr Zuma of being corrupt, and says the reshuffle was aimed at giving him and his allies greater access to government money. Mr Zuma said the reshuffle was aimed at promoting \"radical economic transformation\" to benefit the poor black majority. South Africa's president has been dogged by allegations of corruption for more than a decade. Last year, a court ruled that he should face corruption charges over a 1999 arms deal. Mr Zuma is appealing against the ruling. In a separate case last year, South Africa's highest court ruled that he had breached his oath of office by failing to repay government money used to upgrade his private residence. He repaid the money, but rejected calls to step down. Mr Zuma is due to step down as leader of the ANC in December, and as South Africa's president in 2019. His ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Mr Rampahosa are vying to succeed him in both positions.", "summary": "South Africa's scandal-hit President Jacob Zuma has abandoned a May Day rally after he was booed by workers demanding his resignation."}
{"article": "Prime Minister David Cameron said last week that money was \"no object\" in the effort to aid households and businesses flooded in England in recent weeks. Parts of Dumfries and Galloway were hit by flooding over the festive period. Councillor Colin Smyth has called on Scottish ministers to ensure the region gets a share of any additional cash. He said: \"What we are asking is, if there is funding being made available in the south of England will Scotland receive some of that as part of the Barnett formula? \"And secondly we want to know from the Scottish government, if this is the case, will they make sure that money is spent in the areas that actually suffered from flooding.\" Dumfries and Galloway was one of the Scottish areas hardest hit by flooding at the end of last year and over the new year period, with residents of Kirkconnel, Carsphairn and Moniaive having to be evacuated. One family was rescued by helicopter after their farm house beside the River Nith near Closeburn was cut off by rising water. Just days later, coastal communities along the Solway bore the brunt of more severe flooding as high tides, storm surges and gale force winds combined to overwhelm sea defences. In January, Scotland's Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse said flood risk management was a \"priority\". He said Cosla and the Scottish government had a \"pot\" of \u00c2\u00a342m available to local authorities to bid for to help tackling flooding issues.", "summary": "Dumfries and Galloway Council has said flood victims in the area should receive a share of UK government money to help those hit by severe weather."}
{"article": "James Calveley Evans, 33, from Maes Pennant, Mostyn, Flintshire, appeared at Mold Crown Court on Friday. He also pleaded guilty to three charges of distributing child sex images and three charges of possessing child sex images. He has been further remanded in custody pending a pre-sentence report and will be sentenced in September. Evans, who has been suspended as a North Wales Police constable, thought he was corresponding with a child by email, but it was an undercover police officer. He admitted to the court he had attempted to arrange or facilitate a child sex offence in February. But he denied a second similar offence in March, which the prosecution had agreed to lie on file. Evans was also found to be downloading and distributing child sex abuse images and was found to have 607 photographs and 16 video images. Judge Rhys Rowlands told him custody was inevitable and that it would \"simply be a matter of the length of the sentence\".", "summary": "A North Wales Police officer has admitted trying to arrange a child sex offence over the internet."}
{"article": "The 111 service, replacing NHS Direct, is due to launch in England on Monday. The British Medical Association's letter to Sir David Nicholson follows reported problems in trial areas. Health Minister Lord Howe has said some areas will have more time to go live with 111 while \"thorough testing\" to ensure reliability is carried out. Lord Howe has already admitted the new 111 telephone advice service - which the government has said will ease pressure on emergency 999 phone lines - had run into \"teething problems\". But the BMA said that in several areas it seemed to have been completely unable to cope with call volumes or suffered severe IT failures. It said patient safety was being put at risk. Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the the BMA's GP committee, said: \"There have been widespread reports of patients being unable to get through to an operator or waiting hours before getting a call back with the health information they have requested, \"In some areas, such as Greater Manchester, NHS 111 effectively crashed because it was unable to cope with the number of calls it was receiving. The quality of advice being given out has also been questionable in some instances.\" He said the \"chaotic mess\" of 111 was \"placing strain\" on overstretched parts of the NHS, such as the ambulance service, and potentially placing patients at risk. \"The BMA has been warning the government about the problems with NHS 111 for almost two years. They must finally act to ensure that patient safety is guaranteed,\" he added. The BMA said it had written to NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson to call for a delay to the launch of 111 until it was \"fully safe for the public\". Dr Buckman said: \"We cannot sacrifice patient safety in order to meet a political deadline for the launch of a service that doesn't work properly.\" The Department of Health has already sanctioned an extension of up to six months of the original 1 April 2013 deadline for regions struggling to set up the new service. The NHS Direct 0845 4647 service will continue to be available to callers in areas where the NHS 111 service is not yet available, Lord Howe has said. These include: North of Tyne and Tees, North Essex, Bedfordshire and Luton, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Leicestershire and Rutland, Berkshire, Cornwall and Devon.", "summary": "The organisation representing British doctors has written to NHS bosses to call for a delay in the launch of a new non-emergency telephone advice line."}
{"article": "Addressing vice chancellors, he said he was shocked by how little teaching was valued in lecturers' promotions. Universities that relegated the importance of teaching risked \"losing sight\" of their mission, he said. Earlier, he defended plans unveiled on Wednesday to \"raise the bar\" on science research funded by the taxpayer. On Thursday, during a speech on the future of higher education, Mr Willetts said: \"It remains hard to shift the impression that what really counts in higher education is research. This needs to change.\" He told the Universities UK annual conference he had found a report \"shocking\" that suggested only one in 10 senior promotions in top universities was influenced by teaching. Mr Willetts said the focus in research was due to the incentives created by successive governments' policies. \"We have strengthened the incentives for everyone to carry out research with no change in the regime for teaching,\" he said. His comments come a day after Business Secretary Vince Cable said research funding should \"screen out mediocrity\" in the projects backed by the taxpayer. Universities and scientists reacted angrily to his assertion that only research that was commercially useful or academically outstanding should be funded. Tom Feilden, BBC Science Correspondent It's actually quite hard to calculate the financial return on individual research grants - how do you decide what proportion of the global market in, say, mobile phones is down to a specific study on transistors at UCL in 1973? Having said that, a recent report on the value of medical research compiled by the MRC, the Wellcome Trust, and the Academy of Medical Sciences, concluded that every pound spent on public or charitably funded research yielded a return of 30p per year - in perpetuity - from direct or indirect gains to GDP. According to the Higher Education Funding Council the number of patents granted to UK universities between 2000 and 2008 rose by 136%, and consultancy income over the same period rose by 222%. University bioscience departments have spawned over 200 spin-out companies over the past decade, and in 2007 alone these spin-outs employed nearly 14,000 people and had a combined turnover of \u00c2\u00a31.1 bn. There does seem to be a compelling argument that investment in scientific research can generate wealth and boost economic activity. In defence of the policy, Mr Willetts told the BBC's Today programme public spending was \"running way ahead of what we can afford\" and taxpayers should only fund the highest quality research. Universities are expecting budget cuts in the Comprehensive Spending Review scheduled for October. But scientific and academic leaders say funding less research would threaten the UK's status as a world leader in science. Former chief executive of the British Medical Research Council Professor Colin Blakemore questioned how research quality would be defined. \"Some of it doesn't produce the results that were expected. That is the nature of research. Sometimes it doesn't work,\" he told the BBC. Mr Willetts said one way the government could focus spending would be to concentrate on research that scored the highest ratings in assessments by the UK funding", "summary": "Science Minister David Willetts has said the research-teaching balance has \"gone wrong\" in universities, after defending cuts to science research."}
{"article": "Kerry McCarthy, who is a vegan and has spoken out about the environmental impact of farming, said there would be \"violent disagreements at times\". But in an interview with the BBC's Farming Today, she said she had a \"real passion\" for the subject. Ms McCarthy was appointed by new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. She has spoken out against the environmental impact of meat production as well as saying the meat, dairy and egg industries \"cause immense suffering to more than a billion animals every year in the UK alone\". The Bristol East MP is also vice president of the League against Cruel Sports and has been a fierce critic of the government's badger cull. Her appointment drew criticism from some in the farming community, with the Countryside Alliance saying it looked forward to seeing how the Vegan Society patron and critic of animal farming \"intends to re-engage the Labour Party with the rural community\". \"I do a lot of work on conservation issues so it's something I have got a real passion for,\" Ms McCarthy said. \"I think it's important to have someone in the role who doesn't see it as a stepping stone to a different post but actually is really keen to get engaged in the issues that there are in that portfolio.\" Ms McCarthy, who campaigns on food waste, said she was concerned about the relationship between farms and supermarkets and the \"push towards ever more intensive industrialised forms of farming\". Asked about her previous criticism of the farming industry, she said: \"I have my own personal views on what I choose to eat, but I accept that we have a livestock industry in this country. \"What I want is for the industry to have the best welfare standards possible, to be sustainable as well as economically viable.\" She said her urban constituency had \"pretty close links\" with surrounding countryside, and that \"the world is not going to turn vegan because I am in post\". Her new job would be \"very much about meeting with as many people as possible, visiting as many places as possible\", she said. \"There will be different viewpoints, there will be violent disagreements at times, but it's about trying to listen to the evidence, approach things with an open mind and I am very much prepared to do that.\"", "summary": "Labour's environment spokeswoman says she will approach her new job with an \"open mind\" despite her strong views on meat consumption and farming."}
{"article": "The White House says a US attack on al-Qaeda in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan killed the 36-year-old, who frequently appeared in al-Qaeda videos. He was known to the US for some years. In 2006, Gadahn became the first US citizen to be charged with treason since World War II. The indictment said he had \"knowingly adhered to an enemy of the United States... with intent to betray the United States\". A $1m bounty was placed on his head. He was home schooled and raised as a Christian in California before converting to Islam at 17. Following his conversion, he moved in 1998 to Pakistan and married an Afghan refugee. Gadahn performed translations for al-Qaeda and become associated with al-Qaeda's captured field commander, Abu Zubaydah. He is also thought to have later trained at a militant camp in Afghanistan. In 2004, the US justice department named him as one of seven al-Qaeda operatives planning imminent attacks on the US. Shortly afterwards, he appeared in a video on behalf of al-Qaeda, identifying himself as \"Azzam the American\". In September 2006, he appeared in a video with Ayman al-Zawahiri and exhorted his fellow Americans to convert to Islam and support al-Qaeda. In 2011, he appeared in a video exulting in the new information revealed about US global interests through the Wikileaks publication of classified documents, according to prosecutors at the trial of Pte Bradley Manning. He has also appeared in multiple other videos urging Muslims in the West to carry out attacks. Analysts say Gadahn is not part of al-Qaeda's senior leadership, and does not hold any operational or ideological significance.", "summary": "Before his apparent death at the hands of the US military in a probable drone strike, Adam Gadahn had risen to be one of the US government's most wanted men as he became a high profile al-Qaeda propagandist."}
{"article": "Canon Jeremy Pemberton was refused a licence to work as a hospital chaplain by the then acting bishop of Southwell and Nottingham. Mr Pemberton brought a discrimination case which started in June. The Nottingham Employment Tribunal heard final submissions from both parties earlier on Tuesday. Although Mr Pemberton was employed by the NHS, a required licence from the diocese to work at King's Mill Hospital in Mansfield was refused by the Rt Revd Richard Inwood. He argued that the marriage was against the Church of England's teachings. Thomas Linden QC, representing the church, said: \"The state should not be saying to a religious organisation you can or can't choose this person as your priest. \"The tribunal should say it's clear on the evidence what the church thinks of same sex marriage.\" He argued Mr Pemberton went against the doctrine of the church when he entered his same-sex marriage in \"a blaze of publicity\". Sean Jones, representing Mr Pemberton, suggested the church would not have had an issue with Mr Pemberton if he was in a civil partnership, even though he claimed they were nearly the same. He added that nothing stopped clergy from entering into civil partnerships and questioned why it should be different now another type of \"civil union which the state calls marriage\" has been introduced. A final conclusion is not expected until next year.", "summary": "A clergyman may have to wait until next year to find out whether a decision to remove his right to officiate after he married another man was discriminatory."}
{"article": "Bananas were a staple then - for family consumption and as a mainstay of the local economy - and they still are today. But the 50,000 or so people who live in this hilly district of small trading centres and scattered homesteads have been part of a high-profile aid initiative over the past nine years. It is one of the locations across Africa chosen by the US economist Jeffrey Sachs to establish Millennium Villages - intended to be a model for accelerating the end of global poverty. The Millennium Villages concept has been backed by the United Nations, preparing a string of summits this year as the world marks a transition from the Millennium Development Goals to broader and more ambitious Sustainable Development Goals. The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, says the Millennium Villages are \"showcasing how effective an integrated strategy for education, health care, agriculture and small business can be\". It is when you reach the ridge where Ruhiira's main trading centre has developed that you get a sense of how the area is changing. Clustered around a crossroads, there are now several small grocery stores, shops selling medicines, hardware stores and eating places. There is a bar with a well-used billiards table on the veranda. There are shops where you can draw money with a mobile phone. And there is a co-operative bank with customers queuing up for loans but, for now, with all too little capital to meet the demand. There was scarcely any electricity in this area a few years ago. Then solar power started to make an appearance and now the grid is extending into the area too. A large water tank at the Ruhiira trading centre - fed by piped water - shows progress, too, in the critical area of providing more people with access to clean and safe water. Mr Sachs said that at the peak, the Ruhiira project was investing around $60 (\u00a340) per person per year on health, education, water, sanitation, agriculture etc. (Source: Millennium Village project) Life in a town called Mongo The funding is due to drop down to zero by the end of this year. But Mr Sachs believes even modest resources, if very well directed, can make a \"huge\" difference. But the Ugandan government is stepping up its spending in the area, with the help of some funding from Islamic Development Bank and they are negotiating with other agencies. Some people say they have seen far-reaching change in their lives during the period of the Millennium Village project. Take Robert Nkunda, a 35-year-old farmer. He has been able to build a more substantial home and has wooden sheds for his livestock. In the fields around he grows maize, bananas, coffee and beans. But he could have felt that he had no future in this part of Uganda. \"My father died when I was still very young,\" he says. \"We didn't have enough land. Only a plot where we lived. \"That is the reason I didn't go far in education. But I worked hard to buy this land where I am", "summary": "As you climb up the winding reddish-coloured gravel road to Ruhiira - past endless dense plantations of matoke bananas - it can feel at first sight as if it is a world largely unchanged from when I was first working in Uganda close to 50 years ago."}
{"article": "Former Aberdeen and Manchester United manager Sir Alex and the Aberdeen-born singer featured in almost 2,000 public responses. Their achievements will be celebrated at Provost Skene's House. The building will reopen following the completion of the Marischal Square development this summer. The Hall of Heroes: The 10 were picked from 50 candidates during a three-week vote. Aberdeen City Council leader Jenny Laing said: \"The public's contribution has been tremendously valuable and will help ensure the attraction has widespread appeal. \"The stories and achievements of our heroes - indeed all the candidates - clearly resonated with residents.\" Percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie said: \"I am hugely honoured to have been selected.\"", "summary": "Sir Alex Ferguson and Annie Lennox are among the famous names chosen in a poll to feature in a new Hall of Heroes tourist attraction in Aberdeen."}
{"article": "Harry Davis gave the visitors a shock lead before goals from Mikael Lustig, Scott Sinclair, Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths saw Celtic home. \"St Mirren are at the bottom of the Championship, but they are the best team we have played domestically,\" Rodgers said. \"They are well organised.\" Celtic trailed 1-0 at the break and could have been 2-0 down early in the second half when Moussa Dembele's mishit clearance rebounded off his own crossbar. \"I wasn't worried at half-time, but I knew we hadn't played as well as we could have,\" the Celtic manager told BBC Scotland. \"Second half, we just had to stay calm and up the tempo a bit. \"Once we got the first goal we really opened up and we end up getting four goals in the second half. \"I think what was very good today was that again it was another good demonstration of the players under pressure. The players and the supporters stayed calm, stayed behind the team and that's what you have to do. We had a great second half but we'll learn from the first half.\" St Mirren manager Jack Ross was proud of his side's display and felt the final score was not an accurate reflection of the match. \"We understood how we had to play and we did that in the first half,\" Ross said. \"But, once they get that momentum in the game, Celtic are difficult to stop. \"They recognised they had to do something different and they brought on Leigh Griffiths. \"I don't think my players deserved that scoreline. The focus is now on the next game and it would be a bigger achievement to escape relegation than if we had won here today.\" Rodgers, who confirmed goalkeeper Craig Gordon should complete the \"formalities\" on a new contract with the club next week, is relishing taking his team back to Hampden for the cup semi-final. \"I'm really looking forward to going back to Hampden again. We've been there twice for the League Cup, semi-final and final, and the team were magnificent in the games. \"We just wanted to get there and we got there so that's the most important thing.\"", "summary": "Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for St Mirren after Celtic were forced to rally from a goal down to make the last four of the Scottish Cup."}
{"article": "Natalia Kills and husband Willy Moon were fired by broadcaster TV3 after the pair laid into singer Joe Irvine. He'd just performed his version of Michael Buble's Cry Me A River. \"A lot goes on behind-the-scenes of a reality show and what you see isn't always the whole story,\" said Kills in a statement on her Twitter account. \"The show brought me on to bring my passion, dramatic expression and perspective. I was encouraged to be outspoken and things got out of hand. \"Joe, I hope you can forgive me and I wish you all the best! Be natural, unconventional and be you! Love, Natalia Kills.\" During the show Kills criticised Irvine saying: \"As an artist who respects artists' integrity and intellectual property I am disgusted at how much you have copied my husband. \"From the hair, to the suit, do you not have any value or respect for originality? \"You're a laughing stock. It's cheesy, it's disgusting. I personally found it absolutely artistically atrocious. \"I am embarrassed to be sitting here in your presence, even having to dignify you with an answer of my opinion.\" Moon joined in the tirade, saying it felt cheap and absurd and \"like Norman Bates dressing up in his mother's clothing\". The audience mostly booed the judges' commentary and Irvine said he thought \"he looked good\". Willy Moon also released a statement on his Twitter account saying: \"The reality of 'reality' TV is that there's a lot the viewer doesn't see. \"The show encourages judges to be forthright and highly opinionated. It went too far and I never intended to single anyone out. \"I wish the contestants, crew, and particularly Joe, all the best. With love, Willy Moon.\" Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Shelton Woolright have been announced as the new The X Factor NZ judges joining Mel Blatt and Stan Walker. Bassingthwaighte, 39, used to play Izzy in Neighbours and fronted Australian electro-pop band, Rogue Traders, until 2008 when she went solo. \"I am thrilled to be joining The X Factor New Zealand family and I can't wait to begin mentoring my boys,\" she said. \"We are going to have the so much fun and I'm so excited to see their talents evolve. I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I hope will see them through to the very end of the competition.\" Woolright is the drummer in I Am Giant and has previously played in Blindspott. He said: \"I am absolutely stoked to be involved in X Factor NZ and I'm especially looking forward to working with the Groups. \"I've been working with labels, filmmakers and publishers as well as producing I Am Giant and other bands for years and I can't wait to share my expertise with fresh eager minds. This is going to be awesome, and we are going to win.\" Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Two X Factor New Zealand judges, who were sacked for making abusive comments to a contestant, have apologised."}
{"article": "Resuming on 329-3, in reply to Middlesex's 98 all out on day one, Tom Fell went early for 171. But Kohler-Cadmore, 97 overnight, went on to finish on 130, with Ben Cox on 53, when the hosts declared on 431-5. Middlesex were then bowled out for 205 after a 72-run last-wicket stand from Tim Murtagh and John Simpson (50 no). Having initially looked comfortable second time around on 44-0, three wickets went down in eight balls when a double breakthrough for Ed Barnard got rid of ex-England openers Sam Robson and Nick Compton before Jack Shantry removed Paul Stirling. After a brief break for rain, Dawid Malan and Neil Dexter briefly shored things up in a stand of 48, but Shantry made another breakthrough, West Indian signing Shannon Gabriel struck twice and another collapse, this time of six wickets for 31, was under way. Having delayed the scheduled tea interval for half an hour, the last-wicket rearguard action between Simpson and Murtagh looked like extending the third day into a third session. But, right on the stroke of tea, already relegated Worcestershire completed their season with victory when Murtagh was last out for 24 - the second of successive Middlesex run-outs. Middlesex's defeat - only their second of the Championship season - could cost them second place to Nottinghamshire in the Division One table and their best finish since the introduction of two divisions in 2000. It would mean an \u00a381,000 disparity in prize money if third-placed Notts can pip them for second by beating relegation battlers Hampshire. Worcs coach Steve Rhodes told BBC Hereford & Worcester: \"We're relegated but the players have tried so hard all season, they had a lot of pride and purpose and really showed what they can do. \"There have been a lot of frustrations during this year but we shan't get too down. We've now beaten three First Division teams by an innings. \"Tom Fell and Tom Kohler-Cadmore batted really well in this match. We have a lot of young players who are only going to get better and, I'm delighted to say, going to get better playing for us.\" Middlesex coach Richard Scott told BBC London 94.9: \"To come here and lose to a side already relegated is disappointing. \"It will probably take a couple of weeks' reflection to find out what went wrong. But we have a lot to be proud of. \"We won seven games, did the double over Durham and Sussex, which is no mean feat, and there was the game at Lord's against Yorkshire, the highlight of the season.\"", "summary": "Worcestershire youngster Tom Kohler-Cadmore made his maiden first-class century at New Road as Middlesex were beaten by an innings and 128 runs."}
{"article": "James Duddridge, who has tabled a no confidence motion in Mr Bercow, said he had used his job to \"pontificate\" on international issues and had spoken publicly against Brexit. The Speaker, who recently criticised US President Donald Trump, told students on 3 February he had voted Remain. Lib Dem chief whip Tom Brake said Mr Bercow was \"even-handed\" in his job. And the Speaker's spokeswoman said he had been \"scrupulous in ensuring that both sides of the argument are always heard\". But speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Duddridge said: \"Enough is enough. \"We need a new more impartial Speaker.\" Although Mr Duddridge is currently the only signatory to his motion, he said he had received calls from ministers and MPs from different parties saying they too would vote to oppose Mr Bercow if it was debated. He said Mr Bercow had done \"some very good things\" during his time in the chair, but added: \"One of the key roles of the Speaker is you must not speak on policy issues. \"He's broken that rule, he's broken his employment contract effectively with members of Parliament - he should resign, and if he doesn't, the vote of no confidence will go ahead.\" He claimed there would have to be a vote to \"resolve\" his motion, although Early Day Motions tabled by MPs rarely make it as far as a Commons debate. Mr Brake, a member of the House of Commons commission, said there had been a longstanding campaign by some Conservative MPs to get rid of Mr Bercow. He said the Speaker's style \"may feel like Marmite to some but in practice he is balanced\". On his blog, UKIP MP Douglas Carswell criticised Mr Bercow's \"morally perverse\" stance against President Trump but said he would not back an attempt to unseat him. Mr Carswell pointed to Commons debates to come as the UK leaves the EU, adding: \"Brexiteers should be exclusively focused on winning those fights - not picking others.\" Before the recording of his Brexit comments emerged, Mr Bercow, who was a Conservative MP before becoming Speaker, was already facing calls for him to be replaced for voicing his opposition to US President Donald Trump addressing Parliament on his UK state visit. Talking to Reading students, Mr Bercow said: \"Personally, I voted to remain. I thought it was better to stay in the European Union than not.\" He said this was \"partly for economic reasons - being part of a big trade bloc - and partly because I think we're in a world of power blocs. \"I think for all the weaknesses and deficiencies of the European Union, it's better to be part of that big power bloc in the world than thinking you can act as effectively on your own.\" He also said immigration was a good thing and expressed concern Labour had not done more to strike a \"very clear, resonant Remain note\". When he was elected Speaker in 2009, Mr Bercow said he would serve for no more than nine years. Responding to the row over his", "summary": "A Conservative MP who is attempting to oust Speaker John Bercow says he should quit or face a vote of no confidence."}
{"article": "The first minister told BBC Scotland she would set out her next steps to the Scottish Parliament after Easter. Ms Sturgeon has already said she does not intend to take the issue of a second vote on independence to court. It follows the UK government's rejection of SNP plans to hold a referendum before Spring 2019. Prime Minister Theresa May has argued that the focus of Brexit negotiations should be on getting the best deal for the whole of the UK. Ms Sturgeon wants a referendum to take place between autumn 2018 and spring 2019. She said: \"I'm absolutely clear that the position of Theresa May, I just don't think is politically sustainable. \"If the Scottish Parliament is of the position, as it is because it has voted in this way, that Scotland should be given a choice - not now, but when the time is right, when there is clarity about Brexit and obviously when there is clarity also about independence - that we should have a choice about our future. \"I will set out, having written to Theresa May on the back of the Scottish Parliamentary vote, I've said sometime after the Easter recess, I've said I will set out what I consider the next steps to be, but I will set that out to parliament. Responding to the possibility of court action or a snap election, Ms Sturgeon added: \"These are not the kinds of things I am thinking of. I've got a responsibility to lead the country. \"I was elected as first minister less than a year ago. I've got a responsibility to lead this country. \"We are very focused on getting growth in our economy and transforming education. These are things that continue to be my priorities - these sort of scenarios that are put to me are not the ones I am thinking [of], but I do have an idea of how I progress the will of parliament.\" The Scottish Conservatives said the first minister was \"distracted\" by the issue of a new referendum. A party spokesman said: \"Never mind a snap election, Nicola Sturgeon needs to go further and take the threat of an unwanted second referendum off the table. \"If the first minister's priority is really the economy and education, then we need to see some clear action on both fronts. \"While she has been distracted by constitutional wrangling, GDP figures have shown that Scotland is halfway to a recession while education reforms have been kicked into the long grass.\" Scottish Labour also called for talk of another referendum to end. The party's leader, Kezia Dugdale said: \"Scotland is divided enough, we don't need, and don't want, another referendum on independence. \"Holding another referendum on leaving the UK is the wrong thing to do for Scotland's economy, especially when there is so much economic uncertainty from the Tories' reckless plans for a hard Brexit. \"The Labour Party I lead will never support independence and the unprecedented levels of austerity it would mean for our public services. We believe that together we're stronger.\"", "summary": "Nicola Sturgeon has dismissed talk of a snap election at Holyrood to break the deadlock over a second independence referendum."}
{"article": "Mr Yildirim, who is currently transport minister, is seen as a leading aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Outgoing Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had apparently objected to Mr Erdogan's plan to beef up his own power. The president was known to be seeking a more \"closely aligned\" prime minister. And, in a speech on Thursday, Mr Yildirim made clear he would work \"in total harmony\" with the president and all other levels of the AKP. Mr Yildirim, 60, will be confirmed as the new leader of the AKP at an extraordinary party congress on Sunday. The party leader automatically takes on the role of prime minister. Although Mr Erdogan's son-in-law, Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, had been mentioned as a possible candidate, his name did not feature among the top three men in a survey of MPs and party members. President Erdogan is hoping to move Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system, with greater executive powers. The choice of Binali Yildirim as frontrunner for the AKP's leadership has surprised few in Turkey, as he has been an Erdogan favourite for years. He has remained loyal in the most troubling times, and that loyalty appears to have paid off. He has served as transport minister for many years, and did not hesitate to resign from his post to run for the mayoral elections in the western city of Izmir, a secular stronghold, at Mr Erdogan's request. His name had come up as a possible candidate for the party leadership at last year's AKP congress. And that forced Mr Davutoglu to concede some of his powers within the party. One AKP MP had to apologise after suggesting that the next prime minister would be a \"low-profile\" name. However, many in Turkey believe he will pose little threat to Mr Erdogan. Among the reforms planned by the AKP is a proposal going before parliament on Friday to lift the immunity of MPs who are under investigation. The measure is seen as targeting the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) as well as the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). The HDP fears its 59 MPs could face prosecution and expulsion from parliament on charges of backing Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants. The large number of pro-Kurdish MPs in parliament has also hindered Mr Erdogan's aim of pushing through increased presidential powers. A ceasefire between Turkey and the PKK ended weeks after elections in June 2015 and the renewed conflict has claimed hundreds of lives on both sides, particularly in Turkey's south-east. Mr Erdogan has called for pro-Kurdish MPs to face terrorism charges and Friday's vote could be a first step towards making that happen. If the government secures the support of 367 of parliament's 550 MPs, it will go through directly. If 330 MPs back the measure, then it could be put to a popular vote. A referendum is seen as more likely because 348 MPs supported the plan in a preliminary vote earlier this week.", "summary": "The ruling AK Party in Turkey has picked Binali Yildirim as candidate for leader, a fortnight after a reported dispute with the president prompted the prime minister to quit."}
{"article": "The criticisms concern some members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), accused of doing favours for Azerbaijan. The oil-rich ex-Soviet state has cracked down on political dissidents. There are suspicions that Azerbaijan influenced PACE's rejection of a report on Azeri political prisoners in 2013. Azerbaijan is among the 47 member nations of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe. The council - not part of the EU - monitors compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights, and judges in Strasbourg enforce it. In January 2013 PACE rejected a report by German Social Democrat MP Christoph Str\u00e4sser, which deplored human rights abuses in Azerbaijan and urged the authorities there to release political prisoners. The Azeri government denies that charges against opposition activists are politically motivated. Opponents of President Ilham Aliyev have been jailed on various charges, including tax evasion, spying and weapons possession. Three top international human rights lawyers will investigate the PACE corruption allegations and will report their findings by the end of 2017. They can recommend action against any PACE members implicated in corruption. The investigators are: PACE elects the judges at the ECHR, whose human rights rulings are binding on Council of Europe states. As part of the inquiry, PACE plans to revise its code of conduct. An investigation published in December by the European Stability Initiative (ESI), a human rights think-tank, alleged that some parliamentarians in PACE had engaged in political lobbying for Azerbaijan. There were claims that some received Azeri payments. Council of Europe profile Azerbaijan bans online insults to leader In March a top Council of Europe official, Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland, wrote to PACE President Pedro Agramunt, urging him \"to establish an independent external investigation body without any further delay\". A large group of European MPs in PACE made a similar plea in January. They said PACE's integrity was threatened by \"recent, serious and credible allegations of grave misconduct\" by some fellow MPs. Civil society groups in Europe sent an open letter to PACE in April, saying an independent investigation must \"shed light on hidden practices that favour corruption\".", "summary": "Europe's top human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, has launched an investigation into alleged corruption at the council involving Azerbaijan."}
{"article": "9 October 2016 Last updated at 10:18 BST But one of them, Donald Trump, has landed himself in some big trouble after comments he made about women 11 years ago were released. In the past Donald Trump has used words like \"pig\", \"fat\" and \"ugly\" to describe women he disagreed with. Now a 2005 video has come out, in which he said even worse things about women. Since the recording was made public, Donald Trump has released a video statement where he apologised for the comments. But Hillary Clinton has said that Trump should not be president after what he has said. She says that his words will have a negative effect on women and girls. People in Donald Trump's own party have said they strongly disagree with the things he has said. Some of them have said they will no longer be supporting him in the election. The president of the United States is one of the most powerful and important jobs in the world, and the winner of this year's election will take over from current president Barack Obama. These big presidential debates are shown on TV to try to help people make their mind up about who they want to vote for in the election.", "summary": "A big debate takes place on Sunday night in America between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, the two people trying to become the next US president."}
{"article": "Cumhuriyet newspaper's editor-in-chief Can Dundar and its Ankara representative Erdem Gul have been charged with espionage. Prosecutors accuse them of working with a US-based cleric to discredit the government. The harsh punishment being sought has intensified press freedom concerns. EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said he was \"shocked\" at the severity of the sentence sought by prosecutors. Human Rights Watch said the two \"were doing their job as journalists and no more than that\". In its report last May, Cumhuriyet published video of police finding weapons in trucks that it said were linked to Turkish intelligence. The Turkish authorities insisted the trucks, which had been intercepted near the Syrian border, were in fact bringing aid to Syria's Turkmen minority. But the report caused uproar and prompted President Reccep Tayyip Erdogan to file a lawsuit against the journalists. Mr Erdogan said the video footage was a state secret and vowed on TV that the journalists \"would pay a heavy price\". The pair were detained in November and told the BBC they were kept in solitary confinement for 40 days before being allowed to share a cell. The government accuses them of helping the Hizmet movement led by Fethullah Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania. Mr Erdogan has accused Mr Gulen of plotting against him, although Mr Gulen denies this. Mr Dundar and Mr Gul are accused of working with Hizmet to create the impression that the Turkish government was helping terror groups, thus weakening its ability to rule. They face charges of espionage, attempting to overthrow the government and support for a terror organisation, Hurriyet reported. If convicted, they will receive an \"aggravated life sentence\", which includes tougher conditions and restricted leisure hours, the Dogan news agency reported. Turkey has come under mounting criticism for its treatment of journalists. Last week, US Vice-President Joe Biden called on Turkey to protect freedom of expression during a visit to the country and also met with Mr Dundar's wife in a show of support. Press freedom 'a major concern'", "summary": "Two Turkish journalists face life in prison over a story alleging that the Turkish government was arming Islamist militants in Syria."}
{"article": "More than 220 million people were immunised across 16 countries in the continent's meningitis belt. In 2013 there were just four cases across the entire region, which once faced thousands of deaths each year. However, there are fresh warnings from the World Health Organization that \"huge epidemics\" could return unless a new vaccination programme is started. The meningitis belt stretches across sub-Saharan Africa from Gambia in the west to Ethiopia in the east. In the worst epidemic recorded, in 1996-97, the disease swept across the belt infecting more than a quarter of a million people and led to 25,000 deaths. Unlike other vaccines, the MenAfriVac was designed specifically for Africa and in 2010 a mass vaccination campaign was started. Laboratory-confirmed cases of meningitis A have been falling ever since: \"The disease has virtually disappeared from this part of the world,\" said Dr Marie-Pierre Preziosi from the World Health Organization. The mass immunisation programme was aimed at people under 30. However, routine vaccination will be needed to ensure that newborns are not vulnerable to the disease. Projections, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, showed the disease could easily return. Dr Preziosi told the BBC News website: \"What could happen is a huge epidemic that could sweep the entire area, that could target hundreds of thousands of people with 5-10% deaths at least. \"There will be major epidemics in 10 to 15 years, so the call to countries now is, 'Do not stop your efforts - you need to introduce the vaccine into routine immunisation programmes.'\" A new vaccine has been approved for children between nine and 18 months old. Ghana is introducing the jab and eight more countries are lining up to do so next year. Dr Mark Alderson, from the global non-profit healthcare organisation Path, told the BBC: \"It is a remarkable success story.\" However, he warned other types of meningitis - C, Y, W and X - were also a threat. He added: \"Outbreaks of other sera groups are unpredictable and meningitis C is Niger is a case in point. \"If meningitis A is gone there will continue to be outbreaks in the other sera groups. If we really want to eliminate meningitis from the meningitis belt then the best way is to introduce a polyvalent vaccine [against A, C, Y, W and X].\" Meningitis A strikes in the the dry season in Africa and while it starts like a cold with headache and fever it can soon lead to convulsions, coma and death. Follow James on Twitter.", "summary": "A mass vaccination programme against meningitis A in Africa has been a \"stunning success\", say experts."}
{"article": "Carl Bildt suggested a \"Yes\" vote would lead to the \"Balkanisation of the British Isles\" and set off \"unforeseen chain reactions\". Mr Salmond said the use of the word \"Balkanisation\" was insulting to the democratic process in Scotland. But a spokesman for Mr Bildt said the politician stood by his comments. The people of Scotland go to the polls on 18 September when they will be asked the \"Yes/No\" question: \"Should Scotland be an independent country?\" Mr Salmond said the Swede's remarks, made in the Financial Times newspaper, were not only insulting to Scotland but to the Balkan countries that had joined the EU. Both Croatia and Slovenia have become EU member states since the bloody wars that tore Yugoslavia apart in the 1990s. Mr Bildt is a former prime minister of Sweden who also served as the UN's special envoy to the Balkans between 1999 and 2001. The FT quoted him saying that Scottish independence would have \"more profound implications than people think\". He added in the piece: \"The Balkanisation of the British Isles is something we are not looking forward to. It opens up a lot, primarily in Scotland but also in the UK. \"What are the implications for the Irish question?\" he asked. \"What happens in Ulster?\" In a BBC interview, the Mr Salmond took exception to these remarks. He said: \"I think the term Balkanisation was very foolish. \"Insulting to this democratic process in Scotland but also insulting to the new European member states from the Balkans who are now part of the democracy of the European Union.\" Slovenia has been in the EU for 10 years and Croatia became the newest member state last year. Montenegro, Serbia and the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia are all candidates for EU membership. UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, was in Sweden for talks on the future of the EU with other centre-right leaders. At a news conference with Mr Cameron, Swedish Prime Minister, Fredric Reinfeldt, chose not to echo his foreign minister's remarks. He said: \"We also have a lot of experiences in referendums throughout Europe and we have learned to respect the results and not to speculate in advance.\" Sweden's shadow foreign minister, Urban Ahlin, said \"unfortunately we have a foreign minister with a specialty in insulting other nations. \"I think he's insulting the people of Scotland by comparing a democratic referendum with 'Balkanisation'.\" However, Mr Bildt is said to be standing by his remarks. The Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, Willie Rennie, said the comments reflected wider international concern. He explained: \"Balkanisation is not a term that I would use but it's quite clear that leaders across the world are expressing concern about the United Kingdom because the UK is a force for good across the globe.\" The SNP often draws inspiration from Scandinavian countries - including Sweden - for its vision of what an independent Scotland could achieve. Mr Bildt is not the only international figure to have commented on Scotland's future in recent days. Last Thursday, the US president Barack Obama said that America had a \"great", "summary": "Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said comments by Sweden's foreign minister on Scottish independence were \"very foolish\"."}
{"article": "The man was killed in the incident in Fairfield Road, near to the junction of Lightwood Road, in Buxton at 17:45 GMT on Thursday. Derbyshire Police said a 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving. Officers said the man was due to be interviewed later on Friday.", "summary": "A 79-year-old man has died after being hit by a lorry."}
{"article": "Philip Garvey, 56, his wife Ann, 55, and their children Emily, 23, and Daniel, 20, died when their plane came down in Somerset in November 2015. They were flying from Surrey to Devon. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said it was possible Mr Garvey tried to manually start landing while the autopilot was still on. Mr Garvey had taken off from Fairoakes Airport, close to the family home in Woking, and was heading to Dunkeswell Aerodrome. The AAIB's report said it was an overcast and rainy day and all planned flights at Dunkeswell had been cancelled because of the weather. Several witnesses told investigators they heard a sound like a plane doing \"aerobatics\" before the Piper Malibu Mirage appeared from the clouds and hit the ground near Churchinford, south of Taunton. The AAIB said: \"The evidence from the autopilot examination system suggested that, as the pilot turned on to the final approach and started to descend, the autopilot may not have been disengaged due to a mental lapse, incorrect button selection or a technical fault.\" The plane was seen to quickly climb into cloud before coming down. The AAIB concluded it was \"unable to determine with certainty the reason for the initial rapid climb\" but said attempting to override the autopilot would have caused the plane to go \"nose up\" as it would fight to maintain its set height. While the aircraft could still have been controllable, it said \"recovery may have been beyond his capabilities\". Mr Garvey had been a pilot since 2012 and had flown to Dunkeswell 25 times since 2013, including 14 times from Fairoaks. His instructors told investigators he was \"less able than average pilots at multi-tasking and poor at prioritising especially when under pressure\". Another instructor said Mr Garvey \"would often have difficulty dealing with an unusual or unexpected condition\".", "summary": "A pilot who died along with his family when the plane he was flying crashed was \"poor under pressure\", his instructors have told investigators."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old joined the Shrimpers in the summer after a trial, having not played a first-team game since November 2014 while at Blackpool. The former Newcastle and Swindon forward has since scored twice in nine Southend appearances. Phil Brown's side are undefeated in any match Ranger has started, winning five and drawing three of the eight games.", "summary": "Southend United striker Nile Ranger has signed a new three-and-a-half year contract with the League One club."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old played five songs, including Only Girl (In The World) and Cheers, which she dedicated to \"all the semi-alcoholics in the world\". Rihanna said the album had been recorded late at night after she came off stage on her Last Girl On Earth world tour. \"I'd be doing vocals at 4am with a raspy voice,\" she joked. The record, Rihanna's fifth in six years, marks a return to the singer's pop roots after the bleak nihilism of last year's Rated R. That album, recorded in the wake of the star's assault by then-boyfriend Chris Brown, had a much darker tone - presaged by single Russian Roulette, which talked about a subservient, violent relationship. One track from the new album, S&M, revisits those themes, with Rihanna declaring, \"sticks and stones may break my bones, but whips and chains excite me\". But most of the new material presented a more carefree side to the Barbadian star. Fizzing synths, club beats and sing-along chants featured heavily, with three songs - Only Girl, What's My Name and S&M - produced by Norwegian team Stargate. The duo previously collaborated with Rihanna on dance tracks like Don't Stop The Music and Rude Boy. Cheers, which the singer also referred to by its working title, Drink It Up, was a funky, loping guitar groove dedicated to a night on the town. Despite its lyrical content, Rihanna confessed she was \"too busy\" to drink alcohol, and \"hardly ever gets any sleep\". The night concluded with a strummed, acoustic ballad called California King Bed, about a couple who sleep beside each other but feel \"10,000 miles apart\". Dressed in a figure-hugging white dress with a bold floral print, Rihanna sang along while her new music played, and chatted bashfully to a small audience of invited fans and journalists. She revealed that the new album would also contain a duet with R&B star Drake and a collaboration with hotly-tipped rapper Nicki Minaj on a track called Raining Men. \"Thanks for coming along tonight, this really means a lot to me,\" she said. \"Thank you for coming to hear my silly music.\" Loud is due for release in the UK in November.", "summary": "Pop star Rihanna has unveiled tracks from her forthcoming album, Loud, at a club in London."}
{"article": "Here is a selection of their comments: \"I am disappointed that Martin McGuinness has chosen to take the position he has today. \"His actions have meant that, at precisely the time we need our government to be active, we will have no government and no way to resolve the RHI problems. \"It is clear that Sinn F\u00e9in's actions are not principled, they are political. \"Let me make it clear, the DUP will always defend unionism and stand up for what is best for Northern Ireland and it appears from the deputy first minister's resignation letter that is what annoys Sinn F\u00e9in the most.\" \"The UK government has a primary role to provide political stability in Northern Ireland and we'll be doing all we can over the coming days to work with the parties to find a solution to the current situation. \"The position is very clear. If Sinn F\u00e9in does not nominate a replacement to the role of deputy first minister, then I'm obliged to call and election of the assembly within a reasonable period. \"I would urge the leaders of the political parties to come together and work together to find a solution to current situation and we'll be doing all that we can with the political parties and the Irish government to that end.\" \"A reasonable resolution could have been achieved which leads me to believe that this crisis goes beyond RHI and points to a more intractable situation. \"The DUP and Sinn F\u00e9in's inability to work together is a fundamental flaw not envisaged in the Good Friday Agreement and will continue to burden the people of Northern Ireland as long as their best interests come second to entrenched party politics. \"Today is a dark day for Northern Ireland. I am truly fearful for our future.\" \"If this was just about RHI, Sinn F\u00e9in would hang in, they would hold the DUP and the first minister to account, they'd take steps to introduce cost controls and they'd support a public inquiry into what went wrong. \"But this is not about RHI - it's about Sinn F\u00e9in. We've now had 10 years characterised by disappointment, debacles and scandals. \"They are incapable of governing this country. They cannot see the greater good. The Ulster Unionists fought hard in 1998 to get these institutions up and running. We saw devolution as being for the benefit of the people. \"I don't know what Sinn F\u00e9in and the DUP have in mind [following the resignation], but it's very clear they'll do what's good for the parties, not what's good for the electorate.\" \"It looks like we're heading towards an election and that's happening because of Arele Foster's arrogance. \"But if people want an election, let's have it, because people need to hear that we still have no programme for government and now we have costs spiralling out of control with RHI. \"We also now won't have a public inquiry into all of this. We agree with Martin McGuinness when he tells us the DUP have disrespected the nationalist community. But some people wanted to stand", "summary": "Politicians, public bodies and the business community have been reacting to the news that Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has resigned in protest at the handling of a botched heating scheme that is likely to cost the taxpayer \u00a3490m."}
{"article": "William Carlin, 52, did not return to Castle Huntly prison near Dundee after a period of temporary release. He was last seen near the city's King's Cross Hospital at about 09:00 on 5 November. He has connections in Ayrshire and Newcastle, and Northumbria Police are helping with the search. Carlin was jailed in 2013 after being caught with a security box containing \u00c2\u00a340,000 from a Sainsbury's in Prestwick. He is described as 5ft 11in, with a slim build, short brown or grey hair and blue-grey eyes. Police Scotland have warned members of the public not to approach him.", "summary": "Police in Scotland and England are searching for a convicted armed robber who has been missing from prison for nearly two weeks."}
{"article": "Mark Munro, 31, and James Robertson, 27, pushed Russell Robertson over railings at Bainsford Bridge, Falkirk, on 29 May last year. Mr Robertson, 27, suffered a skull fracture caused by his head hitting a metal stanchion as he fell. The two men, who were accused of murder, were convicted of the lesser charge of culpable homicide. The High Court in Glasgow heard that Mr Robertson would have been unconscious when he went into the water. His body was recovered from the canal more than an hour later. The court heard that all three men had been at the Warehouse nightclub in Falkirk and were making their way home after 03:00 when an incident occurred. James Robertson was approached by Russell Robertson and they began fighting, before Munro, who had been on the phone, became involved. The trial heard the men tipped Mr Robertson into the canal and then ran off without a backward glance. Both accused blamed each other during the trial. Robertson admitted being in an initial struggle with Russell Robertson, but claimed he was walking away towards Falkirk when he went into the water. Nightclub security manager Kevin Gibney said he saw Russell Robertson disappear off the bridge as he struggled with Munro and Robertson. Mr Gibney said: \"One minute he was there and the next he was gone. The two gentlemen ran across the road.\" Judge Lady Carmichael deferred sentence until 23 August at the High Court in Edinburgh and detained both men in custody.", "summary": "Two men have been convicted of killing a stranger by throwing him over a bridge into a canal."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device In a repeat of the 2015 quarter-final, McGill gained revenge despite falling 5-4 behind after the first session. A high-quality encounter saw world number 30 McGill and 2005 champion Murphy make two centuries each. Five-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan opened up a 6-3 lead over qualifier David Gilbert in the first round. O'Sullivan made breaks of 82, 74 and 71, but world number 22 Gilbert showed his ability with a superb 125 clearance. They play to a finish on Monday from 10:00 BST. Alan McManus progressed with a 10-7 victory over fellow Scot Stephen Maguire, who lost in the first round for the fourth consecutive year. McManus will face Ali Carter in the second round on Thursday. In Sunday's evening session, Welshman Mark Williams took a 7-2 lead over fellow former champion Graeme Dott of Scotland, while England's Sam Baird led Michael White of Wales 5-4. Both matches resume on Monday (19:00 BST). Murphy, 33, becomes the third world champion after Peter Ebdon and Stuart Bingham to exit the competition. This is only the second time that the previous year's finalists have both fallen at the first hurdle. The last occasion was in 1980 when Terry Griffiths and Dennis Taylor both lost in the second round after receiving first-round byes. McGill, 25, comes up against Ebdon's conqueror Marco Fu in the next round. \"I'm obviously disappointed but having a child on the way has change my perspective on things,\" said Murphy. \"It is just a game of snooker. \"My preparation could not have been better. My game was in better shape than last year. \"If Anthony can keep his composure, keep himself under wraps and play with enjoyment, he will take some stopping.\" McGill made his debut at the event last year, beating Stephen Maguire and ousting then defending champion Mark Selby, before falling to Murphy in the last eight. Despite making only his second appearance at the Crucible, the Scot showed no sign of nerves and looked comfortable around the table. His ruthlessness among the balls - managing breaks of 119, 117, 97 and 85 - underlined his quality. \"When I came here last year, I had no ambitions of winning and I just wanted to enjoy it,\" said McGill. \"It is an honour for me to play here and a lot of people around the world want to do it. It is a privilege.\"", "summary": "Last year's finalist Shaun Murphy suffered a shock 10-8 first-round loss to qualifier Anthony McGill at the World Championship in Sheffield."}
{"article": "The company posted net income of $4.9bn (\u00c2\u00a33.4bn) for the fourth quarter, an increase from $4.7bn a year ago. The announcement sent its share price up 9% in after-hours trading. That means that Alphabet is now worth around $568bn, compared with Apple which has a value of $535bn. It is the first time that Alphabet has stripped out the results of its Google business - which includes the search engine and YouTube - from its \"Other Bets\" business, which includes more experimental ventures such as self-driving cars and internet balloon programs. The figures show that the \"Other Bets\" lost $3.6bn in 2015. But advertising revenue for Google rose by 17% to $19.1bn, in the three months to December as the number of ads, or paid clicks, rose. Alphabet's claiming of the most value company title has been seen by some as a passing of the technology baton. Google apps and devices compete for market share against Apple iPhones. The title of most value company in the US has been passed between technology companies for several decades. Apple became the United States' most valuable company in 2010, when it dislodged Microsoft. Microsoft in turn overtook IBM two decades earlier.", "summary": "Alphabet- Google's parent company- has surpassed Apple as the world's most valuable company after its latest earnings report."}
{"article": "The claim: Air pollution in London last week was worse than it was in Beijing. Reality Check verdict: Some one-off readings were higher in London last week, but this was an unrepresentative snapshot and Beijing is generally far worse. Ruth Cadbury is the Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth, a part of London that has seen unusually high levels of air pollution recently. Last week saw the highest level recorded in the capital since April 2011. The spike was attributed to cold, calm and settled weather, meaning winds were not dispersing local pollutants. Different countries measure air pollution in different ways. The UK government uses a one (lowest) to 10 (highest) scale. Last week's levels in London were a 10. Another measure is the Air Quality Index (AQI). Last Monday, according to this measure, some parts of London showed particulate levels a bit higher than in Beijing. But this was just a snapshot and not the case for most of the week. On Wednesday afternoon, the overall AQI level in Beijing was about three times higher than in London, and recordings were even higher on the Chinese city's industrial outskirts. The World Health Organization gathers average particulate levels from cities around the world. They suggest that Beijing's levels are about five times worse than London's. The cities with the dirtiest air are Zabol in Iran and Onitsha in Nigeria. In the UK, overall emissions of all types of air pollution have fallen dramatically since 1970. Pollution in Beijing is much worse than in London - or in Stockholm, where the same claim was made this week. Read more from Reality Check", "summary": "On 22 January, recordings of particulate air pollution were higher in London than in Beijing."}
{"article": "With the Brandywell being redeveloped in 2017, Derry City's home domestic games will be played at Maginn Park in the Inishowen town of Buncrana. However, with Maginn Park not equipped to stage European ties, Derry will have to find another Europa League venue. Derry have made overtures about staging Europa ties in the GAA venue Celtic Park but this is highly unlikely. While Croke Park staged rugby and football internationals between 2007 and 2010 on a temporary basis as the new Aviva Stadium was being built at Lansdowne Road, GAA rules still forbid other of the association's grounds being used for sports other than gaelic games. Clare club St Joseph's Milton Malbay attempted to change this rule at this year's GAA Congress but their proposal was overwhelmingly rejected. Derry's first home League game at Maginn Park will take place on Sunday, 5 March. Sunday is Derry's prepared choice for home fixtures and in all, they will play nine Sunday home fixtures. The Candystripes will open their season with an away game against Bohemians at Dalymount Park on Friday, 24 February.", "summary": "Sligo's Showgrounds is emerging as the most likely venue to stage Derry City's Europa League games next summer."}
{"article": "Griffiths won a trio of player of the year awards after scoring 40 goals last season but has started only 10 league games this campaign. He missed Sunday's win over Hearts with a calf injury and Rodgers made it clear the striker must improve his fitness. \"What I've said to him is about making sure the talent is a working talent,\" said the Celtic manager. \"Because talent's not good enough on its own. \"You have to work at it - and it's a cycle. It's one where, when he's playing and fit, Leigh's very good but can still work harder in training. \"The problem is if you're not getting the games and then if you're not quite on it in training then you're losing fitness. \"But then the moment you're asked to come in and get up to speed in a real high-tempo, intense game, the moments that are there for you to risk injury are far greater.\" Rodgers named Dedryck Boyata and Callum McGregor as examples of players who have shown great professionalism to work hard and force their way into his plans. \"You have to work tirelessly every day or unfortunately you'll get left behind,\" he said. Rodgers echoed the words of his predecessor, Ronny Deila, who spoke of the need to be a \"24-hour athlete\". \"It's a difficult period for him with that injury,\" the Celtic manager said of Griffiths, who has lost his place to summer signing Moussa Dembele. \"But the only way you can overcome that is by working 24 hours a day for your profession, for your life. \"He's a good kid, a great boy, but he understands where he's at. We all know the talent, but it won't be good enough on its own. \"We speak a lot and it's not easy because he hasn't played maybe as much as he did last year. The reasons are simple for that. \"He's a player I really admire, a player we really want to have here. \"He's part of the squad, but I want him fit and available. He knows that and it's something he's working harder now to try to achieve.\"", "summary": "Brendan Rodgers has urged Leigh Griffiths to work harder if he is to force his way back into Celtic's team."}
{"article": "Saintfiet said Adebayor and two other Togo players - Kossi Agassa and Floyd Ayite - had shown a lack of discipline after they failed to join up with the squad on time as they prepared for their opening Africa Cup of Nations qualifier next weekend. \"I have no problem with the players as individuals,\" Saintfiet told BBC Sport from Accra. At the moment they are not part of it, but they have not been suspended and I have no problem with them. The doors are never closed for me because these are players with exceptional quality \"It's their choice not to come to the hotel, not to be part of the group, and that makes the choice for me very easy to say these players are now not able to be part of the national team. \"We ask only to be as one team together, to prepare us for these important games,\" Saintfiet explained. Togo take on Liberia in Lome on Sunday 14 June in a Group A fixture that marks the start of their qualifying campaign for the 2017 Nations Cup finals. The fixture against Ghana on Monday will be a big test for Togo against the recent Nations Cup runners-up as they prepare for the Liberia game. The absence of Tottenham striker Adebayor, Stade de Reims goalkeeper Agassa and Bastia midfielder Ayite will be a big loss for Togo but Saintfiet claims he was left with little choice saying all three players were absent for much of last week. \"Floyd Ayite and [Kossi] Agassa were only one time in training and Emmanuel [Adebayor] came twice, but for the rest of the time I never saw him. \"So I'm very sad about that because these three players were in my squad of 23, they are important players for the country and I was looking forward to working with them. \"But if they are not able to be part of it and commit to the national team as all the other players - and we have many more players who play in Europe - the rules are the same for everyone.\" Despite removing all three players from the squad, Saintfiet - who previously coached Ethiopia, Namibia and Malawi - insists the trio have not been suspended and could still have a future with Togo. \"At the moment they are not part of it, but they have not been suspended and I have no problem with them. The doors are never closed for me because these are players with exceptional quality. Adebayor's club Tottenham Hotspur gave him compassionate leave twice last season to return to Africa to deal with a personal family feud that the striker has discussed on social media. Saintfiet , who was appointed last month as coach of the west African nation, acknowledged Adebayor's importance to the Togo set-up. \"A player like Emmanuel Adebayor is unique in Togolese football with his quality and he's a very strong player. \"But again, if a player wants to be part of the team, he has to be with the team, following the rules", "summary": "New Togo coach Tom Saintfiet has removed captain Emmanuel Adebayor from the squad to face Ghana in an international friendly on Monday."}
{"article": "The research says the Trojan exploited a previously unknown vulnerability embedded in Word files, allowing Duqu to modify computers' security protection. The code is believed to have been designed to gather intelligence from industrial control-systems. Microsoft says it is preparing a software patch to address the issue. The Laboratory of Cryptography and Systems Security (Crysys) at Budapest University made the discovery. \"We carefully analysed the available forensics data from the original incident where Duqu was uncovered,\" Dr Boldizsar Bencsath, who led the investigation, told the BBC. \"We found suspicious files that we further analysed, and in one case, we were able to prove that the file contains the installer of Duqu and it uses a zero-day exploit.\" A zero-day exploit is a computer threat that make use of a previously unknown software error to allow the attacker to gain permissions they should not have. Dr Bencsath added that it is possible that Duqu may also be installed by other means, but he had not found any evidence to suggest it. The news is being publicised by the internet security firm Symantec. It says that it has confirmed the Duqu infection at six different computer networks belonging to unidentified organisations across a total of eight countries. They include Iran, India, France and Ukraine. In addition other security firms have reported suspected infections in a further four countries, including the UK. Duqu has been compared to last year's Stuxnet worm attack, but Symantec says they operate in two distinct ways. \"Stuxnet was about spreading as far and as wide as possible to hunt down systems that could pass on control of industrial organisations - such as nuclear power plants,\" said Greg Day, Symantec's director of security strategy. \"Duqu has specifically targeted a number of organisations looking to scan across their internal systems, gather intelligence and pass it back out. \"The sort of things it's collecting are design documents and other information that could be the reconnaissance for a further attack.\" So far neither Symantec nor Crysys have been able to trace who is receiving the data. Efforts to address the exploit are ongoing. \"Microsoft is working with our partners to provide protections for a vulnerability used in targeted attempts to infect computers with the Duqu malware,\" a company statement said. \"We will be providing a security update for customers through our update process.\" Experts say these types of focused attacks appear to be on the rise. Earlier this week Symantec reported that 29 chemicals firms had been targeted by a separate Trojan named PoisonIvy. \"Industrial espionage is the natural evolution from cybercrime,\" said Mr Day. \"Cybercrime is like pick pocketing. But these latest threats are like great train robberies, where the attackers have taken time to understand the intended victim and have a carefully constructed plan to rob them.\"", "summary": "The Duqu computer infection was spread with the help of an infected Microsoft Word document, according to a report."}
{"article": "The self-employed and those with more than one source of income must submit their self-assessment forms online by 31 January, Data from returns made last year showed that men were most likely to file late. Those aged between 18 and 20 and living in London were the worst offenders, the tax authority said. So far, 6.45 million returns have been submitted ahead of the deadline at the end of the month, with about another 4.5 million outstanding. \"Whatever your gender, age, occupation or location, if you haven't sent in your 2013-14 tax return, you need to take action now. Don't leave it until the last minute to contact us. Do it now, and avoid a last-minute rush to beat the deadline,\" said Ruth Owen of HM Revenue and Customs. The figures from a year ago showed that the over-65s were the most punctual. Interestingly, lawyers and accountants were not the most punctual - with 219 late filers per 10,000 submitted. Those in agriculture, fishing and forestry were more efficient, with 109 per 10,000 filing late.", "summary": "Young men working in the communications industry are the most likely to miss the looming tax return deadline, HM Revenue and Customs figures suggest."}
{"article": "The Bolivian authorities earlier said the pontiff had requested to chew coca to help him cope with the effects of the high altitude in La Paz. The Pope made the remark when questioned by a journalist as to the secret of his energy during his South American tour, which ended yesterday. Pope Francis said that mate, the traditional tea popular in his native Argentina, helped to keep him going. \"You wanted to ask me what is my drug of choice? Well, mate helps me. But I haven't tried coca, I want to make that clear,\" said the Pope during the flight from the Paraguayan capital, Asuncion, to Rome. Coca leaves, which are the raw ingredient for cocaine, are used legally for medical and religious purposes in Bolivia. The leaves are chewed or brewed in teas and work as a mild stimulant, helping also to alleviate nausea caused by high altitudes. Bolivia's left-wing President Evo Morales began his political life as the leader of the cocaleros, traditional coca leaf producers. The pontiff, who had part of a lung removed when he was young, only stayed in the La Paz area - which lies 3,650m (12,000ft) above sea level - for about four hours. The pontiff returned to Rome this morning after an eight-day trip to Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay, some of Latin America's poorest countries. Pope Francis addressed inequality, poverty and indigenous rights during his South American tour. The pontiff's visit to Bolivia was marked by controversy when Mr Morales gave him a crucifix sculpted in the shape of a hammer and sickle. The Pope looked visibly surprised and it was rumoured that the crucifix had been left behind in Bolivia. But Pope Francis has now clarified that he took it back with him to the Vatican. The crucifix was based on a design by Luis Espinal, a Jesuit Priest assassinated in 1980 by right-wing militia. \"It was a surprise indeed. I didn't know that Father Espinal was also a poet and a sculptor,\" he said. \"He was killed in 1980, a time when the [Catholic Church's] Liberation Theology embraced so many different groups and one of them adopted Marxist views.\" Pope Francis also shared his views on the popularity of selfies: \"Today a policeman, a man in his forties, asked to take a selfie with me. I told him: But are you a teenager? \"It is a different culture. I respect it but I feel like a great-grandfather,\" said Pope Francis.", "summary": "Pope Francis has said he did not chew coca during his recent trip to Bolivia."}
{"article": "Sandwell Council has received back-to-back poor Ofsted ratings and was warned the service could be run externally. The announcement coincides with the release of Ofsted's latest inspection report which said \"positive progress\" has been made, the authority said. Unison said members could be balloted for industrial action if there were \"no guarantees around pay and pensions\". Tony Barnsley, Sandwell joint branch secretary, said council staff worked hard protecting children, \"many with huge workloads\". More updates on this story and others Birmingham and the Black Country He said the announcement \"put a question mark\" over workers' pay and pensions and guarantees were needed from the government. \"It feels like a huge slap in the face really,\" he said. \"Members have already indicated about action for a ballot to strike and if we don't get the guarantees we'll be faced with little choice but to go for the ballot process.\" Councillor Simon Hackett said the council did not agree with the trust model, but accepted the decision. The move follows a government warning last December that failing departments would have six months to improve or be taken over by high-performing councils or charities. Sandwell's children services was rated inadequate in June last year after another poor rating in 2013, which led to two resignations at the authority - a department boss and a cabinet member. Analysis: Rob Mayor, BBC WM Black Country Political Reporter This isn't the first authority to have a trust appointed - councils in Slough, Doncaster and just down the road Birmingham have all gone through the same. But this is another blow for Sandwell Council which last year said it \"struggled to see how Ofsted came to the conclusion\" that it's children's services were inadequate. The councillor in charge of the department Simon Hackett, who's previously ruled out resigning, says he doesn't think a trust is the best way to improve services, but making it a success is his \"priority\". Behind the scenes there are concerns about morale of staff in a department which has been under siege since an inadequate rating three years ago. Today the council is saying everything it can to reassure them as the trust takes over. Earlier this year, Children and Families Minister Edward Timpson announced Eleanor Brazil would be the new commissioner of children's services at the council. She recommended appointing a trust, he said. Mr Hackett, cabinet member for children's services, said he was disappointed with the decision and improvements had been made which were reflected in Ofsted's latest report. He added: \"However we know there is more to do to improve the quality of social care and accept we must accelerate the pace of change. For this reason, we acknowledge intervention can help us reach the high standards we are determined to achieve.", "summary": "A struggling children's services department is to be taken over by a government-appointed trust."}
{"article": "An application for \u00a36.8m has been made to the UK Government for a station and interchange, including parking and bus stops, at Bow Street near Aberystwyth. The Welsh Government has provided \u00a31.7m, including expenditure, to date. The station closed as a result of the Beeching cuts and there have been campaigns for it to be reinstated. Proposals for a new station have been shown at a public event and it is hoped it will open in 2019. Economy Secretary Ken Skates said: \"We've been working very closely with the local authority, local interest groups and the railway industry to ensure that proposals result in the station and interchange development starting on the ground in April 2018.\"", "summary": "A village in Ceredigion could soon have a new railway station if the Welsh Government is successful in its funding application."}
{"article": "Mark Boleat said London would remain a leading financial hub, with only a few banking jobs likely to move. Urging speedy trade talks, he added: \"We would hope that the negotiations go quickly and go well.\" The triggering of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty last month began the two year countdown to the UK's EU exit. Before the referendum, the financial services sector largely backed the Remain campaign, warning that quitting the bloc could spur an exodus of City jobs. The City of London, the council that covers London's financial centre, itself backed EU membership. Since then, banks including Goldman Sachs, HSBC and UBS have said they will move some jobs out of London as a result of Brexit. The historic insurance market Lloyd's of London has announced plans to open a Brussels subsidiary in early 2019. But in an interview with the AFP news agency, Mr Boleat said that while a few people would be moved, \"no one is going to say 'we are closing down in London'\". \"Banks have had contingency plans since before the Brexit referendum in some cases,\" he said. \"They have known there is a possibility that Britain will not be in the single market - that has now been confirmed.\" He said banks would need to \"restructure what they are doing - perhaps cease doing a few things, in some cases build up business elsewhere in the European Union. They are getting on and doing that.\" Mr Boleat also said it was important the UK reached an early agreement over the terms of its exit from the bloc and on the rights of EU nationals. That would minimise disruption to \"business and consumers in this country - and in Europe,\" he said. On Friday, the Bank of England governor warned of sector-wide consequences if the UK left without a trade deal. Mark Carney said the \"vast majority\" of City firms already had contingency plans in place. However, he said some financial firms still needed to prepare in case of a \"more extreme\" outcome. The Bank has written to the UK's biggest financial firms, urging them to plan for \"all eventualities\" from the UK leaving the bloc.", "summary": "The outlook for the UK financial sector has improved since Brexit was triggered, the policy chief for the City of London Corporation has said."}
{"article": "But there are a few forms of the virus which have been identified by scientists. But if you get the right medical care and treatment, you can recover. Ebola was first spotted in the African countries of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1976. In five months 284 people in Sudan caught the virus. It killed 117. You can catch it through direct contact with the body fluids of an infected person such as blood and saliva. It is not airborne like the flu so is more difficult to catch but is very infectious: so infected people have to be kept separate to reduce the risk of it spreading. Health care workers who have looked after sick patients have also been infected. It's thought Ebola is carried by animals too - chimpanzees and monkeys have been badly affected by the virus. It is spread to humans from close contact with infected animals and can then be passed between people. This latest outbreak has been linked with fruit bats - which are considered a tasty meal in parts of Africa. There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola but a new experimental drug, ZMapp, has been used in the US on health workers and a UK nurse who caught the disease in Africa. They recovered from the virus. You lose a lot of fluids when you have the disease so giving people enough water and the right vitamins, minerals and nutritious food is one of the main treatments. October - The government announced that more is being done to deal with the risk of the Ebola virus in the UK. People will be able to ring a special phone line and will be asked questions about their travel history and possible symptoms. Experts will be on standby with several hospitals ready to deal with any possible cases. The Ebola virus has spread across West Africa in recent months and prompted lots of questions from you. We asked virus expert Dr Benjamin Neuman to answer some of your questions. 20th October - Nigeria was declared free from Ebola after more than six weeks without any new cases. But the World Health Organisation says Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone are still trying to prevent it spreading. Lots of countries and charities are trying to help stop the outbreak of the virus by sending troops, supplies and helping to build more facilities to treat people. Chris Worrall from the charity Oxfam, has told Martin about the work they're doing to raise awareness of the virus. 3rd September - The first British person to catch Ebola during the outbreak in West Africa made a full recovery. William Pooley was brought back to the UK from Africa and was treated in a special isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London but has now been discharged. William was given the experimental drug ZMapp and has praised the \"world class\" care he received. He was working as a volunteer nurse in one of the worst affected countries, Sierra Leone, when he caught the virus. August", "summary": "Ebola - or Ebola haemorrhagic fever (EHF) - is a really deadly virus: 50% to 90% of people who catch it die."}
{"article": "Screenshots posted by a computer science student in the US appear to show cash transfers between users could be coming to Facebook. Earlier this year the social network's founder Mark Zuckerberg said that \"over time\" there would be some \"overlap\" between messenger and payments. But Facebook declined to comment. Andrew Aude, 21, posted screenshots of the payment function on Twitter. He reportedly uncovered the facility using software which allows developers to explore and modify apps. He added debit card details which apparently unlocked a way of sending money, just as you would a photo or emoji. Speaking to investors in July, Zuckerberg warned that the company had \"a lot of work to do\" before offering a payments service. \"We're going to take time to do this in the way that we think that's going to be right over multiple years.\" Earlier this year, Facebook hired former PayPal president David Marcus. Several person-to-person payment apps already exist including Ribbon, Square Cash and Venmo. So far these services have struggled to attract users in large numbers, particularly outside the US. Facebook has 1.3 billion active monthly users, giving it the potential to become widely used as a payment service. The social network has faced criticism for forcing users to use a separate app to send messages rather than the main Facebook app. Adding mobile payments may help Facebook encourage people to use the messenger app more widely. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Soon it may not just be smiley faces, big cats and a thumbs-up that you can send your friends on Facebook messenger."}
{"article": "Lead investigator Viviana Fein said the draft warrant was found in a rubbish bin in Mr Nisman's apartment complex. Mr Nisman was found dead in his Buenos Aires apartment last month, with a single bullet wound to the head. Investigators have yet to establish if he killed himself, or was murdered. Mr Nisman had been investigating the 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires which killed 85 people. He died hours before he was due to testify in Congress against President Fernandez, whom he had accused of covering up alleged Iranian involvement in the 1994 attack. President Fernandez has denied the allegation. Iran has also denied involvement in the attack. Ms Fein told a local radio station on Tuesday that the draft warrant was \"on file\", and that a previous statement from her office saying that no such draft had been found was \"erroneous\". Opposition newspaper Clarin had published a copy of the draft on Monday. The document, dating from June 2014, requested the arrest of President Fernandez and Foreign Minister Hector Timerman. However, it was not included in a 300-page report submitted by Mr Nisman to a federal court days before his death. Under Argentine law, the president and the foreign minister could only be arrested if Congress first lifted the immunity granted to them as members of the executive. Horacio Verbitsky, one of Argentina's most experienced journalists and human rights investigators, told me in his Buenos Aires flat last week: \"There's no point trying to speculate who killed Nisman, because we just don't know.\" Mr Verbitsky is, of course, dead right. Alberto Nisman probably alienated many people as, with the zealous attitude of a man on a mission, he put the finishing touches to his controversial report into the 1994 bombing. But that does not mean any of the people he criticised in the report were responsible for his death. Having initially dramatically denied the existence of the draft arrest warrants by ripping up copies of the newspaper that first carried the reports, a government spokesman has now been forced into an embarrassing climb-down, and that does look bad for the president. So does the apparent pressure the government continues to put on case investigators and fringe players by relentlessly commenting on what should be an independent judicial investigation. What is particularly worrying here, beyond the personal tragedy of Alberto Nisman's death, is not that this happened in Argentina - such murky deeds could happen in any city in any country. It is the fact that most Argentines clearly do not expect their government or its institutions to get to the truth, just as the 1992 and 1994 atrocities remain unresolved. When Clarin first published the draft warrant, the government reacted angrily, dismissing the report as \"garbage\". President Fernandez had also originally described Mr Nisman's death as suicide. However, in a televised speech last week, the president suggested that rogue elements in Argentina's intelligence service had fed Mr Nisman false information and manipulated him. She announced plans to dismantle the Intelligence Secretariat (SI) and called for a special", "summary": "Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman drafted an arrest warrant for President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, according to the woman investigating Mr Nisman's mysterious death."}
{"article": "The midfielder spent three years at Tannadice but leaves after their relegation from the Premiership. Saints manager Tommy Wright told his club website: \"Paul is underestimated - he's an aggressive player but has a lot of real quality too. \"His range of passing is excellent and throughout this career his attitude on the pitch has been great.\" St Johnstone have already secured midfielders Blair Alston and Michael Coulson from Falkirk and York City respectively, while defeners Keith Watson is making the switch from St Mirren. \"We believe we've captured another good signing for the forthcoming season - our fourth - and I think in all four we are bringing quality and experience into the squad,\" said Wright. \"It not only improves the quality but also in terms of depth we are sitting, I believe, in a good position. \"I've always emphasised the point that it is the whole squad that has enabled this football club to achieve what it has these past few seasons and the addition of Paul will enhance that.\" Paton joined United in the summer of 2013 from Partick Thistle, going on to make 90 appearances for the club. He captained the side in the latter stages of last season and thanked the club's supporters \"and everybody at Tannadice\" on the club's website. \"There will always be a tangerine spot in my heart and I wish Dundee United every success in returning to the Scottish Premiership next season,\" he said. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Paul Paton has signed a two-year deal with St Johnstone after leaving Dundee United by \"mutual agreement\"."}
{"article": "They made the 30-minute journey from Victoria in a Twin Otter aircraft and were greeted by thousands of people gathered on Vancouver's waterfront. The duke and duchess later met refugees at an immigration centre and went to the Kitsilano coastguard station. It is first time the Cambridges have toured as a family of four, with Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The royal couple were greeted on the harbourside by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, before meeting well-wishers on a walkabout. He later paid tribute to the royal couple, saying they are \"strong advocates\" for young people, \"whether it's speaking out about cyber bullying, creating more opportunities for young people to lead in their community through sport coaching, or helping children and young people affected by addiction in their families\". He added that they \"understand the need to support and encourage the world's youth\". Leaving Victoria for Coal Harbour, in Vancouver, the duke and duchess were given earplugs for the flight because, although it is the easiest way to travel from Victoria to Vancouver, it is also the noisiest. A royal aide said: \"It was very smooth flying. The duke was very interested in the landing and the different conditions they work in. They spent a lot of time looking at the incredible views from both sides of the plane.\" Later, the couple met a family who had fled the civil war in Syria, during a visit with Canada's prime minister and his wife to the Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia (ISS). Canada has resettled 25,000 Syrian refugees between November 2015 and February this year. They met Alaa Al Mahameed, 36, and wife Yosra, 35, who came to Canada with their daughters, Reemas, three, Reetaj, two, in August. The duchess crouched to speak to the two young children and then asked their mother for their ages through a translator. She asked: \"Has it been difficult with young children?\" Yosra told her: \"We feel safe here. Much more safe.\" Prince William spoke to Alaa about the conflict in Syria, asking: \"Was there a lot of devastation in your town? How bad was the situation?\" Alaa said he was relieved the children were born outside of Syria, in Jordan, but admitted: \"It's been difficult. \"We hope that things would get better and we could return to Syria but unfortunately things have not improved.\" The day ended with the duke being hailed \"one of the guys\" as he met the emergency services with his wife and the Trudeaus. The duke - a former RAF search and rescue pilot and current air ambulance pilot - shared his experiences with fellow first responders. Raising questions about \"macho culture\", he and the duchess went on to inspect the latest technology available to Canadian fire, police and coastguard services. 24 Sept Victoria, British Columbia: The duke and duchess, accompanied by their children, arrived in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. 25 Sept Vancouver, British Columbia: The duke and duchess visited Sheway, the Immigration Services Society of British Columbia - for an event to celebrate young leaders in Canadian arts,", "summary": "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have flown by seaplane to Vancouver on the latest leg of an eight-day Canada tour."}
{"article": "A grant of \u00a31.78m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) will be used to create Scotland's first centre for children's literature and storytelling. It is part of \u00a34.8m the HLF is donating to five projects across Scotland. Others include Campbeltown Picture House, which will receive \u00a31.1m to fund restoration and improvements. The Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust hope to promote \"creativity, imagination and play\" with its plans for the house and garden where Barrie played as a child. In November it received \u00a3687,500 from Creative Scotland. The HLF grant moves the trust closer to its goal of raising \u00a35m for the project. Actress Joanna Lumley, who is a patron of the trust, said: \"This grant will make a sensational difference to Moat Brae and the plans for the future of the Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust. \"It means that we can now move swiftly towards our goals of restoring the house and gardens in readiness for its role in the literary life of children in Scotland. \"Our aims are to nurture the memories of past writers and to encourage the emergence of new talent, to respect our extraordinary literary inheritance and to enable children's imaginations to fly, like Peter Pan.\" Work is expected to get under way next year at the building, which was home to JM Barrie's childhood friends while he was a pupil at nearby Dumfries Academy. An exhibition space will be created within the existing building and two extensions will house visitor facilities including a shop and cafe, and a learning and education suite. Trust chairman, Dame Barbara Kelly, said: \"I believe Moat Brae will create a major attraction and focus for local, national and international visitors. \"It has massive potential to contribute to the local economic, social and cultural regeneration of Dumfries and has the ability to attract much-needed inward investment and could create up to 35 new jobs.\" Colin McLean, head of the HLF in Scotland said it was delighted to support the \"ambitious\" and \"inspirational\" project. \"A new breath of life has the potential to transform them into a visitor attraction that could boost the town's tourist economy and inspire children today and tomorrow, as they once inspired JM Barrie,\" he said. Other HLF grants have been distributed to Heritage Inverclyde, Merkinch Welfare Hall and Wildcat Action.", "summary": "Plans to preserve a Dumfries house which inspired JM Barrie to write Peter Pan have been given a major financial boost."}
{"article": "The total - that includes on and off-street parking and penalty charges minus running costs - means it is the third year in a row the figure has increased. Of the 22 councils, 19 made a profit, with Cardiff (\u00a33.5m) the biggest. Three councils lost money on parking - Flintshire (\u00a3423,000), Blaenau Gwent (\u00a3310,000) and Torfaen (\u00a381,000). Before running costs were taken off, the local authorities had a combined parking income of \u00a335.8m - a 5.6% increase on the previous 12 months. The RAC Foundation takes official returns given to the Welsh Government by each local authority and analyses them. Its director Steve Gooding said the figures \"up sharply again\" could reflect \"a recovering economy with people using their cars more\". Earlier this month, the Wales Audit Office said Welsh councils could raise much-needed cash by charging more for services. However, it cautioned against some rises, citing the potential for increased car parking fees to stop tourists and shoppers visiting town and city centres. Mr Gooding called for profits made from parking to be ploughed back into transport projects - including the ongoing campaign to tackle potholes. He said while towns and cities should not be dominated by cars, more than 80% of employees in Blaenau Gwent, Neath Port Talbot and Torfaen rely on their vehicles to get to work - some of the highest levels in the UK. Swansea (\u00a32.4m) and Gwynedd (\u00a31.4m) recorded the second and third highest profits, while Monmouthshire's system was the most efficient - with \u00a3490,000 spent and \u00a31.42m brought in.", "summary": "Car parking charges made Welsh councils a combined profit of \u00a313.8m in 2015/16, figures from the RAC Foundation show."}
{"article": "But some will be waiting to see whether he changes long-standing US policies on major issues and crises in the region. BBC correspondents have been gauging the reaction. On the ground in the battle for Mosul, the fight to recapture Iraq from so-called Islamic State, Donald Trump's election will make little difference. The military campaign is advanced, and IS in retreat. Despite his criticism of the strategy used against IS, in Iraq at least, it is delivering results. In Syria, it is a different case. Mr Trump has already questioned the US partnership with moderate rebels. Across the Middle East, he is encouraging more co-operation with President Bashar al-Assad's staunch ally, Russia. In the short term, some suggest it might encourage Moscow to begin its bombing campaign on rebel-held Aleppo sooner rather than later. The balance of power in Syria's war - a proxy war, as much as a civil war - may be about to change dramatically. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Donald Trump, describing him as \"a true friend of the State of Israel\". Mr Netanyahu said he was looking forward \"to working with him to advance security, stability and peace in our region\". The mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, was one of the first Israeli officials to send his congratulations. Mr Trump's campaign said his administration would recognise the holy city as the \"undivided capital of the State of Israel\". That would antagonise Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas congratulated Mr Trump, hoping that \"just peace\" would be achieved during his term. Yet much uncertainty remains. Donald Trump has said he would support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but also that peace will only be possible when \"Palestinians renounce hatred and violence\". A spokesman for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, said: \"The Palestinian people do not count much on any change in the US presidency because the US policy towards the Palestinian issue is a consistent policy on the basis of bias. Nevertheless, we hope that US President Trump will re-evaluate this policy and rebalance it on the Palestinian issue.\" Israelis from the hard-right meanwhile hope that Mr Trump will not speak against the expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett put it quite bluntly: \"The era of a Palestinian state is over.\" For many Iranians, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are cut from the same cloth, although they were surprised to see the latter elected. One political activist said the reaction was similar to when the UK voted to leave the European Union. Many here believe a Trump presidency could be more problematic for Iran as far as the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers is concerned. Former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said during the election campaign that the Republican candidate was a bullying and dangerous man who had no principles. But some Iranian politicians believe Mr Trump lacks Barack Obama's ability to influence the international community and will therefore", "summary": "Many Middle Eastern leaders have congratulated Donald Trump on his unexpected victory in the US presidential election."}
{"article": "Conor McAteer was jailed for 28 months in February, with co-accused Paul McGee receiving a 20 month sentence. McAteer says he has suffered a miscarriage of justice in terms of comparative sentencing after McGee's term was cut to eight months on appeal. McAteer also claims the length of his sentence was excessive. The two men were caught with the class A drug at the festival at Balado in 2013. The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission has now referred the case to the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh. The independent body was established in 1999 to review alleged miscarriages of justice in Scottish convictions and sentences.", "summary": "A drug dealer caught with \u00a3870 worth of ecstasy at T in the Park will have his appeal against the length of his prison term heard at the High Court."}
{"article": "How to pronounce the budget retailer's name has caused a basket-load of debate. Some claim \"Pry-mark\" is an upmarket affectation. Others say \"Pree-mark\" is a northern thing. But Primark have tried to settle the matter once and for all, writing on their website: \"We like to use Pr-Eye-Mark.\" End of Twitter post by @niamhioos End of Twitter post by @kickthetradgedy But Primark isn't the only brand that people mispronounce... Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning", "summary": "Pry-mark or Pree-mark?"}
{"article": "She won a silver with an impressive throw of 4.61m (15.12ft) in the F-53 final event on Monday in Rio. Her medal has taken India's tally to three after high jumpers Mariyappan Thangavelu and Varun Bhati won gold and bronze respectively on Saturday. Many in India have taken to Twitter to praise her historic achievement. Malik's win also means that India's Paralympians have already outperformed India's Olympic contingent of more than 100 athletes. India won two medals - silver and bronze - at the Rio Olympics. Malik said she felt \"incredible to fulfil a lifelong ambition\". \"This is our third medal now in Rio and I sincerely hope people back home wake up and acknowledge the potential of para sports in India,\" she added. And many Indians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, woke up to the news and praised Malik's performance. Malik was paralysed below her waist in 1999 after undergoing surgery to remove a spinal tumour. She decided to participate in para sports six years later and took to swimming and javelin throw, winning medals at national and international events. But she also participated in the shot put, winning silver at the World Championships in 2011. On Monday, she thanked her coaches and everybody who supported her. \"It is an extremely satisfying feeling and a big thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years,\" she said.", "summary": "Shot-putter Deepa Malik has created sporting history after becoming the first Indian woman to win a Paralympics medal."}
{"article": "Scotland now has a total of five universities in the top 200 of the Times Higher Education world rankings and three in the top 100. The University of Edinburgh is the top-ranked Scottish institution in 24th place. Glasgow has moved to its highest ranking of 76th place and St Andrews is ranked 86th. Aberdeen rose to 172nd place while Dundee re-entered the top 200 in 185th place. The rankings were based on performance in a number of areas, including academic reputation, employer reputation, staff to student ratios, research citations and international students and faculty. League tables like this one are ultimately subjective. Crucially they do not suggest a degree from one university is better than one from another. Scottish Education Secretary Angela Constance said: \"To see five institutions back in the top 200 and all five substantially improving their placing again demonstrates that our Higher Education institutions are up there with the very best in the world. \"We really do punch above our weight and thanks are due to the hard working staff and students that have made this possible.\" Edinburgh University said: \"It is always pleasing to see the university perform strongly in international league tables, reinforcing our ranking as one of the leading global universities. \"Our strong position is a tribute to the hard work and commitment of the entire university community. Prof Anton Muscatelli, principal and vice chancellor of the University of Glasgow said its improved rankings capped a \"fantastic year\". \"It comes just after we became the only UK University to have attained a five-star plus award in the QS World Rankings and as we celebrate our highest ever position in the National Student Survey, joint top in Scotland,\" he said. Universities Scotland's Director, Alastair Sim, said the rankings demonstrated Scotland was delivering \"record levels of world-leading, impactful research\" producing \"highly-skilled graduates\". \"League table results always make for interesting reading, but the sector's 'excellence' is not just a label. What it means in practice is that universities are always pushing to deliver more and better in every aspect of what they do.\" A total of 34 British universities make the top 200, suggesting Scottish universities are punching above their weight in the table. A strong showing in tables like these can assist universities in their efforts to attract research funding and the best students. Some Scottish universities earn a significant proportion of their income from the large fees paid by students from outside the European union and research funding. The rise in Scottish university rankings came as Scottish students continued to receive free tuition. When tuition fees were abolished in Scotland some claimed Scottish institutions could lose out to rivals south of the border and warned of an academic brain drain. But some within academia continue to express concern about the implications of the Scottish government's Higher Education Governance Bill. This would see the elected chairpersons for university courts and guaranteed places for union representatives on them. Some academics fear the government wants to gain greater control over universities or fear the changes could inadvertently lead to universities", "summary": "Five Scottish universities have climbed up a respected table of the world's top higher education institutions."}
{"article": "Civil Aviation Authority data suggested there were 83 incidents at the airport in 2016, up from 44 the previous year. The British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa) said the rate of attacks was dangerously high and could soon result in a serious incident. It has called for new police powers to help prevent attacks from taking place. The rate of attacks, in relation to the number of flights taking off or landing at Glasgow Airport, was \"significantly high\". There were 98,127 flights to and from Glasgow last year compared to 474,963 at Heathrow Airport, where there were 151 laser attacks. Birmingham and Manchester also continued to experience high numbers of attacks. Incidents at Edinburgh Airport dropped from 55 to 44 from 2015 to 2016. Across the UK, 1,258 laser attacks were reported in 2016, down from 1,439 the year before, which equates to more than three incidents a day on average. Balpa flight safety specialist Steve Landells said: \"We are concerned that at more than three reports a day this figure is still dangerously high. \"We're also concerned that under-reporting of incidents could mean that we don't have a true idea of the scale of the problem.\" He welcomed the new Vehicle Technology and Aviation Bill, which proposes to increase the powers of the courts to allow them to impose prison sentences for laser attacks. He said: \"Balpa wants to see these people stopped before they commit this reckless act and we hope that the bill will give police and authorities the powers to ensure they don't happen in the first place.\" The UK government's transport secretary Chris Grayling said shining a laser pointer at pilots was \"incredibly dangerous and could have fatal consequences\" He added: \"Whilst we know laser pens can be fun and many users have good intentions, some are not aware of the risks of dazzling drivers or pilots putting public safety at risk. \"That's why we want to take the common sense approach to strengthen our laws to protect the public from those who are unaware of the dangers or, even worse, intentionally want to cause harm. This kind of dangerous behaviour risks lives and must be stopped. \"There are around 1,500 laser attacks on aircraft every year in the UK and we know there have been similar attacks on trains and buses. What I announced on 5 February 2017 are plans to give the police effective powers to investigate and bring those who misuse lasers to justice.\"", "summary": "Laser attacks at Glasgow Airport doubled in a year, making it the second most targeted airport after Heathrow, according to latest figures."}
{"article": "Mr Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, made the claim in the Independent and later told BBC Radio 4 it was \"accurate\" - but would not reveal who made the remark. He told the newspaper it happened during a 2012 meeting on the Budget. Culture Secretary Sajid Javid denied the claim, saying: \"No-one said it.\" \"If they think someone said it... they should come clean and say who said it. The reality is no-one said it so the only conclusion is that they must be making this up,\" he told Radio 4's World at One. Responding on the same programme, Mr Alexander said: \"I've said what I've said. It is an accurate reflection of a comment that was made.\" Chris Mason, political correspondent For months, if not years, the two coalition partners, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, have talked up the lists they were each keeping of what they saw as the bonkers ideas they had stopped the other lot doing, or their brilliant schemes the other side had thwarted. David Cameron called it his \"little black book\". Today, senior Lib Dem Danny Alexander appears to be trying to cash in one of his. His reporting of a private conversation is potent because it plays at the prejudice about the Tories they are most scared of - being seen as the party of the rich. But his suggestion is hugely weakened by having no proof of the conversation and not being willing to name which Conservative said what he accuses them of. It means the Tories can accuse him of making it up, something he insists he isn't. The 2012 Budget - the coalition's third - contained an announcement on increasing the personal allowance to \u00c2\u00a39,205 in April 2013. Mr Alexander told the newspaper David Cameron and George Osborne were guilty of \"breathtaking hypocrisy\" for claiming credit for this increase, which the Lib Dems say they had to force Tory ministers to accept. \"In March 2012 when the economy was still in the very early stages of recovery we wanted to do a very big increase in the personal allowance to put a lot of money back into folk's pockets,\" he said. \"The Tories' priority at the time was the top rate of tax. \"I remember one meeting with a group of senior Conservatives and one of them - I'm not going to say who - said 'Listen, you take care of the workers and we'll take care of the bosses'. \"That was said across the table in one of the meetings where we were discussing the forward policy of the government. That really spelt out where their priorities lay.\" Pushed on the claim on Radio 4, Mr Alexander insisted he would not reveal who had made the remark but said he was using it to make a wider point about the \"very different\" attitudes between the Lib Dems and the Tories. When told Downing Street had dismissed the claims, he said: \"They can say what they like. \"I remember what was said and I remember the nervous laughter from the", "summary": "Danny Alexander has claimed he heard a senior Tory tell a Lib Dem colleague: \"You take care of the workers and we'll take care of the bosses.\""}
{"article": "Christine Chapman, of the assembly's Communities Committee, said good work was being done - but the Welsh government should speed up efforts. The latest figures suggest more than one in five people in Wales are living in poverty. The Welsh government said getting people out of poverty was at the \"very heart\" of what it does. Earlier this year, the Communities Committee published a report that stated it was \"deeply concerned by the Welsh government's lack of progress in reducing poverty\". Poverty is statistically defined as a household income below \u00c2\u00a3271 a week - 60% of the national mid-point average of \u00c2\u00a3453. Figures from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation suggest 23% of people in Wales are living in poverty - a figure which the committee said has barely changed since the early 2000s. Labour AM Christine Chapman said the Welsh government was \"going in the right direction\" but the pace of change \"needs to be quicker\". \"We are a rich country in the main but yet people are still struggling with their heating bills, with their food - that is absolutely appalling,\" she said. \"There must be a strong message first of all to the UK government that things need to change.\" Gemma Jones, a caseworker for Rhondda Cynon Taff Citizens Advice, said despite government initiatives, she sees little evidence of improvement. \"I don't know what's going wrong or what's happening but we're certainly seeing a lot more clients in poverty and not saying I'm better off,\" she said. A Welsh government spokesman responded: \"All government departments are working relentlessly to tackle the root causes of poverty, by giving children the best possible start in life, helping people to get a job and improving their health and wellbeing. \"We also continue to do all we can to mitigate the effects of the UK government's sweeping welfare reforms and austerity measures. Sunday Politics Wales is on BBC One Wales at 11:00 GMT on 13 December", "summary": "More urgency is needed to tackle poverty in Wales, a Labour assembly member has said."}
{"article": "The match was played in N'Djamena and was settled by a goal early in the second half. Leger Djimrangar struck for the hosts in the 47th minute to give them the advantage going into the second leg. The result will be seen as a blow to Sierra Leone who are ranked 54 places higher than Chad in the world rankings. The Leone Stars are still barred from hosting matches because of fears over the Ebola virus. They will therefore play the return leg on 13 October in Port Harcourt in Nigeria. It will be the second time that Sierra Leone have used the venue for one of their qualifiers. Last month they held African champions Ivory Coast to a goalless draw there in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. The overall winners of the tie will play Egypt in the next round. The match in N'djamena was Sierra Leone coach Sallas Tetteh's second game since he took over in August on a three-month deal following an agreement between the Sierra Leone Football Association and the Ghana Football Association. Tetteh was forced to pick a squad without talismanic Sierra Leone striker Kei Kamara who announced he was taking a break from international football. Elsewhere on Saturday, Madagascar took a big step towards the next round of World Cup 2018 qualifiers with a 3-0 win over the Central African Republic. Chad should have been hosting the first leg of this first round tie, but Fifa moved the game to Antananarivo because of violence in Bangui. It means the Central African Republic will have played both legs in the huge Indian Ocean island. Madagascar took the lead against CAR in the 27th minute through Michael Rabeson. A second goal followed for Madagascar 12 minutes later from Njiva Rakotoharimalala which ensured that they went into the break with a 2-goal lead. They increased their advantage in the 65th minute through their skipper Paul Johann (pictured.) The second leg will take place on Tuesday 13 October in Antananarivo. The overall winners of this tie will play Senegal in the next round of World Cup qualifiers. The Central African Republic were also forced to give up home advantage during the last World Cup qualifying campaign when rebel attacks on Bangui led to the overthrow of the government in 2013. Also on Saturday, Eritrea were beaten 2-0 at home by Botswana in the first leg of their first round World Cup tie. It was a predictable outcome as Botswana are ranked 91 places above Eritrea in the world - the widest gap among the 13 first-round match-ups. Galabgwe Moyana gave Botswana the lead midway through the first half, with a 22nd minute strike. Joel Mogorosi made it 2-0 for the visitors with a goal in the 64th minute. Eritrea are still without a World Cup win after seven matches spanning four qualifying tournaments. The winners of this tie will face Mali in the next round. There will be three second legs on Sunday and a further 10 on Tuesday with the overall winners joining the 27 top-ranked African", "summary": "Sierra Leone suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Chad in the first leg of their 2018 World Cup preliminary round qualifier on Saturday."}
{"article": "Police have worked with a housing association to run the project on the Beechfarm Estate in Swinton. The government plans to ban the sale of so-called legal highs, which would include nitrous oxide - also known as \"hippy crack\" - for human use. Health experts warn the gas can have dangerous side effects if inhaled. The art project, to run during the summer holidays, will use the containers to create decorative tiles in Margaret's Garden, Kingsley Road. PC Iain Fletcher said: \"We hope this arts project will help us educate the young people in Salford that the abuse of nitrous oxide is not as safe as they may think it is.\" Last year, seized cannabis plant pots recovered during a drugs raid were decorated and reused \"to brighten up the estate\", Salix Homes said. Lee Sugden, from the housing association, said: \"We hope this arts project will make young people aware of the dangers and help us turn a negative into a positive by putting the remnants of drug abuse to good use.\"", "summary": "Hundreds of discarded laughing gas cylinders in Salford are being turned into public art to \"highlight the dangers\" of young people inhaling it."}
{"article": "This 6% increase in national income numbers gives the government more scope to cut its austerity programme. EU rules allow R&D investment, illicit gambling, drug dealing and activities linked to prostitution to be included. Separate figures showed the economy grew 2.7% in the first quarter of 2014. And the sharp contraction in the economy in the final three months of 2013 was revised to show that it shrank less than thought, by 0.1% rather than 2.3%. The GDP recalculation does not affect the growth figures, because previous years have also been recalculated. In October's budget, Finance Minister Michael Noonan outlined 2bn euros ($2.7bn) programme of tax hikes and spending cuts to meet a deficit target of 3% of GDP by the end of next year. Last month, he suggested that the enlargement of GDP under the new EU rules could mean the programme might be reined back, as the debt and deficit will appear smaller when measured against the new \"larger\" economy . Conall Mac Coille, chief economist at Davy Group, Ireland's biggest securities firm, estimated that the new numbers meant Ireland's debt-to-GDP ratio stood at 116% and its deficit at 6.7% of GDP at the end of last year . Previously, those figures had been 123.7% and 7.2%. He said: \"It's a measurement issue rather than a real improvement. But since exchequer returns were outperforming anyway, it looks as though the finance minister can bring the deficit down below 4% of GDP by the end of the year and hit his deficit target of 3% easily by the end of 2015, without having to do very much at all in the way of austerity.\" Mr Mac Coille estimates that R&D expenditure contributed more than 90% of the extra GDP, with illegal activities making up the rest. Illegal activity is calculated using EU guidelines. There has been a raft of encouraging economic figures coming out of Ireland in recent months. Much of the growth is coming from exports, which grew 1.8% in the first three months. Even though personal consumption fell 0.1% in the first quarter, the unemployment rate now stands at 11.6%, the lowest level since April 2009. There have been some 30bn euro in tax hikes and spending cuts since the property bust of 2008 was followed by a banking collapse. Ireland was forced to turn to the IMF and the European Union for a 78bn-euro loan, which came to an end in December.", "summary": "Research and development (R&D) costs and illegal activities have been added into Ireland's GDP for the first time, enlarging the economy by 10bn euros ($13.6bn; \u00c2\u00a37.9bn)."}
{"article": "It was a commitment that in Mr Harper's nearly 10 years as prime minister had seen Canada, long viewed in the region as an honest, if minor, broker in the Arab-Israel conflict, shift emphatically and unequivocally to the Israeli side. While he will undoubtedly remain a friend of Israel, the incoming prime minister Justin Trudeau will also be aiming to repair relations with the Arab world in order to assert his firm belief that a two-state solution requires dialogue with both sides. By contrast, Mr Harper managed to convey the impression that Muslims and Arabs were not to be trusted, most tellingly in his handling of the Syrian refugee crisis. His government's response during the campaign to the drowning death of three-year-old Alan Kurdi, who was attempting with his sister and parents to join family in Canada, highlighted the hard fact that only a tiny number of refugees have been allowed into the country. Early on in the campaign, Mr Trudeau committed Canada to taking 25,000 refugees immediately and he clearly caught the mood of the voters when he said: \"Canadians get it, that this is about doing the right thing, it is about living up to the values that we cherish in this country.\" And if there was a swing moment in this election, it was probably a debate in the province of Quebec, in French, about the niqab (a face veil). Mr Harper had opposed the wishes of a new Canadian citizen to wear her niqab to the swearing in ceremony, even taking the case to the Supreme Court, where he lost. But he clung to his position that the niqab threatened the fabric of Canadian society. \"Most Canadians believe that it is offensive that someone would hide their identify at the very moment where they are committing to join the Canadian family,\" was how he put it. Mr Trudeau on the other hand argued: \"It's obvious that he's playing very reckless and dangerous games, pitting Canadians against one another for a narrow political goal.\" Mr Trudeau also took the view that Canada should withdraw its fighter jets from the bombing campaign against the so-called Islamic State. But in a deft touch that showed he is no pacifist he promised to commit more troops to training up Iraqi and Kurdish ground forces to fight the jihadists while calling time on Canada's commitment to the aerial war. On Iran, where the Harper government had cold-shouldered the nuclear deal and reaffirmed its support for Israel, Mr Trudeau again took a nuanced position, welcoming a \"significant agreement\" and affirming \"the importance of a diplomatic solution while ensuring Iran cannot build a nuclear weapon.\" On every major Middle East issue Mr Trudeau offered a fresh take. Mr Harper with his unquestioning support for Netanyahu and his deep suspicion of Iran and much of the Arab world brought nothing new to the table. Having staked out his position, he proved incapable of moving from it, a fatal flaw with an electorate hungry for change. Indeed it is no small irony that while in the televised", "summary": "As Stephen Harper banged out the final piano chords to the Beatles song Hey Jude at a private dinner for Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem last year, he underscored, albeit somewhat bizarrely, his absolute commitment to the Israeli leader."}
{"article": "The news comes after an online crowdfunding appeal to raise \u00a31.6m for Dartmoor Zoo in Devon closed on Monday after raising nearly \u00a3340,000. Director Ben Mee said the gaining of the new status meant the zoo's future was \"as secure as it has ever been\". Launching the appeal last month, Mr Mee said becoming a charity that focused on research meant it could apply for grants. The zoo launched its crowdfunding appeal as part of moves to become a charity and also to avoid job cuts. It raised \u00a3339,930 from 745 backers in its 35-day appeal, which closed on Monday morning. Crowdfunding backers included people pledging private donations, and Plymouth University also said it would provide \u00a32,000 of match funding. Launching its appeal, the zoo said: \"Two global recessions and five of the wettest English summers on record have shown that this zoo needs to shift its centre of gravity from dependence on seasonal tourists towards becoming a charity focusing on research and education.\" Dartmoor Zoo 1968: Opened as Dartmoor Wildlife Park 2006: Bought by Mee family for \u00a31.1m 2011: We Bought a Zoo released starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson 2014: Gains charity status Employs: 35 people Animals: Tigers, cheetahs, lions, wolves, raccoons, foxes, bears Mr Mee's family, from Surrey, bought the zoo in 2006. The 2011 film We Bought a Zoo, starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson, was based on a book by Mr Mee describing his experiences. But it had been \"running reliably at a loss\" for most of the time it had been in his family's possession and three staff faced losing their jobs if its finances did not improve, he previously said. Although falling short of the crowdfunding target, Mr Mee said enough money had been raised to \"ensure a smooth transition\" to becoming a charity. \"The sense of relief is only beginning to wash through me,\" he said.", "summary": "A zoo that inspired a Hollywood film has become a charity, its boss says."}
{"article": "McDowell, who was risen to 55th in the world rankings, finished with a one-under-par 69 to finish five strokes behind winner Adam Scott. The Portrush player had started the day at three under, after an impressive 67 on Saturday. It qualifies the 36-year-old for the WGC-Cadillac Championship which starts at Trump Doral on Thursday. McDowell started his round with a birdie three on the first, and then bogeyed the fifth and birdied the eighth to reach the turn in one-under 34. A dropped shot on 12 was recovered with birdie on the 13th to move into a top-five position. Defending champion Padraig Harrington finished 43rd in the West Palm Beach tournament after a closing 71 put him on four-over-par 284.", "summary": "Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell has been buoyed by finishing fifth at the Honda Classic in Florida."}
{"article": "The UK firm will get $17.1bn (\u00c2\u00a310.7bn) cash and a 12.84% stake in Rosneft, enabling BP to continue to share in Russia's vast energy resources. BP has agreed to eventually use some of the cash to buy further Rosneft shares, taking its stake to 19.75%. Rosneft is also buying the other half of TNK-BP from the AAR consortium of Russian billionaires for $28bn. Companies active in Russia's energy sector have come under political pressure in the past. However, this deal has the blessing of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said state-controlled Rosneft had made a good deal at a good price: \"This is a good, large deal that is necessary, not only for the Russian energy sector but also the entire economy.\" The acquisition of the stake in TNK-BP, one of Russia's biggest oil firms, will give Rosneft about half of Russia's energy sector and make it the world's largest publicly-traded oil group. BP said that once the proposed transaction gets the necessary shareholder and regulatory approval, it will use $4.8bn of the cash received on buying a further 5.66% of Rosneft shares. BP already holds 1.25% of Rosneft. Although BP's involvement in the Russian joint venture has been lucrative, paying billions of dollars in dividends to the UK company, relations with its partners have often been fraught with disagreement. In 2011, the AAR consortium attempted to block a drilling joint venture in the Arctic between BP and Rosneft through the courts. The plan was eventually dropped. As well as internal wrangles, BP employees at TNK-BP have fallen foul of Russian authorities. While serving as head of TNK-BP, Bob Dudley - now the head of BP as a whole - had his office bugged and raided by the police and met with onerous back-tax demands, legal action and visa problems. He eventually fled the country in 2008. A tie-up with Rosneft would keep BP in Russia, allowing it to continue to explore and exploit the country's vast energy resources, including in the Arctic region. Rosneft would be able to tap into BP's expertise in exploring in difficult and potentially hazardous conditions. Rosneft said it would have two BP representatives on its board and that it would \"benefit from BP's significant experience and successful track-record of applying best international practices in Russia\".", "summary": "Oil giant BP has agreed to sell its 50% stake in TNK-BP to Russia's Rosneft in return for cash and shares."}
{"article": "Sebastian Prodl, Craig Cathcart and Valon Behrami all face fitness test on minor injuries. West Ham will assess Andy Carroll's groin problem ahead of the game. Left-back Aaron Cresswell is fit after a hamstring niggle, and forward Andre Ayew is available for the first time since the Africa Cup of Nations. Martin Fisher: \"Watford's season effectively kicked off 41 minutes into their match against West Ham at the London Stadium in mid-September. \"Trailing 2-0, a deflected shot from Odion Ighalo reduced the arrears and proved the catalyst to a stunning revival. \"A 4-2 victory saw them soar out of the bottom three, early relegation fears were eased and they've not looked in serious trouble since. \"Improving on last season's finish of 13th looks within their reach, but that bid could be checked by a Hammers side that has been so impressive on the road since Christmas. \"Goals aplenty too along the way: 10 scored in victories at Swansea, Middlesbrough and Southampton.\" Twitter: @mfisherfootball Watford head coach Walter Mazzarri on the brilliant winning fightback against West Ham in September: \"We cannot compare [Saturday's game] with that game. \"It was a long time ago. They had some problems in that period and we were coming from a particular period, too. \"We did a very good game after losing at the beginning. They are doing very well now.\" West Ham manager Slaven Bilic on that reverse fixture: \"We are a different team now. A lot of things have changed. \"When we played them in September we had a lot of players injured and we had to push players in who were not totally fit because we had no other options. \"We are in much better shape now.\" Watford have had their wobble and, like West Ham, I think their relegation worries are over. The Hornets mounted a stunning comeback from 2-0 down to beat the Hammers at the London Stadium earlier in the season, but this should be a more straightforward win for them. Prediction: 2-0 Lawro's full predictions v Let It Shine judge Martin Kemp Head-to-head Watford West Ham United SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.", "summary": "Watford are still without Nordin Amrabat and Christian Kabasele, who are sidelined with ankle and knee problems respectively."}
{"article": "Gibbs had the upper hand and was serving at 7-5 2-6 2-1 when the players were called off on Sunday evening. Their match will resume on Monday following the conclusion of Grigor Dimitrov's contest against Viktor Troicki, which was due to start at 10:00 BST on court three, but has been delayed by heavy rain in Paris. Kyle Edmund was among a host of players scheduled to begin their campaigns on day one but who must now wait on the weather. Edmund will now be third on court six against qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili, while fellow Briton Naomi Broady plays Coco Vandeweghe on court four. British number one Andy Murray is scheduled to face 37-year-old Czech Radek Stepanek in the fourth game on Philippe-Chatrier Court, but, with more rain expected, it is likely they will play on Tuesday. Australian Nick Kyrgios and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova both progressed before the rain delays on Sunday. Kyrgios overcame a first-set code violation to beat Italy's Marco Cecchinato 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (8-6) 6-4. The men's 17th seed picked up the warning for screaming at a ball boy for a towel during the first-set tie-break and then accused umpire Carlos Ramos of \"unbelievable bias\" for his punishment. Tenth seed Kvitova needed three sets to get past Danka Kovinic of Montenegro 6-2 4-6 7-5. Lucie Safarova, last year's losing finalist, breezed through to the second round with a 6-2 6-0 victory over Russia's Vitalia Diatchenko.", "summary": "Britain's number two Heather Watson fought back against American Nicole Gibbs at the French Open before play was suspended because of rain."}
{"article": "The Jacksons Landing site has been disused since 2004 and was purchased by Hartlepool Borough Council in 2013. The funding was granted at the council's meeting to approve the 2016/17 budget on Thursday. Critics have said there are still no firm plans for the site and demolishing the mall is a waste of money and that it should be redeveloped. The council said the demolition, which was approved in July, would save the cost of maintaining the building and could help with wider regeneration. It added that there were developers interested in the site and the area but none of them wanted the mall. Councillor Paul Thompson, who is opposed to the demolition, said: \"Nobody is saying this area shouldn't be redeveloped. What people are objecting about at the minute, is pulling it down without any plan. \"If we pull it down we limit the options we can put on here. A developer may come along and say they'll develop the existing site, that would be great because we've just saved the taxpayers of Hartlepool \u00a340,000.\" The council bought the former retail unit at the town's marina for \u00a31.5m in 2013 after it stood empty since 2004. The five-acre site was previously owned by investment company Schroders. Demolition is expected to start in the next few weeks.", "summary": "Funding for the demolition of a shopping mall owned by a council has been approved at a cost of \u00a340,000."}
{"article": "But Shiv Chanderpaul then led the Red Rose rearguard action at Headingley, as he made an unbeaten 43 in partnership with Dane Vilas to help the visitors close on 141-4, just nine in arrears. Lyth hit a round 100 as Yorkshire posted 273, Jordan Clark and Saqib Mahmood each taking three wickets. But, after another failure for England opener Haseen Hameed, Lancs rallied. Lyth's 22nd career first-class century, his first in the Championship since last September, was his third in this fixture, but a long way short of his career-best 251 at Old Trafford in 2014. After resuming on 93-2, with help from captain Gary Ballance (28) and Jack Leaning, Lyth looked set to steer Yorkshire to a much bigger score on 178-3. But they lost their last seven wickets for only 95, Lancashire being held up at the end when Jack Brooks, fresh from his record-breaking ton from number nine in the last Roses match at Old Trafford just a fortnight ago, threatened to do more damage. This time, however, after putting on 24 with last man Ryan Sidebottom, he had made just 18 when he was caught at deep backward square-leg by Hameed off Tom Bailey. After losing fellow opener Alex Davies cheaply, Hameed then went for 10 - to continue the bad trot which has brought him just 26 runs in his past six Championship innings. Luke Procter (23) and visiting skipper Steven Croft (27) both offered dogged resistance before Chanderpaul and Vilas (22 not out) joined forces to give their side hope. Lancashire, without the injured Jimmy Anderson, were further weakened without Liam Livingstone, who was summoned for England Lions against South Africa A. And he impressed with his maiden List A century - a blistering 129 from 83 balls at Wantage Road, Northampton. Yorkshire's Adam Lyth told BBC Radio Leeds: \"I'm very pleased with how it's gone for me in this game. I was delighted to get a hundred in tough conditions against a good attack. The next ball, I was disappointed to get out. \"But, if we can get a couple of early wickets tomorrow, we can drive it home and win. \"I've had a tricky few games opening the batting, but I'm really pleased to get a hundred in a Roses match and hopefully in a match-winning performance as well.\" Lancashire's Saqib Mahmood told BBC Radio Manchester: \"It was a difficult day. We got shafted a bit after winning the toss and batting. Today was about bowling them out as quick as we could and not letting them get too far ahead. \"If we went bang, bang this morning we were right in the game. It was a case of going hard at them. We stuck with it and got the rewards and the back end of the session. \"They ended up with a 150-0run lead. All we had to do after that was bat well. There's still plenty of time left in the game, and we'll see what happens.\"", "summary": "Adam Lyth's third century in a Roses Match helped earn Yorkshire a 150-run first-innings lead against Lancashire."}
{"article": "The chorus of Taylor's new single Look What You Made Me Do follows the same rhythmic pattern as I'm Too Sexy. After the song was released overnight, the duo tweeted: \"Thank you Taylor Swift, what a marvellous reinvention!\" The group's spokesman confirmed to the BBC they were approached by Taylor's team in advance of the release.", "summary": "Right Said Fred have been credited as writers on Taylor Swift's new single in one of the most bizarre musical combinations of the year."}
{"article": "Strictly speaking, though, it is not a tax at all. The government says it is simply removing the \"spare room subsidy\" which put social sector tenants in a better position than those in the private rental sector. Ministers argue the changes will encourage people to downsize to smaller properties, and in doing so, help cut the \u00a323bn annual bill for housing benefit, free up living space for overcrowded families, and encourage people to get jobs. But housing charities have warned that the result will be higher levels of rent arrears and greater homelessness. The government estimates that over half a million tenants are affected by the new rules, which took effect in April this year. More than half of those affected have a disability causing them \"significant difficulty in one or more areas of the individual's life\", the Department for Work and Pensions has said. The government predicts that savings to the taxpayer will amount to \u00a3505m in 2013-14, and \u00a3540m in the year after. What has changed? The new rules affect housing benefit, which is paid to less well-off tenants to help with rent. Typically claimants receive between \u00a350 and \u00a3100 a week. But since April 2013 families deemed to have too much living space by their local authorities receive a reduced payment. Under the government's so-called \"size criteria\", families are assessed for the number of bedrooms they actually need. Who is affected? This change affects council tenants, and those who rent from housing associations, who are housing benefit claimants. It does not affect private sector tenants who are already subject to certain rules. The government estimates that 660,000 households will have their benefit cut, roughly a third of social sector claimants. Only those of working age will see reduced payments. But there are some other exemptions too. Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said the 5,000 approved foster carers in the UK would continue to receive rent payments towards an \"additional room\" as long as they have fostered a child or become an approved foster carer in the previous 12 months. And families with adult children serving in the armed forces will also be exempt from the changes, even when they are on overseas deployment. They will be treated as if they were continuing to live at home. How much have people lost? If tenants are deemed to have one spare room, the amount of rent eligible for housing benefit will be cut by 14%. If they have two or more spare rooms, the cut will be 25%. The government says that means an average loss of about \u00a314 a week for council tenants. Those who rent from housing associations are facing an average loss of about \u00a316 a week. Tenants can downsize, but problems have arisen in some areas where there is a shortage of smaller homes. Campaigners say those affected face being forced to move long distances to find a property, or move into the private sector, where rents could be higher. How many bedrooms are you allowed? The new rules allow one bedroom for each adult", "summary": "A change in housing benefit rules, introduced in April 2013, has been dubbed the \"bedroom tax\" by Labour and, for many, the name has stuck."}
{"article": "A small group of people ran on to the M4 spur road and laid down in front of oncoming traffic on Saturday, causing temporary disruption. People aged between 21 and 67 have been charged with wilful obstruction of the highway, according to the Met Police. They have all been bailed to appear at Ealing Magistrates' Court on 22 December. Among the accused are seven Londoners. They are: Isabelle Anderson, 30, of Stratford; Madeleine Allis-Petersen, 24, of Ealing; Joanne Louise Bodimeade, 28, of Lambeth; Alexis Delage, 25, of Lewisham; Sophia Lysaczanko, 28, of Haringey; Tom Venner-Woodcock, 29, of Southwark; and Tess Lotter, 30, of Camden. The others charged are: Antoine Thalmann, 25, and Henry Owen, 23, both of Oxford; Simon Bramwell, 44, of Stroud, Gloucestershire; Ian Bray, 49, of Kirklees, West Yorkshire; Graham Lewis, 53, of Wells, Somerset; Thomas Harford, 26, and Margaret Charnley, 67, both of Bristol; and Sibi Moore, 21, of Sidmouth, Devon.", "summary": "Fifteen people have been charged after campaigners against airport expansion staged a protest near Heathrow Airport."}
{"article": "The 44-year-old Scot beat 16-time world champion Phil Taylor 7-6 in a thrilling final in January. Taylor will play Japan's Keita Ono or Filipino Alex Tagarao in the first round, while world number one Michael van Gerwen has been drawn against Thanawat Gaweenuntawong or Rene Eidams. A field of 72 players will compete for \u00a31.5m in prize money from 17 December. Boulton, ranked 73 in the world, was runner-up in Monday's PDPA Qualifier in Coventry meaning he will face Laursen in the preliminary round at Alexandra Palace. Ricky Evans, who beat Boulton in the final at the Ricoh Arena, goes straight into the first round to play Australian Simon Whitlock. Paul Lim, the first player to hit a nine-dart finish in the BDO World Championships - in 1990, will play Russia's Aleksandr Oreshkin in the preliminary round with the winner facing Mervyn King. Elsewhere, five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld meets fellow Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode, world number four Peter Wright will play former world youth champion Keegan Brown and Adrian Lewis, champion in 2011 and 2012, will take on Jan Dekker. The final takes place on 3 January. First-round draw in full: Wes Newton v Cristo Reyes John Henderson v Darren Webster Mervyn King v Aleksandr Oreshkin/Paul Lim Peter Wright v Keegan Brown Vincent van der Voort v Loz Ryder Kevin Painter v Kim Viljanen/Sven Groen James Wade v Warrick Scheffer/John Michael Stephen Bunting v Jyhan Artut Robert Thornton v Alan Norris Mark Webster v Qiang Sun/Mick McGowan Jamie Caven v Michael Rasztovits/Rob Szabo Gary Anderson v Andy Boulton/Per Laursen Benito van de Pas v Max Hopp Jelle Klaasen v Joe Cullen Jamie Lewis v Daryl Gurney Ian White v Dimitri Van den Bergh Phil Taylor v Keita Ono/Alex Taragao Simon Whitlock v Ricky Evans Dave Chisnall v Rowby-John Rodriguez Brendan Dolan v Kyle Anderson Justin Pipe v Christian Kist Michael Smith v Jeffrey De Zwaan Adrian Lewis v Jan Dekker Michael van Gerwen v Thanawat Gaweenuntawong/Rene Eidams Raymond van Barneveld v Dirk van Duijvenbode Kim Huybrechts v David Pallett Dean Winstanley v Ronny Huybrechts Steve Beaton v Koha Kokiri Andrew Gilding v Gerwyn Price Terry Jenkins v Darin Young Mensur Suljovic v Jermaine Wattimena Andy Hamilton v Joe Murnan", "summary": "PDC world champion Gary Anderson will start the defence of his title against Denmark's Per Laursen or Andy Boulton."}
{"article": "Kent Police are set to prioritise fresh produce hit by problems in Calais, following weeks of disruption by migrant activity and French strikes. Scottish ministers said it would help protect Scotland's seafood exporters. They have been looking at ways to help Scottish firms hit by the ongoing migrant crisis in France. Earlier this week, it said the seafood industry was in need of urgent help, following talks with Scottish exporters. The Scottish government said the move by Kent Police followed representations by ministers. Scottish Food Secretary Richard Lochhead said: \"The Scottish government has repeatedly called for action from the outset of this disruption, and so I welcome this move to prioritise key consignments - including fresh produce - through the Channel Tunnel and Port of Dover. \"At last we are seeing common sense prevail and a recognition of the impact on food exporters. \"Agreement of this protocol to prioritise a quick-to-market route is real progress and we will, of course, monitor its introduction and effectiveness.\" He added: \"While it is by no means a solution to the wider and on-going complex situation in Calais, it will be welcomed by Scottish seafood exporters who have seen orders plummet by up to 80% in some categories in recent weeks.\" \"With seafood exports worth five times as much in Scotland as the UK as a whole, we have been determined to find a way forward. \"With no end in sight to the situation at Calais, we will continue to look at options around alternative routes which could be used by hauliers.\"", "summary": "The Scottish government has welcomed plans to pilot a \"quick-to-market\" route for vehicles hit by delays at the Channel Tunnel."}
{"article": "A preliminary investigation by the National Coalition found atracurium was given to the children instead of a solution used to mix measles vaccines. The packaging for the drug is said to be similar to that of the solution. All of the children who died on Tuesday were between six and 18 months old. Their parents initially accused the opposition health authorities of not storing the vaccines properly or using out-of-date medication The National Coalition meanwhile said it suspected a \"security breach by vandals\" linked to the government of President Bashar al-Assad. The three-year-old conflict in Syria and the resultant breakdown in state institutions have meant that diseases such as measles and polio have been spreading. In response, UN agencies and NGOs have launched immunisation campaigns in rebel-held parts of the country's north and east. The children who died were among tens of thousands living in Idlib and Deir al-Zour provinces who had been given a second round of measles vaccines since Monday. A doctor at a clinic in the town of Jarjanaz said the infants had exhibited signs of severe shock about an hour after they had been given the injections, with many suffocating to death as their bodies swelled. On Wednesday evening, the National Coalition said a preliminary investigation had found atracurium, a muscle relaxant used in surgery, was administered. The error was believed to have occurred because the packaging of the atracurium was similar to that of the solution used to mix the measles vaccine, the Guardian newspaper reported. The immunisation programme was suspended following the incident and the health minister of the opposition interim government resigned. Officials said the investigation was continuing to find out who was responsible, with inquiries now reportedly focused on clinical negligence. The World Health Organization (WHO) said it had \"provided a team of experts to provide assistance in investigating this event\" but that it was vital that immunisation efforts resumed in Syria as soon as possible. The charity Save the Children, which provides aid to northern Syria, meanwhile warned on Thursday that education had become one of the deadliest pursuits for children and teachers, as the country's schools were increasingly being damaged and destroyed. Across Syria, at least 3,465 schools have been destroyed or damaged, and many have been occupied for military purposes. A new report by Save the Children found that from almost 100% enrolment, Syria now had the second worst rate of school attendance in the world, with 2.8 million children out of school. Enrolment in the hardest hit areas such as Aleppo has fallen to just 6%. Up to half of the children surveyed said they were \"rarely\" or \"never\" able to concentrate in class. Syrian refugee children in neighbouring countries were meanwhile facing disturbing rates of abuse, bullying, corporal punishment and marginalisation, the report said. \"It is absolutely shameful that the obligation to protect schools is not being respected in this conflict, endangering the lives of innocent children and dedicated teachers and forcing millions out of education,\" said Save the Children's regional director Roger Hearn.", "summary": "Medics carrying out a vaccination programme in rebel-held northern Syria accidentally administered a muscle relaxant to up to 75 children, killing 15 of them, the opposition says."}
{"article": "Each image, a billion light-years across, shows evidence of dark matter clumps scattered through the cosmos. The team from the Canada-France Hawaii Telescope inferred the dark matter's existence by the way it bends light. The images were presented at the 219th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin, US. The four images were taken at four different seasons of the year, each capturing a swath of the sky about as large as a palm held at arm's length. They are a big step forward in understanding both dark matter itself, and the means by which dark matter influences the way normal matter clumps into the galaxies we see in the night skies. Together, they represent the images of more than 10 million galaxies, whose light gives the only hints of the large-scale structure of dark matter. BBC Universe: Dark matter BBC Universe: Dark energy \"Light coming toward us from a distant galaxy is bent by the gravity of a lump of matter in the middle,\" explained Catherine Heymans of the University of Edinburgh. \"Einstein's theory of general relativity tells us that mass bends space and time, so when light comes toward us through the Universe, if it passes some dark matter, its light gets bent and the image we see gets bent and distorted,\" Dr Heymans told the meeting. \"Dark matter is leaving its signature on the images of very distant galaxies.\" The survey is some 100 times larger than the previous largest map of the web of dark matter, gathered by the Hubble telescope's Cosmic Evolution Survey, or Cosmos. In the new image, the full-scale distribution of vast clumps of dark matter can be seen around galaxy clusters, connected by wispy filaments of dark matter and trailing off to enormous voids where no matter exists. Thankfully for theoretical astrophysicists, these images line up neatly with theory. \"Our theories of dark matter say that it should form a giant intricate cosmic web and that's exactly what we see in this data, a cosmic web that's housing the galaxies that we can see,\" Dr Heymans told BBC News. Dark matter at these huge, cosmological scales is only one part of the story, however, and Sukanya Chakrabarti of Florida Atlantic University presented work showing how the \"dark matter halo\" that surrounds individual galaxies can be characterised. Building on work first presented at last year's meeting, Dr Chakrabarti showed how the ripples in the gas trailing behind spiral galaxies are giving an ever-better view of how dark matter is distributed around galaxies, and how it may influence how they form. Rachel Mandelbaum of Princeton University said that the findings were significant, tackling the mystery on two fronts. \"Both of these results represent two important ways of studying dark matter but in very different regimes,\" she told the meeting. \"They're important in themselves, but they're also important as a proof-of-concept for the future, allowing us to see how powerful these methods will be with other data sets to do additional work.\" And a great deal of work is still needed. Dr Heymans conceded that we", "summary": "Researchers have released the biggest images yet detailing dark matter, the mysterious substance that makes up 85% of the Universe's mass."}
{"article": "The claim: Jeremy Corbyn had youth on his side. Reality Check verdict: If the YouGov poll is accurate there was a big swing of young people to Labour and a considerable increase in their turnout. It estimates that voters aged between 18 and 29 voted about 63% for Labour and 22% for the Conservatives, having polled more than 50,000 people online since election day. The figure it gave in its poll after the 2015 election was that 36% of 18 to 29 year olds had voted Labour with 32% voting Conservative - if correct that is a huge swing among young voters. Lord Ashcroft's much smaller exit poll puts support for Labour among young people even higher, with 67% of 18 to 24 year olds voting Labour and 18% voting Conservative. YouGov also gives figures for the turnout among younger voters, finding that about 58% of people between the age of 18 and 24 voted. If accurate it would be considerably higher than recent elections, but is in contrast to the widely-quoted but poorly sourced figure of 72%, which Reality Check wrote about last week. Remember that there is no definitive figure for turnout broken down by age groups because the election is a secret ballot, so we rely on polling organisations to give us an idea of who voted. We don't have YouGov polling figures from the 2015 election to compare these with, so we'll have to compare them with those from other companies. Ipsos Mori estimated that turnout for 18 to 24 year olds was 43% in 2015 and 44% in 2010, so a 58% turnout would be a considerable increase. Ipsos Mori is due to release its figures for this election later in the week. The overall turnout (and these are actual figures - not based on polling) was 69%, compared with 66% in 2015, so if YouGov is to be believed then the youth vote increased by considerably more than the overall turnout. Among the other findings of the YouGov poll was that 49% of graduates voted Labour compared with 32% voting Conservative. In 2015 that figure was 34% Labour and 35% Conservative. That compares with people with no academic qualifications above GCSE, who in 2017 split 33% for Labour and 55% for the Conservatives and in 2015 split 30% for Labour and 38% for the Conservatives. Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter", "summary": "YouGov has released the first big poll of how different groups voted at the general election - we will update this article as more figures are released."}
{"article": "About 30 protesters refused to leave Pantycelyn at the end of term on Sunday and five climbed on the roof on Monday. The campaigners said they would also go on hunger strike on 21 June, the day before a decision is due on whether the accommodation will close indefinitely. The university recommended the halls close to make them \"fit for purpose\". It said the building would still be used for Welsh language services. But campaigners have accused the university of not placing enough value in the Welsh language. Student Bethan Roberts said: \"We are here occupying the building with students and people from all over Wales to ensure this stays as a Welsh halls of residence.\"", "summary": "Students at Aberystwyth University have climbed on the roof of a Welsh language hall of residence to protest its proposed closure."}
{"article": "A two-day conference is taking place in St Andrews on how to address slow play across all levels of golf. R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers says the pace of play is an important issue for golf as it attempts to boost its appeal. \"Time is a key issue and has been for a number of years,\" he said. \"We want to examine it and come out with practical guidance that we can give to players and courses to really get on top of it. \"There are lots of very practical things that can be done.\" Moves to speed up play come after more than 56,000 golfers from 127 countries took part in a survey on the state of the game carried out by the R&A between September 2014 and March of this year. And Slumbers, who succeeded Peter Dawson at the start of last month, believes some of the suggested measures could work straight away. \"Maybe we need some marshals out on the course to help find balls,\" he added. \"Maybe we need to play over shorter formats, nine-hole golf; playing off tees that are further forward, not cutting the rough as thick and deep as possible. \"But the key thing is getting people aware and recognising that playing reasonably quickly and getting a move on isn't just good for their game but fair to everybody out on the course.\" Scottish golfer Alastair Forsyth, who has spent 15 years on the European Tour, feels the R&A may have to consider \"radical\" measures to combat slow play. \"Something has to be done because it's only going to get worse,\" he told BBC Scotland. \"I think the professionals maybe have to take a bit of responsibility and find a way of getting quicker. Unless we do something radical then I don't see it changing an awful lot. \"It's a serious issue in the game at the top level and at golf club level. We used to go round a golf course in a three-ball in three to three-and-a-half hours. It's now five hours; even club medals are taking four-and-a-half hours. \"It's putting people off the game. I've been reading some stuff this week about saying, 'right, you've got four hours, if you're not round the course in four hours then you're not finishing your round'. A bit harsh, but is it going to take something like that to make people speed up?\"", "summary": "Shorter holes and marshals helping to find lost balls in the amateur ranks could help to speed up golf, says the sport's governing body."}
{"article": "Ivor Miller, 27, who has learning difficulties, was chased by the group after one member called him \"a beast\". The 27-year-old sought refuge in a derelict flat and jumped out a second floor window suffering severe injury. At the High Court in Glasgow, judge Norman Ritchie QC ordered a 17-year-old man to be detained for six months. The judge told the eight accused: \"This whole incident, some of which was captured on CCTV, is extremely disturbing. \"The group, like a pack of animals, turned on an entirely innocent young man for no good reason other than he behaved differently because he has learning difficulties.\" Three of those who pursued Mr Miller were originally charged with attempted murder. Michael Clare, 21, from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, and two 17-year-old youths, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had their guilty pleas to charges of assault accepted. All three admitted attacking Mr Miller by chasing him into the common close at 52 Howard Street, Glasgow, on 4 August last year. All three, and another 17-year-old youth, a 16-year-old girl, a 16-year-old youth and 23-year-old David Newlands, from Maryhill, Glasgow, admitted committing a breach of the peace and placing Mr Miller in a state of fear and alarm. Newlands also pleaded guilty to punching Mr Miller on the head in the Hootenanny pub in Howard Street. Jade Park, 19, from Glasgow, who sparked the incident by falsely calling Mr Miller \"a beast\" admitted punching him in Jamaica Street and in the Crystal Palace pub. Judge Ritchie sentenced a 17-year-old male to six months detention for assault. He deferred sentence on Park, who is about to give birth, until June for good behaviour and imposed a community payback order on all the others and ordered then to perform 150 hours unpaid work in the community.", "summary": "Eight people who chased a vulnerable man until he threw himself out of a flat window in Glasgow have been called a \"a pack of animals\" by a judge."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old began a third spell at Fir Park on Friday after training there since the summer. \"I've been getting fitter every day and it just made sense,\" he said. \"It is a good fit for me and for the club. \"It is short term, hopefully everything works out and I will be off to Philadelphia in the new year.\" McFadden has been without a club since being released by Well's Scottish Premiership rivals, St Johnstone, at the end of last season. The former Everton, Birmingham City and Sunderland striker has travelled to see the set-up in Philadelphia, where former Dunfermline Athletic and St Mirren defender Tommy Wilson is director of the youth academy and former Scotland full-back Iain Munro is a coach. \"I went over, I had a trial, they were very happy with how it went and at the time they couldn't sign me even if they wanted to,\" said McFadden of the club that finished second bottom of Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference this year. \"It is a case of just waiting. They've got a few things going on in terms of getting rid of some players and then hopefully we'll get round the table to agree a deal for January. \"I held off signing anywhere until I knew what was happening as that's what I wanted to do.\" McFadden made half of his 20 St Johnstone appearances from the bench last season but is hopeful of breaking into Mark McGhee's Motherwell side. \"The manager's been impressed with what he saw, so it just made sense,\" the striker said of his short-term contract. \"I just want to help the team push up the league and help the younger players - that was another part of the conversation I had - to try to help the younger players the manager is trying to introduce to the first team. \"The motivation for me is purely for the love of the game. I love playing, I love turning up for training, but anybody who knows me knows I am never happy sitting on the bench.\" McFadden came through the youth ranks at Fir Park to win a move to Everton and he returned in 2013 during a successful spell under Stuart McCall. \"The year and a half I was there, we had two second-place finishes and realistically it was never going to be any better than that,\" he added. \"If it turns out to be the last team I play for Scotland, and I don't know if it will be, it will be ideal for me to finish where I started and then go and do something new.\".", "summary": "Former Scotland forward James McFadden hopes to make a short-term impact with Motherwell before completing a move to Philadelphia Union in January."}
{"article": "Goth Girl author Chris Riddell says in a letter to Justine Greening that many lack investment and need funding via a central government grant. Supported by eight former children's laureates, Riddell is asking Ms Greening to set out required standards. The government said it was up to schools to spend as they saw fit. In his letter, Riddell, supported by authors such as Michael Morpurgo, Jacqueline Wilson and Quentin Blake, said: \" I have seen personally, in my school visits up and down the country, how they promote reading for pleasure and in doing so, turn pupils into avid readers. \"I am deeply concerned that this role is not fully appreciated and, worse, is being undermined through lack of economic and intellectual investment. \"In recent months two major school library services closed in Dorset and Berkshire, and year after year the School Library Association loses members as school library provision shrinks through lack of funding.\" He said he had seen how library provision was \"wildly inconsistent\", with great examples of well-funded and staffed libraries. He said the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Libraries had asked the DfE to gather statistics on school library provision so that the extent of this problem could be understood, but this had not yet happened. Riddell also said: \"While schools face insidious pressure on budgets and staff, things cannot change. \"That is why, with the backing of my fellow laureates, I am now calling on Justine Greening and the Department of Education to act on the all-party group's request and then set out clear standards of library provision, and put into place the necessary funding.\" This way, every school would have a library service it could be proud of, with books to borrow and, wherever possible, a school librarian to help children choose, he said. A Department for Education official said reading was a key part of a child's education and ultimately helped them to reach their full potential. \"That's why we've strengthened the curriculum to focus on developing their reading and writing skills, and teaching phonics helps children acquire the basic building blocks of reading,\" the official said. \"We want all children to have the opportunity to read widely - school libraries play a role in this, and schools are responsible for deciding how to provide this service for their pupils. \"This is backed up by a record \u00c2\u00a340bn schools budget this year, and it is up schools to spend their funding as they see fit.\"", "summary": "The children's laureate and eight well-known children's authors are calling on the education secretary to ensure school libraries are preserved."}
{"article": "Neil Patterson, 55, of Horsham, West Sussex, was jailed for four-and-a-half months suspended for two years. Exeter Crown Court heard he repeatedly threatened to kill Samantha Millson. Charges of assaulting his ex-partner, Katherine Hooper, were dropped after she fell 80ft (24m) from Haytor. Exeter Crown Court heard that when Ms Millson told Patterson their relationship was over he grabbed a 9in (23cm) kitchen knife and thrust it towards her. \"You and I are going to die tonight,\" he told her and then stabbed the knife into his leg and withdrew it covered in blood. The court heard from a probation worker that Patterson was deemed to be \"low risk\". But Jacinta Wainwright of domestic abuse charity Stop Abuse For Everyone told the court: \"I find it extremely concerning that the view is that someone who would use a knife as a weapon and threaten to harm them is low risk. \"It's well known that when someone is behaving in that way it's a very high risk situation.\" Three years ago Patterson faced an assault charge against his then partner Katherine Hooper, 24, which he denied. Ms Hooper later jumped off Haytor on Dartmoor with the couple's eldest son Joshua on her back. A coroner said she took her own life. Both died and charges against Patterson were dropped by prosecutors. Former Det Sgt Andy James, who led the investigation into the deaths, said: \"It's an opportunity lost. The accused should go there and face that accuser and if for whatever reason that is thwarted that is disappointing. \"I would have liked to have seen Kat in court. I think she would have been robust, honest and truthful.\" Patterson was also handed a restraining order protecting Ms Millson.", "summary": "The ex-partner of a mother who jumped to her death from a Dartmoor tor with her five-year-old son has been spared jail after admitting threatening a subsequent girlfriend with a knife."}
{"article": "Lawyers for David Turner had argued the doll was not covered by a law banning the importation of obscene items. But a judge dismissed that, saying \"any right-thinking person\" would find the doll obscene. Turner, 72, of Ramsgate, Kent, had already admitted possessing more than 34,000 indecent images of children. He will be sentenced in September. Other men have been convicted for importing child sex dolls, but this was the first case where the question of whether a doll is indecent or obscene had been tested by the courts. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said it was \"the first ruling of its kind\". Under the 1979 Customs and Excise Management Act it is against the law to import obscene or indecent items. NCA officers arrested Turner - an ex-church warden - in November last year after Border Force officers intercepted a 3ft doll that he was attempting to import from China. He claimed that it was intended to be a \"companion\" for him and his wife. Investigators said Turner already had two other child dolls at his home, one of which they claimed he had \"sex\" with. The charge was brought over a 3ft 10in sex doll already in his possession, which he bought clothes for. In an earlier hearing, Turner also admitted possessing more than 34,000 indecent images of children, aged from three to 16, contained on 17 pen drives. Of the images, 138 were of the most serious kind, Category A. When interviewed, he also admitted \"secretly\" taking photographs of girls aged six to 11 in public places. Judge Simon James said the importation of a child sex doll was an \"unusual offence\" and that it \"adds a degree of complexity\" to the sentencing. Turner was freed on bail and will be sentenced on 8 September. The maximum sentence is seven years. By Danny Shaw, BBC home affairs correspondent More than 100 child sex dolls have been seized in the UK as part of a special operation set up by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Border Force. Investigators believe the dolls, which are made to be as life-like as possible, are being imported by people who have a \"sexual interest\" in children. Advertised as \"adult dolls\" on sites including EBay and Amazon, they are manufactured in the Far East and sent to Britain via courier, fast parcel and other delivery services. Hazel Stewart, operations manager for the NCA, said when people have been questioned by police about the dolls some have claimed they were bought for a \"joke\", others say they for \"companionship\". \"If it was a Marks and Spencer mannequin I wouldn't be stood here,\" she said. Read more from Danny Shaw. Hazel Stewart, from the National Crime Agency, said: \"We know [child sex doll] purchases can indicate other offences against children, as was the case against Turner who had a sickening stash of abuse images. \"Importers of such obscene items should expect to have law enforcement closing in on them.\" Jon Brown, head of development for the NSPCC, welcomed the ruling, but wants more to be done", "summary": "A judge has ruled that a child sex doll imported by a former primary school governor is an obscene item."}
{"article": "Molly-Mae Wotherspoon was attacked by an American pit-bull at a house in Daventry, Northamptonshire in 2014. The Independent Police Complaints Commission said the RSPCA had reported concerns about the dog but the officer failed to take appropriate action. Northamptonshire Police said officers have received further training. Live updates on this story and more in Northamptonshire The IPCC said a second officer, who also allegedly failed to act on the intelligence received, was found to have no case to answer. A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: \"The officers identified by the Professional Standards investigation have since received the appropriate management words of advice \"Within weeks of the tragedy, we instigated new and robust operational procedures around dangerous dogs. \"Now, nearly two years on, the public should be reassured that officers have far greater awareness around this issue.\" Molly-Mae's mother and grandmother were jailed for two years each on Thursday. Claire Riley, 23, admitted owning a dangerously out of control dog and Susan Aucott, 55, admitted being in charge of one. Jailing them, judge Mrs Justice Carr told the pair Molly-Mae was savagely attacked by the pit bull in \"a tragic and totally avoidable incident\". James House, prosecuting, said the pit bull broke free from his cage in the kitchen and opened the door to the lounge to reach baby Molly-Mae on the floor. The court heard that the baby's cries made it \"an object of prey\". A vet who treated the American pit bull - a breed banned in the UK - said the dog, named Bruiser, was one of the most dangerous dogs she had seen.", "summary": "A police officer has a case to answer for misconduct after a six-month-old girl was killed by a dangerous dog, an investigation has found."}
{"article": "The White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat and Alice all feature in artist Grahame Baker-Smith's illustrations. The story was made up by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a young don at Christ Church in Oxford, to entertain children on a boat trip in 1862. It was published under Dodgson's pseudonym, Lewis Carroll, three years later. One of the children on the Thames boat trip was Alice Liddel, the daughter of the dean of the college. Alice later asked for the story, originally entitled Alice's Adventures Under Ground, to be written down. Dodgson did so as a Christmas gift in 1864 with his own illustrations. It went on to become one of the best known works in children's literature, with numerous TV and film adaptations. The stamps feature famous scenes from the book including the Mad Hatter's tea party and Alice falling down the rabbit hole. Illustrator Grahame Baker-Smith said he had based the images of Alice on the stamps on his own daughter. \"The most difficult thing was consistency and working on such a very small scale. They all have to work as a set, so you want to have a range of colour and tone across the 10 stamps. \"The Royal Mail has a rich history of illustration on stamps, so the chance to have a go at that is a great opportunity.\" Andrew Hammond, Royal Mail director of stamps and collectibles, said: \"The story of Alice in Wonderland remains a perennial favourite of children, and indeed adults, around the world. \"It is fitting that in its 150th anniversary year it is celebrated with a wonderful set of stamps featuring striking images that do justice to such an iconic tale.\"", "summary": "A set of 10 stamps is being issued to mark the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland."}
{"article": "British Transport Police said the incident happened at Glasgow Central station on Friday 20 October at 16:25. The two dogs were described as a tan coloured Staffordshire or pitbull terrier and a German shepherd. The woman had long brown hair, glasses, and was wearing a grey hooded top with the number 88 on the front. Police said she may have boarded the 17:30 train to London Euston.", "summary": "Police have released a CCTV image of a woman who they want to speak to in connection with a guide dog that was attacked by two other dogs."}
{"article": "To give some idea of the amount of the currency that represents - there were more than 90 billion banknotes in circulation in India last March. Most central banks destroy soiled and mutilated banknotes on a regular basis and replace them with new, crisp ones. The Reserve Bank of India, similarly, shreds such notes and makes briquettes of them. But they are not your usual briquettes. Briquettes - usually made of farm waste in India - are used for cooking, lighting and heating. They are cheaper than coal, have lower ash content, are less polluting, and easier to store and pack. They are mostly used as fuel in factory boilers. But briquettes made out of shredded cash are brittle and serve no such purpose, a senior central bank official told me. So the bank's 27 shredding and briquetting machines in 19 offices across India will now snip the expired banknotes into the smallest of pieces and the resulting briquettes will be then dumped in India's vast landfills. Sometimes the shredded currency is also recycled to make files, calendars and paper weights and ballpoint pen shells, tea coasters, cups and small trays as souvenirs for guests. The practice is similar in the US: counterfeit banknotes are sent to the Secret Service, while unfit notes are shredded and sent to landfills or given away as souvenirs to the public touring the Federal Reserve Bank. Central bank officials believe shredding 20 billion banknotes will not be a huge challenge. In 2015-16 the Reserve Bank of India destroyed more than 16 billion soiled notes. More than 14 billion were removed in 2012-2013 after nearly 500,000 fake notes were found in the system. \"Destroying so much cash is not a challenge because we have enough shredding and briquetting machines with very high capacities. These are automatic machines which shred the cash into the finest of pieces,\" says an official. So, India's mountain of expired currency will soon become rubbish, literally.", "summary": "India's central bank will have to destroy, by one estimate, some 20 billion \"expired\" banknotes after it scrapped two high-value denominations - the 500 ($7.60) and 1,000 rupee notes - this month to crack down on \"black money\" or illegal cash holdings."}
{"article": "The M48 Severn Bridge has been shut due to strong winds and an overturned lorry near junction 2 on the A466 (Chepstow), affecting nearby M4 traffic. Arriva Trains Wales reported speed restrictions on some services in north Wales due to the adverse weather. BBC Wales forecaster Sue Charles said 20-40mm of rain was likely with gusts of 80mph possible along exposed coasts due to Storm Gertrude. The Met Office yellow \"be aware\" warning for strong wind covers north and mid Wales until 18:00 GMT with heavy rain forecast across Wales. Check if this is affecting your journey", "summary": "There are weather warnings for winds of up to 80mph and heavy rain on Friday."}
{"article": "Daniel Craig will reprise his role as the British spy, with the script penned by Oscar winner, John Logan. Producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said: \"We're really excited to be working once again with Daniel Craig, Sam Mendes and John Logan.\" Bond 24 is due for release in the UK on 23 October 2015. It will have its US release two weeks later, on 6 November. Mendes, who directed the recently-opened West End musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, said he was \"very much looking forward to taking up the reins again, and to working with Daniel Craig, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for a second time\". He added: \"I am very pleased that by giving me the time I need to honour all my theatre commitments, the producers have made it possible for me to direct Bond 24.\" Skyfall made $1.1bn (??700m) at the worldwide box office. It was also the highest-grossing film of all time in the UK, earning more than ??94m from ticket sales in 40 days to beat the previous record holder Avatar, which made ??94m in 11 months. Skyfall won two Oscars - singer Adele's theme song of the same name won best original song and there was an award for sound editing. It was also named the outstanding British film by Bafta. It was reported in May that Mendes had resumed talks with producers about directing the next Bond film, having previously ruled himself out due to other commitments. Mendes is due to follow Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by directing Shakespeare's King Lear at the National Theatre in January 2014. The last film-maker to lead consecutive Bond movies was former editor John Glen, who directed five films in a row between 1981 to 1989.", "summary": "Skyfall director Sam Mendes is to direct the 24th James Bond film, due for release in 2015, it has been announced."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called to the Fernways unit on Cecil Road, Ilford, at about 22:20 BST on Saturday to reports of an assault. Two people found with stab wounds were pronounced dead at the scene. A 50-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and is in custody at an east London police station. Police believe the victims and the man arrested knew each other, but said they were not related and were not staff at the unit, which is part of the care provision of Redbridge Borough Council. Officers say they know the identities of the deceased and their next of kin have been informed. Post-mortem examinations on the pair will be held later, the Met said.", "summary": "A woman in her 50s and a man in his 80s have been stabbed to death at a sheltered housing unit in north-east London."}
{"article": "The muppet was donated by creator Jim Henson's widow Jane, along with nine other characters from the 1955 TV show Sam and Friends. Some of the other muppets in the collection include early versions of Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch. Henson's oldest puppet, Pierre the French Rat, was also donated. Jane Henson said the original characters provided five minutes of fun each night after the local news where they mostly mimed to popular music. \"I think people realized that if you put Kermit's face up there, it was just as powerful - we were mostly just doing it to entertain ourselves,\" she said. The Smithsonian already has a familiar Kermit the Frog puppet made famous on Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. But the original Kermit looked more like a lizard, made with ping-pong ball eyes and green felt from an old coat thrown out by Henson's mother. Museum curator Dwight Blocker Bowers said the muppets would be a boon for the museum's collection. \"It certainly shows the muppets at the beginning of the career of a large family of entertainers,\" he said. \"More than anything, I think it shows the genius of Jim Henson.\" Bowers said the museum plans to have the original muppets on display by November in the pop culture gallery. The Hensons are also to give the Smithsonian more puppets in the years to come, possibly including a Miss Piggy to join her amphibian boyfriend.", "summary": "The original Kermit the Frog has been donated to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington."}
{"article": "Joshua, 27, will reportedly earn \u00a32m for the second defence of the belt. A proposed match against Wladimir Klitschko, pencilled in for next April, could earn the Briton as much as \u00a315m. \"Fighters can lose their way after tasting a bit of success but it's not about money, it's about class,\" said Joshua, who is undefeated in 17 fights. \"It's about morals, how you conduct yourself. Glitz and glamour doesn't come into it. I don't live in luxury, I'm still at home with my mum.\" Joshua often shares a gym in Sheffield with Great Britain's amateurs, with whom he shares trainer Rob McCracken. And Joshua, who came through the same system before winning a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics, says training with young, ambitious boxers keeps him grounded. \"These amateurs who train day in, day out and live the life are better than half the pros who are taking the glory,\" said Joshua, who stays in the same accommodation in Sheffield as when he was in the GB squad. \"It's good to be around that, they don't give me a chance to slack.\" Joshua expects to make Molina his 18th victim inside the distance, but is not complacent before the fight at the Manchester Arena. \"People like Molina are unpredictable,\" he said. \"They seem nice but when they come in the ring they come with bad intentions. \"There is a lot of expectation on me, but it's also my expectation to win, win, win. We're singing from the same hymn sheet. \"At the moment it's going well, but there will be bumps along the way. I'd be silly not to think that, so I have to plan for things going wrong.\" Molina, 34, lost his first fight as a pro in 2007 but has been beaten only twice in 27 bouts since. In 2012 he was knocked out in the first round by Chris Arreola, before lasting nine rounds with WBC champion Deontay Wilder. In his most recent fight, in April, Molina caused an upset by beating Tomasz Adamek in Poland. And the Texan believes he will shock British fans with a knockout victory, just as his mentor Oliver McCall did to Lennox Lewis in London in 1994. \"I have a lot of respect for Anthony Joshua, he's bringing a lot of excitement to the heavyweight division,\" said Molina. \"But we've yet to see him in a lot of situations. There's more to heavyweight boxing than just beating down the guy in front of you. \"There are other avenues. We're going to try to put him in some spots and surprise him. \"He thinks it's going to be an easy night, the whole world thinks it's going to be an easy night, so my most powerful weapon is the element of surprise.\" Starts 17:30 GMT - times subject to late changes 4x3 mins welterweight contest CONOR BENN (10st 7lbs 3oz) v STEVE BACKHOUSE (10st 3lbs 9oz) Followed by 8x3 mins heavyweight contest LUIZ ORTIZ (17st 3lbs 3oz) v DAVID ALLEN (18st 6lbs 9oz) Followed by 12x3 mins British light-heavyweight championship HOSEA", "summary": "Anthony Joshua is adamant fame and fortune will not spoil him as he prepares to defend his IBF heavyweight title against Eric Molina on Saturday."}
{"article": "The new Bishop of Hull will be the Reverend Canon Alison White, the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu has announced. Mrs White is currently priest-in-charge of Riding Mill in the Diocese of Newcastle. Dr Sentamu said: \"This is a joyous day. I am delighted to be welcoming Alison as the next Bishop of Hull. She's a very gifted person.\" Mrs White said she was \"absolutely amazed\" by the news. \"It's been a long time in coming and so many people have prayed, hoped and thought about the way God is taking this into the future,\" she said. \"It feels like a wonderful gift. It's going to be a huge adventure. \"Hull's got a great story. I love that video that was done in support of its bid to be City of Culture. What a wonderful time to be coming in as Bishop of Hull, it couldn't be better.\" The Church of England's first woman bishop is The Rt Rev Libby Lane, who was consecrated as the eighth Bishop of Stockport at York Minster in January. Mrs White replaces the Right Rev Richard Frith, who became Bishop of Hereford in November 2014. She will be consecrated at York Minster on 3 July. The 58-year-old became a priest in 1996 and has served in Durham, Sheffield, Peterborough and Newcastle. She is married to Bishop Frank White, Assistant Bishop of Newcastle. The couple have family in England and South Africa. The Church's General Synod formally approved plans in November to ordain women bishops after years of division and in the face of stiff opposition. Frank and Alison White - or Mr and Mrs Bishop, as they will be - are the first married couple who'll both serve as bishops in the Church of England. Welcoming her appointment, the Archbishop of York said his first reaction was simple: \"Yippee! She has great people skills.\" The Whites met in 1980 and married in 1982, and Canon Alison White says that even as bishops, \"we are first and foremost Frank and Alison - we've been married for over 30 years now.\" Both finish each other's sentences, and Frank adds that they are great friends and \"I think we'll learn from one another and share stories along the way.\" They're relieved that they can now share the news with friends and family, having known about the appointment for several weeks. Asked if there is any rivalry between them, both shake their heads in unison. Bishop Frank White is a Newcastle United supporter, and has spent years trying to persuade his wife that football is a good thing - and hopes she will now become a great supporter of Hull City. Alison pays tribute to the work of Libby Lane, the first woman to be appointed as a bishop in the Church of England. She says that having two bishops in one family may seem excessive, but that it is their marriage that's sustained both her and her husband Frank, as well as their shared vocation - even if her new appointment means they'll both be busier than ever.", "summary": "A second woman has been appointed a bishop by the Church of England."}
{"article": "He was getting on the Sunmi on the River Thames at Gravesend Reach in Kent at about 18:10 BST on Wednesday when it happened, the PLA said. Emergency services were called but were unable to save him, the authority said. PLA chief executive Robin Mortimer said: \"Our deepest condolences are with our colleague's family and friends at this very difficult time.\" He added: \"\"We have been in touch with the family and are offering whatever support we can.\" No details of the nature of the accident have been revealed by the PLA. The authority and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch have started an investigation into the accident and will be attending the PLA's Gravesend base on Thursday.", "summary": "A Port of London Authority (PLA) river pilot has been killed in an accident while boarding a ship."}
{"article": "Mark Stoneman (61) and Keaton Jenning's opening partnership of 96 helped Durham reach 180-5 from their 20 overs. Glos slumped to 6-2 and 61-6 but Jack Taylor (80) staged a fightback, scoring nearly half of his side's runs. But when Taylor was run out, Durham deservedly joined Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire in the semi-finals. Relive Durham's win over Gloucestershire as it happened Durham's victory was significantly aided by some smart fielding that led to four run outs, as seven of Gloucestershire's batsmen failed to reach double figures. But for Taylor's resilient 80 from 41 balls, which included five sixes and seven fours, the visitors could have won by a huge margin. Neither side have ever won the T20 Blast and, while Durham's bid for a first T20 crown goes on, Gloucestershire are now set for a trophyless 2016. Glamorgan host Yorkshire in the fourth quarter-final on Thursday.", "summary": "Durham produced a dominant 19-run win to reach the 2016 T20 Blast Finals Day by knocking out South Group winners Gloucestershire in the quarter-finals."}
{"article": "The two men are filmed speaking in Arabic and referring to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. One holds a piece of paper on which the IS flag is printed. Fr Jacques Hamel, 86, had his throat cut in the attack on Tuesday at a church in a Normandy suburb. Both attackers were shot dead by police after taking hostages. The video was posted by Amaq news agency, the media arm of IS, which has posted the group's videos and statements in the past. It has not been verified by French police. Reports on Tuesday said the men had filmed the attack, but it is not clear where the video posted by Amaq was recorded. More on this story Friends recall 'brainwashed' Kermiche Jacques Hamel: Tributes to priest who dedicated life to church What we know about church attack France responds with calls for peace and understanding One of the two attackers has already been named by police as Adel Kermiche, 19, who had twice tried to reach Syria to join IS. French investigators believe they are close to identifying the second attacker, according to French media reports. Officers are said to have found an ID card at the home of Kermiche belonging to an individual named as Abdelmalik P, from Aix-les-Bains in eastern France. It is not known whether this is the second attacker, whose face was badly disfigured by the police shooting. France's Le Monde newspaper also reports that French security officials received a tip-off on Friday from an unnamed foreign intelligence partner that an individual was planning an attack in the coming days. The newspaper says a photograph of the individual was provided but no identity, and French police were hunting for the man in the run up to the attack. It may be that the so far unidentified man is the dead second attacker, the BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says. A number of media outlets in France have announced that they will no longer publish images of people responsible for terror attacks. In an editorial, Le Monde said it was doing so \"to avoid giving posthumous credit\" to those responsible, while adding that the intention of killing Father Hamel was to provoke \"the blind vengeance that would place the entire country under the empire of hatred\". The move was repeated by the broadcasters BFMTV, France 24 and RFI. A statement by the joint editorial team of France 24 and RFI said that they were \"conscious of the echo that is being offered by our antennae... to terrorist movements who claim a state that does not exist\". The Catholic daily La Croix, which said it was following suit, said in its editorial on Wednesday that \"responding to hatred with hatred would mean that evil has triumphed\". The newspaper would now give only the first name of attackers, it said. The Europe 1 radio station announced it would not name perpetrators of terror attacks. The killing in Normandy came 12 days after the truck attack in Nice in which 84 people died. The Nice killer also pledged allegiance to IS.", "summary": "The so-called Islamic State (IS) has released a video it says shows two men who murdered a priest in France, pledging allegiance to the group."}
{"article": "Officers spoke to him on Saturday, but he was found not to be breaking any law and was not arrested. The Met's chief, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said: \"It may not have been the flag. But I would like to get to the bottom of it and we will investigate it.\" He said on average one person a day was arrested for terror-related activity. Pictures of the alleged incident emerged over the weekend. Sir Bernard told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme: \"The law says clearly that if you're a member of a proscribed organisation which IS is, or appear to be, then of course the police can take action. \"Just having a flag itself, you've got to make a few more inquiries.\" He said it was vital it was established whether the flag did represent IS or not. It was also put to Scotland Yard's chief that a child had been seen waving a miniature version of the flag, which he conceded \"would be a worrying thing\" if accurate. He said: \"I don't want to over-react because it may not have been the flag. But I would like to get to the bottom of it.\" The force has faced a backlash on social media about its decision not to arrest or question the man further. Umair J Malik tweeted it was \"utter nonsense\" that the man had not been arrested, while Malen Zell also called it a \"joke\". He tweeted: \"Utterly disgusted and sickened that a man was allowed to walk the streets of London draped in an #Isis flag.\" Sir Bernard said the country was currently on the \"severe\" terror alert with only one level above it. He said: \"It can't get much higher in terms of threat, and we know that it's been aggravated by the fact that so many people have gone to Syria. \"What it does mean is there are quite a few people out there who we need to keep an eye on and make sure they don't get away with their plans.\" A full interview with Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe can be watched on the Victoria Derbyshire programme.", "summary": "Scotland Yard is investigating whether a man stopped by police outside the Houses of Parliament was draped in an Islamic State (IS) flag."}
{"article": "The value of semis rose by 5.6% over the year, the Land Registry figures show, ahead of flats (up 5.4%) and detached homes (up 5.1%). Overall, property prices increased by 5.1% over the year and by 0.9% from March to April. The average home was valued at \u00c2\u00a3179,817, the Land Registry said. Prices rose the fastest in London over the year, up 10.9%, and in the South East of England, up 8.8%. The slowest annual property price growth was in Wales, up 0.3%. Prices in Wales fell by 1.1% in April compared with March. The pace of property price rises generally has slowed, although the picture features significant regional differences. \"The property market in Wales and the North East [of England] is a million miles away from the south-east corner of England,\" said Jonathan Samuels, chief executive of Dragonfly Property Finance. \"The broader fall in the number of property transactions over the last year suggests a natural slowdown in the property market after a period of exuberance.\" The figures come as insurer Legal and General said there was a need for purpose-built homes for the older generation. Nigel Wilson, chief executive of L&G, said that there were more than five million under-occupied homes owned by the over 55s. Two-thirds of them were looking to downsize but there were no appropriate homes for them, he said.", "summary": "The price of semi-detached homes rose at the fastest rate of any property type in England and Wales in the year to the end of April, data shows."}
{"article": "The money has been allocated from the Inverness Common Good Fund. Highland Council has set aside \u00a3200,000 and Highlands and Islands Enterprise could provide \u00a360,000 to the \u00a3360,000 project. The rest of the 19th Century building would continue to be used as a sheriff court.", "summary": "Funding of \u00a3100,000 has been approved for a project to turn Inverness Castle's North Tower and its look-out into a new tourist attraction."}
{"article": "Works include a pedestrian and cycle bridge across the A63 and extensions to the city's art gallery and theatre. The bridge will cost \u00a311.5m and will link the city centre with Hull's waterfront, which is being redeveloped. The Ferens Art Gallery will get a \u00a34.5m facelift ahead of it hosting the Turner Prize in 2017. Labour councillor Sean Chaytor, chairman of Hull City Council's planning committee, said the bridge was \"essential in working towards improving connectivity between two core areas of the city\". \"We hope that the work to start the bridge construction can now get under way for early next year in order for it to be ready by Easter 2017,\" he said. Hull was awarded the title of City of Culture in November 2013, beating competition from Swansea, Leicester and Dundee. The year-long event takes place every four years and is awarded by the UK government with the aim of helping tourism and the economy.", "summary": "A number of building projects planned for Hull's year as UK City of Culture in 2017 have been approved by the council."}
{"article": "Dame Vera, 99, became known as the Forces Sweetheart for entertaining the troops during World War Two. One of her best-known songs, The White Cliffs Of Dover, featured in a list of the Queen's favourite pieces of music, released earlier this week. Despite this, Dame Vera, who lives in Sussex, said she \"never expected\" this accolade and was \"greatly honoured\". She has been made a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for services to entertainment and charity. Dame Vera said: \"I was very surprised... I felt very greatly honoured to be given a Damehood and never expected to receive anything else. \"So for Her Majesty to bestow a further accolade on me is very unexpected and I feel even more honoured.\" In her 20s, Vera Lynn played a huge role in keeping British spirits up during the Blitz. She travelled thousands of miles, often at great personal risk, to entertain troops. Her hits included We'll Meet Again, I'll Be Seeing You, Wishing and If Only I Had Wings. In 1941, she was given a BBC radio programme, Sincerely Yours, with a peak-time evening audience. After the war she retired from the stage to bring up her daughter, Virginia, at their home in Ditchling, Sussex, but remained in demand across the world. Dame Vera once said: \"I have never been terribly ambitious. I never wanted to be a Judy Garland. \"If work came along I liked, I would do it. If it interfered with home life for too long or took me away, I wouldn't.\" Her accolades include an OBE in 1969, a DBE in 1975, and in 1978 she was given the Freedom of the City of London.", "summary": "Dame Vera Lynn has been recognised for services to entertainment and charity in the Queen's Birthday Honours list."}
{"article": "Hopes of reunification have been raised after talks between Turkish and Greek Cypriots in Geneva this week. But a number of stumbling blocks remain, including whether any Turkish troops would stay in northern Cyprus after reunification. The island's communities have been split since 1974. Key obstacles to a deal include the return of property to tens of thousands of Cypriots who fled their homes in 1974, as well as the presence of troops. Turkey still has 30,000 troops stationed in the island's north, whose presence Greece opposes. On Friday, Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades reiterated a call for all Turkish troops to leave. Greece is thought to have about 1,000 troops stationed on the island. Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci said one side demanding that the other remove its troops would rule out a mutually acceptable solution. On Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had said discussions were \"at a critical juncture\" and that technical experts would now hold talks. The meetings are likely to begin on 18 January, with a focus on thorny security issues, reports say. Property: What should happen to the properties that Greek Cypriots had to abandon in 1974? Should they get the right to take their old homes back, or be compensated - and if so by how much? Security: How can the security of the Turkish Cypriots be guaranteed if Turkey's estimated 30,000 troops leave? Greek Cypriots see them as an occupying force, so should some stay or should Turkey retain the right to intervene? Who would act as a guarantor of the deal? The EU, of which Cyprus is already a member, or the UK, which has two military bases on the island? Power and the role of the EU: There is talk of a rotating presidency, but how would that work? And could a Turkish Cypriot president really represent the country from time-to-time at EU summits? Territory: How much more territory should Greek Cypriots gain to reflect the fact that they make up the majority of the island's population? UN peacekeeping forces estimate that 165,000 Greek Cypriots fled or were expelled from the north, and 45,000 Turkish Cypriots from the south, although the parties to the conflict say the figures are higher. The end goal is for the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to share power in a two-state federation. Any deal would have to win the support of both Cypriot communities in separate referendums. While diplomats have made positive noises on the progress being made, Mr Erdogan said that Greece and the Cypriot government \"still have different expectations\" from Turkey. Another obstacle, he added, was on a possible rotating presidency on Cyprus. Instead of seeing four Greek Cypriot presidencies for every one by Turkish Cypriots, Mr Erdogan said he wanted a 2:1 balance in Greece's favour instead.", "summary": "Turkey's president says a full withdrawal of its forces from divided Cyprus is \"out of the question\" unless Greece also agrees to pull out troops."}
{"article": "It will operate five times weekly until 12 June, daily from 13 June to 2 September and four times weekly between 3 September and 6 October. The first flight was inaugurated at a ceremony at Edinburgh Airport. The airport said it marked \"a significant step\" in achieving better connectivity between the Scottish capital and North America. Airport managing director Gordon Dewar added: \"This new service will give Scottish passengers the opportunity to visit one of America's most exciting and vibrant cities and take full advantage of the onward travel options to many other US destinations. \"We're delighted to continue our good relationship with United and celebrate this new route's inaugural flight.\" Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the service highlighted the strong relationship between Scotland and the United States. \"This service will provide real benefits to Scotland's economy, encouraging more tourism, trade and investment by reducing the need for travellers to make connecting flights via London or the continent,\" she added.", "summary": "The first direct flight service between Edinburgh and Chicago has been launched by United Airlines."}
{"article": "The Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited Haven Nursing Home in September in response to concerns raised by staff and relatives. It found the home, which has a history of non-compliance with regulations, did not have a CQC registered manager. A new manager who took over last month said safety and comfort had been improved. Inspectors found that staff were kind and tried their best to provide care. It also said relatives and friends were allowed to visit at any time of day. Updates on this story and more from Coventry and Warwickshire. The home can care for up to 70 older people, and mainly looks after people with dementia. Inspectors found: The home will remain in special measures and be kept under review. Maurice Fordy, manager of Haven Nursing Home since October 5, said: \"The report refers to a situation as it was prior to September of this year. \"We have worked closely with the CQC and the local authority to ensure the improved safety and comfort of residents at the nursing home. \"The manager from that time has been replaced and I am pleased with the improvements that we have made so far.\"", "summary": "A Coventry nursing home has been rated as \"inadequate\" after inspectors found it did not have enough staff."}
{"article": "Staffordshire County Council has a 99-year-lease on the Shugborough Estate in Stafford until 2065. But now it wants the National Trust, which owns the Grade I-listed site, to take it back off its hands. A spokesman for the National Trust has said it is exploring options for the management of the estate. Mark Winnington, Staffordshire County Council's cabinet member for economy, environment and transport, said: \"We are meeting colleagues at the National Trust to explore the feasibility of relinquishing our lease and passing the management of the Shugborough Estate to them.\" The council said it expected to spend \u00c2\u00a3650,000 this year maintaining and running the Shugborough Estate. A spokesman said it took the lease on at a time when the National Trust was not as large. He said there was no threat to the building and the council would continue to manage it if an agreement could not be reached. National Trust regional director Harry Bowell said: \"At this stage the National Trust is working in partnership with Staffordshire County Council to carry out early-stage feasibility studies to explore options for the management of the Shugborough Estate. \"It is important to stress that no decisions have been made at this stage.\" Shugborough was one of the manors of the bishops of Lichfield in the Middle Ages. The site was purchased in 1624 by William Anson, a lawyer. The current house dates back to 1694.", "summary": "The National Trust could take back responsibility for a 17th Century estate to save a council hundreds of thousands of pounds a year."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called to the scene, off Bridge Street in Newcastle Emlyn, at about 12:30 BST on Thursday. Police, fire and ambulance services were involved in the search. Dyfed-Powys Police said he has been formally identified by his next of kin and that there are no suspicious circumstances.", "summary": "The body of a 22-year-old man believed to have fallen into the River Teifi has been found, police have confirmed."}
{"article": "Cockerill, 46, was dismissed as Tigers' director of rugby on 2 January, with the club fifth in the Premiership. England head coach Jones told BBC Sport that despite having a forwards coach he would \"never close the door\". Jones also said Dylan Hartley would continue to captain England if he was fit enough to be selected. Northampton hooker Hartley is serving a six-week ban for catching Leinster's Sean O'Brien with a swinging arm in a Champions Cup match in December. Jones, 56, said last month that the 30-year-old had \"let his country down\" with the third red card of his career. But the Australian said on Tuesday that Hartley was \"doing everything right\" to be England captain for the forthcoming Six Nations. Cockerill had been a member of Leicester's coaching staff since 2004, taking over as head coach in 2009 and becoming director of rugby in 2010. But following a 16-12 defeat by Saracens on New Year's Day, and with Leicester 15 points adrift of leaders Wasps, Cockerill was sacked. Jones said: \"I have a massive amount of sympathy for Richard Cockerill. \"He is a great rugby guy, a great player for Leicester, has been a very successful director of rugby and coach. \"You don't like to see that happen to anyone but the reality of being a coach is that everyone goes through that and I am sure he will end up somewhere else. \"It has been a discussion point for the Leicester players. They are disappointed for Richard but know they have to get on with the job. \"We are very well endowed with the forwards coaches we have at the moment so we can always look at the possibility of that [getting Cockerill].\" Former England lock Steve Borthwick is currently England's forwards coach. Hartley's dismissal in Northampton's 37-10 home defeat by Leinster had jeopardised his involvement in England's Six Nations campaign, with their opening fixture against France at Twickenham on 4 February. However, he is eligible to play again from 23 January. Jones added: \"A prerequisite to get into the England side is to be very fit and not playing games means he needs to undergo an unbelievably stringent fitness programme over the next five or six weeks. He is doing that and is in the best position to continue as captain. \"If Dylan is right to play, he will be captain. \"Everyone makes mistakes. In the last 12 months, he has made one mistake and done a hell of a lot of good things so his batting average is pretty high. If that falls, then we need to look at things. \"We have had a number of chats, not any longer than five minutes, but plenty of information has been exchanged. He understands where he is at and what he needs to do. He will do it.\" The former Australia coach said it was a \"big relief\" to have James Haskell back in contention after the flanker missed the autumn internationals with a toe injury. Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi has been ruled out of England's training camp in", "summary": "Eddie Jones says he sympathises with Richard Cockerill and is open to the possibility of the sacked Leicester boss joining England's coaching set-up."}
{"article": "McInnes elected to stay with the Dons despite holding talks with the club relegated from the Premier League. His decision has \"delighted\" Brown, who is still an Aberdeen director. \"It would have to be an exceptional club before Derek would be tempted to go down south and have another interview,\" he told BBC Scotland. \"Sunderland was a unique situation, the Scottish connection may have been the reason that Derek went down. \"I genuinely believe that he's better than Sunderland and that he can get a fine job in the Premier League in England in the fullness of time.\" McInnes, 45, replaced Brown as Aberdeen boss in 2013, winning the League Cup final the following year, the Dons' first silverware in 19 years. In 2015, he and assistant Tony Docherty signed new contracts until 2019, and the club says the duo will now stay until at least that summer. \"Everyone I have spoken to are delighted that Derek and Tony are staying and the impact will be considerable,\" former Scotland manager Brown added. \"It looked to be a surprise, but I think that Derek would look to weigh up all the circumstances. \"I'm sure he sees, and he has stated, that there is unfinished work at Aberdeen. \"The big attraction to remain at Aberdeen would be the fact that he is almost guaranteed European football every year. \"And I guess it will be a while before Sunderland approach European football.\" Aberdeen have finished second to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership for the past three years and were also runners-up to Brendan Rodgers' side in the Scottish Cup and League Cup last season.", "summary": "Craig Brown believes Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes is \"better than Sunderland\" and it would take \"an exceptional club\" to tempt him away."}
{"article": "It is a leaf-based drug that, when chewed, releases juices that act as natural stimulants and is popular with the Somali community. The Netherlands is used as a hub to transport khat imported from the Horn of Africa to other European countries. There are concerns that the drug can cause psychosis or bring on schizophrenia. The BBC's Anna Holligan in the Netherlands says the country has a traditionally liberal approach to soft drugs. However, a Dutch government report cited noise, litter and the perceived public threat posed by men who chew khat as some of the reasons for outlawing the drug. \"I'm involved in the ban because it appears to cause serious problems, particularly in the Somali community,\" Dutch immigration minister Gerd Leers is quoted as saying by Radio Netherlands. Source: www.talktofrank.com He said that 10% of Somali men in the Netherlands were badly affected by the drug. \"They are lethargic and refuse to co-operate with the government or take responsibility for themselves or their families,\" he said. Very few Dutch nationals use the drug, which is mainly chewed by people from Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Yemen. Our reporter says more than 25,000 Somalis now live in the Netherlands and as the population arrived, the use of khat in the country grew. At the moment it is legally imported via Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport four times a week. Khat leaves need to be fresh, otherwise they lose their potency. Last year, khat worth around $18m (\u00a311.6m) was brought into the Netherlands. The use of the stimulant is banned in the US, Canada and several other European countries. But it is still available in the UK where it is legally sold in a small number of grocery stores.", "summary": "The Dutch government has announced that it will ban the use of the mild narcotic khat."}
{"article": "Saints finished fourth and Warrington's victory at Hull means they will face the League Leaders' Shield winners away from home in their play-off semi-final. Tries from Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Jack Owens put Saints 12-6 up at the break, with Craig Hall responding. McDonnell's treble after the break helped to seal the win. Theo Fages added the hosts' sixth try to complete the victory, while Wakefield - who suffered a ninth successive defeat and finished bottom of the table at the end of the Super 8s - managed only a Tom Johnstone score in reply after the break. Victory extends St Helens' winning run to four matches leading up to the play-offs, with their only defeat in their past 12 games coming at Warrington in August. They now travel to face the Wolves at the Halliwell Jones Stadium on Thursday, 29 September, looking to return to the Super League Grand Final for the eighth time in 11 seasons. St Helens assistant coach Sean Long: \"Shannon had a great game and went really well against Widnes last week. He's given us a headache for next week. \"Full credit to Wakefield who had a real dig at us. We were a little bit off and it wasn't a great spectacle, but we would have taken 32-12 before the game. \"The main thing is we came through unscathed for next week.\" Wakefield head coach Chris Chester: \"We played some really good football at times. We wanted to throw the ball around and enjoy ourselves and there was a lot of spirit and pride. \"We probably tried too hard in the second half but the final scoreline didn't reflect our effort. \"We have got into the top eight through hard work and we now have to continue with our progression.\" St Helens: Lomax; McDonnell, Percival, Peyroux, Owens; Turner, Walsh; Vea, Knowles, Amor, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Greenwood, Thompson. Replacements: Walmsley, Wilkin, Fages, Davies. Wakefield: Jowitt; Johnstone, Lyne, Arundel, B Tupou; Hall, Finn; Simon, Sio, Fifita, Molloy, Ashurst, Harrison. Replacements: A Tupou, Arona, Crowther, Yates. Referee: Joe Cobb", "summary": "Shannon McDonnell's hat-trick helped St Helens round off the regular Super League season with a routine home win over Wakefield at Langtree Park."}
{"article": "The 33-year-old has signed a two-year deal at Cardiff City Stadium after being released by League Two Portsmouth earlier this summer. Murphy joins subject to international clearance and offers competition to goalkeepers Ben Amos and Ben Wilson after David Marshall's move to Hull. \"I'm delighted to be here and looking forward to getting going now,\" he said. \"I'm used to working hard and that's what I'll do. \"Hopefully we'll push each other every day and when it comes to Saturday, you get what you deserve.\"", "summary": "Cardiff City have signed former Manchester City and Swansea goalkeeper Brian Murphy on a free transfer."}
{"article": "Watford, who were unable to fulfil last weekend's Women's FA Cup third-round tie at Doncaster, now say their future is secure after meetings on Monday. The Women's Super League Two club begin their Spring Series campaign on Sunday against Aston Villa Ladies. \"It's been a time of much transition and change,\" general manager Ellie Kemp told Watford's club website. \"However we believe we're now on a very firm footing with Keith leading our coaching set-up.\" A club statement added that Watford conceded their cup tie against the Belles \"in order to ensure necessary preparations were fully in place ahead of the start of the league fixture programme\". Boanas, 57, led Charlton Ladies to three successive FA Women's Cup finals, winning the trophy in 2005, before a brief spell as Millwall Lionesses boss. He also won the FA Women's Premier League Cup in 2004 and 2006 during his seven-year spell with Charlton. Watford's former head coach Katie Rowson resigned in August and, prior to Boanas' appointment, no formal replacement had been announced for a first-team boss. Watford pulled out of last Sunday's scheduled Women's FA Cup third-round tie at Doncaster Rovers Belles the day before the game, with the Yorkshire side being awarded a bye. An emergency meeting is understood to have been held on Monday between club officials from the men's and ladies' arms of the club. Prior to Boanas' appointment being announced, a Football Association spokesperson said: \"We have contacted Watford about their involvement in the FA WSL Spring Series.\" The Lady Hornets - who were founded in 1970 - had finished seventh in WSL 2 in 2014 - the first season after the WSL was expanded to include a second tier. They have finished bottom of the second tier for the past two seasons, winning just three times in 36 league games. On 11 January, the club announced a change in their regular venue for home matches, leaving Berkhamsted FC to play at Kings Langley FC's ground, known as Gaywood Park. Kemp added: \"The players will be energised and ready for the challenges that lay ahead. We want to be a really competitive team and there's no reason to believe we can't achieve that.\"", "summary": "Former Charlton and Estonia Women's boss Keith Boanas has been appointed as the new head coach of Watford Ladies."}
{"article": "The roadblocks have caused widespread disruption in all Brazilian states. The Senate is due to vote on the impeachment on Wednesday. A simple majority in favour of a full trial will suspend Ms Rousseff for up to 180 days. The government has asked the Supreme Court to suspend the impeachment process for alleged irregularities. However, similar attempts have been rejected by the court. Protesters blocked the main access roads to Brazil's largest city, Sao Paulo, causing huge traffic jams during the morning rush-hour. The protests spread to cities and towns across the country. Police said there were barricades on 14 highways in Brazil's 26 states and the Federal District, home to the capital Brasilia. In Rio de Janeiro, which will host the Olympics in August and September, protesters set up barricades at a major road linking the city to the state of Sao Paulo. In the north-eastern city of Natal, buses did not run in the morning and the road next to the main university was blocked. Classes were suspended. The anti-impeachment protests were organised by a left-wing umbrella organisation, the Popular Brazil Front, which promised to carry on with its direct action tactics. \"We will fight everywhere to defend democracy. Brazil says no to the coup!\" it said in a Facebook message. President Rousseff has vowed to keep fighting until the end against her impeachment. On Tuesday, the acting Speaker of the lower house of Congress, Waldir Maranhao, surprised the country when he announced that he had suspended the vote that allowed the impeachment process against her to go ahead. He said the 17 April vote in the lower house had breached Congress rules. Members had voted overwhelmingly in favour of the impeachment process going ahead. But within less than 24 hours he had revoked his decision to annul the vote. He gave no reason for his u-turn. If the Senate votes goes ahead on Wednesday and Ms Rousseff loses it, she will be replaced by Vice-President Michel Temer while the trial lasts. She says Mr Temer is a traitor who is taking part in a political coup against her democratically elected government. The president is accused of illegally manipulating finances to hide a growing public deficit ahead of her re-election in 2014, which she denies.", "summary": "Supporters of Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff have set up burning barricades and blocked roads across the country in protest against moves to impeach her."}
{"article": "And do not take my word for it, jockey Ruby Walsh, looking for his sixth win after five on the great Kauto Star, has two words to describe jump racing's William Hill-sponsored mid-season championship: \"Bloody competitive.\" Walsh's mount Champagne Fever, trained in Ireland by Willie Mullins, has lack of steeple chasing experience and stamina for the three-mile distance to prove, with the former a more likely stumbling block. He is ranked second favourite behind last year's winner Silviniaco Conti, who, with Al Ferof, attempts to add to champion trainer Paul Nicholls' record haul of eight King George victories, five of them also with Kauto Star. Both horses turn up in apparently very good form, 'Silviniaco', after a November success at Haydock over fellow Kempton big-race challengers Menorah, Dynaste and Cue Card. Al Ferof, last year's third, who prefers the going on the drier side, made a superb return from an absence at Ascot, also in November, and given his conditions can be expected to play a major role. Menorah, a stellar mount for Tom O'Brien in place of the suspended Richard Johnson, has been magnificent this season with a good win at Wetherby followed by that gallant second behind Silviniaco Conti. There is no doubting he will put in another sterling performance, but there are doubts about whether he is likely to be quite good enough. Things have not worked out well so far for Cue Card, runner-up in the 2013 King George, with fourth places at Exeter and then at Haydock. Jockey Daryl Jacob, however, believes the eight-year-old, trained by Colin Tizzard and by his son Joe, the horse's now-retired ex-rider, will put in a better show especially as the Tizzard horses are going very well. My fancy though is for Dynaste, trained by David Pipe with, I imagine, this race very much in mind. The shrewd Pipe team will have been very satisfied with the encouraging nature of the already-mentioned Haydock third place by the grey, last year's fifth, and first or second at both of the last two Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals. Although also the winner of the 2012 Feltham Novices Chase - now the Kauto Star Chase - in heavy conditions, if the rain stayed away, as forecast, that would not do him any harm. And chatting to Dynaste's jockey Tom Scudamore did not put me off. He said: \"He's one of the best chasers in the country. \"You think of the likes of Dynaste, Cue Card, Silviniaco Conti, the main English guns as it were, they are all capable of beating each other, and none of their levels of form is much higher than the rest. \"As boring as it sounds, it's just a case of who's better on the day. \"You've got the Irish horse Champagne Fever as well, and he's very good. He's been doing a lot of his racing over two miles, so the hustle and bustle and speed of the race shouldn't affect him. \"He should stay ok, but you can't be 100% sure until he's done it. \"My horse ran well at", "summary": "It looks like as wide-open a staging of jump racing's King George VI Chase as there has been for a bit, one of those occasions when you could go into the pub, tip one of five or six and not look ridiculous."}
{"article": "Snowdonia Pumped Hydro (SPH) hopes to build a pumped-storage facility at the former Glyn Rhonwy quarry in Llanberis, in the area of a former RAF bomb store. A previous report suggested unexploded munitions may remain buried there with campaigners also concerned about nerve gas contamination. The MoD said it had made the site safe. The secretary of state for energy and climate change is expected to decide on the proposal for a 600 MWh hydro-electric pumping station in the next fortnight, after a six-month investigation by the Planning Inspectorate. SPH wants to build the facility in one of the site's quarry holes - after pumping out the water and discharging it into nearby Llyn Padarn - which worries some campaigners. During the Second World War the area was known as RAF Llanberis and was used as a bomb store and School of Explosives. It was later used for the post-war storage and disposal of thousands of tonnes of munitions - including bombs, bullets and incendiary devices - before being cleared by the RAF in a six-year project in the 1970s. An SPH-commissioned report said 14,000 tonnes of bombs filled with Tabun nerve gas were temporarily stored there after being taken from Germany - but were moved elsewhere and later disposed of at sea. However, campaigners have told BBC Radio Cymru's Manylu programme their own research shows the Gwynedd council-owned site was more dangerous than previously thought. They have found an official document showing one member of the 1970s clean-up team was injured by mustard gas while clearing the quarry hole which would be part of the proposed development. And following a Freedom of Information request, the MOD has confirmed several mustard gas bombs were found there in the 1970s. Ann Lawton, from Concerned About Glyn Rhonwy, said: \"From the beginning, SPH have said there weren't any chemical weapons there and, only after we showed our evidence, they recognised that there had been some there.\" She said the MoD had two conflicting reports about whether chemicals found at the site were \"dumped\" there or taken to a research base. The group is also concerned residue from munitions burnt on site could pollute Llyn Padarn, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and a popular area with locals and tourists. \"It needs a proper clean-up, done by the MOD with their facilities, and it doesn't want doing with accountants and shareholders breathing down their neck,\" campaigner Jeff Taylor, who also suggested the MoD pay for the clean-up, said. A spokesman for SPH said the only evidence of mustard gas was the injury to the soldier after a slight spillage from a damaged bomb found during the 1970s clear-up. The firm said only six bombs were found at that time and there was no evidence to suggest further bombs were likely to be present. SPH said if any unexploded ordnance was found on site during development, it had agreed with the authorities to pay for a leading specialist company to safely dispose of it. Last month, Natural Resources Wales granted a discharge licence to the company.", "summary": "Opponents of a planned \u00a3100m hydro-electric scheme at a disused Snowdonia quarry have urged the Ministry of Defence to first clean the site."}
{"article": "Gary Stacey died in hospital after suffering head injuries in St James' Street, Newport, on the morning of 14 February. Ryan Cooper, 21, of Alma Road, in Southampton, has been charged with his manslaughter. He has been released on bail and is due to appear at Isle of Wight Combined Court on 1 July.", "summary": "A man has been charged with manslaughter over a fatal attack on a 49-year-old man on the Isle of Wight."}
{"article": "Sixty-two Russians and 20 nationals from Guinea-Bissau were detained when the navy raided the trawler, Oleg Naydenov, Senegal's military said. Russia has condemned the \"crude and aggressive conduct of Senegalese troops\", Russian state media reported. West African governments are battling to curb illegal fishing, which is threatening fishing stocks. The French military is helping Senegal to tackle the problem. The Oleg Naydenov was a \"repeat offender\" which had been spotted by a French military plane, Fisheries Minister Haidar El-Ali said at a press conference. Senegal was planning to adopt a decree that would allow the government to take ownership of foreign ships \"that pillage our resources\", he said. Senegal could impose a fine of 200m CFA francs ($414,000; \u00c2\u00a3253,000, 304,400 euros) for illegal fishing but it could be doubled for the Oleg Naydenov because it was a \"repeat offender\", Mr Ali said. The minister said the US Agency for International Development estimated that Senegal lost about 150bn CFA francs a year because of illegal fishing by foreign trawlers. \"There are about 50 such ships operating off our coast, entering [Senegalese territorial waters] fraudulently from time to time. We will not allow this,\" Mr Ali said. Russia's Foreign Ministry said on it was seeking explanations from Senegal over the \"military action\" taken against the trawler on Saturday. In co-operation with a Russian fisheries agency official in Dakar, diplomats were \"undertaking further steps aimed at the vessel's earliest release and departure\", Reuters news agency quotes the ministry's statement as saying.", "summary": "Senegal has seized a Russian vessel after accusing its sailors of fishing illegally in its waters."}
{"article": "The stimulus package will include an extra 6tn Korean won ($4.94bn; \u00c2\u00a33.42bn) in public spending. It will also include an extension of existing tax cuts on cars. Overall, the package will see an additional 21tn won of spending in the first quarter, the Yonhap news agency said. South Korea, Asia's fourth largest economy, has been hit by slowing global growth, falling oil prices, and softer demand out of China, one of its most important trading partners. The latest stimulus measures, which will also see cheaper loans made available to some local companies, are designed to help boost exports and domestic demand. Disappointing trade numbers released on Monday showed exports contracted 18.5% in January from a year earlier. It marked the 13th month in a row the nation's exports had fallen and was the worst result for exports since mid 2009. South Korea's annual inflation rate also cooled to its lowest in four months in January. Official numbers released in January showed the economy expanded in 2015 at its slowest pace in three years - growing 2.6% from a year earlier. The central bank has now revised down its forecast for growth in 2016 from 3.2% to 3.0%. Further still, South Korea is facing high levels of youth unemployment. \"The government will mobilise all available means and resources in order to boost domestic consumption and exports in the first quarter to March and to help create new jobs,\" Yonhap quoted the ministry as saying. South Korea's economy was in part held back last year by the effects of the deadly Mers virus which affected tourism and domestic spending in the first half of the year.", "summary": "South Korea's government has unveiled new stimulus measures following a raft of disappointing economic data for the export-dependent nation."}
{"article": "The men, aged 25, 31, 33 and 46, are all expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court this week. Police have now made a total of 85 arrests after violent scenes followed a pitch invasion at Hampden on Saturday 21 May. The disorder marred the end of the Hibs v Rangers cup final, which ended in a 3-2 victory for the Edinburgh side.", "summary": "Four more men have been arrested in connection with disorder at the end of May's Scottish Cup Final."}
{"article": "Some of the group were wearing ski masks and black military uniforms. They boarded buses which reportedly then took them to a location on Kiev's outskirts. These were members of the Right Sector: an umbrella organization of far-right groups that has attracted a heavy share of international media attention, and has recently come into conflict with Ukraine's newly formed government. The Right Sector was a small but influential group that formed part of the \"self-defence units\" in the recent anti-government protests on Kiev's Independence Square and elsewhere in the country. The extent of their impact on the events that ultimately forced former President Viktor Yanukovych to flee Ukraine - and the number of people who ultimately make up their ranks - are hotly debated. Nevertheless, it is generally accepted that at certain moments, they exerted an influence disproportionate to their seemingly small numbers. But now the revolution is over, and the Right Sector - like many of the other self-defence groups - is still there on the square, sometimes equipped with firearms and often very aggressive. Their presence has complicated the work of Ukraine's new leaders, who have struggled to demonstrate they are fully in control, after Russia's disputed annexation of Crimea and violent pro-Russian protests in eastern parts of the country. What is more, Right Sector has bolstered the Kremlin's seemingly exaggerated claims that \"fascists\" have taken over Ukraine's government and are roaming the capital's streets, threatening minorities and Russian-speakers. But now officials in Kiev may at last be tackling the thorny issue of Ukraine's radical far right groups. The government and Right Sector have clashed a number of times in recent days. Acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has said all unofficial armed groups are operating illegally and must turn in their weapons. Last week, a Right Sector leader from western Ukraine, Olexander Muzychko - who at one point was caught on video threatening a local council meeting with a gun and striking an official - was killed in a shoot-out with police. Right Sector activists rejected officials' explanations that Mr Muzychko had fired on police first and then possibly shot himself. On Thursday, hundreds of them marched on parliament, demanding Mr Avakov's resignation and smashing windows. Interim President Olexander Turchynov condemned the group's aggressive actions and said they were trying to \"destabilise\" Ukraine. Now, with the Right Sector's early-morning retreat, the situation may be reaching its conclusion. Late on Monday evening, an argument in Kiev's centre between a member of the group and another self-defence unit reportedly led to shots being fired. Three people, including a deputy mayor of Kiev, were injured. The Right Sector activist found refuge in the Dnipro Hotel, the group's main headquarters. Riot police quickly surrounded the building and demanded all members of the group disarm and evacuate the building. After a standoff lasting a few hours, they finally agreed and left the hotel. The reaction to these events has been swift. Parliament voted unanimously for the \"immediate disarming of illegally armed groups in Ukraine\", which would also include pro-Russian groups in the country's east. Criticism", "summary": "Early on Tuesday, a group of young men - and a few young women - left the Dnipro Hotel in the centre of Kiev and marched through a cordon of heavily armed riot police."}
{"article": "Rouken Glen Park in East Renfrewshire, which was originally gifted to the people of Glasgow in 1906, was named the UK's Best Park of 2016. The shortlist for the Fields in Trust award included Castle Gardens in County Antrim, Pontypool Park in Torfaen, and Preston Park Rockery in East Sussex. Fields in Trust was established in 1925 by King George V as the National Playing Fields Association. Rouken Glen Park is a 143-acre historic park located next to Thornliebank, Giffnock and Newton Mearns, about six miles to the south of Glasgow city centre. The award came after the completion of a \u00c2\u00a33m transformation project in the park. Fields in Trust chief executive Helen Griffiths said: \"It's a beautiful green space and well-deserving of the accolade. The number of parks nominated this year and the votes cast across the competition show just how much the public cherish their local green spaces. \"The people of East Renfrewshire have sent a clear message that they love their local park and I hope that East Renfrewshire Council will recognise this by working with us to safeguard Rouken Glen Park as a place for community sport, play and recreation forever.\" East Renfrewshire Council parks manager Donnie McManus said: \"We would like to thank everyone who voted for the park. Also a big thanks to all the staff who work tirelessly in the park, keeping it up to a very high standard. \"This award shows that the public of East Renfrewshire and the many visitors to the park hold it in such high esteem.\" Councillor Vincent Waters, East Renfrewshire's convener of environment, added: \"Rouken Glen has always held a very special place in the hearts of all its visitors and now it's official - it's the best park in the UK. \"This is a fantastic accolade to win and is just reward for all the hard work our dedicated staff and volunteers have put in to improving the park over the last few years. \"It has unrivalled natural beauty and there is something for all ages to enjoy. Rouken Glen has been loved by all for more than 100 years, and will continue to attract thousands of visitors to East Renfrewshire in the years to come.\"", "summary": "A Scottish park has been recognised with a top UK award."}
{"article": "Penrhyn Homes want to build on land at Mindale Farm, off Ffordd Hendre after demolishing farm buildings. Prestatyn Town Council is among the objectors, concerned local roads could not cope with extra traffic. Denbighshire council's planning committee is recommended to approve the scheme at its meeting on Wednesday.", "summary": "Controversial plans for a development of 130 homes in Meliden, Denbighshire, look set to get the go-ahead despite objections."}
{"article": "On a summer's evening, beside the River Seine, outside a beautifully idiosyncratic bookshop, a current crop of American creative writing students are listening to readings. These students from New York University (NYU) are in Paris for a month as part of their studies - immersing themselves in the literary culture of the French capital. Accompanied by their teaching staff, the students use the city as a giant writing workshop. The cafes, art galleries, the readings and the Parisian streets become the material for their exercises in fiction and poetry. It must be the most de-luxe cure for writers' block, while still racking up credits towards a degree. It's such an idyllic setting, listening to readings and discussions, in the shadow of Notre Dame, outside the classic Shakespeare and Company shop-front, that the only natural reaction is one of overwhelming jealousy. It's not only NYU which brings its students here. There are other universities and institutions, from the US, the UK and Australia. The Left Bank is becoming a field-trip centre for trainee bohemians. It's also a reflection of how higher education - costing up to $50,000 (\u00c2\u00a332,000) per year in the US - has become about experiences as much as qualifications. But what difference does this kind of Parisian trip make to their writing? \"It's good to escape the familiar. You see the world fresh, often with intense clarity,\" says Deborah Landau, an award-winning poet and director of NYU's creative writing programme. \"Paris has always been a city for writers; generations of novelists and poets have flocked to Paris seeking inspiration and literary camaraderie.\" And she says the students can be inspired by the \"sensory pleasures\" of the city - whether it's the food, wine, art, music or the small bookstores. \"Lingering over coffee for hours in the cafes is absolutely encouraged.\" Students also have a line-up of novelists and poets to act as tutors. The university has added a \"low residency\" postgraduate course - taught in intensive blocks rather than full terms. 'Outside their lives' This includes five 10-day stretches in Paris - and novelist Helen Schulman says this is where it can really make a difference for students. \"They're on a different hamster wheel, they're so outside of their lives. They're away from their work, their families, all the things that press upon them, they get a chance to follow their dream of writing. And for a grown-up, it's a way of doing that without leaving their job or losing their family,\" she says. Young writers coming to Paris follow in the footsteps of the likes of James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Francis Scott Fitzgerald and Samuel Beckett. And the Shakespeare and Company bookshop used by the NYU students is a living link to that legacy. This current shop in the Latin Quarter is the second incarnation. The first was run by Sylvia Beach, a US-born bookseller who published Ulysses by James Joyce in 1922 - when more or less everyone else had turned it down. This was the hang-out for writers such as Hemingway and Fitzgerald, before it was shut", "summary": "Forget any images of creative writing groups on metal chairs in draughty community centres, the business of learning to write has developed into something much more lavish."}
{"article": "Simpson, who was acquitted for a double murder in 1995, is serving time for armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and 10 other charges. The sentence, which carries a maximum of 33 years, stems from a 2007 confrontation at a Las Vegas hotel. Simpson, 70, had said he was only trying to reclaim his possessions. The former Hall of Fame running back was found guilty in 2008 - exactly 13 years to the day after he was famously acquitted for the killings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. He and a group of five others stormed into a hotel room to confront two sports-memorabilia collectors to seize items that he claimed belonged to him from his own career. The hearing for Prisoner 1027820 is happening at the Lovelock Correctional Facility, a medium security prison in the Nevada desert. \"Mr Simpson, you are getting the same hearing that everyone else gets,\" a parole panellist, Connie Bisbee, told him as Thursday's hearing began. \"Sure,\" he replied in a husky voice with a shrug and a smile. \"Thank you, ma'am.\" Simpson told parole officials that the objects he took from the Las Vegas hotel room were later ruled by officials to legally belong to him. One panellist asked: \"So you believe that the property was yours?\" \"It's been ruled legally by the state of California,\" Simpson responded in a raised voice, leaning forward. He said the belongings, which he described as images of his family and friends, were later handed over to him by officials. \"It's kind of mind-boggling that they turned over to me property that I'm in jail for, for trying to retrieve.\" Bruce Fromong, who one of Simpson's victims in the robbery, testified in favour of his release. \"I've known OJ for a long time,\" said Mr Fromong. \"I don't feel that he's a threat to anyone. \"He's a good man. It's time to give him a second chance. It's time for him to go home to his family, his friends.\" Simpson appeared to dab a tear during Mr Fromong's testimony. If four out of seven members of the parole board vote in favour of his release, Simpson could be free by October. Experts believe he is likely to be approved for release, after a record of good behaviour at the Lovelock prison. Another panellist asked him if he had completed a specific self-improvement course since his last parole hearing. He said he had not, but that he had taken another course called \"alternative to violence\". \"I think it's the most important course anybody in this prison can take because it teaches you how to deal with conflict through conversation,\" he said. \"I've spent a conflict-free life,\" he continued, when asked if he had completed an anti-violence course. Simpson also told the commissioners he had helped establish a Baptist prayer event, adding: \"I could have been a better Christian.\" The prisoner also rejected the suggestion that he had an alcohol problem. \"I've done my time,\" he said. \"I've done it as well and as respectfully as", "summary": "Former US football star and actor OJ Simpson has told a parole board \"I've done my time,\" as he asked for release after nine years in a Nevada prison."}
{"article": "The issue is being made worse by a lack of \"fair and equal dispersal\", with some areas taking hundreds of people and some taking none, its MPs said. They condemned an \"appalling\" episode where asylum seekers were told to wear wristbands, and an instance where their doors were all painted one colour. The Home Office said it was committed to providing safe and secure housing. \"The dispersal system appears unfair, with whole swathes of the country never receiving a single asylum seeker,\" said committee chairman Keith Vaz. \"The majority are being moved into low-cost housing in urban areas such as Glasgow, Stoke, Cardiff and of course Middlesbrough, where the ratio is 1 asylum seeker per 137 people. \"However, on the data we have received, local authorities in areas such as Maidenhead, Lincoln and Warwick have housed none.\" Other areas listed in the report as having no-one in receipt of aid given to asylum seekers - known as Section 95 support - in the final quarter of 2015 included Cambridge, Cornwall, Midlothian and York. Local authorities with few asylum seekers, or none, should be \"actively encouraged by ministers to volunteer\" to take some, the MPs said. How many asylum seekers live in your area? At present, 200 local authorities are part of a scheme that provides housing for asylum seekers. The three private firms that operate the programme - known as Compass - the Home Office, and the home affairs committee all agree that getting more councils on board is the key to easing the chronic accommodation shortage. It may well become a crisis if the number of asylum applicants continues to increase. At 38,000 the rate is at its highest since 2004. Some councils would take part if the contractors could find enough suitable and affordable properties; in other areas, it may be the fear of a voter backlash which is putting off local politicians from agreeing to participate. With the government committed to resettling 20,000 Syrians by 2020, as well as accommodating asylum seekers, ministers will have to find a solution - or face the prospect of housing more of them in two-star and three-star hotels. The committee said its findings \"leave major questions to be answered\" about the running of Compass - the name of the contract for providing asylum support services. The main contractors involved are G4S, Clearsprings and Serco, and the committee said delivery \"has been mostly unsatisfactory to date\". \"G4S, Serco and Clearsprings receive millions of pounds of public money to house asylum seekers, and revelations in recent months have been alarming,\" Mr Vaz said. \"The compulsory wearing of wrist bands and the infamous red doors demonstrate an unacceptable attitude towards vulnerable people. \"The Home Office has failed to provide proper oversight and inspection, and must do better.\" The Home Office said it was working with areas that had not taken part so far in asylum dispersal. A spokesman said: \"The Home Office has worked closely with our providers to improve property standards over the lifetime of the Compass contract. \"Where a contractor is found to be", "summary": "There is an \"impending shortage\" of housing for asylum seekers in the UK, the home affairs committee has warned."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old Belgian was injured when he landed awkwardly after he appeared to be elbowed by Palace striker Connor Wickham. Wickham has been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association. Tottenham said: \"Our medical staff will continue to monitor his progress during his rehabilitation to determine when he will be ready to return to training.\" Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was out for three months earlier this season with a medial ligament injury.", "summary": "Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen damaged a medial knee ligament during Saturday's 3-1 win at Crystal Palace."}
{"article": "Rebels broke into the Taftanaz base in north-western Idlib province but were pushed back by the army, rebel sources and state media said. Reports said Aleppo airport was also under siege, and has been closed since Tuesday because of repeated attacks. The attacks come a day after a UN study said 60,000 people had died in Syria. A study commissioned by UN human rights commissioner Navi Pillay concluded that there had been 59,648 deaths between February 2011 and November 2012, and that figure would now have risen above 60,000. She described the bloodshed as \"truly shocking\". Syrian opposition groups had previously estimated 45,000 people killed. The attack on Taftanaz began on Wednesday, with rebels breaking into the base and detonating a car bomb inside the grounds. Unconfirmed reports said they had destroyed a fighter jet and a helicopter. Further attacks followed on Thursday morning, but reports say the rebels have now been forced to withdraw. Several attempts to take the facility in recent months have failed. State news agency Sana said government forces had \"repelled the terrorists' attempt to attack the airport\" and inflicted heavy losses. More clashes were reported in suburbs of Damascus, with government troops trying to capture Daraya. There was also fighting around the city and airport of Deir Ezzor. Meanwhile the family of US freelance journalist James Foley have announced on Wednesday that he had gone missing near Taftanaz more than a month ago, shortly after entering Syria. They had previously asked the media not to report his abduction. Foley, 39, is described as an experienced war reporter. He was detained by Libyan government forces for six weeks in April 2011 while covering that conflict.", "summary": "Fierce battles are taking place at some northern Syrian airports, as rebels try to neutralise the government's overwhelming air advantage."}
{"article": "Ipswich Town left back Tyrone Mings, 22, published a text message exchange between him and his mother on his Instagram account. His mother thanked him for wiping \"all my debt away\", with Mings replying she deserved \"every penny\" and saying: \"This is why I do it.\" A club spokesman said it was a \"private matter between Tyrone and his mum\". The player won praise on the social networking site, with one person calling him a \"hero\" and someone \"who all children should look up to and aspire to become\". It is not the first time the footballer has expressed his generosity. Last July, Mings offered via Twitter to buy new shirts for fans who had his old squad number stamped on their new kits. Four months previously, he gave two match tickets to a fan after he complained he had no money. Mings, who comes from Bath, joined Ipswich Town in 2013 after the manager saw him play for just an hour with non-league side Chippenham Town. He has been linked with a big money move to Premier League giants Arsenal.", "summary": "A footballer who has become known for \"great gestures\" has now seemingly paid off his mother's debts."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Kvitova, who was playing only her third tournament of 2017 after being stabbed by an intruder at her home in December, lost 6-1 1-6 6-2 on court two. The American had never won a singles game at Wimbledon before this year and is ranked 95th in the world. In the deciding set, Kvitova struggled physically and needed medical help, but managed to complete the match. \"I'm glad it is over,\" said the 27-year-old Czech player afterwards. \"It was really tough and I feel really empty. My body is not great but mentally I'm glad it is over. \"I just need to look to the future and focus and prepare for the next tournament.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Elsewhere, Venus Williams lost the first set before beating world number 55 Wang Qiang 4-6 6-4 6-1 to move into the last 32. Media playback is not supported on this device Five-time Wimbledon champion Williams, 37, was 4-2 ahead in the opening set, but lost four consecutive games to lose the first set, but recovered to move into the third round. She broke Wang's serve late in the second set and twice more in the deciding set for the victory. Williams, who last won the Wimbledon title nine years ago, will play unseeded Japanese player Naomi Osaka in the last 32 after she defeated 22nd seed Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic 1-6 6-0 6-4. Media playback is not supported on this device Former world number one Victoria Azarenka reached the third round with a 6-3 6-3 win over 15th seed Elena Vesnina. Azarenka, 27, is playing only her second tournament of 2017 after giving birth to her son Leo in December. The Belarusian, ranked 683rd, broke the Russian's serve in the sixth game on her way to taking the opening set. Azarenka broke Vesnina's serve twice more in the second set to secure a match with Britain's Heather Watson. Vesnina, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2016, needed medical attention in the second set as she was struggling with a hip injury, but was able to complete the match. World number 86 Camila Giorgi of Italy secured a big upset as she knocked out American 17th seed Madison Keys 6-4 6-7 (10-12) 6-1. Giorgi served for the match in the second set but was broken and then wasted four match points, including one on her own serve, in an epic tie-break. Ultimately, it did not matter as Giorgi stormed through the deciding set to move into the third round of Wimbledon for the fourth time in her career. Women's second seed Simona Halep is safely into the last 32 after a straight-set win over 21-year-old Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia. Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide. Halep won it 7-5 6-3 to set up a third-round tie with China's Shuai Peng, a 6-2 6-2 winner over Spanish 25th seed Carla Suarez Navarro. Eighth seed Dominika Cibulkova, of Slovakia, who reached the last eight last year, also moved into the third", "summary": "Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was beaten in the second round by American Madison Brengle."}
{"article": "Lord Nicholas Monson said his son, Rupert Green, had suffered from psychosis as a result of an addiction to skunk - a strong form of cannabis. Rupert was assessed in hospital and it was agreed he needed a bed, but staff could not find one, Lord Monson says. Surrey and Borders NHS Trust said it was sorry and was investigating. Rupert, who was a biology student at the University of Essex, died last month. Lord Monson told BBC Radio 5 live's Emma Barnett that he had noticed a change in his son's behaviour last year when he had not heard from him for a while. He said: \"Suddenly I got a call from him and he apologised for not contacting me. \"He said he'd failed his biology exams at university. \"He said 'Spies are trying to break into my computer and I think spies are also in my computer'. Everything about him had changed.\" Lord Monson says his son was assessed at hospital. He said: \"The nurse assessed Rupert and said that he really does need to go into a hospital and rang round all the hospitals and none of them would take him. \"They said they didn't have any beds... the following day he was assessed by his local psychiatry team and they decided if Rupert just carried on taking the pills, then the psychosis would subside.\" Lord Monson said his son killed himself a few days later. Jo Young, director of quality at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: \"I am sorry for what happened and we are undertaking an internal investigation into Rupert's care and treatment with us. \"This will help us understand where we can learn lessons to further improve our support of people such as Rupert.\" Lord Monson has now lost two children in recent years after his eldest son, Alexander, died in police custody in Kenya in 2012 and said he is \"very angry\" with himself about what has happened. An inquest last year found that Alexander, aged 28, had died \"violently\" at the hands of the police. Since Rupert's death, Lord Monson has launched a campaign calling for skunk to be reclassified from a Class B drug to Class A. He said: \"In the old days, the psychoactive substance in cannabis was about 1.37% and now it's 22% with skunk... they have taken what is actually quite a decent plant and turned it into a monster.\" Lord Monson also wants milder forms of cannabis to be legalised. He said the reaction to his campaign has been \"extraordinary\" and he is shocked by the amount of families who have come forward with similar drugs problems. Lord Monson added: \"I know of three friends of mine... one whose son, because of skunk, tried to kill himself. \"His brave mother thought: 'I'm going to try this stuff [skunk] and see what it's like'. And she says it was an absolute nightmare. \"She said it was like confronting the devil himself when she looked in the mirror. \"There's another one who's got long-term psychiatric problems and will", "summary": "A hereditary peer has told the BBC his 21-year-old son killed himself days after being turned away from hospital because of a lack of beds."}
{"article": "Ex-Football Association chairman Geoff Thompson made the admission when interviewed during an inquiry into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting bids. On Tuesday, football's world governing body Fifa released the full 2014 report of the investigation. That followed leaked extracts being published by German newspaper Bild. The 422-page report was written by former Fifa independent ethics investigator Michael Garcia. He quit in protest when the organisation only released a 42-page summary of his document. That version cleared Russia and Qatar, winners of the 2018 and 2022 hosting rights respectively, of corruption allegations. However, it was critical of the actions of some Fifa executive committee members and some of the bidding teams, including England's. The full report goes into more detail about this conduct, and also cites an interview given by the 2018 England World Cup bid chief Thompson around the national team's plans to travel to Thailand to secure a vote for their bid. The offer to stage the friendly was made only eight days before the vote in 2010 to decide the 2018 and 2022 hosts. The offer was withdrawn three weeks later, by which stage it was clear Thailand had not supported the English bid. The FA was open at the time about the friendly being arranged to win support. But Garcia's report reads: \"Top English football officials recognised that arranging friendlies with a team from an executive committee's home country in order to advance the England 2018 bid was improper. \"Geoff Thompson candidly told the investigatory chamber he 'didn't think it was appropriate' to organise the proposed England-Thailand match-up or other friendlies targeting teams associated with executive committee members 'because I think it's a form of bribery'. \"The game's cancellation only underscores the improper relationship between the 24 November 2010 offer to play the game and the 2 December World Cup vote.\" Fifa said its president Gianni Infantino had always intended to release the full document, but its former ethics chiefs had refused to publish it. The former chairmen of the ethics committee, Cornel Borbely and Hans-Joachim Eckert, were replaced in May after completing four-year terms. Speaking in October 2014, Eckert said: \"Publishing the report in full would actually put the Fifa ethics committee and Fifa itself in a very difficult situation legally.\" The pair moved to clarify their position later on Tuesday, issuing a statement which said the decision not to publish \"was in line with Fifa rules\" as some cases brought as a result of the report were still ongoing. They added: \"To this day, Mr Infantino has never contacted us and asked for a publication.\" Fifa said it had intended to discuss the release of the report at a meeting next month, but added: \"As the document has been illegally leaked to a German newspaper, the new chairpersons have requested the immediate publication of the full report in order to avoid the dissemination of any misleading information. \"For the sake of transparency, Fifa welcomes the news that this report has now been finally published.\" Qatar 2022 officials said they welcomed the report's publication, although they", "summary": "A plan for England to play a friendly in Thailand to win backing for their 2018 World Cup bid was \"a form of bribery\", investigators were told."}
{"article": "GRA president Dermot O'Brien told Irish broadcaster RT\u00c9 that the force's unarmed status was envied but he added that society was becoming more dangerous. Ahead of the GRA annual conference on Monday, Mr O'Brien said officers needed an \"intermediate form of force\" such as a stun gun. He also said they were angry about pay. The GRA president said his members had taken a 25% pay cut since 2009 and he called for their salaries to be restored by the next government. The GRA is the largest professional body to represent members of An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na (Irish police force) and campaigns for better pay and working conditions. Its membership currently stands at about 10,500 officers.", "summary": "Irish police officers should be issued with stun guns, according to the Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents rank and file officers."}
{"article": "First and foremost to the end of the stranglehold on British politics which the two big UK parties have had for so long. British politics is now a national contest between at least four parties - Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and UKIP - and arguably five or more if you add the Greens (who are polling as well as the Lib Dems), the SNP (who are threatening Labour's many former Labour strongholds) not to mention Plaid Cymru and Respect. Not since the emergence of the SDP in the early 1980s - after Roy Jenkins, Shirley Williams, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and others broke away from the Labour Party - has politics looked so fluid and unpredictable. What we are seeing now, though, differs fundamentally from what we saw then. UKIP's rise is not - not yet at least - about a public desire to create an alternative party of government. Their rise has been driven more by an anger with \"all of the above\", with the \"Westminster parties\" or what UKIP supporters like to call \"the LibLabCon\". In that sense - even if in no other - there are parallels between the rise of Nigel Farage and Alex Salmond. On the morning after his victory and near-victory before, Nigel Farage talked of holding the balance of power after the next election, of becoming the Minister for Europe having won more Tory seats in the South and Labour seats in the North. How realistic is that? Before giving the reasons why I think Mr Farage might be over-doing things just a tad it's worth pausing to say that so far his brave talk and giddy optimism has proved much more right than any of his critics or, indeed, the pundits. They said UKIP were extremists who only a few would vote for\u2026 They said UKIP could only win elections held under Proportional Representation\u2026 They said UKIP would never top 30% in a poll\u2026 They said Farage's party could only appeal to angry, former Tory blazer wearing Colonels in the south\u2026 They were wrong. UKIP have now proved that they can assemble a huge coalition of protest votes from the right, the left and the centre combining people who are angry about the state of the economy and the state of politics not just immigration and Europe. The academics Robert Ford and Matthew Goodwin have studied the long term drivers of support to UKIP in their book \"Revolt on the Right\". They identified three - anger with Europe, anger about immigration and with the political system as a whole. A fifth of all voters shared all three concerns. Around a third shared two of the three. Thus, they conclude, UKIP's base support could be between 20% and the low 30s. Remember that UKIP's first place in the European elections in May was the first time any party other than the Conservatives or Labour had won a national election in 100 years and, contrary to the suggestions that they are a party of the English South, they won a seat in every region as well", "summary": "It's a breakthrough all right but a breakthrough to what?"}
{"article": "It comes as Mr Cahuzac admitted to having had a foreign bank account. The ex-minister had until now denied a report by investigative website Mediapart that he kept an undeclared Swiss bank account until 2010. Mr Cahuzac - who gained a reputation as a vocal crusader against the use of overseas tax havens - quit in March. Mr Cahuzac said he made the admission about the bank account during a meeting with investigating magistrates on Tuesday. In a statement, he said he had about 600,000 euros (\u00a3509,000; $770,000) in the account. He also asked for forgiveness from French President Francois Hollande and his former government colleagues. \"I was caught in a spiral of lies and lost my way. I am devastated by guilt,\" the statement said, quoted by the AFP news agency. \"It was an unspeakable mistake to think that I could avoid confronting a past that I wanted to consider behind me. I will now face this reality with all transparency,\" the statement said. Mr Cahuzac had earlier insisted that he had done nothing wrong. He was a plastic surgeon before entering politics. Correspondents say the scandal is embarrassing for the French Socialist government which has made fighting tax evasion a priority, as it tries to cut public debt.", "summary": "Former French Budget Minister Jerome Cahuzac has been placed under formal investigation over alleged tax fraud, his lawyer has said."}
{"article": "Sir Norman Bettison was responding to calls for his resignation over the statement he published on Thursday. Sir Norman said he had not intended to suggest Liverpool fans had hindered police during the disaster in April 1989 in which 96 people died. Liverpool fans were \"in no way to blame\" for the disaster, he said. Sir Norman said he was sorry if he had \"caused any further upset\". West Yorkshire Police Authority had earlier referred Sir Norman's conduct in the aftermath of the Hillsborough tragedy to a special committee for investigation. The chief constable was coming under mounting pressure to resign after releasing the statement suggesting Liverpool fans made the job of the police more difficult on the day of the tragedy. On 15 April 1989, the former South Yorkshire officer was an off-duty inspector at Sheffield's Hillsborough stadium, which was hosting an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. In his original statement, Sir Norman said: \"Fans' behaviour, to the extent that it was relevant at all, made the job of the police, in the crush outside Leppings Lane turnstiles, harder than it needed to be.\" John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire, said many of his constituents were at the game and had called for Sir Norman to resign. \"After the statement he made when he seemed to have a go again at Liverpool fans, I think his position is untenable. He has got to go.\" Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said Sir Norman's comments were \"insensitive and ill-judged\". In a fresh statement, Sir Norman said: \"The fans of Liverpool Football Club were in no way to blame for the disaster that unfolded at Hillsborough on 15 April 1989.\" That view had been formed after hearing all the evidence presented at the Taylor inquiry into the tragedy, said Sir Norman. \"The evidence was overwhelming. The police failed to control the situation, which ultimately led to the tragic deaths of 96 entirely innocent people. I can be no plainer than that.\" Sir Norman said he was \"sorry if my earlier statement, intended to convey the same message, has caused any further upset\". The aim was not to \"besmirch the fans\", he said, and he was \"deeply sorry that impression and slight has lingered for 23 years\".", "summary": "West Yorkshire's Chief Constable has apologised for any upset caused by a statement he issued about his role in the Hillsborough tragedy."}
{"article": "Britain's terror threat level is \"severe\", but Prime Minister David Cameron said it would reviewed. Police said there would be strengthened policing at UK ports, and more officers at public events in the coming days. It comes as Briton Nick Alexander, from Colchester, was named as among the 129 people killed in Friday's attacks. The 36-year-old died in the attack at the Bataclan concert hall, where he is thought to have been selling merchandise. Read all the latest updates on the Paris attacks His family described him as \"generous, funny and fiercely loyal\". Friends of Mr Alexander also paid tribute to him on social media. Joe Trohman, lead guitarist of the rock band Fall Out Boy described him as a \"great guy\". The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Right Reverend Stephen Cottrell, said he was praying for Mr Alexander's family and had sent a message of support to their local church. A government source said there were fears a \"handful\" of other British people had been killed. An unspecified number are being treated in hospitals. The Bataclan concert hall suffered the deadliest attack during the wave of violence in Paris, which involved gunmen and suicide bombers. More than 80 people are believed to have died at the concert hall. The US band Eagles of Death Metal were playing a gig when attackers burst into the venue and opened fire, but the band themselves survived unscathed. Michael O'Connor, from South Shields, was at the concert hall when the gunmen attacked. The 30-year-old lay on top of his girlfriend to protect her as other audience members were shot and killed. Both escaped unharmed after playing dead. \"What they want to do is to terrify us,\" he told BBC Radio 5 live's Stephen Nolan show. \"We can't let them win and these people just, they're just monsters, they're just, they don't represent anything, they're not Muslims, they're not, they're just animals. \"How can you walk in there, I mean, I'm 30 years old, I was probably the oldest, one of the oldest people in the gig. It was full of teenagers and, you know, people in their early 20s going to see a band.\" Paris hit by 'three teams of attackers' Paris attacks: What we know England v France friendly to go ahead In pictures: UK shows support In other developments: So-called Islamic State (IS) has said it carried out the attacks, and Mr Cameron said it showed the threat from the group was \"evolving\", with a \"new degree of planning and co-ordination and a greater ambition for mass-casualty attacks\". He added that the group's \"aim is clear: it is to divide us and to destroy our way of life. \"So, more than ever, we should come together and stand united and carry on with the way of life that we love.\" French President Francois Hollande said the attacks were an \"act of war\" by IS. Talks about the security threat are expected later after leaders, including David Cameron, from the G20 countries meet in Turkey.", "summary": "Home Secretary Theresa May will chair a Cobra meeting later to discuss the UK government's response to the attacks in Paris."}
{"article": "The Stags have an option of signing a permanent deal with the 22-year-old striker. Coulthirst, a graduate of Tottenham's academy, made just one first-team appearance while at White Hart Lane. The striker also had loan spells with Leyton Orient, Torquay, Southend, York and Wigan. Coulthirst will join his former team-mate Hayden White at Field Mill, after he was signed on loan from Posh a week ago. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "League Two side Mansfield Town have signed Peterborough United forward Shaquile Coulthirst on loan until the end of the season."}
{"article": "One person was killed and three injured in the first shooting at Northern Arizona University early on Friday, which involved fraternity members. Later that morning a shooting at a student complex near Texas Southern University left one person dead. The attacks came as President Barack Obama visited families of victims of a college shooting in Oregon. On arriving in Oregon, he was jeered by gun-rights activists who oppose calls he made for tougher gun laws after nine people were killed at Umpqua Community College, Roseburg, last week. After a private meeting with families, Mr Obama said he had \"strong feelings\" about gun control, adding: \"We are going to have to come together as a country to see how we can prevent these issues from taking place.\" On the edge of this little American timber town, a few hundred protesters gathered to tell their president he was not welcome. Many were openly carrying handguns to hammer home their message. The demonstrators blamed the massacre here last week on two things: a failure to treat mental health problems and the designation of Umpqua Community College as a gun-free zone. Many of those we spoke to said they had travelled to Roseburg from elsewhere in Oregon to make their voices heard. They had no shortage of complaints. Mr Obama wanted to take away their guns, they said. He was interfering in state business. He favoured \"Muslim immigration\". Several signs said he should go home \"to Kenya\". One proclaimed \"Christian Lives Matter\", an apparent reference to the Black Lives Matter campaign against police brutality. The hostility to the Democratic president here in Republican rural Oregon was not just political, it was personal. Why gun laws won't change - Why President Obama is powerless to change the US Obama's frustration - He tells the BBC inaction on gun laws is a great regret of his presidency \"Routine\" US gun violence - How much gun crime has there been in the US in 2015 so far? In Arizona, police named the gunman there as Steven Jones, an 18-year-old first year student at Northern Arizona University. Mr Jones has been charged with first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault. The four victims are members of Delta Chi fraternity, but Mr Jones is not. Mr Jones told police he was approached by a group of men and assaulted. He fled, retrieved a gun from his car and opened fire when the men caught up with him, Arizona police said. Witnesses told police that the victims were unarmed. The university has identified the student who died as Colin Brough and said the three students who were wounded are being treated in hospital. The second shooting in Texas happened later on Friday morning at the University Courtyard Apartments on the edge of the Houston campus. One student was killed, the university confirmed, and another person was wounded. Two people have been detained as suspects and a third is still at large, said Houston police spokeswoman Jodi Silva. In Arizona, the university president expressed shock at the tragedy. \"This is not going", "summary": "Two people have died after two separate university shootings in Texas and Arizona, just hours apart."}
{"article": "A pack of 61 large and 97 smaller dogs, based on the animated film The Snowman and the Snowdog, make up a free public art trail. They will be auctioned after the trail closes on 29 November to raise money for the St Oswald's Hospice charity. Spokeswoman Jane Hogan said several had been taken to the \"vets\" with substantial damage. \"The vast majority of the damage is people being too enthusiastic and climbing on them,\" Ms Hogan said. \"Although they are pretty robust and they are varnished, they will only withstand a certain amount of attention, but we do ask people not to climb on them.\"", "summary": "A number of colourful snow dog sculptures have been damaged after being unleashed across Tyne and Wear."}
{"article": "Prof Rosie Woodroffe has told BBC News that ministers were creating an \"illusion\" of success to justify the policy. She was speaking ahead of a scientific symposium on controlling cattle TB. Ministers say their approach is supported by government scientists and leading vets. Prof Woodroffe, a wildlife expert at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) who carried out the scientific assessment of culling badgers to control Cattle TB on which the current policy is based, said the government risked losing trust on how it used evidence - not just on its policy on controlling cattle TB but also on other important scientific issues. \"When evidence is being cherry-picked and presented in the best possible light, it ceases to be evidence. It is fake science. \"When it comes to (other policy areas) such as climate change and bee pollination, issues that have a big impact on lives and livelihoods of people, it is important that we can rely on the government to provide good evidence that stands up to scrutiny.\" A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which oversees the badger cull, responded: \"England has the highest incidence of TB in Europe and that is why we are taking strong action to deliver our 25-year strategy to eradicate the disease and to protect the future of our dairy and beef industries. \"Badger control in areas where TB is rife is one part of our long-term plan, which also includes strengthening cattle testing and movement controls, improving biosecurity on farm and when trading, and badger vaccination when possible.\" Read also: Badger culls extended to Wales to stem spread of cattle TB Defra has overseen the issuing of licences to cull badgers in 10 areas in South West England to reduce the incidence of TB in cattle. The first culls began in 2013 in two areas in Somerset and Gloucestershire amid criticism from many scientists that the policy would at best have only a marginal effect on the spread of the disease and possibly increase the spread of TB. The critics' comments stem from an eight-year trial carried out by Prof Woodroffe in the 1990s which showed that only sustained and coordinated culling of badgers can slow down the rate of increase in cattle becoming infected with TB in the immediate area. Crucially, the trial also showed that if less than 70% of badgers are killed, the incidence of TB will not be reduced and may even increase because of the greater movement of badgers caused by the disturbance of culling. Since then Defra's own monitoring has concluded that it has killed enough badgers in its pilot culls and has rolled out culls in eight more areas. The department will also announce up 10 more areas later this year. But some scientists are concerned that Defra has changed the way it assesses badger numbers in a cull area and how it sets the target for the minimum number of badgers to be killed to ensure that its culls are seen to be successful. The previous system involved field work by", "summary": "A senior researcher has accused the UK government of using \"fake science\" to justify its policy of culling badgers to control cattle TB."}
{"article": "In 2000, it did not recommend the appointment of Christopher Allsopp as an external member of the MPC after what they suggested was a poor performance in front of the committee, but the then Chancellor, Gordon Brown, stood by him. So, the committee's action against Charlotte Hogg is certainly significant. And its significance goes well beyond the future of Ms Hogg. Mark Carney, the governor, backed her until one minute to midnight. Which, after the evidence laid out by the committee today, is likely to be questioned by MPs when Mr Carney next appears before them. Mr Carney believed that a verbal warning was sufficient and rejected Ms Hogg's offer to resign last week. His judgement was that it was an oversight which had been rectified, and that Ms Hogg's contribution to the Bank - where she has worked since 2013 - far outweighed this controversy. Andrew Tyrie's committee did not agree. That is for four distinct reasons. Firstly, that the \"oversight\" concerning Ms Hogg's brother's senior job at Barclays - regulated by the Bank of England - lasted for four years without any of the Bank's internal processes picking up the issue. Second, that Ms Hogg was the person who drafted the Bank's own internal rule book which she subsequently breached. She didn't, the Treasury Select Committee said, \"lead by example\". Third, the committee said that Ms Hogg, and by extension, Mr Carney, failed to appreciate the \"seriousness\" of that breach. And then suggested that future conflicts \"would not arise\". Which, as the committee points out, depends - on what happens both at the Bank and at Barclays. The governor has now reluctantly acted, saying that the Bank will put in place new procedures; the most significant of which is moving oversight of the Bank's code of conduct under Sam Woods, the deputy governor for prudential regulation. That now means that the person who drew up the rules, the chief operating officer (until this morning Ms Hogg), is no longer responsible for their enforcement or the way they are reported to the Bank's own Audit and Risk Committee. Many will say the handling of the controversy over Ms Hogg has been misstep by the governor, who always needs to ensure that the Bank's adherence to its own rules is punctilious. Ms Hogg had been widely praised as a reforming influence at the Bank, introducing new levels of transparency and driving through a reform programme that has cleared away some of the Bank's dustier attitudes. She certainly had firm support from the Court of the Bank, its governing body. But, in the hyper-sensitive world of bank regulation, the Treasury Select Committee has made it clear that any breach is a red card issue. There are no cautions beforehand.", "summary": "It is vanishingly rare for the Treasury Select Committee to not, even if sometimes reluctantly, back an appointment by the Bank of England of a deputy governor and a new member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)."}
{"article": "Rafael Pizarro was found in a lock on the Rochdale to Manchester canal in Middleton, Rochdale while playing with friends on 6 June. He was resuscitated on the towpath before being taken to hospital. His family said: \"Rafael had a big impact on his family and friends and was much loved and we will truly miss him.\" Det Insp Kate Atton from Greater Manchester Police said: \"Rafael's death is believed to be a tragic accident. \"I would urge people, especially children, to take care around the water and try not to swim anywhere other than supervised swimming pools.\"", "summary": "A 13-year-old boy who fell into a Greater Manchester canal in a \"tragic accident\" has died, police said."}
{"article": "The jury was unable to reach a verdict after 30 hours of deliberation in charges of murder and voluntary manslaughter against Ray Tensing, 27. The Cincinnati officer killed Sam DuBose, 43, after pulling him over on 19 July 2015. A prosecutor called it the \"most asinine act\" ever by a police officer. Judge Leslie Ghiz declared the mistrial on Friday after the jury of nine white and three black people were unable to reach a verdict. The jurors told the judge they were almost evenly split. It is the fourth high-profile failure recently to convict a police officer in the death of a black man: Mr Tensing stopped Mr DuBose near campus for a missing front licence plate, and police body cam shows their initial exchange was friendly. The officer asks for Mr DuBose's driver's licence, but he says he does not have it. He also shows an unopened bottle of alcohol in the car. Mr Tensing then asks Mr DuBose to unbuckle his seatbelt. Almost immediately after that, a shot is fired and the car appears to move. The officer fired a single round, hitting Mr DuBose in the head. Mr Tensing had testified that he feared he could be run over as Mr DuBose tried to drive away. But an expert said his frame-by-frame analysis of Mr Tensing's body camera video showed he was not being dragged by the car. Donyetta Bailey, who is president of the Black Lawyer's Association of Cincinnati, said the Tensing case and others underline that juries are \"implicitly biased\" in favour of police officers. \"It shows our legal system has no value for African-American human rights,\" said Ms Bailey, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer. Mr Tensing was fired last year by the University of Cincinnati, which announced an overhaul of its policing department. The university also reached a $5.3m (\u00c2\u00a34.1m) settlement with Mr DuBose's family, including free undergraduate tuition for his 13 children. Mr Tensing's first trial last year also ended with the jury deadlocked.", "summary": "A mistrial has been declared for the second time in the case of a white police officer who shot dead an unarmed black motorist in Ohio two years ago."}
{"article": "JJ Hanrahan's try put Saints ahead but Don Armand and Olly Woodburn scored either side of Ken Pisi's yellow card. Ian Whitten, Jack Nowell, Sam Hill and Woodburn all scored second-half tries as Exeter's dominance finally told. Ahsee Tuala went over in the corner for a last-gasp Northampton consolation. Victory for Rob Baxter's side at Gloucester on the final day of the regular season on 6 May will guarantee them a home play-off semi-final, while they could yet finish top of the table. Wasps are home to Saracens on the same day. Northampton, meanwhile, are three points behind sixth-placed Harlequins, with European Champions Cup qualification now out of their hands. They are home to Harlequins in their final league game. They were forced into a late change, skipper Tom Wood out with a shoulder injury, while England and Lions man Courtney Lawes was forced off with a head injury. Samoa wing Pisi was sin-binned after being adjudged to have knocked-on deliberately with Exeter on the attack. Nowell had a try chalked off in the first half but the Lions call-up was rewarded for a fine performance when he touched down after being bundled over in the corner. Exeter assistant coach Ali Hepher said: \"We left some tries out there, but we are pleased with the way the guys kept coming, which was the mental attitude we needed. \"Yes, we have been winning with bonus points, but we hadn't been performing right at our top, but today was getting towards it. \"The last few weeks have been tough for Jack Nowell. Coming out of the Six Nations has been a real tough one through conditioning and the mental pressures as well, so he has just been a little bit off himself, and he admitted that. \"He showed why he has been selected for this Lions tour, and why he should be going as well.\" Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder said: \"I thought we were well beaten today. \"Over the last few weeks we've competed well against some of the top sides, but right from the start today Exeter looked after the ball and were very physical. \"I thought we defended quite well, but it took its toll, and it took its toll in attack because whenever we did get the ball we just couldn't keep hold of it and didn't have that physicality needed to break down their defence.\" Exeter: Turner; Nowell, Whitten, Devoto, Woodburn; Steenson, Townsend; Rimmer, Yeandle (capt), Holmes, Dennis, Parling, Ewers, Armand, Horstmann. Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Moon, Williams, Atkins, Salvi, Chudley, Simmonds, Hill. Northampton: Tuala; Pisi, Burrell, Mallinder, Foden; Hanrahan, Groom; Waller, Hartley (capt), Brookes, Day, Ribbans, Gibson, Lawes, Harrison. Replacements: Haywood, Ma'afu, Denman, Ratuniyarawa, Dickinson, Dickson, Tuitavake, Estelles. For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "Exeter secured a record seventh straight bonus-point win in the Premiership, running in six tries to ease past Northampton and move level on points with leaders Wasps."}
{"article": "Twycross Zoo said its new \u00c2\u00a32m Gibbon Forest will help the apes display more natural behaviour and encourage breeding to help save the species. The zoo has one of the largest gibbon collections in Europe and includes the Northern White-Cheeked Crested species, which is facing possible extinction. The new design gives the animals enough room to swing for about 30m (98.4 ft). Updates on this story and more from Leicestershire Dr Sharon Redrobe, Twycross Zoo's chief executive, said the enclosure, which has a series of pods and islands, will allow \"gibbons to be gibbons\" and reduce the amount of interaction they have with humans. \"We needed a world class habitat,\" Ms Redrobe said. \"The space is 10 times as much as they had before and so allows the zoo to keep them in bigger groups. \"They can live into their fifties and, for the first time, we will be able to keep two or three generations together.\" She added that the gibbons were overawed by their new surroundings and it took the normally booming Siamang gibbons a week before they started to sing. 55,000 Tonnes of earth moved 8,000 Tonnes of imported stone 2,296 Feet of drainage 4,921 Feet of electric cable 155 Tonnes of steel The gibbons are integral to the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) breeding programme, designed to keep the captive population viable. Ms Redrobe said gibbons pair for life but are \"slow breeders\" and need the best conditions to reproduce. The apes are endangered in their natural habitat in South East Asia due largely to deforestation. Gibbon Forest is part of a \u00c2\u00a355m upgrade at the zoo, which will include a modern chimpanzee facility. The 63-year-old attraction has about 500,000 visitors a year.", "summary": "A \"world class\" enclosure for endangered gibbons has been unveiled at a zoo in Leicestershire."}
{"article": "It took only 2.1 seconds for Anthony Long to fire the eight shots that were to dog him for the next ten years. When he set off on a surveillance operation on 30 April 2005, he said he was \"very conscious\" of the danger involved, but little did he know his actions would lead to a public inquiry, a criminal investigation and ultimately a murder trial. His surveillance team was following a silver VW Golf that had left Harlesden and was heading towards Edgware. Driving the car was Wesley Lovell, next to him was passenger Frank Graham and in the back was 24-year-old Azelle Rodney. The firearms officers believed were armed and on their way to carry out a robbery on a gang of Columbian drug dealers. Mr Long was in the front seat of a car that pulled up alongside the VW Golf. He was one of the most respected officers in Scotland Yard's elite CO19 unit and won seven commendations during a tumultuous 33-year career. In court, the 58-year-old described how he saw Mr Rodney turn around. \"I saw him look to his left, I saw him look to his right, and then he ducked down,\" Mr Long said. Jurors were shown a video filmed from the police car behind, in which an unidentified man can be heard saying \"Sweet as... sweet as... sweet as\" as gunshots rang out. In court, the officer said he feared if he had \"hung back\" his colleagues would have been in danger. Three guns were found in the car - a deactivated Colt .45 calibre pistol, a Baikal pistol and a smaller gun, described as looking like a key fob. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) began investigating the shooting and in January 2006 a file of evidence was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). However, prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence to mount a criminal prosecution. A year later, a coroner had to indefinitely adjourn an inquest into Mr Rodney's death because neither he nor a jury were allowed to look at secret material relating to how the arrest operation came about because of rules relating to criminal intelligence. It was announced in 2010 an inquiry would be allowed to look at all the evidence - but some of it would not be made public. Chairman Sir Christopher Holland, a retired High Court judge, was tasked with determining how, when, where and in what circumstances Mr Rodney had died. During the inquiry, it was revealed Mr Long had previously shot dead two men during a police incident in 1987 as he feared they were about to shoot a security driver during a heist in Plumstead, south-east London. Inquests into the men's deaths later found they had been lawfully killed and Mr Long received a commendation from the Met Police Commissioner for his conduct. It has also emerged that in 1985, during a siege, Mr Long opened fire twice and injured a kidnapper to rescue a four-year-old girl. In the 1990s, he received a commander's commendation for his conduct in an armed stand-off", "summary": "A jury at the Old Bailey has found the former police firearms officer who shot Azelle Rodney not guilty of murder."}
{"article": "About 150 workers had to leave the building on Tuesday morning as the fire took hold. No injuries are reported. The hotel - which is famously where Princess Diana spent her last evening - is currently closed for renovations and there are no guests staying there. The operation will take \"a long time\" as the fire is difficult to access, a fire service spokesman said. The alert was raised at 07:00 local time (06:00 GMT) and about 60 firefighters and 15 fire engines were sent to the scene. The blaze started on the seventh floor, took hold in the attic and spread to the roof. Paris police tweeted that there was a \"major fire\", and advised motorists to avoid the Place Vendome area. The area was blocked off at the height of the morning rush hour, while firefighters on cranes sprayed the flames. Fire captain Yvon Bot said the fire was unusually difficult to access and control. \"There is no longer any risk of it spreading, but the operation will still take a very long time,\" he said. \"We are having to go metre by metre from the roof. It is too small to access from the interior.\" He said a \"large\" section of the building was affected. The hotel is a historic building in central Paris. Princess Diana dined there on 30 August 1997. Later that night she and her companion Dodi al-Fayed were killed in a car crash. He was the son of the hotel's owner, Egyptian billionaire and Harrods owner Mohamed al-Fayed. It was also the hotel of choice for Charlie Chaplin, Coco Chanel and Ernest Hemingway. The Ritz was due to re-open in March after a three-year closure for multi-million euro renovations. The Ritz name, used for hotels around the world, comes from a Swiss hotelier called Cesar Ritz, who set up the Paris Ritz and the London Ritz more than a century ago. Both hotels are now independently owned. The Barclay brothers - newspaper owners Sir Frederick and Sir David Barclay - bought the London Ritz in 1995.", "summary": "A fire on the top floor of the five-star Ritz hotel in Paris has been brought under control."}
{"article": "Shops and 60 homes were evacuated after the crane toppled and came to rest against the former Primark building in Reading at 13:50 BST on Saturday. The council has had to provide alternative accommodation for 49 people so far, with others staying with family or friends. No-one has been reported injured. The crane is being stabilised by Berkshire Fire Service and emergency services were at the scene in West Street overnight and will continue to be so into Sunday. Fifty members of staff from emergency services and Reading Council remain at the scene.", "summary": "People were rehoused for the night and roads remain closed after a 60m crane overbalanced in a town centre."}
{"article": "The question: Jennie asks: \"Should we opt to leave the EU, would the duty on alcohol and cigarettes coming from Europe be reinstated?\" The answer: If the UK left the EU, the specific regulations for bringing goods from the EU to the UK would depend on the agreements reached in the exit negotiations, particularly with regards to the question of whether the UK would remain in a customs union with the EU. Currently, there is no duty on goods you bring from the EU provided that they are for personal use, you transport them yourself, and you have paid duty tax in the country where you bought them. There are no limits to the alcohol and tobacco you can bring in from EU countries, but you may have to prove to custom officers that the products are for personal use if the quantities suggest that you may want to resell them. You can also bring tobacco and alcohol (and other goods worth up to \u00a3390) to the UK from outside the EU without paying duty or tax, provided that the products are for personal use and that the quantities do not exceed the specified personal allowance. For goods that exceed the personal allowance and are worth up to \u00a3630, a custom duty of 2.5% applies. You may also have to pay import VAT on the total value of the goods plus duty at the standard UK VAT rates. \u00a361bn trade deficit with EU countries \u00a328bn trade surplus with non-EU countries \u00a3227bn UK exports to EU \u00a3288bn UK imports from EU 45% of all UK exports go to the EU The question: Judi asks: \"A leaflet from the 'Stronger In' campaign states that the UK gets \u00a366m of investment from EU countries thus creating lower prices in the shops. Are these true claims?\" The answer: This is based on the 2010 European Commission report \"Trade as a Driver of Prosperity\", which says that \"trade brings a wider variety of goods and services to consumers and to companies, at lower prices. Consumer benefits alone are estimated at 600 euro per year.\" The Britain Stronger in Europe campaign says 600 euro currently works out at \u00a3459 and they rounded it down to \u00a3450 per person. The European Commission based its figure on a paper published in 2006 in the Quarterly Journal of Economics (QJE), Oxford University Press, which looked into the US market and concluded that the gains to US consumers of the growth in global variety during the period 1972-2001 was about 2.6% of GDP. We asked the Commission to clarify how they'd got the figure for the EU. They replied: \"The Commission used the estimates done for the US market because no such estimates were readily available for the EU as a whole. However, since the EU and US levels of trade openness are similar, it is not unreasonable to approximate the magnitude of EU effects based on the US figures.\" We also asked the Commission whether they still stand by this figure (as it is based on a ten-year-old study which uses", "summary": "Reality Check has been answering your questions throughout the referendum campaign - here are some of the issues that listeners to Radio 4's PM programme raised."}
{"article": "Increased government spending will be responsible for one-third of the increase in the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2016-2017, latest government figures show. What this essentially means is that the government will primarily drive economic growth in the current financial year. This is likely to continue in 2017-2018 as well. The annual budget presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday seems to suggest as much. The government has allocated 480bn rupees ($7.1bn; \u00c2\u00a35.6bn) to a scheme which guarantees every rural household 100 days of work each year. This is the highest allocation ever made to the programme. The increased spending on the programme is intended to alleviate the negative impact of the government decision to ban high value notes in rural and semi-rural areas of India. A majority of transactions in these areas happen in cash, which has been in short supply since the rupee ban in November last year. The jobs guarantee programme is also intended to alleviate the impact of the rupee ban on the informal manufacturing sector which operates in cash and tends to employ many semi-skilled and unskilled people who migrate to cities from rural India. The government has also increased the allocation to an affordable housing scheme by more than 50% to 230bn rupees which is also expected to create some employment in rural India. Close to half of India's population is engaged in agriculture which contributes only around 18% of GDP. The allocation to 29 schemes sponsored by the central government has gone up by 21.6% and the allocation to the infrastructure sector has gone up by 13.5%. Over and above this, the government has increased the lending target to a scheme that gives loans at low interest rates to micro-finance institutions and non-banking finance institutions. These in turn lend money to micro and small business entities engaged in manufacturing, trading and services activities. Rural spending promise in India budget India admits rupee ban bad for economy To cut a long story short, the Modi government is trying to spend its way out of trouble, but it is not going overboard with it. A part of this pump-priming became necessary because of the government's rupee ban self-goal, which is expected to pull down economic growth in 2016-2017. The Economic Survey for 2016-2017 released on Tuesday, projected GDP growth at between 6.5-6.75% in 2016-2017, down from 7.9% in 2015-2016. The question is what economic growth could have been without the rupee ban. When pushed in to a corner, most governments try to spend their way out of trouble. Nevertheless, government spending is not always as effective as private spending. In the Indian case, a major reason is massive leakage. This means that a large portion of government spending does not reach those it is meant for and is instead, siphoned off by the bureaucracy expected to distribute it. One way to tackle this is for the government to concentrate on running a few important schemes on which it can spend the bulk of its money and focus its time and attention on. The Economic Survey", "summary": "India's government is trying to spend its way out of the trouble caused by last year's decision to ban high value notes in a crackdown on corruption, writes columnist Vivek Kaul."}
{"article": "Several athletes have come under scrutiny after stolen medical records showed they used banned substances for medical reasons under TUE rules. Briton Froome, 31, said the system is \"open to abuse\" and must be addressed \"urgently\" by cycling's governing body, the UCI, and the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada). \"I have never had a 'win at all costs' approach in this regard,\" the Team Sky rider said in a statement. \"I am not looking to push the boundaries of the rules. \"I believe that this is something that athletes need to take responsibility for themselves, until more stringent protocols can be put in place.\" Froome and Sir Bradley Wiggins, a former team-mate at Team Sky, were among the athletes whose medical records were made public by hacking group Fancy Bears. There is no suggestion any of the athletes named have broken anti-doping rules. Froome, whose TUEs for prednisolone in May 2013 and April 2014 were revealed, said: \"There are athletes who not only abide by the rules that are in place, but also those of fair play. \"I take my position in the sport very seriously and I know that I have to not only abide by the rules but also go above and beyond that to set a good example both morally and ethically.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Wiggins, Britain's most decorated Olympian and the first British winner of the Tour de France in 2012, has been criticised for the timing of his TUEs, shortly before major races in 2011, 2012 and 2013. He said he took the anti-inflammatory drug triamcinolone for allergies and respiratory issues, telling the BBC on Sunday that he was not trying to gain an \"unfair advantage\" from being allowed to use an otherwise banned steroid. Team Sky boss Sir Dave Brailsford on Monday said the team did not \"do not cross the line\" over performance-enhancing drugs and that he had complete trust in their doctors. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Tour de France winner Chris Froome says athletes must \"take responsibility\" and not \"push the boundaries of the rules\" following criticism of the therapeutic use exemption system."}
{"article": "Last August feels like a long time ago and a lot has happened since - how well do you remember the past 39 weeks? This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser", "summary": "After nine months, 380 games and more than 1,000 goals, another Premier League season grinds to a halt on Sunday."}
{"article": "The huge white Art Deco building on Edge Lane could be transformed into a 4.5 hectare hub incorporating film and television studios, a report said. The Littlewoods Studios Liverpool campus would include nearby Liverpool Innovation Park and the Liverpool Theatre School. If plans are approved by the council on Friday, work could start \"immediately\". It is estimated the project could create up to 900 full-time jobs. The property was built in the 1930s for Sir John Moores and his brother Cecil to house their football pools business. It was designed by Scottish Architect Gerald de Courcey Fraser, who also designed a number of department stores for Lewis's. Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said the building is in \"a great location to attract productions to the city\". \"With this development we can support the film sector, attract inward investment and give a boost to the local economy,\" he added. A report by the Film Office revealed that, in 2014-2015, the city missed out on a potential \u00a320m filming revenue due to capacity issues in the city. Projects filmed in the city recently include feature film Florence Foster Jenkins starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, Stephen Poliakoff drama Close to the Enemy, supernatural crime drama Houdini and Doyle and Sky's new drama The Five. The former Littlewoods Pools Building has been empty since 2003, although developer Capital and Centric has recently completed a \u00a34m conversion of the Bunker Building to create office space for digital and creative companies. The company will continue to work on the buildings and take direct ownership of the site. The developer has previously submitted plans to turn the art deco building into a hotel.", "summary": "Plans to turn the former Littlewoods Pools building in Liverpool into a \u00a325m film and TV studio have been announced."}
{"article": "The Briton will face Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who beat Croatia's Ivo Karlovic 5-7 7-5 7-6 (8-6). Murray will usurp Novak Djokovic as number one with titles in Vienna and at next week's Paris Masters, if Djokovic does not reach the final in Paris. The Scot, 29, has never been top of the world rankings. \"Now I just try to get ready for the final, use today as a bit of rest day, practise a little bit on the centre court and then see what happens tomorrow,\" said Murray, who played an exhibition tie-break against Jurgen Melzer after Ferrer announced his withdrawal. Ferrer had spent two hours and 33 minutes beating Viktor Troicki on Friday, and said: \"It was impossible. I am disappointed but I have to be positive and will be ready for next season.\" Murray has won 13 of his 15 matches against Tsonga, including a last-16 victory in their most recent meeting at Wimbledon in July. Tsonga came from a set and 4-2 down to beat Karlovic, saving a match point in the tie-break as he reached his first ATP final of the year.", "summary": "World number two Andy Murray is through to the final of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna after Spain's David Ferrer pulled out with a leg injury."}
{"article": "In 1903, scientists decided Brontosaurus was a more complete specimen of a different dinosaur. But many more specimens of plant-eating sauropod dinosaurs are now known, revealing Brontosaurus to be different enough to warrant its own name. The results have been published in the open access journal PeerJ. The name Brontosaurus goes back to the so-called Bone Wars of the late 1800s, when rival fossil hunters Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope raced new dinosaur names into the scientific literature. In their quest for new specimens, Marsh and Cope were drawn to the rich fossil beds of the American west. Marsh's team found two long-necked sauropods. He named one Apatosaurus ajax (Apatosaurus means \"deceptive lizard\") and the second skeleton Brontosaurus excelsus (Brontosaurus means \"noble thunder lizard\"). Shortly after Marsh's death, a team from the Field Museum of Chicago found another dinosaur skeleton similar to both Apatosaurus ajax and Brontosaurus excelsus, but with features deemed intermediate between the two. This led the scientists to conclude that Apatosaurus and Brontosaurus were just different species within the same scientific genus. Apatosaurus took precedence because it had been named first so, Brontosaurus excelsus became Apatosaurus excelsus. But the name Brontosaurus is still known by several generations of schoolchildren. It's not entirely clear why the name stuck, but it may be to do with its origins in the Bone Wars, when there was intense public interest in the discovery of new dinosaurs. It may also be because of the evocative meaning: \"thunder lizard\". Now, Emanuel Tschopp from the New University of Lisbon in Portugal and colleagues applied statistical techniques to calculate the differences between species and genera of diplodocid dinosaurs (the large-scale grouping that includes Apatosaurus as well as other long-necked plant eaters). It is only with new finds of dinosaurs similar to Apatosaurus and Brontosaurus in recent years that it became possible to undertake a detailed investigation of how different they were. \"Until very recently, the claim that Brontosaurus was the same as Apatosaurus was completely reasonable, based on the knowledge we had,\" said Mr Tschopp. To their suprise, Brontosaurus emerged from the analysis as a distinct dinosaur. \"The differences we found between Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus were at least as numerous as the ones between other closely related genera, and much more than what you normally find between species,\" explained Roger Benson, a co-author from the University of Oxford. Thus, the researchers argue that it is now possible to resurrect Brontosaurus as a genus, different from Apatosaurus. Prof Paul Barrett, of London's Natural History Museum, who was not involved in the research, told BBC News: \"This paper is the most comprehensive study produced to date on the evolution of Diplodocus and its closest relatives and sets out some really interesting new ideas on how these animals are related, and how they should be classified. \"The author finds a number of ways in which the original specimens of Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus can be separated from each other and uses these to resurrect Brontosaurus as a separate entity. \"The conclusions seem entirely reasonable to me, as they are", "summary": "The iconic name Brontosaurus, once used to describe a family of huge dinosaurs, has been resurrected after being killed off more than a century ago."}
{"article": "Andy Geggan headed the League One side in front when he met Declan McDaid's corner kick shortly before half-time. Robbie Crawford's dazzling solo run almost brought a stunning second, only for his his shot to be saved. Premiership Kilmarnock saw plenty of the ball but seldom troubled Ayr goalkeeper Jordan Hart. Lee McCulloch's side have not tasted victory at Somerset Park since January 1993, a run that now stretches to five games. The hosts, backed in big numbers in a crowd of 6,417, looked the sharper of the two sides in the first half. Ayr captain Ross Docherty's deflected shot asked an early question of goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald. Then MacDonald had to save again from Jamie Adams' point-blank header before Craig Moore smacked the rebound into the side netting. Kilmarnock had a strong appeal for a penalty kick when Kirk Broadfoot appeared to be pulled down in the box by Adams, but referee John Beaton instead awarded the home side the free-kick. It may have been the first competitive game of the season but the pace was relentless. Kilmarnock's Alan Power raced in at the back post to meet a corner kick, but blasted over. At the other end Adams squeezed a shot between defenders, but MacDonald got down low to palm away. A goal was coming and after McDaid's free-kick was pushed wide, Geggan raced from deep to head in the resultant corner. The game became messy in the second half as the tempo dropped, though Paddy Boyle almost sneaked a shot inside the near post from distance. Ayr were being pushed further into their own half, and Jordan Jones had a close-range shot blocked, but it was the League One side who continued to create the better chances. Moore got his head to a free-kick but could only direct it straight at MacDonald. Then a brilliant slaloming charge from Crawford could have settled the match when he skipped past four players, but saw his shot blocked by the legs of the Killie goalkeeper. Despite those near misses, Ian McCall's men comfortably saw the game out with Kilmarnock struggling to find the energy or accuracy to snatch a late equaliser. Ayr United manager Ian McCall: \"I thought all the best chances in the game fell to us. They performed really well, worked their socks off, and it's one for the fans and directors. \"Michael Rose will probably be out for four weeks now, he took a hell of a clatter on his ankle. Arguably our two most talented players didn't play - Alan Forrest and Craig McGuffie. \"The players worked their socks off and in derbies you have to. \"I know Ross Docherty got man of the match but Jamie Adams was just a colossus. He's probably trained three times and played half a game in between working on his farm.\" Kilmarnock manager Lee McCulloch: \"We're bitterly disappointed to lose against our biggest rivals. We won't be taking the result lightly that's for sure. \"What cost us the game was our first-half display and switching off at corners. That's not good", "summary": "Ayr United continued their 24-year unbeaten home record against rivals Kilmarnock with a 1-0 win in their League Cup Group E opener."}
{"article": "Yn ystod wythnos Euskara, bydd nifer o gyngherddau'n cael eu cynnal gan artistiaid Basgaidd a Chymreig mewn gwahanol leoliadau ym Machynlleth a Thal-y-bont ger Aberystwyth. Ddydd Sadwrn, bydd siopau a chaffis yn y dre yn cynnig prisiau gostyngedig i drigolion sy'n mentro cyflwyno'u hunain ac archebu drwy Euskara, iaith Gwlad y Basg. Mae staff a disgyblion Ysgol Bro Hyddgen wedi paratoi canllaw cyfieithu i'w cynorthwyo. Mae dwy arddangosfa'n cael eu cynnal fel rhan o'r w\u0177l. Bydd gwaith yr artist Juan Gorriti i'w weld yng nghanolfan MoMa Machynlleth, ac arteffactau a lluniau o ffermydd a phentrefi Nafarroa i'w gweld yn Senedd-dy Owain Glynd\u0175r.", "summary": "Bydd blas o ddiwylliant Gwlad y Basg yn dod i'r canolbarth yn ystod yr wythnos nesa, wrth i \u0175yl arbennig gael ei chynnal."}
{"article": "The hope is that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees will set up processing centres for people to apply for resettlement in the region. The centres would be located in several Central American countries. Over 68,000 unaccompanied children were apprehended by US immigration authorities in 2014. Violence and endemic poverty in several Central American countries have been driving migrants north to the US. Refugees cannot make applications for relocation while in their home country, so they must travel to neighbouring countries to apply for relocation to a third country. The hope is the processing centres would provide at least temporary safety while asylum claims were processed, and would mean people being relocated to other countries other than the US. \"We are hopeful that this process can be an effective tool for assessing individuals' humanitarian relief claims and avoid a very dangerous journey to the United States,\" said a senior administration official. In recent days, the White House has been working behind the scenes to tamp down rebukes from members of the president's own party over deportation raids that took place over the holidays. The raids saw over 120 immigrants placed in line for deportation over New Year's weekend. Just hours before Mr Obama's final State of the Union address on Tuesday, more than 140 House Democrats signed a letter urging the administration to halt the raids. The official, speaking to the BBC, said the UN plan was not a reaction to this and had been in the works \"for months\". When asked if the raids would be suspended, the official said: \"The administration's priorities for removal have not changed since 2014. The actions that occurred two weekends ago are consistent with those priorities we established in 2014.\" Each year, the US Congress establishes a cap for the number of refugees it would like to see resettled in the US each year. The current cap sits at 85,000 people from around the globe. By comparison, the crisis that peaked during the summer of 2014 saw over 68,000 unaccompanied children apprehended by US immigration authorities on the southern border over fiscal year 2014. Mr Biden has been a proponent of development projects for Central America, including asking Congress for $1bn for development projects in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Congress ultimately approved $750m as part of the massive budget passed in December. While less than what the Obama administration had asked for, the official said the funding was \"substantial and that's going to make a significant difference here\".", "summary": "The US is looking to the United Nations for help in dealing with thousands of migrants fleeing to the US to escape violence in Central America."}
{"article": "Dozens of drivers were forced to avoid the man as he travelled anti-clockwise in the right hand lane between Cheadle and Trafford Park on Monday evening. His red Ford Fiesta collided with two vehicles before crashing. The man, who is in his 80s, suffered minor injuries. Driver Gemma Ecclestone said: \"It was pretty scary.\" The road was shut between Trafford Park and Carrington for more than an hour as police investigated the collisions. Greater Manchester Police tweeted: \"Male who drove the wrong way on the M60... Luckily all minor injuries!\". Driver Gemma Ecclestone tweeted: \"Just had to narrowly avoid an old man driving up the wrong way of the M60. Hope he's going to be okay.\" She told the BBC she was in the fast lane travelling back home from the Lake District when she saw \"this little red car driving towards me\". \"Fortunately I was able to get into the middle lane and out of the way. I was really shocked,\" she said. \"All the cars were trying to swerve and people were all trying to get out of the fast lane and over to the middle lane and so they were nearly hitting each other. \"I don't think the driver knew he was going the wrong way. He seemed fixated on the road. Other cars were flashing him and he was just carrying on.\" \"I was really worried the whole way home, for him and also he may have hit someone.\" Another motorist, Nathan Fearn, said: \"I was just travelling towards Stockport and had overtaken someone and I moved back into the middle lane. \"About 30 to 40 seconds later I saw an elderly white man with an old fashioned coat, and I think a cap on, driving towards me in the far right lane I had just moved from. \"I thought I was seeing things and going crazy. He was driving a red ford fiesta. I was scared for the driver he had obviously lost his senses. I beeped my horn to warn other drivers and phoned the police. They told me others had phoned in.\" The elderly driver was admitted to hospital with minor injuries.", "summary": "Shocked motorists were forced to swerve as an elderly motorist drove more than five miles the wrong way around the M60 motorway, before crashing."}
{"article": "The Tower of Refuge will be lit up in recognition of Rotary International's Thanks For Life campaign. The Rotary Club in Douglas is holding fundraising activities across the Isle of Man over the next seven days. Purple was chosen because medical teams stain children's little fingers with a purple dye to show they have been immunised. The campaign is the final push in the club's campaign to remove polio from the four countries where it is prevalent. Howard Callow is the chairman of club service at the Rotary Club of Douglas. He said: \"Purple is the chosen colour and thanks to the help from the Department of Infrastructure we will see the Tower of Refuge turning purple, which will be quite a sight. \"It's not the first time that important landmarks have been used, as part of a campaign, the Houses of Parliament in Westminster have been used, Table Mountain in South Africa has been used, so the Tower of Refuge is up there with the world's greatest heritage sights.\" Over the last 20 years, polio cases have been cut by 99%, and the condition is close to being eradicated. It is still endemic in Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. And it is present in more than 12 countries altogether.", "summary": "An Isle of Man landmark will be bathed in purple light as part of a campaign to eradicate polio."}
{"article": "Gest, who is a former husband of singer Liza Minnelli, died at the Four Seasons hotel in Canary Wharf. His friend and ex-bodyguard Imad Handi confirmed the news in a statement. American Gest was best known in the UK for his appearances on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and Celebrity Big Brother. Showbiz world pays tribute to Gest He had planned to tour the UK in July with his latest show, called the David Gest Is Not Dead But Alive With Soul Tour! Several singers were due to appear on the tour, including Dina Carroll and Freda Payne. It was named after the mix-up on this year's Celebrity Big Brother, when Angie Bowie informed Tiffany Pollard that David - meaning her ex-husband Bowie - had died during their time on the reality show. Pollard broke down in tears believing Gest, who was ill in bed at the time, had died. Gest stayed in the Celebrity Big Brother house for 13 days but left the series on medical grounds. In 2007 he was admitted to hospital with chest pains and respiratory problems. One of the biggest successes during his career was producing the highest-rated special in US music history - 2001's Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration. He was perhaps best known for his marriage to Minnelli. They were married in 2002 and officially divorced in 2007. He was also a childhood friend of Jackson and his brother Tito. Gest's name-dropping anecdotes and raucous tales of showbiz friendships during his appearances on reality TV shows won him legions of fans in the UK. He finished fourth in ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here in 2006, and later became a judge on talent show Grease Is The Word. In 2011, Sir Cliff Richard worked with Gest on his album Soulicious. Gest helped develop the concept of the album, which saw Sir Cliff collaborate with soul singers including Roberta Flack and Candi Staton. He later produced and directed the Soulicious tour. Mr Handi, who confirmed the news of Gest's death, described him as a \"huge talent\". \"David was truly larger than life. He was not just a huge talent and a dear friend but a showbiz icon. \"I know he will be missed by millions of fans around the world, and particularly in Britain, who came to love his charm and blistering one-liners.\" A Metropolitan Police statement said: \"Police were called at 10:17 on Tuesday 12 April to the Four Seasons hotel, in Westferry Circus to reports of an unexplained death of a man in his 60s. \"London Ambulance Service were called to the scene. Life was pronounced extinct at the hotel. A post-mortem will be held in due course. Next of kin are in the process of being informed.\" Police have said there appear to be no suspicious circumstances. Gest was born on May 11 1953 in Los Angeles, California. He worked as a music video and television producer and last year he toured the UK with David Gest's (I've Had) The Time Of My Life Tour - which", "summary": "Entertainer, producer and reality television star David Gest has died in a London hotel aged 62, a statement from his friend says."}
{"article": "Speed cameras in Perth reportedly captured the yellow Carrera 911 travelling at 122km (76 miles) an hour in a 70km zone last Sunday. The man was charged under Western Australia's anti-hooning laws, which are named after \"hoons\" a term to describe a dangerous, speeding driver. The luxury car has been seized for 28 days, Forrestfield Police tweeted.", "summary": "An Australian man, 88, has had his Porsche impounded after being charged with reckless driving, police say."}
{"article": "Belgium international Lukaku, 20, and Barry, 32, join on season-long loans. Everton have stated that McCarthy, 22, has signed for \u00a313m, but Wigan say the fee is in the region of \u00a315m. The Toffees have also confirmed the departure of Marouane Fellaini to Manchester United for \u00a327.5m and Victor Anichebe to West Brom. Lukaku, who signed for Chelsea from Anderlecht in August 2011 for a reported \u00a320m, spent last season on loan at West Brom, where he scored 17 Premier League goals. He has appeared as a substitute twice for Chelsea in the Premier League this season and missed the decisive penalty in the Blues' Super Cup defeat by Bayern Munich. The Baggies were hoping to bring Lukaku back to The Hawthorns but Everton beat them to his signature to offset the departure of Anichebe to West Brom. McCarthy, who has played 16 times for the Republic of Ireland and was part of Wigan's FA Cup-winning side last season, was brought in to fill the void left by Fellaini's departure. Everton have not revealed the length of his contract, describing it as a \"long-term deal\", while his former club Hamilton Academical have also received a substantial sell-on fee from Wigan. England international Barry signs after making 132 Premier League appearances for Manchester City. The former Aston Villa man, who helped City to FA Cup and Premier League successes, is in the last year of a five-year deal with the Manchester side.", "summary": "Everton have signed Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, Wigan midfielder James McCarthy and Manchester City's England international midfielder Gareth Barry."}
{"article": "A Pentagon statement on Sunday identified the men as four Syrians, a Tunisian and a Palestinian. All six had been detained as suspected militants with ties to al-Qaeda but were never charged. Uruguayan President Jose Mujica decided to take the detainees on humanitarian grounds in March but the move was put off until after elections last month. \"The United States is grateful to the Government of Uruguay for its willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility,\" the Pentagon said in a statement. President Barack Obama has pledged to close the camp in Cuba, which was opened in 2002 as a place to detain enemy combatants in America's war on terror. Around half of the 136 men still in Guantanamo have been cleared for transfer but have nowhere to go because their countries are unstable or unsafe. More than 50 countries have accepted former Guantanamo detainees. The US named the prisoners released to Uruguay as Ahmed Adnan Ahjam, Ali Hussain Shaabaan, Omar Mahmoud Faraj, Abdul Bin Mohammed Abis Ourgy, Mohammed Tahanmatan, and Jihad Diyab. They have been cleared for release since at least 2010 but they could not be sent home, according to the Associated Press. In Latin America, El Salvador is the only other country to have given Guantanamo prisoners sanctuary, taking two in 2012. An October opinion poll showed 58% of Uruguayans were opposed to bringing in the prisoners. President Mujica was himself held for over a decade in harsh prison conditions during Uruguay's period of military rule in the 1970s and 80s. Reiterating his commitment to take the six prisoners on Friday, he said Uruguay was offering its hospitality to \"human beings who have suffered a terrible kidnapping in Guantanamo Bay\".", "summary": "The US government says it has released six Guantanamo Bay detainees and sent them to Uruguay for resettlement."}
{"article": "Gwynedd council's cabinet discussed a \u00a39.27m overhaul of schools in Bala over falling pupil numbers at a meeting on Thursday. Ysgol Beuno Sant, Ysgol Bro Tegid and Ysgol y Berwyn could close and make way for a school for three to 19-year-olds on the site of Ysgol y Berwyn. There is also a proposal to amalgamate control of Ysgol Bro Tryweryn, Ysgol Ffridd y Llyn and Ysgol OM Edwards. The cabinet approved plans to open consultations ahead of a final decision in September. The new campus could open in September 2018.", "summary": "Plans to close three schools in Gwynedd will go out to consultation."}
{"article": "A number of flags and banners were damaged overnight at the camp at Twaddell Avenue. The damage was reported at about 07:35 BST. Two men aged 21 and 22, and a 20-year-old woman were arrested shortly afterwards. They have been charged with criminal damage and provocative conduct. The woman has also been charged with theft. All three are due to appear before Belfast Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. Loyalists have been protesting at Twaddell Avenue since July, after a decision to restrict an Orange Order parade.", "summary": "Three people have been charged by police over a hate crime attack on a loyalist protest camp in north Belfast."}
{"article": "His plan to boost infrastructure investment was welcomed by the British Chambers of Commerce and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Meanwhile, the Institute of Directors said his intention to renationalise the railways and to raise business taxes would undermine the UK economy. It said business would \"make its case\". The most positive response came from RICS. Jeremy Blackburn, the organisation's head of policy said: \"He has raised some challenging but principled issues around the expansion of Right to Buy to private landlords; as well as providing a voice for the widely-felt dissatisfaction of privatisation in our rail sector. There is undoubtedly opportunity in his agenda around infrastructure and public spending to get Britain building, and we look forward to sitting round the table and discussing this further. \" John Longworth, director general of the BCC, also highlighted Mr Corbyn's infrastructure plans: \"Firms will be encouraged by recent statements favouring much-needed investment in the UK's inadequate infrastructure and skills. \"We will be looking for the opposition to take a pragmatic and practical approach to business recognising that wealth creation is the necessary prerequisite for the delivery of any political objectives.\" But there was a warning from Simon Walker, director general at the IoD: \"From renationalising the railways, to raising taxes on businesses and increasing government spending, Corbyn has proposed some policies in the leadership campaign that we believe would undermine our open and competitive economy.\" Mr Walker added that business leaders were never in \"perfect agreement\" with politicians of whichever party, but that the IoD would give its views \"sincerely\" in discussions on matters such as state investment in infrastructure and excessive pay at big companies.", "summary": "Jeremy Corbyn's election as Labour leader has received a mixed reaction from business, including a cautious welcome for his plan on infrastructure."}
{"article": "The three-year-old, ridden by Adam Kirby and trained by Clive Cox, is part of Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin team. Last year's winner Limato was second, a length and a quarter behind, with Brando in third. Aiden O'Brien's Caravaggio, a heavy favourite who beat Harry Angel in June's Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, finished fourth. Harry Angel made a solid start and tracked Caravaggio's pacemaker Intelligence Cross in the early parts of the race before taking the lead in the final furlongs. Caravaggio, ridden by Ryan Moore, went into the race unbeaten with six wins out six but never looked like bridging the gap, as Harry Angel won by an impressive length and a quarter from Limato. \"He's always been special. We always hoped he'd be Group One material and he is,\" said trainer Cox. \"It's great to get a winner for Sheikh Mohammed on his birthday. Today I was very confident about his whole demeanour, it's just a joy to be involved with top-flight horses.\" Jockey Kirby added: \"He's the best. He's gone from a boy to a man with every race he's had.\" Cornelius Lysaght, BBC horse racing correspondent The first major contest between the three-year-olds and the older horses - in the Eclipse Stakes a week ago - went narrowly to the seniors. This result boosted the younger lot emphatically. In this division, they're pretty good. Clive Cox was convinced Harry Angel had not just come out well following his defeat by Caravaggio at Royal Ascot in June, but that he had flourished since, and that's what was demonstrated. Continuing a fine year for the Godolphin string, Harry Angel, bought by Sheikh Mohammed before Ascot, swept aside his rivals, with Caravaggio - part of the operation of Coolmore, Godolphin's arch rival - only fourth here.", "summary": "Harry Angel won the prestigious July Cup in brilliant style over six furlongs at Newmarket."}
{"article": "Sung, 29, carded seven birdies and an eagle to reach 16 under par, a new 36-hole tournament record. First-round leader Rickie Fowler shares third, while ex-world number one and fellow American Jordan Spieth missed the cut after shooting 77 on Friday. Englishman Justin Rose is 10 shots adrift after carding a round of 71. Sung has missed the cut in five of his nine PGA Tour events in 2017 but holed a 30-foot eagle putt on his penultimate hole, the par-five eighth, to equal the course record at the Golf Club of Houston in Humble, Texas. A first PGA Tour victory on Sunday would also secure the final place in next week's Masters, but he said: \"My experience is if I try to do something and think about the result it doesn't work out very well, so I'm taking it one shot at a time and the results will come.\" The cut came at level par, one too many for former Masters champion Adam Scott of Australia - who had six bogeys and a double bogey in a 77 - and Englishman Andrew \"Beef\" Johnston, who mixed four birdies with four dropped shots in his 72. Spieth also had six bogeys in his 77, while Open champion Henrik Stenson of Sweden finished five over par after two double bogeys in a 75. Englishman Lee Westwood double bogeyed the last to close on seven over.", "summary": "World number 202 Sung Kang of Korea produced a superb round of 63 to take a commanding six-stroke lead after two rounds of the Houston Open."}
{"article": "The satellites were launched on a Soyuz rocket from French Guiana. Their successful placement in orbit brings the number of platforms in the constellation to 10 - a third of the way to a full network of 30. Lift-off occurred at 02:08 GMT, with confirmation of the satellites' separation from the rocket's upper-stage coming almost four hours later. Galileo is a project of the European Commission, the EU's executive branch. It is designed to complement the American Global Positioning System (GPS), while at the same time introducing extra precision for users. Although dedicated services based on the European network will not be made available until at least 14 operational satellites are in orbit, the signals from every new addition in the sky can be exploited by receiving devices with compatible chipsets. \"There are a number of chipsets that have been developed and are in the market deployed in smartphones and navigation equipment for cars, for instance,\" explained Javier Benedicto, the Galileo programme manager at the European Space Agency (Esa is the EC's procurement agent). \"Those chipsets are already able to combine the Galileo signals with the GPS signals. That converts into an improvement of the availability of the navigation service which is experienced by GPS users today.\" The development path to a \"European GPS\" has been a tortuous one. The project is years late, and the completion cost - expected to be some \u00e2\u201a\u00ac7bn by 2020 - is substantially higher than that originally foreseen by EU member states. But Didier Faivre, the director of navigation at Esa, said the delivery cadence agreed in 2013 was being maintained. \"The famous '30 satellites by 2020' motto is our goal, and we're confident we can do it with additional procurement initiated this year,\" he told BBC News. The satellites for Galileo are being made by a German-UK consortium. OHB System of Bremen is the industrial prime contractor and assembles every spacecraft bus, or chassis. The navigation payloads, including the atomic clocks that are at the heart of any sat-nav concept, are prepared in Guildford by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited. The consortium is now churning out two satellites every three months. A pair is currently waiting to be shipped to French Guiana's Kourou spaceport from Esa's test centre in the Netherlands for another Soyuz launch in December. A further duo (these would be numbers 13 and 14) will soon enter final testing before also being shipped to Kourou. Esa plans just one launch in 2016, sending up a quartet of satellites on the much bigger Ariane 5 rocket. The year 2017 would likely see two launches - one pair of spacecraft lofted by Soyuz, and another quartet on an Ariane. To date, the EC has only ordered 26 satellites, so it will need soon to order more if it wants to attain the magic number of 30. However, the next procurement will almost certainly call for more than four platforms because of problems with three spacecraft already in orbit. It is not clear yet whether this trio will be able to take their place in the", "summary": "Europe has put up another two spacecraft in its Galileo sat-nav system."}
{"article": "The price of Brent crude oil hit 2015 highs above $63 (??42) a barrel, rallying on government data that showed oil inventories in the US rose less than expected last week. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 closed up 0.1% at 19,885.77, reversing earlier losses. Toyota's shares were up 0.4% after the firm said it would end a three-year, self-imposed break from expansion. The carmaker said it would build a new $1bn plant in Mexico and add a new production line to a plant in China. Sharp's shares surged 4.5% after sources said it would meet with banks on Thursday for a $1.7bn rescue deal for the loss-making electronics firm. In Greater China, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index closed up 0.4% at 27,739.71, while the Shanghai Composite was up 2.7% to 4,194.82 - hitting another seven-year high. Shares on the mainland posted their biggest fall in a month on Wednesday after growth data showed China's economy had slowed further in the three months to March this year. In Australia, shares were higher on jobs data that came in above expectations. Employment rose 37,700 in March, more than double the market forecast of 15,000. February's increase was also revised up to show a 41,900 increase. The spike in hiring drove the unemployment rate down to 6.1%, from January's decade-peak of 6.3%. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index closed up 0.7% to 5,947.5 after ending down for the previous three sessions. Shares of heavyweight miner BHP Billiton were up 2.4% on the resources sector's gains. South Korea's benchmark Kospi index finished up 0.9% to 2,139.90 - its highest close since August 2011. The index has risen for the fifth consecutive day.", "summary": "Asian shares headed higher on Thursday as rising oil prices boosted energy and mining shares in the region."}
{"article": "Karl Wainwright, 26, of The Black Watch and 22-year old Ben Peters of the Royal Dragoon Guards had been out celebrating the end of a training course. The men had previously admitted throwing the sandbags into Merchant Street at 03:00 on 21 January 2016. Sentence had been deferred for background reports. Sheriff Kenneth Maciver, at the city's sheriff court, told the men: \"Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurrence. In fact, too many people throw things over this bridge. \"A few years ago a young woman was seriously injured. It is a highly dangerous activity. It is absolutely obvious you could not predict where the sandbags would land.\" Wainwright's solicitor, Mark Hutchison, told Sheriff Maciver there had been four men on a night out after completing a training course and too much drink had been taken. \"It was an isolated incident of extreme stupidity,\" he said. Charles Morrison, appearing for Peters, also described his client's actions as \"extremely stupid and dangerous\". Both men, it was said, were regretful for their actions. CCTV footage showed Wainwright and Peters taking a cursory glance over the bridge, collecting the sandbags from the road and hurling them over without looking to see if there was anyone there. Sentencing the men, Sheriff Maciver said: \"It is extremely disappointing to see two members of our Armed Forces here in court, facing a custodial sentence, for what I describe as stupid and dangerous behaviour in the city centre of Edinburgh when you were both extremely drunk. \"It simply does not bear thinking about what that could do to someone if it had landed on their heads.\" He added that, in different circumstances, he would have imposed a custodial sentence. But, as neither man had any previous convictions and had good reports from their regiments, he would not and allow their regiments to deal with the matter.", "summary": "Two serving soldiers who threw sandbags from George IV Bridge in Edinburgh onto a street below have each been fined \u00a32,400."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Carlin, 25, has secured her place in Team GB's squad and claimed a silver medal in the 800m freestyle at the European Championships on Thursday. Commonwealth champion Carlin missed the 2012 Olympics because of illness. \"Europeans, Commonwealths, Worlds - she's done all of them absolutely right,\" Davies told BBC Radio Wales. \"She's an incredibly hard worker. She worries a little bit too much and needs to have more confidence in herself.\" Davies believes Rebecca Adlington, who won two gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, can serve as both a motivation and a warning for Carlin. \"The amount of work Jazz puts in is absolutely second to none,\" said Davies. \"She's not very far from Rebecca's British record, which I think is very firmly in her sights. \"I watched Rebecca melt down at the Olympics through nervous energy and there was so much expectation on her shoulders in London after the success she had in Beijing so that's what Jazz has got to be most careful of.\" Davies, who won silver at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, was also pleased to see Chloe Tutton break through, after the 19-year-old Welsh swimmer qualified for Rio. Tutton claimed bronze in the 100m breaststroke at the European Championships on Wednesday, having won 200m breaststroke gold at the British Championships. \"British men's breaststroke is amazing but women's breaststroke has not been,\" Davies said. \"We've got some youngsters in the squad who are going to use these Games as experience. \"I don't think we're expecting Chloe to go there to win medals, but she could make a final which would probably be her target and we'd love to see her again in four years' time.\"", "summary": "Wales' Jazz Carlin needs to believe in herself if she is to succeed in Rio this summer, says former Olympic silver medallist Sharron Davies."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old was found dead at a private property on 2 January after celebrating New Year with friends. A tree was planted in memory of the player at the Hove ground, while team-mates wore shirts with the number 19 and Hobden on the back in his honour. Sussex had already made the decision to retire the number 19 shirt. Media playback is not supported on this device The cause of Hobden's death remains unexplained but there were no suspicious circumstances, according to police. After a willow tree was planted on the grassed area at the Sea End at Hove, a short ceremony took place, followed by a minute's silence. Family and friends took part in a service of thanksgiving to celebrate Hobden's life in February, following a private family funeral. Hobden's brother George told BBC Sussex: \"We've had such lovely support from not only all our family and friends, but the club here at Sussex. It's just been overwhelming how much support we've had and how much Matthew was loved. \"We always knew the support was there for Matthew. It's helped us immensely. \"We spent our whole childhoods playing cricket together and that's why today is an emotional day. It was always a dream for one of us to play for the club - we basically spent our whole childhood in the garden playing cricket together. \"I remember being down here as a 12-year-old kid and imagining if one of us did play here. Matthew did manage to do it. We were hoping that he was going to progress and play for England. \"It was a dream for Matthew to play here. It's just a shame it's been cut short so tragically.\"", "summary": "Sussex paid tribute to their former fast bowler Matthew Hobden before their opening home County Championship game of the season against Essex at Hove."}
{"article": "Jay Brenton Liptrot, 43, was among the first on the scene of the blaze in Prestatyn in October, 2012. He gave evidence at the trial of one of the tenants, Melanie Smith, who was convicted of five murders. Mr Liptrot will appear before Prestatyn magistrates on Friday. The blaze resulted in the deaths of Lee-Ann Shiers, 20, her partner Liam Timbrell, 23, their son Charlie, 15 months, Ms Shiers' nephew Bailey, four, and niece Skye, two.", "summary": "A firefighter who owned the house in which five people died in an arson attack has been summonsed to appear in court in connection with manslaughter through gross negligence."}
{"article": "Andrew Hasler, 28, was killed in the onslaught at his home in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, on 8 January. Matthew Sharpe, 40, also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of his 27-year-old ex-girlfriend Charna Knights, who was saved when a neighbour intervened. Cambridge Crown Court heard he found Sharpe on top of her, with Mr Hasler lying wounded nearby. Mr Hesler was repeatedly stabbed and died from a single wound to the heart. More news from Cambridgeshire The neighbour, who had heard \"a commotion\", managed to pull Sharpe off Ms Knights and kick the knife out of his hand before restraining him. Sharpe managed to get away but was arrested after jumping into the river in St Ives. Police said he was found to have self-inflicted injuries that required hospital treatment. Det Insp Lucy Thomson paid tribute to the neighbour, who she said \"put his own life at risk in order to help Charna\". \"His actions that day ultimately saved her life.\" In a statement, Mr Hasler's family described him as a \"much-loved son, brother, grandson, nephew and friend\". \"Kind-hearted and living his life to the full, he came into the world early and has left us far too soon.\" Appearing via video-link from Bedford Prison, Sharpe was told by Judge David Farrell: \"There's only one sentence I can impose and that's life imprisonment. \"I will hear submissions to determine the minimum period you must serve.\" Sharpe, of Eynesbury, St Neots, is due to be sentenced on 7 April.", "summary": "A man who launched a brutal stabbing attack in which his ex-girlfriend was seriously injured has admitted murder."}
{"article": "Since 2010 there have been more than 1,800 reports of attacks involving corrosive fluids in the capital. It is thought acid is becoming a preferred weapon for gangs due to its ease to obtain and lack of trail to the perpetrator. Last year it was used in 454 crimes, compared to 261 in 2015, according to Met Police figures obtained by the BBC. Almost a third of these attacks were carried out in the borough of Newham in east London. Men are twice as likely to be victims of acid attacks in London than women, it was found. The vast majority of cases never reach trial, according to the figures. Since 2014 about 74% of investigations have been wound down due to problems with identifying perpetrators, or victims being unwilling to press charges. According to figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request to the Metropolitan Police Service \"corrosive fluids\" were used in murders, robberies and rapes. Wayne Ingold was attacked in 2014 in a case of mistaken identity after opening the door to a teenager. \"The pain on my face was indescribable. My face was melting and turning yellow,\" he told BBC London. \"One of the police officers was physically sick when he saw my face. \"Internally I'm scarred as well. For ages I was scared of reprisals. I had to move because of it and lost my home. \"It turned out the boy who did it was 15, and a convicted dealer of cocaine.\" Since the start of 2017 there have been 49 crimes where \"corrosive fluids\" were thrown with \"intent to cause grievous bodily harm\" or to \"cause an explosion\". Dr Simon Harding, Criminologist and expert on gangs at Middlesex University, said there was anecdotal evidence gangs are switching from carrying knives to acid. \"It's not prohibitive to carry bleach, you can buy it online or any DIY stores, it's difficult to prove any illegal motive in carrying it and you can hide it or disguise it in a drink bottle,\" he said. \"A knife attack is attempted murder, but if you're caught in an acid attack it would be GBH. \"There's no specific offence regarding acid attacks\" he added.", "summary": "The number of acid attacks in London has risen sharply in the past four years, according to new figures."}
{"article": "Shaun Ritchie, from Fraserburgh, was last seen with friends at a remote woodland area near Strichen at the end of October last year. The operation is one of Police Scotland's longest-running missing persons inquiries. The force said there was no evidence of a crime. Det Ch Insp Matt Mackay said: \"We are trying to bring closure to the family. \"It's one of the longest-running inquiries. It's such a vast area. It takes time.\"", "summary": "Police say they want to help bring \"closure\" to the family of a missing Aberdeenshire man, one year after his disappearance."}
{"article": "The 20-year-old, who has been with the Robins for four years, signed his first professional deal in 2015. The former Hereford loanee missed much of the 2016-17 term with a knee injury. \"I want to make up for the last couple of years and get back playing. I am very grateful to the gaffer and the medical team. I really want to repay them now,\" Page told the club website.", "summary": "Cheltenham Town winger Adam Page has signed a new one-year contract with the League Two club."}
{"article": "There are currently 18 teams in the top two tiers of the WSL, which is being increased to 20 clubs by the year 2017. \"Where we really want to get to is 24 fully-professional women's teams playing in the league,\" Brazier told BBC Radio 5 live sports extra. \"But we need to do that slowly, so the clubs can become sustainable.\" Sheffield became the first team to be promoted to WSL Two when they beat Portsmouth in the Premier League play-off final, having also met the WSL's licensing requirements. In addition to being able to prove their financial solvency, clubs applying for entry to the Super League must show they will attract an average of 350 spectators in 2016, increasing to at least 400 in 2017. \"We have a licence system within the WSL and the reason for that is to try and influence and shape the way that money is invested into the game and do it slowly, in a measured way,\" Brazier added. \"By having a salary cap in place, it means that we can also ensure that money is invested off the pitch, as well as on the pitch, in salaries. \"Building things slowly is really important, because we want it to be sustainable.\"", "summary": "The Women's Super League could be expanded to 24 teams in the future, according to the FA's head of women's competitions, Katie Brazier."}
{"article": "Over the past few years Mr Trump and other conservatives had roundly decried what they viewed as Barack Obama's unconstitutional unilateral executive action initiated in 2012 to defer deportation proceedings for undocumented immigrants who entered the US as children and family of immigrants with permanent US residency. The programmes, known by their acronyms Daca (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and Dapa (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans), were the Obama administration's response to successful efforts by Republicans in Congress to block comprehensive immigration reform. Although Dapa has been suspended pending resolution of a lawsuit filed by Republican-controlled states, Daca has given temporary normalised residency status to more than 750,000 undocumented immigrants during the Obama presidency. Many anti-immigration activists viewed the policy as ripe for quick reversal under President Trump - a belief candidate Trump actively encouraged. \"We're going to be unsigning a lot of executive orders, especially his order that basically lets anybody they want just pour into our country,\" Mr Trump said at a December 2015 campaign rally when asked by an audience member what he'd do in his first days as president. \"That's going to end.\" The Trump campaign website featured a promise to \"immediately terminate President Obama's two illegal executive amnesties\" - Daca and Dapa. So far, however, it hasn't turned out that way, and recent indications are that sweeping actions - such as an all-out repeal of Daca - may not be in the cards. On Sunday, when asked about the issue, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus refused to be pinned down. \"I think we're going to work with House and Senate leadership as well to get a long-term solution on that issue,\" he said. In his first two news conferences, press secretary Sean Spicer was also pressed on why Mr Trump hadn't yet taken any action - and he punted the issue into the long grass. \"With respect to Daca I think he's considering to make sure that his cabinet-level team starts to organise and create a plan to move forward with respect to that issue,\" he said on Tuesday. \"That's where we are right now.\" The previous day he had said the Trump administration had more pressing concerns. \"I think the president has been clear that he is going to prioritise the areas of dealing with the immigration system, both building the wall and making sure that we address people who are in this country illegally,\" he said. \"First and foremost, the president's been very, very clear that we need to direct agencies to focus on those who are in this country illegally and have a criminal record or pose a threat to the American people.\" Meanwhile, according to Politico, the Department of Homeland Security, in the absence of any administration directive to the contrary, continues to process deportation deferral and work permit requests as they had under Mr Obama. Taken together, these comments and inaction have some Trump supporters up in arms. \"Every president over-promises and under-delivers. That is to be expected,\" writes the Conservative Review's Daniel Horowitz. \"But there is no excuse", "summary": "Donald Trump has signed a raft of measures on immigration but one subject the president and his staff have avoided so far is their promise to tackle undocumented migrants who entered the US as children."}
{"article": "The pursuit, between junctions six and 10 in Surrey, took place as commuters drove to work on 11 April. Jonathan Lewis, 44, of Long Walk, Epsom, admitted one charge of dangerous driving and one count of having no insurance at Guildford Crown Court. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 10 June. Lewis was chased by two police vehicles after his Peugeot was involved in a crash with another car on the A25 at Oxted. Officers pursued him along the M25 towards Heathrow before he was stopped on the A3.", "summary": "A driver who careered between lanes of the M25 at up to 90 miles an hour while being pursued by police has admitted dangerous driving."}
{"article": "Christina Sethi, 25, targeted three victims at a care home between January 2014 and May this year. She filmed the assaults on her mobile phone before sharing them with her partner, Plymouth Crown Court heard. Sethi, from Torquay in Devon, admitted three counts of sexual assault and two of assault by penetration last month. Recorder Richard Stead told Sethi, of Woodville Road, that she had committed \"horrific abuse of three vulnerable and elderly victims who were in a care home under your care\". He said she degraded and humiliated the victims who trusted her. The abuse was discovered when a man who knew Sethi bought a computer and found footage of the attacks on deleted files. Devon and Cornwall Police described Sethi's actions, against two female victims and one male, as \"incomprehensible\". Det Insp Ed Wright said: \"Sethi committed crimes that most ordinary people could never comprehend. \"This depraved individual carried out shocking acts of abuse and grossly abused her position at the care home.\" A 32-year-old man from Torquay who was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit sexual assault has since been released without charge.", "summary": "A \"depraved\" care worker who sexually assaulted elderly patients and sent footage of the attacks to her boyfriend has been jailed for 10 years."}
{"article": "Most of the islands are inhabited; some have active volcanoes. Vanuatu is mountainous and much of it is covered with tropical rainforests. Like most of the area, it is prone to earthquakes and tidal waves. In 2015 it was hit by Cyclone Pam which caused widespread damage. Most of the people live in rural areas and practise subsistence agriculture. Local traditions are strong. Women, for example, generally have lower social standing than men and have fewer educational opportunities. The island of Pentecost is home to land diving, a precursor to bungee jumping, which is still practised. Population 246,000 Area 12,190 sq km (4,707 sq miles) Major languages Bislama, French, English Major religions Christianity Life expectancy 70 years (men), 74 years (women) Currency vatu President: Baldwin Lonsdale Baldwin Lonsdale was chosen as president by Vanuatu's electoral college - comprising the 52 members of parliament and the heads of the six provincial governments - in September 2014. He succeeded Iolu Abil when his five-year term in office expired. He is a former senior civil servant and served as the secretary general of the Torba provincial government before becoming an Anglican priest. The single TV channel on Vanuatu was established with the help of Radio France Overseas (RFO) and broadcasts in French and English. Some key events in Vanuatu's history: 550BC - First inhabited by Melanesian people. 1606 - Explorer Pedro Fernandez de Quiros leads an expedition to the islands naming them Terra Austrialis del Espiritu Santo. 1774 - British explorer Captain Cook charts the islands calling them the New Hebrides. 1800s - Thousands of ni-Vanuatu are kidnapped and forced to work on sugar and cotton plantations in Fiji and Australia in a practice known as \"blackbirding\". 1906 - Britain and France make the country a Condominium, under joint administration. 1938 - Emergence of the John Frum cargo cult. Believers say goods owned by American and European visitors to the island are really meant for them but are intercepted by the foreigners. They believe that their ancestors will one day return with \"cargo\" for them. The British outlaw any mention of John Frum. 1956 - John Frum is recognised as a religion by the Anglo-French Condominium. 1980 - Independence. 2015 - Cyclone Pam causes widespread devastation.", "summary": "Vanuatu - a string of more than 80 islands once known as the New Hebrides - achieved independence from France and Britain in 1980."}
{"article": "Rodman scored four goals in 25 matches for the Welsh side last term but rejected a new contract. The 29-year-old played under recently-appointed Notts boss John Sheridan at Newport during 2015-16 and told the club website: \"I know how he works. \"I know how he likes to play and what he wants from his players, and that was a big factor in me coming here.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League Two side Notts County have signed Alex Rodman following the winger's departure from Newport County."}
{"article": "They include a parade of Afro-American servicemen in Stowmarket, Suffolk. Eighth in the East has been given \u00c2\u00a3500,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund to document the history of 70 sites. David Cain, project manager, said: \"The images are important as they show what we have lost and what replaced these people and buildings in our landscape.\" Some of the airfields have become airports such as Norwich, some have new commercial uses, while others have become fields again. The public is being asked to contribute any historic photographs they have and to go out and take photos of the sites as they are now. Eighth in the East said the images will contribute to its ongoing educational programme and a touring exhibition due to get begin later this year and into 2016. The Now and Then project organisers said they were particularly keen to receive old and current photos of airfields in Essex, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.", "summary": "Previously unseen photographs of East Anglian airfields when they were used by US forces in World War Two have been unearthed."}
{"article": "Larger companies like Welsh National Opera (WNO) and National Theatre Wales (NTW) will see budgets fall. Altogether, 67 organisations will share a funding pot of \u00a327.5m. ACW chairman Prof Dai Smith said it had been a \"challenging\" process but a third of organisations - mostly smaller arts groups - will not see any cut. Opera, theatre and dance companies, as well as educational groups and arts centres, will be finding out about their proposed budgets for 2016/17. The funding announcement is the final stage of ACW's investment review, the first in five years. It has now decided how many companies should continue to receive regular core funding, and how much they deserve. ACW has created a new Arts Portfolio Wales which sees 67 companies receiving funding for their core work, while two organisations receive lottery funding for specific projects and events. Companies which receive less than \u00a3150,000 have been protected from any cuts. The largest beneficiary of Arts Council funding, WNO, will see its funding fall from \u00a34,539,538 in 2015/16 to \u00a34,380,654 in 2016/17. But the budgets of two organisations which receive annual grants have been increased. Ballet Cymru's funding rises from \u00a3193,842 to \u00a3243,842 while Sinfonia Cymru's budget almost doubles from \u00a3111,459 during the current financial year to \u00a3210,459 from April. As well as distributing annual grants to fund the core work of Welsh arts companies, called revenue funding, ACW also distributes lottery funding for specific projects. Prof Smith said the ACW was determined to be \"bold, brave and far-reaching\". \"In spite of a further \u00a31.5m cut in Welsh government funding, we have been able to sustain a nationwide network of high-performing organisations. \"We have also protected them against the full impact of the cuts.\" Of the companies that will receive funding from April, four companies will be members of the portfolio for the first time: During the investment review a total of 94 companies applied for more than \u00a332m from ACW. As well as four new companies, five others were told they would not continue to be funded from April 2016:", "summary": "Arts companies face cuts of up to 3.5% to the public money they will receive from April, the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) has announced."}
{"article": "Kevin Nunes was shot dead in September 2002 but five men jailed for his murder were freed on appeal. Police and crime commissioner (PCC) Matthew Ellis said Mrs Sawyers had \"no case to answer on misconduct or gross misconduct\" relating to the case. Ms Sawyers welcomed the decision. Police believe Mr Nunes was a drug dealer who was shot in an execution-style killing in Pattingham after straying into another gang's territory. But the men jailed for his murder were freed after it emerged concerns over the credibility of witnesses were not disclosed to the defence. This prompted an investigation into the police's handling of a key witness and how disclosure was dealt with afterwards. In January 2014, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it would be submitting files to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over the case for prosecuting senior officers, including Mrs Sawyers, for either attempting to pervert the course of justice or criminal misconduct. However, the CPS said there was not enough evidence to proceed. Publishing his response, Mr Ellis said while it was clear \"something went wrong in relation to the investigation of the murder\", Mrs Sawyers was not guilty of misconduct. \"My conclusion is that, whilst there were undoubtedly different actions and decisions that should have been taken at the time, the IPCC report does not produce evidence Mrs Sawyers has a case to answer in respect of misconduct or gross misconduct,\" he said. \"I have been clear, however, Jane Sawyers could have been more intrusive and sceptical about the actions of others at the time.\" Mrs Sawyers said: \"I welcome the determination the police and crime commissioner has reached.\" The IPCC said it was waiting for all of the forces involved, including West Midlands Police, to respond to its report.", "summary": "The temporary chief constable of Staffordshire Police, Jane Sawyers, will not face misconduct charges over the fatal shooting of an alleged drug dealer, the force's commissioner has said."}
{"article": "Brian Pool, a third-generation beekeeper, says he was used to working bees in the countryside where you don't hear anything except the odd bird call. When he came to zoo he was in for a big surprise. \"To be working bees with the roar of lions behind your head was something fantastic and I wasn't ready for it,\" he says. \"It's quite moving. What an experience.\" Mr Pool's mission is to inspire others to follow his passion for bees. He says: \"It's been a tendency in the past that beekeeping was something people took up in their retirement but because of the decline in beekeeping colonies we can't wait until people retire.\" The average age of Scotland's beekeepers is currently in the mid-60s. And bees have other problems too. It has not been much of a summer and while we may feel a bit sun-starved, the honey bees are in danger of actually starving. At the end of last month the Scottish Beekeepers Association bee health officer issued a starvation alert due to the bad weather. It prevented bees getting out at a time when they needed a lot of food to support large nests. Parts of August have been better and that has allowed many colonies to top-up their stores but starvation is still a possibility in some places. It is estimated that there are maybe about 3,000 beekeepers in Scotland. Bees of all kinds are hugely important pollinators but they face big challenges, including the weather, pests and loss of habitat. Over the next three days, Edinburgh Zoo is holding a Bee Festival, designed to raise awareness about the issues facing them. At a behind-the-scenes part of the zoo, a handful of hives nestles among tall vegetation. The honey season is coming to an end but there are still pickings to be had from thistles and willow herbs. The zoo itself sits in 84 acres with plenty of plants around and within the bees' three-mile flying radius there is a wider city from which to choose. \"You've got to be able to know what's going on with nature to work with bees, you've got to know the flowers,\" says Mr Pool, explaining what has been a lifelong passion. \"It's great to be able to wander around the zoo and see where the bees are working, and saying to people 'this is important. Do you realise what the bees are doing here? They're gathering a crop of honey'.\" The beekeeper-in-residence role is part of a clutch of residencies at the zoo designed to engage different audiences in its work. \"It really is incumbent upon us to put the spotlight on a number of issues that we think people should be aware of,\" says Kathy Sorley, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's \"thinker-in-residence,\" who is also head of the programme. She explains that the initial number of bees which arrived on site was 120,000 but that is estimated to have risen to about 400,000. \"It shows that they're very happy here and the amount of honey they're producing against quite difficult conditions", "summary": "Edinburgh Zoo's beekeeper-in-residence wants to use his role to get young people interested in bees and honey."}
{"article": "Antoinette McKeown was suspended on full pay in March 2015 and dismissed last November on the recommendation of an independent disciplinary panel. However, an independent appeals panel has overturned the ruling. It said it found flaws with the previous disciplinary process. Ms McKeown had been appointed as the head of Sport NI - the body charged with encouraging participation in sport - in June 2013.", "summary": "BBC Sport NI understands that an independent appeals panel has overturned the charges of gross misconduct against the former chief executive of Sport NI."}
{"article": "However, the other measure of unemployment, the Labour Force Survey, rose by 0.1 percentage points to 6.2%. That is higher than the UK unemployment rate which was unchanged at 5.5%. The figures also show long-term unemployment in Northern Ireland is significantly above the UK rate. Other figures show that output in Northern Ireland's service sector, the largest segment of the economy, grew slightly in the second quarter of the year. Output was 0.5% higher compared to the first quarter of the year and 0.7% higher than the same point in 2014. The strongest growth was in the retailing and hospitality sectors which was up 2.2% compared to the second quarter of 2014. Analysis: BBC News NI Economics and Business Editor John Campbell Northern Ireland's recovery has been weaker than in the UK as a whole and these figures suggest an economy which is just about growing. The labour market picture is more complicated than just a falling claimant count - for example long-term unemployment is a real problem. One of the more concerning factors is a slowdown in some parts of the manufacturing sector. It has been a star performer in the last couple of years, but external factors like the strength of sterling appear to be taking a toll. The picture was mixed in the production sector, which includes manufacturing. Output was up by 1% over the year, but down by 1.9% compared to the first quarter of the year. The food and drink sector is under particular pressure - output is almost 5% down compared to the second quarter of 2014. That is likely to be related to global falls in commodity prices, particularly in the dairy sector.", "summary": "The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in Northern Ireland fell by 1,000 in August to 42,000."}
{"article": "That itself followed a 3-0 win for England the summer before, part of a run that has seen them win four consecutive Ashes series at home for the first time since the 19th century. To think Home and Away used to be so popular. Ashes cricket, supposedly the fiercest contest the sport can offer, is in danger of becoming dangerously predictable. Playing at home? You'll probably win. Playing away? Good luck. In the 14 years since Australia last won in England, only one of the eight Ashes series has been won by the touring side. It is a significant twist in the longest running rivalry in international cricket. In the 14 years and seven series before that, more than half were won by the away team. The long-term numbers back up that dramatic trend. Prior to 2002, according to Test Match Special statistician Andrew Samson, 117 Ashes Tests were won by the home team, 98 by the away team. That's a win/loss ratio, in games that saw a result, of 1.19. Since 2002, 25 Ashes Tests have been won by the hosts and seven by the visitors. That's a win/loss ratio of 3.57. A little of that reflects the decreasing number of draws as Test cricket has speeded up. Before 2002, draws accounted for 29% of Ashes contests; since then, only 18%. Much more it reflects more serious concerns: the inability of players, particularly batsmen, to adapt their game to the different conditions overseas; the lack of time and opportunity today's short tours give them to even try; the increasing temptation to win an advantage before a ball has even been bowled by producing pitches designed to favour your own skills rather than an even contest. \"For me it is quite simple,\" says Graeme Swann, part of the only Ashes team in those 14 years to win an away series. \"In England the wickets are getting slower so the batsmen are not being exposed to fast bouncy wickets. When they go to Australia it is a culture shock. They can't deal with these guys with raw pace on fast, bouncy wickets. \"Then, when you come to England and the ball still swings, even the visiting batsmen that play county cricket don't face the highly skilled swing bowling they do in Tests. Batsmen don't like the ball moving laterally through the air. It is bad enough when it is jagging about off the pitch. \"The Aussies come here and nick everything. We go there and get bumped out. That is it in a nutshell.\" Modern tours, designed to maximise revenue rather than ease players in, are shorter than ever before. Test series rattle past with back-to-back matches rather than pausing for other contests to allow players to refine and practise technique. This summer, Australia began with just two three-day matches, both against weakened Kent and Essex sides. Once the Tests began, a mere fortnight after their arrival, they then had only one more three-day match before the series was decided at Trent Bridge. In that tour match against Derbyshire only five players who", "summary": "One of the wonders of England's 3-1 Ashes triumph this summer is that it emerged from such carnage: that ghastly 5-0 Pomnishambles in the preceding series 18 months ago, the second whitewash Australia had inflicted in three Ashes series down under."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old, who has scored five times in 16 international appearances, has struggled with injury this year but marked her return to action with two goals against Doncaster last month. Liverpool captain Gemma Bonner, 25, has also been included. Injured former captain Casey Stoney - who has 129 caps for England - and Fran Kirby have been left out of the squad. The Lionesses will face the Euro 2017 hosts in Tilburg at 18:00 GMT in their final friendly of 2016. England manager Mark Sampson said: \"It's a unique chance to play at one of the stadiums where we will play in July and now that we know who we face at the Euros, the intensity and focus in our group will sharpen. \"We are nine games unbeaten and will be fighting to make that 10, but we are expecting a tough game against a fellow contender for the Euros.\" The Euros begin on 16 July with Sampson's side opening their campaign against Scotland on 19 July before taking on Spain and Portugal in Group D. Goalkeepers: Karen Bardsley (Manchester City), Siobhan Chamberlain (Liverpool), Mary Earps (Reading) Defenders: Laura Bassett (Notts County), Gemma Bonner (Liverpool), Lucy Bronze (Manchester City), Gilly Flaherty (Chelsea), Steph Houghton (Manchester City), Jo Potter (Notts County), Alex Scott (Arsenal), Demi Stokes (Manchester City) Midfielders: Isobel Christiansen (Manchester City), Jade Moore (Notts County), Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal), Jill Scott (Manchester City), Fara Williams (Arsenal) Forwards: Karen Carney (Chelsea), Danielle Carter (Arsenal), Rachel Daly (Houston Dash), Gemma Davison (Chelsea), Toni Duggan (Manchester City), Nikita Parris (Manchester City), Jodie Taylor (Arsenal)", "summary": "Arsenal striker Jodie Taylor has been named in England's 23-woman squad to play the Netherlands on 29 November."}
{"article": "BBC Worldwide is expected to confirm the find at a press screening in London later this week. It follows weeks of speculation that some lost episodes had been located. A total of 106 episodes featuring the first two actors to play the Doctor, William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton, are currently missing. The BBC destroyed many of the sci-fi drama's original transmission tapes in the 1960s and 1970s. However, the majority of the episodes had been transferred on to film for foreign broadcasters. It is often these prints found in other countries that are the source of retrieved episodes. In 1991, all four instalments of the Patrick Troughton adventure The Tomb of the Cybermen were discovered in Hong Kong. The latest find comes as Doctor Who celebrates its 50th birthday. A special episode featuring the current Doctor Matt Smith and his predecessor David Tennant will be shown on the programme's anniversary on 23 November. A raft of other programming to celebrate the long-running drama was also recently announced by the BBC. Details of how fans will be able to watch the recovered episodes are also expected to be revealed later this week.", "summary": "A number of early episodes of Doctor Who, which were believed to have been permanently lost, have been returned to the BBC."}
{"article": "South Yorkshire PC Lee Lucas, 39, of Prince of Wales Road, Sheffield, also sent \"suggestive and flirtatious\" messages to vulnerable women. He admitted eight counts of making indecent images and one of misconduct in a public office at a previous hearing at Sheffield Crown Court. Lucas shared thousands of messages with eight women during 2013. The women, some of which were also visited by Lucas, had contacted the force in relation to various incidents including harassment and domestic abuse, the court heard previously. Lucas, who has been a PC with the force since 2010 and was based at Rotherham Police Station, was found to have had \"excessive and unexplained contact\" with the women after an internal investigation. The inquiry also led police to discover he had 1,400 indecent images of children on his computer, the force said. He was suspended by the force in October following his conviction. Terry Mann, head of professional standards at South Yorkshire Police, said: \"I would like to reassure the public that Lucas was the most serious case out of a very small number of officers who made improper contact with such victims. \"They have all now been dealt with.\"", "summary": "A police officer who admitted making 1,400 indecent images of children has been jailed for 12 months."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Farrell, 25, is set to move past 500 international points this weekend against Fiji, and is second in the England all-time list behind Wilkinson. Asked whether Farrell could one day beat his record of 1,179 points, Wilkinson said: \"I have no doubt. \"I would be very surprised if Owen Farrell didn't go on to score way, way more,\" he told BBC Sport. \"500 points for a guy who is 25 years old, you don't have to do the maths but if he plays until he is 35, he will be in a good place.\" Wilkinson has been involved in the England camp this year as a kicking and skills consultant, and says he can identify with the way Saracens fly-half Farrell approaches the game. \"Sometimes when we are discussing things, you hear something that you definitely correspond with,\" said Wilkinson, who on Thursday became one of 12 new inductees into the World Rugby Hall of Fame. \"[Working with England] is a really exciting opportunity,\" Wilkinson, who scored the winning drop goal in the 2003 World Cup final, continued. \"But there is no telling or teaching, it's kind of a sharing, and therefore there has to be room in all of us to keep growing. I am also there to learn.\" Wilkinson has also compared the current midfield combination of Farrell, who has scored 497 points for England, and fly-half George Ford to his partnership with inside centres Will Greenwood or Mike Catt. \"Both those guys were phenomenally important to me in my career, in the way they supported me, got the best out of me, and helped me to uncover more about myself,\" Wilkinson explained. \"With Owen and George, they are both very, very open individuals, both very humble - but not because they have been taught what to say, but genuinely it's who they are. \"There is not a script being followed here. They are following enthusiasm, passion and serious devotion. \"It's very similar when you mention names like Mike Catt and Will Greenwood, it all makes perfect sense. It's just about having good people in there.\" You can hear more from Jonny Wilkinson on the Matt Dawson Rugby Show on BBC Radio 5 live from 19:30 GMT on Thursday, 17 November.", "summary": "World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson has backed Owen Farrell to overtake his England points record."}
{"article": "Some youngsters fail to achieve the grades they need to get into university. Relatively few places are available to Scots through the clearing system which is designed to allocate \"spare\" places. Yet a week or so later, they may feel aggrieved to find places are available to applicants from other parts of the UK. The clearing system is a complex issue. It is far more subtle than a headline claiming a Scot is losing out to someone from England, Wales or Northern Ireland. It is the price of free tuition at Scottish university - a price the policy's supporters would say was worth paying. To put this in context though, the number of places at Scottish universities available to Scots is at an historic high. By this week the number of Scottish applicants accepted to Scottish institutions had reached 30,400 - 4% up on this time last year. However, this may be little consolation to those who have lost out on the course they actually wanted to do. Essentially there are now three groups of students at Scottish universities. This two tier system for Scottish and other UK students is the result of free tuition in Scotland. But universities strongly contend that comparing students in the different categories is like comparing apples with pears. They deny claims Scots are losing out to fee-paying students from elsewhere and say this shows a misunderstanding of the issue. Realistically the only way to end the distinction would be if tuition fees were re-introduced in Scotland or if free tuition was brought back in other parts of the UK. The former would mean Scottish universities would be free to take in as many Scots as they wanted. The latter could end the distinction in the clearing system. Either would probably mean that there was no hard and fast distinction between Scottish applicants and prospective students from other parts of Britain. Universities Scotland is calling for discussions with the government over the total number of places available to Scots. It would like to see the overall number grow to ensure that more people from disadvantaged areas can get a place without making it harder for others. But this is a distinct issue.", "summary": "Every year the exam results bring disappointment as well as joy."}
{"article": "And concerns are growing that it could get much worse over the next two decades. Road use is expected to grow 25-30% by 2030, according to government figures. Which begs the question: what should the response be? There are no simple answers to the question, but one thing is clear, according to business secretary Vince Cable: \"The idea that we can build our way out of the problem is no longer credible.\" The goal, therefore, will be to increase the capacity of the road network without increasing its physical footprint. \"We'll need to be more intelligent in managing the road network and the vehicles that use it,\" Mr Cable says. The idea will be to bring together the motor industry, the telecoms sector, electronics companies and others to create an \"intelligent mobility industry\", Mr Cable explains. Its task would be to tackle congestion, enhance road safety, improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions. Moreover, Mr Cable insists, this \"convergence of technology and transport\" should create jobs and growth and bolster the UK economy. Cars that communicate both with their drivers and passengers and with other vehicles will make up a cornerstone of intelligent mobility, according to former Ford executive Richard Parry-Jones, who co-chairs the UK's Automotive Council with Mr Cable. \"Designing cars that intelligently navigate their way through traffic is the kind of challenge that calls on the country's combined auto heritage and budding technological expertise,\" he says. \"Networked vehicles under digital control are going to become the future of car manufacturing.\" Consequently, the UK's transport challenges should not be seen merely in terms of the costs of a necessary transition. Instead, it should be seen as an opportunity for Britain, Mr Cable insists. \"Intelligent mobility could benefit the economy, allowing businesses to be more competitive, reducing logistics costs, giving more predictable journey times and reducing carbon dioxide emissions,\" he says. It could also provide a draw for foreign investors, adds Mr Parry-Jones, who believes it \"represents a chance for the UK's auto industry to bring more research and development investment into the country\". In turn, the government and industry figures envisage a future where UK companies will become exporters of techniques and technologies to help similar transport challenges elsewhere in the world. The eventual outcome, the Automotive Council predicts, could be the emergence of \"an industry employing some 20,000 skilled workers and turning over some \u00c2\u00a35bn within a decade\", on top of the economic benefits that would arise from better traffic flows. Mr Cable is exited about the opportunities. \"What we're seeing,\" he says, \"is the beginning of something that could become very, very important.\"", "summary": "Traffic jams that waste time and money are a curse of modern life."}
{"article": "The decision ends six years of composting household waste at sites in Farington and Thornton with the loss of about 250 out of 330 jobs. The Labour-run council said it will no longer process food and green waste but store it for treatment elsewhere. Tory councillor Michael Green said it was \"a failure of catastrophic proportions costing millions\". Mr Green said, who represents Leyland South West, added: \"We are being asked to believe it was the 'wrong kind of waste', which is what I have been told for the last six years. \"Surely someone should have done due diligence on the kind of waste it would process.\" Lancashire County Council said the sites were no longer economical blaming changes in households attitudes and a drop in the amount of organic material to compost in the last 10 years. Cabinet member responsible for environmental services, councillor Marcus Johnstone, said: \"What we are left with is a high cost, high liability and highly complicated plant.\" The two sites were built following a \u00a32bn Private Finance Initiative (PFI) over 25 years with Global Renewables, an Australian-based company. Composting began in 2010 but annual costs of \u00a312m a year forced the council to scrap the contract in 2014. On Friday 19 February, the council's executive decided that composting will stop immediately at Thornton with composting ending at Farington on 31 March. Council leader Jennifer Mein said: \"Lancashire is in a much better position than a number of other local authorities which also invested in PFI-funded mechanical and biological treatment facilities because we successfully restructured the financing for the sites in 2014 to make an annual saving on the contract of \u00a312m.\" A visitor and education centre at Farington will also close.", "summary": "A \u00a32bn waste treatment scheme has been shut down by a county council to save \u00a38.5m per year."}
{"article": "Kayla Mueller was abducted when working in Aleppo, Syria and died last year. The woman charged - 25-year-old Nisreen Assad Ibrahim Bahar, known as Umm Sayyaf - is currently in Iraqi custody. Prosecutors say Sayyaf kept Ms Mueller captive, allowing her to be repeatedly raped by IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Nisreen Bahar's husband, Abu Sayyaf, is described in an affidavit as IS minister for oil and gas, reporting directly to Baghdadi. Abu Sayyaf died last May when his compound in Syria was raided by US special forces. His widow was handed over to the Iraqi authorities for prosecution. A US justice department statement said they supported the prosecution but would \"continue to pursue justice for Kayla\". \"We will always be relentless in our efforts to identify, locate and arrest those who are responsible for the kidnappings and murders of American citizens,\" said the FBI's Assistant Director in Charge, Paul Abbate. Mueller had travelled to Syria as an aid worker when she was kidnapped in 2013.", "summary": "The widow of a former senior leader in the Islamic State (IS) group has been charged with conspiracy in the death of a US hostage, US authorities said."}
{"article": "The New Zealand spinner fell two runs short of a century when he was stumped off Jack Leach, who also finished with career-best figures of 7-106. After bowling Warwickshire out for 324, Somerset then slumped to 9-3 as Keith Barker picked up three early wickets. Patel's devastating spell saw the hosts bowled out for 110 at Taunton before Warwickshire closed on 20-0. The 35-year-old's fine innings, which included eight fours and four sixes, took the visitors past an unlikely 300 after they were 120-7 at one stage on day two. After resuming on 180-7, the Bears' recovery was aided by Laurie Evans who made 73, sharing an eighth-wicket stand of 166 with Patel. On a third day pitch which had begun to turn, Patel had Jim Allenby caught at short leg, before Peter Trego and Luke Ronchi were both dismissed lbw. Lewis Gregory then could only pick out deep mid-wicket when he looked to launch the spinner over the boundary rope. Having edged his way to 26 Tom Cooper was bowled to give Patel his third first-class five-wicket haul of the season. Jamie Overton and Leach were both caught in the slips as Somerset were bowled out in just 34 overs, leaving Alfonso Thomas, in his final innings for the county, stranded on 13. Varun Chopra and Ian Westwood saw off the final hour before stumps without trouble to leave the Bears requiring another 205 for victory. Bears all-rounder Jeetan Patel told BBC WM: \"It didn't bother me falling two short of a century because I don't really worry about stats like that. The partnership with Laurie Evans was more important because it got us back in the game. \"The main thing is that it was a good day for the team. After seeing Jack Leach do so well for Somerset it was good for me to get some turn and take wickets. The ball is coming out well for me at the moment. \"We still have a lot of work to do to win the game because 200 more will take some getting on that pitch. Hopefully we can be proactive from the start tomorrow and finish the season with a win.\" Somerset fast bowler Alfonso Thomas: \"It was emotional for me walking out to bat in both innings on my last appearance for the club because I have had eight great years here. \"There have been a lot of highlights. Taking four wickets in four balls in a Championship match was great for me personally, but there have been so many memorable times for the team while I have been here and a lot of great one-day occasions at Taunton. \"I still think we can win this game. The pitch is aiding spin, rather than seam, but hopefully I can chip in and we can support Jack Leach. If that happens, it won't be easy for Warwickshire to get 200 more runs.\"", "summary": "Jeetan Patel took a career-best 7-38 after hitting 98 as Warwickshire fought back against Somerset."}
{"article": "Stormont has so far not put in place changes to benefits that have been implemented in other parts of the UK. This has led to fines from the government. Justin Welby told BBC Radio Ulster that there should be extra help to assist people here out of poverty. \"Should Northern Ireland itself be a special case?\" he said. \"Yes it probably should, although not as a basket case or a charity case, but as a recognition of what has gone wrong in the past.\" Secretary of State Theresa Villiers said the government continued to recognise Northern Ireland's special circumstances. \"That is why public spending per head is 23% higher here than the UK average,\" she said. \"When it comes to welfare reform Northern Ireland has much to gain from replacing a failed system that traps far too many people into dependency with a modern system that ensures work always pays.\" The Northern Ireland parties had agreed on a welfare reform deal in December but Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in withdrew its support in March. Inter-party talks in Northern Ireland began in September in a bid to resolve the current political crisis at Stormont. The two key issues being discussed are the impasse over welfare reform and paramilitary activity.", "summary": "The Archbishop of Canterbury has said he believes Northern Ireland should be treated as a special case when it comes to the issue of welfare reform."}
{"article": "Muhammadu Buhari said that if a credible Boko Haram leadership could be identified then he was prepared to talk with them without preconditions. But he said he had no intelligence on the girls' whereabouts or their health. Boko Haram seized the girls from their dormitories in the north-eastern town of Chibok in April 2014. \"If a credible leader of Boko Haram can be established and they tell us where those girls are, we are prepared to negotiate with them, without any precondition,\" said Mr Buhari. Attempts to negotiate with Boko Haram during the rule of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan failed because officials were talking to the wrong people in the fragmented militant group. BBC Nigeria analyst Naziru Mikailu says Mr Buhari's offer to revive talks shows that Boko Haram remains a force, despite his claim last week that the group had been \"technically\" defeated. There is little prospect of Boko Haram agreeing to negotiate the release of the girls, he adds. The militants regard the girls as their most invaluable captives and their leader, Abubakar Shekau, said last year that most of them had converted to Islam and had been married off. Some Nigerians on social media expressed anger at the president for saying the government had no idea where the girls were being held, saying it indicated a failure of the intelligence services. Mr Buhari took office in May with a promise to defeat the group, and gave the military a deadline of the end of the year to end the six-year insurgency. Although Boko Haram has been driven out from most of the areas it controlled in north-eastern Nigeria, it has continued to carry out suicide bombings and raids into neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger. The military has managed to free hundreds of Boko Haram captives in recent months. However, they did not include any of the Chibok girls. Using football to tackle Boko Haram Why Boko Haram remains a threat", "summary": "Nigeria's president has said he is prepared to negotiate with Boko Haram militants to secure the release of about 200 schoolgirls."}
{"article": "El Hadary, who has just turned 44, came off the bench in Tuesday's 0-0 draw with Mali when El Shenawy hurt himself. In doing so he beat the age record of 39-year-old compatriot Hossam Hassan. BBC Sport has learned El Shenawy is out of the finals with a hamstring tear and Ekramy is being treated for a hamstring strain, leaving Egypt with no back-up. Ekramy suffered his injury during training on 14 January and is undergoing intensive treatment in the hope he can recover to play if required. Despite the critical situation, BBC Sport has been told the Egyptian Football Association will not seek to call up another goalkeeper to the squad because it believes it is not permitted under the Confederation of African Football's tournament regulations. Caf's rules state that a replacement player cannot be called up later than 24 hours before a team's opening game of the tournament.", "summary": "The oldest Africa Cup of Nations player Essam El Hadary is Egypt's only fit goalkeeper in Gabon after injuries to Ahmed El Shenawy and Sherif Ekramy."}
{"article": "In addition to the ban for single women, married women can only freeze their eggs in specific circumstances - for instance when they are to undergo chemotherapy, state media say. The ban is not new but caught attention after news that actress Xu Jinglei had gone to the US to have her eggs frozen. Many have ridiculed the ban and described it as sexist. The debate began in July, after Xu Jinglei, 41, said that she had frozen her ova, or egg cells, in the US in 2013. The 41-year-old, who is considered one of China's \"Big Four\" actresses, said she had taken the decision because she might want children in the future. Then on Sunday, state-run broadcaster CCTV ran a report on the subject, which highlighted some of the risks associated with the procedure and said the ban was \"in accordance with family planning policies\". The report triggered a barrage of criticism on Chinese social media, with close to 33,000 comments on CCTV's weibo (microblog) thread alone, and more than 11 million views for hashtags related to the subject. \"We don't even have control over own own ovaries anymore!\" user \"Kitty is a Lace Lover\" wrote. \"Its meaning is that unmarried women don't have the right to reproduce,\" user Fish girl wrote. Many questioned why China allowed male sperm donors, but prevented women from freezing their eggs, while others mocked the ban as an attempt to force more women to marry and have children in a hurry. \"This ban should help the men that no one wants!\" one user wrote. There are fewer limitations on the storage of sperm in China. State media say the restrictions are designed to combat a black market in human eggs, and have stressed the possible health risks associated with the procedure. China introduced its one-child policy at the end of the 1970s to curb rapid population growth - but eased the policy in 2013 amid concerns over the country's ageing population.", "summary": "There has been intense debate in China over a controversial ban on single women freezing their eggs."}
{"article": "BBC News takes a look at the men behind the audacious plot to steal precious metals, cash and jewels worth more than \u00a314m. Date of Birth: 28.02.1939 Address: Dartford Road, Dartford, Kent Plea: Admitted conspiracy to burgle Reader, a career criminal known as \"The Master\" and \"The Governor\" by his fellow gang members, had stood trial in the 1980s accused of murdering a police officer. He was chosen to mastermind the Hatton Garden raid due to his involvement in the notorious Brinks Mat robbery of 1983. During that raid, gold bullion and diamonds worth \u00a326m (about \u00a378m in today's values) were taken from a warehouse near Heathrow Airport in what is still Britain's biggest gold robbery. Reader - and fellow criminal Kenneth Noye - were suspected of laundering the proceeds and placed under surveillance. When they found Det Con John Fordham spying on them in the grounds of Noye's home in Kent, Noye stabbed the detective 11 times in the back. Both men were placed on trial for murder but were acquitted after Noye claimed to have been acting in self defence. Police had found 11 gold bullion bars at Noye's home though and he and Reader were jailed for eight and 14 years respectively for conspiracy to handle stolen goods. Noye would later reach new levels of infamy for the road rage murder of Stephen Cameron and is currently serving a life sentence. Reader, who ran a used car dealership, pulled out of the Hatton Garden raid after the failed break-in attempt on the first night when the gang's drill broke. Call data records and police observation showed that he continued to meet up with the other ring leaders following the raid. The eldest of the group, he used somebody else's Freedom Pass to get a bus to Hatton Garden on the night of the raid. He was filmed on CCTV in the area wearing a distinctive red scarf later found at his Dartford home, where he was arrested on 19 May. When they searched his house detectives also found a book on the diamond underworld, a diamond tester, a diamond gauge and diamond magazines. D.O.B. 01.03.1955 Address: Park Avenue, Enfield, north London Plea: Admitted conspiracy to burgle An experienced criminal with convictions for burglary, attempted robbery and handling stolen goods dating back to 1975, Jones was convicted in 1982 of stealing items worth \u00a392,000 from Ratner's jewellers. He was also described in court as \"eccentric\" and \"mad\". His friend Carl Wood told Woolwich Crown Court: \"Danny is a very sensitive guy, a very funny man. Eccentric to extremes, everyone who knew Danny would say he was mad. He would go to bed in his mother's dressing gown with a fez on.\" The court heard Jones claimed to have fortune-telling powers, spoke to his dog Rocket as though it was human and was obsessed with the Army and keeping fit, often preferring a sleeping bag on the floor to a bed. One of the four ringleaders, he was arrested on 19 May along with two other conspirators after dropping off some", "summary": "The Hatton Garden raiders were dubbed \"Dad's Army\" on account of their advanced age and many had extensive criminal records going back decades."}
{"article": "Thousands celebrated in the streets after hearing the final result was 61.3% \"No\", against 38.7% \"Yes\". But European officials warned that it could see the country ejected from the eurozone and the euro fell across the board in Asian markets on Monday. Greece's finance minister, who often clashed with creditors, has resigned. Yanis Varoufakis wrote on his blog that he had been \"made aware of a certain preference by some Eurogroup participants, and assorted 'partners', for my... 'absence' from its meetings\". Latest updates The prime minister had judged this to be \"potentially helpful to him in reaching an agreement\", he noted, adding: \"I shall wear the creditors' loathing with pride.\" Greece's governing Syriza party had campaigned for a \"No\", saying that the bailout terms were humiliating. Mr Tsipras said late on Sunday that the Greeks had proved that \"democracy won't be blackmailed.\" Speaking in a televised address, he said: \"Given the unfavourable conditions last week, you have made a very brave choice.'' \"But I am aware that the mandate you gave me is not a mandate for rupture.'' He said that Greece would go back to the negotiating table on Monday, adding that an International Monetary Fund (IMF) assessment published this week confirmed that restructuring Greek debt was necessary. But some European officials had already warned that creditors could take a \"No\" vote to mean that Greeks had rejected further talks. European leaders were varied in their openness to more talks with Greece after the vote. Germany's Deputy Chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel, told local media that renewed negotiations with Greece were \"difficult to imagine\" and that Mr Tsipras had \"torn down the bridges\" between Greece and Europe. However, Italian and Belgian ministers were more conciliatory, with Belgium's finance minister saying that the door remained open to restart talks \"literally, within hours\". Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who heads the eurozone's group of finance ministers, said the referendum result was \"very regrettable\" for the future of Greece. Meanwhile, Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament, warned that Europe was entering \"a very difficult and even dramatic time\" unless the Greek government made \"meaningful\" proposals in the coming hours. Greece had been locked in negotiations with its creditors for months when the Greek government unexpectedly called a referendum on the terms it was being offered. The damoclean sword hanging over Greece is that the banks will run out of cash in just a few days. Which means that a decision on what kind of limited service the banks can provide, to be made by the Greek government, will hinge entirely on whether the European Central Bank's (ECB) governing council decides to freeze, cut or increase the provision of Emergency Liquidity Assistance, or emergency loans to Greece. As for the ECB, it does not wish to be seen as Greece's Judge Dredd. It will take its lead from any statement by eurozone government heads on whether there is a realistic chance of a new deal to rescue the finances of the ailing Greek state. So the fate of Greece lies firmly where it always did, in the lap", "summary": "Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has said Greeks made a \"brave choice\" in voting to reject the terms of an international bailout in Sunday's referendum."}
{"article": "Police said 26-year-old Bamilola Kazim was allegedly assaulted by Mohammed Gafoor after a row on Wednesday Mr Kazim was treated for wounds at a local hospital and released. Last week a student from the Democratic Republic of Congo was beaten to death by a group of Indian men after an argument in Delhi. Two men have been arrested in connection with the killing of the Congolese man. Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted on Friday that Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj \"had urgently sought report\" on Wednesday's incident from the local government \"and is monitoring the case\". Police said Mr Kazim allegedly parked his car in front of Mr Gafoor's house, and was attacked with an iron rod by the latter after an altercation. \"We have arrested the accused and the matter is now in court,\" Hyderabad police officer K Krishnaiah told BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi. Gideon Omodowale of the local Nigerian Students Association said it was a \"racial issue\". \"If he was a US citizen or an Indian, he wouldn't have been attacked. Later, some community people came and he [Mr Gafoor] apologised. We are ready to drop the case because we don't want it to affect other Africans,\" he told the BBC. There are more than 4,000 students from African countries in Hyderabad. Following last week's killing of an African student in Delhi, a group of African embassies had said they did not want to participate in Africa Day celebrations on Thursday because of repeated attacks on African students in India. They relented after Ms Swaraj promised to ensure the safety of African students in India. Mr Swarup said the Indian government had received news from its embassy in Kinshasa, the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo, that some \"Indian establishments and shops were attacked on 23 and 25 May as a reaction perhaps to the killing of the Congolese national\" in Delhi. \"It has been reported that by Wednesday, things have calmed down,\" Mr Swarup was quoted as saying by The Hindu newspaper. Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have not yet commented on the remarks. In February, a Tanzanian student was assaulted and partially stripped by a mob in the southern city of Bangalore.", "summary": "India's foreign ministry says it is looking into an alleged attack on a Nigerian student by a local man in the southern city of Hyderabad."}
{"article": "The rape investigation was launched after the 21-year-old woman was attacked in Union Terrace Gardens in the early hours of 28 January. Crimestoppers has offered the reward of up to \u00a35,000 for information that leads to conviction in the case. The charity stressed the reward would only be paid if information was passed to Crimestoppers directly. Angela Parker, the Crimestoppers national manager for Scotland, said: \"This attack was on a young woman in the heart of Aberdeen. \"We are now offering a substantial reward for anyone with information to contact Crimestoppers anonymously. \"By contacting Crimestoppers, via the phone (0800 555 111) or our anonymous online form, we don't ask for any personal details, you won't have to speak to the police, and you won't have to go to court. Just tell us what you know, not who you are.\"", "summary": "A \u00a35,000 reward has been offered for information after a young woman was raped in Aberdeen earlier this year."}
{"article": "Cranie, who joined the Terriers in July 2015 following his release by Barnsley, was set to be out of contract at the end of the season. The 30-year-old has made 50 appearances since signing for Town. \"I am delighted that we have agreed a deal to keep Martin at the club, as he is a very important player in our squad,\" head coach David Wagner said. \"I have always said that keeping our good players at the club is just as important as bringing new ones in, so I'm very happy.\" Meanwhile, Wagner has revealed that on-loan Chelsea forward Kasey Palmer will be out for eight weeks with a hamstring injury. The 20-year old suffered the injury in the first half of Town's 2-1 win over Leeds on 5 February.", "summary": "Huddersfield right-back Martin Cranie has signed a new contract to stay with the Championship club until 2018."}
{"article": "The Ministry of Defence said the former dictator's complex in Mosul, north Iraq, was a \"major\" IS HQ and training centre for foreign recruits. RAF Tornados used guided bombs in what Defence Secretary Michael Fallon called \"emphatic\" airstrikes on Monday. Mosul, Iraq's second city, has been under IS control since June 2014. The UK is part of a US-led international coalition conducting airstrikes on IS targets in Syria and Iraq. Special report: Islamic State conflict Islamic State crisis in seven charts The Ministry of Defence has released details of a series of operations over the past week - including the bombing of a \"safe house\" for foreign fighters in Iraq, and IS \"terrorist strongpoints\" close to Syria's border with Turkey. Two Tornado jets dropped the largest guided bombs they use, the Enhanced Paveway III, on Saddam's palace, a statement said. \"Extensive surveillance\" of the complex, located next to the river Tigris, found the main palace building was being used as accommodation and a meeting venue for foreign IS recruits, while outbuildings were used for training, internal security and \"repression\", the MoD said. Seven nations were involved in the attack on the complex on Monday afternoon, with initial indications suggesting the mission was successful, it added. Details of the latest air strikes against IS, also known as Daesh, were given as the defence secretary visited the crews involved, who are based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. Mr Fallon said: \"Daesh has been losing followers and territory for months, and emphatic strikes like this show that we and the coalition will not waver. \"Daesh fighters, both foreign and home-grown, can see that they are targets inside this cult.\" UK MPs approved UK air strikes in Iraq against IS in September 2014. Mr Fallon said at the time that the parliamentary vote followed a request for help from the UN by the Iraqi government. In December 2015, the UK also launched air strikes targeting IS in Syria after MPs voted for action.", "summary": "A palace built by Saddam Hussein which was being used as a training centre for so-called Islamic State (IS) has been bombed by UK and coalition forces."}
{"article": "Defending her policy on migrants at the annual conference of her CDU party, Mrs Merkel said that Germany was standing by its humanitarian duties. But she said the flow of migrants would be reduced - a step that some members of the party have been calling for. More than one million migrants and refugees have come to Germany so far this year, officials there say. Profile: Angela Merkel Will Germans embrace or shun refugees? EU migration: Crisis in graphics Her decision to welcome refugees fleeing Syria's civil war has not been popular within her own party. Mrs Merkel told the conference in Karlsruhe that the influx would be \"noticeably reduced\" - the wording of a compromise agreement reached on Sunday with her CDU colleagues. Such a reduction was in the interest of Germany and in the interest of the migrants themselves, she told the conference. Mrs Merkel has rejected the idea of an upper limit on migrant numbers, sought by some in her own party and by the leader of the CDU's powerful Bavarian sister party, the CSU. Despite the tensions of the weekend's discussions, Mrs Merkel appeared relaxed and smiling as she arrived at the conference to address her party, and her speech was repeatedly interrupted by applause. She described 2015 as \"an unbelievable year\". The German leader said the decision by Germany and Austria to allow in migrants stranded in the Hungarian capital, after many started walking towards the border on 4 September, was a humanitarian imperative. \"Something that was far away from us - that we have seen on television - is now literally at our front door,\" she said. \"The war in Syria, the barrel bombings by (Syrian President Bashar al-) Assad, the spread of IS in Syria and Iraq, the fact that Libya has no functioning government, the situation in Afghanistan - all that is no longer far away but has come to us.\" Quoting her Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, Mrs Merkel said the migration crisis was Germany's \"rendezvous with globalisation\". Mrs Merkel, who has led Germany for 10 years, was named Time magazine's Person of the Year last week. The US news magazine cited her role in Europe's crises over migration and the Greek debt crisis, saying she had provided \"steadfast moral leadership in a world where it is in short supply\". Meanwhile, authorities in Greece have been struggling to cope with growing numbers of migrants in its capital, Athens, as Balkan countries block their route further north. An agreement to provide subsidised accommodation for migrants was due to be signed on Monday. The deal between the Greek government, the UN Refugee Agency and the European Commission will help to provide housing for 20,000 new arrivals in Athens. The UN agency will assist in paying rental costs in private, unoccupied flats. Another 80,000 migrants are due to be accommodated across Greece and the Balkans, mostly in heated tents.", "summary": "The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has described the migrant crisis as a \"historic test\" for Europe."}
{"article": "Most of the big posts have gone to men but everyone in the team had to meet the test of \"overcoming the divisions between right and left and embracing a progressive project\", a spokesman said. The new cabinet includes a campaigning environmentalist and an Olympic fencing champion. And half the list of candidates for next month's parliamentary elections are figures from France's civil society. Like the president, he graduated from the elite ENA college for France's top civil servants. In 2002 he was actively involved in setting up the centre-right party led by Bordeaux Mayor Alain Jupp\u00e9. For years he was seen as Mr Jupp\u00e9's right-hand man, but left politics to take up a post in the private sector. In 2010, he won the race to be mayor of the northern port city of Le Havre. He backed Mr Jupp\u00e9's unsuccessful bid to secure the centre-right presidential nomination last November. Ten years before, he co-wrote a political novel with Gilles Boyer, who went on to run the Jupp\u00e9 campaign. What has he said? \"Who is Macron? For some, impressed by his seductive power and reformist rhetoric, he would be the natural son of (JF) Kennedy and (ex-French PM) Mend\u00e8s France. That seems unlikely. The former had more charisma, the latter more principles. For others, he would be Brutus, Caesar's adoptive son.\" President Macron fulfilled a promise to balance his cabinet with as many women as men. Here are some of the key appointments. Bruno Le Maire, economy minister: A right-winger, aged 48, he was part of Nicolas Sarkozy's government and is said to have coveted the economy role for several years. He ran for the Republican presidential nomination but fared badly in the public vote. Another right-wing figure, G\u00e9rard Darmanin, gets the role of public accounts minister. Fran\u00e7ois Bayrou, justice minister: At 66, this centrist is no stranger to government, having served twice as education minister several years ago. He ran for the presidency three times but dropped out this year to throw his weight behind the Macron campaign. His intervention was seen as a turning point in the presidential race. G\u00e9rard Collomb, interior minister: An early adopter of the new president, aged 69, Mr Collomb was part of the Socialist party for decades. He was seen as instrumental in bringing Fran\u00e7ois Bayrou into the campaign. He is the mayor of Lyon and has one of the toughest jobs in government, with France still under a state of emergency. Jean-Yves Le Drian, foreign and Europe minister: Aged 69, he served President Fran\u00e7ois Hollande loyally as defence minister and is one of only two survivors of the outgoing government. The other is radical leftist Annick Girardin. Mr Le Drian is regarded as quiet but effective. Nicolas Hulot, ecology minister: An environmentalist opposed to nuclear energy, he was heavily involved in the COP21 climate change conference in Paris. In some ways his appointment was a surprise as he has in the past criticised Mr Macron for seeing green policies as an afterthought to free trade. Sylvie Goulard, defence minister: At 52, she is a", "summary": "France's new President, Emmanuel Macron, has picked his new government with a centre-right prime minister and a cabinet made up of 11 women and 11 men."}
{"article": "Yet, for many people, the choice remains complex and confusing and the way they vote may well be settled by gut and instinct. The Leave camp promises to regain control over borders and democracy. The Remain camp says staying in the EU and the single market is clearly in Britain's economic interest. But there is much that remains unknowable, including what would follow a vote to leave the EU. In the immediate aftermath of a win for Brexit, some political battles would have to be resolved first. Would the prime minister stay in office having lost a referendum? Some would want him out but others in the Leave campaign regard David Cameron as best placed to lead what would be difficult negotiations with Brussels. Secondly, the early days after the vote would be aimed at settling nervous financial markets. On the day after, nothing would have changed legally but the government and whoever was in charge of the negotiation would have to decide what strategy to adopt. Vote Leave sets out post-Brexit plans After the EU referendum: What happens next? EU referendum issues guide EU referendum: All you need to know The legal process for leaving the EU is set out in Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty. David Cameron or whoever was prime minister would have to notify the European Union of the UK's intention to leave. Once that application has been registered, the clock starts ticking; the negotiation has to be settled in two years. But Michael Gove, for the Leave campaign, has suggested negotiating a new deal would take at least four years. The two-year period can be extended but only if all the other 27 EU countries agree. During the negotiating period, the UK would stay in the EU and EU laws would remain in force. If there was no deal within the two year period then the UK would have to rely on World Trade Organisation rules. The Director General of the WTO says this would be far from straightforward. There would have to be negotiations between the UK and the WTO's 161 members. Catherine Barnard, professor of European Law at Cambridge University, says that without an agreement in those two years \"we fall out of the EU, in probably a rather disorderly fashion\". She points to the sheer number of issues that would need addressing. \"Think of European migrants living here,\" she says. \"What will be their rights going forward?\" But nothing here is straightforward. Some in the Leave camp want to avoid Article 50 altogether; they would prefer to engage in inter-governmental negotiations. They do not want to be locked into a timetable. It is also uncertain how other European leaders and officials would respond to this. Their big fear is contagion; that other countries could follow the UK example. So, they could be inclined to make the UK sweat. As the President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker said: \"Deserters would not be treated kindly.\" However, there would be strong pressure from Europe's businesses to deal with the UK swiftly and perhaps enter into a", "summary": "This week's referendum has been billed as a historic moment; a cross on the paper sketching out the country's future identity and its place in the world."}
{"article": "Wydad were 1-0 winners over 10-man Zanaco of Zambia to move top of the group, with record eight-time champions Al Ahly beating Cameroon's Coton Sport 3-1. That put Ahly level on points with Zanaco, and with identical head-to-heads, Ahly went through, above the Zambians, on goal difference. Zanaco knew a point in Casablanca would have been enough to put them into the last eight, but they were thwarted by a 68th-minute goal from Wydad's Achraf Bencharki in front of the 80,000-capacity stadium. Bencharki's goal came nine minutes after Zanaco defender Taonga Bwenbya was sent off having been yellow-carded a second time. It was the first Champions League loss suffered by Zanaco this season and only the third goal they had conceded after four wins and five draws in qualifying and group matches. Al Ahly, who began their match against Coton Sport knowing only a win would take them through to the knockout stage for the first time since 2013, suffered an early setback. They fell behind at the Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria after 12 minutes when veteran defender Ahmed Fathy conceded an own-goal. Amr Gamal came to Ahly's rescue with an equaliser and he also scored the third Ahly goal after Abdallah El Said had given the Cairo club a 2-1 half-time lead. It means four North African clubs have now reach the Champions League quarter-finals, with Esperance and Etoile Sahel of Tunisia already through. There will also be at least two quarter-finalists from southern Africa - defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and Ferroviario Beira of Mozambique who went through after Al Hilal and Al Merreikh were disqualified following Sudan's global Fifa ban.", "summary": "Al Ahly of Egypt and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco secured their place in the African Champions League quarter-finals on Saturday as North African clubs prevailed in the final Group D matches."}
{"article": "China's economy is slowing, but the government says this is all part of the plan as it moves from exports to domestic consumption. But is it doing enough to help people spend?", "summary": "Asia Business Correspondent Karishma Vaswani is in Dalian, China, where the World Economic Forum is taking place later this week."}
{"article": "Crewe raised the bar in front of their new manager David Artell, taking a first-half lead through skipper Ryan Lowe's ninth goal of the season. Charlie Kirk should have done better when well placed on the left of the box early on, only to drag his finish past the far post, while Guthrie was also left to rue skying a close-range header over after getting on the end of a teasing free-kick from George Cooper. Crewe took a deserved lead in the 28th minute when Lowe was slipped clear by Alex Kiwomya, the 38-year-old veteran finding the far corner as he scored in the league for the first time since also netting against Luton at Kenilworth Road in October. But the impressive Marriott had Luton back on terms on the stroke of half-time, as the striker's shot from a tight angle managed to evade Garratt's clutches and slip in at the near post. Nathan Jones' side looked to be up against it when they were reduced to 10 men eight minutes after the break after full-back Alan Sheehan caught Danny Hollands to earn his second booking. But Crewe were undone when Marriott cut infield to force a save from Garratt and Danny Hylton kept the attack alive to pull the ball back from the by-line for Gray to sidefoot home the winner. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Crewe Alexandra 1, Luton Town 2. Second Half ends, Crewe Alexandra 1, Luton Town 2. Attempt missed. Callum Saunders (Crewe Alexandra) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high following a corner. Corner, Crewe Alexandra. Conceded by James Justin. Corner, Crewe Alexandra. Conceded by John Mullins. Corner, Crewe Alexandra. Conceded by Jack Senior. Attempt missed. Ryan Lowe (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right. Hand ball by Callum Saunders (Crewe Alexandra). Attempt missed. Alex Kiwomya (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Corner, Crewe Alexandra. Conceded by Jack Senior. Substitution, Luton Town. Isaac Vassell replaces Jack Marriott. Substitution, Crewe Alexandra. Ryan Wintle replaces Danny Hollands. Attempt missed. Callum Saunders (Crewe Alexandra) header from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left. Corner, Luton Town. Conceded by Jon Guthrie. Corner, Luton Town. Conceded by Alex Kiwomya. James Jones (Crewe Alexandra) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Corner, Luton Town. Conceded by James Jones. Pelly Ruddock (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by James Jones (Crewe Alexandra). Attempt saved. Jack Marriott (Luton Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt missed. James Jones (Crewe Alexandra) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Substitution, Crewe Alexandra. Callum Saunders replaces Zoumana Bakayogo. Attempt missed. Danny Hollands (Crewe Alexandra) header from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the", "summary": "Goals from Jack Marriott and Jake Gray earned 10-man Luton a 2-1 comeback win at Crewe."}
{"article": "Applying a small current to specific parts of the brain can increase its activity, making learning easier. Researchers from the University of Oxford have studied the changing structure of the brain in stroke patients and in healthy adults. Prof Heidi Johansen-Berg presented their findings at the British Science Festival in Bradford. The team at Oxford has been conducting research into how the structure of the brain changes in adulthood, and in particular what changes occur after a stroke. They have used an approach called functional MRI to monitor activity in the brain as stroke patients re-learn motor skills that were lost as a result of their illness. One of the major findings is that the brain is very flexible and can restructure itself, growing new connections and reassigning tasks to different areas, when damage occurs or a specific task is practised. As part of this research, they investigated the possibility of using non-invasive electric brain stimulation to improve the recovery of these motor skills; the short-term improvement in stroke patients had already been noted. But an unexpected result was found when the same brain stimulation was applied to healthy adults: their speed of learning was also significantly increased. To observe this effect, the team devised an experiment whereby volunteers memorised a sequence of buttons to press \"like playing a tune on a piano\". While they were doing this, they were fitted with a \"trans-cranial current stimulation\" device, in which two electrodes are placed in a specific position on the head. A very small current was passed between the electrodes in an arc through the brain and, depending on the direction of that current, either increased or decreased the activity of that part of the brain. Prof Johansen-Berg explained that \"an increase in activity of the brain cells makes them more susceptible to the kinds of changes that occur during learning\". The results of the button-pressing experiments showed the positive effects of just 10 minutes of the brain stimulation on learning, compared to a similar \"placebo\" setup in which the electrical stimulation was not used. \"While the stimulation didn't improve the participant's best performance, the speed at which they reached their best was significantly increased,\" said Prof Johansen-Berg. Targeting the area of the brain that controls motor skills allows movement tasks to be learned more quickly, and the researchers envisage the technique could be used to help in the training of athletes. The experiments have explicitly shown that stimulating the motor cortex of the brain can increase the speed of learning motor skills. It is the hope of the researchers that the same method may be applied to other parts of the brain to improve educational learning, simply by positioning the electrodes in different locations so the current is focussed on the correct area. The relative simplicity, low price (around \u00c2\u00a32,000 per unit), and portability of the technology may mean that, following further research, a device could be designed to be automated for use at home. Looking to the future, Prof Johansen-Berg and her team plan to investigate the potential for increasing the", "summary": "Electrically stimulating the brain can help to speed up the process of learning, scientists have shown."}
{"article": "The Resolution Foundation analysis shows the impact of the national living wage will vary considerably across Scotland. A national living wage of \u00a37.20 an hour for workers aged 25 and over will be introduced in April. The UK government said millions of people will enjoy a pay rise. The study said 500,000 employees in Scotland will be affected overall. While one-third of employees in Clackmannanshire and Dumfries and Galloway will be affected, just 16% of employees working in Aberdeen are set to benefit. Edinburgh (17%), Dundee (18%) and Glasgow (19%) are also significantly lower. While strongly welcoming the new wage floor, the Foundation notes that implementing it will prove a greater challenge in lower-paying areas. It calls on the Scottish government, the Fair Work Convention, local leaders and businesses across the country to work together to minimise any job losses and ensure large groups of workers do not get stuck earning only the legal minimum. The Foundation also calls on employers to focus on boosting productivity in retail, hospitality, cleaning and care to ensure the national living wage is affordable for them. The group states the UK government's new pay structure is not actually a \"living wage\", and calls for an expansion to the voluntary living wage of \u00a38.25 across the country. Conor D'Arcy, policy analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: \"The welcome new national living wage will have a huge impact on low pay, particularly towards 2020 as it approaches \u00a39 an hour. \"While our analysis suggests the pay rise should be affordable for most firms, implementing the new wage floor will be challenging for some employers. That's particularly true in areas where wages tend to be lower. \"Politicians must work closely with employers to ensure that the national living wage is a success, particularly in low-paying sectors.\" A UK government spokesperson said: \"The government is making sure Britain gets a pay rise and that businesses have the skills they need to succeed. We are already seeing record employment rates and real wages growing to levels not seen since the recession. \"As the report itself highlights, workers in some cities will see even bigger benefits, reinforcing our drive to rebalance the economy through the northern powerhouse and the devolution of powers to local government and cities.\"", "summary": "About one-third of workers in Clackmannanshire and Dumfries and Galloway will benefit from the national living wage, according to research."}
{"article": "The movie, which has six Academy Award nominations compared to The Revenant's 12, is all about upsetting the balance of power. The film focuses on a piece of groundbreaking journalism that rocked the foundations of the Catholic Church in 2002, when four reporters, the investigative Spotlight team of the Boston Globe newspaper, ran an expose on how the church had covered up sexual abuse by more than 70 priests in the Boston area. The story would lead, not only to the resignation of Boston's Cardinal, but to the uncovering of further abuse in 102 cities in the USA, and 105 dioceses worldwide. Stanley Tucci, who plays a lawyer representing victims of abuse, describes the script as \"no fuss, no fat, no fluff - there's no love story or distraction from the purpose of the movie, which is to tell the story of the investigation\". Spotlight is directed by actor and writer Tom McCarthy, best known for his part as Scott Templeton in The Wire. And Tucci is joined on the cast list by Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Mark Ruffalo, who play the Spotlight team. McCarthy, who is nominated for best director and best adapted screenplay, agrees that to focus on the journalists rather than the abuse itself was an unusual step, but points out the scale of their achievement. \"It's extraordinary that this story was uncovered by a team of four local reporters, who put themselves against the might of one of the world's most powerful institutions,\" he says. \"And the fact they uncovered the story was an achievement in itself. Even though these events took place 15 years ago, just before 9/11, we forget how much the world has changed. It was, effectively, a pre-digital world, and so much of their research was done meticulously in library basements, in courthouses, in poring over newspaper clippings. \"This is an example of really strong local journalism that went on to have a national and then a global impact. It's important to remember when funding for this kind of investigative reporting has taken a huge hit.\" The investigation started in 2001 when a new editor of the Boston Globe, Marty Baron, ordered the Spotlight team to follow up on a small column in the paper about a local priest accused of sexually abusing children and teenagers over the course of 30 years. The Spotlight editor, Walter Robinson, along with reporters Michael Rezendes and Sacha Pfeiffer, began to research the case. Over the course of a year, they discovered a systematic establishment cover-up of the paedophile activities of scores of priests. Their reporting would lead the way for more exposes in more than 200 cities across the world. While many of the cast and crew, including Mark Ruffalo, have a Catholic background, Tucci believes seeing the film \"as an attack, or a condemnation of Catholicism, would be wrong. \"It's actually absolutely the opposite - it's a condemnation of corruption, especially the corruption of basic Christian tenets. It's a condemnation of the abuse of power, and people who abuse the real innocents in society. \"The", "summary": "Spotlight is the bookies' favourite to take best film at this year's Oscars, over Leonardo Di Caprio's western The Revenant."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old became Wales' first medallist at London 2012 when he won silver in the lightweight men's four after they missed out on gold to South Africa by less than a second. Bartley, from Wrexham, was part of the men's four at Rio, but the team missed out on the medals, finishing seventh. In 2010, Bartley won gold with the men's lightweight four at the World Rowing Championships in New Zealand. \"I've had quite a long career. I've been involved in the sport internationally for more than 10 years,\" he told BBC Radio Wales. \"I've got more than I ever thought that I would out of the sport and I thought it was the right time for me to call it a day.\"", "summary": "Olympic silver medallist rower Chris Bartley has announced his retirement."}
{"article": "The academy, in Africa's biggest city, is the first of its kind on the continent. It is modelled on Barcelona's flagship La Masia Academy in Spain which has produced stars such as Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Xavi. Officially known as FCBEscola Lagos, the school is temporarily located at the multi-sports Teslim Balogun Stadium Complex in the sprawling Surulere suburb. A bright banner of the Spanish midfielder Iniesta greets you as you enter the main gate. Inside an assortment of big pictures of Barcelona star players Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar can be seen amongst commercial advertising boards. Imalashe Sulyman \"Football is not only for boys...I want to become one of the famous football players and be as good as Messi\" Children aged between five and 18 years old file into the stadium to get a football education the Barcelona way. About 400 fee-paying children are currently enrolled at the school, which costs $600 (\u00c2\u00a3478) a year. They attend training sessions at the academy about once a week and all of them harbour hopes of making it to the big time at Barcelona's prestigious La Masia Academy in Spain. Among them is Imalashe Sulyman from Yaba in Lagos. She is one of just three girls at the academy. \"I like being here because it is very friendly and fun to play,\" she says. \"It doesn't bother me because football is not only for boys, it's for everyone to play. You shouldn't be treated differently anyhow because you are a girl. \"I want to become one of the famous football players and be as good as Messi.\" The Lagos academy joins a growing list of other similar Barcelona football schools across Asia, the Americas and Europe. The Catalan club uses the schools to popularise its brand and transmit the club's philosophy and values to the rest of the world. The philosophy emphasise the importance of teamwork over the individual. Among the top 10 European clubs, it is the only one with a football academy on the African continent. Other top clubs such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus have so far not done the same. The academy has already started attracting children from in and outside Nigeria. \"This is a Nigerian fountain that is going to sprout. Like they say about great oak trees, it starts from a little acorn and that's the acorn you are seeing right now,\" says Leslie Oghomienor, Barcelona's partner and the school's administrator. \"We don't just have children from Nigeria here, we have some from Spain, Taiwan, India, Greece and other Asian people. \"We are going to give them international exposure. We are going to Barcelona in April to play against other people so that they can see what we are doing. The world has to know there's something good coming out of Africa in Lagos, Nigeria.\" Bernat Gorriz, Barcelona Lagos academy's technical director \"I don't know if ever we will see another player like Messi but of course we are going to teach these kids how to be like Messi\" The Barcelona", "summary": "One of the world's biggest and most successful clubs, Barcelona, is launching a football academy in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub."}
{"article": "The Shanghai Composite fell a further 1.7% to 3,663.00, having sunk 8.5% on Monday - its biggest drop in eight years. China has tried to calm investors by reassuring it will implement prudent monetary policy to stabilise markets. The country's central bank said it would inject 50bn yuan (\u00c2\u00a35.2bn; $8.05bn) into the money markets. The People's Bank of China also insisted that the country's main economic indicators were steadily improving. Monday's dramatic drop had been triggered by weak economic data on profits at Chinese industrial firms, and a disappointing survey of the manufacturing sector on Friday. The regulating authority, the China Securities Finance Corporation (CSFC), said there would be a crackdown on short selling. It warned that, \"any malicious trading will be investigated and severely punished\". In the wake of stocks tumbling more than 30% in June, the authority's rescue plan already included a crackdown on short-selling - betting on the decline of shares' values. But analysts were hesitant to take much confidence from those measures. Evan Lucas, market strategist with trading firm IG, said in a note that \"clearly the Chinese markets are unable to support themselves\". \"The mountain of leverage and the risks of margin calls are hitting market stability.\" In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index went against the trend set on the mainland, rising 0.6% to 24,503.94. Elsewhere in Asia, stocks traded mixed, managing to withstand the downward pull from China. Asia's largest stock market, Japan's Nikkei 225 finished unchanged at 20,328.89 points, recovering from losses seen earlier in the day. Shares in camera maker Canon rose 0.5%. The increase came as a surprise after the firm cut its earnings outlook and reported a 16% fall in quarterly profit on Monday. Sales have been hit by consumers increasingly using their smartphones rather than compact cameras. In South Korea, the benchmark Kospi also ended flat at 2,039.08. Relief for stocks came from Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn declaring the end of the deadly outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers). Thirty six people died out of the 186 infected by the virus, following the first diagnosis on 20 May. The outbreak had been a major strain on the country's economy, affecting domestic consumption and tourism. The quarantine of the last suspected patient was lifted on Monday. Australia's ASX 200 share index closed down 0.2% at 5,580.50. China is Australia's main market and the dramatic volatility in Chinese stocks as well as the slowing growth indicators are expected to affect investors' confidence.", "summary": "Shares in mainland China continued their slide on Tuesday, following a massive sell-off the previous day."}
{"article": "Wash Mussels Ltd will create five \"limited\" test areas on the bed of the River Stour where 500 tonnes of mussels would be laid each year. The RSPB is concerned about the impact of dredgers and farming on rare birds. A public consultation runs until October. In 2014, the company applied for a licence for a five-year trial, but objections were raised about a lack of studies on the effects on wildlife. The RSPB is worried about an adverse effect on the tens of thousands of birds, particularly goldeneye and red breasted merganser, which use the estuary, which has European Special Protection Area status. Mark Nowers, RSPB conservation officer, said: \"Any development needs to show these important species are not affected.\" Peter Scott, solicitor for Wash Mussels, said: \"There will be limited operations and no equipment in situ, because there will be no ropes or nets. \"Noise from dredgers is pretty insignificant in terms of bird disturbance. \"If the trial is successful, there will be significant employment in dredging and preparing the product for market.\" Mr Scott said it would not put buoys on the river or sink pots to catch crabs which feed on mussels. The Essex and Suffolk Wildlife Trusts said they would be reviewing the company's data as part of the public consultation which runs until 7 October. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it would consider the results of the consultation before deciding whether a licence should be granted.", "summary": "Large scale mussel farming could deter rare birds feeding on a \"tranquil\" river estuary with protected status, wildlife groups have warned."}
{"article": "Some might see the claim by care home operators that there could be a \"catastrophic collapse\" because of the higher costs associated with the National Living Wage in such a light. The residential care providers might be accused in some quarters of crying wolf after their warnings that homes might close if ministers don't agree to fund increases in the bills paid by local authorities. They have written to the Chancellor George Osborne just weeks after a similarly worded missive from the UK Homecare Association, which represents providers of social care to people in their homes. And yet... There is a sense that the latest warning letter is reflecting deeper problems in the world of social care. Care home operators have complained for some time that their finances have been severely squeezed because of cuts in real terms in the fees paid by local authorities on behalf of elderly residents. Staff wages account for about 60% of their total costs, so any pay hike will have a significant impact on each business. Increases in costs, such as higher wages, can be passed on in the shape of higher fees to residents who pay for some or all of their care. But that's not possible for places wholly funded by local authorities - which account for nearly 40% of the total at the five care home companies which wrote the letter. The BBC has launched an online guide to the care system for the over-65s. The \"care calculator\" covers both residential care and the support provided in people's own homes, for tasks such as washing and dressing. Users can submit their postcode and find out how much each service costs where they live in the UK. There is also a dedicated BBC Cost of Care website with news stories, analysis and video. That has led to the operators' demand that central government should provide ring-fenced funding for councils to raise their fees. The backdrop to this argument is the ageing population and the changing role of residential care homes. A few decades ago they fulfilled the role of \"retirement homes\" with mostly healthy residents. Now with the prevalence of dementia and people living longer, often with multiple conditions, care homes have a more challenging role in society. How they are resourced is an important policy issue. The division between health, funded by central government, and social services run by local councils is widely regarded as out-dated and inappropriate for the 21st century. While NHS funding was a dominant issue in the election campaign, little was heard from national politicians about the state of social care. Labour criticised the coalition for cuts in social care funding in England over the last parliament but the argument did not seem to resonate in the same way as the repeated spats over \"billions more for the NHS\" pledges. Since polling day, a commitment to introduce reforms proposed by the commission headed by the economist Andrew Dilnot has been shelved until 2020. These included a lifetime cap on care costs, limiting an individual's liability and reducing the need", "summary": "It is easy to be cynical about companies who do business with the public sector warning of dire consequences if their income is not increased."}
{"article": "The SNP government in Edinburgh wants the fleet removed from its base on the west coast of Scotland. At question time in the Senedd, Mr Jones suggested the nuclear deterrent could come to Pembrokeshire if forced to look for a home elsewhere. But the UK government said it had no plans to move from HM Naval Base Clyde. This week it awarded a \u00a31.1bn contract for reactor cores. Britain has four Royal Navy Vanguard submarines, based at the Faslane naval base on the Clyde, which can deploy Trident ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads. Mr Jones, who will be in Scotland for a meeting of British and Irish ministers on Friday, was asked about the potential to invest in Welsh ports. He said: \"I did notice the Scottish government no longer wishes to have the nuclear submarine base at Faslane, it no longer wishes to house the UK naval nuclear fleet. \"There will be more than a welcome for that fleet and those jobs in Milford Haven.\" Milford Haven is a natural deep water port that handles around a fifth of the UK's energy through oil and gas imports. At the weekend the Scottish government said it was \"firmly committed to the earliest possible withdrawal of Trident from Scotland\". It said independence is the only constitutional option that would give it the power to remove Trident from Scottish waters. The Welsh government later said Mr Jones's comments had nothing to do with the SNP's referendum on Scottish independence and that he was a \"staunch supporter\" of the union. A spokesman said: \"The first minister recognises the substantial economic benefits of relocating Britain's nuclear submarine to west Wales. \"There would be more than a welcome in Wales for this kind of economic boost, which would bring thousands of high quality, well paid jobs to the area. \"The first minister is of the view that he would be neglecting his duty to do what he can to boost the Welsh economy he were to dismiss the possibility of bringing these jobs to Wales.\" There was an angry response to his suggestion from Plaid Cymru politicians and activists. Writing on Twitter, Plaid AM Jonathan Edwards said: \"This is a hugely significant development. \"Milford is a huge energy portal. LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) and nukes don't go together.\" The UK government insists a final decision on replacing the Trident nuclear deterrent will not be taken until 2016 - after the next general election. The Ministry of Defence says the \u00a31.1bn reactor core contract announced recently secures 300 jobs at Rolls-Royce and will fund an 11-year refurbishment of its plant at Raynesway in Derby. In response to Mr Jones's suggestion to move the nuclear submarines to Wales, an MoD spokesperson said: \"The government is clear that Scotland benefits from being part of the UK and the UK benefits from having Scotland within it. \"No plans for independence are being made as the government is confident that people in Scotland will continue to support the UK in any referendum. \"We are therefore not making plans to move the nuclear", "summary": "Britain's nuclear-armed submarines would be \"more than welcome\" in Wales if they left Scotland, First Minister Carwyn Jones has said."}
{"article": "At the age of 32, Eames is the youngest full-time boss in the top four divisions of English football. \"We support his playing style and our team responds positively to his philosophy,\" chairman Tony Kleanthous told the club's official website. Meanwhile, defender Bira Dembele, 29, and midfielder Tom Champion, 31, have left the League Two club. Dembele played 57 times having joined Barnet in 2015, while Champion scored once in 32 appearances last season. Eames took joint charge of the Bees in December when Martin Allen left to join Eastleigh, winning four of his 11 games alongside Henry Newman. He then won two of the final four games of the season after Kevin Nugent was sacked as head coach in April. Eames was previously a coach with the club's development and academy sides before working as Nugent's assistant. \"For us this was the bold choice and the right time to finally allow Rossi to take sole control of our football destiny,\" said Kleanthous. Barnet finished 15th in League Two this season, 11 points above the relegation zone.", "summary": "Barnet have appointed former interim manager and assistant first team coach Rossi Eames as their new head coach."}
{"article": "Shezanne Cassim and several friends who made and uploaded a comedy video to YouTube were eventually tried and convicted of endangering national security under the UAE's recently introduced cyber-crimes act. They were released just a few days before a high-profile BBC interview in January 2014 between Jon Sopel and the ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed al Maktoum. In that interview, Sheikh Mohammed acknowledged that mistakes had been made in the case. In March this year, Mr Cassim made an appeal directly to the president of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan. He also sent a copy to the UAE ambassador in Washington. There has been no reply. Mr Cassim says he is struggling to find work in the US as a result of being unable to declare a spent conviction for endangering national security in the UAE. He continues to profess his innocence. And whilst he was in jail, the case became high profile enough - in late 2013 - to feature on comedian Will Ferrell's Funny Or Die website. The Funny or Die film included pleas for Mr Cassim's release by several high-profile comedians. Mr Ferrell said: \"We are submitting this in support of Shez and his eventual freeing from being wrongly jailed.\" And whilst Mr Cassim faced a potentially very long jail sentence, a few weeks after the #freeshez campaign which started around nine months after he was jailed - he was convicted and released for time already served. It's not the first time this has happened in the UAE on a high-profile story. Others include a road rage incident, in which a man was held under the cyber-crimes act for uploading a video of an apparent assault to YouTube. The uploader faced charges with a potential jail sentence twice as long as the maximum faced by the local citizen he had filmed repeatedly hitting an Indian van driver. Then there was an American who was jailed amid a dispute about sick leave. His alleged crime involved defamation of his employer, by commenting on the dispute on social media. In both those cases, all charges were eventually dropped. But not so for Mr Cassim. A spent conviction means no return to his home Dubai in the UAE - ever. After being released and deported to the US early last year, Mr Cassim and his family have chosen to speak for the first time on camera about the case to BBC News. He said: \"Conditions in the jail were just terrible. There were around 130 inmates and only three toilets. And none of those toilets flushed.\" He added: \"We gave our souls to that city, and to be treated this way is something that has been incredibly difficult to deal with.\" The impact on the family - who spent the majority of their lives working in Dubai - has been huge. Defending Mr Cassim has cost more than just their savings, said his mother Jean. \"I can't remember a night that I had a good night's rest,\" she said. \"For some", "summary": "An American who says he was jailed in Dubai for several months without even knowing the charges against him is seeking a royal pardon from the city's ruler."}
{"article": "The bid, to be filmed for a TV show, involves laying 74 miles (119km) of track from Fort William to Inverness. Love Productions, the programme makers, hope the \"slightly bonkers\" undertaking will be as popular as its Great British Bake Off. Engineers and construction workers have also been sought for the project. Construction is planned for two weeks over the summer and is to be filmed for Channel 4. The working title for the show is The Biggest Little Railway in the World. Producer of the project, Charlotte Armstrong, told BBC Radio Scotland's Out of Doors programme the new show would celebrate British enthusiasm for model railways. She said: \"It's massively ambitious. We want to bring together Britain's model railway enthusiasts and all the different skills they have, but also local volunteers, engineers and people with construction experience.\" The programme would also celebrate a Victorian era idea to build a full-scale, working railway through the Great Glen. The full interview with Ms Armstrong is to feature in Saturday's Out of Doors, which is broadcast on Radio Scotland from 06:30.", "summary": "Model railway enthusiasts and volunteers are being sought for an ambitious plan to lay a model railway track along Scotland's Great Glen."}
{"article": "The Bridge of Carr at Carrbridge in the Cairngorms is also known as the coffin bridge due to its use by funeral parties to cross the Dulnain river. The local community is to hold a programme of events from 19-21 May. An exhibition of historic artefacts, a family ceilidh and live entertainment are planned. The arching stone bridge was built between May and November 1717. Among the reasons for its construction was the Dulnain had frequently been in spate in previous years. In the 1690s, deaths in the area rose because of famine. Mourners were prevented from reaching funerals at the Church of Duthil when the river was swollen. The bridge was built by John Niccelsone, a mason from Ballindaloch in Moray, at the behest of local landowner Brigadier-General Alexander Grant of Grant. Its parapets and side walls were badly damaged in the 18th Century and again in a flood in 1829.", "summary": "Events are to be held to mark the 300th anniversary of the construction of what is thought to be the oldest bridge in the Highlands."}
{"article": "The Argentina and Barcelona forward was punished for directing \"insulting words\" at an assistant referee in Thursday's 1-0 win over Chile. Messi, who scored the only goal in the qualifier, was angered when he was flagged for a foul, waving and shouting at the assistant in response. The 29-year-old was also fined \u00a38,100. He will miss his country's next four competitive fixtures. Argentina are third in South American qualifying, with the top four teams advancing to next summer's finals in Russia. There are five matches still to play.", "summary": "Lionel Messi has been banned for four international matches - just five and a half hours before Argentina's World Cup qualifier against Bolivia kicks off."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Riaz described England's middle order as \"fragile\" before the first Test at Lord's starting on Thursday. \"It's the same before every series - you generally get a bit of trash talk,\" said Root, who will bat at three. \"It's getting a bit like boxing now. We will have to wait and see how things develop and see if the plans work.\" Boxing is notorious for fighters' pre-match verbal contests aimed at intimidating opponents. James Vince, who has played only three Tests, and the recalled Gary Ballance will bat at four and five for England when the four-Test series gets under way. Former England captain Michael Vaughan said Vince should have been promoted to three to enable Root to stay at four. England vice-captain Root, 25, averages 50.36 in 21 innings at number four and only 28.71 in eight innings at three. Root, 25, said it is \"a great opportunity to bat a bit longer\" and that captain Alastair Cook, coach Trevor Bayliss and the selectors gave him time \"to get my head around it\". He added: \"It's about taking that opportunity for responsibility as a senior member of the side, to lay some good foundations for us to make some big scores.\" Nick Compton batted at three for England in the 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka, but announced he was taking a break from cricket after scoring only 51 runs in five innings. Vince managed 54 runs batting at five against Sri Lanka, his debut Test series. Ballance has not played for England since being dropped last July, but made 132 for Yorkshire against Middlesex this month in his most recent first-class game. Root said Vince and Ballance had a \"great opportunity\" to prove Riaz wrong, adding: \"Gary's in fine form - he's just got a hundred for Yorkshire. \"Vincey's a brilliant player. He made his first innings for England in the one-day series against Sri Lanka - he made a brilliant fifty. So they'll take confidence.\" Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Amir will play his first Test since serving a five-year ban and three-month prison sentence for spot-fixing at Lord's in 2010. England captain Alastair Cook has warned the 24-year-old, who took four wickets in Pakistan's opening tour game against Somerset, to expect a \"reaction\" from the crowd this week. But Riaz said: \"Mentally he's very strong, and he's very eager to perform. \"The place where it all began, he will perform at that place and make sure his name is reborn.\"", "summary": "England batsman Joe Root said cricket is becoming like boxing as he dismissed Pakistan bowler Wahab Riaz's \"trash talk\"."}
{"article": "Pinewood Group's two biggest shareholders have tentatively agreed to sell the famous film and television studios to a property investor. The deal depends on Aermont, which runs property investment funds, securing financing in the next four weeks. Pinewood's 007 stage is one of the world's largest and was used to film parts of Spectre and Skyfall. Some of Star Wars: The Force Awakens was also filmed at Pinewood in Buckinghamshire. However, Harrison Ford, the actor who plays Han Solo, was injured when the door of the Millennium Falcon closed on him and broke his leg. Goodweather Investment Management, which is owned by property investors Peel Holdings, and Warren James Holdings, owner of the eponymous jewellery chain, together control 65% of Pinewood Group and have agreed to the cash sale providing the buyer secures financing. The prospective new owner intends to keep the existing management in place, led by chief executive Ivan Dunleavy. The company has film and TV studios all over the world including in the US, Canada, Malaysia and the Dominican Republic. Earlier this year, Pinewood Group retained investment bank Rothschild to examine its strategic options. In the past, it had been constrained from raising additional funding for investment via the stock exchange. Shares in Pinewood were down 4.8% at 552.1p in afternoon trading.", "summary": "Pinewood film studios - home to the James Bond movies - are set to be sold for \u00a3323.3m."}
{"article": "The teenager told police that two men abducted her from an isolated spot near her home in Lakhisarai district and brutally raped her on Saturday. They later took her to a railway station and boarded a train where three others joined them and also raped her. Police told the BBC that she was being treated for serious injuries. One suspect has been arrested so far. The men boarded the train at Chanan railway station and threw her out near Kiul. Some people found her near the tracks and took her to a local hospital. She was then transferred to a government hospital in the state capital, Patna. She has reportedly suffered fractures and serious injuries. Senior police officer SK Singhal said at least two of the men knew the victim and lived in her neighbourhood. Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus. However, brutal sexual attacks against women and children continue to be reported from across the country.", "summary": "A 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang raped and thrown from a train in the northern state of Bihar, police say."}
{"article": "English is one of the advantages India has which are said to be propelling it to economic superpower status. There are all those Indians who speak excellent English. It's the mother tongue of the elite and effectively the official language of the central government. Then there is the growing number of parents who now aspire to give their children an education through the medium of that language. But is the craze for English an unmixed blessing? Back in the sixties the British regarded Indian English as something of a joke. The comic actor Peter Sellers had mocked it so comprehensively that I found it well nigh impossible to get the BBC to allow anyone with even the faintest Indian accent on the air. In India, we native English speakers laughed at quaint phrases like \"please do the necessary and oblige\", or more simply \"please do the needful\", and \"it is suggested that the meeting be preponed\", which appeared regularly in Indian official correspondence. A senior British diplomat once suggested that his PA should find some less geographically specific way of answering the telephone when he couldn't take the call than saying, \"Sahib is not on his seat\". Much to the diplomat's dismay a colleague told him that his PA had misunderstood the instruction and been even more specific. He'd told the colleague, \"Sahib is in the lavatory.\" Now with Indian writers carrying off the major literary awards, and Westerners in the IT and BPO industries talking of being \"bangalored\" when they are replaced by English-speaking Indians, Indian English is anything but a joke. But could the very success of English in India \"bangalore\" India's own languages? The linguist Professor David Crystal speaking in Delhi said: \"A language is dying every two weeks somewhere in the world today. Half the world's languages will no longer be spoken in another century. This is an extremely serious concern, and English has to share the blame.\" Others put it less politely, describing English as a killer language. But should India worry if English kills off some of its 22 officially recognised and hundreds of its not-so-official languages? Perhaps the answer is no. In his book comparing the future of India, China, and Japan, the former editor of The Economist, Bill Emmott, said India fell short of China in almost every measure except the ability to speak English. So why shouldn't India build on its one advantage? One practical reason is because, looking back over the history of India since it became independent in 1947, it is clear that any threat to Indian languages has the potential to provoke a violent backlash. Mark Tully is a writer and former BBC India correspondent. This is an edited extract from his new book, Non Stop India, published by Penguin Books, India", "summary": "Whether the government, the private sector or NGOs should deliver development is a question which will not have much relevance unless India's wealth continues to grow to pay for that development."}
{"article": "The comment by the public services minister led Plaid Cymru to vote against the Public Health Bill, which included a partial ban on e-cigarettes. One Plaid AM has called Mr Andrews' attitude \"wholly offensive\". But Carwyn Jones said it was a joke and that Plaid had not acted maturely and \"people say things in the chamber\". Meanwhile, doctors and nursing unions have called on political parties \"not to play games with the health of the nation\". Mr Jones told S4C's Newyddion 9: \"People say things and if they had their time again they would say things differently. But to react in this way... that is not a mature response.\" \"If Leighton had his time again I know he would say something different. He said Mr Andrews had \"offered to apologise, but no\". \"Plaid Cymru said they would vote against this no matter what happens with any sort of apology,\" he said. As well as a ban on e-cigarette use in some public places, the bill aimed to create a compulsory licensing system for tattooists, ban intimate piercing of children under 16 and require councils to produce a local toilets strategy. Plaid originally planned a free vote and some of its AMs were expected to support the bill on Wednesday evening, although a greater number were in opposition. But the party's last minute decision to vote against it as a group meant the assembly was tied 26-26 and the legislation failed. But Dafydd Elis-Thomas told BBC News he was not informed about Plaid's decision. He had made arrangements to cancel his assembly vote. \"I did not imagine that by not being present I would have helped to lose a piece of important Welsh legislation,\" Lord Elis-Thomas said. \"I've experienced many low points in this fourth assembly in my relationship with the party, but this is the lowest.\" He said he and party leader Leanne Wood, who was against the ban, agreed to not attend the vote - known as pairing - meaning their absences would cancel each other out from the tally. A Plaid Cymru spokeswoman said: \"Dafydd Elis-Thomas had asked to be paired so that he could be in the House of Lords. \"Therefore he wasn't in the group meeting [Wednesday] afternoon when the unanimous decision was taken.\"", "summary": "Leighton Andrews would not repeat a jibe about a \"cheap date\" if he had another opportunity, the first minister has said."}
{"article": "One pilot died and another jumped clear as the helicopter crashed during an aerobatic display by the elite Berkut squadron in the Ryazan region, about 170km (105 miles) south-east of Moscow. The Russian military has blamed the crash on a hydraulics failure. There have been six other Russian air force crashes in recent weeks. The two-seat gunship was performing stunts and firing flares with three other helicopters. It then began to spin rapidly, before falling to the ground and bursting into flames. Its pilot Lt Col Igor Butenko was killed. His son told Russian media that the accident was not due to pilot error. \"There are situations when it's impossible to survive no matter how well-trained the pilot is,\" he told Lifenews. The Russian defence ministry says the condition of the other pilot's condition is \"satisfactory\". There were no injuries to spectators at the air show. An investigation has been launched into the cause of the crash, although the surviving pilot has said that a hydraulic failure was the cause. The country's fleet of Mi-28s will remain grounded until the investigation is completed. The Mi-28 is an attack helicopter widely used in Russia, as well as countries such as Iraq and Kenya. At least five people have been killed in recent military aviation crashes. In the past few years, the air force has received hundreds of new helicopter and planes as part of a programme to modernise and reequip Russia's military.", "summary": "The Russian defence ministry has grounded its fleet of Mi-28 attack helicopters after a fatal accident at an air show on Sunday."}
{"article": "The deal means viewers will be able to watch every Olympic sport live for the duration of the summer games through their TV sets. Previously, the BBC had only planned to broadcast the streams online. It will be the first time viewers have been given the opportunity to follow one particular sport throughout the day. The services will be in addition to coverage on BBC One and BBC Three, which will air all of the key moments from the Olympics, as well as other platforms including Radio 5 live. Together, this coverage will deliver around 2,500 hours of live sport coverage through the various BBC platforms during the Games. \"These are the first truly digital Olympics, where we'll offer more choice than ever before,\"said Roger Mosey, the BBC's director of London 2012, on his blog. The BBC's home of 2012: Latest Olympic news, sport, culture, torch relay, video and audio \"You'll be able to watch sport from every venue from first thing in the morning to last thing at night... Hockey fans can watch live uninterrupted hockey, and table tennis fans can stick all day with their sport too.\" Mr Mosey said the BBC had agreed with Sky and Freesat to show the live streams across 24 channels, with more announcements from other providers expected soon. \"The aim is that you'd be able to pick from watching BBC Olympics 1 right through to BBC Olympics 24 with full programme guides and the ability to record your favourite sports,\" he said. However Mr Mosey added: \"Not every platform will be able to accommodate such a huge technical offer, which amounts to 48 channels in total if you count 24 SD (Standard Definition) plus 24 HD.\" Freeview users will have access to two additional channels available through the BBC Red Button, providing up to four channels at peak times.", "summary": "The BBC is to make 24 live HD Olympic streams available to cable and satellite providers."}
{"article": "On Tuesday the captain of a UK-registered vessel was fined \u00a310,000 for unlawfully fishing in Manx waters. It follows the prosecution at Douglas courthouse last week of a Scottish fisherman who was fined \u00a315,000 for breaching Manx regulations. Richard Ronan MHK said the \"significant fines send out a clear message\". The Deputy High Bailiff ordered both skippers to forfeit their catch of King Scallops worth nearly \u00a35,500 each (about 90 bags). Both vessels were routinely boarded by officers from the Manx government's fisheries protection vessel Barrule before being escorted back to the island and detained. Mr Ronan, the Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, said: \"The Isle of Man is committed to the protection and development of stocks of shellfish within its territorial sea and is vigilant over illegal fishing activity. \"These significant fines must act as a strong deterrent.\" He added that the Isle of Man \"welcomes responsible skippers\" with registered vessels to sustainably fish in the Isle of Man's territorial sea with the appropriate licence. Manx territorial waters extend out to 12 miles around the island's coastline and contain a number of restricted zones.", "summary": "The prosecution of a second UK skipper in a week for breaching Manx fishing regulations sends a \"clear message to the industry,\" a politician has said."}
{"article": "Knowsley Safari Park confirmed 18-year-old Kenya was attacked by females in the pride. Despite the efforts of keepers to separate them, he sustained multiple injuries and was put down. The park said it was \"the most necessary and humane course of action\" to avoid any further stress and suffering to Kenya. In a statement, the park said the attack indicated his place as pride male was \"no longer secure\". The statement said it was \"natural behaviour\" for a pride when the male is \"no longer able to maintain the grace of the females\". Although there was no prior indication of an attack, staff were all prepared for when the \"unpleasant event should arrive\". They added that no members of the public were in their vehicles at the time of the attack. In the wild, male lions are in their prime between five and 10. Kenya, at 18, was \"an old man\". He arrived at Knowsley from Longleat in 2003.", "summary": "An elderly lion who was attacked by lionesses at a Merseyside safari park has died as a result of his injuries."}
{"article": "In a report going to board members next week, finance director Nick Kenton said the forecast gives \"significant cause for concern\". However, he said there was time to breakeven by the end of financial year. Raigmore Hospital in Inverness accounts for \u00a310.5m of the potential projected overspend. Mr Kenton said \"significant effort\" was needed to achieve \"financial break even\" and avoid the potential \u00a315.6m overspend by the end of March next year. Waiting list initiatives, nursing reviews and the use of medical locums have been identified as causes behind the overspend at Raigmore, the largest hospital in the Highlands. Board members are due to discuss the matter on Tuesday. In a statement, the health board said: \"The \u00a315.6m overspend is a potential projected figure based on the first three months of the financial year and while the board appreciates that it will take a significant effort to achieve financial breakeven, NHS Highland remains confident that there is sufficient time remaining in the financial year to allow the breakeven target to be met.\" At the end of the last financial year in April the health board had to ask the Scottish government for a \u00a32m loan to balance its books.", "summary": "NHS Highland has forecast a potential \u00a315.6m overspend based on the first three months of the financial year, but said it expects to break even."}
{"article": "Morebrook Textiles hopes to demolish a number of buildings at the March Street Mill in Peebles to make way for a residential development. Public exhibitions of the proposals took place last year. The company has now submitted more detailed plans of the buildings it hopes to demolish and retain across the site.", "summary": "Planning permission in principle is being sought to redevelop the site of a former Borders textile mill."}
{"article": "Wheelchair tennis, whose national governing body is the Tennis Foundation, doubled its target at the Games, winning six medals in total, including a gold in the men's singles. And six months on, the players continue to have success after success and the sport continues to grow and get more exposure on the world stage. Quad doubles world number one Andy Lapthorne said: \"We've made massive strides since I first started and we're breaking glass ceilings. \"Once people see it they love it, and they see tennis - it's just tennis. \"I keep telling everyone this is the fastest-growing disability sport in the world and if any young kid wants to play a disability sport and be treated the same as an able-bodied athlete, in my mind there's only one sport and it's wheelchair tennis. \"I see it being in 20 years' time the biggest disability sport in the world.\" He is just one of many in the current generation of British players who are helping to make this era in wheelchair tennis one that will be remembered. Gordon Reid came home from Rio with a gold medal in singles and a silver medal in doubles, which he won with partner Alfie Hewett. He also won four Grand Slam titles last year and ended 2016 as men's wheelchair singles world number one. And already in 2017 he has celebrated defending his singles titles in Rotterdam and is excited for the rest of the year to come, where he will be looking to defend his French Open doubles crown and both his singles and doubles titles at Wimbledon. But all this success hasn't come without a lot of hard work on Gordon's part and support from his friends, family and team. He said: \"I think it's an area where perceptions are changing as people are starting to learn more about Paralympic sport and wheelchair tennis. \"I'm a full-time athlete - most of the players, well, all of the top players now really are in our sport. \"We train just as hard as able-bodied athletes, five or six days a week with on-court tennis sessions and off court we start working in the gym.\" Gordon also plays wheelchair basketball to help with his movement around the court, something he says his coach Karen Ross originally didn't \"enjoy one bit\". \"It is quite a high-contact sport, even though it's a non-contact sport,\" said Gordon \"But it's five or six years that I've played with no injuries apart from the odd ripped-off nail now and and again so I think she's a little bit more relaxed about the whole thing now.\" Back in 2014, British number one Jordanne Whiley became the first - and currently the only British player in the able-bodied or wheelchair game - to achieve a calendar Grand Slam, lifting the doubles titles in all four majors in the same year, with partner Yui Kamiji. She said: \"I didn't actually start out the year to do the calendar Grand Slam - it just sort of happened. \"Yui is like my best friend. We first", "summary": "It was Great Britain's most over-performing sport at both the Rio Olympics and Paralympics."}
{"article": "The first group stages of the women's tournament take place on Wednesday - so-called day -2 - with Sweden facing South Africa, while the men's group stages start on Thursday, when Iraq play Denmark (both 17:00 BST). Here's all you need to know. It's simply for scheduling reasons, as it was at London 2012. With 16 men's and 12 women's teams, there are 58 matches to get through. There is football being played on 12 days of the tournament, with six rest days. Men's groups Women's groups Barcelona forward Neymar will captain a Brazil squad aiming to win its first Olympic gold medal. The hosts also have Lazio midfielder Felipe Anderson in their squad along with Neymar's Barca team-mate Rafinha and Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos. Meanwhile, Tottenham forward Son Heung-min will represent South Korea and Chelsea's John Mikel Obi brings experience for Nigeria. Five-time women's world player of the year Marta competes in her fourth Olympics for Brazil, while her 38-year-old team-mate Formiga is going to her sixth Games and is looking to continue her streak of appearing at every women's Olympic football tournament. The reigning world and Olympic champions USA have seven gold medal winners in their line-up. Among them is goalkeeper Hope Solo, who could win a record fourth Olympic title at Rio, and current world player of the year Carli Lloyd. Team GB fielded men's and women's teams at London 2012, with both sides knocked out at the quarter-final stage. The English Football Association had hoped to have both teams in Rio, but they failed to gain support from the other home nations and Fifa was not willing to accept a Great Britain team without players from every one of the home nations. Qualification is also based on tournament results and while England's women would have earned their place by finishing third at last year's World Cup, the men's failure to get past the group stage of the European Under-21 Championships would have denied them. Team GB qualification is based on England's results because the English FA is the national governing body on the BOA. \"I'm really disappointed that these next set of players won't have that opportunity in Rio,\" said former England striker Kelly Smith, who was part of Team GB's 18-strong squad at London. \"It's a great experience and you get to play against the best teams and players from across the world. It's disheartening they couldn't get a side together. The Americans view this as the ultimate.\" Even though it was not included in the Olympic programme until 1996, the women's competition is often seen as more prestigious than the men's, which is age-restricted (only three men in each squad can be over 23). For many Brazilians, the men's football tournament will be the most important part of the Games - especially on home soil, where they are looking to win their first ever gold medal in the sport. Hosts Brazil are the firm favourites to take the men's title after the disappointment of losing in the final at London 2012. Defending champions Mexico could prove", "summary": "Rio 2016 officially gets under way with the opening ceremony on Friday - but did you know football kicks off the action two days earlier?"}
{"article": "Mitzi Steady, four, Robert Parker, 59, Philip Allen, 52, and Stephen Vaughan, 34, died in the crash in February 2015. Bristol Crown Court was told the truck was too big to legally travel down Lansdown Lane in Bath. Driver Phillip Potter, 20, of Dauntsey, denies causing the deaths by dangerous and careless driving. His boss Matthew Gordon, 30, of Dauntsey, who was driving another truck in front of Mr Potter, also denies 14 offences while the truck company's mechanic Peter Wood, 55, of Brinkworth, denies four charges. Prosecutor, Adam Vaitilingam QC told the court Lansdown Lane, which has a 6ft (1.8m) width restriction for HGVs, was known locally as a \"rat run\". He said: \"These two lorries were both a lot wider that 6ft - they were about 8.5ft (2.6m) wide - and they were not using Lansdown Lane for access - they were using it as a short cut. \"They were ignoring the prohibitions. These lorries were not allowed to be and should never have been on Lansdown Lane.\" The jury heard tachograph records show the drivers had not taken mandatory breaks in the hours before the collision and both lorries were speeding as they approached Lansdown Lane. Mr Vaitilingam said the ABS warning light, which indicates problems with the braking system, was on in Mr Potter's lorry meaning it should not have been driven. Mr Potter and Mr Gordon were driving two trucks carrying 32-tonne loads from a Wiltshire quarry on 9 February last year when the crash happened. The court previously heard the brakes of Mr Potter's truck failed and the vehicle hit several pedestrians including Mitzi and a car containing Mr Allen and Mr Vaughan, both from Swansea, and Mr Parker, from Cwmbran, south Wales. Mr Potter is also charged with causing serious injuries to Karla Brennan and Margaret Rogers - Mitzi's grandmother - by dangerous driving. He denies a total of 10 charges against him. The trial continues.", "summary": "A 32-tonne tipper truck was too wide to be driven on the steep road where it crashed and killed four people, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Five workers from Scottish Water dug a two metre (6ft) hole and spent 12 hours retrieving the rubbish dumped down a manhole at Milnafua near Alness. Scottish Water said it believed someone had used the pipe as a fly tip. Other items pulled out included a yellow cricket bat, a sandcastle mould and a paint pot. Garry Kirkwood, Scottish Water's customer manager for sewer response, said: \"It looks like someone has looked to use this manhole as some kind of tip. \"Some may see comedy about this incident but there is an underlying serious matter - sewers are not a dumping ground for household refuse or unwanted items. \"Blocked sewers cause serious problems to the network such as floods that affects homes, businesses and roads as well as the cost of having to get crews out to clear the blockages.\" He added: \"To have a crew of five to be tied up for 12 hours on this urgent clear-up job also means that other repair incidents had to be delayed.\" It is not the first time Scottish Water workers have had to recover large objects from blocked sewers. DuringI 2014, the company said its staff had pulled a large Winnie the Pooh teddy, a bike, a fax machine, jeans and a snake from Scottish sewers.", "summary": "A plastic rocking horse, a dining chair, a child's scooter and a football were found to be blocking a sewer pipe in the Highlands."}
{"article": "Ling Jihua pleaded guilty and \"decided not to appeal\", state media reported. Ling was in effect chief-of-staff to Mr Hu, but was demoted in 2012 amid a high profile anti-corruption campaign. His downfall came after reports of an alleged cover-up over his son, who died alongside two semi-clad women while driving his Ferrari in Beijing in 2012. There was also speculation that Ling's demotion may have been the result of political manoeuvring ahead of a leadership change that year. The court in the northern city of Tianjin held a closed-door hearing on 7 June, Xinhua reported. Ling was convicted of taking $11.57m (\u00c2\u00a38.71m) in bribes and to have used his influence to secure property deals and promotions for his associates, among other favours, the state news agency said. Until the scandal involving his son, Ling had been tipped for promotion to the party's Politburo. Instead, he was moved from head of the Central Committee's General Office - in effect chief of staff to China's leader - and appointed to the less influential post of head of the United Front Work Department. The identity of those inside the Ferrari was never revealed and censors blocked online comments mentioning the crash. Ling was accused of trying to cover up the scandal. The authorities announced an investigation into him in late 2014, and he was expelled from the Communist Party and arrested in July 2015. President Xi Jinping has overseen a campaign against corruption since coming to power in late 2012 and many high-profile political figures have been jailed. Critics say President Xi's campaign is as much about eliminating political rivals as it is about tackling corruption.", "summary": "An ex-aide to retired Chinese president Hu Jintao has been jailed for life for corruption, illegally obtaining state secrets and abuse of power."}
{"article": "That's the amount raised in a funding round by Grammarly, a firm that boasts of having what it calls \"the world's most accurate online grammar checker\". It has persuaded venture capital firms including General Catalyst, IVP and Spark Capital to support its platform. The eight-year-old firm, based in San Francisco, offers \"mistake-free writing every time\" to 6.9 million users. The start-up was founded in 2009 by Alex Shevchenko and Max Lytvyn. Its software uses spell-checking, proof-reading and plagiarism detection tools, scanning text for the correct use of more than 250 advanced grammar rules. But not everyone sees the need for Grammarly. One online reaction posted to the announcement of the firm's venture round was: \"I rather learn to write without mistakes than let a program correct it\" (perhaps inadvertently proving its usefulness). On the other hand, Grammarly's efforts provide no guarantee that your prose will be a joy to read. Its own website contains the sentence: \"Enhance your sentences with Grammarly's context-optimized word choice suggestions to instantly improve the readability of your document.\" Clearly split infinitives are safe from the software's forensic gaze.", "summary": "There's money to be made from other people's mistakes: $110m (\u00c2\u00a385m) of it, to be precise."}
{"article": "Hannah Wynne Richards, 63, was found dead in the office above her premises in Sketty, Swansea, on 20 January by a nurse who worked with her. She had taken a cocktail of drugs from her surgery. Coroner Colin Phillips said Ms Richards had been \"facing financial pressure\". He ruled her death was suicide. Swansea Coroner's Court heard three letters were found next to Ms Richards' body - one to the coroner and the others containing money for Jeanette Hunt, who discovered her body, and a woman who looked after her horses. The one addressed to HM Coroner read: \"You are probably returning a verdict of suicide, murder by Inland Revenue would be more accurate.\" The letter to Ms Hunt said how loyal her employee had been and explained that she could not pay her tax or livery fees. It also contained \u00c2\u00a3290, thought to be for wages, the inquest heard. Mr Phillips said Ms Richards had been \"facing financial pressure\" at the time of her death and added: \"She was not a business person and she placed the needs of her animals before her own personal interests.\" The inquest was told Ms Richards, who set up Penybryn Veterinary Centre in 2007, had no relatives living near her and had little interaction with people outside her working life. Instead, she devoted herself to caring for animals - at the time of her death she was living in a basement flat behind the surgery but was known to sleep in the office when she was looking after animals. PC Jason Sullivan said: \"She was regarded as an extremely gifted and caring vet who would do all she could to save an animal's life.\" The inquest was told that Ms Richards did not have a \"good business head\" and always said the welfare of the animals was paramount. A post-mortem examination found Ms Richards' cause of death to be multiple drug toxicity and listed four drugs used in veterinary work, which were found in her system.", "summary": "A vet who killed herself left a note to the coroner saying a conclusion of \"murder by Inland Revenue\" would be more appropriate than suicide, an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "Four people died when the CHC Super Puma plunged into the sea on its approach to Sumburgh in August 2013. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said a lack of monitoring meant a reduction in air speed was not noticed by the pilots. Attempts to recover were too late. The report stated the investigation identified two main \"causal factors\". It said: \"The helicopter's flight instruments were not monitored effectively during the latter stages of the non-precision instrument approach. \"This allowed the helicopter to enter a critically low energy state, from which recovery was not possible. \"Visual references had not been acquired by the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) and no effective action was taken to level the helicopter, as required by the operator's procedure for an instrument approach.\" The report explained: \"The decreasing airspeed went unnoticed by the pilots until a very late stage, when the helicopter was in a critically low energy state. \"The commander's attempt to recover the situation was unsuccessful and the helicopter struck the surface of the sea. \"It rapidly filled with water and rolled inverted, but was kept afloat by the flotation bags which had deployed.\" No evidence was found of any engineering issues causing the crash. Passengers Sarah Darnley from Elgin, Gary McCrossan, from Inverness, Duncan Munro, from Bishop Auckland, and George Allison, from Winchester, lost their lives in the crash on 23 August 2013. Fourteen people were rescued. The report said the impact with the water was \"survivable\". Of the four dead, the conclusions said one was unable to escape, one was incapacitated by a head injury, one drowned before reaching the surface, and the other died in the life raft from a chronic heart condition. A total of 28 safety recommendations have been made but the report said many of them have already been implemented. An initial AAIB report already found the crew failed to notice the helicopter's air speed dropping until it was too late. In February 2014, the Civil Aviation Authority announced a series of measures aimed at improving offshore helicopter safety following an inquiry set up in the wake of the Shetland crash. They included helicopters not being allowed to fly offshore in severe sea conditions, passengers having to be seated next to emergency exits, and a size limit for those on board. Duncan Trapp, vice president for safety and quality at CHC Helicopter, said: \"CHC deeply regrets the tragic Sumburgh accident, and we continue to extend our sympathies to the survivors and to the loved ones of those who died. \"Our priority is always the safety of our passengers and crews and we would like to thank the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) for its thorough investigation. \"Although the AAIB makes no recommendations specific to CHC, immediately after the accident, and in the time since, we put in place additional measures to further improve safety. \"Among those actions, we have enhanced crew monitoring procedures and supported the industry-wide deployment of improved emergency breathing systems and training for offshore passengers and crew.\" A Crown Office spokesman said: \"The Crown welcomes the publication", "summary": "A report into a helicopter crash off Shetland in which four people died has said flight instruments were \"not monitored effectively\" by pilots in the moments leading up to the incident."}
{"article": "Richie, the elder at 27 and taller at 6ft 9in, with 63 caps and a 2013 Lions Test on his CV, has been a mainstay for Scotland since his debut in 2010. But the recent progress of 6ft 6in Jonny, 23 next week, has seen him earn most plaudits as a potential 2017 Lion. \"Jonny has gone from strength to strength,\" Richie Gray acknowledged. \"What I said a couple of years ago was about the need to do it consistently, but he's been able to do it week in week out and that's the most impressive thing. \"I've seen him come on as a leader. He's grown and matured and makes me very proud. \"How has his emergence as a leader changed our relationship? Not too much. We still have our discussions about things and what we can get better at. \"We're not really competitive. I think he wins most weeks anyway. It's not much of a competition. \"With brothers I suppose you always want to win the battle but we're not too much like that. We try and help each other out as much as possible. \"I see him more as an inspiration. It's great to see and certainly keeps me going. It gives me a standard I have to aim for. I'm just trying to keep up.\" Jonny Gray, a vice-captain to stand-in skipper John Barclay, is the leading tackler in this year's Six Nations, with 52 from 54 attempts. He is also in the top 10 for carries, with 36 in the three rounds to date. Richie, meanwhile, has made more tackles than anyone else without missing one (41) so far. They are both likely to make plenty more on Saturday if Scotland are to achieve a first win at Twickenham for 34 years and secure a first Triple Crown since 1990. But even if victory eludes them, the elder Gray believes a bright future lies ahead for the class of 2017. \"It's a great position to be in,\" said the Toulouse lock. \"Obviously it's a huge challenge going down there and a match with a huge amount of importance. We're looking forward to it. \"We've constantly been progressing with the group of players and the staff. We have been getting better and better. \"Glasgow and Edinburgh have both been doing well in Europe and, with us having three home games this year, hopefully that all adds together to form a good championship. \"But there certainly is a lot more to come. It's a young group and we have got more things to show.\"", "summary": "Scotland lock Richie Gray says younger brother Jonny is an \"inspiration\" rather than a sibling rival in their burgeoning second-row partnership."}
{"article": "Managers of teams comprised mainly of Muslim players have had to work around the majority of their squads fasting from dawn until dusk. Ramadan coincided with the 2012 London Olympics, the 2014 Fifa World Cup, and last year's European Championship in France. With the long summer days in Europe, the quality of player performance can be an issue. During London 2012, the Emirati football team received special dispensation from the country's highest religious authority not to fast on match days. Germany's Mesut Ozil also elected not to fast during his nation's World Cup campaign in Brazil. Others insisted on fasting. Many members of Algeria's national football team fasted during their last-16 match against Germany, despite receiving special dispensation from religious authorities, although goalkeeper Rais M'bolhi subsequently broke his fast with some dates and water at half-time. This year, Ramadan stretches from 26 May to 24 June and many national teams across Asia and Africa have delayed kick-offs until well into the night. The Asian Cup qualifier between Palestine and Oman on the outskirts of Jerusalem earlier this week was one fixture that posed extraordinary challenges. The Palestine Football Association had originally scheduled Tuesday's match to start at 9.45pm local time, then moved it back to 10.45pm, and again to 11pm. Scheduled to give the team and its fans the opportunity to break fast before heading to the stadium, it inadvertently created a headache for fans outside the Jerusalem/Ramallah area. The Palestine FA tried to coax fans into attending by granting free entry, but with people from the far northern and southern reaches of the West Bank, as well as Palestinian majority cities in Israel, needing more than two hours to commute to the match, there was always a worry not enough would be present. From a preparation standpoint, both Oman and Palestine moved workouts and training to night-time hours, while also adjusting diet and conditioning habits accordingly. Bader Aqel, one of the Palestine physicians, outlined the adjustments made to the national team's routine during Ramadan. \"We stress to the players that they drink at least three litres of water after sunset to fight against the effects of dehydration.\" Outside of Ramadan the players would be offered a buffet-style spread at their team hotel - but this week Aqel and the rest of the medical team carefully monitored the players' intake, giving them set plates to prevent overeating. The players were served equal parts carbohydrates - such as white rice - lean protein and mixed greens or salad. The menu was designed to give players easily digestible food and energy for the match. Often the coaching staff would send the players to the gym one hour before Iftar - the meal that commences immediately after breaking the fast - to jolt metabolisms after a day of relative inactivity. \"The most important thing is for players not to remain too sedentary during the day,\" added Aqel. \"We want to avoid having the players sleeping too much [which is a common occurrence during Ramadan].\" Palestine's training sessions took place at 11pm, after which the players", "summary": "This week's international fixtures took place during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims worldwide observe a month of fasting."}
{"article": "The Swede said valuable personal items and all of his clothing were taken, but added that the Claret Jug, awarded to the winner of The Open, had already been returned to the R&A on Monday. \"I am extremely grateful my family were not in the house,\" said Stenson, 41. \"I am going to try not to let this spoil the week in any way.\" Merseyside Police are investigating a burglary in Formby, less than seven miles from Royal Birkdale. Police believe the incident occurred between midday and 14:25 BST and cash, cards, electrical items, clothes and watches were stolen. An R&A spokesperson said: \"We were very sorry to hear about the burglary and have offered any assistance we can provide to Henrik and his family.\" Stenson teed off at 09:47 BST on Thursday and finished on one under par. He was a late starter as Friday's second round got under way.", "summary": "Defending Open champion Henrik Stenson's rental home was burgled as he played his first round at Royal Birkdale on Thursday."}
{"article": "Gustavo Silva Da Cruz was among three swimmers seen struggling in the water around noon on Sunday at Camber Sands. He was discovered on the beach at 18:20 BST and declared dead at the scene. Police said he had been visiting family in Croydon, south London. The others - a man and his teenage son - are critical but stable in hospital. The pair, who are aged 35 and 17 and from London, were not connected to Mr Silva Da Cruz. They were given CPR by paramedics and airlifted to hospital. Live updates after swimmer's body discovered A Go Fund Me website appeal has been set up to raise funds to return Mr Silva Da Cruz's body to Brazil. It says he was in the UK to visit his father and family, who are originally from Brazil. He was raised in Brazil by his grandparents and mother. The website said: \"The family was enjoying the hot weather in the company of friends at Camber Sands beach where Gustavo drowned. \"The young man was dragged by the strong wind which started suddenly and could not swim back to the beach.\" More than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling for lifeguards to be located at Camber Sands. Rother District Council said it was saddened by the incident and its thoughts were with the families and friends of those affected. It said the beach was \"particularly busy with around 25,000 visitors\" on Sunday. \"As is usual for the summer season, beach patrols were on site to advise people of potential dangers, reunite lost children and deal with incidents on the beach. \"The district council's coastal officer and officers from Sussex Police were also on the beach.\" A spokesman said: \"Our officers are trained to deal with incidents on the shore and acted quickly and professionally in what was an extremely distressing situation; performing CPR on two of the men and alerting HM Coastguard and the RNLI who carried out the search for the missing man.\"", "summary": "A man who died after two others were pulled from the sea off East Sussex has been identified as a 19-year-old Brazilian national."}
{"article": "A new study by the OECD, an organisation that looks at how people live and work around the world, suggests the use of computers, tablets and other tech often results in worse results, not better ones. It looked at schools around the world and says the places where they spent lots of money on tech have seen \"no noticeable improvement\" in the reading, mathematics or science tests. So, we want to know what you think? Does technology help you learn better? Do you think you can get better grades by using a tablet or can it be distracting and encourage you to copy things from the internet? This chat is now closed. Thank you for your comments. I think that technology can help you learn better in some ways because when you want to find something out you can always look it up on your computer phone or tablet. Jessica, 14, London We think that technology does help us learn better. At school we use iPads, computers and laptops in our lessons and we find that using these helps us to learn and concentrate. We also use technology during play time. We also use technology to watch Newsround everyday! Cedar class, Baston House School, Hayes I think it doesn't help because you can become very lazy and it could distract you from your work because you could be on the internet when you should be working Lucy, 13, Essex We think it helps because you don't always want to be stuck copying from a textbook. Evie & Coco, 9, Lancing I think that technology can make you tired and lazy during class and you can't learn as much on a computer as you can with a pencil and paper. Lexi, 9, Kent I think that technology doesn't help because if you use it too much you can copy things of the Internet and not learn it for yourself. Lauren, 13, Walsall Yes, I think that technology can help children learn about their skills on the computer, but as long as they get a balance between writing work and computer work. Rachael, 12, Glasgow We think that technology can be a good and a bad thing. This is because sometimes when you are trying to learn you can get bored and just end up playing games. It can distract you when adverts come up on the websites and apps. It could help us when completing homework as we can download apps that help with vocabulary or the calculator apps on tablets. On the other hand, using a calculator app may not encourage children to use their own knowledge. Year 7 form, Ark Putney Academy I think it can help you learn because you can use the internet to look things up. Tutor group 8I, Ringwood I don't think it is good because on the internet the answer is just there and you don't have to think to find it. Tutor group 8I, Ringwood I think technology is good because in the future we won't have pens and paper, just ipads. Tutor group 8I,", "summary": "Having lots of technology in the classroom doesn't improve how well pupils do at school, researchers say."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 29 July 2015 Last updated at 16:18 BST Zion Harvey described waking up with new hands as \"weird at first, but then good.'\" He lost his limbs due to a severe infection when he was two-years-old. Zion had told his doctors and his mother that more than anything he wanted to be able to play on the jungle gym and throw a ball. Four teams of surgeons worked over 11 hours to complete the complicated operation.", "summary": "An eight-year-old boy in America has become the youngest person to get a double hand transplant."}
{"article": "Gadlys Rovers' players found the goalposts facing away from pitch just hours before kick-off at Abernant in Rhondda Cynon Taff. It would have been impossible to score a goal as the stanchions that holds the net were pointing into the pitch. The amateur team play in the Aberdare Valley Football League. \"I was amazed when I went to check the pitch,\" said team manager Matthew Jones. \"To the right hand side I could see there was something wrong with the goals. They were the wrong way round. \"I thought to myself: 'What the hell is going on?'\" The 24-year-old boss was live streaming his pitch inspection in Abernant to his players when he made the discovery. Mr Jones complained to Rhondda Cynon Taf council and he said they maintained council workers had installed the goalposts correctly. \"There's no way we could've played if it hadn't been sorted out,\" he added. \"When I came back around 5.15pm they had been turned around the right way.\" A council spokesman said it had investigated the incident but later declined to comment further.", "summary": "A football team has found a novel way of keeping a clean sheet - as the goalposts on their council-run pitch were installed the wrong way round."}
{"article": "12 January 2016 Last updated at 09:50 GMT In an era when an 80-120 hour week was seen as standard for junior doctors, they opted to not work beyond a 40-hour week. Pay was another major issue at the heart of strike action in 1975. The rate of pay was reduced by about two-thirds after the first 44 hours of the week. The junior doctors' strike began across England at 08:00 GMT on Tuesday 12 January 2016, with junior doctors only providing emergency care. Weekend pay and concerns about safeguards to stop hospitals over-working doctors are the issues at stake.", "summary": "The last major strike over pay and conditions by junior doctors was over 40 years ago in 1975."}
{"article": "At least 19 people are known to taken their lives in 2008 and 2009 as the company cut thousands of jobs. Judicial sources say the company and ex-boss Didier Lombard are suspected of using a policy of unsettling staff to speed up job losses. France Telecom became Orange in 2013. It will now be up to an examining judge to decide whether or not to order a trial. But if it goes ahead it would be the first trial in France for bullying (moral harassment) of such a large company. As well as the former CEO, other figures could also face trial including his right-hand man Louis-Pierre Wenes, human resources head Olivier Barberot and four other directors. In 2006, Mr Lombard announced plans to cut 22,000 jobs and move another 14,000 workers, as France Telecom pushed for greater efficiency in the wake of privatisation two years earlier. According to an internal document cited by French media, he told a high-level meeting that he would \"do it one way or another, through the window or through the door\". In submissions made late last month, the Paris prosecutor accuses France Telecom of enacting a policy in 2007 that resulted in unsettling workers and creating a \"professional climate that provoked anxiety\" at the time of a \"delicate restructuring\" of the company, a judicial source told AFP news agency. The true number of suicides involving staff is unclear, but 60 people are thought to have taken their lives over a three-year period, and unions say as many as 35 died in 2008 and 2009. Officials speak of 19 deaths during the two years, 12 attempted suicides and eight other cases involving depression or related illnesses. Although the suicide rate at France Telecom was similar to the national average, many of those who died left notes blaming pressure from management. Mr Lombard accepted the restructuring upset employees but he has rejected the idea that it led to people taking their own lives. France Telecom, and later Orange, has been beset by tragedy since 2007: The spate of work-related deaths was not confined to France Telecom. In 2007, car-maker Renault was investigated after three workers took their own lives. Under French law, anyone who harasses another with repeated actions with the aim or the effect of degrading working conditions is liable to a year in jail and a fine of \u20ac15,000 ($16,500; \u00a312,800).", "summary": "After a lengthy inquiry into a wave of suicides at France Telecom, the Paris prosecutor has recommended that its former chief executive and other key figures are put on trial for bullying."}
{"article": "The EU's new Sentinel-2a satellite has the capability to look into the water column, to see whether reefs are undergoing change. Current, anomalously high temperatures are driving a huge coral bleaching event across the globe. Early work suggests the Sentinel can detect the effects from 780km up. The satellite's two images on this page show Fatu Huku Island in French Polynesia. The one below is a full colour view of the 1.5km-long rocky outcrop. At the top of the page, however, is a picture that displays only the \"blue band\" from the satellite's camera. Selecting this 490-nanometre wavelength makes the submerged reef around Fatu Huku jump out. \"The blue band really goes into the water. The shorter the wavelength, the better the penetration you have,\" explained Dr Benjamin Koetz from the European Space Agency (Esa). \"With Sentinel-2a, we can see 10-15m into the water, which you just couldn't see if you were using the green band, for example,\" he told BBC News. Esa is sponsoring a project called Sen2Coral, which had Sentinel-2a make repeat observations of the volcanic island from February to April this year. In that time, it detected a change in sea-bottom radiance - a brightening - that is very likely related to bleaching. A dedicated field team sent to the island at the end of February confirmed that sea-water temperatures were consistently above 30C and that parts of the reef were stressed. More work is needed though to confirm the associations. Excessively warm water will cause coral polyps to expel their symbiotic algae. This drains a reef of its colour. It is not necessarily fatal but it can weaken the ecosystem, making it vulnerable in the face of other threats such as disease. Bleaching has been occurring globally on a large scale of late because of the El Nino phenomenon, which sees surface temperatures spike in many ocean regions but particularly in the central and eastern Pacific. Scientists had previously tried to observe corals in the same way as at Fatu Huku using the American Landsat spacecraft and the French Spot platform. The former does not have quite the resolution needed (just 30m versus S2a's 10m), and the latter's camera does not have the optimal band to penetrate the water column. Ultimately, if the S2a techniques can be fully validated, it should be possible to automate the detection of change at reefs. Scientists could then use the Sentinel to alert them, not just to possible bleaching but to other deleterious impacts such as pollution incidents and nutrient run-off from land. The EU satellite is ideally suited to this kind of application. It is designed to map all land surfaces (and the coastal regions where corals tend to live) every 10 days. When its sister satellite (Sentinel-2b) is launched next year, this repeat time will fall to five days. All the data is free and open. \"Sentinel coverage is systematic in the sense that it covers within 20km of the coast. But this doesn't, of course, include all the corals in the world, and one of the objectives of this", "summary": "Scientists are working on techniques that would allow them to routinely monitor the health of corals worldwide from orbit."}
{"article": "Breaking her silence for the first time in two-and-a-half-years, Beate Zschaepe said she was not a member of the National Socialist Underground (NSU). The group carried out series of racially motivated murders, bomb attacks and robberies over a decade. In her statement, Ms Zschaepe apologised to the victims' families for failing to stop what had happened. \"I feel morally guilty that I could not prevent 10 murders and two bomb attacks... carried out by Uwe Mundlos und Uwe Boehnhardt,\" she said. The two men apparently killed each other in a suicide pact in 2011 shortly before Ms Zschaepe handed herself in. The 40-year-old said she first fell in love with Mundlos but met Uwe Boehnhardt on her 19th birthday and came into contact with his more nationalist friends. \"Zschaepe's confession - nothing but excuses!\" So runs a headline in the tabloid newspaper Bild. Her statement was much anticipated - by the families of the NSU's victims, who hoped she might tell them why the cell killed their loved ones; by the German media who wondered whether she would show remorse; and by the German public. The NSU's campaign of violence terrorised this country for more than a decade. Ms Zschaepe is the only surviving suspected member. And this is the first time she's given evidence since her arrest four years ago. Most were disappointed. Few took her apology seriously. In the words of Gamze Kubasik, whose father was killed by the NSU: \"Frau Zschaepe is trying to avoid responsibility. She won't save herself from a conviction.\" Neo-Nazi trial shrouded in intrigue The cell murdered 10 people, eight of them of Turkish origin, between 2000 and 2007 but went undetected for more than a decade. Critics say police and the security services made serious errors. Reading her 53-page statement aloud, Ms Zschaepe's lawyer Mathias Grasel began by telling the court about his client's childhood in East Germany, formerly the German Democratic Republic, and her difficult relationship with her mother. He went on to deny his client's involvement in the preparation or execution in any of the group's attacks, but apologised to the victims' families for failing to stop them. She said she was unaware of the group's first murder until three months after it occurred. Enver Simsek, a florist, was shot in Nuremberg on 9 September 2000. Ms Zschaepe said she told Mundlos and Boehnhardt that she wanted to go to police to hand herself in but they had threatened to commit suicide. In her statement, she said she still did not know the motive for the killing. However, she told the court the men murdered policewoman Michele Kiesewetter in 2007 in order to steal her gun. She said she was so \"disappointed\" that her lovers had killed repeatedly that she drank three or four bottles of sparkling wine a day and neglected her cats. \"I realised I was living with two men to whom human life was worth nothing,\" Ms Zschaepe said. The NSU cell remained undetected until Ms Zschaepe gave herself up in November 2011, after police discovered the bodies of", "summary": "A German woman accused of being part of neo-Nazi cell that murdered 10 people has denied involvement in the killings."}
{"article": "In 2014, Glenavon House Hotel, in Cookstown, was found to have committed an offence by allowing a teenage disco to be held in its nightclub. The Court of Appeal upheld the decision that laws restricting the presence of children on premises used to sell and consume alcohol had been breached. The appeal was brought by the hotel's director, Brian Morris. The court heard that the hotel had been running a monthly teenage disco in its Sense nightclub since 1994, during which no alcohol was being sold and no children were drinking alcohol. Complaints were laid in November 2013 alleging that the hotel allowed a person under the age of 18 to be in licensed premises during the permitted hours contrary to the Licensing (NI) Order 1996. Dismissing the appeal, the judge said that Sense nightclub is used mainly for the sale and consumption of alcohol. He said that had the legislation, \"wanted to exempt alcohol-free events for children on licensed premises used exclusively or mainly during permitted hours, it could have said so. \"Plainly it did not and it is not open to this court to build in such an exemption.\" The judge added that the hotel put a considerable effort into ensuring that no alcohol was consumed at the event, but that this does not provide an answer to the current law.", "summary": "A judge has dismissed an an appeal by a County Tyrone hotel that it did not breach licensing laws."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old, who had two years remaining on his previous deal, will now remain at The Valley until the summer of 2018. Pope had two spells on loan at York during the 2013-14 campaign, keeping 16 clean sheets in 24 appearances. \"I'm delighted that the club thinks I'm part of their long-term plan,\" Pope told the Charlton website. He joined the Addicks from non-league side Bury Town in the summer of 2011 and made his debut in May 2013. It remains Pope's sole senior appearance for Charlton, but he now hopes to establish himself in their starting XI. \"I'll work hard at Charlton and see what happens,\" he said. \"I think this is the right place to develop and, with the right coaches around me, hopefully I can do that. This is where I want to play my football.\"", "summary": "Charlton Athletic goalkeeper Nick Pope has signed a new long-term contract with the Championship club."}
{"article": "Deborah Leonard did not feel she could stand up to other members of the Word of Life church in New York state, said her lawyer, Devin Garramone. Her son Lucas, 19, died from the attack and his brother is in hospital. Police say they were beaten by Mrs Leonard, her husband and five others in order for them to confess their sins. All six people arrested, including the boy's father and sister, have denied the charges. \"It looks like she went along with it, and it spun out of control,\" said Mr Garramone, who described the incident as an \"intervention\". \"This woman is so meek and timid, she didn't have the temerity to stand up to them and say, 'You're not punishing my kid. You're not doing this.'\" Some of the others arrested may have caused the fatal injuries, he said. The boys were repeatedly kicked and punched on Sunday but it's not clear why. Police have described the beating as a \"spiritual counselling session to urge [the boys] to confess sins and seek forgiveness\". Ms Leonard's husband Bruce, who founded the secretive church in New Hartford, New York, said it was a family meeting that had nothing to do with the church. Lucas died on Monday morning in hospital, where his parents took him the morning after the attack. His 17-year-old brother Christopher remains there in a serious condition. The parents have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and the other four have pleaded not guilty to assault. The Word of Life church is nearly 30 years old and its membership has fallen in recent years from about 40 to 20, said a local police chief. Some live at the church. The church refused help from firefighters when the building caught fire a few years ago, he said.", "summary": "A woman charged with beating her son to death in a church has said she \"felt helpless\" to prevent the violence committed by other church members."}
{"article": "\"All-lane running\" has been introduced between junction 10a for Wolverhampton and junction 13 for Stafford. When trialled on the M25 near London, it \"reduced congestion and led to more reliable journeys\", said Highways England. Lay-bys are replaced by emergency refuge areas - but some organisations say there are not enough of them. The Central Motorway Police Group said the lack of lay-bys was \"cause for concern\" and there was \"minimal scrutiny\" of the scheme on the M6. Edmund King, president of the AA said: \"Laybys are every two and half kilometres - that is about one and a half miles. \"If you can't see a lay-by you have to stop in a live lane of traffic and that is so dangerous.\" Matt Dallaway from the RAC said all-lane running as a concept was fine but he was concerned safety had not been tested. MP's on the Commons Transport Committee have launched an inquiry. Highways England said: \"Our motorways are some of the safest in the world and the evidence shows collision and casualty rates on the M25 are down.\" \"As we gradually roll out these upgrades on other motorways we will continue to work closely with all the emergency services so we can ensure safety is maintained.\" All-lane running is currently being installed on the M5 between junctions 4a for Bromsgrove and 6 Worcestershire North.", "summary": "A scheme allowing motorists to drive on the hard shoulder of the M6 is \"dangerous,\" motoring groups have said."}
{"article": "Two men were treated in hospital after being stabbed during the incident at a Falls Road pharmacy on Thursday. Patrick Campbell, 26, of no fixed address, spoke only to confirm that he understood the 11 charges against him. Mr Campbell is accused of the attempted murder of Peter Wright and inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on his colleague Peter McDonagh. He is also accused of possessing a knife with intent to rob and assaulting police. Mr Campbell faces further charges of robbing a woman of her mobile phone, attempting to steal money from a man and three further counts of possessing a knife with intent to rob on the same date. No bail application was lodged on his behalf at Belfast Magistrates Court, so a district judge remanded him into custody to appear again via video link on 5 May. One man, in his 40s, was stabbed in the arm and the second, a man in his 50s, sustained a stab wound to his chest, during the incident on Thursday. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.", "summary": "A man has appeared in court accused of trying to kill a pharmacist during an alleged robbery in west Belfast."}
{"article": "Victims reacted angrily to the judge's decision in the Pretoria High Court to extend bail pending an appeal hearing on 19 June. The former Grand Slam champion will now be placed under house arrest. Hewitt, 75, was found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting girls he coached in the 1980s and 1990s. Judge Bert Bam criticised the Australian-born player at his sentencing on Monday for not showing remorse during his trial. He said justice must be seen to be done, even for ageing offenders. One of the victims who gave evidence at the trial said that Hewitt had assaulted her when she was just 12 years old. The judge said at the time of Hewitt's conviction that the striking similarities between the three victims' testimonies showed that his conduct was calculated. Speaking at the sentencing hearing in Pretoria, Hewitt's wife Delaille had begged the court to show mercy and not award a custodial sentence. Hewitt had testified that he suffered from poor health. The BBC's Nomsa Maseko, in Johannesburg, says the tennis champion has also been ordered to pay a fine to the South African Department of Justice, which will help fund its campaigns against sexual abuse. Hewitt's lawyers say they will appeal against his conviction and sentence. He was suspended from the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012 over the allegations of sexual abuse. Hewitt played initially for Australia, later moving to South Africa and taking citizenship there. He was a member of the South African team which won the Davis Cup by default in 1974. India, their opponents, refused to travel to South Africa for the final as a protest over the government's apartheid policies.", "summary": "Former tennis star Bob Hewitt has been granted bail by a South African court, after receiving a six-year prison sentence for raping underage girls."}
{"article": "Joe Anderson said the city council would launch a feasibility study before submitting a bid. Hosting the event \"would reflect the city's growing confidence and expertise in organising large events\", he said. Mr Anderson's announcement came three days before voting to select Labour's candidate for the Liverpool city region metro mayor election closes. MPs Luciana Berger and Steve Rotheram are the other hopefuls. The UK's nomination for a host city will be decided in 2018, with the successful host named by the Commonwealth Games General Assembly in 2019. Mayor Anderson said: \"Liverpool is an ambitious city and I believe we have an enormous amount to offer when it comes to hosting an event of this scale, which would be an incredibly important catalyst for regeneration, investment and raising the profile of sport.\" Heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, boxer Tony Bellew, and former footballer Jamie Carragher are among the ambassadors for the proposed bid. The last British city to host the games was Glasgow in 2014 although England last held it in Manchester in 2002. Manchester City Council leader, Sir Richard Leese, said that despite \"a long tradition of sporting rivalry... Liverpool's bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games has Manchester's wholehearted support\". In July, the Welsh government dropped plans to bid for the event, blaming the cost and uncertainty after the Brexit vote. Birmingham City Council leader, councillor John Clancy, said in April that he was \"open to persuasion\" after the city was encouraged to bid but he believed it \"would detract from our immediate priorities\". Last year, it was announced that South Africa would host the event in 2022 after the Canadian city Edmonton withdrew its bid due to cost. The awarding of the games to Durban followed concerns from the Commonwealth Games Federation about a lack of interest from member countries in hosting future competitions. Liverpool has recently held a number of large spectator events including when 1.2 million spectators watched ocean liners gather to celebrate Cunard's 175th anniversary last year. In 2014, a giant puppet show to mark the 100th anniversary of World War One attracted about a million visitors. There's nothing new in Mayor Anderson's desire to bid for Liverpool to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026. It was one of his pledges when he successfully ran for re-election as mayor of Liverpool in May. It's also no coincidence that he is a candidate in an election - which ends on Friday - for Labour's candidate to be metro mayor of the Liverpool city region. Evertonians will be desperate to hear that a new stadium for the club will be part of the plans, but anything concrete is a long way off. The Mayor's declaration of intent brings local athletes on board - but will also provoke those who think at a time of austerity, the city can ill afford to be spending money on an international sporting event. But then, people said that about Liverpool's bid to be European Capital of Culture - which went on to be a huge success.", "summary": "Liverpool is planning a bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the city's mayor has said."}
{"article": "The money will go to International Medical Corps, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and Save the Children. Facebook is also paying for 100 satellite communication terminals to help improve internet and phone services in west Africa. The disease has killed nearly 5,000 people across Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced the Ebola donation button with a video on his own profile page, saying \"I want to make sure Facebook does its part to help fight Ebola.\" Last month he donated almost $25m (\u00c2\u00a316m) to the fight against the virus. And he's been forced to point this out again, with critics accusing him of adding the button purely as a marketing move. \"Facebook is giving everyone the ability to donate, but how much is Facebook donating? ... this seems just marketing to me one more time,\" said Pepe Pepe Pepe. Zuckerberg responded in person, writing: \"I personally donated $25m and Facebook is spending millions more on providing internet connectivity in the affected regions.\" Facebook says it chose charities that work directly on the ground and are able to accept money globally. Ebola aid donations have so far lagged behind the money given by the public after natural disasters like last year's Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, or the earthquake in Haiti four years ago. It's well known Facebook is trialling a payment system and it's likely the Ebola button will help the firm measure how its servers handle secure money transfers. In October hacked screenshots appeared to show a hidden payment option inside the site's Messenger app, which is used by around 200 million people. All the evidence adds up that Facebook wants to move into the money transactions market. In June, the company brought in PayPal president and payments expert David Marcus as boss of its messaging service. It's thought he's looking beyond adverts for how chat apps can begin to make real profit. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Facebook has added an Ebola button to users' profile pages to help people donate to charities fighting the disease."}
{"article": "Now Rosetta - Philae's European Space Agency (ESA) mothership - will switch off its electrical support system meaning it will no longer be possible to communicate with Philae. Rosetta will remain in orbit around the comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko until the 30 September, when controllers at ESA will crash the spacecraft into the surface, using the opportunity to gather close-up photos and data as it falls. Philae has asked for picture postcards to be shared as a way of marking its shutdown. Philae's official job on Comet 67P was to acquire as much information about the comet as possible. It would record and transmit pictures. It was a job greatly appreciated by NASA who also tweeted thanks and goodbye. Philae and its spacecraft called Rosetta developed a relationship on social media with the two exchanging musings about their new location, the view, power sources and crucially, the icy cold conditions. But now Rosetta is letting go. Messages have come in from around the world including people posted pictures on Germany's Aerospace Centre's Facebook page. And Melanie Gywer, also in Germany, tweeted this. And it's ciao from Italy. From the USA, @Kelpher tweeted this message from Chicago. In Bolivia Andrea L wants Philae to remember how green Earth is. From South Wales, UK, Barrie Johnson, shared his goodbye postcard to Philae. While Amy Carparelli from Kent, UK, tweeted her picture of Philae. The ESA says that no signal has been received from Philae since July 2015 and so the decision has been taken to switch off to save energy until the end of the mission.", "summary": "Almost two years ago a robot called Philae became a household name after it succeeded in making a difficult - and bouncy - landing on a moving comet."}
{"article": "Fish oil has been marketed to women as a prenatal supplement. But a 10-year study of more than 2,500 pregnant women found it did not improve babies' intelligence, according to the Australian research. The findings suggested that fish oil might lead to slightly longer pregnancies, but that would require further research, the team said. \"If a pregnant woman has a healthy, balanced diet, then the baby's brain development is not going to benefit from having these fish oil supplements,\" study co-author Dr Jacqueline Gould told the BBC. The research, by the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, followed women from their pregnancy to when their children were seven years old. Participants were given either a daily fish oil supplement or a placebo. The results found taking a 800mg dose of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 acid, had no impact on babies' intelligence. Dr Gould said supplement makers had specifically marketed fish oil as a way to boost development in infants. She said the research, detailed in the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed fish oil might be linked with longer pregnancies. \"What that meant was, there were slightly fewer children born pre-term,\" Dr Gould said. \"We're currently trying to validate that in a much bigger study.\"", "summary": "Taking fish oil while pregnant does not improve the brain development of babies, new research has found."}
{"article": "Having resumed on 55-1, the hosts lost Gary Ballance (45) and Andrew Lyth (39) early on, before Andrew Gale (67) and Jonny Bairstow steadied the innings. Bairstow was trapped lbw by Chris Jordan after the break, while Chris Liddle removed Jack Leaning cheaply. But Gale and Bresnan (50 not out) helped their side reach 298-9 at stumps, a lead of 301. Sussex would need at least a draw to secure their Division One status for next season if rivals Hampshire can complete victory at Nottinghamshire on Friday. The visitors started the third day strongly with the ball as Ballance and Lyth both played onto their stumps in the morning session. Gale's patient innings put Yorkshire back on the front foot, and also saw the 31-year-old surpass 1,000 runs in the County Championship this season. However the captain's 131-ball knock was finally ended when he was caught by Jordan off the bowling of Liddle, but Bresnan's half-century left Sussex in danger of playing Division Two cricket for the first time since 2010 next season.", "summary": "Andrew Gale and Tim Bresnan hit half-centuries for Yorkshire at Headingley to deepen Sussex's relegation fears."}
{"article": "Mr Nesbitt announced he is to quit as soon as a new leader is appointed, after the party's disappointing performance in March's election. The UUP is now the fourth biggest party in the Assembly, having been overtaken by the SDLP for the first time. Mr Swann made the announcement on social media on Friday. He said he had \"submitted papers\" to seek election as leader of the UUP, after \"receiving support from across the party, including members of our Westminster, assembly and local government teams\". The UUP is due to elect Mr Nesbitt's successor at its annual general meeting on 8 April. There had been some speculation that UUP MLA Steve Aiken would throw his hat in the ring for the leadership, but he told BBC's Evening Extra he was supporting Mr Swann's bid. \"I think that it's excellent news and Robin will be an excellent leader. I signed his papers and I am fully supportive of him,\" he said. \"He is one of the few people who has the breadth and depth of experience. He is the chief whip, understands the system in the Assembly and has the vast majority of support from the party.\" When asked why he had not put his own name forward, Mr Aiken said Mr Swann was the best candidate for the job. Earlier in March Mr Swann told the BBC he was \"not ruling out\" a leadership bid. He also said his wife Jennifer was a member of the Ulster Unionist Party and will have a vote at the AGM. \"If my name is on the ballot paper, I hope she will be voting for me.\" The 45-year-old father of two was first elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2011 and he represents North Antrim. He chaired the Public Accounts Committee during the last assembly's mandate and is former president of the Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster. Mr Swann was one of 10 UUP members who won seats in the last Assembly elections, but he said the new leader did not necessarily have to be an MLA. \"Our party rules actually allow anybody who is in good standing, and a member of the Ulster Unionist Party, to put their name forward, so there is a misconception out there,\" he said.", "summary": "Robin Swann has announced he has put his name forward for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leadership contest following Mike Nesbitt's resignation."}
{"article": "Vancouver Aquarium said it had been contacted by the girl's family after staff had raised concerns about \"seal finger\", which can lead to amputations. The girl suffered a 10cm (4in) wound when the animal grabbed her with its jaws, her father told CBC News. He rejected claims that she had been trying to feed the marine mammal. The video of her being pulled by the dress from the dockside in Richmond, British Columbia, and then rescued by her grandfather, has been widely shared on social media, prompting some users to suggest the family had been trying to feed sea lions. \"There was somebody beside them that was trying to feed them,\" said the father, who gave only his surname, Lau, in order to prevent the identification of the girl. But he admitted his daughter had got too near when she moved forwards to have a closer look. \"That's a lesson she took and she has taken that lesson in a hard way,\" he said. Aquarium spokesman Deana Lancaster told ABC news the family had got in touch after staff gave interviews about the risks of \"seal finger\" infection. Bacteria living in the mouths of seals and sea lions can cause the painful and potentially serious condition, with symptoms including cellulitis and debilitating joint inflammation. It is mainly known historically for affecting sealers' hands, although it can travel to any part of the body. Ms Lancaster said the girl was now going to get the right treatment. Mr Lau confirmed the family had been in touch with the aquarium and praised the girl's grandfather's quick response. \"If he had a one- or two-second doubt about that, my girl could have been gone by then. That reaction makes him a hero,\" he said. He said the family had been \"disturbed\" by the video going viral, but were mainly just relieved the girl was safe. \"Only thing I care is: God, she is safe,\" said Mr Lau. \"I could have gone organising a funeral by now rather than doing an interview.\"", "summary": "A girl dragged off a dock in Canada by a sea lion is being treated with antibiotics because of the risk of a dangerous infection."}
{"article": "Mr Greste was freed from prison and deported on Sunday after 400 days behind bars. He is now in Cyprus, en route to Australia. Mr Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were arrested in 2013 on charges of spreading false news and aiding the Muslim Brotherhood. Mr Fahmy and Mr Mohamed remain jailed. In an interview with al-Jazeera, Mr Greste described his release as \"a massive step forward\" for the Egyptian authorities. \"I just hope that Egypt keeps going down that path with the others,\" the Australian journalist added. Mr Fahmy, who holds dual Egyptian and Canadian citizenship, could be freed if he renounces his Egyptian nationality, presidential sources say. Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said on Monday that Mr Fahmy's release was \"imminent\", without elaborating. But there are still concerns about Mr Mohamed, an Egyptian who holds no dual nationality. Speaking on Monday, Mr Greste said he \"wasn't expecting\" his release on Sunday and had been released with what felt like \"just a few minutes' notice\". He described a \"real mix of emotions\" after learning he would be freed, with both a \"sense of relief and excitement but also real stress in having to say goodbye to my colleagues and friends - people who've really become family inside that prison\". \"It was a very difficult moment walking out of that prison. Saying goodbye to those guys, not knowing how much longer they would have to put up with this.\" He expressed concern for Mr Fahmy and Mr Mohamed, as well as other journalists convicted in absentia. \"If it's right for me to be free then it's right for all of them to be free,\" he said. Mr Greste, Mr Fahmy and Mr Mohamed, journalists for al-Jazeera English, were arrested in 2013 after being accused of collaborating with the banned Muslim Brotherhood after the overthrow of former President Mohammed Morsi by the military. All three denied the charges against them and said their trial was a sham. In June last year, Mr Fahmy and Mr Greste were sentenced to seven years in prison and Mr Mohamed to 10. Their sentences sparked an international outcry. The three men's convictions were overturned on 1 January but they remained in custody pending a retrial. Several students have also been held in the same case. The students deny working for Al-Jazeera but it is thought that material filmed on their phones was used by the network. In a separate case, Abdullah El-Shamy, a journalist for Al-Jazeera's Arabic channel, was arrested in August 2013 when police broke up a protest by supporters of Mr Morsi. He was released on health grounds in June 2014 after a hunger strike of nearly five months. According to campaign group Reporters Without Borders, there are currently 165 journalists imprisoned around the world, including 15 in Egypt. Muted reaction in Egypt media How journalists were jailed in Egypt Who are the jailed journalists?", "summary": "Al-Jazeera journalist Peter Greste says he is relieved to be free but feels \"incredible angst\" at leaving behind two of his colleagues in jail in Egypt."}
{"article": "The work will help reduce flooding risk to 238 properties in the city centre caused by such abandoned objects, the Environment Agency said. It coincides with the Destructor Bridge on the river being removed as part of a new development. On Monday, shopping trolleys were pulled out of the river by the agency. Matthew Symonds from the trust said: \"Navigation can be tricky along the River Avon and no wonder given the amount of stuff that's down there.\" The stretch between Windsor and Victoria bridges is being focused on after the agency carried out a survey of flood defences. An agency spokesman said: \"Large objects such as cars and shopping trolleys can cause serious problems when abandoned in a river. \"They can increase flood risk by disrupting flows and cause a hazard to navigation.\" The same contractor that is removing the Destructor Bridge will carry out the \u00c2\u00a320,000 river clean up, which is being paid for by the agency. The Canal and River Trust has appealed for people to stop dumping objects into the river due to the navigational hazards and the impact on wildlife. Work is expected to be completed by the end of the week.", "summary": "Cars and mopeds are expected to be lifted from the River Avon in Bath during the first dredging operation for 20 years."}
{"article": "Marice Hall, Karen McGee and Lesley Leake work at a Kinsley primary school near Wakefield. They said pay had been cut since it became an academy. After the contract moved from Wakefield Council to private company C&D Cleaning pensions, holiday and sick pay had also been cut, they said. C&D said it was seeking to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. About 100 people marched in Barnsley, where C&D is based, from the Town Hall to the town centre. The three women have been on strike since the beginning of September, with the union Unison taking the employer to an employment tribunal. Lesley Leake said: \"We had just had enough, we were sick of going home and crying to our partners. \"It has been scary, but we have just got to go to the end and see how it turns out.\" Marice Hall said: \"We love our little job and we just want to carry on with our normal lives and go back to work.\" Robin Symonds, regional organiser for Unison, said: \"It's probably the worst example that I've ever seen, and I've seen some pretty bad examples of low-paid workers who have had their jobs outsourced being thrown to the wolves by greedy employers\". In a statement, a spokesperson for C&D said: \"C&D were not provided with crucial information at the point of transfer of the three employees. \"We will not conduct a public discussion over the issues, as they are and will be dealt with in an appropriate manner. \"C&D is actively seeking, as it has all along, to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.\"", "summary": "A march has taken place backing three striking cleaners who say their wages and employment benefits have been cut."}
{"article": "During her maiden speech, the Glasgow entrepreneur quoted the words from \"Greatest Love Of All\". She said she loved music and cherished the song's line: \"I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way.\" Baroness Mone of Mayfair was appointed a Tory peer in August last year. In her 10-minute address on Monday she spoke about her life growing up in \"a tenement flat in the east end of Glasgow with no bath or shower and only a cupboard for a bedroom\". The 44-year-old said: \"I wondered whether I would fit in here, but I should not have worried. \"I am endlessly grateful for the guidance and support from all the officers and everyone who works in this wonderful house, and for the kindness and warmth of welcome from members on all sides.\" Baroness Mone went on to say that her dyslexia had made her first Lords speech \"harder than any business I have ever started\". The mother-of-three began her lingerie business 17 years ago. She boasts of global success and is an established public speaker. Baroness Mone ended her address by highlighting the inspiration she had found from American singer Whitney Houston who died in 2012. She told a small gathering of peers: \"I love music and I would like to share with you the words of a song by the late, great Whitney Houston, which inspired me when I was growing up. \"I normally sing this at karaoke, but on the advice of our wonderful doorkeepers, I thought I would spare your Lordships' ears: 'I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way'.\" The \"Greatest Love of All\" was originally recorded in 1977 by George Benson and covered by Whitney Houston in 1985. In response to Baroness Mone's speech, fellow House of Lords member, Lord Fowler, said: \"My lords, it is such a pity that the noble baroness did not burst into song, but there we are. \"It is a great pleasure to follow her and to congratulate her on her maiden speech, which was by any standards quite outstanding - I say that quite sincerely.\"", "summary": "New peer Michelle Mone has told the House of Lords that she was inspired as a child by the lyrics of a \"late, great Whitney Houston\" song."}
{"article": "The officer, 52, was seriously injured when a booby-trap device exploded under his van on Friday, 4 March. A dissident republican group known as the New IRA said it carried out the attack. The 45-year-old man has also been charged with possession of explosives with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property. He is due to appear in court in Belfast on Saturday. A 39-year-old man who was also arrested in connection with the attack has been released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service. Another man, a 34-year-old, who was being questioned about the bombing has been released unconditionally.", "summary": "A man has been charged with the attempted murder of a prison officer in a bomb attack in Belfast last week."}
{"article": "Polling stations opened at 07:00 BST and closed at 22:00, with more than 850,000 people eligible to vote. Counting is due to take place on Friday, with results expected throughout the day, Surrey County Council said. Twenty one councillors are not standing again - more than 26% of the council. Across England, Wales and Scotland, voters will have their say on a total of 4,851 council seats. There are also eight mayoral elections, including elections in six new \"combined local authorities\".", "summary": "Counting has begun as polls for the local elections in Surrey closed, with all 81 seats on the county council up for grabs."}
{"article": "It meant the unemployment rate fell by 0.2% to its lowest since 1975, at 4.5%, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) added. But wage increases continued to fall further behind inflation. Excluding bonuses, earnings rose by 2.0% year-on-year. However, inflation had hit an almost four-year high of 2.9% in May. When the impact of inflation is factored in, real weekly wages fell by 0.5% compared with a year earlier. Mark Carney: UK wage growth 'anaemic' UK workers 'frustrated by flatlining pay' UK inflation rate at near four-year high \"Despite the strong jobs picture... there has been another real-terms fall in total earnings, with the growth in weekly wages low and inflation still rising,\" said Matt Hughes, senior statistician at the Office for National Statistics. Those in work climbed to around 32 million, a rise of 324,000 on last year and the largest total since records began in 1971. The employment rate rose by 0.3% on the quarter to a record high of 74.9%. \"The general picture is little changed on last month, with the overall employment rate and that for women both at record highs, the inactivity rate at a joint record low and the unemployment rate falling to its lowest since early summer 1975,\" said Mr Hughes. The unemployment rate for 16 to 24-year-olds was 12.5%, lower than for a year earlier when it was 13.5%, and well below its highest rate of 22.5% in late 2011. The sluggish pay data may cause Bank of England officials to think again about the need to raise interest rates, after a narrow 5-3 vote by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) last month to leave rates at 0.25%. \"The continued weakness of wage growth provides some ammunition to the more dovish members of the MPC that now is not the time to raise interest rates,\" said Paul Hollingsworth, UK economist at Capital Economics. He added: \"Given the emphasis that some members of the Monetary Policy Committee, including Governor Carney, have put on wanting to see a clear \"firming\" in wage growth before they join others in voting to hike interest rates, we still think it is more likely than not that the MPC will hold off for a while longer, rather than raise interest rates imminently.\" Meanwhile, Minister for Employment, Damian Hinds said the employment figures were \"another reminder that our strong economy is giving record numbers of people the chance to find and stay in work\". But TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: \"Ministers must set out a plan to get real wages rising across the public and the private sectors.\" After trading lower against the dollar, the pound gained ground to trade 0.1% stronger on the day at $1.2858. Sterling also gained 0.1% against the euro, with one pound getting you 1.1217 euros.", "summary": "UK unemployment fell by 64,000 to 1.49 million in the three months to May, official figures show."}
{"article": "And the guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) were well placed to profit from the illegal drugs trade. Today, there are still small fields of bright green coca cut from the virgin jungle, but the rebels have found a more lucrative, and far safer, source of income: gold. It was here the US military aid package, known as Plan Colombia, which has amounted to some $8bn (\u00c2\u00a35bn) since 1999, was concentrated. Since 2000, fleets of spray planes have dropped glyphosate chemicals over the coca bushes, managing to reduce, but never eradicate, drug production. What the chemicals have done is push local farmers into the new, informal industry of gold mining. \"We estimate that the Farc here make 800m pesos ($450,000) a week from illegal gold mining,\" said Jhimmy Calvache, the acting mayor of Mocoa in Putumayo province. Colombia has vast gold deposits, especially along the rivers that wash down from the Andes Mountains. It was gold that drew the Spanish conquistadors here in the 16th Century, and now, with prices high for precious metal, gold fever has returned. Mechanical diggers operate along the riverbeds and banks in Putumayo, protected by heavily armed rebels who allow no access to the sites and impose huge \"taxes\" on production. In March, police sought to send in investigators to find out how much gold was being extracted. They ran into trigger-happy guerrillas and it was decided that, without massive army support, there was no chance of making any meaningful inquiries. The operation was abandoned. While the illegal exploitation of gold in Putumayo is still in its infancy, it is well developed in other parts of the country. In the northern department of Antioquia, the Farc have established a series of extortion schemes on the gold miners, legal and illegal. For every mechanical digger that enters their territory, the rebels charge an initial \"tax\" of up to $3,000 and another $2,000 per piece of heavy machinery for every month of operation. In the gold-rich municipality of Anori in Antioquia, authorities believe there are up to 120 diggers operating, earning the local Farc unit a monthly income of at least $240,000. There are 125 municipalities in Antioquia. \"Gold is now more lucrative than coca,\" says Antioquia Governor Sergio Fajardo. The guerrillas are not just extorting money but running some mining operations themselves or demanding a percentage of all production. The advantage of gold is that it is perfectly legal to transport and sell, unlike cocaine. Indeed, legally registered mines have become a favourite acquisition for drug traffickers as well, as they are perfect vehicles for laundering money. The mining companies can claim any amount of gold is being extracted and then traffickers put all their money from cocaine sales through the books. On condition of anonymity, a mine worker in Anori played the recording on his telephone of a call he said was from the Farc demanding payment. \"Don't try my patience this month,\" growled a low voice, \"don't make me look for you, or the machines will be burnt and you may become a", "summary": "A decade ago, the Colombian region of Putumayo was the main production centre for coca, the raw material for cocaine."}
{"article": "\"Le onze Septembre Francais\" declared the banner headline in France's Le Monde newspaper. \"A French September 11th.\" But now France also has 1/11, another set of numbers etched in the annals of the terrible history of terrorism and stirring stories of people who fight back. Nearly four million took to the streets and squares across France on Sunday 11 January for a Unity march in the wake of three days of terror that left 17 dead, and a nation saddened, stunned, and - it is hoped - strengthened in a new solidarity. Never have so many French citizens turned out in such large numbers since the liberation of Paris from Nazi Germany in 1944. \"I'm proud of my country,\" reflects French journalist Nicolas Henin. \"People often join protests for more jobs or higher salaries, but this wasn't for something immediate. It was for France's future.\" More than a decade ago, in the wake of the shocking attacks in New York and Washington on 11 September, the slogan that sounded from many capitals was: \"We're standing shoulder to shoulder.\" Now there is a new version of the same refrain in the most pronounced show of solidarity since then: \"Le monde se leve\" (The world rises) was the Sunday morning headline in Le Journal du Dimanche. The morning after, one word was splashed across many front pages in France - \"Debout\" (Standing). \"The world stands with France\" was the top line of the International New York Times. Nearly 50 world leaders cleared their diaries to literally stand shoulder to shoulder again. They marched, arms linked, along part of the route to be, and be seen to be, part of a French story of pain and resolve. Now, more than ever, this battle is recognised as a global fight against rising extremism. But some leaders had other reasons too. The media watchdog Reporters Without Borders condemned the presence of \"predators\u2026 the leaders from countries where journalists and bloggers are systematically persecuted\". \"It's shocking to see some of the leaders here,\" laments journalist Nicolas Henin. But, as we stand in the midst of the densely packed, diverse, cheering, flag-waving crowd at the main gathering place of La Place de la Republique, he speaks of a \"feel-good day\" for millions of people who came from across France and beyond. \"I had to come too,\" he remarks. It was in this very place that smaller but still significant crowds had gathered every month, for 10 months, to call for his release, and for the three other French journalists who had been held hostage by the Islamic State group in Syria. Sunday's call for unity came in the wake of the attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and the murder of four legendary French cartoonists who have long wielded the sharpest of pens. Theirs is a history of France, from the street protests of 1968, to the civil conflict in Algeria in the 1990s, to the worst terrorist attack in half a century that cost them their lives. By Friday, a series of attacks had also claimed the", "summary": "In France, many reached for the phrase recognised by all - 9/11."}
{"article": "In a BBC interview, he denied any link with fighting that began on Sunday and accused President Salva Kiir of \"inciting tribal and ethnic violence\". The UN says hundreds have died and has warned of a descent into civil war. Mr Kiir's government said its forces were in control of all cities, but he has offered to talk to Mr Machar. Mr Kiir said a group of soldiers supporting Mr Machar had tried to take power by force on Sunday night but were defeated. He said the clashes began when uniformed personnel opened fire at a meeting of the governing party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM). But Mr Machar told the BBC World Service's Newsday programme on Wednesday: \"There was no attempted coup.\" What is behind South Sudan army clashes? The whereabouts of Mr Machar are unclear. He told the BBC he was still in South Sudan and was \"not going to leave the country\". He blamed Sunday's fighting on a conflict between members of the presidential guard, and said it spread across parts of the capital, Juba. He added that government troops used the incident to arrest some of his supporters on Monday, and that he himself escaped. \"Salva wanted to frame me,\" he said. \"I had to flee. They are hunting me down.\" Mr Machar said his disagreement with Mr Kiir was on reform of the SPLM, which the president had rejected. \"So we are asking him to resign and leave the presidency,\" Mr Machar said. Mr Kiir said he was willing to enter into talks with Mr Machar but said he did not know what the result would be. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday welcomed the offer, saying he was \"deeply concerned\" about the situation in the country. He said that this was \"a political crisis that needs to be dealt with through political dialogue\" and that there was a risk of the violence spreading further. Mr Ban confirmed that some 20,000 people had taken refuge in the UN mission in Juba, and several hundred more in Jonglei state. French UN ambassador Gerard Araud, who holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council, said the conflict had \"the potential of a civil war\" between the two main ethnic bodies, the Dinka - Mr Kiir's group - and the Nuer, from which Mr Machar hails. Information Minister Micheal Makuei Lueth confirmed to the Associated Press that at least 500 people, mostly soldiers, had been killed. There were reports that fighting had continued on Monday and Tuesday near the presidential palace and many other areas of Juba. On Wednesday a businessman living in Juba, Muhammad Waqas ur-Rehman, told the BBC the city was tense and that he and many others were trying to leave. There were also reports of people fleeing clashes in Bor, the capital of Jonglei state, about 150km (90 miles) to the north. The South Sudan Red Cross Society said at least 19 people were killed in overnight fighting there. However, presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told the BBC that government forces were in full", "summary": "Fugitive former South Sudanese vice-president Riek Machar has denied government allegations that he tried to stage a coup at the weekend."}
{"article": "On Monday, SSI said it was mothballing iron and steelmaking at the site for up to five years, citing poor trading conditions and low world steel prices. It said prices would need to recover before the plant could reopen. The focus of the talks is on the mothballing process, which will involve 450 people continuing to work at the Teesside plant. Part of the process involves keeping the coke ovens and the power station in operation in order for steel production to resume if it is deemed possible. The Thai-owned company initially \"paused\" production of iron and steelmaking at the site, one of the largest steel plants in the UK, on 18 September. It said it had carried out an assessment of its business and concluded there was \"no other option\". Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the TUC, said pressure should be put on the government to devise a rescue plan. She said: \"Energy costs in Britain are on average 80% higher than those in the rest of Europe and do we really think that Angela Merkel would sit by and let the German steel industry go down the pan? Certainly not. \"She would be calling in the unions and the company and looking at how we secure the long-term future of what is a strategic industry for the whole economy.\" Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald, who is also Parliamentary Private Secretary to the shadow chancellor, said that the true number of job losses, once contractors and the supply chain were taken into account, could be about 9,000. \"The government should be playing a proper role, not just picking up the pieces,\" he said. \"We should be looking at the sustainability of the steel industry, with the government going in as administrators, keeping it active, stockpiling steel if necessary.\" But James Wharton, Conservative MP for Stockton South and Minister for Local Growth and the Northern Powerhouse ruled out re-nationalisation. \"An industry which has made a loss over each of the last three years would pass that responsibility to the tax payer,\" he said. \"It would present huge issues for the rest of the steel market in this country in terms of how they would then be able to compete with, what will be, a nationalised company. \"It's just not something that is going to happen.\" Jonathan Aylen, an expert on the steel industry from the University of Manchester, said it was hard to see what the government could do. \"Of course this leaves a very sour taste because seven years ago the banks, who'd acted completely irresponsibly, were bailed out,\" he said. \"And this firm instead invests and innovates for export and then, when the time comes, its fate is ignored.\" During his maiden speech to the Labour conference in Brighton, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged David Cameron to come to the aid of steel workers facing job losses on Teesside \"as the Italian government has done\" with its industry. A Downing Street spokesman said ministers were \"working to help those who will lose their jobs at the Redcar steel plant\" and the", "summary": "Union officials are in talks with SSI's Redcar plant executives after the firm announced the loss of 1,700 jobs."}
{"article": "The share price fall extended a decline that started almost immediately after Snapchat started trading on the stock market this spring. The firm reported 173 million daily users, up 4% on the prior quarter. But the company is struggling with fierce competition from Facebook, which offers similar features. Snap's stock, which was priced at $17 for its public offering in March, is now trading at less than $14. On Thursday, chief executive Evan Spiegel pledged that he and fellow co-founder Robert Murphy would not sell any of their own shares this year, as a sign of confidence in the firm's prospects. The shares were worth billions at the time of the IPO. \"We believe deeply in the long-term success of Snap,\" he told analysts on a call after the results were released. Snap made its name as a messaging app, with texts that would disappear. It now offers video stories, maps and other features. The firm said it is working to woo advertisers with low prices and evidence that its ads are working - features it hopes will set it apart from rivals. Revenue over the three months to the end of June was $181.7m, more than double the same period in 2016. But expenses grew even faster, reaching more than $630.6m for the quarter, including expenses related to stock-based compensation. Snap's user base increased by more than 20% year-on-year. But the firm added just seven million new users in the quarter, compared to eight million in the first three months of the year. Shares in the firm fell more than 14% in after-hours trade. Mr Spiegel said the company was making \"a lot of progress\". He estimated that a quarter of people with smart phones in the US, UK and France use Snapchat every day, with users typically spending more than 30 minutes daily on the site. Snap is not the only young company that has stumbled after going public while facing off with one of the tech giants. The prepared meal company Blue Apron, which started trading in June, has also lost much of its value. Analysts say Amazon's plan to acquire Whole Foods, combining its delivery strength with a well-known grocer, has dimmed its prospects. On Thursday, in its first earnings report since its stock market debut, Blue Apron reported more than $238m in revenue for the three months to the end of June and losses of $31.6m. Its shares fell more than 17%, to $5.14, compared to $10 price set at the IPO.", "summary": "Snap shares plunged 14% on Thursday after the social media firm reported more than $400m (\u00c2\u00a3310m) in quarterly losses and fewer than expected users."}
{"article": "Spratt, 25, joins on a one-year deal, and Samson, 23, on a two-year-deal. Wales international Spratt said: \"I'm excited to be joining London Irish. They play an exciting brand of rugby that appeals to me.\" Samson, who has played for Scotland at U20 level, said: \"I've enjoyed my time at Edinburgh but a chance to play in the Premiership was not to be missed.\" The duo will join the Exiles squad this summer for pre-season training. Jonathan is a strong, powerful runner, with great feet and good distribution skills. Spratt made his Wales debut in 2009 in a Test against Canada. The centre also played for Taranaki in New Zealand's domestic rugby tournament, the Air New Zealand Cup in 2008. He has not played for Ospreys this season, having damaged his anterior cruciate ligament in pre-season, on his return from an earlier injury. Samson is a product of Newcastle Falcons' academy and has represented Scotland at all age-group levels. The Edinburgh-born scrum-half featured in the IRB Junior World Championship in 2008 and this season's IRB sevens circuit tournament. Ross has a strong pass on him, an eye for the gap and he reads the game well. London Irish head coach Toby Booth said: \"Jonathan is a highly talented young player and another very useful addition to our squad. \"He is a strong, powerful runner, with great feet and good distribution skills. \"Ross is an exciting young talent in Scottish rugby. He has a strong pass on him, an eye for the gap and he reads the game well.\"", "summary": "London Irish have signed Ospreys centre Jonathan Spratt and Edinburgh Rugby scrum-half Ross Samson."}
{"article": "The rock-pop boyband sold five million records at the start of the millennium, scoring number one hits with Year 3000 and What I Go To School For. But Simpson walked out after a record-breaking 12-night engagement at Wembley Arena, saying his time in the band was \"like torture\". Busted will pick up where they left off, playing Wembley on 11 May, 2016. The reunion was sparked by a road trip to Philadelphia, where the trio - Simpson, Matt Willis and James Bourne - recorded \"three or four\" new songs. \"I was astounded to find out James had actually been listening to a lot of the same music I'd been listening to,\" said Simpson. \"When I left the band in 2005, we were worlds away creatively. \"It was quite poignant to think that we'd landed 10 years later and there was some creative common ground.\" \"It was just a really fun time,\" added Bourne. \"It felt like we were just hanging out with old, good friends.\" The band announced their comeback at the Soho Hotel in London - the same venue where they revealed their break-up in January 2005. A dedicated group of two dozen fans waited for the band outside, after travelling from across the UK in anticipation of the reunion. \"It's magical!\" said Rebecca, who had travelled to London from Ireland. \"We're going to wet ourselves!\" \"Busted are my entire life,\" said London-based Melissa. \"They've always amazed me, no matter what they've done. Solo, in different bands, they've always been so good to me.\" \"It's been 11 years, nearly, which is too long to wait,\" said Roxy, from Oxford. \"I feel like it's going to be different this time - because when they were Busted before, we were all kids and now we're adults. So it's a different audience they're going for.\" Speaking at the press conference, Simpson said he was surprised as anyone by his return to the pop band - after carving out a successful rock career in Fightstar. \"I've lost count of the number of times where I've said publicly I wouldn't do this again. But I have changed my mind.\" \"We went to Philadelphia, we wrote new music and that changed everything. I was very ready to go to Philadelphia and come away thinking 'it just doesn't feel right'. \"The fact that it did feel right is just as much of a shock to me as it is to anyone sitting in this room today.\" The band promised new material to accompany their tour, acknowledging that their back catalogue was currently rather meagre. \"Busted only had two albums,\" said Willis, who said the group would have to \"play every song that you know then start all over again\" on their 13-date tour. When Busted split in 2005, they were one of the biggest bands in the UK, with two multi-platinum albums and two Brit Awards. Simpson continued to make music, both with Fightstar and as a solo artist. Willis won the 2006 series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here and appeared in the West", "summary": "Busted have announced a reunion tour for 2016, 11 years after Charlie Simpson left and the band imploded."}
{"article": "As the former intensive care nurse adjusted to life with a colostomy bag 10 years ago, one of the things that upset her was no longer being able to fit into the fashionable underwear she loved. \"I could always see my bag sticking through at the top or bottom,\" says Ms Dames, now 39. \"[Then] I realised the problem wasn't me, it was the underwear.\" Annoyed by the lack of decent underwear for women in her position, she decided to create her own - fashionable, but with a pouch to carry a colostomy bag. And so her business Vanilla Blush was born in 2008. To get the company up and running from their kitchen table, Ms Dames and her husband Simon remortgaged their Glasgow flat to raise \u00a311,000, and started selling 12 products for women. Today, they sell more than 200 garments for both men and women, ranging from underwear to swimming costumes and sportswear. In addition to a shop in Glasgow's East End, orders come from around the world via Vanilla Blush's website, and the business is on target to start turning over more than \u00a31m a year. \"We've come a long way,\" says Ms Dames. While Ms Dames' story is certainly inspirational, she is actually just one of numerous entrepreneurs around the world who have been inspired to set up successful businesses following a brush with serious illness. New Yorker Jon Loew, 44, was facing death when he came up with his idea for KeepTree, an online system that allows users to capture, securely store, and schedule video messages for release in the future. A bad reaction to an antibiotic meant that, within a month, he went from a healthy dad to his body gradually shutting down. Doctors were puzzled, and Mr Loew was contemplating his imminent demise. With children of eight and five at the time, he was worried that they would grow up with few memories of him. Mr Loew says: \"I'd be this guy that they vaguely remembered, so I started recording videos... and labelling them with the dates when I wanted my wife to give them to our children, because I wanted the videos to be appropriate with things going on in their lives.\" When doctors got his condition under control, the idea of using videos as a means of communicating from beyond the grave stuck. On a 2011 business trip for his TV company, Mr Loew mentioned it to his now co-founder Hiroshi Nakata, who raised a few hundred thousand dollars overnight. KeepTree has now raised more than $5m (\u00a33.5m) from investors and has offices in New York and Tokyo. It's a profitable business and it isn't just used by people who are terminally ill. Instead, users do everything from recording a birthday wish to be delivered in a month's time, or filming a bedtime story for your children while you are away with work, or sending a video of a singing grandchild to proud grandparents. KeepTree has also indentified new areas for growth and recently launched Vift, a video gift messaging service for online", "summary": "It was needing to have her large intestine removed that inspired Nicola Dames to start her own underwear business."}
{"article": "Karl Stefanovic wore the outfit to make a point about the sexism he said his female colleagues faced. Nobody noticed he was wearing the same blue outfit, but he said his co-presenters would never have got away with it. The profits will go to the charity White Ribbon, which campaigns to end violence against women. He sold it on Ebay with the warning that \"it's a little bit stanky (sic)\" and added it \"may need dry cleaning ASAP\". 47 people bid for the suit and the lucky winner will get free delivery, meaning they should have cash spare to give it a good clean. It was sold by the TV channel Karl works for with this description: \"Karl Stefanovic wore this stunning navy Burberry suit on The TODAY Show for one whole year to make a point about sexism. You have the chance at purchasing this suit for yourself, imagine how good you'd look in it! Super comfy, super stylish, super cool\". The 40-year-old, who has been a presenter and reporter for nearly two decades, has also participated in a variety of celebrity game shows in Australia, including Dancing on Ice and Hole in the Wall. When he revealed that he wore the same outfit for a year he told The Age newspaper that his co-host, Lisa Wilkinson regularly gets messages from viewers and comments in the press about her fashion choices. \"Women are judged much more harshly and keenly for what they do, what they say and what they wear,\" said Stefanovic. \"I'm judged on my interviews, my appalling sense of humour - on how I do my job, basically. Whereas women are quite often judged on what they're wearing or how their hair is.\" He started his experiment by wearing the suit two days in a row, without a comment. He then carried on for days and then months when he realised no-one was noticing. \"Only Lisa and [Today team member Sylvia Jeffreys] know about the suit. They often remark that it's getting a bit stinky,\" said Stefanovic. \"I'm hoping to get it into the dry cleaners at the end of the year.\" Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "An Australian TV presenter has sold a suit he wore every day for a year for A$6500 (\u00a33,500)."}
{"article": "The popular broadcaster touched thousands of listeners with his openness and optimism as he battled skin cancer. A charity appeal prompted by his diagnosis has so far raised more than \u00c2\u00a362,000 in just over two months. Bloomfield, who worked at the station for 10 years as a presenter, reporter and a Derby County commentator, died at a hospice near Shrewsbury. He had a malignant melanoma removed from his leg 10 years ago but in 2013 learned the cancer had returned. Last year, he was told it had spread and was given months to live. One Direction singer Niall Horan said on Twitter: \"Sad to hear to hear of the passing of Colin Bloomfield today, he was a super great guy, great commentator.\" Radio Derby's editor Simon Cornes said: \"Reporter, producer, commentator, presenter - Colin was all of those. \"You're lucky in radio if you're good at one of these things but Colin's talent was a rare one and he was extraordinarily accomplished at all of them. He made it seem easy. We know it isn't. \"If you were designing the perfect colleague you'd come up with Colin. His modesty was disarming but it was his warmth and his positive attitude to life that made him so popular with everyone at Radio Derby. \"We've lost our friend but it's a mark of the man that so many of our listeners feel they've lost their friend too. All of us are going to miss him dreadfully.\" Derby County spokesman Colin Gibson, who had worked with Bloomfield at BBC Radio Derby, said: \"As a broadcaster he was the consummate professional. \"He could be - at one time - eulogising about what was happening at Neighbours and the next turn he'd being interviewing the prime minister and he would do them both brilliantly. He could really turn his hand to anything. \"His bravery during his fight with cancer had to be admired, preferring always to talk about the Rams or his beloved Shrewsbury Town rather than the pain he was going through.\" Derby County president Sam Rush said: \"He will be sadly missed by everyone at Derby County Football Club as we had a tremendous working relationship with him. \"He can only be described as an inspirational individual and both a wonderful and humble young man.\" \"He was someone that we had the utmost respect for, especially for the way in which he conducted himself during the difficult times he faced.\" Earlier this year, working with the Derby Telegraph and charity Skcin, the presenter launched the Colin Bloomfield Melanoma Appeal. The money will be used to make hundreds of schools in Derbyshire and East Staffordshire \"sun safe\", by educating youngsters about skin cancer prevention. BBC Radio presenter Sally Pepper is running the London Marathon on Sunday to raise money for the appeal. Bloomfield has received a series of standing ovations by football supporters - including at the Rams' Championship match against Brentford on 11 April when fans chanted his name in the 33rd minute.", "summary": "BBC Radio Derby presenter Colin Bloomfield has died aged 33."}
{"article": "Peter O'Brien, a 51-year-old married father of six, from Llanishen, Cardiff, and Mark Sim, 41, from Caldicot, Monmouthshire, were killed in the blast in the basement of the rod and bar mill at Celsa Steel in Splott. Five men were also injured. The company is working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and police to determine the cause of the blast. Search dogs were seen being taken to the site on Thursday while specialist search teams have also been involved. The alarm was raised at about 10:30 GMT on Wednesday and dozens of emergency services vehicles were sent to the scene. Firefighters tackled an \"extremely difficult\" fire in the basement of the building, where five people were injured. One was treated at the scene and four were taken to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. Three of them have since been discharged.", "summary": "Searches are continuing for the bodies of two men who died in an explosion at a Cardiff steelworks on Wednesday."}
{"article": "A former Rhodes Scholar who once wanted to be a monk, the 57-year-old attracted early criticism for gaffes and was famously called a misogynist by former Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard. A series of public blunders, questionable calls and U-turns on key policies have since resulted in a decline in his popularity. In February 2015 he survived a challenge from MPs within his own party that had threatened to remove him from the top job less than 18 months in. But in September he was challenged once again by former communications minister Malcolm Turnbull - and ousted in a hastily-arranged vote. Tony Abbott was born in 1957 in England to Australian parents who returned to Sydney a few years later. After graduating in economics and law from the University of Sydney, where he was also a leading student boxer, he attended Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, studying politics and philosophy. He briefly trained as a Catholic priest, before working as a journalist for the Australian newspaper. He then worked as an adviser to the Liberal Party, before entering politics in 1994 when he was elected to represent the affluent Warringah district of Sydney. Under former Prime Minister John Howard, he served as an employment minister between 1998 and 2001 and as minister for health and ageing in 2003. In 2009, he narrowly beat incumbent Malcolm Turnbull in a party leadership vote, winning 42 votes to Mr Turnbull's 41. Many pundits were shocked by the result, given Mr Abbott's gaffe-prone history. As leader of the opposition, Mr Abbott's aggressive approach earned him several nicknames. His tactics led some to call him \"Tear-down Tony\" or \"Mad Monk\" - a reference to his time spent training as a priest. He has also consistently voted against relaxing laws on abortion, same-sex marriages and stem cell research. His stance on social issues, and his poor polling among women, has led some to say that Mr Abbott has a \"women problem\". In October 2012, Ms Gillard's blistering speech in parliament accusing him of misogyny went viral online. He took on Labor's Kevin Rudd - who ousted Ms Gillard as Labor leader - in the September 2013 polls and secured a convincing win. Ahead of the election, Mr Abbott had argued for tough border controls, lower taxes and a smaller government. He supported Labor's policy of processing asylum seekers offshore, and went further - calling for asylum boats to be turned around and for those in Australia approved as refugees to be limited to temporary visas. He has followed through on these promises, to great controversy, setting up a military-led border patrol called Operation Sovereign Borders. He has also been seen to be taking strong action against the threat of Islamist militants, raising the terror level in September 2014 and pushing through legislation that makes it easier to restrict Australians from travelling to certain areas. Australia has also entered the fight against the so-called Islamic State with air strikes in Iraq and Syria. He was applauded for pushing for an investigation into the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17,", "summary": "Tony Abbott was already a polarising figure when he became prime minister of Australia in 2013."}
{"article": "AMs vote on introducing a ban in the Senedd next week. The issue has caused tensions within the Labour group, with the Welsh government ruling out changing the law before next year's assembly elections. One Labour AM, Christine Chapman, spoke last year of feeling \"cheated\" that ministers had not addressed the issue. In a joint letter published in this morning's Western Mail, the Most Reverend Barry Morgan, Professor Sally Holland and Phil Bale, leader of Cardiff Council, argue that a ban would simply give children the same protection in law as adults. They write: \"We call on the First Minister and Welsh Government to allow Labour AMs a free (conscience) vote on an amendment to the Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Bill concerning the physical punishment of children, and we call upon all AMs to support this amendment. \"The amendment would remove the defence of 'reasonable punishment' in relation to assaults on children in Wales and finally give children the legal protection from physical harm that they deserve.\" Labour's current position is that there will not be a free vote for its AMs on the amendment, tabled by Cardiff North AM Julie Morgan.", "summary": "The Archbishop of Wales and the new Children's Commissioner have led calls for AMs to be given a free vote on a ban on smacking children."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Conor Kernohan put the holders ahead with a close-range header from Stuart Nelson's cross in the second half. But Matty Doherty quickly levelled for the Derry side with a penalty after Grosvenor keeper Tim Larmour had brought down Joe McCartie. In extra-time Josh Kelly rounded keeper Gareth Muldoon to make it 2-1 and skipper Nelson's low shot sealed it. Nelson, who also played in Grosvenor's 2016 triumph, praised the effort of losing finalists St Columb's. \"They are a quality side and, as you could see today, they stroke the ball about nicely,\" said the winning captain. \"I thought our fitness maybe told in the end, although we got lucky with two breakaway goals. \"We had to dig deep, but the boys have been brilliant all year.\"", "summary": "Grosvenor retained the Schools' Cup by beating St Columb's 3-1 after extra-time in the final at Seaview."}
{"article": "The row started when contestant Fleur East, 26, performed Uptown Funk from Mark Ronson's as-yet unreleased album on the show on Saturday. Lily Allen quickly accused Cowell of corruption and getting free publicity for the song. Cowell joked the singer should \"smile more and lose the paranoia.\" Speaking at The Sun Military Awards in London on Wednesday, he also said that Lily Allen's chances of appearing on the X Factor as a judge \"have been reduced slightly.\" Sony Music, which is releasing Uptown Funk is home to Mark Ronson's label Columbia Records and Cowell's Syco records. Fleur's performance in the semi-final of the ITV competition went straight to number one in the iTunes chart. The original song by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars had been released digitally but was scheduled for full release for 11 January, but after the iTune success the release date has now been brought forward five weeks. But Cowell claimed the reason they chose the song for Fleur on X Factor wasn't anything to do with promotion. He said: \"I didn't even know what label it was on, to be honest. All I knew is that we loved the song. \"Then we heard that Mark Ronson and Bruno was going to do it on the finals so we stopped doing it with Fleur, then I found out they weren't coming, so I thought 'fine' we will do it with her. \"I mean I was being creative.\" A series of tweets posted by Lily Allen, which appear to have been deleted, after the show on Saturday said: 'Is this even out yet? #XFactor ... Well done to @sony for managing to get a not yet released song of theirs sung on prime time weekend telly. #uptownfunk #shazam #airplay \"It is an amazing song and Fleur did it justice but it's still a great example of music industry corruption. #uptown funk\" Fleur East has since apologised to Mark Ronson after her X Factor cover of the song caused the music producer to release it early. Featuring Bruno Mars on lead vocals, Uptown Funk is the first single from British producer Mark Ronson's fourth album, Uptown Special. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Simon Cowell has told Newsbeat that Lily Allen should \"smile more\" after she accused the X Factor of \"industry corruption\"."}
{"article": "Experts already know lots about the virus and how it attacks, but fighting it with a drug is newer territory. Since Ebola was first identified, in 1976, every outbreak has been contained with strict hygiene - isolation of patients and suspected patients, ensuring staff wore suitable protective clothing and carried out proper cleaning and disposal of clinical waste. There have been no drugs to do the job because developing them is extremely expensive, and, until now, the major pharmaceutical companies have not seen enough of a market. That's changing. The virus can enter the body via infected droplets (blood, vomit, faeces) through broken skin or mucous membranes such as the eyes, the lining of the nose or the mouth. Once inside, it rapidly multiplies in the blood, taking over and attacking cells. The disease is not airborne like flu. Very close direct contact with an infected person is required for the virus to be passed to another person. Infection may also occur through direct contact with contaminated bedding, clothing and surfaces. All of this has been known for nearly 40 years, but only now is the world really gearing up to the threat. Scientists are focusing their efforts on two approaches: There are lots of different experimental vaccines and drug treatments for Ebola under development, but they have not yet been fully tested for safety or effectiveness. Experimental drugs such as ZMapp have already been given to patients in the current outbreak, but they have not saved all patients. Two US aid workers and a Briton recovered after taking it, but a Liberian doctor and a Spanish priest died. The medicine has only previously been tested on animals, and experts say it is still unclear whether the drug boosts chances of recovery. Stocks have been extremely limited, and the manufacturers of the drug say it will take months to increase production. One of the first therapies to reach the frontline could be the blood of survivors. They will have mounted an immune response capable of defeating the virus and antibodies that attack Ebola will still be loitering in their bloodstream. Taking blood and emptying it of blood cells leaves behind an antibody-packed plasma which can be injected into patients. In theory this should help the patient fight the virus. However, this has been tried only a handful of times before and it is unclear how effective it would be. Also this is not some perfectly manufactured drug or vaccine. The effectiveness of the serum could vary from survivor to survivor. The US, UK and Canada are testing different kinds of vaccine in controlled clinical trials. The aim is to have 20,000 doses that could be used in West Africa by early next year. Normally it would take years of human trials before a completely new vaccine was approved for use. But such is the urgency of the Ebola outbreak that experimental vaccines are being fast-tracked at an astonishing rate. Russia recently announced it is also developing three vaccines, with one being ready for clinical trials within three months. David Heymann, professor of", "summary": "With the death toll rising and the disease still spreading, the race is on to find a treatment for Ebola."}
{"article": "Merseyside Police were called to Crete Towers on Jason Street, Everton, on Tuesday morning after someone noticed a strong smell coming from the building. It comes two weeks after one of the biggest ever cannabis farms in Liverpool was found on the same street. Police estimate the total crop had a street value of more than \u00a31.3m and described the farms \"a sophisticated and industrial-scale criminal set-up\". Det Insp Lee Wilkinson said: \"This was an elaborate series of cannabis farms spread across four separate flats. \"We discovered a total of 339 plants but believe much more could have been grown.\"", "summary": "Four cannabis farms have been found in flats at a tower block in Liverpool."}
{"article": "The agent, known by the alias Jack King, infiltrated a group of pro-German activists in south-east England in a previously unknown wartime operation. His undercover work led to the identification of hundreds of people willing to pass secrets to the enemy. Files in the National Archives describe King as a \"genius\" at his work. By Gordon CoreraSecurity correspondent, BBC News We had known that MI5 controlled German spies dropped into the UK under the Double Cross system but little was known about operations to control domestic sympathisers. This one began in a low-key manner with a correspondence club in which lonely people would write to each other but it would lead to the identification of potentially hundreds of people in Britain willing to help the Nazis. Since Britain was never invaded, it's impossible to know how the country would have actually reacted, but the files suggest there were at least a few hoping for Hitler to take over and actively offering assistance. The role of the MI5 agent Jack King is also intriguing. Quite who he was seems something of a mystery but senior officials in MI5 clearly rated him highly for his ability over years to undertake risky work in reeling in more and more Nazi sympathisers by convincing them he was linked to the Gestapo - and doing so without ever getting too close to provoking them to do anything too damaging. In 1942, King - also referred to as SR in the files - met Marita Perigoe, described as a \"crafty and dangerous woman\" of Swedish and German origin. Despite being married to a member of Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists, she had no time for the group and regarded them as \"insufficiently extreme\". MI5 said of her: \"She was found to be so violently anti-British and so anxious to do anything in her power to help the enemy that it was felt that special attention should be paid to her.\" It went on to say she was not a \"neurotic nor feminine type; she is masterful and a somewhat masculine woman\". \"Both in appearance and mentality she can be described as an arrogant hun.\" King managed to convince her that he was a representative of the Gestapo looking for people who were \"100% loyal to the Fatherland\" and could be relied on in the event of an invasion. He exploited the group's taste for the cloak-and-dagger aspects of espionage work by offering them invisible ink for secret communications and arranging meetings in the basement of an antiques shop. MI5 regarded some members of the group as unstable but warned they were still dangerous. Hilda Leech was \"unstable and neurotic\" and was trying to pass on reports of highly secret research on jet aircraft, while astrologer Edgar Whitehead - a \"bit of a mystery man\" - was passing on information about secret trials on an amphibious tank. MI5 drew up plans to issue members with special badges to be worn in the event of an invasion - supposedly to identify them as friends to the Germans but in", "summary": "An MI5 agent pretending to have Gestapo links secretly controlled a vast network of UK-based Nazi sympathisers, newly-released files reveal."}
{"article": "The modern musical romance has swept film fans off their feet, and its stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are expected to be among the nominees. The question is - how many nominations will the film get in total, and can it equal the Oscars record of 14? Titanic and All About Eve currently share that record, while Mary Poppins is the most nominated musical with 13. This year's other contenders will include Moonlight, about a young black man dealing with his sexuality in drug-torn Miami; brooding domestic drama Manchester by the Sea; and cerebral sci-fi film Arrival. In the acting categories, Jackie's Natalie Portman is likely to challenge Emma Stone for best actress, while Manchester by the Sea's Casey Affleck and Fences' Denzel Washington are tipped to give Gosling competition for best actor. Almost certainly not. After two years with no non-white acting nominees, this year we could see four or five - possibly Washington (who also directed Fences), Viola Davis (Fences), Naomie Harris (Moonlight), Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) and Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures). Naomie Harris is flying the flag for British actresses, while male candidates could include Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals), Dev Patel (Lion) - and Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins), who could get his first nomination. But there probably won't be much for Ken Loach's benefits drama I, Daniel Blake. Meryl Streep will become the first person to notch up 20 acting nominations if she gets in for Florence Foster Jenkins. She was an outsider - but her odds have shortened since berating Donald Trump at the Golden Globes. If it is, it will be the first superhero movie to be nominated for the top award. It has a chance - it was nominated for the Golden Globes and Producers Guild of America Awards, among others, and its star Ryan Reynolds posted a brilliant video to launch its campaign. Arrival, in which Amy Adams tries to talk to aliens, could well be second to La La Land when the nominations are totted up, partly thanks to its chances in the technical categories - despite Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight being talked about alongside La La Land as this year's main contenders. After a series of racist and sexist rants over the past two decades, Mel Gibson's comeback movie Hacksaw Ridge will get nominations. But will Academy members bring themselves to nominate him for best director? Despite his reputation as an Oscar favourite, Tom Hanks hasn't had a nomination since 2001. His latest role as Hudson River pilot Chesley Sullenberger in Sully surely ticks the Academy's boxes. The Academy Award nominations are announced from 13:18 GMT on Tuesday, with the winners to be named in Los Angeles on 26 February. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "This year's Oscar nominations are due out later, with La La Land likely to land as the clear frontrunner."}
{"article": "Police said a number of charities and businesses in counties Down and Armagh were targeted by men passing counterfeit \u00c2\u00a320 notes on Thursday. It involved premises in Banbridge, Dromore, Ballynahinch, Moira and Newtownhamilton. Four men, aged 20, 22, 31 and 45, were arrested on suspicion of fraud in Newtownards town centre. They were detained when officers on patrol in High Street stopped a black vehicle after they noticed \"suspicious\" activity. The men are currently assisting police with their inquiries.", "summary": "Four men have been arrested in Newtownards, County Down, in connection with a fake banknotes investigation."}
{"article": "Perez, 28, joined the Gunners for \u00a317.1m last summer after two seasons at Spanish side Deportivo. He has made 21 appearances for Arsene Wenger's side in all competitions, scoring seven goals, but has not played since March. \"Arsenal know we want to go, that there are no opportunities here,\" said Rodrigo Fernandez Lovelle. Lovelle said the uncapped Perez wanted to leave in order to get more playing time in an attempt to break into the Spain squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He added his client was \"angry and sad and upset\" that Arsenal had given the number nine shirt to new record signing Alexandre Lacazette without Perez \"being asked\". Deportivo's offer is believed to be in excess of the reported \u00a37.9m La Liga rivals Sevilla paid to sign Nolito from Manchester City. \"Deportivo made an offer a week ago - it is a permanent deal and worth more than Nolito's move to Sevilla,\" said Lovelle. \"Of course [he was told he would play more]. Lucas signed for Arsenal and was the happiest person in the world and with all of his dreams to fulfil. \"Every time he played he did well, but after every time he got fewer and fewer opportunities.\" Perez suffered a thigh injury in March but was fit again before the end of the season, with Wenger saying in May that he felt \"a bit sorry\" for him. \"He's a top quality striker but I couldn't give him the games he wants and deserves,\" said the Frenchman. Perez joined Deportivo on an initial season-long loan from Greek side PAOK in 2014 before signing a permanent deal in 2015.", "summary": "Deportivo La Coruna have made an offer to re-sign Arsenal striker Lucas Perez, says the Spaniard's agent."}
{"article": "The billionaire, who was a prominent backer of Brexit, told the BBC he was \"enormously optimistic\" about trading with the rest of the world. His comments came as his engineering firm Dyson reported a 41% increase in profits to \u00a3631m. The popularity of its vacuum cleaners in fast-growing Asian markets was a major reason for the rise. The company said sales of its products increased by 45% to \u00a32.5bn, helped by growth of 244% in China, 266% in Indonesia and 200% in the Philippines. The success of new product lines such as hair dryers also fuelled growth. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Theresa May is due to start the process of the UK leaving the EU. In an interview with the BBC, Sir James said: \"Europe's only 15% of the global market and the really fast-expanding markets are in the Far East. \"I'm enormously optimistic because looking outwards to the rest of the world is very, very important because that's the fast-growing bit.\" Sir James Dyson is the poster child for the kind of global-facing confidence the government is keen to harness in a week that it signals the beginning of the end of the UK's membership of the EU. The entrepreneur has been a prominent supporter of Brexit and remains clear that British business success lies beyond Europe. He is putting his money where his mouth is - investing \u00a32.5bn, expanding his Wiltshire base by buying 500 acres of old airfield in Hullavington and hoping to double his 3,500 workforce in the next four years. Critics, though, say that while he designs products in the UK, he manufactures them in the Far East and so his export arrangements may not be subject to the same Brexit uncertainty as for those manufacturing in the UK. Sir James said it would be possible to remain close to Europe after Brexit, while also forging closer ties with Commonwealth countries. \"I'm a patriot, which is why I'm rather keen on re-connecting with the Commonwealth,\" he said. And he rejected the suggestion EU staff could be forced to leave the UK - saying it was \"absolute nonsense to suggest countries are going to chuck out foreign citizens\". The entrepreneur, who has criticised the lack of British engineers, also defended his decision to have major operations in Asia, saying the firm's intellectual property and profits were still in the UK. \"I'm resident in England, we pay all our tax here,\" he added. Dyson designs many of its products in the UK, but largely manufactures them in Asia. It has tripled its team in China and recently opened a new \u00a3330m research centre in Singapore. The firm is also opening a new multimillion-pound research centre in Wiltshire, England and a university at its existing Malmesbury campus in the Cotswolds.", "summary": "Sir James Dyson has said UK business success lies beyond Europe because that is where the fastest growth lies."}
{"article": "Sunderland forward Duncan Watmore was on the fishing boat in Barbados when it was hit, and broken in two, by a catamaran. He managed to haul three elderly passengers out of the water from the boat just before it sank. His father, Ian Watmore, said the catamaran had \"just ploughed straight into the boat and ripped it in half\". \"They saw it and just assumed it was going to go round them and, when they realised it was coming straight at them, they started yelling and screaming but nothing changed,\" he said. \"These catamarans are quite powerful and the blade just ripped the thing in half.\" Watmore had been in Barbados in February, recovering from an operation on a cruciate knee ligament injury, when the crash happened. One of the guests on the boat had just had a hip replacement, one could not swim and the other was over 80, his father said. After the crash, his son \"clambered up on to the catamaran\" and lifted them, and the skipper, out of the water just as their fishing boat sank, he said. The 23-year-old footballer used his T-shirt as a tourniquet for the woman's leg, which was \"bleeding heavily\". It was only afterwards that \"shock started to set in\", Mr Watmore Snr said. \"All the guests were coming up to him and telling him what a hero he was and I think the whole thing was just very disorientating for him,\" he said. The rescue had been a good test of the strength of his knee, though \"not one you'd plan\", he added. It is not known how the catamaran came to hit the fishing boat but it is believed its skipper was taken away by police.", "summary": "A Premier League footballer saved three holidaymakers after a boat crash, it has emerged."}
{"article": "Mr Gunnlaugsson, his wife and other Icelandic ministers were named in the Panama Papers. He had said no rules had been broken but was accused of concealing millions of dollars worth of family assets. Icelandic readers have been sharing their views on the current political situation and how the protest may have played a part. \"I am shocked at how he chose to resign. He should have done that a long time ago. He didn't speak to his governmental department beforehand. The way he did it was entirely unacceptable. \"My gut feeling is that there is something very rotten in Iceland. \"Monday's protests were definitely something that Iceland has never seen before and the current situation is entirely unprecedented in Icelandic politics. \"I was inside looking out of the window and was startled by the egg thrown at the window, but the protest was 99% peaceful. \"I heard there could have been 22,000 at the protests. That would be 6% of the whole population - one of the largest protests we have had. \"It was a good atmosphere. I have never seen Iceland react in this way before. \"People are hurt and disappointed by Gunnlaugsson - it is not what they voted for. \"Even people who are loyal to the government are baffled - they have no words. \"One of the reasons why the government got a big following was that they said they'll take a strong hold of the economy. \"But the normal Icelander lost everything - their jobs, their homes, their future.\" \"I'm not surprised he has resigned. It was obvious this would happen eventually. I'm happy about it. \"He did the right thing but it should have been sooner. I hope they call for snap elections now. We won't stop protesting until we get that. \"The protests definitely put more pressure on Gunnlaugsson and everyone else in the coalition. \"It showed that we as a nation were not going to back down. \"There is definitely excitement and changes in the air here in Iceland.\" \"The prime minister, the finance minister, and the interior minister have all been named in the Panama Papers. \"I feel a mixture of anger, shame and betrayal - it's the same feeling I had during the financial crisis. \"Recently, Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson and the finance minister talked about the Icelandic Kronur being stable. \"But they keep their money elsewhere like they don't trust the system with their own money. \"In Iceland our welfare system is horrible - they are trying to privatise the hospitals and healthcare system because there's no money in the budget. \"If everyone paid their taxes we would have a good welfare system. \"The taxes go up on food but don't raise them for rich people. \"There's almost a divide in our country.\" \"Like half the nation, I've been watching TV live. It's been disrupting my work! \"Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson suggested his vice-chairman of the party would take over as PM. In my opinion that's not a good move. \"His resignation is like a scapegoat to allow the government to survive. \"It's obvious that", "summary": "Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson has resigned as prime minister of Iceland after leaks from Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca showed he owned an offshore company with his wife."}
{"article": "Boorstin was troubled by the emergence of what he called \"pseudo\" events, increasingly presented as news. \"It is not spontaneous,\" he said, \"but comes about because someone has planned, planted or incited it... it is planted primarily for the immediate purpose of being reported or reproduced.\" I have been reminded of this during the current election campaign. There are daily events but, certainly with the two main parties, the general unscreened public is rarely invited. Photo calls are arranged to provide the backdrop for a campaign. I am travelling with David Cameron's team. It is a campaign geared to exclude the unexpected, the random encounter. At events, microphones that could pick up a stray remark are kept at a distance. For the political class has bought into the narrative that Gordon Brown's campaign unravelled when an unguarded microphone caught him referring to a woman - Gillian Duffy - as that \"bigoted woman\". Similarly it was regarded as a defining moment when Tony Blair was ambushed by Sharon Storer who said to his face: \"All you do is walk around and make yourself known but you don't do anything to help anybody.\" But elections are rarely decided by gaffes or unguarded moments. That was proved by Ronald Reagan who, at one point, boldly declared \"all the waste in a year from a nuclear plant can be stored under a desk\". It didn't hurt him. When I was covering the Obama campaign in 2008 it did not fatally wound Barack Obama when he spoke of \"bitter working-class Americans who cling to guns or religion\". In Britain, the political rally, open to the general public, is all but extinct. The reality of the election trail is mediated through highly choreographed TV scenes. Party leaders are wary of crowds, of hecklers; above all they fear unscripted moments leading the evening news. Elsewhere in Europe, campaigning is more unbuttoned. They ride out the hostile crowd. I have attended large public rallies in Paris, Rome and Berlin. I have stood and watched an unflappable Angela Merkel in Darmstadt continue speaking against a background soundtrack of noisy horn-blowing protestors. In Milan, I saw hecklers interrupt Silvio Berlusconi; he paused and began bouncing up and down as if on a football terrace while his supporters drowned out the protestors. After almost every campaign-stop, Francois Hollande worked the crowd regardless of their loyalties. His predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy once even turned on a voter urging him, in rather colourful language, to get lost, you idiot. In the UK, the instinct of the major parties is to shun the crowd, the unchecked rope-line, the hidden dangers of the town square. David Cameron's strategy is defensive, to stake his claim on his economic record. His effortless charm - much admired by Angela Merkel and others - is replaced by a politician more tightly-wound. In private he remains easy and relaxed but in Manchester, at the debate, his camera stare was more fixed as if he had been told not to stray from his core much-honed message. It is a campaign built around the economy,", "summary": "In the early 1960s, before the birth of smartphones, before the retreat from privacy, the US historian Daniel Boorstin wrote a groundbreaking book called The Image."}
{"article": "A report in the Guardian suggested the extra, unpaid time taken for \"rigorous\" compulsory searches meant workers were paid less than the minimum wage. \"The process has been streamlined which has led to a reduction in waiting time,\" the firm said. Shares in the FTSE 100 company closed 10.6% lower at to 594.6p. Royal London Asset Management, which owns Sports Direct shares, said it was concerned about corporate governance at the company, which is controlled by billionaire Mike Ashley. Ashley Hamilton Claxton, corporate governance manager at Royal London, told 5 live: \"We want to see them improve their relationships with employees and to address some of the allegations that have come in front of them, if they are in fact true. That would be quite important for us as shareholders.\" Ms Hamilton Claxton also had concerns about what she called Sport Direct's \"unfettered ability to trade in the shares of other retailers\", adding: \"It's a major red flag for us. It is definitely one of the companies we have the most concern about and that is why we are speaking publicly about it.\" Sports Direct said on Thursday that pre-tax profits for the six months to October rose 25% to \u00c2\u00a3187m on revenues flat at \u00c2\u00a31.43bn. Much of Sports Direct's jump in profits came from dealings in shares in other retailers, particularly the sale of five million shares in rival retailer JD Sports. Broker Cantor Fitzgerald cut its price target on the stock by 60p to 700p, calling the results \"a little behind the curve\", while Exane said the results were underwhelming compared with JD Sports. The Guardian sent undercover reporters to work at Sports Direct's warehouse in Shirebrook in Derbyshire last month. They found that it was taking 15 minutes to search staff leaving the warehouse at the end of their shifts. TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: \"All workers should be paid at least the minimum wage for every minute they are required to be on company premises. \"If the allegations against Sports Direct are found to be true, the government must make sure all their staff receive the full pay they are entitled to.\" Sports Direct also disputes the Guardian's claim that more than 80% of staff at the warehouse are on zero-hours contracts. \"To be clear, no warehouse workers are on 'zero-hour' contracts, all have contracted hours with the agencies,\" the retailer's chairman, Keith Hellawell, said in the results statement. \"In retail, casual workers find the flexibility offered by these arrangements very useful. We comply fully with all applicable legal requirements and will continue to keep these under review.\"", "summary": "Retailer Sports Direct has admitted that it searches staff leaving its warehouses, but says it has reduced the amount of time it takes."}
{"article": "The man, who was 13 when he attended St William's in Market Weighton, told the jury James Carragher used to make him \"upset\" before he was abused. The ex-principal denies 50 counts of indecent assault between the 1970s at the East Riding of Yorkshire site. At Leeds Crown Court, Mr Carragher also denies 12 other serious sex offences. Earlier in the trial, the jury heard the 75-year-old, of Merseyside, was jailed for seven years in 1993 and 14 years in 2004 for sex offences. The home for boys with behavioural problems was run by the De La Salle order. It has since closed. Giving evidence behind a screen for legal reasons, the former pupil said he was sexually abused by Mr Carragher on \"a number of occasions\". \"He would get me upset to get me to start crying. He put his arm around me trying to comfort me and would then start touching me,\" he said. Richard Wright QC, prosecuting, asked: \"Why did you not go to the police sooner?\" He replied: \"I was ashamed. Even though I was only a child, I still let him do it.\" The man said he had not discussed the matter for 45 years. Mr Carragher is on trial along with former chaplain at St William's, Anthony McCallen, 69, and former teacher Michael Curran, 62. The jury was previously told how Mr McCallen was convicted of abusing two boys in the 1990s. Mr Curran has no previous convictions. Mr McCallen, of Merseyside, denies 18 indecent assaults and seven other serious sexual offences. Mr Curran, of Teesside, denies one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and another of indecent assault. The trial continues.", "summary": "A former pupil at a Catholic home and school for delinquent boys told a court he could not report his alleged abuser to police because he felt \"ashamed\"."}
{"article": "An Ontario judge dismissed mischief charges against Anita Krajnc, ending a legal battle that captured the global attention of animal rights activists. Judge David Harris said he was not convinced that Ms Krajnc obstructed the use of property when she gave water to pigs headed to slaughter. Ms Krajnc said it confirms \"compassion is not a crime\". Mischief to property is a criminal offence in Canada related to the wilful destruction or damage of property. Justice Harris wrote in his decision that he is satisfied that Ms Krajnc \"did not obstruct, interrupt or interfere with the lawful use, enjoyment or operation of any property\" when in July 2015, she gave water to a few animals being carried in a tractor trailer filled with 190 pigs going to a slaughterhouse outside Toronto. Ms Krajnc, who co-founded an organisation called Toronto Pig Save in 2011, regularly gathered with other activists on a traffic island at an intersection near a large slaughterhouse to pet the animals and give them water. But this time, the truck driver confronted Ms Krajnc and police were called. A video of the tense encounter was posted online by the activists. During her trial, supporters crammed into the courtroom, many sitting on the floor. Members of the media sat in the prisoner's box. Despite her win on Thursday, Ms Krajnc told the BBC she has \"mixed feelings\" about the decision. \"We were hoping for recognition in the legal system that pigs and other animals are simply not property - that they are sentient beings, that they have basic rights,\" she said. In his decision, Justice Harris noted that under Canadian law, pigs are property. \"Ms Krajnc and like-minded individuals may believe otherwise and they are fully entitled to that belief. That does not however make it so,\" he wrote. Ms Krajnc's case and her efforts to \"hold vigil\" for animals headed to slaughter have caught on with animal rights activists around the world. A number of similar \"Save\" campaigns have cropped up globally, including dozens in the UK. The movement promotes veganism, animal rights activism, and \"bearing witness\" to the suffering of animals. Jenny Canham helped create the Essex Pig save chapter and told the BBC she was \"really relieved\" by Thursday's court decision. She said her group will continue to advocate for animal welfare and to spread the movement in the UK. Ms Krajnc said she will continue to organise \"vigils\" near slaughterhouses.", "summary": "A Canadian activist who faced time behind bars for giving water to pigs has been found not guilty."}
{"article": "Sales rose 21% in the third quarter giving the company \u20ac723m (\u00a3522m) in revenue, a 9% rise from last year. Fiat Chrysler, which sold 10% of its stake in Ferrari to New York investors last week also released results. Shares fell 3.5% after it said it made significant losses stemming from what the company called a \"recall environment\". The world's 7th largest car company reported a net loss of \u20ac299m despite growing sales of Jeeps globally. Fiat Chrysler did manage to boost earning 35% to \u20ac1.3bn from \u20ac968m the previous year. Fiat Chrysler confirmed its revised earnings forecast which it raised at the end of the second quarter. The sale of Ferrari helped secure this increase. Ferrari said it expects deliveries to reach 7,700 vehicles by year end.", "summary": "Luxury carmaker Ferrari reported a jump in profit in the third quarter boosted by higher sales."}
{"article": "The men, aged between 19 and 46, were arrested at several locations in nearby Batam island on Friday. The plot allegedly involved firing a rocket from Batam, just south of Singapore, at Marina Bay - an upmarket, waterfront area. Singapore officials said they were aware of the plot and security had been stepped up. Indonesian police spokesman Boy Rafli told BBC Indonesian that the suspects were now being questioned. It is not clear whether the men had the ability to carry out such an attack. Police said they were investigating whether the suspects had links to Indonesian militant Bahrun Naim, one of the alleged masterminds of the 2016 Jakarta attacks. Singapore's Marina Bay is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations and the Marina Bay Sands hotel is an iconic structure on Singapore's skyline. \"What we understand so far is that they were planning to attack vital objects, busy areas including police offices,\" police spokesman Agus Rianto told Reuters news agency. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement: \"Our security agencies have been coordinating closely with the Indonesian authorities since the discovery of this attack plot, to monitor the activities of the group and to apprehend those involved.\"", "summary": "Indonesian police have arrested six people they say were planning to attack Singapore."}
{"article": "The Transportation Safety Board confirmed that at 07:30 EST (12:30 GMT), a Porter Airlines flight from Ottawa to Toronto nearly collided with what they believe was a drone. Two crew members received minor injuries during the manoeuvre. Investigators at Billy Bishop Airport are looking into the incident. The flight was at an altitude of approximately 9,000ft (2,740m) over Lake Ontario and making its initial approach for landing at Toronto's island airport on Monday when the pilots noticed an object in the distance. As they got closer the pilots realised the object, which they first believed was a balloon, was very close to the flight path. They decided to take evasive action. Porter is working with the Transportation Safety Board investigators, according to a statement. The injured flight attendants were taken to hospital and have since been released. The 54 passengers on the flight were unharmed. Transport Canada and the Federal Aviation Authority in the US both have \"No Drone Zone\" safety campaigns meant to highlight the dangers of flying drones near airports and other areas that could put aviation safety at risk.", "summary": "Canada's transportation safety authority is investigating after an aeroplane had to take evasive action to avoid a near mid-air collision."}
{"article": "The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that strikes on Khan Sheikhoun by Syrian government or Russian jets had caused many people to choke. Later, aircraft fired rockets at local clinics treating survivors, medics and activists said. Syria's army denied the government had used any such weapons. In a statement, President Donald Trump condemned what he called \"these heinous actions\" by the Bashar al-Assad regime. \"It is clear that this is how Bashar al-Assad operates,\" the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, \"with brutal, unabashed barbarism.\" The UK, United Nations and France, among others, also condemned the incident, which would, if confirmed, be one of the deadliest chemical attacks in Syria's civil war. The spectre of nerve agents in Syria - again The warplanes are reported to have attacked rebel-held Khan Sheikhoun, about 50km (30 miles) south of the city of Idlib, early on Tuesday, when many people were asleep. The source of the projectile was not clear, but the EMC and the opposition Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC) network said warplanes had targeted several clinics.US blames Assad over 'chemical attack' Aftermath of attack in pictures (Warning graphic images) Why is there a war in Syria? Pro-government journalists later cited military sources as saying there had been an explosion at an al-Qaeda chemical weapons factory in Khan Sheikhoun that was caused either by an air strike or an accident. The defence ministry of Russia, President Assad's ally, insisted it had not carried out any air strikes in the vicinity. The SOHR put the death toll at 58, including 11 children, but Mr Rasoul reported that 67 people had been killed and 300 injured. The pro-opposition Step news agency said 100 had died. One aid agency, the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations (UOSSM), put the death toll at more than 100. The EMC said it had stopped counting the victims because there were so many. The SOHR said it was unable to say what exactly was dropped. However, the EMC and LCC said it was believed to be the nerve agent Sarin, which is highly toxic and considered 20 times as deadly as cyanide. Chemical weapons expert Dan Kaszeta said that determining whether Sarin was involved simply by examining video clips is problematic. He added that Tuesday's attack could have been the result of one of any number of chemical agents as they tend to \"behave the same in terms of their physiological effects on the human body\". Sarin is almost impossible to detect because it is a clear, colourless and tasteless liquid that has no odour in its purest form. Syria's army, in a statement posted on state news agency Sana, said it never had and never would use poison gas. The government was accused by Western powers of firing rockets filled with Sarin at rebel-held suburbs of Damascus in August 2013, killing hundreds of people. President Assad denied the charge, blaming rebel fighters, but he did subsequently agree to destroy Syria's chemical arsenal. Despite that, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has continued to document the", "summary": "The White House says it is \"confident\" Bashar al-Assad's government was behind an apparent chemical attack that killed at least 58 people in north-west Syria."}
{"article": "The club's former owner Craig Whyte and former chief executive Charles Green attended a preliminary hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh. Former club secretary Gary Withey, and David Grier, David Whitehouse and Paul Clark, who worked for administrators Duff and Phelps, also appeared. The 15 charges in the case cover fraud, conspiracy and serious organised crime. Mr Whyte bought Rangers from Sir David Murray in 2011 for a nominal sum of \u00c2\u00a31 but the club went into administration the following year. A consortium led by Charles Green later bought Rangers' assets after a deal could not be agreed with creditors to exit administration. Mr Whitehouse, Mr Clark and Mr Grier were employees of MCR Partners, prior to its acquisition by Duff and Phelps, in October 2011. Duff and Phelps acted as Rangers administrators from 14 February 2012. Mr Withey worked for Mr Whyte's London law firm, Collyer Bristow, before he took on a post with Rangers.", "summary": "Six men have appeared in court in connection with the alleged fraudulent acquisition of Rangers assets."}
{"article": "Bu farw Gareth Jones ar \u00f4l mynd i drafferthion yn y m\u00f4r ger Trefor ym mis Mawrth 2014. Daeth adroddiad i'r casgliad bod ei gwch mewn cyflwr gwael, ac fe glywodd gwest i'w farwolaeth bod diffygion yn yr offer diogelwch ar y cwch. Daw galwad Iona Hughes wrth i'r RNLI lansio ymgyrch i wella diogelwch ar gychod pysgota. \"Roedd o'n weithiwr caled ofnadwy, ac wedi meddwl cael mynd i'r m\u00f4r erioed, ers oedd o yn yr ysgol,\" meddai Ms Hughes am ei brawd. \"Roedd gan dad gwch pan oedden ni'n blant, ac oedd o wrth ei fodd yn mynd allan 'efo fo bob cyfle oedd o'n ei gael. \"Ei uchelgais o erioed oedd cael cwch ei hun. Fe gafodd o ei gwch ei hun yn y diwedd, ond yn anffodus wnaeth hi ddim gweithio allan fel oedd neb wedi meddwl.\" Roedd y pysgotwr 36 oed o Forfa Nefyn yn casglu cregyn bylchog ger Nant Gwrtheyrn pan aeth i drafferthion, ac fe gafodd ei ddarganfod yn farw ar ei gwch. \"O'n i adra efo'r g\u0175r a'r mab, a chael galwad ff\u00f4n wnes i, bod rhywbeth wedi digwydd,\" meddai Ms Hughes, o'r Ff\u00f4r ger Pwllheli. \"O'n i methu credu'r ffasiwn beth - oedd o'n ofnadwy. \"Do'n i ddim yn gwybod yn iawn beth oedd wedi digwydd - dim ond bod ei ddillad wedi mynd yn sownd mewn winsh, ac wedi methu dod ohono fo. \"Yn anffodus mi gollodd ei fywyd mewn ffordd ofnadwy.\" Clywodd y cwest i farwolaeth Mr Jones nad oedd gan y winsh yr offer diogelwch angenrheidiol, sy'n ofynnol yn gyfreithiol. Dywedodd y crwner bod cyflwr y cwch yn awgrymu mai \"diffyg arian, yn hytrach na diffyg ymwybyddiaeth o ddiogelwch\" oedd wedi rhwystro Mr Jones rhag cynnal ei gwch yn gywir. Mae'r RNLI yn annog pysgotwyr ledled y DU i gymryd mantais o Gronfa'r M\u00f4r a Physgodfeydd Ewrop, all gael ei ddefnyddio i gael offer newydd, mwy diogel ar eu cychod. \"Mae o yn waith peryglus - mae pawb yn gwybod hynny - ac mae pawb eisiau i'w g\u0175r, partner, mab ddod adra'n saff,\" meddai Ms Hughes. \"Os oes yna help i'w gael, pl\u00ees ceisiwch gael yr arian i helpu eich hunain. \"Gobeithio trwy wneud hyn y daw rhywbeth da ohono fo - na wneith teulu arall ddioddef fel 'da ni wedi dioddef.\"", "summary": "Mae chwaer pysgotwr fu farw oddi ar arfordir Pen Ll\u0177n wedi apelio i bobl eraill gymryd mantais o gynllun i sicrhau bod eu cychod mewn cyflwr diogel."}
{"article": "Wales face Ukraine in their penultimate warm-up match before Euro 2016, and the last before the manager names his 23-man squad for the tournament. Coleman knows the fixture could be a risk, but adds it is one worth taking. \"When you go to places like this you find out a lot about players. We want it to be risky and edgy,\" he said. \"You learn nothing if you go into a game knowing if we are at 80% we will win 4-0.\" Wales, who drew 1-1 with Northern Ireland on Thursday, will again be without Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale and Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey at Kiev's 70,000-capacity Olympic Stadium. Ukraine have also qualified for Euro 2016, and Coleman believes taking on such a tough trip will help his relatively inexperienced team. \"If you go into a hostile environment against a good team, you know you can end up with egg on your face if you do not turn up and perform,\" he said. \"But I prefer it like this. We are in their backyard in a tough atmosphere, and we have to show we can cope.\" Coleman, however, has the comfort of being able to call on his first-choice defence and is likely to return to five at the back. The fit-again Ben Davies is set to join skipper Ashley Williams and James Chester in the centre of defence, with Chris Gunter and Neil Taylor deployed as wing-backs. \"The edge in the atmosphere is not for everyone,\" said Coleman. \"But guys like Ashley Williams are always the same in mentality - he always plays with that meaning and gives everything he has got.\"", "summary": "Wales manager Chris Coleman believes his team will benefit from the hostility they are likely to face in Monday's friendly in Kiev."}
{"article": "Kerosene leaked from a pipeline near Nantycaws, Carmarthenshire, into nearby Nant Pibwr, with dead fish spotted. The Welsh Government said the A48 will close in both directions from the Nantycaws turning to Carmarthen from 19:00 BST on Friday until 06:00 Monday. Traffic will be diverted through Nantycaws and Llangunnor. Rural Affairs Secretary Lesley Griffiths visited the site of the spill on Saturday. In a letter to assembly members, she confirmed the scale of the spill was bigger than previously thought.", "summary": "Details of when a main road will close for repair work to a damaged fuel pipeline that leaked more than 140,000 litres of oil have been confirmed."}
{"article": "The Building (Scotland) Act 2003 stopped the need for a council completion certificate to be issued. However, the council wants the final say on whether pupils can return to all 17 schools closed over safety fears. The council is to have a \"clearer picture\" from surveys on Friday. Why are Edinburgh schools closed? Seventeen schools built or modernised just over a decade ago under the controversial Public Private Partnership arrangement scheme were shut earlier this month over safety concerns. The council had entered into a deal to build the schools with the specially-formed private company, the Edinburgh Schools Partnership, and construction work was carried out by Miller Construction. Under the deal, the profit-making company built the schools, runs the buildings and maintains them. The council is, in effect, a tenant. Children at all 17 schools are now back in classrooms but finding alternative accommodation has been a major logistical operation and some youngsters face lengthy journeys to temporary sites. Some form of investigation or inquiry into the debacle is expected to be launched after the Scottish election. 17 Schools closed over safety fears 7,600 Primary and secondary pupils affected by the closures 61 Alternative schools are being used 655 Teachers relocated 70 Bus services laid on to transport pupils A City of Edinburgh Council spokesman said: \"The council will appoint independent experts to give us the necessary reassurance that work carried out by the Edinburgh Schools Partnership and its contractors is of the required standard to ensure the safety of children.\"", "summary": "Independent experts appointed by the council will check schools in Edinburgh are safe to reopen in a major departure from the previous system, which saw builders approve their own work."}
{"article": "Most are tourists looking up in awe at the LED screens that dominate the landscape. Nobody notices the tiny dark figure 350 feet above the pavement clinging to the side of the century old Times Building, home of the New Year's Eve Ball. Jeff Rolfe is a cross between Spider Man and Guy Fawkes, gingerly making his way up and down the side of the building with a bitter winter wind attacking him from every angle as he dangles. In his arms are pre-configured wooden racks full of small explosives. He has to install enough to put smiles on a billion TV viewers worldwide. Thankfully these are the finishing touches to a display of fireworks that in just over 24 hours will hopefully also elicit oohs and aahs from a million New Years Eve revellers in the Square. For almost everyone the thrill of fireworks is an experience that can be traced back to childhood. Yet if you were able to time travel backwards two, three or four decades into history and stand once again in front of your local town display, you would likely be disappointed. Mr Rolfe, from Fireworks By Santore, says few people realise that fountains, rockets, wheels and bursts have all taken a huge step forward thanks to technology. \"The shows used to be much much longer, over an hour in duration. But attention spans are shorter now,\" he says. \"Today, 30 minutes is considered a very long display. Technicians used to manually shoot big shells from steel tube mortars that would need to cool down before the next ones could be fired. It was more relaxed. Now we shoot multiple smaller shells per second from several locations, remotely.\" Songs were played in their entirety rather than the mixed snippets that are favoured today. And any notion of syncing the beats to the bursts was usually a happy accident rather than anything pre-planned. New software and hardware means shells and cannons can be fired remotely up to two miles away and timed to within 1/100th of a second. And in a world full of giant LEDs, laser beams and light shows, fireworks are frequently asked to become team players, which is why \"syncing\" is one of the most sought after skills in the industry. \"Using computer software, we mark where we want the highs and lows of the display to be in relation to the music,\" says Mr Rolfe. \"And then we backtrack all the timings, and create digital cues alongside the music track for the firing sequence in an FSK (Frequency Shift Keying) file. When you hear it, it sounds like the noise made by an old modem.\" Big events, especially those on live TV are usually produced using \"timecode\". A highly accurate digital clock signal is generated from a central source and every person, computer, device and camera at the event uses it as their only time reference. Music tracks, lighting and fireworks can be pre-programmed digitally to flow together perfectly. But it can take months of work by specialist designers to produce a dazzling display.", "summary": "Every year, on the evening before New Year's Eve, thousands of people in New York City amble through the neon glow of Times Square."}
{"article": "Here's BBC Sport's day-by-day guide so you know when the medals will be won, and which events to monitor closely. All times BST Athletics (men's marathon T12, T46, T54, women's marathon T12, T54), wheelchair rugby, sitting volleyball (men's gold). 13:00 - GB's Derek Rae in the men's T46 marathon 13:00 - Japan v Canada in wheelchair rugby bronze medal match 13:00 - Egypt v Brazil in sitting volleyball bronze medal match 16:00 - Bosnia and Herzegovina v Iran in sitting volleyball gold medal match 16:30 - GB's David Weir & Simon Lawson in the men's T54 marathon 16:30 - Australia v USA in sitting volleyball gold medal match 16:31 - USA's Tatyana McFadden in the women's T54 marathon 23:30 - Closing ceremony Brit watch Before the closing ceremony, there are still medals up for grabs with David Weir entered in the T54 marathon, which will take place along five laps at Fort Copacabana (16:30) along with Simon Lawson, who won silver at last year's Great North Half Marathon. Like Lawson, Scotland's Derek Rae will be making his Paralympic debut in the T46 class (13:00) after suffering nerve damage to his arm in a motorbike accident in 2010. World watch Tatyana McFadden is also queen of road racing and has won the big four city races (Boston, London, Chicago and New York). But she has yet to win a Paralympic marathon title and will want to put that right. Manuela Schar of Switzerland and Japan's road specialist Wakako Tsuchida could be her nearest challengers (16:31). Tsuchida's compatriot Yutaka Kumagai stormed to victory in the T12 race event at the London Marathon and the visually-impaired athlete will be attempting to give his nation a boost as they prepare to take over the mantle of Paralympic hosts from Brazil. In the women's event, China's Jin Zheng was seven minutes clear of her closest rivals in London in April. The men's sitting volleyball title is also up for grabs (16:00) with Iran hoping to reclaim the title they lost in London and win their sixth title from the last eight Games. Bosnia and Herzegovina were victorious four years ago, beating Iran 3-1 and both will want to figure again. The BBC is not responsible for changes to schedules, and has taken all reasonable care to ensure the information in this article is correct.", "summary": "The Paralympic Games are about to reach their conclusion, with the final day of action on Sunday."}
{"article": "But what really bothered the academic was the condemnation of the supporters that followed. Kaufman, an associate professor of sociology at the State University of New York who has studied crowd reactions to athletes, reckons the widespread criticism of the passion shown by local fans, including an angry condemnation by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, was unjustified. \"The IOC has much more important issues to worry about than supporters booing competitions,\" he said. \"There has been a backlash towards the home fans and I find it interesting that people are not looking at the fact that crowd behaviour is a matter of cultural values. \"Why is the way Brazilians cheer or jeer 'wrong'? What we know as reality is shaped by the environment we grew up in\", Kaufman told BBC Brasil. \"Each culture has its own beliefs and values and in some of them you will even find that applauding effusively is considered rude.\" READ MORE: So why do people boo, then? Kaufman says academics regard jeering as a form of social interaction concerned with more than just the outcome of a sporting competition. \"The Olympics have a much broader meaning and when Brazilians boo they might be actually defying authority rather than only trying to influence the outcome of a match,\" he said. And he says he rather enjoys the rowdiness of the local fans. \"It's fascinating that rules of engagement and behaviour can be so different from country to country,\" said Kaufman. \"The IOC shouldn't be so surprised by the passion shown by Brazilian fans. Booing is only as 'wrong' as cheering. Both are expressions of values and beliefs. \"If Fifa had banned the vuvuzelas in the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa, no matter how deafening they sounded even on TV, they would have amputated a cultural component of that society\". But doesn't Kaufman think booing is unfair on the athletes? Up to a point, but he reckons competitors should not really be shocked - at least, not to the extent of Lavillenie, who made comments, for which he later apologised, linking Brazilian fans to crowds in Nazi Germany at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. \"The targets of booing can be excused for feeling offended, sad and even threatened by a raucous crowd. We can't blame them for not having time to think of cultural aspects when they are much more worried about sporting performance,\" he said. \"It's understandable that the French athlete got upset, but he was competing against a Brazilian athlete in front of a home crowd. It was inevitable that the fans would pick on him,\" he argues. But Kaufman has no sympathy with calls for crowd behaviour to be curbed. \"Sport is passionate and exciting and people are also making political statements. Brazilian fans booed Russian athletes because of the doping allegations, for example, or simply picked on Argentine fans because of the soccer rivalry. But to talk about a 'more appropriate' way of supporting is an attitude of cultural imperialism,\" he says. He is not even convinced there is any reason to complain", "summary": "Like many observers of the Rio Olympics, American sociologist Peter Kaufman was shocked by the spectacle of French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie being booed by local fans during and after his duel with Brazilian athlete Thiago Braz."}
{"article": "Ayatollah Khamenei hailed a \"companion of struggle\" despite their differences, saying this was a \"difficult\" loss. President Hassan Rouhani praised Mr Rafsanjani as a great man of the Islamic revolution. The government has announced three days of mourning, making Tuesday a public holiday for his funeral in Tehran. Mr Rafsanjani, who served as president from 1989 to 1997, was pivotal in the 1979 revolution. But later in life he became a counterpoint to hardline conservatives. \"The different opinions and interpretations at time in this long period could never entirely break up the friendship between us,\" said Ayatollah Khamenei. Mr Rafsanjani died on Sunday in a hospital in Tehran after suffering a heart attack. His body was taken to Jamaran prayer hall, the residence of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Rohullah Khomeini, where relatives, politicians and religious figures gathered to pay their last respects. Mr Rafsanjani had been a mentor to President Rouhani, whom he supported after his own attempt to run in the 2013 election as a reformist candidate was rejected by the powerful Guardian Council. Mr Rouhani said on Twitter: \"The soul of the great man of the revolution, symbol of patience and resistance, has gone to Heaven.\" Analysts say Mr Rafsanjani's sudden death is a major blow to the president, who is preparing for re-election in May. Iranian newspapers across the political spectrum are paying tribute to Mr Rafsanjani. Most front pages are splashed with pictures and captions highlighting his central role in Iranian politics. Many have used black as a background. \"Iran mourns the death of contemporary Amir Kabir,\" moderate Arman-e Emruz announces, comparing Rafsanjani to the man widely considered to be Iran's first reformer and moderniser. An \"irretrievable loss\", moderate daily Iran laments, while reformist Aftab-e Yazd, under a picture of Mr Rafsanjani's grieving children, affirms that \"Iran is mourning\". Even hard-line dailies are joining in the accolades. Javan notes his closeness to the founder of the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in its headline: \"Man of tough days of fighting and friend of Imam and the Leader rushes to meet God.\" Hard-line Vatan-e Emrooz describes him as \"one of the pillars\" and \"a genuine figure\" of Iran's Islamic Revolution. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook. BBC Persian's Kasra Naji says Mr Rafsanjani was a great survivor of the Iranian revolution, always managing to stay afloat in the unending political struggles between the hardliners and the moderates, remaining influential. In recent years, our correspondent says, he has been a central figure in the reform movement that has been trying to have a moderating influence on Iran and Ayatollah Khamenei. Mr Rafsanjani's final role was head of the Expediency Council, which tries to resolve disputes between parliament and the Guardian Council. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was born in 1934 in south-eastern Iran to a family of farmers. He studied theology in the holy city of Qom with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini - who went on", "summary": "Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has led tributes to former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who has died at the age of 82."}
{"article": "Robert White tried to make his pet cat Salem inhale drugs on 16 May, before he stubbed it out on the animal. Birmingham Magistrates' Court heard the kitten suffered third-degree burns to 80% of its face, and after being taken to the vets he was put to sleep to prevent further suffering. White, 38, of Rogerfield Road in Birmingham, was handed a four-month sentence suspended for 18 months. He was also banned from owning pets for life, ordered to pay \u00c2\u00a3350 costs and a \u00c2\u00a3150 victim surcharge and will be made to attend a drug and alcohol rehabilitation course. More on this and other stories from Birmingham and Black Country RSPCA inspector Beth Boyd said the case was \"one of the worst\" she had investigated. \"I can't even think about what Salem must have gone through that night - he would have been in severe pain, as well as being very frightened,\" she said. \"At least now some justice has been done for him.\"", "summary": "A kitten died after a man stubbed a joint out in its face, a court heard."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old has agreed a two-year deal with the Scottish Premiership club. Fulton has been with Liverpool for 10 years and has had loan spells with Portsmouth and Chesterfield in the past two seasons. Accies began the campaign with Gary Woods in goals for their League Cup win at East Kilbride. Fulton will provide competition for Woods and Darren Jamieson, who was on the bench at the weekend. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Hamilton Academical have signed Scotland Under-21 goalkeeper Ryan Fulton from Liverpool."}
{"article": "Mr Abdel Fattah had been sentenced to 15 years in jail for violating a strict anti-protest law. He is currently facing a retrial in the case. Mr Abdel Fattah gained fame during the 2011 uprising against the then-President, Hosni Mubarak. His arrest had heightened fears of a crackdown on dissent in Egypt. Correspondents say the 15-year sentence was one of the harshest ever awarded to a non-Islamist activist in the country. Mr Abdel Fattah had been charged with assaulting a policeman at an illegal protest. He was sentenced in June, along with 24 others, but was not allowed to be in court for the verdict. The same judges presided over his retrial, prompting Mr Abdel Fattah to complain that he had \"no confidence\" in them. A lawyer for Mr Abdel Fattah, Mohammed Abdel-Aziz, said on Monday that the judge presiding over the retrial had stepped down at the request of the defence team. He said the judge had also ordered an investigation into the prosecutor's use of Mr Abdul Fattah's personal videos, \"which violated the accused's privacy\". At a previous hearing, the prosecutor had shown videos of family celebrations which had no link to the case, Mr Abdel-Aziz told AFP news agency. The retrial will resume when a new judge is assigned to the case. Mr Abdel Fattah is expected to leave prison on Tuesday. Along with two other activists, whose release was also ordered by the court, he must pay 5,000 Egyptian pounds ($430; $700) as bail. Mr Abdel Fattah comes from a prominent family of Egyptian activists. His sister, Sanaa Seif, is also in custody on charges of violating the protest law. His father, Ahmed Seif al-Islam, was a leading human rights lawyer and campaigner who died late last month. Hundreds of people have been killed in street clashes since the military ousted President Mohammed Morsi last year. Thousands have also been arrested, most of them Islamists who supported Mr Morsi. The crackdown has since been extended to student leaders and secular activists who had protested against Mr Mubarak. Former army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi took office as president after winning 96.9% of the vote in elections in May - almost a year after he ousted Mr Morsi. However turnout was below 50%, as Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and some liberal and secular activists urged a boycott of the poll. Also on Monday, an Egyptian court sentenced the Muslim Brotherhood's leader, Mohammed Badie, and 14 others to life in jail on charges of murder and inciting violence at protests near Cairo last year. Mr Morsi's predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, stepped down after mass anti-government protests in 2011, following nearly three decades in power.", "summary": "An Egyptian court has ordered the release on bail of one of the country's most prominent bloggers and pro-democracy activists, Alaa Abdel Fattah."}
{"article": "Some 250 complaints were received by the Advertising Standards Authority in just 24 hours, following the advert's debut on Monday evening. Those who objected found the advert \"offensive\" and \"in poor taste\", said a spokesman for the ASA. Viewers complained \"it trivialises the work of animal welfare charities\". The spokesman confirmed that complaints were being monitored, but stressed that no further action was being taken by the watchdog at present. Despite receiving a \"high volume of complaints in a short space of time\", it said, the number of complaints has subsequently dropped off. The ASA said action would be taken if there was found to be problem with the advert under the advertising code. A spokeswoman for Marmite, who are owned by Unilever, said it was \"never [their] intention to cause offence\". \"We have made every effort to ensure that this commercial entertains anyone who watches it,\" she continued. \"We believe we have created an unmistakably Marmite ad - people will either love it or hate it and they certainly won't forget it. \"We hope that everyone will watch and enjoy this commercial in the light-hearted way it was intended.\" The advert, which features the voice of BBC journalist Michael Buerk, parodies a team of welfare officers as they uncover neglected Marmite jars \"stuck right at the back\" of kitchen cupboards. \"Who knows how long that's been here?\" says one actor as he carries off the Marmite to \"clean him up\". \"It's a baby one,\" bleats another actor. \"[It's] not been used in a month... lid's stuck.\" The 90-second advert concludes with a family enjoying their re-homed Marmite and the slogan: \"Love it. Hate it. Just don't forget it.\" Marmite trailed the advert's debut, during Monday's Coronation Street on ITV, on its Facebook page. Viewers posted mixed responses following its broadcast. \"This ad shows no regard for all those involved with animal welfair [sic] and I personaly [sic] will no longer eat Marmite till this ad is pulled,\" wrote one. \"How can u compare animal cruelty with marmite neglect...?\" wrote another. \"Come on people, have a sense of humour.\" \"It's a brilliant advert,\" added Dave Norris. \"Very funny and highlights animal charity work.\" The RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) said it understood that \"animal lovers are concerned on our behalf\". \"We plan to talk to the makers of Marmite about how we can work together on animal welfare.\"", "summary": "A TV advert in which a spoof rescue team saves \"stricken\" jars of Marmite from homes where they have been neglected has prompted 278 complaints."}
{"article": "Angel Martinez, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Dan Jones were announced on Friday. They are now joined by Liam Graham, Curtis Morrison, Jake Beesley, Thorsten Stuckmann, Lloyd Allinson, Sadiq El Fitouri, Jay O'Shea and Charlie Raglan. Veteran Ritchie Humphreys, 39, is in talks regarding a coaching role. \"It is never easy having to tell players that they will not be offered new contracts,\" said manager Gary Caldwell. \"But it is something that has to be done as we look to rebuild over the summer and shape a squad capable of competing in League Two. \"We have made contract offers to four players and hope that they will all sign. \"I would like to thank the players who are leaving the club for their service and wish them all the very best for the future.\"", "summary": "Chesterfield will offer deals to Ian Evatt, Laurence Maguire, Dan Gardner and Rai Simons but have confirmed that 12 players will leave the club following relegation to League Two."}
{"article": "The question rumbling round Washington DC like rolling thunder these past 48 hours is whether in the wake of the hideousness of Paris, the president of small incremental steps is prepared to become the president who throws everything at the problem. There will be books written, I feel sure, that will chart the development of his policy towards IS (a book on his successes in the fight looks as though it might be a rather slim volume; the book on the shortcomings rather fatter) - but I am going to do the rapid precis of it. And we are going to go quickly: Let's make our starting point August 2014 when there was the confession from the president that \"we don't have a strategy yet\" for dealing with IS. The strategy did come some weeks later. The mission would be to \"degrade and ultimately destroy\" IS. Keen students of textual analysis would later notice a subsequent subtle shift to \"degrade and defeat\". There would be no US boots on the ground. Instead Americans would train rebel groups to lead the fight - a policy that has failed ignominiously. Can you imagine the humiliation for General Lloyd Austin, the head of US Central Command, when he had to tell a congressional committee that the $500m (\u00c2\u00a3330m) programme had only resulted in a handful of fighters battling the jihadists. \"We're talking four or five,\" he told the Armed Services Committee. But then came another amendment that maybe some American troops would be on the ground doing training specifically. Now they are to be bolstered with about 50 US special forces to be deployed in Syria to assist the rebels. But let's dwell a little longer on something the president said in February, when he urged people not to overstate the significance of IS by \"over-inflating their importance\". And he said it was wrong to suggest \"in some fashion that they are an existential threat to the United States\". Existential threat. Well I am sure the US band The Eagles of Death Metal, would disagree with that having scarpered for their lives as the gunmen opened fire in the Bataclan Theatre in Paris's 11th district, killing dozens and dozens of concertgoers. To state the obvious, what Paris brutally underscored is that IS now poses a serious threat way beyond the borders of Syria and Iraq. And it may not be the existential threat of mutually assured destruction from Cold War days when intercontinental ballistic missiles threatened to flatten whole cities. But it is a very 21st Century existential threat. It is a threat to the way people live. The attackers were able to plan multiple, simultaneous attacks. So the question is: if this isn't a game changer, what is? This weekend speaking to people in Washington close to the administration I have heard two different scenarios advanced. The first is that the pressure on the president to show that he is serious about putting IS out of business is going to intensify massively. Not only do you have the French wanting to intensify the campaign", "summary": "It would be overdoing it to say that Barack Obama has been dragged kicking and screaming towards involvement in defeating the so-called Islamic State (IS) - but everything about the administration's policy and body language has suggested a wariness towards the fight and a weariness to those demanding something more."}
{"article": "It fell as low as $1.0560, before recovering a little. But many traders expect it may soon be worth the same as a dollar. The ECB began its latest round of quantitative easing (QE) on Monday. It will buy bonds worth \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.14tn over the next 18 months, flooding the market with euros. Traders have reacted to the ECB's latest round of QE by selling euros and buying other currencies such as US dollars. The US currency is appealing because the Federal Reserve looks to have completed its bond-buying programme. The euro started its slide against the dollar in July last year as traders reacted to the divergence in policy between the ECB and the Fed. The value of the euro has fallen 22.4% since 1 July, when a euro was worth $1.37. An upbeat US jobs survey released on Friday provided an additional boost to the dollar. \"This opened up speculation again that the US will raise interest rates in June,\" says Jane Foley, senior currency strategist at Rabobank. This would attract foreign capital and boost the dollar. In the eurozone Greece's economic woes continue to put downward pressure on the euro, bringing it closer to dollar parity. The eurozone's growing current account surplus is encouraging Europeans to invest abroad causing the euro to weaken further, according to Deutsche Bank. It's what you expect when the economic performance of two currency blocs diverge in the way that the eurozone and the US have. The stronger growth in the US means higher interest rates, because the Federal Reserve will raise its own rates, perhaps later this year, and also because there is more demand for cash to fund investment. In Europe by contrast, the quantitative easing that is finally underway is driving down borrowing costs in the financial markets even further. The weaker euro is also what you want, at least if you are at the eurozone end of this exchange rate. Part of Europe's problem is weak demand for goods and services at home and the cheaper currency will make it a little easier to compensate for that by selling more abroad. \"The momentum is certainly building and there's a lot of talk of parity,\" says Ms Foley. \"We now see euro-dollar moving down to $1.00 by year-end, $0.90 by 2016 and down to a trough of $0.85 by 2017,\" said Deutsche Bank in a report published on Tuesday. While further devaluation of the euro should give businesses in the eurozone a boost, the pace of change may pose challenges for companies that need to plan ahead.", "summary": "The euro has fallen to its lowest level against the US dollar in 12 years after the European Central Bank (ECB) began its government bond buying programme."}
{"article": "Some German newspapers criticised the cartoon, while the German vice-president of the European Parliament called it \"tasteless\". The cartoonist, Edel Rodriguez, said the image represented \"the beheading of democracy\". US-German relations have deteriorated under President Trump, who has criticised the policies of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He said last month that her policy of welcoming masses of migrants who arrived in Germany had been a \"catastrophic mistake\". His trade adviser also recently attacked Germany for gaining unfair trade advantages from a \"grossly undervalued\" euro. The front cover image is similar to one that appeared on the front page of the New York Daily News in December 2015, also showing Mr Trump beheading the Statue of Liberty but in a less gory fashion. Mr Rodriguez, who arrived in the US as a political refugee from Cuba in 1980 told the Washington Post that he wanted to make a comparison between the Islamic State and Donald Trump, saying \"both sides are extremists\". Der Spiegel editor Klaus Brinkbaumer wrote in an editorial that Mr Trump was \"attempting a coup from the top\" and wanted to \"establish an illiberal democracy\". White House: Media coverage is 'demoralising' How the media helped Trump The White House has accused liberal media groups of false and irresponsible reporting designed to smear President Trump and the new administration. Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, a member of the Germany's Free Democrats and vice-president of the European Parliament, said the cover said more about Der Spiegel journalists than Mr Trump. \"The cover plays on the lives of terror victims in a very nasty way,\" he told Bild. Several other magazines are using the front covers of their next editions to comment on the US president and his policies. Bloomberg Businessweek shows Mr Trump holding an executive order, which says: \"(Insert hastily drafted, legally dubious, economically destabilizing executive order here).\" British weekly The Economist, which has endorsed both Republican and Democratic presidents, pictures President Trump throwing a molotov cocktail. The New Yorker, a liberal magazine which endorsed Hillary Clinton, shows the Statue of Liberty's flame extinguished. The conservative National Review's cover story defends nationalism, which it says critics of Mr Trump's inauguration speech wrongly see as dangerous.", "summary": "Germany's influential weekly news magazine Der Spiegel has come under fire for a cover image showing US President Donald Trump beheading the Statue of Liberty."}
{"article": "The suspect, who was shot dead by police, has not been identified. Officials say he was a disgruntled lawyer who fired randomly at drivers. Numerous weapons were found in what is believed to be the suspect's car, Houston's acting police chief said, adding there were no indications of anyone else being involved. Police say they are also investigating the gunman's apartment and his social media accounts to try and establish a motive. \"The motivation appears to be a lawyer whose relationship with his law firm went bad,\", Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner told reporters. Six victims were taken to hospital, and three were treated at the scene after being shot at while inside their cars, the city's acting Police Chief Martha Montalvo said. One of the victims is in a critical condition. The shooting comes three days after a shooting at a shopping mall in Washington state, in which five people were killed. The gunman in that attack, Arcan Cetin, 20, was born in Turkey and is a legal US permanent resident, officials say. The FBI have said there was no evidence that the shooting there was linked to terrorism. Nine days ago, a 20-year-old man stabbed 10 people at a Minnesota shopping centre before being shot dead by an off-duty police officer.", "summary": "Nine people have been injured in a shooting outside a shopping centre in Houston in the US state of Texas, one of them critically."}
{"article": "Under new anti-terror measures, a 2.6-metre barrier could soon block public access to the much-loved grassy space. The mass tumble took place on Saturday morning, after news of the event spread on Facebook. Lester Yao, who organised it, said he felt the architect had wanted the public to enjoy the grounds freely. While he had originally planned the roll as a gathering of family and friends, he was delighted when almost 3,000 people expressed interest in the unique protest via Facebook. Cricket fans treated to spectacular Canberra sunset Pro-asylum protest halts Australia's parliament Syrian refugee gets top results in Oz Explaining the event, he wrote: \"It's a story I hear often from people that live in Canberra or visit Canberra and the Parliament House. They walk up that beautiful green lawn and see the amazing view of Canberra, then they fall to their knees and roll down the hill. \"This simple fun action embodies a very simple yet powerful symbol of democracy. That the citizens can walk up and over their elected government. \"At least that's what I believe the architect behind the design of the Parliament House intended.\" Mr Yao, 34, lives in Canberra but is originally from the Philippines. The Canberra Times reported that he recently took a visiting cousin for a joyful tumble down the Parliament House hill - which got the ball rolling on his protest. No firm timetable has been given for the controversial fence, which is part of a A$60m (\u00c2\u00a335m; $44m) security blitz at the seat of Australia's government, but work could begin by summer 2017. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has defended the costly plans, telling The Huffington Post Australia that \"parliament is the people's house,\" but that \"getting that balance right\" on security is \"critically important\". MPs recently voted in favour of the fence - but not all of them support it. MP Andrew Broad of the National Party of Australia told News.com.au children should be able to roll down the iconic grass. \"Let's not let terrorists destroy our way of life,\" he urged. Mr Broad said that while he has not indulged in a hill roll since he was a child, Australia's leaders should consider taking part. \"I reckon at the end of the year that'd be a good look; all the pollies [politicians] finish the parliament with a good roll down the grass and tell people that parliament ultimately is about a bit of fun,\" he said.", "summary": "Hundreds of Australians have gathered to roll on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra, in protest against plans to build a security fence there."}
{"article": "Pakistan finished the second day on 97-8, 332 runs behind Australia's first innings total of 429 at the Gabba. Hazlewood took 3-19, including two wickets in two balls, while Starc finished with figures of 3-45. Earlier, Nathan Lyon and Jackson Bird put on 49 runs for the final Australian wicket after Peter Handscomb completed his maiden Test century. Mohammad Amir finished with 4-97, his best bowling figures since his return to Test cricket in July following a five-year ban, while Wahab Riaz took 4-89.", "summary": "Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc starred as Australia took control of the day-night first Test in Brisbane."}
{"article": "The change is effective in both divisions and aims to encourage better pitches for four-day cricket. \"It is a bit of a rubbish rule,\" Raine told BBC Radio Leicester. \"Hopefully it doesn't last too long. I'm not sure why the rule has been brought in. \"It's against the spirit of cricket and against the rules of the game.\" The rule change means that Foxes skipper Mark Cosgrove will have the chance to decide if his side will bowl first in their opening County Championship match of the season against Glamorgan in Cardiff on 17 April. England's limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan has said the move may benefit the game long-term, allowing younger players to develop different skills on better quality pitches. Raine argues that the toss had little bearing on any of Leicestershire's County Championship results last season. \"I don't think there were too many pitches last year where the toss did really affect the outcomes,\" he added. \"The two games we did win, we did bowl first but there are plenty of times where we bowled first and lost.\"", "summary": "Scrapping the mandatory coin toss in county cricket is \"against the spirit of the game\", says Leicestershire all-rounder Ben Raine."}
{"article": "Surrey Fire Service said it started at about 14:00 BST at a nearby nature reserve and spread across 25 acres. More than 40 firefighters, six engines and two water tankers were used to deal with the blaze. Alan Clark, from Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, said \"the lack of rain and tinder box dry conditions provided the perfect recipe for wildfires\". He added: \"Once they start they can spread quickly, making wildfires notoriously difficult to control.\" The Wentworth golf estate regularly hosts major golf tournaments including the PGA championship and World Match Play Championships.", "summary": "A wildfire which spread onto the Wentworth golf estate has been tackled by firefighters."}
{"article": "The RNLI said it expects the Shannon class all-weather lifeboat to help save more lives in waters around Ilfracombe, north Devon. It is one of only two places in the region to get the upgraded model, which volunteers described as \"faster and safer than its predecessor\". The new boat, called The Barry and Peggy High Foundation, also has a faster launching and recovery system. It replaces Mersey class vessel Spirit of Derbyshire, which has performed more than 500 rescues over 25 years. Suzy Tubby, an RNLI volunteer based in Ilfracombe, said the new lifeboat was an \"incredible thing\". \"It does 25 knots compared to the Mersey's 17,\" she said. \"The launching system is all very much quicker - then recovery takes less than half the time so it means we can be ready to go again a lot quicker\" she said. Second Coxswain Carl Perrin said he wanted to thank fundraisers for their help in bringing the new boat into action. \"It's faster, it's safer, it can go further and the potential for lifesaving is great,\" he said.", "summary": "An upgraded \u00a33m lifeboat has been launched in the south west."}
{"article": "A judge granted them an extra 12 hours to file charges, and they now have until Wednesday evening local time. Correspondents say police have been put on the defensive by questions over their handling of the case. All three women are said to be in good health, following their dramatic rescue on Monday evening. Amanda Berry, who disappeared in 2003 aged 16, escaped with a neighbour's help while her alleged captor was away. Gina DeJesus, who went missing aged 14 a year later, and Michelle Knight, who vanished in 2002 aged about 19, were also rescued from the property. A school bus driver, Ariel Castro, and his two brothers - Pedro, 54, and Onil, 50 - have been arrested. By Jonny DymondBBC News, Cleveland It is difficult to believe that Seymour Avenue could be home to such a crime: a quiet tree-lined street with houses knocked about and sometimes boarded up, a red-brick church and traffic humming back and forth at either end. But it is the residents and neighbours who are most surprised. Aurora Marti, 75, has lived across from 2207 Seymour Avenue for 27 years. Ariel Castro used to come and sit on her porch and chat with her. He took her granddaughter out for bike rides at a nearby park. When the nearby area was being dug up in the search for Amanda Berry's remains, he talked to her about it. All the while he is alleged to have held Amanda and two other women just across the road. Ariel Castro reportedly fled the neighbourhood after neighbours kicked in the door of his house to help the women escape. He was arrested at a nearby McDonald's restaurant, according to local media. It is unclear when Castro's brothers were detained. The reappearance of the women astounded residents of the neighbourhood in which they had been held, but some have claimed police failed to act on their tip-offs. Police have confirmed a six-year-old girl, Jocelyn, who was discovered along with the women, is Amanda Berry's daughter. Police say they are planning to conduct in-depth interviews with the suspects on Wednesday, and charges are expected to be filed by that evening - 48 hours after the men were arrested. \"This is just the tip of the iceberg. This investigation will take a very long time,\" Cleveland police spokeswoman Jennifer Ciaccia told CNN. Police are carrying out an inch-by-inch inspection of the house at 2207 Seymour Ave and say they are also searching other properties. Monday's rescue unfolded with a frenzied call to the emergency services by Ms Berry, now 27. She escaped with the help of a neighbour who heard her screaming while her alleged captor was out of the house. Rescuer Charles Ramsey said he had helped kick in a metal door so that Ms Berry could climb outside, with her daughter, and phone police. In a recording of Monday's emergency call, she says: \"I've been kidnapped, and I've been missing for 10 years. And I'm here. I'm free now.\" She begged for police to come soon, \"before he gets back\".", "summary": "Police investigating the abduction of three women for about a decade in Cleveland, Ohio, are due to interview three male suspects."}
{"article": "Peter Barker and Alison Waters lost 11-8 11-10 to Australia's David Palmer and Rachael Grinham to give Palmer a first Commonwealth gold. The 38-year-old then teamed up with Cameron Pilley to win his second title of the day in the men's doubles. They beat top seeds Nick Matthew and Adrian Grant 10-11 11-7 11-9. Matthew had been chasing a double after his win over compatriot James Willstrop in the men's singles final. But former world number one Palmer, who had won two silvers and four bronzes at previous Games, decided to come out of retirement in a bid to win his elusive first title. Sheffield-born Matthew, 34, and Grant, 33, recovered from a slow start to take the first game, but the Australians took the second to force a decider and held their nerve to force the win. \"In singles there is a planning structure where if something goes wrong it is easier to correct but in doubles there are so many variables and it is such a momentum game,\" said Matthew. \"We did ourselves proud, we put out game plan into practice but they pulled off two great shots to win.\" England's Willstrop and Daryl Selby took bronze after beating Scotland's Alan Clyne and Harry Leitch 11-9 11-7. Media playback is not supported on this device In the mixed doubles, the third-seeded Australians took an early lead but Barker and Waters led 6-2 early in the second before Palmer and Grinham fought back to make it 10-10 and then win the sudden-death point. \"We are disappointed to not convert that lead in the second game,\" said Barker. \"We played well throughout but in the first game they just hit some unbelievable winners. \"It was a great match and I thought we played the best we have all week and we lost to worthy champions.\" Palmer and Grinham's team-mates Cameron Pilley and Kasey Brown won bronze thanks to an 8-11 11-9 11-8 success over New Zealand's Joelle King and Martin Knight.", "summary": "England won silver in both the mixed doubles and men's doubles on the final day of action at the Commonwealth Games squash competition."}
{"article": "The couple had abandoned the house in the middle of the night as the water rose over their shoulders and the floorboards floated loose. In the morning they waded back in to rescue some photographs. Nothing else could be salvaged. \"Some of the people in those pictures are not even with us anymore, those are our memories,\" said Ms Lopez, 32. They had already sent their two young daughters to Ms Lopez's mother, on higher ground. \"They're safe,\" Mr Fernandez said. \"But we've lost every material possession we owned.\" Their house, on Rippling Water Drive, was one of thousands in the area that flooded on Monday as Hurricane Harvey dumped record rainfall on Houston and the nearby Addicks reservoir filled beyond capacity for the first time in its 70-year history. As the level in the reservoir rose past its 108ft (33m) limit, water began pouring over an emergency spillway. Fearing the dam around the reservoir would fail, the Army Corps of Engineers began to let out 4,000 cubic feet (113 cubic metres) of water per second into Buffalo Bayou, flooding nearby neighbourhoods including Bear Creek. \"The flooding here is not just from the rain, the flooding here is because they released the reservoir,\" Ms Lopez said. \"They notified us they would do it at 7pm and at 1am they released the water. We didn't have enough time. Now everything is gone. If you walk down to my house now, all you will find is a wreck.\" Mr Fernandez flicked away his cigarette and, after a final glance towards the house, the couple got in their truck and made their way to Ms Lopez's brother's house. There were just a handful of residents left on Rippling Water Drive on Tuesday morning. An eerie silence had descended over the worst-affected parts of Bear Creek, punctuated only by sporadic calls from volunteer rescue boats and the chop of a military helicopter making low passes overhead. As the water level rose, there were fears that a torrent would wash through. The Addicks and Barker reservoirs, built by the government in the 1940s to hold back excessive rainwater along the bayou, store more than half a billion cubic metres of water between them, and the US Army Corps of Engineers has rated the decaying dams around the reservoirs as \"extremely high risk\". The flooding in the surrounding neighbourhoods would last at least four to five weeks, warned Jeff Lindner, a meteorologist at the Harris County Flood Control District. On Tuesday he advised anyone still there to get out. \"Once the water comes into the street, you aren't going to be able to leave,\" he said. In the Colonies neighbourhoods, just streets away from where water flows from the reservoirs into the bayou, a volunteer army had brought together jeeps, pick-up trucks and military surplus vehicles to rescue stranded residents. Organised on Facebook by two local off-road recovery groups, and manned from a makeshift radio control centre a few miles away, the group scoured the flooded streets for anyone stuck in their home. Josh James, 26, waded through", "summary": "As the rain began to fall harder around Bear Creek Village on Tuesday, Leticia Lopez and her husband Edgar Fernandez huddled under an awning, pausing for a cigarette and a final look down the street in the direction of their house."}
{"article": "Nico Ramsay, 19, was found with a stab wound to the chest in Napier Avenue, Southend, on Saturday 13 February. He died in hospital four days later. Essex Police said officers are looking for Allcie Houlder, 21, in connection with the death. He was last known to be living in Mantle Way, Stratford. Mr Houlder has links to Southend, Romford and Newham. He is described as 5ft 11in (1.8m) tall, with dark skin, and has a small scar on his chin and the word Tarnia tattooed on the right side of his neck. Mr Houlder is believed to have left the UK and taken a ferry from Dover to France on 19 February. Mr Ramsay's family issued a statement paying tribute to him. \"Nico was a lovely, good-natured, charismatic and humorous young man who had only just turned 19,\" they said. \"He had a life full of hope and promise ahead of him.\"", "summary": "Murder inquiry detectives have named a man they want to speak to in connection with the death of a teenager who was stabbed in Essex."}
{"article": "As well as minor public order offences, 10 of the arrests concerned alleged sectarian breaches of the peace. Eleven men are expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday; five others are subject of a report to the procurator fiscal; three were issued with a fixed penalty notice. Police said the behaviour of most fans at the game was \"excellent\". Match commander Ch Supt Andy Bates said: \"As usual the vast majority of the 50,000 fans were here to enjoy the game and support their respective team; they deserve credit for their excellent behaviour. \"However, again, it is the minority of fans who spoiled the occasion by for example setting off flares and singing sectarian songs. \"We dealt with any incidents swiftly and with minimum disruption. As at 1700 hours, 19 men have been arrested for a number of offences - mostly alleged minor public order offences but include 10 arrests for alleged sectarian BOPs (breaches of the peace).\"", "summary": "Police have said 19 men were arrested for offences connected with the Celtic-Rangers football match in Glasgow."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Wellingborough Town's Martin Potton is alleged to have made the comments in a game refereed by Mary Harmer. During a 7-0 defeat by Rushden and Diamonds he was overheard saying Harmer was not fit enough to referee a women's match, let alone a men's game. It is alleged he made further comments about other women in sporting roles. He told BBC Sport: \"I deny all the charges but was found guilty in my absence as I was denied the opportunity of a personal hearing.\" Lindsay England, founder of equality group Just A Ball Game, told the Victoria Derbyshire programme that she was at the United Counties League Premier Division match last April and overheard the comments. She reported him to the Football Association, and others complained as well. She did not know he was chairman of the non-league club, adding: \"Nobody challenged him and nobody laughed and joined in with what he was saying. I think he actually knew what he was saying and he believed that he still had that right to do that.\" Potton was banned for the maximum five games by an FA disciplinary commission and fined \u00a375 after being found guilty of using derogatory and insulting language towards an official. He was also ordered to attend a mandatory education lesson. Sue Ravenlaw, head of the FA's equality and safeguarding team, told BBC Sport: \"Any time that discriminatory abuse occurs in football, it's just frankly unacceptable. \"We've been encouraging an environment of collective responsibility from club level, with stewards, safety officers all the way through to ourselves. Whenever discriminatory abuse arises, of any form, people should be confident to report it.\" The case was one of a number of incidents which came to light during a survey carried out by Professor Sue Bridgewater of Liverpool University on behalf of Women in Football. The survey, which aims to identify whether women are achieving their full potential in the football sector, was released to coincide with International Women's Day and is a follow-up to an initial survey carried out in 2014. More than 500 women - from coaches, match officials, administrators and the media - who work in the football industry responded to the 2016 questionnaire. The main findings showed: Heather Rabbatts, FA board member and chair of the FA Inclusion Advisory Board, said: \"We still have a considerable way to go before there is a level playing field for women working across the game. \"Surveys like this are a good indicator of where the industry is on some of these critical issues and incidents of bullying, sexism and sexual harassment, must be dealt with whenever and wherever they arise in the game.\"", "summary": "A football chairman was banned from attending five matches and fined after being found guilty of making sexist comments about a female referee."}
{"article": "Paul Bingham spotted the blaze on the M6 near Coleshill, Warwickshire, and pulled up to help the stricken party. He then transported the youngsters to the National Motorcycle Museum, where parents were waiting. Thirteen people were treated for smoke inhalation - with four 10-year-old girls taken to hospital. Nobody was seriously hurt in the fire, which remains unexplained. More on this and other Warwickshire stories Mr Bingham was on his way back to his coach company's headquarters in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, when he saw the group, from a school in the Black Country, standing on the hard shoulder. He said \"small flames were coming out the rear at the bottom of the engine\" before the bus was eventually engulfed. Pictures later showed the vehicle reduced to smouldering remains. \"I was there with an empty coach, so it all fell into place,\" he said. \"I did nothing really. I just parked my bus and said 'jump on'. I got 60-odd people away from the scene and allowed them to sit in comfort.\" Mr Bingham said he was grateful the children hadn't seen the extent of the fire, as that would've been more \"stressful\" for them. He added that his bosses at Eavesway Travel told him to \"crack on\" and \"deal with it\". The four girls taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital were not thought to be in a serious condition, West Midlands Ambulance Service said. The ambulance service commended Mr Bingham for his actions. A spokesman said: \"We would like to pay tribute to the Eavesway Travel of Wigan coach driver who spotted the issue, stopped at the side of the motorway and helped evacuate the children.\"", "summary": "A coach driver has described the \"dramatic\" moment he helped 59 pupils and seven teachers escape a burning bus on a motorway."}
{"article": "Fe fydd y gyfres newydd yn dechrau nos Sul, Mai 21 a cafodd Cymru Fyw sgwrs gyda'r actor am y profiad o weithio gydag un o gyfarwyddwyr ffilm a theledu mwya'r byd, ei fywyd yn LA ac Eisteddfod yr Urdd: \"O'n i'n y car pan ffoniodd fy asiant. O'n i wedi cael y clyweliad saith mis yn gynharach ac o'n i'n meddwl bo fi heb gael y rhan. O'dd rhaid i fi dynnu'r car draw a sgrechen, roedd pawb o fy nghwmpas yn edrych yn syn, roedd yn ddydd cofiadwy iawn...\" Dyna'r foment pan glywodd Owain Rhys Davies ei fod wedi cael rhan yn y gyfres deledu Twin Peaks, sy'n dychwelyd i'r sgrin nos Sul Mai 21, ar \u00f4l 25 mlynedd ers diwedd y gyfres ddiwethaf. Y cyfarwyddwr David Lynch a'r cyd-awdur a chr\u00ebwr Mark Frost sy'n gyfrifol am ddod \u00e2'r gyfres yn \u00f4l i'r sgrin fach. Mae'r plot mor gyfrinachol doedd yr actorion ddim yn cael gweld y sgript tan ddeuddydd cyn dechrau'r ffilmio. \"Fe ges i'r alwad ddydd Llun, o'n i mewn am costume ddydd Mercher ac ar y set erbyn dydd Gwener. Clywes i bryd hynny fy mod wedi cael fy nghastio wythnos ar \u00f4l y clyweliad gwreiddiol, ond achos o'n nhw moyn cadw popeth yn gyfrinachol doedden nhw ddim yn dweud dim byd tan yr wythnos o'n ni'n dechre ffilmio.\" Doedd Owain nac un o'r actorion eraill, ddim yn cael datgelu eu bod nhw'n rhan o'r cynhyrchiad hyd nes i restr y cast gael ei chyhoeddi. Mae'r plot, ac unrhyw beth arall yn ymwneud \u00e2'r gyfres, yn parhau'n gyfrinach tan nos Sul, ac Owain ei hun heb weld y penodau eto. \"Fe fydd y cast a'r criw yn gwylio'r bennod gyntaf gyda'n gilydd cyn i bawb gael eu gweld yn fyd eang. Dwi'n gyffrous iawn, ac fel pawb arall byddai'n gwylio'r gyfres ar ymyl fy sedd i weld sut fydd hi'n datod achos dwi ddim yn gwybod sut mae'r storiau'n dod at ei gilydd. \"Mae cymaint o gyfrinachedd o gwmpas y gyfres mae wedi achosi tipyn bach o frenzy yma yn LA. Mae cymaint o hysbysebion o gwmpas sy'n dweud dim byd am y gyfres, mae'n achosi pawb i drafod a chwestiynu popeth, gan gynnwys fi!\" Felly sut brofiad oedd hi i Owain weithio mewn cynhyrchiad o'r fath gyda chyfarwyddwr fel David Lynch, a sut argraff a greodd arno? \"Cwrddes i \u00e2 David Lynch ar y set am y tro cyntaf. Ro'n i bach yn nerfus pan ddaeth e draw, ac am ryw reswm pan dwi'n nerfus dwi'n troi mewn i stand up comedian a dweud lot o j\u00f4cs! Daliodd e fy llaw a dweud \"Shall we...?\" Cawson ni chat bach am y cymeriad a wedyn wnaethon ni ddechre ffilmio.\" Yn ogystal \u00e2 Twin Peaks, roedd Owain Rhys Davies, i'w weld - neu i'w glywed - yn chware rhan y Broga yn y ffilm Alice Through the Looking Glass, y flwyddyn ddiwethaf gydag actorion enwog fel Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Sheen, Rhys Ifans a Matt Lucas. \"Dros y flwyddyn diwethaf hefyd fi wedi ffilmio'r ffilm The", "summary": "Fu bron i Owain Rhys Davies daro ei gar pan glywodd ei fod wedi cael rhan yn y gyfres deledu gwlt, swreal, 'Twin Peaks'."}
{"article": "It gained three seats - Colne Valley and Keighley from the Conservatives, and Leeds North West from the Liberal Democrats. The Conservatives held five seats as Andrea Jenkyns retained her Outwood and Morley constituency, where she ousted Labour's Ed Balls in 2015. The loss of Leeds North West means the Lib Dems have no seats in the county. Live election result and reaction from across Yorkshire Labour's Alex Sobel took the Leeds North West seat from Greg Mullholland with a majority of 4,224 and 44% of the vote. It was this seat that saw the biggest increase of registered voters in this campaign. There were 68,152 eligible voters, a 16% increase. Mr Mulholland, who represented the Lib Dems in the seat for 12 years, sent a brief tweet and said: \"Night night all, it's been an honour & privilege.\" The Keighley seat was gained for Labour by John Grogan who had a majority of just 249 over the Conservative, Kristan Hopkins. In the third seat the party gained, Colne Valley, it was a majority of 915 for Labour's Thelma Walker over the sitting Conservative MP Jason McCartney. Ms Walker said: \"I could see people over the weeks listening to us on the doorstep and saying 'this is good this is what we want'. So we began the last few weeks to think we can do this.\" Labour also retained several seats such as Halifax and Wakefield that had been Conservative targets. In Halifax, where Theresa May launched the Tory manifesto, Labour's Holly Lynch increased her share of the vote from 40% to 52.8%, taking her 2015 majority of 428 to over 5,376. Yvette Cooper, who retained Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford for Labour, and who voted against Jeremy Corbyn in last year's leadership election, said. \"he won twice and that's why the party came together in this campaign to achieve this result\".", "summary": "The Labour Party has increased its hold on West Yorkshire, winning 17 of the county's 22 seats."}
{"article": "The NASUWT survey claims some parents are asked for \u00a3400 or more per year. Schools in England have been warning of cash shortages and the union says schools are now depending on parents. But the Department for Education says \"no parent is required to make a contribution\". Teachers' unions are holding their conferences over the Easter bank holiday weekend, with funding one of the biggest issues. The National Union of Teachers, meeting in Cardiff, will hear warnings on Saturday about the impact of cash shortages. The survey from the NASUWT survey, holding its annual conference in Manchester, claims that schools are increasingly relying on money from parents. Based on almost 4,000 responses, the survey says 18% of parents have been asked to sign up for direct debits or standing orders for their children's school, typically of about \u00a350 per year. But more than one in 20 parents with children in state schools were paying \u00a3400 or above. A further 13% of parents had been asked to make donations in cash or cheques. Your comments on schools asking parents to top up their budgets: \"She's only been there a term, but there seems to be a letter home at least once a week asking for money,\" a parent told the NASUWT survey. \"The school asks for a 'voluntary contribution' but if you forget to pay you are sent texts telling you that you haven't paid,\" said another parent. There were other financial costs for parents, such as a laptop for homework and music lessons. \"We have not allowed them to do music at school as they need to provide their own instruments,\" said a parent, quoted in the survey. Over a quarter of parents said their child had been unable to take part in a trip or excursion because of the cost. \"Ski trip was \u00a3600. French trip \u00a3450. These are for less than a week. They are beyond my funds,\" a parent told the survey. The union's leader Chris Keates said that \"access to education must not be based on parents' ability to pay\". This week the Sutton Trust education charity warned of schools cutting staff because of financial pressure. The Public Accounts Committee has said that standards are threatened by school budget cuts of \u00a33bn. A lobby of Parliament over funding, by teachers' unions and parents' campaign groups, has been announced for early June. Kevin Courtney, NUT general secretary, reminded the government of a manifesto commitment to parents that \"the money that follows their children into schools will be protected\". \"In half of the schools in the country the money following your child into schools has been dramatically cut in cash terms, and in the other half it's been cut in real terms,\" he said. A Department for Education spokeswoman said: \"No parent is required to make a contribution to their child's education, the rules are clear on this and no policies have been introduced by this government to allow schools to charge parents.\" The spokeswoman said school funding was at record levels, but \"we recognise schools are facing cost pressures.\"", "summary": "Almost one in five parents in the UK is being asked to set up payments to their children's schools, as head teachers warn of budget shortages, says a survey from a teachers' union."}
{"article": "One migrant, who said he had spent \u00a315,000 so far on trying to reach the UK from Syria, also said many of the criminals were British nationals. The BBC saw cars with UK number plates at a camp on Dunkirk's outskirts. The mayor of nearby Teteghem, Franck Dhersin, said UK-registered cars - driven by what he called English mafia - were often spotted there. He said people in the UK who complained about migrants trying to reach the country did not realise \"the cars are English and the owners are English\". The tactics of migrants around Dunkirk are different from those in Calais, where hundreds try to board lorries and scale fences every night to gain entry to the Channel Tunnel. The Dunkirk migrants are driven to locations where they can try to stow away on lorries. The Syrian migrant who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity said the \u00a315,000 he had paid traffickers was all of his money. He has spent \u00a312,000 on getting from Syria to France and a further \u00a33,000 on trying to cross the Channel. He said migrants were threatened by traffickers if they did not follow orders. \"I'm so, so scared,\" he said. \"They have guns. They put it to someone's head and said 'You move again and I will kill you'.\" It's a similar story at the Teteghem camp a few miles away. Mr Dhersin said the traffickers were \"very violent\" and \"just want to make money with immigrants\". He said British traffickers had been operating in the area for several years, but were now much more organised. Until Tuesday he had insisted on visiting the Teteghem camp despite the dangers. \"I wanted to show that a French mayor can go where he wants,\" he said. \"I said 'I will enter and if you don't want [me to], I will come back with a policeman'.\" But Mr Dhersin said that a man there had shown him a gun and threatened to rape a reporter he was with. Police have advised him not to return. Pascal Aerts, who leads the officers policing migrants in Calais, has told the BBC he is aware of the probable involvement of British people. \"I don't have proof that they're English but we know perfectly there do exist links between the traffickers and the receivers in Great Britain, and with the traffickers who work in France.\"", "summary": "British traffickers are involved in smuggling migrants into the UK from northern France, a mayor has alleged."}
{"article": "Homeowner Sue Abel said she \"heard a crack on the other side of the house\" at about 00:30 BST on Monday. The stable - which was empty - had travelled about 50m (164ft) from a neighbouring field, Mrs Abel said. She told the BBC: \"I've never known the winds, in the 10 years I've been here, [to be] at that strength.\" Emergency services arrived promptly but the stable was left in place on Monday because the winds were \"still quite brisk\", she added. The front of the property suffered some damage, including a number of smashed windows. Storm Katie disruption round-up Your pictures of Storm Katie Storm Katie - the 11th named storm of the winter - caused considerable disruption across England, south Wales and the Channel Islands on Monday. Gusts of up to 106mph were recorded at The Needles off the Isle of Wight as the storm hit the south of England.", "summary": "An entire stable was lifted by a gust of wind and dumped into the front of a house in Alderney as Storm Katie lashed the Channel Islands."}
{"article": "The comments were made in a statement the day after the BBC reported workers at Scotland's largest container port are set to go on strike on Tuesday in a row over rotas and pay. The spokeswoman insisted changes to shift patterns were needed to reflect the needs of customers. But the Unite union has said the new rotas amount to a \"de facto pay cut\". A spokesman for the Port of Grangemouth said: \"The strike action proposed by Unite the union is unjustified. \"We are proposing alterations to shift patterns in response to the changing needs of our customers, whose vessels call at the port seven days a week. \"Our staff and their union accepted the need for such flexibility, and that shift patterns may require to change in the future, when this element of their employment contracts was agreed in 2011. She added: \"We have decided to close the port's quayside container operations from midnight on Monday 14th March. All other operations at the port will remain open. \"We sincerely hope that our staff, and their union, will cancel this strike and work with us to implement the changes necessary to enable us to meet the changing demands of our customers.\" The union Unite has said all but two of 75 \"operatives\" based at the Port of Grangemouth voted for the action in a ballot. The workers include crane drivers and loaders. It is understood that about 20 engineers who are also based at the site are not involved in the action, which is due to start at 00:01 on Tuesday. Unite said the action had been called after port owner Forth Ports announced changes to shifts. Grangemouth handles more than 150,000 containers annually, with daily sailings to Rotterdam, Antwerp, Felixstowe and Hamburg.", "summary": "A spokeswoman for Forth Ports has called the planned Grangemouth strike \"unjustified\"."}
{"article": "World number three McIlroy has missed the cut at his home event for the last three years and has recorded just two top-10 finishes in nine attempts. \"My performances haven't been what I'd want but it's a tournament I would love to win one day,\" said the 27-year-old. \"I feel like my game is in good enough shape to do that.\" The Northern Irishman, who is tournament host for the second year, recorded his best result in 2008, when he finished seventh in his first full year as a professional. That came two years after he watched the final day of the 2006 Ryder Cup on the course as a 17-year-old spectator. But, despite being frustrated at failing to turn good performances into a victory so far in 2016, McIlroy thinks he can contend for the title. \"The Irish Open always was, but even more so now, one of the most important weeks of the year for me,\" said the four-time major winner. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I'm coming off a couple of decent weeks in the States where I felt I played better than the results suggested, and the K Club is a course I feel I can do well on. \"It would be huge [to win]. Anyone that plays professional golf, they dream of winning their home open. You don't get many opportunities so it would be very special. It's one tournament that is missing from my CV.\" Asked if he could pinpoint why he had not performed well in Ireland, McIlroy said: \"No, not really. Maybe the pressure of playing at home - we don't play at home often - and maybe trying too hard or putting too much pressure on myself. \"There were obviously reasons I wanted to get involved in this tournament. I wanted to contribute something, where coming to the Irish Open was becoming more of a burden instead of something I relished and enjoyed. \"Being able to get involved and not just play for myself, but play for and help other people, I enjoy that part of it. \"I want to help out. I want to make this one of the best tournaments in the world and we've made a few good strides towards doing that.\" McIlroy believes he learnt a lot from acting as tournament host last year, when he slumped to an opening round of 80 and missed the cut at Royal County Down, but was on hand to present the trophy to eventual champion Soren Kjeldsen. \"There were times where I spread myself too thin last year with a lot of commitments and we've tried to scale that back this year,\" he added.", "summary": "Rory McIlroy is confident he can improve on his poor record in the Irish Open when he competes at this week's event at the K Club in County Kildare."}
{"article": "Archaeologists used a range of techniques to determine the age, diet and health of livestock raised at two sites in Orkney. One of the sites, Earl's Bu, appears to have been organised and managed as a large estate farm. It may have been run this way from an earlier time than previously thought. The study, which involved excavated animal remains and the examination of other historical evidence, could give fresh insights into ancient farming elsewhere. The University of the Highlands and Islands, which did the research, said these other places could include other Scottish islands and Scandinavia. The archaeologists said the good condition of the livestock at Earl's Bu gave an \"overall impression\" of an organised system of pastoral farming on the land. Herds of sheep and cattle were pastured and fattened up in established fields or upland areas, they said. This suggests that an elite group of people controlled the land in the form of manorial estates from the Viking period onwards. The archaeologists said that this challenged the view of agriculture in the 9th to 11th Century being \"dominated by free peasant farmers with varying degrees of obligation to chieftains and larger farmers\".", "summary": "Studies of teeth from sheep and cattle have provided new insights into farming practices in the Iron Age through to the Late Norse periods in Scotland."}
{"article": "In 2015, the city recorded 1,448 deaths per 100,000 of population, according to the Office for National Statistics. That figure is 56% higher than neighbouring East Dunbartonshire, which had 926 deaths per 100,000. Scotland as a whole had the poorest life expectancy of any of the UK nations - 1,177 per 100,000, compared to England's rate of 989.6. Mortality rates for men in Glasgow stood at 1,787, while West Dunbartonshire had the poorest life expectancy for women with a figure of 1,246 per 100,000. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said: \"The substantial variation in mortality rates between different local areas reflects underlying differences in factors such as income deprivation, socio-economic position and health behaviour.\" The figures were in line with other publications which have shown wide differences between local authority areas. But National Records of Scotland (NRS) figures covering 2011-13 suggested that both men and women were living longer. Those figures said life expectancy was 76.8 years for men and 80.9 years for women.", "summary": "Glasgow has the lowest life expectancy of any area in the UK, official figures have suggested."}
{"article": "The Belgium-flagged vessel overturned off the Kent coast at about 23:00 GMT on Tuesday, the BBC understands. One person - spotted clinging to the upturned hull of the boat - was rescued almost nine hours later, at 07:30 GMT. Kaimes Beasley, of Dover Coastguard, said it would be possible to survive in the water for about 15 hours. Two helicopters, including one from the Belgian search and rescue service, plus three lifeboats have been involved in the search. The operation was called off late Wednesday afternoon due to fading light, Ramsgate lifeboat said. Mr Beasley said: \"Weather conditions overnight were relatively benign, winds were not terribly strong and the sea had been calm. \"Either way, it is still the North Sea in the winter and would have been very cold. \"In the southern North Sea, water temperature is about 9.5C and the air temperature less than that. \"There is a significant risk in terms of hypothermia.\" The emergency services were first alerted at daylight when a passing boat saw the upturned vessel with one of the crew members standing on it. He was able to tell them that two of his colleagues were unaccounted for. Earlier, two divers and a doctor from Belgium were lowered on to a Ramsgate lifeboat to join the search for the two missing fishermen. The operation is focussing on an area just up the coast from here in an area known as North Foreland. That is where the lifeboats were searching for much of the morning and continuing into the afternoon.", "summary": "A search for two missing fishermen who disappeared when their boat capsized in the English Channel has been called off for the day."}
{"article": "Sixteen new officials were charged by the US Department of Justice on 3 December. This is in addition to the 14 people - nine Fifa officials and five corporate executives - indicted on corruption charges at the end of May, some of whom have now been convicted. Several other individuals and entities have pleaded guilty and have been convicted. Here we take a closer look at some of those who have faced charges that include racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies. Seventy-two-year-old Jack Warner from Trinidad and Tobago was a member of Fifa's executive committee from 1983 to 2011, when he resigned amid allegations he had bribed Caribbean associates. At the time he said he had been \"hung out to dry\", insisting that the giving of gifts had been part of Fifa culture during his 30 years in the organisation. He was also president of the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) until 2011. After he resigned, Fifa dropped its inquiry into whether he was involved in any corruption. Mr Warner returned to Trinidad and Tobago, where he became minister of security. He resigned from the post in 2013 when a Concacaf ethics panel accused him of enriching himself through fraud. He was arrested at the request of the US authorities in Trinidad on 27 May and faces extradition proceedings. He was bailed after surrendering his passport. Fifa's ethics committee has banned him from football activities for life. Jeffrey Webb, 51, from the Cayman Islands, was a Concacaf president and one of seven Fifa vice-presidents. He succeeded Jack Warner in both posts. He is also a former member of Fifa's Transparency and Compliance Committee. He enjoyed the backing of Fifa president Sepp Blatter, 77, who singled him out as his possible successor to head Fifa. Webb was one of seven men arrested in Zurich, Switzerland, on 27 May. He pleaded guilty in November to racketeering conspiracy, three counts of wire fraud conspiracy and three counts of money laundering conspiracy. He has agreed to forfeit more than $6.7m (\u00c2\u00a34.4m). Mr Li, a Costa Rican of Chinese origin, is the president of the Costa Rican Football Federation. He was elected to Fifa's executive committee but was arrested and indicted in Switzerland in May, two days before he was due to take up the post. Mr Li was voted Personality of the Year 2014 in Costa Rica after the national football team stunned its rivals by reaching the quarter-finals in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. On becoming president of the Costa Rican Football Federation, he said: \"There's no Arab sheikh who can buy tickets to the kind of events us leaders of world football have access to.\" He is charged with racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy and money laundering. Mr Li agreed to extradition from Switzerland to the US in December. He has pleaded not guilty in New York to 19 charges. Jose Maria Marin, 83, was president of the Brazilian Football Confederation from March 2012 to April 2015. He is a former football", "summary": "The US has now charged some 40 individuals and entities following an investigation into corruption in football's world governing body Fifa."}
{"article": "Propper has signed a four-year contract with the club, which was promoted to the Premier League last season. Brighton boss Chris Hughton said the 25-year-old, who has five caps for the Netherlands, is \"a strong competitor\". The fee tops the \u00a35m which the club are thought to have paid Valencia in June for Australia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan. Propper scored 16 goals in 67 league appearances after joining PSV from Vitesse Arnhem in 2015 and helped the club win the league title in his first full season. \"There is no doubting his pedigree, Davy has played a number of matches in the Champions League for PSV, as well as international football for the Netherlands,\" added Hughton. \"He will complement our existing midfield players, and he is also a really good age.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Brighton have broken their transfer record to sign Dutch midfielder Davy Propper from PSV Eindhoven in a reported \u00a36m deal."}
{"article": "The world number 50 shot a final-day two-under in Malelane to win by four shots from France's Gregory Bourdy. Schwartzel, 31, led Frenchman Benjamin Herbert, who slipped to third, by three strokes heading into the fourth round where he carded a second successive 70. England's Matt Ford was the highest Briton, tied in fifth. Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, was unhappy with his round on Saturday and had to recover from a bogey on the third on Sunday. He bogeyed again on the eighth at Leopard Creek Country Club, but four birdies made sure he held off a resurgent Bourdy. \"It's an honour playing here,\" Schwartzel told the European Tour website. \"I knew I was going to have to shoot at least two or three under on the back nine to give myself a good chance of winning and I'm very happy with that.\" It meant Schwartzel became the third South African to win 10 European Tour events, alongside Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and the youngest to do so ahead of Els. The competition marked the start of the 2016 European Tour.", "summary": "Charl Schwartzel secured a fourth Alfred Dunhill Championship title in 11 years when he finished 15 under par in his native South Africa on Sunday."}
{"article": "The man was hit by a Brighton to London express train travelling at 80mph on 24 June 2014. He was leading a team of 12 repairing cracks in the track when he was stuck on the right shoulder and thrown down an embankment near Redhill, Surrey. Network Rail pleaded guilty to two breaches of health and safety law. Rail inspector Tom Wake said: \"Network Rail's planning of track maintenance work fell below legal standards, placing workers in unnecessary danger and causing an employee to suffer life-changing injuries.\" Network Rail said it had since banned working while trains are running on that stretch of railway. Its south east managing director, John Halsall, said: \"Safety is our absolute priority and it is clear that we fell short in this instance.\"", "summary": "Network Rail has been fined \u00a3800,000 for an accident which left a track worker with multiple serious injuries."}
{"article": "It took the Tapolca seat with a majority of just under 300 votes. Jobbik looks set to present a major challenge to the governing Fidesz party in parliamentary elections due in three years' time. Correspondents say the party has softened its rhetoric in recent years and has gained support from mainstream voters. Lajos Rig's margin of victory was narrow, but his win was symbolically enormous, says the BBC's Nick Thorpe in Budapest. \"The mood in Hungary is for a change of government and with Jobbik Hungary finally has a force to change the government,'' party leader Gabor Vona told supporters in Tapolca. It re-enforces their reputation as the most successful nationalist party in Europe and is another setback for Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban. \"There are times when the ball hits the post,\" said Mr Orban, a keen footballer, on his Facebook page as he admitted defeat. Fidesz easily won the last national and European elections in 2014, when Jobbik took around 20% of the vote. But since then the governing party has seen its reputation falter, with allegations of corruption, and opposition to measures like a planned internet tax and limits on Sunday trading. Fidesz lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority in February after another by-election defeat.", "summary": "The far-right Jobbik party in Hungary has won its first ever individual constituency seat in parliament."}
{"article": "Nigel Wilson, 42, from Bingham, near Nottingham, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court accused of 17 breaches of the Air Navigation Order. It is the first prosecution of its kind in England to follow a police-led investigation. Mr Wilson admitted two counts, but will go on trial for the remaining 15. Mr Wilson, of Rockingham Grove, admitted two counts of not maintaining visual, unaided contact with an unmanned surveillance aircraft to monitor its flight path. They relate to incidents over the north bank of the River Thames on September 27 and during Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester on October 18. He denied other charges of flying a \"small unmanned surveillance aircraft\" without permission during football matches at various grounds. They included Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, Liverpool's Anfield ground as well as Nottingham Forest's City Ground, Derby County's iPro stadium and the King Power Stadium in Leicester. The charges also claim he breached regulations by failing to maintain direct visual contact with the drone as he flew it near landmarks including Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Westminster. The majority of the offences are said to have happened in September last year. Prosecutor Edward Aydin said: \"These were extremely busy areas. \"The fear of the police and the Civil Aviation Authority is that it [the drone] is going to fall out of the sky and hit someone.\" The Civil Aviation Authority successfully brought two similar cases to court in 2013 and 2014. However, this is the first time someone has been prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service after a police operation. Mr Wilson is due to appear at the same court on Friday so that a date for his trial can be set.", "summary": "A man alleged to have illegally flown a camera drone over packed football stadiums and London tourist attractions has appeared in court."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old, who favours a central striking role, is frustrated at being used regularly in other positions. He has two years left on his contract but is debating whether to move rather than accept a new deal if offered one. Asked about Welbeck's future after United's 2-0 defeat at Everton on Sunday, manager David Moyes said: \"Danny Welbeck is really important to me and I really value him.\" Moyes added: \"As you know, there have been a lot of stories.\" Welbeck scored more goals for England than United last season, scoring three times in seven matches for Roy Hodgson's side (strike rate: 0.43 goals per game), compared to twice in 40 appearances under then Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson (strike rate: 0.05). Welbeck has scored 10 times in 32 United appearances this season and is expected to be in Roy Hodgson's England squad for this summer's World Cup. With Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Javier Hernandez and \u00a337.1m January signing Juan Mata all competing with Welbeck for a starting position up front for United, manager David Moyes is unlikely to offer him any assurances about next season. There would be no shortage of suitors should he opt to leave - although United know that the Manchester-born academy graduate is held in affection by the club's supporters. Welbeck scored only two goals last season, although one of those came against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.", "summary": "Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck is considering leaving the club."}
{"article": "More than an hour after the official announcement, details of her death still came as a surprise to passers by. Opinions of the 'Iron Lady', however, were more quickly made obvious among those present. \"I think Thatcher was like Marmite, you either loved her or hated her,\" William Henly, 44, ventured. \"Personally, I think she was the right person at the right time.\" His blunt observation offered an accurate reflection of South Yorkshire's view of Baroness Thatcher. During her 11 years in power Sheffield and South Yorkshire were at the centre of some of the biggest news stories, from the Miners' Strike of 1984 to the Hillsborough disaster five years later. Over the course of 60 minutes people in Sheaf Square praised her as both an \"excellent\" Prime Minister and branded her as \"bad news\" for the area and for Britain. Pensioner John Bache, 70, said: \"For me, I think she did a great job. \"I think she did a lot of things that needed putting right after the unions became too powerful. \"She changed very quickly from being the Iron Lady to being a very fragile, old lady. \"I've got great respect for her. She was a leader for feminism and I'm very sorry to see her go.\" By James VincentBBC Sheffield political reporter In a statement from David Blunkett are the words \"a ground-breaking politician\" and \"I cannot forgive her\". An unemotional assessment of her abilities combined with an extremely emotive feeling about her effect on South Yorkshire. Ironic that it was just last weekend that Maltby pit closed and left Hatfield to be the final deep coal mine in Yorkshire. Once a huge industry, like steelworking, changed forever by government policy. Places too changed forever. Many of the pit villages in South Yorkshire are exactly that; only built to house workers for the local mine. I have been to Rossington and Orgreave in the last 24 hours, two key scenes during the year-long miners' strike. While one man told me it was \"fantastic news\" that Baroness Thatcher had died, one woman said \"she did a good job\" in allowing her to buy her own council house. While the tributes come in, there are people in places like South Yorkshire who will never forget what happened here during Margaret Thatcher's period in power. Those same people will also tell you most communities have never recovered. Marion Field, 51, added: \"I thought she was an excellent Prime Minister, one of the best, a very brave lady, the decisions she made were very brave. \"I think she put the country back on its feet. She had a lot of tough times but she was a courageous woman.\" At the opposite end of the spectrum, Maureen Barry, 59, said: \"I think she was very bad news. \"Bad news for Sheffield and bad news for the country in general - in particular her inhumane behaviour during the miners' strike. \"She made terrible cuts to the arts and privatisation, policies which have failed us all in my view.\" A 52-year-old former colliery under-manager, who asked", "summary": "Outside Sheffield railway station the news that former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher had died was slow to spread."}
{"article": "Sergio Garcia set the tone with his astonishing Masters triumph in April, before Brooks Koepka made his breakthrough at the US Open and Jordan Spieth won The Open. With Thomas' victory, the past three majors have been won by Americans with an average age of 25. So what have we learned from the four biggest tournaments that define the men's game in 2017? The US regained the Ryder Cup last autumn and Europe must be relieved the next match is not this September. There is frightening strength in depth in the American game as Koepka, Spieth and now Thomas have proved. They all trail Dustin Johnson in the world rankings, the world number one's major season having been ruined by the injury he sustained in a freak fall on the eve of the Masters. Matt Kuchar was runner-up to Spieth at The Open, Rickie Fowler's fifth place at Quail Hollow was his second top five of the year in a major and Patrick Reed was joint runner-up in the US PGA. Furthermore, there is a unique chemistry and camaraderie among this generation of American players. Thomas and Fowler were waiting to congratulate Spieth at Royal Birkdale and The Open champion was among those who returned the compliment in Charlotte last Sunday. \"We obviously all want to win,\" Thomas said. \"We want to beat the other person - but if we can't win, we at least want to enjoy it with our friends. \"I think that we'll all be able to enjoy this together and I know it's going to make them more hungry, just like it did me, for Jordan [at The Open].\" As BBC Radio 5 live's Jay Townsend told listeners: \"He basically threw away the whole year. If you are not fit, you can't compete.\" The strength in depth at the top of the game means that even with Rory McIlroy's incredible talent, he cannot keep up with the biggest names unless he is able to practise without physical hindrance. The 28-year-old Northern Irishman shared fourth at The Open - his best major performance of the year - but he was never genuinely in contention at Birkdale and, after finishing 22nd at Quail Hollow, he revealed he suffers back spasms following most rounds he plays. It means his time on the range has to be curtailed and he has still not fully recovered from the rib problem that has blighted his year. Now is the time to take a break. There is no Ryder Cup and he has the opportunity to fully recover before embarking on a vital season next year. The four-time major champion has not won one for three years, but given the freak ankle injury of 2015 and his current problems he has rarely been properly fit in that period. Justin Rose was second to Garcia at the Masters and Tommy Fleetwood came fourth at the US Open, but otherwise there was little to excite UK golf fans. Rose never recovered from the disappointment of his play-off loss to the popular Spaniard, while Fleetwood looks the best", "summary": "Justin Thomas' thrilling victory at the US PGA Championship brought down the curtain on a remarkable year in golf's majors."}
{"article": "Ann Barnes said Kent was in a unique position with the UK border and needed its officers now more than ever. She has written to Home Secretary Theresa May to ask for funding cuts to be deferred for a year. The government said it was taking steps to ensure law enforcement and security agencies had the resources they need. On Monday, Mrs May said security would be \"intensified\" at UK borders. Mrs Barnes said Kent was the gateway to Europe with ports, the Channel Tunnel, tunnels and bridges to the capital, and Dungeness nuclear power station. The police force acted as the \"guardians of our borders\" with 35m people travelling through the county each year via ports and the Channel Tunnel, she added. She said most were ordinary people but some were hostile, bringing in weapons or terrorist materials, and Kent needed to make sure resources were available. The force had already lost 500 officers and 720 staff under \u00c2\u00a360m cuts already imposed, and another \u00c2\u00a361m cuts could come as the police service looked at between 25% to 40% cuts over the next four years, Mrs Barnes added. Police minister Mike Penning said the government had undertaken significant work to strengthen its response to the threat from terrorism and had protected the counter-terrorism policing budget. He said counter-terrorism spending across government would continue to be protected in the current spending review. \"Decisions on wider police funding will not be made until the spending review reports and the operational deployment of resources is a matter for chief constables and police and crime commissioners,\" he added. The government said the Border Force worked closely with the police and National Crime Agency to prevent importation of weapons and identifying suspects.", "summary": "Police funding cuts in Kent should be deferred in the wake of the Paris terror attacks, the county's police and crime commissioner (PCC) has said."}
{"article": "Costel Pantilimon could return from an ankle problem, and Daryl Janmaat's groin injury will also be assessed. Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster is expected to start after overcoming a minor thigh issue picked up in the EFL Cup final last Sunday. Defender Martin Caceres awaits his Saints debut, while Virgil van Dijk is still sidelined with an ankle injury. Steve Wilson: \"This is the only Premier League game Southampton will play between 11 February and 19 March, so Claude Puel will be especially keen to see a points return from Vicarage Road. The Frenchman will also feel that he is due a slice of luck after Wembley. \"Walter Mazzarri's Watford look destined for another creditable mid-table finish, but that's unlikely to earn the Italian an invitation to stay a second season. \"Mazzarri is the eighth manager employed by the Pozzo family since their ownership of the club began in 2012, and has been wise enough not to invest too much time in learning English. \"A pat on the back and a pay-off is probably what Mazzarri expects in the summer. That is unless Watford should slump between now and May - in which case he can forget the pat on the back.\" Twitter:@Wilsonfooty Watford head coach Walter Mazzarri: \"For sure Southampton played a great game [in the EFL Cup final] and maybe they are a bit disappointed because they could have gone at least to extra time, or even won the cup. \"We will see on Saturday if they will react or not, but nobody can know this. \"We got confirmation that they are a very well-organised team and a very strong team.\" Southampton manager Claude Puel on his side's fixture schedule: \"My biggest job now is to prepare the team for the difficulty of the calendar. \"We will play two games in a month after playing every three days since the beginning of the season. It's crazy - crazy for us and difficult.\" Southampton were unlucky to lose at Wembley against Manchester United last weekend and now they can focus fully on the league. But I don't fancy them to get anything at Vicarage Road. This is a tough game to call but I am going to go with the Hornets. Prediction: 2-1 Lawro's full predictions v former England cricket captain David Gower. Head-to-head Watford Southampton SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.", "summary": "Watford's January signing Mauro Zarate is out for the season after suffering a serious knee injury against West Ham."}
{"article": "Ex-footballer Geoff Thomas has asked Armstrong to join a ride along the race route, despite his lifetime doping ban. Thomas is hoping to raise \u00a31m to help fight blood cancer. \"It's disappointing Armstrong should take centre stage in an event which he cheated in so often,\" Howman said. Media playback is not supported on this device \"He's welcome to try to save lives. I don't think he should be ambush marketing an event which is far superior to what he is doing.\" The charity ride will follow the same route as the Tour, a day ahead of the race. Armstrong was stripped of his record seven Tour titles and banned from most organised sport for life by the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) in 2012. He later admitted on US television that he had used performance-enhancing drugs during all of his Tour victories. Thomas was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2003, a year after he retired from a 20-year football career, and visited Armstrong's home in Texas to persuade the 43-year-old to take part. But the move has drawn criticism in cycling circles, with International Cycling Union president Brian Cookson and Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford condemning Armstrong's plans. Cookson said taking part would be \"completely disrespectful\" to the current riders, cycling authorities and the Tour de France. Howman also said he was \"cynical\" about reports that Armstrong had met Travis Tygart, chief executive of US anti-doping agency Usada, in an attempt to reduce his ban. \"Armstrong was banned in 2012 and we are now in 2015,\" said Howman. \"If he had information that he felt was going to lead to a reduction on his ban, surely he would have provided it by now? \"What's stimulating him to come forward now? I don't know. What he has said to the Cycling Independent Reform Commission was insufficient to lead to a reduction. \"I'm just a little cynical.\"", "summary": "Lance Armstrong should not \"ambush\" this year's Tour de France by taking part in a charity ride, says the director-general of the World Anti-Doping Agency, David Howman."}
{"article": "The latest saw NHS Orkney's headquarters at Garden House broken into overnight on Tuesday, with property stolen. The spate of incidents happened within the space of a week. Police in Kirkwall are appealing for anyone with information to contact them.", "summary": "Police in Orkney are investigating a spate of break-ins and attempted break-ins in Kirkwall."}
{"article": "The raiders stole house keys, a computer tablet and a mobile phone from the St Vigeans Road flat between 18:00 on Tuesday and 07:30 on Wednesday. Thieves then returned to steal four gent's watches from the same property at about 01:00 on Thursday. Officers have appealed for anyone who was in the area at the time to come forward.", "summary": "Police are hunting thieves who targeted an Arbroath flat twice in the space of two days."}
{"article": "The former presidential candidate will release her untitled tome on 26 September, says Simon & Schuster. Financial terms were not revealed. The publisher said Mrs Clinton will use some of her favourite quotes to \"tell stories from her life\". The Democrat lost the election to Republican Donald Trump in a stunning upset, even though she won more votes. \"These are the words I live by,\" former secretary of state Mrs Clinton said in a statement of her forthcoming book. \"These quotes have helped me celebrate the good times, laugh at the absurd times, persevere during the hard times and deepen my appreciation of all life has to offer. \"I hope by sharing these words and my thoughts about them, the essays will be meaningful for readers,\" she added. The 69-year-old is also resuming her relationship with the Harry Walker Agency, the speakers' bureau she left in 2013 as secretary of state. Her money-spinning career as a speaker, including talks sponsored by Goldman Sachs, were a festering subject of criticism from political opponents. She is set to speak at an International Women's Day event next month organised by Vital Voices, an organisation founded by Mrs Clinton and then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in 1997. The event was not organised by the Harry Walker Agency, according to Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill. Her plans to return to that agency are seen as making it unlikely that she might launch a bid for the mayoralty of New York City, as Clinton-watchers have speculated. She is also set to appear at an LGBT community centre gala in New York on 20 April and deliver the commencement address at her alma mater, Wellesley College. Mrs Clinton has kept a low profile since the election, but attended Mr Trump's inauguration last month and has criticised his policies.", "summary": "Hillary Clinton is writing a book of personal essays, including reflections on last year's US election."}
{"article": "The independent Legal Aid Committee is examining the existing system and how it can be best provided in the future. Chairman Andrew Swithinbank said their focus is to promote a \"fair, equitable and transparent\" system. Legal aid gives access to justice for those without the means to pay for it. The first stage of the review will be a public consultation in the Isle of Man which will run until 28 November. Mr Swithinbank said: \"The focus of the committee is to promote access to justice in a manner which is fair, equitable, transparent, professional and which uses public resources carefully and effectively. \"", "summary": "A full review of the Isle of Man's legal aid system will be carried out for the first time in 14 years, the Manx government has said."}
{"article": "The strikes by RMT, Aslef and Unite union members will start on the evenings of 26 January, 15 February and 17 February. RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said the plans to introduce a Night Tube were \"bodged\". London Underground called the unions' position \"absurd\". It has offered a four-year pay deal over the issue and said it would hire part-time drivers to staff an all-night service at weekends. More on this and other London stories. Aslef claimed earlier London Underground management had refused to meet to discuss conditions for working on the proposed Night Tube. The union's London district organiser, Finn Brennan, said: \"We genuinely regret the inconvenience that will be caused but the behaviour of London Underground's senior management team have left us with no other choice. Steve Griffiths, LU's chief operating officer, responded: \"The unions' position is absurd and detached from the real world.\" He added: \"The truth is that they expect our customers to pay for their excessive demands for even more money, fewer hours and a four-day week.\" \"No employer could allow this and strike action will change nothing. There is no more money.\" The Night Tube, which was due to begin in September, will see 24-hour services on five lines on Fridays and Saturdays. Tube drivers are also unhappy with pay and station rosters, according to BBC London transport correspondent Tom Edwards. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the union supported the principle of a \"properly worked-out night Tube service\" but said an \"abject failure to work through the detail has led to a comprehensive breakdown in the negotiations\". London Mayor Boris Johnson said: \"If a strike goes ahead, it will hit many London Underground workers who do not necessarily support the action, and it will cost the strikers in lost pay.\" But Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan said Mr Johnson was to blame, arguing: \"It proves once and for all that the Tory strategy of refusing to negotiate or even meet with the unions makes strikes more likely not less.\" Manuel Cortes, leader of the TSSA, which represents office and ticket staff, said the union will be consulting members over the next week to decide its next move.", "summary": "London Underground staff are to stage three 24-hour strikes and other industrial action over pay and night Tubes."}
{"article": "Notts, who have now lost seven of their last eight matches and are only 12 points off the League Two relegation zone, looked comfortable until Bennett shot home just before the break. Bennett made it 2-0 when he slotted in just after the restart. A Christian Burgess header and Marc McNulty's lob sealed a win which keeps Pompey five points off the top three.", "summary": "Kyle Bennett scored twice as Portsmouth thrashed Notts County in Mark Cooper's first game in charge of the Magpies."}
{"article": "So I start 2015 wondering why I feel five years older, since nothing much seems to have changed around me: there appears to be a general election looming here and something of a financial calamity brewing in Greece and in the euro area. Here is what strikes me: the eurozone is both stronger and sicker than in 2010. How so? Well, the eurozone is stronger in that it has put in place financial buffers to absorb the losses that would be generated if Greece were to unilaterally renege on its debts, and even be forced out of the eurozone - which could happen if Syriza wins the 25 January elections (though the language of the left wing party has become less aggressive towards the euro). It would be hugely damaging to economic confidence if there were a further Greek debt default. But this time there would not be a domino effect of collapsing banks and collapsing economies: losses on official loans to Greece would be shared in an orderly way between eurozone governments, banks are better capitalised than they were, and there is a more effective system in place to scrutinise and protect them (the limited \"banking union\" established last year). As for the other eurozone governments that were massively financially overstretched, Portugal, Ireland, Spain, and Cyprus, they are not the basket cases they were. They would not be abandoned by their creditors if Greece went pop. But the eurozone is also fundamentally sicker than it was in 2010 - in that it has proved itself unable to grow and recover, even when the US and the UK have been enjoying significant and sustained economic expansion. There is little growth anywhere in the eurozone, unemployment remains stubbornly high and has been edging up (and is not far off twice the UK rate), and inflation is widely seen as dangerously low - in the sense that it could turn into the kind of deflation that would discourage businesses and households from spending (why spend today when things will be cheaper tomorrow?). In other words the euro is not seen to be working for the people of the eurozone. That said, the euro area is a huge consumer of oil, so the tumbling oil price should put money into the pockets of consumers and companies. But if they are feeling glum, which they seem to be, they may hoard it - which would not be a fat lot of good. The other related sense in which the eurozone is much weaker than it was is that anti-euro and anti-EU political parties are gaining enormous popular support all over the region. Where that currently matters most is in France and Spain, where the Front National from the right and Podemos from the left are respectively posing existential challenges to the political establishment. Or to put it another way, Greece will not be the last eurozone country where a party hostile to the tenets of the great European project will be seen as on the cusp of power. So politics, rather than economics, is now what", "summary": "The 2010 general election was fought under the dark shadow of a financial crisis in Greece that was infecting the eurozone - and was bound to damage the UK's economy."}
{"article": "The organisation says many of those returning to Somalia are motivated by fear of being forced out. Tens of thousands of refugees have been making the journey back home after years in the camp. Both Kenya and Somalia say it is time Dadaab was shut down. But HRW says Kenya is not giving the refugees a real choice between being repatriated or staying. It also says the UN's refugee arm, the UNHCR, is not giving the refugees accurate information about security conditions in Somalia and they face serious risk of persecution or threats to their lives if they return. Pressuring refugees to return to a place where their lives or freedom could be under threat is a breach of the 1951 Refugee Convention, the organisation says. Some of the refugees are also choosing to leave because they fear being deported later and forfeiting a $400 (\u00c2\u00a3300) UN cash grant, the organisation says. \"There is no way these returns can be considered voluntary,\" said HRW's Bill Frelick. Some refugees who have left Dadaab have since found themselves stranded near the border after regional leaders in Jubaland, which borders Kenya and where most of the returnees are going, stopped receiving them, citing inadequate humanitarian support. The Dadaab camp in Kenya is home to more than 300,000 Somalis. It was set up in 1991 to house families fleeing conflict and some people have been living there for more than 20 years. Kenya says attacks on its soil have been planned in the camp.", "summary": "The repatriation of Somali refugees from the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya fails to meet international standards for voluntary return, a Human Rights Watch report has found."}
{"article": "The father of the alleged 21-year-old victim has told the BBC she was gang-raped. Her body was found on Saturday. Two men have been arrested and a third suspect is reported to have fled. Meanwhile, five men have arrived in court for a hearing in the case of the abduction, gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old, a case that shocked India. The victim in the latest case was a factory employee in Noida, a suburb of Delhi. She disappeared on Friday night while returning home from work, Indian media reported. The woman's father complained that police initially failed to react when he reported her disappearance, suggesting instead that she had gone off with someone. The case has triggered protests in Noida. News of the case came shortly before a preliminary hearing in Delhi in the case of five suspects in last month's gang rape. Security at the court building is tight, says the BBC's Andrew North, who is outside the hearing. Prosecutors have said they have extensive forensic evidence against the suspects, who could face the death penalty if found guilty. The five accused have been named as Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur. Their trial is expected to take place in a newly-formed fast-track court in the next few weeks. A sixth person accused in connection with the attack, a teenager, will be dealt with by a juvenile justice board. On 16 December the victim, a student, was raped for nearly an hour on a bus before she was dumped with a companion by the side of a road. She later died of her injuries. Protests have continued across India in the wake of the attack. A demonstration in Delhi on Sunday included protesters who have been on hunger strike for more than a week. Campaigners are calling for tougher rape laws and reforms to the police, who critics say often fail to file charges against accused attackers. By Geeta PandeyBBC News, Delhi Did the father of the Delhi gang-rape victim give permission to a British newspaper to reveal her name? The newspaper says yes. But the father has subsequently denied it. Indian law strictly prohibits naming a rape victim as long as she is alive and states that \"where the victim is dead\", her name can be published only with \"the authorisation in writing of the next-of-kin of the victim\" to the government. On Sunday, the victim's brother told the BBC that he was not aware that his family had sent any such authorisation letter to the authorities. The high-profile case has generated worldwide interest and the Indian courts have so far insisted on not naming the victim - in court documents she has been called \"XYZ\". Senior Supreme Court lawyer Priya Hingorani told the BBC that the family \"is confused, they are grieving, and they sometimes may say something which is not thought through\". Ms Hingorani said the law, of course, cannot prosecute the parents for releasing the name of their daughter, but the police and courts can take action against the", "summary": "Four policemen have been suspended and a fifth transferred over the handling of a suspected new rape and murder case close to the Indian capital, Delhi."}
{"article": "Dr David Nott recalled how he was unable to reply when she asked him about his experience in Aleppo at a lunch at Buckingham Palace. Sensing he was \"seriously traumatised\", the Queen asked if she could help before calling for her corgis. He told Desert Island Discs the dogs had a therapeutic effect. The surgeon, who volunteers with Medecins Sans Frontieres and the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the Queen's humanity was \"unbelievable\" and described her as \"warm and wonderful\". Dr Nott told the BBC Radio 4 programme that he had been operating on \"badly damaged\" children from a makeshift theatre in the Syrian city and key battleground of Aleppo, and he did not know what to say to the Queen when it was his turn to speak. For more than two decades, Dr Nott - a consultant surgeon at Royal Marsden, St Mary's and Chelsea and Westminster Hospitals in London - has given up several months every year to volunteer in war zones and amid major humanitarian crises. He has performed life-saving surgery in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan and Syria. During Desert Island Discs he recalled meeting the Queen at a private lunch at Buckingham Palace in October 2014. Dr Nott - who admitted that he suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of his work in war zones - said: \"I [had been] coping [in Syria] with children that were really badly damaged and she must have detected something significant. \"I didn't know what to say. It wasn't that I didn't want to speak to her - I just couldn't. I just could not say anything. \"She picked all this up and said, 'Well, shall I help you?' I thought, 'How on earth can the Queen help me?' \"All of a sudden the courtiers brought the corgis and the corgis went underneath the table.\" Dr Nott said the Queen then opened a tin of biscuits and invited him to feed and stroke the dogs. He added: \"And so for 20 minutes during this lunch the Queen and I fed the dogs. She did it because she knew that I was so seriously traumatised. You know the humanity of what she was doing was unbelievable.\" During the programme, Dr Nott also recalled the moment when he was operating on a man and six armed militants from so-called Islamic State (IS) burst into the room. Dr Nott said he was too scared to speak for fear that the militants would recognise he was British. \"I remember so vividly my legs shaking like jelly, and they stayed in for about 20 minutes with their guns all pointing towards us, then all of a sudden something happened outside... and they left,\" he said. Earlier this year, Dr Nott was named winner of the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award 2016. He also set up the David Nott Foundation which offers other surgeons and medical professionals training and advice on how to help in conflict and natural disaster zones around the world.", "summary": "A war surgeon has told how the Queen helped him overcome trauma by allowing him to pet her corgis, days after he returned from Syria."}
{"article": "So why would a country like Zambia lift the ban on the shooting and killing of its precious lion and leopard populations? The answer is very clear - it is the need for foreign currency in order to fund sustainable wildlife programmes, which can be costly, and also to benefit local communities. Trophy hunting is a multi-million dollar industry - a licence to shoot a lion can cost up to $25,000 (\u00c2\u00a315,000) in neighbouring countries. Zambia's economy was built on the back of copper mining but now commodities are on a cyclical downward spiral. Consequently the country's currency, the kwacha, has lost a substantial amount of its value. For this small country, tourism is another way of bringing in foreign currency. There is no doubt that the beautiful banks of the Zambezi river in Livingstone and the Victoria Falls are still a draw card for international tourists but take a closer look at the numbers and it soon becomes clear that trophy hunters bring the lion's share of the greenback. Zambia's country director of the World Wildlife Fund Nyambe Nyambe told me that when the ban was initially announced back in 2013 \"there were not enough monitoring systems in place\". The government lifted the ban following expert recommendations which suggested that hunting resumption would \"assist communities in affected areas with access to financial benefits\", he said. Mr Nyambe also explained that \"concerns about the big cats conservation led to the ban in the first place and there is due recognition of the same as the ban is being lifted\". The authorities saw the need for a robust and implementable plan for leopards as well, as they have different needs to lions. Hunting regulations were structured only for lions because hunters were mostly interested in the king of the jungle. Mr Nyambe added: \"We hope and trust that the hunting of big cats will be an integral part of sustainable harvesting of wildlife resources.\" But critics say there is no justification for shooting majestic animals such as the elusive African leopard just so that wealthy hunters, largely from the West, can pose for photos with dead animals. And there is one country on the continent that wants no part in the hunting of wildlife - Zambia's neighbour, Botswana. It has an established tradition of \"shoot with the camera not the gun\". Last week an American hunter paid $350,000 for a licence to shoot a black rhinoceros in Namibia. Corey Knowlton, from Texas, killed the rhino with a high-powered rifle after a three-day hunt through the bush with government officials on hand to ensure he killed the correct animal, which had reportedly been chosen as it was old and had become aggressive. Mr Knowlton, 36, won the right to shoot the rhino at an auction - attracting criticism, and even death threats, from conservationists. His supporters argued that the money raised would be used to protect other rhinos - there are just 5,000 left in the world, 2,000 of which are in Namibia. Zambia cannot be singled out for criticism because trophy hunting, albeit", "summary": "Big-cat trophy hunting is regarded by many as primitive in this day and age."}
{"article": "The 34-year-old Warwickshire captain has played 118 Test matches, scoring 7,727 runs at an average of 42.69, but last represented his country in 2015. Bell, who has 18,533 runs in first-class cricket, is still ambitious to regain his England Test place. He said he was \"thrilled\" to sign a new contract with the club he first joined as a 10-year-old. \"Warwickshire is the only county that I've ever wanted to play for,\" he added. \"The club has played a huge role in my career and it's a great honour to now captain the team and help our young, talented players fulfil their potential here at Edgbaston.\" Bell has been part of an Ashes-winning team on five occasions, helping England win the urn in 2005, 2009, 2010-11, 2013 and 2015. He has played in a total of seven series against the Australians, having also been a part of the touring side in 2006/07 and 2013/14. In domestic cricket, Bell has won six trophies, including captaining the Bears to success in last summer's Royal London One-Day Cup in his first season as skipper. He is the most capped international cricketer in Warwickshire's history, having played 161 one-day internationals and eight T20 matches for England, in addition to his 118 Test appearances. Warwickshire sport director Ashley Giles said: \"Ian is a true Bear who has been with Warwickshire since the age of 10 and has gone on to be one of the most decorated players in the club's history. \"He continues to be one of the leading batsmen in the country across all three formats and, as our captain, he sets exceptionally high standards for the rest of the squad.\"", "summary": "England batsman Ian Bell has signed a new deal with Warwickshire which runs until the end of the 2020 season."}
{"article": "The Labour leader said it would lead to \"failed segregation for the few and second class schooling for the many\" in which children \"could only lose out\". He suggested ex-PM David Cameron was among the many critics of the plans. But Mrs May said she backed \"levelling up, not down\" in education and accused Labour of denying opportunities to others which they enjoyed themselves. During exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions, Mrs May defended plans for more grammar schools and to allow existing state-funded schools to select pupils on the basis of academic ability. She said 1.25 million pupils were currently in schools which were \"failing, inadequate or in need of improvement\" and the plans - allied to the expansion of faith schools and more obligations on private schools - would give every child the high-quality education they deserved to enable them to go as far as their talents allowed. Noting that, like her, Mr Corbyn had himself gone to a grammar school, she accused Labour politicians of \"stifling ambition and opportunity\" and \"taking the advantage of a good education for themselves and pulling up the ladder behind them\". \"He went to a grammar school, I went to a grammar school. It is what got us to where we are today. My side may be slightly happier than his.\" Mr Corbyn said it was not a question of pulling up the ladder, but ensuring all children, not just a few, were given a ladder up. The Labour leader said the 11-plus test used to admit children to grammar schools was a \"life-changing division\" and cited statistics suggested children from low-income households performed more poorly in grammar school areas. Claiming the plans had united the entire education profession in opposition, Mr Corbyn pressed the PM to confirm how existing grammar schools in Kent and Buckinghamshire would be required to widen their admissions criteria. \"Why does the prime minister want to expand a system that can only let children down? \"Every child should have the best possible education they can have. We don't need and never should divide children at the age of 11, where the majority end up losing out. \"Isn't this a case of a government heading backwards to a failed segregation for the few and second class schooling for the many. Can't we do better than this?\" Speculating that it may be Mr Corbyn's last PMQs as Labour leader - this was the last session before the outcome of the current leadership contest is announced - Mrs May said that whoever won the contest \"the country would lose out\". BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said it had been Mr Corbyn's most effective PMQs performance \"for ages\". She said grammar schools were a risky and complex policy for the government, adding that Mrs May's \"big problem\" in getting it through the Commons was that Labour was \"united\" on the policy and the Tories were split. During PMQs, Mrs May also paid tribute to her predecessor David Cameron following his decision to step down as an MP, praising his \"tremendous\" record of public service.", "summary": "Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May have clashed in the Commons over government plans to expand grammar schools."}
{"article": "The airman, whose next of kin have been informed, was shot dead while on a routine patrol of the Western Dashte area, said the Ministry of Defence. British forces spokesman Lt Col Gordon Mackenzie said \"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time.\" British military deaths in Afghanistan since 2001 now stand at 398. The airman had been on a partnered patrol and so would have been interacting with civilians while accompanying an Afghan officer. His death comes after Lance Corporal Gajbahadur Gurung from 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment was also killed by gunfire, in Helmand's Khar Nikah area on 27 January. Some 500 of around 9,500 British servicemen and women in Afghanistan are due to be brought home in 2012 and Prime Minister David Cameron has indicated that more will leave in 2013. He has said he wants British forces to end combat operations in the country by 2014.", "summary": "A Royal Air Force Regiment airman has been killed during an insurgent attack in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand."}
{"article": "The researchers say that soda is more effective than current methods and less damaging to the environment. The team have already successfully trialled microcapsules filled with the substance. They believe that the baking soda approach could be 40% cheaper than existing technology. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is believed by many scientists and politicians to be a critical element in global attempts to avoid dangerous levels of climate change caused by CO2 emissions. The burning of coal, gas and oil for energy production remains the single biggest source of the gas. For years researchers have been working to build experimental technology that would capture CO2 from chimneys and flue pipes before it gets into the atmosphere. The gas would then be buried permanently, deep underground. Indeed the promises made in Paris Climate Agreement to limit global temperatures to \"well below\" 2 degrees will need significant deployment of CCS. \"Nobody can see us keeping temperatures increases below 1.5 degrees without these technologies,\" said Dr Oliver Geden at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. \"Yet there hasn't been any debate about this technology and it doesn't exist at scale.\" The equipment and chemicals that need to be built on to a power station to extract the CO2 are known to be expensive and cumbersome. While governments and industry both recognise the benefits of such a system, they have been unwilling to put up the large amounts of cash needed. Late last year the UK government pulled the plug on a \u00c2\u00a31bn competition to build a scaled-up version of the technology. Scientists are now looking at other materials to see if they can achieve the same impact but at a lower cost. At the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California, they believe that baking soda could be a key ingredient for curbing the carbon. They've created microcapsules that have a liquid solution of sodium carbonate (also known as soda ash) at their core, surrounded by a polymer shell that allows CO2 to flow through. The tiny blue balls sit in an aqueous solution which prevents them from sticking together. When they come in contact with CO2 they change colour to a yellowish brown. Exposure of sodium carbonate to CO2 and water creates sodium bicarbonate - otherwise known as baking soda. \"The whole idea is that by making these individual capsules you can have a dramatically increased surface area, so if they clump together you can decrease that,\" said researcher Congwang Ye. \"You really want to have them separated.\" The scientists say that current CCS techniques using chemicals like monoethanolamine are toxic and expensive and create as many problems as they solve. The LLNL team believe that baking soda can do an effective job at a much lower price. \"Like all the commercial CO2 schemes we have today, the goal for large scale implementation is taking many tonnes of gas from a power plant and finding geological features deep underground where we can inject that CO2 and it will stay indefinitely,\" said Joshua Stolaroff, an environmental researcher at Livermore. \"Microcapsule solvents like we've", "summary": "Scientists in California are testing sponges made with the key ingredient of baking soda as a way of capturing carbon emissions."}
{"article": "The deal will see the 24-year-old loose-head remain at Kingspan Stadium until 2019. \"This season has been particularly pleasing because I have played a lot more than I expected to,\" said McCall. \"I'm grateful to Les Kiss for giving me an opportunity to prove myself this year,\" added the front-rower. McCall's outstanding form this season was recognised at the Ulster Rugby Awards Dinner earlier this month when he collected the Young Player of the Year award. He made his Ulster debut against Leinster in March 2013 and made three further appearances before earning his first start, against Dragons in November last year. He went on to start five of Ulster's six Champions Cup games, scoring his first senior try in the dramatic 24-23 away win over Oyonnax in January. \"I want to continue to work hard to develop my core skills and try to push my game on to the next level,\" explained McCall. \"Hopefully I can cement a starting position next season and contribute to a successful Ulster team in the Pro12 and Europe.\" Ulster Director of Rugby Les Kiss described the news as \"another great boost for us, following on from the news that Stuart McCloskey has also signed a contract extension\". \"Kyle's incessant work-rate has seen him earn a reputation as one of the best trainers in the squad. At 24, he is still young for a front row player, and with his huge potential and desire to be the best that he can be, I've no doubt that he can become a future international.\"", "summary": "Prop Kyle McCall has become the latest Ulster player to commit his future to the province after signing a two-year extension to his current contract."}
{"article": "Mid and West Wales fire service and the RNLI have issued advice as they predict a busy bank holiday weekend. It includes supervising children, not using inflatables in strong seas and swimming only at beaches patrolled by lifeguards. RNLI lifeguard manager Phil Davies urged people to heed their advice. \"We want people to enjoy our beautiful coastline, but make sure they do it safely,\" Mr Davies said. \"Conditions can change quickly at the beach, so it is really important to respect the water and take extra care when visiting the coast.\" Steve Davies, of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, added: \"We cannot stress enough just how dangerous the sea can be, and how your life could change in a second. \"We want you to enjoy the wonderful beaches that the Welsh coastline has to offer safely and incident free this weekend.\" Safety advice includes: Lifeguards will patrol beaches at Camber Sands, in Sussex this weekend after five friends died during a day trip to the coast. Their deaths on Wednesday come after six others died around the UK coast last weekend.", "summary": "Beachgoers have been urged to stay safe on the coast this weekend following 12 sea deaths around the UK in the past week."}
{"article": "The exception may come on Wednesday, when the Lib Dem Leader, Tim Farron, takes the unusual step for a party boss, of presenting a 10-minute rule bill calling for a referendum on the terms of the UK's divorce deal with the EU.... It does not, or course, stand a prayer of becoming law, both because 10-minute rule bills hardly ever do, and because there is virtually no support in the Commons for the idea, and even those who do want a second referendum may balk at backing a bill from the Lib Dems. But beyond that, just imagine the scene, with the staunchly pro-Leave DUP behind him, and Labour MPs, increasingly infuriated by the way the Libs are seeking to outflank them as the party of Remain, to his right, this could very quickly turn into something resembling parliamentary bear-baiting, even before the Conservatives get involved. And it might be quite a test for the not noticeably Farron-friendly Speaker, as well. So will we see a masterpiece of pro-Remain performance art, or something rather messy? Parental Advisory; may contain scenes of disorder and bad language. Watch out for responses to the Scottish Parliament's decision on whether it wants to hold a second independence referendum. Elsewhere there's a lot of finishing-off on not very controversial bills - with the biggest contested legislation probably the Digital Economy Bill, where there are a number of major issues in play - including new \"fit and proper person\" tests for the individuals running companies involved in media mergers and acquisitions, and the creation of new offences around online ticket-touting. Here's my rundown of the coming week: The Commons opens (2.30pm) with Education questions - and any post-weekend urgent questions or ministerial statements will normally follow at 3.30pm. The main debate is on the second reading of the Prisons and Courts Bill - which aims to reform the prison system, strengthening safety and security, improving efficiency and services for users in courts and tribunals, and reforming the claims process for minor whiplash injuries resulting from road traffic accidents. It also provides for greater use of mobile phone blocking technology in prisons. In Westminster Hall (4.30pm) MPs debate e-petition 166847, which complains that insurance companies are making it harder and harder for people aged 18 to 25 years of age to start driving. Premiums for first year drivers can be \u00c2\u00a32,500 or more - completely unaffordable for many. The petition has attracted 185,175 signatures. On the committee corridor, Public Accounts has a headline grabbing session (3.30pm) on ambulance services - they will quiz Department of Health Permanent Secretary Chris Wormald about evidence that half a million hours of ambulance time are wasted every year, as ambulances queue outside Accident and Emergency departments. There's also a ground-breaking meeting of the Scottish Affairs Committee (1.15pm) in what is effectively a joint session with the Scottish Parliament's Social Security Committee, to look at the impact of devolving control of disability benefits to Holyrood. In theory the MSPs will be witnesses, but they will be sitting around the same table as MPs and", "summary": "After the sound and fury of the Brexit Bill, the Westminster agenda seems rather more quiet in the coming week, with much of the most significant action taking place on the committee corridor."}
{"article": "The incident happened on the A92 north of Inverbervie at 11:00 on Saturday. The 23-year-old driver died at the scene. The 13-month-old girl suffered minor injuries and was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Police Scotland said no other vehicles were involved. The road was closed for several hours but has now re-opened.", "summary": "A woman has died after a car with a baby on board crashed and overturned in Aberdeenshire."}
{"article": "The woman - a 45-year-old mother of two - was convicted in August along with an unmarried Sri Lankan man. She was sentenced to death by stoning, while the man was sentenced to 100 lashes. Saudi Arabia's decision to stone the woman was condemned in Sri Lanka, where protests were held. Sri Lankan embassy officials visited the woman in a Saudi jail on Sunday, Deputy Foreign Minister Harsha de Silva said. The country had appealed to Saudi Arabia's government to pardon the couple. \"Through our intervention, they have agreed to reopen the case,\" Mr de Silva said. \"This is a big victory. We will provide her with legal help.\" Deputy minister Ranjan Ramanayake added that the Sri Lankan government was informed about the woman's case only after she had been convicted in August 2015 - despite the fact she was arrested in April 2014. \"Islamic Sharia law says four respected Muslims need to be eyewitnesses for this type of case, but this has not been possible in this case,\" he said. \"Unfortunately, not knowing the law, she has confessed under pressure without any legal help.\" Protests were held outside the UN compound and the Saudi embassy in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo - with some calling for a ban on sending Sri Lankan workers to Saudi Arabia. The Sri Lankan government says it is gradually reducing the number of women sent to work in the Middle East.", "summary": "Saudi Arabia has agreed to reopen the case of a Sri Lankan maid sentenced to death for adultery, Sri Lanka's deputy foreign minister said."}
{"article": "Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that American Martin, also undefeated, is a possible opponent for Joshua at London's O2 Arena on 9 April. Martin, 29, has won 23 and drawn one of 24 fights and beat Vyacheslav Glazkov for the vacant IBF belt in January. An Olympic gold medallist at London 2012, 26-year-old Joshua has 15 knockouts from 15 professional fights. He most recently beat Dillian Whyte with a seventh-round knockout to claim the British heavyweight title, the first time he has been taken past the third round. Tyson Fury was stripped of the IBF world heavyweight title after he opted for a rematch against Ukrainian Glazkov's compatriot Wladimir Klitschko rather than face the mandatory challenger.", "summary": "Unbeaten British heavyweight Anthony Joshua is in talks over an IBF world title fight against Charles Martin."}
{"article": "The woman, in her early 20s, was rescued by RNLI lifeguards who were on duty for the first day of the season at Newquay's Fistral beach. Lewis Timson, lifeguard supervisor, said the surfer's longboard leash snapped while she was competing in the Natty Surf Jam one-day event. He described conditions at sea as \"pretty wild\". The \"distressed\" woman, who is thought to be from Newquay, was taken ashore, but was not believed to need hospital treatment. The festival was arranged in memory of 25-year-old local surfer Nathaniel Loney who died after battling severe depression and bi-polar disorder. The money raised is being given to the Invictus Trust, a charity which supports young people with mental health issues. The rescue highlights statistics from the RNLI, which show a big increase in the number of incidents around the South West. Last year, beach lifeguards dealt with more than 11,000 incidents, while lifeboat crews launched 1,614 times - a 35% increase from the previous year. There will be full-time lifeguard cover at Fistral and Croyde in Devon until the end of the season, with a number of other beaches in Devon and Cornwall patrolled during the Easter school holiday period.", "summary": "A woman has been rescued from the sea after getting into difficulty during a charity surfing festival in Cornwall."}
{"article": "Tata Steel closed its Dalzell mill in Motherwell and the Clydebridge plant in Cambuslang with the loss of 270 jobs. Both were later bought by international metals firm Liberty House which intends to restart production at the Motherwell site in September. About 60 staff are currently working there, with 40 more recruits expected - many of them former Tata Steel staff. Liberty Steel said that the Dalzell plate-rolling mill had taken delivery of about 1,500 tonnes of slab steel rom the British Steel plant at Scunthorpe. This is in preparation for the restart of steel plate production next month. Jon Bolton, chief executive of Liberty Steel UK plate division, said: \"This is a significant milestone for the plates business in Scotland, but also positive news for the UK steel sector as steel once again is manufactured in British Steel's Scunthorpe site to be rolled in Scotland. \"It is pleasing to watch the plant gradually coming back to life as more people arrive on site and particularly pleasing to welcome young apprentices to the team.\" Liberty said that about 60 staff were involved in the preparations to reopen Dalzell, with a further 40 expected to join the workforce before production starts. The firm said that about 70% of the initial wave of recruits were former employees returning to their old jobs. It has also awarded about 20 new supply contracts, for business and engineering services, to firms in the Motherwell area. Liberty House Group executive chairman, Sanjeev Gupta, said this was the beginning of the fulfilment of a promise to the local community. \"We said we would revive this historic steelworks and that is exactly what we are doing,\" he said.", "summary": "Steel production is set to resume next month at one of two Lanarkshire plants that were mothballed last year."}
{"article": "In a speech to the Scottish Conservative conference, the prime minister insisted his party was the only one that could challenge the Nationalists. He also described what he saw as the SNP's \"litany of failure\" in power. Opinion polls suggest the Conservatives are in a race with Labour for second place ahead of May's Holyrood election. The SNP is widely expected to secure a second successive majority in the Scottish Parliament in the election on 5 May, with the party having also formed a minority government between 2007 and 2011. The Nationalists won all but three of Scotland's 59 seats at Westminster in last year's general election, with Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats winning just one seat each. In his speech to delegates at the one-day conference in Edinburgh, Mr Cameron claimed Labour's \"collapse\" in Scotland meant the country was \"in danger of becoming a one-party state\". He added: \"We are the party that can challenge the SNP - now the only party that can challenge the SNP. \"They've been in power for nine years - they are the establishment.\" He highlighted \"stagnating\" school attainment figures, \"falling\" numbers of college students, \"cuts\" in the help for poorer university students and \"unfulfilled\" spending on the NHS as being among the SNP's \"litany of failure\" in government. The PM went on: \"There's even the absurd Named-Person policy, which ensures every child is allocated a guardian - even if they have parents; even if they have no need for this extra layer of bureaucracy. \"Well I'll tell you who needs a guardian - someone to keep them in check - it's the SNP. \"And it falls to us, the Conservatives, the only party fit to expose these spendthrift, out-of-touch, dogmatic, inept Nationalists for what they really are.\" The conference will also hear from Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who is expected to renew his attack on Labour over its divisions on Trident. And Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson will call on the SNP to commit to a new NHS funding guarantee in her address to delegates. Ms Davidson will say NHS budgets should increase by the higher of either 2% or all of the additional Barnett formula funding to Scotland, as a result of increased spending on the NHS in England. She will also say that health spending in Scotland increased by only 1% in real terms between 2010 and 2015, compared with a 7% rise in England. Ms Davidson will stress that most patients have a good experience of the NHS, and will describe how she recently met a retired surgeon who she credits with saving her life at the Sick Kids hospital in Edinburgh when she was hit by a truck at the age of five. But she will say that the pressures in areas such as general practice and recruitment are only getting more intense, and will accuse the SNP of \"failing to care\" for the NHS during its time in government. And she will add: \"There is no way around this: if we want to maintain our NHS to the standards", "summary": "Only the Tories can challenge the SNP and prevent Scotland becoming a \"one party state\", David Cameron has said."}
{"article": "Raheem Wilks, 19, was the brother of Leeds United's Mallik Wilks. He was shot near Too Sharps on Gathorne Terrace, Harehills, on 26 January. His coffin was taken to St Aidan's Church, Harehills, by horse-drawn hearse. Two men have been charged with his murder and are due to stand trial in October. Read more about this and other stories from Leeds and West Yorkshire The Rev Andi Hofbauer, who led the service, said Raheem \"loved life and was a bit of a joker, bit of a clown\". \"They [his family] described him as fearless. \"He desperately wanted to be popular and was well-loved amongst his family and friends.\" She said the service featured favourite songs chosen by his family and the hymns Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art. Following the service, during which his brother Malik delivered the eulogy, Raheem was buried at Killingbeck Cemetery.", "summary": "Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of a teenager shot and killed outside a barber's shop in Leeds."}
{"article": "The company's decision last week to grant the equivalent of a 50% pay rise to six top executives sparked outrage. Quebec's government agreed to a CA$1.34bn ($1bn; \u00c2\u00a3800m) bailout in 2016, a year after it teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was \"not pleased\" with the pay hike. But he welcomed the change of heart. Protesters gathered outside the firm's headquarters in Montreal on Sunday, hours before Bombardier relented and said the rises would be deferred to 2020. They will be payable only if the firm achieved performance goals, it said. \"Over the past 75 years, our fellow citizens have always been by our side,\" said Bombardier chief executive Alain Bellemare on Sunday night. \"It is because of this deep relationship that we are sensitive to the public reaction to our executive compensation practices.\" He was one of the six executives who were set to receive payments of CA$43.7m ($32.6m; \u00c2\u00a326.1m) in 2016. That was up from CA$30m the year before, according to regulatory filings. Bombardier originally justified the pay increases as a necessary measure to retain top talent. But two Quebec cabinet ministers pressured the company last week to heed the backlash. The Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard tweeted that he was \"satisfied\" with Sunday's climb-down by the firm. The Quebec government last year invested CA$1.34bn in Bombardier's C-Series aircraft programme in return for a nearly 50% stake. In February, the federal government agreed to give the company CA$372.5m in interest-free loans. In 2016, Bombardier also announced lay-offs for 14,500 people, including about 20% of its workforce in Belfast. The redundancies came as the firm secured orders with Delta Air Lines and Air Canada and made its maiden commercial voyage with Swiss Air Lines.", "summary": "Canadian plane and train manufacturer Bombardier has said it will defer some hefty executive pay increases following a public outcry."}
{"article": "The senator from South Carolina told CBS This Morning that he would make an official announcement on 1 June in his home town of Central. But when asked why he was considering it, he said \"I'm running\" because \"the world is falling apart\" and he would make the best commander-in-chief. He becomes the seventh leading Republican to join a crowded field. Mr Graham has been a fierce critic of President Barack Obama's foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East. He wants US ground troops to be sent into Iraq and Syria to combat Islamic State, to prevent terror attacks in the US. Lindsey Graham tried to be coy about whether he was going to run for president, but his decision is clear - he's in. That makes four members of the US Senate - 9% of all Republican senators in office in 2014 - now running. A foreign policy hawk in the mould of Senator John McCain of Arizona, he is likely to make national security the central theme of his campaign. If polls are to be trusted, that may play well with Republican audience. He is still a long-shot, however, given that his past efforts at co-operation with Democrats and support of sweeping immigration reform put him out of step with many Republican primary voters. The mere fact that he's in a position to run for president now, however - given that just a few years ago he was seen as a prime target for a grassroots Tea Party primary challenger - is an impressive political achievement. When asked by CBS whether he thought the Republican field was weak, he revealed his intention to run himself. \"I'm running because of what you see on television, I'm running because I think the world is falling apart, I've been more right than wrong on foreign policy,\" he said. \"It's not the fault of others, or their lack of this or that that makes me want to run, it's my ability in my own mind to be a good commander-in-chief and to make Washington work.\" Meet the 2016 hopefuls", "summary": "Senator Lindsey Graham, the Republican foreign policy hawk, has confirmed that he will run for US president in 2016."}
{"article": "Duarte played under Mourinho when he began his career with Uniao Leiria in 2001 and has been strongly influenced by his fellow Portuguese. \"He congratulated me and said he is not surprised (that we reached the semis),\" Duarte told BBC Sport. \"He is like a father for me, and for the young Portuguese coaches.\" Duarte added: \"For me, for us, Mourinho is a good reference so when he called me I was very happy.\" I'm very happy because every day my team is better. We are playing very good football Although Duarte is still searching for a first trophy while Manchester United boss Mourinho boasts 23, what do they have in common is that both began their coaching career with Uniao Leiria. Duarte, who spent a decade at the club between 1995 and 2004, was Mourinho's centre-back as Uniao Leiria finished seventh in 2002. \"Mourinho is very important in my career because 15 years ago, he changed the mentality of Portuguese football. The training and the mentality of the players changed,\" Duarte said. Of the four semi-finalists at this year's Nations Cup in Gabon, the Burkinabe - surprise runners-up in 2013 - are the only side to have never won the title. After a season in charge of Leiria, Duarte instantly moved to Burkina Faso - leading the side between 2008 and 2012. After spells with French side Le Mans, Tunisian club Sfaxien and Gabon's national team, the 47-year-old returned to take charge of the Stallions in 2015. Now, they are impressing observers with the quality of their football - particularly when beating Tunisia 2-0 in Saturday's quarter-final in the Gabonese capital Libreville. \"Egypt have a good team but I have a good team, too,\" Duarte explained. \"I know this team from 10 years ago but back then, we didn't have so many good players because they were all playing in second or third divisions. Now everybody plays in a premier league. \"The success of the team is hard work and humility. \"I'm very happy because every day my team is better. We are playing very good football and this is very important for me.\"", "summary": "Burkina Faso coach Paulo Duarte has revealed Jose Mourinho has phoned him ahead of Wednesday's Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Egypt."}
{"article": "Flight AF953 was travelling from Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, to Douala, Cameroon's largest city and commercial capital, when it hit bad weather on 2 May. While avoiding storm clouds, the plane came close to hitting the 4,040-metre (13,254 feet) Mount Cameroon. French accident investigators BEA have now opened an investigation. The Boeing 777 aircraft had 37 people on board as it made the short journey to Douala, which is around 100km (62 miles) from Malabo. It was due to arrive in Cameroon to pick up more passengers before continuing to Paris. After diverting north to avoid storm clouds shortly after 21:00 local time, the plane's new route to Douala took it directly towards the mountain. An initial incident report published by BEA said an automated warning, saying \"Pull up\", was activated. The plane then ascended quickly from 9,000ft (2,743m) to 13,000ft (3,962m) to avoid a collision. BEA did not say how close the plane came to Mount Cameroon. The flight landed 44 minutes after leaving Malabo, and no-one was injured. Air France said they were conducting an internal investigation into the incident.", "summary": "An Air France aeroplane narrowly missed central Africa's highest mountain in early May, French investigators say."}
{"article": "Lesley Bate faces 13 charges over her role as a social worker with Fife Council between 2011 and 2014. Mrs Bate has chosen not to appear before the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) conduct sub-committee. She was a member of the Glenrothes Child Protection Team who managed Liam Fee's case. Two-year-old Liam was murdered by his mother and her partner at their home in Thornton, Fife, in March 2014. It is alleged Mrs Bate failed to follow up referrals more than a year earlier about bruising to Liam's face and a sore neck. The charges against Mrs Bate relate to 16 different children, including several allegations that she \"failed to take necessary steps to minimise actual or potential risk of harm\" for them. The committee heard that in the months following Liam's death, Mrs Bate had been under a disciplinary investigation and had been off sick. When she returned she was moved to the Children and Families Team based in Dunfermline. Her manager James Ross told the hearing he had tried to \"help and support\" Mrs Bate on her return, but that her work had been \"poor\". Mr Ross said she was given a case to handle in which the father of an unborn child had been charged with 21 offences of domestic and sexual violence against women. However, Mrs Bate neglected to mention that in a report going before an Initial Child Protection Case Conference. In another case involving concerns of neglect over children, the hearing was told she failed to undertake planned weekly visits with the express aim of \"keeping children safe\", claiming she \"forgot\". In a further case, Mrs Bate dropped a letter outside her office building containing \"the most sensitive information possible\" about children she was working with - a document later found in the street by a neighbour. Mr Ross said: \"There had been a lengthy investigation into Lesley's work before she came to my team. \"That had concluded she be given an opportunity to practise elsewhere in the service. \"She was probably the most erratic person I have worked with. \"She was fine when there was no work to be undertaken - but the minute anything was required she failed to undertake it.\" He added: \"She absolutely could not understand risk at that point and I had a real concern about her visiting families and drawing a conclusion about what the information was telling her. \"She was very disorganised and presented chaotically. \"I constantly tidied up for her because I wanted the children to be safe.\" The hearing was told that Mrs Bate has relinquished her registration as a social worker with the SSSC but does not admit any of the charges against her. The hearing continues at the SSSC headquarters in Dundee.", "summary": "A senior social worker has told a hearing that a colleague involved in the case of murdered Fife toddler Liam Fee was \"disorganised and chaotic\"."}
{"article": "Mevlut Cavusoglu said the plan, which also involves Russia, could be set in motion \"at any moment\" but it was up to the \"will of the leaders\". Russia has not officially confirmed the deal, other than to say talks are under way with Turkey. The two countries back opposing sides in the conflict. Rebels said they would meet Russian officials in Turkey on Thursday. Turkey's state news agency had earlier reported the deal could come as early as Thursday evening. The issue of which areas would fall under the ceasefire deal remains a possible stumbling block. Earlier this month, Moscow and Ankara negotiated a ceasefire in Syria's second city, Aleppo, that led to tens of thousands of rebel fighters and civilians being evacuated from an enclave besieged by government forces. Previous ceasefire initiatives this year brokered by the UN, or the US acting with Russia, quickly collapsed. Fighting has continued elsewhere in Syria since the Aleppo evacuation, notably in the nearby town of al-Bab, where Turkey has been helping rebels fighting so-called Islamic State. Speaking on Turkish TV, Mr Cavusoglu said Turkey and Russia would act as guarantors of the ceasefire deal, under which all foreign fighter groups would have to leave Syria. \"We are on the verge of an agreement with Russia,\" he said. \"If everything goes alright, we will make this agreement. Russia will be the guarantor of the regime [Syrian government]. Russia and Turkey are guarantors in the agreement being worked on in Ankara.\" He added that there was \"nothing final\" on whether Iran, another military ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, would also sign it as a guarantor. Russia's RT state TV channel said it was still waiting for confirmation from the Russian foreign ministry that a deal had been reached. On Wednesday, Turkey's official Anadolu news agency cited an unnamed Turkish source as saying the ceasefire would exclude \"terrorist organisations\", without giving further details. An official from the Islamist rebel coalition Ahrar al-Sham said there were fundamental disagreements over which areas would fall under the ceasefire deal. Labib Nahhas singled out the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus, saying Russian attempts to exclude it from the truce were unacceptable. Despite the obstacles, Turkey and Syria analyst Ilhan Tanir detected greater confidence among the negotiators after the Aleppo evacuation and last week's Moscow Declaration, a roadmap for Syria's future signed by Turkey, Russia and Iran. \"So this is kind of a third step and I think the parties have more confidence to work together for Syria,\" he told the BBC. Diana Darke, a Middle East expert, said she was optimistic as Russia and Iran had achieved their war goals. \"Potentially everybody has finally reached the stage where they are ready,\" she told the BBC World Service's Newsday programme. \"They can see that there is nothing further to be gained. I mean Russia does not want to be sucked more and more in to the Syrian quicksand. They've got what they wanted. The same for Iran. The Syrian government itself is incredibly weak.\"", "summary": "A plan to implement a ceasefire across Syria could be in place before the new year, Turkey's foreign minister says."}
{"article": "Police said four men, aged 72, 58, 56 and 55, were being held in the probe into financial irregularities at LCC. Liverpool City Council's chief executive Ged Fitzgerald and leader of the Tories at LCC Geoff Driver are among those arrested. The probe is into a council contract. Lancashire Police said the arrests at addresses in Preston and Merseyside were made on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and witness intimidation, but not on suspicion of fraud. The investigation, which was launched in 2013, relates to allegations of financial irregularities over the tendering of a \u00c2\u00a35m contract with One Connect Ltd, a joint venture between the council and BT to run some services. The deal included running the council's fleet of vehicles which was agreed by LCC's Conservative administration, which was then led by Mr Driver. The contract was revoked later that year by the new Labour administration. The Conservatives regained control of LCC in the elections earlier this month, and Mr Driver, 72, is expected to be named as leader of the council at a meeting on Thursday. Mr Fitzgerald was the chief executive at LCC before he left to take up the same post at Liverpool City Council. In January Lancashire's police and crime and commissioner Clive Grunshaw said the investigation into the allegations had cost \u00c2\u00a32m and 22 police officers were working on it. LCC said it was not making any comment although it was aware of the police statement. A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said: \"We do not comment on personnel matters relating to individual employees.\"", "summary": "A council chief and the leader of the Conservatives on Lancashire County Council (LCC) have been arrested as part of a long-running fraud investigation, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "The family of the entertainer, who died on 1 August, has asked those wishing to pay their respects to line a two-mile stretch of Woolton Road. The funeral will be held at St Mary's Church, in the suburb of Woolton, at 13:00 BST (12:00 GMT). More than 3,000 people signed books of condolence in Liverpool, the star's home city, following her death. The funeral cortege will start at the junction of Woolton Road and Church Road North, and will travel to the junction with Blackwood Avenue before continuing to the church. The family said the public would not be able to access the church grounds and asked people not to travel to Woolton village as \"as this may compromise the funeral party and invited guests from attending\". After the funeral, the entertainer's body will be laid to rest at a private ceremony in Allerton Cemetery, where her parents are buried. Some parking and traffic management restrictions will be in place on the day: Black, who made her name as a pop singer in the 1960s before becoming the host of hit TV shows Blind Date and Surprise Surprise, died after a fall at her villa in Estepona on the Costa del Sol. A coroner ruled last week that the 72-year-old died from an accidental traumatic head injury. The star made a posthumous comeback to the UK music charts last week when her greatest hits collection, The Very Best Of Cilla Black, rose to number eight in the UK albums chart. Her former number one single Anyone Who Had A Heart, first released in 1964, returned to the charts at number 41.", "summary": "The cortege route for Cilla Black's funeral in Liverpool on Thursday has been announced."}
{"article": "The home side had early chances, David Worrall heading over from Joe Martin's cross, while Byron Webster wasted an opportunity from a Worrall corner inside the first 15 minutes. But Coventry led after 22 minutes through Marvin Sordell's first goal for the club. The forward showed strength under pressure to swivel and fire home from 25 yards for only the Sky Blues' third league goal this term. Coventry keeper Reice Charles-Cook's attempted clearance played in O'Brien before half-time, but he dragged his shot wide. The visitors repeatedly went close after the break, Sordell's header trickling inches wide before Tony Craig deflected his shot behind minutes later. Superb play from Steve Morison on 71 minutes, skinning Jordan Turnbull before setting up O'Brien from close range, set up a grandstand finish. Substitute Jodi Jones' free-kick forced a quality save from Jordan Archer, while Morison headed narrowly wide. Reports supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Millwall 1, Coventry City 1. Second Half ends, Millwall 1, Coventry City 1. Attempt missed. Steve Morison (Millwall) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Jamie Sterry (Coventry City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Shane Ferguson (Millwall) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Jamie Sterry (Coventry City). Callum Butcher (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Gael Bigirimana (Coventry City). Substitution, Millwall. Jamie Philpot replaces Aiden O'Brien because of an injury. Attempt missed. Callum Butcher (Millwall) header from the centre of the box is too high. Shaun Williams (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Devon Kelly-Evans (Coventry City). Attempt missed. Steve Morison (Millwall) header from the right side of the six yard box misses to the right. Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Jordan Archer. Jodi Jones (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Callum Butcher (Millwall). Attempt saved. Steve Morison (Millwall) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Gael Bigirimana. Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Devon Kelly-Evans. Attempt missed. Jamie Sterry (Coventry City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Substitution, Coventry City. Daniel Agyei replaces Kyel Reid. Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Joe Martin. Joe Martin (Millwall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Jodi Jones (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Joe Martin (Millwall). Substitution, Millwall. Callum Butcher replaces Ben Thompson. Substitution, Coventry City. Jodi Jones replaces Ruben Lameiras. Foul by Byron Webster (Millwall). Marvin Sordell (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Goal! Millwall 1, Coventry City 1. Aiden O'Brien (Millwall) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Steve Morison. Substitution, Coventry City. Devon Kelly-Evans replaces Lewis Page. Attempt missed. Sam Ricketts (Coventry City) header from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right following a corner. Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Ben", "summary": "Aiden O'Brien's second-half tap-in denied Coventry their first win of the season as Millwall rescued a point."}
{"article": "However, a radical new driverless truck being trialled by Daimler may offer a solution. Earlier this month, the automotive giant was granted the first licence ever to test such a vehicle on a public highway by the US state of Nevada. Using a combination of GPS, radar and video cameras, the Freightliner Inspiration can drive by itself on open stretches of road, freeing a driver to take breaks, check his emails and even watch DVDs. The catch is that a qualified person must remain in front of the wheel at all times so they can take control if something goes wrong. However, proponents say that the technology, once perfected, will reduce accidents by lessening the chance of human error, boost productivity and cut emissions. It is perhaps ironic that fully driverless vehicles are already being used in low-speed, controlled environments. Rio Tinto, for instance, operates over 50 self-drive trucks at its mines in Pilbara, Australia, while Lockheed Martin has built a range of autonomous trucks for the US Army. One such is the SMSS vehicle which made its combat debut in Afghanistan in 2011. According to Lockheed, it can \"track and follow\" the movements of a single soldier, transport supplies over rough terrain and carry out casualty evacuations, all without the aid of a human driver. Where things get tricky is moving these vehicles onto public roads, with other vehicles and pedestrians. Daimler's truck, for example, only works on freeways, and a human must take over when it reaches city streets - a far more \"complicated traffic environment\", according to the company. The good news, predicts the German consultancy Roland Berger, is that we will overcome these technical hurdles within the next 10-15 years - in fact by 2030, we will probably have the capacity to take human drivers out of the equation entirely. Much more challenging, however, will be solving the deeper social and legal barriers. \"There are some really big ethical issues,\" explains Wolfgang Bernhart, partner at Roland Berger. \"They relate to how a computer-controlled vehicle should react in certain situations, when an accident is unavoidable and the vehicle has to decide what to do and whom to harm. \"It requires a clear consensus in societies about what to do in terms of liability, and it will take a very long time to reach.\" He gives the example of a fully self-driving truck, which unexpectedly hits an object that has fallen onto a highway and loses control. The truck may at this point have to make a choice: veer to the right onto a walkway, where a mother and her children are walking and would be killed; or to the left where three elderly people are crossing the road. \"If a human was at the wheel, he would have to make this really tough decision in the moment,\" explains Mr Bernhart. \"But if a truck is being powered by a computer algorithm, then these decisions would have to be made in advance by the programmers. And who is going to accept such a decision that sacrifices three elderly people instead", "summary": "Sleepiness and stress are perennial risks for the long distance lorry driver, and accidents are sadly too frequent."}
{"article": "In his closing speech, prosecutor Philip Evans told Woolwich Crown Court the men had given \"lies\" and \"half truths\" as evidence during the trial. Carl Wood, William Lincoln, Jon Harbinson and Hugh Doyle all deny being part in the \u00c2\u00a314m theft. Four other men have already pleaded guilty to taking part in the raid. Summing up the case against the accused men, Mr Evans said the robbery had involved a \"staggering sum of money\" and had been a carefully planned operation by men who knew what they were doing. He asked the jury to consider whether the \"ringleaders\" - who had already pleaded guilty - would have trusted those on trial to look after their jewel-laden bags and not take a \"peek\" inside. \"The men who have pleaded guilty were a group who thrived on acquisitive crime - taking people's money and possessions, greed in reality. \"What they needed were people who wouldn't question that,\" he said. Referring to Mr Lincoln's claim that he did not know what was in the bags he helped move, he asked the jury whether they could \"believe that for one second?\" \"They were never going to let that significant commodity go into the hands of someone they did not trust,\" he said. Mr Evans insisted the four men had not told the truth to the court. \"On each of the four occasions that you have heard the defendants give evidence, each of them have told you lies,\" Mr Evans said. He added that it did not matter what size role each of the men had played because \"if you take part knowingly, you're guilty\". The case continues. Daniel Jones, 60, of Park Avenue, Enfield; John Collins, 75, of Bletsoe Walk, Islington; Terry Perkins, 67, of Heene Road, Enfield, and Brian Reader, 76, of Dartford Road, Dartford, have all previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary.", "summary": "Four men accused of being part of the Hatton Garden raid were trusted to be involved because of their \"connections to the ringleaders\", a court has heard."}
{"article": "The victim was threatened with a knife and punched during the attack at Exhibition Park in the early hours. Her attacker is described as of Asian appearance, aged about 25 or 30, of thin build and wearing a grey hoodie. Northumbria Police has asked anyone who was in the Exhibition Park or Spital Tongues area at the time - about 03:00 BST - to get in touch as they might have vital information.", "summary": "A man who raped a woman in a Newcastle park is being sought by police."}
{"article": "Lincoln Castle underwent a \u00c2\u00a322m renovation project ready for the document's 800th anniversary. Castle manager Rachel Thomas said about 34,000 people visited in April - up 21,000 on last year. Last month, the castle was named as one of 12 sites in the county that could be outsourced to save the council money. Since the 11th Century castle reopened at the beginning of April, 33,941 people have visited, compared with 12,503 last April. Lincoln's copy of Magna Carta, is one of only four surviving copies. Ms Thomas said she had not expected so many visitors. \"Partly, no doubt, the coverage around Magna Carta and the raising in the public consciousness of Magna Carta has helped,\" she said. The renovation project included a new wall walk and the reopening of the Victorian prison to visitors. The high-security underground vault houses the 1215 Magna Carta, alongside an original copy of the Charter of the Forest, which was signed two years later. The work was funded by Lincolnshire County Council, Heritage Lottery money and private donations. The authority said a final decision on whether to outsource 12 attractions including the castle, Gainsborough Old Hall and the Museum of Lincolnshire Life has not yet been made.", "summary": "A castle that had a multi-million pound vault built to house a surviving copy of Magna Carta has almost tripled visitor numbers."}
{"article": "It took some amazing photos of the dwarf planet and now scientists are hard at work looking through all the information it sent back. Here's Newsround's rundown of the most interesting things we've discovered about Pluto so far from the New Horizons probe. The high-resolution cameras on board New Horizons have shown Pluto to have a distinctive heart-shaped crater on its surface. The shape is believed to have been caused by an impact at some point in the past. One side of the heart is smoother than the other, and researchers believe the crater is filled with frozen gases from the atmosphere, including nitrogen, methane and carbon dioxide. The first image released by Nasa showed Pluto to be reddish in colour. But, this doesn't mean it's the same as the other famous red planet, Mars. Both planets are red, but for different reasons, due to the ways chemicals react in their atmospheres. New Horizons has provided more accurate information about Pluto's size, and we now know it's about 80km wider than previously predicted. Nasa experts say it's around two-thirds the size of our Moon. This means that Pluto is likely to be made up of less rock and more ice beneath its surface, according to members of the mission team. One of the main things we learned is that Pluto does have a polar ice cap. Scientists had thought this before but couldn't prove it until they saw the new images beamed back from the probe. Temperatures on Pluto are extremely cold! They range from -172 to -238 degrees Celsius depending on where it is on its orbit. Experts had assumed that the dwarf planet was cooling but the new data shows that this isn't happening. The New Horizons probe is 5 billion kilometres from Earth. This means it can only send back its information to mission control in the US very slowly. So, just one black and white picture of Pluto would take over three hours to transmit back to Earth. Getting all the data from its flypast of Pluto last week will take almost 16 months. So, we can look forward to lots more new discoveries about the far away dwarf planet over the next year or so.", "summary": "The New Horizons probe successfully completed its fly-by of Pluto last week."}
{"article": "The John Muir Trust has carried out its latest clean-up of Ben Nevis after the thaw of winter snow. Last September, trust volunteers found as many as 1,000 banana skins dropped at the summit. Walkers and climbers were warned that the skins take up to two years to break down and did not biodegrade as quickly as they may think. Plastic bottle and tissues have also been collected in the latest clean-up. Sarah Lewis, trust conservation officer, said most walkers and climbers dealt with their litter responsibly. She added: \"But it is clear that some people just don't see the impact that their litter has - 100,000 people climb up Ben Nevis every year, so if even a tiny minority of them leave their litter it can quickly build up.\"", "summary": "Discarded banana skins are still being found on Britain's highest mountain despite warnings from conservationists."}
{"article": "The central bank had originally hoped to lend up to 450bn euros to stop another credit crunch crippling the banking system. Over 500 banks raced to borrow from the scheme, which was far beyond market expectations. The euro rose sharply on the news, but then fell back later. When the plan was announced, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said banks could use the money to invest in eurozone sovereign debt. However, analysts were uncertain if banks will use the money in this way. \"The very heavy take-up of the ECB's three-year, long-term refinancing operation provides some encouragement that banks' liquidity needs are being amply met,\" said Jonathan Loynes at Capital Economics. \"But while this might help to address recent signs of renewed tensions in credit markets and support bank lending, we remain sceptical of the idea that the operation will ease the sovereign debt crisis too as banks use the funds to purchase large volumes of peripheral government bonds.\" This was the European Central Bank's first offer of three-year loans and was the largest amount of money the central bank has injected into the financial system, beating the 450bn euros it put in with its 2009 one-year loans offer. By Stephanie FlandersEconomics editor, BBC News Read Stephanie's blog in full Although the offer was seen as a success, its impact on the eurozone economy is still uncertain. \"This is good. It's a positive number, at the top end of expectations. You have to regard it as a positive result. But it is still short of covering all of the banks' financing for next year,\" said James Nixon at Societe Generale. Borrowing money though the ECB's loans and using it to buy sovereign debt has been dubbed 'Sarkozy trade' after the French president encouraged banks to use the money to buy national debts when the loan offer was announced. However, some suggest the money will just be used to boost bank balance sheets, especially since the ECB lowered its collateral requirements when it announced the loans, enabling weaker banks to apply for the funds. \"A cash for trash mechanism allowing banks to access cheap funds and buy up more sovereign debt - or more likely just shore up their own finances,\" is how Justin Urquhart Stewart of Seven Investment Management described the scheme. By Robert PestonBusiness editor, BBC News Read Robert's blog in full Carsten Brzeski at ING, said: \"The good news is that banks won't have to worry about liquidity for three years and that it has already pushed down government yields, as banks are buying them to use as collateral\". \"However, whether the ECB's hopes that the money will filter through to the real economy will be fulfilled remains to be seen.\" The success of the offer initially had a positive impact on European stock markets, but the effect was short-lived and in afternoon trade several markets were trading lower on the day. The ECB's move comes in the wake of turbulent times for the eurozone that have hit peripheral eurozone economies such as Greece, the Irish Republic and Portugal, and started", "summary": "Eurozone banks have rushed to take out cheap three-year loans offered by the European Central Bank, borrowing 489bn euros ($643bn; \u00c2\u00a3375bn)."}
{"article": "Turley, 26, had spells with non-league Salisbury City and Forest Green before joining Eastleigh in 2014 where he made 49 National League appearances. \"I'm delighted to be finally making the step up to the Football League and I want to take full advantage of this opportunity,\" he told the club website. \"I'm a quick and aggressive player, your typical centre-half really.\" Manager Warren Feeney hopes Turley, who turned down an improved deal at Eastleigh to join the Exiles, is the first of several summer signings. \"We know exactly what we want in terms of mentality and ability,\" Feeney told BBC Wales Sport. \"It might take a few weeks, but we are confident of putting a very competitive squad in place.\" Newport have offered contracts to eight members of last season's first team, but Feeney is unconcerned that none of the players are yet to agree to a stay at Rodney Parade. \"It is not an issue at this stage,\" he said. \"We won't let it drag on and on and I've made that clear to the players.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Newport County have signed defender Jamie Turley on a two-year deal from National League side Eastleigh."}
{"article": "Last week a judge rejected Camille Cosby's attempts to avoid testifying, after she claimed she was protected by a marital disqualification law. But on Tuesday, he agreed to a postponement, saying it would be unfair to deny her the right to appeal. However, if the appeal fails, a hearing should happen soon after, he added. A lawyer for the women said he expected to eventually be allowed to question Mrs Cosby, who has been married to the comedian for more than 50 years is also his business partner. Mr Cosby's accusers' legal claim alleges he and his representatives sought to tarnish their reputations after they went public with their claims of sexual misconduct. The star has filed a counter legal claim, contending the women are \"engaged in a campaign to assassinate\" his reputation and character. The 78-year-old is also seeking unspecified monetary damages and said the women inflicted emotional distress. He has denied the accusations. Last week, prosecutors in Pennsylvania charged the comedian with an alleged sexual assault in 2004. It is the first time Mr Cosby has been charged with any offence after months of accusations by dozens of women. He is currently on $1m (\u00c2\u00a3675,000) bail.", "summary": "Bill Cosby's wife will not have to give evidence on Wednesday in a defamation case filed by seven women accusing the comedian of sexual assault."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old woman was attacked as she walked on a footpath in Wythenshawe Park at about 04:00 BST on 5 July. Extra police patrols were carried out in the aftermath. Daniel McBurney, 30, from Sale, has been charged with rape and robbery, Greater Manchester Police said. He will appear before Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court later.", "summary": "A man has been charged with rape after a woman was attacked in a park in Manchester."}
{"article": "About 50 people have now been re-settled in Torfaen, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot and Caerphilly. More will be dispersed to other areas in the new year. David Cameron has confirmed the first 1,000 Syrian refugees are now in the UK under a resettlement scheme. The UK government has promised to accept 20,000 Syrians over five years, with about 1,000 coming to Wales. Eleven refugees arrived in Aberystwyth last week after being picked up from the airport by the British Red Cross. Ceredigion council's families first co-ordinator Catherine Morgan said they were being helped to settle into their new lives. \"They're happy, they're relieved to be here. They're smiling,\" she said. \"They're just settling in at the moment, they've been through a lot to get here. It's very early days but hopefully they'll settle in well and enjoy living in Ceredigion. \"There were lots of smiles and I did apologise for the rain when they arrived because it was raining very hard and they said 'it's lovely' and 'thank you'. They're happy to be here.\" All those being helped have fled violent conflict in Syria and several are victims of torture. They were all in refugee camps in neighbouring countries in the Middle East where the UN High Commissioner for Refugees identified them as being vulnerable. The UK government is giving all refugees who are being brought here under the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement (VPR) programme five years' humanitarian protection status. This means they have the right to remain in Wales for five years with permission to work and access public funds. Many are families with young children. Alun Williams, head of policy support at Ceredigion council, said: \"The Home Office has vetted them for extremist views and criminality. Only if they are successfully vetted do they get to be part of the scheme. They wouldn't be allowed into this country if they didn't pass those tests. \"They are ordinary people who have been in very difficult circumstances and who have seen and suffered things that no one should ever have to see.\" The Welsh government has produced a welcome booklet which will be given to all refugees when they arrive. It gives an overview of the country, its government, police, currency, climate and language, including a guide on how to pronounce common Welsh words: \"Bore da (Pronounced: Boh-reh dah): Good morning.\" It also gives advice on manners and customs in Wales, including guidance on how to greet people. \"British people are generally reserved and well mannered,\" it says. \"Neighbours greet each other politely, saying 'good morning or good afternoon' or 'bore da/prynhawn da' in Welsh, and often shake hands.\" It also says: \"Do not throw litter on the floor but use a public bin. It is considered very bad manners to spit on the floor in public places. \"If you need to sneeze or blow your nose, it is considered normal practice to use a tissue. \"Do not urinate in a public place other than a public toilet.\" Practical help is also given, including how to pay bills, help with schools and", "summary": "The first refugees to arrive in Wales after fleeing war-torn Syria are \"happy\" and \"relieved to be here\", according to those helping to welcome them."}
{"article": "The 41-year-old, who joined the BBC in 2008, said she was \"mega-excited\" if \"petrified\" to be taking part in the BBC One ratings hit. \"I'm going to give it my very best and enjoy what's bound to be a great adventure,\" she continued. Munchetty, a keen golfer, also revealed she has known she would be taking part since February. Only her husband knew she would be following in the footsteps of former BBC Breakfast presenters Natasha Kaplinsky and Bill Turnbull, she said on Thursday. \"I never thought I'd have the courage to say yes, but it would be simply silly to turn down the chance to learn to dance with a professional,\" Munchetty said. The broadcaster, who started out career as a financial journalist on the London Evening Standard, said she was \"equally excited, nervous and scared\". Munchetty's involvement was announced by BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood - herself a Strictly contestant - at the end of Thursday's programme. Ed Balls, Daisy Lowe, Danny Mac, Melvin Odoom, Louise Redknapp, Ore Oduba, Laura Whitmore and Will Young are the other confirmed celebrities. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty has been named as the ninth celebrity on this year's Strictly Come Dancing."}
{"article": "The 8-11 shot defeated 12-1 chance Algometer by one and a half lengths with the other four rivals well beaten. Midterm is a son of 2001 Derby winner Galileo and Group One victor Midday. After the Sandown win, Midterm's odds for the Derby at Epsom in June were cut by some bookmakers from 8-1 to 6-1 second favourite. The 4-1 market leader is US Army Ranger. In the 1980s, the trial was won by subsequent Derby winners Shergar and Shahrastani, although the last runner to triumph at Epsom was 1997 Sandown runner-up Benny The Dip. You can check out the latest racing results on the BBC Sport website.", "summary": "Odds-on favourite Midterm, ridden by Ryan Moore for trainer Sir Michael Stoute, won the Classic Trial at Sandown on Friday afternoon."}
{"article": "He was convicted at a retrial in March of accepting illegal payments from an American businessman while he served as mayor of Jerusalem and trade minister. Last year, he was sentenced to six years in prison for accepting bribes. Olmert has denied any wrongdoing and will remain free until his appeals against both convictions are heard. A Supreme Court decision on the first appeal is expected in the next couple of months. If he is unsuccessful OImert will become the first former head of government in Israel to be jailed. Olmert served as prime minister from 2006 to 2009. He was forced to resign amid a flurry corruption allegations, which ended his political career and disrupted the peace process with the Palestinians. In 2012, Olmert was acquitted of fraud, concealing fraudulent earnings and breach of trust in connection with donations received from a New York-based financier, Morris Talansky between 1997 and 2005. However, a retrial was ordered after a former aide, Shula Zaken, accepted a plea bargain and testified against Olmert. Ms Zaken gave prosecutors diary entries and tape recordings of conversations in which Olmert referred to receiving the money. Olmert was found guilty of fraud and breach of trust in March and on Monday was sentenced to eight months in jail. He was also given a suspended sentence of an additional eight months and fined 100,000 shekels ($25,000; \u00c2\u00a316,000). The Jerusalem District Court said the sentence recognised Olmert's contributions to Israeli society, but noted that \"a black flag hovers over his conduct\". Olmert's lawyer Eyal Rozovsky said they were \"very disappointed\" by the sentence. The former prime minister has always insisted that he is innocent and has described the allegations against him as \"a brutal, ruthless witch-hunt\". The 69-year-old is also appealing against the six-year sentence he was given in May 2014 in connection with a real estate deal at took place when he was mayor of Jerusalem in the 1990s. He was convicted of accepting bribes in return for speeding up a controversial residential development, known as Holyland, in the heart of the city.", "summary": "A court in Jerusalem has sentenced the former Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, to eight months in prison for fraud and breach of trust."}
{"article": "Replacement cost profit between July and September was $1.23bn (\u00c2\u00a3802m), compared with $2.38bn a year earlier. Total revenue was $55.9bn against $94.8bn a year ago. The oil price dipped below $50 a barrel in the quarter, while it was above $100 for much of the same period last year. Prices have dropped due to oversupply and weaker demand. On an underlying basis, profit for the third quarter was $1.8bn, down from $3bn a year earlier but higher than analysts' estimates of $1.2bn. BP shares opened almost 2% higher, but by mid-afternoon were down 1% on the day. Replacement cost profit is a standard measure used in the oil industry that takes into account the price of oil. Reflecting the tougher environment across the industry, the company's capital expenditure for the period fell to $4.3bn, down from $5.3bn. BP continued to rein in spending estimates for 2015, which it now expects to be about $19bn compared with the $24bn-$26bn forecast a year ago. The company also announced that the total cost of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 would reach $55bn, higher than previous estimates. Earlier this month, the company said it had agreed to pay $20bn to settle claims in the US. To meet these costs, it is selling off assets, and expects to divest $10bn this year, with another $3bn-$5bn in 2016. BP also said it was maintaining its dividend at 10 cents a share. Analysis: Kamal Ahmed, BBC business editor Low oil prices are not all bad news for integrated oil companies. Yes, life upstream (the exploration and production part of the business) might be tougher because the business is not being paid as much for every barrel of oil it produces. But, for the downstream business (that's refined oil products such as fuel, lubricants and petrochemicals for making things like paint and plastic bottles) a low oil price can be a veritable boon. That's because the input costs - essentially the low oil price - are down and therefore the profit margin can be boosted. Read more from Kamal Despite the company's immediate troubles, analysts said there was some reason for optimism. \"Refining margins are better than expected, the company remains a cash generating machine and costs are being attacked aggressively to suit the difficult backdrop,\" said Richard Hunter at Hargreaves Lansdown stockbrokers. \"BP's longer term outlook remains positive.\" Oil prices have fallen sharply due to increased supply from US shale producers and lower demand, in part due to the slowdown in the Chinese economy. The major oil producers of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, known as Opec, would normally cut production to support prices, but they have decided to keep pumping to try and flush out US shale producers which, they hope, will be unable to withstand a sustained period of low prices. \"BP has successfully adapted to changing circumstances many times in its history and, in a hard time for the entire industry, I believe we will once again successfully take on today's challenges,\" said BP chief executive Bob", "summary": "Oil giant BP has reported a fall in profits due to lower oil and gas prices."}
{"article": "The team's drivers - world champion Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton - won 19 of the 21 races in 2016 and sealed the title with four races to spare. Red Bull, though, gave Mercedes plenty to think about with their drivers Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo often getting the very best out of the car. But which team did most BBC Sport website readers choose as the best of the season? Here are the results... They dominated the season and dominated the picks in the BBC Sport selector. Statistically Mercedes swept aside all before them. As well as winning 90% of the races, a silver arrow also took pole position in all but one race - Monaco, where Ricciardo started at the front of the pack. With Rosberg retired and Hamilton's new team-mate yet to be confirmed, their rivals can only hope that Mercedes may find it difficult to match such an all-conquering campaign as the new guy settles in, and new rules take effect. After finishing fourth in the constructors' championship last season, Red Bull rose from that disappointment to cement themselves as the best of the rest. They may not have had the package to truly challenge Mercedes but they certainly won plenty of fans, thanks to their drivers' skill on the track and character off it. The fearless Verstappen completed 78 overtakes in 2016 - a new F1 record - while Ricciardo was consistently impressive in the second half of the season, finishing on the podium in seven of the last 11 races. One to watch in 2017, especially as aerodynamics become a more important factor with the new rules. Do not forget who will be leading their design package - one Adrian Newey. They may have a smaller budget than the leading teams in Formula 1, but Force India certainly knew how to get the most out of what they had as they finished a hugely impressive fourth in the constructors' championship. Both Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg consistently finished inside the top eight, with Perez also managing to climb the podium twice - finishing third in Monaco and Baku. Jennie Gow: 1) Mercedes, 2) Red Bull, 3) Manor Mercedes: \"They have been on top of their game once again. There have been reliability issues for Hamilton but the team have an outstanding car and winning their third title gives them bragging rights this season. Let's see what they can do next year.\" Manor: \"The fact that they are even on the grid is impressive after all the challenges they have faced. The single point that they won in Austria is a major achievement and almost gave them 10th place in the championship. With such a small budget to work from and a small team compared to others, you have to take your hat off to the them and hope that despite losing 10th place to Sauber in Brazil, the team continue to flourish in 2017.\" Tom Clarkson: 1) Mercedes, 2) Red Bull, 3) Force India Red Bull: \"Even with that botched pit-stop at Monaco, which cost Daniel", "summary": "It was another dominant season on the track for Mercedes as they won the constructors' championship for the third consecutive season."}
{"article": "Mabey Bridge has begun a consultation on the planned closure of its business in Station Road where 150 people work. It is also looking for a buyer for its renewables section in Mathern, Chepstow, which employs 180 people. A company spokesman said it anticipated a buyer would be found to support that area of the business. \"We have not made these decisions lightly and we understand that this is a very difficult time for our people.\" the spokesman added. BBC Wales understands the firm is now looking for employees to apply for voluntary redundancy. One employee said: \"Everyone's absolutely stunned, some people guessed what was going to happen but the majority had no idea at all. \"The announcement today is that the infrastructure side is gone, that it will finish. It was just shock, complete and utter shock; very few could believe that they have taken such as drastic decision.\" The company's infrastructure section makes highway bridges, railway bridges, footbridges and sign gantries while its renewables division builds wind turbine towers and carries out work in offshore renewable energy. Analysis, Brian Meechan BBC Wales business correspondent Mabey Bridge is a big name in construction. As specialists in bridges, it is one firm that would have been expected to weather the difficult economic times the sector has been through. In recent years, it has branched out into renewable energy including the towers for wind turbines. The construction industry is expected to grow by three percent a year until 2018 so the future might have been considered promising. But the Mabey Bridge site in central Chepstow has been up for sale for months and may prove appealing for redevelopment for housing rather than further industrial uses.", "summary": "An engineering firm has announced the proposed closure of one site in Chepstow and the sale of another, putting 330 jobs at risk."}
{"article": "Secret service and regular police have been searching for Ivan Kaspersky, 20, for at least two days, a police source told Interfax news agency. His father's firm, Kaspersky Lab, told a newspaper it could not confirm news he had been abducted. Yevgeny Kaspersky made his fortune developing anti-virus software. News of his son's abduction was reported by Russian news website Life News, quoting its own sources. The kidnappers are demanding 3m euros (\u00c2\u00a32.6m; $4.3m) for Ivan's safe return, the website says. According to the unconfirmed report, he was snatched while on his way to work in Moscow on Tuesday. When contacted by Russian newspaper Gazeta, Kaspersky Lab said it could neither confirm nor deny the report. There has been no official comment on the story. Kaspersky Lab is regarded outside Russia as one of the country's few business success stories not related to the energy sector. The US business magazine Fast Company recently ranked Kaspersky Lab among the Top 50 Most Innovative Companies worldwide.", "summary": "The son of Russian software entrepreneur Yevgeny Kaspersky has gone missing in Moscow and may have been kidnapped, Russian media report."}
{"article": "Marc Martin, 22, and Matt Preece, 21, died after the BMW crashed in High Beeches Lane, Handcross, West Sussex, in December 2014. Mr Martin, from Haywards Heath, and Mr Preece, of Lindfield, were both sitting in the back of the BMW. Kyle Witney, 21, of Lindfield had previously admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving. Witney has been jailed for six years at Lewes Crown Court. The court heard Witney had been smoking cannabis and had gone out to get more drugs when the crash happened. His girlfriend said at the time of the crash he had been showing off in front of his friends \"trying to be smart\". The jury was told Witney had said immediately after the crash: \"Oh my God, what have I done? I hope I haven't killed my friends.\" He told paramedics he had been driving at 100mph. Mr Martin and Mr Preece were taken to hospital after the crash but died from their injuries. A 16-year-old girl who was a front-seat passenger in the BMW was also treated in hospital for minor injuries. Witney had been left the BMW by his grandfather three months before the crash, the court was told.", "summary": "A man has been jailed after two of his friends died when his car hit a tree and flipped onto its roof."}
{"article": "Newly promoted Newcastle host Tottenham, while Brighton welcome Manchester City and Huddersfield visit Crystal Palace. Spurs' first game at Wembley will be against Antonio Conte's champions on the second weekend of the season. The precise date of games will be set once TV schedules have been decided. The league season is set to finish on Sunday, 13 May 2018 - a week earlier than last season - with the World Cup finals in Russia starting on 14 June. The English Football League fixtures will be released on Wednesday, 21 June, and Scotland's fixtures two days later. Questions have been raised about Tottenham's potential to perform at Wembley after a miserable run of results there in last season's Champions League, and Mauricio Pochettino's side will have a tough first test at their temporary home. The last time Spurs visited the national stadium was in the FA Cup semi-final, a game they lost 4-2 to this season's first visitors - Chelsea. But it could prove a tricky opening few weeks for the defending champions too, with Chelsea hosting Everton (26 August), visiting 2015-16 winners Leicester after the international break and then welcoming Arsenal (16 September). Arsene Wenger's Gunners have a chance to show their top-four credentials in week three when they visit Liverpool. Another early indicator in the race for the Champions League places comes in the following round of games, with Liverpool travelling to Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City. Europa League winners Manchester United do not face another Champions League qualifier until they visit Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool on the weekend of 14-15 October. English football's top-flight sides will face four league games in nine days over Christmas and new year, with eight in total from 2 December to 1 January. The final round of the Champions League group stage also takes place during that period, as traditionally does the fifth round of the League Cup. Arsenal welcome Liverpool two days before Christmas, while Brighton go to Chelsea on Boxing Day and Newcastle host Manchester City. West Ham make the trip across London to face Tottenham in the round of games scheduled for 30 December, with another London derby taking place on New Year's Day as Arsenal host Chelsea. There will be no easing into life in the top flight for those promoted from the Championship, with Brighton's first game in the Premier League at home to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. Newcastle hammered Tottenham 5-1 in their most recent Premier League game at St James' Park, and it will be last season's runners-up Spurs who visit Rafa Benitez's side on the opening day. Huddersfield make their Premier League debut at Crystal Palace, before hosting fellow newcomers Newcastle a week later and completing their August schedule at home to Southampton. The Terriers' first game back in the top flight since 1972 is a repeat of their last, when they drew 0-0 at Selhurst Park in April that year. Brighton, meanwhile, are back in English football's top division for the first time since the 1982-83 season. Chris Hughton's side go to Leicester on the second", "summary": "Chelsea will begin their title defence at home to Burnley when the 2017-18 Premier League season kicks off on the weekend of 12-13 August."}
{"article": "The report for 2015 is due out in the next few weeks, so the most recent report we have is the 2014 one. In the year covered by that report, 1,013 tests were conducted for IPC sports (which include athletics, swimming, powerlifting and skiing) in which prohibited substances were found nine times. During the year, sanctions were taken against 11 athletes. If you break that down into the sports involved it is clear that most of the IPC's anti-doping problems come from the sport of powerlifting, which was the source of seven of the positive tests and eight of the sanctions. The IPC announced in 2014 that it had suspended 13 powerlifters in the previous 14 months. The sport has been targeted with a \"Raise the Bar - Say No! to Doping\" campaign. Since then, the IPC has also adopted a new anti-doping code, which came into effect on 1 January 2015. Paralympic athletes have the same list of banned substances as Olympic athletes and, like them, anyone who requires additional medication for pain or treatment must apply for an exemption. \"It's a common misconception that a lot of Paralympians will be on prescription drugs. That's not the case at all,\" Nicole Sapstead, UK Anti-Doping chief executive, told the BBC ahead of London 2012. \"Obviously there are athletes with spinal injuries and they need pain relief. But mostly it is the same as the Olympics - things like asthma and diabetes.\" Only one athlete was given a doping sanction at the Sochi Paralympic Winter Games in 2014, but since then the McLaren Report for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found that Russia's sports ministry manipulated urine samples provided by its athletes between 2011 and 2015. The report identified 27 samples relating to eight Para-sports, five of which are summer sports, including some governed by the IPC. The IPC also found evidence that samples were swapped during the Sochi Winter Paralympics, adding that it planned to reanalyse every Russian sample given at the event. So now the Russian team has been banned from this year's Paralympic Games in Rio, and the IPC is wondering if it has more of a doping problem than it previously thought.", "summary": "The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) gives details of anti-doping activities in its annual reports."}
{"article": "A selection of photos from Africa and of Africans elsewhere in the world this week:", "summary": "Images courtesy of AFP, AP, EPA, Getty Images and Reuters"}
{"article": "The Welsh have never been involved in a penalty shoot out, which could happen in Saturday's last 16 match in Paris. Coleman admits it is impossible to replicate the anxiety of sudden death penalty shoot out. ''If it comes our way we will have to try and deal with it,'' said Coleman, who has a fully-fit squad after beating Russia 3-0 to top Group B. Individual players have penalty experience, including top-scorer Gareth Bale who scored from the spot in Real Madrid's shoot-out win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final in May. The current squad have been sharpening their spot kick skills in training, but Coleman recognises its limitations. ''I would say on three days out of five, the players naturally just gravitate after training to take penalties,\" he said. ''If it comes to that (on Saturday), again it is new territory for us. ''How do you recreate 50,000 people breathing down your neck; or the eyes of the world upon you as you are stepping up to take the penalty and you need to put it in the back of the net. You cannot recreate that.'' Coleman reported no injury worries after clinching Group B top spot with Monday night's commanding win over Russia in Toulouse. Eight Wales players started all three games in the opening stages of the competition and Coleman says he will not hesitate to alter the line up on Saturday, if required. \"'I would make changes if I think physically, they cannot do it,\" he added. \"But I would be surprised if any of them admit to me that they are a bit tired and may be they don't want to start. \"The guys who have not been on the grass or have not been starting are chomping at the bit. They are not very happy they have not been on the grass. That is a positive. \"But I can only pick 11 . . . I look at the opposition and I think if we can create a few problems with a different player in there, or in a different place I will do it. \"That does not mean the player who is being replaced in the last game has not done very well. It's just horses for courses.\"", "summary": "Wales have been practising penalties since arriving at Euro 2016, manager Chris Coleman says."}
{"article": "Paddy Madden curled in a right-footed shot from 14 yards to give the Iron a 12th-minute lead. The rest of the first half was a scrappy affair on a bobbly pitch where getting the ball under control was not easy. The second half was much livelier and captain John Lundstram brought the home side level with a driven half-volley from Joe Skarz's left-wing cross in the 52nd minute. It was Lundstram's first goal of the season and the ex-Everton midfielder was unlucky not to get a second four minutes later with a 20-yard shot which came back off the underside of the crossbar. Madden was always a threat for Scunthorpe, and goalkeeper Simon Eastwood had to beat out a drive from the dangerous striker, and then saved his header a few moments later. Luke Daniels' superb point-blank save kept out Liam Sercombe's volley two minutes from time, but Scunthorpe's defence was under severe pressure and, following a corner, Curtis Nelson drove a low 14-yard shot across goal for Edwards to touch home. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Oxford United 2, Scunthorpe United 1. Second Half ends, Oxford United 2, Scunthorpe United 1. Substitution, Scunthorpe United. Craig Davies replaces David Mirfin. Goal! Oxford United 2, Scunthorpe United 1. Curtis Nelson (Oxford United) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Marvin Johnson with a cross. Corner, Oxford United. Conceded by Jordan Clarke. Attempt missed. Conor McAleny (Oxford United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Attempt missed. Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe United) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Attempt saved. Liam Sercombe (Oxford United) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the bottom left corner. Conor McAleny (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jordan Clarke (Scunthorpe United). Joe Skarz (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Neal Bishop (Scunthorpe United). Foul by Curtis Nelson (Oxford United). Ivan Toney (Scunthorpe United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Scunthorpe United. Hakeeb Adelakun replaces Stephen Dawson. Substitution, Oxford United. Kane Hemmings replaces Antonio Mart\u00ednez. Attempt saved. Josh Morris (Scunthorpe United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by Conor McAleny (Oxford United). Neal Bishop (Scunthorpe United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Oxford United. Marvin Johnson replaces Joe Rothwell. Foul by Conor McAleny (Oxford United). Murray Wallace (Scunthorpe United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Scunthorpe United. Ivan Toney replaces Tom Hopper. Attempt saved. Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe United) header from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by John Lundstram (Oxford United). Josh Morris (Scunthorpe United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt blocked. Antonio Mart\u00ednez (Oxford United) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Joe Rothwell (Oxford United) right footed shot from a difficult angle", "summary": "Phil Edwards claimed a stoppage-time winner as Oxford came from behind to beat promotion-chasing Scunthorpe in League One."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Stoke City forward, 32, limped off after 64 minutes of Monday's 1-1 Group E draw with Sweden in Paris. Walters has not trained since and his absence for the Belgium game was confirmed on Friday. West Brom midfielder James McClean, Walters' replacement against Sweden, is expected to start in Bordeaux. Media playback is not supported on this device Belgium - ranked second in the world - lost 2-0 to Italy in their opening game. Italy, who beat Sweden 1-0 on Friday to seal their progress into the last 16, take on the Republic in Lille next Wednesday. \"He thinks he is going to be able to make the Italian game,\" O'Neill said of Walters on Wednesday. Wes Hoolahan's opener for the Republic against Sweden at the Stade de France was cancelled out by a Ciaran Clark own goal. \"If that performance doesn't lift you, nothing will,\" said O'Neill. \"We will have to show the same attitude again, go and compete and be strong on the ball.\" Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Republic of Ireland striker Jonathan Walters has been ruled out of Saturday's Euro 2016 clash against Belgium because of an Achilles injury."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The competition is set to start in 2020 and will involve eight new city-based teams playing 36 games in 38 days. \"Cricket needs that moment in this country that changes the way we talk and think about it,\" said Vaughan. He also said that he believes the ECB's aim for \"significant\" free-to-air coverage is key to the proposal. ECB chief executive Tom Harrison called free-to-air ambitions an \"aspiration which reaches at the heart of our proposition going forward\". He hopes the new competition will rival the Indian Premier League and Big Bash in Australia as the leading T20 tournaments in the world. The Big Bash draws average crowds of more than 28,000 whereas Vaughan labelled the attendance of the current T20 Blast competition in the English county game as \"nothing better than division three football\". \"Everyone can see every ball of the Big Bash,\" said Vaughan, who was speaking on his BBC Radio 5 live show with ex-England spinner Phil Tufnell. \"Cricket is there for everyone to see. I love the thought and talk of terrestrial partners and the game seen. \"But I don't think that is the be-all and end-all. I think it is important, but I think cricket has to do so much more. \"The only thing in terms of a county perspective is this new tournament will be a massive juggernaut, get loads of marketing and the county game may say: 'Why didn't we get that support?' \"Would the Blast have had more success if there was a terrestrial partner in play or had that kind of support? I guess the answer is yes.\" He added: \"I think the white ball game, in particular, and T20 is exactly the brand of cricket required to expand the game.\" Current England captain Joe Root believes the plans for the new competition are a \"good idea\" and that \"it is very important the public are given an opportunity to see cricket at a national level, on free-to-air TV\". Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, the Yorkshireman added: \"It will be interesting to see how things pan out and what decisions are made.\" Squads of the eight T20 teams will be made up of 15 players and include three overseas players. That will leave 96 players being selected from the 18 counties, which averages out at just over five apiece. \"If you picked 96 players out of county cricket now, the standard is remarkable,\" said Vaughan. \"Pick five-and-a-half players from each county and you add in the world-class overseas stars and you are going to get some terrific teams.\" Vaughan played down concerns over fans not wanting to support certain city-based teams because of their county allegiance. \"Supporters will say I won't support Leeds or Manchester but I don't think they're going to be called the towns,\" said Vaughan who also addressed worries about the weather and the tournament being played when families travel abroad during the lengthy school summer holidays. \"The weather is nonsense because we might as well say 'we're not going to", "summary": "A new Twenty20 tournament planned by the England and Wales Cricket Board \"will be a roaring success\", says former England captain Michael Vaughan."}
{"article": "Leonid Papachin, 51, from Lithuania, is alleged to have performed the manoeuvre on Thursday after missing an exit slip-road near Lichfield. Other vehicles are said to have been forced to slow down to avoid his articulated lorry. He appeared at Cannock Magistrates' Court charged with dangerous driving but did not enter a plea. Mr Papachin was remanded in custody to appear at the same court on Tuesday.", "summary": "A lorry driver has appeared in court accused of doing a U-turn on the M6 toll motorway."}
{"article": "The attempted raid took place at the Rite Stop shop in Powell Street, Abertillery, at 20:25 GMT on Tuesday, Gwent Police said. They allegedly entered the shop and tried to get behind the counter before they were challenged by staff, escaping empty-handed.", "summary": "Two men are being hunted after trying to rob a Blaenau Gwent shop with a chair leg."}
{"article": "They were among a group of suspects acquitted in Kenya last week. Taiwan's foreign ministry says they were forcibly put on a China-bound plane and has demanded their release. China has not responded in detail to the allegations, but has criticised Taiwan for not considering itself as part of \"one China\". The incident comes as cross-strait relations are feared to be entering a rocky period, say the BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei. Taiwan said the eight were among 23 Taiwanese people who were accused in Kenya of being members of a telephone fraud ring, which also included Chinese nationals. They were arrested in Kenya at the end of last year and charged with illegal entry and telecommunications fraud. All of the Taiwanese, and some Chinese, were later acquitted. The Taiwanese were detained when they went to a police station last week to retrieve their passports. On Friday, eight of them were put on a plane by Chinese officials and sent to the mainland, despite a court order that would have kept them in Kenya, say Taiwanese officials. Taiwan has demanded their release, as well as for the release of the remaining 15 Taiwanese still in Kenyan custody. On Monday, Taiwan's foreign affairs ministry accused Chinese officials of \"obstructions\", including delaying the court order and preventing Taiwan's representative from reaching the acquitted. It said China's actions amounted to an \"uncivilised act of extrajudicial abduction\" which represents a \"gross violation of basic human rights.\" In response to a reporter's question on the matter, China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said: \"I might need further understanding of the exact details of the case, but in principle, countries which follow the 'one China' principle are worthy of approval.\" Beijing has refused to have dialogue with Taiwan's incoming President Tsai Ing-wen unless she recognises the two sides as part of one country. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan's current President Ma Ying-jeou held historic but largely symbolic talks in Singapore last November, the first between China and Taiwan's leaders in more than 60 years.", "summary": "Taiwan has accused China of \"extrajudicial abduction\" after eight Taiwanese acquitted of fraud in Kenya were deported to mainland China."}
{"article": "However, a sturdy pair of scissors was all it took to cut through the strap of an identical tag that was fitted to me the other day. And there was easily enough room between my ankle and the strap to position the scissor blades before making the cut. The tag was fitted to me in exactly the same way that all tags are attached to suspects under Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPims). It is made of a type of plastic, which although tough is deliberately breakable enough to be removed in case of an emergency. Phil Kemp presents The Report on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday 5 December at 20:00 GMT Listen via the website Download the programme The Best of The Report \"It can be cut and it can be broken off because it has to break at a certain prescribed limit for safety reasons,\" says Paul, an equipment specialist for the security company G4S, who fitted it to me. The company runs the GPS monitoring contract for government. He requested that his surname should not be used. \"You have got enough flexibility so you can get your sock on and off, you can move it around on your leg for comfort, but you can't get it over the heel and over the ankle to remove it,\" he says. \"But the main fact is that it cannot be cut off, broken off, or removed in any way without detection and without some evidence of what has caused that to be removed.\" Buried inside the length of the strap is a fibre-optic cable that, if interfered with, transmits an alert to G4S's monitoring system. The strap doesn't have to break or be cut for it to raise the alarm. Simply exerting enough force on the strap to damage the cable sends a signal to the authorities that the device could be being tampered with. Paul says that on the day Mr Mohamed's tag was removed, the device did what it was designed to do. \"It detected the interference immediately, it transmitted that alert to us and we notified the relevant authorities well within our contracted turnaround time for raising that alarm,\" he says. However, by the time the police arrived at the mosque where the tag was removed, he had disappeared. On the same day he went missing, the Crown Prosecution Service dropped a case it had brought against Mr Mohamed and two other TPim subjects for allegedly tampering with their tags. Had they been found guilty, they could have been given prison sentences lasting up to five years. However, the CPS said they would not be able to prove to a criminal standard that the tags had been deliberately tampered with. In cases where the defendants dispute trying to remove or break a tag, expert witnesses are called to see if they can work out what exactly triggered a tamper alert. Prof Ross Anderson is an expert in security engineering at the University of Cambridge and he worked on the defence case for the accused TPim subjects. \"It turned out", "summary": "We do not know how the electronic GPS monitoring tag was removed from the ankle of Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed, the terror suspect who went missing after changing into a burka at a London mosque last month."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Owen Farrell moves from centre to fly-half to replace Charlie Hodgson, who has a finger injury. Northampton's Lee Dickson steps in for Ben Youngs at scrum-half, while Scarlets' Ben Morgan starts at number eight in place of Phil Dowson. Lock Tom Palmer has been dropped in favour of Leicester's Geoff Parling. Should fortune favour the brave, England's interim coach Stuart Lancaster could be in for the most satisfying of Twickenham debuts. But if Six Nations rugby is more about the more prosaic virtues of experience, form and proven ability, Saturday's meeting with Wales might turn out to be less pleasant. Read more of Tom's blog Tuilagi, who was fined \u00a33,000 and warned by the Rugby Football Union after jumping off a ferry following England's World Cup exit in New Zealand in October, has played precious little rugby since because of a hamstring problem and a broken cheekbone and eye socket. He will link up with new boy Brad Barritt, who impressed against Scotland and Italy, in the centre positions. Dickson, Morgan and Parling make their first Test starts at Twickenham on Saturday as England look to secure a third successive victory after wins over Scotland and Italy. \"We are looking forward to seeing how Brad and Manu gel together in the centre,\" Lancaster said. \"Owen has trained throughout and knows our patterns and plays, so we are fully confident in his ability to run the game from 10. \"It's been a good start with two wins but we've got real competition for places and Lee, Ben and Geoff deserve an opportunity to start this game.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Farrell was chosen in the starting XV ahead of Toby Flood, who makes his return to the squad after a spell out with a knee injury. The Leicester fly-half will be joined on the bench by fit-again Northampton lock Courtney Lawes. Hodgson, who scored the two tries England have managed so far in this year's Six Nations, is unavailable after cutting and spraining his left index finger in training this week. \"Charlie cut his finger in training earlier in the week and needed stitches, but it swelled up and there is a sprain there,\" added Lancaster. \"We assessed him this morning [Thursday] and he cannot grip fully. \"Phil and Ben [Youngs] will provide a different role from the bench and it's great to have Courtney and Toby, who can also give us options in what I am sure will be a full-on encounter. \"The finger injury to Charlie Hodgson is very unfortunate, but may prove a blessing for England. Owen Farrell was always destined to end up at fly-half and looks ready to do the job. Hodgson's absence allows Stuart Lancaster to include the incisive power of Manu Tuilagi, whose line-breaking ability is priceless. Geoff Parling will bring organisation and height to the line-out. Ben Morgan brings a much-needed ball-carrying punch. Lee Dickson's inclusion is vital for England's zip and momentum at the breakdown. For the moment, Ben Youngs has lost", "summary": "Centre Manu Tuilagi returns to the England side as interim head coach Stuart Lancaster makes four changes for the Six Nations game against Wales."}
{"article": "Figures from the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA) have shown that, in total, 1.81 million people visited the Edinburgh museum - a 15.5% rise on the previous year. Edinburgh Castle welcomed 1.77 million people, up 13.4% on 2015. Visits across Scotland rose for the third year running in 2016. Almost 30 million visits were made to 249 of the ASVA members' sites in Scotland last year - a rise of 6% on 2015 figures. The National Museum of Scotland opened 10 new galleries in July 2016. Director Dr Gordon Rintoul said: \"I am delighted that the latest ASVA visitor figures have confirmed the National Museum of Scotland's place as the most popular visitor attraction in Scotland. \"In addition, we recorded the highest-ever visitor numbers across all our sites with nearly 2.7 million visits.\" 1 National Museum of Scotland (free), Edinburgh - 1,810,948 visitors 2 Edinburgh Castle (paid) - 1,778,548 visitors 3 Scottish National Gallery (free), Edinburgh - 1,544,069 visitors 4 Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (free), Glasgow - 1,259,318 5 Riverside Museum (free), Glasgow - 1,259,042 6 St Giles' Cathedral (free), Edinburgh - 1,171,793 7 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (free) - 857,268 8 Gretna Green (free) - 794,543 9 National War Museum (free), Edinburgh - 678,982 10 Gallery of Modern Art (free), Glasgow - 646,567 Four other sites welcomed more than one million visitors each, with Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Riverside Museum, both in Glasgow, attracting more than 1.25 million people each. The Scottish National Gallery and St Giles' Cathedral, both in Edinburgh, drew 1.54 million and 1.17 million visitors respectively. Eleven of the top 20 attractions were located in the capital, compared with nine in 2015. Sites outside the top 20 were also successful in attracting more visitors. The Black Watch Castle & Museum in Perth and Kinross saw a 1,248% rise in numbers, largely on the back of \"Weeping Window\", a sculpture featuring thousands of handmade ceramic poppies commemorating those who died in World War One. Last year, 195,301 people visited the museum, up from 14,483 visitors in 2015. In the Highlands, interest generated by the Outlander TV series helped boost visitor numbers at the Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre, which rose 21% from 115,923 in 2015 to 139,691 last year. Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: \"It is fantastic that Scottish visitor attractions recorded another successful year in 2016, with almost 30 million visits to some of Scotland's most popular and iconic tourist sites. \"I commend the sterling work of ASVA in creating quality visitor experiences and building Scotland's reputation as a top tourist destination for visitors from around the world.\" ASVA chairman Douglas Walker said the figures demonstrated that the visitor attractions sector in Scotland was in \"robust health\".", "summary": "The National Museum of Scotland overtook Edinburgh Castle to become the most popular visitor attraction in Scotland last year."}
{"article": "A drilled shot by experienced Slovenia international Milivoje Novakovic threatened to leave Aberdeen with an uphill task in next week's return leg. But Republic of Ireland international Hayes finally converted one of the many chances the Dons created at Pittodrie. However, Aberdeen will need to score in Slovenia to stay in the tie. All seven of the Dons' goals in the previous two rounds had come in the last 22 minutes of matches, with three in stoppage time. And though there was a constant threat from Derek McInnes' side, full of pace, movement and intensity, they could not find a way past goalkeeper Jasmin Handanovic until the closing stages. The aim from McInnes was to disrupt a team who like to slot into a steady defensive pattern in an effort to get an early goal. Top scorer Adam Rooney fastened on to a mistake by Dare Vrsic, but the striker's shot was indecisive and Handanovic saved at the second attempt. The visitors then squandered the best early chance after a great run and cross on the counter-attack by right-back Denis Sme, Marwan Kabha sending his shot from 12 yards hopelessly over the bar when he should have scored. Handanovic made a brave block at Rooney's feet and then saw the same player miss an excellent Andrew Considine delivery by inches as crosses kept flashing across his penalty box. The keeper again excelled by blocking Jayden Stockley's header at point-blank range just before the break. Vrsic caused a few moments of anxiety for Aberdeen when stopper Joe Lewis was forced to make a sharp dive to his left to prevent the former Austria Vienna player netting. Rooney did have the ball in the net after some great build-up play by Niall McGinn but the striker had strayed offside. Then, with time running out, Novakovic struck. It was a wonderful finish from the 37-year-old as he brushed off the challenge of Ash Taylor before arrowing a shot beyond the despairing dive of Lewis. But Taylor redeemed himself with a determined contribution to set up Hayes' sidefoot finish minutes later. That gives Aberdeen greater hope of reaching the play-off round, but Maribor know they will progress if they avoid losing a goal next week.", "summary": "Aberdeen struck late in Europe again as Jonny Hayes equalised against Maribor in the Europa League third qualifying round first leg."}
{"article": "The group is managed by Hong Kong's Argyle Street Management and funded by Indonesia's Sinarmas Group, which is managed by Indonesia's Widjaja family. The offer values Asia Resource Minerals at \u00c2\u00a398.8m and includes plans to inject $150m equity in the embattled company. British financer Nat Rothschild submitted an alternative $100m refinancing plan in April. Asia Resource Minerals, formerly known as Bumi, is grappling with tumbling coal prices and a continuing battle for control of the company. It was founded in 2010 by Nat Rothschild and Indonesia's wealthy Bakrie family. The co-founders fell out and the company was broken up in March 2014 and renamed Asian Resource Minerals. The Argyle-Sinarmas bid for the company once again pits Mr Rothschild against a powerful Indonesian family. The potential acquirers have stressed the importance of \"an experienced and proven Indonesian partner\", to lead the company. Foreign ownership of businesses is a contentious topic in Indonesia. Asia Resource Minerals controls nearly 85% of Indonesian coal mine operator Berau. The country's energy minister said on Thursday that it would prefer Berau to be locally owned. \"Berau Coal is a corporate matter between shareholders. But as a policy matter, we want coal to be the pillar of our energy security. The more national mines that are controlled by national firms, the better,\" said Energy Minister Sudirman Said.", "summary": "A group of Asian investors has submitted a bid to acquire Indonesian coal miner Asia Resource Minerals."}
{"article": "The 45-year-old, who stepped up from assistant in December after Mark Burchill was sacked, has signed a one-year deal. \"Continuity is one of the main objectives of the board of directors,\" said a club statement. \"The club is also delighted that it will retain its full-time status.\" Livingston had hinted at their intentions by announcing three new signings immediately after their play-off semi-final defeat by Stranraer. Midfielder Jordan Sinclair, 19, arrived from Hibernian and central defenders Sean Crighton and Alan Lithgow joined from Airdrieonians. Meanwhile, Ryan Currie agreed a new contract, but Bulgarian midfielder Spas Georgiev, who was loaned to Albion Rovers in February, was released.", "summary": "Livingston have decided to remain a full-time club despite being relegated to Scottish League One and have handed head coach David Hopkin a new contract."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old was found with serious injuries in Crossbank Avenue, Toryglen, at around 05:15 on Saturday. He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and treated for a stab wound before being discharged. Police are reviewing CCTV from the area and want to speak to a group of people who were in the street at the time of the attack. Det Con Stuart McLennan said: \"Our enquiries have revealed that there were a number of people in the vicinity at the time that this young man was assaulted and I appeal for these people to contact police immediately as they may hold valuable information that could help us find the person or persons responsible for this assault. \"Anyone with information is asked to contact Cathcart CID via telephone number 101. Alternatively, calls can be made via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where anonymity can be maintained.\"", "summary": "A young man needed hospital treatment after he was stabbed in Glasgow in the early hours of Saturday."}
{"article": "Journalist Richard Chambers was making his way to Letterkenny in Donegal when his car aquaplaned to the side of the road and became stuck in mud and gravel. He was unable to push his car free - until a mini-bus carrying a hen party from Northern Ireland pulled up. Dressed in pink feather boas the hens helped push the car back onto the road. Mr Chambers' car skidded to the side of the road outside Ballybofey when he drove over a large amount of surface water which was lying on the road. He told the Good Morning Ulster programme, \"I tried to reverse it out, but it was stuck so I called the AA and they said they would be about an hour and a half. \"A helpful fellow from Cork pulled up and offered to help with a push. The pair of us macho clowns really couldn't shift it at all.\" The bypasser told Mr Chambers that he didn't think the car could be moved without a tow-truck. At this point the journalist said, \"I had resigned to my fate.\" However, much to his surprise a mini-bus carrying a hen party from Northern Ireland stopped to lend a hand. \"They got straight out of the bus with pink feather boas and all that sort of stuff and said 'We'll push it out'. I was like, we'll give them a go anyway, you know? \"Within minutes this gang of women, about five or six of them' were pushing. (They) all pushed the car, and that was the job done! \"One of them came out with a face full of mud from a bit of reversing, but the photos I'd say will be great fun for them,\" Mr Chambers added. He says he hopes to find the women as he is \"eternally thankful\" for all that they did.", "summary": "A hen party which helped a man whose car had become stuck in mud has been called 'heroic' by the driver."}
{"article": "Referee Rajindraparsad Seechurn gave Equatorial Guinea a controversial penalty in stoppage time as they beat Tunisia 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Tunisia staff confronted the official after the match and their federation has been fined $50,000 (\u00a333,000). \"The referees committee noted the poor performance of the referee,\" the Confederation of African Football said. Caf added that the referee's failings included an \"unacceptable failure to maintain calm and ensure proper control of the players during the match\". Caf also wants an apology from Tunisia for accusations of bias. And Tunisia have been ordered to pay for damages to a door and a refrigerator in the team's dressing room at Bata Stadium. Mauritian referee Seechurn awarded the penalty in stoppage time after Ali Maaloul was harshly ruled to have fouled Ivan Bolado when Tunisia were leading 1-0 and, after equalising from the spot through Javier Balboa, hosts Equatorial Guinea went on to win in extra-time. Seechurn has also been removed from Caf's list of elite referees. According to Caf, it was sent two letters by the Tunisian FA following the match, with the second asking for an investigation and suggesting that Caf and its officials \"were questionable and biased against Tunisia in general\". Unless Tunisia's football federation can provide \"irrefutable evidence to substantiate the accusations\" they need to send a letter of apology by midnight on 5 February or face expulsion from the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Tunisia football chief Wadie Jary resigned from Caf in protest after the match and he was also \"condemned\" for his behaviour after going on to the pitch to confront Seechurn, as well as criticising the referee and African football's governing body. Equatorial Guinea were fined $5,000 (\u00a33,300) for poor security at the stadium.", "summary": "An Africa Cup of Nations referee has been banned for six months for \"poor performance\"."}
{"article": "On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said India's health ministry had confirmed three cases of the mosquito-borne virus from the city of Ahmedabad in western Gujarat state. Authorities in Gujarat said the cases were reported in a bustling neighbourhood between November 2016 and February 2017. The infection has been linked to severe birth defects in almost 30 countries. These include microcephaly, where babies are born with abnormally small heads and restricted brain development. Although the virus is mostly spread by mosquitoes, it can also be sexually transmitted. Even before the first official case of the Zika virus was registered in Nigeria, researchers concluded in a paper published in 1953 that \"significant numbers\" of people had been exposed to the virus in India. A total of 33 of the 196 people tested for the new disease had immunity. More than 60 years later, the three cases in India detailed in a statement by the UN health agency included two women, aged 22 and 34, and a 64-year-old man. The 34-year-old woman delivered a \"clinically well baby\" on 9 November 2016; the 22-year-old woman was tested positive for the virus in her 37th week of pregnancy. None of the three, according to reports, had travelled outside the country. \"The two pregnant mothers have delivered healthy babies and the 64-year-old senior citizen has shown no complications at all,\" JN Singh, the senior-most bureaucrat in Gujarat, told reporters at the weekend. He also said the government \"consciously did not go public with the cases\" as the number of cases didn't rise. But there has been shock and consternation among many independent public health professionals and analysts on why the public was not informed of the cases immediately after they were detected. \"This is unprecedented in India's public health history. It is also disturbing and raises a lot of ethical issues. You have to take the community into confidence. You can do it without spreading panic. That is the job of a sound public health policy,\" Rajib Dasgupta, a professor in the community medicine department at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, told me. For one, critics say, on 17 March, junior health minister Anupriya Patel, responding to a question in the parliament said, that \"so far, only one-case of laboratory-positive Zika virus has been detected as part of a routine laboratory surveillance in January 2017\". The government was lying, they said, because the third - and final - case had been detected in January. A health official, however, defended the minister, saying \"while two cases were picked up in January for testing and the third in February, only one confirmed case had been detected while [the minister was] replying to the parliament\". Nitpicking apart, many say it is surprising that the government decided to remain quiet for months about the first cases of a globally prevalent disease which is caused by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also carries the dengue and chikungunya viruses, both widely prevalent in India. They say it is surprising that the government, which gives regular public updates on dengue and chikungunya cases, decided", "summary": "Did India conceal its first cases of the Zika virus?"}
{"article": "Vice News's Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury, and Iraqi Mohammed Ismael Rasool, were detained in Diyarbakir, south-east Turkey on Thursday. Vice News said they had been moved to a \"high security prison\" five hours away. Police reportedly questioned them about alleged links to Islamic State and Kurdish militants, charges they deny. Vice News has condemned the charges as \"ridiculous\", and a \"baseless\" attempt by the Turkish authorities to censor their coverage. The group had been filming clashes between police and youths from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which have erupted in recent weeks, the organisation said. Turkey has limited journalists' access to the region. A Foreign Office spokesman said it was \"concerned\" about the arrests, and expected Turkey to uphold EU obligations to protect press freedom. \"Respect for freedom of expression and the right of media to operate without restriction are fundamental in any democratic society,\" he said. As a state part to the European Convention on Human Rights and UN Declaration of Human Rights, \"we would expect the Turkish authorities to uphold the obligations enshrined in those agreements\", he said. Consular officials were in contact with the group, he added. A lawyer for the group told the BBC they had been detained by police in their hotel, and their cameras and computers had been confiscated. They were formally charged by a Turkish court with \"working on behalf of a terrorist organisation\" on Monday. They have denied all charges. They have until next week to lodge an appeal, but their lawyer said he was \"not optimistic\" about securing their release. Kevin Sutcliffe, Vice's head of news programming in Europe, said they had now been transported to a prison facility more than five hours away from where their legal representation was based, and from the court where they are due to appear. \"This move appears to be a blatant obstruction of the fair legal process that Turkey has repeatedly pledged to uphold,\" he said. Vice News said all three men were experienced reporters and had worked extensively abroad. Mr Hanrahan, from Northampton, and Mr Pendlebury, from Wigan, had worked together on numerous stories, including the migrant crisis in Calais, it said. Journalist and translator Mr Rasool, who was born in Iraq and is based in Turkey, has worked extensively in the Middle East with the Associated Press, Anatolia Agency, and Al Jazeera, it said. No further court dates have yet been set.", "summary": "The Foreign Office has said it is \"concerned\" about the arrest of two UK journalists and their fixer in Turkey, accused of helping a terrorist group."}
{"article": "Tom Cairney earlier saw another spot-kick saved by QPR keeper Alex Smithies, before Conor Washington's deflected shot put the visitors ahead. Tim Ream deservedly drilled level straight after half-time for Fulham, who saw Aluko miss several chances. Idrissa Sylla's header restored QPR's lead late on before Aluko's miss after a foul on Jozabed Sanchez Ruiz. The Spanish midfielder also hit the bar with a free-kick for the hosts in stoppage time, as Fulham undeservedly saw their winless run extended to seven matches in all competitions. Chris Martin had stumbled in front of an open QPR goal before the break and Neeskens Kebano also missed a clear headed chance in the second half. Victory for QPR, whose boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is the subject of an internal club investigation after being named in a Daily Telegraph investigation into corruption in football, but denies any wrongdoing, was their first in six Championship games. Their opening goal came against the run of play, after Smithies had kept them level with a superb save from Fulham's first penalty, awarded after Steven Caulker held Ragnar Sigurdsson in the box. But their winner came after their best spell of pressure, Sylla heading in from Tjaronn Chery's fine cross. QPR boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink told BBC Sport: \"It's been a very difficult few days, my lawyers and staff are waiting for the transcripts so we can help with the investigation for the club, we want to resolve it as soon as possible but coming here, preparing the boys, delivering that display, all credit it to them. \"With all the setbacks, it feels like we are fighting everybody. You know what has happened in the last few days, we are fighting the referees with the strange decisions and we are fighting the public. \"That penalty in the last couple of minutes is just ridiculous. The player (Nedum Onuoha) did not even touch (Jozabed), not even close. So at the moment, it feels like I'm fighting everybody. Now we have got the international break I can now concentrate on my family and give my family my love.\" Asked how confident he is that he will clear his name: \"I don't want to say too much. I've said what I needed to say I can't say too much but if you have seen my interview then you know how confident I am.\" Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic: \"It's very frustrating, we couldn't be clinical in the opposite box, we weren't solid in our box. \"It was a strange game. At the end of the game only the result is important. I accept my responsibility as we didn't win any points. \"Our solution is stick together, be organised, disciplined, still more solid in defence because we didn't concentrate that solidly.\" Match ends, Fulham 1, Queens Park Rangers 2. Second Half ends, Fulham 1, Queens Park Rangers 2. Penalty missed! Still Fulham 1, Queens Park Rangers 2. Sone Aluko (Fulham) hits the right post with a left footed shot. Idrissa Sylla (Queens Park Rangers) is shown the yellow card. Penalty Fulham. Jozabed draws a foul", "summary": "Fulham's Sone Aluko hit the post with a last-gasp penalty as QPR held on to win an enthralling west London derby."}
{"article": "Heavy rain in Glasgow has resulted in a waterlogged pitch at Thistle's Firhill Stadium. Not date has yet been set for the rearranged fixture. Thistle, who have won their last four games, also had a top-flight match against Motherwell called off due to rain on 5 December.", "summary": "The Scottish Premiership game between Partick Thistle and St Johnstone has been postponed following a morning pitch inspection."}
{"article": "Harrold has scored nine goals in 68 games for Crawley since signing from Bristol Rovers in June 2014. The 32-year-old acted as player-manager in the Reds' final game of last season following Dermot Drummy's departure. \"I feel like I've got a bit of a point to prove after my injuries and the tough season last year,\" he told the club website.", "summary": "Crawley striker Matt Harrold has signed a new contract to stay with the League Two side until the end of next season."}
{"article": "The 16-year-old slotted in Sone Aluko's backheel after the break and then fired home just before the hour mark. Tom Cairney had put Fulham ahead with a 25-yard strike into the top corner. After Daryl Murphy curled in a consolation for the hosts, Tim Ream missed a chance to make it 4-1 when he sent a stoppage-time penalty wide. Sessegnon appeared to want to take the spot-kick to complete his hat-trick after Paul Dummett brought him down, but USA international Ream took the ball and smashed it past the right post. Fulham have now won five of their last seven league games and are just two points behind sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday with a game in hand. They thoroughly outclassed an out-of-sorts Newcastle side, with skipper Cairney's second fantastic long-range goal in the space of a few days, after his stoppage-time equaliser against Leeds on Tuesday, setting the tone. However, it was left-back Sessegnon, reportedly being scouted by several Premier League clubs, who provided two moments of composure to seal three points for his side with his fifth and sixth goals of the campaign. It was a nightmare afternoon for Rafael Benitez's Magpies, a year to the day since the Spaniard took charge, with their advantage over third-placed Huddersfield now down to six points. But over the past 10 seasons in the Championship, an average of 86 points has been enough to gain automatic promotion, so three more wins could be enough to earn an immediate return to the Premier League. Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez: \"We knew it could be a difficult game, and we knew we had to do well at the beginning and not make mistakes. But we started making mistakes, and we paid for that. \"Fulham are a good team - they passed the ball well and they have pace. We were giving the ball away, and that was giving them the chance to play in the way that they like to play. \"When you have tried and have made mistakes, you have to analyse why. It is not as though the players were not trying in terms of effort. Sometimes, it is just the wrong decision, and that is something we have to improve.\" Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic: \"I believe at the end my team deserved the result. It is a great step for us, everything is open, although some teams have more points than what we have right now. \"I believe Newcastle will be a Premier League team. They play a different style of football - they are physical and a very strong team. \"We are not in a position to think about being a promoted team, but we are going to push hard for the top six. If you have enough strength for this then we have a 25% chance to be a Premier League team next season.\" Match ends, Newcastle United 1, Fulham 3. Second Half ends, Newcastle United 1, Fulham 3. Foul by Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham). Matt Ritchie (Newcastle United) wins a free kick on the right wing. Scott Malone (Fulham) is shown the yellow", "summary": "Teenage full-back Ryan Sessegnon scored twice as play-off chasing Fulham stunned Championship leaders Newcastle with victory at St James' Park."}
{"article": "North of the Sun - Nordfor Sola in Norwegian - is among several documentaries on the Banff Mountain Film Festival's UK and Ireland tour. It has already been shown at Inverness's Eden Court, where the Canadian festival's tour kicked off last month. Winner of the festival's grand prize, people's choice and Dolby Audio awards, North of the Sun follows Inge Wegge, 25, and Jorn Ranum, 22, and their bid to surf through a Norwegian arctic winter. Their surfers' paradise is a beach surrounded by high, steep cliffs on a remote island. They initially managed to keep the location secret from the rest of the world's surfing community, however, since making the film it has been discovered by other Norwegians. Over the winter of 2010-11, they shot footage at the beach for North of the Sun. Before winter set in and the days became almost permanently dark, the pair built a cabin next to a large rock using timber and other materials washed up on the beach. What rubbish they could not put to a new use, they stored away in piles for later uplift by a recycling company. Inge and Jorn's other environmentally-friendly initiatives included using cooking oil to fuel their van carrying their surf boards. They also lived off expired foodstuff that would normally have ended up in the bin. Speaking to the BBC Scotland news website, Inge and Jorn said they were already well used to surfing in cold water before making their film. \"This is just the way it is in Norway,\" said Jorn. \"We have been to other places for surfing but Norway is the favourite place. \"It is not just about the surfing, but the whole experience. Just being out there in the waves, with the steep mountains all around you, the eagles, and the seal popping his head up to say hello.\" Inge added: \"I think the coldest temperatures were between three to four degrees C. \"It's not the temperature in the water that is the worst, but the temperature in the air. Especially if there is wind a couple of degrees below zero - then you really feel the cold.\" The duo had planned on ending their adventure at Christmas but, after a short break with their families returned to the beach to continue surfing. Inge said: \"We never thought about going home, we lived comfortably, surfed and had fun most of the time.\" When not surfing the film shows the men gathering driftwood to keep their stove burning, and also gathering tonnes of rubbish. Fishing gear, such as plastic fish boxes, from Scotland were among items they found. Jorn said: \"There is stuff from all over the world. A lot from Russia, Norway and the UK.\" Since making the film, the pair's \"secret paradise\" has been discovered by other Norwegians. Inge said: \"I think it's secret those watching the film when it is touring and screening out in the world. \"But its not a secret in the area where we stay. People have found the hut, and it has became quite a popular 'attraction'.\"", "summary": "Two surfers have documented a winter they spent riding waves above the Arctic Circle in a film that is being shown in the UK."}
{"article": "The Football Association charge relates to an incident around the 66th minute of the 2-2 draw when City were awarded a penalty. The club \"failed to ensure that its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion\", the FA allege. Middlesbrough have until 18:00 BST on 5 May to respond to the charge. Referee Kevin Friend awarded City a penalty for Marten de Roon's challenge on Leroy Sane. Boro players were furious at the decision, with De Roon and Fabio booked for dissent.", "summary": "Middlesbrough have been charged with failing to control their players in Sunday's Premier League match against Manchester City at the Riverside."}
{"article": "In the last PMQs before the summer break, Mr Corbyn said people were held back by low pay and accused ministers of a \"lack of touch with reality\". Mrs May said she, like the Labour leader, valued public services. \"The difference is on this side of the house we know we have to pay for them,\" she added. Mrs May is seeking to restore order to her party following a series of leaks and negative briefings, with Chancellor Philip Hammond reported to have told a private cabinet meeting public service workers were \"overpaid\". Mr Corbyn asked whether, given the \"squabbling\" inside government, Mr Hammond had been talking about Mrs May's ministers. He urged her to lift the cap on wage rises and cited the case of a nurse living with pay restraint for seven years. \"I look along that front bench opposite and I see a cabinet bickering and backbiting while the economy gets weaker and people are pushed further into debt,\" he added. Mrs May said she recognised the sacrifices made by public servants towards reducing the deficit. She said the Tories had a \"record to be proud of\" and accused Labour of unfunded spending pledges. \"The government doesn't seem to have any problem paying for DUP support,\" Mr Corbyn replied, in a reference to the \u00c2\u00a31bn package that secured the Democratic Unionist Party's backing for the Tories' minority administration. Parliament goes into recess on Thursday and returns on 5 September. Mrs May, under pressure since losing her Commons majority last month, has warned ministers and MPs that any \"backbiting\" between party figures could let Mr Corbyn into Downing Street. During PMQs, Labour MP Ian Murray referred to her as the \"interim prime minister\" when he asked his question. BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said there was now \"something of a backlash\" from MPs towards the \"big beasts\" thought to be manoeuvring themselves behind the scenes to replace her. \"I sense there's a real pushback now to keep her in place at least for the short to medium term,\" he added. A senior backbencher, 1922 Committee vice-chairman Charles Walker, said Mrs May would have MPs' backing if she sacked plotting ministers. And Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon called for military discipline from the cabinet ranks to confront the \"dangerous enemy\" of Mr Corbyn. In an interview with LBC Radio, Mrs May urged ministers to \"accept collective responsibility\". Asked whether there would be any punishment for those who'd leaked private conversations, she said there was \"no such thing as an unsackable minister but at the moment the team is together and we're getting on with the job of delivering what we believe that British public want us to do\".", "summary": "Theresa May has said she recognises the \"sacrifice\" made by public sector workers as Jeremy Corbyn urged her to lift the 1% cap on their wages."}
{"article": "Work is to be carried out on Edinburgh Airport's main runway over the next three weekends between 23:00 and 05:30. Areas affected include Bonnyrigg, Loanhead, Fairmilehead, Colinton, Sighthill, South Gyle, Oxgangs, Kirkliston and Bo'ness. The work will resurface runway areas particularly the touchdown zones. The airport said 16 flights would operate during the renovations, and the main runway would reopen before 06:00 each morning. Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: \"As the airport continues to grow our runway is subjected to heavier loads and more frequent aircraft movements. \"These heavy forces can cause the runway surface to degrade over time. \"The work we're carrying out over the next few weeks will involve resurfacing a number of areas on the runway, particularly at the aircraft touchdown zones. \"As we'll be operating a different take-off and landing route, some areas around Edinburgh may notice a slight increase in the number aircraft operations between the hours of runway maintenance. \"Although this runway maintenance work may cause some minimal inconvenience in the short term, it is essential that we continue to invest in and improve our facilities.\"", "summary": "Residents close to Edinburgh Airport have been warned about increased aircraft noise while the regular flight path is temporarily changed."}
{"article": "The justices voted 5-4 to grant an emergency appeal from the clinics after a federal appeals court had earlier upheld the new Texas law. Clinics have argued that the measures will lead to a second major wave of Texas clinic closures in as many years. The southern US state had 41 abortion clinics in 2012 but only 19 remain. The new restrictions were due to take effect on 1 July. They require abortion clinics to meet hospital-grade standards and for doctors at the clinics to have admitting privileges at a local hospital. Critics say both provisions are designed to shut down abortion providers and will force women to seek abortions at illegal and unlicensed facilities. Monday's ruling means clinics unable to meet the restrictions will remain open at least until the Supreme Court decides whether it will hear the appeal from clinics.", "summary": "Several abortion clinics in Texas will remain open after the US Supreme Court decided to put strict new measures against them on hold."}
{"article": "The France striker opened the scoring against Rostov with a brilliant flick, but Sardar Azmoun equalised - only the fourth time in 19 home Champions League games under Diego Simeone that Atletico have conceded - before Griezmann fired in off the crossbar in injury time. Bayern won 2-1 at PSV, with Poland striker Robert Lewandowski scoring twice and hitting the woodwork three times - taking his tally for club and country this season to 19 goals in 17 games. Paris St-Germain also went through thanks to a 2-1 victory at Basel. Thomas Meunier scored a brilliant late volley for the French champions, who qualified with Arsenal from Group A. A draw would have been sufficient for Unai Emery's PSG side thanks to Arsenal's 3-2 win at Ludogorets. Napoli missed the opportunity to clinch their last-16 place as they drew 1-1 at Besiktas. Ricardo Quaresma gave the Turkish champions a 78th-minute lead before Marek Hamsik curled home a fantastic 25-yard effort four minutes later. Benfica beat Dynamo Kiev 1-0 courtesy of Eduardo Salvio's 45th-minute penalty. Borussia Dortmund will progress if they beat Sporting Lisbon at home. Real Madrid will join them from Group F if they win at Legia Warsaw, providing Dortmund win. Leicester will go through if they beat FC Copenhagen at the King Power Stadium. A draw would be enough for the Foxes if FC Porto do not beat Club Brugge. Victory over Lyon will secure Juventus' place in the last 16, which would mean Sevilla will qualify if they beat Dinamo Zagreb. Match ends, Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid 2, FC Rostov 1. Second Half ends, Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid 2, FC Rostov 1. Attempt missed. Christian Noboa (FC Rostov) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick. Foul by Koke (Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid). Moussa Doumbia (FC Rostov) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Goal! Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid 2, FC Rostov 1. Antoine Griezmann (Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid) left footed shot from very close range to the top right corner. Offside, Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid. Gabi tries a through ball, but Diego God\u00edn is caught offside. Attempt missed. Sime Vrsaljko (Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid) right footed shot from long range on the right misses to the left. Assisted by Koke. Attempt saved. Stefan Savic (Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Koke with a cross. Kevin Gameiro (Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Aleksandru Gatcan (FC Rostov). Foul by \u00c1ngel Correa (Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid). Andrei Prepelita (FC Rostov) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. \u00c1ngel Correa (Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Foul by Gabi (Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid). Christian Noboa (FC Rostov) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Christian Noboa (FC Rostov) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Dmitriy Poloz following a set piece situation. Filipe Luis (Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid) is shown the yellow card for", "summary": "Antoine Griezmann scored a last-second winner as Atletico Madrid qualified for the Champions League last 16 alongside Group D rivals Bayern Munich."}
{"article": "The most extreme arctic blasts, blamed on a weather pattern known as the polar vortex, were said to have affected nearly 190 million people. In Kentucky, an escaped prisoner turned himself in to get out of the cold. Some parts of the Midwest hit -26C (-14F), as low as the Antarctic coast in winter, and much colder than the inside of a domestic freezer. Temperature records were shattered in states across the US, including Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Michigan, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. It was -17C (1F) in the small town of Hell, Michigan, prompting online jokes that the weather was so bad even hell had frozen over. But it was Embarrass, Minnesota, that experienced the lowest temperature in the nation on Tuesday: -37C (-35F). That was colder than readings recently recorded on the Red Planet by the Mars Rover. A video of a meteorologist tossing a pot of boiling water into the air in Wisconsin, to demonstrate how it immediately turns to snow, quickly went viral on the internet and was widely imitated. A woman in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was taken to hospital with severe burns after she slipped on ice while attempting the trick, spilling boiling water on herself, the Argus Leader newspaper reported. The extreme weather resulted in the usual travel chaos - nearly 2,700 US flights were cancelled on Tuesday. More than 500 rail passengers on their way to Chicago were marooned overnight into Tuesday morning in northern Illinois on three Amtrak passenger trains after drifting snow and ice covered the tracks. The big freeze was even testing the resolve of Canadians, no strangers to cold weather. Temperatures in parts of Ontario fell to -30C (-22F), causing flights in and out of Pearson International Airport to be halted for several hours on Tuesday morning. Roads in the cities of Toronto and Ottawa were coated in dangerous black ice. Freezing temperatures were recorded even in usually mild southern states. In northern Florida temperatures briefly dropped below freezing. Atlanta, Georgia, was 25 degrees below average for this time of year. \"I didn't think the South got this cold,\" Marty Williams, a homeless man in the city, told the Associated Press news agency. \"That was the main reason for me to come down from up North, from the cold, to get away from all that stuff.\" People in the Midwest are still digging out from two massive snow storms recently which dumped more than 2ft (61cm) of snow. A reprieve is expected soon, however, with forecasters predicting temperatures above freezing for much of the US in the coming days.", "summary": "Weather records have tumbled across North America, with freezing temperatures even in the southern US."}
{"article": "The big defender, wearing a dressing on a head wound and a shirt with no number, rose high above the Rovers defence to glance home Shane Ferguson's right-wing corner and send 1,200 travelling fans into party mood. Millwall looked to have blown their chance when Billy Bodin made it 3-3 with a superb 30-yard free kick on 74 minutes. An action-packed first half saw the visitors take a fifth-minute lead when Lee Gregory hooked in a close-range volley after a left-wing corner had been headed down. Millwall doubled their advantage 20 minutes later, Steve Morrison heading on another corner for skipper Tony Craig to tap home from only a yard out. Rovers hit back when Jermaine Easter rifled home on 33 minutes after Bodin's deflected shot came back off the inside of a post, but two minutes later the impressive Morrison produced a perfect cross from the right for Gregory to bundle in his second. A right-footed rocket from Chris Lines after more good work from Bodin brought Rovers back to within a goal of the visitors on 42 minutes before the late drama. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Bristol Rovers 3, Millwall 4. Second Half ends, Bristol Rovers 3, Millwall 4. Attempt missed. Steve Morison (Millwall) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Steve Morison (Millwall) is shown the yellow card. Foul by Steve Morison (Millwall). Byron Moore (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt blocked. Chris Lines (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt blocked. Stuart Sinclair (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Fred Onyedinma (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Stuart Sinclair (Bristol Rovers). Foul by Shaun Williams (Millwall). Byron Moore (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Steve Morison (Millwall). Daniel Leadbitter (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing. Aiden O'Brien (Millwall) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Byron Moore (Bristol Rovers). Substitution, Millwall. Jake Cooper replaces Shane Ferguson. Chris Lines (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Aiden O'Brien (Millwall). Attempt saved. Steve Morison (Millwall) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the bottom left corner. Substitution, Bristol Rovers. Ryan Broom replaces Ellis Harrison. Goal! Bristol Rovers 3, Millwall 4. Shaun Hutchinson (Millwall) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Lee Brown. Hand ball by Shaun Williams (Millwall). Substitution, Bristol Rovers. Luke James replaces Jermaine Easter. Attempt saved. Shaun Cummings (Millwall) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Attempt saved. Jermaine Easter (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Foul by Jermaine Easter (Bristol Rovers). Shaun Williams (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Goal! Bristol Rovers 3, Millwall 3. Billy Bodin (Bristol Rovers) from", "summary": "Shaun Hutchinson headed an 85th-minute winner as Millwall grabbed the final play-off place in League One with a thrilling win at Bristol Rovers."}
{"article": "Tobefair, a seven-year-old gelding, has won his last seven races. He was gifted as a colt to Michael Cole three years ago, in return for looking after two fillies on his farm. Unable to afford the training costs on his own, he decided to offer 50% of the ownership to people he knew through his local pub, the Cresselly Arms at Cresswell Quay. The syndicate grew to 17 members but none except Mr Cole had owned a racehorse before. They said they were amazed when Tobefair started winning races and never dreamed he would make it to Cheltenham. The festival runs from Tuesday to Friday and culminates in the showpiece contest, the Gold Cup. Mr Cole said: \"There's a lot of these big people now, they've got 40, 50, 60 horses, and it doesn't mean anything. But it means something to us.\" Syndicate member Andy Pannell described the experience as \"total exhilaration\", adding: \"We were stood on the steps at Newbury and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. My heart was pounding, thumping.\" This is also a first appearance at the Cheltenham Festival for Tobefair's trainers Debra and Paul Hamer's, whose yard is at Nantycaws near Carmarthen. At least two bus loads of supporters will be travelling from the Cresselly Arms to Cheltenham for Tobefair's race, the Pertemps Final Handicap Hurdle, on Thursday. But syndicate member Jennifer Cole said they have only one real wish: \"Win or lose, just get him round the track and bring the boy home.\"", "summary": "A racehorse owned by a syndicate from Pembrokeshire is a favourite to win at this year's Cheltenham Festival."}
{"article": "The corruption allegations came in a video by opposition campaigner Alexei Navalny, viewed by millions on YouTube. Mr Medvedev's properties include a vineyard in Italy, a mountain villa, and two luxury yachts, it is alleged. \"They pick up any old tosh, nonsense, about me or my acquaintances, and people I've never heard of,\" he said. It is the first time he has commented on the claims published by Mr Navalny's anti-corruption network on 2 March. Mr Navalny said the prime minister profited from a complex business network which concealed \"bribes\" by using offshore schemes and charity foundations. The claims stirred up mass protests which saw thousands of Russians march against the government in several cities on 26 March. Hundreds of demonstrators were detained, many of them young supporters of Mr Navalny. The following day a court jailed Mr Navalny for 15 days for disobeying a police officer. Mr Medvedev said the \"provocative\" video was \"expensively produced - financed by private sponsors\" and \"aimed at achieving a specific political result\". \"They lure young people via social media, and those youths come out with certain slogans, unfortunately in violation of the law. In essence, they expose them to the machinery of law enforcement, and those youths suffer as a result.\" He was speaking to workers at a bacon factory in the Tambov region, south of Moscow. Mr Navalny - a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin and his Kremlin associates - plans to run for the Russian presidency next year. Mr Medvedev said he had \"strong nerves\" which protected him from such attacks. \"If I reacted each time to such attacks I simply wouldn't manage to get on with my job as normal.\"", "summary": "Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has dismissed as \"nonsense\" allegations that he has secretly accumulated a vast fortune including country estates."}
{"article": "The deal with GlaxoSmithKline will enable the vaccine to be rolled out \"this year\", easing one of the \"biggest worries\" for parents, he said. It follows a long-running stand-off over its cost. Advisers recommended last year that all UK children over two months old should be given the vaccine on the NHS. Campaigners have warned the Department of Health that delays are putting children's lives at risk. Scotland's health secretary, Shona Robison, said the vaccine would be introduced to the immunisation programme for all infants in Scotland \"as quickly as possible\" following the deal - which was also made on behalf of the devolved government. Mr Hunt said he was \"delighted\" to have secured an agreement with GSK - the company that now manufactures the vaccine. It follows lengthy negotiations with another supplier - Novartis - which used to own the vaccine, called Bexsero. GSK acquired the vaccine from Novartis, which resulted in the price of the vaccine being reduced and the deal being struck, Mr Hunt said. Announcing the agreement, he said: \"I think that this is something families across the country - particularly ones with young children - will particularly welcome.\" The vaccine has been available privately in the UK - but the deal could mean the jab is offered as part of a routine childhood vaccination programme. It comes after charities called for urgent action from the prime minister and Mr Hunt to conclude negotiations with manufacturers. Meningitis is a bacterial infection that usually affects children under the age of one. There are about 1,870 cases of meningitis B each year in the UK. Symptoms include a high fever with cold hands and feet, confusion, vomiting and headaches. Most children will make a full recovery with early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment. It is fatal in one in 10 cases. About one in four of those who survive is left with long-term problems, such as amputation, deafness, epilepsy and learning difficulties. Q&A: Meningitis B vaccine", "summary": "An agreement has been reached with the drug manufacturer GSK to provide a meningitis B vaccine for all UK babies, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said."}
{"article": "This includes as many as 40 military advisers who will train soldiers in Mali, and 200 British soldiers to be sent to neighbouring African countries, also to help train the Malian army. French-led forces are continuing their offensive against Islamist militants who seized northern Mali last year. International donors have pledged $455.53m (\u00a3289m) to tackle militants. The 330 military personnel comprise 200 soldiers going to West African nations, 40 military advisers to Mali, and 90 support crew for a C-17 transport aircraft and a Sentinel R1 surveillance plane. None will have a combat role. A conference taking place in Brussels is expected to decide which countries will contribute troops for an EU military training mission for Mali and discuss details of the mission. Meanwhile, French-led troops are consolidating their position in the historic Malian city of Timbuktu after seizing it from Islamist extremists. They are then expected to focus on the last rebel stronghold, Kidal. They seized Gao, northern Mali's biggest city, on Saturday. In a separate development, Downing Street said UK Prime Minister David Cameron was to visit neighbouring Algeria on Wednesday. The trip comes in the wake of a hostage crisis that left four Britons and a UK resident dead and two Britons believed dead. During the siege, one statement purporting to be from the hostage-takers called for an end to the French military intervention against Islamist militants in Mali. Detailing in the House of Commons the \"extended support\" the UK will offer France, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said it would: The UK also offered to set up a combined joint logistics HQ in Mali. However, so far the French have declined this offer. UK shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said there were concerns about \"mission creep\". \"The UK commitment to Mali has grown from lending the French two transport aircraft to the deployment of perhaps hundreds of troops to the region,\" he said. \"UK trainers may be non-combat but that does not mean they are without risk.\" But Mr Hammond stressed: \"It is not our intention to deploy combat troops. We are very clear about the risks of mission creep. By Jonathan BealeDefence correspondent, BBC News So does this move by the UK signal a new era of defence co-operation - the fruit of the defence treaty signed by Mr Cameron and the then French President Nicholas Sarkozy at Lancaster House just a few years ago? Well, yes and no. British and French forces have already carried out a number of joint military exercises. They've also worked together in battle - most recently joining forces in the overthrow of Libya's Colonel Gaddafi. But Libya was fought under the Nato umbrella. And Mali is clearly being led by the French. It's not a truly joint operation, or a sign that in the future Britain will always intervene with the French, or vice versa. It's more an old fashioned \"coalition of the willing\", based on the shared threat posed by Islamic radicals. Ultimately British and French commanders are not sitting down together in a joint operations room calling the shots. And", "summary": "The UK is to deploy about 330 military personnel to Mali and West Africa to support French forces, No 10 has said."}
{"article": "Cryne joined Barnsley's board in 2003 as part of a consortium led by ex-Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale. Ridsdale left the Championship club in December 2004, leaving Cryne and former chairman Gordon Shepherd in control. In August, Cryne told the Barnsley Chronicle that he would welcome takeover offers from fans' groups.", "summary": "Barnsley owner Patrick Cryne will not be involved in the club \"for the foreseeable future\" while he receives cancer treatment."}
{"article": "Mr Capriles has been at the forefront of efforts calling for a recall referendum on President Nicolas Maduro. There was no immediate comment from the government. The ban comes after a week of several large opposition-led protests in the capital Caracas. They accuse the government of stifling dissent. On Thursday a man was shot dead during the demonstrations. Over the last few days, authorities have accused Mr Capriles of inciting violence and bloodshed by leading protests against the unpopular president. The protesters were demonstrating against a decision by the Venezuelan Supreme Court to assume control of the opposition-led congress. Although the court's decision was quickly overturned, the street protests continued. Mr Capriles, who is a former presidential candidate and the governor of the state of Miranda wrote on social media: \"URGENT: I inform the country and international public opinion that I am being notified at this very moment of a BAN for 15 years.\" He accused the government of running a smear campaign against him. Venezuela: What's behind the turmoil? The most expensive Nutella in the world Leopoldo Lopez loses appeal In 2015 another prominent opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez was sentenced to nearly 14 years in prison on charges of inciting violence during anti-government protests in 2014. Mr Lopez was himself barred from office in 2008 when he was the popular mayor of a Caracas district. The Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, narrowly defeated Mr Capriles in the 2013 elections, a result that sparked controversy and debate as the opposition claimed electoral fraud. Mr Maduro's government have said that a US-backed business elite is responsible for Venezuela's economic downturn and that it was trying to organise a coup to impose right wing rule.", "summary": "A leading Venezuelan opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, says he has been formally banned for 15 years from political activity."}
{"article": "Investors shrugged off data that showed core consumer prices fell 0.1% in August from a year ago - the first annual drop since April 2013. The decline in prices, which includes oil products but not fresh food, had been expected by economists. Japan's benchmark Nikkei index ended up 1.8% at 17,880.51. Shares in Sharp fell as much as 10% after the Nikkei business daily said it was likely to report a half-year loss of 30bn yen ($250m; \u00c2\u00a3163m) as a result of weak sales of LCD panels for smartphones. On the currency markets, the US dollar rose in Asian trade after the head of US Federal Reserve Janet Yellen said the central bank was still on track to raise interest rates later this year. The dollar was up to 120.32 yen from around 120.00 yen before her speech. In China, investors continued to digest the mixed news coming out of the economy this week. A preliminary reading of China's factory activity fell to the weakest level since 2009, but home prices rose for the fourth month, indicating growth. The Shanghai Composite closed down 1.6% at 3,092.35, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.4% to 21,186.32. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index closed down 0.6% at 5,042.10. South Korean shares fell despite a central bank survey showing consumer sentiment had hit a four-month high in September. The benchmark Kospi finished down 0.2% at 1,942.85.", "summary": "Japanese shares finished higher on Friday, recovering some of the losses in the previous session when the market lost nearly 3%."}
{"article": "Warnings are being displayed at bus stops, Tube stations and roadsides in the capital because of \"high pollution levels\". Mr Khan said the warnings would help Londoners take \"appropriate measures to protect themselves\". Under previous mayor, Boris Johnson, air pollution alerts were available through a subscription text service. Anyone experiencing discomfort is advised to consider reducing their activity, particularly outdoors. \"This is particularly crucial for Londoners who are vulnerable, such as asthma sufferers,\" Mr Kahn added. According to official statistics from the Mayor of London, 9,400 people die from air pollution in London each year. The alerts are being displayed at 2,500 bus stops and river piers, the entrances of all 270 Tube stations and on 140 signs next to the busiest main roads into London with instructions to switch engines off when stationary to reduce emissions. The mayor has proposed a series of measures to tackle the problem, including introducing charges for the most polluting vehicles in the Congestion Charge Zone. King's College London's air quality network describes air pollution in London as \"high\" due to an area of high pressure over the UK resulting in calm, settled and cold conditions and poor dispersal of local pollutants. Dr David Green of King's College London said: \"Letting people know about the problem is very important. \"The more information, the more action people can take to protect themselves and the more well known the problem the less likely people are to buy that diesel car in the future.\"", "summary": "Air quality alerts have been issued across the capital by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan for the first time."}
{"article": "Both teams struggled to find continuity in a game that was punctuated with errors. And whilst always down on the scoreboard, Scotland were in with a chance of winning the game going into the last 10 minutes, which cannot always be said of the fixture. There were a few technical areas that Scotland came second best in and these are the areas I feel had a strong bearing on the game. The aerial battle was lost, which correlates to the possession (Scotland 46%, England 54%) and territory (44%, 56%) statistics. England probably won about 70% of all contestable kicks and it was interesting to see the difference in the techniques from the English. They appeared to try and catch incoming kicks but when it came to their own chase on kicks, they opted to bat them back with single arms to 'crumbers' picking up the rebounds. It makes sense as not many receivers will attempt a two-handed catch above their heads and a higher single arm can deflect the ball back. There were a few sloppy handling errors from the Scots, and that's not just catching and passing, it encompasses ball placement in attack too. There were numerous examples of attacks in scoring areas breaking down as a result of balls spilling out of a ruck or tackle. It was interesting speaking after the match to a former Scotland great, Jim Renwick, about backline attack and the difference that the quality of passing makes in the ability to convert opportunities into points. The difference between outside backs taking the ball in their hip as opposed to in front of them, may seem minor in the grand scheme of things but it can have significant impact. The English looked a touch more accurate and slick with their overall distribution. Scotland's attacking game will be much improved next week as familiarity grows. The reading of fly-half Finn Russell is key as he takes the ball to the line, holds the defence and looks for runners to pierce gaps. I felt his support players stood off a bit, allowing the English defence time to react and make their tackles. I think there were also times when Scotland were looking for the perfect attacking shape before playing the ball. When the ball is slow anyway I can understand slowing the ball down more to set attacking structure but otherwise I believe in just playing and keeping the tempo up, even if the scrum-half is not at the breakdown. If the attack are not set, you can bet that the defence are even less so. Matt Taylor, Scotland's defence coach, will be frustrated as this was very close to an excellent defensive display in terms of shape and intensity and there were very few system errors. The George Kruis try was a simple missed tackle and the Jack Nowell try was the result of a slick wrap-around play, favoured by Eddie Jones throughout his coaching career. It could have been defended better but sometimes you have to put your hand up and say that an attacking play", "summary": "It was the first round of the Six Nations and, reflecting back on Scotland's defeat by England, that fact was apparent throughout."}
{"article": "For some of the division's most celebrated stars, it was also time to say goodbye. For some it was a fairytale farewell; for others, a nightmare ending. Some will be remembered as club legends; others bow out unwanted. Here, BBC Sport looks at five farewells that defined the final day - and five more stars who could be on the move over the summer. Who he's leaving: Manchester City. Where he's going: New York City FC (Major League Soccer). His final match: Lampard couldn't have scripted his 609th and last Premier League appearance any better. The midfielder signed off in style with a typical goal, rifling home James Milner's cut-back from ten yards out to help Manchester City beat Southampton 2-0. What he said: \"I couldn't have wished for anything else. I'm proud of all of it. I'm a lucky boy, to come to a big club like this for a season, I've made a lot of friends. For a young boy with a dream to play in the Premier League, to go to my hometown club West Ham and then go to Chelsea and win everything, it doesn't get better.\" What they said: \"I think he deserves the farewell all our fans gave him in the stadium. It was very important also for him to score. I think it was the perfect afternoon and perfect goodbye for him. He deserves it for his brilliant career and being a great person\" - Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini. Who he's leaving: Liverpool. Where he's going: LA Galaxy (Major League Soccer). His final match: Gerrard's Premier League swansong could not have been more different from that of his former Premier League team-mate Lampard. The Liverpool legend endured a nightmare send-off as his side were hammered 6-1 by Stoke - although he did at least get on the scoresheet. What they said: \"I am sure Steven wasn't anticipating the manner of that being his last performance, but credit to him, he was trying to drive his team on. It is only right and proper we recognise the impact he has had in English football and at his club as well. I wish him well, he has been a credit to his country and his club as well\" - Stoke manager Mark Hughes. Who he's leaving: Chelsea. Where he's going: As yet unknown. His final match: Drogba was taken off injured in the first half and was carried from the pitch by his team-mates. Chelsea went on to record a 3-1 win over Sunderland. What he said: \"I want to play for at least one more season and in order to play more football I feel I need to go to another club. All the fans know my love for Chelsea and I hope to be back here in the future in another role.\" What they said: \"For these players to know him, to train with him, to play with him, to live with him, to share with him I think is fantastic. He was very, very good for these young people, people like Hazard, Willian,", "summary": "It wasn't just Hull City and fellow relegation-sufferers Burnley and QPR who bade farewell to the Premier League on the final day of the season."}
{"article": "The YouTuber, who has more than six million followers, is taking a break from her online world \"for a few days\" because she says it is \"clouding up\" her brain. The news comes the same week that she admitted she had \"help\" from her publisher in writing her debut novel, Girl Online. Zoella \"worked with an expert editorial team\" said a spokesperson from Penguin. It also said it was part of a publisher's role to \"help\" new talent. Zoella's boyfriend, Alfie Deyes, has also said he is quitting the internet and thanked fans for their \"understanding\". He said the pair plan \"to have some time to ourselves\" during their break. Earlier this year Alfie, who runs Pointless Blog, released his own book. YouTubers celebrate \"vlogmas\" in the run-up to Christmas, where the stars post videos every day during Advent. Because of their break, it seems Alfie and Zoella won't complete the series of videos. In a post previously shared on Twitter, Zoella said of the revelations about her novel: \"Of course I was going to have help from Penguin's editorial team in telling my story. \"The story and characters of Girl Online are all mine.\" Another writer, Siobhan Curham, who is thanked in the book's acknowledgements, has been responding to Twitter comments about the Girl Online revelations. Zoella, whose real name is Zoe Sugg, is also thought to have recognised the author's contribution during promotion for the book. Ms Curham has yet to respond to Newsbeat's request for a comment. A spokesperson for Penguin said: \"As publishers our role is, and always has been, to find the very best talent and help them tell their story and connect them with readers. \"Talented You Tube entrepreneurs such as Zoe are brilliant at understanding and entertaining their audience. \"For her first novel, Girl Online, Zoe has worked with an expert editorial team to help her bring to life her characters and experiences in a heart-warming and compelling story.\" Penguin added: \"We are proud to be have been able to help Zoe tell her story and that the book is proving so successful in getting young people reading.\" Many of Zoella's fans sent positive messages to the YouTube star after her announcement, saying that they still \"loved\" the book. More than 78,000 copies of Girl Online were sold in its first week of publication. After the figures were released, Zoella, whose real name is Zoe Sugg, tweeted: \"I'm legit blown away by this. I never in a million years thought that so many of you would pick up a copy of Girl Online. Almost want to cry.\" The record is the highest since Nielsen BookScan began collecting information on the book market in 1998, according to The Bookseller. It is the first of a two-book deal Zoella has with Penguin. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Zoella has temporarily quit the internet."}
{"article": "Alun and Mary Williams from Cwm Pennant got into difficulty after taking out a short-term loan with a farm finance company called UK Acorn Finance (UKAF). UKAF won a court judgment last July to repossess the farm. On Thursday, Mrs Williams lost an application for the right to appeal against that ruling. The family took out a \u00a31.2m loan in 2011 which, they say, rose to \u00a33.1m. In the hearing last July, His Honour Judge Milwyn Jarman found that Mrs Williams had received independent advice which was required by UKAF before signing any documents. Mr and Mrs Williams' sons are the fifth generation of the family to farm at Rhwngddwyafon, a 600 acre (242 hectare) sheep and beef farm in the heart of Snowdonia.", "summary": "A Gwynedd farming family are to lose their home after getting into debts of over \u00a33m."}
{"article": "The data show subsidence of up to 23cm (9in) as a roughly 20km-long fault ruptured in the Apennine mountains in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Scientists will use the information to better understand what caused the magnitude-6.2 event and to make hazard assessments for the future. Almost 300 people are now known to have died in the big tremor. The worst affected town was Amatrice, but the settlements of Arquata, Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto were also badly hit. The specialised picture displayed at the top of this page is what is known as an Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) map. It is made by combining observations of the ground acquired by orbiting satellites \"before\" and \"after\" a quake. The coloured bands, or fringes, represent movement towards or away from the spacecraft. In this case, each fringe is a step of 2.8cm. \u201cThe InSAR data show that the earthquake has warped the Earth's surface by a maximum of 23cm, causing subsidence in a 25km-long elongate region roughly between the towns of Norcia and Amatrice,\u201d explained Dr Richard Walters from Durham University, UK, who built the map. \u201cThe fault that ruptured was around 20km long. The average slip at depth on the fault was about half a metre, but is concentrated in two major patches, which probably means two separate fault segments ruptured together. \u201cMost slip took place at depth, with only a small amount reaching the surface.\u201d Dr Walters is affiliated to Britain\u2019s NERC Centre for Observation and Modelling of Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Tectonics (COMET). To make the map, he used radar data from the European Union\u2019s Sentinel-1a and 1b satellites. These spacecraft circle the globe, routinely imaging all land surfaces at least once every six days. Their rapid return to any one location means they were in a position to view central Italy as soon as Friday after the quake, and then again on Saturday. Dr Walters\u2019 point about most of the slip being at depth illustrates the usefulness of InSAR. Not all ruptures will show an obvious surface expression, such as a buckled road or a newly opened fissure in the ground. But the InSAR data, in revealing the scale of warping, still permits scientists to trace the fault involved even if some of its sections are somewhat hidden. This was true of 2009\u2019s damaging quake in L\u2019Aquila, to the south of Amatrice, which killed 309 people. Surface breaks were small and geologists initially had some difficulty in identifying the fault responsible for the magnitude-6.3 event. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos", "summary": "Europe\u2019s Sentinel radar satellites have mapped the ground movement in the Italian earthquake."}
{"article": "Eighty-five per cent of all births in Brazilian private hospitals are caesareans and in public hospitals the figure is 45%. The new rules oblige doctors to inform women about the risks and ask them to sign a consent form before performing a caesarean. Doctors will also have to justify why a caesarean was necessary. They will have to fill in a complete record of how the labour and birth developed and explain their actions. Each pregnant woman will now be assigned medical notes which record the history of her pregnancy, which she can take with her if she changes doctors. The new rules are designed to reduce unnecessary surgical procedures, and ensure pregnant women are aware of the risks associated with caesareans. However, experts say that a scarcity of maternity beds and wards equipped to deal with natural births means that for many women in Brazil, caesarean birth is seen as the best option. \"The best way to guarantee yourself a bed in a good hospital is to book a caesarean,\" Pedro Octavio de Britto Pereira, an obstetrician and professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, said in an interview with BBC Brasil last year. Women who want to give birth naturally in a private hospital have reported finding all the beds are reserved for scheduled deliveries. There have been numerous reports of women going into labour without a caesarean scheduled and being forced to travel from hospital to hospital in search of a bed. Researchers say many women also see caesareans as more civilised and modern, and natural birth as primitive, ugly and inconvenient. In Brazil's body-conscious culture, where there is little information given about childbirth, there is also huge concern that natural birth can make women sexually unattractive. Many doctors prefer caesareans too, as they can plan the time of a birth, and feel more protected from litigation. Gynaecologist Renato Sa told BBC Brasil: \"Doctors are responsible for what happens and in a situation of risk they chose a caesarean, because if there is a death or complication they will be asked why they didn't do this. Doctors are afraid of natural childbirth.\"", "summary": "New rules have come into force in Brazil aimed at reducing the country's high number of caesarean births."}
{"article": "Josie James, from Clwt y Bont near Caernarfon, had been discharged from a mental health unit despite having \"murderous thoughts towards herself\". An inquest heard her parents had not been given clear advice or an emergency phone number. A narrative conclusion was recorded. Miss James died in August 2015. The inquest heard on the day of her death she had told a friend she was going to jump off the bridge. The alarm was raised immediately but she had already gone over the side. Pathologist Dr Mark Lord said she died from a ruptured major artery due to a fall from a height and said she would have died on impact. Miss James' mother, Joy James said: \"As a family we have no interest in pointing the finger at any individual. We just want lessons to be learned.\" In a statement, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said: \"We acknowledge that there was no effective communication with her family. \"We are working hard to improve the way we work with families, which includes ensuring they are supplied with treatment plans and additional information and advice to support the ongoing care of our service users.\" It added families of patients can access its intensive community treatment team, and they are asked how they wish to be communicated with when patients are admitted. A user group has also been set up, which the health board said helps it \"listen and learn about how to make significant, meaningful improvements\" in the care it provides. Recording a narrative conclusion, assistant coroner Nicola Jones explained that she was going to move away from a suicide conclusion because it was not clear what Miss James' state of mind was at the time.", "summary": "A health board has acknowledged there was \"no effective communication\" with the family of a 15-year-old girl who fell to her death from the Menai suspension bridge."}
{"article": "It said the step was \"inflammatory and inappropriate\". Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour made the offer after a wave of protests against the film across Pakistan and the wider Muslim world. Dozens have died in clashes between police and protesters in Pakistan and countries such as Tunisia and Sudan. Sunday saw a fresh round of protests over the film in Pakistan, Nigeria, Greece and Turkey. Most passed off peacefully, but in the Greek capital Athens, riot police and demonstrators clashed. Six people were arrested. A state department official told the BBC: \"The president and secretary of state have both said the video at the core of this is offensive, disgusting, and reprehensible - but that is no justification for violence, and it is important for responsible leaders to stand up and speak out against violence. \"Therefore we find Mr Bilour's announcement is inflammatory and inappropriate. We note that the prime minister's office has dissociated itself from his comments.\" The exact origins of Innocence of Muslims, the low-budget film that has prompted the unrest, are unclear. The alleged producer of the trailer of the film, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, is in hiding. Anti-US sentiment grew after a trailer for the film dubbed into Arabic was released on YouTube earlier this month. US citizens have been urged not to travel to Pakistan, and the US embassy has paid for adverts on Pakistani TV showing President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemning the film. Although US targets have borne the brunt of protests against the film, anti-Western sentiment has been stoked further by caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad published this week in the satirical French magazine, Charlie Hebdo. France shut embassies and other missions in about 20 countries across the Muslim world on Friday. An 18-year-old man who threatened the magazine's editors on Facebook has been charged with terrorism-related activity following his arrest in the southern French city of Toulon, a judicial source told AFP news agency on Sunday.", "summary": "The US state department has condemned a Pakistani minister's offer of $100,000 (\u00c2\u00a361,600) for the death of the American maker of an anti-Islam film."}
{"article": "In the last week, 94.8% of patients were seen within four hours compared to 95.6% the week before. The target is 95%. The figures cover all centres - major A&Es, smaller minor injury units and urgent care centres. Waiting times are worst in the major units where only 92.2% were seen within four hours. The figures show two thirds of the 144 trusts with major units are missing the target. It is the first time since April the target has been missed overall - although the major units have been below the 95% mark since July. It is not unusual for performance to drop in December. For the last three years individual weekly figures have fallen below 95% before Christmas. Last winter the NHS was consistently below the 95% figure overall from January to April. Hospitals are given a 5% leeway to allow doctors to prioritise the sickest patients. By Nick TriggleHealth correspondent This was always going to happen. Every winter the NHS will miss the A&E waiting time target from time to time. What is important is where the NHS goes from here. The government has thrown extra money at the system - about \u00c2\u00a3400m in total - to try to stop a repeat of last year when the waiting time target was consistently missed after Christmas. There are a number of factors that are out of everyone's hands, including the weather. But there is a worrying picture developing. The number of patients that come to A&E and then are admitted into hospital - ie the most serious cases - are high. What is more, hospitals are finding it difficult to discharge its frailest patients. These people often need support once they leave and the numbers show there are increasing delays in arranging that. The extra money was meant to ease these two problems in particular, but there is little to suggest that has happened. The worry now is that hospitals get clogged up and pressures continue to build. NHS England chief operating officer Dame Barbara Hakin said it was \"disappointing\" performance had dropped, but said last week was the busiest so far this winter with more than 415,000 people attending A&E, while the numbers that needing admitting to hospital for further treatment - emergency admissions - hit its highest level since 2010. She added: \"We know the A&E standard is ambitious and that is only right. This is the first week since April the 95% standard has not been met, however we do know that sometimes this will happen. \"Every year we see a dip in the figures for December, with week on week variations which is why we fully assess how local systems are coping with winter pressures over a longer period. \"We knew this winter would be difficult but it is important to stress the NHS continues to deliver a good service. This is thanks to the hard work and dedication of our frontline staff.\" The drop in performance comes despite the government giving the NHS extra money to cope with winter - \u00c2\u00a3250m was announced in the", "summary": "The NHS in England has missed its four-hour A&E waiting time for the first time this winter, figures show."}
{"article": "On Monday the number of cars on the road in Paris will be cut in half - only motorists with odd-numbered plates will be allowed to drive. Public transportation will be free as well car-sharing and bike-sharing programmes. Similar measures were put in place last year when pollution soared in Paris. The city saw a severe spike in smog on Wednesday last week and briefly had the world's dirtiest air, AP news agency reported quoting Plume Labs, a monitoring company. The mayor's office announced at the weekend that alternating number plate measures would be implemented on Monday, with exceptions for electric or hybrid vehicles as well as emergency vehicles. Public transport is free on Monday in Paris and surrounding towns to try to entice drivers to leave their cars at home. About 750 police officers were being mobilised in the city and its suburbs to enforce the traffic restrictions which went into effect at 05:30 local time (04:30 GMT), Le Monde newspaper reported. Other cities are also imposing various restrictions.", "summary": "The French authorities have introduced measures to combat a sharp increase in pollution affecting Paris and other cities in northern France."}
{"article": "The song sold more than 172,000 copies, about 87,000 more than Ronson's Uptown Funk, featuring Bruno Mars. It is Goulding's second number one, after Burn in 2013. Love Me Like You Do is the fastest-selling single of the year so far. Ronson's Uptown Funk has spent nine weeks in the chart in total, seven of them in the number one slot. Rounding off the top five singles, was Hozier's Take Me To Church; Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney's FourFive Seconds, and Meghan Trainor's Lips Are Movin.", "summary": "Ellie Goulding's song Love Me Like You Do has gone straight to number one in the UK singles chart, ending Mark Ronson's reign at the top."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The League Two hosts dominated their Championship opponents in the first half, taking the lead through Uche Ikpeazu's low turn and shot. But a different Leeds came out after the break, equalising when Stuart Dallas nodded in Alex Mowatt's cross. Mowatt then turned goalscorer when he flicked in from a corner to set up a tie at AFC Wimbledon or Sutton United. The U's nearly equalised late on when Piero Mingoia's shot was spilled by Marco Silvestri but Ben Williamson could not turn the ball home under pressure. In front of a sell-out crowd, two sides going for promotion in their respective leagues provided an entertaining contest, despite the 38 places separating the teams. Ikpeazu had an earlier chance to score in the game but had an effort saved, before Luke Berry's free-kick deflected back to him, he turned two defenders and struck low in off the post. Leeds twice forced Will Norris into fine saves in the first period from Mowatt and Liam Cooper. But Garry Monk's side, in the Championship play-off places and having made eight changes for the match, showed fight in the second half and equalised when Dallas knocked Mowatt's cross back across the face of goal. Mowatt then completed the turnaround when he flicked on Pontus Jansson's header from a corner into the roof of the net. Media playback is not supported on this device Cambridge, managed by former Leeds midfielder Shaun Derry, had chances to force a replay, but substitute Williamson could not turn home and Ikpeazu headed a corner wide. Cambridge United manager Shaun Derry: \"We want more of this. We want to be on a different stage. \"We are in League Two and it's a tough, tough level and we can make a real claim for the top seven now.\" Leeds boss Garry Monk: \"Cambridge made it very tough for us as we knew they would. They were excellent in that first half, they put pressure on us and were a handful. \"We were able to move the game up the pitch in the second half and got the goals at good times. \"I trust all my players - there's no point in having a squad if you are not going to use them and it will stand them in good stead. \"I love the FA Cup, I've grown up with it and it means a lot to me. All I know is that we use our squad, we respected it and you could see that from how committed we were.\" Steve Claridge, BBC Radio 5 live co-commentator and former Cambridge United striker: \"Lots of things that have gone on at Leeds have left a slightly bitter taste. But what they done is given the manager a chance and backed him financially. You get the feeling Garry Monk, with what he has had to put up with, just lets it wash over him. He comes across as a focused person. \"Leeds have the capabilities of being a top six or seven team in the country. They", "summary": "Leeds United came from behind to defeat stubborn Cambridge United in a hotly contested FA Cup third-round tie."}
{"article": "Health Minister Recep Akdag was quoted by the Anadolu news agency as saying traces of one of the decomposition products of Sarin had been detected in the blood and urine of several victims. At least 89 people were killed in the incident in rebel-held Khan Sheikhoun. Syria's government has repeatedly denied using any chemical weapons. The US has rejected the assertion, however, and on Friday it carried out a missile strike on the Shayrat airbase, where it said a Syrian Air Force jet that attacked Khan Sheikhoun with chemical weapons took off. President Bashar al-Assad's ally Russia, which says the Syrian jet had in fact hit a rebel depot full of chemical munitions, denounced the \"illegal action\" by the US. A number of casualties were treated at hospitals in Turkey, which opposes Mr Assad, following last Tuesday's incident in neighbouring Idlib province. The World Health Organization said their apparent lack of external injuries and similar symptoms, including acute respiratory distress, suggested they had been exposed to organophosphorus chemicals, a category that includes nerve agents. On Tuesday, Mr Akdag announced that a chemical known as isopropyl methyphosphonic acid (IMPA) had been \"identified in the blood and urine tests conducted on samples taken from the victims\". Once exposed to air and water, Sarin breaks down into IMPA and methylphosphonic acid (MPA). The UN concluded that rockets filled with sarin were fired at several rebel-held suburbs of Damascus in August 2013 after finding traces of IMPA in samples taken from the scene of the attack, which the US blamed on Syria's government. Earlier on Thursday, Russia's president urged the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to open a full investigation into last week's incident. Vladimir Putin also claimed rebels were planning \"acts of provocation\" using chemical weapons to encourage further US strikes on government forces. A Russian military spokesman said that the Syrian government was prepared to allow OPCW experts to visit the Shayrat airbase to search for chemical weapons.", "summary": "Turkey says it has \"concrete evidence\" the nerve agent Sarin was used in a suspected attack by Syrian government forces a week ago, state media report."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device \"While the news is devastating, I have much to be thankful for - I thank God that I am alive,\" he said when Bolton's club doctor, Jonathan Tobin, said after Muamba's cardiac arrest during Bolton's FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham that the player had, in effect, been dead for 78 minutes. He received 15 shocks from a defibrillator as medics struggled to restart his heart. His fight for life inspired tributes from British football and around the world. In Madrid, Real players were photographed before the match against Malaga in specially produced shirts carrying slogans wishing him a speedy recovery. In Italy, Juventus playmaker Andrea Pirlo dedicated a win over Fiorentina to Muamba. His case has been credited with raising awareness of heart problems in young people, with hospitals reporting a surge in requests for screenings after Muamba's collapse. Although forced to call time on the career he loved, Muamba's life before he came to Britain arguably leaves him better prepared than most for handling adversity. He was born in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, in 1988. When civil war broke out in 1996, Muamba's father Marcel, a political advisor in the government of ousted President Mobutu Sese Seko, became a target for rebels. Marcel fled to England, and Fabrice - who was unable to speak English at the time - joined him in east London along with other family members in 1999. \"It was very tough - I saw the war, I saw people die. I grew up with it,\" Muamba recalled in 2008. \"It stopped us going out to play football because we were scared we would get killed. My dad had to come to England for us to survive and have a peaceful life.\" An Arsenal fan when growing up in Africa, Muamba joined the Gunners' youth system in 2002 and, although he admitted in an interview with FourFourTwo that he \"didn't take football seriously until the age of 16\", he progressed through the ranks to make his first-team debut in a 2005 League Cup win at Sunderland. With his opportunities limited by Arsenal's strength in midfield, he signed a season-long loan deal with Birmingham for the 2006-07 campaign and was signed full-time when the West Midlands club was promoted to the Premier League. The club's fans voted him their Young Player of the Season and Blues manager Steve Bruce signed the player on a three-year deal, saying: \"His performances and the way he drove the team on was unbelievable for a young kid.\" Having turned down a call to represent the nation of his birth as a 19-year-old, Muamba made his England Under-21 debut in a friendly against Romania in August 2007, going on to win 33 caps. He took A-levels in French and maths, and his answer in one interview that he \"probably would have ended up being an accountant\" if he was not playing football could yet prove prophetic. Muamba was unable to stop Birmingham from making an immediate return to the Championship and in the", "summary": "Former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba, who has been forced to retire from football, says he knows he is lucky to be alive."}
{"article": "The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said the figure was 7% up from June, and 15% higher than July last year. Caroline Offord, a CML analyst, said that mortgage lending remained robust, despite regulatory changes earlier this year to toughen lending criteria. There was a 25% rise in property transactions in the first half of 2014, the CML said. However, Ms Offord said that affordability pressures could start to affect the property market. \"Economic conditions have strengthened, but while the Bank of England has signalled an improved economic outlook since May, headwinds remain,\" she said. A rise in interest rates could hit the housing market, although any increase was likely to be \"measured and gradual\", she said. New rule changes mean lenders must do more checks on borrowers' ability to repay loans, something that was blamed for slowing the number of loans and transactions earlier this year. Net mortgage lending for the first six months of the year reached \u00a310.5bn, which Ms Offord described as a \"strong figure\" compared to the past five years when the total barely exceeded \u00a310bn for the whole 12 months. \"This is a sign of growth in the market and not just churn,\" she said. The Office for National Statistics said on Tuesday that UK house prices had risen by 10.2% over the 12 months to June to hit a new record high of of \u00a3265,000. However, the London average was now almost \u00a3500,000.", "summary": "Mortgage lending rose to \u00a319.1bn in July to reach the highest monthly total since August 2008."}
{"article": "The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) provided no explanation for the missing funds, the auditor general told MPs. Oil revenue accounts for two-thirds of the government's funding. President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to crack down on corruption since coming to office last May. The NNPC has not commented on the auditor general's findings. This finding by the auditor general, while shocking, is not a surprise. Officials from the previous administration allegedly indulged in wholesale corruption where billions of dollars of oil funds simply disappeared. When the then central bank governor Lamido Sanusi pointed out that billions of dollars were missing from the treasury, he was sacked from his job. Nigeria's oil reserves should have been blessing for Nigeria to be used to build infrastructure and invest in social services. Instead, it has been a curse, a lubricant that has produced massive corruption and dysfunctional governments. President Buhari was elected on a platform of cleaning up the country's notoriously corrupt politics. But some officials from the previous administration accuse him of using corruption to pursue a political vendetta. The state oil giant has been mired in corruption allegations and losing money for many years. Last month, the government announced that the NNPC would be broken up into seven different companies. A separate audit ordered under former President Goodluck Jonathan and carried out by global accountancy firm PwC, found that the NNPC had failed to pay the government $1.48bn between January 2012 and July 2013. It did not provide a total figure for how much revenue the NNPC should legally have handed over to the treasury. However, the company said that it could not vouch for the integrity of the information it was given when it conducted the audit. Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer, but the economy has suffered because of the recent decline in the price of oil.", "summary": "Nigeria's state-owned oil company has failed to pay the government $16bn (\u00c2\u00a311bn) in a suspected fraud, according to an official audit."}
{"article": "The emerald ash borer, first recorded in the Moscow area in 2007, has become established in surrounding broadleaved woodlands, they observed. The pest, which is expected to cost the US economy $10bn, has spread up to 25 miles each year, the team estimated. The findings of the survey have been published in the journal Forestry. The team of two UK and two Russian scientists found that the emerald ash borer (EAB) population had spread 146 miles (235km) west of Moscow and 137 miles (220 km) south of the Russian capital city. In their paper, the team described EAB (Agrilus planipennis) as a \"major threat to Fraxinus excelsior (European ash), and south of Moscow, where the beetle has become established in natural broadleaved woodlands in which F. excelsior is a major component, many of the ash trees are suffering severe dieback and mortality\". They added: \"The abundance and almost continuous distribution of F. excelsior in these woodlands means that A. planipennis now has the opportunity to spread unhindered on a broad front to other countries in Europe.\" Enemy within The beetle is native to north-east China, the Korean peninsula, Japan, Taiwan, Mongolia and the Russian Far East. (Source: USDA) The beetles' larvae feed on the surface layers of the wood of a tree, cutting off vital supplies of nutrients and water, causing branches and eventually the whole tree to die. Although the adult beetles only live for a matter of weeks, an individual female can lay in excess of 200 eggs during their short lives but the average is estimated to be in the region of 30-60 eggs. While native Asian ash trees appear to have co-evolved resistance to the EAB, US native ash species, such as the green ash (F. pennsylvanica) and white ash (F. americana) have no such resilience, resulting in devastating consequences. Since the first recorded case of an EAB infestation in Michigan back in 2002, the invasive alien species has spread rapidly through 19 US states and two Canadian provinces, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. The researchers wrote: \"The beetle has killed tens of millions of trees over the past 10 years and has raised concerns over the future of ash in North America. \"The cost to the US economy over the 10-year period from 2009 to 2019 - in terms of tree removal and replacement alone - is expected to exceed $10bn.\" Whether a similar fate awaits European ash trees remained uncertain at this stage, explained co-author David Williams, an entomologist from Forest Research, the scientific arm of the UK Forestry Commission. During the summer, Dr Williams and colleague Dr Nigel Straw spent two weeks in and around Moscow to assess the impact and spread of EAB in the area. Dr Williams told BBC News that previous research suggested that an individual beetle would not fly more than six miles (10km) during its lifetime. Yet the team, in their assessment, found evidence that EAB was spreading by up to four times that distance. \"There is evidence that the species is riding on vehicles, which is", "summary": "An invasive species of beetle that has killed tens of millions of ash trees in North America could \"spread unhindered\" across Europe, researchers have warned."}
{"article": "Thusha Kamaleswaran was shot in the chest and Roshan Selvakumar, 35, was also shot in Brixton, last March. Nathaniel Grant, Kazeem Kolawole and Anthony McCalla were convicted of causing both victims grievous bodily harm with intent and attempted murder of rival gang member Roshaun Bryan. Grant was told he would serve at least 17 years and Kolawole and McCalla 14. Judge Martin Stephens QC said the crimes were \"of the utmost gravity\", adding: \"Not one of you has, in my judgment, shown a sliver of remorse.\" Last month's Old Bailey trial heard the three cycled up to Stockwell Food and Wine and Grant opened fire. A bullet hit Thusha in the chest and passed through the seventh vertebra of her spine, leaving her paralysed. The court heard the gunmen were trying to shoot Mr Bryan when Thusha and Mr Selvakumar got caught in the crossfire. The girl, now six, went into cardiac arrest twice in the wake of the shooting and had to undergo emergency surgery both in the shop and at hospital to keep her alive. She has only recently been discharged from hospital. Mr Selvakumar was hit in the head but survived with a piece of bullet remaining in his head. Judge Stephens said the trio posed \"a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm in the future\". \"You, Grant, were the gunman and the other two your fully supportive lieutenants backing up all your actions to the hilt and giving you the support and encouragement to carry out these terrible deeds,\" he added. \"Shooting into a shop, a confined space where it was known there were people present, is an attack on society itself by men who saw themselves as outside the law and above the law.\" He said the convictions would not have been possible without CCTV and he hoped Thusha could go on to lead as full a life as possible. Thusha's mother mother Sharmila Kamaleswaran said in a victim impact statement that seeing her daughter, who dreamed of being a dancer, in a hospital bed \"took my heart away\". Det Supt Gordon Allison said the only time the men had apologised or shown any remorse was when they were seeking to reduce their prison sentences. He added: \"The images of Thusha dancing happily in Stockwell Food and Wine are images that many of us will struggle to erase from our memories. \"Today, McCalla, Kolawole and Grant will have many years in prison to reflect on the damage they caused to an innocent five-year-old girl and her family but also Roshan and the community that is London as a whole.\" A team of detectives who investigated the case will take on the Three Peaks Challenge in September to raise money for the vital care and equipment Thusha now requires. They have already raised more than \u00c2\u00a3130,000.", "summary": "Three men have been jailed for life for a shooting in a south London shop which left a five-year-old girl paralysed."}
{"article": "The requiem mass was held at St Mary's Church on the Melmount Road. The teenager who died in a water-filled quarry in County Tyrone is the third member of his extended family to die in a drowning tragedy. The body of Rhys Jack was recovered from the disused quarry in the Backtown area of Strabane on Tuesday afternoon. Parish priest, Father Michael Doherty, said both of the teenager's parents had lost family members through drowning. His mother lost her five-year-old brother about 40 years ago, while his father's uncle drowned in recent years. Father Doherty has been with members of the Jack family since the tragedy began to unfold on Monday evening. The 17-year-old was in the quarry with three teenage friends when they fell into the water from a makeshift raft. His three friends, who were later rescued, had frantically tried to save him. Father Doherty told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme that Rhys's parents, Elaine and Mark, identified his body at the quarry shortly after it was recovered by search teams. He said: \"They knew over the past day, or from about eight o'clock last night (20:00 BST) that although they would have liked to have thought there was a chance he would be still alive, they knew that he was gone and their hope was that the body would be found sooner rather than later.\" The priest said that their \"deep sadness\" at losing their son was mixed with \"relief\". He explained that the corpse of Elaine Jack's young brother had never been found, so they were relieved that Rhys's body had been recovered. He also said it was his understanding that Mark Jack's uncle had drowned in the River Finn a number of years ago. Father Doherty was the Jack family's parish priest and had baptised Rhys 17 years ago. He was also a chaplain at the teenager's school. The priest said the three friends who had tried to save Rhys were \"traumatised and upset\". He described the atmosphere in Rhys's school as \"subdued\" and said staff had tried to make special arrangements for those taking exams.", "summary": "The funeral mass has taken place of teenager Rhys Jack who drowned in a quarry in Strabane last week."}
{"article": "Former Fulham man Pavel Pogrebnyak sprung the offside trap and dinked a delicate chip over County goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley to open the scoring. Striker Nick Blackman doubled the lead for the Championship side with a solo effort before Shaun Jeffers' header gave League Two Newport hope. Seconds after coming on for his debut striker Craig Tanner made it 3-1. Newport County manager Justin Edinburgh told BBC Radio Wales: \"I thought we needed a reaction after our performance on Saturday and certainly got that from the players. \"I thought from start to finish we gave a good account of ourselves and ran Reading hard. \"We had nothing to lose second half and I felt we deserved the goal that we got at the end.\"", "summary": "Reading coasted into the second round of the Capital One Cup at the expense of Newport County."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old, who won four golds at last year's World Championships in Glasgow, has a progressive neurological condition which causes muscle weakness. \"A recent progression in my condition, coupled with an ongoing shoulder injury, has affected my ability to train,\" she said. \"I did everything in my power to get to Rio, but it just wasn't to be.\" The Paralympics begin on 7 September, while the swimming events run from 8-17 September. Kearney, who has been battling to be fit since the start of the year, missed the British Paralympic swimming trials in April but was named in the team in May. She added: \"I'm devastated not to be able to represent GB in Rio. I have worked incredibly hard in training for many years to get to this point in my career and last year was fantastic for me. \"Obviously, I hope that there will be a way for me to continue to compete in the sport I love so much next season and beyond.\" British Para-swimming national performance director Chris Furber said: \"We all share in Tully's disappointment in this news. \"As a team we worked closely with Tully to ensure she had the right support and as much time as possible. \"Our whole medical and coaching team has and will continue to provide the best support possible for Tully. We all wish her a speedy return to competition.\"", "summary": "Swimmer Tully Kearney has had to withdraw from the Great Britain team for the Rio Paralympics through injury."}
{"article": "They torched the tents at the camp in Brezice to protest at the slow process of registering them and moving them to the Austrian border, witnesses said. They have also complained of a lack of food, water and blankets in the camp. Meanwhile the Greek coastguard is searching for a migrant boat believed to have capsized with 14 on board near the island of Samos amid heavy rain. Samos, where 69,000 people have arrived over the past year, is receiving the highest numbers of migrants of any Greek island apart from Lesbos. Thousands of migrants continue to pour through the western Balkans and the leaders of those countries have been summoned to a special EU meeting. The European Commission said President Jean-Claude Juncker had called Sunday's meeting because \"there is a need for much greater cooperation, more extensive consultation and immediate operational action\" to deal with what it called \"the unfolding emergency\". EU response: EU solution seems nowhere in sight No-man's land: Border closures leave thousands stranded Long winter sets in: EU pins hope on deteriorating weather Merkel under pressure: Chancellor's migrant policy faces criticism at home Crisis in graphics: Migration numbers explained Last week Hungary closed its border with Croatia and Serbia and refused to let any more migrants cross, citing security concerns. As a result, the migrants have been diverted to Slovenia on their way to western Europe. Slovenia says it has been overwhelmed by the nearly 20,000 migrants that have arrived since Friday. It had said it could only take 2,500 migrants a day. The Slovenian army and the police are working to manage the flow, but aid agencies have been warning of dire conditions as bottlenecks develop at border crossings along the route, just as temperatures are beginning to drop. But there is no sign that the numbers of migrants and refugees is slowing. A number of boats carrying around 140 people, including children, arrived at the RAF base at Akrotiri in Cyprus on Wednesday morning. Many of the migrants heading through the Western Balkans are trying to reach Germany, which is predicting an influx of at least 800,000 asylum seekers this year. Some estimates put the number at over a million. Many of those will have their asylum bids rejected and a government spokesman confirmed on Wednesday that it was considering the use of military planes to help speed up the deportation process. Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said army transport planes would be used, but only if civilian aircraft were not available. Chancellor Angela Merkel's domestic popularity has declined in recent weeks because of the influx into Germany. And an opinion poll on Wednesday said the proportion of Germans who were extremely worried by the situation had risen from 40% in August to 54%. However a separate poll of members of Mrs Merkel's conservative CDU party found that 82% were happy with her as their leader. A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum.", "summary": "Tents have been torched at a transit camp in Slovenia, allegedly by migrants angry at how they are being treated."}
{"article": "Organisers say that as many as 48,000 people took part but police estimates were far lower at just under 20,000. The BBC's Juliana Liu in Hong Kong says the protest was far more low key than this time last year when organisers said 500,0000 people demonstrated. In June a Beijing-backed reform package was rejected by Hong Kong legislators. The reforms would have given Hong Kong voters the right to choose their leader for the first time - subject to approval by China - and foreshadowed the huge so-called umbrella protests that followed for several months afterwards. Campaigners dismissed the reforms as offering only \"fake democracy\". Our correspondent says that the lower number of protesters this year has resulted in questions as to whether the public is growing tired at the failure of the pro-democracy movement to gain concessions from the Chinese government. Some have expressed disappointment that after nearly three months of paralysing the city's streets, they were unable to secure greater voting rights from China. Protesters on Wednesday congregated at Victoria Park to march in sweltering conditions to city government headquarters. Many held yellow umbrellas, the symbol of last year's demonstrations and the preferred tool of defence against police pepper spray. The demonstrators chanted derogatory slogans against Hong Hong's Beijing-backed leader CY Leung, demanding his resignation. Some carried banners calling for universal suffrage or for the downfall of the Communist Party, while others carried colonial-era Hong Kong flags. The demonstrators were in places heckled by pro-Beijing groups who hurled insults at them as they made their procession through the streets, with police often having to separate the two sides. Earlier in the day Mr Leung urged people to look to the future, Reuters news agency reports. \"Even though political reforms have taken up considerable effort and time, the Hong Kong government will strengthen economic development and improve people's livelihoods,\" he told a flag-raising ceremony to mark the anniversary.", "summary": "Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong have attended a pro-democracy rally to mark 18 years since Britain handed the territory back to China."}
{"article": "It comes after Aberavon MP Stephen Kinnock said the poll result could cause \"irreparable damage\" to the industry. Newport-based steel group Liberty is determined to press ahead with its bid, BBC Wales understands. Tata said no interested parties had changed their positions. A spokesman added: \"Like the rest of the business world we will be taking the time to consider the implications of the verdict of the British people. \"We have received no notifications from any of the interested parties of any change in their position.\" Concerns had been raised in the run-up to Thursday's referendum that international buyers for Tata Steel's UK business would drop out if the result was a loss of access to European markets. Mr Kinnock told BBC Radio Wales he feared for the Port Talbot plant amid rumours bidders were pulling out after the vote to leave the EU. \"I spent almost the entire referendum campaign saying 'if you want to save steel industry, you must vote to remain',\" he said. \"I find it absolutely extraordinary that that hasn't been understood because of the uncertainty it now unleashes. \"The vote has taken place, the people have spoken, but I am deeply, deeply concerned about the future of our steelworks in the light of this vote.\" Asked about the future, he told the Sunday Supplement programme: \"I'm already hearing rumours that the bidders are going to now pull out. \"If you look at the government, it was actually the PM that was pushing this forward,\" he said. \"The prime minister realised that it was a political priority - he's gone now, so where is the voice at the top level of the British government standing up for the steel industry? I don't see it. \"The enemy of business is uncertainty and that is fundamentally why this referendum vote is going to potentially cause irreparable damage to the steel industry.\" First Minister Carwyn Jones told the programme he was \"still fighting\" to keep the Port Talbot plant open. \"I'm not going to pretend to you that Thursday helped because it didn't,\" he said. \"I think if we'd seen things different on Thursday we'd have been in a stronger position with regard to Tata. \"But now things are once again up in the air.\" Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies, on the winning side of the referendum result, called the first minister's comments \"scare-mongering of the highest order\". \"If we get this [withdrawal from the EU] right, there are enormous opportunities,\" he said. \"The deals and the trade agreements are in place, business continues.\"", "summary": "No bidders have pulled out of trying to buy Tata Steel's UK operations in the light of the Brexit result, the firm has said."}
{"article": "Sarah Pond said a member of staff at the Staffordshire theme park said: \"You need to get off, you have one hand.\" \"Never in my life have I been spoken to like this,\" said Miss Pond. \"I was not offered a reason why when I explained I have been on this ride about 10 times.\" Alton Towers said it had apologised to Miss Pond, who was not allowed to ride the rollercoaster for safety reasons. More on this story and updates from Stoke & Staffordshire \"We are in contact with her directly and will endeavour to reach a resolution,\" the theme park said in a statement. Miss Pond was barred from the Smiler rollercoaster, the ride on which several people were seriously injured last year. In a Facebook post, Miss Pond, 33, from Shrewsbury, said she had been \"astonished\" to see a girl with her arm in a plaster cast allowed on to the ride. She wrote: \"I read the rules of the ride. You need to be able to walk 25m without help. And climb a ladder. Well I can assure you I can, nothing is wrong with my legs!\" She added: \"I'm still angry and upset. Never in my 33 years of life have I been treated with such discrimination over being born without my hand. \"I am not registered disabled as I'm too able bodied and for that reason can't claim any benefits.\" A spokeswoman for the theme park said: \"On arrival at the ride entrance, our staff did advise that for safety reasons, she would not be eligible to ride the Smiler. \"We aim to ensure that disabled guests are treated with respect and in a manner that is appropriate to their needs, whilst maintaining equality for all of our visitors.\" Miss Pond said the experience had put her off ever going to Alton Towers again and disputed the claim she was told at the ride's entrance she could not go on the rollercoaster. Alton Towers' owners, Merlin Attractions, face a large fine as a result of the Smiler crash last June. Last month Merlin admitted a health and safety breach over the crash, which resulted in two women having leg amputations.", "summary": "A one-handed woman who was barred from a rollercoaster at Alton Towers has accused the venue of discrimination."}
{"article": "Campaigning ceased for an hour from 12:00 as all the major political parties gathered \"in a show of solidarity\" in Edinburgh. Mrs Cox, 41, was killed by Thomas Mair in her Batley and Spen constituency in Yorkshire on 16 June last year. Her husband Brendan has said she would be \"incredibly touched\" by the UK-wide response to the upcoming anniversary. Mr Cox said the co-ordinated suspension of campaigning would send a message that \"whatever our political disagreements, we really do hold more in common and show a united front against hatred and extremism in all its forms\". He added: \"Elections are huge moments of national importance and deserve to be taken seriously. But we also need to get a better balance. \"We spend way too much time fixated on the areas we disagree with each other and need to create more moments where we come together as a country. \"That's what I'm focused on and after polling day, I am sure that's exactly what people all over the UK will be crying out for.\" He told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme that the trauma of his wife's death was \"for us, as a family... something that goes on and on. \"Individual days can be worse - and better. It's not just the big moments. \"The kids are incredibly excited about the Great Get Together, they love planning a party. They know that their mum would have loved it.\" Mr Cox travelled to Edinburgh last Wednesday to meet First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, as well as representatives of all the main parties at the Scottish Parliament and presiding officer Ken Macintosh. They will also take part in the Great Get Together community event between 16 and 18 June which Mr Cox has organised to mark the anniversary of the Labour MP's death. Mr Cox said he planned the event because Mrs Cox would \"love the idea that the reaction to the attempt that her murder was to divide communities has actually brought communities together\". The nationwide event will include street parties, barbecues, picnics, coffee mornings and tea parties. More than 100 organisations, including the Scottish rugby team and Cricket Scotland have also backed the event. Mr Cox said: \"The idea came from thinking about the anniversary of Jo's murder and, from my point of view, wanting to remember her as how she lived, someone who was full of energy, enthusiasm, a zest for life.\" He added: \"Jo would be incredibly touched by the scale of the response. I think she would be astounded by the level of the reaction.\" Mother-of-two Mrs Cox was shot and stabbed by Kilmarnock-born Thomas Mair. He was later handed a whole-life prison sentence for her murder. The idea for the anniversary event came before the general election for 8 June was announced, but Mr Cox said it would provide a reminder after the vote that \"there is more which binds people together than keeps them apart\". \"The reason that Jo went into politics was much less about party politics and much more about her connection to her local community,", "summary": "Scotland's political leaders have called a general election \"truce\" to mark the death of MP Jo Cox."}
{"article": "Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said it was a great deal for taxpayers, with the club paying about \u00c2\u00a34.4m per year in return for the council's support. But the city's Liberal Democrat leader Richard Kemp asked why a club largely owned by \"billionaire\" businessman Farhad Moshiri needed council backing. He asked: \"What are the safeguards?\" The council cabinet has agreed to set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to help Everton secure the investment it needs to build a new 50,000 capacity ground at Bramley-Moore Dock on the banks of the Mersey. Everton last week announced a deal to acquire the land needed for the project. The local authority said its agreement with Everton includes measures to ensure it will always be paid by the football club. \"It is not just a good deal for the council in terms of receiving funding but equally it is going to be the driver for regeneration for north Liverpool,\" said Mr Anderson. \"From my point of view, it is job done.\" Mr Kemp said he still has his doubts. \"I am not against the deal itself but I want to know what the safeguards are. I want to know the direct benefit for the council. \"Why do billionaires need a guarantee from a third party? In fact why do they need a loan at all?\" Mr Anderson said he had had several meetings with Iranian businessman Mr Moshiri, who bought a 49.9% share in the Premier League club last year. \"We're not funding a billionaire - we are actually doing a great deal for Liverpool City Council,\" said Mr Anderson. \"I am not here to browbeat Everton into starting but... I certainly want them to crack on because if we get chosen for the Commonwealth Games in 2022 we will need to deliver.\" Prof Tom Cannon, emeritus professor at the University of Liverpool's School of Management, said the stadium would bring direct benefits to the city and the council. \"The economic benefit is development of another strong economic agent in a growth area like sport and it reinforces the city's burgeoning strength as a leading centre for an array of sports from soccer, through equine to golf. \"Sport is a high-growth industry with strong multipliers.\" Everton Stadium deal", "summary": "Everton's ambition to build a new \u00c2\u00a3300m stadium has been backed by Liverpool City Council, which has formally agreed to financially guarantee the project."}
{"article": "The award of the franchise to FirstGroup was scrapped on Wednesday because of bidding process \"flaws\". The Times has reported that she learned of a potential flaw a week before the Cabinet reshuffle on 4 September. The DfT says this was not the error that caused the process to collapse. Three civil servants - who face possible further disciplinary action pending an investigation - have been suspended after the government admitted major failings over the contract to run the rail line. BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott said the department told him Ms Greening had been made aware of an area of \"potential concern\" but that she had been told it would \"not affect the outcome\". She asked officials to check it further and it turned out to be a \"minor error\". The department insists it is not related to the main flaw that they found later on and which brought the whole process down. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said a \"terrible mistake\" in evaluating the relative merits of four bids had been made by Department for Transport staff and that the fault lay \"wholly and squarely\" with the department. Staff reportedly failed to include predicted passenger numbers and inflation forecasts in some of the risk assessments of the rival bids from firms. They included Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Trains, which currently runs the route - which links London with Glasgow and Edinburgh via the Midlands and north-west of England. Mr McLoughlin said the estimated cost of reimbursing the four companies for the cost of their bids would be \u00c2\u00a340m. Meanwhile, the Public and Commercial Services union, which represents one of the suspended men, said it would ensure the inquiry examined all the issues, including ministerial involvement and oversight of the bidding process. General secretary Mark Serwotka said: \"The way ministers have sought to blame civil servants in the Department for Transport before any of the facts have been established has been deplorable but sadly not out of character. \"It is entirely consistent with the way the civil service is being treated by many ministers as an irritation, rather than as a professional body that works to ensure the smooth running of government.\" Scotland's transport secretary has hit out at the handling of the franchise, saying the Scottish Government had been given no notice of the decision to scrap the FirstGroup deal. In a statement at the Scottish Parliament, Keith Brown said: \"The department's handling of the procurement process has been incompetent and shambolic. Most importantly, it has caused a great deal of confusion and speculation about arrangements for West Coast services after the franchise handover date of 9 December.\" He said the Scottish government would be keeping a close eye on assurances which had been given by the Department of Transport that services would not be affected.", "summary": "Former Transport Secretary Justine Greening did not know about the problem which led to the collapse of the West Coast Main Line franchise award, the Department for Transport has said."}
{"article": "Daphne Reid, 66, died after a fire broke out at her Silverhill Park home in Enniskillen on 27 December 2015. Her husband Franklin, who was 70, died just over a week later from injuries sustained in the blaze. Coroner Joe McCrisken said police officers disregarded their own safety to try to rescue the couple. He added that they should be hailed as heroes. The fire began when a cigarette fell on to a carpet in a bedroom where Mr Reid was sleeping. The inquest in Enniskillen on Monday heard how police officers, who were the first of the emergency services staff to arrive at the scene, did not follow official training guidelines that say all rescue attempts should be left to the fire service. Mr McCrisken said the Police Service of Northern Ireland should consider an official recognition for the officers who tried to save the couple. PC Daniel Finnegan broke windows to let some smoke out before attempting to enter the burning house. He told the coroner: \"It was a personal judgment call.\" PC Damien Maguire also attempted to enter the house through the burning, but was prevented from doing so by thick smoke. The coroner also praised paramedics and firefighters, one of whom entered the property without breathing apparatus to rescue Mr Reid. Enniskillen fire station commander Padraig McKeon arrived at the scene shortly after the failed police efforts to access the pensioners. The inquest heard that he felt able to enter the property without breathing apparatus because much of the smoke had left the building.", "summary": "A coroner has praised emergency services staff who attended a house fire in County Fermanagh that claimed the lives of two people."}
{"article": "Baggs, 27, who ran a communications firm on the Isle of Man, was found dead at a his home in the island's capital Douglas at about 09:00 BST on Thursday. In a Facebook tribute, his sister Charlotte Baggs described him as \"the biggest character\". Police are investigating his \"sudden and unexpected\" death. A spokeswoman said there was nothing \"to indicate that his death is criminally suspicious\". She added: \"Police again confirm that at this time there is nothing obvious to indicate the cause of his untimely death and inquiries will continue. The police request that consideration is given to the privacy of the family and friends at this difficult time.\" When he appeared on the BBC One show in 2010 aged 21, Plymouth-born Baggs was its youngest contestant. The series was won by Stella English, but he became a cult favourite with his steady stream of catchphrases and his description of himself as \"Baggs the brand\". In her Facebook post, his sister Charlotte wrote: \"Today my dearest brother Stuart Baggs gained his wings. To say we are all shocked and devastated is an understatement. \"Love him or hate him, he touched many people's lives from his TV antics to his amazing work with Bluewave Communications.\" She added: \"He was the biggest character and will leave the biggest hole behind. Not knowing what or why makes it all the harder. \"Can't explain how proud I am of him. He was the king of following his dreams and making them happen.\" Past and present stars of the show show took to social media to express their shock at the entrepreneur's death. The Apprentice boss Lord Sugar said: \"Terrible news Stuart Baggs has died. My sincere condolences to his family and friends RIP one of the stand out characters of the apprentice.\" Countdown host Nick Hewer, who left his role as Lord Sugar's adviser this year after a decade on the show, tweeted: \"So sad to hear of Stuart Baggs' death. Condolences to his family. He will be remembered with affection by all who knew him on Apprentice 6.\" Dara O Briain, former presenter of spin-off programme The Apprentice: You're Fired! wrote: \"Sad news about the death of Stuart Baggs. Interviewed him on You're Fired and he was funny and self-effacing. Condolences to his family.\" Dr Lear Totton, a cosmetic doctor and winner of the show in 2013, tweeted: \"Just heard the sad news that Stuart Baggs has died. His 'I'm a whole field of ponies' line was one of my favourite ever from The Apprentice. RIP x\" Former contestant Luisa Zissman tweeted: \"RIP one of my favourite ever Apprentice contestants Stuart Baggs \"The Brand\" he has joined the 27 club. What a tragedy\". Baggs, who launched his company Bluewave Communications in 2007, gave an interview to the Isle of Man Examiner last week about his latest scheme to bring 4G broadband to the island. Talking about his career, he said: \"I work, as my hair will tell you, at least 18 hours a day. I sleep for four hours religiously, I would not have", "summary": "The sister of former Apprentice contestant Stuart Baggs has said the family's world has been \"shattered\" by his sudden death."}
{"article": "The 38-year-old played more than 100 games for the Black Caps in all formats and was a key figure as they reached the 2015 World Cup final. Bears sport director Ashley Giles said: \"Grant has proven himself as a match-winner on the biggest stage. \"He top-scored in the final and semi-final of the World Cup in 2015 and has a wealth of T20 experience.\" To join the county as a non-overseas player under the Kolpak ruling, South Africa-born Elliott has ended an international career in which he played five Tests, 83 one-day internationals and 16 Twenty20 internationals since making his debut against England in 2008. He joins fellow countrymen Colin de Grandhomme, who signed for the Bears earlier this month, and Jeetan Patel at Edgbaston.", "summary": "Birmingham Bears have signed former New Zealand all-rounder Grant Elliott on a Kolpak deal for the T20 Blast."}
{"article": "Austin Okwor is reported to be part of a team investigating corruption within the judiciary. He is being treated in hospital for his wounds. The attack happened in Port Harcourt on Saturday night, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said. Last year several judges were arrested on suspicion of corruption in a nationwide sting operation. President Muhammadu Buhari has prioritised the fight against corruption but critics say his administration has targeted only his political rivals. Mr Okwor was surrounded by a gang who opened fire on him, Nigeria Bulletin reports. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission spokesman Wilson Uwujaren said Mr Okwor had received threatening text messages in recent months. \"This incident underlines the hazards which operatives of the commission are daily exposed to in the discharge of their duties,\" Mr Uwujaren said in a statement. In April President Buhari's office ordered an investigation after the head of the national intelligence agency was suspended over corruption allegations. The president acted after anti-corruption officers found more than $43m (\u00c2\u00a334m) in a flat in the main city, Lagos.", "summary": "A leading anti-corruption investigator in Nigeria has survived being shot multiple times, officials say."}
{"article": "It is alleged in journalist Matthew d'Ancona's book that Larry is merely a public relations prop. But a Downing Street spokesman said Larry was \"very popular with everyone\" in the building. His lackadaisical approach to mousing has previously led to speculation he would be relieved of his duties. Larry was brought in to catch rodents, but he was spotted asleep on the job for several hours back in November 2011. Downing Street confirmed last year, though, that the six-year-old rescue cat - who was re-homed from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in February 2011 - had recorded his first kill. Following the latest claims in Mr d'Ancona's book about the inside story of the coalition government, called In it Together, a \"savelarry\" hashtag became popular on Twitter. But on Saturday a spokesman for the prime minister said the allegations that Larry was not liked were \"totally untrue\". \"He is very popular with everyone in the building and we all get on purr-fectly well,\" he said. On Saturday, Ladbrokes today gave Mr Cameron 1/2 odds of leaving Downing Street first with Larry the cat on 6/4. Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes said: \"This is a new low for Cameron during his time as PM, and despite his dislike for the cat, we favour Larry to outlast him at Number 10.\"", "summary": "Number 10 has denied claims in a new book that Larry the Downing Street cat is disliked by the prime minister and his family."}
{"article": "Manager John Hughes had recently been quoted as saying the 46-year-old was likely to pursue another opportunity. Latapy confirmed his departure in a statement on the Caley Thistle website without revealing his destination. \"I have never hidden my ambition to one day be my own man in management terms and believe now is the time,\" he said. \"My journey here has been fantastic and I have enjoyed every minute of my time in Inverness, culminating in us finishing third in the SPFL and winning the William Hill Scottish Cup, a massive achievement for any club let all alone ICTFC.\" Latapy, who thanked Hughes for giving him the opportunity to be his assistant 18 months ago after a spell in a similar role with Boavista in Portugal. The former Trinidad and Tobago midfielder had been Hughes assistant at Falkirk before a spell as his country's national head coach. Caley Thistle chairman Kenny Cameron said: \"Whilst we are particularly sorry to see Russell depart for pastures new, we fully appreciate his desire to further develop his undoubted talents in a new environment. \"Russell will always be remembered here at ICTFC, as a member of a great winning team.\" Cameron hinted that Caley Thistle were prepared for such an eventuality. \"I recognise that any form of organisational change brings with it its own range of challenges,\" he added. \"I am, however, confident in our abilities to mitigate these challenges and look forward to working with the board and the club management as we seek to secure future successes for ICTFC.\"", "summary": "Russell Latapy has left his post as assistant manager with Inverness Caledonian Thistle saying it is time to become a boss in his own right again."}
{"article": "Manager Chris Coleman says he does not know when Ledley will be available to play in France. Adam Matthews, Paul Dummett, Emyr Huws and Wes Burns were cut from Chris Coleman's training camp group. Coleman dismissed concerns over the fitness of Gareth Bale after suffering cramp in the Champions League final. Three players - forwards Tom Bradshaw and Tom Lawrence and defender Adam Henley - were not considered because of injuries. Wales begin their campaign against Slovakia on 11 June, before facing England five days later. Media playback is not supported on this device Ledley, 29, missed the FA Cup final after being injured playing for Crystal Palace on 7 May. Manager Chris Coleman, who recently signed a new deal after leading Wales to a first major tournament in 58 years, says Ledley 'is looking good' and should be back to play his part in the group stages. \"We can't say he is going to be ready, we don't know that,\" he said. \"He's included because of what he brings to the squad. \"He deserves the chance. The conversation is, what stage of the group games will he be available for? \"He is in the squad because he is looking good. \"In the last three or four years he has been fantastic for us.\" Coleman also said striker Hal Robson-Kanu is suffering with a 'leg issue' while Joe Allen is also struggling for fitness ahead of Wales' final warm-up game in Sweden on 5 June. Wales Euro 2016 squad: Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Danny Ward (Liverpool), Owain Fon Williams (Inverness). Defenders: Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Neil Taylor (Swansea City), Chris Gunter (Reading), Ashley Williams (Captain, Swansea), James Chester (West Brom), Ashley Richards (Fulham), James Collins (West Ham). Midfielders: Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Joe Ledley (Crystal Palace), David Vaughan (Nottingham Forest), Joe Allen (Liverpool), Jonathan Williams (Crystal Palace), George Williams (Fulham), Andy King (Leicester), Dave Edwards (Wolves). Forwards: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Hal Robson-Kanu (Reading), Sam Vokes (Burnley), Simon Church (MK Dons), David Cotterill (Birmingham City) Pick the XI that you think can take Wales to the final of Euro 2016 - and then share it with your friends using our team selector.", "summary": "Joe Ledley has been selected in Wales' squad for Euro 2016 after returning to training less than a month after breaking his leg."}
{"article": "The Welsh number nine, only playing in the absence of Charlie Mulchrone (injured) and Jonny Arr (suspended), was one of the stand-out performers. \"We showed the spirit at this club,\" he told BBC Hereford & Worcester. \"The character the boys showed says what we can go on and do next year.\" Bruzulier's only action this season had been in Warriors' Monday night reserve team, the Worcester Cavaliers, as well as captaining effectively a second-string Warriors side to victory in the British & Irish Cup. He then found himself thrust into the limelight when Worcester lost both their senior scrum-halves Mulchrone and Arr in the semi-final first-leg win over London Scottish. But he was quick to pay tribute to the part the pair played in helping him perform to his maximum, both in the second leg and then in the two-leg final against Bristol, to help Worcester win back their place in the Premiership, a year on from being relegated. \"The reason I've not been first or second choice all year is because they've been so fantastic,\" he added. \"But they've been great with me over the last two weeks, helping me out with all the calls. \"When you're playing for the Cavaliers, you can chill out and have fun. It's a more serious business with the first team. But it was great to be part of it all against Bristol and show such spirit. \"Our defence was massive and to then come back from 14 points down with 10 minutes left to win was incredible. We didn't think we'd do it, but we had the character to see it through.\" While Bruzulier took his chance well over Warriors' final three play-off matches, the only scrum-half cover they had on the bench was 17-year-old schoolboy Jamie Shillcock, who was in the middle of revision for his 'A' levels at Warwick School. Shillcock, along with five other players (winger Josh Adams, locks Charlie Hewitt, 20, and Justin Clegg, 18, and props Gareth Milasinovich, 22, and James Page, 17) has now been rewarded with a place in the Academy set-up at Sixways next season. Current Academy player, lock Andrew Kitchener, has extended his stay at Sixways while continuing his studies at Birmingham University. Jack Singleton, Huw Taylor and Sam Smith make up the rest of next season's Academy squad, while Tiff Eden, Christian Scotland-Williamson and Mike Daniels, who signed contracts earlier this year, move into the first team squad. Meanwhile, prop Rob O'Donnell, 29, has joined Yorkshire Carnegie on a two-year contract after three years at Sixways, becoming the ambitious Leeds club's ninth signing ahead of next season.", "summary": "Worcester Warriors scrum-half JB Bruzulier says the character the team showed in their thrilling, last-gasp Championship play-off final win over Bristol augurs well for next season."}
{"article": "Bradley Johnson rose well to head Tom Ince's free-kick into the far corner for his second goal in as many games. Johnny Russell almost made it two, hitting the post from a tight angle after pouncing on a poor backpass. The Latics piled on the pressure after the break, but Max Power spurned their best chance, heading against the bar when unmarked. The game matched the Championship's joint-lowest scorers, and Derby's winner came with their only shot on target. The Latics forced a string of corners amid mounting pressure, but could not break through against the Championship's second-meanest defence. Power and Dutch striker Yanic Wildschut forced good saves from Rams keeper Scott Carson who kept his seventh clean sheet in 10 matches. Derby have picked up 19 points from a possible 24 since Steve McClaren's return as manager and moved within a point of the play-off places in eighth, while Wigan, without a win in four home games, slipped to second-bottom. Wigan manager Warren Joyce: \"We're obviously disappointed to lose the game. I thought in the first half we had a lot of possession without a lot of purpose in our play. \"We lost possession ourselves on the halfway line which leads to the free-kick, and a really soft, basic error means we're 1-0 down. \"The players did exactly what we talked about at half-time to stay in the game and I thought for half-an-hour during that period we deserved a goal.\" Derby boss Steve McClaren: \"We had a great start and for some reason we kind of took our foot off the pedal when we needed to go up. \"We knew this would be a difficult place to come, and when we didn't manage to get the second goal the last 10 to 15 minutes were always going to be a bit nervy. \"You're not going to play well every week and it's getting to a time - December, January, February - where you have to grind out results.\" Match ends, Wigan Athletic 0, Derby County 1. Second Half ends, Wigan Athletic 0, Derby County 1. Substitution, Derby County. Jamie Hanson replaces Will Hughes. Substitution, Wigan Athletic. Kaiyne Woolery replaces Max Power. Corner, Wigan Athletic. Conceded by Will Hughes. Attempt blocked. Max Power (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Yanic Wildschut. Attempt blocked. Luke Garbutt (Wigan Athletic) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Shaun MacDonald. Attempt blocked. Jake Buxton (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Will Hughes (Derby County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Corner, Wigan Athletic. Conceded by Richard Keogh. Attempt blocked. Yanic Wildschut (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Yanic Wildschut (Wigan Athletic). Tom Ince (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Wigan Athletic. Adam Le Fondre replaces David Perkins. Offside, Derby County. Craig Bryson tries a through ball, but Andreas Weimann is caught offside. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in", "summary": "Derby County made it five straight wins as they withstood a second-half onslaught from Wigan Athletic."}
{"article": "He is the first serving head of state to come before the court in The Hague. He was called to appear at the ICC \"status conference\" when the prosecution said evidence needed to go ahead with a trial was being withheld. The charges - which Mr Kenyatta denies - concern his alleged role in violence following the 2007 elections. More than 1,000 people died in the aftermath of the poll. Mr Kenyatta says the charges against him are politically motivated and insists that the case should be thrown out. The prosecution accuses the Kenyan government of obstructing the investigation. The president temporarily relinquished power to come to The Hague. Nevertheless, his convoy received a presidential welcome. Flag-waving crowds surged as his police-escorted car pulled up. International TV crews jostled to get him in their frame. But the trial has reached a deadlock. The prosecution accuse the Kenyan government of withholding vital evidence, the defence say without evidence there should be no trial. Around 100 politicians flew to The Hague. One of them told me they had all paid their own air fares, a public demonstration of support for their president. About 1,200 Kenyans were killed in the violence - the case was sent to the ICC after Kenya failed to bring the perpetrators to justice. The judges must now decide whether to abandon the trial or give the prosecution more time to search for the missing evidence. The ICC wants Mr Kenyatta to explain allegations that evidence against him had been withheld by the Kenyan government - a claim rejected by Kenyan Attorney-General Githu Muigai, who appeared before the court on Tuesday. Scores of Mr Kenyatta's supporters packed the public gallery as the hearing got under way. Defence lawyer Steven Kay said Mr Kenyatta would not be making a statement. He said the government had co-operated with the prosecution requests where it was possible to do so. The hearing was later adjourned. As he left the court Mr Kenyatta told his supporters in Swahili: \"We know where we are coming from, we know where we are now, we know where we are going. No-one will tell us where we are going and yes, we will decide for ourselves.\" ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who is from The Gambia, said there was still a significant \"body of evidence\" against Mr Kenyatta. The prosecution, which wants an indefinite adjournment, told the court it had phone data and nine witnesses who were willing to testify how Mr Kenyatta had funding links with the Mungiki sect which took part in the violence. Fergal Gaynor, a lawyer for the victims, said they were entitled to know why witnesses for the prosecution had withdrawn from the case. In September, the court postponed the trial after prosecutors said the Kenyan government had failed to deliver key documents. Deputy President William Ruto is acting president while Mr Kenyatta is at The Hague. On Monday, the president again stressed his innocence, saying his conscience was clear. In a speech to the Kenyan parliament, Mr Kenyatta said that he was going to", "summary": "Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he faces charges of crimes against humanity."}
{"article": "Begonia elachista was discovered at the mouth of a limestone cave in a national park in central Peru. The park authorities want to build a tourist route to the cave - a move which could threaten the species. Staff at the botanic garden hope their work will inform conservation efforts for the new species which has been classed as critically endangered. The Peruvian cave is the only place botanists know that the begonia grows in the wild, but the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) said it was \"not a safe haven\" for the plant as more tourists begin to arrive RBGE staff are now working with partners in Peru and the US to try to save it. Peter Moonlight, a tropical biodiversity research scientist at the RBGE, said the begonia did not deserve its reputation as being \"repulsively ugly\" - as Monty Don once labelled them. \"Many are still poorly understood although they play a critical role in tropical ecosystems and are of great importance as environmental indicator species,\" he said. \"In many cases they also have a strong role to play in the horticultural sector and as a food source, medicine or other products of benefit. \"The species discovery programme at RBGE gives previous hidden gems - including begonia elachista - a voice on the global conservation stage.\"", "summary": "The newest and smallest species of begonia ever found has begun to flower at Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden."}
{"article": "The number of voluntary officers working for Northamptonshire Police has fallen from 722 to 377 since May 2016. Police and crime commissioner Stephen Mold said the drop-out rate had not changed much recently but recruitment efforts had fallen. Mr Mold said he preferred to \"focus on quality, not quantity\". His predecessor Adam Simmonds had aimed to recruit 900 specials to the force but when Mr Mold took over in May 2016 he pledged instead to maintain a ratio of full-time officers to specials of about two to one. Northamptonshire Police currently has 1,220 full-time officers. A report due to be presented to Northamptonshire County Council on Thursday suggests part of the decline is due to the way the statistics were presented. However, it adds 260 special constables have resigned in the past 10 months. It listed reasons for leaving including a loss of commitment, or volunteers becoming a full-time officer or a change in work-life balance. 260 The number of specials who have resigned since May 2016 900 Adam Simmonds' target 722 Number of specials when Adam Simmonds left in May 2016 377 Current number of specials It noted that some specials had raised concerns about equipment, particularly a lack of lockers or body-worn video equipment. Mick Stamper, the force's head of operation policing, said many of the specials who had left \"didn't meet the standard\" required or had not been able to commit to regular duties. One special constable, who spoke to the BBC on the guarantee of anonymity, said: \"There are so many unhappy and unsupported and rarely valued officers. \"The lack of help and support for the special constables is mind-boggling. \"Who would want to stay and volunteer in an organisation that shows no respect or helps their volunteers.\" Mr Simmonds' target was part of plans to \"make Northamptonshire the safest place in England\". In an article on ConservativeHome in 2014, he said the force had \"the highest proportion of Special Constables of any force in England and Wales\". In July 2013, the force employed more than 250 specials and Mr Simmonds pledged to put more \"boots on pavements\" by increasing their numbers.", "summary": "A police force that boasted of having the highest proportion of special constables in the country has seen almost half of them leave the force."}
{"article": "The hosts restricted Ireland to 219-8 from their 50 overs, Gary Wilson scoring an unbeaten 70 and Ed Joyce adding 53. Ireland reduced Zimbabwe to 171-7 before Raza's unbeaten knock helped them to victory with an over to spare. The second game takes place on Sunday before a potential decider on Tuesday. Paul Stirling (24) and Kevin O'Brien (16) contributed to a modest Ireland total while John Nyumba (2-35) and Wellington Masakadza (2-45) each picked up two wickets. Spinner George Dockrell was the pick of the Irish bowlers with 2-29. Ireland hope to end the series still ahead of Zimbabwe in the world rankings. The Irish started the series in 10th and Zimbabwe 11th, with the tourists holding a two-point advantage over their rivals. Zimbabwe fell to a 2-1 series defeat by Pakistan in Harare last week.", "summary": "Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza both hit 60 as Zimbabwe clinched a two-wicket win over Ireland in the first of three one-day internationals in Harare."}
{"article": "Abbie Bloodworth, 19, died after a blaze broke out at a house in Cwmparc, Treorchy, just before 12:00 BST on 19 August. In a family tribute, her mother, Samantha Dorricott said: \"Abbie was my rock, my world and I miss her deeply.\" The cause of the fire is being investigated by the fire service and South Wales Police. \"She was a fabulous and loving mother to her three-year-old daughter Chantelle,\" added Ms Dorricott. \"She was kind, funny and had a heart-of-gold.\"", "summary": "A young mother who died in a house fire in Rhondda had \"a heart of gold\"."}
{"article": "That is despite the result being an eight-month delay in Hearts passing into fan ownership. Present owner Ann Budge had proposed delaying the repayment of her \u00a32.5m investment to help fund the project. Following a vote of foundation members, only 43 were against the proposal and 3,790 in favour. Hearts said on their website: \"We are absolutely delighted that the foundation members have given such a resounding vote in favour of the offer from Ann Budge. \"This significant milestone on the road to the 'new' Tynecastle once more demonstrates our collective strength.\" Hearts hope to fund the new stand via \u00a33m from club reserves, \u00a32.5m from benefactor contributions, \u00a30.5m from commercial contributions, which leaves a shortfall of \u00a36m once the club adds a contingency for an increase in costs. The Scottish Premiership club hope to build up further reserves and launch a new debenture scheme, but the delay of up to two years in the Foundation of Hearts buying Budge's stake will allow funds to go directly into the club in the meantime. \"Assuming contributions continued at today's levels, majority ownership would pass to FOH only eight months later than originally envisaged,\" Hearts have stated. Full planning permission is still required from City of Edinburgh Council, but Hearts have already planned out the progress of the two-year project that will result in a stadium with a capacity up to 21,000. To prepare for the building of the new stand, the buildings behind the current stand - the administration block, the shop and nursery - would be knocked down, with temporary facilities being provided during construction. The temporary buildings will be occupied in October, with the demolition beginning the following month. Construction of the new stand will start over and behind the current stand during next season before being completed during the 2017 close season.", "summary": "Fans group the Foundation of Hearts has voted overwhelmingly in favour of helping to fund the Tynecastle club's new \u00a311m main stand."}
{"article": "The hosts had taken an early lead when Tom Cleverley drove in a low shot. But Everton's defensive frailties resurfaced within seconds when Marc Pugh equalised for the Cherries. Baines struck from the left of the box to seal a first league win in nine matches for the Toffees but some home fans protested against Martinez. Relive Everton's win here Follow all the reaction to Saturday's football here The winless streak in the league, coupled with last weekend's FA Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester United, had stirred significant discontent amongst Everton fans about their Spanish boss. The ex-Wigan manager had said he was \"ready to fight more than ever\" in the build-up to the match, a week after a last-minute loss at Wembley that itself followed a 4-0 humbling by Liverpool. A banner saying \"Time to go Roberto\" was flown over the ground during the match, and a number of anti-Martinez banners were seen inside Goodison Park. Cleverley's goal from the edge of the penalty area and Bournemouth's swift equaliser showed the good and bad of Everton's approach. The build-up to and the execution of the former Manchester United midfielder's effort showed the kind of neat, attractive football that Martinez is known to encourage. But within seconds the game was all square, Callum Wilson shaking Premier League debutant Matthew Pennington off the ball before putting in a cross that the home defence failed to deal with, allowing Pugh to strike. The positivity of the early lead quickly evaporated, but it wasn't until near half-time that a few murmurings of discontent were heard around a subdued Goodison. The home team were on the front foot from early in the second half, but after reclaiming the lead they were given several nervous moments by a spirited Bournemouth. Substitute Benik Afobe missed a header from close range, and Wilson claimed a penalty after a clash with John Stones. It didn't feel like an Everton performance to answer the doubters. Media playback is not supported on this device For Bournemouth it was a third consecutive defeat and a result that left them them nine points and four places above the relegation zone with two games to go. The Cherries can look back on their first season in the top flight with some pride, but despite playing attractively at times at Goodison, this was a fifth loss in their last six outings. Only Newcastle and Aston Villa have conceded more than the 63 that Eddie Howe's side have let in, and the Bournemouth manager will rue how Everton were allowed to reclaim the lead. Aaron Lennon's cross bobbled all the way across Bournemouth's box before it was emphatically converted by Baines. Media playback is not supported on this device Margaret Aspinall, chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, and Jenni Hicks were among several relatives of victims of the 1989 disaster who were presented to the crowd just before kick-off with Mrs Aspinall embracing Martinez on the touchline. The campaigners were given a long ovation by the crowd at the end of an emotional week for the", "summary": "Leighton Baines got the winner against Bournemouth to end Everton's poor recent run and ease the pressure on manager Roberto Martinez."}
{"article": "The woman, whose surname is Yang, lived in a padlocked 10-sq-metre cell and slept on a wooden bench, says Southern Morning Post. Suggestions that she may have been there voluntarily have sparked debate about whether anyone will be held to account. In recent months, online users have been up in arms over a number of cases of where elderly people have seemingly been neglected by their children. Yang's conditions were exposed by a local woman, \"Pretty Nan Gualan\", who posted a video of Yang sitting by a cage door on the popular video service Miaopai. \"How could you make her live in here?\" she asked of the woman's captors, \"And not give her food?\" The video has been watched more than 1.8m times since it was uploaded on 6 January, and many viewers have taken to popular microblog Sina Weibo to voice their outrage. Tens of thousands posted using the hashtag #92YearOldKeptInPigsty, calling Yang's son and daughter-in-law \"beasts\" and \"scum\" and calling for some form of \"retribution\". There was further anger after Southern Morning Post posted pictures on 10 January showing her malnourished body during a medical check. The paper says the local hospital is now treating Yang and residents in the area have helped by providing bedding and clothes. Many say they are relieved that she is receiving help. In 2014, a 90-year-old woman in central Henan province died after being subjected to similar conditions. But Southern Morning Post reports that the woman's son, surnamed Wu, says his mum volunteered to move into the cage because her incontinence had \"given them a great burden and she was worried about making the house smell\". Police say Wu and his wife are suspected of maltreatment, but if it turns out that Yang moved in voluntarily, they would be unlikely to face charges. Yang's case is not the first to ignite anger. In recent months, similar stories have highlighted the apparent neglect of elderly Chinese people by their children and have created a stir on social media. In November, tens of thousands of online users reacted angrily to a video from Henan province, which showed a 62-year-old man picking up rubbish and eating restaurant leftovers by choice, so as not to be a burden at home to his middle-aged daughter. The same month, social media users discussed the case of a 70-year-old woman in Jinan, northern Shandong, who was selling vegetables throughout the night in sub-zero conditions to help her son save money to buy a house. One user, \"Keetop\", said it showed \"how abnormal society has become\". BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "summary": "Images of an emaciated elderly woman have rattled Chinese social media users, after papers in the southern Guangxi region reported that the 92-year-old had been kept in a pigsty by her son and daughter-in-law \"for years\"."}
{"article": "Westminster Magistrates' Court heard how three of the six complainants made claims against him having first been approached by detectives. His barrister Jonathan Caplan QC asked for details of conversations between police and the women to be revealed. Mr Fox denies the offences, alleged to have taken place between 1991 and 2014. The 54-year-old DJ - known as Dr Fox - faces seven charges of indecent assault and two of sexual touching without consent. He is accused of assaulting girls and women aged between 14 and 36, at locations including the offices of London commercial radio stations Capital FM and Magic FM, as well as at the Chessington World of Adventures theme park. Westminster Magistrates' Court heard that during the trial witnesses would be called to give evidence via videolink from Australia, and that the complainants would be giving evidence from behind screens. Mr Fox sat taking notes throughout the administrative hearing. Details of the charges the Magic FM presenter is accused of have been reported after Mr Caplan asked for the reporting restrictions to be lifted at a previous hearing. Mr Caplan said there had been a lot of false reports about what his client had allegedly done. Among the charges, Mr Fox, from Fulham, in south-west London, is accused of repeatedly assaulting a woman at Capital Radio's studios in London's Leicester Square. Two other women claim to have been sexually touched against their will at Magic FM's premises, in central London, while two girls were allegedly assaulted at a motor show in Bromley, south-east London, in 1991. Mr Fox, who is is due to stand trial before magistrates on 5 November, was released on unconditional bail. A further hearing will be held in October.", "summary": "DJ Neil Fox has appeared in court accused of nine sex offences over a period spanning more than 20 years ahead of his trial later this year."}
{"article": "John Lowe, who killed Christine Lee and Lucy Lee in February, was given a minimum sentence of 25 years. The jury at his Guildford Crown Court trial was told Lowe wanted the women \"put down\". Surrey Police has apologised for returning Lowe's confiscated guns to him seven months before the shooting. Sentencing Lowe, Mr Justice Singh praised the \"extraordinary courage\" of Lucy Lee after she returned to face her killer after making a frantic 999 call. He said that, having heard the evidence, he had come to the \"clear conclusion\" the 82-year-old had intended to kill both of the women. \"You shot Lucy Lee in the back of her head after she made the 999 call, then reloaded your gun and pursued her outside the cottage, with the intention of making sure that this time she died,\" he said. In a victim impact statement Stacy Banner, Lucy Lee's sister, said she was \"haunted by what Lowe has done\". She said Lucy was the \"big sister who comforted and preceded me\" and the murders had left her struggling to eat and sleep. Outside court, she said: \"I'm relieved it's over. He's never getting out.\" Ms Banner has criticised police for returning guns to Lowe just months before he carried out the shootings. Surrey Police has admitted the decision \"was flawed and did not meet national standards\". Three Surrey Police employees are being investigated for gross misconduct by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) over the decision to return the weapons. Christine Lee's sister, Julia James, said she felt \"despair, physically and emotionally\" since the death of her two relatives. \"I miss them more than I can say,\" she said. At the start of the hearing, prosecutor Mark Dennis QC said Lowe's advanced age should not \"dramatically\" reduce his sentence and the \"starting point\" for a double murder of this kind would be a minimum of 30 years in jail. Surrey's Police and Crime Commissioner Kevin Hurley said as the trial was now over the inquiry could focus on why Lowe was given back his guns. Factors which would be investigated included whether the decision had been made because of \"human error by negligence, as a genuine mistake, or as a result of funding cuts to backroom staff\", he said.", "summary": "An 82-year-old man has been jailed for life for murdering his partner and her daughter who he shot at close range at his puppy farm in Surrey."}
{"article": "PC Graham Thomas was leaving Asda in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, last month when he saw the man run off. He dropped his own shopping and gave chase but returned to find his food and hamster treats had been taken. The shop refunded him but a Kent woman sent him a \u00a345 postal order. He said he was \"chuffed\" but was sending it back. PC Thomas had left his vegetables and hamster food at the customer service desk before heading off after the shoplifter. More on this story and others from Essex He did not catch him, but was doubly unhappy when he returned to find his food had been placed in a chiller cabinet - and had been taken, presumably by another shoplifter. At the time he described it as \"annoying\" but said he recognised people might \"find it amusing and ironic that this has happened to a copper\". Asda refunded the \u00a318 he had spent, but he has now received a postal order and letter from a well-wisher in Kent. She wrote: \"I see on the Teletext that you had your shopping nicked while you were helping arrest someone.\" The money was so he could \"get some more, this time keep your eye on it\". PC Thomas said: \"I'm writing her a nice letter. \"I just couldn't believe it. I'm well chuffed but I can't accept it, of course, so I am sending it back.\" He said he had been told a woman had handed his shopping back in at the store, but the original shoplifter was still at large.", "summary": "An off-duty policeman whose shopping was stolen as he tried to catch a supermarket shoplifter has received a cash windfall from a well-wisher."}
{"article": "Nigeria wants mobile phone companies to verify the identity of their customers. The government says it is concerned unregistered Sim cards are being used by criminal gangs. The South African company has been in talks with authorities since October when the original fine was imposed. It said on Thursday it had succeeded in reducing the fine by a third. The original fine amounted to double MTN's annual profits last year. Since it was imposed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), MTN has made a number of senior managerial changes, which included the resignation of the chief executive of its Nigerian unit, Sifiso Dabengwa. \"After further engagements with the Nigerian authorities, the NCC has reduced the imposed fine,\" MTN said in a statement. It added the fine was now $3.4bn. MTN has 231 million subscribers in 22 countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. However, Nigeria is its biggest market. In September, the company was named as most admired brand in Africa in the Brand Africa 100 awards, beating Samsung, while it was also awarded the continent's most valuable brand, worth $4.6bn (\u00c2\u00a33bn). MTN was South Africa's second mobile operator when it was set up in 1994 after the end of apartheid. It began its expansion across Africa four years later with operations in Rwanda, Uganda and Swaziland.", "summary": "Africa's largest mobile operator, MTN, has succeeded in its bid to reduce a $5.2bn \u00c2\u00a33.4bn) fine imposed by Nigerian authorities for failing to cut off unregistered users."}
{"article": "Nikola Zhulev, 30, is still charged with murdering 49-year-old Alan Gardner and attempting to defeat the ends of justice by hiding his body. He was formally acquitted at the High Court in Livingston of stealing Mr Gardner's Toyota 4x4 and valuables from his home in Balbeggie. Closing speeches in Mr Zhulev's trial will be made today. Prosecutors also withdrew a charge alleging that Mr Zhulev sold Mr Gardner's gold at a pawn shop and used his credit card to buy takeaway meals. He was also found not guilty of driving the car without an MoT certificate and possessing and dealing in heroin in the days leading up to the discovery of Mr Gardner's body. The jury watched a video recording of Mr Zhulev being interviewed by Det Con David Budd on 11 May 2015. Det Con Budd asked him: \"Are you going to tell us anything about what happened?\" Mr Zhulev replied: \"No.\" He then gave 'no comment' replies to questions about the last time he had contacted or seen Mr Gardner. The trial before Lady Rae continues.", "summary": "A Bulgarian man accused of murdering a Perthshire jeweller has had theft and fraud charges against him dropped."}
{"article": "The Argentine, 44, was appointed in May 2014 on a five-year deal and guided Spurs to a fifth-place finish in the Premier League and a League Cup final in his first season in charge. With one game to go, Spurs are guaranteed a top-three Premier League finish this season. \"We believe this is just the beginning,\" said Pochettino. Spurs were challenging for the Premier League title until a bad-tempered 2-2 draw at Chelsea last week ensured Leicester City were crowned champions of England. Pochettino has created a fast and powerful side with a backbone of young English players such as striker Harry Kane, defender Eric Dier and midfielder Dele Alli, who have all received their first international caps during the Argentine's tenure. He was photographed having lunch with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson this week, prompting rumours he could be a target for the Old Trafford team this summer. However, the former Paris St-Germain player believes he can bring trophies to Spurs. Media playback is not supported on this device \"We have a long-term project and huge belief that we can achieve something big here for the future,\" added Pochettino. \"This club has all the ingredients to continue to challenge at the very top in both the Premier League and in Europe. \"We want to be here to be a part of what I believe will be a special period in the club's history.\" Assistant head coach Jesus Perez, first team coach Miguel D'Agostino and first team goalkeeping coach Toni Jimenez have also agreed extensions to their contracts.", "summary": "Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has signed a contract extension which commits him to the club until 2021."}
{"article": "The victim was walking with two female friends when a verbal altercation took place with a large group of youths. He was then assaulted. The incident took place in Finella Gardens, in the Fintry area, at about 20:30 on Tuesday 9 February. The man suffered a neck injury during the assault but did not require medical attention. Officers said they were keen to speak to two men aged about 17. One was described as being 5ft 5in, with short blonde hair, and wearing a Nike light grey jogging bottoms. The other was about 5ft, with short dark hair, and was wearing black gloves and jogging bottoms.", "summary": "Police have appealed for information two weeks after a 19-year-old man was attacked in a Dundee street."}
{"article": "Ond pa mor dda ydych chi am 'nabod eich Llannau? Rhowch gynnig ar gwis Cymru Fyw:", "summary": "O Langefni i Lanilltud Fawr, Llangollen i Lanelli, mae 'Llan' i'w gweld ym mhob cwr o Gymru."}
{"article": "The wall, which was nine feet high, was sent crashing down in Listmas Road, Chatham, just before 22:00 GMT. Equipment normally used to find casualties buried under collapsed buildings was drafted in to help specialists assess the damage. A fire service spokesman said no-one was injured, adding that the cause of the collapse was unknown.", "summary": "A 130ft long wall suddenly collapsed on to a Kent road severely damaging a number of vehicles on Thursday night."}
{"article": "The surprising discovery suggests that the birds are preparing their offspring for warm conditions after they hatch. Scientists collected eggs and incubated them in controlled conditions, playing recordings of the incubation song. Compared to a control group, hatchlings that received these calls grew more slowly and coped better in the heat. Writing in the journal Science, the researchers say this is the sort of adaptation that could help animals acclimatise to rising global temperatures. \"It doesn't mean that they will still be able to breed at extreme temperatures - this was within the range they currently experience,\" said the paper's lead author Mylene Mariette, from Deakin University in Geelong. \"But what's encouraging is that it's a strategy that the birds use to adjust the growth of their offspring to temperature, that we didn't know about.\" It is also the first time that singing to unborn chicks has been shown to yield such long-term results. Previous studies have mostly concentrated on egg-bound embryos learning particular calls from their parents. \"We knew it could have some short-term effects on cognition and learning, but our study is the first to show that is has an effect on their growth and their development - and that those effects last until adulthood,\" Dr Mariette told BBC News. \"It means that the acoustic environment before birth has more impact than we thought.\" She first noticed the rhythmic, high-pitched calls while making field recordings during her PhD. \"I was looking at how the parents talk to each other to coordinate parental care. That's when I noticed that sometimes when a parent was by itself in the nest, incubating the egg, it produced a quite different call. \"I wondered - hmm, are they talking to their eggs?\" When she started to study this squeaky serenade in detail, combing through Dr Mariette found that the birds were specifically singing it in the few days before eggs hatched - and only when the day's ambient temperature rose above about 26C. \"It's not that they do it spontaneously whenever it's hot; they do it when it's hot and when the embryos could potentially hear them,\" she said. To figure out the specific effect of the calls, Dr Mariette and her colleague Katherine Buchanan used zebra finches living in the university's outdoor aviaries. They collected eggs and, for the final five days of their incubation, played them either a recording of the birds' special egg-song, or a typical parent-to-parent call instead. As soon as they hatched, the 175 chicks were returned to various nests and the team observed the youngsters' development in detail. To begin with, the two groups were indistinguishable; the song hadn't changed the chicks' hatching weight. Within a few days, however, that changed. \"We found that, depending on whether or not they had heard the 'hot call' from their parents, they reacted differently to heat,\" Dr Mariette explained. \"They adjusted their growth to temperature differently, and also solicited food from their parents differently.\" Specifically, the \"heat song\" seemed to make the chicks develop slower - and remain lighter - if their", "summary": "When the weather is hot, zebra finches in Australia sing to their eggs - and these \"incubation calls\" change the chicks' development, a study has found."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old made two senior appearances while at Craven Cottage and had loan spells at Shrewsbury and Portsmouth. After leaving Fulham, he spent the 2015-16 season at Dagenham & Redbridge, playing 38 times in League Two. Last season, Passley made 13 appearances in National League South for Whitehawk. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "National League side Dover Athletic have signed former Fulham defender Josh Passley on a one-year deal."}
{"article": "About 23,000 pills were taken during a raid in Waterlooville, Hampshire, by officers working for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). MHRA is responsible for regulating all UK medicines and medical devices. Some of the drugs were marked \"herbal\", but actually contained the banned pharmaceutical ingredient sibutramine. Sibutramine was licensed as the medicine Reductil until 2010, when it was withdrawn across Europe and the US because of an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes associated with the use of the drug, the MHRA said. The agency's head of operations, Danny Lee-Frost, said: \"The action we have taken to seize these products demonstrates our total commitment to tackling this dangerous and illegal trade and to protecting patients. \"Criminals involved in the illegal supply of medical products aren't interested in your health - they are only interested in your money.\" He said that the pills \"may contain dangerous ingredients\" and warned that the \"consequences (of taking them) could be devastating\". Mr Lee-Frost added: \"The internet offers access to a vast number of websites offering a wide range of products marketed as 'slimming pills' or 'diet pills'. Many make attractive claims and offer quick-fix solutions. Be aware that 'natural' doesn't always mean safe.\"", "summary": "Unlicensed slimming pills with an estimated value of \u00a330,000 have been seized by enforcement officers."}
{"article": "Committee chairwoman Bethan Jenkins said it would \"better reflect Welsh life\" and AMs were pleased it was being considered by the corporation. AMs also called for an extra \u00c2\u00a330m to be spent each year on BBC English-language drama and broadcasting about Wales. The BBC said plans for more spending would be announced \"in due course\". The broadcaster has previously conceded aspects of Welsh life had not been \"sufficiently captured\" by its TV services in Wales. During its inquiry into the state of the broadcast media industry in Wales, BBC Director General Lord Hall told the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee that putting Wales-based news bulletins on Radio 1 and 2 was being discussed as part of a review. Ms Jenkins said her committee believed \"flagship stations such as Radio 1 and Radio 2 should carry Wales-specific opt-outs for their news programmes to better reflect Welsh life\". AMs were \"pleased to hear\" this was being seriously considered, she added. The committee's report said there should be no more funding cuts for S4C until an independent review of the channel had been completed. It also called on ITV Wales to take a more proactive approach to getting its programmes broadcast across the ITV network. A BBC spokeswoman said: \"We've said that improving how we portray and represent the different nations of the UK - including Wales - on our UK-wide services is a priority for the new Charter period. \"As part of this we've committed to spending more on English-language television programming in Wales and will set out the proposals in due course.\"", "summary": "Welsh listeners to BBC Radio 1 and 2 should hear news bulletins about Wales at certain times of the day, according to the assembly's culture committee."}
{"article": "A hardback edition of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I & II will be released on 31 July, the day after the play has debuted on stage in London. Following Wednesday's news, pre-orders have propelled it to number one on the Amazon and Waterstones book charts. The play sees Harry as a father and an overworked Ministry of Magic employee. The script is from an original new story by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will tell the \"untold part\" of the boy wizard's story, including the story of the lives of his murdered parents, Rowling has said. In a statement, Waterstones said it expected pre-orders to break all records and were already exceeding those for Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman over the comparable period. Last year, Go Set a Watchman was the first title whose pre-orders reached the heights of those for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2007. James Daunt, chief executive of Waterstones, also told Radio 4's Today the \"prospect of an eighth volume is extraordinarily exciting\". \"I challenge the notion that plays aren't a fabulous, an extraordinary, thing to read - that bloke Shakespeare wrote a few that were worth it, and indeed many of our modern playwrights do too. \"Because theatre is a very local phenomenon, play scripts do sell well, they just do so in the immediate locality of the theatre. They are wonderful entertainment, more people should do it.\" The special rehearsal edition of the script book will comprise the version of the play early in the production's preview period and is therefore subject to being changed before the official opening. The edition will, therefore, only be available for a limited time, said the publisher, \"to be replaced by the definitive collector's edition at a later date\". David Shelley, chief executive of the publishers Little, Brown Book Group said on Wednesday: \"We are so thrilled to be publishing the script of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. \"JK Rowling and her team have received a huge number of appeals from fans who can't be in London to see the play and who would like to read the play in book format - and so we are absolutely delighted to be able to make it available for them.\" The play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, has already proved to be a success with an initial round of 175,000 tickets sold in October within 24 hours of booking opening. Producers released a second batch, available to fans who had registered for priority booking. A third set is still to go on sale but the date is yet to be announced. Previews of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child begin in May at London's Palace Theatre, with both plays set to open on 30 July. Jamie Parker, currently starring in the West End show Guys and Dolls, will star as an adult Harry in the production. Noma Dumezweni, known for her 2006 Olivier Award-winning role in A Raisin in the Sun and for stepping in", "summary": "The script from the forthcoming Harry Potter play has leapt to the top of bestseller lists, a day after its July release was announced."}
{"article": "Called Throw Up 20.18 and led by Highland Print Studio, it will involve artists working with players, club volunteers and fans. The clubs taking part are Beauly, Fort William, Newtonmore and Skye. The finished artworks are to be produced as prints and will be exhibited at shinty events next year. The first of these event will be the Camanachd Cup Final followed by the Shinty/Hurling International before the prints are taken on tour. The four professional artists appointed are: Steven Mackenzie, of the Camanachd Association and Beauly club secretary, said: \"The Camanachd Association is very happy to be involved with this project and to hear that the four artists have been appointed. \"There is a lot of interest from the four clubs involved. \"From Beauly's perspective, we're looking forward to working with Tom Smith - even though he has connections with our traditional rivals, Lovat Shinty Club.\"", "summary": "Artists are to work with four Highland shinty clubs to create a series of artworks inspired by the sport's contemporary culture and heritage."}
{"article": "He is credited with the BJP's win in the recent election in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh. He replaces Rajnath Singh, who is the home minister in the new government. A controversial politician, Mr Shah is accused of sanctioning the killing of a Muslim civilian in 2005, when he was the home minister of Gujarat state. In 2010, Mr Shah resigned after he was charged with murder and kidnapping of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and arrested in connection with the killing. He spent more than three months in jail after which he was released on bail. Mr Shah denies the charges. Mr Shah, a general secretary of the BJP, was chosen its new president by the parliamentary board consisting of top party leadership on Wednesday. Announcing his appointment, the outgoing chief Rajnath Singh said Mr Shah was chosen unanimously by all members of the board. The 49-year-old is reported to be one of the youngest presidents of the party. He has a reputation for being a good organiser - in the run up to the general election, he was appointed to head the BJP's campaign in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh where he helped the party win an unprecedented 71 of the 80 seats for the party. During the campaign, the Election Commission barred him from addressing rallies after finding him guilty of giving \"hate speeches\" against the Muslim community. The ban was lifted after Mr Shah apologised and promised not to \"use abusive or derogatory language\". A long-time member of the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead of the BJP, Mr Shah has known Mr Modi for more than three decades. Correspondents say his appointment to the top post will give Mr Modi complete control over the party and the government.", "summary": "Amit Shah, a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been appointed the chief of India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)."}
{"article": "The new banknote will be smaller than the current one and be printed on a thin plastic. For more than 100 years, English banknotes have been made from cotton paper. Polymer banknotes are made from a very thin, flexible, see-through plastic film, with the design printed on special layers of ink on the front and back. Because the main material is see-through, the design can include clear spots that are like little windows you can look straight through. More than 20 countries around the world already use polymer banknotes - they include Scotland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The Bank of England says that polymer banknotes will be better than paper, because they will be: Cleaner: Shiny plastic doesn't get wet and dirty like paper. More secure: Features like the see-through windows are difficult to copy, so it's harder for criminals to make fake notes. Longer lasting: Plastic won't tear as easily as paper, so the notes should last longer. They're even expected to survive if they accidentally go in the washing machine, although they'd melt under extreme heat. The new \u00a35 note will be going into circulation in September this year. And it's not just the \u00a35 that's going plastic - polymer \u00a310 notes are planned for 2017, and polymer \u00a320 notes should be available by 2020.", "summary": "The Bank of England has unveiled the design for the new plastic \u00a35 note."}
{"article": "Eubank Jr, 27, produced a fine display to win by margins of 118-110, 118-110 and 120-108 at Wembley Arena. It was only the sixth defeat of Abraham's 52-fight career. Eubank Jr will now take part in the inaugural World Boxing Super Series - an eight-man tournament featuring some of the biggest names in the division. WBA champion George Groves and fellow Britons Callum Smith and Jamie Cox are also in the competition, which has a $50m (\u00a338m) prize fund. Eubank Jr will fight Turkey's Avni Yildirim in the Super Series quarter-finals in the autumn, with semi-finals in January and a May final in a tournament which organisers say will \"change the world of boxing.\" Abraham, 37, has beaten Britain's Paul Smith (twice) and Martin Murray in his career and lost on points to Carl Froch in November 2010. But the German, who has held world titles at middleweight and super-middleweight, was outclassed by the younger man. Eubank took his record to 25 wins and one defeat and felt he made \"a statement\" with the victory. He told ITV Sport: \"He's the most durable opponent I've faced. I hit him with every punch in the book. \"I'm happy with the performance. I got to show my skills, I got to go the 12 rounds and get the experience in.\" His father, Chris Eubank Sr, a former two-weight world champion, added: \"I believe he's the best in the world. Over the coming nine months, he will be able to clean the slate and come away with the Muhammad Ali Trophy and all the belts.\" On the undercard, Wales' Lee Selby retained his IBF world featherweight title with a unanimous points win over Argentina's Jonathan Victor Barros. Selby, 30, knocked the Argentine down in the last round before getting a wide verdict, with one judge scoring it 119-108 and two marking it as 117-110. In the featherweight division, Sheffield-based Kid Galahad maintained his unbeaten record with a 10th-round stoppage of Mexican Jose Cayetano. Galahad, 27, has now won all 22 of his professional bouts and this victory saw him collect the vacant IBF Inter-Continental title. Liverpool's Robbie Davies Jr suffered his first professional defeat in 16 contests as he was stopped in the last round of his super-lightweight bout with Poland's Michal Syrowatka. Martin Joseph Ward held on to his British super-featherweight belt and also gained the Commonwealth title with a unanimous points win over previously undefeated Anthony Cacace. Get all the latest boxing news sent straight to your device with notifications in the BBC Sport app. Find out more here.", "summary": "Chris Eubank Jr retained his IBO world super-middleweight title by beating former two-weight world champion Arthur Abraham with a unanimous points win."}
{"article": "The Exiles are bottom of the table following Saturday's 2-1 defeat against Mansfield Town, and are six points adrift of safety. \"I know we've got a lot of work to do and I know we've got to win football matches,\" Westley said. \"But honestly I think we're capable of winning football matches.\" Ryan Bird had given Newport an early lead against Mansfield but Krystian Pearce levelled for the home side. County's Jaanai Gordon was sent off for a second yellow card before Shaquile Coulthirst's penalty secured Steve Evans' side the win. Newport County had been unbeaten in five games before defeat at Cambridge United and although they secured a point at home to Morecambe, lost at Mansfield. The Exiles host the side one place and three points above them in the relegation zone, Leyton Orient, on Saturday \"It doesn't matter who we win the points against, we've got to go and win some football matches,\" Westley added. \"We'd been on a good unbeaten run until we lost at Cambridge and reacted well in midweek to earn another hard earned point. \"I think the lads have come together really well and it's good that we've got a clear week ahead of us because one or two of the knocks can clear up. \"We've got some good footballers here and we've been in a good run of form on the whole.\"", "summary": "Newport County manager Graham Westley is confident his side can secure the points needed to pull away from the League Two relegation zone."}
{"article": "Desmond D'Mello faces a fitness to practice hearing at the General Dental Council (GDC) next week. In 2014, more than 22,000 patients in Daybrook, Nottingham, were recalled, with 4,500 tested for viruses. Mr D'Mello faces 56 misconduct charges including hygiene failures and prescribing antibiotics without seeing patients. Dental nurse Caroline Surgey - who worked with Mr D'Mello at the Daybrook Dental Surgery - faces 28 similar charges. A spokesman for the GDC said: \"The charges in full against Mr D'Mello allege that in June 2014, he failed to maintain adequate infection control by not wearing gloves, failing to change gloves between patients and other related hygiene issues. \"It is also alleged that Mr D'Mello managed patients in an inadequate manner, including the way in which he issued prescriptions.\" This included allegedly prescribing antibiotics without seeing the patient or making a diagnosis. The pair's hearing is due to start on 8 August and last three weeks. Mr D'Mello was originally suspended in August 2014 over hygiene concerns. He later volunteered to stop working in the UK. Thousands were tested for blood borne viruses and five tested positive for hepatitis C. One of his patients, Amy Duffield, died shortly after treatment but a coroner concluded her death was not connected to the treatment.", "summary": "Details of the allegations against a dentist involved in the \"biggest recall in NHS history\" have been released."}
{"article": "Chesterfield's Dan Gardner was unfortunate to see a bending 27th-minute drive from inside the box hit the post. It was the Addicks' turn to be denied by the woodwork seven minutes later as Nicky Ajose burst through on goal and beat Ryan Fulton, only to see his effort come off the post. A superb one-handed save by Ryan Fulton prevented Josh Magennis heading Charlton in front shortly before the break. Northern Ireland international Magennis again went close with his head 12 minutes into the second half, placing his attempt inches off target after being picked out by Ricky Holmes' delivery. Ajose should have broken the deadlock with a quarter of an hour remaining but instead headed wide when it looked easier to score. But the opener eventually arrived four minutes from time when substitute Novak headed home from a Holmes cross. Jay O'Shea almost grabbed a stoppage-time equaliser for the Spireites with a shot that was deflected agonisingly behind for a corner as Charlton held on to seal back-to-back home victories. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Charlton Athletic 1, Chesterfield 0. Second Half ends, Charlton Athletic 1, Chesterfield 0. Chris Solly (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ricky German (Chesterfield). Corner, Chesterfield. Conceded by Patrick Bauer. Attempt blocked. Jay O'Shea (Chesterfield) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt missed. Lee Novak (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Substitution, Chesterfield. Ricky German replaces Ched Evans. Substitution, Chesterfield. Kristian Dennis replaces Liam Graham. Foul by Lee Novak (Charlton Athletic). Connor Dimaio (Chesterfield) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Goal! Charlton Athletic 1, Chesterfield 0. Lee Novak (Charlton Athletic) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ricky Holmes. Attempt saved. Gboly Ariyibi (Chesterfield) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Attempt saved. Patrick Bauer (Charlton Athletic) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Corner, Charlton Athletic. Conceded by Ian Evatt. Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Lee Novak replaces Nicky Ajose. Corner, Chesterfield. Conceded by Morgan Fox. Delay in match Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic) because of an injury. Jason Pearce (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Gboly Ariyibi (Chesterfield). Attempt missed. Nicky Ajose (Charlton Athletic) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Foul by Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic). (Chesterfield) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Nicky Ajose (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Ian Evatt (Chesterfield). Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Jordan Botaka replaces Ademola Lookman. Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic) is shown the yellow card. Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic) has gone down, but that's a dive. Attempt missed. Jay O'Shea (Chesterfield) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Substitution, Chesterfield. Jay O'Shea replaces Dan Gardner. Corner, Chesterfield. Conceded by Andrew Crofts. Attempt blocked. Ademola", "summary": "A late headed winner from substitute Lee Novak secured Charlton a scrappy triumph over Chesterfield."}
{"article": "With no play until 13:45 BST, the hosts declared on 478-8, a lead of 141, with 63 overs of play available. Calum Haggett's destructive spell of 3-13 from nine overs reduced the visitors to 132-6 with 21 overs left in the day. Jack Taylor (46 not out) and David Payne's (20 not out) unbeaten 53-run ninth-wicket stand saw Gloucestershire hold on as they finished on 211-8. Kent captain Sam Northeast told BBC Radio Kent: \"The emotion from the team is of disappointment, but they shouldn't be really because we've played all the cricket. \"I'm very pleased today with the effort from the bowlers on a pretty flat pitch. They bent their backs and nearly got the result. \"We came so close and if it wasn't for the rain we probably would've got it. We're near at the moment, we're playing good cricket, which is a positive sign.\"", "summary": "Kent were denied their second win of the season as Gloucestershire held on for a nervy draw at Canterbury."}
{"article": "Cooper, 30, from Stroud, will compete in the Supersport and Supertwins classes over the 2.1-mile Orritor circuit, as well as the feature event. The ex-British 125cc champion will be joined at the meeting by Guy Martin and 2016 double Superbike winner Derek Sheils on a Cookstown BE Racing Suzuki. All classes for the races on 28 and 29 April boast full grids. Cooper qualified on pole positions for the two Supertwins outings at the North West 200 last May but crashed out in Thursday night's race after being unable to avoid fellow faller Ryan Farquhar as the pair diced for the lead at Dhu Varren. He will ride a 600cc Honda and an ER6 Kawasaki at the second Irish national road race of the season. Martin will be on board the new Honda Fireblade SP2 Superstock machine in the Open and feature races at Cookstown, while there remains a possibility that Michael Dunlop will make his roads bow on the Bennetts Suzuki. Other notable entries for the race include Mullingar's Derek McGee, McAdoo Racing recruit James Cowton, Michael Sweeney, Paul Jordan, Adam McLean and newcomer Alistair Kirk. Roads close for practice on Friday 28 April from 12:00 BST and from 10:00 BST on Saturday for racing. A week earlier, Honda Racing pilot Martin will also be part of the line-up at the Tandragee 100 on 21-22 April. Also on the grid for the local road racing season curtain-raiser will be William Dunlop on his Supersport Yamaha, Sheils, McGee, Sweeney, Alan Bonner, Seamus Elliott, Shaun Anderson, Gary Dunlop, Davy Morgan, Jordan and McLean. Meanwhile, 23-times Isle of Man TT winner John McGuinness is recovering after suffering a dislocated thumb in a testing crash at Castle Combe.", "summary": "Dan Cooper, a Supertwins winner at last year's Ulster Grand Prix, will make his debut at the Cookstown 100 this month."}
{"article": "Michael Ellerton said steroid hormones prednisone and prednisolone appeared in his system because of mouth ulcer medication he was taking. UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) refused his retrospective application for a therapeutic use exemption. But Ukad added it was \"satisfied Ellerton did not act intentionally\". Ellerton tested positive in an in-competition test at the Port Talbot Wheelers Cycling Club's annual 25 Mile Time Trial on 11 September 2016. A ComRes poll for BBC Sport released earlier this week of more than 1,000 members of sports clubs and teams found more than a third (35%) of amateur sports people say they personally know someone who has doped.", "summary": "A 55-year-old amateur cyclist has been banned from all sport for two years after testing positive for banned substances at a race in September."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old centre-back has made one substitute appearance for the Saints in the Premier League and is captain of the club's under-21 side. He led Southampton to victory in last season's Premier League Under-21 Cup. \"Our last two games haven't reached our high standards defensively and he's a new option who adds competition,\" said Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth. \"Jason's a very highly-rated defender who's had good experience in the under-21s at Southampton and they feel he's ready to go out and get a taste of what senior football is like at League Two level,\" Ainsworth added to the club website.", "summary": "Wycombe Wanderers have signed teenage Southampton defender Jason McCarthy on an initial one-month loan."}
{"article": "By the close, the benchmark FTSE 100 was up 170.6 points, or 3%, at 5,707.6. On Thursday, the index fell 2.4%, while US and European markets also posted sharp declines amid continued anxiety about the state of the global economy. Friday's biggest gains came from mining giant Anglo American after an uptick in base metals prices and an oil price rally. Aerospace firm Rolls-Royce also saw big gains, rising 16% after the firm announced annual profits of \u00c2\u00a31.35bn, although it added that it would be cutting its dividend by 50%. Share indexes in Frankfurt and Paris also rebounded by more than 2%. On the commodities markets, Brent crude was up 9.3% at $32.86, while US light crude rose 12.0% to $29.36. On the currency markets, the pound was up 0.74% against the euro at \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.2878. The currency was also 0.15% lower against the dollar at $1.4454.", "summary": "(Close): London's leading share index has closed 3.06% higher, rallying after Thursday's big losses."}
{"article": "Gales hitting 100mph (161 km/h) ripped through parts of Gwynedd in 2014, laying waste to the gardens at Plas Tan y Bwlch at Maentwrog. A specialist consultant was recruited by the Snowdonia National Park Authority to restore the landscape to its former glory. It involved planting 400 new plants - and has now erupted into colour. \"The gardens were originally created by the Oakeley family who owned the estate in the Victorian era,\" said Plas Tan y Bwlch's head of business, Andrew Oughton. \"They were particularly fond of magnolias, rhododendrons, camellias and Japanese maples, so we have planted new varieties of these, along with many other species.\" The venue had to be closed initially following the storms in February 2014 and could not reopen until the summer. But it has still needed another 18 months of constant work to clear fallen trees, replant shrubs and plants and reinstate paths. New trails and a tearoom have also been installed as part of the restoration project. \"Only in the past few days everything has burst into flower, creating a spectacle of colour the like of which has not been seen for many years,\" added Mr Oughton.", "summary": "A Victorian garden devastated by storms is back in full bloom in Snowdonia after two years of restoration work."}
{"article": "Paul Hemming was jailed for beating partner Natalie Hemming, 31, to death in the lounge of their Milton Keynes home as their children slept, last May. But their son woke up and after seeing his mother's body wrapped in a rug, showed police where it happened. The family has been speaking ahead of a documentary about the murder case. The body of Ms Hemming - who shared a surname with her partner but they were not married - was found in Hertfordshire woodland three weeks after she disappeared. More news from Buckinghamshire She was reported missing two days after she vanished by her mother, who voiced concerns to police about Hemming. Hemming, 43, who had murdered her after hearing she was having an affair, was jailed for at least 20 years in November. Ms Hemming's sisters Kerry Hammond and Joanne Beverley have told the BBC Hemming was a \"very charming, smiley, happy guy that could quite frankly sell ice to Eskimos\". However, he was a manipulative and controlling man with a violent temper who could \"go off the handle\". She once needed hospital treatment after he threw a phone at her head. The violence culminated in the killing of Ms Hemming at the hands of her partner, some of which was witnessed by the couple's son. \"He's sitting on that chair swinging his legs and he just blurts out this whole little story about unfortunately seeing mummy wrapped in a rug,\" his aunt Ms Beverley said. \"He drew this map of the living room and he showed them where he'd seen Paul cleaning the floor and actually that is exactly where they found the evidence that they needed to be able to charge him.\" A year after the murder, the child was finally coming to terms with what his father had done, Ms Hammond said. The story of how Hemming became the subject of a murder inquiry before his victim's body was found, is told in a Channel 4 documentary Catching a Killer, to be shown at 21:00 BST.", "summary": "A six-year-old boy whose evidence helped convict his father of his mother's murder \"finally believes Daddy did do it,\" his family has said."}
{"article": "Matt Brittin said he understood public anger about the amount of tax it paid. However, he said Google was paying 20% tax on its UK profits, not the 3% figure cited in some reports. The \u00a3130m in UK tax it paid for the 10 years from 2005 was reached following a \"six-year rigorous, independent tax audit\" by HMRC, Mr Brittin said. Tom Hutchinson, Google's global tax chief, told MPs that the company did not negotiate its tax settlement with HMRC. He told the committee that the tax authorities did not \"throw out a number - it's not a negotiation\", adding: \"There was no top-line figure; that's not how the process works.\" The \u00a3130m payment included \u00a318m in interest, Mr Hutchinson told MPs, but no penalties or payments under the government's diverted profits tax - also known as the \"Google tax\". Today's Public Accounts Committee hearing was interesting less for Google's explanation of its tax arrangements - we've heard much of that detail before - and more for HMRC's defence of the settlement. There Dame Lin Homer, the head of HMRC, made two significant points. First, she said that under the law HMRC could not have demanded more from Google, pointing out that the \u00a3130m settlement was the largest the technology giant had signed outside the US. Dame Lin said it would not have helped if HMRC had gone to court. Certainly, proving that the company had acted \"unreasonably\" is difficult. Second, Dame Lin said that HMRC applied the same tax laws to Google as it did to any business and that at any one time up to two-thirds of large businesses are under-going some form of tax audit process. HMRC says it is constrained by the complicated tax laws. If they are to change, it is politicians who need to act. MPs also questioned HMRC officials about their settlement with Google. Jim Harra, its head of business taxation, said the company was not fined, despite underpaying tax, because proving \"insufficient care\" was \"very difficult\". Dame Lin Homer, HMRC chief executive, admitted that the six-year investigation into Google's tax affairs took a long time to complete, but said that similar inquiries into far smaller firms could be just as lengthy. Mr Brittin said there had been no co-ordination with the Treasury about the timing of Google's announcement about the tax settlement late last month. The Chancellor, George Osborne, described it as a victory for the government. The timing was determined by the fact that the figure was due to be made public when the company's UK accounts were filed, Mr Brittin said. Dame Lin told MPs that HMRC informed the relevant minister that a big company was to make a tax announcement the following day, but did not name the firm. \"What we don't, and never, do is share taxpayer information with ministers and Treasury colleagues,\" she said. In a statement released after the hearing, Google said that it had 2,329 staff in the UK last year compared with 156 in 2005. In an article for the Telegraph published on Thursday, Mr Brittin", "summary": "Google's UK chief has defended the search giant's tax arrangements in a hearing before MPs on the Commons Public Accounts Committee."}
{"article": "20-year-old Shaw will have an operation on his return to Manchester, the club said. He was treated on the pitch for 10 minutes after Hector Moreno's tackle. \"It was a very bad tackle. He had the oxygen mask on and was crying in the dressing room,\" said boss Louis van Gaal. Shaw has started all of United's eight games this season, as well as playing in England's European Championship qualifiers against San Marino and Switzerland. Yet with just nine months to go until Euro 2016, Shaw has faces a tough battle to get himself fit and ready in time to get into the England squad again. Less than an hour after suffering the injury, Shaw wrote on Twitter: \"Thank you everyone for your messages, words can't describe how gutted I am, my road to recovery starts now, I will come back stronger.\" Memphis Depay scored the opener for Manchester United before Hector Moreno, who has apologised for his tackle on Luke Shaw, headed in an equaliser just before half-time. Luciano Narsingh then nodded home in the second half to secure victory for PSV Eindhoven.", "summary": "Defender Luke Shaw broke his right leg in two places in Manchester United's 2-1 Champions League loss at PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands."}
{"article": "An inhaler and firelighter were used to make the device that ignited in a bin at Preston's Fishergate Shopping Centre on Thursday. Lancashire Police said it had \"the potential to cause serious injury if it had exploded\". The 27-year-old from Preston is being held on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. It is understood the device, which was found in the men's toilets at about 09:10 GMT, had matches attached and had been lit but the aerosol inside the inhaler \"did not go off\". An evacuation was ordered \"as a precaution\" because the incendiary had \"gone off, causing very minor damage and no injuries\", police said. The centre remained closed for the rest of Thursday because of concerns there may be more devices but reopened at 09:00.", "summary": "A man has been arrested over an \"improvised incendiary device\" that led to a shopping centre being evacuated."}
{"article": "Mourad Laachraoui, brother of Najim Laachraoui, won the -54kg final in Montreux, Switzerland, on Thursday. He beat 18-year-old Spanish fighter Jesus Tortosa 6-3 to claim the title. The 21-year-old, who will compete at Rio 2016, has said he was \"scared and saddened\" by his brother's role in the attack on the Belgian capital in March. Speaking at a news conference he arranged in Brussels following the attacks, Mourad Laachraoui also said no-one in his family had heard from his brother since 2013. Najim, 24, was one of two men who carried out devastating bomb attacks in the check-in area of Zaventem airport on 22 March. A third bomb was detonated at Maelbeek metro station shortly after, with a total of 32 people killed. Prosecutors have also linked him to November's attacks in Paris in which 130 people died.", "summary": "A Belgian whose older brother was one of the suicide bombers in the terror attacks on Brussels has won gold at the European Taekwondo Championships."}
{"article": "Instead of the broad shoulders and square jaw of Colin Firth there is a modestly-sized chest and pointy chin. There is little description of him in Pride and Prejudice, so the academics used historical fashions from the 1790s, when it was written. This version also wears a powdered wig. \"Our Mr Darcy portrayal reflects the male physique and common features at the time,\" says Amanda Vickery, professor of early modern history at Queen Mary University of London. \"Men sported powdered hair, had narrow jaws and muscular, defined legs were considered very attractive,\" she says. Colin Firth got the nation's collective hearts racing in 1995 with his depiction of the mysterious Mr Darcy in the BBC's adaptation. Further adaptations since have followed in the style of Firth's portrayal including Matthew Macfadyen in the 2005 film of Pride and Prejudice. But the academics say their muscular chests and broad shoulders would have been the sign of a labourer and not a gentleman at the time the book was written. The fans' favourite Mr Darcy moments - when Colin Firth walked out of a lake dripping wet and Matthew Macfadyen crossed a field in the mist, both showing off their chests - would not have looked the same with the historically accurate Mr Darcy and his sloping narrow shoulders. Some fans have not been impressed by the portrait. Professor John Sutherland, from University College London, who led the research says they only had \"scraps\" of physical description of the character Fitzwilliam Darcy. As well as looking at the fashions of the day they also looked at Austen's relationships and the men who may have inspired her characters. \"He is our most mysterious and desirable leading man of all time, says Prof Sutherland. And he appears frequently in modern culture. Further depictions of Mr Darcy include Matthew Rhys who played the character in the TV adaptation of the Pride and Prejudice \"sequel\" Death Comes to Pemberley. He also inspired the character of Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding, also portrayed by Colin Firth in the film versions. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Academics have revealed what they claim is the first \"historically accurate\" portrait of Jane Austen's Mr Darcy - and he's a world away from the romantic hero of films and TV."}
{"article": "Short term loan provider Springleaf has been given permission to buy OneMain from parent company Citigroup, provided it sells 127 of its own branches. The new company would be left with more than 1,800 branches nationwide. Both firms provide personal loans of under $6,000 (\u00c2\u00a33,940), which have a set number of scheduled payments lasting between a few months and a few years. Springleaf announced its plan to buy OneMain for $4.25bn in March. The deal hit a snag when US authorities claimed the tie-up could make it harder for people with poor personal financial ratings living in 11 states to access lines of credit. The agreement reached on Friday with the Department of Justice and state regulators ends an anti-trust lawsuit. Shares in Springleaf rose 11.95% on the news.", "summary": "The second largest provider of personal instalment loans in the US is to buy its biggest competitor."}
{"article": "Of the 12 seats that were up for election, the Conservatives gained one with Matt Lacey taking the ward of Claines from the Liberal Democrats. It means the Conservatives have 17 seats, Labour has 16 with the Lib Dems and the Greens holding one each. Wyre Forest District Council also remains under no overall control and Labour retained control in Redditch. It has 17 of the 29 seats in Redditch, after gaining two. Conservatives remain the largest single party in Wyre Forest, with 15 seats, while UKIP were the big winners on the day, gaining five seats. In Worcester, the council was controlled by the Conservatives until May 2013, with the support of two Lib Dem councillors. Then the Lib Dems switched their allegiance, along with one Green councillor, to hand control to Labour. Adrian Gregson, Labour councillor and current council leader, said: \"There will obviously have to be some discussions on what happens next, with all the parties. \"We've held all our seats and have increased our votes in some of those, but the people of Worcester have said it's a really tight vote here and in most places have rejected the main national parties.\" Conservative Simon Geraghty said: \"I think it is time to have a discussion and see if we can do things slightly differently in Worcester.\"", "summary": "No party has managed to gain control of Worcester City Council following the local elections."}
{"article": "The company wants to extract shale gas at Little Plumpton and Roseacre Wood on the Fylde Coast. In June, the council rejected both planning applications, after fracking was suspended in the UK in 2011. The company said \"a natural step\" would now be to appeal. Cuadrilla said the council's planning officer \"had recommended approval of the Preston New Road site\" at Little Plumpton \"and was very clear that the proposals were acceptable in relation to noise and visual impacts.\". Its chief executive, Francis Egan, said: \"We have given careful consideration to appeal the planning decisions taken by Lancashire County Council. This is a natural step in the democratic process for deciding any planning application.\" He added: \"We recognise that onshore shale gas exploration still feels relatively new in the UK and we remain committed to engaging with local communities to reassure them that exploratory operations can and will be carried out safely and in an environmentally responsible way.\" The company was granted planning permission for monitoring works around the proposed site at Roseacre Wood, but said it would appeal against certain conditions that were imposed. The appeals on monitoring works are expected to be submitted within the next week, and the shale gas exploration site appeals will \"follow in due course,\" the company said. Fracking - or hydraulic fracturing - was suspended in the UK in 2011 following earth tremors in Blackpool where Cuadrilla previously drilled. It is a technique in which water and chemicals are pumped into shale rock at high pressure to extract gas. Friends of the Earth campaigner Furqan Naeem said: \"Cuadrilla's decision to appeal Lancashire's Council's resounding 'no' to controversial fracking shows a blatant disregard for the views of local people and local democracy. \"Lancashire councillors and residents have rejected fracking and the government's recent report revealing potential negative impacts on everything from the health of residents, to house prices, to climate change shows they were right to do so.\" But Babs Murphy, chief executive of North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said: \"The delay has already cost our local business community approximately \u00c2\u00a33.5m of immediate contracting opportunities as five of six shortlisted contractors operate in Lancashire.\"", "summary": "The shale gas firm Cuadrilla is to appeal against the decision by Lancashire County Council to refuse permission to drill and frack at two sites in the county."}
{"article": "It was drawn up following the death of 16-year-old Bailey Gwynne, who was stabbed during a fight with a fellow pupil at Cults Academy. Staff will be provided with clarity on the recording of incidents in schools, pupil searches and when and how to confiscate weapons, including knives. The schoolboy's killer is serving nine years for culpable homicide. An independent review into the death of Bailey in October last year found his death was \"potentially avoidable\" if teachers had known his attacker carried a knife. The review, conducted by child welfare professional Andrew Lowe, made 21 recommendations. Other actions approved by the council include providing professional learning opportunities to teachers in order that they can deliver anti-weapon and knife crime lessons. Gayle Gorman, director of education and children's services, said: \"The report before committee outlined and demonstrated Aberdeen City Council and our partners clear commitment to implement the recommendations of the review - and indeed to go further to ensure that our children, young people, families, communities and staff are as informed as they can be regarding the tragic and devastating consequences of carrying weapons. \"I know that no strategy, or indeed case review, will alter the fact that Bailey is no longer with us and that his loss is keenly felt by all who knew and loved him. \"As always my thoughts are with Bailey's family.\"", "summary": "A strategy aimed at preventing knives and weapons getting into Aberdeen schools has been approved."}
{"article": "A study by professional services firm PwC found an average of six high street chain stores closed every week across Scotland last year. The figure was similar to 2013's but fewer new stores took their place. Overall, a net 66 shops disappeared from Scotland's high streets over the course of the year. The research found that mobile phone shops, bank branches and fashion stores were among those hardest hit. PwC said high streets were transforming as consumers increasingly adopted newer digital channels, mobile technologies and smartphone apps, adding that retailers were now favouring \"clicks over bricks\". Bruce Cartwright, head of business recovery services at PwC in Scotland, said: \"The Scottish high street continues its drastic overhaul in response to the advance of online sales and changing consumer demand, with last year's numbers exposing the harsh impact of 'macro' changes on the high street, especially in certain sub-sectors. \"Regulation has blindsided the money shops, the advance of technology has hammered some phone operators and the internet continues to dent the clothing sector. \"Despite the Scottish economy reflecting healthy, sustainable growth during 2014 and into 2015, the net loss of shops has accelerated. \"The insolvencies of Phones4U, Blockbuster, Albemarle & Bond and La Senza - a diverse cross-section of the retail market - epitomise these factors.\" He added: \"Despite the continuing problem of closures, new sub-sectors - such as discount shops and charity shops - keep growing. \"The strength of the restaurant and fast-food sectors is also a boost for the high street.\"", "summary": "Scotland's high streets are facing drastic change because of pressure from online sales and changing consumer habits, according to a new report."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old scored twice in eight appearances for the Hammers after joining from Velez Sarsfield. But he had fallen out of favour at Upton Park following his summer move. QPR boss Harry Redknapp said: \"We're really pleased to bring Mauro in. He's a good footballer, someone with great ability who can play as a number 10.\" A move looked on the cards after Zarate was quoted in the press as saying his manager Sam Allardyce refused to play him because he was signed by Hammers co-chairman David Sullivan. Allardyce responded to that claim by saying the player \"wasn't good enough\" for West Ham. After joining QPR, Zarate said: \"I need to play and Queens Park Rangers have given me this chance to show what I can do.\" He could make his Hoops debut in the Premier League at Burnley on Saturday.", "summary": "West Ham's Argentina striker Mauro Zarate has signed for Premier League rivals Queens Park Rangers on loan until the end of the season."}
{"article": "The six-year strategy aims to produce 15 new cars or derivatives of existing models and lift annual sales to as much as 5,000 cars, from 1,600. At least half of the cars will have hybrid engine technology. McLaren Automotive, which draws on technology used by the F1 racing team, was launched just six years ago. Mike Flewitt, McLaren Automotive's chief executive, told the BBC: \"This business plan confirms that McLaren Automotive will remain proudly and fiercely independent by continuing to build the world's finest two-seater sports and supercars.\" But he added that plan, called Track 22, was also about broadening the Uk supercar maker's customer base with a new range of cars more attractive to the rich - rather than just the super-rich. The company is responsible for supercars including the \u00a31m petrol-electric hybrid McLaren P1, but has already started introducing cheaper models. This includes the launch at the Geneva Motor Show of the \u00a3150,000-plus 570GT, which is pitched at some rival cars produced by Ferrari and Porsche. Rather than being a racing machine, Mr Flewitt says the 570GT is designed to give a more relaxed drive, and has been designed with a more comfortable suspension. It also has more luggage capacity. \"We see this [car] as being very easy to drive on a day-to-day basis,\" Mr Flewitt said. About a quarter of the new \u00a31bn investment will go directly into research and development, Mr Flewitt said. This will include work on an all-electric prototype. Electric sportscar technology is advancing fast, led by the likes of Tesla. He also hopes that the new range of cars will bring down the age profile of a typical McLaren buyer, which is 40-plus in Europe. However, the typical Chinese buyer is in his or her 20s. The Track 22 plan will involve McLaren Automotive adding about 500 staff to its existing 1,500. A second production shift has already started at the company's factory at Woking, Surrey, and a recruitment drive has begun. Many of the jobs will be skilled engineering roles. Mr Flewitt said the market for good engineers is \"undoubtedly getting more competitive.\" But he added: \"Luckily, McLaren is an attractive brand to come and work for.\" More than 90% of McLaren's output is for export, and the company has seen sales fall in China as the economy slows. Is he worried about the health of the global economy? \"You worry about it all the time. The strategy we took was to make sure we had broad distribution. \"We sell cars into 30 markets, with 82 dealerships. As one market comes down - China has dropped this year and last year - other markets strengthen,\" he said.", "summary": "McLaren Automotive, part of the F1 group, has unveiled a \u00a31bn expansion plan to produce up to 15 new models and recruit 500 staff."}
{"article": "In a televised address, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said \"evil\" forces were conspiring against the country but would not succeed. A range of groups have called for demonstrations, including against the handing of two islands to Saudi Arabia. Security has been stepped up across the country and at key sites. The protests have been called in defiance of an anti-protest law that gives the authorities the power to ban gatherings of more than 10 people. Monday is also a national holiday that marks the anniversary of Israel's withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982. President Sisi's decision earlier this month to cede control over the two Red Sea islands sparked a rare public backlash against him. He was forced to defend the move, saying the islands - Sanafir and Tiran - had always belonged to Saudi Arabia. Egyptian troops have been stationed on the islands since 1950 at the request of Saudi Arabia. Critics, though, have objected to the way Mr Sisi has handed them back to Saudi Arabia, saying it is anti-constitutional. In his speech on Sunday, Mr Sisi said there were \"people calling once again for damage to [Egypt's] security and stability. \"Our responsibility is to protect security and stability, and I promise Egyptians that no-one will terrorise them again.\" Troops have been deployed to key areas of Egypt's main cities, and agents have reportedly rounded up dozens of activists, journalists and lawyers from their homes and cafes in Cairo. On Monday, three journalists were arrested in central Cairo, the Associated Press news agency quoted a Press Syndicate member as saying, though the grounds for their arrest are not known. The BBC's Orla Guerin, who is in the Egyptian capital, said in a tweet that pro-Sisi supporters had attacked a colleague while a policeman stood by. The colleague was \"ok\", she said. Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar said security forces would \"confront with extreme rigour any attempt to disturb public order\", AFP news agency reports. Observers say public dissatisfaction with Mr Sisi has grown recently because of the poor state of the economy and recent alleged cases of abuse by security forces. As commander-in-chief of the armed forces in 2013, Mr Sisi led the military's overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi following mass protests against his rule. Since then, more than 1,000 people have been killed and 40,000 are believed to have been jailed in a sweeping crackdown on dissent, most of them supporters of Morsi's now outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Local and international human rights activists say the situation in the country is dire, with Amnesty International saying Egypt has reverted \"back to a police state\".", "summary": "Egypt's president has warned against what he called attempts to destabilise the state, ahead of planned anti-government protests."}
{"article": "The New Wales Link Path spans an extra 18 miles (29km), joining the route near the Cheshire border at Saltney Ferry. It takes in four counties in all, stretching into Wrexham at Caergwrle and meeting the Offa's Dyke trail at Llandegla Forest in Denbighshire. Flintshire council secured \u00c2\u00a330,000 in funding to pay for route-markers. \"If you are looking for a bit more of a challenge to walk around Wales, this route is for you,\" said councillor Bernie Attridge, cabinet member for the environment. Work on Wales Coast Path, the world's first round an entire country, began in 2007 with the formal opening in May 2012.", "summary": "A new link has been added to the 870-mile Wales Coast Path at Flintshire for walkers seeking a \"bit more of a challenge\"."}
{"article": "The Department of Health is launching an eight-week consultation on Monday to expand the rating programme which is run by the Care Quality Commission. The government want the ratings to cover up to 1,000 facilities including those offering pregnancy termination services and substance misuse advice. The health secretary said it would help end the \"lottery\" of poor practice. \"Anyone who chooses to have a cosmetic procedure should have high quality and safe care - and that's why we have a tough regulator in place to help people make an informed decision,\" Jeremy Hunt said. \"Our proposals to extend the CQC's powers to rate more providers are an important step forward in improving standards and will help to end the lottery of poor practice in parts of the cosmetic industry.\" The proposals also involve rating independent community health providers, ambulance services and dialysis units, with 100 cosmetic surgery clinics among the 1,000 providers who could be rated. The CQC has rated more than 10,000 providers since 2014 but it has focused on providers with the most patients, including NHS Trusts, Foundation Trusts, GP practices, adult social care providers and independent hospitals.. It does currently inspect cosmetic surgery clinics, - but does not rate them as being \"outstanding\", \"good\", \"requires improvement\" or \"inadequate\" and publish the results online, as it does with hospitals and GPs. Officials believe extending the scheme is a necessary step towards improving safety and informed choice after high profile scares such as the PIP breast implant scandal in 2012.", "summary": "Cosmetic surgery clinics in England which are not up to standard could be named under new government proposals."}
{"article": "Arturo Vidal scored Bayern's first when he drilled home after his initial shot had been blocked. Germany striker Thomas Muller then turned in from close range as defender Mats Hummels nodded down from a corner. Forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and recent signing Ousmane Dembele went close for Dortmund. \"It was difficult and Dortmund played very, very well,\" said Ancelotti, who took over from Manchester City-bound Pep Guardiola in the summer and has won his 18th title as a coach. \"But things worked much better for us after the break and this gives us some self-confidence for the Bundesliga. \"This team is already very, very strong.\" The Bundesliga season starts on Friday, 26 August, when Bayern begin their title defence against Werder Bremen.", "summary": "Carlo Ancelotti gained his first trophy as Bayern Munich coach thanks to their 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup."}
{"article": "The female panda Tian Tian came into season late on Wednesday night and she was artificially inseminated in the early hours of Thursday. Keepers then tried to introduce her to male Yang Guang but her hormone levels had already dropped and he guessed she was not interested. The zoo will now keep Tian Tian under observation for the three months in the hope that a panda cub will follow. Edinburgh zoo acquired the pandas on loan from China in 2011 and previous attempts to mate the pair have failed. Tian Tian, which means Sweetie, and male Yang Guang (Sunshine) were the first giant pandas to live in the UK for 17 years. The last pandas in the UK, Ming Ming and Bao Bao, left a zoo in London in 1994 after failing to mate.", "summary": "Edinburgh Zoo's pandas did not manage to mate naturally, it has emerged."}
{"article": "Simply titled Chuck, the 2017 release will be \"comprised primarily of new, original songs\" and was recorded \"in various studios around St Louis\". \"I've worked on this record for a long time,\" Berry said in a statement. \"Now I can hang up my shoes!\" The veteran musician said the record was dedicated to Themetta \"Toddy\" Berry, his \"beloved\" wife of 68 years. Two of Berry's children, Charles Berry Jr and Ingrid Berry, will be heard on the album playing guitar and harmonica respectively. Berry Jr said the new songs \"cover the spectrum from hard-driving rockers to soulful, thought-provoking time capsules of a life's work.\" Other longtime members of Berry's hometown backing group - among them bass player Jimmy Marsala and pianist Robert Lohr - will play on the disc. In a career spanning seven decades, Berry has released a string of classic songs such as Roll Over Beethoven and Johnny B Goode. He received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1984 and was among the first inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. \"It is a great honour to be a part of this record and the broader legacy of Chuck Berry,\" said Paul Roper of Dualtone Records. \"This body of work stands with the best of his career and will further cement Chuck as one of the greatest icons of rock and roll.\" Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "US rock and roll legend Chuck Berry has marked his 90th birthday by announcing his first new album in 38 years."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola has won the competition twice as a coach, and never failed to reach the semi-finals in seven attempts. \"To be here is not easy,\" he said. \"I want to convince the players to enjoy that moment. It is beautiful.\" While Guardiola's previous two employers have been European champions 10 times between them, City reached their first semi-final last season and have progressed to the knockout round only four times. \"People can think Manchester City have to be here but a lot of big clubs are not here,\" said the 46-year-old. \"We are lucky guys. \"Our recent history is quite good but over the long history, Manchester City was not here for a long time. \"All of Europe will watch us, to analyse us, to kill us if we don't win or say how good we are if we do.\" City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne goes into the game having scored five goals in 32 appearances for the club this season. Last term - his debut campaign having joined from Wolfsburg for a club-record \u00a355m in August 2015 - he scored 18 goals in all competitions. The 25-year-old Belgian says he is not interested in the figures because he is \"playing better\" this season. \"It doesn't bother me at all that I haven't scored as often,\" he said. \"Not everyone sees I am playing lower on the pitch. \"I know how well I am doing for the team and if we can win a title, I will be very happy.\"", "summary": "Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants his players to embrace the pressure of their Champions League last-16 tie against Monaco - even though he knows the club's critics will \"kill them\" if they do not progress."}
{"article": "Tennyson, 22, will challenge Walsh for his belt at the Copper Box Arena. Known as 'The Assassin' he has a 16-1 record with 13 knockouts since turning pro in September 2012 and joined Warren's stable on Monday. \"It's massive, I feel this move could bring my career to the next level,\" Tennyson said. \"Beyond British title fights, I believe Frank Warren can bring me bigger and better titles in the future.\" Tennyson is the mandatory challenger to Walsh after dispatching Antonio Horvatic inside a round in Belfast last month. His British featherweight title fight is on the undercard of Billy Joe Saunders' first WBO middleweight world title defence against Ukraine's Max Bursak. \"I'm not expecting to go in and blow Ryan Walsh out of the water because he's a good fighter, and he's the British champion for a reason,\" said Tennyson. \"I'm going to go in and get the job done regardless, but I'm training for 12 rounds.\"", "summary": "Belfast featherweight James Tennyson will fight Ryan Walsh for the British title in London on 30 April after signing with promoter Frank Warren."}
{"article": "Surveillance camera footage showed people walking past the girl as she lay bleeding and unconscious. It sparked a wave of condemnation and soul-searching on China's social networking sites. Doctors had earlier said Wang Yue, who had been in a coma since the incident on 13 October, was unlikely to survive. Anger and debate over toddler Police have detained the drivers of both vehicles involved in the incident, which happened in the city of Foshan in southern Guangdong Province. Wang Yue was knocked down by a van while wandering through a market, where her parents run a shop. The driver sped off without checking on the girl's condition. Over the following minutes, 18 people walked past the bleeding toddler, and another van ran over her legs, but no-one stopped to help. The distressing footage was shown on television. A rubbish collector who finally moved the toddler to the side of the street was hailed as a national hero, but the incident led many online commentators to question the state of Chinese morality. By Martin PatienceBBC News, Foshan Other than the two chalk circles marked \"1\" and \"2\" on the road, there was little to suggest anything out of the ordinary. The hardware stores selling irons, light fittings and taps were all open. Shopkeepers sat around chatting to each other. But what happened on a covered street of this huge wholesale market last week shocked China. A shopkeeper close to where the incident took place said she had been sickened when she saw the footage. \"Every time I watch it, my heart breaks,\" said Hu Haiou. \"I catch the news every night to see if she'll survive. The people who walked by were shameful.\" Another shopkeeper, Chen Guilin, said it had been raining hard the night of the incident. \"The raindrops sounded like drumbeats on the roof,\" she said, \"We had no idea what happened outside.\" Passers-by were 'shameful' A spokesman for the hospital told the AFP news agency that Wang Yue had died of \"systemic organ failure\", adding that no expense had been spared to try to save the girl, whose parents are migrant workers. There have been millions of internet comments about how to encourage good Samaritans - and many more expressing outrage that so many people refused to help. Her death was one of the most remarked on topics on China's Weibo - a micro-blogging site similar to Twitter - on Friday as people expressed sorrow and anger over the incident. \"Farewell to little Wang Yue. There are no cars in heaven,\" wrote one micro-blogger. Guangdong province is debating the introduction of a law to force people to help others in obvious distress. Initial online polls, though, suggest most people are against it. \"Talk about being civilised first. Is anyone paying attention to that?\" read one posting. Organisations in Guangdong are also looking at other ways to encourage people to act with compassion when faced with an emergency. The provincial government's political and legal affairs committee is using its micro-blog site to gather opinions about how to \"guide brave acts for", "summary": "A two-year-old girl in southern China, who was run over by two vans and ignored by 18 passers-by, has died, hospital officials say."}
{"article": "Ismail Morinaj was detained after giving an interview in which he admitted carrying a gun for protection. Last year's match had to be abandoned as Serbian fans invaded the pitch and attacked Albanian players. Security for the Serbia team is high in Albania before Thursday's match. Although the match will take place in Elbasan, an hour's drive to the south-east of Tirana, the Serbia team are staying at a hotel in the capital surrounded by police. As the team bus arrived in Tirana, stones were thrown and a window was cracked. Serbian media reported that Albanian officials had refused to receive a note of protest from Belgrade, insisting nothing had happened. Reports from Tirana spoke of roads inside the city being closed amid a major police operation. Albania are third in their Euro 2016 qualifying group, behind Portugal and Denmark, but far ahead of Serbia and still hoping to qualify for the knock-out stages of the competition. Police arrested the 33-year-old suspect and three other men, saying they had found a Zastava pistol and several cartridges, as well as 36 tickets for Thursday's match. Tensions had already been high before the Euro 2016 tie at the Partizan Stadium in Belgrade and ordinary Albanian fans were not allowed to attend the match. The two countries have had a long and bitter history of rivalry, and ethnic-Albanian-majority Kosovo's decision to declare independence from Serbia in 2008 brought relations to a new low. Ismail Morinaj admitted flying the drone from a church across the road from the stadium. As it hovered above the pitch, a large \"greater Albania\" flag could be seen, portraying nationalist claims to neighbouring states. Serbia defender Stefan Mitrovic snatched at the drone and fans poured on to the pitch, attacking Albania players. The ensuing brawl and the decision to abandon the game prompted football officials to deduct three points from Serbia, and they stand at the bottom of their group in Euro 2016. Only a few dozen Serb supporters will be allowed into the stadium for Thursday's match, which will have a heavy police presence. \"This is an opportunity to show our values in supporting the national team and hosting the guest team,\" said Albanian Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri.", "summary": "A man who flew a drone into a football stadium in Serbia during a Euro 2016 qualifier last October has been arrested ahead of the return leg in Albania."}
{"article": "The latest grouse season saw more women joining shoots and also a rise in female-only shooting parties, it has been claimed. Leys Estate and Castle Fraser Farms in Aberdeenshire were among those tailoring shoots for women. Ladies' club Glad Rags and Cartridge Bags has also filled 386 positions at events since it was set up in 2014. The Gift of Grouse campaign and Scottish Moorland Group have reported the major upturn in women's participation in grouse shooting, or taking it up for the first time. In a joint statement, they said: \"The remarkable story from this year's shooting season is the increasing demand from female shooters and all-women shooting clubs which have continued to grow in popularity. \"Estates have reported a significant increase in the number of female shooting parties and women joining mixed shoots.\" Mhairi Morriss, who runs Glad Rags and Cartridge Bags, said there were a number of reasons for this high demand. She said: \"Primarily it's because we've created a community in the Scottish sporting scene where women feel accepted and encouraged to join in. \"The women's shooting events being organised all over the country provide an accessible platform for newcomers to the sport or those daunted by the thought of joining a mixed shoot.\" Cara Richardson, who has been shooting for more than 20 years and is a co-founder of the Scottish Ladies Shooting Club, said changes to outdoor clothing had also been a factor. She said: \"When I first began shooting in the 90s, it was quite a rarity to find a female gun in the shooting line. These days, it is becoming quite the norm and that's fantastic to see. \"More girls are not only appearing in the gun line, an increasing number are now involved in beating and picking-up. \"Also, most outdoor apparel manufacturers now provide shooting kit specifically in a ladies' cut which for many brands is a relatively new idea and an obvious recognition of demand.\" Andrew Grainger, of the Scottish Country Sports Tourism Group, added: \"There has been a huge increase in the number of women participating in shooting, testament to the efforts made by the industry to increase awareness amongst the general public.\" Following what was described as a \"bumper season\" in 2014, cold and wet weather in May and June resulted in lower grouse numbers this year. However, some estates had higher numbers of birds because of a late second brood of chicks.", "summary": "There was a \"major upturn\" in the number of women grouse shooting this year, according to sporting estates."}
{"article": "The film told the story of a fictional plot to assassinate Kim Jong-un. Hackers broke into film company Sony's computers, and weeks later threatened to target any cinema which screened the film. An FBI investigation concluded that North Korea was to blame for the cyber attack. North Korea responded angrily, with Kim Jong-un calling President Obama a \"monkey\". What do we know about his ambitions? Four insiders offer their insight into what Kim Jong-un wants. Jean Lee was born in America to South Korean parents and grew up hearing stories about Korean families separated by the war in 1953. A few years ago, she became the first foreign journalist to open a bureau inside North Korea. She was in the crowd when Kim Jong-un was first introduced to the Korean people at a military parade, and says he has had to work hard to establish his own power base. \"When he came out there was just a complete sense of shock and awe among the people at the plaza. They had never seen a picture of him. They had only really known of his existence, officially, a few weeks earlier. \"It was quite a shock to see somebody so young who was being groomed to be the next leader. He was not the oldest son, so wasn't the obvious shoo-in. There's clearly something about him, ambition, perhaps a kind of ruthlessness, some qualities that his father saw in him that he thought would carry this country into the next generation.\" The world saw that ruthlessness a year ago, when he ordered the execution of his uncle for allegedly trying to overthrow the state. And the regime is known to use violence to quash dissent among ordinary people too. But Jean Lee says it would be a mistake to think Kim Jong-un maintains control only through fear: \"One of the things that I've seen on the ground over the past couple of years is all the construction of these skating rinks. There's actually a skateboard park, the ski resort of course that opened last year, massive projects. I see all of this as an investment that they're making in their future. He is a young man. If he is going to win the support of the future generations of North Koreans who are going to be his power base, he's got to find a way to win their loyalty and this is part of that.\" Geoffrey See is a Singaporean who has been travelling back and forth to North Korea for the past seven years, working with young entrepreneurs. He says North Koreans are now thinking more innovatively about the economy: \"About six years ago when we first started our programme, our counterparts would often start off with a very long spiel about socialism and how this is the system they have and they are never going to change it. \"In recent years instead of saying that, people talk about... trying to bring in what's best from overseas, and try to adjust it to fit into the system. So I think that's a", "summary": "The recent high-profile spat with the US over the Hollywood film \"The Interview\" painted North Korea's enigmatic young leader Kim Jong-un as impetuous."}
{"article": "Daniel, from Coventry, was starved and beaten for months before he died. Last month, his mother Magdelena Luczak, 27, and her partner Marius Krezolek, 34, were jailed for 30 years each after being found guilty of his murder. Some of the missed opportunities listed in the serious case review are reproduced below: A health visitor makes a referral to children's social care - known as Children, Learning and Young People Directorate (CLYP) - following the most recent domestic abuse incident, recorded in November 2008. A social worker visits the home on 29 January to carry out an assessment and no further action is taken because it is considered Ms Luczak could protect the children. A health visitor goes to the family home to find Daniel has a bruise to the side of his head, with the explanation given that he \"fell over\". It is noted that Ms Luczak speaks little English. Police are called to a domestic abuse incident involving knives after an altercation between Ms Luczak and Mr Krezolek. Ms Luczak has suffered a small cut from a knife and described losing consciousness from a strangulation attempt. She said Mr Krezolek was drunk at the time and the children had witnessed everything. No reference is made by police about checking the welfare of the two Daniel and his sibling, aged 3 and 5 respectively. Mr Krezolek is arrested and released without charge. Ms Luczak also claims he is using his computer to view indecent images of young teenage girls and alleges he had raped her \"many times\". Mr Krezolek is not arrested or questioned in respect of these allegations. A neighbour calls the police to a domestic abuse incident, with both adults intoxicated and fighting in the presence of the children. The police record shows the children were \"none the wiser\" and did not witness the incident. No referral is made to CLYP. Daniel is taken to A&E by Ms Luczak and Mr Krezolek, where a fracture is found on his left arm along with multiple bruising to the arm, left shoulder and lower stomach. Daniel is noted to be interacting well with his mother and Mr Krezolek. Concerns about the history of domestic abuse incidents at the family home prompt a meeting and it is decided an \"in-depth assessment\" will be undertaken. CLYP are agreeable to completing a Core Assessment and for the outcomes to be fed back to all professionals. The school makes its concerns known to Ms Luczak about Daniel's continued obsession with food and that he takes food from other children's lunch boxes. He was said to be always focussed on eating whatever he could get, regularly taking four or five pieces of fruit from the \"fruit corner\" in the classroom. Ms Luczak seemed to say he must not eat more than what was in his lunchbox, which contained the bare minimum, school staff say. The deputy head teacher becomes concerned Daniel is not growing and of his obsession with food and organises a meeting with Ms Luczak. She says Daniel was taking food at home and", "summary": "A serious case review into the death of Daniel Pelka has found 26 separate incidents required police involvement at the four-year-old's family home between March 2006 and December 2010."}
{"article": "Joshua Dale, 14, from Nottingham was knocked off his bike in 2012. Friends and family raised \u00a325,000 for a skate park that Joshua had dreamt of building, and it opened a year later. The county council, which also part-funded it and managed the project, said once built, the family's charity was responsible for maintaining it. Joshua's mother, Faith Dale, who runs the Joshua Dale Skate Park Fund, said they had been \"forced to close\" it because it is \"no longer safe to use\". She said the ramps were rotting with 28 large holes appearing on them, there was a build up of moisture on the structures and \"inferior plywood\" had been used. \"It is incredibly sad,\" she said. \"I would love to come here in the summer and see it full with children of all ages... but we don't feel it is a safe structure anymore.\" She accused the county council of carrying out \"an inferior build\" and said they had been told repairs would cost about \u00a328,000. Nottinghamshire County Council, which had put \u00a350,000 towards the area, said it was \"concerned about the allegations\" it had not been built to a high standard. In a statement the authority said: \"We built a quality design that has been used across the county for the past 10 years and maintenance for the park, once built, lies with the user group.\" The council said it would have a discussion with the charity and contractors.", "summary": "A skate park built in memory of a teenager who died after his bike was hit by a car has been shut after three years because it is \"unsafe\"."}
{"article": "Lynton Crosby will start working part-time as a campaign consultant in January and step up his involvement before the general election. Mr Crosby first worked for the party on the unsuccessful 2005 election campaign when Michael Howard was leader. Mr Shapps said he was a \"serious campaigner\" who would bring \"focus\". BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said the Australian was set to become a \"big figure\" in the Conservatives' strategy for the next election. Mr Crosby is known for being skilled at pushing \"subliminal messages\" in areas such as immigration and violent crime, our correspondent said. But his appointment could prove controversial. Last month former deputy party chairman Lord Ashcroft said it would be a mistake to hire Mr Crosby, who could be a \"recipe for... conflict and confusion\". Some in the party feel he is too right-wing to appeal to more moderate British voters, while others think the prime minister has enough advisers and the appointment is unnecessary, our correspondent said. Mr Shapps told the BBC's Sunday Politics: \"This is a serious campaigner. Lynton brings the kind of focus that's required to manage campaigns and we have a big job to do to explain what's going on. \"This country is in a global race. We need to be able to get out there, show that we can secure a brilliant future for Britain.\" Mr Crosby previously worked on a string of successful campaigns with former Australian prime minister John Howard. He first worked for the Conservatives on Michael Howard's unsuccessful election campaign of 2005, which focused on crime and immigration. But he went on to work with Mr Johnson on his more successful London mayoral campaigns. His appointment has been welcomed by Mr Johnson, who described him as \"the best campaign manager I've ever seen\". Earlier this month he called for Mr Cameron to \"break the piggy bank\" to get Mr Crosby to work for him. He suggested then that the Australian would be portrayed as a right-wing \"attack dog\" by the media but insisted he was the \"soul of sweetness\". His appointment comes after the Conservatives lost the parliamentary seat in the Corby by-election, in a vote which saw a 12.7% swing to the Labour Party. It was the first time the Tories had lost a mid-term by-election seat to Labour since 1997. The elections for police and crime commissioners also suffered the lowest turnout in peacetime Britain, with just under 15% of people turning out to vote on Thursday. In addition, an opinion poll of more than 2,000 people by ComRes has given Labour a 12-point lead over the Tories - the widest margin of advantage in a ComRes survey for more than seven years. The poll was conducted for the Independent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror. Tim Montgomerie, editor of political website ConservativeHome, wrote that Mr Crosby had \"a good record of success and is perhaps the alpha male that Team Cameron has been missing\". Conservative commentator Iain Dale told BBC News the appointment was a \"fantastic move\" for the party and Mr Crosby had a \"great track", "summary": "The Australian strategist behind Boris Johnson's mayoral campaigns is to work for the Conservatives, Tory chairman Grant Shapps has said."}
{"article": "Wilson, 24, is the only addition to the 18 women who formed the first group to be given central contracts in 2014. The right-hander made her international debut in 2010 but has not represented England since 2011. \"She thoroughly deserves to be awarded a central contract,\" said ECB director of women's cricket Clare Connor. \"She scored significant runs throughout the summer and has been a dedicated member of the England women's performance squad during the past 18 months.\" Following defeat by Australia in the multi-format Ashes series earlier this year, England appointed Mark Robinson as head coach in November. The former Sussex coach's first series in charge will be against South Africa in February 2016, with three one-day internationals followed by three T20 Internationals. England will also take part in the 2016 World Twenty20 in India, overseas tours to West Indies and Sri Lanka and a home series against Pakistan in what Connor called \"the busiest ever 12 months for England women\". She added: \"The awarding of central contracts ensures that the squad will be as best prepared and supported as possible for each of those contests.\" Full list of centrally contracted professionals: Charlotte Edwards (capt), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kathryn Cross, Georgia Elwiss, Natasha Farrant, Lydia Greenway, Rebecca Grundy, Jenny Gunn, Danielle Hazell, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Laura Marsh, Natalie Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor, Lauren Winfield, Fran Wilson, Danielle Wyatt", "summary": "Middlesex batter Fran Wilson has been awarded a central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board for 2016-17."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 11 October 2014 Last updated at 16:05 BST Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Alexandra Palace and Park says at the moment it is one of London's \"least well known architectural treasures\". The world's first television station could be renovated too under the plans, as John Thompson of Alexandra Palace Television Group explains. Jim Wheble reports.", "summary": "A forgotten part of Alexandra Palace could be given a new lease of life if plans are approved to transform a Victorian theatre into a new film, play and concert venue."}
{"article": "The Social Market Foundation, a left of centre think tank, studied policies in Australia and the US that are similar to the UK's pension reforms. It found a significant proportion of people withdraw funds at an unsustainable rate. In the UK, thousands have cashed in their pension pots since April. The new rules, which came into force in April, allow pension savers to cash in their pension pots from the age of 55. This is one of a number of options for savers. In doing so, they pay no tax on the first 25% of these funds, but pay the normal rate of tax on the rest. Figures from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) found that 146,000 people cashed-in pension pots in the six months since April, withdrawing a total of \u00c2\u00a32.7bn. Separate data, recorded slightly differently, from the Association of British Insurers suggested that \u00c2\u00a32.5bn was withdrawn over the same period in 166,700 cash lump sum payments, with an average withdrawal of just under \u00c2\u00a315,000. Research by financial firms indicates that the funds are being used to pay off debt, upgrade the car or go on holiday. The Social Market Foundation warned that evidence from overseas revealed a danger of pensioners spending money too quickly. It said four out of 10 Australians with pension savings spent them all by the age of 75, while Americans typically withdrew at an unsustainable rate of 8% a year. The think tank is urging the government to give older people a mid-retirement financial health check, to assess how fast they are using up their money. Early withdrawal of funds provides a tax income boost for the Treasury - it is expected to take double the amount it predicted during the first year of reforms. However, if pensioners use up savings, the eventual effect is an increased reliance on benefits and the state - a long-term cost to the Treasury. Providers suggest that people are taking relatively safe approach to retirement savings. \"It is clear that people are taking a sensible approach and considering how they will pay for their retirement,\" said Yvonne Braun, of the ABI. \"However, the figures also show that ensuring people save enough for retirement remains our key challenge. With life expectancy increasing and final-salary pension provision declining, we must now turn our attention to helping customers grow bigger pots.\" Tom McPhail, head of retirement policy at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: \"For most retiring investors, a mix and match strategy will work best, using a combination of state pension, annuity purchase and drawdown.\"", "summary": "Individuals could be at risk of running short of retirement funds after cashing in their pension pots, analysis of overseas schemes suggests."}
{"article": "The funding is based on conditions including detailed development and financial plans and leasing a super-hanger at St Athan. The firm will build its new DBX model from 2020. The new plant will employ 750 highly-skilled workers. The information commissioner instructed the Welsh Government to release the details of the financial support given to the company. Ministers had initially refused to make the figure public. This was challenged through the Freedom of Information Act by businessman Tom Gallard. The \u00c2\u00a35.8m is \"repayable business finance\" according to the details released by the Welsh Government. Wales beat off more than 20 other countries to secure the deal, which was announced early last year. Mr Gallard, who runs a tech company, said: \"I'm happy the Welsh Government has now released this information. It is an important principle that we must know how public funds are being spent.\"", "summary": "Aston Martin is receiving \u00c2\u00a35.8m in financial support from the Welsh Government as part of the deal to bring the luxury carmaker to the Vale of Glamorgan, it has been revealed."}
{"article": "It was a second win of the campaign for Pete McGrath's Erne men who had lost three in a row and they move off the foot of the table. Fermanagh's top scorer Tomas Corrigan limped off early on but Sean Quigley bagged eight points for the hosts with five frees, two 45s and one from play. Derry are now bottom following their 5-15 to 2-15 defeat away to Galway. Goals from Benny Heron and Emmett McGuckin helped Derry to a 2-10 to 2-7 lead at the break in Tuam Stadium, with Danny Cummins and Tom Flynn netting for the hosts. Galway, with the wind in their favour, surged clear in the second half with Johnny Heaney netting before a Eamonn Brannigan penalty and Shane Walsh goal. Fermanagh's last two matches are Meath away next week and a home match against Derry. McGrath's men were 0-8 to 0-7 up at half-time and extended that lead with Aidan Breen scoring three points from play. However, Keelan Sexton palmed in a 46th-minute goal for Clare against the run of play which proved a wake-up call for the hosts. Fermanagh rattled off five points in a row to seal the valuable victory.", "summary": "Fermanagh dug deep for a 0-18 to 1-10 win over Clare to boost their chances of survival in Division Two."}
{"article": "The cow, nicknamed Bessie, was one of three that escaped from Rising Sun Country Park in North Tyneside on Sunday. A helicopter and six police marksmen tracked the trio - two were recaptured but Bessie was shot \"in the interests of public safety\". The vigil is to take place at 18:00 BST on Friday, at a field in Chicken Lane, Wallsend. Thousands of people have liked a Facebook page set up in her memory. Those attending the vigil are asked to wear a cow onesie and bring a candle. Dave Turner, who set up the R.I.P. Wallsend Cow Facebook page, said: \"It's not every day you get a cow getting shot in a field nearby. I think we need to mark this occasion with a serious send-off for Bessie. \"It wasn't doing anything, it was just eating a bit of grass - it probably got sick of the grass it was eating elsewhere, it heard about a nice new patch, went down and started grazing, and the next thing is police turn up and start firing at it. \"We are going to light candles and say a little prayer for her.\" Photographer John Millard witnessed the cow being shot dead, and described the scene to BBC Radio 5 live. He said there was a \"massive police presence\" with more than 15 police vehicles, a helicopter hovering overhead, and three or four officers in sniper gear. He originally thought it could have been terrorist-related, rather than, as he then realised, a \"docile little cow standing in a field\". A Northumbria Police spokesman said Bessie was destroyed after becoming \"increasingly distressed\" and \"causing dangerous and severe obstructions\" on a major road.", "summary": "A memorial vigil will be held for a cow that was shot dead by police marksmen."}
{"article": "A 56-year-old local man died when the blue Ford Ka he was travelling in collided with a green Ford Explorer. Police said the crash happened just after midnight on 28 November on Ash Road at the North Ash Road junction. Ross Bryant, 27, of James Road in Dartford, has been charged with causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving while uninsured and unlicensed. He is also charged with failing to stop at the scene of a collision and failing to report a collision to police. He will appear before Dartford Magistrates Court on 28 April. Bryant was arrested on 29 November last year along with two teenage boys who have since been released without charge.", "summary": "A man has been charged in connection with a fatal crash in New Ash Green last November."}
{"article": "\"The world is watching. The use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable,\" said Mr Obama. A Syrian official has insisted it would \"never, under any circumstances\" use such weapons, \"if such weapons exist\". Meanwhile, the United Nations says it is pulling \"all non-essential international staff\" out of Syria. As many as 25 out of 100 international staff could leave this week, the UN news agency Irin reported, while all humanitarian missions outside Damascus will be halted for the time being. In a speech on nuclear non-proliferation at the National Defense University in Fort McNair, Mr Obama said: \"We've worked to keep weapons from spreading, whether it was nuclear material in Libya or nor chemical weapons in Syria. Sources: CSIS, RUSI Could US remove Syria chemical weapons? \"We simply cannot allow the 21st century to be darkened by the worse weapons of the 20th century.\" \"And today I want to make it absolutely clear to Assad and anyone who is under his command... If you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons there will be consequences and you will be held accountable.\" But Damascus rejected allegations it was preparing to use such weapons. A foreign ministry spokesman was quoted by state television as saying: \"Syria confirms repeatedly it will never, under any circumstances, use chemical weapons against its own people, if such weapons exist.\" Syria is believed to hold chemical weapons - including mustard gas and sarin, a highly toxic nerve agent - at dozens of sites around the country. The CIA has said those weapons \"can be delivered by aircraft, ballistic missile, and artillery rockets\". One unnamed US official spoke to the New York Times of \"potential chemical weapon preparation\". The White House says the level of concern was such that Washington is preparing contingency plans. By Kim GhattasBBC News, Washington The Obama administration is concerned about the possibility that the Assad government might use chemical weapons in last desperate stand. But the US is just as worried about the weapons falling in the wrong heads if central authority collapses. Washington has been working on contingency planning since the summer, when Mr Obama first warned that Syria's use of chemical weapons would cross a red line and could change his calculus about intervention. The US has been co-ordinating with allies in the region like Jordan and Israel about plans to secure the weapons in the event Mr Assad falls. Although the US will not give details about its planning, it's thought that securing the sites would require thousands of ground troops. The state department also said the US is speaking to the Syrian opposition about how the rebels should handle and help secure the WMDs if they gain access to them. The crisis in Syria had increased the risk of humanitarian workers in the country due to the increased risk of indiscriminate shooting by fighting forces., said Sabir Mughal, the UN's chief security adviser in Syria. The European Union, which has a diplomatic office in the Syrian capital, has confirmed it too is \"to reduce activities in Damascus", "summary": "US President Barack Obama has warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad he will face \"consequences\" if he uses chemical weapons against his people."}
{"article": "On Monday, The News Letter obtained a copy of an email sent to health chiefs by the Department of Health's permanent secretary, Richard Pengelly. He said he was concerned about the \"overtly political tweets from colleagues across the service\". He added that it was \"particularly relevant during the election\". The permanent secretary, who is married to DUP MLA Emma Little Pengelly, said \"such public statements\" were \"not appropriate\". Northern Ireland goes to the polls on 2 March to elect 90 members to the Northern Ireland Assembly. The trust's email said: \"At all times, but particularly now as we are in the midst of the pre-election 'purdah' period, staff should be reminded that as public servants, we must at all times remain publicly neutral in terms of expressing any political opinions for example, through social media. \"The trust would take this opportunity to remind you of your responsibilities\". The trust then sent a follow up email to outline the section of the NI Executive's Election Guidance which is relevant to Non-Departmental Public Bodies. The Department of Health said that while staff are entitled to express personal opinions on social media, these must be \"in line with the HSC Code of Conduct\". Employment lawyer Rosemary Connolly from Warrenpoint, said staff receiving such an email was \"highly unusual\". \"Individuals are entitled to have political opinions and most will have. They are entitled to express them. \"The difficulty would arise if someone was expressing an offensive, aggressive opinion or harassing someone. \"But simply expressing a political viewpoint in a tweet is a lawful activity, therefore it seems to me difficult to understand how an employer could require no employee tweet on any political matter. \"Unless there was a provision in the contract, or a social media policy, and I would be surprised if that was the case, then people are entitled to these views. They're only subject to normal rules - defamation or breaching confidentiality in some way. \"If you're on social media in your private time, you're entitled to freedom of expression as anyone would would be, providing it doesn't contravene some other obvious situation. \" A Department of Health spokesperson said: \"HSC staff have the right to express their own personal opinions on social media. \"However, this should be in line with the HSC Code of Conduct, applicable to all HSC employees, which sets out the core standards of conduct expected of HSC staff and which complements individual organisations policies and procedures.\" Dr Brian Patterson, former chair of the British Medical Association in Northern Ireland, told the BBC that he thought the email was very unusual. \"If these are people's personal accounts this action is somewhat unusual, even extreme,\" he said. \"While I was chair of the BMA, I was always careful about what I said in public but that was because I represented the BMA and other doctors.\" He said people were entitled to their own views especially in Northern Ireland where \"health is a very prominent issue\". Royal College of Nursing Northern Ireland Director Janice Smyth said it \"actively encourages members to", "summary": "Staff in the South Eastern Trust have been sent an email instructing them not to express political opinions on social media."}
{"article": "The children were taken in a cross-border raid in the Gambella region last Friday, in which 208 people died. The government has said members of the Murle community were responsible. Flags have been flying at half mast in Ethiopia as the country mourns those who were killed. Africa Live: News updates from around the continent A government official in Gambella said that the abducted children would soon be rescued, the government-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reports. South Sudan acting Foreign Minister Peter Bashir Gbandi is set to travel to Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, on Friday to coordinate the mission, the AP news agency reports. It says that South Sudan does not want Ethiopian troops to go deeper into the country. The area where the children are being held \"is full of jungle\", AP quotes Mr Bashir as saying. Ethiopia shares a long border with South Sudan and cross-border raids are not uncommon. Hours after news of Friday's attack emerged, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said the government had requested permission from South Sudan to enter its territory to pursue the attackers. The South Sudanese ambassador to Ethiopia also said his country was \"cooperating and helping\" the Ethiopian army to track down the raiders and rescue the abducted children. Ethiopia's request to enter South Sudanese territory seems to have been approved quickly. Before South Sudan's civil war began in 2013, joint security operations between the two countries were common as communities on both sides of the border were often involved in cattle raids. Residents of Gambella town held a demonstration on Thursday demanding \"justice for what happened\" and calling for better security. A mother whose husband was killed and three of her children abducted by the attackers earlier told the BBC that she had no hope of seeing her children again. \"I don't know if they were killed during the crossfire,\" Chol Malual said. \"The fighting was intense and if they survived, they will be probably be killed by the Murles.\" The targets of the raid were members of the Nuer ethnic group who live in both South Sudan and Ethiopia, the AFP news agency reports.", "summary": "Ethiopia's army has surrounded the area in neighbouring South Sudan where it believes more than 100 abducted Ethiopian children are being held, local media report."}
{"article": "The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is one of the first councils in England to launch a PledgeBank. The pledges, from cleaning graffiti to organising a street party, can only be undertaken if other residents commit to the idea. The Conservative council said the scheme helps it save money but also \"results in a better social outcome\". Once a pledge is made, the council will check it fits the set criteria and then publish it online. It comes after a failed Big Society scheme to get residents to donate savings in their council tax, which the council has cut for the past four years. George Bathurst, cabinet member for policy and performance, said other schemes such as Green Redeem recycling rewards were a success. He said: \"No one wants to just hand over a cheque but everybody would like to do something for their community.\" Mr Bathurst will make the first pledge to donate five Christmas food items to FoodBank if 10 other local people will do the same by 18 December. Fiona Dent, Windsor's Labour candidate, said: \"Volunteering creates strong bonds between people, reinforces their ideals and can provide the help people need in difficult times. \"However, we are living through difficult times now. Most people in the middle and lower incomes are a lot worse off than they were five years ago and they may well have more than one job to help pay the bills, leaving less time for volunteer activities.\"", "summary": "People in part of Berkshire are being encouraged to make pledges to help their community."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Chelsea boss was responding to the Arsenal manager's claim that other Premier League bosses are playing down their title chances because they \"fear to fail\". Chelsea hold a one-point lead over the Gunners at the top of the table. \"Unlike Arsenal, we sought success and tried to build it through a concept of the game using English players.\" November 2007, regarding Wenger's policies at Arsenal \"I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea.\" October 2005, after Wenger criticised Chelsea's transfer policy Mourinho said: \"If he is right and I am afraid of failure it is because I didn't fail many times. Eight years without silverware, that's failure.\" Under Wenger, Arsenal have not won a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup. \"He's a specialist in failure,\" continued Mourinho. \"If I do that in Chelsea, eight years, I leave and don't come back.\" The Portuguese manager, who won the Premier League twice in his first spell as Chelsea manager between 2004 and 2007, has won league titles in four countries, as well as the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan. This is not the first time Mourinho has criticised Wenger, the Blues boss having described the Frenchman as a \"voyeur\" in 2005 after his rival questioned Chelsea's transfer policy. \"He likes to watch other people,\" said Mourinho in October 2005. \"There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. \"He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea.\" \"He's out of order, disconnected with reality and disrespectful. When you give success to stupid people, it makes them more stupid sometimes.\" November 2005, after Mourinho called Wenger a \"voyeur\" \"I know we live in a world where we have only winners and losers, but once a sport encourages teams who refuse to take the initiative, the sport is in danger.\" August 2005, talking about Chelsea's tactics Former England striker and Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker said Mourinho had gone \"over the top\" with his latest remarks. \"Mourinho is out of order and wrong with Wenger comments,\" Lineker wrote on Twitter. \"He's won trophies galore all over the world, playing delightful football. \"Yes, Wenger hasn't won anything for a number of years, but he hasn't, until very recently, had the budget of others. Club is in great shape.\" Ex-Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville also entered the debate on social media. \"Getting to the business end!\" he wrote on Twitter. \"Jose lobbing grenades out! Anyone going to take him on?\" Chelsea, preparing for Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Manchester City, host Arsenal on 22 March in a match likely to have a significant bearing on the title fight. Media playback is not supported on this device Mourinho has previously said his side are not contenders, describing", "summary": "Arsene Wenger is a \"specialist in failure\", according to Jose Mourinho."}
{"article": "It said it would raise about \u00a3150m. It added that the share sale would support its plans for growth and further improve its ability to recruit and retain top staff. Once the company is listed, it will pay \u00a350m to the Treasury to settle what it still owes after buying Northern Rock plc in late 2011. Virgin Money chief executive Jayne-Anne Gadhia said each employee would receive \u00a31,000 worth of shares in the business when the flotation was completed later this month. Ms Gadhia told the BBC's business editor, Kamal Ahmed, that she believed taxpayers had gained all their money back from the bailout of Northern Rock. \"In 2007, it looked like the taxpayer was going to make a big loss,\" she said. \"Now this is the first bank properly out of the financial crisis. \"Debts to the taxpayer have in every sense been fully repaid. The taxpayer has got their money back.\" Sir Richard said: \"This is a huge day for Virgin Money. We started this company 20 years ago with Jayne-Anne Gadhia when we set out to challenge the financial services industry. \"Our wonderful team have come a long way since then and have built a strong and valuable business offering great value products and services and a real challenge to the established players.\" Analysis: Kamal Ahmed, business editor, BBC News Virgin Money's announcement of its intention to sell a stake on the London Stock Exchange brings to an end another chapter in the sorry story of Northern Rock. The functioning bits of the bank, which spectacularly collapsed in 2007 and was bailed out in February 2008 with \u00a31.4bn of taxpayers' money, were bought by Sir Richard Branson and US investor WL Ross for \u00a3747m in 2011. With subsequent payments, that figure has risen to \u00a31bn. Further value is left in the \"bad bit\" of the bank, which was hived off under the UK Asset Resolution scheme, which is now returning profits to the Treasury. So has the government got its money back? Probably, although it is very difficult to quantify the actual costs of the multiple bailouts, of which Northern Rock was only one. Virgin Money has 75 branches throughout the UK and has 2.8 million customers. It employs 2,800 people, of whom 1,800 work at its centre of operations in Gosforth. In November 2011, Virgin Money bought the banking and mortgage lending arm of the old Northern Rock bank, which was bailed out by the Bank of England in the autumn of 2007 at the start of the international banking crisis. Northern Rock was nationalised in early 2008 and then in 2010 it was split in two - Northern Rock plc and Northern Rock (Asset Management), into which was placed its bad debt. Virgin Money's final \u00a350m payment will take the amount it has paid the Treasury for Northern Rock to \u00a31.02bn. Last week, another UK challenger bank, Aldermore, announced its own plans to float this month, saying it hoped to raise \u00a375m. While Virgin Money is a retail-only bank, Aldermore, founded in May 2009, is a specialist", "summary": "Virgin Money, the UK challenger bank part-owned by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, has announced plans to float shares on the London Stock Exchange."}
{"article": "Commissioned by actor George Clooney, the document accuses President Salva Kiir, opposition leader Riek Machar, and top generals of profiteering. It follows the trail of money with links to the families of both Mr Kiir and Mr Machar. Those named have not yet responded to the allegations. The BBC is seeking comment from them. The report's authors spent two years collecting evidence and testimony on behalf of a new investigative unit - called The Sentry - which was co-founded by the US actor. Mr Clooney said the evidence was \"detailed\" and \"irrefutable\" and that it was time for the world to take action. The actor said international lawyers, banks and real estate were involved in criminal behaviour linked to the militias and innocent civilians were paying the price. \"They're stealing the money to fund their militias to attack and kill one another,\" he said. \"We can either take action or we can spend the next decade mopping up the mess.\" Entitled War Crimes Shouldn't Pay, the report has found that \"top officials ultimately responsible for mass atrocities in South Sudan have at the same time managed to accumulate fortunes, despite modest government salaries\". \"Some have been involved in questionable business deals while others have apparently received large payments from corporations doing business in South Sudan.\" A fall-out between President Kiir and former Vice-President Machar - the most powerful members of their respective Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups - led to the civil war which erupted in December 2013. Terrible atrocities have been carried out by both sides - often along ethnic lines. Mass rape has been used as a weapon of war and United Nations reports have detailed human rights abuses. Some 2.5 million people have been forced from their homes, and millions more need food aid. War Crimes Shouldn't Pay report, published in September 2016 When a peace deal between the two men fell apart amid heavy fighting of the streets of the capital Juba in July, any chance of a quick resolution to the crisis crumbled. \"This war is about rival factions of a kleptocratic network trying to gain control of the state,\" said JR Mailey, the author of the report by The Sentry, which is a collaboration between The Enough Project, Not On Our Watch, and C4ADS. It says President Kiir's wife and at least seven of his children were linked to a whole range of businesses, and has evidence that Mr Kiir's 12-year-old son had a 25% share in a holding company. It says a company linked to his brother-in-law, Gen Gregory Vasili Dimitry, supplied fuel to the military while he was a senior officer. It details business connections between Gen Vasili and the Kiirs, and says that the two families hold interests in almost two dozen companies. \"I was mostly struck by the breadth of sectors in which these top officials are involved,\" said JR Mailey, the author of the report. \"We're talking everything from airlines, to banks, oil companies, mining companies, casinos. \"It seems that a very small number of people control a large swathe of", "summary": "South Sudan's political and military elite have made themselves rich while the country has struggled under a civil war of their making, a report says."}
{"article": "It dramatically restarted a row over academic selection at the age of 11 which for almost 20 years had been quietly sidelined. The speech defining her vision of a \"great meritocracy\" was just last September, but those plans have been shredded by the election. So what has changed for England's 163 grammar schools and the many non-selective schools affected by them? On the surface apparently nothing, beneath that almost everything. Or, as one grammar school leader said to me \"politically, grammar schools are now an issue in a way they weren't. The 1997 ban on new selective schools brought a truce. David Cameron respected that truce.\" The school of Theresa May's former chief of staff, Nick Timothy, has a special place in this story. King Edward VI Aston School looks like a bastion of tradition, but it's taken a radical step to become more inclusive. At Aston a quota system has been introduced to set aside 25% of places for pupil premium children who had passed the entrance test. This means their family income will have been low enough at some point in the last six years to entitle them to free school meals. Similar quota systems were widely expected to be part of any plans for new grammar schools, which overall have only 3% of pupils on free school meals. There was even the possibility they might have been applied to existing grammar schools. Aston is part of a foundation that runs six of Birmingham's grammar schools. Executive director Heath Monk thinks the ditched plans, guided by May's chief of staff, might have been more surprising than many realised. \"Nick Timothy was unique in seeing the expansion of grammar schools, and making them more inclusive, as part of the same agenda.\" Grammar schools, quietly tolerated for years, found themselves in the spotlight. Our BBC investigation of admission policies showed fewer than half gave priority to poorer children when allocating places. This included some schools with poor neighbourhoods on their doorstep. A new law might have compelled grammar schools to change, but without that what will happen to efforts to make them socially inclusive? At the King Edward VI grammar schools Mr Monk says they hope to go significantly further than the current 20-25% quotas. The risk of slightly lower exam results down the road is one they can take as the foundation runs most of the grammar schools in Birmingham. About 5% of England's secondary school pupils are educated in a grammar school. The influence of selection is greater, because grammar schools only give places to about a quarter of the children in their areas. The other local schools accept children who don't reach the score needed, don't sit the test or have special needs. \"We'll be back to the bad old days, where people didn't recognise we still had grammars and secondary moderns,\" Ian Widdows tells me. He's the head teacher at Giles Academy in Boston Lincolnshire, which he is proud to call a secondary modern. He set up the National Secondary Moderns Association to gain recognition that they do", "summary": "It was Theresa May's controversial big idea, to open a wave of new grammar schools in England."}
{"article": "Selling animals under 8 weeks old has also been stopped under the new rule Katy Tang, one of the politicians who helped to bring in the ban, said that she did it because she doesn't think some pet stores spend enough time thinking about animals' health or well-being. She says sometimes puppies and kittens are not treated as well as they should be and animals can also be sold when they are very young - before they are ready to leave their parents. San Francisco isn't the first place in America to bring a rule like this in. A number of other cities in America - like Phoenix in Arizona and Montgomery County in Maryland - also have laws which mean cats and dogs being sold in pet shops must come from rescue centres. In the UK, pet shops can't sell cats or dogs that are under 8 weeks old and the pet shops have to be given a license by the authorities in their area.", "summary": "San Francisco has brought in a new law saying that pet shops can only sell cats and dogs that come from rescue centres."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Walker is facing a two-match ban for simulation following the penalty he was awarded and converted against Celtic. Visiting captain Scott Brown called Walker \"a cheat\" after Sunday's match at Tynecastle, with Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers saying referee John Beaton had admitted he made a mistake. Hearts will make their case for Walker at a Scottish FA judicial panel hearing set for Thursday. Walker, 23, is now free to play in Wednesday's League Cup visit to St Johnstone. He scored from the spot to draw Hearts level in the first half before Celtic won the game with a late winner from Scott Sinclair. Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson said on Tuesday morning that he was disappointed by Brown's \"cheat\" comment. \"I don't think you should be saying that about fellow professionals,\" Neilson told BBC Scotland. \"If you have got an opinion on anything you are better just keeping it to yourself.\" Neilson did speak to Brown at full time but the penalty incident was not discussed. \"I spoke with Scott after the game but just about coaching as he is doing some coaching with the under 20s. \"What happens on the football park happens on the football park. We move on, he is a good guy and he speaks well and he is into his coaching so there are no issues there at all.\" \"Disciplinary Rule 201 - At the above match you committed an act of simulation in that you did pretend that you were fouled by a player on the opposing team, namely Kieran Tierney, and did thereafter dive in the penalty box of the opposing team. That this act of simulation caused a match official to make an incorrect decision, namely the incorrect awarding of a penalty to Heart of Midlothian FC.\"", "summary": "Hearts are to contest a diving charge against winger Jamie Walker."}
{"article": "The royal visit on 7 June will include a look at Europe's most powerful brain scanner, of which there is only one other in the world at Harvard University in the United States. It will allow scientists to look at how brains work in minute detail. The Maindy Park building, finished a year ago, will bring together four hi-tech scanners under one roof. The centre will concentrate on research to hopefully understand more about the causes of conditions like dementia, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia. The Connectom scanner is six times more powerful than a conventional hospital MRI scanner and has been described as the \"Hubble space telescope of neuroscience\". It will allow researchers to study brain cells only 1000th of a millimetre across. Using a conventional scanner has been described as looking at a galaxy through a telescope and seeing a blur. Vice-Chancellor Prof Colin Riordan said the university was \"honoured\" to welcome The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to open the centre. \"This will be a fitting occasion for a facility that is not only significant for the university but for Wales, the UK and Europe,\" he said. \"The research here has the potential to unlock some of the secrets of the brain and significantly contribute towards treatments for neurological and psychiatric conditions.\" Prof Derek Jones, centre director, said: \"This is the culmination of a huge amount of hard work by many people over several years and I would like to thank everyone who played their part in creating this remarkable facility. \"The combination of the very best staff in their field and some of the most powerful scanners in the world has the potential for breakthroughs that could make a real difference to people's lives around the world.\" The royal couple will be invited to view brain imaging procedures and pupils from a local school will take part in activities to illustrate the power of the brain. A specially-commissioned sculpture created by PhD student Gemma Williams from the University's School of Psychology will also be unveiled. Cubric will be four times larger than the university's existing brain research imaging facilities.", "summary": "The Queen is to open the new \u00a344m Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (Cubric) next month."}
{"article": "Boxing on the undercard of Carl Frampton's loss to Leo Santa Cruz, the 26-year-old from Prestonpans went the distance for the first time. The Commonwealth super-lightweight champion now has eight wins since turning professional. Despite being deducted a point for low punches he won by 78-73 on two cards and 79-72 according to the third judge. Taylor described the experience of fighting in Las Vegas as \"brilliant\", but felt he did not hit top gear in the ring. \"It was far from my best performance,\" the Scottish fighter said. \"I was a little bit too eager to impress on the big stage. \"I felt a little bit tight and tense. I couldn't get my footwork going, couldn't get flowing. I never felt like I was in any danger, I felt very comfortable in the fight. I felt like I never got out of second gear. \"He was very awkward, very hard to nail clean. When I did catch him he was very good at spoiling me. It was a good learning fight for me and to good get the eight rounds in.\"", "summary": "Josh Taylor remains unbeaten after a comfortable points victory over Alfonso Olvera on his Las Vegas debut."}
{"article": "The ban, the first in Scandinavia, targets the niqab as well as burqas, balaclavas and masks, and would apply in nurseries, schools and universities. However headscarves, hats and caps could continue to be worn. Most parties support the bill, which is expected to pass next year. \"These clothes prevent good communication, which is important for students to receive a good education,\" Minister of Education and Research Torbjorn Roe Isaksen said in a statement. Interim Minister of Immigration and Integration Per Sandberg said being able to communicate with one another was a \"fundamental value\". Local authorities in Norway can already ban the full-face veil in schools but there is no national policy. However critics have questioned the bill's relevance given that the full-face veil is not widely worn in Norway, \"There are very, very few who use the niqab, so this is marginal problem in the integration context. Therefore, I believe the proposal is not necessary,\" Linda Noor of the Minotenk think tank, which focuses on minority issues, told broadcaster NRK. Earlier this year a Muslim group, the Islamic Council of Norway, sparked controversy after hiring a communications officer who wore the niqab. The Islamic Council - which had received government grants to improve interfaith dialogue - was criticised by the culture minister, Muslim MPs and other Muslim organisations. It defended the move, saying Leyla Hasic was the best person for the job.", "summary": "Norway is proposing a ban on the Muslim full face veil and other face-covering clothing because it says it hinders communication between pupils and teachers."}
{"article": "County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue crews were called to Beech Close, Brasside, on Monday evening. The street is in the Framwellgate Moor area of the city. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. A joint investigation between the fire service and Durham Police has been launched, a fire service spokesman said.", "summary": "A man has died in a house fire in County Durham."}
{"article": "The fire on 1 January destroyed the nursery and infant classrooms at Coed Eva Primary School, Cwmbran. The teenager, together with six others, was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. The others, two aged 15, two aged 19, a 16-year-old and a 21-year-old, were released without charge last month. A reward of up to ??5,000 is being offered by Crimestoppers for information about the fire that leads directly to an arrest and conviction.", "summary": "A 15-year-old boy who was arrested following an arson attack on a Torfaen school has been released without charge."}
{"article": "Hogg, 28, suffered the injury in a collision with a team-mate in a 4-0 defeat at Bristol City in March and was initially ruled out for the season. However, after further scans, he was allowed to return for Wednesday's 3-0 win over Norwich. \"It felt worrying - I'd never felt pain like it,\" he told BBC Radio Leeds. \"I'm a lucky boy to be out there because when the doctors said it was a fracture in my spine I feared the worst. \"I'm so glad I'm able to help the boys out for the rest of the season.\" The former Watford man played his part as the Terriers ended a run of successive defeats against the Canaries to go back up to third in the Championship table. David Wagner's side are nine points off second-placed Brighton with seven games to play - one more than the Seagulls. Hogg believes Town could still break into the automatic promotion places. \"We're just thinking about the next game. Strange things have happened this season and we are not a million miles off the top two,\" he added. \"If we can get three points at Nottingham Forest on Saturday it will put real pressure on the top two and pressure can do strange things to people.\"", "summary": "Huddersfield Town midfielder Jonathan Hogg said he feels fortunate to be back playing after fears he had fractured his neck."}
{"article": "It collided with a cargo boat crossing the Padma river, about 40km (25 miles) north-west of the capital Dhaka. Most of those who drowned were on the ferry's lower decks - 40 or 50 people were rescued or swam ashore. Witnesses said the ferry may have been overcrowded, with up to 150 people reportedly on board. Accidents are common on Bangladesh's river network, with overcrowding and poor boat quality often to blame. The ferry was raised to the surface and brought ashore on Monday. The exact number of people aboard the boat is not known, as Bangladeshi ferries do not usually have formal passenger lists. Police have arrested three people, including at least one person responsible for steering the cargo vessel. Hafizur Rahman Sheikh, who survived the crash, told Bangladesh's Prothom Alo newspaper that many passengers were trapped on the lower decks when the ferry sank. A similar accident earlier this month killed at least seven passengers in southern Bangladesh. In August 2014 more than 100 people died when a ferry with a capacity of 85 capsized with more than 200 people aboard.", "summary": "At least 70 people are known to have died in a ferry accident in Bangladesh, after authorities managed to reach the vessel which capsized on Sunday."}
{"article": "The scooter was thrown from an over-bridge on Gartlea Road, Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, at 17:50 on Thursday, landing on top of a train. The driver brought the train to a halt and later services on the line were subject to delays and cancellation. BTP said the incident was \"incredibly dangerous\". They appealed for anyone with information to get in touch. PC Mark Harrigan said: \"This was a particularly alarming incident for the driver of the service in question and in particular was a great inconvenience to the wider public who were subjected to lengthy delays and cancelled services as a result of this reckless act of vandalism. \"Fortunately no-one was hurt, but trespassing on the railway or risking coming into contact with overhead wires is incredibly dangerous. \"Criminal damage to the railway can result in serious and even fatal consequences for rail passengers, workers and those committing the damage.\" BTP would like to speak to anyone who may have seen people acting out of the ordinary or loitering in the Gartlea Road area, adjacent to Halfords and Morrisons petrol station, around the time of the incident.", "summary": "British Transport Police (BTP) have launched an investigation after a child's scooter was thrown at a train, causing lengthy delays to services."}
{"article": "South Korea's new President Moon Jae-in backed proposals for a collaboration after it was suggested by sports minister Do Jong-hwan. But North Korean International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Chang Un has dismissed the idea - saying there was not time to negotiate a deal. The Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, will take place from 9-25 February. The two sides have played in the same team before - at the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships. However, Mr Chang told local media: \"It took us 22 rounds of talks to set up that joint [table tennis] team... it took us five months. \"That's the reality we face.\" South Korea's sports minister had suggested a joint ice hockey team - even going as far as to suggest they might allow the north to host skiing events - to help make the 2018 games a \"peace Olympics\". President Moon, who advocates greater dialogue with South Korea's neighbours, then put forward the idea of a wider unified Olympic squad. But Mr Chang said the games should not be used for political purposes, adding: \"As an expert of the Olympics, it is a little late to be talking about co-hosting. It's easy to talk about co-hosting, but it is never easy to solve practical problems for that. It's the same for forming a joint team for ice hockey.\" South Korean officials have said they continue to be open to the idea. The two sides remain technically at war as the fighting at the end of the Korean War in 1953 did not end with a peace treaty. Tensions have risen recently following repeated missiles tests carried out by Pyongyang.", "summary": "North Korea has rejected an offer from the South to form a unified team for next year's Winter Olympics."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Goals from Divock Origi, Mamadou Sakho, Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho gave the hosts victory over the Toffees, who had Ramiro Funes Mori sent off five minutes into the second half. Martinez, under pressure after a run of just three wins in 10 games, said he was \"embarrassed\" by the performance. \"It doesn't come any worse than that,\" he added. \"Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. The whole chain of events was horrific and it is a showing we need to forget as quickly as we can.\" Everton have not won at Anfield since 1999 and, after conceding two quick goals before half-time, they never looked like taking the three points on Wednesday. In the end the Reds had 37 shots on goal compared with just three for Everton, none of which were on target. \"We know we shouldn't have put a show on like this,\" said Martinez. \"Sometimes there are things in football that you can't control with events that go against you, but we brought that on to ourselves conceding those two goals in three minutes just before half-time and it's something we should be much better at.\" Martinez faces the task of picking up his players for Saturday's FA Cup semi-final with Manchester United at Wembley. Louis van Gaal's side have won five of their past six games, while Everton have not won since beating Chelsea in the quarter-finals on 12 March. \"I think the game is so big at Wembley that it is a game they don't need lifting,\" added Martinez. \"It's tough but we're going to face adversity as we have to do, as we always show with strong character, with strong responsibility. \"We're going to make sure we make up for this performance today in front of our fans at Wembley.\" Martinez will be without defender Funes Mori for that game following his red card for standing on Origi's ankle. \"Ramiro tries to win the ball. That is his intent - he doesn't try to hurt the player,\" said Martinez. \"It is a mistimed challenge and at that time he gets Divock Origi's ankle. It could have been a yellow card, it could have been a red card. I can understand why the referee gave it. \"Ramiro probably got carried away with the emotion of the derby.\" There could be a further concern for Martinez after fellow defender John Stones was substituted against Liverpool with a stomach problem. The Toffees finished the game with midfielders James McCarthy and Muhamed Besic in the centre of defence. \"I don't like criticising managers as we have all been there but Roberto Martinez doesn't seem to have a plan B,\" former Everton midfielder Peter Reid told BBC Radio 5 live. \"He goes 4-2-3-1 but you've got to have something else. People work you out.\" Never want to miss the latest Everton news? You can now add them and all the other sports and teams you follow to your personalised My Sport home.", "summary": "Everton boss Roberto Martinez described Wednesday's 4-0 defeat at Liverpool as his worst moment at the club."}
{"article": "John McGrogan, 65, of Blackridge, began abusing the girls when they were aged six and 11. The offences were committed between 1981 and 2005 at addresses in Edinburgh. The former playground supervisor was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow. He was earlier placed on the sex offenders register. A judge heard how the victims finally revealed their ordeals in 2014 after McGrogan was convicted of child porn offences. Lord Burns told McGrogan he had \"exploited\" the duo for his own \"gratification\". He added the victim impact statements given to him had made \"harrowing\" reading. McGrogan will also be supervised for a further four years on his release. The first girl was aged 11 when she was raped. The other was attacked between the ages of six and 11. Both told how, during the abuse, McGrogan would try and spoil them by buying sweets or computer games. Tony Lenehan, defending said McGrogan's regret for what happened was \"sincere\".", "summary": "A West Lothian pensioner who admitted raping two primary schoolgirls has been jailed for for eight and a half years."}
{"article": "The award being given to Prof Stephen Sparks, of the University of Bristol, is considered the \"Nobel Prize of the earth sciences\". Prof Sparks headed monitoring efforts when Montserrat's Soufri\u00c3\u00a8re Hills volcano came to life in the 1990s. He will be awarded a medal and $250,000 at a ceremony in New York in June. Elected to the Royal Society at the age of 38, Prof Sparks is among the world's mostly highly-cited geologists. He is credited with being one of the first to apply maths and physics to the interpretation of volcanic processes and deposits in the field, bringing volcanology into the modern era. He pioneered methods for assessing the danger posed by active volcanic eruptions, helping governments to improve decisions about evacuations and rebuilding. Prof Sparks, who was born in London and raised in Chester, is a father-of two who now lives in Bristol with his wife Ann. Barry Voight, a volcanologist at Pennsylvania State University, said: \"Everyone has an egotism that drives their research, but Steve never lets it get in the way of working with others. \"You know he's not going to pick your brain and run off with your ideas. Instead, he will often improve on them.\" The Vetlesen Prize is supported by the G Unger Vetlesen Foundation and administered by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. Prof Stephen Sparks' career", "summary": "A British geologist whose work has improved the ability to forecast deadly volcanic eruptions is to receive the 2015 Vetlesen Prize."}
{"article": "Mr Osborne is seen as one of the frontrunners to replace David Cameron, who has said he will not seek a third term as prime minister. He did not deny being a contender during an interview with BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg in Berlin. But he said he was \"very focused\" on the UK's EU renegotiations. This involves \"delivering the best possible deal for Britain, the best possible economic plan for Britain, and getting all those decisions right\", he added. Asked \"what's wrong with being ambitious\", the chancellor said he was \"ambitious for Britain\", listing his current roles and adding: \"That is a huge task. I'm extremely honoured that I've been asked to undertake it, but it's all-consuming.\" Mr Osborne was one of three possible replacements tipped by Mr Cameron when he announced he would not seek a third term, along with Home Secretary Theresa May and London Mayor Boris Johnson. He is in Berlin to set out the UK's economic demands ahead of a planned in/out referendum on membership of the European Union.", "summary": "Chancellor George Osborne avoided questions on his Conservative Party leadership ambitions, saying his current job was \"all-consuming\"."}
{"article": "Leah Washington had her leg amputated after two carriages on the Smiler ride collided on 2 June. Three others suffered severe injuries. Merlin Entertainment said it had contacted those injured and all 16 on board would receive compensation. Lawyer Paul Paxton, representing three of the families, welcomed the decision. Ms Washington's boyfriend, 18-year-old Joe Pugh, from Barnsley, is being treated for two broken knees and \"extensive\" hand injuries at the Royal Stoke University Hospital. The couple were in the front row of the Smiler ride, alongside Daniel Thorpe and Vicky Balch, when it hit an empty carriage. Twenty-year-old Ms Balch, from Leyland in Lancashire, has undergone surgery in Stoke and is said to be in a serious, but stable condition. Mr Thorpe, 27, from Buxton, Derbyshire, is being treated for a collapsed lung and fractured leg at a hospital in Coventry. Chanda Chauhan, 49, from Wednesbury, who was sitting in the second row of the Smiler, was also admitted to Walsall Manor Hospital with internal injuries. Merlin Entertainment, which owns Alton Towers, said it had hand-delivered letters to all of those affected. Last week, chief executive Nick Varney promised there would be no problems with compensation and that those injured would \"want for nothing\". Alton Towers reopened to the public on Monday, but the X-Sector area, including the Smiler, remains closed. The two carriages that collided have been removed by the Health and Safety Executive to be examined in a laboratory and investigations are continuing at the theme park itself.", "summary": "Lawyers representing the families of those injured in a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers have welcomed a promise of compensation."}
{"article": "The report into claims made in a BBC NI Spotlight programme has been complete for more than seven months. Publication has been delayed by a legal challenge from Iris Robinson's solicitor. A reference to the legal challenge is contained in an annual report from the Assembly's standards watchdog. The Spotlight programme, broadcast in January 2010, detailed how Mrs Robinson had obtained thousands of pounds from property developers to help her teenage lover to set up a business. Standards Commissioner Douglas Bain investigated the allegations, but his report has not yet been published. \"My investigation into the referral relating to the allegations made in the BBC Spotlight programme broadcast in January 2010 was completed in November 2013,\" he said. \"However, submission of my report to the committee has been delayed by a legal challenge to its contents by a person referred to in the report.\" Iris Robinson's solicitor, John McBurney, told the BBC he had concerns about the impact upon his client of the production of a range of documentation included with the draft report. Those concerns relate to the relevancy of the material to the inquiry, Iris Robinson's privacy and the impact publication might have on her health and recovery.", "summary": "A legal challenge has delayed the publication of an official report into allegations about the conduct of First Minister Peter Robinson and his wife."}
{"article": "The 36-year-old former US Open champion has fallen to 85th in the world rankings after only one top-10 finish in 25 events this year. But he had nine birdies to reach 12 under, one ahead of Derek Fathauer. Scot Russell Knox, who sealed his first Tour win in Shanghai last week, had six birdies in a 65 and is five shots back. It is an impressive recovery from McDowell, who made a double bogey at the first hole on Thursday after sending his opening tee shot out of bounds and was within a fraction of doing the same with his next attempt. \"I hit my second ball further right than I hit my first - I figured I could be going home very, very soon. Thankfully, my second ball kicked in-bounds,\" said the Ryder Cup player, who also bogeyed the first hole in his second round, which he began from the 10th. McDowell birdied four successive holes at the El Camaleon Golf Club after making his solitary bogey of the day. \"I drove the ball much, much better today than yesterday and putted just as good, really seeing these greens well, putting decisively and making a few,\" he said. \"It's been a frustrating year but that's the game of golf we know and love and you've got to take the rough with the smooth and keep trying.\" Justin Leonard, the 1997 Open champion, shares fifth after mixing six birdies with three bogeys in a 68, but Englishman Greg Owen's 70 left him at one under, which was one too many for the halfway cut.", "summary": "Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell carded a 63 to take a one-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the PGA Tour's OHL Classic in Mayakoba, Mexico."}
{"article": "Darren Jones brought down Jobi McAnuff in the penalty area and O's top-scorer Simpson took his season's tally to 22. The win means the hosts rise two places to sixth in the League Two table as new player-manager Kevin Nolan enjoyed a second successive victory. Newport produced a battling performance, but remain 20th after a night of few chances. Nolan sent in the telling cross towards McAnuff for the game's deciding moment and referee Andy Davies awarded a spot-kick for the challenge by Jones. Newport manager Warren Feeney told BBC Radio Wales: \"That's possibly one of the worst decisions I've seen in the game. \"People say players have bad performances, but you've got to watch what you say about these people (referees). \"I wouldn't mind if he's consistent, but through the whole game, I thought he was poor from the start. \"I'm gutted for the players because I don't think they deserved that.\"", "summary": "A contentious Jay Simpson penalty was enough to earn promotion-chasing Leyton Orient victory over Newport County."}
{"article": "It is the second ATP Tour semi-final of the 22-year-old Briton's career and the fifth seed will face Ryan Harrison for a place in Sunday's final. The world number 45 was a break down in the first set when play was interrupted to give a fan medical help, but hit back to win nine of the last 10 games. Harrison thrashed Christopher Eubanks 6-1 6-2 in their quarter-final. American fourth seed Harrison said: \"Kyle's been coming out. He was playing some amazing tennis at the end of last year and has shown some highlights of that throughout this year as well.\"", "summary": "Kyle Edmund defeated top seed Jack Sock 6-4 6-1 to reach the last four of the 2017 Atlanta Open."}
{"article": "Chief executive Jonathan Ford said the FAW would be working with organisers and others as safety was \"paramount\". An army of fans are expected to make the trip for Wales' games in June. They face Slovakia in Bordeaux, England in Lens and Russia in Toulouse in their first major tournament since 1958. Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood called for 16 June to be made a national civic day so more fans can witness Wales take on England. She said because the match will take place during working hours, employers should be encouraged to make provisions to allow employees the afternoon off. Mr Ford said it was hoped friendly matches would be held in Wales before their Group B matches to give the \"boys a great send-off\". The majority of home matches since 2011 have been staged at the home of Cardiff City. The last time Wales played at the Millennium Stadium was the 2-0 defeat by England in March 2011 in front of a crowd of 69,000. Mr Ford said: \"Of course, there are some complications at home. There are concerts that happen in the summer at those stadia. \"We've got to look at that. We've got to put it all together as quickly as possible.\" He said Uefa, which oversees football in Europe, took \"security very, very seriously\". \"Tragic circumstances here, of course, very much mentioned in the ceremony and in the draw,\" he said, referring to the Paris attacks in November. \"Our focus now has got to be on to the teams, but we will have many people working with us to ensure the environment is very secure for us,\" he added.", "summary": "Security will be taken \"very seriously\" for Wales football fans in France to watch the team at the Euro 2016 finals, the Football Association of Wales boss has said."}
{"article": "The Post Office said the changes would help to keep branches where customers wanted and needed them to be. But the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) said the move was \"evidence that the Post Office is in crisis\". The union added that the number of post office jobs lost since the beginning of last year was 2,000. The CWU held a five-day strike before Christmas at Crown post offices in a dispute partly about branch closures. The union is also concerned about job losses and pension provision. Crown post offices are the larger branches usually found on High Streets. In a statement, the Post Office said: \"With consumer habits changing, and the high cost of maintaining premises in prime high street locations, franchising helps us to keep services where our customers want and need them.\" It said it would take time to identify the right partners over the coming months and all proposals would be subject to local consultation. It promised to keep staff \"fully informed\". CWU general secretary Dave Ward said: \"The latest round of closures is further evidence that the Post Office is in crisis and that the board of the company, backed by the government, is simply pursuing a strategy of slash and burn. \"Today's announcement comes less than three weeks after the closure of a major government consultation on the future of the Post Office and sticks two fingers up to everyone who took part in this.\" The union said that 75,000 postcards had been sent by members of the public to the government calling for an end to the closure and franchise programme of the Post Office. It added that the Post Office network has been reduced by more than 50% over the past 30 years. In April 2016, the Post Office announced plans to transfer up to 61 branches into WH Smith stores over the following year. It said the move was part of a 10-year plan to cut costs and save cash, and would act as a way of \"safeguarding the future of the network\".", "summary": "The Post Office is planning to close and franchise 37 Crown offices, with, the union says, the loss of 300 jobs and 127 specialist roles."}
{"article": "Son, 24, landed awkwardly during a challenge on Tuesday and will undergo surgery on his right forearm on Friday. Neither the club nor the Korean FA indicated how long Son will be out for. Spurs play Paris St-Germain in a pre-season friendly on 23 July and open their Premier League campaign at Newcastle on 12 August. Son scored 21 goals in 47 games for the north London club last season, as they finished runners-up behind Chelsea in the league.", "summary": "Tottenham forward Son Heung-min could miss the start of the new season after fracturing his arm in South Korea's World Cup qualifier against Qatar."}
{"article": "Ambulance staff informed police of the death of the boy, who was eight months old, at around 10:30 BST on Wednesday. Officers were called to Brownhills Road in Newton Abbot, and subsequently closed off the road. A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said a 27-year-old man had been taken into custody in relation to the death. Click here for the latest updates on this story Scenes of crime officers and police attended the house to undertake initial investigations, where they found a sibling of the child along with two adults. Devon and Cornwall Police said they were not looking for anyone else in relation to the case.", "summary": "Police are investigating the \"suspicious\" death of a baby boy in Devon."}
{"article": "The move by House Democrats is part of a \"Day Without a Woman\" strike, designed to highlight how crucial women are to the US national workforce. \"I think it's important women in Congress show our solidarity,\" said Congresswoman Lois Frankel. Schools in some districts were forced to close after staff walked out. International Women's Day has grown from a labour movement with its roots in a 1908 protest to a UN-recognised annual event. Women in Ireland still face prison for having an abortion Witty comebacks to sexist banter Why I can't post images of things going wrong Protests of various kind took place around the world. In Ireland, women across the country went on strike and wore black to protest against the country's restrictive abortion laws. Solidarity protests were held in London, Amsterdam and elsewhere to call for Irish laws to be changed. Women in Poland staged rallies and marches to demand protection against violence, equal rights and respect. They were joined by actress Jessica Chastain, who was in the city for a screening of her latest film. In Germany, airline Lufthansa said six all-female crews would be flying in support of the day. Just 6% of pilots in the airline's parent company Lufthansa are women. Sweden's women's football team replaced the names on the back of their jersey's with tweets from Swedish women \"who have struggled to gain ground in their respective field\". In the US, thousands of women were expected to not work or spend money, to demonstrate their economic strength and impact on society. \"We provide all this value and keep the system going and receive unequal benefits from it,\" said Cassady Findlay, a spokeswoman for the organisers behind the idea. US women are paid just four-fifths of their male counterparts' wages. The \"Day Without a Woman\" is being organised by the group behind the Women's March in January, when millions across the US gathered to protest the day after Donald Trump's inauguration. International Women's Day rallies are planned in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Washington and Berkeley, California, with some employers giving women time off to attend. Mr Trump tweeted on Wednesday to say he had \"tremendous respect for women\", but the president has been accused of sexism and forced to deny a series of claims of sexual assault. The White House said that none of its female staff members had taken part in the strike. Spokesman Sean Spicer said everyone had \"shown up\" and was working hard to advance President Trump's agenda. Elsewhere, Iceland's government said that it would begin to make employers prove they offer equal pay regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality or nationality, becoming the first country to do so. And in Finland, the country announced a a $160,000 (\u00e2\u201a\u00ac150,000) International Gender Equality Prize to be given to \"a dedicated defender and builder of equality\". Hundreds of women in the tiny state of Montenegro protested against cuts in state aid for mothers of three or more children, and in Romania dozens of women lay on the ground and read out the names of women killed", "summary": "US congresswomen have walked out of work, joining women around the world who are going on strike as part of International Women's Day."}
{"article": "The incident happened on Wednesday after the match at Kingsholm between Scotland and Japan. One departure was delayed by about 20 minutes while a new train manager was brought in to replace the one who was injured, a Great Western Railway (GWR) spokesman said. Many fans complained of overcrowding on trains and poor communication. GWR spokesman Dan Panes said there was an incident \"between a member of the public and a member of staff\". \"As a result that member of staff couldn't work on the train and we had to get a replacement in, which took around 20 to 25 minutes.\" Mr Panes said GWR put on four additional trains and \"strengthened\" existing trains due to the high number of passengers travelling. \"It's very, very difficult to get more than 2,500 people onto trains almost instantaneously,\" he said. \"We had plenty of capacity but we could provide all the trains that we have in the fleet just for Gloucester and it would still take some time to load that number of people on board those trains.\" The BBC's head of sport for English Regions, Charles Runcie, who was at Gloucester station after the game, said there was \"an almighty scrum\" to get on a two-carriage train just before 18:00 BST. \"Word filtered through that the driver was refusing to take the train out,\" he said. \"GWR have had three three years to prepare for this and they still put on the same little carriage. There was no communication. It was just rank awful.\" There were also complaints about overcrowding in Cardiff after Australia's match against Fiji on Wednesday, and at the weekend.", "summary": "A train manager was injured in an assault on a platform at Gloucester station after a Rugby World Cup match."}
{"article": "The Georgian burial ground is said to be the best preserved of its kind in the UK. The custodians of the cemetery hope the Grade 2 site will be expanded for community and educational projects. Penzance town council and other donors also contributed towards the restoration of the site. The cemetery was established in around the 1740s according to the town council, and contains about 50 headstones with Jewish and English inscriptions said to be of \"an exceptional quality\". Keith Pearce, who looks after the Penzance cemetery on behalf of the Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was \"a unique historic site.\" \"It's part of Penzance's exotic past. In the 18th Century, Penzance, Falmouth and Truro were very cosmopolitan ports. \"The Jews who arrived here would have arrived alongside French people, Spanish people and people from the West Indies - and they were welcomed because they were helping an expanding economy to survive.\"", "summary": "A \"unique\" Jewish cemetery in Penzance has been restored thanks to a \u00a325,000 lottery grant."}
{"article": "Asthma UK, which questioned more than 4,500 patients, said two-thirds miss out on yearly check-ups, tailored advice and lessons in how to use their asthma inhalers. It says it is a slight improvement on a year ago but remains a bleak picture. In 2015 in the UK, 1,468 people died from an asthma attack - the highest level in a decade. The latest annual asthma care survey suggests: Asthma UK says this is not good enough. According to the charity, two in every three asthma deaths could be prevented with good basic care. In the UK, 5.4 million people are currently receiving treatment for asthma. One million of these are children. NHS England says every asthma patient should be supported to manage their condition and offered regular reviews. Asthma UK says it is not just medical staff who need to do more, people with asthma must take responsibility for their own care too. It says digital health technology, including electronic alerts and reminders to mobile phones, could help patients keep on the right track. An NHS England spokeswoman said: \"Whilst we recognise the important issues in this annual survey, we also expect patients to take shared responsibility for managing aspects of this long term condition. \"It is important that patients consult with their GP where necessary and know how to use their medication properly. \"In future, digital solutions may improve dialogue with health professionals and ensure the widespread development of personal asthma action plans to help avoid unnecessary and costly hospital visits for treatment.\" Dr Penny Woods, the chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: \"The findings of Asthma UK's survey are typical of all lung diseases. \"Patients aren't receiving the care they need to help them manage their condition and there are still wide variations in care across the UK. \"Due to a lack of prioritisation in health policy, we now have the fourth highest mortality rates from lung disease in Europe.\"", "summary": "Millions of asthma patients in the UK are not getting basic care they need to manage their condition, a charity says."}
{"article": "Mr Arulampalam is already talking to colleagues on the phone as he arrives for work at 7.45am on Sunday. During a 20-minute handover, when he finds out about the most seriously ill patients under his care, he has to contend with the arrival of a \"code red\" patient who needs immediate treatment in the \"resus\" area of Emergency. He quickly delegates that job to a senior doctor, asking to be kept informed on the patient's progress, and starts his ward rounds. It's his first big decision of the day - many more will follow, because there's a lot to do. Mr Arulampalam is in charge of all patients admitted for general surgery at the hospital this weekend. His role also involves reviewing patients who have already been admitted during the last few days, who have had surgery and whose care is ongoing. He must also supervise operations, particularly those involving junior staff, and talk to the families of patients who are seriously ill, especially those who have a high risk of dying during surgery. Weekends start on a Friday morning at 8am and finish at the same time on a Monday. Although he is contracted to work just three hours on each of Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Mr Arulampalam usually only goes home at night to sleep. He also has to be on the end of a phone in case he is called back in for an emergency. \"On a weekend, my family don't expect to see me,\" he says. Such is the workload over the period that he often swaps one day with a colleague because \"doing a three-day weekend is not safe\", he says. First on his ward round is patient Nancy Fuller, who was admitted on Thursday evening with a painful wound after surgery. She says she has no complaints about the weekend care she has received. \"I wasn't feeling too good this morning and they immediately did something about it and got medication for me,\" she says. An hour into his shift, Mr Arulampalam has spoken to the consultant gastroenterologist about an emergency operation, chatted to the orthopaedic surgeon who's preparing to fix fractures and is under pressure to book a CT scan, which will mean liaising with the consultant radiologist. Among senior doctors, he says the staffing levels are \"really very good\" at the hospital outside of normal hours and that helps when difficult decisions on patients have to be made. Meanwhile, the \"code red\" patient brought in from a residential home with bleeding needs more tests in a hurry. This requires more conversations with specialists - asking for their advice and sharing knowledge. \"Communication is really, really important,\" he says. At 10am Mr Arulampalam has seen about half of the patients on the emergency ward and he's stacking up work for the rest of the day with two patients already needing to go to theatre. Sometimes he can get away early, but not today. With a house officer, a core trainee, two junior doctors and a registrar working with him, it only takes two or three", "summary": "Tan Arulampalam, consultant colorectal and general surgeon, let the BBC follow him on a weekend shift at Colchester General Hospital, where he's been a consultant for 12 years - and he gives his personal view on the plan to make the NHS a seven-day operation."}
{"article": "Kent County Council (KCC) is expected to put up its Young Persons' Travel Pass from \u00a3200 to \u00a3250 in September - a year after the price doubled from \u00a3100. \"We have just set up an e-petition and we will be emailing all the schools and hoping people will sign,\" said Staplehurst campaigner Katya Thornton. KCC said it could not provide a cheaper pass because of government cuts. The travel pass gives unlimited access to Kent's buses for 11 to 16 year-olds on weekdays between 06:00 and 19:00 from the start of the academic year until 31 July. \"Some people will say the increase is only \u00a350 but that's a 25% rise and its coming on top of last year's rise,\" said Ms Thornton. \"For some people like me this has a real impact. \"It's very unfair for those of us who live in rural communities because I don't have the right kinds of schools on the doorstep. \"I would prefer to send my children to a school five of 10 minutes away where they could walk but I can't do that.\" Leader of the UKIP opposition on the council Roger Latchford, said he was appalled at the increase and would oppose it when it was debated by the council's cabinet on Monday. Tory-run KCC said buying a bus card directly from the operator could cost more than \u00a3800 a year. It said government cuts meant the council had to save \u00a3209m over the next three years and subsidising bus passes currently cost the council about \u00a315m a year. \"It is a discretionary scheme - we don't have to do it,\" said Conservative Matthew Balfour. \"Our subsidy is being reduced but that still leaves a cost to the taxpayer of \u00a3338 per pass.\"", "summary": "Parents have vowed to fight a \u00a350 increase in the cost of bus passes for Kent secondary school students."}
{"article": "The 31-year-old lock has made 62 international Test appearances, playing at both the 2011 and 2015 World Cups. Nemsadze has also played for Montauban and Valence d'Agen among others. Bristol director of rugby Andy Robinson said Nemsadze, at 6ft 5ins and weighing more than 120kg, \"fits the bill for a Premiership lock\". Robinson continued: \"He's heavy, abrasive and he's been a key part of a Georgia forward pack that has enjoyed considerable success at international level. \"We recruit players that fit the mould of the standards and culture we expect at Bristol Rugby. Giorgi not only brings with him the knowledge of playing in France for nearly 10 years, but also that physical intensity we are striving for.\"", "summary": "Premiership newcomers Bristol have signed Georgia international lock Giorgi Nemsadze from French second-tier side Tarbes."}
{"article": "The incident happened shortly after 19:00 on the A9 Inverness to Thurso road, on the outskirts of Thurso. The driver of a Ford Fiesta was pronounced dead at the scene. The female driver of a Nissan Qashqai was unhurt. The road was closed in both directions at the crash site for a police investigation. Sgt Donnie MacKinnon, from the Road Policing Unit, said: \"Tragically this collision has resulted in the driver of the Fiesta sustaining fatal injuries and we are currently trying to establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident. \"Anyone who was on the A9 just outside Thurso at around 7pm on Thursday evening and witnessed what happened should contact police immediately.\"", "summary": "A male driver has died after he was involved in a two-car collision in the Highlands."}
{"article": "That is the highest level of borrowing in October in six years. The government has borrowed \u00a354.3bn so far this year and is making slow progress on meeting the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) forecast. These figures mean Chancellor George Osborne will need to restrict borrowing to just \u00a315bn between now and April. While not impossible - January usually sees a surplus thanks to an influx of self-assessment income tax receipts - it remains unlikely that the chancellor will meet the \u00a369.5bn OBR forecast without severe cuts at next week's Autumn Statement. The previous annual borrowing figure was \u00a390.1bn. The Treasury said the figures showed the job of rebalancing the economy was \"not yet done\". It added that \"government borrowing remains too high\". The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said the chancellor faces \"two big challenges\" to meet cuts plans and achieve a surplus by 2019-20. \"The first is to divide up the shrinking budget for day-to-day spending by departments, while continuing to protect many areas of spending. \"The second is to remain within his welfare cap while taking on board the recent House of Lords motion that he must reconsider the tax credit cuts he announced in July,\" said IFS. Analysis: BBC economics correspondent Andy Verity So you thought we were living in a time of austerity. Yet the question is increasingly - austerity for whom? The Treasury's acknowledged that government borrowing \"remains too high\". Even ignoring the fact that it was the worst October for the public finances since 2009 (which could be down to statistical blips) the government had to borrow \u00a354.3bn from April to October to plug the gap between its income and its spending. If George Osborne is to achieve his goal of borrowing no more than \u00a369.5bn for the whole financial year, there isn't much headroom left for the remaining five months. It's highly likely that the Office for Budget Responsibility will have to relax its forecast at next week's Autumn Statement. The fact that the budget deficit is falling at all is not because of reduced spending but because of increased tax receipts. From April to October central government spending rose by 1.1% to \u00a3402.6bn. A big part of the reason for that was that the government has exempted the health budget from austerity. It is also raising the basic state pension by a minimum of 2.5% a year - even when inflation is negative. Overwhelmingly, the beneficiaries of those exemptions are members of the older generation. By contrast, those who bear the brunt of the planned tax credit and benefit cuts will be people of working age. Many economists say the Treasury has no hope of meeting the OBR's forecast for this year. Howard Archer chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight said: \"George Osborne now has an almighty task to meet his fiscal targets for 2015/16. \"Indeed, if the pattern of the first seven months of the fiscal year continued, PSNB would amount to \u00a380.3bn in 2015/16, which would mean that Mr Osborne would overshoot by some \u00a311bn the target of", "summary": "Public sector net borrowing (PSNB) rose \u00a31.1bn in October compared with the same month a year ago to \u00a38.2bn, official figures show."}
{"article": "A KPMG report, leaked to the Northern Echo, revealed the figures included \u00a3750,000 of unsold merchandise. Welcome to Yorkshire's Sir Gary Verity said the shortfall was outweighed by the \"\u00a3102m economic benefit\" to the region. He said he regarded the loss as an \"investment\" in Yorkshire's economy. Speaking after London turned down the chance to host the 2017 event, Mr Verity added he would \"love\" the race to return to the county by 2020. It was too soon for Yorkshire to bid for the 2017 Grand Depart, Sir Gary said, but he was \"very excited\" by the prospect of it returning soon. \"The Tour de France, in its 112-year history, has never gone back to anywhere as quickly as that,\" he said. \"They do return to places but normally it's six, seven, eight or nine or 10 years...so three years would be way too fast.\" Welcome to Yorkshire said it was back on track to deliver a \"modest surplus\" after the report by the accountancy firm last November revealed the losses. Mr Verity said: \"We had a loss that we made on it which we regard as an investment for the wider benefit of the Yorkshire economy, that's our job.\" He added: \"It was a multimillion-pound investment and we think that the payback from that for the wider benefit across Yorkshire will continue, not just from last summer to this summer, but for many years to come.\"", "summary": "The tourism chief who helped bring the Tour de France to Yorkshire has defended the \u00a31m loss his organisation incurred from hosting the event."}
{"article": "Colin Patterson, 51, from Newcastle, contacted a fake profile created by the Dark Justice group. During conversations on the internet, he asked for sex, sent naked pictures and arranged a meeting. The former shipyard worker had admitted attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming at a previous hearing. At Newcastle Crown Court, prosecutor Tim Gittins said the vigilante group had set up the profile on the website Badoo as a girl named Tasha. \"They were careful that contact was initiated by the defendant and he contacted the profile in January,\" he said. \"It was made clear to him immediately that he was conversing with a 14-year-old and asked if that was acceptable to him. \"The defendant's conversations moved quickly towards sexual matters and asking to meet her.\" Mr Gittins said Patterson sent two pictures of his genitalia, which was part of the 120 pages of conversation between them. A rendezvous was arranged at the Centre for Life, in Newcastle city centre. When Dark Justice arrived they stopped a passing policeman who arrested Patterson. Jailing him, Judge Penny Moreland also placed him on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and made a sexual harm prevention order lasting for 10 years. Shaun Routledge, defending, said: \"He does not seek to blame anybody but himself and there are clear indications of remorse.\" Dark Justice, who are a two-man team, welcomed the sentence and said their work had now resulted in 18 arrests.", "summary": "A man who thought he was meeting a 14-year-old girl for sex but had been ensnared by internet paedophile hunters has been jailed for two years."}
{"article": "Eric Hankin was one of 96 fans fatally injured in a terrace crush at the FA Cup semi-final on 15 April 1989. He and his group had tried to find a vantage point in the Leppings Lane end of the stadium, the jury heard. Timothy Lyons said he earlier warned Mr Hankin he would not be standing in the same area due to a previous experience. Mr Lyons said in a statement that he saw Mr Hankin, a 33-year-old nurse and father-of-two, inside the Sheffield stadium before the Liverpool versus Nottingham Forest tie. He said: \"Whilst I was waiting for my wife, I saw Eric Hankin come out of the men's toilet and he came over to talk to me. \"I told him that I would not be going into the central pens, especially after what I had experienced the previous year. \"I told him that my wife and I would be going into pen seven. \"Eric Hankin told me he was going to go behind the goal. It was a short conversation and I do not recall seeing Eric with anyone else.\" Mr Hankin worked as a staff nurse at Moss Side Hospital in Maghull, Merseyside. Stephen Brown, who also worked at the hospital and went to the match with Mr Hankin, described going into pen three. He said: \"Our intention would have been to try to find a vantage point to watch the game, but any plans we had for that were gone as soon as we got in to the crowd and it was just chaos in there.\" In his 1989 statement, Mr Brown described how the crush became worse and he saw a man near him fall to the ground with his eyes closed. He told the court: \"It was different waves of pressure, because you would move in one direction and you would get caught in an area. \"The pressure would build and there would be a crush that would increase, increase, increase, and then it would be released and you would move suddenly to the side, or forward, or backwards and then the same thing would happen. \"The crushing just increased, released, increased, released and some people were lucky enough to get out when the pressure released.\" He said when the pressure was tight he was \"completely unable to draw breath\". The court saw a picture timed at about 15:02 BST, two minutes after the scheduled kick-off, which showed Mr Hankin towards the front of pen three. It is believed Mr Brown was also pictured to the right of his colleague. Mr Brown managed to escape through an open gate, the court heard. The jury also heard from two police officers, Richard Liversidge and Stephen Perry, who tried to revive Mr Hankin inside pen three after the crush. Mr Liversidge, who is now a detective inspector, said Mr Hankin was \"limp\" and \"not breathing\". The two officers tried to resuscitate him but were not successful. One of Mr Hankin's friends identified his body at 16:41 inside a temporary mortuary at the ground. His father, also named", "summary": "A victim of the Hillsborough disaster was warned about the area where the crush occurred by a fellow Liverpool supporter, the new inquests have heard."}
{"article": "A 19-year-old man was shot in the leg in Stainbeck Road on Thursday. He remains in hospital, where his condition is described as stable, West Yorkshire Police said. A 29-year-old man, from Woodhouse, is in custody. The force said extra officers were patrolling the area to \"provide reassurance to the local community\" while enquiries continued.", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a shooting in Leeds."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old was on the periphery of Newcastle's 2011 Championship-winning squad, and sees comparisons with the promotion-chasing Devon side. \"When teams beat us they celebrate like they've won the league, which is a bit similar,\" he told BBC Sport. \"It's the same - people up their game against us, which you've got to deal with when you're a big club like us.\" On Saturday, Donaldson will make his first return to his last club Cambridge, for whom he scored the goal which won them promotion back into the Football League in 2014. Argyle are second in the fourth tier, but were beaten by Yeovil on Tuesday, only their seventh league defeat in 27 games. \"Yeovil the other night, you should've heard them when they won, \" Donaldson added. \"It's not annoying, it just feels better when you beat them because we should beat teams like that, but sometimes it happens and you've just got to move on and get on with it. \"We've got so many good players here - I've not played in a squad this good since I made the step up into men's football, so I think we all push each other on.\"", "summary": "Plymouth Argyle midfielder Ryan Donaldson says League Two teams see the Pilgrims as a major scalp."}
{"article": "Resuming on 43-1 after there was no play in the first session, debutant Eddie Byrom (43) and Adam Hose (48) put on 77 to take the score to 102-1. But Holland then dismissed Byrom, James Hildreth, Tom Abell and Steven Davies in a remarkable four-over spell of 4-8. He ran out Lewis Gregory before Gareth Berg (3-26) claimed two wickets, then rain forced an early close at 135-8. Somerset came into the day in a commanding position, having triggered a similar collapse from Hampshire with the pink ball under the floodlights in their first innings. However, the poor middle-order batting that has undermined their County Championship season came back to haunt them, meaning a first win of the season is now very unlikely. Opener Byrom, who had looked otherwise solid, chipped USA-born Australian Holland to mid-on and Hildreth went lbw for two before Abell and Davies feathered edges to Lewis McManus, both without scoring. Gregory was run out by Holland when he slipped trying to run a quick single, leaving Berg to pin Hose lbw and have Craig Overton caught at mid-wicket before rain prevented any play in the final session. Ian Holland told BBC Radio Solent: \"It was a strange session of cricket. Obviously they had the momentum early and they got a decent partnership but we got a load of wickets in a hurry, so it's a decent end for us. \"It puts us in a strong position. You never know. There are still 96 overs, maybe more, left in the game. \"It is nice to contribute and come in and do well. I don't want to come in and be deadweight. The pink ball has been good to me. It seems to do bits in periods of the game and then flatten out. You are never out of the game.\" Somerset director of cricket Matt Maynard told BBC Radio Bristol: \"It was so good to see Adam Hose and Eddie Byrom batting well and getting into a good position, then Holland came on and nipped it around under the lights and caused problems. \"It was nibbling a little bit more. When you come in under those conditions it is tricky. He had a couple of decent balls out there. None of our boys gave their wicket away. \"Eddie Byrom has impressed full stop. I liked the look of him in the academy and he is now getting his game. He knows his strengths in this form of the game and he showed that with the balls he left. I feel chuffed for the lad.\"", "summary": "Ian Holland took 4-16 as Somerset collapsed, losing seven wickets for 33 runs against Hampshire on day three."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Rangers trailed at the break, through ex-Ibrox striker Kris Boyd's shot but recovered in the second half with James Tavernier's free-kick to draw 1-1. \"It's the worst display in the last 14 or 15 months,\" said manager Warburton. \"We move quickly and with quality on the training field and we didn't do that. We chose to go long and I don't know why.\" Warburton's side, who won last season's Championship, have yet to keep a clean sheet in the Scottish Premiership this term, posting two 1-1 draws and two 2-1 wins. \"We draw with Hamilton in the first game and the end of the world is nigh,\" said Warburton of the expectations on his side. \"There is no shortage of desire and commitment. What we have to do is take it from the training pitch on to the match pitch. \"We have had passages of good play, Dundee second half and today second half. But we have to be better for longer. \"We have to play with a bit more belief. We looked hesitant at times in terms of our decision-making. That is very unlike us and we didn't get the ball moving. \"We have new players coming and there is maybe some gelling still going on.\" Killie's Greg Taylor was dismissed for a second-half tackle on Joey Barton and Warburton said: \"Joey is okay. \"I saw the challenge. We don't want to see anyone sent off, but it was a poor challenge. \"I was conscious the atmosphere was rising. He was on a yellow card, so I took him off as a precaution.\" Meanwhile, striker Joe Dodoo was sent for an x-ray on his ankle after landing awkwardly early on.", "summary": "Mark Warburton lamented his team's first-half display at Kilmarnock, saying: \"It was not a Rangers team.\""}
{"article": "News and discussion programmes on state-controlled television are dominated by talk of the conflict and deliver a common message: that western policy in Syria has failed and President Vladimir Putin has stepped in to the rescue. \"Russia is saving Europe from barbarism for the fourth time,\" the notorious anchorman Dmitry Kiselyov crowed on his weekly show. \"Let's count: the Mongols, Napoleon, Hitler - and now Islamic State.\" The criticism from abroad, that Russia is actually ignoring IS targets to focus on opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, is dismissed as propaganda. \"This is truly a matter of national security,\" foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a packed press room this week. \"We've experienced terrorism. We don't want to go through that again.\" As the vast majority of Russians get their news from TV, the message is starting to penetrate. A poll this week by the independent Levada centre in Moscow revealed that 72% of Russians support the airstrikes. That is a dramatic turn-around since the last survey before the military and media campaigns began, when a majority were opposed. It is a reassuring result for Vladimir Putin, for whom the Syria campaign is another chance to play the strong man and reassert Russia on the global power map. The first cruise missiles modern Russia has ever launched in combat were fired on his 63rd birthday; the dramatic images were screened repeatedly, almost like celebratory fireworks. The next day's newspapers hailed the barrage as proof that Russia is back to rival the USA, after President Putin's massive investment in a military modernization drive. But the Levada centre survey revealed another important statistic. \"There is a clear fear that Russia will get stuck in Syria, like the Soviet Union did in Afghanistan; that this will be a long campaign, with human sacrifice and great cost,\" the centre's director Lev Gudkov points out. That is despite repeat assurances that Russia will not deploy ground troops. \"The Kremlin is underlining that this is a short-term operation, and only from the air. But what happens if militants attack the Russian airbase? It's completely unclear how things would develop then,\" Mr Gudkov adds. And there is another problem brewing. Russia is busily portraying its Syria campaign as a war on terror. But the fact that it is supporting a Shia-led alliance against Sunni opposition has not been lost on its own Muslim population. At least 11% of Russian citizens are Muslim, most of them Sunni. At a recent ceremony at the new Moscow central mosque many expressed support for the policy of Vladimir Putin. They echoed a speaker inside who blamed the United States for sowing chaos in the Middle East. \"They want to divide the Muslim world,\" Adam Delimkhanov argued. But privately, other mosque-goers voiced concern. \"That's just politics,\" one man commented of the speech. \"Of course we're worried. They're bombing Sunnis.\" Even official figures here show that more than 2,000 former Soviet citizens have joined the ranks of I.S and other extremist groups in Syria. Where key countries stand - Who is backing whom Why? What? How?", "summary": "With fighter jets flying up to 70 sorties a day in Syria, Russia's powerful media machine has gone into overdrive."}
{"article": "The party said extending the way shares were taxed and closing a loophole would bring in up to \u00a326bn in the next Parliament, if it won the election. It is also wants a tax avoidance crackdown and would require \u00a31m+ earners to publish their tax records. The Conservatives described Labour's plans as \"a total shambles\". Meanwhile, the Tories are promising a \"new generation\" of social housing will be built in England if they win the general election. And the Lib Dems are proposing a cash incentive to engineering and technology graduates who sign up for the armed forces. Party leader Tim Farron said the \u00a310,000 \"golden handshake\" - paid to recruits committing for five years - would help address a \"critical skills shortfall\" in the services. Labour has been facing calls to say how it would pay for a series of election pledges after its draft manifesto was leaked last week. It says the final version, which has yet to be published, will be fully costed. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said Labour's plans to increase taxes on City transactions would be a \"Robin Hood tax\" that would \"make the financial sector pay its fair share\" after the damage caused by the financial crisis. Labour said it would extend the existing 0.5% stamp duty paid on shares to other financial assets, including investments known as derivatives. It would also end an exemption, known as intermediaries relief, that applies to some banks and hedge funds, saying that together the measures would bring in between \u00a34.7bn and \u00a35.6bn a year. Mr McDonnell added: \"Ordinary people are still being made to pay by the Tories for a crisis they didn't cause through the worst spending cuts for generations.\" A Robin Hood tax isn't a new idea, far from it. John McDonnell has long campaigned for it. The other name for it is a financial transactions tax, where a small levy is placed on certain financial transactions or trades. Here in the UK, we already pay stamp duty when shares are bought and traded. Last year that raised just over \u00a33bn. Labour wants to go further and extend the levy to bonds and more complex financial instruments called derivatives, which it claims would raise \u00a326bn over the course of the next Parliament, and help curb speculative computer-driven high frequency trading. Labour says the plan mirrors a similar one being planned by the EU, but Europe's scheme is currently in the long grass. The UK ruled out taking part, fearing it would hurt the City of London, where huge amounts of these trades are done. If Labour's plans came to fruition, critics say these transactions would simply move elsewhere or the costs would be passed on to the likes of pensions funds, ultimately hitting consumers. That's on top of worries over the potential loss of business and jobs in the City because of Brexit. Mr McDonnell also said Labour would ensure \"fairness\" in the UK's tax system with a string of tax-avoidance measures. These include increasing the number of people investigating the tax affairs of the wealthiest individuals,", "summary": "Labour says it would raise billions of pounds for public services with a new tax on financial transactions - known as a \"Robin Hood\" tax."}
{"article": "17 November 2014 Last updated at 17:53 GMT This trio provides a tour of their company and explain the principles that have guided their business as part of the African Dream series.", "summary": "Definition Africa is a Ugandan fashion label founded by Nadia Bhegani, Olga Mugyenyi and Nahida Bhegani, which tries to source all of its raw materials on the continent."}
{"article": "More tough negotiation and reforms lie ahead if it is ever to join the EU. Its neighbour Croatia joined in 2013. Bosnia's move comes more than two decades after it emerged from a three-year conflict that cost about 100,000 lives, when Yugoslavia fragmented. The EU foreign policy chief saw the bid as a step towards European unity. \"At a time when the union is questioned from within, seeing that with our immediate neighbours there is such an energy and willingness to join and work hard to adapt their countries, society, economy, institutions, systems to the European standards, gives us the sense of responsibility we have also towards our European Union citizenship,\" Federica Mogherini told journalists. Integration with Europe is seen as a way to help Bosnia's ailing economy and overcome its reputation for corruption that scares off investors. Last March, EU foreign ministers and Bosnia signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement that had been on hold since 2008, paving the way for the application. Dragan Covic, the chairman of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, said there would be \"years of many challenges ahead\", the AFP news agency reports. He submitted the application to Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, whose country currently holds the six-month EU rotating presidency. The EU was happy to see \"Bosnia back on the reform path\", AFP quoted Mr Koenders as saying.", "summary": "Bosnia-Herzegovina has formally applied to join the 28-nation European Union - a milestone in its efforts to overcome political and ethnic divisions."}
{"article": "They will be published by Esquire magazine on Friday and submitted to a scientific journal. Froome, 30, chose to share the data because he wants to prove that people can \"trust\" his achievements. The Briton was spat at by some spectators during this year's Tour following media claims of doping. Pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline performed the tests in its human performance laboratory. Froome, who won the Tour this year and in 2013, wanted to determine the characteristics which make him an exceptional athlete. Team Sky manager Sir Dave Brailsford said: \"There are opportunities to do what we can to make the unbelievable believable. \"I think the independence thing is a good thing. And why not? I can't see the negative in it. \"There's a lot of talk about transparency these days, trying to have a leadership role. He's won the Tour twice, we should make the effort.\"", "summary": "Britain's double Tour de France winner Chris Froome is to reveal the results of his independent physiological testing this week."}
{"article": "The photographer, who has visited India more than 60 times, once said the country had taught him to watch and wait on life. \"If you wait, people would forget your camera and the soul world drifts into view,\" he told an interviewer. McCurry, whose picture of a young orphaned Afghan girl with green eyes became an iconic image of war and the most recognised picture in the history of National Geographic magazine, has now published a book of his pictures of India. \"These magnificent pictures, some justly famous, many new and revelatory - reveal the beauty of the country and highlights its extraordinary contradictions,\" writes author William Dalrymple in his introduction. \"This is a very different India indeed, and it is here, in the places suspended between modernity and tradition, that most of the pictures in the book were made.\" Here is a selection from Steve McCurry: India published by Phaidon/Roli Books.", "summary": "Celebrated American photographer Steve McCurry has been coming to India for more than three decades."}
{"article": "Manager Roberto Martinez wants greater attacking options after selling Steven Naismith to Norwich and Aiden McGeady also possibly going out on loan. Everton's top target was Dynamo Kiev forward Andriy Yarmolenko but they have been frustrated in that pursuit. Senegal striker Niasse has 12 goals in 21 games for his club this season. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Everton have made an approach for Lokomotiv Moscow forward Oumar Niasse and hope to tie up a \u00a313.5m deal before Monday's transfer deadline."}
{"article": "He said they should follow the example of London Challenge, the now defunct Labour policy which improved London schools, and get outstanding schools and heads working very closely with the less successful. For decades, London secondary schools had some of the worst exam results in the country. Sir Michael was a teacher in the capital in the 1970-90s. He told BBC Newsnight that if someone had told him then that London would be doing much better than the rest of England, he would not have believed it. He said the improvement was down to London Challenge - there was the \"political will\" to make schools better, adding that London Challenge bypassed local authorities. Little Ilford School in Newham is one school where results have improved dramatically over the last 15 years. In 1997, just 16% of its students got five GCSES at grades A-C, the league table measure then. Last year, 71% passed at least 5 GCSES at grades A*-C including English and Maths. Over half of the school's pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 88% speak English as an additional language. According to the acting headteacher, Katy Episcopo, that change is down to improved teaching, and certain specific initiatives. They have Study Plus classes, which help students who are behind in reading and writing, and that has had a significant impact. They work closely with pupils' parents. They build confidence and they support aspiration. Although funding for London Challenge was cut two years ago, results have kept rising. It seems the improvement has developed its own momentum. Not only are more students passing GCSEs, but more are achieving higher grades too. Temoore Zulfiqar, who is aged 16, has already taken three GCSEs, in maths and science. He got two A* grades and one A. He wants to go to Oxford or Cambridge and thanks to his school, he has already visited both several times. Students at Little Ilford see no bar to their ambitions. Tanvir, who is 15 years old, told me he wanted to be Britain's first Muslim prime minister. As London has rapidly improved, some other authorities have not kept pace. Barnsley in South Yorkshire has some of the worst GCSE results in England. Simon Barber, headteacher of the brand-new Holy Trinity school, is determined to improve standards. Although almost all his pupils speak English as a first language, and only 16% were eligible for free school meals last year, 53% of pupils got five GCSES at grades A* to C, including English and maths, last year. He told me he was keen to learn from other schools, especially those in London. He took a group of children to Newham last summer, to see the London sights, and to visit another school. Some of the pupils who had gone on the visit told me the atmosphere was different at the Newham school - the children were more focused on learning. \"If you didn't look out the window, you'd never know it was a rough area,\" one young teenager told me. \"The children looked so smart and ready", "summary": "Sir Michael Wilshaw, Chief Inspector of Schools in England and head of education watchdog Ofsted, has told BBC Newsnight that schools and local authorities up and down the country should learn from London and \"draw a line\" below underperformance."}
{"article": "Wildschut crossed for defender Reece Burke to put the visitors ahead from close range against the run of play. Aaron Mooy equalised straight after half-time for the Terriers. But Wildschut ran from inside his own half to round goalkeeper Danny Ward and slot home the winner. The two teams came into the match at opposite ends of the table but both in poor form, with Huddersfield's early season dominance having fallen away in recent weeks. However, the Terriers dominated the first half without finding the breakthrough, although Elias Kachunga did have an effort ruled out for offside. Wigan had already looked dangerous on the break when they counter-attacked again and Wildschut sped down the right before delivering a centre for unmarked on-loan West Ham defender Burke to fire home. Whatever Town boss David Wagner said at half-time clearly worked as five minutes into the second half, Mooy equalised after Nahki Wells' left-wing centre found him at the far post. But Huddersfield had not learned their lesson when the Latics broke again and Wildschut ran unchallenged from the halfway line to round Ward and slot the ball home. Wigan's first win in three games moves them up a place and although they are still in the relegation zone, it puts them level with Wolves on 18 points. The Terriers are clinging on to the final play-off place but have now conceded 15 goals in their last six games, having only let in 10 in their opening 12 matches. Huddersfield boss David Wagner told BBC Radio Leeds: \"We played some good stuff today, we brought our identity on the grass, created moments and played with speed and were energetic. It was a good game from my side, but unfortunately we didn't get two penalties in my opinion, after speaking with the guys from the TV one was 100%. \"Our biggest problem in our game was that we were not able to handle their counter-attacks better than we did. \"The first one we have to clear in the middle of the pitch, not when their winger was on the sideline, and the second one we switched off after we thought we had cleared the situation and the ball goes over our head. \"We have to give credit to our opponent. It was a gameplan Wigan had and it worked for them. They did exactly the same against Barnsley and we were not able to defend it better today.\" Wigan boss Warren Joyce told BBC Radio Manchester: \"I'm obviously pleased to get the three points but it's just one game and you have to follow it up by bringing some consistency into the group, so we're seeing that regularly not only on a weekly basis but on a daily basis that we do the right things every day and then if you're doing that, there's a pretty good chance you are going to do it consistently on a Saturday or a Monday night. \"Yanic Wildschut is a very effective footballer. If he's got the ball at his feet or he's dribbling with it or he's running", "summary": "Yanic Wildschut scored one goal and made another as Wigan earned their first win under new manager Warren Joyce and stretched Huddersfield's winless run to four games."}
{"article": "The company set up an office in Northern Ireland three years ago. The new jobs aimed at legal graduates will be created over the next five years, taking its Belfast workforce to almost 500. Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said the announcement reflected the company's \"very positive experience\" in Northern Ireland. She said the salaries would contribute almost \u00c2\u00a33m a year to the local economy. Invest NI is offering grants of \u00c2\u00a3860,000.", "summary": "The international law firm, Allen and Overy, is creating 100 new jobs in Belfast."}
{"article": "Speaking at a rally for Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith, the prime minister warned about the dangers of a Labour victory for the capital's economy. Mr Goldsmith said his Labour rival was \"Mr Corbyn's man\" in City Hall. But Mr Khan said he was \"no patsy\" to Mr Corbyn and would stand up to him. It is 100 days until London elects a new mayor to succeed Boris Johnson, who is stepping down after eight years. The vote will be a key electoral test for Jeremy Corbyn and Labour, for whom the capital was one of the few bright spots in last year's dismal general election defeat. Last May, Labour won four seats from the Tories in London and hope to win back City Hall for the first time since 2008. Addressing a rally of Conservative activists, Mr Cameron sought to frame the election as an early verdict on Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour party as well as a choice between Mr Goldsmith and Mr Khan. \"Zac Goldsmith can be a great mayor. You've got the man and the plan, think for a moment about the alternative,\" he said. \"Sadiq Khan nominated Jeremy Corbyn to be leader of the Labour party and he doesn't regret it. Never mind the fact he (Mr Corbyn) wants to give the Falklands back to Argentina or he thinks that nuclear submarines should patrol the Atlantic without any missiles. \"His policy is to bring back and legalise secondary strikes and flying pickets. Just think what the first Corbyn-elected Mayor would be like for our economy, for our city. You do not want to be lab rats in the first Corbyn economic experiment in public life\". Ahead of the rally, the Conservatives launched a poster campaign depicting Mr Goldsmith as \"your man in City Hall\". In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mr Khan said he would stand up to the Labour leader over the issue of Trident renewal and Mr Corbyn's plans for a \"Robin Hood\" tax on financial transactions, which Mr Khan opposes. \"That is the job of the Mayor of London: not to be a patsy or a spokesperson for George Osborne and David Cameron - as Mr Goldsmith is being - or Jeremy Corbyn or the party, but to be London's advocate to their party and the government.\" While he said he did not regret nominating Mr Corbyn for leader - and therefore allowing him to get onto the ballot paper - he said he would have his \"own mandate\" if he was elected. \"There will be occasions when frankly speaking I disagree with Jeremy,\" he said, citing his support for Gatwick expansion and pro-business agenda. He said he wanted to build the broadest electoral alliance: \"When you meet and study the best mayors from around the world they are not tribal. What they try and do is to reach across the entire city.\" The Liberal Democrats, UKIP, the Green Party and the English Democrats are also fielding candidates in May's election while former Respect MP George Galloway is also standing. The Conservatives and", "summary": "David Cameron has urged Londoners not to elect Labour's Sadiq Khan as their next mayor, claiming they will become \"lab rats\" for party leader Jeremy Corbyn's economic experiments."}
{"article": "The two men could not be separated after completing the 31.8-mile (50 km) race in five hours, two minutes and 47 seconds on Sunday. James Quirk completed the top three, finishing 10 minutes behind the leaders, with Karen Chiarello the leading lady, in fifth. The course shadows the Parish Walk from Peel to Bride and on to Ramsey. The event was renamed in 2016 with all proceeds going to the Firefighters Charity, which provides assistance to serving firefighters, retired firefighters and their families.", "summary": "Samuel Fletcher and David Walker finished joint first in the island's FireFighters Memorial Walk."}
{"article": "It follows the revelation that the Church of England has dropped its opposition to gay clergy becoming bishops if they agree to stay celibate. The Reverend Martin Reynolds says his friend Jeffrey John, the Dean of St Albans, has been made a \"whipping boy\" in the row. He told Radio Wales it would be great if he could now become a Welsh bishop. Dr John, from Tonyrefail in Rhondda Cynon Taf, has been at the centre of the row over gay bishops having twice been put forward for the role in the Church of England. In 2003 he declined the position of Bishop of Reading in the face of protests from traditionalists. He was also rejected as a candidate for the Bishop of Southwark in 2010, with evidence emerging it was because of his sexual orientation. On Friday, however, it was revealed that after a decision taken last month the Church of England would allow gay men in civil partnerships to become bishops as long as they promise to be celibate. Unlike the Church of England, the Church in Wales has never had a ban on gay clergy in civil partnerships becoming bishops. Mr Reynolds, an Anglican priest in Newport, claimed the reason the moratorium in the Church of England was introduced 18 months ago was because Dr John was about to become Bishop of Southwark. He told BBC Radio Wales: \"Rowan [Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury] didn't want another furore ... they shafted Jeffrey yet again - introduced this rule that you couldn't be in a civil partnership which of course Jeffrey is with Grant [Holmes, a hospital chaplain]. \"Poor old Jeffrey's been more than just a whipping boy - he's been assassinated really several times.\" Asked if there was now any realistic chance of his friend becoming a bishop in the Church in England, Mr Reynolds said: \"Wouldn't it be nice if he became a bishop in the Church in Wales?\" He added that gay clergy in civil partnerships in Wales are not asked \"if we do anything naughty in bed\". Asked about the question of policing the celibacy of gay clerics, Mr Reynolds said he believed honour still exists in the church. \"When Jeffrey said he and Grant weren't actually sleeping together anymore I think we all believed him. \"I don't think there was a single person ... that I ever spoke to said Jeffrey wasn't telling the truth.\" Mr Reynolds also praised the Church in Wales approach on the celibacy issue. \"In Wales we've never bothered, we've never tried,\" he said. \"Our bishop has never introduced any such a role and, of course, we know that the archbishop of Wales has said if there was a gay man who was in a relationship who was nominated, he'd be happy to ordain him.\"", "summary": "A gay rights campaigning clergyman has called for a leading Welsh gay cleric to be made a bishop in Wales."}
{"article": "Hussain, who won 2015's Great British Bake Off, will judge alongside chef and food writer Allegra McEvedy. CBBC's Junior Bake Off sees 40 youngsters aged nine to 12 competing for the title. Hussain said: \"This time last year I was in the Bake Off tent and now I get to go back and help encourage the next generation to get their bake on.\" The contestants will each complete two bakes over 10 heats, including a technical bake and showstopper challenge, with four youngsters in the grand final. The CBBC show's previous judges have included Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood, James Martin and Graham Hornigold. Hussain, 31, has built a career since winning Bake Off which includes her first cook book, a column for The Times and a request from Buckingham Palace to make a cake for the Queen's 90th birthday. She will also present The Chronicles of Nadiya, a TV show tracing her culinary roots in Bangladesh. She won last year's final on BBC One after baking a \"big fat British wedding cake\" adorned with jewels from her own wedding day as the showstopper. It became the most-watched TV programme of the year with an average audience of 15.1 million people, according to consolidated figures, which include catch-up viewing. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Former Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain has said she is \"excited\" to be joining the show's junior version as a judge."}
{"article": "Dozens of soldiers seized the parliament compound in the administrative capital Garowe and blocked nearby streets. However one of the region's most respected clan elders, Islan Issa Islan Mohamed, told them to return to their barracks. He told the BBC that the \"drama\" was now over. It had been reported that the soldiers were protesting about a delay in the payment of salaries as well as poor working conditions. Last September soldiers took control of the central bank in Garowe in protest at lack of payments, Garowe Online reported. Puntland profile Puntland, an arid region of north-east Somalia, declared itself an autonomous state in August 1998, in part to avoid the clan warfare engulfing southern Somalia. Unlike its neighbour, breakaway Somaliland, Puntland says it does not seek recognition as an independent entity, wishing instead to be part of a federal Somalia.", "summary": "Troops in Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland have briefly staged a mutiny."}
{"article": "People regularly playing sport stands at 15.74 million over 12 months, a rise of 1.65 million since 2005/06. Bucking the normal trend, the number of women playing sport and being active is increasing faster than men. Swimming remains the top sport overall but continues to decline, with athletics a close second and rising. Sport England's Active People Survey began in 2005/06 and measures the number of people taking part in sport across the nation, with findings published every six months. There was good news for tennis, cricket, boxing and rugby union, with increases in the numbers taking part but football and cycling experienced falls. Participation figures for lower socio-economic groups and disabled people were low and remain static. \"It's good news that more women are playing sport, and driving an overall increase in the numbers,\" said Jennie Price, Sport England's chief executive. \"It's particularly great to see This Girl Can is making a real difference. That's because we've really focused on what drives women's attitudes and behaviours. \"If we're to see a further step change in the total number of people playing sport, we need to take a similar, consumer-focused approach in areas where the figures are stubbornly low, like disability and lower socio-economic groups.\"", "summary": "An increase in the number of women playing sport has driven improved participation figures, according to the latest survey by Sport England."}
{"article": "Adrian Brown made the \"unscheduled landing\" between Bassingbourn Primary School and the village college at about 08:40 GMT on Tuesday. Unable to reach Royston Heath because of light winds, and not wanting to \"disturb sheep\" in a nearby field, he chose the playground. Primary head Sue Brown said the unexpected visitor \"made their day\". Mr Brown, from Litlington in Cambridgeshire, arrived on his single-person \"hopper\" balloon - one that does not have a basket - \"just as the bell was ringing\", Mrs Brown said. Read more on this and other stories from Cambridgeshire He said he had set off 30 minutes earlier from a field north of Bassingbourn and was aware the wind conditions were light and variable. \"Ideally we like to land close to a road or track to enable easy access for the retrieve crew to come and collect us,\" Mr Brown said. \"With such light winds I didn't think we would be able to reach the heath at Royston. \"The Royston Road from Litlington has the complication of power lines and sheep in the fields which I did not want to disturb.\" When he landed, Mr Brown was greeted by a familiar face - his daughter, who is a pupil at Bassingbourn Village College. \"[She] came across and said hello, which was lovely,\" Mr Brown said. The engineering company boss has been ballooning for 25 years.", "summary": "A man landed his hot air balloon on a Cambridgeshire school playing field \"to avoid sheep\", he said."}
{"article": "The wooden panelling, ceiling beams and fireplace from the Oak Parlour at Gwydir Castle, near Llanrwst, were sold to an American newspaper owner in 1921. They were shipped to New York but have not been seen since the 1930s. It is now hoped they can be retraced and brought back to Wales. Judy Corbett, who owns Gwydir Castle with her husband, Peter Welford, said it was bought by William Randolph Hearst, an American newspaper tycoon in 1921. The 16th Century linen-fold panelling, the fireplace overmantel and the carved and moulded ceiling beams were dismantled, crated up and sent to America. \"He ended up assembling it in his billiard room in his apartment in New York,\" she said. The apartment was known as the Clarendon, said to be the largest apartment in the world. It was partly demolished in the 1930s, but the couple know the panelled rooms were taken out and stored. \"This is where we lose track of it,\" they said. \"Where did our room go? \"Did the Hearst family hold on to it? Was it sold? Was it donated to an American museum? \"We have spent years looking through archives and records but can find no trace of it anywhere.\" Numerous items of furniture, along with another whole room, were also sold off in 1921. The panelling from the dining room was also bought by Mr Hearst. But it was later discovered in a warehouse belonging to the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and was brought back to Wales and reinstalled at Gwydir in 1996. Ms Corbett added: \"The story of the dining room shows that miracles can happen. We would love to find our second missing room.\"", "summary": "The owners of a 16th Century Tudor mansion in Conwy county are appealing to people in the United States to help them find a missing room."}
{"article": "He posted three different photos along with the message: \"Today's exhilarating spacewalk will be etched in my memory forever - quite an incredible feeling!\" He later sent a second tweet which said: \"Wrapping up today's spacewalk activities. Huge thanks to the ground teams who make it all possible & keep us safe out there - you guys rock!\" Tim Peake made history on Friday when he became the first British person ever to walk in space. He and fellow astronaut Tim Kopra were outside the space station, carrying out repairs, for four hours and 43 minutes. However, they were forced to finish the walk early, when Tim Kopra found water in his helmet.", "summary": "UK astronaut Tim Peake has tweeted a selfie of his historic spacewalk."}
{"article": "The Dismaland show - which will also feature work from Damien Hirst, Jenny Holzer and Jimmy Cauty - will take over the Tropicana site for five weeks. \"I loved the Tropicana as a kid, so getting to throw these doors open again is a real honour,\" Banksy said. The show is his first in the UK since 2009's Banksy v Bristol Museum show which drew huge crowds. Banksy described the show as a \"family theme park unsuitable for children\". He said he had been motivated to work on the site which had been \"popular with low income holiday makers\" after peering through a gap in the fence in January. Many of the works require \"audience participation\". \"A dead princess is only complete when surrounded by gawping crowds with their cameras out, or the opportunity to photograph yourself pulling an amazed expression when a killer whale leaps from a toilet,\" he said. \"I guess you'd say it's a theme park whose big theme is 'theme parks should have bigger themes'.\" Dismaland is the official name but it's really Banksyland. Subversive, darkly comic and cocking a snook at authority there are good reasons why the mysterious Mr Banksy is so popular. His stencils are well known but this is something very different - a pitch black antidote to the 'fun day out'. The Julie Burchill 'Punch and Judy', the riot torn village, the 'magic castle' with a paparazzi and Disney centrepiece and, of course, an exit through the gift shop. Fun for all the family? No. Something Britain's seaside has never seen before? Yes. Weston is bracing itself for crowds. Speculation had been growing that the elusive Bristolian was planning an exhibition after a castle and sculpture made from tanker trucks were spotted above the walls. Locals had been told a Hollywood company was filming there. Nigel Ashton, leader of North Somerset Council, said: \"We have been working closely with the organisers for months now and, for obvious reasons, have had to remain tight-lipped about the true nature of the event. \"In fact, only four people in the entire council knew what was really happening.\" The transformation inside the Tropicana is quite stunning. It's still the run-down lido it has been for the past 15 years, but now there's art everywhere. From the moment you walk through the fake airport-style security you get the dismal tone of Dismaland. Grumpy guards play the part astonishingly well. Inside you see Banksy's Cinderella castle and his Grim Reaper dodgem, which dances to the song Staying Alive. But you also get a heavy dose of other local and international artists. Damien Hirst makes contributions alongside others. And the organisers are keen to point to the show's art credentials rather than it being just street art alone. The Tropicana outdoor pool and leisure facility closed in 2000 due to falling visitor numbers. Since then, there has been various attempts to either reopen or demolish the structure. The Trop Trust is trying to reopen the structure and bring it back into use. Trust member Derek Mead said: \"It has definitely", "summary": "Graffiti artist Banksy has announced an exhibition at a derelict seafront lido in Weston-super-Mare."}
{"article": "Arseny Yatsenyuk said the government was sending a bill to MPs urging that Ukraine's non-bloc status be cancelled. The remarks come as Nato holds an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis in eastern Ukraine. The West has stepped up its accusations of direct Russian involvement in the conflict, following advances by pro-Russian rebels. On Thursday Nato released satellite images it said showed Russian forces inside Ukraine. and said more than 1,000 troops were operating there. Russia denies sending troops. Nearly 2,600 people have been killed since April, the UN says, when Russia's annexation of Crimea prompted the rebels to take control of large parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the far east of the country. \"The government is entering a bill to Verkhovna Rada [parliament] about the cancellation of Ukraine's non-bloc status and resumption of Ukraine's course for Nato membership,\" Mr Yatsenyuk said. Ukraine's previous President Viktor Yanukovich, ousted earlier this year, enshrined the country's non-aligned status in the constitution in 2008. At a government meeting, Mr Yatsenyuk said Ukraine's main aim remained membership of the European Union. He said the bill that was being presented would also prevent Ukraine from joining any bloc that would stand in the way of this, meaning any economic union involving Russia. Heavy fighting is continuing near Ukraine's strategic port of Mariupol, on the Azov Sea. Rebel forces are trying to capture the city but Ukrainian government troops are digging in. On Thursday the separatists seized the nearby town of Novoazovsk. The advance has raised fears that the Kremlin might seek to create a land corridor between Russia and Crimea - a territory annexed by Russia from Ukraine in March. Rebels are also reported to have surrounded government soldiers in several places further north, near the city of Donetsk. Ukrainian forces near the town of Ilovaysk say they are cut off and have been urgently asking for supplies and reinforcements. Overnight, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on the rebels to open a \"humanitarian corridor\" to allow encircled Ukrainian troops to leave without unnecessary casualties, though he did not specify the location. Rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko later told Russian TV that his fighters had agreed to the request, on condition that the Ukrainians hand over heavy weapons and ammunition. Ukraine security officials said in a statement that the proposal demonstrated that the rebels \"are led and controlled directly from the Kremlin\". At least 2,593 people had been killed in the conflict between mid-April and 27 August, the UN said in its latest report. Human rights violations like abduction and torture were \"committed primarily by the armed groups\", referring to the rebels, it said. Separately, Human Rights Watch said in a report that the rebels were subjecting civilians to torture, degrading treatment and forced labour. The reports of Russian troops fighting with rebels prompted renewed Western criticism of Moscow's role in the conflict. US President Barack Obama blamed Russia for the escalation but stopped short of saying its troops had invaded Ukraine. \"There is no doubt that this is not a home-grown, indigenous uprising in eastern Ukraine,\"", "summary": "Ukraine's prime minister has said he will ask parliament to put the country on a path towards Nato membership."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old, who has played rugby league for Salford, will join from Rotherham in the summer. Prop Mark Tampin and back row forward Max Argyle will also leave the Yorkshire side for Jersey. George Eastwell has signed from Loughborough Students while Jake Armstrong will arrive from Doncaster. Jersey are fifth and could still make the Championship play-offs, but will not go up to the Premiership if they are successful as they do not have a suitable ground. Head coach Harvey Biljon had previously said he was three players away from finalising his squad for next season.", "summary": "Jersey have signed five players in preparation for next season in the Championship, including former Sale Sharks centre Jordan Davies."}
{"article": "Striker Emmanuel, 27, scored 19 goals in the National League for Bromley last season and played for the Whites between 2012 and 2014. Centre-back Howlett-Mundle, 19, has previously had spells at Crystal Palace and Scottish sides Hearts and Montrose. Forward Jackson Jr, 19, had stints at Whitstable Town and Worthing last season and has agreed a two-year deal. Meanwhile, 32-year-old former Welling player-manager Loui Fazakerley, who is a fitness coach at Crabble, has been registered as a player for the coming campaign. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Dover Athletic have re-signed Moses Emmanuel and brought in Jahmal Howlett-Mundle and Ira Jackson Jr."}
{"article": "Sharon Shoesmith was sacked over a damning report into the death in 2007 of Baby Peter who was subjected to months of abuse. Three people were jailed, including his mother. The Court of Appeal ruled Ms Shoesmith had been \"unfairly scapegoated\" and that her removal had been unlawful. Her payout could cost up to \u00a3600,000, but she is expected to receive less. Timeline of Baby P case \u25b6 Sharon Shoesmith on child protection Earlier this week, one government source told BBC Newsnight the exact figure may not emerge as there are confidentiality clauses preventing its disclosure. The package is believed to be more than the minimum suggested by senior judge Lord Neuberger in a 2011 ruling in the Court of Appeal. He suggested Ms Shoesmith was entitled to a minimum of three months' salary plus pensions contributions. Three months' salary would have been about \u00a333,000. Ms Shoesmith was sacked in December 2008 by the then children's secretary, Ed Balls, who has said her payout \"leaves a bad taste in the mouth\". On the legal fees, Councillor Richard Wilson, the leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group on Haringey Council, said: \"Whilst we agree Ms Shoesmith should have gone it is not right that the taxpayer has been left with a massive bill because Haringey Council decided not to follow the proper procedures. \"It is appalling that because of the action of the then Labour government and the Labour-run council, local residents will be left with a hefty bill for legal fees.\" He added: \"Ed Balls and the Labour-run Haringey Council should apologise for landing taxpayers with this massive bill. It adds insult to injury and shows we are still paying the price for mistakes made four years ago.\" A council spokesman said: \"The legal fees relate to a very complex and long-running process that involved a number of different strands of litigation.\" Baby Peter had more than 50 injuries when he died, despite being on the at-risk register and receiving 60 visits from social workers, police and health professionals over eight months. His mother, Tracey Connelly, her boyfriend, Steven Barker, and his brother, Jason Owen, were jailed in May 2009 for causing or allowing the child's death. Earlier this month it was reported that Connelly was due to be released from prison on parole.", "summary": "Haringey Council spent \u00a3196,000 trying to fight its former head of children's services in her case for unfair dismissal, it has emerged."}
{"article": "Or so the common narrative goes. But try telling that to Monika Schulz-Hopfner. She and her husband, along with 250 other residents of Atterwasch, a quiet village near the Polish border, face eviction from their home of 30 years to make way for the Janschwalde-Nord coal mine. And not just any old coal, but lignite, the dirtiest form of this ancient fossil fuel that is mined in vast opencast pits. If the plans go ahead, the village, parts of which date back more than 700 years, will be demolished. \"Since the plans for the mine were unveiled in 2007, we have lived with this constant threat, which has taken over the lives of every individual and the community as a whole,\" says Mrs Schulz-Hopfner. How American energy independence could change the world Shale industry faces reality check \"Every single decision we make is affected by it.\" And the residents of Atterwasch are not alone. In the eastern German region of Lausitz, nine villages are under threat, where up to 3,000 people could lose their homes to make way for five new lignite mines that are fuelling the country's renewed thirst for coal. Two further mines are under consideration. The mines are needed to power a new generation of coal power plants. Two new lignite plants were opened in 2012, with a further two in the pipeline. Another two hard coal plants also opened last year, with a further five opening this year or next, with two more awaiting licences. The effects are already being felt. Lignite production in 2012 hit its highest level for almost 20 years, while initial estimates suggest this brown coal was used to generate 162bn kWh of electricity last year, more than in any year since 1990. The use of hard coal also increased, meaning the two energy sources accounted for 46% of Germany's overall energy production. The impact on CO2 emissions has been immediate. \"There has been an increase of between 5%-7% in CO2 in the past two years,\" says Prof Claudia Kemfert, head of energy at the German Institute for Economic Research. And this in a country that aims to reduce emissions by 40% from 1990 levels by 2020. As Prof Christian Hey, secretary general of the German Advisory Council for the Environment, says: \"Germany has a coal problem.\" There are many reasons why. One is the low cost of carbon. \"Due to the failure of the emissions trading system, the price of CO2 permits is very low,\" says Prof Hey. \"The EU has failed to address this issue.\" Oversupply and a fall in demand for energy - and therefore permits - during the economic downturn means the price now stands at around three euros per tonne of CO2. If everything had gone to plan, the price would be more than 10 times that by now. Overcapacity has also pushed the price of coal lower, while the lignite industry has benefited to the tune of 60 million euros from being exempt from supporting the renewables industry, says Prof Hey. This means the fossil fuel has moved", "summary": "Germany is an enlightened leader in the global battle to reduce CO2 emissions, a pioneer in renewable energy and community power projects and a champion of energy efficiency."}
{"article": "The party, which was the third biggest group after the last local election, took four seats from Labour, one from the Tories and one from an independent. The final result at the Little Thurrock Blackshots ward was won by the Conservatives by one vote over the UKIP candidate after three recounts. UKIP and the Conservatives have 17 seats each, and Labour 14. There is one independent. The parties are now in discussion about whether a coalition can run the authority. Thurrock Tory group leader Rob Gledhill and UKIP leader Graham Snell said they believed they could work together. Basildon - where UKIP took two seats, one from Labour and one from the Lib Dems - and Southend-on-Sea councils remained with no one party in overall control. Harlow Council was held by Labour, and Castle Point and Brentwood councils were held by the Conservatives. Colchester City Council remains with no party in overall control. The counts for Rochford Council and Epping Forest are taking place on Friday. The tensions at the Backstage Centre in Purfleet were palpable. Just when the final declaration seemed imminent it went to a third recount and became even more nail-biting. Thurrock was a top target for UKIP on a national basis, and in the end they fell agonisingly short in coming out level with the Conservatives. Nonetheless, they're jubilant at having picked up six seats, which the leader Graham Snell puts down to his colleagues' hard work on local issues such as housing, jobs and the environment. Thurrock is now in an unprecedented situation with joint council leaders. Graham Snell and Robert Gledhill agree that there is common ground on about 70% of issues. In particular, they're united in their opposition to any new Thames river crossing coming through Thurrock.", "summary": "UKIP have won six seats on Thurrock Council, missing out on being the largest party by a single vote."}
{"article": "The firms' respective arrangements with Ireland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg will be investigated. Announcing the move, tax commissioner Algirdas Semeta said that \"fair tax competition is essential\". Last year, a US Senate investigation accused Ireland of giving special tax treatment to Apple. The European Commission will look at whether the companies' tax affairs breach EU rules on state aid. Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said: \"In the current context of tight public budgets, it is particularly important that large multinationals pay their fair share of taxes.\" Countries in Europe cannot allow certain firms to pay less tax than they should, Mr Almunia added. The investigations will focus on \"transfer pricing\", or whether the countries allowed the multinational firms to charge one part of the company over the odds for goods or services from another part of the company as a way of shifting profits. Under Commission rules, companies must charge their subsidiaries market rates. Sanctions for a breach of tax rules could include an attempt to claw money back from Apple, Starbucks and Fiat. Apple said that it had not had \"any special tax deal with the Irish government\". \"We have received no selective treatment from Irish officials,\" the company said. \"Apple is subject to the same tax laws as scores of other international companies doing business in Ireland.\" The Irish finance ministry said Apple \"did not receive selective treatment and there was no 'special tax rate deal'\". \"Ireland is confident that there is no state aid rule breach in this case and we will defend all aspects vigorously,\" the Department of Finance said. Last year's US Senate committee investigation revealed that Apple had been able to funnel profits into Irish subsidiaries or \"ghost companies\" that had no declared tax residency anywhere in the world, cutting billions from its tax bill. The Senate committee hearing revealed that Apple designated its Irish entities as unlimited companies, which meant it did not have to publish annual accounts. The Irish arrangement allowed Apple to pay just 1.9% tax on its $37bn in overseas profits in 2012, despite the fact the average tax rate in the OECD countries that make up its main markets was 24% last year. In a 40-page memorandum, the Senate committee said: \"Ireland has essentially functioned as a tax haven for Apple.\" Coffee giant Starbucks has been embroiled in a tax controversy for a number of years. In 2012, the multinational admitted that it had a special tax deal with the Dutch government which allowed it to transfer money to its Dutch sister company in royalty payments. Starbucks said on Wednesday that its Dutch tax arrangements conformed with financial law. \"We comply with all relevant tax rules, laws and OECD guidelines and we're studying the Commission's announcement related to the state aid investigation in the Netherlands,\" a Starbucks spokesperson said. The Dutch finance ministry said it was confident that its tax system was \"robust\". \"We are confident that the investigation by the EC will in the end result in the conclusion there is no state aid involved,\" a spokesman told the BBC. The", "summary": "The European Commission is to open a formal investigation into Apple, Starbucks and Fiat in relation to tax arrangements with three EU countries."}
{"article": "Mr Bo said he was coerced into making a confession and rubbished testimony from witnesses who included his wife. The former Chongqing Communist Party boss is also charged with corruption. He faces charges of abuse of power relating to his wife's role in the murder of a British businessman. Two years ago the 64-year-old high-flier was seen as a candidate for promotion to the Politburo Standing Committee, China's seven-member top decision-making body. But in February 2012, as China prepared for its once-in-a-decade leadership handover, questions emerged over the death of a British businessman, Neil Heywood. By Celia HattonBBC Beijing correspondent Is the Bo Xilai trial an act of tightly scripted political theatre or an unexpectedly colourful legal showdown? The Chinese authorities have taken pains to demonstrate that this trial is seemingly open and transparent by issuing a constant stream of updates on Weibo, China's version of Twitter. However, the updates offer a limited, one-sided view of what is going on in the courtroom. Criticisms of the trial have been deleted from Weibo, leaving the Jinan court's account of the proceedings as the only real source of information on the trial. On the other hand, even the bite-sized bits of information on Weibo cannot hide that Bo Xilai's testimony has been surprisingly belligerent. He has disputed charges and witness testimony against him, including that of his own wife. Mr Bo's seemingly energetic defence might also be part of the authorities' attempts to demonstrate that the former Chongqing Party boss will receive a fair hearing. Is this a game of legal smoke and mirrors? We have no choice but to continue to follow Weibo for more updates. Bo Xilai trial as blogged by the court Mr Bo's downfall was seen as the biggest political shake-up to hit China's ruling elite in decades. His wife, Gu Kailai, has since been convicted of Mr Heywood's murder. Correspondents say the trial is as much about getting rid of a popular politician as it is about criminal wrongdoing. Mr Bo is widely expected to be found guilty. Events in the courtroom gripped the nation. \"Bo is a psychologically tough man. This kind of person is very appealing. I don't think he will plead guilty easily,\" one person wrote on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo. The trial is taking place at the Intermediate People's Court in Jinan, in eastern Shandong province. The court is providing an account of proceedings on its official microblog. \"I hope the judge will try this case fairly and justly according to the law of the country,\" Mr Bo reportedly said. Five of Mr Bo's relatives are said to be in court, along with 19 journalists and 84 other people. Foreign journalists have not been allowed in. According to the indictment posted by the court, Mr Bo is accused of receiving bribes totalling 21.8m yuan ($3.56m; \u00c2\u00a32.28m) from two Dalian-based businessmen. Mr Bo went on the offensive, denying accepting any money in the form of bribes. The court microblog quoted him as saying about one of the cases: \"That [businessman] Tang Xiaolin gave me three bribes", "summary": "Disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai has fought back in court against charges of bribery on the opening day of the country's biggest political trial in decades."}
{"article": "In a rain-reduced game of 46 overs per side, a 93-ball unbeaten 101 from Adam Hose and Jim Allenby's 90 off 110 balls helped Somerset post 294-6. Chasing a revised target of 297, the hosts slipped to 62-4 with Craig Overton (2-39) amongst the wickets. Jack Taylor's explosive 68 stemmed the flow of wickets, but Gloucestershire fell short and were all out for 215. Gloucestershire have won only two of their six matches and their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages are hanging by a thread. Somerset's total owed much to the fourth-wicket partnership of 123 between Hose and Allenby. The home side never got going in reply and lost Phil Mustard to the first ball of the second over. Taylor's 50-ball knock gave Gloucestershire some momentum and contained three sixes and eight fours, but once he fell to Jamie Overton (3-53), the innings fell away. Max Waller finished with 3-37 as Somerset moved onto 10 points from their six matches.", "summary": "One-Day Cup South Group leaders Somerset beat Gloucestershire by 81 runs to secure a fifth win in six."}
{"article": "There was an eight-fold increase in the time it took West Yorkshire Police to answer calls in 2015 compared to 2013, figures obtained by the BBC show. In South Yorkshire the time tripled and more than doubled in North Yorkshire. Police crime commissioner for West Yorkshire said extra staff had been recruited to bring response times down. Figures, released under a Freedom of Information request, showed between April 2013 and April 2014 it took West Yorkshire Police on average 14 seconds to answer 101 calls. That increased to one minute 46 seconds from April 2014 to April 2015, despite a drop in the number of people using the service. Caller waiting times continued to increase in the eight months between April and November 2015. Figures also showed the number of people hanging up before calls were answered had more than doubled from 5% in 2013 to 11% in 2015. John Summerscale, a former special constable from Bradford, said he had experienced many delays. \"I was told by the police it should take four rings before someone answers but I've been waiting up to 20 minutes and still no answer.\" Mark Burns Williamson, West Yorkshire police crime commissioner, blamed the delays on budget cuts but said extra staff had since been recruited to address the problem. He said: \"Such delays are unacceptable and I was being contacted by members of the public who weren't happy. \"We've got waiting times down now to between 18 and 60 seconds and there is a higher level of customer satisfaction with the service.\" Elsewhere, it took South Yorkshire Police an average of 30 seconds to answer calls in 2013/14, rising to just under a minute and a half in 2014/2015. In North Yorkshire, the length of time went up from 23 seconds in 2013/14 to just under a minute in 2014/2015. Crime commissioners for both forces said improvements were being made including new technology and better online reporting of crimes.", "summary": "Callers to the 101 non-emergency service at three Yorkshire police forces are having to wait longer to get through compared to two years ago."}
{"article": "The number of suspensions at Movilla High School, in Newtownards, County Down, was revealed in the latest report from school inspectors. Its problems were first highlighted two years ago, when inspectors said its quality of education was \"inadequate\". The latest inspection has found some improvements, but not in exam results. In fact, the percentage of pupils who attained five or more GCSEs (or equivalent qualifications) at grade C or above has dropped from 23.6% at the time of the original inspection to 18.4%. The number of pupils enrolled at the school has also dropped to 215 and Movilla has been without a permanent head teacher since July, when Caroline Karayiannis left her post. In a statement to the Belfast Telegraph newspaper, the school's interim principal Ian Bell said: \"The board of governors and management of Movilla High School acknowledge the findings of the ETI (Education and Training Inspectorate) follow-up report, and are encouraged by their endorsement of the positive changes made in the school from September 2015.\" When contacted by the BBC, Mr Bell would not comment on the number of suspensions or add to his earlier statement. The 440 suspensions at Movilla accounted for 12% of the total number of suspensions across all schools in Northern Ireland in the 2014/15 academic year, which stood at 3,647. The statistics include repeat offenders as pupils can be suspended multiple times in a year. Movilla High School was placed in \"formal intervention\" in January 2014 - a process in which schools with unsatisfactory educational records are offered extra support to raise their standards. Since then it has been the subject of a series of follow-up visits from ETI inspectors, the most recent in November 2015. After their latest visit, inspectors said Movilla High School has been \"adversely affected by a lack of strategic leadership, strained relationships at various levels and several long-term illnesses in key curriculum areas\". It said the school's problems were \"compounded by a deteriorating system for the pastoral care and behaviour management of the pupils, as evidenced by the 440 recorded suspension incidents during 2014-15\". Although half of the lessons observed during the follow-up inspection were \"good or better\", the inspectors said they witnessed some classes being \"disrupted by low-level misbehaviour by a small number of pupils, which needs to be managed to better effect\". However, the report also said that in the first three months of this academic year, the school's \"senior leadership team and the staff have worked collegially to put in place measures to promote positive behaviour by the pupils\". It also said that relationships \"between staff at all levels have improved\".", "summary": "A school suspended pupils 440 times in one academic year, despite the fact that only 353 students were enrolled at the school during that period."}
{"article": "Seleka rebels were said to be fighting running battles with government troops. The fighters, who have been involved in an on-off rebellion since December, accuse President Francois Bozize of failing to honour a peace deal. Former colonial power France has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, and reportedly sent troops to secure the airport. French officials warned French nationals in the country should stay at home. Rebel spokesman Nelson Ndjadder said they had shot down a government military helicopter and were now heading for the presidential palace. However, there were no further reports of fighting as darkness fell. The rebels are also said to have cut off electrical power to parts of the city, having taken control of three power plants in the neighbouring town of Boali. A local UN official in southern Bangui said people were in a state of panic but could not confirm the rebels had entered the city. The rebels joined a power-sharing government in January after talks brokered by regional leaders to end a rebellion they launched last year. But the deal quickly collapsed, with the rebels saying their demands, including the release of political prisoners, had not been met. On Friday it was reported that they had taken a checkpoint in the town of Damara, about an hour's drive from Bangui, where regional Fomac peacekeepers are based. BBC Africa editor Richard Hamilton says government soldiers have been unable to fend off the rebels because Mr Bozize fears being overthrown in a coup and is therefore wary of having a strong army. He came to power himself in a military coup in 2003. CAR has been hit by a series of rebellions since independence from France in 1960. It is one of the poorest countries in Africa, despite its considerable mineral resources.", "summary": "Hundreds of rebels have entered the Central African Republic (CAR) capital Bangui, according to witnesses."}
{"article": "I'm scared because there is also a clock counting down in the bottom right-hand corner so something important must be about to happen like the arrival of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse but it turns out Shaun Batt has joined Leyton Orient from Millwall instead. On loan. Welcome to Transfer Deadline Day, which I've deliberately written in capitals because there are those who think we should make it a public holiday. Chaotic and stressful and full of panic buying, Transfer Deadline Day and the window that precedes it make up football's equivalent of the Yuletide season, with Sky Sports' Jim White playing its equivalent of Santa. \"Sorry, no joy with Fabregas, I brought you Fellaini instead.\" A magnificent irony of transfer windows is that they were introduced in 2002-03 in part to stabilise the game. It's about ducking and diving, maybe finding a player whose mother-in-law lives in Taunton, 10 miles down the road from Yeovil. Which isn't on most sat-navs Transfer windows were part of a compromise deal between football authorities and the European Commission, with the sport insisting on contractual stability for players, and clubs investing in those players, in exchange for freedom of movement at prescribed times of the year. Yet there is nothing stable about transfer windows and the media coverage that attends them. Indeed, Transfer Deadline Days in Britain, which generate mind-boggling numbers for a wide range of media outlets, have come to resemble the NFL draft in the United States. But here is another irony. The NFL draft is by some measures the second biggest sports story in the United States in any given year because it is the principal means of player acquisition and a genuine game-changer. With the weakest team getting first pick, it democratises the league, theoretically giving every team an equal chance on any given Sunday. In contrast, Transfer Deadline Days involve an awful lot of acquisitions across an unlevel playing field that often change nothing, but still generate enough hot air to make it seem as if they might. \"It's a period of time that is false and everything during that period of time is forced,\" says Gary Johnson, manager of Championship side Yeovil. \"Everybody has a little panic for the simple reason that the supporters demand a big name, or at least hope for one, and some of this is driven by the media. But for smaller clubs it's very difficult to get someone in that people can gasp at.\" It is difficult to find a manager who is a fan of transfer windows, whether they manage in the Premier League or the lower reaches of the Football League. Ian Holloway, who managed Blackpool and, briefly, Crystal Palace in the Premier League, reckons transfer windows are \"utter madness\" and lead to \"the headlong hurtling into deals to rescue dreams\". \"They encourage knee-jerk reactions, inflated transfer fees and wages and minimal planning and background checks,\" adds Holloway, who parted company with Palace in October and is now at Millwall. Johnson, whose side sit second from bottom in the Championship table,", "summary": "There is a man on my telly standing outside The Den in a suit speaking fast and portentously without full stops or commas and with lots of superlatives."}
{"article": "But the critics have had a chance to see Channel 4's eagerly anticipated cake-over and have already given their verdicts. We thought of serving up their reviews in full but decided instead to give you a slice of each - just to give you a taste. We'll let them make the puns from now on, so knead on at your own whisk (sorry). According to The Guardian's Mark Lawson, both Channel 4 and programme maker Love Productions are \"having their cake and eating it\". \"The eighth series of the extreme patisserie challenge manages to seem exactly the same but also just different enough,\" he writes. Mel and Sue's replacements, comedian Noel Fielding and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig, \"set their own distinctive flavour in the kitchen,\" Lawson goes on. \"To me the first episode for Channel 4 is as strong - in terms of both bakers and the cakes they attempt - as any previously made.\" Writing in the Daily Mail, reviewer Sarah Rainey says that the show \"hasn't changed a bit\" in its move from the BBC to Channel 4. \"Sure, the people - with the exception of steely-eyed Paul Hollywood - are different,\" she writes. \"But if you squint a little, they could be the same old familiar faces, making the same innuendo-laden jokes.\" While expressing admiration for Fielding's \"ridiculous bird-print shirt\", though, Rainey suggests his \"dippy comedy act\" may \"quickly start to grate\". According to The Telegraph's Michael Hogan, the first instalment of the Channel 4 series gives viewers \"the same flavoursome confection\" - with \"extra spice\". \"There was tension, there were tears and one nervous hopeful forgot to turn her oven on,\" he goes on. \"Mary, Mel and Sue might be gone, but the show's recipe remains as winning as ever.\" \"The moment that Mary, Mel and Sue requested their P45s, we knew that Bake Off would never be what it was,\" writes Frances Taylor of the Radio Times. According to her online review, however, Channel 4 \"have done the best they can with the ingredients they were given\". \"We'll always mourn the BBC era of the baking behemoth, but this is what we've got now,\" Taylor concludes. \"It's a bit rough around the edges, a little burnt on the outside. But it's still our Bake Off.\" The Great British Bake Off begins on Channel 4 at 20:00 BST on 29 August. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Viewers still have a week to wait before The Great British Bake Off returns to our screens, on a different channel with a 75% new line-up of judges and presenters."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Frenchman was speaking after the Gunners' defence of the FA Cup was ended by a 2-1 quarter-final defeat at home to Watford on Sunday. The loss means Arsenal have won just one game in their last seven. \"The next game is always a big challenge and you are always in the middle of a drama. It is becoming a farce,\" said Wenger. Media playback is not supported on this device Arsenal's faltering recent run has seen them lose 2-0 at home to Barcelona in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie. The second leg is on Wednesday and unless Wenger's players stage an unlikely comeback, they will exit the tournament at the last 16 stage for the sixth successive season. The Gunners have also gained just one point from their last three top-flight games and now trail leaders Leicester by eight points. They did win at Championship side Hull in an FA Cup fifth round replay but some Gunners fans held up a banner reading 'Arsene, thanks for the memories but it's time to say goodbye' at the game. \"What is going on at the moment is very, very difficult to take for the players but judge us at the end of the season,\" said Wenger. \"We have come to the end of a very, very long run in the FA Cup, so it is very sad, but we want now to focus on the next game.\" He added: \"We have lost a game. We are sad and we want to focus on the next game. \"Arsenal has lost games before in history and we will lose again in the future. We will stick together and cope with it and prepare for the next one with complete belief. \"Supporters stand behind the club and we want to fight until the end of the season for every single game.\"", "summary": "Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says the continuing debate over his future \"is becoming a farce\"."}
{"article": "Fazakerley, who has played international cricket for Guernsey, has been part of the county's academy. \"Will has had a really good season with the academy and the Second XI,\" chief executive Wasim Khan said. \"He has impressed us greatly with the progress he has made and it is great he is signing his first professional contract with Leicestershire.\" Fazakerley's last international match was the annual clash between his home island of Guernsey and their Channel Island rivals Jersey, which they lost by 49 runs. \"I've only been there for two months and I didn't think I'd made a big enough impression there, but obviously they seem pretty happy,\" Fazakerly told BBC Radio Guernsey. \"I was planning to have another year in the academy, which is why I was so surprised when they offered me this deal, but obviously I won't complain. \"This is just the start, I want to have a long and successful career in cricket. I want to play as much first-class cricket as possible.\"", "summary": "Leicestershire have handed 17-year-old Will Fazakerley a 12-month first professional contract."}
{"article": "The work at Haymarket bus station will include 11 new bus stands at the Charles Street facility. The city council also is bidding for an additional \u00a33.5m in funding from the Department of Transport. \"The Charles Street station is a disgrace - it is not good enough because it's cramped and inconvenient,\" Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said. \"It is just not good enough a modern city like Leicester. \"We have to make sure that travelling by bus to and from Leicester is a realistic and attractive choice.\" A council spokesman said the project would \"help ease bus congestion and queuing\" at the station. Several commercial buildings will be demolished to increase the size of the revamped station and public access will be improved. The bus station is a base for 25 local bus services and is used by 20,000 people a day.", "summary": "A \u00a310.5m revamp is planned to expand facilities at Leicester's \"cramped\" bus station."}
{"article": "The Emirates Arena was to host the event from 9-12 April but the EJU changed its mind in a sponsorship row. It objected to the partnership British Judo had with Ultimate Fighting Championships to promote the event. The championships will now be held in Baku, Azerbaijan as part of the inaugural multi-sport European Games. British Judo chairman Kerrith Brown said: \"British Judo believes that throughout its partnership with the EJU, it has consistently acted in a professional and diligent manner, based on what we feel is in the best interests of the sport and the athletes competing at the European Championships. \"It is with great reluctance and disappointment that I have to confirm the cancellation, following the EJU's decision to withdraw the hosting rights.\" Scotland enjoyed enormous success in judo during last year's Commonwealth Games, landing 11 medals, with team flag bearer Euan Burton and the Renicks sisters, Kimberley and Louise, among six gold medal winners. Earlier this month, the Renicks sisters spoke to BBC Scotland about how important home backing would be in April as they seek vital Olympic qualification points. In a statement published on its website, the EJU said: \"The European Judo Union has come to the realisation that the British Judo Association does not fit the EJU criteria to host the EJU flagship event. \"The BJA had entered into a sponsorship agreement which did not meet the EJU values. BJA persisted in this, notwithstanding that it had been warned on a number of occasions that this arrangement was unacceptable to the EJU, which has a right under the event contract to approve or disapprove any sponsorships of EJU events.\"", "summary": "British Judo has accepted \"with great reluctance\" the decision by the European Judo Union (EJU) to strip Glasgow of the European Championships."}
{"article": "Eilish Herron, of Paisley, was fuelling her Renault Clio at the forecourt in Linwood, at about 14:30 on Wednesday, when it was hit by a Ford Focus. The 17-year-old died at the scene. The male Ford car driver was uninjured. Eilish's former school, St Andrew's Academy, have also said she was \"very popular\" and \"a wonderful young adult\". In a statement, Eilish's family said: \"We are absolutely devastated by the loss of our beautiful daughter Eilish. \"We just cannot believe that we will not see her again. She was a lovely girl, a good daughter, sister, granddaughter and a great friend to those who knew her. She had so much to live for and we will miss her terribly. \"We are very gratefully for the thoughts and kind words already given, however, we would ask that we be allowed to have the time to grieve as a family at this very, very sad and difficult time.\" Kevin Henry, head teacher at Eilish's former school in Paisley, said: \"Eilish enjoyed six very successful and happy years in St Andrew's Academy and had left at the summer. She had been accepted to study nursing at Robert Gordon University. \"Eilish was a wonderful young adult and was very popular with both her peers and the staff of the school. \"She was a talented sportswoman and had been recognised in 2013 as Renfrewshire Young Sportsperson of the Year.\" Mr Henry said Eilish had given \"much of her own time to coaching younger students in the school\". \"Eilish was a great role model for our pupils, her death is a tragic loss,\" he said. \"Staff and the school chaplain will be available to students who require any support. Eilish and her family will be in the thoughts and prayers of all in the school.\" Meanwhile, police have asked anyone with information about the incident in which Eilish died to contact them. A report on the circumstances will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.", "summary": "The family of a Renfrewshire teenager who died after a collision between two cars at an Asda petrol station have said they are \"devastated\" by her loss."}
{"article": "The Bank of Scotland facility has been secured against the company's inventory of whisky stocks. Thai-owned Inver House said the new facility would help the business improve its margins over the next five years. It will also provide \"increased headroom\" to support overseas expansion in India, Kazakhstan and Poland. Inver House's brand portfolio includes Old Pulteney, Balblair, anCnoc and Speyburn single malts. A year ago, the Airdrie-based distiller announced it had completed a \u00a310m investment programme which included boosting production capacity at its Speyburn distillery in Moray. Inver House financial director Roger Hall said: \"The new facility is significantly better value for us. It gives us access to the most cost-effective borrowing, which is crucial to our business. \"It also helps us to continue investment in our whisky stocks, which will see our brands grow over the next 12 years and beyond.\" Inver House, which is owned by ThaiBev, currently employs 210 people across its six sites in Scotland. In October, it reported a sharp fall in revenue and profits for 2015. The firm largely attributed the results to a reduction in sales of bulk whiskies and other \"value-for-money\" products. It also cited a major reorganisation of distribution arrangements in its key US market.", "summary": "Scotch whisky producer Inver House Distillers has secured a \u00a345m bank lending deal to support growth plans."}
{"article": "The team of Fiona Pennie, Lizzie Neave and Kimberley Woods produced a controlled effort to beat Germany into second place by over four seconds. \"The team event was a nice consolation prize after not doing as well as we'd have liked to in the individual event,\" said Neave. \"We all had a really good run and it's always nice to come away with a medal.\" Mallory Franklin won bronze in the women's C1 in Liptovsky on Saturday, while there was also a gold for the women's C1 team and a bronze for their male counterparts.", "summary": "Great Britain women's K1 trio won gold as GB ended the European Championships in Slovakia with four medals."}
{"article": "The away side had taken the lead two minutes before half-time with a penalty courtesy of Kieran Agard. The Dons will feel hard done by after being the better team for much of the game, which saw them denied by post, bar and a fine display by Robins keeper Lawrence Vigouroux. The home side almost took the lead in the second minute, with a ball chipped into the box by Conor Thomas but George Williams was able to clear for the visitors. In the 29th minute the Robins had a penalty claim of their own, Nicky Ajose went to the floor following a challenge from Williams but the referee waved play on. Two minutes before the break Ben Reeves was brought down in the area by Charlie Colkett, Agard put the ball to the right, and although Vigouroux dived the right way was unable to get a hand to it. Obika rescued a draw with virtually the last kick of the game when he raced clear and slotted home. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Swindon Town 1, MK Dons 1. Second Half ends, Swindon Town 1, MK Dons 1. Corner, Swindon Town. Conceded by George Baldock. Attempt missed. Ed Upson (MK Dons) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Dean Lewington (MK Dons) is shown the yellow card. Bradley Barry (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Dean Lewington (MK Dons). Charlie Colkett (Swindon Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Charlie Colkett (Swindon Town). George Baldock (MK Dons) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Goal! Swindon Town 1, MK Dons 1. Jonathan Obika (Swindon Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Attempt missed. Ed Upson (MK Dons) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Substitution, MK Dons. Callum Brittain replaces Harvey Barnes. Foul by Raphael Rossi Branco (Swindon Town). Harvey Barnes (MK Dons) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Swindon Town. Conceded by Joe Walsh. Attempt saved. Conor Thomas (Swindon Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt missed. Nicky Ajose (Swindon Town) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Conor Thomas (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Harvey Barnes (MK Dons). Nathan Thompson (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Robbie Muirhead (MK Dons). Attempt missed. Jonathan Obika (Swindon Town) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Nathan Thompson (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Darren Potter (MK Dons). Attempt missed. Jonathan Obika (Swindon Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Corner, Swindon Town. Conceded by George B Williams. Attempt blocked. Ben Gladwin (Swindon Town) right footed shot from", "summary": "Jonathan Obika's last-minute equaliser kept Swindon's League One survival hopes alive by securing draw with MK Dons."}
{"article": "Mark Francis, 44, of Resolven near Neath, had been told he would lose his vehicle later this month as he had been reassessed as no longer eligible. David Cameron promised to look into it after Neath MP Peter Hain raised the issue at prime minister's questions. The Department for Work and Pensions said it had received \"new evidence\". Mr Francis told BBC Wales his hereditary spastic paraplegia had worsened, but he had been reassessed to a lower level of benefits in which he was no longer eligible for a car under the Motability scheme. He said he had phone calls from Motability and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on Thursday to tell him his case had been reassessed again - in his favour - after it was raised in the House of Commons on Wednesday. \"It's great that I can keep the car - too bad I only got it by getting Peter Hain to ask questions in Parliament,\" he said. \"How many other disabled people haven't done that?\" Mr Hain is trying to find out the reason for the change as he believes other people on disability benefits may be affected by changes to the regulations. A DWP spokesman said: \"If claimants disagree with a decision then they can seek to have it reviewed and submit new evidence. \"Mr Francis followed this process and when the new evidence was taken into account was awarded a higher rate of benefit. \"This enables him to retain his Motability car.\"", "summary": "A disabled driver who faced losing his car under benefit changes said he was \"elated\" to have won his case after it was raised with the prime minister."}
{"article": "Three houses were searched in Lisburn, Belfast and Antrim in connection with the seizure. A man interviewed by police was later released, pending further enquiries. Detectives worked alongside officers from the National Crime Agency in the operation.", "summary": "Police say they have seized herbal cannabis worth \u00a3100,000 that was destined for Northern Ireland."}
{"article": "Former Chelsea defender David Stride had been in charge of Southern League Bashley for just 40 days. The New Forest club's newly appointed board have named former manager Steve Riley as Stride's replacement. \"It's absolute codswallop. The club already had someone in mind to replace me, but waited two weeks before telling me,\" Stride told BBC Sport. Bashley have lost all four of their pre-season friendlies so far, failing to score a goal and conceding eight. Stride, 57, had only been in charge for two of those matches. \"We made a tough decision to change things around now rather than the possibility of having more upheaval during the season,\" chairman Tim Allan said. Stride made 35 appearances for Chelsea between 1978 and 1980 and also played for Leyton Orient and Millwall in the 1980s. He was appointed by Bashley on 17 June, but five and a half weeks later and after a change of club chairman, he is out of work. \"I've got no hard feelings, but sadly the club weren't man enough to tell me earlier,\" Stride added. \"I was given the guarantee I'd be left alone for a season to take sole charge of football matters, but I'm gone after just two games.\"", "summary": "A non-league manager has been sacked for \"a run of poor pre-season results and lack of player signings\"."}
{"article": "The Public Accounts Committee said the new Personal Independence Payment scheme had been \"rushed\" through, with a \"shocking\" impact on claimants. \"Many\" faced six-month delays, with terminally ill people waiting a month on average for the payment, it said. Ministers defended the system and said the MPs' figures were out of date. Minister for Disabled People Mike Penning said the new PIP system ensured \"support goes to those who need it most\". He insisted the report was \"based on old statistics\", adding: \"I have introduced a faster process for people with terminal illnesses, with clearance times reducing to our target of 10 days. \"And a higher proportion of people are getting the highest rate of financial support for daily living under Personal Independence Payment than DLA.\" New claims for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - which replaces the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - began in April 2013. They are worth between \u00c2\u00a321 and \u00c2\u00a3134 a week. Most people applying for PIP have a face-to-face assessment to determine eligibility, which have been carried out by the private contractors Atos Healthcare and Capita Business Services. In its report, the cross-party committee accused Atos of providing \"incorrect and potentially misleading\" information about its capabilities when bidding for the contract to conduct assessments for the government. The company said it completely refuted the claim. The Department for Work and Pensions began processing new claims for PIP in northern England in 2013, but had only made 360 decisions when the scheme was introduced nationwide in June. Reassessment of the existing 1.7 million DLA claimants began in October, but was effectively paused after a backlog of some 780,000 claims built up. Committee chairwoman and Labour MP Margaret Hodge said: \"The implementation of the Personal Independence Payment has been nothing short of a fiasco. \"The Department for Work and Pensions has let down some of the most vulnerable people in our society, many of whom have had to wait more than six months for their claims to be decided. \"The department's failure to pilot the scheme meant that the most basic assumptions, such as how long assessments would take and how many would require face-to-face consultations, had not been fully tested and proved to be wrong.\" She continued that this had resulted in \"significant delays, a backlog of claims and unnecessary distress for claimants who have been unable to access the support they need to live, and in some cases work, independently\". \"The personal stories we heard were shocking,\" Mrs Hodge added. In one case, a claimant required hospital intervention as a result of the stress caused by the delays. Elsewhere, claimants had been forced to turn to food banks, loans and charitable donations to support the extra costs of living associated with their disability, the MPs said. The committee also found the average waiting time for terminally ill people to receive a decision was 28 days - 180% longer than originally expected. Claimants had also endured an \"unacceptable\" standard of service, with assessors failing to turn up at centres or cancelling home visits at the last minute. \"We", "summary": "Changes to benefits for sick and disabled people have led to a \"fiasco\", causing unnecessary distress to thousands of people, MPs have warned."}
{"article": "Council leader Jim Logue said he ordered the move after receiving an anonymous letter relating to the council's procurement processes. He said police had been informed and the council's audit team would now carry out a detailed investigation. The council said that if anything was found which substantiated the claims, it would be handed over to police. Mr Logue said: \"These allegations, which are detailed, concern some of the council's procurement processes. If true, they are extremely serious. \"I immediately instructed Paul Jukes, the chief executive, to launch an investigation. \"That investigation, led by the council's internal audit team, is already under way.\" The council leader said that the internal audit team would be able to access all files held by any part of the council and all IT systems. He added: \"It is essential that the people of North Lanarkshire are able to have full confidence in the way the council conducts its business and I am determined that we are transparent at all times. \"Although these are currently unsubstantiated, anonymous allegations I believe that it is right to carry out a full investigation and share any evidence which comes to light with the police. \"As that investigation is now under way, it would be inappropriate for the council to comment further.\"", "summary": "North Lanarkshire Council has launched an investigation \"into serious allegations of corruption\"."}
{"article": "Olding made his debut in December 2011 but has only made 39 appearances because of two lengthy spells out with serious knee injuries. He returned to action against Treviso in January, scoring a bonus point try. Ulster boss Les Kiss described Olding as one of the most talented players he had worked with. \"This is a huge boost to us. Stuart has worked incredibly hard to come back from injury and is starting to recapture some of his best form,\" added the club's Director of Rugby. \"The determination he has shown in returning from his most recent injury speaks volumes about him and he is exactly the type of person we need in the squad.\" Kiss was interim Ireland coach when Olding made his international debut during the North American tour in 2013. Olding earned a second cap the following year, against Georgia, and marked the occasion with his first international try.", "summary": "Ulster centre Stuart Olding has signed a contract extension which will keep him at the Kingspan Stadium until the end of the 2018/19 season."}
{"article": "Workshops are being held at the the city's Royal Cornhill Hospital using specially modified goggles, gloves and other equipment to simulate symptoms. It is aimed at carers and those who have friends or relatives affected by the condition. Staff say the equipment frequently leaves people with a completely new understanding of the disease. Participants are asked to fulfil basic tasks such as getting into bed, writing their name or buttoning up clothing. Julia Wells, an older adults mental health nurse consultant with NHS Grampian, said: \"With the number of people living with the disease expected to double over the next 10 years, it's vital that we do everything we can to raise awareness of dementia. \"Dementia Awareness Week in general and workshops offer a great platform to do just that. \"It also helps to reduce some of the stigma that still exists around the disease.\"", "summary": "A kit which allows people to experience what it is like to have dementia has been introduced in Aberdeen."}
{"article": "Winner: The Humans Eclipsed The Father King Charles III Winner: Hamilton Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed Waitress School of Rock: The Musical Bright Star Winner: Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge Arthur Miller's The Crucible Blackbird Long Day's Journey Into Night Noises Off Winner: The Color Purple Fiddler on the Roof She Loves Me Spring Awakening Winner: Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda Bright Star - Steve Martin School of Rock: The Musical - Julian Fellowes Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed - George C Wolfe Winner: Hamilton - music and lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda Bright Star - music: Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, lyrics: Edie Brickell School of Rock: The Musical - music: Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics: Glenn Slater Waitress - music and lyrics: Sara Bareilles Winner: Frank Langella - The Father Gabriel Byrne - Long Day's Journey Into Night Jeff Daniels - Blackbird Tim Pigott-Smith - King Charles III Mark Strong - Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge Winner: Jessica Lange - Long Day's Journey Into Night Laurie Metcalf - Misery Lupita Nyong'o - Eclipsed Sophie Okonedo - Arthur Miller's The Crucible Michelle Williams - Blackbird Winner: Leslie Odom Jr - Hamilton Alex Brightman - School of Rock: The Musical Danny Burstein - Fiddler on the Roof Zachary Levi - She Loves Me Lin-Manuel Miranda - Hamilton Winner: Cynthia Erivo - The Color Purple Laura Benanti - She Loves Me Carmen Cusack - Bright Star Jessie Mueller - Waitress Phillipa Soo - Hamilton Winner: Reed Birney - The Humans Bill Camp - Arthur Miller's The Crucible David Furr - Noises Off Richard Goulding - King Charles III Michael Shannon - Long Day's Journey Into Night Winner: Jayne Houdyshell - The Humans Pascale Armand - Eclipsed Megan Hilty - Noises Off Andrea Martin - Noises Off Saycon Sengbloh - Eclipsed Winner: Daveed Diggs - Hamilton Brandon Victor Dixon - Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed Christopher Fitzgerald - Waitress Jonathan Groff - Hamilton Christopher Jackson - Hamilton Winner: Renee Elise Goldsberry - Hamilton Danielle Brooks - The Color Purple Jane Krakowski - She Loves Me Jennifer Simard - Disaster! Adrienne Warren - Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed Winner: David Zinn - The Humans Beowulf Boritt - Therese Raquin Christopher Oram - Hughie Jan Versweyveld - Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge Winner: David Rockwell - She Loves Me Es Devlin and Finn Ross - American Psycho David Korins - Hamilton Santo Loquasto - Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed Winner: Clint Ramos - Eclipsed Jane Greenwood - Long Day's Journey Into Night Michael Krass - Noises Off Tom Scutt - King Charles III Winner: Paul Tazewell - Hamilton Gregg Barnes - Tuck Everlasting Jeff Mahshie - She Loves Me Ann Roth - Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All", "summary": "A full list of winners from the 70th Tony Awards."}
{"article": "He has gone back to issue a fresh appeal for information about her killing. No-one has been convicted of the murder of Mrs McAreavey, 27, the daughter of Tyrone gaelic football manager Mickey Harte. Mr McAreavey arrived at Mauritius International Airport shortly after 09:00 BST on Saturday. With him was his sister, Claire McAreavey, who is a lawyer, and Mark Harte, one of Michaela's brothers. 'I don't want sympathy, I want justice' She was strangled to death at a luxury hotel in northern Mauritius 12 days after her wedding in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Before leaving for Mauritius, Mr McAreavey told the BBC he was prepared \"to go to the ends of the earth to ensure that justice is achieved for Michaela\". He added: \"We need to appeal to the people of Mauritius, so we felt that the best way to achieve that is to get on a plane and get out there.\" John and Michaela McAreavey went on honeymoon to Mauritius in January 2011. She was found dead in a bath at the four-star Legends Hotel, after returning to her room to collect a packet of biscuits. Two hotel workers - Avinash Treebhoowoon and Sandip Moneea- were later accused of murdering her and stood trial in the Mauritian capital Port Louis. They were found not guilty of the murder. Mauritian police launched a fresh investigation following the trial, but it came to nothing. In Mauritius, there is some surprise that Mr McAreavey has returned to the island. \"I think people will be shocked because we gathered that he had started a new life and that he would move on and forget about this tragedy,\" Nad Sivaramen, a journalist with l'express newspaper said. \"People will be surprised to see him and to see that his quest for the truth is still there.\" Mr McAreavey remarried in September last year. His wife, Tara Brennan, is an accountant from County Kildare. He said: \"I'm very, very fortunate that I've such a loving family. \"You move forward with life, you enjoy the good things, but you don't shy away from the hard things either.\"", "summary": "John McAreavey, whose wife Michaela was murdered on honeymoon in Mauritius six years ago, has returned to the island."}
{"article": "Allen, 25, who joins the Royals on what the club describe as a long-term deal, could make her debut against Arsenal in the Continental Cup on Saturday. Her Blues debut also came against Arsenal in 2013 in what was an all-English Champions League semi-final. Allen's arrival comes after Bonnie Harwood left Reading to join Millwall.", "summary": "Reading have signed midfielder Remi Allen from Women's Super League One rivals Birmingham City for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "A man in 40s was detained and a rifle found after a car was stopped and searched on the Point Road, Dundalk on Tuesday. A man in his late 50s was later arrested during a follow-up search at a house also in Dundalk. Garda\u00c3\u00ad described the original search of the car as a planned operation. Both men remain in custody.", "summary": "Two men have been arrested in County Louth by police investigating dissident republican activity."}
{"article": "Malcolm William David Tinsley, 26, from St Helens, Merseyside, fell from the mountain's Pyg track on Monday evening. His body was recovered by Llanberis mountain rescue volunteers. The coroner for north west Wales launched an investigation into his death on Friday. Mr Tinsley was the second person in three days to have died on the Snowdonia mountain range after a man fell to his death on nearby Tryfan.", "summary": "A man who died after falling more than 70m on Snowdon has been named."}
{"article": "9 November 2015 Last updated at 07:22 GMT Onlookers described how they were eating their meals when the lights suddenly went out and they heard a loud crash. Tests are going to take place to find out why the ground opened up swallowing 12 cars. The large hole measured 120m long and 11m wide. Luckily no one was hurt.", "summary": "Cars were swallowed up when a large sinkhole opened up in a restaurant car park, in Mississippi in America"}
{"article": "Something Father Simon Lokodo, the country's ethics minister, intends to stop. Find out more The legendary South African jazz trumpeter, who is on tour with his friend of 53 years pianist Larry Willis, tells the BBC about his early music days. Find out more The Indomitable lioness helped Cameroon thrash Ecuador 6-0 at the women's tournament in Canada on Tuesday. Find out more Their tipple of choice is naturally fermented palm wine, produced by raffia palm trees. Find out more He was seen teeing-off at a golfing event on Friday ahead of the African Union heads of state meeting. Find out more", "summary": "Some of the quirkier snippets from the news in Africa that we did not know last week:"}
{"article": "The former West Ham striker, 32, was a free agent and attracted interest from England and abroad, but opted for Celtic because of the size of the club. Cole, who has seven England caps, is also keen to add further honours to his career and win trophies with the Scottish champions. \"When Celtic called and said they wanted me, I just ran over,\" Cole said. \"Being at Celtic is not about the money, it's about wearing the shirt with pride. \"Celtic are in a great position to win trophies and I want to add that to my career.\" Cole, who had been training with Celtic in recent weeks, was part of Chelsea's Premier League-winning squad in 2006 and a member of the West Ham side that won the Championship play-off final in 2012. He has been without a club since leaving Upton Park at the end of last season and also attracted interest from the Middle East. Celtic are in Norway to face Molde in Thursday's Europa League Group A match. Cole, who has also played for Wolves and Charlton, will not be available for Celtic's European matches until the new year but could make his debut domestically in the coming weeks. Celtic's ambition to win domestic titles and compete in Europe attracted Cole to Scotland. However, an injury suffered while on trial with the club delayed his signing. He hopes to soon be fit enough to be in contention for selection. \"This is my first time living out of London, I haven't [lived] above the Watford gap,\" the striker explained. \"It's been a bit hard for me to try to adjust when I've been anywhere, like when I went to Aston Villa on loan, but I've been up here alone for the last two or three weeks and I've settled in really well. The people of Glasgow are very welcoming and I've had a great rapport from people. \"I've already fitted in. The players have taken to me well and I've taken to them. In the changing room there's a great atmosphere and I wanted to be part of that. \"[It's] the same I had at West Ham, if you wear that shirt with pride, the fans take to you and you get a good rapport with them. That's what I'm here for. \"As soon as I came here, I've had everybody explain to me, including the taxi man, how much the club means to them. That's what I wanted to hear and hopefully I'll be a hero to some.\" Cole describes himself as a different type of striker to Leigh Griffiths, whose prolific goalscoring has seen him become established as the first-choice striker at Celtic. Deila's preference is a 4-2-3-1 shape, with only one forward, but Cole is confident he can prove his worth and contribute to the team, and he was inspired by the atmosphere he experienced at Celtic Park during the recent 2-2 draw with Fenerbahce in the Europa League. \"I'm a different player to Leigh, he's a good, nippy player, scores goals left, right and centre,\" Cole", "summary": "Carlton Cole turned down offers from other clubs to sign for Celtic, saying the decision was a \"no brainer\"."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old, formerly with Watford and Cardiff, has agreed a deal until May 2018. Cowie played with Ross County and Inverness Caledonian Thistle and has 10 international caps. \"He'll bring experience to the table, which is invaluable when you're trying to blood younger players into the first team,\" said Hearts boss Robbie Neilson. Speaking to the club website, Neilson added: \"He's played in the Scottish top flight before so knows our game, and he's played at the highest level down south and won a Championship, so I know he's a winner. \"Having played in England, he'll show the players here the level they'll have to get to if they have aspirations to play there themselves.\" Cowie has made more than 450 senior club appearances, scoring 52 times.", "summary": "Scotland midfielder Don Cowie has signed for Hearts following his release from Wigan."}
{"article": "Warnock, 68, has a meeting with chairman Mehmet Dalman next week to discuss his future. But having steered Cardiff away from the Championship relegation zone during his five-month reign, Warnock says he feels \"refreshed\". \"I might even do a couple [of years] whatever the situation,\" he said. After back-to-back wins on the road against Leeds and Derby, on Saturday Warnock will cross swords with Rotherham, who he saved from relegation last season during a 16-game spell from February until June. The Millers were keen to keep Warnock last summer and he admits he was close to staying with them. \"Rotherham actually gave me that zest back,\" he said. \"If I am honest I might have let my heart rule my head at times. If we had agreed terms straight away I think I might have stayed.\" Now Warnock feels similarly revitalised having taken over at Cardiff in October. \"It's given me the belief in what I do really. I have been a manager 37 years, that is a long time - more than a lot of my lads have ever been born,\" he said. \"To still have that enthusiasm and that desire to want to put one over people or managers or clubs. That is what I thrive on. \"The biggest thing is for Cardiff fans to go home having seen a performance or effort of their team and to be talking about the club again in the good sense rather than a negative sense.\" Warnock said Cardiff chairman Dalman would provide him with financial details on what funds could be available this summer at a meeting in the next few days. \"We need to know what we can do to be able to bring the three or four players in because we don't have that many players out of contract really, so it is not as straightforward to thin my squad or to do things,\" Warnock added. \"So its going to be difficult in the next few months to put things in place. \"It is nice to be wanted. The biggest thing coming here was the reaction of the Cardiff fans to me taking over, it was fantastic. \"It would have to be something extreme I have not thought about to take me away from that.\"", "summary": "Manager Neil Warnock has delivered the strongest indication yet he is keen to stay at Cardiff City and mount a promotion challenge next season."}
{"article": "It is an anti-government gesture used by protesters in the Oromia region. Ethiopia's government normally keeps a tight grip on the country and there has not been anything on this scale in the last 25 years. There has not been a specific trigger and what we are seeing is an accumulation of years of frustration from ethnic groups who say they have been marginalised by the government. Demonstrations began in Oromia last November. Protests have also sprung up more recently in the Amhara region. Oromia and Amhara are the homelands of the country's two biggest ethnic groups. New York-based Human Rights Watch says that more than 400 people have been killed in clashes with the security forces in Oromia, although the government disputes this figure. The Oromos, who make up around a third of the population, have long complained that they have been excluded from the country's political process and the economic development which has seen the capital, Addis Ababa, transformed in recent years. The protests were initially over a plan to expand the boundaries of Addis Ababa into the Oromia region. That plan was dropped, but the demonstrations exposed some underlying issues and protests continued with the latest round taking place on Saturday in many places in Oromia and the capital, Addis Ababa. At the root of the recent demonstrations in Amhara is a request by representatives from the Welkait Amhara Identity Committee that their land, which is currently administered by the Tigray regional state, be moved into the neighbouring Amhara region. The Welkait committee says community members identify themselves as ethnic Amharas and say they no longer want to be ruled by Tigrayans. Amharas used to form the country's elite and the language, Amharic, remains the most widely spoken in the country. Source: CIA World Factbook estimates from 2007 Observers say that Ethiopia's governing coalition is dominated by the party from the small Tigray region (TPLF), that led the guerrilla war against the military regime of Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam. Some see both sets of protests as a way of criticising the country's government. There is no formal connection between the Amhara and Oromia demonstrations but at a recent protest in Gondar, banners could be seen expressing solidarity with people from the Oromia region. Oromo activists referred to the demonstrations in Amhara in their Facebook post calling for protests on the first weekend in August - when Amnesty International said that more than 100 people died - but highlighted the fact that they thought the protesters there had been treated more leniently. The central government, a close ally of the West, is in a very powerful position and has total control over the security forces. There is not a single opposition member in parliament, so it faces no real political threat. But its reaction to a big protest at the beginning of August suggests that it is worried: It shut down the internet across the country for two days, fearing that was how the demonstrations were being organised. There is only one, state-controlled internet service provider so this was fairly", "summary": "Ethiopia's Olympic marathon silver medallist Feyisa Lilesa crossed his hands above his head as he finished the race in Rio - bringing the world's attention to a wave of protests in his home country."}
{"article": "City are four points above the Premier League relegation zone and they want to sign a striker in January. Paloschi, 26, has scored eight goals in 21 league games for Chievo this season. Starting his career at AC Milan, the Italian also played for Parma and Genoa. He joined Chievo in 2011 and has scored 42 goals in 144 Serie A appearances. Paloschi has represented Italy at Under-21 level, scoring in their 2-1 defeat to Wales at Swansea's Liberty Stadium in 2009. He lined up alongside the likes of Milan and former Liverpool forward Mario Balotelli in a game won by Aaron Ramsey's spectacular strike. Paloschi could now be about to link up with compatriot Francesco Guidolin, who was appointed Swansea's head coach earlier this month. Former Udinese manager Guidolin guided the Swans to a 2-1 win at Everton in his first game in charge, the Welsh club securing back-to-back victories for the first time this season having previously beaten Watford. Despite the encouraging start to Guidolin's reign, Swansea are still 15th in the Premier League table, with only bottom side Aston Villa scoring fewer goals so far in this campaign.", "summary": "Swansea City are in talks with Chievo about signing striker Alberto Paloschi for a fee of around \u00a38m."}
{"article": "Fly swarms from the Shows Waste Management site in Slack Lane, Derby, have left residents facing difficulties cooking and cleaning for weeks. The Environment Agency said 2,200 tonnes of waste has now been moved and \"the fly issue...has been resolved\". The site has been ordered by the agency to move all waste by 7 July. The agency had started a criminal probe into the fly infestation, and a spokesman added they would \"seek to take the appropriate level of enforcement action against relevant parties\" once their investigation into the cause of the plague is over. \"We can confirm that the fly issue on the site has been resolved with no reported issues from the community since early June,\" an agency spokesman said. \"We will continue to monitor and assess the situation until our requirements have been fully met.\" About 3,000 households and businesses are in the affected areas. One resident, Melissa Marriott, previously told the BBC she has been unable to have a bath without flies getting into the water, and had to resort to buying an electric fly killer which \"gets 50 flies a day\". Another resident, Jenny Warren, said the flies had been \"all over the food and you can't open windows\". On 17 May, Shows Waste Management was given a suspension order by the agency and told no further waste would be accepted on site. The waste company has said it was in the current situation because of a dispute with another firm.", "summary": "Residents whose homes have been filled with hundreds of flies from a Derbyshire recycling site have been told their misery is over."}
{"article": "Proposals could see Cilcennin, Ciliau Parc, Dihewyd and Felinfach schools shut and a new area school opened on the Felinfach theatre campus. But some parents fear the proposed site has pollution from nearby factories and is \"not safe\" for children. Councillors deferred a decision on the plans during a meeting on Tuesday. Ceredigion council want more details on funding available from the Welsh Government before they decide on whether to close the schools. An informal consultation with parents, governors and carers highlighted concerns about the safety of the potential new school site at Felinfach Professional Education Centre. Fears included: Fears were also raised that closing village schools could damage communities, according to the council report. Cabinet member for education Hag Harris said he appreciated parents' concerns, but that the new area building would not be a \"second rate school\". He said: \"This will be a really first class school as we have built previously in Ceredigion.\" Options before the council had been to continue with the current situation of 10 schools; to close Cilcennin School; or to build a new area school for pupils of Ciliau Parc, Cilcennin, Dihewyd and Felinfach. The preferred option would be to develop an area school in existing buildings on the Felinfach theatre campus. The council is restructuring education, saying there are 1,000 fewer children in Ceredigion than a decade ago. The four schools under threat have a total of 171 pupils.", "summary": "A decision on controversial plans to close four primary schools in Ceredigion has been put on hold while funding is explored."}
{"article": "Glasgow Warriors head coach Townsend, 43, previously worked with Scotland as part of Andy Robinson's backroom staff. The former Scotland fly-half, who won 82 caps - plus two for the Lions - led Warriors to the Pro12 title in 2015. \"I am incredibly proud. It is a real honour to be given the responsibility of coaching the national team,\" said Townsend. \"My focus is firmly on the season ahead with Glasgow and I will be doing all I can to help the club continue to progress this year.\" New Zealander Cotter, 54, has been in charge of the Scots since 2014 and led them to the World Cup quarter-finals last year. Shortly before that tournament, the former Clermont Auvergne head coach had extended his contract until 2017. Scotland lost all five Tests in his first Six Nations but they improved this year with wins over Italy and France, scoring a best-ever 11 tries in a single campaign. \"I believe we have moved forward by working to execute the simple things well,\" said Cotter, who has now coached in Europe for a decade after an eight-year spell in France with Clermont Auvergne. \"The focus has been to respect tradition but also perform in the present, be adaptive and innovative. I have been really pleased with the progress that has been made.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Scottish Rugby chief executive Mark Dodson thanked Cotter for his \"considerable impact\" but said the time was right to promote \"one of the most sought after coaches in the game\", two years out from the next World Cup in 2019. \"The time is right to take the development of the national team forward with Gregor,\" said Dodson. \"Gregor's playing record showed he is a man of vision and great professionalism, which he has since successfully transferred into his coaching roles. \"It is these factors which I feel will enable Scotland to continue its forward momentum, building on the strong foundations laid by Vern, with the current group of players and future Scotland internationals.\" Dodson has now launched a recruitment process to find Townsend's replacement at Glasgow for next season.", "summary": "Gregor Townsend is to replace Vern Cotter as Scotland head coach in June 2017, Scottish Rugby has announced."}
{"article": "Tom Donilon - who spent three years as the most senior voice on foreign policy in the Obama administration - was clear. On issues where America dealt directly with the EU, issues like the nuclear deal with Iran, immigration and aid spending, not being present at the EU table would lessen Britain's importance for the US. But Mr Donilon's overriding concern was not one of specific foreign policy issues it was a broader question of focus. Voting leave, he fears, would lead to a Britain that is more inward looking and more distracted from global affairs. That, he added, would be a less powerful partner for the US. On a string of critical issues, Britain would be less important to the White House if it were not part of the European Union. I sat down with Mr Donilon, President Barack Obama's previous National Security Adviser, after he and a group of senior American foreign policy officials signed an open letter urging Brits to vote to stay in the EU on June 23rd. He acknowledged that it was unusual for American officials, from the president down, to weigh in on a British political issue. However Mr Donilon felt the stakes are so high for Britain, the EU and the US that it was important to do so.", "summary": "How would the relationship between the White House and the UK change if Britain were no longer part of the EU?"}
{"article": "Mr Zuckerberg made the announcement in a letter to Max on his Facebook page. He said they were donating their fortune to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to make the world a better place for Max to grow up in. The donation amounts to $45bn (\u00c2\u00a330bn) at Facebook's current value. However the shares will not be donated to charity immediately, but over the course of the couple's lives. Were Mr Zuckerberg to give away 99% of his shares immediately, he would still possess hundreds of millions of dollars. Ms Chan's worth has not been documented. Max was born last week, although her birth was only made public on Tuesday. In his letter Mr Zuckerberg said the aim of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is \"to advance human potential and promote equality for all children in the next generation\". Its initial areas of focus will be personalised learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong communities. \"Your mother and I don't yet have the words to describe the hope you give us for the future,\" Mr Zuckerberg said at the start of his letter to Max. \"You've already given us a reason to reflect on the world we hope you live in,\" it added. Where should Zuckerberg put his money? Cellan-Jones: How Mark Zuckerberg (wisely) ignored my advice The great Facebook giveaway Dave Lee, BBC North America Technology Reporter, San Francisco Billionaire investor Warren Buffet congratulated Zuckerberg and Chan, proclaiming that when it comes to giving away your fortune, \"30 is the new 70\". No longer should billionaires wait to die before handing over money to a different generation, Buffet said, in a gushing approval of Silicon Valley's newest and most influential power couple. Everything Mark Zuckerberg does is eyed with intense scrutiny, not least due to the nature of Facebook's business of making money from personal data. But while the 31-year-old's previous charitable efforts have been criticised for being too focused on building Facebook's user base, this latest pledge appears to leave the Facebook business to one side. It's a continuation of what we've seen developing over the past six months, where Zuckerberg appears at ease hosting heads of state as he does in the company of his own development team. The days of Mark Zuckerberg being seen as a nerdy, awkward tech dork are well behind us. His ambition now is clearly to be a significant figure on the global political stage. Read more: Silicon Valley's new power couple The letter highlighted the important role of technology in achieving the couple's goals of advancing human potential and equality. \"Many of the greatest opportunities for your generation will come from giving everyone access to the internet,\" Mr Zuckerberg wrote to his daughter. He said more details about the donation will be released once he and Ms Chan return from paternity and maternity leave. Mr Zuckerberg said he will remain chief executive of Facebook for \"many, many years to come\". In a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commision, Facebook said that Mr Zuckerberg \"plans to sell or gift no more than $1bn of", "summary": "Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan say they will give away 99% of their shares in the company to good causes as they announce the birth of their daughter Max."}
{"article": "The British Infrastructure Group (BIG) claims the tax acts directly against a policy of extending UK business links to the \"farthest reaches of the globe\". The tax is set to rise again in April to \u00a3150 for some long-haul flights. Opponents accused the aviation industry of wanting a \"free ride\" on air taxes. In its report, BIG said air passenger duty (APD) should be cut by 50%, then scrapped altogether. Grant Shapps, the former international development minister who leads BIG, said Prime Minister Theresa May needs to make good on a promise she gave on Monday to \"forge a bold, new, confident future for ourselves in the world\". He said: \"Particularly post-Brexit, now is the time to do it.\" He added that reducing APD could provide an immediate \"Brexit dividend\" because the government would not have to wait until Article 50 is triggered to make the cut. Britain has one of the highest air travel taxes in the world. On economy class flights of over 2,000 miles, passengers pay \u00a373 in tax, which will rise to \u00a375 next year. On long-haul business class journeys, flyers currently pay \u00a3146 in duty which will increase to \u00a3150 in April. In the report, BIG cites industry figures that show UK APD for non-economy tickets is three times more expensive than France and four times higher than Germany. It notes that Ireland has scrapped APD completely. Also, Scotland is planning to reduce APD by 50% in 2018. \"APD has disproportionate effects on different tickets, disadvantaging flights to the Far East and especially to developing economies, where the cost of a plane ticket from London can be well over 10% tax,\" the report said. \"If the government is to act on its commitments, especially those of securing new trading partners outside the EU, it must make it as easy as possible to do business, conduct negotiations and to stimulate the exchange of people and skills. \"It cannot continue to actively make extra-European travel more expensive than it needs to be.\" Some MPs will strongly resist any attempt to cut aviation taxes. Earlier this week, the Environmental Audit Committee said the Treasury must consider the environmental impacts of its decisions. They are likely to point out that the biggest beneficiaries of a duty cut would be long-haul holiday makers, who might otherwise be spending their money in the UK. Business passenger numbers are stagnant - the growth in demand is for holidays. They will mention that aviation is already uniquely protected from efforts to cut carbon emissions: under the government's plans, emissions from motoring and home heating will have to be cut to accommodate the growth in carbon dioxide from aviation. Critics are also likely to say that families travelling by air pay less tax per mile than car drivers, even though driving a family on holiday causes less pollution than going by plane. They will also question whether \u00a3150 tax will really deter a company director who has forked out for a business class seat. While the former Chancellor George Osborne exempted children under 16 from APD,", "summary": "MPs are urging the government to halve air passenger duty in next week's Autumn Statement, saying the tax hampers post-Brexit Britain's ability to trade outside Europe."}
{"article": "Many children there are forced to work to make money for their families because the country is very poor. But there are not enough checks by the government to stop this happening. Mining can be very dangerous and the children often work very long hours in hot, cramped conditions. A campaign group called Amnesty International have said today that phone companies are not doing enough to make sure that the cobalt in their phones hasn't come from children working in the mines. They say this includes very big smartphone companies like Apple, Samsung, and Sony. The companies say they have a zero tolerance policy towards children working. Paul, a 14-year-old who lives in Congo, started mining when he was 12. He said: \"I would spend 24 hours down in the tunnels. I arrived in the morning and would leave the following morning.\"", "summary": "To make smartphone batteries you need a metal called cobalt and one of the few places you can find it is underground in the Democratic Republic of Congo."}
{"article": "The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is believed to have deployed about 30,000 fighters. US-led coalition warplanes will support the offensive and Russia has also given its backing. The SDF did not mention any plan to take Raqqa, the de facto capital of the \"caliphate\" proclaimed by IS in 2014. The alliance, which is dominated by the Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) militia, has emerged as a key ally of the US-led coalition over the past two years, leading the fight against IS on the ground in northern Syria. With the help of US airpower, it has taken control of about 26,000 sq km (10,000 sq miles) of territory, including a 400km (250 mile) stretch along the Turkish border. On Tuesday, SDF fighters were seen moving south from Tal Abyad near the Turkish border towards Ain Issa, a town about 60km (37 miles) north-west of Raqqa, according to UK-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Clashes were reported nearby, it added. SDF commander Rojda Felat wrote on Twitter that the goal of the new offensive was to \"liberate northern Raqqa\" and those living under IS \"oppression\". \"The campaign is aimed at repelling terrorist attacks on Shaddadi, Tal Abyad and Kobane, ensuring the security of our people,\" she added. An SDF source told the Kurdish news agency, Rudaw, that fighters would be \"advancing to the villages of Big Fatiseh, Small Fatiseh and Tishi, in order to clear them of [IS] militants first\". BBC Middle East Correspondent Quentin Sommerville says IS fighters are digging in, ready for the assault. As well as defensive placements in Raqqa, they have constructed an extensive network of tunnels, he adds. A Baghdad-based spokesman for the US-led coalition, Col Steve Warren, said the SDF operation was aimed at \"putting pressure on Raqqa\", but not taking the city. The SDF fighters had so far met little resistance, he added. The anti-IS activist group, Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS), reported that there had been air strikes on IS positions north of Raqqa on Tuesday, and that intense fighting had erupted around the village of Heisha. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also said that Moscow was ready to co-ordinate with the SDF and the US on the offensive. The SDF's announcement followed a meeting between officials in the alliance and a top US commander in northern Syria on Saturday. Gen Joseph Votel, head of US Central Command, made the secret trip to check on the 200 US military personnel who were advising the SDF on the ground. The US wants to increase the number of Arab fighters in the SDF, which currently consists of at least 25,000 Kurds and between 5,000 and 6,000 Arabs, before trying to retake Raqqa. Col Warren said about 3,000 to 5,000 IS fighters were inside Raqqa. IS seized the city in August 2013, five months after it became the first Syrian provincial capital to fall to rebel forces seeking to topple President Bashar al-Assad. The jihadist group quickly established its headquarters there and began imposing its vision of a state, implementing a strict interpretation of", "summary": "A US-backed alliance of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters has begun a campaign to expel Islamic State (IS) militants from land north of Raqqa."}
{"article": "Ian Bell made 82 but the innings was revitalised by Jos Buttler, who hit three sixes in 47 not out off 16 balls. Buttler shared 62 in 24 balls with Eoin Morgan (49) as England posted 287-6, scoring 76 runs in the last four overs. James Tredwell (3-51) dislodged Martin Guptill (38), who made unbeaten tons in the first two games, and the Kiwis were 253 all out despite Ross Taylor's 71. 17 balls - Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) v Pakistan, 1996 18 balls - Simon O'Donnell (Australia) v Sri Lanka, 1990 18 balls - Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) v Sri Lanka, 1996 18 balls - Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) Netherlands, 2002 Although the series had already been lost, averting a first home whitewash since 2006 and rectifying deficiencies in all three facets of the game ahead of Saturday's Champions Trophy opener with Australia made this far from a routine dead rubber for England. Buttler's exploits and a greatly-improved display in the field helped to achieve that but the early exchanges, with the floodlights on from the start in overcast conditions, offered little encouragement. Only six runs came from the first six overs with Alastair Cook out lbw for a duck. He surprisingly decided to use the only review to challenge the decision by ex-England batsman Tim Robinson, standing in his first ODI. But, on his former home ground, the official's decision was vindicated as replays showed the ball crashing into leg-stump. Jonathan Trott's strike-rate as ever was the subject of much scrutiny as he made 37 from 53 balls during a stand of 66 with Warwickshire team-mate Bell before falling lbw playing across the line in the 19th over. Having completed a typically stylish 26th ODI half-century, Bell picked out mid-off. With Joe Root run out for 33 four balls earlier, it left Morgan and the recalled Ravi Bopara, one of four changes in the England team, both on nought in the power-play overs. Both appeared painfully out of touch, Bopara dropped on three, with only 20 runs accrued in those five overs. Bopara, who made 28 from 38 balls, was caught on the mid-wicket boundary but Buttler almost surpassed that in six deliveries from seamer Kyle Mills, dispatching a six and four fours. 8 June - Australia (Edgbaston) 13 June - Sri Lanka (The Oval) 16 June - New Zealand (Cardiff) The Somerset wicketkeeper-batsman's vibrant hitting appeared to inspire Morgan, who launched Mitchell McClenaghan over long-on for six, the left-arm seamer feeling the pressure as 20 came from a 10-ball over, when his first five overs had yielded 2-9. With a mixture of innovation, extraordinary bat speed and elements of fortune, Buttler, who came to the crease at number seven for the final ball of the 46th over rather than in the 30th over at number six in Sunday's defeat at Southampton, was on the verge of the fastest fifty in ODI history. The final ball was hooked valiantly but landed short of the ropes and went for two instead of the six required for the record. New Zealand had Guptill to", "summary": "England won by 34 runs in the final one-day international at Trent Bridge as New Zealand claimed the series 2-1."}
{"article": "It means drivers can pay to do a speed awareness course instead, if caught at up to 10% above the limit plus 9mph. At a meeting of the Association of Chief Police Officers in January, it was announced that 37 out of 44 forces had signed up to the new system. Critics say the rules are a money-making exercise and allow law breaking. Previously, only those travelling at up to 10% above the limit plus 6mph could be offered one of the courses. But the amendments were agreed by chief constables at a meeting of the Association of Chief Police Officers in January. For a 30mph zone, the upper limit for a speeding course would be 42mph. This would rise to 86mph for motorways and other major roads, although the official limit remains the same. Acpo said the figure at which a course could be offered was a decision for individual forces, and not all would make it available for higher speeds. Drivers can only attend one speed awareness course, costing between \u00c2\u00a360 and \u00c2\u00a3100, in a three-year period. \"There is evidence to show that if people are sent on educational courses, rather than being punished with a fine and penalty points on their driving licence, they are less likely to reoffend in the future,\" an Acpo spokeswoman said. \"Clearly if someone is breaking the speed limit outside a school when the children are coming out at 3.15pm, it's a no brainer and they would be punished. But if it is 3am and there's no-one on the streets, there is a degree of discretion.\" But Joel Hickman, spokesman for road safety charity Brake, said the new proposals \"sent out the wrong message\" and were \"simply a way of making money\" - a charge denied by Road Safety Minister Mike Penning. \"Many people drive for work and would rather pay \u00c2\u00a3100 to go on a course than accumulate points and risk losing their licence, so it is quite clear which is the greater deterrent to speeding,\" said Mr Hickman. \"It sends out a message that it's ok to speed, which it certainly is not. Speeding causes tragedy every day on British roads and results in a huge number of people being killed and seriously injured. It's also a factor in a quarter of all crashes. \"If you hit a child at 30mph, it's the equivalent of that child falling out of a three storey building. Driving at 42mph would mean that child having no chance of survival.\" But Mr Penning insisted road safety is the government's \"top priority\". \"We support the targeted use of educational courses where these are shown to have a positive effect,\" he said. \"The police are responsible for the administration of these courses but we are clear that course fees should not be used to raise revenue.\" 'Get-out-of-jail-free card?' The Institute of Advanced Motorists said it supported \"the widening of the bandwidths that allow drivers to choose a speed awareness course over a fine\". \"We don't feel it gives a 'get-out-of-jail-free card' - drivers can only attend one speed", "summary": "Most police forces in England and Wales have adopted new speeding guidelines that allow motorists to do up to 86mph and avoid points on their licence."}
{"article": "Home-video consoles, that were growing in popularity through the 1990s, were officially banned in 2000 for fear that they were corrupting Chinese youth. It was a kind of King Canute communism - an attempt to hold back the rising tide of capitalism and the inflow of Western cultural products. Of course, in the end it failed and the shrill warnings about \"electronic heroin\" were drowned out by consumer demand. Consoles remained available on the grey market and the gaming industry simply moved online. Today it's an industry that's worth more than 50bn Chinese RMB ($7.9bn; \u00c2\u00a35.2bn) a year and the Communist Party and its army are now well and truly in on the act. Since its public release a few months ago, Glorious Mission, a video game initially designed for and by the Chinese military, has been downloaded more than a million times. It might look like just another shoot 'em up blood-fest but it is, in fact, China's latest propaganda tool. It was designed as a training aid for Chinese soldiers and state-run television has show pictures of ranks of them merrily gaming away, controlling virtual People's Liberation Army troops in various battlefield scenarios. Interestingly, the virtual enemy they're taking on appears at times to bear at least a passing resemblance to the US and its allies, raising questions about exactly what real-life scenarios they're training for. But whatever the effect on soldiers, the decision to make the game available to the wider public was taken in order to instil patriotic values, the \"core values\" of the military, according to army sources. Gu Kai, vice-president of the software developers behind the game, Giant Network Technology, says that he believes the game will help drum up new army recruits. \"I would hope that somebody will play the game and fulfil their dream,\" he says. \"Most young boys, from the bottom of their hearts, want to be a soldier. They like to fight, they like to win, and if this video game can make that dream come true, I won't be surprised.\" The propaganda appears, in places, less than subtle. One of the game's stages recreates the \"fiery atmosphere of camp life\", according to one news report. In one Shanghai internet cafe, almost every one of the 100 or so terminals is busy with someone locked in intense online combat with a wide variety of foes; goblin, alien or human. One young man says he spends more than 10 hours a week in here, and he agrees that online games might be a powerful tool for influencing thoughts and ideas. \"It's possible,\" he says. \"Most of the players here are young. A military video game could make you feel familiar with and then develop an affinity for the army.\" Glorious Mission, then, is a swift about-face for the Chinese military as well as a sign that China isn't just censoring the internet, banning search terms and deleting posts which it does routinely, but also now trying to harness its power. The country already has an army of Communist Party bloggers posting comments in", "summary": "China's Communist Party and its more than two-million-man army aren't supposed to like video games."}
{"article": "The 46-year-old Portugeuse will attend Sunday's Old Firm match against Celtic before starting work on Monday. Under-20s coach Graeme Murty will remain in interim charge for a sixth game since Mark Warburton's departure. \"It is a great honour to join Rangers Football Club,\" said Caixinha after being released by his Qatari club Al-Gharafa on Friday. \"This club has a great history and tradition and I am proud to follow in the footsteps of legendary Rangers managers like Walter Smith, Graeme Souness and Jock Wallace. \"Rangers is a name that is known worldwide and I am looking forward to forging a positive relationship with supporters and meeting the playing squad and staff at the club. \"I know there is a lot of hard work ahead and I assure all our fans that I will do all I can to provide a winning and entertaining Rangers team.\" Caixinha previously managed Uniao Leiria and Nacional in Portugal, and led Mexican side Santos Laguna to the 2014 Copa MX Apertura trophy, the 2015 Liga MX Clausura title and the 2015 Campeon de Campeones trophy, as well as the 2013 Concacaf Champions League final. Before moving into management, he spent six years as assistant to Jose Peseiro at Sporting Lisbon, Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, Greek outfit Panathinaikos, Rapid Bucharest in Romania and the Saudi Arabia national team. Caixinha, who speaks fluent English, earned some of his coaching qualifications at the Scottish Football Association's coach education centre at Largs. \"We are delighted to welcome Pedro to Rangers,\" said managing director Stewart Robertson. \"We compiled a shortlist of high-quality candidates for the position but we knew after our initial meeting with Pedro that he was the right man to take this club forward. \"He is a man of great experience and authority and the board has no doubt he will help us achieve our long-term goals. I would like to thank the Rangers supporters for their patience throughout the process but we were determined to appoint the best candidate possible. \"I would also like to thank Graeme Murty for taking control of the first team. He will complete his duties at Celtic Park on Sunday before returning to his role with the Under-20s and Pedro will begin his work on Monday morning.\" Murty has overseen Scottish Cup wins against Greenock Morton and Hamilton Academical, and a Premiership victory over St Johnstone, but league defeats by Dundee and Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The Ibrox side are third in Scotland's top flight, six points behind Aberdeen and 33 off runaway leaders Celtic, who can clinch a sixth straight title this month. Warburton, who led Rangers to promotion by winning last season's Scottish Championship, parted company with the club at the same time as assistant David Weir and head of recruitment Frank McParland. McParland has since become director of football at Nottingham Forest.", "summary": "Pedro Caixinha has been confirmed as the new manager of Rangers after signing a three-year contract."}
{"article": "The vote, which followed the first debate on the EU Referendum Bill, means the legislation moves to the next stage of its progress through Parliament. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said a \"generation\" had been denied a say on the UK's place in Europe, and the public must now have the \"final say\". MPs voted by 544 to 53 in favour of the bill. The Conservatives and Labour support the bill, but the SNP opposes it. Earlier, MPs voted to reject an SNP amendment opposing the bill. The bill, which has now passed its second reading and will next be examined by a committee of MPs, has several more stages to pass through. Prime Minister David Cameron, who first promised a referendum in 2013, has pledged to negotiate a \"better deal\" for the UK in Europe in advance of the vote - to be held by the end of 2017 at the latest. Mr Hammond said a vote - which would be the first on the UK's links with Europe since 1975 - was needed to renew the democratic legitimacy of the UK's relationship with the 28-member body. \"We've had referendums on Scottish devolution, referendums on Welsh devolution, referendums on our electoral system and on a regional assembly for the North East,\" he said. \"But an entire generation of British voters has been denied the chance to have a say on our relationship with the European Union. And Mr Speaker, today we are putting that right.\" You don't need a doctorate in mathematics to work out this was a Commons majority of rather a lot. With 650 MPs in the House of Commons, persuading 84% of them to vote the same way is quite something. In fact, such an achievement the result was held up because of the length of the queue of those wanting to endorse the idea of an EU referendum. How did it happen? Labour campaigned before the general election against the idea of a referendum, saying it would be destabilising. But after what amounted, to them, to be a rather destabilising appointment with the electorate, they have changed their mind in defeat. For some, this vote is something they have campaigned on for as long as they have been at Westminster: a say for the people on our place inside or outside the European Union. For all of us, it is the start of a debate about how we see ourselves, our place in the world and a decision for us each to take, within the next two and a half years. Mr Hammond added: \"We need a fundamental change in the way the European Union operates. It is now a union which has at its core a eurozone of 19 members which will integrate more closely together. \"There needs to be an explicit recognition those who are not part of that core do not need to pursue ever closer union. There need to be an explicit protection of the interests of those non-eurozone members as the EU goes forward. \"We expect to be able to negotiate a new", "summary": "MPs have overwhelmingly backed plans for a referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union."}
{"article": "Player offences will be measured across four levels and punishments range from giving away five runs to being dismissed temporarily or permanently. Batsmen will also now not be run out if their bat loses contact with the ground after being grounded behind the crease. The new laws will come into effect from 1 October, 2017. MCC (the Marylebone Cricket Club) is the guardian of the laws and spirit of the game, and has a world cricket committee - established in 2006 - of 12 current and former top international players which made its recommendations last December. This is the first time a new code of laws has been written since 2000. The mode of dismissal of a bowler running out a batsman at the non-striker's end has also been changed. Bowlers will now be able to perform the run-out \"to the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball\", rather than before entering his or her delivery stride, as was the previous rule. Offences and punishments include: Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 \"We felt the time had come to introduce sanctions for poor player behaviour and research told us that a growing number of umpires at grassroots level were leaving the game because of it,\" MCC head of cricket John Stephenson said. Following much debate in the past few years over bat sizes, and a call for restrictions from the International Cricket Council in June, specific size limitations to the edge and depth of bats will be added to the laws as the committee believes \"the balance of the game has tilted too far in the batsman's favour\" - with some mis-hit shots clearing the boundary for six. Bat edges will have a maximum allowance of 40mm and bat depths must not exceed 67mm (60mm plus an allowance of 7mm for a possible curve on the face of the bat) and the width can be up to 108mm. \"The bat size issue has been heavily scrutinised and discussed in recent years. We believe the maximum dimensions we have set will help redress the balance between bat and ball, while still allowing the explosive, big hitting we all enjoy,\" Stephenson said. While a bat gauge will be used to enforce the new restriction in the professional game, a moratorium will allow amateur players to continue to use their existing bats which may be in breach of the new law.", "summary": "Cricket will introduce sendings-off, award penalty runs for poor behaviour and limit bat sizes after lawmakers the MCC approved the changes."}
{"article": "But there have been many such agreements in the past and the omens for peace in the region are not good. Russian-backed fighters and the Ukrainian army have clashed almost daily for the last 30 months. At the beginning of January there was a serious escalation in the violence. Ukraine said two of its soldiers had been killed and 16 injured in fighting over the weekend. In theory the two sides will this week pull back heavy weaponry from areas near the front line. But a source at the Munich talks over the weekend told the BBC that no progress had been made in reaching a political solution.", "summary": "A ceasefire is due to come into effect in eastern Ukraine following a deal in Munich over the weekend to halt fighting and withdraw heavy weapons from the front line."}
{"article": "It is designed to help diagnose different types and stages of ovarian cancer. The developers, in Belgium and the UK, said many women with cancer were not getting the right treatment. The charity Ovarian Cancer Action welcomed the test, saying early identification was \"much-needed\". The test is designed to distinguish accurately between benign cysts and malignant tumours as well as identify how aggressive tumours are. It was developed by University of Leuven and Imperial College London scientists to help the patient get the right surgical treatment. \"It's very important to get the pre-operative diagnosis right,\" said Prof Tom Bourne of Imperial College London. \"If it isn't right, the patient might have a more extensive operation than they need, for example having an ovary removed unnecessarily.\" Prof Bourne told the BBC that ovary removal could be \"a critical issue for young women in terms of fertility\". The test uses a combination of patient information, blood test results and ultrasound scans to predict the malignancy, type and stage of the cancer. The researchers used data from 3,506 patients in 10 European countries between 1999 and 2007 to develop the test. The team, reporting their findings in the British Medical Journal, then trialled the test with a further 2,403 patients between 2009 and 2012. Prof Bourne said their test was better than current practice in the UK. Ovarian cancer can be difficult to diagnose early, because symptoms such as bloating and abdominal pain can be put down to other common illnesses. It is the most aggressive gynaecological cancer, with only about 40% of patients still alive five years after being diagnosed, according to the research paper. One of the main factors in survival is how early the cancer is diagnosed. There is currently no screening available, so patients have to rely on seeing a doctor and being correctly diagnosed in time. Another important factor in the survival rate is whether surgery is carried out by a specialist surgeon, the researchers said. Many women were currently operated on by general surgeons, possibly because the true nature of the illness came to light only during surgery. Cancer charity Ovarian Cancer Action said the new test could be useful. \"Anything that makes a diagnosis of ovarian cancer easier, earlier and quicker - like this tumour blood marker test - that gets women tailored treatment sooner, is very much needed,\" said chief executive Katherine Taylor. If women were diagnosed in the early stages of ovarian cancer they had a 90% chance of surviving the next five years, but if the cancer was found at a later stage, the five-year survival rate reduced to 22%, she said. \"Awareness of this disease among women and GPs is key,\" she added. \"Ovarian cancer is the UK's most deadly gynaecological disease, with over 7,000 cases diagnosed every year.\"", "summary": "A new test can help doctors identify ovarian cancer more accurately and cut down on instances of unnecessary surgery, claim scientists."}
{"article": "Increasingly services are springing up offering quick fixes for the annoyance of cracked screens or broken home buttons. New entrant, iCracked, is hoping its model of sending technicians to customers, sometimes within an hour, will help it win market share. But critics questioned what impact it would have. The firm already operates in 250 US cities and as the name suggests, focuses mainly on iOS devices but also repairs some Samsung models. The prices it will charge for fixing devices will vary but will average about \u00a357, according to the firm. \"For most people, their phone is an extension of themselves, so when it breaks it can have a huge impact on the way they go about their everyday lives,\" said founder A J Forsythe. The firm began life in 2010 at a US university where Mr Forsythe was a student. \"I started handing out flyers around campus and people would call me and I'd fix their device,\" he told the BBC. Growth came fast and the firm now employs 1,000 technicians across the US. Its UK launch will initially be focused in London with 30 technicians which it hopes to expand to 100 next year. Customers can call out a fixer either via the iCracked website or its app. They then arrange a time for them to come to their home, office or local coffee shop to repair the device. There is a burgeoning industry springing up around smartphone repairs. High street shops offer drop-in services where they can repair phones or tablets in a matter of hours, often more cheaply than iCracked. Websites such as Quick Fix Mobile also offer repairs within 24 hours, with prices averaging \u00a330 - \u00a350 for a broken screen. Marketing manager Sean Barber was dismissive of iCracked. \"I'm not sure why these big companies come from the US and make such big news. There are already plenty of others in the UK already offering this service.\" He compared iCracked's launch with that of Uber, the lift-sharing service which has proved controversial to the taxi industry. \"I don't think iCracked is going to disrupt the market like Uber did. You still have to book an appointment with a technician and in that time, a customer could have come to a service like ours and had it fixed,\" he said. Mr Forsythe admitted that some may question the need for an emergency service for iPhones, but said that demand was there. \"We're seeing hundreds of requests each day and we are expecting London to be one of our busiest cities. \"I wouldn't say that it is limited to a First World problem.\" Apple did not wish to comment on the service but on its website it advises customers to contact their carrier or Apple to arrange service for damaged devices. Users can also take broken phones into stores. There is also a growing trend for do-it-yourself services such as the Restart Project - which gives amateurs advice on how to extend the life of their gadgets.", "summary": "A US firm is launching an emergency repair service for broken or damaged smartphones in the UK."}
{"article": "Researchers say the huge predator had scales much like modern reptiles rather than feathers or fluff. The dinosaur may have ditched its feathers because it no longer needed insulation when it reached gigantic proportions, they propose. But the findings are unlikely to end the long-running debate about the physical appearance of T. rex. We don't need to throw out the image of a big fluffy T. rex quite yet, argued one palaeontologist. Whether T.rex was clad in scales, feathers or both, has long been a mystery, largely due to a lack of fossil evidence. Primitive feathers have been identified in some members of the Tyrannosaur group, leading to speculation that the king of reptiles also sported feathers. In the latest twist, researchers analysed skin impressions from a T.rex skeleton known as Wyrex, unearthed in Montana. They also looked at relatives that roamed during the Late Cretaceous in Asia and other parts of North America, including Albertosaurus and Gorgosaurus. Skin patches from the neck, pelvis and tail of Wyrex show scaly, reptilian-like skin, says a team led by Dr Phil Bell of the University of New England, Australia. Writing in the journal, Biology Letters, they say fossil integument (outer covering) from T.rex and other members of the group confirm that \"these large-bodied forms possessed scaly reptilian-like skin.' The researchers think the giant tyrannosaurs lost their feathers over time because they no longer needed them as insulation. But not all researchers are convinced. Dr Steve Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh said he wouldn't be surprised if T. rex lost or reduced its feathers, as it was a very big animal, just like elephants reduce their hair. Asian elephants are hairier than African elephants because they are smaller and live in dense forests in dim sunlight. \"But I don't think we can assume that T. rex lacked feathers just because some fossil skeletons have skin impressions that are scaly,\" he added. \"It takes inconceivable good luck to preserve feathers in fossils. Just because we don't see them doesn't mean they weren't there. So I don't think we need to throw out the image of a big fluffy T. rex quite yet.\" The Tyrannosaurs were fearsome predators during the last part of the Cretaceous, 85 to 65 million years ago. They were known for their sharp teeth, small beady eyes and tiny forelimbs (arms). The group included Albertosaurus, Gorgosaurus, Daspletosaurus, Tarbosaurus, as well as the iconic T. rex. Follow Helen on Twitter.", "summary": "Despite its ancestors having feathers, Tyrannosaurus rex most likely had scaly skin, according to fossil evidence."}
{"article": "The match was in memory of the late Falkirk defender, Craig Gowans, 17, who died in 2005. Guinness World Records are expected to approve the record set by the Craig Gowans Memorial Fund World Record Breaking Football Match within days. The final score at Ainslie Park, at 22:00 on Wednesday, was 774-707. The match started on Saturday at 13:00. The previous record was 102 hours. Craig Gowans was killed when training equipment he was carrying connected with an overhead power cable at the Little Kerse ground in Grangemouth. The Craig Gowans Memorial Fund for The Sick Kids Friends Foundation has so far raised almost \u00c2\u00a380,000. The match was played using seven substitutes on each side. There were no limits on how many times a substitute was used. Every 12 hours a player clocked up on the pitch gave them one hour off from the match to have a shower or get food. Eoghan Molloy, a member of the Craig Gowans Memorial Fund organising committee, said: \"The whole experience has been an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. \"There were a lot of mixed emotions as the final whistle blew - from relief and tiredness to joy, happiness and everything in between. It was amazing to hear that final whistle and to finish what we set to achieve. \"I'd like to extend a huge thank you to all of the supporters and volunteers who came down to support us across the four days. \"Playing throughout the night was by far the most difficult part of the challenge, but when the sun came up and the crowd returned this completely lifted our spirits. Being able to finish the match is all down to these supporters.\" Roslyn Neely, chief executive of the Sick Kids Friends Foundation, said: \"All of the participants of the Craig Gowans Memorial Fund have done a tremendous job in completely this outstanding challenge and we feel extremely privileged to be the beneficiary of their efforts. \" The money raised will be used to fund enhancements to the new Sick Kids hospital at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France, specifically a state-of-the-art Snoezelen room in Craig's name. The space will be a calming room with multi-sensory equipment providing a relaxing and stimulating space for children with sensory impairments. The previous world record was set at St Mary's, the home of Southampton FC, in June by two squads representing the Testlands Support Project, a Southampton charity. Doug Henderson, chairman of Falkirk FC, said: \"I'd like to congratulate the team for their great efforts over a monumental 105 hours, and to thank them also for getting together to deliver this wonderful tribute to Craig Gowans. \"Craig was an upstanding young man with a great future ahead of him, he had enormous promise as a footballer and was a big part of our Falkirk family. We all miss him so much.\"", "summary": "A world record breaking attempt for the longest 11-a-side match has finished following 105 hours of football in Edinburgh."}
{"article": "The Irishman, who turns 21 on Saturday, will remain at Craven Cottage until the summer of 2018. Kavanagh, who can also play at left-back, has made a total of 11 appearances since his debut for the west London club last August. He scored his first goal for the Whites in the 1-0 win at home to Norwich City in October.", "summary": "Fulham midfielder Sean Kavanagh has signed a new contract with the Championship club."}
{"article": "Scottish Borders Council and Stirling-based Ramoyle Developments have concluded missives for the former Burgh Yard. It will be used for a \"mixed use\" commercial scheme including some flats and possibly a pub/restaurant. It used to house a petrol station, garages and workshops. Council leader David Parker said: \"There has been a great deal of interest surrounding the former Burgh Yard site, and I am delighted that the sale has now been agreed. \"If it goes ahead as planned, this development should bring a significant benefit to Galashiels at an exciting time, with the Borders Railway opening in less than one month. \"I look forward to seeing it enhance the facilities in the town for visitors and the local community.\" Councillor Stuart Bell said the move could bring the site near the recently-opened transport interchange back into use. \"If the scheme comes to fruition, it will bring investment in our region, create new jobs and provide improved facilities for tourists, tying into the key aims of the Borders Railway Blueprint programme,\" he said. Jim Turnbull, of Ramoyle Developments, added: \"We are very pleased to be able to add this prestigious project to our currently expanding development programme. \"Several operators have approached us with regards to the various commercial uses we have in mind for Galashiels and we expect to be able to reveal our preferred line-up soon.\"", "summary": "A chain is in talks over plans for a new 50-bed hotel in Galashiels after the sale of a prominent site in the town has been agreed."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Asher-Smith, 21, broke a bone in her foot in March and looked unlikely to make these championships as recently as a month ago. But having run a season's best to get through the final, she knocked another half a second off her semi-final time as the Nethlerlands' Schippers held off Marie-Josee Ta Lou for gold with Shaunee Miller-Uibo coming through for bronze in London. The great Brittney Reese won her fourth world long jump title in a thrilling final where the top four women were covered by only six centimetres. There was disappointment for Britain's Lorraine Ugen, who had set the third biggest mark in qualifying but began with two fouls and had to settle for fifth with her fourth-round 6.72m. But her compatriot Lynsey Sharp successfully appealed an initial disqualification to be dramatically reinstated into Saturday's 800m final. Asher-Smith's finish was the fifth fourth place Great Britain have taken at these Worlds, Mo Farah's 10,000m gold on the first night the only medal they have won in the eight days so far. Yet it would be hard to describe any of those individual results as a disappointment, and Asher-Smith was delighted to rescue something from a season that appeared wrecked. \"I was so happy to be here and just told myself to go out fast,\" she told BBC Sport. \"The crowd were getting louder and louder so I knew I was doing well, and I kept going for it. \"I'm frustrated, but quite happy to have run like that having broken my foot this year.\" Schippers ran a season's best of 22.05 seconds as her strength down the home straight held off Ivorian Ta Lou, who also had to settle for silver in the 100m. Miller-Uibo of Bahamas led the 400m until stumbling in the final few strides, but this was at least a little consolation for a gold that slipped away when it appeared hers. Two-time world 110m hurdles champion Colin Jackson Dina Asher-Smith is something incredible. The amount she has had to battle, both mentally and physically, is unbelievable. 22.22 seconds! I cannot describe to everybody how impressive that was. She will be disappointed, but how much work she has missed over the summer with the broken foot... She loves this event. It was an unbelievable performance through the rounds. Media playback is not supported on this device Reese's triumph earlier in the evening made her the first woman to win four world long jump titles. After Darya Klishina - competing here as a neutral athlete after being cleared by the IAAF doping review board to circumvent the continuing ban on Russian athletes - had gone out to 6.78m in the first round, Serbia's Ivana Spanovic seized the lead with 6.96m with her second jump. American Reese, the 2012 Olympic champion in this stadium five summers ago, then took control with her third-round 7.02m, before Klishina almost stole gold in the final round. Her jump came up two centimetres short - although the silver was her first medal in a global", "summary": "Great Britain's Dina Asher-Smith came within seven hundredths of a second of a remarkable medal as Dafne Schippers retained her 200m title at the World Championships."}
{"article": "It was due to be held at the Waterfoot Hotel in Londonderry but its owner called the event after voicing concerns about \"health and safety\". The dissident republican bomb was discovered in the hotel grounds last Friday. The session will now take place at St Columb's Park House, on the Limavady Road, Derry on Saturday. There were also security alerts at two other venues last week where recruitment events were due to take place. Belfast Met's Millfield campus and Omagh's Strule Arts Centre were evacuated but nothing untoward was found.", "summary": "A PSNI recruitment event which was cancelled after a bomb find at the original venue has been rearranged."}
{"article": "He told Radio 4's Front Row: \"I think it's important that the Proms continues to reach out to different audiences and the younger demographic to keep the whole idea of the Proms alive.\" He added: \"To the audience that go to Ibiza... these are our classics.\" The late night Prom will be aired live from the Royal Albert Hall on 29 July. Tong - who has been presenting regular dance music shows on Radio 1 since the 1990s - said it was important to be open-minded, \"whatever area of music you're in\". \"Just to stay stuck in the past or stay stuck within rigid guidelines, whatever you're doing, you'll struggle over a longer period of time,\" he said. Billed as \"less concert and more dance-party\", the event will help mark the 20th anniversary of Radio 1 in Ibiza. Special guests including Ella Eyre and John Newman will perform with Jules Buckley and his Heritage Orchestra. \"It's going to be an entertaining evening,\" said Tong, \"hopefully it's going to be a bit of a riotous evening. That's not necessarily a first at the proms.\" He said he'd worked closely with the orchestra to come up with \"an interpretation of the Ibiza classics\". \"I started out by getting together with some of the music team of Radio 1 and some of my fellow DJs and also some faces on the island. \"We got into a bit of a debate to discuss what music should be represented. It was a constant trimming down process, but we've ended up with probably about 20 tracks which will be presented on the night.\" Earlier this month Radio 3 presenter Suzy Klein branded critics of the event \"snobs and scaremongers\". Last week Proms host Katie Derham also defended the event, calling it a \"celebration of electronic dance music\". \"There'll always be the odd raised eyebrow,\" she told BBC Breakfast, \"but ever since the Proms began 120 years ago, the idea was to bring good music to as many people as possible, for it to be accessible, for it to be a celebration of great tunes. \"So the fact that we're pushing the boundaries and bringing in new audiences in this way, I don't think should upset anybody.\" She added: \"When they get down to it there is the most amazing classical music being celebrated with the most fantastic musicians from all over the world - all the greats are going to be there.\" The First Night of the Proms kicked off the eight week event on 17 July. It runs until the Last Night of the Proms on 12 September.", "summary": "DJ Pete Tong has defended BBC Radio 1's first ever Prom, a musical homage to Ibiza, saying those opposed to dance music at the Proms need to \"chill out\"."}
{"article": "Brig Gen Tlas, said to be in his mid-40s, is a member of Syria's most powerful Sunni family, which has given its support to the Assad's Alawite clan for decades. The general's father, Mustafa Tlas, was Syria's longest serving defence minister, who helped to ensure Mr Assad's succession to the presidency in 2000 following the death of his father. As a young man, Gen Tlas also attended military training with President Assad. So, naturally, he was a member of Mr Assad's so-called inner circle, serving as commander of an elite Republican Guard unit. The general - together with his wife - was also seen as a leading figure on the Damascus social scene, entertaining foreign envoys, artists and the media. But sources say he has become increasingly frustrated in recent months over the violent crackdown by the security forces on protesters. He was reportedly under a form of home arrest since May 2011, following his meeting with the opposition to try to start a political dialogue and also because of his opposition to the clampdown. The current regime, he once reportedly said, was taking the country to hell. Most of Syria's leaders are Alawite, but Gen Tlas is a Sunni Muslim, and his desertion may encourage other Sunni officers to consider their allegiances.", "summary": "Manaf Tlas, a Syrian general, has deserted the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and left the country gripped by continuing unrest."}
{"article": "Laurent Blanc's side failed to win for only the second time in 22 games. Paris were without top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic and rested a number of other players ahead of their midweek Champions League tie with Chelsea. They lacked a cutting edge as Lille became the second team to avoid a league defeat in Paris this season.", "summary": "Paris St-Germain saw their 16-match winning run end in a 0-0 draw with struggling Lille but still remain unbeaten in Ligue 1 this season."}
{"article": "Jonathan James Mathew, 35, Stylianos Contogoulas, 44, Jay Vijay Merchant, 45, Alex Pabon, 37, and Ryan Reich, 34, are accused of manipulating the rate between 1 June 2005 and 31 August 2007. The prosecution told the court that \"they were driven by money... to make more profit on their trading\". The five defendants deny one count of conspiracy to defraud. The court also heard that the financial position of every company, every government, perhaps every household was directly or indirectly sensitive to Libor in one way or another. The trial at Southwark Crown Court, which began on Tuesday, is expected to last 12 weeks. Prosecution counsel James Hines QC said that to maximise their profits, the defendants agreed to manipulate or rig the US dollar Libor rate to the advantage of their trades and to the disadvantage of the people who they were doing trades with. Submitters, who contributed to the setting of the Libor rate by revealing the interest rates at which their banks were willing to lend at, were told if the traders wanted the rate to go up or down, the prosecution alleged. Libor - the London interbank offered rate - is an interest rate used by banks around the world to set the price of financial products worth trillions of pounds. The ability to organise even minor movements in the rate had the potential to generate bumper profits for a trader.", "summary": "Five former Barclays employees have been accused of conspiring to defraud, by fixing the Libor interest rate."}
{"article": "A car bomb exploded as his convoy was passing, killing at least one body guard. The so-called Islamic State (IS) group says it carried out the attack. The city's last governor, Jaafar Mohammed Saad, was killed in a similar attack in early December. IS intensified operations in Yemen when civil war broke out in March 2015. Yemen torn in two Yemen's humanitarian catastrophe Why IS is trying to expand in Yemen Inside Yemen's 'forgotten war' Witnesses to the attack described hearing \"a loud explosion\". One local man, Attef Hassan, told Reuters: \"I thought it was an explosive device. I turned round and saw the governor and his companions getting out of the governor's car, and, thank God, they were not injured.\" Yemen has been rocked by fighting, mainly between forces loyal to UN-recognised President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi - who fled into exile in Saudi Arabia - and those allied to Zaidi Shia rebels known as Houthis. IS opposes both groups. A Saudi-led coalition made up of nine nations began airstrikes in March, hoping to defeat the Houthi rebels. On Tuesday, warplanes carried out fresh strikes on the capital, Sanaa, which is under Houthi rebel control. Residents say a care centre for blind people and a chamber of commerce building were hit. The UN says almost 2,800 civilians have been killed since fighting began. \"The ongoing armed conflict in Yemen continues to take a terrible toll on civilians, with at least 81 civilians reportedly killed and 109 injured in December,\" UN spokesperson Rupert Colville said in a statement on Tuesday. \"This raises the number of civilian casualties recorded between 26 March and 31 December to 8,119 people, including 2,795 killed and 5,324 wounded.\"", "summary": "The governor of Yemen's port city of Aden, Aidarus al-Zubaidi, has survived an assassination attempt, security sources say."}
{"article": "The first session for the event, which includes the Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix, opened with a speed-controlled lap for newcomers on the TT course. Saiger's opening lap of 117.18mph on his Greenall Racing Kawasaki was the quickest of the evening session. The second practice session will be held on Tuesday. Monday's scheduled second qualifying session has been cancelled due to rain and low-lying mist on the Mountain. Double Manx Grand Prix race winner Andrew Dudgeon was second fastest on the night with 115.39mph, with Australian David Johnson and Lee Johnston both averaging more than 114mph. Fifteen-time TT winner Michael Dunlop missed the session to compete in the Ulster Rally, whilst Kiwi Bruce Anstey topped the Lightweight timesheets. Thirty-eight Manx Grand Prix newcomers completed their compulsory speed-controlled lap under the guidance of experienced TT racers. Santon-based Michael Evans topped the qualifying board on his Senior Martin Bullock Motorsport Suzuki with 114.518mph. Meanwhile, Brendan Fargher (114.236) Tom Robinson (113.988) and Glenn Harrison (113.828) all posted competitive times on their 600 machines. Six newcomers slid off on their opening laps with Lief Williams and David McConnachy taken by ambulance to Noble's for check-ups. All have been reported as okay.", "summary": "Austrian Horst Saiger has gone quickest in the opening practice session for the 2017 Festival of Motorcycling on Saturday."}
{"article": "The party said it would consult on the change if it wins May's assembly election. Powers to change speed limits are to be handed to the Welsh Government, although it is not clear exactly when. But road safety charity Brake said the proposals were \"disappointing\" and suggested a change would lead to more deaths on the roads. In 2015, UK ministers suggested limits could be raised in some areas of England and Wales. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said: \"The M4 and A55 are vital arteries in the Welsh economy with thousands of commuters relying on their use every day. \"Welsh Conservatives believe that raising the speed limit from 70mph to 80mph [112km/h to 128km/h] could play a vital role in getting our economy moving and offering invaluable support to hard-pressed motorists, commuters and businesses. \"Consultation would be key - ensuring the views of all stakeholders are considered, so any change on the M4 and A55 is delivered with safety paramount.\" But Brake spokesman Jack Kushner said: \"We urge the government to reject needless proposals to increase speed limits to 80mph. We're disappointed it is being considered. \"Evidence from previous consultations made it clear that an increase would not only be dangerous - potentially 25 more deaths and 100 more serious injuries each year - but also highly damaging to the environment and economy.\" Political parties should focus instead on greater investment in \"sustainable\" travel and rural transport, he added. Plaid Cymru said the \"real priority\" for the two roads was tackling bottlenecks. Party transport spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said: \"A Plaid Cymru government will press ahead with improvements across the A55 and will resolve the M4 problem around Newport with an effective and cost-efficient scheme that can be delivered quickly.\" Welsh Labour said Conservative UK ministers had \"ditched plans to raise speed limits because of the huge safety risks\". A spokesman said: \"It is ill-conceived and reckless, it will lead to increasing numbers of deaths and serious injuries on our roads while pushing up the cost of driving and making it harder to cut the emissions that contribute to climate change.\" A Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesman said: \"The Tories [at Westminster] first launched a consultation on this in 2011 and nothing has been heard since. \"We will therefore be taking this announcement with a pinch of salt.\"", "summary": "The speed limit on the M4 and A55 could rise from 70mph to 80mph under plans announced by the Welsh Conservatives."}
{"article": "Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo killed Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey, judges said. The backpackers' bodies were found on a Koh Tao island beach in September 2014. The defendants' lawyers say they will appeal. The accused retracted their initial confessions, saying police had tortured them. Mr Miller's brother said justice had now \"been delivered\". Miss Witheridge's family said they needed time \"to digest the outcome of the trial verdict\". At a Thai court in Koh Samui, three judges found the two bar workers - who were migrants from Myanmar - guilty of murder and ordered they face the death penalty. Miss Witheridge and Mr Miller were found on a beach having been bludgeoned to death, and a post-mortem examination showed Miss Witheridge had been raped. Prosecutors said DNA evidence collected from cigarette butts, a condom and the bodies of the victims, linked Lin and Phyo to the deaths. By Jonathan Head, BBC South East Asia correspondent The investigation has been a muddled affair. The first officers on the scene were local police with apparently no idea how to seal off a crime scene. Thailand forensic scientist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, whose institute was not allowed any involvement in the investigation, testified the crime scene had been poorly managed and evidence improperly collected. Other flaws exposed during the trial included the police's failure to test Miss Witheridge's clothes or the alleged murder weapon for DNA. The key question though, hung over one piece of evidence that did tie the defendants to the crime: the alleged match between their DNA and that recovered from semen found on Miss Witheridge's body. The date of the original DNA analysis was said to have been 17 September, but the report submitted to court was dated 5 October - two days after police had announced a positive match. That unexplained discrepancy inevitably raises suspicion that perhaps the result was manipulated. Read more from Jonathan: A flawed and muddled investigation Lawyers defending the accused argued DNA from a garden hoe - allegedly used as the murder weapon - did not match samples taken from the men. They also claimed evidence had been mishandled by police and the pair's confessions were the result of \"systematic abuse\" of migrants in the area. Andy Hall, international affairs adviser for Migrant Worker Rights Network, which represented the men, said: \"We strongly disagree with the decision of the court. This investigation was a shambles from the beginning. \"The defence team have had access to all the information in this case and the information we saw did not comply with international standards.\" He said the defence team would mount an appeal in the case. Hannah Witheridge, 23, was a University of Essex student from Hemsby, near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. Having earned a degree with first-class honours from the University of East Anglia she was working towards a masters degree in speech and language therapy in Essex. Her parents Tony and Sue, brother Paul and sisters Tania and Laura, described her as a \"fun, vibrant and beautiful young woman\" who", "summary": "Two Burmese men have been found guilty and sentenced to death for murdering two UK tourists in Thailand last year."}
{"article": "Police cars and other vehicles were set alight during the unrest in Little India. It was Singapore's first riot in more than 30 years, police said. The hour-long disturbance broke out after an Indian migrant worker was knocked down and killed by a bus. If convicted, the accused could face seven years in prison and caning. They were remanded in custody for a week after appearing in court, where an interpreter read the charges to them in Tamil. Four other men arrested in connection with the riot have been released. The bus driver, a 55-year-old Singaporean, faces charges of causing death by negligence, AFP news agency reports. The government has ordered a special committee to investigate the causes of the riot, in which about 400 foreign workers took to the streets. About 40 people were hurt, most of them police officers, before the violence was brought under control. Some 25 vehicles, 16 of them police cars, were damaged or burnt. Singapore depends heavily on foreign workers, with migrant labourers from South Asia dominating sectors like construction. Most are young men who come from India and Bangladesh, and live in dormitories while they work and send money home.", "summary": "Police in Singapore have charged 24 Indian nationals with rioting after violent protests on Sunday night over the death of a migrant worker."}
{"article": "The Netherlands currently lead Namibia and Ireland by six points. Batsmen William Porterfield and Ed Joyce return after being rested for the four-day tour game against Zimbabwe A. Paul Stirling is also expected to take his place in the team after recovering from tightness in his quad. Stirling did not bat in the final innings of Ireland's draw with Zimbabwe A as a precautionary measure. Porterfield and Joyce instead spent time batting in the nets and both are expected to play, as is bowler Tim Murtagh, who was also rested. In the potential scenario of the side winning the match after conceding a first innings lead, the Dutch will drop to third as in this situation the side that wins the match will collect 13 points while the side that claims the first innings lead will get seven points. Namibia have been preparing for the game by playing in South African domestic cricket, while Ireland arrived in Windhoek directly from Harare, where they have spent the last three weeks playing three one-day internationals and a four-day match with Zimbabwe A. In the first round of fixtures, reigning champions Ireland defeated the United Arab Emirates by an innings and 26 runs in Malahide in June, while Namibia recorded a 114-run victory over Hong Kong in May and will be aiming to make home advantage count against Porterfield's experienced side. There has been one change to the original 14-man squad named by Ireland, with Max Sorensen returning home from Zimbabwe with a back injury, the impressive Stuart Poynter comes into the squad in his place. Poynter goes into the match on the back of scoring his maiden first-class century in the final tour match in Harare, while Stirling, Gary Wilson, Kevin O'Brien, John Mooney and Niall O'Brien all made half-centuries in Zimbabwe. With conditions at the Wanderers Club very similar to those in Zimbabwe, Ireland are well acclimatised and required the minimal recovery time after their travel day to Windhoek. The side completing a full training session the day after arriving, with another session on Friday ahead of the match helping the side get used to a new outfield and ground. \"We made a great start to the Intercontinental Cup campaign in Dublin earlier this year and we have all been building up to this game, targeting it from a long way out,\" said Murtagh. \"The games in Zimbabwe have been fantastic for us as usually before an I Cup game we would arrive a couple of days before and have to adapt to conditions really quickly. It has been great to spend time playing and training in the same conditions before we got here.\"", "summary": "Ireland begin the second match of their Intercontinental Cup campaign against Namibia in Windhoek on Saturday in the knowledge that a win for either side would see them move top of the table."}
{"article": "Crews from Tumble and Llandeilo were called to a farm in Maesybont, Llanarthne, at 20:40 GMT on Thursday. A \"Coldcut Cobra\" ultra-high pressure water jet, which is on trial with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, was used to tackle the blaze. An environmental protection unit was also sent to reduce the risk of pollution.", "summary": "A large timber and tyre fire which burned throughout the night in Carmarthenshire has been extinguished."}
{"article": "Some business leaders and politicians claimed the nuclear plant, just outside Bridgwater in Somerset, will lead to an economic boom for the area. Initial estimates from Somerset County Council claimed the regional economy is set to benefit by around \u00c2\u00a34bn. However, others are concerned about the impact of having Europe's largest construction site on their doorstep. Leader of Somerset County Council John Osman said the decision is a \"once in a generation\" opportunity and will \"bring unprecedented investment and job creation to the county and the wider region\". Councillor David Hall, cabinet member for business and inward investment, said the plants will be the catalyst for economic growth in Somerset: \"During construction alone, the project is expected to bring \u00c2\u00a3200m to the local economy.\" Roy Pumphrey of the Stop Hinkley Campaign said \"Bridgwater will not know what has hit it when, and if, the real work on the power station should it ever start, begins. \"Once the thousands of vans, hundreds of buses... are all on the roads Bridgwater will become a no go area as far as access is concerned. Speaking on BBC Somerset Emma Gibson from Greenpeace said: \"I don't think it's over. The deal may still unravel and cause a great deal of concern for the people of Somerset. \"There is huge uncertainty around this project...it's better to invest in renewable energy - it's cheaper and more reliable.\" However, councillor Leigh Redman, from Bridgwater Town & Sedgemoor District Council, said \"Hinkley Point C should be welcomed for the good it will bring our town, but we should be compensated where necessary for inconvenience or negative impact. \"I call on Hinkley Point C to remember the small person and go that extra mile to support those that need it.\" Chief executive of Visit Somerset John Turner said the \"eyes of the world will be on Somerset\" and they are getting ready to \"welcome probably the largest workforce coming into the region\". He added that they have \"worked very hard with other local government bodies over many years to ensure that Somerset gains the most out of the this project\". Professor Tom Scott, co-director of the South West Nuclear Hub and Nuclear Research Centre at the University of Bristol, said the decision will \"support the UK nuclear renaissance\". He added this is a \"huge opportunity opening up in the region for young skilled people to enter the nuclear industry.\"", "summary": "There has been a mixed reaction in the West to the government's announcement that Hinkley C will go ahead."}
{"article": "It is the first fall in the rate since October 2016 and was largely down to lower petrol and diesel prices. Fuel prices fell for the fourth month in a row in June, according to the Office for National Statistics. Economists say the fall in inflation could ease pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates. The UK inflation rate has risen sharply since the referendum on membership of the European Union last June, partly due to an increase in the cost of imported goods following the fall in the value of the pound. \"These numbers are a real surprise, showing the first drop in inflation since autumn 2016,\" said Lucy O'Carroll, chief economist at Aberdeen Asset Management. \"This is going to kill the chances of a rate rise in the short term. We'll learn more about the Bank of England's thinking in a couple of weeks, but we can expect the calls for a rate rise to reduce to a whimper.\" But June's fall in inflation is a blip, according to some economists. \"We have not necessarily passed the peak of inflation,\" said Andrew Sentance, senior economic adviser at PwC. \"Oil prices are volatile and could bounce back later this year. Meanwhile, the big fall in the value of the pound since last summer is still working its way through the pipeline and has not yet fully fed through into shop prices.\" Another measure of inflation, the Retail Prices Index (RPI), edged lower from an annual rate of 3.7% in May to 3.5% in June. RPI is used to calculate the interest rate for student loans, for example. The ONS also reports a version of consumer price inflation that includes housing costs known as CPIH. That rate fell to 2.6% in June from 2.7% in May. Also contributing to June's fall in inflation was a decline in prices for recreational and cultural goods, which includes items such as toys, computer games and sports events. Despite June's fall, inflation is still running ahead of average wage growth, which stands at 2% excluding bonuses. That is eroding the value of people's pay, something the Bank of England has been keeping a close eye on. Last month, the Bank's governor, Mark Carney, said that \"anaemic\" wage growth one of the reasons why he was not supporting a rise in interest rates. While Mr Carney is not keen to raise interest rates, other members of the Monetary Policy Committee think the time has come to make a move. In last month's meeting three members out of eight voted in favour of a rate rise from the current level of 0.25%. Inflation has been on a steady climb since the end of 2015 and accelerated after the EU referendum result in June last year, as the sharp fall in the value of the pound pushed up the price of everything we import. A bit like a snake that has swallowed something big, that bulge in import costs has taken its time to work through the economic system because producers, wholesalers and retailers order things", "summary": "The UK's inflation rate dropped unexpectedly to 2.6% in June, down from 2.9% in May, official figures have shown."}
{"article": "Pompey climbed into the top three for the first time since September with a 2-0 win at Crawley on Tuesday. \"We've had so much criticism,\" Cook told BBC Radio Solent. \"Some of it is not fair and we all feel it after a bad result or performance. \"That's the way to answer it, with that kind of result.\" After disappointing home results against Morecambe and Crewe, Portsmouth moved above Carlisle into third with the win at Crawley. Second-half goals from Christian Burgess and Kyle Bennett gave Portsmouth all three points. With 11 games remaining in the season, Cook knows his squad need to keep their focus in the run-in. \"I'm quite a strong character,\" he said. \"I've been around football long enough. \"We've lifted ourselves off the floor so I've said to the lads: 'Let's stay off the floor between now and the end of the season'.\"", "summary": "Portsmouth manager Paul Cook was delighted with the nature of his side's response as they moved into the League Two automatic promotion places."}
{"article": "New regulations allow members of the public to sign up to vote as a \"registered supporter\" for \u00a33. The contest has been plagued by concerns that members of other parties have tried to influence the outcome. A spokeswoman for acting leader Harriet Harman rejected any suggestion of plans to halt or suspend the election. The spokeswoman said: \"The party's focus is on making sure that the 2014 rules are fully complied with. \"We have taken legal advice to make sure that the rules are being complied with and that all due diligence as possible was being done. \"But there were no plans to halt or suspend the contest. We keep a close eye on the process.\" A Labour spokeswoman said a Conservative activist who had paid \u00a31 to join the Labour Party - under a discounted rate for former members of the armed forces - had been barred and would not get a vote in the leadership contest. Alan Pearmain, a parish councillor and deputy chairman of the South Ribble Conservative Association, told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme he had joined as a bit of \"mischief-making\". Meanwhile, Scotland's Daily Record has given its backing in the leadership race to left-winger Jeremy Corbyn. The newspaper's front-page endorsement comes a week after its sister paper - the Daily Mirror - backed Andy Burnham. \u2022 Everything you need to know about the four candidates hoping to become the next Labour leader. Mr Corbyn said: \"I'm obviously pleased to have the backing of a paper that has such a long tradition of support for the Labour Party. \"I'm sure that, at least in part, this endorsement will have been made with Labour's future in Scotland in mind, which is important as Labour has a real need to reconnect with communities in Scotland if we are to succeed across the UK.\" Meanwhile, former Home Secretary David Blunkett - who is backing Andy Burnham for the leadership - has added his voice to the other senior Labour figures warning about a Corbyn victory. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"Jeremy Corbyn has not only been good at opposition against the Tories, he's also been profoundly good at opposition against my party\". \"If you want to continue being in opposition, vote for somebody who is good at opposition,\" he added. Mr Blunkett said he wanted \"somebody who can actually address the world of tomorrow rather than taking us back to Old Labour or, for that matter, New Labour in the 90s, because we are addressing an entirely different world\". Sarah Brown, the wife of former Prime Minister Gordon, has meanwhile backed Yvette Cooper for the leadership, with Andy Burnham as her second choice. Opinion polls suggest Ms Cooper is locked in a battle with Mr Burnham to emerge as the main challenger to Mr Corbyn, with Liz Kendall trailing in fourth place. Mr Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall are battling against Mr Corbyn in the contest. Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has faced calls to apologise for the voting system being used to elect his successor. The", "summary": "The Labour Party has made legal checks to ensure its leadership contest is complying with the law and try to avoid challenges to the result."}
{"article": "An online poll of more than 1,000 parents carried out by Mumsnet found that 18% of parents regretted the name they chose for their offspring, but only 2% actually changed their child's name. The main reason for any regret was how regularly the name was used by others (25%), the data suggested. Other sources of regret included spelling or pronunciation issues (11%). The Mumsnet survey has been released in anticipation of annual statistics from the Office of National Statistics on the most popular baby names of the year in England and Wales. Justine Roberts, founder of the parents' forum Mumsnet, said: \"Choosing your baby's name is one of the first things new parents do, so in some ways baby name regret is great practice for parenting - you do a lot of hard work and research, try to please several people at once, and end up getting it wrong. \"The consolation is that most children grow into their names, and those who don't can always fall back on middle names, nicknames or, in extremis, deed polls.\" According to the survey one mother said the moment she began to regret naming her daughter Elsa was when the Disney film Frozen became popular. Another mum said: \"My child hates his name, and makes me feel bad for choosing it.\" While another parent admitted her child's name \"was taken by a terrorist group, soon after she was born\". Last year Oliver and Amelia were revealed as the most popular baby names in England and Wales, while in Scotland it was Emily and Jack.", "summary": "Almost a fifth of parents in the UK regret the name they chose for their child, a survey has suggested."}
{"article": "It may seem prehistoric nowadays, but the title, which is about to celebrate its 35th birthday, has had a huge influence on gaming and the wider world. It wasn't the first \"schmup\" - a term used to refer to old-school 2D-scrolling shooter titles. Missile Radar (1974) and Guided Missile (1977) preceded it. But it did manage to tap into the zeitgeist in a way that others had not. This was in large part because, the year before its release, Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind had stormed the movie box office, stoking the public's appetite for all things alien. There was an element of luck that Space Invaders had an extraterrestrial theme. Tomohiro Nishikado, the game's developer, had originally wanted the game to feature battling tanks or planes. But he switched theme after Taito banned the use of human targets. \"Space Invaders wasn't the result of a sudden flash of inspiration. The concept formed gradually,\" he tells the BBC. Gameplay is simple: move your tank along the bottom of the screen and press fire to shoot its cannon into the sky. Only one laser can be fired into space at a time, so the player must wait after each shot. Meanwhile, five rows of bomb-hurling invaders, jerking left to right and back again, advance down the screen, speeding up as they go. The player can take temporary cover from their fire under destructible bunkers and earns points by shooting the aliens. Occasional flying saucers provide bonus points if destroyed. If the aliens reach the bottom, the invasion is successful and the game ends. Defeating them starts another loop of attacks. The game was the first to save and display the best players' scores, helping encourage gamers to compete for the top spot. \"Brick-breaking games were very successful at the time, and I wanted to create a shooting game in a similar style. Space Invaders was the result of a great deal of trial and error.\" Mr Nishikado was 34 when he designed Space Invaders' gameplay, artwork and sounds as a one-man project. He even built a customised computer to run the game. \"Space Invaders, like all microcomputer-based games of the time, was heavily impacted by hardware limitations and slow processing speeds, so development was a struggle,\" he says. \"The halting movement of the Space Invaders characters was the absolute best I could deliver, but it eventually grew on me.\" Space Invaders was initially limited to Japan. It took a few months for mania to ensue, but before long players were standing in line for hours to get a chance to play. Taito had trouble meeting demand for its arcade machines, and US company Midway spied an opportunity. It licensed the title and in 1979 launched cabinets featuring the game in the US to great success. The title also helped jump-start the console industry, which was in the doldrums. A glut of Pong clones - running versions of the bat-and-ball title - had swamped the market for home video games. Manufacturers had slashed prices in an effort to shift stock", "summary": "If you have ever played a video game, you are likely to have seen Taito's Space Invaders or one of its many derivatives."}
{"article": "The greenbelt development was being promoted by Judy Murray in the face of strong local opposition. Planning officers at the council had earlier recommended that the Park of Keir application be refused. Councillors said they had decided to reject the bid after carefully considering the arguments for and against the project. The proposed development, between Dunblane and Bridge of Allan, would have included tennis and golf facilities along with a visitor centre and museum, all set in a new country park. The plans also included luxury homes to help pay for the scheme. But planning officers said the application should be refused because it was sited on greenbelt land. They also said there was not enough affordable housing proposed and added the residential element was contrary to Scottish planning policy, because residents would have to travel for basic amenities and services. The scheme had received high-profile support from former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and golfer Colin Montgomerie. However, campaigners said the loss of greenbelt land to the development was too high a price to pay. There were more than 1,000 objections to the scheme and only 45 in support. Mark Ruskell, Scottish Green Party councillor for Dunblane and Bridge of Allan, spoke against the proposal at Tuesday morning's hearing on the plans. Following the decision, Mr Ruskell said: \"I'm delighted that this proposal has been rejected. It would have been totally wrong to rip up our democratically-agreed local plan to make room for executive housing on this treasured greenbelt area. \"For over 25 years, local communities have fought against development at Park of Keir. Judy Murray had a good idea but it was in completely the wrong location - I'm sure that sporting legacy can be secured elsewhere.\" Ms Murray said on Friday that she wanted to leave a legacy to the success of her two sons, tennis players Andy and Jamie Murray. A spokeswoman for Stirling Council said: \"Having carefully considered and discussed extensively all the arguments for and against this proposal, Stirling Council's Planning and Regulation Panel has today refused the application for a development at Park of Keir.\"", "summary": "Councillors in Stirling have rejected plans for a controversial sports and housing development near Dunblane."}
{"article": "Bryony Esther, 32, from Leigh-on-Sea, was on a C2C service when 15-month-old baby Saffron awoke and needed feeding. Despite \"hovering\" near the priority seating area no-one offered to move and instead began sniggering, she says. Her Facebook post about what happened went viral, the Daily Mail said. C2C urged customers to be considerate. Live: For more on this and other stories from Essex Speaking to the BBC, Ms Esther said the incident unfolded as soon as she boarded the train with two of her children. \"I sat my five-year-old down on what was an apparently vacant seat quite near the doors and immediately this man told me 'this seat is taken',\" she said. \"So we moved and we ended up stood by the toilets for the rest of the journey with a bike shoved into my legs. \"It was quite unpleasant. My baby woke up and cried and she needed nursing back to sleep. \"I hovered by the priority seat hoping to be offered one. I tried to make eye contact with the people sat in the priority seats but they just blanked me. \"One of the people sat in the priority seats was the cyclist.\" Ms Esther, who was travelling to Great Ormond Street Hospital to visit her two-year-old son as he recovered from surgery, said she did not feel able to challenge the group. \"I know a lot of people have unseen disabilities so I did not feel able to ask whether they could let me sit down,\" she added. \"I lifted my top to feed her and then I looked up and realised there were five men watching and sniggering. \"I felt quite intimidated and uncomfortable. I was really upset and I think this is part of wider society. \"This isn't about breastfeeding. This is about a mum having to hold her baby on a moving train.\" A spokeswoman for train operator C2C said: \"We welcome breastfeeding on all C2C trains and would hope our customers would be considerate to their fellow travellers and give up their seat when requested. \"Unfortunately this does not appear to have happened on this occasion, and we are sorry for any inconvenience this caused.\"", "summary": "A woman forced to breastfeed her baby while standing up on a packed train says she was left feeling \"intimidated and uncomfortable\"."}
{"article": "The European Banking Authority (EBA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA), based in Canary Wharf in London, employ just over 1,000 staff between them. The banking and medicines agencies are seen as the first spoils of Brexit by the 27 remaining members of the EU. About 20 countries are expected to enter the bidding process. There will be fierce competition to attract the agencies' highly skilled employees, their families and the business that comes with them. This includes about 40,000 hotel stays for visitors each year. Countries have printed glossy brochures, posted promotional videos online and hired lobbying firms. Frankfurt - location of the European Central Bank and a major financial centre - is seen as favourite to get the EBA. But Paris is also keen to win that contest. And the Irish government is marketing Dublin as a location, with a brochure that highlights the city's business culture as well as \"beaches and mountains on its doorstep\". The contest has pitched larger countries against smaller ones from across the EU. Each country can bid to host one or both agencies. But it can only make one bid per agency. The European Commission will assess the entries based on the quality of office space, job opportunities for spouses, good \"European-oriented\" schooling and transport links. Accessibility and efficient infrastructure are the top two agreed criteria. Amid the rivalry to host the EMA, the Netherlands, Ireland and Denmark have hosted events in Brussels to promote their bids, the Politico news website reports. The number of states vying for the EMA is reckoned to be 21. The 27 remaining EU countries are determined that the UK will pay the relocation bill, as Brexit was a UK decision. EMA What might Brexit mean for medicines and clinical trials? Brexit: All you need to know Have the UK's trade options changed? EBA European ministers will use a complicated voting system to choose the winners in November. EU leaders agreed on the procedure in June, and some observers have already likened it to the Eurovision Song Contest. Before that vote, the European Commission will assess the competing bids and make its recommendations. In November each of the EU foreign ministers will vote in order of preference - three points for the preferred bid, two points for the second-favourite and one point for the third. If no single country obtains 14 first-preference votes the voting will go to a second round. Each country in that round will have just one vote to cast - for its favourite. The EU is keen to locate more of its agencies in the newer member states of Central and Eastern Europe.", "summary": "EU countries have until midnight to submit bids to provide a new home for two agencies that will be relocated from the UK after Brexit."}
{"article": "UKIP's leader told the Sunday Telegraph the risk of attacks like those in Cologne, Germany, would be \"the nuclear bomb\" of the referendum campaign. But Treasury minister Andrea Leadsom, who backs Brexit, said he was wrong. \"Obviously that is just an outrageous thing to say,\" she told the BBC. Allegations that hundreds of women were groped, robbed and intimidated at Cologne's central station on New Year's Eve emerged in January. Victims described chaos outside the city's main station, as the men - some of whom were identified in an official report as migrants or asylum seekers of North African and Arab origin - carried out dozens of attacks with little apparent response from the authorities. Mr Farage claimed women could be at risk because of \"very big cultural\" issues between British society and migrants if the UK voted to remain in the EU, according to the Sunday Telegraph. Asked whether mass attacks on the scale seen in Cologne could happen in Britain, he replied: \"It depends if they get EU passports. It depends if we vote for Brexit or not. It is an issue.\" The UKIP leader made the comments ahead of a live TV debate on ITV on Thursday. During last year's TV general election debates, Mr Farage sparked controversy by claiming foreign HIV patients were costing the NHS \u00c2\u00a325,000 each per year. \"The nuclear bomb this time would be about Cologne,\" he told the Telegraph. This issue covers immigration and free movement within Europe. Rather than backing her fellow Brexit campaigner's comments, Tory MP Ms Leadsom told Pienaar's Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live: \"I don't like that sort of campaigning at all.\" \"However we know for a fact that there was an appalling experience for women over in Germany over the Christmas period. \"I do not approve of that sort of campaigning, I do not believe in outright blatant scaremongering so I think it's really, really regrettable. \"I haven't seen it and I wouldn't support suggesting if you vote to remain you'd be raped.\" Justice Secretary Michael Gove, a prominent Brexit campaigner, also refused to associate himself with Mr Farage's comments. \"He's made those remarks and I haven't made remarks like that and I won't make remarks like that,\" he told ITV's Peston on Sunday. Sal Brinton, president of the Liberal Democrats, said Farage had \"sunk to new depths in his scaremongering with these remarks which are completely unacceptable\". And Ryan Coetzee, director of strategy for the official remain campaign, Britain Stronger In Europe, tweeted to say Mr Farage's comments were \"disgraceful\", adding: \"Don't vote for this man's idea of Britain. But Mr Farage also told the Telegraph the \"honesty and straightforwardness\" of the prime minister was now being questioned by voters. Many believed Mr Cameron, who he dubbed \"Dishonest Dave\", had broken his promise to cut migration and renegotiate the UK's terms of membership of the EU, he said. Mr Cameron's ally, Chancellor George Osborne, took aim at the UKIP leader in an interview published in the Sunday Times. \"This is a battle between Farage's mean vision of", "summary": "Nigel Farage has been accused of \"blatant scaremongering\" by a fellow Leave campaigner for suggesting there could be a risk of sex attacks on women by migrants if Britain stays in the EU."}
{"article": "During a tour of a lamb and beef farm in North Wales, the prime minister said farmers could lose as much as \u00a3330m on lamb and beef exports alone if Britain were to withdraw from the EU. Benefits of the single market outweigh frustrations with red tape, he said. But farming minister and Leave supporter George Eustice said the UK could back farmers better than the EU. 'If we vote to leave the EU and take control, we will be able to design an agricultural policy that delivers for British farmers,\" said Mr Eustice, a former key political ally of Mr Cameron. \"We would replace our membership with a new UK-EU partnership, which would include a free trade agreement. 'We would be free to reduce the burden of regulations on British farmers. We would spend as much, or more, than we do now on supporting farmers and the environment.\" Mayor of London Boris Johnson also weighed in, branding the Common Agricultural Policy \"demented\" and in places \"corrupt\". Big players on both sides of the argument have been making their case as to why people should vote to Leave or Remain in the 23 June referendum on the UK's EU membership. On a visit to Denbighshire, during which he briefly cradled a new-born lamb, Mr Cameron said continued, unfettered access to the EU's internal market was vital to the region's farmers and food producers. The Remain in EU campaign has claimed that more than 90% of UK lamb and beef exports - worth around \u00a3605 million - currently go to the EU - figures disputed by those backing EU exit. Mr Cameron said the EU was not perfect but if farmers had to rely on World Trade Organization rules rather than EU membership, they could be faced with annual tariffs of up to 40% and additional costs of \u00a3240m for beef and \u00a390m for lamb, \"Farmers are faced with bureaucracy, inspections, the payment system and it's very important we deal with those issues but there's a bigger issue which is a market of 500 million people who we can sell some of the best meat in the world to,\" he said. Asked if there was a Plan B if the UK were to leave, he replied: \"Of course we have to be ready, we have just produced a document on the alternatives.\" Mr Cameron later told the Welsh Conservatives' Spring conference that any alternative trading arrangement with the EU, including one based on Canada's free trade agreement, which is being advocated by Mr Johnson, would result in \"new impediments, restrictions and costs for Welsh businesses\". Dismissing Mr Johnson's case that the UK could retain the benefits of the single market without the downsides of EU membership, the PM said \"if something sounds too good to be true, that's normally because it is\". Former environment secretary Owen Paterson, who is backing EU exit, has argued that Britain would be free to set its own subsidies and its own environment policies outside the EU. He has said the \"dotty idiocy\" of EU directives had made", "summary": "David Cameron has warned that British agriculture would suffer if the UK votes to leave the EU."}
{"article": "Poundland wants to buy its closest rival in an agreed deal worth \u00c2\u00a347.5m in cash and \u00c2\u00a37.5m in shares. Initial investigations by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said this could cause issues, including store closures, in 80 areas. Now Poundland has rejected the CMA's suggestion to re-think the deal. In its initial findings, the CMA said the deal could worsen the position for shoppers in local areas owing to a cut in quality, fewer promotions and store closures. It said there was \"a realistic prospect of substantial lessening of competition\" in these areas where the two companies overlapped. The authority suggested the concerns could be addressed in a \"clear-cut manner\" by the companies to prevent a full investigation. Now Poundland has said there would be no changes to its plan, and has invited the CMA to move to a full review. The company said it \"remained confident that the combination of the two businesses will provide better choice, value and service for 99p Stores' customers\". It also claimed that the deal was \"great\" for anyone who held a stake in either business.", "summary": "Discount store Poundland has invited the competition authorities to move to a full review of its proposed tie-up with rival 99p Stores."}
{"article": "Yields on 10-year government bonds sank below 1% for the first time as investors bet on an interest rate cut. Shares in airlines, housebuilders and banks were worst hit, with sharp falls causing a momentary halt in trading. The falls came after Chancellor George Osborne tried to calm the markets. In a statement before the financial markets opened, his first since the referendum result, the chancellor said the UK was ready to face the future \"from a position of strength\". He also indicated there would be no immediate emergency Budget. But the upheaval on the financial markets continued. The pound fell 3.2% to $1.32260, having earlier hit a fresh 31-year low of $1.3151, sinking below the level it had fallen to on Friday when it recorded its biggest one-day fall ever against the dollar. Against the euro, it was down 2.6% at \u20ac1.19990. On the stock markets, the benchmark FTSE 100 index closed down 2.6% at 5982.2. On Friday the blue-chip index had plunged more than 8% at one point before recovering some ground to close 3.2% lower. The FTSE 250 index, which mostly contains companies that are more UK-focused, closed down 6.96% on Monday after sliding 7% on Friday. The falls represent the biggest daily percentage falls since 1987. Stocks on Wall Street also fell. By midday the Dow Jones was down 1.5%, the S&P 500 dropped 1.7% and the Nasdaq lost 2.2%. Shares in financial firms were the most affected, with Barclays closing down 17.4% and Royal Bank of Scotland plummeting 15.1%. The dramatic volatility caused trading in both firms to be briefly suspended in early trade. Property shares were also badly hit, prompting a trading halt, on worries that the decision to leave the EU would hit the housing market. Easyjet's shares fell more than 22% after the airline said Brexit would contribute to a fall in revenues. Taylor Wimpey fell 14.9% and Barratt Developments fell over 19%. Markets in Europe also tumbled, with France's Cac-40 and Germany's Dax both closing down around 3%. The return on UK government bonds - known as the gilt yield - fell to its lowest level ever on Monday. Investors are buying more UK government debt in search of safer investments. The yield from a 10-year gilt dropped below 1% for the first time - hitting 0.993% in morning trading. The price of gold rose on Monday, up 0.8% to $1,324.60 an ounce, although it was below the two-year peak of $1,358.20 reached on Friday. The gold price often rises in times of uncertainty as it is viewed as a safe haven asset. In his statement before the markets opened, Chancellor George Osborne said there would still need to be an \"adjustment\" in the UK economy, but added it was \"perfectly sensible to wait for a new prime minister\" before taking any such action. Mr Osborne's also spoke about the process of the UK's departure from the EU, saying only the UK can trigger Article 50. \"In my judgement, we should only do that when there is a clear view about what new", "summary": "UK financial markets remain volatile in the wake of the Brexit vote, with sterling plunging to a 31-year low against the dollar, and some share trading temporarily halted."}
{"article": "Hosted by CBBC presenter Cell Spellman, the new show will split into two parts, one devoted to new pop music with the other playing number one hits. The 19-year-old called his new posting \"a privilege and an honour\". The Official Chart will move to Fridays on 10 July to coincide with a new global release day for music. Presenter Greg James will kick off at 16:00 BST every Friday as 45 countries launch New Music Fridays. Spellman made his Radio 1 debut in 2013, standing in for Dan and Phil on Radio 1's Request Show. He presents CBBC's Friday Download and the CBBC Official Chart. Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper said: \"Radio 1 and CBBC are changing the way radio and TV work together to create great content for young new music fans on their radio and phone. \"Cel has proven how influential he is to young audiences and I can't wait for him to start.\" Spellman said: \"The best station on national radio has been responsible for introducing me to so much incredible and varied music over the years, I just hope I can return the favour and help make those car journeys a little more memorable for the listeners with a mix of fun, top tunes and a little bit of cheeky chat!\"", "summary": "Radio 1 has announced a new Sunday show which will replace the current Official Chart slot when it moves to Fridays next month."}
{"article": "The head of the mission, known as Minusma, called the killings in the town of Kidal a \"barbaric crime\". Saturday's fighting broke out between the army and Tuareg rebels during a visit by Prime Minister Moussa Mara. In 2012 a Tuareg rebellion in northern Mali triggered a military coup and an Islamist takeover of the region. Civilian rule was re-established in 2013, but Islamist and separatist forces remain active in some areas. During Saturday's fighting the rebels captured the local governor's office, seizing 28 people. Minusma head Albert Koenders called for an inquiry into the attack. Earlier, Mr Mara said his government was now \"at war\" with the separatists. The army said eight soldiers and 28 rebels were killed in Saturday's fighting, but the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) rebels denied losing any fighters. Officials say that a Senegalese peacekeeper was also killed. Malian Defence Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga has said reinforcements were being sent to Kidal. \"We will double our troops on the ground if necessary,\" AFP news agency quoted him as saying. The rebels are from the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA). The United Nations is attempting to negotiate a truce between the Malian army and Tuareg rebels.", "summary": "At least 17 people, including eight civilians, have been killed in an attack by rebels in northern Mali, officials say."}
{"article": "The 5000-1 outsiders won the first top-flight title in their 132-year history on Monday when challengers Tottenham could only manage to draw with Chelsea. O'Neill, who led the club to two League Cup wins, said the remarkable rise \"will live long in the memory\". \"Personally, I don't think we'll see it in our lifetime again,\" he added. The Republic of Ireland boss said Leicester's achievement rekindled memories of his involvement in Nottingham Forest's glorious run under Brian Clough in the late-1970s. \"It's the greatest achievement, obviously, of the century, although that's just 16 years old,\" the former Northern Ireland international said. \"And I think since Nottingham Forest away back in 1977-78, when I was a member of the team that came up from the old second division and won the [top division] at the first time of asking, this is the greatest achievement since then.\" O'Neill, who managed Leicester from 1995 until 2000, was full of praise for the Foxes' boss Claudio Ranieri for guiding the club to glory after they were tipped for relegation at the start of the season. \"Ranieri deserves all the credit in the world, the players have been simply sensational, the owners have been terrific as well,\" he said. \"It's been a great story. \"Everything about it - from away back last year when they just avoided relegation, to this magnificent rise - it has been incredible and so romantic.\" Gerry Taggart, the former Northern Ireland centre-half who played almost 150 games for Leicester, said he hoped the club's triumph would change English football \"for good, for the better\". \"I've been saying for the last six or seven weeks that I believed Leicester would go on and win the title,\" he said. \"I've watched a lot of this team this season and it's just mind-blowing the way they've got to where they are. \"The way they play football is good for the game.\" Taggart returned to Leicester in a coaching role after his playing career and had a brief spell as caretaker manager, and he said the way in which the club is run has helped drive it to success. \"The backroom staff at Leicester City are first class, they've spent a lot of years trying to perfect what goes on behind the scenes,\" he said. \"This is as much about them as it is about the players or the manager, to be honest.\" Taggart gave credit to Ranieri for his man-management skills that helped to draw odds-defying performances from his players, most of whom had never before come close to reaching these heights. \"He simplified the game for them, let them go out, express themselves when they've got the ball,\" Taggart added. \"But it's been especially good to see when they haven't got the ball everybody is contributing to the side. \"That's what has got them over the line - pure and simple teamwork.\"", "summary": "Leicester City's crowning as Premier League champions is an \"incredible and romantic\" story, the club's former manager Martin O'Neill has said."}
{"article": "Another parliamentary vote - after a bad tempered debate - has ticked some more of the boxes required by the eurozone. So what next for Greece? First let's be clear - that third financial rescue package has still to be negotiated. So much political blood has been shed just to get the talks started, surely, you might think, Greece and the eurozone wouldn't let a deal slip from their grasp after all that. Perhaps. Though the next few weeks of negotiations will be hard. So let's assume the third programme will be agreed. The precise contents are still to be negotiated but it will include many policy commitments that the Greek government and much of the population will hate. There will be targets for the government's finances, specifically for a primary surplus - that means the government must take in more in tax revenue than it spends, putting to one side the interest it is paying on the national debt. Greece has managed primary surpluses for the last two years. But after a renewed decline in the economy starting at the end of last year - and severely aggravated by the bank closures this month - it will be very hard to repeat that this year. To achieve that aim will mean more austerity. There has been massive austerity already. The adjustment to the government finances has been extraordinary: there is a measure called the structural budget balance: that went from a deficit of 18.6% of GDP in 2009 to a surplus of 2.2% in 2013. (These figures take out the impact of the economic cycle on taxes and public spending and so show - imperfectly - the effort a government has put in to change its financial position.) The programme will be subject to continuous monitoring and it's sure to lead to further episodes of tension between Greece and the creditors, and in all probability more occasions when payments are delayed because of slippage in the implementation of the policies. We had a flavour of the political difficulties the government will face with implementation over the last 24 hours. A statement from a public sector union said: \"We will continue our battle so that the new barbaric bailout does not pass and is overturned.\" Eurozone governments also expect Greece to make a commitment to a wide range of reforms covering, among other things, industrial action, collective bargaining, and opening closed professions. There's more potential there for political difficulties in implementation. Austerity will also aggravate the weakness of the economy, which is already back in recession. The usual measure of a government's debt burden is the ratio of the debt to GDP. More borrowing - from the eurozone for the foreseeable future - and weak growth or even continued contraction will mean that debt burden continues rising. So what Greece needs is a period of decent economic growth. Arithmetically that would help reduce the debt burden, by making it smaller in relation to the country's GDP. More practically it would help bring in more tax revenue that would make the debt more", "summary": "Bailout number three is, more or less, in the pipeline."}
{"article": "The US military confirmed it \"transferred custody\" of three Pakistanis, but did not reveal their identities. The Afghan government was not involved in the transfer, the US said. Correspondents say the repatriation of a senior Taliban figure is extremely unusual. It could relate to attempts to improve Afghanistan-Pakistan ties, they say. While the US did not confirm Latif Mehsud was among those transferred, Pakistani officials said Latif Mehsud had been \"released\". Several senior officials said that the commander had been secretly flown to Pakistan earlier this week. The identity of the other two men is not yet known. The three men had been held by the US at Bagram airbase in Afghanistan. The office of the US Forces in Afghanistan said that the transfer took pace after talks between the US and Pakistan. \"In making a decision to transfer a detainee, we take into account the totality of relevant factors relating to the individual and the government that may receive him, including but not limited to any diplomatic assurances that have been provided,\" the US military said in a statement. Latif Mehsud was second-in-command to the former Pakistan Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone strike last year. He was seized by the Afghan army in October 2013 in eastern Afghanistan, close to the Pakistani border, then held by US forces at Bagram airbase. There were unconfirmed reports at the time that he was returning from talks over a mooted prisoner swap deal, and his capture is said to have angered then-Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The latest development is leading to speculation that such exchanges could be in prospect now, reports the BBC's Mike Wooldridge in Kabul. There does currently appear to be some warming in relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which have repeatedly accused one another of failing to act against cross-border militancy, our correspondent says. Meanwhile, Afghanistan's new President Ashraf Ghani has said he is committed to striving for a peaceful solution to the conflict with the Taliban. Taliban prisoners have been freed in the past in a bid to help peace efforts. Pakistan's government entered talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in February. The hardline Islamist movement has been waging its own insurgency against the Islamabad government since 2007, leaving tens of thousands of people dead.", "summary": "A senior Pakistani Taliban commander, Latif Mehsud, has reportedly been handed over to Pakistan by the US from Afghanistan."}
{"article": "But at one school in Essex you could probably not blame two of them for forgetting where they are for a moment. By day, Danny and Nicky Cowley teach boys physical education at The FitzWimarc School in Rayleigh. But in evenings and weekends, the pair are pulling off a \"miracle\" in the National League. Danny, assisted by brother Nicky, has led part-timers Braintree Town to the verge of the National League play-offs, above former Football League clubs Tranmere, Wrexham and Macclesfield. \"Every morning I enjoy going to work, whether it's at school with the pupils or whether I'm at Braintree Town with the players,\" he told BBC Essex. \"It's only work if you don't enjoy it and I love what I do. \"I look forward to the summer, but we all know for football managers there's no such thing. You're normally more busy in the close season than you are during the season. \"It's about trying to be successful and the only way I know to do that is to work hard.\" Since Cowley left Concord Rangers to replace Alan Devonshire 12 months ago, the Essex club have been on an upward trajectory. Despite criticising the National League schedule after four matches in 10 days and having to deal with a number of postponements, Cowley has won 22 of his 45 league matches in charge. Now all that is left to do to finish in the top five is draw against struggling Altrincham on Saturday. \"I think we've been dreaming all season,\" he said. \"I haven't got quite this far in the dream so I'm expecting someone to wake me up and I'm not quite sure how it unfolds. \"It's important we don't get ahead of ourselves. The moment you think you've worked [football] out, it normally bites you on the bum. \"A lot of people from the outside question how and why we are where we are in the league when you consider how many big clubs are in it. \"Saturday's an opportunity to say we might be a small club, an unromantic name with average facilities, but we have really good players in that dressing room.\" Cowley has been here before. During his eight years as Concord boss he guided them to three promotions and left them in the Conference South. And he wants a team representing a town of just over 41,000 to show no fear as they close in on the Football League for the first time. \"I've been in these weeks before at the end of the season, and the best way to approach them is to put as much effort and work as intelligently as you can from Monday to Friday,\" he said. \"If you do that, you wake up Saturday morning kind of without any pressure because you know you've done everything you can. \"There should be no fear or anxiety in our group. The only thing running through our veins should be pride of what we've done. \"I'm sure whatever happens the people of Braintree will be really proud of this group but we", "summary": "More often than not, there is a PE teacher in school who takes their classes so seriously it almost feels like students are being worked like genuine athletes."}
{"article": "Adults will still be able to access the sites using virtual private networks (VPNs) or proxy servers. In July, the Supreme Court expressed its unhappiness over the government's inability to block sites, especially those featuring child pornography. Telecom companies have said they will not be able to enforce the \"ban\" immediately. \"We have to block each site one by one and it will take a few days for all service providers to block all the sites,\" an unnamed telecom company executive told The Times of India newspaper. A senior official, who preferred to remained unnamed, told the BBC Hindi that India's department of telecommunications had \"advised\" telecom operators and Internet service providers to \"control free and open access\" to 857 porn sites. \"There is no total ban. This was done in the backdrop of Supreme Court's observation on children having free access to porn sites. The idea is also to protect India's cultural fabric. This will not prevent adults from visiting porn sites,\" the official said. \"It is a temporary arrangement. The telecommunications depart will eventually come up with a long term policy [of controlling access to these sites later,\" he said. In July, the top court had observed that it was not for the court to order a ban on porn sites. \"It is an issue for the government to deal with. Can we pass an interim order directing blocking of all adult websites? And let us keep in mind the possible contention of a person who could ask what crime have I committed by browsing adult websites in private within the four walls of my house. Could he not argue about his right to freedom to do something within the four walls of his house without violating any law?,\" the court said. According to statistics released by adult site Pornhub, India was its fourth largest source of traffic in 2014, behind the US, UK and Canada. Pranesh Prakash of the Bangalore based Centre for Internet and Society said the directive to block the 857 sites was \"the largest single order\" in India. \"The government's reasoning that it is not a ban because adults can still access the porn sites is ridiculous,\" he told the BBC. The move has caused a great deal of comment on Indian social media networks, with many prominent personalities coming forward to condemn it. Popular author Chetan Bhagat, writer and commentator Nilanjana Roy, politician Milind Deora and director Ram Gopal Varma have all added their voices to the debate. The hashtag #pornban was also picking up momentum in India, with hundreds of tweets on the subject. It's not all outrage though. A number of people have been vociferously defending the move, saying that porn is an assault on Indian culture. And according to some tongue in cheek observers, one bit of good that may come of the ban, is that the necessity of having to use proxy servers would inadvertently force Indians to take their privacy seriously. \"I request the powers that be to therefore lose no time in introducing web filtering to India, so that", "summary": "India has blocked free access to 857 porn sites in what it says is a move to prevent children from accessing them."}
{"article": "Allegations of atrocities during the closing stages of that war have dogged the government ever since it ended. The rebels were also accused of abuses. The government has strenuously denied such allegations and insist they are on the path of reconciliation and rebuilding Sri Lanka's north. After independence from British rule, increasingly assertive Sinhala nationalists, resentful of what they saw as British favouritism towards minority Tamils, began to fan the flames of ethnic division. A Tamil separatist movement gained momentum during the 1970s when a number of armed Tamil groups emerged in the north and parts of eastern Sri Lanka. But in 1983 the insurgency was transformed after a brutal anti-Tamil backlash following the killing by insurgents of 13 soldiers spread throughout the country. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) emerged under the leadership of Velupillai Prabhakaran as a ruthless and highly effective fighting force. It came to run what was in effect a shadow state in the north and east. The group used suicide bombings and other attacks to devastating effect in the capital Colombo and elsewhere in the 1990s. It also killed high-profile figures, including Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa. After various peace initiatives and ceasefires failed, the government launched a final offensive in 2009 and defeated the Tigers. Until the final months of the war, the death toll for more than 25 years of conflict was estimated to be about 70,000. But the final phase, when the government and rebels battled it out as thousands of civilians were hemmed in to a tiny strip of land on the north-eastern coast, has been the subject of most scrutiny. Estimates range from 20,000-75,000 killed in the final assault, but a government estimate put the figure at about 9,000. A 2011 UN report said hospitals, UN centres and ships belonging to the Red Cross were deliberately targeted by the army. The government was accused of using heavy weaponry and UN images obtained by the BBC appeared to show shelling damage in a government-designated \"safe zone\" for civilians. The report also accused the Tamil Tigers of using civilians as human shields, saying the rebels shot those who tried to escape. It also said that the rebels positioned heavy weapons in hospital grounds. Sri Lanka rejected the claims in the report as biased and fraudulent. Critics say there has been little serious attempt to do this so far. The government appointed a Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, which cleared the military of allegations that it had deliberately attacked civilians. Rights groups dismissed the inquiry as \"flawed\". In September 2013 the government held elections for a semi-autonomous council in the island's Tamil-majority north, a move which it said was a significant step in the reconciliation process. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) won 30 seats in the 38-member council and now forms the first functioning provincial government in the north. The TNA's 80-year-old leader, Rajavarothiam Sampanthan, said the victory was a chance for everybody to \"think afresh about the future\". The overwhelming majority of analysts agree that in the", "summary": "Sri Lanka's army defeated separatist Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009 after 26 years of civil war."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The five-time world champion is angry at a disciplinary letter sent to him. After beating Gary Wilson in the first round of the World Championship, O'Sullivan said: \"I phoned [World Snooker chairman] Barry Hearn four weeks ago and told him I am done with you and your board. \"I don't think I've done a lot wrong.\" \"A friend told me to let the lawyers deal with it. I won't get involved anymore because I am not being bullied.\" Since victory at the Masters in January, five-time world champion O'Sullivan has only replied to questions by the media with one or two-word answers, and has also sung an Oasis song in reply, and on another occasion responded as a 'robot' in protest at his perceived mistreatment by the sport's authorities. If I did not have good lawyers, I would probably have walked away because I am too old to be dealing with things like that That grievance seemingly dates to an incident during his record-breaking seventh Masters triumph at Alexandra Palace, when he publicly criticised a referee and swore at a photographer. World Snooker, the commercial arm of the sport, referred O'Sullivan's comments to governing body the WPBSA, which ultimately took no action as it accepted his explanation of the incidents. However, O'Sullivan was sent a letter by the WPBSA about his behaviour and warned he could face further sanctions including a fine. He responded by saying that repeated disciplinary action could cause him to reduce his playing time and media commitments, among other things. Media playback is not supported on this device In five events since then, O'Sullivan has failed to win consecutive matches. Explaining his behaviour, the Englishman said: \"I have no problems with the press. Sometimes I say things I should not say, I get myself into hot bother, and I get a letter through saying I need to respond in 14 days - a day before a tournament. \"It messed up my last three or four tournaments. I did not really win a match and it is not fair on the fans or those who invested in me. \"I phoned Barry Hearn four weeks ago and told him I am done with you and your board of people. A friend of mine told me to let the lawyers deal with it. I won't get involved anymore because I am not being bullied. I am not letting people do that to me ever again. \"I just want to play and have fun. I like Barry but I am not being intimidated or bullied anymore. The language can be quite threatening and intimidating in some of these letters. It is very unsettling. \"To go in with all that on my head, having to see lawyers and having to fight off something I feel I should not have to, they pushed me too far. \"If I did not have good lawyers, I would probably have walked away because I am too old to be dealing with things like that.\" World Snooker said it was", "summary": "An emotional Ronnie O'Sullivan has attacked snooker authorities for using \"threatening\" language and said he will not be \"bullied\" by them."}
{"article": "Anthony Martial's goal deep into injury time gave United a 2-1 victory at Wembley to end Martinez's hopes of bringing Everton their first trophy since 1995's FA Cup win. Asked whether he felt he was still the man to take Everton forward amid growing speculation that this was a game he had to win to survive, he said: \"I am. I have got so attached to this football club and my ambition is exactly the same as this club's ambition. \"We have handled our assets really well, the squad has a great valuation. We develop young players very well and I share the drive the football club has, which is to get into the Champions League and to bring silverware back to Everton.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Martinez has faced growing unrest from Everton's fans, who jeered their team off at half-time at Wembley before a second-half rally brought them back into the game. There will now be renewed pressure on Martinez after the end of their trophy hopes and with Everton lying in 11th place in the Premier League. He said: \"I just feel that every season we are developing and showing certain signs that we can please our fans and bring them the silverware they deserve but of course this is a difficult day.\" Read Phil McNulty's match report Relive Manchester United's win over Everton Media playback is not supported on this device Martinez defended striker Romelu Lukaku after he endured a miserable semi-final of missed chances and had a second-half penalty saved by Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea. He said: \"I always feel strikers need to be measured in the chances they create and sometimes you need to give credit to the goalkeeper. I thought we created as a team and he showed his power and his uniqueness. I don't think that's a worry at all. \"I thought his second-half performance was one of a mature footballer. He held the ball up and we played around him. He is only 22. It shows we want to give young players big roles.\" \"The feeling we share now is that this is as cruel as football can be,\" said Martinez. \"I thought it was a terrific game but it took us 45 minutes to get into our rhythm, although then we showed a strong mentality to stay in the game and we created the best two chances. \"In the second half, I thought we built up incredible tempo and intensity to impose ourselves on the game but at the end the whole story becomes very heartbreaking.\"", "summary": "Everton manager Roberto Martinez insists he is still the right man for the job after an FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester United increased pressure on his position."}
{"article": "Mr Trump tweeted that the process of selecting his new cabinet and other positions was \"very organised\". US media say two senior members of the transition team working on national security have been forced out. Mr Trump, a property tycoon and Republican outsider, won an unexpected victory against Hillary Clinton. Outgoing President Barack Obama, on a visit to Greece, admitted he and his successor \"could not be more different\" but vowed to \"do everything we can to support the smoothest transition possible,\" saying democracy depended on it. Mr Trump has already replaced New Jersey Governor Chris Christie with Vice-President-elect Mike Pence as head of his transition team. Media reports say Mr Trump's son-in-law and close adviser Jared Kushner was behind the change. Mr Christie was New Jersey attorney general when Mr Kushner's father was tried and jailed in the state for tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions and witness tampering in 2004. Former Congressman and House intelligence committee chairman Mike Rogers, who was handling national security for the transition, announced on Tuesday that he was leaving. He and another member of the national security team, Matthew Freedman, were sacked, according to the New York Times. Mr Rogers is thought to have been close to Mr Christie, while Mr Freedman is said to be a protege of Paul Manafort, Mr Trump's former campaign manager who quit in August. The former mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani - who has been tipped for a senior post - said presidential transitions were always a complex process, and glitches were normal. And Mr Trump himself sought to calm fears of turmoil. \"Very organized process taking place as I decide on Cabinet and many other positions,\" he tweeted. \"I am the only one who knows who the finalists are!\" He said that contrary to a report in the New York Times, foreign leaders were having no problems getting through to him by phone. And he denied that he had requested security clearances for his children, in order to recruit them as advisers. He did not address whether such clearance had been sought for Mr Kushner, his son-in-law, as reported by NBC News. Mr Trump is due to be inaugurated as president on 20 January 2017. Donald Trump has spent the week since his election holed up in the Manhattan skyscraper that bears his name. He has been looking to fill key posts in his cabinet but the early indications are it is proving a less-than-straightforward task. There have already been calls for Mr Trump to rescind one of the appointments he has made - that of the former head of the right wing Breitbart website Steve Bannon as senior White House adviser. Following a day of meetings, and a reassurance from his press spokesman that he would be staying in for the evening, Mr Trump took to a New York steak house for dinner with his family last night - a break with protocol which left some reporters speculating that he might not be fully comfortable with the sort of scrutiny that comes with the presidency. \"In a", "summary": "US President-elect Donald Trump has defended his handling of the transition to the White House, amid reports of disarray in his team."}
{"article": "The US car giant will spend $700m on expanding the plant at Flat Rock. Ford boss Mark Fields said the decision was partly due to falling sales of small cars and partly a \"vote of confidence\" in Donald Trump's policies. The President-elect has criticised both Ford and its rival General Motors over production of models in Mexico. Mr Trump earlier on Tuesday tweeted criticism of GM's production of its Chevy Cruze model in Mexico. Ford's chief executive, Mark Fields, told the BBC that the main decision to cancel the plant in Mexico was because of a \"dramatic decline for the demand for small cars here in North America,\" allowing the company to cope with its existing plant. But he said another factor in the decision was the \"more favourable US business environment that we see under President-elect Trump and some of the pro-growth policies that he's been talking about\". \"That did play a part and it's a vote of confidence that he can deliver on these things,\" Mr Fields added. Ford is not abandoning production completely in Mexico, but is switching production of its Focus model to its existing plant in Hermosillo there to improve profitability. It makes the current version at its plant in Wayne in Michigan. Production at that facility will switch to two new models, which it says will safeguard 3,500 US jobs. The planned $1.6bn plant in Mexico was to be built in San Luis Potosi, but Ford said it would now invest some of that sum in Flat Rock, creating 700 jobs building a range of electric cars. Mexico's economy ministry said it regretted Ford's decision, adding that it had assurances that the US car firm would pay the state of San Luis Potosi for any costs incurred from the cancellation. Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Trump criticised General Motors on Twitter for making cars built in Mexico and made available tax-free in the US. \"General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to US car dealers-tax free across border. Make in U.S.A. or pay big border tax!\" he tweeted. However, GM said most of its Chevy Cruze cars were made in the US. A spokesman said only the hatchback model, which forms a small percentage of sales, was made in Mexico. He added that the car was built there for global production and said that although some Cruze sedans were made in Mexico for a while last year, all the ones now sold in the US were manufactured in Ohio. Cars made in Mexico can move across the border tax free thanks to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), something that Donald Trump attacked during his campaign for causing the loss of US manufacturing jobs to cheaper labour. In fact, only a tiny fraction (2,400 out of 190,000) of the GM model he singled out, the Cruze, are made in Mexico. But while he may have picked on the wrong model, the message was unmistakable - the President-elect's hostility to NAFTA hasn't faded post-victory. That position - and its popularity among many US consumers", "summary": "Ford has said it will cancel a $1.6bn (\u00a31.3bn) plant it planned to build in Mexico and instead extend operations at its factory in Michigan."}
{"article": "The world-first procedure at Necker Children's Hospital in Paris offers hope to millions of people with the blood disorder. Scientists altered the genetic instructions in his bone marrow so it made healthy red blood cells. So far, the therapy has worked for 15 months and the child is no longer on any medication. Sickle cell disease causes normally round red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body, to become shaped like a sickle. These deformed cells can lock together to block the flow of blood around the body. This can cause intense pain, organ damage and can be fatal. The teenager who received the treatment had so much internal damage he needed to have his spleen removed and his hips replaced. Every month he had to go into hospital to have a blood transfusion to dilute his defective blood. But when he was 13, doctors at the Necker Children's Hospital in Paris did something unique. Doctors removed his bone marrow - the part of the body that makes blood. They then genetically altered it in a lab to compensate for the defect in his DNA that caused the disease. Sickle cell is caused by a typo in the instructions for making the protein haemoglobin, which is densely packed into red blood cells. A virus was used to infect the bone marrow with new, correct instructions. The corrected bone marrow was then put back into the patient. The results in the New England Journal of Medicine showed the teenager has been making normal blood since the procedure 15 months ago. Philippe Leboulch, a professor of medicine at the University of Paris, told the BBC News website: \"So far the patient has no sign of the disease, no pain, no hospitalisation. He no longer requires a transfusion so we are quite pleased with that. \"But of course we need to perform the same therapy in many patients to feel confident that it is robust enough to propose it as a mainstream therapy.\" Prof Leboulch is nervous about using the word \"cure\" as this is just the first patient to come through clinical trials. But the study does show the potential power of gene therapy to transform the lives of people with sickle cell. \"I think it's very significant, essential they've given him his life back,\" said Dr Deborah Gill from the gene medicine research group at the University of Oxford. She told the BBC: \"I've worked in gene therapy for a long time and we make small steps and know there's years more work. \"But here you have someone who has received gene therapy and has complete clinical remission - that's a huge step forward.\" However, the expensive procedure can only be carried out in cutting-edge hospitals and laboratories, while most sickle cell patients are in Africa. The next big challenge will be to transform this pioneering science into something that really can help millions of people. Follow James on Twitter. Source: NHS Choices", "summary": "A French teenager's sickle cell disease has been reversed using a pioneering treatment to change his DNA."}
{"article": "Jennifer Fitzgerald's ex-boyfriend left the car at O'Hare airport's employee car park. She settled with the city out of court for $4,500. The vehicle accumulated 678 tickets before it was finally towed last year. Ms Fitzgerald said she had been unable to gain access to the car park, according to court records. She continued to receive tickets even after the state of Illinois revoked the car's licence plates. Ms Fitzgerald sued the city to clear the tickets and penalties. Her lawyer, Robin Omahana, told DNAinfo Chicago the city had disregarded its own towing rules. \"They had a little egg on their face with writing so many tickets on one car,\" Mr Omahana said. City law department spokesman Roderick Drew told the Chicago Tribune that the city had tried to settle with Ms Fitzgerald before the case went to court but she declined. Under the terms of the settlement, her ex-boyfriend Brandon Preveau will reimburse her $1,600, with Ms Fitzgerald paying the rest on a monthly plan.", "summary": "A Chicago woman has settled $105,000 (\u00a367,540) in parking fines amassed after her car was abandoned at an airport in 2009, local media report."}
{"article": "The Spaniard was asked by the Football Association to explain the gesture, made as he left the pitch at half-time. After receiving his observations, the FA has decided the 27-year-old will not face any action. However the FA has yet to decide on the outcome of an improper conduct charge against Costa from the same game. Costa received a second yellow card after clashing with Everton midfielder Gareth Barry in the 84th minute of the FA Cup quarter-final. He was charged over his behaviour after being sent off, and has until 18:00 GMT on Thursday to respond to that charge. The Chelsea player appeared to bite Barry in the incident, although both players have denied that happened. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Chelsea striker Diego Costa will not be punished for making a gesture to Everton fans during his side's 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park."}
{"article": "No politician from the DUP or UUP was at his funeral in St Eugene's Cathedral on Thursday. Dr Daly became synonymous with the events of Bloody Sunday in 1972. A spokesperson for Hilary McClintock, the mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, said the deputy mayor attended in her absence. Dr Daly died on Monday at the age of 82. An image of the then Fr Daly waving a blood-stained white handkerchief in Derry in 1972 became an enduring image of the Troubles. Rev David Latimer said he could only speculate as to why Ms McClintock was not present at his funeral. \"I would think that every effort should have been made for the first citizen to be there,\" he said. \"Given the stature of Bishop Daly in this city and the work that he engaged in, not only as bishop but in the incredible contribution he made as chaplain at the Foyle Hospice, I honestly think every effort should have been made. \"The person that needs to be asked is the first citizen herself. \"I would be disappointed if she was attending something and didn't allow someone to deputise for her,\" he said. A spokesperson for the council said she was unable to attend the funeral and the deputy mayor was there in her absence. The spokesperson added that a number of senior staff including the Chief Executive, John Kelpie, were also there to represent the council. The DUP MP Gregory Campbell also defended Ms McClintock. He was asked by the BBC if he believed her decision not to attend Dr Daly's funeral was because of the bishop's now famous role on Bloody Sunday. \"No I don't think that is the case at all,\" he told BBC Radio Foyle. \"If that had have been the case the DUP mayor wouldn't have... opened up a book of condolences, I wouldn't have issued a statement and the local MLA Gary Middleton also issued a statement - so I don't think that is the case.\"", "summary": "A Presbyterian minister has said the DUP mayor of Derry should have made \"every effort\" to attend the funeral of the former Bishop of Derry Edward Daly."}
{"article": "Speaking at London's Science Museum the scientist also says he believes the future of humanity depends on living on other planets. \"The long-term future of the human race must be space and that it represents an important life insurance for our future survival,\" he says. \"It could prevent the disappearance of humanity by the colonisation of other planets.\" Professor Hawking made the comments while escorting an American visitor around the museum as part of a guest of honour prize. \"Sending humans to the moon changed the future of the human race in ways that we don't yet understand,\" he went on. \"It hasn't solved any of our immediate problems on planet Earth, but it has given us new perspectives on them and caused us to look both outward and inward.\" Adaeze Uyanwah, 24 and from California, won the tour after producing a blog and video describing a \"perfect day\" in London. She asked Prof Hawking what human failings he would alter. \"The human failing I would most like to correct is aggression,\" he says. \"It may have had survival advantage in caveman days, to get more food, territory, or partner with whom to reproduce, but now it threatens to destroy us all. \"A major nuclear war would be the end of civilization, and maybe the end of the human race.\" The scientist then got a bit spiritual when he told her: \"The quality I would most like to magnify is empathy. It brings us together in a peaceful, loving state.\" Ms Uyanwah says she was blown away by the meeting. \"It's incredible to think when my grandchildren are learning Stephen Hawking's theories in science class, I'll be able to tell them I had a personal meeting with him. \"It's something I'll never forget.\" Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Stephen Hawking says space travel will save the human race."}
{"article": "Thousands of fans headed for the exits after 74 minutes - the club was formed in 1874 - in protest at the team's plight and owner Randy Lerner. \"I am concentrating on my job,\" said Frenchman Garde, whose side are bottom of the table, eight points from safety. \"I don't have any comments about the fans. It's something very deep, very old. My job is difficult enough.\" Villa fans have directed a lot of anger towards American Lerner, who bought the West Midlands club in 2006. They are upset at the lack of investment and the decision-making at the club, but the players have also been criticised for a perceived lack of desire. Aston Villa fan Mark Bricknell, one of the organisers of the protest, told BBC Radio 5 live: \"This has been coming for six years. \"We can't say we're happy to be having to do this. \"The club have failed to halt what supporters have seen coming and it's down to total incompetence from the owner.\" BBC Radio 5 live football reporter Pat Murphy, who has been covering Villa for more than four decades, added: \"The mood is turning ugly. \"I remember the demonstrations against Doug Ellis, but he must seem a great chairman in retrospect. \"This is the worst team I've seen in 41 years of reporting on Villa.\" A crowd of 29,755 were at Villa Park on Tuesday to watch the loss to Everton, Villa's 18th league defeat of the season. In the top flight since 1988, Villa have won just three of their 28 league games so far this season and have only 16 points. They are not mathematically down yet but face fourth-placed Manchester City and Tottenham - who will go top of the table with a win at West Ham on Wednesday - in their next two games. Garde, appointed at the start of November, still believes Villa can retain their Premier League status but admits the situation is \"getting more difficult\". \"We have to stick together,\" said the 49-year-old former Lyon boss. \"If not, we have no chance.\" If Villa do go down, Joey Barton - who has been relegated from the Premier League with both Newcastle and QPR - thinks they could struggle in the second tier. \"I feel sorry for manager Remi Garde as the ship had massive holes in it when he took over,\" the Burnley midfielder, whose are top of the Championship, told BBC Radio 5 live. \"It is not a team equipped for Championship football. The Villa fans are showing discontent and you can't blame them. \"Randy Lerner and the board - I've called them muppets before - and nothing has changed. \"If you don't spend in January and say that you are going to prepare for life in the Championship, then why not start playing some kids from the academy? \"At least they'll show some passion.\" Watch Match of the Day on Wednesday on BBC One and online - 22:45-00:15 in England, 23:45-01:15 in Scotland & NI; 23:20-00:50 in Wales.", "summary": "Aston Villa manager Remi Garde refused to criticise supporters for walking out during the 3-1 home defeat by Everton."}
{"article": "In one case, reported by German broadcaster NDR, a shackled Moroccan man was allegedly forced to eat rotten pork off the floor at a police station. Earlier, a policeman allegedly bragged on the WhatsApp messaging service that he had made an Afghan man choke until he \"squealed like a pig\". The reports have shocked officials. A police officer's home and workplace have been searched and investigators found a photo on his mobile phone showing a man being held down in a painful stress position. Witnesses are being questioned over the alleged abuses, according to NDR. The head of human rights group Pro Asyl, Guenter Burkhardt, said the allegations indicated \"an appalling level of racism and inhumanity\". In one WhatsApp message, quoted by NDR, the policeman wrote: \"I knocked him away. An Afghan. With an immigration ban. Stuck my finger up his nose. And he choked. It was funny. And dragged him in shackles through the (police) station. It was so great. Squealed like a pig. It was a gift from Allah.\" An unnamed police source was quoted as saying \"there was often screaming from the holding cells, and when it got too piercing they didn't look into it - they just shut the door, to stop the sound getting out\". The German government official in charge of integration, Aydan Ozoguz, called the allegations \"shocking\". She said that if a policeman had actually tortured migrants then the police must \"make it absolutely clear that they do not tolerate such inhumane behaviour in their ranks\".", "summary": "Prosecutors in northern Germany are investigating alleged cases of police brutality towards migrants in the city of Hanover."}
{"article": "Campaign funding promises have been made but whoever forms the next government will find some challenging financial issues highlighted in their ministerial red boxes. This week, reports of a tightening of the financial thumb screws have emerged. There is talk of rationing and, as one source told me, \"unpalatable things\" being contemplated by hospital managers and local health commissioners. Under what's been billed as a \"capped expenditure process\", NHS England and the regulator NHS Improvement are telling some trusts to stick within spending limits even if that means tough decisions on the provision of non-urgent care. The new pressure on hospitals and local health commissioning groups in England comes after some trusts overshot agreed spending targets during the last financial year. Since the start of this year, from the beginning of April, it has become clear that the biggest over-spenders have been unable to agree their so-called \"control totals\". They have now been told to take firmer action to keep a grip on spending. The Health Service Journal (HSJ) reported that NHS officials have contacted health managers in 14 areas of England with a series of proposals for controlling budgets. These include extending waiting times for routine procedures and treatments, downgrading certain services and limiting the number of operations carried out by the private sector for the NHS. HSJ first revealed the tougher spending regime in April, quoting from a letter sent to those local health leaders who could not agree their budgets. They were asked to decide \"from which areas further expenditure reductions will be made\", including reviewing the range of medicines prescribed. Interestingly, the letter and subsequent dialogue has been with both commissioners, who can limit what they are prepared to pay for, and trusts who might save money by curbing the volume of non-urgent care provided to patients. There was a clue to this tougher approach in the update to the NHS Five Year Forward View plan, published at the end of March. The finger is pointed at those organisations which had historically substantially overspent their \"fair shares of NHS funding\". They are accused of \"living off bail-outs\" taken from other services. They are then told to confront \"difficult choices\" and if necessary \"scale back spending on locally unaffordable services\". An NHS England spokesperson said no final decisions had been made and when final choices were made locally they would need to be approved nationally. But there was no denying the fact that in some areas hospital managers and commissioners were being told to go further than before to keep a lid on spending. The background to this is that NHS England is receiving a much smaller budget increase this year than in 2016/17 which, though originally billed as a generous \"frontloaded\" settlement, appeared to only just cover what the service needed. Patient demand will continue to outstrip the money available with the financial pressure even more intense this year. Those who see the NHS as a bottomless pit always requiring more money to be poured in will call for more efficiency savings before another bailout is contemplated. Those", "summary": "Money, money, money - it's a familiar background theme across the NHS in England, but the volume is increasing."}
{"article": "MLAs have spent most of Tuesday debating the welfare reform bill, which has reached the consideration stage in Stormont's legislative process. The day's proceedings adjourned at 22:00 GMT but will resume on Wednesday. Welfare reform had caused an impasse until a deal was reached at December's inter-party talks in Stormont House. Politicians agreed to set aside tens of millions of pounds for a fund designed to provide financial support for those adversely impacted by welfare changes. Mr Robinson said the financial cost of not implementing welfare reform would have been at such a level that \"we could not have sustained an executive\". He said that other parties could not have an \"a la carte\" approach to the Stormont House Agreement. \"If people genuinely want to move forward in Northern Ireland, then it is important this legislation goes through. It's important that the parties uphold the agreement that all of us reached,\" he said. At the start of the debate, the DUP was accused of \"killing off discussion\" of the bill. Ulster Unionist Roy Beggs said the DUP had done so by tabling a series of petitions of concern against amendments to the bill. \"They have displayed the undemocratic nature of their attitudes as MLAs and the undemocratic nature of their party, which of course has the word democracy in their name,\" he said. Mr Robinson rejected Mr Beggs' claim that his party's actions were \"shameful\". The measure was designed as a way to safeguard minority rights in Stormont's power-sharing assembly. If a petition of concern is presented to the assembly speaker, any motion or amendment will need cross-community support. In such cases, a vote on proposed legislation will only pass if supported by a weighted majority (60%) of members voting, including at least 40% of each of the nationalist and unionist designations present and voting. Effectively this means that, provided enough MLAs from a particular community agree, that community can exercise a veto over the assembly's decisions. Apart from the amendments tabled by Social Development Minister Mervyn Storey of the DUP, only two others - put forward by the UUP - survived. However, Mr Robinson, the first minister, said assembly members were still capable of discussing the bill as well as the amendments. The SDLP's Alex Attwood accused the DUP of trying to run a \"coach and horses\" through the amendments. \"Never before in the life of the chamber has there been such a swingeing attempt through petitions of concern to shut down what might be good law for the people of this part of the world,\" he said. Sinn F\u00e9in's Martin McGuinness said some SDLP assembly members were defying their party leader Alasdair McDonnell by tabling the amendments in the chamber. \"The SDLP dissidents are clearly now in charge of the party and are prepared to risk the collapse of the Stormont House Agreement - and thereby the power-sharing institutions themselves - for the sake of party political grandstanding,\" he said. Generally, Northern Ireland Assembly bills reach their consideration stage a few months after MLAs first debate their principles. The fact", "summary": "First Minister Peter Robinson has told MLAs the Northern Ireland Assembly would have \"gone down\" if there had been no agreement on welfare reform."}
{"article": "The DNC's computer network was infiltrated in a \"serious\" incident, said chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. A cyber security firm has been hired to help, she said, to \"kick out the intruders and secure our network\". Russia has denied any involvement in the hacking. \"I completely rule out a possibility that the [Russian] government or the government bodies have been involved in this,\" Dmitry Peskov, a Krelim spokesman, told Reuters in Moscow. The hack was first reported by the Washington Post. DNC officials said the hack did not expose personal or financial information but email and chat traffic had been stolen. The group says the hackers, two separated \"sophisticated adversaries\", have now been expelled from the system, and the breach was first discovered in April. \"Both adversaries engage in extensive political and economic espionage for the benefit of the government of the Russian Federation and are believed to be closely linked to the Russian government's powerful and highly capable intelligence services,\" cyber security firm CrowdStrike said. Other organisations targeted by the Russian groups include presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's networks and some Republicans political action committees, according to the Washington Post. Russian president Vladimir Putin has spoken highly about Mr Trump, who has suggested the US pull out of Nato and described Mr Putin as a man he admires. \"The security of our system is critical to our operation and to the confidence of the campaigns and state parties we work with,\" Mrs Wasserman Schultz said. \"When we discovered the intrusion, we treated this like the serious incident it is and reached out to [cyber security group] CrowdStrike immediately.\" Hackers from Russia were also accused of hacking into President Obama's unclassified emails in 2015.", "summary": "Russian government hackers breached Democratic National Committee computers to obtain opposition research on Republican Donald Trump, say officials."}
{"article": "Sgt Rob Taylor has called for the law to be updated to also cover animals, such as alpacas and lamas, and increase sentencing powers. He said more than 2,000 sheep have been killed in nearly 500 dog attacks since 2013. The North Wales team and four other UK forces will present their findings to Parliament at the end of the year. The NFU and FUW farming unions have said they too support the campaign for a new Protection of Livestock Act. Sgt Taylor said the current powers of sentencing \"do not reflect the true accuracy of the loss to the farmer and the offence involved\", and called for powers in relation to the seizure of dogs and banning orders on owners. Iestyn Pritchard, of NFU Cymru, said figures showed there were about 100 cases in 2013 but they were now \"closer to about 1,000\" per year, meaning the problem was getting worse. \"There is obviously the financial effect of losing stock, we always think in terms of the lambing period, but there's also the stress involved with having to deal with dead sheep or severely injured sheep. \"When you're trying to run your own business, you're on your own land and you're finding outside influences are having a direct impact on your business and you can't control it,\" he said. He added rather than just taking one dog for a walk it was a growing trend to take out two or three, making it more difficult for the farmer and dog walker to control a \"pack of dogs\".", "summary": "Police need more powers to stop dog attacks on sheep, the head of rural crime in north Wales has said."}
{"article": "They agreed to a government proposal to extend Stormont's talks until 29 June. During the debate, the secretary of state also confirmed plans to provide legal authority for a Stormont budget, if the parties cannot reach a deal. Stormont has been without a devolved government since January, when a coalition led by the DUP and Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in fell apart over heating scheme scandal. The Ministerial Appointments and Regional Rates Bill gives the parties more time to negotiate after the general election on 8 June. It also allows rates to be collected in the absence of a devolved government. It took just under four hours for MPs to discuss the legislation proposed by Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire. He argued that his bill provides the scope and space for the local parties to strike a political deal. But proof that the government is planning for failure as well as success came in his confirmation that he has been talking to senior civil servants about the budget for the current financial year. If implemented, Mr Brokenshire's indicative budget position will provide certainty, but a projected 2.5% cut to the education budget will undoubtedly cause concern. The debate in the House of Commons was wide-ranging, touching on issues like the Irish language, same-sex marriage, the military covenant and Brexit. The House of Lords will debate the bill on Wednesday and then the legislation, which is being fast-tracked through Parliament, should become law by the end of this week.", "summary": "MPs have passed a bill delaying the deadline for Northern Ireland parties to reach a deal to restore devolution."}
{"article": "Stephen Clarke, 59, of Wednesdbury, admitted causing the death of Farzana Kousar, 39, by dangerous driving. The High Court in Glasgow heard how his Mercedes Sprinter van drifted across the carriageway and killed her. Judge Lord Boyd deferred sentence until 30 January at the High Court in Edinburgh and continued Clarke's bail. The court was told Clarke had travelled more than 200 miles before ploughing into the car which mother-of-four Ms Kousar was in on the hard shoulder of the motorway on 22 December 2014. She was getting out of the passenger door to check the car because the engine was overheating when she was struck. She repeatedly said \"I'm dying\" while lying injured on the road before she lost her life. The court heard self-employed Clarke was a courier driver with UK Express Logistics, sub-contracted since August that year. Advocate depute Bruce Erroch told the court he had left Coventry at about 01:20 and stopped at Southwaite services at about 05:00. Clarke was on his way to Glasgow when the collision happened on the motorway where Ms Kousar was a passenger in a car parked on the hard shoulder. She had opened the door of the car and was making her way out of the Toyota at about 05:30. Just before her car stopped, a lorry driver, Frank Keiller, saw Clarke's van overtake him then \"drift into the middle lane\" forcing him to brake. Mr Erroch said: \"The van drifted back out again and then into the hard shoulder. \"Mr Keiller saw Clarke's van appear to 'jolt' and accelerate during these manoeuvres, causing him to think that the driver was asleep. \"Clarke accepts that he was indeed falling asleep at this point of his journey and that he had fallen asleep at the point of collision.\" Clarke's van veered fully into the hard shoulder and struck the Toyota, sending it into a spin before it ended up in the middle lane. Immediately after the crash, passers-by stopped to help and Craig Usher saw Ms Kousar lying on the road. The court heard the driver of the car was uninjured and Ms Kousar was able to tell Mr Usher that she had pain in her back and that she was dying. She lost consciousness and, despite efforts by Mr Usher to save her, paramedics pronounced her dead at 06:11. Clarke told those nearby: \"Oh God, what have I done? Is she dead? I didn't see the car.\" He told police he was the driver of the van and said: \"I don't think I was on the hard shoulder. I may have been. I hope not.\" In March this year, during a police interview, he was asked if he had fallen asleep and said: \"I hope not. I don't think I did. I'm not going to say I didn't.\" A post-mortem examination revealed Ms Kousar's cause of death was chest injuries due to the collision. Defence counsel Matthew Jackson said the working practices of the sub-contracting firm were investigated after a similar fatal crash near the same area took place a month earlier.", "summary": "A court has heard how a van driver from the West Midlands fell asleep at the wheel causing the death of a Glasgow woman on the A74(M) near Lockerbie."}
{"article": "Organisers said they intended the Hope over Fear rally to send a message that the journey to Scottish independence continued. The city of Glasgow voted in favour of independence at last year's ballot. Hope over Fear said it is an apolitical organisation, which evolved from Solidarity co-convener Tommy Sheridan's referendum campaign speaking tour. Twenty-eight speakers were to address the all-day gathering and organisers said thousands of people were expected at \"Freedom Square\". Police estimated the crowd at about 1,500 at its peak. They said there had been no issues and no arrests. Mr Sheridan told BBC Scotland: \"We are very pleased that the Yes family is here in Glasgow again to say loud and clear, one year on, not only are we still Yes but more of us are Yes.\" The former socialist MSP said independence was \"no longer a question of if but a question of when\" and he called the No campaign's success in the referendum on 18 September last year a Pyrrhic victory. \"They won a battle but they have lost the war for the hearts and minds of the people of Scotland,\" he said. \"Scotland is now a Yes country and the next referendum will prove that.\" Mr Sheridan said a second referendum must be held by 2018 at the latest.", "summary": "A large crowd has gathered in Glasgow's George Square for a pro-independence rally one year after the referendum."}
{"article": "After hosting the British Science Festival last year the university wants to capitalise on its success. Visitors will be able to see demonstrations and workshops based on everyday science through to the latest cutting-edge innovations. \"We continue to inspire the next generation of scientists,\" said Professor Hilary Lappin-Scott. The university's senior pro-vice-chancellor added hosting the British Science Festival was an \"enormous success\" and she wants it to create a \"science legacy for Swansea\". It brought tens of thousands of people to the city to celebrate developments and talk about issues affecting our culture and society. The new festival will be held at the city's National Waterfront Museum from 8-10 September.", "summary": "Swansea University will celebrate its achievements and research by holding a new science festival in September."}
{"article": "A trailer featuring the number 13 in different locations was aired during the tennis on BBC One on Friday. It finished with the caption: \"Meet the 13th Doctor after the Wimbledon men's final, Sunday 16th July.\" The actor will succeed Peter Capaldi who took the role in 2013 and will leave in the 2017 Christmas special. Capaldi made the announcement during an interview with BBC Radio 2 presenter Jo Whiley in January. The Glasgow-born star said: \"I feel it's time to move on. I feel sad, I love Doctor Who, it is a fantastic programme to work on.\" The locations in the trailer included 10 Downing Street, Beachy Head cliffs and the Statue of Liberty. The popular sci-fi series features a Time Lord, known only as The Doctor, who travels through time and space in the Tardis, which resembles a 1960s police telephone box. The main character has the ability to regenerate, a quirk that has allowed a number of actors to have played the role over the years. Capaldi, who replaced Matt Smith as The Doctor, was previously best known for his role as foul-mouthed spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker in the BBC series The Thick of It.", "summary": "The identity of Doctor Who's 13th Time Lord will be revealed following the Wimbledon men's singles tennis final on Sunday, the BBC has announced."}
{"article": "The Australian won three league titles as a Tigers coach, working under former director of rugby Richard Cockerill. \"I cut my teeth in the Premiership,\" O'Connor told BBC Radio Leicester ahead of Newcastle's visit to Welford Road. \"I've got a good understanding of what is required in this part of the world to win trophies.\" O'Connor, 46, coached at Leicester between 2010 and 2013, before leaving to take the top job at Leinster and subsequently going to work for Queensland Reds and Tonga. He has now returned to replace Aaron Mauger, who had succeeded Cockerill in January. \"It is fantastic to be back,\" O'Connor said. \"I've got nothing but fond memories of the years spent here previously and I'm really looking forward to starting that legacy up again, hopefully. \"To be a part of one of the most successful rugby clubs in the world again was a fantastic opportunity too good not to pursue.\" O'Connor has been given his old job title of head coach, but this time will take full charge of team affairs, with the club changing the coaching structure in the absence of a director of rugby. And he believes the players now need to take this as a fresh start as they fight Bath for a top-four spot. He said: \"I think given the story of the season and the different philosophies that have been significant in the group there is a bit of clarity that needs to be brought. \"If we adjust a few of the things that we are doing on both sides of the ball I think it is an exciting three games and everything to play for.\"", "summary": "Matt O'Connor believes he will fit back into the Premiership seamlessly as he prepares for his first home game in full charge of Leicester Tigers."}
{"article": "The attacker targeted a crowd that had gathered as the body of a prominent lawyer murdered earlier on Monday, Bilal Kasi, was being brought in. Lawyers and journalists were among the dead. About 120 people were injured. The Taliban faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, said it was behind both the hospital attack and the killing of Mr Kasi. He was head of the Balochistan province bar association. He was shot while on his way to the court complex in Quetta. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar [The Party of Freedom Fighters] split from the Pakistani Taliban two years ago. It has claimed a number of major attacks, including a suicide bombing that killed more than 70 people - including many children - at a park during Easter celebrations this year. Balochistan, Pakistan's poorest province, has long been plagued by insurgency. A number of people, including lawyers, have been murdered in Quetta in recent weeks. Mr Kasi had strongly condemned those attacks. He had announced a two-day boycott of court sessions in protest at the killing of a colleague last week. After the hospital blast, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and chief of army staff Gen Raheel Sharif both went to Quetta for talks with security officials. Mr Sharif expressed his \"deep grief and anguish\", adding: \"No-one will be allowed to disturb the peace of the province. The people, policy and security forces in Balochistan have given sacrifices for the country.\" The president of Pakistan's Supreme Court Bar Association, Syed Ali Zafa, called the assault \"an attack on justice\". The Pakistan Bar Council has announced a nationwide strike by lawyers on Tuesday. Those killed in the hospital attack were said to include Baz Muhammad Kakar, a predecessor of Mr Kasi as provincial bar president, and more than 30 other lawyers. Two journalists have also been identified among the dead - Shahzad Khan, a cameraman for Aaj TV, and Mehmood Khan, a cameraman for DawnNews. Lawyers in Lahore staged a demonstration to condemn the attack. Some journalists also protested, demanding protection for freedom of expression.", "summary": "A faction of the Pakistani Taliban has said it carried out a suicide bombing that killed at least 70 people at a hospital in the city of Quetta."}
{"article": "Michael Reddington, who was 24 when the accident happened in March 2012, has had to learn to walk again and still experiences pain from his injuries. His foot became trapped because part of the escalator in Nottingham's West End Arcade was missing. Managing agents Hodgson Elkington LLP must pay \u00a3125,000 including costs. The missing part had been absent for at least a day before the accident, creating a gap. Mr Reddington did not notice the hazard due to poor lighting, and his foot was then crushed between a step and the escalator platform. Updates on this story and more from Nottinghamshire Bernard Thorogood, prosecuting, said there was \"real potential for a much more serious, if not fatal, injury\". \"The public were at risk,\" he said. \"It was a matter of pure chance whose foot or leg went into that gap.\" Nottingham Crown Court heard there had been no inspection of the escalator between October 2010 and the accident in March 2012. The prosecution said the escalator was past its useful life in 2010. Mr Thorogood said it was not regularly inspected, adding there was a \"lack of effective management leading to a range of risks\". Mr Reddington, now 27, said: \"It's hard to explain the pain to people because it's such an unusual thing to happen. \"Everyone knows the pain of stubbing their toe but not everyone knows the pain of having their toe ripped off by an escalator. \"It was trapped in this piece of machinery that was going for a few minutes.\" In addition to one of his big toes being completely ripped off, the two toes next to it were permanently damaged and the flesh on his foot was torn away. He was initially in hospital for two weeks and had five operations under general anaesthetic, he was then required to return to hospital twice a week for three months. The accident also left mental scars as he still experiences flashbacks. \"That day will stay with me forever,\" he said. Hodgson Elkington LLP admitted failing to maintain the machine properly and failing to ensure it was in a safe condition. They also admitted that systems to monitor safety on a daily basis were ineffective. Defence lawyer Tom Gent said the incident was a matter of \"significant embarrassment\" to the company. \"They are truly sorry for the dreadful injuries that were caused to Michael Reddington and are extremely apologetic that this was allowed to happen,\" said Mr Gent. Judge Andrew Hamilton said: \"The escalator was known to the defendants to be beyond its sell-by date and they did nothing. \"The defendant clearly forgot their duty in relation to the escalator.\" The Health and Safety Executive does not keep data on accidents involving escalators, but a search through news reports suggests incidents like this are rare in the UK. However, there appears to have been a recent spate of people being crushed in escalators in China.", "summary": "Shopping centre managers have been fined \u00a375,000 for health and safety breaches after a man had his big toe ripped off by an escalator."}
{"article": "Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he had accepted Ms Ley's resignation on Friday. Entitlements scandals have engulfed Australian politics in recent years. Mr Turnbull has now pledged to set up an independent watchdog, based on the UK system, to oversee parliamentary expenses. \"Australians are entitled to expect that politicians spend taxpayers' money carefully, ensuring at all times that their work expenditure represents an efficient, effective and ethical use of public resources,\" he said. \"We should be as careful and as accountable with taxpayer money as we possibly can be.\" In her resignation statement, Ms Ley maintained she had not broken any rules, \"not just regarding entitlements but most importantly the ministerial code of conduct\". However, she said the saga had become a distraction for the government. \"Whilst I have attempted at all times to be meticulous with rules and standards, I accept community annoyance, even anger, with politicians' entitlements demands a response,\" she said on Friday. Ms Ley faced pressure over separate trips to the Gold Coast, where she purchased the A$795,000 (\u00c2\u00a3473,300; $585,200) investment property in 2015 and attended New Year's Eve parties in 2013 and 2014. She described the apartment purchase as an \"error of judgement\" that was \"neither planned nor anticipated\". Mr Turnbull said he believed Ms Ley's resignation was the \"right judgement\" and thanked her for her service. He said the new expenses watchdog would ensure that politicians' claims were transparent to the public. \"I have to say I hate the term entitlements. These are work expenses,\" he said. \"The circumstances require us to be seen to be putting these matters plainly\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 so that people can be assured there is independent oversight.\" The opposition Labor Party offered \"in-principle\" support for Mr Turnbull's reform. \"We're happy to work with him on work expenses for politicians,\" said acting Labor leader Penny Wong. \"I think the country and the people expect it.\" The UK set up the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in 2010 in the wake of the MP expenses scandal.", "summary": "Australian Health Minister Sussan Ley has resigned after using a taxpayer-funded trip to purchase an apartment on Queensland's Gold Coast."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Wenger is out of contract at the end of the season and has been offered a new two-year deal, although he is yet to announce whether he will continue. Sixth-placed Arsenal are seven points off the top four with eight games left. \"I've managed over 1,100 games for Arsenal and we're not used to losing like that,\" said the Frenchman. \"We have to respond very quickly and not accept it.\" Some travelling fans told Wenger it was \"time to go\", also singing \"you're not fit to wear the shirt\" at the players, as Arsenal were convincingly beaten at relegation-threatened Palace. Goals from Andros Townsend, Yohan Cabaye and Luka Milivojevic inflicted a fourth straight away league defeat on Arsenal - for the first time during Wenger's 21-season reign. It leaves the Gunners in serious danger of missing out on a top-four finish for the first time under the 67-year-old. \"I understand our fans are disappointed and we all are deeply disappointed,\" he said. \"It's very worrying and disappointing the way we lost the game. Palace were sharp, they beat Chelsea the other day, and that shows they have quality. \"We are in a difficult position. The game tonight doesn't help.\" Arsenal controlled possession against their 16th-placed hosts, having 72% of the ball, but were unable to make that dominance count. The Gunners managed just three shots on target, all in the first half. \"That's not Arsenal,\" said stand-in captain Theo Walcott. \"It wasn't us at all. \"All we can do is apologise for that performance. \"Palace just wanted it more. You could sense that from the kick-off. \"We thought we had got out of this little patch and hopefully we haven't been dragged straight back into it. Judging on that performance, it looks like we have.\" Arsenal have won only one of their past five Premier League matches, losing three and conceding 11 goals in the process. Palace boss Sam Allardyce said he had targeted their defensive frailties in the build-up to Monday's game, highlighting the space behind their full-backs for Townsend and Wilfried Zaha to exploit. \"We all know they are in a poor spell of results for the first time for years,\" said the former England manager. \"The weaknesses with Arsenal have been defensively because they leave Shkodran Mustafi and and Gabriel really exposed. \"Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellerin play like right and left wingers, the wingers come inside with the centre-forward and they're just left on their own.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Former Blackburn and Chelsea striker Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 live: \"At one time, Arsene Wenger managed the Invincibles. He is now managing the Invisibles. He has to go, because the players are not listening. \"The biggest problem with Arsenal is that it's Wenger who makes the decision on his future. I don't get it. It should be up to the owners. \"They must be embarrassed by tonight's performance. It was limp. They were played off the park by a team in danger of relegation.", "summary": "Arsene Wenger says the uncertainty over his future is not affecting his Arsenal players, but admits their 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace is \"a big worry\"."}
{"article": "Kyle Robert Joyner, of Wroughton Drive, Hartcliffe, Bristol, has been charged with conspiracy to steal, between 10 April and 5 May. The 22-year-old was detained on Friday following recent attacks on ATMs in the area. Seven machines have been attacked since the start of the year. He was remanded to appear before Bristol Magistrates' Court later.", "summary": "A man has been charged in connection with cash machine explosions in Bristol and North Somerset."}
{"article": "They believe a Canadian lynx was prowling around the fields of the South West in 1903 before being shot after attacking two dogs in Devon. Tests on the animal revealed it had probably spent some time in captivity before escaping or being set free. The animal had been donated to Bristol Museum at the time of its death and kept in its stores for decades. The scientists' findings are published in the journal Historical Biology. Dr Ross Barnett, a molecular biologist from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Durham, said: \"I've seen one of these cats in the wild. \"They are pretty impressive cats - they are a reasonable size, and they have lots of fluffy fur which makes them look even bigger. They have sharp claws, teeth and strong muscles.\" From blurry photos of the Beast of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, to reports of a lion on the loose in Essex in 2012, the UK has a long tradition of spotting big cats. Most of these claims are dismissed as misidentifications, hoaxes or even hallucinations, but not in this case. In 1903, the unusual cat was donated to the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. The museum's records state that it had been shot after attacking and killing two dogs close to Newton Abbot in Devon. Unsure of exactly what it was, the exotic beast was stuffed, its skeleton preserved, and then the remains were tucked away in the museum's stores. More than a century later, the cat was unearthed by a scientist who thought the find might be significant. An analysis of the skeleton and mounted skin revealed that the animal was a Canadian lynx, which is about two to three times the size of a domestic cat and is usually found in Canada and the northern states of the US. The researchers found that the animal's teeth were badly decayed. Dr Barnett said: \"We think it had probably been in captivity at some point in its life. \"It had lost all of its incisors, which would have been a pretty debilitating injury for a wild cat, but not a problem for one in captivity. \"It also had massive amounts of plaque on its molars, which are indication of it not having a wild diet - something with lots of wet cat food, essentially ready-processed meat like steaks.\" The researchers believe that the lynx had been in captivity for some time, but they were unable to find any records of the cat's owner. \"Was it someone's pet? Was it part of a small menagerie that was travelling through the area? There aren't really any zoos nearby where it could have escaped from,\" Dr Barnett said. The team is also unsure how long the animal had been at large in Devon before it was killed. Its decayed teeth would have limited its chances in the wild, but the lynx is an adaptable animal, and may have been able to survive by preying on small mammals. While many big cat sightings remain unverified, sometimes the rumours do turn out to be", "summary": "A \"big cat\" was on the loose in the English countryside at the turn of the last century, scientists say."}
{"article": "The huge cache was viewable online for a few days in April, but the motoring organisation said that it contained no \"sensitive\" information. However, a security researcher who analysed the leak said he found details like email addresses, names and parts of payment card numbers. He said said it was a \"very serious incident\" the AA needed to address. AA president Edmund King said it first learned about the problem with data used for its online shop on 22 April. Soon after discovery, the firm that runs the shop on the AA's behalf was told about the problem. \"They identified the vulnerability and the issue was resolved on 25 April,\" he said. A server \"misconfiguration\" was blamed for giving access to two back-up files that contained information about orders for maps and other products from retailers and some customers. The AA said it investigated, sampled the data and, because it was not sensitive and only accessed a few times, ended the investigation. The motoring group has started an independent inquiry into the breach and also told the UK's Information Commissioner about it. \"We take any data issues incredibly seriously and would like to reassure our AA Shop customers that their payment details have not been compromised,\" said Mr King. Security researcher Troy Hunt alerted the BBC to the existence of the leak last week. At that time, the AA said it related to shop orders and contained no sensitive information. Mr Hunt, who runs a website dedicated to data breaches called Have I Been Pwned, persisted with his investigation, obtained a copy of the back-ups and subjected them to a deeper analysis. He found 117,000 unique email addresses in them as well as names, net addresses as well as credit card types, expiry dates and the final four digits of the card. A separate analysis by researcher Scott Helme for the Motherboard website found the same data in the cache. \"I have confirmed with many Have I Been Pwned subscribers in the data and they have verified that it's accurate,\" said Mr Hunt. \"They're customers of the AA and they never received a notification about the data exposure. \"At no point does their statement acknowledge the severity of the exposed data nor that they failed to notify customers when learning of the exposure,\" he said. He added that discussions with the Information Commissioner might take a \"decidedly different tone\" when it learned about the customer data in the cache. Last week, the AA was forced to apologise after a mistake led to it issuing emails telling some members to update their passwords.", "summary": "The AA has been criticised over the way it has handled a data breach involving 13 gigabytes of data."}
{"article": "Photographs and videos posted on social media showed the confused animal apparently trying to get off the road after falling out the back of a lorry. The tiger had a chain around its neck and appeared to be someone's pet. The tiger was eventually recaptured, and four men were reportedly spotted bundling it back into the lorry. One video posted on Facebook showed the animal falling out of the back door of lorry that was driving down the Doha Expressway before running off. Another video published on Twitter saw the tiger later making its way past cars stuck in heavy traffic. Footage of the animal finally being recaptured was posted by the al-Watan newspaper. Twitter users said the incident took place on Tuesday morning, but this could not be confirmed. It is not clear who owns the tiger, but wealthy individuals in Qatar are believed to keep the animals as pets. Columnist Sultan Al-Qassemi tweeted: \"This obsession of keeping wild animals by rich kids in the Gulf has gone too far.\"", "summary": "Commuters on a motorway in Qatar's capital, Doha, were astonished to see an escaped tiger on the loose and walking through three lanes of traffic."}
{"article": "About 30 people were stuck on the ride when it was stopped at about 12.00 BST. A spokeswoman said a piece of rubber \"came away from one of the carriages.\" \"At no time were any guests at risk,\" she added. The ride reopened in March, nine months after the horror crash. Latest updates on this story In a statement, the theme park said all visitors were evacuated from the ride in 30 minutes. \"The ride remained closed for a short period to investigate the matter, which is part of our standard process in assessing minor incidents,\" it added. \"The technical team have declared the ride safe and The Smiler re-opened at 16.22.\" Liam Dennett, 33, from Cheltenham, was in the queue for the ride when an announcement was made about a \"technical fault\". He said: \"The ride's still closed now. We can see it in the distance that it's still closed. I would say between 30 and probably 35-40 minutes that they were stuck for.\" He said he would not go on the ride after seeing what happened. \"My son still wants to go on it, but I wouldn't go on it personally now,\" he said. Two women needed amputations after two carriages crashed on the track in June 2015. Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd admitted breaching the Health and Safety Act after an investigation found the crash was caused by human error.", "summary": "The Smiler rollercoaster at Alton Towers had to be closed after debris fell from a carriage - 14 months after it crashed leaving five people seriously injured."}
{"article": "The victims' commissioner, Baroness Newlove, has launched a series of reviews to scrutinise the work of criminal justice agencies. Lady Newlove said she was challenging the government to \"take action\" to help people cope with the \"haunting aftermath\" of crime. The government said she was bringing about \"positive change\". 'Real difference' Baroness Newlove, who campaigned for victims' rights following the murder of her husband Gary in 2007, was made victims' commissioner in 2012. Launching the reviews in her annual report on Tuesday, she said: \"Victims deserve the very best possible support to get them through the haunting aftermath of crime. \"If they are not getting this - their concerns need to be taken seriously and improvements need to be made as a result.\" She said she would be looking at good and bad practice across the different services, adding: \"With the findings of each review, I will be challenging the government and other agencies to take action and make a real difference to victims and their families.\" The reviews will assess compliance with the Victims' Code, which was revised in October 2013 and includes the right of victims to personally address offenders in court to explain how a crime has affected them. The first review, conducted by a three-person team, will start in the autumn, also looking at handling of complaints and the use of restorative justice. Adam Pemberton, assistant chief executive at Victim Support, said: \"We welcome the victims' commissioner's decision to make monitoring the code a priority because we know from supporting hundreds of thousands of victims and witnesses every year how important it is that they are treated with dignity and respect.\" The issue was key to maintaining public confidence in the criminal justice system, Mr Pemberton added. Damian Green, the victims' minister, welcomed Baroness Newlove's report. He said: \"Her position is instrumental in holding to account the positive change brought about by this government, such as the greatly improved Victims' Code which gives those impacted by crime a much greater voice. \"This report shows the value the Victims' Commissioner has already brought and provides an excellent basis for delivering further improvements.\"", "summary": "The way crime victims are treated by the police and courts in England and Wales is to be examined."}
{"article": "Police said a woman had been held over suspected fraudulent activity in the process used to vet staff for airside security passes. The two other women were arrested on 3 August and are currently on bail. Contractor Sodexo said about 300 employees' airside passes had been suspended \"as a precautionary measure\". Scotland Yard said the investigation was not related to terrorism. A spokesperson said the force was liaising with Sodexo following the arrests but would not reveal any more details about the investigation. The woman, a 28-year-old from Ealing, was arrested on Thursday morning and is currently in custody at a west London police station. The Met said her arrest \"relates to suspected fraudulent activity in the vetting process for airside security passes at Heathrow Airport\". The two other women from Surrey, aged 24 and 20, were arrested on suspicion of fraud and money laundering after an allegation that money had been fraudulently taken from a bank account. The 24-year-old is also being investigated as part of the inquiry into the vetting process for security passes, the Met said. A spokesperson for Sodexo said the company would not comment further \"as this is part of an ongoing investigation\". About 70,000 airside staff work at Heathrow.", "summary": "Hundreds of staff who work at Heathrow Airport have had their airside clearance suspended after three women were arrested on suspicion of fraud."}
{"article": "A fight which started on Monday evening at a food distribution centre was initially broken up by police but later continued into the night. Hundreds of migrants live in informal camps in the Calais port, trying to cross into Britain illegally. French police have spent months trying to break up the camps, but the migrants say they have nowhere else to go. The latest fight between Sudanese and Eritrean migrants was broken up for the second time once riot police were deployed. A similar incident on Sunday left about 13 people injured. In May authorities attempted to evacuate the migrants from camps built near the port following court rulings, but many have simply moved to different areas in the city.", "summary": "Clashes between African migrants in the French port city of Calais have left more than 50 people injured."}
{"article": "Once considered a long shot, Trump is now president of the United States. Scepticism over Trump's candidacy stemmed not only from his controversial platform on immigration and outrageous campaign style, but from his celebrity past. But the 70-year-old businessman had the last laugh when he defied all predictions to beat much more seasoned politicians in the Republican primary race. And he has now gone a step further by winning the presidential election, after one of the most divisive and controversial contests in living memory against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Mr Trump is the fourth child of New York real estate tycoon Fred Trump. Despite the family's wealth, he was expected to work the lowest-tier jobs within his father's company and was sent off to a military academy at age 13 when he started misbehaving in school. He attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and became the favourite to succeed his father after his older brother, Fred, chose to become a pilot. Fred Trump died at 43 due to alcoholism, an incident that his brother says led him to avoid alcohol and cigarettes his entire life. Mr Trump says he got into real estate with a \"small\" $1m loan from his father before joining the company. He helped manage his father's extensive portfolio of residential housing projects in the New York City boroughs, and took control of the company - which he renamed the Trump Organization - in 1971. His father died in 1999. \"My father was my inspiration,\" Mr Trump said at the time. Mr Trump shifted his family's business from residential units in Brooklyn and Queens to glitzy Manhattan projects, transforming the rundown Commodore Hotel into the Grand Hyatt and erecting the most famous Trump property, the 68-storey Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. Other properties bearing the famous name followed - Trump Place, Trump World Tower, Trump International Hotel and Tower, and so on. There are Trump Towers in Mumbai, Istanbul and the Philippines. Mr Trump also developed hotels and casinos, an arm of the business that has led to four bankruptcy filings (for the businesses, not personal bankruptcy). Mr Trump also built an empire in the entertainment business. From 1996 until 2015, he was an owner in the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA beauty pageants. In 2003, he debuted an NBC reality television show called The Apprentice, in which contestants competed for a shot at a management job within Mr Trump's organisation. He hosted the show for 14 seasons, and claimed in a financial disclosure form that he was paid a total of $213m by the network during the show's run. He has written several books, and owns a line of merchandise that sells everything from neckties to bottled water. According to Forbes, his net worth is $3.7bn, though Mr Trump has repeatedly insisted he is worth $10bn. Trump has been married three times, though his most famous wife was his first - Ivana Zelnickova, a Czech athlete and model. The couple had three children - Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric - before they", "summary": "Long before he was a contender for the US presidency, Donald Trump was America's most famous and colourful billionaire."}
{"article": "The Turkish government imposed the blocks after a hacktivist group leaked emails it said it had stolen from the nation's energy minister. The Redhack group had threatened to publish the information unless left-wing dissidents were released. In total, more than 57,000 emails were put online by the group. News about the block was broken by the Turkey Blocks digital rights group, which monitors net censorship in the county. It said that Google's Drive storage service had also initially been included in the list of sites blocked but this block had been lifted soon after. The blocks stayed in place on the other web companies until late on Saturday as links to the email cache were removed. Turkey Blocks said customers of the TTNet, UyduNet and Turkcell ISPs and others had all been cut off from the sites. It is not clear how effective the block proved as many people on social media said it was possible to reach the affected sites by using a VPN. Turkey has not explicitly confirmed that the blocks were imposed. However, journalists widely shared copies of court documents detailing action against the Redhack members that sought to suppress distribution of the 20GB email cache. The action is the latest in a series of efforts by the Turkish government to clamp down on social media use in the country. In late 2015, Turkey imposed a 150,000 lira (\u00c2\u00a333,000) fine on Twitter for failing to remove what the government called \"terrorist propaganda\".", "summary": "Access to online storage systems, including DropBox, GitHub and Microsoft OneDrive, was blocked in Turkey on Saturday."}
{"article": "Nasheed, the opposition leader, was controversially jailed for 13 years under anti-terror laws last year. He was allowed to travel to the UK to receive treatment on his spine. His lawyer Hasan Latheef said Nasheed had been granted political refugee status, but the British government has not commented. A former human rights campaigner, Nasheed became the nation's first democratically elected leader in 2008, ending three decades of rule by former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Why did the Maldives release its most famous prisoner? In 2012, he was detained after being accused of ordering the arrest of a judge. He resigned months later amid an army mutiny and public protests over the judge's fate. Nasheed alleged that he had been removed by a coup, but this was denied by his vice-president, who replaced him. The current President, Abdulla Yameen, was elected in controversial polls in 2013 and is the half-brother of Mr Gayoom. \"Given the slide towards authoritarianism in the Maldives, myself and other opposition politicians feel we have no choice but to work in exile - for now,\" said a statement issued by Nasheed's office on Monday. The Maldives foreign ministry said it feared Nasheed had used the request for medical treatment as a way to get out of his prison term. It said the government was awaiting confirmation asylum had been granted. If confirmed, the Maldives government \"would be disappointed the UK government is allowing itself to be part of this charade, and further, is enabling an individual to circumvent his obligations under the law\", the statement said.", "summary": "The former president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, has been granted refugee status in the UK, according to his lawyer."}
{"article": "Russian bantamweight Vladimir Nikitin will not box American Shakur Stevenson after being left bloodied by Conlan. \"The injury suffered by Vladimir is too serious,\" said Russian official Igor Kazikov. Stevenson will fight Robeisy Ramirez Carrazana in the final after the Cuban beat Uzbekistan's Murodjon Akhmadaliev. Nikitin, meanwhile, will still receive a bronze medal. Media playback is not supported on this device Belfast boxer Conlan said after Tuesday's contentious decision that his Olympic dream had \"been robbed\". Nikitin's face was badly bloodied after the quarter-final, which most observers felt had been conclusively won by the Irishman. Immediately after the bout, Conlan made clear his annoyance at the verdict in an expletive-filled live TV interview with Irish broadcaster RTE. Thursday's development may increase the the pressure on amateur boxing's world governing body, Aiba, which has faced criticism from boxers and coaches in Rio after a number of contentious judging decisions. On Wednesday, the international body announced that it had dropped a number of officials after a review of their decisions at the Olympics. Aiba said that, after 239 bouts in Rio, \"less than a handful of the decisions were not at the level expected\". The body has admitted it is in a \"transition process\", but said results of bouts already contested will stand.", "summary": "The boxer who controversially beat Ireland's Michael Conlan in the Olympic quarter-finals has pulled out of his Olympic semi-final because of injury."}
{"article": "Terri Calvesbert, now 19, suffered 85% burns as a toddler at her Ipswich home in 1998. Recent pictures of her posted on social media prompted online abuse, and were shared thousands of times. Terri, who said she is \"strong enough\" to cope, has launched an online anti-bullying page, and is petitioning the government to take action. Now living in Sudbury, she said was \"really angry\" at a Facebook post which asked people to \"like and share\" if they were \"not ashamed\" of a picture of her. The post has been reported to the social media site. However the teenager insisted living with such serious burns has equipped her with the strength to cope with online trolls. Terri, whose story was first reported in the Ipswich Star, said: \"I can't pretend for a single moment that it's been easy for me growing up, but I'm a stronger person as a result. \"I'm not going to let it get me down, but I do want it to stop.\" Terri and and two friends, Michelle Wright and Gavin Jaques have set up a Facebook site called the Campaign to stop cyber bullying. They will urge the government to get Facebook to take down offensive posts, delete accounts and track offenders down. Her friend, Michelle Wright, said: \"Most people would be appalled that trolls could pick on her. I just knew a lot of people would have got behind it. Terri is so brave.\" MP James Cartlidge has taken up the case and has written to home secretary Amber Rudd to bring it to her attention. Facebook said attacks of this kind would not be tolerated and that the offensive content had been removed.", "summary": "A woman badly burned in a house fire as a baby said she refuses to be defeated by cyber-trolls who bullied her online."}
{"article": "LeRoy, 68, has replaced Tom Saintfiet, with Togo struggling in 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying and the country's domestic football in a poor state. He said: \"I know it will be difficult; we have only a small chance to qualify for the next Nations Cup and Togo also needs to work on local football. \"But I'm happy, I like this challenge.\" The task appealed to LeRoy to the extent that he ended talks with Tunisia, Algeria and Nigeria over their vacant coaching positions and agreed a three-year contract with Togo after \"only a few hours' negotiation\" - but only after Saintfiet's departure had been confirmed. \"I told them I did not want to discuss the situation before they had an agreement with Saintfiet,\" LeRoy revealed. \"It is always a pity when a coach leaves his job.\" Togo are third in their Nations Cup qualification group with two games to play and only the winners are guaranteed a place at next year's finals in Gabon. LeRoy feels the best Togo can hope for is to take one of the two places given to the best group runners-up - and the Frenchman knows he must convince talismanic striker Emmanuel Adebayor to commit to the cause. \"The key players help the team to get results and win big competitions. I like characters, I like difficult players and I have had a lot of them in my career - starting from Roger Milla (when LeRoy was coach of Cameroon). \"But these players I had were also the first ones at training and the last to leave. They worked hard and were at the disposal of the team. \"Emmanuel has the potential to be one of the top five strikers in the world; he is powerful, fast, technically at the top level and when he is physically at his best it is very difficult to stop him. \"But I want to tell him that nothing is more important then the team, including the coach.\" Adebayor came out of a self-imposed international exile to play in the 0-0 draw with Tunisia in last month's Nations Cup qualifier. It was his first game since June 2015 and the striker, who is currently with English Premier League side Crystal Palace, has long had a difficult relationship with the Togo Football Association as well as nations team coaches, including LeRoy's predecessor Saintfiet. And following his return to the Togo set-up there have been reports that Adebayor is already unhappy again. \"I need to have a big chat with him,\" added LeRoy. \"I like him and I was also very close with him even though I have not been his coach. We have a important Nations Cup qualifier against Liberia in June. \"I don't like the term 'star player' because when you see a star in the sky it is completely dark around it. I prefer a player to be like the sun, shining light on all the people around them. Star players belong in individual sport, not in football. I will try to explain this to him.\" While the immediate", "summary": "New Togo coach Claude LeRoy has told BBC Sport he is aware he faces a tough job but took it because he wants to revitalise football in the country."}
{"article": "The fire service said it had been called to more than 25 incidents following the flooding caused by heavy rain. One woman, who lives on Carrow Road, said the water was about an inch away from her front door. \"My house is OK,\" she said. \"I've got the towels down in preparation, but sadly the council weren't able to supply us with any sandbags.\" Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service advised people not to wade into flood water, owing to the risk posed by hidden objects. Flood water in sewers raised a drain cover near St Stephen's roundabout on the inner ring road and a car wheel jammed in the cavity. Traffic was brought to a standstill for nearly an hour as firefighters tried to free the vehicle. Outside the city centre, flood water made driving difficult in Sprowston and Rackheath. People living on Hawthorne Avenue in Hellesdon grew frustrated that their road is flooded again. One resident, Stacey Connerty, said: \"Yet again it is left to local people to risk their safety to save their property and vehicles from flooding. \"This problem arises every time there is heavy rain. \"Despite repeated requests to highways and council to remedy this situation, to date nothing has been done.\" There were also reports of flooding on the B1145, between Cawston and Aylsham, in Norwich Road, near to the junction with Allison Street in Marsham, at Crossdale Street in Cromer and on the A1062 at Hoveton. Ch Insp Chris Spinks said: \"Motorists should drive to the conditions and allow extra time for their journeys home. \"Standing water and heavy rainfall makes driving conditions hazardous and I would urge motorists to reduce speed, use headlights and increase the distance between you and the car in front.\"", "summary": "Buildings and roads have been hit by flooding in Norwich."}
{"article": "Richard Brady, 33, accused Alistair Balfour, 68, of tampering with his car in a row in the Montgomerie Arms pub, in East Kilbride, on 8 June last year. He hit Mr Balfour with a single punch, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the floor. Mr Balfour died after suffering two skull fractures. Brady admitted a charge of culpable homicide. Sentence was deferred. The High Court in Glasgow heard that Mr Balfour was married for 47 years and had an extra-marital affair with Brady's mother which ended in bad terms on Christmas Day 2012. As a result of this, Brady and Mr Balfour fell out. They reported each other to the police for vandalism and breach of the peace, but no action was taken because of insufficient evidence. The court heard that Brady, who is from East Kilbride, entered the pub and accused Mr Balfour of putting sugar in the tank of his car. He became aggressive and asked if they would take the matter outside. As Mr Balfour put his hands in his pockets, Brady hit him with a single punch. He fell backwards and lay motionless on the floor. The court heard that Mr Balfour suffered two fractures to his skull, bruising to his mouth and two black eyes. The cause of death was a head injury. Judge Lord Turnbull deferred sentence on Brady until next month.", "summary": "A man has admitted killing a pensioner who had been involved in a three-year affair with his mother."}
{"article": "John Lawton, 62, from Alsager, was last seen in an off-road race near Kalamata, in southern Greece in April. Nine people from Cheshire Search and Rescue returned for a second time to the country on Friday. The team said they covered a vast area of \"unforgiving terrain\" on Saturday, in temperatures of up to 44C. A spokesperson said the search included olive groves and river beds around Aghia Sofia. The six-day search has been funded thanks to an online campaign , which has now raised more than \u00c2\u00a316,500. During the last hunt in May, rescuers found discarded energy gel packs which DNA analysis later showed had been used by Mr Lawton. A spokesperson said the team members \"remain positive\" and are doing everything they can to find him.", "summary": "Volunteers searching for a missing runner in Greece have said they remain \"positive\" despite a second attempt to find him so far proving unsuccessful."}
{"article": "Albanians Artur Doda, 24, and Leonard Isufaj, 27, leapt from the Stena Britannica, off Harwich, Essex, on 26 February last year. The pair had tried to enter the UK hours earlier inside a lorry, the inquest into their deaths in Chelmsford heard. Coroner Eleanor McGann recorded conclusions of accidental death. Mr Doda and Mr Isufaj were among a group of 15 people from different countries caught in a random x-ray check at Harwich before making it into the UK. The inquest heard Mr Doda was sliced by the \"machete-like\" motion of the ship's propeller while Mr Isufaj drowned. Both men were sucked underwater almost immediately after they jumped over the side of the ship, ten minutes into its journey back to Zeebrugge, Belgium. Essex coroner Ms McGann said: \"The evidence suggests they were intending to swim back to England, something that they could see was tantalisingly close to them.\" Insp Christopher Willis, from Essex Police, told the hearing the sea would have appeared deceptively calm to the men. \"To swim to land with those tides and the water temperature would have been nigh-on impossible,\" he said. \"An Olympic swimmer would have struggled.\" Speaking after the hearing, Mr Isufaj's cousin, Besnik Vata, 33, from north London, said the case highlighted the plight of many immigrants. \"We heard that they weren't escorted on board the ship so there was always a risk this would happen - if I was in that position I would have done the same,\" he said. Border Agency official Giles Young said there was no policy of escorting deportees in place.", "summary": "Two deportees who died after jumping from a ferry were trying to swim back to the UK shore, an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "Kirsty Williams said party membership in Wales has grown since last year's general election. Speaking on BBC's The Wales Report programme, she said her party had returned a better result than expected in assembly elections five years ago. She also refused to rule out a deal with other parties this year. \"Since the general election, which was a very, very difficult set of results for us, our party membership in Wales has grown,\" she explained. \"We have record numbers of people out on the streets delivering campaigns.\" Speaking about the last assembly elections, she said: \"We defied expectations, we returned with a strong Liberal Democrat group that has punched above its weight for the last five years. \"I'm sure we can defy expectations again.\" She also insisted the Welsh Lib Dems' record proved they can deliver on their promises. Later in the interview, Ms Williams said she would not rule out a deal with any other party after the election to achieve her objectives but she was quick to point out that collaboration with UKIP was unlikely, as their values were \"so far apart\". Last week, informal talks between the Liberal Democrats, Greens and Plaid Cymru for an assembly electoral pact failed to reach an agreement. When asked if it was her party that pulled the plug on the talks, Ms Williams said: \"We were approached informally by another political party about a proposition of doing a pre-election pact. \"We didn't think it was the right way to go.\" Ms Williams added: \"What keeps me going is that I know there are no political parties in this coming election that are committed to ensuring that there are the right number of nurses in our hospitals. \"We had to drag the Labour party kicking and screaming to introduce a system that put money into the education of our poorest children, and its working, its making a difference.\"", "summary": "The Welsh Liberal Democrats can \"defy expectations\" in the forthcoming assembly elections, the party's leader has insisted."}
{"article": "Michael Allen touched down early for the hosts but Dan Leavy, Garry Ringrose, Isa Nacewa and Jamison Gibson-Park responded emphatically. Edinburgh improved greatly after the interval, with Hamish Watson ploughing over from close range. Magnus Bradbury's late try brought Edinburgh back to 26-20, only for Leavy to add a second score. Nacewa's last-minute conversion, his fourth of the match, took him to 500 points for last year's beaten Pro12 finalists. Much of the debate in the aftermath of Edinburgh's stodgy victory over Scarlets last week centred on the supposed lack of attacking ambition from Alan Solomons' men, but they needed just 90 seconds to tear through the Leinster defence. Salsa Tofilau slashed through the midfield defence and when the ball was recycled and shipped wide to Phil Burleigh, he weighted a delightful grubber kick for Allen to touch down. Duncan Weir added a penalty to stretch the lead to 8-0, but Edinburgh's defence, so impressive in shutting down Scarlets' last week, left a gaping hole for Leinster open-side Leavy to gallop through and coast under the posts to make it a one-point game. The variety of the Leinster attack was now proving problematic for the home side to contain, and when Ringrose and Nacewa crossed in quick succession, the momentum had shifted completely. The threats to the Edinburgh line were coming from all over the pitch and, with the home side pinned on their own line, scrum-half Gibson-Park darted over to make it 8-26 at the break. Watson's bulldozing run at the start of the second period suggested Edinburgh were not prepared to go down without a fight, and the open-side was rewarded for his belligerent display when he ploughed over for a try that was converted to offer hope. The home side enjoyed an extraordinary 81% of possession and 82% territory in the second-half, but despite promising breaks from the likes of substitutes Blair Kinghorn and Solomoni Rasolea, when cool heads and crisp passing was required to finish off the chances, both were absent. That was until five minutes from time when good work from another substitute, Fraser McKenzie, allowed Bradbury to burst through to bring his side back within six points. The losing bonus point would have been just reward for Edinburgh's display after the break, but Leavy powered over at the death to deny them even that consolation. Edinburgh coach Alan Solomons: \"Our defence wasn't good and I think that ultimately cost us the game. Defensively, I thought we were really poor. \"At 26-8, we were in real trouble. We regrouped well, we had a lot of the ball and a lot of territory in that second-half. \"Little errors cost us and we didn't translate that pressure into points. \"At 26-20 and with every prospect of pulling off a win, poor defence on our line saw that bonus point slip away. That was really upsetting. \"I thought the regrouping after half-time was very good because we were under quite a lot of pressure, but defensively we were poor and the error rate was too high.\" Edinburgh: Glenn Bryce, Michael", "summary": "Leinster earned a bonus point win at Murrayfield, exploiting Edinburgh's shaky defence in the first half."}
{"article": "David Cooley, 52, died on Thursday after sustaining head injuries outside the King Richard III pub on Monday. A 55-year-old man, originally detained on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, has been rearrested on suspicion of murder. A 47-year-old man has also been arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. Mr Cooley, from Dersingham Road, Leicester, was involved in an altercation outside the premises in Highcross Street, Leicestershire Police said. A post-mortem examination found he died from a head injury. Both arrested men have been released on bail.", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the victim of a serious assault died in hospital."}
{"article": "Readers turn to Ruchira for its consummate coverage of traditional vegetarian dishes of the western Maharashtra state. The recipes are classic, but the pictures that punctuate the book reveal the changing social world of urban, middle-class Maharashtrians. The cover photo (above) shows a nuclear family eating a meal. The husband and two young children - a girl and a boy - sit at a dining table, and not on the floor as in earlier times. The woman, however, is not sitting and eating with them. In keeping with tradition, she is standing and serving them. She is smiling at her husband, whose expression suggests that he has just complimented her on the food. This is the 15th article in a BBC series India on a plate, on the diversity and vibrancy of Indian food. Other stories in the series: Tasting India's coveted holy sweet The street food so good, it is waved through airport checks The Indian state that is obsessed with beef fry The dark history behind India and the UK's favourite drink Why this Indian state screams for ice cream On the table are puris (fried puffed bread), a vegetable curry or dal, pulao, a prettily arranged plate of lettuce, cucumber and tomato slices, and three kinds of sweets - a far cry from the items and layout of the customary Marathi thali. And, instead of the more traditional metal utensils, melamine dishes are being used to serve and eat. Another photo (below) shows the ideal kitchen, once again straddling tradition and modernity. A refrigerator and a mixer-blender are prominently displayed, as is a soop (winnowing fan) and an old cast-iron mortar and pestle. Gleaming metal containers line the shelves alongside a row of recycled Bournvita - a local health drink - glass jars. There is a gas cylinder and a pressure cooker, and plastic flowers in a vase atop the fridge. One can easily imagine the miniature temple on a shelf where icons of household deities preside over this sacred space. This compact, neatly equipped kitchen exemplifies organisation, a vital virtue for the modern woman who must manage time and space efficiently for cooking - a task that still remains hers alone. \"I used to want a kitchen like that,\" says Shubhada Deshpande. In the 1970s, she was a young bride in a joint family in Pune that included her bank officer husband, two-year-old son, her parents-in-law and an unmarried brother-in-law who was studying engineering. Every morning, she would squat on the floor to scrape coconuts on a whili (curved blade) and to churn butter from yogurt. Her mother-in-law would grind the shredded coconut into chutney on a stone slab. Now that Mrs Deshpande is in her sixties and lives alone with her retired husband, she still makes coconut chutney but in an electric blender. Instead of churning butter, she buys readymade, salty yellow Amul butter to spread on toast for breakfast. Her mother-in-law would not have approved. When relatives visit, Ms Deshpande makes sabudanyachi khichadi (savoury tapioca pearls) or saanja (savoury semolina). It's a gesture of hospitability to", "summary": "Forty-five years after it was first published, Ruchira, an Indian cookbook in Marathi language, continues to be a bestseller."}
{"article": "The man, in his 20s, was pronounced dead at Fairfax House in Livesey Close, Kingston, at 08:00 GMT. His death is being treated as unexplained. London Ambulance Service was initially called to reports of a injured man at the scene. Nearby homes have been evacuated as a \"precautionary measure\", the Met Police said.", "summary": "A man has been found dead at a block of flats where a \"possible noxious gas\" was detected."}
{"article": "Tycoon Sir Terry Matthews, JoJo Mamam Bebe founder Laura Tenison and Cardiff Airport chairman Roger Lewis are among 10 who have signed a letter backing the case for remaining in the EU. It highlights access to the European market and EU investment in skills. The Leave campaign argues that business would still be able to trade with the EU after Brexit. It also believes funding that comes from the EU to Wales could be replaced by Westminster from the savings of not paying for EU membership. But in the letter, the business leaders argue: \"Our membership of the EU is vital to the Welsh economy - giving Wales favourable access to a market of 500 million people, supporting competitiveness and innovation and spreading investment in infrastructure to all parts of Wales.\" At the moment, 41% of exports from Wales go to the European Union. That has risen from \u00a34.7 billion worth of goods and services in 1999 to \u00a35 billion in 2015. Those who support leaving the EU claim it would allow exporters to focus more on growing markets further afield. Exports from Wales to countries outside the EU have risen from \u00a31.7 billion in 1999 to \u00a37.2 billion in 2015. If Brexit does happen, selling abroad will be dependent on what trade deals can be negotiated with other countries. Skills is one of the key areas for businesses and the letter goes on to say: \"Investing in skills is so important to raise income levels and encourage further business growth, and in this decade, we will see \u00a31 billion of EU funds invested in young people, training and skills.\" Others who signed the letter include: Advocates of leaving the EU argue the money saved from membership fees could be reinvested in other areas. Reality Check: Would Brexit put 400,000 jobs at risk? What does the EU referendum mean for Wales? Businesses on Anglesey on the referendum The independent think-tank, Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), has warned the savings from membership fees do not take any account of the potential damage to the economy of leaving the EU. Most business surveys suggest that firms are, to a greater or lesser extent, in favour of remaining in the EU. In April, aerospace company Airbus, wrote to its 6,000 workers in Flintshire warning about the risks of voting to leave the European Union.", "summary": "The Welsh economy is \"stronger, safer and better off\" in the European Union, a group of top business figures says."}
{"article": "Mackay is expected to be unveiled in the job despite previous allegations that he exchanged racist and sexist text messages. The allegations surfaced after Mackay was sacked by Cardiff City in 2013. Show Racism the Red Card said Mackay had undergone equality and diversity training, and \"wished him well\". And Lord Ouseley, the founder and chairman of the Kick It Out anti-racism group, said he believed Mackay now had a \"better understanding\" of diversity issues and deserved a second chance. He also said Mackay's new role would give him an opportunity to \"put himself back in a state where he can prove that he is a good person, and a person capable of performing both in football terms, and how he treats people\". But SNP MSP Clare Haughey called on the SFA to \"see sense\" and rule out Mackay as a candidate, arguing that his appointment would send out the wrong signals. Mackay, a former Scotland and Celtic player, was the subject of an English FA investigation in 2014 concerning text messages he had sent containing discriminatory language. He apologised for his actions and stated a desire to return to football. The SFA is expected to unveil Mackay in the role of performance director on Thursday. The post became vacant when former Manchester United striker Brian McClair quit in July. In a statement issued to BBC Scotland, Show Racism the Red Card said: \"After admitting to sending text messages that were very regrettable and disrespectful to other cultures, Malky Mackay underwent equality and diversity training through an education programme with the FA and we wish him well in his new role at the SFA.\" After a lengthy investigation, the Football Association said last year that Mackay would face no action over the text messages, which it said had been sent with a \"legitimate expectation of privacy\". But it said Mackay had been spoken to \"about the inappropriateness of terms used in the messages\" Mr Mackay's agent, Raymond Sparkes, told BBC Scotland that the FA's investigative committee had examined 9,000 texts exchanged between Mackay and Cardiff City's former head of player recruitment Iain Moody. Of these, three sent by Mackay were found to have been unacceptable - with Mackay immediately apologising. Mr Sparkes added: \"If you were to know Malky Mackay, you would know him as a good man, from a good family, with good values. \"He is a talented individual, he has had three years of not being able to take his place back in a place of employment on the back of three text messages. \"We know why that penalty has been placed upon us, we have dealt with it, we want to get back to work and we didn't just apologise now - we apologised then.\" Ms Haughey, the SNP MSP for Rutherglen, told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme that Scottish football had made \"huge efforts\" to tackle racism and homophobia and to promote women's football. And she said appointing Mackay would risk sending a message that inappropriate behaviour was \"no barrier to a top job in Scottish football\".", "summary": "Anti-racism campaigners have backed the appointment of Malky Mackay as the Scottish Football Association's new performance director."}
{"article": "The 24-hour strike by four unions began on Wednesday evening and there will be no Tube service until Friday. Public transport has become busier this evening as commuters make their journey home after work. Unions are unhappy at conditions offered to drivers on a new Night Tube service due to start next month. Live coverage of the Tube strike Latest travel updates on London Underground London Tube strike: Facts to know 12 tips for a first-time cycling commuter How to cope with the Tube strike Tube strike: No beer and sandwiches A long-serving LU train driver, who wished to remain anonymous, told BBC News, \"We get paid an amazing salary and the holidays are great too [43 days leave including eight bank holidays] but why should I be forced to work nights and more weekends when that is not what I signed up for? It's about the principle of changing our working conditions without discussions. \"I hate striking but I will continue to do so until the company listens or they make it illegal to strike. \"I feel sorry for commuters but instead of complaining to staff, they should complain to TfL and stand up for their rights too.\" Commuters told the BBC they understood the reasons for the strike but they did not think \"the impact on commuters was very fair\". Transport for London (TfL) have said that buses are being delayed by up to an hour, especially those travelling in zones one and two. River bus service MBNA Thames Clippers tweeted: \"We're experiencing high demand at piers due to #tubestrike & expect delays. Please allow extra time to travel.\" Extra buses have been laid on for the strike and there are hundreds of bicycles available for hire from \u00a32 at a temporary cycle hub in Soho Square, BBC London Travel reports. During the evening rush hour, there were 894 separate traffic jams around the city causing a combined 500 miles (804km) of tailbacks, traffic analysts TomTom said. That was double the congestion of the morning rush hour, but it was not as bad as during the previous Tube strike in July when there were 1,445 jams and 761 miles (1,224km) of delays. \"With many Londoners away on holiday and no school runs, the roads were not as congested this morning as they were during the last strike four weeks ago,\" a TomTom spokesman said. Transport for London said it would have a total fleet of 8,200 buses operating at peak times during the strike with an extra 250 vehicles leased from companies around the country and old buses including Routemasters being brought back into service. But even those aiming to beat the crowds and setting out on their journeys by 06:00 BST faced travel problems. Alessandra Bonomolo tweeted: \"6:20am. Couldn't get on the first train - too crowded\" while Roxy Baker said: \"Not even 6:30 and you can barely get on the 205 at Bow Church... its first stop\". People are being encouraged to use alternative modes of transport with some being very creative to reach their destinations. Alan Price,", "summary": "Commuters are dealing with long queues and delays as they try navigating London during a strike that has shut down the whole Tube network."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 1 July 2015 Last updated at 06:46 BST Sally Holland said children needed to be protected from the impact of Westminster austerity measures. She said too many children in Wales were being denied a decent childhood. Ms Holland and the commissioners for England, Scotland and Northern Ireland said in a report to the United Nations they were alarmed at how welfare changes had increased child poverty. They said under current policies figures were expected to rise, with 4.7m children projected to be living in poverty by 2020. Figures released last week showed a third of children in Wales lived in poverty - defined as such when in a household with an income below 60% of the UK average of \u00c2\u00a3453 a week. The charity Barnardo's welcomed the report, and said millions of children were being failed.", "summary": "The UK government must stop making cuts to benefits or more children will be \"pushed into poverty\", the children's commissioner for Wales has said."}
{"article": "And that is largely down to the chief executive Simon Stevens. His five-year forward view in October 2014 set out some big numbers, which were widely seen as realistic and then in turn adopted by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in the general election campaign. But are those numbers quite what they seem? One former minister in the coalition government now claims the financial projections were amended after intervention by Downing Street. David Laws, the Lib Dem MP who lost his seat in the 2015 general election, said Mr Stevens was \"lent on\" to reduce the amount of money he would call on the government to chip in. The plan set out by Mr Stevens and senior NHS colleagues predicted a \u00a330bn gap in 2020 between expected demand and what the NHS could deliver. He said \u00a322bn could come from efficiency savings, leaving \u00a38bn above inflation needed from the government. Mr Stevens acknowledged the target for efficiency savings was very ambitious but argued that it was achievable. But David Laws said Mr Stevens had originally argued that a maximum of \u00a315bn of efficiency savings could be delivered, with \u00a315bn more needed from government. Mr Laws told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday: \"The problem seems to be that when he then took that figure to the Conservatives in Number 10 they said: 'You must be kidding. There is no way the chancellor and the prime minister will sign up to that figure, you better get that figure down if you want it to be taken seriously, you better increase the efficiency savings'.\" The request went in for \u00a38bn of extra money in the end. NHS England has in turn argued that in the autumn of 2014 a range of financial projections were discussed based on different scenarios. A spokeswoman said: \"We stand by the analysis and were not lent on. \"David Laws was not part of the discussions. Simon Stevens has been more publicly outspoken in arguing the NHS's corner than any previous serving NHS chief executive.\" Senior NHS sources don't deny there were negotiations, but they reject the idea that Mr Stevens had his arm twisted by Downing Street. They argue that the purpose of the five-year forward view planning was to model different assumptions about the level of productivity gains that could be delivered. Mr Laws' intervention comes at a sensitive time in the debate over NHS funding in England. Some authoritative voices across the service are questioning where the \u00a322bn of savings will come from and calling for more government funding than has been pledged so far. The idea that the \u00a322bn might have been seen at an early stage as too ambitious will no doubt fuel this discussion. Mr Laws has set out his version of events in his new book Coalition. He said the NHS \"almost completely collapsed over Christmas\" in 2014 and \"came very close to preventable deaths in unsafe hospitals\". Money for the NHS, he said, dominated political debate between the coalition partners at that time. Mr Laws, as a Lib Dem, has a", "summary": "The question of how much extra money NHS England needs to meet rising patient demand has dominated recent political argument over the health service."}
{"article": "Steven Van de Velde, 21, admitted three counts of rape against a child he met after travelling from Amsterdam in August 2014. The girl was raped near Furzton Lake and at an address in Milton Keynes. Van de Velde returned to the Netherlands, but was extradited and arrested in January. He appeared at Aylesbury Crown Court via a video link for sentencing after admitting all three offences last month. The court heard he was aware of the girl's age, having had conversations on various social networking sites. He went to the girl's home when her mother was out and had sex with her, taking her virginity. Sentencing him, Judge Francis Sheridan said: \"You were a potential Olympian. You had the possibility of a stellar future representing the Netherlands. \"She was a child aged 12. You were fully aware of that fact.\" Van de Velde - of Cornelis De Wittlaan, Den Haag - travelled from Amsterdam on 2 August 2014, having booked a return ticket with EasyJet that day. Prosecutor Sandra Beck said: \"She had got very close to him via Facebook and spoke regularly. He made her feel very special. \"He is a member of the national volleyball team and she liked what she saw.\" Mitigating, Linda Strudwick said: \"There is genuine remorse. He has lost a stellar sports career and has been branded a rapist. Plainly it is a career end for him. \"", "summary": "A Dutch international volleyball player who raped a 12-year-old British girl he met on Facebook has been jailed for four years."}
{"article": "The Google-owned video service had been at odds with Gema - a German rights body representing musicians, composers and publishers - since 2009. The disagreement had affected clips in which the artists appeared as well as those that used their songs in the background. Payments will now be made, but neither side has disclosed the terms. Google's Content ID system means that clips flagged as containing Gema-protected tracks can now have adverts automatically added to them to recompense the songs' creators. And red banners that had prevented thousands of YouTube's clips from playing in Germany have now been removed as a consequence. \"This is a win for music artists around the world, enabling them to reach new and existing fans in Germany... and for YouTube users in Germany, who will no longer see a blocking message on music content,\" blogged YouTube's head of international music partnerships, Christophe Muller. Gema said there remained disagreement about whether YouTube or the person uploading a clip was ultimately responsible for licensing the music it contained but the new agreement still marked a \"milestone\" \"We remained true to our position that authors should also get a fair remuneration in the digital age, despite the resistance we met,\" said its chief executive, Harald Heker. One industry watcher said it was a \"significant\" that the matter had been resolved. \"Gema had been a long-term holdout on and critic of YouTube, hitting out at the video site even when many record companies were supportive of it,\" said Chris Cooke, director of Unlimited Media. \"It has meant YouTube is not the music hub in Germany that it is elsewhere, which has hindered newer artists looking to use it as a marketing channel. \"Though it has to be said in the last couple of years most labels have also become critical of YouTube, the way it operates and the royalties it pays compared to, say, Spotify or Apple Music, even though they continue to work with the service. \"It will be interesting to know quite what deal Gema has secured and how its songwriter members feel about it.\"", "summary": "YouTube has resolved a long-running dispute that prevented many of its clips being accessible in Germany."}
{"article": "From 2018, people who cannot have a dish installed will be able to receive Sky over the internet instead. The company said the move would help it reach a further six million customers across Europe. One analyst said the development was a \"logical step\", but customers would need to live in an area with fast broadband speeds to benefit. \"I don't think Sky is giving up on other things but they see this as an opportunity,\" said Toby Syfret, TV analyst at the Enders consultancy. \"There are about two million households in the UK, mostly in dense urban areas, where people can't put up dishes. \"If they can offer the full Sky experience without the need for a dish, that is broadening their offer. \"But there will be questions about which homes can get it. Not everybody has the necessary broadband speed.\" Sky is also facing competition from new rivals such as BT and TalkTalk, which deliver pay-TV over the internet. Sky already sells its Now TV streaming service, offering a small selection of television channels and a library of on-demand programmes over the internet. However, the company told the BBC its new dish-free option was designed to provide a more complete service. Details of which channels will be carried, and whether the service will support ultra-high definition 4K broadcasts have yet to be decided. The company is currently in a dispute with broadcaster Discovery, which has threatened to remove its 12 channels from Sky on 1 February. It claims Sky does not pay a \"fair price\" for its channels - but Sky says Discovery's threat is about \"commercial self-interest\". On Wednesday, the pay-TV giant reported a 9% fall in operating profits after paying more for broadcast rights to Premier League football matches.", "summary": "Sky is to offer a complete subscription television package without a satellite dish for the first time."}
{"article": "Passenger Kris Goodman, 30, was travelling on the bus with his five-year-old daughter when the incident happened at about 20:30 on Monday. He said two teenagers, one armed with a machete more than a foot long, targeted the bus in Alexandra Parade. Other vehicles were also said to have been targeted. Several police vehicles and a helicopter were seen in neighbouring Roystonhill following the incident. A Police Scotland spokesman said two men were arrested on Monday night.", "summary": "Two men have been arrested in connection with reports that a teenager armed with a machete attacked a bus in the east end of Glasgow."}
{"article": "United are on the verge of completing a transfer for the 23-year-old that could cost them in excess of \u00a3100m. \"If you are making money and have to pay big money for the best players, why not do it?\" Robson told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek programme. Manager Jose Mourinho wants the deal to be completed before 14 August. No deal has been announced for Pogba, who has been on holiday in the United States since losing the Euro 2016 final with France against Portugal last month. Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has said he expects the midfielder to be at training on Monday, although reports in Italy say Pogba has flown to the UK for a medical. Manchester United have not responded to these reports. Pogba played at United for three years before rejecting a new contract and joining Juventus for a \u00a31.5m compensation fee in 2012. He won the Serie A title in four successive seasons in Italy and has established himself as one of the most highly rated players in the world. \"Sir Alex Ferguson allowed me to watch training as Pogba joined the first team squad [as a teenager],\" said Robson. \"I was very impressed with him. He was a good build, with a good temperament. \"He is the type of player we need. \"He is similar to Yaya Toure in the sense he is very good going forward and can score spectacular goals. \"I am not sure he is a great defender but he does an adequate job.\" Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson says he has no problem with the club breaking the transfer world record to re-sign Paul Pogba from Juventus."}
{"article": "The financially successful 2015 Rugby World Cup in England was followed this year by the Sevens version of the game being contested at the Olympic Games for the first time, attracting attention in previously untapped parts of the world. That has left World Rugby juggling a number of positive challenges - continuing the global growth of the game, taking the sport into new markets, enhancing fan engagement, growing the women's game, and engaging with sponsors and broadcasters. According to Bill Beaumont, former England captain and World Rugby chairman, the game now \"faces growing pains\" experienced by most sports when they are \"on a mission to become truly global\". \"World Rugby's strategic mission... is to grow the global rugby family, and I am pleased to say the sport is experiencing a golden period of exceptional growth,\" he adds. It comes as the body has updated its strategic plan for now until 2020, covering everything from player welfare to finances, but with the core aim being to continue its \"transition from purely a game regulator to that of an inclusive game-inspirer\". On the financial side, thanks to the commercial success of last year's World Cup in England (and Cardiff), World Rugby says its total investment in the game in the coming years is anticipated to be \u00a3245.8m. That is some 22% more than was invested in the previous 2013 to 2016 cycle, as the governing body seeks to \"maximise commercial values and increase the financial sustainability of international rugby\". Looking ahead, among other updated monetary goals, it also hopes its commercial programme around the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan will deliver an envisaged \u00a3210m for the sport. Meanwhile, according to new figures from Nielsen Sports researchers, commercial income into rugby union from sponsors has been on an upwards trajectory in recent years. It says that globally, spending in rugby union by commercial partners increased by 21% from \u00a3231m in 2012 to \u00a3362m last year. \"The value of global commercial and broadcast deals continues to increase through strong partnerships that do not just see record investment injected into the game, but... encourage, promote and support rugby participation,\" says Mr Beaumont. And, as revenues are growing off the pitch, it says more players are taking up the game. Mr Beaumont says the sport is now played in 121 national member unions, with a further 60 nations recognised through the sport's six regional associations. Speaking at the World Rugby ConfEx event in London, he said there had been an increase of 8% in playing participation this year, taking the total number of players globally to eight million. \"[This is] a number that has doubled since rugby was voted onto the Olympic programme seven years ago,\" he said, adding that a further 1.5 million children have been introduced to the sport in 2016 thorough the Get into Rugby participation programme. \"Pleasingly women now represent nearly 30% of that [playing] total, and in many nations women's rugby is the fastest growing team sport,\" he adds. \"We must continue to prioritise investment and competitions to ensure that rugby is", "summary": "As the autumn rugby union internationals put the sport firmly back in the spotlight, the game's governing body says it is perfectly poised to build on the huge boost it has been given over the past 12 months."}
{"article": "After losing Adam Lyth cheaply, Ballance (55) and Andrew Gale (31) led the champions to 106-2 at lunch. Steve Magoffin (2-33) removed Gale after the break and Ballance and Jonny Bairstow soon followed. Jack Leaning (36) and Adil Rashid (53) added 72 for the seventh wicket after a rain delay, but Sussex reduced the hosts to 241-7 at stumps. Needing to gain nine points from the game to guarantee survival in Division One, the visitors made a good start when England discard Lyth was trapped lbw for three by Chris Jordan in the fourth over. Lewis Hatchett (2-47) picked up his first wicket when Alex Lees was given out leg before, but Gale and Ballance prevented any further damage before the interval. As has so often happened in recent seasons, Magoffin was the man to break a partnership for Sussex, but Rashid and Leaning threatened to regain the initiative before Hatchett had Leaning caught at slip, and Chris Liddle (2-44) removed Rashid in the final over of the day. Yorkshire have already secured their second successive County Championship title, having amassed a record 265 points this season.", "summary": "Sussex dominated the first day against Yorkshire to improve their hopes of retaining their Division One status."}
{"article": "Northern is implementing increases of up to 50p from 21 May to \"bring fares in line with other areas\". The RMT union said the \"latest fares rip off is just another example of costs being shifted\" to passengers. Northern, which has introduced rises since September 2016, said fares in the area have been \"historically low\". The rail operator said there would be an increase \"of no more than 50p\" on the majority of off-peak day returns and singles for journeys made within Greater Manchester. It said there would be no change to anytime day single, anytime day return or weekly season tickets and Transport for Greater Manchester concessions. There would be reductions on some tickets, it added. Northern said the rises were to make fares \"fair and consistent\" across the network. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: \"This latest fares rip off is just another example of industry costs being shifted to the passenger.\" Rochdale councillor Andy Kelly said the hike was \"the great rail rip off \" and would \"affect the poorest\". \"Many commuters tell me that they have changed their shift patterns to take advantage of off-peak discounts.\" Northern said the travel increases would go towards its modernisation programme which will see it get rid of Pacer trains by 2020. Rail workers on Northern, Southern and Merseyrail have gone on a number of strikes with the latest on 8 April over proposals for driver-only-operated trains.", "summary": "Rail fares for some off-peak Northern services in Greater Manchester will be increased by up to 10% - the third rise within the past year."}
{"article": "It follows the Aslef, TSSA and Unite unions calling off their action over pay, the Night Tube and station rotas. The RMT said the suspension would allow for \"further consideration and consultation on the current offer\". However, it said further industrial action was still planned. The proposed agreement includes a 2% pay rise in year one, RPI inflation or 1% (whichever is greater) in years two and three, and RPI plus 0.25% or 1% (whichever is greater) in year four, plus a \u00c2\u00a3500 bonus for staff on lines where the night Tube will run. General Secretary Mick Cash said: \"The union makes it clear that we remain in dispute and the strike action scheduled for February remains on. \"The union is finalising the details for the continuation of that industrial campaign and the on-going fight over the threat to jobs, services and safety.\" The Night Tube was due to begin last September but was delayed after the unions raised concerns over pay and conditions and went on strike over the dispute. Two more 24-hour strikes have been arranged for 15 and 17 February. An additional strike on 7 February has also been called in a separate RMT row over jobs and station staffing.", "summary": "A 24-hour Tube strike planned to start on Tuesday evening has been called off after the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union agreed to suspend it."}
{"article": "The actress plays Annalise Keating - a brilliant but conflicted criminal defence professor who, with five of her students, becomes entwined in a murder plot - in How to Get Away With Murder. Her win came after two other black women took home Emmy awards - Regina King for American Crime, and Uzo Aduba for Orange Is the New Black. Here is a transcript of her speech. \"'In my mind, I see a line. And over that line, I see green fields and lovely flowers and beautiful white women with their arms stretched out to me over that line. But I can't seem to get there no how. I can't seem to get over that line.' \"That was Harriet Tubman in the 1800s. And let me tell you something: The only thing that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there. \"So, here's to all the writers, the awesome people that are Ben Sherwood, Paul Lee, Peter Nowalk, Shonda Rhimes. People who have redefined what it means to be beautiful, to be sexy, to be a leading woman, to be black. \"And to the Taraji P Hensons and Kerry Washingtons, the Halle Berrys, the Nicole Beharies, the Meagan Goodes, to Gabrielle Union. Thank you for taking us over that line. Thank you for the Television Academy. Thank you.\"", "summary": "Actress Viola Davis received a standing ovation for her acceptance speech at the Emmy Awards, where she became the first black woman to win outstanding actress in a drama."}
{"article": "They point to figures showing a nearly five-fold increase over two years in the number of children and young people waiting more than 14 weeks to be seen. Leader Kirsty Williams said mental health was seen as an \"afterthought\". The Welsh government said it would spend an extra \u00a37.6m a year to ensure young people were assessed quicker. The Liberal Democrats found that in April 2015 there were 1,332 children who had been waiting over 14 weeks to be assessed by psychiatric services, up from 282 in April 2013. \"These figures are appalling and show that mental health waiting lists are spiralling out of control,\" said Ms Williams. \"For too long mental health services have been an afterthought of governments. This complacency means our mental health services are miles behind where they should be.\" A Welsh government spokesman said an extra \u00a37.6m a year would be spent to ensure young people receive \"the right treatment at the right time\". He added that work was needed to cut the number of \"unnecessary referrals\", with a 100% increase in children and young people seen by child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) over four years. \"Services tell us that around a third do not have a problem requiring any intervention and are discharged at once, and a further third of referrals do not need specialist treatment,\" he said.", "summary": "Mental health waiting lists are \"spiralling out of control\", the Welsh Liberal Democrats have claimed, accusing ministers of \"complacency\"."}
{"article": "A freedom of information request by Plaid Cymru revealed the Labour-run authority had paid out \u00a3144,000 for the legal costs of nursery campaigners. It also paid the \u00a397,500 legal bill of successful library campaigners. The council said costs in such circumstances usually fell on the authority which was \"regrettable\". RCT had previously revealed that its own external legal costs came to \u00a3113,199. Parents took their fight to the High Court in May to overturn the council's decision to end full-time nursery education for younger children. Meanwhile, in the same month, campaigners chained themselves to bookshelves to protest against the proposed closure of Rhydfelin library. They were granted a judicial review before it was reprieved. Plaid Cymru said the money would have been better spent on frontline services. It said the council had tried to \"railroad\" local people and it had been \"a very expensive mistake to make\". A council spokesman said due to continued UK government cuts unpopular decisions had to be made. \"As is their right, residents can and have challenged these particular council decisions which, in respect of the decision to make changes to the funding arrangements for nursery education, resulted in the council's decision being quashed.\"", "summary": "Rhondda Cynon Taf Council (RCT) has had to pay a \u00a3350,000 legal bill over challenges to cuts in nursery education and Rhydyfelin library's closure."}
{"article": "About 1,700 people were asked for their opinions on proposals which were unveiled in June. They involved new housing, a business hub and expansion of Liverpool FC's stadium, creating up to 700 jobs. Mayor Joe Anderson previously said it was \"shameful\" there had been years of delays to improving the area. The plans, drawn up by a consortium made up of Liverpool City Council, housing providers and Liverpool FC, would also see the creation of a wide avenue through Stanley Park ending in a new public square. About 250 new homes would be built, with 296 removed to make way, and a 100-bed hotel constructed. Feedback from residents during a six-week community engagement project will now be considered as more detailed plans are drawn up. They will be subject to consultation before planning applications are submitted next year. Mr Anderson said: \"People have given us invaluable information about the entire range of regeneration ideas and concepts which we unveiled. \"In the coming weeks we will use this information to refine our proposals and to undertake another listening and consultation exercise. \"We believe the plans are exciting and will deliver a massive improvement in quality of life for many thousands of people and be of major benefit to the city, not just Anfield.\"", "summary": "More than 80% of people living and working in the Anfield area of Liverpool are backing plans for a \u00a3260m regeneration, according to a survey."}
{"article": "Dayow Mohamed Hassan, 44, was buried neck-deep and pelted to death with stones by al-Shabab fighters. He was convicted of being in an adulterous relationship with a woman and impregnating her, despite having two wives, an official said. Al-Shabab occasionally passes such sentences for sexual offences in areas it controls in Somalia. In 2014, a teenage boy was stoned to death after being convicted of raping a woman. In 2008, a young girl was killed in a similar manner after being convicted of adultery. In the latest case, a woman filed a complaint of rape against Hassan, but the court tried him for adultery as it is easier to prove, says BBC Somali's Mohamed Mohamed. Hundreds of people watched him being stoned death in Ramo Adey village in the south-central Bay region, said Moalim Geedow, the al-Shabab governor for the area. \"The man had a third woman who was a divorcee... He deceived her, saying that he went to a sheikh [religious leader] and that he married her,\" Mr Geedow told Reuters news agency. \"However, when the woman got pregnant, the two families debated and there was no trace of valid matrimony. The court ruled he did not marry her legally and he was stoned to death.\" Al-Shabab is fighting to overthrow the weak UN-backed government in Somalia and impose its own strict interpretation of Islamic law. It has lost control of many towns and cities to a 22,000-strong African Union force supporting the government. But the group, linked to al-Qaeda, still has a strong presence in many rural areas.", "summary": "Somali militants have stoned a man to death after an Islamic court convicted him of adultery."}
{"article": "New rules, which came into force in April, allow people aged 55 and over to cash in their pension pots rather than take a retirement income. This new system \"is not yet operating entirely as it should\", the Commons Work and Pensions Committee said. The government said any exploitation of retirees was unacceptable. MPs on the committee also raised concerns about gaps in advice and charges. And they said that there were dangers of a mis-selling scandal if pensioners were unable to make informed choices. Some 204,000 people accessed pension pots in April, May and June. This was more than double the number in the same period in 2013, partly reflecting customers delaying accessing their pots until the reforms had taken place, the committee heard. Annuity sales dropped to 12,000 for the same three months, compared with 90,000 in the same quarter of 2013. Some 121,000 customers had opted for cash withdrawal and 71,000 had accessed some form of product to draw income from a pension fund that remained invested. Making these financial decisions left many people at risk of being exploited by con-artists, the committee said. \"Financial scammers are notoriously adept at reinventing themselves to take advantage of such opportunities. But this does not mean scams should be accepted as a fact of life,\" the committee said. In response, the government said it was working hard to tackle the issue. \"The Government has been absolutely clear that any attempt to exploit people who have worked hard and saved for their retirement is unacceptable, which is why we are working with police, regulators and other bodies to raise awareness and take action to protect consumers,\" said a spokesperson for HM Treasury. Another danger was the lack of suitable advice for many people approaching retirement, especially those of middle-incomes. Frank Field, who chairs the committee, said: \"We have seen all too clearly, too many times, what happens when financial information is not properly provided and regulated. We literally cannot afford another financial mis-selling scandal.\" There was also criticism of Pension Wise, the government-backed free service which guides people through the new rules. \"The website is not fit for purpose. It is static, offering no opportunities for personalisation, and lags well behind many private services,\" the report said. A government and City watchdog review into financial advice should consider whether retirees facing jargon and complex financial choices should be given two or more Pension Wise guidance sessions rather than just one. However the government said Pension Wise had been a \"real success story\", with over 20,000 guidance appointments since it started. Pension Wise offers web and phone-based services, as well as face-to-face appointments through Citizens Advice. The City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, told the committee that, in July, Citizens Advice was running at 10% to 15% of its capacity to provide face-to-face appointments. The committee also concluded: \"Freedom to choose is not enough, people must have freedom to make informed choices,\" the report said.", "summary": "Pension reforms have increased the prospect of people being conned out of their life savings, a committee of MPs has concluded."}
{"article": "We gathered that as we sped our way through Lisbon in a convoy of vans, escorted by heavily-armed narcotics police. \"It's been a while since I've gone through red lights with sirens and blue lights,\" chuckled Arfon Jones, a former officer himself. BBC Wales' Week in Week Out programme brought the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner to Portugal to see how a radical new approach to drugs was working out. Plaid Cymru's Mr Jones has led calls for cannabis to be legalised for medicinal purposes and wants the legalisation of all drugs to be considered. We spent four days filming with him in the Portuguese capital and watched as, under armed guard, vans were emptied of three tonnes of heroin, cocaine and cannabis, all seized from drugs gangs, and burnt in an incinerator. Portugal lowered the penalties for drugs possession 15 years ago, but traffickers and dealers still face jail. Police, privately sceptical at first, say the change has worked for them. \"It frees up our time so we can go after the serious and organised crime,\" Artur Vaz, the narcotics police chief told us. It is the other end of the scale - with the drug users - where you see something really new. I filmed Pedro, in his early 20s, being dealt with by a body unique to Portugal called the Dissuasion Commission. Two casually-dressed commissioners questioned him about his private life. He had been referred here because police found him with slightly more than the 10 days' worth of drugs people are allowed. A criminal court found he was not dealing drugs, so now the Dissuasion Commissioners were working with him. This was quite unlike anything I had seen before and different from so-called drugs courts. \"If a user needs help, I am in a much better position than a judge,\" commissioner Nuno Capaz, told Mr Jones. \"He hands out a sentence. That might work if someone robbed a bank, but not if you are a drug-user.\" And because the commissions are run by the health department, he says he has a direct line to treatment services, speeding up referrals. \"In Portugal decriminalisation isn't the big thing,\" said Brendan Hughes, of the European Drugs Monitoring Agency, also based in Lisbon. \"They designed a whole package.\" I took Mr Jones to this EU agency because it is an independent evaluator of international evidence. Mr Hughes told us it was the move from criminal justice to the health department that was making the difference. \"The Portuguese change is coherent and consistent,\" he added. And just as important, say supporters, is the boost given to health practitioners. Psychiatrist Miquel Vasconcelos showed us around the Taipas Centre, where we watched three recovering addicts receive one-to-one physiotherapy. What were the benefits of decriminalisation? we asked. \"We have had more resources. More social awareness that this is a disease not a deviant behaviour, and the people affected by it are more tolerated. And we have felt we have had more acceptance as professionals,\" he said. We were told they got the waiting time for", "summary": "The first thing a Portuguese police officer will tell you about drugs is that they are still illegal."}
{"article": "Fourteen-year-old Karen hides the stump of his left hand in his pocket. His siblings gather round as he looks at Facebook on the family laptop. \"I can't forgive myself for what happened,\" says his mother, Ludmila Bagdasaryan-Mirzoyan. Two years ago Karen found a live anti-aircraft shell in the garden. After he started playing with it, the relic from the 1990s war with Azerbaijan exploded in his hands. The family live in Madagis, a village in the landlocked mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh, close to the frontline with Azerbaijan. After the collapse of the Soviet Union there was all-out war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, from 1992 to 1994. An estimated 30,000 people were killed. Despite a ceasefire of 20 years, the area is heavily militarised. There are frequent shootings across the frontline. Each side blames the other for military casualties, which have risen sharply in recent months. Ludmila says her children often hear gunfire or warning sirens. \"They wake up and ask me: 'Mum has war started again?'\" she says. Azerbaijan lost swathes of territory during the conflict, and more than 600,000 ethnic Azeris from Karabakh and nearby regions were forced to flee. More than 300,000 ethnic Armenians who used to live in Azerbaijan were also displaced by the conflict. Today, a drive through Nagorno-Karabakh reveals many abandoned homes. Some lie in ruins, others are intact, with overgrown gardens, behind still padlocked but rusting gates. Time, it seems, has been frozen here. But the conflict itself is very much alive. Peace negotiations mediated by the Minsk Group, under the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), have seen little progress. \"If we look at the peace process what it really represents is what I call 'back to basics' diplomacy,\" says Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Centre, a think tank based in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. \"It's no longer about negotiating over Nagorno-Karabakh, rather it's back to basic, minimum objectives. \"The first goal of the mediation is to keep the peace process alive and the second goal is to prevent war, rather than any real diplomacy over negotiations where they can't even agree on the agenda. That's how far apart the two sides are.\" Internationally, Nagorno-Karabakh is considered part of Azerbaijan, but its Armenian inhabitants call themselves citizens of the Artsakh Republic and remain the sworn enemies of Azerbaijan. The territory has its own flag, an international airport, police and armed forces, although regular Armenian soldiers serve on the frontline. In reality, Nagorno-Karabakh is isolated. Financially and militarily it depends on Armenia. Its subjects hold Armenian passports. And the international airport stands empty, because Azerbaijan has threatened to shoot down any planes. Frustrated by the lack of a diplomatic solution, Azerbaijan's leadership has threatened to retake the territory militarily. Oil-rich Azerbaijan has spent billions of US dollars on modern weaponry. And most of the arms are supplied by Russia. That is deeply unpopular with Armenia. It counts Russia as its strategic ally, and hosts Russia's only military base in the region. \"We are concerned that Russia, for all sorts of reasons, is", "summary": "Amid fears that a \"frozen conflict\" is developing in eastern Ukraine the BBC's Rayhan Demytrie examines life in disputed Nagorno-Karabakh, scene of one of the former Soviet Union's most protracted conflicts."}
{"article": "It suggested 91% of people were satisfied with GP care and 92% with their last NHS hospital appointment. Finance Minister Jane Hutt said it was \"heartening\" to see such high levels of satisfaction. The survey was an \"important resource\" which would help \"support the delivery of public services\", she added. Asked to rate services on a scale of zero to 10, the average rating for health services was 6.3 and education 6.6, with performance of the Welsh government just above the middle of the range at 5.6, all in line with previous years. On other aspects of life, there were large majorities satisfied with their accommodation (94%), recycling services (82%) and the level of respect in their local community (79%). Overall, the survey of more than 14,000 people found that 83% were satisfied with their daily lives. Other less positive findings included: There were mixed views on the performance of councils, which have been getting to grips with steep budget cuts. People agreeing that their local authority provides high quality services fell from 57%, in both of the two previous years, to 53%. This varied from 42% in Blaenau Gwent believing their local services were high quality to 65% in Conwy. Across Wales, just 37% agreed that their council \"does all it can to improve my local area\". Powys came off worst on this question, with just 29% agreeing with the statement, while Caerphilly got the best result, where 45% agreed. Welcoming the overall results, Ms Hutt said: \"It is particularly heartening to see such high levels of satisfaction with the NHS and education. \"The survey is an important resource for us and will support the delivery of public services. \"Hearing the views of people across the country will help us make Wales an even better place to live, work and enjoy.\" No wonder the Welsh government sounds happy - after a year when their record on public services, health in particular, has been under scrutiny like never before, it seems the people who use those services have had a positive experience. The data confirms a paradox any politician who's knocked on a voter's door will recognise - people tend to think their own experience is good, but have a perception that the overall picture is poor. Not that anyone should run away with the idea that life in Wales is without its problems. Forty percent of people report finding it difficult to keep up with the bills, although that figure is lower than in previous years. And one in five say they feel \"materially deprived\" - going without a holiday, failing to put anything aside or feeling unable to have the heating on. It's not all good news for the Welsh government either - although the public has rated elements of the NHS and education highly, the administration that delivers them gets only a modest score: 5.6 out of 10.", "summary": "People across Wales remain \"highly satisfied\" with the NHS, education and with their daily lives, according to a national survey."}
{"article": "The radio and radar station set up at Aird Uig, Gallan Head, 60 years ago was part of Nato's early warning system against Soviet submarines and aircraft. Gallan Head Community Trust bought the site from the Ministry of Defence with help of grant funding. It is working on turning parts of the site into a space observatory. A marine research centre is also planned at what is to be called The Cetus Observatory. The trust said: \"Cetus will be a ground-breaking, multi-purpose space for observing the dark skies, changeable weather, listening to and spotting whales and getting absorbed in every aspect of nature and science. \"The observatory will hold an internet operated robotic telescope, a small radio telescope, a small radar, a solar telescope, a planetarium, a space exhibition, giant wide field binoculars for viewing cetaceans and birdlife, nature webcams, a caf\u00c3\u00a9, educational facilities, and a small shop. It added: \"Outside the centre there will be a circular path around the headland, in some places leading to observation shelters, excellent for daytime marine life spotting walks or night-time star gazing.\"", "summary": "A ceilidh and a torchlight procession are to be held on Saturday to mark a year since a community buyout of a Cold War surveillance station on Lewis."}
{"article": "More than 300 bags of rubbish were gathered during the beach cleans at Dun Canna, north of Ullapool. The tins were from factory ships, known as klondykers, which would anchor in Loch Broom off Ullapool to process mackerel in the 1970s to early 90s. Almost 50 volunteers were involved in collecting the rubbish. The effort was part of the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Living Seas project.", "summary": "Tin cans from Soviet-era fish factory ships have been found among rubbish cleared from two shorelines in the north west Highlands."}
{"article": "As campaigning officially gets under way for the general election on 20 December, there are new political figures on the block. Firstly there is Albert Rivera, a dashing 36-year-old Catalan, whose party, Ciudadanos (Citizens) has burst onto the scene, apparently stealing much of the centre ground. And then take Pablo Iglesias, a 37-year-old jeans-wearing, ponytail-sporting former university professor who leads the grassroots, left-wing movement born from the economic crisis called Podemos (We can). His allies swept to power in several big Spanish cities in regional elections back in May. Both men sell themselves as a new brand of politician. Mr Iglesias says the rich should pay more to end poverty and he would force King Felipe to stand in an election for the position of head of state. Mr Rivera is socially liberal, but committed to free-market economics. They both claim they will end corruption. Scandals have plagued Spain's traditional parties in recent years. An impromptu exchange on the issue of corruption between Mr Iglesias and Celia Villalobos, a senior figure from the ruling Popular Party (PP), was trending on Twitter this week. She warned him not to go around accusing all of her party of being corrupt. Spain's incumbent prime minister, the slightly dour Galician, Mariano Rajoy, made other headlines. First he was criticised for not appearing in a debate. An empty lectern alongside the three other candidates was one of the top images of the pre-election campaign week. But the contrast between Mr Rajoy's non-appearance, and then his appearance in a Spanish celebrity's kitchen for an overly friendly interview could not have been greater. The latter felt more like a political advert, broadcast on Spain's public broadcaster, TVE. Soft questions, a biography, cheesy music and slow-motion shots of the two men walking only give ammunition to the critics that say Spain's public broadcaster is not independent. However despite all the talk of change, according to the polls Mr Rajoy's party will be in the driving seat to form a government after the election, come 21 December. It is true that we should not underestimate the seismic shift that is taking place in Spanish politics. The political tennis match of the past in Spain, where for 33 years the ball of power was knocked back and forth between Mr Rajoy's PP and their rivals the Socialists (PSOE), is no more. The two-party game is over. One thing that is almost certain is that no party will get an overall majority in the Spanish parliament. Mr Rajoy will tell voters their money is safe in his hands: that his party takes the credit for Spain's economic recovery and that there is more to do. Some Spanish voters are yearning for something new, to do away with the politics of the past. But others might opt for more of the same. It is arguably modern Spain's most unpredictable election to date.", "summary": "On the face of it, it is an election that will change the face of Spanish politics."}
{"article": "Laird shot a second round 68 in San Diego to stay within reach of KJ Choi and Gary Woodland, who were nine under. England's Rose and Paul Casey missed the cut by a shot, along with American and world number four Rickie Fowler. American Mickelson was a further shot behind, while Australia's defending champion Day missed out by three. World number two Day's preparations were hampered by illness and the he missed the cut for the first time in nearly eight months. Mickelson finished with three straight bogeys as his challenge was ended. \"I think I tried to force the issue a little bit,\" he said. \"When I wasn't under par early, I kind of started to press a little bit. But that stuff happens.\"", "summary": "Scotland's Martin Laird moved to within two shots of the lead as Jason Day, Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose missed the cut at the Farmers Open."}
{"article": "More than 300,000 children under the age of five are severely malnourished and require urgent assistance. Most of those in need of help have been internally displaced following decades of conflict. Malnutrition levels in Somalia have increased over the last six months with nearly half the population affected. The number of people without enough food has increased by 300,000 since February. Somalia drought leaves children 'facing death' Peter de Clercq, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, said those providing aid were ready to \"scale up\" their response to help families struggling to find food. But he noted that funding for the Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan has reached just 32% of its target. The crisis follows poor rainfall in the south and central parts of Somalia where crop production has fallen by more than half in just six months. Farmers have also lost many of their livestock in the recent drought. Aid agencies have warned that the numbers could go higher if the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya is closed down and thousands are forced to return to Somalia where they have no homes or livelihoods. In January, aid agencies launched an appeal for more than $880m (\u00c2\u00a3680m) to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Somalia but, so far, less than half of that sum has been donated. The UN report, released on Tuesday, suggests that crop production was severely hit by insufficient rainfall and flash flooding in southern and central Somalia, \"the breadbasket of the country\". The agency said continued population displacement following decades of conflict and attacks by extremist groups such as al-Shabab was a major contributing factor. Who are Somalia's al-Shabab? Al-Shabab, the Islamist militant group, has been battling the UN-backed government in Somalia for years and has carried out a string of attacks in neighbouring Kenya. The group, which is allied to al-Qaeda, has been pushed out of most of the main towns it once controlled, but it remains a potent threat.", "summary": "Nearly five million people in Somalia are suffering from a shortage of food due to poor rainfall, floods and displacement, the United Nations says."}
{"article": "Hanson UK had applied to use Sutton village to prevent mixer lorries getting stuck in A40 roadworks. A county council report said lorries bound for the new Westgate Centre had been seen using the route before permission had been given. The firm has apologised for the breaches. In September 2015 the company was given planning permission by Oxfordshire County Council for a mobile concrete plant at Dix Pit in Stanton, on condition lorries used the A415 and A40 and avoided Sutton. In November, Hanson said lorries bound for the new Westgate Centre were spending so much time in roadworks that 100 tonnes of concrete, worth more than \u00c2\u00a322,000, had been lost through prematurely setting while still in mixer lorries. It applied for a change in the planning permission conditions to allow it to use the B4449 through Sutton. However, council officers reported lorries were using the route before the request was approved, with a driver stopping to ask a council officer directions on one occasion. The authority said it was \"extremely disappointing\" Hanson UK had not stuck to the agreement. The council report said Hanson had apologised for the breaches and insisted it had warned drivers not to use the route. County councillor for Eynsham, Charles Matthews, said the measures taken by the company \"clearly hadn't worked\". \"The trouble is the roads are not brilliant because its very narrow, the verges have been driven over and drain covers are sunk into the road,\" he added If the council approves the request, 10 loaded mixing trucks could use the route each day until November 2016.", "summary": "A contractor supplying concrete for Oxford's new shopping centre has been criticised for breaching an agreement not to drive lorries through a village."}
{"article": "Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell 8.9% in 2014 on the previous year, while emissions of all the greenhouse gases were 7.7% below 2013 levels. The figures come from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc). The biggest fall in 2014 was in homes (17%), where a warmer year meant less gas was used for heating. A significant fall was also seen in the power sector (down 13.6%), which saw less use of coal in electricity.", "summary": "Greenhouse gas output in the UK fell almost 8% in 2014, although emissions from transport and agriculture rose slightly, official figures show."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old MTN-Qhubeka rider maintained his 13-second lead over Team Sky's Wouter Poels on Sunday's 14-lap final stage around central London. Team Sky's Elia Viviani was awarded the stage win after Andre Greipel, who crossed the line first, was penalised. Owain Doull, riding for Team Wiggins, was the highest placed Briton in third. The Welshman finished 10th on the stage but picked up bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint to leapfrog Rasmus Guldhammer to end the race 42 seconds behind Boasson Hagen and also win the points classification. Germany's Griepel beat Viviani by milimetres in Saturday's penultimate stage and was again first over the finish line on Sunday. However, the Lotto-Soudal rider was adjudged to have impeded Viviani in the sprint for the line and was relegated to the back of the bunch by race officials. \"I didn't see Viviani coming,\" said Greipel. \"Everybody was on the limit on the final corner. I didn't do anything for purpose that's for sure. That's sprinting.\" After winning his third stage of the race, Italian Viviani, who crossed the finish line with his hand in the air in complaint, said: \"He came across a little bit and that edged me towards the barriers. \"I'm disappointed because it is better to win without this but we won in London and that is the main thing.\" Stage eight result: 1. Elia Viviani (Ita/Team Sky) 1hr 50mins 16secs, 2. Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Esp/Movistar) same time 3. Matteo Trentin (Ita/Etixx-Quickstep) 4. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/MTN-Qhubeka) 5. Jens Debusschere (Bel/Lotto-Soudal) 6. Sondre Holst Enger (Nor/IAM) 7. Mark Renshaw (Aus/Etixx-Quickstep) 8. Graham Briggs (GB/JLT Condor) 9. Ruben Zepuntke (Ger/Cannondale-Garmin) 10. Owain Doull (GB/Team Wiggins) General classification: 1. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/MTN-Qhubeka) 34hrs 52mins 52secs, 2. Wouter Poels (Ned/Team Sky) +13 secs, 3. Owain Doull (GB/Team Wiggins) +42secs 4. Rasmus Guldhammer (Den/Cult Energy Pro Cycling) +43secs 5. Zdenek Stybar (Cze/Etixx-Quick-Step) +51secs 6. Ruben Fernandez (Spa/Movistar) same time 7. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Team LottoNL-Jumbo) 8. Dylan van Baarle (Ned/Cannondale-Garmin) +53secs 9. Chris Anker Sorensen (Den/Tinkoff-Saxo) +59secs 10. Xandro Meurisse (Bel/An Post - Chainreaction) +1:02 Selected others: 18. Peter Kennaugh (GB/Team Sky) +2:51 24. Ian Stannard (GB/Team Sky) +38:36 87. Bradley Wiggins (GB/Team WIGGINS) +1.31:03", "summary": "Edvald Boasson Hagen became the first rider to win the Tour of Britain twice since its return to the professional cycling calendar in 2004."}
{"article": "Hearts value the Scotland Under-21 international at around \u00a31m. The 23-year-old attacker is contracted at Tynecastle until next summer and has turned down the offer of an extension. Walker, who has made more than 180 appearances for Hearts and who scored 15 goals last season, can sign a pre-contract agreement with another club from 1 December. Rangers' initial bid was rejected on Wednesday. Hearts director of football Craig Levein said last month that Walker wanted to leave the club. The club subsequently stated \"the player would prefer to see out the remaining year of his contract\". Rangers finished third in the Scottish Premiership - two places and 21 points above Hearts - and have signed defenders Bruno Alves and Fabio Cardoso, midfielder Ryan Jack and forwards Daniel Candeias and Dalcio this summer. The club, who will enter the first qualifying round of the Europa League later this month, have also had a second offer for Norwich City midfielder Graham Dorrans turned down.", "summary": "Hearts have rejected a second bid from Rangers, believed to be in the region of \u00a3600,000, for winger Jamie Walker."}
{"article": "\"This battle is ours... and I promise you victory,\" he said in a TV address. Syrian rebels in the besieged town of Qusair say they are under heavy bombardment from Hezbollah combatants. The town is close to the Lebanese border, a conduit for both the government and rebels to get weapons. In the speech from an undisclosed location, Mr Hasrallah said if Sunni Islamists took over in Syria, they would pose a threat to the entire Lebanese population - Shia and Sunni Muslims, as well as Christians. He said his movement could never be aligned with Syrian rebels who, in his view, were supported by the United States and Israel. Hezbollah plunges deep into Syria conflict Dozens of Hezbollah militants are said to have been killed fighting alongside Syrian troops in Qusair since 19 May, when government forces launched an offensive to recapture the rebel-held town. Last week, US Secretary of State John Kerry said thousands of Hezbollah fighters were contributing significantly to the violence in Syria. He added that Iran was actively supporting Hezbollah's involvement - a claim denied by Tehran. Iran and Hezbollah are predominantly Shia, while Mr Assad's Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shia Islam. The week-long fighting in Qusair intensified early on Saturday, when activists reported heavy bombardments, including two ground-to-ground missiles and an air strike as well as artillery and rocket fire. Syrian state media said the army had launched a three-pronged offensive in the north, centre and south of Qusair, and was making big advances after \"killing large numbers\" of fighters. Qusair is important for the Syrian government because it links the capital, Damascus, with the Alawite heartland on the Mediterranean coast. However, official media made no mention of the part played by Hezbollah. The Lebanese group is also known to have lost a number of fighters in Qusair, prompting Lebanese President Michel Suleiman to warn the Shia militia against getting \"bogged down in the sands of discord\". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based activist group that monitors the conflict, said at least 22 people including 18 rebels had been killed in the latest fighting in Qusair. Dozens had been wounded, it added.", "summary": "The leader of the Lebanese Shia militant Hezbollah movement, Hassan Nasrallah, has promised his supporters they will prevail in Syria, where they are backing President Bashar al-Assad."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old star won gold on the track at London 2012, but, on the advice of British Cycling, switched full-time to road racing last year. \"Initially I was told I couldn't appeal,\" she said. \"I'm going to explore that option. \"I haven't really been given a fair explanation as to why I haven't been selected, to be completely honest.\" The Rio Olympics get under way on 5 August. King is second-highest British rider in the world standings but was overlooked when the British road race team was revealed last week. Emma Pooley and Nikki Harris were chosen instead - to support lead rider Lizzie Armitstead - despite both being ranked below her. King called the decision \"unfair\" but thought she was unable to appeal against the decision because she was not on British Cycling's funded programme. However, British Cycling's interim performance manager Andy Harrison subsequently announced she could. \"I have really enjoyed being on the road this year and I feel I've exceeded all expectations in terms of my results,\" said King. \"I was given nine criteria at the start of the year which I've been working toward and I'm absolutely gutted.\" Media playback is not supported on this device King defied expectations by returning to elite racing after a life-threatening training crash in November 2014 left her with eight broken ribs, a bruised liver and punctured lung. She stopped receiving UK Sport funding two months later and was told she would not be considered for the Rio track cycling team late last year. She has been focusing exclusively on road racing ever since. Despite her Olympic omission and the controversies surrounding British Cycling following the departure of technical director Shane Sutton amid claims of sexism and discrimination, King refuses to be too critical of the national set-up. \"When I was on the programme, I was supported really well,\" she said. \"It's just disappointing that I feel like this selection hasn't been fair to me.\" She insisted: \"I'm not here to slag off British Cycling and I do wish all of the British riders a lot of success in Rio.\"", "summary": "Olympic champion Dani King may appeal against British Cycling's decision not to select her for the Rio Games."}
{"article": "Scientists from Stirling University looked at the effects a group of beavers had on a wetland in Tayside originally drained for farming. The 12-year study found plant richness rose by 46% and the number of different plants recorded more than doubled. The study is the first to measure the environmental benefits of the beavers' activity over time. Between 2003 and 2015, the beavers constructed 195 metres of dams, 500 metres of canals and an acre of ponds at the site on a private estate in Blairgowrie, Perthshire. Scientists said the surrounding vegetation \"increased in complexity\" by 71%. Prof Nigel Willby from the university said wetlands were \"tremendously important environments\" for biodiversity, but were disappearing at an \"alarming rate\". He said: \"Beavers are renowned for their engineering skills, like dam building, and are now being considered as tools for restoring wetlands. \"They have been reintroduced widely, including in Scotland, partly for this purpose and our findings demonstrate the surprisingly large benefits they can bring to biodiversity.\" The study was partly-funded by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and published in the international journal Science of the Total Environment. Following trial reintroductions, Eurasian beavers were readmitted to Scotland last year, 400 years after being hunted to extinction in the UK. Co-author Dr Alan Law said: \"We know lots about the benefits of beavers in natural settings, but until now we did not know the full extent of what they can achieve in present-day landscapes where restoration is most needed. \"Seeing what beavers can do for our wetlands and countryside highlights the diverse landscape we have been missing for the last 400 years.\"", "summary": "A new study has highlighted beavers \"exceptional\" ability to rebuild diverse wetlands."}
{"article": "Allan Fleming, 48, from the Faifley area of Clydebank, was struck by an Asda articulated lorry on the A82 at Duntocher at about 11.00 on Sunday. The incident happened on the westbound carriageway between the Kilbowie roundabout and the Erskine Bridge. Mr Fleming was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have appealed for witnesses to the crash.", "summary": "Police have released the name of a cyclist who died after being hit by a lorry in West Dunbartonshire."}
{"article": "The hit show about the life of one of America's founding fathers just fell short of The Producers' record of 12 statuettes in 2001. For the first time at the ceremony, all four musical acting winners were black, including British star Cynthia Erivo. But Saturday's mass shooting in an Orlando gay club overshadowed the show, and many paid tribute to the victims. Host James Corden dedicated the night in New York to celebrating the diversity of Broadway, saying: \"Our hearts go out to all of those affected by this atrocity. All we can say is you're not on your own right now. Your tragedy is our tragedy. \"Hate will never win. Tonight's show stands as a symbol and a celebration of that principle.\" Corden won a Tony Award in 2012 for his performance in One Man, Two Guvnors. US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle introduced the cast of Hamilton, which had 16 nominations, with a video message at the ceremony. The president said it was \"not only a smash hit but a civics lesson our kids can't get enough of\", while rapper Common described the show as a \"cultural phenomenon\". It won awards including best musical, best director, best original score and best book of a musical for the spoken, non-sung dialogue and storyline. The cast changed their performance in the light of the Orlando shooting, which killed 50 people and wounded 53, leaving their prop guns behind when they took to the stage. Hamilton, which won the Pulitzer Prize for drama earlier this year, has been hailed as \"a landmark American musical\", garnering celebrity fans including Star Wars director JJ Abrams, Jay Z and President Obama. In addition to blockbuster ticket sales, the album of the show is the highest-selling cast recording for 50 years, picking up this year's Grammy Award for best musical theatre album. Erivo, who won best actress for her leading role in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple, said: \"I promised myself I wouldn't cry because my make-up artist would be really mad at me. Thank you American Theatre Wing for making a London girl very, very happy.\" The Color Purple began at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London in 2013, where Erivo played Celie. Its artistic director David Babani said: \"It's an honour to be recognised in this way by the theatre community in New York. \"However wonderful the events of tonight, they are overshadowed by the tragedy in Orlando, and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this awful event.\" The other three best musical actor winners were from Hamilton. They were Leslie Odom Jr for lead actor, Daveed Diggs for featured actor and Renee Elise Goldsberry for featured actress. The show is expected to open at London's Victoria Palace Theatre in October 2017. Speaking before the ceremony, Hamilton's star and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda said the shooting was \"heavy in my heart and heavy in my mind\". Veteran US actor Frank Langella, who won best performance by a lead actor in a play for his role in The Father, urged", "summary": "Hip-hop musical Hamilton has led the Tony Awards in New York, winning 11 including best musical and lead actor."}
{"article": "Habyarimana Mucebo, a senior member of the Rwandan FDLR rebel group, was captured in Rutshuru, north-eastern DR Congo. Members of the FDLR fled into DR Congo after the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The slaughter of some 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus sparked years of unrest in the region. Mr Mucebo, the FDLR intelligence chief, has been taken into custody for interrogation, the army says. Most senior figures of the group are wanted by Rwanda for their alleged role in the 1994 killings. Mr Mucebo's arrest is not linked to genocide charges as initially reported. Congolese officials accuse him of links to atrocities blamed on the FDLR. For many years, the Hutu rebel group had become a source of instability in DR Congo's North Kivu province. Rwanda has sent troops and militias into DR Congo on several occasions since the genocide, saying they were going after the FDLR.", "summary": "A Rwandan Hutu rebel commander wanted for atrocities committed on Congolese soil has been arrested in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo."}
{"article": "Ammar Haider, from Birmingham, told three woman a series of \"sob stories\" to get them to part with savings, take out loans and even pawn possessions, totalling \u00a3120,000, police said. The married father-of-two said he was a trainee pilot, ill relatives needed expensive medical treatment and he was stuck in a dangerous jail in Dubai. He admitted three charges of fraud. When West Midlands Police looked into his finances, officers said they found transactions from other victims who had apparently been bullied into not reporting Haider to police because he pretended to be a feared gangster and threatened them and their families. Haider first made contact with a woman from Sheffield, in 2011, having stolen her personal details from a customer database at the car insurance centre where he worked in Sandwell. He began flirting with her via text message before they agreed to meet. He told her he was a trainee pilot with Emirates Airlines. She ended up giving him \u00a39,000 towards his ill father's emergency \"treatment\" and other bills. The woman, who went on holiday to Austria with him, was later contacted by his wife confirming that, along with other women, she had been tricked, police said. The 28-year-old from Acocks Green also told a woman from Edinburgh whom he met through a dating site that he needed \u00a345,000 in bail money to escape torturers inside a Dubai prison, police said. She gave him a total of \u00a352,000 but became suspicious when she checked with authorities. In police interviews, Haider said he knew the three women but said they had willingly handed over money and made up lies about him when he ended the relationships. Det Con Debra Phillips, said his victims - all well-paid professionals - now had long-term financial problems. \"They were cynically targeted by Haider because of their financial means. At one stage he was juggling relationships with his wife and two girlfriends.\" Haider admitted the charges last month at Birmingham Crown Court and was sentenced on Wednesday.", "summary": "A serial liar who tricked women he dated out of tens of thousands of pounds has been jailed for five years."}
{"article": "In an effort to help with that, a group of fourth-year vet students from Glasgow University has set up a clinic service to provide free vaccinations, micro-chipping, clothing, bedding and more. \"My pal bought him for me,\" says Michael of his three-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Giro. The two are sitting in the doorway of a Glasgow bank, sheltering from the rain. He was named because Michael got him on what he calls a giro day - the day he receives his benefits money. \"My pal asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said a wee bit of company. \"I know it sounds stupid,\" he adds with a laugh, \"but I just wanted somebody to talk to and the puppy does it for me. \"He just sits there with you and he's dead loyal. I just love him to bits.\" Michael has been on the streets on and off since 2005. Sometimes he is able to stay with friends but other times he and Giro end up outdoors. For nights like that they have a routine. \"You just get plenty of cardboard on the ground and a couple of sheets of cardboard over the top of you - a door mat, anything like that, just to put a bit of weight on you and then the dog cuddles up next to me and the two of us are warm as toast.\" Michael and Giro have a regular spot where they sit. Passers-by who stop to put money in the cup, often take a moment to give the dog a pat too. Others bring or buy food for Giro. \"He doesn't suffer,\" says Michael. \"He's better than me, put it that way. He's guaranteed a meal. I'm not.\" Giro is also wearing a coat against the winter chill which he got from the Trusty Paws clinic. It was set up this year by Glasgow University vet students. \"We provide basic preventative health care,\" says 22 year-old Ruby Shorrock, who came up with idea after seeing a similar scheme in England. They launched in March and over the summer collected supplies and public donations. In October they held their first clinic. They provide things such as vaccinations, flea and worming treatment, micro chips and general clinical exams, as well as other things including food and collars to dog owners who are homeless. \"They really care for their dogs even more than they care for themselves,\" says Ms Shorrock. \"Often the dogs get fed before their owners get fed. So just seeing that dedication and passion from someone who's in that predicament is inspiring.\" \"The aim is to help these people off the streets, so if they're not worrying about feeding their dog or getting care for their dog, they can look after themselves.\" The clinics have been held at the advice and information hub of the Glasgow Simon Community. The organisation, which aims to combat the causes and effects of homelessness, is partnering in the Trusty Paws project. It has meant that, as well as the dogs being helped, the people too are", "summary": "The relationship between a homeless person and their dog can be an exceptionally close one but if you are on the streets, looking after your pet can also be challenging."}
{"article": "New York City's new Mayor Bill de Blasio refused to join the city's annual parade, and Guinness has withdrawn its sponsorship. Parade organisers said gay groups are not prohibited but may not carry identifying banners. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh also skipped his city's parade on Sunday. Mr de Blasio has said he would not join the parade in protest against its long-standing policy of excluding gay Irish groups from marching openly. The New York mayor played host to Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny for a St Patrick's Day breakfast before the parade. Mr Kenny joined the procession down Fifth Avenue in New York City's Manhattan borough on Monday, after saying the holiday was about Irishness, not sexuality. On Sunday, Irish beer brand Guinness said it was dropping its participation in the New York parade. \"Guinness has a strong history of supporting diversity and being an advocate for equality for all,\" the brand said in a statement issued by parent company, Diageo. \"We were hopeful that the policy of exclusion would be reversed for this year's parade.\" The firm pulled any promotional materials that were not already printed, although the beer maker had already made a payment to parade organisers, spokeswoman Alix Dunn said. Some gay and lesbian groups protested along the parade route on Monday, while a plan to dump Guinness beer from the shelves of the Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the gay rights movement in New York City, was cancelled after the company pulled out of the parade. New York's parade draws more than one million spectators and about 200,000 participants during the St Patrick's Day holiday. On Friday, two other major beer brands, Boston-based Sam Adams and Heineken, also dropped parade sponsorships. In Boston, Mr Walsh, the first Irish-American Boston mayor in 20 years, said: \"So much of our Irish history has been shaped by the fight against oppression. \"As mayor of the city of Boston, I have to do my best to ensure that all Bostonians are free to participate fully in the civic life of our city.\"", "summary": "The world's largest St Patrick's Day parade has kicked off under a cloud of protest against the organisers' refusal to allow gay groups to march openly."}
{"article": "Pritchard, a former England Under-21 international, has made two senior appearances for Spurs. He has scored a total of 20 goals in 100 matches on loan at Peterborough, Swindon, Brentford and West Brom. The 23-year-old would become Championship club Norwich's third summer signing, after keeper Michael McGovern and winger Sergi Canos. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Norwich City are in talks to sign Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Alex Pritchard, reports BBC Radio Norfolk."}
{"article": "The move ends an embarrassing situation for the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who last year pledged to try to put Wonga out of business by helping credit unions compete with it. It later emerged that the Church had indirectly staked about \u00c2\u00a375,000 in Wonga through an investment fund. The archbishop told the BBC he was \"absolutely delighted\" that the investment had ended. When details of the link emerged last year, Archbishop Welby had admitted to being \"embarrassed\" and \"irritated\". The Church Commissioners for England, which deals with the Church's investments, said on Thursday it was \"pleased to announce\" the indirect exposure to Wonga as part of its venture capital portfolio had been removed. \"At no time have the commissioners invested directly in Wonga or in other payday lenders,\" the commissioners' statement said, adding that the indirect exposure was \"considerably less than 0.01% of the value of Wonga\". It said the commissioners believed venture capital to be \"a good and useful instrument with significant potential to serve the common good\", but that a number of \"ethical investment changes\" had been made. These included tightening investment restrictions for direct investments, with new controls on indirect investments due to be announced later in the year. The statement added: \"We no longer have any financial or any other interest in Wonga.\" In an interview to be broadcast on this Sunday's Andrew Marr show, Archbishop Welby said: \"I have been absolutely clear that I do not believe that the rates of interest charged by these companies are ethical and moral - they are legal but they are not ethical or moral.\" As he does not sit on the Church's assets committee, he had no \"legal right to intervene\", he said, adding: \"I can obviously apply pressure, encouragement, and I've tried to do that and I'm absolutely delighted that we are now out of Wonga and have taken no profit from it.\" Details of the investment emerged in July 2013 shortly after Archbishop Welby said he had \"bluntly\" told Wonga boss Errol Damelin \"we're not in the business of trying to legislate you out of existence; we're trying to compete you out of existence\". The expansion of credit unions would provide an alternative, he had suggested. Wonga responded by saying it was \"all for better consumer choice\".", "summary": "The Church of England has ended its investment in the payday lender Wonga."}
{"article": "First Minister Carwyn Jones will travel with former Wales football striker Ian Rush to Switzerland on 21 April to get the trophy from Uefa's headquarters. The trophy will be \"welcomed\" to the host city with a parade from Cardiff Castle to the Principality Stadium. It will then embark on a tour around Wales, stopping at schools, clubs and popular public locations. The women's Champions League trophy, the final of which will be staged at the Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, 1 June, will also be on the tour. The second-legs of the men's quarter-final ties will be staged this week. UEFA Champions League Trophy Experience, public event dates in Wales: Friday 21 April: 16:45 Trophy arrival in Wales and procession from Cardiff Castle to Principality Stadium Saturday 22 April: 13:30-15:00 Liberty Stadium in Swansea Sunday 23 April: 16:00-20:00 Aberystwyth Town Football Club Monday 24 April: 14:00-19:00 Bangor City Football Club Tuesday 25 April: 17:00-18:30 Llandudno Football Club Wednesday 26 April: 18:00-20:00 Bala Town Football Club Saturday 29 April: All day Beaumaris Castle Sunday 30 April: 11:00-17:00 Portmeirion (Public event) Monday 1 May: 18:00-20:00 Cefn Druids Football Club, Wrexham Thursday 4 May: 10:00-16:00 Haverfordwest town centre Saturday 6 May: 09:00-11:00 Newtown Football Club, 13:00-15:00 Brecon Leisure Centre, 17:00-20:00 Merthyr Town Football Club Sunday 7 May: 10:00-14:00 Tenby Monday 8 May: 14:00-16:00 Friars Walk Shopping Centre, Newport, 18:00-20:00 Cwmbran Stadium", "summary": "The Champions League trophy will go on tour around Wales before the 2017 final in Cardiff on 3 June."}
{"article": "The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said there were \"major issues\" in the way allergies were recorded and shared. In its first guidelines on allergy, it is calling for known allergies to be recorded on all prescriptions. The charity Allergy UK said a \"lack of awareness\" was putting lives at risk. Official data recorded 18,079 incidents of drug allergies affecting patient safety in the NHS in England and Wales between 2005 and 2013. Most involved medicines which were prescribed to a patient with a known allergy to that class of drugs. Prof Mark Baker, the director of the centre for clinical practice at NICE, said: \"If we know that giving someone a particular drug could cause them harm, or in the worst instances may even kill them, the utmost care must be taken to ensure they are not prescribed or administered that drug.\" NICE said efforts were needed to \"dispel confusion\" over allergies after \"major issues\" were discovered as the guidelines were drawn up. It called for improvements in the way doctors collect information on patients' allergies. It also wants a re-design of all prescriptions to include information on the classes of drugs to which a patient is known to be allergic. Signs of allergy include fever, hives, wheezing, redness and swelling. Dr Shuaib Nasser, a consultant allergist at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, stated: \"The guideline stresses the care all healthcare professionals must take when documenting new drug allergies and the importance of sharing this information with patients and other healthcare professionals. \"People should be provided with structured written information on drugs to avoid and be advised to check with their pharmacist before taking over-the-counter medicines. \"In some cases, specialist investigations will be required to confirm or exclude drug allergy.\" Maureen Jenkins, clinical director at the charity Allergy UK, said: \"Drug allergies can cause severe, sometimes life-threatening reactions but are often undiagnosed. \"We frequently have calls about the lack of awareness about drug allergy, inadequate documentation and communication between health professionals, which can put patients' lives at risk. We welcome these NICE guidelines, that will lay the foundation stone for better understanding and management of drug allergy across primary, secondary and tertiary care.\"", "summary": "Thousands of lives are put at risk by doctors prescribing drugs to which patients are known to be allergic, the medicines watchdog says."}
{"article": "A man in his 40s was found fatally shot near the Colnbrook bypass, Slough, on Monday. A relative said Reuben Gregory had lived with his sister Kathleen in the area for more than 50 years. It is believed they lived in a caravan. She described them as \"very, very quiet inoffensive people\". \"They are just very peaceable people, living a very simple life. That's the way they have always lived, that's the only life they know.\" The family member, who did not want to be named, said the siblings had been targeted 30 years ago in a burglary during which Ms Gregory was tied up. Emergency services teams, including armed officers, found the man at 03:30 BST. Mr Gregory, in his 70s, and Ms Gregory, in her 50s, remain in custody. Det Ch Supt Chris Ward, of Thames Valley Police, said investigators were treating the shooting as an \"isolated incident\". He added: \"I must stress that this incident is not being treated as related to terrorism and there is no threat to the wider public.\" On Monday, officers arrested a 48-year-old man on suspicion of burglary in connection with the incident. The man, who is said to be local to the area, is in police custody.", "summary": "An elderly man and his sister arrested on suspicion of murder live together in \"secluded\" Berkshire woodland, a relative has claimed."}
{"article": "Lorraine Warden forged the signature of a doctor at Ninewells Hospital in order to take the money, which was intended to pay for medical staff, equipment and training. An investigation found the 44 year old had written 61 cheques to herself. She told police she had taken the money due to spiralling debts from payday loans. Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Warden had been working as a secretary for NHS Tayside and the University of Dundee when she took the money, which had been donated to the Tayside Otolaryngology Fund. Dr Stephen Jones, the only signatory on the bank account for the fund, noticed discrepancies between a spreadsheet used to manage the fund's money, chequebook stubs and the bank account. An investigation revealed a total of 62 cheques, including one in the name of Warden's daughter, had been cashed for a total of \u00a355,000 between 2007 and 2012. Warden, of Muirhead, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge of embezzlement. Sheriff Elizabeth Munro deferred sentence for the preparation of reports, and allowed Warden bail meantime. The Tayside Otolaryngology Fund, which was in place to \"provide staff, instruments, equipment or materials for the purposes of promoting and furthering research and advancing specialist techniques\", ceased to operate in November 2013.", "summary": "An NHS secretary has admitted embezzling \u00a355,000 from a Dundee hospital charity fund."}
{"article": "President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who first came to power as prime minister in 2003, is seeking a big enough majority to turn Turkey into a presidential republic. However his hopes may be scuppered if the pro-Kurdish HDP crosses the 10% threshold and enters parliament. Explosions at its election rally in Diyarbakir on Friday killed four. Officials said the blasts were caused by improvised bombs. HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas criticised Mr Erdogan's response to the killings. Casting his vote on Sunday Mr Demirtas commented: \"The election campaigning process was not a fair and equal race.\" However he added: \"Hopefully we will wake up to a new and freer Turkey on 8 June.\" Polls across Turkey's 81 provinces opened at 08:00 (05:00 GMT) local time and closed at 17:00 (14:00 GMT). First results are expected late on Sunday. If the left-wing HDP succeeds in winning seats in parliament for the first time, it would reduce the number of seats won by Mr Erdogan's AKP, thwarting its plans to change the constitution and transfer the prime minister's executive powers to the president. A strong showing from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the third-placed Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) could even force the AKP into a coalition, correspondents say. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, chairman of the CHP echoed Mr Dermirtas and called the campaign period \"unequal\". He promised however to \"continue to work with a sense of responsibility\". Turkey's current Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu shied away from accusations of unfairness telling reporters: \"Whatever [the people's] will, it is a will that must be respected by everyone.'' The BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul says Sunday's election is the biggest electoral challenge for the AKP since it came to power 13 years ago. Growth has stalled, he says, critics talk of an authoritarian President Erdogan who has eroded free speech and burnt bridges with the West - and they are desperate for change. The result may have ramifications beyond Turkey's borders. The country is a vital Nato member in a volatile Middle East and a rare mix of Islam and democracy, our correspondent notes.", "summary": "Turkey has voted in a general election which will determine whether the ruling party can change the constitution."}
{"article": "The students began \"feeling unwell\" at Llanwern High School, in Newport, at about 11.40 BST on Thursday. One 14-year-old girl, five girls aged 13, two girls aged 12 and an 11-year-old boy were taken to Royal Gwent Hospital. Laboratory tests are under way to determine what the substance was. Police said not all the pupils required hospital treatment but were taken as a precaution. Eight of the nine have now been discharged. Gwent Police said inquiries were ongoing to find out the exact circumstances of what happened and where the substance was obtained. The Welsh Ambulance Service sent three rapid response cars, three emergency ambulances and an urgent care service vehicle to the school. A council spokesman said on Thursday: \"Our immediate priority is the well-being of the pupils affected. \"The school will be carrying out an investigation and will be working with the police into how this incident happened.\"", "summary": "A 14-year-old girl remains in hospital after nine pupils were taken ill at school after reportedly taking an unknown substance."}
{"article": "Liverpool came from behind to win, Arsenal had a dramatic and controversial late goal at Burnley to thank for three points, while Chelsea beat Hull City. Stoke moved off the bottom thanks to a draw at Manchester United and Leicester City were held by Southampton, while Sunderland, Watford and West Ham drew with West Brom, Bournemouth and Middlesbrough respectively. Do you agree with my team of the week? Or would you go for a different team? Why not pick your very own Team of the Week from the shortlist selected by BBC Sport journalists and share it with your friends? Pick your XI from our list and share with your friends. It was only his second appearance in top-flight football and his performance was super. He showed absolutely no signs of nerves and always looked in command. This was by no means a virtuoso performance by Stoke but their current position in the table demanded a result and it was Grant's performance that was the determining factor. If substitute Anthony Martial had not entered the fray and produced such a spectacular finish Manchester United would still be playing now without scoring, such was their wastefulness in front of goal. But you can't blame Lee Grant for that. I don't think I saw Manchester City winger Jesus Navas go past Walker once in the 65 minutes he was on the pitch, and eventually Walker saw him off. Walker is so full of running and confidence at the moment it's scary. It was his interception that started the move that resulted in Tottenham's penalty. I must say Walker's athleticism reminds me of my former team-mate, ex-Spurs and England full-back Danny Thomas. Now there was an athlete. Alderweireld was outstanding against Manchester City. His tackle on Fernandinho five minutes into the second half was a statement of intent. It was a clear that Spurs were determined to start the second half the way they had finished the first and that was to remain totally in control of the match. Last season when Spurs went on their impressive run of games, it was Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen who stood out at the back. They now have Kyle Walker and Danny Rose alongside them and both have a year's more experience under their belts. Let's see if it makes a difference. This was a Tottenham side without Harry Kane or Mousa Dembele and they still managed to batter Manchester City. The main reason was due to the performance of the two centre-backs, Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld. I would never have believed that Spurs could have kept a clean sheet against City the way they have been playing this season under Pep Guardiola. Granted, City were without their talisman Kevin de Bruyne but if Guardiola hadn't been so obstinate and hard-headed, he'd have left the door open for Yaya Toure to return to the team and who knows what might have happened. No Manchester City manager, however celebrated, can have a player of Toure's ability and justify his exclusion with a result, not to mention a performance, like", "summary": "Manchester City's 100% league record was emphatically ended by a defeat at Tottenham, who remain unbeaten so far this season."}
{"article": "Official documents obtained by Reuters news agency show government lawyers advised the US it might be considered a co-belligerent under international law. The Obama administration has continued to authorise weapons sales to Saudi Arabia despite the warnings last year. On Saturday, an air strike on a funeral hall in Sanaa killed some 140 people. The coalition denied responsibility for the attack, but Washington said it would review its support to \"better align with US principles, values and interests\". US President Barack Obama agreed to provide \"logistical and intelligence support\" to the coalition after it intervened in the conflict between forces loyal to Yemen's internationally-recognised government and those allied to the rebel Houthi movement in March 2015. Since then, more than 4,125 civilians have been killed and 7,207 injured, the UN says, with air strikes believed to have caused about 60% of the deaths. The documents detailing US government concerns about the civilian casualties and the potential legal implications for US military personnel were obtained by Reuters under the Freedom of Information Act and date from May 2015 to February 2016. One document quotes a state department official as telling human rights groups in October 2015 that he believed coalition strikes were \"not intentionally indiscriminate but rather result from a lack of Saudi experience with dropping munitions and firing missiles\". \"The lack of Saudi experience is compounded by the asymmetric situation on the ground where enemy militants are not wearing uniforms and are mixed with civilian populations,\" the official said. \"Weak intelligence likely further compounds the problem,\" he added. US officials also compiled a list of \"critical infrastructure\" that should be spared to enable Yemenis to restart commercial access and deliver humanitarian aid. An email shows state department officials organised a meeting in January to discuss \"options to limit US exposure to LOAC [Law of Armed Conflict] concerns.\" The Law of Armed Conflict prohibits attacks on civilians and says civilians and civilian objects must be spared from incidental or collateral damage to the maximum extent possible when military objectives are attacked. Reuters reported that another email made specific reference to a 2013 ruling from the war crimes trial of former Liberian leader Charles Taylor, who was found guilty of aiding rebels who committed atrocities in Sierra Leone during its civil war. The ruling found that \"practical assistance, encouragement or moral support\" is sufficient to determine liability for war crimes. In August, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said they had documented more than 70 unlawful coalition air strikes, some of which they believed might amount to war crimes, and 19 attacks using internationally-banned cluster munitions. The coalition has said its forces have clear instructions not to target populated areas and to avoid civilians, and has dismissed previous allegations of civilian deaths as fabricated or exaggerated.", "summary": "The US government is concerned it could be implicated in potential war crimes in Yemen because of its support for a Saudi-led coalition air campaign."}
{"article": "The midfielder, 20, agreed to a five-year deal with the French champions. He scored 13 league goals for Anderlecht last season to help them win the Belgian title. \"Monaco is a club with an ambitious project, recognised on the European stage, and which relies on young players,\" Tielemans said. \"I am very happy to be here. I will now do everything possible to progress here and repay the confidence the club have shown in me.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Monaco have signed Belgium's young player of the year Youri Tielemans from Anderlecht for a reported 25m euros (\u00a321.63m)."}
{"article": "The lawyer defending one of the robbers said they sometimes only saw half an hour of sunlight a day. He was making submissions on the second day of a three-day sentencing hearing at Woolwich Crown Court. But the prosecutor told the court their actions were likely to have caused \"harassment, alarm or distress\". Since their arrests in May last year, they have been on remand in the high-security Belmarsh prison. The gang - including men who were involved in the Security Express and Brinks Mat robberies - breached the vault at Hatton Garden Safe Deposit in central London over the Easter weekend last year. Nick Corsellis, defending Carl Wood, 59, asked the judge to take into account the fact that Wood's inevitable jail term will mean that he will \"not see\" his ailing parents again. He said his remand in custody had been \"particularly difficult\" because he and the other men are in the double A security category. Mr Corsellis said it meant they are given one hour of exercise a day and \"it is very rare that that is achieved - half an hour at best. Half an hour of daylight\". He claimed this had psychologically affected his client, saying: \"The remand in custody has been difficult to bear.\" The court also heard that Hugh Doyle, 49, had made an effort to turn away from crime, and that William Lincoln, 60, had a limited role in the conspiracy. His lawyer, Dante Leccacorvi, said Lincoln \"had a very distinct role and that was to conceal the proceeds of this crime on a short-term basis\". All the defence barristers argued that their clients should not be made the subject of Criminal Behaviour Orders. Arguing for these to be imposed, prosecutor Philip Evans QC described the heist as a \"significant burglary\". Adding that it was possible the men had also melted down the goods, or even taken them abroad, he continued: \"These are sustained actions, and it is overwhelmingly likely that the victims of this offence would have been caused harassment, alarm or distress.\" The men who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary last September are: Wood, of Elderbeck Close, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, and Lincoln, of Winkley Street, Bethnal Green, east London, were convicted of conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to conceal, convert or transfer criminal property after a trial. Doyle, of Riverside Gardens, Enfield, was found guilty of concealing, converting or transferring criminal property between January 1 and May 19 last year. Reader has been absent from the sentencing hearing after falling and suffering a stroke in Belmarsh. All six men are due to be sentenced on Wednesday, when Judge Kinch will also decide when Reader will be sentenced.", "summary": "The men convicted of the Hatton Garden heist are facing tough conditions in prison, a court has heard."}
{"article": "HBO tweeted the image with the message: \"April #GoTSeason6 #GameOfThrones\". It is the first major hint since pictures of actor Kit Harington at an airport in Northern Ireland, where the series is filmed, went viral in July. Snow was apparently murdered at the end of season five. Fans last saw him lying stricken after he being brutally stabbed by his comrades in the Nights Watch. Actress and Pitch Perfect 2 director Elizabeth Banks was one of thousands of fans who took to social media to question whether the character was really set to make a return. She tweeted: \"Fired up. Ready to go. #JonSnow\". Violeta Molina said: \"Is he back for real? Is he a ghost? Is this all a cruel joke being played on us by HBO?\" Stage musician Ben Hanlin added: \"You all thought he was dead.... You know nothing!\" Some fans are sceptical about the poster with Citizen D claiming: \"Something feels off with that Jon snow poster. [I don't know] what kind of games HBO is playing but I don't like it one bit.\" Scott Crawely took a slightly more hopeful look: \"The real good news, If they can bring back Jon Snow they can bring back all of my other 30 favourite characters that died.\" Channel 4 news anchor Jon Snow appeared to be slightly aggrieved his name was trending on social media, tweeting: \"Winter is not coming: I have never been dead: I am a journalist: I am alarmed that my namesake has me trending!\" Game of Thrones, which began in 2011, has won 26 Primetime Emmy awards, including this year's outstanding drama series and a Bafta audience award in 2013.", "summary": "A poster of a bloodied, but very much alive Jon Snow, has appeared to end months of speculation as to whether the popular Game of Thrones character will return in the sixth series."}
{"article": "The newspaper said it fixed the error before its second edition. The Times was criticised along with the Sun, which also left news of the inquest verdicts off its front page. The Sun published an article titled \"The Truth\" days after the tragedy in 1989, alleging fans were to blame - but the inquest's jury exonerated Liverpool supporters. The Times and the Sun - which both covered the story with double-page spreads inside - are part of News UK, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp group. There was no mention of the inquest on the Sun's Facebook page, but people used comment threads on other stories to vent their anger. One of the most-shared tweets was from actor Stephen Mangan, who wrote: \"Wait - neither The Sun nor the Times mention Hillsborough on their front pages?\" He described them \"disgraceful\" and \"contemptible\". Football commentator Gary Lineker said it was \"as disgusting as it is unsurprising\". Liverpool fans renewed their call for a boycott of the Sun. People have been using hashtags such as #dontbuythesun #shutthesun and #shutthesundown to show their anger on Twitter. Actor Jamie Lee-Hill was among those suggesting people should boycott media companies owned by Mr Murdoch. The paper apologised for its coverage in 2004 and again in 2012. In its Tuesday edition, The Sun said: \"We apologised prominently 12 years ago, again four years ago on the front page, and do so unreservedly again now.\" The Sun's front page four days after the tragedy included quotes by an anonymous policeman who alleged fans had \"picked pockets of victims\" and \"urinated on cops\". Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, the Sun's editor at the time, Kelvin MacKenzie, said: \"Do I wish to God that I had never done that front page? I absolutely do, but I was duped.\" Asked if the Hillsborough inquest findings should have been included on the front page, he said: \"That's not a decision for me. \"I'm not the editor of the Sun. He [the Sun's editor-in-chief Tony Gallagher] is a very successful guy, former editor of the Daily Telegraph. He makes pretty good decisions.\" The Sun's political editor, Tom Newton Dunn, said he could understand if people were still angry over his paper's reporting of the disaster. \"We deserve everything that is thrown our way,\" he told Sky News. The Times changed Wednesday's front page in a second edition which included a photograph of victims' families outside the Warrington court room. The Times' Merseyside football writer, Tony Barrett, has apologised to his Twitter followers, apparently referring to the anger over his paper's front page. After hearing more than two years of evidence, the jury on Tuesday concluded the fans in the 1989 disaster were unlawfully killed. The jury found match commander Ch Supt David Duckenfield was \"responsible for manslaughter by gross negligence\" due to a breach of his duty of care.", "summary": "The Times says it made a \"mistake\" in not having the Hillsborough verdicts on the front page of its first edition."}
{"article": "The test involves four minutes of footage from its Planet Earth II series, which promise to reveal more detail and present more vibrant colours than was possible before. It is part of efforts to develop technologies that will make live broadcasts in the new formats possible. But only a minority of TVs can screen the footage at this stage. \"One of the clips is a frog on a leaf with lots of rain, and the reason this is so interesting is that the redness of the frog is a really deep Ferrari red that you would never get in broadcast television at the moment,\" explained Phil Layton, head of broadcast and connected systems at BBC Research & Development. \"We want to show that this is how the BBC could make ultra-high definition HDR material available to iPlayer. \"And we want to use this as a trigger to work with manufacturers to get their products updated so there's a pathway there for future on-demand BBC content.\" As the trial went live, only Panasonic's latest screens supported the test footage in 4K. But the displays were still not able to show the HDR enhancement because they do not yet support the underlying technology - co-developed by the BBC and Japan's NHK - known as hybrid log-gamma (HLG). Although most TV manufacturers can update their newer TVs to add support for HLG, it is unclear whether they will do so. Holding back support would give them an opportunity to market future models as being the first to support the format closer to when it launches. From the consumer's point-of-view, there are two key improvements. A 4K picture - also referred to as ultra-high definition (UHD) - means that four times as many pixels are used than in 1080p HD. This makes it possible to reveal details - such as the texture of an animal's fur or the faces of the crowd at a football match - that would have appeared more blurry otherwise. The main caveats are that the TV needs to be suitably large and the viewers close enough to it, otherwise they will not appreciate the difference. HDR takes advantage of the fact displays can go brighter than before to allow an image to be graded with more levels of brightness between black and white. This is not about everything looking brighter, but rather using the greater contrast range to allow shadows to appear less murky and highlights - such as sunlight gleaming off water or stars twinkling at night - to be better defined. In addition, HDR uses a wider colour space - meaning it is capable of showing shades of colours that could not be transmitted in traditional broadcasts, helping footage appear more lifelike. Many people who have experienced both, say that HDR has a greater impact on picture quality than 4K. \"It gives more nuance to the picture, which if you are talking about Planet Earth is going to be amazing,\" said Stuart Miles, founder of the Pocket-lint news site. \"The best way to describe it is it's like when", "summary": "The BBC has begun a trial of 4K high dynamic range (HDR) video on its iPlayer streaming platform."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old Manxman initially remounted after crashing about 20km into the sixth stage of the race from Stoke to Nottingham before pulling out. His Etixx-Quick-Step team believe he hit a parked car, injuring the same left shoulder he dislocated during the 2014 Tour de France. Cavendish sustained bruising but no fracture or dislocation of the joint. But he will require several days of rest before being able to resume training. The crash came on the day he was named in Britain's team for this month's UCI Road World Championships, which start next weekend. But the men's road race is over a fortnight away on Sunday, 27 September, and Cavendish's team believe it is still possible he will be able to compete in the event in Virginia, the United States. Friday's sixth stage - a 192.7 km route across the Peak District National Park - was won by Cavendish's Etixx-Quick-Step team-mate Matteo Trentin. The Italian rider beat Edvald Boasson Hagen (MTN-Qhubeka) as the duo battled for the stage win. Norwegian Boasson Hagen, the 2009 Tour of Britain winner, earned enough bonus seconds to enhance his overall lead to 13 seconds ahead of the final two stages this weekend. Saturday's 227.1km seventh stage from Fakenham to Ipswich is likely to be the final chance for Boasson Hagen's rivals - chiefly Team Sky's Wout Poels - to dethrone him as Sunday's finish in central London is expected to end in a sprint. \"Stoke and Nottingham are only 50 flattish miles apart if you go via the A50; do it via Buxton, Hathersage and Bakewell and it could just break you. \"The day's victor Matteo Trentin, who has also won two Tour de France stages, said it was the hardest ride of his career. \"There may be a hint of hyberbole to that - forgiveable given the way he resisted a very elite chasing group and surged past Edvald Boasson Hagen at the death - but I cannot remember a day at the Tour of Britain when the main bunch came in 45 minutes later. \"It was a third win this week for the Etixx-Quick-Step team and it came on the day they lost their third rider, Britain's Mark Cavendish. It seems his injuries are not as serious as first feared. \"And for Boasson Hagen there is the consolation that despite Team Sky's best efforts he has almost certainly wrapped up the overall win.\" Stage 6 result 1. Matteo Trentin (Ita/Etixx-Quick-Step) 4hrs 45mins 27secs 2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/MTN-Qhubeka) same time 3. Owain Doull (GB/Team Wiggins) +4secs 4. Zdenek Stybar (Cze/Etixx-Quick-Step) same time 5. Jens Debusschere (Bel/Lotto Soudal) same time 6. Alberto Bettiol (Ita/Cannondale - Garmin) same time 7. Alex Peters (GB/Great Britain) - same time 8. Dylan Teuns (Bel/BMC Racing Team) same time 9. Xandro Meurisse (Bel/An Post-Chainreaction) same time 10. Wouter Poels (Ned/Team Sky) same time General classification 1. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/MTN-Qhubeka) 27hrs 47mins 54secs, 2. Wouter Poels (Ned/Team Sky) at 13 secs, 3. Rasmus Guldhammer (Den/Cult Energy Pro Cycling) +43secs 4. Owain Doull (GB/Team Wiggins) +44secs, 5. Dylan Teuns (Bel/BMC Racing Team)", "summary": "Mark Cavendish was taken to hospital with a shoulder injury after crashing out of the Tour of Britain."}
{"article": "The message claimed the boy instead had cancer and that the social network would donate money for surgery if users \"liked\" it or wrote comments. Several hours after the BBC reported the matter, Facebook removed the post but left its creator's account active. More than a million people had engaged with the message since 1 February. One security expert warned these users might now be targeted by scammers. Sarah Allen, from St Neots, Cambridgeshire, gave media interviews in August 2016, after her then two-year-old son Jasper was covered head-to-feet in sores after contracting the virus. She believes that images posted within articles about his illness were then stolen to create the fake post. \"We were warned people might take his pictures... because if you Google chickenpox his pictures are there,\" Mrs Allen told the BBC. \"So, we were well aware that might happen, but not in this respect, to say he had cancer.\" Mrs Allen said she repeatedly messaged Facebook to complain about copyright infringement and was told on 10 February that the account in question had been removed for breaching the site's rules. However, she said, it was back online within 24 hours, without explanation. The profile continues to feature posts with identical text that show images of other children, and in one case a bearded youth - despite the words referring to a \"little baby [that] has cancer\". Other posts from the account - which claims to belong to Pooran Singh - show images of children in hospital claiming the viewer will experience years of bad luck if they scroll down without liking and sharing. \"What's so disgusting [is] it's not just Jasper's pictures but [about] 100 of other people's families as well,\" Mrs Allen explained. \"Facebook needs to take action.\" The owner of the account did not respond to a request to explain his or her actions. But one security blogger said this appeared to be a case of \"like farming\", in which scammers seek to make people interact with a Facebook post so they can either direct further messages to them or sell on the profile and all its contacts. \"There are a lot of scams that use these kind of emotional images - oftentimes it's done to make money,\" Graham Cluley explained. \"They may later post something that claims you've won a prize and try and get you to enter your mobile phone number and then sign you up for a premium rate service, or ask for other personal information. \"The problem is that people just believe things that are posted online, and they need to be a lot more careful about what they like and share.\" Facebook says it is still reviewing the case with its complaints team and declined to comment further until this process had been completed.", "summary": "Facebook says it is investigating a mother's complaints about a post that misused photos showing her child with a severe case of chickenpox."}
{"article": "Sandra Weir, 41, battered pensioner Mary Logie to death in her home in Leven in January. The pensioner suffered multiple head wounds, possibly inflicted by a heavy rolling pin. Police said Weir was \"a callous and uncaring individual who regularly exploited Mary Logie for financial gain\". Weir had been stealing money from Mrs Logie to fund her drug habit. At the High Court in Edinburgh, Weir had lodged a special defence of alibi claiming that around the time of the murder she was elsewhere in Leven. She was convicted following a 10-day trial. She will be sentenced in January at the same court. Judge Michael O'Grady said: \"In these courts we do not weigh the worth of victims; nor should we. All life is precious. \"But, on the evidence before me, Rae Logie was a decent, kind, tolerant and harmless elderly woman. That you should have betrayed her trust is shocking enough.\" He said Mrs Logie's death was \"breathtakingly wicked\". \"I have no doubt then you left her for dead and went about your business. Instead, you found she was still alive and that you could not allow,\" he added. \"And so, as she lay defenceless, you simply finished her off.\" The court heard Ms Logie was found dead in her home in Green Gates on Tuesday 5 January. The pensioner had 31 injuries to her head and neck, and died as a result of \"blunt force trauma\" to her head. The court heard that Weir had become close to Mrs Logie and had acted as her unofficial carer. It emerged she had been a drug addict since her 20s and had racked up debts. Det Ch Insp Keith Hardie, of Police Scotland, said: \"Sandra Weir is a callous and uncaring individual who regularly exploited Mary Logie for financial gain. \"She would use coercion to obtain cash and other items of value from Mary before ultimately subjecting her to a horrific attack, which left the 82-year-old with fatal injuries. \"The level of violence inflicted upon Mary, coupled with the prolonged period of bullying and intimidation, demonstrated Weir's complete disregard for the wellbeing of her victim.\" The officer added: \"Mary's death had a profound impact on the local community and we are extremely grateful to the local residents who came forward with vital information that allowed us to identify Weir and bring her to justice.\" Earlier Alex Prentice, prosecuting, had told the jury there was evidence that Mrs Logie was still alive after being attacked in the morning. He added: \"I suggest that evidence will cause you to conclude that she was conscious but lying there. \"Mary Logie remained alive. The wounds incapacitated her and she remained there that day.\" He said evidence given by the accused and a witness indicated that Mrs Logie was attacked for a second time later in the evening. Analysis of the spot where Mrs Logie's body was found revealed both \"fresh blood\" and \"clotted\" blood, suggesting there were two attacks against her. The lawyer said Weir had probably administered the blows which killed Mrs Logie on the", "summary": "A heroin addict has been found guilty of the \"horrific\" murder of her 82-year-old neighbour in Fife."}
{"article": "Mr Cushnahan was one of the key figures in the controversy over the sale of National Assets Management Agency's Northern Ireland property portfolio. The former banker tried to stop the BBC from reporting on his involvement in the sale. He has now withdrawn his claims against the BBC. The claims related to two major Spotlight investigations into NAMA, which were broadcast in February and September 2016. NAMA took effective control of a property loan portfolio in Northern Ireland worth more than \u00c2\u00a31bn after the financial crisis. It set up a committee to advise it on Northern Ireland issues and Mr Cushnahan was recommended for appointment by the Democratic Unionist Party. He served on the committee from 2010 to 2013. Both Spotlight programmes investigated the circumstances surrounding the sale of NAMA's remaining Northern Ireland loan portfolio, known as Project Eagle. They also examined the role which, amongst others, Mr Cushnahan played in advising NAMA, commercial bidders for Project Eagle and Northern Ireland-based debtors, whose assets were controlled by NAMA. Mr Cushnahan's claim for an injunction was rejected in its entirety by the senior judge of the Queen's Bench Division, Mr Justice Stephens, in a judgment dated 10 March 2017. In his judgment, the judge recognised that \"there could be no sensible contention\" that the broadcast of the programmes was not in the public interest and that there was a \"clear public interest in publication.\" Several parts of the claim were also struck out by the judge as an abuse of process, including an attempt to bring action against the Editor of BBC Spotlight for contempt of court. Following nine months of legal action, Mr Cushnahan dropped his appeal against Mr Justice Stephens' decision on 21 June. Reporting restrictions put in place at the outset of this case in September 2016 have now been lifted by the court, allowing the BBC and other media organisations to report the matter for the first time. The BBC has not apologised, paid damages, or any of Mr Cushnahan's legal fees. In a statement, Mr Cushnahan acknowledged that his court action against the BBC had not been successful, but said he had co-operated at all times with the investigation into Nama. He also said he now intends to bring a case against the UK government to the European Court of Human Rights because he believes that UK law does not provide adequate safeguards to allow him to protect his reputation.", "summary": "All legal claims brought against the BBC and BBC Spotlight's Editor, Jeremy Adams, by Frank Cushnahan have been dropped."}
{"article": "Mum Jennifer said she knew her son was special by the time he was three weeks old - but while every parent harbours high hopes for their children, not many witness them go on to become the fastest man on earth. Bolt is chasing a \"treble treble\" in Rio, with the 100m crown the first box ticked off a list that also features 200m and 4x100m glory at what the 29-year-old has promised will be his final Olympic Games. Bolt has come a long way from the playful child who learned to run in the parish of Trelawney, Jamaica and would cry when he lost a race. \"He doesn't like to lose,\" dad Wellesley told BBC Sport. Seven Olympic gold medals, 11 world titles and a hatful of world records means there has been little time for tears throughout his career. \"At school it was at about five that we noticed that he was competing against his classmates and he was always winning,\" said Jennifer. \"He was always on top. From then, we noticed he would be a great athlete.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Growing up alongside brother and sister Sadiki and Sherine, Wellesley says his son was \"very jovial\" and despite a few problems he did \"nothing out of the ordinary for a child\". Meanwhile, at William Knibb High School, a young Usain was more interested in playing cricket than hitting the athletics track, saying he was \"so in love\" with the sport \"he didn't want to do anything else\". The teenager eventually heeded the advice of PE teacher Lorna Thorpe, who told Bolt he must focus on athletics if he wanted to reach the top as he had \"a gold mine in his legs\". \"It's a passion. You ask Usain, he'll tell you that. It's just a passion,\" she added. And the champion certainly appreciates his teacher's influence now. \"She's like a second mum,\" he said. \"When I was in high school she looked out for me, she was always on me in school, making sure everything was OK, always focused. So she played a very big part for me.\" However, acting principal at the time Lorna Jackson had to teach the teenager, who was an \"average but popular student\", a thing or two about mixing with the opposite sex. \"A happy-go-lucky guy. Everyone liked Usain,\" she told the Sunday Telegraph. \"I remember in grade nine there was a girl, there was some liking going on there, and she was helping him with his writing. \"And then we were talking in class about girlfriends and boyfriends and someone said Usain had a girlfriend at a neighbouring school. I said, don't write anything else for him!\" Jackson also taught Bolt Spanish: \"I remember him coming back to the school and telling the children, learn your Spanish because I remember Miss Jackson saying to me, you, Usain, are going to be going places and you need to make sure you learn Spanish. \"He was telling them he went down to South America and he saw some beautiful girls,", "summary": "The only time Usain Bolt has \"ever been slow\" was when the Jamaican arrived 10 days after his due date."}
{"article": "The pedestrian, in her 20s, was struck on the Dunchurch Road at 12:20 GMT, police said. The car that hit her was being driven on a 999 callout to the A45 at Stretton-on-Dunsmore. West Midlands Ambulance Service said the woman was anaesthetised at the scene and taken to University Hospital Coventry. The IPCC said it had sent investigators to the scene of the crash at the junction of Dunchurch Road and Overslade Lane. Eyewitness David Williams said: \"A container lorry was coming along and behind that I could see there was a police car - blue flashing lights, siren on. \"I looked because it was coming quite fast. The road was in essence blocked by the slowing container lorry and the police car proceeded to pass him on the other side of the carriageway.\"", "summary": "A woman has suffered serious head injuries after being hit by a police car in Rugby."}
{"article": "The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) says the UK still has \"more than enough capacity\" to withstand future fuel shortages. It said 92% of all UK postcode areas have more than two petrol stations less than 10 minutes away. But the AA warned that the fuel network is still susceptible to \"panic buying\". The number of petrol forecourts has fallen from 37,500 in 1970 to 9,000 in 2011, while the UK's diesel and petrol reserves have dropped to six-to-eight days, down by two days compared with 10 years ago. The AA's Luke Bosdet told the BBC: \"The vast majority of motorists have access to fuel; the big problem is how much they are being charged for it. \"But the network is still susceptible to breakdown when there is panic buying.\" The Petrol Retailers' Association (PRA), which represents the UK's independent forecourt retailers, said: \"The report indisputably confirms that the majority of fuel forecourts are running with dangerously low levels of stock and that the continued closure of forecourts is reducing onsite storage capacity across the country.\" Supermarkets now own 15% of all forecourts but account for 39% of total fuel volumes, the report said, leading to the demise of many independent petrol retailers. Tesco recently overtook oil giant BP as the UK's largest fuel retailer by volume. The Office of Fair Trading is currently gathering evidence about the fuel supply market, estimated to be worth \u00c2\u00a347bn a year, and will report its findings in January. The watchdog is considering whether falling costs of crude oil are reflected in prices paid by motorists. Fears are growing that fewer petrol stations, lower reserves and a rise in the number of cars on the road from 27 million to 35 million over the last 15 years, is putting too much pressure on the fuel supply network. The AA says that the industry's \"just in time\" delivery business model is leaving it exposed to supply shortages in the future. Earlier this year, Cabinet Minister Francis Maude advised drivers to fill up their tanks and store extra fuel in a jerrycan to prepare for a possible strike by fuel tanker drivers. Demand shot up, leading to queues and shortages at some petrol stations. \"The experience from March 2012 showed us that many stations don't fill their tanks because it is too expensive to do so,\" said Mr Bosdet. But the DECC report, compiled by consultants Deloitte, concluded that UK retail sector had \"more than enough capacity to meet fuel supply shocks until contingency measures can be put in place\". Energy Minister John Hayes said: \"This report was commissioned by my department to get an accurate picture of the retail fuel market and to consider any possible implications for our security of supply. \"Although it is very clear there has been a market shift from independent to supermarket forecourts in the past 40 years this has not had an impact on the vast majority of motorists.\"", "summary": "The number of petrol stations has plummeted since 1970, says a government study, while fuel reserves have dropped by a fifth over the last 10 years."}
{"article": "The request was filed in Lille and a ruling is expected in 48 hours. French President Francois Hollande wants to close the Jungle and move the estimated 9,000 migrants it holds to reception centres across France. The Jungle has become a powerful symbol of Europe's failure to cope with African and Middle Eastern refugees. The migrants there live amid squalid conditions, many of them hoping to enter the UK illegally by hiding on lorries crossing the English Channel. President Hollande had said the camp would be dismantled by the end of the year but some aid workers said this week that the demolition could start as early as Monday. The charities said they were not against the demolition but were concerned that authorities were rushing the process without adequate preparation. \"Contrary to what we were told, the plan is to dismantle the Jungle very quickly and do it in a matter of days,\" one of the groups applying for the injunction, Secours Catholique, said in a statement. \"It will be impossible to ensure serious preparations that cater properly to people's interests.\" But Pascal Brice, the director of Ofpra, the agency in charge of handling asylum requests in France, insisted the closure would go ahead. \"Calais is over, it's finished,\" he said. \"What is at stake is for this message to get across and for people to realise there's no point in going there, that it's a dead-end.\" The government has already started moving refugees to new locations in other parts of the country ahead of the demolition. Figures for the total number of migrants in the camp are disputed. Recent figures released by the French prefecture state that there are between 5,684 and 6,486 people. Aid agencies however, estimate that there are about 9,000 people. Fresh concerns have also been raised about the hundreds of unaccompanied children in the camp. French charity, Terre d'Asile, says there are now 1,290 unaccompanied minors at the camp, an increase of more than 400 in two months. The unaccompanied minors are aged between eight and 17. However, other aid groups, including Medecins Sans Frontieres, have questioned the accuracy of the survey, stating it was unscientific.", "summary": "Aid groups have asked a French court to delay the closure of the Calais migrant camp, the \"Jungle\", arguing authorities are not ready to relocate refugees."}
{"article": "In 2015/16, 55% of licence fee funds raised in Scotland was spent on local and Scottish network content. Donalda MacKinnon said it was her ambition to see the amount spent \"better reflect\" what is collected. The Scottish government has been calling for BBC Scotland to have more power over commissioning and budgets. Ms MacKinnon recently took over as director, the senior editorial figure for BBC Scotland's output across television, radio and online, after Ken MacQuarrie moved to become director of nations and regions. In an interview with Good Morning Scotland, she said one of her immediate ambitions was to increase how much of the licence fee money raised in Scotland was spent locally. The BBC's 2015/16 accounts showed \u00a3320m was raised from the licence fee in Scotland. Of that, \u00a3176.5m was spent on local content and Scottish-made BBC network output, 55% of the total raised. This was a sharp decline from the \u00a3203m spend the previous year, which was 63% of the \u00a3323m collected. The funds not spent locally go towards BBC programmes developed elsewhere and aired across the UK. In comparison, 95% of licence fee funds raised in Wales in 2015/16 were spent in Wales - including on network-wide programmes like Doctor Who, Casualty and Crimewatch - with the figure for Northern Ireland standing at 74%. Ms MacKinnon said: \"I have made it very clear that it is my ambition to change that number. The percentage of the licence fee collected in Scotland I think has to reflect better the amount spent in Scotland. \"I don't want to commit to a figure exactly at the moment, but certainly an increase on what is the case that moment, which is 55% of the licence fee. \"I think we have a new opportunity to define exactly what kind of BBC in Scotland audiences expect and the kind of resource it rightly should claim, relative to the amount of licence fee collected in Scotland.\" The new director also pledged to abolish \"lift and shift\", where programmes traditionally produced elsewhere are moved to Scotland in order to meet quotas. Holyrood's culture committee issued a report describing this practice as \"subverting the spirit of the quota\", with MSPs saying this gave them \"serious cause for concern\". Ms MacKinnon said this had happened due to a target in 2008 to raise network television productions coming from Scotland from 3% of the total aired to 8.6%. She said she had made a \"serious commitment\" to see the practice end. She said: \"I understand why that happened early doors, I don't think that should happen any more and we've had a very solid commitment to the effect that that will not happen except in extremis.\" Ms MacKinnon also said she was targeting an \"improvement in appreciation\" of BBC Scotland's news output, saying it was \"really important\" to consolidate public trust in the corporation following events like the 2014 independence referendum. She said: \"We have very successful news output, but there's no doubt that there was a feeling among a significant percentage of the population - not the total population", "summary": "BBC Scotland's new director has pledged to spend more licence fee funds raised north of the border on programming produced in Scotland."}
{"article": "The 3,000m (10,000ft) volcano is in Argentina's south-western Neuquen province, near the Chilean border. It began spewing ash and gas on Saturday morning. In Argentina, the authorities have told residents of local villages to monitor the situation. Many people have already left the area as a precaution. Ash has been raining down on both sides of the border. The Chilean authorities raised the alert - first issued on Saturday - to the highest level in Biobio region after the Copahue volcano increased seismic activity overnight. Roads were being cleared for possible evacuation. The plume of smoke is about 1,500m (5,000ft) high and the wind is pushing it away from Argentina, said Chile's emergency office (Onemi). Planes flying over the southern Andes have also been warned to avoid the area. Hundreds of flights were cancelled last year due to the eruption of Puyehue volcano, in Chile. That eruption caused huge economic damage not only to property in the area but also to tourism in Bariloche and other resorts. The Copahue eruption comes at the height of the tourism season. Visitors from all over the world go to the area in the summer months to enjoy the mountains, lakes and also the Copahue and Caviahue thermal spas. Copahue in the indigenous Mapuche language means \"sulphur waters\".", "summary": "Chile has raised the alert level for the Copahue volcano to red, the highest possible."}
{"article": "16 December 2015 Last updated at 00:22 GMT One bans women from marrying for six months after divorce, the other forces married couples to have the same surname. The laws are also linked to a rule that children born within that six months are considered to be the former husband's. The case was brought by three individual women and one couple in a civil partnership, who argue that the law is unconstitutional and discriminatory. Two lower courts have already ruled against them and public opinion on the questions is split.", "summary": "Japan's Supreme Court is due to rule on two 19th century family laws which critics say are sexist and out-of-date."}
{"article": "The Tories aim to cut \u00a312bn from the welfare budget by 2017-18. Documents leaked to the BBC suggested taxing disability benefits was among the options - but the work and pensions secretary said none were party policy. Meanwhile Labour's campaign chief has indicated it will not outline further plans for cuts before the election. Asked if the party would be making any more substantial promises on cuts during the campaign, Douglas Alexander told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: \"We've set out our agenda and that's the programme on which we will fight the election.\" Last week's leaked documents from Mr Duncan Smith's department outlined some options for cutting benefits further, prepared by civil servants at the request of Conservative Party officials. They included restricting Carer's Allowance, taxing disability benefits, limiting child benefit to the first two children and regional variations in benefit caps. Mr Duncan Smith told the Andrew Marr Show \"none of the stuff\" that had been reported had been discussed with the chancellor, and it was standard for government departments to put figures together - but that did not mean they were policy. He said a benefit freeze and pledge to reduce the annual benefits cap from \u00a326,000 to \u00a323,000 would account for about a quarter of savings and were \"a good indication that we know where we're going to go to make those savings\". He said he had raised Carers' Allowance and had protected the most disabled throughout all previous benefit changes. Mr Duncan Smith said it was \"not the case\" that planned cuts were being kept secret - but Labour urged him to \"come clean\". \"I didn't come into this job after years looking at this to just make cheese-paring cuts,\" he said. \"What we've come in to do is to reform the welfare system, so that we don't waste money on organisations and groups and things that don't actually help life change. \"No decisions have been made. As and when decisions are made of course we will be very open to the public.\" He added: \"I know that it is feasible to save \u00a312bn, it is less than 10% of the overall budget... There will be loads and loads of things that people are looking at, because that's what departments do.\" Mr Duncan Smith said changes made so far had improved people's lives - contrary to predictions that they would result in much homelessness and people having to move hundreds of miles away. The government has cut around \u00a320bn from projected welfare spending over the course of the past five years, through a range of measures from freezing payment rates to cutting housing benefit. The Conservatives have said they would freeze the rate at which benefits are paid to people of working age and lower the benefits cap - the amount a household can claim in a year - to \u00a323,000, if they win the general election. The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests those measures would save no more than about \u00a32bn a year by 2017-18. Shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves said Labour had", "summary": "No decisions have been made on where to make further benefit cuts, should the Conservatives win the general election - Iain Duncan Smith has told the BBC."}
{"article": "Communities Secretary Carl Sargeant said last month he was not convinced Communities First was the \"most effective way to deliver for Wales\". He said there would be a new approach but, so far, community groups supported by the scheme say they are in the dark. The Welsh Government said no final decision had been made. In Swansea, Faith in Families, which runs three family centres, said it would be forced to close without Welsh Government support. It is converting St Teilo's Church in Swansea into a \u00c2\u00a31m community hub with half the money provided by the Welsh Government. Boss Cherrie Bija said: \"We are not going to give up on these families.\" She added that people were \"really disappointed\" after hearing the phasing out of Communities First would have a knock-on effect on the services the centre could deliver. Communities First spends about \u00c2\u00a330m each year, with more than \u00c2\u00a3300m spent since it was launched in 2001 and, at one point, it was supporting about 200 projects. In Flintshire, Dave Wisinger, the county councillor for Queensferry, said the Communities First office covering his area provided crucial support. \"There has to be something else to take over,\" he said. \"And I would have thought the minister, if he has a serious look at this, he will appreciate the good work that's been done and he will keep these staff on, or as many as they can...maybe under another project.\" Communities First supports four dementia cafes in Flintshire, helping those with the condition and their families, as well as running food banks, lunch clubs and family learning sessions. It also runs job search clubs and employability courses. Mother-of-two Kelly Latham from Garden City, who attended once such course in Mold, said: \"I've been unemployed for nearly five years now.... child care's a big issue for me... and they've sorted it all out for me.\" A Welsh Government spokesman said: \"Although the communities secretary has said he is minded to phase out Communities First, no final decision has been made. \"We are currently seeking views on this and how to engage, support and strengthen communities and would urge anybody with an interest to have their say. \"It is too early to speculate on how any new approach might impact on particular areas.\"", "summary": "Community groups are seeking assurances following the announcement that a scheme which supports deprived areas in Wales is set to be dropped."}
{"article": "Warren Gatland's side can take another step towards the quarter-finals against Fiji on Thursday. Their last group game is against Australia on 10 October. \"We've all celebrated in the last few days,\" said Gibbs. \"But it counts for nothing unless we win on Thursday and go unbeaten throughout this group.\" Gibbs, 44, starred for the British and Irish Lions as they beat South Africa in 1997 and also played for the Wales and Great Britain rugby league teams during a glittering career. He famously scored a last-minute try at Wembley when Wales beat England 32-21 in the 1999 Five Nations Championship. The former Ospreys and Swansea centre added: \"The nation is behind them - they just need to play smart football, conserve energy and probably put the pressure on Fiji to play rugby.\" Meanwhile, Wales centre Jamie Roberts says once-capped centre Tyler Morgan, 20, can impress on his World Cup debut after being called in to replace the injured Scott Williams. \"He was unlucky to make the squad in the first place,\" said Roberts. \"He's a very explosive player, a young guy who's very enthusiastic and he has to put that into 80 minutes. \"He's a talented fella and he'll fit straight in. \"He's got experience around him with myself and Dan [Biggar at fly-half] and George [North] and Alex [Cuthbert] as well. \"It's the same for Matthew Morgan [at full-back]. \"He comes into a backline with a lot of experience and just has to take care of his own job and the rest will happen for him.\" Roberts felt Fiji could also have beaten England in the tournament opener had a crucial moment gone their way. \"I thought they played some great stuff and when [Niko] Matawalu's try was disallowed, that was a massive, massive turning point in that game,\" said the Harlequins player. \"If they'd have scored then, I really feel they might have gone on and won it. \"I've played against quite a few of those lads in the Top 14 and they're serious rugby players and serious athletes.\" Fiji captain Akapusi Qera, 31, starred in their back row as they dumped Wales out of the 2007 tournament in Nantes. He said: \"It's the best memory ever so far in my rugby career. \"For me as a young boy coming into that big tournament and to win and get qualified for the quarter-finals, it was a major, major boost in my rugby career. \"And maybe that's why I'm still hanging around for a few a couple more years in order to replicate that history.\"", "summary": "Wales legend Scott Gibbs says they must beat Fiji and Australia in the World Cup or their stunning Pool A win over England \"counts for nothing\"."}
{"article": "England beat France 2-0 in a friendly at Wembley on Tuesday but do not play again until March. Hodgson wants to spend time with the players to keep the team spirit intact, after a run of 13 wins from 16 games since the 2014 World Cup. \"I would like an afternoon or early evening with the players,\" he said. \"We can go through a little bit of what we have done in the Spain game and the France game and see what we want to do going forward. \"I am hoping that the clubs will go along with that. To be honest there wasn't an enormous amount of opposition to it last time around. \"I guess with any luck we will get that afternoon but it will have to be discussed with the clubs to make sure they think it is an afternoon that is right for them because I and (assistant) Ray Lewington are full-timers and can go any time it suits them.\" England will build up to next summer's European Championship with March friendlies against world champions Germany in Berlin and Netherlands at Wembley. With injured players coming back into contention next year, Hodgson will add up to another four friendlies in the build-up to the tournament in France, which starts in June. \"We are hoping to have at least three warm-up games, possibly four, in addition to the two in March so we will have games,\" Hodgson added.", "summary": "Boss Roy Hodgson wants to resurrect plans for a winter meeting for his England squad - an idea previously vetoed by Premier League clubs."}
{"article": "Lord Hall is reported to have received a threatening email after dropping presenter Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear because he had punched a producer. The Mail on Sunday also reported Lord Hall and his wife were under 24-hour protection from security guards at their Oxfordshire home. The Met said the email appeared to have been sent from outside the UK. \"Police in Westminster are investigating an allegation of threats to kill,\" a Met spokesman said. \"The allegation was reported to police on Wednesday, 25 March. The threat was made by email.\" He said inquiries were continuing to establish from where the email was sent. No arrests have been made. A BBC spokeswoman said: \"We wouldn't comment on security matters.\" Lord Hall announced his decision not to renew Clarkson's contract on Wednesday - after an internal inquiry found the presenter had subjected producer Oisin Tymon to an \"unprovoked physical and verbal attack\" at a North Yorkshire hotel. Mr Tymon, who suffered a split lip, did not file a formal complaint and it is understood Clarkson reported himself to BBC bosses following the incident, and was suspended. The row - which took place on 4 March - was said to have occurred because no hot food was provided following a day's filming. Lord Hall said he had not taken his decision lightly, but insisted \"a line has been crossed\". More than a million people signed an online petition to reinstate Clarkson. The Mail claimed the death threats were made to Lord Hall via email the same day as his announcement. It also published photographs of security guards outside his home. Mr Tymon, who previously described Clarkson as a \"unique talent\", has himself come under sustained abuse on social media for his involvement in the dispute. Speaking outside his home on Thursday, Clarkson asked fans to show restraint.", "summary": "Alleged death threats made against BBC director general Tony Hall are being investigated by the Met Police."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old, who came through the youth ranks at QPR, had loan spells at AFC Wimbledon, Northampton and Wycombe before joining Oldham in 2011. He has since had spells with Oxford, Slovenian side Domzale, Serbian outfit Red Star Belgrade and Aberdeen. The Antigua & Barbuda international becomes the League One club's second signing of the transfer window. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "Gillingham have signed forward Josh Parker on a deal until the end of the season following a spell on trial."}
{"article": "Highlights of all of Saturday's Scottish Cup ties will be on Sportscene on BBC One Scotland at 22:30 GMT. And, on Sunday, Raith Rovers v Hearts (13:05) will be broadcast live on BBC One Scotland and Radio Scotland will provide commentary of that match and Albion Rovers v Celtic (15:00). Sportscene returns with more highlights at 18:15 on BBC Two Scotland on Sunday, with a repeat at 23:40 on BBC One Scotland. Scottish Cup Aberdeen 4-0 Stranraer Alloa Athletic 2-3 Dunfermline Athletic Ayr United 0-0 Queen's Park Bonnyrigg Rose 1-8 Hibernian Dundee 0-2 St Mirren Elgin City 1-2 Inverness CT Greenock Morton 2-0 Falkirk Kilmarnock 0-1 Hamilton Academical Livingston 0-1 East Fife Partick Thistle 4-0 Formartine United Rangers 2-1 Motherwell Ross County 6-2 Dundee United St Johnstone 2-0 Stenhousemuir Stirling Albion 2-2 Clyde Scottish Championship Dumbarton 1-2 Queen of the South Raith Rovers v Hearts (13:05) Albion Rovers v Celtic (15:00)", "summary": "Match reports of Saturday's Scottish Cup and Championship matches and previews of Sunday's Scottish Cup ties."}
{"article": "The city's mayor said test results had showed no contamination, and locals could resume using water for drinking, bathing and cooking. The ban was issued on Wednesday over fears that a leak at an asphalt plant could have tainted the water supply. Long queues formed at grocery stores as shoppers stocked up on bottled water. About 85% of Corpus Christi, which has a population of about 320,000, was under the restrictions. The chemical behind the scare was Indulin AA-86, an asphalt emulsifier which can burn human skin in its concentrated form. The leak took place at an asphalt plant leased to Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions by oil refiner Valero. Mayor Dan McQueen told a news conference that investigations into the 24-gallon (91-litre) spill of Indulin AA-86 had determined that the water was safe to use. It was not clear if the public water supply was ever contaminated by the chemical. Officials said that none of the 28 drinking water samples analysed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tested positive for the contaminant. However, the EPA said there have been seven \"unconfirmed\" reports of symptoms possibly related to prohibited water use. Mr McQueen said officials would seek possible damages from those responsible for the leak. There has been some confusion over exactly when city officials were notified of the problems at the plant that prompted the water use ban. Valero Energy Corp said in a statement on Saturday that it had alerted the city to \"milky, sudsy water\" at the plant on 7 December - a full week before the ban was announced. Ergon said the issue arose when \"soap solution\" flowed back into a pipe through which the plant receives water. It said the pipe is not directly connected to the city's water main, but that the two are interconnected. Corpus Christi locals have been warned to use water conservatively to avoid overtaxing the system. The EPA will continue collecting and testing water samples in the city over the coming days.", "summary": "Residents of Corpus Christi, Texas, have been told it is safe to drink tap water again, after a chemical leak sparked a four-day ban."}
{"article": "He was travelling on a United Airlines flight from Rome to Chicago on Saturday that was diverted to Belfast International Airport. The 42-year-old, who has dual US-Italian nationality, has also been charged with disruptive behaviour on board an aircraft and common assault. He is due to appear before Coleraine Magistrates Court on Monday. The plane resumed its journey on Sunday afternoon.", "summary": "A man is to appear in court charged with endangering the safety of an aircraft on a transatlantic flight."}
{"article": "At least two of those who died were children, according to reports in local media. A search operation is under way for people who are still missing. The flash flood occurred at Cold Springs, near Payson, on Saturday afternoon, sweeping people down East Verde River. The Payson Fire Department said that multiple forest fires in recent months had created piles of debris that burst down a creek and through the swimming hole. But it was not raining in the area where people were swimming. At least four people have been rescued from the water and treated for hypothermia. The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood alert for much of Arizona until Monday evening, with more storms expected in the middle of next week.", "summary": "A deadly flash flood sparked by monsoon-like rains has swept through a swimming hole in the US state of Arizona, killing at least eight people."}
{"article": "The 80-year-old retired Atomic Weapons Establishment scientist, of The Green in Tadley, has been described by his neighbours as a \"wonderful man\". Local residents told the BBC he kept himself very physically fit having undergone heart surgery. Tadley Town Council Chairman David Leeks said the reaction in the town was one of \"pure shock\". He said: \"We had a meeting last night and it was mentioned. \"We found it very difficult to believe that someone from Tadley had suffered this way. \"You don't expect something like this to happen in your community. \"Our thoughts go out to his family\". Neighbours said Mr Thompson was a keen walker who was known to do up to 60 press ups a day and loved holidays. The BBC understands his long-term partner is currently staying with family. Tadley Town Council will hold a minute's silence outside its offices on Friday. The family of Mr Thompson issued a statement via Hampshire Constabulary, which stated: \"We understand the interest the media has at this time, but we do not wish to be approached by nor speak to any members of the media. \"We ask that you respect our privacy and our wishes at this extremely difficult time.\" The police force told the BBC the family have confirmed the death to the Foreign Office, and have been given a family liaison officer. Twenty-one Britons have been identified as victims, with nine more believed to among the dead, Downing Street said.", "summary": "One of the Tunisia beach attack victims has been named locally as David Thompson from Hampshire."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old scored one goal in 58 games in two seasons for the U's, having moved from Rotherham in 2015. Newton began his career at Newcastle United but never made a first-team appearance for them. His most successful stint came on loan to St Mirren, where he won the Scottish League Cup in 2013. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Hartlepool United have signed midfielder Conor Newton on an undisclosed contract following his release by Cambridge United."}
{"article": "Callum Cartlidge suffered a cardiac arrest at home after developing suspected sepsis, sources told the BBC. Paramedics were allegedly told to take him 18 miles (29km) to Worcestershire Hospital and not nearby Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, which stopped admitting children to A&E in September. The trust said it was investigating. For more Herefordshire and Worcestershire news Callum, from Redditch, had seen a GP on 28 February and was diagnosed with tonsillitis and a tummy upset and given antibiotics. His mother Stacey said her son got worse and on 2 March a GP sent him to Worcestershire hospital. She said he was discharged at 23:00 GMT and she was told to give him Calpol. He collapsed the next day and later died. West Midlands Ambulance Service said the trust had previously told staff not to take patients under 16 to Redditch, after Alexandra Hospital's children's inpatient services were moved. Sources claim paramedics, who suspected Callum had developed sepsis, wanted to take him to Redditch but were told they could not. Three members of staff performed life support throughout the 23-minute journey to the hospital. \"Having reviewed the case, there is no doubt that the ambulance staff did absolutely everything possible to help the child,\" a service spokesman said. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust offered its condolences to Callum's family. \"As with any sudden unexpected death in childhood there will be a referral to the coroner, a post-mortem [examination] and a full external Sudden Unexpected Death in Infants And Children investigation, as well as our own internal processes for a serious incident investigation,\" a spokesperson said.", "summary": "An eight-year-old boy who was diagnosed with tonsillitis died less than 24 hours after being discharged from hospital."}
{"article": "The deputy head of the bloc's executive Commission, Frans Timmermans, said it was determined to uphold EU values. Thousands of Hungarians have protested against laws which could see the closure of a prestigious university. Hungary is also forcibly housing asylum seekers in secured shipping containers. There was a serious question whether that was compatible with EU law, Mr Timmermans said at a news conference. He said the Commission would consider its next steps in coming weeks and would act if there were no positive developments. \"Taken cumulatively, the overall situation in Hungary is a cause of concern for the Commission,\" Mr Timmermans said. Hungary's increasingly radical right-wing Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has declared war on liberalism, reports BBC's Nick Thorpe, in Budapest. Hungary to detain all asylum seekers in border camps Large protest in support of Hungary's Soros-backed university His government has come under growing criticism of its treatment of asylum seekers - including on Monday, when the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said the container camps would surrounded by razor wire would \"have a terrible physical and psychological impact on women, children and men who have already greatly suffered\". Mr Grandi also said he was \"very concerned about highly disturbing reports of serious incidents of ill-treatment and violence against people crossing the border into Hungary, including by state agents\". Hungary's Higher Education Law, signed earlier this week, could force the closure of the Central European University (CEU), founded by philanthropist George Soros and ranked among the top 200 universities in the world in eight disciplines. Last Sunday, Budapest also saw the largest protest yet against the move, which has also inspired an international campaign of solidarity. Late on Tuesday, US state department spokesman Mark Toner urged the Hungarian government to suspend implementation of the law. Another protest is planned in Budapest on Wednesday evening. But the Hungarian government says it will not respond to the campaign, saying CEU has a year to comply with the new rules. Hungary passes bill targeting Central European University Hungarian attack on George Soros prompts NGO anger The university built to defend democracy", "summary": "The EU has warned it could take legal action against Hungarian legislation cracking down on higher education, non-governmental organisations and asylum-seekers."}
{"article": "The app was designed to enable doctors to share pictures of their patients, both with each other and with medical students. So far, more than 150,000 doctors have uploaded case photos with the patient's identity obscured. However, some experts have expressed concern about patient confidentiality. Patients' faces are automatically obscured by the app but users must manually block identifying marks like tattoos. Each photo is reviewed by moderators before it is added to the database. Founder Dr Josh Landy told the BBC that the Figure 1 service did not access any patient records. \"We do not possess any personal medical data at all. The best way to keep a secret is not to have it. We are not an organisation that delivers healthcare,\" he told the BBC. But doctors must provide identifying credentials and are also advised to notify their employees and patients to find out about consent policies. \"Legally, we found that identifying the doctor does not identify the patient,\" said Dr Landy. \"However some [medical] conditions are so rare that they can't be posted. One user wanted to post something but there are only seven cases of it in the US and they had all been reportable because they are rare, so the patient could have been identified.\" Anybody can download the app for free, but only verified healthcare professionals can upload photos or comment on them, he added. \"We reject sensationalistic images,\" said Dr Landy. \"Everything is there for educational purposes. That said, there are very colourful images - things medics see every day. It's a transparent view into a world you rarely get to see.\" The app is already available in North America, the UK and Ireland. While digital services such as UpToDate and DynaMed - both requiring a subscription - are already widely used within the healthcare community as clinical knowledge databases, they are not rivals to Figure 1, said Dr Landy. \"UpToDate is an app I love, and have used for years. However, they have a highly curated repository of articles written and edited by experts in the field. \"What our app does is provide the opportunity to contribute any case no matter how classic or unusual. Ours is all image-based and totally crowdsourced.\" The app has received $6m (\u00c2\u00a33.75m) in investment in the last year. British GP and author Dr Ellie Cannon gave it a cautious welcome. \"I think it's potentially really useful to share photos with medical students and other doctors,\" she said. \"Obviously the potential pitfall is the confidentiality. Of course, they are anonymised but even uploading from a certain doctor may go some way to identify a patient,\" she added. \"And can a patient later opt out? We've seen with other sites the downsides of sharing too much.\"", "summary": "An app which enables healthcare professionals to share photos is to be rolled out across western Europe by the end of the year."}
{"article": "US President Donald Trump's two adult sons, Donald Jr and Eric, were at the luxury hotel's grand opening. About 200 protesters gathered outside the building to chant \"dump Trump\" before the noon ceremony. The city's mayor and city council boycotted the event because of the president's controversial statements about immigrants. Steel fences surrounded the downtown property early Tuesday ahead of the ceremony, but that didn't stop the demonstrations. The words \"hate lives here\" were scrawled in chalk outside the CA$360m ($274m/\u00c2\u00a3220m) luxury hotel, and people stuck anti-Trump sticky notes to the outside of the building. Another protest was scheduled to take place in downtown Vancouver for 1600 local time (midnight GMT). In a statement, the Vancouver police force said the safety of both those attending the event and the general public was a priority. They received help from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Protective Policing unit, which is responsible for the safety of \"Internationally Protected Persons,\" such as the family of foreign officials. A spokesperson for the RCMP declined to say how much security cost. The Canadian tower was designed by famed architect Arthur Erickson and had a soft launch last month. The building has a distinctive 45-degree twist as it rises upward and is the second-tallest building on the city's skyline. Mr Trump's sons and his daughter Tiffany bypassed protestors by entering through the back, local media reported. In a press conference in the hotel's grand ballroom, Eric Trump praised developer Joo Kim Tiah's efforts in getting the hotel and condominium project built. \"We love you, we love the relationship and we're going to have a lot of fun for many years to come,\" said Eric Trump. He also said Vancouver was \"truly one of the most beautiful places in the world\" and \"so fitting for the Trump brand\". The mayor of Vancouver and members of his party on the City Council said they would not attend the event. Mayor Gregor Robertson had asked the developers in 2015 to remove the Trump name from the project. \"We're a city that's one of the most diverse in the country,\" Vancouver city councillor Kerry Jang told CBC News. Trump's businesses, he said, are \"really not welcome here.\" The luxury hotel and tower in the city was jointly developed by Malaysia-based global property firm TA Global Berhad and Vancouver-based property player Holborn Group. The Trump brand signed on to the project in 2013. Like similar projects worldwide, the Trump Organization provides branding for the Vancouver development and manages the property, but does not retain a stake. The Trump Organization is an umbrella company for Donald Trump's investments in real estate, brands and other businesses. In January, the president said he had formally given \"complete and total\" control of the Trump Organization's businesses to his two sons in a bid to avoid conflicts of interest, though that plan has been criticised for not going far enough in removing any business conflict. The two sons also attended the opening of the Trump International Golf Club in Dubai in mid-February. The Vancouver tower's units were sold", "summary": "Vancouver's new Trump International Hotel and Tower has opened with pomp and protests."}
{"article": "In a video released hours ahead of his official launch in Miami, the 62-year-old brother of ex-president George W Bush declared: \"I'm ready to lead.\" He also promised to protect the country's most vulnerable and remove the barriers to social mobility. But doubts persist among conservatives in his party. And early polling suggests that he has yet to dominate a wide field of Republican candidates. In his latest video, entitled The Greatest Century, he strikes a very optimistic note, saying: \"I see a great country on the verge of its greatest century, and I'm ready to lead.\" The Bush team may have hoped their man would have built a clear lead in the polls by now, but the consensus view is he's currently just one in a pack of frontrunners. Recent interviews with campaign strategists indicate that they are going to start using the millions of dollars at their disposal to target opponents they consider most threatening - namely, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Florida Senator Marco Rubio. In his opening campaign video, Mr Bush emphasised his positive, optimistic vision for the future, saying some politicians \"talk about problems; I see solutions\". But in the coming months, the fight for the Republican presidential nomination could get nasty. Although his campaign becomes official on Monday, it's been no secret for many months and his team is well on the way to raising a $100m war chest. During a tour of Europe last week, Mr Bush warned he would not waver from his core beliefs, even if some are unpopular in his party. \"I'm not going to change who I am,\" he said. \"I respect people who may not agree with me, but I'm not going to change my views because today someone has a view that's different.\" In a separate video, called Making A Difference, he champions the rights of women, ethnic minorities and the disabled. \"My core beliefs start with the premise that the most vulnerable in our society should be in the front of the line and not the back,'' he says. \"What we need is new leadership that takes conservative principles and applies them so that people can rise up.\" Profile: Jeb Bush A Spanish language video was also released, demonstrating his strong Hispanic links - his wife Columba is Mexican and he speaks Spanish well. But in recent weeks he has found himself on the defensive over the Iraq War - led by his older brother, President George W Bush - as he stumbled to clarify his position. The issue brought into focus the problems he may face over his famous surname and the baggage that comes with it. He becomes the 11th Republican to declare, with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Florida Senator Marco Rubio among his biggest rivals. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is the clear frontrunner. This raises the possibility in 2016 of another Clinton-Bush race like that of 1992, when Mrs Clinton's husband Bill beat Jeb Bush's father, President George HW Bush. US 2016: Meet the possible candidates", "summary": "Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has pledged to fix America as he launches his bid to become the Republican nominee for president."}
{"article": "The hooker, 24, is one of three uncapped players in Gregor Townsend's first Scotland camp since the latter succeeded Vern Cotter as head coach. But in six years at Pro12 Edinburgh, Turner has made just one start. \"I can't go through another frustrating year of not getting any game time,\" he said ahead of June fixtures against Italy, Australia and Fiji. \"I've been in some dark places last year. Hopefully, I'm good enough that I can compete with [fellow hookers] Ross Ford and Stuart McInally for that number one spot at Edinburgh.\" Despite making his Edinburgh debut in October 2014, Turner has been limited to just 11 appearances for the club, and only earned his maiden start in the penultimate round of this season's Pro12 in late April. Edinburgh have never finished higher than eighth since the league's inception, and have undergone a turbulent period of fluctuating strategies and major turnover in personnel during Turner's career. Despite a rejuvenating loan spell at London Scottish earlier this season, he fears the lack of game time has stunted his progression. \"Frustrating is the word for the last few years,\" Turner said. \"Obviously, [former head coach] Alan Solomons came in, changed the structure, focused on the forwards. \"We had Ross Ford there already, then Neil Cochrane came in, and Stuart McInally, who has Scotland experience, came in. They're all captains - when everyone's away [with Scotland] all the hookers seem to be captains. \"I could barely get a way in. I always tried to train hard and get into the team. \"They were looking to win games, the coaches maybe felt under pressure and were sticking with what they know. \"I understand that to a point, but I was a good player, over the years I would have been further developed than what I am now [if I had played] and I could have had Scotland caps or [attended] a Scotland camp a couple of years ago, maybe.\" Turner joins Nick Grigg and D'arcy Rae of Glasgow Warriors in seeking his first taste of international rugby next month, when Scotland will play Tests in Singapore, Sydney and Suva on consecutive Saturdays. The Scotland Under-20s cap admits he was shocked by the call-up, but is desperate to seize the opportunity before him. \"My senses are fried - I've been learning loads,\" he said. \"The next levels and tempo, the speed at which we're playing has been brought up a notch because we're trying to play really fast rugby. \"Obviously, I was excited and a bit nervous when I came in and it showed a bit. I made a couple of obvious mistakes, but I'm working on that, trying to get better and improve. \"They've picked me for a reason - they like the way I play, what little they've seen of it, I'm an aggressive and dynamic ball-carrier and defender. I'm trying to show that in training to keep up with what they're expecting. \"As a rugby player, you can train all you like, I've got all the systems down, but it's doing it on the", "summary": "George Turner insists he cannot afford to spend another season on the periphery of Edinburgh's squad."}
{"article": "Stanley Mullin said an officer had \"tears in his eyes\" as he said he could not do any more for Eric Hughes, 42. The policemen gave mouth-to-mouth and heart massage to the father-of-two from Warrington, while Mr Mullin rubbed his friend's hand, saying: \"Come on, Eric!\" The court also heard about the final movements of 18-year-old Paul Clark. Mr Mullin and Mr Hughes had travelled to Sheffield on 15 April 1989 to watch Liverpool play Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi-final. Mr Hughes' son David, who was 17 at the time of the disaster, previously told the court how his father - who had worked as a lorry driver, a taxi driver and a salesman - was nicknamed \"Eric The Red\" because of his devotion to Liverpool FC. He told the hearing of his sorrow that his father had not lived to meet his grandchildren, and that he never \"got to buy my dad a pint\". The friends went into pen three together on the Leppings Lane terraces but were separated after a crowd surge, the hearing was told. Mr Mullin managed to escape through a gate at the front of the stand, which he said had been opened by a police officer. He later saw Mr Hughes being lifted off the terraces and laid on the pitch. The jury heard he was placed near the goal line at 15:26 BST - 20 minutes after the match was halted. PC Neil Mutch was giving Mr Hughes chest compressions while his colleague PC Barbara Hardwick - now Barbara Woodward - gave him the kiss of life. Mr Hughes was unresponsive, the jury heard. Mr Mullin said: \"I was rubbing Eric's hand. I was talking to Eric while rubbing his hands, saying, 'Come on Eric! Come on!'\" Mr Mullin said the officers, who were both crying, eventually stopped. He said: \"The chap just looked up at me with tears in his eyes and said: 'I'm sorry I can't do any more.' They were so upset.\" In a statement, Mr Mutch said that after seeing Mr Hughes he was \"in a very bad state\", while Mrs Woodward was \"very upset\". Mrs Woodward told the court she had \"blocked out\" a lot of what happened on the day of the disaster. The court heard how the officers stopped giving first aid after a man who said he was a doctor told them Mr Hughes had died. Paul Clark was an apprentice electrician from Derbyshire. His parents described him as a \"lovely young man\" who was \"fun-loving and caring\". He went to the match with his father, Kenneth, and a friend, Andrew Booth. Mr Booth, who was with his friend inside pen three, said Mr Clark moved towards the front of the enclosure shortly before kick-off. \"I would have said he was pushed forward by the crowd,\" Mr Booth said. He did not see his friend alive again and said that after kick-off the pressure in the enclosure intensified. Matthew Hill, a barrister representing the coroner, said there was no video or eyewitness evidence showing how", "summary": "Two police officers wept as they tried to resuscitate one of the 96 fans fatally injured at Hillsborough, one of his friends told the new inquests jury."}
{"article": "The 46-year-old, who has won 12 medals, including two golds, will be hoping to create history as the sport makes its Paralympic debut. London Games Maker Anne Dickins is also included alongside 2012 competitors Nick Beighton and Emma Wiggs. Debutants Ian Marsden and Rob Oliver complete the GB squad. All of the squad had secured their places thanks to their performances at the British Championships in Nottingham earlier this month, but had to wait for the British Paralympic Association to verify their selection. Chippington appeared at her first Games in Seoul in 1988 and also competed in the pool in Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and Athens. After retiring from swimming she took up canoeing in 2011 and has won world and European titles in the KL1 class. Media playback is not supported on this device Dickins, 49, from Guildford, took up the sport after a chance meeting with a coach while volunteering in 2012. The former endurance cyclist suffered a freak debilitating back injury in 2011 and recovered from a viral illness to win world gold in the KL3 category last month. \"I thought I couldn't do any more sport because of my injury, so to give back to sport I thought I would do some volunteering,\" she told BBC Sport. \"Not for one minute did I ever think I would be competitive in any sport, let alone one I hadn't done before. It's just been such a crazy, incredible four years.\" Beighton, who lost both legs while serving in the Army in Afghanistan in 2009, rowed at the London Paralympics while Wiggs, who was left paralysed overnight while on a gap year in Australia, aged 18, was part of the sitting volleyball squad. Marsden is a former world champion powerlifter, while Oliver broke his leg playing football in 2008 and had his leg amputated after 17 operations. Great Britain is one of only two countries, along with Australia, to have qualified places in all six Paralympic events. Squad: Nick Beighton (Men's KL2), Jeanette Chippington (Women's KL1), Anne Dickins (Women's KL3), Ian Marsden (Men's KL1), Rob Oliver (Men's KL3), Emma Wiggs (Women's KL2).", "summary": "Former swimmer turned canoeist Jeanette Chippington has been officially named to compete in her sixth Paralympics for Great Britain."}
{"article": "Judge Madeline Haikala threw out the case against Eric Parker after his two previous trials ended in hung juries. CCTV footage last year showed a confrontation between 57-year-old Sureshbhai Patel and two officers in an Alabama suburb. Mr Patel was thrown to the ground, an incident which he says left him partially paralysed. In her 92-page opinion District Judge Haikala said evidence presented during Madison police officer Eric Parker's two trials did not eliminate the reasonable doubt that the policeman was guilty of a crime. \"The court has no reason to expect a different result in a subsequent trial given the totality of the evidence that the parties have provided,\" Ms Haikala wrote. The footage from police cameras last February shows Mr Patel - who speaks no English - trying to walk away from the officers, who eventually shove him to the ground. Mr Parker had told jurors that Mr Patel's actions and appearance were \"in sequence'\" with those of a burglar. He said Mr Patel tried walking away and wouldn't answer questions when officers approached him, and that he was suspicious when the man reached for his pockets and when he pulled one of his hands free during a pat-down. Mr Patel had recently arrived in the US to help care for his grandson, who was born prematurely, when the incident took place. He was walking outside his son's home when police said they received a call from a neighbour about a suspicious person. According to the civil rights complaint filed in court, Mr Patel told the police officers who stopped him \"no English, Indian\", and gave his son's house number. A police officer then threw him abruptly to the ground, injuring him seriously, the complaint said. In an exclusive interview with the BBC in November 2015, Mr Patel's son Chirag told the BBC that things had been difficult for his Dad since the incident. \"Slowly he's making progress and getting independence. But still he's not 100% and we don't know if he's going to get 100%.\" But he added that while he wanted justice his family would accept whatever decision the judge made. He said his view of America has not changed. \"It was a land of opportunity, and it still is a land of opportunity. America has changed my life in a positive way. So my views are not changed because of this one incident with my Dad.\"", "summary": "A federal judge in the US has acquitted a policeman who was charged over a serious assault on an Indian man."}
{"article": "Rafael Benitez's side have won just twice in the last eight to slip seven points adrift of leaders Brighton. Huddersfield can also move to within five points of Newcastle with victory at Derby in the 17:00 BST kick-off. Freddie Sears put Ipswich up and David McGoldrick and Emyr Huws goals sealed the win after Daryl Murphy levelled. Sears opened the scoring in a dramatic climax to the first half at Portman Road, with Matt Ritchie sending a diving header wide just moments before for the visitors. With Murphy on target against his former side, Newcastle looked to have their aspirations of an immediate return to the Premier League back on track. However, Sears set up McGoldrick up for the Tractor Boys' second with 20 minutes remaining before Huws made it 3-1 in the 93rd minute. The visit of promotion-chasing Newcastle was celebrated as 'Sir Bobby Robson Day' at Portman Road, with the late former England boss revered as a managerial legend at both clubs. Newcastle, who Robson guided to third in the Premier League in 2002-03, now need eight more points to guarantee promotion, irrespective of other results, while Brighton need just two more points to seal the Championship title. Robson, who has a stand at Portman Road named after him and a statue outside, led Ipswich to FA Cup success in 1978 and Uefa Cup victory in 1981. Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy: \"I think our performance was a great tribute to Sir Bobby Robson and I think the game was a fitting tribute to him. \"The Sir Bobby Robson Day was a lovely thing to do and it was nice to be part of it. \"It was our best performance of the season. I told my players we were going to be playing in front of 25,000 people and I wanted them talking about us at the end in a positive manner.\" Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez: \"I am concerned about the change in my team's performance from Leeds on Friday to the performance today. We know we have to win our games and now we have to change and improve. \"We knew it was going to be this kind of game but we were not ready - it seems we were not mentally ready. \"We made mistakes and we got paid for it. We have to all take responsibility, we win together and we lose together.\" Match ends, Ipswich Town 3, Newcastle United 1. Second Half ends, Ipswich Town 3, Newcastle United 1. Attempt missed. Grant Ward (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Goal! Ipswich Town 3, Newcastle United 1. Emyr Huws (Ipswich Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Brett Pitman with a cross. Foul by Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle United). Luke Chambers (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Jordan Spence. Jes\u00fas G\u00e1mez (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Brett Pitman (Ipswich Town). Attempt saved. Grant Hanley (Newcastle United)", "summary": "Newcastle's bid for automatic promotion continued to stutter as Ipswich Town made it two defeats in three matches for the second-placed Magpies."}
{"article": "More than 100 schools have been closed. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said it was \"experiencing difficulty in responding to some emergency calls\" due to the weather. \"We would ask that people only call 999 in a real emergency and to remain patient if there is a delay in ambulance response,\" the NIAS said. It said NIAS staff would \"continue to prioritise calls on the basis of clinical need\". A number of Translink Metro bus services were also affected on Thursday due to the snow. The Upper Hightown Road in Belfast has been closed because of poor road conditions. Police patrols in the area appealed to the public to avoid the road and obey the cordon and diversion signs. The Met Office said a yellow warning of snow and ice will remain in place until 11:00 GMT on Friday. Parents of pupils at Loughash primary school, Dunamanagh, County Tyrone, are advised that the school will be closed on Friday. Transport NI, formerly known as Roads Service, said that strong winds are also likely to combine with the snow to make conditions more difficult. It said salting and ploughing operations are continuing. Police have advised drivers to slow down, put their lights on, leave more room to stop than usual and brake gently to avoid skidding. \"Drive slowly on snow in the highest gear possible,\" a PSNI statement said. \"Do not assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads,\" it added. Places in the south east of Northern Ireland that do not have much snow will still be bitterly cold and will be at risk of ice, forecasters have said. The cold weather will continue throughout Thursday and it will remain very cold until the beginning of next week. Check out the latest travel news for Northern Ireland For the latest on the roads visit the BBC's travel news page and keep up-to-date with the latest updates on BBC News NI's Live pages. Alternatively, for regular travel bulletins listen live to BBC Radio Ulster and follow @BBCNITravel. Below are a number of other traffic information sources. Trafficwatch NII Transport NI Translink @PSNITraffic", "summary": "Snow showers are continuing to affect the road network across Northern Ireland on Thursday and there is also the risk of ice on roads."}
{"article": "Stargazers and photographers around the world have captured some stunning images of the spectacle in recent days. Here is a selection of their images: The Northern Lights are caused by the interaction of the solar wind - a stream of charged particles escaping the Sun - and our planet's magnetic field and atmosphere. Find out more about the Northern Lights. The lights themselves are often visible in Scandinavian countries, but also in northern parts of the US and Canada. The Northern Lights were also seen off the coast of Norfolk, England too. Thanks to Ben Gadsby-Williams for this time-lapse video. Thank you for sharing your pictures with us. You can email your pictures and video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or upload them here. Compiled by Rozina Sini", "summary": "The Aurora Borealis also know as the Northern Lights have been making an appearance across parts of the UK."}
{"article": "The Langholm-based firm is charged with falsely claiming scarves were 100% cashmere on two occasions in 2014. The alleged offences are said to have taken place at the company's store in Church Place, Dumfries. Edinburgh Woollen Mill has denied the charge, brought under the Textile Products Regulations 2012. A trial began at Dumfries Sheriff Court earlier this year and it heard from defence witness Dr Philip Greaves this week. The textile fibre analyst tested samples of the red and blue scarves at his own facility and found them to be 96.7% and 97.2% cashmere, he told the court. He said EU and UK standards allow for a 5% tolerance when labelling products. Asked by defence QC Susan Duff if his findings would allow the scarves to labelled as 100% cashmere, he said: \"In terms of regulations, yes. \"There's an industry expression: commercially pure.\" Dr Greaves, described as a \"world leader\" on the subject, said other materials found in the scarves were \"inadvertent impurities\" which can become part of the product during manufacturing or packaging. He said: \"A block of steel will remain pure but textiles pick up material along the way, and that's why there's a tolerance of certain percentages.\" When asked about the results of tests from other labs which found the scarves to contain only 84.4% and 61.6% cashmere, Dr Greaves said bleaching of materials can make them hard to identify as cashmere. \"I think that they perhaps did not recognise the bleached cashmere fibres,\" he said. Questioned by fiscal depute Alison Herald about the other examiners, Dr Greaves said: \"There's nothing to suggest that they are not skilled but perhaps they are not experienced in fibre damage and this particular bleaching of cashmere.\" A second defence witness, Mary Lunn, who tests Edinburgh Woollen Mill fibres for TFT Ilkley, told the court her examination of the scarves found them to be both 100% cashmere. Asked about the difference with Dr Greaves, she said: \"That's within the acceptable range, I would say.\" Questioned by Ms Duff on the two lower cashmere results, Ms Lunn said: \"Obviously they haven't done it right, in my opinion. \"There's no way there could be that much variation, 2% to 4% maybe, but not that much.\" The trial continues.", "summary": "Edinburgh Woollen Mill scarves claimed to have been mislabelled were correctly marked as 100% cashmere, a testing expert has told a court."}
{"article": "Members of the Bournemouth e-Panel mailing list, who had signed up to take part in surveys, received an email with all the recipients' addresses visible. The council apologised and asked recipients to delete the original email which was sent last week. Service director Richard Saunders said \"further investigations\" were being carried out to prevent a repetition. An Information Commissioner's Office spokesman said it was aware of the breach and would be keeping a note on its system. He said as it was not regarded as significant enough to take further action and the council had followed the recommended procedures following the error.", "summary": "Hundreds of email addresses have been inadvertently circulated following a mistake by Bournemouth Borough Council."}
{"article": "Trains will not serve Moorfields, Lime Street and Liverpool Central stations for six months during the \"essential renewal works\", Network Rail said. Services will not operate beyond Birkenhead Central and Birkenhead North at certain times. Alternative travel arrangements will run during the works. Merseyrail managing director Jan Chaudhry Van der Velde said: \"The work that Network Rail will undertake next year is essential for maintaining the safe and reliable operation of the infrastructure built in the 1970s. \"However, we do not underestimate the inconvenience this will cause to our Wirral line passengers in the short term.\"", "summary": "Rail passengers travelling between Liverpool and Wirral are being warned of longer journey times when major engineering works begin in January."}
{"article": "Tiler, 18, was due to compete in the women's -69kg category on Sunday. UK Sport cut all funding for British Weightlifting (BWL) because the sport was not a \"credible\" medal chance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. \"Sorry guys, won't be at the British this year on strike till some funding is found. British Weightlifting, thanks for messing my life up,\" she tweeted. British Weightlifting told BBC Sport that the event had been a success and added: \"BWL no longer has the funds to support an elite squad of female lifters training for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the major championships leading up to it, despite the possibility of winning a medal at the Games. \"Sport England continues to support BWL, although that funding is ring-fenced for the development of the sport and at grassroots level. A small budget from Sport England has been allocated to support the squad ahead of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.\" Tiler finished 10th at the 2016 Rio Olympics and is a four-time European champion. She had previously criticised the sport's governing body, saying that she was living in student accommodation and there was no physiotherapist to treat her sore knees. British Weightlifting responded by saying there was little they could do without the UK Sport funding. Tiler claimed silver in the snatch and finished fourth overall in the -69kg division at the European Championships in April.", "summary": "Olympian Rebekah Tiler has missed this weekend's British Championships in protest over funding."}
{"article": "The author was trying to find a publisher for The Cuckoo's Calling, which was eventually released in 2013. Rowling posted the rejections on Twitter, saying she was doing so to encourage other aspiring writers. One of the letters, from publishing house Constable & Robinson, says it \"could not publish [The Cuckoo's Calling] with commercial success\". The letter goes on to suggest politely that Galbraith \"double check in a helpful bookshop\" or in the twice yearly \"buyer's guide of Bookseller magazine\", about who the current publishers of his fiction genre are. The letter adds \"a writers' group or writing course may help\" Galbraith to get constructive criticism of his debut crime novel. The second letter, from Creme de la Crime publishers, explains simply that they have become part of Severn House Publishers and are \"unable to accept new submissions at the moment\". Rowling, who has more than seven million Twitter followers, posted them in response to a fan's request for a picture of a rejection letter. She explained: \"The Potter ones are now in a box in my attic, but I could show you Robert Galbraith's?\" The Harry Potter author removed the signatures from the letters because she said she was posting them \"for inspiration, not revenge\". \"I wasn't going to give up until every single publisher turned me down, but I often feared that would happen,\" she added. Author Joanne Harris joined the Twitter discussion, joking that she got so many rejections for her 1999 novel Chocolat that she had \"made a sculpture\" out of them. The novel went on to become hugely successful and was made into a film starring Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench and Johnny Depp. The Cuckoo's Calling was eventually published by Sphere Books, an imprint of Little, Brown & Company. The book sold about 1,500 copies before Rowling's identity as the author was revealed by the Sunday Times newspaper. It was Rowling's second novel for adults, having released The Casual Vacancy under her real name in 2012. The Harry Potter series of books has to date sold more than 400 million copies. The eight film adaptations of the books have been named as the second-highest grossing franchise and film series of all time. Rowling has also been named as the first female novelist in the world to become a billionaire.", "summary": "JK Rowling has shared two rejection letters she received for her first novel writing as Robert Galbraith."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Gunners were knocked out of both the FA Cup and Champions League this week. Wenger's position has been questioned and his team's performances criticised but they won 2-0 at Goodison Park to stay third in the Premier League. \"I was pleased with how well they responded today,\" said Wenger. \"It was a very significant win for us and a mental test. \"I like this group, I like the mental attitude, it has been questioned and that hurts me,\" he added after Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi scored in the win over Everton. \"When you work with them every day, you see how much effort they put in.\" Arsenal were top of the Premier League on 4 January and fighting for silverware in two cup competitions. But their form has collapsed in recent weeks and Saturday's win was their first in four games in the Premier League. They lost to Watford on Sunday in the FA Cup quarter-finals and a 3-1 defeat by Barcelona on Wednesday sealed their exit from Europe. They are now 11 points behind leaders Leicester City and three behind second-placed Tottenham. But Wenger does not think his side are out of the title race with eight games remaining. \"Why should it be a two-horse race with one team three points in front of us? Let's focus on performances and after that we will see how we finish,\" he added.", "summary": "Arsene Wenger said it \"hurt\" that his players' attitude was questioned and believes Arsenal passed a \"mental test\" to beat Everton on Saturday."}
{"article": "Scientists in Australia said urban areas were expanding rapidly in a complex \"non-linear\" way that existing models failed to capture effectively. Assessments needed to be modified if ecologists were to get an accurate picture of the environment, they added. The findings appear in the Trends in Ecology and Evolution journal. \"Our paper aims to raise the awareness that the ingrained perception in ecology that urbanisation intensity and age - and associated environmental changes - vary in a [uniform manner] from the core to the city fringes, does not apply easily to contemporary patterns of urbanisation,\" said co-author Cristina Ramalho, a researcher from the University of Western Australia's School of Plant Biology. \"It is necessary, therefore, that ecologists adjust the way they think and conduct research to the reality of contemporary cities.\" She explained that, historically, cities grew slowly in a relatively compact manner, through progressive rings of urban development. However, Ms Ramalho added, contemporary patterns of expansion were \"markedly different\". \"Cities are growing very rapidly, they are increasingly expansive and dispersed, sprawling in... spider-like configurations across large distances, and embedding fragments of other land uses in the rapidly changing landscape,\" she said. Ecologically, this type of expansion was having \"dramatic impacts\". \"It is driving the large-scale loss and fragmentation of natural and semi-natural habitats in several countries and cities worldwide,\" she told BBC News. \"In countries such as the US and Australia, urbanisation is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss.\" The researchers said current models used by ecologists to assess urbanisation looked at this issue in a \"rather simplified\" way - such as using broad categories, including urban, suburban and rural. Ms Ramalho explained why this needed to be updated: \"If contemporary cities expand in a complex, non-linear manner, then the assumption that urbanisation intensity and age can be assessed based on a site's position along a linear urban-to-rural gradient can be misleading.\" She added that the measures also failed to adequately capture the effects of important drivers, such as landscape fragmentation and disturbances. She also said that the changing nature of urbanising landscapes were not reflected in systems that did not have a temporal dimension. The researchers suggested, as an alternative, that the impacts of an urbanising landscape should be assessed by looking at the changing attributes of a particular area, or the characteristics of a neighbouring landscape. \"Ecologists should move beyond the use of aggregated urbanisation measures and consider a comprehensive set of driving factors selected based on the characteristics of the study area and ecological question of interest,\" Ms Ramalho said. \"Ecologists should also consider the temporal dynamics of landscape change, and the effects of land-use history and time lags on biodiversity responses to on-going environmental change.\" By adopting such an approach would provide information that would help policymakers and planners, she added. \"A temporal perspective considering the fragmentation and land-use history can provide insight into the remnants environmental conditions and conservation value and, therefore, be used in prioritising conservation. \"Priorities could be, for instance, those remnants without significant land-use legacies and those that were recently fragmented.\"", "summary": "The way researchers assess urban ecology needs to change in order to take into account the way modern cities are developing, a study suggests."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old scored four goals in 22 appearances for the Spitfires last season and spent three months on loan at Aldershot Town. Lafayette has previously had spells with Welling, Woking and Luton Town. Dover host Boreham Wood in the National League on Tuesday, having begun the 2016-17 season with a 0-0 draw at Wrexham on Saturday. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "National League side Dover Athletic have signed Ross Lafayette following his departure from Eastleigh."}
{"article": "The Premiership club will pay Australian side South Sydney Rabbitohs about \u00a3270,000 (500,000 Australian dollars) for the 25-year-old. He will join at the end of the NRL season in October. \"With 2015 being a Rugby World Cup, it was an opportunity I had to pursue,\" Burgess said. \"I can't wait to get my head down and start learning the game.\" The forward played four times in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup as England were beaten by New Zealand in the semi-final. Media playback is not supported on this device England rugby union head coach Stuart Lancaster met Burgess in Australia in August, and sees him playing at centre in the 15-man game. The 2015 Six Nations starts on 6 February, giving Burgess around three months to adapt for that tournament. The 2015 World Cup, which is being held in England, starts in September. Burgess said: \"This has been a tough decision for me to make, as I've loved my time in Sydney with the Rabbitohs. However, I'm very excited about the challenge that this move offers me. \"An opportunity presented itself to head back home to England and to pursue a chance to represent my country in two different sports.\" Bath had been under the impression the Rugby Football Union would be responsible for paying for Burgess's release but the RFU initially distanced itself from the deal, conscious of the reaction of the other Premiership clubs. On Monday, however Lancaster revealed the RFU could yet be involved financially, stating: \"I think there are discussions ongoing.\" Bath head coach Mike Ford, a former rugby league player and coach, said: \"I've known Sam since his rugby league days in England and he is an exceptionally talented athlete. \"I've no doubt Sam will fit in seamlessly here at Bath and we're looking forward to having him join us and start making the transition.\" Speaking earlier this month, Lancaster said it would be \"a challenge\" for a rugby league player to make a successful transition into union in time for the 2015 World Cup. But he added: \"There's a bigger picture about developing a team that goes way beyond 2015.\" However former England centre Jeremy Guscott told BBC Sport he would be \"surprised\" if next year's World Cup came too soon for Burgess to be involved. Media playback is not supported on this device With his move to Bath still eight months away, Burgess vowed he would continue to \"do his best every week\" for the Rabbitohs, whose coach Michael Maguire said the Englishman had made a \"real impact\". Burgess, from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, made his Super League debut for Bradford in 2006 and went on to make 79 appearances for the club. In September 2009, the Rabbitohs announced they had signed Burgess on a four-year deal from the 2010 season. Six months ago, he made rugby league history by playing alongside older brother Luke and younger twins Tom and George as the Rabbitohs, whose majority shareholder is actor Russell Crowe, beat Sydney rivals Wests Tigers in an NRL game. It was the first", "summary": "England rugby league forward Sam Burgess is to switch codes and move to Bath on a three-year contract."}
{"article": "Leicester City 1-0 Southampton Manchester United 1-0 Everton Aston Villa 0-4 Chelsea Arsenal 4-0 Watford Bournemouth 0-4 Manchester City Norwich City 3-2 Newcastle United Stoke City 2-2 Swansea City Sunderland 0-0 West Bromwich Albion West Ham United 2-2 Crystal Palace Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur", "summary": "Premier League previews and reports as Spurs are held to a draw and Leicester beat Southampton to move seven points clear at the top."}
{"article": "It comes 10 months after Kamara, who plays in USA's Major League Soccer for New England Revolution, temporarily stopped playing for the Leone Stars. He had accused the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) of a lack of respect for players - a claim the SLFA denies. Kamara says a number of factors helped him decide to return to the international fold, including the passion he has for Sierra Leone. \"There is no time to fix everything that made me to walk away from Leone Stars,\" Kamara who turns 32 in five days time told BBC Sport. \"But I have decided to come back to the national team because firstly I love my country.\" \"Also I have been persuaded by my family, my big brother and Sierra Leone legend Mohamed Kallon and sports minister Ahmed Khanou\" Kamara said. It is not yet known whether Kamara will be invited for Sierra Leone's match against Ivory Coast, scheduled to be played in Bouake next weekend. The Leone Stars coach Sellas Tetteh has already named a provisional squad of 30 players, which comprises of 14 foreign-based and 16 local-based players. The team is presently in Accra preparing for the crucial group I match. Sierra Leone need to win the game to qualify for the 2017 Nations Cup finals in Gabon while a draw is enough for Ivory Coast to have the chance to defend their title. Kamara's last game for Sierra Leone was against Ivory Coast in the reverse fixture in September last year in Port Harcourt, which ended in a 0-0 draw.", "summary": "Former Norwich and Middlesbrough forward Kei Kamara has ended his international break and made himself available for selection ahead of Sierra Leone's forthcoming 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ivory Coast."}
{"article": "They include two former mayors, Leopoldo Lopez and Daniel Ceballos, who are being held on charges of inciting anti-government protests last year. President Nicolas Maduro has blamed them for the 43 deaths that resulted. Both men started hunger strikes this week in jail. The protesters were also calling for the release of the former Caracas mayor, Antonio Ledezma. Smaller demonstrations took place in other cities. On Friday, Venezuela blocked two former Latin American presidents from visiting Mr Lopez and Mr Ceballos. Leopoldo Lopez has been held at the Ramo Verde military prison outside Caracas since he was arrested in February 2014 on charges of inciting the violence that led to the deaths of 43 people and wounded hundreds of Venezuelans who took to the streets. Mr Lopez filmed a video in jail this week urging demonstrators to go out \"peacefully\" to demand an end to political persecution and censorship and for a date to be set for upcoming legislative elections. President Maduro has said his country's judiciary is independent and that those in jail are criminals.", "summary": "Thousands of Venezuelans have held a peaceful march through the streets of the capital Caracas, calling for the release of opposition leaders who have been in jail for more than a year."}
{"article": "Hundreds of Peshmerga fighters, backed by artillery and US-led coalition air strikes, advanced on Bashiqa from three directions on Monday morning. By late afternoon, they were moving from house to house clearing the town, a Peshmerga statement said. Meanwhile, the Iraqi military said it had found a mass grave filled with some 100 decapitated bodies south of Mosul. The grave was located in the grounds of an agricultural college on the outskirts of the town of Hamam al-Alil, which troops entered over the weekend. \"Specialised teams will be sent to investigate this heinous crime,\" the military said. IS militants have carried out many mass killings in the past, boasting about them in photos and videos circulated online. In 2014, they targeted security forces personnel and members of ethnic and religious minorities as they swept across northern Iraq after taking control of Mosul. The UN has also received reports that militants have carried out atrocities since the Iraqi government's offensive to retake Mosul began three weeks ago. On 29 October, they are alleged to have killed 40 former soldiers from the Hamam al-Alil and Shura areas, and thrown their bodies into the River Tigris. Bashiqa, about 12km (8 miles) from Mosul, was surrounded by Peshmerga fighters two weeks ago as part of the wider Mosul offensive. At about 06:00 (03:00 GMT) on Monday, the operation to finally clear the town got under way. By 17:00, the Peshmerga had advanced into the town and begun house-to-house clearances, a statement by their general command said. A senior Peshmerga officer, Brig-Gen Musa Gardi, told the Kurdish news agency Rudaw that pockets of militants remained that would be dealt with soon. He also warned that they might use tunnels and suicide bombs to launch attacks. About 40 car bombs targeted Peshmerga positions on Monday alone, he added. Rudaw earlier posted a video showing what it said was a bus packed with explosives that was destroyed in a coalition air strike on the edge of Bashiqa. Iraqi special forces and army units meanwhile continued operations to clear eastern districts of Mosul, six days after entering the last major IS urban stronghold in Iraq. Their progress has been slowed by suicide car bombs, booby traps and the need to engage in house-to-house fighting along narrow streets. The US special envoy to the multinational coalition against IS, Brett McGurk, nevertheless declared late on Sunday that the offensive was \"very much on track\". \"Everything in Mosul is ahead of schedule on all axes of advance but Daesh, as we expected, is putting up a fierce fight and I expect this will take some time to conclude,\" he said, using a pejorative term for IS based on the acronym of a previous name in Arabic. Mr McGurk also outlined how he expected the operation to retake the IS-held northern Syrian city of Raqqa, launched by a US-backed alliance of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters earlier on Sunday, would proceed in \"very deliberate phases\". \"There is an isolation phase which began today, and there will be subsequent phases to make sure that that", "summary": "Iraqi Kurdish forces have fought their way into a town held by Islamic State militants north-east of Mosul."}
{"article": "The veteran left-winger got almost 60% of more than 400,000 votes cast, trouncing his rivals Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall. He immediately faced an exodus of shadow cabinet members - but senior figures including Ed Miliband urged the party's MPs to get behind him. Mr Corbyn was a 200-1 outsider when the three-month contest began. But he was swept to victory on a wave of enthusiasm for his anti-austerity message and promise to scrap Britain's nuclear weapons and renationalise the railways and major utilities. He told BBC News he had been a \"bit surprised\" by the scale of his victory but his campaign had showed \"politics can change and we have changed it\". He will now select his shadow cabinet. Labour has confirmed Rosie Winterton will return as chief whip, but a string of existing cabinet members including Ms Cooper, Tristram Hunt and Rachel Reeves, have all ruled themselves out of serving on the front bench. He has hinted that he wants to change the format of Prime Minister's Questions - he faces David Cameron across the dispatch box for the first time on Wednesday - suggesting other Labour MPs might get a turn. And on Saturday night, he emailed party members asking them to submit questions the weekly exchange. \"I want to be your voice,\" he wrote. The Islington North MP won on the first round of voting in the leadership contest, taking 251,417 of the 422,664 votes cast - against 19% for Mr Burnham, 17% for Ms Cooper and 4.5% for Ms Kendall. Former minister and Gordon Brown ally Tom Watson was elected deputy leader. Corbyn supporters chanted \"Jez we did\" as he took to the stage, putting on his glasses to deliver his acceptance speech. The left-winger, who has spent his entire 32-year career in the Commons on the backbenches, promised to fight for a more tolerant and inclusive Britain - and to tackle \"grotesque levels of inequality in our society\". He said the leadership campaign \"showed our party and our movement, passionate, democratic, diverse, united and absolutely determined in our quest for a decent and better society that is possible for all\". \"They are fed up with the inequality, the injustice, the unnecessary poverty. All those issues have brought people in, in a spirit of hope and optimism.\" He said his campaign had given the lie to claims that young Britons were apathetic about politics, showing instead that they were \"a very political generation that were turned off by the way in which politics was being conducted - we have to, and must, change that\". Mr Corbyn added: \"The fightback now of our party gathers speed and gathers pace.\" His first act as leader was to attend a \"refugees welcome here\" rally, joining tens of thousands of people marching through central London in support of the rights of refugees. Addressing cheering crowds in Parliament Square, he delivered an impassioned plea to the government to recognise its legal obligations to refugees from Syria and elsewhere and to find \"peaceful solutions to the world's problems\". \"Open your your", "summary": "Jeremy Corbyn has promised to lead a Labour \"fightback\" after being elected the party's new leader by a landslide."}
{"article": "Malcolm Sherratt, 64, claimed more than \u00c2\u00a346,000 in disability benefits over eight years, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said. He had told authorities he needed help dressing and going to the toilet. Sherratt, from Stoke-on-Trent, was jailed for 12 months after being secretly filmed by the DWP working out at a gym. He previously admitted two counts of false representation and three counts of making a dishonest representation. Sherrat, of Arbourfield Drive, began making claims three weeks after taking part in Mr Universe 2007. He told authorities he needed help cooking and washing and sometimes needed a wheelchair or sticks, the DWP said. But officials discovered he worked out twice a day and filmed him lifting weights. Sherratt was sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Friday.", "summary": "A former Mr Universe contestant who claimed he had a bad back has been jailed for benefit fraud."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old, who came through Norwich's youth system, made 43 appearances for the U's last season. Barnet head coach Rossi Eames said: \"It's a fantastic coup for the club as he's got vast experience. \"He was part of an excellent side at Colchester and he's going to bring athleticism, technical and tactical abilities to our back line.\" The defender also had a two-year spell at Rotherham and helped them win promotion to the Championship in 2014. The Bees have not revealed the length of Brindley's contract. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Barnet have signed right-back Richard Brindley on a free transfer after he was released by Colchester."}
{"article": "Hill, 78, has run every day since 20 December 1964, clocking up 52 years and 39 days. The athlete, who won marathon gold medals at the European Championships in 1969 and the 1970 Commonwealth Games, has inspired successive generations of runners, whether elite or fun-runners. Here is how the running community from around England have reacted to the news. \"Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Ron Hill, a true legend. \"He is such a great man and his determination is so inspirational. \"Running every day for 52 years and 39 days is such an amazing achievement. \"His performances in the marathon are also incredible.\" \"It will be devastating if he has to stop. \"The great thing about Ron is that unlike some people who win gold medals and then pack up he has kept running. \"He's always ready to stop and talk to people. \"For our club his association with us is like Sir Bobby Charlton with Manchester United. \"I once tried to run every day for about five years but I gave up after twisting my ankle on a fell, although I still run quite a lot.\" \"Ron Hill is a hero to me. I think he is one of the most important figures in the evolution of running \"I only met Ron once and it was in the early 70s before most runners knew anything about streaks. \"Most running fans know Ron Hill for his great marathon victories and world records, his pioneering exploits that included carbo-loading, wearing mesh singlets, split running shorts. and creating road racing shoes that are as formidable exhibits of his love for running as his incredible streak. \"My streak started May 26,1969 so that's 47 years eight months well behind Ron's 52 years plus. \"I'm going to run as long as I can. The last year was rough due to injuries but I have a couple of dogs who remind me I need to get out there each morning.\" \"I have never been able to manage a running streak but he has certainly inspired me. \"When times have been tough I have thought about people like Ron. \"I remember the story about how he even managed a run with his foot in a plaster cast. \"If I could still be running in my 80s I would be very pleased.\" \"Ron Hill is so dedicated and disciplined to his running which shows me what can be achieved and helps me in all aspects of my running. \"I met Ron Hill at the start of the Greater Manchester marathon 2016 had a chat with him and shook his hand and said it was brilliant to actually meet him in person. \"I almost run everyday but as i am training for various distances from 10K to the marathon quite often there are rest days in the schedule. \"He is very much an inspiration - he's been running longer than I have been alive. \"Equalling his record is going to be very difficult \"It is very good for the body to run every day - the problem comes", "summary": "Former Olympian Ron Hill has ended a 52-year streak of running at least one mile every single day after experiencing chest pains."}
{"article": "Worcestershire Parkway station has been proposed close to junction 7 of the M5. The government has set aside a total of \u00a320m to pay for 75% of the cost of either building or renovating stations in England and Wales. The county council has until 25 February to submit its bid for the fund, which is managed by Network Rail. The Conservative-led authority has said it wants Worcestershire Parkway completed by summer 2016 if it is given money from the New Stations Fund. The plans form part of the Worcester Transport Strategy, which requires \u00a3200m of investment.", "summary": "Worcestershire County Council is to bid for \u00a37m of government money to go towards the construction of a third railway station in Worcester."}
{"article": "She's in the central hall - the largest space available - to accommodate the hundreds of people desperate to glean any further details on how she's going to manage the UK's EU exit. And of course hear how exactly she's going to help narrow the inequality, which has been blamed for driving a growing anger at the current political elite. But, the aides in the conference centre at Davos do not appear to have even heard of her. \"You want the tourism desk?,\" they ask, pointing to a room at the end of the corridor. No, I say, Theresa May. \"Theresa May?\" they ask surprised. The UK prime minister I explain. \"Ahh a global leader?,\" they ask, and point the way. May: UK will lead world on free trade UK will stay 'financial lungs' of Europe Lagarde warns UK of Brexit pain ahead Davos coverage in full Perhaps it's not so surprising. Global leaders are ten a penny here - there's around 50 heads of state and government in Davos - and Donald Trump's fast approaching presidency, rather than Brexit, is the focus of much of the discussions. Nonetheless by the time Mrs May takes the stage it's standing room only in the huge room. And overall her message, that the UK will advocate for growth in free markets and free trade - which she claims will improve life for everyone - appears to have been positively received. It's not exactly a standing ovation at the end, but the applause is solid, if not prolonged. Wojciech Kostrzewa, chief executive of Polish media giant ITI Group, declares it \"a very good speech\". \"She made a clear commitment to free trade and globalisation. It was a very clear statement concerning all those who have been left behind,\" he said. But does he think the UK's impending EU exit will lessen its ability to achieve this? Mr Kostrzewa is sanguine: \"Europe still needs the UK,\" he says. Yufen Shi from Boston, currently on maternity leave, says she agreed with Mrs May's pledge to make sure globalisation would benefit everyone, but she's sceptical it will prove possible. \"It would take a lot of work to formulate a policy to achieve that,\" she says. Still, she says the speech was \"uplifting\". \"She committed to upholding good values and I hope globalisation does benefit everybody,\" she says. Similarly, Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, who heads US law firm Covington's international practice, but previously held a number of senior White House positions including US ambassador to the European Union during the Clinton era says Mrs May's rhetoric was \"very positive\". \"The notion that the UK is not withdrawing from Europe was a very important message, as was the commitment to free trade. \"We could do with more details, but the basic message was very welcome,\" he says as I walk with him to his next meeting. Finally, I happen across David Moran, the British ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. \"You won't get much from me,\" he chuckles. But was it good, I ask? \"Oh yes,\" he nods.", "summary": "At the World Economic Forum in Davos, UK Prime Minister Theresa May's speech has been given top billing."}
{"article": "Patients often have a catheter fitted, either to drain urine stuck in the bladder or to monitor urine output. But these flexible tubes can harbour nasty bugs and cause infection. Scientists at University of Southampton have shown in the lab that diluted honey stops some common bacteria from forming sticky, hard-to-remove layers on surfaces such as plastic. In theory, a honey solution might be useful for flushing urinary catheters to keep them clean while they remain in the bladder. Many more trials would be needed to check it would be safe to use in humans, however. Honey has been used for centuries as a natural antiseptic. People have used it to treat burns and wounds and many companies now sell a range of \"medical grade\" honey products that comply with regulatory standards. The laboratory work, published in the Journal of Clinical Pathology, looked at two common bacteria that can cause urine and bladder infections - E. coli and Proteus mirabilis. Even at low dilution - about 3.3% - the honey solution appeared to stop the bacteria from clustering together and creating layers of known biofilm. Dr Bashir Lwaleed's team used Manuka honey (made by bees that feed on the nectar of the manuka tree) in their study because this dark-coloured honey from Australia and New Zealand is known to have bacterial-fighting properties. They say other types of honey might work too, but they have not tested this. Dr Lwaleed said: \"Nobody knows exactly how or why honey works as an antibacterial. And we don't know how well honey would be tolerated in the bladder. We are the first to propose this.\" Prof Dame Nicky Cullum is an expert in wound care and has looked at the evidence around honey as a treatment. She said: \"This work from Southampton is at a very early stage so we shouldn't get too excited. But it is an interesting avenue that is worth pursuing. \"Obviously, we'd need more studies to check that it wouldn't irritate the bladder or cause any other problems. \"People like things that are natural but they are not always more effective.\"", "summary": "Honey and water might be a useful weapon against urine infections in hospital patients, say UK researchers."}
{"article": "Former Det Con Evan John Hughes, from Pwllheli in Gwynedd, was one of the first officers to sit with Brady after he was arrested in October 1965. He recalled taking Edward Evans' mother to the mortuary to indentify her son. Brady, 79, died at Ashworth Hospital on Monday where he had been detained since 1985. Along with his lover Myra Hindley, he tortured and murdered five children in the 1960s in crimes that shocked the nation. He was jailed at Chester Assizes 51 years ago for the murders of Mr Evans, 17, John Kilbride, 12, and 10-year-old Lesley Ann Downey. In 1985, he also admitted to the murders of Pauline Reade, 16, and Keith Bennett, who was 12. Following his arrest, Mr Hughes, who was part of the Moors Murders investigation, was asked to sit with Brady in a room until he could be interviewed by senior officers. \"Honestly, you would think that he hadn't committed anything, he hadn't done anything wrong. He was quite cool, reading a newspaper and having a smoke,\" Mr Hughes told BBC Radio Wales' Good Morning Wales programme. \"He was a hard man and devilish obviously in what he had committed but on the other hand he didn't show this. He was a stern, angry-looking man who said nothing.\" Mr Hughes was asked to go and see Mr Evans' mother with a fellow police officer. \"I brought her back to Hyde [Greater Manchester] where she had to go into the mortuary and indentify her son,\" he explained. \"It wasn't an easy task, it was very difficult. Being the senior of two of us, I had to knock on the door and it was answered by a neighbour. \"I had already lit a cigarette outside the door which showed how nervous I was despite the fact I was a policeman at the time.\" He recalled his wife being concerned for the safety of their eldest daughter, who was just 12 months old at the time, as children disappeared \"without trace\" in the area. \"Everybody was worried stiff, children were afraid to go out,\" he said. Mr Hughes described himself as a \"small cog in the big wheel\" that brought Brady to justice. \"It was an awful experience to go through what we did at that time, for everybody,\" he added. \"I remember standing on the side of the grave of Lesley Ann Downey and by my side there was a chief inspector from Lancashire county and although it was dark at night, I could see the tears in his eyes. \"He turned to me and said 'hanging has just been stopped and this would have been the only answer in this case'.\"", "summary": "A detective constable sent to speak to the family of a Moors Murders victim has described Ian Brady as \"devilish\"."}
{"article": "The Crues face a testing away trip to third-placed Coleraine on Saturday as they aim to protect a seven-point lead. \"If you are going to try and win a title, you have to go and win games. We are only thinking of collecting the three points,\" said Baxter. \"There is no point going there, sitting back and accepting pressure.\" The Crues boss believes the outstanding recent form of the Bannsiders has made them \"the big surprise package\" of the campaign, but concedes that their progress does not come as a total surprise to him. \"I always knew Coleraine were developing something very strong - they have very good young players in their team with a lot of quality. \"They have really come to the fore in the last two months and hats off to Oran (Kearney) because he has worked tirelessly behind the scenes. \"He's a good manager and it will be a big test for us.\" Kearney's charges have hit form at just the right time and are now unbeaten in 13 matches in all competitions. \"This is the business end of the season and it's full of big games. Crusaders had another emphatic win over Ballinamallard so we have a tough task ahead of us,\" observed the Coleraine manager. Meanwhile Ballymena United boss David Jeffrey expects Cliftonville to pose a major threat to their ambition to get back to winning ways after picking up just one point from two home fixtures in the last week. \"It's going to be difficult at Solitude. They are a class act and are coming off the back of a few disappointing results. They will want to make amends on Saturday,\" argued the Sky Blues' boss. Linfield will be out to keep up their pursuit of Crusaders at the top when they travel to Ferney Park to take on Ballinamallard United. David Healy's outfit are on an impressive run of form, winning 11 and drawing one on of their last 12 outings. \"We are going to be playing the second best team in the country and they gave us a lesson the last time we played them at Windsor Park,\" said Mallards manager Gavin Dykes. \"Having said that, when we're at it, we can give anyone a game at Ferney Park.\" Dungannon boss Rodney McAree has seen his side drop to eighth spot after Glentoran's 1-0 win over Carrick Rangers on Friday night as the Swifts head to Shamrock Park to face basement club Portadown. \"We don't want to finish any lower than seventh and we have to fight tooth and nail to try and achieve that,\" said McAree. Glenavon manager Gary Hamilton is expected to make wholesale changes to his starting line-up for the Premiership game at Ards, with the Irish Cup semi-final against Coleraine a week later in mind.", "summary": "Crusaders manager Stephen Baxter has urged his players to keep chasing wins in every game as they close in on a third consecutive Premiership title."}
{"article": "Three team-mates have made the shortlist - Stuart Armstrong, Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair - along with Aberdeen winger Johnny Hayes. But Rodgers feels his captain should not have been overlooked. \"I still can't get away from how Scott Brown's not on it. I really can't,\" he said of the Scotland midfielder. \"I don't know what he was like in other years, but for this season, in my first season up here in Scotland, the level that this man has played at, he's the most influential player in Scottish football. \"I look at Chelsea's N'Golo Kante down south as a central midfield player and I think he got the player of the year award down there - and I think that Scott is certainly at least worthy of being a nominee.\" Rodgers, though, would not reveal whether 31-year-old Brown would have been his choice for player of the year. Media playback is not supported on this device He also declined to nominate which of the three Celtic players on the list deserved to win. However, he praised the consistency and leadership shown by Brown throughout the campaign. \"I can only remember him having one bad game and that was Hearts when we won the league - and I think he said it himself he was hopeless,\" added the Rodgers. \"Every other game has been at a top level and this is Champions League, this is big games. \"The players here will tell you the catalyst he is for them, what he gives the team. He has been superb. \"I can't believe why he isn't in it, but of course, I'm really happy for the other boys and the young players that are nominated as well.\" At Ibrox on Sunday, Sinclair was subjected to racial gestures from a Rangers fan, who has since admitted the offence in court, and Rodgers said the English winger had put the incident behind him. \"Racism - whether it is football or whether it is society - there is no place for it,\" added Rodgers. \"He's fine. He's got the support of all the people here, all the supporters and he moves on from it. \"He's been playing the game quite a long time, so it says something that it's the first time he has come across it in his life. \"There's been so much great work over the last 20 years to wipe out this kind of thing. \"In this day and age, when you do hear about it, it's very, very surprising, so thankfully it's been dealt with straight away, which is good to see, and we hope we don't have any more incidents like it for players like Scotty and whoever else.\"", "summary": "Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers cannot believe Scott Brown is absent from the nomination list for the PFA Scotland player of the year award."}
{"article": "The 91st annual conference of the National Federation of Women's Institutes Wales was held at St David's Hall, Cardiff, on Saturday. About 600 members attended. Part of the event included celebrating the first meeting, which took place in Llanfair on Anglesey on 16 September, 1915.", "summary": "A celebration has been held to mark 100 years since the first Women's Institute (WI) meeting in Britain."}
{"article": "Coach Michel Dussuyer has also left out Newcastle's Cheick Tiote, plus Siaka Tiene and Lacina Traore for the match on 6 September. Dussuyer says Toure is still thinking about his international future. \"At the moment he's in a period of reflection about his international future,\" Dussuyer said. \"I met him in London and told him I was counting on him. \"He's a big player and the captain of the team. I hope he'll continue his adventure with us.\" Toure said in March that he was considering whether to continue playing for the 2015 Nations Cup winners. Dussuyer also explained the absence of several other experienced players. \"As for Cheick Tiote we tried to get in contact with him through various means but there was no sign of life. \"I just wish he had made his position clear. Siaka Tiene still doesn't have a club, \"As for Lacina Traore and Tallo Gadji, I have to make a choice but it doesn't mean that I won't call on them in the future. \"They will just have to play well for their clubs.\" The match will be played in the Nigerian city of Lagos as Sierra Leone are banned from hosting matches at home due to the Ebola crisis. Sierra Leone lost their opening Nations Cup qualifier 1-0 to Group I opponents Sudan in June. The group also includes 2017 Nations Cup hosts Gabon but their matches will not count towards qualification. Only the group winners advance to the finals. Ivory Coast and Gabon drew 1-1 in June. Ivory Coast squad: Goalkeepers: Sylvain Gbohou (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Ali Sangare Badra (Asec Mimosas) Made Sayouba (Stabaek, Norway) Defenders: Serge Aurier (PSG, France), Mamadou Bagayoko (KV St Trond, Belgium), Eric Bailly (Villareal, Spain), Simon Deli (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic), Sheriff Jymoh (Athletic Adjame), Franck Kessie (Cesena, Italy), Adama Traore (Basel, Switzerland), Ousmane Viera (Rizespor, Turkey) Midfielders: Jean Daniel Akpa Akpro (Toulouse FC, France), Ismael Diomande (St Etienne, France), Yao Serge N'Guessan (AFAD), Geoffrey Serey Die (VFB Stuttgart, Germany), Jean Michael Seri (OGC Nice, France) Forwards: Wilfried Bony (Manchester City, England), Seydou Doumbia (CSKA Moscow, Russia), Gervinho (AS Roma, Italy), Max Gradel (Bournemouth, England), Salomon Kalou (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Giovanni Sio (Rennes, France), Thomas Toure (Bordeaux, France)", "summary": "Manchester City's Yaya Toure has asked not to be included in Ivory Coast's squad for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone."}
{"article": "The game was seen as a test of the Gunners' title credentials and, when you compare this result with their defeat at the Britannia Stadium last season, you can see the progress they have made. The Gunners did not play well but the crucial thing is that they dug deep and were not beaten this time. Wenger's side have fallen away in past seasons but performances like this one are part of the reason I think they will go the distance in the Premier League title race this time. There are still many more big tests to come for Arsenal, but they will still be there or thereabouts in May. Media playback is not supported on this device I don't think there is any doubt that the Gunners look more solid and have improved as a team with Petr Cech behind them, and Sunday was yet another example of what an important signing he has been. When Stoke got through Arsenal's back four, Cech was there to save them. He helped earn what was a big point for the Gunners because of their poor record at the Britannia Stadium - they had only won on one of seven previous league visits - and it might also prove to be an important point in the title race. That is the way Wenger will look at it, and I am sure he will take a lot of confidence from this result. Stoke have already beaten Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea at home this season, so they are no pushovers. The Potters have a lot of unpredictability in their team, particularly in attack, and they are tough to beat because they have a top-class young goalkeeper as well. Along with Cech, Jack Butland was the star of the show, and he made two excellent saves from Olivier Giroud. Other than those Giroud efforts, Arsenal did not threaten too often against the Potters but they were without their most creative player Mesut Ozil, who has been superb for them. Wenger got it right after the game when he said that there is no team in the world that would not miss Ozil in the form he is in at the moment. You only have to look at the number of chances he has created and the assists he has made in the Premier League this season to see what the German usually brings to their side. The good news for the Gunners is that it looks like he will be back soon, and Alexis Sanchez is also not far away from a return after seven weeks out with a hamstring injury. So, all things considered, Arsenal look in good shape in attack as well as at the back. I still think Giroud should score more goals - he has not reached 20 league goals in any of his three previous seasons for the Gunners. Like I said on Match of the Day on Wednesday night, he should be scoring 25 league goals a season playing in this Arsenal team, because of the number of chances", "summary": "Arsenal are back on top of the table after Sunday's draw at Stoke and there are several other reasons it was a significant result for Arsene Wenger's side."}
{"article": "The so-called Immortal Regiment procession sees people carrying flowers and portraits of loved-ones. It followed Russia's annual Victory Day parade, which marks the anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.", "summary": "Tens of thousands of people have marched in Moscow and cities around the world to remember relatives who took part in World War Two."}
{"article": "Bryony Freestone, 19, from Little Houghton, Northampton, died off the island of Koh Chang on 14 August. Kurtis Middleton, who had been with the Exeter University student for more than three years, said she taught him \"to seize life by the horns\". Her twin Sophie said Bryony recently said \"if she were to die right now, she would have lived her life to the full\". Bryony, a student at the university's Penryn Campus in Cornwall, was said to be \"talented, dedicated and hugely popular\". Describing her as \"my beautiful Bryony\", her boyfriend said: \"You were more than just my partner, you were my best friend and over our three years and three months we had together I've grown into a much better person, simply through knowing you.\" Her sister agreed, saying: \"You were the most vibrant, passionate, happy person I have ever known, enthusiastic about absolutely everything. \"I will endeavour to live my life the best I can for her.\" Mr Middleton added: \"Bry taught me how to seize life by the horns and make the most of every moment... we could all learn a lesson from her. \"Sleep tight Bryony, I love you with all my heart.\" Earlier this week the Foreign Office confirmed it was supporting the family of a British national \"who sadly died in Thailand on 14 August\".", "summary": "The boyfriend of a student who drowned in Thailand has spoken of the \"big open space where [she] should be\"."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old male officer suffered serious burns and is in an induced coma, prosecutor Eric Lallement said. His female partner was also badly burned on her hands and face. The attack in the town of Viry-Chatillon was a \"murder attempt\", a police union official told RTL radio. The officer with the most serious injuries was \"between life and death\", said Claude Carillo from the Alliance 91 union. The officers were on patrol near a housing estate. Robbers have been known to target motorists at a traffic junction in the area. A group of about 15 people were involved in the attack and surrounded the patrol car, the AFP news agency reports. Two other officers who arrived as back-up were also injured. Prime Minister Manuel Valls said those responsible would be \"relentlessly pursued and brought to justice\".", "summary": "A French police officer is in a life-threatening condition a day after a group of youths pelted petrol bombs at his patrol car near a housing estate outside Paris, prosecutors say."}
{"article": "David Mayman, a former commercial pilot, flew at a height of 30m for four minutes wearing a turbine jet engine-powered JB-10 jetpack. He hopes to make an electric version of the jetpack to be available in 2019 - at a price of nearly \u00c2\u00a3200,000. Mr Mayman said: \"It feels absolutely amazing, awesome - it's freedom.\" The project to develop a commercially viable electric jetpack is seeking to raise \u00c2\u00a3300,000 through crowdfunding, with work on the project planned to start in April 2017. The Australian former pilot took off in the jetpack from the Royal Victoria terminal of the Emirates Air Line cable car by the River Thames and made two short trips towards the ExCel centre. \"This is for the City boys who grew up in the 70s and 80s and dreamt of being a real-life Iron Man,\" said Lucy Sharp from Seedrs Investment, the company behind the fundraising for the electric jetpack. \"He's in talks with the US navy to give it a use beyond commercial flights. \"He's done over 400 test flights and they've all gone smoothly but it is jet fuel on his back so it can be dangerous.\" The former pilot, who has worked on the project for more than a decade, has previously flown close to the Statue of Liberty in New York City and in Monaco. Engineer Bennie Van De Goor said Mr Mayman's \"passion for a long time has been to develop a small man-carrying vehicle that he can put in his car, take out and fly\".", "summary": "A pilot wearing a jetpack has taken to the skies above the River Thames in east London like \"a real-life Iron Man\"."}
{"article": "The Dutchman took over at Stamford Bridge in December after the dismissal of Jose Mourinho. And Mikel told BBC's Match of the Day that the mood at Chelsea is now better. \"It's the way he communicates with the players and maybe that's what the players felt they didn't get from the previous manager,\" he said. \"Sometimes players - not just because they're not playing - you need to communicate with them. You need to speak to them and don't just ignore them because players like to be communicated to. \"This is what [Hiddink] has brought into the football club. In some ways you barely know he is in there, he is that calm and relaxed.\" Hiddink, who led Chelsea to FA Cup triumph in 2009, took over with the Blues 16th in the Premier League, one point above the relegation zone. They are currently 13th, nine points off the final Champions League place. The Nigerian was linked with a move away from the club last summer but Mourinho reportedly refused to sanction his departure. However, he has become a regular under Hiddink.", "summary": "Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi says communication has improved within the team since the arrival of interim manager Guus Hiddink."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device And as he looks back on the year when his career as a professional sportsman came to an abrupt end at the age of 26, he admits to being \"very, very lucky\". Taylor's heart was beating at 265 beats per minute for six hours. Most people would have passed out in about 10 minutes. \"Thankfully I was so fit I could withstand it. Six hours is a good effort,\" he told BBC East Midlands Today. \"It's ironic, that because I am so fit and did so much exercise it ultimately saved me. It's a funny one.\" Taylor's heart condition - Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) - gets worse with exercise, but had never been diagnosed until he felt ill during pre-season with Nottinghamshire in April. Retirement was inevitable, and the internal defibrillator he had fitted two months later has already saved his life for a second time. \"My operation was not to make anything better,\" he said. \"This condition can't get better, but if something goes wrong it is a safety net. \"If it happens again - and it has - it certainly did its job. It gave me a massive shock. But it did its job.\" Taylor treasures the memories of what proved to be his farewell to international cricket. He played in all four matches in last winter's series win over South Africa, taking two stunning catches in the brilliant third Test victory in Johannesburg. \"Who would have thought my best moment in cricket was my last moment in cricket?\" said Taylor, who won seven Test caps. \"All I wanted in my career was to play for England and I had fought so hard and there had been so many ups and downs. I felt I should have played far more than I did. \"Then it was all taken away from me. It kind of summed up my career. I got there and it got taken away from me. \"The best moment I have ever had in my life was one of the last days playing cricket for England, catching those catches in Joburg, winning that game with England, playing for your country amongst some great guys. \"It doesn't get much better than that. I achieved it, but I just did it less than I imagined and hoped. But I can't complain.\" Taylor does not complain because he is still alive, but the stubbornness which underpinned his cricket career very nearly led to his demise when he knew all was not well playing for Notts against university side Cambridge MCCU in April. \"It was very lucky a few things happened,\" the ex-Leicestershire player said, recounting the sequence of events and \"what ifs\" that led to his diagnosis. \"I am lucky I have a girlfriend for starters - in a lot of ways! I am lucky that Jose was off work and I rang her to say I was ill. \"And if I hadn't forgotten my keys for my house I wouldn't have got my mum involved. She found me curled up in", "summary": "The very thing that almost killed former Nottinghamshire and England batsman James Taylor also saved his life."}
{"article": "The leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams, says it was she - and that it was the Lib Dems' coalition partners who insisted on the explicit link. Her version of events is - to put it mildly - disputed at Westminster. As I reported last month, the initial offer from the UK government had strings attached. Those strings were later cut after the Welsh Lib Dems threw their toys out of the pram. But that was only after the referendum link had apparently been agreed by the deputy Prime Minister (and Lib Dem leader) Nick Clegg and (Lib Dem) Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander. There are even suggestions from Conservative sources that senior Lib Dem ministers wanted to go further - and require a Welsh government commitment to campaign for a \"yes\" vote in that referendum. But Kirsty Williams has presented the proposed link as a dastardly Conservative plot, telling us: \"I do not think it is reasonable for the Tories to say you can only deal with Wales's under-funding if you have that income tax referendum. \"That's why I blocked that announcement when that was being proposed from London to make sure that's not the case.\" She may have opposed the explicit link but so, I'm told, did Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb. It appears they were both on the same side of the argument arguing against senior figures in their own - and each other's - parties. Coalition 2.0 anyone?", "summary": "Who blocked an attempt by the coalition to tie a new funding deal for the Welsh government with a commitment to hold a referendum on income tax powers?"}
{"article": "More than 2,000 pigs would be bred at the farm on the Moys Road and slurry spread on nearby land. Thousands of people have objected claiming it would impact on their health and the environment. However, an environmental statement said that the scale of the proposed development would have \"no adverse impact\" on either. The BBC has tried to contact the farmer behind the plans, Thomas Simpson, but has not yet had a response. Causeway Coast and Glens Council confirmed it has received more than 3,000 letters of objections. \"Over 3,000 letters of objection, five petitions with a total of almost 14,000 signatures and two letters of support have been received,\" said a council spokesperson. \"Once all consultations have been returned the application will be considered further - taking account of all material planning issues raised through letters and petitions of representation.\" Thousands of objectors have also signed an online petition claiming the proposed farm would cause pollution and noise and affect traffic and rivers. In February, the Public Health Agency and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency wrote to the council's planning department expressing their concerns. \"Our main concern remains the potential for bioaerosol releases from pig rearing activities and the associated anaerobic digester plant,\" said Gerry Waldron from the PHA. A number of other government agencies - including NIEA, Shared Environment Services and Transport NI - also had concerns. However, last month an environmental statement from an independent company concluded that the scale of the proposed development would have \"no adverse impact\" on people's health or the environment. The report also stated that 500 more pigs would be included in the plans, bringing the total figure to more than 2,700. It also stated that an anaerobic digester would no longer be needed and that slurry would be spread in local fields. The council has said it is still considering the application. Dozens of Limavady residents attended a meeting on Wednesday night to discuss their concerns. Marcus Moore, chairman of Roe Angling Limited, said: \"This is a disaster waiting to happen. I don't think the destruction of the environment is worth six jobs.\" Former Justice Minister and Independent MLA Claire Sugden said further clarification was needed. \"We need to be sure that it isn't going to have a detrimental impact on the environment,\" she said. However, the DUP's Adrian McQuillan said that the proposal would be good for the local economy and create a lot of jobs in the area. The Ulster Farmers' Union said it did not discuss or comment on the development or proposed expansion plans of any farm business.", "summary": "Campaigners opposed to plans for a controversial pig farm outside Limavady have met to voice their concerns."}
{"article": "Irish News editor Noel Doran said they had \"got it wrong\" over flag protests. Loyalist protests followed Belfast City Council's vote last December to limit the flying of the union flag from city hall. Some of the demonstrations resulted in violence. On Saturday, Mr Doran told the conference in Lurgan, County Armagh, what had been opposed had been a \"democratic decision\" of Belfast City Council. Mr Doran told about 140 delegates that nationalists and unionists often viewed each other with \"mutual incomprehension\" even though they had a lot in common. He said loyalists could learn from organisations like the Gaelic Athletic Association, when it came to issues like community pride and reaching out. Progressive Unionist Party councillor John Kyle said loyalists had to do \"more than\" protest; he said they also had to come up with ways out of problems that arose. He said the party would not give \"cover or excuse\" to criminality. Party leader Billy Hutchinson was asked about a recent shooting attack in east Belfast in which a 24-year-old woman suffered injuries to her lower abdomen, hips and knees. Police have said they are treating the attack at Lord Street Mews as attempted murder. There has been speculation that the UVF were behind the shooting. Mr Hutchinson said he condemned it. \"I'm not the leader of the UVF, I'm the leader of the PUP, but I will answer it, it was despicable,\" he said. \"I said that at the time, irrespective of who was responsible, there's no place for those people in society and they should be removed.\" During the conference, delegates also passed a motion supporting equal marriage in Northern Ireland. The motion was: \"This party joins with remainder of UK in enshrining into law equality for all in marriage.' Meanwhile, party chairman Brian Lacey said he did not recognise the party as it was sometimes portrayed by the media, adding that if it were like that he would not be a member. He said he was proud to be a party member adding that membership had tripled in the past year.", "summary": "A representative of the nationalist community in Northern Ireland has addressed the Progressive Unionist Party's annual conference for the first time."}
{"article": "The BBC's Milton Nkosi says it is believed the taxi was carrying 20 passengers when it went over a bridge and hit a train as it plunged onto a railway line below. South Africa has an exceptionally high accident rate on its roads. At least 10,000 people die on the roads a year, mostly due to reckless driving. No-one on the train was injured, according to ENCA news.", "summary": "A minibus taxi has collided with a train near Ballito in South Africa, killing at least 14 people, according to KwaZulu-Natal emergency services."}
{"article": "Brexit Secretary David Davis told the Exiting the EU Committee: \"I think I'm right in saying that we're expecting Royal Assent tomorrow.\" The PM has said she plans to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty by the end of March. Mr Davis was questioned by the MPs about the negotiations that will follow Article 50. The government says it can complete separation talks and a trade deal \"in parallel\" within two years, but EU leaders say the two negotiations have to take place separately. Mr Davis said this would be the \"first formal conversation\" he would have with chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier. He said he was confident other countries would agree to a free trade deal with the UK even if every national Parliament's approval was required. \"Every country will have an interest,\" he said.", "summary": "The legislation allowing Theresa May to trigger Brexit will be rubber-stamped on Thursday, MPs have been told."}
{"article": "Algerian Interior Minister Daho Ould Kabila said troops had surrounded the living quarters at In Amenas, where some 20 people were being held. Norwegian, French, British, US and Japanese citizens are among them. Mr Ould Kabila said the militants wanted to leave Algeria with the hostages, which he would not allow. Earlier, the AFP news agency quoted one worker as saying the militants had demanded the release of 100 Islamist prisoners. Another report said they wanted France to end its military operation in Mali. Dozens of Algerian workers were meanwhile said to have been released. The In Amenas gas field is operated by the Algerian state oil company, Sonatrach, along with the British oil company BP and Norway's Statoil. It is situated about 1,300km (800 miles) south-east of the capital, Algiers, and about 60km (37 miles) west of the Libyan border. At a news conference on Wednesday evening, Mr Kabila said a heavily armed \"terrorist group\" using three vehicles had attacked a bus carrying workers from In Amenas at about 05:00 (04:00 GMT). The attackers were repelled by police who had been escorting the bus, but a Briton and an Algerian national had been killed, he said. Two other British nationals, a Norwegian, two police officers and a security guard were also hurt in the firefight, he added. Afterwards, the militants drove to the gas facility's living quarters and took a number of Algerian and foreign workers hostage. They were being held in one wing of the living quarters, which the security services and army had now surrounded, Mr Kabila said. \"Since then, they've been facing off. The security forces are consolidating their position around the base,\" he added. \"It seems [the militants] want to leave the region, to leave the country with the hostages. This is completely unacceptable for the Algerian authorities.\" The minister said nearby border crossings had been closed as a precaution and that the foreign ministry was in contact with diplomats from the hostages' countries. UK Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed that the hostages included \"a number of British nationals\", adding: \"This is therefore a very dangerous situation.\" Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said 13 Norwegian employees of Statoil were believed held hostage at the gas facility. US state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland confirmed that Americans were among those seized, while Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said one of its nationals was a hostage. Japanese news agencies, citing unnamed government officials, said there were three Japanese hostages. Mr Kabila said the militants were from Algeria and were operating under orders from Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a senior commander of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) before late last year, when he set up his own armed group after apparently falling out with other leaders. Earlier, a man claiming to be a spokesman for the militants told BBC Arabic that al-Qaeda had carried out the attack. He claimed that they had allowed Algerian workers to leave the gas facility and were only holding foreign nationals. A list of demands had been sent to Algerian authorities, and the hostages would be killed", "summary": "Islamist militants have attacked and occupied a gas facility in Algeria, killing a Briton and an Algerian and taking foreign workers hostage."}
{"article": "Robert Beck was shopping with his wife in the US state of Pennsylvania when they heard the commotion, he told the York Daily Record. \"Man, there's someone in here with a frickin' gun,\" Mr Beck, 45, recalled thinking after hearing a loud bang. \"When I seen it, it was game-on,\" said Mr Beck, who raises deer for meat. When he spotted the doe running into the bakery section on Monday night, he trailed after it, then grabbed it by the neck and began leading it towards the door. But it was spooked when it saw other customers, the newspaper reports, and kicked Mr Beck in the ribs, knocking him down. \"I think she was scared from all those people,\" Mr Beck said. \"She was like, 'Oh my God, what the heck did I get myself into?'\" Two other shoppers, including another hunter, then came to help escort the deer back out of the front door. Local police praised Mr Beck's response, but cautioned against the public getting involved with wild animals. \"There is too much risk of injury to the citizen,\" Northeastern Regional Police Chief Bryan Rizzo said. \"If the citizen is an experienced hunter or someone with experiencing wildlife then I would say they should use their own judgment,\" Mr Rizzo added. \"In this case, it was a hunter who had experience in handling live deer, and we are grateful for his intervention and quick thinking in getting the deer under control before the animal could injure anyone, itself or do more damage.\" Mr Beck says that he raises 16 deer, which he uses for meat, and keeps them penned at home. \"My generation is a dying breed,\" he said. \"People aren't into our lifestyle anymore. They'd rather sit at home and play a video game than enjoy the outside.\"", "summary": "A deer burst through the glass doors of a supermarket and ran amok before being caught by a man shopping for medicine for his cold, local media report."}
{"article": "\"We have regressed in that sense,\" said the journalist and TV presenter, as he visited St Thomas the Apostle College in Nunhead, as part of a pre-election project to engage young people in politics and democracy. \"There is no historical imperative that everyone in politics has to come from private school,\" he said. And the narrowing of the social backgrounds of politicians was \"one of the reasons our politics is less effective and less representative\", said the editor of Private Eye. When he was at university at Oxford, after attending an all-boys private school, he said there was a strong presence of grammar and comprehensive school students, running magazines and debating societies. \"It wasn't just loads of people from fee-paying schools, it was more of a parity, and I think that's been lost.\" Such a deepening division, with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, and \"squeezing out the middle entirely\", was a waste of potential talent, he told pupils. \"There's no point having a whole country full of young people if you don't give them the opportunities, if we say, 'Oh no, we only want 7% of the country to do anything - just you lot and not you lot.' \"There is a real problem with the poor not moving, being less socially mobile. It's very bad for any society.\" Mr Hislop was visiting the Catholic secondary school as part of the Speakers for Schools project, in which people from a range of industries give talks in state schools, offering the kind of horizon-raising perspectives that might be taken for granted in the independent sector. In a school hall question-and-answer session, Mr Hislop cast a critical eye over the education system. \"On the whole it has failed quite a lot of the population in terms of providing a first-class education. \"It's been endlessly reformed,\" he said, and \"along the way a lot of the essentials were lost\". St Thomas the Apostle College has been rapidly improving, now rated as outstanding, and has adopted a strong emphasis on good behaviour and discipline. \"I'm interested in finding a school like this which has essentially seemed to me to have discovered some of the more traditional educational values. \"I appreciate people who have got jackets on, wear ties, understand the importance of discipline and the importance of education itself. These seem to have been lost a bit.\" He also warned against \"too much testing\" in schools. \"You lose the bits round the sides, what education is about, the interesting bits, reading off the subject, engaging in things that aren't strictly, 'You must pass this at level seven.' \"I know why it happened - people thought we can't have people coming out of school who can't read or write, so that's all we're going to teach. \"But I think we have to be slightly more ambitious than that.\" Seeming more moralist than satirist, he said schools needed \"discipline, a desire to learn. If a school doesn't have an environment where people can learn, then it will fall apart\". He told the pupils, boys", "summary": "The gap between those educated privately and by the state is getting wider and social mobility is weaker than 30 years ago, Ian Hislop has told an audience of south London teenagers."}
{"article": "The visitors led 14-6 at half-time after two tries from Thomas Waldrom wiped out Gopperth's two kicks. Wasps' Charles Piutau and Chiefs prop Harry Williams traded tries and Gareth Steenson kicked Exeter 24-11 ahead. Frank Halai gave Wasps hope, but Exeter looked set to hang on until Gopperth converted Piutau's last-second try. Wasps, who won the Heineken Cup in 2004 and 2007, will play Saracens in the last four at Reading's Madejski Stadium on 23 April after the English champions fought back from a half-time deficit to beat Northampton 29-20 in the second semi-final on Saturday night. Match-winner Gopperth was mobbed by his team-mates as the ball sailed over the posts from the right touchline, sparking wild celebrations among the Wasps fans at the Ricoh Arena. Exeter players slumped to the turf in disappointment as the Premiership club, only promoted to the English top flight six years ago, missed out on their first European semi-final. The Chiefs had defended admirably throughout the quarter-final, particularly in the opening half hour when they limited their dominant hosts to just two Gopperth penalties. And tries from Waldrom and Williams, plus the reliable boot of Steenson, left a quietened home crowd fearing the worst. But Exeter's efforts finally told as Wasps produced a memorable fightback in the final 15 minutes. With Exeter threatening, the home side played out from behind their posts as Elliot Daly and Christian Wade turned last-ditch defending into an attack full of sharp running and trickery, Halai eventually finishing off a few phases later and Gopperth converting for 24-18. Wasps relentlessly pounded the tiring away defence in search of a dramatic finale - and it finally arrived. The game had ticked past 80 minutes when Piutau raced on to a flat pass to dart through the Exeter line, and Gopperth applied the coup de grace. Gopperth, 32, told BBC Radio 5 live sports extra: \"As a goalkicker they are the moments you practice night and day. \"I had to treat it as my first kick of the match. I was relaxed and as soon as it hit the foot I've never celebrated so much. As soon as I struck it, I knew it was good. \"The win was a great team effort from that position and we showed a lot of character. I was happy to finish it off for the boys.\" Wasps: Charles Piutau; Christian Wade, Elliot Daly, Siale Piutau, Frank Halai; Jimmy Gopperth, Dan Robson; Matt Mullan, Carlo Festuccia, Jake Cooper-Woolley; Joe Launchbury, Kearnan Myall; James Haskell (capt), George Smith, Nathan Hughes. Replacements: Ashley Johnson, Simon McIntyre, Lorenzo Cittadini, Bradley Davies, Thomas Young, Joe Simpson, Ruaridh Jackson, Rob Miller Exeter: Lachie Turner; Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Ian Whitten, Olly Woodburn; Gareth Steenson (capt), Will Chudley; Ben Moon, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Moray Low; Mitch Lees, Geoff Parling; Don Armand, Julian Salvi, Thomas Waldrom. Replacements: Jack Yeandle, Alec Hepburn, Harry Williams, Damian Welch, Dave Ewers, Dave Lewis, Michele Campagnaro, James Short.", "summary": "Jimmy Gopperth kept his nerve to kick Wasps into a European Champions Cup semi-final against Saracens after an extraordinary win against Exeter."}
{"article": "Clough's 11th minute lob gave Wanderers a perfect start and the visitors were then indebted to Lee Burge for keeping them in the contest. The City keeper saved from Gary Madine, Josh Vela and Clough on a night when former Bolton player and coach Gary Speed was honoured with a minute's applause by fans. But if Burge excelled in the opening period, opposite number Ben Alnwick came to the Trotters' rescue in the second. Having already denied Kyel Reid before the break, Alnwick saved superbly from Lewis Page plus substitutes Jodi Jones and Ruben Lameiras. Bolton's best moment of the second half was Clough's 25-yard free-kick, which was tipped on to the post and away to safety by the outstanding Burge. Coventry poured forward in search of a late equaliser to try to avoid a third straight league defeat, but instead, Phil Parkinson's side held on for their first home win over the Sky Blues in eight attempts since 1965. Report supplied by Press Association. Match ends, Bolton Wanderers 1, Coventry City 0. Second Half ends, Bolton Wanderers 1, Coventry City 0. Attempt missed. Gael Bigirimana (Coventry City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Foul by James Henry (Bolton Wanderers). Ben Stevenson (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Josh Vela (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jordan Turnbull (Coventry City). Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Jamie Proctor replaces Gary Madine. Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Lawrie Wilson. Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Lawrie Wilson. Attempt blocked. Jack McBean (Coventry City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Attempt missed. Jamie Sterry (Coventry City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Foul by Gary Madine (Bolton Wanderers). Jordan Willis (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Ruben Lameiras (Coventry City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Substitution, Coventry City. Jack McBean replaces Kyel Reid. Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Jay Spearing. Attempt missed. James Henry (Bolton Wanderers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Attempt missed. Kyel Reid (Coventry City) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Andrew Taylor. Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Ben Alnwick. Attempt saved. Ben Stevenson (Coventry City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Lawrie Wilson (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Kyel Reid (Coventry City). Attempt blocked. Jordan Turnbull (Coventry City) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Josh Vela. Attempt blocked. Ruben Lameiras (Coventry City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Jay Spearing (Bolton Wanderers). Kyel Reid (Coventry City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Chris Taylor replaces Sammy Ameobi. Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. James Henry replaces Zach", "summary": "Zach Clough netted his sixth goal in eight starts, but high-flying Bolton were made to work hard for their League One win over Coventry at the Macron Stadium."}
{"article": "The Edinburgh stands with Orlando event follows the death of 49 people at the gay club pulse. A total of about 300 people were in the Florida nightclub when the attack started. A further 50 of them were injured It was the worst mass shooting in US history. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson and Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale were among those in attending. Ms Sturgeon said: \" \"I can't tell you how important it is to me to be with you here this evening. The last few days have been horrific and heartbreaking beyond words but it has also been inspiring. \"All across the world we have seen people come together in solidarity and that is the comfort I hope all of you and members of the LGBTI community across the world take from such expressions. \"We stand here in defiance of hate with a very clear message - love is love.\" Ms Davidson said: \"\"As a woman who moved to Edinburgh to be herself, I know how important LGBTI venues are for people who want to be themselves. \"We stand in Edinburgh in a place where we feel safe and stand in solidarity with people around the world. \"We will become stronger because we have stood here tonight, because we have shown those people that would conduct hate upon our community thay they will not win because love wins, love always win.\"", "summary": "Hundreds of people have gathered in Edinburgh's St Andrew Square to pay their respects to the victims of the mass shooting in Orlando."}
{"article": "El Diario de Juarez has become known for its strong reporting from the deadly streets of Ciudad Juarez. But the killing of a 21-year-old photographer last week prompted the newspaper to run a front-page editorial asking: \"What do you want from us?\" Rights groups say journalists are regularly being targeted by drug gangs. The Committee to Protect Journalists, a US-based advocacy group, says more than 30 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 2006. Many of those killed were reporting on crime or corruption, the group says, adding that the climate of fear has led to a widespread culture of self-censorship among fearful media workers. El Diario's editorial, published on its front page on Sunday, was its second since Luis Carlos Santiago, 21, was shot in Ciudad Juarez on 17 September. He later died of his injuries, although an intern who was also shot, Carlos Sanchez, survived the attack. \"The loss of two reporters from this publishing house in less than two years represents an irreparable sorrow for all of us who work here, and, in particular, for their families,\" the newspaper said. Describing the drug lords as the \"de facto authorities\" within Ciudad Juarez, the newspaper asked the cartels: \"We ask you to explain what you want from us, what we should try to publish or not publish, so we know what to expect.\" It highlighted the lack of progress in the investigation into the 2008 death of Armando Rodriguez, shot dead outside his home in view of his family. But the editorial insisted it was not \"a surrender\", saying instead that it had simply become \"impossible to do our job in these conditions\". Speaking to BBC World Service an editor at El Diario, Gerardo Rodriguez, said there was a war going on in Mexico that the journalists did not ask for. He expressed anger at the lack of progress in the official investigation into Mr Rodriguez's death and criticised the government as well as the cartels. \"We are looking for a peace agreement. No story is worth the life of anyone anymore.\" The newspaper had not decided to stop publishing stories on the drug war, Mr Rodriguez said, but would consider doing so if the answer that came from the cartels indicated that was their wish. Describing El Diario as a \"very aggressive\" organisation that \"searches for the truth\", he conceded that the paper might have to scale back its work if the violence did not stop. \"We may consider stopping in exchange for the lives of our reporters.\" Carlos Lauria, of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said El Diario's decision was a cause for regret. \"Even in one of the places where violence is worst... El Diario was still doing a lot of good reporting on crime,\" he told the Associated Press, describing the paper's move as \"an indication that the situation is out of control\". Ciudad Juarez is one of the deadliest flashpoints in Mexico's drug battles, which have seen violence rise sharply in the country's north in recent weeks. Opposition groups say a government crackdown on cartels,", "summary": "A Mexican newspaper in the heartland of the country's drug war has asked cartels for guidance on whether it should publish stories on the conflict."}
{"article": "Yes I'm talking about dual candidacy. Here's my quick guide. Unlike at Westminster, there are two ways of getting elected for the assembly. There are 60 seats up for grabs next year. 40 are via the first past the post system, while the other 20 are via a form of proportional representation to get on the regional list. It used to be the case that you could stand in both. Then Labour, when it was in power, stopped it, making the argument that it rewarded failure in that someone could be rejected by voters under the first past the post system, only to be elected anyway on the regional list. The best example of this was Clwyd West in the assembly elections in 2003 when the four main parties fielded four candidates and every single one of them won because the three losers won a seat by also standing on their parties' regional list. The ban has been reversed since the Conservatives have been back in power at Westminster who argue that it disproportionately discriminates against the smaller parties in Wales. The result now is that it de-risks any attempt by big-hitters to go for first past the post seats because they can still have the back-up of getting a list seat even if they lose out in the constituency contest. The unwritten aim is also to maintain the quality of candidates by ensuring that those big hitters who do challenge still remain in the assembly. That is the background to the row about the confirmation of Leanne Wood's decision to go for a list seat. Two years ago she announced that she would go for the constituency seat in the Rhondda. It set up a contest against Labour's cabinet member Leighton Andrews in what will be the most high profile personal battle next year. Labour says the Plaid leader's decision two years ago was portrayed as a bold and brave move, which has not been reflected in the fact that she's going for the list seat as a back up. Leighton Andrews says she should have the courage of her convictions and only go for the constituency seat. In other words, her decision to go for the list is a cop out. In response, Leanne Wood has accused Labour of mischief-making, saying that Leighton Andrews himself stood as a dual candidate in 2003. She also makes the point that dual candidacy applies in Scotland. Labour says none of its candidates in Wales will be allowed to be constituency and list candidates. The Welsh Conservatives have yet to make that decision. The obvious question to answer is whether their leader Andrew RT Davies, who like Leanne Wood has only ever been elected on the list system, will feel confident enough to challenge Labour for the Vale of Glamorgan constituency seat. Now that the dual candidacy ban has been removed, he could do so knowing he could still put his name on the regional list. It must be a temptation for him to challenge, knowing that the Tories held on to this seat", "summary": "First we had it, then we didn't and now it's back again."}
{"article": "Bertrand Denarie worked at hospitals in Bristol, Salford and Gateshead from 2013 until early 2015. An investigation by North Bristol NHS Trust found mistakes in 106 cases, including two that led to a delayed diagnosis of cancer. An NHS spokesman said \"immediate action\" was being taken, with patients \"now receiving appropriate care\". The results were all follow-up examinations where initial cervical screening tests had shown abnormal results and were collected in colposcopy clinics. The trust said it had contacted all the patients involved. A \"final letter\" with the findings of the investigation would be sent out to those involved soon. \"We are aware that errors may have occurred in relation to the laboratory testing of cervical biopsies at four trusts,\" the NHS added. \"These were discovered as a result of routine audit and are being investigated by the trusts concerned and NHS England, with the support of Public Health England.\" Of the 106 mistakes found in the Bristol cases, 87 of those led to \"no harm\" with 11 needing extra testing and two having delays in cancer diagnosis. Dr Denarie worked in Bristol at Southmead Hospital in two periods in from January to April 2014 and then later that year from May to July. He also reviewed cases from St Michaels Hospital in Bristol during those periods. Before Bristol, he worked at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead for nine months in 2013 and worked at Salford Royal Hospital for about four months at the end of 2014. A spokesman for NHS England said investigations at these two hospitals were at a much earlier stage. Salford Royal Hospital said it had identified three errors with the pathologist's cervical biopsy work, which \"had the potential to lead to minor harm for the patients concerned\". \"We've been in contact with those three patients to apologise, explain the outcome of our review and discuss any changes we need to make to their treatment plan,\" said Dr Pete Turkington, medical director for standards and performance. \"It's important for me to emphasise that we are confident no patient has experienced significant harm. However, we apologise unreservedly for any stress or inconvenience that this has caused.\" The General Medical Council confirmed they were investigating Dr Denarie and that a number of conditions had been placed on his licence. One of those specified he \"must not report on any cervical biopsy specimens\".", "summary": "A pathologist is under investigation after a series of mistakes were made in cervical tests."}
{"article": "Jones won 95 caps for Wales and played in five Tests for the Lions across their tours of South Africa in 2009 and Australia in 2013. Sinckler has played with Jones since the Welshman's move to Quins in 2015. \"When you have guys like that around you, it shows you what it takes to get to the top of the game,\" Sinckler said. \"He [Jones] has been a massive help to me - probably changed my life, to be honest, in the way I see things. \"He is a top bloke, a good man.\" The England forward says he can shine in New Zealand thanks to the lessons he has learned from his fellow front-rower. \"Looking back now, when you are a young player, you want to play. Then you see Adam Jones come in to the club, and you are probably not going to play as much,\" he added. \"From my first day, Adam has been unreal. He's been like a coach to me, even though he is a player. \"He will be a top coach in no time at all. He's been a coach, a mentor, a father figure to me - and a headmaster when he is telling me off.\"", "summary": "Lions and England prop Kyle Sinckler says the effect his Harlequins team-mate Adam Jones has had on him is life-changing."}
{"article": "Petra Atkinson, 42, died in hospital after what Humberside Police described as a \"domestic incident\" at a property in Heather Avenue, Withernsea. Tony Jobling, of Heather Avenue, appeared at Hull Magistrates' Court charged with murder. Mr Jobling was remanded in custody to appear at Hull Crown Court on 8 September. The cause of death has not yet been revealed.", "summary": "A 51-year-old man has appeared in court charged with murder following the death of a woman in East Yorkshire on Sunday."}
{"article": "The party went from 37 D\u00c3\u00a1il (Irish parliament) seats in 2011 to just seven. Ms Burton was T\u00c3\u00a1naiste (Deputy Prime Minister) and Minister for Social Protection in the last government. She took over from Eamon Gilmore, two years ago, but will stay on until her successor is chosen. The front runner is Brendan Howlin, from Wexford, who is the former Minister for Public Expenditure. But it is understood that he only wants the job of Labour leader if he is the unanimous choice. Other possible candidates include Alan Kelly, the former environment minister, and Sean Sherlock, a junior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs who was involved in the Fresh Start Agreement talks in Northern Ireland. If there is a contest it could be late August before the outcome is known.", "summary": "The leader of the Irish Labour party, Joan Burton, is to stand down after the party's poor performance in February's general election."}
{"article": "Gerard Devlin, of Donegall Road, and Nathan Finn, of Malone Road, were each given a three-year sentence for taking more than \u00a35,700 from the woman. Their 80-year-old victim was left \"deeply traumatised\" by the theft at the Kennedy Centre in Belfast last year, the court heard. The men will serve 18 months in prison with the remaining period on licence. The court heard that the pensioner had withdrawn her life savings on 31 October 2014, the day of the theft, and had planned to use the money for home improvements. She then visited a coffee shop in the shopping centre. As she was queuing, Finn, 22, distracted her. Devlin, 25, reached into her handbag and stole a plastic bag containing \u00a35,709 in cash. The money was never recovered, the court was told, and while the two men admitted the theft they have not said what happened to the money. The judge said there was \"no doubt\" the men they had \"deliberately targeted\" the woman. She added that the woman has \"suffered a great deal\" as a result of the theft. Finn committed the offence within days of being released on licence for a previous matter, the court heard. The judge said Devlin had written a letter to the woman earlier this year, but she questioned whether the remorse the two men had expressed since the offence was genuine.", "summary": "Two Belfast men who stole a pensioner's life savings have been jailed for their \"despicable\" behaviour\"."}
{"article": "The 51-year-old, who won 30 caps for Scotland, was recently the director of Manchester United's youth academy. \"I am sure my experiences can be of benefit to Scottish football,\" said the former Motherwell and Celtic striker. SFA chief executive Stewart Regan said McClair \"has been at the cutting edge of coaching evolution, analysis and performance management\". McClair, who takes over the role following the departure of Dutchman Mark Wotte, spent almost 30 years at Old Trafford as a player, youth coach and director of the youth academy. The SFA said he \"was identified unanimously as preferred candidate during a recruitment process which involved the current Scotland national coach, Gordon Strachan, previous national coaches Walter Smith and Andy Roxburgh, as well as the Scottish FA's chief executive, Stewart Regan\". McClair begins in the role on 1 June and will be responsible for implementing the SFA's performance strategy. He added: \"I am extremely proud to have been given the responsibility to help Scottish football move forward as performance director of the Scottish FA. \"Having spent the majority of the last 30 years in England with Manchester United, I am looking forward to coming home, working with the coaching team at the Scottish FA and the clubs, and sharing the knowledge I have built up in that time to take on this new, exciting challenge.\" Having started his playing career at Motherwell, McClair moved to Celtic in 1983 and went on to score 126 goals in 204 matches. He then joined Manchester United, where he made 471 appearances between 1987 and 1998. He scored 126 goals for the Old Trafford side and won four Premier League titles, one European Cup-winners' Cup, one European Super Cup, three FA Cups and one League Cup. \"The process of identifying a new performance director was thorough and hugely uplifting when we considered the quality of candidates,\" Regan added. \"Brian very quickly became a stand-out with his blend of experiences, not just from his trophy-laden career as a player at Manchester United, and his international contribution, but the depth of his coaching experiences with one of the biggest and most successful teams in the world. \"He has been at the cutting edge of coaching evolution, analysis and performance management at Manchester United and the recruitment panel were convinced he was the ideal person to lead the performance strategy into an exciting new era, enhancing the current provision while demonstrating the benefits of the investment so far to the future of Scottish football.\"", "summary": "Brian McClair has been appointed performance director of the Scottish Football Association."}
{"article": "Tigers were awaiting official clearance from the French Rugby Federation and the 30-year-old, who has won 35 Test caps, is now able to cover for injured duo Manu Tuilagi and Matt Toomua. Head coach Aaron Mauger said: \"We are missing two big players in midfield. \"We're very happy to be able to bring in a player of Maxime's style, quality and experience.\"", "summary": "Leicester have completed the signing of France centre Maxime Mermoz from Toulon until the end of the season."}
{"article": "His villainous character Ethan Rayne was the arch enemy of regular character Giles, played by Anthony Head. The London-born actor also played the evil General Sarris opposite Tim Allen in Galaxy Quest. His ex-wife Casey Defranco called him \"a wonderful person, extraordinarily talented as an actor.\" Staff on his official website wrote: \"Please join us in raising a glass to Robin - goodbye, dear friend. Thank you for all the laughter and the cookies. We will miss you so very much.\" Sachs' first role was with the British Hammer film studio, in the movie Vampire Circus. He went on to play Adam Carrington in the 1991 miniseries Dynasty: The Reunion when the original actor Gordon Thomson was unavailable. Sachs worked on several sci-fi shows, with appearances in Babylon 5, Star Trek: Voyager and Torchwood: Miracle Day. His stage work included touring productions of Hamlet and Twelfth Night. In 1999, he appeared heavily disguised under layers of heavy make-up as the baddie Sarris in the satirical comedy Galaxy Quest, which co-starred Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman. Later in his career, Sachs provided voices for several video games including Mass Effect 2 and 3 and Resident Evil Damnation.", "summary": "British actor Robin Sachs, best known for his role in the hit TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, has died at the age of 61."}
{"article": "Henrique Capriles said 37% of the 195,000 signatures needed to trigger the next phase of the recall referendum were collected on the first day. Those who endorsed the petition have until Friday to have their identity checked. Mr Maduro's term runs until 2019. But the opposition wants to oust President Maduro, whom they blame for Venezuela's economic problems, before the end of his term. Venezuela is in the midst of an economic crisis which has brought the South American country to the brink of collapse. What has gone wrong in Venezuela? Chavez backer decries anarchy It has the world's highest inflation rate and chronic shortages of basic food and medicine. Mr Capriles said the massive presence of voters on the first day of the validation process was a clear sign that Venezuelans wanted a change of government. \"What we saw today were queues across the country,\" said Mr Capriles on Monday night. \"That's a warning for Maduro.\" Those who endorsed the petition will have until Friday to have their identity cards and fingerprints checked at centres set up by the National Electoral Council (CNE). The petition had almost two million signatures but election officials said 600,000 of those were fraudulent. Only 1% of the electorate, or 194,729 voters, however, need to endorse the referendum in this first phase. Mr Capriles said 71,557 signatures had been authenticated on Monday alone. But the opposition still has to overcome a number of hurdles before a recall referendum can be held. If enough signatures on this initial petition are validated, opposition leaders will have to hand in a second petition signed by almost four million people. Only when the electoral authorities have established that the requirements have been met on that second petition will the recall referendum be held.", "summary": "The process of validating signatures on a petition calling for a referendum to remove Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from office is proceeding apace, an opposition leader says."}
{"article": "Kanye West was supposed to have an album ready for his (divisive) headline performance at Glastonbury - but the record, at first titled So Help Me God, then renamed SWISH, has failed to materialise. Fans even petitioned the White House to get it released - but hope is on the horizon. Ten days ago, the star tweeted \"I'm finishing my album\" He wasn't the only one dragging his sequinned heels. R&B star Frank Ocean's follow-up to the groundbreaking Channel Orange was scheduled for July, then disappeared - prompting a foul-mouthed outburst from Adele. And Rihanna held a lavish launch party for her eighth album, ANTI, in November - but has subsequently failed to produce any new music. In fact, the Bajan star is still auditioning new material, songwriter Sia told BBC Radio 2 a fortnight ago. \"The other night she came over and listened to half of 25 songs I played her because she's still looking for songs for her new album,\" said the songwriter, who previously wrote Rihanna's number one single, Diamonds. \"It was a business meeting for sure. She took four [songs], but I don't know if they'll end up [on the album].\" Rihanna kicks off a world tour, ostensibly in support of ANTI, in February - but don't assume we'll get new material before the opening night. \"Every album needs to be an 11 out of 10 these days because the reviews are instant,\" one music industry executive told BBC News. Agenda-setting releases from Kendrick Lamar, Adele and Dr Dre sent pop stars scrambling into the studio to improve their records this year - so don't expect Rihanna, Kanye or Frank to release anything until they're sure they'll make a similar impact. Less timid is David Bowie, whose 25th album \u00e2\u02dc\u2026 (Blackstar) was directly influenced by Kendrick Lamar's expansive take on jazz, hip-hop and funk on the 11 times Grammy-nominated To Pimp A Butterfly. Assembling a crack team of nimble-fingered jazz maestros, the aim was \"in many, many ways, to avoid rock and roll,\" producer Tony Visconti told Rolling Stone magazine. It comes out on 8 January- Bowie's 69th birthday. Travelling in the other direction is Elton John, whose Wonderful Crazy Night is a return to the rollicking rock sound of his 1970s heyday, inspired by his domestic bliss. \"I wanted to do something joyous because I was so happy with my children and my husband,\" the star told the BBC. Also lining up new releases are Gorillaz, whose new album will be \"really fast,\" with \"a lot of energy,\" says Damon Albarn; and Katy Perry, who promises a new direction on her fourth album. \"I can't keep topping myself because I'll just combust at some point,\" she told the Associated Press. Primal Scream, who headline the 6 Music Festival in February, have teased six seconds of their 11th album Chaosmosis, on YouTube; while R&B band TLC are working on a fan-funded new album - their first since 2002's 3D. Will it include another Waterfalls or No Scrubs? Who cares, when contributing to the recording costs can earn you", "summary": "The past year was when the planet's biggest pop stars went missing in action."}
{"article": "Of the 78 seats contested, the Conservatives have taken 51, which represents 45.9% of the vote. It is five more than the 46 seats they won in 2013, when 77 seats were contested. The Liberal Democrats have taken 18 seats, two more than the 16 they won in 2013 and Labour have nine, six fewer than the last vote. The turnout was 34.1%. Election 2017: Full results from across England The leader of the council's Labour group, Leon Reefe, who had held the Borehamwood North division since 2013, lost his seat to Tory Susan Brown. In Stevenage, Labour lost three seats out of the five they held. Labour's Sharon Taylor, who held her county council seat and is standing in the general election, blamed the former UKIP vote going to the Tories. She said: \"UKIP didn't put candidates up in many of our county seats.\" Sitting Conservative MP Stephen McPartland, who will defend his seat in June, said: \"It's a fantastic result. There's been a very, very warm reception from voters on the doorstep and we've been rewarded tonight.\" In Conservative-controlled Hertfordshire, as expected, we've not seen a seismic change. The Tories have more county council seats than in 2013 - adding five extra seats - even if you take into account that this time there are 78 councillors up for election - one more than in 2013 thanks to boundary changes. The Lib Dems have made progress, gaining an extra two seats in the county, including taking St Albans North from Labour. They still have five seats in St Albans - although they lost St Stephen's ward to the Conservatives - with the party claiming it reflects their pro-European stance in the city which voted against Brexit. Labour have lost six seats, including their leader on the county council, Leon Reefe, plus three seats in Stevenage. Sandy Walkington, re-elected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for St Albans South, said the party's positive attitude towards Europe had been well-received in the city. \"Ann Main [the sitting Conservative MP] should be trembling in St Albans for her parliamentary seat on the back of these results, given it's so close to the general election,\" he said. \"If you read the social media in St Albans, it really is showing that people have been touched and interested by the fact that we are the party that is saying 'hang on, we don't have to go down the road to hard Brexit'.\"", "summary": "The Conservatives have extended their control at Hertfordshire County Council."}
{"article": "The British and Irish Lion, 27, left for France in 2014 and will return for the 2016-17 season. In a joint WRU-Scarlets statement, Davies said: \"The time is right to return to Wales and signing a [dual contract] is the best decision for me.\" Davies has 48 Wales caps, but a knee injury ruled him out of the World Cup. Davies left Scarlets to join Clermont Auvergne on a two-year contract before the 2014-15 season. He is expected to return for the French club during December. The WRU tweeted: \"Welcome home Jon! @JonFoxDavies returns to Wales and @scarlets_rugby on National Dual Contract.\" WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips added: \"His return demonstrates the value of the NDCs as a means of ensuring as many of the most talented players as possible play their rugby here in Wales. \"Here in Wales our four regions are ambitious for success and the WRU will continue to work alongside them to achieve that.\" Scarlets chief executive Darran Phillips said the signing was \"further evidence of our ambition to be competitive at the highest level\". Davies was part of the Clermont side that lost to Toulon in the 2015 European Champions Cup final at Twickenham. A few weeks later Davies ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, ruling him out of the World Cup. He is the 17th player to sign a dual contract, which give the WRU greater control over players in return for paying 60% of their wages. Former Wales dual-code wing Adrian Hadley says Davies' signing is \"good for Scarlets and for Wales and Welsh rugby\". But Hadley believes the WRU and regions should prioritise signing rising talent rather than established stars who have moved out of Wales \"It's good to have players like Jonathan Davies playing within Wales, no shadow of a doubt,\" said Hadley. \"But I would look at the younger players to actually dual-contract rather than actually spend money on players that have decided to play their rugby out of Wales out of their own choice, really.\"", "summary": "Wales centre Jonathan Davies will return to Scarlets from Clermont Auvergne on a dual deal with the Welsh Rugby Union."}
{"article": "It is widely believed that polling day will be on Friday 26 February. RT\u00c9 reports that ministers had predicted that Mr Kenny would announce his intention at Tuesday's cabinet and go to the country thereafter. Mr Kenny has decided to allow the Irish parliament another sitting day in part to allow for an orderly dissolution. He is aiming to become the first Fine Gael leader to be returned as prime minister. Fine Gael ministers met for two hours on Monday night to sign off on their party manifesto. The outgoing Fine Gael and Labour coalition, which had a huge majority, is set to lose a massive number of seats. However, it hopes to be re-elected, arguing that at a time of economic recovery - fragile though it may be - stability is better than uncertainty. Miche\u00e1l Martin's Fianna F\u00e1il party and Gerry Adams's Sinn F\u00e9in have said the fruits of the recovery are not being evenly distributed. The 32nd D\u00e1il will have 158 seats, eight fewer than the previous one, and the number of constituencies has been reduced to 40 from 43. Fianna F\u00e1il, the party that dominated politics in the Republic of Ireland until the 2008 economic crash, has ruled out both Fine Gael and Sinn F\u00e9in as coalition partners.", "summary": "Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny is now expected to call a general election on Wednesday."}
{"article": "Researchers tested 15-year-old girls and boys from 26 countries in 2012. They wanted to find how gaming affected their learning, using computer and paper tests in maths, science and reading. The results found that those who played single-player games every now and then, did better than those who never, or hardly ever, played games. Single-player gamers did particularly well in computer tests to do with maths and problem solving. The researchers think this could be because they're more familiar with computer games, so they're more at ease with tests on computers. However, the researchers also found that those who played games every day or very regularly did worse on paper-based tests. They reckon too much gaming might crowd out other activities like doing homework and reading books. The report found those who played multi-player online games did a lot worse in both paper and computer tests. Those who played single-player games did much better. Online multi-player games are typically played late at night, and for long periods of time, which might make those who play them more tired and less able to concentrate. The research was published by the international organisation the OECD, which helps governments come up with plans for improving life in their countries.", "summary": "A new international report suggests that gaming regularly can help you to do better in tests at school."}
{"article": "Bosses at the Brimmond Medical Group practice in Bucksburn said a lack of trained GPs, diminished resourcing and extra demand from new housing developments had left the business \"unviable\". The group's Dyce surgery has more than 8,000 patients. Responsibility for primary care will be handed to NHS Grampian from October. A letter to patients stated that there had been \"progressive problems with GP recruitment and retention\". It read: \"Inevitable staff turnover has become impossible to manage in the context of an inadequate number of trained GPs being produced, and a collapse in those GPs seeking partnerships in GP businesses. \"Brimmond Medical Group is faced with a number of GPs leaving or retiring - and an inability to adequately replace them. \"Locally, combined with substantial extra expectation from new housing developments and massively diminishing resourcing, the business of the practice has become unviable.\" The British Medical Association has warned of a crisis in GP staffing due to the number of doctors planning to retire or move abroad. However, the Scottish government said recent investment in primary care had seen the number of GPs increase by almost 7%.", "summary": "An Aberdeen medical practice is to be dissolved, in part due to a shortage of doctors."}
{"article": "That enemy is the fear that many undocumented Hispanics have about presenting their personal information to the immigration authorities for a programme that could be reversed by a new administration in a matter of years. \"This deferred action is a temporary permit,\" says Claudia, who fled from violence in her native Mexico and has been living in the US since 2000. \"What is going to happen when Mr Obama is no longer president? They are going to know where I am, where my family is. Is it possible that we will all be deported?\" she tells the BBC in El Paso, Texas. In November, President Obama announced a series of unilateral reforms that will allow about four million unauthorised immigrants to apply for provisional work permits, and for deportation proceedings to be deferred. Claudia explains that she is eligible because she has been in the United States for nearly 15 years and has three sons who are married to American citizens, making them legal residents. She says she plans to apply for relief, even though she is still very sceptical of the programme because it will not resolve her legal situation in the long term. \"With this announcement, there is no hope, you don't know where your future lies,\" she stresses. \"Before, you knew you were undocumented and you had to be on the lookout for the immigration authorities. But now you don't know, because you're going to say where you are and who you are, so it is even more uncertain.\" Claudia's case is in marked contrast to the images of cheering and optimistic Hispanics shown in the media after the November announcement. And her situation is far from unique. The White House has acknowledged that there is a challenge in trying to get people \"out of the shadows\", as president Obama likes to say. At a town hall meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, the president stressed the need to give people confidence so they can apply. \"The real question is, how do we make sure enough people register so it's not just a few people in a few pockets around the country,\" Mr Obama said. \"And that's going to require a lot of work by local agencies, by municipalities, by churches, by community organisations.\" The president is interested in getting people registered because that is how the programme's success will ultimately be measured, but also because his previous decisions on immigration have faced similar challenges. In 2012, Mr Obama announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative, which allowed young adults who were brought to the US illegally as children to temporarily stay and work. DACA was expanded as part of the November announcement, and it is seen as a blueprint for the more recent unilateral actions. Both measures are limited in scope and in time, do not offer a pathway to citizenship, and were unveiled by President Obama without support by Congress. Around 1.1 million unauthorised immigrants were thought to be immediately eligible for DACA, and slightly over 700,000 have had their applications accepted for review, according to data", "summary": "President Barack Obama is already facing strong and very vocal opposition in Congress to his recent immigration overhaul, but he will also have to confront a more silent enemy."}
{"article": "This could include fining motorists who stop on a box junction or those who drive in bus lanes. Currently only police officers can punish motorists if a vehicle is moving. The Welsh government won the right to grant councils those extra powers last March and Cardiff is now making a bid. Local authority traffic wardens are currently only able to issue penalty charge notices (PCNs) for parking offences. Cardiff council's cabinet has given the authority the green light to make a request for the additional powers, which it says would improve traffic flow and ease congestion. It is expected that income generated from the scheme would help pay for the service and the staff who run it. A Cardiff council spokesman told the BBC's Welsh language news website Newyddion Ar-lein: \"The intention of all of these measures is to ensure drivers drive responsibly and in accordance with the basic principles of the highway code. \"If the Welsh government approves, specific emphasis will be placed on enforcement of bus lanes to ensure that public transport runs efficiently and is an attractive option for commuters. \"Enforcement of yellow box junctions is also necessary to avoid grid lock which disrupts traffic flow and to ease the frustration caused to the majority of drivers who abide by the law.\" A Welsh government spokesman said it had yet to receive the council's request, but was aware of it. The process of considering the request could take up to four months, the spokesman added. Many councils in London use traffic cameras to enforce the rules. One camera on a yellow box junction in Bagley's Lane in Fulham caught 29,000 drivers last year making over \u00c2\u00a32m in fines for Hammersmith and Fulham council. Cardiff council said it was unsure if it would ask for powers to use cameras to enforce the rules. If granted, the authority could start using the new powers towards the end of the summer.", "summary": "Traffic wardens in Cardiff could become the first outside London to get powers to issue tickets for moving traffic offences."}
{"article": "It was opposed to the ICC trying Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta on charges of crimes against humanity, said Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. The AU would raise its concerns with the UN, he added. Mr Kenyatta, who was elected in March, is due to be tried in July. He denies the charges, which arise from accusations that he fuelled violence after disputed elections in 2007. Analysts say the charges bolstered his campaign in this year's poll, as many voters saw the trial as interference in Kenya's domestic affairs. He beat then-Prime Minister Raila Odinga by 50.07% to 43.28%, giving him a narrow victory in the first round. Speaking at the end of an AU summit in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, Mr Hailemariam said the cases of Mr Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto should be referred to the Kenyan courts. African leaders were concerned that out of those indicted by the ICC, \"99% are Africans\", Mr Hailemariam added. \"This shows something is flawed within the system of the ICC and we object to that,\" he said. The ICC had been formed more than a decade ago to end the culture of impunity, but \"now the process has degenerated into some kind of race hunting\", Mr Hailemariam said. It was \"chasing\" Mr Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto, despite the fact that the rival Kalenjin and Kikuyu ethnic groups, who had fought after the 2007 election, had come together to vote for them in the March poll, he added. \"The AU is mandated by the assembly [of the AU] to take care of this issue, to present to the UN the core of this matter,\" Mr Hailemariam said. Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto were on opposite sides in the 2007 election, after which some 1,000 people were killed and 600,000 people fled their homes. The trial of Mr Ruto, who faces similar charges as Mr Kenyatta, was due to begin this month but it has been postponed. A new date is yet to be set. The ICC insists that it acts impartially, and says it intends to press ahead with the case against Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto. Source: ICC factsheet Kenyan lawyer Wilfred Nderitu, who represents about 150 victims of the violence, told BBC Focus on Africa he was concerned about the safety of witnesses if Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto were tried in local courts. He also doubted whether Kenya's judiciary was capable of dealing with such complex cases, he said. \"A lot of judges don't have an international criminal justice background. Therefore, the technical expertise will be lacking,\" Mr Nderitu told BBC Focus on Africa. Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir attended the summit, in defiance of an ICC warrant for his arrest. It was unreasonable for the UN Security Council to refer Mr Bashir to the ICC when three of its five permanent members - the United States, Russia and China - had either not signed up to or not ratified the Rome Statute which established the ICC, said AU Peace and Security Council head Ramtane Lamamra, Reuters news agency reports.", "summary": "The African Union (AU) has accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) of \"hunting\" Africans because of their race."}
{"article": "The Good Morning Britain host had scoffed at the decision to host a Ferris wheel in Dudley. He told viewers even people in the town thought it had \"a horrible view\". However, local businessman Dave Carter launched a campaign to get people riding the attraction wearing the masks to mark April Fools' Day. About 40 people wearing the masks that were handed out in the town centre was granted a free ride before 10:00 BST. More on this and other stories from Birmingham and the Black Country Mr Carter said about 4,000 people have ridden the 115ft (35.05m) high attraction, which has been branded \"the worst tourist attraction in the UK\", adding the wheel had done the town \"a really big favour\". \"Most people have come along to see what all the fuss is about, and they're turning up to Dudley, doing a bit of shopping, going on the Eye and finding out that it's actually quite good,\" he said. \"It was all in good humour - you could see people's tongues in their cheeks through the masks.\" Mr Morgan has been invited to Dudley to experience the ride, Mr Carter added, but he has not yet accepted the invitation.", "summary": "Black Country residents have mocked TV presenter Piers Morgan by wearing masks of his face while riding a visitor attraction he publicly criticised."}
{"article": "Consignments made out to be genuine brands are being sold by people using fake profiles on buy and sell pages for the south-east of England. Cheap tobacco purchased by BBC South East was found to contain double the lead content and a third more cadmium than genuine products. Facebook said content in breach of its commerce policy was always removed. The cut-price tobacco and cigarettes are being sold through the social media site's Marketplace pages and offer hand delivery. Undercover reporters arranged to meet a seller in Tunbridge Wells and purchased items marketed as Mayfair cigarettes and Amber Leaf rolling tobacco. When analysed, they were found to have higher than normal levels of lead and cadmium - both toxic metals that can cause damage to the liver, kidneys and brain. Jon Griffin, analyst at Kent Scientific Services, said: \"We are not good as human beings in getting rid of contaminants. \"So the likelihood is you are going to be taking in more of those contaminant metals and they will remain in your system in organs, in the brain, in other organs in the body and you will not get rid of them. \"Over a period of time there's a bigger potential health risk.\" Manufacturer JTI, which makes the real Mayfair and Amber Leaf products, confirmed the items were counterfeit. In a statement, the Weybridge-based company said: \"Over the past year, JTI's actions have led to the removal of just under 3,000 listings relating to the illegal sale of its brands on [the social media site]. \"These products have an estimated street value of [more than] \u00c2\u00a3400,000.\" Facebook said it investigates any reported prohibited activity and it had removed the post advertising the counterfeit tobacco. Almost identical adverts for tobacco have since been placed on other buy and sell pages, using different profiles, the BBC has found. You can see more on this story on Inside Out South East on BBC One at 19:30 BST on Friday 31 March, and later on the BBC iPlayer.", "summary": "Counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco are being advertised and sold through Facebook, an investigation has found."}
{"article": "The letter was signed by leaders from Greater Manchester, Liverpool, North East, Sheffield, and West Yorkshire combined authorities. It requested a meeting with Theresa May, who has not yet commented, \"at her earliest convenience\". It stresses it is \"vital\" the north's voice is heard \"loud and clear\". It pointed out the region had a \"significantly larger\" economy than Scotland and Wales and a population greater than London. Greater Manchester's interim mayor Tony Lloyd sent the letter on behalf of himself and leaders of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, North East Combined Authority, Sheffield City Region Combined Authority and West Yorkshire Combined Authority. The letter noted Ms May's talks with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in Edinburgh and invited her to a similar meeting in Greater Manchester \"to discuss our role within the Brexit negotiations\". It read: \"The north of England has long had concerns that we are being ignored, caught between an economically and politically powerful London and an increasingly politically important Scotland.\" It continued: \"As we negotiate our exit from the European Union, you have made clear that you believe in having an approach and negotiation objectives that include the whole of the United Kingdom. \"On that point we wholeheartedly agree. It is absolutely vital that the voice of the north of England is heard loud and clear.\" The combined authorities were set up as part of the government's devolution agenda. This led to the Northern Powerhouse strategy, brainchild of former Chancellor George Osborne, an attempt to corral the north's population of 15 million into a collective force that could begin to rival that of London and the South East. There has been some uncertainty over its continuation following Mrs May's reshuffle and Mr Osborne's return to the back benches. However, Conservative MP for Brigg and Goole Andrew Percy was appointed as the new Northern Powerhouse minister on Sunday and a government spokesman said the Northern Powerhouse would \"continue to be a priority\".", "summary": "Leaders of five combined authorities have written to the prime minister saying the north of England needs a \"strong voice\" in Brexit negotiations."}
{"article": "Known as Flex, the mission was approved by member states on Thursday and will likely launch by 2022. The satellite will carry a spectrometer to catch the subtle but telltale fluorescence that organisms produce when they engage in photosynthesis. Scientists say this signal can be used to monitor the condition of croplands and forests. Changes in the light emission, which is detected in the red and far-red part of the electromagnetic spectrum, will reveal, for example, if vegetation is being stressed, perhaps because of overheating, drought or disease. Given the fundamental role played by photosynthesis in biology, there is arguably no measurement more significant than the one Flex is going to try to capture from orbit. \"We will be monitoring the core of the most important process that sustains all life on Earth,\" said Uwe Rascher, a leading figure on the mission science team. Flex is the latest concept in Esa's Earth Explorer series. These are satellites that are designed to health-check the environment using novel instrument technologies. Missions already flown have mapped Arctic sea-ice, traced ocean circulation, and quantified the amount of water bound up in soils. Flex (Fluorescence Explorer) (PDF) was green-lit as the eighth spacecraft in the series by the agency's Earth Observation Programme Board, meeting in Paris. It won approval following a detailed assessment by scientists and engineers, who put it ahead of a rival proposal called CarbonSat (PDF). This would have plotted the movements of carbon dioxide and methane through the atmosphere. Although a loser on this occasion, CarbonSat may yet find support in a European Union-funded space programme. Certainly, Esa officials would like to continue technology developments on its instrument to try to mature its design. Plant fluorescence has been detected from orbit before, but not at the level of detail envisaged for Flex. Leaf photosynthesis \u2013 the production of life-sustaining sugars from CO2 and water \u2013 dumps some of the energy not required in the biochemical process in the form of light. This \"waste emission\" radiates from the vegetation around a couple of peaks in wavelength between 640 and 800 nanometres \u2013 on the boundary between the visible and the infrared. The nature of this signal describes directly the efficiency of the photosynthetic process, and if Flex can characterise it accurately it will be able to discern the physical condition of plants. \"If you have water-limitation in agriculture \u2013 at the moment, we can only see it late, when the vegetation starts to wilt: when it gets brownish, yellowish and begins to drop leaves,\" explained Prof Rascher. \"With a fluorescence signal we see the limitation of photosynthesis because of water stress immediately when it occurs. So, we see the signal before the plant shows visible damage,\" the J\u00fclich Research Centre scientist told BBC News. The technique does require some ancillary data - in particular, a measure of the temperature of the vegetation being studied. To get this information, Flex would fly in close formation with another satellite already dedicated to the purpose. This would be the EU's Sentinel-3 platform, which will soon start mapping the", "summary": "The European Space Agency is going to build a spacecraft to map the red glow emitted by Earth's plants."}
{"article": "The African Elephant Status report says that poaching is the main driver of the fall, the worst losses in 25 years. However the authors say that long-term issues such as the loss of habitat also pose a significant threat. The report has been presented at the Cites meeting which is considering new proposals on elephant protection. Extract from The War on Elephants; article on how the very existence of Africa's elephants is threatened by poachers More from Alastair: Why elephants are seeking refuge in Botswana Shocking reduction in Africa's elephant numbers Figures published earlier this year in the Great Elephant Census indicated that African elephant populations had declined by around 30% over the past seven years. This new study from conservation group IUCN incorporates this information but also uses data from elephant dung counts and individual observations amongst other sources. The authors say the overall total for elephants in Africa is now around 415,000, although there may be an additional 117,000 to 135,000 in areas not systematically surveyed. This represents a decline of some 111,000 from the report carried out in 2006. Poaching is the main driver of the drop. East Africa, the region most affected by killings for ivory, has experienced around a 50% reduction in numbers. However it is not the only cause of concern to the authors. \"We are particularly concerned about major infrastructure projects that are cutting up the elephant ranges, this is a particular problem for road development in central and east Africa,\" said Dr Chris Thouless, one of the report's authors. \"These are all major issues that will have to be dealt with once the poaching crisis is over.\" While report highlights the losses there are also some gains. Elephant populations in South Africa, Namibia and Uganda have all increased. Elephant ranges have expanded in Kenya and Botswana, with community based conservation showing real success in Northern Kenya. While these are positives, the overall picture is one of dramatic decline, fuelled by criminal activity that would decimate these giant creatures, if continued. \"Larger quantities of illegal ivory are leaving Africa than ever before,\" said Ginette Hemley from WWF. \"The transnational crime syndicates driving the slaughter must be dismantled, and consumer demand for ivory cannot persist if we hope to secure a safe future for elephants.\" The report comes as the Cites meeting here in Johannesburg is facing significant division on how to handle the poaching crisis. Talks on extra protections for elephants will begin on Monday with a number of countries led by Kenya seeking extra protection. Others, including Namibia and Zimbabwe, are seeking to liberalise the safeguards and open up a trade in ivory. Another proposal here, which might garner more support, is aimed at ending all domestic markets in ivory. The meeting continues until 5 October. Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc and on Facebook.", "summary": "Elephant populations in Africa have declined by around 111,000 over the past 10 years according to a new study."}
{"article": "The Dutch-Romanian pairing won 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 6-4 in one hour and 52 minutes. Murray had hoped to claim a first men's doubles Slam title having won the mixed doubles with Jelena Jankovic in 2007. The 29-year-old was watched by younger brother Andy on Centre Court, 24 hours after his singles semi-final defeat. \"I didn't know he was coming till I heard him shouting,\" said Jamie Murray. \"He was shouting all the time, encouragement. It was cool. It was nice to see him out there supporting.\" The brothers must now regroup after Wimbledon disappointment as they are both part of the Great Britain squad which will take on France in next week's Davis Cup quarter-final at Queen's Club. \"It's an exciting match to look forward to,\" he said. \"It's a big tie for us. There's going to be a lot of people coming out to support. Motivation is high for the match.\" Murray and Peers had three chances to break serve in the first five games of the doubles final but could not convert, and Rojer and Tecau took advantage. Rojer hammered away a smash to convert their third set point in the tie-break, and when Peers netted a volley to drop serve early in the second, the lead was convincing. A Peers double fault invited huge pressure at 4-4 in the third and Rojer proved more solid than Murray at the net to earn the decisive break. The fourth seeds served out the match to love and fell to their knees in celebration, with Tecau finally getting his hands on the trophy after three times finishing runner-up. \"It was a good tournament for us,\" added Murray, who had never previously been past the quarter-finals of the men's doubles in a Slam. \"We got to the final of Wimbledon, which is not so easy to do. I mean, my best result in a Grand Slam by quite some distance, I guess. \"It's sad to lose but I guess overall it was a positive tournament.\"", "summary": "Britain's Jamie Murray and Australian John Peers missed out on a first Grand Slam doubles title together as they lost to fourth seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau in the Wimbledon final."}
{"article": "The US actress, 84, had been rushed to hospital with a suspected stroke. Her son, Todd Fisher, said the stress of his sister's death had been too much for her and in her last words, she had said she wanted to be with Carrie. US actress Bette Midler said Reynolds was \"devoted to her craft\" and that her death was \"too hard to comprehend\". Actress Debra Messing said Reynolds, her on-screen mother in sitcom Will and Grace, had been an \"inspiration\". \"A legend of course,\" she wrote in a statement. \"The epitome of clean-cut American optimism, dancing with Gene Kelly as an equal, a warrior woman who never stopped working.'' Actor Rip Torn, who worked with Reynolds in her Las Vegas stage show, said: \"I was blessed to work with this remarkable woman for 45 almost 50 years. That makes for a very rare bond and unique relationship. \"She was generous to a fault, never caring who got the laugh from the audience. I will always love her.\" Veteran comic actress Carol Channing agreed: \"She was beautiful and generous. It seems like only yesterday she was having lunch here at the house and we were discussing the possibility of working together in a new show.\" For Star Trek actor William Shatner, Reynolds was one of the last of the Hollywood royalty. \"It breaks my heart that she is gone,\" he wrote. \"I'd hoped that my grieving was done for 2016. Reynolds had been at her son's house in Beverly Hills - apparently discussing the arrangements for Carrie Fisher's funeral - when she was taken ill. She was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre suffering from breathing difficulties and her death was confirmed a few hours later. It is thought she suffered a stroke. Carrie Fisher, renowned for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars series, had died aged 60 the day before, after spending three days in a Los Angeles hospital. She never regained consciousness after suffering a massive heart attack on board a flight from London to Los Angeles on Friday. Speaking to the Associated Press news agency about his mother, Todd said: \"She's now with Carrie and we're all heartbroken.'' Celebrity news site TMZ reported that Reynolds cracked while discussing plans for Carrie's funeral with her son, telling him: \"I miss her so much; I want to be with Carrie.\" Some people talk about \"broken heart syndrome\", known more formally as stress cardiomyopathy or takotsubo cardiomyopathy. According to the British Heart Foundation, it is a \"temporary condition where your heart muscle becomes suddenly weakened or stunned. The left ventricle, one of the heart's chambers, changes shape.\" It can be brought on by a shock. \"About three quarters of people diagnosed with takotsubo cardiomyopathy have experienced significant emotional or physical stress prior to becoming unwell,\" the charity says. This stress might be bereavement but it could be a shock of another kind. There are documented cases of people suffering the condition after being frightened by colleagues pulling a prank, or suffering the stress of speaking to a large group of", "summary": "Debbie Reynolds, who starred opposite Gene Kelly in the 1952 musical Singin' in the Rain, has died a day after the death of her daughter, Carrie Fisher."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old initially joined for a month and has made two appearances for the Imps, scoring twice in a 3-1 victory over Welling in the FA Trophy. Ward's stay at Sincil Bank will now run until 14 April, and will take his loan to the maximum 93 days. Danny Cowley's Lincoln are currently top of the National League. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Brighton & Hove Albion winger Joe Ward has extended his loan deal at National League side Lincoln City for a further two months."}
{"article": "The Fed is expected to keep borrowing costs on hold but its economic commentary will be closely scrutinised for hints about future moves. In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed down 0.8% at 16,974.45. Shares of Japanese consumer electronics firm Sharp slumped nearly 12% on reports a takeover deal may be delayed. According to Reuters, Taiwan's Foxconn - also known as Hon Hai Precision - may postpone its $6bn (\u00c2\u00a34.2bn) purchase of Sharp after receiving \"new material information\" and is requesting more guidance on its latest quarterly performance. In China, the Shanghai Composite index rose 0.2% to 2,870.43 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped 0.15% to 20,257.70. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index ended 0.15% higher at 5,119.03 even though falling iron ore prices dragged on mining shares. South Korea's Kospi closed up 0.3% at 1,974.90, despite data showing the unemployment rate hit a five-year high. The rate rose to 4.1% from 3.5% in February, which was higher than economist expectations, due to a contraction in the manufacturing and construction sectors. However, analysts say most global investors are focusing on the outcome of the Fed's meeting. \"Another hike is sharply at odds with Fed concerns about increased uncertainty around global/China outlook and market turbulence tightening credit conditions,\" said Vishnu Varathan from Mizuho Bank. He added that attention was focused on any hints the bank might make about the frequency of interest rate rises this year.", "summary": "Asia markets were mixed on Wednesday as investors waited for the outcome of the latest Federal Reserve meeting."}
{"article": "Nick Palmer, who lost the Nottingham seat in 2010 to Conservative Anna Soubry, said he wanted \"more assurances\" before he would support it. Ms Soubry said she was \"astonished\" to hear he did not endorse the \"fantastic opportunity\" for the local area. They were speaking at a live debate on the BBC's Politics Show on Sunday, which included the Greens and Lib Dems. Mr Palmer, who served as the constituency's MP from 1997 until 2010, said: \"The reason I would be prepared to vote against it, if we don't get the assurances we need [is], we've just seen what happens with the tram project, which all three of us supported, it has caused two years of chaos.\" Ms Soubry said the benefits of HS2 must not be underestimated. \"I'm absolutely astonished to hear the Labour candidate not being in favour of Toton Sidings, getting the East Midlands hub. This is a fantastic opportunity.\" The HS2 route will link London with Birmingham, where it will split to head north to Leeds and Manchester. The planned station will be to the east of Toton Sidings with high-speed trains able to get to and from London in 51 minutes. In one of the tightest marginals in the East Midlands, transport is pushing other issues into the slow lane. The Labour-run city council announced phase two of the Nottingham tram back in 2011 but it has been beset by delays and is now running well behind schedule. It's also become a key concern for many voters. Broxtowe is a classic Labour-Conservative battleground. The Tory defence minister Anna Soubry had a majority of just 389 at the last election and Labour's Nick Palmer is again contesting the seat. Stan Heptinstall, Liberal Democrat candidate, said: \"I'm totally in favour of it [HS2] because it's the way to go. \"You go to Germany, you look at their infrastructure, you've got these fantastic roads, these fantastic railway systems, the ICE trains, it's a pleasure.\" David Kirwan, Green candidate, said: \"It's the wrong type of investment and it's interesting to hear that Nick has come out today to say he is opposed to it. \"It's the latest in a string of Labour policies that Nick is opposed to. He is not standing as an independent MP he is standing as a Labour MP.\" Other candidates also standing in Broxtowe: Ray Barry (Justice for Men and Boys) and Frank Dunne (UKIP).", "summary": "Broxtowe's Labour candidate has said he is prepared to vote against his party on the HS2 rail project if elected."}
{"article": "The H5N8 strain found in a wild duck at an estuary near the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (WWT) Llanelli Wetland Centre is the same which hit a turkey farm in Lincolnshire last week. The centre said it had closed \"as a precautionary measure\". Rural Affairs Secretary Lesley Griffiths said the risk to humans was \"very low\" and poultry was safe to eat. The Welsh Government said it was the first time the H5N8 strain had been found in a wild bird in the UK. It was described as \"extremely concerning\" by the Welsh Conservatives which called on the government to ensure safety measures were in place. Restrictions were imposed across Britain to keep birds indoors after the disease came to light across Europe, the Middle East and north Africa. On Tuesday, the measures were tightened to ban any indoor gatherings of birds at events such as livestock fairs, auctions and bird shows. Ms Griffiths said: \"This finding is not unexpected and follows calls for bird keepers to be more vigilant for signs of the disease. It is likely that more cases will be confirmed. \"There have been no reports of human infection from the H5N8 strain and the risk to human health is very low. \"The Food Standards Agency has also confirmed it is safe to eat poultry meat, such as turkey, goose and chicken.\" In a statement on Thursday confirming its temporary closure, WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre said: \"This is a concern for local birds - not humans. \"This is not a strain of bird flu that has ever transferred to people. \"The finding is not unexpected as the disease has already been found across Europe. \"Like other organisations across the country, we have been keeping a close eye out for any signs of the disease in birds this winter. \"We will remain closed while we increase surveillance among wild birds on our reserve and our collection of zoo birds, and put in place any measures necessary to help protect them.\" Welsh Conservative spokesman for rural affairs, Paul Davies AM, said: \"If it is allowed to spread then it could have a devastating impact on poultry farming across Wales. \"The Welsh Government must ensure that all farms provide details of their flocks to the poultry register and are appraised of all relevant safety measures in the event of an outbreak.\" Chief Veterinary Officer Christianne Glossop urged people to report any sightings of dead waterfowl, or groups of at least five dead wild birds of other species in the same location, to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.", "summary": "The first finding of an infectious strain of avian flu in a UK wild bird has been confirmed in Carmarthenshire."}
{"article": "The Dame Janet Smith review identified a total of 72 victims, including eight who were raped. Her report said BBC staff had known of the complaints about Savile but did not inform senior management. BBC Trust chairman Rona Fairhead said the corporation had failed the victims. Dame Janet's review found many, but not all, of the most serious incidents of rape, attempted rape and sexual assault were carried out by Savile at his own premises and not at the BBC. But she said Savile would also \"gratify himself sexually\" on BBC premises whenever the opportunity arose, and that she had heard of incidents which had taken place at the corporation's Glasgow studios as well as in cities including London, Manchester and Leeds. Dame Janet said Savile, who had a cottage in Glen Coe before he died at the age of 84 in 2011, and another former BBC presenter, Stuart Hall, were \"serial sexual predators\" and the BBC missed five opportunities to stop their misconduct. She detailed an incident involving a 12-year-old girl, who travelled from Scotland to visit her aunt in London in December 1973. According to the report, the girl persuaded her aunt to take her to see a recording of Top of the Pops, which Savile was presenting while dressed in a Womble outfit. It said she became separated from her aunt inside the studio, and after the show finished she and a 10-year-old boy were asked by a man whether they would like to meet Savile. They were taken to his dressing room, where they were offered fizzy drinks and biscuits by the man, before Savile came in, still wearing his Womble suit but without the head. After chatting with the two children, the girl watched as Savile raped the boy, who was saying \"don't, don't\". Savile then told the children \"It's OK. It's our special secret\", before sexually assaulting the girl. The report said the girl later walked to the tube station, and told her aunt that she had seen Slade and had had pop and biscuits with Savile himself. It added: \"She did not tell anyone what had happened. She thought it was her fault and that she might go to hell for what she had done. \"Of course, she was a child in a vulnerable situation and what happened to her was not in any way her fault.\" In April 2014, the victim saw a newspaper advertisement placed by a firm of solicitors asking for anyone who had been attacked by Savile to come forward. She contacted them, and it emerged that the boy who was raped while she watched had also contacted the legal firm. In his lifetime, millions knew Jimmy Savile as an eccentric TV personality. He was one of Britain's biggest stars, a larger-than-life character who was known for tea time TV favourites such as Top of the Pops and Jim'll Fix It, as well as stints on BBC Radio 1. He was also, to some, Saint Jimmy, a diligent fundraiser who raised \u00c2\u00a340m for charity. But, a year after his death in", "summary": "Jimmy Savile abused some of his victims at the BBC's studios in Glasgow and also sexually assaulted a Scottish girl who had travelled to London to watch Top of the Pops, a report has found."}
{"article": "The billionaire who has cast himself as the law and order candidate seemed ready to commit the democratic felony of refusing to accept defeat at the polls. The property tycoon, who has regularly used legal action, and the threat of it, to build his business empire, appeared to cling to the hope that he could litigate his way to the White House - if, as seems increasingly likely, voters hand the keys to Hillary Clinton. In a stab at damage limitation, he has since modified his position. Trump now says he will accept a \"clear result,\" but reserves the right to mount a legal challenge in the event of a \"questionable result\". But his original remarks, watched by millions of shell-shocked voters, are hard to walk back. He cannot evoke that old locker room maxim - what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Unsubstantiated claims that this election is rigged has now become the core message of his stump speech, and it seems targeted at 9 November rather than 8 November - a pre-emptive attempt to rationalise defeat the morning after rather than to mobilise supporters on polling day. Not only does this approach seem irresponsible but also counter-productive, for it runs the risk of depressing Republican turnout. Why vote, his more conspiratorial-minded supporters might think, if the fix is already in? Threats of legal challenges may well be Trumpian bluster. His promise to sue the New York Times for publishing accusations from women that he allegedly molested them have so far come to nought. As for saying during the debate he would hold the electorate in \"suspense\", it sounded like a fading reality TV star clamorous for viewers, fearful his show was about to be cancelled because of sliding ratings. Grace in defeat is not just a feature of the American system, but one of its more elegant pillars. John McCain's concession speech in 2008 is widely regarded as the noblest of his career. John Kerry accepted the outcome in 2004, despite claims of voter irregularities in the decisive battleground state of Ohio. In 1960, when only 113,000 votes out of the 68 million cast separated the candidates, Richard Nixon conceded, even though he would have been forgiven for mounting a more forceful legal challenge, given the allegations of voter fraud in Texas and Illinois. There, Chicago's mayor Richard Daley was alleged to have conjured up enough phantom votes to make sure Illinois remained in John F Kennedy's column. GOP officials carried out investigations and mounted legal challenges in a number of battleground states, but Nixon was publicly acquiescent. The then vice-president told friends he did not want to come across as a sore loser, nor spark a constitutional crisis. In the aftermath of the Las Vegas debate, Trump surrogates cited the more recent example of the contested 2000 election, when Al Gore dramatically withdrew his concession on election night while in his limousine on the way to deliver a speech accepting defeat. But Gore wasn't challenging the results of the election. Rather, he was calling for a recount of the", "summary": "Sounding more like the potentate of some palm-dotted tropical island than a presidential candidate, Donald Trump twice declined to say during the final televised debate whether he would accept the results of the 2016 election."}
{"article": "The incident happened at about 03:00 on Saturday in Doon Way, Kirkintilloch. It is understood that a 20-year-old man was taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary for treatment. Alloway Drive, which is near the scene of the assault, was closed between Doon Road and Burns Drive while investigations were carried out. It has since reopened.", "summary": "Police are investigating after a man was assaulted in a street in East Dunbartonshire."}
{"article": "The metal sculpture will show two fists overlapped in the style of the song's \"horse-riding\" dance move. It will be erected outside the COEX shopping centre, where part of the video was filmed. Gangnam Style was released by South Korean singer Psy in 2012 and remains the most-watched YouTube video ever. It has been viewed more than 2.4 billion times. Gangnam tourism director Park Hee-Soo said he hoped the statue would \"become a landmark for our district\". \"Tourists can take pictures under the statue and the song will play automatically when you stand there,\" he added.", "summary": "A statue dedicated to the South Korean music hit Gangnam Style is to be unveiled in the Seoul district made famous by the song."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old, who helped Roma finish second in Serie A last season, had been linked with a move to Premier League sides Chelsea and Manchester United. Bayern were looking for a defender after Spain international Javi Martinez was ruled out until the New Year with ruptured cruciate knee ligaments. Roma have replaced Benatia with Olympiakos defender Kostas Manolas.", "summary": "German champions Bayern Munich have signed Morocco defender Mehdi Benatia from Roma for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Houghton, 27, has played a pivotal role in Hull's success in 2016 as Lee Radford's side chase a domestic treble. He has made 1,130 tackles in 2016, more than any other player in Super League. \"I've tasted success winning the Challenge Cup and I want to do that over and over again,\" Houghton told the club website.", "summary": "Hull FC hooker and vice-captain Danny Houghton has signed a new deal with the Challenge Cup winners and will stay with the club until 2020."}
{"article": "A high ladder, or \"aerial\", used to fight tower block fires was dispatched immediately to the site in North Kensington as recently as 2001. On 14 June, London Fire Brigade took 24 minutes to send a 30m (100ft) ladder. The brigade said its policy has changed since the Grenfell Tower blaze. The Grenfell Tower fire began on the fourth floor of the block and the first fire crews were dispatched at 00:55 BST. Within a few hours, nearly all of the 67m (220ft) high block was ablaze. It is thought 255 people survived the fire, and 80 people are currently missing or confirmed dead. A BBC Newsnight investigation revealed a 30m aerial, which could have enabled firefighters to reach the 10th floor of tower, was not dispatched until 01:19 BST, 24 minutes after the first crews were sent out. The aerial did not arrive until 01:32 BST, by which time the fire had raced up the building's cladding. London Fire Brigade's standard procedure at the time was to send four fire engines - and no aerial platforms - to tower block fires as part of their \"pre-determined attendance\" procedure. But the BBC understands previously it immediately sent an aerial to fires at Grenfell Tower as standard procedure. It is unclear when this policy changed. The London Fire Brigade's safety plan in 2004-5 reduced the number of aerial appliances from 16 to 11. An Audit Commission report in 2004 said the move was expected to save \u00c2\u00a31.75m. Paul Embery of the Fire Brigades Union said he believes the automatic deployment of the equipment could have made a difference in tackling the fire. \"The presence of an aerial appliance very early on, being able to intervene and act as a water tower and direct large amounts of water on to the flames, could have potentially prevented the spread of that fire. \"We don't know for sure but it's a question that needs to be asked as part of the inquiry. \"The question needs to be asked in terms of the aerial appliances in London. Was it deemed they shouldn't be sent automatically as a way of saving money?\" Last week London Fire Brigade announced that an aerial platform will automatically be sent to tower fires in the future. It said fires in high rise buildings did not routinely need an aerial appliance. \"It is important to understand that fires in high rise buildings are nearly always dealt with internally, not usually needing an aerial appliance.\" \"We do have aerial appliances on the attendance for specific locations and these exceptions exist if a building has been found to have particular features that mean an aerial appliance would help on-arrival firefighting tactics.\"", "summary": "High ladders which could have potentially \"prevented the spread\" of the Grenfell Tower fire were previously sent to the building automatically, the BBC has learned."}
{"article": "Highways England has said its preferred route for a new Lower Thames Crossing is a tunnel connecting Gravesend, in Kent, to Tilbury, Essex. However, Tory MP for Gravesham, Adam Holloway, said the government should instead build a new tunnel between Dartford and Thurrock. He claimed there would be \"carnage\" if the M25 at Dartford was \"not fixed\". \"This is quite simply the worst stretch of road in the UK, and it has a huge impact on local residents,\" Mr Holloway told MPs during a parliamentary debate on Monday. \"There are entirely viable schemes, including a seven-mile tunnel under Dartford and Thurrock,\" he said. More news from Kent The Conservative MP for Dartford, Gareth Johnson, suggested Mr Holloway was in favour of \"funnelling more traffic\" towards the existing Dartford Crossing and in to the Dartford area. He said: \"Isn't it the situation that we should have more resilience, as we have across the rest of the Thames, so you have crossings at various different locations? \"The solution surely is to take traffic away and put the crossing east of Gravesend.\" But Mr Holloway said the \"\u00c2\u00a35bn opportunity to fix the M25 is about to be wasted,\" adding that it will soon be \"too late to stop a plan that's going to result in another 30 years of misery on the M25\". He added: \"Have a conversation about something to the east of Gravesend, or wherever it is, but let's not confuse two things. \"The problem is a disaster at Dartford and it is going to be a complete scandal.\" Concluding the debate, transport minister John Hayes said more than 47,000 people had taken part in a consultation on the preferred option for the crossing and the government was currently analysing the results.", "summary": "A proposed new road tunnel beneath the River Thames would lead to 30 years of \"misery\" on the M25, an MP has warned."}
{"article": "Championship rugby awaits for one of the Premiership's founding members when the game turned professional in 1996, with an uncertain future ahead for players, coaches and staff. Worcester and Newcastle have bounced back from the second tier with immediate effect in recent seasons, while others such as Harlequins and Northampton have returned to win titles. But clubs such as Bristol and London Welsh have found life below the Premiership harder to adapt to than expected. What path will London Irish's future take? BBC Sport speaks to players, supporters, coaches and rugby writers to find the formula behind bouncing back from relegation. Media playback is not supported on this device As recently as 2009, Irish were contesting a Premiership final at Twickenham and reached the last four of the European Cup a year earlier. But the last three seasons have produced finishes in the bottom three, a change of ownership and changes in playing and coaching personnel. \"Although former director of rugby Brian Smith didn't enjoy the same success at the club in his second spell as he did in his first, the Australian had extensive experience of the English game,\" said BBC 5 live rugby reporter Chris Jones. \"He was able to comfortably avoid relegation before his abrupt departure at the start of 2015. \"Tom Coventry arrived last summer as head coach with a justifiably big reputation considering his achievements at Waikato Chiefs. \"But my understanding is that transferring coaching techniques from a Super Rugby side to a Premiership outfit wasn't a smooth process, especially given the fact Irish pretty quickly found themselves in a relegation battle. \"Coventry and his coaching team needed time to adapt to the unique nature of English rugby. The other directors of rugby involved in the basement battle - Dean Richards and Dean Ryan - are steeped in experience on this front.\" Steve Jones, treasurer of the London Irish supporters' club, believes other clubs have shown Irish the way to cope with life in the Championship. \"The key is that the core of the team is kept together and our investment in the academy remains to produce young talent,\" he said. \"There are a lot of good players in the system that could really benefit from a year in the Championship playing regular rugby. The under-18 team that won the Academy League this season is testament to that. \"But the Championship is a hard league and Irish will find it very tough. A mixture of seasoned pros and academy graduates will be needed.\" Aside from what happens on the pitch for Irish is the debate over where it happens. Their 16-year association with Reading's Madejski Stadium could be in its final throes despite a contract that allows them to ground-share in Berkshire until the 2025-26 season. Chief executive Bob Casey has guaranteed the Exiles will play their home games at the venue next season despite several years of dwindling attendances, but beyond is an uncertain scenario. There are rumours that Brentford's Griffin Park and their planned new stadium at nearby Lionel Road have become favourable alternatives for", "summary": "After just four Premiership wins all season, London Irish have been relegated from English rugby's top flight for the first time since 1994."}
{"article": "Princess Road and Princess Parkway in Manchester will be lowered from 40mph to 30mph for an 18-month trial after a proposal was approved by councillors. There have been two deaths and 84 crashes over the past three years. A friend of Ian O'Mara, who died when he was hit by a coach on a pelican crossing in 2015, helped set up a petition to change the speed limit. A coach driver who hit the dog walker in Princess Road was given a suspended sentence after admitting causing death by careless driving. The change to the speed limit was passed by Manchester City Council on Wednesday, although a date for when it comes into force is yet to be confirmed. Princess Parkway merges into Princess Road and stretches 3.7 miles (6km). Campaigner Sam MacWilliam, from Chorlton, said: \"The road is very important for people coming into the city, but they need to understand that they are coming off the motorway and into an area where people live. \"There are schools and churches here.\"", "summary": "The speed limit on a major route into a city has been reduced following a campaign launched after a man's death."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old defender, who has made four appearances for the Tractor Boys this season, will remain at Portman Road until the summer of 2019. The deal includes an option for the academy graduate to extend his stay by a further year, until 2020. \"I'm enjoying my football and I want to keep on improving my game,\" he told the club website.", "summary": "Ipswich Town youngster Josh Emmanuel has signed a new contract with the Championship club."}
{"article": "Their 340-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) is twice the length of a normal stay. Their extended tour is part of an effort to study the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the body. But scientists will gain further insights by comparing Scott Kelly with his Earthbound identical twin, Mark. A Soyuz capsule carrying Kelly, Kornienko and Russian crew member Sergey Volkov parachuted down on to a steppe in Kazakhstan at 10:26 local time (04:26 GMT). The mission is a record for the ISS and will give Cmdr Kelly a tally of 520 cumulative days in space, over four flights. In pictures: Scott Kelly's year in space Tim Peake's space plant experiment Cmdr Kelly has also returned rocket (salad) seeds that were taken up to the orbiting outpost by UK astronaut Tim Peake in December. They will be distributed to schools to allow pupils to compare their growth with rocket plants that have stayed on Earth. The idea behind the twin study is to help minimise extraneous factors as scientists research how genetically identical individuals respond to different conditions over a year. The harsh space environment takes its toll in the form of muscle atrophy, sleep problems, bone loss, vision impairment and radiation exposure. But some of the most pronounced effects are on the mind. Before landing, Cmdr Kelly told reporters during a live link-up: \"Physically I feel pretty good... but the hardest part is being isolated in the physical sense from people on the ground who are important to you. There's a loss of connection.\" From Kazakhstan, Cmdr Kelly will be flown to Houston in the US, where researchers at the US space agency (Nasa) will begin a series of scientific checks. Mark Kelly, who was an astronaut, now retired, has been undergoing tests of his own on Earth during his brother's sojourn on the ISS. Comparisons between the twins should allow scientists to deepen their understanding of the subtle physical and psychological shifts that occur during long stays on orbit. Nasa says the research should inform its stated aim of one day sending humans to Mars. After returning from an extended stay in the weightless environment of space, many astronauts have difficulty walking unaided. Shortly after landing, Kelly, Kornienko and Volkov will enter a medical tent to participate in a series of \"field tests\" that will assess their balance, co-ordination and ability to walk. Returning ISS crews have immediate access to medical assistance, but future crews to Mars will have little time to recover once they land on the Red Planet's surface. Scientists want to devise ways to prevent injury and improve their recovery time. \"We go through about an hour of field tests of various kinds - one is even like an obstacle course, where you run around, stand up from a sitting position and jump,\" Cmdr Kelly said. Despite the length of their flight, Kelly and Kornienko are still some way shy of the record for the longest single spaceflight, which is held by the Russian Valery Polyakov, who spent 437 consecutive days aboard the Mir space", "summary": "US astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko have touched down on Earth after almost a year in space."}
{"article": "There were 33 deaths from fires in buildings and vehicles in Scotland in 2013-14 compared with 46 the previous year - a decrease of 28%. Almost nine in 10 of those died in house fires, the majority of which were accidental. Smoking materials and matches accounted for more than half (58%) of fatal accidental house fires. Alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in a quarter. Almost half of all fatalities in the home happened where there was a smoke alarm present which either did not operate or failed to raise the alarm. The rate of fatalities in the over-60s age group was more than double the national average of 6.2 per million. The statistical bulletin said: \"The provisional figure for the total fatal casualties from primary fires in 2013-14 is the lowest for more than 20 years. \"Whilst the number of fire deaths is prone to fluctuation, the latest figure continues the long-term downward trend in fire fatalities.\" A total of 1,311 people were injured in fires over the same period, according to the figures. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) attended 27,979 fires during the year, an increase of 5% on the previous year but the second lowest annual total in the last decade. House fires fell by 9% to 5,330, continuing a 10-year downward trend. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service chief officer Alasdair Hay said: \"I know from first-hand experience how hard-working and dedicated our staff throughout the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service are. \"The fact that the number of house fires across Scotland has continued to fall since last year is also a reflection of the public's commitment to join Scotland's fight against fire and take part in protecting their communities.\" He added: \"Last year local firefighters continued to conduct free home fire safety visits around the country, completing 71,357 visits. \"The SFRS has a clear message - working smoke alarms saves lives. These figures show that message is getting heard and people are safer from fire in their homes.\" Community safety minister Paul Wheelhouse said: \"It is encouraging that fire deaths are now at their lowest since current records began, as are fires in homes, taking them to the lowest in a generation. \"While the significant reduction in the number of people hurt or killed in fires is to be welcomed, every death is a tragedy and there are 33 families across Scotland who are without a loved one as a result of fires last year. \"It's crucial that we remember the relatively small numbers of cases mean there can be quite extreme fluctuations, although there is no doubt that these figures are testament to the hard work of the fire and rescue services in Scotland, and their continued focus on prevention. \"It is crucial that people across Scotland listen and follow their valuable advice.\"", "summary": "The number of people killed in fires has fallen to its lowest for more than 20 years, provisional figures show."}
{"article": "Fifa's ethics committee is looking into the \"disloyal payment\", made nine years after Platini carried out consultation work for Fifa president Sepp Blatter. Platini, a Fifa vice-president, and Blatter are serving 90-day bans while corruption claims are investigated. In September, criminal proceedings against Blatter began in Switzerland. BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent Richard Conway says a written contract did exist for Platini's work for Fifa between 1998 and 2002, according to sources. A total of SFr 1.05m (\u00a3710,000) is believed to have been paid to the Frenchman. It is an additional SFr 2m (\u00a31.35m) that was paid in February 2011 that is under scrutiny - and for which no written contract is said to exist. Both Platini and Blatter are believed to have told investigators the additional payment was an oral agreement for SFr 0.5m to be paid for each of the four years (January 1999 to June 2002) the Uefa president was employed by Fifa. In a statement this month, Platini said \"the remuneration was agreed at the time\". It is understood the men claimed an agreement to delay payment was reached at the time due to Fifa's then financial position. Under Swiss law, an employee cannot seek to have a contract paid up after five years have elapsed irrespective of whether it was written or oral. Both men have denied any wrongdoing, have appealed against their bans and believe they will be exonerated. Uefa, which meets in Nyon on Thursday to discuss the issue, has said it has \"full confidence\" in its president and \"stands fully behind him\". However, one Uefa executive committee member, Allan Hansen, has been quoted by Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet as saying \"we can no longer support him\" - if no contract exists. Meanwhile, Fifa has banned Thai football chief and former executive member Worawi Makudi for 90 days for an ethics breach and indicated he could face further punishment.", "summary": "Uefa chief Michel Platini produced no documentary evidence for the 2m Swiss francs (\u00a31.35m) payment made to him by Fifa, the BBC has learned."}
{"article": "The Brexit negotiations with the EU were due to start on 19 June but Moody's said the fact that the Conservatives had lost their majority would delay the start of the talks. It will \"complicate and probably delay Brexit negotiations\", it warned. Moody's said the election result could put pressure on the public finances. The \"inconclusive\" outcome of the general election may mean the government placed less priority on cutting the budget deficit, the agency said. This would be negative for the UK's credit rating and make it more expensive for the country to borrow money. As a result, Moody's said it expected fiscal risks to increase because in its view the budget deficit will increase both this year and next. \"The election outcome, with significant gains for the Labour Party, which had campaigned for increased public spending, will likely be seen as a 'vote against austerity', it added. \"The public debt ratio will rise further and for longer than we had expected, placing the UK among the few highly rated European sovereigns whose public debt is still rising.\" However, Moody's said the election result suggested an \"electoral shift\" away from the \"hard Brexit\" that Prime Minister Theresa May had ostensibly sought. As a result, Moody's said the government may now consider \"softer\" Brexit options, which would be positive for the country's credit rating. Earlier, Brexit Secretary David Davis told Sky News that negotiations on leaving the EU would begin next week. but not necessarily on 19 June. \"My permanent secretary is actually in Brussels today talking to them about the details,\" he said. \"It may not be on the Monday because we also have got the Queen's Speech that week and I will have to speak in that, and so on.\" Meanwhile, S&P Global Ratings released a note saying the outcome of the snap election and the hung parliament should have no immediate impact on the UK's rating. \"Our ratings on the UK already take into account a less predictable policy framework following the vote to leave the EU in June 2016,\" it said. It also said it believed the lack of an overall majority for any one part was likely to delay Brexit negotiations. \"We do not exclude the possibility of another snap election.\" Separately, S&P economist Jean-Michel Six said: \"In terms of the [UK's] outlook for growth, it's clear that things are not going in the right direction.\" \"This latest bit of instability can only weaken the business environment and consumer confidence,\" he said. S&P said the UK's outlook remained negative. Moody's rates the UK as Aa1 negative - one notch above the other two big agencies, S&P and Fitch.", "summary": "The UK general election result could delay Brexit talks and be negative for the economy, credit ratings agencies Moody's and S&P have warned."}
{"article": "The Japanese engineer created many popular drum machines, including the iconic TR-808. Its sound is a staple of hip-hop and electronic music, used by everyone from Kanye West to Marvin Gaye. Kakehashi received a technical Grammy in 2013 for contributions to electronic music technology. Dave Smith - Kakehashi's co-winner - told the BBC he \"was just an amazing man, a good friend, a very good competitor of course and just innovative continually all that time\". Before leading Roland for 40 years, Mr Kakehashi founded Ace Tone in the 1960s. The firm made amplifiers and primitive drum machines, laying the groundwork for the engineer's future success. The sound of the TR-808 proved a game-changer in the 1980s and 90s. It appears on Marvin Gaye's \"Sexual Healing\", and in the opening bars of Whitney Houston's \"I Wanna Dance with Somebody\". Rapper Kanye West's 2008 album 808s & Heartbreak showcases the machine throughout. Musicians have shared their tributes to Mr Kakehashi online, calling his impact immeasurable. Marc Almond of synthpop duo Soft Cell called him \"a man who changed music\". Martyn Ware, who played keyboards for The Human League, told the BBC: \"Roland was central to everything that we did for the whole of the first two albums - they featured on every track.\" \"We were loyal to them like people would be loyal to a football team.\" In 2015 the TR-808 was the subject of a documentary featuring Pharrell Williams, Fatboy Slim, and Phil Collins - among many others. In a farewell to Mr Kakehashi, his colleague for almost four decades, Roland developer Tommy Snyder wrote: \"He was a super funny, wonderful and gifted human being, and his contributions to the musical instrument world, and music, touched millions of people worldwide. RIP dear Taro.\"", "summary": "The music world is mourning the loss of Roland founder and electronic instrument pioneer Ikutaro Kakehashi, who has died aged 87."}
{"article": "That is the big question hanging over the WTO as trade ministers from its member countries gather in Nairobi. They are heading to the Kenyan capital for the WTO's tenth ministerial conference. The organisation is increasingly at risk of being side-lined as groups of countries do trade and investment deals outside it. The WTO was established in 1995 to be the main forum for trade rules and for negotiating the removal of barriers to international commerce. It is conducting a wide-ranging set of negotiations intended to take this process further. It is called the Doha Round, and it was launched in the Qatari capital 14 years ago. It is still limping along despite the original target for completing the talks being the beginning of 2005. So far all it really has to show is an agreement on improving customs procedures, known as the Trade Facilitation Agreement. The wider negotiations - to reduce tariffs (taxes on imports), farm subsidies and remove many other trade barriers - have failed to produce results. Many countries have turned their attention to negotiating in smaller groups. The prime examples are the United States' negotiations with Pacific nations and with the European Union. It's very unlikely that the Nairobi conference will pronounce it dead. Some countries, including India, Indonesia and Venezuela want a formal reaffirmation of the declaration issued back in Doha. Others, notably the US and European Union do not. They think it has become clear that this huge exercise - known in WTO-speak as a \"single undertaking\" - will fail to deliver results. So it is certainly possible that the Nairobi Conference will mark an important moment in the failure of the Doha Round. However, there are areas where there could be some agreement. One is the final agreement among a group of countries on tariff-free trade in a range of technology goods. This would extend an existing deal to a number of additional goods including new-generation semi-conductors, GPS navigation systems, some medical devices and touch screens. There is also the possibility of a deal to improve export opportunities for the poorest nations, the least developed countries. This is about extending the scope for them to sell their goods without quota restrictions or tariffs. There are signs that the WTO's members do seem to be willing to agree in these areas, but even so there is no guarantee they will. It is possible that there will be no formal ministerial declaration at the end. That would be the first such failure since the Seattle Conference in 1999, which ended with acrimonious disagreement between governments and was accompanied by often violent protests in the city's streets. The WTO and its conference have in the past been a major focus for protests from groups which argue that globalisation has been a business-driven process undermining national sovereignty, environmental protection and labour standards. More recently some of the trade negotiations outside the WTO have become more of a focus for some of these concerns. Those other talks have, after all, made more progress. And there is a real possibility that", "summary": "Does the World Trade Organization matter anymore?"}
{"article": "In an interview with Empire, the actor and former California governor claimed that low ratings were due to President Trump's credit as executive producer. He said he would like to work \"on a show that doesn't have this baggage\". However, Mr Trump tweeted that Schwarzenegger \"isn't voluntarily leaving\". He said the actor was \"fired by his bad (pathetic) ratings\", adding that it was a \"sad end to [a] great show\" - referencing his own previous tenure as its presenter. As the row escalated, Schwarzenegger replied: \"You should think about hiring a new joke writer and a fact checker.\" The president - who left the show to run for the White House - has previously ridiculed his TV boardroom successor. In Friday's interview, Mr Schwarzenegger claimed an anti-Trump social media campaign had impacted the ratings of the show, on which he debuted in January. \"When people found out that Trump was still involved as executive producer and was still receiving money from the show, then half the people [started] boycotting it,\" said the former Mr Universe. \"It's not about the show... because everyone I ran into came up to me and said, 'I love the show... but I turned it off because as soon as I read Trump's name I'm outta there!' \"It's a very divisive period now and I think this show got caught up in all that division,\" he said, adding that he would decline if asked to host again.\" Mr Schwarzenegger has often clashed on Twitter with Mr Trump. Last month at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC, Mr Trump mockingly asked people to \"pray for Arnold... for those ratings\". He said the show had been swamped \"in comparison to the ratings machine, DJT\", using his own initials. The show, whose 15th season ended last month, averaged fewer than five million viewers per episode. New York real estate businessman Mr Trump became a household name as the show's host for 14 seasons. Some 20 million Americans were regular watchers in its first year before the viewing figures tapered to six million for Mr Trump's last episode.", "summary": "Arnold Schwarzenegger has quit The New Celebrity Apprentice, saying it has become tainted by Donald Trump's involvement."}
{"article": "Beggars Group and Merlin both indicated their approval of Apple's new offer. On Monday, Apple reversed its decision not to pay artists for songs streamed during a free trial period offered to users, following criticism from singer Taylor Swift. Beggars Group said it was \"happy to endorse\" the new deal with Apple. The company manages some of the best-known indie labels, with artists such as Adele, Radiohead and Basement Jaxx on its XL Recordings label. In a statement, chairman Martin Mills said: \"We are happy to endorse the deal with Apple Music as it now stands, and look forward to being a big part of a very exciting future.\" Digital rights group Merlin looks after more than 20,000 independent record labels. In a letter published by Billboard, Merlin chief executive Charles Caldas said: \"Apple has made a decision to pay for all usage of Apple Music under the free trials on a per-play basis, as well as to modify a number of other terms that members had been communicating directly with Apple about. \"With these changes, we are happy to support the deal.\" Mr Caldas stressed that it was for individual labels in the group to decide if they wanted to join the service. Apple is preparing to launch Apple Music on 30 June. It had originally planned not to pay artists for songs streamed during a three-month free trial offered to users, but changed its decision after Taylor Swift wrote an open letter criticising the company. Google has responded by offering subscription-free access to its music-streaming service, Google Play Music, in the United States.", "summary": "Apple has reached an agreement with two leading indie music groups, paving the way for thousands of labels to join its new streaming service."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old from Birmingham won 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 6-2 in the third round of qualifying at Flushing Meadows. James Ward and Elena Baltacha had earlier fallen at the final hurdle with agonising defeats. It was always in me but it was just putting it all together and I'm pretty proud of that Defending champion Andy Murray, 30th seed Laura Robson and world number 77 Heather Watson qualified directly. Evans has been in the best form of his career in 2013, helping Britain to a remarkable Davis Cup win over Russia, and reaching the third round at Queen's Club and two Challenger finals in North America over the summer. And he capped that run by qualifying for a Grand Slam for the first time under the floodlights of Court Eight at Flushing Meadows at just after 8pm local time on Friday. \"I'm pretty proud of my efforts, not just here but I've been [in North America] now nearly six weeks, so to lose first round then final, final and to qualify is pretty good,\" he said. \"I'd never been in the last round of qualifying before but I knew I was better than the guy - it was just getting it out there. I should have really won the first set but I'm pretty happy with how I came back and in the end it was pretty straightforward. \"It was always in me but it was just putting it all together and I'm pretty proud of that. I need to just carry on and hopefully I'll get a decent draw in the main draw and try to win a few matches.\" Evans surged into an early 4-1 lead against Menendez-Maceiras, ranked five places lower at 184, but was broken from 40-0 and went on to drop the opening set in a tie-break. The Briton had been the better player for much of the set, however, and continued in that vein as he broke to love in game three of the second and closed out the set with cross-court forehand winner. It a came down to a decider and it was one-way traffic as Evans powered on, building a 5-1 lead and closing out the win on his third match point, with Davis Cup team-mates Colin Fleming and Jamie Murray among the vocal courtside supporters. Evans will play Japan's 11th seed Kei Nishikori in the first round next week. Ward, the British number two, had earlier led by a break in the final set but lost 6-3 3-6 6-4 to India's Somdev Devvarman. The 26-year-old was visibly upset as he made his way off Court Seven after seeing a great chance to qualify at the US Open for the first time slip by. Ward, ranked 175th, looked to have turned things around after battling back from a set and a break down, reeling off six straight games to lead 2-0 in the decider. Devvarman, 28, remained a tough opponent to break down, however, and the world number 113's steadier game ultimately won the day as he broke back in game six and clinched victory", "summary": "Dan Evans gave Britain a fourth player in the main draw of the US Open with a superb qualifying win over Spain's Adrian Menendez-Maceiras."}
{"article": "The woman, who has severe learning difficulties, was held by Keith Baker and his wife Caroline at their County Armagh home. She was found in a squalid room in the so-called house of horrors in 2012. When she was rescued, she was severely malnourished and had lost almost all her teeth. Police believe the woman was trafficked into Northern Ireland by Baker in 2004. It is understood her husband reported her missing to police in Suffolk where they had been living. A senior police officer said the repeated attacks on the vulnerable woman was the \"most depraved and awful crime\" he had ever come across. The woman's torment was reported to police in 2012 by Mandy Highfield, mother of four of Baker's eight children. Speaking exclusively to the BBC, Ms Highfield said she had to coax the Bakers' victim to leave when the police and social workers came to rescue her because the woman was too frightened to go. Ms Highfield had lived with Baker, effectively as a second wife, and was the mother of four of his eight children: Caroline Baker was the mother of the other four. Ms Highfield said Baker exerted complete control over everyone in his household. \"If we'd go out, he'd be as nice as pie and then, when we were on our own, he'd hit me because I'd been talking to people,\" she said. \"I wasn't allowed to talk to anybody or have friends or even talk to my family.\" A tiny room in the house had been turned into a prison cell for the vulnerable woman, she said. \"Keith took the handle off the door. There was no light bulb in the light, no carpet on the floor, no curtains up against the window. It was like a little prison.\" Talking about the sex abuse, she said: \"How could they treat somebody like that - with a disability like she had?\" \"It wasn't fair and I just couldn't handle it so I went to the police and told them. Then the police came down and they took me out of the house and talked to me. \"I told them everything. Then the social worker and the police went upstairs and saw the other woman in the bedroom. \"They took her out, but she didn't want to go because she was scared. \"I said to her: 'You've got to go; you can't live like this anymore.' Then she left with the police and the social worker.\" Det Ch Sup George Clarke, head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Public Protection Unit, said his officers were shocked by what they uncovered at the Bakers' home. \"It became very clear to the detectives that it wasn't just a case of physical abuse but that there was a very depraved sexual element to this,\" he said. \"This woman was raped repeatedly by Baker who was aided and abetted by his wife. \"It would also appear that these assaults were on occasions recorded and we can only assume that was for the sexual gratification of Baker.\" He said it", "summary": "A woman kept prisoner in a Northern Ireland house and repeatedly raped and assaulted for eight years was too afraid to leave when police came to rescue her."}
{"article": "It comes after local media reported he had served time for molesting two girls under 10 in the late 1990s. The man and his wife took home only one baby from Thailand after the surrogate had twins, leaving behind son Gammy. The case has made international headlines, causing uproar in Australia. State authorities told the BBC they were now conducting a \"full investigation\" to assess the father's \"suitability\" to have a young child in his custody. A spokesman for Western Australia's department for child protection and family support told the BBC: \"Last night we were made aware of certain information by the police regarding allegations of the father's criminal background.\" Asked if convicted sex offenders have been allowed to keep their children, the spokesman said they assess cases based on \"individual circumstances\". Besides Down's syndrome, the six-month-old baby has a congenital heart condition and a lung infection. Surrogate mother Pattharamon Chanbua has been looking after Gammy as well as two children of her own. She claims his parents abandoned Gammy and had asked her to have an abortion when she was told of the child's condition four months after becoming pregnant. Ms Chanbua, 21, has said the father met the twins, but only took care of the girl and refused to carry or look at Gammy even though the babies were side by side. The parents have told local media in Australia that they did not know of his existence, and claimed that the allegations made by Ms Chanbua are lies. But one local newspaper quoted a family friend saying the parents did know about the boy being born, apparently contradicting their version of events. \"Gammy was very sick when he was born and the biological parents were told he would not survive and he had a day, at best, to live and to say goodbye,\" the friend said. She suggested Ms Chanbua, 21, had broken the surrogacy agreement by giving birth in a smaller hospital instead of an international one, which meant that the biological parents had no legal rights to the babies. The couple had been locked in a legal battle with Ms Chanbua to take home their daughter and she had insisted on keeping Gammy to give him a Thai funeral, the friend alleged. Both the Australian government and Thai health authorities are now looking into the case and the larger issue of commercial surrogacy in Thailand, which is mostly unregulated. An online fundraising campaign so far has raised tens of thousands of pounds to help Ms Chanbua with Gammy's medical expenses.", "summary": "Child protection services in Australia are investigating a man accused of abandoning a baby with Down's syndrome to a surrogate mother in Thailand over allegations of child sex offences."}
{"article": "The revelations by the 70-year-old American came in a newly unsealed 40-page transcript from a US court hearing in November 2013. As part of a deal, he waived his indictment and pleaded guilty to 10 charges, including conspiracy to commit racketeering, wire fraud, money laundering, income tax evasion and failure to report foreign bank accounts. Below are the key statements from the transcript made by Blazer. \"Personally I have rectal cancer. I am being treated. I have gone through 20 weeks of chemotherapy, and I am looking pretty good for that. I am now in the process of radiation, and the prognoses [sic] is good.\" \"At the same time I have a variety of other less significant ailments dealing with diabetes II and coronary artery disease but holding up reasonably well.\" \"From 1997 through 2013, I served as a Fifa executive committee member. One of my responsibilities in that role was participating in the selection of the host countries for the World Cup.\" \"I also served as General Secretary of Concacaf [the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football] from 1990 through December of 2011, and was responsible for, among other things, participating in the negotiations for sponsorship and media rights.\" \"During my association with Fifa and Concacaf, among other things, I and others agreed that I or a co-conspirator would commit at least two acts of racketeering activity.\" \"Among other things, I agreed with other persons in or around 1992 to facilitate the acceptance of a bribe in conjunction with the selection of the host nation for the 1998 World Cup.\" \"Beginning in or about 1993 and continuing through the early 2000s, I and others agreed to accept bribes and kickbacks in conjunction with the broadcast and other rights to the 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2003 Gold Cups [regional Concacaf tournaments].\" \"Beginning in or around 2004 and continuing through 2011, I and others on the Fifa executive committee agreed to accept bribes in conjunction with the selection of South Africa as the host nation for the 2010 World Cup.\" \"Among other things, my actions described above had common participants and results.\" \"Between April of 2004 and May 2011, I and others who were fiduciaries to both Fifa and Concacaf, in contravention of our duties, I and others, while acting in our official capacities, agreed to participate in a scheme to defraud Fifa and Concacaf of the right to honest services by taking undisclosed bribes.\" \"I and others agreed to use email, telephone, and a wire transfer into and out of the United States in furtherance of the scheme. Funds procured through these improper payments passed through JFK Airport in the form of a check.\" \"Between December 2008 and May 2011, I and others agreed to and transmitted funds by wire transfer and checks from places within the United States to places in the Caribbean, and from places in the Caribbean to places in the United States.\" \"I agreed to and took these actions to, among other things, promote and conceal my receipt of bribes and kickbacks. I knew", "summary": "Former top Fifa executive Chuck Blazer has admitted he and other officials from world football's governing body conspired to take bribes in relation to the 1998 and 2010 World Cups and other major tournaments."}
{"article": "Peter Osbourne of no fixed address was charged with four counts of making hoax calls, Gloucestershire Police said. It relates to calls made on Wednesday about Wiltshire Police Headquarters, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Weymouth sea front in Dorset and Bath bus station. Mr Osbourne, 56, is due to appear before magistrates in Bath later. Avon and Somerset Police were also involved in the cross border operation.", "summary": "A man has been accused of making a series of hoax bomb threats."}
{"article": "The Open Society Justice Initiative and Kenya's Muslims for Human Rights said the police often tortured detainees. Their report said arbitrary arrests and disappearances were also widespread, especially in Mombasa, a city with a large Muslim population. Officials have not responded, but they have denied similar claims in the past. The US and UK governments support Kenya's anti-terror police with training and equipment. In prison with al-Shabab The report said such assistance should be suspended to any unit where there was credible evidence that the police had committed human rights violations. The BBC's Africa security correspondent Moses Rono says that would be a difficult decision to take as Kenya's counter-terrorism efforts are key to stemming spreading Islamist militancy in East Africa. The September attack on the Westgate shopping centre in Kenya's, capital, Nairobi, in which 67 were killed has added pressure on the authorities to act or be seen to be trying to stop terror attacks, he says. The Somali Islamist group al-Shabab said it was behind the four-day siege. In the report titled We're Tired of Taking You to the Court researchers spoke to more than 40 people over the last year. They found that the Anti-Terror Police Unit (APTU) tortured detainees to get them to admit links to terrorism, and arbitrary detentions and disappearances were widespread. The report called for official investigations to be carried out into the disappearances and killings of at least 20 individuals suspected of terrorism-related activities. These included the recent assassinations in Mombasa of two Muslim clerics alleged to have links to al-Shabab. Kenya's security forces have previously denied allegations that they were behind the killings. According to the report one officer told a detainee at a police station: \"We're tired of taking you to the court. Next time we'll finish you off in the field.\" The report quoted a lawyer telling a court hearing: \"My clients have complained to me that investigators used a pair of pliers to squeeze their private parts.\" Such tactics violate human rights and are counterproductive to counter-terrorism efforts, the report said. The investigation focused primarily on abuses committed in Mombasa in 2012 and 2013, but the report says \"the ATPU's broader pattern of rights violations extends back years earlier\". It pointed to illegal renditions to Somalia and Ethiopia in 2007 and at least nine suspects who were rendered to Uganda in 2010 following the World Cup bombings in Kampala. An anti-terror police officer told the BBC that counter-terrorism was a difficult business and it was not easy to find evidence to link suspects to terrorism. He said witnesses were often unwilling to testify, some suspects were killed in shootouts, and others fled the country to avoid prosecution.", "summary": "Kenyan counter-terrorism officers have been accused of carrying out extra-judicial killings and other abuses in a report by US and Kenyan rights groups."}
{"article": "The same stream of commuters rushing through the barriers; the same frustrations at delays on the tube. But this morning a small group of people quietly gathered at the 7/7 memorial plaque. A station announcement told people there would be a minute's silence. At exactly 08:50 BST, the moment the blasts went off, commuters across the concourse stopped where they were, and there was a hush. Tube workers stood together, heads bowed. Survivors comforted each other and shared a moment of quiet reflection on what they had experienced exactly a decade ago. Twenty-six people were killed on a Piccadilly Line train after it left the station, the worst toll of the attacks. This wasn't the official national silence - that would come later at 11:30. But at the affected stations - King's Cross, Russell Square, Edgware Road and Aldgate - there was an added poignancy for those about to board trains. Among those at King's Cross was city worker Emly Skiba, on her way to Canary Wharf, who found herself moved to tears at the tribute. \"I hadn't planned to be here, I just happened to be passing. But it suddenly struck - so many people died,\" she said. As people began to disperse, a young woman emerged from the crowd and laid a handful of handpicked flowers, before moving silently on. Brightly coloured flowers were heaped high at the spot in Tavistock Square where the final bomb exploded on a packed number 30 bus, almost exactly an hour later. At 09.47 BST, the time of the blast, a tight huddle of people gathered on the pavement, spilling out into the road. Doctors from the nearby British Medical Association - who were the first on the scene that day - returned to remember the 14 people they were not able to save. The parents of one of the victims, Anthony Fatayi-Williams, whispered a prayer. Across the road, a bus driver pulled up and quietly watched from his cab. On the Tube, the mood among passengers was solemn but defiant. Jan Nova, an Estonian fashion designer living in London, was reading coverage of the 7/7 anniversary in the Metro on his Circle Line commute to work. \"Of course sometimes when you get the Tube, you think about it,\" he said. \"But none of us can know when and where something might happen, and so you have to carry on.\" Other Londoners showed their solidarity this morning by taking part in the \"walk together\" initiative, getting off their Tube or bus a stop early and walking in memory of 7/7. It was an echo of that day, when thousands stranded by the crippled transport network walked home. Among this morning's trekkers was 35-year-old Lins Drabwell, who chose to walk the whole 8.4 miles (13.5km) from her home in Bromley to her office in London Bridge. She said doing the \"walk together\" on the 10th anniversary was \"an easy decision\". \"I remember 7/7 so clearly. Our office was near Edgware Road. We could see the station from our office window, and the emergency services going", "summary": "At first glance it was a rush hour like any other at King's Cross station."}
{"article": "9th century - Founding of Kievan Rus, the first major East Slavic state. The traditional account, a matter of debate among historians, attributes its founding to the semi-legendary Viking (or Varangian) leader Oleg, ruler of Novgorod, who went on to seize Kiev, which owing to its strategic location on the Dnieper River, became the capital of Kievan Rus. 10th century - Rurik dynasty established and the rule of Prince Vladimir the Great (Prince Volodymyr in Ukrainian) heralds start of a golden age. In 988 Vladimir accepts Orthodox Christianity and begins conversion of Kievan Rus to the Byzantine rite, thus setting the course for Christianity in the east. 11th century - Kievan Rus reaches its peak under Yaroslav the Wise (grand prince 1019-1054), with Kiev becoming eastern Europe's chief political and cultural centre. 1237-40 - Mongols invade the Rus principalities, destroying numerous cities and ending Kiev's power. Tatars (as the Mongol invaders became known) establish the empire of the Golden Horde in southern Russia and the Khan of the Golden Horde becomes overlord of all the Russian princes. 14th century - \u200bAscendancy of grand princes of Moscow (or Muscovy) under the Mongols. Ivan I is granted the title of Grand Prince after helping to defeat an anti-Tatar uprising in the principality of Tver, Moscow's great rival. 15th century - The Muscovite princes pursue a policy of \"gathering the Russian lands\", a drive to annex all East Slavic lands. Ivan III (the Great) subdues most of the Great Russian lands by conquest or by the voluntary allegiance of princes. The Battle of the Ugra in 1480 marks the end of Tatar dominance. 1547-84 - Grand Prince Ivan IV (the Terrible) is first ruler to be proclaimed Tsar in 1547. Seeking to impose military discipline and a centralised administration, he institutes a reign of terror against the hereditary nobility. 1581 - Cossacks begin conquering Siberia for Russia. 1613 - National Council elects Michael Romanov as tsar, ending a long period of instability and foreign intervention. Romanov dynasty rules Russia until 1917 revolution. 1689-1725 - Peter the Great introduces far-reaching reforms, including a regular conscript army and navy, subordinating the Orthodox Church to himself and reorganising government structures along European lines. 1721 - Russia acquires territory of modern Estonia and Latvia after decades of war with Sweden, establishing naval presence in Baltic Sea and 'window on Europe'. 1772-1814 - Russia conquers Crimea, Ukraine, Georgia, and what later became Belarus, Moldova, as well as parts of Poland. 1798-1815 - Russia takes part in the European coalitions against Revolutionary and Napoleonic France, defeating Napoleon's invasion in 1812 and contributing to his overthrow. Army officers return home bringing liberal ideas from Europe, spurring efforts to rein in Romanov autocracy. 1825 - Abortive attempt by liberal army officers to establish constitutional government crushed in Decembrist Revolt. 1834-59 - Russia faces determined resistance to their bid to annex North Caucasus. 1853-57 - Russia suffers setback in attempt to seize territory from declining Ottoman Empire through its defeat in Crimean War. 1861 - Emancipation Edict ends serfdom but keeps peasants tied to", "summary": "A chronology of key events:"}
{"article": "Thirty days ago, the nominated adviser for the holding company, Rangers International Football Club (RIFC), resigned. Trading on the stock exchange was suspended. The company was given 30 days to find a new one. To recap further, a nominated adviser, or nomad, is required by the London Stock Exchange to carry out first-line regulation of a company that's listed on the Alternative Investments Market (AIM) - the junior trading platform for shares in smaller, younger companies and higher risk investors. The nomad has to make sure that the company's governance is in line with stock market rules. The nomad's reputation depends on it. So if the regulated company's governance is a burach, there's blood all over the boardroom walls, complaints are piling in, the auditor quits, accountants warn that there's significant risk that the company may not be able to continue as a going concern, and it's doubtful that the football team can win promotion to a higher-earning league... and so it goes on... then any sane nomad would be wise to take his camel and stay well clear. And that's precisely what's happened. We're told by the new bosses at Ibrox that the first test by a prospective (unnamed) nomad was passed. That was the \"fit and proper\" test for the directors who took over the club two days after the last nomad quit. And that test was also applied to Dave King, whose South African convictions for tax criminality on a grand scale have cast rather a large shadow over his plans to become the Ibrox chairman. He's staying off the board until approved by the football authorities and the stock exchange - except it looks like the stock exchange test won't be a problem any more. So what are the implications of delisting. Quite a few Rangers fans own small shareholdings following the stock market float in December 2012. It's now much more difficult to sell those shares, though if you can find a buyer, there's nothing to stop you selling. Registering the sale should still be possible. A stock market is the place where buyers and sellers can meet up and do their deals. If there's not much liquidity - that is, it's hard to find a buyer - then the value of the asset goes down. That helps explain why we're hearing that legal action is being contemplated by those who invested in RIFC, and feel let down. They could have expected the AIM listing provided assurance that the company would be competently run. There's now evidence that it wasn't. And the value of shares has fallen from 93p to 17p, then rebounding to 35p when trading was suspended. To help shareholders, the directors of RIFC are putting in place a temporary solution. They've found a broker who can match-make for buyers and sellers. That system is used by Millwall FC shareholders. The next bit of the plan is to join another market. In a previous incarnation (cue familiar protests from those who don't believe in corporate reincarnation as the same football club), Rangers Football Club shares", "summary": "It will come as no surprise to followers of events at Ibrox that it's back to code SNAFU - that is, the situation is normal, in that it's all, er, fouled up."}
{"article": "A signalling system at Diss has been damaged, resulting in Greater Anglia services between Norwich and London being cancelled. Services from Norwich to Cambridge and Norwich to Sheringham have also been suspended or delayed. The rail company is advising passengers of alternative travel options and of its delay repay policy. Greater Anglia said disruption on the Norwich to London Liverpool Street line is expected until 21:00 BST. It said services are unable to depart from Norwich towards Diss and Ipswich and from Diss towards Norwich whilst Network Rail engineers examine the line. There are currently no replacement bus services available to run between Norwich and Diss, it said. Greater Anglia has apologised for any inconvenience caused. All lines were blocks on the Norwich to Cambridge line after lightning struck between Attleborough and Ely. Disruption is expected until the end of the day. Greater Anglia said Network Rail staff are on site and are repairing the signalling system however there is currently no estimate for the line re-opening East Midlands trains services between Norwich and Liverpool Lime St are also affected.", "summary": "Lightning strikes on rail routes through East Anglia have sparked travel chaos."}
{"article": "He also resigned from the 2014 World Cup organising committee. Mr Teixeira, who led the federation for 23 years, had come under pressure over corruption allegations, which he has denied. He has been investigated on suspicion of crimes including tax evasion but has never been convicted of any offence. Former Sao Paulo Governor Jose Maria Marin, 79, will be replacing Mr Teixeira in both posts. Mr Marin read out the letter in which Mr Teixeira announced his \"permanent resignation\". Mounting speculation Mr Teixeira said he was leaving with a sense of \"mission accomplished\". \"Football in our country is associated with two things: talent and disorganisation,\" he wrote. He said he had done what was within his reach, sacrificing his health. Last week, Mr Teixeira announced he was taking leave of absence for medical reasons. However, he did not specify the nature of his health problems. Mr Marin said nothing would immediately change at the football federation or at the World Cup organising committee under his command. Pressure started growing on Mr Teixeira to resign after new corruption allegations surfaced earlier this month. But state federations voted unanimously to confirm him in the posts. In 2001, the Brazilian Congress investigated Mr Teixeira on suspicion of 13 crimes, including tax evasion, money laundering and misleading lawmakers, but no charges were brought. He has also been investigated for allegedly taking kickbacks from a marketing firm that worked closely with Fifa in the 1990s. And the English Football Association accused him of improper conduct during bidding for the 2018 World Cup. He has denied all the allegations and has never been convicted.", "summary": "The head of Brazil's football federation, Ricardo Teixeira, has stepped down from his post, days after taking sick leave."}
{"article": "The former presidential candidate is the former CEO of technology company Hewlett-Packard. Mrs Fiorina dropped out of the presidential race after a poor showing at the New Hampshire primary. She has been an active supporter for Mr Cruz, a senator from Texas, on the campaign trail. The early announcement is unusual because vice-presidential picks are not normally decided until after a candidate secures the nomination. \"Over and over again, Carly has shattered glass ceilings,\" Mr Cruz said. He doesn't have the Republican nomination. He doesn't even have the lead for the nomination. In fact, he has no clear path to the nomination. But it looks like Ted Cruz will have a running mate. Naming Carly Fiorina as his vice-presidential pick at this point provides Mr Cruz with several benefits. First, he can generate some positive press and at least partially move on from the drubbing he received at the hands of Donald Trump in Tuesday's mid-Atlantic primaries. Second, he positions his campaign to make a strong play for that grand prize on the horizon, the California primary on 7 June - a battleground that could decide whether Mr Trump secures the Republican nomination without a convention fight. While Mrs Fiorina's 2010 general-election bid for a Senate seat there was spectacularly unsuccessful, she did win her party's nomination and is a known quantity among the state's conservative voters. Mr Cruz has his back to the wall. He needs a win in Indiana, and he really needs a strong performance in California. Mrs Fiorina on the ticket could help - and at this point, anything that might work is worth a shot. Mrs Fiorina could help Mr Cruz in his battle against front-runner Donald Trump, who has made disparaging comments about women - including her. \"Look at that face. Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?\" he said. Mrs Fiorina responded: \"I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr Trump said.\" Mr Cruz alluded to this exchange in introducing Mrs Fiorina in Indiana, saying she handled it with \"grace and class\". While at Hewlett-Packard, Mrs Fiorina laid off 30,000 people and was fired by the company's board, though she has argued that her leadership \"saved\" the company. She also had a failed bid for a California Senate seat. Donald Trump's son Eric Trump called the move desperate. While addressing the crowd, Mrs Fiorina broke into song. She sang about Mr Cruz's daughters and their times together on the Cruz campaign bus. \"Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are two sides of the same coin,\" she said, and Mr Cruz's presidential bid is not over yet, despite what \"the media says\".", "summary": "Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has announced Carly Fiorina as his running mate, calling her a \"consistent, courageous fighter\"."}
{"article": "Councillors have voted to shut Plas Madoc - despite opposition from 2,000 people - as part of a bid to cut spending by \u00c2\u00a345m over five years. Protesters meeting on Thursday evening said they had not been given enough time to draw up alternative options. The closure decision will still need approval from full council next week. Committee members of the the Save Plas Madoc Leisure Centre Campaign urged people at the meeting to lobby their local councillors to voice concerns ahead of next week's vote. The council has said the community could run the centre, but supporters said that even extending the deadline to the end of June for interested parties to come forward with propositions is too little notice. The meeting at the Air Products Social Club, Acrefair, heard the campaign is consulting a barrister about the possibility of a judicial review of the council's decision. A council report outlined opposition to the closure saying the leisure centre is regarded as a \"valued resource that contributes towards health and wellbeing and a focal point for the local, deprived, community\". However, the report said the council faced big budget cuts and a \u00c2\u00a32m bill in maintenance costs at its leisure facilities, including Wrexham's town centre Waterworld swimming baths and gym. Among those trying to save Plas Madoc include former Wales footballer Robbie Savage, who played five-a-side at the centre as a boy.", "summary": "About 150 people attended a meeting aimed at saving a leisure centre earmarked for closure in one of Wrexham's most deprived areas."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device He stood down from his role earlier this year because of ill health but was to officially remain in post until February 2017. Mr Murphy played football and hurling for clubs in Down and was a county selector in the early 1990s. A lengthy career in administration included being a former member of the GAA Central Council and vice-president of the GAA. Mr Murphy served as vice-president and president of the Ulster Council before being appointed provincial secretary, a position he held for 16 years. \"Danny was an outstanding leader who provided unstinting dedication to the GAA in Ulster for over 35 years,\" said Ulster GAA President Michael Hasson. \"It was very fitting that Danny's leadership was honoured earlier this year by the First Minister, Arlene Foster, and Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, at Stormont in recognition of his efforts in promoting reconciliation, tolerance and respect across all communities.'' Mr Murphy's funeral mass will take place on Saturday, 10 December in St Mary's Church, Burren.", "summary": "Ulster Council secretary Danny Murphy has died at the age of 67."}
{"article": "Farah added the 5,000m to his 10,000m title at the World Championships - a feat he also achieved at the London Olympics in 2012 and the 2013 Worlds. Foster said: \"Mo is the greatest sportsman that Britain has ever had.\" Farah, 32, responded: \"We have had so many legends and to be in the same category as them is amazing.\" Farah has now gone ahead of Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele who is the only other person to claim an Olympic and world 'double-double' in the distance events. Farah now has five World Championship golds, two Olympic golds and five European golds, and is unbeaten on the track outdoors in a major championships since finishing second in the 10,000m at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu. Foster, working as a BBC commentator at the championships, explained why he put the British runner on such a pedestal. \"He's Great Britain's most prolific winner of global golds and he's put former British athletes like Sebastian Coe and Daley Thompson behind him,\" he told BBC Radio 5 live. \"Former rower Sir Steve Redgrave [who won five Olympic golds] was part of a team. Mo is on his own and it's lonely out there. He's ruthless and we've not seen that. We should be enjoying the moment. We'll never see his like again.\" Farah named Redgrave, ex-footballer David Beckham and former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson as his three greatest British sportsmen. \"We have had so many legends and to be in the same category as them is amazing,\" he said. Multiple Olympic and world sprint champion Usain Bolt - who has won gold in the 100m and 200m in Beijing, as well as anchoring Jamaica to the 4x100m relay title - is a friend of Farah and added his praise. \"When it comes to Mo I'm never worried,\" the 29-year-old told BBC Radio 5 live. \"When you are used to winning and dominating it comes easy. \"He knows what it takes to win and I had no doubt Mo would win.\"", "summary": "Olympic medallist Brendan Foster has described Mo Farah as Britain's \"greatest sportsman\" after claiming the first distance 'triple-double'."}
{"article": "Georgina Callander was the first victim to be named following the explosion on Monday night. The teenager, who was pictured with Grande in 2015, sent a Twitter message to the star before the event, which read: \"SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU TOMORROW\". Miss Callander, thought to be 18 and from Chorley, Lancashire, was described as \"beautiful\" by friends. They said on social media she was one of the first people taken to hospital after the attack. Miss Callander had already met Grande and previously posted a photograph of herself with the 23-year-old singer, taken in 2015, on her Instagram account. She was in the second year of a health and social care course at Runshaw College in Leyland. In a statement, the school said: \"Our deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers go out to all of Georgina's family, friends, and all of those affected by this loss. \"We are offering all available support possible at this tragic time, including counselling with our dedicated student support team.\" A fundraising page has been set up to help her family with funeral and memorial costs. Bolton Wanderers Football Club paid tribute to the former Bishop Rawstorne Church of England Academy pupil, who had played for their under-11 girls' team in 2010. Club chaplain Phil Mason said: \"Our thoughts and prayers are with her friends and family during this awful time of loss.\" He added that there will also be a minute's silence before the first team ladies' friendly against Wigan Athletic on Wednesday evening at Macron Stadium, where the team will wear black armbands.", "summary": "A devoted Ariana Grande fan died in the suicide bomb attack at the US singer's concert at Manchester Arena."}
{"article": "Chris Clements' opener was cancelled out by Isaac Vassell before, with the game into five added minutes, referee Mark Haywood pointed to the spot after Danny Collins handled in the box. But after his dramatic return to the side following Dean Henderson's recall to Manchester United, Grimsby's long-serving keeper kept out Danny Hylton's spot-kick to preserve a share of the spoils. After a tight, goalless first half, Luton re-started brightly, with Brandon Comley having to hack clear a low cross from on the line. But just as the visitors were starting to step up a gear, Grimsby broke the deadlock when Ben Davies - after seeing an effort charged down - kept the move alive with a fine, hanging cross to the far post, where Clements powered his header home from close range. However, the Hatters hit back when Pelly Ruddock nipped in at the corner and crossed into the area, where Vassell headed home despite McKeown's best efforts. They looked to have sealed the victory when they were awarded their 95th-minute penalty, but McKeown was to prove Grimsby's saviour. Report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Grimsby Town 1, Luton Town 1. Second Half ends, Grimsby Town 1, Luton Town 1. Brandon Comley (Grimsby Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. (Grimsby Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Danny Hylton (Luton Town). Penalty conceded by Brandon Comley (Grimsby Town) with a hand ball in the penalty area. Penalty saved! Danny Hylton (Luton Town) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the top centre of the goal. Foul by Ben Davies (Grimsby Town). Jack Senior (Luton Town) wins a free kick on the left wing. Sam Jones (Grimsby Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jack Marriott (Luton Town). Shaun Pearson (Grimsby Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Danny Hylton (Luton Town). Corner, Luton Town. Conceded by Danny Andrew. Corner, Luton Town. Conceded by Danny Collins. Corner, Luton Town. Conceded by Ben Davies. Substitution, Luton Town. Jack Marriott replaces Isaac Vassell. Attempt saved. Jordan Cook (Luton Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Foul by Sam Jones (Grimsby Town). Alan Sheehan (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Grimsby Town. Scott Vernon replaces Callum Dyson. Substitution, Grimsby Town. Akwasi Asante replaces Adi Yussuf. Substitution, Grimsby Town. Sam Jones replaces Chris Clements. Attempt missed. Jordan Cook (Luton Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Foul by Adi Yussuf (Grimsby Town). Scott Cuthbert (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Adi Yussuf (Grimsby Town). Alan Sheehan (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Adi Yussuf (Grimsby Town). Alan Sheehan (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Ben Davies (Grimsby Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Pelly Ruddock (Luton Town). Goal! Grimsby", "summary": "James McKeown saved a stoppage-time penalty to earn Grimsby a point against Luton."}
{"article": "Phil Flanagan was ordered to pay nearly \u00a350,000 damages to Tom Elliott following comments he made in a tweet. Mr Flanagan said he was unaware his tweet was libellous. Lawyers for AIG argued that he is ineligible for cover because he knew the comments were defamatory. They also contended that Mr Flanagan is excluded as the social media post had nothing to do with constituency or parliamentary business. But the Sinn F\u00e9in representative for Fermanagh and South Tyrone said he was unaware the tweet was libellous - originally believing he was merely posing a question after listening to a \"one-sided\" radio discussion on Northern Ireland's troubled past. The judge in the libel case said that Mr Flanagan's tweet was grossly defamatory. Following the two-day insurance hearing at the High Court in Belfast, the judge said he pledged to deliver his verdict as soon as possible. A High Court judge has put a stay on any payout until Mr Flanagan resolved his legal action with the insurers.", "summary": "Judgement has been reserved in a Sinn F\u00e9in MLA's legal battle with an insurance firm over its refusal to to provide cover for a libel award against him."}
{"article": "AM Simon Thomas said it would use Wales' share of proceeds from UK ministers' apprenticeship levy, around \u00a3150m a year, to fund the plan. He said it would boost young people's prospects and plug \"skill gaps\". On Tuesday, Welsh Labour ministers outlined plans to spend an additional \u00a35m on apprenticeships in 2016-2017. Mr Thomas launched the proposals with Plaid leader Leanne Wood at a gas training academy in Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent. Although aimed at young people, Plaid Cymru said it would put no age restrictions on its proposed scheme.", "summary": "Plaid Cymru would create 50,000 apprenticeships if it wins power in May's assembly election, the party has announced."}
{"article": "The baby, who is being cared for at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, has been named Charlotte after the police woman who accompanied her to the hospital. Baby Charlotte weighs 2.6kg (5.7lbs) and all routine newborn checks have been carried out. She was discovered by a passer-by in Hailesland Park at 12:55 on Thursday. Lawrence Liddell, 59, from Hailesland Park, told BBC Scotland how he was still in shock after finding baby Charlotte. He said: \"My friend and I saw a baby lying on the bench all wrapped up, waiting to be found, it looked like, because her blanket had been folded into a hood and tied with a bow. \"It was a total shock and it all feels surreal even now. \"We took her to the concierge, which was the nearest warm place, and called the police. \"From what I could see the baby was well, she was lovingly wrapped and I just hope the mother is ok. \"We looked around for the mum but we could not find her.\" Call for 'baby boxes' for abandoned newborns NHS Lothian also said tests have been carried out on baby Charlotte to rule out infection including Group B Strep. As a precaution Charlotte is being treated with antibiotics. Maria Wilson, NHS Lothian's chief midwife, said: \"Baby Charlotte has had a good night and is doing well. \"Our staff are continuing to care for her and we hope the mum and baby can be reunited. \"I don't want the mum to feel afraid of contacting us because we treat everything confidentially. \"I think the things we would want to check are that she is not bleeding or she's not got any infection or any problems post the birth of her baby that she needs assistance with.\" Baby Charlotte was thought to be no more than a day old when she was found. Police are now checking CCTV footage from the area where Charlotte was found.", "summary": "A newborn baby girl who was found abandoned on a street bench in Edinburgh is \"doing well\", the hospital has confirmed."}
{"article": "French authorities say the migrants must move to cleaner and safer shipping containers on another part of the site. But many fear this will mean they will have to stay in France, and give up their hopes of travelling to Britain. Overnight, riot police fired tear gas at migrants who were throwing stones at the demolition squads. Here's some advice if anything in the news upsets you. The authorities believe some 1,000 migrants will be affected by the removal plan while aid agencies say the number of people living there is much higher. A lot of migrants and refugees have been leaving their homes in places like Syria, Afghanistan and Africa, where there is fighting, over the last year. Many travel great distances in search of a better life in Europe and some have ended up living in the makeshift camp in Calais hoping to make their way to the UK. Workers in high-visibility jackets could be seen tearing down structures and dumping material in a skip as police stood by on Monday. About 100 huts were taken down. Earlier, Good Chance, a theatre group which works in the camp, said police were preventing protestors from entering the camp. French officials say public areas in the camp, such as places of worship and schools, will not be affected and describe the clearance as a \"humanitarian operation\". Conditions in the southern sector are filthy but many residents have told the BBC that they do not want to leave.", "summary": "Demolition teams have moved in to the port of Calais in France on Tuesday to break down more shelters in the migrant camp known as the \"Jungle\"."}
{"article": "The lender, which recently announced a pre-tax loss of \u00c2\u00a337.3m in 2014, said the new ads would steer clear of the young and vulnerable. But it admitted there would be no watershed for TV adverts, which will run during ad breaks of popular soaps. The payday lender's website has also been overhauled. Applicants applying for short-term loans on the site would see clearer affordability warnings, details of costs if repayments were missed, more prominent links to debt charities, and a new logo, the company said. Wonga's adverts featuring puppets were cut in July last year, with the company saying it did not want to be associated with \"anything which inadvertently attracts children\". It is returning with new TV and digital adverts, starting on Tuesday, featuring farmers to dental nurses, who it believes are among a broader group of target customers. The average customer for a Wonga loan at present is male and aged between 20 and 35. \"It is clear that the puppets were inappropriate,\" said Tara Kneafsey, UK chief executive of Wonga. Wonga has had to apologise and compensate customers for the use of letters from fake legal firms, as well as write off unsuitable loans. Ms Kneafsey said the new adverts did not contain a further apology, as they aimed to show how the company had moved on. The lender estimates there are 13 million people in the UK who are struggling with money and are turned down by mainstream lenders. This also includes people who are new to the credit market, such as those moving into the country. It said adverts would not be shown on children's TV, or channels or programmes with a large audience among younger people. Billboards within 50m of a school or college would also not be used for poster adverts. Wonga also sponsors Newcastle United football club, but has agreed to remove its logo from all children's replica shirts from the 2016-17 season. The company, along with other payday lenders, now faces new rules from the regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which ruled that customers must face stricter affordability checks. The regulator's main weapon is a cap on the cost of payday loans of 0.8% of the amount borrowed per day, which came into force in January. As a result, Wonga's payday loan APR has dropped from 5,853% to 1,509%. This has already cut the size of the payday lending industry in the UK. Wonga is among those that has seen a big drop in customers and expects to continue making a loss in 2015. It said it had now introduced a series of safety net measures for customers, including a three-day grace period for late repayments before a default fee was charged, a money-back guarantee for customers who change their minds on loan applications within 24 hours, and a worst-case scenario box on the cost of a loan. It admitted it had \"lost its way\" under the previous management regime and had considered dropping the Wonga brand. While the Wonga name will be retained for the payday loan, other longer-term, larger loans", "summary": "Short-term lender Wonga has swapped its controversial puppets for \"hard-working dinner ladies and mums\" as it bids to reinvent itself with new adverts."}
{"article": "Orient owed money to four creditors on the petition, having resolved unpaid taxes with HM Revenue & Customs. Owner Francesco Becchetti was given until Monday to pay off debts or sell the relegated League Two club following a previous High Court hearing in March. Those creditors on the petition have been paid, although it is understood other creditors remain. There is no indication as to how many other creditors there are, but they did not support the winding-up petition. Outside the High Court on Monday, Orient fans could be heard protesting against Becchetti, who took over the club from Barry Hearn shortly after they lost the League One play-off final to Rotherham United at Wembley in 2014. Following the dismissal of the petition, Matt Roper from the Leyton Orient Fans' Trust (LOFT) urged Italian Becchetti to sell the club \"urgently to any new responsible owner\". He told BBC Sport: \"We're using a word survive [after the petition was dismissed] but it's almost a word you can't use. Our survival is almost week-to-week at the moment. \"Our future is being played out in the High Court, we have a very thin squad, there's no guarantees we can actually put a team out next year. So survival, yes, but in the very thinnest sense of the word.\" Omer Riza, the club's 11th manager under Becchetti, is only contracted until 30 June and the club have lost most of last season's squad, leaving uncertainty surrounding the club on the pitch as well. Adam Michaelson, legal advisor to LOFT, said: \"We're not in a position to say what is going on. The communication we've had is absolutely zero. \"All we know is what we can see, which is nine junior professionals, no seniors, no access to a training ground, no shirts, no training tops, and they're due back in pre-season in the first week of July.\" Orient were relegated to non-league this season, their second relegation in the three years under Becchetti, ending their 112-year stay in the Football League. After the club's staff were not paid in March, Hearn resigned from his position as honorary president and the English Football League said it was \"exceptionally concerned\" by the club's situation. At the previous court hearing that month, chief executive Alessandro Angelieri gave the court a statement saying Becchetti, who in January said he would be willing to consider selling the club, would invest \u00a31m to pay off remaining debts in eight to 10 weeks. Orient announced in April that they had paid all salaries and cleared their debts with HRMC.", "summary": "A winding-up petition against Leyton Orient has been dismissed at a High Court hearing in London."}
{"article": "The Republic of Ireland striker, frozen out by Ronny Deila in Glasgow following off-field misdemeanors, has scored two goals in two appearances already for the side chasing Rangers for the one automatic promotion place from the Scottish Championship. Michael O'Halloran, Rangers' deadline-day acquisition from St Johnstone, will have to go some to match the influence Stokes can have on the Edinburgh side. However, Billy King, the winger on loan from Hearts, made his mark with a debut goal for the Ibrox side. Third-top Falkirk opened their cheque book to emphasise their desire to clinch a play-off place at the very least. They took skilful forward Myles Hippolyte from Championship rivals Livingston and Nathan Austin from East Fife, although the latter is one for future campaigns after being immediately loaned back to the League Two club. Livingston themselves used some of the money from the Hippolyte deal to buy midfielder Josh Mullin from Albion Rovers, manager David Hopkin having already added some notable names with top-flight experience - including Mark Fotheringham, Charlie Telfer and Sam Stanton - in their bid to avoid the drop. New St Mirren manager Alex Rae is also banking on experience as the Paisley side look to move away from the bottom and has recruited four players who have played in the top flight. One-time Aberdeen striker Declan McManus looks like he will be a quality addition on his return to Greenock Morton on loan from Fleetwood Town. Meanwhile, Raith Rovers are looking to harness the youthful talents of Aidan Connolly, the midfielder released by Dundee United, and forward Harry Panayiotou on loan from Leicester City. Dumbarton will provide a platform for intriguing winger Kler Heh, a 19-year-old who was brought up in a refugee camp in Thailand. In: Liam Caddis, midfielder (St Johnstone); Scott Gallagher, goalkeeper (Hearts); Mitch Megginson, forward (Raith Rovers); Ryan Finnie, defender (Annan Athletic). Loan: Scott McKenna, defender (Aberdeen). Out: Michael Doyle, defender (St Johnstone); Andy McNeil, goalkeeper (Greenock Morton). Loan: Mark Williams, defender (Arbroath). In: Christian Nade, forward (Hamilton Academical). Loan: Tom Walsh, midfielder (Rangers); Kler Heh, midfielder (Sheffield United). Out: Willie Gibson, midfielder (Stranraer); Steven Craig, forward (Forfar Athletic); Gordon Smith, forward. Loan ended: Scott Brown, midfielder (St Johnstone). Loan: Ryan Clark, midfielder (Arthurlie). In: Myles Hippolyte, forward (Livingston, undisclosed); Nathan Austin, forward (East Fife, undisclosed); Deniz Dogan Mehmet, goalkeeper (Kayserispor); Kevin McCann, defender (Warriors). Loan: Conor McGrandles, midfielder (Norwich City). Out: Ryan Blair, midfielder (Swansea City, undisclosed); Kieran Duffie, defender; Alex Cooper, midfielder (St Mirren); Thomas Grant, midfielder. Loan ended: Ryan Sinnamon, defender (Rangers). Loan: Nathan Austin, forward (East Fife); Graham Bowman, goalkeeper (Stenhousemuir); Scott Shepherd, forward (Brechin City); Alex Tokarczyk, goalkeeper (Montrose). In: Andy McNeil, goalkeeper (Alloa Athletic).Loan: Declan McManus, forward (Fleetwood Town) Out: Grant Adam, goalkeeper (Cowdenbeath). Loan: Thomas Orr, forward (East Stirlingshire); Dylan Stevenson, midfielder (Berwick Rangers). In: Kevin Thomson, midfielder (Dundee); Otso Virtanen, goalkeeper (Mariehamn); Chris Dagnall, forward (Karela Blasters); Josh Peters, forward (Strathspey Thistle). Loan: Anthony Stokes, forward (Celtic); Niklas Gunnarsson, defender (Valerenga). Out: Dominique Malonga, forward (Pro Vercelli 1892, undisclosed); Adam Eckersley, defender; Antonio Reguero, goalkeeper.", "summary": "Rangers and Falkirk splashed the cash, but it was promotion rivals Hibernian who stole the headlines during January with the capture of Anthony Stokes on loan from Celtic."}
{"article": "A 70-year-old man infected with the mosquito-borne virus died in February, Puerto Rico's health secretary said. The US territory has recorded more than 600 Zika cases, with 73 of those involving pregnant women. Zika has been linked to severe birth defects, especially in Latin America, such as babies being born with under-developed brains. Health secretary Ana Rius said all 14 pregnant women infected with Zika who have given birth have healthy babies. Seventeen people on the island have been in hospital, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said. Five are thought to have developed a temporary paralysis condition known as Guillain-Barre because of Zika, although that link is unproven. Zika outbreak: What you need to know Would it be wrong to eradicate mosquitoes? \"The patient died of complications related to severe thrombocytopenia,\" the CDC said. \"Although Zika virus-associated deaths are rare, the first identified death in Puerto Rico highlights the possibility of severe cases, as well as the need for continued outreach to raise health care providers' awareness of complications that might lead to severe disease or death.\"", "summary": "The first known death in the US to the Zika virus has been recorded in Puerto Rico, say health officials."}
{"article": "Yahoo said it would launch a \"clean, modern and immersive design\" search engine for Firefox users starting in December. The news comes as Google's arrangement with Firefox maker Mozilla nears an end after a decade-long partnership. Market leader Google accounts for 67% of searches from US desktop computers. That compares to about 20% for Microsoft and 10% for Yahoo, according to research firm comScore. Yahoo chief executive Marisa Mayer called the five-year deal with Firefox \"the most significant partnership for Yahoo in five years\". \"At Yahoo, we believe deeply in search - it's an area of investment and opportunity for us,\" she added. Firefox users in the US will be automatically directed to search results on Yahoo's website when they enter a subject into the small box that appears at the top of the browser. Firefox, however, does lag behind Google Chrome in the US browser market. It accounts for about 10% of browsers on desktop computers, mobiles and tablets compared to over 33% for Google Chrome in October, according to tech data firm StatCounter. Along with ending its partnership with Google in the US, Mozilla is also directing Firefox to Baidu's search engine in China and Yandex in Russia. \"Our new search strategy doubles down on our commitment to make Firefox a browser for everyone, with more choice and opportunity for innovation,\" said Mozilla chief executive Chris Beard. Meanwhile, just last month, Google chairman Eric Schmidt had said that the firm's biggest rival in online search was e-commerce giant Amazon and not competitors like Yahoo. Globally, Google accounts for about 90% of the online search market.", "summary": "Tech giant Yahoo will now replace online leader Google as the default search engine on Firefox's internet browsers in the US."}
{"article": "The three-week Between the Monuments project is researching the daily lives of Neolithic and Bronze Age residents at the Wiltshire site. The dig is being led by The National Trust and Southampton and Leicester University archaeologists. The National Trust said if it is a house they will have \"hit the jackpot\". Spokeswoman Dr Nick Snashall said: \"I could count the number of middle Neolithic houses that have been found on the fingers of one hand. \"This site dates from a time when people are just starting to build the earliest parts of Avebury's earthworks, so we could be looking at the home and workplace of the people who saw that happening.\" The site being excavated is next to the West Kennet Avenue - a 1.5-mile (2.5km) prehistoric avenue of two parallel lines of stones - and was first discovered by archaeologist and businessman Alexander Keiller 80 years ago. The team has spent three years researching his journals and drawings together with modern geophysical survey techniques to pinpoint the excavation area. They have also discovered arrowheads, clusters of scrapers for working hide and plant materials, miniature flint saws and pottery. Dr Snashall said: \"It's quite astonishing, millions of people have visited this site over the years but few of them can have guessed what they were standing on. \"The finds have been coming up three or four at a time, in clusters. It's as if the people were sitting here working away making arrowheads, scraping skins and carrying out their daily tasks and then they just got up and walked away.\"", "summary": "Archaeologists believe they may have found the remains of a house where people who built Avebury stone circle may have lived."}
{"article": "As hundreds of people fled Manchester Arena following the explosion, taxi drivers began taking people to safety. Driver AJ Singh said he tried to help wherever he could. \"I've had people who needed to find loved ones. I've dropped them off to the hospital. They've not had any money, they've been stranded,\" he told Channel 4 News. \"We should come out and show whoever's done this that it doesn't matter because Manchester, we're glue and we stick together when it counts.\" Sam Arshad, from StreetCars Manchester asked his drivers to give free rides to anyone stranded after the Ariana Grande concert. \"The audience was a very young audience, and there were a lot of people there without their parents,\" he told the BBC. \"And it's then that people were requesting taxis but they didn't have money. \"It was at that point that I made the decision that money isn't everything in life and we're part of Manchester and we need to do our part to make sure these people get home safe and sound.\" Colin Paterson, the BBC's entertainment correspondent, was standing outside as the audience were running out of the arena. \"As I was standing there a taxi just pulled over a said 'would you like a lift? I'll take you anywhere',\" he said. \"There are stories of cab drivers driving over from Liverpool to try and offer people free lifts back to Liverpool. \"There were stories of people coming on to the streets of Manchester to offer their spare rooms because people were not able to get back to their hotels.\" Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, whose two daughters and two nieces were at the concert, praised the \"spontaneous acts of ordinary people\" of Manchester following last night's attack at a concert in the city. \"The spirit that they have displayed is just typical of people in this part of the world,\" he said. \"A taxi driver from Kirkby fought his way through horrendous traffic and got out of his cab to find my daughters and two nieces. I am forever grateful to that person. \"While I've got huge relief this morning my girls are safe, there will be parents waking up without children and unfortunately children waking up without parents this morning because of this horrendous act.\" Praise for these acts of kindness poured in on social media, along with offers of help. As news of the attack spread, locals soon began offering spare rooms on social media, under the hashtag #RoomforManchester. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham tweeted: \"If you are stranded in the area you can also follow #RoomForManchester where hotels and local people of our great city are offering refuge.\" Thousands of people have also turned to social media to find missing relatives and friends - and there are many people who are offering support. Olivia Campbell Hardy has been missing since last night's concert. Her mother, Charlotte Campbell, speaking on Radio 4's Today programme said \"she's not been found yet\" but \"she can't thank people enough\" for having helped her since her appeal on", "summary": "Stories of acts of kindness are emerging in the wake of the Manchester attack, with many people from the community rushing to help - offering free lifts home and rooms for the night."}
{"article": "But you might take a second glance when you notice that the footballer in question isn't playing in 2011, but in 1911. Leigh Richmond Roose was born in Holt near Wrexham on 27 November 1877, and died during the Battle of The Somme, aged 38, in October 1916. His biographer calls him a \"forgotten hero\" and the game's \"first superstar\". Roose started his amateur career at Aberystwyth Town in 1895, while studying medicine at the university there. But within two seasons Roose became famous throughout Wales, both for his keeping, and his crowd-pleasing antics. He would turn his back on play to tell jokes to the fans, and perform gymnastics from the goal crossbar while the ball was at the other end of the field. By 1900, he'd led Aberystwyth to the Welsh Cup, and earned an international call-up It also brought him to the attention of English First Division clubs, seeing him play for Stoke City, Everton, Sunderland, Celtic, Aston Villa and Woolwich Arsenal. His biographer, Spencer Vignes, explained the Football Association was even forced to change the rules of the game because of him. \"Leigh revolutionised the way the game was played in England. Before Leigh, goalkeepers were just shot-stoppers, if they came off their line they had no protection from being punched, shoulder-charged and trampled by the forwards, in a game which was vastly more physical than today. \"Usually they were too terrified to come out of their goal, even though - in those days - they were allowed to handle the ball anywhere in their own half of the field.\" \"But Leigh was such a physical specimen that he could take on the forwards at their own game. \"He'd flatten the striker, catch the ball, and carry play up field like a rugby fullback does today. So in 1912, at the end of his career, the rules were changed so that keepers could only handle the ball inside the penalty area.\" Practical jokes But Mr Vignes said the FA was not a fan of Roose. \"They hated him every bit as much as the fans loved him. He insisted on staying amateur, playing practical jokes and larking around at a time when the FA were trying to portray football as a serious professional sport.\" \"Leigh was also a bit of a London socialite, and made as many headlines off the field as on it; something else which didn't go down too well with the FA\" In 1909 the FA launched an investigation into the expenses Roose, as an amateur, was claiming from his then club, Sunderland. As an amateur, he could not be paid for playing, but received more in expenses than his team-mates earned professionally. According to Mr Vignes, the FA's concerns weren't entirely unmerited. When Roose missed his train from Euston for a 1906 Stoke match away to Aston Villa, he hired his own locomotive and carriage, and sent the \u00a331 bill to his club; this at a time when a miner would earn around \u00a31, three shillings a week. Yet Roose's clubs considered it money", "summary": "You could be forgiven for skipping over yet another article talking about a talented international goalkeeper who courts the cameras, dates the trendiest singers, lands himself in hot water through his bad behaviour and gets big money."}
{"article": "Jess Sims and Laura Daniels beat Jo Edwards and Angela Boyd 16-15 to secure Wales' first World Bowls gold since Janet Ackland in 1988. Their success came after Wales had claimed silver in the women's triples Emma Woodcock, Kathy Pearce and Anwen Butten were beaten in the final by Australia.", "summary": "Wales women's pairs have won gold at the World Bowls Championships in Christchurch with victory over New Zealand in the final."}
{"article": "Former election agent Alison Hernandez is facing questions over her role in submitting expenses for Tory MP Kevin Foster in 2015. Plymouth City Council Labour leader Tudor Evans said her decision to proceed with a swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday was \"arrogant\". Ms Hernandez defended taking the oath. The Conservative party has admitted failing to declare a total of \u00c2\u00a338,000 of general election expenses for accommodation costs during its 2015 election campaign, blaming an \"administrative error\". On Friday, it emerged eight police forces were investigating whether Conservative MPs filed election expenses illegally. Devon and Cornwall police is bringing in another force to investigate the claims against Ms Hernandez. Mr Evans said an \"urgent\" meeting was necessary to discuss \"the many issues that have arisen\". He said: \"Police and crime commissioners are supposed to keep an eye on the police on behalf of the public. \"If a member of the constabulary was in the same situation as this police and crime commissioner, they would already be suspended.\" Ms Hernandez claimed the seat as PCC for Devon and Cornwall with 91,036 votes. Responding to the concerns, she said: \"I've had over 91,000 people elect me to office. I'm here for the people of Devon and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. \"I'm here to do a job - the police need support.\" Mr Hernandez, who has previously faced calls to \"stand aside\", said she would review station closures, help victims of crime and increase police visibility in her new role.", "summary": "The new Devon and Cornwall police and crime commissioner has faced fresh criticism for taking the role while subject to an expenses investigation."}
{"article": "Sangakkara resumed at Chelmsford on 177, with Surrey 334-7, and had time to bring up his double century before the visitors were all out for 369. Essex lost Alastair Cook for 36 and fellow opener Nick Browne made 52. But Dan Lawrence (78 not out) batted through to stumps with Ravi Bopara (33 not out) and saw Essex to 215-3. Lawrence, 19, and all-rounder Bopara's stand is so far worth 89, but on a decent Chelmsford track the hosts will surely be looking for a big first-innings' lead. Sri Lanka great Sangakkara, who scored his fifth-successive Championship century on Friday, struck 27 fours in his sublime 321-ball innings and now has 792 runs at an average of more than 113 this summer. The 39-year-old was the last man to fall in Surrey's innings when he was caught by Neil Wagner off Simon Harmer and was given a standing ovation as he left the field in what will be his final season. Essex were briefly wobbling at 126-3 in their innings once Tom Westley nicked Sam Curran behind, but Lawrence and Bopara batted throughout the evening session.", "summary": "Essex's batsman put their side in a good position after Surrey's Kumar Sangakkara fell for exactly 200 on day two of their County Championship match."}
{"article": "Police, fire crews and an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team were called to an address in the Ross Place area at about 20:20. A small number of residents were evacuated from the premises but have now returned to their homes. A 17-year-old man has been detained in relation to a separate matter. Police said no-one was injured and at no time was there any danger to the public.", "summary": "Bomb disposal experts were called to an incident at a block of flats in Fort William on Friday evening after an \"unidentified device\" was found."}
{"article": "The illegal hunting of the animal, and the destruction of where they live, are two of the reasons why. Conservationists say their population has fallen by more than one third in the past 30 years. It's been a shock to some of those who care for the creature. But what makes giraffes so special? Here are five facts you might not have known... Giraffes have strong tongues that help them to get their food - and to get it fast. They use their tongues - like humans would use their hands - to grab food. The strength helps them chew food fast to avoid dangerous predators. Until 2016 giraffes were considered as one species, but now they're considered as four. They are: the reticulated giraffe, the northern giraffe, the southern giraffe and the Masai giraffe. They may all look tall and similar, but the creatures are very different - like a polar bear is different from a brown bear. Some of these have sub-species - where the giraffes are a little different but are still the same type of giraffe. Just like human fingerprints, no two giraffes have the same spot pattern. And each of the different species of giraffe have very different types of spot patterns when you look at them closely. Giraffes spend most of their lives standing up; they even sleep standing up! They do sometimes give their legs a rest, but all that standing is ok as their legs are very strong. In fact scientists think that a groove in the giraffe's lower leg bone - which is much deeper than in other animals - helps keep their spindly-legs strong and allow them to support their bodyweight. The largest giraffe relative ever to have existed is thought to have been the Sivatherium giganteum. It's believed to have lived one million years ago in Africa and Asia and had a shorter neck and legs than giraffes of today.", "summary": "Giraffes are the tallest mammals on Earth, but their numbers have dropped so low that they're now vulnerable to extinction."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old captained Inverness Caledonian Thistle to Scottish Cup final success against Falkirk in his last game for the Highlanders before a switch to Pittodrie. Part of their reward for that victory at Hampden Park was advancement to the second round of Europa League qualifiers while Shinnie's new club had to negotiate a tricky first hurdle. However, Shinnie could not have been happier as he was desperate to experience different playing styles after being limited to domestic football at Inverness. Now he and his Dons team-mates are in Croatia preparing for their first-leg tie against HNK Rijeka having seen off Shkendija of Macedonia on away goals in the first round. Derek McInnes's men are probably underdogs against a team who are unbeaten at home in their last 12 European ties. That run includes meetings with Stuttgart, Real Betis, Standard Leige, Lyon, Feyenoord and current Europa League winners Sevilla but Shinnie is undaunted by that record. He is determined to extend his stay in continental competition and hopes Caley Thistle can do likewise now they have finally made it as well. \"I loved every minute of both matches in the last round. It was my first time ever playing football in a foreign country,\" he explained. \"Inverness never went away during pre-season and I had never played in a European tie before [facing Shkendija]. \"It was brilliant to finally experience what that was all about. I also got a thrill out of the return match at Pittodrie. It was my first game there for the club, so it meant a lot.\" Shinnie excelled in midfield as Niall McGinn scored the decisive away goal in Skopje. That 1-1 draw was followed by a hard-fought goalless return leg at Pittodrie with Shinnie once again a stand-out but in his more regular left-back berth. Only McInnes knows where Shinnie will feature in the Stadion Kantrida on Thursday but the player himself is happy wherever that turns out to be. \"People often ask me where I prefer to play but I'm happy to go in wherever my manager feels is best for the team,\" he said. \"I genuinely love playing in midfield as much as I do at left-back and if I was asked to play in another position for Aberdeen I would be happy to give that a go too. \"I'm content as long as the manager feels I'm good enough to be put out on the pitch. \"It's then up to me to go out and perform as best as I can to make sure he keeps picking me.\" Only Mark Reynolds, recovering from shoulder surgery, was missing from the travelling party that left a dull and drizzly Aberdeen for sunny Croatia. The temperature was 36C on arrival in Rijeka and it's not expected to be much cooler at kick-off time, which McInnes admits puts extra demands on the players. Despite that, the Aberdeen manager is confident they can still make it unlucky 13 for a team that have reached the group stages of the competition for the last two years. \"We always aim to", "summary": "A summer move may have caused Graeme Shinnie to enter the Europa League qualifiers at an earlier stage but the Aberdeen player insists it has only enhanced his first foray into continental competition."}
{"article": "Stephen O'Brien told reporters during a visit to Damascus that the targeting of non-combatants in the country's war was \"unlawful, unacceptable and must stop\". He was \"particularly appalled\" by government air strikes on a rebel-held suburb of the capital on Sunday. Activists said on Monday that the death toll from the attack on a market in Douma had risen to at least 96. That would make it one of the bloodiest single incidents of the four-year-long conflict, which has so far left more than 250,000 people dead. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has backed a new peace talks proposal from the organisation's Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, in a rare show of unity on a topic that has divided members. Mr de Mistura's plan involves inviting the various Syrian parties to hold talks at working groups in September, as a step towards implementing the roadmap to peace adopted by world powers in 2012 that calls for the formation of a transitional government A Syrian military source told the Reuters news agency that in its strikes on Sunday the air force had targeted the headquarters of the rebel group, Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam). State television also reported that rebels had shelled a government-held district of the northern city of Aleppo on Monday, killing 10 people and wounding 17. Mr O'Brien called on both sides to protect civilians and respect international humanitarian law at the end of a three-day visit to Syria, his first to the country since becoming the UN's under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs in May. \"I am absolutely horrified by the total disregard for civilian life by all parties in this conflict,\" he said. \"Attacks on civilians are unlawful, unacceptable and must stop.\" The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that monitors the conflict, said that in Sunday's raid on Douma air force jets fired at least 10 rockets at the town's central market before attacking again after rescue workers arrived. One video said to be of the aftermath showed a marketplace completely destroyed with surrounding buildings in ruins and vehicles on fire. Turkey has said it plans to set up a \"safe zone\" for civilians across its border with Syria - policed by \"moderate\" Syrian forces - who would thwart attacks by the government or Islamic State militants. But Mr O'Brien questioned the use of such buffer areas, saying any country which established them would have to \"accept responsibility\" for guaranteeing people's safety. \"Otherwise very vulnerable people could flock to such safe zones only to find that they've put themselves in more harm's way,\" he told the BBC. A report by Amnesty International published last week accused the Syrian government of committing war crimes against the 163,000 people living under siege in Douma and other towns in the Eastern Ghouta agricultural belt around Damascus. Between January and June 2015, government forces carried out at least 60 aerial attacks on the area, killing some 500 civilians, the report said. The international community has also strongly condemned the air raids. Mr O'Brien also condemned rival armed groups for cutting", "summary": "The UN's humanitarian chief has said he is \"horrified\" by the attacks on civilians taking place in Syria."}
{"article": "Bradley Onfroy and Josie Hollis are accused of killing Jordan Hill. Mr Hill died in hospital after being found with injuries at a flat in Southey Avenue, Sheffield, on 23 March. Mr Onfroy, 31, of Badger Close, Sheffield, and Ms Hollis, 24, of no fixed abode, appeared at Sheffield Crown Court and were remanded in custody to stand trial on 20 October. They also denied robbery. More stories from across Yorkshire", "summary": "A man and a woman have denied the murder of a 21-year-old who was stabbed."}
{"article": "Yeovil District Hospital was put on \"black alert\" last year when it was overwhelmed by demand. This year the hospital is installing a 24-bed modular ward on its roof and leasing 18 beds from a nursing home. Chief Executive Paul Mears said: \"Winter is a challenging time for us and we've taken action to ensure we're well prepared for this winter.\" Last February, the hospital was put on \"black alert\" for two weeks as it struggled to cope with the number of people coming into its accident and emergency department. What is a black alert? \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2The NHS uses a national internal alert system based on the colours green, amber, red and black to rank how busy a local health and social care system is \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2Black alert status occurs when a hospital cannot cope with the number of people coming into the accident and emergency department because not enough people are being discharged \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2It effectively means the hospital does not have enough bed capacity to cope This year, to boost bed capacity, the hospital is hoisting a permanent emergency admissions unit onto the roof of its outpatient department in the run-up to Christmas. It has also contracted with a local nursing home to take 18 beds for six months for patients waiting for nursing home placements or a package of care. \"Last winter was really, really bad for us - part of that was due to the complexity of the patients we were admitting which were a more elderly, frail group of patients and also the sheer numbers,\" said Mr Mears. \"But we've got 42 beds on top of our current bed base now and we believe that will put us in a much better place to be able to cope with the additional pressures.\"", "summary": "A \"ready made\" ward is to be craned onto the roof of a Somerset hospital to help cope with winter demand."}
{"article": "Nottinghamshire dentist Desmond D'Mello has been suspended by the General Dental Council over serious hygiene concerns. Patients are being offered tests for HIV and hepatitis. Doug Black, medical director for NHS England in Nottinghamshire, said it was the \"largest recall in NHS history\". He said: \"We are doing our level best to meet demand, but to avoid waiting, people can book an appointment for another time and come back.\" Mr Black said it was important people attended the Highcroft Medical Centre, in Arnold, rather than going elsewhere. \"The samples we are taking are being sent to a dedicated laboratory, which enables us to track the results,\" he added. The death of a woman treated at the practice in Daybrook, Nottinghamshire is also being investigated by police. Amy Duffield died in August 2013 shortly after being treated by the dentist. NHS England said it appeared Mr D'Mello failed to wash his hands and used the same instruments for more than one patient without sterilising them between appointments. Experts said the risk of infection was believed to be low and Mr D'Mello had been tested and was clear of all diseases. A Care Quality Commission inspection in July also raised concerns about the possibility of cross-contamination at the practice. However, inspectors who had visited the clinic in November last year, gave it a clean bill of health. The new owners of the practice have renovated the property and addressed all the concerns, the inspectors said. Nottinghamshire Police was asked by the coroner to investigate Miss Duffield's death. Miss Duffield, a Leeds University graduate, died in hospital in August 2013 of viral acute myocarditis after suffering palpitations, her family said. Her mother Sharon Duffield said: \"We will of course be interested in the findings of the investigation, whatever the outcome, but it won't bring Amy back.\" Test results are expected to be available in 14 days.", "summary": "More than four hundred people have visited a health centre for screening for blood-borne viruses after 22,000 dental patients were recalled."}
{"article": "The former Manchester United reserve team boss has agreed a three-and-a-half-year deal, but saw two goals conceded inside the first five minutes. First, McCleary flicked in a through ball after 57 seconds and then drove home a right-footed shot from distance. Yann Kermorgant's penalty sealed the Royals' third successive league win. Wigan's fans were clearly not impressed after coming to see the dawning of a new era, soon booing after their dreadful opening. Jaap Stam's side continued to have the better openings and Kermorgant might have had a brace himself had Jake Buxton not made two crucial blocks. Joyce turned to his bench at half-time and Yanic Wildschut provided a spark, with Adam Le Fondre almost turning in his cross from the left, while another effort from the Latics forward had to be helped behind by former Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi. But Kermorgant's goal, after Max Power tripped John Swift in the box, killed off the game as a contest and a further goal could have followed had Danny Williams kept his effort down when being set up by the impressive Swift. A stoppage-time strike from Reading's Yakou Meite was also ruled out for offside as Wigan remained in the Championship's bottom three, while the visitors moved up to fourth. Wigan manager Warren Joyce: \"The first goal particularly, it's not like it's good play, it's just a straight long ball down the middle. \"It's the worst possible start you could get. The second goal was equally poor and then you've got a mountain to climb against a good side. \"You're under no illusions before the game starts that it's going to be a tough game, but we've given them a two-goal lead. \"It's basics even if you're in under-14 football - a straight ball goes down the middle after 90 seconds and they don't deal with it, two experienced players, you're 1-0 down and you've got a mountain to climb.\" Reading manager Jaap Stam: \"We spoke about what we can expect, with a new manager in, how they want to play, probably press us high up and don't give us time to play out from the back. \"The pace that we have up front we knew we could be a threat in behind if we do it well, if the runs are at the right time and we started doing that immediately and scored two early goals. \"You want to make it easy for yourself. After that sometimes we got a bit sloppy in how we wanted to play. You don't want to give goals away because it gives them confidence. \"How we played, how we defended, how we created chances, we did that very well and we deserved that win.\" Match ends, Wigan Athletic 0, Reading 3. Second Half ends, Wigan Athletic 0, Reading 3. Offside, Reading. Chris Gunter tries a through ball, but Yakou Meite is caught offside. Foul by Joey van den Berg (Reading). Stephen Warnock (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt blocked. William Grigg (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from the centre", "summary": "Garath McCleary struck an early double as Reading thumped Wigan to hand Warren Joyce a nightmare start as the new Latics manager."}
{"article": "The Air Departure Tax (Scotland) Bill is designed to replace air passenger duty with a devolved Scottish levy. Ministers want to cut the tax by 50% before eventually abolishing it \"when finances allow\". MSPs backed the general principles of the bill in the first stage of the legislative process, but many asked for more details on the plans. The legislation passed the stage one vote by a margin of 112 votes to four, with six members abstaining. The bill will now progress to the committee stage, before a further debate and vote in the chamber later in the year. The finance committee had backed the general principles of the bill, but said it was \"essential\" that more information was provided. MSPs called on Finance Secretary Derek Mackay to commission an independent economic analysis of the proposed 50% cut, to be published before or at the same time as consultations begin on rates and bands. Mr Mackay, who argues that the tax is \"a barrier to Scotland's ability to secure new direct international services and maintain existing ones\", wrote back to the committee saying this review would be carried out. The bill is \"enabling\" legislation, which sets out how new devolved powers would be used but does not go into detail about rates and bands. A number of groups have voiced concern about this in sessions of the finance committee, including the Chartered Institute of Taxation, who said detail on rates should be included in the legislation. And finance committee convener Bruce Crawford, an SNP MSP, said the group was \"disappointed by the government's lack of information on exemptions to the tax, and on the economic, social, financial and environmental impacts\" of cutting the levy. Mr Mackay told MSPs that he was listening to recommendations from the committee, saying he agreed that evidence was required and that the tax should be monitored over time. He said he would come back to discuss rates and bands in due course, saying a \"consultative and collaborative\" approach would be taken, but urged members to back the general principles of the bill and the devolution of the tax in the first place. The Scottish Conservatives have backed the abolition of duties on long-haul flights, which finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said would encourage more direct long-haul flights from Scotland, cutting connecting flights and thus the country's carbon footprint. He said it made sense to have the legislation in place, given it simply creates a mechanism for the implementation of the devolved tax. Scottish Labour also agreed that power over tax should be devolved, and thus backed the bill - but spoke out against the planned cut. Transport spokesman Neil Bibby said cutting the duty would provide \"a huge tax break to airlines who simply don't need it\". The Scottish Greens oppose cutting aviation tax, but decided to abstain in the stage one vote. Co-convener Patrick Harvie said the bill was \"bereft of meaning, intent and purpose\", but said it could be fixed later in the legislative process. Meanwhile, the Scottish Lib Dems opposed the legislation, with Mike Rumbles", "summary": "Plans for a devolved aviation tax have passed the first legislative hurdle after a vote at Holyrood."}
{"article": "Andrea Albutt wrote an open letter after recent violence at prisons in Hertfordshire and Wiltshire. She said the unrest was causing \"grave concern\" - adding that governors faced \"unacceptable stress and anxiety\". The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said action had been taken to increase prison officer numbers. But Ms Albutt said her members had seen \"nothing tangible\" from the MoJ to ease population pressures in prison, and the burden on staff. She said recruitment remained in a \"critical\" condition, with a net increase of just 75 officers in the year 2016/17. Training was \"poor\" and \"unsuitable people\" were being selected, she added. The BBC's home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the Prison Governors Association had \"traditionally been a voice of moderation\". \"The criticisms are unlikely to be brushed aside,\" he said. Data released last week from the MoJ showed a rise in violence in prisons, with 26,643 assaults in the year to March 2017 - 20% more than the previous year. Of these, a record 7,159 were attacks on staff - equivalent to 20 every day. Ms Albutt went on to describe the government's decision earlier this year, to separate operational control of the prison system from responsibility for policy, as \"madness\". But an MoJ spokesman said the Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) - which replaced the National Offender Management Service - would \"help to create a distinct, professionalised frontline service\". The spokesman added: \"We know that our prisons have faced a number of long-standing challenges, which is why we have taken immediate action to boost prison officer numbers and have created Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service. \"We need to create calm and ordered environments to help ensure effective rehabilitation, and we continue to work closely with the unions and all staff to help achieve these vital reforms and make prisons places of safety and reform.\" In July, the union representing prison workers called for the resignation of prisons' boss Michael Spurr. The general secretary of the Prison Officers Association, Steve Gillan, said his members had \"lost patience\" and accused the management of HMPPS of trying to \"paper over the cracks\". This followed the revelation that Mr Spurr had received a bonus of up to \u00a320,000 in 2016-17 on top of his annual salary of around \u00a3150,000. The bonus was \"awarded\" in the previous year when the chief inspector of prisons said many jails were \"unacceptably violent and dangerous\".", "summary": "The president of the Prison Governors Association has attacked the government's management of prisons in England and Wales."}
{"article": "Blair Alston slotted in following Lee Miller's through ball to give the Bairns the lead but James Craigen quickly fired Rovers level. Falkirk were ahead again through David McCracken's first-half header. But the visitors equalised again when Mark Stewart struck against his former club, and though Raith had Kyle Benedictus dismissed they held firm.", "summary": "Raith Rovers twice pegged back their hosts to secure a Scottish Championship draw at the Falkirk Stadium."}
{"article": "The 5,000-signature document was taken to the Scottish Parliament. Dumfries and Galloway Council wants to house the hoard in a new gallery being built in the region. However, National Museums Scotland is also bidding to host the artefacts. A meeting takes place on Thursday to discuss their fate. The objects were discovered by a metal detectorist in Dumfries and Galloway in 2014. The Galloway Viking Hoard (GVH) group is backing the council's bid to ensure they end up in Kirkcudbright. Cathy Agnew, who chairs the campaign, said: \"The message from Galloway, Scotland and around the world is very clear - the hoard was buried in Galloway for safekeeping 1,000 years ago and that is where its home should be. \"We have huge support from the general public, academics, politicians of all parties and many others. \"It would be a travesty if their voices were ignored.\" National Museums Scotland has said it believed it had put forward a \"mutually-beneficial and positive proposal\". It would allow part of the hoard to go on display permanently in Kirkcudbright and the entire collection to be hosted, on occasions, by the gallery. The Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel meets this week to discuss the hoard's future. It will then make a recommendation to the Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer on where the treasure should end up.", "summary": "A petition has been delivered seeking to ensure a hoard of Viking treasure discovered in Galloway goes on display in Kirkcudbright."}
{"article": "The bucardo became extinct in 2000, but cells from the last animal were frozen in liquid nitrogen. In 2003, a cloned calf was brought to term but died a few minutes after birth. Now, the scientists will test the viability of the female bucardo's 14-year-old preserved cells. The bucardo, or Pyrenean ibex, calf born through cloning was an historic event: the first \"de-extinction\", in which a lost species or sub-species was resurrected. The Aragon Hunting Federation signed an agreement with the Centre for Research and Food Technology of Aragon (CITA) in Zaragoza to begin preliminary work on the cells from the last animal, named Celia. One of the scientists behind the cloning effort, Dr Alberto Fernandez-Arias, told BBC News: \"At this moment, we are not initiating a 'bucardo recovery plan', we only want to know if Celia's cells are still alive after having been maintained frozen during 14 years in liquid nitrogen.\" In addition to this in vitro work, they will also attempt to clone embryos and implant them in female goats. \"In this process, one or more live female bucardo clones could be obtained. If that is the case, the feasibility of a bucardo recovery plan will be discussed,\" Dr Fernandez-Arias, who is head of the Aragon Hunting, Fishing and Wetlands Service, explained. The bucardo (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica) was a sub-species of ibex, with distinct physical and genetic characteristics to other mountain goats inhabiting the Iberian Peninsula. It was perfectly adapted to life in its mountain habitat, and to survive the extreme cold and snow of winter in the Pyrenees. However, its population had been declining for years for several reasons, including hunting. In April 1999, researchers captured the last animal, a female named Celia. They obtained skin biopsies and froze the tissue in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196C (-321F). The following year, Celia was killed by a falling tree in the National Park of Ordesa in north-east Spain. But a team including Dr Fernandez-Arias, Jose Folch and others were able to inject nuclei from Celia's preserved cells into goat eggs that had been emptied of their own DNA. Then they implanted the eggs into surrogates - hybrids between Spanish ibex and domestic goats. Of 57 implantations, seven animals became pregnant and one was carried to term. The baby bucardo was born in 2003 - the first successful \"de-extinction\". But the clone of Celia died a few minutes later due to a defect in one of its lungs. Earlier this year, Dr Fernandez-Arias related the story in a TEDx talk, as part of a meeting on de-extinction. Even if the new effort succeeds in producing healthy clones, any future recovery plan for the bucardo would be fraught with difficulty - especially given the only frozen tissue is from a lone female. One possible approach for bringing back the bucardo might be to cross a healthy female bucardo clone with a closely related sub-species - such as the Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica hispanica) or the Gredos ibex (Capra pyrenaica victoriae) - and then selectively breeding the offspring to enhance traits", "summary": "Scientists in Spain have received funding to test whether an extinct mountain goat can be cloned from preserved cells."}
{"article": "Ms Perry told MPs she was \"mystery shopping\" the 10 busiest rail services in the country to find out for herself the extent of overcrowding. It was \"unacceptable\" that people were unable to board trains on commuter routes because they were already full. Fellow Tory MP Dominic Raab said his constituents expected answers about why they were been treated like \"sardines\". Mr Raab, the MP for Esher, raised conditions on the 07:32 Woking to London Waterloo service during a Westminster Hall debate on value for money on services operated by South West Trains. He said the train, dubbed the \"Sardine Express\" in the media, was regularly carrying 500 passengers more than its capacity and was \"packed to the gunnels\" long before it reached its final destination. Mr Raab said passengers were seeing their fares rising every year while having to put up with \"cattle-class\" travelling conditions. \"EU rules stipulate that calves, adult goats and unshorn sheep must be transported by train in an area of space of at least 0.3 metres squared per unit of livestock,\" he said. \"But the new governing standard for commissioning commuter services for humans is now 0.25 metres squared, significantly less.\" While demand for rail services was particularly acute in the south of England, Mr Raab said such overcrowding was not limited to the area but \"systemic\" across the network. Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage said overcrowding was not the only problem in the south of England and that journey times on busy routes were unsatisfactory. She said it took as long to travel from Portsmouth to London as it did from Doncaster to London, which is more twice the distance away from the capital. Ms Perry said the railways were a victim of their own popularity, with passenger numbers doubling since privatisation and demand increasing by 10% each year in some parts of the country. While the railways were the \"safest and most punctual in Europe\" and the government was investing billions in new lines and capacity, she acknowledged that conditions were not improving for some users. \"Passengers in many cases do not feel they are getting value for money,\" she said. \"They are travelling on crowded, slow trains and cannot understand why timetables get messed up and the whole resilience of the network can go down if we have a fatality.\" A train's capacity is defined as all seats, plus a standing allowance if passengers are standing for less than 20 minutes. Figures published last month showed that during the high peak between 08:00 and 09:00, 38% of London services were over capacity, and 81% had passengers standing. Ms Perry said rail services were not like the London Underground, where trains run every couple of minutes, and people were \"late for work if they could not board their trains\". \"There is a very strong expectation that nobody who is travelling for more than 20 minutes should be standing beyond that point,\" she added. \"(That is) Not always achieved but those are the kinds of standards we are looking for.\"", "summary": "Rail passengers should not have to stand for more than 20 minutes during a journey, minister Clare Perry has said"}
{"article": "About 350 people attended the third Welsh Asian Women Achievement awards ceremony at City Hall on Saturday. In total, 29 Asian women were nominated for recognition in eight categories, with a panel deciding the winners. Categories included business, arts and culture, social and humanitarian and tackling violence against women. Other winners were:", "summary": "Asian women who have made a significant contribution to Welsh life have been celebrated at an event in Cardiff."}
{"article": "Phillip Cullen, 57, of Cadbury Heath in Bristol, committed six offences relating to Large Blue butterflies. Bristol Magistrates Court heard he caught butterflies in Somerset and Gloucestershire and then killed and mounted them for a wall display. His is believed to be the first prosecution in the UK involving offences related to the species. Cullen was seen illegally entering and chasing butterflies with a net at Daneway Banks reserve in Gloucestershire on 18 June 2015. He was also witnessed acting in a similar way at Collard Hill reserve in Somerset between 17 and 20 June the same year. It was reported to police who searched his home and found up to 30 trays of butterflies. Cullen had denied catching the Large Blue species found at his home, instead insisting he had purchased them from abroad. He was convicted of capturing, killing and possessing the insect. Source: Butterfly Conservation The Large Blue (Maculinea arion) species became extinct in 1979 but is now thriving after reintroduction in 2004. In 2004 it was found on nine sites in the country following a major conservation programme. It has a wingspan of more than two inches and can be identified by a row of black spots on its upper forewing.", "summary": "A collector has been found guilty of capturing and killing the UK's rarest butterfly."}
{"article": "Satnam Singh, 74, was found with serious injuries in a Derby street in July 2015 - opposite the Sikh temple where he volunteered. Police initially thought he had been hit by a car but last year arrested 30-year-old Sukhraj Atwal for murder. Mr Atwal denies the charge. His defence said there was a lack of \"real evidence\" and witnesses. The prosecution has previously alleged Mr Singh - the defendant's former step-grandfather - was \"brutally assaulted\" over a long-running family dispute. The trial at Nottingham Crown Court claimed Mr Atwal repeatedly stamped and jumped on Mr Singh in the early hours of 23 July. The victim was found with 41 fractures to his ribs, lacerations to his heart, a fractured skull and severe brain damage. The attack itself was not captured on CCTV but Mr Atwal's car was seen entering and leaving the area shortly before Mr Singh was found. Defending barrister Shaun Smith, said the case was based on \"half-baked theories\" and \"speculation\". \"There is no footage of what happened,\" he added. \"There are no eye witnesses and when it comes to real evidence there's nothing. \"Nothing to place him at the scene on his footwear or his car, no-one to hear or see it [the attack], or hear cries of distress or see anyone run into a car.\" He said although the victim and defendant lived just streets apart \"they ignored and blanked one another\" and \"barely knew\" each other. Mr Atwal chose not to give evidence in court. The trial continues.", "summary": "The trial of a man accused of murdering a pensioner in the street has heard he \"had no motive\" to kill him."}
{"article": "Allegations against the Rt Rev George Bell were first made by the victim in 1995 but were not investigated or referred to the police. Bell was Bishop of Chichester from 1929 until his death in October 1958. Current Bishop Dr Martin Warner issued a formal apology after the Diocese of Chichester settled the civil claim. He paid tribute to the victim's courage in coming forward to report the abuse. \"I am committed to ensuring that the past is handled with honesty and transparency,\" he said. The allegations of sexual offences against Bell date from the late 1940s and early 1950s and concern an individual who was at the time a young child. The victim first reported the abuse to the then Bishop of Chichester, Eric Kemp, in August 1995 but no action was taken until contact was made with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby's office in 2013. Following settlement of the claim, Bishop Warner wrote to the survivor formally apologising and expressing his deep sorrow. The victim's solicitor said they remained bitter their 1995 complaint was not properly listened to or dealt with. \"The failure to respond properly was very damaging, and combined with the abuse that was suffered has had a profound effect on my client's life,\" said Tracey Emmott. \"For my client, the compensation finally received does not change anything.\" Another retired Church of England bishop was jailed last week for a string of offences against teenagers and young men. Peter Ball, 83, the former Bishop of Lewes and Bishop of Gloucester was sentenced to 32 months for misconduct in public office and 15 months for indecent assaults, to run concurrently.", "summary": "A victim who was sexually abused as a young child by a former Bishop of Chichester who died in the 1950s has received compensation from the Church."}
{"article": "Mr Whyte's lawyer entered the plea during a hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday morning. The 45-year-old, who lives in London, faces a charge of fraud and a second allegation under the Companies Act. A trial is scheduled to go before judge Lady Stacey at the High Court in Glasgow in April. The Crown has alleged that Mr Whyte fraudulently obtained a \"majority and controlling stake\" in the Ibrox club. It is alleged that he directly, and through representatives, pretended to then Rangers owner Sir David Murray, and others, that funds were available to make all stipulated payments. The second charge under the Companies Act centres on an \u00c2\u00a318m payment in connection with the takeover.", "summary": "The former Rangers owner Craig Whyte has pleaded not guilty to two charges, including one of fraud, in relation to his purchase of the club in 2011."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 52-year-old replaces Richie Foran, who was sacked following relegation from the Premiership. He has signed a two-year deal after leaving his head of coach education post at Hearts, where he spent 18 years at a player and manager. The Highlanders won promotion to the top flight for the first time under Robertson's guidance in 2003. Robertson left in 2004 to take over at Hearts and has had spells in charge at Ross County, Livingston and Derry City. He has not held a managerial position since leaving East Fife in March 2012. \"This time last week it wasn't even on the radar,\" Robertson said of the job. \"I didn't apply for the job, I had a very responsible, high-profile job at Hearts - commercial and the academy, working as head of coaching there to rebuild it. \"I was as surprised as anybody when the call came in to say, would you like to come up and have a chat? \"This is a massive challenge and one I'm looking forward to, and it's one we can achieve together as a club. We know what's ahead of us. It's far easier to stay in the Premiership, I think, than get out the Championship, but it's a challenge we're going to meet head-on. \"The fans' expectations will be high, and they should be, but they'll not be any higher than mine.\" Caley Thistle chairman Willie Finlayson added: \"We had an excellent interview process with some strong candidates but John emerged as our unanimous choice. \"We were hugely impressed with his tremendous drive, determination, communication and motivational skills. \"He clearly has a great knowledge of the game in Scotland and is both well respected and connected. We firmly believe he is the right man to lead us back into the Premiership.\" After the departure of John Hughes, Foran was promoted to player-manager last summer on a four-year contract, having been at the club since 2009. They won three of their last five fixtures but could not avoid finishing last and dropping down to the Championship. Chairman and chief executive Kenny Cameron stood down three days after relegation was confirmed. Aberdeen granted Inverness CT permission to speak to Under-20s coach Paul Sheerin about their managerial vacancy before deciding Robertson was the man to take them forward.", "summary": "John Robertson is the new manager of Inverness Caley Thistle, returning to the club he left almost 13 years ago."}
{"article": "Miller's converted try and a Jimmy Gopperth penalty put Wasps 10-3 up at the break after Saints' Stephen Myler kicked the first points of the game. Myler swapped penalties with Elliot Daly before Miller grabbed his second. Daly's long-range penalty and Jamie Stevenson's try ensured Wasps moved to within two points of second place. They are also now seven points clear of fourth-placed Leicester Tigers with just three games remaining. With fifth-placed Saints facing Leicester in their next league outing on 16 April, Wasps are on the verge of making their own top-four Premiership spot secure and are well set to earn a home semi-final date. The win against a below-par Northampton was not convincing until the latter stages, with a combination of some spirited defence, sloppy Saints handling and the distance kicking of Daly keeping them in front. Miller's first-half try, following a slick move from a break from deep inside their own half, helped to establish a seven-point interval lead. Despite not being at their best, a Saints side that lost England prop Kieran Brookes and replacement scrum-half Lee Dickson to head injuries kept probing and stayed within touching distance. And it was not until Miller crossed for his second try on 66 minutes, running a brilliant line from George Smith's inviting pass, that the game was made safe. Replacement scrum-half Stevenson's score in the final minute gave hope of a four-try bonus-point win, but the home side had to make do with four points. Wasps director of rugby Dai Young: \"We didn't play anywhere near our best and have played a lot better this season. We were edgy and snapped at things. \"Of course we're happy with the win, but it's tinged with frustration over the way we played. \"We realise that this performance will not be good enough against Exeter. There are lots of things for us to work on and get right.\" Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder: \"Lee and Kieran are up and about. We will have to go through the protocols and hopefully they won't have any symptoms. \"I can't remember a period when we have had so many concussions, but I guess that is what happens. We will have to battle on. \"Dylan (Hartley) is getting better. We are not sure when he will return, but hopefully we will get him doing some exercise this week.\" Wasps: Miller; Wade, Daly, S Piutau, Halai; Gopperth, Hampson; Mullan (capt), Johnson, Cooper-Woolley, Launchbury, Davies, Young, Smith, Hughes. Replacements: Festuccia, McIntyre, Cittadini, Myall, Haskell, Stevenson, Jackson, Tagicakibau. Northampton Saints: Foden; K Pisi, G Pisi, Mallinder, North, Myler, Fotuali'i; Waller, Haywood, Brookes, Lawes, Day, Wood (capt), Harrison, Dickinson. Replacements: Marshall, Ma'afu, Hill, Craig, Fisher, Dickson, Hanrahan, Collins.", "summary": "Rob Miller scored two tries as Wasps beat Northampton to boost their top-four hopes while also sealing leaders Saracens' place in the play-offs."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called to the collision between a Nissan Qashqai and Vauxhall Corsa on the A308 Marlow Road near Maidenhead on Wednesday. The driver of the Vauxhall - a 38-year-old woman - was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and died in hospital on Monday. A nine-year-old girl in the same car was taken to hospital with serious injuries and has since been discharged. The three occupants of the Nissan all sustained minor injuries. No arrests have been made in connection with the crash.", "summary": "A woman has died from her injuries five days after a car crash in Berkshire."}
{"article": "Items worth more than \u00a336 sent from the islands will incur VAT from 1 January 2013. The limit was \u00a340. A gift is defined as an item sent between two private people, such as a birthday or Christmas gift. Jersey and Guernsey Post allow people to pay the VAT in advance so that the recipient is not charged by the UK Post Office. A spokesman for Jersey Post said the recipient could have to pay the VAT and an \u00a38 charge set by the Post Office, if the sender did not pre-pay for the item. VAT is charged on all commercial parcels sent from Jersey to the UK after the end of Low Value Consignment Relief in April 2012. This loophole previously allowed for commercial items worth less than \u00a315 to be sent VAT free. HM Revenue and Customs says the change is due to a revaluation of the euro compared to the pound.", "summary": "The maximum value of gifts sent from the Channel Islands to the UK without incurring VAT has dropped."}
{"article": "The 43-year-old, from Reading, was arrested by Thames Valley Police, which is investigating the unexplained death of Gerald Jones. Mr Jones, 51, died suddenly at an address in Wrenswood Close, Reading, on 19 June. Police arrested the woman after receiving information following a post-mortem examination. She was later released on bail until 30 January.", "summary": "A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a man in June."}
{"article": "Fry faced strong criticism online for comparing costume designer Jenny Beavan to a \"bag lady\" when she picked up her Bafta for Mad Max. Twitter users demanded Fry apologise for his comments over her clothes. But Fry, a prolific Twitter user, said online afterwards Beavan was \"a dear friend\" who had \"got\" the joke. The comedian and broadcaster underlined the point by posting a photo of the pair at the Bafta after-party. He wrote: \"Jenny Baglady Beavan and Stephen Outrageous Misogynist Swine Fry at the after party.\" But on Monday morning, Fry appeared to have removed himself from the site. Fry has been presenting the show for 11 years and audiences have become used to his cutting wit in the course of his role, often involving risque quips about many of the stars involved. Beavan, who won the Bafta for Best Costume Design for Mad Max: Fury Road, came onto the stage at London's Royal Opera House wearing a black leather jacket, white t-shirt and dark trousers. After her acceptance speech and she had left the stage, Fry said: \"Only one of the great cinematic costume designers would come to the awards dressed like a bag lady.\" The joke however was not well-received and Twitter was soon alight with angry reaction and demands that Fry apologise. Twitter user Wendy Evans was one of many others who felt Fry overstepped the mark when she wrote: \"Stephen Fry's 'bag lady' comment was vile. Once again the achievement's of a female overshadowed by comments on her appearance.\" But Fry hit back by first posting the photo of himself and Beavan at the party and then by angrily telling his critics they were \"tragic people\". Nonetheless, Fry also received support from others, including several celebrities. Radio 1 Scott Mills DJ wrote: \"I thought Stephen Fry was an excellent host tonight. Dealing with the biggest stars in the world is scary. I find this. He is a natural.\" Comedian Matt Lucas joked: \"Stephen Fry Didn't you get the memo? No-one is allowed to do jokes anymore.\" British singer Adele - who has 25m followers - announced she was leaving Twitter in 2012 due to comments about her new-born son. She since returned, but revealed last year that she no longer sends her own messages due to \"drunk tweeting\". Girls creator Lena Dunham said she was leaving Twitter last year to create a \"safe space\", after receiving online abuse for posting a picture on Instagram in a sports bra. Although her account is still active, it's believed to be run by a member of her creative team. Actor and writer Matt Lucas left Twitter four years ago after a joke was tweeted about the death of his former civil partner, Kevin McGee. He has since rejoined the site. US singer Chris Brown deleted his account in 2012 after receiving a barrage of tweets following a heated exchange with comedian Jenny Johnson. He was back on the site less than a week later. In 2012, Kanye West quit the site by deleting all his tweets except for one announcing", "summary": "Bafta show host Stephen Fry appears to have deleted his Twitter profile in the wake of his controversial comments during Sunday night's show."}
{"article": "The city council is considering plans to build a Go Ape attraction in Roundhay Park, featuring aerial zip wires and rope walks. A petition against the plans has been signed by 1,500 people, who have said say they are concerned it will be too noisy and cause traffic problems. The consultation has been extended by the council until 17 January. Ben Davies from Go Ape said the issue of parking had been considered and would be addressed. \"We are confident that we can overcome those issues and with any luck provide some additional car parking spaces for users,\" he said. \"We hope that we can be of benefit to the local area in that respect.\" Richard Critchley, Chair of Friends of Roundhay Park, said: \"We are frightened that we are commercialising and selling off the park bit by bit. \"It would destroy the woodland because trees would be felled and then the excessive noise that would be created by people, the character of the area would be destroyed.\" Jan Rippin, who also lives nearby, added: \"It is a free walking place, a woodland, you can see wildlife, you can see woodpeckers. With a big commercial event in one corner, I think it will destroy that part of the park. Go Ape said the attraction would create 30 jobs for local people, there would not be any music or public address systems and it would encourage children to exercise outdoors. Lucinda Yeadon, executive member for the environment and sustainability at Leeds City Council, said: \"At the moment we are looking at new ways of bringing in income, and if we want to maintain our green spaces then we need to look at new ways of being able to do that.\" She said the plan would bring in a \"significant\" amount of money but that the council had to decide if it was the right decision. \"I think we need to consider ways of bringing new attractions to the city, I think an attraction like Go Ape would be fantastic but we need to find an appropriate place for it to go,\" she said. Go Ape is aimed at people of all ages and has 29 locations in the UK and 12 in the United States.", "summary": "Plans to build a high-wire adventure course in a Leeds park are being opposed by local residents."}
{"article": "Another car ploughed into the parked vehicles in Emlyn Street in Talywain near Pontypool on Sunday. A 45-year-old woman has been charged with aggravated taking of a vehicle, driving without a licence and insurance, theft and possession of a class C drug. She has also been bailed on suspicion of driving while unfit through drugs. Gwent Police have talked to some witnesses but have appealed for more people who saw the incident at 15:50 BST to contact them on 101.", "summary": "Motorists are counting the cost after a trail of car damage was left on a street in Torfaen."}
{"article": "The bank has previously said that a \"significant percent\" of its London workforce would be moved if Brexit became a reality. The bank employs around 5,000 staff at its offices in London. Earlier, the Lloyds of London insurance market said that after Brexit some of its business would move to the EU. \"We currently employ more than 5,000 people in London, and probably 20% to 30% of our workforce could be affected,\" the UBS chief executive, Sergio Ermotti, told the Japanese business newspaper Nikkei. \"We believe that London will continue to be an important financial centre, although maybe not as important as it is today,\" he added. The UK voted narrowly to leave the EU in the Brexit referendum in June. Since then the government and many UK businesses have been grappling both with the process of negotiating the divorce - which has not yet been formally triggered - and the eventual economic, social and political consequences of such a move. Mr Ermotti said that it was too early for the bank to take any decision about moving its operations from London, but it was \"well prepared\" for any outcome of the impending Brexit negotiations.", "summary": "The Swiss banking group UBS says that up to 1,500 of its jobs in London may be moved abroad once the UK leaves the European Union."}
{"article": "Earlier, the government announced 21 locations for enterprise zones in England in an effort to boost economic growth. Gloucestershire's bid focused on Gloucester and Cinderford. But Communities Minister Bob Neill said the county could still benefit from other job-creating projects. \"It's no disgrace to Gloucestershire at all, they did hard work, I know that,\" he said. \"And what I'd say to them is do not be discouraged. \"We are working with local enterprise partnerships and local councils beyond the enterprise zone projects, for example giving councils the ability to discount business rates to attract businesses into the area, giving the ability to set up simplified planning regimes.\" Plans for 21 nationwide zones were first set out in March's Budget. Zones have been confirmed for sites in Cheshire, Cornwall, Gosport, Norfolk, Hereford, Kent and Oxfordshire. Other locations include Essex, Suffolk, Northampton, Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire and the Humber Estuary. Ministers said 30,000 new jobs would be created by 2015 by giving cheaper business rates, super-fast broadband and lower levels of planning control.", "summary": "Gloucestershire's failure to secure an \"enterprise zone\" for the county is not a reflection on local businesses, the government has said."}
{"article": "The girl made emergency calls to Wiltshire Police from telephone kiosks on 16 and 23 November, reporting that a non-existent fight was in progress. She was identified when officers reviewed CCTV of the kiosks in Calne and posted images of her on Facebook. She was invited to Calne police station where she admitted both offences. Police said the first call was made from a kiosk in Church Street. When a PCSO attended the scene he found nobody there. The second call was made from a kiosk in Phelps Parade, but again nobody was there when officers attended. There were many responses from people to the CCTV images of Church Street posted on Facebook and, during the appeal, the girl also contacted officers to tell them what she had done. A further review of the footage from Phelps Parade established the same girl was responsible. She was invited to the station with her mother and questioned about both offences. As the girl had not been in trouble with the police before, and because of her age, it was agreed to resolve the matter with a so-called Local Resolution. She was told to write a letter of apology and then attend force headquarters to give her apology in person.", "summary": "A 13-year-old girl who made hoax calls to police has been made to read an apology to the 999 call handler supervisor."}
{"article": "The Los Angeles Lakers star's outburst was caught on camera as he reacted to being judged to have committed a foul. Bryant is shown apparently mouthing the word \"...faggot\" after failing to get the referee's attention. The player has apologised and said his action was out of \"frustration in the heat of the game\". \"What I said last night should not be taken literally,\" said Bryant, who also punched his chair and tossed a towel following referee Bennie Adams's call. NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement that Bryant's comment was \"offensive and inexcusable\". \"While I'm fully aware that basketball is an emotional game, such a distasteful term should never be tolerated. Accordingly, I have fined Kobe $100,000.\" The Human Rights Campaign, a gay civil rights group, said Bryant's \"horribly offensive and distasteful\" language \"perpetuates a culture of discrimination\" and called for a fuller apology. Bryant is one of the highest paid US sportsmen and one of US basketball's most celebrated stars.", "summary": "US basketball player Kobe Bryant has been fined $100,000 (\u00a361,000) for using a homophobic slur during an NBA game on Tuesday."}
{"article": "One advertiser suggested that, in some cases, video viewing statistics had been overestimated by up to 80%. Facebook's analytics are an important tool for advertisers, who use them to work out how much of their video content is being watched. The social network said the error had been fixed and had not changed how much advertisers paid the site. The error affected a Facebook metric called \"average duration of video viewed\", which was supposed to tell publishers for how long, on average, people had watched a video. However, the metric did not include viewers who had watched for less than three seconds in the count. Discounting the shorter views - including people who had ignored a video in their news feed - inflated the average viewing times for each video. In a statement, Facebook said: \"We recently discovered an error in the way we calculate one of our video metrics. \"This error has been fixed, it did not impact billing, and we have notified our partners both through our product dashboards and via sales and publisher outreach,\" it added. The video-watching metric has now been renamed to more accurately reflect what it measures, the company said. The metric is now called \"average watch time\" and Facebook started using this to gather statistics on video consumption late last month. The statement also said the video-viewing metric was one among many that ad firms use to work out if their content is being watched. The Wall Street Journal quoted ad-buying firm Publicis as saying that Facebook's misreporting was \"unacceptable\". Publicis said it showed the need for third-party verification of statistics gathered by Facebook. The social network has previously been criticised for counting a video as being \"viewed\" after three seconds.", "summary": "Facebook has overestimated how much video people have watched for the last two years, the firm has admitted."}
{"article": "It is thought refrigeration units at three Tesco stores in Cardiff and one in Pontypool could not cope with soaring temperatures on Tuesday. Hundreds of fresh food products, including butter, milk, meat and yogurts had to be thrown out. A Tesco spokesman said: \"The vast majority of our fridges and freezers are working as normal.\" \"When our stores report a problem, we have been working quickly to put things right for customers.\" Temperatures in some parts of Wales reached 32C (90F) on Tuesday. The fridges at the Pontypool store are now working again and staff are re-stocking.", "summary": "Supermarkets in south Wales have been forced to throw out large amounts of fresh food as their fridges failed."}
{"article": "Violet D'Mello entered the enclosure for a photo next to the cats at the Kragga Kamma Game Park in Port Elizabeth earlier this year. She suffered injuries to her head, stomach and legs during the incident. The authorities in South Africa have ruled the park was not negligent. A party of visiting schoolboys and a cheetah in heat were said to have been factors in what happened. Mrs D'Mello, 60, said she survived by \"playing dead\". She had been on holiday with her husband Archie at the time.", "summary": "A South African game reserve where an Aberdeen woman was attacked by a cheetah has been cleared of any wrongdoing."}
{"article": "The site of the Chicago Rock club, on New Street, Barnsley, was badly damaged when a fire broke out last week. At its height, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service used eight fire engines to tackle the blaze at the disused building. David Shepherd, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council's director for economic regeneration, said the demolition would take place over the weekend. He said: \"We've worked with Historic England to see if anything on the site can be preserved, but unfortunately we've come to the decision the building cannot be saved.\" Mr Shepherd added the demolition would take place in order to \"ensure people are safe and are not at risk from the building collapsing without any warning\". More on this and other local stories from across Sheffield and South Yorkshire", "summary": "A former nightclub gutted by fire is to be demolished."}
{"article": "Monitor has written to the 46 foundation trusts with the biggest deficits \"challenging\" their plans. It urged money-saving measures such as filling only essential staff vacancies. The Department of Health supported the move, but Labour argued it suggested there was a financial crisis in the NHS that was \"spiralling out of control\". David Bennett, chief executive of Monitor, said the NHS was facing an almost unprecedented financial challenge this year. \"We are already reviewing and challenging the plans of the 46 foundation trusts with the biggest deficits,\" he wrote in a letter to trusts. \"However, it is clear that this process will not close the funding gap and so we need all providers - even those planning for a surplus this year - to look again at their plans to see what more can be done.\" He urged trusts to leave non-essential vacancies unfilled, and to follow guidelines on safe staffing in a way which was \"proportionate and appropriate\". Rosters should be rigorously managed to deploy staff efficiently across all required shifts, including evenings and weekends, he said. In May, NHS trusts in England reported a total deficit of \u00a3822m in 2014-15, compared with \u00a3115m the previous year. A big rise in spending on agency nurses contributed to the deficits. At the time, Monitor said figures for this financial year were likely to be even worse. Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said the warning by Monitor \"suggests that the financial crisis in the NHS is threatening to spiral out of control and hit standards of patient care\". He added: \"The suggestion that hospitals can ignore safe staffing guidance will alarm patients and the government must decide if it will overrule this advice.\" The Department of Health said it was investing \u00a38bn into the NHS in England so that it could implement a five-year plan, and it was vital that \"every penny possible\" was spent on patient care. \"We support this move by NHS regulators, on top of the package of financial controls announced earlier in the year, to ensure the service lives within its means without compromising standards,\" a spokesman said. The provider sector has forecast a total deficit of more than \u00a32bn for 2015-16, according to specialist resource Health Service Journal.", "summary": "Hospitals and health trusts in England have been told by regulators to look again at their financial plans as current ones are unaffordable."}
{"article": "Addresses were searched in Livingston, Bathgate, Blackburn and Salford, with a reception centre set up to support potential victims. Police Scotland said 25 people were interviewed as part of the operation. The men are due to appear at Livingston Sheriff Court on Monday. Two of them are aged 28 and the others 35 and 26. Police Scotland was supported in the operation - which took place on Friday - by the National Crime Agency, Greater Manchester Police and West Lothian Council. The men were detained at addresses in Livingston, Bathgate and Salford in Greater Manchester and have been charged in connection with human trafficking offences, involvement in serious and organised crime, and a sexual offence. Six further addresses were searched in Livingston, Bathgate and Blackburn. Det Ch Insp Stephen Healy said: \"In total, twenty-five people have been interviewed as part of this operation and enquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding their travel to and from Scotland. \"In the meantime, they are being offered support and assistance in terms of health and welfare, housing and victim support. \"This operation is the result of a complex and lengthy investigation into serious and organised crime involving foreign nationals centred on West Lothian.\" Ch Insp Barry Blair, West Lothian local area commander for Police Scotland said: \"The activity under Operation Heathyard has been centred on the Latvian communities in West Lothian and we will continue to support all those affected going forward. \"We will have additional officers on patrol in these neighbourhoods over the weekend to provide reassurance and to speak to anyone who may have any further information or who needs any more advice and assistance. \"I would urge anyone with information or concerns about human trafficking or exploitation in their community to speak to police on 101. We will do all we can with our partners to keep people safe.\" West Lothian executive councillor for services for the community, George Paul, added: \"Along with other public sector partners, West Lothian Council will provide social care support to the victims.\"", "summary": "Four men have been arrested and charged after an operation aimed at tackling human trafficking and serious organised crime in West Lothian."}
{"article": "Thomas Gallagher, 16, was discovered by a member of the public in Old Kays Park in Tottington, Bury, in July 2015. An inquest concluded the schoolboy took his own life and police shortcomings did not contribute to his death. But an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) report found Greater Manchester Police's (GMP) conduct was \"below the standard expected.\" The teenager's parents criticised police, saying there had been serious failings in the handling of the case, the Manchester Evening News reports. In a statement they said: \"We explained his vulnerabilities concerning his recent mental health history. Subsequently two members of the public found Tom five hours later. GMP failed to respond at all.\" The IPCC found police delayed looking for the schoolboy because of staffing shortages in the Bury division, which were \"foreseeable\". \"No officers were deployed...until the discovery of Thomas' body some five hours later,\" the investigator found. The report said the response of four officers and a radio operator was \"unsatisfactory\". It said the conduct of an inspector, a police sergeant, an acting police sergeant, a police constable and a civilian radio operator, \"whilst not amounting to misconduct, did fall below the standard expected.\" IPCC Associate Commissioner, Guido Liguori, recommended GMP \"should address\" the \"under-resourcing\" of the police division in Bury as well as \"ensuring police officers and staff are properly supported\" for \"the benefit of the local community.\" Ch Supt Chris Sykes from GMP's Bury division said: \"Thomas Gallagher's death was a tragedy and our deepest condolences remain with his family. \"Unfortunately, it was not possible for GMP to resource the original missing report, due to staff abstractions and a higher than usual number of incidents on the night.\" Changes have already been implemented in Bury, including new shift patterns, to ensure the force could respond to unanticipated spikes in demand in future, he added. He said: \"Whilst the jury concluded that none of the shortcomings in GMP's response caused or contributed in any way to Tom's death, we fully acknowledge the comments made by the jury in delivering their conclusion at today's inquest. We will also await the coroner's report on any recommendations.\"", "summary": "No officers were deployed to search for a vulnerable teenager who was later found dead, the police watchdog said."}
{"article": "Both houses of Congress voted in quick succession on Wednesday to approve the agreement, as well as pacts with Panama and Colombia. It will now go to President Barack Obama to be signed into law. The agreement is expected to increase US exports to the Asian economy by as much as $10bn (\u00c2\u00a36.5bn). The free-trade deal with South Korea is the largest US trade pact since it signed the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994. However, it still needs to be passed by the South Korean parliament. 'Made in America' President Obama said the pacts with South Korea, Panama and Colombia were \"a major win for American workers and businesses\". \"Tonight's vote, with bipartisan support, will significantly boost exports that bear the proud label 'Made in America', support tens of thousands of good-paying American jobs and protect labour rights, the environment and intellectual property,\" he said in a statement. The Obama administration says that pact alone will support 70,000 American jobs. There was nearly $80bn in trade between the US and South Korea last year. The Asian country is the seventh largest trade partner for the US. The vote coincided with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's arrival in Washington for an official visit. In a speech on Wednesday he said the agreement would \"send a powerful message to the world that the US and South Korea stand together in rejecting protectionism and that we are open to free and fair trade\". The pact was first agreed in 2007, but concerns in the US over tariffs imposed by South Korea on US carmakers delayed the proceedings.", "summary": "US lawmakers have approved a long-delayed free trade agreement with South Korea, calling it the most significant in 16 years."}
{"article": "The Fiji international, 25, faces a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday. He is accused of \"lifting a player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground\" when tackling Gareth Owen in the 51st minute. World Rugby's recommended bans for those found guilty of such offences range from four to 52 weeks. Ospreys' next match sees them host Dragons on New Year's Day at the Liberty Stadium. If banned, Matavesi could also miss the Pro12 trip to Leinster on Friday, 8 January as well as their crucial European Champions Cup game that follows at Clermont Auvergne on Friday, 15 January.", "summary": "Ospreys centre Josh Matavesi has been cited for an alleged dangerous tackle during Boxing Day's 27-26 Pro12 win at Scarlets in the west Wales derby."}
{"article": "The victim, aged 50, was stabbed 10 times in Barking and spent weeks in hospital recovering from his injuries. The suspect is described as aged between 20 and 30, wearing a dark hooded top with the hood up, light-coloured trousers and light trainers. No-one has been arrested in connection with the attack, said police. The Metropolitan police said they hoped issuing the footage of the incident may encourage anyone with information to come forward. The victim was attacked from behind while walking home from a social club on 28 October on Pelham Avenue at around 21:45 GMT. The suspect then ran off along Sterry Road towards Denham Way. The victim staggered a short distance before collapsing where he was discovered by his wife. Police were called and the first officers on the scene administered first aid before the London Ambulance Service arrived. The victim was taken to the Royal London Hospital in a critical condition where he spent two days in a coma. Det Con Roxanne Dawe, from Barking and Dagenham CID, said: \"This was an incredibly violent attack on a married father-of-two who was just walking home after a night out as he did every Friday. \"He had not had an argument or a dispute with anyone that night and we can find no motive at all for what happened. Nothing was stolen from him. \"We hope the release of CCTV footage showing what happened will prompt someone to come forward with information.\" She added the victim \"very nearly lost his life\" and that the attack was being treated as attempted murder.", "summary": "CCTV footage of a man being stabbed in what police have called a \"frenzied and unprovoked\" attack in east London has been released."}
{"article": "Chris Oakley was criticised by Ofsted for keeping the animals at Luton Pentecostal Church Christian Academy. The report - which rated the fee-paying the school as \"inadequate\" - said \"no risk assessment\" was made. The BBC has contacted the school for a comment. The Ofsted report said: \"The proprietor has not ensured that all necessary risk assessments are carried out and that they are updated regularly. \"For example, a seven-foot-long boa constrictor and a number of tarantulas are kept in the principal's office. \"No risk assessment has been made to ensure that keeping such animals in school does not pose a risk to children.\" The report said the school also kept a number of other pets - to \"enhance the work of the school\" - which had not been assessed for their risk to children. The independent school has 58 pupils aged three to 13 years old. It had been previously rated as \"good\" but government inspectors on their latest visit found it to be \"inadequate\" in all areas. In addition to the safeguarding issues relating to the snake and spiders, Ofsted said the school had not met the \"independent school standards\". It said the school had no first-aid policy, leaders \"did not promote harmony\" and that pupils' attainment is \"below expectations for their age\". Ofsted did say, however, that pupils were \"polite, friendly and well-mannered\" and that behaviour was \"good throughout the school\". It said leaders were \"deeply committed\" to further improvements. Advice issued to schools by Public Health England says reptiles \"are not suitable\" as pets and that \"all species carry salmonella\".", "summary": "A head teacher kept a seven-foot (2.1m) boa constrictor and tarantulas in his school office without checking if they posed a risk to children, government inspectors found."}
{"article": "It was feared England would travel to India under a new captain in Alastair Cook, get beaten and suffer badly from the experience. Media playback is not supported on this device Those fears were not unfounded. England had previously endured a tough year, with the humbling defeat by Pakistan in the UAE followed by the surrender of top spot in the world rankings at home to South Africa. In many ways, though, both of those experiences have made England stronger. The South Africa defeat came amid the backdrop of the Kevin Pietersen saga - with the batsman dropped and then reinstated over texts sent to the opposition camp - but, I have been told by one of the players, that episode has well and truly been put to bed. Spirit in the camp is now genuinely high - that is not just toeing the party line. And the lessons from the UAE, when England struggled to deal with quality spin on Asian wickets, look finally to have been learnt. What makes England's achievement in India all the more impressive is the manner in which these wins have been earned. \"The mood must be very buoyant in the England dressing room. They have worked harder than India more than anything. The biggest gulf was probably the seamers, Finn and Anderson, and when your fast bowlers are on top it doesn't half make life easier.\" They have lost three tosses in alien conditions but, after the hammering in Ahmedabad, have inflicted two crushing defeats on India, who rarely lose at home. Before this series, India had played 59 home Test matches this century, losing only nine. Now they have lost two in a row. That speaks volumes for how they have been outplayed by a brilliant England side. Of course, I also have to point out that as good as England have been, India have been awful - especially their batting. But after Ahmedabad, a few basic things were rammed home to the England team. Deep down, they knew they had a better bowling attack than India, but that was never going to do them any good unless they had runs to play with. The tourists worked out what they had to do - bat long, sell your wicket dearly. The results are plain to see. Cook is in stellar form. Pietersen is transformed. Nick Compton looks at home at the top of the order and Ian Bell batted well on the last day in Kolkata. Perhaps batting coach Graham Gooch deserves some of the credit. He is tireless in his work with the players, especially those who want to improve. Often during the third Test he has been in the nets throwing balls at 7.30 in the morning. 1984-85: India 1-2 England (5 Tests) 1992-93: India 3-0 England (3 Tests) 2001-02: India 1-0 England (3 Tests) 2005-06: India 1-1 England (3 Tests) 2008-09: India 1-0 England (2 Tests) It's also the tiny, minute details where England have gained the advantage. One lunch time, I looked out of the commentary box to see three", "summary": "The turnaround completed by England to beat India so convincingly in Mumbai and Kolkata after the big defeat in Ahmedabad is truly remarkable."}
{"article": "The waste, which includes soft toys, plastic bags and photographs, was discovered by the charity that operates Telford Steam Railway. The site - owned by Network Rail - is near the A4169 near Horsehay, the Shropshire Star reports. Network Rail said it was supporting an investigation by West Mercia Police to identify the culprits. Read more on this and other news for Shropshire Network Rail said it had been monitoring the site to find out who was responsible for the fly-tipping. Simon Masters, media relations manager, said: \"Fly-tipping causes a great amount of misery to those who live nearby, as well as costing the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds in clean-up costs.\" Paul Hughes, from Telford Steam Railway, a group which leases a signal box on the site, said he first discovered the dump before Christmas. \"We were doing a routine inspection when we discovered there was some commercial fly-tipping which progressively increased to what has become a huge mountain of waste,\" he said. \"We are all used to seeing somebody drop off an old sofa or bedspread but this is on a completely different scale.\" Telford and Wrekin Council said it was working with the police and the Environment Agency.", "summary": "Some 150 tonnes of rubbish has been dumped near a popular steam railway attraction in Shropshire."}
{"article": "The Pilgrims, second in League Two, will return to England on Thursday. \"We're going there to train for three days in preparation for the remaining games of the season,\" Argyle manager Derek Adams told BBC Radio Devon. \"I've done it before as a manager. It's about getting us focused with 18 games to go, and allowing us to train in hot weather and a very good area.\" Adams added to his squad during the January transfer window, and believes the trip will help integrate his new players. Jakub Sokolik, Nathan Blissett, Antoni Sarcevic, Ryan Taylor and Matthew Kennedy were brought in as Argyle look to strengthen their promotion challenge. \"It's been in the planning for a while and we've been able to factor it in,\" said Adams. \"We've got new players in and it's about trying to get them to know what the other players are about, and also to get my ideas across to them.\" Sarcevic, signed from Shrewsbury during the final days of the window, added: \"It's nice to get away from everything and get a good few days in Spain. But it will be hard work.\"", "summary": "Plymouth Argyle are preparing for Saturday's derby against Exeter with some warm-weather training in Spain."}
{"article": "Ukraine's interior minister said earlier that three tanks had entered rebel areas of the east, and fighting was under way. Arsen Avakov said that the tanks entered Ukraine along with other armour through a border checkpoint controlled by rebels in the Luhansk region. Russia denied the report. The foreign ministry said it was \"another fake piece of information\". Meanwhile, a vehicle belonging to a separatist leader was blown up in the eastern city of Donetsk late on Thursday. The BBC's Steve Rosenberg says the van belonged to Denis Pushilin, the self-declared leader of the Donetsk People's Republic. Mr Pushilin was not inside but pro-Russian separatists, who control the city, said four people were injured. It is not clear what caused the explosion. Earlier, Moscow accused President Poroshenko of not delivering on his pledge to stop fighting in the east. It wants an investigation into allegations that Ukrainian forces used banned incendiary bombs against civilians. \"The lack of any progress whatsoever in efforts to stop the violence and halt military operations... is causing increasing concern,\" Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. He said that reports in the Russian media that incendiary bombs were being used was another \"cause for special concern\". The bombs are designed to trigger major firestorms and were often used during the Vietnam War before they were banned by the United Nations. Ukraine has denied using the weapons. It has accused Russia of allowing the rebels to deploy three Soviet-era T-72 tanks across the border into the east of the country. Ukraine's presidency said in a statement that Mr Poroshenko, who was elected last month, had a \"substantial\" conversation by telephone with Mr Putin on Kiev's plan of bringing peace to the east. Mr Avakov said the tanks had crossed the border from Russia along with armoured personnel carriers and artillery pieces in the Dyakove area of Luhansk region, before moving into the neighbouring Donetsk region. Two headed towards the town of Horlivka and were attacked by government forces, he added. Unverified video has been posted on YouTube of a battle tank rolling down a street said to be in Snizhne. The footage was shot from a flat overlooking the street. A second clip, also said to have been recorded in Snizhne, shows a similar tank passing a roundabout. There was no confirmation about the tanks from the insurgents. Pro-Russian separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions declared independence after holding referendums last month which were deemed illegal by the government in Kiev. Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of supporting and arming the rebels - a claim denied by Moscow. The rebellion began amid the turmoil which followed February's ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych, whose last-minute decision not to sign a landmark treaty with the European Union in November sparked mass street protests in Kiev.", "summary": "Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has told President Vladimir Putin that reports of Russian tanks moving into Ukrainian territory are unacceptable."}
{"article": "A team of three male candidates was selected last month which resulted in Michelle Gildernew being left off the ticket. The meeting gives the former MP and minister another opportunity to be put on Sinn F\u00e9in's list. Ms Gildernew had been replaced on the ticket by current MLA Phil Flanagan. Analysis: 'Major embarrassment' for Sinn F\u00e9in He had missed out on selection at a previous convention almost two months ago. In December, Ms Gildernew was selected to run alongside sitting MLA Sean Lynch and local councillor John Feely. However, Sinn Fein's ruling council (Ard Comhairle) ordered a revote. The party did not specify why, but it has been reported that concerns had been raised about procedural errors. A new convention at the end of January in Enniskillen replaced Ms Gildernew with Mr Flanagan, who will now stand alongside Mr Lynch and Mr Feely. In December, the outgoing MLA Bronwyn McGahan announced she would not be seeking re-election. However, Ms McGahan did put her name forward for the latest convention but was not successful.", "summary": "Sinn F\u00e9in is to meet next week to select a fourth candidate in Fermanagh and South Tyrone for this year's assembly election."}
{"article": "It follows the death of a beached whale in Hunstanton, Norfolk, on Friday and the discovery of three carcasses near Skegness over the weekend. The sperm whales are believed to be from a pod spotted off the Norfolk coast. The fifth whale was found at Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, on Monday afternoon, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency reported. It was found on the site of a former bombing range, and warnings have been issued for people to stay away. The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust tweeted: \"There is no public access to the area and it is extremely dangerous with tidal creeks and the potential for unexploded ordinance. Many of the lanes to the marshes are private and not accessible.\" Why do sperm whales wash up on beaches? Marine biologists were using a probe to examine one of the Skegness whales earlier on Monday when there was a \"huge blast of air\", said BBC reporter David Sykes. The letters CND had also been spray-painted by someone on the whale's tail. CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) said the action was not carried out by the organisation at a national level. The word \"fukushima\" - presumably a reference to the stricken Japanese nuclear power station - was also written on the side of the whale's body. One of the Skegness whales is at the end of Lagoon Walk, with the other two towards Gibraltar Point. They have been cordoned off to prevent crowds of people touching the carcasses. People are also being prevented from going too close to the Hunstanton whale.", "summary": "A fifth sperm whale has washed up on the east coast of England."}
{"article": "The centre in Deptford, south-east London, provides training for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. It was founded by Baroness Lawrence in memory of her son who was killed in a racist attack by white youths in 1993. The Cambridges also visited XLP urban Christian charity in Gypsy Hill. Baroness Lawrence showed the royal couple the Harris Academy law workshop that aims to raise pupils' career ambitions through lectures and mentoring. She also showed them a digital journalism project called The Write Way that encourages young people to develop their literacy and IT skills. \"It was a quite amazing visit,\" she said. \"The duke and duchess spent a really good time talking to our young people and showed genuine interest in what they were doing.\" Stephen Lawrence was stabbed to death at the age of 18 by a group of white youths near a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London. He aspired to become an architect and the charity was set up by his mother in his memory in 1998, originally to provide support and bursaries to budding architects. Staff and volunteers at the centre wished the couple good luck with their new baby, which William said was due \"any day now\". Catherine is believed to be around eight months pregnant and is expected to give birth at the end of April. Before leaving the centre Stephen Lawrence's 10-year-old niece Mia presented the duchess with flowers and revealed that she liked to cook shepherd's pie, to which William replied: \"I quite like shepherd's pie, I will have to pop round and try it.\" William and Catherine then visited Christ Church in Gypsy Hill, south London, to find out about the work of XLP. XLP describes itself as a Christian urban youth charity operating in seven London boroughs that helps young people from deprived inner city estates to realise their potential. Many of the people it seeks to help are coping with family breakdown, unemployment, gang life and educational failure. \"For these young people to know that the royal couple is interested in their lives and wants to hear what they have to say is hugely significant, as well as inspiring for them,\" the charity said.", "summary": "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the Stephen Lawrence Centre and a youth charity in south London - on Catherine's last day of official events before the birth of her second child."}
{"article": "NHS boards said 42 practices were now under their control - a measure used in special circumstances and emergencies. Scottish Labour called it a \"crisis\" and claimed the number of patients registered at an \"understaffed\" GP practice was at least two million. The Scottish government said there was no crisis in healthcare. Public Health minister Maureen Watt said another \u00c2\u00a350m would be spent on primary care to ensure patients get the service they deserve. Most of Scotland's 987 General Practices are owned and run by GP partners. However, some surgeries have previously been run by health boards rather than GP partners, often because they were situated in rural areas such as the Highlands, where they might otherwise have struggled to attract an independent practice run by GPs. But in recent years, health boards have also had to step in in urban areas as an emergency measure to ensure patients continued to have access to a GP, after practices lost a number of doctors within a short space of time. This has happened at Bannockburn and Kersiebank medical practices in NHS Forth Valley, Brimmond medical practice in NHS Grampian, as well as Bangholm and Kirkliston surgeries within NHS Lothian. Leith Links in Edinburgh will also be taken over next month. Dr Carey Lunan, from the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: \"In Edinburgh, where I work, a number of surgeries have had to close their lists. \"When that happens it means the burden falls to the remaining practices in that area, to register patients. \"The knock-on effect for patients is that they might find it difficult to register with the practice that is nearest to them. \"They might have to wait longer to see a GP. It's not unusual for me to hear that patients have to wait two or three weeks for a routine appointment. \"Patients might also not be able to see the same GP, so that's not great for continuity of care.\" Dr Lunan added: \"There are problems encouraging GPs into the profession, problems retaining GPs in the profession, and that's having a knock-on effect on workload and the quality of care that we can provide and our ability to develop services. \"The resourcing makes it very difficult for it to be an attractive career option for people coming in. \"One in eight training posts, from the 2014 figures, were unfilled. That's very different from how it was a few years ago when it was very difficult to get into General Practice training. It was very competitive.\" Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) said it has been approached by people who had faced problems accessing GP services because of high demand. Christine Lang, national co-ordinator of CAS's Patient Advice and Support Service, said: \"We had a case where there was a client who signed up with a new GP surgery and misread the time of the appointment. \"She was told that because she missed the appointment she wouldn't be able to use the service at all. \"We helped her to raise a complaint, and the GP practice explained they had a policy,", "summary": "BBC Scotland research has shown that difficulties with GP recruitment have led to more doctors' surgeries being taken over by health boards."}
{"article": "Figures show about 57% of closures since September 2006 were in the nine more rural council areas. Conservative education spokesman Darren Millar said Labour was \"letting down\" rural communities with a \"grim record\". Ministers said they were developing plans to ensure rural schools were not \"adversely affected by an over emphasis on surplus places\". Earlier in July, Education Secretary Kirsty Williams told BBC Wales a new law to support rural education could be introduced. An agreement between the Liberal Democrat AM and the Labour First Minister Carwyn Jones included a pledge to look at the impact of current policy on rural schools. According to figures obtained by Mr Millar, using a written question to Ms Williams, 89 out of 157 school closures between the academic years 2006-07 and 2015-16 were in the nine predominantly-rural council areas. Ceredigion shut 20 schools over the period, Powys 18 and Carmarthenshire 17. Mr Millar said: \"It is a scandal that your school is more likely to close if you live in a rural community than if you live in an urban one. \"It's vital that rural Wales gets a better deal from the Welsh Labour-led government in the future and that alternatives to closure, such as schools working together to share staff and resources, are given the chance to work before closure is considered.\" Ms Williams, AM for Brecon and Radnorshire, secured a place in Mr Jones's Labour cabinet based on an agreement which included a promise to review current policy on surplus school places \"with emphasis on rural schools\". Responding to Mr Millar's comments she said ministers were \"committed to reviewing the current policy on surplus school places, with an emphasis on rural schools\". \"This is an opportunity for us to look at the impact of the policy and what that means on the ground in rural areas about the future of education provision. \"We are developing proposals on how we can ensure that schools in rural Wales are not adversely affected by an over emphasis on surplus places.\" There is no single definition of rural Wales, but statisticians have previously defined the nine more rural of the 22 local authorities as Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Powys, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Monmouthshire. STATE SCHOOL CLOSURES 2006-07 TO 2015-16 *Isle of Anglesey: 5 *Gwynedd: 8 *Conwy: 6 *Denbighshire: 2 Flintshire: 6 Wrexham: 1 *Powys: 18 *Ceredigion: 20 *Pembrokeshire: 7 *Carmarthenshire: 17 Swansea: 6 Neath Port Talbot: 8 Bridgend: 5 Vale of Glamorgan: 0 Rhondda Cynon Taff: 15 Merthyr Tydfil: 5 Caerphilly: 2 Blaenau Gwent: 5 Torfaen: 6 *Monmouthshire: 6 Newport: 4 Cardiff: 5 TOTAL: 157 (*defined as rural)", "summary": "A \"disproportionate\" number of Wales' rural schools have closed in the past decade, the Conservatives have claimed."}
{"article": "The roundabout at the bottom of Anderson Drive is a bottleneck. Transport Minister Keith Brown urged local residents and road users to have their say on the proposals. Any work on the Haudagain roundabout would not get under way until 2018 when construction of the Aberdeen bypass is complete. Mr Brown said: \"The bottleneck at Haudagain has caused congestion for motorists using the A90 for many years. \"This option, which is the original preferred option, will provide the best journey time savings, reducing congestion and the risk of accidents. \"It will also provide safe crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists. \"We will consider all comments made as we further develop our proposals for Haudagain with a view to publishing draft orders in summer 2015 so that we are ready to start work in spring 2018.\" The exhibition opened at the Lord Provost Henry E Rae Community Centre at noon, and continues on Friday. Meanwhile, Transport Scotland said three tenders had now been received for the contract to build the Aberdeen bypass.", "summary": "Plans to improve the notorious Haudagain roundabout in Aberdeen with a new dual carriageway link have gone on show."}
{"article": "The buggy update - which was delivered via a wireless transmission - is causing affected vehicles' infotainments systems to stop working. This prevents drivers from getting navigation directions, climate controls and digital radio. The Toyota division has acknowledged the problem and said owners needed to bring their cars in. \"Errant data broadcast by our traffic and weather data service provider was not handled as expected by the microcomputer in the vehicle navigation head unit (centre display) of 2014-16 Model Year Lexus vehicles and 2016 Model Year Toyota Land Cruiser,\" a spokeswoman explained. \"In some situations, this issue can cause the head unit to restart repeatedly, affecting operation of the navigation system (if equipped), audio and climate control features. The data suspected to be the source of the error was corrected last night.\" The firm said \"many\" vehicles had been affected. It confirmed the problem only affected US-based drivers who subscribed to Enform, a data-transmitting service not available in Europe. Several motorists have posted videos showing the cars' screens booting up, flashing purple and then crashing. The fault repeats whether the vehicles are stationary or moving. At least one car owner believed their car had been \"hacked\". Some owners have reported that when they disconnected their car battery, it reset the unit and made it work again. But others have said this only provides a temporary fix as the problem returns several hours later. \"The correction is a forced reset and clearing of the errant data from the system,\" Lexus later explained. \"Toyota and Lexus owners experiencing these issues should visit their dealer for a complimentary system reset and a confirmation of the system. We regret any inconvenience.\" The issue threatens to tarnish Lexus's reputation. It had been ranked as the \"most reliable\" car brand in Consumer Reports' survey of the automobile industry last year. \"Lexus has an excellent reputation for reliability, but these days that's not just about having trustworthy mechanical parts but its also electronics and software,\" commented Prof David Bailey from Aston Business School. \"There are typically more lines of code in a car than an aircraft, and you only have to get one part wrong for it to cause these types of problems.\"", "summary": "A faulty data broadcast is causing problems for Lexus car owners in the US."}
{"article": "Mohammad Javad Zarif told Tasnim news agency that he sent a tweet saying: \"Happy Rosh Hashana\". In a Twitter exchange that followed, he also distanced himself from the Holocaust denials of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It comes amid confusion over whether new President Hassan Rouhani also tweeted \"Happy Rosh Hashana\". A message came from a Twitter account thought to belong to Mr Rouhani earlier this week, but officials later said he did not have any such account. Iran has a Jewish community of up to about 30,000, according to some estimates, though much lower than the population which numbered about 80,000 prior to the 1979 Islamic revolution. The fact that Iranian leaders are congratulating Jews on the occasion of Rosh Hashana would not necessarily be controversial, say correspondents, but many in the international community are watching for signs that Mr Rouhani is seeking warmer ties with the West and Israel. Senior politicians are often the victims of Twitter hoaxes, whereby other web users set up fake accounts in their name. But in an interview given to Tasnim and published on Mr Zarif's Facebook page, the foreign minister confirmed he sent the \"Happy Rosh Hashana\" message because of Iran's Jewish community. By Rana RahimpourBBC Persian Service The timing of these messages on Twitter may signal a shift in Iran's diplomatic discourse. A few weeks ahead of President Rouhani's trip to New York and Iran's first meeting with the IAEA since his election, it seems the new leadership is trying to present a more pragmatic and approachable side to the Islamic Republic. Furthermore, this rare instance of Iran's foreign minister using Twitter to respond to the daughter of a senior politician in the US, a country with which Tehran has had no diplomatic relations for three decades, means Iran is attempting to distance itself from the radical views of the last president. In summary, Iran's new administration appears keen to create a more benign atmosphere for negotiations. He then had a response from Christine Pelosi, the daughter of Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader of the US House of Representatives, who said: \"Thanks. The new year would be even sweeter if you would end Iran's Holocaust denial, sir\". He replied: \"Iran never denied it. The man who was perceived to be denying it is now gone. Happy New Year.\" He was referring to Mr Ahmadinejad who, during his presidency, frequently claimed the Holocaust was a lie. \"We have condemned the killing of Jews by Nazis as we condemn [the] killing and crackdown on Palestinians by Zionists,\" Mr Zarif told Tasnim. Mr Ahmadinejad's anti-Israel comments and Tehran's controversial nuclear programme helped contribute to Iran's increased isolation in recent years. Iran has been the target of four rounds of UN sanctions and numerous UN Security Council resolutions calling on it to cease enrichment work amid fears it aims to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has refused to obey, saying it intends to enrich only for power station fuel or other peaceful purposes. President Rouhani on Thursday announced that the foreign ministry would take over nuclear negotiations with the West", "summary": "Iran's foreign minister has confirmed he sent a message on Twitter wishing Jews a happy new year."}
{"article": "The show asked whether rape was ever a woman's fault. The poll followed on from comments The Pretenders' singer Chrissie Hynde had made in the Sunday Times. She said she blamed herself for a sexual assault she had experienced aged 21 and was criticised when she said women \"have to take responsibility\". The Loose Women poll drew criticism on Twitter, with one viewer Rebecca Gill calling it \"off the scale of acceptability\". Rape Crisis for England and Wales tweeted that it was \"not an appropriate opinion poll; legally and morally the answer is a resounding 'no'\" and questioned whether the show would \"have a poll on whether it is ever someone's own fault if they are mugged or murdered?\" Katie Russell the national spokesperson for Rape Crisis England & Wales added: \"A programme like Loose Women could choose to use its high profile to raise awareness and understanding of rape, its impacts and prevalence, and to support and encourage survivors to seek services like those Rape Crisis offers; instead, they've reinforced myths and stereotypes with this ill-considered, insensitive and insulting poll.\" Peterborough Rape Crisis Care Group called the poll \"harmful to women\". In a statement issued to The Guardian an ITV spokesperson admitted the poll \"was misjudged\". \"Loose Women is a daily talk show centred around topical debate and this discussion, linked to a recent news story, involved a full and frank range of views from the panellists. \"We always want to know what our viewers think about topical issues, however, we accept that the wording of the online poll was misjudged and we apologise for any offence caused.\" Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom said it had received 53 complaints about the poll and will \"assess these complaints before deciding whether to investigate or not\". Last year, Judy Finnigan apologised for comments she made on Loose Women about rape. She upset viewers when she talked about convicted rapist Ched Evans and said the rape was \"not violent\". \"I apologise unreservedly for any offence that I may have caused as a result of the wording I used,\" said the former This Morning presenter.", "summary": "ITV has apologised after a poll on Loose Women about rape offended viewers."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old had looked set for a move to Burnley, with the two sides in contact about a deal. But a Forest statement said: \"The 24-year-old has declared his intention to stay following a conversation with (chairman) Fawaz Al Hasawi. \"The club welcome Lansbury's decision and will now move forward with him in their plans.\" Lansbury, who had loan spells with Scunthorpe, Watford, Norwich and West Ham when an Arsenal player, is currently the Reds captain. Al Hasawi tweeted a picture of himself and the player, saying: \"Henri is staying with us.\"", "summary": "Nottingham Forest have confirmed that midfielder Henri Lansbury will stay with the Championship club."}
{"article": "On Monday the Wall Street Journal reported he was being investigated by the US for possible drug-trafficking and money-laundering. Mr Cabello dismissed the accusations, saying no proof had been offered. In March the US imposed sanctions on a group of Venezuelan officials. Venezuelan opposition leaders and US officials have previously made similar accusations against the governments of President Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez. Mr Cabello is both president of the National Assembly and the second most senior official in the governing Socialist Party. Last month he filed a defamation suit against 22 people linked to various media outlets who had republished details of the US accusations. Correspondents say he sees the accusations as part of a campaign to discredit the country's socialist achievements and to destabilise it months before a parliamentary election. The US has sanctioned at least 50 Venezuelan government officials whom it accuses of drug-trafficking and human rights abuses. In December, President Barack Obama signed a decree classifying Venezuela as a \"security threat\". Last month the 11 members of the Alba group of Latin America countries urged him to repeal the decree and made clear they backed Venezuela. Thousands of Venezuelans marched through the streets in December in protest against the US sanctions against Venezuelan officials.", "summary": "Venezuela's parliament has passed a motion defending its president, Diosdado Cabello, against what it described as \"a campaign of lies by national and international media\"."}
{"article": "It's difficult to tell two-month-old twins Tanya and Lara apart. When their father, John, introduces them his mother-in-law Nadya bursts out laughing. \"He's mixed them up again!\" Nadya, 64, is visiting from Russia. Widowed two years ago she recently retired from her job as a doctor and has been helping to look after her tiny granddaughters in Edinburgh. \"Everybody I care about is here, in the UK,\" she says. But in January her visitor visa will expire and she will have to return to Russia with no guarantee that she will be allowed back. John and his wife Yana, both British citizens, had hoped that Nadya would be able to live with them but under the government's new immigration rules, introduced in July, that will no longer be possible. To be granted indefinite leave to remain, dependent relatives must now prove they need long-term personal care to perform everyday tasks like dressing and feeding themselves. Even if Nadya met those criteria, Yana and John would need to demonstrate that they could not afford nursing care for her in Russia, while showing they have enough money to provide maintenance and accommodation for her in the UK. \"It's a Catch 22 situation,\" says John. \"It's particularly cruel,\" says Yana, \"that my mother isn't allowed to be with us unless she's too ill to enjoy it.\" The home secretary, Theresa May, told Parliament in June that it has been \"too easy for elderly dependent relatives to join their migrant children here and then potentially become a burden on the taxpayer.\" But John takes issue with this. \"We as sponsors would sign a document guaranteeing that Nadya would not take benefits for at least five years. I know public money is short, but we are happy to pay for private healthcare and she has savings of her own. \"There's no opportunity to prove this - the government has just pulled the shutters down.\" Yana and John are reluctant to relocate the family to Russia because of the unstable political situation there. Yana says she feels betrayed by her adopted country. \"We have to choose between abandoning my mother on her own in Russia or leaving this country if we all want to be together. This system does not take account of family ties.\" Dr Avinash Kanodia has to make the same difficult choice. Recruited by the Department of Health from India in 2003 because of doctor shortages in the NHS, he works as a consultant radiologist in Perth. He, his wife and two children are now British citizens. An only child, he checked before committing to move to the UK that his mother would be allowed to join them if her health deteriorated. Under the new rules she would not be granted a visa because Dr Kanodia can afford to pay for nursing care in India. \"The rules are morally wrong. I don't want to leave my mother in the care of a stranger thousands of miles away. I was lured here with the promise of citizenship. \"But look how I am being treated as a", "summary": "The government's promise to reduce net migration by 2015 includes measures that have made it more difficult for people from outside Europe to join family members in the UK, creating tough choices for some British residents."}
{"article": "The 15-year-old, from Bideford, Devon, was on a six-month \"trip of a lifetime\" in India with her family when she was killed. Left in Goa in the care of her 25-year-old tour guide boyfriend Julio Lobo while the rest of her family went travelling, Scarlett's partially-clothed body was discovered on Anjuna beach in Goa in February 2008. Mr Lobo was questioned by police but has not been charged in connection with Scarlett's death. Initially Goan police said she had accidentally drowned, but following a sustained campaign by Scarlett's mother, Fiona MacKeown, a second post-mortem examination revealed she had been drugged, raped and killed. The cause of death was drowning. India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the investigation and Samson D'Souza and Placido Carvalho were arrested the following month. After being charged on five counts - culpable homicide, grievous sexual assault, destroying evidence, assault with criminal force with intent to outrage a woman's modesty and administering drugs with intent to harm - the pair were bailed. The men, now aged 34 and 46, who have denied the charges, went on trial in Goa's Children's Court in March 2010, however less than a year later prosecutor SR Rivonkar resigned. A new prosecutor was assigned and although some 30 witnesses - including Scarlett's mother - have now given evidence, many more are still to do so. The prosecution is also waiting for permission to depose [examine under oath] via video conferencing, British man Michael Mannion, who claims to have 'witnessed' the attack on Scarlett. Mr Mannion, who was living in Goa but has since returned to the UK, said he would not return to India because of threats made against him - because of what he saw. \"It's ridiculously frustrating, but no matter how long it takes, I'll keep fighting for justice because I have to,\" Ms MacKeown told BBC News. \"Going through the witness list, witness by witness, it's been estimated it could take another six years. \"In the meantime D'Souza and Carvalho can still carry on with their lives and that's not fair. \"I don't know if they think I'll go quietly away if it goes on and on, but I can tell you that's not going to happen.\" In September, the latest hearing took place in the Children's Court to confirm Scarlett died from drowning. \"The trial has moved on - but it is moving at a snails pace,\" Ms MacKeown's lawyer Vikram Varma told BBC News. \"The perception with the Indian Criminal Justice system is that 'justice must be done', but the concept that it must be done in reasonable time is clearly an unacceptable burden to the state. Mr Varma said all he and Ms MacKeown can do is \"wait and watch\". The linearity of India's judicial process will ensure a verdict, the lawyer insists, although he fears the delay could be \"many more years\". \"Every prosecutor across the world knows that a delay in the trial is always an advantage to the accused,\" he said. \"Witnesses forget years later what they had seen or said - evidence", "summary": "As Scarlett Keeling's family spend their sixth Christmas without her, their lawyer says the trial of two men accused of killing her is progressing \"at a snail's pace\"."}
{"article": "US-based Human Rights Watch identified the rebel as Abu Sakkar, a well-known insurgent from the city of Homs, and said his actions were a war crime. The main Syrian opposition coalition said he would be put on trial. The video, which cannot be independently authenticated, seems to show him cutting out the heart. \"I swear to God we will eat your hearts and your livers, you soldiers of Bashar the dog,\" the man says, referring to President Bashar al-Assad as he stands over the soldier's corpse. Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Abu Sakkar is the leader of a group called the Independent Omar al-Farouq Brigade, an offshoot of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) Al-Farouq Brigades. He insults Alawites, the minority offshoot of Shia Islam to which Mr Assad belongs. \"The desecration and mutilation of a killed person is definitely a war crime,\" Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director of Human Rights Watch, told the BBC. \"This one particularly disturbing because of the sectarian nature of the language used by Abu Sakkar.\" HRW said those committing war crimes on either side had to know that there was no impunity and that they would be brought to account. The human rights group said Abu Sakkar had been filmed before, firing rockets into Shia areas of Lebanon and posing with the bodies of guerrillas from the Lebanese Hezbollah movement killed fighting alongside Syrian government forces. \"Abu Sakkar is a very significant commander - he's in charge of one of the most important battles happening in Syria right now,\" said Mr Bouckaert. \"The danger is that extremists on both sides will feel the need to respond in kind.\" The video was posted on Sunday, though reporters from Time Magazine said they had first viewed the footage in April. Time said on Tuesday it had spoken to Abu Sakkar, who confirmed that he had bitten into one of the soldier's organs - though a surgeon told the magazine that the organ appeared to be a lung, not the heart or liver, as reported elsewhere. Syria's opposition coalition said the Al-Farouq Brigades were investigating the incident. \"The Syrian Coalition strongly condemns this act - if it is revealed to be true,\" it said in a statement. \"The culprit will eventually be tried in court in front of an honest and fair judiciary.\" It is one of the most gruesome videos to emerge in more than two years of carnage in Syria, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut. The UN says nearly 80,000 people have been killed since the uprising against President Assad began in March 2011, and millions have fled their homes. By Jim MuirBBC News, Beirut The results of many terrible atrocities in Syria have surfaced on internet video clips over the past two years and more. But this one was particularly chilling because it was filmed as it happened, showing an exultantly brazen and barbaric act of gratuitous bloodthirstiness. Even if it was not intended as a provocation, it is likely to have that effect as the struggle between rebel and government forces for control of Quseir", "summary": "A video which appears to show a Syrian rebel taking a bite from the heart of a dead soldier has been widely condemned."}
{"article": "Crawford Falconer will take up the post of chief trade negotiation adviser at the Department for International Trade. Leaving the single market would mean the UK would have to establish new bilateral trade agreements, but cannot formally do so until after Brexit. However, one economist suggested Mr Falconer would already be \"building bridges\" with the European Commission. The UK faces a huge challenge in resetting its trading relationship with the EU and other countries when Brexit takes effect. Trade pacts that have been negotiated by the EU with the rest of the world will no longer apply to the UK, while Britain will also need to define new trading relationships with the EU itself. Membership of the EU has meant the UK does not have a large bank of trade negotiators with recent experience. A New Zealander, Mr Falconer has more than 25 years trade experience. He has represented New Zealand at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and held various posts in foreign and trade affairs in his home country. Prof Alan Winters, from the University of Sussex's UK Trade Policy Observatory, said Mr Falconer's experience and contacts at the WTO would mean the groundwork for separating UK trade policy from Brussels would be made easier. \"He knows quite a lot of the main players at the WTO and can build bridges at the European Council, which is good as there is work to be done right now,\" he said. \"There is work he can do, such as discussions on whether the UK uses replicas or changes trade agreements that we have with nations by way of membership with the EU.\" One suggestion has been that initially trade agreements could be adopted by the UK in their current form - replicating them - at the point of Brexit, to be altered subsequently as new deals are agreed. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said of the new appointee: \"Crawford Falconer brings a wealth of international trade expertise to our international economic department, ensuring that as we leave the EU, the UK will be at the forefront of global free trade and driving the case for international openness.\" Mr Falconer will lead trade policy and negotiation teams at the DIT. His appointment was first announced in June.", "summary": "The man in charge of negotiating the UK's trade deals once Brexit is finalised, starts his job this week."}
{"article": "Hammers manager Slaven Bilic said earlier this month that Payet did not want to play for the club, but added the 29-year-old would not be sold. But, after rejecting two bids from Marseille and signing Robert Snodgrass, West Ham have decided to sell the France international. Payet joined West Ham from Marseille for \u00a310.7m in June 2015. He excelled in his first season with the London club, scoring 12 goals and earning a nomination for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award. In February 2016 he signed a new contract to tie him to the Hammers to the summer of 2021. He then helped France reach the final of Euro 2016, where the hosts were beaten by Portugal. However, Payet has scored just three goals for the Hammers this season.", "summary": "West Ham forward Dimitri Payet is set to rejoin former club Marseille after the clubs agreed a \u00a325m fee."}
{"article": "The Irish government suggested the formation of the group last week. But on Monday, DUP leader Arlene Foster said she had not been consulted over it and it appeared it would not go ahead. But Mr McGuinness has said he does not think \"anybody should have a veto on a good idea\". The Irish government government said it proposed the forum to enable groups to work on areas of mutual interest, such as trade, investment and health. The UK's decision to leave the EU dominated a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council on Monday attended by Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness. Mrs Foster said the forum was not on the agenda. Instead, she said existing cross-border bodies would be used to work out the implications on the island of Ireland of a UK withdrawal from the EU. On Tuesday, Mr McGuinness said indications from \"very senior civil servants within the [Irish] government\" were that Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Enda Kenny would go ahead with the plan. \"I spoke to the taoiseach before the meeting of the North South Ministerial Council - he wasn't putting it as an item on the agenda but he stated very clearly to me that he still believed that it would be a very useful thing to do,\" he said. \"I wouldn't be too exercised about the fact that there will be political elements who wouldn't be interested in attending. \"The DUP will undoubtedly through different methodologies have their say in relation to all of it.\" He said he believed the idea of a forum would \"get widespread support from most within the political process\". Government ministers from Northern Ireland and the Republic drew up a list on Monday of priority areas they intend to work on to limit any potential damage of Brexit. Among the points was an agreement to conduct a \"full audit\" to \"identify the possible impacts, risks, opportunities and contingencies\" that the island could face. And the two finance ministers will \"consider the issue of securing\" further funding for regional development from the EU.", "summary": "A proposed cross-border forum on all-Ireland issues in the wake of the UK's decision to leave the EU could go ahead despite not having DUP support, Martin McGuinness says."}
{"article": "Doctors said Oshin Kiszko should undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy to treat his malignant brain tumour. But his parents, Angela Kiszko and Adrian Strachan, refused treatment because of the severe side effects. After a court decided in March that Oshin had to receive chemotherapy, a judge in September ruled he could be given palliative care. The Perth boy died early on Wednesday morning, his mother confirmed to local media. \"My love Oshin took his last breaths peacefully as I lay cuddling him at 2am,\" Ms Kiszko told Seven News. \"Oshin's journey has been extraordinarily traumatising for him and I am grateful he no longer needs to suffer through this nightmare.\" The legal fight began after Oshin underwent brain surgery at Perth's Princess Margaret Hospital in December 2015. Doctors recommended follow-up chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but Oshin's parents believed the side effects would ruin his quality of life. \"I thought I could not put myself through it. Why could I put my son through it?\" Ms Kiszko told Nine's 60 Minutes programme in April. Doctors took the matter to the West Australian Family Court, which ruled in March that Oshin must undergo chemotherapy. At a hearing in May, the court heard evidence that the boy would have at least a 30% chance of survival if he received both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The matter was adjourned when Ms Kiszko and Mr Strachan committed to continuing chemotherapy only. In September, a judge ruled Oshin's cancer was so advanced he could be given palliative care. A court statement at the time said \"specialist medical opinion confirmed that the delay in therapy had substantially reduced Oshin's chances of a cure, which are now remote\".", "summary": "A six-year-old boy whose cancer diagnosis sparked a high-profile legal battle in Australia has died."}
{"article": "Jodie Wilkinson, 27, was attacked by a group of up to 11 men in Stanhope Street, Newcastle, on 11 October. Sharif Kalimba, 19, of no fixed address, has been charged with violent disorder and remanded in custody. Four men from Newcastle, aged 25, 25, 22 and 20, have been charged with violent disorder. David Waterston, 43, from the city, was charged with murder. Mr Kalimba is due to appear at South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court on Monday.", "summary": "A further man has been charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of a woman, bringing the total to six."}
{"article": "The 31-year-old comes in as a replacement for Danny Ward, who was recalled from his spell at Pittodrie by parent club Liverpool this week. Collin, who joined Rotherham from Carlisle United in 2013, has played twice this season. But he has not featured since August and recently found himself relegated to third choice. Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes hopes to have Ward available to face Ross County in their Scottish Premiership game in Dingwall. \"We're still waiting for international clearance for Adam and I'll announce the team on Sunday morning,\" he said. \"We'd assurances from Liverpool that Danny could stay, but their circumstances changed, so we're delighted to get Adam on board.\" Ward impressed during his spell with the Dons and, on his return to Anfield, was immediately handed a place on the bench for the game against Arsenal. There had been suggestions that Aberdeen would consider recalling Danny Rogers from his loan with Falkirk and the Pittodrie outfit had also been linked with out-of-favour Rangers goalkeeper Cammy Bell. \"There was no approach for Cammy Bell, although I'm not saying his name wasn't mentioned,\" said McInnes. New signing Collin began his career with Newcastle United and had loan spells with Oldham Athletic and Doncaster Rovers. However, it was not until he joined Northern Premier League club Workington in 2004 that he made his senior debut. McInnes would not comment on speculation linking Stuart Bannigan of Partick Thistle with a move to Aberdeen. However, asked about the possibility of more signings during the January transfer window, McInnes admitted that injuries to Willo Flood and Ryan Jack had left his squad short in central midfield. \"We may be looking to bring one in and for nobody to go out,\" the manager added. Meanwhile, McInnes also said any decision on the future of defender Paul Quinn will be made after Sunday's game with Ross County. Quinn has been linked with a move back to the Dingwall club having joined the Dons from County in the summer.", "summary": "Rotherham United goalkeeper Adam Collin has completed his switch to Aberdeen on loan until the end of the season."}
{"article": "Northern Ireland international Little has scored two goals in 16 games for Preston since signing from Scottish side Rangers in June 2014. The 26-year-old made five appearances on loan at Blackpool earlier this term. Fosu, 20, has played once for Reading, but featured in six games for Fleetwood after joining on loan in November. \"Andy's suffered with injuries this year so this is a chance for him to get some football and get himself back on track,\" Stanley manager John Coleman told the club website. \"When you've not played for while you just want to play and I think the exposure to the first team he'll get will do him good.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Promotion-chasing Accrington Stanley have signed Preston striker Andy Little and Reading winger Tarique Fosu on loan until the end of the season."}
{"article": "Swansea University analysed data from nearly 360,000 children aged between six and 18 between 2003 and 2013. It followed a health warning in 2003 that children should not be given most antidepressants. The unpublished research triggered a Welsh government circular saying other methods should be tried first. The 30% rise came despite a significant fall in 2003-4 following health warnings about the risk of suicide in young people. The report, which has not been published, also showed the drug citalopram was routinely prescribed despite not being licensed for use in children. The Welsh government wrote to health professionals that only fluoxetine (Prozac) has been shown to be effective in young people. A Welsh government spokesman said it expected GPs to use their clinical judgment in deciding treatment, and to use NICE guidelines which recommend psychosocial interventions should be considered as an alternative to antidepressants. The report said the figures could reflect better access to treatment, and a positive shift towards helping people address mental health issues at a younger age. But it added: \"On the other hand this may represent an increasing tendency to prescribe medication where other treatment options such as psychological therapies are limited or not available at a primary care level. \"This may be a particular issue in more deprived areas where incidence is nearly double that in more affluent areas.\" It comes as research has shown a 54% increase in the number of children and young people prescribed antidepressants in the UK between 2005 and 2012. George Watkins, 20, from Cardiff, experienced side-effects after being prescribed antidepressants as a teenager. \"I would open my eyes in the morning, I still get nightmares about this, about waking up every morning staring at the ceiling and wondering if this was the day when I would feel clear-headed. \"It was a very rushed appointment, it was five minutes, 'describe what you're feeling'. \"I was still on the medication that I was prescribed when I was 14 or 15 last November, when I had just turned 20,\" he said. Children's Commissioner for Wales Sally Holland told BBC Wales the long-term effects of anti-depressant drugs in children were not really known. \"NICE guidelines are very clear: children and young people must have medication as a last resort,\" she said. \"There should be a month of careful watchfulness and then they should be offered psychological therapies and they should only be offered medication along side psychological therapies if the therapy doesn't work. \"It seems sad to me that George hasn't had that.\"", "summary": "There has been a 30% increase in the number of children in Wales prescribed antidepressants over 10 years, figures obtained by the BBC have shown."}
{"article": "Sinn F\u00e9in's northern leader Michelle O'Neill said he had still not agreed to release funds for legacy inquests. Thursday's election ended the unionist majority at Stormont, with Sinn F\u00e9in now just one seat behind the DUP. Talks are being held to restore the power-sharing executive, but parties have just three weeks to reach a deal. The five main party leaders have held a series of bilateral talks on Tuesday, as well as separate discussions with Mr Brokenshire. Sinn F\u00e9in said it had further discussions with the secretary of state regarding money for inquests into the most controversial killings of the Troubles but that he had come to \"no good conclusion\". \"Some families have been waiting 45 years and this affects all victims, regardless of the perpetrators,\" said party leader Gerry Adams. \"They need to get those inquests under way and they have been delayed because the British refuse to give the funds.\" The party also met with the DUP and further meetings were planned, said Mr Adams. He added this was an indication that issues were being tackled. Meanwhile, the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Sir Malcolm McKibbin, said one of the most difficult issues facing the administration was the absence of a budget to cover the financial year from next month. Sir Malcolm said there was a \"small window of opportunity\" to allow a new executive to agree a budget and put it to the Assembly. On Tuesday morning, DUP leader Arlene Foster met her party's freshly elected MLAs (members of the legislative assembly) and said she was \"delighted\" with their support. \"We have had an excellent group meeting where we had a full and open discussion around the election campaign, the result and, of course, the negotiations that are going on at the moment,\" she said. She had previously denied reports that some of her party's MLAs wanted her to step down. Mrs Foster said her party had won the election, increasing its vote in every constituency, which was a \"pretty good basis to continue as leader\". Meanwhile, DUP MP Ian Paisley said the party, and unionism, must try to \"make the union as attractive as we can\" for voters in the future. \"We have a very attractive case at present and I have been guilty, as a unionist, of presenting it in a rough and combative way over the years when I thought it was required to do that,\" he told BBC Talkback. He added that Mrs Foster had his full support. Earlier, Lord Hain said Prime Minister Theresa May must call a summit to restore the Executive - or direct rule would be inevitable. The former secretary of state, now a Labour member of the House of Lords, said the London and Dublin governments had \"taken their eyes off the ball\" and that a summit was now required \"to bring all the parties together to thrash out an agreement\". But a senior government source involved in the talks told the BBC Mrs May was being regularly briefed and will have discussions with Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister)", "summary": "Sinn F\u00e9in says it broke off its meeting with Secretary of State James Brokenshire because all he did was \"waffle, waffle, and more waffle\"."}
{"article": "He joined ITV's breakfast show when it launched as a sports reporter and presenter and went on to present Good Morning Britain on Saturdays. He became anchorman of Good Morning Britain in 1987 and presented Yorkshire TV's news magazine programme Calendar until 2002 ITV's Daybreak presenter and former colleague Lorraine Kelly said he will be \"very, very, very sadly missed\". \"Mike was a delightful man, he was such a generous presenter - he really was brilliant,\" she said. \"The good thing about him was he didn't make a big fuss or a song and dance, he made it look easy. And I think in some ways he was under-rated because of that.\" She added that her many memories of him were of \"mostly just laughing\". Morris was born in Harrow, north-west London, in June 1947 and started his journalistic career with the Surrey Comet in 1969. He worked for the Reuters news agency, United Newspapers and Thames TV, editing and reporting on both news and sport stories. After joining TV-am in 1983 as a sports presenter, he quickly moved up the ranks - first hosting the Saturday edition of Good Morning Britain before graduating to the main daily show in 1987. He interviewed Nelson Mandela eight days after his release from jail in South Africa and presented the programme the morning after the Lockerbie bombing. His TV-am co-host Anne Diamond said: \"I presented many, many memorable breakfast television programmes with Mike and I'd just like to say, as a way of tribute, what a lovely, lovely man he was. \"He was incredibly popular, I think, because he was just like the guy next door. \"It was completely sincere image he had of just being the ordinary bloke next door, who asked the ordinary bloke-type questions. \"That endeared him to a great many people. It certainly did to me. \"He was always a gentleman, he was always generous. He was very, very funny. A real family man and I must say I'm terribly sad to hear he has died.\" As the presenter with last words on the final TV-am show in December 1992, Morris joked that he was \"off to be a passport photographer after turning off the studio lights\". Writing on behalf of TV-am, journalist Ian White said Morris was \"no ordinary journalist\" who was \"popular with viewers\". \"He had the common touch and the ability to pull off every type of interview, often under incredible pressure. \"TV-am's success was partly down to its presenters and in the last five years Mike helped lead that team on and off the air. He will be greatly missed by family, friends and colleagues,\" he said. Morris is survived by his daughters Sarah and Helen.", "summary": "Former TV-am presenter Mike Morris has died aged 65."}
{"article": "It comes after an audit committee requested a probe into two of DSME's former chief executive officers over possible mismanagement. The world's second-largest shipbuilder has been trying to raise money to reduce its debts. The firm posted its biggest net loss of 3.19tr won ($2.8bn; \u00c2\u00a31.9bn) last year. DSME and South Korea's two other biggest shipbuilders, Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries, have all been hard hit by the slump in oil prices and global economic slowdown. They have struggled with reduced demand for tankers and container ships and have had to delay projects in offshore drilling and production. They are also facing rising competition from Chinese shipbuilders. According to reports, 150 officials went to DSME headquarters in Seoul and one of its shipyards on the island of Geoje. Computer hard drives, accounting books and documents were seized by officials, who are looking into whether it manipulated its 2013 and 2014 financial statements.", "summary": "South Korean prosecutors have raided Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering as part of an investigation into alleged accounting irregularities."}
{"article": "Online security specialists Cloudflare said it recorded the \"biggest\" attack of its kind on Monday. Hackers used weaknesses in the Network Time Protocol (NTP), a system used to synchronise computer clocks, to flood servers with huge amounts of data. The technique could potentially be used to force popular services offline. Several experts had predicted that the NTP would be used for malicious purposes. The target of this latest onslaught is unknown, but it was directed at servers in Europe, Cloudflare said. Attackers used a well-known method to bring down a system known as Denial of Service (DoS) - in which huge amounts of data are forced on a target, causing it to fall over. Cloudflare chief executive Matthew Prince said his firm had measured the \"very big\" attack at about 400 gigabits per second (Gbps), 100Gbps larger than an attack on anti-spam service Spamhaus last year. In a report published three months ago, Cloudflare warned that attacks on the NTP were on the horizon and gave details of how web hosts could best try to protect their customers. NTP servers, of which there are thousands around the world, are designed to keep computers synchronised to the same time. The fundamentals of the NTP began operating in 1985. While there have been changes to the system since then, it still operates in much the same way. A computer needing to synchronise time with the NTP will send a small amount of data to make the request. The NTP will then reply by sending data back. The vulnerability lies with two weaknesses. Firstly, the amount of data the NTP sends back is bigger than the amount it receives, meaning an attack is instantly amplified. Secondly, the original computer's location can be \"spoofed\", tricking the NTP into sending the information back to somewhere else. In this attack, it is likely that many machines were used to make requests to the NTP. Hackers spoofed their location so that the massive amounts of data from the NTP were diverted to a single target. \"Amplification attacks like that result in an attacker turning a small amount of bandwidth coming from a small number of machines into a massive traffic load hitting a victim from around the internet,\" Cloudflare explained in a blog outlining the vulnerability, posted last month. The NTP is one of several protocols used within the infrastructure of the internet to keep things running smoothly. Unfortunately, despite being vital components, most of these protocols were designed and implemented at a time when the prospect of malicious activity was not considered. \"A lot of these protocols are essential, but they're not secure,\" explained Prof Alan Woodward, an independent cyber-security consultant, who had also raised concerns over NTP last year. \"All you can really do is try and mitigate the denial of service attacks. There are technologies around to do it.\" Most effective, Prof Woodward suggested, was technology that was able to spot when a large amount of data was heading for one destination - and shutting off the connection. Cloudflare's Mr Prince said that while his firm", "summary": "A massive attack that exploited a key vulnerability in the infrastructure of the internet is the \"start of ugly things to come\", it has been warned."}
{"article": "All five of West Yorkshire's powerful district local authorities go to the polls on the same day as the general election, each with a third of their council seats up for grabs. Local polls on the same day as a general election sometimes produce surprising results and 2010 was no exception. As the headlines were grabbed by a Conservative surge and \"Cleggmania\", voters in West Yorkshire took part in what political academics call a \"reverse bounce\". As seats held by Labour MPs were toppling in the Leeds area, the city council saw a power-sharing Conservative and Liberal Democrat administration pushed aside. In Bradford, a previously safe Labour parliamentary seat was snapped up by the Liberal Democrats, but in City Hall a minority Labour administration gained enough extra council seats to come close to gaining a majority. Calderdale, the authority centred on Halifax, saw Labour take control and just down the road in Wakefield Labour strengthened its grip. In the three rounds of council elections since then it has been largely a story of Labour gains, but with the odd blip. George Galloway's \"Bradford Spring\" in 2012 resulted in five Respect councillors being elected but storm clouds soon moved in and the party has not won a single seat since then. In fact, after internal ructions, one of them switched to Labour this year. The UK Independence Party (UKIP) also huffed and puffed in 2014 but it has hardly blown any of the council houses down. It now has two councillors in Wakefield and another two in Bradford. So where does that leave the prospects for 2015? Leeds City Council: It would take an earthquake to shift Labour from its position of power in West Yorkshire's biggest council, the city of Leeds. It has grown from being the biggest party, but needing the city's three Greens to take power in 2010, to now holding almost two thirds of the 99 seats in the council chambers. Keith Wakefield has announced he is stepping down as leader and the party will elect a replacement after the election. Bradford City Council: Labour is by far the largest party, but with by-elections and defections this year its 45 seats leave it now one short of an overall majority in the 90-seat chamber. Respect, with its four members, claims it will squeeze Labour even further but is fielding candidates in just seven of the 30 seats up for election. As with all of the West Yorkshire councils UKIP is putting up more candidates than ever before. Calderdale Metropolitan District Council: Despite Labour ending up as the largest party with 25 of the 51 seats in Halifax Town Hall after last year's elections it was just short of a majority, taking power with the help of the six Liberal Democrats. When those parties fell out last summer, the Conservatives added their 19 seats to the Liberal Democrats and Stephen Baines became West Yorkshire's only Conservative council leader. With Labour so close to a majority he will do well to stay in power. Kirklees Metropolitan District Council: Labour, with 32", "summary": "As the battle buses criss-cross West Yorkshire's closely fought parliamentary constituencies it has almost been overlooked that 128 other election battles are being fought in the same area."}
{"article": "A time when Madonna introduced legions of teenage girls to scrunchies and Jane Fonda made lycra and leg warmers cool. And if you were listening to cassette tapes - there's a good chance it was on the revolutionary Walkman - made by Japanese electronics firm Sony. But not everyone was a fan of this Asian influence. Books like \"Japan as Number One\" made the bestseller list, underscoring the antagonism many Americans felt about the then rising Asian superpower. And US President Ronald Reagan was slamming Japan for not opening its markets enough to US products. \"We sell a car into Japan, and they do things to us that make it impossible to sell cars in Japan, and yet they sell cars into us,\" is the kind of rhetoric you might hear. Except that's not Reagan in 1982. It's Donald Trump in 2017. So are we rewinding back to the 1980s? It's a pertinent question to ask, especially as Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits the US to meet newly elected President for some leisurely golf and tough talking. Currency will be a talking point on the tee. Like in the 1980s, the US dollar is stronger than the Japanese yen - making Japanese goods cheaper for American consumers. Then, like now, the industries that were the main sticking points were the auto sector and agriculture. Cars, cows and citrus fruit led to a soaring US trade deficit with Japan, worth almost a fifth of the US's GDP at the time. Today the deficit between the two nations has halved, but when the two leaders meet over the next few days, it is these same three subjects that will likely be the focus of their talks. In the 1980s, Japanese car-makers built factories in the US to ward off criticism that they were unfairly dumping products in American markets. As a result, these days more than six million Japanese cars are sold in the US, with only around one million of them made in Japan. But apparently, that isn't enough. Toyota became a target of Mr Trump's trade rage recently for building a car plant in Mexico. In response, Toyota said it would invest $10bn in the US over the next five years. But analysts say the tough talk on cars won't end until Tokyo offers up some major concessions elsewhere, in particular on agriculture. To protect its farmers, Japan places an average 14% tariff on all agricultural goods imported into the country. By comparison, the US has a much lower tariff of 5%. If the Trans-Pacific Partnership had gone through, many of Japan's tariffs would have been eliminated. Tariffs on beef for example - the US's top agricultural export to Japan - would have been slashed by 74% within 16 years. Mr Trump effectively killed the TPP by removing the US from it. He will argue that if Tokyo wants to trade with the US and sell its cars to American consumers, it's going to have to cut tariffs even more aggressively. Mr Trump says that Japan is using monetary policy and", "summary": "It was the decade of The Empire Strikes Back and Michael Jackson's song Beat It."}
{"article": "Up to 170,000 football fans are expected to travel to the capital to watch the showdown between Juventus and Real Madrid on 3 June. It will be the first Champions League final to be played under a closed roof. The Football Association of Wales (FAW) said safety was a \"primary objective\". The roof closure had been suggested because of fears of a drone attack on what is described as the biggest club football game in the world. After discussions with stakeholders, the FAW, said it had made the decision to close the roof after taking into consideration \"recommendations made by the authorities\". The roof will also be closed for the two official training sessions to be held at the stadium on Friday 2 June. Juventus and Real Madrid have been informed of the decision. In a statement, the FAW said: \"The 2017 UEFA Champions League final will be the first final to have been played under a closed roof and will further amplify the stadium's atmosphere when Juventus FC take on Real Madrid CF on Saturday 3 June.\"", "summary": "The roof of the National Stadium of Wales will be closed for the 2017 Champions League final in Cardiff for safety reasons."}
{"article": "Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the identical twin brother of the late president and leader of the country's main opposition party, Law and Justice, is boycotting the official memorial events. His supporters are also planning to gather outside the presidential palace to remember the victims and vent their anger against the Russians and the government for their handling of the crash investigation. For a brief time the tragedy united the country in shock, at first, and then mourning for the victims. Thousands came from all over the country to place flowers and candles in front of the presidential palace. They did so even if they opposed Lech Kaczynski's policies. It was the nation's worst disaster since World War Two. Apart from the president and his wife, Maria, the crash claimed the lives of the commanders of the armed forces, the heads of the National Bank and Olympic Committee, and politicians from all parties. The location of the disaster was hugely symbolic too. The delegation was on its way to attend a 70th anniversary ceremony of the Katyn massacre, one of Poland's most painful wartime events in which more than 20,000 Polish officers, the country's elite, were murdered on Stalin's orders. It is perhaps not surprising that the unity did not last long. Lech Kaczynski was a divisive figure and many Poles disliked his nationalism and combative relations with Germany and Russia. Divisions arose within days when it was announced that Lech Kaczynski and his wife would be buried among Poland's kings at Krakow's Wawel Cathedral. Many Poles felt the location was inappropriate. Over the course of the year the tragedy has been used instrumentally by politicians here. Clearly devastated by the death of his twin, sister-in-law, and many close friends and colleagues, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, a more aggressive and nationalist politician than his brother, has made the crash, and the investigation into it, the central issue for his party. The investigation was carried out by the Russians because the crash happened at Smolensk military airfield near Katyn. In January, the Russian investigation released its final report and found that the immediate cause of the crash was the pilots' decision to attempt to land despite extremely poor visibility caused by dense fog at the airfield. The report also concluded that the pilots were put under pressure to attempt the landing because they expected a negative reaction from Lech Kaczynski if they decided to fly to a reserve airport with better weather conditions. That would have considerably delayed the delegation on its way to the Katyn memorial service. The Polish government accepted the report's main findings but criticised the Russians for failing to investigate its own role in the tragedy, namely the actions of the air traffic controllers at Smolensk. It was notable however that both countries' foreign ministers stressed that it would not derail the hitherto successful attempts to normalise relations. But the fact that the investigation was seen by many here as being neither comprehensive nor fair raised old suspicions about the Russians. It has also added fuel to conspiracy theories - such as that the", "summary": "Poland is marking the first anniversary of the plane crash which killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others with rival commemorations highlighting the bitter divisions which still surround the tragedy."}
{"article": "GB started nervously and struggled with their offence in the opening half, falling 29-20 behind at the interval. But they drew level midway through the third quarter to give themselves hope. However, the USA pulled away again towards the end of the quarter and their defence also restricted GB's shooting opportunities. Steve Serio did much of the damage with 20 points for the USA, who avenged their defeat to GB at the same stage four years ago. Great Britain, beaten in the semi-final 69-52 by Canada, were unable to make the most of their early opportunities and Serio, celebrating his 25th birthday, capitalised to help build up a 17-10 lead after the first quarter. The introduction of forward Joe Chambers, who hit eight points in a row at the start of the second quarter, enabled the USA to stay in control. The game is evolving and getting quicker and it is very hard to get quicker when you get to your mid-30s GB started the second half with far more purpose and Terry Bywater and Ian Sagar inspired the comeback to level the game at 29-29 with four minutes and 55 seconds to go in the third quarter. But once USA coach Jim Glatch brought Joshua Turek, Matt Scott and Serio back into the game, they settled back down and dominated, forcing GB into difficult shooting positions, and it gave them a first medal in the sport since Sydney in 2000. Afterwards, coach Murray Treseder was realistic about his British team's performance. \"We've finished fourth and that's probably where we are at the moment,\" he said. \"We started nervously and they got on top early on, but we made too many mistakes. I admired our fight in the third quarter but when we got back to 33-all, we made five errors and that just killed us. \"We were chasing our tail in the last quarter as we tried to get back in the game, but give the USA credit, they are a great team.\" The Australian has also hinted at changes as the team look to Rio in 2016, starting with next year's European Championship in Frankfurt. \"We have an outstanding junior development programme with lots of hopeful players,\" he added. \"The game is evolving and getting quicker and it is very hard to get quicker when you get to your mid-30s.GB miss out on basketball bronze \"I think the standard we have seen here is quite considerable and we have got to respond to that. I think finding some new low-point players is critical for us and we will go from there.\" Patrick Anderson confirmed his status as the player of the tournament as he led Canada to gold. The 33-year-old, who came out of retirement last year, contributed 34 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in their 64-58 win over Australia. Although Australia led early on, Anderson sparked the run that put Canada on top at the start the second quarter, and then helped them pull clear in the third. \"It feels like I have never won anything in my", "summary": "Great Britain missed out on a third consecutive men's wheelchair basketball Paralympic bronze medal after losing 61-46 to the United States."}
{"article": "I knew I wanted to get involved in Red Nose Day this year. But then I decided to take it one step further. I'd wanted to go on a Comic Relief trip for years and here was the perfect opportunity, so I agreed to take my first ever trip to Liberia in West Africa. During the trip, we visited a school in West Point, the largest and most dangerous slum in Liberia's capital, Monrovia. It was really shocking seeing the appalling conditions that people live in and it was far worse than I could have ever imagined. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw, but despite all of this, everyone's positivity was overwhelming. The welcome from the kids was amazing, especially when they saw my tattoos; they went nuts and couldn't understand what they were. Some of the younger kids tried to wipe them off. Everyone wanted to know what we were doing and where we were from. They absolutely loved singing and clapping along to my songs and for a few hours it was easy to forget that these kids live in such awful conditions. I was completely blown away by their eagerness to learn. They really wanted to be in school and all had big dreams for the future. Despite living in one of the poorest places on Earth, they weren't prepared to let their circumstances hold them back. I asked a lot of them what they wanted to be when they grow up and \"doctor\", \"teacher\" and \"politician\" were common responses. I got a sense that they really meant it. They've seen what life is like for people with no qualifications or jobs and it's the motivation they need to keep studying. There are hundreds of thousands of people crammed in to West Point, most of them living in squalor, so getting an education is a privilege and not something all of the kids get to do. As we were taking a break from filming, a little girl came over to talk to me. Her name was Peaches and unlike the other children I'd met, she wasn't in a uniform. She explained that since her father's death during the Ebola crisis, her mother couldn't afford to send her to school any more. At just 12 years old, she had already been working for over a year helping to support her family. Unfortunately, Peaches' story is not uncommon. We had an impromptu jamming session and the girl could really sing. Peaches sang a song that reminded her of her father and as she did, tears started to roll down her face. The enthusiasm that was initially shining out of her disappeared. It was at this point that the reality of Peaches' situation, and many, many kids just like her, hit me really hard. Peaches told me she wanted to be a musician when she grows up, and who knows, maybe she can make that happen, but for now, she has been forced to drop out of school and spends her days working in a filthy, dangerous slum, earning", "summary": "Ed Sheeran writes exclusively for BBC News about his trip to Liberia with Comic Relief and why he'll never forget the children he met there - and one young girl in particular."}
{"article": "Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said the government had not found any evidence to support the claim. The lawyers filed a petition in a court last year saying that the monument should be handed over to Hindus. The Taj Mahal, a 17th Century mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, a Muslim, after his wife's death, attracts about 12,000 visitors a day. Six lawyers belonging to the city of Agra, where the monument is located, had told a court there was \"substantial evidence\" to prove that the famous monument was originally a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. They had urged the court to declare the monument a Hindu temple. The Taj Mahal was completed by Shah Jahan in 1653 as a mausoleum for his third and favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child. The monument's complex structure of white marble domes and minarets inlaid with semi-precious stones and carvings is considered the finest example of Mughal art in India. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a Unesco World Heritage site and attracts millions of visitors each year.", "summary": "India's government has rejected claims by a group of lawyers that the Taj Mahal monument was a Hindu temple."}
{"article": "The National Audit Office (NAO) said water companies in England and Wales had benefited from tax cuts and cheaper finance costs over the past five years. However, customers' bills had not fallen because Ofwat had not properly \"balanced the risks\" between water companies and consumers, the NAO said. Ofwat rejected criticism of its price control regime. The NAO estimated that between 2010 and 2015, water companies gained \u00a3410m from lower corporation tax rates and a further \u00a3840m from lower than expected interest payments. Over the same period the companies absorbed costs and provided water bill discounts worth up to \u00a3435m, leaving them with a net gain of \u00a3800m. The watchdog said Ofwat's price cap was weighted too heavily in favour of the companies and had not achieved proper value for money. Ofwat chief executive Cathryn Ross said its approach had given customers \"certainty about the cost of their water bills\". She told Radio 4's Today programme it would not have been right to pass on to customers the risk of changes in financing costs. \"What that would have meant was that had interest rates gone up between 2009 and 2014, that amount of money would have gone straight on customers' bills. I don't think that was the right thing to do,\" Ms Ross said. The regulator had also rejected requests from water companies to raise bills when faced with higher than expected costs. \"There are swings and roundabouts here,\" she said. Water prices will fall by 5% in real terms over the next five years, Ofwat said earlier this year. Bills have risen by 40% in real terms since privatisation in 1989, with the biggest rises coming between 1990 and 1995. Water bills accounted for about 2.3% of average household spending in 2013 and more than 5% for the poorest households.", "summary": "Water companies have pocketed an \u00a3800m windfall because of poor regulation, the spending watchdog has said."}
{"article": "Brenda Mitchell, of Cycle Law Scotland, said safety issues had been highlighted since the tracks were installed. The issue was highlighted following the death of a 24-year-old cyclist who fell in front of a minibus after appearing to get her wheel stuck in a tram track. The council said it made \"every effort\" to raise awareness of the tracks. The female cyclist died in hospital on Wednesday after the accident on Princes Street. Police have appealed for any witnesses to the incident to come forward. Ms Mitchell, who is also a member of the Scottish Parliament's cross party cycling group, told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme that in her opinion City of Edinburgh Council had \"ignored warnings over many years\". She said: \"The issue with tram tracks and their safety has been highlighted since the installation of the trams.\" She highlighted figures from Prof Chris Oliver, the head of the trauma unit at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. In March, he produced statistics which suggested 191 cyclists were injured in incidents linked to the tram tracks. Ms Mitchell said the casualties included 64 fractures, of which 29 required surgery. Prof Oliver said: \"It's a whole new range of fractures since the trams started running three years ago. \"We've had a lot of people who have been out riding or commuting to work that have collided with tram tracks. \"They have often been forced into the tram tracks by another vehicle that has pushed them into the direction of the tracks, so they haven't been able to cross them at 90 degrees. \"They have sustained a variety of injuries and some of those have ended up on the operating table. We have now done 29 operations.\" Patrick McGuire, a partner at Thompsons Solicitors, represents 141 cyclists hurt after falling on tram tracks. He said: \"Almost two years ago to the day I spoke out about the need for urgent action to be taken by the council to make the tram lines safer for cyclists because if it wasn't we would be facing a fatality. \"No action was taken to make these safety improvements.\" He said other UK cities with tram systems did not have the same level of accidents as Edinburgh. However, a spokeswoman for City of Edinburgh Council said cycle safety was of \"utmost importance\". \"We have gone to every effort to raise awareness of the impact of the tram on all road users,\" she said. \"Since before the launch over three years ago we have carried out extensive awareness-raising activity both online and on-street, in partnership with other organisations, much of which has focused specifically on cyclists. \"As part of this, markings were added to the road at Haymarket to direct cyclists along the safest possible routes. \"Like many other European cities Edinburgh now incorporates both cyclists and trams and, as in these cities, cyclists are advised to take care when travelling near the tram tracks.\" Wednesday's fatal accident took place on a cycle route. However, the council added that the official national cycle route in the city centre takes cyclists along", "summary": "Warnings about the safety risks which tram tracks in Edinburgh pose to cyclists have been ignored, according to lawyers."}
{"article": "The businessman and star of BBC One's The Apprentice said that after his two-year tenure his work was \"complete\". The service offers 70 live Freeview channels and is a joint venture between the BBC, ITV, BT, Channel 4, Channel 5, TalkTalk and Arqiva. YouView said Lord Sugar would go \"in the next few weeks\" and a new chairman would be announced in due course. Formerly known as Project Canvas, YouView is a free web-connected TV service combining Freeview digital channels with on-demand content such as iPlayer. It is accessed via a set-top box. Lord Sugar said: \"When I joined YouView in 2011, my brief from the shareholders was to use my experience in the electronics industry to get the product to market and into the homes of consumers. \"Having done that successfully, my job is complete and I will now focus my time and attention into my other businesses.\" YouView faces competition from rivals such as Sky, which has an on-demand service, and Virgin Media with its Tivo service.", "summary": "Lord Sugar is to step down from his role as non-executive chairman of internet TV service YouView."}
{"article": "Sarah Guyard-Guillot, 31, was performing at the MGM Grand hotel. Investigators said the mother of two fell 28m (94ft) to the floor when a safety wire became detached due to her rapid ascent. They said Guyard-Guillot's death was partly caused by a failure to give her adequate training. Cirque du Soleil said her death was the first fatality during a live performance in its 29-year history. The Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Cirque du Soleil Nevada on six counts. These included inadequate equipment training for Guillot-Guyard, and a circus-fall protection programme that did not match state safety standards. The Nevada OSHA proposed more than $25,000 (\u00c2\u00a315,600) in penalties for the company. It also proposed a fine of $7,000 against the MGM Grand hotel for exposing its employees to workplace hazards, including onstage open-sided floors and pyrotechnic dust used for Cirque du Soleil performances. The accident happened during the final scene of the Canadian company's show, Ka, a mixture of acrobatics, martial arts and puppetry. Teri Williams, a spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Business and Industry, said the report found that Guyard-Guillot had ascended too quickly, which caused the rope to detach from the sheave/pulley. \"The rope was severed when it encountered a shear point,\" she said. \"The investigation concluded that she ascended too quickly, in part, because she did not receive proper training.'' Both Cirque du Soleil and the MGM Grand say they will appeal against the OSHA ruling. \"Cirque du Soleil completed an exhaustive review of its safety policies and procedures in the wake of the tragic accident involving Sarah,'' said Cirque du Soleil spokeswoman Renee-Claude Menard. \"We have redoubled our efforts to ensure the overall diligence and safety of our performers and crew.\"", "summary": "Cirque du Soleil will be fined after an acrobat died during one of its live shows in Las Vegas in June, Nevada state officials say."}
{"article": "Most of the teenagers caught drunk and disorderly said they were sent to Cornwall with alcohol, rather than attempting to buy it in local shops. Supt Julie Whitmarsh from Devon and Cornwall Police described the statistics as \"scary\". The force has called for a \"national debate\" about parental responsibility. It said although some parents were shocked about their children's behaviour, others verbally abused officers who confiscated the alcohol. Many of the 15 and 16-year-olds stopped had been allowed to travel to Cornwall alone with friends to celebrate the end of exams. More than 4,000 under-18s visited Newquay over the summer, according to figures from a Newquay Safe Partnership campaign to prevent underage drinking. During Operation Brunel, officers confiscated 1,044 unopened bottles and cans of alcoholic drink and poured away more than 5,000 that were open. The force said it was talking to the Home Office about ways of prosecuting parents who stock their children up with drink before they leave home. Supt Whitmarsh said drinking on holiday with peers, without parental control, was a \"different situation\" than having alcohol at home. \"At what point is it a good idea to leave children with alcohol,\" she said. In the most serious cases, parents were telephoned and told to collect their children while a further 71 families were sent warning letters. Supt Whitmarsh said one officer was verbally abused by a parent who accused him of stopping her son \"having fun\". The teenager was one of four 16-year-olds caught with 64 cans of Special Brew. Another mother dismissed an officer's concerns, claiming her child was \"not the usual riff-raff\". Police said these were examples of parents not taking their role seriously. Newquay Safe Partnership was formed in 2009 after the deaths of two teenagers. Andrew Curwell, 18, from Saddleworth in Greater Manchester, was found at the foot of cliffs at Great Western Beach on 28 June and the following week, 16-year-old Paddy Higgins, from Wokingham in Berkshire, died after falling from cliffs above Tolcarne Beach.", "summary": "Seven out of 10 under-age drinkers caught in the Cornish holiday resort of Newquay were given alcohol by their parents, according to police."}
{"article": "Allegri, 48, took charge in July 2014 and signed a new deal until 2017 after leading the Old Lady to the league title and the Coppa Italia. Having successfully defended their league crown, Juventus have announced the former AC Milan boss will now remain until 30 June 2018. Juventus face AC Milan in the Coppa Italia final on 21 May. They are 12 points clear of nearest rivals Napoli with two games remaining in Serie A. Juventus defeated Manchester City twice in the group stage of this season's Champions League before being knocked out by Bayern Munich in the round of 16.", "summary": "Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has extended his contract with the Serie A champions until the summer of 2018."}
{"article": "John Russell Brown and his company Hyperion Investments face 16 charges relating to the condition of the property and the danger and risk to health of the occupants in it. The migrants were found during a raid on Deeside Lane, Sealand - one of the largest of its kind in the country. Magistrates in Wrexham adjourned the case until 10 December.", "summary": "A man has appeared in court after 107 migrants were found crowded into a building in Flintshire."}
{"article": "Claire Jenkins, 36, of Gowerton, was given the fine after leaving bread crumbs on a bench in Oxford Street, during a Christmas shopping trip. She said: \"I found it degrading. I didn't know it was classed as an offence.\" Swansea council said a new campaign was responding to complaints people were being \"plagued by seagulls\". \"Posters have been put up on bins in the city centre advising shoppers of the penalties for littering and our message is that if you don't drop litter you won't face the fine,\" a spokesman said.", "summary": "A woman has been fined \u00a350 for feeding pigeons in Swansea city centre after a council crackdown."}
{"article": "The secretary of state, James Brokenshire, had set early May as the deadline for the current talks process. It is thought the new deadline will be the end of June. The provisions to form an executive by that date will be included in emergency legislation that will be fast tracked through Westminster. The BBC understands the deadline extension is to allow for more talks after the Westminster election on 8 June. Mr Brokenshire has been briefing party leaders about the details that will be published on Friday. The secretary of state is under pressure from nationalist parties angry at the prime minister's decision to call a general election in the middle of the Stormont stalemate: Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in and the SDLP have been scathing about the snap election. They say it exposes the government's lack of interest in the ongoing negotiations at Stormont, where round-table discussions aimed at restoring power-sharing are due to resume next week. Earlier, Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in's Michelle O'Neill said she believed the \"British government would prefer no assembly to one which opposes Brexit\". \"It's clear that the people of the north who voted to remain in the EU are regarded as saboteurs by Theresa May and her clique of Tory Brexiteers. \"We are no more than collateral damage,\" she added. Alliance leader Naomi Long said that people were \"never in a compromising mood coming up to an election\". However, she said it would be better for Northern Ireland if an agreement could be reached soon. Meanwhile, it has emerged the SDLP is pushing ahead with its plan to form an anti-Brexit alliance with other parties in the run up to the general election - and its leader, Colum Eastwood, has held exploratory talks with the Green Party in Northern Ireland on the issue. \"We are interested in a conversation with any party who is interested in protecting the interests of people in Northern Ireland in the face of a hard Brexit,\" he told the BBC's Evening Extra programme. \"I went out of my way to speak to Steven Agnew (Green Party NI leader). I asked him to consider how we best take this forward.\" On Wednesday, MPs voted overwhelmingly to back the prime minister's call for a snap general election on 8 June - three years ahead of schedule. Shadow secretary of state Dave Anderson accused the prime minister of treating the people of Northern Ireland with contempt by calling the snap poll. He said: \"They're being ignored by this government in exactly the same way as they were ignored pre-Brexit when people were saying to them: 'Are you really aware what you're doing?'\" In a separate development, emergency legislation clearing the way for the collection of rates in Northern Ireland is to be published on Friday. Mr Brokenshire had promised to bring forward a bill at Westminster to allow rates bills to be issued. It is one of a number of planned contingency moves to deal with pressures caused by the ongoing political crisis.", "summary": "Northern Ireland politicians will be given more time to reach a deal to restore a power-sharing executive at Stormont, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "Durant, 28, limped out of Tuesday's game after team-mate Zaza Pachulia fell on his left leg and caused a sprained medial ligament and leg bruising. It is hoped he could return before the end of the regular season on 12 April. The 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player joined the Warriors this season in a deal worth a reported $54.3m (\u00a343.9m). Durant had spent the previous eight seasons at Oklahoma City Thunder, where he was a four-time NBA scoring champion. Western Conference leaders Warriors went into the game with a league-best 50-9 record and have already booked their place in the play-offs.", "summary": "Golden State Warriors' top scorer Kevin Durant will be out \"indefinitely\" after injuring his knee in his side's 112-108 loss at Washington Wizards."}
{"article": "Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson says the London 2012 games did change views of disabled athletes - but that has not been reflected in the wider community. She told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement that some disabled people are still seen as benefit scrounges. \"We're still kind of lost behind other minority groups,\" she said. The comments from the former athlete and House of Lords crossbencher come on National Paralympic Day. She said the success of the games three years ago meant that Paralympians are now accepted as elite athletes, something she regarded as a hugely important step. But she told Sunday Supplement's Vaughan Roderick: \"The reality is that disability hate crime figures are the worse they've been in 10 years of reporting. \"Disabled people are portrayed in three different ways: you're either a Paralympian, you're a benefit scrounger, or you're a victim and you can't really crossover. \"The vast majority of disabled people aren't benefit scroungers. There's a huge number that don't claim anything at all. \"I think we're in a very difficult place, but that's partly because now you see disabled people integrated into society which you didn't see 20 years ago.\" The peer said she had hoped the Equality Act that came into force three years ago would help signal a major shift in the way people approached disability issues. \"We're still a long way from equality and the disability rights movement has struggled so when the Equality Act came in, I was really hopeful that actually for disabled people, it would mean a really big step forward. \"But it hasn't been and we're still kind of lost behind other minority groups.\" She said there have been improvements, but added: \"I'd like to see more equality for disabled people and that then filters into sport and physical activity. \"You know disabled people need to be fit, healthy, have the same opportunities as everyone else and have the same opportunities to go into elite support. \"The Paralympics can help drive that change. It can't do it all, but it can help change attitudes.\"", "summary": "More still needs to be done to shift perceptions towards people with disabilities, says Wales' most successful Paralympian."}
{"article": "However, the director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio), Duncan Lewis, said there could be no guarantee of safety from extremist violence in the future. Mr Lewis was speaking after the Paris attacks in which 129 people died. The Islamic State (IS) militant group has said it was behind the attacks and warned of further violence. Mr Lewis told Australian broadcaster ABC that while there was no evidence of a specific threat against Australia similar to the attacks in Paris, the number of potential threats had increased in recent years. \"We have had three attacks involving fatalities and six thwarted attacks in the past 12 months,\" he said. \"To put that in some sort of historic perspective, that represents just over a third of the attacks or planned attacks that we've had in this country over the last 15 years.\" Asio - Australia's domestic security agency - increased the National Terrorism Public Alert Level from medium to high in September last year. This signifies that an attack is \"likely\". Mr Lewis said this had been reviewed following the Paris attacks but that there were no plans to move it to the highest level of \"extreme\" which indicates an attack is imminent. \"If you consider there have been three successful attacks in Australia since that time, then I think that the threat level of 'likely' is most appropriate. \"We have no specific information leading us to believe there is any imminent threat of an attack presently, it is not appropriate for us to move the threat level to the next elevated position. \"This is very important for Australians to realise, we have no specific information about any particular attack planning in this country that would be reflective of what happened in France,\" he said. In October. 15-year-old Muslim boy Farhad Jabar shot dead New South Wales police worker Curtis Cheng as the accountant left a police building in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. This came after the Sydney siege incident in December last year in which two hostages were killed, and the shooting of an 18-year-old man in Victoria who wounded counter-terrorism officers outside a police station. Australia is part of a US-led coalition bombing IS positions in Iraq and Syria and has sent soldiers to help train members of the Iraqi national army.", "summary": "Australia's top spy has said there is no evidence of large-scale militant attacks planned against the country."}
{"article": "The monthly deficit was \u00a34.14bn, up from \u00a31.07bn in September. Between August and October there was a deficit of \u00a38.4bn, a \u00a32.4bn increase from the previous quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. The growing deficits were due to a big increase in imports of goods, combined with a small decrease in exports. \"October's dismal UK trade figures provided further signs that the economic recovery has remained worryingly-unbalanced in the fourth quarter,\" said Paul Hollingsworth, UK economist at Capital Economics. \"The economic recovery looks unlikely to garner support from the external sector in Q4, and instead will remain reliant on the domestic services sector.\" The monthly trade deficit figures are notoriously volatile, and the ONS lost the national statistic designation from the series following a series of errors last year. The deficit in goods in the three months to the end of October was \u00a331.6bn, \u00a32.5bn wider than in the previous quarter. That was largely due to a \u00a31.6bn fall in fuel exports and \u00a31.3bn rise in imports of machinery and transport equipment.", "summary": "The UK's trade deficit - the difference between the amount it imports and exports - widened considerably in October, according to official figures."}
{"article": "The Duke of Rothesay, as he is known when in Scotland, attended the event in his role as chieftain. He watched traditional Highland games competitions such as the three-legged and egg and spoon races. He then presented a trophy to the winning tug o'war team. About 400 people attended the games on Saturday. It is usually staged in a field nearby to Castle Mey, the late Queen Mother's Scottish home in Caithness, but was instead held at a field in John O'Groats due to the usual setting being water-logged. Prince Charles drove to the event himself and was wearing traditional Scottish dress. He appeared to be in high spirits whilst watching a mock horse dressage with participants prancing around on a wooden hobby-horses.", "summary": "Prince Charles has umpired a tug o'war competition during a visit to the Mey Highland Games."}
{"article": "But more are in work than at any time since 2007, suggests Department for Business, Innovation and Skills data. And graduates still earn almost \u00a310,000 a year more than people without degrees - though the highest earners are those with postgraduate qualifications. The figures showed a degree was \"an excellent option\", said the government. The figures suggest that in the first three months of this year, graduates typically earned \u00a331,200, while non-graduates were paid \u00a322,100, a gap of \u00a39,100. But in the same period of 2010, graduates typically earned \u00a332,396, some \u00a31,196 more than they do now. There was better news for those with postgraduate qualifications, whose median salaries rose from \u00a337,180 to \u00a339,000 during the past five years, as well as for non-graduates, whose median salaries went up from \u00a320,800 to \u00a322,100, according to the figures. Some 87.5% of working-age graduates were employed during the three months to March - the highest proportion since the end of 2007, when the rate was 88.3%. This compares with an employment rate of 69.3% for non-graduates. The figures also suggest an improving employment market for graduates aged between 21 and 30, with only 3.9% unemployed, again the lowest for this time of year since 2007, when it was 3.5%. \"Making the leap from university to the 'real world' of work is becoming easier, and graduate employment has now recovered to 2007 levels,\" said Andrew Hunter, of recruitment company Adzuna. \"In the last year alone, the unemployment rate among young grads has ticked down 1% year-on-year, with fewer university leavers stuck in limbo between education and work. \"After years of stalemate, with fewer employees moving up or moving out of their positions, the labour market is now much more liquid, which has opened up opportunities for those new to the workforce.\" However, TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said the overall prospects of young graduates were worsening. \"While university leavers are still better paid and more likely to have a job than non-graduates of the same age, today's figures show their prospects are worsening, just as their debts are soaring,\" she said. \"Many graduates are now finding themselves doing lower-skilled, lower-paid jobs. \"This is in turn pushing young people who don't have a degree out of work altogether.\" A spokeswoman for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills described the figures as \"great news for the UK economy\". \"These results demonstrate how higher education is an excellent option for people of all ages seeking to gain employment and a rewarding career,\" she said. \"Working-age graduates still benefit from a significant earnings premium of, on average, \u00a39,000 per year over non-graduates.\" The spokeswoman said higher education was not for everyone, but there were thousands of apprenticeships and courses in further education also leading to \"many exciting careers prospects\". Maddalaine Ansell, chief executive of the University Alliance group of business-oriented universities, said the figures showed \"degrees continue to be vital for supplying graduates to meet the hi-tech skills needs of the UK's knowledge economy\".", "summary": "Graduates in England have seen a fall in their median salary of more than \u00a31,000 in the past five years, according to official statistics."}
{"article": "Umakant Mishra was suspended from his job after being charged with fraud when 57 rupees and 60 paise (92 cents; 56 pence) went missing in his post office. Mr Mishra told BBC Hindi that the battle to clear his name reduced him to penury and his family would have starved if not for his relatives. He is now seeking compensation. Correspondents say cases in Indian courts can drag on for years, even decades, and official figures show that more than 30 million cases are pending in Indian courts, some dating from 1950. Mr Mishra's troubles began on 23 July 1984 when he worked in a post-office in the Harjinder Nagar area of Kanpur city in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. \"I was given 697 rupees and 60 paise ($11.19; \u00c2\u00a36.83) which the post-office had received as money orders and I had to distribute it. I distributed 300 rupees and in the evening deposited the rest with a senior official,\" Mr Mishra says. When the refund was checked, it was found to be short by 57 rupees and 60 paise (92 cents; 56 pence). \"I was charged with fraud. I was suspended from my services and a complaint was lodged with the police.\" Mr Mishra was jailed briefly and although he was freed on bail shortly afterwards, his long legal battle had started. \"I was summoned 348 times by the court. Initially I had to sell my house in Kanpur, then I had to sell my agricultural land in Hardoi district. I went bankrupt.\" He did various odd jobs to support his family and fight the legal battle and says he was helped by his relatives who \"helped me and provided me with shelter\". He was absolved of all charges last week after the prosecution could not produce any witnesses in the case. \"I was suspended when I was in my 30s. Now that I have been absolved, I should be compensated. I should get all the money that is due to me,\" he says.", "summary": "An Indian postal worker who was accused of stealing less than $1 in 1984, has been cleared by a court after nearly 350 court hearings over 29 years."}
{"article": "The images were selected from more than 400 slides made by photographer Joan Wilcock, who died in 1994. The project called Travelling The Archive is a collaborative effort. It involves Skye-based Atlas Arts, artist Nicky Bird, Kyleakin Local History Society and the Portree-based Highland Archive which is operated by High Life Highland. A selection of the images will be installed and projected indoors and out of doors in Kyleakin on 19 March. To promote the new arts projects, photographer Colin Hattersley set up shots of some of today's islanders with prints of Ms Wilcock's portraits.", "summary": "Photographs showing life in Kyleakin in Skye between the late 1950s and early 1970s feature in a new arts project."}
{"article": "The 46-year-old, who met the Scottish Championship club's board on Friday morning, succeeds Ian Murray, who resigned on Saturday. Rae left Genk in the summer, having been assistant manager to Alex McLeish at the Belgian top-flight club. It will be his second stint as a manager in his own right, having had a two-year spell at Dundee from 2006. The Press Association has reported that Buddies chairman Stewart Gilmour originally wanted to hand Rae a short-term contract until the end of the season. But a statement on the club's official website said: \"The new manager has signed a deal that will see him take charge until at least the summer of 2017.\" Rae's spell at Dundee was also in Scotland's second tier and he takes over in Paisley with the Buddies sitting third bottom ahead of Saturday's visit to bottom side Alloa Athletic. Murray's six-month reign ended after a defeat by Dumbarton, the club he left in the summer to replace Gary Teale, who was sacked following St Mirren's relegation from the top flight. Rae was appointed player-manager at Dens Park in May 2006 and they finished third then second in the old First Division in his first two seasons in charge. However, having already retired from playing, he was sacked as manager in October 2008 with his side sitting eighth in the table. He joined Milton Keynes Dons as first-team coach under Paul Ince and then moved to Notts County and Blackpool as assistant manager to the former England midfielder. After Ince was sacked in January 2014, Rae teamed up with McLeish at Genk until the former Scotland manager left the Belgian club in the summer. Rae's playing career began with Falkirk and he subsequently was on the books of Millwall, Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Rangers before he joined Dundee. He briefly revived his playing career as cover for injuries while with MK Dons.", "summary": "Former Rangers and Wolves midfielder Alex Rae has become St Mirren manager after signing an 18-month contract."}
{"article": "Pallas's cats are found in Iran, Mongolia and China. David Barclay, of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), has been in contact with a researcher in Iran since 2013. In a new development, an abandoned Pallas's cat kitten could be radio-collared for the first time in Iran. Efforts to capture images of the animals in Iran using camera traps have been unsuccessful so far. Mr Barclay said putting a radio collar on a young cat and releasing it back into the wild could help uncover new information on the cats. He said: \"Should this happen we will be in a position to offer financial support and gain a valuable insight into the behaviour and ecology of Pallas's cats in their western range.\" RZSS is also supporting a new Pallas's cat research project in the central Alborz Mountains of Iran. Mr Barclay said: \"It is clear that interest in the species is growing not just in range countries but throughout the zoo world. \"It is an exciting time for Pallas's cats and as long as I am breathing I will continue to support the conservation and research efforts and wave the Pallas's cat flag.\" RZSS has Pallas's cats in its collection at its Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig near Aviemore. They are also known as Manul, steppe and rock wildcat. They are classed as \"near-threatened\", according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. The break up of their habitats are one of the biggest threats to the species.", "summary": "Wild cat experts from Scotland are working with counterparts in the Middle East to better understand one of the world's rarest and most elusive cats."}
{"article": "In its interim report, the commission also said there was not enough evidence to support widespread rape allegations. It did not mention claims that security forces had been killing people. There have been repeated allegations of abuses of Rohingya people since a military counter-insurgency campaign was launched in Rakhine in October. Some have even said the state's actions amount to ethnic cleansing, and Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate, has faced international criticism. Who will help Myanmar's Rohingya? Nobel laureates urge action on Rohingya The commission, set up by the Myanmar government and led by a former general, Myint Swe, is due to make its final conclusions before the end of January. But, in its interim findings, it dismissed allegations of genocide on the basis that there are still Rohingya Muslims living in Rakhine and that Islamic religious buildings have not been destroyed. It said it had so far found \"insufficient evidence\" that anyone had been raped by security forces, despite widespread claims. Accusations of arson, arbitrary arrest and torture are still being investigated. Strangely, the commission made no mention of the most serious claim - that Burmese security forces have been killing civilians as collective punishment for attacks by Rohingya militants, the BBC's Myanmar correspondent Jonah Fisher reports. Three months since this crisis began, little progress appears to have been made to solve it, he notes. The report says hundreds of Rohingya have been arrested but armed militants are still moving around easily and that looted weapons have yet to be recovered. Earlier in the week, several police were detained after a video surfaced appearing to show officers beating Rohingya Muslims during a security operation in November. The admission that security forces may have carried out abuses is an unusual development, as leaders have previously insisted they are following the rule of law. Rakhine state is closed to journalists and investigators, making it difficult to independently verify any allegations. The estimated one million Muslim Rohingya are seen by many in mainly Buddhist Myanmar as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. They are denied citizenship by the government despite tracing their ancestry back generations. Communal violence in Rakhine state in 2012 left scores dead and displaced more than 100,000 people, with many Rohingya still remaining in decrepit camps. They face widespread discrimination and mistreatment. Hundreds of thousands of undocumented Rohingya are estimated to live in Bangladesh, having fled Myanmar over decades. Bangladesh says around 50,000 Rohingya have crossed its border over the past two months. The situation has drawn global condemnation. Over a dozen Nobel laureates wrote to the UN Security Council demanding action to stop the \"human tragedy amounting to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity\" in northern Rakhine.", "summary": "A commission set up by Myanmar's government says it has so far found no evidence of genocide against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state."}
{"article": "All of this weekend's matches in the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup due to have been played in France have been called off. Bath Rugby tweeted: \"Our thoughts are with all those affected by the tragic events in Paris, and safe travels home to everyone in France.\" Toulon have won three successive European titles.", "summary": "Bath's European Champions Cup match in Toulon on Sunday has been postponed following the deadly attacks in Paris."}
{"article": "Daniel Young, 30, was attacked in Kendor Gardens near Morden Underground station shortly after 08:00 GMT on Tuesday. A post-mortem examination found he died from a stab wound. A 35-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in custody. On the day of the attack a 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and wasting police time. He has been bailed. Mr Young, originally from Paignton in Devon, was attacked as he made his way to the London Campus of Coventry University for the second day of a new job. He was attacked in a park used by commuters as a short cut to Morden Tube station and Morden Road tram stop. It happened less than 40 minutes after a 23-year-old man was stabbed in the buttocks in nearby Lewis Road. Scotland Yard said it was investigating whether the two attacks were linked and trying to establish the motive and whether the attacker was known to Mr Young. Meanwhile, an online fundraising page apparently set up in memory of Mr Young has been removed after his family reportedly said they had no knowledge of it. Police said they understood that the donations made through the Gofundme page would be refunded. The Met's Cyber Crime Unit is investigating. On Facebook, Mr Young's brother Simon wrote: \"My Brother. My friend. I'm still wrapping my head round this, still hoping/wishing it's a sick joke. \"I don't know what to feel, I'm frustrated, angry, upset, confused. Just so proud of everything you achieved in your life, places you travelled, friends you made...you are inspirational big Bro.\" Det Supt Paul Monk said: \"I understand the concerns of the public that the attack on Daniel Young was unprovoked and potentially committed by a stranger in a random attack. \"We too share those concerns and have allocated significant resources to find the person who did this.\"", "summary": "A second man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a university lecturer killed near a London Tube station."}
{"article": "The puppy was due to fly from Nova Scotia on Wednesday to stay with family in Newfoundland, but landed in Ontario. On arrival, flight staff took Cooper outside to relieve himself, but he slipped off his lead and escaped. His owner, who was due to travel to Jamaica for a wedding, said on Friday she was \"grateful\" for his return. The golden labradoodle was supposed to board a WestJet flight from Halifax on Wednesday bound for Deer Lake, but was placed on a plane destined for Hamilton, a city more than 2,000 km (1,200 miles) away. \"I got a call saying they had put my dog on the wrong flight to a totally different province,\" Cooper's owner, Terri Pittman, said. On hearing the news, Ms Pittman took a flight to Hamilton, where she was joined by \"thousands\" of members of the public in the search for Cooper. He was found wet and hungry on Friday by a group of local residents, CBC news reports. \"Knowing that people were spotting him running in the same area gave me more hope,\" Ms Pittman told CBC. \"The community of Mount Hope and Hamilton have been amazing,\" she said earlier, adding that \"random people messaged me saying they want to help\". When Ms Pittman was informed by airline staff that Cooper had taken the wrong flight and had escaped, she said it was \"one of the worst days of my life\". In a post on Facebook, Ms Pittman said: \"This dog is everything to me, and the thought of losing him for good was sickening. To the city of Hamilton, I am overwhelmed.\" Coincidentally Deer Lake, where Cooper was supposed to touchdown, is a town situated in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.", "summary": "A missing labradoodle named Cooper, which sparked a major hunt after boarding the wrong flight in Canada, has been reunited with his owner."}
{"article": "To get people talking and help break the stigma, charities have launched Time to Talk Day on Thursday. Here, eight people share their experiences. Diagnosis: Depression, anxiety and distress intolerance I've suffered since I was a young girl and always prided myself on how well I could hide my illness. I would lie to my school friends telling them I was on holiday when I was actually an in-patient. If I was not bubbly and sociable, my friends would say I was in \"death mode\". It made me feel very isolated. They're no longer my friends - just acquaintances. It has caused lasting damage and meant I always try to pretend I'm OK now. People need to understand that there's a spectrum of emotions - it's OK to feel happy, and it's OK to feel sad. Diagnosis: Borderline personality disorder At my worst, I was very erratic and hurtful. For my parents, it was like having an imposter in their home. My dad almost disowned me - he told me to snap out of it. Every time I had a bad day, he assumed I was suicidal or I was going to hurt someone. I think he was scared of the implications of having a child that would be ill for the rest of their life. It made me feel very unsupported, as though he did not accept me, so I moved out. It took three years to heal our relationship, and took for me to get worse and then better again for him to see that I could get better. I wish he had sat down with me and talked to me, rather than treat me like a burden. Diagnosis: Depression and anxiety My partner - and first love - was working in France. I had been struggling with the distance and my mind had started whirring with negative thoughts. She knew my history but thought it was in my past. A week before I was due to fly out to see her, she broke up with me over Skype. I blamed myself entirely for the split, and started thinking maybe I could never have a relationship. My family and friends are very supportive so it was hard not to get the support from someone I loved. I've tried to explain my anxiety to her in a letter and emails, but she hasn't replied. I'm very lucky to have a new partner now. She finds it really hard to fully understand my problems but she's read up on anxiety. It's about being there to listen - not judge. Diagnosis: Bipolar disorder I had a temper, I was uncontrollable but, for a long time, I just thought it was me. All my relationships in the past have broken down. It's been a nightmare. You get looked at in a different way from a \"normal\" person. Every argument is: \"Are you taking your medicine?\", \"You're a nutter.\" It's very hard to explain what goes on in your mind. Some days can feel like your mind is a prison - you're trapped. My fiancee", "summary": "The stigma around mental health problems can have a devastating impact on people's lives, a survey has found, often leaving behind a trail of break-ups, severed friendships and lost jobs."}
{"article": "Cooper, 31, was playing for Culcheth Eagles at Runcorn ARLFC and had been substituted when he began to feel unwell at the start of the second half. An ambulance was called but they were unable to save the father of three. Rugby Football League officials are supporting the family of Cooper and a donation page has raised over \u00a38,000. Culcheth Eagles junior sides played as normal yesterday, with all matches preceded by a minute's applause. No decision has been made about whether the planned open-age league match at Cadishead Rhinos on Saturday will go ahead as planned. \"It is awful,\" said Culcheth Rangers' vice-chairman Jo Eland. \"Adam was just a young lad going out to play the game he loved.\" Cooper was a longstanding member of the club and returned from Leigh East to play with them when they re-established their open-age team in 2010.", "summary": "A minute's silence will be held before every rugby league game this weekend in memory of amateur player Adam Cooper who died during a match on Saturday."}
{"article": "The city council will contribute \u00a34.4m while \u00a312.6m will come from the FA, Premier League and Sport England. Four \"hubs\" will be formed on current pitches to reduce a reliance on council subsidies, an authority spokesman said. The FA has said it will invest a record \u00a3260m into grassroots football by 2019. The leader of the Liverpool council's Liberal Democrat opposition Richard Kemp, however, has warned the deal could cause \"major problems\". He said local residents had not been consulted by the FA and Liverpool City Council, and \"practicalities had not been worked through\" including the presence of floodlights near local residences. He also questioned whether the council should be contributing funds when it was struggling to maintain parks due to funding cuts, and when the FA was \"one of the richest sports organisations in the world\". A council spokesman said members of the public would be consulted after planning applications would be submitted in the \"next few months\". City mayor Joe Anderson said it was a \"real coup\" for the city as the council had \"far less money than we used to\". Where will the grassroots football hubs be? The sites in the first phase of the programme include: A city council spokesman said discussions were being held with Merseyside Youth Association, who have run three of the sites for nearly 100 years, to restructure their leases. FA chief executive, Martin Glenn, said the FA aimed to set up football hubs in 30 cities in the next four years to support its youth development. Sheffield was chosen for the country's first FA-funded grassroots football \"hubs\" in 2014, when a \u00a39.6m fund was pledged.", "summary": "Liverpool has been chosen as the recipient of the biggest investment into grassroots football after a \u00a317m deal has been agreed."}
{"article": "The Liwa al-Quds (Jerusalem Brigade) said Abdullah Issa was just a 12-year-old from a poor refugee family who lived in a rebel-held area of Aleppo. Members of the Nour al-Din al-Zinki Movement are accused of killing him. It said those responsible were handed over to a judicial committee, and denounced the killing as a \"violation\". The US, which has provided military support to the Nour al-Din al-Zinki Movement in the past, said it was seeking more information on what it described as \"an appalling report\". \"If we can prove that this was indeed what happened and this group was involved... it would give us pause about any assistance or, frankly, any further involvement with this group,\" state department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters. Two short videos emerged online on Tuesday morning showing a boy being taunted and then beheaded by a group of Syrian rebels. The first shows the frightened child, who could be as young as 10, sitting in the back of a pick-up truck, surrounded by five men. One of the men grips him by the hair as they accuse him of being a member of Liwa al-Quds, a Palestinian militia that fights in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and was involved in clashes with rebels on Tuesday in Handarat, to the north of Aleppo. The second video shows the boy's murder. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the boy was seized by rebels in Handarat, but that the killing took place in Mashhad. The UK-based monitoring group could not confirm if the boy was a Palestinian or a child soldier. Liwa al-Quds issued a statement on Facebook saying that its investigation had found he was a 12-year-old Palestinian named Abdullah Issa, who lived in Mashhad with his family. It also said he had apparently been receiving medical treatment before being seized, noting that one photograph showed an intravenous drip in his arm. Liwa al-Quds accused the rebels of killing the child simply because he was Palestinian, in order to take \"cheap and despicable revenge\" for battlefield losses. The Nour al-Din al-Zinki Movement said it denounced and condemned \"such abuses\", but insisted they were \"individual errors that represent neither our typical practices nor our general policies\". \"All individuals who undertook the violation have been detained and turned over to the [judicial] committee for investigations in accordance with the relevant legal standards,\" it added. Earlier this month, Amnesty International published a report detailing a series of violations allegedly committed by Nour al-Din al-Zinki Movement fighters in Aleppo, including abductions and torture.", "summary": "A Palestinian boy who was filmed being beheaded by Syrian rebels on Tuesday was not a fighter, a pro-government Palestinian militia has said."}
{"article": "Mr Berezovsky, 67, was found on the bathroom floor of his Ascot home last year with a ligature around his neck. Berkshire coroner Peter Bedford returned an open verdict, following two days of \"contradictory\" evidence. He said he could not prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the businessman either took his own life or was unlawfully killed. In 2012, the former Kremlin insider lost a \u00c2\u00a33bn ($4.7bn) damages claim against Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich. By Richard GalpinBBC News, World Affairs reporter The evidence presented to the inquest over the past two days by family, friends, doctors, and others who knew Mr Berezovsky had been dominated by one theme. He had been suffering from depression ever since he had lost a critical court case two years ago in which he tried to sue Roman Abramovich, the owner of Chelsea football club for \u00c2\u00a33bn. His depression deepened when his former partner sought financial compensation following their separation. Mr Berezovsky was apparently a broken man who had lost all his money and had openly discussed committing suicide. Mr Berezovsky certainly had many enemies - not least, his family said, the Russian government. The tycoon amassed a fortune in the 1990s following the privatisation of state assets after the collapse of Soviet communism. In summing up at Windsor Guildhall, Mr Bedford said: \"I am not saying Mr Berezovsky took his own life, I am not saying Mr Berezovsky was unlawfully killed. \"What I am saying is that the burden of proof sets such a high standard it is impossible for me to say.\" Earlier the court heard a detailed discussion about the knots tied in the scarf that was used as a ligature in Mr Berezovsky's death. Home Office pathologist, Dr Simon Poole, who carried out a post-mortem examination, said there was nothing to indicate any other people were involved. But Professor Bernd Brinkmann, who deals with hanging and asphyxiation cases, said the marks on Mr Berezovsky's neck could not have come from hanging. He said they were \"far away from the typical inverse 'V' shape\" usually seen, whilst the congestion to his face was also not consistent with hanging. He said he believed the businessman was strangled by someone else and then hanged from the shower rail in the bathroom.", "summary": "A coroner has recorded an open verdict at the inquest into the death of Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky."}
{"article": "The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) says the current proposals are \"unnecessarily complicated\". Their report says that bans in Ireland and Wales were simpler and have significantly reduced the impact of plastic bags on the environment. Over eight billion disposable carrier bags are used in England every year. Last September, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced plans for a single use plastic bag charge in England that would come into effect after the 2015 election. Mr Clegg highlighted the threat of plastic bags to marine life and the countryside. The money raised by the levy would go to charity, he said, and the time to act was now. \"This is not a new problem. We've waited too long for action. That's why I am drawing a line under the issue now. The charge will be implemented sensibly - small businesses will be exempt.\" But it is the planned exemptions and other rules that have raised the hackles of the EAC. The proposals have been drawn up by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). They want the 5p charge to apply only to supermarkets and larger stores. Most small shops and takeaway outlets would not have to pay the cost. Defra says that the charge should not be a burden to small businesses. As well as this exemption, Defra does not want the charge to apply to biodegradable bags. Paper bags and reusable \"bags for life\" will also avoid the levy. But the EAC believe these rules are making the proposal too complex. \"Ministers have managed to make a complete mess of their planned carrier bags charge by making it unnecessarily complicated,\" said Joan Walley MP, chair of the committee. \"Carrier bags litter our streets and harm wildlife, and the government is right to want to reduce their use. But Defra seems to have made decisions about the design of this scheme that were based more on wishful thinking than hard evidence.\" The MPs' report said many trade bodies representing small retailers were opposed to the exemption as it was confusing for consumers. The Association of Convenience Stores said the best way of tackling the issue was to ensure that every shop charged for plastic bags. \"We urge the government to listen to the recommendations of the Environmental Audit Committee and ensure that convenience stores are not left out of the carrier bag charge,\" said ACS chief executive James Lowman. The EAC said that exempting paper bags was also misguided as it would weaken the message that consumers should recycle their plastic. The idea that biodegradable bags should avoid the charge was also a bad idea, said the EAC, as they say they are not as green as they sound. In evidence before the committee, Jessica Baker from the British Plastics Federation recycling group, said an exemption on biodegradable bags would be \"disastrous.\" There were also concerns that biodegradable material still presented a threat to wildlife, as it took time to decay. A Defra spokesman defended the planned exemptions, saying: \"Paper bags make up only a small proportion of carrier", "summary": "A cross-party committee of MPs says the government's plans for a 5p charge on plastic carrier bags in England are a \"complete mess\"."}
{"article": "The International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) is introducing a pro tournament in 2013 and claims fighters who appear will be eligible for Rio. And an IOC spokesman told BBC Sport: \"We are currently discussing the project with them [AIBA]. \"The IOC encourages the participation of the best athletes at the Olympics.\" Last year, AIBA introduced its World Series of Boxing (WSB), a hybrid of the two boxing codes which allows salaried 'amateurs' to retain their Olympic eligibility, even though the tournament features no head guards or vests and professional-style scoring with three judges. WSB was seen as a bridge between Olympic and full-blown professional boxing and AIBA president Wu Ching-Kuo regards AIBA Professional Boxing (APB) as the logical next step. If I was a professional governing body, I would be saying 'hang on a minute, what right do they have to do this?' Why is the APB's professional standard different to ours?' \"I feel this move towards professionalism is very important for AIBA,\" said Wu last week. \"Boxers have always felt that they have instantly had to turn professional after competing at the Olympics. We want to change that culture, show there is another way and this is now [the] time for the sport to move forward. \"I hope we can attract the very best professionals out there. I don't know definitely if they will compete in AIBA Professional Boxing but I am hopeful they will because the Olympics is something very special and there is no greater prize in sport than the Olympic gold medal.\" A spokesperson for the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) said: \"The announcement by AIBA represents another step in attempting to provide a duty of care and support to boxers throughout the whole of their careers. \"The welfare of boxers is our number one priority and we would expect everyone connected with the sport to support this principle. \"Like all major changes it creates a number of significant challenges for us as an organisation and we are forming a commission to examine the proposals in more detail in our role as the governing body for amateur boxing in England. We will provide a further update after the commission has arrived at its initial conclusions.\" However, another source within amateur boxing told BBC Sport the AIBA's plans have caused \"shock and dismay\" among the ranks. \"What does this [the possibility of professional boxers competing in the Olympics] mean for amateur boxing?\" said the source. \"There are a whole series of knock-on issues. At the moment the rules of the amateur boxing associations of England, Scotland and Wales prohibit any professional linkages whatsoever, so even the articles of the associations will need to be examined for this to become possible in England. \"And if I was a professional governing body, I would be saying 'hang on a minute, what right do they have to do this?' Why is your [the APB's] professional standard different to ours?'\"", "summary": "Professional boxers could compete at the 2016 Olympics in Rio after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) refused to rule out the possibility."}
{"article": "The move, which the government says is aimed at combating \"terrorism\", has been criticised by human rights groups. Many Muslims in Xinjiang say they face widespread discrimination. The Chinese government is eager to eradicate sporadic violence in the province, which it blames on Islamist militants. Why is there tension between China and the Uighurs? Did China's crackdown on terrorism work? Uighurs, which makes up about 45% of Xinjiang's population, have often complained about being refused documents allowing them to travel. In June police in Xinjiang ordered residents to provide DNA samples and other biological data when applying for travel documents. Under the new regulations all people in Xinjiang are required to hand in their travel documents to police for \"safekeeping\". The BBC's Stephen McDonell in Beijing says that all residents must now apply for permission to leave the country before they can retrieve their passports. Human Rights Watch has described this as a violation of freedom of movement. The World Uyghur Congress says that although the new measures are ostensibly aimed at all residents, they will in effect target the Uighur community. Over the years China's authorities have attributed attacks to Uighur militants, who they say are inspired or aided by foreign terror groups. Uighur leaders have denied being behind the violence. Why is there tension between China and the Uighurs?", "summary": "Chinese authorities have begun confiscating passports from people in the western region of Xinjiang, which has seen regular unrest."}
{"article": "A draft, submitted last week, sparked controversy over a clause that allows immunity for the generals who seized power in May last year. Also causing concern is a clause which would allow unelected individuals to be appointed prime minister. Thailand has seen almost a decade of divisive political conflict. The previous constitution was abolished by the military after the coup. The current government operates under a temporary charter. \"We have drafted this constitution as it is a reform one, in hopes of leading the country out of cycles of conflicts, disunity and undemocratic fights,\" Gen Lertrat Ratanavanich, a spokesman for the Constitution Drafting Committee, told the AP news agency. \"I'm confident this constitution will provide justice to every side [of the conflict], more than the previous charters.\" Under the new draft, future elections will be decided by a proportional representation system that leans towards smaller parties and coalition governments. The upper house will mostly be unelected members; and the charter will allow parliament to choose as prime minister someone who is not a politician or an MP. The BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok says the probable outcome of the new constitution will be weak and short-lived coalition governments, which would leave more power in the hands of the military and of senior, largely royalist bureaucrats, many of whom supported the coup. The constitutional draft will be debated for six days, our correspondent adds, after which there will be very few opportunities for public discussion. The military has ruled out a referendum but plans instead to seek opinion from a thousand selected respondents in each of Thailand's 77 provinces. Critics say the constitution is aimed at preventing the return of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He was ousted in 2006, after being accused of corruption and now lives in self-imposed exile. Since then, Thailand has been deeply divided as his supporters and opponents struggle for political control, with the conflict sometimes spilling over into street violence.", "summary": "Thailand's military-picked reform council has begun a week-long debate over a new constitution, almost a year after a military coup."}
{"article": "Police said about 30 people were involved in the incident outside The Vault at about 03:15 last Sunday. As part of the ongoing investigation two men, aged 21 and 23, were charged and were due to appear at Inverness Sheriff Court at a later date. Another 21-year-old man has already appeared in court in connection with the incident.", "summary": "Two more men have been charged in connection with a disturbance outside a nightclub in Aviemore."}
{"article": "Royston Jones, 39, from Brynmawr, was jailed for 15 years for the attempted murder of his wife Claire at the intensive care unit where she worked. Plans for security staff to be on site at the hospital were also accepted. Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said work to implement the measures was \"underway\". The investment will enable CCTV to be expanded and monitored while security doors and access points will be upgraded, a health board spokesman said. A second phase of funding was also approved for two security staff. They will initially be on duty overnight and at weekends.", "summary": "A \u00a3120,000 investment has been approved to boost security at Abergavenny's Nevill Hall Hospital after a nurse was attacked on site."}
{"article": "The two pools were confirmed on Monday after New Zealand accepted an invitation to play in Brazil. The Dutch are ranked number two in the world with Germany third, while Ireland will also take on Argentina, India and Canada in Pool B. \"We're know how tough the tournament is and that we're in a tough group,\" said Irish coach Craig Fulton. Argentina (sixth) and India (seventh) are above Ireland (12th) in the rankings with Canada 14th. Pool A comprises Australia, Great Britain, Belgium, New Zealand, Spain and host Brazil. \"We will be focusing on improving as individuals, and as a squad and team come Rio,\" added Fulton. \"Our first training camp is in early January and we're looking forward to starting 2016 with a tough but enjoyable tour.\" The match schedule for all pool games and the play-off stages will be announced in February.", "summary": "Ireland's pool opponents at the Rio Olympics will include defending champions Germany and the Netherlands."}
{"article": "It has been a long and controversial journey that began with Abid Naseer's radicalisation in Pakistan and ends in a maximum security prison in the US. But although MI5 and police in Britain have been vindicated by the verdict in a Brooklyn federal court, this is a case which has raised a number of uncomfortable questions. Why was Naseer not tried in the UK? This would clearly have been the preferred route given that Naseer, a Pakistani citizen in the UK on a student visa, was accused of plotting to blow up people on the streets of a British city. However, despite carrying out one of the largest ever counter-terrorism investigations - involving the surveillance of a dozen suspects, the Crown Prosecution Service said there was not enough evidence to put any of the men on trial. There were emails between Naseer and a suspected al-Qaeda operative in Pakistan - allegedly coded discussions about a possible imminent attack on the city centre. But crucially no explosives or chemicals were found and no gathering of ingredients to make bombs. The authorities felt they could not risk running the surveillance operation any longer. Police were forced to move in more quickly than planned when secret operational details written on papers held by a senior detective were photographed as he was entering 10 Downing Street for a briefing. A subsequent report by Lord Carlile, then the government's Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, found this would not have affected the issue of the evidence - but it criticised the lack of co-ordination between the police and the CPS during the investigation. Why was Naseer extradited to the US? This is one of a number of cases where critics suggest Britain is effectively sub-contracting difficult legal cases to the US - where juries are much more likely to convict terror suspects. After the decision not to charge Naseer, the Home Office attempted to deport him to Pakistan, along with those other arrested men who had not voluntarily returned there. But the High Court blocked it because of the risk he would be mistreated. At the same time they concluded Naseer was \"an al-Qaeda operative who posed and still poses a serious threat to the national security of the United Kingdom\". So the UK authorities could not put him on trial, could not deport him and did not want him left free to roam the streets. He spent a brief time on a control order but the dilemma was only resolved when US prosecutors announced they wanted to try Naseer in New York and he was extradited from the UK. They said - and the jury has now agreed - that he was part of a wider al-Qaeda conspiracy to attack Britain, America and Norway. Lord Carlile told the BBC: \"In every case you have to find where the most convenient forum is for the trial. That will depend on where the evidence lies. \"If the evidence lies in the United States, particularly the key evidence, then one would expect the trial to be in the United States.\"", "summary": "Nearly six years after MI5 and armed police dramatically disrupted an al-Qaeda plot to launch suicide attacks on shoppers in Manchester, the ringleader has finally been convicted."}
{"article": "In a speech he said that he expected rates to rise over the next three years, reaching \"about half as high as historical averages\", or about 2%. But he added that shocks to the economy could change the timing and the size of any rate rise. Interest rates have been at 0.5% for six years as the UK economy recovers from the financial crisis. The Monetary Policy Committee will \"have to feel its way as it goes,\" Mr Carney said in a speech at Lincoln Cathedral. He added: \"Short term interest rates have averaged around 4.5% since around the Bank's inception three centuries ago. \"It would not seem unreasonable to me to expect that once normalisation begins, interest rate increases would proceed slowly and rise to a level in the medium term that is perhaps about half as high as historic averages. \"In my view, the decision as to when to start such a process of adjustment will likely come into sharper relief around the turn of this year,\" he added. His comments come a day after unemployment rose for the first time in two years. \"That suggests the Bank's interpretation of those statistics is that unemployment falls are now being held back by skills shortages,\" said the BBC's economics editor Robert Peston. \"And those skills shortages are also responsible for rising wage inflation.\" On Tuesday, outgoing MPC member David Miles, regarded as someone who is cautious about the impact of rise, surprised markets by saying it was \"likely to be right\" to hike rates soon. On Wednesday, Janet Yellen, the chair of the US's Federal Reserve indicated that interest rates are likely to rise in the US this year. That could be a few months earlier than in the UK if indeed the Bank of England were to move in the new year. If rates were to rise early in the new year, from the current all-time record low of 0.5%, that would be three or four months after the expected equivalent move by the US Federal Reserve. Now for those of you with big debts looking for reassurance that you are not going to be financially crippled by the increase, he has said two other things of note about the so-called Bank Rate. First typical interest rate changes, increments, will be typically much smaller than the half of a percentage point that they used to be before the Crash of 2008 - so probably one quarter of a percentage point, or even possibly an eighth. Also he has signalled that the new normal rate of interest over the medium term after a succession of rises over two or three years will be perhaps half the 4.5% over rate of the past 300 years. So nearer 2%. Read Robert's blog in full here", "summary": "Bank of England governor Mark Carney has indicated that UK interest rates could rise \"at the turn of this year\"."}
{"article": "Josh Meekings, 23, denies causing offences aggravated by sexual orientation prejudice in an Inverness street on 20 December last year. He was arrested by police officers who heard the Inverness Caledonian Thistle defender's remark to an unidentified man, Inverness Sheriff Court heard. Sentence was deferred on Meekings for six months for good behaviour. The incident in Inverness city centre came after Inverness drew 2-2 with Dundee United. Defence lawyer John MacColl told the court that his client had offered a guilty plea admitting to a confrontation with police. The court heard that officers saw Meekings \"gesticulating aggressively\" towards a man and tried to move the player away. The officers then heard footballer's offensive remark. Mr McColl said of his client's behaviour: \"It was conduct in the face of deliberate baiting and vile racist abuse directed at him. His was a spontaneous remark said in the heat of the moment.\" Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood told Meekings: \"If there is no repeat of this nonsense, then it is open to the court to grant you an absolute discharge which will mean you will not have a criminal record.\" If Meekings has not committed any further offences, he was told he did not have to re-appear in court personally on 4 May next year.", "summary": "A footballer shouted homophobic abuse at a man who had made a racist comment to him, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Greg Allen, 43, of Seacoast Road, Bellarena, County Londonderry, was convicted along with another man for breaching waste and marine laws. He plans to appeal the sentence, but not the conviction. Mr Allen said he has lost at least six acres to the sea over three decades. He estimates that the land washed away could be worth up to \u00a350,000 and said he was trying to prevent further erosion. The bales of tyres were put in place to protect a motocross track developed on his ground at the edge of Lough Foyle. Mr Allen said at least 15 neighbouring farmers are suffering the same problem as him with coastal erosion. And he questioned why farm land further along the coast was being protected with proper sea defences built and maintained out of the public purse. \"The more ground you lose, the more our income drops,\" he said. \"If a farmer loses ground for a roadway, he's compensated. We're not, and we're not being allowed to do anything about it either.\" Mr Allen said he has been told that to put in a properly licensed sea defence along 100 metres of shoreline would cost up to \u00a390,000 - if it were to be approved. He must now remove the tyres, which he said will cost him more than \u00a315,000. Baled tyres have been trialled as potential sea defence material by the authorities in England. It has not become a mainstream practice.", "summary": "A farmer given a suspended four-month prison sentence last week for having 20,000 tyres along the shore fronting his farm, has said he was trying to protect his land from coastal erosion."}
{"article": "But the brutal Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar which killed more than 130 children may well be a watershed for a country that has long been accused by the world of treating terrorists as strategic assets. The day after the attack, as a nation mourned and Peshawar buried its dead, Pakistan's top political leadership announced that it was no longer willing to make any distinction between \"good\" and \"bad\" Taliban. Flanked by his arch rivals and allies, Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to carry on fighting until the last terrorist was killed. As he was making the announcement, Pakistan's army chief General Raheel Sharif was meeting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) commanders in Kabul to seek their assistance in fighting a menace which he said had \"hit the heart of the Pakistani nation\". Could this, then, be the watershed Pakistan has been in search of for years? The answer probably lies in the prime minister's statement, which is not only about a new intent but also about an admission: for years Pakistan has pursued a duplicitous policy towards various shades of militant organisations operating out of its territory. Simply put, those active against Isaf in Afghanistan or against Indian security forces across the Line of Control in Kashmir were the \"good\" Taliban. But those who had affiliated themselves to al-Qaeda after 9/11 and carried out terror attacks inside Pakistan were the \"bad\" ones. The problem, of course, was this distinction was never as clear in Taliban minds as it was in Pakistan's policy makers'. Often co-operating organisationally and operationally, the continuously splintering Taliban groups continued to benefit from the fruits of Pakistan's policy confusion. In the process, they consolidated their bases in the country's lawless tribal belt unchecked. The inaction of General Kayani, Raheel Sharif's predecessor, was an additional bonus for the Taliban. In his six-year tenure, he came under strong criticism for failing to devise an effective counter terrorism approach even after the government gave him complete authority to do so. Consequently, every fresh Taliban attack on soldiers steadily raised the disquiet and resentment within military ranks - not only against the government but also its own leadership. That was why Gen Sharif lost no time in launching what he called an indiscriminate operation earlier in the year in North and South Waziristan, the two tribal agencies most under Taliban control. But still mired in their policy confusion, Pakistan's political leadership's response to his initiative was lukewarm. Gen Sharif categorically said \"we will get them\", be they Pakistani Taliban, Punjabi Taliban, al-Qaeda and affiliates, or most importantly, the dreaded Haqqani network. But the country's political leadership chose to remain largely silent. The Peshawar attack seems to have changed that. In the short term, the Taliban may have got what they wanted. They were able to hit the army where it hurts the most. The 128 army-run schools in the country are home to more than 150,000 students, 90% of them are children of serving army officers. The attack has brought the fight", "summary": "For a nation that has lost more than 70,000 people in 13 years to terror attacks, it is not easy to talk of watersheds."}
{"article": "Butler, 24, joined the Iron for an undisclosed fee from National League South side Hemel Hempstead in June. He kept two clean sheets in six appearances for the club, but was sent off in their defeat by Macclesfield. Fellow keeper Sam Beasant joined the club last week after his release by Cambridge United and made his debut against Guiseley last Saturday.", "summary": "Braintree Town have agreed to release goalkeeper Jamie Butler just 72 days after he signed for the club."}
{"article": "The claim was made by the husband of one of the people convicted of the killings. David Stewart's wife Hazel, was convicted of killing her former husband Trevor Buchanan and Lesley Howell. Lesley's husband, Colin Howell, was also found guilty of the double murder. Mr Stewart said the Buchanan children were not given an opportunity by ITV to view the drama before it went to air. ITV's The Secret tells the story of convicted killers Colin Howell and Hazel Stewart, then Buchanan, who killed their spouses and kept the deaths secret for 18 years. ITV said the families were offered a chance to view it before it aired. David Stewart said he understood the Buchanan children were not contacted. He contacted BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback on Friday to make what he believed was a correction. Presenter William Crawley said: \"He's referring to that statement (from ITV) I read out a minute ago and says that Lauren Bradford [Lesley and Colin Howell's daughter] asked for a viewing and that he understands that's where that came from, that claim from ITV. \"David says Trevor Buchanan's next of kin were not given that opportunity and that he supports Lauren's position in all of this.\" Howell and Buchanan are serving jail sentences over the murders of Trevor Buchanan and Lesley Howell, whose bodies were found in a fume-filled car in Castlerock 25 years ago. Police believed at the time that they had died in a suicide pact, but in 2009 Howell handed himself in, admitting that he had gassed the pair with Hazel Stewart's help. Years after the killings, she married David Stewart. The programme has been criticised by Lauren Bradford, who said it had left her traumatised. Lauren Bradford wrote an article in the Guardian after the first episode of The Secret was broadcast, saying its makers \"trivialise the reality of these events and dehumanise the impact that it has on those involved\". She added that victims' families needed to have more rights \"over their 'story' and the narrative of their loved ones\". ITV said The Secret's scripts were based on an \"exhaustively researched\" book by a \"highly respected journalist\" and that extensive extra research had been carried out. It said the families of both victims had been informed of the production and given an opportunity to see it before it was broadcast, but added that it \"never suggested\" they had \"approved or authorised the drama\". On Wednesday, Prime Minister David Cameron said he would hold a meeting with the culture secretary to discuss the The Secret. It followed an intervention from the Sheffield MP Louise Haigh who raised the issue in the commons. Lauren Bradford is Ms Haigh's constituent. Ms Haigh said the victims' families were reliving the pain of their loved ones' killings as a result of the drama. Mr Cameron said he would discuss the programme with Culture Secretary John Whittingdale to see if there is anything \"more that can be done\" in similar cases. Actor James Nesbitt plays Howell in the drama, which is based on a book by journalist Deric", "summary": "The children of one of the victims of a double murder in Castlerock in 1991 were not given a preview of ITV's drama, The Secret, based on the killings."}
{"article": "A group has called for a protest at Parliament on 8 October against legislation banning baring your buttocks. The tongue-in-cheek event, scheduled one day after the full moon, calls for the right to bare bums. Police said: \"The only moon we want to see on Parliament House is the 8 day old moon in the October lunar cycle.\" An amendment included in an overhaul of sexual offence laws specifically bans \"mooning or streaking\". First-time offenders face up to two months in jail while repeat offenders could spend six months behind bars. Disgruntled mooners set up the protest as a Facebook event on Monday. \"Following the recent banning of the royal moon in Victoria, we have decided to show our [disgust] and [devastation] of this new law,\" the group said on social media. However, Victoria Police responded asking the members to keep their pants firmly around their waist. \"We suggest keeping your pants on and shut this page down or potentially risk criminal charges,\" the Facebook post by Victoria Police read.", "summary": "Victoria Police have urged Australian mooning enthusiasts to keep their pants on or risk criminal charges."}
{"article": "In the week which saw previous boss Russell Slade sacked, the seventh departure from The Valley since March 2014, Charlton started on the front-foot as Jason Pearce's header hit the bar early on. The Addicks took the lead in the 30th minute through a superb Josh Magennis header, with the Northern Ireland international finding the far corner from Morgan Fox's cross. Charlton - with caretaker boss Kevin Nugent overseeing proceedings - doubled their advantage a minute before half-time, as Fox's pass found Nicky Ajose who slotted the ball past Jak Alnwick in the Port Vale goal. The visitors, as expected, came out after the break searching for a goal back but Nathan Smith's flicked effort that evaded Declan Rudd's goal was the closest Bruno Ribeiro's side came to scoring. The win was only Charlton's fifth in League One this campaign and sees them rise to 14th in the table, while Port Vale remain without a win on the road since early October. Report supplied by Press Association. Match ends, Charlton Athletic 2, Port Vale 0. Second Half ends, Charlton Athletic 2, Port Vale 0. Attempt missed. Jordan Botaka (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Ezri Konsa Ngoyo replaces Ademola Lookman. Attempt missed. Nathan Smith (Port Vale) right footed shot from very close range is close, but misses to the left following a corner. Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by Jason Pearce. Attempt blocked. Paulo Tavares (Port Vale) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt missed. Martin Paterson (Port Vale) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Hand ball by Kjell Knops (Port Vale). Foul by Jason Pearce (Charlton Athletic). Martin Paterson (Port Vale) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Ademola Lookman (Charlton Athletic). Remie Streete (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt saved. Martin Paterson (Port Vale) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Anton Forrester (Port Vale). Patrick Bauer (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Martin Paterson (Port Vale). Substitution, Port Vale. Anton Forrester replaces Sam Kelly. Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Brandon Hanlan replaces Josh Magennis. Patrick Bauer (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Martin Paterson (Port Vale). Foul by Jason Pearce (Charlton Athletic). Martin Paterson (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Ademola Lookman (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Ryan Taylor (Port Vale). Attempt blocked. Alex Jones (Port Vale) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Foul by Fredrik Ulvestad (Charlton Athletic). Martin Paterson (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Nicky Ajose (Charlton Athletic). Ryan Taylor (Port Vale) wins a free kick on the left wing. Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by Morgan Fox. Substitution, Port Vale. Quentin Pereira", "summary": "Managerless Charlton secured their third home league victory in as many matches with a 2-0 win over play-off chasing Port Vale."}
{"article": "The company owners said the containers in Santos were full of acid and a disinfectant which came into contact with rainwater, causing a reaction. The area's mayor said at least 66 people were taken to hospital with breathing difficulties. Officials said the fire had been controlled but that there is still smoke in the area. The cargo terminal and nearby homes were evacuated and residents were asked to stay inside. The container terminal was operated by Localfrio, a logistics company, in Guaruja, an area on the eastern side of Santos, in Sao Paulo state. A spokeswoman for the company, which exports chemicals used for refrigeration and general cargo, said the containers were filled with chloric acid and sodium dichloroisocyanurate - a cleaning and disinfectant agent. Firefighters said rainwater had seeped into the containers causing a chemical reaction. Local Mayor Mario Antonieta de Brito asked people to stay out of the rain which could \"contain chemical elements that can burn the skin\". This is the latest in a series of recent incidents involving chemical companies in Brazil:", "summary": "A chemical explosion at a cargo warehouse in Brazil has spread toxic gas over the country's biggest port."}
{"article": "Hacking through the jungle with machetes, they lead us to a camp abandoned just two weeks earlier by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), the rebel group commanded by Kony, who claims to be fighting to install a government in Uganda based on the Biblical 10 Commandments. A rebel defector led the Ugandan army to the camp, which would have housed between 50-60 fighters, including women and children. Among the children was a five-year-old boy, said to be Kony's son, and his mother Doreen Abango. She was abducted by the LRA aged 13, and had managed to escape only 10 days earlier. \"I started walking at night with my child\u2026 I did not leave any tracks that could be used to follow me, because I knew if I was found I would be killed,\" she said. 'Strange child' Few in northern Uganda escaped unscathed from Kony's war, including his own family. His older sister Gabriela Lakot still lives in Odek, northern Uganda, where Kony was born. \"As soon as Kony was born he stood on his own two feet,\" she says. \"Everyone was astonished and wondrous saying: 'This child is strange.' \"God has brought a curse on this family - that was my mother's lament. Kony brought so much trouble on us up to now. Everyone hates us.\" Gabriela also blames her brother for the death of her son. \"My first born was shot by the Ugandan army when he was with Kony. All that is his fault,\" she said. Kony's rebels have terrorised swathes of South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic over the years. It is estimated by the Ugandan army that there are only 450 members of the LRA left. Caesar Achellam, a senior LRA commander, was captured in May this year. He says Kony will never surrender because of indictments in the International Criminal Court (ICC). \"Kony is afraid, he is really afraid. He is afraid of the accusations against him in The Hague,\" he said. Kony is wanted by the ICC for war crimes including rape, the murder of civilians and forcibly recruiting children to serve in his Lord's Resistance Army. 'Die like Hitler' Kony's global notoriety increased earlier this year because of the internet video Kony 2012, which has been watched tens of millions of times since it was posted online by the US advocacy group Invisible Children. Then available in the UK on the BBC iPlayer The Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is clear that more foreign support is needed to bring Kony to justice. He said: \"We are now an international mission. It is not a domestic mission and we cannot be an international mission on domestic resources. It is up to the international community to help.\" An African Union force of 5,000 troops from the four countries most affected by the LRA was due to begin operations in March, but it has not happened yet. Ugandan minister Betty Bigombe is one of many African leaders who have tried and failed to talk Kony into making peace. According to Ms Bigombe, Kony", "summary": "Deep in the jungle of the Central African Republic, about 2,000 Ugandan troops are spearheading the campaign to catch Joseph Kony."}
{"article": "Natural Resources Wales (NRW) - which is objecting to the \u00a31.1bn project - said the likely impact of climate change had be taken into account. NRW was giving evidence at a public inquiry into the plans in Newport. Lawyers for the Welsh Government said it was \"inconceivable\" sea defences would not be maintained. The proposed route of the relief road would cross areas of tidal floodplain within the Severn Estuary on a raised embankment. Gary Purnell, a technical specialist for NRW's flood risk analysis team, told the inquiry that proposals to manage tidal flood risk had not been guaranteed over the lifetime of the project. An assumption that defences would be maintained was not satisfactory, he said. The proposed M4 scheme would increase tidal flooding risk to properties south of the new motorway, whilst benefiting properties to the north, he claimed. Should sea defences not be improved throughout the lifetime of the scheme there was a \"serious risk of flooding in that area\" in light of climate change. Commitments to flood protection had been made in the case of the HS2 project and the Thames Tideway Tunnel, he added. But Morag Ellis QC, representing the Welsh Government, said for NRW to query whether funding would be available was to \"underplay the serious risk\" that climate change posed in future. It was the government's position that it was \"inconceivable\" that measures would not be put in place, otherwise vast areas of Newport and Cardiff as well as important road infrastructure, power lines and industry would be at threat, she said. She added it was not for NRW to question government policy or the allocation of funding and that both these issues were beyond the scope of the inquiry. NRW's evidence will continue with objections set to be discussed surrounding the road's impact on Sites of Special Scientific Interest and protected species such as dormice. The inquiry heard that following weeks of dialogue and work to address issues between Welsh Government and NRW officials, a number of other objections had been removed.", "summary": "A long-term commitment to fund flood defences along the route of the M4 relief road is needed before the scheme goes ahead, it has been argued."}
{"article": "Images of a toddler, washed up on a beach in Turkey, ram home the sometimes deadly consequences of what is going on. Right now though there seems little prospect of the UK government shifting its position on taking in more refugees, as EU leaders and Labour opponents have been calling for. Although these latest images are heart wrenching, David Cameron's conviction is that it's more effective to tackle the cause not the symptom of this crisis. That means substantial amounts of taxpayers' money going to provide food and shelter to refugees on the edges of Syria, to help on the ground. And diplomatically pushing for a political process that can move that country towards peace. It does not mean throwing open the doors to many more Syrian refugees. But there are two other parts to the logic of sticking to the position. First, despite what's going on, there is not huge public appetite for the government suddenly to act. Second, there is a caution about sending a signal to other kinds of migrants, rather than refugees seeking safety, that makes the UK seem a more attractive destination at a time when the government is trying to limit the numbers. Could that change? Of course. The intensity of the need means the calls to \"do more\" grow louder every day. The public imagination, and that of Conservatives, could be stirred by the images to the extent that a shift becomes inevitable. As politicians drift back after their summer break the volume of voices might become too intense. Or, the incentive to take more refugees as part of a wider deal with Europe - quid pro quo - might become tempting too. Yet at this moment, there is nothing to force the prime minister to budge. But don't be surprised if the pressure on him to shift continues to build.", "summary": "Only the hardest of hearts would not be moved by the latest images of the people who have been caught up in the danger and chaos of this mass movement."}
{"article": "Furious 7 has already out-grossed all previous instalments of the 14-year-old franchise and has now made more than $800m (\u00a3546m) internationally. With DreamWorks animation Home berthed at two, new release The Longest Ride could only muster a third place debut. The rodeo-based romance made $13.5m (\u00a39.2m) between Friday and Sunday. Starring Clint Eastwood's son Scott, the film is the latest to be adapted from a best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks. Further down this week's Top 10, Woman in Gold appears at seven after expanding its release to more than 1,500 locations. Starring Dame Helen Mirren, this story of an attempt to recover art looted by the Nazis made $5.9m (\u00a34m) in its second weekend in North American cinemas. According to Screen Daily, Furious 7 has now made more than $39m (\u00a326.6m) in the UK and Ireland, where it was released as Fast & Furious 7.", "summary": "The latest Fast and the Furious film is still top dog at the US and Canada box office, having taken $60.6m (\u00a341.4m) in its second weekend in cinemas."}
{"article": "Shep Murombedzi's 25-yard deflected effort put the hosts into the lead midway through the opening half, but the goalscorer then brought down Danny Rowe in the box and Kingsley James converted from the spot. Solihull were then handed a spot-kick of their own on the stroke of half-time when the visitors were penalised for tugging, and Akwasi Asante slotted home from 12 yards. James took his goal tally for the season to four with his second penalty three minutes after half-time. He was tripped in the box by Jamie Osborne but picked himself up to level the scores before Norburn won it at the death. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Solihull Moors 2, Macclesfield Town 3. Second Half ends, Solihull Moors 2, Macclesfield Town 3. Goal! Solihull Moors 2, Macclesfield Town 3. Ollie Norburn (Macclesfield Town). Substitution, Solihull Moors. Ryan Beswick replaces Shepherd Murombedzi. Omari Sterling-James (Solihull Moors) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Chris Holroyd replaces Jack Sampson. Jack Byrne (Solihull Moors) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Paul Lewis (Macclesfield Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Solihull Moors. Stefan Moore replaces Harry White. Substitution, Solihull Moors. Omari Sterling-James replaces Darryl Knights. Jamey Osborne (Solihull Moors) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Danny Whitaker replaces Kingsley James. Goal! Solihull Moors 2, Macclesfield Town 2. Kingsley James (Macclesfield Town) converts the penalty with a. Second Half begins Solihull Moors 2, Macclesfield Town 1. First Half ends, Solihull Moors 2, Macclesfield Town 1. Goal! Solihull Moors 2, Macclesfield Town 1. Akwasi Asante (Solihull Moors) converts the penalty with a. Goal! Solihull Moors 1, Macclesfield Town 1. Kingsley James (Macclesfield Town) converts the penalty with a. Shepherd Murombedzi (Solihull Moors) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. George Pilkington (Macclesfield Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Dan Cowan replaces John McCombe. Goal! Solihull Moors 1, Macclesfield Town 0. Shepherd Murombedzi (Solihull Moors). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Ollie Norburn's last-gasp goal saw Macclesfield end Solihull's unbeaten home run with a thrilling victory which featured three penalties in the space of seven minutes."}
{"article": "The Abominable Bride - which starred Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson - attracted 34.7% of the TV audience. The final episode of ITV drama Downton Abbey won the Christmas Day ratings battle with an average of 6.6m viewers. BBC One's New Year's Eve fireworks was watched by more than 12m, the BBC said. Sherlock attracted 8.4m viewers, the highest overnight audience across all channels for a drama of the festive season, the BBC said. The two-hour Downton Abbey finale attracted a peak audience of 7.1m, beating the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special as the most watched Christmas Day show. The Strictly special was the BBC's most-watched show of Christmas Day, with a peak of seven million viewers and an average of 6.5m.", "summary": "BBC One show Sherlock attracted more than eight million viewers for its New Year's Day special - the highest TV drama audience of the festive season."}
{"article": "A bottle of Deanston 12-year-old malt was broken over the bow of the 90-metre Offshore Patrol Vessel in a ceremony at BAE Systems' Scotstoun yard. The ship is expected to go into service next year and will be used for counter-terrorism, anti-smuggling and defence. The MoD said work on HMS Forth and her sister ships was sustaining 800 Scottish jobs. The vessels will be equipped with a 30mm cannon, a flight deck capable of accommodating a Merlin helicopter, and will be manned by a crew of 58 sailors. It is the first of a fleet of new Batch 2 River-class OPVs being built on the Clyde, which are all expected to be in service by 2021. Their construction has filled a gap in the order books of the Govan yard, where work is due to begin on eight Type 26 frigates this summer. The Type 26 frigate, which is principally designed for anti-submarine warfare, will partially replace the current Type 23 frigate. Each ship will carry a crew of 118, have a top speed of more than 26 knots and a range of 7,000 nautical miles. The first vessel is due to enter service in the early 2020s. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said that the work would safeguard hundreds of skilled jobs until 2035. HMS Forth, the fifth Royal Navy vessel to bear the name over the past two centuries, is affiliated with the city of Stirling. The MoD said the name maintained a connection that began when the people of the city adopted a previous ship with the name Forth during World War Two. Minister for Defence Procurement, Harriett Baldwin, said the programme to build the ship was a vitally important part of the government's 10-year, \u00c2\u00a3178bn plan to supply the Armed Forces. She added: \"From counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean, to securing the UK's borders on patrols closer to home, the Royal Navy's new Offshore Patrol Vessels will help protect our interests around the world.\"", "summary": "The first of a fleet of five warships being built on the Clyde has been formally named HMS Forth."}
{"article": "The Mercedes driver was fairly monosyllabic in his television interviews. A pep talk from team boss Toto Wolff followed, the Austrian telling him he should see his fourth place as \"12 points won rather than lost\". But, while he was more open and expansive with the written media shortly afterwards, the general negative tone continued. And then, at the end, a moment of realisation, presumably of the headlines that might follow, and a plea for understanding. \"Adversity is when there is an opportunity to grow and do something really special,\" Hamilton said. \"I am really happy with the way I have been driving considering [the results]. \"It is important for people who are watching and also people who are reporting that you have patience with us as drivers. You can't be happy every day you have a result. \"Whether it is second, fifth, 10th, whatever it is, you are going to be annoyed at one point, because you put so much into it. \"You train. You sacrifice everything to make sure you get the best result possible. So when you don't - if you don't personally deliver and other things stack up against you - it is hard to come out smiling. Because that means you don't care enough. And the fact is I care more than anything. \"So there are days when it feels more painful than others. There are days when it is easier to handle and think: 'I will move forwards.' So when you make comments, or are writing stories, bear that in mind. It is not a sign of being ungrateful or anything. \"This is an intense battle which I am loving, and we are enjoying as a team, but I want to win this championship. \"Right now I am 20 points behind. I don't have a crystal ball but it doesn't look great at the moment. But there is still a long way to go. Within one race it could switch. But the bigger the gap gets the more pressure builds.\" This is one of the aspects of Hamilton that makes him so compelling a personality to follow. He can be contradictory, puzzling and infuriating. But also intelligent, eloquent and fascinating. And he just can't hide himself, even if sometimes he might be trying to. It was there throughout the weekend in Austria. There was the Thursday news conference in which he undercut Vettel's attempt to draw a line under his road-rage moment in Baku at the previous race by revealing that the German had not apologised when they spoke the day after the race, only by text a day after that. And said he still wasn't completely sure the German had made it clear he did not think Hamilton had 'brake-tested' him (although Vettel did). There were the monosyllabic interviews after he qualified third rather than fastest, which meant he would start eighth rather than sixth, and in which he tried to bat off his disappointment before, finally, admitting: \"I didn't deliver. I have been quick all weekend and in Q3 I didn't do the time", "summary": "Lewis Hamilton was pretty down after the Austrian Grand Prix, which was understandable seeing as he had just seen his championship deficit to Sebastian Vettel stretch to 20 points."}
{"article": "Sussex Police said the emergency services were called to the flat in Sutherland Avenue, Bexhill, at 13:35 BST. The victim died from her injuries at the scene. Following a police search, a 21-year-old man from Bexhill was arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in custody. The suspect was known to the victim, police said.", "summary": "A woman has died after being stabbed in a flat in East Sussex."}
{"article": "The pensioner was found dead at an address in Park Lane at about 22:30 BST last Wednesday, West Yorkshire Police said. A 54-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder but was subsequently released. A file has been sent to the coroner, the force says. Live updates and more stories from Yorkshire", "summary": "The death of an 84-year-old woman whose body was found at a property in Pontefract is no longer being treated as suspicious by police."}
{"article": "The Blades have been interested in the 20-year-old for a number of weeks but were forced to wait for him to return to fitness after a hamstring injury. Riley played 85 minutes of United's 1-0 Premier League 2 victory over Liverpool on Monday. The full-back has made two first-team appearances for Manchester United. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "League One leaders Sheffield United have signed Manchester United full-back Joe Riley on loan for the rest of the season."}
{"article": "The influence of the movement has been in the spotlight again in Mr Gulen's home country, where a feud between his followers and other members of the political class has been blown into the open by a series of arrests. Ill-feeling is said to have grown since the Turkish government moved to close down a network of private schools run by Hizmet. Until then, the movement played a part in driving the electoral success of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party, which has been in power for three terms. But the movement's influence extends far beyond Turkey, funding schools, and think tanks and media outlets, from Kenya to Kazakhstan. It has attracted millions of followers and billions of dollars. Hizmet has no formal structure, no visible organisation and no official membership, yet it may have grown into the world's biggest Muslim network. Its name means \"service\" and it promotes work for the common good, with advocates saying they simply work together in a loosely affiliated alliance inspired by the message of Mr Gulen. The imam promotes a tolerant Islam which emphasises altruism, hard work and education. There are said to be millions of Hizmet followers in Turkey, where they are believed to hold influential positions in institutions from the police and secret services to the judiciary and the AK Party itself. Followers are said to donate between 5% and 20% of their income to groups affiliated with the movement. The movement's schools usually boast hi-tech facilities, and many students are on scholarships funded by Gulen-inspired businessmen. Although the schools are secular, teachers are expected to act as role models. Smoking, drinking and divorce are frowned upon. Fatma Disli first came across the movement at a school it founded to help students pass university admissions tests. \"The people I met through Hizmet were really hard-working, virtuous people who were practising their religion, but at the same time had important jobs,\" she told BBC News. \"I realised that it's possible to be religious and to have a career.\" Turkish businessmen are attracted by what they see as Mr Gulen's international outlook and pragmatic approach to issues like using credit. The mix of philanthropy and business appears to have been powerful, with Gulen-inspired schools supporting and smoothing the way for Turkish businessmen in emerging markets like Africa and Central Asia. However, critics believe the movement's aim is to gain power, to spread socially conservative Islamic attitudes on issues like marriage and alcohol around the globe, and to suppress any opposition. Opponents of the movement point to a video which surfaced in 1999, in which Mr Gulen seemed to tell his followers that they should deliberately attempt to infiltrate mainstream structures: \"You must move within the arteries of the system, without anyone noticing your existence, until you reach all the power centres. \"You must wait until such time as you have got all the state power, until you have brought to your side all the power of the constitutional institution in Turkey.\" The following year, Mr Gulen faced charges of trying to undermine Turkey's", "summary": "Supporters regard the Hizmet movement inspired by US-based Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen as the benign, modern face of Islam, but critics question its motives."}
{"article": "Vale are seven points outside the top six with three games left, but Alnwick says adding to his 13 shut-outs this season is a good target to aim for. \"We want to win every game and see where we finish,\" Alnwick, 22, told BBC Radio Stoke. \"Hopefully we can win all of them with clean sheets.\" Twelfth-placed Vale have won their last two games - including the team they are chasing in sixth place, Gillingham - without conceding. However, they need to win all of their remaining matches and hope for an unlikely set of results to go their way if they are to sneak into the promotion picture. \"We're disappointed we're not right in the mix coming into the last few games,\" Alnwick said. \"Our defensive record has been good all year - personally I'm happy with the way things have gone, people were putting us as favourites to go down but we've had a good season.\" Vale boss Rob Page may choose to stick with the 3-5-2 formation that proved so effective in their 2-0 win at Gillingham, in Saturday's home game against another side chasing a top-six finish, Rochdale. \"The manager threw it at us as he wanted to match Gillingham up,\" he said. \"I think it was tactically very well done, the lads liked it.\"", "summary": "Goalkeeper Jak Alnwick is determined to finish the season with three more clean sheets as Port Vale chase an unlikely play-off place in League One."}
{"article": "Campaigners say the agreement is biased against the UK and is being used for offences it was not intended to cover. The year-long review will also consider the breadth of the home secretary's discretion to intervene in cases. It follows a series of high-profile cases, including that of computer hacker Gary McKinnon. The Home Office says the current extradition arrangements will continue and the review will not impact on any cases currently under consideration. The review panel, led by a retired Law Lord, is expected to be finished by the end of summer 2011. Former Home Secretary David Blunkett, who signed the treaty, accused the current Home Secretary Theresa May of kicking the controversy \"into the long grass\". Recently, he admitted he might have \"given too much away\" to the Americans and said sensible discussions with the UK's partners could resolve \"any irritants quite speedily\". The review will consider the operation of the Extradition Act 2003, including the European arrest warrant, and the US/UK extradition treaty. Home Secretary Theresa May said: \"I am fully aware there are a number of areas of the UK's extradition arrangements which have attracted controversy in recent years. \"This government is committed to reviewing those arrangements to ensure they work both efficiently and in the interests of justice.\" The European arrest warrant fast-tracks extradition between EU member states. It means countries can ask for extradition of an individual without providing prima-facie evidence to the courts, usually as long as the offence is a crime in both countries and carries a prison sentence of more than one year. Jago Russell, Fair Trials International's chief executive, said more than one thousand people were detained and extradited by the UK in the year 2009-2010 \"under Europe's no-questions-asked extradition system\". \"This review, though welcome, will only produce a fairer system of extradition if it gets to grips with the problems caused by the European arrest warrant and if vital new safeguards are put in place,\" he said. Critics of the US/UK treaty, agreed between Washington and London in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks of 2001, say it is easier to extradite people from the UK than the US. By Dominic CascianiBBC News home affairs correspondent Extradition treaties are a crucial tool in the state's armoury against criminality: they give prosecutors the means to haul back wrongdoers - thereby enhancing public confidence in the rule of law. But the modern British system has become controversial partly because of the manner of its creation. The current deal with the US and the separate European Arrest Warrant emerged in the post 9/11 world. Politicians on both sides of the Atlantic concluded that agencies needed to act more swiftly to transfer suspects - and the former British Labour government promoted reforms with one eye on tackling the threat from international terrorism. But critics say the arrangements were, in effect, rushed into law and, in doing so, failed to include proper judicial safeguards against abuse. They point to cases like Gary Mann, convicted in Portugal of football-related violence after what he says was an unfair", "summary": "A review of the UK's extradition laws will consider whether the current treaty with the US is \"unbalanced\", Home Secretary Theresa May has said."}
{"article": "The group is consulting with 33 staff on plans to close its printing site near Cardiff Docks. Trinity Mirror wants to print the Western Mail in Watford and the South Wales Echo in Oxford, it is understood. The company said the consultation process was ongoing. The group previously blamed \"declining print volumes and the relocation of a number of titles within our print network\" for the proposed closure of the print works, which is responsible for a number of Trinity Mirror newspapers as well as other publications. Trinity Mirror also owns Wales on Sunday, which is already printed in Birmingham, as well as the South Wales Evening Post and the Daily Post. Meanwhile, BBC Wales understands the company is in talks to sell its Media Wales building in Cardiff city centre. The company plans to remain as a tenant when the deal is completed. Media Wales moved into the six storey purpose-built office block on Park Street in 2008. Staff cuts mean its sales and editorial teams now only occupy one floor, while accountancy firm Deloitte has taken some of the vacant space. Trinity Mirror declined to comment on the proposed sale of its Media Wales headquarters.", "summary": "Newspaper publisher Trinity Mirror plans to print some of its Welsh titles in London and Oxford when it closes its presses in Cardiff, BBC Wales has learned."}
{"article": "Over many years, he worked with Roald Dahl on some of his most famous books and his sketches captured the very essence of Willy Wonka, Matilda and the BFH. His own heavily illustrated and quirky books include Mister Magnolia, Zagazoo and Loveykins. Born Quentin Saxby Blake, he was born in 1932 in Sidcup, which is now part of south east London, and studied English at Cambridge. After National Service he did a postgraduate diploma at the University of London, going on to teach at the Royal College of Art, where he was the head of illustration between 1978-86. He was first published at the age of 16 in the satirical magazine Punch - while he was still a pupil a Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School. A later cover featured his illustration of a weightlifter at full stretch being aped by a dog carrying a bone. He said: \"I can remember getting a letter from the art editor congratulating me on being the youngest contributor and I thought 'this is alright!'. I started drawing for print then.\" From there, he went on to illustrate nearly 300 books with writers such as Joan Aiken, Michael Rosen and John Yeoman. Blake also worked on more than 150 episodes of the BBC children's show Jackanory, providing the illustrations for the books narrated for the young audience. \"I draw every day - unless I'm being interviewed,\" Blake told the BBC. \"What is nice is to have different kinds of things to do.\" Blake began working with Dahl after a meeting in 1975 set up by their publisher. By that point, Dahl had already published some of his most famous works including James and The Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Fantastic Mr Fox. \"Initially I was rather apprehensive because he was a big chap and very famous, but it was a relationship that worked,\" said Blake. \"Because I had established myself as an illustrator, I had something to bring to it.\" Blake became the first ever Children's Laureate when the position was created in 1999, using his tenure to promote literature for the young. Among his other accolades are the JM Barrie lifetime achievement award, which he received in 2008, the Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustration in 2002 and an honorary degree from the Anglia Ruskin university in Cambridge. He was made an OBE in 1988, a CBE in 2004 and will receive his knighthood at Buckingham Palace during 2013, for his services to illustration. The 80-year-old's most recent collaboration has been with comic actor and writer David Walliams. They first worked together on Walliams' debut children's novel The Boy in the Dress, which was published in 2008. He admitted he was initially apprehensive about working with the Little Britain co-creator. \"I was also worried it would have loads of projectile vomiting,\" he said, \"but I wanted to do it as soon as I read it.\" He added: \"I had breakfast with David and I think we were on the same wavelength. It was very nice because he wanted me to do it and", "summary": "Illustrator Quentin Blake, who has been knighted in the New Year Honours list, is perhaps best known for the distinctive drawings that helped bring to life some of the most popular characters in children's literature."}
{"article": "The family of Tara Lear-Jones said \"a massive piece\" has been taken from their lives and they are \"just left with heartache\". Ms Lear-Jones died in the accident on the A539, near the village of Penley, on Thursday. \"Tara was a much loved daughter, sister, aunty, granddaughter and girlfriend,\" a tribute read. \"We all love her so much and no words can explain how we are feeling right now. \"Tara thought the world of her nieces and nephew and we will make sure they know how much she loved them when they are older.\" North Wales Police have appealed for witnesses who saw a blue Vauxhall Corsa that was involved.", "summary": "Tributes have been paid to a 24-year-old woman who died in a car accident in Wrexham county."}
{"article": "As the 18-day festival of traditional and roots music came to a close in Glasgow, they said 176 out of 222 ticketed events were sold out. More than 110,000 people attended festival events which saw 2,375 musicians from 50 countries perform. Artistic director Donald Shaw said: \"The past 18 days have been exhilarating and unforgettable.\" He said: \"From the intimate intensity of Laura Marling accompanied for the first time by a full orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, to a Ceilidh led by Aidan Moffat. \"From the stunning virtuosity of an evening of maestros of stringed instruments from Brazil, India and the US dazzling the audience with their skills, to Tryst which saw 10 specially-commissioned new pieces for pipes. \"One of the many true joys of Celtic Connections is that within our tradition of Celtic music and international collaborations, we do not think about creative boundaries. \"Instead, we present on our stages some of the most brilliant musicians working today and explore the richness and diversity of the music we are celebrating.\" He added: \"The journey we have been on through Celtic Connections 2017 has shown the power of live music to connect with individual lives and to resonate with the wider world in which we all live, and we are already looking forward to presenting Celtic Connections in 2018, in what is going to be a very special 25th anniversary year.\"", "summary": "More than three-quarters of shows at this year's Celtic Connections were sold out, according to organisers."}
{"article": "The charity wants to increase the number of children it helps directly by 25% to 10,000 annually and offer support to a further 20,000. Believe in Me launches on Thursday and will also tackle a perceived lack of confidence in 11 to 18-year-olds. The move comes on the back of a UK-wide survey that found most youngsters in the age bracket lack confidence. In total, 2,000 youngsters were questioned, with 88% saying they were low in confidence - 96% of the 200 young people questioned in Wales gave that answer. To address this, the charity wants to increase the \u00c2\u00a32.37m it raises annually in Wales to help youngsters dealing with things like poverty, homelessness, disability and bereavement to help reach more people. Barnardo's Cymru director Sarah Crawley called the confidence study results \"a wake up call\". She said: \"We will be galvanising our work around three strategic aims: stronger families, safer childhoods and positive futures. \"Through these aims we will not only be meeting the needs of children and young people now, but looking into the future to prevent them from occurring.\"", "summary": "About 30,000 vulnerable children will be helped each year, in plans to be announced by Barnardo's Cymru."}
{"article": "Rose Polge, 25, whose car was found in a car park near Ansteys Cove in Torbay, disappeared on Friday. Divers have been searching just south of the cove, as part of a major operation. The family statement thanked everyone for their \"help, hope and kind words\". The BBC understands that a note was found in Dr Polge's car. It is believed its contents were mainly related to personal issues, but there was a passing reference to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. It is understood Dr Polge is an active campaigner against plans to change working hours and conditions for junior doctors, and in January posted a new Facebook profile picture, featuring the hashtag #NotFairNotSafe. On Thursday, Mr Hunt confirmed the government would impose a new contract on junior doctors in England. Dr Polge's family said: \"The support we have received from family and friends has been much appreciated, and clearly Rose is loved far and wide. \"We are overwhelmed by the support from her friends and colleagues, dozens of whom have been combing the Devon Coast in search of Rose. \"As the search continues we would appreciate some privacy from the press in our time of distress.\" Police said her disappearance was \"totally out of character\" and concerns for her welfare were rising. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed an item of clothing had been found at the cove, but would not say whether it belonged to Dr Polge. Coastguards and search and rescue groups searched for her in Torquay at the weekend. Friends and local residents combed the beaches in the area on Saturday and Sunday, while police also searched more remote areas such as cliff tops and woodland. More than 100 people have been involved in the search operation, including Dr Polge's boyfriend and her family, who live in Melbourn, Cambridgeshire. Police are appealing for the public to contact them with any information or sightings of Dr Polge. A Department of Health spokesman said: \"Our thoughts are with Dr Polge's family and friends at an extremely difficult time.\"", "summary": "The family of a missing junior doctor has said they are \"overwhelmed by the support\" of dozens of people who have helped to search for her along the Devon coast."}
{"article": "Contact has been made between the two clubs, although there is no agreement over a deal yet. The France player, who signed for United for \u00a325m in July 2015, would be reunited with former Southampton manager Ronald Koeman at Goodison Park. Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho will sanction any deal for the 27-year-old, who is not part of his long-term plans. Schneiderlin has played 11 minutes of Premier League football this season and he has not been included in the United squad for Wednesday night's league match at Crystal Palace. Koeman was keen to keep the Frenchman at Southampton during his time as manager in 2014, and the Dutchman views him as a key component in his plans to strengthen Everton's midfield. It is also understood Koeman is keen on United and Netherlands forward Memphis Depay. The Dutchman has also attracted interest from Germany and Italy, with Roma among the clubs keen on the 22-year-old, who joined United from PSV Eindhoven for \u00a331m last year.", "summary": "Everton are interested in signing Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin."}
{"article": "Tim Farron said he was \"ruling nothing in and ruling nothing out\" but was \"determined to play a big role\". Mr Farron held his Westmorland and Lonsdale seat with an 8,949 majority. Mr Clegg resigned in the aftermath of his party's crushing general election result, where it was left with just eight MPs from the 57 it had in 2010. Other possible replacements are Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael, who was Scotland secretary under the last government, and Norfolk North MP Norman Lamb, who was care minister. Speaking on Sky News, Mr Farron said the Lib Dems had gained 2,500 new members since polling day. Who will replace Nick Clegg as leader? \"History will be kinder to the Liberal Democrats than perhaps folks have been in the past few days,\" he said. Mr Farron said the party needed a \"fresh start\", and said he wanted to speak to \"members, councillors and activists\" before deciding on his role. Pressed on his intentions, he said he was \"determined to play a big role\" in making sure the party \"survives and thrives\". In his resignation speech on Friday morning, Mr Clegg said the results were \"immeasurably more crushing\" than he had feared, saying it had been a \"huge honour\" to lead the party. \"It's simply heartbreaking to see so many friends and colleagues who have served their constituents over so many years abruptly lose their seats because of forces entirely beyond their control,\" he said.", "summary": "One of the favourites to replace Nick Clegg as Liberal Democrat leader says he will decide whether to put himself forward \"in the next few days\"."}
{"article": "Dundee-based artists Matthew Dalziel and Louise Scullion have created the art called Nomadic Boulders. They were commissioned as part of a project involving Highlands and Islands Enterprise to revamp John O'Groats. HIE said the art had to be designed to withstand the forces of 100mph winds that sometimes blow through the area. Stones believed to be 25cm to up to 100cm in diameter are moved by fierce tides in the Pentland Firth. Nomadic Boulders uses boulders which appeared on a neighbouring beach after a storm.", "summary": "New artwork inspired by large rocks that roll around the seabed of the Pentland Firth have been installed at John O'Groats."}
{"article": "Polish MEP Janusz Korwin-Mikke made the gesture in July as he spoke against the influx of migrants into the EU. In October, Italian MEP Gianluca Buonanno wore a Hitler moustache and gave the salute during a debate where the German chancellor was present. The pair have been fined $3,380 (\u00c2\u00a32,200) and are suspended for 10 days, but can still vote. The European Parliament Bureau decided on Monday to confirm the sanctions imposed by the parliament's president Martin Schulz earlier this month, a spokesman said. Mr Korwin-Mikke was protesting against the transportation of migrants across the EU. He said \"This time it is 'ein Reich, ein Volk, ein Ticket'\" and later made a speech referring to migrants as \"human garbage\". Mr Buonanno wore a T-shirt combining the images of Adolf Hitler and Angela Merkel during a debate on the Volkswagen emissions scandal, and a day later gave the Nazi salute with Mrs Merkel and French President Francois Hollande present. Both MEPs had been involved in this type of incident before, the European Parliament said. Mr Buonanno tweeted a photograph of himself in the European Parliament on Tuesday, saying: \"They banned me but I went in anyway!\" He was embroiled in more controversy earlier this month when he brandished a gun during a TV interview during a row over Italy's self-defence laws and announced he was setting up a fund to help residents in his town buy guns.", "summary": "Two right-wing MEPs have been suspended from the European Parliament for making Nazi salutes during sessions."}
{"article": "Gareth Southgate's side play their opener against Portugal on 19 May, with the final Group B game against Japan on 27 May. The winners of each group play in the final on 29 May - with some teams using it as preparation for the Olympics. England, who last won the event in 1994, have finished fourth in the past two years with under-20 sides. In the other group, Mali will begin against the Czech Republic on 18 May before taking on Mexico four days later and then facing hosts France and finally Bulgaria in Group A.", "summary": "England Under-21s will face Portugal, Guinea, Paraguay and Japan at the Toulon Tournament later this month."}
{"article": "North Wales Fire and Rescue Service responded to reports of a fire and smoke at an aluminium works at London Road, Holyhead, at 03:29 BST. The A55 was closed for a short time between J1 A5 Victoria Road and London Road and J3 A5 (Valley) due to concerns about a risk of further explosions, said North Wales Police. One fire crew remains at the scene. Multiple agencies attended the site and, after checks, it was declared safe and roads were reopened, a police spokesman said.", "summary": "Fire crews have been called to several reports of an explosion at Anglesey."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device There has never been a need or desire to brag about her talents. Her swimming speaks for itself. But the 17-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, has recently taken to sporting a snazzy bright hat to make sure she is noticed. It is not a fashion statement or shameless attempt at attention-seeking, simply a safety precaution. \"Last year, she had her first epileptic seizure,\" mum Sharon told BBC Sport. \"These are quite a normal thing with cerebral palsy unfortunately. \"We didn't want to stop her swimming, so we bought her an orange hat, so when she does her training sessions she is easy to pick out in the lanes just in case something happens in the water.\" The first seizure was \"horrifying\". Various tests and plenty of worrying and uncertainty followed. As have \"at least six\" big seizures in the past 12 months. \"It doesn't faze her,\" Sharon added. \"They have all been in the night so she is not really aware of what has happened. \"She just happily takes her medication and gets on with it. And the lifeguards are all aware that she is the one in the special orange hat.\" Milne had a stroke when she was born and is missing a third of her brain on the left side, something she previously joked \"sounded cool\". It means she has restricted movements on her right side. But the epilepsy - the latest obstacle - has not affected Milne's progress, times or enthusiasm. Having taken her GCSEs and spent a year at college, she now combines her swimming with an apprenticeship, working as a lifeguard and swimming assistant at the Meres Leisure Centre in Grantham, not far from her Lincolnshire home. She is still training five or six times per week at Grantham Swimming Club, and she is ranked in the top two in the country in her category at six events in long and short course this year. And she is now in the highest of two levels for Para-swimmers in the country - the England Programmes Development. Her progress from the Spotlight Programme has given her plenty to think about, but she is embracing the challenge. \"Times are obviously important because now she is more senior,\" explained her liaison coach Carl Cooper. \"But it's now about taking information on board and the processes - not just the swimming. \"How do we make progress so she is world class? We get the athlete looking at their training and what they do leading up to it. We set goals and work on skills.\" Cooper is in regular contact, and sees Hayley about 10 times per year. She has one or two National Camps and one or two Zonal camps each year, as well as more bespoke training, and plenty of form-filling to keep tabs of her progress. Milne has taken to the step up. She desperately wants to make the next Paralympics and is well aware of the dedication needed to make that happen. She said: \"It's harder for me swimming with swimmers", "summary": "As one of the best young Para-swimmers in the country, Hayley Milne stands out."}
{"article": "They will replace Michael Buble as hosts of next month's show after the Canadian singer pulled out to care for his ill three-year-old son. The Brit Awards take place at the O2 in London on 22 February. \"The Brits is an iconic show that I've watched and attended many times,\" said X Factor presenter O'Leary. Emma, who is currently presenting The Voice UK, said: \"To present the Brits is an honour but to be doing it alongside one of my absolute favourites, Mr Dermot O'Leary is just bonkers. Bring on the Brits 2017.\" Robbie Williams, Little Mix, The 1975 and Emeli Sand\u00c3\u00a9 have already been confirmed to perform at the event.", "summary": "Dermot O'Leary and Emma Willis are to present this year's Brit Awards, organisers have announced."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The home team took the lead when right-back Ben Marshall tucked in a low shot. Victor Moses's equaliser squirmed in and Payet's free-kick put West Ham ahead before Blackburn were reduced to 10 men by Chris Taylor's red card. Emmanuel Emenike converted twice either side of Cheikhou Kouyate's dismissal, then Payet added a superb solo goal. The Hammers, who last won the FA Cup in 1980, will travel to either Shrewsbury or Manchester United in the last eight. It is only the second time in the past 10 seasons that they have reached the quarter-finals. Read how the action unfolded at Ewood Park West Ham have not won a major trophy for 36 years but, in their final season at the Boleyn Ground, are hoping that they can take the FA Cup with them to the Olympic Stadium. Hammers manager Slaven Bilic has previously said he would rather win the trophy than finish in the Premier League top four, and he showed his intent by picking a near full-strength side against the Championship strugglers. And, despite that brief early scare after Marshall's opener, the visitors never looked like becoming the victim of a cup upset. Backed by over 7,000 travelling supporters, they quickly grew into the game as their superior quality shone through. The Hammers, who had won just one of their previous 10 away matches, completely controlled the tie after Taylor's dismissal, with Blackburn constantly stretched by their pace and sharp movement. \"The sending-off was completely needless and changed the course of the game,\" said BBC Radio 5 live summariser Mark Lawrenson. \"I'm not saying West Ham wouldn't have won but they wouldn't have won so easily.\" France attacking midfielder Payet has been the star of West Ham's season, impressing plenty of observers since his summer move from Marseille with his vision, poise and technical ability. The 28-year-old showed again why he is pivotal to the Hammers' hopes of winning the FA Cup with a masterful performance at Ewood Park. He put the visitors ahead with a trademark free-kick, arcing the ball over the Rovers wall from almost 30 yards and into the corner. Not for the first time this season, Payet was not always constantly involved in the game - but it is his ability to burst into life with devastating effect which is so impressive. In the final stages, his precise throughball teed up Emenike's second goal before sealing the match with a wonderful solo run and finish. Media playback is not supported on this device Payet has now been involved in 17 goals in all competitions for the Hammers since his arrival, scoring nine goals and providing eight assists. No wonder Hammers boss Bilic, who was warmly embraced by Payet on the touchline after his first goal, was so pleased to tie him down to an improved contract. \"Dimitri is one of the very best, in terms of the players that I've played with and coached. He is up there with Luka Modric,\" said Bilic afterwards. READ MORE: Bilic wants", "summary": "Dimitri Payet produced a virtuoso performance as West Ham fought back to ease into the FA Cup quarter-finals at Championship side Blackburn."}
{"article": "Lundy was found guilty in 2002 of killing Christine and seven-year-old Amber in 2000, and was jailed for life. But the conviction was overturned in 2013 by Britain's Privy Council after new evidence emerged. The jury at the High Court in Wellington unanimously returned a new guilty verdict on Wednesday, and Lundy was sentenced again to life in prison. New Zealand media reported that Lundy stood open-mouthed in the dock as the verdict was delivered. His brother, Craig, told reporters the ruling \"brings some form of closure\" for the family. \"For the past few months we have had to relive the moment we were told a despicable human being took the lives of our much cherished sister-in-law Christine, and our beautiful niece, Amber,\" the New Zealand Herald quoted him as saying. Justice Simon France said time already served in prison would be taken into account in Lundy's sentence. Christine and Amber Lundy were found dead at their home in Palmerston North in August 2000. They had been killed by multiple blows to the head from an axe or tomahawk. Lundy was accused of staging a burglary to killed them for insurance money. Police believe Amber was killed as she tried to run away after witnessing her mother's murder. Lundy, who was charged in February 2000, has always denied the murders, saying he was on a business trip in Wellington at the time and with a prostitute that evening. Following his first conviction, a group of supporters compiled a lengthy dossier questioning the evidence presented in court, including DNA samples found on his shirt which the prosecution said were Mrs Lundy's brain tissue. The appeal was lodged in Britain because New Zealand did not have a Supreme Court at the time. The Privy Council ordered a retrial and Lundy released on bail in 2013.", "summary": "A New Zealand court has found Mark Lundy guilty for a second time of murdering his wife and daughter."}
{"article": "The Icelandic side, who qualified as Group Three winners, raced into a 6-0 half-time lead after goals from Svava Gudmundsdottir (2), Rakel H\u00f6nnudottir (2), Fanndis Fridriksdottir and Berglind Thorvaldsdottir. Malfridur Sigurdardottir and Esther Arnarsdottir both scored late on. Met finished third behind runners-up Spartak Subotica, who beat them 3-2. The Welsh side began their campaign with a 4-0 win over NSA Sofia.", "summary": "Cardiff Met missed out on place in the Uefa Women's Champions League knock-out stages after defeat by Breidablik."}
{"article": "He was found with significant injuries in Tyrconnell Street, near the city's bogside, shortly before 10:30 BST and taken to hospital, but later died. The police said it was \"possible\" his injuries \"were sustained as the result of a collision with a vehicle\". Donnacadh was buried in the City Cemetery in Derry after a requiem mass at St Eugene's Cathedral on Saturday. Police are still investigating the circumstances of his death and a man who was arrested in connection with the incident has been released on bail.", "summary": "The funeral has taken place of six-year-old Donnacadh McGuire, who died in Londonderry on Tuesday."}
{"article": "And that's a conservative estimate by Unesco (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Special Report: The Technology of Business Tech sector leading Ukraine's revival Crowd investing opens up high finance Ultra HD gives firms clearer picture Translation tech talking business Ukraine's green tech start-ups bloom They have fascinated generations of artists, writers, anthropologists and scientists. Many mark the final resting place of their crew and passengers. Some are hundreds of years old, a time capsule from distant ways of life. All are guardians of the treasures that sank along with them - be they in the form of uniquely preserved cultural heritage or cold hard cash. Excavators of the Tudor ship the Mary Rose, which sank off the English coast in 1545, found 500 pairs of shoes among the 19,000 artefacts retrieved from the site, many of which are now on display. The SS Gairsoppa on the other hand, a steam ship sunk by a German U-boat off the Irish coast in 1941, went down with over 110 tonnes of silver on board. In 2010 a US-based company called Odyssey Marine Exploration won a tender put out by the government to retrieve that silver from its resting place, 4,500m below sea level - one mile deeper than the Titanic. That sort of depth can only be reached by machine (the deepest recorded human scuba dive is currently 332m, according to Guinness World Records) and getting there is, to put it mildly, a technical challenge. \"Ten years ago you couldn't possibly have done it,\" Andrew Craig, senior project manager onboard Odyssey Marine vessel Explorer, told the BBC. \"It would have cost so much. Just getting a work class ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) to 5,000m - they're just not built because there's so little requirement for them.\" It took 3.5 hours for Explorer's onboard ROV, a 6.5-tonne vehicle named Zeus, to make each journey between the ship and the site of the wreck. With any sort of deep sea exploration, positioning is crucial. The proverbial needle in the haystack is much harder to find when it's floating in gallons of sea water, surrounded by marine life, and you can't use your fingers to feel for it. \"You want to know to within 10-15 cm where things are - and you need to be able to go back to them repeatedly,\" says Mr Craig. In addition to Explorer's onboard sonar scanners and magnetometers (a kind of deep sea metal detector also used by the military to seek out submarines), Zeus has been equipped with an Inertial Navigation System. This captures a range of data from numerous sensors, not only to navigate a path, but also to remember where it has been. It cost over \u00a3100,000 ($157,000; \u20ac126,000) and is just one of many sensors used by the team in guiding the ROV. The technology advances still on Andrew Craig's wish list are surprisingly familiar. The first is better wireless communication - ROVs still need to send data and receive instructions by fibre-optic cable, meaning they remain tethered to the ship. The second is", "summary": "Far beneath the ocean waves, nestling silently on cold dark sea beds around the world, lie the remains of about three million shipwrecks."}
{"article": "Jamie Mitchell, 35, of Apple Close, Poole, is on trial for manslaughter over the death of Kenneth Dickie, 64, last year. Winchester Crown Court heard Mr Dickie died in hospital six days after being found with a serious head injury at Rockley Park in Poole in May. Jurors were told Mr Dickie's death was \"utterly unnecessary\". Mr Mitchell has pleaded guilty to common assault and intent to pervert the course of justice but denies manslaughter. His mother, Samantha Mitchell, 58, of Apple Close, Poole, also appeared in court and changed her plea to guilty of perverting the course of justice. She will be sentenced at a later date. Prosecuting, Charles Gabb told the jury Ms Mitchell and Mr Dickie had been in a relationship for several years and were going through a \"down phase\" when Mr Mitchell visited his mother at the park on 7 May. In the evening, Mr Mitchell accompanied his mother and Mr Dickie to the holiday park bar and got \"tanked up\" on alcohol. The two men had a confrontation outside and were separated by members of the public. Minutes later, a witness found Mr Dickie lying on the ground with a head injury. Mr Gabb said Ms Mitchell told witnesses she was the one who had pushed Mr Dickie. But the court heard that after his third interview, Mr Mitchell told police he had seen his mother and Mr Dickie arguing and had tried to push them apart, causing Mr Dickie to fall to the ground and hit his head on the pavement. Mr Mitchell said it was a \"tragic accident\", the court heard. Mr Dickie died in hospital on 14 May. The trial continues.", "summary": "A man charged with killing his mother's boyfriend at a holiday park called it a tragic accident, a court has heard."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old is Vale's top scorer so far this season, having scored eight times in 12 league games. Jones' deal is set to expire in January but Vale are keen to keep him, and would prefer to sign him outright. \"I think the way forward is to acquire him as a contracted player in January,\" Smurthwaite told BBC Radio Stoke. \"I'm in the process of building a football club. He's embraced the club very well. He's a great lad and he'd be a great addition to our squad. \"I've spoken to Birmingham and put forward a proposal.\" Smurthwaite says one of the club's brightest young talents may end up leaving. Defender Nathan Smith, 20, won the EFL's Young Player of the Month for August after making his league debut at the start of the season and was rewarded with a new three-year contract extension. \"There's some interest from the Premier League,\" Smurthwaite said. \"I'll be honest, if the right offer is made and Nathan wants to go, he'll be leaving us in January. \"This lad isn't motivated by money, he's motivated by the craft and if it's not right for him, he won't go. \"When the right opportunity comes for him, Port Vale will be recompensed but he will control that decision, not us.\"", "summary": "League One Port Vale are trying to sign on-loan striker Alex Jones permanently from Birmingham City, says chairman Norman Smurthwaite."}
{"article": "But the number of ice cream vans has been falling for years, leading some to believe that those bells may mean nothing to future generations of children. A crop of small, family-run businesses is determined to keep the industry alive however. These ice cream entrepreneurs have found business models that enable them to thrive in a market dominated by large retailers. And some have even dipped their toes in the export market. One such success story is Londoner John Bonar, 53, who started selling ice cream when he was just 11. \"We would get on a lorry in the East End, fill barrows full of ice cream, get dropped off around Hyde Park or Madame Tussauds and just sell ice cream,\" he tells me. He launched his own business at the age of 21, selling ice cream from a van with a hole in the floor and windscreen wipers that didn't work. Today his firm Piccadilly Whip operates 20 ice cream vans in London and Essex, and has fixed stands at Tower Bridge. Despite these achievements, Mr Bonar says that conditions have got much tougher for ice cream vans since they first became popular in the UK in the 1950s. \"When I was a kid, there was four or five ice cream vans who would come round our streets and they would all earn a living. \"But there are less and less over the years, because people can buy ice cream cheaply in supermarkets and everybody has got a freezer in their house.\" Britain's ice cream market is worth about \u00a31bn each year, according to trade group the Ice Cream Alliance, but there is no concrete data on the number of ice cream vans in operation. The Guardian, however, estimated that there were 2,500 vans on UK roads in 2013, when falling numbers led The Sunday People to launch a campaign to save the industry. Changing tastes may have led to less work for vans on the streets, but there has been a rise in opportunities at festivals, weddings and corporate events. This has become a key source of revenue for Piccadilly Whip, whose vans will sometimes be at seven events at the same time. Piccadilly Whip's vans are made by Whitby Morrison, a Crewe-based firm employing 50 staff, fronted by operations director Ed Whitby. His grandfather Bryan started the business in 1962, taking on vehicle conversions that \"everyone else said were impossible\" and succeeding, Ed says with pride. The firm became the \"market leader\" in the 1980s after its main competitor went bust, and today sells around 100 new vans each year, exporting about 20% of them. Its vans sell ice cream in more than 60 countries, including Kazakhstan, Malawi and Guyana - although despite its global ambitions, Whitby Morrison still prides itself on its local roots. \"We look to take people on from school, put them through their apprenticeships, suffer all the girlfriend problems, the first mortgage, the first child,\" Mr Whitby says over the phone. \"We're founded on real family values.\" More stories from the BBC's Business Brain series", "summary": "For many of us, the distinctive chimes of an ice cream van conjure up happy childhood memories of British summers and dripping ice lollies."}
{"article": "But just how old is that? News last week that the limit on human life may be 115 has prompted a great deal of speculation about rising life expectancies. People born today can expect to live almost twice as long as their counterparts in Victorian times. There are a combination of reasons for this - better diet, safety and medical progress, which has meant people are less likely to die from infectious diseases, strokes and heart attacks. But the consequence has been that people are increasingly spending their later years struggling with chronic illnesses such as dementia and diabetes. The result is a surge in interest over what is called healthy life expectancy - a measure of how many years of good health a person can expect. Currently in England the figure is just over 63 years for males born between 2012 and 2014 and 64 for females. That compares with an overall life expectancy of just shy of 80 and over 83 respectively. It means for a fifth of our lives we can expect to be struggling with ill health. But depending on your background, there is a huge variation in when this period of ill health starts and how long it lasts. For example, males in Wokingham can expect to live over 70 years in good health, while their counterparts in Blackpool only get to the age of 55. For females, the difference is even greater. In Richmond upon Thames they can expect to reach 72 - but in Manchester good health ends before the age of 55. Of course, this has huge ramifications for the individual. In their new book, The 100-Year Life, academics Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott talk about how those lucky enough to live long lives will have to rethink their approach on everything from money to our relationships. They describe how the traditional three-stage life that sees people move from education into work and then into retirement is no longer relevant. Instead, people are younger for longer. The ages from 18 to 30 are being seen as a second-stage of adolescence, where people keep their options open. Careers are no longer one-dimensional trajectories but will change and renew. Multi-stage careers will become the norm, where people work hard to put money away and then shift down to something less taxing in their later years, retraining perhaps. This will be because there will be a need for many, they argue, to keep working as generous final salary pension schemes disappear. Relationships will change. They will be much longer. Earlier this month 110-year-old Karam Chand died. He had been married to his wife, Katari, for 90 years - thought to be the longest marriage in the UK. These longer relationships mean our expectations and approaches to them may have to alter if they are to last. And how will we look after ourselves when we get older and those years of ill health catch up with us? The book notes how in some cultures - and in past generations in the UK - older relatives live with", "summary": "Ask people how long they want to live, and many will answer: \"As long as I have my health.\""}
{"article": "The Crown Prosecution Service said 1,892 cases were dropped at court due to the \"significant ill-health, elderliness or youth\" of a defendant. Another 439 cases were abandoned before the suspect was charged. The CPS said the number of cases dropped for these reasons accounted for 0.3% of all prosecutions in 2014. Such prosecutions dropped at court were 1,714 in 2013 and 1,402 in 2012. Those dropped before charge were 354 in 2013 and 128 in 2012. Between January and March this year, 516 were dropped at court and 132 before charge. The charity Victim Support said it was important that the decision not to prosecute was explained to victims. Chief executive Mark Castle said: \"Victims often fear that they will not be believed, so it can be many years before they come forward. \"It is critical that victims have the reasons behind a decision not to prosecute properly explained to them so that they understand that it does not mean they have not been believed.\" The figures - released after a Freedom of Information Act request by the Press Association - did not specify the nature of the suspected offence. The CPS said the decision to prosecute was made if there was both sufficient evidence and it was in the public interest. A spokeswoman said: \"The Code for Crown Prosecutors recognises that the more serious the offence, the more likely it is that a prosecution is required, and the age or ill-health of a defendant will be taken into account when deciding whether to prosecute.\" In the case of former Labour MP Lord Janner, who has dementia, the CPS decided not to pursue historical child sex abuse claims against him. The decision was overturned following a review, and a fitness to plead hearing is due to take place on 7 December. Lord Janner denies the allegations.", "summary": "More than 2,000 suspected criminals avoided prosecution in England and Wales last year because of their ill-health or age, figures have shown."}
{"article": "Cornwall Council said it had been awarded more than \u00c2\u00a330,000 in grants to enable \"essential works to be carried out\" on the Grade II-listed Huer's Hut on the Towan headland. The hut dates from the 19th Century, when Newquay was still a village and part of the pilchard industry. The works were expected to take four weeks to complete, the council said. The council - which has a long-term lease on the building, and is responsible for its repair and maintenance - said it had formally appointed contractor Ryearch to carry out the works on the hut. Such huts provided shelter for lookouts, known as huers, who alerted fishermen to passing pilchard shoals. Although the current building dated back to the mid-19th Century, the known history of the site went back to the 14th Century and it may have been a hermitage, the council said.", "summary": "Work is due to start later in the autumn to repair a historic building in Newquay."}
{"article": "South Lakes Safari Zoo in Dalton said it would be closed from 9 January. Barrow Borough Council raised several concerns about the zoo, including the closeness of the rhino dung to a fence, and the safety of walkways. Zoo bosses said they felt \"harassed\" by the council and were unable to continue under such conditions. On Thursday Barrow Council's licensing committee issued an order to the zoo to prove within 28 days that the aerial walkways were safe. Zoo inspector Matthew Brash showed the council pictures of rotting timbers and said he and his colleagues had noted 20 slips and trips on them from the zoo's accident book. But Karen Brewer, from the zoo, said there was only one accident listed in 2015 and two in 2014. The council also said a pile of rhino dung was too close to a fence, providing a possible escape route for baboons, although the zoo said there had never been a baboon escape in 16 years of the dung being piled there. In a statement, the zoo said: \"We assure everyone that the zoo is safe and there is no evidence whatsoever to say otherwise. \"We are being subjected to an unprecedented attack and attempt to undermine our credibility and professionalism at every chance created. \"The management team cannot work under these conditions and hence the decisions made.\"", "summary": "A Cumbria zoo is closing after councillors raised concerns about the potential for baboons to escape using a pile of rhino dung."}
{"article": "There were men's singles golds for Martin Rooke (WH2), Daniel Bethell (SL3) and Krysten Coombs (SS6) while Rachel Choong claimed women's SS6 singles gold. Another three golds in mixed events followed, with three silvers and eight bronzes completing the total. Para-badminton will make its Paralympic debut at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. There were also three bronze medals for Scotland's Colin Leslie, Fiona Christie and Bobby Laing at the four-day event in Beek. See the full results here.", "summary": "England's para-badminton team dominated at the European Championships by winning 18 medals in the Netherlands."}
{"article": "There are 250 commercial growers in County Armagh, supplying the cider, bakery and fresh markets. And right now, they are in the middle of a six-week window to get them in. They are mostly of the Bramley variety, with some eating apples mixed in. Edmund Allen farms 70 acres of orchard on Grange Lodge farm outside Loughgall. He aims to produce 1,000 tonnes a year, with about half of it going to make fillings for the bakery trade. Most of the rest, he sells to cider makers and to shops and supermarkets. But what is it about apples and Armagh? Edmund provided his own explanation. \"Apples have been grown here for, we think, around 3,000 years,\" he said. \"It is the climate, we're near Lough Neagh which acts as a heat sink and keeps the temperature that little bit higher. \"So it's that, the fact that the soil type is good and the experience that we've built up over generations growing apples.\" But it can be a precarious business. A sharp frost in early May, killed the blossom and nearly put paid to a year's work. \"I looked out the window and I didn't want to go out near the orchard, I knew what had happened,\" Edmund added. \"All the blooms I picked off had gone brown, they were dead. \"But we are really truly amazed at the apples that have set, we couldn't find any live blooms and yet nature has healed itself and we have sufficient apples to meet the market requirements.\" Some orchards are only returning a 50% harvest due to that frost, but others are up to 90%. Edmund says prices for his apples have been fairly \"stable\". It costs him \u00a340 a bin to produce the fruit. If he can sell them for between \u00a360-80 he is doing well. But he says he would need \u00a3100-110 a bin to reinvest in the business. His annual running costs are around \u00a380,000 and he tries to replant 10% every five years. In the old days, there used to be 100 trees to the acre. Now they are using smaller varieties to get more in and there could be 400 trees in the same space. And in a another attempt to push up productivity, Edmund is looking to the Netherlands for help. Native bumblebees caught here are shipped there for breeding, then brought back. They are being trialled because they are better suited to the climate and are a bit harder working than the hundreds of thousands of honey bees that Edmund relies on to pollinate his trees.", "summary": "\u00a320m a year, that is what the harvest is worth to the apple growers of the Orchard County."}
{"article": "A government directive said they would be transferred to Thengar Char before being repatriated to Myanmar. Rights groups have raised strong objections to the plan, saying it amounts to a forced relocation. Thengar Char is engulfed by several feet of water at high tide, and has no roads or flood defences. It was formed about a decade ago by sediment from the River Meghna, and does not appear on most maps. The low-lying land is around 30km (18 miles) east of Hatiya island, which has a population of 600,000 - and nine hours' journey from the camps where the Rohingya have taken shelter. An official in the region told the AFP news agency Thengar Char was \"only accessible during winter and is a haven for pirates\". The official said trees had been planted in a bid to protect the land from flooding, but these efforts were at least a decade off completion. \"It completely inundates during the monsoon,\" the official told AFP. \"It's a terrible idea to send someone to live there.\" In Myanmar, the Rohingya are denied citizenship and treated as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. But in Bangladesh too they are unwanted - leaving them persecuted, impoverished and effectively stateless. Officials say an estimated 65,000 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh since October, fleeing violence in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine. Some 232,000 - both registered and unregistered - were already living in Bangladesh before that influx, many in refugee camps with poor facilities. Now the Bangladesh government has set up a committee of state officials to help identify and relocate undocumented Myanmar nationals. A push to attract tourists is being blamed in part for the proposal, which has the backing of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Cox's Bazar, which houses 32,000 Rohingya in a squalid refugee colony, is home to the world's longest unbroken beach and Bangladesh's largest resort. Officials fear the presence of the Rohingya may put off would-be holidaymakers.", "summary": "The Bangladesh government is moving to relocate tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees to a vulnerable island in the Bay of Bengal."}
{"article": "He claimed First Minister Carwyn Jones was saying \"I told you so\" while Plaid Cymru was using the poll's outcome as an \"excuse\" to call for independence. Labour and Plaid had a \"little Britain mentality\" when a \"globally facing Britain\" was needed, Mr Davies wrote. He made the comments in an article for The Times newspaper's website. On Thursday, Welsh Government economic advisor Kevin Gardiner said some people were \"perhaps unduly pessimistic\" after the vote to leave the EU. Within hours of the Brexit result being announced on June 24, Mr Jones said he feared it would cost Wales jobs. In his article, to be published on Friday, Mr Davies said the first minister had been \"particularly vociferous in his doom-laden economic forecasting, and in denigrating those who chose to leave\". \"He has closed the doors on cross-party negotiation and now, having lost his nerve, seems unable to negotiate a deal for Wales, resorting instead to finger-wagging and pronouncements of 'I told you so',\" Mr Davies wrote. Plaid Cymru's call for independence \"betrays how out of kilter they are with the needs of Welsh communities\", he added. \"The prophets of doom and the independence mongers alike are wrong to take such a warped view of referendum result.\" Mr Davies urged his political opponents to \"lift their eyes to the sky and consider the limitless potential that now lies ahead of us and to embrace the outcome\". He added: \"Instead they seem intent on clinging to a little Britain mentality. A globally facing Britain is what is now needed.\"", "summary": "\"Prophets of doom\" and \"independence mongers\" are taking a \"warped view\" of the Brexit vote, Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies has said."}
{"article": "It is a relationship that these days may be closer to a case of gritting one's teeth rather than a smile, at least when it comes to trade. As it is for most countries in Asia, China is North Korea's biggest trading partner. Except that of course that there's one major difference: North Korea would completely collapse without China's economic help. That's why the US has been persuading Beijing to help the international community ensure that the new round of sanctions would hit North Korea where it hurts - cutting off access to Pyongyang's biggest customer is one way to send a powerful message. The latest sanctions - imposed because of North Korea's nuclear programme - aims to cut its coal exports to China by 60%. But there have been international sanctions and censure in place before, and despite those measures, China has continued to buy products from North Korea. Chinese companies buy North Korean coal and textiles, for example, while at the same time selling food, arms and energy to Pyongyang. Partly this is out of an allegiance to an old but volatile ally, but also partly out of a desire to ensure the balance of power in the region is tipped in Beijing's favour. Many analysts say China's refusal to play ball means that the sanctions strategy isn't working. But as Gordon Chang, author of \"The Coming Collapse of China\" tells me, it's not that the sanctions on North Korea haven't been working - \"it's that China doesn't get punished when it doesn't implement the sanctions\". While it's true that in recent years China hasn't been particularly strict about enforcing sanctions on North Korea, there's some evidence to show that trade between the two neighbours is slowing. China's trade with North Korea has been falling this year, some 13% from a year earlier according to data in May from the Korea International Trade Association. Exports were down 15.6%, while Beijing's imports fell by 9.8%. But Mr Chang points out that this is as much about the slowing of China's economy as it is about sanctions. \"Demand for commodities has slowed, and China is buying less of everything,\" he said. \"And it's not that big a sacrifice for China - it doesn't really need this coal anyway.\" In an article for the Conversation website, Kelvin Gray of the University of Sussex said that even if coal exports fall \"one area where North Korea has kept its exports [to China] healthy is clothing\". Machines and raw materials are sold to North Korea from a Chinese company, the North Koreans provide the labour, (probably for a fraction of the price it would cost in China) and then the finished goods end up back in China. The profits that the North Korean regime makes from this sort of trade is difficult to calculate - but it is almost certainly in the hundreds of millions. It's a relationship that Beijing is unlikely to sever - and not for the usual argument that you hear about North Korean refugees flooding the Chinese border should the state", "summary": "There's a famous saying attributed to the founder of the Chinese Communist Party, Mao Zedong, that China and North Korea are as close as \"lips are to teeth\"."}
{"article": "Scottish Swimming said the government had pulled funding from its \u00c2\u00a31.72m programme to support school lessons. It said it was concerned it could lead to greater numbers of adults who lacked confidence in the water. The Scottish government said the top-up scheme had ended but swimming was still well-funded. Swimming is not a compulsory part of the curriculum in Scotland, unlike in England. The provision of primary school swimming lessons varies extensively between local authorities, with children living in the most socially deprived areas having the highest number of non-swimmers. Scottish Swimming claimed that as many as 40% of children, about 15,000 each year, headed to high school as non-swimmers. Its \"Top Up\" swimming programme supported local authorities to deliver swimming lessons for pupils. Scottish Swimming said \"Top Up\" helped up to 30,000 children to improve their swimming skills. Sports Minister Jamie Hepburn said: \"The Top Up programme was designed to help develop a model to enable swimming clubs and local authorities to teach children to swim by providing some initial additional investment to assist local provision. The programme received \u00c2\u00a31.72m over four years. \"Although the top-up programme has now ended, Scottish Swimming received more than \u00c2\u00a35m (over four years) in the latest funding round from sportscotland. This is the largest funding settlement of all the Commonwealth Games sports.\" Shelagh Dow, the head teacher at Granton primary in Edinburgh, said financial pressures stopped many families from going swimming. She said the loss of the programme would have an impact. \"That is going to make a huge difference for them,\" Ms Dow said. \"Swimming is ultimately a life skill and because a lot of them don't manage to pick up the swimming with the funded lessons that they have in primary 4 they really need that top-up. Quite often financial constraints stop them going swimming at other times.\" Sharon Macdonald, development officer for Scottish Swimming, said: \"It is very concerning for us. The programme has been in place for the past four years. \"We've seen a massive impact from the programme in the region of 25,000 to 30,000 children who have either improved their swimming or become what is our new national standard for school swimming.", "summary": "The end of a scheme to improve the standard of swimming among primary school children has brought a warning from the sport's governing body."}
{"article": "Last-ditch talks aimed at averting the action are taking place - but here's everything you need to know should the strikes go ahead. London Underground workers are staging two 24-hour walkouts - the first starting at 18:30 BST on Tuesday and another from 18:30 on Thursday. Station staff will walk out from 18:30 on each of those days and drivers from 21:00 - but TfL says services will stop running from about 18:30. And even though the strikes are supposed to be 24 hours each, it's likely services will be affected from Tuesday evening right through to the end of Friday. Latest advice from Transport for London Transport for London (TfL) says it will \"run whatever Tube services we can\" based on the number of staff who turn up for shifts. Most lines are expected to be closed, and those running at all are likely to only serve certain stations, and only run for part of the day. London Overground, DLR, Transport for London Rail and trams will all operate a normal service - but will be exceptionally busy at peak times. Real-time updates on what's running and what's not Walking could be your best bet. Below is a walking map of central London showing the walking time, in minutes, between stops. But arm yourself with a brolly/wellies/waterproofs - the forecast is wet (though fortunately with some sunny spells). Or if you're looking for an excuse to keep fit, here's a calorie-burning map of the city. An extra 250 buses are running - here's a map of the key bus routes you might need - and some coach services are running more regularly on many routes. But, a word of caution, during the last strike buses were delayed by up to an hour, particularly in zones one and two, says TfL. And don't forget buses don't accept cash. Extra river services are running, and extra bikes are available to hire, along with extra cycle hubs (full list here). The Emirates Air Line cable car is also open until midnight on Thursday - Oyster and travelcards will be accepted. If driving, be aware the congestion charge remains in place from 07:00 to 18:00 and roads are likely to be very, very busy. But some road works are being suspended to help traffic flow. If travelling by road or river it's essential to check the latest before you travel - and try to make your journey outside rush hour. And lastly, check rail services before travelling too as there are a few service disruptions planned. Getting to Heathrow is likely to be difficult, as the Piccadilly line is not running. But Heathrow Express services from Paddington are operating, and rail services to Gatwick, Luton and Stansted airports are running. Again, services are likely to be busy, so leave more time and check the latest updates. Yes, it's part of the same dispute. The latest strike was called after talks failed to resolve a dispute between unions and London Underground over plans to bring in all-night Tube services. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport", "summary": "Two Tube strikes are planned for this week and look likely to cause four days of travel disruption for commuters."}
{"article": "Deulofeu had a successful loan season at Everton in 2013-14 but spent much of the last campaign on the sidelines during a spell at Sevilla. The 21-year-old has signed a three-year deal and will move on 1 July. Everton boss Roberto Martinez believes Deulofeu can still develop into one of the game's outstanding young talents. He told Everton's website: \"We are getting an even more mature player now than he was a couple of seasons ago and a player who considers Everton as home. \"This is why we are incredibly excited to have him back here on a permanent basis and to encourage him to grow, develop and mature his enormous talent.\" Martinez forged a close relationship with the player during their season together and Deulofeu believes his countryman can revive his career. He has turned down other more lucrative offers to return to Merseyside. Personal terms have been agreed and it is believed Barcelona will insert a buy-back option into the deal for some future point should he develop as they once hoped. Deulofeu will become Everton's second signing of the summer after England midfield man Tom Cleverley joined on a free transfer from Manchester United following a successful loan spell at Aston Villa. Martinez said he was \"really pleased\" to complete the signings early in the transfer window. He added: \"It was always our intention to work extremely hard behind the scenes to get some really good business done early on during the transfer window.\"", "summary": "Everton have re-signed Barcelona forward Gerard Deulofeu on a permanent basis after agreeing a \u00a34.3m deal for the one-cap Spain international."}
{"article": "The RSPCA said it believed the adult grey seal swam inland along the River Glaven in Norfolk on New Year's Eve. It then managed to make its way into a woman's garden in Blakeney, just off a coastal road, through the fence. It was returned to the sea on New Year's Day. The RSPCA said: \"The lady certainly had a shock when she spotted him lazing around in her shrubbery.\" The seal was spotted by the holiday home owner in the afternoon. Animal collection officer Naemi Kilbey said the animal was \"in very good condition\". \"Despite being well and truly lost, he luckily didn't have any obvious injuries or illness,\" she said. \"So we loaded him up in the van and took him straight down to the beach at Blakeney to release him. \"It was so lovely to start the new year watching him swim back out to sea where he belongs.\" The RSPCA said it was \"not uncommon\" for seals to venture up rivers away from the sea looking for food. It said they normally managed to find their way back. \"But it looks like this guy's internal navigation system got a bit frazzled and he ended up a little lost,\" Ms Kilbey added. The RSPCA advises members of the public to keep a distance from any seals on land and not to interfere unless necessary.", "summary": "A seal was found in the back garden of a holiday home, 2km (1.2 miles) away from the sea."}
{"article": "The pup was found on the opposite shore from Conwy town with an eye injury and with no sign of its mother earlier this month. It was taken to the Welsh Mountain Zoo where its wounds have since healed. RSPCA inspector Mike Pugh said: \"It's fantastic news that this seal pup is on the mend, after such a tough ordeal.\" But he urged the public not to approach all lone seals, as they have not necessarily been abandoned by their mothers. The pup's release has been planned for the first three months of 2017.", "summary": "A seal pup that was rescued in Conwy county is recovering well and could be released into the wild in the new year, RSPCA Cymru has said."}
{"article": "Batsman Weatherley and leg spinner Crane, both 18, have both penned two-year development deals keeping them at the Ageas Bowl until 2017. Crane made his first team debut earlier this month in the T20 Blast and his County Championship debut in the current match against Durham. Weatherley captained England Under-19s on their tour of Australia last winter. Crane has also been selected in the England Under-19 Test and one-day squads to face Australia later this summer. \"It's great all my hard work has started to pay off,\" Crane told BBC Radio Solent. \"Hopefully the contract can lead to more opportunities in the first team and it's the first step on the ladder to making it. \"It's a nice surprise it's happened now, I was expecting it to possibly come at the end of the season.\"", "summary": "Hampshire youngsters Joe Weatherley and Mason Crane have signed their first professional contracts with the club."}
{"article": "The number issued to people in Northern Ireland also doubled, in the largest monthly increase since the Brexit vote. June's result has sparked a marked rise in the number of people applying for Irish and European Union passports. November is normally one of the quietest months of the year for passport applications. But the total number from Northern Ireland - 4,569 - was up by more than 600 from October. Some 6,855 people people in Great Britain applied for an Irish passport in November 2016, a significant jump from 3,133 last year. Applications from Northern Ireland went up from 2,267 in November last year to 4,569 last month.", "summary": "More than twice the number of Irish passports were issued to people in Great Britain last month than in November 2015."}
{"article": "The grey and white mammal became stuck on sandbanks on Thursday at Saltney Ferry, near Chester. An RNLI lifeboat hoisted the dolphin out of the water before carrying it out to sea, according to the British Divers Marine Life Rescue. The dolphin, in the river since Monday, will be taken three miles off the coast of Rhyl. Alan Forrester, lifeboat operations manager with Flint RNLI, told Radio Wales the rescue boat was launched at Connah's Quay after the dolphin was seen \"floundering\" on a sandbank. It was hoisted onto the lifeboat and carried down the river towards open water. An animal welfare officer is also onboard. \"We've got what we call an ambulance pouch, which is a rolled up stretcher,\" Mr Forrester added. \"They laid that on the sandbank and rolled the dolphin into the stretcher and lifted it into the lifeboat. \"It's rather a large dolphin. It's lying there nicely, they've got buckets of water to keep it cool - everything seems to be ok at the moment.\" The mammal was originally spotted by the public on Monday in Connah's Quay docks and became stranded briefly on Tuesday after turning to make its way to Flint and towards the sea. Liverpool coastguard wanted to hold off a rescue attempt for as long as possible to avoid coming into physical contact with the mammal in case it is rejected back at sea. A coastguard team was earlier deployed to the area to try to ensure the safety of spectators trying to catch a glimpse of the dolphin. It is thought the dolphin swam up the river during the high spring tide. It is rare for dolphins to be seen in the River Dee but a pair of porpoises were reported near Queensferry Bridge eight years ago.", "summary": "A dolphin has been rescued after swimming miles up the River Dee in Flintshire four days ago."}
{"article": "Along with the Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy, he disproved the idea that dance music couldn't sell albums, and helped to establish modern DJ culture. Twenty years later, Fatboy remains the most successful pseudonym of songwriter Norman Cook - whose other projects include The Housemartins, Beats International and Freak Power. To celebrate two decades of dance, Cook opened up his photo album to the BBC. The fun of Fatboy Slim at the start was nobody knew who I was. I was never in the videos and I never had my photo on the cover. It suited me really well to be known as an underground dance producer. The fame I had in the Housemartins didn't sit right with me. So you can probably detect a slight reticence in that photo session. I'm saying, \"the whole point of hiding behind pseudonyms was I'd never have to do this again!\" And then I met Zoe [Ball - his wife] which just kicked the whole thing out of obscurity into the tabloids... Your t-shirt says \"wild style lifestyle\". How crazy did it get? It was very wild. About as wild as you can be and still retain your health and your sanity. Did you ever worry you had gone too far? There were worries on the health and sanity things over the years. But at that point, I was definitely pushing the boundaries of altered states of consciousness and behaviour. How did that affect the music? I think it helped it tremendously. When I was having my real purple period, I'd have a big weekend, then come Sunday evening, I couldn't operate heavy machinery or drive anywhere - so I'd just go into the studio. I would sit there with my little samples and, having taken a mental snapshot of the weekend - mental being the operative word - I would try and sum that up in music. I was unfettered by sanity at that point. Do you find it harder now? I do, yeah. The ways I was using in those days are not an option now. Sometimes I do think I'd be more creative if I could still unlock that subconscious part of my brain. But no-one can have a 30-year purple period. It can't be sustained. That's actually my studio wall at the time of [1998 album] You've Come A Long Way Baby. It was a kind of mood board, because I'd spend a huge chunk of my life in the studio. It was something to look at when I was bored. It's lovely because there's tons of old faces there. Ashley Slater [1], who was in Freak Power with me. Rec One [2], the graffiti artist in Beats International who did a lot of my original artwork. There's Lindy Layton (vocalist on Dub Be Good To Me) [3] at the top looking beautiful and waving. My ex-girlfriend, Bella [4] is there wearing the spotty hat. And then Ashley with a very young Davina McCall [5], hanging out with us in Cannes. We had a very funny night out with her. Arpy", "summary": "With hits like Praise You and The Rockerfeller Skank, Fatboy Slim popularised big beat in the 1990s."}
{"article": "David McIlveen, who is still a member of the party, said Mrs Foster had \"seriously misjudged\" public anger. Mrs Foster set up the RHI scheme in 2012, but its lack of cost controls has left NI taxpayers with a \u00c2\u00a3490m bill. A DUP spokesperson said she continued to receive \"overwhelming support\" within the party and beyond. \"Former MLA David McIlveen is entitled to his personal opinions, however, this is the first time that he has articulated any view since losing his seat,\" they said. On Wednesday, the party said the assembly may be recalled next week to approve emergency legislation to deal with the overspend. Mr McIlveen, who is the son of Free Presbyterian minister and close friend of the late Rev Ian Paisley, Rev David McIlveen, questioned Mrs Foster's handling of RHI in an article for the News Letter. He suggested Mrs Foster was personally responsible for turning the scheme into an \"omnishambles\" and said she will come under increased pressure from her own party. He drew comparisons with the treatment of former DUP leaders Peter Robinson and the Rev Ian Paisley. Mr McIlveen wrote that Mrs Foster was now \"deeply damaged\" and unlikely to lead the party into the next election after becoming an \"electoral liability\". \"Does a party obsessed with elections want to move forward with a leader who appears incapable of facing up to their mistakes?\" he asked. \"The RHI scandal was most likely driven more by a desire to curry favour with the rural electorate than anything more sinister. \"Whilst the view in public is that Arlene's team are as loyal and happy as ever, the reality in private is something very different.\" The party's East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson dismissed Mr McIlveen's comments. He asked what was more credible: \"The views of one individual who will have his own motivations, or the views of the vast majority of party members who have publicly come out and given their support to Arlene Foster. \"I think that I am maybe in a better position than David McIlveen to make an assessment of the view within the party.\" However, Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said Mr McIlveen's intervention was \"significant\". \"I know you were reporting it as David McIlveen breaking ranks and that is true, but equally true is that he is joining the ranks of those pointing the finger of blame,\" he said. \"And we're not talking about bit players here, David McIlveen was an assembly private secretary for Arlene Foster, he's joining Jonathan Bell who was a junior minister and also a minister for the department of enterprise.\" Mr McIlveen also criticised Mrs Foster's treatment of Jonathan Bell, who in December, made a series of allegations about the DUP's involvement in the scheme. \"When one of her own party members broke rank to express their concern about the scheme, rather than approach the issues raised with a listening ear, the default position was to attack the personal integrity of the individual raising the concerns,\" he wrote. \"In any other context, Jonathan Bell MLA would be called a", "summary": "A former DUP MLA has broken ranks and criticised the party leader Arlene Foster, saying the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme is an \"omnishambles\"."}
{"article": "He returned to his home town of Middlesbrough for the ceremony, in which he was made an honorary doctor in professional achievement. Mr Mortimer paid tribute to the area for its \"distinctive, dry, sense of humour\". Many of the characters created in his double act with Vic Reeves were based on locals, he revealed. He said: \"I was here until I was 25, and the people that you meet then remain with you a lot longer than people you meet when you are older. \"It always makes me sad when I come home, in that nice way, as I have so many fond memories of the place.\" When asked if he thought Middlesbrough FC would win promotion back to the Premier League, he said he would not curse them with a prediction. As for his doctorate, he said: \"I will frame it and put it above my son's bed to prove to him that I did amount to something.\"", "summary": "TV comedian Bob Mortimer has been awarded an honorary degree from Teesside University."}
{"article": "The Highlanders, relegated from the top flight last season, have appointed John Robertson as Richie Foran's successor. Elsewhere, Dumbarton host Morton, St Mirren face Falkirk, Queen of the South take on Brechin City. Newly-promoted Livingston welcome Dunfermline Athletic for their first game of the season.", "summary": "Inverness CT will open their Scottish Championship campaign at home to Dundee United when the 2017-18 gets under way on 5 August."}
{"article": "Nikki Collingbourne, 26, was found dead at her flat in Ivel Court, Letchworth, Hertfordshire, in May. Yvonne Caylor, 53, is on trial at Luton Crown Court where she denies murder. The court was played a police video of an interview with Ms Collingbourne who was questioned after Ms Caylor had complained she had been assaulted. Six months later, Ms Caylor, of Grove Road, Hitchin, is said to have disguised herself as a man before going to Ms Collingbourne's flat and killing her. The prosecution alleges the motive for the murder goes back to 3 October 2015 when Ms Collingbourne evicted Ms Caylor from the flat in Ivel Court. Ms Caylor claimed Ms Collingbourne had assaulted her and, while the younger woman was in the custody of Hertfordshire Police, it is alleged Ms Caylor burgled the flat. No action was taken against Ms Collingbourne, but Ms Caylor was charged and was due to stand trial accused of burglary and attempting to pervert the course of justice. The case was in a \"warned list\" at Cambridge Crown Court starting on 23 May, the day of the alleged murder. In the police interview on 4 October 2015, Ms Collingbourne said Ms Caylor had been staying with her, but was due to leave. On 3 October she said there was a confrontation in which Ms Caylor threw her iPad with force, smashing it to the floor. Ms Collingbourne told an officer: \"I was trying to keep calm. It became worse and worse. She was pinning me against a wall saying 'I am going to... kill you.' \"I took her stuff to the front door. She got a mop. She said, 'I am going to ram this down your throat'. It fell on the floor.\" Ms Collingbourne denied to the officers in the interview striking out at Ms Caylor or grabbing her by the neck. The case continues.", "summary": "A woman accused of murdering her half-sister with a casserole dish had previously threatened to ram a mop down her throat, a court has been told."}
{"article": "Ms Rees was selected from an all-woman shortlist drawn up after the former Welsh Secretary said he would stand down at the 2015 general election. Members of Neath Labour Party made their decision on Saturday. The other two candidates were Karen Wilkie, deputy general secretary of the Co-operative Party, and Mabel McKeown, a former aide to Harriet Harman.", "summary": "Bridgend councillor Christina Rees has been picked to succeed MP Peter Hain as the Labour candidate for Neath."}
{"article": "David Clark, 55, fell while at a property in Brighton in September 2014 and died in hospital a month later. Millionaire businessman Michael Holland, owner of a renovation company, and site foreman Grant Oakes deny manslaughter. Jurors at Lewes Crown Court heard they also face health and safety charges. Mr Clark, who was carrying a load of between 20 and 30kg at the time, fell 4.5 metres when a plank he was standing on snapped. The scaffolding board was placed to bridge a void on one of the upper floors of the building in Stanmer Park, the court heard. Defence lawyer for Mr Oakes, Craig Rush QC, urged jurors to \"ignore\" the unsecured ladders and the lack of guard rails on the site in his closing statement. \"The accident happened because Dave Clark chose to place a scaffolding board across a void,\" he added. \"The board had almost completely been cut through. He chose to walk across that scaffold board. \"In circumstances where he didn't need to go across the void and when his friend had warned him against it.\" Earlier in the trial, the court heard a site visit from a health and safety inspector in 2013 raised issues with the way work was being carried out. Mr Holland, of Kings Road, Brighton, and Mr Oakes have pleaded guilty to failing to discharge duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act, regarding subcontractors working at height. Mr Oakes, of Elm Drive, Hove, has pleaded not guilty to a further charge of failures of health and safety in the work place. The trial continues.", "summary": "A carpenter who fell to his death chose to place a scaffolding board across a void even though a friend had \"warned him against it\", a court has heard."}
{"article": "The charity said job security fears and benefit cuts pushed the number of people seeking help from its volunteers to more than 160,000 last year. Text messages were up by 22% in 2013 with a 7% increase in emails answered. Executive director for Wales Sarah Stone said the charity wanted to keep promoting the benefits of talking. The call came as the Samaritans published its Impact Report for 2013/14, detailing the outreach work of the charity's nine branches in Wales. Nearly 700 volunteers in Wales were involved a range of activities to tackle suicide, including: \"Against a backdrop of difficult economic times and where a disproportionate number of those who take their lives are struggling with social and economic deprivation, we need to convince people that talking about what's troubling them is valuable and potentially life-saving,\" said Ms Stone. \"It is something we all need to do and encourage other people to do.\" She added: \"The demand for our service is increasing. We took a call every three minutes last year in Wales. \"It is important that we keep working to raise awareness of our service and the benefits of talking.\" While most help was given via phone, letter or face-to-face support, the Samaritans said contact via newer methods such as text and email was growing. \"We also need to keep evolving and finding new ways to reach out to people, continuing to be accessible to all who desperately need our service,\" said Ms Stone. The Samaritans said the number of calls for help across the UK and Ireland also reached a five year high in 2013 of 5.23m. Launching the report, Health Minister Mark Drakeford said: \"I am grateful to Samaritans for its continued work in support of suicide prevention. \"It is a key partner and plays a vital role in delivering Talk to Me, the national action plan to reduce suicide and self-harm in Wales. \"We want people to feel able to support their friends, family members and colleagues who, for a variety of reasons, may be at risk of suicide. \"Ultimately, we as individuals, colleagues or friends, all have a responsibility to listen to and support those close to us.\"", "summary": "Money worries are blamed as a key cause of suicidal feelings as the Samaritans in Wales report their highest number of calls for five years."}
{"article": "Auckland-born Quinn, 22, holds a UK passport and will not therefore count as an overseas player. He is the first signing by the county since Thursday's appointment of former England paceman Chris Silverwood as head coach. \"Matt is a tall, fast bowler who can swing the ball. We've made no secret of the fact we want to bolster the bowling attack,\" said Silverwood. \"Having looked at Matt play, alongside his record in New Zealand, he's got a good pedigree.\" Essex have had quite an overhaul since the appointment of former captain Ronnie Irani as their new cricket committee chairman. England one-day international Reece Topley has joined Hampshire, while former skipper Mark Pettini has moved to Leicestershire and former England spinner Monty Panesar, Greg Smith, Matt Salisbury and Saf Imtiaz were all released at the end of last season. But slow left-arm spinner Aron Nijjar and young fast bowler Aaron Beard have both signed their first professional contracts, while England all-rounder Ravi Bopara, opening batsman Jaik Mickleburgh, limited-overs captain Ryan ten Doeschate and England Under-19 all-rounder Callum Taylor have all agreed new deals.", "summary": "Essex have signed New Zealand A fast bowler Matt Quinn on a three-year deal."}
{"article": "Props Samson Lee and Paul James have calf concerns and Aaron Jarvis is also a worry. Head coach Warren Gatland says he may have to call up front-row cover. Allen scored a first-half hat-trick but was taken off in the second with a \"significant\" hamstring injury. But full-back Liam Williams' thigh injury is not thought to be serious. Flanker Dan Lydiate was also taken off to be assessed for a head injury, but the British and Irish Lions player passed the head injury protocol tests. \"It looks like Cory has a significant tear in his hamstring and it looks at this stage like he'll have to be replaced,\" said Gatland. \"He will be scanned tomorrow. Liam will be scanned tomorrow too. \"Liam had a knock on the thigh but it's too early to see for next week. We'll have to wait 24 hours to make an assessment.\" Gatland added tight-head Lee and loose-head James are both struggling with \"tight calves\", while Jarvis damaged a rib cartilage. \"We may have to make a tough decision in terms of the props, because we have to have five props,\" said Gatland. \"At the moment we've only got three that could take the field and we have to have four.\"", "summary": "Wales centre Cory Allen is set to miss the rest of the World Cup after injuring his hamstring in the opening 54-9 win against Uruguay."}
{"article": "Esteban Bullrich, in charge of schools in Buenos Aires, inherited a system plagued by teaching union walk-outs. Coming into office as the third education minister in 12 days, he published his personal mobile number as a way of opening a direct dialogue. The number of strikes fell from 14 a year to none in the past four years. Mr Bullrich, the minister for education in Argentina's capital, said he decided to hand out his number as a way of breaking the culture of distrust and confrontation between politicians and teachers' representatives. Strikes had become a chronic problem, ministers only lasted a short time in office and he had to negotiate deals with 17 separate teachers' unions in Buenos Aires. So in an attempt to break through this logjam he gave staff in 1,200 schools his personal mobile phone number, inviting them to call him directly if they had concerns. \"If you have any questions, comments or complaints, call me,\" he told teachers. Speaking earlier this week at the Global Education and Skills Forum, Mr Bullrich said there had been an initial deluge of calls - about issues such as pay, problems with school buildings and disagreements about allowances. But he said teachers were surprised and then much less angry when they found the education minister either took the call personally or called them back. One teacher who called at 2am was startled to get a call back from the minister at 2.15am, to talk over his problem about a delay in his pay. \"People didn't really know if it was true that I would answer. This guy rang at 2am and really blasted me on the phone - 'You owe me money'. So I called him back at 2.15am and said 'Hello this is the minister of education.' First there was silence on the line and then we got the information and we solved the problem.\" Mr Bullrich belongs to a centre-right party and there was initial suspicion from teachers' unions. \"The relationship massively improved when people realised someone was listening,\" he said. \"People think it's crazy, but the benefits are huge. Teachers are a close-knit community, communication flies around very quickly. Now if they have questions, people call me.\" The calls have been an effective way of \"taking the temperature\" and identifying grievances, he said, allowing his education department to intervene before disputes arose. From an average of more than one strike a month, the capital's education system has not had a strike for almost four years. This has helped his plans to modernise and raise standards in state schools. The number of calls has now been reduced to about 80 to 100 phone calls per day, he said, even though he has also published his number for parents to ring. Mr Bullrich said that the quality of education is affected by low morale among teachers, who he says need to be \"motivated motivators\". \"Teachers in Argentina can feel frustrated. They think politicians have abandoned education, that they don't really care what's happening in schools.\" The annual season of teachers' union", "summary": "An education minister in Argentina has stopped waves of teachers' strikes by giving every teacher his mobile phone number and inviting them to call him."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old ex-West Ham youngster made only six appearances for the Tykes after joining last summer. He previously played for the Hatters on loan from West Ham, scoring three goals in 11 matches during a loan in 2014-15. The son of former Newcastle midfielder Rob Lee joins his brother Olly, who is already at Kenilworth Road. \"I'm looking forward to playing with Olly. He was a big factor in me coming here. Having been here and known all the lads, I'm really looking forward to it,\" he said. \"Olly and I spoke about it and we realised it would be a great experience to play together and something we'd enjoy. It's something special for the family.\" Lee makes the opposite move to midfielder Cameron McGeehan, who left Bedfordshire to join Barnsley last month. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Luton Town have made forward Elliot Lee their seventh addition of the summer after signing him on a two-year deal following his release by Barnsley."}
{"article": "China's voting rights will rise to 6%, from 3.8% and IMF resources will double to about $660bn (\u00c2\u00a3440bn). This is the biggest shake-up since the IMF and the World Bank were set up to manage the post-World War Two economy. China has set up the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as an alternative to the IMF and the WB. The IMF reforms were agreed by its 188 members in the aftermath of the world financial crisis in 2010. As China's voting rights rise, the US will see its share drop from 16.7% to 16.5%. The US also retains its veto power. India's voting rights will rise to 2.6% from the current 2.3%. The biggest losers are European economies which will see their voting rights diminished. The US was behind the initiative to bring in the 2010 reforms in a bid to keep China happy. But Republicans in the US Congress had been concerned at the diminishing US influence. US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said in a statement: \"The IMF reforms reinforce the central leadership role of the United States in the global economic system and demonstrate our commitment to maintaining that position.\" IMF chief Christine Lagarde hailed the US adoption as a \"a welcome and crucial step forward that will strengthen the IMF in its role of supporting global financial stability\". And China's Central Bank said the reform \"will improve the representation and voice of emerging markets and developing countries in the IMF and is conducive to protecting the IMF's credibility, legitimacy and effectiveness\". Last month, the IMF decided to include China's currency, the renminbi, as a reserve currency, alongside the US dollar, the euro, the yen and the British pound. The IMF and the WB were conceived in 1944 at a conference in Bretton Woods, in the US state of New Hampshire. The IMF aims to preserve economic stability and to tackle - or ideally prevent - financial crises. Over time, its focus has switched to the developing world. The WB is the world's leading development organisation, working for growth and poverty reduction.", "summary": "The US Senate has adopted long-awaited reforms to give emerging economies a greater say in how the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is managed."}
{"article": "Goulburn Ghost Tours manager Louise Edwards confirmed on Tuesday night the company would no longer run the Belanglo Forest ghost tours. \"From here on in, we will not be running Belanglo tours,\" she told Channel Ten's The Project. The NSW government and victim support groups had condemned the tours. Goulburn Ghost Tours has been taking groups to Belanglo, 120km (75 miles) south-west of Sydney. The company initially defended the tours, saying they were run with \"respect\" and were not intended to upset anyone. Milat is serving consecutive life sentences for murdering seven backpackers - two Britons, three Germans and two Australians - in the 1990s. He had buried their bodies in Belanglo, which was also the site where a teenager related to Milat murdered a friend in 2010. The family of the victim still live in the local area. Local media reported their disgust that the tours were being run. Goulburn Ghost Tours' website and Facebook page remained offline on Wednesday and a phone number for the company appeared to be disconnected. A cached version of the site advertising the Extreme Terror Tour said people would visit Milat's \"old stomping ground\", calling it \"this most terrifying of locations\". It said it would use \"paranormal techniques\" to solve a murder. \"Are you ready to turn grey overnight? Do you love to be frightened? Would you like to solve a crime? Then the GGT Extreme Terror Tour is for you!\" it said. Ms Edwards told The Project that in hindsight, more thought should have gone into the marketing of the tours. She said the company had received a lot of hate mail but also many \"poignant and thoughtful\" emails about why the tours should be cancelled, which \"made us see this in a different light\".", "summary": "A company criticised for conducting tours of a New South Wales (NSW) forest where serial killer Ivan Milat buried his victims has cancelled the tours."}
{"article": "Administrators acting for the fund say they have reached a deal to sell Lyndon Court in Belfast city centre. Mr Graham's barrister argued that under the terms of a previous judicial direction the sale should not go ahead unless Mr Graham consents or a court orders it. The case was adjourned until next week. The adjournment was agreed to allow Mr Graham to have an expert witness report produced. The report will deal with the valuation of Lyndon Court and the sales process. The administrators, EY, must also disclose information to Mr Graham's expert witness. The court heard that a previous ruling allowed EY to market the property, which is on Upper Queen Street. However for a sale to proceed it would need the consent of Mr Graham or else be referred back to the the High Court. Mr Graham's barrister, Monye Anydike-Danes QC, said the administrators had \"agreed to tying their own hands\". However David Dunlop, for EY, argued that unless an injunction was imposed the administrators were \"free to discharge their duty\". Mr Dunlop also said there was an urgency in the matter as the sales agent was concerned the bidder \"could walk away from the deal\". He said the bid had been accepted on 8 August and the bidder said they wanted to complete within 20 days, a period which had now expired. He argued that Mr Graham should give an undertaking that he would be liable for damages should the sale now fall through. Ms Anydike-Danes QC said that there was no evidence that the matter was as urgent as had been claimed. She also said it would be unfair for her client to give an undertaking in damages as no contracts had been signed and there was no binding agreement. No undertaking was imposed and the case was adjourned until 18 September. The court was told that the bidder for Lyndon Court is \"a well known property person in this jurisdiction\".", "summary": "The Cerberus investment fund has found a buyer for one of the properties it repossessed from the businessman Gareth Graham, the High Court has heard."}
{"article": "A major OECD report, published on the 28 January, ranked NI students 22nd out of 23 countries in literacy and 21st out of 23 in numeracy. However, the OECD now say that they initially published the wrong data, and NI students are \"in reality closer to mid-table of the surveyed countries\". The OECD say the mistake in the Building Skills for All report was only identified and corrected during Monday 1 February. The new data shows that Northern Irish students rank 13 out of 23 for literacy skills, and 14 out of 23 for numeracy skills. Northern Ireland students now rank above those in countries like the Republic of Ireland, Spain, England, the USA and Canada for reading and writing skills. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland students rank better than those in countries like Australia, Poland, the Republic of Ireland, England and the USA for maths skills. The OECD mistake affected rankings on the skills of university students published on pages 15 and 53 of the report. In a statement to the BBC, an OECD spokesperson said a formatting error was to blame. \"In the course of formatting the document for publication, the graphic image for figure 3.2 (but not the title) was mistakenly replaced by the graphic image for figure 2.3,\" the spokesperson said. \"So while England's position changed little, Northern Ireland is, in reality, closer to mid-table of the surveyed countries.\" The position of a number of other countries in the rankings was also affected and has been changed. Finland is now the highest ranked country in the world for students literacy skills, instead of Japan. Belgium is now the highest ranked for students' numeracy skills, instead of Finland. The OECD say the rest of the data published in the original report is accurate.", "summary": "The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has apologised for publishing the wrong information about the reading, writing and maths skills of Northern Ireland university students."}
{"article": "With characters like Sherlock Holmes and Dr Strange under his belt, he's signed up to play a supposed 41-year-old who is really 400. He'll star as Tom Hazard in the film adaptation of the forthcoming How to Stop Time by author Matt Haig. Described as a \"wildly imagined love story\", it follows Haig's children's books such as A Boy Called Christmas. How to Stop Time won't hit shelves until July, but we know Hazard's youthful looks are down to an \"extremely rare condition\". \"The prospect of Benedict Cumberbatch playing Tom Hazard is a hugely exciting one and I could not be happier,\" Haig said. The writer is best known for his quirky - and dark - stories about family life. Cumberbatch's production company SunnyMarch will make the film with Studiocanal, while the actor will also take on the role of executive producer. Before that, he'll be coming back as the eccentric surgeon Dr Stephen Strange in the Marvel superhero movies Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War. He'll also star in The Current War as the real-life genius inventor Thomas Edison. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Benedict Cumberbatch's versatility shows no end as he gears up for another offbeat role."}
{"article": "Ms Allred spoke at a press conference alongside three women who said they had been abused by Mr Cosby. Mr Cosby, 77, is facing a series of renewed allegations that he drugged and sexually assaulted over a dozen women. His lawyers describe the claims as \"discredited\" and \"defamatory\". Mr Cosby has had television shows cancelled and some appearances dropped in recent weeks amid the allegations. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Ms Allred said many of the alleged victims had contacted her to determine what legal rights they had. \"Unfortunately, I had to tell them it was too late for them to file a lawsuit against Bill Cosby because of the statute of limitations - for most women it is simply too late to have their day in court,\" she told reporters. The women's rights lawyer presented two courses of action to, in her words, \"determine whether Bill Cosby is a saint or a sexual predator\". Firstly, she suggested Mr Cosby waive the statute of limitations to allow the alleged victims to present their claims and for him to present his defence. The second option, she said, would be for Mr Cosby to place $100m (\u00c2\u00a364m) in a fund, from which a panel of retired judges would decide what compensation would be appropriate if a woman's claim was found to have merit. Three women then gave accounts of the alleged attacks, with two saying they had been drugged before being assaulted. When asked how many women had contacted her to make a claim, Ms Allred said: \"I literally have lost count.\" The press conference came a day after another woman filed a lawsuit against Mr Cosby over allegations of sexual assault when she was under-age - said to be the first such claim to come to light. Judy Huth says she was 15 when she was molested by the comedian at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. As she was minor at the time, her case can still be heard. Earlier this week, Bill Cosby resigned from the board of trustees of Temple University in Philadelphia, where he was once a student, amid the allegations. Several broadcasters have also shelved projects with Mr Cosby, including NBC and Netflix. Two of his performances scheduled for the weekend at a venue in the north of New York were cancelled on Wednesday, AP reports. Nearly half of the audience of the show in Tarrytown had reportedly requested refunds. In 2005 a woman who accused Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting her brought a lawsuit against him, but the case was settled out of court.", "summary": "Lawyer Gloria Allred has urged US comedian Bill Cosby to waive the statute of limitations to allow women alleging he sexually abused them to \"obtain justice\"."}
{"article": "Rail minister Claire Perry called a meeting with the managers of Southern, Thameslink and Network Rail. All three have apologised for the problems. The Department for Transport (DfT) said it was so officials, the rail watchdog and MPs could discuss improvements. The private meeting was held at the House of Commons. London Bridge station is being rebuilt as part of the \u00c2\u00a36.5bn Thameslink programme. But commuters across the South East have reported delays and overcrowding. A spokeswoman for Southern said the rail operator was working with Network Rail to improve performance. She said some changes had already been made to improve punctuality and had proved to be beneficial. Last month, Network Rail apologised for delays. Simon Blanchflower, Thameslink programme director, said Network Rail recognised the service around London Bridge had not been good enough and the company was doing everything it could to tackle the problems. Thameslink also apologised and said timetable and station layout changes had been made to alleviate the problems.", "summary": "Talks have been held between rail bosses and politicians over disruption to Sussex train services as a result of the upgrade to London Bridge station."}
{"article": "Rotherwas Chapel, in Herefordshire, has been unused for many years and currently can only be viewed by making an appointment through English Heritage. But a newly formed Friends of the Chapel group are striving to make the historic chapel, once part of a large estate, more accessible to visitors. The mass, open to all, is due to take place on Monday. Margot Miller, a member of the Friends of the Chapel, which formed earlier this year, said research had not thrown up any records of mass ever being held there. \"It was originally used as a family church for the Bodenham family, not a parish church, so we don't know if any mass was heard,\" she said. The Ministry of Defence took over the building after the death of the last Bodenham family member and it was used by soldiers defending the munitions factory in Rotherwas. The rest of the estate was knocked down. English Heritage eventually took the chapel over and Ms Miller and other volunteers formed a group to help look after and clean the building. \"It is a lovely chapel,\" she said. \"A beautiful little building. We think it was mainly used in the 16th century and it has a little altar and stained glass windows. The Bodenham family spent a lot of money on it.\" The first mass is designed to coincide with celebrations for the Feast of the Assumption. The chapel is called Our Lady of the Assumption. Plans for a memorial for Henry Bodehnam, killed in France in 1916, are being arranged for September and it is also hoped a carol service will be held in December.", "summary": "A little-used chapel is to host what is thought to be its first public mass."}
{"article": "The Brazil international, who had two years remaining on his current deal, scored 13 goals in 59 games for the Blues last season. Willian, 27, joined from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala for a reported \u00a330m in 2013. \"It's a dream to continue with this club and over the next four years I will try to help the team win more trophies,\" he said. Willian, who has scored 19 goals in 140 matches for Chelsea, was named player of the year last season as the club finished 10th in the Premier League. He has won 30 caps for Brazil since making his debut in 2011, scoring six goals. Last week, Chelsea signed Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi from Marseille for a fee believed to be worth \u00a333m, their first capture under new manager Antonio Conte.", "summary": "Chelsea midfielder Willian has signed a new four-year contract with the club."}
{"article": "Jack Wilshere is out for the season with a fractured leg, so there could be a recall for Lewis Cook. Middlesbrough defender Calum Chambers might be involved after a nine-week absence because of a foot injury. Fabio and Rudy Gestede are fit after minor injuries but Victor Valdes and Grant Leadbitter remain out with respective rib and hamstring problems. Simon Brotherton: \"Middlesbrough are still saying the right things about staying up, but it looks bleak for them now and there's no hint of a remarkable recovery in the air. \"They haven't won in the league since just before Christmas and are without a victory from any of their last 15 away games. \"While the Teesiders sit six points short of safety, Bournemouth are perched seven points above it and should be fine. \"Recent results haven't been great though and Boro's often chance-starved forwards will have noted that Bournemouth have conceded at least two goals in seven of the last eight games on the south coast.\" Twitter: @SimonBrotherton Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe: \"I'm not going to say that one win will make us safe but we're very motivated to win this game. \"We were on a really good run before playing the top two. We knew how hard this run was going to be but we've come out mainly unscathed after it. \"It's about us from our perspective, how well we attack the game and how our minds are focused on doing what we want to do. We know our jobs and know how important the game is.\" Middlesbrough head coach Steve Agnew: \"Of course it is a big week and of course it's a massive game. But you have to enjoy it and that's the only way I know, that's what the players and staff know. \"They are all relishing the game on Saturday. You do need wins and that's what we have missed, and that's what we need from now on in. \"Yes, you need to be hard to beat and continue to be difficult to beat, but equally you need a goal to take the three points we need.\" While Boro have the staunch smell of relegation about them, Bournemouth probably only need one more win to be safe, and I think they will get it on Saturday. Prediction: 2-0 Lawro's full predictions v Jermaine Jenas and Trevor Nelson Head-to-head Bournemouth Middlesbrough SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.", "summary": "Bournemouth will assess the fitness of midfielder Dan Gosling, who has missed three games with a calf problem."}
{"article": "The popular Smart Sheriff app has vulnerabilities that could leak children's personal details or allow the phone to be hacked, the study says. The app's developer says it has since addressed some of the issues raised in the report, although this has not been independently verified. South Korea mandated in April that all children's phones must be monitored. Anyone under 19 who buys a smartphone must install an app that can filter and block harmful content. The University of Toronto report is based on two separate security audits, one conducted by researchers at the Citizen Lab with the university's Munk School of Global Affairs, and the other by auditing firm Cure53. Smart Sheriff was developed by a consortium of telecommunications companies known as the Korean Mobile Internet Business Association (Moiba). It has been downloaded by hundreds of thousands of users in South Korea. The app allows parents to control the apps on their child's mobile phone, as well as schedule when the phone can be used. It can also alert parents when it detects trigger words such as \"kill\", \"rape\", and \"suicide\", according to earlier news reports. However, the new report found that children's personal details and browsing activity were not secure on the app, parental limits could be easily disabled and Smart Sheriff's design and infrastructure were insufficiently protected. The report said this could \"allow children to bypass parental protections, allow malicious attackers to disrupt access to every user's device, and interfere with the operations of the service\". \"This case shows precisely how good intentions can end up seriously wrong \u00e2\u20ac\u201d in this case, a government-promoted parental monitoring application actually putting children at greater, rather than less, risk of harm,\" said Citizen Lab's director Ron Deibert. News agency AP quoted independent researcher Collin Anderson, who worked with Citizen Lab on the report, as saying: \"Smart Sheriff is the kind of baby sitter that leaves the doors unlocked and throws a party where everyone is invited.\" Citizen Lab said it had informed Moiba of the vulnerabilities. Moiba has since released updates, the latest on 25 August, to fix the issues raised. However, researchers said they had yet to independently verify if all vulnerabilities had been addressed. The BBC's calls to Moiba on Monday were not answered. The introduction of the child monitoring law in April sparked some controversy, with critics raising privacy concerns.", "summary": "A child monitoring phone app funded by the South Korean government has major security flaws, a new report says."}
{"article": "Poehler, the Golden Globe winner of NBC TV series Parks and Recreation, is the voice of Joy, Riley's first emotion, who arrives as soon as she is born. But the central message of the film, according to the actress, is that it's OK to be sad. \"Joy has been in charge for 11 years and is pretty comfortable being in the driving seat and assumes she's going to be there forever,\" she says, \"and we find out very quickly that Sadness, Anger, Fear, Disgust - the other emotions - want a turn at the wheel.\" Poehler adds: \"I love the message of the film which is basically that no-one can be happy all the time - and that's OK. In fact, sadness may get you where you need to be. \"It's a very revolutionary idea, especially for parents who are constantly obsessed with their children's happiness, and in doing so don't often allow them to be in the moment and feel their feelings, and it's a great thing for children to understand, too.\" When Riley's family move from Minnesota to San Francisco, the trauma pitches Joy and Sadness out of headquarters, leaving Anger, Disgust and Fear in charge. Or, in other words, according to director Pete Docter, Riley starts becoming a teenager. Docter, a father of two, wrote and directed Pixar's double Oscar-winning film Up, as well as Monsters Inc, and named the young heroine of Up after his daughter Ellie, who also voiced the part. \"My daughter was very like the Ellie of Up - spirited and sparky,\" he explains. \"But then as time went on, she became quieter and more withdrawn. It was really hard to know what she was thinking as she started to grow up.\" Producer Jonas Rivera adds: \"Inside Out is our attempt to answer Pete's question of 'What's going on inside my daughter's head?' \"We didn't know either. I think a lot of parents ask that question.\" Each emotion is given a distinct colour and shape, from the green of Disgust - a homage to Riley's hatred of broccoli - to the red block of Anger, who emits fire when disturbed. This, according to Poehler, who runs an online community for girls and women called Smart Girls, could be a step forward for children trying to articulate their emotions. She says that, as the mother of two boys, she knows how hard it is for children to say what they feel. \"What [the film] does is give you the tools to talk about emotions and feelings which isn't very easy to do all of the time.\" It would be satisfying, she says, to hear a child say, \"I feel like Anger today\" because he or she can visualise it. However, Docter denies that Inside Out is Pixar \"doing\" psychotherapy for children - or for adults, who, he believes, could benefit just as much from the film. \"So many adults employ therapists because they can't express themselves,\" he points out. \"As a kid, at least if you are angry you lie on the floor and kick and", "summary": "It's the final frontier, according to actress Amy Poehler - but the action in Pixar's latest animation, Inside Out, doesn't take place in space, but in the caverns of the human brain, as the emotions of an 11-year-old girl, Riley, go on an adventure inside her head."}
{"article": "\"After eight wonderful years on The X Factor it's time for me to move on,\" he said in a statement. \"I'd like to thank ITV, Simon [Cowell], The X Factor family and particularly the viewers, all of whom have been a big part of my life for so long.\" The 41-year-old took over from Kate Thornton in 2007 as host of the popular talent show. The presenter and broadcaster currently presents a show on Radio 2 and recently completed a 24-hour dance challenge for Comic Relief. \"I'd like to wish the team all the best for the future, especially whoever takes over from me,\" O'Leary continued. \"You're about to be the conductor on the most brilliant, runaway train in showbiz. Good luck you'll love it!\" The news of his departure may fuel speculation that O'Leary is a contender to replace Jeremy Clarkson on the BBC's Top Gear. Before Friday's announcement, William Hill had O'Leary as 6-1 to take over following the BBC's decision not to renew Clarkson's contract earlier this week. Before The X Factor, O'Leary hosted Big Brother's Little Brother, Channel 4's companion show to its long-running reality show. He has presented on BBC Radio 2 since 2004 and has hosted the National Television Awards since 2010. Bookmakers Ladbrokes have made singer Olly Murs, a former X Factor runner-up, favourite to take over the vacant presenting role. A spokesman for ITV said O'Leary had been \"a fantastic host of The X Factor\" and that the channel was \"sorry to see him go\". \"We wish him all the very best for the future and hope that he'll be back on ITV screens soon.\"", "summary": "Dermot O'Leary will no longer host ITV's The X Factor after eight years on the programme."}
{"article": "Gunfire was heard near the apartment block in the city of Toulouse, with reports police had met resistance but that the suspect was now dead. The siege of the building where Mohammed Merah, 23, is holed up has lasted more than a day. Interior Minister Claude Gueant had said Merah wanted to die \"gun in hand\" and there was no contact overnight. It was not certain he was alive, Mr Gueant said. Agence France-Presse quoted police sources as saying that officers were moving step-by-step through the flat, wary of booby-traps, and as yet there was no sign of Merah. Mr Gueant earlier told French radio: \"We have one priority: to take him alive so that he can surrender to face justice. We hope he is still alive.\" However, he said it was \"quite strange that he did not react\" to the explosions that were set off overnight to intimidate Merah. \"We heard two shots, we don't know what they were,\" Mr Gueant said. \"Despite redoubled efforts throughout the night, there has been no contact with him.\" A number of explosions, beginning late on Wednesday, had prompted deputy mayor Jean-Pierre Havrin to tell local media that \"negotiations have finished and the assault has begun\". However, sources from the French interior ministry later said this was only the start of an operation to put pressure on Merah. \"[The blasts] were moves to intimidate the gunman, who seems to have changed his mind and does not want to surrender,\" interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet told Reuters. Merah had given conflicting messages about surrendering. Anti-terror chief Francois Molins had said: \"He's explained that he's not suicidal, he doesn't have the soul of a martyr and he prefers to kill but to stay alive himself.\" Officials said Merah was armed with a Kalashnikov high-velocity rifle, a mini-Uzi 9mm machine pistol, several handguns and possibly grenades. Street lights were switched off in the vicinity of the building on Wednesday evening. The five-storey block of flats has been evacuated, and police also moved residents from nearby buildings. Police had surrounded Merah's building after two officers were shot at when they tried to get into his flat early on Wednesday morning. Elsewhere in the city, police are hunting for accomplices and have detained several members of Merah's family. Mr Molins said on Wednesday that Merah had planned to kill again. \"If he's telling the truth, he would have left his house this morning and he would have once again killed any soldier that he came across,\" he said. Mr Molins said the suspect had expressed no regret for the killings, but had said he wanted to kill more people and \"bring France to its knees\". Merah has said he acted to \"avenge Palestinian children\". He claimed to have received al-Qaeda training in Pakistan's Waziristan area, and also said he had been to Afghanistan. Mr Gueant defended intelligence services for not preventing the attacks, describing Merah as a \"lone wolf\". \"The domestic intelligence agency tracks a lot of people who are involved in Islamist radicalism. Expressing ideas... is not enough to", "summary": "The siege of a gunman suspected of seven killings in southern France is nearing its end, police sources say."}
{"article": "The Vulcan XH558 took part in the North Wales Air Show at Rhyl, Denbighshire, on Saturday as part of a final series of displays which end in September. More than 180,000 people are expected at the air show over the weekend. The aircraft was operational from the 1950s to 1985. Charity Vulcan to the Sky Trust said the restored aircraft was beyond its flying hours. Denbighshire council said it had received Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) guidance after the Shoreham air crash last weekend, adding safety would be a top priority at the show in Rhyl.", "summary": "An iconic Cold War British Vulcan bomber has made its final flight over Welsh skies."}
{"article": "The College of Policing advises officers to respond \"in a proportionate way\" to children sharing indecent imagery of themselves or their peers. Police should consider the long-term impact of investigation - such as labelling a child a \"sex offender\", the advice says. The NSPCC welcomed the change. National Police Chief's Council lead for child protection Chief Constable Simon Bailey, said: \"If this behaviour can be dealt with in other - more appropriate - ways then it should be.\" Typically in England and Wales, producing and distributing sexual images of anybody under 18 is a criminal offence, even if two under-18s are sexting one another. The new guidelines state that most offences involving sexual activity with children will require a \"full criminal investigative response\" - for example, in the presence of exploitation, coercion, a profit motive or adults as perpetrators. But it says: \"Offences involving self-generated images or images obtained with consent by other children may be dealt with differently. \"Forces may, for example, consider that suitably experienced first responders, safer school officers or neighbourhood teams can provide an appropriate response, thereby avoiding stigmatising children or causing them unnecessary fears and concerns.\" Forces should consider the long-term impact of investigation and prosecution - such as labelling a child a \"sex offender\" - in deciding whether criminal justice processes are necessary, the advice says. Ben was 15 when he and his girlfriend engaged in a sexually explicit online chat. He says: \"Because you're behind a screen you develop a sense of confidence in which you can say pretty much anything.\" Later, she asked him to send her a naked photo. Ben says he felt uncomfortable and refused - but had he done so he would have been breaking the law. In another reported episode a 14-year-old boy was added to a police database after he sent a naked image of himself to a female classmate on picture messaging app Snapchat. Mr Bailey said: \"More children than ever before are taking explicit images of themselves and this briefing note is a valuable resource for officers when dealing with these sensitive cases. \"It highlights the need for forces to consider the long-term impact of investigation and prosecution on young people. \"We will take all cases seriously with criminal investigations into those involving any form of exploitation. But it will always be a common-sense approach that doesn't criminalise children unnecessarily.\" He said sexting was not just \"harmless teenage behaviour\". \"There are significant risks involved for children and young people; once image is sent, control is lost, and it can cause significant distress when it gets into wider hands,\" he said. A spokesman for the NSPCC said children should not be criminalised, but should be educated about the dangers. \"Children need to know that creating and sharing these images can put them at risk of being targeted by predatory adults,\" he said.", "summary": "Sexting cases involving children should not always be handled with a full-scale criminal investigation, new police advice says."}
{"article": "She said equality for women was \"at the heart of the Scottish government\". More details about the competition, which is being run by the Young Scot organisation, will be released at a later date. Ms Sturgeon has also called on women in leadership roles to follow her example and become mentors. Speaking at a diversity event in Edinburgh, the first minister said: \"My ambition for all our young people is that they will have a fair chance to succeed, and if they work hard and have the ability, there's nothing to stop them realising their dreams. \"It is not acceptable in 2017 for women to be under-represented in senior positions, including in the boardroom.\" Ms Sturgeon insisted that her government offered \"ambitious commitments\" in support of women's equality which included; She explained that one of her first moves as first minister was to appoint a gender-balanced cabinet. The chief executive of the Young Scot charity, Louise Macdonald, said that supporting young people in realising their career potential and meeting their ambitions was the responsibility of every leader in Scotland. She added: \"Mentoring is a powerful way of helping young people achieve their goals and will help to create a new generation of positive role models to inspire other young women in the future. \"We're delighted to support the first minister and the Scottish government with this new mentoring programme and we are encouraging as many young women from across Scotland as possible to apply for this amazing opportunity.\" \"I hope that my election as first minister does indeed help to open the gate to greater opportunity for all women. \"I hope that it sends a strong, positive message to girls and young women, indeed to all women, across our land - there should be no limit to your ambition for what you can achieve. \"If you are good enough and if you work hard enough, the sky is the limit and no glass ceiling should ever stop you from achieving your dreams.\"", "summary": "Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has launched a competition to find a woman aged between 18 and 23 to mentor for a year."}
{"article": "The Portadown Times published results from what it said was an \"independent\" poll ahead of May's general election. But it failed to acknowledge that the survey had actually been commissioned by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Mr Nesbitt said the article \"appears to have skewed\" the election result. The article suggested that the gap in support between the DUP and Sinn F\u00e9in had narrowed. The results put the DUP candidate David Simpson in first place with 30.7% of the vote, with Sinn F\u00e9in in second place on 28.1%. The Ulster Unionist candidate, Jo-Anne Dobson, was third in the poll, with 25% of the vote. Mr Simpson held his House of Commons seat for Upper Bann in the election with 15,430 votes, with Mrs Dobson polling 13,166 votes to finish in second place. The Ulster Unionist Party said the publication of the article suggested to readers that a vote for Mrs Dobson would have would \"split the pro-union vote, and risk the seat being taken by Sinn F\u00e9in\". The Independent Press Standards Office (IPSO) upheld Mr Nesbitt's complaint that the newspaper's description of the poll as \"independent\" had misled readers. IPSO said the Portadown Times had also failed to inform readers that the poll had been conducted six weeks before it was published. Mr Nesbitt said his party's canvassing team felt the publication of the \"out-of-date\" survey had \"provoked a dramatic mood-swing on the doorstep\". \"I have no doubt David Simpson will do the decent thing and call a by-election, so the people of Upper Bann can vote without the artificial shadow of fear hanging over their ballot papers,\" he added. But DUP MLA Sydney Anderson said the Ulster Unionists needed to \"accept the verdict of the people\". \"Every candidate is entitled to disappointment following an election defeat,\" Mr Anderson said. \"What we are witnessing from the Ulster Unionist Party, however, is sour grapes on an industrial scale.\"", "summary": "Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt has called for a by-election in Upper Bann after a press standards body ruled voters had been misled about a poll published in a local newspaper."}
{"article": "19 December 2016 Last updated at 16:54 GMT", "summary": "RHI at Stormont - Watch the key moments in 60 seconds."}
{"article": "Regulator Ofwat has named Southern Water as an \"underperformer\" after discharges from sewage treatment works and flooding to properties. Southern Water, which serves customers from east Kent to Hampshire, has an \u00a3806m annual turnover. The company said it was in discussions with Ofwat over the proposed penalties. A shortfall levy of \u00a3150m could be imposed on Southern Water for the \"non compliant\" discharges from sewage systems and flooding to properties caused by blockages since 2010, an Ofwat spokesman said. This could be added to an adjustment to the company's revenue of \u00a326m for poor customer service, he said. The Ofwat spokesman said: \"We are currently in the process of setting prices for Southern Water over the next five years. \"As part of that process, we need to look at whether the company has delivered what customers have paid for over the last five years. We have challenged Southern and, in particular, still have questions over how they have operated their sewerage network and treatment works. \"We have therefore proposed clawing back money for customers, so they are protected.\" He said the regulator was proposing that Southern's average bills would go down by 8.5% between 2015 and 2020, before inflation. A final decision will be made in December. A shortfall levy is different to a fine, in that the company is forced make customer bills cheaper or shareholders have to put more money in to make up the deficit, Ofwat said. The previous largest shortfall levy for a water company was \u00a369m imposed on Northumbrian Water in 2009, the watchdog said. A Southern Water spokesman said the regulator had responded positively to parts of the company's plans for 2015-2020. \"[Ofwat] details further areas for us to address, including the 'penalties' it is proposing, which relate to our operational and customer service performance since 2010,\" he said. In August, beach-goers in Littlehampton were warned to avoid swimming after Southern Water pumped sewage into the sea following the failure of a valve at the West Sussex town's Sea Road pumping station. In July swimmers were warned not to enter the sea at nine beaches around Thanet in Kent, following discharges from Southern Water pumping stations. Southern Water said it had done nothing wrong by releasing storm water from its stations at Foreness Point and Broadstairs. Thanet District Council previously warned swimmers about entering the sea in the area in May following a discharge of raw sewage. In Monday the Consumer Council for Water announced that Southern Water had reported drops in complaint numbers but the company remained \"too far adrift\" of the rest of the industry.", "summary": "A water company could face a financial penalty of \u00a3176m for failings in customer services and managing sewerage systems, BBC South East has learned."}
{"article": "The Tigers, two-time winners of the previous incarnation as the Heineken Cup, went out in the group stage of last year's inaugural Champions Cup. Racing have never before made it to the last four. The winners will play Saracens in the final in Lyon on 14 May after they beat Wasps in Saturday's other semi-final. Leicester have named the same side that beat Northampton in the Premiership last weekend for the tie, which will be held at the City Ground, home of Nottingham Forest. Head coach Aaron Mauger will come up against compatriot and former All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter, who is in his first season with Racing. \"He's probably been the difference for Racing this year, even though you don't want to pin too much on one person,\" said Mauger. \"The direction that Dan has given the side has been critical. His composure in those tight moments has been the missing ingredient for them.\" Mauger, who helped Crusaders to four Super Rugby titles between 2000 and 2007, also said that the Champions Cup has overtaken the southern hemisphere competition as the premier tournament for clubs. \"I think the Champions Cup is getting bigger, a bit more so now as I believe Super Rugby has been diluted by adding extra teams, which is a bit of a concern for them down there,\" said Mauger. \"It's probably the most prestigious competition.\" Leicester Tigers: Mathew Tait (c), Telusa Veainu, Peter Betham, Manu Tuilagi, Vereniki Goneva, Freddie Burns, Ben Youngs; Marcos Ayerza, Harry Thacker, Dan Cole, Dom Barrow, Graham Kitchener, Mike Fitzgerald, Lachlan McCaffrey, Opeti Fonua. Replacements: Greg Bateman, Logovi'i Mulipola, Fraser Balmain, Ed Slater, Tom Croft, Sam Harrison, Owen Williams, Adam Thompstone. Racing 92: Brice Dulin, Joe Rokocoko, Johannes Goosen, Alexandre Dumoulin, Juan Imhoff, Dan Carter, Maxime Machenaud (c); Eddy Ben Arous, Virgile Lacombe, Ben Tameifuna, Luke Charteris, Francois van der Merwe, Wenceslas Lauret, Bernard Le Roux, Chris Masoe. Replacements: Camille Chat, Khatchik Vartanov, Luc Ducalcon, Manuel Carizza, Antonie Claassen, Mike Phillips, Remi Tales, Louis Dupichot.", "summary": "Leicester Tigers will look to reach their first European Cup final since 2009 when they meet French side Racing 92 at Welford Road on Sunday."}
{"article": "The helicopter had to land on the sand and a doctor and paramedic treated the assaulted boy before he was taken to hospital by South East Coast ambulance. Kent Police said they were alerted to the disturbance at about 17:05 BST on Saturday and inquiries were ongoing. Reports said it followed a row about a girl, but police did not confirm this. A police spokesman said the boy's injuries were not life-threatening. On Twitter, people said several police and ambulance vehicles went to the beach alongside the air ambulance helicopter. A tweet by @valeriesnatural said: \"When it's [too] crowded there is always trouble...... #margate #margatebeach #ilovemargate\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 instagram.com/p/BUmopIxFB_1/\" And @Lucysal wrote: \"All of a sudden a massive fight broke out involving loads of teenagers at #Margate beach today.\"", "summary": "A brawl involving about 50 young people on Margate beach led to the air ambulance being called to help an injured teenage boy."}
{"article": "The five Katyusha rockets came from part of Syria controlled by Islamic State (IS) militants, the Kilis governor's office said. Turkish artillery fired back at IS positions across the border, Turkey's Hurriyet news daily reported. Kilis has a Syrian refugee camp and shells have landed from Syria before. Four of the rockets hit residential areas of Kilis - a town where an estimated 120,000 Syrian refugees outnumber local Turks. A Turkish citizen and five other Syrians were also wounded in the rocket fire. Cross-border artillery fire has hit Kilis almost daily recently. Twelve people were wounded there on 11 April, then the following day two people were killed and six wounded in a similar strike, Hurriyet reported.", "summary": "Rockets fired from northern Syria have killed four Syrians, three of them children, in the Turkish border town of Kilis, local officials say."}
{"article": "Edward James, 75, was convicted of fraudulent trading at Crown Currency Exchange, where he was a director. He used new customer cash to pay off old clients for two years, Southwark Crown Court was told. More than 12,000 people were left \u00a320m out of pocket after the Cornwall-based firm collapsed in October 2010. Three other people involved in the scam were jailed in June. Crown Currency director Peter Benstead, 72, killed himself during the trial. Benstead spent customer cash on a \u00a3900,000 luxury house in Penzance, a second home in the Dordogne and spent \u00a336,000 on a seven week cruise. Jurors were told James, who stood down as Tory chairman of Mendip District Council in the wake of the allegations, knew the dire state of the company. Judge Michael Gledhill said James' public service to Glastonbury as mayor in 2009, \"paled into insignificance\" in comparison to his role in the frauds.", "summary": "A former mayor of Glastonbury has been jailed for 42 months for his involvement in a foreign currency exchange scam."}
{"article": "The varsity, which has educated more US presidents than any other, will take 50.8% of its freshmen from minority groups. That compares to 47.3% last year. Asian Americans make up 22.2%, followed by African Americans at 14.6%, Hispanic or Latino students at 11.6%, and Native American or Pacific Islanders at 2.5%. The milestone figures come just days after Harvard was drawn into a row over affirmative action between the US justice department and the New York Times. On 1 August, the paper claimed the justice department was preparing to sue campuses with affirmative action admissions policies, as it feels they are biased against white applicants. It said resources from the department's civil rights division would be used for the legal action, citing an internal memo. However, the justice department insisted it had no plans to investigate whether colleges pick their entrants based on race. It said the document seen by the paper, which referred to \"a new project on [...] intentional race-based discrimination\" was actually about a 2015 complaint by a coalition of Asian-American groups. The complaint accused Harvard and other Ivy League colleges of using quotas that keep out Asians with high test scores. Rachael Dane, a spokesperson for Harvard, said the university was \"committed to enrolling diverse classes of students\". \"To become leaders in our diverse society, students must have the ability to work with people from different backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives,\" she said. \"Harvard's admissions process considers each applicant as a whole person, and we review many factors, consistent with the legal standards established by the US Supreme Court.\" The Supreme Court has outlawed the use of racial quotas in college admissions, but ruled that universities can consider race as part of a \"holistic review\" of applicants. Roger Clegg, president of the conservative Center for Equal Opportunity and a former top official in the justice department's civil rights division, told the BBC he felt affirmative action was outdated. \"I understand the visceral sense that African Americans have been treated badly in this country for a very long time, and right after we got rid of Jim Crow [segregation laws], it wasn't such a bad idea to give special consideration over someone who was a recent beneficiary of Jim Crow. But now we're in 2017. Jim Crow is long gone and we're talking about giving Latinos a preference over Asian Americans. What possible sense does that make?\" he said. An alternative view comes from Brenda Shum, director of the Educational Opportunities Project at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. She told the BBC that students of all colours benefited from a more diverse college experience. \"...We owe it to our students to provide them with integrated learning environments that are reflective of the world in which they're living,\" she argued.", "summary": "More than half of Harvard University's next student intake will not be white, for the first time in its 380-year history, official figures show."}
{"article": "The footage, apparently filmed in December, shows 15 girls in black robes identifying themselves. The girls were taken from a school in the town of Chibok by members of the Islamist group Boko Haram. Relatives of the girls marched in the capital, Abuja, on Thursday, the second anniversary of their abduction. The kidnapping of the 276 girls triggered the global social media campaign #BringBackOurGirls, involving US first lady Michelle Obama and a host of celebrities. But despite their efforts, most of the girls are still missing. The footage of the girls is the first to be seen since May 2014, when around 100 of them were shown in a video. It was broadcast after being handed to the Nigerian government. The BBC's Martin Patience in Abuja says hundreds of parents marching on Thursday blame the previous government for doing nothing when the abduction took place, as well as the current administration for failing to devote enough resources to the search. Boko Haram militants attacked the government boarding school in Borno state on 14 April 2014, seizing the girls who had gone there to take exams. Shortly afterwards they released a video of them and demanded a prisoner exchange. The video is too short for any meaningful comment on the state of health of the girls, but the 15 that appeared looked well fed and do not seem to show any sign of distress. However, their captors may have selected them from among the 219 girls still in captivity specifically to give that impression. It has always been clear that Boko Haram regard the Chibok girls as high-value and a potential negotiating tool. In the past they have indicated their desire to exchange some of the girls with some of their commanders arrested by the government. Recently, the military authorities in Nigeria have been claiming victory over the insurgents, pointing to the destruction of various militant camps spread across the group's stronghold in north-eastern Nigeria and the killing of many members of the group. However the video indicates that despite these successes, the group has been able to hold secure locations where they can hide the girls, even if only in small groups. These safe havens may provide many of the group's leadership an environment in which they can lie low and regroup at a later time, as they did after the premature victory declared by the Nigerian government against Boko Haram in 2009. The video has however raised other questions as to how talks are proceeding over the girls' release - what is the motive for releasing the video to a media house in the middle of negotiations that have the trust of all involved? Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, said the girls had converted to Islam and he threatened to force them into marriage with his fighters or sell them into slavery. As the months passed, about 57 students managed to escape but at least 219 are still missing. The latest video, apparently filmed on Christmas Day 2015, shows the girls pleading with the Nigerian government to co-operate with militants on", "summary": "Friends and family members of Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped two years ago say they have identified some of them in a new video obtained by CNN."}
{"article": "The announcement came after a pact was agreed between the Socialists and centre-right Ciudadanos (Citizens). \"What has been agreed with Ciudadanos is incompatible with us,\" said Podemos's Inigo Errejon. It deals a blow to Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez's hopes of becoming PM. Between them, the Socialists and Ciudadanos command only 130 seats in the 350-seat lower house - leaving Mr Sanchez far short of a parliamentary majority. In a vote on 1 March, he will seek the support of deputies in a vote of confidence that the former ruling Popular Party (PP), led by acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, has indicated it is likely to oppose. Podemos now appears less likely to offer its support - overtly or tacitly, in the form of abstentions - now it has framed the pact between the Socialists (PSOE) and Ciudadanos as \"an invitation to the PP\". \"For the moment we have failed,\" Mr Errejon was quoted as saying. \"The change [we sought] was not just to remove Mr Rajoy from the Moncloa [prime ministerial residence], but his policies.\" Earlier, signing a deal based on a five-point plan for constitutional reform, Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera had urged other parties to come on board. Podemos's radical policies are at odds with the liberal-centrist slant of Ciudadanos, and it had already warned they were unlikely to join forces, but it was not clear that Podemos would withdraw from the negotiating table entirely. Should Mr Sanchez fail to secure an absolute majority on 2 March, he could then aim for a simple majority in a second vote on 5 March. If he fails, the PP may attempt once again to form a coalition - perhaps a \"grand coalition\" with the Socialists and Ciudadanos. If that fails, a new election would have to be called, probably on 26 June. Mr Rajoy's centre-right PP, which took the greatest number of seats in the election, has already tried to form a coalition without success.", "summary": "Spain's anti-austerity party, Podemos, says it is suspending negotiations over forming a government with the Socialists as the country struggles to resolve inconclusive elections."}
{"article": "Criticised by fans last term, Slade entered this campaign under pressure, and the Bluebirds drew their first three games. But a 2-0 win against Wolves came as a relief to Slade. \"Everybody thought I would be down the road by the end of August, I suspect,\" he said. \"The pressure was on to deliver at home\u2026 and we've managed to do that. \"We're in quite a good place. I see us making progress. \"It was important we got our first win and it will build confidence.\" Goals from Kenwyne Jones and Sammy Ameobi helped Cardiff to a comfortable win against a Wolves side who narrowly missed out on the Championship play-offs last season. Slade succeeded Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Bluebirds manager in October 2014 and, after a torrid spell around Christmas when Cardiff fans called for Slade's sacking, the former Leyton Orient boss eventually steered his new side to an 11th-placed finish. Now in his first full campaign in charge, Slade is encouraged with the progress Cardiff are making. \"It is important to get your first win but, performance-wise, I've been fairly satisfied with what we've produced by and large,\" he added. \"In open play, teams are not causing us problems perhaps like they were last year. We're more organised. \"We're playing off a structure and it's how I want to play now.\"", "summary": "Russell Slade believes Cardiff's first league win of the season against Wolves can lift the team's confidence after a turbulent previous season."}
{"article": "Dr Mark Lang spent six months studying the Lansbury Park Estate, near Caerphilly town centre. He said many policies aimed at reducing poverty in Wales had failed to work. Council officials have accepted Dr Lang's findings which include offering learning opportunities outside the classroom. Lansbury Park has already lived with the label \"Wales' most deprived area\" for the past two years. Now, the major economic research centred on the community suggests there needs to be fresh thinking about how we tackle the poorest places in Wales. Poverty is on the increase in Wales amongst children, working age adults and pensioners, despite attempts to reduce it over decades, according to the Bevan Foundation think-tank. It calculates that dealing with the consequences of poverty is now costing the Welsh public purse \u00a31 out of every \u00a35 it spends. Those findings are now swiftly followed by a report into Lansbury Park, which advocates a new approach but no magic wand. It is nearly 25 years since a range of social and economic problems were first highlighted by research on the estate, which lies just a mile from Caerphilly town centre. More recently, Lansbury succeeded part of Rhyl to a title no one wants - officially ranked as Wales' most deprived community. If you walk through the estate - home to 2,200 people - very little has changed on the surface from how it looked decades ago. Lansbury was named after a Labour leader of the Depression era when it was built in the 1960s and Attlee Court in the middle is among reminders of other figures from the party's past. Caerphilly council since 1996 has been under both Labour and Plaid Cymru control. This \"deep place\" study was commissioned by the local authority and its analysis does not apportion blame - only recognising the approaches of a generation or more have simply not worked. Despite money being spent, and a Communities First programme running, economic and social problems have become \"embedded\". Dr Mark Lang spent six months working on the Lansbury Park \"deep place\" study, with Prof Dave Adamson, who led the original research in 1993. Beyond the stark economic statistics, the research looks at less tangible but equally relevant factors. Indeed, the \"feel\" of the place is possibly as much of an obstacle to progress. The \"sterile\" urban landscape, the lack of trees on the little green space the estate has, are all features; horizons are limited, physically and emotionally. So as new councillors are soon elected across Wales, are there lessons for similar urban areas too? Especially at a time of austerity, council budget pressures, uncertainty over filling future gaps left by European funding and the forthcoming overhaul of Communities First. Dr Lang believes it is about understanding the specifics of a place - and spending what money there is, more wisely. \"With some of the funded activities, I feel, they don't take the community out of itself; they don't encourage people to leave their communities and do something somewhere else, experience a broader world,\" he said. \"It might well be you spend", "summary": "A new approach is needed to tackle poverty, a report into the most deprived community in Wales has suggested."}
{"article": "The match, in Montevideo on Friday, 30 May, will be broadcast on the Red Button and also be streamed on the BBC Sport website. You can press the Red Button on either BBC One NI or BBC Two NI to watch the match. Kick-off for the match at the Estadio Centenario is 00:30 BST and the commentator will be Michael McNamee. Uruguay are in England's World Cup pool, Group D. On Freeview and BT Vision, the Red Button feed can be found on Channel 301, on Freesat Channel 981 and Virgin Media Channel 991. For those watching with Sky, coverage will be available only by pressing the Red Button. Alternatively fans can also watch the game live by logging on to bbc.co.uk/sportni. Shane Glynn, editor of BBC Sport NI, said: \"Uruguay will be a tough test for Northern Ireland. \"They will be one of the sides who fancy their chances of winning the World Cup - and with players of the calibre of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, why not? \"I'm delighted BBC Northern Ireland has secured the rights to show the Uruguay game live on the Red Button and via our BBC Sport NI website. \"We will also broadcast on the website an extended highlights package of the friendly match against Chile the following week.\" Patrick Nelson, chief executive of the Irish Football Association, said: \"We are delighted that BBC Northern Ireland have obtained the rights to show this game live on their Red Button and internet services. Northern Ireland fans all over the UK will be able to see live how well our team does against one of the World Cup favourites.\"", "summary": "Northern Ireland's friendly against Uruguay is to be shown live on the BBC."}
{"article": "HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) said assaults at HMP Leeds had increased significantly since 2013. On average there are now 32 assaults on inmates and staff each month, of which about 10% result in serious injury. The National Offender Management Service said it was taking \"concerted action\" to combat legal highs. HMIP said new psychoactive substances - also known as legal highs - were a \"major factor\" in the increase in violence. Inspectors also found the use of force and segregation at the prison, known locally as Armley jail, was \"high\" and the majority of cells were \"poorly equipped\". Levels of crowding were also found to be \"very high\", with 1,149 inmates held at the time of the inspection in December against an operational capacity of 1,219. However, inspectors found support for men with drug and alcohol problems was \"generally good\", prisoners spent a \"reasonable time\" out of their cells and the staff culture was \"basically positive and decent\". It also said that given the age of the prison - HMP Leeds was built in 1847 - the accommodation was \"reasonably well maintained and the environment was clean\". Martin Lomas, deputy chief inspector of prisons, described the inspection results as \"disappointing\" and said fundamental issues around safety needed to be addressed \"urgently\". However, he said the new governor had made a \"good start in getting to grips with these challenges\" and had a \"good understanding of the issues faced\". Michael Spurr, chief executive of the National Offender Management Service, said HMP Leeds, like other publicly-funded prisons, had to cope with a \"huge increase\" in the supply of legal highs against a backdrop of cost-cutting. He said improving safety was the \"number one priority\" and the governor and staff would \"receive the support they need to make the improvements required\". Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said the prison was failing to meet \"people's most basic need - safety\". \"How can we expect people to leave custody to be less likely to offend, if all they have experienced in prison is fear and violence?\"", "summary": "Legal highs are a \"major factor\" behind a sharp rise in rates of violence at a prison to almost double that of similar jails, a report has found."}
{"article": "Bayley, 29, defeated Ukraine's world number one Maksym Nikolenko 3-2 in the class 7 final. Wilson, 21, overcame former world champion Richard Csejtey, from Slovakia, 3-2 in the class 8 final. Another Briton, Martin Perry, lost to France's Bastien Grundeler in the class 6 semi-final, but took bronze. Find out how to get into disability sport with our special guide.", "summary": "British Paralympic table tennis champion Will Bayley and Rio 2016 team-mate Ross Wilson both won singles gold at the PTT Bayreuth Open in Germany."}
{"article": "She has been replaced on the ticket by the current MLA, Phil Flanagan, who missed out on selection at a previous selection convention six weeks ago. In December, Ms Gildernew was selected to run alongside sitting MLA Sean Lynch and local councillor John Feely. However, Sinn Fein's ruling council (Ard Comhairle) ordered a revote. The party did not specify why, but it has been reported that concerns had been raised about procedural errors. On Sunday, the new convention, which took place in Enniskillen, replaced Ms Gildernew with Mr Flanagan, who will now stand alongside Mr Lynch and Mr Feely. In December, the outgoing MLA Bronwyn McGahan announced she would not be seeking re-election. However, Ms McGahan did put her name forward for the latest convention but was not successful. Sinn F\u00e9in has come in for some criticism on social media for picking an all-male list of candidates. There have also been rumours that Ms Gildernew, a former Stormont agriculture minister, might move to the neighbouring Mid Ulster constituency. Last month, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness announced that he is leaving Mid Ulster in order to seek election in his home constituency of Foyle. In response to the speculation about her moving, Ms Gildernew tweeted that \"Mid Ulster has excellent candidates to replace @M_McGuinness_SF and my heart's in #FST\". She also said that she did not think she would stand as an independent and her de-selection \"could be a blessing in disguise!\" During his time in the Northern Ireland Assembly, Mr Flanagan has been frequently in the news. Last month, he was ordered to pay damages to the Ulster Unionist MP Tom Elliott over a defamatory message on Twitter. Mr Flanagan has also been admonished by the Speaker, Mitchel McLaughlin over some of his comments in the assembly chamber and for not wearing a tie - a breach of the Stormont dress code.", "summary": "The former MP Michelle Gildernew has been dropped as a Sinn F\u00e9in candidate for the Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency in the Stormont elections."}
{"article": "Kyle Sheehan was stabbed in the leg in Jiggins Lane, Bartley Green, at about 22:15 BST on 21 September. A man, 23, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Three people, aged 16, 18 and 29, arrested on suspicion of wounding have been released on bail. Kyle had been in intensive care but died on Friday night, West Midlands Police said. Det Ch Insp Wayne Jones: \"He leaves behind a family and many friends who are distraught and struggling to come to terms with what has happened. \"We know many people were in the area and would have seen what went on that night but many are still yet to come forward. \"We appeal to you to speak to us and help us find those people responsible for killing Kyle.\"", "summary": "A 16-year-old boy who was stabbed in Birmingham has died, prompting a murder investigation."}
{"article": "Kurt Jewson's Facebook post, which also shows his colostomy bag, scars and hormone implants, was shared by more than 185,000 people within four days. The 44-year-old said he had exposed himself in his \"tubby, pale & middle aged glory\" in the hope \"just one other man\" might then get symptoms checked. He also wants to alert GPs. The married father, from west Cornwall, wrote: \"Why am I posting this? Well, in the summer of 2014 I had blood in my urine. Went to the GP and he said that it was probably just an infection and would clear up. It did. \"However, it wasn't an infection. It was a symptom of prostate cancer.\" Latest updates on this story and more from Cornwall and Devon Mr Jewson said if his GP had done a blood test then, his cancer would have been caught early, but he was not diagnosed until going back more than a year later with repeat symptoms. 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. 1 in 4 black men will get the disease at some point in their lives. 70 - 74 is the average age for men to be diagnosed. 10,000 men die from it every year in the UK. He said he was concerned that more and more younger men are getting the disease, and urged men to visit the Prostate Cancer UK website to learn how to spot the signs. Heather Blake from the charity said: \"Kurt's decision to wise men up by this bold action is hugely inspiring. \"One in eight men will get the disease at some time and by sharing such a candid image in this generous way he's reached tens of thousands with a message that may well save lives.\" \"More than 200,000 people have already visited our website as a result of his story. Kurt's a total hero,\" she said. Mr Jewson said of the impact his post had: \"I should have tidied the room and put my number one pants on, I should have made a bit more effort... but I just thought 'let's do it' and if we get one person to check themselves and get diagnosed early... then it would have been worth it\". He added that his GP had admitted it had been a \"missed opportunity\" and that he did not wish to name him or the surgery. He has undergone surgery which caused complications, but said his prognosis looked positive.", "summary": "A prostate cancer patient has been hailed a \"total hero\" after a photo of him in his underwear showing his catheter bag went viral."}
{"article": "The vessel has been called the world's best example of a 15th Century ship by archaeologists. And new evidence has found that the timbers from the ship have been matched to projects built in the Basque region. It includes new data from medieval buildings in the Araba and Navarra areas of Spain. \"The mystery of the origins of the Newport Ship, the remains of the a remarkably well-preserved medieval ship may at last have been solved,\" said Nigel Nayling, associate professor at University of Wales Trinity Saint David. \"Artefacts found at the time of the discovery hinted at Iberian connections but recent advances in dendrochronology (tree-ring dating) have provided the first scientific evidence. \"The results strongly suggest that the ship was originally built in the Basque Country where wooden shipbuilding has a long tradition. 'Useful insight' \"A Basque origin for the ship has been suspected for some time and collaboration between the scientists was first suggested in 2006 by Xabier Agote, president of the Albaola Society which promotes research into Basque maritime heritage.\" Mr Nayling said initial attempts to date the ship were unsuccessful. But he added the latest results have come from research programmes sampling both the ship itself and more historic buildings that have allowed extension and improvement of the medieval section of the Basque chronology. Debbie Wilcox, cabinet member for leisure and culture at Newport City Council said: \"The ship provides an excellent opportunity to tell the story of medieval Newport and its history as an international maritime town long before its development as an industrial port. \"The latest information about the Newport Ship provides a useful insight into its origins and it appears that one of the mysteries of its history may have been solved.\" Newport council has put a tender out to developers asking them to recommend a suitable location for the vessel. It is seeking a specialist company who would be able to provide a new museum based around the ship's history.", "summary": "A medieval ship discovered on the banks of the River Usk in Newport in 2002 may have come from the Basque country in Spain."}
{"article": "Henson, 35, will play for a Welsh team for the first time since he was sacked by Cardiff Blues in 2012. \"He talks to you and says: 'I played against Jamie Roberts for 20 minutes and I had the upper hand then and I just got injured',\" said Jones. \"And it just shows that he still has his edge.\" Dragons' future may be in doubt amid proposals that would see the Welsh Rugby Union take them over in the summer. The Newport-based team began their search for new investment in April 2016. But Jones says the player \"didn't mention\" uncertainty over Dragons' future during talks that ended with him signing for the club. Former Wales flanker and captain Jones says Henson would love to play in their Judgement Day game against Welsh rivals Scarlets at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, 15 April. He added: \"If he could come and play for us, I'm sure he'd walk from Bristol to get a game and that's what he is - a big game player. \"My challenge will be getting him over in Zebre, I expect, and those games, but we've got to manage him as well. \"He's a consummate professional and it's invaluable to have him around to pass on his experience to those young players. \"Henson will play fly-half and centre for Dragons while Jones remains keen on bringing in another fly-half ahead of next season.\" Jones is also still looking for another \"experienced fly-half who can make us better\". \"We've got a little bit of money left in the budget, I'm looking for a fly-half,\" said Jones. \"I've made no secret about that. I've got Gavin. I wouldn't mind one other with the right experience and there's two players I'm talking to. \"One of them is close to signing for us and that's my shopping done, really.\" Jones says playing and coaching staff are working on the basis Dragons will be in existence next season, no matter what the outcome of a shareholders' vote, expected in May, that will determine the team's future. \"You can read what you want about voting and different things,\" said Jones. \"As far as we are concerned in the rugby department, we'll still be playing rugby as the Dragons next season and they'll want to play well.\"", "summary": "Gavin Henson \"still has an edge\" that can boost Newport Gwent Dragons when he joins them for 2017-18 from Bristol, says head coach Kingsley Jones."}
{"article": "The Airlander 10 - part plane, part airship - was due to take off from Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire on Sunday. The aircraft measures 302ft (92m) long and is about 50ft (15m) longer than the biggest passenger jets. It is not known when another attempt at a test flight will be made. Christened the Martha Gwyn, the \u00c2\u00a325m aircraft can only fly in daylight for a test flight and it was feared the flight would not have been completed before dark by the time the issue was resolved, an organiser said. It was first developed for the US government as a surveillance aircraft but the project was shelved amid defence cutbacks. British firm Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) launched a campaign to return the Airlander 10 to the skies in May 2015. The huge aircraft will be able to stay airborne for around five days during manned flights. HAV claims it could be used for a variety of functions such as surveillance, communications, delivering aid and even passenger travel.", "summary": "The maiden flight of the world's longest aircraft has been postponed at the last minute because of a \"technical issue\"."}
{"article": "They said there had been 63 confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne illness so far this year, up from seven in the whole of 2016. Most of the cases have been in rural areas of Minas Gerais state, a Ministry of Health statement said. The government has sent two million doses of yellow fever vaccines to the state. The governor of Minas Gerais has declared a 180-day state of emergency. Source: WHO Of the 63 confirmed cases in Brazil, 35 have proved fatal, Brazilian Health Ministry figures show. That is the highest number of deaths since at least 2008, the year to which Ministry of Health records date back. There have also been three confirmed cases in Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populous state, and one each in Espiritu Santo and Bahia, which both neighbour Minas. It is not clear what has caused the rise in cases.", "summary": "Health officials in Brazil say there has been a sharp rise in the cases of yellow fever in the country."}
{"article": "The move reflects concerns from local residents and businesses about air quality, Westminster City Council said. A team of traffic marshals will patrol the borough and ask car idlers to switch off their engines, it said. The London Taxi Drivers' Association (LTDA) said the move would not help abate London's air pollution problem. The penalties will come into force on 1 May, as a \"last resort\". The new policy follows Camden Council's fines for buses which idle for too long, introduced in 2011, and Islington Council's fines for idling vehicles introduced in August last year. Westminster has the highest proportion of deaths attributable to air pollution, excluding the City of London, in the country, a report by the council said. An air pollution monitoring station in Oxford Street, in the borough, recorded the acceptable limit set for air pollution - 200 micrograms per cubic metre - was broken 1,503 times in 2014. A comparable station in Sutton did not break the limit at all last year. Steve McNamara, general secretary of the LTDA said the fines were \"absolute tosh\" and a public relations and money raising exercise from the council. He said: \"It is not going to do anything constructive to tackle the pollution crisis in London. When was the last time you saw someone idling in the city? It doesn't happen. \"One of the real problems is cars stuck in traffic - research has shown pollution is up by 30% in areas of heavy traffic. Do something to help get the traffic moving.\" Mr McNamara said another key factor was the number of diesel cars in the capital which emit greater levels of nitrogen oxides - which can cause health problems. He said the move was \"ironic\" considering Chancellor George Osborne's incentives to diesel vehicles which were exacerbating the problem. Neil Greig, director of policy and research at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said the \"key issue\" would be how the marshals enforced the fines. He said: \"If they target private car drivers pulling up for a moment in relatively clean, modern cars in a draconian way - whilst ignoring old buses, coaches, large trucks, utility company vans or taxis idling for long periods - then it will quickly be seen as yet another revenue-raising exercise.\"", "summary": "Motorists in Westminster who sit in a stationary car with the engine running and refuse to turn it off are to be fined \u00a320."}
{"article": "Jayne Hickey, 30, and her son Christian, now aged eight, were both shot in the leg when two men knocked on their front door in Salford. Police said both are continuing to recover after numerous operations. The shootings were linked to armed gang feuds in the city including the murder of Salford's \"Mr Big\" Paul Massey. Two men knocked at the door of the Hickey's family home on Gillingham Road in Eccles on October 12 last year and after reportedly asking for the boy's father, they fired shots. The men were then seen speeding away from nearby Dover Street in a black Audi S3 shortly afterwards. Det Ch Insp Howard Millington said: \"Christian and Jayne are recovering well but what happened to them will affect them for the rest of their lives and we are determined to bring them justice.\" He said officers want to speak to a youngster on a motorbike the offenders passed in the Audi on Worsley Road. The men \"drove at high speed\" close to the rider, \"causing him to pull over\". Officers are also trying to trace the occupants of a small dark-coloured hatchback saloon which had a broad stripe running diagonally from the front door over the wheel arches, that the Audi also passed. The first offender is around 19 or 20 years old, of a \"chunky\" build and with a Salford accent, while the second man is only described as white. Both were wearing baseball caps. So far 18 arrests have been made over the feuds between organised crime gangs in Salford. However, no arrests have been made over the murder of Mr Massey, who was shot dead outside his home last July.", "summary": "A renewed appeal to find the men who shot a seven-year-old boy and his mother on their doorstep a year ago has been launched."}
{"article": "Matthew Tvrdon, 31, of no fixed abode, admitted manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. He also admitted seven attempted murder charges and one of dangerous driving. Prosecutors will consult the victims' families over the next seven days. At the moment Mr Tvrdon is still due to be tried next month. Mr Tvrdon faces a total of 32 charges including counts of actual bodily harm with intent and grievous bodily harm with intent. During the Cardiff Crown Court hearing, he also pleaded not guilty to murder and six counts of attempted murder. His barrister told the court his client was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Ms Menzies, 31, died on 19 October 2012 after Tvrdon ran her over at a fire station forecourt in Ely. Others were injured in the incident which happened during the afternoon school run. She was walking with two of her children when she was killed.", "summary": "A van driver has admitted killing mother-of-three Karina Menzies in a series of hit-and-run incidents around Cardiff in October."}
{"article": "All 54 countries at the organisation's congress in Cairo agreed to change the statutes which previously stopped officials serving past the age of 70. It was proposed Caf should bring its rules in line with those of world football's governing body Fifa. Hayatou, 68, will now be able to stand for another term in office in 2017. His current mandate ends in two years and he is seeking four more years until at least 2021, when he turns 75. The rule change follows success in recent years in adapting the statutes to limit potential opponents to Hayatou's rule. Caf previously brought in a rule that candidates for its presidency can only come from the ranks of its own executive committee, a tight-knit club closely controlled by Hayatou. Fifa does not have the same restriction. Cameroon-born Hayatou, a former athletics official, is the longest serving senior member in Fifa structures, where he acts as vice-president, and has had few serious challengers for power in Africa since first winning election in 1988.", "summary": "The Confederation of African Football voted on Tuesday to remove an age limit on its officials, paving the way for Issa Hayatou to stay on as president."}
{"article": "Prof Bryn Hubbard is being honoured for his work as a polar scholar in \"glaciology, glacial geology and the structure and motion of ice masses\". Prof Hubbard, who spent nine weeks drilling on the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica, will receive the award at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The director of the centre for glaciology at the university said he was \"honoured\" to be recognised. The Polar Medal was established in 1904 to reward the participants in Captain Robert F. Scott's first expedition to the Antarctic region. In recent decades, most awards have been made to scientists who have worked over prolonged periods in harsh conditions to advance knowledge of the polar regions.", "summary": "An Aberystwyth University glaciologist is to be awarded a Polar Medal."}
{"article": "Medway NHS Foundation Trust said chairman Denise Harker and chief executive Mark Devlin had decided the time was right for them to move on. The trust was criticised as failing and put in special measures following the Keogh Review in June. It said a new chairman and chief executive were expected to be announced next month. The Keogh Review found the trust, which runs Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham, had major failings. It was criticised for poor communication with patients, poor management of deteriorating patients, inappropriate referrals, delayed discharges and long waits in A&E. The hospital was later told by the Care Quality Commission it must take urgent action to improve safety on a maternity unit. In November health regulator Monitor said the hospital's problems were broader than first thought and said it must take urgent action or face leadership changes. The trust said in a statement Ms Harker and Mr Devlin had decided to hand over leadership of the trust to a new team. \"I would like to thank Mark and Denise for their dedication and integrity,\" said Colin Wilby, its senior independent director. \"Their commitment to public service is indisputable and we wish them both every success in the future.\" Earlier this week it was announced Medway Maritime's A&E department would undergo a \u00c2\u00a35m redevelopment. Mark Reckless, Conservative MP for Rochester and Strood, said the hospital had appointed a new medical director and a new chief nurse. \"I think they are doing good work and I have seen some improvements but frankly, given the problems, I am not sure its been fast enough,\" he said.", "summary": "Two bosses at a Kent hospital foundation trust put into special measures last year have resigned."}
{"article": "Alzheimer's Research UK says more government help is needed to ensure the industry does not \"retreat\" from the challenge of finding new drugs. The warning follows disappointing results in recent clinical trials. The pharmaceutical industry body, the ABPI, says there are over 200 medicines under development for Alzheimer's. It is estimated that more than 800,000 people in the UK have dementia. The majority have Alzheimer's disease. The numbers affected are growing fast, and the search for new treatments is becoming more urgent. But this summer two big trials have reported disappointing results. The drugs - bapineuzumab and solanezumab - failed to show benefits that researchers had hoped to see. Alzheimer's Research UK fears companies may decide that putting resources into dementia is too risky. The charity's science director, Dr Eric Karran, said the trial setbacks were \"very disappointing\". He warned that companies could be deterred from investing in dementia. \"If you're running a business and you have options to find important new medicines in cancer, in diabetes or in neuroscience inevitably I think you have to place your bets where ultimately you will get a better chance of a return on your investment.\" Dr Karran said there was a need for a new model of funding to ensure the pharmaceutical industry does not \"retreat\" from this challenging field of research. \"Now is certainly not the time to be giving up. But we need to accept that this is a challenging area and really bring all of our resources together from the pharmaceutical industry, from academia and from government, to tackle it.\" In response, the chief executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, Stephen Whitehead, insisted that companies were still working on new dementia treatments. \"The industry continues to address unmet medical need in Alzheimer's as well as other neurodegenerative diseases, which are serious health challenges facing all societies with ageing demographics. Hence there is a pipeline of over 200 candidate medicines in various stages of development for Alzheimer's disease.\" In March this year the prime minister said extra funding for research was a central part of his plan to tackle what he called the \"national crisis\" of dementia. Overall funding will increase to more than 66 million pounds by 2015. In a statement, Andrew Chidgey from the Alzheimer's Society, said given the scale of the problem, funding for dementia was still far too low. \"Currently there are 150 times more clinical trials focusing on treating people in the late stages of cancer than Alzheimer's disease. One in three people over the age of 65 will die with dementia. More funding for research is urgently needed if we are to defeat the condition once and for all.\"", "summary": "A leading health research charity says drugs companies may \"retreat\" from dementia research without more support."}
{"article": "The principal of Saint Ignatius College in the northern Sydney suburb of Riverview has informed former and current pupils of the allegations. Paul Hine said in his letter that the allegations concerned \"child sexual abuse over 30 years ago\". The Roman Catholic college is among the country's top private schools. Mr Hine said the college was assisting New South Wales police with the complaint, which was made to the standards office of the Australian Province of the Society of Jesuits, the owners of the school. In a statement, Mr Hine said: \"The College and the Jesuits wish to express, in the strongest possible terms, their abhorrence of sexual misconduct or any form of abuse involving children. \"We wish to respond to past abuse and suffering with a commitment to healing, openness and accountability.\" Mr Hine also encouraged any person who \"believed they were harmed\" while in the care of the school to get in touch. As well as Mr Abbott, the school was attended by Barnaby Joyce, the minister for agriculture, and Anthony Fisher, who is archbishop of Sydney. In 1997, Peter Bohrsmann, a 57-year-old teacher at the school, took his own life on school grounds after he was accused of sexual abuse. Bohrsmann had denied the allegations. Australia's Royal Commission is currently investigating allegations of child sexual abuse at a variety of institutions including schools, churches, and orphanages. The Commission's inquiry was launched by former Prime Minister Julia Gillard in 2013.", "summary": "Police in Australia have received allegations of sexual abuse at a school attended by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott."}
{"article": "A minority group of independent councillors ran the local authority before the local council elections earlier this month. The new coalition was formally set up at the first full meeting of the new council in Inverness. Independent Margaret Davidson was re-elected as leader and Lib Dem Alasdair Christie as depute leader. Independent Bill Lobban was elected convener. SNP councillors challenged the appointments while the Conservatives challenged the appointment of Ms Davidson, but both challenges were defeated. SNP councillor Maxine Smith has been confirmed as leader of the main opposition group. The results of the elections saw 28 independent candidates elected, followed by the SNP on 22, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats with 10 each, Labour three and Scottish Greens one. The Conservatives were the first to be elected to Highland Council in 22 years. Pippa Hadley's win for the Scottish Greens was a first for the local authority, which had no representative from that party previously.", "summary": "A Highland Council administration made up of independent, Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors has been agreed."}
{"article": "The verdict threatens Apple's ability to offer its voice-controlled virtual assistant, Siri, in the country. Shanghai-based Zhizhen Network Technology has sought to block Apple from selling products with the app installed, saying it infringed its rights. Apple said it would pursue an appeal with the Beijing Higher People's Court. \"Apple believes deeply in protecting innovation, and we take intellectual property rights very seriously,\" said a spokesman. \"Apple created Siri to provide customers with their own personal assistant by using their voice. \"Unfortunately, we were not aware of Zhizhen's patent before we introduced Siri, and we do not believe we are using this patent. \"While a separate court considers this question, we remain open to reasonable discussions with Zhizhen.\" The Chinese company could not be reached for comment. Zhizhen offers its own voice-controlled service, named Xiao i Robot, which began life, in 2003, as a text-based chatbot that ran on others' instant-messaging tools. It later evolved into call-centre software used by the Chinese government and several companies. In addition, Zhizhen developed voice-controlled software for smart TVs, cars and smartphones - including an iPhone app that allows users to find restaurants, train times and stock prices. In June 2012, Zhizhen accused Apple of intellectual property infringement after the US company announced at its developers' conference that Mandarin and Cantonese were being added to the list of Siri's supported languages. Zhizhen noted that it had filed for the intellectual rights to the underlying technology in 2004 and had been granted the patent two years later. Apple countered that Siri used a different process to power its voice-recognition tech - a court has yet to rule on this claim. Apple also sought to block the case by asking China's State Intellectual Property Office to invalidate the patent, but was refused. It then challenged that decision, suing both the patent authority and Zhizhen - but was thwarted on Tuesday when Beijing's Number One Intermediate People's Court ruled against it. The China Mobile Internet Industry Alliance previously told the Xinhua news agency that it did not believe the case would result in Apple pulling its products from China, but added that the US company might have to seek a financial settlement.", "summary": "Apple has failed in its attempt to get a Chinese company's voice-recognition patent ruled invalid."}
{"article": "TV presenter and columnist Peaches Geldof was the most popular term, according to new research from Microsoft's search engine Bing. The 25-year-old died in April after suffering a heroin overdose at her home in Wrotham, Kent. Hollywood star Robin Williams came second on the list after he took his own life in August. Bing says nearly half of all British searches for the comedian came from smartphones. In third place was Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, who has been in the spotlight for both professional and personal reasons this year. The 24-year-old plays the lead role in the The Hunger Games. Its latest instalment Mockingjay - Part One took $123m (\u00c2\u00a379m) in its opening weekend in the United States. Over the summer naked images of Jennifer Lawrence were leaked online, something she later called \"a sex crime\". Fast & Furious actor Paul Walker, who was killed in a car accident in November 2013, completed the top four. Newly-engaged Wimbledon champion Andy Murray was the UK's most searched-for sportsman in 2014, followed by South African Olympic and Paralympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius, who was jailed in October for killing his girlfriend. In the music world, One Direction and Justin Bieber captured the most online attention this year. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "The death of the world's biggest celebrities made them some of Britain's most searched-for stars in 2014."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old, who has yet to make a competitive first-team appearance for the Premier League club, scored eight goals on loan at Poole last season. Glovers manager Darren Way said: \"We feel this next move is a fantastic move for Sam and Yeovil. \"We must thank (Bournemouth manager) Eddie Howe for trusting us with the development of his young talent.\" Yeovil begin their League Two season on Saturday with a trip to face Luton Town. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Bournemouth forward Sam Surridge has joined League Two side Yeovil Town on a season-long loan deal."}
{"article": "The Prime Minister's plan to call a snap general election is a sharp U-turn that could throw Stormont's faltering institutions even further off course. Talks to save devolution stalled before Easter with little hope of a deal. With the Democratic Unionist Party warning Northern Ireland was heading towards direct rule, the prospect of a Westminster poll complicates matters even further. DUP leader Arlene Foster has said the snap general election on 8 June would provide the people of Northern Ireland with the opportunity to \"vote for the union\". She was criticised after the Northern Ireland Assembly election last month because the poll showed a surge in support for Sinn F\u00e9in and the end of the unionist majority at Stormont. Mrs Foster has called on her voters to \"unite around a strong Democratic Unionist Party that will advocate for them in Parliament\". Sinn F\u00e9in welcomed news of the Westminster poll, with leader Gerry Adams tweeting: \"So Ms May has called a British General Election. Sinn F\u00e9in is up 4 that! Another chance 2 vote against Brexit & 4 progress.\" However, Colum Eastwood, the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) was less than pleased about the prospect. \"It shows you how much @TheresaMayPM thinks/cares about our peace process that she'd call an election in the middle of talks,\" he tweeted. Northern Ireland's two largest parties, the DUP and Sinn F\u00e9in, have spent weeks blaming each for the failure to restore Stormont's power-sharing government. Under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, any new executive government must be a coalition of both unionists and nationalists. However, long-running rows over a proposed Irish language act and deep divisions over how to deal with the legacy of the Troubles are holding up a deal. A snap general election complicates the talks process at Stormont and is a scenario that was not factored in when the discussions were paused for Easter. Those talks are expected to resume again shortly but history suggests that it is always difficult to cut a political deal at election time. It is very hard to hold talks in the morning with your opponent and then go canvassing in the evening. Political parties react differently when there is an election looming. The DUP and Sinn F\u00e9in are also diametrically split over Brexit - the issue driving Prime Minister Theresa May's plan to hold a general election. Mrs May said the poll would \"guarantee certainty\" during negotiations with the EU, after Labour, the Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats threatened to vote against her government's final Brexit deal. Northern Ireland currently has 18 MPs, with the DUP out in front with eight Westminster seats - making it the fifth largest party in the House of Commons. Sinn F\u00e9in has four Westminster seats, having lost one in the last general election in 2015. However, under its long-standing policy of abstentionism in protest against British rule, Sinn F\u00e9in MPs do not take their seats in the Commons. The Ulster Unionist Party was the biggest winner in the last Westminster poll, having gained", "summary": "Northern Ireland parties have been arguing over the prospect of a second Stormont election within two months, but they now have another challenge."}
{"article": "When the Turkish Empire in the region disintegrated - consumed in the desert storms of the Great War - Britain and France were still, just about, major imperial powers. The blood of a lost generation of young men and the riches built up over centuries had been poured into a narrow strip of European land on the Western Front, but in the Old World there were no territorial spoils to be had. The Middle East though was different. With the Turks defeated in Jerusalem and Damascus and Sinai and Gaza there was a new world to be made. Britain, mandated by the League of Nations to govern the Holy Land, could set about honouring its commitment to the Jews of the world to build a national home for them in Palestine - probably not guessing that the issues surrounding the promise would remain a potent source of violence and discord a century later. It was a moment of cataclysmic global upheaval and new nation states were formed like new islands thrown up by an undersea volcanoes: Jordan and Iraq in the British sphere of influence and Syria and Lebanon in the French. In that age of empires no-one questioned the right of the Europeans to draw new borders to parcel up the old world - at least no-one the Europeans would have listened to. The Sykes-Picot agreement is a secret understanding concluded in May 1916, during World War I, between Great Britain and France, with the assent of Russia, for the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire. The agreement led to the division of Turkish-held Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine into various French and British-administered areas. The agreement took its name from its negotiators, Sir Mark Sykes of Britain and Georges Picot of France. Some historians have pointed out that the agreement conflicted with pledges already given by the British to the Hashemite leader Husayn ibn Ali, Sharif of Mecca, who was about to lead an Arab revolt in the Hejaz against the Ottoman rulers on the understanding that the Arabs would eventually receive a much more important share of the territory won. Why border lines drawn with a ruler in WW1 still rock the Middle East In recent years of course those desert storms have begun to rise again and the structures built in that last great time of change are creaking in the wind. Syria is consumed in the fires of civil war and it is hard to see how it will emerge again as a unitary state. Next door in Lebanon - still traumatised by its own long years of conflict - a fragile tradition of co-operation between different religious communities just about hangs together. The Kurds, Sunnis and Shia gathered together in the single entity of Iraq by the British may ultimately choose in the future to separate. The old order lasted for almost exactly 100 years - one wonders if that is more or less time than its Anglo-French architects Sykes and Picot envisioned. There has been no global cataclysm on the scale of the Great War to", "summary": "The last time an old order collapsed in the Middle East it seemed obvious who should be invited to construct a new one."}
{"article": "The non-denominational school with community sports facilities is to be built on the site of the former North Kelvinside Secondary School at the top of Queen Margaret Drive. Last year, Glasgow City Glasgow held a consultation and now the proposal has been agreed by councillors. Changes to the surrounding schools' catchment areas were also approved. Primary schools included in the changes are Cadder, Caldercuilt, Kelvindale, Parkview, Highpark, Dunard, Saracen, Oakgrove and Royston. The council's children and young people spokeswoman Liz Cameron said the school would be a great asset to the local community. \"It's wonderful to be witnessing the resurgence and regeneration of Maryhill and as a result the need for additional primary school places,\" she said.", "summary": "A new primary school is to be built in the Maryhill area of Glasgow to meet a projected rise in the school roll."}
{"article": "Severino Seeger won \u00e2\u201a\u00ac500,000 (\u00c2\u00a3360,000; $530,900) on the show, Germany's Quest for a Superstar (DSDS) last month. The 28-year-old was accused of being part of a gang that tricked victims, mainly elderly women, out about \u00e2\u201a\u00ac19,000 using a bank card scam. Reports say the court hearing in Frankfurt was delayed until after the DSDS final. Mr Seeger appeared before a judge on Tuesday as the court was due to hear testimony from several elderly witnesses. Local media showed images of fans crowding around the building, some wearing T-shirts with the slogan \"Superstar 2015: Prince of hearts\". The singer is alleged to have posed a as bank employee to help collect cards and pin numbers from victims, many of them older women. Gang members - several of whom have already been convicted - called their targets to tell them their cards needed to be checked because of technical problems. The oldest victim is said to have been 88 years old. Mr Seeger told the court he had just separated from his first wife when he was manipulated by a number of people including a cousin, according to German media. \"I said yes because I was stupid,\" he said. He was earlier quoted as saying he was \"ashamed\" of what he had done. \"I will pay the money back to the cent,\" he told Bild newspaper. The singer was voted winner of the 12th series of DSDS - part of the \"Idol\" franchise - in mid-May with the song Hero Of My Heart, written by Dieter Bohlen who is also a judge on the show. As well as the prize money, Mr Seeger, from the town of Waechtersbach, north-west of Frankfurt, won a top recording contract. He had been due to appear in court in March, according to reports. However his hearing was said to have been delayed initially after the judge fell ill, and later postponed due to his participation in the RTL TV show. RTL said it would not comment until after the court had given its verdict, expected on 10 June.", "summary": "The newly-crowned winner of a German TV singing contest has admitted in court to defrauding pensioners."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Clark watched his side lose 4-0 to Hearts at Tynecastle and said the scoreline could have been worse. His squad is debilitated by injuries and the Killie boss believes he must add fresh faces next month to pull his team out of \"the rut\" they are in. \"It just highlights that I've got to change things in the January window to make us stronger,\" Clark said. Kilmarnock are without a win in five Premiership games, and have won only one of their last nine. Clark does not expect to have any of his injured players available before Saturday's game against Partick Thistle. \"We need to work really hard on Thursday and Friday on nailing down what we're going to do,\" he said. \"I have to find a solution either with the formation or personnel. \"It's a huge game for us on the 31st of December. We need as many points from the teams around us because we're getting heavy defeats from the top six. \"It's one before a significant break and we have to be right up for it. \"We're in a rut, we've been struggling the last two games and we've shown that the injuries have taken their toll. \"We'll need to do something significantly different on Hogmanay against Partick Thistle to make sure we get a positive result because [in] the last two performances we've capitulated and that's been tough to take. \"We're down to the bare bones and we need these important players back as soon as possible, but I don't think that's going to happen before the weekend.\" Hearts grew in confidence against Kilmarnock, after suffering for a spell when the opening goal-scorer, Callum Paterson, was stretchered off. The full-back and Prince Buaben, who was taken off injured in the second half, will be assessed by the club's medical staff before Friday's visit of Aberdeen to Tynecastle. Once Arnaud Djoum scored a second goal just before half-time, Hearts took command of the game. Jamie Walker scored twice after the interval, and the home side might have had five if Dario Zanatta had not missed a penalty in the final minute of the game. The victory was Ian Cathro's first, in his fourth game since succeeding Robbie Neilson as head coach. He said he was satisfied with the performance but also keen for the team to improve in certain aspects of their game. \"It's satisfaction more than relief,\" Cathro said. \"That just stems from the fact that the players have worked very well. \"We've made small improvements in their play, some things have changed, but the biggest factor was that everybody was asked to give more of themselves, on their playing and leadership qualities, and that was evident throughout the game. \"Of course, there are aspects of our play we will always want to improve and some small errors here and there, but we managed to deal with our mistakes better and that's going to be a big factor in a lot of the games. \"When we could get started and", "summary": "Kilmarnock manager Lee Clark admits he needs to quickly find the answers to his team's struggling form."}
{"article": "Rachel Booth, from New Milton, Hampshire, lost the rings in the water at Avon Beach, Christchurch, on Sunday. Following a failed search using a snorkel, mask and rakes, she enlisted the help of two metal detectorists. The rings were eventually discovered two days later at low tide. They were buried under four inches (10cm) of sand. Mrs Booth, who will have been married to Stephen Booth for three years in September, said she felt \"extremely lucky\". \"I couldn't believe it - I was very emotional just to have them back,\" she said. Gary Smith, who helped find the rings with Shaun Trotman, said the search had been made easier because Mrs Booth had used the location of nearby beach huts and bollards as markers for where she had lost them.", "summary": "A woman has been reunited with her wedding and engagement rings after losing them on a beach in Dorset."}
{"article": "In a prosecution case running to 12,000 pages, the charges against him cover a 16-year period between 1991 and 2007. On 23 June 2017 the Loyalist supergrass pleaded guilty to the following charges: Between 16 May 1997 and 19 May 1997 he murdered John Harbinson. On 24 February 1994 he murdered Sean McParland. On 17 May 1994 he murdered Gary Convey and Eamon Fox. Between 28 August 1994 and 1 September 1994 he murdered Sean McDermott. Between 5 May 1997 and 8 May 1997 he attempted to murder John Flynn. On 17 May 1994 he attempted to murder Witness A. On 6 April 1997 he attempted to murder Clarence Gould. On a date unknown between 29 May 2006 and 1 August 2006 he attempted to murder Mark Haddock. On a date unknown between 31 December 1994 and 1 January 2004 he attempted to murder police officers. On 24 February 1991 he aided and abetted in the murder of Peter McTasney. On a date unknown between 26 February 1994 and 1 September 1994 he conspired to murder an unknown male who resided at Henderson Avenue, Belfast. On a date unknown between 31 March 1994 and 1 June 1994 he conspired to murder an unknown person who lived in the Tiger's Bay area of Belfast. On a date unknown between 1 May 1994 and 31 August 1994 he conspired to murder an unknown male, believed by him to be a member of the IRA. On a date unknown between 31 December 1992 and 30 June 1994 he conspired to murder William Spence. On a date unknown between 1 July 1994 and 15 September 1994 he conspired to murder Terry Fairfield. On a date unknown between 1 May 1994 and 1 September 1994 he conspired to murder an unknown male at the Ramble Inn, County Antrim. On a date unknown between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 1996 he conspired to murder Mark Campbell. On a date unknown between 31 December 2004 and 1 January 2006 he conspired to murder a person unknown, believed by him to be a member of the Loyalist Volunteer Force. On 13 May 1996 he conspired to murder Archibald Galway. On a date unknown between 31 September 1998 and 1 December 1998 he conspired to murder Samuel Toan. On a date unknown between 27 October 2000 and 1 January 2001 he conspired to murder persons believed by him to be members of the Ulster Defence Association. On a date unknown between 1 January 1991 and 31 September 2000 he conspired to murder Thomas English. On a date unknown between 31 December 2004 and 1 January 2007 he conspired to murder persons unknown, believed by him to be members of the LVF. On a date unknown between 31 December 2004 and 1 January 2007 he conspired to murder Willie Beckett. On a date unknown between 31 December 2004 and 1 September 2005 he conspired to murder Laurence Kincaid. On a date unknown between 1 January 2006 and 31 May 2006 he conspired to murder Mark Haddock. On a date unknown between", "summary": "The list of 200 charges Gary Haggarty has admitted runs to 82 pages."}
{"article": "On Saturday afternoon (GMT), a landing module used thrusters to touch down, marking the latest step in China's ambitious space exploration programme. Several hours later, the lander will deploy a robotic rover called Yutu, which translates as \"Jade Rabbit\". The touchdown took place on a flat plain called Sinus Iridum. The Chang'e-3 mission launched atop a Chinese-developed Long March 3B rocket on 1 December from Xichang in the country's south. The official Xinhua news service reported that the craft began its descent just after 1300 GMT (2100 Beijing time), touching down in Sinus Iridum (the Bay of Rainbows) 11 minutes later. State television showed pictures of the moon's surface as the lander touched down and an eye-level view of the landing site was released later on Saturday. Staff at mission control in Beijing clapped and celebrated after confirmation came through. The probe's soft-landing was the most difficult task during the mission, Wu Weiren, the lunar programme's chief designer, told Xinhua. By Damian GrammaticasChina correspondent It is the third robotic rover mission to land on the lunar surface, but the Chinese vehicle carries a more sophisticated payload than previous missions, including ground-penetrating radar which will gather measurements of the lunar soil and crust. \"It's still a significant technological challenge to land on another world,\" said Peter Bond, consultant editor for Jane's Space Systems and Industry told the AP news agency. \"You have to use rocket motors for the descent and you have to make sure you go down at the right angle and the right rate of descent and you don't end up in a crater or on top of a large rock.\" The landing module actively reduced its speed at about 15km from the Moon's surface. When it reached a distance of 100m from the surface, the craft fired thrusters to slow its descent. At a distance of 4m, the lander switched off the thrusters and fell to the lunar surface. The Jade Rabbit was expected to be deployed several hours after touchdown, driving down a ramp lowered by the landing module. Reports suggest the lander and rover will photograph each other at some point on Sunday. According to Chinese space scientists, the mission is designed to test new technologies, gather scientific data and build intellectual expertise, as well as scouting for mineral resources that could eventually be mined. \"China's lunar program is an important component of mankind's activities to explore [the] peaceful use of space,\" said Sun Huixian, a space engineer with the Chinese lunar programme. The 120kg (260lb) Jade Rabbit rover can reportedly climb slopes of up to 30 degrees and travel at 200m (660ft) per hour. By David ShukmanScience editor, BBC News Why China is fixated on the Moon Moon rover mission lifts off Its name - chosen in an online poll of 3.4 million voters - derives from an ancient Chinese myth about a rabbit living on the moon as the pet of the lunar goddess Chang'e. The rover and lander are powered by solar panels but some sources suggest they also carry radioisotope heating units (RHUs), containing", "summary": "China says it has successfully landed a craft carrying a robotic rover on the surface of the Moon, the first soft landing there for 37 years."}
{"article": "The cars were wirelessly linked to each other and \"mimicked\" a lead vehicle, driven by a professional driver. The so-called road train has been developed by Volvo. The firm is confident that they will be widely available in future. The project aims to herald a new age of relaxed driving. According to Volvo, drivers \"can now work on their laptops, read a book or sit back and enjoy a relaxed lunch\" while driving. The road train test was carried out as part of a European Commission research project known as Sartre - Safe Road Trains for the Environment. The convoy comprised three cars and one lorry. \"Driving among other road-users is a great milestone in our project. It was truly thrilling,\" says Linda Wahlstroem, project manager for the Sartre project at Volvo Car Corporation \"We covered 200km in one day and the test turned out well. We're really delighted,\" she added. The cars are fitted with special features such as cameras, radar and laser sensors - allowing the vehicle to monitor the lead vehicle and also other vehicles in their immediate vicinity. Using wireless communication, the vehicles in the platoon \"mimic\" the lead vehicle using autonomous control - accelerating, braking and turning in exactly the same way as the leader. The vehicles drove at 85kph (52mph) with the gap between each vehicle just 6m (19ft). \"People think that autonomous driving is science fiction, but the fact is that the technology is already here. From the purely conceptual viewpoint, it works fine and road train will be around in one form or another in the future,\" says Ms Wahlstroem. \"We've focused really hard on changing as little as possible in existing systems. Everything should function without any infrastructure changes to the roads or expensive additional components in the cars. \"Apart from the software developed as part of the project, it is really only the wireless network installed between the cars that set them apart from other cars available in showrooms today.\" The three-year Sartre project has been under way since 2009. Other partners include UK car technology firm Ricardo UK, Tecnalia Research & Innovation of Spain, Institut fur Kraftfahrzeuge Aachen (IKA) of Germany and the Technical Research Institute of Sweden. All told, the vehicles in the project have covered about 10,000km on test circuits. The eventual aim of the project is to have lots of cars \"slaved\" to a lead vehicle and travelling at high speed along specific routes on motorways.", "summary": "A convoy of self-driven cars has completed a 200km (125-mile) journey on a Spanish motorway, in the first public test of such vehicles."}
{"article": "At least eight others were wounded in the midday blast, which is said to have hit people waiting at the al-Rafidain bank to collect their salaries. Security personnel were said to be among those killed in the blast, which was confirmed by the town mayor, police and hospital sources. It is thought to be the first major attack in the town since October 2009. A suicide bomber killed five people at a funeral in that attack. In Thursday's bloodshed, there were reports that security personnel were among the dead, but it was unclear whether they were police or soldiers. The manager of the local hospital told Reuters there were many critical cases among the injured, and it was feared the death toll would rise. Anbar province, where Haditha is situated, was once a stronghold for Sunni militants following the 2003 invasion of Iraq by US-led forces. It gained notoriety when US Marines were accused of killing 24 Iraqi civilians in 2005. But violence dwindled after tribal leaders allied themselves with US forces.", "summary": "A suicide bomber has targeted a bank in the northern Iraqi town of Haditha, killing at least nine people."}
{"article": "Jermaine Easter nodded Rovers ahead from Lee Brown's cross before Ollie Clarke doubled the lead with a low right-footed shot. Jon Meades' header gave Wimbledon hope but Matt Taylor's 12-yard finish, his 19th of the season, sealed victory. Wimbledon, who are seventh, had substitute Adebayo Akinfenwa sent off for dissent. Fifth-placed Rovers are six points off an automatic promotion spot with 11 games to go. AFC Wimbledon manager Neal Ardley told BBC Radio London: Media playback is not supported on this device \"When you assess it afterwards it's not just the points you haven't gained, it's injuries and now suspensions.\" \"As far as the actual game goes, I thought we were really good. They were ruthless with their chances, we made some silly defensive errors at certain times and they punished us.\" \"I can't ask for any more. I thought in the second half particularly we ran all over them.\"", "summary": "Bristol Rovers strengthened their promotion hopes with victory over AFC Wimbledon, their third in a row."}
{"article": "The gunmen had approached the restaurant from Lido beach on Thursday evening, firing on diners. Twenty people were killed. Militants also detonated two car bombs nearby. Al-Shabab said it was behind the attack. The group has carried out frequent assaults on the Somali capital. Who are al-Shabab? Al-Shabab divided by IS call Lido beach: Sun, surf and... grenades? Troops then besieged the attackers at the restaurant for eight hours. It was not immediately clear how many of the militants were killed or captured. The Somali authorities said the leader of the attack had been arrested. Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke condemned the killings as \"barbaric\". There are varying reports about how the attack started but it appears that as the first car bomb went off, at around 19:30 local time (16:30 GMT) on Thursday, the gunmen stormed the area. \"They randomly fired at the people sitting near the beach before entering the restaurant,'' witness Ahmed Nur told Associated Press. Twenty people were injured in addition to those killed, police said. After the evening prayer, I went to Lido beach, in particular Beach View restaurant. When I was there about 30 minutes, and I was spending time with my friends including journalists, we saw bullets raining on us. A good number of people were seated around me, there was a wedding ceremony at the hall of the restaurant. We started running towards the door, but before I reached it we heard a loud explosion. I saw some people jumping from the second floor. Bullets were flying all over the place, and there was another explosion. Then everyone got confused. I personally saw three wounded people. I did not see those who have been harmed by the explosions. I think the car was parked near the main door of the restaurant. Lido beach, on the northern edge of Mogadishu, attracts thousands of mostly young Somalis who come to relax and enjoy the beach and the surf. Several restaurants have opened up along the beach front in recent years, and people would have been sitting out in front of them when the attacks began. Al-Shabab, which has links to al-Qaeda, was ousted from Mogadishu in August 2011, but still has a presence in large areas of southern Somalia. The group stormed an African Union military base last week in southern Somalia, killing dozens of Kenyan troops.", "summary": "Somali security forces have retaken control of a popular beachside restaurant in Mogadishu after a deadly attack there by Islamist militants."}
{"article": "The Blues went ahead when Cesar Azpilicueta turned in fellow full-back Branislav Ivanovic's low cross. Craig Gardner's skimming shot levelled, but it seemed Chelsea had done enough when Gareth McAuley prodded Willian's cross into his own net. But when the home defence failed to clear McClean made them pay with a pinpoint shot into the bottom corner. The Republic of Ireland international's leveller was the final twist in an often ill-tempered game with Chelsea striker Diego Costa at the centre of several flashpoints, including a confrontation with several West Brom players after the final whistle. Relive the action from Stamford Bridge After only four goals in his first 21 games of the season, Costa has come to life in the wake of Jose Mourinho's departure as manager - doubling that tally in his past four appearances. But, even at his best, the Spain international bristles with aggression as well as attacking threat. From gliding past Jonny Evans and rifling over the top in the first minute, he was never far from incident - exchanging words and clashing shoulders with Jonas Olsson and Claudio Yacob and picking up a booking himself for a crude challenge on Craig Gardner. He forced Boaz Myhill into a sprawling save with his side 2-1 up deep into the second half, but he could not deliver a third goal that would have killed off the contest and wrapped up the points. A Stamford Bridge corridor bore the brunt of Costa's frustration as he punched a tunnel wall as he headed back to the dressing room. Chelsea's title win last season - in which they were out-scored by second-placed Manchester City - was based on a steely defence. But that, along with many other aspects of their play, has deteriorated sharply this term. Despite the imposing pairing of John Terry and Kurt Zouma at centre-half, supported by 6ft 6in goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, the hosts never looked comfortable when the ball was played into their box from out wide. After allowing Craig Dawson and McClean to win headers in dangerous positions earlier in the match, their lack of conviction was punished as McClean threaded an 86th-minute shot into the bottom corner after a bout of penalty-area pinball. That goal - combined with Pedro's cheap concession of possession and Zouma's failure to close down Gardner for West Brom's first - will give Blues interim boss Guus Hiddink plenty to muse on as he tries to shore up his rearguard and Chelsea's position in the table. After their Boxing Day defeat by Swansea, West Brom were just three points from the relegation places, but home wins against Stoke and Newcastle followed by this point at Stamford Bridge have improved that cushion to more comfortable nine. Tony Pulis' tactics - his side have played the highest proportion of long passes in the top-flight this season - have been criticised, but his record of never having been relegated as a manager looks unlikely to be spoiled by this typically well-drilled and solid Baggies side. Salomon Rondon, well supported by McClean, was a willing runner", "summary": "James McClean's late equaliser earned West Brom a share of the points as they refused to accept defeat at Chelsea."}
{"article": "Mr Davies is widely known as Welsh Conservative leader but his authority does not extend beyond the assembly Tory group, under party rules. Speaking on BBC One's Sunday Politics Wales, the AM admitted the Welsh party lacked clear leadership. The Tories lost three seats in Wales at the general election, leaving them with eight. It lost both of the seats it gained at the 2015 general election from Labour - Gower and the Vale of Clwyd - and also lost Cardiff North. When it was put to him that there was a lack of clear leadership in the Tory campaign in Wales, Mr Davies said: \"I agree with you entirely. \"We have a very strong distinct Welsh Conservative brand, but we do need to be able to make key political decisions here in Wales and have a designated leader here in Wales, similar to what Labour formalised back in March. I readily acknowledge that. \"I lead on devolution, on secretary of state aspects such as Westminster, obviously the secretary of state leads then. The chairman of the voluntary party obviously leads on the voluntary party... That cannot continue.\" Mr Davies said he thought Scotland \"had a very good model which has shown to be successful\". There, Ruth Davidson led a separate campaign to the Conservatives in England and Wales, largely focused and opposed to the SNP's calls for a second independence referendum. The party gained 12 seats in Scotland, finishing with 13. \"There is a deficiency in the ability to make those key decisions from a party perspective and I do acknowledge that,\" said Mr Davies. But, he added: \"Let's not forget, there's a huge job of work to be done as we go forward as a country. The Conservative Party is the largest party in Westminster and its incumbent we form a government.\" The Welsh Conservative campaign was marred by a row over who was meant to have represented the party in the BBC Wales Leaders' Debate. Neither Mr Davies or Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns took part - with senior AM Darren Millar taking the podium instead.", "summary": "The Welsh Tories need a designated leader that can make key decisions for the party, Andrew RT Davies has said."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Reds said goodbye to captain Gerrard with a 6-1 thrashing at Stoke to finish sixth in the Premier League. \"I've always said if the owners want me to go, then I go,\" said Rodgers, who has won two of his last nine games. \"For everybody connected with Liverpool, we are all embarrassed by that result.\" It was the first time in 52 years the Reds had let in six goals in the league but Rodgers, 42, insisted he still has \"a lot to offer the club\", despite winning no silverware during his three years in charge. Media playback is not supported on this device Liverpool must also now go through two qualifying rounds if they are to compete in the group stage of next season's Europa League. \"A lot has happened this year which has made the job difficult,\" added Rodgers, who guided the Reds to second place last season. \"Last season, when things were working well, we had the support of everyone but performances like today do not help that and I fully understand that. \"The fans deserve an apology. They were angry at half-time - and rightly so - because that was awful, absolutely awful. \"They have every right to be angry and frustrated and of course I take full responsibility for that as the manager.\" Rodgers faces a big rebuilding job in the summer and, as well as Gerrard joining LA Galaxy, there is speculation about the future of young forward Raheem Sterling. Rodgers dropped Sterling, 20, to the bench at the Britannia Stadium and Liverpool found themselves trailing 5-0 at the interval after a terrible display. All five goals came in the space of 23 minutes from Mame Biram Diouf, twice, Jonathan Walters, former Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam and Steven Nzonzi. Gerrard marked his farewell with a consolation goal but there was still time for ex-Liverpool striker Peter Crouch to head a sixth for Stoke five minutes after coming on as a substitute. Asked about his rebuilding plans, Rodgers added: \"There's an awful lot of work to do and the job is to now go and fix that, and make sure we come back with a motivation greater than ever to push on next season. \"We've finished the season in sixth, which is where we deserve to finish. \"We have to now start, today, on the climb to get back up again.\"", "summary": "Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers accepted his future at the club is in doubt after Steven Gerrard's final match ended in a humiliating defeat."}
{"article": "Slovenia-born Bedene, who plays world number one Novak Djokovic in the third round of the French Open on Saturday, credits his work with Martin Skinner as the platform for his recent success. \"I was really unfit when I started to play grand slams,\" said Bedene, 26. \"Whenever I played a fourth set I was just losing them quite easily.\" He added: \"I remember once at the US Open, I lost 6-0 and I was struggling. I really wanted to improve on that. \"It obviously helps not only in the fifth set but also in the other tournaments.\" Bedene is buoyed by Thursday's five-set, second-round victory against Pablo Carreno Busta when he recovered from squandering a two-set lead to advance at Roland Garros. However, he lost his only other meeting with Djokovic in straight sets at the Australian Open in 2015. He is hoping his experience of winning 16 Challenger and Futures events will stand him in good stead for the game, which is last on the main court. \"I love big crowds,\" he said. \"I won a lot of Italian Challengers, and every time you play the final there are 1,000, 2,000 people, which is a lot for Challengers. \"So I did learn a few things. I know this stadium is bigger, but still you have to come from somewhere.\" Djokovic has not hit top form yet and was given a tough test by qualifier Steve Darcis in round two, although he is still to drop a set. The Serb is expecting more of the same against Bedene, who is being coached at Roland Garros by Britain's Davis Cup captain Leon Smith. \"He's very talented, with a very quick motion for a first serve,\" said Djokovic. \"So I'm expecting a tough one. I know he doesn't have anything to lose.\"", "summary": "British number two Aljaz Bedene says he had to employ a strength and conditioning coach to specifically prepare him for grand slam tennis."}
{"article": "The two sides will attempt to resolve outstanding differences, which include Saturday pay and unsocial hours. The government has put on hold, for five days, its plans to impose the contract. The British Medical Association (BMA) has suspended its threat of further industrial action while the talks last. This latest round of talks will be mediated once again by conciliation service Acas. Ministers drew up plans to change the contract in 2012, but talks broke down in 2014. Under the terms of the new contract, basic pay is to be increased by 13.5% on average, but other elements of the pay package are to be curbed, including what constitutes unsociable hours. Day hours on a Saturday will be paid at a normal rate, while extra premiums that are being offered for the rest of the weekend are lower than what is currently paid. As a result of the dispute between the government and the BMA, there were four strikes by junior doctors in England affecting routine - but not urgent care - between January and early April. Last week, there were two one-day strikes affecting all forms of care, including emergencies - the first such action in the history of the NHS. Meanwhile, researchers from Oxford University have said earlier findings backing the government's push for a seven-day NHS in England are based on flawed data. One of the government's key arguments behind the push for a seven-day NHS in England - and a new contract for junior doctors - has been patient safety. The new Oxford University paper concludes that hospital data suggesting a \"weekend effect\", where death rates are higher for those admitted over the weekend period, are deeply flawed. It focuses on the Oxford Vascular Study covering more than 90,000 people in Oxfordshire, looking at hospital admissions for stroke between 2002 and 2014. The researchers found more than a third recorded as being admitted for stroke were actually in for other things - often low-risk, routine procedures carried out on Monday to Friday. They say these coding errors distorted the mortality figures, making them appear better for patients admitted on weekdays. Without the mistakes, they argue, there was no \"weekend effect\". They warn these errors are commonplace across the UK and not just for data on strokes. The lead author, Professor Peter Rothwell, said it was time for an independent review to assess the \"weekend effect\". \"There's a wealth of poor-quality evidence based on hospital administrative data,\" he said. \"If you look at those studies that have actually done the due diligence and looked at real data - gold standard data - there's very little evidence indeed of a weekend effect. \"It really is an excellent example of how poor quality data, badly interpreted, can lead to the wrong answer.\" He said government ministers had acted in good faith but had been \"badly misled\" by their advisers. \"Looking at where we are now, you could only describe it as a shambles,\" he said. \"We need to step back and work out to begin with is there a problem here", "summary": "Fresh talks aimed at ending the dispute over a new contract for junior doctors in England will get under way later."}
{"article": "\"For all its faults\", it said, \"another Lib-Con Coalition would both prolong recovery and give our kingdom a better chance of continued existence\". But it hoped it would be \"much less conservative, and much more liberal\". The Guardian has backed Labour and the Sun the Conservatives - with its sister paper the Scottish Sun backing the SNP. Other papers which have declared support for a specific party so far include the Mirror, which is backing Labour, and the Financial Times, which called for another Conservative-led administration. The Independent said it was not telling its readers how to vote but it said it believed democracy was precious and must be revitalised. It said the Greens had been a \"disappointment\", while UKIP were against \"globalisation and modernity, both of which we welcome\". \"The SNP is an agent of change, with impressive leaders in both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. But they are a wrecking ball poised to hit Westminster and, unlike us, want to abolish Britain,\" it said. It said Ed Miliband had had an impressive campaign, but criticised him on various policies - and warned of any partnership between Labour and the SNP. \"For all his talk of no deals with the SNP, Miliband is bound to rely on that party to get his legislative programme through,\" it said. \"This would be a disaster for the country, unleashing justified fury in England at the decisive influence of MPs who - unlike this title - do not wish the union to exist.\" On the Conservatives, it criticised areas such as \"excessive austerity\" but said the economy \"is now growing reasonably well\". \"Many of the good things the coalition has done are owed to the Liberal Democrats,\" it said. It particularly picked out \"raising the income tax threshold, the pupil premium, early years learning and apprenticeships\" as areas where the Lib Dems had been a force for progress. It concluded: \"For all its faults, another Lib-Con coalition would both prolong recovery and give our kingdom a better chance of continued existence. \"This title casts no vote. \"But we prize strong, effective government, consider nationalism guilty until proven innocent, and say that if the present coalition is to get another chance, we hope it is much less conservative, and much more liberal. \" The Sun - Conservatives Scottish Sun - SNP Mirror - Labour Express - owner Richard Desmond has given \u00c2\u00a31m to UKIP Financial Times - has called for tactical voting to produce another coalition between the Conservatives and Lib Dems The Guardian - Labour Daily Mail - backed the Conservatives in 2010 - as did the Mail on Sunday Telegraph - both daily and Sunday editions backed the Conservatives in 2010 Observer - backed the Liberal Democrats in 2010 The Times - backed the Conservatives in 2010 Independent on Sunday - said it is not advising readers how to vote in 2015 The best of BBC News' Election 2015 specials", "summary": "The Independent newspaper has given its backing to another coalition of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties after the general election."}
{"article": "SDLP and Alliance Party ministers voted against the Northern Ireland Executive's budget on Thursday. \"People give more consideration to their family's Christmas budget than the executive gave to Northern Ireland's budget,\" said Mr Ford. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said it had \"five years of undeliverable promises, five months before an election\". \"There's no clear indication of where funding beyond this year comes from for any of the flagship projects,\" he said. \"What's worse is that it was agreed on the nod just 20 minutes after the final draft was received by ministers, without consultation. \"Far from opposing austerity or making the most of the more limited devolution powers that we now have following the disastrous trade off on welfare, this budget treats families across Northern Ireland with contempt.\" In the budget, health spending will rise by about 1% in real terms, while to a lesser extent, education and policing also have their budgets protected. However, the new Department of Agriculture and Environment will face a cash cut of almost 6%. Of the \u00a360m that had been allocated to mitigate tax credit cuts, half will now go to protected departments. The other \u00a330m will be held until the outcome of the Evason review of welfare reform mitigation, but it is not certain that this money will be used for that purpose. In announcing the budget on Thursday, Stormont Finance Minister Arlene Foster said they had \"created a stable, balanced platform for the new incoming executive to take its time in constructing a multi-year budget\". \"Although the outcome may prove challenging, the position is significantly better than previously anticipated.\" Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Sinn F\u00e9in said the budget was \"an immediate investment in jobs, in our quality public services and in our long-term economic growth\". \"We believe that investment in public services and in economic growth will increase employment and the quality of life of all our people,\" he said. \"That is why the full powers to grow and invest in our economy should be in the hands of the people here.\" However, Mr Ford, who is Stormont justice minister, said that \"year after year, DUP and Sinn F\u00e9in ministers cobble together a deal just to get their departments through the next 12 months\". \"Opportunities for even modest, progressive forms of revenue raising remain ignored, leaving us yet again relying on cuts to public services to balance our budget,\" he said. \"To compound this, the DUP and Sinn F\u00e9in retain funds for them to spend on pet projects at a time when there is a clear need for spending in strategic areas. \"Perhaps most alarming, the budget includes no supporting investments in preparation for the planned reduction in corporation tax - another critical opportunity missed to plan properly for what is the biggest financial decision an executive will ever take.\" Stephen McCully, president of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: \"We have spent a number of months emphasising the importance of investment in skills and our message has not been heard. \"It is also disappointing that the Department of", "summary": "Stormont's 2016/17 budget is \"bereft of strategic planning\", Alliance Party leader David Ford has said."}
{"article": "Lawro's opponent for this weekend's Premier League fixtures is England cricket star Stuart Broad. Media playback is not supported on this device The Ashes hero is a Nottingham Forest fan who saw his team beaten 8-1 by Manchester United on his first trip to the City Ground in 1999. \"I remember the guy who was sat in front of us arrived late and left early to avoid the traffic, and he missed about five goals,\" Broad told BBC Sport. \"So it was a bit of a learning experience - now I always make sure I get to a game early and stay until the end.\" Make your predictions now, compare them to Lawro and other fans and try to take your team to the top of the leaderboard by playing the new BBC Sport Predictor game. Our scoring system has changed this season and a correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is now worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points. Last weekend, Lawro got five correct results from 10 Premier League games, including one perfect score. His score of 80 points saw him beat ex-F1 driver Mark Webber, who picked five correct results with no perfect scores, for a total of 50. We are keeping a record of the totals for Lawro and his guests (below), and showing a table of how the Premier League would look if all of Lawro's predictions were correct (at the bottom of the page). All kick-offs 15:00 BST unless otherwise stated Lawro's prediction: 1-1 Broad's prediction: It is time for Chelsea to bounce back. 2-0 Match report Lawro's prediction: 1-2 Broad's prediction: 2-2 Match report Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Broad's prediction: 3-1 Match report Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Broad's prediction: 1-1 Match report Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Broad's prediction: 1-0 Match report Lawro's prediction: 1-1 Broad's prediction: 1-2 Match report Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Broad's prediction: 3-0 Match report Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Broad's prediction: 2-1 Match report Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Broad's prediction: 3-1 Match report Lawro's prediction: 2-1 Broad's prediction: 0-0 Match report Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan. Lawro's best score: 140 points (week three v Jack Whitehall & week four v Darren Campbell) Lawro's worst score: 20 points (week one v Graeme Swann)", "summary": "BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson is pitting his wits against a different guest each week this season."}
{"article": "The drug Perjeta can reduce the need for mastectomies among breast cancer patients. But the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) recommended it was not routinely used by the NHS amid concerns about long-term survival benefits. Campaigners branded the move \"the ultimate postcode lottery\". The drug, which is also known as pertuzumab, can treat an aggressive type of breast cancer known as HER2-positive. Around 15% of people diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer have HER2-positive tumours. Perjeta was approved for use in England and Wales in September 2015, where it is used to shrink and control tumours before surgery. After announcing its decision, the SMC said it would meet the pharmaceutical company behind the drug, Roche, to discuss \"next steps\". Nicolas White, of Breast Cancer Care, told BBC Radio Scotland that the drug could have benefited around 400 people in Scotland. Speaking on the Good Morning Scotland programme, he said the regulator's decision was \"disappointing and confusing\". \"If you're diagnosed with this particular type of breast cancer and you live in Gretna, you wouldn't benefit from this treatment,\" he added. \"Yet only a few miles down the road in Carlisle, if you were given the same diagnosis, you would benefit from this treatment. \"It's the ultimate postcode lottery, really, a cross-border postcode lottery.\" It follows a similar controversial decision in September 2014, when the SMC decided not to approve Kadcyla, another breast cancer drug. More than 3,400 women in England have used Perjeta and Kadclya via the Cancer Drugs Fund, according to Roche. The drug company's general manager Richard Ewin said: \"Today's decision is a devastating blow to women in Scotland with this very aggressive form of breast cancer. \"This means that these women will be denied this early-stage treatment which allows for reduction of large tumours to a size that is operable, potentially enabling breast conservation surgery instead of mastectomies.\" Perjeta was one of four drugs the SMC rejected for routine use on the NHS, although it did back a new treatment Jevtana - also known as cabazitaxel - for patients with advance prostate cancer. SMC chairman Professor Jonathan Fox said he knew some decisions would be \"hard for patient groups and clinicians\". \"However, when we considered all the evidence in front of us, it was not strong enough for us to be able to accept these medicines for routine use,\" he added. Jevtana was initially rejected by the SMC in 2011 and again earlier this year. The move was welcomed by Prostate Cancer UK, which has campaigned to give men in Scotland access to the drug. Heather Blake, the charity's director of support and influencing, said: \"Today's approval of cabazitaxel chemotherapy is welcome news, and represents an important milestone for men with prostate cancer in Scotland. \"This is the last in a string of drugs which we have had to fight to be made available throughout the UK to those who would benefit. \"It means men in Scotland will now be routinely offered the same suite of treatments as those in other parts of the UK, ending variation in access which has been", "summary": "Breast cancer sufferers in Scotland have been denied routine access to a treatment which is available to patients south of the border."}
{"article": "Shelly Wu, six, and Lily Wu, seven, were hit by Michael Junior in Handsworth, Birmingham, last June. Junior, 35, had admitted two charges of causing death by dangerous driving and three charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The sisters were hit by his car while holding hands as they crossed the road on their way to Chinese classes. Judge Murray Creed told Junior he had ended two young children's lives and injured two other children along with the girls' mother, Zhulan. Mrs Wu had been left with \"significant psychological trauma\", the judge told him. The court heard she had to be sectioned earlier this year. The other two children have since recovered. More on this story and others Birmingham and Black Country The court heard Junior accelerated to get around a bus just before a blind left-hand bend, leaving him no time to react as the family crossed in front of him. He also ignored road signs warning of elderly pedestrians crossing, a sign reading \"Slow\" and chevron markings indicating a crossing ahead. Prosecuting, Gareth Walters told Birmingham Crown Court Junior's speed was an estimated 47mph (75kmh) in a 30mph (48.3kmh) zone when he struck the family on Grove Lane. Two of the four children survived but Lily and Shelly suffered fatal head injuries. Judge Creed said Junior hit the pedestrians as they reached a central reservation. \"Mrs Wu [and the other children] hit the front and were thrown to the floor. But unhappily, the two smaller children were carried a short distance along the bonnet before being left to lie in the road, both fatally injured,\" he said. Outside court, family friend Alex Yip read a statement on behalf of the family, saying: \"Four years is not long enough - for us this is a life sentence.\" He added: \"We have had ripped from us two beautiful daughters, two sisters to our two eldest, two granddaughters, two lives taken from us all, from each and every day for the rest of our lives. \"We have lost the wife and mother we once had, the heart of the family, strong, independent, who we depended on, and who will never be that way again.\" In mitigation, Timothy Harrington said Junior, of Copthall Road, Handsworth, wished to apologise to the Wu family but asked the judge to regard the incident as a \"one-off\", a single moment of bad driving. Junior was also disqualified from driving for five years. The sisters both attended Wilkes Green Primary School in Handsworth. The school said it had been raising money to create a peace garden in their memory.", "summary": "A driver who knocked down and killed two sisters on a pedestrian crossing has been jailed for four years."}
{"article": "Police said the 30-year-old was being treated for serious injuries at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. His condition has been described as \"stable\". The incident, which happened in the Maryhill area at about 20:25 on Saturday, is being treated as attempted murder. It involved between six and 10 men and women carrying weapons. It is not thought to be gang-related. A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: \"A 30-year-old man sustained serious injuries after being stabbed on Hathaway Lane at around 8.25pm. \"Hathaway Lane and Avenue Park Street remain closed and we are carrying out CCTV and door-to-door inquiries.\"", "summary": "A man has been stabbed during an incident in Glasgow which involved up to 10 people."}
{"article": "The paper apologised for \"insensitive language\" in its report that linked the accident to previous \"drunken partying and the wrecking of apartments\". Five of the six people who died were Irish students temporarily in the US as part of a work exchange programme. In a letter, Mrs McAleese said the report used \"lazy tabloid stereotype\". She said she had been part of the same visa programme more than 40 years ago and out of tens of thousands of students who had visited the US, \"the vast majority have been a credit to Ireland\". In the letter published by the Irish Times, Mrs McAleese said the report had \"heaped deliberate injustice on top of the most awful grief\". The newspaper said in a blog that the article was intended to explain in greater detail why the young Irish students were in the US, and many of the complaints it had received were valid. New York Times spokesperson Eileen Murphy said in an email: \"It was never our intention to blame the victims and we apologise if the piece left that impression.\" Read more: Tributes to Berkeley balcony victims The incident happened during a 21st birthday party in the early hours of Tuesday in the city of Berkeley. Engineers say water damage may have caused the structure to give way. An initial investigation found that the balcony support's wooden beams may not have been sealed properly at the time of construction, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates said. However, he later stressed that this was not an official conclusion and that an investigation was still under way. Authorities said 13 people were on the fourth-floor balcony when it collapsed. People left flowers and other tributes at the scene on Wednesday as flags on both sides of the Atlantic flew at half-mast. Irish students held a candlelit vigil in a park close to the scene of the tragedy on Wednesday evening, and a memorial church service was held in Oakland.", "summary": "The New York Times \"should be hanging its head in shame\" over a report on the California balcony collapse, former Irish President Mary McAleese has said."}
{"article": "Mark Avis and Aaron Saddleton produced the rare feat while playing on the Royal Norwich Golf Club course. Bookmaker Paddy Power gave the odds of two amateur golfers scoring aces at the same hole as 25 million-to-one. Morgan Thompson, assistant professional at the club, said the achievement, reported first in the Eastern Daily Press, was \"remarkable\". Mr Saddleton, 29, from Norwich, was the first to tee off at the 135-yard hole and was delighted to sink an ace. But he had little time to celebrate as Mr Avis, 43, of Attleborough, quickly stepped up and repeated the feat. Mr Thompson said: \"I was working in the shop at the time and suddenly saw everybody celebrating. \"I don't think they could quite believe it and it was all they were talking about afterwards.\" Mr Thompson said the course averaged one hole-in-one every six months. The players were on opposing sides in a 2v2 game during a Norfolk Handicapped League match between Sprowston Manor Golf Club and Royal Norwich Golf Club.", "summary": "Two golfers from Norfolk have achieved a 25 million-to-one double hole-in-one at the same hole."}
{"article": "The laws establish special courts and offer additional protection from legal consequences for military and police officers who have used force. They also impose the death penalty for anyone found guilty of setting up or leading a terrorist group. Rights groups say the legislation will be used by Mr Sisi to crush dissent. Jihadist groups stepped up their attacks after the military overthrew President Mohammed Morsi two years ago and launched a deadly crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. President Sisi vowed to bring in tough new counter-terrorism legislation in June, following the assassination by car bomb of Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat. Under the new laws introduced on Monday: Last week, Amnesty International warned that the legislation would vastly expand powers that would usually only be invoked during a state of emergency, and that it would effectively ban the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. Many Egyptians reacted negatively on social media to the new anti-terrorism law approved by President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. Many users said its measures were too harsh or excessive. Human rights activist Jamal Eid tweeted: \"Midnight laws mark the republic of darkness. A law which has been passed, and considers all criticism or dissenting voice or acts that are not to the state's liking... terrorism.\" His sentiments were echoed by the editor-in-chief of pro-Islamist newspaper Al-Misriyun, Mahmoud Sultan, who wrote: \"The anti-terrorism law signed by Sisi clearly tells journalists and anyone with an opinion: Very dark days lay ahead.\" But some pro-government figures lauded the new law. Mustafa Bakri, a nationalist journalist and former MP who is a staunch supporter of Mr Sisi, tweeted: \"The law includes deterrent procedures to face terrorism.\" Muhammad Abu Hamid, another former MP, wrote that the legislation \"will help dry out the sources of terrorism and extremism\". Egypt law ushers in 'republic of darkness' \"This new law will become yet another tool for the authorities to crush all forms of dissent and steamroll over basic human rights,\" said the group's acting Middle East and North Africa director, Said Boumedouha. Hundreds of members of Egypt's security forces have been killed by militant attacks in the restive Sinai peninsula. The insurgency has intensified since Mr Sisi, then commander-in-chief of the armed forces, ousted Mr Morsi after mass protests against his rule. The most active insurgent group - known now as Sinai Province and before that as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis - has pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State (IS). Mr Sisi has overseen a crackdown on Islamists in which hundreds have been killed, tens of thousands detained and scores sentenced to death, including Mr Morsi. The government claims that the Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist group, while it says it is committed to peaceful activism. In February, Mr Sisi signed off on anti-terrorism laws that gave authorities sweeping powers to ban groups on charges ranging from harming national unity to disrupting public order.", "summary": "Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has approved stringent new counter-terrorism laws to fight a growing jihadist insurgency."}
{"article": "She said, if the party was re-elected in May's Scottish Parliament election, it would introduce a more \"progressive\" local tax from April 2017. The reforms could see councils given a share of income tax revenues in an effort to give them an \"incentive\" to boost economic growth. Last year, a commission on reform called for a \"more progressive\" tax. The Commission on Local Tax Reform did not recommend a single alternative but it suggested there could be merit in combining a property-based levy with an element of income tax. The current council tax charges householders on the value of the property they live in. The rate it is charged at has been frozen by the Scottish government since 2007. Speaking at the David Hume Institute in Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon said: \"The report from the cross-party Commission on Local Tax Reform made clear that now is the time to reform local taxation. \"The commission argued for measures which will make council tax more progressive, and which will give greater assistance to people on lower incomes. \"So next week we will set out details of how we intend to achieve this from April 2017 onwards. \"These changes will be part of a longer term plan to increase the accountability of local councils to the populations they serve.\" Discussions with local authorities are expected to determine how the Scottish Parliament can gain more power over income tax and local authorities can secure a share of income tax revenues for their area. Asked if councils should be given power over sales and tourism taxes, as recommended by the commission, Ms Sturgeon said priority would be given to the assignation of income tax and other council tax powers would be considered. \"Scotland is a small country and I think it is right that we take steps to incentivise local authorities to boost economic growth in their own areas, but equally I think we have got to be careful about creating a postcode lottery in terms of tax rates in different local authority areas.\"", "summary": "The SNP will set out details of its plans on council tax reform next week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said."}
{"article": "Jimmy Geddes was waiting outside the Manchester Arena when the suicide bomber struck on Monday night. His daughter Annalyse, 14, was inside with a friend, listening to Ariana Grande. Twenty-two people died in the attack, including Eilidh MacLeod, from Barra. Fourteen-year-old Eilidh's friend Laura MacIntyre, 15, was seriously injured. Mr Geddes told the BBC how he had heard the explosion as he waited in his car and rushed inside to try to find his daughter and her friend. \"I was just texting a friend then the bomb went off,\" he said. \"I then rang him and said 'a bomb's gone off'. I need to go and get my kids. \"As I entered the foyer area it was just carnage. There were just bodies lying everywhere. It was just horrific. And I'd told the kids to come out that way. \"I was mainly looking at the footwear on the bodies as it would be easy to recognise my daughter by her footwear as she had these big pink, glittery boots on.\" Mr Geddes believes he saw the suicide bomber Salman Abedi among the bodies. He said: \"At first I was describing him as being an animal but animals wouldn't do things like that to themselves - only some sort of evil type form this person is. I wouldn't even call him a person.\" Mr Geddes managed to make his way to the section of the arena where his daughter's seat was. \"People started flooding out, all smiles, they'd just taken in a really great concert,\" he said. \"Everyone was laughing and joking and I was stopping them from going down towards the main entrance. \"All of the people coming out hadn't really clicked. They didn't know what had happened. So there wasn't that much screaming,\" he said. \"I think they all knew something was wrong but not the extent of what had happened.\" \"I saw my girl and her wee pal coming out of the door. I gave them the biggest hug ever. \" I didn't see any security or stewards. I was worried about a second device.\" Mr Geddes got the girls out of the venue through a different exit. \"Even as we got into the car I was thinking something could still happen,\" he said. \"Everybody was just desperate to get out of the car park. \"I told the kids what had happened. I didn't phone my wife until I had the kids safely in my arms.\" Mr Geddes said he thought it was \"a miracle\" that he found his daughter and her friend 10 minutes after the bomb went off. He got back to Wishaw at about 02:30. \"My wife and mother in law were so relieved to see us,\" he said. \"If I had been at the arena by myself I would have done more to help but I was just making sure my own kids were all right.\" Meanwhile, the parish priest on Barra is urging the island community to come together and pray this weekend, following \"a devastating week\". Ahead of Mass on Sunday, he said: \"A", "summary": "A father from Wishaw has told BBC Scotland of his shock at witnessing the immediate aftermath of the Manchester bomb attack - as he desperately tried to find his daughter."}
{"article": "The Duke of Rutland - who lives in Belvoir Castle - was caught speeding twice in Nottinghamshire, once in North Yorkshire and again in Derbyshire in an eight-month period. He was banned for a year and 15 points were added to the nine he already had. He was also ordered to pay \u00a33,025 in fines and costs. The Duke, who was named in Northallerton Magistrates' Court as David Charles Rutland, failed to respond to the fixed penalty notices and a trial was set until his lawyers indicated he would plead guilty. Rutland did not appear at the hearing which was told he was driving a Land Rover Discovery at the time of the offences. His solicitor Lisa Wilson said: \"He does not wish to minimise the offences. He does not wish to put forward an argument of exceptional hardship. \"The court may consider that with the title he has and the property he resides in the defendant is of considerable means.\" Rutland, whose wealth was estimated at \u00a3140m by the Sunday Times Rich List, lives in the family seat of Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, set in 18,000 acres of land. It has been the backdrop for several films including The Young Victoria and the Da Vinci Code while Haddon Hall in Derbyshire - also owned by the family - featured in Pride and Prejudice in 2005. The offences: Rutland was ordered to pay \u00a32,550 in fines, \u00a3400 in costs and a \u00a375 victim surcharge.", "summary": "One of the wealthiest aristocrats in the UK has been banned from driving after amassing 24 points on his licence."}
{"article": "Richard Glossip's execution was delayed on Wednesday after officials discovered they did not have the correct drugs to perform the procedure. Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt had requested the freeze on executions to give the state time to investigate. The Oklahoma's highest criminal court agreed on Friday. In addition to Glossip, the executions of inmates Benjamin Cole and John Grant have also been indefinitely delayed. State prison officials said they were posted potassium acetate instead of potassium chloride, the third drug used in Oklahoma's lethal injection formula. The court ordered the state to provide status reports every 30 days. Executions have been delayed recently in the US amid problems buying drugs as many firms have refused to sell them. The state has overhauled how it carries out the death penalty after the botched execution of Clayton Lockett in 2014. Lockett struggled and took more than 40 minutes to die. Typically, inmates become sedated and are declared dead within minutes. Glossip's boss Barry Van Treese, the owner of the Oklahoma City motel, was beaten to death in 1997. His colleague Justin Sneed was convicted of the killing but said Glossip had ordered him to carry it out. Glossip and his family have maintained his innocence for nearly 20 years, saying that Sneed acted alone. He was first convicted in 1998 but that was overturned in 2001, only for Glossip to be convicted again three years later. In the most recent appeals, his lawyers said they had an affidavit from another inmate who said Sneed admitted to setting Glossip up. British billionaire Richard Branson took out a full-page ad in The Oklahoman newspaper on Wednesday that argued Glossip is innocent. Pope Francis had urged Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin to halt Glossip's execution. Ms Fallin said she did not have the authority to do so.", "summary": "Three impending executions in Oklahoma have been halted after prison officials nearly administered the wrong lethal injection drug to a death row inmate."}
{"article": "Special Report: The Technology of Business Lotus F1 Team looks to tech to win Hey you, get on to my cloud Domain shift sends cyber world dotty How to cash in with off-the-peg apps Taj Mahal comes to your living room Good question. After all, we've always had large amounts of data haven't we, from loyalty card schemes, till receipts, medical records, tax returns and so on? As Laurie Miles, head of analytics for big data specialist SAS, says: \"The term big data has been around for decades, and we've been doing analytics all this time. It's not big, it's just bigger.\" But it's the velocity, variety and volume of data that has merited the new term. Most traditional data was structured, or neatly organised in databases. Then the world went digital and the internet came along. Most of what we do could be translated into strings of ones and noughts capable of being recorded, stored, searched, and analysed. There was a proliferation of so-called unstructured data generated by all our digital interactions, from email to online shopping, text messages to tweets, Facebook updates to YouTube videos. And the number of gadgets recording and transmitting data, from smartphones to intelligent fridges, industrial sensors to CCTV cameras, has also proliferated globally, leading to an explosion in the volume of data. These data sets are now so large and complex that we need new tools and approaches to make the most of them. Nobody really knows because the volume is growing so fast. Some say that about 90% of all the data in the world today has been created in the past few years. According to computer giant IBM, 2.5 exabytes - that's 2.5 billion gigabytes (GB) - of data was generated every day in 2012. That's big by anyone's standards. \"About 75% of data is unstructured, coming from sources such as text, voice and video,\" says Mr Miles. And as mobile phone penetration is forecast to grow from about 61% of the global population in 2013 to nearly 70% by 2017, those figures can only grow. The US government's open data project already offers more than 120,000 publicly available data sets. The first computers came with memories measured in kilobytes, but the latest smartphones can now store 32GB and many laptops now have one terabyte (1,000GB) hard drives as standard. Storage is not really an issue anymore. For large businesses \"the cost of data storage has plummeted,\" says Andrew Carr, UK and Ireland chief executive of IT consultancy Bull. Businesses can either keep all their data on-site, in their own remote data centres, or farm it out to \"cloud-based\" data storage providers. A number of open source platforms have grown up specifically to handle these vast amounts of data quickly and efficiently, including Hadoop, MongoDB, Cassandra, and NoSQL. 1,000 bytes = one kilobyte (kB) 1,000 kB = one megabyte (MB) 1,000 MB = one gigabyte (GB) 1,000 GB = one terabyte (TB) 1,000 TB = one petabyte (PB) 1,000 PB = one exabyte (EB) 1,000 EB = one zettabyte (ZB) 1,000 ZB =", "summary": "As Technology of Business begins a month-long series of features on the theme of Big Data, we kick off with a Q&A backgrounder answering some of those basic questions you were too afraid to ask."}
{"article": "It has estimated that \u00c2\u00a35bn will have been spent in Britain's shops over the weekend, as millions of people stocked up on food, drink and presents. The BRC says many shoppers waited until the last minute to pick up a bargain. Meanwhile, several retailers are reportedly bringing their online sales forward to Christmas Eve. High streets, shopping centres and supermarkets were reportedly packed with shoppers on the last few trading days before Christmas. Many retailers have already started discounting products in advance of the traditional \"Boxing Day\" sales. Saturday was expected to have been the busiest day of the year on the high street, with credit card company Visa Europe predicting more than 31 million transactions. Richard Dodd, head of media and campaigns at the BRC, said: \"People have left it very late this year because of their reluctance to spend. They are holding out for bargains. \"It's been a very busy weekend which will be crucial to delivering a Christmas that is acceptable, rather than exceptional,\" he added. Supermarket chain Sainsbury's said the hour between 12:00 and 13:00 GMT on Sunday was its busiest hour ever in terms of the number of customers served. The company said it expected to sell 225,000 bottles of champagne, 56 million mince pies, 52 million Brussels sprouts and 6,500 tonnes of potatoes over the festive period. Traders in London's West End had predicted that one million people would shop in the area during the three days leading to Christmas Eve, spending an estimated \u00c2\u00a3100m. At Brent Cross shopping centre in north London, centre manager Tom Nathan said the weekend would be their busiest period because schools had broken up late and Christmas Day was on a Tuesday. Elsewhere, Bluewater shopping centre in Kent expected more than 275,000 shoppers to pass through in the days before Christmas Eve, while Birmingham's Bullring centre predicted it would welcome about 340,000 consumers. Bullring general manager Tim Walley said: \"This Christmas we essentially have an extra weekend of trading in comparison to December 2011, so we're expecting a bumper weekend.\" But despite optimism in some quarters, the Local Government Association (LGA) said confidence on the high street remained low. Its annual Christmas survey found that 84% of town centre managers said confidence among shoppers had either not improved or worsened compared to Christmas 2011. A cold and wet start to the winter could also be taking its toll on the number of shoppers visiting town centres, the LGA concluded.", "summary": "Christmas sales figures are likely to be \"acceptable\" rather than \"exceptional\", the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has predicted."}
{"article": "Officers were called to the house in Willowbrook Park, Celbridge, at about 20:50 local time on Tuesday. The man, who was in his 30s, was pronounced dead shortly before 22:30. A man in his 20s was arrested at the scene and has been taken to Leixlip Garda (police) station for questioning. The body remains at the house, which has been cordoned off pending the arrival of the deputy state pathologist.", "summary": "Police have made an arrest after the death of a man who was found with head injuries at a house in County Kildare."}
{"article": "Emergency services told the AFP news agency that the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device. It occurred at the Malkohi camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) on the outskirts of Yola in Adamawa state. Yola has been seen as a relative safe place for those fleeing the violence. The BBC's Chris Ewokor in Abuja says this is the first attack on a camp for IDPs in the north-east. The explosion happened in a warehouse, emergency services say. There are reportedly more than 1,000 children in the camp. Two million people have been forced from their homes since the militants launched their insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria in 2009. According to Amnesty International, at least 17,000 people have been killed in the conflict. Although the militants have been forced out most of the territory they had seized, they are still active and there has been an upsurge in suicide attacks since President Muhammadu Buhari took office in May. Teaching Boko Haram militants to play football Who are Boko Haram?", "summary": "At least three people have died when a bomb exploded at a camp in north-eastern Nigeria for people who have fled their homes because of the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency."}
{"article": "The motto Nil Satis Nisi Optimum, which means \"nothing but the best is good enough\", dates back 75 years but disappeared as part of a redesign. The club apologised in May after 22,000 fans signed an online petition condemning the \"awful\" 2013-2014 badge. Fans can vote on three new designs on the club website from Monday. Club communications director Alan Myers said: \"There were clear messages that have come out from fans as to what they want. \"The motto Nil Satis Nisi Optimum will be on the new crest because 95% to 96% of fans said they want it and that's what we wanted.\" Everton consulted more than 200,000 fans and also players following criticism of the \"embarrassing\" new crest. The club said one fan travelled from Spain to Goodison Park to have his say about the redesign - even though he was advised an online form was available. The new crest ideas will be unveiled on Monday 23 September.", "summary": "Everton FC are to restore the club's motto to their crest after its removal prompted outrage from thousands of fans."}
{"article": "The Markinch-based firm has seen European exports suffer from the value of sterling in relation to the euro. It has also been hit by rising raw material costs and by a major customer becoming insolvent. Only last month, a new biomass plant was officially opened at Tullis's Markinch site. The \u00c2\u00a3200m facility was built by German energy firm RWE and was designed to meet all of the paper maker's electricity and steam requirements. RWE said in a statement that the power plant could run independently of Tullis Russell, and would continue to operate. Administrators KPMG said 325 Tullis employees were being made redundant with immediate effect, while the remaining 149 have been retained to complete some orders. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon later announced a task force had been set up to look at ways of supporting the Fife economy and jobs, in the wake of the company's collapse. The task force is being jointly chaired by Enterprise Secretary John Swinney and Fife Council leader David Ross. Employee-owned Tullis was founded in 1809 and produced high quality paper board for use in cards, covers and premium packaging. The paper maker has incurred cumulative losses of \u00c2\u00a318.5m over the last five years, largely as a result of weakening demand and pressure on its margins. Tullis directors had sought a buyer for the company last autumn, but failed to find one. Joint administrator Blair Nimmo said: \"This is a sad day for the employees of Tullis Russell Papermakers, who have worked hard against the significant headwinds facing the global papermaking sector. \"Whilst we will be exploring whether a sale of all or part of the business and asset of the company can be achieved, we have had to take steps to significantly reduce the company's overheads. \"Unfortunately, with trading effectively ceasing, we have had no option but to reduce the size of the workforce. \"We will be working with government agencies to minimise the impact on employees. \"We would encourage any party with an interest in acquiring all, or parts, of the business to make contact with us as soon as possible.\" Tullis Russell Papermakers is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tullis Russell Group Ltd. The group's Cheshire-based coating division and its image transfer business based in Ansan, Korea, are not affected by the administration and continue to trade as normal. Tullis Russell Group said it was announcing the administration move \"with great sadness\". Group chief executive Chris Parr said: \"It has become clear to the board that Papermakers is no longer a viable business. \"Recognising this situation, the group and Papermaking boards concluded that the best chance of protecting jobs would be through a trade sale of the papermaking company to a buyer capable of, and committed to developing the Markinch site. \"The group engaged KPMG to run a comprehensive sales process, and between October 2014 and March 2015 over 72 trade parties have considered and subsequently rejected the opportunity to acquire the business. This has unfortunately only confirmed that the business is no longer viable. \"This difficult position finally became untenable with the papermaking", "summary": "Fife-based paper maker Tullis Russell has gone into administration with the loss of 325 jobs, and putting a further 149 at risk."}
{"article": "Belfast man Frampton, 28, outpointed Scott Quigg on Saturday to add the WBA world title to his IBF belt. On Wednesday, WBA bosses said that their former champion Rigondeaux, 35, must be Frampton's next opponent. Frampton's manager Barry McGuigan has consistently ruled out the Cuban as a possible opponent for his fighter. \"He's amazing on the back foot but he's negative,\" McGuigan said of Rigondeaux, who fights Briton Jazza Dickens in Liverpool on 12 March. \"What do we gain by fighting him?\" McGuigan's view is that Rigondeaux, who was stripped of both the WBO and WBA belts last year for inactivity, brings little to the table in terms of television or fan appeal. After Rigondeaux was stripped of the title, the world governing body promoted Quigg from interim WBA super-bantamweight belt holder to champion. However, the WBA have now said that unbeaten Rigondeaux's \"impressive record and accomplishments\" mean that he must be Frampton's next opponent. The WBA said it was \"honoured\" to have Frampton as its champion, adding: \"We congratulate him on a performance that was as intelligent as it was effective.\" In spite of the WBA's directive, it is far from certain that Frampton will agree to the Rigondeaux fight, so there appears a strong possibility that the Northern Irishman may give up the WBA belt. After Frampton's win on Saturday, McGuigan said that a contest with Mexico's WBA featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz was an \"obvious fight\". Rigondeaux has won all 16 of his professional bouts.", "summary": "Carl Frampton must fight Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux by 27 July to avoid being stripped of one of his two world super-bantamweight titles."}
{"article": "Carl Marsh, 46, of Knutsford, Cheshire suffered fatal injuries at Black Knights Parachute Centre in Cockerham, near Lancaster on Saturday. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The British Parachute Association (BPA) said the jump Mr Marsh was executing could only have been attempted by an experienced parachutist like Mr Marsh. Tony Butler, the BPA's chief operating officer, is leading the probe into the death and said it was his \"top priority\". He estimated it would take about a month to complete his investigation and he would send his findings to the Civil Aviation Authority, the police and the coroner as well as the BPA's training committee. Lancashire Police, which is supporting the BPA's investigation, said there were not thought to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death. Mr Marsh's relatives said he was a \"much-loved\" family man with an \"enormous heart\".", "summary": "A parachutist who died performing a jump in Lancashire was attempting a \"complicated manoeuvre\", the man investigating his death has said."}
{"article": "Brighton and Hove City Council has set up a cross-party panel to look into the issue of the \"party houses\". There are about 300 in the city, with concerns about the problems they cause most evident in the Queen's Park area. Chair of the panel Geoffrey Bowden said: \"We don't want to be killjoys... but there are responsibilities.\" The councillor said the properties were houses \"which sit cheek by jowl with families which live there all the time\". \"There are some really superb operators, and they do certainly take care \"We need to bottom-out whether these are businesses or not, because if they are businesses then they should be paying business rates, and they should be paying for commercial waste to be taken away,\" Mr Bowden said. The panel plans to gather evidence from as many people as possible, including the owners of \"party houses\", before reporting back to the full council. Mr Bowden said: \"People having a decadent weekend is one thing, but if you live next door and have to get up for work in the morning you might take a more hardline approach.\"", "summary": "Houses let out to groups for stag and hen weekends are to be the subject of a council investigation amid complaints about noise and anti-social behaviour."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old former Ipswich Town youngster has made more than 230 appearances for the U's, but was hampered by injury last season. Contract options have also been taken up for defenders Lewis Kinsella, Kane Vincent-Young and winger Drey Wright. Wright, 22, has featured 101 times for the U's, while Kinsella, also 22, joined from Aston Villa last summer. Vincent-Young, 21, featured 23 times last season for the U's.", "summary": "Colchester United defender Tom Eastman has signed a new two-year contract with the League Two side."}
{"article": "The result saw the Cumbrians slip to 10th in the table, but they remain just one point outside the play-off places with two games remaining. Carlisle, 2-0 down after 25 minutes, were level before the interval and led through Reggie Lamb before Smith had the final say. Carlisle midfielder Jamie Davitt fired against the post and Jamie Proctor put a good chance wide before Crawley took the lead in the 11th minute. Leading marksman James Collins opened the scoring in superb style by smashing a tremendous shot into the top corner from 20 yards. Collins was on target again after 25 minutes from the penalty spot, sending Mark Gillespie the wrong way after the goalkeeper had brought down the striker. Striker Jabo Ibehre, put clean through by Danny Grainger, reduced the deficit four minutes later with his fourth goal in four games. Crawley keeper Glenn Morris was then hurt as Ibehre put the ball in the net and had to be replaced by Yusuf Mersin. Carlisle were level three minutes before the break when Proctor, on loan from Bolton, struck with a bullet header following a Gary Liddle cross. United seized the lead on the hour through Lambe, who clipped the ball past replacement keeper Mersin after latching onto Proctor's cross. Josh Payne fired just wide late on for Crawley and Collins also headed over before the hosts levelled in the second minute of stoppage time when Smith fired in following a pass from Joe McNerney. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Crawley Town 3, Carlisle United 3. Second Half ends, Crawley Town 3, Carlisle United 3. Attempt missed. John O'Sullivan (Carlisle United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Goal! Crawley Town 3, Carlisle United 3. Jimmy Smith (Crawley Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Joe McNerney following a set piece situation. Josh Payne (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ben Tomlinson (Carlisle United). Hand ball by Josh Payne (Crawley Town). Substitution, Carlisle United. Shaun Brisley replaces Reggie Lambe. Hand ball by Ben Tomlinson (Carlisle United). Attempt missed. James Collins (Crawley Town) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high following a set piece situation. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Lewis Young (Crawley Town) because of an injury. Lewis Young (Crawley Town) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Jabo Ibehre (Carlisle United). Attempt saved. Josh Payne (Crawley Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. James Bailey (Carlisle United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Jordan Roberts (Crawley Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by James Bailey (Carlisle United). Substitution, Carlisle United. John O'Sullivan replaces Jamie Devitt. Delay in match Reggie Lambe (Carlisle United) because of an injury. Corner, Carlisle United. Conceded by Josh Yorwerth. Attempt missed. Luke Joyce (Carlisle United) right footed shot from outside the", "summary": "A stoppage-time equaliser by captain Jimmy Smith denied Carlisle a crucial victory in their play-off challenge as Crawley salvaged a draw at home."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device They added 96 for the third wicket at Chester-le-Street after Alastair Cook (15) fell five short of reaching 10,000 Test runs and under-pressure Nick Compton (9) continued his poor run. Hales, seeking his first Test hundred, was caught at slip, while Root spooned to cover as Sri Lanka fought back. But Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali added 70 to give England the upper hand. Bairstow was caught behind for 48 to give the excellent Nuwan Pradeep his third wicket, but Moeen remains unbeaten on 28. The hosts won the first Test at Headingley by an innings and 88 runs. Despite some superb catching from Sri Lanka on a cold day, England will be confident of amassing the sort of first-innings total that will put pressure on the tourists' inexperienced batting line-up. Hales made 86 at Headingley and picked up where he left off with another sizeable contribution at the top of the order. After a circumspect start, he accelerated after lunch in partnership with Root, scoring heavily down the ground on the off side. He looked poised to become the first Englishman to make an international century in all three forms of the game before he swung hard at the part-time left-arm spin of Milinda Siriwardana and was brilliantly caught at slip by Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews. Nonetheless, Hales is beginning to look like he could be the reliable opening partner for Cook England have been looking for since Andrew Strauss retired in 2012. For England's other top-order batsmen, it was a tale of familiar flaws as once again the team made a stuttering start to their innings after Cook won the toss. The skipper was first to fall, in characteristic fashion, fiddling needlessly outside off stump and offering a sharp catch to Dimuth Karunaratne at second slip. Compton failed to dispel the question marks over his place during another scratchy and underwhelming innings, grinding his way to nine off 34 balls before before top-edging to long leg. Even Root could reproach himself for a poor shot, offering a simple catch to cover as he attempted to work a short ball from Pradeep to leg. It was the seventh time in the past eight innings in which Root has passed 50 that he has failed to go on to three figures. Although England ended the day narrowly on top, this was a fine performance in the field by Sri Lanka. Their catching was magnificent - as well as Mathews and Karunaratne, Suranga Lakmal produced a brilliant tumbling effort at long leg to dismiss Compton and Lahiru Thirimanne flung himself to his right at cover to end James Vince's innings. They also performed strongly with the ball, despite missing two of their best pacemen, Dushmantha Chameera and Dhammika Prasad, through injury. Pradeep and Lakmal bowled a disciplined line and length, Siriwardana chipped in with two wickets, and they conceded only four extras in 90 overs. England opener Alex Hales on BBC Test Match Special: \"I'm pleased with the form I'm in. When you get", "summary": "Alex Hales hit 83 and Joe Root 80 as England reached 310-6 against Sri Lanka on day one of the second Test."}
{"article": "Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested last month, after a rally against the execution of a Kashmiri separatist convicted over the 2001 Indian parliament attack. A panel from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) probing the incident reportedly recommended the expulsion of five students, including Mr Kumar. Mr Kumar was released from jail after being granted bail earlier this month. His views have been divisive in India with some calling him \"anti-national\". Kanhaiya Kumar: India's most loved and loathed student The Press Trust of India news agency reported that the university panel had found the students guilty of \"violating university rules and discipline norms\". Apart from Mr Kumar, the panel has also reportedly recommended the expulsion of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, two other students who remain in custody. Reports say a final decision on the panel's recommendation will be taken by the vice chancellor of the university. Authorities allege Mr Kumar and others shouted anti-India slogans at the 9 February rally on the campus. Critics have condemned the charges against the students as an assault on freedom of expression, but government ministers have refused to back down, vowing to punish what they describe as \"anti-national elements\". The rally that prompted the arrests was to mark the third anniversary of the 2013 hanging of Mohammed Afzal Guru. Guru was one of those convicted of plotting the 2001 parliament attack - charges he always denied. The attack, which left 14 people dead, was blamed on Pakistan-based militants fighting Indian rule in Kashmir. Indian opposition parties see the affair as an attempt by the BJP to push its Hindu nationalist agenda, correspondents say. There have also been counter protests by those who say JNU is a hotbed of \"traitors\" and should be \"cleaned up\".", "summary": "A student leader from a top university in India charged with sedition may be expelled from campus, reports say."}
{"article": "She had been widely tipped as the politician who would take over from the former deputy first minister, who retired partly due to illness. The 40-year-old County Tyrone woman is the current health minister having previously been agriculture minister. She paid a warm tribute to Mr McGuinness and said she was \"following in the footsteps of a political giant\". She said \"no-one can replace Martin\" but said she would continue the work he started. Mrs O'Neill will have just five weeks to prepare for an election after Stormont's power-sharing coalition fell apart over a botched energy scheme scandal. The fallout from the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal, which is approximately \u00a3490m over budget, led to Mr McGuinness' quitting after DUP leader Arlene Foster refused to stand aside as first minster while an investigation was carried out. As they hold a joint office, his resignation automatically put Mrs Foster out of her job and prompted the calling of snap elections on 2 March. Mrs O'Neill described her new role as \"the biggest honour and privilege of my life\". \"I have never been afraid of challenge and I have never been afraid to act,\" she added. She referred to her first act as health minister last year, when she ended Northern Ireland's blanket ban on gay men donating blood. Mr McGuinness said he was \"overjoyed\" at her appointment, which he said was part of a \"generational change\" within his party. He said that as health minister she had already taken on one of Stormont's toughest portfolios, adding that Sinn F\u00e9in did not appoint people to such ministerial posts unless they had the \"all-round ability to manage very difficult situations\". Tackling mounting hospital waiting lists has been a huge task for Mrs O'Neill since she was appointed health minister last May. In October, she launched a 10-year plan to transform the health service, saying it would improve a system that was at \"breaking point\". Opposition politicians questioned the lack of details in the plan, which was not costed. But it set out a range of priorities, including a new model of care involving a team of professionals based around GP surgeries. Mrs O'Neill was first elected to the assembly in Mid Ulster in 2007 and has held various senior positions within Sinn F\u00e9in. She has worked for the party since 1998, initially as political adviser to MP and former MLA Francie Molloy, before being elected to Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council in 2005. In 2011, she was appointed as minister for agriculture and rural development. The following year, she announced the department would move to a former British army barracks in Ballykelly, County Londonderry. After the announcement, it came to light that Strabane had been chosen as a more suitable location by an internal DARD assessment, a decision that Mrs O'Neill then overruled. In February 2013, it was also revealed that the decision had been questioned by then Finance Minister Sammy Wilson.", "summary": "Sinn F\u00e9in has announced that Michelle O'Neill is to replace Martin McGuinness as its leader north of the border."}
{"article": "The DUP says up to 90% of the PSNI legacy investigation branch's caseload is focused on killings by the Army. The PM, secretary of state and other unionist and Conservative politicians also say there is an imbalance. But PSNI figures show investigations into killings by the Army account for about 30% of its legacy workload. The police legacy branch will re-investigate 1,118 deaths not previously reviewed or completed by the now defunct Historical Enquiries Team (HET). Of those killings, 530 were carried out by republicans, 271 by loyalists and 354 by the security forces. It is not known who was responsible for the other 33 killings. Team A consists of 12 detectives They are working on On The Runs (OTR) enquiry and are seeking to confirm the \"wanted\" status of 228 republicans, not all of whom received OTR letters. The number of incidents the individuals are linked to may run to several thousand. The team is examining whether there is evidence that would provide grounds for them to be prosecuted. Team B consists of 19 detectives Its caseload includes investigations into the killings of Jean McConville and former IRA member Eamon Collins, both attributed to republicans. The team is also investigating the activities of the Military Reaction Force (MRF). Team C consists of 13 detectives They are investigating the killings of 13 civilians by members of the Parachute Regiment on Bloody Sunday, and the murders of 10 Protestant men by the IRA at Kingsmills in 1976. Team D consists of 11 detectives It is investigating seven killings by republicans. The officer who leads the PSNI legacy branch, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton, said he did not believe the police were disproportionately focusing on any one group. \"I do understand that there is a public perception that there is a disproportionate focus on military cases but they form part of what we are doing,\" he said. \"I have a full team who are doing reviews against a list of cases, at the minute, none of those are military. \"I've a full team working on the On The Runs review and that doesn't relate to the military at all. \"I do appreciate that in the public domain, the big profile cases that we've been working on have been in the area of military-related killings. \"We're carrying out our duties according to the law and according to what we've been asked to do and required to do.\" The HET previously completed reviews of 1,625 cases, which related to 2,051 deaths. The majority of the cases, 1,038, were attributed to republican paramilitaries, mostly the Provisional IRA. Of the others, 536 cases were attributed to loyalists, 32 to the army, and it's not known who was responsible for the remaining 9. There are no plans to re-investigate cases described as completed by the HET at this stage unless new evidence is uncovered.", "summary": "Figures obtained by the BBC challenge claims that investigations into Troubles killings are unduly focused on those committed by the Army."}
{"article": "The incident happened at about 23:00 on Wednesday. The 21-year-old victim was walking along the road from the top of Baker Street when an unknown man shouted racially-aggravated abuse at him. The suspect is white, in his late teens or early 20s, between 5ft 7in and 6ft tall, with red or blond short hair. He is of a stocky build and was wearing a red or orange hoodie. Officers are urging anyone who can assist them to come forward. Insp Mike Bennett said: \"For this young man to be subject to such unprovoked abuse as he went about his daily business is shocking. \"This behaviour is absolutely unacceptable in our community and I'd urge anyone who witnessed this incident, or has information which can help with our inquiries, to come forward.\"", "summary": "Police are appealing for witnesses after a young man suffered \"shocking\" racial abuse while walking on Hawick's High Street."}
{"article": "Andrew Buchanan, 46, from Inverness, died at Raigmore Hospital on Monday. The crash, involving a black Seat Altea car, happened at about 18:15 on Saturday 4 March at the junction of Kenneth Street and Tomnahurich Street. Police Scotland said a report had been sent to the procurator fiscal.", "summary": "A 46-year-old pedestrian has died nine days after being struck by a car on the A82 in Inverness."}
{"article": "The 20-year-old made his Warriors debut in the win against Leigh and his start at Wolves was just his second outing. He scored 20 tries in 22 games on loan at Championship side Swinton in 2016 on a dual registration deal, while also working as a trainee accountant. \"I'm really, really pleased for Liam,\" Wane told BBC Radio 5 live. \"His effort in training has been fantastic. With the pre-season he's had, he earned the right to play. \"I thought they were four quality tries and quality finishes. \"It is a shot in the arm for our youth system as it shows to everybody that a first-team start is never that far away. You just take your chances when they come and he's taken his.\" Wane also confirmed that England forward John Bateman is expected to be out for three months with a shoulder injury.", "summary": "Wigan Warriors head coach Shaun Wane has praised the finishing of Liam Marshall after he scored four tries in Thursday's 38-16 win at Warrington."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old failed to make a appearance for the Australian side after joining on a two-year deal from St Helens at the start of the season. Turner, a title winner with Saints in 2014, did however play in the NRL All Stars game earlier this year. \"I'm excited to be returning home to the UK with Huddersfield,\" he said. \"Last year I took an opportunity that was given to me to head out to Canberra knowing how difficult it would be for me and my partner on the other side of the world and was keen to stick it out. \"In the last few months I have had plenty of opportunities to return home but turned those chances down.\" Giants head coach Rick Stone said Turner comes in to replace Ryan Brierley who joined League One side Toronto in April. \"We have been looking to fill a gap ever since Ryan moved on and I am delighted that our patience has been rewarded with such a good acquisition,\" Stone said. Turner, who played more than 100 times for Saints and also previously featured for Salford and Hull FC, joins a Huddersfield side third-from-bottom in Super League, with his deal announced after they were beaten 28-26 at Wakefield.", "summary": "Huddersfield have signed Super League Grand Final-winning utility back Jordan Turner on a three-and-a-half-year deal after he was released by Canberra."}
{"article": "Greece is now part way through its third eurozone bailout programme, worth up to 86bn euros (\u00c2\u00a374bn). The programme has encountered repeated delays as the lenders monitor compliance with policy conditions. Technical officials are expected to return to Athens soon to complete the negotiations. The \"in principle\" deal, as European Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici called it, was agreed at a meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Malta. The main elements in the latest agreement are commitments to reduce spending on pensions from 2019 and to collect more income tax from 2020 by lowering the tax-free threshold. Together the two measures are intended to improve the Greek government's finances by the equivalent of 2% of the country's economic activity, or GDP. To sweeten a pill that will be unpopular in Greece, the other eurozone countries agreed that Athens would be able take other measures to stimulate the economy, if the government finances perform better than expected. The next step is that technical experts from three European institutions and the IMF will return to Athens to try to negotiate the remaining details. The Dutch Finance Minister, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who chairs eurozone ministers' meetings, called for them to put the last dots on the i's and reach a full agreement as soon as possible at staff level - that's the staff of the institutions involved in monitoring the programme. That is needed before there is political decision to make that delayed payment. Once there is a staff agreement, Mr Dijsselbloem said that the Eurogroup ministers would also look at the targets Greece would need to aim for in the government finances after the last bailout payments are made (due in 2018) and the question of debt sustainability - which means debt relief beyond what the eurozone has already provided. Debt relief previously has been in the form of reduced interest rates and longer payment periods, rather than reducing the amount of the principal sum that must ultimately be repaid. Further debt relief is likely to be in a similar form. Eurozone ministers have said it many times and it's politically more difficult for them with domestic political audiences if they were to explicitly write off a chunk of what they have lent. The International Monetary Fund has long argued that Greece needs more debt relief. That has been behind its reluctance to contribute financially to the third bailout. (It did chip in to the first two). Its involvement in the third so far is as an adviser and monitor of Greek performance. The rest of the eurozone, but especially Germany, would like the IMF to put some money in. That's not so much for the sake of reducing the eurozone contribution as for the better credibility they think the programme would have if the IMF did stump up some money. But IMF staff are so far unwilling to even recommend it to their board, which is made up of representatives of the agency's member countries. After the Malta meeting, IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said: \"We are at a point where we think there are", "summary": "Eurozone finance ministers say they have agreed with Greece the main elements of a deal to unlock a delayed bailout payment."}
{"article": "Mrs Banda came to power two years ago after the sudden death of President Bingu wa Mutharika. Her reputation has been dented by a corruption scandal, known as Cashgate, which has led donors to cut aid. Her main challengers are Mr Mutharika's brother, Peter, Atupele Muluzi - the son of another former president - and a former preacher, Lazarus Chakwera. By Chakuchanya HarawaBBC Africa, Blantyre Competitive election Mr Chakwera is the candidate of the Malawi Congress Party, which governed from independence in 1964 until the first multi-party poll in 1994. Voting was delayed in parts of the largest city, Blantyre, due to a shortage of election material. \"There's no ink. We're still waiting for the consignment,\" one of the officials told the crowd, reports the Reuters news agency. There are reports of angry scenes at some polling stations. But in the capital, Lilongwe, voting mostly started on time, Reuters reports. Mrs Banda has denied any wrong-doing in relation to Cashgate and last week told the BBC that the fact the affair has gone to court was her \"greatest achievement\" because in the past, such scandals would have been covered up. Scores of officials, including former ministers, have been arrested over the scandal, often with large amounts of cash. Up to $250m (\u00c2\u00a3150m) may have been lost through allegedly fraudulent payments. Analysts say that despite the close race, she is likely to win because of her popularity in rural areas. The candidate with the most votes is declared the winner of the presidential race - there is no run-off. There is a total of 12 presidential candidates. Parliamentary and local elections are being held at the same time. Malawi is one the poorest countries in the world and is heavily dependent on aid, with donors proving 40% of the budget.", "summary": "Malawians have voted in a tight election, with President Joyce Banda facing three strong challengers."}
{"article": "Eoin Farrell and his friend died in the single-car collision in Rostrevor just before midnight on Monday. Another of their friends was critically injured. They all attended courses at the Southern Regional College in Armagh. Eoin's father, Gerard Farrell, paid tribute to all three, adding he had lost a \"great son\" who \"loved life\". He described the fatal crash as an \"awful tragedy\" which had come as a terrible shock to their family. The car his son was travelling in struck the wall of a house and crashed into a field on the Kilbroney Road. The other teenager who died at the scene has been named locally as James Miskelly, from Mayobridge, County Down. Eoin, who was 17, lived at his parents' home in Rostrevor. In addition to attending to studying motor vehicle maintenance at the college's Armagh campus, he worked as a trainee lorry mechanic in Newry, County Down. \"Eoin was just fun-loving, easy-going, loved working,\" Mr Farrell told the BBC. \"He came home in the evenings, he was only in the house five minutes and he was away with the other boys... working at cars or doing a bit of farming or fishing, always on the go, always enjoying life, always with his cheeky smile. \"There wasn't a bad bone in him. Great son, just a great, great son. We all loved him.\" He described how he was woken in the early hours of Tuesday morning by news of his son's death. \"It was an awful shock at four o'clock yesterday morning. I was texting him and ringing him to see where he was, was he coming home, because he was going to Tech on Tuesday morning with James in Armagh. \"The week before he stayed in James' house and I thought that's where he was going. I rang him at five to twelve, and his phone was flat since eight o'clock. But then we got the knock at the door at five to four, and we knew something wasn't right.\" Mr Farrell also expressed his sympathy to the families of the other victims killed and injured in the collision and said his \"thoughts and prayers\" were with them. \"An awful tragedy, I wouldn't wish it on anybody,\" he said. The chief executive of the Southern Regional College, Brian Doran, said it was \"absolutely tragic news\" that had left staff and fellow students in \"a state of shock\". \"Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the Miskelly and Farrell families at this time,\" Mr Doran said. \"Two young men cut down in the prime of their lives, it's been an absolute shock to everyone here at the college and, most notably, to their classmates.\" He added: \"The students, as you will appreciate were in a state of shock and we've been working with the students to provide them with support.\"", "summary": "The father of one of the two teenagers killed in a County Down car crash has said they lived life to the full and had become inseparable friends."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 22 September 2015 Last updated at 16:42 BST The pupils, from Sussex, have designed and built their own high-tech vehicle and will now compete in the three thousand kilometre race. Only solar-powered cars are allowed in the competition, which involves the teams driving from Darwin to Adelaide. Watch Hayley's report to see how the team are preparing.", "summary": "A group of school students will be the first team from Europe to take part in a big solar powered car race in Australia."}
{"article": "The engine was driven from Larne fire station at about 04:00 GMT on Saturday and crashed into cars and houses a short time later. Robert Duffin, 66, from Green Link in Larne, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates' Court on Monday facing five charges linked to the incident. Ross Clarke, 19, from Fairway in Larne, also appeared, accused of 14 offences. He faces charges including burglary, aggravated vehicle taking, causing damage and various motoring offences. The pair were remanded in custody to appear again on Thursday at Ballymena Magistrates' Court, when it is expected a bail application will be made.", "summary": "Two men have been remanded in custody over the theft of a fire engine in County Antrim."}
{"article": "They told the militants \"to kill them together or leave them alone\", a local governor told Kenyan media. At least two people were killed in the attack, near the north-eastern village of El Wak on the Somali border. The Somali based al-Shabab group is the main suspect for the attack. It has not said if it was responsible, but often carries out attacks in Kenya's north-east. The bus was travelling from the capital Nairobi to the town of Mandera. When al-Shabab killed 148 people in an attack on Garissa University College in April, the militants reportedly singled out Christians and shot them, while freeing many Muslims. Last year, a bus was attacked near Mandera by al-Shabab militants, who killed 36 non-Muslims travelling to Nairobi for Christmas celebrations. \"The locals showed a sense of patriotism and belonging to each other,\" Mandera governor Ali Roba told Kenya's private Daily Nation newspaper. The militants decided to leave after the passengers' show of unity, he added. An employee of the Makkah bus company, who had spoken to the driver involved in the attack, confirmed to the BBC that Muslims had refused to be separated from their fellow Christian passengers. One of the victims was shot dead after trying to run away from the militants after passengers had been forced off the bus, the same employee told the BBC's Bashkas Jugsodaay in Nairobi. Al-Shabab has been at war with Kenya ever since Kenyan forces entered Somalia in October 2011 in an effort to crush the militants. Kenya's north-eastern region has a large population of ethnic Somalis.", "summary": "A group of Kenyan Muslims travelling on a bus ambushed by Islamist gunmen protected Christian passengers by refusing to be split into groups, according to eyewitnesses."}
{"article": "India-born Rajat Gupta had leaked boardroom secrets to Raj Rajaratnam, a former hedge fund manager who is serving 11 years in prison. Gupta, 67, was released on Friday, the Press Trust of India said, quoting his record at Federal Bureau of Prisons. The US court has agreed to re-hear his appeal against his 2012 conviction, reports say. Gupta completed the last two months of his jail term at his home in Manhattan, after being released in January from a correctional facility. He was confined to his apartment and was required to wear an ankle bracelet that monitored his movements, the Press Trust of India reports. During the court case, which resulted in Gupta being found guilty in June 2012, the jury heard secret recordings of conversations between him and Rajaratnam. The trial focused on a phone call made to Rajaratnam on 23 September 2008, minutes after Gupta had listened to a private conference call discussing a $5bn (\u00c2\u00a33.4bn) investment in Goldman Sachs by Warren Buffett's company Berkshire Hathaway. The deal was due to be made public after stock markets closed that day. According to phone records, Rajaratnam bought $40m in Goldman Sachs stock moments after the phone call, earning nearly $1m. Apart from the two-year prison term, Gupta was also fined $5m. Gupta, who was born in India and educated at Harvard, also served on the boards of Procter & Gamble, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.", "summary": "A former Goldman Sachs board member has been released after serving a two year sentence for insider trading in the US."}
{"article": "The Intercontinental Cup loss drops Ireland from first to second in the table with two matches to go, Ireland next playing the Netherlands in August. The winner of the group will play off against the lowest ranked Test side (currently Zimbabwe) in 2018 for full status. The three-day loss is only Ireland's third in the 13-year history of the tournament. Resuming their first innings on 170-7 - still 367 runs in arrears - John Anderson showed the necessary application as he scored an unbeaten 61 from 175 balls. He has now passed the 50 mark in all five matches he has played in the competition. He received admirable support from the tail, sharing stands of 43 with Andrew McBrine (18) for the eighth wicket and 41 for the last with Peter Chase (18) as Ireland added 91 to their overnight total. The determination with which the Irish tail had resisted Afghanistan and leg-spinner Rashid Khan - who failed to add to his five-wicket tally - offered hope the Irish could mount a spirited resistance with the bat. It was not to be, however, as Mohammed Nabi took six wickets in Ireland's second innings, and teenage leg-spinner Rashid 3-44, leaving both with a match haul of eight wickets apiece. The dismissals of Anderson and Joyce in the same Nabi over seemed to knock all resistance out of the Irish, with Niall O'Brien and Gary Wilson the joint top scorers with only 15 apiece. Ireland's next match in the competition is against Netherlands at home in August before they finish with a clash against Scotland in the UAE. They will now have to rely on results elsewhere - hoping either Hong Kong or UAE can do them a favour - if they are to have any hope of retaining their title and going forward to the Test Challenge. Before then, they will face England in two one-day internationals at Bristol and Lord's on 5 and 7 May.", "summary": "Ireland's hopes of qualifying for the Test Challenge - and the chance to become a full-member nation of the ICC - suffered a serious blow as they slumped to an innings and 172-run defeat by Afghanistan in Greater Noida."}
{"article": "He was a reserve player at Derby before his career was ended by injury. Guthrie became the Rams' trainer and then kit manager, working with more than a dozen managers including Brian Clough over the course of six decades. He was appointed an MBE in 2009 for services to football and has a stand named after him at the iPro Stadium. Despite falling ill four years ago, he was still a regular on match days and usually sat in his familiar seat in the home dugout until very recently. \"It goes without saying everyone at Derby County is saddened to learn of the passing of Gordon,\" said Sam Rush, the club's president and chief executive. \"Our thoughts and condolences are with Gordon's family and friends at this time.\" A minute's silence will be held in memory of Guthrie prior to Derby's EFL Cup third-round tie against Liverpool on Tuesday. Former striker Andy Garner, who began his career at Derby and more recently was part of their coaching staff, said Guthrie was like a father figure to youngsters at the club. \"I found it quite daunting, being a young man and coming to Derby from a small village,\" Garner told BBC Radio Derby. \"Although I was a big, strong lad, I needed somebody like Gordie. I was lonely at times and he definitely helped me. \"It was a joy for me. I absolutely loved my two-year apprenticeship and Gordie was always there for us. The players and the staff all loved him being there.\"", "summary": "Derby County's longest-serving staff member Gordon Guthrie MBE, who spent more than 60 years with the club, has died at the age of 86."}
{"article": "William Roache, who has played Ken Barlow since the first episode, said he would be \"so desperately missed\". Coronation Street executive producer Kieran Roberts called Warren \"a pioneer, a revolutionary, a true genius [and] a giant of British television\". Warren, who started the Granada Television show when he was 24, died on Tuesday after a short illness. Born in Lancashire in 1936, he wrote episodes for the ITV soap until the late 1970s. Roache described the writer, who continued to visit the soap's set in Trafford until recently, as the \"father\" of the soap. \"When I first met Tony, I couldn't quite believe he'd created and written Coronation Street, because he was no more than a young boy,\" he said. He added the writer had a \"boyish energy\" that never left him: \"I loved Tony's energy. He was the father of Coronation Street and he gave us all so much.\" Helen Worth, who worked alongside Warren for 42 years as the character Gail McIntyre, said Warren was \"a genius of our time [and] the dearest, funniest and most inspirational man of his generation\". \"He brought real life into our homes for us all to relate to and enjoy. He will, of course, live on forever through Coronation Street,\" she said. Coronation Street actors Kym Marsh, Anthony Cotton and Samia Ghadie were among those who paid tribute to Warren on Twitter. Cotton said the writer left \"the greatest legacy\", while Ghadie said he had been \"a truly wonderful man\" and Marsh described him as \"amazing\". Tributes were also paid to Warren from actors on other soaps, including from EastEnders' Jessie Wallace and Adam Woodyatt, and Emmerdale's Gemma Oaten. Warren was born Anthony McVay Simpson in Eccles, Salford, in 1937, and took the stage name of Warren during his career as a child star. He trained at Liverpool's Elliott Clarke Theatre School and was a regular on the BBC radio show Children's Hour, before acting in radio plays alongside some of the actors who would become household names because of Coronation Street, including Violet Carson and Doris Speed. His idea for Coronation Street was commissioned for 13 episodes by Granada in 1960 and the show has gone on to be one of the UK's most successful ever, reaching viewing figures of 26.6 million for the departure of the much-loved Hilda Ogden in 1987. The writer was made an MBE in 1994 for his services to television drama and remained a consultant on the soap until his death, with his creator credit appearing at the start of the closing credits of every episode. A drama based on his life and the creation of the show, The Road to Coronation Street, was broadcast on BBC Four in 2010. Daran Little, who wrote for Coronation Street before penning the show about Warren, said on Twitter that \"Tony was my dad in TV\". \"Without his encouragement, I would never had a career,\" he said. In 2007, Warren spoke to the Manchester Evening News about the prejudice he faced as a gay man writing the soap before decriminalisation in", "summary": "Tributes have been paid to Tony Warren, the Coronation Street creator and writer who has died aged 79."}
{"article": "Police support unit vehicles and officers wearing protective clothing have been seen at the scene. The reports were made at about 10:50 on Friday morning. Police officers are at the scene and inquiries are continuing. It is understood that police were responding to reports of a man barricading himself in a flat.", "summary": "Police have confirmed that they are currently responding to reports of a disturbance in Ashburn Gardens, Gourock, Inverclyde."}
{"article": "State media said rebels shelled a mosque in the government-held district of Bab al-Faraj, killing 15 people. In the rebel-held east, government air strikes reportedly left at least 11 dead and destroyed a medical facility - the second to be hit in a week. The military meanwhile said a \"regime of calm\" would begin elsewhere at 01:00 on Saturday (22:00 GMT on Friday). A statement said it would last for 24 hours in Damascus and the Eastern Ghouta region outside the capital, and for 72 hours in the northern countryside of Latakia province. It did not explain why the halt was only temporary, nor was there any mention of Aleppo, where a week of escalating violence has left more than 200 civilians dead. State television said rebels unleashed a barrage of rocket fire into the government-held western part of Aleppo just as people were coming out of Friday prayers. The Malla Khan mosque in Bab al-Faraj was hit, it said, causing heavy casualties. Some of the injured were in a serious condition and were likely to die, it added. Activists meanwhile reported that government aircraft carried out more attacks on rebel-held parts of the city, after hostilities had eased for a short time overnight. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said 11 people were killed, while the Local Co-ordination Committees, an opposition activist network, put the death toll at 14. The LCC reported that six died when government helicopters dropped barrel bombs - large cylindrical containers filled with explosives and shrapnel - on the Firdous district and four others in a barrel bomb attack in Mughair. The Syrian Civil Defence, whose volunteer emergency response workers are known as the \"White Helmets\", said that among the sites targeted by warplanes was a clinic in the Marja area. A nurse was among several people hurt. On Wednesday night, the al-Quds Hospital in the rebel-held Sukkari district was destroyed in air strikes that US Secretary of State John Kerry said appeared to have been \"deliberate\". Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which supported the hospital, said on Friday that 50 people, including six members of staff, were now believed to have been killed. \"The attack on al-Quds Hospital has destroyed one of the last remaining places in Aleppo in which you could still find humanity. Aleppo is already a shell of what it once was, this most recent assault appears determined to eliminate even that,\" said MSF's head of mission in Syria, Muskilda Zancada. Ms Zancada also expressed concern at reports that government forces were preparing for a major offensive to encircle rebel-held areas of the city. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that Aleppo was being \"pushed further to the brink of humanitarian disaster\". Large parts of the city have been destroyed and its infrastructure has been severely damaged, leaving civilians without water and electricity for months. In an interview with the BBC, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Syria's leaders had to \"go beyond their narrow personal perspectives\" and call a halt to the destruction of their", "summary": "Syria's divided second city of Aleppo had endured another day of deadly clashes."}
{"article": "More than two million spectators watched the three-day Tour de Yorkshire, won by Thomas Voeckler. Christian Prudhomme said: \"The Tour de Yorkshire is on the podium for being one of the best bike races in the world and for me the best public for cycling in the world.\" Frenchman Voeckler said the crowd \"makes me want to come back next year\". The Direct Energie rider added: \"When you see all the crowds on the road, I am sure that in 20 to 30 years there will still be a Tour de Yorkshire so I am really happy that my name is on the winner's list.\" An estimated 2.5m people watched the opening two stages of the Tour de France when they were held in Yorkshire in 2014. Voeckler clinched overall victory in the Tour de Yorkshire on Sunday by beating Team Sky's Nicolas Roche in a sprint finish to win the third and final stage over 123 miles from Middlesbrough to Scarborough. The race is in its second year and Prudhomme said: \"There have been huge crowds, huge enthusiastic crowds who respect the riders. \"The people of Yorkshire have passion and pride. I love what the Tour de Yorkshire has done for children who are watching this on the route and at the start and finish lines. \"These are memories that those children will never forget. The passion is growing and growing.\"", "summary": "Yorkshire is \"fast becoming the heartland of cycling\", according to the director of the Tour de France."}
{"article": "They need new content to feed their 560 million avid gamers, who contribute to the biggest gaming market in the world - worth an estimated $24.4bn (\u00c2\u00a319.8bn) in 2016, according to Newzoo. And this market is growing at around 15% a year. Chinese firms have already spent more than $111bn on foreign acquisitions this year, according to Dealogic, with some of the biggest deals involving gaming companies. Internet giant Tencent - which owns the WeChat and QQ Games platforms - bought Finnish Clash of Clans mobile games maker Supercell for $8.6bn earlier this year. Tencent already owns League of Legends maker Riot Games, and has minority stakes in Epic Games and Activision Blizzard, the World of Warcraft maker. Activision itself bought Candy Crush Saga maker King Digital Entertainment for nearly $6bn last year. Chinese online games publisher Youzu Interactive snapped up German free-to-play games maker Bigpoint for \u00e2\u201a\u00ac80m (\u00c2\u00a371.5m; $88.7m) early in 2016. And this summer, Zhongji Holding bought venerable UK games maker Jagex, famous for its 15-year-old RuneScape fantasy role-playing game, for about $400m. Analysts believe there are several more acquisitions to come. Lisa Pan, director of Shanghai Zhongji Enterprise Group, Zhongji Holding's parent company, tells the BBC: \"Chinese investors are attracted to the creative sector in the UK. We're also looking at Europe and the US for good gaming assets. \"The games sector is a fast-growing industry and we're interested in building a portfolio of gaming companies.\" The firm expects to make further acquisitions this year, she says. One reason why successful Western games companies are attractive to Chinese investors is that they generate cash but are relatively cheap compared to the valuations of domestic companies listed on China's stock market, says Affan Butt, partner at Code Advisors, a technology and media investment banking specialist. But what's in it for the games companies - apart from a big payday? Rob Moffat, partner at investment firm Balderton Capital, says medium-sized developers realise that to access the fast-growing Asian market they need to form strategic partnerships with Chinese firms. \"If you're a developer dependent on just a few games, you're vulnerable, so you need to scale up to about 10 games a year in the hope that one of them is a big hit. That means getting bought essentially,\" he says. Developing a new game from scratch can cost anything from $5m to $100m, says Jagex chief executive Rod Cousens - a games industry veteran who previously ran Codemasters, maker of the popular F1 motorsport game. \"This is why all eyes are turning East right now - it's the biggest market in the world - and Chinese companies are looking beyond their borders.\" Amongst mobile gamers, average revenue per user is now higher in China than in the US, UK, and South Korea, according to a recent report by AppAnnie, proving that this really is a market that cannot be ignored. But what are the technical challenges facing a British games company like Jagex - primarily known for a visually rich desktop-based game - as it tries to expand into China where", "summary": "The Chinese are coming and they're hungry for games companies."}
{"article": "The big difference is that the numbers from which you make your six selections will go up in October from one to 49 to one to 59. While this doesn't sound like it will make a huge difference, it actually takes your odds of winning the jackpot from one in 14 million to one in 45 million. Camelot, which runs the lottery, says that the new system will create bigger, rolling jackpots, which is true. Because it is so much less likely that anybody will win the top prize, there will be many more rollovers. It also says that the chances of winning a prize have increased, which is true, because people who match two numbers will get a free go on the game the following week. The chances of winning a cash prize, however, have fallen considerably. There will also be a raffle that will give prizes of \u00a31m and \u00a320,000, for which the odds of winning depend on the number of entries, but the organisers estimate that you have a one in 10 million chance of winning either \u00a31m on the raffle or the jackpot. This change comes only two years after the last set of changes, which doubled the price of a ticket to \u00a32 but introduced the raffle with \u00a320,000 prizes. At the time, the prize for matching three balls increased from \u00a310 to \u00a325. The odds of matching three balls were unchanged, but of course the cost of entry had doubled, which effectively doubled the odds (because \u00a32 would previously have bought two tickets). The estimated prize for matching five balls plus the bonus ball fell from \u00a3100,000 to \u00a350,000 while the prize for matching five balls went from \u00a31,500 to \u00a31,000. It appears that the Lotto organisers have discovered that what persuades people to buy lottery tickets is rollovers to create enormous prizes. Camelot's commentary in its financial reporting about the effect that Euromillions rollovers (or the lack of them) have on ticket sales is very clear about that. The company is clearly counting on the lengthening odds of winning both vast amounts of money and small and middling sums having less effect. Because honestly, who can cope in their head with the difference between odds of 14 million to one and odds of 45 million to one? It's like comparing the odds of flipping a coin and getting 22 consecutive heads with the odds of getting 24. They both represent staggeringly unlikely events - it's just that in the case of a lottery it happens to someone every now and then.", "summary": "There has been outrage on some front pages about the shake-up to the Lotto game announced this week."}
{"article": "HIV, which causes Aids, emerged in humans in the 20th Century, but scientists have long known that similar viruses in monkeys and apes have existed for much longer. A genetic study shows HIV-like viruses arose in African monkeys and apes 5 million to 12 million years ago. The research may one day lead to a better understanding of HIV and Aids. HIV affects 34 million people worldwide. The disease emerged during the 20th century after a HIV-like virus jumped from chimps to humans. Scientists have long known that similar viruses, known as lentiviruses, are widespread in African primates. Past genetic research has suggested these \"cousins\" of HIV arose tens of thousands of years ago, but some experts have suspected this is an underestimate. Scientists at the University of Washington in Seattle, US, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, also in Seattle, looked at the genetic signatures of HIV-like viruses in a number of primates, including chimps, gorillas, orang utans and macaques. Changes in genes that have evolved in the immune systems of monkeys and apes in Africa suggest the viruses arose between 5 and 16 million years ago. The research, published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, gives clues to how the immune systems of our closest relatives evolved to fight infection. Dr Michael Emerman of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center said: \"Our study reveals that, while primate lentiviruses may have modern consequences for human health, they have ancient origins in our non-human primate relatives.\" Commenting on the study, Dr Sam Wilson of the MRC - University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research in Glasgow, said: \"This kind of research helps us understand how the virus works. \"The hope is that one day this will translate into therapy.\"", "summary": "The origins of HIV can be traced back millions rather than tens of thousands of years, research suggests."}
{"article": "Police are treating the death of the pupil - named locally as Bailey Gwynne - at Cults Academy as a murder inquiry. Officers said a 16-year-old male had been detained after emergency services were called to the school at about 13:30. Head teacher Anna Muirhead said the victim was \"very gentle\" and \"caring\" and pupils and staff were in a \"state of total shock\". She added: \"I think it is fair to say the whole school community is totally devastated but at the moment, of course, our thoughts are with the boy's family.\" Ch Insp Graeme Mackie said: \"This is a shocking and extraordinary incident for Aberdeen and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the boy.\" He added: \"A full and thorough inquiry is under way.\" First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Twitter: \"All my thoughts are with the family and friends of the young man who has tragically died at Cults Academy.\" Aberdeen City Council leader Jenny Laing said: \"I am deeply saddened by the news that one of our pupils has died following an incident at Cults Academy today. \"I am sure that I speak for everyone across the city when I say how shocking this is. \"I would like to offer my sincere sympathy to the boy's family and friends at this most difficult time.\" Council chief executive Angela Scott added: \"It is hard to find words to describe this tragic event. We are thinking first and foremost of this boy's family and friends at this extremely difficult time. \"At this point, it is too early for us to get into any further details. \"We will, of course, continue to work closely with Police Scotland and assist with their investigation as required. We will also initiate a full internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident.\" Aberdeen South MP Callum McCaig is a former pupil at Cults Academy. He said: \"I know the school extremely well and there is no precedent for anything like this happening. \"It's incredibly sad.\" Mr McCaig added: \"It's absolutely devastating news. I don't think words can really do justice to something like this. \"It's an incredibly sad moment for the family involved and our thoughts go out to them.\" Aberdeen City Council has set up a dedicated support number - 01224 264299 - for those affected, from 08:00 on Thursday. The school will be closed on Thursday and Friday. Counselling is being offered to anyone affected by the incident. Cults Academy is a secondary school with 1,050 pupils from age 11 to 18 and is said to have a good reputation. Any child who has been affected by this incident can also call ChildLine on 0800 1111.", "summary": "A 16-year-old pupil has died after being stabbed at an Aberdeen school."}
{"article": "Steven Knowles' tweets were described by a hearing as \"threatening\" and \"extremely offensive\". The Health and Care Professions Council heard in December 2014 and January 2015 he also called Mr Hunt a murderer and wished health problems on his family. Mr Knowles said the issue had meant he could not find work in the NHS. The panel heard Mr Knowles sent six messages while working as a operating department practitioner at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, Nottinghamshire. Before the decision Mr Knowles told the panel he had devoted 30 years to his job and wanted to go back to providing a valuable service. But the panel criticised his behaviour, finding he \"lacked a full appreciation of the wider impact of these threatening tweets on his intended target, his colleagues and members of the public, or the wider effect of such misconduct on public confidence in the profession\". Mr Knowles said he would not appeal against the decision.", "summary": "An NHS employee who tweeted \"I would gladly blow your brains out\" to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has been suspended for 13 months."}
{"article": "Lengthy time losses for rain ensured the Welsh county had to settle for bowling practice, eight days before their Championship season starts. David Lloyd and Michael Hogan took two wickets each. Glamorgan second XI player Jeremy Lawlor hit 50 not out and Academy opener Connor Brown 33. Meanwhile, South Africa fast bowler Marchant de Lange could still be signed in time for the opening competitive game at Northants. Seamer Ruaidhri Smith has been ruled out for six weeks with an abdominal tear, while Will Bragg (back), Timm van der Gugten (shoulder) and Graham Wagg (groin) are set to miss their final warm-up friendly against Nottinghamshire on Sunday 2 April. Glamorgan coach Robert Croft told BBC Wales Sport: \"Any opportunity we get to get in the middle is good, it got some of the competitive juices going though there are percentages to go up against first-class opposition. \"Jacques played well, it's nice for him, for the team and the supporters. \"The three injuries are being monitored day by day, it's unlikely all three will be fit for Northampton. \"We hope as many as possible of them will be fit, but if they're not, the players in those positions have had opportunities throughout pre-season.\"", "summary": "Glamorgan's opening first-class match of the season against Cardiff MCCU drifted to a tame draw as the students battled to 149-5 on the final day."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 24 September 2015 Last updated at 07:04 BST He is now the record holder in the long and high jump, the shot-put, discus and 100 metres sprint. Pellman ran his 100 metres in 26.99 seconds. He also became the first person over the age of 100 to clear a bar in the high jump, eventually reaching 0.90 metres. Pictures courtesy of Ken Stone/TimesOfSanDiego.com", "summary": "100-year-old Don Pellman has set five world records in his age group at the San Diego Senior Olympics in America."}
{"article": "The Canadian singer told BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs that the executive told him his music would not sell. He told Buble he would only produce his music for $100,000 (\u00c2\u00a382,000) a track, just to get rid of him. The singer has now sold more than 50 million albums around the world. Buble started out as a swing crooner and also sings jazz and pop songs. He told presenter Kirsty Young that David Foster, who has worked with Whitney Houston and Celine Dion, had told him: \"You will never be signed to my label, I will never produce you. \"You are talented but I see no record sales for this genre of music. \"To dismiss me, [Foster] said, 'For $100,000 a track, I will produce on spec a record for you, and because I'm an executive of Warner Bros they'll get first right of refusal. \"And then he pushed me out the door thinking he would never see me again.\" But the singer said the encounter made him determined to raise the money to work with Foster. \"What he didn't know was that I would go back to Vancouver and go bank to bank with a manager I had at the time and find an investor,\" Buble said. \"I flew back to Los Angeles and went to David's house, and he said 'What do you want?' And I said 'Mr Foster I have the money.' \"He couldn't believe I had come back. But he said, 'All right', and we started making the record.\" Later, Buble explained, he asked Foster if he could speak to the president of Warner Bros and \"plead\" for the album to be released. \"I walked into the Warner Bros records' home in Burbank, and I don't think I'd ever been as terrified,\" Buble said. \"This executive named Tom Whalley came in the room and he said 'Why should we sign you? We have [Frank] Sinatra'.\" \"And I said 'With all due respect, Sinatra's dead, don't bury the music with him.' I said 'I'll work hard and help fill the void and we will keep this music alive together'. \"Three days later, I was on the treadmill and my grandfather was with me, and the doors flung open and my grandfather said 'Sunshine, you're with Warner Bros'.\" Buble's eight song choices on Desert Island Discs include This Love of Mine by Sinatra, Lose Yourself by Eminem and My Love by Paul McCartney and Wings. The singer said he would take The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle with him to the island as his chosen book. He said his luxury item would be a Rolex watch - he is an ambassador for the brand - \"because I could at least figure out what time it was and how many days I had been there\". Desert Island Discs, featuring Michael Buble, was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 11:15 GMT on Sunday, 30 October and is now available online. Update 3 November 2016: This story has been amended to make clear that Michael Buble is an ambassador for Rolex,", "summary": "Michael Buble has revealed how he went from bank to bank to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to persuade a music executive to sign him at the start of his career."}
{"article": "The 38-year-old former Scotland and British and Irish Lions lock will work as a \"resource coach\". He will add expertise in the area of line-out play, while supporting the development of younger forwards. Meanwhile, scrum coach Massimo Cuttitta has left for personal reasons after almost six years with Scotland. Capped 77 times, Hines announced his retirement from international rugby following the 2011 World Cup. He will help the squad prepare for this year's tournament before broadening his role to include pro teams Edinburgh and Glasgow, the newly-established academies and international age-grade teams. \"This is a fantastic opportunity to help a team I played with for 11 years,\" said Hines, a Heineken Cup winner with Leinster in 2011. \"I think that Scotland have got some exceptional young players and I'm relishing the opportunity to help make them better than they already are. \"They've got huge potential and I want to help them in their development.\" Hines played under Scotland head coach Vern Cotter at Clermont Auvergne and is pleased to be linking up with the New Zealander again. \"The chance to work with Vern again is another great benefit of this role,\" he added. \"He knows how I work and I know how he works, which might have been part of the decision why he asked me to come on board. We got on really well at Clermont. \"Part of helping the team mature is sharing my experience and showing them how not to make the same mistakes I did, on my travels, and in my 11 years playing for Scotland.\"", "summary": "Nathan Hines is to join the Scotland coaching staff after deciding to retire at the end of the season, midway through a two-year deal with Sale."}
{"article": "The Lady Helen had been sailing from Martin's Haven to nearby Skomer Island. A mayday was sent out and passengers were transferred to rescue vessels after the boat started taking in water as she was towed back to the mainland. Milford Haven coastguard said all 48 passengers were \"safely ashore with no injuries\". Boat trips are popular to Skomer, a wildlife sanctuary and home to colonies of thousands of sea birds just off the Pembrokeshire coast. Lady Helen was heading from Martin's Haven to Skomer when she ran aground on a rock at Little Sound, said the coastguard. A mayday alert was issued at 12:55 BST and the RNLI lifeboats from Angle and St David's were scrambled, along with a Dyfed-Powys Police rib and an RAF helicopter from Chivenor in Devon. Sister boat the Dale Princess managed to drag the Lady Helen off the rock using a line but she began taking in water as they headed back to shore. Milford Haven Coastguard watch manager Barrie Yelland told BBC Wales: \"Several vessels in the area also responded and went to the assistance of Lady Helen. \"They started to tow her back to Martin's Haven but unfortunately she started to sink and they decided to transfer all the passengers to the other vessels. \"It's something we try not to do unless we have to because there's a danger in transferring people at sea but it came apparent there was no option.\" All 48 passengers were reported to be safely ashore with no injuries. \"Everyone has done an excellent job carrying out this rescue, including all the various vessels that responded,\" said Mr Yelland. \"Special thanks must also go out to the boat Over Dale,\" said the watch manager. One of those helping passengers was diver Dr Pauline Crossland, on board Over Dale. \"We were a group of divers who were on our way out and a mayday call was put out,\" she said. \"A number of boats had to go to its rescue. \"We had quite a few children and elderly ladies on our boat. The children were initially a bit scared. They said the boat had been listing. But once we gave them a Twix each they were fine.\" Lady Helen was beached at Martin's Haven and there are three salvage pumps on board and she was being pulled further up the shore.", "summary": "A total of 48 passengers, including children, have been rescued from a boat after it struck a rock and was in danger of sinking off Pembrokeshire."}
{"article": "The approach was made on Tuesday but was quickly turned down by Preston. Cunningham was seen as a possible replacement for Joe Bennett, who has been in talks with Fulham after they triggered his release clause. But Bennett may now stay with the Bluebirds and is weighing up the offer, with the player considering staying at the Cardiff City Stadium. Republic of Ireland international Cunningham has made more than 50 appearances for Preston. Bluebirds manager Neil Warnock confirmed after his side's 2-0 win over Sheffield United that Fulham had made an approach for Bennett. \"There is a clause in his contract ... and if they trigger that clause there's not a lot I can do,\" he said. Warnock would not confirm if Cardiff had made specific offers for players, but added: \"There's a few the media have not mentioned that I've been talking to. You'll just have to wait and see.\"", "summary": "Cardiff City have had a bid for Preston North End defender Greg Cunningham turned down."}
{"article": "A Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust board report revealed that in March three people under 18 years were admitted to adult acute wards. Trust chairman Gary Page said he was concerned about the lack of child beds, the responsibility of NHS England. NHS England said it had been paying for extra beds for young people. The report by the trust's director of nursing Dr Jane Sayer said that under-18 admissions appeared to be an \"increasing trend\". Mr Page told a board meeting: \"Having an under 18-year-old in adult wards is unacceptable.\" Trust chief executive Michael Scott told the BBC: \"The first concern is for the young people and families. \"Clearly it is unsatisfactory that these young people have to go on adult wards because of a national shortage of children's beds, which is run by NHS England, which is responsible for ensuring there are sufficient beds.\" A spokesman for the Campaign to Save Mental Health in Norfolk and Suffolk said: \"It is completely inappropriate - indeed, unsafe - for children and young people to find themselves on adult psychiatric wards. \"NHS England has failed to react with sufficient urgency and resources to address a crisis which has been growing for years, not months.\" An NHS England spokesman said: \"Since August last year we've opened an extra 46 beds for children with the most severe mental health needs. \"Many need this care so while beds are available we have asked services to ensure they have plans in place for any young person with mental health problems to receive the right care, in the right place at the right time to suit their individual needs.\"", "summary": "The chairman of a mental health trust has said it is \"unacceptable\" that children have had to be admitted to adult wards because of a beds shortage."}
{"article": "Some are having to hire cars and taxis to fulfil sports fixtures or take field trips as a result. Principals have been warned by the Education Authority (EA) that some teachers who currently drive minibuses may be doing so illegally. The EA said the change was due to the Driver and Vehicle Agency clarifying the rules on minibuses. However, one principal told the BBC the change would have \"huge implications\" for schools. Previously, staff who held a licence which qualified them to drive a car would also have been able to drive a school minibus. However, revised guidance from the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) states that teachers must now have a D1 licence and a driver's qualification card to do so. The EA letter to principals, issued in June, states that if this is not the case there will be serious consequences. \"If this criteria cannot be met, any journey undertaken by staff will not be considered legal and may leave the driver and the employer facing prosecution and penalties,\" it states. \"It is imperative that the school at all times and you satisfy yourself that the relevant criteria have been met before authorising employees to drive a minibus.\" The principal of Lisneal College in Londonderry, Michael Allen, said the new restrictions were having a serious impact. \"No-one at my school currently meets the new criteria,\" he said. \"I am now having to pay for taxis to take pupils on geography field trips before the end of term. \"A school team was also due to play a cricket match which we were about to cancel until another school, who had a qualified driver, helped us out. \"This change could end up costing my school up to \u00c2\u00a31,000 before the end of term alone.\" In a statement, the EA said it had written to all schools to make them aware that DVA had clarified the licence requirements in relation to minibuses\". \"These requirements apply to those employed in schools who drive minibuses.\" The DVA has not yet responded to a request for further details.", "summary": "Schools are facing new restrictions on which teachers can drive school minibuses."}
{"article": "The Vermont senator stood by his comments, pointing to her Wall Street links and her vote for the war in Iraq. He said she started the latest war of words by attacking him first. The two candidates will do battle in a New York showdown in two weeks, a state where both have strong links. There is much at stake, as the former secretary of state tries to stem the momentum of the self-described democratic socialist, who has a string of wins behind him. Mr Sanders beat Mrs Clinton in the Wisconsin primary contest on Tuesday, and could pick up more delegates in Wyoming on Saturday before the greater prize of New York is up for grabs. Is it a sign of desperation from a losing campaign or a proportional response to an earlier unfair attack? Whatever the reason, Bernie Sanders's recent criticisms of Hillary Clinton as \"unqualified\" for the presidency represent a marked escalation in the war of words between the two candidates. Mrs Clinton's supporters are bristling at the remarks, which they consider both sexist and patently untrue, given the former secretary of state's weighty political biography. The Vermont senator's point, however, is that Mrs Clinton's lengthy experience within the establishment isn't a mark in her favour, it's a flaw that makes her beholden to the special interests he has spent his campaign denouncing. With what could be a decisive New York primary less than two weeks away, the battle lines are clearly forming and the rhetoric is only just starting to heat up. Democrats often boast of the substantiveness of their presidential nomination contest, particularly compared to the ongoing Republican slugfest. This relatively genteel atmosphere may not persist through a rough-and-tumble contest in the Empire State, however, with its tabloid media culture that trumpets every squawk and squabble. In the political pressure cooker that is New York politics, things may be about to take an ugly turn. The latest row began on Wednesday when Mrs Clinton was asked if Mr Sanders was qualified to be president, after he gave a newspaper interview in which he appeared to struggle to answer some questions. \"I think he hadn't done his homework and he'd been talking for more than a year about doing things that he obviously hasn't really studied or understood, and that does raise a lot of questions,\" she told MSNBC's Morning Joe. On Wednesday night, Bernie Sanders told a crowd of supporters at Temple University that Mrs Clinton had accused him of being unqualified. \"Well let me, let me just say in response to Secretary Clinton, I don't believe that she is qualified if she is, through her super PAC [fundraising committee], taking tens of millions of dollars in special interest funds,\" he said. \"I don't think you are qualified if you get $15 million from Wall Street through your super PAC.\" He went on to list her backing of the Iraq War and her support of trade agreements as other disqualifications. On Thursday, he repeated his comments. The Clinton campaign hit back, with spokesman Brian Fallon tweeting: \"Hillary", "summary": "Hillary Clinton has dismissed as \"ridiculous\" a charge by Bernie Sanders that she is \"unqualified\" to be president, as tensions rise in the Democratic race."}
{"article": "Chuck Schumer said Judge Neil Gorsuch favoured the \"powerful over the weak\" and failed to answer \"question after question\" in his confirmation hearing. Senate Democrats are in a 48-52 minority but can insist that Mr Gorsuch wins 60 votes, a so-called filibuster. Republicans could then revert to a simple majority in a \"nuclear option\". That would require them voting in a change of rules. Mr Schumer's announcement is sure to set up a bruising battle. He said he did not think Judge Gorsuch would be a mainstream judge. \"After careful deliberation, I have concluded that I cannot support Judge Neil Gorsuch's nomination to the Supreme Court,\" Mr Schumer said. \"He will have to earn 60 votes for confirmation. My vote will be 'no', and I urge my colleagues to do the same,\" he added. If Mr Gorsuch did not get 60 votes, \"the answer isn't to change the rules, it's to change the nominee,\" Mr Schumer said. Judge Gorsuch is on the fourth and final day of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judicial Committee, where outside parties comment for or against his nomination. Thursday's first witness, the American Bar Association, gave Judge Gorsuch its highest rating of \"well qualified\". The committee will vote, probably next week, on the nomination. It simply records a favourable, unfavourable or \"without recommendation\" comment and passes the final decision to the full Senate. Senate Republicans say they will seek a full vote on the chamber floor before Congress leaves for recess on 7 April. It is unclear how many, if any, Senate Democrats would support Mr Gorsuch's nomination. He would need eight to beat the filibuster. The so-called nuclear option would require Republicans to change Senate rules to allow Mr Gorsuch's nomination to be approved with a simple majority. President Trump has called on them to do so if necessary. During the confirmation hearing, Democrats on the committee regularly expressed their anger that President Barack Obama's nomination for a post that was vacated 13 months ago was refused a hearing by Republicans. Republicans blocked Merrick Garland's nomination, arguing it should not go ahead in an election year. Mr Gorsuch, 49, would restore a 5-4 conservative majority on the Supreme Court that lapsed with the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. As a lifetime appointee, Judge Gorsuch would join the other justices in having the final legal word on many of the most sensitive US issues. Judge Gorsuch's qualifications have not been called into question at his hearing, but Democrats have been frustrated at his refusal to signal any stance on such emotive areas as gun control, abortion and employee rights. He has simply said it is his duty to apply the law as it stands.", "summary": "The leading Democrat in the US Senate says he will lead an attempt to block President Donald Trump's nomination for the Supreme Court."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device A report suggests Bournemouth, Chelsea and Watford may not fulfil a pledge to meet standards by August 2017. It stressed clubs have been \"working hard on delivery\" since a 2014 BBC report found that 17 of 20 clubs did not provide enough wheelchair spaces. But campaigners have criticised the failure to meet the standards set out. \"The time for excuses is over,\" said David Isaac, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. \"The Premier League promised that disabled access would be improved by the start of next season, so it is disappointing that a number of clubs will fail to meet that deadline. \"Clubs need to urgently demonstrate to us what they are doing to ensure they are compliant with the law and how they are making it easier for disabled fans to attend matches. If they don't they will face legal action.\" The Premier League's report comes after MPs argued last month that top-flight clubs were prioritising finance over improving access and meeting the Accessible Stadia Guidelines. The Culture, Media and Sport select committee report said clubs should face legal action if they fail to meet the basic needs of disabled fans. The Premier League board can impose fines of up to \u00a325,000, while cases of serious breaches would be referred to an independent panel - which could impose heavier fines or even deduct points. Bournemouth have 195 disabled fan spaces but not to the required standard. However, they do not own their Vitality Stadium home and the club says that the stadium's small size makes meeting guidelines difficult. It is planning to move to a bigger ground in the coming years. Chelsea have 128 spaces for disabled fans, against a recommended 214. The club is aiming to move to a new 60,000-seat stadium and says in the meantime it will consult with disabled fans. Watford have spaces for 61 disabled fans, but should provide 153. It will have more wheelchair spaces by August but says it faces architectural challenges and is aiming to make other improvements to boost the matchday experience of disabled fans. Burnley, Middlesbrough and Hull were given extensions to 2018 to meet the guideline standards as they were only promoted last summer. \"Premier League clubs have embarked on a substantial programme of work and rapid progress has been made. The improvements undertaken are unprecedented in scope, scale and timing by any group of sports grounds or other entertainment venues in the UK. \"Given the differing ages and nature of stadia, some clubs have, and continue to face, significant challenges. For those clubs, cost is not a determining factor. \"They are working through issues relating to planning, how to deal with new stadium development plans, how to best manage fan disruption or, in cases where clubs don't own their own grounds, dealing with third parties. \"Clubs deserve credit for committing to and delivering the extensive work detailed in this interim report. What is also clear is that even more progress will be achieved in creating the appropriate levels of", "summary": "At least three clubs are at risk of missing a self-imposed deadline to improve access for disabled fans, the Premier League has said."}
{"article": "The federation said the demand for holiday homes in some English countryside districts was pricing locals out of the market. It said new research showed Uttlesford in Essex saw the biggest jump in second homes between 2004 and 2009. North Kesteven in Lincolnshire had the second biggest increase. In Uttlesford, the number of registered second homes rose from 10 in 2004 to 214 in 2009. North Kesteven saw a more subdued rise, with the number of second homes increasing from 128 in 2004 to 242 in 2009. Aylesbury Vale in Buckinghamshire took the third place on the list with an increase from 217 holiday homes to 410 during the same period. Other regions in the list's top 10 include Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire, North Lincolnshire, north-east Derbyshire, Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, South Kesteven in Lincolnshire, Braintree in Essex and North Somerset. The federation, which represents 1,200 housing authorities in England, said buyers were no longer just interested in the traditional second home hotspots of Cornwall, Devon and north Norfolk. In a statement, its chief executive David Orr said: \"Some areas of the English countryside have seen a huge rise in the number of properties being bought as holiday homes, which has pushed up prices beyond the level most local people can afford. \"If families and young people are priced out of their local villages it can have a hugely damaging impact on community life, with village shops, schools and pubs closing in alarming numbers as a result.\" The research also suggested that the cost of an average home had risen in the last decade - from \u00a3175,278 in 2000 to \u00a3303,923 in 2009. It also suggested there had been a rise in prices in the same period in North Kesteven - from \u00a374,748 to \u00a3159,603. The other areas are also suggested to have more than doubled in price in that time. The organisation called for local authorities in such areas to create action plans which would tackle the situation.", "summary": "Families are being forced out of their local areas as more buyers seek second homes in rural locations, the National Housing Federation has warned."}
{"article": "The reigning champion from Northern Ireland led from early in race two and won by nine seconds. Rea's main title challenger and Kawasaki team-mate Tom Sykes slipped off but recovered to finish 12th. Alex de Angelis was second and Xavi Fores third, with Welshman Chaz Davies, who won Saturday's opener, sixth. Heavy rain at the Lausitzring circuit led to the start being delayed twice on Sunday. Yorkshireman Sykes, who cut the gap on Rea to 26 points with Saturday's win, moved in front on the first lap. However, he was quickly replaced by Rea before skidding off and ending his hopes of victory. Sykes was able to continue but from the back of the field and he moved through to take four points. Rea was never threatened as he secured a much-needed 25 points after failing to finish the last two races. The riders have three rounds remaining in France, Spain and Qatar.", "summary": "Britain's Jonathan Rea overcame wet conditions in Germany to secure victory and move 47 points clear in the World Superbike Championship standings."}
{"article": "Prevent is a UK government scheme that uses early intervention to try to stop people from becoming radicalised. The report said the policy was \"inconsistent with the principle of the rule of law\". The Home Office said the report makes \"a series of assertions that are simply not true\". Home Secretary Amber Rudd set out plans to improve and strengthen Prevent in the wake of last month's Manchester terror attack. She suggested more money would be spent on the strategy to make sure \"it has even more effective outcomes in communities to protect us\". She said Prevent had helped stop 150 people - including 50 children - from leaving Britain to fight in Syria in the last year. Prevent, which was set up in 2006 by Labour, is meant to protect individuals thought to be at risk of being radicalised has been criticised for demonising Muslim communities and deterring people from sharing information with police. The report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the UK, first published in May, was highly critical of Prevent, UK counter-terror legislation, the impact of lobbying laws on charities, and trade union laws. The author of the report, Kenyan human rights specialist Maina Kiai, said unclear Prevent guidelines gave decision makers \"excessive discretion\", which rendered the application of the policy \"unpredictable and potentially arbitrary\". This, he said, risked \"dividing, stigmatizing and alienating segments of the population\". Legislation covering political lobbying also came in for criticism for having a chilling effect on charities. Commonly known as the Lobbying Act, the laws were described as having a disproportionate effect upon civil society and trade unions compared to business interests. This was, the report said, because the actions of in-house lobbyists, who generally work for these business interests, were not restricted by part one of the Act. The report also criticises the implementation of counter-terrorism policies. It said that the Investigatory Powers Act, which increased government powers to intercept private communications, \"contained procedures without adequate oversight, coupled with overly broad definitions, which might result in unduly interfering with the right to privacy, the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the right to freedom of association.\" It criticised the planned Counter Extremism and Safeguarding Bill, which would allow clamp downs on non-violent extremist groups, as unnecessary, saying it could leave people \"fearful of exercising their rights\" and could end up proving counterproductive. Balloting restrictions on public service trade unions to force higher turnout before industrial action could be taken, introduced under the Trade Union Act, were labelled as \"profoundly undemocratic\". A Home Office spokesperson said: \"It was disappointing to see a report make a series of assertions that are simply not true. \"Prevent is vital and necessary to stop the threat of terrorism, whether Islamist or Far Right. \"To say that the strategy creates extremists is an outrageous claim with no evidence.\" \"Following the tragic events in London and Manchester, it is more important than ever that we focus on the real causes of terrorism, which continues to", "summary": "A UN Human Rights Council report has criticised the Prevent counter-terror strategy as \"inherently flawed.\""}
{"article": "Sterling has fallen sharply against the euro since the Brexit vote in June. It means fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and poultry are costing more for traders to buy. The UK economy has defied some of the gloomiest predictions since the EU referendum. But with many businesses working out what the weaker pound means for them, BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme spoke to traders in New Smithfield Market in Manchester for their views. Tony Howard is a salesman for Barton and Redman Ltd, a large independent fruit and vegetable wholesaler at the market. He says tomatoes from the Netherlands have gone up sharply. \"Before Brexit the average price of a box of tomatoes was around \u00a34 and now it is around \u00a36,\" he says. He sells on to caterers, hotel and restaurant owners and secondary wholesalers. \"We try to work for a gross profit of around 10%, so if I am paying \u00a36 for a tomato [box] I have to charge \u00a36.60 for it,\" he says. \"Secondary wholesalers and catering people have to work for a larger margin because they don't do the volume that we do, so by the time it gets to somebody's plate that box of tomatoes could cost \u00a310.\" There were times before the UK voted to leave the EU when he could buy tomatoes from the Netherlands for \u00a32, he says. BBC Radio 4's You and Yours spoke to several traders with similar stories - reporting price hikes of up to 40%. Brian Wilde is from J&B Wilde which has been selling fish, meat and poultry for more than a century. \"It is very difficult, because we buy quite a lot of produce out of the UK,\" he says. While imports are more expensive, of course the pound's fall also makes UK exports cheaper. But that also makes sourcing produce harder as well, says Brian. \"Produce in the UK is getting sent abroad because it's worth more for those fishing for the fish to send it abroad.\" His sister, Mariella, says: \"All our prices, for anything from outside this country, have gone up. Our average profits have fallen by up to 15%. We cannot pass that on.\" Traders say they try to absorb as much of this extra cost as they can but that might change soon. Darryl Laycock, from Sale Fish and Seafood in south Manchester, says the price of his sea bass has gone up 10%. \"I haven't passed it on yet, but I think the margins are getting so tight, I am going to have to start looking at different prices on certain products,\" he says. Traders suggest this could also affect the availability of products. Matthew Tunaley, who runs a greengrocers at Failsworth in Manchester, says he does not buy strawberries at New Smithfield Market because they are asking for \u00a35 for 500g. He believes it is because of a shortage, made worse by the exchange rate. \"I have had a lady in already asking for them, I explained to her the price was too high, but she still wanted them,\"", "summary": "Traders at one of the UK's largest wholesale markets say prices for imports from the EU are up by as much as 40% owing to the drop in the value of the pound."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The pair have been friends since their teens but had a disagreement during April's RBC Heritage event, with Willett eventually missing the cut. Smart felt mistreated and left his role, \"effectively sacking\" Willett, 29, mid-tournament, according to BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter. \"Things are a bit stale and kind of fizzled out,\" Willett told BBC Sport. \"It is a shame. But things happen and change, everything happens for a reason. \"We are still working hard to get the game in shape to get back playing the golf we know we can play.\" Willett did not rule out the prospect of his childhood friend one day returning to his bag but he was forced to use a member of his management team in the second round at the RBC Heritage. He will use Sam Haywood at this week's Players Championship in Florida. Haywood was best man at Willett's wedding and has recently been on the bag of American player David Lipsky. \"Sam knows my game really well,\" Willett added. \"We've played a lot of golf together over the last 10 or 15 years. It's nice having someone who you can speak frankly with. He knows where my game is and when it's good. I think it's going to be good.\" Smart and Willett memorably embraced in the recorders' room at last year's Masters when it became clear the Englishman had won a first major. But he has not won a tournament since, placing outside the top-25 in the three other majors in 2016 before missing the cut on his return to Augusta in April. The dip in form has seen him fall 10 places to 21 in the world since the turn of the year. BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter It's been a struggle to adjust to the status of a major champion for Willett. Results haven't been good for a year. Recently he's missed three of the last four cuts, so these are trying times. It came home for me today as I remember this day last year I approached him at his first tournament since winning the Masters. Now, the mood music could not be any different.", "summary": "Danny Willett has split with caddie Jonathan Smart just over a year after winning the Masters at Augusta."}
{"article": "The extra term of two years and eight months was imposed after a retrial at Taiwan's high court, in which Chen was acquitted of another corruption charge. He was first jailed in 2009. Chen has accused Taiwan's current government of persecuting him to win favours with China; he strongly supported independence while in power. At his earlier trial, Chen was sentenced to life imprisonment, a sentence which was reduced on appeal last year. In this latest case, Chen was initially found guilty of embezzling some $5m (\u00c2\u00a33m) from a special presidential fund while he was in power. But the Supreme Court ordered a retrial last November, citing insufficient evidence. Now Taiwan's High Court has acquitted Chen of the charge. The court, however, found him guilty of money laundering and forging documents, and handed down the additional two-year sentence. That brings his overall sentence to about 20 years. Chen's wife, former first lady Wu Shu-chen, received a longer sentence of nearly 12 years at the retrial, but she is unlikely to spend any time in prison because of her poor health, says the BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei. Analysts say the ruling could appease Chen's supporters and help President Ma Ying-jeou, who is seeking re-election in the upcoming January presidential race. But it could also help the opposition party which Chen once led, by giving it more leverage to accuse the governing party of playing politics in prosecutions, says our correspondent. Chen angered Beijing during his eight years in office by pushing for Taiwan's independence. Taiwan has been ruled separately from China since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, when the defeated Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan to create a self-governing entity. But Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force if the island ever moved to declare formal independence.", "summary": "Taiwan's ex-President Chen Shui-bian - who is already in jail for corruption - has been given an additional sentence for money-laundering and forgery."}
{"article": "About 20 people are currently living in the former car showroom on Iffley Road after moving in on New Year's Eve. Leaseholder Midcounties Co-operative has said the squatters can stay until April, despite a judge granting it permission to evict them earlier. But owner Oxford University's Wadham College said it requires the building back by 27 February. This is so preparations for demolition can begin, the college said, as it intends to use the site for student housing. Neo, a spokesman for the Iffley Open House campaign group, said it was \"unacceptable\" for the college to try to get the squatters out by February. He added: \"The weather will still be cold, I don't want people out on the streets.\" The campaigners have asked that the building, which has been empty for two years, be officially designated as homeless housing. Kevin Brown, group general manager at the Midcounties Co-operative, said in April the company has a legal obligation to hand the site back to Wadham College. He added: \"To ensure we're able to meet that requirement, we have been granted a repossession order but our preference is not to have to use it.\" A Wadham College spokesperson said: \"Whilst we have deep sympathy with the plight of homeless people, any solution must not delay the redevelopment of the building as homes for students. \"We will continue our discussions with all parties in the hope of resolving this amicably and are seeking help from local homeless support groups and charities to help find longer-term accommodation for these homeless people.\"", "summary": "Squatters who turned an Oxford building into a homeless shelter have been given temporary permission to stay."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old Spaniard featured only seven times for the Addicks and spent last season on loan at the Belgian top-flight club. A product of Barcelona's academy, he joined Tottenham at the age of 18 but was released in 2015 after failing to make a first-team appearance. Ceballos played just 301 minutes for Charlton during the 2015-16 season. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Charlton Athletic winger Cristian Ceballos has joined Sint-Truiden on a three-year contract."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 18 August 2015 Last updated at 20:31 BST The 43-year-old Mikron Theatre company is stopping in Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire. Artistic director Marianne McNamara said: \"We perform to an average of 100 people a night, it is fabulous.\" Monday evening's performance near Southam, Warwickshire, celebrated one hundred years of the Women's Institute. The company of five live on the boat and perform six nights a week for six months of the year.", "summary": "A travelling theatre that performs from a canal boat is making its way through the West Midlands this summer."}
{"article": "Online defamation was already a crime, but the new law makes specific provisions for the president. Offenders using fake accounts could face a 1,500 manats (\u00c2\u00a3676; $855) fine and up to three years in jail for insults against Ilham Aliyev. Azerbaijan's traditional media is strictly controlled by the government. Social media had been a way for citizens to vent their frustration with the increasingly authoritarian government and failing economy - that is now complicated by the new law. Online insults against Mr Aliyev that trace back to an authentic account will get a more lenient two year sentence and pay a smaller fine. The BBC's South Caucasus correspondent, Rayhan Demytrie, says what constitutes an insult will be decided by domestic courts, which are not independent according to human rights groups. In the past few years, dozens of journalists, youth and pro-democracy activists have found themselves behind bars for being critical of the country's leadership. Around the world, several other countries have imposed harsh controls on the internet and social media, barring their citizens from criticising government officials. In Thailand, strict lese majeste laws protect the royal family from insult or threat. Those who defame or insult the king, queen or heirs face up to 15 years in prison. Turkey has repeatedly blocked social media in the run-up to elections and jailed journalists for critical coverage of the government. Russia recently blocked the social network LinkedIn and has jailed internet activists who have posted material critical of the government, Ukraine or Crimea, the peninsula it annexed in 2014. On Thursday, The Gambia banned the internet and international phone calls during its presidential elections.", "summary": "Azerbaijan's parliament has approved a new law which makes insulting the country's president on social media a criminal offence."}
{"article": "The Tonga-born flanker or number eight won 17 Test caps for the All Blacks between 2005 and 2008. In 2012, it was reported Lauaki - who played for Super Rugby club Chiefs as well as French sides Bayonne and Clermont - had been suffering from heart and kidney problems. \"The thoughts of everyone are with the family of Sione Lauaki. Gone too soon. RIP, Wax,\" tweeted the All Blacks. The Chiefs were playing in the Brisbane Global Tens rugby tournament on Sunday and dedicated their victory to their former player. \"We lost a brother today,'' outside back Shaun Stevenson said after the Chiefs won the Brisbane title. Earlier in the day, Chiefs coach Dave Rennie said his side would dedicate the to the tournament to the memory of Lauaki. \"There's a number of guys who played a lot of footy with Wax,'' Rennie said, referring to Lauaki's nickname. \"There's a lot of motivating factors. Not everyone knows Wax, but he played a lot of footy for the Chiefs and he's certainly highly respected among his mates.'' This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser", "summary": "Former New Zealand forward Sione Lauaki has died at the age of 35."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old victim had to have blood transfusions after being struck on the head at a pub in Stirchley, Birmingham. Luke Pinder, 21, of Millfield Close, Hawkinge, Folkestone, Kent, has been jailed for eight years. He admitted wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm. Read more news for Birmingham and the Black Country Pinder, who was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court, was in the Horseshoe Arms last September when security staff asked everyone to leave at closing time. He threw a bottle at full force, hitting the other man as he stood up to leave, causing a deep gash on the back of his head, police said. He was celebrating with his girlfriend after just being told he was in remission from acute myeloid leukaemia. Pinder's image was circulated and he was identified.", "summary": "A man who threw a bottle that struck a man celebrating being told he was in remission from leukaemia has been jailed."}
{"article": "A warrant was issued for the arrest of Tina Beloveth Powerful, 47, from Milton Keynes, on 24 July. She had previously been found guilty of fraud and false advertising but failed to attend her sentencing hearing. Thames Valley Police said Powerful had not been arrested but refused to say if any attempt had been made to find her. The BBC has repeatedly asked if officers were aware of Powerful's whereabouts or if any attempts had been made to find her. \u00a38,000 Estimated cost of the prosecution 11 times the case has come to Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court 3 times Tina Beloveth Powerful has failed to appear for sentencing October 2014 when the case first came to court A police spokeswoman said the force was unable to \"comment on the suspected whereabouts of individuals or our attempts to locate or arrest them\". She said this was \"because we wouldn't want the person concerned to attempt to evade arrest\". Milton Keynes Council has estimated the prosecution will cost around \u00a38,000 if it is ever completed. Milton Keynes North MP Mark Lancaster, a Conservative, has said the cost was \"disproportionately\" high. Tina Beloveth Powerful timeline: \u202217 October, 2014: Tina Beloveth Powerful was first listed to appear at magistrates' court, but failed to attend \u202211 November, 2014: The case was adjourned three times, including two no shows, before Powerful pleaded not guilty \u202224 April: On the seventh time the case had gone to court, the trial had to be adjourned after Powerful shouted at magistrates \u202219 June: Powerful found guilty \u202210 July: Powerful supplied a sick note to the court, case adjourned \u202217 July: Powerful failed to attend sentencing for a second time. A warrant was issued for her arrest \u202224 July: Despite being arrested and bailed to appear at the court, Powerful again failed to attend. An arrest warrant, without bail, was issued", "summary": "Police have refused to say if they are still pursuing a bogus business school owner who has been on the run for three months."}
{"article": "Fermanagh's All-Star nominee Sean Quigley has also been given a one-match ban following an incident in the Athletic Grounds game. Both counties can appeal against the fines while there may also be an attempt to overturn Quigley's ban. Several players from both teams got involved in jostling in the tunnel. A row involving up to 20 players erupted in the wake of Tony Kernan's black card for tripping Quigley. Tempers flared as referee Cormac Reilly blew the half-time whistle and the row continued as the players made their way down the tunnel. Reilly booked Aidan Forker and James McMahon before the second half started while the game also had numerous late and cynical hits. As it stands, Quigley's ban will rule him out of Sunday's Division 2 game against Laois. Both Castlebar Mitchels and Crossmaglen Rangers have also been fined by the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee following disturbances on the sideline in the closing stages of their recent All-Ireland Club Football semi-final. Castlebar have been hit with a 1,500 Euro penalty with Crossmaglen fined 1,000 Euro. Once again, appeals are highly likely.", "summary": "Armagh and Fermanagh have been handed 5,000 Euro fines following the half-time disturbances in last weekend's Football League Division 2 game."}
{"article": "They are seeking guarantees of his total co-operation with the forthcoming abuse inquiry in Northern Ireland. They want to ensure, via him, \"the unconditional co-operation from the orders who ran institutions where children were placed\". The inquiry will consider allegations dating back to 1945. Margaret McGuckin, of Savia, said she was abused at a Sisters of Nazareth orphanage in Belfast from the age of three. She said they would be asking Cardinal Brady to apply pressure on religious orders to co-operate. \"This has been a long and tortuous route for some survivors and victims, re-awakening and reliving memories that were nightmares for some,\" she said. \"We believe that the cardinal holds a key position that will allow that nightmare to end. \"We have been led up the garden path so many times, it was just about story telling.\" \"We need to know they are going to support and make a commitment. We need follow-up meetings. We need them to admit rather than pushing people like their lawyers in front of us. \"Are they going to be genuine and Christian in their attitude?\" Representatives of five religious orders where institutional abuse is alleged to have happened are also at the meeting which began at about 11:00 GMT on Monday. Cardinal Brady came out to welcome the group at his private residence in Armagh. At lunch-time, the meeting was still going on. Savia campaigned for the NI Executive to hold an inquiry into historical institutional abuse. Final preparations for this are being made by the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister. It is understood that one part of that process will begin in the next few months. This is where people are given the opportunity to describe what happened to them in private. However, the second part of the inquiry, the statutory process, involves a change in Northern Ireland's law which will have to pass through the assembly. This will require more time. The executive inquiry will include Catholic religious orders, state and voluntary groups. It follows lengthy judicial examinations of horrifying tales of abuse in the Irish Republic.", "summary": "The Northern Ireland Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse group (Savia) are meeting Catholic primate Cardinal Sean Brady."}
{"article": "Two vessels are being deployed initially, in what the government says is an operation to help the Libyan coastguard and target people smugglers. Italy is the main recipient of migrants making the dangerous crossing from Libya. Earlier Italy impounded a German rescue ship on the island of Lampedusa. The crew on board the Iuventa, operated by German NGO Jugend Rettet, is being questioned on the orders of the Italian prosecutor. While the NGO said the check was \"standard procedure\", police said the ship was seized due to evidence of \"facilitating illegal immigration\". Two Syrian migrants were taken ashore from the vessel, Italian media reported. Lampedusa, a tiny Italian island near North Africa, has struggled to house boatloads of migrants in recent years. Jugend Rettet is one of several search-and-rescue NGOs operating in the Mediterranean that has rejected an Italian code of conduct, which had just come in to play to deal with the issue. The NGOs object to the requirement for armed police to board their ships and for rescuers to stop transferring migrants from one ship to another. They want to minimise their trips back to port, because those trips cost them precious time and money. Soon after the Italian parliament's vote, a patrol boat entered Libyan waters and headed for the capital Tripoli. The Italian Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti stressed the mission would not be a \"blockade\" preventing migrant boats from leaving. However, rights groups have warned that those sent back to Libya face abuse at the hands of traffickers. Italy says its naval deployment is being negotiated with the UN-recognised Libyan government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj. Mr Sarraj said his administration had agreed to receive only training and arms from Italy. \"Libya's national sovereignty is a red line that nobody must cross,\" he said. More than 94,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean to Italy so far this year, according to the UN - a record number. More than 2,370 have died trying to reach Italy. Arrivals in July though were down dramatically on the same month last year - 11,193 compared with 23,552, according to the Interior Ministry. Migrants picked up in Libyan coastal waters - and not international waters - can be legally returned to Libya, but aid workers say conditions in migrant reception camps there are dire. Since 2015 as many as a dozen NGO aid ships have been patrolling off Libya to pick up migrants in distress. So far this year they have handled 35% of the rescues, Italy's coastguard says. A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.", "summary": "Italy's parliament has approved a plan to send naval boats to Libya as part of efforts to stop migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea."}
{"article": "The FTSE 100 edged up by just 1.88 points to 7,292.37. On a day nicknamed \"Super Thursday\" because so many retail updates were released, the biggest faller was Primark owner Associated British Food, with shares down 4.52%. Dixons Carphone, Next, Shire and Carnival were the other big fallers. Total sales at Primark rose 11%, with like-for-like sales \"good\". However, it said like-for-like sales were down in Germany and the Netherlands. Tesco's shares fell 1.3%, despite the UK's largest supermarket reporting a 0.7% rise in UK like-for-like sales over Christmas. Investors welcomed news of better-than-expected sales at Marks and Spencer in its clothing division, sending the High Street giant's shares up 1.3%. Underlying sales in the clothing and homeware division rose 2.3% - well above analysts' expectations for about 0.5%. In the FTSE 250, shares in JD Sports jumped 7.5% after it reported a strong increase in sales and raised its full-year profit forecast. Also on the FTSE 250 Debenhams rose by 5.4%, while Dunelm lost 6.9%. On the currency markets, sterling rose against the dollar earlier on Thursday as the US currency weakened following a news conference from US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday. The dollar fell after Mr Trump failed to give any further detail on his economic plans. However, it subsequently fell back on the news that Prime Minister Theresa May will give a major speech about her Brexit plans next Tuesday. The pound was down 0.04% against the dollar at $1.2206, and down 0.81% against the euro to \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.1447.", "summary": "(Close): London's main share index has closed at a record level for the 11th day in a row - a feat it has never managed before."}
{"article": "Unwanted by Tottenham Hotspur, the 31-year-old failed to respond to a call-up following a row over the captaincy ahead of Togo's win over Liberia in June. New captain Serge Akakpo wasted little time in making an impact, scoring after three minutes, before Jonathan Ayite doubled the lead before half-time. Togo lead Group A with six points. However, Tunisia will move ahead on Saturday if they record their second victory in as many games when travelling to Liberia. The game in Monrovia will be the first full international Liberia has hosted since the lifting of a ban imposed because of the Ebola crisis. Liberia, which last hosted an international in May 2014, was declared Ebola-free on Thursday. Tunisia beat Djibouti 8-1 during the opening round of 2017 Nations Cup qualifiers in June.", "summary": "Togo won their second straight 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier when triumphing 2-0 in Djibouti but did so without star striker Emmanuel Adebayor."}
{"article": "The eight-week-old Labrador and 10-week-old Malinois have been bred in Scotland specifically for police work and are already showing skills. PC Gareth Wedley, who is Luna's handler, said the Labrador was chasing and fetching a ball earlier than any puppy he had seen at her age before. The pair have joined the 17 other dogs in the force's dog section. Luna the Labrador - named after a character in the Harry Potter books - is living with PC Wedley and his other working dog, a two-year-old general purpose dog called Axe. \"Luna is doing really well at the moment - she's already displaying a desire to chase and find a ball and bring it back to me, when she wants to give it back that is,\" he said. \"This is something which I haven't seen in a puppy I've had of her age before. \"She's currently undergoing some training and we are also trying to introduce her to various environments. \"Early socialisation and introducing the dog to a wide range of people, animals and experiences is essential to ensure a sociable, well-adjusted and balanced dog which is suitable for police work.\" Diesel, who has been living with handler PC Sonia Stobbart for the past two weeks, was named after the police dog who died during the recent terror attacks in Paris. \"Having another puppy is hard work, there's plenty of sleepless nights and hours of your own time spent with them,\" she added. \"It's all worth it to know that you have a dog that you have put everything into yourself because I will spend the next eight years working with him, he will be my protector and best friend.\"", "summary": "North Wales Police has recruited two keen and eager new members - crime-fighting puppies Luna and Diesel."}
{"article": "And today's star players are more likely to put their riches into sports cars or flashy apartments, than invest in anything as esoteric as the cultivation of the grape. However, outside of the UK it is different, with former Milan, Juventus and Italy star Andrea Pirlo being well known for his love of wine. The classy midfielder, now playing in New York, owns the Pratum Coller vineyard outside Brescia in Italy, which produces up to 20,000 bottles of wine a year. And a few years ago Barcelona star Lionel Messi put his name to a series of wines produced in his homeland of Argentina. But perhaps less well known, due to his quiet demeanour, is another famous Barcelona star putting his time and money into wine production - midfielder Andres Iniesta. Iniesta has won every honour going with club FC Barcelona, including eight La Ligas and four Champions Leagues, and he also scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final for Spain. Only this week Argentina's 1978 World Cup winning manager called Iniesta, who is the most decorated Spanish player ever, the best in the world. But if you lived in Spain you might also see his face beaming out from advertisements promoting wines from his family business, Bodega Iniesta. \"This is a small business, and all the family is involved in it, including Andres,\" the firm's export manager Jose Ramon Cuenca Jara says at their trade stand at Soccerex. \"The family already owned the business before he became a successful football player, and as he has grown up he has also become involved.\" Iniesta is the third generation from his family to take a role in the business, which was established by his grandfather Jose Antonio. There are 180 hectares of vineyards, and all the wines are made from their own grapes. The business, based near Albacete, is two hours' drive from Valencia, and two-and-a-half hours from Madrid, with the wines produced coming under the geographic appellation Manchuela. Iniesta was born in Fuentealbilla, a small village in the province of Albacete, Castile-La Mancha, and it was his performances for a youth team from Albacete that led him to signing for Barcelona at the age of 12. \"He is from the area where the wine business is, and he has never forgotten his roots there,\" says Mr Cuenca Jara. \"When he became a star player at Barcelona he invested a lot of his money into the business. \"This enabled the family to then start producing wines. Before that they did not make their own wines, but sold their grapes to a local co-operative.\" That change came in 2010. But before that, from the time that Iniesta had broken into the Barcelona B team in 2000 at the age of 16, he had helped the family to expand their vineyard and to grow new types of grapes. Despite being in the top handful of players in the world, Iniesta still has time for the family business. \"Of course he still takes in interest,\" says Mr Cuenta Jara. \"This is not just", "summary": "Former Premier League managers Sir Alex Ferguson and Harry Redknapp were well known for their love of wine, but none of them went so far as to own a vineyard or winery."}
{"article": "Carla Lockhart made the comments at a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee, of which she is a member. Ms Lockhart also confirmed a DUP statement which said she had a relative in the non-domestic scheme. In December, Sinn F\u00e9in said PAC committee member Michelle Gildernew MLA had a brother in the domestic scheme. Mrs Gildernew was absent from the committee on Wednesday. The PAC has been running an investigation into the handling of the non-domestic RHI for several months. The green energy scheme was intended to increase the creation of heat from renewable sources. However, businesses were receiving more in subsidies than they were paying for renewable fuel and the scheme became majorly oversubscribed. The fallout from the scandal surrounding the scheme, which is approximately \u00a3490m over budget, resulted in the collapse of Stormont's institutions and the calling of snap elections on 2 March. Mrs Lockhart told the committee on Wednesday her brother-in-law had been a recipient of the heat subsidy since 2014, but she had been unaware of that fact until January 2017. She was responding to a request from UUP MLA and committee chair Robin Swann for any committee member with an interest in the scheme to declare it. Mrs Lockhart said as well as being unaware of her relative's involvement with RHI, she did not \"help or assist with the application process\". \"My mother and father have poultry farms and do not have RHI and I can let any journalist see my bank statements and they will see there's no benefit from RHI,\" she said. Mrs Lockhart said it would be useful to know whether any committee member absent from today's meeting had any interest in the RHI scheme. The chairman said he would ask the committee clerk to write to all its members seeking the information which would be circulated to all the other members. DUP MLA Trevor Clarke asked whether this would cover any relative including one \"three times removed\". Mr Swann went on to thank members for their work on the inquiry. He said they'd managed to remain \"apolitical\" and had done \"sterling work\". He said the work was now in the hands of the upcoming public inquiry. The committee does not intend to publish a report on the work done to date.", "summary": "A DUP MLA has offered to let reporters see her bank statements to prove she is not benefiting financially from the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme."}
{"article": "The star will be honoured for his contribution to music, as well as his acting and humanitarian work. His catalogue includes hits such as Every Breath You Take, Fields of Gold and Don't Stand So Close To Me. \"Sting is an icon in the truest sense of the word,\" said Brandon Bakshi of the BMI, a music rights organisation. \"His musical catalogue has had an enormous impact on music lovers from around the globe across multiple generations.\" When the former Police frontman won the outstanding contribution award at the Brit Awards in 2002, he said: \"I've had a very, very long career in music. \"If I have gleaned any wisdom, it's encapsulated in five words: 'Music is its own reward.'\" He has also won 16 Grammys and been inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is due to release a new album, 57th & 9th, in November. The BMI - whose full name is Broadcast Music, Inc - keeps track of the songs played on radio and television and collects royalties on behalf of writers and publishers. Now in their 65th year, the BMI London Awards honour the writers and publishers of the most-performed British pop songs during the past 12 months. Last year, the US version of the ceremony saw Taylor Swift win a Taylor Swift Award - created in the star's name to recognise her domination of the airwaves in 2015. Swift told the audience: \"If they had chosen someone else to give the Taylor Swift Award to, I'd be kind of bummed about it.\" Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Sting is to join the likes of Ray Davies, Van Morrison and Sir Tim Rice when he becomes one of the recipients of the BMI Icon award next month."}
{"article": "Anita Whitlock, 71, said she was left with an open wound for hours and in a wet bed at King's Mill Hospital. She was admitted for treatment to an abscess but alleges she was ignored by staff and told she was stupid. Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it was \"very sorry\" she was unhappy with her care and was discussing the matter with her. Ms Whitlock, from Newark, who is disabled and struggled to get in and out of bed after a major operation, said: \"I just hated it, hated every minute. \"I told the nurse that my catheter is going to flood - she said 'don't be so stupid'. Ms Whitlock also said she cried herself to sleep after staff \"pushed me down\" when helping her use a bedpan. \"I will never, ever go in hospital again, I'll die at home. I'm not going back, no way,\" she said. Her carer Gail Weston said she was \"furious\" about what happened. \"If I wasn't there she wouldn't have eaten, drank or taken her medication because most of the time she couldn't reach it,\" Ms Weston said. \"One day we waited five hours for a dressing to come from the pharmacy, even though it's on site, so for five hours the wound was left open. \"It's just not acceptable.\" In a statement, Phil Bolton, divisional nurse for emergency care and medicine at the trust, said: \"We always take concerns about any aspect of patient care seriously. \"Mrs Whitlock has already been in contact with us regarding her care and we are discussing this with her directly.\"", "summary": "A patient says she would rather \"die at home\" than be cared for at a hospital in Nottinghamshire."}
{"article": "Saracens - serial winners with a cult-like collective mentality - take on Clermont Auvergne, whose sublime individual talents have too often been big-day bridesmaids. Often in major finals, the only fireworks on the pitch are when the winning captain lifts the trophy. But both these teams are capable of scintillating rugby to light up Murrayfield. It will be one to relish. There is a paradox around this Saracens team. They have been in the shake-down for major honours for the past five years. Last season, they landed a Premiership-Champions Cup double. Yet when you read down their teamsheet, it is not the scary set of individual superstars that big-money French sides in particular have put together in this competition's past. I suspect that is exactly how they like it. Saracens' success has been based around putting the team first. But that approach can't disguise the fact that fly-half Owen Farrell is fast becoming world class - if he is not there already. When he initially emerged at Saracens, his game was based on his excellent distribution and dead-eyed place kicking. Now he has so much more. His passing is sharper, his tactical kicking is more varied, he is a threat when he runs with the ball in hand and, if he doesn't go through a gap himself, he has the sleight of hand to put a team-mate into one. Opposite him, as in England's narrow Six Nations win over France earlier this year, is Camille Lopez. Lopez does not have either the flourishes or the fragility you sometimes associate with French fly-halves. He was excellent in the semi-final win over Leinster, controlling the tempo of the match and minimising mistakes, and if Clermont are to win, Lopez will have to lead them to victory again. The French side will not be able to outmuscle Saracens. Instead Clermont will have to beat them at their own game, by kicking often and smartly, defending stoutly and backing themselves to be sharper at exploiting the chances when they come. That puts a lot of pressure on Lopez. If he gets frustrated by Saracens' suffocating defence and lets his concentration slip, then Farrell and co won't be caught. With the likes of Aurelien Rougerie, Damien Chouly and Morgan Parra, there is a huge amount of experience among the Clermont ranks. Unfortunately for them, it is mainly experience of losing games like this. In 14 finals in the French Championship and top-tier European competition, Clermont have won just once. Their fans travel in huge numbers and with great expectations. You saw the excitement when they poured on to the pitch after the win over Leinster and I'm sure they will outnumber Saracens in the stands. Find out how to get into rugby union with our special guide. That is great if they get in the lead and the yellow and blue flags are fluttering at Murrayfield. If it goes the other way though and Saracens go ahead, the sense of deja vu will be stifling. It won't just be the finals in which they have frozen either.", "summary": "The Champions Cup has delivered a finale full of intrigue, a cliffhanger climax to end a humdinger of a tournament."}
{"article": "Good careers guidance has been highlighted as important to social mobility and to tackling youth unemployment. But a report from the Education Select Committee warns of problems with \"the quality, independence and impartiality\" of current careers advice. \"Urgent steps\" are needed to improve matters, says the report. The cross-party report also criticises the government's decision to give schools responsibility for careers advice - saying the move was \"regrettable\". MPs reported concerns about the variability of careers guidance offered by individual schools - and quoted claims that this was \"not delegation to schools, it is abdication\". But the committee found little enthusiasm for the return of the previous Connexions careers service, which had also faced criticism. There were also concerns about the lack of individual advice available. The National Careers Service, launched last year, offers guidance by website and phone, but it does not provide young people with face-to-face advisers. Brian Lightman, head of the Association of School and College Leaders, said head teachers had already raised concerns about the need for individual, face-to-face meetings with careers advisers. And he said the report \"sets out a convincing case for government to revisit the role and remit of the National Careers Service\". Mary Bousted, leader of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: \"The reality is that schools aren't run by magicians - if they don't have the time, money or appropriately trained staff, but have a multitude of other pressures because of Ofsted inspections, it is no surprise they are struggling to offer the careers guidance pupils need.\" Committee chairman Graham Stuart also cautioned that schools could \"put their own interests ahead of their pupils\", such as promoting their own sixth forms above other options. There has been increasing recognition of the importance of careers advice in promoting social mobility. An absence of good advice has been blamed for low aspirations in university applications and job seeking. Mr Stuart said that the evidence brought to his committee suggested that the most vulnerable youngsters were the \"most likely to be hurt by these deteriorating careers services\". Nick Chambers, director of the Education and Employers Taskforce, has been campaigning to improve careers guidance and promoting a better engagement between employment and education. He says the report \"shines a bright light on the deeply worrying situation encountered by young people\". \"There is a massive information gap between the real demands of employers and what young people know and where their aspirations lie,\" said Mr Chambers. \"The report is right to suggest that far too many young people are having to make vital and incredibly important decisions about their futures without enough access to good information.\" Keith Herrmann, convenor of the Careers Sector Stakeholders Alliance, said he hoped the report would help address \"the growing concern that the lack of funding for schools and inadequate guidance from the coalition government risks inconsistent careers provision across England, with school students suffering from a post-code lottery\". In a separate announcement, Labour's education spokesman, Stephen Twigg, is set to call for careers advice and information about work, such as visits", "summary": "Careers services for young people in England show a \"worrying deterioration\", MPs are warning."}
{"article": "They said 11 of the bodies had been buried about two years ago in a desolate area about 40km (25 miles) southeast of Ciudad Juarez. The remaining eight victims, who had been tortured and killed only days ago, were found along a road near the town of Rosales. Chihuahua is one of the states hardest hit by drug-related violence in Mexico. All the victims were male and had been shot dead. Many also showed signs of torture. According to figures released earlier this year by Mexico's National Human Rights Commission, 16,000 bodies remain unidentified and a total of 24,000 people are missing. Most of them are believed to be victims of fighting between rival drug gangs or the military response to the drug violence.", "summary": "Mexican security forces have found 19 bodies in mass graves in the northern state of Chihuahua."}
{"article": "The inmates stole five rifles; a guard and an inmate were killed in an exchange of fire. The authorities have begun a manhunt for the fugitives with the help of UN peacekeepers stationed in the country. The Haitian government tweeted that it condemned what it described as a prison mutiny. \"One guard was killed during the incident,\" Justice Minister Camille Edouard Junior told Reuters news agency. \"Three prisoner were wounded, including one who died as a consequence of his wounds.\" Eleven escapees have so far been detained, and checkpoints have been set up on roads near the prison. However, inmates at Arcahaie do not wear prison uniforms, making it easier for them to blend in with the general population. Haitian prisons are notoriously overcrowded and inmates spend years in pre-trial detention.", "summary": "More than 170 inmates have escaped from a Haitian prison in Arcahaie, 45km (30 miles) north of the capital Port-au-Prince."}
{"article": "Two explosions near the finishing line killed three people and injured at least 140 about two hours after the winners had completed the race. \"If this had happened two hours earlier, maybe I would have been among the victims,\" Mr Korir said. He had been celebrating Kenyan Rita Jeptoo's victory in the women's race. \"The joy that we had has all been taken away,\" Mr Korir told the BBC's Newsday programme. Ms Jeptoo comes from the Cherangany constituency, for which Mr Korir was elected an MP in last month's election. Despite the blasts and his political career, he says he will continue to compete in marathons - even in Boston, if it is held again next year. \"My attitude to marathons will never change but my attitude to life may change,\" he said. Bostonians recall 9/11 spirit Obama statement How secure are marathons? He said it was \"scary\" when he heard the news of the blasts. He said on hearing the news, he immediately checked on his parents-in-law, who were visiting, along with his coach. Kenya's ambassador to the US has told the BBC that none of the eight Kenyan athletes running the marathon were wounded in the blasts. Two South Africans were treated in hospital for minor injuries but have now been released, officials say. The men's race was won by Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa, ahead of Kenya's Micah Kogo. The annual Boston Marathon this year had a field of about 23,000 runners and was watched by hundreds of thousands of spectators. It is held on Patriots' Day, a Massachusetts state holiday which commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution in 1775. UK police are reviewing security plans for Sunday's London Marathon, the next major international marathon, following events in Boston.", "summary": "Kenya's winner of the 2012 Boston Marathon, Wesley Korir, who came fifth this year, has told the BBC of his fear after hearing of the deadly blasts."}
{"article": "Nurul Islam Marzan and a second unidentified man were killed in the early hours of Friday in Dhaka. The deaths happened when anti-terrorism police raided a building in the Rayer Bazar area, police told AFP. The cafe hostages were shot or hacked to death in what was Bangladesh's worst terror attack. Commandos stormed the Holey Artisan cafe in the Gulshan neighbourhood after a 12-hour siege, rescuing 13 people. Two police officers and six militants were also killed in the 1 July attack. Police said Marzan was a senior figure in the banned militant group Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and was believed to have been the operational commander of the attack. They say he planned it with Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, a Canadian of Bangladeshi descent, who was killed in a police raid near Dhaka in August 2016. There is no independent confirmation of what happened. In August there were accounts suggesting Marzan was being held in police custody, even as the authorities said they were trying to arrest him. The so-called Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the cafe attack, posting online images of the attackers with a black IS flag. But Bangladeshi authorities have long insisted IS has no presence in the country and that JMB was solely to blame. Since the attack, authorities have led a crackdown on militants, leaving dozens dead, many of them senior members of JMB. Police said Marzan, who was about 30, joined a branch of JMB in 2015 after dropping out of Chittagong University, where he was an Arabic student.", "summary": "One of the suspected masterminds of the cafe attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh in July in which 20 hostages died has been killed in a shootout, police say."}
{"article": "Until now, customers could find themselves locked in once the first three months of a deal had passed, unless they paid a penalty fee. Under new rules, they will be able to walk away at any point, if certain conditions are met. Ofcom's new chief Sharon White will outline details of the move. In her first speech since taking the post, Ms White will say people still find it too difficult to cancel contracts and are often frustrated with customer service. \"When Ofcom was established, access to a reliable internet connection and mobile phone was a 'nice to have',\" she will tell a conference hosted by the consumers association Which. \"Now it is essential to the functioning of the economy, to the way people work and live their lives.\" Which's executive director welcomed the move. \"Unreliable broadband speeds drive consumers crazy, so we also welcome the regulator telling providers to give better information on the speeds customers will realistically achieve, and to let people leave their contracts without penalty if they don't get what is promised,\" said Richard Lloyd. \"This is an encouraging start by Sharon White at a time when there are very big challenges facing Ofcom.\" The new rules apply to internet service providers (ISPs) using digital subscriber line (DSL) technology. That means BT, EE, Sky and TalkTalk are all affected, but not Virgin Media, which uses a cable-based system. When a customer signs up to a deal, an ISP must give a range of speeds a customer can expect - for instance 20 to 40 megabits per second. However, there is an additional measurement the companies refer to less often: the minimum guaranteed access line speed (MGALS). This represents the fastest download speed delivered to the slowest 10% of customers on a similar service. For example, there might be 10,000 homes based 4km (2.5 miles) away from the local telephone exchange. If the fastest speed achieved by any of those in the 1,000 slowest properties was 7Mbps, that would represent the MGALS. Until now, users could abandon their broadband contract without penalty within 90 days of its start if their home fell below the MGALS. Under the revised code of practice, they can do so at any time, so long as they have given the provider a \"reasonable\" opportunity to fix the problem - for example a few weeks of time and access to their building. The challenge for the public will be to determine if indeed their property falls below the cut-off point. One expert said the move should benefit a \"small percentage\" of users, but said he still had concerns. \"The problem for the consumer is understanding whether switching provider will fix the problem,\" said Andrew Ferguson from the ThinkBroadband news site. \"If you switch and the new provider is using the same technology as the previous one, and the slow speeds are due to the line, then you may just carry on having the same issue.\" Ofcom can fine companies if they break the rules, but suggested individuals initially direct their complaints to including the Communications", "summary": "The broadband industry's watchdog has announced new rules to help subscribers quit their contracts if their speeds are too slow."}
{"article": "The case was filed against the actor in 1998 when he was the honorary chairman of an export firm. The firm reportedly could not pay its dues to an investor and its cheque bounced, which is illegal in India. The court said that the actor was not involved in the daily management of the firm and hence he could not be held responsible for payment defaults. Earlier, the actor was exempted from appearing in court due to his poor health. Described by critics as the ultimate method actor in India, Kumar has won more awards than any other Bollywood star. Over his long career, he won eight Filmfare awards, India's version of the Oscars. Kumar has also served as a member of India's upper house of parliament. Born Muhammad Yusuf Khan in 1922 in Peshawar, now in Pakistan, the actor changed his name to Dilip Kumar when he joined Bollywood. The historical 1960 drama Mughal-e-Azam, in which he played the role of Prince Salim, is one of the biggest hits of Indian cinema. He also acted in superhits like Ganga Jumna, Devdas, Andaz and Aan. Seen as a legend of Indian cinema, Kumar passed over a lead role in David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia. The part of Sherif Ali went to Egyptian actor Omar Sharif, who was nominated for an Oscar for the 1962 epic.", "summary": "A Mumbai court has cleared veteran Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar, 94, in the 18-year-old case of a bounced cheque."}
{"article": "Davies suffered an ankle injury during Spurs' 1-0 defeat by Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on 2 November. He then missed the 1-1 draw at Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday. The 23-year-old had been included in the Wales squad for the qualifier in Cardiff but has now been replaced by Sunderland's Adam Matthews, who is on loan at Bristol City. Davies has started in Wales' opening three qualifiers. Serbia are top of Group D after three matches on seven points, with Wales third on five points.", "summary": "Tottenham defender Ben Davies has been ruled out of Wales' World Cup qualifier with Serbia on 12 November."}
{"article": "Ji Zhongxing, 34, was being prevented by police from handing out leaflets at the airport which described the desperate story of his life. Witnesses said that Ji then shouted out: \"I have a bomb, stay away from me!\" And then he set off the device. He blew off his own hand and slightly injured one policeman. Witness accounts immediately appeared on social media. The mayhem after the blast was described by East Asia analyst Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt on Twitter who was there at the time: \"Huge explosion followed by panic, smoke and dust at Terminal 3.\" On Tuesday 15 October Ji was sentenced to six years in prison for his act. His actions were condemned as reckless and the court said that he had to be held accountable, but Ji Zhongxing has nonetheless attracted a great deal of sympathy and struck a chord with China's legions of microbloggers. One user posted: \"The court believes that he must take legal responsibility for his action. But who should take legal responsibility for what had driven Ji Zhongxing to do all this?\" If the world has now forgotten about what drove him to detonate the bomb on 20 July, China's blogging public has not. His story is seen as typical of China's most marginalised and unfortunate members of society; petitioners driven to desperate measures when faced by an apparently unyielding bureaucracy. Petitioners are people who believe they have been wronged by lower levels of government and bring their grievances to the attention of the higher authorities. Although they are officially allowed to do this, rights groups say the government does prevent petitioners speaking out about their treatment and allege there is an entire underground system of surveillance and so-called \"black jails\" used to silence them - the authorities routinely deny such allegations. But what is clear is that Ji Zhongxing had been campaigning for years to have his story heard - to little avail. It all centres around one incident on 28 June 2005 and there are two versions of what really happened that night. At that time Ji had a day job as a security guard for a firm in Dongguan in south China's Guangdong province. By night he drove an auto-rickshaw to ferry passengers around to supplement his income. He wanted to save money to marry his girlfriend - who was also a migrant worker in the city. In the early hours of that morning members of a local security force, known as zhianduiyuan, employed by the government to maintain order, approached Ji who was driving his rickshaw and demanded to check his documents. Their job included tackling unlicenced vehicles such as his. Ji says that he was chased by the officials and once he was caught he received a brutal and sustained beating that left him paralysed in his lower limbs. The officials say he was injured after he fell from his vehicle. On his microblog (which has now apparently been deleted) he said: \"seven or eight zhianduiyuan blocked the road - iron bars in their hands. As I was about to stop,", "summary": "When a man in a wheelchair detonated a small home-made bomb in Beijing's international airport in July, he momentarily captured the world's attention."}
{"article": "Its operating profit was $559m in the three months to 30 June, down 2.5% on the same period last year. The company found its core search engine business less profitable in a more competitive market. Baidu announced last month that it would be investing more in its e-commerce and electronic wallets. Research and development costs attributed to its new investments jumped 56.2% in its second quarter to $437m. The company had a revenue of $2.67bn over its second quarter, which is a 38.5% increase compared with last year. Baidu's financial officer said: \"We continue to invest decisively in the 'Next Baidu'. We are delighted by the progress we have achieved and are confident that these investments will generate long term shareholder value.\"", "summary": "China's biggest online search engine Baidu missed analysts' expectations as profits took a hit from investment redirected elsewhere."}
{"article": "The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Trust eight-bed unit at Hellesdon Hospital is due to open to patients next year. Mothers and their newborn babies will be able to stay together during psychiatric care, the trust said. Referrals will come from Norfolk, Suffolk , Cambridgeshire and other parts of the country and the unit will work closely with local medical groups. Mental health illnesses such as postnatal depression and severe anxiety will be treated as well as postpartum psychosis - a mental health condition which can occur in women who have just given birth and can cause hallucinations and delusions and can severely disrupt perception, thinking, emotions and behaviour. Jessica Bannister, from Norwich, received mental health crisis treatment with Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) when she suffered this condition following the birth of her son, Albert, three years ago. She then had to travel to Hackney, in London, for specialist inpatient treatment. \"The immediate care that I received from NSFT when I went into crisis was literally life-saving, offering an urgent short-term safe haven, and for that I will always be grateful. \"But there were no local facilities to treat my condition in a specialised environment,\" said the author and playwright. \"These units are incredible places - the humanity, love and support you receive is phenomenal. The dedication of the staff to your recovery and wellness, along with the love they give to your child, is fantastic.\" She has written a drama documentary for BBC Radio 4 called Mama Courage, due to be broadcast on 12 May at 14:15 BST.", "summary": "A \u00a33m dedicated unit to help new mothers with serious mental health problems is to be set up in Norwich."}
{"article": "Town, who beat Reading in the Championship play-off final in May, have been tipped by many to make an immediate return to the second tier. The Terriers start the season with a trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday. \"People didn't expect anything from us last season and look what we achieved,\" the defender told BBC Radio Leeds. \"We are more than happy for people to write us off and more than happy to be the underdogs, that's absolutely fine. But as long as we go about our business in the right way, which I'm sure we will, then I see no reason why we can't give it a good go. \"We've got a good squad and good togetherness, and all of the attributes that we had last season I think will continue into this season. \"We know it will be tougher but we see no reason why we can't stake a claim to definitely stay in the league and progress higher up it.\" The last Championship play-off final winners to avoid being relegated were Crystal Palace in 2013-14. Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City and Hull City have all gone straight back down after winning promotion at Wembley in the last three seasons. Smith, 25, missed much of Town's pre-season preparations with a foot injury sustained in the win over the Royals but is hopeful he will be able to feature against Palace. \"I feel good. It took a while but the doctors and physios said it would take time but I was desperate to get fit as soon as possible,\" he added. \"It looks like I'll be available for selection so I'm absolutely delighted with that and hopefully I can lead the team out at Selhurst Park.\"", "summary": "Premier League newcomers Huddersfield Town are \"more than happy with being written off\", according to captain Tommy Smith."}
{"article": "The photos showing militants rigging the temple with explosives and a large explosion were circulated by the jihadist group's supporters. Syrian officials and activists said on Sunday that it had been blown up. The UN's cultural organisation said the deliberate destruction of Syria's cultural heritage was a war crime. Unesco's director-general, Irina Bokova, accused IS of seeking to \"deprive the Syrian people of its knowledge, its identity and history\". She also expressed outrage at the beheading last week of Khaled al-Asaad, the retired chief archaeologist at Palmyra, who refused to co-operate with IS. The Temple of Baalshamin was built nearly 2,000 years ago and was considered the second most important structure at Palmyra - the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world. Syria's director of antiquities, Maamoun Abdul Karim, said IS militants had packed the Graeco-Roman temple with large quantities of explosives and detonated them on Sunday, bringing down the inner sanctum, or cella, and surrounding pillars. Three of the images published online on Tuesday appear to show men placing barrels of explosives connected with detonating cord around the temple's interior and on several exterior columns. Another image shows a large explosion and plume of smoke, and a fifth shows the aftermath, with piles of rubble where the temple used to be. IS threat to 'Venice of the Sands' Syrian ruins that influenced the West Palmyra 'was archaeologist's passion' Your memories of Palmyra One caption reads: \"The complete destruction of the pagan Baalshamin temple.\" The images could not be independently verified, but they carried a logo IS often uses for propaganda from Palmyra, which the group captured from Syrian government forces in May. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that monitors the conflict in Syria, reported that the temple was destroyed a month ago. IS has ransacked and demolished several similar ancient sites that pre-date Islam in Iraq, seeing them as symbols of \"idolatry\". Until the temple was brought down, they had only demolished a statue of a lion from Palmyra, though they used the site's theatre to stage the public execution by children of more than 20 captured Syrian army soldiers.", "summary": "Islamic State (IS) has published images of what appears to be the destruction of the Temple of Baalshamin at the ancient ruins of Palmyra in Syria."}
{"article": "The University Hospital of North Staffordshire said the other patients were in a \"stable or improving condition\". The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said it was continuing to work with the NHS in Stoke and the city council to identify any sources of the disease. It said the outbreak was not hospital related and it was safe for patients. Professor Harsh Duggal, Director of the Health Protection Agency's Health Protection Unit in Stafford, said: \"We have been able to obtain detailed information on the movements of those affected. \"We are now working with HPA experts in mapping the outbreak and our partners to pinpoint possible sources, using the information we have gathered.\" Professor Duggal said he expected to get more cases \"over the next week or so\" because of the incubation period of the disease. Officials have said early signs include flu-like symptoms, with muscle aches, tiredness, headaches, dry cough and fever which can lead to pneumonia. Diarrhoea and confusion may occur, as well as chest and breathing symptoms. The disease can be effectively treated with antibiotics.", "summary": "A man is in a critical condition after the number of cases of Legionnaires' disease in Stoke-on-Trent reached 11."}
{"article": "The podium in Melbourne had a very familiar feel - a Mercedes one-two, with Nico Rosberg leading Lewis Hamilton home after the world champion made a poor start, and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel third - but it was a race Ferrari let slip through their fingers. Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene was asked directly whether he viewed it as a race the team had lost through their own decisions, and he said: \"No.\" Others were less charitable. \"They messed it up,\" said a senior figure from a rival team. After a flying start, Vettel was leading the race until it was stopped after 18 laps following a terrifying accident from which McLaren's Fernando Alonso mercifully emerged unhurt despite barrel-rolling following a 180mph impact with Esteban Gutierrez's Haas. Vettel had only recently stopped to fit a fresh set of super-soft tyres and Ferrari chose to remain on them, knowing there was no hope of making it to the end of the race and that the German would have to make an extra stop. Mercedes took a different route, one that one engineer said was \"a no-brainer\". Hamilton, stuck in traffic after a bad start, had already been put on mediums at his stop with the aim of going to the end of the race on them. The red flag gave Mercedes strategists, led by James Vowles, the chance to put Rosberg on the same strategy. It was borderline, but they were confident they could make it work. Sure enough, Rosberg lost almost no time in the 17 laps before Vettel's final pit stop and when the Ferrari peeled into the pits, the race was in the bag. In one decision, Ferrari had turned a victory into a third place. Vettel came back at Hamilton in the closing laps but passing was always going to be difficult on this track and it became impossible when he spun with two laps to go. The Ferrari party line was clear after the race. \"If you want to look at the glass not half-empty,\" Arrivabene said. \"We were there [with Mercedes]. This is the news.\" Arrivabene did have a point, though. \"The pace in the race was very good,\" he said. \"We need to continue to push because every race has its own story.\" After qualifying, it would have been easy to jump to the conclusion that the pre-season indications that Ferrari had reduced their deficit to Mercedes were wrong - Hamilton was 0.8 seconds up the road from Vettel and there was an all-Mercedes front row. But there were extenuating circumstances. Ferrari had chosen to do only one run on the softest tyres in the final part of the controversial new qualifying format, preferring to keep a new set of super-softs for the race. It was a fateful call, as it seems to have influenced their thinking on strategy, as we have seen. But it also influenced the final gaps, because both Mercedes drivers did a second run, and both improved. Before that, Vettel was only 0.5secs behind Hamilton - which is twice as close as he", "summary": "The silver Mercedes train marches on, but the first grand prix of the 2016 Formula 1 season will be remembered as one that Ferrari threw away."}
{"article": "West Midlands Ambulance Service said it was called to Symonds Yat at 14:45 GMT on Friday where a three hour rescue operation took place. The ambulance service said it was fortunate the man's fall was broken by some bracken. The man, who is in his twenties, was flown to Hereford County Hospital for treatment on a broken leg and his back.", "summary": "A man has been airlifted to hospital after falling 25m (82ft) from the top of a rock face in Herefordshire."}
{"article": "Arturo, nicknamed \"the world's saddest animal\", lives alone in a concrete enclosure in Mendoza, where temperatures can top 100F (38C). The bear, 29, has been seen pacing in his pen and showing behaviour some have likened to depression. Photos of him circulated online have led hundreds of thousands of people to urge his transfer to a zoo in Winnipeg. The director of the Mendoza Zoo said earlier this year it would be unsafe to move the bear due to his age, but that hasn't stopped some high-profile support for a move. \"If you love animals the way I do, you're going to want to sign the petition to save the Argentinian polar bear, Arturo,\" former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. \"His current living situation is very sad, and he deserves to be saved.\" Animal rights groups have expressed concern for Arturo, whose enclosure partner, Pelusa, died two years ago. An online petition calling on Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to transfer Arturo to Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg has garnered a great deal of attention. The Canadian zoo - which opened its International Polar Bear Conservation Centre earlier this month - has previously said it would accept Arturo, but the decision to transfer him rests with the Argentinian zoo.", "summary": "Nearly 200,000 people have signed a petition to get a despondent polar bear moved from Argentina to Canada."}
{"article": "Crimea was formally absorbed into Russia on 18 March, to international condemnation, after unidentified gunmen took over the peninsula. Mr Putin said on TV he had ordered work on \"returning Crimea\" to begin at an all-night meeting on 22 February. The meeting was called after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted. Speaking last year, Mr Putin had said only that he took his final decision about Crimea after secret, undated opinion polls showed 80% of Crimeans favoured joining Russia. The findings of these polls were borne out by the outcome of the referendum on 16 March, he told Russian state TV last April. Speaking in a forthcoming Russian TV documentary, Mr Putin said a meeting with officials had been held on 22-23 February to plan the rescue of Ukraine's deposed president. \"I invited the leaders of our special services and the defence ministry to the Kremlin and set them the task of saving the life of the president of Ukraine, who would simply have been liquidated,\" he said. \"We finished about seven in the morning. When we were parting, I told all my colleagues, 'We are forced to begin the work to bring Crimea back into Russia'.\" The trailer for The Path To The Motherland was broadcast on Sunday night with no release date announced. On 27 February, unidentified armed men seized the local parliament and local government buildings in Crimea, raising the Russian flag. Among them appeared to be regular soldiers without military insignia, who were dubbed the \"little green men\". Mr Putin subsequently admitted deploying troops on the peninsula to \"stand behind Crimea's self-defence forces\". Ukraine crisis: Timeline The formal annexation of Crimea sparked unrest in eastern Ukraine on 7 April, when pro-Russian protesters occupied government buildings in Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv demanding independence. A month later, pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk declared independence from Ukraine after unrecognised referendums. Ukraine responded by launching an \"anti-terrorist operation\" against them and the region became engulfed in a conflict which has cost at least 6,000 lives and driven more than a million people from their homes, according to the UN. The Ukrainian government, Western leaders and Nato say there is clear evidence that Russia is helping the separatists with heavy weapons and soldiers. Independent experts echo that accusation. Moscow denies it, insisting that any Russians serving with the rebels are \"volunteers\". Full details of Mr Yanukovych's escape from Ukraine are unclear although Mr Putin spoke of preparations to evacuate him from Donetsk. \"Heavy machine guns were placed there, so as not to waste time talking,\" he added, with preparations made by land, sea and air. The documentary, which Russian TV says will be broadcast soon, was made by Andrei Kondrashov, a journalist with state-run channel Rossiya-1.", "summary": "Vladimir Putin has admitted for the first time that the plan to annex Crimea was ordered weeks before the referendum on self-determination."}
{"article": "The Labour-led authority said the proposals were part of a number of cuts aimed at combating a budget shortfall of \u00a3157m over the next four years. A range of pupils, from pre-school age to young adults could be asked to pay up to \u00a3349 a year. The move would save the authority \u00a3191,500. Councillor Kevin Gillott, cabinet member for children and younger adults, said: \"I know that at a time when families are struggling with rising costs and falling living standards people will be wondering why we are having to consider asking them to pay towards providing transport for their children. \"Sadly, we have no choice as we're being forced by the government to make savings that mean the council will have to cut the amount of money it spends on providing services to Derbyshire families by a third.\" The authority is also looking to reduce its housing-related support budget by \u00a39m. This would affect a range of groups, including people with learning disabilities and those at risk of domestic abuse. The county council said it would begin its consultation on Monday.", "summary": "School transport charges for students with special educational needs are being considered by Derbyshire County Council."}
{"article": "Shona Mitchell, who was from Crieff, sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene of the crash on the A85 at St Fillans on Sunday. Her family said that she would be greatly missed and did not wish to make any further comment, Police said the driver of the car sustained minor injuries as a result of the collision. Officers are conducting an inquiry into the full set of circumstances.", "summary": "A 24-year-old motorcyclist killed after a collision with a car in Perthshire has been named by police."}
{"article": "Walker was a passenger in the Porsche driven by his friend when it hit a pole and burst into flames in November 2013. His daughter Meadow filed a wrongful death case in September claiming the carmaker took safety shortcuts. But Porsche has said the actor \"knowingly and voluntarily assumed all risk\" of being a passenger in the car. The star of the high-action Fast and Furious movies was \"a knowledgeable and sophisticated user of the 2005 Carrera GT\", Porsche said in legal papers filed last week. \"PCNA [Porsche Cars North America] alleges that Mr Walker knowingly and voluntarily assumed all risk, perils and danger in respect to the use of the subject 2005 Carrera GT,\" said the manufacturer. It added: \"The perils, risk and danger were open and obvious and known to him, and he chose to conduct himself in a manner so as to expose himself to such perils, dangers and risks, thus assuming all the risks involved in using the vehicle.\" Porsche also said in its defence papers that the car in which the actor was travelling, had been \"abused and altered\" and was \"misused and improperly maintained\". It adds: \"At the time the subject 2005 Carrera GT was originally manufactured, sold and delivered, it comported with state of the art.\" After a four-month investigation following the crash on 30 November 2013, the police said the Porsche, driven by Walker's friend Roger Rodas who also died, was travelling at 94mph (151kph) in a 45mph zone when it hit a lamp post. Meadow Walker's legal claim contends the car was travelling much slower when it went out of control and that her father's seatbelt was defective. Ms Walker's legal documents allege the car lacked \"features that could have prevented the accident or, at a minimum, allowed Paul Walker to survive the crash\". In response to Porsche's defence, a representative for Ms Walker told TMZ: \"It is beyond regrettable that Porsche is trying to deflect its own responsibility by blaming the victim, Paul Walker, for his own death by getting into the passenger seat of its Carrera GT. The statement continued: \"Contrary to Porsche's assertions, the facts are clear: Paul was the passenger in a car that was not designed to protect its occupants, in a crash on a dry, empty straightaway in broad daylight and at speeds well below the vehicle's advertised capabilities.\" Mr Rodas' widow filed a similar case last year, but Porsche said the crash was his fault, rather than down to design flaw. .", "summary": "Porsche says Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker was responsible for his own death in a high-speed crash of a 2005 Carrera GT."}
{"article": "The review \"paves the way for changes\" to the current system, which has been in place since 1988, the Treasury said. However, the outcome is expected to be fiscally neutral, meaning that the total sum collected from businesses will not change. The review was first announced in December's Autumn Statement. \"The time has come for a radical review of this important tax. We want to ensure the business rates system is fair, efficient and effective,\" said Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury. The Treasury said the review will look at how firms use property, what the UK could learn from other countries and how the system could be modernised to better reflect changes in property values. \"Lots and lots of people have views about how the business rates system doesn't work, but as soon as you get into what an alternative system might look like there's much less consensus,\" Mr Alexander added, speaking to the BBC's Wake up to Money programme. Labour's shadow exchequer secretary to the Treasury Shabana Mahmood said: \"Britain's businesses need more than just a re-announced review. Labour will take immediate action by cutting and then freezing business rates for 1.5 million small business properties.\" The announcement follows widespread criticism of the current system, where rates are charged to retailers based on the value of their shop or other commercial property. The arrangement means that companies with similar turnovers can pay dramatically different sums for business rates because their properties have varying \"rateable values\" depending on the size and location of their premises. John Cridland, director-general of the CBI, said the current system of business rates was \"outmoded, clunky and regressive\" and \"holding back the high street\". \"We'll be making the case for removing the smallest firms from paying business rates completely... and introducing more frequent valuations,\" he said. John Longworth, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, welcomed the review, but said \"actions speak louder than words\". \"Unless a root and branch reform of business rates is delivered at Budget 2016, firms will regard this as a missed opportunity to tackle a huge brake on investment and growth,\" he added. The rates paid by English businesses are the highest of any European Union country and can be a company's biggest expense after wages and rent. Rates have been blamed for the decline of many High Streets and the rising number of vacant shops. Business rates are calculated according to the rental value of the property a company uses. They date back to the Poor Law established in 1601. Current valuations are still based on property prices in 2008, before the economic downturn hit the value of commercial real estate, as the government postponed a revaluation scheduled for last year.", "summary": "A \"radical\" review of the business rates system in England has been launched, with its findings due in time for the Budget in 2016."}
{"article": "Back in the early 1990s, when I was on my way to join the first British troops despatched for peace-keeping duties to Bosnia, I stayed overnight at a Vienna hotel. In the lobby, there was a series of 19th Century maps of the Hapsburg Empire. There they were, all of the old names - Bosnia Herzegovina, the Croat lands - names, long consigned to the history books, that were now the currency of nightly news reports, marking out the boundaries of this latest tragedy in the Balkans. Later, standing in Sarajevo's old Turkish market, one had the clear sense of being in a historic border zone; a frontier between Europe and the old Ottoman lands to the east. It was a reminder that for much of the 19th Century, Western diplomacy had been obsessed with what became known as \"the Eastern Question.\" This was the fear as to what might happen as the Ottoman Empire - then seen as \"the sick man of Europe\" - slowly relinquished its grip on its various possessions. Who might step into the breach? One obvious concern was Russia. Britain and France had already fought one campaign to bolster Turkey and limit Russia's influence in the Holy Land - the Crimean War of the 1850s. Do you see a pattern here? Again those familiar names and themes; the Crimea; Russian influence in the Middle East. Times change - but geography doesn't, and strategic interests have as much to do with geography as they do with anything else. Thus, Europe now faces what might be called \"a new Eastern Question\". It is not so much Turkey's weakness that is the problem today; it is maybe more a question of Ankara's over-reach. Turkey has seemingly achieved the impossible. I remember some years ago interviewing the then Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu. Bookish, a former professor, he was the proud architect of Turkey's new foreign policy, one of zero problems with any of its neighbours. Now, Mr Davutoglu is Prime Minister. And in the intervening years, Turkey seems instead to have developed problems with almost all of its neighbours and erstwhile regional partners; be it Syria, Israel, and now, crucially, Russia. Moscow and Ankara find themselves on different sides in the Syrian crisis; Moscow backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, and Turkey in the vanguard of those countries most eager to see his departure. A kind of proxy war has turned hot, with Russia bombing Syrian opposition groups backed by Turkey and encouraging Kurdish forces to press ever closer to the Turkish frontier. Turkey's shooting down of a Russian warplane last November - a plane that on best evidence had only briefly intruded into Turkish airspace - worsened the tensions. More recently, the Russian-backed Syrian offensive on Aleppo has sent new waves of refugees heading for the Turkish border and worsened Ankara's fears about Kurdish success. This \"new Eastern Question\" impinges upon Western Europe in two crucial ways. First, Turkey is a member of Nato. If it gets itself into a spat with the Russians, this could have dramatic consequences", "summary": "History has a strange way of imposing itself upon the present."}
{"article": "Major Richard Rimmington told an inquest he had always wondered if he was the last person to see Pte Cheryl James alive at the Surrey barracks. Pte James was on guard duty when he drove into the camp on 27 November 1995. When asked if he saw anything notable about her, he said \"not at all.\" The 18-year-old from Llangollen in Denbighshire was one of four recruits to die at the base in seven years. She was found dead with a bullet wound to the head. Maj Rimmington told the hearing in Woking: \"At the gate I saw one person, it was a female, a female in uniform doing guard duties. \"I showed her my ID card and probably said 'good morning how are you'.\" He said a colleague arrived five minutes later to find the gate unmanned. Maj Rimmington said he was surprised no-one came to talk to him about Pte James's death. \"After the initial inquest had concluded I thought they must not have needed me,\" he said. An open verdict into Pte James's death was recorded in the first inquest into her death in December 1995. A second inquest is taking place after High Court judges quashed the findings. Paul Vernam, former Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) at Deepcut, said he also saw Pte James at the gate and corrected her for not calling him \"Sir\" but that there was nothing unusual about her response. \"It was quite normal speech, I was in my car, I wasn't shouting at her or anything like that,\" he added. Mr Vernam said he was shocked to be told Pte James had killed herself minutes later. He said he did not know at the time that it was expressly against orders for females to go out on guard duty alone. Alison Foster QC, representing Pte James's family, said: \"There is...if a single female is on lone guard, an obvious opportunity for her to be overborne, would you agree?\" Mr Vernam answered: \"Not really no, I would suggest that the soldiers when by themselves were in daylight and I don't see a threat in daylight hours.\" Ms Foster asked: \"If a woman is on her own and armed is she more vulnerable to an armed male intruder than a man, purely on physical strength?\" \"Yes,\" Mr Vernam replied. Richard Simonds, a former Major at Deepcut, said he saw Pte James \"lying in the woods\" near the gate with two officers standing nearby, when he arrived for work. \"I said, 'Is she dead?' They said they didn't know.\" He continued: \"It was a female lying in foetal position with knees drawn up, lying on her right-hand side and there was a weapon lying very close to her. \"There was some blood around her head and a bullet wound to her forehead.\" He told the inquest he checked for a pulse but there was \"nothing at all\". \"Once I found there was no pulse and she was beyond help it didn't seem dignified to do violent CPR or anything like that so we backed off,\" he said.", "summary": "A former army instructor who spoke to a young soldier at Deepcut barracks moments before she died has said no-one interviewed him after her death."}
{"article": "Dickson, 29, made 42 appearances last season, scoring winning goals against Accrington and Mansfield as the club finished 19th in League Two. The left-back initially signed on a one-year deal from Crawley at the beginning of the season, with the option to extend by a further year. He told the club's website: \"It would be silly not to stay on board. The club is now heading in the right direction.\" Yeovil, who for a large part of the season were battling relegation, finished 14 points clear of the bottom two. Dickson added: \"Everyone at the club has worked so hard to create a togetherness and positive atmosphere, which has driven us all forward in such a short space of time.\" Dickson signs a two-year deal similar to goalkeeper Artur Krysiak who put pen to paper on Tuesday, and defender Nathan Smith, 29, who signed a one-year contract extension yesterday.", "summary": "Defender Ryan Dickson has extended his stay at Yeovil Town by two more years."}
{"article": "Police reportedly fired teargas at mourners. Kashmir is under lockdown as protests against Indian rule continue. More than 80 people, nearly all anti-government protesters, have died in more than two months of violence. Nasir Shafi was found dead after going missing on Friday in Srinagar. An almost complete curfew is now in place in Kashmir, part of the Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir state. Why has Kashmir erupted in violence? Some reports say Nasir Shafi was 11 years old. Correspondents say restrictions on free movement and internet use are at their tightest since street demonstrations began on 9 July. They were sparked by the killing of a popular militant leader in a gunfight with the army. Security forces have continued to fire lethal shotgun pellets at protesters, despite the government saying it would use an alternative. Disputed Kashmir is claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan and has been a flashpoint for more than 60 years, causing two wars between the neighbours.", "summary": "Thousands of people have defied a curfew in Indian-administered Kashmir to attend the funeral of a schoolboy whose body was found riddled with pellet wounds, local media report."}
{"article": "The North Shields-based Homeland prawn boat was in collision with the Scottish Viking off the Berwickshire coast just before 2000 BST on Thursday. Two fishermen, who are brothers, were on board the trawler. One, aged 20, was pulled to safety by another boat. The search for the other brother, thought to be 16, has been called off. Fred Caygill from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) told the BBC a crewman from another vessel had seen the missing boy in the water at 2025 BST on Thursday, but he then slipped from view. The MCA confirmed the search was terminated at 1400 BST on Friday, a decision which had followed 17 hours of searching, when expected survivability had been exceeded. Mr Caygill said it was unclear as to whether the missing boy, or his brother, were wearing lifejackets, but two were found in the flotsam. He said: \"The survivability period for someone in the water has passed. \"Different factors affect different people's chances of survival, but it has been a long time.\" More than 20 fishing vessels and lifeboats were involved in the search, which spanned an area of more than 30 square miles off St Abb's Head. The Scottish Viking ferry, which was travelling between Rosyth and Zeebrugge, is operated by the Dutch company Norfolkline, owned by DFDS Seaways. The firm said the ship was chartered by Norfolkline from Italian firm Visentini, and was expected to arrive in Belgium on Friday afternoon. A DFDS Seaways spokesman said: \"We are deeply concerned about this and there will now follow an investigation by the authorities which we will fully assist with. \"We have also been talking to Visentini who will investigate fully.\" The Marine Accident Investigation Branch will examine how the collision happened. A spokesman said: \"We are conducting a preliminary examination at the moment.\" Lothian and Borders Police said officers were assisting the coastguard.", "summary": "An investigation is under way into a collision between a ferry and a trawler which has left a teenage fisherman lost in the North Sea."}
{"article": "House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes is now himself under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. The panel is looking into claims that the Republican disclosed classified intelligence. Mr Nunes called the charges \"entirely false\" and \"politically motivated\". He said his decision to step aside came after \"several left-wing activist groups have filed accusations against me with the Office of Congressional Ethics\". Mr Nunes added he would continue to fulfil his other responsibilities as chairman, requesting to speak to the ethics panel \"in order to expedite the dismissal of these false claims\". Democrats have criticised Mr Nunes for his handling of the inquiry, which is also looking at possible links between the Trump campaign and Moscow. The House Ethics Committee said in a statement on Thursday: \"The Committee is aware of public allegations that Representative Devin Nunes may have made unauthorised disclosures of classified information, in violation of House rules, laws, regulations, or other standards of conduct.\" Watchdog groups Democracy 21 and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington had asked the House ethics panel to investigate Mr Nunes. His political foes have accused him of helping the White House to divert attention from several investigations into links between the Trump team and Russian officials. Mr Nunes has acknowledged making an after-dark trip to the White House grounds last month that even the congressman's own aides were apparently unaware of. The next day at a hastily arranged news conference he announced he had learned that post-election communications of Mr Trump's team had been monitored by US intelligence agencies as they snooped on foreign officials. He expressed alarm that information about the then-incoming president's aides had been swept up in US intelligence reports. Mr Nunes' Democratic colleagues on the panel were furious that he had not shared such information with them before going public. In the face of much scepticism, Mr Nunes maintains White House officials were not his original source for the claims. Democrats questioned whether the investigation into Russia's alleged role in the election could proceed objectively. It's never a good sign when the investigator becomes a bigger story than the investigation. Such was the case with Congressman Devin Nunes, with his shifting explanations for where and how he acquired sensitive intelligence documents, his decision to keep details from his fellow intelligence committee members, his apparent behind-the-scenes co-ordination with White House sources and his penchant for dramatic press conferences. All this made him a liability for Republican congressional leadership and the White House. Now he is, at least temporarily, out of the picture. He may blame an ethics complaint filed by \"leftwing activist groups\" for forcing the move, but there's little doubt that many Republicans are breathing a sigh of relief. Mr Nunes, at times, seemed out of his depth on the big political stage. The committee's investigations effectively had been ground to a halt by partisan bickering, and this move is a first step toward rebooting the efforts. It may be too late, however, as the concurrent Senate intelligence committee investigation has launched more smoothly and with a greater show", "summary": "The head of a key US congressional investigation into alleged Russian hacking has temporarily stepped down amid an ethics inquiry into him."}
{"article": "Mr Rajoy accepted the mandate but warned he might fail if opposition parties again refused to back him. His Popular Party (PP) lost its absolute majority in December's election but remains the biggest party. Most parties have declared they will not back him, including the Socialists under leader Pedro Sanchez. \"We want to change Rajoy's government and this is why we will vote 'no' in a confidence vote,\" Mr Sanchez said. Mr Rajoy needs to form a minority or coalition government which must pass a vote of confidence in parliament. Spain's political turmoil began after the election on 20 December when voters, frustrated with economic crisis and austerity measures, broke the country's traditional two-party dominance. After the parties filed to agree on a new government, a new election was held on 26 June where, for a second time, no party won an absolute majority.", "summary": "The King of Spain has asked acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to try to form a government after the second inconclusive election in six months."}
{"article": "Andrew Haines, chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), says new legislation is needed to cut the number of laser attacks on aircraft. It is an offence to act in a manner \"likely to endanger an aircraft\" under the existing Air Navigation Order 2009. A government spokeswoman said it was \"looking to make changes\" to the law. There is also a lesser offence of shining a light at an aircraft, but the CAA boss called for the law to be toughened so anyone found carrying a laser pointer can be arrested. In an interview with the Press Association, Mr Haines expressed frustration at the difficulty in prosecuting people under the current legislation because of the requirement to \"find the person undertaking the task and... demonstrate intent\". He said: \"We and Balpa [British Airline Pilots Association], the pilots' trade union, are very keen that the government introduces legislation which means that the mere possession of these high-powered lasers by individuals not licensed for them would be a criminal offence. \"Why does Joe Bloggs walking down the street need a laser that can pop a balloon at 50 miles, that can cause permanent damage to a pilot?\" CAA figures show there were 1,439 laser attacks on aircraft in the UK last year. The most common location was Heathrow Airport, with 121 incidents, followed by Birmingham Airport which had 94, and Manchester Airport, which had 93. Balpa general secretary, Brian Strutton, said the union was concerned over the \"high number\" of laser attacks in recent years. \"People need to understand they are not toys and pointing them at an aircraft can dazzle and distract the pilot at a critical stage of flight, endangering the passengers, crew and people on the ground.\" An editorial published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology in April warned that pilots can focus on sudden bright lights. This means a laser attack can cause them to be dazzled and leave them with an after-image. According to the journal, between 500,000 and one million laser pointers, pens, and key rings are thought to have been in circulation over the past decade. A government spokeswoman said that anyone found guilty of shining a laser at an aeroplane could be liable to a fine up to a maximum of \u00a32,500. She added: \"We take this issue very seriously and we continue to work with other government departments, the CAA and industry to determine how best to control the sale, use and possession of laser pens. \"We are looking to make changes as soon as possible.\"", "summary": "People found carrying powerful laser pointers should be arrested, even if they are not in use, the head of the UK's aviation regulator has said."}
{"article": "Jonny May's first-minute try gave Gloucester the ideal start and Matt Kvesic added another for the home side. But Christian Wade, Tom Varndell and Nathan Hughes all crossed to earn Wasps a 24-14 half-time lead. Greig Laidlaw gave Gloucester hope with three second-half penalties, but Andy Goode kicked 12 points to secure Wasps' first away league win of the season. A week on from breaking the Premiership's all-time individual points-scoring record against London Irish in Wasps' home Premiership debut at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry-born Goode converted all three Wasps tries. He also added a penalty in either half, while centre Elliot Daly kicked a late three-pointer to stretch his side's winning margin, earn them their first Premiership victory on the road this campaign and lift them up a place to sixth in the table. Laidlaw's 13 points with the boot, having also converted both his side's first-half tries, earned the Cherry and Whites a losing bonus point. From the first line-out 45 metres out from the visitors' line, Gloucester moved the ball swiftly through the hands to allow May to force his way over, Laidlaw converting expertly. But, eight minutes later, Wasps were level with an excellent try of their own. Skipper James Haskell made a strong burst before the ball was moved wide to winger Varndell, who proved too strong in a one-on-one with Steve McColl before feeding Wade to score. Media playback is not supported on this device Goode converted then added a penalty to put Wasps 10-7 in front and their lead was extended when the former England number 10's speculative kick bounced kindly for Varndell to score, the visitors' fly-half again converting. Flanker Kvesic crashed over for Gloucester's second try, which Laidlaw again converted, but the last of the game's five touchdowns went to Wasps three minutes from half-time when Hughes finished off a line-out drive, Goode converting for a 24-14 interval lead. After replacing McColl at half-time with Billy Burns, Gloucester had the better of the second half, reducing the deficit to just a point with three Laidlaw penalties. But Wasps brought on Jake Cooper-Woolley and Bradley Davies to shore up their pack, immediately exerting pressure to gain another penalty, which the reliable Goode kicked. With five minutes remaining, Daly's long-range penalty completed the scoring to confirm a second successive home defeat for Gloucester following last week's heavy loss to Bath. Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys: Media playback is not supported on this device \"We wanted to make Kingsholm a difficult place to play but it's not happening. We were flat and lacked edge in the first half but we had strong words at half-time and were much better afterwards. \"Kingsholm is a great place to play - with our second sell-out crowd - but we are not where we want to be. We know we have to get better and another home defeat will be a worry but if we show the energy that we did in the second half we will win matches.\" \"This was an important group of four matches. We are two", "summary": "Wasps scored three first-half tries at Kingsholm to set up their second successive win over the festive period."}
{"article": "The river level rose to 6.1m (20ft) above its normal height overnight. Floods also forced parts of the metro system and major landmarks to close, while the Louvre and Orsay museums were shut while staff moved art to safety. Despite the water level falling on Saturday morning, Paris remains under the second-highest alert, which warns of a \"significant impact\". Forecasters had warned the river could reach as high as 6.5m above it normal level. France's environment ministry said the floods now appeared to have peaked and would remain stable over the weekend before retreating further. Prime Minister Manuel Valls said four people had died and 42 were injured across the country. At least 18 people have died across central Europe as heavy rainfall caused flooding from France to Ukraine. A woman in her 60s drowned in France's central Loiret region, while a man in his 70s fell from a horse and drowned in a river south-east of Paris. Eleven were killed in southern Germany as several towns were devastated. On Friday night, 51 people were injured by lightning strikes at the Rock am Ring music festival in western Germany. Two more fatalities were reported in Romania and one in Belgium. Austria, the Netherlands and Poland have also been affected. Tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes. While the waters in Paris appear to be dropping, the floods are still affecting transport in the capital, with four of the city's rail lines not running on Saturday morning. Elsewhere, French media say the focus is shifting to communities further downstream on the Seine, including the northern city of Rouen. Some further rain is expected in central France. Some 17,000 homes in and around Paris remain without electricity. The flooding could cost French insurance companies more than \u00e2\u201a\u00ac600m (\u00c2\u00a3470m), according to the industry association AFA. Bridges in Paris were closed and non-emergency boats were banned from the Seine as its rise forced the closure of museums, parks and cemeteries. The Grand Palais exhibition hall also shut, as did two sites belonging to the National Library. At the Louvre, curators scrambled to move 250,000 artworks to higher ground from basement storage areas at risk of inundation from what President Francoise Hollande called \"exceptional flooding\". The Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay will remain closed until Tuesday. Many locals have been checking the rise against the statue of a soldier, known as the Zouave, standing below the Alma bridge; his frame is currently submerged up to the waist. While France's rainfall levels in May were the highest since 1873, the current crisis is eclipsed by the 1910 floods that saw Paris submerged for two months, when the Zouave was up to his neck in the Seine. The river reached 8.62m above its normal level that year, and has since reached 7.1m in 1955 and 6.18m in 1982. Are you in France or Germany and been affected by the floods? Or run a business or project which has closed due to flood damage? How are your family and neighbours coping? If you have an experience", "summary": "The levels of the River Seine in Paris have started dropping slightly after reaching a 34-year high on Friday."}
{"article": "Calen Gaze, 17, from Gloucester, was found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, at Gloucester Crown Court last October. His 13-year-old victim suffered a shattered cheekbone and eye socket. Gaze, who was 15 at the time of the attack in 2015, was originally sentenced to 240 hours of unpaid work. The Court of Appeal in London heard Gaze, from Ashcroft Close, Matson, knocked the boy down by punching him in the face, and then stamped on his head \"numerous times\" at a park in the Abbeymead area of the city. The scuffle began after a row over a rugby ball between two groups of boys at a playing field in Hucclecote, the court was told. The victim had to have emergency surgery, and titanium mesh and plates were inserted to support his eye and repair fractures to his cheekbone. He was advised by doctors not to take part in contact sport as the mesh could sever his retina. Lawyers acting for the Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC said Gaze's initial sentence was too light for such a serious attack. Paul Jarvis told the court that, had Gaze been an adult, a sentence of about 12 years could have been expected. In sentencing Gaze to four years in a young offenders' institution, Lord Justice Fulford said the offence was \"so serious that neither a fine, nor a community penalty, can be justified\". The appeal court also lifted a ban on the media naming Gaze, despite him being under the age of 18.", "summary": "A teenager who stamped on a boy's face has been given a four-year sentence by appeal court judges after his previous sentence was deemed \"unduly lenient\"."}
{"article": "Frampton has not fought since his loss to Leo Santa Cruz in their WBA title fight in Las Vegas in January. Mexican Gutierrez, 23, has lost just one of his 35 fights and is a former WBC Silver featherweight champion. Frampton initially expected to fight Santa Cruz for a third time this summer but that bout failed to materialise. Former two-weight world champion Frampton confirmed last week that his next fight would be in his home city. Media playback is not supported on this device Guitirrez, known as the 'Jaguar', turned pro at just 15. He said he was relishing next month's showdown with Frampton. \"I'm very happy for this news they gave me. I know it will be very difficult, but I have the character to prevail,\" he said. \"I'm going to put in soul, life, and heart and I will fight for what I most want, that's why I'll prevail.\" Frampton told a packed audience at the announcement at the Europa Hotel in Belfast that he was \"excited to be back boxing at home\". \"I was hoping this fight would be at Windsor Park but it wasn't to be. My dream is to fight at Windsor Park and I want to do that at some point,\" said Frampton. \"The SSE Arena is where I believe the best performance of my career has been, against Chris Avalos. The atmosphere there can't be replicated anywhere else. It's spectacular. \"I wanted a tough fight and I know I'll need to be at my best. If I'm not, I may lose this fight.\"", "summary": "Carl Frampton will make his ring return against Andres Gutierrez at Belfast's SSE Arena in a WBC world featherweight title eliminator on 29 July."}
{"article": "The Belgium defender, 29, has started just 13 games in the Premier League this season and has had 14 calf injuries since signing in 2008. \"Vincent has again a muscle injury in his calf, the same problem he has had before,\" said Pellegrini. Kompany is set for a scan on either Wednesday or Thursday. But Pellegrini expects the player to be out for \"a minimum of one month\", adding: \"Vincent must be very strong mentally. \"It's very difficult to accept but he has nothing else to do.\" Kompany will sit out Sunday's derby against Manchester United and is likely to miss the Champions League quarter-final first leg on 5 or 6 April. His importance to City is clear. This season, they have conceded a goal every 156 minutes when he is on the pitch and every 70 minutes without him. Writing in the match-day programme before the game, he discussed his injury problems. \"I play for a club that has big expectations and one of those expectations is for me to immediately start pulling in performances that are worthy of this team,\" he said. \"In that respect, I have had to hit the ground running. \"Normally you get a period to settle back in, perhaps play a couple of practice games, and get yourself 100% right. \"That hasn't been possible at this stage of the season. I haven't been eased back in. I have played in some very big games in the last few weeks but I am fit and focused. My preparations are absolutely right. \"My whole life at the moment is forgetting what has gone before\u2026\" Media playback is not supported on this device BBC Radio 5 live co-commentator Andy Townsend said Kompany's injury should be a serious concern for Manchester City. \"This is a recurring injury and it's becoming a chronic situation with his calf,\" said Townsend. \"It must be seriously worrying for him now. \"The club have to seriously think about the lad's long-term career. This injury is such a persistent one that he is going to have a serious, serious issue if he's not careful. \"With players I've spoken to over the years who have had recurring problems, like Michael Owen, they say you run on the field and you're petrified that your body is going to let you down.\" Pellegrini, who will leave the club in the summer to be replaced by current Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola, said reaching the last eight for the first time is \"a very important achievement for the club\". City will learn their quarter-final opponents in Friday's draw, with Barcelona the side to avoid according to Pellegrini. Luis Enrique's side are not yet through to the last eight but hold a 2-0 lead over Arsenal ahead of Wednesday's second leg at the Nou Camp. \"The team that it is better than all the other teams is Barcelona,\" said Pellegrini. \"I think all the other teams are at a similar level.\" Barcelona have knocked City out of the Champions League in each of the past two seasons. Despite City's progress, Rio", "summary": "Manchester City will be without captain Vincent Kompany for at least a month after he injured a calf against Champions League opponents Dynamo Kiev."}
{"article": "One of the six, who are aged between 18 and 30, was Tasered by police. Eight homes in west, east and north London and one business have been searched. It is understood the arrests relate to a possible plot involving Islamist extremists, with potential UK targets. Three of those held are brothers - one an ex-police community support officer. He served with the Metropolitan Police for more than two years before resigning in September 2009. The force said he had not been \"deployed in any specialist or sensitive roles\". The brothers, aged 18, 24 and 26, were detained in Abbey Road, in Stratford, east London, during an operation involving armed officers. The BBC understands they are Jahangir, Mohammed and Moybur Alom. Richard Dart, a Muslim convert who uses the name Salahuddin al Britani, was also detained in the raids, it is understood. He features in a YouTube video which criticises the Royal Family and British military action in Muslim countries. The Metropolitan Police said the arrests were not linked to the Olympics or Paralympic Games. It is understood that police involved in the long-running operation decided to act on Thursday on the grounds of public safety. The UK terrorism threat level is unchanged from \"substantial\", which means a terrorist attack is a \"strong possibility\". There are two higher levels - \"severe\", meaning an attack is \"highly likely\", and \"critical\", meaning an attack is \"expected imminently\". Some - if not all - of those arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism are British nationals, BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw says. They include a 21-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman, who were detained at separate addresses in Ealing, west London, while a 29-year-old man was arrested in an Ealing street. The woman is married to one of the men. All six have been taken to a police station in south-east London. The 24-year-old man who was Tasered during his arrest in Stratford did not need hospital treatment, police said. An eyewitness to the Stratford raid, Mark Window, told the BBC he had been woken up by an explosion at 04:15 BST. \"I looked out my window, saw loads of mini-explosions going off still, loads of black-clad figures milling around,\" he said. \"One was halfway up a ladder, through a window, and you realise it's some sort of police operation going on instead of kids messing about with fireworks which is what you think when you first wake up.\" Trainee taxi driver Stephen Maguire, 23, said he heard the police from his bedroom in Eastbourne Road, which overlooks the front of the house. \"I heard the biggest bang ever and I saw a massive cloud of smoke and torches going up at the windows,\" he said. \"It sounded like they were gunshots but they weren't.\"", "summary": "Five men and a woman suspected of terrorism offences have been arrested in London as part of an intelligence-led investigation involving MI5."}
{"article": "Citgo Petroleum, a US-based subsidiary of the Venezuelan state-owned oil company, is named in papers filed with the Federal Election Commission. The revelation comes as the Venezuelan economy appears to be crippled by food shortages, violent crime and inflation. Three people were killed in protests on Wednesday as tens of thousands took to the streets to demand new elections Other major corporations named in the documents include Pepsi and Walmart, which gave $250,000 and $150,000 respectively, while owners of NFL teams or their companies gave more than $5m. Casino owner and billionaire Sheldon Adelson also gave $5m. Venezuela is in the middle of a major economic crisis, which has the oil-rich country flirting with hyperinflation. This Wednesday, street protests demanding the resignation of President Nicolas Maduro resulted in at least two persons shot dead. In this chaotic context, it is perhaps less surprising that Venezuelan media did not seem to dedicate much time to cover the news that their government gave, through a state-owned oil company, a US$500,000 contribution to Donald Trump's inauguration. Still, some analysts in Venezuela are expressing anger at the news. \"We have been experiencing four consecutive years of recession, we have the highest inflation in the world and are facing scarcity in many basic goods. It is scandalous that Venezuela, facing such a crisis, would make those donations to the inauguration of a US president, who at least in theory, is ideologically confronted with the revolution,\" Jose Manuel Puente, a professor of public policy at IESA university in Caracas, tells the BBC. The payment was reportedly made through Citgo, a US subsidiary of Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA. It is not the first time Citgo has been involved in politically controversial activities in the US. President Maduro's predecessor, Hugo Chavez, used the company a few years ago to provide subsidised fuel to low-income citizens in several major US cities. His critics said then it was a propaganda ploy designed to annoy his ideological rivals at the White House. But now the Maduro administration would seem to be in a less confrontational mode towards Washington. The Venezuelan president has recently been quoted saying that Trump has been the target of a \"brutal hate campaign\" and added that he \"won't be worse than Obama\". \"The (Bolivarian) revolution is pragmatic,\" Puente tells the BBC. \"Eighteen years after the beginning of the revolution, the US is still their main trading partner. It is business as usual\".", "summary": "Venezuela has donated $500,000 to US President Donald Trump's inauguration, newly released records show."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old Serbia striker arrived at Celtic from Sporting Gijon on deadline day last August. But he has failed to become a first-team regular, making only one substitute appearance this season. And the arrival this summer of Nadir Ciftci from Dundee United was a further indication that the \u00a32.3m signing's future may lie elsewhere. Scepovic has made 26 appearances for Celtic and scored six times.", "summary": "Stefan Scepovic has left Celtic to join the Spanish La Liga club Getafe on a season-long loan deal."}
{"article": "It comes after the Commissioner for South Yorkshire Shaun Wright refused to step down despite calls to do so from Home Secretary Theresa May. Mr Clegg told BBC Radio Sheffield Mr Wright should go and the PCC role was a \"discredited experiment\". Labour accused Mr Clegg, whose party helped pass legislation to create PCCs, of \"classic Lib Dem hypocrisy\". Theresa May is facing calls from MPs for emergency legislation so that PCCs could be forced to leave their job. Earlier on Friday, Mr Wright again made it clear he will not resign in connection with the Rotherham child abuse scandal. Mr Wright, who used to head children's services at Rotherham Council before being elected in 2012, has quit the Labour Party but remains as an independent. Mr Clegg says his call to scrap PCCs is a \"personal\" view, although his Lib Dem party is already due to vote on an alternative system of police oversight at its conference in October. Asked about Mr Wright's refusal to quit, Mr Clegg said: \"It's just a disgrace saying 'I'm not going to take any responsibility for it.' \"I have to say I've come to my own personal view, I always had huge misgivings about the Conservatives' idea of Police and Crime Commissioners. \"They put it into the coalition agreement - fair enough - that's what you do in a coalition. Parties put in different ideas into the coalition agreement. \"I remember saying to the Tories at the time, 'look, be careful with this, because the last thing you want is just a bunch of recycled politicians, you know, overseeing our police. They said 'no, no, no, you'll get members of the public, you'll get independent-minded folk'. \"And instead what have we got in Shaun Wright and frankly in Police and Crime Commissioners across the north of England is a bunch of recycled Labour politicians who now refuse to actually accept responsibility. \"So I've come to the view that it is now time to scrap this experiment. And I think Shaun Wright has driven the death nail into this short experiment of Police and Crime Commissioners.\" The Conservatives distanced themselves from Mr Clegg's call for one of their flagship policies to be scrapped. A spokesman said: \"Police and Crime Commissioners are the link between the people and the police, engaging with local communities to address long-term crime issues so police can get on with their job out on the beat.\" The Labour Party is considering whether to scrap PCCs if it wins next year's general election and is thought likely to make an announcement on its policy shortly. Labour's shadow policing minister Jack Dromey reacted to news Mr Clegg's party was to debate axing PCCs by accusing them of \"classic Lib Dem hypocrisy\". \"They claim to be on the public's side in wanting to get rid of Police and Crime Commissioners but the truth is they are just as responsible for this policy as the Tories are - they voted for it and supported it all the way. You can't trust a word the Lib Dems", "summary": "Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has called for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) to be scrapped."}
{"article": "Boulden, 23, struck six birdies to card a six-under-par 68 after Australian Sarah Jane Smith took the lead with 67. In a close contest, with the top 19 separated by just four shots, England's Jodi Ewar-Shadoff hit 71 and is four strokes back. Scotland's Gemma Dryburgh and Michele Thomson are one shot behind Ewar-Shadoff after rounds of 69 and 74.", "summary": "Wales' Amy Boulden is three shots off the lead after the second round of the Women's Australian Open in Adelaide."}
{"article": "Yishai Schlissel was also convicted of six counts of attempted murder. He managed to infiltrate the parade three weeks after completing a 10-year sentence for a similar attack in 2005. The court said the fact that the police had known about Schlissel and not stopped him was unconscionable. Shortly after his release, he had lashed out at homosexuality in interviews and said the march needed to be stopped. In anti-gay pamphlets, he asked Jews to \"risk beatings or imprisonment\" to act against the event. He stabbed six people during the march in Jerusalem's city centre before being arrested. Shira Banki later died in hospital. 'We marched through blood' Israeli media said Schlissel was initially turned away by police but managed to return to the parade by using side streets. A police investigation last year called for the removal of six senior Israeli officers over the attack. The Gay Pride event has long been a source of tension between Jerusalem's secular community and its Jewish Orthodox groups.", "summary": "An Israeli court has convicted an ultra-orthodox Jew of murder over the stabbing to death of a 16-year-old girl at Jerusalem's Gay Pride parade last year."}
{"article": "He was in his hotel room in London, where he is due to perform at the Lyric Theatre, when officers barged in. Tweeting about his predicament he said hotel staff mistook him for a guest who had threatened staff with a knife. He was handcuffed and led from the room shouting \"but I'm in my kegs\". Met Police said he was mistakenly detained. Geordie comic Ramsey is touring the country with his show All Growed Up and provided a running commentary on Twitter of Sunday night's events. \"Well... The police have definitely just kicked my hotel door in and handcuffed me,\" the first tweet, sent at 00:47, said. In a string of follow-up tweets he said: \"Hotel staff ID'd me as someone who had been in the hotel earlier threatening staff with a knife. So when I checked in just now they called the police and sent them up to my room! I kept asking 'is this a joke?' When he said 'no come with us' police put the handcuffs on me and began to march me out of the room when I shouted 'but I'm in my kegs'. \"I love the idea that someone who was in earlier threatening staff with a knife, would then check in later for a kip!!\", he tweeted. On his way to breakfast he said he was taking precautions by wearing an anonymous black cap and black T-shirt, lest he be mistaken for \"a murderer or something\". Ramsey - who is a panel show regular and has also starred in BBC sitcom Hebburn - tweeted that his ordeal might be discussed during his stand-up routine later. A Met Police spokesman confirmed officers had initially been called to deal with a man who was threatening hotel staff with a knife in a racially aggravated attack. Officers returned to the hotel after midnight when they mistakenly arrested and subsequently released Ramsey, the spokesman said.", "summary": "Comedian Chris Ramsey was arrested at midnight in his underpants - but has since said he sees the funny side of the case of mistaken identity."}
{"article": "The United States-born 21-year-old was with Dumbarton last season. \"I am excited about the year ahead as I have forced my way into the Republic of Ireland U21s starting XI,\" he said. \"I was number two for a few years. Hopefully I can keep my spot and get some caps under my belt, which will be a great experience.\" Rogers has yet to break into the Dons first team and Danny Ward has arrived on loan from Liverpool to challenge Jamie Langfield and Scott Brown for a starting place at Pittodrie. So the goalkeeper, who has played three times for Republic of Ireland Under-21s and played 36 times for Dumbarton, was happy to leave on a third loan spell, having also played for Airdrieonians. \"I feel, at this stage of my career, it is important to try and play on a regular basis and going to Falkirk will hopefully give me that opportunity,\" he told Aberdeen's website. \"It is up to me to go to Falkirk and do well and then to come back next season to Aberdeen and challenge for that number one jersey. \"I feel my career is going in the right direction and I just need to keep working hard. \"Falkirk are a big club who have big expectations and had a good season last year and will be looking to kick on this year.\" Falkirk manager Peter Houston told his club website that he regards Rogers as \"a fantastic prospect\".", "summary": "Aberdeen goalkeeper Danny Rogers hopes returning to the Scottish Championship on a season-long loan with Falkirk will boost his international chances."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Welsh region had the game wrapped up at half-time after tries from Parry, Lloyd Ashley and Ashley Beck, with Sam Davies adding the extras. Tommaso d'Apice struck back before the break, before Parry scored his third rolling maul try following a line-out. Ben John and Dafydd Howells added further scores for the Pro12 leaders. Fly-half Davies scored Ospreys' first points of the season with a penalty after Zebre were penalised for not rolling away after just five minutes. Man-of-the-match Parry bundled over from a rolling maul shortly after following a period of sustained pressure from Steve Tandy's side. And the scoreline became even rosier for Ospreys when second-row Ashley broke through a gaping hole in the visitors' defence with a charge from the 22-metre line. Centre Beck was next to touch down when he crashed through two tackles from close range on 25 minutes. Zebre reduced the deficit when d'Apice rumbled over from a line-out five minutes before half-time, but their good work was soon undone. Media playback is not supported on this device Parry forced his way over for his second try on the stroke of half-time with Zebre again unable to stop Ospreys' rolling maul. It became a night to remember for the 24-year-old when he scored a near replica of his second try seven minutes into the second half. Parry was replaced midway through the second period, but the onslaught continued with replacement John running in from a fine inside pass from Davies. Fellow substitute Howells collected a cross-kick from full-back Dan Evans to score with five minutes remaining, before John scored his second after an off-load from Wales flanker Justin Tipuric. Lock Bradley Davies made his Ospreys debut off the bench after joining from Wasps, while Tipuric started after recovering from concussion. Tipuric returned during pre-season having not played since landing heavily at a line-out against Italy in the 2016 Six Nations. Ospreys: Dan Evans; Jeff Hassler, Ashley Beck, Josh Matavesi; Eli Walker, Sam Davies, Tom Habberfield (capt); Nicky Smith, Sam Parry, Dmitri Arhip, Lloyd Ashley, Rory Thornton, Olly Cracknell, Justin Tipuric, Tyler Ardron. Replacements: Hugh Gustafson, Paul James, Ma'afu Fia, Bradley Davies, Dan Baker, Rhys Webb, Ben John, Dafydd Howells. Zebre: Kurt Baker; Lloyd Greeff, Giulio Bisegni, Tommaso Castello, Gabriele Di Giulio; Edoardo Padovani, Guglielmo Palazzani; Andrea Lovotti, Tommaso D'Apice, Pietro Ceccarelli, Federico Ruzza, George Biagi (capt), Jacopo Sarto, Maxime Mbanda, Andries Van Schalkwyk. Replacements: Carlo Festuccia, Andrea De Marchi, Dario Chistolini, Valerio Bernabo, Giovanni Pettinelli, Fabio Semenzato, Carlo Canna, Tommaso Boni. Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU) Assistant referees: Stuart Gaffikin (IRFU), Gareth Newman (WRU) Citing commissioner: Aurwel Morgan (WRU) TMO: Simon McDowell (IRFU)", "summary": "Hooker Sam Parry scored a hat-trick as Ospreys made a winning start in the Pro12 with an eight-try bonus-point win over Italian side Zebre."}
{"article": "The deaths of 16 people in Barcelona and Cambrils earlier this month highlighted the continued threat posed by Islamist militants. The summer months have also seen new attacks in Belgium, France, Austria, Germany and the UK, as well as the first in Finland and one in the US. Although the vast majority of Islamist attacks are elsewhere in the world, an unprecedented number have taken place in Europe and North America since the declaration of a \"caliphate\" by the so-called Islamic State, in June 2014. The first look at the data behind the attacks - everything from the age of the perpetrators, to immigration status - offers an insight into those responsible and how they might be tackled. We identified 63 attacks between September 2014 and late August 2017 that we considered to be acts of jihadist terrorism. A relatively limited number of countries were affected: nine in Europe - those named above, plus Denmark and Sweden - along with the US and Canada. Regardless of country, most attacks were in large towns and cities - including Barcelona, London, Manchester, Paris, Nice, Berlin, Brussels, Stockholm and Orlando. A few attacks hit iconic targets, such as the Champs-Elysees and the Louvre museum in Paris, Westminster in London and Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Many others targeted crowded spaces such as busy pedestrian areas, entertainment venues or transport hubs. But some terrorist attacks have hit more unusual places, including an office Christmas party and a service at a church. We looked at attacks motivated by jihadist ideology, that involved deliberate acts of violence against other people and were intended to intimidate or convey a message to a larger group. Other organisations use different definitions. In total, the 63 attacks caused 424 deaths and left almost 1,800 people injured. The perpetrators are not included in these figures. The Paris attack of November 2015 was the deadliest, with 130 people killed, including 90 at the Bataclan theatre. France also saw the Nice lorry attack, which left 86 people dead. There were many other attacks that left many people dead and others injured. In total, these 11 attacks were responsible for 386 deaths. However, most of the attacks did not cause casualties, with the exclusion of the perpetrators. Although the number of young people being radicalised has caused concern, the average age of the attackers - 27.5 - is not unusually young. The two youngest were 15 - an unnamed boy who attacked a Jewish teacher with a machete in Marseille, and Safia S, a girl who stabbed a police officer at a Hannover train station. Of the five who were under the age of 18 at the time, four were in Germany. 15 Age of the youngest attacker 27.5 Average age of attackers 54 Age of the oldest attacker The vast majority of the attackers were in their 20s, with about one in four attackers above the age of 30 and six aged 40 or older. The oldest suspect, Mohamed H Khalid, was 54 when he was accused of stabbing to death an elderly couple in the", "summary": "A series of attacks in Europe over the summer months has raised the number of people killed in the West by jihadists during the past three years to more than 420, writes Dr Lorenzo Vidino."}
{"article": "Pearce, 26, was also fined Aus $125,000 (\u00a365,000), of which Aus $50,000 (\u00a326,000) was suspended for two years. He admitted he had a \"problem with alcohol\" and entered rehab after the footage emerged in January. \"Now this has been decided, I can get on with my rehab and work each day on making the right choices,\" he said. The sanction, which will mean Pearce can return against the Newcastle Knights in the last week of April, was agreed upon by the Roosters and the NRL. \"This was a complex and unprecedented matter that required careful consideration,\" Roosters chief executive John Lee said. \"It was paramount we delivered the appropriate level of discipline, but neither could we ignore the player welfare component.\" Pearce, the son of rugby league legend and NRL commissioner Wayne Pearce, was stripped of the Roosters captaincy after the incident.", "summary": "Sydney Roosters have suspended scrum-half Mitchell Pearce for eight National Rugby League games after he was filmed committing a lewd act with a dog."}
{"article": "It showed many people use computers instead of memorising information. Many adults who could still recall their phone numbers from childhood could not remember their current work number or numbers of family members. Maria Wimber from the University of Birmingham said the trend of looking up information \"prevents the build-up of long-term memories\". The study, examining the memory habits of 6,000 adults in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, found more than a third would turn first to computers to recall information. The UK had the highest level, with more than half \"searching online for the answer first\". But the survey suggests relying on a computer in this way has a long-term impact on the development of memories, because such push-button information can often be immediately forgotten. \"Our brain appears to strengthen a memory each time we recall it, and at the same time forget irrelevant memories that are distracting us,\" said Dr Wimber. She says that the process of recalling information is a \"very efficient way to create a permanent memory\". \"In contrast, passively repeating information, such as repeatedly looking it up on the internet, does not create a solid, lasting memory trace in the same way.\" Among adults surveyed in the UK, 45% could recall their home phone number from the age of 10, while 29% could remember their own children's phone numbers and 43% could remember their work number. The ability to remember a partner's number was lower in the UK than anywhere else in the European survey. There were 51% in the UK who knew their partner's phone number, compared with almost 80% in Italy. The study from Kaspersky Lab, a cybersecurity firm, says that people have become accustomed to using computer devices as an \"extension\" of their own brain. It describes the rise of what it calls \"digital amnesia\", in which people are ready to forget important information in the belief that it can be immediately retrieved from a digital device. The study highlights how, as well as storing factual information, there is a trend to keep personal memories in digital form. Photographs of important moments might only exist on a smartphone, with the risk of their loss if the device is lost or stolen. \"There also seems to be a risk that the constant recording of information on digital devices makes us less likely to commit this information to long-term memory, and might even distract us from properly encoding an event as it happens,\" said Dr Wimber.", "summary": "An over-reliance on using computers and search engines is weakening people's memories, according to a study."}
{"article": "Friends Eddy Corlett, 30, and Colm Connolly, 32, set off from Darwin in November and have ridden 18,641 miles (30,000 km) through 17 countries. Mr Corlett said their arrival was \"very emotional\" and they were \"looking forward to watching the TT races\". The men also travelled on a container ship, nine car ferries, a banana boat and travelled 621 miles on trains. Mr Corlett said: \"I'm really looking forward to letting our hair down and enjoying the races.\" \"It was a big relief to get here and we were very emotional arriving in Douglas. I'm a little bit sad for it to be over but it's a real sense of achievement getting here.\" The men, who dreamt up the idea after hearing they were to made redundant, have had to cope with floods, soaring temperatures, snow showers and dust clouds on their way. Around 45,000 visitors are expected during this year's Isle of Man TT fortnight, with the first racing on Saturday.", "summary": "Two men have completed an epic seven-month motorcycle journey from Australia to the Isle of Man for the TT races."}
{"article": "The former Italy goalkeeper, 56, replaced Kenny Jackett on 30 July, shortly after Chinese conglomerate Fosun International bought the club. Despite significant investment in the playing squad in August, Wolves have won only four of 14 league games and are 18th in the Championship. Zenga's assistant, Stefano Cusin, has also left Molineux. First-team coach Rob Edwards has been placed in temporary charge and will prepare the team for Saturday's game at Blackburn. A 1-0 home defeat by Leeds on 22 October was Wolves' fourth loss in five league matches, although midfielder Dave Edwards told BBC WM 95.6 after the game that Zenga retained the backing of his playing squad. Nine Championship clubs appointed new managers before the start of the 2016-17 season, but Zenga's departure from Wolves means only four of them remain in their posts. Roberto di Matteo, Paul Trollope, Nigel Pearson and Alan Stubbs left Aston Villa, Cardiff, Derby and Rotherham respectively in October. Rob Gurney, BBC WM 95.6 The cut-throat, \"success yesterday\" culture of football in the modern era is perfectly illustrated here, with Zenga given less than three months to prove himself. His training methods were clearly popular with the players, but equally some of his personnel decisions were deemed curious. Integrating a huge number of new players, however technically proficient, was not going to be easy, but owners Fosun have decided that someone else can do better in the pursuit of the boundless riches of the Premier League. Zenga's passion and commitment was clear. He was often an adversarial interviewee, steadfastly believing that he was right and the inquisitor was wrong. Ultimately his employers decided he was wrong. And so to the next\u2026", "summary": "Championship club Wolves have parted company with head coach Walter Zenga after just 87 days in charge."}
{"article": "Amama Mbabazi, a former prime minister, is quoted as saying that the move would help reconcile Ugandans divided over the legacy of Amin and other leaders. Mr Mbabazi is running against President Yoweri Museveni in next week's polls. Amin's rule was notorious for its brutality. He was overthrown in 1979 and died in exile in 2003. An armed forces chief under President Milton Obote, Amin seized power in a coup in 1971. He ordered the expulsion of Uganda's Asian community a year later. He became infamous for his capricious behaviour and for his punishment of political opponents. Some 400,000 people are estimated to have been killed while he was in power. Amin fled Uganda in 1979, seeking refuge in Libya, Iraq and eventually Saudi Arabia, where he would remain for the rest of his life. Mr Mbabazi made his promise to repatriate Amin's remains on a visit to the former dictator's ancestral home in north-west Uganda. His spokeswoman said his party was campaigning for reconciliation and for the \"forgiveness for any real or perceived wrongs in the past\". \"The issue of Idi Amin is one of them,\" she told the AFP news agency. Mr Mbabazi meanwhile told the state-owned New Vision newspaper that he wanted to end \"the labelling of Ugandans\" as Amin's people, Obote's people and Museveni's people. Mr Museveni has been in power for 30 years and is seeking a fifth term as president. Mr Mbabazi is one of seven candidates hoping to unseat him.", "summary": "A candidate in Uganda's presidential elections has promised to repatriate the remains of the former dictator, Idi Amin, and build a museum in his honour."}
{"article": "Cuadrado, 28, shone in Serie A and the 2014 World Cup before joining the Blues for \u00a323.3m from Fiorentina in February 2015, but failed to score in 13 games. He was loaned to Juventus last season, scoring four goals in 28 appearances to help them to the league and cup double. \"I wanted him when I was Juventus coach. He will come back very soon and train and play with us,\" said Conte. \"Now, he's a Chelsea player and he'll stay with us. If something changes you'll know.\" The arrival of Pedro at Chelsea from Barcelona last August saw Cuadrado join Conte's former club Juventus on loan five days later. As well as playing a significant part in Juventus' successful season, he also helped Colombia to a third-place finish at the Copa America this summer. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte says Colombia winger Juan Cuadrado is part of his plans at Stamford Bridge."}
{"article": "The EC135 helicopter pilot was forced to manoeuvre to the right during the incident over Perthshire on 25 March. The pilot was returning to base at Perth Airport after dropping off a patient in Glasgow. A UK Airprox Board (UKAB) report said that the two aircraft came within 200m of each other. The report said that the motor-glider had been invisible to the pilot due to being obscured by the windscreen pillar. The pilot of the glider has not been traced. The report noted that \"flight crew situational awareness\" was assessed as \"ineffective\" because there was no information available to the pilot to warn him about the motor-glider. It said that as the pilot was operating in Class G or uncontrolled airspace without a collision warning system. As a consequence \"see and avoid\" was his \"only mitigation against mid-air collision\". The report said: \"The fact that he was conducting his arrival checks had understandably reduced his and his crewman's capacity for robust and effective look-out. \"That being said, although it was a late sighting, he did see the other aircraft in time to take avoiding action, albeit achieving less separation than would be desirable.\" The charity leases the EC135 helicopter and pilots from Babcock Mission Critical Services (Onshore) Ltd. Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance chief executive David Craig said: \"We are currently reviewing the report and the observations and recommendations contained within it. \"I am meeting with our aviation providers Babcock Mission Critical Services (Onshore) Ltd. later this week to determine what steps, if any, we should be taking in response to this incident and the report findings.\"", "summary": "Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance had to take evasive action to avoid a collision with a glider, a report has revealed."}
{"article": "Ritzy Cinema workers in Brixton get paid a minimum of \u00a38.80 an hour. Bectu is calling for an increase to \u00a39.40 an hour. Union bosses said Picturehouse Entertainment is being \"very hard faced\" and has refused to negotiate. Picturehouse said pay would rise to \u00a39.10 an hour on 2 September as part of a three-year agreement with Bectu. Balloting began on Tuesday and will end on 30 August. Two years ago staff held 13 strikes over their pay and the minimum wage was raised from \u00a37.53 to \u00a38.40 in January 2015 and then to \u00a38.80 in September. The London living wage has since gone up from \u00a38.80 to \u00a39.40 per hour. Bectu said the company rejected offers to hold talks at the conciliation service Acas. The union also wants Picturehouse to address issues about treatment of new staff, maternity and paternity leave, and night pay. Bectu's assistant general secretary, Luke Crawley, said: \"Bectu has tried to talk to Picturehouse but the company are being very hard faced in ignoring our pay claim. \"No one wants to go on strike and we would rather settle this by talking but the company has ignored our offer. \"Members need to vote yes and send a strong message to the company.\"", "summary": "Staff at a cinema are being balloted by a union calling for the London living wage to be paid."}
{"article": "Abbey Road is full of gremlins. Giles Martin - son of record producer George Martin - can't play any music through his mixing desk at the iconic North London studios. He re-boots his computer while two engineers crawl on the floor, plugging in cables and fiddling with various switches. At one point, someone unplugs a hard drive. \"Oh God, you've just deleted the Beatles,\" Martin deadpans. Eventually, the equipment springs to life. The producer dismisses a workman, who has appeared to drill locks into the door, and apologises for the delay. \"I just moved into this studio yesterday,\" he explains. With that, Martin loads up a file that contains dozens of versions of the Beatles' back catalogue. There are the original recordings, mono mixes, stereo remasters and various other snippets - all of which Martin can flick between at will. He used these tracks as a reference while producing a new DVD compilation, Beatles 1+, which sees the Fab Four's biggest hits re-imagined in stereo and 5.1 surround sound, accompanied by restored promotional videos and films. \"The goal is to bring the band closer to you,\" says Martin. \"To have that same feeling at home that I get when I put on the tapes in the studio.\" Rather than viewing the originals as sacred, the band appreciate their music being tweaked this way, he says. \"My dad went to see John Lennon in 1980 before he died, and John said to him: 'Do you know what I'd really like to do? I'd love to record everything again.' \"Dad said, 'Really? How about Strawberry Fields?' \"And John said: 'Especially Strawberry Fields.'\" Counter-intuitively, Martin's new mixes are often simpler than the existing stereo versions - but he has a solid explanation. Up to Yellow Submarine, the Beatles treated the mono mixes of their albums as the definitive documents. The stereo versions were created as an afterthought, often without the band's involvement. \"My dad was never happy with the extreme panning that went on,\" explains the producer. \"You'd have the band on one side and all the vocals on the other. \"And you have what I call the socks and sandals brigade saying: 'The only way to listen to Sgt Pepper's is in mono.' To be honest, they're probably right, but no-one does that any more.\" So he set about recapturing the power of those mono recordings. \"In Beatles world, if you can make something more aggressive, they want it more aggressive,\" Martin says, cueing up Paperback Writer to prove his point. \"If you listen, this mono mix is very crunchy, very in your face,\" he says, as the textured harmonies give way to Paul McCartney's guitar riff. \"The stereo sounds wider,\" Martin continues, switching seamlessly to that version, \"but the problem is that all the action - the guitar and drums - are on the left speaker.\" \"The guitar riff is what you remember about that song,\" he says, but it loses its oomph by being shifted to one side. Accordingly, the new mix puts the instruments into a focussed central point, while spreading", "summary": "Giles Martin reveals how he took The Beatles master tapes and remixed them in surround sound for the Fab Four's new video collection."}
{"article": "Dafydd Tudur, 27, was struck as he walked along the A487 Y Felinheli bypass from Caernarfon, Gwynedd, before 03.20 GMT in March 2015. The hearing in Caernarfon was told the dark clothes Mr Tudur was wearing would have made him difficult to see. There was no evidence the taxi driver had seen him, the coroner said. North West Wales Coroner, Dewi Pritchard Jones, said Mr Tudur had been out with friends watching rugby before going on to Caernarfon, and had decided to walk along the bypass because it was a quicker route home to Y Felinheli. Taxi driver Terry Moxon told the hearing he had no recollection of seeing Mr Tudur and the first he knew of a collision was when he heard a bang and noticed his windscreen was smashed. Mr Pritchard Jones said there were no street lights on the bypass because there is no official footpath and the collision was due to \"misfortune\". Originally from Morfa Nefyn, Mr Tudur was an Aberystwyth University law graduate and worked as a solicitor Tudur Owen Roberts Glynne and Co in Bangor.", "summary": "The death of a man who was hit by a taxi as he walked home after a night out was accidental, an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "Called The Highlands and Islands Creative Campus, it has been created at Blair Steading on the Altyre Estate near Forres in Moray. GSA describes it as a research and postgraduate teaching centre for \"international excellence in creativity and innovation\". Highlands and Islands Enterprise has been supporting the creation of the campus. The site is a base for GSA's Institute of Design Innovation.", "summary": "Glasgow School of Art (GSA) has formally launched a new campus."}
{"article": "The evangelical church's pastor and founder, Kong Hee, was jailed for eight years - others received between 21 months and six years. The court ruled last month the group had misused church finances to fund the music career of Kong's wife, Sun Ho. All denied the charges - the church had supported them during the trial. State prosecutors said before sentencing it was \"the largest amount of charity funds ever misappropriated in Singapore's legal history\". Known for its slick image and wealth-focused brand of Christianity, City Harvest Church (CHC) has some 17,500 members in Singapore and branches around the world. In 2002, its launched what it called the Crossover Project - a scheme to evangelise through Ms Ho's music career. The hope was that songs like China Wine - a tune with rapper Wyclef Jean depicting Ms Ho as a Chinese exotic dancer in Jamaica - would help spread the gospel. A church-backed music production company aimed at helping her achieve mainstream success in the US was left with millions of dollars in losses when the project failed. The six were convicted on 21 October of misappropriating S$24m of church funds for the music project, and using another S$26m in an attempt to cover their tracks. They were found guilty of various counts of criminal breach of trust and falsification of accounts, although the judge accepted that there was no evidence of \"wrongful gain\" by the defendants themselves. That lack of personal financial benefit from the fraud meant the judge did not impose the maximum sentences of up to 20 years, local media report. Ms Ho herself was not prosecuted in connection with the case and did not attend Friday's sentencing. She recently took over leadership of the church. Convictions in full", "summary": "Six senior officials of Singapore's City Harvest megachurch have been jailed over a $50m Singapore dollar ($35m; \u00a323m) fraud case."}
{"article": "The man, in his 20s, suffered life-threatening injuries when he was hit by the train at Stockwell, south London, on Friday. British Transport Police said that while he remained critical, his condition was now considered \"stable\". Transport for London (TfL) said the station was not overcrowded. Nick Brown, from TfL, said the accident involved a train entering the Northern Line platform of the underground station at about 09:00 BST. He said the organisation had \"established that, while the station was busy, the platform was not overcrowded\". Eyewitnesses described the incident as \"horrific\". Twitter user Super D said he saw the man get hit by the train \"as he bent over to get his bag\". Others said people were screaming when they heard the impact and saw others attempting to help him before paramedics arrived.", "summary": "A man struck by a rush-hour Tube train when it is believed he bent down to pick up a bag is in a stable condition in hospital, police have said."}
{"article": "The OBR had previously forecast that the economy would grow 2.4% this year, but is now predicting a rate of 2.0%. Chancellor George Osborne said the cuts had been due to a reduction in the OBR's forecasts of productivity. The amount the government is expected to have to borrow this year has fallen, but it has gone up for the next three. However, the chancellor confirmed that he was still on-track to meet his target of having a budget surplus by 2019-20. Under the OBR's new forecast, the estimate for economic growth in 2017 has been cut to 2.2% from 2.5%, and to 2.1% from 2.4% in 2018. Growth in both 2019 and 2020 is now estimated at 2.1% compared with the previous forecast of 2.3%. The OBR also said the cut to growth forecasts was due to less growth being expected elsewhere in the world. \"In the short time since our November forecast, economic developments have disappointed and the outlook for the economy and the public finances looks materially weaker,\" it said. At a news conference, OBR head Robert Chote said that productivity growth in the last three months of 2015 had been considerably worse than expected, wiping out gains made earlier in the year and making the OBR question whether UK productivity was likely to recover to pre-crisis levels. \"With the period of weak productivity growth post-crisis continuing to lengthen, we have placed more weight on that as a guide to future prospects - although this judgement remains highly uncertain,\" the OBR said. The OBR unexpectedly reduced the amount it expects the government to borrow in the current financial year from \u00a373.5bn to \u00a372.2bn. In the first 10 months of the financial year, the government has already borrowed \u00a366.5bn, so many commentators predicted that the forecast would have to be raised. The OBR said it had cut the forecast because it was expecting smaller contributions to the EU in the next two months because more of the 2016 contributions would be paid in the next financial year. In addition, it predicted lower borrowing by housing associations, lower spending on tax credits and a smaller-than-expected take-up of married couples' tax allowance. However, the OBR warned that the fall it expected \"may not be reflected fully in the initial outturn data due in April\". It explained that this was because spending by local authorities tends to take longer to come into the Office for National Statistics, which is also not yet used to calculating figures for housing associations who have only recently been included in public sector debt figures. The borrowing forecasts for the following three years have been increased considerably, although the OBR still expects the government to achieve a surplus in 2019-20 and 2020-21, in line with its supplementary target on the deficit. Mr Chote said that if no measures had been taken in this Budget then the government would have had to borrow \u00a33bn in 2019-20, but he added that Mr Osborne had met \"the letter of the mandate\" by \"shuffling\" receipts into that year and spending out. On", "summary": "The UK economy will grow more slowly in the next five years than had been expected in November, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has said."}
{"article": "Wright, 53, has achieved three successive top-six finishes in the Premiership with Saints and led them to Scottish Cup glory in 2014. Rangers parted company with former boss Mark Warburton earlier this month. \"I don't think there's anybody in a job or out of a job that wouldn't want to take that call,\" said Wright. \"Yeah, I would speak [if the call came in from Rangers] because it's a big club but it's all hypothetical. \"That call hasn't happened as from other clubs it hasn't happened so I'm still happy here.\" Wright and Aberdeen counterpart Derek McInnes are the Scottish Premiership managers that have been linked with Rangers since Warburton's departure. Former Ibrox boss Alex McLeish and ex-Rangers defender Frank de Boer have also been mentioned in connection with the post. Rangers have reportedly held interviews to fill both the manager's job and a director of football post. Under-20s coach Graeme Murty continues in interim charge of the first team for a third successive game away to Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Friday evening. Saints host Kilmarnock on Saturday before visiting Ibrox on Wednesday, having drawn 1-1 on their two previous meetings with Rangers this season. Last term, St Johnstone knocked Warburton's Rangers out of the League Cup. The full interview with Tommy Wright will be aired on BBC Sportsound on Sunday from 12 noon.", "summary": "St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright has indicated he would be interested in the Rangers job but insists such a scenario is \"all hypothetical\"."}
{"article": "Leaked documents show that Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson and his wife bought offshore company Wintris in 2007. He did not declare an interest in the company when entering parliament in 2009. He sold his 50% of Wintris to his wife for $1 (70p), eight months later. He says no rules were broken and his wife did not benefit financially. The offshore company was used to invest millions of dollars of inherited money, according to a document signed by Mr Gunnlaugsson's wife Anna Sigurlaug Palsdottir in 2015. The leaked documents show that Mr Gunnlaugsson was granted a general power of attorney over Wintris - which gave him the power to manage the company \"without any limitation\". Ms Palsdottir had a similar power of attorney. Court records show that Wintris had significant investments in the bonds of three major Icelandic banks that collapsed during the financial crisis which began in 2008. Wintris is listed as a creditor with millions of dollars in claims in the banks' bankruptcies. Mr Gunnlaugsson became prime minister in 2013 and has been involved in negotiations about the banks which could affect the value of the bonds held by Wintris. He resisted pressure from foreign creditors - including many UK customers - to repay their deposits in full. If foreign investors had been repaid, it may have adversely affected both the Icelandic banks and the value of the bonds held by Wintris. But Mr Gunnlaugsson kept his wife's interest in the outcome a secret. Mr Gunnlaugsson's spokesman said his policies had put the interests of the Icelandic people ahead of the interests of the failed banks' claimants. \"The prime minister's wife's losses on these bonds issued by the failed banks will amount to hundreds of millions of Kronur and the scope for recoveries is extremely small.\" The spokesman said Ms Palsdottir had always declared the assets to the tax authorities and that under the parliamentary rules Mr Gunnlaugsson did not have to declare an interest in Wintris. He said that joint share certificates in Wintris had been issued because the prime minister and his wife had a joint bank account. This was pointed out to them when the documents were reviewed in 2009. \"It had always been clear to both of them that the prime minister's wife owned the assets, and this had not changed. Therefore it was immediately requested for the shareholder structure to be mended. All this was made clear in email communications at the time.\" The revelations are likely to lead to serious questions in Iceland as the leaked documents show that two other ministers in Mr Gunnlaugsson's government also had undisclosed offshore investments. See more at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists", "summary": "The prime minister of Iceland has been accused of hiding millions of dollars of investments in his country's banks behind a secretive offshore company."}
{"article": "The Grand Tour was inspired by an 18th Century tradition where the wealthy toured Europe's cultural sites. Nottingham Contemporary, Chatsworth House, Derby Museum and The Harley Gallery are all taking part. It is hoped a number of exhibitions, which run until September, will increase visitor numbers at the venues. The two counties have been chosen due to their connections to the original grand tours, which helped shape the art collection at Chatsworth, in Derbyshire, and The Welbeck Estate, in Nottinghamshire. Much of Chatsworth's collection was amassed by the Dukes of Devonshire. Items were either collected during the tour or were inspired by what had been seen. Local figures like Lord Byron, whose ancestral home is Newstead Abbey, would have also taken part in the tour. At Nottingham Contemporary, artist Pablo Bronstein will display hand picked objects from Chatsworth House's collection, including works by Rembrandt and Frans Hals. A colossal Roman marble foot from the stately home will also be on display in Nottingham. In Derby, The Wright Revealed exhibition focuses on two rare paintings by 18th Century painter Joseph Wright. One of the paintings languished in a museum store room for more than 50 years. The Grand Tour project has been co-funded by the National Lottery and the Arts Council to help create cultural destinations around the UK.", "summary": "A \u00a3350,000 project is set to link four cultural venues across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in a bid to increase tourism and boost the local economy."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old has won two caps, although he has dual nationality with the Republic of Ireland. O'Shaughnessy spent the last two seasons with Championship club, having joined them from French club Metz. He did not make a first-team appearance for the Bees, and spent time on loan with National League club Braintree and in Denmark with Midtylland. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Cheltenham Town have signed Finland international centre-back Daniel O'Shaughnessy after a two-week trial."}
{"article": "Element Power said the Irish-based giant wind farms in its Greenwire plan could power three million UK homes. It said the \u00a36bn scheme could save consumers billions of pounds as it is cheaper than off shore wind generation. The UK government is committed to to achieving 15% of its energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020. Element Power has told BBC Wales that its plan could provide up to 10% of that target. In Wales, as in other parts of the UK, there have been large demonstrations and protests against the building of wind farms. Greenwire is seen as a way of avoiding such confrontation in future. Under the plan 40 wind farms, with a total of 700 wind turbines, would be based in the Bog of Allen in the midlands of Ireland. The electricity would then be sent under the Irish Sea. The cables would resurface at two locations in Wales; one at Pentir near Caernarfon, and the other at Pembroke. Element Power insist that, because both locations are near existing power stations, sub stations and pylons, the environmental impact would be minimal. The project, would, however call for the building of two converter stations, which would be around the size of two football pitches each. Mike O'Neill, president of Element Power, described the scheme as \"a win-win situation\". \"This is surplus wind to Ireland's requirements and this is a great export opportunity for Ireland,\" he said. \"It creates lots of jobs, lots of economic benefit, and for the UK... this provides 10% of the 2020 renewable energy target... and saves the UK consumer \u00a37bn. \"So overall this \u00a36bn infrastructure project is going be (an) economic benefit for the UK, for Wales and for Ireland.\" Environmental campaigners Friends of the Earth said it did not oppose the scheme but called for the UK to develop its own renewable energy. \"This is a good project,\" said spokesman Guy Shrubsole. But he added: \"There's huge benefits that could come to the UK from properly developing our renewable resource, whether that's wave or tidal or offshore wind or onshore wind and the number of jobs that could be coming from that, the green economy that we could be building in the UK, not just having to import energy from overseas. A Department of Energy and Climate Change spokesman told BBC Wales: \"Further interconnection could open up real opportunities for the UK - to potentially lower prices, help with system balancing and enhance energy security.\" \"The government recently called for evidence on the costs and benefits associated with trading renewable energy - we will publish the government's response in due course.\"", "summary": "The UK government is considering plans to import wind power from Ireland to the National Grid via cables under the Irish Sea to north and west Wales."}
{"article": "The open-side flanker led Wales to a 19-12 Six Nations win over England at Twickenham on Saturday that secured the Triple Crown. \"Walking up those steps and... lifting the trophy was awesome, a brilliant feeling,\" said the 23-year-old. \"We wanted something to reward us for the hard effort, hard work we've put in over the last six months.\" Warburton took over as captain from the injured Matthew Rees for the 2011 World Cup, where Wales impressed but eventually had to settle for fourth. \"For us it still goes all the way back to May when we had that Baa-Baas [Barbarians] game in June, the ridiculous pre-season we had in the summer,\" Warburton said. \"It's nice to get a bit of recognition that all that hard work has paid off.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Wales had only won twice in 24 years at Twickenham before Saturday's success but, after impressive wins over Ireland and Scotland, started the game as favourites against an inexperienced England side. But England led 9-6 at half-time in a hugely physical, exciting encounter that was only settled five minutes from the end when replacement Wales centre Scott Williams stripped the ball from lock Courtney Lawes to score the winning try. Wales still had to survive a nervous moment when Dave Strettle was denied a try in injury time, after television match official Iain Ramage could not clearly see whether the England wing had grounded the ball over the line. Even if the try had been allowed, it would have taken a difficult conversion from wide on the right to tie the game and deny Wales their 20th Triple Crown. \"We ignored everything that was said in the media about us being favourites and all that rubbish, we didn't listen to it at all,\" Warburton added. \"We knew this was going to be the toughest test we'd had so far, you never come to Twickenham and have an easy game, as history tells you. Full Six Nations table \"It was one hell of a game, really tough. There were times when the boys had to pick me up off the floor and vice versa. \"England really threw everything at us, especially at the end, and they're an absolute nightmare to play when that situation happens and they very nearly went over. \"We're absolutely delighted with the win and all the boys are having a good time in the changing rooms now.\" With the Triple Crown secure, Wales have home games against Italy on 10 March and France the following Saturday as they attempt to claim an 11th Grand Slam, following on from their last Championship clean sweep in 2008. \"We've got Italy now in two weeks at home and that's a must-win game for us, but we can't look any further than one game ahead,\" Warburton warned. \"We'll enjoy this match now over the next week or so and then knuckle down for the forthcoming matches.\"", "summary": "Man-of-the-match Sam Warburton spoke of his pride after lifting his first trophy as Wales captain."}
{"article": "Michael Davies, 71, had been staying at a hotel with his wife at the holiday resort when he disappeared. The couple, from Blaina, Blaenau Gwent, had travelled to Sandown on the island by coach, Hampshire Constabulary said. But Mr Davies, who suffers from high blood pressure, has not been seen since the early hours of Wednesday. The force said Mr Davies wandered off after dinner at the Hotel Maria in Sandown at 21:30 BST and CCTV images later show the him less than half a mile inland from the seaside hotel. A police spokesman said: \"We are growing increasingly concerned for the welfare of a 71-year-old man. \"Having reviewed CCTV it appears that Michael was in the Avenue Road area of Sandown just before 01:00 on Wednesday morning.\" Police said the pensioner's family were worried because Mr Davies relies on medication to control his blood pressure, which he would not have access to. He is described as white, with cropped white hair, and wearing a blue tee-shirt, blue Reebok jumper, jeans and a baseball cap.", "summary": "A pensioner from south Wales is at the centre of a police hunt after vanishing during a coach holiday to the Isle of Wight."}
{"article": "Thousands have been protesting against the takeover for a second day, in cities across Yemen. On Friday, the Shia rebels said they were dissolving parliament and setting up an interim government. The UN Security Council has warned of unspecified further steps if the group do not immediately return to talks. The Houthis took control of parts of the capital Sanaa in September last year, forcing the resignation of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in January. Defending the move, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said on Saturday that the declaration was \"a historic, necessary and important step\" to prevent a power vacuum in Yemen. He added: \"Our hand is extended to every political force in this country. The space is open for partnership, co-operation and brotherhood.\" During protests in Sanaa on Saturday, Houthi gunmen fired into the air to disperse demonstrators. A bomb exploded outside the presidential palace, wounding three people. There were also protests in at least three other Yemeni cities, with demonstrators calling the Houthis actions a coup. Meanwhile, a rally in support of the Houthis took place in at a stadium in Sanaa. The Gulf Cooperation Council, made up of Yemen's neighbours and led by Saudi Arabia, has also expressed alarm. Iran has been accused of backing the Houthis, something both have denied, and analysts say the GCC's opposition signals Sunni Muslim hostility to the Houthis. The Houthi's political takeover comes after a deadline they set for political parties to resolve the crisis expired, and UN-brokered peace talks failed. Yemen has been riven by instability since protesters inspired by the Arab Spring forced the overthrow of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2011, who is believed to have been backing the Houthis. The country is also fighting an al-Qaeda insurgency with the help of US drones. Despite the takeover, the US said it was continuing to work with Yemeni on counter-terrorism.", "summary": "Yemen's Houthi rebels say they are open to working with other political factions, after taking over power in a move denounced by rivals as a coup."}
{"article": "Blackman, 39, from Taunton, Somerset, has been told he will spend at least 10 years in prison. It comes after one of the UK's highest-ranking Royal Marines pledged his \"full support\" for Blackman, saying he had been \"tainted\" by the \"impact of war\". The Ministry of Defence said it respected the court's decision. By Jonathan BealeDefence correspondent, BBC News In the words of his commanding officer, Sgt Al Blackman, the man until recently known just as Marine A, had a proud career and promising future. That was until a momentary and fatal lapse of judgement that not only prematurely ended the life of the injured Afghan fighter he shot, but also altered his own forever. His commanding officer said that Blackman was not a bad man, but a \"normal citizen\" tainted by the impact of war. But while the Judge Advocate General said there were mitigating circumstances to this unusual case, Blackman had treated the injured Afghan with contempt and murdered him in cold blood. He said his reaction to the murder caught on tape was chilling. The sentence passed was always going to be controversial - this was a murder carried out by a man who was serving his country in a war with a ruthless enemy. But those who criticise must also reflect that the sentence was approved by a group of Blackman's peers - those in uniform who've also experienced combat. In the words of Judge Blackett, it's their reputation too that's been tarnished. While there will be sympathy, there's also anger. On Thursday, three judges at the High Court lifted an anonymity order allowing Blackman to be named. Lt Col Simon Chapman, in a letter read to the judge and board at the court martial in Bulford, Wiltshire, described how Blackman's promising career had been shattered in a \"momentary\" lapse of judgement. The Ministry of Defence, in a statement, said: \"Throughout this case the Ministry of Defence has followed the independent legal process and a sentence has now been delivered. \"We respect the authority and decision of the court and it would be inappropriate of us to comment on the sentence.\" The trial - during which Blackman was referred to as Marine A - was the first time a member of the British armed forces had faced a murder charge in relation to the conflict in Afghanistan, which began in 2001. Two other marines were cleared. The murder took place after a patrol base in Helmand came under attack from small-arms fire from two insurgents. One of them was seriously injured by gunfire from an Apache helicopter sent to provide air support, and the marines found him in a field. Officer's letter defends marine The incident was inadvertently filmed by one of the cleared marines - known as Marine B - on his helmet-mounted camera. That footage, taken on 15 September 2011, was shown to the court during the two-week trial. It showed Blackman shooting the Afghan prisoner with a 9mm pistol. Sentencing Blackman, Judge Advocate General Jeff Blackett told him he had disgraced the name of the", "summary": "Royal Marine Sergeant Alexander Blackman has been sentenced to life by a court martial for murdering an insurgent in Afghanistan."}
{"article": "The Northern Irishman carded a third-round 68 for a 16-under-par total, with American Rickie Fowler his nearest contender on 10 under. McIlroy, 25, won from seven back at the PGA Championship at Wentworth in May. \"I know leads can go quickly,\" he said. \"That's why you can't let yourself think about winning.\" McIlroy was tied with Fowler on 12 under after 13 holes but eagles at the 16th and 18th helped him to the biggest 54-hole advantage at the Open since Tiger Woods led by six at St Andrews in 2000. But McIlroy - whose father Gerry and three friends placed a bet \u00a3400 at 500-1 10 years ago that he would win the Open by the time he was 25 - is well aware what the pressure of leading a major tournament can do to a player, having blown a four-shot lead on the final day of the Masters in 2011 and eventually carded an 80. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I've been on the right side of it and I've been on the wrong side of it,\" said the 25-year-old, who has led from the opening day. \"You've just got to stay completely in the moment and that's what I'm going to do for all 18 holes tomorrow.\" Fowler will tee off with his old rival in the final pairing on Sunday, having carded a third-round 68, and has not given up hope of overhauling him. \"If I can get off to a good start and put pressure on, there is a lot of golf to be played,\" said the 25-year-old American, whose rivalry with McIlroy dates back to when they faced each other in the 2007 Walker Cup. \"Being alongside Rory is an advantage. We are going to have a good time, so much can happen so quickly.\" Fowler drew level at one stage on Saturday but stumbled down the back nine before also carding a 68. Sergio Garcia is one shot behind Fowler and level with American Dustin Johnson but the Spaniard also held out hope of landing his first major title. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I am a little bit disappointed with the way I played the last two holes,\" said Garcia, whose third-round 69 would have been better but for a bogey at the 17th and a scratchy par at the par-five 18th. \"It is never easy being in the position of leader. Rory is a great player but you never know, anything can happen. \"But you can't just attack everything because you are not going to hit good shots. You have to attack where you feel comfortable attacking.\" Meanwhile, world number one Adam Scott has not ruled out the possibility of somebody setting a record score for a major championship on the final day. The Australian carded a third-round 69 to finish 10 shots behind McIlroy but believes a score of 62 is achievable, if Sunday delivers good weather. \"If we have similar conditions to today, there are low scores out there,\" said former Masters champion Scott. \"If", "summary": "Rory McIlroy is taking nothing for granted despite carrying a six-shot lead into the final round of the Open at Royal Liverpool."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device One day, for Great Britain? Hell, in one hour, around one small oval of track in east London, British athletes won three golds in such dizzying, dreamlike succession that all context and precedent disappeared off into the dark London sky. You tried to grab a record book before they all got thrown on the bonfires. In the 16 Olympics from 1928 to 1996, only once did Britain win more than five golds in an entire Games. Not since 1908 had GB won five in a day, and that was an event so unrecognisable it included tug-of-war and real tennis. The greatest single hour, the best night, unarguably, in the long history of British athletics. The best day in British sport? It sounds like hyperbole, so apply what logic you have left. Saturday's medal count, taken just on its own, would constitute Great Britain's ninth most successful Olympic Games tally in 118 years of competition. In three different sports, by men and women, on water and on dry land, the golds kept on rolling in, roared on by partisan crowds at stadiums across the city and its hinterland and by millions on television, radio and electronica. From Eton Dorney to the velodrome at the north end of Stratford's Olympic Park to within toasty distance of the Olympic flame itself, there was the same expression on British faces: I can't believe I'm here, I can't believe I'm watching this. What do you have to compare it to? England's World Cup win in 1966 was precisely that - England's. So was Jonny Wilkinson's iconic drop-goal in Sydney nine years ago. Media playback is not supported on this device This one truly belonged to Britain - a collective grin of national pleasure, a domino-chain of sporting success that had you clapping and cheering new heroes like you'd loved them all their lives. The rowers had started the celebrations with gold in the men's four and the women's lightweight double sculls before track cycling's women team pursuiters added track cycling gold. That was quite good enough. But those lucky enough to be among the 80,000 at the athletics were about to hit the jackpot in quite unprecedented fashion. We knew after the morning's long jump and javelin that Jess Ennis would, barring pestilence and plagues of locusts, be crowned Olympic heptathlon champion. We hoped that Mo Farah might do what no British male had ever done and win a global 10,000m title. A few even lumped some cash on Greg Rutherford to win the long jump, although a gamble was exactly how it felt. That all three came off in 46 minutes left you laughing with disbelief at the madness of it all. When Britain failed to win a single track and field title. Having waited 104 years for an athletics gold, three arrived in the city in such quick succession that the waves of noise barely stopped rolling. When you looked up at one point and saw the women's 100m was about to start, there was genuine surprise.", "summary": "There was a point in the Olympic Stadium on Saturday evening, at about 9.20pm, when you wanted to put the world on pause and just revel in it all for a moment before the next wonderful thing caught you round the chops."}
{"article": "The Scot, 30, was set to be in the British line-up to defend the title in Brazil but has been ruled out after his top two rides picked up injuries. Hello Sanctos and Hello M'Lady picked up minor injuries at the start of the season and will not be fit for Rio. Brash was the top-ranked showjumper in the world last year and is still GB's leading rider in the global standings.", "summary": "Scott Brash, part of Team GB's Olympic gold-medal winning showjumping team at London 2012, will miss the Rio Games."}
{"article": "Residents said that at the height of the flood, about 3ft (1m) of water was lying in parts of the Wester Inch estate, Bathgate. About 20 homes are thought to have been affected. A senior Scottish Water official later told 150 local residents at a public meeting that the water main was \"absolutely not\" fit for purpose. Chief operating officer Peter Farrer also gave an \"unreserved apology\" for the incidents. At the time of the flooding, some of the residents were at a local hotel having a meal paid for by Scottish Water following the previous incident. The flooding affected homes in Meikle Inch Lane, and supplies to parts of Bathgate, Blackburn and Livingston were disrupted. The first incident happened on Wednesday when \"extensive flooding\" closed Meikle Inch Lane and Leyland Road for seven hours. A total of 17 properties were affected. Resident Mark Snedden told BBC Scotland there was a sense of panic when the rising water was seen. \"We ran out of the house to move our cars to safety based on how high the water had got on Wednesday,\" he said. \"We then rushed to some of our neighbours' homes, neighbours that had been flooded, to let them know that the water had returned because they were actually walking in their flood-damaged homes.\" Scottish Water apologised unreservedly for any inconvenience caused and said it wanted to reassure customers that the company was \"committed to gaining a full understanding as to why these bursts have occurred\". A statement said: \"We have teams on site in the Meikle Inch Lane area that have isolated the burst and introduced backfeeds into our network. \"This has enabled us to restore normal supplies to the majority of customers who were affected in some parts of Bathgate, Blackburn and Livingston. Water tankers are also available if needed to support the network. \"We have staff on site in the area to help support affected customers and we are liaising with other agencies such as West Lothian Council and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.\" The statement said incident teams had been working through the night. \"Our main priority is to do everything that we can to help customers affected by flooding and loss of water supply, for some, the second time this week, and to provide the necessary support they require,\" it added. \"We will also investigate whether we can isolate this section of main whilst maintaining supplies to ensure that there is no repeat of this burst.\" Scottish Water representatives addressed a public meeting at Simpson Primary School.", "summary": "Homes in West Lothian have been flooded for the second time in four days, after the same water main burst again."}
{"article": "The show's winner will get \u00c2\u00a330,000 towards 'musical education' and a VIP trip to Disney Land Paris. It's the first time that a junior equivalent of The Voice has come to the UK, although there have already been 30 versions of the show in other countries including Australia and France. The show opened with will.i.am promising us laughter and tears - so did it deliver? Here are five things we learned... This was made clear right from the start, as the very first act, 13-year-old Jessica belted out 'Somebody to Love' by Queen. By her last note, all three judges had turned around, and will.i.am joked that the police might be on their way \"because you just killed it\". Meanwhile, 12-year-old Courtney might have seemed quiet and shy while she waited to perform, but she transformed into a rock star when the music started, wowing the judges with moves she'd learned from Youtube. We probably could have guessed this, but just in case you were in any doubt the show opened with a 'story time' sequence including childhood photos and videos of Pixie, Danny, and will.i.am, and honestly they looked pretty cute! They chatted about childhood memories off-stage, and were clearly imagining how they would have felt appearing on a show like this back then. Did it look this scary in the adult version? The silence when the singers walk out onto the stage is deafening - you can hear the contestants and the judges breathing nervously, and even rustling in the audience adds to the tension. You can practically hear their heart-beats! The stage somehow looks bigger as well - you suddenly realise what a massive space it is for one person to fill. The relief when the music starts makes it all worth the build up! We're quite glad about this to be honest - all the contestants were really good, so there wasn't really any reason for the judges to find their inner Simon Cowell. Even when none of the judges turned around, they had loads of lovely things to say in feedback. In fact, contestants seemed equally worried about upsetting the judges when they had to pick a mentor. Will.i.am didn't take it well when Leah, the youngest contestant, picked Pixie Lott as her coach instead of him. Danny was the most buzzer-happy, and got a couple of acts without challenge, but it didn't take long for the judges to start competing to win their favourite acts. Will.i.am *really* loved the show's first rapping entrant. He was so into the performance that he jumped up onto the stage to join him mid-performance! Attention-seeking? maybe... but Little T seemed happy about it, and he picked Will to coach him. And Will wasn't the only one to perform - Danny burst into song to prove he could sing in Italian to Italian-born contestant Riccardo. All three judges were desperate to win Riccardo over after his beautiful rendition of 'Hallelujah' and even resorted to listing their favourite Italian things. Ultimately, Pixie won the act. Was it because she has (sort of)", "summary": "The Voice Kids kicked off on Saturday night with singers aged 7-14 facing blind auditions in front of judges Danny Jones, Pixie Lott, and will.i.am."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Three tries in the space of 10 first-half minutes by Micky Higham, Sam Hopkins and Ben Crooks had put Leigh in control. But Tom Johnstone, Jacob Miller and Ben Jones-Bishop crossed to turn the game around for the hosts after the break. Leigh saw a second-half score for Matty Dawson ruled out for a forward pass. Had Ryan Hampshire's long floated pass to Dawson not crept ahead of play, Leigh could have stretched their lead to 12 points going into the last quarter. But within two minutes, a clever grubber from Wakefield scrum-half Liam Finn allowed Miller to score under the posts and level the scores. Sam Williams then executed a pin-point cross-kick for Jones-Bishop to collect out wide and, after the video referee eventually awarded a try, Wakefield reclaimed a decisive lead. Trinity's third victory of the season takes them level on points with Leigh, who have now lost four matches away from home. Wakefield coach Chris Chester: \"It was a tale of two halves. We looked in control after 23 or 24 minutes, but then came up with a poor play and we struggled to contain them. \"We need to be a lot better defensively because we conceded some really soft tries, a couple of dive-overs. \"But I'm pleased with the way we stuck at it and I thought we were worthy winners. \"We were a totally different team in the second half, very dominant, I thought we got back to where we were a couple of weeks ago. \"I'm proud we got the two points but we're certainly not getting carried away.\" Leigh coach Neil Jukes: \"I'm just really disappointed with our second-half performance. We were like chalk and cheese. \"For 40 minutes we were on fire and, if we'd have had a half-decent second half, I'd have thought fair play, but we were garbage in the second half. \"We lost (Josh) Drinkwater but that's no excuse for trying to cling onto a 12-point lead. \"I'd like to have given the guys a long weekend off and kick on on Monday but we'll be in tomorrow and we'll fix it up. \"We've got to find that away form.\" Wakefield: Allgood, Arona, Arundel, Ashurst, Batchelor, Fifita, Finn, Grix, Hadley, Hirst, Huby, Johnstone, Jones-Bishop, Kirmond, Miller, Tupou, Walker, Williams, Wood. Leigh: Naughton, Brown, Higson, Crooks, Dawson, Drinkwater, Hock, Higham, Weston, Hansen, Pelissier, Tickle, Vea, Hampshire, Reynolds, Green, Hopkins, Acton, Burr.", "summary": "Wakefield scored three second-half tries as they came from behind to beat Leigh Centurions and deny the visitors a first Super League away win."}
{"article": "Global prices have fallen by more than 60% since 2014. The New Zealand-based company said in a statement that the employment cuts were to result in savings of up to NZ$60m ($39m; \u00c2\u00a325m) per year. The company said the measures were needed to remain strongly competitive in today's global dairy market. \"Reducing the number of roles in our business isn't about individual competency; it is about continually improving the way we deliver performance,\" said Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings in a statement. The layoffs are part of an ongoing business review and will come at a one off cost of NZ$12m - $15m, the company said. Mr Spierings did not give a breakdown of which part of the business the job losses would be in. Consultations on further restructuring measures were announced for August. The dairy co-operative is the world's largest milk exporter and Fonterra products are popular across Asia, particularly in China. The company's profits have been falling for nearly two years in the face of volatile dairy prices. Shares dropped by 1% in Thursday trade.", "summary": "The world's largest dairy producer, Fonterra, said it plans to cut 523 jobs in the face of tumbling dairy prices."}
{"article": "Neil Brand's Sound of Song - exploring the secret behind popular songs - will launch the year-long season on Friday. In May, Strictly judge Darcey Bussell will lend her dance expertise to BBC Young Dancer 2015's Grand Final, broadcast live from Sadler's Wells. The former Royal Ballet principal said she was \"delighted to be involved\". Brand's Sound of Song, on BBC Four, will explore the elements that come together to create great songs, from Elvis Presley's 'slapback' echo in Memphis to the tape loops used by The Beatles at Abbey Road. Other highlights of the year include: \"Over the next 12 months we'll be offering everyone extraordinary access to some of today's great artists and performers,\" said the BBC's director general Tony Hall. \"When the BBC gets behind something, working closely with lots of others, we can offer opportunities like no one else.\"", "summary": "The BBC has launched The Year of Song and Dance 2015, which will include new programmes and live performances on BBC Two, BBC Four and Radio 3."}
{"article": "Eighteen people were arrested during the four-day operation and 63 vehicles were seized. Forty-two of the vehicles had no insurance and/or licence. A further 21 had no Vehicle Excise Licence, the Hampshire and Thames Valley operation discovered. Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police said the joint operation earlier this month aimed to make the roads safer for people living and working in the region. The \"large quantity\" of the substance believed to be cocaine was discovered in a car in the Iver and Denham area, officers said. Other items seized included a stolen digger worth \u00a312,000. The lorry driver asleep in his cab was in a vehicle \"piggy-backing\" another vehicle in Portsmouth. Both drivers were given fines totalling \u00a31,000.", "summary": "A lorry driver asleep at the wheel and a car thought to be carrying \u00a3100,000 of cocaine were among the discoveries made during a police crackdown on motoring offences."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old has agreed a three-year deal with the European champions from the start of the 2017-18 season. The switch - announced last month - will end a six-year association with the Scarlets which has seen Williams score 26 tries in 102 appearances. \"It was an opportunity I couldn't turn down,\" said Williams, who lines up for Wales against Scotland on Saturday. \"Hopefully, I'll go there and be part of a side that wins a couple more trophies. \"Saracens are European champions and were in another final two or three years ago. They've been English champions for a couple of years running.\" The 40-time capped wing or full-back added that living closer to his girlfriend Sophie Harries, a London-based model, was another factor in his decision. \"It's a new chapter. I'm ready to try something different and looking forward to it,\" he added. \"I still have some games left for the Scarlets. We're looking to make the top four in the Pro12 and get into the play-offs and I want to help them achieve that. \"It would be brilliant if we could win a trophy this season.\" Williams has not given up on adding the 2017 Six Nations title to his trophy cabinet. The 21-16 defeat by England leaves Wales third in the table on five points, but Williams believes a win against Scotland - also on five points - could rekindle their challenge. After Scotland, Wales play Ireland at home before rounding off their tournament with a trip to France. \"We have three tough games to play,\" said Williams, who has scored against Italy and England. Media playback is not supported on this device \"We have to get our performances right and make sure we win our next three games. There's still a chance we could win the championship.\" Williams' versatility in the back three make him a potential candidate to tour with the British and Irish Lions in the eyes of some pundits. \"It's always been a dream of mine to make a Lions tour,\" added Williams. \"It would be the pinnacle if I could get there, but I've learned during my career you should never look too far ahead. \"So all I'm concerned about at this point is the Six Nations.\" Williams has played most of his international rugby on the wing despite being a full-back for Scarlets. But any rivalry with Wales and 2013 Lions number 15 Leigh Halfpenny is in the minds of fans, with Williams saying he and the Toulon player are on the best of terms. \"I prefer to play at 15 but Leigh is doing an immense job and so I'm happy to slot in on the left wing or the right wing - anywhere in the back three,\" he said. \"We are good mates. At the weekend his local team, Gorseinon, played my local side, Waunarlwydd, and Waun won with the last kick of the game, so I have the bragging rights.\"", "summary": "Wales back Liam Williams hopes to win \"a couple more trophies\" after his move to Saracens in the summer."}
{"article": "Play was called off by umpires Nigel Cowley and Billy Taylor at 18:00 BST. A day-and-a-half has now been lost, play having been abandoned on Tuesday, when the rain arrived just in time to prevent Durham starting their second innings 170 runs adrift. If play resumes on Thursday, Durham and Worcestershire will both have replacements playing. Durham's Keaton Jennings and Worcestershire's Joe Clarke are now on England Lions duty, meaning call-ups for Michael Richardson and Tom Fell respectively. Durham will delay a decision about their choice of captain for the forthcoming Twenty20 Blast until they discover whether Jennings, an England Test candidate, will be available to them.", "summary": "No play was possible on day three of Durham's County Championship Division Two meeting with Worcestershire."}
{"article": "At every border along the refugee trail, through Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Denmark and Sweden, the welcome is cooling, the checks are getting tougher, and people are being turned back. Here at Idomeni there is just one small gate, right by the railway line, where refugees can pass. A Macedonian policeman, with a magnifying glass in hand, stands by it, scrutinising the documents of every single person attempting to cross. The refugees wait in line for their turn. \"You, you can pass,\" the policeman says to a family with small children. They shuffle through. \"You. No,\" says the policeman to a young Middle Eastern man. He turns back. Young men in particular are facing more scrutiny. Those fleeing conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are supposed to be allowed through. Everyone else is being stopped. Just a couple of seconds are spent peering at each set of papers. \"You. No valid documents,\" says the policeman to an old lady in a headscarf. \"This is fake,\" he adds, holding her identity card. It says she's Syrian. She speaks no English and looks confused. Migrant crisis explained in maps and graphics More than one million migrants reach Europe by sea in 2015 Cologne sex attacks and their profound effect on Europe Macedonian soldiers lean against a vehicle watching, guns slung from their shoulders. A UN refugee agency staff member standing nearby does not intervene. Many who are not from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are now trying to get through with forged papers. Sifting the genuine refugees from impostors isn't easy. One group showed their Syrian passports, but their identity papers obtained in a Greek refugee camp did not have the proper stamps. Among them was a man, limping, his leg set in a metal brace. \"You have to go to Athens, get papers there,\" a Greek policeman told him. Athens is 500km (310 miles) to the south. But those denied passage are not deterred easily. In the woods near the border we found dozens of migrants, camping out. They were outside in freezing temperatures, hiding from the police, preparing to skirt the official crossing, to enter Macedonia illegally. There were Libyans, Iranians and Moroccans, along with Indians, Somalis, even a refugee from Western Sahara who had crossed North Africa hanging on to the underside of a truck. They were all wrapped in blankets to protect themselves from the cold. One man, singing a lament, was from Afghanistan. But he was darker-skinned than most Afghans, so the Macedonian border guards had refused to believe his papers and turned him back too. Among a group of Pakistanis warming their hands by a fire we found Sami from Lahore. He'd worked as a chef in a restaurant. But, he said, his boss rarely paid him, so he had left his wife and three-year old son behind to make this journey. \"It's very hard,\" Sami told me. \"It's cold. I have no food, no drink, no money in my pocket, all finished.\" He has spent $4,000 (\u00c2\u00a32,770; \u00e2\u201a\u00ac3,700) and 15 days in jail in Turkey to", "summary": "Running in looping coils, razor-wire now stretches along part of Macedonia's border with Greece."}
{"article": "Robert Huey was speaking after a suspected case of \"mad cow disease\" was identified in the Republic of Ireland. Further tests are being carried out, but if confirmed, it would be the first case of BSE (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in Ireland since 2013. Mr Huey said despite the development, it was business as usual for the Northern Ireland beef industry. \"The controls we have in place are robust and ensure that beef from the north is safe to eat,\" he said. \"It's very much just business as usual. We have our controls, we have our controls in meat plants, we have our controls in meat and bone meal, we have our surveillance and those are robust. \"They're the same controls that are protecting public health and animal health across Europe and I'm confident that those are sufficient to ensure that, if instances do happen, that they are sporadic and only a one-off.\" The animal involved in the incident in the Republic of Ireland is a five-year-old cow from a dairy farm in County Louth. The Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) said the cow was not presented for slaughter and did not enter the food chain. Mr Huey said that showed that the existing safeguards were effective. \"It does prove that the surveillance that's in place across Europe actually works,\" he said. \"We've always suspected that there might be an occasional sporadic outbreak in an individual animal and that's what we seem to have here.\"", "summary": "The chief veterinary officer for Northern Ireland has said NI beef is safe to eat."}
{"article": "Perry, 19, made his first team debut in the Football League Trophy in August before playing in the 1-0 win over Grimsby in the FA Cup in November. The Liverpool-born midfielder came through the Wanderers' academy and was a regular in the club's Under-23 side. However, Bolton, who were promoted from League One last season, have released full-back Callum Spooner.", "summary": "Young midfielder Alex Perry has signed a first professional contract with Championship side Bolton Wanderers."}
{"article": "On Monday, Rick Maddison fatally shot Senior Constable Brett Forte after the police officer intercepted his car in Queensland. He fled to a nearby farmhouse and spent the night in a stand-off with police. Maddison was killed by authorities after fleeing the house and firing on police, Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Tony Wright said. \"He has been challenged by police at that point in time - he has fired at those police,\" he told reporters on Tuesday. \"Specialist police have returned fire. The male person has been shot and that male person has been declared deceased at the scene.\" Mr Forte was killed after intercepting Maddison, who police had described as a \"wanted person\", about 14:20 local time (04:20 GMT) on Monday. Authorities had set up an exclusion zone around the farm and began negotiating with Maddison at midnight. The confrontation happened just after 11:00. On Monday, Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said he wanted to resolve the siege \"as peacefully as humanly possible\". Residents nearby residents were ordered to evacuate their homes on Monday evening. Mr Forte was a husband and father who had been a police officer for more than 15 years, authorities said. \"It is so distressing - not just to the police service - but to the community, that we have lost a fine police officer,\" Mr Stewart said. Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers said the officer was shot \"simply trying to apprehend a wanted person\". \"It could have been any one of us anywhere in Australia,\" he told the Seven Network. \"Our thoughts are with his wife and his three children. He has got a daughter and two sons.\"", "summary": "A man who killed a policeman before holding authorities at bay for 18 hours has been shot dead in Australia."}
{"article": "The Kemp's Ridley turtle was found in Aberystwyth's North Beach suffering with hypothermia and septicaemia. Although the female juvenile seemed to recover for a few days, her condition deteriorated and she died on 25 December. Bristol Aquarium described the turtle as \"incredibly unwell\", and in \"bad shape\" despite medical help. The post on the aquarium's website added: \"We hope that the valuable experience of the past 12 days and knowledge gained from working with this turtle will enable us and others to help future stranded sea turtles.\" Kemp's Ridleys live in the Gulf of Mexico, but the juveniles spend their time in the Atlantic, travelling about 6,000 miles on ocean currents until they mature. In 1985, their population fell to a few hundred nesting females. Since then numbers have risen, with about 10,000 nests laid at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico, annually. The aquarium has advised that any sea turtles found washed up on the beach should not be put back in the water, but for people to contact British Divers Marine Life Rescue.", "summary": "A rare sea turtle found washed up on a Welsh beach has died despite medical treatment at Bristol Aquarium."}
{"article": "It's about 700km (430 miles) from Delhi to Islamabad - less than the distance between London and Geneva. A short hop in aviation terms. But you can't fly non-stop from the Indian capital to the Pakistani capital. There are no direct flights at all. It is only one of the legacies of seven decades of mutual suspicion and tension. Take another example: cricket. India and Pakistan played each other a few weeks ago in the final of the Champions' Trophy. Both countries are cricket crazy. However, the game was played not in South Asia, but in London. India and Pakistan don't play cricket in each other's countries any more, although they have met in one-day matches around the world, including in countries in their region like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. But it is almost 10 years since they faced each other on South Asian soil in a Test match. Despite a lot of shared culture and history, they are not simply rivals, but more like enemies. In the 70 years since India and Pakistan gained independence, they have fought three wars. Some would say four, although when their armies last fought in 1999, there was no formal declaration of war. The simmering tension between India and Pakistan is one of the world's most enduring geopolitical fault lines. It has prompted both countries to develop their own nuclear weapons. So the uneasy stand-off is much more than a regional dispute: it is fraught with wider danger. India and Pakistan gained their independence at the same moment. British rule over India, by far its biggest colony, ended on 15 August 1947. After months of political deadlock, Britain agreed to divide the country in two. A separate and mainly Muslim nation, Pakistan, was created to meet concerns that the large Muslim minority would be at a disadvantage in Hindu-majority India. This involved partitioning two of India's biggest provinces, Punjab and Bengal. The details of where the new international boundary would lie were made public only two days after independence. Partition triggered one of the great calamities of the modern era, perhaps the biggest movement of people - outside war and famine - that the world has ever seen. No one knows the precise numbers, but about 12 million people became refugees as they sought desperately to move from one newly independent nation to another. Amid a terrible slaughter in which all main communities were both aggressors and victims, somewhere between half a million and a million people were killed. Tens of thousands of women were abducted, usually by men of a different religion. In Punjab in particular, where Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs had lived together for generations and spoke the same language, a stark segregation was brought about as Muslims headed west to Pakistan and Hindus and Sikhs fled east to India. This was not a civil war with battle lines and rival armies - but nor was it simply spontaneous violence. On all sides, local militias and armed gangs planned how to inflict the greatest harm on those they had come to see as", "summary": "As India and Pakistan celebrate 70 years of independence, Andrew Whitehead looks at the lasting legacy of the Partition of British India, and the turmoil and trauma which marred the birth of the two nations."}
{"article": "The facility is powered by a set-top box, which also lets content broadcast over the past 24 hours be replayed, even if recordings were not scheduled. The service is included in the price of EE's broadband and landline packages. One expert called the move \"hugely significant\". EE TV includes more than 70 Freeview channels, including BBC One, ITV, Channels 4 and 5, Sky News and Al Jazeera. In addition, it offers apps for YouTube, Daily Motion and Rakuten's subscription TV and movie service Wuaki.tv, among others The set-top box contains a one terabyte (TB) hard disk, which the firm said could store up to 25 days worth of standard definition content and five days worth of high-definition shows. Mobile customers of the UK network who did not previously subscribe to another service from the firm but who want EE TV will need to sign up for a broadband package. The cheapest one on offer is \u00c2\u00a39.95 a month plus a further \u00c2\u00a315.75 a month for a required telephone line, all for a minimum of a one-and-a-half year duration. The company hopes this will provide them an incentive to switch to its service. \"With EE TV, not only can you watch different streams of live and recorded content, on multiple screens simultaneously, but your mobile becomes the remote,\" said EE's chief executive Olaf Swantee. \"This gives each viewer the chance to watch, queue and view what they want, when they want.\" When I ask EE's chief executive Mr Swantee what potential customers are getting if there isn't any unique content, his answer is \"a user interface that stands out.\" Somehow I doubt that viewers across the land are going to be wowed by that promise. Technology firms, from Microsoft to Google to Apple, have all been trying to change the way we use television for a decade or more. But the viewers have been stubbornly resistant to change. Read more of Rory's thoughts on the EE TV launch on his blog. One industry watcher said he expected the firm's competitors to respond in kind. \"It's a logical move from EE and one that's in direct response to BT launching its mobile service next year,\" said Paolo Pescatore from the consultancy CCS Insight. \"With EE's broadband business posting good quarterly subscriber growth it has a strong subscriber base to cross-sell to, and puts it in a far stronger position than other quad-play providers - Virgin Media and TalkTalk. \"Today's announcement [also] puts the pressure on others to accelerate their own quad-play plans.\" However, he added that he believed EE TV needed to offer a better range of content if it wanted to succeed. \"EE has taken a sensible approach with its TV service as it doesn't want to be embroiled in bidding wars for premium content,\" Mr Pescatore said. \"However given the exclusion of Netflix, EE must strongly consider forging agreements with other key rights owners including BSkyB for its Now TV service. \"The company must also strengthen the range of on-demand services as this is becoming increasingly important to consumers as underlined by", "summary": "Mobile network EE has announced a TV service that lets up to three phones or tablets be used to watch different live programmes in the home simultaneously, while a television screens a fourth."}
{"article": "It will be one of the main topics under discussion at a global conference of lawyers getting under way in Belfast this week. More than 400 lawyers from around the world are taking part. The Law Society and International Bar's Norville Connolly said Brexit was a huge issue for the profession. \"All UK lawyers at the moment can either establish or go into Europe to provide legal services,\" Mr Connolly said. \"Between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland there are a huge amount of lawyers who conduct business and create jobs and all that follows from that. \"If there's a hard Brexit, to use that expression, what will happen is that ability to travel abroad, to establish firms abroad, may well be lost. \"That's the fear that the lawyers who practise in Europe, or practise in some country other than their own country, that's their huge fear . \"So there's a lot riding on the hard Brexit v the soft Brexit.\"", "summary": "A hard Brexit could have drastic consequences for the legal profession in Northern Ireland, according to the International Bar Association."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Kris Boyd opened the scoring after nine minutes, breaking clear of the static Dee defence to knock the ball beyond the advancing Scott Bain. It was all square before the half hour when Kevin Holt calmly finished, helped by keeper Freddie Woodman's bizarre decision to race from his line. Dee's Henrik Ojamaa and Killie's Rory McKenzie went close to winning it. This was the day's only Premiership match due to the Scottish Cup, meaning both sides knew a win would allow them to move further away from the drop zone. There was plenty at stake and Killie started the brighter, earning their reward in nine minutes. A hopeful ball forward caught the Dee defence out and Boyd got the better of Kevin Gomis before knocking the ball beyond Bain. Killie keeper Woodman then made a fine stop with his legs to deny Mark O'Hara but the visitors' glove man was badly at fault when Dee levelled. Cammy Kerr launched a high ball into the box and Woodman raced from his line but got nowhere near it, allowing Holt to calmly fire the ball under him for 1-1. Henrik Ojamaa went close to a second for the home side but Woodman was up to the task this time, touching the striker's fierce low shot around the post. Ojamaa was the first to threaten after the break with a curling effort from distance that sailed narrowly over before Conor Sammon drew a decent stop from Bain at the other end. Dundee's Tom Hateley showed great skill on the right before firing in a cross-shot that Woodman stopped well. And the keeper had to repeat the feat soon after to deny Kostadin Gadzhalov with a back-post header. Both sides continued to press for the winner with the excellent Jordan Jones trying his luck for Killie before Rory McKenzie forced Bain into a fine acrobatic stop with a dig from distance. Dee substitute Faissal El Bakhtaoui could have secured all three points at the death but after cutting in from the right his shot drifted wide of the far post. Dundee manager Paul Hartley: \"I think it was (a fair result). We didn't play as well today, I though we were sloppy in possession, kept giving it away, and our decision making was really poor. \"They started better than us but we came into the game more and had some opportunities. But we have to play a lot better. \"We had opportunities but we sort of snatched at a couple of things and need a little more calmness and composure in the final third and in the box. \"Now it's about points. We do want to play well but it's so tight down at the bottom of the table, we want to get into the top six. We feel we've missed opportunities - last week we were 2-0 up and it was another home game today but we didn't perform the way we should have.\" Kilmarnock manager Lee Clark: \"It was frustrating, very similar to the game last", "summary": "Kilmarnock moved into the top half of the Premiership courtesy of an entertaining draw at Dens Park."}
{"article": "The crash happened early on Monday in the city of Bareilly, 251km (155 miles) from the state capital, Lucknow. A senior police official said all 22 victims had been charred badly and could not be immediately identified. The passenger bus had caught fire following the collision. Police are searching for the driver of the truck. The AFP news agency quoted police as saying the doors of the bus jammed after the collision, trapping passengers inside. A few people managed to escape by breaking open the windows of the vehicle. The chief spokesman of the Uttar Pradesh police, Rahul Srivastav, said the bus was carrying 41 passengers, and that those who were injured had been rushed to hospital. The condition of many of them is said to be serious, and officials warn that the toll is likely to rise. India has the world's highest number of road deaths, with an accident taking place every four minutes. Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and ageing vehicles.", "summary": "At least 22 people have been killed after a bus they were travelling in collided with a truck in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh."}
{"article": "Around 40 people were said to have been watching the stream at one point but nobody reported the incident to police. A police spokesman said authorities first learned of what happened after the girl's mother approached the head of police as he was leaving a station. Detectives have questioned several people but no arrests have been made. The video has since been removed. The girl, who had been missing for a day, has now been found by detectives and reunited with her family. Her mother, whom the BBC is not naming, said her daughter appeared to be scared in the footage, adding \"it's so disgusting\". \"It's just terrible. I know they'll get their day coming,\" she said on Tuesday morning, before her daughter was found. Chicago police chief, Supt Eddie Johnson, was said to be \"visibly upset\" after the girl's mother showed him screenshots of the video. A relative of the girl, Reginald King, says he was the last to see her before the alleged attack, after the two attended church together on Sunday. \"Nobody deserves that. No human being deserves for that to happen to them,\" he told local media, adding that he suspects local \"thugs\" committed the attack. After the girl was found, she was taken to hospital with injuries to her face, he told the Chicago Tribune. A spokesman for Chicago police tweeted on Tuesday afternoon that police are \"making good progress\" in identifying the assailants. \"Interviews ongoing but no formal suspects named yet,\", Anthony Guglielmi added. \"Crimes like this are hideous and we do not allow that kind of content on Facebook,\" a spokeswoman for the company said. \"We take our responsibility to keep people safe on Facebook very seriously and will remove videos that depict sexual assault and are shared to glorify violence.\" In January, Chicago police arrested four people following a separate incident in which a man's alleged assault was live streamed, also on Facebook Live.", "summary": "The alleged sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl by five or six males was streamed on Facebook Live, according to Chicago Police."}
{"article": "The monarch was speaking as she formally opened the fifth session of the Scottish Parliament. She stressed the need for political leaders to make \"room for quiet thinking and contemplation\". It was her first major address since the UK voted for Brexit in last month's referendum. The result has ignited calls for a new referendum on Scottish independence, with Scotland facing the prospect of having to leave the European Union despite voting by 62% to 38% in favour of remaining. The Queen told the Holyrood chamber that the world was \"increasingly complex and demanding\" and that developments can take place at \"remarkable speed\". She added: \"Retaining the ability to stay calm and collected can at times be hard. \"As this parliament has successfully demonstrated over the years, one hallmark of leadership in such a fast-moving world is allowing sufficient room for which can enable deeper consideration of how challenges and opportunities can be best addressed.\" The chamber also heard from Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who said MSPs had been given the \"precious opportunity to contribute to building a better country - and build it we will\". Ms Sturgeon added: \"To do so we must be bold and ambitious. We must show courage and determination. Our collective commitment to the people of Scotland today is that we will not shy away from any challenge we face, no matter how difficult or deep-rooted.\" If you are the first minister, you can make your point directly. And so Nicola Sturgeon concluded her remarks at Holyrood today by urging MSPs and Scotland more generally \"to play our part in a stronger Europe and a better world.\" If you are the presiding officer, you can say what you mean to say, without challenge. And so Ken Macintosh, in a notably well-structured speech, urged optimism in these troubled and uncertain times. However, if you are Her Majesty the Queen, you have to be more circumspect. The palace reacted furiously when one newspaper purported to know the views of the monarch upon the EU referendum question. Further, although she is the sovereign, she operates within a careful power balance in which she is not supposed to interfere in decisions taken by elected representatives. Did she interfere today? She did not. Did she, however, contrive to convey an overview upon the events of the past week? She did, albeit in the context of urging calm, cool heads. Read more from Brian The first minister, who has pledged to do all she can to maintain Scotland's place in the EU, also spoke of the parliament's duty to \"enhance and never diminish our place in the world\", and said Scotland was determined to remain \"open and inclusive\". She said: \"Whether we have lived here for generations or are new Scots, from Europe, India, Pakistan, Africa and countries across the globe we are all of this and more. We are so much stronger for the diversity that shapes us. \"We are one Scotland and we are simply home to all of those who have chosen to live here, that is who and", "summary": "The Queen has acknowledged the difficulty of \"staying calm and collected\" in an \"increasingly challenging world\"."}
{"article": "Lord Lisvane took his seat in the House of Lords this morning. He is perhaps better known as Sir Robert Rogers, whose familiar bewigged and bewhiskered features were until late last year seen in the House of Commons, where he was clerk and chief executive and sat in front of the Speaker John Bercow. He has chosen Lisvane as his title from the city of his birth, having satisfied Garter King of Arms of his links to that northern suburb of Cardiff. Lord Lisvane is descended on his mother's side from the Cardiff construction company E Turner and Sons, who built, among other things, City Hall and Cardiff Royal Infirmary. You may recognise a family resemblance in this painting which hangs in City Hall. The firm also built a rather smart family home in Lisvane that was on the market last year for \u00c2\u00a33m. Ty Gwyn passed through the Turners to the Reardon Smiths and then Julian Hodge - a family tree of notable Cardiff names. Lord Lisvane lives in Herefordshire now but chose to reflect his upbringing in his title. In his former Commons role, he is said to have clashed with John Bercow. It was noticeable how he was introduced into the Lords by former Commons Speaker Baroness Boothroyd and how many MPs made the short journey to watch him take his seat from the steps of the throne.", "summary": "Wales has a new cross-bench peer."}
{"article": "Five others were injured in Monday evening's blast at the Eagle Fireworks factory in Sangli district. It was not immediately clear how the fire started. Accidental explosions are common at Indian fireworks factories, which provide fireworks for weddings, festivals and other ceremonies. In 2012, 34 people were killed and 30 others injured in a massive blaze at a fireworks factory in the southern Tamil Nadu state. The BBC Hindi's Devidas Deshpande in Pune says that the latest explosion in Kavathe Ekand village was so powerful that it was heard at least five kilometres away, and the debris of the factory was scattered far and wide. The mother and the son of the factory owner were among the dead, while his brother and three workers were seriously injured. The village has many households making firecrackers for local religious festivals and such incidents have been reported before. Some 25 people have been killed in at least six such incidents in the village in the past few years, our correspondent says.", "summary": "At least nine people have been killed in an explosion at a fireworks factory in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, police say."}
{"article": "Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) chief executive Liz Cameron highlighted the need for 11,000 new roles each year in Scotland's digital and IT sector. She warned that the vacancies could not be filled entirely by British workers. Ms Cameron also called for a migration system that responded to Scotland's lower population growth rate. She said Scotland's projected population growth to 2024 was only 3.1%, compared with a projected 7.5% increase for England over the same period. She warned that could leave the economy growing more slowly and unable to sustain public service levels. Ms Cameron's comments came as the prime minister prepares to get Brexit negotiations under way. Theresa May has set a deadline of 31 March for invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, getting official talks with the EU started. In a statement, Ms Cameron said: \"It is time to make the case for a new migration system that works for the UK, works for Scotland and, above all, works for business. \"Free movement of people across Europe may have led us to become complacent about the effort that is required to target the talents that our businesses need across all sectors and all parts of the UK. \"We need to plan now for a system that will be focused on sourcing the right talent, wherever in the world that exists, and in the numbers that meet the demands of our economy.\" Giving greater control over immigration to Holyrood has been a key demand of Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the wake of the Brexit vote. However in January the home secretary appeared to rule out the possibility of Scotland being handed powers over immigration after the UK leaves the EU. Amber Rudd said introducing different rules \"would complicate the immigration system, harming its integrity\" and cause problems for businesses.", "summary": "A Scottish business leader has stepped up calls for a migration system that can fill skills gaps after Britain pulls out of the EU."}
{"article": "Drinking alcohol is often associated with the Punjabi culture, but is prohibited in Sikhism. Baptised Sikhs are forbidden from drinking but some non-baptised Sikhs do consume alcohol. Whilst the vast majority of those who do drink have no problem, a small number of Punjabi Sikh women are affected. Data collected by Birmingham-based charity Aquarius showed 16% of service users who received help for alcohol misuse in 2011-2012 identified as Asian or Asian British. A small survey carried out by the charity found 57% of people from this community, the majority of whom were Sikh, said shame was a reason for not getting help. Professor Sarah Galvani from Bedfordshire University, who carried out the research, said younger women's drinking was seen to be increasing. \"The reason for that was primarily that these women were growing up in much more westernised communities, where women's drinking was acceptable,\" she said. \"They were adopting some of those behaviours of the community they were growing up, but still living within a community that had quite traditional views about women's drinking.\" Jennifer Shergill from the Shanti project, which encourages people to get help with their addictions and offers services in Punjabi, says the issue seems to be religion versus culture. \"Culture is kind of the thing that we need to focus on when we're talking about Punjabi alcohol misuse, the kind of culture that's prevalent in media, when people get together, in weddings and birthday parties, that kind of drinking in social groups,\" she said. Pardip Samra, from Edgbaston, Birmingham, is setting up a women-only support group, helping Asian women who may be addicted to alcohol. She said she also had an issue with drinking. \"I became dependent on it almost every day. I blamed it on work, I blamed it on family but it was never the drink, it was always something else,\" she said. Ms Samra believes alcohol dependency-related issues need to be spoken about more and wants other women to know there is help available. Mandeep - not her real name - is a Punjabi Sikh in her 30s. She started drinking alcohol with her friends when in college and 10 years ago realised she had a drinking problem. \"I subconsciously knew my drinking wasn't normal because I could easily consume more than those around me. It's like just drinking to shut off your head and make yourself numb again,\" she said. When she told her family she was an alcoholic, some of her relatives were in denial. \"They were like, 'No you haven't, no you haven't'. They didn't really react because they didn't really believe in the fact that it's a problem.\" In the past, Mandeep has relapsed but this time, with the help of the Shanti project, she is hopeful about her recovery and wants to help other Punjabi Sikh women like herself in the future. You can hear the full documentary, The Hidden Alcohol Addiction: Punjabi Sikh Women Speak Out, on the BBC Asian Network iPlayer.", "summary": "Punjabi Sikh women with drinking problems are less likely to come forward for help because of the fear of stigma and shame, a West Midlands alcohol support group says."}
{"article": "Penarth Pier Pavilion's Room 617 has been opened, which marks the resort's links to Dambusters and local hero Wing Commander Guy Gibson. Other test events will follow until the pavilion reopens fully in December. Director Dr David Trotman says the pier's community use would help it survive in the future. The launch of the Room 617 was attended by members of the armed services and representatives from the current 617 squadron who flew down from Scotland especially. The honour has been given to the revamped pavilion's seaward facing Observatory Room and in part remembers Gibson, who led the famous Dambusters' raids on two German dams in World War II. Gibson married a local woman and lived in Penarth before the raids. \"He was one of those iconic figures who a lot of people still recognise,\" said Dr Trotman. \"One of his favourite pastimes when on leave was to play golf at Penarth's Glamorganshire Golf Club. \"It was here that he heard the news that he had been awarded his Victoria Cross (for the Dambusters' raids).\" The room will also have a future use in helping those from the services with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The event on Friday was also attended by members of local support groups for PTSD. Dr Trotman said the reception showed their commitment to support service veterans of conflicts ranging from WWII to the current day Afghanistan who have the condition. Plans to restore the art deco-style pavilion on Penarth pier were given the go-ahead in March 2011. The pier originally opened in April 1895, and drew hundreds of visitors, many of whom arrived there by paddle steamer. A wooden pavilion was built originally but burnt down and the current structure first opened in 1929. In WWII the pavilion played matchmaker to the US troops who met their partners there. In the 1950s and 1960s, it became a nightclub hosting acts like Tom Jones, Petula Clark and Gene Vincent. But in the 1970s, the pavilion's fortunes began to wane and a campaign later started for public funding for the current revamp. Dr Trotman said at the heart of the new pavilion which will be serving the community of Penarth, the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff. He also has plans to reignite the kind of old fashioned tourism which Penarth, and neighbouring Barry, used to be famous for, with visitors arriving there by train. A community based cinema will have silver screening and Saturday morning cinema. There will also be a gallery for hosting exhibitions and events like concerts and musical evenings and a learning space which will provide a programme of work with local children, young people and disadvantaged groups, among them people with Alzheimer's and dementia. The target is for 50,000 visitors to the pavilion in the first year. \"I suppose you could say we are bucking the trend of what's happened to many piers around the country,\" said Dr Trotman. \"But there's an amazing amount of good will and I'm confident it can work.\"", "summary": "A first event has been held at a Victorian pier pavilion in the Vale of Glamorgan after a \u00a34.2m refurbishment."}
{"article": "Jiang Jiemin was removed from office due to \"suspected serious disciplinary violations\", state-run news agency Xinhua said, citing authorities. The term is commonly used to refer to corruption. Mr Jiang has not commented publicly on the allegations. Chinese authorities announced they were investigating Mr Jiang on Sunday. Mr Jiang was head of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (Sasac). Formerly, he headed the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). Four CNPC executives are also under investigation for corruption. Mr Jiang is the first member of the current 205-strong Communist Party Central Committee to face such charges and state media is presenting it as proof of the new leadership's resolve to clean up public life, the BBC's John Sudworth in Shanghai reports. However some observers suggest that, whether guilty of corruption or not, there may be a political edge to Jiang Jiemin's downfall, as vested interests in state-owned industries have long been seen as opposed to economic reform, our correspondent adds. Chinese President Xi Jinping has described fighting corruption as a priority, warning that \"bribe-taking by some party members and cadres\" poses \"severe challenges\" to the Communist Party's rule. Several high-profile officials have been felled in recent months. In July, former Railways Minister Liu Zhijun was given a suspended death sentence for corruption and abuse of power. Liu Tienan, formerly deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, was sacked in August and is the subject of an investigation, state media say.", "summary": "China has sacked a top official responsible for overseeing state-owned companies amid a corruption probe, Chinese media say."}
{"article": "Ten incidents of possible police misconduct have been found by investigators looking into the killing of Jacqueline Oakes. Marcus Musgrove was jailed in July 2014 for killing the 51-year-old. A review was launched over her death, including contact she had with various agencies at the time. The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it had issued notices to 26 serving West Midlands Police officers and seven police staff, advising them they are subject to investigation. Notices have also been sent to an officer who has retired and to one who now works at another force. An IPCC spokesman said its initial assessment had identified ten potential misconduct issues relating to incidents between April 2013 and January 2014. \"Our independent investigation is looking at whether the police officers and staff involved resourced, recorded and risk assessed the incidents in line with force domestic abuse policy,\" the spokesman said. A domestic homicide review is also being carried out by Birmingham Community Safety Partnership. Ms Oakes was discovered in a bedroom at Century Tower, Dollery Drive in Edgbaston, in January 2014. The mother-of-four died from multiple blunt force injuries. Musgrove, of Lichfield Road, Aston, aged 40 when sentenced, was told he would serve a minimum of 18 years. At the time, West Midlands Police said he carried out the fatal attack after weeks of subjecting her to controlling and abusive behaviour.", "summary": "Thirty-five members and former members of West Midlands Police are being investigated over events that led to a woman's murder in Birmingham."}
{"article": "Police found the man in Blackshots Lane, Grays, at about 00:35 BST. The 24-year-old from Stanford-Le-Hope had been stabbed in the chest. Officers had been called to reports of men fighting, Essex Police have confirmed. Two men, aged 22 and 21, have been arrested on suspicion of murder. Police said the three injured men are being treated at Basildon Hospital with stomach and chest wounds. It is believed the incident is related to another in nearby Chafford Hundred. In that incident, an 18-year-old was knocked unconscious on Fleming Road at about 01:55 BST. He was taken to hospital for treatment and later arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the killing in Grays, police said.", "summary": "A man was stabbed to death and three others suffered \"life-threatening injuries\" during a disturbance in Essex."}
{"article": "Vertu was known for its high-end, jewel-encrusted handsets, but recently faced financial difficulties. The company's liquidation will result in the loss of nearly 200 jobs. One technology analyst said Vertu would have faced competition from companies offering to customise other smartphones with precious materials. Vertu phones carry hefty price tags - its Signature range starts at \u00a311,100, and one model featuring 18-carat red gold costs \u00a339,100. When contacted by the BBC, an external spokesman for the firm said: \"Well it's gone into liquidation and I'm not being paid by them any more.\" In March, the company was sold by its former Chinese owner to Hakan Uzan, a Turkish exile in Paris. The Daily Telegraph reports that he had planned to pay \u00a31.9m to bring the company out of administration, but it had an accounting deficit of \u00a3128m. Mr Uzan will retain the Vertu brand, technology and licenses. \"It is very unusual, they hand make the phone at incredibly low volumes and they were incredibly high-priced,\" said Ian Fogg, an analyst at IHS Technology. He pointed out that some of Vertu's recent phones had used synthetic sapphire for its screens - something that Apple had considered for its iPhones but later abandoned because of production issues. \"It is a difficult material to work with,\" Mr Fogg told the BBC. \"One practical benefit is that the smartphone screen is made incredibly difficult to break.\" He also pointed out that other businesses that offered to customise consumer smartphones with precious stones or metals offered an alternative. That meant that wealthy customers could choose the handset they wanted but add the desired \"bling\" later. Vertu was founded by Nokia in 1998, but it was sold in 2012, and the following year Vertu switched from using Nokia's Symbian operating system on its devices to Google's Android.", "summary": "A British-based company that made smartphones costing thousands of pounds will be liquidated after a plan to save it failed."}
{"article": "The flight from Gatwick to Newquay was an estimated 300ft (90m) off the ground when the wild animal was spotted. Passenger Pete Atkinson said there was a tense five-minute gap between the aircraft climbing sharply away from the runway and the pilot announcing the badger's presence. The airport said it was a case of being \"cautious in the interest of safety\". Mr Atkinson, a freelance cameraman, said: \"We were on the final approach when all of a sudden the under-carriage was lifted back up and the engines revved up. \"People went quiet and started to look out of the window as we headed out over the sea.\" About five minutes later, the pilot announced the diversion of the aircraft carrying about 60 people was due to a badger being seen on the runway. Mr Atkinson said passengers then laughed and made jokes about roadkill. FlyBe flight 806 was due to land at 21:15 GMT on Sunday was delayed by around 15 minutes. A spokesman for Cornwall Airport Newquay said there was \"a suspected badger sighted on the runway by the bird control unit\". The spokesman said the aircraft landed safely following a full check of the runway.", "summary": "A badger on an airport runway forced a passenger plane to abort its landing."}
{"article": "The international team analysed 77 genes. Individually they each had a low impact on cancer risk, but were a powerful combination. The findings, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, could eventually transform screening, preventive treatments and even HRT. Cancer charities said the field was developing rapidly. The genetic tests that have already been developed are restricted, in the UK, to those women with the very highest risk of developing breast cancer. They look for changes such as mutations in the BRCA genes that led the Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie to have her breasts and ovaries removed. They can give up to a 90% chance of cancer in a woman's lifetime, but are rare. The team, led by the Institute of Cancer Research in London and the University of Cambridge, looked at the parts of the genetic code that have a more subtle effect yet will influence every woman's chance of cancer. Of the 77 cancer-risk sites in the DNA inherited from the mother and the matching 77 from the father, an average woman would have 66. It allowed the team to calculate the probability of women developing breast cancer. \"These are quite substantial risks,\" said Prof Montserrat Garcia-Closas, of the Institute of Cancer Research. She told the BBC News website: \"I think it's very exciting at the moment. The discovery of these variants has progressed very quickly in the last five years and I think it's reaching a plateau. And at that point it's time to start designing a genetic test that includes all these elements. That's likely to be reached within a year.\" The ability to accurately predict the risk of breast cancer could have a powerful impact on medicine. It could clearly show which women need drugs, such as tamoxifen and raloxifene, to reduce the risk of breast cancer. The lowest-risk women may not need breast cancer screening, while those at highest risk might need to start earlier. Hormone replacement therapy has many benefits, but it does increase the risk of cancer. So knowing the background genetic risk could also inform who should and should not have HRT. But one of the great challenges will be to combine these tests with current techniques. Prof Douglas Easton, of the University of Cambridge, said: \"We've now reached a crucial stage at which all this research can be combined to help target screening and advice to those women who need them the most. \"There's still work to be done to determine how tests like this could complement other risk factors, such as age, lifestyle and family history, but it's a major step in the right direction that will hopefully see genetic risk prediction become part of routine breast screening in the years to come.\" Dr Matthew Lam, of the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: \"In recent years we've learnt so much about genetic risk factors of breast cancer. What's great to see now is that these findings are starting to be translated into practical methods to predict risk.\" Nell Barrie, of Cancer Research UK, said: \"This study shows how the genetic", "summary": "Scientists have predicted the odds of women developing breast cancer by looking for tiny errors in their DNA."}
{"article": "The crash happened at about 08:00 near Whitburn in West Lothian. The drivers sustained minor injuries, Police Scotland said. Traffic was backed up between junctions four and five eastbound, causing long delays. The route was fully reopened after more than two hours. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service cut one of the drivers free from a Peugeot van. The drivers are being treated at Wishaw General Hospital.", "summary": "Four drivers are being treated in hospital after being injured in a crash involving three lorries and a van on the M8."}
{"article": "Oliver Park, 51, ignored safety signs and warnings from wardens and went into a restricted area close to the edge of a cliff on Wednesday, officials say. They say he tried to pose for a photograph of himself leaping as if in flight but lost his footing. Rescuers found the body on Thursday and took it to a local police station. Police said his body would be taken to a morgue in the city of Cusco.", "summary": "The body of a German tourist has been recovered from a ravine after he fell while visiting the ancient site of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes."}
{"article": "Cristiano is now just one award behind Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who took the Ballon for the fifth time last year. Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann finished third. Ronaldo helped Real Madrid to win the Champions League last season and scored three goals for Portugal who went on to win Euro 2016. The 31-year-old has won the Ballon d'Or in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2016. \"I never thought in my mind that I would win the Golden Ball four times. I am pleased. I feel so proud and happy,\" said Ronaldo.", "summary": "Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has won the world famous Ballon d'Or footballer award for a fourth time."}
{"article": "The newspaper had reported allegations that Melania Trump once worked as an escort, but later retracted the claims. The story was published during the US election campaign last year. Mrs Trump accepted damages and an apology from the newspaper at London's High Court. The article was published by the Daily Mail newspaper, and subsequently the paper's digital operation Mail Online. In a statement, Mrs Trump's lawyer said that she is \"very pleased\" and \"will remain vigilant to protect her good name and reputation from those who make false and defamatory statements about her\". Mrs Trump filed a lawsuit against the Daily Mail in the UK, and filed against Mail Online in the US. The payout settles the case both in New York and the UK, despite London's High Court having no jurisdiction in the US. The US suit, filed last year, sought damages of $150m (\u00c2\u00a3120m). The amount accepted by Mrs Trump in London was not disclosed in court. However, reports suggest the payout was closer to $3m, including legal costs and damages. In its apology, the Daily Mail acknowledged it had published \"allegations that she provided services beyond simply modelling\". The article also claimed that Mr and Mrs Trump may have met three years before they actually did, and later \"staged\" their first meeting. \"We accept that these allegations about Mrs Trump are not true,\" the newspaper said. A lawyer for Mrs Trump told the London court the allegations \"strike at the heart of the claimant's personal integrity and dignity\". Her lawyer said the double-page spread in August last year, titled \"Racy photos and troubling questions about his wife's past that could derail Trump\", featured an old nude photo of Mrs Trump from her modelling career. \"Readers of the newspaper that day could not fail to miss the article,\" he said. And so the mighty Mail titles have been Trumped. Well, almost. There are people in the legal profession flabbergasted at the size of the damages that Melania Trump has received from Associated Newspapers. But given some of the figures bandied about when this case first arose, that isn't as bad as some at the Mail group may have feared. Moreover, the Mail are pointing out that they stick by some aspects of their original story, but accept error on the most salacious: that the First Lady was an escort. It will be interesting to see if this settlement encourages others to be more aggressive toward UK papers, and also whether it helps to spread the trend for legal action across multiple jurisdictions. Charles Harder, Mrs Trump's lawyer, also acted for Hulk Hogan when the wrestler brought his $140m (\u00c2\u00a3112m) case against Gawker Media, forcing its sale. Compared to that, this action is small fry. Mrs Trump's lawsuit initially said that Mrs Trump had the \"unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity... to launch a broad-based commercial brand in multiple product categories, each of which could have garnered multi-million dollar business relationships for a multi-year term during which [she] is one of the most photographed women in the world\". Critics used the phrasing to question", "summary": "The UK's Daily Mail newspaper has agreed to pay damages and costs to the first lady of the United States over an article about her modelling career."}
{"article": "The aye-aye is a kind of lemur, and looks a bit like a cross between a mouse and a bat. There are as few as 1,000 aye-ayes left in the world. At one point they were thought to be extinct due to hunting in Madagascar, an island off the southeast coast of Africa. Lynsey Bugg, from the Zoo said: \"Their mother was very secretive and we didn't realise she'd had twins straight away.\" \"It's a world first, so it wasn't what we were expecting but it's amazing, really amazing. \"We wanted to monitor them and make sure they were putting on weight before we announced their arrival.\" Aye-ayes have been born in captivity in Britain before. A girl called Kintana was born in 2005, and a boy called Raz was born in 2008. But this is the first time that twins have been born. Lynsey said that the twins' mother Sabrina was doing a \"great job with her young\". \"The twins are physically demanding and it is testament to Sabrina that she and the twins appear to be doing really well,\" she said. \"Whilst we are keeping a close eye on the group, we try to adopt a hands-off approach and encourage a family dynamic close to one they would experience in the wild.\"", "summary": "Twin baby aye-ayes have been born in captivity at Bristol Zoo for the first time."}
{"article": "Kun Shan Chun, a naturalised US citizen born in China and known as Joey, admitted in court to sending sensitive information to a Chinese official. US Attorney Preet Bharara said he had threatened the country's security through a \"duplicitous\" betrayal. Chun \"deeply regrets\" what he did and loves the US, his lawyer said. While he could face a sentence of up 10 years in prison, the government and defence agreed a sentence of between 21 and 27 months \"would be appropriate\", the New York Times reports, citing the plea agreement. The Chinese Embassy in Washington is yet to comment, the Associated Press reports. Chun, 46, worked for the FBI as an electronics technician from 1997 until his arrest in March. He was introduced to a Chinese government official during a trip to Italy and France in 2011, the Department of Justice says, and they continued to meet privately abroad. He is accused of having covered up his connections with at least one Chinese government official and a Chinese technology company, Zhuhai Kolion, in which he had an \"indirect financial interest\", according to the justice department. Court papers in New York said in 2013 he sent an unnamed Chinese official a chart showing the FBI's organisational structure and two years later sent photos of restricted documents about surveillance technologies. Chun also provided the identity and travel schedule of an FBI agent, Assistant US Attorney Emil Bove said. He was rewarded financially and through perks such as holidays and hotel stays, according to authorities. According to the complaint, he was caught after offering to help an undercover agent transmit sensitive government information to his Chinese associates.", "summary": "An FBI employee with top secret security clearance has pleaded guilty to acting as an \"agent of the Chinese government\", the US says."}
{"article": "The pair were sued after making fun of a video by another film-maker, Matt Hosseinzadeh, in which he pursued a love interest using parkour. They had used clips of his film, which he claimed was copyright infringement. But a judge ruled the Kleins' video criticising his work was \"fair use as a matter of law\". Ethan and Hila Klein have an audience of more than 4 million subscribers on their YouTube channel. In February 2016, they posted a video in which they watched Mr Hosseinzadeh's parkour video and made fun of it. Their video included several clips of his original video, interspersed with their own commentary and jokes. Mr Hosseinzadeh - known online as Matt Hoss - said in his original complaint that the pair had reproduced \"virtually all of the work\" as \"nothing more than a prop\" in their comedy routine. But on Wednesday, New York district judge Katherine Forrest rejected the claim. \"Any review of the Klein video leaves no doubt that it constitutes critical commentary of the Hoss video,\" she wrote. \"There is also no doubt that the Klein video is decidedly not a market substitute for the Hoss video.\" The ruling is significant since so-called reaction videos, in which YouTubers use clips of others' work and react to them, are a popular genre on the platform. Forrest warned that while the Kleins' video was fair use, other reaction videos were often \"more akin to a group viewing session without commentary\". \"Accordingly, the court is not ruling here that all 'reaction videos' constitute fair use,\" she said. Mr Klein said the ruling was a \"huge victory for fair use on YouTube\". He told the BBC: \"All of our work for the past four years is validated, as there has never been a court opinion about reaction videos. \"The judge called our method of criticism 'quintessential', which is a huge win for us and the YouTube community. I'm extremely grateful to everyone who supported us along the way.\"", "summary": "Videomakers Ethan and Hila Klein, who run the YouTube channel h3h3 Productions, have won a legal battle over copyright in online video."}
{"article": "The UK has a \"lamentable\" record on FGM, and \"someone, somewhere is not doing their job properly,\" a report by the Home Affairs Committee said. There have been no successful prosecutions of people who perform FGM in the UK in the last 20 years. The government said it was bringing in civil orders to protect at risk girls. The committee described FGM as an \"abominable practice\" and a \"horrendous form of child abuse\". Female genital mutilation, often abbreviated to FGM is also known as female circumcision. It involves procedures that include the partial or total removal of the external female genital organs for cultural or other non-medical reasons. It can also include stitching up the genitals. It is practised in 29 countries in Africa and some countries in Asia and the Middle East, but is illegal in the UK. Carrying out female genital mutilation carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. Anatomy of female genital mutilation In one hospital alone - Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham - 1,500 recorded cases of FGM were recorded over the last five years, with doctors seeing six patients who have undergone the procedure each week, the report said. \"There seems to be a chasm between the amount of reported cases and the lack of prosecutions. Someone, somewhere is not doing their job effectively,\" the report concluded. MPs accused the authorities of \"passing the buck\", with prosecutors saying they needed evidence, police saying they needed doctors to refer cases to them, and doctors saying they were not properly trained. The committee recommended that doctors should be prosecuted if they repeatedly fail to report suspected cases to the police. Committee chairman Keith Vaz said: \"While agencies play pass the parcel of responsibility, young girls are being mutilated every hour of every day. \"This is deplorable. This barbaric crime which is committed daily on such a huge scale across the UK cannot continue to go unpunished.\" Source: Home Affairs Select Committee report on Female Genital Mutilation The committee also said police, midwives and campaigners wanted clarification as to whether or not cosmetic female genital surgery was prohibited under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003. \"We cannot tell communities in Sierra Leone and Somalia to stop a practice which is freely permitted in Harley Street,\" it said. Crime Prevention Minister Lynne Featherstone said the government was introducing a mandatory duty on professionals to report FGM, which would \"provide clarity for professionals on their responsibilities and give them the confidence to confront FGM\". \"The coalition government is bringing in new civil orders to protect girls before they can be subjected to FGM, through the Serious Crime Act, and measures to punish parents who fail to prevent their daughters being cut,\" she added. \"Our cross-government FGM unit is listening carefully to campaigners and those living with the effects of this harmful practice.\" Last month, NHS doctor Dhanuson Dharmasena was cleared of performing FGM on a young mother after she gave birth. The director of public prosecutions defended the decision to prosecute the case, which was the first of its kind in", "summary": "MPs have criticised the \"chasm\" between the number of reported cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK and the number of prosecutions."}
{"article": "Newcastle University said the killing of its students Neil Dalton and Aidan Brunger, both 22, was a \"huge shock\". Malaysian police said the men were killed at about 04:15 local time on Wednesday. There had been an argument between a man and one victim before the killings, and four men have been arrested over the murders, police added. Mr Dalton, from Ambergate, Belper in Derbyshire, and Mr Brunger from Hempstead, Gillingham in Kent, were in the final week of a six-week work placement at a hospital in Kuching, a city in one of the two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. In a statement, Malaysian police said the two victims had a drink in a tea shop, where one man rebuked them for being noisy. \"This gave rise to an argument,\" police said, between the man and one of the victims before they left the shop. Police said four men then pursued the students in a car, before one man got out and attacked them with a knife. The police added three suspects were arrested at about 06:00 local time and a knife was also found, and a fourth suspect was arrested at 16:45. \"The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction,\" the police statement said. The area is said to be known for its popular nightlife among tourists. Police said Mr Dalton and Mr Brunger had been due to complete their placement in Kuching on Friday. Professor Tony Stevenson, acting vice-chancellor of Newcastle University, said: \"We were informed this morning of the very sad news that two of our fourth year medical students working at a hospital in Kuching, Borneo, have been tragically killed. \"Neil Dalton and Aidan Brunger, both 22, were on a six-week work placement along with five other medical students to put the skills they had learnt during their time here at the university into practice. \"This has come as a huge shock to us all and our thoughts are with their families and friends at this very difficult time. \"Two of our members of staff are flying out to Kuching as soon as possible and we are working closely with the British High Commissioner to support the other students and to co-ordinate their return to the UK.\" The Foreign Office said it was aware of the deaths of two Britons and was \"providing consular assistance to their families at this difficult time\".", "summary": "Two British medical students have been stabbed to death in Borneo, local police have said."}
{"article": "The authorities in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Spain carried out the arrests and seized 250 items of IT equipment and mobile phones, Interpol says. Those arrested are aged between 17 and 40. The operation follows cyber attacks on Colombian and Chilean websites. Interpol says the websites of the Colombian Ministry of Defence and the presidency, Chile's national library, and the Chilean electricity company Endesa were attacked. Spanish authorities say four people were arrested as part of the operation in Spain, in Madrid and Malaga. Two of them remain in custody, while the other two, including a minor, were released on bail. Spain's interior ministry said that one of the four arrested was the alleged manager of Anonymous' computer operations in Spain and Latin America. Anonymous is a loose international network of online activists which describes itself as an \"internet gathering\". Its protests often take the form of disrupting websites and services. Many Anonymous protests tackle issues of free speech and preserving the openness of the net.", "summary": "Police in Latin America and Europe have arrested 25 suspected members of the Anonymous hacking group, according to Interpol."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 8 October 2014 Last updated at 08:47 BST Their parents Lucy and Andy Keher, of Blundellsands in Merseyside, heard giggling after bedtime and filmed them when they found the pair playing the game in their cots. Mr Keher posted the video on Facebook and it soon went viral, with fans sharing it all over the world.", "summary": "Twins Molly and Megan Keher have become internet stars after nearly two million people watched a video of them secretly playing peekaboo."}
{"article": "A Guardian article claims Al Hasawi, who has said he is close to selling the club, wants wages that could rise to \u00a31m a year, as well as bonuses. A United States consortium is on the verge of a \u00a350m deal, which would see Al Hasawi retain a 20% stake. Al Hasawi said \"the information published was inaccurate\". \"The terms of any potential investment deal are, and will remain, confidential and the club will not be making any comment in relation to this issue,\" a statement on the club website continued. \"The matter has now been passed to my legal team, as such it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.\" The takeover would see millionaire John Jay Moores, the former San Diego Padres owner, take an 80% stake in Forest.", "summary": "Nottingham Forest owner Fawaz Al Hasawi has denied reports he is demanding a large annual salary and huge bonuses as part of any takeover deal."}
{"article": "South Africa's Equality Court fined Jon Qwelane $14,450 (\u00c2\u00a38,920) and ordered him to apologise for promoting hatred in the column published in 2008. Headlined \"Call me names but gay is NOT OKAY\", it caused an uproar at the time. Mr Qwelane, who was appointed last year to Uganda where homosexual acts are illegal, did not mount a defence. Correspondents say the outcome of the case is particularly significant in the light of the recent attacks and rapes of lesbian women in South Africa. Unlike in many African countries, homosexual acts are legal in South Africa and discrimination based on sexual orientation is banned, but activists say gay and lesbian people are often attacked in townships. \"We are hoping really that this finding will send a message to community members, a message that says gay and lesbian people have an equal right to the protection of their dignity,\" said Vincent Moaga, spokesman for the South African Human Rights Commission, which initiated the complaint against Mr Qwelane. The Sunday Sun officially apologised for the column following complaints after its publication, but Mr Qwelane refused to make an apology. The court agreed with commission's argument that Mr Qwelane's article, and the cartoon accompanying it, had promoted hatred against homosexuals, causing them emotional suffering. Mr Moaga said the money from the fine would be donated to gay rights organisations. The BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says Mr Qwelane was appointed as ambassador last year, raising concerns that he would fuel tensions in Uganda which has come under intense international pressure over plans to tighten laws against homosexuality. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill, first introduced in 2009 and yet to be voted on in Uganda's parliament, seeks to increase the penalties for homosexual acts from 14 years in prison to life. It also proposes the death penalty for a new offence of \"aggravated homosexuality\" - defined as when one of the participants is a minor, HIV-positive, disabled or a \"serial offender\".", "summary": "The South African ambassador to Uganda, a former columnist for South Africa's Sunday Sun paper, has been found guilty of hate speech for an anti-gay article."}
{"article": "Hurricane Harvey has produced high winds and extensive flooding forcing thousands of people from their homes. The closures are expected to cause a temporary spike in US gas prices. Analysts expect the economic impact of the storm to hit $40bn (\u00c2\u00a331bn; 33bn euros), with direct losses of $20bn. The storm's path through southeast Texas and the Gulf of Mexico has hit the heart of the US energy industry, an area home to almost half of US refining capacity and a fifth of its oil production. Houston, where water has overwhelmed the streets, is also the base of one of America's largest ports. US gas prices rose around 10% ahead of the storm, said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM US. He expects prices to jump by another 20-30% over the next two weeks in the Texas region, with less significant increases elsewhere, he said. Food prices could also be affected, as shipments of wheat and soybeans are delayed, he added. Globally the impact is likely to be smaller, since the US is not a major source of energy exports and supplies remain historically high. Assuming the current weather forecast holds, Mr Brusuelas said he expects US prices to subside, as operations restart over the next two weeks. Over the longer term, the havoc wreaked by the storm on businesses and households is likely to reduce energy demand in the US, analysts from Goldman Sachs predicted. Houston is the fourth largest city in the US, and produces more than $500bn in economic activity annually. US economic growth could slow by about a tenth of a percentage point in the quarter as a result of the storm, said Mr Brusuelas. The economy should rebound in the following six months, as spending increases on reconstruction and other efforts. So far, oil and gas companies are focused on the immediate emergency and the safety of their personnel, without reports of major damages, said Bruce Jefferis, chief executive of Aon Energy, who is based in Houston. About 18% of oil and natural gas production in the Gulf has stopped, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. About 11% of all US refining capacity has also shut down, with others operating at reduced rates according to the most recent update from the US Department of Energy. Goldman Sachs put the figure higher at almost 17%. While big oil and gas companies are well-prepared for such abnormal weather, Mr Jefferis said the effect on families - many of whom are likely to be uninsured - and smaller businesses is likely to be far more significant. \"Truly this is an unprecedented storm for the Texas area,\" he said. Hurricane Ike is estimated to have caused more than $12bn in insured damage when it hit Texas in 2008, with overall damages as high as $29bn. Mark Hanna, spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas, said it's clear that damages caused by Harvey are more significant, but he cautioned that numbers for damages that are surfacing now - as rain continues to fall - are premature. \"Nobody can put a", "summary": "Many refineries have shut and almost a fifth of oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico has been suspended amid the largest storm to hit in the US in more than a decade."}
{"article": "Rory McWhirter has admitted collecting identity details from people he had deceived into applying for fake jobs at a Glasgow hotel. He used the details to obtain their marriage certificates before using them to register the fake births. McWhirter, 29, then used the birth certificates to claim benefits. He claimed tax credits amounting to \u00a314,222, child benefits of \u00a319,658 and a Sure Start maternity grant of \u00a3500. McWhirter, from Edinburgh, will be sentenced on 21 March. Dundee Sheriff Court was told that McWhirter was caught after returning to the scene of one of his early false birth registrations at Aberdeen registry office where he was recognised by staff. Around the same time, an \"organised attack\" on HMRC's computer systems - which showed that about 350 requests had been received for tax credit application forms from an address in Dundee and others in Campbeltown linked to McWhirter - triggered other alarms. Depute fiscal Vicki Bell told the court that McWhirter presented letters to registrars at various offices throughout Scotland purporting to be from doctors confirming the births of children at home. During the meetings he acted as if he was the male named on the marriage certificate while registering the birth, the court was told. Miss Bell said: \"Four of the names used as claimants were traced and they advised they didn't make the claims. \"They had all, however, applied for the same job for front-of-house staff at a four-star hotel in Glasgow advertised on Gumtree on March 2015. \"The ad required a CV and a national insurance number. \"It was then discovered that 14 claims for tax credits had been made by persons residing in Perth Road, Dundee, and in Campbeltown at flats related to the accused's company.\" After being traced, McWhirter said he considered the registration system in Scotland \"archaic and easy to create false registrations.\" McWhirter admitted a charge of fraud committed between 1 June 2014 and 22 October 2015 at addresses across Scotland. His solicitor John McLeod told the court his client was under no illusion that imprisonment was likely to be \"at the top of the list\".", "summary": "A businessman travelled around Scotland to register the births of 26 non-existent babies as part of a benefit fraud scheme, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Police said the 20-year-old victim was hit by a silver Vauxhall Vectra at 04:30 BST as he crossed Anderson Street, in South Shields. He died at the scene. The accident happened near the junction with Beach Road, police said. Northumbria Police said a 20-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He remains in police custody.", "summary": "A man died after being struck in a suspected hit-and-run crash in South Tyneside."}
{"article": "They made it together into the same Cardiff schoolboy rugby team of the late 1940s and then they went their separate ways. The boy at number four - the late Joe Erskine - became heavyweight champion of Britain and the Empire, a stylist whose ring career included victories over three world title contenders - Willie Pastrano, Henry Cooper, George Chuvalo. And what became of the boy at number seven Angelina Street? Well, how long have you got because we are talking about the greatest try-scorer in rugby history - union and league - 571 touchdowns in 562 matches. His name is Billy Boston. His mother, Nellie, was Cardiff-Irish, his father, John all five feet four inches of him, was a merchant seaman from Sierra Leone. They had 11 children and Billy came smack in the middle. Media playback is not supported on this device He went to South Church Street School in Butetown and by the time he left his ambition was to play rugby for Cardiff at the Arms Park. He started with the multi-national Cardiff International Athletic Club - the CIACS - in the city's docklands and played for Wales in three boys clubs' internationals and in three more at Youth level. Everyone had heard of him but still nobody at the Arms Park asked him along. Neath did, and they showed their gratitude, according to Billy, by slipping him a white five pound note under the table after every match. Then he went to the north of England to do his National Service and all the Rugby League clubs could hardly believe their luck. Wigan moved quickest of all. They sent chairman Joe Taylor and vice-chairman Billy Gore to Angelina Street on Friday, 13 March 1953. Billy was home on leave. The Wigan bounty hunters offered him \u00a31,000, a fortune 63 years ago. When Mrs Boston rejected the offer, Taylor and Gore upped the offer to \u00a31,500. For effect they spread the white fivers all over the table. Billy had never seen so much money in all his life but he didn't want to go. At this point he and his mother asked to be excused for a moment. Nellie took charge as mother-cum-agent. \"Don't worry son, I'll get rid of them for you. I'll ask them for so much that they'll go home.\" So when they went back into the little front room, Nellie said: \"Right pay him \u00a33,000 and he'll sign.\" Billy thought to himself: \"That's a really smart way of getting rid of them. Three grand? Nobody's worth that much.\" What they had no way of knowing was that before leaving for Cardiff, the Wigan delegation had drawn \u00a33,000 out of the bank. They put their heads together for less than a minute and said: \"OK, Mrs Boston we will pay you three thousand pounds. All Billy has to do is sign this contract\" Boston didn't want to sign it and his mother had to remind him - Wigan had come up with the money, now they had to keep their word. He signed and years", "summary": "Once upon a time long ago, two boys born in the same city in the same year grew up as neighbours - one at number four Angelina Street in the old Tiger Bay area of Cardiff, the other at number seven."}
{"article": "Not only had there been a tense build-up to the game, given that one of Murray's former coaches, Dani Vallverdu, now works with Berdych, but during the match the Scotsman's fiancee Kim Sears was apparently caught on camera swearing in the opposing camp's direction. It has all put the spotlight on players' entourages - those close friends and advisers who can be seen sitting in the VIP boxes at big games. The entourage is the highly motivated family, financial and sporting team driving their man or woman to the top. As with a rock star or an F1 driver, those behind the scenes form a super-professional and well-drilled team, each with a specific role to play to ensure that the player is as well-prepared and supported as possible - physically, mentally, and financially. The more cash a player rakes in through prize money and endorsements, the bigger the potential entourage they can employ, with the top stars paying hundreds of thousands of pounds a year on support staff. The Main Coach They may not work all year round, but the chief coach is the main sporting point of contact with the player, honing his or her skills to a tournament-ready fine-pitch. Often, but not always, a former pro themselves who understands the challenges of battling to Grand Slam finals. They are able to impart the wisdom of their experiences and successes, such as Amelie Mauresmo with Andy Murray, or Boris Becker with Novak Djokovic. However, Rafael Nadal's coach, his Uncle Toni, was never a top-ranked player, nor was Patrick Mouratoglou, coach of Serena Williams. The principal coach is often also a defensive shield, and can provide another \"public face\" to the star. \"Taking an entourage around the world can be incredibly costly,\" says Simon Chadwick, professor of sports business at Coventry University. \"However, there must be a return on investment because if there was no benefit, particularly given the way these players are so carefully financially managed, then these extensive back-up teams would not be there.\" At the top echelons of the game, most of these specialists will be on a basic financial retainer - plus a bonus from player prize money. Obviously, the specialist's bonus is then bigger should their man or woman pocket a Grand Slam or a top-ranked ATP or WTA title. Different players have differently configured back-room teams and not all of them will have the same-sized entourage, while some roles can be mixed and matched between staff. But a full entourage generally consists of the main coach, a day-to-day coach, a strength and conditioning or fitness coach, physio, manager/agent, and romantic partner. Other entourage members can include a hitting partner, a specialist coach brought in to work on just one stroke (such as Djokovic hiring Mark Woodforde in 2007 to improve his volleys), dieticians, as well as other family members or close friends. As well as providing psychological and moral support by being courtside at their client's games, they are there to monetise the player's brand while they are at the top for the relatively short span", "summary": "It is not often a player's entourage makes as many headlines as their on-court performance, but that is what happened to Andy Murray during his Australian Open semi-final win over Tomas Berdych."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old joined Tigers in January 2016 from Bristol, initially on loan before making the move permanent ahead of this season. \"Leicester Tigers is a club with a lot of success and a big history,\" Genge told the club's website. \"I feel I have come on a lot since I joined the club, learning all the time working with people like Marcos Ayerza, Dan Cole and now Boris Stankovich.\" He added: \"I just want to play rugby and I am enjoying it at Tigers. It's great to play at Welford Road with crowds over 20,000 every week.\" Capped by England in the end-of-season game against Wales last year, he was included in the 2017 Six Nations squad and has been named in the tour party for this summer's two-Test trip to Argentina. Leicester, who face Sale Sharks at Welford Road on Saturday, have not confirmed the length of Genge's new deal.", "summary": "England prop Ellis Genge has agreed a new contract with Leicester Tigers."}
{"article": "The plan to restrict the promotion of foods high in fat, salt and sugar to under 16s is being consulted on by the Committee of Advertising Practice. It would see the existing ban on TV ads extended to all media, including online outlets, the industry regulator said. Current limits on using celebrities and characters to sell food to children could be relaxed for healthier foods. About one in five children in the England is classed as obese by the end of primary school, according to the Health and Social Care Information Centre. The self-regulatory body, CAP, which sets rules for UK advertising, said the new rules could make a \"meaningful contribution to tackling this important health issue\". Currently, food and drink deemed unhealthy can be advertised to children in non-broadcast media, unlike television where strict regulation prohibits it through content and scheduling restrictions. Ofcom research suggests that 96% of 12 to 15-year-olds spent more time online than watching TV last year. The advertising industry needed to make sure its regulations reflected changing media habits among young people, CAP said. Evidence showed advertising had a \"modest\" effect on children's food preferences, it said. However, factors such as parental influence, opportunities for physical exercise and education playing a greater role in solutions to childhood obesity, it argued. Chairman James Best said: \"Advertising is just one small factor in a very complex equation but we believe we can play a positive part in addressing an urgent societal challenge. \"In proposing new rules, our aim is to strike the right balance between protecting children and enabling businesses to continue advertising their products responsibly.\" Alex Neill, of consumer watchdog Which?, said a rule change was \"long overdue\", and vital to tackling childhood obesity. But Children's Food Campaign co-ordinator Malcolm Clark said the proposals had \"too many gaps in the detail of the consultation and scope for the rules to be weakened\". The regulator had \"missed obvious opportunities to make the UK a world leader in putting the protection of children's health above food and advertising industry profits,\" he said. The consultation closes on 22 July.", "summary": "A complete ban on advertising unhealthy foods to children is being considered as a way to reduce childhood obesity."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old from Banbridge clocked 15 minutes, 50.55 seconds to take almost three seconds off Duffy's 1996 mark of 15:53.47. Mitchell was third in the British Milers Club event won by Louise Small of England in 15:42.47. Irish Olympian Kerry O'Flaherty finished seventh in 16:32.56. O'Flaherty said after the race that she sustained a grade two calf tear at the 1800m mark which required hospital treatment. The injury could keep the Newcastle women out for a number of weeks. Mitchell's time was over a minute inside her previous personal best for the distance. The QUB athlete will now attempt to achieve Athletics Northern Ireland's Commonwealth Games consideration time of 15:39.00 before the 30 September deadline. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games sprinter Leon Reid showed impressive early-season form as he clocked wind-assisted 100m times of 10.26 and 10.27 in Waterford on Saturday. The 22-year-old, whose mother was born in Belfast, is hoping to switch international eligibility from Great Britain to Ireland and has joined Wexford club Menapians. Reid won a European junior 200m silver medal for Britain in 2013 and also finished second in the same event at the European under-23s two years ago.", "summary": "Queen's athlete Emma Mitchell broke Teresa Duffy's 21-year-old Northern Ireland 5,000m record at a meeting in Solihull on Saturday night."}
{"article": "Seau, a 1990s star with the San Diego Chargers, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Wednesday, after his girlfriend found him unconscious. His death followed the 2011 suicide of former Chicago Bears star Dave Duerson. Their deaths have led to questions over the effect of concussions on the brains of professional football players. \"They [the family] believe that through allowing this procedure, it will allow the betterment of other individuals and athletes in the years ahead,\" Pastor Shawn Mitchell, former chaplain for the Chargers, told the Reuters news agency. \"Their thought is, if it can benefit others, then it's probably worth going forward with.\" The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office said Seau's brain would need to be conducted by outside researchers. Seau's family has not said whether they believe concussions could have played a role in the football star's death. But recent studies have found a connection between repeated concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disease with symptoms including memory loss and mood swings. On Thursday, a more than a hundred former National Football League players filed a lawsuit claiming the National Football League (NFL) deliberately hid the dangers of concussions from them. They join an additional 1,500 former NFL players who have put their names to similar lawsuits. Duerson's family have already filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the NFL, alleging that the organisation did not do enough to prevent or treat concussions that had damaged his brain. He died in February 2011. Seau's ex-wife, Gina, told the Associated Press news agency that over the course of his 20-year football career, Seau also suffered concussions. But his relatives and friends say they did not know of any issues that may have led to his death. Police have said they did not find a suicide note. In 2010, Seau drove his car off a cliff hours after he had been arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. Seau starred with his hometown San Diego Chargers for 13 years before playing with the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. He was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 2010.", "summary": "The family of former American football star Junior Seau has donated his brain for research into the effects of head trauma on football players."}
{"article": "A classified advert in the free newspaper, the UK China Times, available throughout the UK, was used to recruit the women. It is followed by a UK mobile number that leads to a brothel in Belfast. The brothel manager, known as Lisa, who keeps half the earnings, said she was \"trying to help\" the women. Advert BBC News NI enlisted the help of a Chinese journalist based in London. Posing as a potential recruit, she called the number in the advert and spoke in Mandarin to Lisa. After asking her age, and if she was fat, Lisa agreed to employ the journalist for sex work. She told her to fly to Belfast, bringing high heels, school girl and nurses outfits, and warned against packing too many condoms in her bag to avoid suspicion from the authorities. Lisa told the journalist that she had run two brothels but now only had one. When they met, Lisa discussed a range of sexual activities and said: \"When you make money, I make money, too. It's \u00a370 per half hour, \u00a3100 per 45 minutes. \u00a3130 for an hour. Understand? We go fifty-fifty.\" She said: \"If you can make \u00a31,700 to \u00a31,800 a week, I'll be laughing.\" When first confronted with allegations of her criminality, Lisa refused to answer the BBC's questions. A white man, in his mid 40s, who had driven Lisa to the encounter, drove off when he saw BBC journalists. Later, Lisa wiped away tears and said in faltering English: \"My husband here doesn't know. I have family here.\" Speaking about sex work she said: \"I was just trying to help [this girl]. This time is very difficult, December, January, February, No money, no customers. I'm not working, just sometimes. I didn't put that advert in the paper [since] a long time. I'm a very nice woman.\" When asked about the two brothels she had run, she said: \"I'm not [running] two or three. How can I do this? I'm not a big woman.\" She responded to the claims she made on the phone saying \"it's a wrong number\", and \"I think your hearing is wrong\". The full story can be heard in a BBC Radio Ulster documentary - Vice Girl or Victim - on Sunday at 12:30 GMT and on the iPlayer.", "summary": "BBC News NI has uncovered a brothel luring undocumented Asian women to Belfast with the promise of work to pay off people smugglers."}
{"article": "The competition between sides in Jersey and Guernsey was scrapped in 2012 because of inter-island travel costs and too many one-sided encounters. The Jersey Cricket Board (JCB) has confirmed it will return from June until August. \"We hope it's going to invigorate the game,\" said JCB chief executive Chris Minty. \"The clubs have now realised that their local domestic cricket is perhaps getting a bit samey and they're looking for other challenges and this presents that challenge. \"We've managed with some help from people in Guernsey to overcome, in part, the travel issues of going backwards and forwards.\" Guernsey only has three sides - Griffins, Cobo and Wanderers - playing one-day cricket, while Jersey has four. However, a number of games have been called off in recent seasons because of a lack of players. \"It's no secret that in both islands' clubs have been struggling to put sides out for what we call longer games of cricket at the weekend,\" Minty told BBC Radio Jersey. \"We're hoping this is going to give people a new focus and some slightly different cricket against some slightly different opposition.\"", "summary": "The Channel Islands Cricket League will be reinstated this summer to give players more variety of opposition."}
{"article": "The militants attacked from four sides of the city in the middle of the night. Mahmood Danish, spokesman for the provincial governor, said Afghan forces had repelled the attack. Kunduz was briefly captured by the Taliban last September - the first time the insurgents had taken a major city - but government forces, backed by Nato, recaptured it within days. In southern Helmand province, militants have also taken a strategically important district to the south of Lashkar Gah, killing the local police chief, officials say. A number of other police casualties were also reported. Residents in Kunduz told the BBC they heard heavy fighting and helicopters flying over the strategically important city. Mohammadullah Bahej, head of the police co-ordination office in Kunduz, said the militants had been pushed back but fighting was continuing on the outskirts of the city. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the Taliban had captured several checkpoints in the city. \"A massive operation started on Kunduz capital from four directions early this morning,\" Mr Mujahid said via his official Twitter account. The capture of Kunduz by the Taliban last September was a huge blow to the country's Western-backed government. The militants abandoned the city after four days but they had proved their growing capability. The group raided Tarin Kot, the provincial capital of Uruzgan, earlier this month. Afghan government forces are estimated to have control over no more than two-thirds of Afghanistan. The attacks come ahead of a major international donor conference in Brussels on Tuesday, where Afghanistan's international partners will discuss ongoing funding for the country.", "summary": "Taliban militants have launched a co-ordinated attack on the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, officials say."}
{"article": "A 67-year-old man was discovered in a property in East Church Close, just after 08:22 BST on Friday. Police said they were satisfied the man's death was not suspicious. A 41-year-old woman and a 43-year-old man arrested in connection with the man's death have been released without charge. Police say they have not yet established a cause of death.", "summary": "A man and woman arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was found in a Southampton house have been released without charge."}
{"article": "The Oxford quintet emerged, bathed in white light, to the haunting piano refrain of Daydreaming, from last year's A Moon Shaped Pool album. Two hours and 25 songs later, they closed with Karma Police, singing: \"For a minute there, I lost myself.\" It felt like a perfect metaphor for the band's power to transport an audience. The performance came on the 20th anniversary of Radiohead's first headline set at Glastonbury. That show, which took place just weeks after they released OK Computer, has often been called the festival's best ever. However, frontman Thom Yorke recently told BBC 6 Music he had been on the verge of walking off the stage, after the band's monitors exploded, meaning they could not hear each other. \"I just went over to Ed [O'Brien, guitarist] and said, 'I'm off mate, see you later,'\" he recalled. \"He turned around and went, 'If you do, you'll probably live the rest of your life regretting it.' I went, 'Good point.'\" There were no such problems on Friday night, as the band embarked on a career-spanning set that held their experimental and anthemic qualities in perfect balance. Airbag was thrilling, Pyramid Song devastating, and Everything In It's Right Place a pulsing, twisted Radiohead version of a club classic. They even pulled out the much-maligned Creep - the angsty, teenage anthem that gave them early success, but became a millstone around their necks as they matured into a fearlessly experimental art-rock outfit. Things got political - briefly - during No Surprises, where the lyric \"bring down the government, they don't speak for us,\" elicited a huge cheer from the festival's left-leaning audience. As the song ended, Yorke commented: \"See you later, Theresa. Just shut the door on your way out.\" That aside, the frontman rarely spoke during the set, except to thank Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis \"for having us at your lovely farm today\". \"Thank you very much for coming to this field to listen to us this evening,\" he added during the encore. \"Probably we'll see you in some other fields over the weekend.\" Radiohead were preceded on the Pyramid Stage by indie-dance band The xx, whose spiralling, hypnotic songs soundtracked dusk on Worthy Farm. Immediately before them, rock group Royal Blood celebrated with champagne on stage as their second album, How Did We Get So Dark, entered the charts at number one. Speaking to the BBC, singer Mike Kerr said the band were bowled over by the two events converging. \"We definitely have a sense that this is a one-off thing. It's something I'll look back on as a very special time.\" Elsewhere on Friday, there were sets from Sleaford Mods, Clean Bandit, Dizzee Rascal, The Lemon Twigs and Flaming Lips. On The Other Stage, pop star Lorde began her set \"trapped\" inside a clear plastic box that tilted back-and-forth above her band. Once she emerged onto the stage, she dedicated a recently-released song, The Louvre, to anyone in the audience who was harbouring a secret crush. \"Shut your eyes and listen to the song, and just will", "summary": "Absorbing, challenging and achingly beautiful - Radiohead delivered a typically Radiohead sort of set for Glastonbury's opening night."}
{"article": "Lookman, 19, is expected to have a medical at Everton shortly, after terms were agreed between the clubs. Boss Ronald Koeman will then be keen to secure a deal for Schneiderlin, 27. The France midfielder, who played for the Dutchman at Southampton, has been told he can leave Old Trafford. Schneiderlin, who has also been linked with a return to France at Marseille, has failed to figure under manager Jose Mourinho. It is understood Everton have had a \u00a319m bid turned down but it seems certain they will return with a renewed offer closer to United's asking price. United are keen to recoup most, if not all, of the \u00a324m they paid Southampton in July 2015 and have also rejected an offer from West Bromwich Albion. Koeman wants early recruits with midfielder Idrissa Gueye, arguably Everton's most influential performer this season, now away on international duty with Senegal at the Africa Cup Of Nations, and James McCarthy out injured. Everton also retain an interest in another player marginalised under Mourinho at Old Trafford, Koeman's fellow Dutchman Memphis Depay. Forward Lookman is expected to be first in at Goodison Park, with director of football Steve Walsh making his signing a priority. Everton - with Walsh a key figure - are embarking on a policy of recruiting emerging young talent as well as established players. The Toffees signed teenage striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin from Sheffield United for \u00a31.5m in August and the England youth international started the 3-0 win against Southampton on Monday after several appearances as a substitute but was forced to go off early on with an ankle injury. Charlton had hoped Everton would loan Lookman back to them for the rest of the season but he is seen as someone who could quickly play a part at Goodison Park.", "summary": "Everton are close to completing an \u00a311m deal for Charlton Athletic teenager Ademola Lookman - and will then intensify their interest in Manchester United's Morgan Schneiderlin."}
{"article": "The victims' group Wave organised an event at the Lyric Theatre to mark International Disappeared Day. Nine bodies have been recovered in searches to date, but seven of the Disappeared remain missing. A patron of Wave, actor Jimmy Nesbitt, joined victims' families at the commemoration event. Seven white chairs were placed outside the theatre as an installation to represent the seven missing men. \"There are still seven families who are here today, who have had a lifetime of loss and not knowing just where their brothers are so they can have a decent burial and they have somewhere to visit,\" Mr Nesbitt said. \"Today we're just making another appeal, another push for the tiniest bit of information. \"Just the tiniest piece, with the equipment they have now, could be the final piece of the jigsaw. \"Although it's a very long time ago, these are very significant events and I don't think they necessarily disappear from one's memory.\" The actor said the families' pain had been increased by not being able to visit their loved ones' graves. \"It's not that long ago that I had to rush back from New Zealand because my own mother passed away,\" he said. \"As raw as it still is, I never-the-less had the comfort, and will always have the comfort, of knowing where she is buried and I can always visit her. \"There are people here today who just don't have that opportunity.\" He said the families' stories highlighted the unbelievable pain they had gone through. \"One of the people we have here today, Philomena (McKee), her mother spent a lifetime with an empty chair in her kitchen - Phil lost her brother (Kevin) in 1972 when she was nine,\" he said. \"Every night there would be an empty place and her mother would give the children a plate of dinner to take up to the hotpress to keep it warm in case he came home. \"You can only imagine what damage that does and eventually Phil's mum suffered greatly from mental illness and I think Phil would say part of her mother died that night that he was abducted.\" Kevin McKee, who was 21 when he was abducted from west Belfast in October 1972, has never been found. \"I really think there is a responsibility from those who have only the very kernel of a memory of something that happened, there is a responsibility to come forward with this,\" Mr Nesbitt said. In 1999 the IRA admitted - after years of denials - that they had abducted and killed nine of the Disappeared, although they are suspected of being responsible for more of the murders.\" Thursday also marks the 13th anniversary of the founding of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR). The ICLVR was established in 1999 by an intergovernmental treaty involving the British and Irish governments. The aim was to find a way to gather confidential information which would help to find the bodies.", "summary": "The Disappeared - people murdered and secretly buried by republicans during the Troubles - have been commemorated at an event in Belfast."}
{"article": "The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Lancaster, known as Thumper, based at RAF Coningsby, took the skies for a test flight on Monday. The Lancaster, one of only two in the world able to fly, missed most of the 2015 display season. Squadron Leader Martin Morris said a schedule for subsequent flights will be announced over the next few weeks. Sqd Ldr Morris, who heads up the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, said: \"Spares and parts are difficult to find and some had to be manufactured. \"The aluminium for the bulkhead had to be sourced from the same type of aluminium as the original aircraft - so it has not been without challenge - but our engineers have succeeded.\" Hundreds of people turned out to watch as Thumper took to the skies at about 14:00 BST.", "summary": "The last airworthy Lancaster bomber in Britain has flown for the first time since being grounded by a fire in May."}
{"article": "The new gadget toy appears to be selling like hotcakes in China - much to the horror of concerned parents across the country. The tiny crossbows fire toothpicks powerful enough to break cardboard, apples or even soda cans. Some cities worried the toys can cause serious injury have now banned them. According to Chinese media, cities like Chengdu, Kunming and Harbin have already banned sales of the toy, while parents in Hong Kong are also raising concerns. The small crossbows come as a cheap plastic version for about four yuan (\u00c2\u00a30.5; $0.6) while the metal versions of the mini weapon cost around 10 yuan. They are sold in shops and on the streets near schools and are also available online. Reacting to criticism from parents, the country's leading online platforms JD.com and Taobao.com have said they won't allow the toys to be sold any more. While they are indeed no longer available on those two online shops, they can still be found on other websites like 1688.com, which like Taobao belongs to online retail giant Alibaba. According to Chinese media, police are also cracking down on shops near schools selling the dangerous gadgets. Videos on social media showing the crossbows in action have them breaking into cardboard, apples or raw meat. If the toothpick is replaced with a metal needle, it can even crack through a can of soda. While the toys do come with a note saying they should not be aimed at people or animals, the packaging of one product claims it can even fight cockroaches, which many might say is no bad thing.", "summary": "If you think fidget spinners can be dangerous toys, wait until you come across a kid playing with a toothpick crossbow - and then take cover."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Thanks to a superb defensive display, Britain led 34-25 at half-time and were then always in control in Worcester, stretching their lead after the break. Terry Bywater top-scored with 29 points and was named Most Valuable Player, while Ian Sagar added 17. \"These are exciting times for this team,\" Bywater told BBC Sport. \"We have some new talented players coming through combined with veterans like myself and Simon Munn and we play with pride and passion. \"I think our start surprised Turkey. They beat us in last year's World Championship quarter-finals in Korea so revenge is sweet.\" Earlier, the GB women secured their fifth European bronze medal in a row after an easy 69-39 win over France. The home side, who had lost 56-55 to Paralympic champions Germany in Friday's semi-finals, were dominant throughout with Helen Freeman and Jordanna Bartlett leading the scoring on 10 points apiece. Both GB teams had already secured their places at next year's Rio Paralympics thanks to their performances at the tournament.", "summary": "Great Britain men's wheelchair basketball team clinched a third consecutive European title after beating Turkey 87-66 in the final."}
{"article": "The scientists found 37 different viruses they believe have the potential to spread across the globe. All of them have shown the ability to spread between people, but have not so far caused a major epidemic. The Mers coronavirus, relatives of the Ebola virus, and several mosquito-borne viruses are singled out by the study. Researchers said these viruses had all caused disease outbreaks in the past and were the cause of \"greatest concern\". The method the team used to identify the most dangerous viruses has already predicted the threat of both the Ebola and Zika viruses before they emerged to cause major epidemics. These infections are all zoonotic - meaning that they mostly affect animals at present. However, scientists fear they could pose a major threat to human health if they become able to spread more easily between people. The research says surveillance of these viruses should be stepped up to avoid major public health crises, such as that seen in west Africa during the recent Ebola outbreak. Prof Mark Woolhouse, one of the lead authors of the study, said: \"Monitoring these infections should be prioritised because relatively minor changes in their ecology could lead to major changes in the threat they pose to public health.\" A pandemic is generally defined as an epidemic that occurs over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries, and affecting a large number of people. One of the most devastating pandemics was the Black Death, which killed an estimated 50 million people in 1350. Other more recent pandemics include HIV and the H1N1 flu virus outbreaks in 1918 and 2009. The Edinburgh study was published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.", "summary": "Experts at the University of Edinburgh have pinpointed more than 30 infections that are likely candidates for the next major pandemic."}
{"article": "Pawel Lupa, 41, of Gleneagles Drive in Kirkby-in-Ashfield killed his partner Aleksandra Mrozik, 47, at their home in July, Nottingham Crown Court heard. A jury found him guilty of the murder of Ms Mrozik and guilty of the attempted murder of Wojcek Bocek, 32. Lupa attacked his two victims after an altercation at their flat in a \"callous attack\", Judge Gregory Dickenson said. The judge said Lupa had shown a \"total disregard\" for his partner's fate, adding: \"You did not lift a finger to try to help or to comfort Aleksandra (after the attack).\" Updates on this story and more from the East Midlands Lupa's barrister Peter Joyce said all three of the people involved in the argument on 16 July 2016 were \"heavy drinkers\". \"I've never seen a greater consumption of alcohol in any case,\" he said. The court heard that Lupa threw a meat cleaver at Mr Bocek and then used a different knife to stab Ms Mrozik in the chest and through the arm. She was treated by paramedics in the front garden of their home but died on the way to hospital. Lupa was sentenced to 12 years for attempted murder and will serve the term concurrently with his murder sentence. Det Ch Insp Hayley Williams of East Midlands Special Operations Unit said: \"Both victims were subjected to frenzied attacks. \"There was blood in every room of the house, on several neighbours' doors as Mr Bocek frantically tried to get help.\"", "summary": "A man who stabbed his partner to death in a \"frenzied attack\" after a drunken argument has been jailed for 23 years."}
{"article": "They say that the animals, which live in the Taimyr Peninsula in the northernmost tip of Russia, are being affected by rising temperatures and human activity. This is causing the animals to change their annual migration patterns. The research has been presented at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). \"There is a substantial decline - and we are also seeing this with other wild reindeer declining rapidly in other parts of the world,\" said Andrey Petrov, who runs the Arctic Centre at the University of Northern Iowa, US. The Taimyr herd is one of the most monitored groups of reindeer in the world. The animals have been tracked for nearly 50 years by aerial surveys and more recently by satellite imagery. The population reached a peak of one million in 2000, but this latest research suggests that there are now only 600,000 reindeer. \"Climate change is at least one of the variables,\" explained Prof Petrov. \"We know in the last two decades that we have had an increase in temperatures of about 1.5C overall. And that definitely impacts migration patterns.\" Industrial development is increasing in the region, which is also changing the animals' distribution. The researchers found that in the summer, the reindeer were moving east to avoid human activity. But they were also shifting north and to higher elevations. The team thinks this is to try to get to cooler ground and also to avoid the mosquitoes that are booming as the region gets warmer and wetter. \"They just move and move and move to escape them,\" said Prof Petrov. This is extending the distance that the animals have to migrate between winter and summer. \"They now have to travel much longer distances to reach those areas with their newborn calves, and that means there is an increase in calf mortality.\" He added that rivers in the region were also growing in size, making them more dangerous for the animals as they had to swim rather than walk across them. In addition, food in the summer grounds is becoming more scarce, especially as the animals move to higher elevations. Prof Petrov said it was important to try to halt the decline. \"Reindeer are tremendously important for biodiversity - they are part of the Arctic food chain and without them other species would be in trouble,\" he explained. \"But on the other hand, in all the areas they inhabit, they are vital for people\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s survival. \"Thousands and thousands of people rely on wild reindeer; it is the basis of their subsistence economy. So it's about human sustainability too.\" Follow Rebecca on Twitter @BBCMorelle", "summary": "The world's largest wild reindeer herd has fallen by 40% since 2000, scientists have warned."}
{"article": "The 34-year-old South Africa international was sent off in the first half of Saturday's victory over Gloucester for a punch on Nick Wood. Brits pleaded guilty to the charge at a Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing on Tuesday. He will miss matches against Sale, Northampton and London Irish and will be available to play again on 15 March.", "summary": "Saracens hooker Schalk Brits has been banned for three weeks after admitting a charge of striking an opponent."}
{"article": "The aim of the new programme is to reduce the number of Manx women who develop cervical cancer. The additional test would mean more focussed treatment for \"higher risk\" individuals. A spokesman said abnormalities caused by HPV can easily be treated before becoming dangerous. He added: \"With the discovery that HPV causes the majority of cervical cancers and following research and trials over many years, it is now possible to screen for high risk HPV as part of the existing cervical screening programme. The test for high risk HPV is done on the cervical screening sample, which means that women will not notice anything different when they have their regular cervical smear test. All women in the Isle of Man between the ages of 25 and 49 are called for cervical screening every three years. Those between 50 and 64 are called every five years.", "summary": "A test for the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is to be included within the Isle of Man's cervical cancer screening programme, says the health department."}
{"article": "The pair from Haverhill have won the UK's second biggest ever lottery prize after being the only winners in Friday's lottery draw. Camelot said the pair would reveal their plans for the future on Tuesday at Down Hall Country House Hotel in Hertfordshire. The lottery organisers said the total prize money won by the couple was \u00a3148,656,000. Camelot said the lucky ticket holders would be revealed at the hotel in Hatfield Heath, near Bishop's Stortford, at 11:30 BST. A National Lottery spokeswoman said: \"We are looking forward to welcoming the ticket-holder into our millionaires club, joining the 2,900 millionaires created by the National Lottery to date\". The ticket is the second biggest National Lottery win behind Colin and Chris Weir from Ayrshire, who scooped \u00a3161m in July 2011. It is also the second winning ticket by a couple from East Anglia in less than a year after Dave and Angela Dawes, of Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, won \u00a3101m in October. The winning numbers were 11, 17, 21, 48 and 50. The lucky stars were 9 and 10. It is the seventh Euromillions jackpot to be won in the UK so far in 2012. In Friday's draw another UK millionaire was created in the Millionaire Raffle Selection game, with the winning code JDW 016965. Camelot said to date Euromillions players have raised \u00a328bn for National Lottery Good Causes. Watch live coverage of the winning couple's TV interview on the BBC News website at 1130", "summary": "A couple from Suffolk have won \u00a3148m on the Euromillions lottery."}
{"article": "Cambridge University engineering student David Knowles, 22, used the components to assist conservators at the city's Fitzwilliam Museum. The Hor mummy case, dating from the 10th Century BC, had collapsed and Mr Knowles designed internal Lego frames to support it after conservation work. A spokesman described his design as \"crucial\" to the project's success. The cartonnage mummy case - made of layers of plaster, linen and glue - was found in a temple at Ramesseum in Thebes, Luxor, in 1896. The gilded wooden face had been torn out by robbers and the mummy removed. \"It came to the museum pretty much after the excavation, and was certainly displayed, but then its history is a bit mysterious,\" said Julie Dawson, senior assistant keeper of conservation. Source: BBC History Mummies Around the World From Warrior Women to Female Pharaohs: Careers for Women in Ancient Egypt At some point it had been exposed to damp conditions and had sagged around the chest and face resulting in cracking and instability in the painted decoration. There had been some attempts at repair and restoration, most likely in the cartonnage's early years in the Museum. However, conservators at the Fitzwilliam decided that proper restoration required the services not just of an expert in cartonnage material, but a structural engineer to advise on the stress points of the object, and how it could safely be handled. Mr Knowles volunteered to work with conservator Sophie Rowe as part of his final year project. \"I love history and engineering, and this was a great way of combining the two,\" he said. The museum needed a structure that would safely hold the cartonnage during conservation, and a way of supporting the chest area afterwards. \"David made something that looks like an instrument of torture with a sort of helmet, and shoulder pads made of mesh they use in hospitals for making casts. \"This could be shaped with heat so we could get a very precise fit and precise support,\" Ms Dawson said. \"The case could then lie face downwards so Sophie could work through the back, very slowly.\" The delicate operation involved gradually humidifying the case from the inside before bringing the collapsed chest back up into place. \"We then needed to support that somehow, and David said he could make some small shapes from Lego that would go inside the case,\" Ms Dawson said. \"He created padded platforms - one at the top and one at the bottom - and between there's a screwthread mechanism so we can alter the height. \"The top platform can swivel which means it can adapt itself to the shape of a cartonnage.\" Mr Knowles, who graduated this year, said: \"Lego was one of my favourite toys as a child and we use it for lots of things in the engineering department.\" He said the support platform took about eight weeks to design and build, but described his Lego platforms as \"a couple of flashes of inspiration\". Project supervisor, Simon Guest, a reader in structural mechanics in the engineering department, said: \"This is such a good", "summary": "An Egyptian mummy case stored in a museum basement for about 50 years has been restored with the help of Lego."}
{"article": "Winger Fenby, 30, a qualified chartered accountant, played for Newcastle and Scarlets before joining Irish in 2013. Former Harlequins back-row Guest, 31, brings a 14-year playing career to a close having won the Premiership, European Challenge Cup and LV= Cup. Injuries restricted him to just two Premiership starts this season, his second with London Irish. Fenby scored two Premiership tries this term as well as a hat-trick against Edinburgh in the European Challenge Cup pool stage. \"I have really enjoyed my time with London Irish and it's with a heavy heart I've come to make this decision and pursue a new opportunity,\" he said. Guest made more than 200 appearances for Quins and scored three times for the Exiles and admitted retirement was a tough decision to take. \"There are a lot of experiences that will live long in my memory, and I am grateful to have played rugby at the highest level for many years,\" he added.", "summary": "London Irish players Andrew Fenby and Tom Guest have announced their retirement from professional rugby."}
{"article": "The GMB claim half of the staff working at the Glensanda Quarry, north of Oban, face the sack from a new contractor. The union fears Spanish-owned Oban Earth Works will cut 50% of staff when it takes over excavation and haulage operations at the quarry. That work had been carried out by the Hargreaves company on behalf of Aggregate Industries. A spokeswoman for Hargreaves said their contract ended in May, but they would remain during a handover period until the end of July. They say staff have been transferred across to the new company. A spokesman for Aggregate Industries said: \"As with any commercial operation, it's important for Aggregate Industries to review and renew our partnerships, to ensure we can offer the best service available. \"We are switching load and haul provider at our plant in Glensanda, and as part of that process there are individuals who will be transferred from our current provider Hargreaves, to our new one (FERPI). Unfortunately, due to increasing production efficiencies on site, there are some employees at risk of being made redundant by FERPI. \"We understand and appreciate that this is a potentially difficult time for those individuals affected and have been in close contact with FERPI to ensure employees are offered all the support they need throughout the consultation process.\" The BBC has been unable to speak to anyone from Oban Earth or Aggregate Industries.", "summary": "Up to 25 jobs are under threat at Europe's biggest granite quarry in Argyll, according to union leaders."}
{"article": "German Justice Minister Heiko Maas said the measures would ensure German law was applied online. Social media cannot \"become a funfair for the far right,\" he said. The agreement follows reports of a rise in online racism in Germany as the country manages an influx of up to one million migrants and refugees in 2015. Mr Maas said complaints about hate speech would be assessed by \"specialist teams\" at the three companies, who would also make it easier for such posts to be reported. They would assess complaints using the benchmark of German law \"and no longer just the terms of use of each network\", he said. \"When the limits of free speech are trespassed, when it is about criminal expressions, sedition, incitement to carry out criminal offences that threaten people, such content has to be deleted from the net,\" Mr Maas said. \"And we agree that as a rule this should be possible within 24 hours.\" Germany's official welcome for hundreds of thousands of refugees - mainly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan - has triggered a backlash from nationalists, including neo-Nazis. Mr Maas and other critics have previously accused Facebook of acting immediately to remove nudity from users' pages, while allowing racist and xenophobic comments to remain online. Facebook has said it relies on its users to report offensive comments that incite hatred.", "summary": "Facebook, Google and Twitter have agreed a deal with Germany under which they will remove hate speech posted on their websites within 24 hours."}
{"article": "Scans of 21 people showed the brain was more attracted to food if breakfast was missed so people had more food at lunch. Scientists said it made losing weight challenging as missing meals made calorific food even more appealing. Nutrition experts say breakfast is known to take the edge off appetite. However, researchers were curious about what happened inside the brain to alter the food people choose to eat. Twenty one people, who were all normal weight, were shown pictures of calorie packed foods while they were positioned in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine at Imperial College London. On one day they were given no breakfast before the scans and on a different day they were fed a large, 730 calorie, breakfast an hour and a half before. The researchers said skipping breakfast created a \"bias\" in the brain in favour of high calorie foods. The results, presented at the Neuroscience 2012 conference, showed the brain changed how it responded to pictures of high calorie foods, but not low calorie foods, when breakfast was skipped. They showed part of the brain thought to be involved in \"food appeal\", the orbitofrontal cortex, became more active on an empty stomach. When the researchers offered the participants lunch at the end of the study, people ate a fifth more calories if breakfast was missed. Dr Tony Goldstone, from Imperial College London, said: \"Through both the participants' MRI results and observations of how much they ate at lunch, we found ample evidence that fasting made people hungrier, and increased the appeal of high calorie foods and the amount people ate. \"One reason it is so difficult to lose weight is because the appeal of high calorie food goes up.\" Dr Catherine Hankey, a senior lecturer in nutrition at the University of Glasgow, said research had shown that breakfast \"takes the edge off appetite\" and that the latest study was an \"interesting\" insight. She said breakfast was linked to stable blood sugar levels, which \"keeps you on the straight and narrow\". Future studies will investigate how obesity affects the same system in the brain.", "summary": "Brain scans show that skipping breakfast makes fatty, high calorie foods appear far more attractive later in the day, according to researchers."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Five weeks have passed since the 35-year-old was sacked, with the team eighth in the Championship. Scot Neil believes the squad was good enough to return to the top flight, but with the benefit of hindsight admits his mistake. \"We had a lot of players at the club for longer than five years, and we needed to start afresh,\" Neil said. \"Thirteen of the 24 players in the first-team squad were over 30, and when we went up the last time they were 28, which is significantly different, it's when you're at your peak. \"We needed to re-build and the one thing I blame myself for is that I re-signed all the players to get us back up because they'd done it in the past. I should have taken more time and looked to alter the squad at that stage.\" Neil makes no concession to self-pity. He admits himself that while he was manager of Hamilton Academical in the Scottish Premiership, nobody would have predicted his move to Norwich, or then immediately guiding them to promotion to the Premier League. At 33, he became the second youngest manager in the Championship, working with some players who were older than him, and plenty who had performed at a higher level. Neil, though, was typically unfazed. He recalls his first words to the squad being to urge them to do better. The players's recollection is that it was more of a blunt ultimatum - shape up or ship out. Results were immediate, with 17 wins from the remaining 25 games, including an unbeaten run of 13 away games, and then promotion via the play-offs. Ipswich were dispatched in the semi-final, after Neil assured his players their opponents would run out of steam in the second leg at Carrow Road because they played at such a high intensity. Norwich scored twice in the second half and then defeated Middlesbrough in the final after Neil told his players that their opponents had only come back from conceding the opening goal once in four years. Norwich scored first. The reward was a windfall for the club, and a rise in status for the manager, but his job only became more challenging. \"People think you get \u00a3130m put in your bank account the next day, but that's not the case,\" Neil said. \"That money's broken down over the whole season. Norwich are self-sustaining and don't have anybody who invests. So my first signings were the first week in August, because the [play-off] money didn't drop until August.\" Neil was capable of moments of audacity, such as guiding his team to a 2-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford, but of the three promoted sides they invested the least amount ahead of the campaign and ended up dropping back down to the Championship, while Bournemouth and Watford remained in the Premier League. Neil believed he could return Norwich to the top flight and won eight of the opening 12 games this season. He suffered a run of six league games", "summary": "Alex Neil bears no grudges, but a sense of regret still lingers about his departure from Norwich City."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old was scheduled to play seven group games, but will now undergo elbow surgery without making an appearance in the competition. The club will instead give their young players a chance to feature. \"We are looking forward to seeing how the young players go when given an opportunity,\" head coach Chris Silverwood said. \"As a club we are renowned for investing in youth and we will continue to do so to improve their experiences over the remaining matches of the campaign. Giving them opportunities now will only help them in the future.\" Meanwhile, bowling coach Donovan Miller has left the club for Caribbean Premier League side Jamaica Tallawahs. Miller played club cricket in the Middlesex, Essex and Hertfordshire leagues from 2000-2012, while completing his coaching qualifications. \"I am delighted to be joining the Tallawahs. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to ensure I keep getting better as a coach,\" he said. Former England one-day wicketkeeper Paul Nixon is Tallawahs head coach.", "summary": "Essex will not replace injured New Zealand international fast bowler Adam Milne in their T20 Blast squad."}
{"article": "Both men will contest the opening Superbike and Senior TT races on the SG5 Norton machine. Donald, a two-time winner who has represented the team since 2014, said Norton have made a \"huge amount of progress in that time\". Fellow countryman Johnson, who made his TT debut in 2010 winning the Newcomers Trophy, is a rising star of the sport. The Adelaide racer said: \"It is going to be an incredible experience riding a Norton around the Isle of Man Mountain Course, and with Cameron Donald as my team-mate is a massive honour. \"I'm really stoked and will give it my best shot.\" Stuart Garner, chief executive of Norton Motorcycles, added: \"We've made incredible progress since taking Norton back to the TT. \"This was always going to be a long-term project and we're definitely on the next stage of our evolution. Running a two-man team will give us the best opportunity to move things forward.\"", "summary": "Norton have signed the Australian duo of Cameron Donald and David Johnson for the 2016 Isle of Man TT races."}
{"article": "Medical director Dr Peter Collins admits it was a difficult decision, but Weston General Hospital, which serves more than 200,000 people in North Somerset, will close its doors at night. More hospitals are likely to follow. The British Medical Association estimates that in 18 areas, health bosses are considering closing or downgrading their A&E departments. Analysis of hospital data at Weston shows one in five patients attended between the hours it is now closed. Those with serious and life-threatening emergencies are being told to dial 999 and ambulances will take them to hospitals in Bristol, 24 miles away, or Taunton, 27 miles away. The NHS insists closures will only happen when there are viable alternatives in place such as longer GP opening hours, or better centralised care elsewhere. For more stories from the BBC England data unit visit our Pinterest board. Four hospitals in England are currently closed overnight for safety reasons due to shortages of staff. Possibly. Just over one in 10 people who go to A&E get discharged without needing treatment. Another third are given \"guidance or advice\" only, according to NHS Digital. However, in a report in March 2017, health charity The King's Fund said: \"This does not mean that all these people are attending A&E unnecessarily or could be cared for elsewhere.\" It blames a lack of access to GP appointments, access to out of hours care and confusion about where to go. The first port of call when something is not life threatening should be a GP. Out of hours, usually after 18:30 and before 08:00, people can call their surgery and listen to the answerphone message for details of what to do. Often, people will be directed to the non-emergency number, 111, for advice and details of walk-in centres or other services. About a fifth of people who call are either told to go to A&E or have an ambulance dispatched. However, surveys of NHS 111 users suggest about 45% of people would have gone to A&E or called an ambulance if they had not called for advice first. The majority get directed to primary or community care, such as a walk-in clinic. Accident and emergency departments in some hospitals have been replaced with minor injuries units and urgent care centres, usually led by nurses. However, analysis of 138 minor injuries units and 83 urgent care centres found many open 12 hours a day or less with one in seven minor injuries units closed at weekends. The NHS does not make a clear distinction between the two types of centre and what they offer. It warns some cannot treat young children and urges patients to check what is offered \"in advance\". It says minor injuries and urgent care centres can treat: Source: NHS Tim Gardner, senior policy fellow at the Health Foundation: \"The sheer number of different routes to urgent care can be confusing, especially when people are scared, or in pain. The public needs more help to understand where to go to get the right treatment at the right time.\" Experts are dubious about a", "summary": "As a fourth hospital in England closes its casualty ward overnight, and with more downgrades likely to follow, are the alternatives for patients sufficient?"}
{"article": "Lincolnshire County Council health watchdog voted to refer the ongoing overnight closure to Jeremy Hunt. The Grantham and District Hospital first reduced the unit's opening hours in August. Melissa Darcy, of Fighting 4 Grantham Hospital, welcomed the decision and said it was the \"best scenario and outcome of the meeting\". The A&E department currently only opens from 09:00 to 18:30 daily. United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust, which is in charge of Lincolnshire's hospitals, said in September it was trying to recruit more doctors and would fully reopen Grantham's A&E as soon as possible. Christine Talbot, chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee, said: \"We do not believe that overnight A&E services will be reinstated by February 2017, in fact the committee concluded that although indicated as temporary, the closure is in effect permanent.\" The trust said closing Grantham would enable to it maintain safe staffing levels at its two other A&E departments, both of which take a higher number of patients. Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust operates a daily walk-in service for minor injuries between 18:30 and 23:30 at the hospital. The trust said this service was not a replacement for the A&E department. The decision came at a meeting in Lincoln as anti-closure demonstrators gathered to protest.", "summary": "The closure of Grantham's A&E services due to a lack of doctors is to be referred to the health secretary."}
{"article": "Undercover researchers filmed Ashley Commerce College in Ilford sitting or forging exams for untrained students to become security guards or bodyguards. Some 20 courses have now been cancelled while authorities investigate. About 90 would-be students have been refunded. College director Haji Yunis told the BBC he was co-operating with inquiries. Secretly filmed footage had showed Mr Yunis laughing about the scam he presided over. He told the researcher that for \u00c2\u00a31,200 he would \"bring you in the back door\" and \"fast track\" him to a bodyguard qualification without any training. Mr Yunis told the researcher not to worry about the police. Fraudulent use of SIA cards in fact carries a maximum six-month prison sentence. Both the exam board whose certification was fraudulently obtained, Industry Qualifications (IQ), and the Security Industry Authority (SIA) are investigating the college. An audit is currently taking place, with the aim of ascertaining how many qualifications awarded at the college to enable security guards to become licensed by the SIA were bogus. Jobseekers must sit mandatory exams to get an SIA card. A statement placed on Ashley Commerce College's website by IQ read: \"Following the BBC broadcast, IQ has been working with the regulators Ofqual and the SIA to formulate a plan for identifying learners affected by the fraud. \"We do expect to find evidence that some learners have received their qualifications without having done their course or tests properly. These qualifications will be reviewed. \"We know that this will leave many learners who attended ACC worried about the authenticity of their qualifications and IQ is working hard to find out how many learners may be affected.\" The statement said every student who obtained an SIA licence through the college may be affected. The college has been operating since 2010. The statement added: \"Where we cannot guarantee that a qualification has not been affected by fraud, we are required to remove the qualification immediately and notify the Security Industry Authority.\" Mr Yunis would not say how many students' qualifications were now being reviewed. Keith Vaz MP, the chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, called the fraud a \"major scandal\". A Home Office spokesman has said any criminal behaviour would be addressed.", "summary": "All courses on offer at a college exposed selling fraudulent security qualifications for cash have now been cancelled, the BBC has learned."}
{"article": "The new inquests heard Stuart Gray gave John McBrien, of Holywell, Flintshire, heart massage and chest compressions. But the health worker said the 18-year-old was in a \"desperate state\" and he was \"fighting a lost cause\". Ninety-six fans were fatally injured in a terrace crush at the FA Cup semi-final in Sheffield on 15 April 1989. Mr Gray, who was the general manager of Kidderminster district health authority and had some first aid training, told the jury he remembers the disaster at the Liverpool v Nottingham Forest match \"as vividly today\" as he did 26 years ago. He reassured Mr McBrien's family he did not leave the A-Level student's side. \"John was lying at my feet. I was sitting up myself, I don't know how I got there. When I came to he was lying at my feet, lying on his back,\" he said. \"I was aware of the fact that it was probably fighting a lost cause, but the point was that he was there and I was just trying to do what I knew was the best thing I could do to see if I could get him breathing again.\" He said Mr McBrien was \"in a desperate state\" but added: \"I thought that if I got some air into his lungs and I could at get his heart going again, there was at least a chance he may have survived. \"So I just kept going, giving him heart massage and compressing his chest for maybe about five minutes.\" Mr McBrien had a place to study at Liverpool University and his mother, Joan Hope, described him as a \"kind, generous and charismatic\" son who \"excelled academically\". The inquests, in Warrington, Cheshire, continue.", "summary": "A Liverpool fan who lost consciousness in the crush at Hillsborough told the inquests he \"came to\" and began trying to save a teenager lying next to him."}
{"article": "Another 11 were injured when the driver lost control of the minibus and ploughed through a crash barrier. Local media said no foreign tourists were among the passengers. Turkish media said the vehicle was heading towards Marmaris for a mother's day event, which is celebrated on Sunday there. The victims are believed to be mainly women and children. Amric Cicek, governor of Mugla province, suggested the brakes may have stopped working. But the mayor of Marmaris, Ali Acar, told Turkish newspaper Hurriyet: \"I think that the accident was a result of driver error.\" Turkey's Andalou news agency said the crash took place on the Mugla-Antalya road at the Sakar Gecidi pass. The vehicle landed on another section of road below after it went through the crash barrier. Rescue teams were dispatched and the injured were taken to hospital, Andalou said.", "summary": "At least 23 people have died after a tourist bus fell from a cliff near the southern Turkey seaside resort of Marmaris."}
{"article": "The students at the prestigious Istanbul High School had accused their principal of being too obedient to Turkish officials and not speaking up for their rights. As more and more students joined the protest, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Turkey did not need a repeat of the Gezi protests that shook the country in 2013. \"We see that some forces who have not learnt from the past are trying to provoke the universities, the high schools,\" he said. The students' demands were similar, as were their complaints. \"They are restricting our activities,\" complained one graduate of Istanbul High School. \"They say that the country is going through troubling times so we cannot hold concerts at school. But then the government ran a festival on the anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul. So why restrict our activities? Is there a double standard?\" More than 370 Turkish schools have since signed an overtly political declaration by the Turkey High School Students Union TLB, refusing to allow what they see as the spread of fundamentalism in high schools. \"They do not allow girls' volleyball teams at the schools because girls are supposed to wear shorts,\" read the statement. TLB leader Bora Celik complained that there was a movement against secular and mixed education. \"They do not permit literature or poetry societies. There are prayer rooms in schools where there are no laboratories. These protests are the result of such oppression,\" he said. The leader of the main opposition party has backed the students and there are fears that education has become a political football in Turkey's increasingly polarised society. \"I would hate to see the tension rise,\" says Batuhan Aydagul, director of the Education Reform Initiative, an independent think tank. And the school protests do not stop there. In an upper middle-class district in Istanbul, parents of students studying in the Ismail Tarman Secondary School have been staging demonstrations for more than a fortnight. They object to plans to convert their school into an \"Imam-Hatip\" - a religious school where girls and boys are segregated and taught Sunni Islamic religion and religious practices outside the national curriculum. \"I came running to the school as soon as I heard of these plans,\" says Bengu Bozkurt. \"If I wanted my son to have a religious education, then I would have sent him to an Imam-Hatip school already. But I believe in secular education.\" The Imam-Hatip row has engulfed other schools too since 2012, when the government introduced a contentious 12-year compulsory education system, known in Turkey as 4+4+4. With four-year phases each for primary, secondary and high school levels, this new system had paved the way for religious schools. They virtually severed our carotid artery. Can a person live when his artery is cut? No he cannot\" After Turkey's so-called post-modern coup in 1997, such religious schools were largely closed down. At the opening of an Imam-Hatip school in September last year, President Erdogan compared the closures to the severing of an artery. But, he emphasised, \"we were patient\". A graduate of an Imam-Hatip school himself,", "summary": "When a group of high school students in Istanbul turned their backs on their head teacher as he addressed their graduation ceremony, it was the start of a wave of protests that has spread to hundreds of schools across Turkey."}
{"article": "The 30-inch sword was found by Goran Olsen, a hiker who found it when he sat down to rest. Experts say it's in surprisingly good condition after surviving hundreds of years of frost and snow. The ancient weapon will be able to help archaeologist work out how people lived in Viking times. The sword will go on display at the University Museum of Bergen.", "summary": "A twelve hundred year old Viking sword has been found buried in rocks in southern Norway."}
{"article": "The MPC will publish its regular decision on borrowing costs at midday. Mr Posen, interviewed on the Today programme on Radio 4, said rates may not rise until next year. \"I think they are not going to vote for a rate hike at this time and probably not until at least November and maybe not even until 2018\", he said. The Bank last changed interest rates in August last year when it cut its bank rate from 0.5% to 0.25% in the immediate aftermath of the UK's referendum vote to leave the European Union. Mr Posen was asked why the Bank should not raise rates now, given the worrying rise in consumer borrowing and the past year's rise in inflation to 2.6%. He said the Bank's role was to judge where inflation might be in two to three years time - and he said that the Bank's current forecast was \"too high\". \"It is pretty clear the economy is slowing... it's a credit-fuelled expansion and so it's likely to come to an end soon,\" Mr Posen said. \"There's no good reason for the pound to appreciate further right now, particularly against the euro,\" he added. He also disagreed with the widespread view that the Bank's policy of low interest rates had stoked up excessive consumer borrowing and that this problem should be dealt with by raising rates. \"The big lesson of the financial crisis is that the one interest rate the central bank controls doesn't have that much implication for the whole range of financial products and borrowings that exist in a modern economy,\" he said. \"We were unable to stop [the crisis] solely by moving down the interest rate and we've been unable to reflate the economy just by moving the bank's interest rate also,\" he added. Instead, he argued, the Bank's Financial Policy Committee (FPC) should use its powers to limit the lending of commercial banks where it thought this had got out of hand. In recent months members of the MPC, including the Bank Governor Mark Carney, have differed publicly over whether or not rates should rise soon. For instance, in June Mr Carney said the time was not right for a rate rise. The next day the Bank's chief economist, Andy Haldane, said he favoured increasing the cost of borrowing later this year. Then a week later the Bank's deputy governor, Sir Jon Cunliffe, publicly suggested that now was not in fact the right time for such a move. That flurry of debate reflected the unusually divided vote at the last MPC meeting in June, when its eight members voted by only 5-3 to keep rates at their current level. Mr Posen, who was an MPC member from 2009 to 2012, said there was nothing wrong with close votes as it indicated that active debate was taking place within the committee. And he said there was \"no mistaking the fact\" that following Brexit, the UK economy would suffer a shock and that in two years' time it would be in \"much worse shape\" than it is now, with", "summary": "A former member of the Monetary Policy Committee, Adam Posen, has predicted that the Bank of England will not change interest rates this month."}
{"article": "The FBI said on Monday that it might have found a way to deal with the password lock set by killer Syed Rizwan Farook, who was behind an attack in San Bernardino, California, in December. An Israeli newspaper has since reported that data forensics experts at Cellebrite are involved in the case. Cellebrite told the BBC that it works with the FBI but would not say more. Its website, however, states that one of its tools can extract and decode data from the iPhone 5C - the model in question - among other locked handsets. Apple has refused to help the FBI do this. \"File system extractions, decoding and analysis can be performed on locked iOS devices with a simple or complex passcode,\" Cellebrite's site states. \"Simple passcodes will be recovered during the physical extraction process and enable access to emails and keychain passwords. \"If a complex password is set on the device, physical extraction can be performed without access to emails and keychain.\" The keychain reference relates to a tool on Apple devices that allows all of an owner's log-ins to be revealed if a master password is known. The website does not make clear if the process would work with iPhone 5Cs, whose operating system has been upgraded to iOS9, which Farook's device is thought to be running. Cellebrite, a subsidiary of Japan's Sun Corp, signed a data forensics contract with the FBI in 2013, according to the report in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. Apple has refused to create a special version of iOS that would prevent the contents of a device being wiped if someone made too many incorrect guesses at its passcode. It is not known whether Farook enabled the security setting, but the FBI says it does not want to risk losing \"evidence related to the terrorist mass murder of 14 Americans\". A federal court had been due to rule on Tuesday whether the FBI could compel Apple to help it. But the hearing was postponed when the Department of Justice announced that it might not need the tech firm's assistance because a third-party had demonstrated a possible extraction method to FBI agents. \"I am not able to comment on the identity of the outside party,\" bureau spokesman Christopher Allen told the BBC. \"I would simply refer to the court filing from Monday that says the outside party demonstrated the method on Sunday, March 20.\" Cellebrite has taken numerous calls from the media asking if it is indeed the unidentified helper. A Twitter user noted the firm signed a fresh $15,000 (\u00a310,600) contract with the FBI two days ago - albeit in Chicago rather than California. A spokesman for Cellebrite said it might have more to say at a later point. The firm recently suggested that it has more than 50% of the North American market in law enforcement digital forensics tools. \"When we get devices, we do work on different levels of accessing the data,\" Ronen Engler, Cellebrite's senior manager of technology and innovation, told the Homeland Security Today website earlier this month. \"The logical [data]", "summary": "An Israeli cybersecurity firm is under pressure to reveal its involvement in efforts to extract data from an iPhone."}
{"article": "15 August 2016 Last updated at 16:27 BST Shaun Whiter was helping friend Joey Abbs change a tyre near Newmarket, Suffolk, when the pair were struck by a vehicle. Jan Adamec, 40, of Haverhill, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He is on remand and will be sentenced in September. Mr Whiter, 27, said: \"Without a doubt it's good to know that the guy is off the streets.\"", "summary": "A footballer who lost both legs in a hit-and-run crash said he is pleased the driver responsible is \"off the streets\"."}
{"article": "President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci met in Nicosia's neutral buffer zone. UN envoy Espen Barth Eide said they \"shared their vision for a united Cyprus\". Mr Akinci was elected last month. The Turkish-controlled north broke away in 1974 after a brief Greek-inspired coup. Since a Turkish military invasion in 1974 the island has been effectively partitioned, with the northern third inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds by Greek Cypriots. Peace negotiations stalled last October, when the Greek Cypriots walked out in protest at the presence of a Turkish ship prospecting for natural gas off the island's south coast. Correspondents say there are hopes that Mr Akinci, a leftist moderate, can push forward the new round of negotiations. \"The talks took place in a very positive climate and I believe that working in similar fashion, we can hope for progress,\" Associated Press quoted Mr Anastasiades as saying after Friday's UN-brokered meeting. In an initial move, Turkish Cypriot authorities agreed to no longer require Greek Cypriots to fill in visa forms at crossing points to northern Cyprus, UN envoy Mr Eide told reporters. Compensation for those displaced by the conflict is expected to be one of the thorniest issues in the talks. UN peacekeeping forces estimate that 165,000 Greek Cypriots fled or were expelled from the north, and 45,000 Turkish Cypriots from the south, although the parties to the conflict say the figures are higher. The self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is diplomatically isolated, recognised only by Turkey.", "summary": "The leaders of the divided Greek and Turkish communities in Cyprus have resumed peace talks amid a \"climate of optimism\", the UN mediator says."}
{"article": "A win over Motherwell was not enough and Foran, who wants to stay on as manager, felt let down by some players. The manager made reference to \"two or three bad apples in the dressing room\". And he added: \"I probably should have got rid of them in January. I stayed loyal to a lot of players and some of them didn't pay me back.\" Inverness won three of their last four Premiership matches as they fought to finish in the play-off spot. But Hamilton Accies' 4-0 hammering of Dundee on Saturday ensured they will face Dundee United for a spot in the Premiership next term, while Inverness will play Championship football despite their 3-2 win over Well. \"It's obviously disappointment,\" Foran added. \"The best clubs in the world get knocked down, it's how you rebuild and come back. I've told the players there are far worse off people in life. \"But it happens in football. It is not all rosy. It is not all about winning all the time. I've been part of relegation teams - you stay loyal, you rebuild. You get knocked down, you get back up again. \"You need to get rid of the two or three players you don't want, that haven't given 100%, and I look forward to getting rid of those three. \"Of the starting 11 today, I would hope to have at least 10 of those for next season [midfielder Greg Tansey is leaving to join Aberdeen]. I am very proud of the players and when we got the right team playing, we could finish well, with guys giving their all for the club.\" Foran, who was a player at the time, stayed with Inverness when they were relegated from the top flight in 2009. One year into a four-year contract, he hopes to do the same as manager. \"I want to be here next season,\" he said. \"I will have a chat with the board probably on Monday or Tuesday and will find out what their thoughts are. But I am 100% behind this club and I expect to be here next season. \"There are changes to be made, on and off the field. Personally I want a smaller squad. \"I have got to look at myself as well. I haven't performed well enough. I have learned a heck of a lot this season - about myself, about players, the trust of people around you, and people you don't trust. \"One of my favourite seasons as a player was getting promoted, because we stuck together. I was part of the relegated team and helped them come straight back up, and I hope to do the same next season.\" One player who will not be there is Tansey, who signed a pre-contract agreement with Aberdeen in March. The midfielder, 28, was dismayed to leave on the back of relegation but felt he had given his all for the cause. \"It is never nice, but I can look myself in the mirror,\" said Tansey, who scored his seventh goal of the season in the win", "summary": "Manager Richie Foran says Inverness Caley Thistle must rid themselves of \"two or three bad apples\" after they were relegated from the Premiership."}
{"article": "A total of 106 people donated organs in hospitals across Scotland last year compared with 54 in 2007. The statistics showed a 62% increase in organ transplants from deceased donors, with 341 operations carried out. However, about 600 people remain on the transplant waiting list. Some 2,110,881 people living in Scotland have now joined the UK Organ Donor Register. The figure means 40% of the Scottish population has registered, compared to 32% across the UK as a whole. Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said: \"First and foremost I want to offer my thanks to every donor and every donor's family in Scotland who have demonstrated such kindness and benevolence in the face of tragic and difficult circumstances. \"It is our responsibility to ensure that people's organ donation wishes are respected and to ensure that we make every donation count.\" Mr Matheson added: \"It's important to remember, however, that around 600 people in Scotland are still waiting for an organ and we must be doing all we can to give them hope.\" Peter McGeehan, 64, from Dunfermline, suffered serious heart failure and was listed for a transplant in 2004. In the ten years since a heart transplant, the father-of-two said he has thought about his donor every day. He said: \"People take living for granted, but as I approach the ten-year anniversary I can honestly say there's never a day where I've woken up and haven't thought about my unnamed donor.\"", "summary": "The number of people who donated their organs after death in Scotland has almost doubled over a six-year period, according to government figures."}
{"article": "Thorpe, 23, has made seven appearances for the Millers this season, but last featured in the 5-2 defeat by Ipswich on 7 November. The former Manchester United trainee could make his Bradford debut against Millwall on Saturday. The Bantams are currently seventh in League One, outside the play-offs on goal difference.", "summary": "Bradford City have signed Rotherham United defender Tom Thorpe on loan until the end of the season."}
{"article": "The Ramsdens Discount Department Store on Cleethorpe Road was opened in 1946. The company said there would be some redundancies, but added it hoped \"to be able to offer alternative employment to some employees\". Last year planning permission was granted by North East Lincolnshire Council to redevelop the site into a new retail park. The store is expected to close over the summer. In a statement, the firm's directors said the store had \"continued to decline in what has become a very tough and competitive local market\". It added its nearby Home Interiors store would continue to trade.", "summary": "Up to 47 jobs are at risk after a Grimsby shop confirmed it is to close after nearly 70 years of trading."}
{"article": "The dramatic victory draws Higgins, 40, level with Ronnie O'Sullivan and to within one of Steve Davis's total for ranking tournament wins. Fellow Scot Stephen Hendry leads the way with 36. England's Martin Gould, 33, playing in only his second ranking final, made a break of 138 in the 11th frame. But Higgins held his nerve in the decider to take the \u00a336,000 prize. World-ranked 26 Gould, also helped by a break of 101 in the third frame, led 4-2 before the pair reached the interval locked together at 4-4 with Higgins managing a 112 in the seventh frame. The Scot, ranked 13 in the world, then took three of the first four frames in the evening session. Gould hit back to make it 7-7 before the next two frames were shared with the Londoner taking it into a final frame. But Higgins - whose last tournament win was the Welsh Open in February - responded with a break of 89 to claim the first ranking title of the season.", "summary": "John Higgins secured his 27th ranking title with a 9-8 win over Martin Gould in the Australian Open final."}
{"article": "Iranian patrol boats surrounded a US cargo ship in the strait on Friday. Earlier this week, Iranian naval ships reportedly fired warning shots near a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship before seizing it and its crew. The strait connects the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. The US navy will not be escorting the ships - a different procedure from accompanying them. Instead, it will monitor the area as the ships pass across the strait. The crew of the Marshall Islands-flagged container ship seized by Iran in the strait on Tuesday are safe and \"in good spirits\", Danish shipping company Maersk said. Maersk said it still did not know the reason why the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was seized, and noted it had been in an international shipping lane. Iranian media cited an official as saying the ship was seized based on a court order in connection with a complaint made by a private Iranian company about debts. The crew includes a British national, but no Americans, as initial reports suggested. The narrow strait lies partly in Iranian waters. Shipping traffic is allowed to pass through under an internationally-recognised protocol called \"innocent passage\", so long as the ships are not carrying weapons, collecting intelligence, or violating other restrictions.", "summary": "Defence officials have said that US Navy ships will accompany US-flagged commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, to make sure they are not interfered with by Iran."}
{"article": "Number Seven Boat Trips and Bristol Ferry Boats both operate services in the city's harbour. Number Seven Boat Trips said the changes were \"unjust\". Bristol Ferry Boats disagreed and said the new timetable was \"fairer than the previous one\". The city council said it was introduced \"following feedback from customers\". Both companies operate the same route between Temple Meads and Hotwells, at staggered times. Previously, the two boats collected people every 10 minutes in a 20 minute slot - and then one boat picked up passengers over the next 40 minutes. Changes now mean ferries collect at regular 20-minute intervals and passengers can now stay on the same boat for the whole trip, instead of changing in the city centre. Richard Rankin, of Number Seven Boat Trips, said: \"We're told to move from our timetable on the Hotwells route - which we've run for 15 years - 10 minutes earlier. \"What it does then is, by running two boats close together it maximises the potential for what passengers there are to get on the other side's boats. \"That strikes me as being very unjust.\" But Philippa Bungard, from Bristol Ferry Boats, said feedback indicated the service was \"better for everybody\". \"[It] is much fairer than the previous timetable and everyone so far seems very happy,\" she added. In a statement, the council said the changes were made to manage journeys in the \"most effective way\". \"The changes have been made following feedback from customers using the services, to ensure timings between the two do not overlap and deliver the best experience for visitors,\" they explained.", "summary": "A ferry boat firm in Bristol is claiming a new timetable \"imposed\" by the council favours its rival."}
{"article": "Members of the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice will no longer be permitted to chase suspects or arrest them. They must instead report observations to security forces personnel. Religious police officers, who roam the streets enforcing strict standards of social behaviour, are frequently accused of abusing their powers. Several were reportedly arrested in February for allegedly assaulting (YouTube video) a young woman outside a shopping centre in the capital, Riyadh. In 2013, four officers were accused of causing a fatal car crash when they pursued two brothers who had refused to turn the radio down in their vehicle. However, a court subsequently acquitted them. The new law governing the religious police was approved by the cabinet on Monday, but was not published by the official Saudi Press Agency until Tuesday. Officers will continue to help enforce strict segregation of the sexes, an absolute prohibition of the sale and consumption of alcohol, a ban on women driving and many other social restrictions. But the new law stipulates that their mission has been amended to \"carrying out the duty of promoting virtue and preventing vice in a gentle and humane way, after the model set in this regard by the Prophet [Muhammad] and his rightful successors\". They will also be obliged to display clear identification, showing their names, posts, jurisdictions and official working hours. The law stipulates that officers will no longer be permitted to pursue suspects, arrest them or ask for identification - only report suspicious behaviour to regular police and anti-drug units, who will decide whether to take the matter further.", "summary": "The Saudi authorities have moved to curb the powers of the notorious religious police, or \"mutawa\"."}
{"article": "The Planet Earth presenter said his work took him away for months at a time when his two children, Susan and Robert, were growing up. Sir David told the Radio Times: \"If you have a child of six or eight and you miss three months of his or her life, it's irreplaceable. You miss something. \"Perhaps you can't have your cake and eat it.\" Attenborough said his wife, Jane, who died in 1997, had been very \"understanding\", however. A month after celebrating his 91st birthday, Sir David told interviewer Louis Theroux that he thinks about his own mortality \"all the time\", because \"it's more and more likely that I'm going to die tomorrow.\" Asked if he expects anything to happen afterwards, he said simply: \"No.\" On the subject of global warming, Sir David warned: \"We should be very, very worried about it.... the land is being scorched, deserts are spreading, and the seas are warming - all those factors cause great changes in our fortunes.\" When asked which animal he felt a kinship with, Sir David replied: \"That has to be an ape. Because our kinship is a reality. I don't feel it with a mosquito or, indeed, a whale.\" Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Sir David Attenborough says his only career regret is missing out on time with his children."}
{"article": "And now he has become Scotland's only Labour MP by retaining his Edinburgh South seat in the face of an SNP landslide in the Westminster election. As the chairman of the Foundation of Hearts, a supporters group which helps to fund the club via monthly donations, Mr Murray had a central role in getting the club out of administration. He was first elected for the seat in 2010 after serving as an Edinburgh councillor between 2003 and 2010 for the capital's Liberton and Gilmerton ward. Mr Murray has served in parliament as a Parliamentary Private Secretary and Shadow Business Minister. Up until the election in May he was the Shadow Minister for Trade and Investment. Murray was born to a cooper father and shop worker mother in August 1976. Brought up in the Wester Hailes area of Edinburgh, he went to Dumbryden primary school, then Wester Hailes Education Centre. Mr Murray studied social policy and Law at Edinburgh University and graduated with an Honours degree at the age of 20. He worked to fund his studies with a part-time job in a local fish and chip shop, where he then set up and ran a pizza delivery service. After graduating in 1997, Mr Murray worked in financial services before setting up an internet television station. He then started his own event management business running large festival events. He has also owned a small bar and hotel business, running several premises. In 2004, Mr Murray organised a charity concert for a Landmine Free World with artists Billy Bragg, Chrissie Hynde, Steve Earle, Joan Baez and Emmylou Harris, which raised more than \u00c2\u00a3100,000. Mr Murray, who lives with his partner Hannah, also organised a student exchange programme in Nepal to fund school buildings and staff.", "summary": "He is the man who led the campaign to save Hearts Football Club from administration - winning over fans across Edinburgh."}
{"article": "When two countries agree to a free trade agreement, that does not normally mean the complete free movement of goods and services between their economies, with no taxes, quotas or barriers of any kind. If you think about it that is pretty obvious, for instance in agriculture countries have subsidies for farmers, environmental rules, food standards and a dozen other policies. To ensure free trade of agricultural products all those policies would have to be coordinated, if not exactly the same. This is why the issue of chlorinated chicken is suddenly in the headlines; we don't allow it, the Americans do. It is a barrier to free trade and if we cannot agree on a compromise then any free trade deal between the US and UK will not fully cover trade in chickens. The same can be said about genetically-modified (GM) crops, where America thinks the EU approvals process is far too complicated. And what about agricultural subsidies for farmers? You can be pretty sure farmers on both sides of any free trade deal will argue about whether the other side subsidises its farmers unfairly, well, until the cows come home. It is not just agriculture that is affected, removing tariffs on manufactured goods is normally considered the easy part of any trade deal, but what about chemical regulations, car safety and drug testing, to name just three examples? The reason that free trade deals involve years of talks, dozens of expert negotiators, and endless meetings on technical details is because such issues are very complicated and involve a host of issues. In the end they tend to come down to a trade off. The proposed free trade deal between the EU and Japan has, for example, been described as a \"cars for cheese\" deal. It's an over simplification, but the fact is a major part of the deal is that the EU will allow cars made in Japan to be sold in the EU more easily, and the Japanese will reduce tariffs on European cheeses (and other dairy products). That doesn't sound like much but it is important. Many Japanese carmakers have plants in Europe precisely because it used to be difficult for them to sell Japanese built cars there, as they had to pay a 10% tariff. Meanwhile, the Japanese government has had some of the highest agricultural subsides, tariffs and other barriers, because it has long sought to protect its inefficient farmers. Both sides will win easier access to each others markets, but it is still not totally free trade. For instance some cheeses will be covered by quotas (a limit on how much can be exported to Japan), and car tariffs will take years to totally come down. More from the BBC's series taking an international perspective on trade: Is time up for plain vanilla flavour ice creams? What makes this Kate Spade bag unusual? Where's hot? This summer's most popular holiday spots Read more global trade series here. Also non-tariff barriers are still an important factor in limiting trade. So Japan and the UK, for instance, have", "summary": "Ahead of its exit from the European Union, the UK is currently negotiating to secure free trade agreements with several countries, but what does this kind of deal actually mean?"}
{"article": "Officials said Mr Guelleh won 87% of Friday's vote, which activists complained was preceded by political repression and curbs on basic freedoms. Mr Guelleh, in power since 1999, begins a fourth five-year term in power. He faced five rivals in the election, but three opposition parties boycotted the poll. The opposition complain of police brutality and media bias under Mr Guelleh's rule. \"The people of Djibouti have again entrusted me with the state's highest office,\" Mr Guelleh, 68, said in a speech on national TV. More on this and other African news stories Djibouti election: What you need to know Djibouti\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s thin-skinned democracy Djibouti's strategic position on the Gulf of Aden means that it is home to US and French military bases. The country is also seen as relatively stable in a region which includes Somalia, where the government does not control the whole country, and Yemen, where there is a civil war. Observers say this explains the muted criticism of President Guelleh from the West. Some 180,000 people were eligible to vote, around a fourth of the population. The opposition were angry that the president rescinded his earlier decision not to seek another term. His main rival, representing the opposition Union for National Salvation (USN) coalition, was Omar Elmi Kaireh, a Djibouti independence hero. He came second, with 7%, according to provisional results announced by Interior Minister Hassan Omar.", "summary": "Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh has won a landslide victory in an election criticised by opposition parties and rights groups."}
{"article": "The Regatta Quay development, which includes a 20-storey building known locally as the 'wine rack', was taken over by administrators in 2010. The Irish government owns the site after buying Irish bank debts. The administrators said completing the ??100m buildings was dependent on the property market. Work on Regatta Quay started in 2007, but it stopped as City Living Developments (Ipswich) Ltd, which had borrowed from the Anglo Irish and Allied Irish banks, went into administration. Ben Gummer, Conservative MP for Ipswich, said it was \"almost a metaphor\" for the British economy. \"It's property speculation gone mad and a banking system which is bust, so it's going to take a lot of time to put that right,\" he said. \"The administrators are actively trying to find a developer to take on the work, so things are moving now but I'd like to see them move quicker.\" Baker Tilly were appointed administrators for Regatta Quay by Ireland's National Asset Management Agency. The accountancy firm is also the administrator for The Mill development next to Regatta Quay. Regatta Quay has 118 flats built, with space for 150 more in the 'wine rack'. The Mill has 194 completed and 140 uncompleted flats. Nigel Millar, from Baker Tilly, said: \"It's very difficult to say when building work could resume. \"We'll certainly be in administration for two years. How long we'll be in administration depends on how sales progress.\" Savills, which is the estate agent for the sites, said sale prices for a two-bedroom apartment had dropped from about ??300,000 in 2008 to ??175,000. Andy Redman, from Savills, said: \"If we can continue to sell at the rates we're achieving of 3-4 flats a month, then it may bring things forward, but it's dictated by market conditions.\"", "summary": "Administrators say work will not resume on an unfinished block of flats on Ipswich waterfront until 96 completed apartments are sold."}
{"article": "Its design is centred around patients and their families and it has taken ideas from Norway. Experts say the design of a building can have a very real impact on patient care. \"The environment can actually improve a patient's symptoms because if you have an anxiety quite often that can heighten a patient's physical pain,\" says Rhona Baillie, chief executive officer of the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice. She has had more than 20 years experience as a palliative care nurse. \"If we can help to control that anxiety and make that patient feel more relaxed in an environment that they're very comfortable in, that can help their overall physical state.\" At the moment the site for the new hospice building in Bellahouston Park is full of scrubby grasses and drying out mud, but building work is scheduled to start soon. The idea is to create a homely atmosphere for patients and their families who have often been on a very hard clinical journey. They found a model for this in Scandinavia, with beds clustered around a courtyard. In the middle of that there is space for tables and chairs, where families can eat together, just like at home with soft furnishing and beautiful lighting. The clinical equipment will be there, but very much in the background. \"It's got a domestic-sized front door,\" explains Ms Baillie. \"As soon as you walk in there will be no barriers of having a desk you have to walk up to and the first thing you'll see is a fireplace, so all of that signifies home.\" The hospice has been housed in its present building on the banks of the Clyde for more than 30 years. The architects spent time understanding how it worked before they started on the new building. \"This project has influenced me hugely,\" says Alastair Forbes, architectural director with Ryder Architecture. Part of what he was trying to do was use the layout of the building to limit the time staff would spend away from patients and to break down the scale of the place. It is designed to look like four interlinked houses. It also meant a first for him in his career as an architect as he spent time examining how a room looks when you are lying in bed. It is something which he says has become a \"touchstone\" for him in the project. \"What a patient sees, how much they see the ceiling, how much they don't actually see out the window,\" he explains. \"It's a very clinical environment, it's the smells, it's the noises, the proximity to staff, to other patients, personalisation you can see there is quite difficult.\" \"Everything's about people.\" The design of the new hospice building also considers its parkland setting with rooms which allow patients to see the sky and the gardens from their bed, as well as giving them and their families the opportunity to eat together. \"Coming from a Pakistani background, you cook for your family and friends all the time,\" says Saf Akram. His sister spent time at the", "summary": "Work is beginning shortly on a new hospice building in Glasgow."}
{"article": "Cleveland Potash, which runs the site near Saltburn, said the development would secure the plant for 40 years. Plans include extending the mine to the east and upgrading facilities to increase production capacity. Some groups have raised concerns the development could have an intrusive effect on the local area. The company hopes to extend its planning permission with the North York Moors National Park Authority to 2063. Cleveland Potash's parent company Israel Chemicals Ltd (ICL) is set to invest \u00c2\u00a3300m in the area over the next five years. As well as funding the development of the Boulby site, the investment will go towards upgrading the company's Teesport operation near Middlesbrough, which exports potash mined at Boulby. One of the first steps will be the \u00c2\u00a316m replacement of the tower at the top of the Boulby site's rock shaft, which lifts the mineral up from the mine. The renewal will raise the amount of ore lifted to around 5.3 million tonnes a year, a one million tonne increase on the current maximum. The mine's underground equipment, which Cleveland Potash general manager Phil Baines described as \"aged\", will also be modernised. Mr Baines said: \"Our present combination of potash resources and reserves totals around 70 million to 80 million tonnes, but following a major exploration programme we expect this figure will increase significantly over the new few years. \"Our plan is to extend operations out to the east in parallel to the area worked over the past 40 years, effectively providing a new mine for the next 40 years.\"", "summary": "Plans to extend a potash mine at Boulby in East Cleveland are expected to create more than 270 jobs by the end of 2015, the owners said."}
{"article": "Ward, from Montana, has been one of the featured drivers for the last five of the History Channel show's 10 seasons. The show follows drivers as they battle the elements to deliver supplies to remote communities in northern Canada. In the UK, the latest series of Ice Road Truckers had around 900,000 viewers per episode on Channel 5. A statement on Ward's Facebook page said he had been travelling from a truck show in Dallas, Texas, to start filming the pilot for new a documentary about the recovery of plane wrecks in Montana. The statement said his co-pilot, who was unnamed, also died in the crash, \"Trucking has always been a large part of Darrell's life; from running the harvest rigs with his grandparents and family, to driving trucks from Montana to Alaska and all roads in between,\" it read. \"In his free time, you could usually find Darrell giving back to the community any chance he got, he had promoted the most recent food drive to help victims in the Louisiana Floods and was scheduled to appear as the grand marshal for the Truck Convoy for Special Olympics in Nova Scotia.\" The message added: \"His motto, 'any road, any load' fits his personality perfectly.\" A statement from History said: \"We are saddened by the tragic loss of Darrell Ward, a beloved member of the History family. \"He will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.\" Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Darrell Ward, one of the long-haul drivers made famous on TV's Ice Road Truckers, has been killed in a plane crash at the age of 52."}
{"article": "12 September 2014 Last updated at 06:51 BST But the contrast could not be more different in India where consumers are being bombarded with low-priced smart devices. These cheaper handsets are set to open up new online opportunities, as millions of people take to the internet for the first time. From Delhi, David Reid reports. Watch more reports on Asia Business Report's website.", "summary": "Smartphones were one of the big themes of the week - and the release of Apple's latest iPhone could well shake things up at the top end of the market."}
{"article": "It comes despite the party's policy to support renewing the Trident nuclear weapons system remaining unchanged at the recent Labour conference. Mr Corbyn was also criticised by many of his MPs for saying he would never use nuclear weapons if he became PM. However, CND said Mr Corbyn was stepping down as its vice-chairman because of his \"increased workload\". Mr Corbyn joined the organisation as a teenager in 1966 and has long campaigned against the replacement of Trident. But many Labour MPs, including the party's new shadow defence secretary Maria Eagle, have openly disagreed with Mr Corbyn's views on nuclear weapons. BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said his new role at CND was likely to increase tensions within his party over the issue. \"Privately some are deeply concerned at the uncertainty over Labour's position on such a key issue,\" she added. A guide to Trident and the debate about its replacement Is there such a thing as a nuclear button? How important is Trident to the UK's security and international standing? CND's general secretary Kate Hudson said Mr Corbyn's new role was a \"fitting tribute to a very principled man with a lifelong commitment to CND and the cause of nuclear disarmament\". \"Working together, with enormous support from across society, we will prevail against trident and secure a crucial step towards global disarmament,\" she added. Russell Whiting, from CND, said Mr Corbyn \"stood on a clear anti-trident platform\" when he was elected as Labour leader \"with a massive mandate\". \"He's challenging the consensus that has developed at Westminster around Trident,\" he said. \"And that's something we're looking forward to taking forward with him.\" Mr Corbyn had been due to address a CND conference in London this weekend, but is now said to have other engagements. Meanwhile, one Labour MP has raised concerns about a group that campaigned to get Mr Corbyn elected as party leader and and has now rebranded itself as Momentum. The group promises to \"organise in every town, city and village to create a mass movement\", but Mike Gapes, the Labour MP for Ilford South, has told the BBC he fears some members of the campaign have an agenda. He said: \"I hope they are just going to be a discussion organisation like Progress or the Fabian Society, but I fear some of the people behind it have another agenda which is about deselecting MPs.\" However, a spokeswoman for Momentum said such fears were a misunderstanding, and she said it was \"a positive, outward looking\" organisation.", "summary": "Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is to become the vice-president of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND)."}
{"article": "A future Labour government would ring-fence 4,000 new flats and homes for rough sleepers in cities such as Bristol, Liverpool and Birmingham. The properties would be let at \"genuinely affordable\" rents, building on an existing scheme in London. The government said \u00a3500m had been invested to help homeless people. But Labour's housing spokesman John Healey said rising rough sleeping levels were inexcusable. Labour has challenged the government to back its plan, which it said would be delivered if it wins power at the next election, scheduled for 2020. The party says a change in the law in 2011 means homeless people are increasingly housed in insecure private rented homes, making it more likely they will end up back on the streets. According to government figures published last autumn, based on counts and council estimates, there were 3,569 people estimated to be out on the streets in England on any given night in 2015, compared with 1,768 in 2010. Announcing the new initiative, Mr Healey - who is shadow cabinet minister with responsibility for housing - said the statistics were unacceptable in a country as \"decent and well-off\" as the UK. Labour wants to use the Clearing House scheme, run by St Mungo's charity on behalf of the Greater London Authority, as a model for the rest of the country. The scheme, established initially in 1991 under John Major's government, provides 3,750 flats in more than 40 housing associations in the capital for permanent use by rough sleepers. Under Labour's plan, it would be rolled out to the West Midlands and Greater Manchester, as well as Liverpool, Leeds, Bristol, Sheffield and Oxford - with places reserved for British nationals and others who are eligible for social housing. Ahead of an opposition day debate in the Commons designed to draw attention to the issue, Mr Healey said the previous Labour government had achieved \"record low levels\" of rough sleeping. \"The tragedy of this is this is a problem that can be solved,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Mr Healey said housing associations should make unoccupied homes available for use and be incentivised by government to build replacements. He added: \"The rapidly rising number of people sleeping in doorways and on park benches shames us all. There can be no excuses - it must end. Full stop. \"The spiralling rise in street homelessness results directly from decisions made by ministers since 2010 on housing, and on funding for charities and councils. \"A Labour government would put a stop to this national shame and provide homeless people with a place to call home and rebuild their lives.\" St Mungo's said its scheme had found stable accommodation for 13,500 people over 25 years, including many vulnerable people with complex health needs. Ministers have said government funding for homelessless over the next four years had been increased to \u00a3139m. The Department for Communities and Local Government said the number of people recognised as homeless by their local authority was less than half the 2003 peak but acknowledged that \"one person without a home is one too", "summary": "Labour has pledged to end the \"national shame\" of rough sleeping by doubling the number of homes available for use by homeless people across England."}
{"article": "Mr Trump called Mika Brzezinski \"low IQ crazy Mika\", in response to disparaging remarks about him on an MSNBC show. He also referred to her \"bleeding badly from a facelift\" and assailed her co-presenter Joe Scarborough. Senator Lindsey Graham said Mr Trump's remarks were \"beneath the office\" of president. He said the tweet \"represents what is wrong with American politics, not the greatness of America\". \"Please just stop. This isn't normal,\" tweeted fellow Republican Senator Ben Sasse. Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan also joined the criticism, saying: \"I don't see that as an appropriate comment. What we're trying to do around here is improve the tone, the civility of the debate. This obviously doesn't help.\" MSNBC said it was \"a sad day for America when the president spends his time bullying, lying and spewing petty personal attacks instead of doing his job\". But the White House sprang to Mr Trump's defence. \"I don't think that the president has ever been someone that gets attacked and doesn't push back,\" spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told Fox News. \"People on that [MSNBC] show have personally attacked him many times. This is a president who fights fire with fire and certainly will not be allowed to be bullied by liberal media and the liberal elites within the media, or Hollywood or anywhere else.\" Brzezinski and Scarborough co-present the MSNBC breakfast show, Morning Joe, which has increasingly derided President Trump since he took office. In recent weeks, Scarborough has called him a \"bumbling dope\", resembling \"a kid who pooped in his pants\", while Brzezinski has mocked members of the administration as \"lobotomised\". \"I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore),\" Mr Trump tweeted on Thursday morning. He accused \"low I.Q. Crazy Mika\" and \"Psycho Joe\" of \"insisting on joining me\" at his Mar-a-Lago Florida golf resort over three days at New Year's Eve. \"She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!\" he added. The senior Democrat in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, called Mr Trump's tweets \"sexist, an assault on the freedom of the press & an insult to all women\". Brzezinski is the daughter of the late Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was an aide to presidents Carter and Johnson, while Scarborough is a former Republican congressman. The couple are engaged to each other.", "summary": "Senior US Republicans have joined condemnation of President Donald Trump over an attack he made on Twitter against a prominent female journalist."}
{"article": "Ex-servicemen and women joined many members of the general public to reflect on those who died or have been injured in service to their country. Here are images from some of the acts of remembrance from those who took part.", "summary": "The nation fell silent for two minutes on Wednesday to remember the nation's war dead on Armistice Day."}
{"article": "Rodolfo Illanes and his bodyguard were seized earlier on Thursday at a roadblock in Panduro, south of La Paz, official said. Interior Minister Carlos Romero said \"all indications\" were that Mr Illanes had been murdered in a \"cowardly and brutal\" attack. Two miners also died from gunshot wounds during clashes with police. Mr Illanes was beaten to death at about 18:00 local time (00:00 GMT), La Razon newspaper quoted Defence Minister Reymi Ferreira as saying. The authorities could not for the moment retrieve his body, the minister said. More than 100 arrests had been made, he said. President Evo Morales had been \"profoundly affected\" by Mr Illanes's death, Mr Ferreira added. While he was being held, Mr Illanes told Bolivian radio that a condition for his release was that the government negotiate with miners over new legislation. The miners have been blocking a highway in Panduro since Tuesday. The National Federation of Mining Co-operatives of Bolivia, once strong allies of President Morales, began what they said would be an indefinite protest after negotiations failed. Protesters have been demanding more mining concessions, the right to work for private companies, and greater union representation.", "summary": "The Bolivian government says its deputy interior minister has been kidnapped and killed by striking miners."}
{"article": "Hundreds of people criticised the Magical Journey, at the Belfry Golf Club near Sutton Coldfield, for being overpriced and unfinished. Bosses shut the attraction at the weekend to resolve the issues. They have banned the media from attending the reopening saying it would \"create anxiety for visitors\". A statement said: \"The Magical Journey team are hugely grateful for the support we have received from broadcast media and regional papers. \"So it is with huge regret that we have decided not to open the event up to press on our reopening day. \"Please understand that everything we have done, we have done in order to create a truly magical journey for the parents and specifically the children visiting. \"And we feel that camera crews, reporters and journalists are only going to take away from that experience and possibly even create anxiety for our visitors.\" Hundreds of messages were posted on the Magical Journey's Facebook page after it opened. A number of users complained about the price of admission - the top price for a child is \u00c2\u00a322.50 - and accused the management of misleading the public. Refunds are being offered. Mother-of-four Michelle Guarini, from Stourport-on-Severn in Worcestershire, said she had paid \u00c2\u00a3150 for her family to visit. She said: \"They made out it was going to be a fantastic, Narnia-like experience - and there were workmen wandering around with cigarettes. \"The Christmas market was about six shacks and there were some elves who didn't seem to know what they were doing. The kids were bored. It was appalling.\" A post on the attraction's Facebook page said reports Father Christmas had sworn at a customer and that a reindeer had bitten a child were untrue. It said it was possible some elves had been seen smoking in the staff rest area and said extra screening had been put up. Event director Paul Dolan said work had been \"severely hampered\" by bad weather and the opening should have been postponed. He told BBC WM they had now managed to do \"all the work they wanted to do\". \"It's looking magnificent,\" he said. Mr Dolan said \"over 500\" people had visited the attraction since it reopened. \"Everyone has felt the scrutiny we have been under, but the team have performed brilliantly and today there were lots of smiling faces,\" he said. In a post on Facebook Rachel Cannon said: \"Just got back... and what a brilliant afternoon. A truly magical time! Well done for turning it around.\" Gemma Fenton posted that her children \"really enjoyed it\" and commented that the staff were \"brilliant\". But one father told the BBC even though his children enjoyed their visit it was \"probably not worth the money you pay\".", "summary": "A Christmas attraction created with the help of flamboyant designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has reopened after closing because of complaints."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device As Test Match Special celebrates its 60th anniversary, BBC Radio 5 live Sport brings you Our TMS. People of all ages tell their stories of enjoying Test Match Special - from those who have listened for all 60 years to those who have only tuned in recently. We hear about the sailors who listened to Geoffrey Boycott's 100th first-class hundred while aboard the Ark Royal, the mother following the Ashes from a maternity ward, and the boy who would take his transistor radio and watch the Test outside a TV shop. Discover more about the captain of a sinking boat pumping out sea water as Devon Malcolm took nine wickets against South Africa, people listening at Lord's when John Arlott commentated on his final spell, and the listener who had the infamous 'leg over' incident played at her funeral. There will also be the odd recognisable voice or two paying their tribute to the programme. Our TMS will be on BBC Radio 5 live at 19:30 BST on Tuesday, 25 July. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "What is a programme without its listeners?"}
{"article": "The consumer goods maker was among the top gainers on the FTSE 100 index, up 3.6% on the strength of better-than-expected third-quarter sales, up 5.7%. The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 69.06 points or 1.1% at 6,338.67. Miners rose but then fell. Glencore turned a 3% gain into a 2% fall and BHP Billiton a 1.3% rise into a 0.6% fall. Burberry was 8% lower at the end of play, having been 12% down on a warning of an \"increasingly challenging\" Chinese market and a fall in sales there. On the currency markets, the pound was flat against the dollar at $1.5484 and rose 0.49% against the euro at \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.3540.", "summary": "(Close: London's leading shares closed up more than 1% in Thursday trading, partly thanks to strong results from Unilever."}
{"article": "The 44-year-old former Celtic boss will be assisted by Garry Parker at Easter Road. The Northern Irishman has been out of work since parting company with Bolton in March. He succeeds Alan Stubbs, who left for Rotherham United last week after two seasons in charge, culminating in a Scottish Cup final triumph. \"As soon as Neil was identified as the outstanding candidate we were determined to bring him to Easter Road,\" said Hibs chief executive Leeann Dempster. \"He has managed at a very high level, taking Celtic to the last 16 of the Champions League, and we were attracted by his ability to get the most out of players and his driven, winning mentality.\" Lennon served Celtic as a midfielder for six-and-a-half years, winning five Scottish titles and six domestic cups to add to the two League Cups he won with Leicester. After a spell back in English football with Nottingham Forest and Wycombe Wanderers, Lennon rejoined Celtic as a coach in 2008, taking over as manager in 2010. He enjoyed further success at Celtic Park with three successive top-flight titles and two Scottish Cup triumphs before leaving in the summer of 2014. A move to Bolton followed later that year and, although Wanderers initially improved under Lennon, they were bottom of the Championship by the time he left, with the side eventually relegated. Hibs have spent the last two seasons in Scotland's second tier and missed out on promotion to the Premiership after a play-off semi-final defeat by Falkirk, having also lost out at the same stage of the play-offs in 2015. But after ending their 114-year wait to win the Scottish Cup, the Edinburgh club will enter the Europa League qualifying rounds, with their first match on 14 July. Englishman Parker, 50, was a team-mate of Lennon's at Leicester and was part of his coaching team at both Celtic and Bolton. Hibs have called a media conference for 14:00 BST on Thursday.", "summary": "Neil Lennon has been confirmed as the new manager of Hibernian after signing a two-year deal."}
{"article": "Surrey Police said two teenage girls were waiting at a bus stop half way along Rydens Road, in Walton-on-Thames, when a man approached them and touched one of the girls on the bottom. He then went into some nearby bushes and exposed himself. He is described as white, in his mid 20s and about 6ft tall. He had short ginger or blonde hair and wonky teeth. The incident happened at 19:30 BST on Thursday. Det Con Ben Kirby said: \"Prior to this incident, the girls had been travelling on the 461 bus to Walton town centre. However, it had broken down so they were waiting for another bus to continue their journey. \"We would like to speak to anyone who was on this bus as they might have information which will help us to identify this individual.\"", "summary": "A man targeted two teenagers waiting at a bus stop by sexually touching one and exposing himself in some nearby bushes."}
{"article": "The watercolour, attributed to Queen Victoria's favourite artist Sir Edwin Landseer, was sold by JP Humbert of Whittlebury, Northamptonshire. The painting has attracted both firm supporters and those who doubt whether it does depict the Brontes. It was sold to a collector who plans to do more research and resell it. Bidding took off just 15 minutes before the end of the \"timed\" online auction with the painting sold for \u00a340,550 hammer price (\u00a350,038 including buyers premium) to an private investor believed to be based in the UK. Auctioneer Jonathan Humbert said: \"We are very pleased our theory has been accepted and endorsed by the establishment. \"The evidence was compelling that this is the Brontes as painted by Landseer and its successful sale has proved that research and factual evidence will overcome apathy and negativity.\" Mr Humbert had decided to pull the picture, which he believes to be of \"national importance\", from an auction in 2012 so more research could be done. Landseer was a popular Victorian painter best known for his animal portraits and designing the bronze lions in London's Trafalgar Square. The Bronte family moved to Haworth, West Yorkshire, in 1820 where the Reverend Patrick Bronte was appointed Curate of Haworth. They lived at the Haworth Parsonage from 1820 to 1861, which is now the Bronte Parsonage Museum.", "summary": "A painting claimed to be a previously unknown portrait of the three Bronte sisters has sold for more than \u00a340,000 at auction."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called to the scene close to Knockmore industrial estate at about 06:45 GMT on Thursday. No one was hurt. The train was evacuated and passengers were transferred to buses. Translink and the Health and Safety Executive have begun investigations and the line will remain closed all day. The transport firm's spokeswoman said: \"We would hope to be in a position to resume a full train service from tomorrow [Friday] morning.\" On Thursday afternoon, rail passengers were advised that a bus substitution will operate between Moira and Lisbun until 18:30 GMT to \"accommodate peak time commuter traffic\". After the rush hour, a bus substitution will operate between Portadown and Lisburn and cross-border passengers will be bussed between Belfast and Newry for the rest of the day. Translink's statement added: \"Safety is our top priority and an investigation is currently ongoing. \"We are now taking steps to get the line cleared; our engineers have been on site and will be working throughout the night in order to get services back to normal for our customers.\" The firm said it will be working with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) during the investigations. Translink has apologised to their customers for the inconvenience. The Knockmore Road, which was closed between the Moira Road and Ballinderry Road, has now reopened.", "summary": "A train hit a piece of construction equipment on the railway line near Lisburn, County Antrim, a Translink spokesperson has said."}
{"article": "Police said detectives were investigating the blaze which started shortly before 04:50 GMT on Coniston Road. The force added the fire is being treated as unexplained and a joint investigation with the fire service has been launched. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said it sent five fire engines to the scene to tackle the blaze.", "summary": "A person has died in a house fire in Lancaster."}
{"article": "The office in Cowbridge Road has been closed with a note placed on the window advising claimants and jobseekers where to go instead. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed the incident. A Public and Commercial Services union spokesman has claimed several workers had oxygen therapy after a suspected carbon monoxide leak.", "summary": "Some members of staff at a Jobcentre in Cardiff have been sent to hospital following a gas leak."}
{"article": "Police are investigating the death of Russell Peachey, 35, who was found in Grangetown at about 04:20 BST on Saturday. They are now searching for James Mark Williams, 31, from Barry in connection with his death. A 37-year-old man from Barry became the third man to be arrested in connection with the murder on Monday. All three remain in custody.", "summary": "Police are searching for a man from the Vale of Glamorgan in connection with a Cardiff murder probe."}
{"article": "The growing problem needs \"an urgent response\" coordinated by the Home Office, NAO head Sir Amyas Morse said. Almost two million cyber-related fraud incidents were estimated to have taken place last year, it added. The Home Office said government, the police and industry were working together to tackle the problem. Sir Amyas said the Home Office, while not solely responsible for tackling the issue, was the only organisation that could oversee the system and lead change. The Home Office's Joint Fraud Taskforce, which was launched in February 2016, was a positive step \"but there is still much work to be done\", he said. \"At this stage it is hard to judge that the response to online fraud is proportionate, efficient or effective.\" Analysis: BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw According to the Office for National Statistics, fraud is now the most commonly experienced crime in England and Wales, with most offences committed online. But the National Audit Office says only one in every 150 police officers specialises in fraud - and it doesn't even feature in a third of the policing plans issued by local police and crime commissioners. The NAO also criticises a Home Office taskforce set up last year to tackle online fraud, saying it's too focused on banking, lacks proper governance and hasn't established measures for its performance. The Home Office says the taskforce is making a positive difference but it acknowledges there's more to do. In the year to 30 September 2016, the Office for National Statistics estimated there were 1.9 million cyber-fraud incidents in England and Wales, or 16% of all estimated crime incidents. Online fraud includes criminals accessing citizens' and businesses' bank accounts, using their credit card details, or tricking them into transferring money. The report said: \"Fraud is now the most commonly experienced crime in England and Wales, is growing rapidly and demands an urgent response. \"Yet fraud is not a strategic priority for local police forces and the response from industry is uneven.\" The Home Office said that tackling online fraud \"demands a collaborative and innovative response to keep pace with the emerging threat\", which is why it had launched the Joint Fraud Taskforce. Improved data-sharing between banks and law enforcement had closed thousands of accounts linked to fraud, it said, adding that it was working with Financial Fraud Action UK on its Take Five to Stop Fraud awareness campaign. Tom Ironside of the British Retail Consortium said: \"The retail industry strongly supports a much closer partnership between the government, law enforcement and industry to tackle online fraud.\"", "summary": "Online fraud has been \"overlooked\" by the government, police and business, according to public spending watchdog the National Audit Office."}
{"article": "The body of Ananda Gopal Ganguly, 70, was found in a field near his temple in western Jhenaidah district. His head had been nearly severed from his neck. Separately, police have killed three suspected Islamists in a crackdown on extremists blamed for the murders. Critics say the government is in denial about the killings, most of which have been blamed on or claimed by Islamists. Two alleged members of the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were shot dead in Dhaka when police raided a home in the city - police said unidentified gunmen opened fire on them. A third - said to have been linked to a recent bombing of an Ahmadiya mosque - was killed in western Rashahi district. Who is behind the Bangladesh killings? Is extremism on the rise in Bangladesh? Lurching from secularism to sectarian terror? Ananda Gopal Ganguly is the third person to be killed in such an attack in the past two days. \"He left home this morning saying that he was going to a Hindu house to offer prayers,\" deputy police chief Gopinath Kanjilal told AFP news agency. \"Later, farmers found his near-decapitated body in a rice field.\" The Middle East-based Islamic State militant group says it carried out the killing, but a government spokesman told the BBC that all the recent attacks were the work of domestic extremists. On Sunday the wife of a senior police officer investigating the attacks and a Christian businessman were killed. Police say more than 40 people have been killed since January last year in the wave of attacks on those seen by extremists as offensive to Islam. The government insists that Islamic State does not have a presence in Bangladesh and has tended to blame the opposition and local militant groups. Critics have accused the government of failing to properly address the violence in Bangladesh. The grim list of those who have fallen victim to attacks by Islamist militants in Bangladesh is growing ever more diverse. Secular bloggers, academics, gay rights activists, and members of religious minorities including Shia, Sufi and Ahmadi Muslims, Christians and Hindus have all been killed, many of them hacked to death. A university professor whose family said he was not an atheist was murdered in April, suggesting the list of those at risk had widened further. Who exactly is behind the attacks remains murky. Bangladesh has myriad extremist groups and there have been few convictions over the attacks. Bangladesh has disputed claims by so-called Islamic State (IS) or al-Qaeda-linked groups for the attacks, instead often blaming opposition parties or local Islamist groups. But until the killings stop the government itself will face accusations of not doing enough to protect minorities in the Sunni-dominated nation.", "summary": "A Hindu priest has been killed in Bangladesh, in the latest attack by Islamist militants."}
{"article": "The road closed for a time last week after a landslip during Storm Frank. It closed again on Monday amid concerns about the boulder, which is about 175m above the carriageway. The Old Military Road diversion, which was in use since 09:00, closed at 16:30. An alternative diversion via Dalmally will be in place overnight. In a statement, roads operator Bear Scotland, said that efforts to make safe the boulder had been been \"ongoing since first light this morning\". \"A helicopter bringing materials to site was delayed reaching the area due to inclement weather but the specialist teams have now begun to install the anchors required to remove the boulder safely,\" Bear said. \"Good progress has been made and preparatory works should be completed today ready for works to make safe the boulder to take place tomorrow morning.\" Bear said the \"monitoring process cannot continue safely during the hours of darkness and the Old Military Road will close at 4:30pm this evening and reopen at 9:00am tomorrow\". During this time, the diversion via Dalmally and Crianlarich will be reinstated. Overnight, the A83 will remain open from Inveraray to the B828 junction, allowing continued access to Lochgoilhead, Dunoon and the ferries to Gourock. At the south side of the closure, access is available from Tarbet to Ardgartan.", "summary": "The A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll has been closed overnight as efforts continue to make safe a 150 tonne boulder on the hillside."}
{"article": "Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their people died in the atrocities of 1915. Turkey says the toll was much lower and rejects the term \"genocide\". The vote heightened German-Turkish tensions at a time when Turkey's help is needed to stem the flow of migrants. Turkey has recalled its ambassador and its leader threatened further action. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the recall was a first step and that the government would consider further action it might take in response to the vote. \"We will do whatever is necessary to resolve this issue,\" he said. In the latest response: Armenian 'genocide' vote ignites press More than 20 nations, including France and Russia, as well as Pope Francis, have recognised the 1915 killings as genocide. Turkey denies that there was a systematic campaign to slaughter Armenians as an ethnic group during World War One. It also points out that many Turkish civilians died in the turmoil during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Mrs Merkel was not in the Bundestag (lower house) for the vote. Her Christian Democrats (CDU), their coalition partners the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens all supported the resolution, and the vote in favour was overwhelming. German MPs came under pressure from Turks in the run-up to the vote, receiving threatening and abusive e-mails, German ARD news reports. The resolution uses the word \"genocide\" in the headline and text. It also says Germany - at the time an ally of the Ottomans - bears some guilt for doing nothing to stop the killings. The reactions from Ankara are every bit as strong as feared. Turkey's foreign minister even accused Berlin of trying to deflect from the dark episodes of its own history, a clear reference to Germany's Nazi past. But for many German politicians this vote was about exactly the opposite: it was about dealing with not just Turkey's difficult 20th century history, but also Germany's. Many of the speeches in parliament focused on German responsibility in the 1915 killings. At the time, the German empire was a military ally of the Ottomans, and is accused of knowing about the massacres and not doing anything to prevent them. So for many Germans this resolution is about facing up to German historical guilt - something modern Germany is founded upon. But the big question is what this all means for Europe's attempts to solve the migrant crisis. Diplomatic relations may be strained. But the hope in Berlin is that tensions don't scupper the EU's new refugee deal with Turkey. Under a deal struck in March, Turkey agreed to take back migrants - including Syrians - arriving on Greek islands, in return for EU aid and a pledge to give Turks visa-free travel to most of Europe. Germany accepted 1.1 million migrants last year - by far the highest influx in the EU. German-Turkish relations were also strained this year by the case of comedian Jan Boehmermann, whose obscene poem about Mr Erdogan prompted a criminal complaint from the Turkish leader. Last month a court in Hamburg ruled that Boehmermann's", "summary": "The German parliament has approved a resolution declaring that the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War One was a \"genocide\"."}
{"article": "The Denmark international, 29, played in all 38 of the Foxes' league fixtures last season, keeping 15 clean sheets. He has made more than 200 appearances for Leicester since arriving from Leeds United in 2011, having started his career at Manchester City. \"We've taken some massive steps and ever since I arrived it's been fantastic,\" Schmeichel told LCFC TV. \"It was a case of coming back after winning the Premier League and making sure that the hunger was the same within myself and the squad. I've come back absolutely convinced that this is the place for me to be.\" Boss Claudio Ranieri has said the club will not sell anymore of their best players after N'Golo Kante joined Chelsea last month. England forward Jamie Vardy also signed a new deal with the champions in June, ending speculation that the 29-year-old would join Arsenal. The Foxes begin their season with the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday, when they face FA Cup winners Manchester United. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has signed a new five-year deal with Premier League champions Leicester City."}
{"article": "Jagdish Singh said it was \"troubling\" to find out that tallow - derived from beef or mutton, but sometimes pork - was used to manufacture the fiver. He joined a number of Hindus in urging the notes be banned from temples, where meat products are forbidden. A petition to ban the new \u00a35 notes has attracted more than 100,000 signatures. It calls on the Bank of England to \"cease to use animal products in the production of currency that we have to use\". Hosted on the Change.org website, it states that tallow is \"unacceptable to millions of vegans, vegetarians, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and others in the UK\". The Bank of England began issuing the polymer notes in September pledging they \"last longer, stay cleaner and are harder to counterfeit than paper notes\". Its only response so far to the petition has been in a statement to \"confirm that the polymer pellet from which the base substrate is made contains a trace of a substance known as tallow\". Critics say there are plant-based substitutes that could be used in its place. The response from the UK's Hindu and Sikh communities began to gather pace after vegans and vegetarians voiced their feelings on social media on Tuesday. Hindus believe cows are holy and sacred, and many do not wear shoes or carry bags made from the skin of cattle that has been slaughtered. Practising Sikhs are strict vegetarians. Speaking to the BBC's Asian Network, Coventry-based Mr Singh said: \"Every time I come across a \u00a35 note I'll be reminded that it contains meat by-product.\" He said no animal by-product should breach the sanctity of a gurdwara [Sikh temple]. Gauri Das, managing director at the Bhaktivedanta Manor Hindu temple in Watford, is calling for the notes to be banned from his site immediately. \"Our temples prosper on the charity of all of our members,\" he said. \"Our ethos is not to harm animals. It's problematic for us because we're implicated in the process. So it's immediately become a matter of concern for our community.\" Meanwhile, the president of one of the largest Hindu temples in Leicester has urged worshippers not to give charitable donations with the new \u00a35. Vibhooti Acharya, from the Shree Sanatan Mandir temple, said it was a \"matter of choice\" but it would be putting up notices to make the community aware of the situation. She added: \"There needs to be a decision made between committee as to whether we accept \u00a35 notes in religious ceremonies in future.\"", "summary": "The revelation the UK's new plastic \u00a35 note contains a small amount of animal fat is \"extremely offensive\", a Sikh activist has said."}
{"article": "And to be fair, he was telling them in a state where anyone who tried to do so would probably be arrested, or at least stared down. He told his crowd of supporters to do that because - he said - the votes would not be properly counted. His line throughout this campaign has been that the system is skewed against him and that he would be cheated out of a win. The line would sound shocking if it weren't vintage Trump. The candidate for president has said he will decide on the day whether to accept the results of the actual election. But curiously, the call to \"re-vote\" is not as crazy as it sounds. There are seven US states in which the practice is perfectly legal. In Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York and Connecticut. If you have a change of heart, you can go back and do it again. There are some restrictions. In Minnesota, it must be done by the week before. In Wisconsin you can only (only) go three times. In Pennsylvania you can change right up to election day itself - but you have to do so in person. Few people make use of this curious loophole, but Donald Trump wants to exploit it to the full - telling Democrats who already voted for Clinton before the FBI reinvestigation to \"go back and vote again\". Presumably he has thought through the ramifications. It works both ways after all. Emily Maitlis is presenting BBC Newsnight's coverage of the US presidential election. You can follow her on Twitter and watch more of her reports here,", "summary": "The first time I heard Donald Trump in Colorado call on voters who had already voted to go back and vote again, I nearly fell off my chair."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Warner, 26, was suspended until the first Ashes Test on 10 July and fined \u00a37,000 (AU $11,500) after the incident early on Sunday morning. \"I struck Joe Root in the face and I'm here to apologise to Joe and own up to it,\" Warner told a media conference. A kid from the back blocks with a strong personality, Warner is outgoing, likes talking to people and always has an opinion. He is popular with his team-mates and respected in the dressing room. He has that lively and nocturnal side to his personality. But he is 26 now, and off the field he needs to change. \"I'm extremely remorseful. I have let my team-mates, Cricket Australia, the fans, myself and my family down.\" Warner will now miss the remainder of his country's Champions Trophy campaign and the tour matches against Somerset and Worcestershire, although he is eligible for the first Test at Trent Bridge. He added: \"I have accepted the punishment that has been handed down and I'm accountable for my actions. \"Since then I have exchanged text messages with Joe. He accepted my apology which I am thoroughly grateful for.\" Warner, who has played in 19 Test matches for his country, was dropped for Australia's Champions Trophy game against New Zealand on Wednesday as a punishment. He could have been sent home from the tour after pleading guilty to a charge of \"unbecoming behaviour\". Australia captain Michael Clarke admitted Warner's behaviour was unacceptable. Media playback is not supported on this device \"Although the punishment for David is quite harsh that's the reality when you play for the Australian cricket team,\" said Clarke. \"This is not an IPL team, this is not state cricket, it's not county cricket. When you play for Australia there are standards you have to uphold. His actions have not met the standard required of an Australian cricketer.\" Warner's suspension means he will miss valuable match-practice as he aims to end a poor run of form. He has made seven single-figure scores in his last nine innings while playing for Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League and one-day internationals for Australia. This incident is not the first time Warner has been in trouble with Cricket Australia, and last month he was fined \u00a33,700 for a foul-mouthed Twitter exchange with two Australian journalists. Warner admitted he needed to improve his behaviour and said: \"I've got to be a bit smarter with what I do on and off the field. Hopefully I will still have a part to play in the Ashes.\"", "summary": "Australia batsman David Warner has apologised for punching England's Joe Root in the face in a Birmingham bar."}
{"article": "Amy El-Keria was found hanged in her room at the Priory Hospital, Ticehurst, after tying a scarf around her neck. The inquest in Horsham heard staff were not trained in resuscitation and did not call 999 quickly enough. The jury said Amy died of unintended consequences of a deliberate act, contributed to by neglect. It said staffing levels were inadequate, and a lack of one-to-one time caused or contributed to the teenager's death in November 2012 in a \"significant\" way. Amy had a complex range of problems and mental health diagnoses, and died within three months of being moved to the Priory after being asked to leave her specialist boarding school in Berkshire. The inquest heard that while at school she had drawn a picture of herself hanging with the words: \"If only this could happen, but I haven't got the guts.\" She made several attempts to end her life in early 2012, and was deemed high-risk when she was admitted to the hospital. The inquest was told hospital staff had not always been able to give the teenager one-to-one time due to pressure on wards. Jurors found that risk assessments were not properly carried out, staff did not assess the risk of Amy being able to take her own life in her room and opportunities were missed to remove the scarf from her. A delay in checking on her on the evening she died also contributed significantly to her death. Speaking after the inquest, Amy's mother, Tania El-Keria, said: \"For 14 years we kept Amy safe. In less than three months under the care of the Priory she was dead. \"If I had treated Amy and neglected her needs in the way Ticehurst House did, she would have been taken away from me.\" Dr Sylvia Tang, Priory Group medical director, said: \"We would like to offer an unreserved apology and our heartfelt sympathies to Amy's family. \"Following the incident, we undertook an extensive investigation and strengthened a number of our procedures at the hospital. \"We will now review the findings of the inquest very carefully and consider whether further improvements can be made including in relation to staffing, care plans and risk assessments,\" she said.", "summary": "The death of a 14-year-old girl may have been prevented if she had received proper care at a Sussex mental health hospital, according to an inquest jury."}
{"article": "The women's game attracted crowds of more than 50,000 before the FA move in 1921. To celebrate International Women's Day, the 37-year-old took part in a Q&A session in her role as BBC Sport's guest editor. She discussed topics such as Manchester United's lack of a senior women's team and England's hopes for Euro 2017, along with the CBeebies show Footy Pups, which Yankey hosts in a bid to help encourage a new generation of sports stars. BBC presenters Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Jess Creighton were among those to fire questions at the former winger. What would women's football look like now if the FA had not banned it and what improvements would she like to see? (Clare Balding) Wow, what a fantastic question! It's a tricky one to answer. No one really knows but I'd like to think the attendances and participation levels would be on a par with the men's game. And to the follow up question, I would love to see the standard of play improve to make the game more attractive as a spectator sport. And of course the amount of coverage within the media could always be better. Can England women win the 2019 World Cup? (Gabby Logan) The Euros this year will be a massive challenge for the team but with two more years of experience, who knows what can happen. Hopefully with talent like [forward] Georgia Stanway from Manchester City coming through, the team will have a bright future! What can England take away from their 1-0 defeat by Germany in the SheBelieves Cup? (Jess Creighton) I don't think it's a bad result at all. I think if you take a look at where England are in preparation, obviously our league hasn't started yet. The French and German teams are in season so our players are naturally not as match fit as everyone else. Losing 1-0 to Germany\u2026 in years gone by I've been on the side losing by many more goals than one. The real test now is in the Euros. It's a chance for [manager] Mark Sampson and the squad to gel as a team and for him to look at his players and make a difficult selection for the Euros. The difficult thing now is the expectation and the players have to take that on their shoulders. That's the hard thing to handle and it's more than just going out on the field and playing. Why not dream big? We saw that with [Premier League champions] Leicester. What do you think about a club like Manchester United which does not have a senior women's team? (Martinez Anibiko Koosa) I imagine as a football club run as a business that somebody didn't see having a women's team as a financial business idea. Hopefully things will change because Manchester United are a huge club in world football. If they were to get on board and have a women's first team that would really show a massive turnaround because they had one many years ago. The fact they have a pretty good youth department", "summary": "Former Arsenal and England winger Rachel Yankey believes that women's football attendances and participation would be on par with the men's game if it had not effectively been banned by the Football Association for 50 years."}
{"article": "Mohammed Siddique, 60, and his son Mohammed Waqar, 24, admitted wilful cruelty to a child under 16. The four attacks took place at the Jamia Mosque in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, between May and June 2014, Birmingham Crown Court heard. The pair, from the Tyseley area of the city, also face a teaching ban. Sam Forsyth, prosecuting, said the victim was beaten with a plastic stick and given back-of-the-hand slaps by each of his tutors for \"talking in the classroom\" at a Birmingham Islamic centre. The boy was hit during four separate incidents, with photographs of his injuries showing \"extensive\" bruising to the back of his legs. Miss Forsyth said the boy had been left distressed by the experience. He told police \"Waqar would call him names like 'paedo',\" in the classroom, Miss Forsyth added. \"He describes how this has had a great effect on him, causing him to lose hair as he was getting very stressed,\" she said. \"When he was bruised he would try and hide them with clothing even in very hot weather and make excuses not to go to the centre, such as having tummy ache.\" Charanjit Jutla, defending, said both defendants were men of previous good character and deeply regretted their conduct. Judge Mark Wall QC told them: \"These were not assaults committed in ignorance of how inappropriate it was to use corporal punishment such as this.\" He added: \"Acts of brutality of this sort which you each indulged in, with a stick, will not be tolerated.\"", "summary": "Two Islamic school teachers who beat a 10-year-old boy with a stick for reciting the Koran incorrectly have been jailed for a year."}
{"article": "There are political reasons for that, but there is concern that the delays will hit foreign investment, which is a problem for the current account. It's not very fashionable to care about the current account, but there are particular reasons to be looking at it now. The current account is worked out by adding up the goods and services a country exports and the income earned for the UK by overseas investments (that's things like profits, dividends and interest payments). Then you subtract the goods and services the UK imports, income paid overseas for investments in the UK and payment of things like international aid. The figure you get is the current account, and if the answer is negative then you have a current account deficit. The UK has had a continuous current account deficit since 1984. Since 2011, it has widened considerably. In the first three months of 2016, it was 6.9% of national income or \u00a332.6bn. A current account deficit means a country depends on being able to borrow money overseas and on foreign companies wanting to invest in the UK. That hasn't been a huge problem so far. In 2014, there was \u00a327.8bn of foreign direct investment in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics, which was mentioned during the referendum campaign as about \u00a3880 a second. About 18 months ago, former BBC economics editor Robert Peston warned that the current account deficit was \"the UK's Achilles heel\", but added that the silver lining was \"that the latest figures show a big increase in the profits of foreign-owned UK companies\". Sushil Wadhwani said when he was a member of the Bank of England's rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee that current account deficits \"appear not to matter until, well, they suddenly do\". And what would make them suddenly matter would be something that happened that made overseas companies think twice about investing in the UK. Or if there were a reduction in other countries' confidence in the pound - confidence is important if you are running a big current account deficit. If you try to run a current account deficit without confidence then you get a sterling crisis and the value of the pound falls further. The good news is that a weaker pound makes imports more expensive and exports cheaper, which should narrow the deficit, but you wouldn't want it to fall too far. Chancellor George Osborne has spoken about the economy being in a good state to cope with the challenges ahead because the budget deficit has been falling. But the current account deficit has been growing, and on Monday, Mr Osborne said: \"It is already evident that as a result of Thursday's decision, some firms are continuing to pause their decisions to invest or to hire people.\" He blamed the uncertainty about the UK's future relationship with the European Union for those delays. In the context of the current account, some certainty sooner rather than later would be desirable. Read more: The facts behind claims about our relationship with the EU", "summary": "There is no sign of anybody triggering Article 50 to begin the UK's process of leaving the European Union."}
{"article": "Lee Joon-seok, 68, is accused of leaving the ship as it was sinking while telling passengers to stay put, reports Yonhap news agency. He was among the first to be rescued by coast guards at the scene. The Sewol ferry disaster on 16 April killed 281 passengers, most of whom were high school students. Another 23 are still missing. Besides Mr Lee, three crew members - the chief engineer, the chief mate and the second mate - are also being charged with manslaughter. If convicted, they could face life imprisonment. \"The [four people charged] escaped before the passengers, leading to grave casualties,\" prosecutor Ahn Sang-don told journalists. Prosecutors have indicted another 11 crew members for negligence. Only 172 passengers survived the sinking of the ferry, including 22 of the 29 crew members. Meanwhile, the results of an interim investigation has found that a sharp turn was the main cause of the sinking, Yonhap said. The Sewol \"made a sharp turn at a 15 degree angle before tilting and capsizing\", Yonhap reported, quoting police and prosecution officials. The overloading of cargo and the lack of water in ballast tanks to balance the load made recovery from its sharp turn difficult, officials added. The captain of the ferry was not on the bridge when the ferry capsized, with a third mate at the helm. The authorities have also arrested several people who were not on the ferry at the time of the sinking. These include five officials of the ferry owner, Chonghaejin Marine Company, and an employee of a private safety device inspection company. The latter is suspected of conducting poor inspections of the ferry's safety equipment. South Korea is looking to reform its safety and emergency response system in the wake of the ferry's sinking. President Park Geun-hye said on Tuesday that the government would soon release details of this move, said Yonhap. She has previously apologised for the way the government handled the incident, amid questions over the initial rescue effort. Following the recent death of a civilian rescue diver, Seoul also plans to provide psychological help for rescue workers \"suffering from physical and mental agony\", said local media. It comes amid reports the ship, submerged for nearly a month, has begun to deteriorate, making it even more difficult for divers to search for bodies. Officials said that divers had spotted walls \"getting weaker and about to collapse\". Rescue workers are now plotting new routes through the hull. Earlier reports said that some bodies had floated away from the ship, prompting workers to deploy nets around the site.", "summary": "The captain of the sunken South Korean ferry has been charged with manslaughter, reports say."}
{"article": "Actions required to meet that target have been set out in a study for WWF Scotland, Friends of the Earth Scotland and RSPB Scotland. The environmental groups have now called on the Scottish government to bring forward the necessary policies. Ministers said the report was a \"useful contribution\" to the energy debate. The report, based on independent analysis by Ricardo Energy and Environment, is called \"The Energy of Scotland: Heating, moving and powering our lives from now to 2030\". It sets out how Scotland's climate targets could be met in \"the most cost-effective way\". It found that to achieve these goals, half of all the country's energy will need to come from renewables by the end of the next decade. The report suggested that by 2030: It said other benefits would include the \"creation of new jobs; warmer, healthier homes; and cleaner air helping reduce the burden on the NHS\". WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said: \"This report shows that a 50% renewables target for all our energy needs by 2030 is not only needed, but that it is achievable. \"Ministers should now make this a Scottish government target and bring in the policies needed in its forthcoming energy strategy. \"Doing so would enable Scotland to enjoy the many economic and social benefits that the report suggests would take place as result of generating half of all our energy needs from renewables. \"Scotland is already seeing the economic and social benefits of shifting our electricity system to clean, climate-friendly, renewables generation.\" He added: \"However, with electricity accounting for just one quarter of our energy use, it's time to begin to reap the same benefits by increasing the use of renewables in our heat and transport sectors.\" The Scottish government has already achieved a target to reduce emissions by at least 42% by 2020. It also aims to generate 100% of Scotland's electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: \"The Scottish government welcomes this report, which is a useful contribution to the ongoing debate around the future of energy in Scotland.\" Chief executive of Scottish Renewables Niall Stuart said it was time to \"lift our horizons and set an ambitious target to drive investment in renewable heat, power and transport through the 2020s\". He added: \"This report echoes Scottish Renewables' call for a new 50% renewable energy target and, importantly, concludes that this is both achievable and key to meeting our climate change targets.\" The Scottish government will publish its third climate change plan in the new year, setting out how it intends to meet emissions targets between now and 2032, and work towards a long-term reduction of 80% on 1990 levels by 2050. It will also publish a new energy strategy looking at the transition to a low-carbon economy. Scottish Labour economy spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: \"Labour welcome this report which shows Scotland is well placed to fulfil our ambition to green our future energy use. \"That's why we have an aspiration to generate 50% of our heat and transport demand from renewables by 2030 and ensure that", "summary": "Producing half of Scotland's energy needs using renewable technology by 2030 is an achievable goal, according to a new report."}
{"article": "Listen to Gemma's BBC Radio 1 documentary on the BBC iPlayer. The mantra of the Games was to create an Olympic legacy to \"Inspire a Generation\", making sure that sport is accessible for everybody. But there are still lots of barriers to young people in sport: money, gender and family - and how about just trying to be a normal young person? How do you balance training, school work and your social life? I've been able to look into these issues for a special BBC Radio 1 documentary as part of the Radio 1 Stories documentary strand. Making the documentary was a great learning experience as I heard from Usain Bolt, Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Greg Rutherford, Gemma Gibbons, the Brownlee brothers, Karina Bryant and quite a few more about what it takes to make it to the top of the podium. But I also discovered how hard it is to grow up attempting to become an elite athlete, thanks to the touching stories of four people who are smashing down barriers to follow their Olympic dream. There's Aaron Turner, a 21-year-old judoka who struggles to make ends meet with the cost of training. Read the full BBC survey on Olympic legacy Kyle Powell is a T45 Paralympic sprinter who had to move away from his friends and family to give himself the best shot. Mercy Brown is a female weightlifter from Tower Hamlets, making her way in a sport that is traditionally dominated by men. And finally, Dan Neilson, a showjumper who used to box and play football but now loves this unconventional sport for a 21-year-old. But the Olympic impact wasn't only felt by elite athletes - you didn't even have to be good at sport to be inspired. A couple of months ago I found myself in the unlikely scenario of doing a 10K run. Stomp, stomp, stomp, I pounded along, desperate for it to be over, but not stopping nevertheless. My only training had been momentary jogging spurts, (endorphin chasing, I call it), a 'one lap' jog around my local patch of grass. To give myself the tiniest bit of credit, I do sometimes go to the gym - my trainer their calls me 'Bambi' as my balancing ability is abysmal. Some people at the gym think I'm unhinged because I'll often be vocally repeating the mantra of finding life's 'balance'. But I figure that if the joy I find in food can be matched by an hour's exercise and wipe out the post-indulgence guilt, then why not try? Media playback is not supported on this device Despite being terrified on the day of my 10k, I was invigorated by how many people had signed up to do it. It lifted me and forced me not to stop. The velocity of sport in numbers I find giddy. There is a new high to be found in looking after yourself and engaging in sport and fitness. In the UK 1.4 million more people are playing sport regularly since the bid to host the Olympics was won in 2005. If", "summary": "Last year the eyes and ears of the world were on London as it hosted the Olympic Games."}
{"article": "The 59-year-old spent last season at the Daggers under boss John Still, whom he worked with at Luton. Harris has become Wood boss Luke Garrard's number two on an undisclosed-length contract. \"I can bring experience with me because I have been very fortunate during my time with John Still,\" Harris said. He added to the club's official website: \"If you are a number two then you are the eyes and ears of the players and you certainly have an input into the coaching side and an input into the game management side and, as I said, I have been fortunate in the clubs that I have been with. \"With Dagenham, for instance, we got out of the Ryman league and then we got out of the Conference, as it called then, and we then took Dagenham into League One in the Play-off final against Rotherham.\"", "summary": "National League side Boreham Wood have named former Luton, Stevenage and Dagenham coach Terry Harris as the club's new assistant manager."}
{"article": "He was just 0.033 seconds quicker than Rosberg as the dust settles on the controversy following their collision at Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix. Mercedes say the drivers are on their \"last warning\" and risk \"financial and sporting penalties\" if they crash together again. Hamilton is 11 points behind Rosberg in the championship going into the race. Force India's Nico Hulkenberg was third fastest, 0.8secs behind the Mercedes and just 0.009secs ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel. Even at this early stage, the margin between Mercedes and the rest suggests they will be in a world of their own this weekend, a continuation of the recent trend that has seen any sense of a threat from Ferrari evaporate. And Vettel - who tested the new 'halo' cockpit safety system during the session - coasted into the pits at the end with what appeared to be a gearbox problem. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was fifth fastest, despite a wobble through Vale corner at the end of his lap, and ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who it was announced before practice will stay with the Italian team for another season in 2017. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was seventh, ahead of the second Force India of Sergio Perez, Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz and the McLaren of Fernando Alonso, whose team-mate Jenson Button was 12th, behind the other Toro Rosso of Daniil Kvyat. Alonso said before the weekend that McLaren were hoping for a step forward at Silverstone thanks to the circuit suiting their car better than recent races and a step forward in engine performance thanks to an intake/induction upgrade from Honda. Englishman Jolyon Palmer was 17th fastest at his first British Grand Prix, 0.8secs ahead of reserve driver Esteban Ocon, who was driving Kevin Magnussen's car in the first session. British Grand Prix first final practice results British Grand Prix coverage details", "summary": "Lewis Hamilton beat team-mate Nico Rosberg to the fastest time as Mercedes dominated British GP first practice."}
{"article": "Kieran Davies will serve at least 19 years before being eligible for parole. He was earlier found guilty of attacking Ashley Hawkins with a hammer and a metal bar during the murder in Scotland Street in December last year. Davies and Mr Hawkins had arrived in the city from Wales as friends but before the attack the victim said Davies had held a knife to his throat. Addressing Davies, 28, at the High Court in Edinburgh, Lord Boyd said: \"You have been convicted on the clearest evidence of a particularly brutal murder. \"You continue to deny your guilt and you have shown little remorse.\" The judge acknowledged that Davies had a difficult upbringing and told him: \"You have not had the chances in life that may have set you on a different path.\" But he added: \"None of that excuses or mitigates the dreadful nature of this offence.\" Davies had denied murdering Mr Hawkins on 2 December. After he was found guilty of the crime he told security staff to take him down to the cells as the judge addressed him and accused the prosecutor of framing him. The final stage of the trial took place in the murderer's absence as Lord Boyd told jurors: \"Murder cases are always difficult. They are emotionally draining for everybody involved in it.\" Police were called to the flat in the early hours of the morning after neighbours heard banging and shouting coming from inside. One witness said he was aware of 15 to 20 bangs and screams which had stopped by the end of the disturbance. Police found Mr Hawkins, 32, from Barry, South Wales, dead in the flat with catastrophic head injuries. Unemployed Davies was the only other occupant in the locked property and was found topless, wearing jogging bottoms and trainers which were extensively stained with Mr Hawkins' blood. A Reebok top, which Davies had earlier been seen wearing, was found in a washing machine, saturated with the victim's blood, along with brain tissue. The court heard Mr Hawkins had suffered at least 24 blows to the head, and a metal pole and broken hammer recovered from the flat could have been used as weapons in the attack. Davies, a prisoner in Edinburgh, had also repeatedly stamped and kicked him on the head and body. Prosecutor David Taylor had told jurors: \"When police came into that locked flat there were two people there _ one alive, covered in blood and one dead, violently murdered. There is no mystery in this case.\" Davies told police that he had taken valium and claimed that he also taken heroin and ecstasy. A blood test later proved negative for ecstasy and opiate drugs but gave an indication that he had taken diazepam and cannabis. Davies claimed he was unconscious at the time of the killing. Defence counsel Keith Stewart QC, said: \"He maintains his position that he does not remember anything that happened in the flat.\" He asked the judge to deal with Davies on the basis that the murder was not a premeditated crime. He earlier", "summary": "A man who bludgeoned his former best friend to death at a flat in Edinburgh has been jailed for life."}
{"article": "Researchers say the growth continued in 2014 and more than compensated for losses recorded in the three previous years. The scientists involved believe changes in summer temperatures have greater impacts on ice than thought. But they say 2013 was a one-off and that climate change will continue to shrink the ice in the decades ahead. The Arctic region has warmed more than most other parts of the planet over the past 30 years. Satellite observations have documented a decrease of around 40% in the extent of sea ice cover in the Arctic since 1980. But while the extent of the retreating ice has been well recorded, the key indicator that scientists want to understand is the loss of sea ice volume. Researchers have been able to use data gathered by Europe's Cryosat satellite over the past five years to answer this question. This polar monitoring spacecraft has a sophisticated radar system that allows scientists to accurately estimate the volume. The researchers used 88 million measurements of sea ice thickness from Cryosat and found that between 2010 and 2012, the volume of sea ice went down by 14%. They published their initial findings at the end of 2013 - but have now refined and updated them to include data from 2014 as well. Relative to the average of the period between 2010 and 2012, the scientists found that there was a 33% increase in sea ice volume in 2013, while in 2014 there was still a quarter more sea ice than there was between 2010 and 2012. \"We looked at various climate forcing factors, we looked at the snow loading, we looked at wind convergence and the melt season length of the previous summer,\" lead author Rachel Tilling, from University College London, told BBC News. \"We found that the the highest correlation by far was with the melt season length - and over the summer of 2013, it was the coolest of the five years we have seen, and we believe that's why there was more multi-year ice left at the end of summer.\" The researchers found the colder temperatures allowed more multi-year ice to persist north-west of Greenland because there were simply fewer days when it could melt. Temperature records indicate that the summer was about 5% cooler than 2012. The scientists believe that the more accurate measurements that they have now published show that sea ice is more sensitive to changes than previously thought. They argue that while some could see this as a positive, when temperatures are cooler it leads to an increase in sea ice, it could also be a negative when the mercury goes up. \"It would suggest that sea ice is more resilient perhaps - if you get one year of cooler temperatures, we've almost wound the clock back a few years on this gradual decline that's been happening over decades,\" said Rachel Tilling. \"The long-term trend of the ice volume is downwards and the long-term trend of the temperatures in the Arctic is upwards and this finding doesn't give us any reason to disbelieve that -", "summary": "The volume of Arctic sea ice increased by around a third after an unusually cool summer in 2013."}
{"article": "Connacht's Lam will join this summer as the long-term replacement to former boss Andy Robinson, who was sacked in November, and will be assisted by Connacht backs coach Conor McPhillips. Bakewell, who signed a two-year deal at Bristol in 2016, will work with them. The New Zealander was previously Bath's forwards coach between 2006 and 2009. \"I've spoken to Pat,\" Bakewell told BBC Radio Bristol. \"I'm here next season, so I'm really looking forward to that. \"At this stage, what I would love to be able to do for Pat and everyone is keep Bristol in the Premiership. That's our focus at the moment.\" Bristol are bottom of the Premiership with five matches remaining, having won three of their 17 league games since returning to the top flight. In February it was confirmed that Mark Tainton - interim head coach since Robinson's departure - is to become Bristol's chief operations officer at the end of the season, overseeing recruitment once Lam arrives.", "summary": "Bristol forwards coach Mark Bakewell has said he will stay on the club's coaching staff when Pat Lam joins as head coach at the end of the season."}
{"article": "The damning report found a \"worrying loss of confidence and competence\" within the federation and a \"serious loss of influence\" outside. It said the way the federation, which represents officers, had opposed police reforms and launched personal attacks were \"strategic failures\". The review was set up after criticism in the wake of the \"plebgate\" affair. Meanwhile the federation's chairman has apologised to the former cabinet minister, Andrew Mitchell, for the actions of an officer who has admitted lying over his involvement in the saga. The federation, which represents about 127,000 officers at the rank chief inspector and below, set up the review under former Home Office permanent secretary Sir David Normington last year. Its report said the federation had faced a \"perfect storm\" of challenges for its members, including job losses, pay being \"held down\", increased pension costs and changes to working conditions, as well as major policing reforms. By Dominic CascianiHome affairs correspondent, BBC News But there was an \"almost universal perception\" among members that it had been a \"weak voice\" during the changes, tending to \"oppose rather than engage\" and putting forward ideas \"too late to be influential\". The report also found the federation had reserve funds of \u00c2\u00a364.5m - about \u00c2\u00a335m held by local branch boards, which it said operated \"almost as separate businesses\". A survey carried out for the review found 91% of federation members wanted it to change. It also found: Sir David said there was an \"urgent need\" for the federation to \"regain the trust of its members\" and its \"culture of secrecy\" over money had to change. The review panel made 36 recommendations. These included: The \"plebgate\" row began in September 2012 when Andrew Mitchell, then Tory chief whip, was accused of calling officers \"plebs\" after they refused to let him cycle through Downing Street's main gates. Three weeks later, Mr Mitchell met three Police Federation officers who afterwards claimed he had not elaborated on the row. But a secret recording of the meeting made by Mr Mitchell showed he had in fact denied using the word \"pleb\". The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is now investigating the three officers amid accusations they lied about what was said. But the federation has called the probe \"unlawful\" and responded by announcing legal action against the IPCC. The federation's chairman, Steve Williams, has apologised to Mr Mitchell for the actions of PC Keith Wallis, who falsely claimed to have witnessed the row in Downing Street. PC Wallis sent an email to his local MP John Randall, the then Conservative deputy chief whip, wrongly saying that he had seen the altercation. He has pleaded guilty to a charge of misconduct in public office, and offered to resign. Mr Mitchell said he was \"grateful\" to Mr Williams for his apology, and would \"welcome the opportunity to meet with him for a constructive discussion in the very near future\". On the report by Sir David Normington, Mr Mitchell said he believed the conclusions were \"right\". The report said the case highlighted the \"extent to which some representatives feel they can", "summary": "The Police Federation of England and Wales should be changed from \"top to bottom\", an independent panel has said."}
{"article": "Former Grimsby boss Hurst was appointed on 24 October, with the Shropshire club at the bottom of the table. After beating Oxford, losses to Sheffield United and Fleetwood plus a 0-0 draw at home to Port Vale have seen Hurst's side return to bottom spot. \"Sometimes you need a bit of a joker,\" he told BBC Radio Shropshire. \"I'm a believer you can have fun while working hard still. They're a quiet group. I don't know if they feel they're still getting to know me, but I want a bit more from them. \"Characters - that's what you sometimes need. I don't want them to feel down.\" Shrewsbury host fellow third-tier side Fleetwood in the FA Cup second round on Saturday.", "summary": "Shrewsbury Town manager Paul Hurst has urged his squad to have more fun and lighten up, in a bid to help their League One relegation battle."}
{"article": "Blackpool were unbeaten in four league games but it was the hosts who nearly took the lead on five minutes when Evans' shot hit the crossbar. Just before the half-hour mark, after increased pressure from the hosts, Enda Stevens found Evans on his own in the area and the 28-year-old made no mistake, striking a powerful shot into the top left corner. The hosts almost doubled their lead three minutes later but Gary Roberts' header trickled past the post. After the break Portsmouth continued their domination but with nine minutes to go Blackpool made a triple substitution and forced their best chance of the game from a corner, Tom Aldred heading just wide. Portsmouth sealed the points in injury time when substitute Carl Baker and Doyle combined to pass the ball around keeper Sam Slocombe. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Portsmouth 2, Blackpool 0. Second Half ends, Portsmouth 2, Blackpool 0. Goal! Portsmouth 2, Blackpool 0. Eoin Doyle (Portsmouth) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Carl Baker following a fast break. Attempt missed. Sanmi Odelusi (Blackpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Hand ball by Eoin Doyle (Portsmouth). Attempt missed. Carl Baker (Portsmouth) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Corner, Blackpool. Conceded by Matthew Clarke. Attempt blocked. Jordan Flores (Blackpool) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Jamille Matt (Blackpool) header from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Attempt blocked. Carl Baker (Portsmouth) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Attempt missed. Kal Naismith (Portsmouth) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Attempt missed. Jamille Matt (Blackpool) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Substitution, Portsmouth. Jack Whatmough replaces Kyle Bennett. Corner, Blackpool. Conceded by David Forde. Substitution, Blackpool. Sanmi Odelusi replaces Kyle Vassell. Substitution, Blackpool. Bright Samuel replaces Brad Potts. Substitution, Blackpool. Jamille Matt replaces Jack Payne. Kyle Bennett (Portsmouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Kyle Bennett (Portsmouth). Nathan Delfouneso (Blackpool) wins a free kick on the right wing. Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Jordan Flores. Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Clark Robertson. Attempt blocked. Michael Doyle (Portsmouth) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Jordan Flores. Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Tom Aldred. Substitution, Portsmouth. Kal Naismith replaces Gareth Evans because of an injury. Delay in match Gareth Evans (Portsmouth) because of an injury. Corner, Blackpool. Conceded by Christian Burgess. Attempt blocked. Brad Potts (Blackpool) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Foul by Kyle Bennett (Portsmouth). Jack Payne (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Delay in match Gareth Evans (Portsmouth) because of an injury. Substitution, Portsmouth. Carl Baker replaces Jamal Lowe. Foul by Eoin Doyle (Portsmouth). Tom Aldred (Blackpool) wins a free kick in", "summary": "Goals from Gareth Evans and Eoin Doyle secured Portsmouth their second win in four days as they beat Blackpool 2-0 in their League Two clash at Fratton Park."}
{"article": "But despite out-selling Lego and taking a Toy of the Year award, the business came crashing down in the 1990s when the kite-maker put a match to his equipment. Now, more than a decade after he brought his business to a dramatic end, his sons Paul and Mark have restarted it with a shop in Cheltenham. Born in Gloucester in 1932, Peter Powell was aged in his 40s when he devised the kite that would make him famous - the Peter Powell Stunter. Battling with the problem of a traditional one-line kite that was listing to one side, Mr Powell came up with the idea of attaching extra lines to it. With a car boot loaded up with his kites, he would head to Paignton sea front and \"sell every single one of them\" out of the back of his car. He advertised by simply flying the kites. But it was three years later, during the heatwave of 1976, when the flamboyant kitemaker hit the big time following an appearance on the BBC's daily magazine show, Nationwide. \"It went from 300 kites a week to 75,000 a week in its heyday - we opened two factories but that wasn't enough so we opened three more, it was massive,\" said his son Mark. With a regular audience of over 10m viewers, the Nationwide appearance kick-started a UK craze for flying steerable kites. Overnight the big, bright and durable Stunter was on every child's wish list and was being flown by stars including Muhammad Ali, James Stuart and Henry Fonda. \"I suppose dad was a bit like a celebrity at that time. I mean he was on programmes like Tiswas and he flew his kites off the back of the President's yacht down the Hudson river,\" said Paul, another son. \"And flying down the River Thames on the back of a police speedboat with St Paul's Cathedral in the background must have been an amazing thing to do,\" added Mark. With a clear run through the 1970s it was in the decade that followed - as Peter Powell himself had predicted - that it all started to \"go wrong\". As home computers and video games took hold of the children's leisure market, kite sales crashed and profits dwindled. By the late-1990s, in the wake of poor commercial decisions and cheap knock-offs from abroad, the \"dream was over\" and Peter Powell was left with nothing. \"Me and Paul came home one night and it looked as if the house was on fire,\" said Mark. \"Dad had been round all the factories, collected all their jigs for making the kite and he had a big bonfire and burnt everything to do with the kite. \"He said to me and Paul, whatever you do, do not start that business back up again.\" But they have. Working in secret for two years, the brothers developed their own version of their father's Original Stunt Kite before confronting him with it in 2012. \"We didn't want dad finding out what we were doing, but when we showed him our first", "summary": "Peter Powell kites were the must have toy in the summer of 1976, with millions selling worldwide and their creator becoming a household name."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Ahead of Monday's fifth-round tie at the Greenhous Meadow, the League One side's boss Micky Mellon has already gathered a battle plan that cannot fail to strike a chord with the competition's romantics. No-one loves roughing up the elite more than Sam Allardyce (just ask Arsene Wenger) so it is fortunate that Mellon is big pals with Big Sam. Friends from having played under Allardyce at Blackpool, Mellon has the perfect inside track on how to upset the odds. The current Sunderland boss is the last man to beat United domestically, thanks to their 2-1 win last Saturday in the Premier League, and Mellon admits he will use all his old manager's know-how. \"I'm seeing Big Sam and see what his plan was and if there's any help we can get from that then we will,\" he told BBC Radio Shropshire. \"I'm a big schoolboy when it comes to football and to be able to prepare my team to face Manchester United is a fantastic moment in my career.\" Perhaps the magic and miracle of cinema can also provide a source of hope. If Shrewsbury had Pele up front, Ossie Ardiles in midfield and Bobby Moore at the heart of the defence, they could well afford Michael Caine at left-back and still beat Manchester United, or anyone else for that matter. But, unlike the Germans in the iconic 1981 film Escape to Victory, they did defeat a side that contained more than a hint of that heroic Allied XI. Russell Osman, John Wark, Kevin O'Callaghan and Paul Cooper (body double for goalkeeper Sylvester Stallone in the film) were all in Bobby Robson's stylish Uefa Cup-winning Ipswich side that lost 2-1 to Shrewsbury in the fifth round in February 1982. But if it is all going pear-shaped at half-time on Monday for Town, in keeping with the film, they can always dig an escape tunnel under the bath. In addition to the Tractor Boys of '82, Shrewsbury saw off another top-flight side Manchester City on their way to the sixth round in 1979 - still their best run in the competition to date. More recently, it was Kevin Ratcliffe's side that wrote the third-round headlines as two goals from Nigel Jemson, including a last-minute winner, dumped Ratcliffe's old club and five-time winners Everton out in 2003. It gave a 17-year-old Wayne Rooney an early introduction to the FA Cup's capricious nature. If you only looked at the visitors' FA Cup record, you would tell the Shrewsbury squad to stay in, watch their favourite box-sets on Monday, and give the tie a wide berth. Only Arsenal can boast a better record than United's 11 Cup wins, but Town fans will point to the fact that they have not won the famous old trophy since beating Millwall in Cardiff in 2004. And like a lot of the big boys, they have not been immune to the odd upset over the years. Bournemouth's famous win over holders United in the third round in 1984 still ranks as one", "summary": "Shrewsbury Town will not be short of inspiration when they try to knock Manchester United out of the FA Cup."}
{"article": "A judge had dismissed the case against PT Bumi Mekar Hijau (BMH), saying there was not enough evidence that the firm failed to prevent recurring fires. Haze from forest fires in Indonesia affected South East Asia for months. BMH supplies Asia Pulp and Paper, one of the world's biggest such companies. The $565m in damages from the lawsuit would have been the largest financial reward ever levied against such a firm. The government alleges BMH failed to prevent recurring fires in 2014 and this year on about 20,000 hectares of land in a region of Sumatra. But presiding judge Parlas Nababan in a South Sumatra court said: \"The lawsuit against PT Bumi Mekar Hijau is rejected because the evidence is not proven.\" The director of law enforcement at the ministry of environment, Rasio Ridho Sani told the BBC the government is looking into its legal options now and companies must be held responsible for the fires in their areas even if they were not caused directly by the firm. The forest and peatland fires, which caused dangerous levels of pollution in large parts of South East Asia in the second half of the year, were largely located on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.", "summary": "The Indonesian government has said it will appeal against a court decision that rejected a $565m (\u00a3381m) lawsuit against a plantation company accused of causing forest fires."}
{"article": "A gold medal in the race gives an athlete global recognition. Breaking the world record over the distance ensures sporting immortality. American Donald Lippincott and Czech Marie Mejzlikova were the first, with Jamaica's Usain Bolt and Florence Griffith-Joyner of the United States the current holders of the crown. Before the 2016 Games in Rio, at which Bolt and compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will defend the 100m titles they won in London four years ago, BBC Sport presents a chronological history of world records in the event, showing each time it has been broken and when. An accessible version can be found here Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "The 100m is arguably the Olympic Games' most iconic event."}
{"article": "He told MSPs that the operators of Prestwick Airport had a bid team in place. The owners of Campbeltown airfield were also interested in attracting the venture. Stornoway, Newquay and Llanbedr are also on a UK government shortlist of potential sites. RAF Leuchars has been identified as a potential temporary facility. Ministers are keen to see the spaceport established by 2018. It would be used to launch commercial flights and satellites into space. Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Brown said the Scottish government \"was keen\" to see the port built in Scotland. He said: \"I am aware Glasgow Prestwick Airport is making considerable progress. \"It has a bid team in place and is working with a range of local and national partners to develop its proposal.\" Mr Brown added: \"The owners of Campbeltown air base are also interested in progressing a bid.\" Campbeltown is a former military air base and part of the site is used by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (Hial). Earlier this month, the leader of the council in the Western Isles said Stornoway had \"critical features\" that made it the \"ideal location\" for a spaceport. Angus Campbell, of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, said Lewis's geography and access to research and development facilities were suited to a facility. Hial, which operates Stornoway Airport, said it would potentially support a venture.", "summary": "Two Scottish airports are actively bidding to host the UK's first spaceport, according to Infrastructure Secretary Keith Brown."}
{"article": "14 February 2017 Last updated at 14:18 GMT The fighting has forced millions of people to leave their homes. One of the results of this is that families can become separated from each other as they make their journey away from their home countries. Milad told Newsround how the war in Syria led to his family being split up, and how he travelled to Germany on his own to be reunited with his older brother. Click here to watch Brothers and Sisters: A Newsround Special.", "summary": "There are many conflicts taking place in the Middle East."}
{"article": "After the draft deal was published two weeks ago, an irate editorial in the French newspaper Le Monde fumed that the concessions made to Britain were \"exorbitant\". And while some in Mr Cameron's own Conservative Party dismiss his renegotiation as a watery fudge, politicians in Paris have a very different view. Of particular concern here is the question of future financial regulation. UK ministers, too, think this is the most important part of the whole renegotiation. The issue is this: The majority of EU countries that have the euro are integrating further and building a banking union with common rules and regulations. That process will deepen in the coming years. Mr Cameron wants legal guarantees that the eurozone will not rig the rules in a way that could harm the interests of countries that do not have the euro. But France frets that the UK is seeking special treatment for the City of London, that could harm the single market in financial services. France is also concerned a new mechanism that would allow non-euro countries to escalate their concerns could clog up decision-making. The UK insists it is not asking for any veto or competitive advantage, but this is likely to be the focus of the hastily arranged talks here this evening. President Hollande also faces an election next year - and while he wants the UK to stay in the EU, he will not do a deal that gives his opponents a chance to claim he sold out to Britain. EU renegotiation: Did Cameron get what he wanted? Referendum timeline: What will happen when? The view from Europe: What's in it for the others? More: BBC News EU referendum special", "summary": "Prime Minister David Cameron is to meet French President Francois Hollande in Paris shortly - the latest leg in his drive to negotiate new EU membership terms for the UK."}
{"article": "Watson, 23, beat Croatia's Ana Konjuh 7-5 4-6 6-3, while Bedene, 26, defeated France's Kenny de Schepper 6-3 6-3. Both are ranked number two in Britain. However, British number three Naomi Broady went down in three sets to the USA's Christina McHale, 4-6 6-3 1-6. Laura Robson was knocked out in the first qualifying round on Saturday. Earlier on Sunday, Dan Evans failed in his attempt to win a second Challenger title in a row, losing 6-4 6-4 to Russia's Konstantin Kravchuk in the final in Busan, South Korea. The Italian Open is the final major ATP World Tour tournament on clay before the French Open, which begins in Paris on 22 May. British number one Andy Murray, seeded second, is likely to be in action in Rome on Tuesday. The 28-year-old Scot - who takes on Novak Djokovic in the Madrid Open final later on Sunday - has been granted a bye in the first round and will meet either Borna Coric or a qualifier in round two. Listen live to Sunday's Madrid Open final on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra from 17:30 BST Never want to miss the latest tennis news? You can now add this sport and all the other sports and teams you follow to your personalised My Sport home.", "summary": "Britons Heather Watson and Aljaz Bedene are through to the main draw of the Italian Open after victories in the second qualifying round."}
{"article": "Councillors voted in favour of the Local Development Plan by 21 votes to five. Protestors who feared the plan would negatively affect the numbers of Welsh speakers in the area had met outside the council offices in Llangefni. Gwynedd councillors approved the plan on Friday. Anglesey and Gwynedd had prepared a joint land use development strategy. It includes some houses which have already been built or have planning permission.", "summary": "A plan for 8,000 new houses in Anglesey and Gwynedd over the next 15 years has been approved by councillors on Anglesey."}
{"article": "The Danish study looked at more than 21,000 couples seeking IVF treatment. They found women who were unsuccessful in having a child were four times more likely to die prematurely than women who had been mothers. Critics stress that the risk of early death was low - with just 316 people in total dying over the 11 year study. The authors of the paper also point out that their research suggests a link between childlessness and premature death and not a cause. They wrote: \"Mindful that association is not the same thing as causation, our results suggest that the mortality rates are higher in the childless.\" The researchers based their findings on data obtained from various population registers in Denmark on births, deaths and IVF procedures from 1994 to 2005. During this time 21,276 childless couples registered for IVF treatment, 15,149 children were born and a total of 96 women and 220 men died. Four times more likely After analysis, the results suggested having a child cut the risk of early death, particularly among women. Childless women were four times more likely to die early from circulatory disease, cancers, and accidents than those with children- and men were about twice as likely. Critics stress it is hard to determine the underlying cause of the results seen. Ingrid Collins, a consultant psychologist, said: \"This is a very specific situation of people who are trying to have children - the study's findings cannot be used to generalise across the whole general population. \"People having IVF tend to be desperate for a child, if they are unsuccessful they may be depressed- it may even be this rather than childlessness that is playing a part. One can only guess. \"It is complicated and many factors play a part in death rates- people with deep spiritual belief, being married, having a higher social class - these can all help in living longer.\" Others point out that a family can psychologically help and support those that are dying. Dr Helen Nightingale, a clinical psychologist, said: \"Being childless without a doubt reduces your fight for life. \"If you draw on cancer as an example - the support of a family, the focus on your children - your grandchildren and the desire to watch how they will turn out drives your psychological resistance to survive. \"You fight for them, people hang on - it shows the power of relationships.\"", "summary": "Involuntary childlessness may increase the likelihood of early death, the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health reports."}
{"article": "The operation was aimed at preventing attacks being planned by Pakistan-based militants, a senior army official said. He said \"significant casualties have been caused to the terrorists and those who are trying to support them\". Pakistan denies India carried out any strikes and says two of its soldiers were killed in cross-border shelling. \"The notion of surgical strike linked to alleged terrorists' bases is an illusion being deliberately generated by India to create false effects,\" the Pakistani military said in a statement. Pakistan said its soldiers died in \"unprovoked\" firing along the Line of Control (LoC)dividing the disputed region. A territorial dispute between the two countries over Muslim-majority Kashmir has been running for decades, but tensions flared earlier this month after a militant attack on an Indian army base in Kashmir left 18 soldiers dead. India blamed the attack on Pakistan, which denied the claim. The operation is thought to have taken place in the early hours of Thursday. Later, Pakistan captured an Indian soldier in a village in the Goi sector on the Pakistani side of the LoC. \"One soldier from 37 Rashtriya Rifles with weapons has inadvertently crossed over to the Pakistan side of the Line of Control,\" said a statement from an Indian army official in Delhi. India's military gave few details of the operation it says it carried out overnight. At a joint press briefing by the army and the foreign ministry, officials said the \"motive of the operation was to hit out at terrorists who were planning to infiltrate into our territory\". India's Director General of Military Operations, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, also blamed Pakistan for \"being unable to control terror activities in territories under its control\". \"Based on receiving specific and credible inputs that some terrorist teams had positioned themselves at launch pads along the Line of Control to carry out infiltration and conduct terrorist strikes inside Jammu and Kashmir and in various metros in other states, the Indian army conducted surgical strikes at several of these launch pads to pre-empt infiltration by terrorists,\" a statement said. It said the \"surgical strikes\" had caused \"significant damage to terrorists\". But the army did not say whether troops had entered Pakistan-administered Kashmir or had fired across the border. If Indian troops did cross the LoC it would be a serious escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. However, the Press Trust of India quoted sources saying the operation took place between midnight and 04:30 local time on Thursday, that it was a combination of helicopter and ground forces, and seven militant \"launch pads\" had been targeted. Some unconfirmed Indian media reports said more than 30 militants had been killed in the operation. Pakistani army officials said the fighting started in the early hours of Thursday morning and continued for about six hours. Indian army's anger over Kashmir killings Narendra Modi's BJP government swept to power promising a tough line on Pakistan, so it has been been under tremendous pressure to retaliate after the 18 September attack on the army base in Uri in Indian-administered Kashmir. The raid was the", "summary": "India's army says it has carried out \"surgical strikes\" against suspected militants along the de-facto border with Pakistan in Kashmir."}
{"article": "In a procedure described as a milestone in neonatal care, a six-day-old baby girl's kidneys and liver cells were given to two separate recipients after her heart stopped beating. Experts argue there is potential for more life-saving donations, but say current UK guidelines are prohibitive. An official review is expected by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health this year. Writing in the journal Archives of Diseases in Childhood, doctors describe the case of the baby girl who was born in extremely poor health. Tests suggest she had been starved of oxygen before birth and despite resuscitation had profound brain damage. Doctors at Imperial College NHS Trust in London say in an act of \"extraordinary generosity\" her parents agreed that her organs could be donated once her heart stopped beating. Her kidneys were given to a patient with renal failure. And in a separate operation her liver cells were transfused to someone with a failing liver. Medics said the surgery was incredibly difficult and intricate. The kidneys at this stage of life are around 5cm long. Doctors hope the donated organs will completely transform the lives of the recipients. They have not disclosed any further information about the patients who were given her organs. But they say the neonatal organs could be donated to young babies, children or even adults. Prof James Neuberger of NHS Blood and Transplant, said: \"We are pleased the first transplant of organs from a newborn in the UK was a success and we praise the brave decision of the family to donate their baby's organs. \"The sad reality is for everybody to get the lifesaving transplant they are desperately in need of, more families who are facing the tragic loss of their young child will need to agree to donation.\" Dr Gaurav Atreja, who was involved in the transplant, told the BBC: \"This turned out to be a positive thing for the family. \"They could see something positive out of a negative experience. \"We hope that neonatal units across the UK will actively start thinking about this noble cause.\" Official waiting lists suggest some 15 infants under the age of two currently need organs across the UK. But experts say the number may be higher - many do not make it on to the list because of the scarcity of options. A handful of donations have taken place involving infants who were nearly a year old. But NHS Blood and Transplant says for young babies requiring transplants, the size of the donor organ is often critical to success, meaning organs from older donors will not always work. Despite newborn organ donations being performed in the US, Germany and Australia, doctors say guidance about the diagnosis of newborn death in the UK may hamper life-saving operations. Unlike some other countries, clinicians in the UK are not allowed to declare brain death in a baby under two months of age. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is to review this and report back in March. NHS Blood and Transplant says it welcomes any clarification that will", "summary": "Doctors have performed the first organ transplants from a newborn in the UK."}
{"article": "Darren Sykes, 44, set fire to his home in Penistone, South Yorkshire after luring Jack, 12, and brother Paul, nine, there with new a train set. Sheffield Coroner's Court heard Jack, who later died, told doctors and police his father had set the house on fire. Both boys were unlawfully killed, coroner Christopher Dorries ruled. Mr Sykes, who had been divorced for two weeks at the time of the fire, was caught on CCTV buying petrol in portable containers from a filling station near his home in Tennyson Close on the day of the blaze. He died in the fire on October 22 along with Paul. Monday's inquest into his death recorded a verdict of suicide. Before his death, Jack was heard to say \"he did it\" to doctors and police, the inquest heard. Claire Sykes, the boys' mum, told the court she still carries guilt for what happened. She wished she had been home earlier from work, she said, and been able to stop Jack and Paul from going to see their father. \"I wasn't there when they really needed me as a mum,\" she added outside court. \"The only thing I could do was hold them in my arms when they died.\" Andre Spencer, Mr Sykes' former boss, said he was one of a number of people to get a text from his employee just moments before the fire started. \"To be honest, I thought he was being a bit dramatic and that he would be at work the following day,\" he said. \"It was only when I got a phone call from another person who received the same message that we decided to contact the police. \"He was very depressed. He thought that he was going to lose access to his children.\" Barnsley Council said it had begun a serious case review into the deaths.", "summary": "A father who killed himself and his sons in a deliberate house fire was identified by one of the boys as the culprit behind the blaze."}
{"article": "Ciaran Murtagh's goal helped Roscommon lead by three at half-time but Donegal moved three up before a Conor Devaney goal levelled matters on 64 minutes. Mark Anthony McGinley saved a glorious Ronan Stack goal chance before McHugh's dramatic injury-time winner. Both Monaghan and Cavan missed a host of chances in their Division One game. A number of Cavan's misses were particularly glaring with Seanie Johnston having a poor free-taking day but Monaghan will feel that they should have snatched victory late on as the normally reliable Conor McManus and Owen Duffy both missed great chances to seal victory. With both sides having lost several experienced squad members in recent months, the Dr Hyde Park encounter was billed as a relegation battle and it was Donegal who came out on the right side of the result after a frantic finish. Managers Rory Gallagher and Kevin McStay got involved in spot of jostling and verbal exchanges in the closing seconds after McHugh had kicked Donegal ahead, with the Roscommon boss unhappy at the duration of a substitution by the visitors. Moments earlier, Stack had squandered a glorious chance to seemingly secure Roscommon's victory as he opted to goal for goal from point-blank range which allowed Donegal keeper McGinley to make a brilliant save. Donegal led by two early on but Roscommon took a three-point lead after McGinley's misdirected short kick-out was punished by Murtagh bundling the ball over the line. The visitors had a great chance to respond with a three-pointer of their own but Michael Carroll's low shot skimmed over the crossbar. Trailing 1-6 to 0-6 at the break, Frank McGlynn's half-time introduction spurred a Donegal comeback as three points from the impressive Marty O'Reilly and further scores by the impressive Caolan Ward, Jamie Brennan, sub Darach O'Connor and Eoin McHugh helped the visitors move three ahead. Roscommon levelled with six minutes of normal time left as Devaney lashed an unstoppable shot past McGinley. Stack seemed certain to win it but took the wrong option in going for goal and relieved by the let-off, Donegal clinched victory as McHugh pointed in the final minute of injury-time. Scores were at a premium at Castleblayney but Cavan probably should have edged the verdict after missing some great chances. Johnston's early missed free set the tone for his day although he did help the Breffnimen move into a 0-2 to 0-0 lead. Monaghan didn't open their account until McManus' 21st-minute free and he quickly added two more scores to nudge Monaghan ahead. Cavan's Niall Clerkin then created a goal chance for himself after a superb run but attempted to find a colleague instead of shooting himself and the chance was intercepted. Killian Brady did level before the break but with Cavan continuing to misfire in front of goal, Monaghan led by two on three occasions in the third quarter. However, the Farneymen failed to score in the closing 18 minutes, with Cavan also unable to split the posts in the final 15 minutes of play after points from Shane Tierney and Gearoid McKiernan. Cavan did have", "summary": "Eoin McHugh's late point helped Donegal snatch a 0-16 to 2-9 Division One win in Roscommon as Monaghan drew 0-7 to 0-7 with Cavan at Castleblayney"}
{"article": "According to his family, the 85-year-old died on Monday following a stroke. White was chosen ahead of Ringo Starr in September 1962 to play drums on the single version of Love Me Do and its B-side, P.S. I Love You. White, who was born in Glasgow in 1930, is also believed to have played on the album version of Please Please Me. He could therefore legitimately claim to be one of the so-called \"Fifth Beatles\", alongside the likes of Pete Best, Stuart Sutcliffe and others. White also played drums on Lulu's 1964 cover of Shout and Sir Tom Jones' 1965 single It's Not Unusual. He went on to tour with Marlene Dietrich, Burt Bacharach and Rod Stewart and perform with the BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra. In a 2009 interview with a New Jersey newspaper, White revealed he was often called to London's Abbey Road studios in the 1960s. \"I would get a call from EMI and you never knew what you were going to be asked to do,\" he told The Progress. White was paid a one-off fee - \u00c2\u00a35 - for his three hours with the Beatles and received no subsequent royalties. Starr, who played drums on earlier versions of Love Me Do, can be heard playing the tambourine on the White recording. \"You could tell it was something different and very special,\" White told the Daily Record in 2012. \"But I didn't know just how special it would become.\" In later life White emigrated to the US, where he married the voiceover actress Thea Ruth and became a drumming instructor. The New York Metro Pipe Band, one of the bands with whom he worked, described him on Facebook as an \"all round gentleman\". He was also called upon to teach drums to musician turned actor Steven van Zandt for his role as Silvio Dante in TV hit The Sopranos. Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, White's family paid tribute to his \"amazing humility and humbleness about his many achievements\".", "summary": "Andy White, the Scottish studio session musician who played the drums on Love Me Do and other early tracks by The Beatles, has died in New Jersey."}
{"article": "Demonstrators sang Christmas carols and listened to speeches about immigrants and asylum seekers. Weekly rallies by a group called Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West, or Pegida, began in October. Several counter-demonstrations were being held on Monday. Chancellor Angela Merkel and other senior politicians have spoken out against the Pegida rallies.", "summary": "A record 17,500 people have turned out for the latest \"anti-Islamisation\" rally in the German city of Dresden, according to police estimates."}
{"article": "Jon Andrewes, 63, from Totnes, misled a Somerset hospice where he was chief executive from 2004 and Torbay Care Trust when he became chairman in 2007. He also misled Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust where he became chairman in 2015. Exeter Crown Court Judge Geoffrey Mercer told Andrewes that for 10 years \"your outwardly prestigious life was based on a staggering series of lies\". More on the NHS fraudster, plus more Devon and Cornwall news Andrewes admitted obtaining money by deception when he secured a job at the St Margaret's Hospice in Somerset, and two counts of fraud. These related to making misleading statements before he was appointed as chairman of the Torbay Care Trust and of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (RCHT). His total earnings from the health bodies between 2005-16 was \u00a31,072,076. Among the fake claims he called himself \"Dr\", despite him not having a PHD. Andrewes also falsely claimed degrees from Edinburgh, Plymouth and Bristol universities, although he did have a Higher Education Certificate in Social Work. He had actually spent most of his career as a probation officer, customs officer or youth worker. Chairman of St Margaret's Hospice, Michael Clark, who appointed Andrewes, said the hospice made \"significant progress\" under his leadership and he had \"no doubts about his ability to do the job\". But he would not have employed Andrewes if he had known about the fake qualifications. Cameron Brown, prosecuting, told the court that Andrewes' employment was a mixed bag with a range of performance, and he was \"not actively doing damage\". But he said the grounds for prosecution were \"not his performance but the fact he was there\".", "summary": "A bogus NHS boss who lied about his qualifications and raked in more than \u00a31m has been jailed for two years."}
{"article": "The government operates radio services and a TV channel. Private TV stations freely criticise the government. There were 295,200 internet users by November 2015 (via Internetworldstats).", "summary": "Guyanese newspapers are free to criticise the government, although journalists are apt to exercise self-censorship."}
{"article": "Companies bidding for government contracts worth more than \u00c2\u00a310m must show they have a \"reasonable proportion\" of apprentices. \"The greatest asset any employer has is their workforce,\" the Prime Minister said. \"And by investing in them, they are investing in the success and future of their business.\" The government also reaffirmed plans for an apprenticeship levy, with large companies investing in a fund that is used to train workers. The size of the levy has not yet been set, according to a spokesperson from 10 Downing Street. \"Skilled people are the lifeblood of a strong economy, but for too long UK businesses have invested too little in developing their employees' skills to meet the demands of a competitive, global market,\" said Skills Minister Nick Boles. A government consultation is seeking views on paying the levy, which is expected to be in place by April, 2017. The plan for a levy raised questions from EEF, the manufacturers' organisation. \"With little detail of the level of the levy, who will be required to pay it and how much government will give back in return, manufacturers have a right to remain sceptical that the levy will create the three million additional quality apprenticeships that we all wish to see,\" Terry Scuoler, chief executive at EEF, said. He added that a number of large manufacturers \"will be surprised by the suggestion from government that it is they who are currently failing to invest in apprenticeships\". The government said levy systems already operated in more than 50 countries. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) welcomed the announcement of the apprentice plan. \"Apprenticeship schemes can play a part in meeting important ambitions to boost skills and drive-up productivity,\" said John Longworth, the business group's director general. But he added that plans to encourage apprenticeships should focus on small businesses, not just larger corporations. \"Government policy is currently too focused on major employers, but equal effort ought to be put on encouraging and supporting smaller businesses to offer apprenticeships,\" Mr Longworth said. The plan is part of the government's commitment to create three million apprenticeships by 2020.", "summary": "David Cameron has shared plans to increase the number of apprenticeship programmes that big businesses offer."}
{"article": "Jayne Hickey and her son Christian were shot when two men knocked on their front door in Gillingham Road in Eccles, Salford on 12 October. The gun was one of two firearms seized when a vehicle was stopped in Faulkner's Lane, Mobberley in Cheshire on 15 December at about 21:20 GMT. Two men have appeared in court charged with possession of firearms. A weapon has also been linked to a man's shooting in Ashton-in Makerfield, Wigan on 30 March.", "summary": "A gun that is believed to have been used to shoot a mother and her seven-year-old son has been seized by police."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called earlier after reports two men were in the water at the mouth of the Wear, near to the Old Pier, Sunderland Yacht Club. It is believed they went into the water to swim and got in to difficulty, police said. For updates on this and other North East stories. One of the men has been rescued, along with two 17-year-old women.", "summary": "A sea search is under way for a 17-year-old after three teenagers were rescued after jumping off a dinghy off the North East coast."}
{"article": "Last week, it emerged almost one million drink-driving tests recorded by police did not actually take place. An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na (Irish police) also admitted an error that caused almost 15,000 wrongful traffic convictions. Ms O'Sullivan was appearing before an Irish parliamentary justice committee. She said garda\u00ed have still not established the reasons why almost one million false breath tests were recorded. Ms O'Sullivan said she apologised \"for the grave mistakes and wrongdoing during the last decade that have led to the two controversies we are here today to discuss\". \"Those mistakes and wrongdoings are unacceptable in policing terms, unacceptable in ethical terms, unacceptable in terms of public trust, and, most critically, unacceptable to the advocacy and support groups involved in road safety and to those who were wrongly brought to court,\" she added. \"They have raised serious issues about how we managed the service, how certain garda\u00ed operated on the ground and their supervision. \"Given the scale of these issues, they can't simply be blamed on one individual or one area. It is a collective failure. From top down to bottom up.\" Some deputies at the committee wanted to know if bonuses and performance targets were a factor in the exaggeration of the figures. Ms O'Sullivan said some divisional officers' performance targets which led to bonuses were connected to reductions in road deaths. She said that a hypothesis may be that the recording of data on the mandatory alcohol checkpoints, which she said were preventative measures, was not seen as important in the detection of offences. Ms O'Sullivan said all senior managers have committed to delivering on a reform programme. Meanwhile, the officer in charge of roads policing, Assistant Commissioner Michael Finn, emphasised that there was no competition between garda regions to see who had the highest figures. He said he was satisfied with the accuracy of the data on checkpoints. He also said it was an error on his part that the Irish Minister for Justice was not informed. On Thursday evening, garda\u00ed clarified that the last claim for a bonus payment for senior officers was made for activities in the year 2007. They said the scheme was ended by the Department of Finance in 2009. Garda\u00ed say they do not believe senior officers were paid for breath tests and are clarifying the situation regarding checkpoints. Garda\u00ed said that no bonus payment was made to current members of the garda executive. At the weekend, Ms O'Sullivan said revelations over penalty points and breath test discrepancies are \"unacceptable\". She said on Saturday that the police service was on a journey of radical reform and \"it is inevitable that we will identify more examples of bad practice\". On Tuesday, the government announced it was planning two separate investigations. Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Enda Kenny announced an independent review of the overall operation of the force. A second investigation will probe the wrongful convictions of almost 15,000 motorists, and apparent false data on breath tests. Mr Kenny also said on Tuesday that the government continues to have confidence in Commissioner O'Sullivan. She was already", "summary": "Irish police commissioner N\u00f3ir\u00edn O'Sullivan has acknowledged garda\u00ed (police) may have acted dishonestly by inputting false breath test figures into the force's computer system"}
{"article": "While the main stages do not open until Friday, many smaller venues put on live music, DJs and films for those arriving early. The first performer on the official line-up is flautist Frei Zinger, on the Croissant Neuf Bandstand at 11:00 BST. There will then be entertainment in the circus field, Groovy Movie Picture House and many of the dance arenas. Some 177,000 people are due on site during the weekend. Tickets, costing \u00c2\u00a3225, sold out in 26 minutes last October. But the weather is not expected to be as bad as 2014, when performances were halted due to a lightning storm. According to BBC Weather, there will be some light showers on Friday morning and on Sunday. This year's headliners are chart-topping singer Florence and the Machine, US rapper Kanye West and rock legends The Who. US rock band Foo Fighters were due to headline on Friday, but were forced to pull out after frontman Dave Grohl broke his leg. Florence Welch's last-minute promotion to the headline slot comes eight years after her first Glastonbury performance - a disastrous show in the Tiny Tea Tent for which her guitarist did not turn up until halfway through. \"If you had seen that performance at the Tea Tent there is no way you'd ever imagine I'd be headlining,\" she recently told The Times. \"But I love Glastonbury. I'll do anything I can to help them out.\" Organisers have not yet announced who will fill the vacant slot below Florence on Friday. The following night, Kanye West's performance will be watched with interest after a petition calling on Glastonbury to drop him in favour of a rock band attracted 134,000 signatures. Organiser Emily Eavis said she also received death threats from those who do not want him to play. But Eavis wrote in The Guardian: \"There is no question in my mind that we have got one of the greatest artists of his generation headlining, and we have no regrets at all about booking him.\" Other names on the line-up include Motorhead, Mary J Blige, Burt Bacharach, Lionel Richie, Pharrell Williams, Mark Ronson and The Chemical Brothers. More unusual bookings include Professor Stephen Hawking, who will appear in the Kidz Field, and the Dalai Lama.", "summary": "Music fans have begun setting up camp at the Glastonbury Festival after the gates opened for this year's event."}
{"article": "Rugby league convert Burgess only made his union debut for Bath in November and won his first England cap against France in August. The 26-year-old's inclusion means there is no place for fellow centre Luther Burrell, a regular during the past two Six Nations campaigns. Media playback is not supported on this device Head coach Stuart Lancaster has also left out fly-half Danny Cipriani. Cipriani's omission comes despite the 27-year-old Sale player putting in an impressive performance off the bench in the 25-20 defeat by France in Paris on Saturday, later tweeting he was \"very disappointed\" and had done \"everything I could for the white shirt\". Exeter's Henry Slade, 22, is named as one of four centres alongside Burgess, Saracens' Brad Barritt and Jonathan Joseph of Bath, while Kieran Brookes is picked ahead of loose-head Alex Corbisiero, who has struggled with fitness recently. Ben Morgan is named as one of the back rows, despite having played just 40 minutes of competitive rugby since suffering a broken leg and, in the second row, George Kruis has beaten Dave Attwood to a spot in the 31. The other players to miss out are centre Billy Twelvetrees, number eight Nick Easter, flanker Calum Clark and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie. Head coach Lancaster, whose side begin their tournament against Fiji at Twickenham on 18 September, admitted to shedding tears over the selection of his squad. He informed successful and unsuccessful players of his decisions in one-to-one meetings and when asked about the emotion of the talks, said: \"Just by me. No tantrums, just tears.\" He added \"Selection wasn't easy and it is tough to leave anyone out but it's important to stress that the players not in this group are still part of our wider squad and could come in at any point. \"It's really positive that we have such depth and options to choose from. \"After 10 weeks in camp we have made our final selection of players and we believe we have a great group to take us into the tournament. \"With three weeks to go before we play Fiji we feel we are in good shape as we head into next Saturday's game against Ireland.\" England backs coach Andy Farrell, who himself converted from rugby league to play in the 2007 World Cup with England, said of Burgess: \"To force our hand to put him into the squad, he should be unbelievably proud of himself.\" However, earlier this week, former England captain Will Carling said that Burgess should not be taken to the World Cup after frequently being caught out of position against France. \"There is no-one I have spoken to who I respect - ex-players, coaches - who thinks he's ready,\" said Carling, who won 72 caps for England and led them to the 1991 World Cup final. \"I don't understand what the rush is and it's unfair on him. I feel sorry for him. If he wants to make it in union, there's plenty of time. \"He's been playing union for 10 months and half of that was in a different position", "summary": "Sam Burgess has been included in England's 31-man squad for the World Cup, which starts next month."}
{"article": "The testimonies include one from an RAF officer who took part in the 1944 Great Escape and the daughter of resistance heroine, Violette Szabo. About 4,000 people applied to the UK Foreign Office in 1964-65 for help from a \u00a31m fund, paid for by West Germany. A quarter of claims were successful. Many were rejected because, though the claimants had suffered under the Nazis as prisoners of war or civilian internees, their imprisonment had not been illegal. Others were rejected because they were not British citizens. The archives contain often brutal accounts of suffering and persecution, as well as the responses of Foreign Office bureaucrats charged with administering the fund. The money was aimed principally at concentration camp survivors who had not won compensation under a separate German scheme set up in 1953. Among those whose claims were rejected was Jimmy James, who took part in the Great Escape from Stalag Luft 3 in 1944 - made famous in the film of the same name. Fifty of the escapers were shot. Jimmy James, along with others, was sent to a punishment camp known as Sonderlager A at Sachsenhausen concentration camp, north of Berlin. By 1964, his file shows he was working for the Foreign Office as a visa officer at the British Embassy in Prague. The file includes his handwritten account of his years in Nazi captivity, including his imprisonment with 18 others - six of them British - at Sachsenhausen - and a period spent in solitary inside the main camp when he once again tunnelled his way out, only to be recaptured. He acknowledged the conditions he was kept under were not as harsh as those in Sachsenhausen proper, and that he could claim no permanent disability, before adding laconically, \"although, naturally, this is an experience which I should have preferred to have avoided\". His claim was rejected on the grounds that as a prisoner of war he was not a victim of \"Nazi persecution\". But there was a sequel. Some of his fellow \"Great Escapees\" went to the newspapers to complain and the foreign secretary set up an inquiry which resolved on pay-outs to the Sachsenhausen victims after all. All were officers and two bore the name Churchill. In 1968 James got a cheque for \u00a31,192 and 15 shillings. That emboldened others to underline their own claims. Another file contains correspondence with an anonymous former soldier in the Cameron Highlanders regiment. The names of people in many of the files have been blacked out, or redacted, on data protection grounds. In 1964 he had applied for compensation, describing himself as \"an incorrigible escaper and troublemaker\" who had \"suffered persecution in four punishment camps\". His claim was rejected. In 1968 he wrote a long and outraged letter in the wake of the Sachsenhausen decision. It reiterated his prison camp record, the ill-treatment he had suffered and the effects on his health, adding that he had also spent time in Buchenwald. \"Do I need to appeal to the House of Lords like the elite who were awarded this money?\" he asked.", "summary": "Harrowing accounts of Nazi persecution against UK victims have been revealed in 1960s files from the National Archives, which show them claiming compensation for their suffering."}
{"article": "But on closer inspection, it turns out the Barcelona striker has not swapped La Liga for the League of Ireland. It is in fact 16-year-old Barry Cotter, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the Brazil World Cup star. While Neymar will line-up in the Champions League, former Avenue United and Ennis Town forward Cotter will play in the under-17 National League after signing for Limerick. But he shares his doppelganger's confidence telling the club website: \"I'm looking to score at least one or two goals in each game for the rest of the season.\"", "summary": "On first glance it looks like Limerick have pulled off the transfer of the century and signed Barcelona striker Neymar."}
{"article": "The move was agreed at a regional summit in Chad, whose president described CAR as a \"wound in the heart of central Africa\". \"Armed bands loot, hold to ransom and racketeer the population,\" he said. The former rebels had asked both their neighbours and former colonial power France to increase their forces. The current 500-strong multinational peacekeeping force Fomac was \"insufficient to do the job\", Mr Deby said earlier, reports the AFP news agency. He said the reinforcements would help restructure the security forces. South Africa, which lost at least 13 troops during the rebel takeover, has said it is pulling its forces out of CAR. South Africa's President Jacob Zuma attended the summit, along with central African leaders and a delegation from the CAR's new leaders. The summit of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) accepted former rebel head Michel Djotodia as the country's leader but that he should not be called president, Reuters news agency reports. \"Mr Djotodia will not be called president of the republic, but head of state of the transition,\" it quotes President Deby as saying. Mr Djotodia was declared interim president last week and says he will hold elections within 18 months. Earlier, the UN children's agency warned that increasing numbers of children are being wounded in the conflict. Unicef's emergency co-ordinator in Bangui, Robert McCarthy, told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that all armed groups should ensure that children were protected. \"We're calling for: Number one, the protection of children by all parties - by everyone with a gun, everyone in command of soldiers, we have to protect the children, equally women, vulnerable populations. \"Equally, we need security to resume the most basic of life-saving interventions for the aid providers in the city and especially in the countryside.\" The Seleka rebels, an alliance of armed groups, seized power after a peace deal negotiated with ousted President Francois Bozize collapsed. Mr Djotodia is a former civil servant who fell out with Mr Bozize and went into exile, before returning under the peace deal in January as defence minister. He resigned in March before seizing power. Correspondents say he does not have widespread international support and has fallen out with some of his former allies. CAR has an unstable history and is extremely poor, though it has large deposits of minerals including gold and diamonds.", "summary": "The Central African Republic's neighbours have agreed to send an extra 2,000 troops to help restore security following last month's rebel takeover."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old du Preez joined the Pro12 club after leaving Southern Kings in 2013, while Cochrane, 32, arrived from London Wasps the following year. Du Preez is enjoying working under compatriot and coach Alan Solomons. \"The squad karma is really good and the club is moving forward,\" said du Preez in a club statement. \"I enjoy working with Alan and it's good that he's staying on. I know what he expects from me.\" Du Preez had previously worked under Solomons at his former club, but he suffered a serious lower leg injury last season. \"It was difficult coming back from injury, but our club physios did a great job to fix me up and all's good now,\" he said. \"I'm looking forward to helping the club stay in the top group of the Guinness Pro12 and challenging for a place in the Champions Cup next season.\" Cochrane, who had spells with Rotherham Titans, Doncaster Knights and Bedford Blues, also praised Solomons' work and relished the challenge of winning a place in the team. \"We have some talented young hookers coming through the club, which is great and keeps me on my toes,\" said the Edinburgh-born forward, who made a mid-career switch from the back row. Solomons was delighted to retain both players. \"Cornell is a class player who has proved invaluable for us,\" he said. \"He is also a great bloke and a good team man. \"Neil has made a terrific contribution to the team since returning home from Wasps. \"He is a superb hooker and a very good leader.\"", "summary": "South African number eight Cornell du Preez and Scottish hooker Neil Cochrane have signed two-year contract extensions with Edinburgh."}
{"article": "Strathbungo residents are being asked to take part in Window Wanderland at 18:00-21:00 on Saturday 25 February. Artist Lucy Reeves, who ran her first event in Bristol in 2015, said it helped bring out people's playful side. Previous events have seen windows with paper silhouettes, laser projections and people staging performances. The event aims to encourage people to come outdoors for an evening walk around the neighbourhood. Ms Reeves said: \"I wanted to make an event that anyone can participate in, is easy to do, and creates something different. \"This brightens up the long winter nights giving everyone a great excuse to get outdoors. \"We have had displays made by schools, grandparents, even pets, some are silly, some are serious. \"It is a proper community event, some roads had almost every house participating, using campervans, top floor windows and even decorating hedges with lights.\" Residents are being encouraged to sign up on the event's Facebook page or website. Following the Bristol trail, seven areas in the UK ran an event in 2016, with a further 11 planned this year.", "summary": "A Glasgow neighbourhood is being encouraged to create a window display in their home to help turn the area into an outdoor evening gallery."}
{"article": "Drought has taken a savage toll on the town of McKinlay in north-west Queensland, Australia, so a downpour of rain just before Christmas was the best present he could imagine. Suspecting water would begin to flow on 18 December, Senior Constable Hansson drove to the riverbank and started filming when the water began to cut through the dust. \"Come on down \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Come to papa!\" he can be heard yelling in the video. \"Here she comes... wow, I can't believe how lucky I am!\" His enthusiastic and very Australian response to the river's return to life would perhaps have gone unnoticed were it not for his daughter, Tahnee, who uploaded the video to YouTube on 19 December. This week the internet noticed it, and turned Snr Con Hansson into an overnight sensation. Speaking to the BBC from McKinlay Police Station, the straight-talking police officer said he was excited the river had run, but his chief concern was seeing the area emerge from drought. \"It's desperate times,\" he said. \"For about three months it looked like a desert, with no green grass left.\" \"The ground was bare and a lot of our pastoralists had been hand-feeding the stock to keep them alive.\" \"We had more rain across the Christmas season than we've had in the past two years.\" He said he was so excited on the video because he had not seen the river flow since moving to the area four years earlier. \"I patrol the area anyway so I just pulled up for a minute to see if the river would start. I just couldn't believe it,\" he said. Living in a remote area which relies on satellite internet, Snr Con Hansson remains unaware of the extent of the video's popularity. \"My daughter's been keeping me appraised of the situation. She said she had uploaded the video to YouTube and I said, 'So what?'. \"But I'm excited people get to know about north-west Queensland and how tough it is out here, and how tough the people are. \"They've done well to keep their heads up it's good to see a smile on a few faces and cattle with their heads down having a good feed.\" Tahnee Hanson said her father's performance in the video reminded her of an American man's infamous reaction to a double rainbow, which went viral in 2010. \"I put it on my YouTube and it wasn't really doing anything, then I woke up this morning and overnight it went from 500 views to 40,000. \"I said, 'It's going viral dad', and he kind of didn't give a rat's ass,\" she said. A total of 86.1% of Queensland was declared drought-affected in December, with the extended dry spell taking a heavy toll on farmers. Interviews by Ashley Donnelly", "summary": "Police officer Des Hansson could not contain his excitement when water began to flow through the dry bed of the McKinlay River."}
{"article": "Hayne, 28, quit the NFL after just one season to try to play rugby sevens for Fiji in this year's Rio Olympics. The former San Francisco 49er previously played for Paramatta Eels in Australia's National Rugby League. \"I thought the boys needed a bit of added competition,\" said Fiji coach Ben Ryan. \"Jarryd has trained well. In attack he is comfortable on the ball, he has good spatial awareness and has good footwork. In defence he is a good tackler.\" Fiji need eight points to claim this season's World Series title. Hayne, who joined the Fiji camp as an injury replacement, left Australia's NRL in 2014 to pursue a career in the NFL as a running back. He played international rugby league for both Australia, where he was born, and Fiji, who he qualifies for via his father. Have you added the new Top Story alerts in the BBC Sport app? Simply head to the menu in the app - and don't forget you can also add alerts for your rugby union team, cricket scores, football and more.", "summary": "Former NFL and rugby league player Jarryd Hayne is in Fiji's squad for this weekend's final round of the World Rugby Sevens Series in London."}
{"article": "The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) states that women should be offered counselling and told of the risks first. Ultimately, however, the decision would be made by the mother-to-be, it said. NICE said this was \"a very long way\" from offering all women surgery. The last set of NICE guidelines, which were published in 2004, clearly stated that \"maternal request is not on its own an indication for Caesarean section\" and that clinicians could decline the procedure \"in the absence of an identifiable reason\". The rules on requesting a C-section have been revised. Clinicians say this is to bring the instructions into line with what is already taking place in hospitals. The 2011 guidelines say that women requesting a C-section because of anxiety should be offered mental health support. A phobia of childbirth is thought to affect 6% to 10% of women. Nina Khazaezadeh, a consultant midwife at St Thomas' Hospital, says she often meets patients who want a Caesarean due to a \"perceived lack of control, fears of inadequate care provision and lack of support during labour and delivery\". \"But, after a discussion of all the pros and cons of both types of birth, and having been assured of one-to-one midwifery support and an individualised birth plan, they will choose to try for a vaginal birth.\" The updated guidelines state that if such women still wanted a C-section, they should get one. Women with no medical need can also ask for a Caesarean section. The guidance states that they should be told of the risks and discuss their request with a clinician, but their request cannot be denied. Malcolm Griffiths, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist who led the development of the guidelines, said: \"Caesarean section is a major operation, it's about as major as a hysterectomy. \"It's not a major operation that most pregnant women are interested in or want to have.\" Dr Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive of NICE, said: \"This guideline is not about offering free Caesareans for all on the NHS. \"It is about ensuring that women give birth in the way that is most appropriate for them and their babies. \"Offering these women a planned Caesarean section in these circumstances is a very long way from saying that Caesarean section should automatically be offered to every woman.\" Planned Caesarean section may reduce the risk of the following in women: Planned Caesarean section may increase the risk of the following in babies: Planned Caesarean section may increase the risk of the following in women: Source: NICE There will be wider changes to clinical practice. Being HIV positive will no longer be treated as grounds for an automatic C-section. Improvements in anti-retroviral therapies mean it is now safe for some woman with HIV to deliver vaginally. There will also be changes to break the mentality of \"once a Caesarean, always a Caesarean\". The latest evidence suggests that even for women who had up to four previous C-sections, that the risks of fever, bladder injuries and surgical injuries were the same for planned vaginal and planned Caesarean", "summary": "Pregnant women who ask for a Caesarean delivery should be allowed to have the operation, even if there is no medical need, according to new guidelines for England and Wales."}
{"article": "19 July 2016 Last updated at 14:39 BST The suspected gunman was among the dead in the shooting near the Castle Swimming Pool in Spalding. Lincolnshire Police, who were called to Pinchbeck Road at about 09:00 BST, said no shots were fired by their officers. Those killed are believed to be two women and a man. Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Aerial footage shows the scene of the shooting.", "summary": "Three people have died in a shooting near a swimming pool in Lincolnshire, police have said."}
{"article": "Major international artists include Hermann Nitsch, Melvin Moti, Dieter Roth and Rachel Mayeri. There are new commissions from Susan Philipsz, Andrew Miller, Emily Speed, Kevin Harman and Anthony Schrag. There are also retrospectives of acclaimed artists such as Ian Hamilton Finlay, Leslie Hunter and John Bellany. Scots-born sound artist Philipsz, who won the Turner prize in 2010, will bring Timelines to the capital - a multi-site installation, developed in response to one of Edinburgh's famous One O'Clock Gun. The gun is fired every day, except Sunday, from Edinburgh castle. Philipsz's voice will call out each day in response to the firing of the gun, creating a domino effect as speakers sound along the timeline from Calton Hill to Edinburgh Castle. Other new commissions include a pavilion made from salvaged materials and artworks made from rubble in skips. As well as the commissions, the festival will feature new exhibitions by international artists such as Rachel Mayeri. The Los Angeles-based artist collaborated with comparative psychologist Dr Sarah-Jane Vick to develop Primate Cinema: Apes as family. It is a two-screen video installation that presents a drama written for chimpanzees and performed by human actors alongside the reactions of an audience of chimps. It was researched and partly filmed at Edinburgh Zoo. Dutch artist Melvin Moti is holding his first UK solo show, at the National Museums of Scotland. One Thousand Points of Light features a new film focusing on light-reactive minerals and objects the artist has chosen from National Museums of Scotland's collections, ranging from fluorescing fossils to a glowing jellyfish. There will also be several \"summer blockbuster\" exhibitions, with one exploring Picasso's lifelong connections with Britain, at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Another major exhibition will feature the work of Van Gogh and Kandinsky, at the Scottish National Gallery. As well as the major artists, there is an exhibition by TV presenter Harry Hill, who will also be performing during the Fringe, entitled My Hobby. Edinburgh Art Festival was founded in 2004 and will run until 2 September.", "summary": "Edinburgh's art festival has begun its \"most ambitious\" programme yet, with 45 exhibitions showing in 30 of the city's museums and galleries during August."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old Scot, who raced for Force India from 2010 to 2013, will be back-up for race drivers Felipe Massa and Lance Stroll. Deputy team principal Claire Williams said: \"It's great for us to retain someone of Paul's experience.\" Di Resta will combine F1 duties with racing for Mercedes in Germany's DTM touring car series. He said he was \"delighted\" to stay at Williams and \"looking forward to understanding the new regulations\" introduced to F1 this season in an attempt to make the cars faster, more dramatic and more appealing to the audience. Williams' new car will be revealed to the public on Friday before pre-season testing starts in Spain on 27 February. Di Resta's best race results in F1 have been two fourth places in Singapore in 2012 and Bahrain in 2013. He was the DTM champion for Mercedes in 2010. Part of his responsibilities at Williams will involve helping Brazilian veteran Massa, 35, support Stroll, an 18-year-old Canadian rookie who brings financial backing reported to be at least \u00a320m to the team. Massa retired at the end of last season but was persuaded to come back for one final year after Mercedes approached Williams to release Valtteri Bottas to them following world champion Nico Rosberg's retirement.", "summary": "Paul di Resta is to stay as Williams reserve driver for a second season in 2017."}
{"article": "Kayley Olsson, a 20-year-old student hairdresser in Waterloo, Iowa, posted on Facebook on Tuesday about a girl who came into her salon with densely matted and tangled hair. \"Today I had one of the hardest experiences - I had a 16-year-girl come in who has been dealing with severe depression for a few years now,\" Kayley wrote in the post, which has been shared over 55,000 times. The teen had explained to Kayley she \"felt so down and so worthless she couldn't even brush her hair, she only got up to use the restroom.\" The teenager had a school photograph scheduled and she asked the salon to cut off all her hair because she couldn't face the pain of combing out the matted knots and tangles. But Kayley and her colleague Mariah Wenger, who are both beauty therapy students, refused to shear the teen's waist-length hair. \"Cutting her hair was absolutely not a option for me. \"I knew right then and there that we had to keep as much hair as possible,\" Kayley told the BBC. \"Shaving was a last resort and something none of us going in wanted to do,\" Mariah added. The women untangled and combed the teenager's hair for 10 hours, spending two days with her. \"It took a lot of encouraging words, reassurance, and just plain conversation to take her mind off of the pain involved in removing the matting and to boost her self esteem and confidence. \"I was able to very closely relate to her mental health problems and the daily struggle that comes with them, due to my struggles with postpartum depression and anxiety,\" explained Mariah, who has two children. \"I understood how it felt to feel worthless - a child should never feel like that. \"I knew I had to help her, just like people helped me. We all deserve to feel beautiful,\" Kayley said. After detangling it as far as shoulder height, Kayley and Mariah cut and shaped the teenager's hair. \"Let's just say we both let out tears of joy! \"Her last words to me were, 'I will actually smile for my schools pictures today, you made me feel like me again,'\" Kayley explained. The post has received nearly 60,000 comments (at time of writing), including women relating their own experiences of mental health problems. \"It's happened to me - I suffer with bipolar and had an episode and didn't brush my hair or take care of myself - just remember beautiful girl you're not on your own,\" wrote Sarah-Lee on Facebook. \"I work with mental health and good for you. I see this daily it's sad but so true,\" said Renay St Amand. \"I've been in this position and I can't tell you how comforting and important it is for a hairdresser to be kind and understanding. I wasn't judged either and got my hair back to being beautiful,\" wrote Claire McDonald. \"I have been struggling with my depression and suicidal thoughts. It's hard to even get out of bed but I try to fight everything negative. Plus you are beautiful", "summary": "Beauty rituals may not be the first thing you think about in relation to mental health, but when an American hairdresser told her story about a teenage client with depression, thousands responded."}
{"article": "Patrick Sullivan, 25, a former French foreign Legionnaire and member of the republican splinter group, the Irish People's Liberation Organisation, was knifed to death in February 1992. A west Belfast man was later convicted of his manslaughter. His sister and brother met the police in Belfast on Friday morning. Mr Sullivan was killed after confronting someone he suspected of anti-social behaviour in the Divis area. He was stabbed in the neck and back and died from his injuries. The family have always believed more than one attacker was involved and claim a post mortem examination that they have recently obtained backs up their assertion. Patrick's sister, Margaret, and his brother, Seamus, accompanied by their solicitor, Padraig \u00d3muirigh , met detectives for an hour-long meeting on Friday. The family would not reveal what had been said, but their solicitor said they hoped the new information they had would be enough to re-open the case. \"We had a constructive meeting with the police and hope to bring further information to them,\" said Mr \u00d3muirigh. \"The family have also lodged a complaint with the Police Ombudsman in relation to the standards of the original investigation and we also have a meeting with the ombudsman in the coming weeks.\" When asked for a comment on the meeting, a police spokesman said: \"We can confirm that local police met with members of the Sullivan family today.\" The Police Ombudsman said: \"We have received a complaint about the police investigation into the killing of Patrick Sullivan in Belfast in 1992. \"We are currently investigating the complaint, and investigators are due to meet Mr Sullivan's family on 30 August.\"", "summary": "The family of a west Belfast man who was killed 20 years ago have called for a fresh investigation into his death."}
{"article": "Ozil was a picture of composure as he ran through on goal, chipped the keeper and cut inside two defenders before slotting in from close range for a dramatic winner. Earlier on, Arsenal's hopes of a repeat of their 6-0 win in the reverse tie were quickly dispelled when Jonathan Cafu put Ludogorets in front against the run of play by steering in a left-footed volley from a Wanderson free-kick. Cafu turned provider three minutes later as he jinked past Kieran Gibbs and squared a ball for Claudiu Keseru to turn in as the Bulgarian side shocked the Gunners with a second in a frantic opening. Granit Xhaka guided in a 15-yard shot from an Ozil cross to pull one back for Arsene Wenger's side before Olivier Giroud expertly headed in Aaron Ramsey's clipped cross to equalise. Arsenal keeper David Ospina twice saved from Wanderson before Ozil secured his side's progress into the last 16 and extended their unbeaten run to 15 games. Relive Ludogorets Razgrad v Arsenal One of the highlights of Arsenal's season so far has been the goalscoring form of Ozil. The German playmaker has already taken his tally this season to seven, having scored eight for the Gunners in total last term. He should have opened the scoring early on when Francis Coquelin played him through on goal, but he struck a tame shot that was easily saved. Ludogorets punished the miss with two goals, but Ozil then played a key part in Arsenal's recovery as he gesticulated for his team to increase their effort. He set up Xhaka for his first Champions League goal and timed his run to perfection to meet Mohamed Elneny's pass on the way to his goal, adding to his hat-trick in the first game against Ludogorets at the Emirates. Ozil has now been directly involved in eight goals in his past five games for Arsenal in all competitions, with five goals and three assists. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his side's \"prime target\" was to win Group A in order to avoid playing tougher opposition. The Gunners have gone out at the first knockout stage of the Champions League in the past six seasons, having last won their group in 2011-12. Wenger's side showed vulnerabilities at the back when Ludogorets went on the counter-attack, but they demonstrated spirit and character to recover. This means they could be ready to avoid the capitulations which have marred previous European and Premier League campaigns. Arsenal's mental strength will again be tested when they face Tottenham followed by Manchester United in the league before what could be a decider to finish top of Group A when they host Paris St-Germain. The energy and goals of Alexis Sanchez playing as a central striker have proved a major success for Wenger this season. However, with Giroud returning to fitness and scoring two key goals in Saturday's top-flight win at Sunderland, Wenger chose to give the Frenchman his first start of the season against Ludogorets with the job of leading the Gunners' attack. Sanchez was shifted out to the", "summary": "Mesut Ozil scored a stunning late goal as a resilient Arsenal came back from 2-0 down to beat Ludogorets Razgrad and reach the Champions League knockout stages."}
{"article": "The ITV2 show sees single men and women put together in a Majorcan villa to find love and win a \u00c2\u00a350,000 prize. So far this series, there have been several instances of, shall we say, intimate behaviour taking place. But broadcasting regulator Ofcom says it has actually received far more complaints about scenes that show the contestants smoking. The series airs after the 21:00 watershed but has still attracted 46 complaints to date. More than half of those - 24 - were from viewers objecting to the portrayal of smoking. Fifteen of the complaints were made about the promotion of \"sexual material and promiscuity\". The remaining complaints were for bad language, grievances about a racial slur and violence (for the time when a contestant threw a cushion \"aggressively\"). Ofcom has said it will assess the 46 complaints before deciding whether to investigate further. The ITV2 show has a large following and an audience that includes pop singer Adele. Speaking at the second of her Wembley dates last week, she labelled one of the contestants a \"tramp\" for taking part in a show in which \"real people have real sex on real TV\". Falling in love isn't easy - let alone falling in love on national television, writes entertainment reporter Genevieve Hassan. But that's what 13 sexy singletons hope to do on Love Island, which is halfway through its third series on ITV2. If you've never seen it before, the premise is to couple up and convince the public to keep you on the island in order to win \u00c2\u00a350,000 - all while trying to find your perfect match. Think Big Brother but with board shorts, bikinis and more under-the-sheets shenanigans than you can shake a stick at, as the couples chop and change throughout the series. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Viewers have been complaining about Love Island - but not for the reason you might think."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 21-year-old, from Meon Valley Golf Club, followed in the footsteps of fellow Hampshire golfer Scott Gregory in 2016 by winning the trophy. The victory guarantees Ellis will play at Royal Birkdale next month as well as the Masters and US Open next season. \"The magnitude of what I did is starting to sink in,\" Ellis said. Ellis came from four holes down with five remaining in the 36-hole final to beat Australia's Dylan Perry at Royal St George's in Kent on Saturday. Victory was only secured after two play-off holes for the man who became the youngest to win the English Amateur Championship, aged just 16, in 2012. \"I still feel a little numb,\" he told BBC South Today. \"The task was getting a lot tougher to come away with the trophy and I knew I just had to keep myself going. \"It all came out when the winning putt was sunk. It was years of hard work and a lot of disappointment matched with the excitement of holing that putt.\" Ellis has just completed his third year on a scholarship at Florida State University, where he hopes the experience will stand him in good stead for an appearance at Augusta next season. He revealed US Open champion Brooks Koepka was among those to text their congratulations after Saturday's win. \"Justin Rose and Scott Gregory also sent some nice messages,\" Ellis said. \"It's been really nice to receive those and I'm really excited for the opportunities ahead.\" The Open begins at Royal Birkdale on 20 July.", "summary": "Harry Ellis admits he still \"feels numb and in shock\" after securing his spot at The Open in July by winning the British Amateur Championship."}
{"article": "In those two decades, the country has come a long way but still faces many problems. Tour guide Businesswoman Cafe owner Choir mistress Farmer South Africa Direct While many blacks have moved up the economic ladder, poverty remains high, tensions still exist between blacks and whites in some areas and South Africa has one of the highest number of HIV/Aids patients in the world. For Working Lives, the BBC's Lerato Mbele travelled to Johannesburg to meet five very different South Africans living and working in and around the city. Hair salon entrepreneur Mankwane Chakela is a proud member of South Africa's growing black middle class. She grew up in a township but now lives in one of Johannesburg's more affluent suburbs. Hoping to make a similar transition is Jeff Mulaudzi, who runs tours of Alexandra, one of Johannesburg's sprawling townships. He spotted a gap in the market for adventurous tourists wanting to see the real South Africa and now shows small groups around his neighbourhood. Another part of the city undergoing a revival is Johannesburg's Central Business District where Nick Christowitz caters to a multi-racial clientele in his impeccably designed and achingly cool cafe. School choir mistress, Makgopa Gomba, had to flee her township home in the last years of the apartheid era on account of her husband's job as a policeman. But now, she is back and working in the local community. White farmer Louis Meintjes says he can trace his South African heritage back to the 1730s. Farming has never been an easy life but in the past it was more certain.", "summary": "It is 20 years since South Africa held its first non-racial elections which ended white rule and saw the transfer of power to the African National Congress."}
{"article": "Wednesday had a penalty appeal turned down when Richard Keogh appeared to handle Adam Reach's shot on the line. Christie then met a Tom Ince corner to nod Derby ahead from close range. Liam Palmer went closest to a leveller, with a deflected shot off the post, before Alex Pearce prodded home Derby's second from eight yards. Steve McClaren's Rams moved up three places to 18th in the Championship table with their second win in four games since the former England manager returned as Derby boss. Kieran Lee was first to test Derby goalkeeper Scott Carson, and Fernando Forestieri was also kept out before the penalty shout on nine minutes. Christie, among Derby's most industrious players along with Ince and Jamie Hanson, netted the opener and ensured the home side led at half-time in a match for just the second time in all competitions this season. Palmer and Forestieri threatened for the Owls before Pearce pounced on a deflected shot from Jacob Butterfield to make it 2-0, with Wednesday - beaten for the first time in three matches - suffering further as Steven Fletcher was forced off following a head knock just 16 minutes after coming off the bench. REACTION: Derby boss Steve McClaren speaks to BBC Radio Derby Derby manager Steve McClaren: \"Keogh made a great save without his gloves on and we rode our luck in that. \"Game's are turned on that one way or another and it turned our way and what you have to do in those instances is take advantage and that's what we did. \"It's a huge win, we said put a marker down at five o'clock and they've done that. There were aspects of the performance that improved immensely and we created chances as well.\" Sheffield Wednesday head coach Carlos Carvalhal on Adam Reach's penalty appeal: \"In my opinion, it's the worst decision in the Championship so far. I have seen nothing like it this season. \"I have nothing against the ref, nothing against the person but the decision was very, very poor and it had a big impact on the game. \"People talk a lot about how we need technology but why do we need a camera or a video when we have three referees on the pitch, one of them must see it. They have communication and can say it's a clear penalty.\" Match ends, Derby County 2, Sheffield Wednesday 0. Second Half ends, Derby County 2, Sheffield Wednesday 0. Offside, Derby County. Matej Vydra tries a through ball, but Jacob Butterfield is caught offside. Foul by Tom Lees (Sheffield Wednesday). Matej Vydra (Derby County) wins a free kick on the right wing. Substitution, Derby County. Max Lowe replaces Johnny Russell. Attempt missed. Bradley Johnson (Derby County) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Ikechi Anya. Sam Hutchinson (Sheffield Wednesday) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Matej Vydra (Derby County). Atdhe Nuhiu (Sheffield Wednesday) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Atdhe Nuhiu (Sheffield Wednesday). Johnny", "summary": "Cyrus Christie scored his first goal of the season to help Derby beat Sheffield Wednesday and extend their unbeaten run against the Owls to 17 matches."}
{"article": "It means control over new machines with maximum stakes over \u00a310 will be devolved, as the Wales Bill cleared its final hurdle in Parliament. Shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens wanted the power extended to existing terminals with maximum stakes over \u00a32. UK ministers expect the bill to gain Royal Assent in February. The Wales Bill will hand Welsh ministers extra powers over transport, energy and electoral arrangements - including the power to increase the number of AMs. It will also allow the Welsh Government to make some alternations to income tax. But critics, including the Welsh Government itself, said other changes introduced too many restrictions on what it could or could not do. On Tuesday, in the Commons, UK government amendments introduced in the Lords were accepted, devolving powers over water, fishing vessels and the right to be consulted over coastguard policy. Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said it was a \"landmark day\" and the bill \"brings clarity to the settlement and accountability for Welsh Government\". In October, the UK government announced a review of FOBTs amid concern about their attraction to vulnerable people. On the question of devolving FOBT regulation, a UK government spokesman said it was \"giving Wales the same powers as Scotland has to address the local social problems that these machines can sometimes create\". Labour had claimed fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) were highly addictive, allowing players to stake up to \u00a3100 every 20 seconds, compared to the \u00a32 maximum bet on a fruit machine. The party pointed to research showing there were four times as many betting shops in areas of high unemployment as in areas of low unemployment. The Campaign for Fairer Gambling estimates that customers in Wales lost over \u00a350m on FOBTs between September 2014-15. The Association of British Bookmakers defended betting shops in Wales as the \"safest place\" to gamble as they were the most highly regulated retailer on the high street.", "summary": "A final attempt by Labour to give Wales more power to ban fixed-odds betting terminals has been defeated in the House of Commons."}
{"article": "Daniel Pelka was murdered in Coventry in March 2012 by his mother and her partner. City council leader Ann Lucas said more children's social workers was \"the answer\" to the \"huge pressures\" her staff faced. The council said cases rose from 3,085 in March 2013 to 4,529 in March 2014. Ms Lucas said reports of suspected child abuse had increased dramatically since Daniel's death. The council currently has a team of 197 children's social workers. But, Ms Lucas said the authority had grown increasingly reliant on agency workers, who were more expensive and did not provide the same consistency on cases. \"We have no choice - we have to take in agency workers,\" she said. \"There aren't enough trained social workers. \"Social workers also have a huge burn-out rate. These people are working at the coal-face. \"I take my hat off to them. I think they are heroes - I don't know why they do it. They are castigated at every turn.\" One social worker Chris Horne, told the BBC: \"The bottom line is if there's more work than there are social workers, we're always going to struggle.\" Senior social worker Sarb Bhambra added: \"Staffing is always an issue. It's impossible to manage all the priorities because everything is a priority and there's only so many of us.\" A freedom of information request reveals the number of reports of suspected abuse in Coventry has soared by 40% since 2011. There were more than 21,000 in 2013. The results of an Ofsted inspection of children's services in Coventry are expected to be released in the coming weeks.", "summary": "Children's social workers on a council that \"missed chances\" to save a four-year-old boy's life say they need more staff to cope with rising caseloads."}
{"article": "Owners of Mila, a Bedlington Terrier, found her cowering in a bush in their Halesowen back garden on Thursday evening. Burglars beat the dog - leaving her with nerve damage - after breaking into the house, West Midlands Police said. Homeowner Julie Green said she was \"heartbroken\" to find Mila wounded by burglars, who did not steal anything. \"Whoever is responsible is heartless,\" said Ms Green. \"She is the friendliest dog and would greet anyone. Even though she is poorly she has been trying to roll over and wag her tail.\" Vets believe Mila has neurological nerve damage, preventing her from placing her front feet on the ground. Ch Insp Phil Dolby said police are following several lines of inquiry. He added: \"This did not happen in the dead of night - there will be people around the Albrighton Road area who could have seen the offender or offenders responsible for the break-in.\" More on this and other Black Country stories", "summary": "An 18-month-old family dog is unable to walk after burglars repeatedly kicked it in the head, police said."}
{"article": "Zac Mitchell, 20, was injured in April while working on a remote farming property in Western Australia. \"A bull kicked my hand into the fence,\" Mr Mitchell said of the incident. He underwent two unsuccessful operations to reattach his thumb before doctors opted to relocate his big toe in surgery lasting eight hours. Mr Mitchell said fellow workers had attempted to preserve his thumb immediately after the accident. \"They put it in the esky [cooler] with some ice,\" he told the BBC. Mr Mitchell was flown to hospital in the state capital of Perth, but efforts to save his thumb ultimately failed. Despite initial reluctance, the cattle worker agreed to the transplant operation at the Sydney Eye Hospital two weeks ago. Lead plastic surgeon Dr Sean Nicklin said he was not surprised it took time to accept. \"It is a bit of a crazy idea - they [patients] do not want to be injured in another part of their body,\" he said. \"[However] even if you have got four good fingers, if you do not have something to pinch against them, your hand has lost a huge amount of its function.\" Mr Mitchell will need more than 12 months of rehabilitation, but he plans to return to farm work. The Sydney Eye Hospital said it was rare to transplant a complete toe, like in Mr Mitchell's case, although partial toe relocations were more common. \"A lot of people think their balance and walking is going to be significantly affected which it generally isn't,\" Dr Nicklin said. Mr Mitchell's mum, Karen, said he was making a good recovery. \"Two weeks since the operation his walking is almost back to normal.\" Doctors say Mr Mitchell should eventually be able to return to his hobby of bull riding. Reporting by the BBC's Greg Dunlop", "summary": "An Australian cattle worker whose thumb was severed by a bull has had his toe surgically transplanted in its position."}
{"article": "Bale, 27, hobbled out of Tuesday's 2-1 Champions League win at Sporting Lisbon with what has been diagnosed as a \"traumatic dislocation of the peroneal tendons\" in his right ankle. He will be operated on in London and is at risk of missing Wales' 2018 World Cup qualifier against Republic of Ireland in Dublin on 24 March. That game is exactly four months away. Chris Coleman's Wales are currently third in Group D, four points adrift of leaders Ireland and two points behind Serbia. Bale extended his Real deal in October and is now tied to the Spanish giants until 2022. He has made 20 appearances for club and country since August, scoring 11 goals.", "summary": "Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale will have ankle surgery next Tuesday and is expected to be out for four months."}
{"article": "The fire service apprentice mechanic died in the collision on the A5 in Capel Curig in Snowdonia on Tuesday. North Wales chief fire officer Simon Smith said: \"Today our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident, but particularly with the family of the colleague we have lost.\" Support has been offered to staff. Mr Roberts was based at the fire service's fleet department at Llandudno Junction, Conwy county. Mr Smith said: \"Our service attends road traffic collisions often and they are always difficult for our staff to deal with, but even more so when they involve a close colleague.\" The crash, near the Siabod Cafe, involved Mr Roberts' red Seat Leon and a silver Mercedes car. North Wales Police has appealed for witnesses.", "summary": "The man who died in a two-car collision in north Wales has been named as 19-year-old Trystan Rhun Roberts."}
{"article": "The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is overseeing the dismantling of several UK sites, including Dounreay near Thurso in Caithness. Representatives from the NDA and oil and gas experts have met in Aberdeen to share information. One of the areas covered was the decommissioning of oil pipelines. The event was held at Aberdeen's Oil and Gas Technology Centre. The NDA said it was actively looking outside its sector for technologies to use in the decommissioning of nuclear power sites. Among major Scottish oil and gas installations being decommissioned are the Buchan Alpha floating production vessel off Aberdeen, and the Beatrice complex in the Moray Firth.", "summary": "The nuclear industry is looking at how it might use technologies being used in the decommissioning of North Sea oil and gas installations."}
{"article": "The UK's largest arena operator SMG was chosen in partnership with the largest international live entertainment company Live Nation. The decision was announced by Bristol Mayor George Ferguson at a meeting of the council's cabinet earlier. Bristol Arena, a 12,000-seat music venue, will be located at the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone. The arena is part of the city's plan to regenerate about 70 hectares (170 acres) surrounding Bristol Temple Meads station and is due to open in 2017. The winning bidders will be involved in the design of the arena and in charge of operating, maintaining and managing it for the duration of the 25-year lease. Mr Ferguson said: \"SMG and Live Nation will bring the combined expertise of two global businesses in delivering an extremely exciting programme of concerts.\" West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) will contribute \u00a353m towards the cost of building the arena, with the remaining \u00a338m funded by Bristol City Council. Colin Skellett, of the LEP, said: \"This is a project that Bristol desperately needs, it's been talked about for so long, and we will make it work between us.\"", "summary": "Two companies have been announced as the combined preferred bidder to operate a \u00a391m arena in Bristol."}
{"article": "The 30-second spot is narrated by a stern-sounding male voice and features grainy images of Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The advert also includes photos of the San Bernardino attackers, so-called Islamic State militants, a US warship firing cruise missiles, exploding buildings and undated footage of migrants purportedly crossing the US-Mexican border. The commercial concludes with Mr Trump offering his trademark call to \"make America great again\", delivered before a cheering crowd. It wouldn't be Trump without some measure of controversy, of course. The fact-checking website Politifact says the border video is actually from Morocco - and the Trump campaign has since said the use of the footage was intentional and that it was what the US border could eventually look like if it is not adequately secured. Up until now, Mr Trump has maintained his position at the top of presidential preference polls thanks to his seemingly unique appeal to a blue-collar segment of the Republican electorate, buttressed by near-nonstop news media coverage of his non-traditional campaign and his often controversial comments. Mr Trump, in a news release announcing the advert, said that his campaign is currently $35 million (\u00c2\u00a324 million) \"under budget\". He added that he wasn't sure he needed to spend money on television commercials, but \"I don't want to take any chances\". While Mr Trump spent about $300,000 on three radio adverts last fall, the release says his new television campaign will cost about $2 million (\u00c2\u00a31.4 million) a week in the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. According to a recent report in the New York Times, however, the Trump campaign has yet to reserve airtime in either state - which casts some doubts about the actual size of the advertising purchase. What's clear, however, is that Trump's video has once again made him a top story in the political media, generating yet another wave of free publicity. His campaign gave the Washington Post a sneak preview on Sunday, leading to a 1,300-word article that featured Mr Trump talking about the details of the advert design, including his preference for using campaign rally footage instead of the more traditional, candidate-talks-to-the-camera style. \"I don't like sitting down and shooting an ad because I don't think you capture the same energy you see at our events,\" he said. The content of the advert has some analysts scratching their heads, however. According to the Atlantic's David Graham, a new television campaign traditionally aims to appeal to voters not already in the candidate's camp. \"If the point of these ads is to win over new voters, is a recap of months-old messages the most effective way to do it?\" he asks. Even if the advertising purchase does total the $2 million a week that Mr Trump promises, that will - at best - only put him on roughly equal footing with competing candidates in terms of paid media over the coming weeks. A group supporting Texas Senator Ted Cruz has announced a $4 million buy over the coming weeks, for instance, and a political action committee tied to", "summary": "Donald Trump is taking to the television airwaves, and his first advert prominently features his controversial call for temporarily halting the entry of all Muslim into the US and a border wall \"paid for by Mexico\"."}
{"article": "The 31-year-old, who was in his first managerial role, appears to have paid the price for a shock League Cup exit. A Hearts statement read: \"The board wishes it to be known that this was a very difficult decision, reluctantly made, as every member of the board recognises Ian is an extremely talented young coach with a very bright future. \"We thank Ian for all of his efforts and wish him well in the future.\" Former Newcastle United, Valencia and Rio Ave coach Cathro was appointed head coach at Tynecastle in December, working under the club's director of football Craig Levein. The Scot oversaw a 2-0 defeat away to Rangers in his first game, and in the 22 Premiership matches he was in charge last term his side lost 13, drew four and won five. As a result, the Jambos finished fifth and missed out on a spot in Europe. His side were also knocked out of the Scottish Cup in a replay against city rivals Hibernian. Cathro was backed in the summer as the club brought in a number of new faces, including Northern Ireland striker Kyle Lafferty and Scotland defender Christophe Berra. The Gorgie men open their Premiership campaign at Celtic Park on Saturday, but results in the League Cup appear to have cost Cathro. Hearts started the group stage with wins over Elgin City and East Fife but lost at League One outfit Peterhead and then drew 2-2 with Dunfermline, losing the resulting penalty shootout and crashing out of the tournament. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Hearts have sacked head coach Ian Cathro after seven months in charge."}
{"article": "The South Stream pipeline, financed by Russia's state gas giant Gazprom, would ship gas to western Europe via the Balkans, thus avoiding Ukraine. But the European Commission says the pipeline may break EU competition rules and asked Bulgaria to suspend work. Serbia's prime minister has denied his country has also halted building work. Reports on Sunday had quoted Serbian ministers as saying the work was on hold until the EU, Russia and Bulgaria resolved their dispute. But speaking on Monday, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said no such decision had been made. Serbia is in talks with the EU on joining the bloc. Bulgaria is already an EU member state. Construction work on the South Stream pipeline began in Bulgaria in October 2013. It is intended to deliver Russian gas to southern Europe without passing through Ukraine and if built, it would deliver 63 billion cubic metres of natural gas a year. The project was initiated amid disagreements between Gazprom and Ukraine and Belarus over the pricing of Russian gas, which led to gas supplies to some parts of Europe being cut off. It took on added significance following the upheaval in Ukraine. But the European Commission says Bulgaria may have broken EU public procurement laws by choosing local and Russian bidders for its part of the pipeline, and earlier this month, asked Bulgaria to stop work. On Monday, Russia's EU envoy Vladimir Chizhov said the move by Brussels was a \"creeping shift to economic sanctions against Russia\". \"It is hard to shake off the feeling that the European Commission's blocking of the start of work on the construction of Bulgaria's key section of South Stream has been done for purely political purposes,\" Russia's Itar-Tass news agency quoted him as saying. Bulgaria has previously said it is being targeted by Brussels as a means of retaliating against Russia over the situation in Ukraine. Bulgarian Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev said on Sunday that the project remained \"irreversible and important for both Europe and Bulgaria\" and that he was sure a solution would be found. The EU and the US have imposed sanctions on a number of Russian individuals and companies following Moscow's intervention in Ukraine and its annexing of the Crimean peninsula, but Gazprom has not been targeted. The firm supplies 30% of Europe's gas - some 15% via Ukraine - and has warned exports will be affected if sanctions are expanded. Meanwhile, Gazprom has also threatened to cut supplies to Ukraine over an unpaid gas bill that it puts at more than $2bn (\u00c2\u00a31.2bn). This too would affect European supplies.", "summary": "Russia has accused the European Union of imposing \"creeping\" economic sanctions following Bulgaria's decision to halt construction of a gas pipeline."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 21-year-old Welshman failed to match Serik Sapiyev's work-rate at the ExCel Arena on Sunday and lost 9-17 in the welterweight final. Evans' silver brought the number of Olympic medals won by Welsh competitors at London 2012 to seven, their highest total from any Games. Jade Jones, Tom James and Geraint Thomas were the three gold medallists. Evans joined Chris Bartley and Hannah Mills in winning silver, while Sarah Thomas added a bronze to the Welsh haul. Evans's success gave Wales its best boxing medal in the history of the games, trumping Ralph Evans's bronze in 1972 Munich Games. His hard road to the London 2012 final, which also included an enthralling single point semi-final win over Ukraine's world champion and world number one Taras Shelestyuk, caught up with him as Sapiyev pulled away to win. \"I've had four hard fights and I've got no excuses. He was sharper on the day and I didn't stick to my plan quite as I should have,\" Evans said. \"I beat the Ukrainian world champion, the number one in the world. Obviously I'm still young, I'm only 21 - I'm one of the youngest seniors here - so I've done well and I'm over the moon with getting to the final.\" Evans's fellow martial artist Jones in the taekwondo,coxless four rower James and team pursuit cyclist Thomas led the way for the Welsh contingent at London 2012 by winning gold medals as part of a great British performance that claimed 29 golds in a 65-medal haul. Lightweight four rower Bartley and 470 class sailor Mills have claimed silvers at London 2012, with hockey player Thomas winning bronze. Welsh athletes had claimed five medals at three previous Olympics - at Stockholm 1912, London 1948 and at Beijing four years ago - so a total of seven Olympic medals at these Games represents a stand-out achievement. The haul was reached despite two of the top tips for gold, 400m hurdler Dai Greene and triathlete Helen Jenkins, not fulfilling expectations after their preparations were disrupted by injury. Green also finished just outside the medals as part of the GB 4x400m relay team that came fourth in the final, while sprinter Christian Malcolm's last hopes were dashed when the 4x100m relay team was disqualified in the heats. The only milestone missed was equalling the mark of four gold medals won at a single Games set at Antwerp 1920. Ninety-two years ago it was water polo players Paulo Radmilovic and Christopher Jones, along with 4x400m relay runners Cecil Griffiths and John Ainsworth-Davies who spearheaded the Welsh effort under the banner of Great Britain. Wales also contributed a record 30 competitors to the GB squad, boosted by the five footballers selected for the men's team that lost on penalties to South Korea in the quarter-finals.", "summary": "Boxer Fred Evans had to settle for a silver medal as a record-breaking Olympics for Welsh competitors ended."}
{"article": "Louise James's partner, two sons, mother and sister died when their car left Buncrana pier in County Donegal and entered Lough Swilly on Sunday. The only survivor was her four-month old daughter Rionaghac-Ann. A funeral service for the victims will take place in Londonderry later. Those who died were Sean McGrotty, 49, his sons Mark, 12, and Evan, eight, Ruth Daniels, 57, and her 14-year-old daughter Jodie Lee Daniels. The family's priest said Ms James had a very emotional meeting with her baby's rescuer. Davitt Walsh dived into the lough, swam to the family in their car, and brought Rionaghac-Ann to safety. Fr Paddy O'Kane, who will officiate at Thursday's funeral service, said he was moved to tears when Ms James met Mr Walsh for the first time. He said: \"They looked at each other for some time and Louise began by saying: 'Davitt, I thank you so much for saving the life of my little girl - if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here now.'\" The priest added that she told Mr Walsh she would be grateful to him for the rest of her life and that the rescuer would \"always have a special bond\" with her baby. \"Then Davitt told us how sorry he was, because he would loved to have done more and he couldn't save the others,\" Fr O'Kane said. \"But she said: 'No, you did what you had to do. You did the right thing, you had to save her, because if you hadn't, and tried to save more, we could have had seven coffins here, not five.'\" The priest said Mr Walsh began to cry and told Ms James: \"I needed to hear that from you.\" The pair then embraced and wept together. Fr O'Kane said he believed he would never again see \"such intensity of feeling\". Mr Walsh will attend the funeral at Holy Family Church in Ballymagroarty at 14:00 GMT. Speaking ahead of the service, Fr O'Kane said: \"It's going to be very sad to have five coffins here in our church, we've never had that happen before.\" But he said the community was \"united in grief\" and wanted to support the family. Hundreds of people in the city have signed books of condolence, including Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers. Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness visited the family home on Thursday morning to meet Ms James and other family members. The leader of the Catholic church in Ireland also made what he said was a \"heartrending\" visit to the family home in Londonderry. Archbishop Eamon Martin, a native of the city, gave his condolences to Ms James and her extended family on Wednesday evening. \"At a time like this I realise that any words of mine are totally inadequate,\" he said. \"The enormous tragedy that has struck this family has stunned us all into silence. \"Even in the midst of such awful tragedy this family has made us all think of how precious and important our loved ones are to us.\"", "summary": "A Londonderry woman who lost five family members in a drowning tragedy off the Irish coast has had an emotional meeting with the man who rescued her baby in the incident."}
{"article": "The National Statistics Institute said the number of unemployed Spaniards fell by 12.4% to 4.78 million last year, thanks to a strengthening economy. In the fourth quarter the rate dropped to 20.9% of the workforce, compared with 21.2% three months earlier. The figures, which are better than predicted, are at their lowest level since mid-2011. The economic recovery pushed the number of unemployed people down by 678,200 for the whole year. But there is concern that much of the growth depends on short-term jobs The data showed almost twice as many temporary posts were created in 2015 than permanent ones. Vincenzo Scarpetta, a political analyst at Open Europe in London, said: \"If the economic cycle starts going less well, those jobs could start to evaporate.\" Economists fear that the inconclusive election, which has yet to result in a government, could delay much needed reform of the labour market. Spain has suffered a double-dip recession that pushed unemployment to just under 27% at the end of 2013. Retail sales grew 3.6% in 2015 as a whole, which is the biggest rise in 15 years. A fall in the active workforce also helped the drop in the unemployment rate in the fourth quarter, reflecting the flow of workers going abroad and inactivity among the long-term unemployed.", "summary": "Spanish unemployment figures have experienced their biggest annual fall but unemployment remains at over 20%."}
{"article": "Sixfields Tavern became engulfed in flames at about 14:30 GMT on Saturday afternoon. Eighty firefighters worked for five hours to contain the fire and no-one was hurt. Minor demolition work is to be carried out, as police and firefighters assess the damaged site. Barry Mullan, incident commander, said: \"The local employees did a great job in getting everyone out.\" He said the fire began in a rear compound which contains a bin store and walk-in freezer, although the exact cause is not yet known. Firefighters remain at the site watching for hotspots, which may reignite as the unstable areas are demolished. The pub is at Sixfields Leisure, a site of shops, restaurants, fast food outlets and a cinema just yards from Sixfields Stadium, the home of Northampton Town. Flames and billowing smoke could be seen above the stands as The Cobblers defeated Northwich 3-2 in the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon. Lewis Dunnachine, who was in the pub, said: \"We were finishing off our lunch prior to going to the Northampton Town match when I spotted spotted black smoke before the fire alarm went off. \"Our seats at the game enabled us to watch the building burn to the ground.\" The game was unaffected and police assisted as supporters left the ground at full-time. At the blaze's peak, firefighters were supported by crews from Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The operation was scaled down after 18:00 GMT. A smell of burning lingers in the area where this time yesterday, Sixfields Tavern was a busy restaurant and pub. It's now a carcass, burnt beyond all recognition. Part of the front of the building is still standing but from what I can see through the broken windows the inside is damaged beyond all reasonable repair. It's a sad sight. This was a popular local and the pub of home fans on match day. Police advised people to avoid the area on Saturday night and said Weedon Road roundabout remained closed on Sunday. A Hungry Horse spokesperson said: \"The pub will not be open for the foreseeable future and we will be working with the emergency services to establish the cause.\" They added: \"We sincerely apologise to our customers who have Christmas bookings with us, and will be contacting those whose telephone numbers we have as soon as we can to help them re-arrange their bookings, or where necessary, offer a refund of their deposits.\" The venue was fully-booked for Christmas Day lunch. James Stirling and Brian Miller were working at the pub when the fire took hold. They described it as heartbreaking. \"I've already cried,\" said Mr Miller. It is understood pub workers have been unable to collect their cars from the car park because their personal belongings, including keys, were in the staff room.", "summary": "Staff at a fire-wrecked pub in Northampton have been praised by a fire officer for their quick actions in helping customers to safety."}
{"article": "The Richard Burnett collection of instruments from the 17th to 19th Century went under the hammer on Wednesday. The auction in Newbury saw strong bidding with some items more than doubling their estimated guide price. The instruments were bought by collectors in the UK, China, USA and Germany. Proceeds from the auction, which topped \u00a3835,462, will go to the Finchcocks Charity, which works to keep historical instruments in playing condition. Dr Graham Wells, specialist at Dreweatts and Bloomsbury Auctions, said: \"This has stood out as one of the most exciting auctions that I have worked on.\" The collection was put up for sale after Finchcocks Museum in Goudhurst, Kent - owned by Mr Burnett - closed in December following his retirement.", "summary": "A collection of 70 historic keyboards belonging to a concert pianist has sold for more than \u00a3835,000 at auction."}
{"article": "Cafodd corff Janet Commins ei ddarganfod gan blant ar gae ysgol yn y dref wedi iddi fynd ar goll ar 7 Ionawr y flwyddyn honno. Roedd Stephen Hough, 58 oed o'r dref, yn gwadu cyhuddiad o'i llofruddio, ac fe'i cafwyd yn ddieuog o hynny gan reithgor yn Llys y Goron Yr Wyddgrug ddydd Iau. Ond barn y rheithgor oedd ei fod yn euog o ddynladdiad yn ogystal \u00e2 chyhuddiadau o dreisio. Aeth Janet ar goll ar \u00f4l gadael ei th\u0177 i fynd i nofio, ac mae dyn arall eisoes wedi treulio chwe blynedd dan glo am ei dynladdiad. Fe wnaeth Noel Jones, oedd yn 18 oed ar y pryd, gyfaddef ei lladd a bu yn y carchar am hanner ei ddedfryd o 12 mlynedd. Ond dywedodd wrth y rheithgor yn yr achos yma ei fod wedi cael ei wneud yn \"fwch dihangol\" gan yr heddlu am ei fod yn sipsi oedd prin yn gallu darllen ac ysgrifennu. Clywodd y llys bod Janet wedi ei lladd yn ystod ymosodiad rhyw, a bod ei chorff wedi cael ei symud yn ddiweddarach i'r man ble cafodd ei ddarganfod. Dywedodd Mark Heywood ar ran yr erlyniad bod y ferch wedi marw o ganlyniad i gael ei thagu yn ystod yr ymosodiad rhyw. Roedd DNA oedd yn cyd-fynd ag un Hough wedi ei ddarganfod ar samplau oedd wedi'u cadw o'r safle be gafodd y corff ei ddarganfod. Clywodd y rheithgor fod y DNA \"biliwn gwaith\" yn fwy tebygol o fod yn sampl gan Hough nac unrhyw berson arall. Fe fydd Hough yn cael ei ddedfrydu ar ddyddiad i'w bennu.", "summary": "Mae dyn wedi ei gael yn euog o dreisio ac o ddynladdiad merch ysgol 15 oed yn Y Fflint yn 1976."}
{"article": "Deep in the Nevada desert, thousands of mirrors arrayed in concentric circles face the sky, lit up by the sun. All this reflected sunshine is directed to the top of a 640 ft (195m) tower standing in their midst. It's an innovative power plant generating electricity, but not in a way you might expect. And it can carry on doing so even after the sun goes down. How? The concentrated light heats up liquid salt pumped to the top of the tower - the temperature reaches 566C (1,050F) - and this heat is then used to make steam to power an electricity generator in another part of the plant. \"The issue with solar traditionally is it is an intermittent power source - you can only produce electricity when the sun is shining,\" explains Kevin Smith, whose company Solar Reserve built the Crescent Dunes plant. \"But because we store the energy as heat, we can reliably produce electricity 24 hours a day, just like a conventional gas fired power station.\" The plant is one of a raft of sustainable energy storage solutions trying to address renewable energy's Achilles heel: its variability - ignoring tidal power's constancy. If we could store the electricity that sun and wind produce, we could tap into those stores when production dips. And this is the only way we're going to mount an effective challenge to the dominance of fossil fuels, experts say. Yes, tidal power is renewable and constant, but as yet, we haven't found commercially viable ways of tapping into it. Storage methods currently being used around the world include batteries, flywheels, geothermal plants, compressed air and hydrogen - even ice. But the the most popular method is hydro power - water pumped to the top of a mountain and then released to power turbines at the bottom. According to research company Navigant, global energy storage installations are going to rise from about 1,750 megawatts (MW) in 2016 to nearly 11,000 MW by 2020. \"We are moving away from very large conventional power stations that produce electricity which is sent through the grid to consumers, to a system where power is produced in a much more distributed way,\" says IHS's Sam Wilkinson. \"So storage is obviously a major focus, because it allows you to compensate for and correct for a lot of that fluctuating generation that comes from renewables.\" Our homes are increasingly being used for energy storage as well. Tesla's Powerwall, announced earlier this year, is just one of a crop of new storage batteries designed for domestic use. The US electric car manufacturer points out that the average household uses more electricity in the morning and evening than during the day, when solar energy is plentiful. So its battery charges during the day from solar roof panels, then powers the home in the evening. \"Without a home battery, excess solar energy is often sold to the power company and purchased back in the evening [at a higher price],\" Tesla argues. \"The mismatch adds demand on power plants and increases carbon emissions,\" it adds. The same", "summary": "It could be a scene from a science fiction movie."}
{"article": "Daria Gavrilova had earlier defeated Elina Svitolina 6-4 7-6 (8-6) in the women's rubber of the mixed event. Svitolina had six set points at 6-1 in the second-set tie-break but lost the last seven points of the match. Kyrgios, ranked 30th in the world, beat Britain's world number two Andy Murray in the group stage on Wednesday. The tournament hosts, who had two squads competing in the eight-team event, last won the competition in 1999.", "summary": "Nick Kyrgios secured the Hopman Cup for Australia Green by beating Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3 6-4 to give his team a 2-0 victory over Ukraine in Perth."}
{"article": "Winger Martin Donnelly scored the first with a low curling accurate shot from outside the box in the 35th minute. Just before half-time Ards keeper Ryan Brown made a brilliant save from striker David McDaid's penalty. McDaid did make it 2-0 on 62 minutes by turning the ball in from about six yards and late on sub Stephen Garrett wrapped it up with a close-range third. Seconds before Donnelly had netted the opener, Ards fluffed a great chance to take the lead when Jordan Baker put a six-yard header wide. And, just after going 2-0 down, Ards half-time substitute Stephen O'Neill went close to scoring against his former club but saw a header cleared off the line. The historic win also brought a first trophy for manager Gerard Lyttle, who last October took on the job of succeeding Tommy Breslin, the north Belfast club's most successful manager. Breslin, who had guided the Reds to eight trophies, stood down after Cliftonville's early-season league form stuttered. Lyttle, with Celtic for a spell as a player, took over originally on a temporary basis. But, after a promising start results-wise, the Solitude board gave Lyttle the full seal of approval and they will feel vindicated by this success. Ards had gone into the final as massive underdogs, even more so having agreed to play on their opponents' ground, rather than a neutral venue, to benefit from bigger gate receipts. Manager Niall Currie's main target is to get the North Down club, who were relegated in April 2014 and haven't had their own ground since the late 1990s, restored to the top flight of the Irish League. They will feel heartened. by giving a good account of themselves when the odds were stacked against them, and will be many people's favourites to go on and win the Championship One title. Cliftonville manager Gerard Lyttle: \"We told the lads to play themselves into the history books. \"Winning is everything to me and you have to get trophies at this club. \"I cannot believe it, winning as a manager is completely different. \"All the hard work pays off when you get a trophy at the end of it all.\" Cliftonville's David McDaid: \"It was great to score in the final after missing it last year. \"The keeper made a good save from my penalty and the lads kept me head up at half-time. \"This is history for the club, the whole team played well and I'm thrilled to be part of it.\" Ards: Brown, Hall, Gage, Cully, Lambe, Dorrian (O'Neill 45), McMillen (E McAllister 73), Arthurs, McAllister, Baker, Carson. Cliftonville: Devlin, Cosgrove, Smyth, McGovern (Flynn 77), Ives, M Donnelly, Catney, Knowles, Curran (George 86), J Donnelly, McDaid (Garrett 81). Referee: Andrew Davey (Bangor)", "summary": "Cliftonville became the first club to win the League Cup four years in a row by beating Ards in Saturday's final."}
{"article": "Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival, she also said she had never personally experienced sexism in the industry. There are 12 films by female directors being shown at Cannes, up three from last year. In 2012, there had been none. Huppert told the BBC: \"I think the message has been clearly heard. But on the other hand, you don't want to bring women just to bring women.\" The French actress, nominated for an Oscar for her role in controversial drama Elle earlier this year, continued: \"You have to strike the right balance between awareness and the reality of the situation... \"A good film is a good film. But we have to create the best possible conditions so there are more female films.\" Asked why the issue of equality was still an issue in 2017, she said: \"A lot has been done already, but there's still so much to do. \"And maybe not only in [the UK and France] but in poor countries, where most of the time women pay a strong price for difficult economic conditions and political conditions. Women are the first victims - it's no secret.\" Huppert was speaking after her talk at Cannes as part of the Women in Motion programme, which highlights women's contribution to the film industry. The actress said she had never been subject to sexist behaviour within the industry, saying she did \"everything possible\" to avoid those situations. \"I can figure it out from very, very far - I manage to never get close to it. I avoid it,\" she said. Huppert said she was glad the issue of equality was being talked about more. \"There's no reason why women, for the same work, should be paid less. And it's good that people talk about how difficult it is to make a film.\" Huppert has two films showing at Cannes this year: Claire's Camera, which was filmed in Cannes, and Happy End, directed by Michael Haneke. Happy End, in competition for the Palme d'Or, is a family drama set in Calais amidst the refugee crisis. Huppert told the BBC: \"I just wanted to do a Michael Haneke film. I have a very privileged relationship with him as a director.\" Asked if there was a dream role she would love to play, Huppert replied: \"I don't have dreams. Things happen or don't happen - most of the time they happen unexpectedly and there is nothing that can be done about it before.\" The festival in the south of France is celebrating its 70th year. Huppert said: \"For me, it's very important as I have been to Cannes so many times, and had so many movies in competition or out of competition. \"Cannes really is in the centre of my life.\" Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Oscar nominee Isabelle Huppert says women's voices need to be heard more clearly in the film world."}
{"article": "The Strasbourg judges said Russia had discriminated against three gay rights activists who opposed the law. It was adopted in 2013, banning promotion of homosexuality among people under 18. The law \"reinforced stigma and prejudice and encouraged homophobia\", the ruling said. Gay rights groups condemned the law. Under the law, private individuals deemed to be promoting \"homosexual behaviour among minors\" face fines of up to 5,000 roubles (\u00a367; $85), while officials risk paying 10 times that amount. Businesses and schools can be fined up to 500,000 roubles. Homosexuality was decriminalised in Russia in 1993, but anti-gay prejudice is rife. Critics see the propaganda law as part of a state campaign to marginalise LGBT activists, whose work includes dissemination of sexual health advice. The Strasbourg court said the fines imposed on three Russian gay rights activists violated Article 10 (freedom of expression) and Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the European Convention on Human Rights. According to the court, the legislation aimed at curbing promotion of homosexuality was \"not clearly defined\" and was implemented in an arbitrary way. It \"served no legitimate public interest\", the court said. Russia's justice ministry says it will appeal, arguing that the law is aimed \"exclusively at protecting the morals and health of children\". MP Vitaly Milonov, of the ruling United Russia party, who introduced the original bill into the St Petersburg parliament and which formed the basis of the federal law, told BBC Russian that the court's decision was \"anti-national\". \"It is absolutely harmful, and those who set up this decision are enemies of Europe,\" he said. The three activists had been found guilty for protesting against the law in 2009-2012 - outside a secondary school in Ryazan, a children's library in Archangel and an administrative building in St Petersburg. The court rejected the Russian government's claim that such a law was needed to protect morality. It found that the government had \"failed to demonstrate how freedom of expression on LGBT issues would devalue or otherwise adversely affect actual and existing 'traditional families' or would compromise their future\". Such laws, the judges said, \"embodied a predisposed bias on the part of a heterosexual majority against a homosexual minority\". They ordered Russia to pay each of the activists damages of between \u20ac8,000 (\u00a37,000; $8,900) and \u20ac20,000. One of the three, Nikolai Alexeyev, hailed the ruling as a \"total victory\", the BBC's Sarah Rainsford reports from Moscow. He had picketed a children's library, holding a sign declaring that gay people could also be great - and listing the Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky and filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein as examples.", "summary": "Russia's \"gay propaganda\" law is discriminatory and encourages homophobia, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled."}
{"article": "Train drivers' union Aslef said passengers were forced to leave the train due to a row over running longer, 12-car trains without a guard. The union is now balloting drivers over industrial action. Gatwick Express said it had been talking to Aslef for a year and was \"puzzled\" by the situation. Trains have been introduced gradually since February, with 12-car trains due to officially replace 10-car services from Monday. Gatwick passenger services director Angie Doll said a driver was not prepared to carry passengers on Saturday's first 12-car service. She said: \"Unfortunately the train was cancelled and around 30 passengers were moved to a train on the adjacent platform which left seven minutes later. \"The driver did take the train to Gatwick and back but not with any passengers on board.\" The company said letting the train out of Victoria without anyone on board was the best solution. It said the train would otherwise have blocked the busy platform and caused significant disruption, with no time available to split it or take it elsewhere. Ms Doll said the union was aware the trains were being introduced and drivers had already operated the trains and been given training. She said the company was open to further talks. Simon Weller, from Aslef, said the union had told Gatwick Express that members were not prepared to work 12-car trains. He said: \"The problem is running driver-only trains with passengers. \"The problem we have is with passengers boarding and alighting with only one person on the train. He said the union wanted Gatwick Express to put guards on the trains and said: \"The driver-only operation is a legacy of the shoestring economics of British Rail.\"", "summary": "A train made a return journey from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport without passengers in a dispute over a new service."}
{"article": "Figures collected by the City regulator showed that, in particular, personal accident cover sold alongside home or motor insurance rarely led to payouts. Nobody claimed over the course of a year on one particular policy covering the risk of serious injuries. A campaigner accused insurers of abusing customers' lack of expertise. Add-on insurance is where a policy is sold alongside another product. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the main financial regulator, has said that there is a risk that many of these policies offer poor value for money, previously declaring that \"firms must start putting consumers first, and stop seeing them as pound signs\". Thousands of complaints have now led the FCA to publish data showing the frequency of claims, their success rate, and average payouts in the 12 months to the end of August. Under personal accident cover add-ons, four of the eight policies included in the data saw a maximum of one claim from an average of at least 25,000 policies. In the case of one policy from Liverpool Victoria (LV), nobody at all claimed throughout the year. The company defended itself and said: \"All LV= comprehensive car policies cover personal accident with a limit of \u00a310,000, but customers who want extra peace of mind can choose an extended personal accident benefit of \u00a3100,000. \"The extended personal accident benefit is selected by a relatively small proportion of our customers. \"The add-on represents good value to those customers who want extra protection, by providing what is essentially catastrophe cover, for the modest price of \u00a319.90 per year.\" The company said it had questioned whether the FCA's analysis was suitable for such cover. Campaigner James Daley, of Fairer Finance, said customers who only occasionally bought an insurance add-on had no idea whether they were paying a fair price or not. As the policies were sold alongside another product, customers did not have the chance to check on price comparison sites to see whether these add-ons were a good deal. \"There needs to be a mechanism in place to ensure this is not abused,\" he said. But the insurance industry said customers should consider whether they really needed these policies. \"Our own claims analysis has highlighted some common areas of misunderstanding and we have published a home insurance guide to help consumers,\" said James Bridge, assistant director at the Association of British Insurers. \"Customers also need to ensure that they do not simply buy on price but make sure they have cover at the levels they need.\" He pointed out that the vast majority of actual claims were paid out.", "summary": "Thousands of insurance policy \"add-ons\" only produce a handful of claims, new data shows, raising renewed concerns over their value."}
{"article": "Raj Odedra, a postmaster in Burghfield Common, Berkshire, hoped the postbox in Recreation Road would be painted gold to congratulate the diver. After Royal Mail refused to paint the postbox Mr Odedra decided to place a replica in front of it. It has since become a popular landmark for \"selfies\". Mears and his diving partner Jack Laugher won Great Britain's first ever Olympic diving gold in the men's synchronised 3m springboard event. Dozens of people have posted photos of their \"postbox selfies\" on the Burghfield Community Facebook page. \"It started off as a low key tribute to our Burghfield boy, but the postbox has since become really popular in the community - particularly on social media,\" Mr Odedra said. \"People from all over Reading to Tilehurst have come to visit the postbox and to take a selfie in front of it. \"It has really helped bring the community together to help support the success of Chris Mears and his family who live here.\" Royal Mail defended its decision not to paint post boxes gold. A spokesman said: \"After London 2012, we confirmed that all 110 post boxes would remain gold on a permanent basis, with a plaque naming the athlete and their achievement. \"However Brazil, as the host nation of Rio 2016, has the honour of celebrating the games in its own way\".", "summary": "The home village of Olympic gold medallist Chris Mears has installed a golden cardboard postbox as a tribute to his Rio 2016 success."}
{"article": "The leaders of mass demonstrations have welcomed proposed talks, but still insist that Mr Leung should step down. The protesters are angry at China's plan to vet candidates for elections in 2017, and say they want full democracy. They have surrounded two Hong Kong government buildings, but have been warned not to try and occupy them. At a news conference shortly before the protesters' midnight deadline for his resignation, the chief executive said attempting to occupy building would lead to \"serious consequences\". He said the territory's top civil servant, Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, would open a dialogue with student leaders as soon as possible. \"Tonight, the Hong Kong Federation of Students issued an open letter asking for a meeting with the chief secretary, representing the Hong Kong government, to discuss one item - and this is the constitutional development of Hong Kong,\" Mr Leung told reporters. \"We have studied the letter in detail, and I'm now appointing the chief secretary to represent the Hong Kong government to meet with the representatives of the Hong Kong Federation of Students to discuss constitutional development matters.\" He added: \"I will not resign because I have to continue with the work for elections.\" Student protest leaders responded by saying that they planned to join the talks with the government but insisted that Mr Leung should step down, saying he had \"lost his integrity\". A wider pro-democracy group that has joined the demonstrations, Occupy Central, issued a statement saying it \"hopes the talks can provide a turning point in the current political stalemate\". It added: \"However, we reiterate our view that Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying is the one responsible for the stalemate, and that he must step down.\" At the scene: Ali Moore, BBC News, Hong Kong The late-night press conference came in the final hours of the student-imposed deadline for the resignation of CY Leung. And while he made it clear he wasn't going anywhere, the agreement to talk has defused the immediate tensions. Protesters remain on the streets but the air of expectation in the lead-up to the deadline has gone, and the focus now is on what the government may offer when they finally sit down at the table. The students want the talks held in public, which is an interesting challenge for the Hong Kong authorities. And while there's no indication they'll get what they want - in fact the opposite - they're sticking to their demands. But the meeting is a chance for both sides of this political stand off to take a step back. Whether it's enough to get the protestors to go home is another question. Police had earlier warned protesters massed outside the Office of the Chief Executive and the Central Government Complex not to try to breach the cordon protecting the buildings. Lord Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong before it was handed over to China in 1997, told the BBC: \"For the hundreds of thousands of demonstrators and the majority of people in Hong Kong, the big issue is whether or not they can secure", "summary": "Hong Kong's Chief Executive CY Leung says he will not resign, but has offered talks between his government and pro-democracy protesters."}
{"article": "A picture of a Chinese university student in the city of Wuhan apparently studying hard at his desk surrounded by murky flood water has surfaced on Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo. The city of Wuhan has been placed on red alert for heavy rainfall, after torrential downpours left parts of the city submerged and some state media estimates suggest flooding has killed more than 180 across China. This young man is reported to be a student at Wuhan University and was said to be studying for exams when water started coming into his room. He then simply moved to squat on top of his chair as it continued to rise. Reports say he later left the room in search of higher ground when water levels reached the height of his desk, returning only when the water had receded. Local media pounced on the image lauding the young man's apparent dedication to his studies, a paragon of studious virtue. \"His roommate commented that the exam he is taking is very difficult,\" reported the Chutian Metropolis Daily. \"But he has had a history of good results.\" Many reported that he was looking to head overseas after graduation, and so had much invested in these exams. But netizens on Weibo were not all so kind. Some took jabs at the picture and suggested it might have been staged. \"Alright, you can turn around now that the picture's taken,\" said one netizen. \"Who took the photo? He's just as skilled,\" asks another. \"Is he actually watching Harry Potter?\" another Weibo user posted. Another user simply pointed out that the student could surely have just \"brought the books and gone upstairs\". Perhaps the final word should be saved for this poster: \"Oh man, I should really go study too.\" Reporting by Yvette Tan.", "summary": "If you thought you were hardworking, you might want to think again."}
{"article": "Pre-tax profits dropped to \u00a349m from \u00a353.5m in 2014. But the Cardiff-based society - the largest in Wales - said it had helped 3,500 first-time buyers onto the housing ladder, up by 1,200 on the previous year. It also warned 67 workers at its Nemo secured loans business that they were at risk of redundancy. It has been trying to offload Nemo and said it would no longer take on any new customers. However, the building society said it believed it could find jobs for many of the staff within its 1,000 strong workforce. Meanwhile, Principality, which is the sixth biggest society UK-wide, said mortgage lending to home-buyers had passed the \u00a35bn mark for the first time. Graeme Yorston, group chief executive, said it had been \"another strong 12 months\". He said the society would continue to respond to technological demands, which have included rolling out mortgage interviews on Skype and online appointment booking. Underlying profit was \u00a357.8m, up from \u00a351.9m. This included dealing with one-off issues like stopping new lending from its subsidiary Nemo, which provides secure loans on properties. There has been speculation over recent years that Principality would look to sell this part of its business. It will continue to manage accounts it currently has. Mr Yorston said although Nemo had made a \u00a314m profit, it did not want to \"increase our participation in this market\". Looking ahead at economic prospects, he said he did not expect to see any rise in the official Bank of England base rate until 2017 and \"when it does it is likely to be modest\".", "summary": "Principality Building Society has announced a dip in its profits for 2015, after a record the year before."}
{"article": "Last year, Swansea University's Specific innovation centre unveiled the UK's first energy-positive classroom. Now plans have been approved which will see the same approach adopted in 16 new homes to be built by social housing group Pobl, in Neath Port Talbot. The report was carried out by an independent energy consultant. The concept uses a combination of solar cells, battery storage and a revolutionary steel frame which draws solar-heated air through tiny perforations for heating and warm water. Andris Bankovskis, a member of government body, the Panel of Technical Experts on Electricity Market Reform, based his report on the Neath plans. But he scaled them up to reflect the potential savings if the technology and approach was applied to a million homes. He concluded the average saving on energy bills could be at least \u00a3600 per household, not including any additional benefits from solar feed-in tariffs. In addition to consumer benefits, Mr Bankovskis suggested a host of environmental benefits. These include a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions of nearly 80 million tonnes over 40 years and a reduction of 3,000 Megawatts in peak generating capacity - equivalent to the output of a very large power station. He said: \"The combination of photovoltaic cells and battery storage means that the homes could harvest energy from sunlight, and hold it until it is needed at times of peak demand. \"It also means that provided we can make smart networks a reality, we can better control our energy and share it more easily around a locality, reducing stress on the grid. \"The potential savings amount to over \u00a311bn over 40 years, and that's before you factor in the opportunities for investment and job creation.\" Set for completion in 2019, the Neath homes - being built on behalf of Neath Port Talbot council - will be fitted with a steel roof, on to which the photovoltaic cells are integrated, allowing them to operate in areas with lower levels of sunlight. Electricity will be stored in batteries until needed, and shared within the community. There will also be the opportunity to charge electric vehicles using the excess energy. Water heating will come from a solar heat collector on south facing walls, as the homes will use no gas. In time, it is hoped this system could operate over an entire year; allowing heat to be captured in summer and stored for use during the winter. Kevin Bygate, chief executive at Specific, said: \"Individually, all these technologies exist commercially, what's new is the way we've been able to bring them together in a form which is easy and cost-effective, through integration, allowing roll-out on a large scale. \"We're focusing on new-builds at the moment, where there is significant opportunity to help those in fuel poverty, but there's no reason why they couldn't be retro-fitted to existing homes.\" He added: \"Buildings count for around half of all energy usage, so adopting this system can have a massive effect on consumption for a comparatively low cost.\" If the Neath project is successful, there is the opportunity to roll out the", "summary": "A design concept which turns homes into power stations has the potential to cut household fuel bills by more than 60%, according to a report."}
{"article": "The bank looks increasingly likely to be bailed out by the government after a deadline for recapitalisation passed. The Italian parliament has authorised the government to use more than $20bn (\u00a316.8bn) to support the bank sector. But a state bailout would mean thousands of ordinary retail investors could face losses. Monte dei Paschi failed to raise an extra \u20ac5bn (\u00a34.25bn) from private investors by the deadline at lunchtime on Thursday and is expected to request government intervention. However the government would need to adhere to new European Union rules designed to prevent the tax payer bearing the brunt of supporting weak banks. The new Italian prime minister, Paolo Gentiloni, has vowed not to let the bank fail, for fear that its collapse could topple the rest of Italy's heavily indebted banking sector. Mr Gentiloni is \"stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea\", according to Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets. He told the BBC's Today programme it was likely that thousands of Italian retail investors, including pensioners, would be left out of pocket, because new EU rules governing bank rescues demanded that bondholders should be the first to take a financial hit. Small investors are estimated to hold some \u20ac2bn of Monte dei Paschi's bonds. Ferdinando Giugliano, economics commentator for La Repubblica newspaper, told the BBC that this could cause controversy in Italy, since about 40,000 small investors would be affected. \"The politics is toxic. There will be a number of people who will feel defrauded by this operation,\" he said. \"Just a year ago, there was a similar case for four much smaller banks where the government stepped in... that was just 10,000 people. \"Now with Monte dei Paschi di Siena, we're talking four times as many people. A year ago, we saw widespread political discontent because of this decision. There were protests. The bank of Italy, the regulator, the government came under huge pressure. \"So we're bound to see something similar in the coming days and it will be a big challenge, particularly because in Italy we have a new government.\" A state bailout has been on the cards for some time - but the government has been anxious to avoid stepping in. The reason is simple. Under European laws, designed to prevent taxpayers from bearing the costs of broken banks, investors are supposed to bear some of the costs of a rescue. That's not such a problem if those investors are large investment funds with deep pockets. But in Italy, many of those left exposed would be retail investors - ordinary people, who may have put their life savings into bank bonds thinking it was a safe bet. There's a precedent - last year Italy rescued four small regional banks; 130 000, shareholders and bondholders lost their money. One elderly investor committed suicide, and there was a widespread political backlash. Monte dei Paschi is a much bigger bank, and if small investors have to bear losses, that could have much greater consequences and the political impact could be even more serious. So the question is", "summary": "Shares in Italy's third largest bank, Monte dei Paschi di Siena, closed 7.4% lower on Thursday as the markets awaited news of a rescue."}
{"article": "Louis Harris, 18, has been missing since he was spotted near the pavilion walking up steps towards the pier at 04:30 GMT on 14 February. Dorset Police said it was \"totally out of character\" for him to disappear and they were \"extremely\" concerned. A spokeswoman added that specialist dive teams have been looking in Weymouth harbour. Mr Harris is white, about 5ft 10ins, slim, with brown short hair. He was last seen wearing a blue and white hooded Lacoste top, a white Fat Face checked shirt with a blue and red checked pattern, blue jeans and Vans shoes. Chief Inspector Steve Horton, of Dorset Police, said his family has not heard from him since he went missing.", "summary": "Police divers have been searching for a missing Dorchester man who was last seen on Weymouth beach."}
{"article": "North-East Labour MSP Richard Baker highlighted the recent postponement of operations at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary as proof of a lack of funding for health services in the area. Mr Baker said the situation had reached crisis point. NHS Grampian has apologised to the patients affected. It admitted that since the 6 January it has been experiencing pressure on hospital beds, resulting in a number of operations at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary being postponed. Mr Baker told BBC Scotland: \"We have had serious issues in terms of local health services. It's now absolutely clear this requires a response.\" In a statement, the Scottish government said NHS Grampian and local authority partners were working very closely to address the issues, and meetings would assess what further help could be provided.", "summary": "Scottish Health Secretary Alex Neil has been asked to investigate a reported catalogue of problems at NHS Grampian."}
{"article": "Kezia Dugdale was speaking after Unite boss Len McCluskey said he \"can't see\" Labour winning on 8 June. Mr McCluskey later distanced himself from the remarks, insisting that he was \"now full of optimism\" about the party's chances. Referring to Mr McCluskey's original comments, Ms Dugdale said: \"I think he is wrong. I hope he's wrong.\" In an interview with Politico, Mr McCluskey suggested that winning 200 seats - nearly 30 fewer than in 2015 - would be a \"successful\" result for Mr Corbyn, and it would be \"extraordinary\" if the party won the election. But asked about his comment on Wednesday morning, he said: \"I am now full of optimism. If I was having that interview now I would not be making those comments.\" Mr McCluskey said he was \"now convinced that the polls will change\" and that \"Labour is in with a real chance\", describing the party's campaign as \"brilliant\". Asked on the Good Morning Scotland programme about the union leader's original remarks, Ms Dugdale said success for the party would mean \"winning\". She said she wanted the \"Tories out of office and a Labour government in its place\", but would not put a figure on how many seats she was hopeful of winning in Scotland, where the party returned only one MP in 2015. \"I want to make progress in Scotland, I want to win more seats, I want to reduce the majority of SNP MPs in many other seats,\" she said. \"The reality is that in the vast majority of seats across Scotland's central belt it is the Labour Party that stands a very strong second to the SNP.\" Mr Corbyn said in March that he would be \"absolutely fine\" with Scotland having a second independence referendum if the Scottish Parliament asked for one. His comment was condemned at the time by senior party figures in Scotland - with justice spokeswoman, Jackie Baillie, describing Mr Corbyn as \"misguided and irresponsible\" while MP Ian Murray said the leader was \"destroying the party\". And Labour's general election manifesto, which was unveiled by Mr Corbyn on Tuesday, says the party will \"work tirelessly\" to oppose a referendum. Ms Dugdale insisted the party was not sending out mixed messages on the issue, saying it was \"very clear\" that everyone in the Labour movement opposed independence and a second referendum on the basis that it would lead to \"turbo-charged austerity\" and \"\u00c2\u00a315bn of cuts\". She said people across Scotland were tired of politics in Scotland being dominated by the constitution. But she added: \"It is a huge issue - people are angry that they might be forced to answer that question again. \"So what I am saying clearly is that with Labour you get a clear promise of opposition to independence and an independence referendum. \"But you also get a lot more than that - this is where the Tories and Ruth Davidson fall short. We have got a transformative plan to transform this country, so you can oppose independence but also vote for investment in our public services.\" Good Morning Scotland interviewed", "summary": "The leader of Scottish Labour has insisted that she thinks the party can win next month's general election."}
{"article": "The American, 34, reached her 88th career final by beating Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 7-6 (7-1). It took 2012 champion Azarenka just over two hours to see off Karolina Pliskova, with the 26-year-old Belarusian winning 7-6 1-6 6-2. \"This year has been great. It feels so great to be supported,\" said Williams, twice a winner of the tournament. \"It's been a great comeback here in Indian Wells. I'm excited about that.\" Williams won seven games in a row to take the first set and go 3-0 up in the second, before seven successive points clinched victory in the tie-break. She has won 23 of her 24 matches at Indian Wells, taking a self-imposed 14-year exile from the event amidst allegations of racial abuse from fans after sister Venus withdrew minutes before their semi-final in 2001. \"I had a lot of support, I heard a lot of 'go Serenas' and that was kind of cool,\" added Williams, who won the tournament in 1999 and 2001.", "summary": "World number one Serena Williams will face Victoria Azarenka in Sunday's BNP Paribas Open final at Indian Wells."}
{"article": "The 20-year-old hit six fours, showing no ill-effects from the break to the same finger that caused him to leave England's winter tour of India early. Hameed was eventually bowled by seamer Jamie Porter as the visitors reached 319, thanks largely to a counter-attacking 74 from debutant Dale Vilas. Essex were 35-2 in reply at the close. After Lancashire opted to bat first, Hameed, playing after being hurt on the same finger practising against the Cambridge students this week, shared a third-wicket stand of 68 with Liam Livingstone. Steven Croft (48) then gave the visitors' innings impetus, but a flurry of wickets in the afternoon session put Essex in charge as Lancashire were reduced to 160-6. On his Essex debut, former Lancashire paceman Neil Wagner (3-100) and Aaron Beard (3-47) did the damage, along with the run-out of Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 15 by substitute fielder Callum Taylor. South African Kolpak signing Vilas struck 10 boundaries as his 101-ball innings to ensure there was no collapse from the visitors, but their total was still looking a little below par when he was the penultimate batsman out with the total on 268. However, England's James Anderson (13 not out) joined Kyle Jarvis (28) to put on 51 runs in fewer than 10 overs, which frustrated the hosts, taking Lancashire past 300, giving them a third batting point. Essex faced nine overs before stumps and began their reply solidly enough, but Jarvis and Anderson took a late wicket apiece to give their side a slight edge. Essex's former Lancashire paceman Neil Wagner told BBC Radio Essex: \"It was tough graft out there. It was a pretty unresponsive wicket. It was quite good batting conditions with no cloud or moisture in the air and not much swing. And they played very well. \"It was a wicket where if you gave yourself time it will work for you and Dane Vilas showed that. Once you got in and set on the wicket you could score freely and for long periods of time. \"It was an outstanding delivery by Jamie Porter to remove Haseeb Hameed. He is a batsman who leaves the ball really well and makes good decisions. So it was a pretty good ball. \"Aaron Beard is an outstanding prospect for Essex. I am very excited watching him bowl. I love working with him, he's a good kid. He's still young and the talent and ability he's got at the moment is something to be very excited about.\" Lancashire's England opener Haseeb Hameed told BBC Radio Manchester: \"The finger is fine now. It felt almost back to normal. It was a bit of a freak incident last week, injuring it in the warm-up and it was quite painful when I batted. \"We made the right decision in getting it checked out and thankfully it was all OK. It was the same finger I injured before. I was doing some short-leg practice and trapped it between ball and turf. \"It swelled up quite a lot and became painful. The surgeon has suggested that when there is a", "summary": "England opener Haseeb Hameed shook off a hand injury to make a confident 47 as Lancashire edged a see-saw first day of the new season against Essex."}
{"article": "Ms McIlveen's new department is an amalgamation of the former agriculture and environment ministries. One challenge will be to balance the executive's push for significant growth of the agri-food industry without compromising environmental protections. The DUP was the only party to launch a specific agriculture mini-manifesto ahead of the assembly elections. It was titled \"A Friend of the Farmer and Natural Heritage\". Despite holding a ministry in the last executive, Ms McIveen is not a regular in the media. Her low-key approach may, in part, be reflected in a line attributed to Margaret Thatcher which she retweeted recently. In it Mrs Thatcher is quoted as saying: \"If you want anything said, ask a man, if you want anything done, ask a woman\". First minister Arlene Foster suggested an advisory role for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency to help farmers protect the environment, as well as its enforcement role. The first minister has said in the past that while farmers acknowledge the need for regulation she felt there was \"over regulation\". On the environment, Ms McIlveen will have to consider whether Northern Ireland is set to introduce its own climate change legislation. Conservationists and her SDLP predecessor Mark H Durkan, have also called for the debate around an independent Environmental Protection Agency to be re-opened.", "summary": "The new Minister for Agriculture and Environment, Michelle McIveen, faces many challenges."}
{"article": "They said they wanted information about the Buk missile that shot down the airliner, killing 298 people on board. The criminal inquiry was at \"a very advanced stage\", they said, and results would be presented after the summer. The West and Ukraine say Russian-backed rebels were responsible but Russia accuses Ukrainian forces. In a statement, the Dutch-led prosecutors said they had made \"several requests\" for assistance - but were still waiting for information from Moscow. They said a few issues, including forensic tests, were taking more time than expected. However, the first conclusions regarding the type of the weapon used and the exact launch site are expected to be published in autumn. Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed at the height of the conflict between Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian separatists. Last year, a Dutch report concluded it was downed by a Russian-made Buk missile, but did not say who fired it. Some families of the victims are suing Russia and its President Vladimir Putin in the European Court of Human Rights. Their claim is based on the violation of a passenger's right to life, News.com.au reported earlier this month. They are seeking A$10 million Australian dollars ($7.2m; \u00c2\u00a34.9m) for each victim, and the lawsuit names both the Russian state and its president as respondents. A senator with Mr Putin's party was quoted in state media as saying the claim was \"legally nonsensical and has no chance\". Separately, families of six Malaysia Airlines crew members who were killed filed a lawsuit on Thursday blaming the carrier for the tragedy. They accuse the company of negligence and breach of contract.", "summary": "Prosecutors have sought to put pressure on Russia to provide information about the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014."}
{"article": "Samantha Power has landed in Guinea and will visit Sierra Leone and Liberia. She told NBC some nations who offered backing \"haven't taken responsibility yet\" in supplying aid and doctors. More than 10,000 people have contracted the Ebola virus, with 4,922 deaths, according to the World Health Organization's latest figures. All but 27 of the cases have occurred inside Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Ms Power told NBC as she boarded her plane: \"The international response to Ebola needs to be taken to a wholly different scale than it is right now.\" She said: \"You have countries at the UN where I work every day who are signing on to resolutions and praising the good work that the US and the UK and others are doing, but they themselves haven't taken the responsibility yet to send docs, to send beds, to send the reasonable amount of money.\" Ms Power told NBC the \"mere fact of going as a member of the president's cabinet [shows] that we shouldn't be afraid\", adding that her five-year-old son was \"obsessed\" with Ebola. She will visit national Ebola coordination centres and meet US and UN workers, although it was not clear whether she would meet survivors of the outbreak. Ms Power last week said the international community \"isn't just losing the race to Ebola. We are getting lapped\", and even praised Cuba - under a US embargo for decades - for its supply of doctors to Sierra Leone. The Pentagon announced that a new commander, Maj Gen Gary Volesky, had taken over the US military mission to fight Ebola in West Africa. It said that troops from the US 101st Division who arrived in Liberia 38 days ago had established two new laboratories and that a 25-bed hospital should be operational in the capital Monrovia by November. The US has pledged 4,000 troops to build hospitals and to train health workers in West Africa, some 600 of whom have already arrived. However, new rules in some parts of the US on quarantining returning health workers have drawn criticism. A nurse put into isolation on her return from treating patients in Sierra Leone expressed anger at the way she was dealt with at Newark airport. Kaci Hickox, of medical charity Doctors Without Borders, said the experience was frightening, and described seeing a \"frenzy of disorganisation, fear and most frightening, quarantine\". She said she was kept in isolation at the airport terminal for seven hours and given only a cereal bar to eat. New York, New Jersey and Illinois have imposed stricter quarantine rules than those at the federal level. In the three states, anyone who has had contact with Ebola victims in West Africa now faces a mandatory 21-day quarantine period. The White House said the states' stricter rules could put off aid workers and others travelling to West Africa to help mitigate the crisis at its source. Although Ms Hickox tested negative in a preliminary test for the virus, she will remain under quarantine for three weeks and continue to be monitored by health officials. The stricter", "summary": "The US ambassador to the UN has begun a visit to the three nations worst hit by the Ebola outbreak, criticising the level of international support so far."}
{"article": "The pony followed a family down a mountainside near Coedty Reservoir, above Tal-y-Bont in Conwy county, for about four miles earlier this month. The foal collapsed and was carried further by the family, but there was no way of reuniting him with his mother. RSPCA Cymru has urged people to try and stop foals following them for long distances. Fiona Jones, of RD Owen Equine Clinic who works closely with the RSPCA, collected the pony after it became stranded. He is now \"thriving\" at a rescue centre. Ms Jones said: \"However well intentioned someone may be, we're urging people to not lead foals like this way away from their mothers. \"This foal had apparently walked some four miles and it was impossible to retrace steps in this Snowdonia mountain range to return the equine from where he'd come from. \"It is so important people walking near equines do not entice, inadvertently or not, foals away - and, if that does happen, they make every effort to return them, as soon as possible. \"Had this happened in this instance, this foal would still be with the mother.\" Gareth Johnson, RSPCA equine rehoming officer, added: \"Fortunately, this foal is doing brilliantly, and is thriving on the bottle - so, thankfully, this story may well have a happy ending.\"", "summary": "A baby foal has been rescued after becoming stranded from his mother on Snowdonia."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Captain Alastair Cook confirmed England would field an unchanged line-up against Australia, with Mark Wood joining Stuart Broad and Steven Finn in the pace attack. \"He bowled yesterday but at about 60 to 70%,\" said Cook. \"He's gutted but it's probably about a week too early.\" England lead the series 3-1 and have already regained the Ashes. Anderson, England's all-time leading wicket-taker, sustained the injury during England's win in the third Test at Edgbaston. \"He's made really good progress and the medical staff have been brilliant with him but he's still probably about a week away,\" Cook added. \"The way Mark has come in and bowled in the series - certainly in the first game and the last game - we have options. \"He's a brilliant character and a pretty good bowler who has really looked at home in international cricket in his early Test matches. I think we still haven't seen the best of Mark and that's what is really exciting about him.\" With England's next series a tough away assignment against Pakistan on the turning pitches of the United Arab Emirates, and the series already won, there had been speculation that Yorkshire spinner Adil Rashid could be included at The Oval. But Cook said Rashid would have to wait for his Test debut. \"We come into this game trying to win this series 4-1,\" he said. \"That's what we've discussed. \"Adil has been with us in every single squad but the pitches haven't quite suited two spinners so Adil's had to wait for his chance. \"As a cricketer, he's really improving and he feels a lot more comfortable in the England environment. There's a one-day series to come so he'll probably get his chance in that.\" Cook said his opening partner Adam Lyth needs a good match at The Oval in order to safeguard his place in the team after a run of low scores. Lyth has scored just 86 runs from seven innings in the series at an average of 12.28. \"He hasn't scored the runs he would have liked,\" Cook said. \"It's tough when your first seven games are against the bowlers that we've faced. \"He's a very good player who can succeed in international cricket - he scored a very good century against New Zealand where you saw a lot of his talent. But he's got to go out there and score runs.\" Australia will be forced into at least one change for the final Test, with seamer Josh Hazlewood ruled out with injury and likely to be replaced by Pat Cummins. \"Josh has some niggling problems we would like to manage,\" said Australia coach Darren Lehmann. \"As such, he was not considered for selection for the fifth Test.\" The last two Tests have seen bowler-friendly wickets produce three-day finishes, and Australia captain Michael Clarke believes the pitch at The Oval will be no different. \"It's green,\" he said. \"I think again it's going to be a result wicket. Someone is going to win, someone is going to lose.\"", "summary": "England bowler James Anderson will miss the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval after failing to recover from a side strain."}
{"article": "Malcolm Fyfield has suffered severe post traumatic stress disorder since surviving the flooded Gleision drift mine in September 2011. He told Swansea Crown Court the only sign of water near the point being mined was \"ponding\" on the ground. Mr Fyfield and owners MNS Mining Ltd deny manslaughter charges. David Powell, 50, Charles Breslin, 62, Philip Hill, 44, and Garry Jenkins, 39, died when 650,000 gallons of water rushed into the area they were working in after they blasted into a flooded old section of the pit. Mr Fyfield managed to escape and spent 12 days in hospital recovering from a broken hand and bruising and swelling as a result of a \"near-drowning experience\". The former mine manager insisted he had not inspected the wrong part of the mine and said he was sure he was not mistaken because of the angle and gradient of the underground road. The jury was told Mr Fyfield also suffers from \"survivor guilt\" and certain words used to describe the flooded mine trigger a feeling of being back in the pit. Elwen Evans, QC, defending, told the court that \"ponding\" water found in the area before the controlled explosion was not unusual and Mr Fyfield did not think it was particularly significant. Miss Evans reminded the jury Mr Fyfield was working alongside the men, adding: \"It would have been incredibly reckless to make the breakthrough at a location he had not inspected, putting at risk the lives of four men as well as his own. \"We are dealing with someone whose reputation was as sky high as it comes. \"Year after year he did everything by the book. He knew how to do it, but this time he did not? It does not make sense.\" Miss Evans asked the jury to decide the case according to the facts and to not base their verdicts on emotion. The trial continues.", "summary": "The manager of a mine where four workers drowned checked three times for any signs of water or danger the day before it flooded, a court has heard."}
{"article": "The band were named best international artists, beating Eminem, Coldplay and Pharrell Williams. They also performed Steal My Girl at the ceremony in Sydney. Katy Perry and 5 Seconds Of Summer were also on red carpet selfie duty... to the max. See Liam trying to look happy, but not massively succeeding, in this Vine video (posted by 18styles). Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "One Direction posed for many MANY selfies at the Aria Awards in Australia before picking up yet another award."}
{"article": "Jayne Rand, from Swindon in Wiltshire, carried out a nationwide \"campaign of shoplifting\" and took handbags and purses worth up to \u00a3135,000. She was eventually caught at a shopping centre in Cwmbran, south Wales. Her haul, Newport Crown Court heard, included bags made by Mulberry, Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Burberry valued at up to \u00a3200 each. Rand sold some of the bags on online auction site eBay. She is known to have made \u00a388,000 in sales from the stolen bags but their retail value would have been closer to double that figure. On Friday, Judge Rhys Rowlands told her she had \"made a business of stealing\" and her actions had been \"planned, calculated and persistent\". \"I have not seen such a case before. You travelled significant distances to steal from up and down the country and target high value bags,\" the judge added. The court heard how Rand, a housewife and mother of two, was able to carry out her crimes and even stole to order for some of her online buyers. Prosecutor David Wooler said: \"She stole handbags from all over the country. \"She targeted department stores including Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis. \"Her usual method of theft was to go into the store without a bag, pick up one from the display, walk around with it on her shoulder for a while, then simply walk out of the store. \"Sometimes she would have to remove the security tag, but usually she wouldn't have to.\" But her crime spree came to an end when security staff at a shopping centre in Cwmbran caught her and alerted police. The court heard after officers began to investigate they found she had listed a significant number of handbags for sale on eBay priced competitively. \"Her house was full of sealable grey delivery bags and Post Office receipts,\" the prosecutor told the court. \"She set up a legitimate business and no one, not even her husband, knew what she was doing. \"Rand told police she needed money to fund her lifestyle.\" She admitted stealing 905 handbags and four purses from House of Fraser and various retail businesses between December 2009 and December 2012. She also admitted converting criminal assets from 838 handbags. The court was told the cost price of the handbags was in excess of \u00a3130,000 but the prosecutor said the retail price would be much greater. In her defence, Andrew Taylor, said: \"She bitterly regrets everything that she's done.\" \"She became almost immune to the feeling of wrongdoing. \"She was almost addicted to stealing high-value bags in an attempt to keep the ship afloat. \"She never expected to find herself in such dire circumstances and out of desperation took this course of action.\" During sentencing, Judge Rhys Rowlands told Rand: \"This was a remarkably serious raft of thefts which only ended when you were caught stealing a valuable handbag from a store in Cwmbran. \"How you got away with it for so long without being caught was deeply remarkable. \"You showed professionalism and that is why you went undetected", "summary": "A 48-year-old woman who stole 905 designer handbags over a three-year period has been jailed for 18 months."}
{"article": "The 16-year-old went to Michael Harrington's Grangetown home, in Cardiff, after suspecting him of sexually assaulting a schoolgirl, and fatally stabbed the 67-year-old. He was convicted of manslaughter after being cleared of murder at Cardiff Crown Court. Mrs Justice Nicola Davies said the case was a \"tragedy\". There was never a formal complaint made against Mr Harrington, the court heard. Sentencing the boy on Friday, the judge told him: \"This was a tragedy for you and a tragedy for your family and is something you will live with for the rest of your life. \"You are of positive good character and you genuinely believed that this man had sexually abused (the schoolgirl). \"But you took the law into your own hands and no one has the authority to do that. \"The offence is so serious that only a custodial sentence is justified.\" The teenager, who cannot be named, went to Mr Harrington's home on 3 August, stabbing him in his neck and ear with a steak knife. Mr Harrington died four days later. The boy claimed he never meant to kill the man, but stabbed him during a struggle with the knife. Despite his denials, he was found guilty of manslaughter by a majority verdict of 11-1 by the jury.", "summary": "A schoolboy who killed a pensioner for allegedly abusing a girl has been given a three-year custodial sentence."}
{"article": "The scheme would be similar to 'Sarah's Law' - the law introduced in England, Scotland and Wales in 2011.. It allows a parent or guardian to ask police if a person who has contact with children is a child sex offender. Hundreds of paedophiles have been identified in Great Britain since the introduction of the scheme. Two DUP assembly members, Paul Frew and Lord Morrow, have tabled an amendment to the Justice Bill due to be discussed in the assembly on Tuesday. The amendment says that guidance for statutory agencies managing the risks of offenders must \"contain arrangements for the consideration of disclosure, to any particular member of the public, of information in the possession of the agencies about the relevant previous convictions of any specified sexual or violent offender, where it is necessary to protect a particular child or children from serious harm caused by the offender.\" The amendment also states that members of the public provided with information may be prevented from disclosing it to any other person. Sarah's Law was named after eight-year-old Sarah Payne, who was murdered by paedophile Roy Whiting in July 2000.", "summary": "The DUP is proposing the introduction of a paedophile disclosure scheme in Northern Ireland."}
{"article": "The Peaks Parkway site has been identified by planning consultants SLR as the club seeks to move from its current Blundell Park home. The location is recommended for approval in a report for North East Lincolnshire Council. Six sites were analysed by SLR, but Peaks Parkway was the only one \"reasonably available\" the report said. The stadium is planned to be an initial 14,000 capacity, with capability to be expanded to 20,100 seats. It will feature leisure facilities, community football pitches and changing facilities. The land between Peaks Parkway and Weelsby Avenue is currently green space, council buildings and allotments. The site is close to Grimsby Crematorium. The report is on the agenda for the council's cabinet meeting on 31 August. It also states a detailed viability analysis and outline business case for the site would need to be presented to the council by November.", "summary": "A preferred site for a new community stadium for Grimsby Town Football Club has been revealed."}
{"article": "The letters are going to addresses whose waste is sent to Associated Waste Management in Shipley where the baby girl's body was found on 19 May. The site received 97 loads of waste the day before, 51 from Bradford and the rest from elsewhere in the county. Police hope an appeal by letter may jog the memory of a potential witness. The deliveries will be made to addresses in more than 2,000 post code areas, while a second letter will be sent to businesses to appeal to staff for information about the case. Inquiries have so far revealed the baby was a newly-born white girl who died two or three days before her body was discovered by staff at the Valley Road site. A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: \"It is also believed the baby did not have a hospital birth and locating the mother to make sure she is safe and well remains a priority for officers.\" A team of detectives continues to work on the investigation and police have also been carrying out forensic work to examine other possible ways to identify the baby girl. Det Supt Sukhbir Singh, who is leading the investigation, said: \"The answer to finding the mother of this child continues to lie within the communities of West Yorkshire and we are carrying out this new information seek to see if we can uncover new information to help us find her. \"Any case which involves the death of a baby is harrowing and we are determined to explore all avenues to both identify this baby girl and locate her family.\"", "summary": "Police are sending letters to 37,000 homes in West Yorkshire from this week in a bid to find the mother of a baby who was found dead at a waste site."}
{"article": "Speaking as the fate of thousands of steel jobs hangs in the balance, Lord West said that UK production was vital for the defence sector. He argued that all countries that are members of the United Nations Security Council had major steel plants to support their defence industry. \"I cannot think of another major military power that doesn't have its own indigenous steel production capabilities,\" Lord West told the BBC. \"Certainly none of the members of the UN Security Council have jettisoned that capability and I find it extraordinary to think that we as a nation would do that.\" Lord West, the former security minister in Gordon Brown's government, and now a member of Parliament's Joint Committee on National Security Strategy, said that having an indigenous capacity was vital. \"Steel is fundamental to industrial output,\" the Labour peer argued. \"It's seen as one of the key things that a nation produces. \"It's fundamental to the production of cars, warship building, ship building more widely and the construction industry. The nuclear power stations being built will have an awful lot of steel in them. \"And any nation with any clout of any significance has its own steel industry, because any nation of any clout - and we are the fifth richest in the world - [well] I'm afraid in the next 50 years there might well be people who don't like Britain in that position, and who knows what's going to happen. \"And it's important we have our own indigenous capability so that when push comes to shove and our backs are to the wall we can still produce things vital to ensure the survival and safety of our population.\" Senior figures in the defence industry have told me that steel production in the UK is \"preferable\" to sourcing supplies from abroad and that the manufacturing skills base in the UK would be undermined if the steel industry was wound down. Some 94% of the steel being used to build the UK's two new aircraft carriers is British made. But despite the calls for support for the mass steel industry, some business leaders are urging caution when the government considers how best to react. Simon Walker, director general of the Institute of Directors, told the BBC the MG Rover debacle - when the government financially supported the retention of car production at the Longbridge plant which later collapsed - showed that large amounts of money can be wasted trying to defy economic gravity. \"There's always a temptation for politicians to intervene when this many jobs are concerned,\" he said. \"I don't think it is the right approach. \"There is a future for British steel but it's not about basic steel products. \"It's about advanced high tech products like vessels for nuclear reactors. \"British manufacturers consume far more steel than is produced. It's a far bigger part of that economy, and I'm afraid cheaper steel is in the interests of those industries. \"So my focus would be on helping the people who have been affected and retraining them, reskilling them into other kinds of", "summary": "The former First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff has told the BBC that it would be \"unforgiveable\" if large scale steel production ended in the UK."}
{"article": "Falkirk's 2-2 home draw with Queen of the South gave the Tangerines the chance to move above them, and Tony Andreu's header put the hosts ahead. But Robbie Thomson nodded The Sons level before half-time and Lewis Vaughan's neat finish made it 2-1. Thomas Mikkelsen tapped home to level but United couldn't find a winner. They remain in third place, a point behind Falkirk, who travel to face Dumbarton next Saturday, while United complete their regular-season fixtures away to fourth-placed Greenock Morton. Ray McKinnon's side must win at Morton and hope Falkirk drop points, or United will be consigned to an extra two-legged tie - against Morton - in the play-offs. The Sons, meanwhile, have all but sealed their place in the Championship for another year after moving three points clear of Raith Rovers in the relegation play-off spot, but with a superior goal difference of nine. Vaughan, who scored his fourth goal since joining Dumbarton on loan from Raith in January, finds himself in the tricky position of possibly sending his parent club into the relegation play-off. \"Obviously I am contracted to Raith next season and it's a bit of a strange one, as I think Rovers are far too big a club to go down,\" he told BBC Alba. \"But I am a professional footballer at the end of the day and I am just doing my job. I don't know if I could play for Raith if they end up in the play-off, but I would love to go back there and keep them in the Championship.\" Rovers could still avoid the play-off if they beat bottom side Ayr United in Kirkcaldy, and St Mirren lose at champions Hibernian in their final game. Match ends, Dundee United 2, Dumbarton 2. Second Half ends, Dundee United 2, Dumbarton 2. Corner, Dundee United. Conceded by Daniel Harvie. Substitution, Dumbarton. David Smith replaces Samuel Stanton. Attempt missed. Thomas Mikkelsen (Dundee United) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Corner, Dundee United. Conceded by Andy Stirling. Attempt blocked. Tony Andreu (Dundee United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Blair Spittal (Dundee United) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Ross McCrorie (Dumbarton). Attempt blocked. Samuel Stanton (Dumbarton) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Substitution, Dumbarton. Garry Fleming replaces Christian Nade. Foul by Willo Flood (Dundee United). Mark Docherty (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Simon Murray (Dundee United) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Goal! Dundee United 2, Dumbarton 2. Thomas Mikkelsen (Dundee United) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner. Attempt saved. Alistair Coote (Dundee United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt saved. Andy Stirling (Dumbarton) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Substitution, Dumbarton. Mark Docherty replaces Lewis Vaughan. Thomas Mikkelsen (Dundee United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul", "summary": "Dundee United's hopes of finishing second in the Championship suffered a blow as they could only draw with lowly Dumbarton at Tannadice."}
{"article": "Police found a man, thought to have been cut with a knife, in Bracebridge Drive, Bilborough, at about 15:00 BST on Thursday. A short time later the PCSO, who was involved in looking for the suspects, was attacked. Two men were arrested and have been bailed pending further inquires. The stab victim was taken to hospital but has since been released.", "summary": "A Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) has been assaulted while trying to catch a man believed to have been involved in a stabbing in Nottingham."}
{"article": "Australian Border Force (ABF) said its officers would be checking for visa fraud as part of a general crime crackdown involving several agencies. But the move sparked a social media outcry, with fears of harassment and racial profiling. Victoria Police then said Operation Fortitude had been cancelled. A scheduled press conference was also cancelled after about 300 people gathered in the heart of Melbourne to protest against the operation, The Age reported. The initial statement from the ABF said a \"diverse team of transport and enforcement agencies\" would be operating in Melbourne on Friday and Saturday night. \"Officers will be positioned at various locations around the CBD speaking with any individual we cross paths with,\" said regional commander Don Smith. \"You need to be aware of the conditions of your visa; if you commit visa fraud you should know it's only a matter of time before you're caught out.\" Word of the plan spread like wildfire on social media, and there were calls for a snap protest outside the Flinders Street train station. The ABF later issued a \"clarifying statement\" on its plans, saying: \"[We] will not be 'stopping people at random' in Melbourne to 'check people's papers' as reported in media.\" \"The ABF does not and will not stop people at random in the streets and does not target on the basis of race, religion, or ethnicity.\" Police have since cancelled the entire multi-agency operation. \"Victoria Police has made a decision not to go ahead with this weekend's Operation Fortitude,\" it said. \"We understand there has been a high level of community interest and concern which has been taken into consideration when making this decision.\" The Federal Government spent $10m Australian ($7.7m; \u00c2\u00a34.6m) in branding the months-old Border Force with a new hardline image, local media this week reported. It including new military-style uniforms and signs at airports and detention centres.", "summary": "Australia's border protection agency has sparked outrage with a snap announcement it would carry out visa checks on the streets of Melbourne."}
{"article": "Scottish right-back Grimmer, 21, returns to the Town following a seven-game loan spell last season. Former Manchester United youngster Cole, 22, has been at the Greenhous Meadow since September, having so far scored two goals in 19 appearances. Both players are scheduled to stay with Shrewsbury until the end of the season. \"Jack's full of power and pace and we have seen the importance of that in this division,\" said Mellon. \"We need to try and get as much of that in the team as possible in the coming weeks.\" \"Cole's an exciting player. He has that pace, trickery and League One quality we are looking for.\" Shrewsbury, 20th in League One, just a point clear of trouble, are also hopeful of bringing back striker Andy Mangan from Tranmere Rovers and have been linked with Northampton Town midfielder Lawson D'Ath.", "summary": "League One strugglers Shrewsbury Town have re-signed Fulham defender Jack Grimmer on loan and extended the stay of Cottagers midfielder Larnell Cole."}
{"article": "Kerber, 28, beat Caroline Wozniacki in her semi-final as current number one Serena Williams lost against Karolina Pliskova to end 186 weeks at the top. Germany's Kerber will officially become her country's first number one since Steffi Graf in 1996 when the new rankings are released next week. \"To be number one in the world sounds amazing,\" said second seed Kerber. \"For me it's amazing to be, after Steffi, the number one player from Germany,\" added Kerber, who is also the first German singles player to reach a US Open final since Graf in 1996. Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide. \"Steffi is a great champion, a great person and I think she's proud of me to be the next number one after her.\" In becoming number one, she also protects her compatriot's record of consecutive weeks at the top of the rankings as Williams' defeat to Pliskova of the Czech Republic leaves the American tied with Graf on 186 weeks. Australian Open champion and Wimbledon runner-up Kerber, who won Olympic silver in Rio, will take on Pliskova in Saturday's final in New York, as she attempts to win a second Grand Slam title.", "summary": "US Open finalist Angelique Kerber says that being able to call herself the new world number one \"sounds amazing\"."}
{"article": "King Salman's decree also means Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 31, will become deputy prime minister while continuing as defence minister. Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, 57, has been removed from his role as head of domestic security, state media say. He has pledged allegiance to the new crown prince, his younger cousin. Saudi Arabia has typically been ruled by kings in their 70s or 80s. Prince Mohammed bin Salman's rapid ascent is seen by the younger generation as a sign that things are changing. Before his latest promotion, he was responsible for leading Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen, overseeing the kingdom's energy policy and economic reform. He must have already ruffled a lot of feathers in a royal family that was used to being presided over by a succession of elderly men, the BBC's Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen reports. His father King Salman is 81 and reportedly not in the best of health, our correspondent adds. Prince Mohammed bin Salman could, potentially, lead Saudi Arabia for decades, heralding a long period of internal stability. However, the new crown prince is close to US President Donald Trump, and could ratchet up pressure against Iran - which would raise tensions in the region. The rise of Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been meteoric. When I met him in Jeddah in 2013 he described himself as simply \"a lawyer\". Today he is a heartbeat away from ruling the most powerful country in the Arab world. Despite being the driving force behind Saudi Arabia's damaging and inconclusive military campaign in Yemen, he is largely popular at home, especially with younger Saudis. He has swept away many of the ineffective timeservers in government offices and replaced them with young, Western-educated technocrats. He has set out a possibly over-ambitious development plan, \"Vision 2030\", and announced plans to sell off part of the vast state-owned oil company, Saudi Aramco. He has also forged ties with Washington and the Trump administration. But his biggest and most risky move may yet prove to be his bid to curb the power of the conservative religious establishment. Washington likes this move, but others closer to home do not. The founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz (known as Ibn Saud), had dozens of sons, and there are as many as 15,000 princes and princesses in the royal family. In 2006, a decree was passed setting up a committee responsible for electing the king and crown prince. The committee is made up of senior princes of the Al Saud royal family and is known as the Allegiance Council. Mohammed bin Salman's new promotion to crown prince was approved by 31 out of 34 members of the council. Analysts say those in power tend to appoint their sons to roles that will enhance their chances of being promoted - so when monarchs and crown princes change, sons can come into and out of favour. King Salman, a son of King Abdulaziz, acceded to the throne in January 2015 after the death of his half-brother Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz. He launched his first major cabinet reshuffle a", "summary": "Saudi Arabia's king has appointed his son Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince - replacing his nephew, Mohammed bin Nayef, as first in line to the throne."}
{"article": "James Mattis's reaffirmation of US commitment to the alliance comes after disparaging comments from President Donald Trump. But Mr Mattis also reiterated Mr Trump's demand that many Nato countries raise military spending. The meeting comes amid concern over the new administration's ties with Russia. It also follows reports that Russia violated a landmark arms control treaty by deploying a new cruise missile, reports the Kremlin has dismissed. Mr Trump's comments, during his campaign, that the US might not defend allies who do not contribute their \"fair share\" to Nato, have worried many European nations, particularly those near Russia's border. He was critical of the Western military alliance, describing it as \"obsolete\". But speaking in Brussels, Mr Mattis said the Trump administration had \"strong support\" for Nato. \"The alliance remains a fundamental bedrock for the United States and the trans-Atlantic community, bonded as we are together,\" he said. While hailing the alliance's ability to respond to security challenges, he said it was a \"fair demand that all who benefit from the best defence in the world carry their proportionate share of the necessary cost to defend freedom\". On the eve of Wednesday's meeting, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg indicated a willingness to work with the US. \"The most important thing is that we increase defence spending and that is exactly what we are doing.\" As he arrived for the talks in Brussels, he said he was \"absolutely certain that the message from this meeting will be a message of trans-Atlantic unity... and a very strong commitment of the United States to Nato\". And he said the military alliance would have \"serious concern\" if reports that Russia had violated a Cold War-era treaty by deploying a cruise missile proved true. Mr Mattis will have strong support from Britain, one of only five Nato countries to meet existing targets for defence spending, says the BBC's defence and diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus. Speaking to reporters as he arrived for the meeting, British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, said he was looking forward to working with Mr Mattis on \"the steps needed to modernise Nato, to make it more agile and more responsive and how we can persuade other countries to meet their fair share of the burden by increasing their expenditure to 2%\". However, the resignation of Michael Flynn as US national security adviser - and the rumbling row over the Trump team's contacts with Russia - is likely to cause unease among the 28-nation group, our correspondent adds. As he travelled to the Nato meeting, Mr Mattis told reporters that Mr Flynn's departure would have \"no impact\" on his role. He praised Nato, calling it \"the most successful military alliance in history\". Mr Mattis has previously taken a different view to the new US president on various foreign policy issues. He has warned that Washington has not taken seriously enough Russia's military moves against its neighbours - annexing Crimea and backing separatists in Ukraine - and also criticised Mr Trump's view that Nato was \"obsolete\" as \"kooky\".", "summary": "The new US defence secretary has hailed Nato as the \"fundamental bedrock\" of trans-Atlantic co-operation, as he met defence ministers for the first time."}
{"article": "Fellow Briton James DeGale, 29, who was the mandatory challenger, will now fight for the vacant title. Froch, 37, wants to defend his WBA super-middleweight title this summer. Talks have taken place over a potential bout against Mexico's Julio Cesar Chavez Junior in Las Vegas, or two-weight world champion Bernard Hopkins, 50, in Froch's home city of Nottingham. Froch told BBC Radio 5 live a fight in Vegas or at Nottingham Forest's City Ground would be motivation to continue his career, although he has not ruled out retirement. \"Something needs to happen soon because if it doesn't, I will be retiring,\" added the boxer, who has won 33 of his 35 fights. The four-time world champion said he felt frustrated at having to pull out of a fight with Chavez which was originally scheduled for March. \"I know what it's like to wait for a shot and I didn't want to hold James up in fighting for a world title,\" he said. \"James is a great fighter and I hope he can go out and win that title. Who knows... we may even meet later in the year.\" DeGale earned the right to face Froch after beating Brandon Gonzalez on the undercard of Froch's Wembley fight against George Groves in May 2014. Promoter Eddie Hearn is in negotiations for Degale to fight American Andre Dirrell for the IBF title and hopes the clash can take place on 25 April at London's O2 Arena. \"I'm making history,\" said DeGale. \"I'm going to be the first British Olympic gold medallist to win a world title.\"", "summary": "Carl Froch has vacated his IBF super-middleweight belt as he recovers from an elbow injury."}
{"article": "The 83-year-old former Australia captain sustained chest and shoulder injuries driving alone to his home in Coogee after playing golf. \"No-one was injured. I was more worried about the car than myself,\" Benaud said of his vintage 1963 Sunbeam Alpine. Tests: 63 Runs: 2,201 Highest score: 122 Batting average: 24.45 Wickets: 248 Best figures: 7-72 Bowling average: 27.03 Benaud has commentated since ending his playing days in 1964 and is due to work on the Ashes, starting on 21 November. Channel Nine Entertainment chief executive officer David Gyngell said: \"Richie is a national treasure. In the Nine family, he sits at the head of the table. \"As always, he and (wife) Daphne have our support and Richie will return to call the coming Ashes series against England - his 36th summer in Nine's Wide World of Sports commentary box - when he is good and ready.\" A statement on Channel Nine's Facebook page said Benaud's vehicle mounted a verge before crashing into the wall. Police attended the incident but no charges were laid. \"Richie's remarkable,\" his wife Daphne was quoted as saying. \"At first I was quite concerned but today he's looking unbelievably well.\"", "summary": "Legendary commentator Richie Benaud is recovering in hospital after the car he was driving hit a brick wall in Sydney."}
{"article": "Between the first quarter of 2016 and the same period this year, the amount of goods sold in Scotland rose by 0.2%, compared with British growth of 2.1%. Meanwhile, the value of shop sales north of the border grew by 1.8%, while Britain saw a rise of 4.8%. The figures were included in the latest Retail Sales Index for Scotland. Scotland outperformed Britain in the first three months of this year, however, in both value and volume terms. The first quarter saw the volume of sales in Scotland fall by 0.4%, while the figure for Britain showed a drop of 1.4%. And while the value of sales across Britain flat-lined, Scotland saw growth of 0.5% between January and March. Commenting on the figures, Scottish Retail Consortium director David Lonsdale said: \"The improvement in the headline figure for the total value of retail sales in the first quarter of this year is encouraging at first glance, but it looks less rosy once falling shop prices are taken into account. \"Indeed, shop prices have fallen each month for the past four years which demonstrates that retailers are having to work ever harder to maintain let alone grow sales values.\" Euan Murray, from Barclays Corporate Banking, said: \"Increased supply chain costs and issues could go some way to explaining the falling figures in this quarter - from the bad weather in Spain affecting food imports to the weak value of sterling, you don't have to look far for a reason. \"The sector has also had the added pressure of a later Easter, which could have resulted in less consumer spend in quarter one.\" He added: \"With 36% of UK e-retail sales via mobile, retailers must invest in their online and mobile shopping platforms to improve the user experience and drive growth. \"However, with inflation in the UK set to accelerate faster than earnings growth for the first time since 2014 and consumers planning to spend less on every category with the exception of grocery, it is looking like it's going to be an uphill battle for the high street.\"", "summary": "Retail sales in Scotland have grown much more slowly over the past year than in Great Britain as a whole, according to new figures."}
{"article": "Only a detailed investigation can uncover what vital clues may have been missed as to the extremist leanings and murderous intentions of the killers. These are some of the questions that need answers. What happened to the tracking of the killers by the police and security agencies? Two were known to the authorities. It is also believed that there were links with extremists in the UK and Yemen. It is reported that the police decided to stop tracking them six months earlier. What were the reasons behind this decision? Were vital clues lost when it came to sharing information between the French authorities and other international agencies? How organised were the attacks? What was the precise level of co-ordination and planning? Was it a \"home grown\" terror attack, with inspiration and training coming from elsewhere? Or was it planned and instigated through a wider network? The claims of the perpetrators themselves have to be treated with caution until more is known about the detailed planning of the attacks and the training and travel movements of the individual terrorists. How and where did the killers obtain the weapons to carry out the attacks? How did they manage to conceal their arms cache without someone becoming suspicious? Are there others still at large who may have helped? The acquisition and transport of the weapons seems to have slipped past the radar of the police. What role did Hayat Boumeddiene play? The Turkish foreign minister said the widow of the Jihadist in the deli siege flew to Turkey on 2 January, well before the Charlie Hebdo massacre. She is now said to be in Syria. We simply don't know enough about her role at this stage but some reports say she helped plan the attacks. Pictures have emerged in recent days appearing to show her engaged in terror training. Why is so much of France's Muslim population behind bars? No official figures exist because there appears to be no formal monitoring of numbers. But some reports have spoken of around 70% of the prison population being made up of Muslims. It is known that French prisons are a major source of radicalisation, so what are the authorities doing to combat that?", "summary": "In the days and weeks ahead, the French police and intelligence agencies will be picking through every aspect of the terror attacks in Paris."}
{"article": "The Merthyr and Rhymney AM will stand down before this year's election after 17 years in Cardiff Bay. Speaking to BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement programme, he said many politicians, including some in his own party, were nervous and sceptical about devolution in 1999. But that view is now \"long gone\". While he was \"a very early convert\", he said the closeness of the referendum result - 50.3% voted for and 49.7% voted against setting up the assembly - created \"a great deal of nervousness\". He said: \"My opinion was always the proof of the pudding is in the eating, it's about what the institution does - in terms of social change - that really matters.\" Mr Lewis felt strongly that devolution could be used to tackle areas in which Wales was at a particular disadvantage to England, including health, education and combating poverty. The former chemistry teacher described taking on the education portfolio as \"a dream come true\" and said reforms to the curriculum and teacher training were two of his proudest achievements. He said: \"The old England and Wales schools-based education agenda no longer exists. \"Wales now has its own distinctive path and own distinctive future in terms of what our schools are going to look like.\" He said the reforms happening here were based on \"real evidence\" and not \"ideologically driven\", which is what he fears is happening in England with the \"marketisation of education\". By implementing a Scandinavian-style model - that includes children learning through play - he hopes teachers will be better skilled and standards will rise. \"We're not emulating England, we're emulating the best,\" Mr Lewis said. This is despite an assumption he believes is made by many that Wales should see England as a \"gold standard\" and if something different is tried here, it is somehow suspect and second rate. \"I hope, that as devolution has matured over the years, we are finally beginning to break away from that kind of mentality,\" he added. \"We are quite capable of setting out our own agenda and following it and basing it, in global terms, on what the best looks like. \"That's the real dividend from devolution. That should always be where we're thinking.''", "summary": "Wales has \"broken away\" from England and is now capable of setting its own agenda thanks to devolution, outgoing education minister Huw Lewis has said."}
{"article": "National Grid applied to install the overhead line which would carry electricity from the proposed new nuclear power station, Hinkley C. The Planning Inspectorate has announced it will hold a six-month inquiry, during which local people can comment. It will then make a recommendation to the Secretary of State. Sir Michael Pitt, chief executive for the Planning Inspectorate, said the application \"met the required tests\" and the decision was made after \"careful consideration\". \"The applicant must now decide when to publicise the fact that its application has been accepted to proceed to examination and announce when members of the public will be able to register with the Planning Inspectorate as an interested party in the application,\" he added. The National Grid plans were submitted last month. A company spokesman previously said it had taken \"five years of consultation\". It will see 30-miles of overhead wires carried on pylons and a five-mile section under the Mendips, connecting the station, near Bridgwater, Somerset, to the National Grid's 400,000 volt substation at Avonmouth. It would also see the removal of 246 pylons and 42 miles of cabling between Bridgwater and Avonmouth, and Nailsea. Those against the pylons argue the entire route should be underground or sub-sea - but National Grid had previously said this option would be too expensive. Now the plans have been accepted for examination, the documents will become public. A final decision will not be made until late 2015.", "summary": "Plans for more than 140 pylons connecting Hinkley Point to Avonmouth have been accepted for examination by the government."}
{"article": "Rutherford, 26, will play in all three forms of the game while Dilshan plays in the Caribbean Premier League. Rutherford, who is part of the Kiwi Test side touring England this summer, has played 16 Tests, scoring 755 runs. \"Hamish is a talented top-order batsman,\" said elite performance director Graeme Welch. \"He has international pedigree in both the long and shorter formats which will be key as he joins us at what is a busy part of the summer.\" Rutherford also had a spell playing for Essex during the 2013 season.", "summary": "Derbyshire have signed New Zealand opening Test batsman Hamish Rutherford as cover for Tillakaratne Dilshan from mid-June until the end of July."}
{"article": "It happened at about 20:00 BST at Rafters bar and restaurant in Northland Road area on Wednesday. He was treated for a hand injury at Altnagelvin Hospital and discharged a short time later. It is understood the wedding involved members of the travelling community. A man was later arrested by Irish police in County Donegal. SDLP councillor John Boyle said a shotgun was used. \"A weapon was discharged, I believe that weapon was a shotgun,\" he said. \"At around 8.30pm, police told me, they received a report of an incident relating to some type of altercation at the Rafters bar and restaurant on the Northland Road, Ballymagroarty area,\" said Mr Boyle. \"It's always very worrying when you hear about weapons being produced whether it be at a wedding, on the street or in someone's home, there is always the very real potential for death or serious injury.\"", "summary": "A man in his 30s has been injured in a shooting at a wedding reception in Londonderry."}
{"article": "6 October 2015 Last updated at 08:13 BST The nine-day event will host more than 500 balloons, representing 20 different countries. Thousands of visitors are expected to enjoy the spectacular sights.", "summary": "The 44th annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is under way in the US."}
{"article": "Swansea's 5-0 defeat at Tottenham and Sunderland's win over champions Leicester City means Bob Bradley's side are bottom of the league. Sunderland are two points ahead of Swansea in the relegation zone and visit the Liberty Stadium on Saturday. \"It's one of the most important games of the season,\" said Amat. \"We have to learn from [the Spurs game] and be ready for next week because it's a final.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Saturday's heavy defeat at White Hart Lane ended Swansea' two match unbeaten run which had seen them draw 1-1 at Everton and beat Crystal Palace 5-4. After facing Sunderland, the Swans travel to West Brom and Middlesbrough and then have back-to-back home games against West Ham United and Bournemouth. \"I believe we've got a strong team and we need to be better,\" Amat added. \"In the last two games we were playing good - the idea was clear. We need to come back like the last two weeks. \"This month is so important for us.\"", "summary": "Swansea City defender Jordi Amat says their home game against Premier League relegation rivals Sunderland will be like a \"final.\""}
{"article": "The review follows the attack in the French city of Nice on 14 July which left at least 84 people dead. The government said that the measures may make attending the games less comfortable for visitors but they would result in greater security. The Games are expected to attract as many as 500,000 foreign visitors. \"The attack in Nice is worrisome for us too. We will review procedures, make more barriers, more spot-checks on visitors and roadblocks\", said Defence Minister Raul Jungmann. The authorities had previously declared public holidays and banned trucks from certain areas of Rio during the Olympics to ease congestion and improve emergency response capabilities. Rio's mayor, Eduardo Paes, said security would be beefed up for Olympic delegations from countries which have been targeted. Mr Paes did not give any further details, but the head of French military intelligence said France had been informed of a planned terror attack on its team at the Rio Games. Gen Christophe Gomart told a parliamentary commission in May that a \"partner agency\" warned of the plot by a Brazilian Islamist militant. The transcript of the hearing was made public this week. \"Brazil is confident about its preparations. We are employing the most modern security and defence techniques\", Sports Minister Leonardo Picciani told Reuters news agency. Earlier this week, Mr Picciani said the armed forces would get an extra $24m (\u00c2\u00a318m) to help them meet security needs. The military would begin patrolling sports venues from 24 July, he added. More than 80,000 police and soldiers will patrol the streets of Rio for the duration of the games.", "summary": "The Brazilian government has met to reassess security measures ahead of next month's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro."}
{"article": "Downie, 15, became the first British woman to win an international all-around medal in her first senior year. Purvis also finished third in the men's competition to claim his second career European all-around bronze. Media playback is not supported on this device Fellow Britons Sam Oldham and Claudia Fragapane finished sixth in their respective overall competitions. Downie, in her first senior year, scored 56.623, behind winner Giulia Steingruber of Switzerland and Russia's Maria Kharenkova. \"I'm over the moon. I never thought coming here I'd be among the medals,\" Downie told BBC Sport in Montpellier. \"I was hoping for a top six or eight finish - it's just absolutely amazing.\" Downie, younger sister of European uneven bars champion Becky, made a good start on bars then followed with solid routines on beam and floor - where she was marked down for stepping out of the field. She finished strongly with 14.8 on the vault - her strongest apparatus, and the one where she will aim for another medal in Saturday's final, as well as the uneven bars. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I was really nervous going into the vault,\" she said. \"I knew if I nailed it I could have a shot at a medal so I just tried to keep calm and do what I do in training.\" Britain's second medal of the day came thanks to 24-year-old Purvis who scored 87.423 over his six apparatus routines. Ukrainie's Oleg Verniaiev took the all-around gold ahead of David Belyavskiy of Russia.", "summary": "Ellie Downie and Dan Purvis each delivered Great Britain a bronze medal at the European Gymnastics Championships in Montpellier."}
{"article": "The president scrapped sanctions implemented 11 years ago against former President Charles Taylor. Taylor is now in a maximum-security prison for a series of war crimes. President Obama said that Taylor's imprisonment meant that sanctions were no longer necessary. He said that he and his allies now had a \"diminished ability\" to \"undermine Liberia's progress\". National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said that the US wanted to congratulate the people of Liberia \"for their determination, ingenuity and commitment to peace and democracy\" that has made the lifting of sanctions possible. Taylor and his inner circle fuelled a brutal 1991-2002 civil war in Liberia that killed tens of thousands of people. He was arrested in 2006 and charged by a UN-backed court with 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for acts committed by rebels in Sierra Leone who he aided and abetted. The Special Court for Sierra Leone trial was held at The Hague in case it sparked renewed unrest in West Africa. Taylor was sentenced to 50 years in jail for what judges described as \"some of the most heinous crimes in human history\". The former Liberian leader is now being held in a maximum-security British prison. Liberia has been led by Nobel Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf since 2006. She has worked closely with the West in tackling Ebola.", "summary": "The US has lifted economic sanctions against Liberia as President Barack Obama praised the country's commitment to democracy since the end of the 2003 civil war, the White House has said."}
{"article": "Bribes of between $1,000 - $5,000 (\u00a3800; \u00a34,000) have been paid, Gen Nur Farah Jimale said. The BBC has also learned that some candidates have been offering bribes of up to $1.3m (\u00a31m) to secure votes. Indirect elections have been taking place since October as the country remains too unsafe for a national vote. Much of the country is still under the control of Islamist militant group al-Shabab, which is affiliated to al-Qaeda. Gen Nur told the BBC Somali Service that some seats should be re-run because money had been used to \"out-manoeuvre\" other candidates, in some cases, meaning all but one candidate had withdrawn. Cases of government resources being used in the election have also been documented, he said. The elections are being funded by the United Nations which also supports the government based in the capital, Mogadishu. Somalia has not had a functional national government since the ousting of its former leader Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.", "summary": "Massive cases of corruption and voter intimidation have marred the ongoing parliamentary elections in Somalia, the auditor general has told the BBC."}
{"article": "The model, called Look At All of Me, has been designed by Frances Duffy, a clinical psychologist in the Northern Health Trust. It aims to equip care home staff with information so they can understand and assess behaviour, particularly when it is most challenging. Dr Duffy said the new model can meet a patient's specific needs. \"What is so important is that we remember that the patient is still a person and we look at the person's entire behaviour and not just as someone who has been labelled with dementia,\" she said. The tool is quite simple - by using initials including A, S, I and P, it records at what time of the day a person is aggressive, sleeping, incontinent or pacing. Dr Duffy said challenging behaviour is not an inevitable symptom of dementia but often a sign of stress, anxiety and frustration. She explained how the model worked using the chart of a woman called Elizabeth, who has been diagnosed with dementia. \"The As show when she has been seen as being aggressive,\" Dr Duffy said. \"That happened every morning between 8am and 9am during personal care. That means she became agitated when people came in to undress and wash her. \"Can you imagine how you would feel if someone that you don't know very well came into your room, perhaps rushed and not very friendly, and started to undress you? \"Of course, you would feel agitated and may come across as aggressive.\" She added: \"The chart also reveals that every day, between 3pm and 4pm, Elizabeth paces. \"Staff noted that seemed to happen during visiting time when there are lots of strangers in the care home, which can be off-putting and even stressful.\" The message is that people with dementia continue to behave and react to situations around them just like anyone else. Just because they have dementia does not mean they will react differently. Dr Duffy said that the chart allows staff and families to understand a dementia patient's actions and reactions. \"Of course, it is very difficult but when we understand what might be causing the challenging behaviour - which may look like aggression - we can make changes to how that person's care is being delivered,\" she said. The model, developed by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, is being implemented by Avon & Wiltshire and Devon Health Authorities in England. While the scheme has been rolled out across independent residential care homes in the Northern Trust, the aim is for all health trusts to benefit.", "summary": "A new assessment tool has been developed to help evaluate people diagnosed with dementia."}
{"article": "Les Price, from Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent, has been told he is not ill enough for weight-loss surgery. To qualify on the NHS, a person must have a body mass index of more than 35 and a serious health condition which could be improved if they lost weight. Mr Price, 45, said he cannot complete simple tasks without help. \"It's hard,\" he told BBC Radio Wales. \"When I have a shower I need my partner to help me wash... and if I need creams put on, then drying and dressing.\" Mr Price began to put on weight after losing his wife less than a year after they married. \"It sort of knocked me for six, I didn't want to do nothing,\" he said. \"It was just takeaways for a good six months. It really hit me hard, so I did overindulge a lot then.\" Mr Price also had an accident at work which left him temporarily immobile and unable to exercise, which also caused weight gain. He told BBC's Jason Mohammad programme his weight attracts attention when he goes out. \"Mentally every time you go out, it's like you're looking at people to see how they are reacting to seeing you. \"Little kids say it how it is, 'oh mam, look at that fat man'.\" In a bid to get help, Mr Price met Dr Nadim Haboubi, who runs the only NHS-funded weight management clinic in Wales. He was initially told he was a \"prime example\" for a gastric band, but because he does not suffer from a chronic illness which would be improved by weight loss, such as heart disease or diabetes, he does not qualify for the surgery. \"Every time I'm put forward I'm told 'sorry, you're not ill enough',\" he said. Mr Price said he was not \"pinning hopes\" on the surgery, but accepts his life could be shortened by his weight and has been having injections to reduce his appetite. He appeared in a Channel 5 documentary about obesity called Fat Chance of Work. \"If I was able to get the operation, I would love to be able to get myself fit enough to go back to work,\" he said. \"I would love to get back into life and get on living.\"", "summary": "A man whose weight ballooned from 23 stone to 35 following the death of his wife has told of his struggles to obtain the treatment he feels he needs."}
{"article": "The Austrian first became a shareholder in Williams in 2009 but has been slowly reducing his links since the start of his involvement with Mercedes in 2013. Wolff's shares, a little under 5%, have been bought by US businessman Brad Hollinger, whose stake rises to 15%. Healthcare entrepreneur Hollinger first bought into the team in 2014 but has no formal management role at this stage. However, he said that he would be \"happy to participate in any way they see fit\". And Williams chief executive officer Mike O'Driscoll said the team \"would be delighted if he could make a greater contribution to our business in the future\". Wolff, who agreed with Mercedes when he became its F1 boss that he would work towards ending his involvement with Williams, said: \"I am surprised how emotional I am about this day, to be cutting my final business ties to [team founder] Sir Frank Williams and to the team at Williams. \"Having entered the team from a pure investment perspective, I soon found myself in a much more active role, helping to restructure this great independent F1 team. \"I am proud to have joined the sport with a team of true passionate racers, where we had to make spot-on decisions for the future of the business and its employees; I learned some lessons the hard way, but they were all valuable for understanding the industry.\" Sir Frank Williams remains the majority shareholder in his team with 52% of the stock; his co-founder Sir Patrick Head holds about 9%, with just under 21% listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and 4% held by an employee trust. Wolff added: \"I look back with pride on the first ever IPO (initial public offering) of an F1 team in Frankfurt, and can see the next generation of the Williams family leading the team into a bright future.\" Sir Frank Williams said: \"Given his role at Mercedes-Benz, a full divestment in Toto's shareholding became inevitable and we thank him for this judiciousness in only selling to a suitable buyer when the time was right. \"In Brad Hollinger, Toto has sold his full shareholding to a highly successful businessman with an immense passion for Formula 1 and our team - he is a great asset.\"", "summary": "Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff has sold off his remaining shareholding in the Williams team."}
{"article": "The clubs agreed a deal for the Bury academy graduate in November and he became a Toffees player when the transfer window reopened on Saturday. Foulds signed his first professional contract with League One Bury in February and made two first-team appearances, both in cup competitions. He has also played on a trial basis for Everton's Under-18 and Under-21 sides.", "summary": "Everton have completed the signing of 17-year-old Bury defender Matthew Foulds for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "The disease, historically associated with sea explorers, has been found in seven diabetes patients at Westmead Hospital in western Sydney. Scurvy is now a rare condition caused by having too little vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, in your diet. Professor Jenny Gunton discovered the latest cases after treating a patient whose leg wound would not heal. She said scurvy could be more widespread than previously thought. \"There's no particular link to diabetes ... except that if you have a poor quality diet you're more likely to get diabetes,\" said Prof Gunton, who heads the Centre for Diabetes, Obesity and Endocrinology research at The Westmead Institutes. \"But of course, a lot of people with diabetes eat perfectly reasonable diets.\" Health authorities in Australia do not generally test for scurvy or keep statistics on patients suffering from it. However, Prof Gunton said the disease was easy to prevent. \"Eat some fruit, eat some vegetables - and don't overcook the vegetables,\" she told the BBC. \"If you really can't manage that, take one vitamin C a day. But healthy diet is the better fix.\" Is scurvy making a comeback?", "summary": "Doctors in Australia have reported a resurgence in patients suffering from scurvy."}
{"article": "The proposal orders public bathhouses to display signs prohibiting \"people with sexually transmitted diseases, Aids and infectious skin diseases\". It has been posted online for public consultation by China's State Council. But Aids activists and ordinary users of Weibo, China's version of Twitter have strongly criticised the move. \"There is no evidence that people can be infected with HIV in public bathhouses,\" Wu Hao, from the Beijing Research Centre on Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Aids, was quoted as saying by the Beijing Morning News. \"Apparently, the rule to bar HIV patients from entering public bathhouses is way over the top,\" he said. The paper also quoted an unnamed Aids activist as saying he was extremely disappointed with the draft proposal. \"Banning HIV patients from using public bathhouses and spas will only exacerbate people's misunderstanding, discrimination and fear of HIV/Aids, and will not help reduce the transmission of the disease,\" he said. The proposal has also been condemned by the United Nations' Aids agency. Hedia Belhadj, China country coordinator for UNAIDS, said it was concerned by the provision and called for it to be removed, the AFP news agency reports. She said that there was no risk of transmission of HIV in a spa or bathhouse setting. \"UNAIDS recommends that restrictions preventing people living with HIV from accessing bath houses, spas and other similar facilities be removed from the final draft of this policy,\" Ms Belhadj told AFP. The proposal has also drawn strong criticism from China's Weibo users. One user said that the decision to ban HIV patients using public bathhouses must be based on scientific facts about the ways HIV was transmitted. \"In reality, many public bathhouses have already implemented the ban. The practice is discriminatory and must be stopped, and must not be institutionalised. \"HIV patients are already very vulnerable. They should be protected and respected. We must not further harm them with discrimination,\" the user said . But there are also Weibo users who agree with the ban. One Weibo user said that HIV patients should be advised not to use public bathhouses or at least they should check whether they have any open wounds before entering. According to government figures released in 2012, China has 430,000 people infected with HIV. But the United Nations has said that the real figure could be 620,000 to 940,000. Among them, 146,000 to 162,00 have developed Aids.", "summary": "A government proposal to bar HIV patients from using public bathhouses has been condemned in China as discriminatory."}
{"article": "Police say that the reason for Junaid Khan's murder - in which his three siblings were also injured by the knife-wielding mob - was mainly because of a row over seat space on the train. But a man arrested for being part of the mob said on TV that he was goaded into it by others because Muslims ate beef. Shaqir, one of the surviving brothers, told reporters in the hospital that the attackers \"flung our skull caps, pulled my brother's beard, slapped us, and taunted us about eating beef\". Under Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP, the cow has become a polarising animal and religious divisions are widening. Restrictions on the sale and slaughter of cows are fanning confusion and vigilantism. Two years ago, a mob killed farm worker Mohammed Akhlaq over \"rumours\" that his family had stored and eaten beef. Vigilante cow protection groups, operating with impunity, have killed people for transporting cattle. Muslim men have been lynched by Hindu mobs, mostly in BJP-ruled states, for allegedly storing beef and, in one case, for helping an mixed-faith couple elope. Many are wondering whether India is hurtling towards a \"mobocracy\" under Mr Modi's watch. They also question the prime minister's silence over the killings. There is a sense of a rapid breakdown of law and order when it comes to protecting minorities. The police at the railway station in BJP-ruled Haryana failed to save the teenager on Friday. The local police station chief told The Times of India newspaper that they could not rescue the boy because of the crowd. \"Such things happen. Whenever there is a riot or fight such things happen and people say some communal things but we can't do anything,\" he said. The chief minister of BJP-ruled Rajasthan, where 55-year-old dairy farmer Pehlu Khan was lynched in April, offered condolences over his \"demise\" without mentioning the fact that he had been murdered. A BJP lawmaker said he had \"no regret\" over the killing because Khan was a \"cow-smuggler\". The spate of mob murders is earning a bad name both for Hinduism and Mr Modi's government. \"India is slipping beyond the pale. It is unfathomable that the ancient Hindu horror at the taking of life, any life - the very same doctrine of ahimsa, or non-violence, that governed the beliefs of men like Mahatma Gandhi and the Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr - should in our time be used as a justification for murder,\" noted author Aatish Taseer, writing in The New York Times. The Economist magazine has suggested that under Mr Modi debate about communal relations has \"atrophied\". But India's senior most bureaucrat in charge of law and order, Rajiv Mehrishi, has instead accused the media of \"over reporting\" the incidents. \"I don't think it [hate crime] is new in India. It is feudal in nature. Today, they shake the conscience. You cannot say lynching or hate crimes are something new. I think they are over hyped and over reported,\" he said. To be sure, hate crimes are not new to India. The crisis of violence is", "summary": "On Thursday a 15-year-old Muslim boy, returning home from Eid shopping with his three brothers, was killed in a brutal assault by a mob of about 20 men on a train in the north Indian state of Haryana."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device It ends a long wait for success, with Great Britain's 3-0 victory over the Kiwis in 2007 their last triumph against either New Zealand or world champions Australia. England took an 8-0 lead with Gareth Widdop's penalty followed by a converted Elliott Whitehead try. Media playback is not supported on this device Jason Nightingale superbly touched down in the corner before the break and the match became increasingly tense after the restart. The Kiwis, trailing 8-6, looked to be wrestling the ascendancy but NRL-bound Whitehead burst through to score. And there was a huge cheer from the sold-out Wigan crowd when the video referee awarded a try after skipper Sean O'Loughlin touched down under the sticks late on. Even then, the Kiwis kept coming as Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Jordan Kahu scored to make it 20-14 and leave England desperately hanging on, desperate to close out the game, in the final minute. The match was England coach Steve McNamara's last before his contract expired - and he may well find himself with a new deal now his team have finally won a series. Going into the contest, his side had a record of just two victories from 11 matches against Australia and New Zealand. McNamara is still waiting for his first win against the Kangaroos but after near misses in the 2013 World Cup and 2014 Four Nations, the significance of Saturday's win cannot be overstated. McNamara has established a base for his team in Burton and maintained all along that they are building and progressing - and now he has something to show for it. An England team with class in all areas, and players such as Sam Burgess, George Burgess and Sam Tomkins absent from the current squad, can look forward to the 2016 Four Nations in England and Scotland with great confidence. McNamara made two changes to his starting XIII for this game, and as former GB coach Brian Noble acknowledged: \"You've got to hand it to Steve for those.\" Huddersfield winger Jermaine McGillvary, the top try scorer in Super League last season, was a menace to the Kiwis with his powerful and aggressive kick returns. He also made a brilliant tackle under extreme pressure from Nightingale at a point when the match was in the balance. Even more significant was the presence of Wigan half-back Matty Smith, who brought a measure of control and menace with his smart kicking game. Not only did he help manoeuvre his team around the park, it was his smart grubber that allowed Whitehead to touch down for his team's opening try. Questions were asked about the atmosphere at the previous two Test matches in Hull and London, but there could be no complaints in Wigan. Sold out weeks ago, the knowledgeable crowd fully embraced what former former GB captain Jamie Peacock described as a \"blood and thunder\" match. Spray flew off the players during collisions on a greasy surface and the crowd roared on every England attack, with the noise ratcheting up even further when", "summary": "England won a thrilling decisive Test at a wet and passionate Wigan to seal a 2-1 series win over the world's top-ranked team, New Zealand."}
{"article": "Mr Lam was one of five booksellers who went missing late last year. All were linked to a publishing house specialising in political books critical of China's leaders. Their case gripped Hong Kong, with allegations that China was interfering with freedom of expression in Hong Kong. One of the men, Gui Minhai, is still in custody. The BBC's Juliana Liu shares some of the revelations from Mr Lam. Mr Lam, who owned the Causeway Bay Bookstore before it was purchased by Mr Gui, says he was abducted in the Chinese city of Shenzhen on 24 October on a routine trip to see his girlfriend. After a night in Shenzhen he was taken, handcuffed and blindfolded, by train to the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo, where he was interrogated irregularly and held until March. He says he was kept, alone, under 24-hour surveillance and not allowed to leave a small room. He was not physically abused, but suffered from psychological terror. The furniture in the room was wrapped in plastic, he believes to prevent any suicide attempts. \"The toothbrush they gave was very small, and connected to a nylon thread,\" he recalls. \"When you brush your teeth, a guard would hold the other end of the string, and once you finish you have to return the toothbrush. This is because they were afraid I would try to kill myself by swallowing the toothbrush.\" \"Someone must have done it before.\" 1. Lui Bo, General Manager, went missing in Shenzhen, 15 October 2. Cheung Jiping, business manager, 32, went missing in Dongguan, 15 October 3. Gui Minhai, co-owner, 51, went missing in Thailand, 17 October 4. Lam Wing-kee, manager, 60, last seen before detention in Hong Kong, 23 October 5. Lee Po, shareholder, 65, went missing in Hong Kong, 30 December Hong Kong's missing booksellers and 'banned' Xi Jinping book Booksellers are innocent, says author China confirms Hong Kong bookseller investigation In March, when three of his colleagues were released and returned to Hong Kong, Mr Lam was transferred to a room in the city of Shaoguan in Guangdong province, where he enjoyed more freedom and served the rest of his detention. In a twist, on Friday one of his colleagues, British citizen Lee Po, who had been released in March, used Facebook to dispute claims made by Mr Lam that Mr Lee had been kidnapped. Who exactly was behind the operation to detain all five booksellers, one of whom disappeared from Thailand and another from Hong Kong? For months, there has been debate on whether the campaign was ordered by the highest levels of the Chinese leadership, or, perhaps, by lower levels of officialdom keen to impress the government in Beijing. Some believe the crackdown was prompted by the imminent publication of a book about the private life of President Xi Jinping. Mr Lam says he doesn't know for sure. But, he says, he was held by officials from the \"special investigation team\": an ad-hoc cross-agency law enforcement team that can be convened only by the senior leadership in Beijing. This elite group has", "summary": "Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee, 61, held a defiant press conference on Thursday night to reveal all about his eight-month detention in mainland China."}
{"article": "Police Scotland said no-one was injured in Tuesday's incident. A spokesperson for Police Scotland said Inverness Community Beat officers dealt with the matter. The officers will be working with staff at the school, which has not been named, over the next few days \"to provide reassurance to all involved\".", "summary": "Police were called to a school in Inverness after a pupil was found with a knife."}
{"article": "Church of the Venerable Bede in West Road, Benwell, closed after a fire extinguisher was used to smash its windows and damage the main hall. Food bank manager Michael Nixon said about 1,000 families missed getting food parcels due to the vandalism. He said a glazier firm had offered to fix the damage for free. Mr Nixon said the project had also received \u00c2\u00a32,500 in donations. He said: \"We are limping along and are in disarray after having to close for a few days, which meant hundreds of families missing out. \"When I saw the damage I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach. \"But now my faith in humanity has been restored - a glazier firm has offered their services for free and they will come next week to repair our windows.\" Mr Nixon said vandals carried out three separate break-ins in a week and were probably looking for cash to steal. He said they also \"mindlessly\" smashed up the hall causing \u00c2\u00a32,000 worth of damage. As well as food parcels, the bank also provides dozens of free, hot meals every day. The parcels contain enough food for nine meals and are given out to between 40,000 and 50,000 families a year. I, Daniel Blake tells the story of a man who ends up being plunged into poverty and losing his disability allowance after being diagnosed with a heart problem. Director Ken Loach filmed scenes at the bank for the film, which went on to win the prestigious Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Bafta for Best British.", "summary": "A food bank featured in the Bafta award-winning film I, Daniel Blake, which was forced to close due to a vandal attack, has reopened."}
{"article": "Security organisations had previously identified Iran as one of at least eight countries targeted by the code. The spyware is believed to have been designed to steal data to help launch further cyber attacks. The sender has not been identified, but researchers have found a reference to a US television programme in Duqu's code. The Iranian news agency, IRNA, reported that the country's cyber defence unit was taking steps to combat the infection. \"The software to control the virus has been developed and made available to organisations and corporations,\" Brigadier General Gholamreza Jalali, head of Iran's civil defence body, is quoted as saying. \"All the organisations and centres that could be susceptible to being contaminated are being controlled.\" Mr Jalali said a \"final report\" into which organisations had been targeted was still being worked on. Last year the Iranian government accused the West of trying to disrupt its nuclear facilities using the Stuxnet worm computer attack. Then in April 2011 officials said the country's facilities had been targeted by a second piece of malware dubbed \"Stars\". Officials now describe the Duqu attack as the \"third virus\" to hit Iran. The computer security specialist Kaspersky Lab said it believed that \"Stars\" was a keylogging program that may have been part of the same attack that installed Duqu. Keylogging programs are able to collect information about a computer system, take screenshots, search for files and capture passwords. The firm also provided more detail about how Duqu worked based on its analysis of other targets. It said another unidentified company received an email from an individual identifying himself as Mr B Jason who requested a joint business venture. The firm believed this was a reference to the Jason Bourne books and spy movies. The recipient was asked to open a Microsoft Word attachment that referenced the targeted company's name in its title, and thus did not appear to be spam. It said that for every victim a separate set of attack files was created using a different control server. The firm said this happened at least 12 times. When the addressee opened the file the malware became active through a Truetype font exploit, but did nothing until it detected that there had been no keyboard or mouse activity for ten minutes. Kaspersky Lab said the font was called Dexter Regular and its creators were identified as Showtime Inc. \"This is another prank pulled by the Duqu authors, since Showtime Inc is the cable broadcasting company behind the TV series Dexter, about a CSI doctor who happens also to be a serial killer,\" the report said. The firm said the exploit then loaded a driver onto the system. Analysis of the driver suggested it was compiled as long ago as August 2007. \"If this information is correct, then the authors of Duqu must have been working on this project for over four years,\" the report said. The firm said the driver then began a process that led to the Duqu trojan being installed allowing the attackers to introduce new modules, infect other networked computers, and collect", "summary": "Iran has confirmed some of its computer systems were infected with the Duqu trojan, but said it has found a way to control the malware."}
{"article": "The unusual move by the agency came after White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer cited claims first made on US TV channel Fox News earlier this week. GCHQ responded by saying the allegations were \"nonsense, utterly ridiculous and should be ignored\". Mr Trump has claimed that Trump Tower in New York was under surveillance. The GCHQ claims were initially made by former judge Andrew Napolitano. Mr Spicer quoted Mr Napolitano as saying: \"Three intelligence sources have informed Fox News that President Obama went outside the chain of command. \"He didn't use the NSA, he didn't use the CIA, he didn't use the FBI and he didn't use the Department of Justice, he used GCHQ.\" A GCHQ spokesman said: \"Recent allegations made by media commentator Judge Andrew Napolitano about GCHQ being asked to conduct 'wiretapping' against the then president-elect are nonsense. \"They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored.\" It is unusual for GCHQ to comment directly on a report about its intelligence work, normally preferring to stick to the policy of neither confirming nor denying any activity. But the allegations are so sensitive that the agency clearly felt they could not let them go unchallenged. Donald Trump's claim that the Obama administration had ordered surveillance on him has generated enormous attention but with so far little evidence to back it up. And British intelligence is clearly determined to avoid being drawn into what is an increasingly toxic row in Washington. A Senate committee has concluded that there are \"no indications\" Trump Tower was under surveillance by the US government before or after the election. The statement from Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Richard Burr dismissed Mr Trump's claim his phones were tapped. Mr Trump had accused his predecessor Barack Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower during the presidential race. Mr Spicer said Mr Trump maintained his claims.", "summary": "Britain's communications intelligence agency GCHQ has issued a statement denying it wiretapped Donald Trump during the US presidential campaign."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Jeremy Guscott, Jonathan Davies, Keith Wood and Andy Nicol have 191 Test caps - including 13 for the British and Irish Lions - between them. They will be on your televisions and radios analysing all the action from the 2017 tournament - but we've nabbed them first to find out who they expect to win, and plenty more besides. Media playback is not supported on this device Former England centre Jeremy Guscott: England are the reigning Grand Slam champions and have won 13 out of 13 under Eddie Jones, but being realistic they haven't taken teams apart with amazing attack. It's been very much brutal defence that's been giving them the edge and improved fitness. They may need to produce more than that this year. Ex-Wales fly-half Jonathan Davies: Wales will have to perform better defensively - and more importantly offensively - if they are to be contenders this year. They also need to have more variety in their game. Keith Wood, former Ireland hooker: Ireland are looking very good at the moment. The coaching seems to be a little more flexible than it has been and the team seem more comfortable, with the current gameplan suiting the expanded squad. Former Scotland scrum-half Andy Nicol: Scotland are in pretty good shape - they are definitely improving, with a well-balanced team and good coaching. There is confidence throughout the squad after a positive autumn, as well as Glasgow qualifying for the knockout stage in Europe. My target for them is three wins. JG: It's between England and Ireland. England have three home games (and I expect them to win all three), which gives them a slight advantage, but that is countered with having to play Ireland away. Ireland are playing at a tempo and intensity that the rest of the Six Nations haven't reached yet, and I expect them to win the championship. JD: It's got to be Ireland. However, I don't expect them to win the Grand Slam (winning all five of their matches), so bonus points - introduced this year - will be important. KW: I expect Ireland to win. It is the right cycle of games for them, their confidence is high and the provinces are doing well in Europe. They also have a small injury list - notwithstanding Johnny Sexton's absence from the opening weekend - and more strength in depth than before. AN: England and Ireland start as favourites, with not much between them. They meet in the last game in Dublin with home advantage being crucial and probably the difference between the two. The style that England play and their ability to score more tries and points make them my favourites to win the Six Nations on points difference - or bonus points - but with no Grand Slam. Media playback is not supported on this device There are two main changes this year - stricter rules on high tackles and the introduction of bonus points. The former means anyone making contact with the head of an opposition player,", "summary": "We have asked four wise old heads what they expect to happen over the next seven weeks in the Six Nations."}
{"article": "Akbar al-Baker accused the UN body of carrying out a \"vendetta against Qatar Airways and my country\". The International Labour Organisation (ILO) criticised Qatar Airways for its treatment of its female cabin crew. It said cabin crew that fell pregnant often faced losing their jobs. The UN body added female staff could only be accompanied by a man off company premises if the man was their father, brother or husband. Qatar Airways said that new contracts issued in December for many of its 7,200 female cabin crew addressed these issues and ended a mandatory requirement to seek company permission before getting married. But the ILO report said that the new contract stated: \"The company [Qatar Airways] reserves the right to automatically terminate your contract as a flying cabin crew member, should you become pregnant.\" The ILO recommended that a temporary job should be offered to women while pregnant to exclude the possibility they could be sacked, which it said remained the case. However, Qatar Airways insisted that an employee was free to apply for other jobs within the company once pregnant. The airline also said its rules on which men could pick up and drop off female staff were based on a cultural norm. The ILO committee said it was a discriminatory practice, as it did not apply to men. The inquiry was set up by the ILO in response to complaints brought forward last June by the International Transport Workers' Federation and International Trade Union Confederation, prompted by testimony from serving and former cabin crew. Qatar Airways is one of several major airlines in the Gulf. Dubai-based Emirates Airlines, the fourth-biggest international carrier of passengers and biggest airline in the Gulf, has a similar rule on pregnancy. A spokeswoman for Emirates told the BBC: \"The regulatory body suspends the cabin crew licence when pregnancy is confirmed. While Emirates tries to find a ground job for pregnant crew, this is not always possible. Where it is not possible, the cabin crew member can take an unpaid leave of absence for up to one year.\" The spokeswoman confirmed that no paid maternity leave was offered during an employee's first three years with the company. In contrast, a spokesman for Abu-Dhabi based airline Etihad Airways said that once a pregnant member of the cabin crew was no longer able to fly, she would be reallocated a role on the ground and would not lose her job. She could then return to her role after maternity leave. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways revealed its annual earnings for the first time on Monday. It reported a net profit of $103m in the last financial year. The airline had recently been forced to deny claims it had received tens of billions of dollars of government subsidies over the past decade. It had been accused of distorting competition by American Airlines, United and Delta, who are trying to persuade the US government to alter its position on open-skies policies designed to create a free-market environment for the aviation industry.", "summary": "The boss of Qatar Airways has vehemently rejected the findings of a 12-month probe that concluded his airline still discriminates against female staff."}
{"article": "Midfielder Phillip Billing is also a doubt, which may mean that former Aston Villa man Jonathan Hogg could come in. Villa will be without midfielders Birkir Bjarnason and Jack Grealish, who both picked up knee injuries in Saturday's win at Rotherham. Boss Steve Bruce could use full-back Jordan Amavi in a more advanced role. Villa are now looking a lot safer having climbed to 13th after three straight wins - all of them clean sheets.", "summary": "Huddersfield Town are hopeful that goalkeeper Danny Ward will be fit after going off with a knock in the weekend home defeat by Newcastle."}
{"article": "Sheffield Eagles said it had failed to find a venue in the city for the 2017 season but had reached agreement to use Wakefield Trinity's Belle Vue Stadium. The Championship club has been without a permanent home since the 2013 demolition of the Don Valley Stadium. Sheffield City Council said it was working with the club to secure its future in the city. The move to Wakefield is subject to approval by the sport's governing body. Read more about this and other stories from across South Yorkshire The club said season ticket prices would be reduced and it was investigating introducing some form of subsidised transport for fans. Mark Aston, head coach, said the club had tried everything to stay in the city. He said: \"We have tried everywhere, every single football club and every ground we can think of. \"It is a crying shame, it is a slant on a great city that we cannot get the support in our hour of need.\" The club had hoped to eventually move into the Olympic Legacy Park in Attercliffe but Mr Aston said delays are damaging the club's ability to attract investors. Sheffield City Council said the club had been told the pitch at the Olympic Park would be available for most of their 2017 games. \"However, the council has always been clear that spectator facilities around the pitch will have to be provided by a private investor,\" a spokesman added. \"We know that the Eagles continue to work on securing an investor which could potentially help them invest in the Olympic Park facilities.\"", "summary": "A Rugby league club said it has been forced to move almost 30 miles (48km) away from its home city."}
{"article": "It was one of four lorries involved in a collision on the motorway in Bedfordshire between junctions 12 and 13 at about 07:00 GMT. Highways England said the jam had been cleared up and all southbound lanes had now reopened. However, it warned of continuing delays and said other routes, including the A5, had extra traffic. Police said no-one was injured in the crash. More on this and other news from Bedfordshire", "summary": "Motorists faced a sticky situation when a lorry shed its load of jam on the M1."}
{"article": "The proposal, dubbed Hornsea Three, would create a complex that would be the \"world's largest offshore wind farm\", Dong Energy said. Hornsea Project One, which is being built 75 miles (120 km) out at sea, is expected to be operational in 2020. The RSPB has previously voiced concerns about the \"high collision risk for seabirds using the area\". Brent Cheshire, Dong Energy UK's chairman, said moving forward with Hornsea Project Three \"underlines our commitment to the UK offshore wind industry.\" An application for consent to build Hornsea Project Two was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in January last year. A decision is expected later in the year. The energy firm said it expected to submit a planning application for Hornsea Project Three in 2018. If approved, construction was anticipated for sometime between 2022 and 2025. Dong Energy has already built the Westermost Rough wind farm which consists of 35 turbines located 16 miles (25km) off the Holderness coast.", "summary": "A public consultation into plans for a third offshore wind farm off the East Yorkshire coast has started."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 39-year-old Somerset captain played 313 first-class matches, scoring 25,470 runs at an average of 49.55. He hit two centuries in his final match as Somerset kept their hopes of a first County Championship title alive with a 325-run win over Nottinghamshire. \"It's a pretty special way to go out,\" Rogers told BBC Radio Bristol. Victory took Somerset to the top of the table, although they will win the title only if Middlesex's game with Yorkshire at Lord's is drawn. The former Middlesex and Northamptonshire batsman averaged 49.55 in 25 Tests for Australia between 2008 and 2015. Rogers finished unbeaten on 100 at Taunton on Thursday - the 76th first-class hundred of an 18-year career - having made 132 on Tuesday. He added: \"I remember Darren Lehmann being carried off at the Adelaide Oval after he had slogged 150 against us and I always hoped that I could do something similar. \"But, not only that, we've had a fantastic year. To walk around and see the standing ovation from the Somerset supporters is a nice way to go out.\"", "summary": "Former Australia Test opener Chris Rogers has announced his retirement following title-chasing Somerset's final match of 2016."}
{"article": "However Rami Jarrah said in his post that his detention appeared to be related to his work in Syria. His arrest caused concern among media groups, who called for his release. Jarrah - who met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in January - was held in the city of Gaziantep. He was reported to be applying for a residence permit at the time. \"The location I was transferred to late Wednesday evening contained prisoners that were all held under the same suspicion of being terrorist elements, all have not been charged and some have been there for up to nine months after having being declared innocent by a court of law,\" Mr Jarrah said in his Facebook post. \"It disturbs me that I was placed in this situation given my background and obvious distance from such an accusation.\" The reporter said that while he understood \"the pressure the Turkish government is under\" and the responsibility it has to prevent terrorism, a little more research by the authorities would have prevented unnecessary hardship. The Committee to Protect Journalists said at the time of his arrest that Syrian journalists should be protected rather than detained. Jarrah founded the independent citizen journalist group Ana Press, providing reports to international media, after leaving Syria. He was initially held in a detention facility for foreign citizens, but was moved to a different facility on Thursday, the CPJ said. Supporters say Jarrah is well known for his independent reporting, often carried out at great personal risk. Jarrah, who was brought up in the UK, fled Syria with his wife and child in 2011, fearing that he was in danger, but continued to go back to report. Press freedom 'a major concern' Turkey urged to free Syrian journalist", "summary": "A Syrian journalist who was arrested on Wednesday in Turkey has been released without charge and with no explanation as to why he was detained, he announced on Facebook."}
{"article": "Hundreds of volunteers have offered to help finish the Lee Rigby House in North Staffordshire. An ex-serviceman posted an appeal after seeing only three people \"struggling to get the place finished\" before opening in September. A trustee said the build is on track, but they're grateful for any help. See more stories from Stoke and Staffordshire here The Lee Rigby Foundation was established by the mother of the fusilier who was murdered in Woolwich in 2013 and has gone on to set up the Lee Rigby Home in Oakmoor. Keith Lawson visited the home to do some work on Wednesday and said his phone has been \"ringing off the hook\" since he shared the post online. \"The people working there are veterans themselves. I expected to see a house full of people beavering away so I was surprised when it was just three of them. \"Already we've filled five A4 sheets of paper with names and phone numbers of trades people that want to help.\" The building for Lee Rigby House was donated by local charity, the Kendo Nagasaki Foundation, and will house seven people at a time. The foundation runs purely on volunteers, and Roz MacDonald is one of two trustees. She says the house will offer somewhere for people to unwind. \"Nobody else is doing quite what we're doing. Here is it just completely peaceful, people can feel the weights of their problems being lifted.\" The charity is looking for people to help with finishing touches including furnishing, flooring, and landscaping. Work has been ongoing for two years and the charity feels confident the house will be completed by September. Ms MacDonald described the response as \"tremendous- the most welcome deluge\".", "summary": "A Facebook post asking for help to complete a retreat for veterans and service families has been shared nearly 50,000 times."}
{"article": "The 65-year-old woman and dog living in the home escaped without injury and were led to safety by firefighters. The man taken to hospital is in his 20s and is believed to have been the driver of the car. It happened in Fairfield Street in the Nottinghamshire town of Bingham shortly after 23:00 GMT on Saturday. Firefighters who attended the crash said it also involved two other parked cars. John Betts, who lives nearby, saw emergency services helping someone trapped in one of the cars. \"It looked pretty horrendous when I saw them,\" he said. \"I saw the frontage of the house was totally taken out and the curtains were billowing out of the house. \"I know the lady there, that's why I've come down to see if she was all right.\"", "summary": "A man has been taken to hospital after a car crashed into a parked car and a house."}
{"article": "The 18-hour spiritual fasts are not easy and for some the month can be a difficult challenge, especially for people with eating disorders. Amina Clayton, who is 19 and lives in Birmingham, is recovering from an eating disorder after having symptoms of both anorexia and bulimia. She was diagnosed at the age of 16 when she was \"hardly eating anything and became very obsessed with exercise\". Now Ramadan can bring back painful memories. \"The hardest thing about Ramadan is that it's all centred around food,\" she says. \"For me, the fast in the day is easier. \"It's at night that it's more difficult when families gather after 18 hours of fasting to break the fast,\" she adds. Amina explains that the problem lay in the fact that she was eating at night and then very early the next morning. \"In a space of five or six hours, that's all your intake until your next fast begins so it feels like a binge,\" she says. \"Of course it's not a binge as your body needs that energy to fast the next day.\" She says it is important that people with the condition realise that Muslims do not have to fast if they are unwell. \"Last year I didn't fast at all, and that was a difficult decision to come to because my faith is important to me,\" she recalls. \"To realise fasting might be detrimental to my recovery was the right decision though.\" This year she has decided to fast on some days. Amina says there had been one particularly difficult evening with her family, when they had all started eating after breaking their fast. \"I was having a good time and hadn't really been paying any attention to what I'd been eating,\" she explains. \"And then when I realised, I felt a lot of the feelings I've felt surrounding food, and the guilt and shame of not being in control. \"I had to fight quite hard the urge to make myself sick,\" she points out. Amina says confiding in her mum, as well as speaking to Muslim doctors about fasting during Ramadan, has helped her. Usman Mahmood, an imam from Birmingham Central Mosque, outlines that advice. \"Any sort of worship where health becomes an issue, that worship has to stop,\" he says. \"Instead of fasting, people can pay Fidyah where they pay over the month for a poor person to eat.\" Source: Beat The eating disorder charity Beat says people have reported difficulties to them during Ramadan and other religious occasions. \"Food is central to a lot of religious festivals. So Christmas is another time where someone with an eating disorder may experience difficulty,\" says Lorna Garner from Beat. \"People with eating disorders fall into the category of people that are unwell so are exempt from fasting, [so] it sometimes helps people to seek religious guidance. \"Family members too could encourage a sufferer to look for other ways of observing Ramadan, perhaps giving to charity,\" Lorna adds. Maha Khan, who was diagnosed with anorexia, has started the Islam and Eating Disorders blog", "summary": "It is coming to the end of Ramadan, when Muslims fast between dawn and sunset for a month."}
{"article": "Chantal Ramazani, who is now in hiding, believes the intention was to block Mr Katumbi's bid for the presidency in elections due in November. President Joseph Kabila is required by the constitution to step down this year but no poll date has been set. The intelligence services deny the accusations. Africa Live: More on this and other stories Last month, Mr Katumbi was convicted of illegal property selling and sentenced to three years in prison, in absentia. The 51-year-old businessman, owns one of Africa's biggest football clubs, is currently out of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) seeking medical treatment. In a letter addressed to the president and other politicians and organisations, Judge Ramazani says the facts against Mr Katumbi were never examined in tribunal. She claims the purpose of the trial was cripple Mr Katumbi's political future and that she was threatened with losing her job, even imprisonment, if he were not convicted. After sending the letter, she went into hiding. The BBC's Maud Jullien, in the Congolese capital Kinshasa, says Mr Katumbi is seen as a favourite in the race for the presidency and is expected to return to the country before an opposition rally on Sunday. Opponents of President Kabila say he is trying to stall elections to stay in power, but the constitution states he must stand down after his two terms in November. Moise Katumbi was governor of the south-eastern Katanga province for almost a decade. In September last year he broke ties with the ruling party when he accused President Kabila, his former ally, of wanting to cling to power. His popularity is partly down to his job as the president of a great source of Congolese pride - football club TP Mazembe. They are Africa's reigning football champions, having won the African Champions League for the fifth time in November.", "summary": "A judge in the Democratic Republic of Congo has said she was pressured by the intelligence service to convict opposition politician Moise Katumbi."}
{"article": "Rescue officials said Minor Vidal, 35, was found with head injuries away from the site of Tuesday's crash. Mr Vidal told his rescuers he escaped after being trapped in the wreckage and survived by drinking his own urine and water from a lagoon. Eight people were killed in the crash near Trinidad, in north-east Bolivia. The Aerocon Airlines flight was travelling from Santa Cruz to Trinidad when air traffic controllers lost track of it. All nine passengers and crew were originally reported to have been killed in the crash. The head of the rescue mission, Captain David Bustos, said they began searching further away from the wreckage when they found only eight bodies at the crash site. \"From several kilometres (miles) away, we saw a man on the river bank signalling to us. When we got closer, he knelt down and thanked God,\" Capt Bustos said. \"He said he'd been trapped in the plane for more than 15 hours and that when he finally escaped he began to walk and survived by drinking his own urine and water from a lagoon,\" Reuters quoted Capt Bustos as saying.", "summary": "A Bolivian man who was the sole survivor of a plane crash has been found alive in the Amazon jungle three days after the plane went down."}
{"article": "1 July 2016 Last updated at 08:02 BST The Hitachi Super Express was due to start testing a year ago, but despite being delivered on time, was delayed as the electrification programme to power it is more than three years behind schedule. Fifty seven trains are now being fitted with diesel engines meaning they can go into service next year on the Paddington line. The train, built in Japan, made its first run from Reading to London on Thursday.", "summary": "A new high speed train for the Great Western Railway's services through the Thames Valley has taken to the tracks."}
{"article": "The first meeting of the Fed since Donald Trump took office as president discussed the possibility of a rate rise as early as March. Most economists have been forecasting a rise in June. However, Fed officials appear divided on the timing of a rise amid uncertainty over Mr Trump's policies. \"Several'' expressed fears that unemployment could fall substantially below the Fed's 4.8% target. That could trigger inflation pressures and force the Fed to boost rates at a faster pace than financial markets expect. Unemployment in December was 4.7%, although it was back at 4.8% in January. Paul Ashworth, chief US economist at Capital Economics, said the \"fairly soon\"' phrase in the minutes \"clearly leaves the door open to a March rate hike, although ... we still think the Fed will delay until June\". IHS Markit said the minutes and other recent comments signalled that a March rate hike was a \"strong possibility\". If inflation and employment data for February were \"in line with the recent trends\", the Fed might \"have no excuses to hold off\". Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the next increase was more likely to come in May than March unless there was a big increase in employment in February. The minutes also showed that a couple of Fed officials had suggested the central bank might need to alter the wording of its policy statement. The bank's assurances that it planned to raise rates at a \"gradual\" pace could be \"misunderstood as a commitment of only one or two rate hikes per year\", they argued. The Fed left its key interest rate unchanged at the 31 January-1 February meeting. In December it boosted its key rate by 0.25 percentage points to a new range of 0.5% to 0.75%. The Fed had waited a full year to raise rates for a second time after its initial rate hike in December 2015.", "summary": "Federal Reserve officials have said they may need to raise interest rates \"fairly soon\" if the economy stays strong, minutes of their meeting show."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device They were denied a shot at the gold medal after making an illegal change-over in their semi-final win over Ukraine. Pendleton was penalised for taking over half a bike wheel too early at the start of the second lap of the two-lap race. Britain have won seven out of 10 track cycling gold medals at the London 2012 Olympics Men's individual sprint: Jason Kenny (Gbr) Women's individual sprint: Anna Meares (Aus) Men's team sprint: Great Britain Women's team sprint: Germany Men's keirin: Sir Chris Hoy (Gbr) Women's team pursuit: Great Britain Men's omnium: Lasse Hansen (Den) Women's omnium: Laura Trott (Gbr) \"We were probably just a bit too eager,\" Pendleton told BBC Sport. \"It's one of those things. \"It was very unfortunate; it was a mistake made in a fraction of a second.\" China then finished ahead of Germany in the gold medal race, but were also relegated for an infringement at the change-over, leaving Germany as champions. China were left with silver, while Australia beat Ukraine in the bronze medal race. The announcement that Pendleton and Varnish had been relegated to eighth place was greeted by loud boos at the packed London Velodrome. Dave Brailsford, British Cycling's performance director, argued the pair's case with the judges in the centre of the track for more than 10 minutes before the news was relayed to spectators. British cyclists won gold in seven out of 10 events and a total of 12 medals on the track at Beijing in 2008, Pendleton and Varnish were on course to keep the run going in London. They broke the world record in their heat, in a time that was quickly bettered by China in the next race, and were second fastest in the semi-finals, again behind only China. \"It happens so quickly when you are full speed in a team sprint. Jess moves up and that's my cue to take over but it was a metre or so too early, unfortunately,\" said Pendleton. \"It was on the change. Jess got stuck a bit on the start and perhaps it put her a little bit on edge and perhaps she was trying to make up for the difference she lost. \"Maybe she judged the straight a bit wrong and I just saw the gap and just went for it because that's my cue. \"I'm desperately disappointed for Jess. She has done an incredible job in getting this far. Her team sprint today was the best of her life so far. \"It's the Olympic Games, it's the biggest thing. To spend four years getting ready for it only to lose in a fraction of a second is gut wrenching.\" Mark Cavendish on BBC One \"I'm sorry for disappointing all the people that have come to support us and perhaps not offering the ride that we would have done.\" Pendleton, who is retiring from cycling after the Olympics, competes in the keirin on Friday and will begin the defence of her individual sprint title on Sunday, but Varnish's Games are over. London", "summary": "Great Britain's Olympic track cycling campaign got off to a disastrous start when Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish were disqualified from the final of the women's team sprint."}
{"article": "Taylor, 26, made her debut keeping wicket for Northern Districts in the West End Premier Cricket Competition against Port Adelaide Magpies. The two-day event is the highest level of cricket played in South Australia outside first-class cricket. \"I am completely proud of what I have achieved today,\" Taylor told the BBC World Service's Sportsworld programme. \"I would like to think I am not going to be the last woman to play in men's A grade. \"To be the first was never a plan of mine, it has just happened that way. I have to thank the Jets for letting me have that chance. \"It was a long day, it was tough, but overall I was pretty happy with my performance.\" Former Australia Test cricketers Darren Lehmann, who is the current coach of the men's national team, and Ryan Harris have previously represented Northern Districts in the West End Premier Cricket Competition. The second day of the two-day match will be next Saturday, when Taylor will bat. \"It has been a rollercoaster for me and them these past few days, but the guys were brilliant about it,\" she added. \"There was pressure internally, rather than worrying about external factors, but I am happy with what I have done.\" Taylor, who has played in men's league cricket in England, is also playing 50-over state cricket for South Australia in the Women's National Cricket League, and will feature for Adelaide Strikers in the inaugural Women's Big Bash League, a Twenty20 competition. \"One day there might be a girl who comes through and doesn't want to play women's cricket, and wants to see how far she can go in the men's game,\" said Taylor. \"For me personally, it was just to make a me a better women's player.\" Earlier this year, England seam bowler Kate Cross became the first woman to play in the 123-year-old Central Lancashire League.", "summary": "England's Sarah Taylor made history on Saturday by becoming the first woman to play Australian first-grade cricket."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Darren McCurry and Peter Harte led the charge with a combined total of 10 points as the Red Hands recovered from a slow start to triumph at Clones. Mickey Harte's holders will play Derry at Pairc Esler on Saturday in a repeat of the 2016 final. Derry saw off Monaghan 2-12 to 1-13 in the other semi-final at Armagh. Fermanagh started the game with a flourish, driven by energy and desire, and they ran at the Tyrone defence at every opportunity, using support runners to stretch their opponents. They went ahead through Eddie Courtney and Tomas Corrigan, and the Tyrone defence was under sustained pressure. Midfielder Eoin Donnelly charged through with a goal on his mind, but he was denied by a superb Peter Harte block. Tyrone finally got their opening score in the 10th minute when McCurry split the posts, and Niall McKenna brought the holders level moments later. The Tyrone defence grew in stature as the game wore on, and restricted the Erne men to just one point in the second quarter, a third free for Corrigan. An injury to Colm Cavanagh saw older brother Sean enter the action on the half-hour for his first appearance of 2017 and the beginning of a 16th season in the Tyrone county colours. Harte's fourth free sent Tyrone in with a 0-7 to 0-4 interval lead, and they started moving more freely in the second period, with McCurry taking over the free-taking duties, as well as adding a magnificent effort from play. They went ahead by 0-10 to 0-5 and, after Paul McCusker had pulled back an Erne point, the Red Hands went 0-13 to 0-6 up, with McCurry, Cathal McShane and Lee Brennan hitting the target. Fermanagh introduced Sean Quigley, who landed a couple of long range frees, with Aidan Breen and Corrigan also on target, but the holders held out for a place in the final.", "summary": "Tyrone overcame a stubborn Fermanagh side 0-14 to 0-11 to reach the Dr McKenna Cup final and stay on course for a sixth successive title."}
{"article": "The firm said the system would allow its better drivers to receive cheaper premiums. It follows similar efforts by smaller insurers. Larger rival Direct Line has told the BBC it is also piloting its own \"black box\" scheme. Critics of the technology said that data should not be used as a reliable measure of a driver's ability. The system involves the installation of a small black box into the driver's car which records how they drive. The measures include monitoring speed, braking severity, cornering and the types of roads used during certain times of day. This information is transmitted remotely to the insurers, and can also be accessed by users via a website which gives information on overall performance, warning them if they are likely to be moved to a higher premium. \"The reports are pretty detailed,\" AA spokesman Ian Crowder told the BBC ahead of Wednesday's formal announcement. \"The point is that these sorts of devices firmly put in the hands of the driver a responsibility for driving safely. It makes you think.\" The information could be used to prove who was at fault in accidents, Mr Crowder added, but such detailed information would only be disclosed with a court order. He added that the system could also detect sudden hard braking so assistance could be sent. Extreme speeds would be greeted with \"a stern email\" to the driver. He said the \"pay-how-you-drive\" system, which is aimed primarily at young drivers, could save customers up to \u00c2\u00a3850 per year. \"All the anecdotal evidence suggests that people who have installed the system have about a 30% better claims experience - in other words, less crashes - than those who don't,\" he added. The technology, known as \"telematics\" or \"black box insurance\" has for several months been utilised by smaller insurance firms such as Co-Op and Coverbox. Welsh insurance firm Motaquote has just launched a partnership with leading sat-nav manufacturer TomTom to offer real-time feedback on driver performance. Other major insurers are expected to launch policies soon. Direct Line told the BBC it had begun a pilot using its own technology - called Tracker - which it hoped to implement by the end of the year. Elsewhere, car hire firm Avis said telematics is \"one to watch\", and said it might consider using the technology in its vehicles. Malcolm Tarling, from the Association of British Insurers, said it is an approach which is likely to become commonplace. \"It's particularly important for young drivers who have high premiums,\" he said. \"You may say you don't want a 'spy in the car' as some call them, but others may say that if this is one way of making my premiums reflect my safety on the road, this will be of interest.\" But Keith Peat, a spokesman for the Association for British Drivers, told the BBC he was worried that drivers who did not want to allow telematics in their vehicle would face higher costs. \"Providing the drivers give their consent it is OK,\" he said. \"But what we are totally against is people who don't", "summary": "The AA is set to launch a new insurance policy which uses sat-nav technology to track driver performance."}
{"article": "Tata Sons, the holding company of Tata Group, in a sudden move on Monday, unexpectedly replaced chairman Cyrus Mistry with his predecessor Ratan Tata, The change is made even more puzzling by the company giving no explanation or details about its decision. The country's media, though, is filled with speculation about the decision and what the future might hold for Tata. The first question on everyone's mind was \"Why?\" Cyrus Misty had been hand-picked as a successor to Ratan Tata in 2012, as the second chairman from outside the Tata family and with high hopes that he would be the right man to steer the company. He was the sixth chairman in Tata's 148-year history and the first chairman in nearly 80 years to come from outside the Tata family. The Economic Times writes the move was over \"performance issues,\" citing allegations that Tata was not happy with Mr Mistry's \"approach of shedding non-profit businesses, including the conglomerate's steel business in Europe, and concentrating only on cash cows\". The paper also notes that there was a \"fundamental disconnect between [Mr] Mistry and Tata, particularly with regard to ethos, values, vision and the direction\" the group was taking. Mr Mistry's explicit disregard for the \"old guard\" in the company was \"considered overtly aggressive and unnecessary,\" according to the paper. Business publication Mint also speaks of \"contrasting styles in investment\", saying the approach of Mr Mistry \"was in sharp contrast with that of his predecessor Ratan Tata\", under whom the group was \"one of India's most aggressive acquirers, especially of overseas assets\". During his time as chairman since 2012, Mr Mistry though seemed to move into the opposite direction, getting rid of loss-making units and focusing on the stronger core businesses. The plans to sell the British steel plants owned by Tata are part of this trend. The Business Standard says that people in the know were aware the conflict \"was building up\". The paper cites a number of recent incidents where Tata felt not properly informed by Mr Mistry about his business decision. But the paper cites sources from close to the Tata board saying that the \"real issue was that Tata felt [Mr] Mistry may not be the best bet in the long-term\" with no vision for the future. Officially, Cyrus Mistry was \"replaced\", seen by many publications as a decidedly vague term, especially given the context that there were next to no further details or explanations. The change at the top is widely seen as the chairman getting the boot. For the Economic Times, the case is an \"ouster,\" described as \"worse than any scene from corporate fiction in which the CEO is given the pink slip at the shortest possible notice\". The article also points out that the sudden decision \"is most unusual and not in keeping with the reputation of good corporate governance that the Tatas had earned over the past decades\". The paper cites an unnamed \"old Tata hand\" describing the situation as \"a coup that was planned to perfection and executed to the tee\". The Business Standard", "summary": "The replacement at the helm of India's largest conglomerate has come as both a shock and a surprise."}
{"article": "The 16-year-old girl was arrested in November and later sectioned. But, with no bed available, she spent two days in a cell at Torquay police station. Her case sparked an outcry and debates in Parliament, with the home secretary vowing to ban the practice. NHS England has since apologised and described her care as \"unacceptable\". The girl's mother, who is not being named to protect the girl's privacy, told BBC Inside Out South West she was \"absolutely destroyed\" to find her daughter sleeping in a cell. \"When I walked in and saw her lying there, on that floor... heartbreaking,\" she said. \"She was on a blue thing on the floor - it's not even what you class as a police bed. \"She needed the right help. The police, I can't fault them, they did an amazing job looking after my child.\" More than 24 hours after the girl was put in the cell, Paul Netherton, Assistant Chief Constable at Devon and Cornwall Police, took to Twitter to express his frustration and voice concerns for her welfare. His comments provoked a national debate and questions in Parliament. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said it was \"totally unacceptable for someone with severe mental health problems to be placed in a police cell\". The girl was arrested on Thursday evening at Torbay Hospital for an alleged breach of peace. She was then taken to Torquay police station where she was detained under the Mental Health Act on Friday morning. She was never charged with any offence. Once someone is detained under the act, it is the responsibility of the NHS to find a place in a specialist hospital where appropriate care can be provided. As no bed was made available, the girl had to remain in a police cell until Saturday evening. However, Exeter Labour MP Ben Bradshaw has claimed a bed was available, but the private provider declined the referral. NHS England would not comment on the specific case, but said providers \"sometimes decline to accept referrals if they feel they cannot meet the individual's needs\". Source: Devon and Cornwall Police The girl's mother praised the intervention of Mr Netherton and said that evening - two days after the teenager was first placed in the cell - a bed on an adult psychiatric ward was found. \"My daughter shouldn't have been held in a police cell for that long,\" she added. In a joint statement, the South Devon and Torbay Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS England and Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust, said the care was \"unacceptable and we apologise\". \"Following a review of this case, we have agreed a system to ensure that, in any case where a child cannot be found an appropriate placement rapidly, a clear escalation process will be followed,\" the statement added. However, the mother said she was yet to receive an apology from the NHS. The girl has now been moved to a specialist hospital more than 200 miles (320km) from her family home. \"My daughter needs her family. We need her, she needs us. We", "summary": "A mentally ill teenager who was held in a cell for two days due to a lack of hospital beds suffered \"heartbreaking\" failings in her care, her mother says."}
{"article": "The UN children's fund, Unicef, says in a new report that the hopes of a generation across the Middle East and North Africa are being shattered. It says that in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya, almost 9,000 schools are not able to be used for education. Unicef also documented scores of attacks on schools and teachers across the region. Peter Salama, regional director for Unicef in the Middle East and North Africa, said: \"The destructive impact of conflict is being felt by children right across the region. \"It's not just the physical damage being done to schools, but the despair felt by a generation of schoolchildren who see their hopes and futures shattered.\" The 13.7 million who are out of education represents about 40% of the school-age children in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya and Sudan and the UN fears that figure could top 50% in the coming months. Unicef says that, in 2014, there were 214 attacks on schools in Syria, Iraq, Libya, the Palestinian territories, Sudan and Yemen. One in four schools in Syria have shut since March 2011, affecting more than two million children, it says. Unicef's Education Under Fire report added that \"the killing, abduction and arbitrary arrest of students, teachers and education personnel have become commonplace\" in the region. Thousands of teachers have abandoned their posts in fear and children are often forced to work illegally to help their families. The children can also become combatants at a young age. Mr Salama said Unicef needed an additional $300m this year to try to improve access to education in the region.", "summary": "The UN has said that conflicts in the Middle East are depriving more than 13 million children of an education."}
{"article": "Kent finished second in Division Two last season and were not given a spot in the top flight after Durham were relegated because of financial issues. Gillespie, who joined Kent as cover for Allan Donald in March, led Yorkshire to promotion from Division Two in 2012. \"For this whole squad, the world is their oyster,\" he told BBC Radio Kent. \"Kent have shown that they can do it and they can challenge to play in the first division. \"They play against first division sides in white-ball cricket all the time so the lads know they can do it, it's just a couple of things falling into place.\"", "summary": "Kent interim assistant coach Jason Gillespie says they can challenge for promotion to Division One of the County Championship this season."}
{"article": "The soldier, who has not been named, died after the device detonated in Ayn Issa, north of the IS stronghold Raqqa. It is the first such death since US special forces deployed in Syria in October 2015. Meanwhile at least 32 people have been killed in intense Syrian air strikes on rebel-held east Aleppo, monitors say. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors casualties, said the attack was one of the heaviest since Syrian forces resumed an offensive on the east earlier this month. A statement from the anti-IS US-led coalition said the serviceman died on Thursday from wounds sustained in the blast. Coalition commander Lt Gen Stephen Townsend called the soldier a \"hero\" and praised those he said were protecting his country from IS's \"hateful and brutal ideology\". \"On this Thanksgiving, please be thankful that there are service members willing to take up the fight to protect our homeland,\" he said. US Defence Secretary Ash Carter said the soldier's death was a \"painful reminder of the dangers our men and women in uniform face around the world to keep us safe\". About 300 US special forces personnel have been deployed in Syria to advise an anti-IS alliance of Arab, Kurdish and other fighters, and improve the coalition's targeting of air strikes. Meanwhile, the Syrian government has intensified its offensive on east Aleppo, monitors and activists say. \"There was an escalation in the evening, with successive bombardments,\" SOHR director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP news agency, adding that many people were trapped under rubble. Five children were reported to be among the dead. Syrian forces stepped up ground and air attacks on eastern Aleppo in November following a three-week moratorium. Once Syria's commercial and industrial hub, Aleppo has been divided roughly in two since 2012, with the government controlling the west and rebels the east. In late September, two weeks after encircling the east and reimposing a siege on its estimated 275,000 residents, the army launched an all-out assault to take full control of the city. Rebels launched a counter-attack in an attempt to break the siege in late October. But their progress slowed after early gains.", "summary": "A US serviceman has been killed by an improvised explosive device while fighting against so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria, officials say."}
{"article": "Morpeth beat Hereford FC 4-1 to become the seventh Northern League side to win the FA Vase in eight years. Hereford went ahead after 75 seconds through Rob Purdie's 25-yard shot, but Morpeth rallied to clinch victory. In the FA Trophy final, Scott McManus scored the only goal of the game as Halifax beat promoted Grimsby 1-0 in their first visit to the stadium. Grimsby Town were at Wembley for the second time in eight days, having won promotion back to the football league after a six-year absence with last weekend's victory over Forest Green in the National League promotion final. But it was Halifax Town, recently relegated to National League North and on their first trip to Wembley, who started the brighter with McManus sending a curling free-kick over the bar. Following a first half in which neither keeper was really tested, McManus scored the game's only goal in the 48th minute. The 26-year old sent the 10,000 Halifax Town fans wild when he lobbed Town keeper James McKeown from 25 yards. The Mariners upped their intensity, almost grabbing an equaliser in added time, but Halifax cleared off the line to hold on for a famous victory. In their first season in their new existence, following the demise of wound-up Hereford United in December 2014, Peter Beadle's reformed Bulls had already won three trophies this season - notably winning the Midland League at their first attempt. Hereford had three players on show - Purdie, Ryan Green and skipper Joel Edwards - who also used to play for the Bulls in their Hereford United days. After Purdie's explosive early opener, roared on by more than 20,000 travelling fans, the Bulls dominated the first half, hitting the bar and wasting a string of other first-half chances. But the game turned on 45-year-old Chris Swailes' leveller when he chested in after a goalkeeping error to become the oldest scorer in a Wembley final and it triggered the Highwaymen into action. Luke Carr scored from close range straight after the break, followed by further goals from Sean Taylor and Shaun Bell to earn Morpeth their first FA Vase triumph. That earned veteran former Ipswich, Bury and Rotherham defender Swailes his third winner's medal, having won the competition in 1993 with Bridlington Town and in 2012, with another north-east side, Dunston. And, in the end, they deservedly maintained the Northern League's recent stranglehold on this competition. which began with Whitley Bay's triumph in 2008-09. Grimsby Town manager Paul Hurst told BBC Radio Humberside: \"We didn't get the icing on the cake, that's all I would say. Congratulations to Halifax, they played very well.\" \"We had our day last week. Its a learning curve for us all. I think at the start of the season if we'd have said we'll win promotion and get to a trophy final, everyone would have snapped our hands off.\" \"What we can look forward to is league football and that's what we'll celebrate tonight together.\"", "summary": "Morpeth Town and Halifax Town caused a double upset in the first Non-League Finals Day at Wembley."}
{"article": "The Texas senator fought Mr Trump in a bitter primary battle, marked by mud-slinging and personal insults. Mr Cruz said he would fulfil his promise to vote for the Republican nominee and that electing Hillary Clinton would be \"wholly unacceptable\". He drew ire at the Republican National Convention in July, when he was booed off stage for not endorsing Mr Trump. \"This election is unlike any other in our nation's history. Like many other voters, I have struggled to determine the right course of action in this general election,\" Mr Cruz announced in a Facebook post. \"After months of careful consideration, of prayer and searching my own conscience, I have decided that on Election Day, I will vote for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump.\" Everything Ted Cruz has said about Trump The comments underscore a dramatic U-turn for Mr Cruz, who has referred to Mr Trump as a \"trainwreck\" and a \"pathological liar\" who could not be trusted in the White House. Mr Trump responded to the Cruz reversal by saying he was \"greatly honoured\" to have the endorsement of \"a tough and brilliant opponent\". But some of Cruz supporters decried the senator's announcement, including his former campaign spokesman, Rick Tyler, who told NBC: \"It's mourning in America for conservatives. We lost our leader today.\" Meanwhile, Trump campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, who previously worked for a super PAC supporting Mr Cruz, expressed her relief on social media. By endorsing Donald Trump now - after all the heat he took for his \"vote your conscience\" stand in July - Mr Cruz appears to be acknowledging two realities. The first is that Mr Trump might actually win the presidency even without Mr Cruz's support. At the very least, he will be competitive, diminishing the Texas senator's ability to tell his fellow party mates \"I told you so\". The second is that Trump-ism is the future of the Republican Party - and if Mr Cruz wants to be a part of that, he's going to have to play ball. The Texas senator has to run for re-election in 2018, and he faces the threat of a pro-Trump primary challenger. This endorsement could be a way to defuse that political bomb. Although he styles himself as an ideological true believe, Mr Cruz has shown remarkable political flexibility. The Ivy League establishment lawyer turned into anti-Washington firebrand to win a Senate seat. During the presidential campaign, he embraced Mr Trump when he saw it in his interest, then turned on the front-runner when the field narrowed. Now, it seems, the Trump-Cruz bromance has been rekindled. But the Republican nominee would be wise to watch his back. Mr Cruz said he decided to back his former foe due to six key policy differences between Mr Trump and Hillary Clinton, including the fate of the Supreme Court, Obamacare, immigration and energy. Mr Trump and Mr Cruz repeatedly clashed during the primary campaign both on and off the debate stage. Mr Trump came under fire after he tweeted an unflattering photo of Mr Cruz's wife, Heidi. He also suggested that", "summary": "Defeated Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz has endorsed Donald Trump in the race for the White House."}
{"article": "The midfielder curled in from 20 yards following Ben Mee's foul on Tom Huddlestone. Steven Defour had put Burnley in front when he picked the ball up in his own half, ran at goal and beat Eldin Jakupovic with a 30-yard shot. Hull's David Meyler grazed a post at 0-0 and team-mate Curtis Davies almost equalised when heading against the bar. The result means Hull, under the stewardship of caretaker manager Mike Phelan, drop a place to sixth in the table, while Burnley are 15th. Snodgrass, who scored a hat-trick for Scotland in the World Cup qualifying win over Malta last Sunday, was at the heart of most of Hull's good work. The 29-year-old made the slide rule pass in the first half which set up Meyler for the shot across goal which brushed a post. Snodgrass also had a well-struck shot palmed over by Burnley keeper Tom Heaton before delivering the cross from which Davies' header hit the woodwork as Hull pressed for an equaliser. He said of his free-kick: \"Shaun Maloney came over and asked if I fancied it, and I said 'yes'.\" Snodgrass, who spent 16 months out after dislocating a kneecap on his Premier League debut for Hull in August 2014, also scored Hull's winner in their opening game of the season against Leicester. The two goals and late drama in the game were in contrast to the match as a whole between two sides promoted from the Championship last season. Burnley boss Sean Dyche admitted his side were initially \"edgy\" after a 3-0 defeat by Chelsea in their previous league game. While Hull had more possession, both sides lacked a cutting edge, but Defour changed that in brilliant fashion after 72 minutes with one of Burnley's two shots on target in the match. The Belgium international was the club's \u00a38m record signing from Anderlecht before the arrival of Jeff Hendrick for \u00a310.5m on transfer deadline day. Defour was replaced by debutant Hendrick almost immediately after his goal, which was his first for Burnley. Burnley manager Sean Dyche: \"I was pleased with performance. We started a bit edgy but built into the game. \"It's the way it goes. It is the reality of football. It was a game of few chances and cagey. \"He (Defour) was a cheap as chips - have you not seen what is happening in the Premier League? He is a fine player.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Hull City caretaker boss Mike Phelan: \"We suffered in the last minute in the last game (letting in a late goal against Manchester United). \"Credit to us as we kept going. The players did what we asked of them today.\" On being appointed on a full-time basis: \"I'm there in the dugout. I'm kicking every ball with the players and it is a joy.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Burnley's next game takes them to Leicester, while Hull host Arsenal, with both games at 15:00 BST on Saturday, 17 September. Match ends, Burnley 1, Hull City 1. Second Half ends,", "summary": "Robert Snodgrass scored a 95th-minute free-kick to rescue a point for Hull City in the Premier League at Burnley."}
{"article": "Speaking on Saturday, Sinn F\u00e9in's Stormont leader said she has contacted the other party leaders to stress her party's commitment to the talks. Ms O'Neill said Sinn F\u00e9in had a team ready to \"crunch\" the issues. The process was suspended for the summer at the beginning of July. However, Ms O'Neill said she is disappointed that all unionist parties have not condemned what she described as \"rogue bonfires with effigies, with things which have been absolutely disgraceful and wouldn't be tolerated anywhere and shouldn't be tolerated in the north\". She said: \"We can't have actions like this that 'sectarianise', that promote hate, that promote distance right across our communities. \"We need the unionist leaders to come out and say it's wrong, it needs to stop, it doesn't play its part in culture. \"We all should encourage culture and celebrate our culture, Orangeism is a big part of that culture, but it has to be done in a respectful way,\" she added. Ms O'Neill indicated that Sinn F\u00e9in intended to continue to push for an Irish language act, a key sticking point in the talks. \"We need to deliver that, that's what the citizens are asking for,\" she said, adding that \"legacy issues\" relating to the Troubles also have to be resolved. Ms O'Neill also criticised the deal between the DUP and the Conservatives at Westminster. She said: \"Look at the deal which they have done with the Tories, they have given them a blank cheque in relation to Brexit and we all know the devastating implications there are going to be for the island of Ireland\". Ms O'Neill said that part of the reason there is a political crisis is because the \"DUP has been pandered to by the British government for the last ten years\". She said a deal with the DUP is in their own self interests \"only to keep Theresa May and her millionaire cabinet in power\". \"It doesn't bode well for the rigorous impartiality which the British government is supposed to display,\" she added. Northern Ireland has been without a functioning devolved government since January, when the coalition led by the two biggest parties, the DUP and Sinn F\u00e9in, collapsed over a green energy scandal.", "summary": "A relatively peaceful marching season bodes well to create the right atmosphere for political talks aimed at restoring power sharing in Northern Ireland, Michele O'Neill has said."}
{"article": "Lady Gaga issued a subtle rebuke to Donald Trump at Sunday's Super Bowl, singing the protest anthem This Land Is Your Land and quoting from the pledge of allegiance. Pop trio Muna were more explicit. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel's chat show this week, they added a new verse to their single I Know A Place. The final line? \"He's not my leader even if he's my president.\" In the UK, Stormzy prompted an overhaul of the Brits after pointing out the ceremony's lack of diversity in his song One Take Freestyle. And now, up-and-coming soul star Jodie Abacus has released a powerful song about the refugee crisis. Called Keep Your Head Down, it tells the story of a family fleeing a war zone, only to be met with fear and suspicion in the country they had thought would provide safe harbour. Jodie performed it live for the first time on Jo Whiley's BBC Radio 2 show on Wednesday night. Ahead of the session, he sat down with BBC News to talk about the story behind the song (and Elton John's helicopter). Why did you decide to write about the refugee crisis? I was in LA for a session, and I saw something about refugees on the television in my hotel. That's what triggered it. I wanted to give a perspective of what it would be like to go from one country to another. I can only imagine it's a terrifying feeling. We need to be a little bit more empathetic. How did you write the lyrics? The beat of the song triggered the emotion in me. The first lyric was the chorus: \"We're moving on, but the road is long / Don't get your hopes up, you'd better keep your head down.\" Don't get your hopes up is the father saying \"we're running out of chances\", and keep your head down was like, \"pray that we get out of this\". I'd assumed it was about having to keep a low profile in a new country. It's both. There's a lot of double meanings. It's also about keeping your head down to escape the bullets. The thing is, you do all this to save your life - then you're not accepted by the country where you thought you'd be safe. People hate you or they think you're going to steal their jobs or take their benefits. But there's a lot of people running away just to save their own souls. Your musical references are very eclectic. I hear Stevie Wonder, ELO, Steely Dan, even Hall & Oates in there. How did you get into music? I was born in south-east London in Lewisham Hospital. My dad used to be a DJ. He'd carry around these big speakers and play reggae, soul, funk. I was just surrounded by music. What was the first time you performed in public? I gave a foyer concert at college. What I'd done was reproduce the Jacksons' Show You the Way to Go on a little computer, and I'd written my own lyrics to it. No one really knew", "summary": "Pop is getting a long overdue dose of politics."}
{"article": "The number four seed from Tipton averaged 94.10 against Harms to reach the last four at Lakeside, where he will play 2013 champion Scott Waites. \"I played very well but I'll probably have to play better,\" Hughes, 29, told BBC Sport. \"It's going to be tough but I'm going to enjoy it.\" He continued: \"I'm on so much of a high at the moment, I'm not thinking about what's coming up. I just want to enjoy this moment.\" Hughes was frustrated with below-par displays in the opening two rounds but showed real quality against Dutch fifth seed Harms to get to a Lakeside semi-final for the first time in his career. \"That's what I've been waiting for all week,\" added Hughes. \"I've been saying that if I clicked, someone was going to get a right hammering. That's given me a massive confidence boost.\" By reaching the last four, Hughes has automatically qualified for next year's World Championships. \"When I came here, the semi-finals were the aim,\" he said. \"I should be a more relaxed person over the next year because I haven't got to do as much of the circuit around Europe.\"", "summary": "Jamie Hughes believes he must improve on his 5-1 quarter-final win over Wesley Harms to reach the BDO World Championship final."}
{"article": "The men were located on Thursday on the remote Pacific island of Fanadik in Micronesia. US Navy officials said they had been stranded for three days. The crew aboard a US Navy plane, dispatched after the men were reported missing, spotted them around two hours into their search. As well as the sign, the men were waving brightly-coloured lifejackets to attract attention. The men said their vessel capsized due to a large wave a few hours after their departure from Pulap in the Federated States of Micronesia on Monday. They say they spent the night swimming until they arrived on the island. \"Our combined efforts coupled with the willingness of many different resources to come together and help, led to the successful rescue of these three men in a very remote part of the Pacific,\" said Lt William White.", "summary": "Three sailors have been rescued from an uninhabited Pacific island by the US Navy after spelling out \"help\" with palm fronds."}
{"article": "Sweepers start to clear away debris, and drills buzz in the shells of gutted shops. But the scene of the deadliest ever attack carried out by so-called Islamic State (IS) anywhere in the world is still a makeshift shrine. On 3 July, 292 Iraqis lost their lives here. This week, the haunting strains of a cello wafted through the cavernous black hulks where two popular centres once drew in Iraqis for shopping and socialising. \"If terrorists are trying to turn every element of life into a battlefield, I will turn it into a field of beauty and civilisation,\" declares Karim Wasifi, composer and conductor with Iraq's National Symphony Orchestra. He has played his cello at other major bomb sites in Baghdad as an affirmation of Iraqis' determination to fight back. Hardly a day goes by without an attack somewhere in a city laced with security checkpoints and armed guards. But the explosion in Baghdad's Karrada neighbourhood was no ordinary bomb. From its design to its destination, this attack underlines that IS has found a new way to inflict harm and cause terror. \"Daesh used, for the first time, a new tactic which helped it to move undetected through checkpoints,\" a Western security source in Baghdad tells me, using the name for IS more commonly used in the region. \"We've never seen it before, and it's very worrying.\" Precise details of the attack, which is under Iraqi investigation, are still being pieced together. The tactic known as a VBIED - vehicle-borne improvised explosive device - is now widely used in suicide bombings. But this one is said to differ in the way the explosives were placed in the van, and how the chemicals were put together. \"It's really difficult to make,\" an explosives expert who has knowledge of the investigation explained, saying the device may have been developed in the Iraqi city of Falluja when it was under IS control. \"Daesh has given a lot of thought to how to move through checkpoints.\" The bomb-makers are believed to have taken a formula \"available on the internet\", and then adjusted the quantities to reduce its risk of detection, and increase its impact. Several Iraqi experts also described the mix of chemicals as \"unique\". \"We are used to big fires but the chemicals in this bomb were used for the first time in Iraq,\" says Brigadier General Kadhim Bashir Saleh of the Civil Defense Force. \"It was unique, strange, and terrible.\" Another Iraqi security expert, Hisham al-Hashimi, told me he believes a similar mix of explosives may have been used, only once, in an attack by al-Qaeda in 2004. But he describes this new tactic deployed by IS as \"very serious and dangerous\". The van exploded on the narrow street just after midnight shortly before Eid Festival when shops were packed with families, football fans were glued to big screens, and the billiard hall was doing brisk business. Several say the heat created by the first blast was \"as hot as the surface of the sun\". The explosion left no gaping crater, and its impact", "summary": "On a Baghdad street once throbbing with life, there is a soft recitation of prayers, a silent lighting of candles, and quiet sobbing at the edges of charred ruins."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device At 63-63, Robertson took the first frame with a respotted black but Carter took the second with a 94 break. Carter won the third frame to go 2-1 up but Robertson fought back with a break of 43 and 57 to take a 3-2 lead. However, Carter came from behind to seize victory, as he won three straight frames including an 84 break. He will face off against Trump, who beat Ronnie O'Sullivan on Wednesday, in Friday's semi-final. Semi-finals Judd Trump v Ali Carter Mark Selby/Marco Fu v Ding Junhui/Anthony Hamilton Quarter-finals Mark Selby v Marco Fu Ding Junhui v Anthony Hamilton Neil Robertson 3-5 Ali Carter Ronnie O'Sullivan 3-5 Judd Trump Round one Stuart Bingham 1-5 Anthony Hamilton Ronnie O'Sullivan 5-1 Liang Wenbo Mark Selby 5-4 Ryan Day Marco Fu 5-1 Anthony McGill Barry Hawkins 0-5 Neil Robertson Judd Trump 5-2 Mark King Ding Junhui 5-4 John Higgins Ali Carter 5-4 Shaun Murphy", "summary": "Ali Carter beat Neil Robertson 5-3 in the Players Championship quarter-final in Llandudno, to set up a semi-final tie against Judd Trump on Friday."}
{"article": "The man was walking near Slieve Binnian on Monday when he fell at about 16:30 BST. Other walkers spotted him and raised the alarm. A team of 18 people from the Mourne Mountain Rescue Service helped the man before he was airlifted to hospital. The man had been in a place known as the water slabs, said Martin McMullan, a rescue team coordinator. He described the area as very slippery and quite challenging. \"It seems that he lost his footing at the top and then slid down part of the water slabs and started to tumble before he came to rest at the bottom,\" said Mr McMullan. \"He had taken quite a fall and sustained multiple injuries primarily to the upper part of his body. \"We treated him for head, neck and chest injuries as a result of that fall.\" The Mourne Mountain Rescue Service was also involved at the weekend in the search for the two missing crewmen of an Irish Coast Guard helicopter that crashed off Blacksod in County Mayo. Both men have been missing since Rescue 116 crashed on 14 March.", "summary": "A man is in a critical condition in hospital after falling up to 50 metres in the Mourne Mountains."}
{"article": "Adam Mudd admitted creating malware in 2013 which was used to carry out 1.7 million cyber attacks. The 20-year-old of Toms Lane in Kings Langley was jailed for two years at the Old Bailey in April. But on Thursday, judges at the Court of Appeal found the original punishment had not given enough credit for his guilty plea. Mudd, who made more than \u00c2\u00a3380,000 worth of US dollars and Bitcoins from victims including gaming websites Minecraft and Xbox Live, had his sentence reduced by three months.", "summary": "A computer hacker who masterminded global online attacks from his bedroom has had his prison sentence reduced."}
{"article": "The New Syrian Army (NSA) said it had captured a number of IS positions on the outskirts of Albu Kamal, after overrunning a nearby military airport. However, a raid into the town launched at dawn is reported to have been repelled by militants. The offensive, which began on Tuesday, is aimed at cutting a key route between IS-controlled areas in Syria and Iraq. The NSA said it was co-ordinating the assault with Iraqi government forces, who were advancing on the border from the other side. Several hundred rebels are reportedly involved in the attack on Albu Kamal, just a few kilometres from the Iraqi border in Deir al-Zour province. The NSA and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, both said on Wednesday morning that the rebels had taken control of Hamdan airport, about 5km (3 miles) north-west of the town. Fighting was continuing between the two sides in agricultural areas around the town, and coalition warplanes were conducting air strikes on IS hideouts in the town, according to the Syrian Observatory. NSA spokesman Mozahem al-Saloum told the Associated Press that airborne fighters had also been dropped onto the southern edge of Albu Kamal. Later on Wednesday, the NSA issued a statement saying its forces had \"conducted a deep penetration raid\" into Albu Kamal. \"At this time fighting is still ongoing, but the NSA maintains control of the desert, the approaches to Albu Kamal, and maintains freedom of manoeuvre,\" it added. The Reuters news agency cited two rebel sources as saying that the NSA had been forced to retreat to the outskirts after an IS counter-attack. One of the sources said militants had encircled the rebels in a surprise ambush. The rebels had incurred heavy casualties and lost some of their weapons, the source added. As the rebels advanced on Albu Kamal, IS released a video showing militants beheading five young men in the town who they claimed were working with the NSA, the Syrian Observatory said. The NSA was formed about 18 months ago by rebel factions driven out of eastern Syria by IS, which proclaimed the creation of a \"caliphate\" in June 2014. NSA fighters, who have been trained at US-run camps in Jordan, captured the Tanf border crossing between Syria and Iraq from IS earlier this year. IS is also facing pressure from a US-backed offensive in northern Syria by an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, who have surrounded the town of Manbij and cut a route to the Turkish border from the IS stronghold of Raqqa. In a separate development on Wednesday, at least seven people were killed in a car bomb attack in the Kurdish-controlled northern town of Tal Abyad, near the Turkish border, state media reported.", "summary": "US-backed Syrian rebels say they are closing in on a town on the border with Iraq held by so-called Islamic State."}
{"article": "The shadow home secretary told the Guardian she was diagnosed with the condition two years ago and it was \"out of control\" during the campaign, when she gave some faltering performances. \"During the election campaign, everything went crazy,\" she said. She said she was managing the condition and was ready to get back to work. Type 2 diabetes is a long-term condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high. It can be controlled by taking medication to reduce glucose to normal levels and also by making lifestyle and dietary changes. Ms Abbott was criticised for her performance during the election campaign, in which she stumbled several times during interviews and appeared unable to give detailed answers to questions. In one interview with LBC Radio, she mistakenly said plans to boost police numbers by 10,000 would cost \u00c2\u00a3300,000. It led to a barrage of criticism from the Conservatives who said she could not \"add up\". She pulled out of an interview on BBC's Woman's Hour with just a few minutes' notice amid unconfirmed reports that some within the party leadership had lost confidence in her. Just 48 hours before polling day, Labour said Ms Abbott was taking a period of sick leave and would be replaced \"indefinitely\" by Lyn Brown. Ms Abbott, a key ally and friend of Jeremy Corbyn, said she was badly affected after facing six or seven interviews in a row without eating enough food - vital to managing blood sugar levels. \"During the election campaign, everything went crazy - and the diabetes was out of control, the blood sugar was out of control,\" she said. Ms Abbott, who was re-elected as MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington with a majority of more than 30,000, accused her political opponents of mounting a \"vicious\" campaign against her. She told the newspaper she was disappointed a female prime minister had singled her out as a national target. The Guardian says a Conservative source \"angrily rejected\" Ms Abbott's accusations and said it was \"legitimate in a campaign to point out weaknesses in the opposition's front bench\" The source wished Ms Abbott well with her health, adding: \"No-one knows more about the difficulties of diabetes than the prime minister.\" Theresa May revealed in 2013 that she had type 1 diabetes. During the election campaign she said she managed it by injecting herself with insulin six times a day. Diabetes is a condition that causes a person's blood sugar to become too high. More than three million people suffer from type 1 and and type 2 diabetes in the UK.", "summary": "Diane Abbott has revealed she has Type 2 diabetes and that the condition is what forced her to take a break from the election campaign."}
{"article": "It follows the death of 17-year-old Adam Owens in Newtownards, County Down, on Monday. His family blamed his death on an addiction to \"legal high\" drugs and has called for a ban on them. Mothers Against Drugs said it is concerned about how effective the law is at tackling legal highs. Donna McMenamy helped to found the group after her 12-year-old son became addicted to the drugs in 2012. He is currently receiving treatment for his addiction, and is not using drugs at the moment, but she said more needs to be done to help ensure he does not start again. \"He has got fed up and went back onto drugs again in the past,\" she said. \"The system's very slow, there is no money, no resources and that really needs to change. When people put their hands up for help it needs to be there for them.\" Mrs McMenamy said those responsible for selling legal highs were \"animals\". \"They don't care what it's doing, not just to the person themselves but the surrounding families and the effect it's having on the community too.\" Randox Laboratories in County Antrim is a specialist hub for \"legal highs\" drugs analysis. Toxicology manager Mark Piper said long-term use of legal highs could have serious consequences. \"There are lots of negative effects,\" Dr Piper said. \"Besides the short-term stimulation, it can lead to extreme violence, extreme apathy and can really affect people's personalities.\" He added that the use of legal highs is continuing to increase across the UK. \"We are one of the biggest marketplaces for these substances within Europe, and we're continuing to see a rise of these being sent to Randox.\" Fra Stone works with the Falls Community Council's drugs programme. He said Northern Ireland's government needs to \"pick up the pace\" and enforce new legislation on legal highs. \"The wheels are grinding too slowly,\" he said. \"We need to toughen up. In the Republic of Ireland they had a ministerial order and were able to ban these overnight. In the jurisdiction we're in, it's a deferred matter that has to go to Westminster.\" Several deaths in the UK have been linked to legal highs. More than 200 of the substances have been banned since the coalition government came to power in 2010. In the Republic of Ireland, \"legal high\" drugs are banned by law. Emergency legislation was put forward in March after a loophole in the law meant that it was legal to possess drugs such as ecstasy, crystal meth and ketamine.", "summary": "A Belfast based anti-drugs group has called for tougher laws to be introduced to deal with the sale of \"legal high\" drugs."}
{"article": "The industry lobby group the British Retail Consortium and KPMG said sales had risen 5.6% since April 2016 - up from a fall of 1% in March. Food spending accounted for most of the growth, but shoppers were more cautious about other items. The BRC said consumer spending would slow as inflation climbed. Chief executive Helen Dickinson OBE said: \"The positive distortion from the timing of Easter was largely responsible for the month's growth and looking to the longer-term signs of a slowdown, the outlook isn't as rosy.\" According to the research, sales of food and drink soared over the long Easter weekend boosting total spending. Over the three months to April, total food sales increased by 3.6% - much faster than the 12-month average of 2% growth, it found. However, quarterly sales of non-food items grew more slowly at 0.7%. Exceptions included sales of children's clothes and toys and furniture, although researchers said these rises were seasonal. According to official statistics, UK retail sales posted their biggest quarterly fall in seven years in March, as the prices of everyday goods continued to climb. The value of the pound has slumped by around 14% against the dollar since the EU referendum last June, pushing up the price of imported goods. This threatens to derail a consumer spending boom that has underpinned economic growth since the referendum. Ms Dickinson said: \"Although today's figures do indicate that consumers are still willing to spend, with a cocktail of rising costs and slowing wage growth as the backdrop, conditions for consumers will get tougher.\"", "summary": "Retail sales jumped in April thanks to higher spending over Easter, although tougher times may be ahead, a survey has found."}
{"article": "The show's producers told the Coronation Street star as he woke on Thursday morning that Dean, 50, had died of a heart attack. An ITV spokesperson said: \"Craig decided to leave the Celebrity camp... and will be heading back to his family in the UK. We send our sincere condolences to Craig and his family.\" Charles was missing from last night's show when presenters Ant and Dec entered the campsite. The pair told viewers that they could not vote for Charles when deciding which celebrity should take part in the next bushtucker trial. The 6 Music radio presenter and former Red Dwarf star had been in the jungle for less than a week. He was one of the favourites to win. The 49-year-old is the second celebrity to leave, following reality TV star Gemma Collins's exit. Westlife singer Kian Egan, who won the jungle crown in 2013, has tweeted his condolences. Craig - a DJ at BBC Radio 6 Music - had said his rocky past had prepared him for the jungle. He admitted he went to hell and back over his crack cocaine addiction in 2006. He finally beat the habit after a stint in rehab, but said recently that heights, snakes, rats and spiders won't prove to be as challenging as getting clean. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Craig Charles has left the I'm A Celebrity jungle after the sudden death of his older brother."}
{"article": "It faces competition from two grime albums - Kano's Made In The Manor and Skepta's Konnichiwa. The records, which address everything from police harassment to broken families, both reflect an emerging maturity in the genre. Radiohead receive a record fifth nomination for their stirring, emotional album A Moon Shaped Pool. The band, who are currently on tour in the US, have yet to win the album of the year award. Other artists nominated for the \u00a325,000 prize include Laura Mvula, The 1975 and Michael Kiwanuka. The full list of nominees is: Read more about the nominees Blackstar, which contains the line: \"Look up here, I'm in heaven,\" on the track Lazarus, has been called Bowie's \"parting gift\". Released just two days before his death from cancer, it went to number one on both sides of the Atlantic. There is also a nomination for former Mercury Prize-winner Antony and the Johnsons, who now goes under the name Anohni. Her album, Hopelessness, is a lacerating look at the modern world that rages against President Obama, drone warfare and ecological disaster. The shortlist was chosen by a panel of judges that includes former winner Jarvis Cocker, Radio 1's Annie Mac, pop producer Naughty Boy and singer Jessie Ware. Notable omissions include Adele's 25 and Coldplay's A Head Full Of Dreams, which were the two biggest-selling albums released during the eligibility period: 26 September 2015 to 29 July 2016. PJ Harvey, the only artist to win the prize twice, also misses out on a nomination for her latest album, The Hope Six Demolition Project. The shortlist will be whittled down to six albums on the night of the awards, with one of those finalists selected by a public vote. Presented by Lauren Laverne, the ceremony will be broadcast live on BBC Four and 6 Music on 15 September. After last year's low-key event, the award will be handed out at a gala concert in London's Eventim Apollo, after Hyundai stepped in as a headline sponsor. After the row over diversity at this year's Brits, the Mercury list does its best to redress the balance, with an all-female rock band, two grime MCs, a music icon and a transgender torch singer. Many of the nominated albums are unswervingly political. Anohni accuses President Obama of \"executing without trial\", while Skepta delivers a powerful message to the establishment: \"We don't listen to no politician\". All of the records feel vital and innovative - yet it's the most commercial list in years, with all but one of the nominees having entered the UK album chart, four of them at number one. That's thanks to a new panel of judges which puts an emphasis on musicians - including Jarvis Cocker and Naughty Boy - over rock critics and industry \"suits\". They've even taken the brave decision to omit Adele's all-conquering 25. Not that she'll mind: The \u00a325,000 prize is only just enough to buy one of her concert tickets on the secondary market. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "David Bowie's final album, Blackstar, has been shortlisted for the 25th annual Mercury Prize."}
{"article": "Teachers, doctors and nurses were among who stopped work because they had not been paid in more than a month. It comes a day ahead of a suggested national shutdown called by activists complaining about the economy and alleged government corruption. Police used teargas and water cannons to break up protests in some areas of the capital, Harare, on Monday. The unrest had begun when minibus drivers erected barricades in a protest against harassment and roadblocks by police demanding bribes. Teachers, doctors and nurses have not been paid for a month, but the government has said they will get their wages by the middle of July, Reuters news agency has reported. The scene in the country's capital, Harare, resembled a quiet Sunday afternoon, with civil servants on strike, the BBC's Brian Hungwe reports. \"We have heeded the call\" by our governing council, Zimbabwe Teachers' Union president Richard Gundani said. \"Teachers and the rest of the civil servants are declaring their incapacity to go to work. Government departments were operating without some of their staff who stayed at home.\" Our correspondent says unlike other government workers, the security forces were paid on time in June. Those who were not paid were handed a $100 (\u00c2\u00a376) advance to help with transport and other costs. Zimbabwe has become increasingly volatile in recent weeks as the government struggles to cope with a severe cash shortage and the effects of a drought. Political activists, backed by the social movement called #ThisFlag, have called for a national stay-away on Wednesday \"to shut down the country\" in protest at the government \"for allowing corruption, injustice and poverty\". On its Twitter account, #ThisFlag said it wanted \"good governance and leadership\" in Zimbabwe. \"Citizens. They do not have enough guns and man power to kill us all. The country has broken down. We demand an engine overhaul,\" said one message. It is not clear if the national shutdown has been called for one day or indefinitely until demands are met, our reporter says.", "summary": "Government workers in Zimbabwe have gone on strike over unpaid salaries because of a chronic cash shortage."}
{"article": "The better-than-expected growth rate came after higher government spending helped to offset weakness in business investment and exports. Capital expenditure fell by 1.4% during the quarter, indicating that businesses remain reluctant to spend. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell slightly to 16,644.69. The broader Topix index ended up 0.2% at 1,338.38. Despite the better-than-expected GDP figure, analysts are concerned about the outlook for consumer spending, which accounts for about 60% of GDP. That could take a hit if Prime Minister Shinzo Abe moves to increase the country's sales tax to 10% from the current 8%. Japan's Nikkei newspaper reported this week that Mr Abe plans to postpone the move and will announce his decision after the G7 meeting later this month. Other stock markets in Asia were lower ahead of the release of the US central bank's meeting minutes later on Wednesday. Investors are looking for guidance on what and when the Federal Reserve's next move is going to be. Many investors are now predicting the Fed may raise interest rates at its June meeting following a recent run of positive economic data. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 1.5% to close at 19,826.41 while the mainland Shanghai Composite dropped 1.3% to finish at 2,807.51. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index lost 0.7% to finish at 5,356.20, while South Korea's benchmark Kospi index fell 0.6% to close at 1,956.73.", "summary": "Japanese stocks closed little changed after data showed the economy dodged a recession, growing at an annual pace of 1.7% in the first quarter of the year."}
{"article": "According to its website, both the 32GB and 64GB models are \"currently unavailable\", and Amazon says it has no plans to replenish its inventory. It follows reports of lay-offs at the US company, after the phone failed to resonate with consumers. Amazon has not responded to requests from the BBC for comment about its plans for the phone. Launched with much fanfare in June 2014, the Fire Phone was Amazon's first foray into the smartphone market. The main selling point was its \"dynamic perspective\" camera, which can track the user's movements and give the impression of depth and 3D. It also includes a 24-hour customer service tool and an in-built encyclopaedia called X-Ray. But the rollout quickly faltered, as reviewers took against the phone, and Amazon cut its price drastically last September. In October 2014, the company revealed it had suffered a $170m (\u00c2\u00a3110.5m) writedown \"primarily related\" to the gadget. And last month, the Wall Street Journal reported it had laid off \"dozens\" of Fire Phone engineers at its Silicon Valley research-and-development lab. Stuart Miles, editor and founder of technology news website Pocket-lint, said he was not surprised by the decision to pull the phone. \"The phone industry is incredibly competitive, and it's very foolhardy for any company to believe you can come in on your first product and make a difference. \"Amazon obviously believed it could launch something, which unfortunately didn't gain any excitement. \"The dynamic perspective camera was pretty much seen as a gimmick which didn't really add anything to the overall experience.\" Amazon is still selling its tablets, such as the Kindle and Fire. On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported Amazon planned to launch a cut-price $50 (\u00c2\u00a333) tablet this Christmas, along with new tablets with 8in (20cm) and 10in screens.", "summary": "Online retailer Amazon has stopped selling its Fire smartphone, just 15 months after the handset was launched."}
{"article": "A Freedom of Information request revealed there were 634 reports in the 2015-16 financial year, compared with 316 the year before. Police said the rise could have been caused by changes over which incidents schools can deal with internally. An education expert called the figures \"worrying\" and said police needed to identify the reason for the increases. John Howson, who is also a former teacher, said: \"I'm extremely worried about these figures - the doubling of the violence against a person, whatever source it is or however minor.\" Thames Valley Police said more incidents were now included in their figures after the Home Office clarified a policy about what must be investigated. It added: \"Recorded violent crime went up in the Thames Valley overall last year by 30% so we would anticipate an increase in violence in schools as well. \"All schools in Thames Valley have contact with police through either dedicated schools officers or neighbourhood policing teams. \"Their approach is one of preventing young people from entering the criminal justice system rather than criminalising them.\" In January a survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers showed that, nationally, 43% of teachers four out of 10 teachers had to deal with physical violence in the past year.", "summary": "The number of violent incidents in schools reported to Thames Valley Police more than doubled last year."}
{"article": "A spokesman said the closure was part of a wider plan of \"simplifying the business\", which has already seen the closure of about 40 branches in the UK. He said the branch handled \u00c2\u00a3400m from 16,000 customers, with 6,000 in Guernsey and 2,000 to 3,000 in Jersey. The spokesman said a factor in the decision was the high cost of operating in an offshore banking centre. The branch is the only one in the Channel Islands. He said account holders would be contacted directly over the next few days to outline what he described as the \"next steps\", but customers should not be concerned and mortgages would continue to be honoured. The company would look to find room for its employees elsewhere in its business, the spokesman added.", "summary": "The Guernsey branch of the Co-operative Bank is to close early next year with the loss of 11 jobs."}
{"article": "The government has put aside 10bn roubles ($272m; \u00c2\u00a3164m) to pay owners of cars that are at least six-years old an incentive to buy a new vehicle. Car owners will be eligible for a discount of at least 40,000 roubles. The government expects the scheme, which will run to the end of the year, to subsidise the sale of more than 170,000 vehicles. The scheme could \"seriously stimulate sales,\" said Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, according to local news agencies. Car sales fell by almost a quarter in July compared with a year earlier, following a sharp fall in the previous month. Russia, along with many other countries including the US, the UK, Germany and France, first introduced a car scrappage scheme during the global economic downturn.", "summary": "Russia has said it will introduce a new scrappage scheme to try to boost flagging car sales."}
{"article": "European football's governing body has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Danish champions for supporters in the away end \"setting off fireworks\". Uefa holds host clubs responsible for security inside and around the stadium, \"unless they can prove that they have not been negligent\". Leicester won the game 1-0. Uefa's control, ethics and disciplinary body will deal with Copenhagen's case on 17 November. Elsewhere, three Polish football fans were arrested in Spain on Tuesday hours before Legia Warsaw's Champions League meeting with Real Madrid, AFP reported. The three supporters, aged 31, 33 and 34, are alleged to have attacked waitresses in a bar in the La Latina district of Madrid, stealing the mobile phone of one woman and attempting to rob cash from the till, a police spokesperson told the news agency. Legia have already been made to play their home game against Real, on 2 November, behind closed doors. The Polish champions were punished by Uefa last week for racist behaviour and fighting among the home fans during a 6-0 defeat by Borussia Dortmund. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Leicester City will not face Uefa charges after FC Copenhagen fans let off flares before Tuesday's Champions League game at the King Power Stadium."}
{"article": "Deborah Fenlon's Menos 4 trial will investigate how routine CBT could help patients regain a sense of control over difficult side effects. Hot flushes and night sweats are experienced by about 70% of women undergoing treatment. The trial has been funded by a \u00c2\u00a3300,000 Breast Cancer Now grant. Royal Glamorgan Hospital is one of six participating in the three-year project, led by Swansea University's Prof Fenlon. Hormone replacement therapy, normally offered to women experiencing hot flushes as part of the menopause, cannot be used by women with breast cancer as it can increase the risk of their disease returning. The scientists said although CBT was known to be effective, it was not routinely offered on the NHS for women with breast cancer and can only be given to groups by trained clinical psychologists. During the study, half the women will receive group CBT from a specially-trained breast cancer nurse in six weekly sessions lasting 90 minutes. The other half will receive whatever support they would normally receive. A 52-year-old teacher, taking part in the trial, said: \"I had never expected hot flushes to be quite so awful. \"Some nights I just do not sleep as the hot sweats keep me awake and then I have to work the next day as though everything's ok and it's not.\" Prof Fenlon said: \"Hot flushes and night sweats can have a major impact on women's lives; affecting their work, social life and disrupting their sleep. \"There are very few effective measures to help support women with this problem, particularly after breast cancer and proven interventions are not widely available. \"With this study we hope to show how an effective intervention can be offered more widely.\"", "summary": "A Swansea scientist is trialling how cognitive behavioural therapy could reduce the impact of hot flushes for breast cancer patients."}
{"article": "Paul Thomas, from Telford, was jailed for 10 years in April for the manslaughter of his son Oliver Sargent. Oliver's mother Ashlea was convicted of causing or allowing his death. The infant could have been removed from his home had the abuse been recognised earlier, the review concluded. Oliver's parents, whose relationship was described in the report as \"unstable\", took him to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford on four occasions. He was was seen by a number of doctors there and one questioned if the injuries could have been non-accidental, but another, a consultant, accepted Oliver's mother's claim that he was a \"very active child who rolled on to toys\". The report, which refers to Oliver as Child B, stated: \"Although there is no guarantee, there is a probability that had health professionals been clearer in recognising that there was no plausible explanation for the injuries, Child B would have been subjected to child protection procedures and consideration given to protecting Child B by removing them from the home. \"Health professionals were in a position to raise concerns when Child B was observed to have bruising and occipital swelling. \"The parents either gave no explanation for the bruising or the explanation was questionable.\" Oliver died in hospital on 27 July 2012, five days after sustaining a skull fracture during an assault. His injuries were consistent with shaking. He was not previously known to social care services or police, the report said. Jurors at Birmingham Crown Court were told at his parents' trial that Oliver had injuries consistent with a 40mph car crash. A post-mortem examination showed he had 13 separate marks on his body and face and had been subjected to at least one impact to the left side of his head. Further medical investigations discovered historical injuries, including two fractured ribs and a broken collarbone, all of which had healed. Paul Thomas was acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter, while Ashlea Thomas was cleared of both murder and manslaughter. She was given a two-year jail term, suspended for two years, for causing or allowing her son's death. The report set out a number of recommendations for agencies. It said Shropshire Community Health Trust (SCHT) responses to bruising seen in young children must be improved, consideration should be given to seeing a child's father and injuries should not be seen in isolation, but considered with other concerns. In cases where a child has life-threatening injuries out of office hours, senior managers of children's social care should be alerted. The review noted poor quality in recording of injuries at Princess Royal Hospital and a lack of consideration of previous admission and/or injuries. Andrew Tapp, from the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, described Oliver's death as \"tragic\" and said a number of changes had been made. \"Among these changes, any incident where there is the suspicion that injuries may be non-accidental is recorded using a body map to show the position of the injuries, along with measurements and full details. \"A system has also been established to ensure clinical photographs are", "summary": "Health professionals missed \"several opportunities\" to safeguard an 11-month-old boy before he died of a skull fracture inflicted by his father, a serious case review has found."}
{"article": "Hiring an investment banker is being seen by some analysts as a prelude to making a push back into that industry, one which the last holder of the top job, Antony Jenkins, was backing away from. But will an expansion into a sector dominated by a few American names be successful? After all, this won't be Barclays first drive into investment banking. During the deregulation of the City of London in the 1980s, Barclays bought stockbrokers De Zoete & Bevan, and Wedd Durlacher, a firm of stock market wholesalers. The resulting amalgamation was BZW. But its expansion was curtailed by then-chief executive Martin Taylor, who broke it up, selling its equity business, and retaining fixed income as a new company, Barclays Capital. He told investors it wasn't profitable, and the capital it sat on could be better used. The second expansion came under the leadership of a more recent figure at the bank: Bob Diamond. Starting at Barclays in 1996, he expanded its fixed income (bonds) and foreign exchange businesses. Barclays Capital became the lender's most profitable unit. But after the Libor scandal and his subsequent sacking, retail banker Antony Jenkins was promoted to chief executive and began cutting trading desks and the investment bank's salary bill. Mr Staley's posited arrival was not met jubilantly by investors. Barclays stock fell by as much as 3% following the news. A cloud around the way the industry is viewed in the UK may the reason, says Chirantan Barua, banking analyst at Bernstein. \"Every time someone goes up on stage and says we are going to be a retail bank, the stock goes up,\" he says. \"Because we hate investment banking. The other thing that happens is, to be profitable in investment banking you need scale and therefore capital. \"Where are you going to get that from? That's why the reaction is negative. \"Getting Jes in would mean moving the bank more towards an investment bank.\" For an enlarged investment bank to work, it will have to be big enough to take on competitors across the Atlantic. Big clients like hedge funds are less likely to trade with a bank that won't do complex lending, and picks and chooses business, Mr Barua says. \"Having just the juicy part - that's not how it works.\" He estimates Barclays may need to find \u00c2\u00a34-5bn of extra capital, through raising it from investors or selling something. There are two alternative strategies for the investment bank, however. \"They should really just carve out the investment bank and ship it back to the US where they bought most of it,\" says Cenkos Securities analyst Sandy Chen, referring to Mr Diamond's purchase of Lehman Brothers's north American assets, which be bought after the bank collapsed. US investment banks like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have a competitive advantage over their European peers in the form of friendlier regulators. What the detached investment bank would lose is the strength the larger group can provide in the form of customer deposits. This wad of cash - liquidity strength - allows the group to", "summary": "Barclays is close to appointing former JP Morgan banker James \"Jes\" Staley as its new chief executive."}
{"article": "The fairy tale will be made available for free on Daydream, Google's mobile virtual reality product. Daydream is a mobile headset which covers the eyes of the user and immerses them in the film they are watching. The corporation has released a trailer for the experimental project ahead of its release next week. The BBC said the project is part of the corporation's drive to explore emerging technology and new storytelling mediums for future audiences. Read More: Google's hot take on affordable VR The storyline of The Turning Forest sees a young child staring into the eyes of a fantastical creature before they embark on a journey together into a new realm of \"folkish dimension and boundless imagination\", the BBC said. The film also has its own \"spatial\" soundtrack, which is intended to be heard via headphones, further immersing the viewer in the virtual reality experience. The Turning Forest debuted at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, and was originally created for another VR product - the Oculus Rift. The BBC said the film has now been enhanced to further improve the sound design and introduce new controller interactions. Zillah Watson, executive producer of BBC R&D, said: \"The Turning Forest is unique in that it's been designed from the sound up, using state-of-the-art audio to help transport people to a magical world. \"It takes advantage of decades of research and experience from our own team, partners and universities to create a beautiful soundscape that we hope people will love.\" The Turning Forest has been produced by the BBC's Research & Development team in collaboration with virtual reality production studio VRTOV. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "The BBC has confirmed it will launch a new virtual reality film, The Turning Forest, next week."}
{"article": "He takes over from Caroline Wyatt, who is stepping down after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Bashir, who last worked for the BBC in 2004, is also known for TV interviews with suspects in the murder of Stephen Lawrence. He said he \"cannot wait to get started\" in the role. As correspondent, he will cover events and provide analysis on issues affecting different faiths both in the UK and around the world. BBC head of newsgathering Jonathan Munro said: \"Martin's track record in enterprising journalism is well known and respected in the industry and amongst our audiences. \"As a student of theology, Martin will bring immense knowledge of the brief to his new role, and an enthusiasm to cover the broadest range of faith-based stories.\" Bashir said: \"I am delighted to be rejoining the BBC at this time and in this subject area. The opportunity to cover the broad spectrum of religious affairs is challenging and compelling and I cannot wait to get started.\" He first worked as a BBC news correspondent from 1987 to 1992, and then joined Panorama. He was there until 1999 and also presented BBC Radio 4's Sunday programme until 2004. He worked for Tonight on ITV before moving to the US in 2004 to host ABC's Nightline programme. In 2010, he joined NBC News as an MSNBC anchor and a correspondent on NBC's Dateline programme. He resigned from MSNBC in 2013 after making controversial remarks about former US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. It was during her 1995 interview with Bashir that Diana, Princess of Wales, admitted to having had an affair and also spoke of Prince Charles's relationship with the then Camilla Parker-Bowles. \"There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,\" she told Bashir on Panorama, in a programme watched by millions globally. In 1999, he interviewed five men suspected of involvement in the murder of Stephen Lawrence. In 2003 he also interviewed Michael Jackson for his controversial documentary, Living with Michael Jackson, which led to the pop star being charged with molesting one of the boys featured in the programme. Jackson was later acquitted after being found not guilty of all charges, at the end of his four-month-long child abuse trial. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Journalist Martin Bashir, famous for his interviews with Princess Diana and Michael Jackson, is rejoining the BBC as its religious affairs correspondent."}
{"article": "The Serbia striker headed in Georginio Wijnaldum's cross with seven minutes to go of boss Rafael Benitez's home debut. Jermain Defoe had volleyed the visitors ahead just before the break. The draw leaves both in the bottom three, with 18th-placed Sunderland a point and a place ahead of Newcastle but two points from safety. It is a result that ends a four-game losing streak for Newcastle, during which Steve McClaren was sacked as manager and replaced by former Liverpool and Chelsea boss Benitez. Sunderland have drawn their last three matches. Media playback is not supported on this device While not the victory they so badly needed, the draw does mean Newcastle have ended a six-match losing streak against their fierce rivals, dating back to April 2013. This was the least they needed after Norwich's victory at West Brom on Saturday had opened some daylight between the 17th-placed Canaries and the bottom three. And despite the huge challenge still ahead, the manner in which they clawed their way to a point will give Benitez some hope that he can fashion an escape act over the next two months. For much of the game a somewhat ragged and ill-disciplined Newcastle were second-best to a Sunderland side who have been instilled with a renewed efficiency and spirit by manager Sam Allardyce. After falling behind, the home side offered plenty of effort but precious little quality in the second half, with an Ayoze Perez volley at the back post, which was cleared off the line by Yann M'Vila, the closest they came to a goal. But Mitrovic's late intervention - the sixth he has scored since joining the club last summer for \u00a315m - gives them confidence before six April fixtures that will go a long way to deciding their fate. Next up; Norwich at Carrow Road on 2 April. Sunderland were seven minutes from moving out of the relegation zone so to find themselves in the bottom three heading into the international break is an undoubted blow. This is a game they should have won. They played more as a unit throughout and fashioned the better chances. Defoe's goal - coming after Rob Elliot had saved a shot from Fabio Borini and Chancel Mbemba had failed to properly head clear - was his eighth in his past 11 appearances, but he could have scored more. Before his opener he fired over from inside the box and poked a first-time shot from Borini's cross inches past the near post. And had Elliott not produced a wonderful one-handed save to deny Patrick van Aanholt's angled 12-yard drive, it would have been 2-0 just before the hour mark. Ultimately, though, it was their defensive frailty that cost them as a DeAndre Yedlin foul throw set up the move from which Mitrovic scored the 39th goal the Black Cats have conceded away from home this campaign and extended their run of games without a clean sheet to 17. Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez: \"The positive thing for me is we have eight games to play and the reaction today from", "summary": "Aleksandar Mitrovic rescued a point for Newcastle against relegation rivals Sunderland as a fiercely contested Tyne-Wear derby ended in a draw."}
{"article": "Eleven of Scotland's 14 territorial health boards were hit by the \"ransomware\" attack linked to other IT attacks around the world. The hack has encrypted information on NHS computers, denying access unless a payment is made. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said work to fix the systems affected had entered a \"recovery phase\" She called the attack \"hugely concerning\" but said there was no evidence as yet to suggest outdated computer systems were responsible for the breach. Scotland's Health Secretary Shona Robison said there was a \"level of confidence\" that systems would be back up and running by Monday and that no breach of patient confidentiality had been detected. The health boards which have been affected are: The Scottish Ambulance Service has also been affected, along with NHS National Services Scotland. The incidents are thought to be part of a wider attack affecting organisations in about 100 countries around the world. IT problems have also caused disruption in about 30 health authorities in England, while the NHS in Wales and Northern Ireland are so far unaffected. The Scottish government said most incidents had been confined to desktop computers in GP surgeries, dental practices and other primary care centres. A spokesman said the only acute hospital sites so far affected had been in NHS Lanarkshire. BBC Scotland understands that computer systems at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride were compromised. Ms Robison told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme that IT specialists had been working non-stop to get GP systems back up and running. She said: \"People are working very, very hard and have worked through the night. The update I've got this morning is that we're very much into recovery phase now, with a lot of work going on to get systems back up running. \"The GP systems, which of course were the main problem across our health boards - work is going on, and there is a level of confidence that many will be back up and running before GP surgeries open on Monday morning.\" Ms Sturgeon told the BBC: \"Obviously cyber-attacks of this nature are hugely concerning and I think they underline the vulnerability not just of the public sector, but also of society generally to cyber-attacks, but they also underline the importance of all organisations making sure that they have all appropriate measures in place to protect against those kinds of attack.\" She added: \"Obviously there is a lot of investigation into exactly why the health service has been affected in the way it has. I think it's important to stress that this has been a global international attack.\" Shona Robison said NHS Lanarkshire had been more affected in terms of its acute hospitals, but said manual systems had worked safely and insisted that patients had not been negatively impacted by the breach. \"The intention today is to begin testing those IT systems and to gradually and safely try to bring those back on over the course of the weekend.\" Ms Robison added: \"Throughout all of this there's been no breach to patient confidentiality that has been detected to date so", "summary": "The Scottish government says it is working closely with health officials following a global cyber hack."}
{"article": "12 November 2015 Last updated at 07:08 GMT He blasts off for his six-month mission on 15 December. But what exactly is the International Space Station and what will Tim be doing on it? Hayley's been finding out.", "summary": "In a few weeks' time, British astronaut Tim Peake will be making himself at home aboard the International Space Station."}
{"article": "Election campaigning in Cardiff, Michael Fallon said such a government would mean \"chaos and instability\". Hearing the Welsh Tory leader had not read his party's UK manifesto, Mr Fallon said it was \"well worth a read\". Labour said the Conservatives had not ruled out a \"dangerous pact with UKIP\". Mr Fallon told BBC Wales said there was a \"threat of instability, of putting our economic recovery at risk, if you end up with a minority government\". \"It's becoming clear that Labour can't form a government on their own and a cobbled together coalition or minority government, depending day after day on the support of other parties, is simply a recipe for chaos and instability. \"The only way to have a sure, certain government that would continue the recovery and the 50,000 new jobs in Wales is to vote Conservative.\" Responding, a Welsh Labour spokesman said: \"The Tories have consistently not ruled out a dangerous pact with UKIP, that would risk the tens of thousands of jobs dependent on Britain's place at the heart of the EU.\" The spokesman added: \"The IFS [Institute for Fiscal Studies] lifted the lid on the Tories extreme spending plans today, which would be disastrous for Wales.\" Liberal Democrat candidate Roger Williams said no party would win a majority and an \"unstable government....pulled sharply to left or right\" would \"cost us all dear\". \"This is why we need the Liberal Democrats in government, providing a stable government that can build both a stronger economy and a fairer society.\"", "summary": "The Conservative defence secretary has warned a Labour minority UK government, or \"cobbled together\" coalition involving Plaid Cymru and the SNP, would put economic recovery at risk."}
{"article": "The Mayor of London who is in the country on a trade visit was invited to join children on a mini turf pitch in Tokyo for the non-contact game. Toki Sekiguchi was knocked to the ground and said he \"felt a little pain\". The mayor, a keen rugby fan, shook the boy's hand and apologised. In the game of touch rugby the person with the ball is stopped by being touched, not tackled, as in union rugby. Slo-mo BoJo He has form. He brought a child to the ground last year in a football kickabout. And in 2006 he played in a charity England-Germany football match. Although only on for 10 minutes he stunned the 20,000-strong crowd by flooring retired German midfielder Maurizio Gaudino in a rugby-style tackle. Of that incident he said: \"When he was about two yards away I just put my head down. I was going for the ball with my head, which I understand is a legitimate move in soccer.\" In Tokyo, the pair later posed for photographs and Mr Johnson handed over a 2015 rugby ball to the youngster.", "summary": "Boris Johnson has knocked over a 10-year-old child while playing touch rugby in Japan."}
{"article": "Marian Fields had an aggressive and very rare form of skin cancer, which left her with large, open wounds around her backbone following multiple operations and radiation treatments. She was beginning to lose all hope of recovery after plastic surgeons in the US refused to take on her case because of the size of the wound. But her identical twin sister Mary Jane provided the solution. \"There was never a moment of hesitation when the option to donate skin and tissue was a possibility,\" Mary Jane said. \"I had what she needed. We are two bodies with one soul. She is my other self.\" Dr Jesse Selber, a plastic surgeon from the MD Anderson Cancer Centre at the University of Texas, who had previously performed the first skull-scalp transplant, said the surgery was \"incredibly challenging and complex\". His team of five plastic surgeons removed skin, tissue and blood vessels from Mary Jane's abdomen and transplanted it to Marian's back, connecting eight different arteries and veins under a microscope during surgery. The hole in Marian's back was 21.5in by 8.5in (55cm x 22 cm), making it one of the largest tissue transplantations on record. By donating skin to her sister, Mary Jane - in effect - got a giant tummy tuck. Having an identical twin made the transplantation process more likely to succeed for Marian because no suppression of her immune system was required - but there were still huge risks. Surgeons said they were concerned about the donated skin being rejected and the possibility of the cancer recurring. Although the tumour in Marian's back was very aggressive, it was not a type that spreads to other parts of the body so receiving her sister's skin and tissue was a perfect fix. Dr Selber said: \"Marian's wound was impossibly large - without her genetically identical sister, we would not have had enough tissue to reconstruct it.\" The surgery took 14 hours and involved \"extensive resection through skin, muscle and bone\", followed by \"hours of meticulous microvascular work\". This involved re-connecting countless veins and arteries. The surgery was meticulously planned beforehand - and it paid off, according to Dr Selber. \"It went quite beautifully,\" he said. Before the transplant surgery, Marian was in horrible pain. She couldn't lie on her back or sit up in a chair properly. One month on from the surgery, the twins have been discharged, the stitches have been removed and they have returned home. Marian says: \"I'm looking forward to getting back to work, driving, running and sitting comfortably. \"I've never been sick before 2012 and am ready to get back to life.\"", "summary": "The 66-year-old Fields twins, from Missouri, have lived together all their lives - now they are even closer after sharing their skin."}
{"article": "It's the first time - and probably the only time - this information will be made public. The review will be published at 11:00 BST and details of anyone earning more than \u00a3150,000 a year will be included. The report will also look at TV and radio viewing figures, as well as online engagement. It may also examine the issue of the competition, such as Netflix. It looks back over the previous year's performance and publishes details about the corporation's finances and spending. This year's edition could prove more interesting than most. It's all down to the government's culture secretary, Karen Bradley. Speaking in the House of Commons last September, Mrs Bradley said publishing the salaries of stars earning more than \u00a3150,000 would bring the BBC \"in line with the civil service\" on transparency. The culture secretary said it would help ensure the BBC \"produces value for money for the licence fee\" and that more transparency could lead to savings that could be \"invested in even more great programmes\". But the BBC's director general, Tony Hall, has said: \"Our position on talent pay has not changed and all major broadcasters have questioned the merit of the proposal. \"The BBC operates in a competitive market and this will not make it easier for the BBC to retain the talent the public love.\" ITV's programmes chief, Kevin Lygo, also called the proposal a \"mean-spirited, nosey way of looking at things\" during last year's Edinburgh Television Festival. The corporation already reveals the salary details of on-air stars who earn more than \u00a3450,000 and executives who earn more than \u00a3150,000. Presenters such as Graham Norton, Gary Lineker, Claudia Winkleman, Chris Evans, Fiona Bruce and Andrew Marr could easily be on the list. The revelations are required under the BBC's new Royal Charter, and are expected to encompass more than 100 of its top stars. According to last year's annual report, 109 TV and radio presenters earned more than \u00a3150,000 in the financial year 2015-16. But they were not named at the time. Some have. Speaking at the China Exchange last month, Andrew Marr said of the plans to formally spell out pay: \"It's uncomfortable for all of us. \"I'm well paid but I'm much less overpaid, perhaps, than people working for rival organisations who won't go through this process,\" reported the Telegraph. But Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winkleman said ahead of Karen Bradley's announcement last year: \"I'm all for it. I totally understand it. We're working for the public, so why shouldn't they know? \"It's good to see some women on the list too. \"We get paid an awful lot of money and it's a marketplace. It's bonkers.\" She added: \"I love working for the BBC. I know that commercial stations pay a whole lot more - double, three times, four times. But I totally understand why people would want to know.\" By revealing talent pay, we might also find out if there is any gender disparity. We should also find out how the BBC's television and radio channels and stations have performed over the", "summary": "The salaries of the BBC's biggest stars are expected to be revealed in the corporation's annual report when it is published later."}
{"article": "He left virtually all contact with the outside world to his foreign minister, Wakil Ahmad Mutawakkil and the last known audio recording of him was in 2006 - even this was leaked and not meant for public consumption. Yet he remained a powerful figure in Afghanistan, the undisputed leader of the Taliban and dubbed \"commander of the faithful\", a title with great resonance in Islamic history. On 29 July 2015 the Afghan government announced that he had died in a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan in April 2013. No more details were provided. He was replaced as Taliban leader by Mullah Akhtar Mansour the following day. According to a biography published by the Taliban in April 2015, Mullah Mohammed Omar was born in 1960 in the village of Chah-i-Himmat, in the Khakrez district of Kandahar province, in the south of the country. It is thought he later attended the Darul Uloom Haqqania, a madrassa in Pakistan. This Islamic seminary has been dubbed \"the University of Jihad\" and boasted a number of future radical leaders among its students. Mullah Omar abandoned his studies to join the forces resisting the the Soviet occupation in 1980s but only rose to the level of small-time commander. He never did any practical field commanding during the Taliban's 1994-96 campaign that culminated in their capture of Kabul. But the localised uprising that he led against former Mujahideen warlords in the Kandahar area in 1994 earned him wide respect and is regarded by some as a catalyst for the Taliban movement that followed. He was wounded a number of times during this period, including an eye injury caused by shrapnel. It was after the capture of Kabul that he was elected the movement's supreme leader. During this period Omar began his long association with the al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Mullah Omar vigorously defended his friend against allegations that he masterminded the devastating attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, accusing the US of trying to cover up their own intelligence failures. Bin Laden is believed to have at least partially financed the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. The ties may go further. It was thought that Mullah Omar had taken Bin Laden's eldest daughter as a wife, and that Bin Laden may even have taken one of Mullah Omar's daughters as a fourth wife. The two were reported to have spoken daily by satellite telephone, and some reports suggested they also met for fishing trips. Under Mullah Omar's rule, a strict interpretation of Islamic law was imposed on Afghanistan under Taliban control. Women were strongly discouraged from leaving their homes, denied schooling and jobs and forced to fully cover themselves. Women found guilty of adultery were stoned to death, homosexuals crushed under brick walls, thieves' hands amputated and murderers publicly executed by victims' families. Edicts from Mullah Omar included the death sentence for anyone converting to another religion, as well as the infamous orders to destroy the country's ancient Buddha statues at Bamiyan. It was Mullah Omar's backing for Osama Bin Laden that brought the US-led campaign to", "summary": "Mullah Omar was a reclusive figure even before his Taliban government fell from power in late 2001 and he was forced into hiding."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device He replaces Dutchman Louis van Gaal, who was dismissed on Monday, two days after the club's FA Cup win. \"Jose is quite simply the best manager in the game today,\" said United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward. Mourinho, 53, said: \"To become Manchester United manager is a special honour in the game. It is a club known and admired throughout the world.\" He said he had always \"felt an affinity with Old Trafford\" and claimed he has \"always enjoyed a rapport with the United fans\". He added: \"I'm looking forward to being their manager and enjoying their magnificent support in the coming years. \"There is a mystique and a romance about it which no other club can match.\" In an interview with MUTV, Mourinho said he is \"in the right moment\" to succeed at United, adding the \"past three years\" did not reflect the club's history. Saturday's win brought United their first piece of silverware since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. \"It is a giant club. It must be for the best managers,\" he said. \"I prefer to forget the past three years and focus on the giant club I have in my hands. \"I want to win. What the players need to do is listen. I want to focus on the history of this giant club. I will give everything to go in the direction we all want.\" \"The most important thing is the players and my relationship with them.\" Mourinho said United fans had shown him \"empathy, no problems\" on previous visits. \"I was pushed by that feeling to say things my clubs were not happy with, like when I said the best team lost when I won with Real Madrid,\" he added. \"Real Madrid were not happy with that.\" The Portuguese's appointment followed three days of talks between his agent, Jorge Mendes, and senior United officials. He has already been linked with a move for Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who played for him at Inter Milan. Ibrahimovic, who has decided to leave Paris St-Germain, told reporters on Thursday that Mourinho \"is the man\" to bring United \"back to the top\". Media playback is not supported on this device The BBC reported on Saturday, within an hour of United's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, that Van Gaal would be sacked and replaced by Mourinho. Talks, which started on Tuesday and were delayed by negotiations over Mourinho's image rights, finally concluded on Thursday. As well as his three Premier Leagues, Mourinho has led Real Madrid to the Spanish title in 2012, and guided Porto and Inter Milan to Champions League victories in 2004 and 2010 respectively. However, he left the Blues in turmoil only seven months after winning the Premier League title, with the club 16th in the league, just one point above the relegation zone, having accused some players of \"betraying\" his work. Mourinho's first match at Old Trafford will be on 5 June for Soccer Aid, managing an England team against a Rest of the World side led by", "summary": "Jose Mourinho has been officially confirmed as Manchester United manager and has signed a three-year contract."}
{"article": "Hayley Davidson had been at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh since police were called to a flat in West High Street, Buckhaven, on Sunday. A statement from the baby's family said Hayley was \"a beautiful baby girl who was loved by everyone who met her\". Police Scotland said: \"A thorough and rigourous investigation is ongoing as officers progress with inquiries.\" Chf Insp Adrian Annandale added: \"This is an extremely tragic and sensitive case and I'd like to reassure Hayley's family as well as the wider community that we're conducting a robust investigation and appreciate the assistance provided.\"", "summary": "A five-month-old baby girl found in a critical condition after an incident at a Fife flat has died."}
{"article": "The Uganda Wildlife Association (UWA) has said the 832 pieces of ivory could be worth up to $6.7m but other estimates put the value lower. Experts say some of the ivory is believed to have come from elephants poached outside Uganda. There is a huge demand for African ivory in Asia for use in ornaments. The ivory was apparently heading for the Kenyan port of Mombasa. Some of the tusks had been broken up and covered with plastic bottles in crates labelled as material to be recycled. The UWA told the BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga that Uganda is increasingly being used as a transit country by poachers who kill elephants in states such as South Sudan or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uganda is believed to have about 5,000 elephants and this haul would represent the tusks from about 400 animals. Last week, some four tonnes of ivory was found in Mombasa after coming from Uganda. According to the UWA, the rate of elephant poaching is relatively low in Uganda, with an estimated 20 elephants killed for their ivory across the country in 2010. After a sharp fall in the number of elephants in Africa, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) banned the trade in ivory in 1989 But in recent years poaching has increased across sub-Saharan Africa with criminal gangs slaughtering elephants for ivory markets in Asia.", "summary": "Ugandan officials have seized some two tonnes (4,600lb) of ivory - one of the country's biggest such hauls for many years."}
{"article": "The animals cup their mouths when they produce kiss squeaks - alarm calls that often signify a predator is nearby. Researchers have now studied the acoustics of these \"hand-modified kiss squeaks\" and shown that the animals sound bigger and \"more impressive\" when they use their hands in the call. The findings are published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. If the orangutans do this deliberately - knowing it exaggerates their size - the researchers think it may be a glimpse of an early precursor to language; an animal intentionally changing a sound it makes and, in turn, changing its meaning. This same team of scientists - from the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK - first noticed that the apes changed their kiss squeaks with their hands back in 2009. But that change they spotted was very subtly different, so the team decided to analyse it in much more depth, to understand exactly what effect it had on the orangutan's voice. Lead researcher Bart de Boer from the University of Brussels, an expert in bioacoustics, worked out that the animals' hands were creating what he called a \"a cylindrical extension of the lips\". \"This has the same effect as lengthening the sound box of a musical instrument,\" he explained, \"so you get resonance of the lower pitches\". In short, this makes a kiss squeak sound like it is coming from the puckered lips of a bigger orangutan. \"So they aren't doing this for nothing,\" said Dr de Boer, \"It makes them sound more impressive.\" Dr de Boer's main scientific interest is the evolution of speech. By applying detailed acoustic examination of the sounds these great apes produce, he says that researchers are gradually piecing together the puzzle of how language developed. But, he said, \"there is still a lot to be found out\". \"It's unlikely that they're [making themselves sound bigger by accident], but it's still possible,\" Dr de Boer cautioned. Wild orangutans can be tricky to spot and study, so one research team is listening for their voices instead - using microphones in the forest to locate the animals. Brigitte Spillmann from the University of Zurich has developed a way to triangulate male orangutan \"long calls\" - a call often used to attract a mate - to work out their positions. \"Long calls can be heard up to 1km away, [so they're] a good candidate for this type of monitoring,\" says Ms Spillmann. \"With acoustic monitoring we know where, when and often who called or counter-called in the forest. \"This could help to improve our understanding of orangutans' social organisation and in particular their long-distance communication system.\" Dr Wendy Erb, an anthropologist from Rutgers University in New Jersey pointed out that non-human apes' gestural signals are thought to be more likely precursors to language because they are \"more flexible and intentional\" than vocal sounds. And the use of gestures in apes is well known. Recently, a team from the University of St Andrews published a study that attempted to translate the many gestures wild chimpanzees use. But, as Dr Erb pointed out,", "summary": "Orangutans use their hands to alter their voices and make themselves sound bigger, say scientists."}
{"article": "Jon Lewis' side have a core of local players, many produced by the academy at Chester-le-Street, with both veterans, stalwarts and newcomers all ready to play their part this term. So who is going to lead the county's bid to win a fourth County Championship title? Stokes' return to Durham for the start of the County Championship season might give fans a rare glimpse of his talents at the Riverside, after a winter away with England. His last appearance for the national team came in agonising World Twenty20 final defeat by West Indies, in which he was hit for four consecutive sixes by Carlos Brathwaite in the final over, with them needing 19 to win. County captain Paul Collingwood was with England as part of Trevor Bayliss' coaching team, and a familiar face at a tough time for all. \"Ben Stokes is the heartbeat of the England side, has plenty of friends in that dressing room but I know Stokesy really well,\" Collingwood told BBC Newcastle. \"When he goes through something as tough as that in such a big occasion he's obviously going to be upset. \"But he's the kind of character that bounces back straight away and he'll be desperate to get himself and his team into a situation like that again. \"Hopefully he'll have learned so much from those four balls he bowled in that over and make him stronger for the future. \"I'm sure he got a lot of people who put their arms around him and gave him a lot of advice and he'll be bouncing back in the future no doubt about that.\" Collingwood, even at 39 and his 20th year with Durham, was a key player in 2015, only missing one Championship game. Despite the ongoing speculation about his retirement is determined to play his part again in 2016. Media playback is not supported on this device \"Every year for the last three I've gone into it saying it my last season, so this year I'm going to try to play as much as I can,\" he said. \"The body still feels pretty good, I'm still enjoying it, I've still got plenty of ambition to go out there and do well, so I want to play as long as I can.\" Few counties possess such devastating and experienced bowling attacks as Durham, with Graham Onions and Chris Rushworth leading the unit and cameos from England duo Mark Wood and Stokes. Media playback is not supported on this device Onions, 33, finished 2015 with 66 wickets while Rushworth, 29, was the Professional Cricketers Association player of the year with 90. \"I don't feel pressure, whether or not people say there is pressure,\" Rushworth said. \"We've got some big players here so I'm not feeling any pressure and will keep doing my job.\" The combination of the two local lads has been a backbone of the county in recent seasons, although last year might take some catching for both. \"That was a really good season, but it's very hard to put into words what Rushy did,\" Onions added.", "summary": "Without an overseas import for the 2016 season after John Hastings was called into the Australia player pool, Durham will again rely on largely home-grown talent."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old German was on the losing side in last season's UEFA Champions League against Frankfurt. Blues have also brought in a player from the winners Frankfurt, German international forward Isabelle Linden. They also signed Norwegian midfielder Andrine Hegerberg this week from Swedish side Kopparbergs/Gothenburg \"To sign Paris Saint-Germain's number one goalkeeper says it all,\" said Blues Ladies manager David Parker. \"We have had to work hard to prise her away. \"It is another signal of intent and statement that we can attract the very best players to the club with the vision and strategy we have. \"When meeting Ann-Katrin and showing her everything we had to offer at the club she was blown away by what we are developing here and wants to be part of this special journey we are embarking upon.\" The arrival of Berger, Linden and Hegerberg comes on top of the signings of Corina Schroder from Liverpool and Marisa Ewers from Bayer Leverkusen. But Blues have lost two players, England internationals Jade Moore and Jo Potter having both opted to leave, after buying out their contracts. Blues stand third in Women's Super League One, seven points behind leaders Manchester City, having gone into the mid-season break with two wins in three matches.", "summary": "Birmingham City Ladies have made their third foreign signing of the mid-season break by bringing in Paris St-Germain goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger."}
{"article": "The research showed nearly one in five (18%) boys were in need of extra learning support, compared with fewer than one in 10 (8%) girls. One in eight (13%) Scottish eight-year-olds were reported by their parents as having an additional support need. The survey was carried out in 2012 by social research body ScotCen. Its study, Growing Up In Scotland, tracks the lives of thousands of children and their parents from birth. The data has been released to coincide with Learning Disability Awareness Week. Other findings showed children from families with the lowest incomes were more likely to have an additional support need than those from families with the highest incomes - 17% compared with 9%. And youngsters living in the most deprived areas were more likely to have an additional support need - 15% compared with 11% living in the least deprived areas. Local authorities and other agencies are legally required to provide additional support where needed to help any child or young person benefit from education. Some of the reasons cited in the study for children requiring learning support included speech problems, dyslexia and autism. Paul Bradshaw, head of longitudinal surveys at ScotCen, said: \"The findings show that a significant proportion of today's youngsters are in need of additional support from an early age. \"The challenges they face are varied, aren't always straightforward to manage and it's likely that they'll have a significant impact on their adult lives, so it's important that every effort is made to provide this support where possible. \"The earlier extra support for children's development is identified and delivered, the more likely it is they'll succeed throughout childhood and into adolescence.\" The survey's results come from interviews with the parents of 3,685 children and are taken from data collected in 2012 when they were aged eight, and in either primary three or primary four.", "summary": "Boys are twice as likely as girls to need additional support for learning, according to a study of eight-year-old children in Scotland."}
{"article": "Shelly Wu, six, and Lily, seven, were hit near the Grove Lane and Antrobus Road junction, Handsworth, last June. Michael Junior, 35, from Handsworth, admitted two charges of causing death by dangerous driving and three charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, at Birmingham Crown Court. Junior will be sentenced at the same court on Thursday. The crash caused serious injury to Shelly and Lily's mother, Zhulan Wu, and her other two children. More on this story and others on Birmingham and Black Country Sgt Steve Newbury from West Midlands Police said: \"This tragedy rocked the local community and devastated a family. Lily and Shelly's mum continues to recover from serious head injuries.\" He added the children who survived have recovered from their injuries but continue to suffer \"emotional trauma\". Judge Murray Creed imposed an interim driving ban on Junior, of Copthall Road, and granted him bail until Thursday, when he will reappear in court.", "summary": "A man has pleaded guilty to causing the deaths of two sisters in a road crash in Birmingham."}
{"article": "Barbara Bonansea scored the only goal midway through the first half, eluding two defenders before shooting from close range. For the hosts, Asisat Oshoala had a goal ruled out for a foul. The match marked Liverpool manager Matt Beard's final game in charge before moving to Boston Breakers in the USA. Liverpool dominated long periods without turning pressure into goals. Ashley Hodson forced two good stops from goalkeeper Camelia Cesar, while Lucy Staniforth saw her two direct free-kicks well saved. Other than the goal, the Italian side created few clear openings. Chiara Marchitelli and Valentina Cernoia had shots from outside the area, but both were straight at keeper Libby Stout. Beard said: \"I was pleased, we've done everything but score again, we threw the kitchen sink at them in the second half. \"To be fair to Brescia, they defended really well which restricted us. \"And over the course of the two ties, they probably deserve to go through.\" Liverpool Ladies: Stout, Harris, Murray, Omarsdottir, Ryland, Staniforth (Williams 70), Zelem, Oshoala, Hodson, White (Dale 79), Dowie (c). Unused subs: Darbyshire, Beckwith, Schroder, Pacheco, Smorsgard. Brescia: Marchitelli (Cesar 32), Gama, D'Adda (Boattin 61), Linari, Cernoia (c), Eusebio, Rosucci, Bonansea, Girelli, Sabatino (Alborghetti 76), Tarenzi. Unused subs: Serturini, Ghisi, Lenzini. Referee: S Frappin Attendance: 387", "summary": "Liverpool Ladies have been knocked out of the Champions League after losing 1-0 at home in their last-32 tie, suffering a 2-0 aggregate defeat."}
{"article": "The 31-year-old is currently playing in the Indian Premier League for Royal Challengers Bangalore, alongside Sussex and England pace bowler Chris Jordan. Wiese has made 20 T20 appearances for South Africa, including two against England earlier this year. He will be available to play for Sussex against Somerset on Wednesday, 1 June and Surrey two days later.", "summary": "Sussex have signed South Africa all-rounder David Wiese for their first two home T20 Blast matches."}
{"article": "Nat Sciver (77) and Danielle Hazell (45) helped England recover from 58-6 to post 240-9 on Thursday before rain forced the game into a reserve day. Laura Marsh took 4-21, including her 100th ODI wicket, and Hazell 3-21 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 78. England secured qualification for the 2017 World Cup in the second ODI. \"It was nice, in the face of a potential collapse, to turn it around and win,\" captain Heather Knight said. \"We've had a really good year and I think the girls are really starting to take responsibility and grow into their roles.\" New Zealand guaranteed World Cup qualification with a seven-wicket defeat of Pakistan in Nelson on Thursday - joining Australia and England in next year's tournament, which will be held in England in June and July. The fourth and final automatic place is between West Indies and India - and will depend on how the International Cricket Council rules on an unplayed series. With every team expected to play each other over a two-year period, a scheduled series between Pakistan and India - due to take place before the end of October - did not happen, and looks unlikely to do so for political reasons. If the six available points from that series are shared, fourth-placed West Indies would finish above India as they have recorded the most wins of the pair. The Windies would also stay fourth if Pakistan, as the home side, are awarded the points because of the Indian board's perceived reluctance to play them. The fifth-placed side will join South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and six other teams in Sri Lanka early next year, to play a final qualifier for the last four places in the World Cup.", "summary": "England completed a 4-0 women's one-day international series whitewash as they thrashed Sri Lanka by 162 runs in the final match in Colombo."}
{"article": "The 15-year-old Scot became the youngest ever Commonwealth medallist when she finished third in the SB9 100m breaststroke aged 13 in 2014. However, she was told in April her impairment was now not serious enough for her to compete in Para-swimming. A second panel, at the Berlin Open event, upheld the result on Wednesday. Davies, from the Delting Dolphins club in Shetland, has Perthes disease, a condition that affects her hip bones and joints. Before losing her classification, she was only eligible to compete in breaststroke events.", "summary": "Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Erraid Davies has been deemed ineligible for disability swimming after medical tests."}
{"article": "The rise of the far-left Podemos party and centrist Citizens means the next general election, at the end of this year, is set to be a four-horse race. For over three decades the Socialists (PSOE) and centre-right Popular Party (PP) have alternated in power, accounting for over 70% of the vote in past general elections. But the impact of austerity policies and a focus on corruption has created unprecedented uncertainty. And the \"indignant\" protest movement, which camped out in Madrid's central square in the summer of 2011, changed the nation's viewpoint on corruption. The shift has been highlighted by an opinion poll that puts the one-year-old Podemos in the lead on 22.5%, the Socialists second with 20.2%, the PP third on 18.6% and Citizens, or Cs as the party has branded itself, with 18.4%. A former PP treasurer revealed wholesale illegal financing of his party while the Socialist regional government in Andalusia oversaw a fraud totalling hundreds of millions of euros diverted from funds meant to help the unemployed. Both are now stuck with the label of \"la casta\" (the caste), a term coined to great effect by Podemos. Podemos is the brainchild of a group of leftist political science university lecturers, headed by gifted orator Pablo Iglesias. Only four months after they were founded, they attracted 8% share of the vote in last May's European elections. Podemos argues Spain's crisis was a swindle on the part of the country's financial and political elite and vows to renegotiate its debt to its creditors in the same way as Greece's radical Syriza government is doing. Under Podemos, evictions of homeowners would be halted and welfare guaranteed for families hit by Spain's 24% unemployment rate. \"We didn't set up Podemos to become like the PSOE or PP - historical parties for our children and grandchildren to join as heirs of the founders,\" says the party's chief political analyst, Carolina Bescansa, a university lecturer. \"Our idea was to create a tool to allow people to join a participative process.\" Podemos plans to open up government and submit major governmental decisions to referendums. Citizens has existed in the Catalan parliament since 2006 under the leadership of Albert Rivera, a lawyer who came to prominence through his stand against Catalan nationalism. Last year he was engaged in talks with UPyD, a Spanish centrist party, which shares Citizens' desire to limit the autonomous powers of Spain's regions. When negotiations broke down on electoral co-operation with UPyD, Cs decided to go it alone on the national scene and is now selecting candidates for a spate of regional and local elections taking place before the end-of-year parliamentary poll. Podemos and Cs both insist on primaries to select electoral candidates and share the diagnosis of a Spain mired in corruption and economic ruin. But they offer different cures. Podemos seeks to boost internal demand by raising income levels in poorer homes. Cs wants to reduce wasteful government layers, encourage investment and boost education. \"We need change and we need transparency, but it has to be sensible change,\" says Citizens' economic coordinator", "summary": "The emergence of two new parties has blown Spanish politics wide open."}
{"article": "He was available after being released by Truro, with whom he won promotion out of Chesham's division in 2014-15. It extends Hayles' 26-year career, which has taken in teams including Leicester, Cheltenham and Arlesey Town. \"He is incredibly fit, and still loves the game,\" Chesham boss Andy Leese told the club website. \"He has a lot to offer on the pitch still and now off it as well as he looks to start a coaching career.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Former Fulham and Stevenage striker Barry Hayles has joined Southern League Premier Division side Chesham United as a player-coach at the age of 43."}
{"article": "Handmade at Amazon is currently invitation-only, with an initial 5,000 sellers on the site. Goods must be \"factory-free\", with items such as wooden cufflinks and handstitched baby bibs already on sale from around the world. Its competitor, artisan website Etsy, was valued at $1.8bn (\u00c2\u00a31.2bn) when it launched on the stock market in April. \"We had thousands of searches every day from customers looking for handmade or handcrafted items,'' said Peter Faricy, vice-president for Amazon Marketplace. \"Knowing an item has a unique story behind it creates a personal experience that customers have told us makes owning handmade items special.\" The firm will initially take a 12% sales fee from its handmade retailers with no other charges. Etsy, which was founded 10 years ago, takes a 3.5% sales fee from its 1.5 million sellers and also charges a listing fee of $0.20 per item. The firm's chief executive, Chad Dickerson, told the Associated Press that almost half of the site's sellers already used other retail outlets in addition to Etsy but that the site was still \"usually\" their main source of income. \"We believe that Etsy is the best platform for the creative entrepreneur,\" he said. \"Etsy has a decade of experience understanding the needs of artists and sellers and supporting them in ways that no other marketplace can.\"", "summary": "Amazon is entering the handicraft market with the launch of a new online store for handmade goods."}
{"article": "Police Scotland named the men as Craig Munro, 30, and 26-year-old Allan Robertson. One image appears to have been taken at the same location where missing mother Farrah Fadli was sighted earlier this month. Police Scotland and the Crown Office said they were unable to confirm if the investigations were linked. A spokesman for the Crown Office said it was also unable to say, for legal reasons, why the two men were being sought. Ms Fadli, who is also known as Farrah Gillespie, has been missing from her home in Ayr since Wednesday 12 October. The 29-year-old initially disappeared with her children but dropped them off at a friend's house in Irvine on 14 October. She has not been seen since. Ms Fadli is 5ft 4in, of slim build with dyed blonde hair. She has not gone missing before and officers have said previously it is extremely unusual for her to leave her children for such a long time and not be in touch with her family and friends.", "summary": "Police have released CCTV images of two men they are trying to trace and have warned the public not to approach them."}
{"article": "Swansea Community Farm in Fforestfach offers free access to a variety of rare breeds including sheep and bees, a healthy eating kitchen and caf\u00e9, and sustainable orchards. Organisers say their core Volunteer and Child and Youth programmes have some funding from external sources beyond March 2017. But day-to-day running costs do not. Founded in 1998, the farm has been an accredited Agored Cymru training centre since 2012. It has also delivered a range of courses in cooking skills and healthy eating, food growing, nature conservation skills and animal care. Phil Budd of Swansea Community Farm said the farm had fallen foul of austerity. \"Everyone we speak to agrees that the farm is doing vital work in reconnecting under-privileged urban youngsters with where their food comes from, but when local authorities and the Welsh Government have to choose between us and, say a hospital, it's hardly surprising we are where we are now,\" he said. \"All the available grants are for specific projects, but it's extremely difficult to get funding for the day-to-day nitty-gritty.\" It is hoped \u00a325,000 can be secured from a crowd-funding campaign, and the same amount via grants, government and business. Organisers say that would secure its future for six months, while they look for a longer-term partnership. \"It's terribly sad, at what should be our busiest time of the year, we're already having to keep one eye on the prospect that we won't be here this time next month,\" Mr Buss said. \"Many of our sheep should be going into lambing shortly, so we've already had to start re-homing them, as we don't want to have to move them while they are delivering and suckling. \"Hopefully we can welcome them back in the summer, but we all need to pull together and find new ways of working.\"", "summary": "Swansea's only community city farm is facing closure at the end of the month, unless it can raise \u00a350,000."}
{"article": "The design, said to represent the relationship between the medieval monarchies of Europe and the castles they built, was unveiled on Friday. But critics including Plaid Cymru's North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd said it symbolises the oppression of Welsh people. Monuments body Cadw said the plans were \"about investing in Flint\". Flint was one of the first castles to be built in Wales by Edward I - construction began in 1277. The winning design was selected by a panel following a nation-wide competition, and the architects said it demonstrated \"the unstable nature of the crown\". But Mr Gruffydd said a sculpture celebrating the conquest of Wales by Edward I was \"inappropriate and insulting\". \"The 'ring of steel' is the description given to the chain of castles across Wales that were built to conquer and subjugate Wales,\" he said. \"From a Welsh perspective, this is certainly not something to celebrate. It does not either reflect the many rich Welsh legends that could have been the source of a far more appropriate sculpture.\" A petition has also been launched calling the design \"extremely disrespectful\". By Monday it had attracted more than 2,000 signatures. People have also criticised the sculpture on social media. TJ Buck tweeted: \"I think even a 'balloon made of lead' would have gone down better than this idea\", while Carolyn Hitt posted: \"Flint has rich history of female factory workers. Turn those into legends rather than remember Edward I's Iron Ring.\" But Andrew Barratt\u00e2\u20ac", "summary": "Plans to create an iron ring sculpture at Flint Castle have been described as \"insulting to Wales\"."}
{"article": "Rangers confirmed that Jardine had lost an 18-month battle against cancer on Thursday evening. He was part of their European Cup Winners' Cup-winning team of 1972 and played 38 times for his country. He was respected not only by Rangers fans but also the wider football community Ibrox manager Ally McCoist said everyone at Rangers was devastated at the loss of \"a legend\" and \"a great man\". And the club said their thoughts were with his wife Shona, children Steven and Nicola, his grandchildren and friends. Hearts also extended their condolences to his family, with the Tynecastle club adding they were deeply saddened at the death of a club legend. Media playback is not supported on this device Edinburgh-born Jardine began his career with Rangers in 1965 and went on to make over 600 appearances for the Ibrox side. As well as playing in the club's European triumph in 1972, the full-back won three top-flight titles, five Scottish Cups and five Scottish League Cups with Rangers. A move to Hearts followed in 1982 and, along with former Rangers team-mate Alex MacDonald, he was joint-manager at Tynecastle between 1986 and 1988. Under their command, the Edinburgh club lost out on the Scottish title on the final day of the 1985-86 season, Celtic taking advantage of Hearts' defeat at Dundee to pip them to the crown. Jardine's on-field contribution that term was such, though, that he was named Scotland's player of the year for the second time at the age of 37. The honour came 11 years after he first won the award. After his playing career ended, he returned to work for Rangers in various roles. In November 2012, it was confirmed Jardine was being treated for cancer. \"He was respected not only by Rangers fans but also the wider football community and he is a huge loss to the game,\" McCoist said on Rangers' website. \"I had the privilege of watching Sandy playing for Rangers when I was a young boy, I had enjoyed the pleasure of working with him closely since I returned to the club in 2007 and he was a truly remarkable human being. \"His achievements both on and off the pitch are second to none and I was honoured to regard him as a friend. \"He gave everything for this great club and worked tirelessly in a number of roles because he wanted to ensure the traditions, history and standards at Rangers were maintained. \"He recently told me he was proud to be a Ranger and wanted to be remembered forever as a Ranger. Well Sandy, you will go down in history as one of the greatest of all time and we will miss you terribly.\" During his time at Ibrox, Jardine was a team-mate of Sir Alex Ferguson. The former Manchester United manager and his wife, Cathy, added their own tribute. \"From Cathy and I, this is some of the worst news we have heard,\" he said. \"Sandy was a noble and courageous man. \"The respect he is held in at Rangers is immense. He was one", "summary": "Former Rangers, Hearts and Scotland defender Sandy Jardine has died at the age of 65."}
{"article": "A Derry Journal article revealed that due to verbal abuse of staff, \u00a31 will be charged for up to two-hours parking. Parking will no longer be free for less than ten minutes. It will mean a decrease from \u00a34 for a two-hour period to \u00a31. Clive Coleman, RCA contracts director at City of Derry Airport, has said the move was \"not to increase revenues\". He said the fee would reduce congestion and was in response to an increase in traffic incidents. \"The level of abuse is of deep concern to the airport's management team and the board of directors and is at a level that can no longer be tolerated,\" Mr Coleman said. Members of the public will need to pay a \u00a31 fee to enter the car park and would be permitted to stay for a two-hour period. The changes will be introduced on 1 December 2015. Former chairman of the airport users committee James Buchanan, welcomed the change. \"There have been a number of complaints about taking away the 10 minutes free parking,\" Mr Buchanan said. \"There are all sorts of people saying that this is the City of Derry trying to raise more money. \"But in reality, 10 minutes was too short for a number of people. \"I have talked to staff a number of times and I know they do get a lot of abuse from people when they have run over the 10 minutes and find that they can't get out in the 10-minute period.\" The Consumer Council has said they had not yet received any formal complaints about the plans. \"Whilst this is disappointing coming into the Christmas period, we also recognise the airport's safety concerns,\" said the Consumer Council's head of transport policy Scott Kennerley. \"We welcome the news that short stay prices are being reduced from \u00a34 to \u00a31 for a two-hour stay. \"This should be beneficial if there are flight delays and allow people to meet passengers inside the airport terminal building.\"", "summary": "A plan to introduce parking fees at City of Derry Airport has been met with mixed reaction from the public."}
{"article": "Up to eight people are believed to have carried out the ram-raid at Martins newsagent in Prentice Place, Harlow, at about 01:45 BST. The ATM was removed from an outside wall, causing \"substantial damage\", and was then loaded on to a van. Essex Police are investigating whether the raid is linked to another at a Roydon newsagent earlier this month. The cash machine contained a \"five-figure sum\", police said. It is thought the thieves left in the van and a red car, believed to be an Audi. The digger, which was damaged in the raid, was left at the scene. \"We are especially keen to hear from anyone who saw the JCB, which is not the usual sort of vehicle to be seen on public roads late at night,\" Det Insp Jim Adams said. \"There was a previous incident involving the theft of a cash machine at a newsagent in Roydon on 16 September in which the machine and its contents were later recovered, and we are looking into whether these two incidents may be linked.\"", "summary": "Thieves used a stolen JCB digger to smash into an Essex newsagent and steal a cash machine."}
{"article": "The rally followed sharp rises in European markets, which came after France and Germany proposed a fiscal union ahead of a summit on 9 December. A union would mean binding limits on eurozone government borrowing. Markets hope that the agreement will open the way for the European Central Bank to bail out Italy and Spain. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones index rose 2.6% to 11,523.01 points, while the broader S&P 500 index rose 2.9% to 1,192.57 points. US markets were also helped by data suggesting that recent consumer spending has been strong. The US National Retail Federation said sales during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend climbed 16% to a record $52.4bn. In Europe, the FTSE closed up 2.8%, Germany's Dax was 4.6% higher and France's Cac added 5.4%, led by banks and other financial stocks. These gains followed strong rises in Asian markets overnight. The stock market rally came despite ratings agency Moody's warning that the eurozone crisis threatens the credit rating of all the bloc's members. Moody's said the eurozone could still face a number of shocks as countries struggled with high debt levels, denying them access to markets and requiring further bailouts. \"This would very likely cause those countries' ratings to be moved into speculative [junk] grade in view of the solvency tests that would likely be required and the burden-sharing that might be imposed if, as is likely, support were to be needed for a sustained period,\" Moody's said in its report. On plans for fiscal union, the German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, said his government was working closely with the French on the proposal. \"We are working intensively for the creation of a stability union,\" he said in a statement. \"That is what we want to secure through treaty changes, in which we propose that the budgets of member states must observe debt limits.\" The minister acknowledged on Sunday that it may not be possible to get necessary treaty changes agreed by all 27 European Union members states. In the UK, Conservative backbench MPs in the coalition government have been demanding a referendum on the UK's EU membership as a condition of ratifying any new treaty, while Prime Minister David Cameron has said he will use it as an opportunity to demand new policy opt-outs from Brussels. There has been speculation that the 17 eurozone governments may go it alone - passing separate bilateral agreements on the new fiscal rules, thereby avoiding the need for EU treaty changes, and circumventing a UK veto. The unprecedented move comes as many eurozone governments, including Italy and Spain, have faced sharply rising borrowing costs in nervous financial markets. \"We are in an economic war with a number of powerful speculators who have decided that the end of the euro is in their interest,\" claimed the French Agriculture Minister Brun Le Maire on Monday. By Robert PestonBusiness editor, BBC News The price for the Italian government of borrowing remains prohibitively high. Which implies that even if the Italian government isn't talking to the IMF about financial support, it may only be a", "summary": "Wall Street rebounded from seven days of losses on hopes that eurozone leaders will stitch together a new deal to help the bloc's ailing economies."}
{"article": "Anderson is the first recruit brought in by new boss Justin Edinburgh, who took over on Monday with the club 16th in the League One table. The 21-year-old joined Palace from non-league Barton Rovers in January 2015, but has yet to play a first-team game. He had previous loan spells with Doncaster and Bolton and could make his Cobblers debut at MK Dons on Saturday. \"I felt we needed a striker who could stretch defences and worry them with speed and movement, and Keshi can do that,\" said Edinburgh. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "Northampton Town have signed Crystal Palace striker Keshi Anderson on loan until the end of the season."}
{"article": "It has gained a foothold in key towns and cities in the mostly lawless North African state, prompting Egypt - seeing itself as the bulwark against Islamists in region - to launch air strikes against the group. After the two war-ravaged Middle Eastern states, IS has launched its most high-profile attacks in Libya, bombing an upmarket hotel in the capital, Tripoli, in January, and releasing a video earlier this month showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians it had kidnapped. On 20 February, it killed at least 40 people in a suicide bombing in the eastern town of al-Qubbah. For UK-based Libyan academic, Mohamed Ahdash, the emergence of IS affiliates in Libya is not surprising. \"There is a study which shows that after Saudi Arabia, most of the fighters who went to Syria were from Libya,\" he told the BBC. Libya's internationally recognised government believes the fighters are now returning, following a shift in IS thinking to promote local jihad, and are under the command of a Tunisian named Abu Talha. The North African state, Middle East Monitor publication analyst Nasim Ahmed points out, is an obvious target for IS. It is a gateway to Europe, and has been chaotic since the overthrow of long-serving ruler Muhammar Gaddafi in a Nato-backed offensive in 2011, with two rivals governments, dozens of groups armed with weapons looted from the former regime's arsenal and smugglers who roam freely across porous borders in the desert region. \"It is a failed state. Unlike other countries in the region, it does not have a semblance of government. This makes it the most vulnerable,\" he told the BBC. Moreover, Libya is rich in oil and, earlier this month, gunmen claiming to represent IS raided a French-run oil facility in al-Mabruk, south of Sirte city, killing at least 11 guards. \"They are able to attack oil pipelines, but as of yet lack the capability to sell smuggled oil on the open market. Nonetheless, many IS-aligned fighters collect salaries from the Libyan state,\" Jason Pack, a researcher in Libyan history at the UK's Cambridge University, told the BBC. Libya's rival power bases Has Libya been let down by the West? Fighting for the spoils of Libya's revolution Why is Libya lawless? Mr Ahdash says Libya has become a magnet for jihadis from other parts of Africa - especially those who fled northern Mali after a French-led military operation recaptured territory from them in 2013. \"They are under one umbrella, but they are very different and very divided. It is difficult to work out who is who,\" he says. He says Islamists had a presence in Libya during Col Gaddafi's rule, but they were heavily suppressed. So it does not surprise him that they have now gained a foothold in cities like Benghazi, the cradle of the 2011 revolution that overthrew Col Gaddafi, and Derna, the coastal town being targeted by Egypt's military and where the first IS affiliate emerged in October. But what surprises him, Mr Ahdash says, is that they have secured a presence in Sirte, the birthplace of", "summary": "The Islamic State (IS) has wreaked havoc in the Middle East, seizing vast areas of Iraq and Syria and now it is taking advantage of Libya's collapse into anarchy."}
{"article": "Carlisle told the Sun newspaper he had been left severely depressed by the end of his football career, financial problems and the loss of a TV punditry role. The 35-year-old left hospital on 30 January, six weeks after being struck in North Yorkshire. \"This was my lowest point,\" he said. Carlisle, speaking on Time to Talk Day, which aims to raise awareness of mental health issues, was chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association between 2010 and 2013 and remains on the PFA's management committee. Born in Preston, he started his career at Blackpool and made more than 500 appearances for nine clubs in a playing career that spanned 16 years, finishing at Northampton in 2013. Media playback is not supported on this device Carlisle was airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary following the 22 December incident on the A64 Leeds to York road. He had suffered cuts, bruises, internal bleeding, a broken rib and shattered left knee. On Christmas Day he was admitted as an in-patient to a psychiatric unit in Harrogate before his release last Friday. He said he had reached \"an epiphany\" that he is \"incredibly unwell\". \"I ventured out of my room not as Clarke the ex-footballer, but as Clarke, a mental health patient,\" he said. \"That was the first step in my road to recovery.\" Carlisle faces a charge of failing to provide a sample after being stopped by police on 20 December - just two days before his suicide bid. The first footballer to appear on Question Time, Carlisle has previously spoken out about depression and suicide in professional sport and presented a BBC Three documentary on the subject. In the interview, he said his wife Gemma had seen a \"steady decline\" since he left Burnley in 2012. \"I missed a sense of belonging, a sense of worth and value in life,\" he said. \"You see someone in the street and they'd say, 'didn't you used to be Clarke Carlisle?' I laughed the first few off but after a while it eats at your core.\" Carlisle's wife Gemma has published a series of updates on her husband's condition on Twitter since the incident. On Wednesday night she tweeted: \"Clarke and I thought very long and hard about this over the last week and feel that as you all supported us so immensely through this ordeal you deserved the truth. \"We also want to highlight and create understanding for a lot of issues and feel it would be hypocritical of us to say nothing.\" Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity SANE, said: \"We admire Clarke Carlisle and his family for speaking openly about his depression and his fight for recovery. This will encourage many thousands of others who will be experiencing despair in silence and without help.\" Samaritans can be contacted by phone on 08457 909090, via email or you can find the details for your local branch here. Click here for information on mental health issues from BBC's Action Line.", "summary": "Former Burnley defender Clarke Carlisle was attempting to take his own life when he was hit by a lorry in December, he has revealed."}
{"article": "Ashley Talbot, 15, died at Maesteg Comprehensive School in December 2014 after a crash with a minibus driven by a teacher as the school day ended. The girl said she saw Ashley run between two buses with a friend before the collision happened. Teacher Chris Brooks was questioned by police but no action was taken. About 1,000 children were leaving the site in Bridgend county on foot, in buses or cars. On Monday, the jury was told there was regularly \"major chaos\" outside the school. The inquest in Aberdare heard the girl had been on a different bus waiting to leave when she saw Ashley with a single earphone in his ear. She heard three beeps from a vehicle and then saw Ashley run between the buses before colliding with the minibus. She said he was thrown onto the bonnet and landed on the floor before the wheel went over him. Mr Brooks got out of the minibus and ran to the back of it and then to the school to get help. Teachers and bus drivers attempted to give first aid. She said in a statement she had previously witnessed five near-misses when children had been moving between buses, causing cars to beep and brake. Other children gave statements saying they had been involved in near-misses but had not reported them because they did not consider them to be serious enough. Many pupils reported seeing Ashley running with his friend towards the buses on the day he died. Ashley's friend, who was injured by the minibus, said in a statement he saw it \"one or two seconds\" before he was hit but could not avoid it and had only heard the engines of the buses which were \"quite loud\". He saw Mr Brooks looking ahead and driving at around 10mph. He felt he and Ashley were to blame for the collision and they should not have been running, adding they had been taught when they were young to \"stop, look and listen\". He said they were both racing to get a seat at the back of the bus. Another child who was on the minibus described seeing Ashley being hit and go underneath, while another passenger described it as feeling like \"driving over a speed bump\". One child said in a statement that he had \"nearly been knocked over twice at the same location\". He said he had been crossing the road between the buses when a minibus was coming towards him but did not report it because \"such occurrences happen nearly every day\" A female pupil told the jury in a statement that she and a friend had nearly been knocked over by a taxi at the same location a couple of weeks before Ashley's death. However other pupils said they had not been involved in near misses, and they had received instruction on road safety when they joined the school. The inquest is continuing.", "summary": "A girl who witnessed the death of a teenage boy hit by a minibus at his school has told his inquest she had previously seen five near-misses."}
{"article": "Earlier, the charges, levelled under an apartheid-era law, were suspended following a national outcry. The first 100 miners will be freed on Monday, and the rest on Thursday. Also on Monday, talks are set to resume on ending the strike that led to killing of the 34 workers at the Marikana platinum mine. Police says they opened fire on the strikers in self-defence after being threatened by a crowd of protesters who advanced towards them, armed with machetes. The strike, called in support of demands for a substantial pay rise and recognition of a new union, continues and the mine remains closed three weeks on. The mine's owner, Lonmin, the world's third-largest platinum producer, says the industrial action is illegal. By Farouk ChothiaBBC News By suspending the charges, state prosecutors have helped President Jacob Zuma salvage some of his credibility. He has been under heavy criticism over what has been dubbed the \"Marikana massacre\". Militant youth leader Julius Malema demanded his resignation, comparing his government to that of the apartheid regime. Mr Zuma's allies denounced Mr Malema - under investigation on fraud and tax avoidance charges - as a maverick and an opportunist. But there is no doubt that the Marikana killings have damaged Mr Zuma, ahead of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) December conference, which decides whether he remains party leader. And it has strengthened the hand of his opponents, who are lobbying his deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe, to contest the party's leadership. Mr Motlanthe is yet to declare his intentions, but there is no doubt that Mr Zuma's presidency is in deep trouble. But it has dropped its demands that the strikers go back to work or face the sack. After the shootings, state prosecutors invoked the apartheid-era \"common purpose\" doctrine to charge the 270 miners arrested during the violence with provoking police to open fire. The rule was used by the white-minority apartheid regime to crack down on its black opponents, at the time mainly represented by the African National Congress, which is now in power. On Sunday, the acting national director of prosecutions, Nomgcobo Jiba, held a news conference to announce the charges would be provisionally dropped She added, however, that the charges cannot be dismissed formally until the end of the inquiry. Those whose addresses have been verified by police will be released on Monday, and the rest will remain in custody until their next court appearance on Thursday, Ms Jiba said. The decision to charge the men had drawn condemnation from political parties, trade unions, activists and legal experts. On Friday, Justice Minister Jeff Radebe demanded a report from state prosecutors to explain the reasoning behind it. BBC South Africa analyst Farouk Chothia says the move to shelve the charges has salvaged some of the government's credibility. But he says the government will have to make sure that the miners co-operate with the judge-led commission of inquiry that was set up by Mr Zuma to investigate the 16 August shootings. South African media reports suggest some of the mine workers have decided to hold their own", "summary": "South African courts are to begin releasing 270 striking miners charged with murder after 34 of their colleagues were shot dead by police."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Former captain Aaron Hughes won his 100th cap as a 30th-minute substitute for defender Craig Cathcart who hobbled off injured after being fouled. Cathcart was one of several players on the receiving end of tough tackles. Visiting keeper Michael McGovern made some fine saves while Kyle Lafferty had a penalty claim turned down. Lafferty felt his shot had been blocked by Peter Pekarik's arm, but referee Marian Radu Petrescu did not see it as a spot-kick. Robert Mak came the closest to scoring for the hosts only to be denied by Hamilton stopper McGovern who was quickly off his line, while Martin Skrtel almost scored a late own goal following a Paddy McNair cross. The Liverpool defender diverted McNair's driven cross towards his own goal, and keeper Matus Kozacik was forced into a save. Northern Ireland open their Euro campaign on 12 June against Poland in Nice, the day after Slovakia meet Wales in Bordeaux. One of Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill's chief concerns was to see his players come through unscathed with the opening Euro 2016 game against Poland just eight days away. Worryingly for him, several key men were on the receiving end of some hefty challenges. Media playback is not supported on this device Gareth McAuley and Jonny Evans picked up minor knocks before the other man in the back three, Watford defender Cathcart, had to limp off after being fouled. That led to 36-year-old Hughes coming on to win his 100th cap as a 30th-minute substitute. It had been expected the former Newcastle and Aston Villa man would come one at some point for his landmark appearance, but O'Neill was forced to make the change earlier than planned. As well as Cathcart, O'Neill will await a fitness update on striker Lafferty who came off in the second half with a leg injury. Manager O'Neill deployed his favoured 3-5-2 formation, setting the team up in the way he will want them to play against Poland. Paddy McNair caught the eye again in a wide role on the right while Millwall's Shane Ferguson came into the team to stake his claim for a starting role in Nice. They appear to be competing with Conor McLaughlin and the absent Stuart Dallas for selection. Any lingering doubts on who will be NI's first-choice keeper will have been ended by another solid display by McGovern. The Northern Ireland squad head to their Lyon base on Sunday in good heart and with that record unbeaten sequence. It was another outstanding defensive performance against a Slovakian side which had had defeated world champions Germany on 29 May. Match ends, Slovakia 0, Northern Ireland 0. Second Half ends, Slovakia 0, Northern Ireland 0. Corner, Northern Ireland. Conceded by Martin Skrtel. Offside, Slovakia. Patrik Hrosovsky tries a through ball, but Vladimir Weiss is caught offside. Substitution, Northern Ireland. Conor McLaughlin replaces Patrick McNair. Corner, Slovakia. Conceded by Gareth McAuley. Attempt saved. Vladimir Weiss (Slovakia) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Substitution,", "summary": "Northern Ireland will go into Euro 2016 on the back of a record 12-match unbeaten run after drawing away to fellow finalists Slovakia in Trnava."}
{"article": "Mr Comey will have to explain to a House committee why he recommended the likely Democratic presidential nominee should not be prosecuted. Over 100 classified messages were found on her email servers, the FBI said. On Wednesday, US Attorney General Loretta Lynch confirmed that no charges would be brought. Mrs Lynch was accused by Republican Donald Trump, who is likely to do battle with Mrs Clinton for the White House, of being bribed by the former first lady. He said she agreed to let Mrs Clinton off the hook in return for the promise that she would keep her job if the Democrat won the election and became president. The news that the attorney general met former President Bill Clinton, Mrs Clinton's husband, last week on the tarmac of an airport in Arizona prompted accusations by Republicans of a stitch-up. On Tuesday, the FBI said Mrs Clinton and her staff were \"extremely careless\" in handling classified materials but there was no evidence of intentional wrongdoing. Mr Comey's statement contradicted Mrs Clinton who previously said she had not knowingly sent or received classified material from her private email account. He will testify on Thursday before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, led by Republican Jason Chaffetz. \"The FBI's recommendation is surprising and confusing,\" Mr Chaffetz said. \"The fact pattern presented by Director Comey makes clear Secretary Clinton violated the law,\" he said. \"Individuals who intentionally skirt the law must be held accountable.\" A statement from Mrs Clinton's campaign team called it \"yet another taxpayer-funded sham of an inquiry to try to hurt Hillary Clinton politically\". It has been a common theme in the presidential campaigns of Mr Trump on the right and Bernie Sanders on the left that establishment insiders live under their own set of rules. While average Americans are left to their fate, big bankers get bailouts, big businesses get handouts, and the elite are insulated from the consequences of their actions. For those with this outlook, the failure to indict Hillary Clinton - or even hold her accountable in a non-criminal manner - is yet another example of the benefits that come along with high positions of power. While Comey insisted that there was little precedent for a prosecution given that Mrs Clinton did not intentionally mishandle classified information or do so in a \"grossly negligent\" way, such explanations may not fly with the swath of voters currently alienated from the political process. Did the FBI just sink Clinton? The email scandal has become a key political talking point, with Republicans saying Mrs Clinton thinks she is above the law. Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump called the decision \"very unfair\" and said it was proof that the system was rigged. Mrs Clinton said she had set up the email address for reasons of convenience, because it had been easier to do everything from one device than to have several phones or tablets. She later apologised for using the private email system, calling it \"a mistake\". House Speaker Paul Ryan said it appears that Mrs Clinton was given preferential", "summary": "House Republicans have called FBI Director James Comey to testify about Hillary Clinton's use of private email as secretary of state."}
{"article": "Its followers, popularly known as Moonies, were once a regular sight on high streets around the world. Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church is best known through events like its mass weddings, where thousands of couples are married at the same time, having only just met their lifetime partner. Born in what is now North Korea in 1920, Moon claimed that God had chosen him to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. He founded the church in 1954, claiming he was the New Messiah. His adherents, shared their leader's strong belief in marriage and his hatred of communism. They were often to be seen selling peanuts and flowers to raise money for the church, which was constantly accused of brainwashing its members, breaking up families and lining the pockets of its leader - allegations which were fiercely denied. There is no doubt, though, that Moon was a very wealthy man. He owned large and lavish properties in the United States, founded the Washington Times newspaper and ran arms factories in South Korea. But the Reverend Moon guarded his wealth, eventually criminally. Convicted of massive tax evasion in the 1982, he swapped his sharp suits for prison uniform, spending 11 months behind bars. On his release, he joined with other American churches to campaign for religious freedom. He was outspoken in his beliefs. \"God is living in me and I am the incarnation of himself,\" Moon told one interviewer. \"The whole world is in my hand and I will conquer and subjugate the world.\" Not everyone was impressed with Moon's sentiments and, in 1995, the British government barred him from entering the United Kingdom. In May 2001 the Unification Church pulled off a remarkable coup, marrying a Roman Catholic Archbishop, Emmanuel Milingo, to a South Korean bride in a ceremony in New York City. The Vatican was outraged but, before he recanted and returned to Rome in disgrace, Archbishop Milingo provided valuable publicity for Moon's organisation. Two years later, Moon provoked outrage when, in a sermon, he condoned the Holocaust because it was the Jews' payment for killing Jesus. Sun Myung Moon's fervent speeches brought him followers around the world but the debate, as to whether he was truly a great spiritual leader, or a confidence trickster who fleeced the gullible on a global scale, will continue.", "summary": "The Rev Sun Myung Moon founded the Unification Church, regarded by its critics as a dangerous cult."}
{"article": "Reece Charles Wynne, 18, of Mold, threatened the man with a broken beer bottle, tried to strangle him and demanded money. The victim, 58, thought he was going to die, Mold Crown Court heard. Wynne was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in youth custody after admitting robbery. After agreeing to meet his victim via the app, the pair spent time drinking together at his house before Wynne attacked him as he was being dropped home, the court heard. The driver felt a sharp pain to the back of his neck before the men started to fight as the victim defended himself. Wynne demanded money and pushed the victim against the car window where he tried to strangle him. \"He was terrified. He thought he was going to die,\" Kim Halsall, prosecuting, said. The man accidently locked the car during the struggle and Wynne smashed a passenger window and climbed out, stealing some keys. The victim suffered cuts and bruises and told police the attack was \"the most frightening experience in his life\". Michael Davies, defending, said Wynne had a difficult upbringing and had mental health problems.", "summary": "A teenager, who had a sudden desire to rob someone, arranged to meet a man via a mobile phone app and attacked him in his car."}
{"article": "The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Mark Rosekind criticised FCA's recall of 11 million cars and handling of fatal accidents. He told a hearing in Washington of failures to inform owners of recalls, delays in repairs, and not doing work. Fiat said it \"learned from [its] mistakes and missteps\". The recalls cover Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and Mitsubishi vehicles from model years dating back to 1993. Much of the testimony in the hearing focused on a recall of 1.56 million older-model Jeeps with gas tanks mounted behind the rear axles. The tanks are vulnerable to being punctured in a rear crash. At least 75 people have died in fires involving the Jeeps, according to the NHTSA. \"There will be action,\" Mr Rosekind said. \"What you've heard here is that there's a pattern that's been going on for some time.\" He did not detail the sanctions, although they could be a mixture of fines and orders to buy back or replace vehicles. The NHTSA has yet to decide whether to forward the case to the Justice Department for possible criminal action. \"Recall execution is where we have fallen short,\" said Scott Kunselman, FCA's senior vice president for vehicle safety and regulatory compliance in North America. \"We have learned from our mistakes.\"", "summary": "Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) faces action over the mishandling in the US of car recalls, the country's top vehicle safety regulator has said."}
{"article": "Riders use special bikes and ride anticlockwise around the track in a range of events, from endurance-based pursuits over several kilometres - the aim being to outpace a rival rider or team - through to the cagey, strategy-based individual sprint. Why is it good for you? Track racing is an exciting and physically demanding sport, with an hour-long session likely to burn approximately 782 calories per hour. The strain of keeping the bike in motion at speed increases the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and improves endurance. As the thigh, calf and hip muscles are in constant use, it is an effective way to help build lower-body strength. Unlike other high-energy sports, bike riding has a much lower risk of injury as there is none of the physical contact between athletes found in football or rugby, while it is much gentler on the knee and ankle joints than long-distance running. As training for track racing is often a team-based pursuit, it is an excellent way to develop communication skills and learn to work effectively with other people. Clubs also offer a variety of social events beyond just riding. Approximately two million people in Britain cycle at least once a week, and there are more than 80,000 members of cycling clubs. Before taking to the track, it is essential to wear safety equipment. Some clubs allow members to hire bikes and helmets. A decent starter track bike costs from \u00a3600, and it is important to buy a track bike as mountain, road and hybrid BMX bikes are ill-suited to ride on velodrome circuits. Visit the British Cycling, Cycling Ireland, Scottish Cycling and Welsh Cycling websites for more information. For parents looking to get their children started in competitive racing, British Cycling are running a number of events for under-16s throughout the United Kingdom this year. Visit the Go-Ride Racing website for more details. Track cycling was first established in Great Britain in the 1870s when wooden indoor tracks, consisting of two straights and slightly banked turns, were laid. The sport proved a popular attraction and early races at venues in Birmingham, Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester and London attracted crowds of up to 2,000 people. Track cycling events have been organised at all the editions of the Olympics since 1896, with the only exception being the 1912 Games in Stockholm, when only the road race was staged. Track bikes have no brakes: riders stop by putting pressure on the pedals. Between 1924 and 1992, the range of events at the Olympics were usually a sprint, time trial over one kilometre, tandem and team pursuit. The individual pursuit was added in the 1964 Olympic in Tokyo, and the tandem was dropped after the 1972 Games in Munich. Women first competed in a sprint track event in 1988, and the individual pursuit was added in Barcelona four years later. In February 2011, the London Olympic Velodrome became the first competition venue in the Olympic Park to be completed. More on the IOC website Are you inspired to try Track Cycling? Or maybe you are an enthusiast already?", "summary": "Track cycling sees competitors battle it out at high speeds along the steep wooden banking of the velodrome."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old has become a fans' favourite at Aggborough after scoring four goals in 15 appearances. The National League side have also tied the midfield pair of Ousmane Fane and Elton Ngwatala to new deals. The French duo, both 22, are contracted until the end of the 2016-17 season. All three players have helped the Harriers hit their best run of form of the campaign, with the club winning three successive games in February to lift themselves off the bottom of the National League table. Before this month, Kidderminster had won just two of their previous 28 league fixtures. With 15 matches remaining, the Harriers are seven points from safety. Chief executive and majority shareholder Colin Gordon has been back in caretaker charge since Dave Hockaday left the club last month.", "summary": "Relegation-threatened Kidderminster Harriers have extended the youth loan of midfielder Ben Whitfield from Premier League side Bournemouth until the end of the season."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The New Zealand-born flanker was part of the Scots' 36-20 win over Italy in Rome, their first Six Nations victory in two years. \"Hopefully now that the pressure is off a bit, we can really express ourselves in our last two games against France and Ireland,\" Hardie said. \"I think we can now look to end on a couple of really good wins.\" Hardie scored his side's second try as Vern Cotter's men put an end to a nine-match losing run in the Six Nations with victory in the Stadio Olimpico. He believes putting that losing streak behind them will give the squad a confidence boost. \"We were never too far away,\" the Edinburgh back-row explained. \"We were just one or two performances away from opening this Six Nations up. \"We tried to stay positive. We knew we were close to a big display and it is great to get that pressure off our shoulders. \"I'm really proud of how the boys did on Saturday. The defence was solid and the attack was really good too. I loved it. \"We're good enough to win these next two games and really push on. \"If we do that I will be really happy with how we are progressing as a team.\" Greig Laidlaw delivered a man of the match performance in Rome, contributing 21 points with the boot. Media playback is not supported on this device Hardie says it was not only Laidlaw's near-flawless goal-kicking that helped Scotland to victory, but the captain's leadership when the Italians applied the pressure to move within six points in the second-half. \"Tempers flared a bit in the last 10 minutes but that's rugby. \"It was a heated game and Italy were at home - they were always going to make it hard. \"But we came and weathered the storm and ended up running away with it. \"Greig's leadership in those final stages was so important. I came into this environment last year and already I've built up so much respect for the guy. \"He has been so good to me and I've really enjoyed playing under him. I listen to everything he says.\"", "summary": "John Hardie says Scotland can finish off their Six Nations campaign with victories over France and Ireland."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device He lost the captaincy to Alun Wyn Jones at the start of 2017. \"He's been outstanding in the first couple of games in the way that he's competed (at the break-down) and brought physicality,\" said Gatland. Warburton has been playing at blind-side flanker alongside Justin Tipuric. Gatland says Warburton, the Lions captain in 2013 in Australia, has shown the sort of attributes that will be needed on the 2017 tour to New Zealand. \"New Zealand have got three or four open-sides that are very strong at the break-down and you've got to be able to have someone who can do that,\" said Gatland. \"I'm not saying you don't have someone at seven who can carry and play a bit wider, there are options for that as well but you get potentially poor weather conditions in New Zealand and someone who's able to get on the ball, slow things down, Sam's able to do that. \"For him the challenge is to stay injury-free because he's picked up a few injuries, the challenge for him and a lot of players is getting a run of games under his belt.\" But Gatland also highlighted the strength of Wales's next opponents Scotland in the same area of the pitch, after their narrow defeat to France in Paris, despite injuries to flankers John Barclay and John Hardie. \"The break-down area is pretty critical and I thought on Sunday it was one area Scotland were very strong against France, it kept them in the game because of the turnovers they got, the penalties and they competed very hard at the break-down, it was a real strength of the Scottish performance.\" Former Ireland and Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll believes that Scotland open-side flanker Hamish Watson is currently worth a place in the Lions match-day squad of 23, with their win over Ireland boosting their chances of improving their Lions representation. \"I've been really impressed with Watson at seven, the first couple of games, (lock) Jonny Gray's been great, (full-back) Stuart Hogg's had a quality couple of games,\" O'Driscoll told BBC Wales Sport. \"If they can pick up another victory at least, I think you'll have more of a showing from the Scottish team, (wing Tommy) Seymour as well has an outside chance, so maybe you'll have more than you've had in recent years.\"", "summary": "Wales flanker Sam Warburton has been praised as \"outstanding\" in the first two rounds of the Six Nations by British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland."}
{"article": "I'm from Fushun city in Liaoning province. My husband works in Shandong province as a construction worker. When I'm working, I wake up at 06:00 because I have a lot to prepare. I need to have a shower and wash vegetables for breakfast. Sometimes, when the baby cries, I get up at 03:00 or 04:00. But the baby usually wakes up at 07:00. First, I change the baby's diaper and wash the baby gently. I don't wait for the baby to start crying; I take care of problems before they happen. New parents generally think yuesaos care for newborns like a professional. They know our advice is best. Some have traditions like binding the baby with cloth, but we know it's bad for the baby's growth. Mothers eat breakfast at 07:30. They need lots of energy to feed the baby, so I prepare their food very early. New mothers usually eat several different kinds of rice porridge. Sometimes I cook porridge with beans and I add an egg and some minced vegetables. When the new mother breastfeeds the baby, I guide her to the right position. Then I wash the milk bottles and I fetch the sun-dried nappies from the balcony. At 10:00, the mother needs to eat again. In Beijing, we cook soup with pork bones, pig feet, fish or eggs to help mothers produce more milk. Then I spend time with the baby and try to communicate with it. You need to understand the baby's needs, so this time is important. Some babies cry when their family members hold them, but when I hold them, they'll stop crying immediately. Babies are soothed by my voice and the way I hold them. I make them feel safe. When I started working, my youngest child was nine years old. I missed him very much and I cried a lot. The first three years were very tough on me. I made mistakes, like forgetting dirty nappies in the basin. If my family called me and told me my child was sick, I wouldn't know what to do. Sometimes my relatives wouldn't tell me about things happening at home. I had to organise everything properly at home so I could focus at work. Now my oldest child is married, so I don't worry about her. My youngest just graduated from high school and he's out making money as well. I don't have to worry so much about home now, so I can devote myself to this job. I love this job. I can't describe how close I feel to babies. A family hands their new mother and baby to me. I feel responsible for them. At 11:00, the baby sleeps again and I prepare lunch, sometimes with meat dumplings. I ensure the mothers won't eat the same meals every day. After the mother finishes eating, she'll keep the baby company. Then I'll eat lunch with the family, and clean the kitchen and the dirty nappies. After 14:00, the new mother and the baby have a deep sleep. It's very important for the baby to", "summary": "Wen Xiaowei, 47, works in China as a yuesao, a maternity nurse who lives with new parents and their babies for the first month after the birth of their child."}
{"article": "The House of Representatives passed HJ Res 43 on Thursday by a mainly party line vote of 230 to 188. The repeal proposal is expected to pass the Senate and be signed into law by President Donald Trump. A number of measures to curtail access to abortion have been introduced by US state legislatures already this year. Republicans have vowed to \"defund\" Planned Parenthood, a women's reproductive health organisation that provides birth control, STD testing, cancer screenings, breast examinations and pregnancy terminations. HJ Res 43 would overturn a rule instituted two days before Mr Trump came into office. The Obama administration measure banned states from withholding federal dollars from groups that provide abortions. The rule was instituted after more than a dozen conservative states denied funds to Planned Parenthood through a Nixon-era family-planning programme known as Title X. Planned Parenthood receives hundreds of millions of dollars a year in funding from the federal government, but it is banned by law from using any of that money to fund abortions. Anti-abortion Republicans cheered the first step to overturning the Obama administration rule. New Jersey Representative Chris Smith said: \"Planned Parenthood is Child Abuse Inc,\" referring to secretly recorded footage of employees at the group discussing foetal tissue donation. But critics warned that low-income and young women would bear the brunt of HJ Res 43. Democratic Congresswomen Diana DeGette said: \"Despite their promise to focus on jobs and the economy, Republican leaders have made attacking women's health care their top priority.\" Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards condemned Republican \"extremists\" who had backed HJ Res 43. This week, an Oklahoma bill which would force women to get permission from their sexual partner for an abortion passed its first hurdle.", "summary": "Republicans have overwhelmingly approved a resolution allowing states to withhold funds from abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood."}
{"article": "The male hedgehog, who had inflated to twice its size, was found wandering around in circles by a member of the public in Toll Bar, Doncaster. The unnamed animal was diagnosed with the rare \"balloon syndrome\", caused by gas collecting under the skin. He was taken to a RSPCA centre in Cheshire where a needle was inserted to vent the trapped air. More news from across Yorkshire Bev Panto, head vet at the RSPCA's Stapeley Grange centre, said it was a very unusual syndrome. \"In my career I have seen three or four of these cases and they are very strange every time and quite shocking,\" she said. \"When you first see them they appear to be very big hedgehogs but when you pick them up they feel so light because they are mostly air.\" She said the condition only occurs in hedgehogs and was due to their ability to curl up, meaning they have a lot of space under the skin. In some circumstances air can get trapped under the skin due to an injury or trauma. \"They literally blow up like a balloon,\" she said. \"The first thing to do is to just pop them. To pop a needle in and drain all that air out.\" Ms Panto said the hedgehog was eating well and staff were hopeful of a full recovery. \"It is certainly not out of the woods yet so it's fingers crossed,\" she added.", "summary": "A hedgehog who had \"blown up like a beach ball\" is said to be doing well after a vet \"popped\" him with a needle."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 10 June 2015 Last updated at 13:59 BST The three-year-old slowly walked up to the Queen at the famous Epsom Derby event in England. The boy is believed to be linked with the Dubai royal family.", "summary": "A young boy took off his top hat and approached the Queen for a handshake at the horse-racing event."}
{"article": "India is one of the world's largest consumers of electricity, and the bulk of it is generated from coal. The new reactors amount to more than the country's present installed capacity of nuclear power. But it is not clear when they will begin working. India currently operates 22 nuclear plants, with a capacity of 6,780 megawatts. \"A total of 7,000 megawatts will be added. It will help produce clean energy,\" Power Minister Piyush Goyal told reporters. The planned nuclear units will generate business worth $11bn (\u00c2\u00a38.48bn) and create more than 33,000 jobs, the government said. The homegrown reactors will be built under the ambitious \"Make in India\" initiative, with the government saying it will boost India's nuclear manufacturing capability.", "summary": "India will build 10 heavy water reactors to boost its nuclear power capacity, the government has announced."}
{"article": "Wigan had an early double chance, with Will Grigg hitting the post from a corner before Darren Bent cleared off the line from Jake Buxton's follow-up. Rams keeper Scott Carson denied Grigg when he was put through, while Derby rarely troubled Wigan before the break. Jussi Jaaskelainen kept out Tom Ince's free-kick to ensure a point for Wigan. The draw extends Derby's unbeaten run to 10 matches, but leaves them seventh in the table and a point adrift of the play-off places, while Wigan are six points clear of Rotherham at the bottom. Second-from-bottom Wigan, a side beaten just once in the league in seven previous trips to Derby, dating back to 1984, started strongly against Steve McClaren's Rams, with Michael Jacobs testing Carson soon after Grigg and Buxton went close. Grigg remained the focal point of the Latics' attack, with Yanic Wildschut's cross for the striker forcing Derby's defence to scramble before the Northern Ireland international had the best chance of the match, bursting clear on the counter only to be foiled by Carson. Before Ince tested Jaaskelainen with a free-kick after 65 minutes, Derby's brightest moment came courtesy of Ikechi Anya in the first-half, with the winger's run teeing up Johnny Russell for a shot that blazed over the bar. Derby County manager Steve McLaren: \"Scott Carson made some great saves to keep us in the game. \"I was pleased to go in 0-0 at half-time but we addressed that and didn't have any problems in the second half, apart from breaking them down and getting the all-important goal. \"We haven't scored enough goals and we are going to get more games like this where we need to break teams down, so we need individuals and that little bit of magic. \"We need more match winners and I believe we have them but the halfway report is are we scoring enough goals? No, we're not.\" Wigan manager Warren Joyce: \"They (the players) have a lot of pride in themselves and the club and want to do the best for the fans so every credit to the players for showing resilience. \"They've got no fear or inferiority complex to come and play at Derby or Aston Villa a few weeks ago or Newcastle at home, when I thought we gave a good account of ourselves in those games. \"We have to be more ruthless to finish off chances and make it easier to manage games. We're disappointed we've not won, but pleased with the performance and the discipline, the intelligence we showed tactically.\" Match ends, Derby County 0, Wigan Athletic 0. Second Half ends, Derby County 0, Wigan Athletic 0. Hand ball by Will Hughes (Derby County). Foul by Will Hughes (Derby County). Jake Buxton (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Jordan Flores. Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Michael Jacobs. Substitution, Wigan Athletic. Jordan Flores replaces Yanic Wildschut. Will Hughes (Derby County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Will Hughes (Derby County). Nathan Byrne (Wigan Athletic) wins", "summary": "Championship strugglers Wigan ended their five-match losing run with a goalless draw against play-off chasing Derby at Pride Park."}
{"article": "Saudi air strikes have been targeting Houthi rebels for almost two weeks. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was given permission by a Saudi-led coalition to land planes carrying staff and medical supplies. The passenger plane landed safely on Monday but the supply flight has been unable to depart. ICRC spokeswoman Sitara Jabeen says they had been unable to find a cargo plane to take their 48 tonnes of medical supplies into the country. \"Less and less airlines are either allowed, or able, or willing, to fly to Yemen,\" she said. Ms Jabeen added that the country's security situation made finding a solution \"extremely difficult\" but that they were working to sort out the logistics. Yemen: who is fighting whom? The Houthis: Zaidi Shia-led rebels from the north, who seized control of Sanaa last year and have since been expanding their control President Hadi: Fled to Saudi Arabia after rebel forces advanced on his stronghold in the southern city of Aden Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula: Seen by the US as the most dangerous offshoot of al-Qaeda, AQAP opposes both the Houthis and President Hadi. Islamic State: A Yemeni affiliate of IS has recently emerged, which seeks to eclipse AQAP Failure 'not an option for Saudis' Yemen crisis: An Iranian-Saudi battleground? Meeting the Houthis - and their enemies The rise of Yemen's Houthi rebels The Red Cross is also trying to deploy a team of surgeons to the battle-torn city of Aden, but said that \"authorisations from all the parties involved\" were necessary before this could happen. The ICRC spent a week negotiating with the Saudi-led coalition over deliveries of supplies. It has called for a 24-hour ceasefire in Aden, while Russia has also urged the UN Security Council to support a \"humanitarian pause\" in the air strikes. Explosions on Monday shook homes in the suburbs of Aden, one of President Hadi's last strongholds. At least 53 people died in 24 hours of clashes between rebels and pro-government fighters, AFP reports. Food, water and electricity shortages have also mounted, with residents pleading for help to feed their families. Student Nisman Usman said: \"We have lived three days of horrors - gunshots everywhere.\" Arab views of the fight for Aden range from pro-Saudi optimism to fears of other players being dragged in. Saudi and Gulf media report that the \"shell-shocked\" Houthis are seeking ceasefire talks in the face of the Saudi aerial bombardment. Bahrain's Akhbar al-Khalij daily and the Emirates' Al-Bayan accuse the Houthis of \"indiscriminate shelling\" of Aden residential areas. But Arab papers elsewhere are less sanguine. Jordan's al-Ghad and Lebanon's leftist al-Safir say the Saudis have failed to halt the Houthis' advance on Aden, a development that pro-Saudi media ignore. Pan-Arab TV channels report the fighting could draw in other players from Pakistan to Iraqi Shia militias. Iranian media maintain their anti-Saudi stance, with official TV channels highlighting the civilian casualties of Saudi air raids and protests in various countries against Saudi policy. A political consultant in Sanaa, Hisham al-Omeisy, told the BBC that he was sceptical that the", "summary": "An aid flight with medical supplies for Yemen has been held back because of logistical problems, as violence in the country continues."}
{"article": "The \"Total Blackout Tour\" will see Rock head to Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Glasgow, Birmingham and London in January 2018. His last tour in the UK, \"No Apologies\", saw two nights at the O2 Arena in London sell out. The shows also broke a Guinness world record for the largest audience at a comedy show at the time. \"I have to say it was one of the best experiences of my career\", Rock wrote on his website. \"The crowds were incredible. The people were smart and came to have a good time.\" Rock began his career as a comedian and cast member on Saturday Night Live, and has also featured in films such as Madagascar and Grown Ups. The first UK show will be in Manchester on 11 January, with Rock travelling to Glasgow to play the SSE Hydro on 24 January.", "summary": "Comedian Chris Rock will play a show in Glasgow as part of his first UK tour in 10 years."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old joined Dungannon five years ago after impressing for County Tyrone in the Milk Cup tournament. \"Despite being offered a new contact by the club Jamie has opted to sign for Crusaders,\" said the Swifts. Crusaders will start the 2017/18 campaign with a Europa League qualifier first leg against FK Liepaja of Latvia at Seaview on Thursday night. \"All the best in the future Jamie and thanks for your commitment during your five seasons at Stangmore Park,\" added Dungannon on Tuesday. Glackin's arrival at the north Belfast club follows the close-season signings of Danish goalkeeper Brian Jensen, defender/midfielder Sean Ward and striker Mark McAllister. Crusaders missed out on a third straight Premiership title last season and boss Stephen Baxter will be determined to regain the Gibson Cup.", "summary": "Crusaders have snapped up midfielder Jamie Glackin from Dungannon Swifts on a two-year contract."}
{"article": "Both Real and Atletico Madrid were banned after breaching rules over the transfer of foreign players under 18. As part of the ban, football's world governing body Fifa said the young players involved were not allowed to play. However, Cas has agreed to suspend that requirement while the appeal is heard.", "summary": "Real Madrid has told the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) it will appeal against its Fifa ban on signing players."}
{"article": "The Court of Cassation rejected Mr Sarkozy's challenge to the seizure. The diaries were initially confiscated as part of an inquiry into alleged illegal funding during his successful 2007 presidential campaign. That case has since been dropped, but the diaries may be used in other investigations targeting Mr Sarkozy. The former president, who lost his re-election bid in 2012, is planning a political comeback and correspondents say the drip of allegations has harmed him. The diaries were seized after claims surfaced in 2010 that Mr Sarkozy had taken advantage of 90-year-old L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt when he was standing for president. It was alleged that Mrs Bettencourt had given large sums of cash to Mr Sarkozy's aides. Both Mr Sarkozy and Mrs Bettencourt denied this. Last October, Mr Sarkozy was removed from the list of defendants. Lawyers for Mr Sarkozy argued that confiscating the diaries had been illegal. But in Tuesday's ruling, the Court of Cassation - France's top court - decided there was no need to rule on the issue as Mr Sarkozy was no longer a suspect in the case. The ruling comes days after Le Monde newspaper reported that Mr Sarkozy had recently had his phone tapped on orders from judges investigating alleged campaign donations from late Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi. The papers said the phone taps had revealed evidence of tampering with the justice system. Mr Sarkozy denies the claims. French media say the diaries could be used in this case, and also in an investigation into allegations that French tycoon Bernard Tapie received a huge payout in 2007 to settle a long-running legal battle with the French state. In a separate development regarded as embarrassing for the former president, transcripts of recorded conservations taped by a former aide of Mr Sarkozy were leaked last week. Mr Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni say they were recorded without their consent.", "summary": "A French court has ruled investigators can retain the seized diaries of ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is battling corruption allegations."}
{"article": "Across England, 490,000 (77%) pupils met the required standard, up 120,000 on 2012, when the tests began. The National Union of Teachers said the jury was \"still out\" on the \"obsession\" with one teaching method. But the schools minister pledged to challenge councils with poor results to come up with swift plans to improve. Nick Gibb said the results showed the focus on phonics was ensuring children were becoming \"confident, inquisitive and fluent readers\". The top performing local authority was Richmond-upon-Thames, where 86.5% of six-year-olds made the grade, followed by the London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, Lewisham, Wandsworth, Newham, Greenwich, Harrow, Bromley and Bexley - with Darlington, on 82.3%, the only non-London borough in the top 10. By contrast only 69.5% of six-year-olds met the standard in Nottingham, the worst performing council - followed by Peterborough, Wakefield, Doncaster, Derby, Liverpool, Bury, Oldham, Middlesbrough and Tameside. Mr Gibb said: \"Today's results demonstrate the effectiveness of the government's continued focus on phonics as the primary way of helping young people to read. \"For years, children were being denied the joy of becoming fluent readers because of a reliance on teaching methods that failed too many children. \"We will continue to challenge those local authorities whose phonics results are below the levels achieved elsewhere. \"The evidence is clear that the systematic teaching of phonics is the most effective way to help children master the basics of reading so they can go on to become confident, inquisitive and fluent readers.\" But NUT general secretary Christine Blower said the point was not whether test scores were rising. \"It's whether the government's decision to focus the teaching of reading on one method, synthetic phonics, is producing an improvement in children's literacy. \"Here, the jury is still out. \"The [Department for Education's] own study, published earlier this year, found no conclusive evidence that any improvements are attributable to the check.\" This \"very narrow approach to learning to read\" risked sidelining reading for pleasure, Ms Blower added.", "summary": "Nine of the 10 local authorities in which most six-year-olds passed the government's phonics reading test this year are in London, figures show."}
{"article": "Yvonne Davies, 46, was found stabbed in the kitchen at the property in Meadway Road, Cheadle Hulme, on Friday. Post-mortem tests found she died from multiple stab wounds and Andrew Davies, 45, was deemed to have died of asphyxiation due to hanging. Paying tribute, Ms Davies's family said they were \"heartbroken\". \"Yvonne was a wonderful wife, mother, sister, daughter and friend. \"She had a successful career but still managed to be a devoted mother who raised an amazing, beautiful daughter who is an absolute credit to both her parents.\" Ms Davies was a magistrate at Manchester Magistrates' Court and head of communications and PR at the Central University Hospitals Trust in Manchester, where she had worked for more than 20 years. Greater Manchester Police said they did not believe there was any \"third-party involvement\" in the deaths. A statement from Mr Davies's family said he was an \"incredibly loving father who took five years out of work to spend time caring for his daughter. \"What happened that day was totally out of character for Andrew and none of us, family or friends can believe what has happened. \"Our hearts go out to Yvonne's family, we are devastated for them.\" Mr Davies's family also said: \"We are also heartbroken for our niece Emma, who has lost two loving parents.\"", "summary": "The family of a magistrate who died in a suspected murder-suicide at a house in Greater Manchester have said she was \"a devoted mother\"."}
{"article": "They compared pictures collected by a US reconnaissance programme with recent satellite data to measure the extent of glacial melt. They believe the now-declassified images could help to show how other remote regions have changed over time. The research was presented at the American Geophysical Union Fall meeting in San Francisco. \u201cThis imagery will be getting used more and more,\u201d said Josh Maurer from Columbia University in New York. The images were taken by a United States spy satellite programme that went by the codename of Hexagon. During the 1970s and 1980s, it launched 20 huge reconnaissance satellites into space, which secretly snapped areas of interest below. The images were taken on rolls of film, which were then dropped by the satellites, and collected mid-air by passing military planes. The material collected was declassified in 2011 and is now being digitised by the US Geological Survey (USGS) for scientists to use. Among the spy images are pictures of the Himalayas, an area for which historical data is scarce. By comparing them with more recent satellite imagery from Nasa and Jaxa (Japanese Space Agency) scientists have been able to see how the region has changed. \u201cWhat we are trying to do is to quantify by exactly how much are the glaciers retreating, how much ice are they losing and at what rate,\u201d said Josh Maurer. \u201cSo we\u2019ve used the images to extract 3D models of the terrain back in the 1970s. \u201cWe can see the height of the glacier ice in 1973, and we take those elevation models, and can take the difference between those and the modern day elevation models, and we can work out how the ice volume is changing over time.\u201d The researchers have found that the extent of the ice loss has been great. \u201cAt every point on the glacier surface across the whole of the Himalayas a quarter of a metre of water is being lost each year,\u201d said Mr Maurer. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s surprising given the climate data we have, but it is very very interesting to see how much ice is lost. \u201cAnd populations downstream where they depend on these water resources are going to be affected. \u201cAs the glaciers shrink and retreat, the amount of run-off they provide to these streams will increase in the short term as they melt, but over the next 100 years it will decrease more and more, and that\u2019s going to have a negative impact on water resources.\u201d He said that the images from the Hexagon programme are now being used by various research groups to track how other parts of the Earth have changed over time. Follow Rebecca on Twitter", "summary": "Scientists have used Cold War spy satellites to reveal the dramatic environmental changes in the Himalayas."}
{"article": "The Cardiff teenager, fresh from his A-levels, bowled top-scorer Ben Duckett for 80 with the ball before lunch, and later ran through the lower order, finishing with 5-28. Earlier Duckett and Rob Newton (78) had put on 140 for the first wicket. Glamorgan reached 23-0 in 11 overs by the close of play. Northants had looked set for a substantial total as Duckett and Newton sailed along at more than four runs an over against some bowling of variable quality. But no-one after the openers made a real contribution as the home side lost their last nine wickets for 84 runs. Carlson, who was picked mainly for his batting, bowled his first three victims and had two caught at cover, while another young spinner, Owen Morgan, took two wickets. Carlson studied at Whitchurch High School, known for producing Welsh sports stars Gareth Bale, Sam Warburton and Geraint Thomas, and has a place at Cardiff University in 2017 after gaining three A grades in his A levels. Glamorgan's Kiran Carlson told BBC Wales Sport: \"I was playing in a second-team game at Newport and was told Mesch (Craig Meschede) had failed a fitness test so I had to get to Northampton, it was amazing. \"I'm a batsman by trade and bowl a bit of part-time spin but today it came off, I wasn't expecting to bowl but that one over before lunch saw a bit of spin. \"From there I knew I was going to have to play my part in the game- to make my debut as a batter and get a five-wicket haul was a bit mad, but I'm really happy. \"(At Whitchurch School) they promote sport so much and if you're elite in your sport they just love it and let you get on with training.\" Northants opener Ben Duckett told BBC Radio Northampton: \"From the position we were in, it's a pretty poor total after a good start with 140 for one, to collapse like that. \"I thought it was a flat wicket, there was only the odd one in the morning that turned from the left-arm spinner (Morgan), then the right-arm offie (Carlson) on debut ended up getting a five-for but there were a few poor shots including myself. \"We can definitely keep them below 269 if we bowl well with the spinners, the first-innings lead could be very important for us because if the wicket's doing that on day one, I don't know what it'll be like on day three.\"", "summary": "18-year-old Kiran Carlson enjoyed a dream Championship debut for Glamorgan, claiming five wickets with his spin as Northants stumbled to 269 all out."}
{"article": "He said at an industry event that Britain's largest carmaker by volume would like to double production from 500,000 to one million cars a year. But it would depend on the government helping to upgrade power supplies and invest in surrounding infrastructure. The firm would also like a guarantee on access to engineering talent. A company spokesman said the production target was \"very much a want, rather than a will\", but declined to commit on precise job numbers. The 10,000 figure was mentioned by Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, chairman of Warwick Manufacturing Group, which is part of Warwick University. Although it was not confirmed by the company, it was not dismissed either. The carmaker's vision comes after the decision of Nissan to move two new next generation models to its Sunderland plant, backed by assurances from the government that it would help to invest in automotive research and development. Nissan produced almost 477,000 vehicles in the UK last year, while just under 490,000 rolled off Jaguar Land Rover's (JLR) production lines, according to industry body the SMMT. Now it seems JLR has thrown down the gauntlet to the government to match its ambition with big pledges for investment. Specifically, the company is looking for help with infrastructure surrounding a 60 acre site and provide significant additional power resources. Lord Bhattacharyya said he was sure \"more than 10,000 jobs\" would be created if JLR expanded to manufacture electric vehicles and batteries in Coventry. He said the Business Secretary, Greg Clark, gave his assurances the government would look at the plans very seriously, because \"in order to make the batteries and cars we need the power supply, which there is a shortage of in this area\". \"There are challenges, but Coventry and Warwickshire is well placed to help make it happen, and I believe the timing is right,\" agreed Jonathan Browning, chairman of the region's Local Enterprise Partnership. It is a tantalising vision of huge investment in the automotive heart of Britain. Can the government match the soaring ambition of one of the UK's largest manufacturers with similarly ambitious support? Although the company described this as an aspiration more than a plan, it is much more than day-dreaming. According to company sources, this vision has been long held by JLR's boss, but he had chosen not to share it before and the Business Secretary was in the room to hear it. The message was clear - the ball is now in the government's court.", "summary": "Jaguar Land Rover's chief executive Dr Ralf Speth has laid out a future vision which could see 10,000 new jobs created in the West Midlands."}
{"article": "The 36-year-old previously spent three seasons with the Spitfires before joining Sutton in May 2015. He scored 11 goals for the club and has also previously played for Woking, Crawley Town and Newport County. McAllister will go straight into the Eastleigh squad for their National League home match against Tranmere Rovers on Saturday. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Striker Craig McAllister has rejoined National League club Eastleigh from Sutton United."}
{"article": "It follows an unannounced inspection at the hospital in Dundonald in February. In every area inspected, there were concerns about nurse staffing levels, patient care records and training for staff, said the RQIA team. The report is part of the RQIA's programme of unannounced inspections across all hospital sites. Its inspection team were advised that there was an insufficient number of junior medical staff at the Ulster Hospital, particularly at nights and weekends. The report, however, said staff were compassionate and showed empathy to patients at all times. The RQIA's Olive MacLeod said staff in the emergency department raised concerns about: \"RQIA's inspectors also highlighted essential equipment was not always available at busy times and designated rooms for vulnerable patients could not always be guaranteed,\" she said. \"We were also concerned that routine safety rounds for patients were not carried out.\" Mrs MacLeod said the RQIA recognised that increases in the number of admissions placed additional pressure on staff in ensuring the provision of safe, effective and compassionate care. \"However, it is vitally important that this continues to be delivered - even at times of such pressures,\" she added. In response to the report, the South Eastern Health Trust said: \"Many of the concerns raised by the inspection team were issues that we were already aware of and were working to address. \"This work continues and since the inspection, has included an increase in senior nurse leadership in our emergency department and an overall improvement in permanent nurse staffing. \"There are, however, a number of factors which are relevant to this report, both regionally and within the trust. \"This inspection was carried out on one of the busiest weeks of the year, when all hospitals were under extreme pressure. There is a well recognised capacity issue within the Ulster Hospital.\"", "summary": "Concerns about staffing levels at the Ulster Hospital have been raised by the health regulator, the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA)."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old academy graduate only made a total of 18 first-team appearances for the county following his debut in 2011, and did not play a first-class game in 2015. \"Saying goodbye to a man who has come through the club's youth structure is not something we enjoy doing,\" managing director of cricket Angus Fraser said. \"The lack of first-team opportunities has frustrated him.\" Sandhu featured five times for Middlesex this year, with all of his appearances coming in one-day competitions. \"Gurjit is fit, strong and capable,\" added Fraser. \"I believe he has the potential to play far more first-team cricket at another club than he has for us and hopefully he will get those opportunities elsewhere.\"", "summary": "Middlesex have released left-arm seamer Gurjit Sandhu."}
{"article": "Mae'r ffigyrau diweddaraf sydd ar gael yn dangos fod 158 o fabanod yn farw-anedig yng Nghymru yn 2015 - 0.47% o gyfanswm y genedigaethau. Ond er bod llawer o fenywod yn chwilio am gefnogaeth, meddai elusen Sands, mae dynion yn llai parod i wneud. Dywedodd Llywodraeth Cymru fod cymorth ar gael drwy wasanaethau profedigaeth y byrddau iechyd. Mae Sands yn cynnal gwasanaeth cofio ddydd Sul yng Nghaerdydd i rieni sydd wedi eu heffeithio ar \u00f4l colli plentyn neu'n geni plentyn marw-anedig. Roedd Heatherjane Coombs 36 wythnos yn feichiog gyda'i mab Xander pan gafodd hi drafferthion yn 2004. Bu farw ei mab yn y groth a bu'n rhaid iddi roi genedigaeth iddo ddeuddydd yn ddiweddarach. Dywedodd Mrs Coombs, 43, sydd bellach yn gadeirydd gr\u0175p Sands yng Nghaerdydd a Chasnewydd, fod y gefnogaeth gan y fydwraig iddi hi wedi bod yn wych, ond doedd na neb i siarad gyda'i g\u0175r. \"Bydd llawer o bobl yn gofyn i'r tad, 'sut mae eich gwraig?' neu 'sut mae eich partner?, a phrin iawn y cewch chi bobl yn gofyn 'sut ydych chi?',\" meddai. \"Dwi'n meddwl fod hynny'n rheswm arall pam ei fod yn dab\u0175 gyda dynion, achos dyw cymdeithas yn gyffredinol ddim yn gwneud iddyn nhw deimlo y gallan nhw siarad yn agored.\" Ychwanegodd ei g\u0175r Dave, sydd hefyd yn cynorthwyo gyda gwasanaethau Sands, fod cefnogaeth i dadau wedi gwella ers ei golled ef ond bod mwy eto i'w wneud. \"Fel partner rydych chi'n troi at fod y person sydd yn parhau i ennill y bara menyn. \"'Dych chi'n ceisio parhau i weithio, cefnogi, chi yw'r un sy'n gorfod aros yn gryf, ond beth sy'n digwydd yw 'dych chi'n disgyn yn ddarnau nes ymlaen,\" meddai. \"Mae angen dweud wrth ddynion, mae'n iawn i alaru, mae'n iawn i ypsetio ac yn y pen draw, er lles eich iechyd corfforol, emosiynol a meddyliol, mae'n dda i alaru achos [fel arall] mae'n tueddu amlygu'i hun fel salwch corfforol neu feddyliol nes ymlaen.\" Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru: \"Mae colli plentyn neu eni plentyn marw-anedig yn gallu bod yn dorcalonnus i rieni'r babi, ac i aelodau eraill o'r teulu. \"Dyna pam fod gan bob bwrdd iechyd yng Nghymru eu gwasanaeth profedigaeth eu hunain sydd yn cynnig cefnogaeth nid yn unig i rieni, ond y teulu'n ehangach.\" Ers colli Xander mae Mr a Mrs Coombs, sydd heb gael unrhyw blant eraill wedi i ddau gael eu camesgor, wedi sefydlu'r gr\u0175p yn ardal Caerdydd a Chasnewydd i gefnogi teuluoedd eraill. Bydd y gwasanaeth cofio blynyddol yn cael ei gynnal am 11:30 yng Nghapel Wenallt, Amlosgfa Thornhill ac yn cael ei arwain gan y Parchedig Rhiannon Francis, o gaplaniaeth Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru.", "summary": "Mae angen gwneud mwy i annog tadau i chwilio am gymorth pan mae eu partneriaid yn colli plentyn neu'n geni plentyn yn farw, yn \u00f4l gweithwyr elusen."}
{"article": "The hotel, which claims to have invented the tradition of the afternoon tea, was opened by the Prince of Wales - later Edward VII - on 10 June 1865. It became renowned for what were at the time luxury touches, such as electric lighting and hydraulic lifts. Over the years, the Langham has played host to many notable guests, including the exiled French emperor Louis-Napoleon III, Charles Dickens, one of the \"Cambridge Five\" spies Guy Burgess and his wartime employer, the BBC. The hotel sought to attract well-heeled guests and ensured staff members were immaculately dressed at all times. The five men pictured above were waiters. During World War Two much of its regular clientele decamped to the countryside but the building in Regent Street remained open and served as a first-aid point and military post. On 16 September 1940 it came under intense fire from Luftwaffe raiders who destroyed a large section of the west wing. As the Langham was so close to the BBC's Broadcasting House, across the road at Portland Place, it was in constant danger from German bombers. The BBC's wartime staff used to broadcast from the roof of the Langham, in particular the US correspondent Edward Murrow. JB Priestley was also a guest in this period to be close to Broadcasting House for his frequent late-night transmissions of Britain Speaks to North America. In 1941 the notorious Soviet spy Burgess was involved in what became known as the \"Langham incident\". An internal memo from his wartime employer the BBC revealed that he tried to break down the door of his room when he could not get in. It was some time after the war was over before the Langham could be returned to its original splendour. In 1965 the BBC took out a partial lease and made the bar the home of the BBC's private members club. The royal suites were used for office printing and the grand ballroom became the registry. The Langham was eventually returned to its original use after significant refurbishment. Today, the hotel is still capable of attracting the well-heeled guests it could in its Victorian heyday when the likes of Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde would grace its corridors. More recently, the hotel has played host to the England cricket team, with bowler Stuart Broad claiming the building was haunted. Broad told the Mail on Sunday how the taps in the bathroom came on for no reason and turned themselves off, leaving him \"really freaked out\".", "summary": "Billed as London's first \"Grand Hotel\", it is exactly 150 years since the Langham began serving the whims of the rich and famous."}
{"article": "But television viewers saw another side to the nice-guy Virginia senator as he assumed the role of attack dog against Republican rival Mike Pence. Kaine, who has described himself as \"boring\", was picked in July by Hillary Clinton to be her vice-presidential running mate. Serving in Congress since 2012, he was elected after serving as Virginia's governor for four years - a title he won in part by getting support in areas of the state usually dominated by conservatives. As governor, Mr Kaine supported expanding early childhood education, digitising historical records, and smoking bans. While in the Senate, he has served on committees for Armed Services, Aging, Budget and Foreign Relations. He is a former head of the Democratic National Committee. Before Mr Kaine began his career as a lawyer focused on housing rights, he spent a year volunteering alongside Jesuit missionaries in Honduras. There, he became fluent in Spanish - a skill that could help Mrs Clinton's Hispanic outreach. He is popular with the White House, and was on the short list for Barack Obama's running mate in 2008. Bill Clinton was said to push for Mr Kaine's appointment to be Clinton's VP. However, his support for free trade and deregulating local banks make him unpopular with more progressive members of the party. A practising Catholic, he is personally opposed to abortion. While he is committed to the broader tenets of Roe v Wade, including a woman's right to choose, he supports restrictions on certain types of abortion, parental consent laws and \"informed consent\" practices. Although he has lived in Virginia for most of his adult life, and is a huge bluegrass music fan and harmonica player, he is originally from Minnesota and was raised in Kansas. He has a Midwestern appeal that Mrs Clinton could rely on to help gain voters in the Rust Belt. Virginia is considered a swing state, and Mr Kaine's popularity could improve Clinton's chances there. Should Mrs Clinton win the election, Virginia's Democratic governor would appoint someone to temporarily fill Mr Kaine's Senate seat, and a special election would be held in 2017.", "summary": "The reputation that proceeded Tim Kaine before he appeared in the vice-presidential debate was of a mild-mannered Democrat, occasionally known to play his harmonica."}
{"article": "The authority said traffic often tried to switch lanes at the \"dangerous junction\" on Berkeley Place and Triangle South. The scheme was financed by a local office development as part of its planning agreement. Mayor George Ferguson said the changes would be \"welcomed by all\". \"I don't believe there are many people who drive, walk or cycle in the area who would contest how dangerous that corner is,\" he added. The work will take eight weeks to complete.", "summary": "A \u00c2\u00a395,000 scheme to add a signalled pedestrian crossing to a busy section of road in Bristol will make it safer, the city council has said."}
{"article": "Based on CT scans, the organs are fitted into a realistic synthetic \"body\" and connected to pumps which mimic human breathing and blood flow. Nottingham Trent University, with the NHS and Ministry of Defence, used silicone gels to replicate the feel of human tissue. Bespoke models could now be created to prepare for individual operations. Richard Arm, of Nottingham Trent University's School of Art & Design, said he was asked to come up with a heart model for a surgeon who wanted to practice performing an implant. He said: \"When making more organs, the trickiest part was the flexibility. \"The heart has 17 different 'hardnesses' so 'does it feel right?' turns out to be a bit vague. \"Then we put them together and I knew we were getting it right when I started to feel sick.\" The prototype - officially known as a thoracic trauma trainer - will be exhibited to trauma treatment experts. After feedback, two models are due to be produced for the MoD by December 2017. Colonel Peter Mahoney, emeritus professor at Defence Medical Services, said the requirement was for training equipment that was portable, robust and reusable, while \"also achieving a realism\" that had only previously been possible with dead bodies. He added: \"We wanted to start with the chest, because it is a common area connected with trauma, but if it could be created with realistically-moving lungs and blood vessels then any other body parts would be possible.\" Future developments could include the brain, eyes, stomach, pancreas, liver and kidneys, the vascular system in a person's legs and bespoke models for patient-specific preoperative surgical planning.", "summary": "Life-like body parts have been 3D printed to help army surgeons deal with trauma injuries."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old recipient, whose identify is being protected, lost his penis in a botched circumcision. Doctors in Cape Town said the operation was a success and the patient was happy and healthy. The team said there was extensive discussion about whether the operation, which is not life-saving in the same way as a heart transplant, was ethical. There have been attempts before, including one in China. Accounts suggested the operation went fine, but the penis was later rejected. The man was 18 and already sexually active when he had the circumcision. The procedure is part of the transition from boyhood to adulthood in parts of South Africa. The boy was left with just 1cm of his original penis. Doctors say South Africa has some of the greatest need for penis transplants anywhere in the world. Dozens, although some say hundreds, of boys are maimed or die each year during traditional initiation ceremonies. Surgeons at Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital performed a nine-hour operation to attach a donated penis. One of the surgeons, Andre Van der Merwe, who normally performs kidney transplants, told the BBC News website: \"This is definitely much more difficult, the blood vessels are 1.5 mm wide. In the kidney it can be 1 cm.\" The team used some of the techniques that had been developed to perform the first face transplants in order to connect the tiny blood vessels and nerves. The operation took place on 11 December last year. Three months later doctors say the recovery has been rapid. Full sensation has not returned and doctors suggest this could take two years. However, the man is able to pass urine, have an erection, orgasm and ejaculate. The procedure required a lot of preparation. The team needed to be sure the patient was aware of the risks of a life-time of immunosuppressant drugs. Also some patients cannot cope with a transplant if they fail to recognise it as part of their body. \"Psychologically, we knew it would have a massive effect on the ego,\" said Dr Van der Merwe. It took \"a hell of a lot of time\" to get ethical approval, he added. One of the concerns is a heart transplant balances the risk of the operation against a certain death, but a penis transplant would not extend life span. Dr Van der Merwe told the BBC: \"You may say it doesn't save their life, but many of these young men when they have penile amputations are ostracised, stigmatised and take their own life. \"If you don't have a penis you are essentially dead, if you give a penis back you can bring them back to life.\" Further attempts on other patients are expected to take place in three months time.", "summary": "The world's first successful penis transplant has been reported by a surgical team in South Africa."}
{"article": "Leader Leanne Wood said her party accepted the referendum result to leave the European Union, but claimed no part of the UK voted for a \"hard\" Brexit. In an article for The Times, she said the Welsh Government should not \"sit back and let Brexit take its course\". Meanwhile First Minister Carwyn Jones has told AMs that UK ministers will have to compromise on immigration. Ms Wood said the UK was \"still in the dark\" four months after the June vote on what the result meant. She said Plaid accepted the High Court ruling that Parliament must give its approval for the triggering of Article 50, to formally launch the two-year process of the UK's departure from the EU. Ms Wood said the ruling \"should not be seen as an opportunity to overturn the result\", but gave an opportunity for the 48% of voters who backed Remain \"to have an input\" and pursue a \"soft\" Brexit. She accused the UK government of making \"nothing but contradictory statements, with comments from one minister ridiculed by another\", and claimed the Welsh Government had been \"at best incoherent and at worst utterly clueless\" in its response to Brexit. \"Wales voted Leave, but it does not mean that the Welsh government should sit back and let Brexit take its course,\" Ms Wood wrote. \"Our exit from the EU will be one of the most pivotal moments in our history and it is vital that both governments get it right.\" Stressing her party's preference for continued membership of the single market, Ms Wood said Plaid AMs and MPs would table written questions on Brexit every day until ministers in both Westminster and Cardiff Bay gave a \"satisfactory outline\" of their intentions. \"People need and deserve answers, and Parliament needs answers before it can be expected to support the triggering of Article 50,\" she said.", "summary": "People need clarity on what Brexit means for both the UK and Welsh governments, Plaid Cymru has said."}
{"article": "Four fire engines and a water carrier were called to the incident at Hay on Wye on Friday at about 22:50 GMT. The barn contained about 1,000 hay and straw bales along with four farm vehicles. Mid and West Wales Fire Service said they expected to remain at the scene throughout Saturday morning.", "summary": "Firefighters have spent the night tackling a large barn fire in Powys."}
{"article": "The 87-year-old went to hospital following the fall and pulled out of presenting his BBC variety show Bruce's Hall Of Fame. Speaking after his fall, Sir Bruce said he was \"really sad\" not to be part of the programme. Pointless presenter Alexander Armstrong will take over as the show's host. Sir Bruce said: \"I was really looking forward to this show and working with such a talented cast, and I am really sad not to be part of it. \"It is now in the most capable hands of Alexander Armstrong and I would like to wish him, the guests and the whole production team good luck on Sunday.\" In a statement, the show's production company Kalooki Pictures said: \"This morning, Sir Bruce Forsyth slipped and fell at his home resulting in facial abrasions and minor concussion. \"He attended hospital and had a series of scans and tests all of which happily proved negative. \"However, because of his injury, he has been told by doctors he must have complete rest for at least seven days.\" Sir Bruce had to pull out of hosting Strictly Come Dancing after being taken ill with flu in October 2013. He announced he was leaving Strictly Come Dancing in April last year and Claudia Winkleman took over his role, alongside his regular co-host Tess Daly. Bruce's Hall Of Fame, to be filmed in London's Dominion Theatre, is expected to be screened in the new year.", "summary": "Sir Bruce Forsyth has been told by doctors to have complete rest for at least a week after suffering a fall at his home."}
{"article": "Youngsters say Stubylee Park in Bacup, Lancashire, has fallen into a state of disrepair and is no longer safe. One graffiti message sprayed on a ramp reads: \"Instead of painting over all the graffiti why don't you sort the floor out?\" Councillor Andrew McNae said a meeting has been set up with the youths. Mr McNae, portfolio holder for regeneration at Rossendale Borough Council, said: \"For quite a while now we have recognised that the state of the park is not what we have wanted it to be. \"Over the last couple of months we have been trying to bring money into the skate park. I've just heard we've got a small amount. \"But the easiest way to let people know anything that they feel we are not doing is just to give me or any other councillor a ring. \"We are hear to listen to these things, and it's a lot simpler than painting on the walls.\"", "summary": "A war of words has broken out at a skate park - after teenagers sprayed graffiti accusing council officials of failing to maintain the site."}
{"article": "The Glasgow-based company said revenues rose by 3% to nearly \u00c2\u00a3608m in the year to the end of March. Pre-tax profits for the group also increased by 3%. Edrington's brands include The Macallan, Highland Park, Cutty Sark, Snow Leopard vodka and Brugal rum. During the year, Edrington established new sales, marketing and distribution companies in Singapore and the Middle East. It has since launched Edrington Americas, which means the company now owns the route to market for its leading brands in the world's largest premium spirits market. The group said its Macallan brand grew last year across \"a broad range of territories\" , while Famous Grouse performed strongly in the UK and Sweden and showed \"continued progress\" in emerging markets. Edrington chief executive Ian Curle said: \"I am pleased to report that Edrington has delivered another strong year of growth. \"We have again increased our annual turnover, profit and dividend - over the past five years our turnover and profit have increased by 45% and 84% respectively, demonstrating the success of our international expansion. \"The market for premium spirits worldwide continues to grow with more and more consumers gaining an appreciation for our brands. \"Last year we made significant investments in our route to market and now own the distribution capability in 11 countries which, together with our joint ventures, collectively represent 80% of Edrington's total sales.\" The group said its strategy of investing in quality and long-term growth would continue this year. It is committing more than \u00c2\u00a3100m to a new Speyside distillery and visitor centre for the Macallan brand. Work is scheduled to begin in the autumn of this year and is due for completion in spring 2017.", "summary": "Famous Grouse producer Edrington Group has announced a strong set of results, after increasing its presence in both established and emerging markets and investing in its brands."}
{"article": "Countryman Gary Hunt, 32, retained the Best High Diver of the Year award after a second successive World Cup success. Hungary's Katinka Hosszu, 27, who won three Olympic golds, was Best Female Swimmer for a third year in a row. American Michael Phelps, 31, who retired after Rio with a record 23 Olympic golds, won the men's award. Phelps' 19-year-old compatriot Katie Ledecky, who won four gold medals in Brazil, took the female Olympic performance award from swimming's world governing body. Peaty, 21, clocked 57.13 seconds to win gold by more than 1.5 seconds and become Britain's first male Olympic swimming champion for 28 years.", "summary": "Britain's Adam Peaty won Fina's Olympic Performance of the Year award for his world record-breaking 100m breaststroke final win at Rio 2016."}
{"article": "A mayday call was made at about 05:00 BST from the Pegotty, a motor cruiser taking on water just north of Grimsby dock, the Humber coastguard said. A pilot vessel from Grimsby took two people off the boat, which sank about 25 minutes after the emergency call. The Humber and Cleethorpes RNLI lifeboats were also launched. The pilot vessel, Venus, and the two lifeboats returned to Grimsby after the rescue. \"The casualties were checked over and found to require no medical attention\", said the RNLI. Daniel Cooper, Cleethorpes RNLI Lifeboat operations manager, said: \"Our volunteer crew managed to respond very quickly and launched the lifeboat within six minutes of the request for their assistance.\" The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has been informed.", "summary": "Two people have been rescued from a sinking boat in the Humber estuary after a collision with another vessel in the fog."}
{"article": "Teodoro Locsin Jr, or \"Teddy\", tweeted seemingly pro-Nazi comments, with references to Auschwitz and the \"Final Solution\". Mr Locsin later apologised for the tweets and removed several of them. The 67-year-old is a journalist and ex-congressman. His tweets echo recent comments made by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who prompted outrage by referring to the Holocaust and saying he would be \"happy to slaughter\" three million drug addicts. More than 3,000 people with alleged links to drug use or dealing have been killed since Mr Duterte came to power in June. Mr Locsin started gaining attention on the social platform after he posted several controversial tweets. \"I believe that the Drug Menace is so big it needs a FINAL SOLUTION like the Nazis adopted. That I believe. NO REHAB,\" he tweeted on the 21 August. In another tweet he referenced Auschwitz, the concentration camp run by the Nazis in which almost a million Jews were killed. The petition, addressed to the UN, called for Mr Locsin's appointment to be denied, saying that \"his blatant justification of anti Semitic lingo makes him a racist, clearly showing his prejudice against the Jewish people\". Reaction to Mr Locsin was swift, with some on Twitter calling him a disgrace. \"You're making this country look crazy,\" a user commented. \"I thought ambassadors are supposed to be educated. I guess the UN just skipped that process when appointing Teddy Locsin.\" another said. \"You're a disgraceful UN ambassador to the country,\" one added. However, Mr Locsin also had his share of supporters, with one saying that \"lots of us want you at the UN just the way you are - sarcasm and all\". Mr Locsin, who served as a local politician for almost 10 years, has accepted the post of Philippines permanent representative to the UN but is awaiting official governmental confirmation. Amid reaction to his comments, Mr Locsin said that his daughters had told him to \"stay out of Twitter\", adding that he was not allowed to tweet anything, \"not even niceties\". He also apologised for his tweets. \"I am sorry for my strong language, but it is unavoidable given the mendacity of those I fight. I cannot be other than myself,\" Mr Locsin tweeted on Friday. \" I ask God's and the Jewish community's forgiveness, but only theirs.\" Mr Locsin also told CNN that his tweets had been sent for \"shock value\", and was \"partly a private joke\" between him and a friend who worked in the Jewish government district. The office of the Philippine delegation to the UN declined to comment on the matter.", "summary": "A petition to reject the controversial nominee for Philippine ambassador to the UN has reached more than 10,000 signatures, after he was seen using anti-Semitic language on Twitter."}
{"article": "Colombian leader Juan Manuel Santos and the Farc rebel commander known as Timochenko signed the deal in an emotional ceremony on Monday evening. \"I would like to ask for forgiveness for all the pain that we may have caused during this war,\" he said. The guests at the ceremony in Cartagena cheered when Timochenko apologised. Some shouted \"Yes, we can!\" while Farc members and heads of state from Latin America rose to their feet on the stage and applauded. The ceremony which marks the end of 52 years of armed conflict was broadcast live and shown on giant screens in the capital, Bogota, and other large cities. Farc rebels gathered in a number of camps also followed the broadcast. There was so much symbolism in this historic signing - a pen made from a bullet to sign the peace deal, the singing of Beethoven's Ode to Joy, everyone dressed in white. President Santos said this historic moment was a message from Colombia to the world: no more war. \"No more war,\" the crowd chanted in return. This was the first time Timochenko addressed the nation live on TV. He promised the Farc would give up its guns, and more than that, he asked for forgiveness. It earned him a standing ovation. That would have been unthinkable not long ago. But after 50 years of war, many Colombians still aren't ready to forgive. As President Santos put it, the hard work of building peace now lies ahead. Under the deal, the Farc will now become a political party. The rebels will take part in legislative elections in 2018, and - as part of the peace deal - they will be guaranteed a minimum of 10 seats in Congress for their first two legislative periods. President Santos addressed the Farc rebels directly and praised their decision to lay down arms. \"Swapping bullets for votes and weapons for ideas is the bravest and most intelligent decision that any rebel group could take,\" he said. \"When you begin your return to society (...) as head of state of the homeland that we all love, I welcome you to democracy.\" Timochenko said that the rebels would not take up arms anymore. \"War is over, we're starting to build peace,\" he said before his speech was interrupted by the sound of Colombian Air Force fighter jets flying over the venue. Looking up startled, Timochenko's worried expression then turned into a smile and he joked: \"Well, this time they came to pay their respects to peace and not to drop bombs.\" A number of Farc leaders, such Raul Reyes and Mono Jojoy, were killed in bombing raids over the past decade. The peace deal was reached after four years of formal peace talks in the Cuban capital, Havana, which were preceded by two years of secret talks. But before it can come into force it will have to be approved by Colombians in a public vote scheduled for Sunday. While recent polls suggest that a majority of Colombians back the deal, there has been vocal opposition to the agreement.", "summary": "The leader of the Farc rebel group has apologised to the victims of Colombia's armed conflict which ended with Monday's signing of a peace deal."}
{"article": "Bassel Khartabil's wife said he was killed in October 2015 after receiving a death sentence. \"Words are difficult to come by,\" she wrote. \"Thank you for killing my lover.\" The Wikipedia contributor and founder of Creative Commons Syria was first detained in March 2012. After nine months of incommunicado detention, he was moved to Adra prison in Damascus, where his family were allowed to visit him. But he was moved from the prison to an unknown destination in October 2015, and supporters had until now held out hope he might be alive. Soon after his disappearance in 2015, his wife Noura Ghazi Safadi said she did not know if he was alive or dead. But she said she had been contacted by self-declared Syrian government insiders who told her that he had been sentenced to death. Bassel Khartabil, a Syrian-Palestinian, was named a Top Global Thinker by Foreign Policy magazine in 2012 and given the Digital Freedom Award by Index on Censorship in 2013. In 2013, he was described by two European parliamentarians as being \"credited with opening up the internet in Syria - a country with a notorious record of online censorship - and vastly extending online access and knowledge to the Syrian people\". Noura Ghazi Safadi described her husband as \"unbelievably romantic\" in a 2015 interview with the Electronic Intifada news website, adding that he \"wasn't a typical internet geek\". \"He used to give me a red rose every day since we became lovers until the day of his imprisonment,\" she said. Khartabil, an open source web developer, had co-founded the #NewPalmyra project, which creates digitally reconstructions of the ancient Syrian city. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said on Twitter that he was \"saddened and outraged in equal measure\" to learn of the execution.", "summary": "A Syrian internet freedom activist was executed soon after he disappeared from prison in late 2015, his wife and supporters say they have learned."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Accies survived some nervous moments before Ash Taylor headed the Dons ahead after 34 minutes. But the lead only lasted four minutes as Dougie Imrie scored from the penalty spot after Danny Redmond was challenged by goalkeeper Joe Lewis. Rooney pounced when Gary Woods parried a James Maddison shot, before Accies' Scott McMann was shown a late red card. The win - thanks to the Irish striker's 11th goal this season - takes Aberdeen to within four points of second-placed Rangers in the Scottish Premiership table. Accies remain second bottom without a victory in 10 games since beating the Dons in October. Aberdeen were fluid and dangerous from the off, exposing Accies' weakness on the left flank, with Louis Longridge inexperienced in a full-back role against Jonny Hayes. Mark Reynolds netted early on, but referee Andrew Dallas saw pushing and ruled it out, perhaps a touch harshly as the Dons defender didn't appear to be the culprit. It seemed only a matter of time for the home side, with visiting defenders struggling to cope with the recurring threat. One corner in particular caused chaos involving a Reynolds header that was saved, an overhead kick clearance and a follow up effort from Andrew Considine with the ball eventually forced behind. Chances and corners flowed. Perhaps one criticism that could be levelled at Aberdeen was how they had not managed to score before they did. The breakthrough came from a set piece. Hayes floated a great free-kick to Taylor, whose header was equally accurate and found the corner. Incredibly, Hamilton were almost immediately handed a route back into the match. Taylor blundered to let Redmond in on Lewis, who appeared to hesitate, allowing the midfielder to nick the ball. The goalkeeper got a touch on the ball, but it was not clear whether he had taken the man first. No matter, the referee gave the penalty, which Imrie fired home confidently. Aberdeen responded well to that set-back, with Woods superbly tipping Taylor's drive over before Rooney appeared to be pushed in the box, but pleas were ignored. The Dons went forward relentlessly. Manager Derek McInnes made a positive move, bringing on Maddison for Considine and it proved decisive. It was Maddison's shot that Woods palmed back into play perfectly for the onrushing Rooney to net. McMann prevented a third, hauling Hayes to the ground just outside the box that earned a red card with the winger in on goal. No-one could realistically argue Aberdeen did not deserve the win. What is unclear is how they did not make it far more comfortable It was a fourth successive defeat for Hamilton, albeit in a very tough run of fixtures. What will be more alarming for manager Martin Canning is the lack of wins in the last two months. At times, the visitors were hanging on by a thread, struggling to contain the attacking threat they faced. They had a fabulous chance for a second shortly before Rooney's goal and that would have made a huge difference. Shay", "summary": "Adam Rooney gave third-top Aberdeen a Scottish Premiership victory over stuffy Hamilton Accies."}
{"article": "The road bridge over the River Wharfe at Tadcaster, near York, partially collapsed in December. Currently the river can only be crossed using a temporary footbridge. North Yorkshire County Council said \"persistent and unusually high river levels\" had delayed the work, which had been expected to finish by next month. In a statement, the authority said: \"The County Council has learned in the last few days that the primary cause is damming of the river by Network Rail five miles downstream at Ulleskelf for work on a railway bridge. \"Although the Environment Agency issued a permit for this work to be carried out, North Yorkshire was not notified about the operation.\" Councillor Chris Metcalfe said: \"We are extremely frustrated by this development.\" Network Rail said it had \"agreed the terms of our work with the Environment Agency prior to accessing the river\" and was first made aware of the issue on Wednesday. \"After speaking with the Environment Agency today, we have agreed to remove our worksite from the river to allow water levels to drop and essential work to take place at Tadcaster.\" The Environment Agency said: \"We regulate work in rivers to ensure that any works carried out do not increase flood risk. When we issue a permit we take into account flood modelling data and determine if consent can be granted under Environmental Permitting Regulations. Our decision does not take into account whether one project is more or less important than another, whether they are related to rail infrastructure, road infrastructure, or other purposes.\" The government pledged \u00a33m for repair work within days of the bridge collapse, and \u00a31.4m was given by the region's Local Enterprise Partnership to widen and strengthen the bridge.", "summary": "The completion of repair work to a Grade II listed bridge damaged by winter flooding last year has been delayed until January."}
{"article": "The group, and two teachers, were from Joseph-Koenig school in Haltern, western Germany. \"This is the worst thing imaginable,\" the town's Mayor Bodo Klimpel said at an emotional media conference. All 150 people on board flight 4U 9525 travelling from Barcelona to Duesseldorf are assumed to have died. The Airbus A320 airliner went down between Digne and Barcelonnette. The cause of the crash is not known. Most of those who died from the school were girls aged about 16, an official told the BBC's Katya Adler. Students at the school in Haltern were sent home for the day, but some returned to lay flowers and comfort each other. Mr Klimpel confirmed that the group was on the passenger list and said he was informed by the Spanish school they had boarded. He said the school would still open on Wednesday, but instead of normal lessons there would be \"an opportunity for the pupils to talk about this terrible [tragedy] and begin to process this\". The group had been participating in a week-long exchange at a school in Llinars de Valles, near Barcelona. Their Spanish counterparts visited late last year. Tributes have been paid. \"They were flying home after having what was probably the most wonderful time of their lives,\" said Sylvia Loehrmann, the education minister for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. \"It's so tragic, so sad, so unfathomable.\" German international footballer Benedikt Howedes, who was born in Haltern, tweeted: \"Our thoughts are with the victims and families of the tragic airplane accident. Anyone could have sat on that machine.\"", "summary": "Sixteen teenagers on a Spanish exchange programme were among those on board a Germanwings plane that crashed in the French alps, German officials say."}
{"article": "The officers said they felt sorry for the migrants, who were found in a lorry in Belgium, and offered to give them a lift to the border. But they strayed into France, where they were arrested and questioned. The incident sparked a diplomatic spat, with France's interior minister summoning the Belgian ambassador. Bernard Cazeneuve had a \"frank and clear\" meeting with the Belgian ambassador, according to French officials, and expressed his disquiet at what had happened. France strongly condemned the officers' action which \"does not conform to the normal work practices agreed between France and Belgium\". But there was surprise at the French reaction from Georges Aeck, the Ypres police commissioner, because of the two countries' usual close border co-operation. \"We didn't do it for money, this isn't human trafficking,\" he told Belgian broadcaster RTBF. \"We only gave them a hand. We took them a little way in the direction they wanted to go,\" The bizarre chain of events began on Tuesday evening, when French police in an unmarked car stopped the Belgian police van carrying the 13 migrants, including three minors, on the French side of the border in Nieppe, north-west of Lille. The migrants had been discovered earlier in the day and ordered to leave the country. But when the officers spotted them walking on foot towards the border, they offered them a lift and accidentally strayed into France near Nieppe. The two officers were handcuffed, despite identifying themselves, the Belgian police union said. Vincent Gilles, the president of the Belgian police union, complained that the officers had been treated like \"criminal suspects\" and held for four hours without access to a lawyer. Mr Aeck added: \"It's the first time this has happened because we have a good relationship with our French colleagues. We sometimes organise the control system together on the border. We are a little surprised. \"The Belgian officers took the migrants in their van because they didn't want to let them go on foot directly along the road to the border. They escorted the migrants as far as the border, in the direction they wanted to go.\" The migrants themselves were then taken to a police station in the French city of Lille, where three minors were placed in the care of local authorities and the adults temporarily detained to assess their status. Temporary border controls were brought in by Belgium for a few months earlier this year, amid concerns the proposed demolition of the Calais \"Jungle\" camp would send an influx of migrants north. Calais is less than an hour's drive from the Belgian border.", "summary": "Two Belgian policemen have been questioned by their French counterparts after they were caught with 13 illegal immigrants in their car."}
{"article": "The memorial event at Whitecrook Park in the town was arranged on social media by friends of the 15-year-old who was found dead on Monday. She was last seen alive near a deli in Clydebank on Saturday 19 March after she had set off for her part-time job at a hairdressers. A man has appeared in court charged with her murder. About 300 people braved wind and rain to assemble at the park, many of them carrying pink balloons in tribute to Paige. Some of the teenager's friends addressed the crowd to thank them for attending in memory of a \"most outstanding, amazing girl\". One girl said: \"Paige was so beautiful, everything about her you just wouldn't change. For that to get taken away from us was absolutely heart-breaking.\" Another added: \"I just can't believe she has gone, it hasn't sunk in. There's only one star in the sky tonight and it's obviously Paige looking down on us.\" A minute's silence was held before people lit candles and tied pink balloons to railings. Some of those gathered played songs and held up posters dedicated to Paige. On Thursday, the landmark Titan Crane in Clydebank was illuminated in pink in memory of the teenager. At a private hearing at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Saturday, John Leathem made no plea or declaration and was remanded in custody.", "summary": "Hundreds of people gathered at a Clydebank park on Saturday night to remember teenager Paige Doherty."}
{"article": "Barrister Mona Bayoumi's comments come as a Welsh Assembly committee holds an inquiry into human rights in Wales. The committee said its inquiry is instrumental in ensuring the assembly is prepared for future changes. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said the UK government was \"committed\" to reforming domestic human rights. Speaking to Sunday Politics Wales, Ms Bayoumi said: \"Just to put it in to some context, there was obviously existing UK legislation going back to the 70s that protected, for example, employee rights in respect of discrimination, so it's important to remember that. \"But yes absolutely, I do think that there will be a slow erosion of the existing rights and protections, that really is in line with the debate that we've heard.\" The UK government has proposed replacing the Human Rights Act 1998, which could curtail the role of the European Court of Human Rights. The assembly's Equality Committee is looking at how this could affect Wales. All Welsh Assembly laws must comply with human rights legislation, and with Theresa May repeatedly saying Britain would be better served by leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, the terms of the legislation could change. Newport East AM and committee chairman John Griffiths admitted there was \"a lot of worry that some of the inclusive practises that we've built in Wales are under threat at the moment\". Wales has to \"guard against that\", he said. Mr Griffiths acknowledged there was an issue with how the public view human rights laws, following recent debates about votes for prisoners and human rights regulations blocking criminals from being deported. \"There can be a problem with public perception but it can mainly come, I think, from media sensationalism around fairly atypical cases,\" he said. \"I think if we look at the general experience and well beyond Wales, their everyday lives are improved, their rights are safeguarded and protected by that human rights approach and the international standards that apply.\" Stonewall's Mabli Jones raised concerns that possible changes to legislature could undo the progress of LGBT rights. \"Since the introduction of the Human Rights Act there have been several rulings in UK and EU courts which have advanced legal protections for LGBT people,\" she said. \"Our concern is that without those protections we could see progress go back decades.\" A MoJ spokesman said the UK government would consider the Bill of Rights further \"once we know the arrangements for our EU exit\" and would \"consult fully on our proposals in the full knowledge of the new constitutional landscape that will create\".", "summary": "Current political attitudes are likely to lead to a \"slow erosion\" of existing human rights and protections, according to an expert."}
{"article": "Images posted on social media showed flames emerging from many of the building's 24 floors. There were no immediate reports of fatalities from the blaze, the cause of which is unknown. A number of people were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene, officials told the Gulf News newspaper. Residents were evacuated from the building and the power was cut, Brigadier Abdullah Al Suwaidi, head of civil defence in Sharjah, told Gulf News. Around 200 families live in the tower, the newspaper said. Images suggested that the fire started on one of the building's lower floors before spreading rapidly upwards. Flaming debris could be seen falling into the adjacent car park. The blaze reportedly brought traffic to a near standstill in the roads around the building.", "summary": "A high-rise residential building in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates has caught fire, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the air."}
{"article": "800 - Emperor Charlemagne, Frankish ruler of France and Germany, crowned Roman emperor by Pope Leo III. 843 - Break-up of Frankish empire; Germany emerges as separate realm. 962 - German King Otto I crowned Roman emperor after gaining control of northern Italy; beginning of what became known as Holy Roman Empire centred on Germany. 1250 - Death of Emperor Frederick II Hohenstaufen marks virtual end of central authority and acceleration of empire's collapse into independent princely territories. 1438 - Election of Albert I marks beginning of Habsburg dynasty based in Austria. 1517 - Martin Luther proclaims Ninety-Five Theses against traditional church practices; start of Protestant split from Catholic Church. 1618-1648 Thirty-Years' War: failure of Habsburg emperors' attempt to restore Catholic dominance and imperial authority against opposition of Protestant princes; 1648 Treaty of Westphalia confirms near total independence of territorial states. 1806 - Napoleon's armies impose French rule over much of Germany; Francis II declares abolition of Holy Roman Empire and adopts title of emperor of Austria. 1813 - Defeat of Napoleon at Battle of Leipzig. 1848 - Year of Revolutions; failure of liberals' attempt to unite Germany under democratic constitution; start of period of rapid industrialisation. 1871 - Otto von Bismarck achieves unification of Germany under leadership of Prussia; new German Empire's authoritarian constitution creates elected national parliament, but gives emperor extensive powers. 1888 - Start of William II's reign; start of trend towards colonial expansion and build-up of navy to compete with Britain's; rapid growth of economic power. 1890 - Growing workers' movement culminates in founding of Social Democratic Party of Germany. 1914-1918 - World War I 1918 - Germany defeated, signs armistice. Emperor William II abdicates and goes into exile. 1919 - Treaty of Versailles: Germany loses colonies and land to neighbours, pays large-scale reparations. Beginning of the Weimar Republic, based on a new constitution. Its early years are marked by high unemployment and rampant inflation. 1923 - Adolf Hitler, head of the National Socialist German Workers' (Nazi) Party, leads an abortive coup in a Munich beer hall. France, Belgium occupy the Ruhr over failed reparation payments. Hyperinflation leads to economic collapse. 1929 - Global depression, mass unemployment. 1933 - Hitler becomes chancellor. Weimar Republic gives way to a one-party state. Systematic persecution of Germany's Jews escalates. Hitler proclaims the Third Reich in 1934. 1935 - Germany begins to re-arm. Nuremberg Laws deprive German Jews of citizenship. 1938 - Annexation of Austria and Sudetenland. Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) sees orchestrated attacks on Jews and their property as well as synagogues. 1939-1945 - Invasion of Poland triggers World War II. Millions of people of all ages, mostly Jews but also large numbers of Gypsies, Slavs and other races, the disabled, homosexuals and religious dissenters, die as the Nazis implement an extermination policy in the death camps of eastern Europe. 1945 - Germany defeated, Hitler commits suicide. Allies divide Germany into occupation zones. 1945-1946 - Nuremberg war crimes trials see major Nazi figures executed or imprisoned. 1949 - Germany is divided. The US, French and British zones in the west", "summary": "A chronology of key events:"}
{"article": "Several Australian bars have dumped Coopers Brewery after it was featured by religious group the Bible Society. The video shows two MPs debating their opposing views on same-sex marriage - which is not legal in Australia - as they clutch Coopers beers. It has led to claims Coopers is against marriage equality, a claim it denies. The backlash has gathered pace in recent days and, by Tuesday, a string of drinking spots in favour of same-sex marriage had boycotted the brand. The Bible Society posted the \"Keeping It Light\" video on Thursday. It features conservative MPs Tim Wilson (for same-sex marriage) and Andrew Hastie (against) debating the issue in what they call a \"civil and respectful way\". Coopers has since claimed it \"did not give permission\" to be included in the video. However, the brand recently celebrated the Bible Society's 200-year anniversary with a commemorative beer featuring Bible verses. In the video, Mr Wilson argues: \"I believe that it would be sensible to change the act that deals with issues around civil marriage to include two people regardless of their gender.\" Mr Hastie counters: \"I'm for retaining the current definition of marriage, which is between a man and a woman.\" Despite Mr Wilson's inclusion, critics interpreted the video as one-sided. One commentator said Coopers risked sponsoring a \"political act by a religious organisation\", while another said \"homophobia lite is still homophobia\". \"I have respected Coopers all my life, and it was crushing to realise that as a queer person, they don't respect me,\" wrote Chloe Sargeant for the Special Broadcasting Service. Opposition to the video has picked up steam since the weekend. By Tuesday, at least eight drinking spots in Sydney and Melbourne had publicly declared they would not stock Coopers. One widely shared video showed two people throwing full bottles in the bin. Luke Hiscox, from Sydney's Union Hotel, which plans to take Coopers off tap, said people were upset by the phrase \"keeping it light\". \"That irks people because for them it's not in the slightest a light topic,\" he told the BBC. \"I don't think they really realised what they were saying.\" Another venue, The Old Bar in Melbourne, said it would boycott Coopers because it was \"very obvious that our values are at odds\". In a statement, Cooper said it was not \"trying to push a religious message\" with its commemorative beer range. It maintained it had not sponsored the video. \"We respect the beliefs of our community and do not wish to try and change them,\" the company said. In a subsequent statement, it said it had cancelled the release of its Bible Society commemorative cans and would be joining Australian Marriage Equality. \"\"Our company supports marriage equality,\" Director of Corporate Affairs Melanie Cooper said. Bible Society chief executive Greg Clarke said the video sought to have a \"civil conversation on a serious issue\". \"At first I was surprised the reaction was so immediate and extreme, but then on reflection [I] wasn't surprised because this really seems to be how social media works at the moment,\" he", "summary": "Australia's largest independent beer company has found itself at the centre of a boycott over a video discussing same-sex marriage."}
{"article": "Xinhua state news agency said that as of Sunday afternoon the film had earned 1.317bn yuan ($212m, \u00a3137m) since it opened on 16 July. The previous record was held by 2012 road trip comedy Lost in Thailand which earned about 1.27bn yuan. Monster Hunt, a blend of live-action and animation, tells the story of a radish-like baby monster called Huba. The surreal comedy is set in a fantasy world resembling ancient China, where monsters and humans co-exist uneasily in two separate lands. When revolutionaries in the monsters' world attempt to overthrow their royalty, the monster queen flees to the land of humans and impregnates a hapless human man, Tianyin, with Huba. He ends up being pursued by both monsters and monster-hating humans keen on capturing the newborn Huba. Why China has fallen for a baby radish monster The movie was directed by Raman Hui, who co-directed 2007 Hollywood animated film Shrek the Third. In its review, Screen Daily praised the animator for creating \"a menagerie of eccentric and intriguing characters to rival the best fantasy adventures\". However, it added, Monster Hunt's \"uneven tone and wayward plotting\" could restrict its audience overseas. The Hollywood Reporter agreed, noting that, outside China, the family-friendly film faces stiff competition from the likes of Minions and Inside Out. \"But given Monster Hunt's novel setting and sprinkling of kung fu antics\" international success is \"not completely\" out of the question. The highest grossing film ever in China is Hollywood car racing movie Furious 7, which earned about 2bn yuan after it opened in April.", "summary": "Fantasy comedy Monster Hunt has become the highest-grossing domestic film in China, state media said."}
{"article": "No longer, of course, after the bloody and brutal end of a quarter a century of civil war. When the prime minister arrived here in Jaffna to visit a public library that is seen as the cultural heart of the Tamil community, he was greeted by two rival demonstrations. On one side of the road, there was a group of clearly pro-regime demonstrators who, amusingly, carried almost identical printed signs written in English. When I approached this group I could not find a single one of them who spoke English. They were calling for an inquiry - not into the crimes of the civil war, or the alleged war crimes of their own president, but into colonial abuses, Britain's behaviour here many decades ago. Their rival group, composed largely of women, was equally well-organised. As the prime minister arrived they rushed forward to try to see him and were held back by police. They were carrying in their hands identically laminated pictures of their loved ones, the so-called disappeared - sons, daughters, mothers and fathers who went missing during the civil war. The prime minister is walking a tightrope on this trip. When he returns from meeting Tamil leaders in the north he will go back to the Commonwealth summit, in the capital Colombo - a summit boycotted by Canadian, Indian and Mauritian leaders - for a face-to-face meeting with the Sri Lankan president. Mr Cameron has said there are sufficient allegations of war crimes - and ongoing human rights abuses - against President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his government to warrant international inquiries. He says he is shining a light on what is happening in this country - and that there is some value in diplomacy. In not merely boycotting what is going on. As his entourage was leaving the public library, a group of screaming women - desperate to make their representations directly to the first world leader to come here - pressed photographs and petitions into our hands. One of them was thrown to the floor as she tried to get to the prime minister's convoy. Mr Cameron has certainly been made aware of the human price of a bloody civil war.", "summary": "David Cameron has just landed in Northern Sri Lanka, becoming the first prime minister, the first world leader, to travel to the north of this island, once controlled by the Tamil Tigers."}
{"article": "The Antonov An-12 plane, which was heading to a factory in Irkutsk, caused a fire at the military unit, but there were no casualties on the ground. Six crew members and three others on board were killed. The authorities have given no explanation for the crash, but Russia has a poor air-safety record. Accidents are relatively frequent and planes are often poorly maintained, according to safety experts.", "summary": "A Russian cargo plane has crashed into warehouses at a military facility in Siberia, killing all nine people on board, officials have said."}
{"article": "Fans from across the world have been voting for their favourite since the five-man shortlist of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Andre Ayew, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane and Yaya Toure was revealed during a special live launch broadcast on Saturday 12 November. The 2016 recipient of the award will be announced on Monday, 12 December, live on BBC Focus on Africa TV and radio, starting from 17:35 GMT. The BBC Sport and BBC Africa websites will also carry the announcement. Borussia Dortmund and Gabon striker Aubameyang is on the shortlist for the fourth consecutive year, while West Ham's Ghana attacking midfielder Andre Ayew - winner in 2011 - is also shortlisted for the fourth time. Leicester's Algeria forward Mahrez is the only player not to have been nominated before, Liverpool and Senegal striker Mane made his debut on the shortlist last year, and Manchester City's Ivorian midfielder Toure has featured for eight consecutive years and is a two-time winner. Aubameyang, 27, has had an outstanding 2016, scoring 26 goals (at time of writing) for Dortmund. He became the first African to be named Bundesliga player of the year, the first Gabonese to become the Confederation of African Football's Player of the Year, and has earned a place on the shortlist for the 2016 Ballon d'Or. Read a full profile of Aubameyang here. In August, West Ham broke their transfer record to sign Ayew, the \u00a320.5m they paid Swansea a clear marker of his form in 2016. The 26-year-old's impressive performances, and his 12 goals in 35 appearances, earned him the title newcomer of the year at the Swans' end-of-season awards in May. Read a full profile of Ayew here. Another English Premier League player, Mahrez enjoyed spectacular success as he inspired Leicester - who had been 5,000-1 outsiders - to a first league title. Mahrez, 25, scored 17 league goals and was voted Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year - the first African to win the award. He also starred for Algeria as they qualified for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Read a full profile of Mahrez here. Mane, 24, became the most expensive African footballer in history when he joined Liverpool for \u00a334m in the summer. He has made an immediate impact at Anfield, with six goals and four assists in 11 matches for the Reds. Before his move, he had scored eight league goals this year for Southampton, including a hat-trick against then champions Manchester City, Read a full profile of Mane here. Toure collected yet another trophy in 2016 - the 17th of his career - when he lifted the English League Cup with Manchester City, scoring the winning penalty as they beat Liverpool in a shootout in the final. This was the year the 33-year-old powerhouse called time on an illustrious international career. But he declared he was still a force - and his inclusion on the list for another year backs that up. Read a full profile of Toure here.", "summary": "Voting for the BBC African Footballer of the Year 2016 has now closed."}
{"article": "In excess of \u00a38bn will come into the league from new broadcast deals. But Wenger says clubs will need that additional cash to meet the rising cost of transfer fees and player wages. \"What will happen is the prices of the players will go up and you will need this supplement of money coming in to buy new players,\" he said. \"I believe that the pressure on spending the money will become bigger and you cannot necessarily distribute the money to other people.\" Wenger said the vast amounts of money now being spent on players in China was evidence that the Premier League could fall behind if it does not continue to bring in new talent. In the past 10 days, Chinese Super League (CSL) clubs have spent: Wenger says the new trend of spending in the Far East could be a concern and drive up the cost of players across the globe. He added that the first \u00a3100m transfer will soon be \"easy to reach\". Asked if the amount Chinese clubs are able to spend on transfers is a worry to the Premier League, the Frenchman replied: \"Yes, of course. \"China looks to have the financial power to move the whole league of Europe to China.\" But he added: \"Will they [the CSL] sustain their desire to do it? Let's remember, Japan started to do it a few years ago but slowed down. \"I don't know how deep the desire in China is, but if there's a very strong political desire, we should worry.\"", "summary": "Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has warned extra television revenue for Premier League clubs will be used to buy players rather than cut ticket prices."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The world champion converted pole position into a lead on the first lap and was in control throughout, taking his sixth win and extending his lead to 28 points. Lotus's Romain Grosjean took third after a rear tyre failure on Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari with two laps to go. Vettel was holding off the Lotus on a one-stop strategy when the tyre exploded. It was the same tyre that had failed on Rosberg's Mercedes during Friday practice. The failure, though, prompted a furious reaction from Vettel, who was one of several leading drivers to express their concerns about tyre safety at the drivers' briefing after practice on Friday. Hamilton was on pole by nearly half a second from Rosberg and his advantage continued into the race. He was helped by Rosberg being delayed by the Force India of Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull, who beat him off the line from fourth and fifth places on the grid, as third-placed Valtteri Bottas's Williams dropped back. But early pit stops for Perez and Ricciardo put Rosberg into second place by lap nine, by which time Hamilton was 8.3 seconds in front. The lead stayed stable until they made their first pit stops, Rosberg coming in first in lap 12 and Hamilton on lap 13, the advantage of coming in first allowing Rosberg to reduce the gap to 3.4 seconds. Hamilton had a brief concern when Rosberg somehow closed the gap by a second while the field was being controlled by the virtual safety car after Ricciardo's car broke down on the pit straight on lap 21. But once the race was restarted a lap later, Hamilton soon stamped his authority on Rosberg, stretching the lead from 2.6secs on lap 23 to 5.4secs five laps later. There, Hamilton stabilised the gap and cruised to his sixth victory of the year, out of 11 races to start the second half of the season in the perfect manner. Vettel, fresh from his victory in the last race in Hungary, was the only driver to try to make a one-stop strategy work. He chose, like the dominant Mercedes not to stop under the virtual safety car, unlike most of his rivals. But unlike Mercedes, he did not stop again for fresh tyres. That promoted the four-time champion to third, ahead of Grosjean and Perez, but as the Ferrari driver nursed his tyres to the end the Lotus closed in and Vettel's tyre exploded as he was trying to resist him. \"Things like that are not allowed,\" he told BBC Sport's Lee McKenzie. \"If that happens 200 metres earlier, I am not standing here right now.\" Media playback is not supported on this device The result, especially impressive as Grosjean had to fight up from ninth on the grid following a five-place gearbox penalty, was a welcome boost for troubled Lotus, fighting off financial legal challenges as they try to keep the outfit afloat. Plus it was three years since the Frenchman received a one-race ban at the Belgian Grand", "summary": "Lewis Hamilton beat Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg to take a dominant win at the Belgian Grand Prix to extend his championship lead."}
{"article": "Moore's Law states that the number of transistors that can be placed on a chip for the same cost will double roughly every two years. Generally, that doubling has been achieved by shrinking transistors - the basic processing units of a silicon chip. But everyone knows that, at some point, Moore's Law will halt because transistors can get no smaller. Around the world, professors, PhD candidates and grad students are looking to nanotechnology to go far beyond the tiny dimensions in current chips. But \"heroic\" techniques that work in the laboratory will not scale up to the numbers demanded by industrial chip production, according to Prof Mike Kelly from Cambridge University's Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics. \"They can do it in the labs and get one off results,\" he said, \"but there's another whole side to this as well.\" The problem emerges, he said, because tiny components are made up of such a small number of atoms. The number of atoms in a structure, such as a gate in a transistor, determine its electrical properties. Prof Kelly's work suggests that if only one or two atoms are missing it will have a disproportionately large effect on that component's reliability. For silicon chips, making that compromise is not an option. Typically, said Prof Kelly, chip makers strive for what is known as six sigma reliability - with a chip this means it returns the expected answer 99.99966% of the time. The latest chips from Intel will be built with components only 22 nanometres (nm) across. By comparison, a human hair is about 60,000 nm wide. Intel and other chip makes have plans to go to 14nm and then 11nm. \"The big question,\" said Prof Kelly \"is at what stage does one or two atoms make a difference?\" Engineering history has lessons for chip makers keen to keep Moore's Law on track, said Prof Kelly. Marine engineering hit a problem during World War II, he said, when established techniques for manufacturing propellers were pushed too far. Those techniques had largely involved simply finding ways to make propellers bigger and bigger. Eventually, the result was propellers that turned out to be far less efficient because the shafts to turn them sagged under their own weight. Prof Kelly's fear is that unless chip makers significantly change current top-down manufacturing techniques they could be headed for a similar crunch moment. Typically, making a chip involves creating a stencil of the circuit, etching it onto a silicon wafer and putting the components on it layer by layer. \"Beyond 14nm that is going to get very, very hard,\" said Prof Kelly. Mike Mayberry, director of components research at Intel, agreed with Prof Kelly that top down manufacturing techniques have a technical limit. \"We need to do something different,\" he said. \"We cannot keep driving down that road without turning the wheel.\" Changing the way chips are made is the only option, according to Mr Mayberry. \"We are mixing top-down methods with bottom-up methods and we are going to be able to build things we could not do before,\"", "summary": "For more than 40 years, the processing power of the silicon chip has grown in line with a prediction made by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore in 1965."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Scrum-half Luke McGrath snapped up two first-half tries but the visitors were just 12-9 down at the break thanks to three penalties by Dan Jones. Leinster broke clear in the second half at the RDS with Rhys Ruddock crashing over and Joey Carbery scoring twice. Replacement Ed Byrne also got over and Jamison Gibson-Park came on to score a try with the last move of the match. The five-point return takes Leo Cullen's men two points clear of the Ospreys who had gone top on Friday with victory in Edinburgh. Scarlets were unchanged from their first win over Munster at Thomond Park for 14 years, but their hopes of an Irish double were blown away in the second half as Leinster coasted to their fourth successive bonus-point victory of the Six Nations period. After Jones had kicked the visitors ahead early on, Leinster turned down a kickable penalty and from a close-in scrum, McGrath scrambled over for the opening try. A second successful penalty followed from Jones, but the Scarlets fly-half then blundered when a was charged down by McGrath, who finished smartly for his second try. The Welsh club were just three points in arrears at half-time but conceded 33 without reply after the interval. Leinster ran in four tries during the third quarter - Ruddock charging through and full-back Carbery snapping up two and replacement Ed Byrne also scoring. Just to rub it in at the death, another replacement, Gibson-Park, completed the rout for Leinster, profiting from Dan Leavy's barnstorming run towards the right corner. Leinster: Carbery, A. Byrne, Kirchner, Reid, McFadden, R. Byrne, L. McGrath, Dooley, Strauss, Bent, Molony, Triggs, Ruddock, Leavy, Conan. Replacements: B. Daly for Reid (56), Gibson-Park for L. McGrath (60), B. Byrne for Dooley (57), E. Byrne for Strauss (57), Ross for Bent (49), M. McCarthy for Triggs (60), Deegan for Ruddock (68). Scarlets: McNicholl, T. Williams, S. Hughes, Parkes, van der Merwe, D. Jones, J. Evans, W. Jones, Elias, Kruger, Price, Beirne, Shingler, J. Davies, Boyde. Replacements: Nicholas for S. Hughes (45), A. Thomas for D. Jones (56), D. Smith for J. Evans (79), Garrett for W. Jones (68), D. Hughes for Elias (69), N. Thomas for Kruger (49), Bernardo for Price (60), Allen for J. Davies (49). Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)", "summary": "Leinster returned to the top of the Pro12 table and bagged a bonus point with an emphatic win over the Scarlets."}
{"article": "It was the final major barrier to building an additional 20,000 homes in the city over the next decade. The Local Development Plan (LDP) sets out where new houses can be built, based on a forecast that the population will grow by a quarter over 20 years. Cardiff council said the city was in \"dire need\" of the plan, to help it manage its growth. A final decision will be made by the local authority in the coming weeks, but it is expected to be rubber stamped by the council. Under the plan: The inspector has not given as much protection to the greenbelt on the edge of the city as a number of councillors and residents had campaigned for. The process has been long and controversial. Supporters say the expansion is needed to deal with the shortage of housing in the city, while opponents claim the city's infrastructure will not be able to cope. The plan is based on projections of a growth in the population from the 320,000 to nearly 400,000 over the period between 2006 and 2026. The last time Cardiff grew at this scale was at the height of the coal industry a century ago. Cardiff council cabinet member for planning and sustainability Ramesh Patel said the city was \"in dire need\" of the plan. \"The last plan was approved 19 years ago and has led to insufficient land being made available for urgent housing needs,\" he said. \"When the new plan is finally adopted at the end of January, we will ensure that developments in the city are managed effectively with new transport infrastructure, schools, health facilities and other community facilities. \"The plan gives us the control to guide development and manage the growth of the city.\"", "summary": "A controversial plan for the biggest expansion of Cardiff in a century has been approved by a planning inspector."}
{"article": "A man walking his dog reported seeing the body in the water at about 09:00 BST, Humberside Police said. It was recovered from the water as an area near the pier gates was cordoned off by police. The male body is yet to be identified and the force is appealing for anyone with information to contact them. Withernsea lies about 18 miles east of Hull. The pier out into the North Sea was demolished more than 100 years, ago, but the gates were left standing on the promenade.", "summary": "A body was washed up on a beach at Withernsea, East Yorkshire."}
{"article": "Nigel Poustie was taken to Ninewells Hospital after being found in Charleston Drive at about 18:30 on Monday, but died the following day. Officers have carried out \"extensive inquiries\" into the circumstances surrounding Mr Poustie's death. It is understood witnesses saw him fall several times. Det Insp Brian Geddes said: \"Following information that we have obtained during this time, the circumstances surrounding his death are being treated as suspicious and as such, we continue to appeal for information to assist us with our enquiries.\" Mr Poustie was wearing a dark jacket and black \"tammy\" hat with a red band when he was discovered. Det Insp Geddes said officers wanted to speak to anyone who had contact with him on Monday. He said: \"During our inquiries we have spoken with members of Mr Poustie's family, his friends and neighbours, but we want make sure that we have contacted as many people as possible who may have known him.\"", "summary": "The death of a 49-year-old man who was discovered seriously injured in a Dundee street is being treated as suspicious, police have confirmed."}
{"article": "28 January 2015 Last updated at 20:47 GMT The figure of Boba Fett, a minor character that has become a cult figure, fetched the sum at Vectis Toy Auctioneers in Thornaby, Stockton. Craig Stevens, from Croydon, is a former chairman of the UK Star Wars Fan Club and was selling his memorabilia to help him buy a house.", "summary": "A Star Wars fan who bought a toy 25 years ago for \u00a350 has sold it at auction in Teesside for \u00a318,000."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old, who won a silver medal for England at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, set a new British record in outdoor competition of 1.97m earlier this year. In her first column for the BBC Sport website she discusses her \"job\" as an athlete, family festivities and positive thinking. My job as a full-time athlete is far more immersive than a normal nine-to-five job - it's an entire lifestyle. My sporting ambitions shape almost every decision as I strive to build and maintain the ultimate physique for jumping high. It's my responsibility to nurture, protect and respect my body so that it can reward me with world-class performances. However, an equally vital aspect that often gets overlooked is the mental and emotional excellence required in order to truly fulfil one's potential. Just as I can't detach myself from my physical body and its needs, nor can I live anywhere but inside my own head and within my own set of emotions. Thus it's essential for my wellbeing that I learn to channel my thoughts and feelings in a positive and empowering direction so that success becomes more and more inevitable. At the moment we are in the middle of winter training, which is when we lay down the foundations for the next year in terms of fitness, strength and technique. It's the toughest part of the whole year and involves the highest volume of training and requires a diligent and steadfast approach. It's useful to have short and long-term goals and to keep them in mind as much as you can. In my case a short-term goal might be just to survive the next set of exercises and execute them to a great standard. Alternatively, I might focus on training as hard as possible for the next week, knowing that I have a recovery period coming up afterwards. This keeps my mind on the task in hand and stops me from getting lost in the sheer volume of training I have to contend with. Since high jump is very technical, it's imperative to keep the quality as high as possible, so this approach helps me to concentrate my effort rather than just getting through it and diluting the overall standard of work. In the long term, it's easy to imagine what my motivation is, with the World Indoor Championships, European Championships and Olympic Games just around the corner. I am so grateful that I have these incredible opportunities open to me and I am determined to make the absolute most of them. I also like to look back on past successes - and disappointments - to galvanise myself for future challenges. I make a conscious effort to see the positives in any situation and to take delight in even the simplest pleasures and the smallest successes. Every evening I also mentally run through the day's events and re-live the best moments in order to feel uplifted and energised for the next day. Small steps like this help to keep me habitually optimistic, resilient and grateful, which makes life a pleasure and in many", "summary": "British high jumper Isobel Pooley is currently working towards a place in Team GB's squad for the 2016 Rio Olympics."}
{"article": "All group two matches will be played in Romania between 22 August and 28 August. The Welsh Premier League champions are one of 40 teams in 10 qualifying groups. This will be Swansea's third time in the competition.", "summary": "Swansea City Ladies have will face Scottish side Hibernian, Olimpia Cluj-Napoca of Romania and Ukraine's WFC-2 Kharkiv in the Champions League qualifying group stage."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called to the incident near Cathedine at 16:13 BST on Sunday. A Welsh Ambulance Service spokeswoman said the person was taken to Swansea's Morriston Hospital with minor injuries. Mid and West Fire Service sent two crews from Brecon and one from Crickhowell to the scene.", "summary": "A person has been airlifted to hospital after a small aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in the Brecon Beacons in Powys."}
{"article": "Olivier Ntcham's first-half goal proved decisive as Kris Doolan headed over a glorious chance before Nir Bitton appeared to clip Miles Storey late on. \"It's a foul anywhere else on the pitch,\" said Archibald. \"It's a big call in the last minute against Celtic. \"You don't often get them. We had one in midweek, we usually get one a year so we're not getting two in four days.\" Celtic dominated possession but lacked a finishing touch with Leigh Griffiths starting on the bench and Moussa Dembele still missing. Despite debuts for Conor Sammon and Miles Storey, signed from Hearts - on loan - and Aberdeen respectively, Thistle carried little threat until a late rally. \"We had one good chance [Doolan's] and the late penalty shout,\" Archibald told BBC Scotland. \"We worked ever so hard, it's not easy to contain them. \"I know it's frustrating for our fans that we didn't come out and have a real go but you saw at the end there when we went with two strikers and they can quickly turn you over.\" Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes referee Andrew Dallas was in a good position to make the penalty call, and felt his side deserved to claim all three points. \"I'd need to see it again,\" said Rodgers. \"It looked from where I was that Nir (Bitton) got a toe to it, and he was the right side of the defender. \"The pitch was maybe a bit slippy at that stage which is perhaps why the boy went down, but the ref was in a great position and he didn't give it. \"We will play better, of course - we were outstanding in the week [the 5-0 win over Kilmarnock] - but tonight is a game we will look back on at the end of the season and hopefully say it was an important three points. \"We could have been more comfortable in the game if we had put our chances away, but when it is still 1-0 you have to defend, and I thought the players were comfortable even though there was bit of pressure around our 18-yard box. \"We didn't quite perform as well as I would want - our standards are much higher than we showed - but it shows the resilience and mentality in the team to get the result tonight. \"That's maybe one of the games we would have drawn last season. So it's good the players can now see out games.\" Rodgers revealed he could sign a new striker before the Champions League play-off first-leg tie against Astana on Wednesday. Griffiths could only start as a substitute due to ongoing calf concerns, while French striker Dembele is out until September with a knee injury. The Celtic manager said: \"James (Forrest) is doing great playing in there, Tom Rogic has played up there and done brilliant for us but the dynamic of the team is better when you have a number nine who can play the role. \"It is really about the availability of a player. \"We will look to bring in", "summary": "Partick Thistle boss Alan Archibald felt his side should have been given a penalty in their 1-0 defeat by Celtic."}
{"article": "Michael Forbes' art portrays the US President-elect and also Madonna, who is shown as the Statue of Liberty. Black Isle-based Forbes created the piece this week. Madonna, who opposed Trump's election campaign, has posted an image of the painting on her Facebook and Instagram pages. Her post to Facebook has had more than 57,000 \"likes\" and her Instagram post more than 40,000. Pop surrealist artist Forbes is part of the Tripping Up Trump movement which protested against the building of Trump's golf resort at the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire. The artist painted a mural on a barn of a farmer, also called Michael Forbes, who refused to sell land to Trump for the golf course. Artist Forbes has a gallery in New York and his work in Scotland includes posters for the Highlands' Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, created his painting of Trump this week. Among the latest Trump piece's references are the US election's popular vote won by Hillary Clinton. She lost the election due to the electoral college system. American comic book superhero and pop culture icon, Superman, also appears in Forbes' piece. Madonna features because of her views on Trump and also Forbes' admiration of her activities in the gay community in the US. The artist, who in his youth worked as an assistant to British Pop artist Gerald Laing, has been amused and pleased with the reaction to his Trump painting. He said: \"After Madonna posted it on Instagram my phone has been ringing repeatedly with people telling me about it.\" President-elect Trump takes the oath of office on Friday with an estimated 900,000 people expected to gather in Washington for the induction and related activities.", "summary": "A Scottish artist's painting of Donald Trump as King Kong has been shared thousands of times online after postings by singer Madonna."}
{"article": "The fishing boat, carrying about 350 people of the Muslim Rohingya minority, has been refused entry to Thailand. Those on board told the BBC the crew abandoned them and disabled the engine. They said the bodies of those who had died were thrown overboard. Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have been turning away migrant boats. Several thousand people are still believed to be stuck in boats off the coasts of Thailand and Malaysia. Most are Rohingya Muslims who cannot go back to Myanmar, also known as Burma, where they are not recognised as citizens of the country and are regularly persecuted. Some of those who are adrift in the Andaman Sea have been provided with food, water and medicine by the Thai navy. It is not clear how many other boats are in a similar predicament. Some boats containing migrants have been towed over to the Malaysian side of the border - where most migrants want to go - only to be taken back into Thai waters. No-one wants them, the BBC's Jonathan Head says, and seeing them off the southern coast of Thailand, near Koh Lipe, that it is a \"desperate sight\" as they beg for food and water. On one crowded vessel with a lot of women and children on board, our correspondent saw people drinking their own urine from bottles. The migrants - including 50 women and 84 children - said they had been at sea for three months. Their situation became critical when their crew abandoned them without a working engine six days ago anchored near the Thai-Malaysian border. Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division told the BBC: \"They're [Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia] playing a game of marine ping-pong not wanting to take in the Rohingyas. He said it was necessary for the three countries to work together in rescuing them before they decide who is going to take responsibility for them. \"This is an urgent humanitarian crisis and the Thais and others seem to be taking a gentle stroll.\" Myanmar's unwanted people As many as 8,000 migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar are believed by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to be stranded at sea. People smugglers are reportedly refusing to land their boats because their usual route through Thailand has been disrupted by a government crackdown. It was launched after the discovery of dozens of bodies in abandoned camps along the land route. A senior Thai official reiterated on Wednesday that Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia would all continue to turn the boats away. On Sunday and Monday more than 2,000 migrants arrived in Malaysia or Indonesia after being rescued or swimming ashore. The journey the migrants take - from Bangladesh or Myanmar through the Bay of Bengal to Thailand or beyond - takes several weeks and has been made by Rohingyas for much of the last 10-15 years. Their journeys have in some cases been further disrupted because they have in effect been held hostage by the people smugglers.", "summary": "Myanmar migrants on a boat stranded for a week in the Andaman Sea with no food or water say 10 people have died, while some are resorting to drinking urine."}
{"article": "Seventh-placed Vikings went into the break 8-0 ahead thanks to two tries from Corey Thompson. Liam Farrell's converted score brought Warriors back to within two against a side who defended stoutly despite at one stage having two in the sin-bin. Wigan turned down a late chance for goal, but the visitors held out. Shaun Wane's side need only one point to confirm a top-four finish, but decided against trying to draw the match when they won a 79th-minute penalty. They decided to run it and, after it came to nothing, Widnes saw the clock down. Wigan: S Tomkins, Charnley, Gelling, Sarginson, Tierney, Williams, Shorrocks, Sutton, Powell, Flower, Farrell, Bateman, Isa. Replacements: Tautai, Gildart, Nuuausala, Bretherton. Widnes: Hanbury, Thompson, Dean, Runciman, Marsh, Mellor, Brown, Burke, White, Buchanan, Whitley, Houston, Cahill. Replacements: J Chapelhow, Dudson, Heremaia, Farrell. Referee: Phil Bentham (RFL)", "summary": "Widnes Vikings produced a superb defensive display to beat Wigan and leave Warriors still waiting to confirm their Super League play-off place."}
{"article": "Russell Joy, 45, of Shapwick, Dorset, set up direct debits, withdrew money and cashed bonds on behalf of Mary Brady, from Broadstone. Bournemouth Crown Court heard Joy won the trust of the pensioner, who died earlier this month, when she hired him as her gardener in 2008. He was entrusted to withdraw money for her daily living expenses. In December 2014 he made the first of 107 withdrawals without her knowledge, totalling \u00a332,100. The following November Ms Brady cashed five bonds in the sum of \u00a3230,000 and wrote Joy a cheque for \u00a3100,000. In March 2016, he received a further \u00a320,000 cheque. He also withdrew money to buy a Land Rover car and set up a direct debit to pay his vehicle insurance. The offences came to light when the pensioner's relatives checked her finances while she was in hospital. In a statement, Ms Brady's family said they were \"desperately sad\" about the \"ugly end\" to her life. Det Insp Andy Dilworth said: \"Russell Joy is nothing more than a callous fraudster. He befriended his victim over a period of many years and quickly earned her trust.\" He said Joy ,who pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to six counts of fraud by abuse of position, would be subject to action under the Proceeds of Crime Act.", "summary": "A man who defrauded a 98-year-old woman he befriended of \u00a3170,000 has been jailed for five years and one month."}
{"article": "Mr Maskey took 70.6% of the vote in Thursday's by-election with 16,211 votes. The turnout of 37.53% was one of the lowest for Northern Ireland. In second place was the SDLP's Alex Attwood on 3,088, with Gerry Carroll of People Before Profit third on 1,751. The by-election was held after Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams resigned earlier this year to become a member of the Republic of Ireland's parliament. Brian Kingston of the DUP took 1,393 votes, Bill Manwaring of the UUP 386 and Aaron McIntyre of the Alliance Party 122. The result was seen by many as a foregone conclusion as it is the safest seat in Northern Ireland, and the fourth safest in the UK. The full turnout of 37.53% drops to 37.35% when spoiled votes are excluded. The previous record low was 38.75% at North Down in 1995. Mr Maskey, who is a sitting assembly member and a long-time Belfast city councillor, was also celebrating his 44th birthday. He said he was not concerned by the turnout, adding that people had been asked to cast three separate votes just five weeks ago for the Northern Ireland Assembly, local government and AV referendum. He said: \"I am delighted to be elected by the people, they have endorsed Sinn Fein yet again for their Westminster seat.\" 'Strong legacy' Accompanied by wife Patricia and his brother, fellow Sinn Fein MLA Alex Maskey, he paid tribute to his predecessor as he vowed to improve the lives of people in a constituency that has some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Northern Ireland. \"This part of the city is moving forward and I will endeavour to be part of that and work tirelessly to do what I can for the people of west Belfast,\" he said. \"I take on the proud and strong legacy of Sinn Fein party president Gerry Adams and look forward now to the challenges in front of me.\" Mr Adams presented his successor with a special hurley to mark the result as other supporters urged him to blow out the candles on a birthday cake. \"It's Paul Maskey's night,\" said the Sinn Fein president. \"Once again Sinn Fein in west Belfast has delivered and we delivered big time.\" Sinn Fein's MPs have not take their seats at Westminster because they refuse to swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen.", "summary": "Sinn Fein's Paul Maskey has been elected as the new MP for West Belfast."}
{"article": "Thousands of people worked at its Merthyr Tydfil washing machine plant over 60 years. It stopped production in 2009 but a warehouse still operates. The company will contribute \u00a360m to the pension scheme. The Pensions Regulator has approved the proposal and the scheme is expected to transfer into the Pension Protection Fund (PPF). The deal has been struck because there was \"clear and extensive evidence\" that Hoover would inevitably fall into insolvency otherwise. The regulator said it was the \"best possible outcome for members in challenging circumstances\". Up to 4,000 people in Wales could be affected. Those still under retirement age could receive an immediate 10% cut in their pension pot. The pension scheme has 7,500 members, made up of 5,319 pensioners and 2,184 who have deferred their pensions. A distribution warehouse and head office is still based at Pentrebach in Merthyr. At about \u00a3500m, the pension scheme is roughly the same size as collapsed store group BHS's scheme. That is still being assessed for take-over by the PPF, which acts as a pensions \"lifeboat\". The Hoover pensions scheme will also receive a shareholding worth a 33% stake in the company as part of the deal. The scheme has a deficit of about \u00a3250m and Hoover had to prove the business was at risk of going bust in the next 12 months unless action was taken. Nicola Parish, of The Pensions Regulator, said: \"We do not agree to these types of arrangements lightly but in this case we believe it is the right outcome for scheme members and the PPF.\" She said this type of pension restructuring was rare and guidelines were in place to the arrangements were \"not abused by businesses seeking to offload their pension liabilities\". This is the first such deal approved in 2017 and only the second in the last two years. Hoover is a century-old household appliances brand but has been owned by Italian firm Candy for more than 20 years.", "summary": "A deal has been struck for Hoover to move the company's pension scheme into a protection fund."}
{"article": "Under the Wales Act, passed last year, ministers can borrow up to \u00a3500m. But the Lib Dems said this should be doubled to bring Wales and Scotland into line. The plans will form part of the Lib Dems' general election manifesto, due out later this month. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said: \"This increase in power would mean Wales would be able to invest in projects that could help build a fairer society, such as building schools and hospitals. \"Our record in government shows that we are the party that will deliver further powers and fairer funding to create a stronger Wales.\" Roger Williams, the deputy leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, added: \"By doubling the amount of money Wales can invest on infrastructure projects, the Welsh Liberal Democrats would be delivering a significant step in securing a stronger Welsh economy. \"Increased borrowing powers means that Wales would have greater scope to stimulate the economy with investment in significant capital expenditure projects. This is an announcement that would benefit all of Wales. \"This will allow Wales to catch up with the rest of the UK in terms of infrastructure and ensure that our nation is competitive in attracting jobs and investment.\" The Welsh government is planning to use its existing borrowing powers to fund a new motorway to the south of Newport.", "summary": "The Welsh government should be able to borrow up to \u00a31bn to fund major new projects such as motorways or hospital buildings, the Liberal Democrats have said."}
{"article": "The England striker, 23, came through United's famed youth system but joined the Gunners for \u00a316m on deadline day. United brought striker Radamel Falcao on a \u00a36m loan deal from Monaco, their sixth signing of the transfer window. Media playback is not supported on this device \"They have probably lost the way of Manchester United a little bit,\" Phelan told BBC Sport. \"Now, rather than produce, it may be the case where they are buying in. \"Someone like a Danny Welbeck has been part of United's identity and that has been broken. \"What will happen in the future now, nobody knows but that thread has been broken now.\" Former United midfielder David Beckham said he was sad to see Welbeck leave, but is hopeful promising players will continue to be developed under new manager Louis van Gaal. \"Manchester United have always bought players in but also have had a great scouting system which Sir Alex Ferguson put in quite a few years ago, where we did create home-grown talent, and that is something we have done over the years,\" said the former England captain. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I think Louis van Gaal is a talented manager, he is well respected and with Manchester United this is a project that will hopefully last for a few years and be a successful one. \"Hopefully we have still got young players coming through.\" For many years United had a strong core of home-grown youth players under former boss Ferguson, with the renowned 'Class of 92' - which included Beckham, Paul Scholes and Phil and Gary Neville - coming through the ranks. As well as Colombian Falcao, new boss Van Gaal has also brought in Angel Di Maria for a British-record \u00a359.7m, midfielder Ander Herrera for \u00a329m from Athletic Bilbao, left-back Luke Shaw in a \u00a327m move from Southampton, the \u00a316m Marcos Rojo from Sporting Lisbon and midfielder Daley Blind from Ajax for \u00a313.8m. Meanwhile, United youngsters Tom Lawrence, Nick Powell and Michael Keane left on Monday, either on loan or permanently. However, defender Tyler Blackett, a youth academy product, has played in the Premier League this season, while defender Reece James and goalkeeper Ben Amos have been included in the matchday squad. But Phelan, who was Ferguson's assistant between 2008 and 2013, believes the big-money arrivals at Old Trafford could suggest a change of philosophy at the club. \"There is always the start of something and maybe this is the start of a new way of doing things at Manchester United and maybe that is the way football is going,\" he added. \"Is it better to look at the instant rather than the future? It is a difficult one because youth is always the future, we all have to start somewhere and you just hope that product of youth can develop in the Premier League.\" Phelan expects Arsenal to give Welbeck the chance to flourish after finding his chances limited at United. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger already has a number of England internationals in his squad, with Jack Wilshere, Theo", "summary": "Former Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan feels part of the club's \"identity has been broken\" with Danny Welbeck's departure to Arsenal."}
{"article": "Dylann Roof was convicted last month of 33 federal charges, including hate crimes, after opening fire on a Bible study group in 2015. He remained unrepentant and had told the jury: \"I felt like I had to do it and I still feel like I had to do it.\" The jurors deliberated for nearly three hours before reaching their verdict. The massacre shocked the nation and reignited a debate about race relations and the flying of the Confederate flag. Roof told police he wanted to start a race war and he was photographed holding the battle flag, which to many is a symbol of hate. The tragedy led to the flag being removed from the South Carolina statehouse, where it had flown for 50 years. Earlier on Tuesday, Roof addressed the jury, saying: \"I don't know what good it would do anyway\" if they spared his life. The judge will issue a formal sentence on Wednesday morning. After the sentence was announced, the 22-year-old killer stood and requested to be appointed new lawyers and to file for a retrial. US District Judge Richard Gergel replied that he was \"strongly disinclined\" and instructed Roof to think about it overnight. Nearly two dozen friends and relatives of those gunned down at the Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston testified during the sentencing phase about how Roof's crimes have affected their lives. But none of them had appealed to the jury to return a death sentence.", "summary": "A white supremacist has been sentenced to death for the racially motivated killings of nine black people at a South Carolina church."}
{"article": "Marcus Evans is among nine people investigated over ticket scalping, conspiracy and ambush marketing. Mr Evans, who runs his own sports hospitality company, denied any wrongdoing and said the allegations are \"totally without foundation\". The exact full charges against Mr Evans have yet to be confirmed to the BBC. Follow updates and reaction to this story Brazilian prosecutor Marcos Kac told Associated Press he had decided to charge Mr Evans, along with Olympic Council of Ireland President Patrick Hickey and seven others, after reviewing the police investigation. Police investigator Aloysio Falcao said authorities also wanted to speak to IOC President Thomas Bach about email exchanges between him and Mr Hickey. Mr Bach will not be attending the opening of the Paralympic Games later. The authorities have no evidence that Mr Bach knew about the alleged ticket scam, the investigator said. A spokesman for Mr Evans, who runs the Marcus Evans Group and THG Sports, confirmed he was aware of the charges but referred to previous statements which said the companies had \"acted at all times lawfully and any suggestion to the contrary is just not true\". Ticket scalping, or ticket touting, involves the resale of tickets for admission to events at a higher price, while ambush marketing involves a company trying to associate its products with an event that already has official sponsors. Mr Hickey, 71, has formally stood aside as president of the Olympic Council of Ireland and European Olympic Committees' president during the investigation. Kevin Mallon, who has also had charges passed against him, is the Dublin-based director of Mr Evans' hospitality company THG Sports. Police allege Mr Hickey plotted with businessmen to transfer tickets illegally from a sports company called Pro 10 to THG Sports, which was a non-authorized vendor and allegedly sold them for very high fees. Both men deny any wrongdoing.", "summary": "The owner of Ipswich Town Football Club has been charged in connection with a ticket-touting case in August's Olympic Games in Brazil."}
{"article": "The capital side won only three of their last 10 league games to slip to ninth place last season, having begun the new year in the top three. \"Last season wasn't acceptable,\" said fit-again lock Fraser McKenzie. \"We are really looking to achieve top four. I think that is the minimum criteria this year. We really feel we have a good enough squad to compete.\" McKenzie, 28, is enthused by the influx of new blood this summer, with three newcomers - fly-half Duncan Weir, full-back Glenn Bryce and wing Rory Scholes - starting Friday's pre-season match against Newcastle at Murrayfield, before their Pro 12 campaign begins at Cardiff Blues on 3 September. \"We have made some really good signings who have bedded in well and quickly,\" McKenzie noted. \"Competition for places is at a maximum at the moment and it is all looking really positive for this season.\" Edinburgh managing director Jonny Petrie revealed on Thursday that one more new player is set to arrive \"at the start of next week\". But along with McKenzie, who missed the second half of last season after an operation to remove a disc in his neck, the return of fellow lock Grant Gilchrist is akin to another new signing. The 26-year-old suffered a second broken arm in February in his first game for the club since October 2014, when his first arm fracture occurred. \"He was in a bad position but how he has come back from his injuries is really impressive,\" said McKenzie, who spent the latter part of his own rehabilitation programme working with Gilchrist. \"Grant has been made joint-captain (with hooker Stuart McInally) and has a unique set of leadership skills. \"He is very good at encouraging his team-mates but he is also an incredibly big man, a tall guy with good line-out and aerial ability. \"He is an 80-minute rugby player, even though he is big, with good fitness and skill levels - he has a hell of a lot of ability to push further forward. He was in the mix to be Scotland captain before his injuries and has the ability to get back to that sort of level.\" Gilchrist, a target for French club Toulon before agreeing a new one-year deal, is one of several internationals - alongside prop WP Nel and flanker John Hardie - who are likely to be subject of interest from England and France with their contracts up at the end of the season. While acknowledging Edinburgh \"don't necessarily have the financial firepower to operate at the top end of the market\", Petrie remains optimistic of retaining the club's leading lights. \"WP [Nel] is one of the most dominant tight-heads in world rugby and likely to be a good candidate for the Lions as well,\" Petrie noted. \"I don't doubt there is going to be interest from other clubs across the world. \"But WP has been with Edinburgh for a few years now, he is very settled and loves playing here. \"We are going to have to work hard to keep him but hopefully we", "summary": "Edinburgh have targeted a top-four finish and a place in the Pro12 play-offs as a \"minimum\" target this season."}
{"article": "More than half of the dead were women and children, according to aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). Taiz has been the scene of intense clashes between Houthi rebels and pro-government forces, supported by Saudi Arabia and its allies. The coalition began targeting the Houthis in March. It wants to defeat the rebel group, which controls much of Yemen, and restore the government of exiled President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi. The conflict has killed about 4,000 people so far, nearly half of them civilians, according to the United Nations. Seventeen of those who lost their lives in air strikes late on Thursday were members of the same family, MSF said. A number of civilians also died in rebel shelling in Taiz. \"We call on the warring parties to stop attacking civilian targets, especially hospitals, ambulances and densely populated neighbourhoods,\" MSF said in a statement. The Houthis - backed by forces loyal to the former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh - say they are fighting against corruption and marginalisation of their northern powerbase by Mr Hadi's government. Sunni power Saudi Arabia alleges its Shia rival Iran is providing the rebels with weapons. Tehran and the Houthis deny this. Yemen crisis: Who is fighting whom? Meeting the Houthis and their enemies Yemen's humanitarian catastrophe", "summary": "At least 65 civilians have reportedly been killed in air strikes by a Saudi-led coalition on the Yemeni city of Taiz."}
{"article": "He was helped off in the 40-7 defeat by the Chiefs on Tuesday. Captain and flanker Sam Warburton came through Tuesday's tour game as a late replacement for Ellis Jenkins, who pulled out with a tight thigh. Back Gareth Anscombe and back-rower Ross Moriarty also withdrew from the bench with Jamie Roberts and Taulupe Faletau coming into the match squad. Wales had already lost flanker Dan Lydiate with a shoulder injury before the tour and fellow British and Irish Lion George North departed after the opening 39-21 defeat by New Zealand because of a hamstring tear. Prop Paul James (calf) and scrum-half Lloyd Williams (ankle) have also left the tour with prop Aaron Jarvis and 18-year-old Ospreys wing Keelan Giles called up. Warburton was the only player in the starting XV against the Chiefs who featured in the opening Test. Scarlets' Aled Davies and Rhys Patchell were on the bench having been flown to New Zealand as injury cover. Ball came off the bench against New Zealand in Auckland and if he is ruled out of contention for the second Test, Luke Charteris will take over having led Wales in Hamilton. WALES TOUR SQUAD Backs: Gareth Davies, Rhys Webb, Aled Davies, Gareth Anscombe, Dan Biggar, Rhys Priestland, Jonathan Davies, Tyler Morgan, Jamie Roberts, Scott Williams, Hallam Amos, Matthew Morgan, Rhys Patchell, Tom James, Keelan Giles, Eli Walker, Liam Williams. Forwards: Rob Evans, Tomas Francis, Aaron Jarvis, Gethin Jenkins, Rhodri Jones, Samson Lee, Scott Baldwin, Kristian Dacey, Ken Owens, Jake Ball, Luke Charteris, Bradley Davies, Alun Wyn Jones, Taulupe Faletau, James King, Ross Moriarty, Josh Turnbull, Ellis Jenkins, Sam Warburton (captain).", "summary": "Lock Jake Ball has added to Wales' injury worries before their second Test against New Zealand on Saturday."}
{"article": "John and Lynette Rodgers, from Holywood in County Down, were found on a beach at Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape on Friday. Efforts were made to resuscitate them, but they were declared dead at the scene. Rescue workers said sea conditions were rough at the time, with strong rip-currents in the water. It is believed they had gone for a swim shortly after arriving at the popular tourist resort. A local man raised the alarm at about 18:00 local time after discovering the body of Mr Rodgers, 28, in shallow surf on Robberg Beach, the National Sea Rescue Institute said. Two women walking along the beach found the body of Mrs Rodgers, 26, about 200 metres away. Rev Stephen Lowry of First Holywood Presbyterian, the church where the couple were married, said: \"The happiness and joy of their wedding last Saturday has been replaced by grief and loss.\" The UK Foreign Office said it was providing assistance to both families \"at this extremely difficult time, and will remain in contact with local authorities\".", "summary": "A couple in their 20s from Northern Ireland has drowned while on honeymoon in South Africa."}
{"article": "Aguero has until 18:00 BST on Thursday 1 September to respond to the charge. If found guilty, the Argentina international faces a three-match ban. He would miss Premier League games with Manchester United on 10 September and Bournemouth on 17 September. The 28-year-old would also miss the EFL Cup third-round game against Swansea. Referee Andre Marriner did not see the 76th-minute incident during City's 3-1 win on Sunday and the FA has decided to take retrospective action after reviewing television footage. Aguero is currently out of Argentina's two World Cup 2018 qualifiers next month with a calf injury.", "summary": "Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has been given an extra 24 hours to argue his case after being charged with violent conduct by the Football Association for elbowing West Ham's Winston Reid."}
{"article": "New figures, published by KPMG, indicated 20% of employees earned less than the Living Wage - an increase of 1% from last year. But Scotland had one of the lowest proportions of workers paid below the rate, 3% less than the UK average. The Living Wage is set by an independent foundation and has been adopted by 380 Scottish firms. The Living Wage Foundation sets its level based on a range of a cost of living measures such as accommodation, travel, healthy food and extras such as birthday presents. It has just risen from \u00a37.85 an hour to \u00a38.25, making it nearly a fifth higher than the current national minimum wage and more than \u00a31 higher than the the new minimum wage premium for over-25s of \u00a37.20 an hour, due to come into force in April. Glasgow University is the latest institution to become an accredited Living Wage employer The research, conducted by Markit for KPMG, found East Renfrewshire had the highest percentage of workers earning below the Living Wage, at 32%, while the Western Isles had the lowest proportion at 11%. The median hourly wage was \u00a311.76 in Scotland compared to \u00a311.61 for the UK as a whole. Scotland's median wage per hour grew 1.5%, compared to 0.2% across the UK as a whole. It has grown from below the UK average to 1.3% above the average since the same research was published a year ago. The research also highlighted that part-time, female and young workers were most likely to earn below the Living Wage. Part-time jobs were three times as likely to pay below \u00a37.85 per hour as full-time roles. For the third year, the research found that women were more likely to be paid below the Living Wage than men. The data showed that an estimated 29% of females earned less than the rate, compared with 18% of males. Nearly three quarters, 72%, of 18-21 year olds earned less than the Living Wage, compared to 17% of those aged 30-39.", "summary": "A fifth of working people in Scotland are paid less than the voluntary Living Wage, according to research."}
{"article": "Bora-Hansgrohe rider Postlberger, 25, won the 203km stage ahead of Caleb Ewan in second and Andre Greipel in third. Last year's winner Vincenzo Nibali, Team Sky's Geraint Thomas and Colombia's Nairo Quintana all finished safely in the peloton in the opening stage of the race's 100th edition. Saturday's second stage is a 208km ride from Olbia to Tortoli. Postlberger's team-mate Cesare Benedetti took the Maglia Azzurra, the climber's jersey, after overhauling Daniel Teklehaimanot of Dimension Data. Italian cyclists Nicola Ruffoni and Stefano Pirazzi were suspended before the race started, after returning positive doping tests. The Bardiani CSF pair were due to ride in the Giro but world governing body the UCI said they were \"provisionally suspended\" after detection of the growth hormone GHRP. Bardiani said both would be dismissed if the positive tests were confirmed. Find out how to get into cycling with our special guide. Thomas was the first British finisher in the race's opening stage, the Welshman finishing 18th, 10 seconds behind Postlberger. All teams are racing with nine-man squads apart from Astana, who have only eight riders having left a space open following the death of Michele Scarponi on a training ride. Team Sky's co-leader Geraint Thomas told BBC Wales Sport: \"It was OK. It wasn't too hard a day but the winds made it hard at times. It was all about getting through safely and saving as much energy as possible. \"The final was quite chaotic but fortunately I was OK. One [stage] down, 20 to go. \"It's all about good position and avoiding stuff like that [the crash towards the end]. A day like today, the pink jersey is up for grabs for the winner and there's a lot of stress. \"It wasn't one of the hardest stages so there were a lot of fresh legs at the end and a lot going on but, fortunately, the boys did a great job for me and [fellow leader Mikel] Landa. Perfect. \"I've done my fair share of that in tours in the past so I appreciate that and know how hard a job it is for them to do what they do. A good job but a long way to go.\" Stage one result: 1. Lukas Postlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe) 5hrs 13mins 35secs 2. Caleb Ewan (Orica-Scott) Same time 3. Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) Same time 4. Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) Same time 5. Sacha Modolo (UAE Team Emirates) Same time", "summary": "Austria's Lukas Postlberger won the first stage of the Giro d'Italia in Sardinia on his race debut."}
{"article": "Ousainou Darboe has been freed along with 18 other detainees, just days after president Yahya Jammeh lost Thursday's presidential election to property developer Adama Barrow. The men were arrested in April at a demonstration over the alleged death in custody of an activist. They were each later sentenced to a three-year prison term. Mr Darboe, leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), had been due to stand in the presidential election. However, the Gambian opposition was left without leadership after the April mass-arrest. A coalition of political parties, including the UDP, then picked Adama Barrow as their single candidate to run against President Jammeh. Following his shock win on Friday, Mr Barrow heralded a new hope for The Gambia, which is the smallest country on mainland Africa, with a population of fewer than two million. With the move to free the high-profile prisoners, change in the country seems to be happening at a fast speed. Amnesty International had been vocal in its criticism of President Jammeh over his human rights record. Sabrina Mahtani, Amnesty's West Africa Researcher, hailed the release of the 19 political prisoners and called for the charges against them to be dropped altogether. \"The release of the [18 other peaceful protestors] on bail is a big moment for them and their families,\" Ms Mahtani said. \"We hope that this positive step indicates that they will be fully acquitted in due course.\" The prisoners have been released pending an appeal of their jail sentence for \"unlawful assembly\". It is unlikely that they would ever be returned to prison as Mr Barrow has vowed to free all political prisoners.", "summary": "A Gambian opposition leader, who had been thrown in jail for taking part in a protest, has been released on bail."}
{"article": "Klaas Haytema, 30, pulled the plug on the late-night broadcast, which was relaying a Buddhist sermon, because it was disturbing his sleep. He told the court that he had been unaware a religious service was taking place near his hotel in Mandalay. Several foreigners have recently fallen foul of strict laws in Myanmar that protect Buddhist ceremonies. Delivering the ruling, a judge said Haytema was \"clearly guilty\" of insulting religion and was \"sentenced to three months imprisonment with hard labour\". But he avoided another three months after opting instead to pay a fine of 100,000 kyat ($80) for violating the terms of his visa, which requires tourists to respect local customs. Haytema, who was also accused of insulting Buddhism by not taking off his shoes when he entered the prayer hall, apologised during previous hearings, according to local media. Slights against religion are treated with extreme seriousness by the courts and a pious public in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, previously known as Burma. In July, a Spanish tourist was deported after monks complained about a tattoo of Buddha on his leg, while last year a New Zealand bar manager spent 10 months in jail for \"insulting religion\" by using a Buddha image to promote a cheap drinks night.", "summary": "A Dutch man wept as he was jailed for three months with hard labour in Myanmar for unplugging a loudspeaker."}
{"article": "The Supreme Court's judgement follows an appeal against the High Court's rejection of ministers' arguments. Theresa May says the government already has powers to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - starting Brexit talks - by the end of March. But campaigners say Parliament must be consulted before she does so. Labour has already said it will not vote against the government over invoking Article 50.", "summary": "The government will learn next Tuesday whether it has won its legal battle to get Brexit under way without the need for a vote by MPs."}
{"article": "Graphic Design student Leanne Young won the competition with a forest fairy tale design featuring Highland cows, squirrels and the Loch Ness Monster. It will feature on boxes to be given to every newborn baby from this summer until March 2019. More than 70 students applied for the design competition, being run by the V&A Dundee, to decide what the boxes will look like. One other design, by Marwa Ebrahim from Glasgow School of Art, was also highly commended by the judges. The boxes, which are being piloted in Clackmannanshire and Orkney, will contain items including bedding, clothing and toys. Ms Young, from Edinburgh Napier University, will receive a prize of \u00c2\u00a31,000 and \"exclusive mentoring\" from leading Scottish designers Holly Fulton and Scott Jarvie. She said she was delighted her design would feature on Scotland's first baby box. \"I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience from concept to realisation and hope that young families will interact with the design I have created,\" she said. \"It's really exciting to be involved with the entire process and I've appreciated all the support and encouragement I have received from my mentors so far. \"The course at Edinburgh Napier has allowed me to develop my graphic design skills and allowed me to participate in this exciting new government initiative.\" Judges praised Ms Young's high contrast illustration which they said was \"visually stimulating\" for babies. The images can also be customised by each individual family. Early Years Minister Mark McDonald said: \"It was an extremely difficult task trying to pick an overall winner but the judges were in agreement that Leanne's concept should be the first ever design for Scotland's baby box. \"Not only is it incredibly interactive, allowing families to customise and decorate the box throughout the years, it also acts as a multi-purpose memory capsule. It has space to record key milestones, a family tree and even the baby's handprints or footprints. \"Although all babies born in Scotland will receive one of these boxes I am extremely pleased that each one will be completely unique to every family.\"", "summary": "The winning design for Scotland's baby boxes has been revealed."}
{"article": "Chief executive V\u00e9ronique Laury said the aim was to \"leverage the scale of the business by becoming a single, unified company\". Details of the \"ONE Kingfisher\" plan came ahead of an investor day. Investors reacted negatively to the move, sending Kingfisher shares down 6.1% to 324p in afternoon trading. The slide made it the biggest faller on the FTSE 100 on Monday. The retailer, which also owns Screwfix as well as Castorama in France, will face more competition following the sale of Homebase to Wesfarmers. The Australian company plans to rebrand the DIY chain as Bunnings and revamp stores. Ms Laury said improving Kingfisher's digital capability was one of its priorities. Clive Black, head of research at Shore Capital, said: \"It looks like Kingfisher is coming to terms with the realities of the limitations of large shops, so a focus upon the digital age. We think shareholders will welcome the focus on digital over stores and the return of cash, albeit the exceptional costs are substantial.\" Independent retail analyst Nick Bubb said that the plan's goals would involve costs of up to \u00a3800m. \"The benefits aren't as clear-cut as you might think, although the news that Kingfisher also intend to return about \u00a3600m of capital to shareholders over the next three years (via share buybacks) will provide some comfort,\" he said. Investec analyst Kate Calvert said the potential returns for shareholders outlined in the plan did not outweigh the risks involved. \"There are a lot of moving parts and no guarantee that all the costs will fall out and the profits come through,\" she said. Kingfisher also said Rakhi Parekh, a former Amazon UK executive, had been appointed a non-executive director. Ms Laury said Ms Parekh's extensive experience in digital and multichannel retailing would be vital to the company's plans. Kingfisher said in November that profit for the 13 weeks to 1 November fell 11.8% to \u00a3225m, with total sales down 3.6%. In France, sales slid by 9.3%, but the poor performance was partially offset by a 4.8% rise in the UK.", "summary": "Kingfisher, which owns B&Q, has announced a push to increase annual pre-tax profits by \u00a3500m within five years and return \u00a3600m to shareholders."}
{"article": "I went to the North West of England to talk to Labour campaigners about the shock of the defeat and their view on the way forward. First stop, Bury in Greater Manchester. The former mill town is known for its \"world famous\" market which attracts bus and coach tours from all over the North West - and drew in a fair few politicians for photo shoots during the general election campaign. You can get good honest northern grub there - pies, black puddings and Lancashire cheese (pictured below) - and while you might think this classic industrial town would be a Labour stronghold, in fact it's been a battleground between Labour and the Conservatives for decades. Not winning the parliamentary seat of Bury North, which contains the town centre, was a huge disappointment for Labour on 8 May. The defeated Labour candidate, James Frith, a small business owner, said: \"It was devastating, in every sense, from a national point of view but also because of the sheer toil that we put in. \"We lost by 378 votes. We actually bucked the national trend in Bury North but at the count it just wasn't the night to win it.\" Overall in the north west of England, Labour increased its share of the vote by just over 5% but the loss of a key marginal, Bolton West, and the failure to win target seats such as Bury North and Morecambe and Lunesdale were local signs of a wider story. \"The more you start to analyse the results, the bleaker it looks for Labour,\" says Prof Andrew Russell, head of politics at the University of Manchester. \"It's still useful to look at the general election result not really as a national contest but as a series of geographies of the vote. There were lots of battles where you thought the ground war would matter. \"What is remarkable is that although there were some successes for Labour in some of those ground battles, the overwhelming story is of unexpectedly bad results.\" So what went wrong? For one thing, says Prof Russell, the Conservatives' campaign strategy was more sophisticated, and not just in the marginals of the north west of England. \"An electoral strategy that picks off the particular voters that might swing the vote in a particular context was the secret of the ground war and the Conservatives were much better at targeting voters with complex stories. \"So they would be appealing to Lib Dem waverers in some seats, saying if you vote Lib Dem that might let in Labour and the SNP. In other seats, they were happy for UKIP to take votes off Labour and come up on the blind side. It was a very complex picture.\" The former MP Julie Hilling is still recovering from the shock of losing her seat of Bolton West to the Conservatives by 800 votes. I caught up with her in Westminster when she returned to pack up her office and her flat. She said two groups of her former constituents had deserted Labour on election day. \"We", "summary": "Labour is still reeling from its general election disaster, which reduced the party to its lowest number of MPs since 1987, left members battered and bruised and started the search for a new leader."}
{"article": "American Jack Robertson has become a fierce critic of the way the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) have so far dealt with the crisis. Both organisations have defended their handling of the situation but Robertson has become increasingly frustrated. In a lengthy and revealing interview with David Epstein of the investigative journalism website ProPublica, he says he was forced to take matters into his own hands when it appeared his work was being hampered. \"I was working 11 hours a day, sometimes 18 hours,\" said the 56-year-old, who was Wada's chief investigator until January 2016. \"Once it was exposed in the media, then I got some manpower to do the investigation.\" Robertson also believes Wada and the IOC need new leadership. \"The people I worked with at Wada were absolutely amazing, the best in the field,\" he said. \"But it's my feeling they've been betrayed by their leadership. \"I lost much of my voice to throat cancer, so I know a thing or two about cancer. And this is like cancer, if you don't get all of it, it can come back worse. \"We've seen it in Fifa, you have to take out the boss, but you have to take out their henchmen, too, those who would follow them for their own careers. Everyone who supported them in their decisions has to go.\" Robertson has been an outspoken critic of Wada president Sir Craig Reedie, accusing the 75-year-old Scot of failing to take prompt and decisive action in the wake of the Russia revelations. Reedie, who is also a member of the IOC's executive committee and a former chairman of the British Olympic Association, has consistently defended his actions and those of Wada. Robertson is also critical of IOC president Thomas Bach, saying the German - a former Olympic fencing champion - has failed to protect the whistleblowers who helped expose Russian wrongdoing. Robertson is referring to Yuliya Stepanova, the Russian 800m runner whose testimony helped shed light on the scale of doping in Russian sport. She was set to compete under a neutral flag at the Rio Olympics only for the IOC to rule that the 30-year-old should not be allowed to take part as she had previously failed a doping test. Less than 36 hours before the official opening ceremony in Rio starts, the IOC is still working out which Russians should be allowed to compete following calls for the country to be kicked out of the Games completely. In the meantime, Reedie continues to say his organisation is doing what it can to crack down on the dopers and says there is a \"lack of understanding about what Wada is all about\". But Robertson says time is running out. \"We can't just keep going from scandal to scandal,\" he said. \"And if this scandal isn't enough to bring about change, then nothing ever will be.\" Wada's chief investigator until leaving the agency in January, he was responsible for exposing the state-sponsored doping programme in Russia that sent shockwaves across the sporting world. He also helped", "summary": "The man who helped expose Russian state-sponsored doping says he leaked information about his investigation to the media to force anti-doping chiefs to provide him with additional resources."}
{"article": "Whether fundraising, helping to build and maintain facilities or encouraging people to get involved in - and stay in - the sport, volunteers are the foundation of the game at local level. Here are three examples of people really making a difference in their communities: Five years ago, visually impaired (VI) tennis coach Wendy Glasper set up North East VI Tennis Club - incorporating sites in Jesmond, Sunderland and Stockton - and since then has worked tirelessly across the region to promote the sport to people who are blind or have sight impairment. A qualified LTA level 2 coach, Wendy is also an accomplished player herself, finishing runner-up in her sight category at the National VI Championships at Roehampton in 2015. And she continues to inspire youngsters and adults to play the sport competitively or just for fun. \"It's so rewarding giving back to a sport I love and see our players grow in confidence, gain new friendships and improve their mental wellbeing,\" she says. \"One of our members is completely blind and has just won his first tennis competition in Newcastle. For me, knowing that our VI tennis sessions enabled him to achieve this is just brilliant. \"For anyone looking to volunteer, I would say just do it! If you are passionate about something, you will inspire others to help you and I'm so thankful for the people I work with for bringing VI tennis to more communities in the north east.\" This really is a story of building facilities from the ground up. In November 2015 there were no useable tennis courts in Hingham, a small Norfolk market town of 1,000 houses. Fast-forward to October 2016 and Hingham has a thriving tennis club with 200 members. How did this happen? Three volunteers - Emily Cary, Lindsey Read and Simon Underhill, none of whom had even been in a tennis club before - raised \u00a391,000 from Sport England and local businesses to renovate the derelict courts next to an existing sports hall into two hard courts and a well-appointed clubhouse. The club now delivers coach-led evenings of activities to the local youth club - free of charge - plus a weekly Cardio Tennis session, which the local slimming club attends. \"We went out to local fairs, shows and schools to understand if this was something people would be interested in,\" explains Lindsey. \"It was a great chance to explain to our community what we'd like to do and rally support for our plans. \"After a hard year of gathering evidence of need, impact and sustainability, we applied for funding from Sport England and got the maximum bid of \u00a375,000. We then gathered funds from nine other local charities and trusts, plus a crowdfunding campaign and business sponsorship to go ahead with the project. \"It was a long and challenging process, but it's fantastic to give something back to the community and for anyone thinking of volunteering, just do it - don't underestimate what you'll get out of it.\" It's fair to say 17-year-old John Heppell has grown up at Durham Archery", "summary": "National Volunteers Week runs from 1-7 June and tennis' governing body - the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) - has shortlisted around 1,200 volunteers whose efforts will be recognised at the British Tennis Awards, during Wimbledon fortnight."}
{"article": "Trevor Wright, 67, of Ballingdon Street, Sudbury, was found guilty at Ipswich Crown Court of five charges of rape and seven of sexual assault. He had already admitted six more sex assaults on the same three victims. Judge Martyn Levett granted Wright conditional bail and told him he would be sentenced later this month. One rape took place in a car belonging to a customer at Wright's garage in Ballingdon Street, the court heard. Other offences took place at a stables where Wright kept a horse. One sex assault was in a swimming pool in Devon while Wright was on holiday, prosecutor Andrew Thompson said. Wright said although he was \"sex obsessed\", he denied the further assaults or committing rape. He had told police he had been a heavy drinker and suffered from memory problems.", "summary": "A garage owner who preyed on three schoolgirls between 1977 and 1989 has been convicted of rape and sexual assault."}
{"article": "Some of the questions and problems posed were straightforward, but a few were very tricky. Below are the solutions for the challenges that show how the codes can be broken. Solving the first challenge was simply a case of matching the symbols, replacing letters in the questions by using the provided key. This helped fill in the missing words. Then it was a case of working out which answer of the three choices was correct. 1. Where was the centre of CODEBREAKING in WW2? Answer: Bletchley. 2. The man who designed the machine that CRACKED the ENIGMA CODE was...? Answer: Turing. 3. The fundamental BUILDING block of ELECTRONIC devices is the...? Answer: Transistor. This question involved what is known as a substitution cipher - and a simple one at that. Each letter was given a number starting with A=0, B=1, C=2 etc. Applying that to the short sequence of numbers reveals the answer to be: Fibonacci Sequence. The clue to getting this one right was in the picture. It showed Julius Caesar, who was believed to have used codes that shifted each letter a few places to the right or left. In the scheme we used, letters were moved three places to the right. The alphabet wraps round, so A=X, B=Y, C=Z and so on. This gives the answer: Up his sleevies. Some codes, such as this one, do away with letters and numbers and instead use symbols. This type of cipher is known as a pig-pen cipher and each symbol relates to a position in a pre-prepared grid. The letters of the alphabet are distributed through this grid. Below is the way we chose to arrange the letters of the alphabet. Applying this arrangement revealed the text to be: In the 18th century Freemasons used pig pen ciphers to keep their private records. This code certainly stepped up the complexity, although there was a clue in the accompanying image. Each number corresponds to the atomic number of an element. Replacing the numbers with the initial letter of the element they represent should reveal the text below: The periodic table is a tabular arrangement of the chemical elements, organised on the basis of their atomic numbers, electron configurations, and recurring chemical properties. We've used it to create a cipher by using the initial letters of the elements, but two letters can't be used. What are they? The answer to the question posed in the revealed text is: J and Q. The final three challenges were genuinely difficult and required lateral thinking to work out how the text had been enciphered in the first place. The numbers in puzzle one were for hexadecimal encoded Ascii characters. However, simply converting them back to the more familiar letters and punctuation marks would not give the answer. Instead, it gave a string that had also been enciphered. It used a Caesar cipher that shifted the letters 13 places along the alphabet. Reversing this change revealed the following text: \"We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.\" \"How do you know I'm mad?\" said Alice. \"You must", "summary": "Last week, the BBC ran an article giving readers a series of crypto-based challenges to solve."}
{"article": "The drama follows a slew of dramatic interest in the heist, after two films and a radio play about how the thieves broke into the vault. Larry Lamb and Phil Daniels starred in a big screen version released in April, while Michael Caine and Ray Winstone will star in another upcoming film. A cartoon also appeared on the BBC News website last year. Six men were jailed for up to seven years for stealing items from the vault in central London in 2015, with an estimated two thirds of the valuables still unrecovered. The robbery took place in London's diamond district, carried out by a gang of career criminals who drilled three 25cm holes through a concrete wall to climb into the vault. Spall, who won best actor at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival for Mr Turner, will star alongside Kenneth Cranham in four 60-minute episodes. Jeff Pope, ITV Studios' head of factual drama, said: \"This is one of the most high-profile crimes of the last decade and we wanted to understand what had happened - and why it had happened. \"The research threw up some fascinating detail and blew away many of the misconceptions about this story. It was not about a bunch of 'loveable old blokes', many box holders lost everything in the raid and we will reflect this. \"But the planning was clever and the characters involved unique.\" Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Timothy Spall is to star in ITV's dramatisation of the \u00c2\u00a325m Hatton Garden safety deposit box jewellery raid."}
{"article": "Mr Asghar, who has paranoid schizophrenia, was shot by a prison guard in September. He has since been recovering in hospital. His relatives urged Mr Salmond to do all he could to secure his release. A petition calling on the prime minister to personally intervene has gained more than 68,000 signatures. Mr Asghar's family will present the petition to Downing Street on Friday. Following the meeting, Mr Asghar's solicitor Aamer Anwar said: \"We welcome the unconditional support of the Scottish Government, the First Minister and their repeated attempts to assist Mr Asghar and his family. \"We are disappointed that David Cameron has yet to respond to the request to meet with him on Friday when we hand in 70,000 signatures on a petition to Downing Street. All supporters of the petition will be asked tomorrow to email David Cameron seeking his urgent personal intervention. \"It is no longer acceptable for the UK Government to hide behind a wall of silence whilst Mr Asghar's life hangs by a thread and call upon the Prime Minister to personally and publically hold the Pakistani government to account.\" He said direct requests to meet with Mr Cameron had so far been refused. Instead, Mr Anwar will meet with Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood on Friday. Pakistani authorities have attempted to return Mr Asghar, who is from Edinburgh, from hospital to the same prison where he was attacked. On 3 October, local doctors said he was too unwell to return to jail. Charity Reprieve said that that the authorities in Punjab province, where Mr Asghar is being held, have refused requests by Mr Asghar's lawyers to access the results of an investigation into the shooting, as well as information relating to his medical assessments since the incident. The information that has been denied \"could support arguments that Mr Asghar's sentence is illegal on the grounds of his mental illness\", according to Reprieve. Kate Higham, an investigator at Reprieve said: \"Mr Asghar is an ageing, seriously ill man who should never have been sentenced in the first place. The British government must redouble its efforts to ensure that Mr Asghar is returned home to his family in Edinburgh, before it's too late.\" Mr Asghar was sectioned under the Mental Health Act in Edinburgh's Royal Victoria Hospital shortly before his trip to Pakistan in 2010. He was arrested there for writing several letters claiming to be a prophet and was sentenced to death for blasphemy. Those accused of blasphemy in Pakistan are at high risk of attack from religious extremists.", "summary": "First Minister Alex Salmond has met the family of Mohammad Asghar, the Scot imprisoned on death row in Pakistan over blasphemy allegations."}
{"article": "The 21-month-old from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, went missing during a family holiday in July 1991. A fresh excavation of farmland began on Monday, following new evidence that he may have been killed and buried there. Police said they found \"a vast number\" of animal bones and small pieces of fabric which were \"of slight interest\". A 19-strong team of South Yorkshire Police officers, forensic specialists and an archaeologist have been scouring the arid stretch of olive grove, which has been used for farming for generations. More on this story and more on BBC Local Live: Sheffield and South Yorkshire Ben was last seen playing on the land and it is close to where he vanished while his grandfather was renovating a property 25 years ago. His family believe he was abducted, but police are now investigating whether he was accidentally run over and killed by a bulldozer. Det Insp Jon Cousins, from South Yorkshire Police, said the team - joined by local search and rescue volunteers - had made good progress in recovering potential evidence. He said: \"We found, as expected, a vast number of bones yesterday. Each one was examined immediately, and each one was discounted there and then as being an animal bone. \"There are some other items that are of slight interest - the odd piece of fabric. That is being analysed and looked at, but there is slight interest. \"Everything is being carefully looked at.\" He added: \"We want to make sure: do they or do they not relate to any of the items Ben was wearing on that day?\" On the day Ben went missing he was wearing a white and green shirt and a pair of leather sandals. The recovered items have been forensically collected and photographs sent to colleagues back in the UK before a decision is made on whether they require further examination and testing. The search is expected to last about a week.", "summary": "Police searching for missing toddler Ben Needham on the Greek island of Kos have found pieces of fabric on land close to where he was last seen."}
{"article": "MSPs are studying Scotland's options going forward following the UK's vote to leave the EU. The committee has already reconvened once during the summer recess to take evidence from business leaders and economists. And convenor Joan McAlpine said they had only \"scratched the surface of identifying the true impact\" of Brexit. She appealed for businesses, organisations and individuals from across Scotland to engage with the committee by sending in written submissions or volunteering to give evidence. The committee is looking for views on the alternatives to EU membership and the implications of these on Scotland, how the withdrawal process might be managed at the EU and UK level, the positions likely to be taken by other EU member states and the contribution that EU citizens make to Scotland's economy and society. These views will inform the questions MSPs will put to Scottish and UK government ministers later in the year. Ms McAlpine said: \"Scotland is interconnected with the EU across a number of areas. From people, to investment, students, research and regional development funding to name a few. We need to understand both in the long and short term how Scotland will change as a result of this vote. \"More importantly when we hear from the Scottish and UK ministers later on this year, we will put to them some of the initial views we have heard in order to seek to influence the long and lengthy negotiations that will now follow.\" The committee took the unusual step of meeting during Holyrood's recess for a first round of evidence-gathering from a range of groups. They heard claims that Scotland's fishing industry could show \"world leadership\" having been \"unleashed\" by the Brexit vote. MSPs were also told that it was \"vastly important\" to get the right deal with the European Union in the coming negotiations to ensure that talent and ideas can still move across borders. The Scottish government is also studying the country's future links with Europe, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon setting up a special advisory council and laying out her views on Scotland's key interests in the Brexit talks.", "summary": "Holyrood's Europe committee has issued an appeal for evidence on the impact of the Brexit vote."}
{"article": "\"We're not doing this because we've had approaches, we're doing this because we have aspirations that rely on further investment,\" he said. The WRU is prepared to give up its 50% stake in the region. Davies would not rule out a new name for the team under new owners, a source of conjecture in the region. Davies admitted that potential investors in the region, which has been the lowest-placed Welsh side in the Pro12 for eight out of 12 seasons, would not be attracted by the prospect of making money. \"This is an exciting and wonderful opportunity to take a place at rugby's top table and to shape the region,\" he said. \"If you look at who's involved with Welsh rugby, it's very wealthy and knowledgeable individuals who are involved for the love of the game. \"It's the start of the process. In terms of our success and competitiveness, we need that fresh injection (of money)\". The issue of the region's name would be up for any new owners to decide, with chairman Martyn Hazell admitting that it has been a problem since its launch in 2003. The double-barrelled name has been a compromise to try to attract supporters within and outside the city of Newport. \"It's been a problem, but I'm not sure what the answer is,\" he told BBC Wales Sport. \"Every time you want to move (change) it to Gwent, the Newport people object to it, and every time you want to do Newport, the Gwent people object. It wants addressing.\" There are no plans to move the team away from Rodney Parade, which is owned by Newport RFC and also hosts Newport County AFC. Chairman Hazell and leading benefactor Tony Brown are willing to give away their shares as part of the process of attracting investors. But Davies made it clear there would be no danger of the operation closing down if investors cannot be found. \"It's incumbent on us all to find fresh investors, but if they don't come forward, it's business as usual and we continue as we are facing the issues we have, and cut our cloth accordingly,\" the former Wales number eight said. The region next play at Gloucester in the European Challenge Cup quarter-final on Saturday 9 April.", "summary": "Newport Gwent Dragons chief executive Stuart Davies says the announcement of sale plans is \"the start of the process,\" in attracting new investors."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old victim, from Liverpool, required surgery for his injuries following Thursday's attack. He was travelling on the 20.34 GMT service from Liverpool Lime Street to Birmingham New Street when he challenged the group. He was attacked after leaving the train at Winsford station, Cheshire, at around 21.10. Det Sgt Matt Davies, of British Transport Police, said: \"Thankfully the victim's injuries are not life-threatening, but he remains in hospital where he has received surgery for his wounds. \"Our investigation into who is behind this attack continues and we have been at the station conducting a forensic examination of the scene, local inquiries and reassurance patrols. \"It is vital we now speak to anyone who was on the 8.34pm train out of Liverpool and witnessed the disturbance in the carriage, as well as anyone else who was in the area of Winsford station at 21:.10 and saw what happened.\" The attacker was in his late 20s and of stocky build. It is believed he was part of a group also consisting of four or five women. He followed the victim before being repeatedly stabbing him in the groin and upper body. The victim was taken to safety by another passenger from the train.", "summary": "A man was stabbed in a station car park after challenging a group throwing objects around a train carriage."}
{"article": "The 1917 Fowler engine, worth \u00a3250,000, came off the trailer in Crays Hill, Essex just missing an electric pylon. The engine was being returned from its inaugural appearance, following a full restoration, at Young Farmers event near Chelmsford. \"The primary thing is that no-one was hurt,\" said the owners. Phil Burrows, from Barleylands farm park, who owns the Panther said they were \"unsure\" what caused the incident at about 19:00 BST on Sunday. \"I got the scene and wanted to make sure no-one was hurt and the lorry diver was OK. Machines and metal can be replaced but people can't. \"The driver was devastated and the chap who looks after it was a bit distraught at the state of his poor old engine.\" The engine had been \"lovingly restored from a wreck to working condition\" over the last five years, had \"just finished its repair\" and was on \"its first outing before our country show in September,\" said Mr Burrows. \"It took about two hours with three cranes to right it and then another hour to get it onto the low-loader. \"All the steering arms were bent so you couldn't steer it. Due to its age and value, we had to spend a lot of time working out how to lift it as not to exacerbate the damage. \"With a steam engine you cant just buy something off the shelf everything has to be handmade so a lot of craft work and skill goes into it.\" The engine's flywheel, boiler and steering mechanism were damaged in the accident.", "summary": "A 21-tonne steam engine that tipped off a low-loader and \"slid down a road\" could cost more than \u00a3100,000 to repair, its owners said."}
{"article": "The University of Southampton team looked at available medical studies and found evidence the two were linked. But there was no proof that one necessarily caused the other. It may be that people taking anti-depressants put on weight which, in turn, increases their diabetes risk, the team told Diabetes Care journal. Or the drugs themselves may interfere with blood sugar control. Their analysis of 22 studies involving thousands of patients on anti-depressants could not single out any class of drug or type of person as high risk. Prof Richard Holt and colleagues say more research is needed to investigate what factors lie behind the findings. And they say doctors should keep a closer check for early warning signs of diabetes in patients who have been prescribed these drugs. With 46 million anti-depressant prescriptions a year in the UK, this potential increased risk is worrying, they say. Prof Holt said: \"Some of this may be coincidence but there's a signal that people who are being treated with anti-depressants then have an increased risk of going on to develop diabetes. \"We need to think about screening and look at means to reduce that risk.\" Diabetes is easy to diagnose with a blood test, and Prof Holt says this ought to be part of a doctor's consultation. \"Diabetes is potentially preventable by changing your diet and being more physically active. \"Physical activity is also good for your mental health so there's a double reason to be thinking about lifestyle changes.\" Around three million people in the UK are thought to have diabetes, with most cases being type 2. Dr Matthew Hobbs of Diabetes UK, said: \"These findings fall short of being strong evidence that taking anti-depressants directly increases risk of type 2 diabetes. In this review, even the studies that did suggest a link showed only a small effect and just because two things tend to occur together, it doesn't necessarily mean that one is causing the other. \"But what is clear is that some anti-depressants lead to weight gain and that putting on weight increases risk of type 2 diabetes. Anyone who is currently taking, or considering taking, anti-depressants and is concerned about this should discuss their concerns with their GP.\"", "summary": "People prescribed anti-depressants should be aware they could be at increased risk of type 2 diabetes, say UK researchers."}
{"article": "The Afghan government welcomed the move, as it sees him as one of the few senior Taliban figures willing to negotiate a peace deal to end unrest. Mullah Baradar is one of the four men who founded the Taliban movement in Afghanistan in 1994. He became a linchpin of the insurgency after the Taliban was toppled by the US-led invasion in 2001. He was captured in the Pakistani city of Karachi in 2010. By David LoynBBC News, Kabul More than 30 Taliban members have been released from Pakistani jails in recent months, but Mullah Baradar is the one that the Afghan government is waiting for. A political adviser to the Kabul government team which addresses the issue of Taliban peace negotiations, Ismail Qasim Yar, said the government is ready to negotiate, but there is little room for manoeuvre. He made it clear that there can be no change to the constitution, one of the demands of the Taliban. But he said that since Mullah Baradar was \"inclined towards a political solution,\" then his release might make a solution possible. Mullah Baradar held several senior positions in the Taliban government before its fall in 2001. He then fled to Pakistan and for some years was the Taliban's military commander as they regrouped to fight a guerrilla war. He was reportedly arrested in a secret raid by CIA and Pakistani agents. The BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Islamabad says releasing one of the founders of the Taliban and a mastermind of the Afghan insurgency would seem a counter-productive step for the Kabul government and the US-led coalition. But Mullah Baradar has been seen as one of the few senior Taliban figures who has shown a willingness to negotiate, our correspondent says. The government in Kabul has been pressing for him to be free. Afghan diplomats had suggested Pakistan was trying to hinder the reconciliation process by backing more hardline elements within the Taliban. The Taliban opened a political office in Doha in June, but it was quickly closed after President Karzai complained that they had flown a flag and put up a plaque as if they were a government in exile. Profile: Mullah Abdul Ghani BaradarWhat next for Mullah Baradar? Since then the US, UK, and Turkey have all attempted to mediate to reopen talks. President Karzai has appealed to the Taliban leadership to return home and negotiate openly, but has not offered guarantees of security. Even if a political settlement is agreed, which will be hard, it may be difficult to deliver it, says the BBC's David Loyn. The Taliban is no longer the monolithic structure it once was, and a new younger generation of insurgents - particularly those fighting in the allied Haqqani network - may not be willing to stop the war. Some members of the former leadership, such as Mullah Zaeef, who had been living openly in Kabul, have faced harassment and raids on their homes. There are also concerns among women's rights activists that the fragile gains made since 2001 could be jeopardised for a peace deal with the Taliban.", "summary": "Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, co-founder of the Afghan Taliban, has been freed from jail in Pakistan."}
{"article": "It was practically the first time he'd stopped talking about his presidential rival in the week since their once chummy relationship soured amid a flurry of exchanged insults and questioned political credentials. Despite a storm of tweets over the weekend blasting Mr Cruz and a round of insult-laden television interviews on Sunday, it's perhaps not surprising that Mr Trump held his tongue at the university founded by the late evangelical leader Jerry Falwell in 1971. Both Mr Cruz and Mr Trump are battling for the sizeable religious conservative vote in Iowa - which holds its first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses in two weeks - and it's a crowd that Mr Cruz usually seems more comfortable with. Last March, Texas Senator Ted Cruz launched his bid for the Republican presidential nomination at Liberty University, speaking intimately about his faith and his father, a firebrand evangelical pastor. Mr Trump, on the other hand, doesn't quite have the same religious bona fides, despite his best attempts. Last September, he proudly held up his childhood Bible at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC. And at one point during his hour-long speech at Liberty, he tried to cite a biblical passage about faith and liberty. Unfortunately for Mr Trump, he referenced \"Two Corinthians\" instead of \"Second Corinthians\". The crowd laughed. \"I always think it's entertaining when people try to throw the Bible into their speeches,\" Josh Schumacher, a student in his third year at Liberty, said after the speech. \"I think it's sometimes just a ploy to get us to buy into what they're saying.\" Mr Trump did benefit from a glowing introduction from Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr, however, who praised the businessman as one of the \"greatest visionaries of our time\" and likened him to his famous father. \"Trump can't be bought,\" he said. \"He's not a puppet on a string like so many other candidates.\" That could be read as a tacit boost of Mr Trump over Mr Cruz, as Mr Trump has recently attacked the Texas senator for being in the thrall of his big-ticket campaign donors. Once upon a time, Mr Cruz and Mr Trump had nothing but kind words for each other. Mr Cruz invited Mr Trump to join him in speaking at a rally in front of the US Capitol, protesting the US-Iran nuclear arms agreement. And while other candidates criticised the businessman for his call to temporarily close the US border to all Muslims, Mr Cruz was more restrained. Mr Cruz said he wouldn't engage in a \"cage match\" with Mr Trump, tweeting that the New Yorker was \"terrific\". But as the Iowa caucuses approach, and Mr Cruz and Mr Trump are locked in a battle for first place according to polls, the sparks have flown. For the past week, Mr Trump has questioned Mr Cruz's eligibility for the presidency, given that he was born of an American mother on Canadian soil. Mr Cruz has returned fire, saying Mr Trump embraces the liberal values of his New York City home town. Their acrimony was one of the headlines of", "summary": "Speaking before a crowd of more than 11,000 students and locals at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, Donald Trump made no mention of Texas Senator Ted Cruz."}
{"article": "Called My Brother's Keeper, his new initiative aims to overcome the socioeconomic conditions keeping such youth from thriving. The White House said businesses had pledged $150m (\u00c2\u00a389m) to promote it. The president said it was an \"outrage\" that black and Hispanic men in the US fared so much worse than white men. \"I believe the continuing struggles of so many boys and young men - the fact that too many of them are falling by the wayside, dropping out, unemployed, involved in negative behaviour, going to jail, being profiled - this is a moral issue for our country,\" Mr Obama said at the White House on Thursday, with more than a dozen black and Hispanic young men and boys standing behind him. \"It's also an economic issue for our country.\" In a memorandum released on Thursday, the White House said the task force would focus on issues facing boys and young minority men under the age of 25. America's first black president has generally avoided policies defined by race, the BBC's Beth McLeod reports from Washington DC, but in an emotional speech Mr Obama said it was an outrage that young Hispanic and African-American men have the odds stacked against them in US society. President Obama said young men from this group were more likely to have no father in the house, end up behind bars, or become victims of violent crime. The White House has cited the relatively high unemployment rate for black and Hispanic men over the age of 20 and a higher-than-national-average poverty rate for minority households. \"We've become numb to these statistics, we're not surprised by them, we take them as the norm,\" Mr Obama said. \"We just assume this is an inevitable part of American life, instead of the outrage that it is. \"But these statistics should break our hearts. And they should compel us to act.\" He spoke of visiting a school near his home in Chicago and sharing with the boys there his own experience of growing up without a father, acknowledging to them that he had been angry about that and had made \"bad choices\" and \"got high without always thinking about the harm that it could do\". \"I could see myself in these young men,\" Mr Obama told the audience at the White House. \"And the only difference is that I grew up in an environment that was a little bit more forgiving, so when I made a mistake the consequences were not as severe.\" Mr Obama's new initiative calls for foundations and community groups to co-ordinate investment in support programmes to keep young Hispanic and black men in school and away from crime. A public online portal called What Works will provide access to data about such programmes. To start the programme, a new federal task force will look at several issues affecting young men. These include access to childhood support, grade school literacy, pathways to university and careers, as well as interactions with the criminal justice system and violent crime. President Obama earlier met with foundation and business leaders and senior", "summary": "US President Barack Obama has called for a national campaign to improve opportunities for black and Hispanic boys and young men."}
{"article": "In February, 2,977 patients spent more than 12 hours in hospital emergency units before being admitted, transferred or discharged. That is down 25% on the number of patients facing longer waits in January. However, the Welsh Government's target is that nobody should wait that long. The figures also show there has been a slight improvement in performance against the four hour wait target - with 80.8% of patients admitted, transferred or discharged within that time in February, compared to 79% in January. The target of 95% has never been met in Wales. On both measures the statistics show accident and emergency departments are performing better than the same time last year. Looking at individual hospitals, Morriston in Swansea had 538 patients waiting more than 12 hours in February - but Wales' largest A&E in Cardiff had only 59 patients waiting that long - the fewest number in Wales of major units. NHS Wales' chief executive warned in January that the service was facing \"exceptional pressures\". Andrew Goodall said hospital emergency units and the Welsh Ambulance Service had experienced some of their busiest ever days this winter. But the figures for February suggest the pressures have eased somewhat since the beginning of the year - with around 5,000 fewer attendances in urgent care units in February compared to the month before. The Welsh Government said the latest statistics were \"encouraging\" and it would continue to monitor the situation. A spokesman added: \"Careful joint planning between local health boards, the Welsh Ambulance Service, local authorities and other key partners, coupled with an additional \u00c2\u00a350m Welsh Government investment has largely helped to manage significant peaks in both the numbers and complexity of patients who access A&E services over the winter period.\"", "summary": "Significantly fewer patients spent more than 12 hours in A&E departments in Wales in February, compared to the month before, the latest figures show."}
{"article": "Police said an officer was responding to an emergency call at 19:00 BST when the car collided with a Ford Fiesta and hit a lamp-post on Park Road, Toxteth. The police officer was taken to hospital with a back injury. The occupants of the Fiesta were assessed by paramedics at the scene. An investigation into the circumstances of the collision is under way. Two 14-year-old boys from Aigburth have been arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery in relation to the original 999 call.", "summary": "A police car flipped on its side as it went to the scene of an attempted robbery last night in Liverpool."}
{"article": "He has been included in their 18-man squad for the trip to Denmark and will at least be on the bench for the Europa League last-32 tie. Poole left Newport County for Old Trafford in August but only recently received international clearance to feature in English football. The 17-year-old played 15 games for the Exiles before his transfer. Poole has been given squad number 41 by United manager Louis van Gaal, who signed the player for an undisclosed fee on the same day he paid an initial \u00a336m for striker Anthony Martial.", "summary": "Wales Under-19 defender Regan Poole could make his Manchester United debut against FC Midtjylland on Thursday."}
{"article": "Commissioners at the agency voted two-to-one to end a \"net neutrality\" order enacted in 2015. Ajit Pai, head of the FCC, said the rules demanding an open internet harmed jobs and discouraged investment. Many Americans and technology firms filed objections to the FCC's proposal prior to the vote. \"This is the right way to go,\" said Mr Pai ahead of the vote on Thursday. In a statement, the FCC said it expected its proposed changes to \"substantially benefit consumers and the marketplace\". It added that, before the rules were changed in 2015, they helped to preserve a \"flourishing free and open internet for almost 20 years\". The vote by the FCC commissioners is the first stage in the process of dismantling the net neutrality regulations. The agency is now inviting public comment on whether it should indeed dismantle the rules. Americans have until mid-August to share their views with the FCC. This call for comments is likely to attract a huge number of responses. Prior to the vote, more than 1 million statements supporting net neutrality were filed on the FCC site. Many people responded to a call from comedian and commentator John Oliver to make their feelings known. Separately, some protestors also used software bots to repeatedly file statements on the site. Many fear that once the equal access rules go, ISPs will start blocking and throttling some data while letting other packets travel on \"fast lanes\" because firms have paid more to reach customers quicker. US ISPs such as Comcast, Charter Communications and Altice NV have pledged in public statements to keep data flowing freely. Despite this public pledge Comcast, along with Verizon and AT&T, opposed the original 2015 rule change saying it dented their enthusiasm for improving US broadband. Facebook, and Google's parent company Alphabet as well as many other net firms have backed the open net rules saying equal access was important for all.", "summary": "The US Federal Communications Commission has voted to overturn rules that force ISPs to treat all data traffic as equal."}
{"article": "The Class 700 Desiro City fleet is intended to ease overcrowding on the north-south route from Bedford to Brighton through central London. Initial testing will be carried out at Three Bridges depot, then on the Brighton line before the train carries the first passengers next spring. Thameslink said the new trains would transform the service for passengers. The Class 700 trains will each have 12 carriages, instead of eight on many of the existing Thameslink services. An extra 1,000 rush hour seats are promised between Brighton and London and 80% more peak seats across between Blackfriars and St Pancras in central London. \"The doors can open far more widely and people can get on and off the train more quickly, which means it can depart punctually,\" said Ruth Humphrey, project manager for Siemens which is building the trains in Germany. All the new trains will be in use by 2018. As well as the current Thameslink network and the Wimbledon Loop, they will be deployed across new routes from 2017 as part of \u00c2\u00a36.5bn Thameslink improvements currently under way. Meanwhile, Chancellor George Osborne has said he is committed to a full study into building a second main line from Brighton to London (BML2). The government has already said it will provide \u00c2\u00a3100,000 for a new study into the reopening of the Lewes to Uckfield line in East Sussex. In a letter to Conservative MP for Lewes Maria Caufield, Mr Osborne said he had extended the Lewes to Uckfield study, which would now also look at improving links between London and the south coast, including a feasibility study on BML2.", "summary": "The first of 115 new trains for the Thameslink network has arrived in West Sussex to begin tests."}
{"article": "A man was arrested after the fires at Wasserstein and police suspect arson. No-one in the hostels was badly hurt. More than a million refugees and migrants have arrived in Germany this year, and for most their first stop has been in Bavaria. President Joachim Gauck devoted his Christmas message to the recent influx. \"We have shown what we are capable of, in terms of good will and professionalism, but also in the art of improvisation,\" he said, praising fellow Germans for their response to the crisis. But he also called for the full force of the law to be used against anyone using violence against the new arrivals. \"Arson and attacks on defenceless people deserve our contempt and deserve punishment,\" the president said. Refugee hostels in Germany have come under more than 200 attacks this year alone, according to research by Die Zeit newspaper, but the authorities have secured convictions against only a handful of attackers. Migrant crisis explained in maps and graphics Germany's 'historic test' - Merkel Reports of Merkel's demise are greatly exaggerated Year of the migrant - a crisis unlike all others Chancellor Angela Merkel promised last week that Germany would \"noticeably reduce the number of refugees\" in response to criticism from within her centre-right CDU party. Up to 40% of arrivals in Germany have come from Balkan countries such as Albania and Kosovo which are considered safe. Most of the other arrivals are refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. European countries have struggled to cope with the large number of people reaching the shores of the EU. This week, international migration officials said more than a million \"irregular\" migrants and refugees had come by land and sea, the vast majority via Greece. Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka singled out Mrs Merkel for blame for sending out a signal across the Middle East and Africa which \"stimulated illegal migration to Europe\". UN refugee officials say 3,716 people died or went missing this year as they tried to cross into Europe. But there was good news for one Afghan family who feared their 10-year-son had drowned off the Turkish coast. The Rabani family, who have since arrived in the German state of Lower Saxony, became separated from their son as they boarded a boat in Turkey. His boat capsized and many of those on board drowned. A German Red Cross official eventually succeeded in tracking down the child, who was found staying at a refugee hostel in Switzerland. The family hope to be reunited in a few weeks' time. In a separate development, a young Palestinian refugee who made headlines in July when she cried in front of Mrs Merkel has reportedly been told by German immigration officials that she and her family will be able to stay in the country until 2017. Reem Sahwil, 14, had told the chancellor on live TV that she wanted to go to university but she burst into tears when the chancellor explained that not all migrants could stay in Germany and that politics \"can be tough\". Mrs Merkel tried to comfort the", "summary": "Twelve people were hurt, including seven teenagers, when fires broke out at two neighbouring refugee hostels in the south German region of Bavaria."}
{"article": "None of the four nations is achieving any of its three key targets for A&E, cancer or routine treatments, such as knee and hip replacements. All have developed plans and strategies to deal with the common challenges - rising demand, squeezes on funding and the ageing population. But each has found this winter to be particularly difficult. Spending: \u00a32,057 per person Key fact: Just one hospital trust hit the four-hour A&E target in the first week of January. The system: The NHS is split between providers of services, known as NHS trusts, and commissioners, working for clinical commissioning groups. Social care, covering care homes and help in the home, is organised by councils and is means-tested. The story so far: The first week of January was the most difficult since the four-hour target was introduced in 2004. The proportion of patients being treated or discharged in time fell below 78%, with nearly half of hospitals declaring major alerts because of a shortage of beds. An estimated one in five patients ended up facing long delays for a bed after an emergency admission - double the normal rate - while ambulance crews reported problems handing over patients to A&E staff. It comes after a gradual increase in pressures in recent years. The winters have been getting progressively worst, while the 62-day target for cancer treatment to begin following an urgent GP referral has been missed for 11 months in a row. The number of people on hospital waiting lists for a routine operation has also been rising. NHS bosses set out a five-year vision for the NHS, which involved a greater emphasis on keeping people well in the community. But savings also have to be made - there is a \u00a322bn target for 2020. This has led to the development of 44 local plans to overhaul services - some of which involve closing hospitals and cutting staff. Spending: \u00a32,125 per person Key fact: 63% of A&E patients were seen in four hours over the Christmas period. The system: There are five integrated health and care boards that run hospitals, community services and social care. The over-75s get free care in their own home if they have high needs. The story so far: Northern Ireland has some of the worst performance figures in the UK. During the Christmas period, the number of patients seen in four hours in A&E departments dropped to 63%. Exactly the same proportion started their cancer treatment within 62 days, according to the latest statistics, while the numbers waiting longer than they should for a routine operation have almost doubled in the past four years. In response to the growing pressures, ministers have already set out a new vision for the health service, which they acknowledged was at \"breaking point\". A 10-year plan was published in the autumn, which called for greater investment in general practice as a way of coping with the rising demands on hospitals. The plan was widely criticised for its lack of detail and costings. It did not mention hospital closures, but there is a general", "summary": "No matter where you live in the UK, you will find local NHS services are under immense pressure."}
{"article": "Witnesses said Nelson Curtis, 64, was \"a few drinks away from not being able to walk\" before he crashed into Lauren Danks' car in Suffolk in November. He pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court to causing death by dangerous driving. The family of Ms Danks, 22, said they were \"disillusioned\" with the sentence. Curtis, of High Street, Lakenheath, also pleaded guilty to failing to stop after a road traffic collision and failing to report it. Ms Danks, from Soham, Cambridgeshire, was found dead in her car on the A11 at Red Lodge, Mildenhall, in the early hours of 11 November. Police discovered a second vehicle - a Jaguar belonging to Curtis - had been involved. The court heard Curtis had drunk excessively before driving his high-performance car at 134mph. At the point of the collision he was braking, but still doing 104mph and drove on despite losing a wheel. Earlier that night Curtis was filmed on CCTV at the Brewery Tap pub in Lakenheath, the court heard. He was described as \"pretty steady on his feet, but only a few drinks away from not being able to walk\" by bar staff interviewed by police. Ch Insp David Giles, from Suffolk Police, said Miss Danks' family were \"absolutely disillusioned\" with the length of sentence passed. He said Curtis's actions in drinking \"10 pints of beer\" and driving were \"utterly despicable\". In a statement to the court, Miss Danks's father, Robert, said: \"I feel broken and complete despair\". Judge Rupert Overbury described Curtis' actions as \"cowardice\" saying he showed \"complete lack of remorse\". The 64-year-old was also banned from driving for eight-and-a-half years.", "summary": "A drink-driver who killed a woman when he got behind the wheel after drinking 10 pints and drove at 134mph has been jailed for seven years."}
{"article": "MoneyGram has about 350,000 outlets in nearly 200 countries. Ant Financial has more than 630 million users. The takeover by the Chinese group will need regulatory approval from the US Committee on Foreign Investment. The inter-agency committee reviews foreign acquisitions of domestic American assets on grounds of national security. Eric Jing, chief executive at Ant Financial, said in a statement that the marriage of the two companies will \"provide greater access, security and simplicity for people around the world to remit funds, especially in major economies such as the United States, China, India, Mexico and the Philippines\". Ant Financial has a big market share in the online payments industry in China. The acquisition could help the company extend the lead as well as expand overseas, as competition is growing in China with rival Tencent's WeChat payment system. US-listed Moneygram's shares rose by nearly 9% on the news. The takeover has been approved by MoneyGram's board of directors. Ant Financial's shopping spree in the US comes against a backdrop of rising tensions between China and the world's biggest economy. Before he took office, then president-elect Donald Trump was questioning whether the US should continue its \"One China\" policy, sparking fury from Chinese state media. And during his presidential campaign, Mr Trump threatened to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese imports. But Jack Ma, the founder and chairman of Alibaba, held a meeting with Mr Trump in December last year. While President Trump has been critical of China, he said he had a \"great meeting\" with Mr Ma, who chose to float Alibaba on the New York Stock Exchange. The share sale in September 2014 was a record-breaker, as Alibaba raised $25bn in its initial public offering. If the MoneyGram deal goes through, it will be Alibaba's second acquisition in the US. Last year the e-commerce giant purchased EyeVerify in a $70m deal. EyeVerify is a start-up based in Missouri, which uses biometric authentication technology for securing user's online data and transactions.", "summary": "Ant Financial, the digital payments arm of e-commerce giant Alibaba, is buying US-based MoneyGram for $880m (\u00a3700m)."}
{"article": "The Bone Cancer Research Trust says the survival rate of 54% has barely changed in the last 25 years. It says early diagnosis is key to spotting the condition, which mainly affects young people. Symptoms include painful bones or swollen joints, which can be misdiagnosed as sporting injuries or \"growing pains\". Primary bone cancer is cancer which starts in the bones rather than spreads there. The two most common types are osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma. The condition is rare - there were just 531 new cases in the UK in 2010. But it is an aggressive cancer, and those who survive are often left with significant disabilities. The trust has teamed up with the Royal College of GPs to launch a specialist e-learning module to help doctors spot the symptoms and diagnose patients earlier. Prof Andy Hall, chairman of BCRT's independent scientific advisory panel, said: \"Primary bone cancer is, thankfully, very rare but it is vital that it is diagnosed early to give patients the best chance of survival.\" He added: \"The average length of time it takes for a patient to receive a correct diagnosis is 16 weeks from the time when the patient first noticed their symptoms. \"A simple X-ray, performed early, can make all the difference.\" Callum Flynn, 18, from Leigh in Greater Manchester, experienced knee pain for 18 months before being diagnosed with osteosarcoma - on his 14th birthday. \"I would wake up with my knee locked. I couldn't stand up. That would last for about two weeks at a time - and it happened five or six times over an 18-month period. \"We kept going to the walk-in centre, because it seemed to be something that just happened overnight, and they thought it was a virus each time. \"But eventually I went to my GP who felt behind my knee and obviously felt the tumour, though I wasn't told then. I had an X-ray and a biopsy in the space of a week and a half.\" His diagnosis came as a shock. \"I'd never heard of it. I didn't think you could get cancer when you were young.\" Callum had to have chemotherapy and a full knee replacement at the time, and has recently had to have a further operation on his knee. He cannot play all the sports he used to, although he is part of the England physical disabilities cricket squad, and toured with them in Dubai last year. Callum also works to raise awareness of bone cancer and funds for research. He says his experience of going undiagnosed for 18 months means he feels it is vital to raise awareness about early diagnosis. And in the end, he says, it is simple to check: \"It just took one X-ray.\"", "summary": "A charity is urging GPs to do more to diagnose bone cancers early in order to help to improve the survival rate"}
{"article": "The 22-year-old Angola international has agreed a five-year deal with the Championship club. Vetokele, who represented Belgium at youth level, moved to Denmark in 2012 after spells with Belgian sides Gent and Cercle Brugge. He scored 13 goals in 29 appearances in the Danish Superliga last season and featured twice in the Champions League. Vetokele, who has won two caps for Angola, becomes Charlton's second signing of the summer. Recently appointed Addicks head coach Bob Peeters brought in midfielder Yoni Buyens on loan from Standard Liege at the weekend.", "summary": "Charlton Athletic have completed the signing of FC Copenhagen striker Igor Vetokele for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "The Glasgow Warriors wing was initially left out of the squad for the two-Test trip, but injury to Tim Visser resulted in a call-up for the 35-year-old. Lamont made his Scotland debut in 2004 and turned out for the 104th time during this year's Six Nations. \"When I was left out I was absolutely gutted. To get the phone call again was very nice,\" he told BBC Scotland. \"I love playing for Scotland it's a massive part of what I've grown up doing for 12 years now. \"It's been a big part of my life and I sure as damn don't want it to go away.\" Lamont may be close to Paterson's record but realises that with every passing Test the competition for places in Vern Cotter's line-up is greater, with younger players breaking through. \"Eventually it will have to finish but it's been a fairly emotional roller coaster,\" he explained. \"The disappointment of not getting the call-up and then getting the call, so it's nice to still be on that list. \"If someone's ahead of me I like pushing myself to get ahead of them, that's the way it should be. \"But in the cold light of day it's down to the coaches to make the choice. \"I know where I am in my career, I'm all for pushing the next generation through - it's good for Scottish rugby, it's something we need, so the more competition it's good for the player and the country.\" The Scots are unbeaten in five meetings with Japan, with the last encounter a 45-10 victory at the World Cup in 2015. Japan are 10th in the world rankings, one place below Scotland, and Lamont expects two strongly contested encounters in Toyota City and Tokyo. \"They're going to be two tough Tests, no shadow of doubt,\" he said. \"They'll be geed up because of the run they had at the World Cup, they'll be looking to claim a scalp and boost the profile of Japanese rugby. \"Things like home advantage and weather, I think it'll be hot and humid over there, and above all they're a good team so we've got be very wary. \"They pushed us in the World Cup for a good 60 minutes, but towards the end we ran away with it, but it was by no means easy, there were some real sticky moments.\" BBC Scotland will provide live television, online and radio coverage of the Tests on 18 and 25 June.", "summary": "Sean Lamont aims to take a step closer to Chris Paterson's Scotland cap record of 109 on the summer tour of Japan."}
{"article": "David Cameron also nominated Tory and Labour members, including former attorney general Dominic Grieve. Mr Robertson was among a number of MPs who had called on the committee to investigate an RAF drone strike in which two British citizens were killed. He is expected to use his position on the committee to re-affirm those calls for an investigation. It was confirmed on Monday by the UK government that Cardiff-born Reyaad Khan, 21, and Ruhul Amin, from Aberdeen, died in Syria, alongside another fighter, in the first targeted UK drone attack on a British citizen. The men had gone to the conflict zone to fight for the so-called Islamic State group. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the drone strike was a \"perfectly legal act of self defence\". He added that the UK would not hesitate to launch more secret drone strikes in Syria to thwart terror plots. The new appointments to the intelligence and security committee, which can summon intelligence chiefs to give evidence, include;", "summary": "The prime minister has appointed SNP MP Angus Robertson to Westminster's intelligence and security committee."}
{"article": "The claim: Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown says 500,000 Irish people live in the UK. Reality Check verdict: 331,000 Irish people live in Britain, according to the most recent ONS statistics. He said that illegal immigration was the \"real problem\" and it was important that EU migration figures were not taken \"out of proportion and out of perspective\". The UK has a population of 63.7 million, of which 5.3 million (8%) are non-British, and just over half of those - 2.9 million (5%) - are from Europe. But which EU countries have the most citizens living in the UK? We looked into this by checking the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, collected between January and December 2014 in its Population of the United Kingdom by Country of Birth and Nationality report. They tell us that Polish nationals represent the largest group of EU nationals living in the UK overall, with 853,000 living in the UK. The Irish were the second largest group, with 331,000 residing here. Romanian and Portuguese nationals are in joint third place, with 175,000 people from each country living in Britain. These figures include only those who live in the UK long term: what the ONS calls the \"usual resident population\". To count, people have to be living here for 12 months or more. Those visiting for less than a year - for example those studying in the UK on a short course - would not be included. In its report, the ONS defined nationality as \"that stated by the respondent during the interview\". Italy, Spain and Greece - countries affected by the Eurozone crisis and high levels of unemployment - had 170,000, 131,000 and 54,000 respectively. Polish citizens are also the largest group of foreign nationals living in the UK overall. Read more: The facts behind claims in the EU debate", "summary": "On Monday, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on BBC Radio 4's Today programme that half a million of the EU citizens in Britain were Irish."}
{"article": "They think it could be used to improve nutritional advice or in weight loss because people are notoriously bad at recording their own eating habits. The test, detailed in the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, detects chemicals made as food is processed by the body. The research team believe it could be widely available within two years. The urine samples are analysed to determine the structure of the chemicals floating around in it using a technique called a proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This gives clues to both recent meals and long term dietary habits. The results of your body processing fruit, vegetables, fish and different types of meat leave a distinct signature in the urine. Clues to the state of the body's metabolism and gut health can also be detected by investigating the chemicals in it. The test was developed by a collaboration between Imperial College London, Newcastle University and Aberystwyth University. Dr Isabel Garcia-Perez, one of the researchers at Imperial, said: \"This will eventually provide a tool for personalised dietary monitoring to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. \"We're not at the stage yet where the test can tell us a person ate 15 chips yesterday and two sausages, but it's on the way.\" In trials, around 60% of people either under or over report what they are eating. Prof Gary Frost, another scientist at Imperial, said this could be the first independent test of what people munch on at home. He told the BBC News website: \"You can really tell whether someone's been following a healthy diet or not. \"The bigger you are the more likely you are to under-report what you eat. \"People find it difficult to open up to what types of foods they eat at home, which is a major problem.\" The researchers believe the test results could help combat people's obesity or risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Prof Frost said: \"If someone is very big and their profile says they're eating lots of energy dense foods like meat, then you can try to change that profile and then test them again later. \"It remains to be seen, but people might respond better to that and there is a desperate need for tools to help people change their diet.\" He says doing the test on large numbers of people would build up a picture of what the nation was really eating, which could be used to design better public health campaigns. The scientists were able to spot the difference between healthy and unhealthy diets after tests on 19 people who spent days eating a carefully controlled set of meals. Four diets of varying degrees of healthiness were given to the patients and their urine was sampled morning, noon and night. Dr Des Walsh, from the UK Medical Research Council, commented: \"Though this research is still in its early stages, it's grappling with essential methods in food and diet studies where advances are really needed. \"Measuring what we eat and drink more accurately will widen the benefits of nutrition research, developing better evidence-based interventions to improve", "summary": "A urine test that can reveal how healthy your meals are has been developed by UK scientists."}
{"article": "Flankers Cudd, 26, and 27-year-old Evans have signed two-year extensions with the Rodney Parade-based region. \"I have no doubt that this news will give everyone involved with the Dragons a huge boost,\" said director of rugby Lyn Jones. \"Both Lewis and Nic are quality players. Lewis has characteristics that make him a really good leader.\" Evans came through the Dragons age grades and played for Ebbw Vale and Newport RFC. before making his debut for the Men of Gwent in 2006. Cudd has made 60 appearances for the region since joining from Llanelli in 2012.", "summary": "Forwards Lewis Evans and Nic Cudd have agreed new contracts with Newport Gwent Dragons."}
{"article": "A tiara and more than 40 diamond, sapphire and emerald items were stolen during a break-in at Goodwood House, West Sussex, on 13 January. The jewellery belonging to Lord and Lady March is said to be irreplaceable. Police have not given a figure for the reward being offered in return for information about the missing items. 1820 diamond tiara worth \u00a3400,000 Det Insp Till Sanderson, of Sussex Police, said his team had been working closely with Lord and Lady March and the estate to trace and identify the people responsible for the theft of this \"treasured property\". \"I hope the offer of a substantial reward by the insurers, for information leading to the recovery of important items of jewellery and personal effects of historical significance, will encourage anyone who knows anything to come forward,\" he added. A 26-year-old man from Hampshire who was arrested in connection with the raid has been bailed until February.", "summary": "A \"substantial reward\" has been offered after heirlooms, including a ring given by Charles II to a mistress, were stolen from a stately home."}
{"article": "The Department for Transport predicted a \"decline in network performance\" once one in four cars become driverless. However, should driverless vehicles make up between 50% and 75% of cars, DfT researchers say they will reduce congestion. The average time spent delayed on city roads at rush hour will fall by 12.4% when 25% of vehicles are driverless. The DfT said early models of the vehicles acted more cautiously and the result could be a \"potential decrease in effective capacity\" on motorways and A roads. But as more people adopted the technology and it became common place on the country's road network, the study found that congestion could be cut by 40%. Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: \"There's a prize to be had in terms of swifter, safer journeys, but the transition to that world will be challenging. \"There are around 32 million conventional cars on the UK's roads - as driverless cars come in, traffic flow could initially get worse rather than better, potentially for many years. \"Much will depend on how an autonomous car's parameters are set and just how defensively these vehicles will be programmed to drive.\" The study used software to map out the effects of the cars on the road network. The DfT said the report was the first step into more trials and researching, ensuring driverless cares are \"safe and beneficial for all\". Transport minister John Hayes said: \"This exciting and extensive study shows that driverless cars could vastly improve the flow of traffic in our towns and cities, offering huge benefits to motorists including reduced delays and more reliable journey times.\" Ministers are also planning to extend existing insurance cover to driverless vehicles, covering individuals when they are driving and when they have handed over control to the computer. In the event of a crash caused by the technology, a government consultation document suggests the driver and anyone else affected should be able to claim from the insurer and, in turn, the insurer would be able to claim compensation from the manufacturer. In the document, the government adds it will incorporate the insurance proposals for automated vehicles forward into the Modern Transport Bill, which is expected to be debated by MPs later this year.", "summary": "Driverless cars could initially lead to longer delays on the UK's major roads, according to a government report."}
{"article": "Their study of more than 7,000 people suggests exposure to bleach and other chemicals is a factor in one in six cases of adult-onset asthma among British people in their mid-50s . The study, in Thorax, identified 18 high-risk jobs - four of which involved cleaning. Top of the list were farmers, followed by aircraft mechanics and typesetters. General cleaners, office cleaners, domestic helpers and care workers all featured on the list. So too did hairdressers and laundry workers. Experts say a person's working environment is to blame rather than their occupation per se. Hundreds of occupational agents have been linked to asthma. This includes flour and grain as well as detergents. Fine particles can be inhaled into the airways and cause irritation. Lead researcher Dr Rebecca Ghosh said cleaning products were starting to be recognised as a potential cause of asthma. She said there were specific Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) guidelines relating to cleaning products. Employers are expected to control exposures to hazardous substances and report any cases of occupational asthma. \"Occupational asthma is widely under-recognised by employers, employees and healthcare professionals. Raising awareness that this is an almost entirely preventable disease would be a major step in reducing its incidence,\" Dr Ghosh said. Malayka Rahman, of Asthma UK, said: \"We advise anyone who works in the industries highlighted in this study and who have experienced breathing problems to discuss this with their GP, and we urge healthcare professionals to make sure they consider possible occupational causes in adult-onset asthma and tailor their advice to people with asthma accordingly.\"", "summary": "People who work with cleaning products risk developing asthma, believe UK experts who have explored the link."}
{"article": "Wembley was being rebuilt, so the match was played at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and was most notable for the stunning - and some would say unexpected - strike from Ray Parlour that sealed victory for Arsene Wenger's team. Thierry Henry, Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, Marcel Desailly - there were plenty of big names on the pitch back then, but what are they up to now? This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser", "summary": "Arsenal and Chelsea have only featured in one previous FA Cup final in 2002 - when the Gunners defeated their London rivals 2-0."}
{"article": "The Family and Childcare Trust (FCT) said the increase in Wales between 2014 and 2015 is far larger than rises in England and Scotland. It also warned that there is not enough holiday childcare to meet demand. Welsh councils said they are \"working hard to support families in need of childcare, including during the summer holidays\". The FCT surveyed local authorities in Wales and found the average price of public sector holiday childcare, such as schemes run by councils or in schools, had risen by 69.9%. The average increase between 2014 and 2015 across Wales, England and Scotland was 14%. Jill Rutter, who carried out the survey, said: \"Welsh local authorities have until very recently protected a lot of their public sector childcare. \"In England the cuts started much earlier, back in 2010, now things are really catching up on Welsh local authorities.\" The average price of public sector holiday childcare in Wales is \u00a3108.31 a week. The average price in the private sector is \u00a3117.13 a week. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said it is working with the Welsh government and childcare providers from the voluntary and private sectors to \"consider the issues that parents face in finding accessible and affordable childcare\". The FCT said 95% of Welsh councils lack sufficient holiday childcare for working parents and not one provides sufficient childcare for disabled children, compared to 87% and 88% of English councils respectively. A spokesman for the WLGA said: \"Local authorities in Wales carry out childcare sufficiency assessments which highlight any gaps in childcare provision. \"There is, however, no legal obligation for councils to provide their own holiday childcare.\"", "summary": "The cost of council-run school holiday clubs has increased by nearly 70% this year, according to a charity."}
{"article": "LF15, nicknamed \"Lassie\", touched down on Thursday afternoon to join her mate LM12, who arrived on 17 March. The charity said Lassie began rearranging her nest before the birds made their first attempts at mating. The pair, who can be watched on the reserve's live webcam, fledged three chicks in both 2015 and 2016. Charlotte Fleming, Perthshire ranger for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, said: \"We knew it was LF15 as soon as she arrived. \"She has unmistakable features including a prominent dark brown \"Y\" on the top of her head and quickly set to work rearranging her nest to her satisfaction.\" Ms Fleming said LM12, who has spent the last week fending off crows and creating a deep cup on the nest to hold this season's eggs, joined his mate within an hour. She said: \"While it was a frosty reception with lots of shouting and mantling at first, it only took a matter of minutes for them to begin to mate.\"", "summary": "A female osprey has reunited with her mate at the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Loch of the Lowes reserve in Perthshire."}
{"article": "But the committee said imposing financial financial penalties on those who did not meet targets would be counter productive. Scotland is committed to reducing emissions by at least 80% by 2050. But a recent report confirmed the country again missed its target for emissions in 2012. It was the third time an annual target had not been met. The Scottish Parliament's Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee voiced its support for mandatory reporting as a government consultation on climate change closes at the end of this month. The committee heard evidence from public bodies and found that \"everyone stressed how seriously they take their responsibilities both to reduce their carbon footprint, and to report on their climate change obligations\". It said there were different methods of reporting between local councils, voluntary organisations, police and other emergency services. And it said clarification was needed before mandatory reporting was introduced. Committee convener Rob Gibson, an SNP MSP, said: \"The legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament commits Scotland to reducing emissions by at least 80% by 2050 and is world-leading in terms of ambition. \"However that ambition has to be translated into action. It is now time to activate real change in approach and behaviour across all underperforming sectors of society, and this includes the public sector. \"The committee is encouraged to hear many examples of the positive impact voluntary reporting has had on actually reducing emissions, and by the unanimous support for mandatory climate reporting by the public sector bodies who gave evidence. \"We must support those who are not delivering as much as they can to make Scotland a world leader, and encourage them to engage and improve.\" Net emissions in 2012 were 55.67 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e), compared to the target of 53.226. Welcoming the committee's recommendation, WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said: \"If Scotland is to get itself back on track to meeting its climate change objectives then its important everyone plays their part, and that includes Scotland's public sector bodies. \"With better coordination and support from central government, public sector bodies could be slashing their climate pollution while also saving money through initiatives to improve energy efficiency or by generating their own renewable energy.\"", "summary": "Public sector bodies in Scotland should be compelled to report climate emissions targets and progress, a Holyrood committee has recommended."}
{"article": "In an interview with the BBC, the Facebook founder said that fake news, polarised views and \"filter bubbles\" were damaging \"common understanding\". He said people had been left behind by global growth, sparking demands to \"withdraw\" from the \"connected world\". In a call to action, he said people must not \"sit around and be upset\", but act to build \"social infrastructures\". \"When I started Facebook, the mission of connecting the world was not controversial,\" he told me. \"It was as if it was a default assumption that people had; every year the world got more connected and that seems like the direction things were heading in. \"Now that vision is becoming more controversial.\" He told the BBC: \"There are people around the world that feel left behind by globalisation and the rapid changes that have happened, and there are movements as a result to withdraw from some of that global connection.\" Mr Zuckerberg's interview comes alongside the publication of a 5,500-word letter he has written about the future of Facebook and the global economy. In it Mr Zuckerberg quotes Abraham Lincoln who spoke of acting \"in concert\", and talks about \"spiritual needs\", civic engagement and says that many people have \"lost hope for the future\". \"For a couple of decades, may be longer, people have really sold this idea that as the world comes together everything is going to get better,\" he said. Ahmed: Zuckerberg lays out his vision Zuckerberg's manifesto on Facebook and the future Read highlights from the interview with Facebook's founder Facebook AI 'will identify terrorists' \"I think the reality is that over the long term that will be true, and there are pieces of infrastructure that we can build to make sure that a global community works for everyone. \"But I do think there are some ways in which this idea of globalisation didn't take into account some of the challenges it was going to create for people, and now I think some of what you see is a reaction to that. \"If people are asking the question, is the direction for humanity to come together more or not? I think that answer is clearly yes. \"But we have to make sure the global community works for everyone. It is not just automatically going to happen. \"All these different kinds of institutions, whether they are governments, or non-profits, or companies, need to do their part in building this infrastructure to empower people so that it creates opportunities for everyone, not just some people. \"If you are upset about the direction things are going in, I hope you don't just sit around and be upset, but you feel urgent about building the long term infrastructure that needs to get built,\" Mr Zuckerberg said. I asked him whether he felt President Trump agreed with his view that \"bringing people together\" and \"connecting the world\" would lead to greater progress. Mr Zuckerberg did not, famously, attend the round-table of technology leaders hosted by the new president. \"I don't think I am going to speak to that directly,\" he answered carefully. \"You", "summary": "Mark Zuckerberg has revealed deep-seated concerns that the tide is turning against globalisation."}
{"article": "Clement \"Butch\" Desmier, 68, was repeatedly stabbed with a knife and screwdriver at his home in August 2012. David Lawler, 33, and 20-year-old Nathan Jefferson - who turned 17 on the day of the killing - ransacked Mr Desmier's home as they hunted for cash. At Bradford Crown Court, Lawler was told he would serve at least 16 years, while Jefferson must serve 34 years. During the trial the jury was told how Lawler, from Shipley, had been given a 10-year extended jail sentence for slashing a man's throat with a Stanley knife nine days after Mr Desmier was murdered. The jury heard that more than 60 injuries were inflicted on the pensioner, whose face was covered with a cushion during the attack at his home in Rowlestone Rise, Greengates. Lawler - described as the \"dominant personality\" of the pair - denied murder and witness intimidation but was convicted last week. Jefferson pleaded guilty to murder. The police inquiry into the case lasted more than three years and included undercover work and a Crimewatch reconstruction of the attack.", "summary": "Two men have been given life sentences for murdering a pensioner in a brutal stabbing attack in Bradford."}
{"article": "The Guinea striker slid home Massimo Luongo's cross 15 minutes from time after the hosts had missed several chances to take the lead. Northern Ireland forward Conor Washington fired against the bar and volleyed over as QPR had 21 shots. England Under-21 striker Tammy Abraham went close for City in the first half, but powered his effort wide. Following an even first half, which also included Lee Tomlin's low strike for the visitors being tipped wide by Alex Smithies, QPR dominated after the break. After only one win in their past seven league games, boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink made changes, and it was two of the men who came in - Washington and Sylla - who pulled the strings for the hosts. Washington's strike from 20 yards took a deflection before smashing against the crossbar, shortly after Tjaronn Chery's shot was saved by Frank Fielding. Bobby Reid almost put City in front after racing onto Tomlin's through-ball, but his effort was blocked by Smithies. And moments later Sylla broke the deadlock, getting between two defenders, to poke in from close range. QPR manager Jimmmy Floyd Hasselbaink: \"In the first half we were the better team and should have scored. \"It's always difficult when you've played that well and are not in front at half-time, but we were persistent and did the same in the second half. \"We went for it. It was always going to be a battle in midfield and about winning the physical battle. Whoever won that could then create, and we did that particularly well. \"We deserved the three points. It's always important to win at home and obviously it was in the backs of our minds. We have been unfortunate in the last few games but we cannot look back. What's important is what is now in front of us.\" Bristol City boss Lee Johnson: \"Bobby Reid is a good player but he has missed a very good chance. But you have to say it was a very good save. Sometimes you just have to give credit to the opposing goalkeeper. \"It was a key point in the match really because it got their tails up and made them believe they could go on and win it. It was a good game. It had quality in sporadic patches, and had aggression. \"I've got a good group of lads and we've got a lot of players now back fit, so our squad looks strong and healthy.\" Match ends, Queens Park Rangers 1, Bristol City 0. Second Half ends, Queens Park Rangers 1, Bristol City 0. Attempt blocked. Luke Freeman (Bristol City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Tammy Abraham. Attempt missed. Tammy Abraham (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Luke Freeman with a cross. Offside, Bristol City. Gary O'Neil tries a through ball, but Aden Flint is caught offside. Foul by Niko Hamalainen (Queens Park Rangers). Luke Freeman (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the right wing. Offside, Queens Park Rangers. James Perch tries a", "summary": "Idrissa Sylla's second-half goal earned Queens Park Rangers a narrow victory over Bristol City at Loftus Road."}
{"article": "In a survey commissioned by the Army, almost 40% of servicewomen said they had received unwanted comments of a sexual nature in the past year. The report, based on a survey of 7,000 soldiers, found 13% of women had had \"a particularly upsetting experience\". About 3% of those who were very upset made a formal written complaint. Nearly half did not make a formal complaint because they were concerned about the consequences, such as being labelled a troublemaker and the effect it might have on their career. Sir Nick said he was \"disappointed\" by the figures. \"But they do provide me with a baseline from which I can move forward and change the Army's culture,\" he told the BBC. He said he wanted the Army to be a \"modern, inclusive\" employer and the change would come from the top down, with the launch of a new code of leadership in September. He also said he would ensure the complaints process was \"good and sound\", so \"all people feel they can complain if it is necessary to complain\". According to government statistics, over the past few years the proportion of women in the UK forces has been rising across all three services; the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force. In July 2014, there were 15,780 women serving across the armed forces - or 10% of the total number of personnel. The fact the head of the Army commissioned this survey suggests he knows he has a problem. One that he wants to tackle to change the Army's culture and make it more inclusive. General Sir Nick Carter has already made clear he needs to attract more women, as well as people from the ethnic minorities. To meet his recruitment targets the British army must be seen as an attractive career, open to all. Later this year he'll bring together the Army's leadership to set out a new code of conduct and to modernise the Army's values to better reflect society. The culture change won't be easy. Women currently make up about 10% of the Army's ranks. Muslims account for less than 1% of the Army's strength. But barriers are slowly being broken down. Last week the Army appointed its first female two star general. Next year it'll decide whether to lift the ban on women serving in the infantry. The Army-commissioned report found servicewomen were more likely to experience a range of \"unwanted, targeted sexualised behaviours\" than servicemen, with the exception of being sent sexually explicit material. Junior soldiers were, in some cases, four times more likely than senior officers to experience the behaviours, the report said, and the most at-risk group was junior-ranking women. Among the report's findings: It also found that 44% of respondents believed sexual harassment was a problem in some parts of the Army, but the majority were positive about how well the Army tried to prevent it and manage it when it did happen. Service personnel asked for a more effective complaints system and stronger sanctions against those who sexually harassed others. The report recommended", "summary": "Army chief General Sir Nick Carter says the level of sexual harassment being faced by female soldiers is \"totally unacceptable\"."}
{"article": "Unrest broke out on Sunday over the killing of an unarmed black teenager by a police officer in Ferguson. People looted shops, vandalised cars and stores, and set a building alight as police tried to block off access to several areas of the city. Police say Michael Brown, 18, was shot on Saturday afternoon in the mainly black suburb of St Louis. He was shot several times after a struggle in a police car, they said. On Monday, dozens of residents marched through the streets demanding justice. As residents began the task of cleaning up, some said they believed the violence was not over. DeAndre Smith, 30, of Ferguson told the St Louis Post-Dispatch that the rioting reflected a sense of injustice in the community. \"I don't think it's over honestly,\" he said. \"I just think they got a taste of what fighting back means.\" St Louis County police say the FBI has now taken over the investigation into Mr Brown's death. The rioting erupted late on Sunday after thousands of people attended a candlelight vigil for the slain man. County Police Chief Jon Belmar said the shooting occurred after the officer encountered two men, including Mr Brown, on a street in Ferguson. Mr Belmar said one of the men pushed the officer back into his squad car and a struggle began. At least one shot was fired from the officer's gun inside the police car, Mr Belmar said. But authorities say they are still trying to clarify exactly what happened inside the vehicle. The officer involved has been with the Ferguson police department for six years, and has been placed on paid administrative leave, Mr Belmar said. Mayor James Knowles said he understood that people \"want to vent their frustrations. We understand they want to speak out\", but he added: \"We're going to obviously try to urge calm.\" Mr Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden, said her son had graduated from high school and planned to go to a local college. The killing has drawn comparisons by some civil rights leaders with the 2012 killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by a Florida neighbourhood watch organiser who was acquitted of murder charges. \"We're outraged because yet again a young African-American man has been killed by law enforcement,\" said John Gaskin, of the civil rights group NAACP.", "summary": "Police in the US state of Missouri say they have arrested 32 people as calm returned after a night of rioting."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old will miss the rest of the season after being punished for a breach of contract. Turkish club Trabzonspor successfully claimed he had agreed to join them in 2013, before staying with Karlsruhe. \"Bayer had nothing to do with the incident,\" said the Turkey international. \"The club have, however, been affected by the resulting punishment in a sporting and economical sense. \"That's why, for me, it makes complete sense that I should not further harm the club and will therefore forgo my salary during the time of my exclusion.\" Leverkusen, who are mid-table in the Bundesliga, face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16.", "summary": "Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu says he will not collect his salary during his four-month suspension."}
{"article": "Peter Barnett, 44, travelled from Haddenham and Thame Parkway to London Marylebone, but dodged the full fare by claiming his journey began at Wembley in north-west London. Chiltern Railways had argued he should pay back nearly \u00a320,000 but the defence said the true value was \u00a36,000. Barnett, from Oxford, admitted fraud by false representation. Deputy District Judge Olalekan Omotosho said: \"There is a need not just to punish you for the offences but also deter others from committing offences.\" She added: \"It remains unclear why you acted so badly. \"You let yourself down and your family down, particularly in light of your profession as a lawyer.\" Barnett admitted six counts of fraud by false representation between April 2012 and November 2014 and was ordered to pay back nearly \u00a36,000. City of London Magistrates' Court heard that Barnett - an Oxford graduate and former Rhodes scholar who also worked in the financial services sector - failed to pay for journeys on Chiltern Railways on 655 days between April 2012 and November 2014. He was thought to have simply \"tapped out\" with an Oyster card, automatically being charged the maximum Transport for London fare. Prosecutors had argued he should pay back \u00a319,689, the full value of the cost of daily returns for the trips he made. However, the defence claimed the value was a penalty imposed by the railway company rather than the true value, because if Barnett had bought a ticket it would have been a weekly one - rather than paying a daily fare. The court heard that Barnett ran off when a member of station staff became suspicious about his story and called a supervisor, but had a change of heart and later handed himself in. During an interview with British Transport Police, he confessed that he had been carrying out the scam since April 2012. Barnett was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and be supervised for 12 months.", "summary": "A barrister who commuted by train for two years without paying has been given a suspended 16-week prison sentence."}
{"article": "Kallum Watkins put the hosts ahead and they extended their lead when Danny McGuire's kick bounced off the crossbar and fell for Matt Parcell to score. Tom Gilmore reduced Widnes' deficit but Joel Moon crossed for a second time and Tom Briscoe sent them 30-6 ahead. Gilmore and Chris Houston touched down in the second half but Watkins and Parcell scored again to seal the win. The victory means Leeds are level on points with league leaders Castleford Tigers, who were beaten 26-22 against St Helens on Monday, but have played one game more. Corey Thompson ran in Widnes' fourth try after the hour mark to make it 30-22 and they could have been within a converted try of levelling the scores, but Gilmore missed the extras. Despite their spirited second-half comeback, the Vikings could not close the gap and remain rooted to the foot of Super League, having won just once in their opening 10 games. Widnes also lost Tom Armstrong (knee), Danny Craven (finger) and Lloyd White (hamstring) to injury in the defeat. It was the first time Leeds had won against Widnes since beating them 38-6 in February 2015, with Denis Betts' side winning their three meetings after that defeat. Leeds Rhinos head coach Brian McDermott: \"There were a couple of things involved in the second half, not least Widnes' desire to get back into the game. But we were running at 40% in the second half and the last thing we needed to do was give them an invite back into the game. \"Credit to Widnes - they made it a contest but had we done things differently they never would have been able to make it a contest. \"We found ourselves in a situation where we were fighting for the game and credit to our players - they showed some maturity and when they got the chance they got over to score a try. \"I won't get on the players' backs about the second half - it made it interesting and entertaining - but the most pleasing thing is that we were very good and very clinical in the first half.\" Widnes Vikings coach Denis Betts: \"At half-time we spoke about treating it like someone taking something from us in the street and then chasing after them and trying to get as much as we can back. \"We got ambushed at the start and we intended to start quickly ourselves. But we were only competing at 60% and got behind in the penalty count and then we just got caught in a whirlwind of incomplete sets and injuries. \"We're down on troops and it's a tough time at the moment. We'd like to take credit for the second half - they ran out of steam a little bit too.\" Leeds: Handley, Briscoe, Watkins, Ward, Hall, McGuire, Moon, Galloway, Parcell, Cuthbertson, Jones-Buchanan, Delaney, Mullally. Replacements: Burrow, Walters, Garbutt, Baldwinson. Widnes: Thompson, Marsh, Armstrong, Runciman, Ah Van, Craven, Gilmore, Buchanan, White, Chapelhow, Houston, Dean, Farnworth. Replacements: Dudson, Walsh, Burke, Johnstone. Attendance: 15,408. Referee: Scott Mikalauskas (RFL).", "summary": "Leeds kept up the pressure at the top of the Super League as they survived a second-half comeback to beat Widnes."}
{"article": "The development will be an annex to the school for three to 18-year-olds in Ystalyfera. Built on the site of the former Sandfields Comprehensive, the secondary school will have 650 places. Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said: \"This money will address the region's growing demand for Welsh medium education.\" The Welsh Government has awarded \u00a310.69m towards the project as part of the 21st Century Schools programme which aims to update school buildings across Wales.", "summary": "Money for a new \u00a317m Welsh medium school campus in Neath Port Talbot has been approved by the Welsh Government."}
{"article": "A club statement said Dortmund were \"full of sadness\" after one fan passed away and another had to be resuscitated following two separate incidents. Fellow fans watched the rest of Dortmund's 2-0 win in virtual silence after news of the death spread through the stands. The club said the second supporter was in a stable condition in hospital. The club statement read: \"During the game there were two tragic incidents in the stadium in which two spectators had to be resuscitated. \"Unfortunately one person did not make it and has died. We are full of sadness and the families are in our thoughts. \"We have received the news from the hospital that the condition of the second person is apparently stable.\" Thousands of fans sang You'll Never Walk Alone during the match and following the final whistle as a mark of respect. Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel: \"My personal sympathies, just as those of the entire team and the backroom staff, go to the families and loved ones of the affected persons. It was a terrible situation. \"We all know that there are more important things in this life than football. It was very difficult to stand on the edge of the pitch or on the pitch, not knowing what was going on but still having to fulfil our obligation of putting in the best-possible performance.\" Mainz boss Martin Schimdt: \"Naturally our thoughts are with the relatives after such tragic events, and we wish to offer our deepest condolences. \"I found it inspiring how 80,000 fans fell quiet as a mark of respect in just a few minutes. Such solidarity is impressive, everyone in the stadium came together as a unit. That is, sadly, not always the case.\"", "summary": "A fan has died after falling ill during Borussia Dortmund's Bundesliga game against Mainz on Sunday."}
{"article": "Outsourcing firm Capita was the leading gainer, up by 4% after a reassuring trading statement. The company, which in February warned of lower margins, said it was on track to meet expectations for 2016 revenue growth. The statement was described as \"unusually numbers light\" by one broker. The FTSE 100 was up 38.92 points at 6,153.73. Shares in Easyjet, which reported a loss - largely thanks to adverse currency movements - fell 0.4% after its gain of 3.8% on Monday. There was the usual volatility in mining stocks. On Monday the index was dragged down by these with Anglo American losing 13.8%. Morning Tuesday trade sees them recover 3.4%. On the currency markets, the pound rose 0.21% against the dollar to $1.4438 but was flat against the euro to \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.2669.", "summary": "(Open): London's FTSE 100 started higher on Tuesday."}
{"article": "The victim, named locally as Aqib Mazhar - who was in his 20s - was stabbed in the back after being targeted by the gang, said the woman. They left him outside her home in Nottingham on Wednesday evening. She tried to help Mr Mazhar but said his blood went \"all over the pavement\" as she turned him over. Nottinghamshire Police said he died in hospital. Updates on this story and more from Nottinghamshire The witness said: \"They were throwing bricks, they had poles.\" \"They were smashing the car window and this guy jumped into the back seat because they had smashed his side window, and as he jumped into the back the guy opened the door and [put a] knife into his back and he collapsed out on our driveway. \"The guy who was in the car with him ran off up the road and shouted to us 'Call an ambulance' and just left him on his own on our driveway to die.\" She said there were several young men in three cars, which all stopped outside her house. \"They were just trying to smash the car but I was just thinking drive off, you know, lock your doors, and you're safe there,\" she said. She dialled 999 and went outside to try to help Mr Mazhar. \"As I turned him onto his side all the blood just [went] all over the pavement,\" she said. Police, who were called to Russell Road in Forest Fields at 20:35 BST on Wednesday, believe his fatal injuries were caused by a knife. Another witness who lives in the road said she watched police doing first aid as they tried to save Mr Mazhar's life. \"I just heard a bang and I thought it was two cars crashed or something,\" she said. \"When I went to look out the window everything was going on. \"I wasn't surprised [he died] because I saw the police doing CPR on him and they didn't wait for the ambulance to come so it must have been serious.\" The Jamia Masjid Sultania mosque in Sneinton wrote in a tribute on its Facebook page: \"Please remember young brother Aqib Mazhar in your duas. \"He sadly passed away in the evening.\" Officers are keen for anyone who witnessed what happened to come forward.", "summary": "A gang of men armed with bricks and poles smashed their way into a man's car before leaving him dying on a driveway, according to a witness."}
{"article": "The man in charge of this is Yaakov Asulin. Every day he, along with at least two other supervisors, makes sure that the chefs and restaurant staff keep to meticulous standards when it comes to keeping kosher. But he is not employed by the hotel. His boss instead is the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, the supreme religious body of Israel in charge of ruling over all religious matters including weddings and divorce. \"His job is very hard because he has to maintain all the workers and he has to check that everything is in place and on time and by the strict rules of kashrut,\" says Lannon Polon, the manager of Ramat Rachel Hotel. \"You can't mix cutlery, you can't mix certain products, of course we don't cook with milk and meat - most of the tourists, it's quite difficult for them. \"Most people in the world don't care, they eat meat and milk together and cheeseburger and ice-cream with steaks. We're conservative here.\" The hotel pays the supervisors directly and it costs the hotel around 23,000 Israeli shekels ($6,100; \u00c2\u00a34,600) a month to employ them. While keeping kosher is a religious issue, it has also become a contentious economic and political concern in Israel, with some restaurateurs saying the religious authorities are exerting too much power over business. Rabbi Aaron Lebowitz founded the Alternative Kosher Supervision Project. They also have inspectors but say they offer better service at a fraction of the cost. \"Over the years in Israel, the monopoly that the Chief Rabbinate has, has bred corruption at worst and even at best there's no competition,\" he says. \"Because there's no competition, the quality of service, the quality of supervision and also the cost are not competitive and are not of high quality. \"If you want to prevent fraud, you don't do it by concentrating the power in the hands of one government agency,\" he says. \"If you want to prevent fraud, you do it by inspection and transparency and by allowing for competition in the field.\" But his certification is only in 23 restaurants. Is that success? \"Change doesn't have to be top down, it can be bottom up,\" he says. \"In other words, the community can simply take back its autonomy and the things that are personal, the things that are belief- and religion-based, and if that becomes a movement then already the parliament and court will have to begin to accommodate what it is that the populace really want.\" But the Chief Rabbinate is convinced they are the only body who should be in charge. \"The Ministry of Health doesn't allow people who aren't qualified to give health services,\" argues Moshe Dagan, the Chief Executive of the Chief Rabbinate. \"If somebody says 'I want to be an alternative to the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Transport', how would the state see it? \"You cannot privatise in fields given authority by the state. Otherwise, everybody might say 'I want to privatise institutions'.\" Which is why any alternative kosher supervision system faces an uphill battle. The High", "summary": "In the kitchens of the Ramat Rachel Hotel in Jerusalem, every leaf is washed meticulously, every grain of rice inspected for bugs and every cut of meat checked to ensure it complies with kashrut - Jewish dietary rules."}
{"article": "Corrie Mckeague, 23, vanished after a night out in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on 24 September. Experts from McKenzie Intelligence Services were brought in to assist Suffolk Police after \u00c2\u00a351,000 was raised through an online crowdfunding page. Forbes McKenzie said his team would add \"clarity\" to the investigation. What do we know about Corrie Mckeague's disappearance? He said: \"Our mission is to create clarity from the huge amount of data that has emerged. \"We think the phone is a key piece of information. \"Where the phone finished is indicative of where Corrie was last. \"I'm very interested in what other phones were co-located with Corrie's phone.\" Mr McKenzie, whose company is based in London, said he had three specialists, including himself, working on the case. He stressed his team was \"not running a parallel investigation\" to Suffolk Police but was there to \"add value\" to what the force was doing. The team's first task would be to collate all of the information available on social media feeds, CCTV and areas that have and have not been searched, he said. \"We are plugging the gaps that Suffolk Police just doesn't have the people power to do. \"This investigation might prove to be the very first crowdfunded and crowd-data sourced investigation,\" Mr McKenzie added. About 5,000 people pledged support to the crowdfunding page after the family of Mr Mckeague, from Dunfermline, Fife, expressed concerns about the police investigation. The RAF Honington gunner was last seen at about 03:25 BST walking alone in the Suffolk town. A second public search for Mr Mckeague will take place on 22 January. More than 60 volunteers joined in the first on 17 December.", "summary": "A private detective hired through a crowdfunding appeal has said a missing airman's mobile phone is \"key\" to the investigation."}
{"article": "A spokesman for the US authorities said the operation had targeted high-level members of the cartel. The spokesman said the operation had dealt a strong blow to the criminal organisation. It comes weeks after the leader of the Sinaloa cartel, Joaquin Guzman was arrested after six months on the run. Inside the feared Sinaloa cartel 'El Chapo' Guzman and the Sinaloa cartel The spokesman, for the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency said they had helped Mexican police target a Sinaloa cartel cell operating around the Mexican city of Sonoyta, along the border with the US state of Arizona. He said it was responsible for importing millions of dollars of illegal drugs, including cannabis, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine into the US from Mexico during its existence. The operation was conducted in total secrecy with police working in both Lukeville and Sonoyta, bordering cities that are on the route to the Puerto Penasco, the popular beach destination many Americans know as Rocky Point. Mexican police officers had been allowed into the US to keep them safe during the operations the US immigration authorities had said. The arrests are the latest blow to the Sinaloa cartel, following the recapture of Guzman, also known as \"El Chapo\" (Shorty). He was arrested a few weeks ago after six months on the run, following his second escape from a high-security Mexican prison. According to Forbes Magazine, Guzman is the world's most powerful drug trafficker. The cartel is responsible for an estimated 25% of all illegal drugs that enter the U.S. via Mexico. Drug enforcement experts estimate, conservatively, that the cartel's annual revenues may exceed $3 billion. This February the city of Chicago branded him the first \"Public Enemy No. 1\" since Al Capone.", "summary": "Mexican police working with US agencies have arrested 24 members of the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel in a joint border operation."}
{"article": "Tory Zac Goldsmith pledged to deliver a Southern Overground and secure funds for Tramlink, Bakerloo Line and London Overground extensions. Labour's Sadiq Khan said he would freeze fares and crack down on what he called a \"culture of excess\". Rival candidates want to cut fares but said Conservative plans were \"uncosted\". Unveiling his manifesto in Ilford, east London, Mr Goldsmith said he would deliver planned upgrades to the District, Circle, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City, Northern and Jubilee lines, and would replace \"sub-standard\" suburban rail services with a Southern Overground. He also spoke of securing funding for Crossrail 2 and extensions to the Sutton Tramlink, Bakerloo Line and London Overground to Barking Riverside, saying that delaying or cancelling these projects would risk 250,000 jobs and 270,000 homes. He said: \"And it's why Sadiq Khan's \u00c2\u00a31.9bn black hole in the transport budget would be such a dangerous experiment, bringing gridlock to our capital, fewer new homes and meaning council tax hikes for every family in Greater London.\" Outlining his transport pledges in Brixton, south London, Mr Khan recalled riding on the number 44 bus with his siblings, when his father drove the bus. \"I'll be the bus driver's son who makes commuting more affordable\", he said, adding: \"I will wage war on waste, excess and inefficiency within TfL and crack down on the culture of excess.\" He also promised a four-year fare freeze, a review of Transport for London (TfL) management, projects which \"truly benefit Londoners\" and more women on TfL's board. He said he would look at the amount spent on agency workers and consultants, currently said to be \u00c2\u00a3383m a year. Lib Dem mayoral candidate Caroline Pidgeon said Mr Goldsmith's manifesto was \"an uncosted wish list\". \"He makes no mention of any fare rises, and he appears to be relying on government to keep on funding London's transport network.\" Green Party candidate Sian Berry has promised to lower costs for outer London, introduce flat fares by 2025, allow transfer between buses and trains without an extra cost and support walking and cycling.", "summary": "Conservative and Labour mayoral candidates have set out their transport manifestos, with a \"war on waste\" and Tube and train expansions promised."}
{"article": "Episode VII: The Force Awakens will now be released in Britain on 17 December, a day earlier than previously announced. The latest film is the first in a new trilogy for the franchise. It will will run alongside the original three films and prequels that followed them. The Force Awakens will be set 30 years after Return of the Jedi and the trailer sees the return of Han Solo, played by Harrison Ford again, alongside co-pilot Chewbacca. French film fans get to see it before anyone else with the release date in France set for 16 December.", "summary": "The UK release date for the new Star Wars film has been brought forward by a day meaning it will be out here a day before it hits cinemas in America."}
{"article": "Officers suggested the 2007 case bore hallmarks of a \"pre-planned abduction\". Scotland Yard said it was also looking into possible links to burglaries and bogus charity collections in the area. Crimewatch editor Joe Mather said several callers gave the same man's name after e-fit pictures were shown. Madeleine, from Rothley, Leicestershire, was three years old when she disappeared from her parents' holiday apartment in Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007. Police outlined their latest findings in the search for Madeleine on BBC One's Crimewatch on Monday. Detectives released two e-fits of a man seen carrying a child in Praia da Luz at 22:00 on the night Madeleine went missing and it was revealed that police now suspect Madeleine could have been taken later than previously thought - just before her mother returned to the apartment to check on her. In an update, Det Ch Insp Andy Redwood, the senior Metropolitan Police investigating officer, said there had been 730 phone calls and 212 emails \"as a direct result of the specific lines of enquiry we issued yesterday\". \"Detectives are now trawling through and prioritising that material,\" he said. \"This will take time.\" Crimewatch's editor said the appeal \"went better than expected\" with many of the calls received from British people who had been at the resort at the time but had not previously contacted the Met. Mr Mather told BBC Radio 4's Today programme a number of different names for the \"key 10pm sighting\" were mentioned and several callers suggested the same name. Clickable map and timeline Det Ch Insp Redwood told Crimewatch a number of men had been seen by witnesses in the area on the day Madeleine vanished and one theory was they could have been carrying out reconnaissance. He said they wanted to track down men seen \"lurking suspiciously\" near the McCanns' apartment block. The Metropolitan Police say their inquiries have led to the timeline and \"accepted version of events\" surrounding Madeleine's disappearance being significantly changed. Det Ch Insp Redwood said it had been a \"revelation moment\" when police discovered a man seen by the McCanns' friend Jane Tanner at 21:15 was almost certainly an innocent British holiday-maker collecting his two-year-old daughter from a nearby creche. He said: \"Our focus in terms of understanding what happened on the night of 3 May has now given us a shift of emphasis. \"It takes us through to a position at 10pm when we see another man who is walking towards the ocean, close by to the apartment, with a young child in his arms.\" Crimewatch featured a detailed reconstruction lasting close to 25 minutes. The film is also to be shown in the Netherlands, Germany and Irish Republic this week as tourists from those countries were known to be in the resort at the time. Det Ch Insp Redwood said he would be travelling to the Netherlands and Germany to continue the appeal. Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry told the programme they were \"hopeful and optimistic\" after the fresh appeal for information. Mrs McCann said: \"We're not the ones that have", "summary": "Police probing the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in Portugal say there was an \"overwhelming response\" to an appeal on the BBC's Crimewatch, with almost 1,000 calls and emails."}
{"article": "The questions were answered by 131 leaders, out of 253 new Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). A third said they felt under pressure to become larger, and two-thirds expressed fears that they might inherit debt. The Department of Health said it expected parts of the NHS to work together to resolve any deficits. The survey was organised by NHS Alliance and the National Association of Primary Care, which have joined forces to represent CCGs, who will take over buying and organising NHS services. 36% of GPs and other leaders who responded to the survey said they were under pressure from NHS managers to become bigger, so they could pass a viability test next month. And 67% suspect they will have to deal with some legacy debt from former primary care trusts (PCTs) when the new system begins in England in April 2013. Dr Michael Dixon, who heads the NHS Alliance, said: \"Having a board with other clinical representatives and allowing for audit will be expensive. \"So the CCGs need to reach a critical mass in terms of size. But there's a risk of ending up recreating the old system of 150 primary care trusts. \"We're very concerned about the possibility of debts. My GP leaders don't want to be in the position of decommissioning services. \"It's been accepted that the CCGs shouldn't inherit deficits. But in practical terms, the squeeze on NHS finances is greater than people realise. \"Savings can be made in reducing referrals by GPs - but that won't achieve all the efficiencies that are needed. \"So there's concern not just about deficits but also the ongoing savings that are needed - and whether the CCGs will have sufficient budgets. It could be a double whammy.\" Dr Dixon defended the idea of GPs taking a more active role in rationing treatment under the new system. He said: \"The NHS isn't some sort of soup kitchen where everyone can just pile in. \"GPs have always had to be responsible for the use of NHS resources, and to think about balancing them against the greater good. \"People are presenting this as a brave new world - but it's something we're doing anyway. \"Rationing is the duty of every patient, commissioner and manager - or we won't have a sustainable NHS.\" Dr Dixon said though that he agreed with the British Medical Association that GPs should not receive bonuses for saving money. A Department of Health spokesman denied officials were being prescriptive about the size of CCGs. He said: \"There are widespread variations in the size and population coverage of PCTs and there is no single 'right' size.\" \"CCGs will not be responsible for PCT debt that arose before this current financial year. \"During 2011/12 and 2012/13, we expect PCT clusters, PCTs and developing CCGs to work together to resolve PCT deficits.\"", "summary": "A survey of the groups due to take over commissioning NHS care is highlighting fears about their size and budgets."}
{"article": "Opponents Yorkshire will be without England players Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow while overseas batsman Travis Head has been called up by Australia. Fellow Aussie Tait still expects Yorkshire to be dangerous at the SSE Swalec Stadium on Thursday. \"They're a good side so they're going to come here thinking we've got a pretty good side as well,\" he said. \"Our chances are pretty good. It's going to be a good clash - a very important match for Wales.\" The game against Yorkshire is Glamorgan's first home quarter final for 12 years, with treble-chasing Yorkshire starting as favourites. \"I see Travis Head has gone home so that's one bloke we don't have to worry about for Yorkshire,\" added Tait. \"But they still have David Willey, Liam Plunkett and Tim Bresnan - they're pretty experienced. \"Adil Rashid is absolutely their danger man with the ball. \"There's some really experienced players there who have played international cricket - there's not one stand out.\" \"From our point of view we just want to make that finals day and whoever stands in our way we're just going to try to knock them off. \"Yorkshire are first up for us and if we can do them on Thursday we head off on the 20 August and have a shot at it.\" Both semi-finals and the final will be played at Edgbaston on Saturday, 20 August.", "summary": "Fast bowler Shaun Tait says Glamorgan have a good chance of progressing to the T20 Blast finals day."}
{"article": "Pollock was only the fourth fastest Irish athlete but he got the nod ahead of Sergiu Ciobanu, who clocked the third quickest time. A superb World Half Marathon run sealed Pollock's place along with Belfast's Kevin Seaward and Mick Clohisey. North Belfast athlete Breege Connolly is in the women's team with Lizzie Lee and Fionnuala McCormack. Fellow North Belfast competitor Gladys Ganiel is the first reserve for this summer's Games - Barbara Sanchez of Clonliffe Harriers is second reserve. Ciobanu, who can appeal his exclusion from the team, is first reserve for the men with Rathfarnham's Sean Hehir second reserve. Pollock, 29, set a personal best of 2:15.38 set in the Berlin Marathon last September but that was bettered by Ciobanu with 2:15.17. However, Pollock impressed by finishing 14th at the World Half Marathon in Cardiff in March, with Mo Farah the only European ahead of him. Pollock hoped to improve his marathon time in London last month but he was forced to pull out because of a foot injury.", "summary": "Holywood runner Paul Pollock has been selected in the three-man Irish marathon team for the Olympic Games."}
{"article": "An estimated 250 people made the journey from Wales to the holy city of Mecca, near where the incident happened on Thursday. The Muslim Council of Wales (MCW) had difficultly contacting some groups from Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. All have now confirmed they are safe. MCW general secretary Saleem Kidwai said he had made contact with all group leaders from Wales, and all those on the pilgrimages have been accounted for. The MCW's director of projects Mohammed Alamgir said he is now ensuring adequate support services are available to the returning parties through its network of chaplains and Imams. \"There was great concern for families and many members of the Welsh Muslim community waited anxiously for news of their loved ones and friends. Prayers were offered across Wales hoping for good news,\" he said on Sunday. \"We all now wait for the outcome of the investigation launched by the Saudi government and hope for further safeguards to ensure the safety of pilgrims.\" Along with those killed, a further 863 people were injured in the incident at Mina, which happened as two million pilgrims were taking part in the Hajj's last major rite.", "summary": "All groups from Wales making the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia where a stampede killed at least 717 have been accounted for, a Muslim leader has said."}
{"article": "The priest at St Andrew's RC Church in Livingston said anti-Catholic messages had been painted all over the building. The vandalism happened between 19:00 on Saturday and 09:00 on Sunday. Police have urged anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the area, or anyone with information, to come forward. In April 2014, St Andrew's Roman Catholic Church in Craigshill became the latest building in Livingston to be granted listed status. Designed in 1968 and completed in 1970, St Andrew's was the first Catholic Church to be built in Livingston after it was founded in 1962. Father Jeremy Bath, parish priest of St Andrew's, said: \"Craigshill is a great area where people live together in harmony so for this to happen is shocking, saddening and very disappointing. \"I've been here for seven years and nothing like this has happened before. Hence the disappointment. It's perhaps a reminder that there is still a strain of anti-Catholicism in Scottish society that we have to be aware of. \"We had a funeral today. How sad that mourners had to arrive at a church covered in anti-Catholic graffiti. Hopefully we can get things cleaned up very soon, certainly in time for our First Holy Communions this weekend. \"I'd like to thank Police Scotland, West Lothian Council and the local community for being so supportive at this difficult time.\" A Police Scotland spokesman said: \"Police in West Lothian are investigating following sectarian vandalism to a church in Livingston. \"The incident happened sometime between 19:00 on Saturday 23 May and 09:00 on Sunday 24 May at the St Andrews Roman Catholic Church in Victoria Street, Craigshill. \"Inquiries are ongoing to trace those responsible and anyone who remembers seeing anything suspicious in the area, or who has information that can assist police with their investigation is asked to come forward immediately.\" A West Lothian Council spokesman said: \"We were made aware of this incident at St Andrew's RC Church in Craigshill on Sunday and our street cleansing team have been in attendance.\"", "summary": "Police are investigating an incident of sectarian graffiti sprayed on a church in West Lothian over the weekend."}
{"article": "The owner of a successful US cosmetics company, back in 2002 she was hit by a development which threatened the firm's future - her long-time South Korean manufacturer announced that he was ending their partnership and going out on his own. Ms Telwar suddenly found that her Atlanta-based business Anisa International - today one of the world's largest designer and manufacturer of make-up brushes - had nowhere to get its products produced. Describing the situation as \"pretty scary\", and faced with the possibility of her business having to shut down, she instead determined to fly to China and secure her own factory. The Anisa International plant, based in the city of Tianjin in northern China, now makes more than 25 million make-up brushes per year. Ms Telwar, 48, looks back on the split with her former South Korean partner as being like the break-up of a marriage - yet one with a happy ending. \"It was a bit like a divorce,\" she says. \"But at the end of the day, it was probably one of the best things that ever happened.\" Owning her own factory meant that she took full control of the manufacturing process, allowing her to design new products more freely, she says. And thanks to this newer, wider range of make-up brushes, Anisa International's sales have increased substantially. Today, the company has annual revenues of more than $30m (\u00c2\u00a318.5m). It is a \"white label business\" in that it makes its make-up brushes for other firms, including many of the big names in cosmetics, such as Estee Lauder and Sephora. Born in New York, but raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Ms Telwar undoubtedly gets some of her business drive from her Russian mother Fatima Telwar, who after a childhood in Turkey emigrated to the US. Fatima Telwar ran her own import and export business, buying general goods in the Middle East, such as rugs, and then selling them in the US. After two years at business school, Anisa Telwar joined her mother's business when she was in her early 20s. The decision to go out on her own came after a meeting with the fateful South Korean manufacturer, and Anisa International was born in 1994. While the Korean firm would make the brushes, Ms Telwar would do the distribution, marketing and selling - jobs it was soon apparent that she was rather good at. While she had little capital to put into the business, Ms Telwar instead said she was determined to both work hard and think creativity. \"I had my sweat equity, and I had some marketing savvy on how to sell these brushes differently,\" she says. To do the later, Ms Telwar went to visit the big cosmetics firms, and got them to think more about how well a certain brush worked with their product. Whereas previously make-up brushes were not given much attention, Ms Telwar got the firms to focus on what softness, texture or size of brush worked best with a particular foundation powder, or eye shadow, or other such cosmetic item. It soon led to Anisa", "summary": "It was surviving a brush with adversity that allowed Anisa Telwar's business to really grow."}
{"article": "The four from Bangor's Cor Glanaethwy were freed by the fire service at 11:45 BST, half an hour before rehearsals were due to start at Wembley. Musical director Cefin Roberts said they had been \"sending us selfies from the lift to say they're ok\". \"It's quite a drama at the moment.\" Mr Roberts told BBC Radio Wales: \"They've entertained the rest of the people stuck with them in the lift.\"", "summary": "Four members of a north Wales choir spent two hours stuck in a lift at their London hotel, disrupting their preparation for the first live semi-final of Britain's Got Talent."}
{"article": "It is called Project Pilgrim - with \u00a34m of the funding coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund - its aim is to improve the medieval building's facilities. The proposals include building a new glass entrance, replacing the car park with a public space and installing solar panels on the Nave roof. Project Pilgrim manager Anne Cranston said it was to \"make sure the building is here for future generations\". Ms Cranston said: \"From the city's point of view, there's so much regeneration going on in Gloucester and the cathedral is such an important tourist destination, we need to really work out what we can do to help with that.\" She said the first thing people would see on site would be archaeologists to \"reassure ourselves we're not going to disturb anything vitally significant\". \"That's a very deliberate step on our part so that we don't hold up the rest of the construction programme. That'll just end up adding to the cost if we end up having to get the builders sitting there twiddling their thumbs,\" she said. She said the \"expensive\" project had been funded completely by grants - as well as the Heritage Lottery Fund, other organisations included the Friends of Gloucester Cathedral, the Somerfield Trust and many individuals. The project is expected to take three years to complete.", "summary": "A \u00a36m project to renovate Gloucester Cathedral has begun."}
{"article": "Scrum-half Dan Robson scored Wasps' first try when he found a gap and touched down on the post before Rob Miller crossed from close in. Josh Bassett's score helped make it 24-3 to the visitors at the break. Sam Dickinson scored in the corner for Saints in the second half, but Wasps go above them in the Premiership table. Both sides came into the match on the back of reaching the European Champions Cup quarter-finals thanks to impressive victories last weekend. But Saints, who made seven changes from their win over Scarlets, struggled to cope with a Wasps team who dealt with the wet conditions better to climb to fifth. After Robson's impressive score, the visitors increased their lead to 17-0 on 25 minutes when Miller evaded Harry Mallinder's challenge to cross. Wasps' decision not to pick international quartet Matt Mullan, Elliot Daly, Bradley Davies and Lorenzo Cittadini, despite all having been made available by their countries, looked to have paid dividends when full-back Miller turned provider for Bassett to score a try in just his second appearance of the season. Stephen Myler kicked Saints' only points of the half, and he was on the scoreboard again after an infringement by Nathan Hughes which led to him being sin-binned. But Saints failed to score with the numerical advantage, and in a scrappy second half only went over late on when Dickinson finished in the left-hand corner. Northampton Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder: \"We were hoping we'd turned a bit of a corner in Europe. We'd put in two good performances, scored some good tries and we needed to back it up. \"But that first half was unacceptable. Our defence was poor, we had no line speed whatsoever, we couldn't get our set-piece functioning at all, and so we gave our backs nothing to work from. \"Just generally, we looked flat as a team. We made a couple of changes, as did they. You come off a couple of games in Europe and you look to freshen things up, but clearly their changes worked better than ours. \"We've had losses before, as every team does, and you really have to look at yourselves.\" Wasps director of rugby Dai Young: \"I couldn't be happier. We spoke about backing it (the Leinster win) up and there were a lot of players out there who haven't had as much rugby as they would have liked. \"But you're only as good as your squad and it's important that when boys get a chance, they stand up and take it. They certainly did that tonight. \"I thought we were excellent and, from the word go, we really came out of the blocks. We thoroughly deserved our win.\" Northampton Saints: Mallinder; Elliott, Pisi, Burrell, Collins; Myler, Kessell; Waller, Haywood, Brookes, Paterson, Matfield, Wood (capt), Harrison, Dickinson. Replacements: Williams, Waller, Denman, Craig, Day, Dickson, Hanrahan, Wilson. Wasps: Miller; Halai, Macken, Downey, Bassett; Gopperth, Robson; McIntyre, Shervington, Cooper-Woolley, Gaskell, Myall, Rieder, Smith (capt), Hughes. Replacements: Johnson, Bristow, Swainston, Cannon, Young, Stevenson, Jackson, Tagicakibau. For the latest rugby union news follow", "summary": "Wasps comfortably defeated Northampton Saints in difficult conditions to win at Franklin's Gardens for the first time since 2005."}
{"article": "The crash happened between Manordeilo and Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire at about 10:30 BST on Thursday. Her family said in a tribute: \"Diane was a fun and loving wife, mother and mamgu. We are devastated by the loss of such a beautiful person.\" A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous or inconsiderate driving.", "summary": "A woman killed when a recycling lorry and her car crashed on the A40 has been named as Diane James."}
{"article": "Members of the EIS Further Education Lecturers' Association were already set to go on strike on Thursday next week. The union has now confirmed it plans to hold two strikes the following week and more after Easter. If the dispute is not settled, they plan to go on strike three days a week indefinitely from the last week of April onwards. The planned strike dates are: The dispute is linked to the return of national pay bargaining in the sector. Lecturers at most colleges are angry about a 1% pay offer and are concerned about the differences between pay at different colleges. They claim there are disparities of up to \u00c2\u00a310,000 a year. The dispute at colleges in Glasgow is over a distinct issue - the union wants these colleges to join the national pay bargaining set-up. Colleges Scotland, the body that represents Scotland's colleges, has said the pay offer which it put before the union is the best deal possible.", "summary": "Lecturers at further education colleges across Scotland have announced more details of a planned series of strikes."}
{"article": "A conference next month at the city's National Waterfront Museum will hear from delegates who have turned around the fortunes of Sydney, Australia, and Antwerp, Belgium. It is being organised by the Design Commission for Wales in partnership with Swansea council. One council leader said Swansea must rethink what makes a city successful. It follows a series of shop closures across the city centre in recent years, followed by the loss of a \u00c2\u00a31bn project to transform the shopping district, when developers plumped to invest in the out-of-town Parc Tawe instead. Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea council's cabinet member for enterprise, development and regeneration, said they needed to examine what makes a winning city. \"Shopping is a major part of the city centre offer here, but a lot more needs to be available to generate the footfall our traders need,\" he said. \"The city centre has to become a place that people want to go - a destination that's both easy to get to and offers a range of events that will create a buzz and attract people.\" Initiatives have already begun to try and lure people back into town. This week retailers have been invited to take to the streets on temporary market stalls in order to drum up passing trade with a variety of themed events. Last weekend saw the re-launch of the Big Heart of Swansea loyalty card which offers discounts at participating stores within the city centre's Business Improvement District (BID). According to Russell Greenslade, chief executive of Swansea BID, around 500 shoppers snapped up the offer on its first day. \"The beauty of the loyalty card is that discounts can only be redeemed in-store,\" he said. \"This helps attract more visitors into the city centre and boosts our traders. It's one of many schemes on which we work closely with Swansea council to benefit our city centre businesses.\" But Julie Williamson, who chairs Swansea Bay's Federation of Small Businesses, said the success of the city lay with all businesses - not just the shops. \"Of course we need a healthy retail sector, but what keeps those shops going is the workers from other offices and businesses coming into town every day, and shopping in their lunch breaks and after work. And it's those other businesses which are leaving in increasing numbers.\"", "summary": "Swansea is calling in international experts to help regenerate its city centre."}
{"article": "Brady presented his case during a 10-hour hearing on Tuesday. The 37-year-old was punished by the NFL (National Football League) after it was decided he was \"generally aware\" of a scheme to deflate footballs. The incident happened in the Patriots' play-off win over Indianapolis Colts, which sent them to the Super Bowl. An NFL investigation claimed the Patriots had deflated match balls to give themselves an advantage in their 45-7 victory. They went on to win the Super Bowl XLIX. According to reports, 11 of the 12 game balls they provided for the rain-affected match were under-inflated below set standards by about two pounds per square inch, giving Brady more grip in the cold and wet conditions. Brady was \"at least generally aware of inappropriate activities\", according to the independent Wells Report. But Brady's father, Tom Brady Sr, labelled the investigation \"Frame-gate\", and the player's agent Don Yee said the ban was \"ridiculous\" and lacked \"legitimate basis\". The quarterback will not receive any pay during his ban, while the team were fined $1m (\u00a3642,000). NFL commissioner Roger Goodell presided over Brady's hearing, despite a request from the Players Association' for a neutral arbitrator. No set time frame has been made for the outcome of the appeal.", "summary": "New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has made his appeal against the four-match ban he received for his part in 'Deflate-gate'."}
{"article": "Motorists saw the vehicle \"tootling along\" the A601 in Derby on 2 March, with one capturing the scene on a dashcam. Officers said they had traced the owner to the Chaddesden area. The man, who had a stroke some years ago, also offered his apologies to other road users, police said. PC Mark Atterbury from the Chaddesden Safer Neighbourhood Team said: \"Unfortunately he had been given some incorrect information about where and when he could use it that caused him to be on a road that was very unsafe for a vehicle of that type. \"Thankfully with the information we received I have been able to pay him a visit and give him the correct advice that means he will now be able to use his scooter in a safer fashion. \"He wanted me to apologise to any of the other road users who had been concerned about his actions but is now pleased to have had the correct information.\" Source: Derbyshire Police", "summary": "An 83-year-old man spotted driving his mobility scooter on a busy city ring road has been \"offered advice\" by police."}
{"article": "Sokol Muja, 27, was backing a people carrier out of a bay at a car wash on Llantarnam Industrial Estate in Cwmbran when he hit Dave Fields, 75. He admitted causing death by careless driving at Cardiff Crown Court. Judge Eleri Rees gave Muja, from Cwmbran, a six-month suspended sentence and banned him from driving for two years on Friday. Mr Fields had taken his car to be cleaned and was stood waiting when Muja reversed into him, causing him to fall and hit his head. He died in hospital five days later. Muja also admitted driving without insurance and in accordance with the provisional licence he holds. He was ordered to carry out 250 hours of community work and told to pay \u00c2\u00a3350 in costs and a victim surcharge. Judge Rees said: \"Your action resulted in a tragic and needless loss of life and you will have to bear the burden of guilt throughout your life.\" Afterwards, Mr Fields's daughter-in-law Kathy said: \"He deserved to go to prison for what he did but I suppose we just have to accept it. \"It seems he paid just a small price for the immense harm he has caused.\"", "summary": "A learner driver who knocked over and killed a pensioner at a car wash has been given a suspended jail sentence."}
{"article": "The man, known only as Muhamed, told an Old Bailey jury he spent 10 months undercover in Birmingham. He named three men who allegedly tried to leave the UK hidden in a lorry. Anas Abdalla and Mahamuud Diini deny preparing for acts of terrorism. Separately, Gabriel Rasmus pleaded guilty to the same offence. The three men were arrested after they were found hiding in the back of a lorry at Dover docks last April, the jury heard. Muhamed, described only in court as a \"law enforcement officer\", is believed to be the first undercover operative to give open evidence in a criminal trial relating to Syria. He has also told the court how he spent months infiltrating alleged extremist networks across Birmingham. Muhamed said his objectives included identifying anyone planning to travel to Syria. The court heard his native language was Serbo-Croat and throughout his evidence - given from behind a curtain - he spoke quietly with an eastern European accent. Muhamed told the court that in June 2014 he was deployed to three Birmingham areas - Sparkhill, Sparkbrook and Small Heath. He then spent months building his \"legend\" - an undercover identity that people trusted. Rasmus, who is 29, from Birmingham and also known as Abu Junaid, was among the men he met - and he told the court that the perfume seller dreamt of going to Syria. Over the course of some months Rasmus repeatedly asked him for help in joining the self-styled Islamic State, revealing he had twice tried to travel and been turned back in Turkey. He showed Muhamed videos of hostage killings, praised the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris and asked him whether he had contacts in the Bosnian Mujahideen. \"He is extreme, he is desperate to go to Islamic State and fight [for IS],\" said Muhamed. The court heard that in January 2015, Rasmus expressed his frustration while walking with Muhamed in Birmingham's Bullring Shopping Centre. Rasmus wanted to join someone he knew in Syria - but he had no means to get there. \"He was sad. He said if he would stay here, he would do something, some terrorist attack,\" said Muhamed. \"Did he say what sort of terrorist attack?\" asked Sally Howes QC, prosecuting. \"He said something similar to what is happening in France,\" replied the officer. Ms Howes also asked Muhamed how he went about his work. \"My objectives were to collect evidence and information about extremist behaviour and extremist people,\" he said, adding that his targets for finding such people would include meeting places, mosques and restaurants. \"An undercover officer cannot act as an agent provocateur,\" he told the jury. \"We cannot encourage people to do offences. \"Undercover officers can show enthusiasm and interest. But you have to check your authorisation for [taking part in such activity].\" Ms Howes asked Muhamed how he would decide which people he met were potential extremists. \"If someone supports Islamic State, a terrorist organisation, that for me is terrorist and extremist behaviour, and I report it. \"If someone showed me pictures of people killing hostages from", "summary": "An undercover officer who infiltrated alleged extremist networks told a court that a suspect threatened to attack the UK if he could not reach Syria."}
{"article": "The deal, to hand over the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir, was agreed during a visit to Egypt by Saudi King Salman in April 2016. It sparked rare protests in Egypt, with the president accused of \"selling\" the islands in return for Saudi aid. The deal has been subject to challenges in court over the past year. But parliament has insisted the issue lies in its jurisdiction. Final approval is now needed from President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. Protesters gathered outside the press union in Cairo as news of parliament's approval became known. Several people, including some journalists, were detained. Mr Sisi said the islands had always belonged to Saudi Arabia and that the Saudis had asked Egypt to station troops there in 1950 to protect them. A court ruled in January that the government had failed to provide evidence that the islands were originally Saudi, although this ruling was overturned by another court a few months later. Opponents accuse Mr Sisi of violating the constitution and handing over the islands to please Saudi Arabia which has backed him financially since he led the military's overthrow of his elected Islamist predecessor, Mohamed Morsi, in 2013.", "summary": "Egypt's parliament has given its approval to a controversial plan to transfer sovereignty of two largely uninhabited islands to Saudi Arabia."}
{"article": "The 49-year-old man sustained a head injury following the incident at about 09:00 on the Loan Footpath, at its junction with Fergus Avenue. He was taken to the Western General where his condition is now considered to be serious. Police Scotland are trying to trace the cyclist, who did not swap details with the jogger at the time. Sgt Neil Inglis said: \"We're eager to trace the cyclist, described as a man in his early 20s, and any witnesses, as soon as possible in the hope that they can help us establish the full circumstances surrounding this incident.\" Police are also appealing for witnesses to a collision between a motorbike and car in East Calder. A Kawasaki motorbike and a Kia Ceed collided at about 17:15 on Friday on the A71 junction with the B7031 Camps. The A71 was closed for about an hour while the road was cleared. A 41-year-old man was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with serious injuries, which are not thought to be life-threatening.", "summary": "A jogger has been seriously injured in a collision with a bicycle in Livingston."}
{"article": "It concluded that inaccurate blood tests would give too many people an incorrect diagnosis, while lifestyle changes had a low success rate. But the director of the NHS programme said its approach was based on \"robust evidence\". The programme started last year and will cover all of England by 2020. Type 2 diabetes leads to 22,000 early deaths every year in England and costs the NHS \u00c2\u00a38bn. In the UK, about 3.2 million people have type 2 diabetes and this is predicted to rise to 5 million by 2025. The UK's National Diabetes Prevention Programme, which aims to identify thousands of people at high risk of developing the condition each year, follows a \"screen and treat\" approach. This involves a screening test for pre-diabetes, then tailored treatment or advice on diet and lifestyle to prevent the disease developing. But after analysing the results of 49 studies of screening tests and 50 intervention trials, University of Oxford researchers said the policy would benefit some, but not all those at high risk. They also said a population-wide approach to diabetes prevention would be a useful addition. In the BMJ study, they found that two blood tests - HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose - were inaccurate at detecting pre-diabetes, although they are the only ones available to doctors and patients. They also found that lifestyle interventions lasting three to six years showed a 37% reduction in relative risk of type 2 diabetes - equivalent to 90 fewer people in every 1,000 developing the disease. When treated with a drug that helps lower blood sugar levels, 80 fewer participants out of 1,000 developed diabetes compared with those not taking the drug. The authors concluded: \"As screening is inaccurate, many people will receive an incorrect diagnosis and be referred on for interventions while others will be falsely reassured and not offered the intervention. \"These findings suggest that 'screen and treat' policies alone are unlikely to have substantial impact on the worsening epidemic of Type 2 diabetes.\" However, Matt Fagg, programme director for the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, said it was \"a key part of the solution\" and was \"based on a comprehensive collation of robust evidence\". He added: \"Diabetes prevention also needs to start even earlier - we're committed to reducing obesity and creating a more active culture so that we see fewer people at risk in the first place.\" And Jonathan Valabhji, national clinical director for obesity and diabetes for NHS England, said the NHS programme was not a screening programme -\"it empowers people who have already been identified through routine clinical practice to reduce their risk\". \"As this BMJ paper highlights, such lifestyle interventions have been clearly shown to work. \"The NHS is not willing to sit idly by while these individuals progress to Type 2 diabetes,\" he said. Prof Norman Waugh from Warwick Medical School said there was a balance to be struck between screening and treating individuals, and the public health model of changing behaviour in the whole population at risk. Public health measures could include helping people to control their weight, introducing", "summary": "The NHS programme for screening those at high risk of type 2 diabetes is unlikely to have much impact, an Oxford University study in the BMJ suggests."}
{"article": "Father-of-three, Martin O'Rourke, 24, died after he was shot several times outside a pub in the Sheriff Street/Oriel Street area at about 12:30 local time on Thursday. It is understood the murder was a case of mistaken identity. A handgun was found in a bin a short time after the shooting. Mr O'Rourke tried to run but was shot several times by a gunman dressed in dark clothes, who then cycled away. The gun is now undergoing ballistic tests but is believed to be the murder weapon. Police have also recovered a black bicycle. The scene of the shooting remains cordoned off. RT\u00c3\u2030 reports that it is the fifth murder as part of a feud between associates of Gary Hutch, who was shot dead in Spain last year, and David Byrne, who was connected to the Kinahan international drugs cartel based in Spain.", "summary": "Police in the Republic of Ireland believe they have recovered the weapon used in the murder of a man in Dublin."}
{"article": "Mr Anderson said he was angry his track record \"wasn't good enough\". Unite Union aide Dan Carden, 30, has been selected in the safe seat. Ben Williams, the secretary of the constituency party, tweeted he will resign in protest at a \"disgraceful undemocratic stitch-up\". Steve Rotheram, the constituency's MP since 2010, said he was standing down from Westminster after being elected mayor of the Liverpool City Region last week. Mr Carden, who joined the Labour Party while at school, was selected by Labour's National Executive Committee. He is an aide to Len McCluskey, general secretary of the UK's largest union, Unite. He was born in Liverpool, but critics argue he is inexperienced in the city's politics compared to the other candidates. Mr Anderson, who was on the final short list along with Mr Carden said: \"I put myself forward for the selection in Liverpool Walton on my track record of running a successful Labour council in a major city and my desire to use those skills for Walton, for Liverpool and a new Labour government. \"Apparently it wasn't good enough for the panel.\" Mr Anderson said he had turned Labour's fortunes around in the city, leading a socialist council and protecting those most in need. North West Euro MP Theresa Griffin had also put herself forward. Labour won Liverpool Walton in 2015 with a majority of more than 27,000.", "summary": "Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has said Labour \"is not always a meritocracy\" after being overlooked as the party's Liverpool Walton candidate for the general election on 8 June."}
{"article": "Cookson, the ex-head of British Cycling, beat Ireland's Pat McQuaid in a bitter election in late 2013. But Armstrong is unimpressed with what he has seen of the president so far. \"If McQuaid had made the same decisions Cookson has made in his first year, he would have been lynched,\" said the disgraced cyclist. \"Do we like what we have got so far?\" Armstrong cited the decisions to \"rush\" through Team Sky's request for Chris Froome to get emergency steroid treatment for asthma after the Tour de Romandie's prologue and Cookson's handling of the Astana affair as failures to signal a new direction at the top of the sport. Media playback is not supported on this device Astana, the team for which Armstrong rode during his second comeback in 2009, have been mired in controversy ever since five riders in their system failed drugs tests in a matter of months last year. Many observers expected the UCI to revoke the team's WorldTour licence but after weeks of speculation the Kazakhstan-based outfit were given another chance in December. Run by Alexander Vinokourov, a contemporary of Armstrong's, Astana remain on probation and their anti-doping practices are being independently vetted, but the episode was widely seen as a challenge that Cookson ducked. And with Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali riding for Astana, the sport had once again left itself vulnerable to ridicule. Speaking to the BBC in his first TV interview for two years, Armstrong said \"everybody thinks\" Astana should have been thrown out, but he accepted that Cookson's hands might have been tied by the UCI's rules. He was less understanding, though, on the 63-year-old's failure to force the likes of Vinokourov, Tinkoff-Saxo's Bjarne Riis and other controversial team managers still in the sport, to cooperate with the panel set up by the UCI to investigate the sport's murky past. Armstrong has talked to the Cycling Independent Reform Commission (Circ) twice and is now waiting to see if his efforts will be rewarded with a recommendation that his lifetime ban from sport should be reduced. That ban was given out by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) in 2012 when Armstrong failed to cooperate with its investigation into the teams with whom he won his seven Tour de France titles. He was also stripped of those victories. Any decision on reducing the ban rests with Usada, which might mean Armstrong is left disappointed, but he is angry that his peers have not been compelled to talk to Circ. \"If I'm Brian Cookson, I would make it a deal point that you have to come in and talk,\" he said. \"So if Riis doesn't talk to you, or Vinokourov doesn't, there should be consequences. I don't know those to be examples, but I can imagine. \"If you don't come in to talk, you don't just get passed.\" When asked for a reaction, Riis's team Tinkoff-Saxo said he has never refused to meet Circ and it wanted to respect the confidentiality of the process, while the UCI said it would wait until Circ's report is", "summary": "Lance Armstrong believes Brian Cookson has not delivered on his campaign promises since taking over at the International Cycling Union (UCI)."}
{"article": "The health watchdog said it had taken \"urgent action\" after an unannounced inspection at Pro Medicus in Harpenden. It has declined to say why it took the action, stating its reasons will be revealed in a report being published at a later date. Pro Medicus director Stephen Burton said it had taken \"robust action\". The CQC said it carried out an unannounced inspection on 3 and 4 August and chose to take \"urgent action to temporarily suspend the registration of this provider\". It said that the suspension was due to last until 18 September \"whilst they take action to address the concerns we have\". The CQC said the provider could not undertake any of its regulated work while it was under suspension. Pro Medicus has more than 30 years' experience providing independent ambulances, medical supervision and first aid training courses throughout the UK. Its website claims its clients include NHS trusts, Stevenage Football Club, Cambridge United Football Club and Saracens Rugby Club. The watchdog gave the company a clean bill of health in its last inspection in November 2013. Mr Burton declined to say what the issues were about, adding: \"We've taken advice from the CQC. A number of things were highlighted - we're not denying what they've said need addressing. \"We've taken robust action and we've got staff in at the moment going through everything and we're updating lots of things. \"As far as we're concerned we've always had a good name. We're going to bring it up to scratch and hopefully in the next few weeks everything will be in place.\"", "summary": "A private ambulance firm based in Hertfordshire has had its registration temporarily suspended due to \"concerns\" by the Care Quality Commission (CQC)."}
{"article": "In his speech to Scottish delegates gathered in Aberdeen, he said \"nationalism and populism\" might seem like \"attractive options\". However, he said the right choice was the Liberal Democrat Party and the influence it could wield in government. Mr Carmichael said his ambition was to see all 11 Lib Dem Westminster seats in Scotland being retained. He told the conference: \"In a world where nationalism and populism can seem like attractive options - a world where the power of the state and corporate interests can seem to overwhelm the rights and freedoms of the individual - in a world like that liberalism is needed more than ever before and more than ever before our country needs Liberal Democrat influence in government.\" Recent polling had suggested that the Liberal Democrats would lose most of its Scottish MPs. However, echoing similar messages from party leader Nick Clegg and Treasury Minister Danny Alexander, Mr Carmichael said he wanted to prove the doubters wrong about the 7 May election outcome. He said: \"All the clever people tell us - apparently it is over. We are all going to lose. At best I will be the last man standing. Well, let me tell the clever people this. I have campaigned in every general election since 1979.\" He added: \"In each and every one of these elections the imminent demise of our party has been confidently predicted. Our wipeout has been awaited with relish. \"But somehow - in the face of all the cleverness - we are still here. We have proved them all wrong before and I promise you this, come May 7th we are going to prove them wrong again. \"We are defending 11 seats here in Scotland, in this election. And we can hold each and every one.\" The minister re-capped on the party's time in coalition government and said that Lib Dem influence had helped to: Mr Carmichael made clear he knew the road so far had been a hard one and there would be more challenges ahead. But he said he had no intention of cutting more than was needed. The MP for Orkney and Shetland said: \"In this week's budget the Tories softened their plans for PR purposes. \"But they still want to cut further into the fabric of our public finances. \"Further than the economic case requires.\" He added: \"There must be rich, chauffeur-driven venture capitalists out there who live in gated communities, use private healthcare, have no children, and were born to parents who were either equally rich or who are long since dead, and who would be quids-in under the Tories. \"But for the rest of us on a normal salary or a low salary, or no salary at all, who depend on the NHS, who have children at state schools, or use public transport, or rely on the state pension, or who have dependents, or who just live on the same planet and breathe the same air as most of us do. \"Well, for us, this right-wing, dogmatic, self-centred, ideologically-driven, Ayn Randian dystopia is not a matter of", "summary": "Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael has said he believes liberalism is needed \"more than ever before\"."}
{"article": "The problem affects voice-over-internet-protocol (Voip) phones, commonly installed by businesses, when default passwords are used. Snom, the manufacturer whose phones were used in the research, has said the attack affects outdated software. A spokesman said the tested firmware was \"never in wide circulation\". The researcher carried out tests on a phone that was reset to \"default\" factory settings. Just by running a couple of lines of code on a website visited by the phone user, the researchers demonstrated how premium-rate calls could be made. By exploiting the fact that Voip phones and desktop computers are connected to the same internet network at many organisations, attackers are often able to access the phones themselves and operate them without the owner becoming aware. \"It's incredibly easy to do,\" said security researcher Per Thorsheim, who was involved in the demonstration by fellow researcher Paul Moore. However, a spokesman for Snom said, \"Snom's internal investigation reveals that the desktop telephone used in Mr Paul Moore's experiment was an old 2008 telephone model utilizing outdated beta firmware... which was never in wide circulation. \"The latest and current firmware is version 8.7.5.35 and there have been multiple firmware releases since the outdated beta release.\" The spokesman added that Snom telephones by default request that both users and network administrators set a password during installation. \"If a password is not set, a continuous non-stop, endless visual warning on the device's display is illuminated,\" he said. Mr Thorsheim explained that the tested phone could be compromised if the user visited a web page containing a couple of lines of Javascript web code. Prof Alan Woodward, a security expert at the University of Surrey, said attacks on Voip phones were a \"significant problem\" and pointed out that by using online tools he was able to find many examples of phones that could be accessed using the method. \"The one we do know where it's being used a lot is premium-rate scams,\" he told the BBC. \"They use your phone to dial a premium-rate number. There's a lot of that going on - we're talking millions being made out of that.\" The practice of using phone lines paid for by companies to make expensive calls for little or no fee is thought to be increasingly common, according to research by security consultancy Nettitude. In a report last year, it said that the UK was particularly badly affected. Prof Woodward said the issue was similar to flaws found in internet-connected devices and warned that with the rise of the Internet of Things, similar tricks were likely to become more and more common. \"It's a huge wake-up call to anybody who's building devices with embedded software,\" he said.", "summary": "Security researchers have hacked a phone to show how it is possible to eavesdrop on conversations and make premium calls on someone else's line."}
{"article": "Madeleine Moon, Bridgend's Labour MP, said more military exercises are needed to show Russia \"we are ready and we are capable\". It follows the crash of Malaysia airliner MH17 in Ukraine and growing tensions between Russia and the west. Ms Moon, who sits on the Commons defence committee, called for a halt in a decline on defence spending. A total of 298 people were on board MH17, when it was reportedly hit by a missile over a rebel-held area in Donetsk region on Thursday. Ukraine and the pro-Russian rebels have accused each other of shooting down the Boeing 777, which was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Western countries have criticised restrictions imposed by rebels at the crash site, and have asked Russia to pressurise them to allow more access. Ms Moon said the \"callous\" behaviour of militia followed the annexation of Ukraine adding that Russian president Vladimir Putin had to realise that the \"world is outraged\". She said: \"I think we have to act as if we're entering a new Cold War. \"We've had Russian ships, we have had Russian submarines off our coast for the last few years. \"We've had Russian planes entering very close to our airspace for years, testing our defences. \"We've got no maritime patrol capability - that needs to be replaced.\" Ms Moon, who is also part of the Nato Parliamentary Assembly, told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement Britain had ignored Russia's \"flexing of its muscles\". She added: \"We have to have more regular live exercises and snap exercises so that we are clear that we are sending a message to Russia that we are not sitting back - we are ready and we are capable - because that's the only message the Russians understand.\"", "summary": "Britain has to \"act as if we're entering a new Cold War\" with Russia, an MP has claimed."}
{"article": "Police were called to McLeod Street near Tynecastle Stadium at about 15:00 on Saturday, 3 October, to a reports of a fight involving 20 rival supporters. A 21-year-old man from Kilmarnock was charged at the scene. A further 14 men and boys, aged 14-28, have been charged with various offences. All are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on 17 February 2016. Insp Bob Innes of Police Scotland said: \"We treat such incidents extremely seriously. \"The safety of everyone attending football matches is of paramount importance and violence and disorder will not be tolerated. \"Thanks to some excellent police work and with the assistance of our partners at Hearts Football Club, we have successfully traced and charged 14 males in connection with this incident. \"They will appear in court in due course and in the meantime they have been ordered not to attend at any regulated football match in the UK. \"I can reassure the public that anyone involved in this sort of criminal activity will be swiftly dealt with.\"", "summary": "Police have arrested and charged 14 football fans in connection with a clash before last month's match between Hearts and Kilmarnock in Edinburgh."}
{"article": "Jose Beltrame stood down a day after a high profile clash between police and suspected drug dealers in some of the city's best known neighbourhoods. The shootout caused panic and forced shops to closed their doors on Monday. Police say three men were killed and several arrested in the raid on the Pavao-Pavaozinho shantytown. Dramatic footage posted online shows one of the suspected criminals falling off a mountain after being shot by police. Pavao-Pavaozinho is built on the hills and granite mountains that divide the Copacabana, Ipanema and Lagoa neighbourhoods. Mr Beltrame led a controversial programme that saw the occupation of dozens of Rio's favelas by police. Residents initially welcomed the \"pacification plan,\" and celebrated the arrest or escape of drug lords who controlled life in their communities. But many eventually turned against the programme after accusing police of abusing their powers. More than 260 favelas have been occupied since the programme was launched in 2010. Rio's pacification programme was aimed at improving security and the rule of law in the run-up to Brazil's hosting of the football World Cup in 2014 and Rio's staging of the Olympics and Paralympics , which took place in August and September. Rio residents say security has declined sharply since the end of the Games. Mr Beltrame said the first phase of his \"pacification programme\" was to restore law and order in the city's poorest communities. But he complained that there was no money for the second phase of the programme, which consisted of social improvements for residents, with the construction of schools and leisure facilities. Brazil is facing a serious economic and political crisis and the state of Rio de Janeiro has been particularly hit by the downturn.", "summary": "The head of security for the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro has resigned after nearly ten years in post following a recent rise in violence."}
{"article": "Resuming on 27-2, the Bears looked likely to follow on when injured skipper Ian Bell's departure left them 88-6. They recovered to post 152, thanks to Varun Chopra's 56, then fought back. They bowled Somerset out for 178 - of which Peter Trego made 51 - and closed on 4-0 in pursuit of 322 to win. Trego's second half-century of the match, following his first-innings 94, may yet prove decisive, despite Boyd Rankin's 3-33 and Chris Woakes' 3-45. A first-innings lead of 143 was a significant advantage on a pitch which has offered bowlers more assistance than envisaged. Lewis Gregory and Jamie Overton each took three wickets for Somerset, but Craig Overton finished off the innings after Warwickshire's last pair Woakes and Jeetan Patel had added 17 to see their side past the follow-on target. With both sides looking for their first win of the season, Warwickshire will have to make the highest score of the match to do it - and the balance is tilted even further in the visitors' favour by the continued worry over Bell, who is nursing an injured hamstring. Having not come in until number seven in the first innings because of the time he had spent off the field the previous day, Bell lasted only 12 balls before holing out off Trego for seven. Bell, hoping for an England recall against Sri Lanka for the first Test at Headingley in 10 days' time, went off at the end of the day's play for a scan, but is expected to be able to bat. Warwickshire bowler Boyd Rankin told BBC WM: \"We will try and bat really positively. We still think we can win. In general, it is a pretty good wicket. There are a few cracks there in the pitch but we have just got to be positive. \"I would say that the reason so many wickets have fallen is down more to batsman error than top-quality bowling. \"Looking back on our innings there were quite a few soft wickets and I suppose the same with them. \"The wickets here seem to get a bit flatter so our ploy was to bowl a little bit short. There were one of two them not too keen on the short ball so it was something we felt would work well on that wicket.\" Somerset all-rounder Peter Trego told BBC Somerset: \"Tom Abell played magnificently well on day one, supported up the other end by myself, but we played and missed at a lot of balls that we could easily have nicked. The general feeling was that you could easily be rolled for 150 and that played out in Warwickshire's innings. \"We have got ourselves into a great position now and it's about staying disciplined and pretty much replicating what we did in their first innings. \"The pitch has some quite decent-sized cracks so, when the ball is in and around that area, there is a little bit of uneven bounce and sideways movement. Because of the nature of what happens when the ball does hit a crack, it", "summary": "Somerset look in the best shape to win at Edgbaston after a bowler-dominated second day against Warwickshire in which 18 wickets fell."}
{"article": "The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 369.96 points or 2.12% finishing at 17,847.63. The broader S&P 500 index rose 42.07 or 2.05% to 2,091.69, while the Nasdaq index jumped 104.74 or 2.08% to 5,142.27. The US market added 211,000 new jobs in November leaving unemployment at 5%. Many investors now believe it is inevitable that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates when it meets on 15 and 16 December. Bank stocks were among the days big winners. Shares of JPMorgan Chase grew by 3.2% while Citigroup shares were up 3% and shares of Wells Fargo rose 2.7%. Oil services companies were some of the few to fall on Friday after OPEC- a group of large oil producing countries- announced it would keep production levels unchanged. Servicing company Weatherford International lost 4.5% and Transocean fell 3.9% While the domestic economy showed signs of strengthening, the slowdown in the global economy weighed on America's trade deficit. Data from the US Commerce Department showed the gap between what America imports and what it exports rose 3.4% to $43.9 billion in October.", "summary": "(Close): Wall Street closed up following a strong US jobs report that showed unemployment remaining at a seven and half year low."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old Southend United forward was jailed in May after admitting online banking fraud in which a woman lost more than \u00c2\u00a32,000. His club said he was eligible for early release because of the short duration of his sentence and \"his consistently excellent custodial behaviour\". Ranger will return to training with the League One club immediately. In a statement, Southend United said: \"Nile may regard himself as fortunate but will remain under an evening home curfew for the next five to six weeks.\" The club said it was unclear whether this meant he would be able to play in midweek evening matches. Ranger is set to go through an individual training regime over the next seven to 10 days before rejoining his team-mates. The former England youth player came through the academy at Newcastle United and went on to play for Swindon Town and Blackpool, before moving to Southend United in last summer.", "summary": "Footballer Nile Ranger has been released from prison about 10 weeks into his eight-month sentence."}
{"article": "He is referring to the prospect of a peace deal between the Colombian government and left-wing rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). Most of Panama's security problems originate south of its border, in Colombia. Colombia is one of the world's top three producers of coca, the raw ingredient of cocaine, and huge amounts of it are smuggled from Colombia to the United States. Panama, Colombia's northern neighbour, is often the first stop for those smuggling the drug by land or speedboat. Colombia is also the scene of the continent's longest-running armed conflict. For more than 50 years, Farc rebels have been fighting the Colombian government. The jungle area between Colombia and Panama was for years a rebel stronghold. From a helicopter, Gen Abrego points out small hamlets in Darien province, on the Panamanian side of the border. \"This is where the Farc would hold its football tournament,\" he says pointing to a clearing in the jungle. \"And this is where they would rest after carrying out their attacks.\" In 2008, almost two-thirds of Darien province was under rebel control, he says. Combating the rebels has been no mean feat for Panama, which, along with Costa Rica, is one of only two countries in Latin America not to have a standing army. Panama's military was disbanded shortly after the 1989 US invasion which overthrew military ruler Gen Manuel Noriega. A constitutional amendment in 1994 later prohibited the creation of a standing army for good. It therefore comes as little surprise that for years Farc rebels could move almost freely from Colombia across the 225-km-long border into Darien to rest and regroup. It is only since the creation of the Panamanian Border Police, Senafront, in 2008 that the government has had a permanent presence in the area. That increased security presence is in Colombia's interest too. It has long been frustrated by the ease with which the rebels could escape arrest by slipping across the border. The two countries co-operate closely on security and run a joint control post called La Union. La Union is located on top of a mountain in dense jungle. It sits right across one of the main routes the Farc used to enter into the country. As we land, it is steeped in mist, giving it an eerie feel. La Union does not consist of much more than a few wooden bunkers covered with sandbags. The lookouts are manned by young policemen on the Panamanian side, and young soldiers on the Colombian side, all of whom look rather relaxed, almost bored. The Colombians, who are stationed here for four months at a time, keep themselves busy by building a new accommodation hut which they hope will prove more comfortable than the tents they are currently sleeping in. There does not seem to be much of a threat here, but Gen Abrego assures me this post and others like it are key in keeping the rebels at bay and keeping the local population safe. \"For a long time, the only authority in these parts was the commander", "summary": "\"Peace is not a bad thing, but it's unlikely to solve our problems,\" says Director of Panama's Border Police, Frank Abrego."}
{"article": "Mohammed Rafik Naji, 37, had expressed support for an attack in Times Square, according to a criminal complaint. The 37-year-old, who lives in Brooklyn, was charged on Monday, said a spokeswoman for the FBI. Times Square was the site of a failed car bomb attempt in 2010 carried out by a 30-year-old Connecticut resident. A paid police informant made contact with Mr Naji in August 2015. Suspicions had been aroused after he flew to Turkey with the alleged ambition of joining Islamic State in Yemen. He had emailed his girlfriend while he was away, asking her for money and sending her a \"selfie\" of himself in black clothing wearing an armoured vest, according to court papers. When he flew back to New York later in 2015, he remained in contact with the informant and one recorded conversation five days after the Nice attacks led to him being charged. In that conversation, Mr Naji expressed his support for staging a similar attack - 84 people were killed in France by a lorry driving into crowds celebrating Bastille Day - in New York's Times Square, say prosecutors. \"They want an operation in Times Square, reconnaissance group already put out a scene, the Islamic State already put up scenes of Times Square, you understand,\" Mr Naji said, according to the court papers. \"I said that was an indication for whoever is smart to know.\"", "summary": "A Yemeni man living in New York City has been charged with attempting to provide support to the Islamic State group, say US authorities."}
{"article": "Football's world governing body acted following the \"internal wrangles affecting the FGF that have halted all football competitions in Guinea\". The committee, whose members will be selected by Fifa and the Confederation of African Football, will be tasked to organise FGF elections by 28 February. Until then the committee will run the daily affairs of the FGF. The problems have affected Guinea's campaign to qualify for next year's Africa Cup of Nations tournament. They are third in their group behind Zimbabwe and Swaziland, with only the winners guaranteed a place at the finals in Gabon. Guinea are also due to host the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, a decision that was made by Caf in 2014.", "summary": "Fifa has appointed a normalisation committee to take charge of Guinea's Football Federation (FGF)."}
{"article": "\"I saw that online,\" Williams told the BBC. \"I get where he's coming from.\" \"I find it difficult forming words in my head without an audience. So when there's 16,000 people screaming at you while you're trying to talk, I get it.\" But he said Bieber was wrong to scold his fans: \"You've got to do it with humour or you don't do it at all.\" Bieber's UK tour was marred by ill-tempered rants at the audience. He called fans in Birmingham \"obnoxious\" and walked off stage in Manchester when screams drowned out his voice as he spoke between songs. \"I don't think it's necessary when I'm trying to say something and you guys are screaming,\" the 22-year-old told them. He later reappeared to finish the concert, saying: \"I'm not going to talk the rest of the night. We're just going to do the music. Obviously Manchester just can't handle it so let's do the music.\" Williams, who said he had seen coverage of the incidents, added: \"I was like, this attention deficit disorder's really getting in the way for him. That's what I felt like, without even knowing that he'd got it.\" He later discovered that Bieber had talked about his struggles with ADHD, revealing to GQ magazine that he was taking the stimulant Adderall to help him concentrate. After finding fame with Take That, Williams also suffered anxiety and depression and said he had struggled on tour in the past. \"Sometimes it's work and sometimes there's a communication with my audience that feels otherworldly,\" he explained. David's Song, a track on the star's new album, was inspired by one such moment. \"I was actually on stage and I was having the most perfect moment with the audience, and I thought 'If I died right now, life has been absolutely amazing'. \"It can be that good on stage. Then on other nights, it's just me acting like I'm enjoying myself because that's what they've paid for me to do. That's just the rhythm of life\". Williams said that having a family had helped him overcome his anxiety about playing live. \"I'm a daddy, so I have a purpose,\" he said. \"It all makes sense. I'm a working dad, whereas before I was the textbook pop star who wasn't happy, even though he's got all this stuff.\" He added that his marriage to Ayda Field had changed the way he behaves on stage. \"I don't think I'm as touch-feely as I used to be with the audience,\" he said. \"I can't do that now I've got a wife. \"I guess that I'm not as sexually-orientated. That's not the same any more. [Family] has made me want to be a better performer, better singer, better songwriter, better lyricist. The sense of responsibility has made me fine-tune my game.\" The star also confirmed he would not be reuniting with Take That to mark the band's 25th anniversary in 2017. \"We unfortunately couldn't get our diaries to match. We will be doing something but I don't think it'll be next year.\" Follow us on Twitter", "summary": "Robbie Williams says he sympathises with Justin Bieber, after the Canadian pop star reprimanded audiences for screaming at his concerts."}
{"article": "World number four Massaro, 33, won 11-8 12-10 11-5 in 35 minutes to become the second woman to win the title twice, after Malaysia's Nicol David. \"I'm one of the oldest on Tour and as long as I feel I'm still in contention to win titles, I'm happy,\" she said. Compatriot James Willstrop was beaten 12-10 11-9 11-8 by Egypt's Mohamed Elshorbagy in the men's final. Former world number one Willstrop, who is now ranked sixth, said: \"To make the final was a great pleasure. I was loving every minute, apart from losing. \"Full credit to him, he stopped me playing so there are no complaints.\"", "summary": "England's Laura Massaro defeated world champion Nour El Sherbini to defend her Dubai World Series Finals title."}
{"article": "Set 240 to win, Michael Klinger (53) and George Hankins (67) added 99 for Gloucestershire's second wicket. Taylor then smashed 64 from just 36 balls before being out with the scores level, but the visitors sealed victory. Luke Wright had earlier made 84 for Sussex, but was caught behind off the impressive Chris Liddle (5-52). After Wright fell on 182-5, having earlier been aided by Laurie Evans' 48, Sussex's batsmen struggled, with only Jofra Archer (30) making any real impact on the scoreboard. Both sides are now on three wins after seven matches, but Sussex have a point extra after their rain-ruined match against Middlesex. They can still make the top three - and a place in one of the two quarter-finals if they beat Hampshire at Southampton on Wednesday and Surrey lose to Gloucestershire at Bristol. Gloucestershire's Jack Taylor: \"I'm hitting the ball well at the moment and it was nice to get us over the line for a good victory. We've just been too inconsistent in this format but we played well today. \"We weren't sure what a good score was going to be but we bowled well, especially Chris Liddle, and then Michael Klinger and George Haskins set things up nicely for me and Ian Cockbain at the end. \"Although we can't reach the knockout stages it's important to keep playing good cricket, not least because a lot of the skills are used in T20. It's good practice for that.\" Sussex head coach Mark Davis: \"It's incredibly frustrating because we have played a lot better in this format but we have twice got ourselves in good positions and not won either game. \"We thought we had a competitive score but we got ourselves into a good position and then kept losing wickets at crucial times. They then set the game up with the way Klinger and Haskins batted. \"If we win the last game we'll give ourselves a chance of making the knockout stages so there is still a lot to play for.\"", "summary": "Jack Taylor's fourth One-Day Cup half-century of the season helped Gloucestershire to a six-wicket win over Sussex with eight balls to spare."}
{"article": "The alleged victim was on her way to school when she was reportedly taken by two men in a car. But after reviewing CCTV, dash-cam footage and eye-witness accounts, there was no evidence of an abduction, Thames Valley Police said. They are still looking into rape allegations. According to initial reports from police, the victim alleged she was abducted by two men in a silver car on Marston Ferry Road in Summertown on 28 September. She was then found knocking on residents' doors in Cavendish Drive. Oxford City commander Supt Joe Kidman said the force, county council and social services are working with the victim at her pace. He added: \"Attacks such as initially reported are mercifully rare and will always be treated extremely seriously and thoroughly investigated. \"Working with vulnerable and young victims is an extremely complex and lengthy process and it is paramount that they are protected appropriately.\" 29 September: Police report that a teenager, 14, was abducted walking to school at about 08:25 BST on 28 September, and then raped. Forensic patrols begin across North Oxford 30 September: Patrols are increased throughout North Oxford and officers tell children and schools to remain vigilant 1 October: Police release descriptions of alleged abductors and rapists 3 October: Thames Valley Police focus their search for forensics on Marston Meadow, where the girl was thought to have been taken 5 October: Ribbons are put up across North Oxford in a show of solidarity for the alleged victim 12 October: Police issue e-fits of alleged abductors 26 October: Detectives say there is no CCTV footage or evidence of the victim being abducted 11 November: Police reveal the alleged abduction did not take place but say they are still investigating the rape", "summary": "Police investigating the alleged abduction and rape of a 14-year-old girl in Oxford have said the \"abduction did not take place\"."}
{"article": "Shares of the state-owned firm and its units were up between 16% and 42%. The IPO was the biggest in the world this year and the largest since Alibaba's record $25bn deal in 2014. It also marks the Japanese government's largest asset sale in nearly three decades. The listing is part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plans to boost the flagging economy by encouraging consumers to invest in the stock market. About 10% of each company was sold to the public in the largest privatisation of a state-owned firm since Nippon Telegraph and Telephone in 1987. The government allocated 80% of the shares to domestic investors, with the remaining 20% sold to international institutional investors. Japan Post Holdings opened at 1,631 yen per share, 16.5% above the IPO price of 1,400 yen. The banking unit started at 1,680 yen, up almost 16% from its IPO price, while the insurance unit was 33% higher. That compares with a rise of over 2% for the benchmark Nikkei 225 index. Angus Nicholson, market analyst at trading firm IG, said the \"blockbuster\" IPO was helping drive the rally in Japanese markets as they returned from a holiday on Tuesday. \"It is a significant moment as the privatisation of Japan Post had been a rallying cry during former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's reign in the early-2000s,\" he said. The government plans to raise a total of 4tn yen in additional asset sales in the coming years. It has said the funds will be used to help reconstruct areas hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.", "summary": "Shares of Japan Post and its banking and insurance units surged on their stock market debut in Tokyo after the triple initial public offering (IPO) raised $12bn (\u00a37.7bn)."}
{"article": "The last week of Yvette Cooper's leadership campaign isn't exactly how she predicted it. She has spent more time in Parliament than on the stump. As shadow home secretary she has been leading her party's response to the refugee crisis - initially calling on the government to do more, and now pressing for some of those families who have already fled to Europe to be resettled here. This has helped, rather than harmed, her leadership chances but has also meant more conventional campaigning has had to be discarded. \"I tend to respond most strongly to the most serious issues but I'm trying to keep this apart from the leadership contest, and trying to get cross party agreement to an appropriate response to the refugee crisis,\" she tells me. While I met her rivals \"on the road\" at rallies and meetings, we meet in her parliamentary office. She was on the front bench for David Cameron's statement on Monday, then was granted her own emergency debate on the crisis on Tuesday, and had sat alongside Harriet Harman - for whom she worked when Labour was in opposition in the 1990s - for her last Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday. She still hopes to be taking over from her old boss when Labour's new leader is announced on Saturday but her team admits it will be an uphill struggle. She seems to be ending the campaign strongly, but has she left it too late? \"The next week will define the next ten years' she declares. \"My message now is look, we lost in 2015, it's really hard to win general elections -we need the best chance of doing so and a lot of people who depend on us will be let down if we veer away from the challenges of the future and look back to our party's history.\" Translated, that is please don't back Jeremy Corbyn. But she admits that her campaign got off to a slow start. \"Some people were planning their leadership campaigns for a long time. I wasn't. \"We were doing things from scratch. In the first month of the campaign I found it hard to come out of the shadow of the general election which we were so devastated at losing. I would go to meetings and people were just on the floor.\" But, she says, she has been consistent throughout her campaign in arguing for high quality manufacturing jobs, doubling investment in science, and for free childcare. So what brought her into politics in the first place? \"My dad (Tony) was a full time trade unionist. My mother came from a mining community so it was a Labour family but we didn't talk about party politics - we talked about issues and ideas. \"I first got involved campaigning against Section 28 (Conservative legislation that banned promotion of homosexuality a a 'pretended family relationship' in schools in England) -and I went with my Dad on the People's March for Jobs when I was 12 or 13.\" She was born in 1969 so her teenage years were spent under Margaret", "summary": "In the fourth of a series of in-depth profiles of the Labour leadership candidates, Iain Watson catches up with Yvette Cooper."}
{"article": "The body of Christopher Butler, 27, from Southsea, was discovered at a flat in Waverley Road in the early hours of Friday. A 23-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man, both from Portsmouth, are being held, Hampshire Constabulary said. A post-mortem examination on Friday was inconclusive.", "summary": "Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a man in Portsmouth on New Year's Day."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device More money than ever is flowing into the English domestic game, thanks to a \u00a3225m deal between the Rugby Football Union and Premiership clubs, and a bumper TV deal. As a result the salary cap has risen to \u00a36.5m a year, while each club can also sign two 'marquee players' who do not count under the cap. With the new season starting on Friday, BBC Sport takes a closer look at some of the stellar new arrivals set to make an impact this year. South African flanker Burger is the most experienced of the new international stars arriving on England's shores, with 86 international caps under his belt. The 33-year-old, who won the World Cup with the Springboks in 2007, moves to champions Saracens after spells with Japanese outfit Suntory Sungoliath and Super Rugby side Stormers. Burger made his international debut for South Africa in 2003 and has featured in four World Cups. \"I've had a good career so far but you have two ways to look at it,\" he told BBC Radio 5 live. \"One - you can try and slow down, try and limit the schedule and play a little bit less. I look at it the other way. \"I've got a couple of years maybe more left and I just want to challenge myself as much as possible.\" The Australia full-back, capped 60 times by his country, is one of the highest-profile signings in Premiership history. Beale, 27, is one of Wasps' marquee players with his salary - in excess of \u00a3500,000 a year - falling outside the salary cap. But Wasps fans will not see the former Waratahs star in action until at least November as he recovers from a serious knee injury. \"It's pretty frustrating coming in injured - not being able to do the things I am meant to do - but I guess when the opportunity comes I will be fighting fit and ready to go,\" Beale told BBC Radio 5 live. \"Obviously there is going to be a little bit of expectation and pressure. But I don't think it will be a huge problem for me because I really enjoy it when the pressure is on.\" France number eight Picamoles has made what has been an unusual move over the past few years, from France to England, while at his playing peak. The 30-year-old, who has 54 international caps and is noted as one of the finest ball carriers in the game, said he was looking forward to the quicker pace of the Premiership. \"Maybe it is more physical in France, but here all teams want to play a fast game, and this is good for my progression,\" he told BBC Radio 5 live. \"It's a big change for me and my family but we are enjoying starting a new life and adventure.\" The Wales international - foreign in that he is not English-qualified - may not have moved far in heading to the West Country from Newport, but Faletau's arrival at Bath was not without", "summary": "A host of big international names are ready to light up what promises to be another ferocious Premiership season."}
{"article": "It was alleged in court that the Melbourne Storm prop and fellow Kiwi forward Kevin Proctor bought the drug after Friday's defeat by Australia. Proctor said he had \"too much to drink\" and \"although I can't remember exactly what happened, I don't deny it\". New Zealand Rugby League says banning the pair from the 2017 World Cup \"could be one of a number of sanctions\". The tournament will be held in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, taking place between 27 October and 2 December. New Zealand's management and senior players are set to meet to discuss possible sanctions against captain Bromwich and Proctor after chief executive Alex Hayton said they had \"breached their code of conduct\". Bromwich has been suspended for two games by his club and ordered to have counselling and treatment courses. The forward said: \"I understand I am a role model to the young players and the poor choices I made do not reflect my personal values. \"I regret making the choice of staying out with my team-mates until the early hours of Saturday morning, as well as consuming an excessive amount of alcohol. \"I take full responsibility for the poor choices I made, I am devastated and my actions were out of character.\" Proctor, who has stepped down as co-captain of Gold Coast Titans, will appear before a club board this week and has also been stood down from playing until a \"final decision\" has been reached. He said in a statement he was \"extremely embarrassed and sorry for the damage I've done to the game and my personal reputation since Friday night's Test match in Canberra\". He added: \"After the game we went back to the New Zealand team hotel and had a late dinner. \"After the dinner we went to a local club to have a few drinks. The rest of the night is a bit of a blur as I obviously had too much to drink before the incident that has caused all the trouble. \"I am devastated by the whole thing and can't apologise enough to my Kiwi team-mates, the NRL, the Titans, and all fans of the game. \"I've never been in this sort of trouble in my career, I have never failed a drug test, and I'm so sorry I've let everyone down by losing control of my personal decisions by drinking too much alcohol.\" The allegations against the pair emerged in a court case which heard that a local man was captured on CCTV preparing a white powder on his phone. He then handed it to Bromwich and Proctor, who were said to have rolled up bank notes and taken the substance. While both players were named in court, neither has been charged with an offence.", "summary": "Jesse Bromwich has stood down as New Zealand captain following allegations he took cocaine."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Bingham, 39, won his first world title in 2015 after beating Shaun Murphy, who comes up against Anthony McGill. Five-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan faces Dave Gilbert, world number one Mark Selby plays Robert Milkins and Judd Trump meets Liang Wenbo. Bingham begins his campaign at 10:00 BST on Saturday, playing to a conclusion from 19:00 on the same day. World number two Bingham, who won a shock maiden world title last year despite being a 50-1 outsider at the start of the tournament, drew one of the most difficult qualifiers in Carter. O'Sullivan and Selby will be confident of progressing after gaining favourable draws, but in-form Trump, who won the China Open earlier this month, faces a significant test in 2015 UK Championship runner-up Liang. \"The very first match that came out, Trump against Liang, what a first round that is,\" said World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn. \"That will be sensational and my pick for the first round.\" All eyes were on China's number one player Ding Junhui, who had to qualify after slipping out of the top 16, and he comes up against Englishman Martin Gould. Other standout ties see Northern Irishman Mark Allen come up against world number 74 Mitchell Mann, the only debutant this year, and an all-Scottish clash between Stephen Maguire and Alan McManus. \"Just because he is number 32 seed, it still won't be easy,\" said Allen. \"I won the Players Championship, the last tournament I played in, but it is different pressure here. The place brings back special memories and there is so much history here.\" This year's tournament sees 28 of the top 32 players in the world in action, with every champion from this century looking to win the title again. Full draw Stuart Bingham v Ali Carter Stephen Maguire v Alan McManus Ricky Walden v Robbie Williams John Higgins v Ryan Day Judd Trump v Liang Wenbo Martin Gould v Ding Junhui Mark Williams v Graeme Dott Neil Robertson v Michael Holt Shaun Murphy v Anthony McGill Marco Fu v Peter Ebdon Barry Hawkins v Zhang Anda Ronnie O'Sullivan v David Gilbert Mark Allen v Mitchell Mann Joe Perry v Kyren Wilson Michael White v Sam Baird Mark Selby v Robert Milkins", "summary": "Defending champion Stuart Bingham faces two-time runner-up Ali Carter in the first round of the World Championship."}
{"article": "Permission is being sought for three single turbines over 200m (655ft) high at Graythorp Industrial Estate, Brenda Road West Industrial Estate and Tofts Road West. The Department of Energy and Climate Change said it believed these would be the highest in England and Wales. Hartlepool Borough Council has recorded about 40 objections to the plans. More than 300 consultation responses have been received from individuals, councils and other organisations. The scheme developer is Hartlepool renewable energy company Seneca Global Energy Ltd. Ward Hadaway solicitor Mark Whitehead, who is acting for the company, said single, taller turbines could generate the same volume of energy as three or four typical turbines used in other schemes. \"The increase in wind speeds at height allow the volume of renewable energy generation from each turbine to be maximised, whilst having the benefit of reducing the number of turbines used,\" he said. \"This is intended to deliver high levels of renewable power whilst minimising the visual impact on the surrounding area.\" Of those replying to the consultation to date, just over one in 10 object on grounds such as reduction of property value, obstruction of view and effect on wildlife. Further discussions are taking place about the location of turbines planned for Tofts Road West and Graythorp Industrial Estate. The Ramblers Association and Network Rail pointed out their current proposed site left them within \"topple distance\" of the nearby railway line and buildings. The application for three turbines with a maximum tip height - measured from the ground to the top of a turbine blade pointing upwards - of 206m (677ft) is due to be considered next year. By comparison, turbines at Northumberland wind farms such as Lynemouth and Middlemoor are about 120-125m (about 400ft) high.", "summary": "Plans for what could be the highest wind turbines in England and Wales have been submitted in Hartlepool, Teesside."}
{"article": "Colchester Winter Wonderland and Ice Rink, which opened last month, said it had become \"financially impossible\" to continue after the warm temperatures left people skating through water. Customers had said it was like a \"huge puddle\" and \"too dangerous\" to use. All remaining events have been cancelled. On a statement on its Facebook page, the company said: \"This decision has been taken with deep regret as it will have a major impact of (sic) its staff, partners and customers.\" The ice rink, in Castle Park, was forced to close on six occasions since it opened on 27 November. It was due to run until 3 January. On Tuesday morning Reflective Ice, which runs the rink, posted a message saying \"the constant wind now on site and warmer temperatures have destroyed the ice pad again\". Angie Bailey, 36, who lives in Colchester, took her children to the rink on Saturday afternoon but said it was \"too dangerous\" for Jack, aged 10, and Sommer aged 5, to skate. \"My children had just got over colds and for them to skate and fall over in cold icy water isn't on,\" Ms Bailey said. \"I paid for ice skating not water skating. \"The amount of people falling over due to catching their blades was crazy, the water was deep enough it covered the blades of the skates.\" Some customers had praised the experience. A woman called Emma Barnes said her daughter \"had a fantastic time... she did fall over and get completely soaked but we brought a spare set of clothes\". But other customers described the rink as \"one huge puddle\" and a \"swimming pool ice rink.\" Reflective Ice previously replied to say that the situation was \"totally out of our control\". \"All our equipment is working perfectly, it's just too warm,\" it said.", "summary": "An ice rink that melted in the unseasonably warm weather has closed with the company going into liquidation."}
{"article": "They can be bought for a fraction of the genuine fare on the \"dark web\", using the virtual currency Bitcoin. BBC South East bought a first class fare from Hastings to Manchester, and a monthly ticket between Gatwick and London, using them without problems. The fraudsters said they were offering \"an affordable public service\". The group, who are not being named by the BBC, said in a statement: \"The train companies keep stuffing their pockets with public subsidies while treating the operation of rail services as an inconvenience. \"No-one should be ashamed of getting one over companies like Southern Rail. \"We wish one day everyone will be able to use an affordable public service. Until then, we will be providing it.\" The fake first class ticket to Manchester was purchased for \u00a3111, instead of \u00a3285, while the monthly season ticket from Gatwick was sold to the BBC for \u00a3100 rather than the retail price of \u00a3308. The web-seller said the magnetic strips would not work but rail staff would still let passengers through the barriers. The fake tickets were used on 12 occasions, and each time they failed to be accepted by the barriers, but BBC reporters were allowed through without any questions asked. They were also carrying genuine tickets. Rail fraud investigator Mike Keeber said the counterfeit tickets were very convincing, but \"there's something on there that shouldn't be on there\". \"I'd rather not say what it is, as people who make this [could] change it and make our lives harder.\" Some transport firms are testing new technology, including Transport for London which uses bank cards, so everything is traceable back to an individual's bank. The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies, said fare dodgers \"deprived the railway\" of about \u00a3200m a year. It said staff carried out regular inspections on trains and at stations, and being in possession of a forged ticket was a criminal offence, risking a hefty fine or prison sentence. Det Insp Jeremy Banks, from British Transport Police's Cyber Crime Unit, added that it worked closely with the rail industry, and police forces nationally, \"to investigate fraud and bring offenders before the courts\". \"We are aware that criminals have been using the dark web in order to exploit rail firms by fraudulently selling tickets,\" he said. Watch a full report on BBC Inside Out South East - BBC One on Monday 31 October 19:30 GMT.", "summary": "Forged rail tickets are being sold on a hidden part of the internet and being used at stations without detection, an undercover BBC investigation has found."}
{"article": "He was presented with a prize of \u00c2\u00a315,000 for his story Briar Road at an event at the BBC's Radio Theatre in London. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time author Haddon was the runner up for his story Bunny. Brighton-based Buckley said the award was \"a huge and delightful surprise\". He is the author of nine novels, most recently The River is the River. Chairman of Judges Allan Little said: \"Jonathan Buckley's Briar Road is a quiet, intriguing mystery and focuses on a single moment in the life of one family who have turned to a spiritualist after their teenage daughter has disappeared. He described Buckley's writing as \"understated, stark and plain\", adding: \"The intrigue builds as key details are revealed slowly, hinted at and suggested rather than spelled out.\" The winner was announced on BBC Radio 4's Front Row programme. Haddon's story Bunny tells of a morbidly obese housebound man who finds love in an old school friend. Little called it \"compassionate, touching and darkly funny\". Mantel's work, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, is set four years after Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979 and imagines an IRA attempt on her life. The two other shortlisted authors were Frances Leviston and Jeremy Page. Gwyneth Williams, controller of BBC Radio 4, said: \"I am thrilled to celebrate 10 years of our BBC National Short Story Award with such exceptional stories and gifted writers. \"Radio 4 is proud to broadcast more short stories than anyone, anywhere in the world. Writers and original writing lie at our very heart.\"", "summary": "Former Rough Guides editor Jonathan Buckley has beaten Hilary Mantel and Mark Haddon to win the 10th annual BBC National Short Story Award."}
{"article": "The tax hike of 3.99% will include a 2% rise to pay for adult social care after falls in government funding. Unions have said the \u00a318m of cuts being made to the budget was putting staff and services under pressure. The council says the budget is balanced but critics say the plan lacks specific details of where the cuts will fall. Council leader John Osman said: \"As we move forward the financial picture will get worse before it gets better. \"It's not until round about 2020 that the financial status of the council will improve, according to what the government has told us so far.\" He added there would be some \"quick wins\" of cuts which would not affect frontline services. The opposing Liberal Democrats are calling for more details about which services will be affected. Leader of the Liberal Democrat County Group Jane Lock said: \"It is a disgrace that the Conservatives will not give councillors and residents any information about the cuts coming on 1st April, yet they are happy to increase council tax yet again.\" Independent Mike Rigby said: \"I'm very worried because it was very clear last year the budget unravelled, so within three months the council admitted it was \u00a324m overspent. \"I'm worried the same thing will happen again this year, particularly this year because we have no detail about where the cuts will fall.\"", "summary": "Taxpayers in Somerset will face at least a \u00a350 rise in council tax after the Conservative-led county council agreed its budget earlier."}
{"article": "The Swiss, playing his first match in two months, won the first set but succumbed to the German in the second-set tie-break having had match point. \"It's always special to play a close friend like Roger on grass, always lots of emotion,\" said the world 302. \"I saved a match point so was able to play more freely after that.\" He added: \"I even shocked myself.\" It was Haas' fourth victory in 17 meetings against the former world number one. The 35-year-old, who has started his build-up to Wimbledon, had not played since winning the Miami Open against Rafael Nadal in April and missed the entire clay court season. It was only the world number five's second defeat of the 2017 season.", "summary": "Seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer was beaten 2-6 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 by 39-year-old Tommy Haas on grass at the Stuttgart Open."}
{"article": "Developer RWE Innogy is pulling the plug on the 240-turbine Atlantic Array project, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) told the BBC. The scheme, which had not yet received the go-ahead, had attracted criticism, with environmentalists worried about its impact on marine wildlife in the Bristol Channel. RWE Innogy said it was \"not the right time\" for the project. The Atlantic Array was planned in an area of 200 sq km (77 sq miles) about 16.5km (10 miles) from the north Devon coast, 22.5km (14 miles) from south Wales coast and 13.5km (8 miles) from Lundy Island nature reserve. The turbines would have been 220m (720ft) tall and capable of producing 1,200 megawatts of electricity - enough for up to 900,000 homes, the developer has said. RWE said it was \"not viable... to continue with development in the Bristol Channel Zone\". RWE's director of offshore wind, Paul Cowling, said: \"This is not a decision we have taken lightly. \"However, given the technological challenges and market conditions, now is not the right time for RWE to continue to progress with this project.\" DECC told the BBC the scrapping of the scheme was a matter for the developer, but the decision \"was made on purely technical grounds and reflects the many complex challenges of constructing offshore wind farms\". But BBC South West political editor Martyn Oates said: \"Sources have told us that this will not go ahead because of problems in financing it. By Roger HarrabinEnvironment analyst The collapse of the Atlantic Array project highlights the current chaos in energy policy. RWE and other firms are complaining that energy has become a political football, with Labour trying to freeze prices and the Conservatives apparently dismissing renewables subsidies as \"green crap\". Investment in new large scale projects like offshore wind farms has dried up. Developers are waiting to see what price they will be able to sell their power. Some developers also want to see the outcome of further details of the Energy Bill, which will not be decided until sometime next year. The industry is angry that the government has asked it to invest \u00c2\u00a3100bn renewing generating capacity in the UK, whilst creating political conditions which they say make that investment impossible. There is an irony, too. The eventual cost of power will partly depend on how cheaply developers can borrow capital. Lenders demand higher rates of interest if there's uncertainty. So by arguing about bringing down bills, the politicians may inadvertently be forcing them up. Follow Roger on Twitter \"Just last week, [green energy group] Regen SW said that the government's recent announcement that it is going to cut back on green levies to support renewable energy was already undermining investment in the region and putting jobs at risk. \"And in terms of investment and jobs, this is a really big project, the company (RWE) says it would provide thousands of jobs.\" Friends of the Earth's head of campaigns, Andrew Pendleton, said: \"The government's wanton green-bashing is starting to cost jobs and threaten the future security of our energy supply. \"The", "summary": "Plans for a huge wind farm off the north Devon coast have been shelved."}
{"article": "No sooner will the European Championships end than Wales' three league and one non-league club get under way before the 2016-17 football season starts But who is facing who and when and where? BBC Wales Sport looked at the line-up. Francesco Guidolin's side have announced a pre-season tour of the United States beginning on 13 July when they play Charlotte Independence. On their return, The Swans will go on to play Bristol Rovers and Swindon Town before facing former manager Kenny Jackett's Wolves at Molineux. They will then round off their pre-season campaign with a home fixture against French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais on 6 August. Fixtures Charlotte Independence, Thursday, 13 July 23:30 BST (Ramblewood Stadium) Richmond Kickers, Sunday, 16 July 00.00 BST (City Stadium, Virginia) Bristol Rovers, Saturday, 23 July 15:00 BST (Memorial Stadium) Swindon Town, Wednesday, 27 July BST 19:45 BST (County Ground) Wolverhampton Wanderers, Saturday, 30 July 15:00 BST (Molineux) Stade Rennais, Saturday, 6 August 15:00 BST (Liberty Stadium) Paul Trollope's Cardiff City will take part in a pre-season tournament in Germany on Saturday, 23 July, which will see them join Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach in facing 2. Bundesliga sides VfL Osnabruck and FC St. Pauli at Osnabruck's Bremer Brucke stadium. The Osnabruck Tournament will consist of four 60-minute matches in total - of which Cardiff City will play in two - over the course of the day, with a penalty shoot-out being used to decide games that end in a draw. Prior to making the trip to Germany, the Bluebirds will play Forest Green Rovers and Shrewsbury Town and will face another 2. Bundesliga side VfL Bochum three days after the tournament. They will then return to Britain to play away fixtures at Exeter City and Premier League side AFC Bournemouth ahead of the 2016-17 Championship season. Fixtures Forest Green Rovers, Wednesday, 13 July 19:45 BST (The New Lawn) Shrewsbury Town, Saturday, 16 July 15:00 BST (Greenhous Meadow) VfL Bochum, Tuesday, 26 July 18:00 BST (Stadion am Schloss Str\u00fcnkede - home of SC Westfalia Herne) Exeter City, Thursday, 28 July 19:30 BST (St James Park) AFC Bournemouth, Saturday 30 July 15:00 BST (Dean Court) Warren Feeney's side will take in six pre-season fixtures as they look to prepare for their fourth season back in the Football League since clinching promotion from the Conference Premier in 2012-13. Fixtures Ton Pentre, Wednesday, 6 June 19:15 BST (Ynys Park) Caldicot Town, Friday, 8 July 19:00 BST (Jubilee Way) Undy Athletic, Thursday, 21 July 18:45 BST (The Causeway) Coventry City, Saturday, 23 July 15:00 BST (Spytty Park) Forest Green Rovers, Saturday, 30 July 15:00 BST (The New Lawn) Gloucester City, Monday, 1 August 19:00 BST (Whaddon Road) Fresh from a disappointing eighth-place finish in the National League, Gary Mills' side begin their pre-season campaign with a short trip to Lex Glyndwr on 1 July. The club, who are still to arrange a final fixture on 30 July before the beginning of the 2016-17 National League season, will not use their Racecourse Ground in pre-season as work is due to be carried", "summary": "The fixtures for the new season have been released and Wales have reached the quarter finals of their first major international tournament for 58 years."}
{"article": "In September, the firm confirmed it was in the early stages of assessing an offer for the Premier League club. But in a statement issued to the London Stock Exchange, the company said it had \"terminated\" its interest in a takeover bid and was \"no longer considering making an offer\". Cain Hoy had until 10 October to firm up its interest or withdraw it. Spurs are currently trying to finance a project to construct a new 56,250-capacity stadium. When Cain Hoy confirmed their interest in a Tottenham takeover on 12 September, without the club's consent, Spurs swiftly issued a statement saying they had met company representatives but added there were \"no ongoing discussions\". Instead, the club said it was focused on the new stadium development and the season ahead. When contacted by BBC Sport regarding Cain Hoy's withdrawal of interest, the club said it had nothing further to add. Cain Hoy's latest statement, however, did leave open the prospect of the company renewing its interest after a six-month restriction, which comes into place with immediate effect in accordance with the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers. Tottenham plan to move out of their White Hart Lane stadium by 2017, but a legal wrangle means they will have to find a temporary home venue for the 2017-18 season. But West Ham would likely block any move from Spurs to ground-share at the Olympic Stadium, according to Hammers' vice-chairman Karren Brady. Other potential ground-shares include Wembley and Stadium MK in Milton Keynes.", "summary": "American investment company Cain Hoy has said it is no longer considering making an offer to buy Tottenham."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Dan Topolski, BBC Sport \"You are going to get medals galore if you tune into the rowing. Team GB have representatives in 13 of the 14 events, and we could come away with medals in 10 of them. Katherine Grainger, who is in a pretty stunning double scull with Anna Watkins, is looking to turn three silver medals from the three previous Games into a gold. In the lightweight men's double, Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter are the reigning world and Olympic champions, so you'd think they are a good bet. Competition for Britain could come from the New Zealanders who are fantastic in several events.\" The days when Redgrave and fellow knight Sir Matthew Pinsent ruled the waves may have passed but the sport in Great Britain has never been in better shape and the hosts will be looking for a record return of medals at Eton Dorney. The rowing regatta has produced at least one gold for Team GB in each of the last seven Olympics and the nation's overall medal haul has been increasing in recent times - two medals in Atlanta, three in Sydney, four in Athens and six in Beijing. Redgrave's exploits are now the stuff of legend and there are several other Britons hoping to make their mark in the history books at the London Games. Rowing is a sport that requires huge strength and lung-busting stamina. For those competing at an elite level, the immense mental fortitude needed to cope with the punishing training regimes - pre-dawn starts, even on cold and dark winter days, are just part of the routine. Media playback is not supported on this device A large number of muscles are used for an extended period of time while rowing. The high volume of strokes performed will increase muscular endurance in your legs, back and arms. Rowing also boosts coordination as it involves a complex series of movements from every limb, repeated in a controlled manner. All of these components mean rowing is one of the most physically demanding sports on the Olympic programme, with approximately 651 calories burned per hour. This makes Redgrave's achievement of winning gold at five consecutive Games all the more amazing. As rowing is often carried out in groups, it is an excellent way to develop communication skills and learn to work effectively with other people. Clubs also offer a variety of social events beyond simply playing the sport. Rowing is a diverse and all-embracing sport. You don't need to be an Olympic-standard athlete to get out and enjoy the United Kingdom's waterways. More than 55,000 people from 520 clubs in Britain now row at least once a week and there are around 300 rowing events a year across Britain. Get your performance under pressure analysed in just 20 minutes by four-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson Start the experiment For an annual membership fee which may vary between \u00a335-\u00a3450 per annum, clubs will provide training programmes and the use of facilities and boats. Most clubs will offer", "summary": "Thanks to the success of one of the greatest ever Olympians, Sir Steve Redgrave, and the world famous University Boat Race, rowing has a proud history within British sport."}
{"article": "The Somali-born author was to appear on Australian TV on Monday before starting her tour, titled \"Hero of Heresy\". But she pulled out due to \"a number of reasons including security concerns\", event organiser Think Inc said. Ms Hirsi Ali has faced death threats in the past. \"[She] hopes to be able to return to Australia in the not too distant future,\" Think Inc said in a statement. About 2,000 tickets had been sold for the speaking events in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland. She was granted asylum in the Netherlands in 1992, and was elected as an MP in 2003. Ms Hirsi Ali rose to international attention in 2004 as the writer of a controversial film on violence against Muslim women, Submission, after her collaborator, filmmaker Theo van Gogh, was murdered by a radical Islamist. Having received repeated death threats over her challenges to Islam's treatment of women, Ms Hirsi Ali spent time living under 24-hour police guard. She then moved to the United States, where she has maintained a high profile. In an article for the Hoover Institution last month, Ms Hirsi Ali described what she called \"political Islam\" as being not just a religion but \"a political ideology, a legal order, and in many ways also a military doctrine associated with the campaigns of the Prophet Muhammad\". Nearly 400 people had signed an online petition opposing Ms Hirsi Ali's visit to Australia and New Zealand. \"Against a backdrop of increasing global Islamophobia, Hirsi-Ali's divisive rhetoric simply serves to increase hostility and hatred towards Muslims,\" the petition said. Protests had been planned at locations where she was speaking, and people who bought tickets were told their bags would be searched. Think Inc said all ticketholders would receive refunds.", "summary": "A former Dutch MP and prominent critic of conservative Islam, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, has cancelled a speaking tour of Australia and New Zealand citing security concerns."}
{"article": "Alexander Beltran Herrera's unit was responsible for moving the hostages and imprisoning them in chains. The contract workers were on an anti-drug surveillance mission when their aircraft broke down in the Colombian jungle in February 2003. They were eventually rescued by the Colombian military in 2008. Hostages Thomas Howes, Keith Stansell and Marc Gonsalves were imprisoned by members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) and held by Herrera's unit for around two years. While Alexander Beltran Herrera did not have much contact with the hostages, the court heard how the three men were taken deep into the jungle and kept in chains for much of the five years of their captivity. Keith Stansell removed his shirt to show the court scars around his neck from the chains and described being chained to a tree whilst suffering from malaria. But, addressing Herrera, he said: \"I don't want him to suffer like we did.\" Herrera was extradited to the United States in 2012. His lawyer described him as a man of little education who had been trying to build a new life after he deserted from the Farc in 2009. According to Associated Press, he apologised to the men during the trial, saying: \"I feel shamed about what you all had to go through.'' Colombian military forces rescued the three Americans in July 2008 in a high profile helicopter rescue operation, which also brought about the release of French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, as well as 10 other hostages. The Farc are currently engaged in dialogue with the Colombian authorities in a bid to negotiate a peace deal - some see it as the best chance for a negotiated settlement since the guerrilla group launched its armed struggle in 1964.", "summary": "A US judge has sentenced an ex-Colombian rebel to 27 years in prison for his role in the kidnapping of three American contract workers in 2003."}
{"article": "Alicia Moran, 14, was last seen at her home in the Linthwaite area of Huddersfield at 16:30 BST on Sunday. She was found earlier in Bristol after previous sightings of her in Manchester, West Yorkshire Police said. A police spokesperson said a 24-year-old man from the Bristol area had been arrested in connection with her disappearance.", "summary": "A missing girl has been found safe and well while a man who was with her has been arrested, police have said."}
{"article": "Robert Thomas, a friend who was with them, said they agreed to move to one of the side pens because there were \"too many people\" in the tunnel. Nicholas Joynes and Francis McAllister, both 27, were both fatally crushed. Mr McAllister had swapped his ticket in a seated area for one on the standing terraces. Ninety-six supporters died at the Liverpool versus Nottingham Forest FA Cup semi-final on 15 April 1989. Mr Joynes, a draughtsman from Liverpool, married Gillian seven months before the match Mr McAllister was a firefighter working in London who, his family said, could \"charm the birds out of the trees\". His brother-in-law Mr Thomas was among the group that travelled with Mr Joynes. He said they went into the ground in a group of seven and headed down a tunnel leading to pens three and four behind the goal. The jury saw CCTV footage of both Mr McAllister and Mr Joynes entering the stadium through exit gate C at 14:55 BST. Mr Thomas said: \"As we got into the tunnel, I was leading... we noticed that it was very busy at the front. There was too many people in there.\" Mr Thomas said he managed to get to the side of the tunnel and turn around. He spoke to the group and they agreed to try to go back and meet in a side pen. \"Everybody agreed that's the route we should take. As we were going out, we were stuck to the wall on the left hand going out, and it was getting really intense coming in,\" Mr Thomas said. He said Mr McAllister and Mr Joynes had \"no choice but to go forward\", adding: \"You couldn't just turn around and go against it. \"They just had a crowd either side, which was carrying them along.\" The jury heard there is no footage of Mr McAllister in one of the central pens. He was seen in footage timed at 15:27 lying on his back on the pitch. David Roe, a former South Yorkshire Police officer, who went into the stadium as the disaster unfolded, saw Mr McAllister with a leather jacket covering his chest and head. Mr McAllister was \"totally motionless\" and Mr Roe could not find a pulse, the jury heard He said he spoke to two people nearby who had an \"air of despondency\" about Mr McAllister's condition, which suggested signs of life had previously been checked. Mr Roe then helped carry Mr McAllister to the stadium's gym, where Dr Allan Redgrave confirmed his death. Mr Joynes was seen inside pen four in images timed at 15:05. Richard Wood, a police officer who was also on duty, said he first saw Mr Joynes to the right of the goal at the Leppings Lane end of the pitch. The jury heard this is likely to have happened after 15:36, 30 minutes after police stopped the match. The officer said he went over to help a group of fans carry Mr Joynes on a makeshift stretcher and his \"major concern\" was to get him off the pitch", "summary": "Two fans who died at Hillsborough had wanted to leave a tunnel leading to fenced enclosures but could not because of the crowd, the inquests have heard."}
{"article": "Norwood, 24, insists Michael O'Neill's side, who are unbeaten in 10 matches after Monday's win over Slovenia, are continually underestimated. Northern Ireland will face Poland, Ukraine and Germany in Group C in France this summer. \"We are not going there to make the numbers up,\" Norwood told BBC Sport. \"The lads were saying that we have had not much recognition for what we did achieve. I think it's worked in our favour a little bit to be honest because people do underestimate us a bit and it's worked out for us. \"I think we do surprise a few teams because of how good a team we are. But we've earned the right to take part in the tournament and we know what we are good at and that we can achieve good things.\" Norwood has established himself as a regular starter alongside captain Steven Davis in Northern Ireland's midfield. But he believes that he, along with Reading team-mates Paul McShane, Chris Gunter, and Hal Robson-Kanu, must maintain their club form to ensure a seat on the plane to France. Gunter and Robson-Kanu have respectively earned 66 and 30 caps for Wales, while McShane has played 31 times for the Republic of Ireland, both teams also Euro 2016 qualifiers. Reading have not won any of their last five matches and are only eight points above the Championship relegation zone. \"If you are not doing well at your club and not playing then it gives the international managers a decision to make,\" Norwood added. \"You do not want him to be making the decisions and then not make squad for the finals. It's important to get back in the team here [at Reading] as quickly as I can and play well until the end of the season. \"We have got to start picking up points, we do not want to be getting drawn into the bottom of the table. We are only eight points off it and we know we are not safe yet.\"", "summary": "Reading's Oliver Norwood believes Northern Ireland will continue to fly under the radar at Euro 2016 - their first major tournament for 30 years."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Frenchman, who reaches the qualification age of 50 in May, famously squandered a three-shot lead at the final hole of the 1999 Open. But he insists he is looking forward to playing the Angus links again. \"I came to peace with it a long time ago,\" he said. \"It never wakes me up in a cold sweat.\" Seventeen years ago, Van de Velde teed off on the 18th knowing even a double-bogey six would result in him lifting the Claret Jug. But, after a risky drive, an ill-advised approach and a fluffed recovery, a global audience of millions were watching him remove his spikes and socks, roll up his trousers, wade shin-deep into the middle of the Barry Burn, and consider hitting his next shot from the water. Minutes of toe-curling agony followed before he talked himself down and took a penalty drop. But he was already unravelling. He dumped his next shot into a green-side bunker and scraped his way into a play-off with American Justin Leonard and Scotland's Paul Lawrie thanks to a brave putt - for a triple-bogey seven. Mind surely scrambled, Van de Velde faded predictably and Lawrie capitalised to secure victory. Van de Velde would be forgiven for feeling nauseous at the very mention of the day he tormented himself, and astonished the golfing world. \"I don't,\" he says, chuckling. \"Luckily for me it's not the subject of conversation with most people I see. Having said that, I think it's part of the history of the Open Championship and my life, and my history as a golfer. No, I'm not sick of it. \"The only time I think about it, is when someone brings it up.\" He has been back to Carnoustie more than a dozen times since, competing in the Dunhill Links and on trips with friends. Having stopped playing on the European Tour in 2011, Van de Velde will need to find his competitive edge quickly ahead of July's major championship. Apart from the likely ring rust and any historical hangover, this year's Senior Open will offer the double challenge of the star-studded field and the infamously exacting course. More than 30 former major champions and Ryder Cup captains will show up in pursuit of a first prize of just over \u00a3213,000. Among them will be Tom Watson, Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie - all serial winners on the seniors' circuits. Van de Velde will enjoy rookie status, among other relative 'youngsters' such as former Open winners John Daly and Todd Hamilton. And then, there is the course: majestic, handsome, frugal. Carnoustie is generally regarded as one of the finest and most challenging tracks on The Open circuit and Van de Velde agrees the links presents an \"enormous\" challenges. \"The wind is always a factor, as is the rough, and with the huge tee areas, they can make the course long, or more approachable,\" he explains. \"You need to have great knowledge of the course, and be a great putter. It's hard to hit it close", "summary": "Jean van de Velde will return to the scene of one of sport's most notorious meltdowns when he makes his debut in July's Senior Open at Carnoustie."}
{"article": "Jack Cottle, of Durgates, Wadhurst, East Sussex was arrested after footage of a VW Polo being driven into a Fun Cup race on 14 June was posted on YouTube. He admitted causing a public nuisance by driving on to a live racing circuit causing it to be stopped and putting competitors in harm's way. Cottle is to be sentenced in November. Judge Martin Joy told him: \"Motor racing is an inherently dangerous sport and quite plainly it was a matter that put persons at risk for their lives. \"You must understand that the court will be considering a custodial sentence.\" The white car, carrying two passengers in addition to Cottle, was seen in the video travelling along the Kent track at high speed as other cars passed by during the last 30 minutes of the four-hour race. The footage has been viewed more than a million times online. Prosecutor Keith Yardy told the court: \"As a result of his actions, the race was brought to a stop. He was interviewed. He said he was dared to do it and was sorry but would do it again.\" However, defence counsel Ailsa Williamson said Cottle was \"an immature man\" but had the support of his family who attended court with him. She said: \"He was dared by friends. This was a foolish prank that should never have gone this far and he deeply regrets his actions.\"", "summary": "A 22-year-old man who drove his girlfriend's car on to the Brands Hatch circuit during a race could face jail."}
{"article": "The S&P fell 0.1% to 2,347.2, with TripAdvisor down 11% on weak profit figures. But the Dow Jones eked out a tiny gain of 7.9 points to 20,619.7. The tech-heavy Nasdaq also slid 0.1%, to 5,814.9 points. After Wall Street's recent strong run, Nate Thooft, of Manulife Asset Management, said the markets were taking \"a little bit of a breather\". Signs of a strengthening economy and promises by President Donald Trump to cut corporate taxes and reduce financial red tape have been behind much of the recent gains. But with a strong fourth-quarter earnings season mostly complete, many investors say they need concrete signs of progress from Trump to justify more gains. Cisco Systems rose 2.38% after posting quarterly profit figures. Wells Fargo slipped 0.73% after Credit Suisse downgraded its stock to \"neutral\" from \"outperform\".", "summary": "The S&P 500 index ended lower, breaking a seven-day winning streak not seen for three-and-a-half years."}
{"article": "Police were called to the scene, near a supermarket on Spring Bank, at about 14:00 BST following reports of two pedestrians being hit. The lorry driver, a 55-year-old man from Hull, has been arrested on suspicion of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving. Motorists have been advised to avoid the area and the road is closed between Blundells Corner and Princes Avenue.", "summary": "A mother and her daughter have died after being struck by a lorry in Hull."}
{"article": "Mr Davies said it was time to change the name in recognition of the primary law making powers it was granted in a 2011 referendum. The Welsh word used for the assembly building is Senedd, which translates into English as \"parliament\". But the Wales Office indicated that the move was \"not a priority\". A spokesman for the Wales Office said any change in the name of the National Assembly would require changes to primary legislation. Mr Davies, leader of the Conservative group in the National Assembly, the second largest party to Labour, describes himself as a \"proud unionist\". He said his suggestion had nothing to do with any greater separation between Wales and the rest of the UK. He said the move, which he claims would require only a small amendment in existing legislation to be in place by 2016, would be \"a statement about the institution which now legislates for our great nation\". Mr Davies, the South Wales Central AM, said: \"By voting for full law-making powers last year the people of Wales made their National Assembly a parliament in all but name. \"It's now time to reward their faith in our institution and acknowledge that where laws are made - the title of a parliament should exist. This is a common-sense move. \"It would provide far greater clarity over the distinction between the assembly - as it is currently named - and the Welsh government, and it would give our devolved institution its rightful place alongside other national legislatures. \"As we drive forward it is crucially important that we embrace what we now have. Put simply - a parliament.\" ANALYSIS by Adrian Browne, BBC Wales political reporter Andrew RT Davies' suggestion that the National Assembly should be rebranded as the Welsh Parliament would appear to be aimed at attracting Plaid Cymru voters who might, he hopes, be uneasy about the leadership of Leanne Wood, who is up front about her socialist and republican beliefs. It could also be seen as an attempt to assert his authority within his party. There has been something of a whispering campaign about his leadership of the Tory group in Cardiff Bay for many months, and every leader needs to show who is in charge. Although he is sometimes described as the Welsh Conservative leader, he's not. David Cameron is the official leader of the party both in Wales and the UK. There are those who will see this as Mr Davies engaging in a turf war with the Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan, over who calls the shots. This theory is bolstered by the revelation that Mrs Gillan wasn't given advance warning about his call for a Welsh 'Parliament'. This week he also told the Face to Face programme on ITV Wales that he would not have cancelled the Welsh Conservative conference last February had it been up to him. Although he defended the decision in public, he said he fought the decision but was outvoted by the party's Welsh board. This particular space in Welsh politics will be worth watching closely over the next", "summary": "A call for the National Assembly to be renamed the Welsh Parliament has been made by Conservative leader in the assembly Andrew RT Davies."}
{"article": "\"Paramedics found the bodies of three people lying inside the aircraft,\" ER24 medical service told News24 website. The plane crashed into shacks in Benoni, about 40km (25 miles) east of the city. Footage on social media show emergency services taking bodies away from the crash site. The BBC's Pumza Fihlani in the city says incidents like this are not common in South Africa. The country has a very good record of air safety, she adds.", "summary": "A light aircraft has crashed in the South African city of Johannesburg, killing all three people on board, emergency officials have said."}
{"article": "Official data shows that in the first 10 months, 703,781 Russians had the virus, of whom 90,396 died. In nearly 60% of new cases, drug injection using dirty needles was the cause of infection. Meanwhile, worldwide, the number of new infections in adults has stayed broadly stable for the past four years. The executive director of the UN's HIV/Aids agency, Michel Sidibe, told BBC News last week that Russia was among a number of countries still failing to use the right strategies in tackling the virus. Figures from first 10 months of 2010, supplied by Russian federal anti-HIV/Aids centre About 200 Russians now contract HIV/Aids every day, Vadim Pokrovsky, head of Russia's federal centre for the fight against the virus, said on Wednesday. Speaking to Russia's Ria-Novosti news agency, he warned that unless preventative action was taken, the number of cases would approximately double every five years. The data released by his centre shows that in the first 10 months of 2012, a total of 4,398 children were infected with HIV by their mothers, of whom 529 died. Russia has one of the worst heroin problems in the world, exacerbated by its proximity to Afghan smuggling routes and the lack of effective anti-drug action, such as the provision of clean needles. Nearly 39% of new cases of HIV in 2012 were transmitted during heterosexual sex while sex between men accounted for just under 1% of new infections.", "summary": "The number of HIV cases in Russia was 12% higher in the first six months of 2012 than in the same period last year, government health experts say."}
{"article": "In Virginia, Terry McAuliffe - a key Hillary Clinton ally - narrowly beat a Republican to become governor of the pivotal presidential swing state. Bill de Blasio's thumping victory in New York makes him the city's first Democratic mayor-elect in two decades. Tuesday's results point the way to next year's US midterm elections. New Jersey's straight-talking Governor Christie brushed aside his Democratic challenger, state senator Barbara Buono, by 60.5% to 38%, retaining a handy platform for a potential presidential bid. His ability to attract the support of Democrats, independents and minorities makes him a tantalising prospect for the ideologically split Republican party ahead of 2016. By Mark MardellNorth America editor \"We stand here tonight showing that it is possible to put doing your job first,\" said Mr Christie in his victory speech, \"to put working together first, to fight for what you believe in yet still stand by your principles and get something done for the people who elected you.\" The governor, known for his readiness to work with Democrats in a left-leaning state, won much praise for his handling of the carnage wrought on the region by super-storm Sandy one year ago. However, fellow Republicans at a national level lambasted him for his embrace of Democratic President Barack Obama as he visited Jersey Shore to see the devastation. In the Virginia governor's race, Mr McAuliffe eked out a smaller-than-expected, 48% to 45.5% win against socially conservative Republican Ken Cuccinelli. \"Over the next four years most Democrats and Republicans want to make Virginia a model of pragmatic leadership,\" said Mr McAuliffe, a Democrat taking charge in a state with a Republican-led legislature. \"This is only possible if Virginia is the model for bipartisan co-operation.\" During the campaign, Mr McAuliffe had emphasised his opponent's tea party support. The hardline wing of the Republican party was widely blamed for last month's government shutdown, which temporarily laid off many of the federal workers who populate Virginia's suburbs. Mr Cuccinelli, the state's outgoing attorney general, had stressed his Democratic rival's championing of the Obama healthcare law, whose troubled rollout has been a White House public relations disaster. A Libertarian candidate who won nearly 7% of Virginia's vote may have cost the Republican the race, say analysts. Mr Cuccinelli was also vastly outspent by his Democratic opponent. Mr McAuliffe is a veteran Democratic party fundraiser who was chairman of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. Profile: Bill de Blasio His capture of the governor's mansion in a crucial presidential swing-voting state could help plot a road map to victory for her should she run again for the White House, say analysts. Meanwhile, Mr de Blasio will succeed New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to become the first Democratic mayor of America's largest city since 1993. He secured a whopping 73% of the vote, compared with 24% for his Republican rival, Joe Lhota. In his victory speech, Mr de Blasio said the result showed that America's largest city had chosen \"a progressive path\", and he promised to make fighting income inequality his top priority. In other", "summary": "Moderate Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has won a landslide re-election, a possible launch pad for a 2016 White House run."}
{"article": "Cameron Marshall Ward was struck by a blue Vauxhall Vectra on Court Lane in Erdington shortly after 21:10 BST on Easter Monday, 1 April, last year. Wayne Payne was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. The 31-year-old, of Somerset Road, Erdington, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court earlier.", "summary": "A driver who killed a five-year-old boy when he hit him with his car in Birmingham has been jailed for five years."}
{"article": "St Johnstone took the lead just before half-time through Steven MacLean, who took advantage of a Craig Gordon error. The visitors defended stoutly and troubled Celtic on the counter, and MacLean sent a free header wide. Substitute McGregor saved the champions, though, drilling low and hard into the corner of the net. The equaliser was a reward for Celtic's relentless pressure in the second half, with Scott Sinclair and Mikael Lustig both hitting the woodwork. St Johnstone might also have been reduced to 10 men, with MacLean seeming to catch Kieran Tierney in the face with his arm, but the St Johnstone striker was only booked by referee Willie Collum. The visitors held on to claim their point, though, with defender Steven Anderson and goalkeeper Alan Mannus leading their resistance. A day of drama had the most unfortunate beginning when Murray Davidson suffered a horrendous head injury in an aerial challenge and collapsed to the floor. The St Johnstone midfielder was knocked out. These were worrying moments as medics from both sides tended to Davidson, taking five minutes to get him on a stretcher and away to hospital, Celtic Park applauding as one as he left. Thankfully, before the game concluded, Davidson was said to be recovering. Liam Craig came on to field and his team pressed hard, denying the champions easy space. Even when Tom Rogic - man-marked by Paul Paton - broke free, the visitors scrambled effectively. Leigh Griffiths had a shot into the side-netting, James Forrest had a weak shot easily dealt with. Saints were comfortable in the beginning. Michael O'Halloran had earlier created Celtic some bother down the left when scampering free and squaring for David Wotherspoon, who shot unconvincingly at Gordon. The Celtic goalkeeper soon entered the narrative of the game in a very major way. MacLean's goal was a self-inflicted wound by Gordon, who was jaw-droppingly lackadaisical in clearing his line. In gifting St Johnstone the ball, he gave them a present of a goal, MacLean turning it in. There was confusion, and silence, inside the stadium. Was MacLean offside when he scored? No, said Willie Collum and his assistant. Was Gordon out of his mind in doing what he did? Unquestionably, yes. MacLean hesitated and then celebrated. The hush from the Celtic fans continued awhile. Celtic, flat by their own standards until they motored later on, mustered something before the break when Sinclair came slaloming in from the left before putting in a tame effort on Mannus' goal. Brendan Rodgers made changes at the break, removing the ineffective Olivier Ntcham and Forrest and parachuting in Jonny Hayes and Stuart Armstrong. Armstrong had a shot tipped over by Mannus as Celtic pushed to preserve their unbeaten domestic run. They had a mountain of possession, but nowhere near their usual level of accuracy. They pushed forward but lacked their surgical ability to cut open a defence. On the hour, their chances of salvaging something from the game should have been made all the harder. Saints had a glorious chance to make it two. Brian Easton's cross from", "summary": "Callum McGregor's late strike rescued a point for Celtic as they came from behind to extend their unbeaten run in domestic football to 53 games."}
{"article": "The plans include the rebuilding of the North/South Stand and an increase in ground capacity from 17,000 to 20,000. Club chairman Colin Graves said the changes were necessary to ensure the ground could continue to host international matches. A detailed consultation over the plans will be held, the club said. If given the go-ahead, the proposals will also see the installation of floodlights, extra seating in the upper tier of the North East Stand and the development of a new five-storey pavilion. The phased \"transformation\" of the Headingley ground will take about 20 years to complete, the club said. Mr Graves said it was \"the most ambitious project the club and the venue will have undertaken since the ground was first established 125 years ago\". \"As other venues around the country continue to invest in their facilities, we cannot afford to stand still and expect that Headingley will always host international cricket,\" he said. \"The stark reality is that if our stadium fails to evolve, we will lose our Test Match status which would be a devastating blow to the region.\" The club will work with Leeds Rugby - which is also based at the Headingley ground - and Leeds City Council to prepare for the redevelopment work, the club said.", "summary": "Plans for a \u00a350m revamp of Yorkshire County Cricket Club's Headingley ground to try to secure the stadium's Test Match status have been unveiled."}
{"article": "The attack, at Warrenpoint station, happened in the early hours of Sunday. Officers returning from patrol at about 03:30 GMT, found that a petrol bomb had been thrown over the perimeter wall into the yard of the station. It had smashed, but failed to ignite, and caused minor damage to a car parked in the yard. Insp Colin Patterson said: \"We will be viewing footage from the station security cameras, but I would also like to appeal to anyone who noticed any suspicious activity in the vicinity of the police station or who has any information to contact officers in Warrenpoint on 101.\" SDLP MP Margaret Ritchie said it was \"a cowardly attack\". \"This attack represents a very clear attempt by an extreme minority to return south Down to the past,\" she said.", "summary": "A petrol bomb has been thrown at a police station in County Down."}
{"article": "Shaper/Caper will perform Within This Dust on 21 April as part of the museum's 15-year anniversary programme. The show is inspired by the images of photographer Richard Drew, which capture a man falling from the World Trade Center during the attacks. It was created by choreographer Thomas Small, who was previously BBC Radio 2's first Artist in Residence. Mr Small, who was born and raised in Dundee, said the title of the show was inspired by an interview with a woman whose husband died in the attacks. He said: \"She knew from watching the towers that her husband would be above the point of impact. \"Just as she answered her phone, the tower fell and she talked about how she fell to the ground at the same time as him and she grabbed the dust that was on the ground. \"She said that she felt that she was now within that dust.\" Within This Dust was first performed in full at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2012 and has since been shown in Berlin and Sao Paolo. Although it has been performed three times previously in New York, Mr Small said there was a \"little\" trepidation over its performance at the memorial museum itself. He said: \"The very first time we performed it in New York, we did it as part of a bigger festival and it really didn't sit in that programme of work. \"All the other bits were cabaret-style work and then there was this very, very sombre piece of work. \"No one clapped at the end at the end of the show and that was a real worry. I was really nervous about why that was. \"But then, very slowly there was a bit of a slow clap that eventually led to a standing ovation. \"Lots of people then came over and wanted to tell us their stories.\" The dances in Within This Dust are accompanied by music and voices from witnesses to the attacks and relatives of those who died. Mr Small said: \"Wherever we've been in New York, people really want to take the time afterwards to sit down and thank us for making the work. \"People have obviously got quite extreme reactions to it. \"A lot of people get very upset. We've not had anybody angry, but lots of people were very emotional and crying. \"I think we have carried that into the work.\" The invitation to perform at the 9/11 Memorial Museum came after its curator saw the show in New York last year. Mr Small said: \"She was really moved by it and was also crying and quite upset afterwards. \"They are adapting their auditorium and trying to accommodate ways in which the work might sit there. \"It marks the very first time a company has been invited to perform there, so we're pretty honoured, coming from Scotland.\"", "summary": "A Dundee-based dance company will be the first in the world to perform at the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York."}
{"article": "It sounds too good to be true for someone in secondary school, but the advert was posted by Aberystwyth University's Robotics Club at the start of this term. For three years, Stephen Fearn, of the university's Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science, has been teaching children from nearby schools to build bots. And with life-size, remote-control replicas of much-loved sci-fi characters R2-D2, K-9 and a Dalek in his garage, he's a good man for the job. \"It's just inspirational with children,\" he said. \"They are just like sponges, really. \"They come with completely uninhibited imagination on the creative way then want to design and build their robots.\" Year 7 pupils from nearby Ysgol Penglais School and Ysgol Gyfun Gymunedol Penweddig School have joined the club in the past, with some previous members also staying on. They have contributed innovative, original and downright weird machines to its ragtag troupe of creations. \"I learn every time,\" Mr Fearn said. \"It's the shock factor - to see what these children come up with, as far as ideas and technology and how they are going to apply it to everyday life.\" Those involved learn how to solder, how to programme and how to use computer-aided design (CAD) to bring their electric dreams to life. Among the robots is Joseph, the humanoid with servos which operate his neck, eyes and knuckles - all made using a 3-D printouts from InMoov open-source designs. There's also Crawlerbot, a caterpillar track robot guided by infrared sensors and Granny Gadget, a converted mobility scooter operated using a tablet computer. Two of the club's members, Marley and Ferdia, won the best example of design award at the Young Rewired State Festival of Code 2015, a technology event for young people, with their ArduDuck creation. And Mr Fearn thinks the club gives pupils something they cannot get at school. \"We're looking outside the box,\" he said. \"We're not following a curriculum.\" In line with the university's work on the ExoMars Rover Mission in 2018, the robot club will be testing its mettle with a \"mini-Mars mission\" to give members a sense of the serious side of producing automated machines. In his spare time, Mr Fearn builds replicas of TV and movie robots and cyborgs, which move around using wheelchair and scooter motors and belt out the screen stars authentic sounds. Along with his son, Tomos, 18, who studies computer science at the university, they show off the attention-grabbing clones at sci-fi conventions, with any money made going to a juvenile diabetes charity. His prize attractions include Dalek Doris, which can speak Welsh, fellow Doctor Who character K-9, R2-D2 from Star Wars and Dizzy, an original steam punk cousin of the R2 droid, made with left-over bits. \"It's just wow factor,\" Mr Fearn said. \"[When you take them to a convention] you end up just smiling all weekend. \"[It's] the reaction of people when they see something like that - any one of those droids coming round the corner. \"They're iconic. People instantly recognise them.\" Tomos added: \"We have done a number of", "summary": "Twenty pupils wanted: must be willing to give up two hours a week of homework time to build robots."}
{"article": "The Daily Telegraph recorded Paul Jerram and Omar Ali as part of an investigation into the allegations. Mr Jerram, head of medicines management at the Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has been suspended. Surrey and Sussex Hospital Trust said Mr Ali has resigned. Both men had been accused of accepting payment to set up meetings between pharmaceutical companies and \"advisory boards\" responsible for deciding which drugs are used by GPs and hospitals. A CCG spokesman said: \"We recognise that these are serious allegations. We are undertaking an internal investigation and will complete a thorough review.\" \"Whilst this investigation is being undertaken we have suspended the head of medicines management. \"This is a neutral act which protects both the individual and the organisation. \"In view of the investigation it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.\" Michael Wilson, chief executive of Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said Mr Ali resigned on Thursday. \"Mr Ali has worked part-time for the Trust for ten years and has correctly declared his independent business with us,\" he said. \"We do not have knowledge of work that he undertakes in his own personal time.\" A Department of Health (DoH) spokesperson said the allegations, if true, amount to an \"abuse of trust\" placed in the NHS by patients. The NHS's fraud protection body has launched an \"urgent investigation\" into the claims, they said. Mr Ali said as well as working part-time for the NHS he also runs a \"market access consulting firm\" which runs advisory boards for NHS experts and commercial organisations. He said he had \"done everything by the book\" and \"always made all the appropriate operational declarations for my consulting work in accordance with the usual NHS governance processes\". \"I never allowed my NHS work to be influenced by my other activities,\" he added. \"A proper examination of the wider debate on this area of the NHS would be of enormous benefit, and could help inform best practice for the future.\"", "summary": "An NHS boss has been suspended and another has resigned over claims senior staff were being paid by drug companies to help promote their products."}
{"article": "The details of more than a million members including their weight, height, job, and phone numbers were discovered unencrypted online in December 2015. They have now been sold on the black market, said security expert Troy Hunt. The firm said the data belonged to members who joined before July 2015 and that no passwords or financial information were included. Security researcher Chris Vickery, who originally discovered it, told the BBC the firm acted quickly after he notified them - but by then, data had already been sold on. \"They published it openly to the world with no protection whatsoever,\" he said. Beautiful People originally claimed the content was from a test server but Mr Vickery said the data itself was still genuine. \"Whether or not it's in the test database makes no difference if it's real data,\" he added. It also transpired that a second researcher had identified the same weakness on the same day. \"The breach involves data that was provided by members prior to mid-July 2015. No more recent user data or any data relating to users who joined from mid-July 2015 onward is affected,\" Beautiful People said in a statement. \"As far as we were aware, at that time [in December 2015], only the two security researchers who informed us of the breach had access to this data.\" Now the compromised data appears to have been sold on the black market, security expert Troy Hunt told Forbes. \"Now it's public, cybercriminals have the opportunity to use this information to steal personal identities or more,\" said David Emm, principal security researcher at Kaspersky Lab. \"Unfortunately, once a breach of this nature has been made, there is not much that can be done.\" Cybercriminals use the genuine identities to synthesise new ones, and they tend to act within a month of receiving stolen data, said John Lord, managing director at identity data intelligence firm GBG. \"Organisations need to take action and use more data, analytical insights and triangulation of multiple-identity proofing techniques to minimise the potential effects of identity theft for both the user and the businesses serving them,\" he said. People hoping to join the Beautiful People website submit photographs which are then rated by existing members of the opposite sex for 48 hours. If they get enough positive votes, they are then granted membership. The firm claims more than 700 marriages have taken place between people who met on its website.", "summary": "Data stolen from a dating website aimed at \"beautiful people only\" has been traded online."}
{"article": "From 1 January cars and motor caravans will pay \u00a36.70 - up 10p - while tolls for small goods vehicles and small buses will rise by 20p to \u00a313.40. Severn River Crossing raises the prices each year in line with inflation. Labour MP Jessica Morden said the toll was now nearing the minimum wage, but UK ministers plan to halve the tolls in 2018. Prices for heavy goods vehicles and buses will rise by 20p to \u00a320. The average increase is 1.3%, according to the operating company Severn River Crossing plc. The Severn Bridges Act 1992 allows for the tolls to be amended annually with the agreement of the UK Department for Transport. Ms Morden, who is MP for Newport East, said: \"For many of my constituents on the Tories' minimum wage, the cost of travelling across the bridge is now almost equivalent to an hour's pay, and is actually above it for people under 21. \"That means they are effectively losing an hour's pay every day that they cross the bridge.\" The government's National Living Wage is currently \u00a37.20, while the minimum wage is \u00a36.95 for 21 to 24-year-olds and \u00a35.55 for 18 to 20-year-olds. Ms Morden added that the UK government had yet to explain what its plans were for when the bridges return to public ownership - expected around 2018. \"All we know is that the government have announced that the tolls will come down next year when the contract comes to an end, but there is still no sign of the public consultation that was promised,\" she said. Labour's Shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said: \"With these higher toll costs about to hit people who are already having to tighten their belts, we now need absolute certainty from the UK government about what exactly is going to happen.\" In March, the then Chancellor George Osborne announced in his budget that the toll charges would be halved in 2018, when the bridges were expected to have been returned to UK government ownership. Welsh MPs were told by Transport Minister Andrew Jones in July that the switch may come as early as October 2017. Mr Jones said tolls may still be charged to cover maintenance, but added: \"They are not a cash system... to fund a scheme in Kent or a scheme somewhere else.\" In November, assembly members from all four party groups backed a call to scrap the tolls, condemned by UKIP AM Mark Reckless as a \"tax on Wales\". However, Labour backbencher Lee Waters argued that the tolls should be kept and used to fund the South Wales Metro project to boost public transport. A UK government spokesman said it had \"announced its intention to halve the tolls on the River Severn Crossings\". \"We will launch a consultation on the Severn Bridge and confirm further details in due course,\" he added.", "summary": "Tolls to cross the Severn Bridge and Second Severn Crossing into Wales will increase in the New Year."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device In the afternoon fourballs, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose won 5&4 against Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed. Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera-Bello beat JB Holmes and Ryan Moore 3&2, with Rory McIlroy and Thomas Pieters beating Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar 3&2. But Brooks Koepka and Brandt Snedeker won 5&4 against Danny Willet and Martin Kaymer to ensure the US remain ahead. \"I would definitely say it's better to have a small deficit with some momentum because we didn't have much at lunchtime,\" said Europe captain Darren Clarke. \"The guys went back out there and they showed just why I'm so proud of them. They showed a massive amount of desire and the fight in them to get themselves right back into it again.\" US captain Davis Love said: \"Obviously I'm happy to be 5-3. I like being ahead but I keep telling our guys there's eight points a day and then there's 12 points on Sunday.\" After failing to win a point in a session for the first time since 1981, Europe improved dramatically - especially on the greens - to ensure their quest for a fourth successive Ryder Cup was not effectively ended in just one day at Hazeltine. Still, the hosts hold a healthy advantage as they look to win the event for only the third time in 23 years, though it will not be lost on visiting captain Darren Clarke that Europe trailed 5-3 after the first day of their remarkable comeback win at Medinah four years ago. Both the 3-1 scoreline and margin of European victories in the fourballs not only quelled the rowdy home crowd, but also reversed the momentum of the 41st Ryder Cup, leaving the contest delicately poised for Saturday morning's foursomes. Media playback is not supported on this device Stenson and Rose trailed Spieth and Reed for almost all of the morning foursomes and looked set for a long afternoon in the Minnesota sunshine as the Americans began with more electric putting. But after the US putters finally failed on the fourth, Sweden's Open champion Stenson dragged his team along, making birdie on the seventh when Rose went in the water, then knocking his tee shot on the eighth to gimme range. Though Rose was below his best, Spieth and Reed became erratic after falling behind for the first time in 25 holes, their first Ryder Cup defeat as a pair engineered by the imperious Stenson. If the European turnaround was sparked by their most experienced pair, it was continued by Spanish rookie Cabrera-Bello, who was relaxed enough to be seen encouraging his vastly experienced compatriot Garcia on the way to the first tee. Cabrera-Bello, who sat out the morning, promptly birdied the first then, after a Garcia birdie for two up, put his team another hole to the good with a par on the seventh despite finding water off the tee. Garcia faded in the morning session but found life in his putter in the afternoon - and though Holmes cut the lead from", "summary": "Europe fought back from a 4-0 foursomes whitewash to cut the USA's lead to 5-3 after day one of the Ryder Cup."}
{"article": "However, the organisation says it will review its policy to seek alternatives. Uefa ordered CSKA to play three Champions League home games without any fans present as punishment for a series of offences including racist chanting. City plan to complain to Uefa over its stance after 650 vocal fans backed the home side in the 2-2 draw. The Premier League champions do not believe the presence of supporters influenced the result but they feel the \"behind closed doors\" ruling was not adhered to. City captain Vincent Kompany earlier complained his side had been punished unfairly with their supporters also banned from the Khimki Arena. Media playback is not supported on this device \"Why the hell do we not have any fans here? What have our fans done wrong? There's no fairness in it,\" he said. A Uefa statement read: \"Following the match between CSKA Moscow and Manchester City, Uefa has reviewed the officials' reports and found no breach of the conditions related to a match played behind closed doors that make part of the disciplinary decision. \"Only people who were allowed to enter the stadium (clubs delegations, media, security staff, Uefa and guests of sponsorship partners) attended the match with no record of inappropriate behaviour. \"However, Uefa is reviewing the 'behind-closed-doors' policy to see if alternative solutions could be implemented in the future.\" City were pegged back on Tuesday despite taking a 2-0 lead in the first half, and are without a win from their opening three games in Group E. \"You say no fans, all of a sudden you turn up and the team who has no fans is Man City. So who's getting punished? Who's being done for racism, Man City or Moscow?\" added 28-year-old Belgian Kompany. City brought the issue about supporters to the attention of Uefa. Meanwhile, Uefa may order clubs to allow only women and children into European matches as punishment for racist behaviour by fans. The authority's president, Michel Platini, will put forward the issue for discussion by European football's chiefs after a successful use of the scheme in Turkey in 2011, where Fenerbahce imposed the rule after a series of hooliganism incidents. Media playback is not supported on this device Uefa chief of press Pedro Pinto said: \"The president has suggested an idea where instead of having empty stadiums only women and children are allowed into the match. \"This is just an idea at this stage but Mr Platini is open to discussing it inside Uefa to see if it is better overall for fans and for the image of football.\" City are third after three games with their remaining matches at home to CSKA Moscow and Bayern Munich before a trip to Roma, who were thrashed 7-1 at home by Bayern.", "summary": "Europe's governing body Uefa says no rules were broken despite fans being present at CSKA Moscow's \"behind closed doors\" match with Manchester City."}
{"article": "It was 1993 when Louise Dyson's agency was approached by Sunrise Medical for disabled models to promote its wheelchairs. She was stumped. At that time the Louise Dyson Agency Ltd dealt only in providing flawless models for clients such as Rolls-Royce and Laura Ashley. \"We didn't know any models with a disability and I immediately thought that was such an obvious thing for advertising - to be representative of the consumer,\" she says. \"But until that point it had never crossed my mind.\" The request led to Dyson helping to organise the Sunrise Model in a Million competition - the UK's first professional modelling contest for people with disabilities - which was won by Sharron Murray and Jason Ward who both received modelling contracts. The popularity of the contest piqued Dyson's interest and she put out a call for disabled models and actors interested in representation - she was flooded with more than 600 requests. Emboldened by the response she took a leap of faith, sold shares in her first agency and established VisABLE - an agency for disabled actors, presenters and models. But the doors were not as open as she had anticipated. \"Although everybody said all the right things I knew they thought I'd gone mad and no one gave us any business in advertising for a long time. \"We really had to make a business case as to why to include disabled people in advertising.\" It's a situation she is still perplexed by given that the market surrounding disability - known as the Purple Pound - is worth an estimated \u00c2\u00a3249bn in the UK. \"If you use a disabled actor in a campaign it means not only will disabled people support a company, so will friends and relatives.\" Crucially, she says, \"It's a way of distinguishing against your competition.\" Signed to Dyson's books is Shannon Murray, the original winner of the Sunrise competition. She took the crown aged 17, three years after she was paralysed from the waist down in a diving accident. Murray had harboured dreams of becoming an actress but gave up on them after her accident \"because there weren't any actors in wheelchairs on TV\". The modelling career thrust upon her gave her a chance to challenge that. \"I loved doing shoots but I wanted to put out a much stronger message, that fashion should be inclusive. \"I was very aware that the teenagers I was meeting in the spinal injuries unit were still young, fashionable, wanting to go to nightclubs and had dilemmas over boys but that wasn't what I saw in the media.\" Her moment in the spotlight, which challenged perceptions, was warmly received, but she says, only because the fashion houses had requested a model in a wheelchair. \"If I'd turned up wanting to walk down the runway it would have been a slightly different reaction.\" It is this exclusive inclusivity that is the challenge facing the industry in 2017. The notion that a fashion house or casting agent would request a woman in her 40s to play a mother, regardless of whether", "summary": "Acting and modelling are notoriously fickle industries often trading on perfection, but in the 1990s one woman challenged the status quo by setting up a professional talent agency for disabled people."}
{"article": "Reports in the Netherlands say ex-Manchester United defender Jaap Stam, who recently left his role as a coach at Ajax, is a contender for the job. McDermott, 55, returned to the Madejski Stadium in December for his second spell as boss of the Royals. But he only won nine of his 30 games in charge and the Berkshire side finished 17th in the second tier. A club statement said it had been a \"difficult decision\" for the board of directors to relieve McDermott of his duties. Reading said they would now undertake a \"rigorous recruitment process\" in order to identify the former Arsenal midfielder's successor. McDermott led the Royals to promotion to the Premier League in 2011-12, but he left the club in March 2013 after just over three years in charge. Reading had also enjoyed considerable cup success under McDermott, reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals in 2010 and 2011. He agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal on his return to the club in December and again led the Royals to the last eight of the FA Cup, where they were beaten by Crystal Palace. Reading lost six of their final seven Championship games this season and finished the campaign 12 points above the relegation zone.", "summary": "Championship side Reading have sacked manager Brian McDermott after just over five months in charge."}
{"article": "There have been concerns about the viability of the airport after Ryanair dropped a number of air services. First Minister Arlene Foster said the money would allow the airport to plan for the future. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the \u00a37m investment was vital because \"connectivity is a pre-requisite for economic development\". City of Derry Airport is owned by Derry City and Strabane Council. The business is currently running at a loss of more than \u00a32m a year and its chairman does not expect it to break even until 2021. The Northern Ireland Executive has now stepped in to help, but European state aid rules mean the airport cannot just be handed money to cover its operating costs. Instead, \u00a32.5m will be used for route development, which means attracting new airlines. A further \u00a34.5m will be used to invest in the airport's infrastructure. The deputy first minister said discussions are at an advanced stage with another airline, which could pick up some of the lost Ryanair services.", "summary": "Details of a \u00a37m funding package to support City of Derry airport have been revealed by Stormont ministers."}
{"article": "Its resolution laid the blame at the door of bodyguards working for Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying they had beaten up Kurdish protesters. The Turkish embassy previously said the demonstrators had aggressively provoked Turkish-Americans gathering to greet the president, who was visiting the US. Eleven people were injured. Videos of the incident appear to show Turkish security officials punching and kicking unarmed Kurdish demonstrators. \"Any Turkish security officials who directed, oversaw, or participated in efforts by Turkish security forces to illegally suppress peaceful protests... should be charged and prosecuted under United States law,\" the resolution states. Turkey has demanded a full investigation. House speaker Paul Ryan urged the Turkish government in Ankara to \"finally accept responsibility for this egregious incident and apologise to those who were harmed\".", "summary": "The Congress has called for criminal charges against those involved in a brawl outside the Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington DC last month."}
{"article": "He had at least three children. The Metropolitan Police says he was born as Adrian Russell Ajao - but the story appears to be more confusing still, because of a string of alternative names or aliases he used. He was entered onto the birth registry in the Dartford district of Kent as Adrian Russell Elms, in the weeks after he was born on Christmas Day 1964. Elms was his mother's maiden name, but two years after he was born she married a man with the name Ajao. The future killer used the surnames interchangeably before he converted to Islam and became Masood. His mother and her husband lived for a long time in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, where the young Masood, then called Adrian, attended Huntleys School for Boys. His parents later moved to Wales and their Carmarthenshire home was this week searched by detectives from the Wales Extremism and Counter Terrorism Unit. They have not been treated as suspects and the BBC understands from a local source that Masood had been estranged from his parents for some time. Masood had a string of previous convictions for violence and public order offences. His first conviction came when he was 18, in November 1983, for criminal damage. Ten years later he appeared to have settled down. He and his first partner had two children and lived in the village of Northiam, East Sussex. While living there in 2000, Adrian Elms became embroiled in a serious pub attack following what may have been racist provocation and ostracisation or arguments in his village. He lost his temper with Piers Mott, slashing him on his face and leaving an 8cm gash on his left cheek. Mr Mott has since died, but his widow Heather recalled the incident. \"My husband was defending someone who was working for him,\" she said. \"I don't know how it happened - Piers was just defending this guy.\" Elms was jailed for two years after admitting the attack - and never returned to live in the village, although his former partner and children remained there for some years. After his release from jail, he moved to Eastbourne - where a man who knew him as a casual acquaintance told the BBC Elms used both cocaine and bodybuilding steroids. He was also on the cusp of a change in identity. \"I first met him in a pub around Christmas Eve 2001,\" the former electrician told the BBC. \"He was introduced as 'Black Ady'. I believe he had just got out of jail at the time.\" Elms came across as a Jekyll and Hyde character. \"Everyone who met him said he was really polite, but he was in a pub one night and two guys were playing pool. \"Something was said and he battered them both with pool cues. \"One time I noticed a Koran and I made a joke like: 'Are you reading that?' He did not seem the religious type at all. \"I spoke to my friend who lived with him for a while and he said he used to read the Koran", "summary": "The man police say was responsible for the Westminster attack has been formally identified as 52-year-old Khalid Masood."}
{"article": "The Premier League's bottom club have yet to confirm who will take over from Mike Phelan, who was sacked on Tuesday. Reports suggest former Olympiakos boss Marco Silva has been lined up, while former Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett was an early favourite. Ashbee, who played for the Tigers between 2002 and 2011, told the Press Association: \"It's a poisoned chalice.\" He continued: \"I don't think Gary Rowett is going to take it. \"I think someone from overseas will be appointed. Someone who isn't aware of what's been going on.\" Portuguese Silva quit Olympiakos for personal reasons in the summer after guiding them to the Greek title, and also won promotion to the Portuguese top flight with Estoril before a brief spell at Sporting Lisbon. Vice-chairman Ehab Allam said on Hull's website the club hope to name their new manager before the weekend. Hull host Swansea in the FA Cup third round on Saturday. \"They need to get the new guy in sooner rather than later,\" said Ashbee \"He's got good stock from overseas, but has no experience of the Premier League. \"It's a difficult task even if he had the whole of pre-season to put his plans in place, but it would appear to be impossible now.\" It has been a tumultuous season for Hull, who are up for sale. In July, Steve Bruce left as manager after his relationship with Allam broke down. Phelan was placed in temporary charge and, even though he had only 13 fit senior players at his disposal, his side marked their Premier League return with successive wins and he was named manager of the month for August. However, the Tigers are now three points from safety and without a league win since 6 November. Commenting on the situation, former Hull manager Phil Brown told BBC Radio 5 live: \"It's not just about relegation as far as Hull are concerned. The fans are worried about their club. \"The stadium was a fortress when I was there and the fans kept us in the league. Now it's known as the library. It's scandalous what's happened to the club. \"There has to be joined-up thinking in wanting to take the club forward.\"", "summary": "The new Hull City manager is facing an \"impossible task\", according to former captain Ian Ashbee."}
{"article": "Since India's partition and the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two wars over the Muslim-majority territory, which both claim in full but control in part. Today it remains one of the most militarised zones in the world. China administers parts of the territory. Reporting on Kashmir from both India and Pakistan mainstream media is deeply politicized and reflects the tension between the two countries. Media in Indian-administered Kashmir are generally split between pro- and anti-secessionist. Local journalists work under strict curfews and also face threats from militant groups. Internet access is sporadic and text messaging services are regularly blocked. In Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, the media are used mainly for propaganda purposes, mainly to highlight the alleged human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir. Key dates in Kashmir's history: 1846 - Creation of the princely state of Kashmir. 1947-8 - Kashmir's Maharaja hesitates over whether to join India or Pakistan, prompting the two countries to go to war over the territory. 1949 - Kashmir is partitioned between India and Pakistan, with a ceasefire line agreed. 1962 - China defeats India in a brief war in a dispute over the Aksai Chin border area. 1965 - Second Indo-Pakistan war over Kashmir ends in a ceasefire. Rise of Kashmiri nationalism: Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front is founded with the aim of forming an independent state through the reunification of Indian-administered and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. 1972 - Simla Agreement: India and Pakistan formalise the ceasefire line as the Line of Control as part of new resolve to negotiate differences after their war which ended in Bangladesh splitting from Pakistan. 1980-90s - Kashmir insurgency: Discontent over Indian rule leads to armed resistance, mass protests and a rise in Pakistan-backed militant groups. Ten of thousands of people are killed. 1999 - India and Pakistan engage in a brief conflict after militants cross the Line of Control into the Indian-administered district of Kargil. 2008 - India and Pakistan open trade route across the Line of Control for the first time in six decades. 2010 - Anti-India protests in Indian-administered Kashmir in which over 100 youths are killed. 2015 - Political watershed: Elections in Jammu and Kashmir see India's ruling Hindu nationalist BJP party emerge as a major political player in the region for the first time when it forms part of a coalition government with the regional Muslim People's Democratic Party.", "summary": "The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for over six decades."}
{"article": "The League One team had the embargo placed on them in November because of a \u00a3300,000 bill from HM Revenue & Customs and fees owed to other clubs. The Latics won their first league game since 18 October on Saturday as they beat Gillingham 1-0 in boss John Sheridan's first game since returning. Sheridan replaced Stephen Robinson, who was sacked after six months in charge. \"We'll have three or possibly four players in next week,\" Sheridan, 52, told BBC Radio Manchester after beating Gillingham.. \"We need them and they can only add to what we've got and make us stronger.\"", "summary": "Oldham Athletic have confirmed that they have had their transfer embargo lifted and can now sign players again."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The five-time world champion accused World Snooker of bullying after his first-round win at the World Championship on Sunday. World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn has said the claims are \"unfounded\". In a statement released on Tuesday, 41-year-old O'Sullivan said his legal team would address the issues at the end of the tournament at Sheffield's Crucible. He also said he would make no further comment on the matter during the event, but would focus instead on winning a sixth world title. \"There has been some speculation and commentary around the answers I gave when questioned by the media at my press conference on Sunday. \"Any outstanding issues with the snooker authorities will be addressed by my legal team following the conclusion of this great event, when I hope a sensible resolution can be reached. \"I will not be making any further comment about this during the World Championships. I request the press and media respect this position in all further interviews. \"I wish to focus all my energies on performing to the very best of my ability for the fans in my quest for a sixth world title.\"", "summary": "Ronnie O'Sullivan hopes for a \"sensible resolution\" over any outstanding issues with snooker authorities."}
{"article": "The aim is to offer speeds of up to 1Gbps to households and businesses. Rather than relying on copper cables to connect them to roadside cabinets, fibre-optic cables will run directly to their properties. The plan, announced by the chancellor in November, has been called \"a drop in the ocean\" compared with what will be needed to make \"full fibre\" the norm. Although many households and organisations do not currently need 1Gbps speeds - consumers need only 3Mbps to watch the BBC iPlayer in high definition, for example - the idea is to provide a \"future-proof\" solution. The Digital Infrastructure Investment Fund's goal is to boost the number of properties with access to \"ultra-fast\" fibre-to-the-property broadband over the next four years. At present, \"full fibre\" is available to only about one million premises, representing about 2% penetration. That contrasts with Spain, where the figure is 80%. The government is tapping private investors to bring the total sum to \u00a31bn, and the money will be managed and invested by two fund managers - Amber Infrastructure, and M&G Investments, which is part of Prudential. \"Traditionally in Britain, full fibre has been difficult to finance because the industry is relatively young and a lack of certainty around future demand makes investment hard to secure,\" the Treasury said in a press release. \"This has held back alternative providers from entering the market, and consumers have been left with limited choice, which, in turn, has restricted their ability to benefit from this latest technology.\" A spokeswoman for the Treasury told the BBC that while no company was excluded from seeking access to the cash, the fund was designed to be attractive to small network builders, which found it harder to attract capital than BT's Openreach division or Virgin Media would. But the Labour Party was dismissive of the news. \"This is yet another re-announcement from a Government that just isn't keeping pace with developments in the industry,\" commented Tom Watson MP. \"No matter how many times they announce this fund the reality remains that we are on track to have just 7% full fibre coverage by 2020. It's not good enough and it'll leave Britain in the slow lane for years to come.\" One industry watcher, however, said the initiative was \"important\" but needed to be tempered with realism. \"Consumer broadband is cheap for us as consumers because we share it at some point in the network,\" said Andrew Ferguson, of the ThinkBroadband news site. \"So, while you might have a dedicated fibre for yourself through to a place that may be 10 or 20 miles away, you will still at that point be contending for access with other people. \"That may mean that at peak times, even with a theoretical 1Gbps connection, you won't be getting speeds that hit that target.\" Until now, the UK government's focus has been to deliver \"super-fast\" broadband speeds - meaning 24Mbps or more. It has pledged that 95% of UK properties will have this by the end of this year and 100% will have at least 10Mbps by the end", "summary": "The government has formally launched a \u00a3400m fund to boost investment in \"full-fibre\" broadband."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device A new manager is required after Mark Warburton exited this month. And they suffered a 2-1 defeat by Dundee on Sunday in Graeme Murty's second game in caretaker charge. Further meetings with hopeful contenders are planned in London over the next few days as they look to reshape their management structure. Ross Wilson, Southampton's director of recruitment and scouting, is one of those who has already met with Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson with a view to taking on the new director of football post. However, there are reportedly at least another three candidates vying for the role. Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish has said he would find it hard to turn down a return to Ibrox should he be offered another job there. Frank De Boer, the former Rangers defender, has admitted that he would be interested but not until the end of the season. Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes, another former Rangers player, could come into the Ibrox board's thinking with his current team six points ahead of the Glasgow outfit in second place in the Scottish Premiership. Former Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew, St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright and Billy Davies, the former Rangers player who last managed Nottingham Forest, are behind McLeish in the bookmakers' odds. Rangers are 30 points behind defending champions Celtic as the Ibrox side's city rivals lead the Premiership. They have only won one of their last four games - a Scottish Cup win over Greenock Morton in Murty's first game in charge - and they are only five points ahead of Hearts as they chase a Europa League place. However, PA reports that no appointment for either Ibrox position is expected this week, meaning Murty is again likely to be in charge when the Light Blues travel north to take on Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Friday night.", "summary": "Rangers have held interviews as they seek a new team boss - and to fill the new role of director of football - PA Sport has reported."}
{"article": "A 50-year-old was taken to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy after a fire broke out in a chalet in Kelty at 10:50 on Monday. She has now been transferred to St John's Hospital in Livingston. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of the blaze was still under investigation. A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: \"Police Scotland and the Scottish fire and Rescue Service responded last night following a fire at a travellers site in Kelty. \"A 50-year-old woman was seriously injured. \"A joint investigation is currently underway to establish the full circumstances of the incident.\"", "summary": "A woman is in a serious condition in hospital with arm and chest burns following a fire at a travellers site in Fife."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Strachan's side entertain Gareth Southgate's charges in World Cup qualifying Group F on Saturday. And the boss believes his men are ready to reignite their qualifying campaign. \"The enthusiasm the players have had and the time they've put in, they're ready for the game, physically and mentally,\" said Strachan. The Scots lost 3-0 to England at Wembley in October, but Strachan is convinced his side are well placed to avoid a repeat. \"We have real assets in our team and real assets as a group,\" said the Scotland boss, whose side are six points adrift of leaders England in the group. \"It's going to be well used tomorrow, we've got to use what we're good at. \"What we have in our group is enthusiasm, fitness and determination, so we must use that. Within that, we must relax when we have the ball, have no fear when we have the ball.\" England and Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane goes into the match in fine form, having finished as the Premier League's top scorer in the last two seasons. And Strachan reckons Scotland's best chance of nullifying him will be to dominate possession. \"I've been a big fan of Harry Kane for a long time,\" he said. \"I'm sure that Harry Kane has a lot of confidence in himself, which he should have. \"If you keep the ball more than them, that's one way of doing it. If you have the ball at the other end then their attacking players have less chance of scoring.\" The match is huge for both sides, but Strachan revealed he has no inspiring team talk planned. \"It's something you don't plan in advance, you feel it,\" he said. \"You feel the atmosphere and you have to talk it from there, so there's no planned Churchillian speech in the back of my mind at the moment, something kind of materialises. \"Alex Ferguson, I'm sure, never planned some of these team talks well in advance. I'm convinced he never. \"In the modern game, that 'get into them' theory, which a lot of people in Scotland are desperate for us to do when I meet them, died with the back-pass rule, tackling from behind, better pitches,\" said Strachan. \"That weapon Scotland had years ago, when 'get into them' was well and truly used, is not used so much now because you have to think your way through games.\"", "summary": "Head coach Gordon Strachan says his Scotland players are \"physically and mentally\" ready for their World Cup qualifier against England at Hampden."}
{"article": "The aim is to help people save money by encouraging them to change their banks, especially if they are likely to go overdrawn. The plans come from the Competition and Markets Authority, which has the power to enforce its proposals. They are the result of its two-year investigation. The big idea is that something must be done to break the inertia of the UK banking public. Just 3% of individuals and 4% of businesses switch their banks in any one year. The CMA has already come to the conclusion that there is not enough competition to pressurise the banks into offering significantly better or cheaper services than their rivals. In effect the big five banks - RBS, Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and Santander - plus the Nationwide building society have their own huge, but largely captive, markets. So the aim is to make it easier for people to switch banks and accounts, and to encourage them to save money by finding a better deal. \"The older and larger banks, which still account for the large majority of the retail banking market, do not have to work hard enough to win and retain customers and it is difficult for new and smaller providers to attract customers,\" the CMA says. The other big issue is one that has dogged the industry and its customers for many years - the ability of banks to charge more or less what they like if you go overdrawn without permission. In 2009, the Office of Fair Trading (now part of the CMA) failed completely in a legal challenge which would have overthrown the right of banks to set their own charges as they saw fit. Now the CMA is ordering the banks to set their own monthly cash limits - a monthly maximum charge - on just how much they can charge if you go into an unauthorised overdraft - going into the red without asking your bank in advance. Of course that doesn't go as far as a regulator being allowed to set a monthly limit on overdraft fees and charges. But the fact there will be some sort of stated cash limit will make things clearer. \"Many personal customers, in particular overdraft users, could make significant savings by switching to a different current account,\" says the CMA. That particular change should happen by September next year. To encourage customers to switch or shop around, the CMA is ordering the banking industry to embrace the idea of Open Banking. That means the financial technology industry is being invited to develop a computer application which will let bank customers run all their bank accounts, including moving money between them, even if they have several accounts spread around different banks. At the moment the increasingly popular bank apps, which are issued by banks to their own customers for use on mobile phones, operate that bank's accounts only. This new, all-purpose, banking app should be able, the CMA says, to let customers upload all their banking details so that \"authorised intermediaries\", such as price comparison services, will be able to tell", "summary": "Some very big changes are now in the pipeline for the way people use their bank accounts and the way banks charge their customers."}
{"article": "Only 13 of the 1948 Gandhi 10-rupee Purple Brown and Lake 'Service' stamps are in circulation. The block of four was sold to a private collector-investor in Australia for the highest ever price for Indian stamps, said dealer Stanley Gibbons. However, the record price for a stamp sold an auction was $9.5m (\u00a37.4m). That British Guiana one-cent magenta stamp was sold to an anonymous bidder in June 2014. The Indian stamps were particularly rare owing to the fact they were in a set of four. Stanley Gibbons previously sold one of these singles for \u00a3160,000 to a client in Uruguay last year. A block of four is in the Queen's stamp collection, which is believed to be the world's largest and most valuable in private hands. Keith Heddle, managing director of investments at Stanley Gibbons, said: \"The market for high-quality Indian rarities has been strong for several years and is supported by the ongoing desire of the wealthy Indian diaspora and savvy international clients to own these historic assets.\"", "summary": "A set of four stamps featuring the portrait of Gandhi has been sold for \u00a3500,000 - but the total remains well short of an international record."}
{"article": "The attackers were driving dozens of four-wheel drive vehicles when they swept into the hunters' camp at dawn on Wednesday, officials said. They struck near Layyah, 190km (118 miles) from regional capital, Samawa. A wide-scale search has been launched for the attackers, police say. The Qatari foreign ministry released a statement saying it was working with the Iraqi government \"at the highest security and political levels... to find out the details of the Qatari citizens' abduction and work on their release as soon as possible\". It said they had been hunting with official Iraqi permission - though Iraq's interior ministry accused the hunters of failing to abide by its instructions to remain inside secured areas. The aim of the abduction was \"to achieve political and media goals\", the interior ministry said. The remote area where the incident took place is highly tribal in nature and a Shia region, reports the BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut. The Shia political parties which dominate the Iraqi government are highly critical of Qatar's role in supporting Sunni rebels in Syria - so this is bound to be a serious diplomatic incident, he says. Iraq is one of several countries frequented by Gulf Arab huntsmen and falconers as they search for prey that either does not exist in their own countries or which has been almost hunted to extinction there. Their favoured prey is the Asian houbara bustard, akin to a small turkey, and to find it and other similar species Gulf hunters often travel to Morocco, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan. They take with them their prized falcons, typically peregrines, sakers and lanners, which are expertly trained to home in on their quarry at high speed. According to a former CIA officer, in 1998 a CIA-run sniper team in Afghanistan observed Osama Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda followers gathered at a camp near Kandahar but they were ordered to take no action for risk of harming the Emirati hunters who were with them. Other Gulf hunting expeditions have even extended as far as the Central African Republic in search of big game. Two Iraqi officers providing security for the party were also taken by the gunmen but later released, officials said. No details were provided on which members of the Qatari royal family were among those held. Wealthy practitioners of the ancient sport of falconry from various Gulf states often travel to the area at this time of year. The hunters had been escorted by Iraqi security forces but they decided not to engage a large number of gunmen, a police colonel from Samawa - the capital of Muthanna governorate - told Reuters. \"We are talking about at least 100 gunmen armed with light and medium weapons,\" he said. More than 12 years after the US-led invasion and occupation, Iraq is still plagued by violent crime and militant attacks. In September, 16 Turkish construction workers were freed a month after being kidnapped in the capital, Baghdad, apparently by Shia Muslim militants. Falconry was an important skill for Bedouin hunters in the harsh deserts of Arabia and Syria", "summary": "Gunmen have kidnapped at least 27 Qatari hunters - including members of the ruling family - in a desert area of Iraq near the Saudi border, say police and the local governor."}
{"article": "The M74 will be closed in both directions between J4 Maryville and J5 Raith from 20:00 on Friday 18 November to 06:00 on Monday 21 November. It is for the safe demolition of Bothwellpark Road Bridge near Hamilton. The work is part of an ongoing \u00c2\u00a3500m works programme to improve Scotland's motorway network. Graeme Reid, Transport Scotland project manager for the M8, M73, M74 Motorway Improvements Project, said: \"This is the most significant road closure we have implemented as part of the works and we are anticipating major delays on all approaches, the surrounding roads and the main diversion route. \"We are advising road users to plan their journey, avoid the area and surrounding local roads and, if possible, to use alternative modes of transport for the weekend.\" The weekend closure will result in no access from the M73 to the M74 southbound at J4 Maryville or to the M74 northbound at J5 Raith. Signed diversion routes will be in place via the A725, A8 and the M73, although Transport Scotland is warning road users to expect major delays on all surrounding routes. Mr Reid added: \"On a typical weekend we can expect to see as many as 140,000 vehicles using this main arterial route, and we fully appreciate the disruption this will cause. \"However, we need road users to play their part by avoiding the area where possible and using alternative modes of transport to keep traffic levels on the diversion route to an absolute minimum.\" Motorists will continue to have access to the M74 southbound at J5 Raith and the M74 northbound at J4 Maryville and J3A Daldowie. However, there will be no access to Bothwell Services from the M74 southbound. The next available service area is the M74 southbound at J11 Happendon and J13 Abington. In a bid to reduce congestion on alternative routes, South Lanarkshire Council will put in place parking restrictions on a short section of Main Street, Bothwell, for the duration of the weekend closure. ScotRail will also provide extra capacity on trains on Lanarkshire railway services throughout the weekend.", "summary": "A busy section of Scotland's motorway link to England is to close for a full weekend next month causing \"significant delays\" to drivers."}
{"article": "Mustafa Bashir, 34, also forced bleach into her mouth, but the judge in Manchester said his sentence took into account his wife was not \"vulnerable\". Both Jess Phillips, Labour, and Maria Miller, Conservative, said they were concerned by the case and would write to the attorney general. Bashir's ex-wife said she was \"disappointed\" by the judge's comments. At Manchester Crown Court, Bashir of Hebers Court, Middleton, Manchester, admitted two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Judge Richard Mansell said his decision on the sentence was guided by the fact he was \"not convinced [Bashir's then wife] was a vulnerable person\" as she was \"an intelligent woman with a network of friends\" and a degree. Despite acknowledging the attacks had an \"ongoing effect\" on his victim's ability to trust people, he sentenced Bashir, who played cricket for Oldham, to 18 months, suspended for two years. Speaking to the BBC, which has agreed not to use her name, Bashir's ex-wife said she was \"disappointed in the comments which the judge made about my vulnerability\". She added: \"I am a confident and strong woman because of what I have suffered. I was suffering for my life but the judge didn't believe me.\" The judge also ordered Bashir to attend a workshop entitled ''building better relationships'', pay \u00c2\u00a31,000 costs and banned him from contacting his ex-wife indefinitely. Ms Phillips, who is MP for Birmingham Yardley, said the judge's comments sent a \"dangerous\" message. \"Your vulnerability and your risk is a completely dynamic thing,\" she said. \"Everybody has a dynamic risk, I've met women who went on to be murdered who had law degrees, who were very eminent business people. \"There's no category that domestic violence does not touch. It does not follow class lines, it does not follow race lines, it does not follow age lines.\" Ms Miller, chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, told the BBC: \"The brutality of the sort of acts that have been outlined really make me believe that this was a devastating episode in the victim's life. \"I do think this needs to be properly understood by judges and it needs to be properly accounted for in sentencing.\" An apparent defence claim, noted by the judge, that a prison sentence would have lost Bashir a contract with Leicestershire County Cricket Club (LCCC) has been rejected by the club, which denies it has ever been in contact with Bashir. The CPS said: \"We are aware of recent developments relating to this case and are currently considering our options.\" Anna Soubry, Conservative MP Broxtowe in Nottinghamshire, said: \"Police need to get a statement from LCCC. \"They may want to consider whether any other charge needs to be brought if the defendant has deliberately advanced something that is not true to reduce the sentence and/or keep him out of prison.\" While the offence is not one where the sentence can be referred to the Court of Appeal as \"unduly lenient\", the judge has 56 days to recall it if doubt is cast on the grounds for the sentence.", "summary": "MPs have criticised a judge over a suspended jail term given to a man who attacked his wife with a cricket bat."}
{"article": "The event in Cattistock, which also incorporates a food festival, sees participants hurling the locally-made buns in pursuit of a new record. The existing record holder, Dave Phillips, lobbed his winning knob an astounding 29.4m (96ft) in 2012. For the first time this year, winners were presented with a bronze knob, cast by local foundry Coles Casting. Other games include guess the weight of the big knob, knob archery, knob and spoon racing, pin the knob on the Cerne giant, and the knob eating cup.", "summary": "Thousands of people have turned out for the annual Dorset knob throwing contest."}
{"article": "The 44-10 win sees Ireland go top of Pool D and they can seal a quarter-final spot if they beat Italy at the Olympic Stadium next Sunday. \"Next week is the pivotal week. It's pressure for us and pressure for Italy,\" said Schmidt. \"That is why people come to a World Cup - they want to see how teams respond.\" After facing Italy, Ireland complete their pool fixtures with a match against France on 11 October. \"For us it starts in earnest now, because we know we can qualify if we win next weekend,\" added Schmidt. \"The game against France just decides who we play in the quarter-final if we can win next week. \"Italy, after a win and a loss, need to win to qualify. It becomes a last-16 game for us.\" Ireland must wait to find out if Rob Kearney will be fit after he was injured in scoring the fifth try shortly after coming on as a substitute. \"Rob was involved in a high-speed play after coming on the pitch and just after scoring the try he's jarred himself,\" Schmidt added. \"We hope it is not too much but the next 24 to 48 hours will tell if he has done anything telling for next week.\" Losing Kearney would be a setback for Ireland, but several players impressed in a dominant performance against Romania. Schmidt made 12 changes with Italy and France in mind, but his altered line-up showed few signs of weakness, scoring six tries, including four in the second half. Tommy Bowe and Keith Earls crossed the line twice each, before Kearney and Chris Henry added two more late on, and Simon Zebo also staked a claim with an impressive display at full-back. \"There were a number of players who performed really well and will create a big of selection headache for Italy,\" Schmidt said.", "summary": "Ireland's World Cup campaign \"starts in earnest now\" after Sunday's convincing bonus-point victory over Romania, according to coach Joe Schmidt."}
{"article": "Edward Beavis, 34, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to arson and criminal damage, at Salisbury magistrates court. If follows a fire at Avenue Primary School in Warminster, in which two classrooms were destroyed. Nobody was injured in the blaze. He is due to be sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court on date yet to be decided.", "summary": "A man has admitted setting fire to a primary school which was partially destroyed in a blaze early on Wednesday."}
{"article": "The device, which was left on the vehicle just off Main Street, led to a security alert in the village on Saturday afternoon. It has been taken away for forensic examination. Nearby shops and 15 homes were evacuated while police and Army officers dealt with the incident. Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in's Declan Kearney said it had caused disruption and damage to trade. The South Antrim MLA criticised those responsible for leaving the bomb, saying their actions were \"indefensible\". \"Saturday is one of the busiest days in Crumlin,\" he said. \"Many businesses and shoppers were affected as a result of the disruption caused. \"Those responsible must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. \"There is no room for these type of attacks in our society and they must end immediately.\"", "summary": "A viable pipe bomb which was left on top of a car in the County Antrim village of Crumin has been made safe by the Army."}
{"article": "Published in Plos One, their study found empathetic people preferred more mellow, low-energy music. While those who were \"systemisers\" - people who seek to analyse patterns in the world - enjoyed punk, heavy metal and more complex music overall. Researchers say their work could have implications for the music industry. Many people make snap decisions about the tunes they like or dislike, but scientists say what drives these preferences remains unclear. To unpick this, researchers recruited 4,000 participants and put them through a series of different tests. First, they were asked to complete self-reporting questionnaires with statements designed to assess whether they were \"empathisers\" or \"systemisers\" overall. For example, people were asked whether they were interested in the design and construction of car engines and separately whether they were good at predicting how people were feeling. Participants were then subjected to 50 short pieces of music spanning 26 different styles, and asked to give each a rating between one and 10. People who scored highly on empathy were more likely to be drawn to R&B, soft rock and folk. In contrast those who score more highly on systemising tended to like music by heavy metal bands and more complex, avant-garde jazz. People who score highly on empathy might enjoy songs such as Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley and Come away with me by Norah Jones. While people who identify as systemisers are encouraged to try Enter Sandman by Metallica. And when researchers delved deeper, they found even within a given genre, there were differences in the intensity and style of music favoured by each group. David Greenberg, a doctoral student at Cambridge University, suggests these findings could be employed by the music industry. He said: \"A lot of money is put into algorithms to choose what music you may want to listen to, for example on Spotify and Apple Music. \"By knowing an individual's thinking style, such services might in future be able to fine tune their music recommendations to an individual.\"", "summary": "A person's taste in music may offer insight into the way in which they think, researchers at Cambridge University say."}
{"article": "The man, who has not been named, was with a friend on Scales Fell, one of the Blencathra peaks, on Thursday. The terrain meant an air ambulance was unable to land at the scene, so members of the Keswick mountain rescue team took the decision to carry him to a waiting helicopter. The man was taken to hospital in Newcastle with severe head injuries. A spokesman for the rescue team said: \"Two walkers on their way down Blencathra spotted something blue on a lower path. \"As they watched, they saw an arm move, and realised to their horror that it was a man in distress. \"One of them got down to him, and realised that he had fallen some considerable distance from the path above, and had suffered serious head injuries. \"A decision was taken to carry the patient down. This was achieved successfully and the casualty was then airlifted to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary. A spokesman for the Great North Air Ambulance added: \"The helicopter took our doctor and paramedic as close to the scene as was safe, before landing at the base of Scales Fell. \"The patient was assessed and treated before being carried three miles down to the helicopter.\"", "summary": "Rescuers carried an injured man for three miles after he fell more than 130ft (40m) down a Cumbrian mountain."}
{"article": "The ship docked at Catania, in Sicily, where the migrants will be handed over to the Italian authorities. Bulwark, which has been on a search and rescue mission in the area for the past month, rescued the migrants on Sunday. Captain Nick Cooke-Priest said the people traffickers were committing acts \"tantamount to murder\". BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale, who was on board Bulwark during the rescue, said a small, wooden vessel had been packed with about 400 people. There also had been two rubber dinghies, each carrying about 100 people, trying to get to Europe from Libya. \"The fact that many didn't even have life jackets was another reminder that the gangs who trafficked them had little regard for their lives,\" he said. He added that five of the men rescued were going to be questioned by Italian police about possible links to the smuggling gangs. The BBC's Clive Myrie, who is in Catania, said it would take several hours to disembark all the migrants from HMS Bulwark. \"They are exhausted, some are traumatised and several are pregnant, so it is going to take a long time,\" he said. \"Once on dry land, they are taken to reception centres across the country but it could be years before they receive papers saying they can live and work freely in Italy. \"As for HMS Bulwark, in the early hours it will head out to sea on the lookout for more migrant boats.\" The ship's captain said Sunday was a \"complex\" day of seven search and rescue operations, and a \"huge success\". \"Normally we would be putting Royal Marines and sailors on to hostile shores,\" he told the BBC. \"The only difference with what we were doing yesterday was we weren't putting my own people into harm's way. We were actually taking survivors out of their harm's way and recovering them to HMS Bulwark.\" He added the traffickers who sent \"women, children, the old, young, pregnant out on a very perilous journey in unseaworthy vessels\" were a \"scourge\". The UK government dispatched the ship amid a rise in the number of people dying while trying to reach Europe. The latest rescue brings the total number of individuals saved by HMS Bulwark so far to more than 2,700. Last week, Bulwark rescued 747 people from boats off Libya's coast. The 19,000-tonne assault ship is one of numerous European vessels on rescue patrol in the Mediterranean. They are patrolling about 70,000 sq miles of the central Mediterranean, looking for people including those fleeing Africa and trying to get to Europe. It is estimated more than 1,600 people have drowned so far this year trying to make the dangerous crossing.", "summary": "Royal Navy warship HMS Bulwark has arrived in an Italian port, carrying 1,200 migrants rescued from the Mediterranean Sea."}
{"article": "He also said men joining the course tended to \"find out about booze\" in first year, leading to dropouts. But he was later reported saying the information he gave \"was not factual\". His comments inflamed opinions in the country and some people called for him to resign. In an interview, Chris Kelly said the veterinary field, once a majority-male career, was now \"dominated by women\". He continued: \"That's fine, but the problem is one woman graduate is equivalent to two-fifths of a full-time equivalent vet throughout her life because she gets married and has a family, which is normal. \"So, although we're graduating a lot of vets, we're getting a high fall-out rate later on.\" Critics have pointed out that men also have families and care-giving responsibilities. The interview was in the context of changes being made to the university's veterinary science course, to make it more practical. The university's website says it offers the only veterinary degree in New Zealand. Mr Kelly said more men than women dropped out in the first year \"because women mature earlier than men, work hard and pass. Whereas men find out about booze and all sorts of crazy things during their first year.\" Tweets and a Facebook post sent out by the university, purportedly including an apology by Mr Kelly, appear to have been deleted since. The New Zealand Herald reported that he wrote: \"I was trying to explain changes Massey University has made over a number of years in the veterinary science programme in response to industry needs, and I also concede that the information was not factual.\" In response to the comments, a wildlife hospital attached to the university posted a picture of seven female vets and vet technicians, calling them \"awesome 100% of the time\". As well as taking on ceremonial duties, chancellors in New Zealand have a role in the governance of universities. Vice-chancellors tend to take on a more active role. From 2017, the vice-chancellor of Massey University will be Professor Jan Thomas, a woman who is a veterinarian and biochemist by training.", "summary": "The chancellor of a New Zealand university appears to have apologised for saying a woman vet was \"equivalent to two-fifths\" of a man because she would take time out to have a family."}
{"article": "Audel, 30, ended a two-year association with the Magpies at the end of last season having made 53 appearances in all competitions. The French centre-half has also played for Triestina and Pisa in Italy as well as Macclesfield, Crewe and Lincoln. He is the National League Bluebirds ninth signing of the summer. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Barrow have signed defender Thierry Audel on a one-year deal with an optional second year, following his release by Notts County."}
{"article": "Neilston, south-west of Glasgow, polled best in Scotland, Morriston in Wales and Craigavon in Northern Ireland. Royal Mail said the study, conducted by the Centre for Economic and Business Research, looked at green spaces, affordable housing and commuting times. Seven northern locations, including Dalton-in-Furness in Cumbria, were in the top 10 in England, the survey said. Bebington residents, who live near the River Mersey and Port Sunlight model village, \"enjoyed the ideal balance\" of living close to their workplace, good schools and high employment, according to the report. By Phil Cooper, BBC Radio Merseyside, in Bebington Situated less than 10 miles from Liverpool, Bebington has been attracting people for well over a century with its laid-back charm. Villagers boast of a rural lifestyle combined with plenty of jobs and cultural highlights on their doorstep. The nearby Port Sunlight village, built at the end of the 19th Century to house workers at the Lever soap factory, is now home to an art gallery and museum. Unilever still employs about 2,000 people in the area. A future prime minister, Harold Wilson, studied here as a teenager and many of the schools retain their reputation for high academic achievement. Throw in a fine choice of pubs and restaurants and good links to the historic city of Chester, and residents say the \"Most Desirable\" title is fully deserved - this is a place they never want to leave. In Scotland, semi-rural areas on the outskirts of cities fared best \"thanks to the affordable cost of living, lower levels of crime and better schools\". They were also judged to have better transport links than more remote locations. Morriston, just to the north of Swansea, was praised for its \"mix of low unemployment and reasonable house prices\". Meanwhile, Craigavon in County Armagh - a planned settlement built in the 1960s - was described as having \"lower than average commuting times and fewer people working over 50 hours a week\".", "summary": "Bebington in Merseyside is the most desirable place to live in England, according to a Royal Mail survey."}
{"article": "The Inspiring Governance scheme will act as a bridge between people wanting to offer their services and schools trying to find governors. A report last month found that many schools were struggling to fill gaps in their governing bodies. Schools minister Lord Nash said it could \"revolutionise\" how schools and governors could be matched. The project is being run by the Education and Employers careers charity and the National Governors' Association and has been funded for four years by the Department for Education. It will allow schools to search for potential recruits, either by skills they can offer or where they live. It will also provide links to support and training for new governors. Emma Knights, the NGA's chief executive, said 300,000 people were already acting as school governors, but more were needed. \"School governance is very challenging but also extremely rewarding. It's for people who want to use their skills to make a positive difference to the lives of children,\" said Ms Knights. Nick Chambers, founder of Education and Employers, said schools and colleges could find it hard to find governors and trustees, particularly in disadvantaged areas. He said that the Inspiring Governance service would allow people to \"express an interest in volunteering via a simple online form. Governing bodies can then look at the profiles of volunteers who have signed up in their area and get in touch with them directly\". The project has also been backed by Russell Hobby, leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, as a way for schools to find \"highly skilled and highly motivated governors\". The government earlier this year abandoned controversial changes to the role of governors. There had been proposals for academy trusts to operate without any parent governors - but this was scrapped by the incoming education secretary, Justine Greening. Education minister Lord Nash said it was important to strengthen governing bodies. \"As the people who appoint head teachers and chief executives and hold them to account, governors and trustees should be the driving force behind school improvement, so it's essential that we do more to attract talented and committed volunteers.\" The Inspiring Governance website is www.inspiringgovernance.org", "summary": "Schools in England are going to be helped to find governors by a free online service backed by ministers."}
{"article": "It follows 66 Labour MPs voting to extend air strikes to Syria, a policy opposed by party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Mr Morgan told BBC Wales most party members were \"very loyal\" to Mr Corbyn and \"few\" backed wider military action. But he said most Labour MPs were \"not really Corbynistas\", so the party was having to deal with a \"new phenomenon\". Speaking on the Good Morning Wales radio programme, Mr Morgan said: \"In effect we have two Labour parties and this is a bit of a new phenomenon, so we've got to try to let it settle down and work out what's the best way forward.\" Mr Morgan called a suggestion by the Labour MP and former minister Frank Field that the party should have two leaders was \"quite clever\" but \"not very workable\". Mr Morgan's comments came as Labour celebrated victory in the Oldham West and Royton by-election. Deputy party leader Tom Watson called the result \"very, very good\" for Mr Corbyn, and urged MPs to \"swing behind\" their leader after a \"difficult week\".", "summary": "Labour is effectively two political parties, due to the split between its MPs and wider membership, ex-Labour First Minister Rhodri Morgan has said."}
{"article": "The Main Stand would be expanded to three tiers, while work on the Anfield Road Stand is also proposed. In October 2012, the club said they would redevelop the ground rather than build a new one on nearby Stanley Park. Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre said: \"Good progress has been made so far and we are proud to be able to unveil our plans.\" Part of the proposed redevelopment would result in the memorial to the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the Hillsborough disaster of 1989 moved into the rebuilt Main Stand. If the proposals to expand both stands go ahead, the ground's capacity would increase to 58,800. Local residents raised concerns about any expansion in 2012 because it would involve the demolition of some houses near the ground. The club said that discussions with local property owners were \"progressing well\" and all parties are close to agreement but added details were still to be finalised. Following a consultation process, the club expects to present its finalised plans and submit a planning application to the city council this summer. If successful, they expect construction to begin early next year with work completed by the start of the 2016-17 season. See the future plans for Anfield.", "summary": "Liverpool have revealed plans to increase Anfield's capacity from 45,500 to almost 59,000."}
{"article": "Mr Hayes, 71, spent three months making and decorating the framework which contains 128 pots of home-grown blooms. \"It was supposed to be 40ft high but the wife wouldn't let me go any higher,\" said Mr Hayes, who also built his own home. The tower is made up of six box sections welded and stacked on top of each other and tethered to a wall. Mr Hayes spends three hours twice a week weeding and watering his upwardly mobile flower be, and has already given it a replanting makeover. The part-time office furniture salesman said he thought up the project when he was left with a surplus of steel struts after recycling some office desks. \"My wife loves it to bits, so do all my neighbours,\" he said. \"The reason I'm proud of it is it's a one-off, it looks beautiful and I didn't need any help to make it, everything was done by me, nobody even handed me even a spanner.\" With its overhanging cover, the pots in Mr Hayes's flower tower each contain five different plants. Initially, they had daffodils and tulips but when those died out he replaced them with fuchsias, geraniums, pansies and others. The couple live in the bungalow Mr Hayes built over three levels himself almost 40 years ago. He has also worked as a window builder and fitter and has done odd jobs throughout his life. Mr Hayes moved to Newport from Iraq when he was 19. His father was an engineer but Mr Hayes says he is totally self taught. He said: \"If you can't think how to do it, think harder!\" \"Some say \"Jack of all trades but master of none\" but I don't believe in that saying - I would challenge any plasterer, any welder.\"", "summary": "Retired steel worker Edward Hayes has built a 26ft (8m) tower of flowers in the drive of his Newport home."}
{"article": "The move comes as US firm General Electric (GE) and Germany's Siemens vie to take control of French engineering group Alstom's power business. Any such takeover will now need approval from Economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg. Mr Montebourg is known to favour the Siemens approach over the GE bid. In a statement, he said the government's new powers of veto would be \"applied in a selective and proportional manner, taking each situation into consideration\". Until now, the French government's power to intervene was confined to deals concerning defence and security matters. The decree extends this to the energy, water, transport, health and communications sectors. Last week, Alstom reported a 28% drop in full-year net profit to 556m euros ($774m; \u00c2\u00a3456m). The company blamed the fall on restructuring costs, asset writedowns and tough economic conditions. Alstom is currently considering a $16.9bn offer from GE for its energy business, but Siemens has also shown interest in the unit. The French firm has said it will decide by the end of May which bidder it prefers. The power business accounts for about 70% of Alstom's total revenue, and if a deal went through, it would leave the company as a transport business. Alstom's transport unit makes TGV high-speed trains and signalling equipment. Both GE and Siemens have already met French President Francois Hollande to discuss their potential offers. The French government has opposed GE's offer.", "summary": "French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has signed a decree giving the government new powers to block foreign takeover bids for companies deemed \"strategic\"."}
{"article": "A total of 19 SNP councillors were elected, up from 16 in 2012, as the Conservatives surged to 11 from three and Labour's total halved to nine. Labour's finance convener Willie Young was among the casualties, but party group leader Jenny Laing kept her seat on the council. In Aberdeenshire, the Conservatives overtook the SNP. In Moray, the SNP was the biggest party. Mr Young said after the Aberdeen result: \"The Conservatives have done very well. You've got to accept you can lose. That's politics for you.\" By BBC Scotland political editor Brian Taylor Let's talk numbers - there have been boundary changes which mean that some comparisons are made with \"notional\" outcomes in 2012, the last time these councils were contested. On that count, the SNP are notionally down by a fractional seven seats. However, in terms of absolute numbers, the Nationalists have ended up with more councillors than in 2012. Plus the SNP are the largest party in Scotland's four largest cities - including Glasgow, where jubilant supporters attended their ousting of Labour. They have waited decades for that. Read more from Brian In Aberdeenshire, the Conservatives had 23 seats, up from 14, while the SNP fell eight to 21. The Lib Dems gained two to 14, independents fell from 12 to 10, and labour dropped from two to one. In Moray, nine SNP councillors were elected (down one) - along with eight Conservatives (up five), eight independent (down two) and one Labour (down two). Orkney elected its first ever Scottish Greens councillor, while the SNP gained its first representative in Shetland. Steve Sankey was elected in the East Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray ward of Orkney Islands Council. Robbie McGregor won the uncontested Shetland South seat for the SNP. Shetland's political leader Gary Robinson lost his Shetland West seat.", "summary": "The SNP has become the biggest party on Aberdeen City Council."}
{"article": "You've probably been calling her Gal Gah-dote or Gal Gah-doh all this time. Or maybe you're not at all sure and have been mumbling her surname, hoping no one will notice. But the Israeli actress recently cleared up the confusion by telling Jimmy Kimmel it's actually pronounced Gal Gad-dott. She's not the only one who's struggled with name issues. Here are a few other famous faces whose name you may have been saying wrong. Twenty years ago, no one had heard of Harry Potter author JK Rowling. But with great fame comes great name mispronunciation. Is it Roe-ling or Rowl-ling? The author once corrected an interviewer saying: \"It's Rolling - as in Stone.\" Mamma Mia! star Amanda Seyfried is constantly correcting people on how to say her name. Sieg-freed, Sigh-freed, Sieg-fred and Say-freed have all been said to her face, and every time she cringes. She cleared it up once and for all in a 2012 interview - it's Sigh-fred. Everyone knows it's Scor-say-zee, right? Wrong. It's Scor-sess-see. The director says so himself in the fifth series of Entourage. Last year Barbra Streisand made headlines after she complained to Apple boss Tim Cook about the way Siri says her name. How is that? Well, it's pretty much the way everyone pronounces it: Strei-zand. \"She pronounces my name wrong,\" the singer told NPR. \"Streisand with a soft S, like sand on the beach.\" So that's Strei-sand to you and me. Shia LaBeouf famously wore a paper bag on his head at the Berlin Film Festival in 2014, saying he wasn't famous anymore. But in talking about the incident, people were forced to say his name - which was a little tricky for some. He's Shy-a La-Buf, not Shee-ya La Boof. The South African actress has had a rough time getting people to say her surname right. It's not Ther-on or Ther-own (rhymes with Throne) - she goes by Ther-in. To make things even more confusing, that's not even her actual name either. In Afrikaans, it's pronounced Shar-leeze Thrawn, but she's opted for Ther-in as she thinks it's easier to say. Here she is telling Piers Morgan how to say it properly. Simpsons creator Matt Groening has one of those names whose spelling instantly flummoxes you. But it's not Groan-ing or Green-ing - it's Gray-ning. If you've merrily been living your life calling her Susan Sarun-dun you're wrong. The Oscar winner once helpfully explained to interviewers how to pronounce her name: \"It's Sa-ran-don - rhymes with abandon.\" Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "As Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot can do anything - apart from getting people to pronounce her name correctly."}
{"article": "Winterbourne View treats people with learning disabilities and autism. Andrew McDonnell, who works with adults with mental disabilities, labelled some of the examples seen on film \"torture\". All four have been released on police bail. The hospital's owners, Castlebeck, have apologised and suspended 13 employees. Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said government regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), had been asked to conduct an urgent investigation. Avon and Somerset police confirmed that three men - aged 42, 30 and 25 - and a 24-year-old woman were arrested as part of their ongoing investigation into the hospital. During five weeks spent filming undercover, Panorama's reporter captured footage of some of the hospital's most vulnerable patients being repeatedly pinned down, slapped, dragged into showers while fully clothed, taunted and teased. The hospital is a privately owned, purpose-built, 24-bed facility and is taxpayer-funded. NHS South West said it was \"appalled\" by the issues raised surrounding the care home. In a statement, it said: \"We always expect safe, high quality care from providers of services and the abuse of vulnerable patients is totally unacceptable.\" Mr McDonnell, a clinical psychologist who viewed the footage, told the programme that basic techniques for dealing with patients with challenging behaviour were ignored. He said he was shocked by some of the treatment of vulnerable patients. After seeing footage of an 18-year-old patient named Simone being verbally abused and doused with cold water while fully clothed as a punishment, he said: \"This is not a jail... people are not here to be punished. \"This is a therapeutic environment. Where's the therapy in any of this? I would argue this is torture.\" Simone's parents told the programme that she had told them she was being abused at the hospital, but they had assured her that it would not be allowed to happen. \"She told us that she had been hit, her hair had been pulled and she'd been kicked - and I said no, this wouldn't happen, they're not allowed,\" said the patient's mother. Professor Jim Mansell, from the University of Kent and a government adviser on the use of physical restraint for those with developmental disabilities, said that from the footage it appeared that staff were \"waiting to pounce on people and restrain them\". \"This is the worst kind of institutional care. It is the kind of thing that was prevalent at the end of the 60s and that led Britain to gradually close the large, long-stay institutions,\" he added. The programme decided to film secretly after being approached by a former senior nurse at the hospital who was deeply concerned about the behaviour of some of the support workers caring for patients. \"I have seen a lot over 35 years but this I have never seen anything like this. It is the worst I have seen,\" former nurse Terry Bryan told the programme. \"These are all people's sons, daughters, parents, aunties, uncles. These are all people who have got families\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 the families themselves do not know what goes on there.\" Mr Bryan reported his concerns to both management at Winterbourne", "summary": "Police in Bristol have arrested four people after secret filming by BBC Panorama found a pattern of serious abuse at a residential hospital."}
{"article": "Some 39,723 homes were repossessed by bailiffs in the 12 months to September 2016 - equivalent to 108 per day, Ministry of Justice data says. It adds that 137,773 renting households are at risk of losing their homes. Homelessness charity Shelter blamed benefit cuts and affordable housing shortages, but the government said reasons for evictions were complex. Although the number of households evicted has dipped slightly since the peak of 42,054 in 2015, Shelter says the statistics are still very worrying. Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said: \"The news that tens of thousands of renters have been evicted from their homes in the last year is a sobering reminder of the impact of welfare cuts and the severe lack of affordable homes. \"Our deepening housing crisis means that over 120,000 children will wake up homeless this Christmas, and sadly this shows that not far behind them are many more families still desperately fighting to stay in their home. \"Our helpline advisers can make the difference between a family losing their home and keeping it, but we are finding it increasingly tough to keep up with soaring demand.\" The majority of claims for home repossession in the year to September 2016 were from social landlords, at 60%, while 15% were by private landlords. The remaining 25% of claims were made under the accelerated procedure, which can be used by both private and social landlords in certain circumstances. A government official said: \"The latest figures show that all stages of landlord repossessions have gone down compared to the last quarter. \"We are committed to building the homes this country needs and have doubled the housing budget to \u00c2\u00a38bn to build 400,000 more affordable homes. \"The reasons for repossessions can be complex, so to link it to welfare reform is misleading. \"Our reforms are incentivising work and restoring fairness to the system, and we continue to spend over \u00c2\u00a390bn a year supporting working age people who are out of work, disabled or a carer, bringing up a family or on a low income.\" But Shelter said social sector evictions had risen in conjunction with the introduction of the bedroom tax and that homelessness acceptances, caused by the loss of private tenancy, have soared since cuts were made to the amount of housing benefit people receive. Chris Town, vice chairman of the Residential Landlords Association, said landlords did not spend their time looking for ways of evicting tenants. \"Seeking to regain possession of a property can be a long and stressful process for both tenants and landlords. Landlords will usually only ever seek possession for a few reasons - either tenants who are not paying their rent or committing anti-social behaviour, the landlord wants to renovate a property, or wants to sell.\" Join the conversation - find us on Facebook", "summary": "More than 100 households were evicted every day from rented homes in England last year, the latest figures show."}
{"article": "'Losing the Battle' was broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster on Sunday. It examined issues including post-traumatic stress disorder, suicide, and attempted suicide among army veterans. The programme heard claims that increasing numbers of veterans were facing difficulties accessing help to deal with mental health problems. Brett Savage, 28, who celebrated his 19th birthday in Afghanistan, said: \"I didn't expect my life to be like this now. Never. You know I can't sleep and stuff. Stupid things remind me of things.\" Alexander Gore described the changes he has faced since a homecoming parade in Belfast for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. He said it was \"definitely a proud moment in my life\" but that after it \"things just started to go downhill with the post traumatic stress really\". \"Now it is never going to go away, it is always going to be there and everybody is going to need help sooner or later with it,\" he added. Aaron Nixon, now 25, said he had to pay for a private post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) assessment at a Belfast clinic this month. He explained how he suffered a gunshot wound to his leg in Afghanistan. \"I lost five inches of my bone,\" he said. \"I had five years of limb reconstruction. About 30 surgeries.\" While some of the veterans, from various conflicts at home and abroad, are actively seeking medical help themselves, others are turning to charities including the independent Beyond The Battlefield which is based in Newtownards, County Down. Speaking in the documentary, its chairman Robert McCartney outlined stark details about one six-month period at the centre. He said: \"These guys come back and they don't know what is wrong with them. \"They get into trouble with their families. \"They have lost everything, and the last attempt that they will do, is suicide. \"We have had 260 through here from April and I would say out of that 260, at least 50% have attempted some type of suicide.\" Andy Allen, now an MLA at Stormont, lost both his legs after being injured by a Taliban improvised explosive device in 2008. He now helps to run AA Veterans Support in north Belfast. He said that after they started providing the counselling services, they saw an increase from reserve personnel, \"as well as individuals that served in Afghanistan and other conflicts\". He added: \"It's my belief and indeed 'AA Veterans Support' have pushed for it from day one, that we need a respite training centre here, dedicated to the needs of our service personnel, veterans and their families. \"A one stop shop that will be able to provide all of the services under the one roof.\" The programme also detailed ongoing problems with the implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland. Jonny Rollins, a retired army colonel who is now the local representative of the Confederation of British Service Charities, explained that a key part of the covenant cannot be implemented in Northern Ireland because local councils do not have the same powers as councils in other parts of the UK. \"The core", "summary": "A Northern Ireland charity is helping more than 100 army veterans who have tried to take their own lives, a BBC documentary has been told."}
{"article": "The Briton saved two match points to win 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 before an angry exchange with the Latvian at the net. Ostapenko claimed her racquet slipped from her hand in the second-set tie-break and was let off with a warning. Broady disagreed saying her opponent should be \"straight disqualified\". \"You'll see on the replay, there's no way it was accidental. She threw the racquet and it hit the ball boy,\" British number three Broady told the umpire in an on-court exchange. WTA rules state that \"players shall not at any time physically abuse any official, opponent, spectator or other person...for the purposes of this rule, physical abuse is the unauthorised touching of an official, opponent and spectator or other person\". Players can be disqualified for incidents by the umpire and fined up to $10,000 (\u00a36,830) for each violation. Former British number one Tim Henman was disqualified from Wimbledon in 1995 after accidentally hitting a ball girl with a ball struck in frustration, while David Nalbandian was thrown out of the Queens final in 2012 after kicking out at an advertising hoarding, cutting the shin of a line judge. World number 88 Ostapenko, ranked 38 places higher than Broady, was allowed to continue after a tour supervisor was called to court, with Broady appearing to be near tears over the incident. The Briton knuckled down in the third set, reeling off six successive games to snatch victory before becoming involved in an argument following the post-match handshakes. \"Jelena commented that my behaviour was terrible, which I thought was a bit out of order considering the events that had gone on in the match,\" said Broady of the row. Broady, who beat former world number one Ana Ivanovic in the first round, will now play American Sloane Stephens.", "summary": "Naomi Broady is into the ASB Classic third round after a controversial match against Jelena Ostapenko, who escaped disqualification for appearing to throw a racquet towards a ball boy."}
{"article": "The punishments were handed out by the ethics committee of football's world governing body, which is investigating the three over corruption allegations. It also banned ex-Fifa vice-president Chung Mong-joon for six years. Issa Hayatou, who heads Africa's football confederation (Caf), will act as Fifa president during Blatter's ban. Uefa - European football's governing body - gave Platini its \"full confidence\" and said it \"saw no need\" to replace its current president while he is suspended from all football duties. Platini - and Chung - are still hoping to replace Blatter at the top of Fifa when he steps down as president in February. Hayatou, meanwhile, has issued a statement saying he will only serve on an interim basis and will not be standing for election. Blatter, Platini and Valcke are banned from any football activity in the interim. They deny any wrongdoing. A statement issued by Blatter's lawyers said the president was \"disappointed\" the ethics committee had not followed its own code in allowing him an opportunity to be heard, and claimed the suspension was based on \"a misunderstanding of the actions of the attorney general in Switzerland\". It added: \"President Blatter looks forward to the opportunity to present evidence that will demonstrate that he did not engage in any misconduct, criminal or otherwise.\" Former France midfielder Platini described the developments as \"farcical\", with the allegations against him \"astonishingly vague\" and \"based on mere semblances\". Platini said he was driven by \"staunch defiance\", more than \"a sense of injustice or a desire for revenge\", to defend himself. He said: \"I refuse to believe this is a political decision taken in haste in order to taint a lifelong devotee of the game or crush my candidacy for the Fifa presidency.\" His ban - which can be appealed against, or even extended - means he will not be able to attend the Euro 2016 draw in Paris on 12 December. Media playback is not supported on this device Uefa's executive committee will hold an emergency meeting next Thursday and called for a \"very rapid final decision\" from Fifa, but said it \"stands fully behind\" Platini. The Football Association, which last week reiterated its support for Platini's presidency bid, said it would \"await the results\" of Fifa's inquiry and the Swiss investigation, while chairman Greg Dyke said the organisation would withdraw its support if Platini is found to have \"behaved dishonestly\". Chung said he was not surprised by his ban, but described it \"as a most blatant miscarriage of justice\", adding that Fifa was \"in total meltdown\" and the investigation against him was \"politically motivated\" against his presidential campaign. Britain's Fifa vice-president David Gill has called for an emergency meeting of its executive committee following Thursday's developments. Fifa's ethics committee began its investigation into Blatter after the Swiss attorney general opened criminal proceedings against the 79-year-old. He is accused of signing a contract \"unfavourable\" to Fifa and making a \"disloyal payment\" to Platini. The ethics committee also opened an inquiry into Platini over the 2m euros (\u00a31.35m) payment, which was made nine years after the", "summary": "Fifa has provisionally suspended its president Sepp Blatter, secretary general Jerome Valcke and vice-president Michel Platini for 90 days."}
{"article": "The bank's monthly Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) is a survey of a panel of firms that tracks indicators such as new orders, employment and exports It had shown growth for 17 months in a row but in December it indicated a slight drop in economic output. The bank's chief economist said it is not clear if this is a blip or if it signals \"the start of a significant deterioration in business conditions.\" Richard Ramsey said that Northern Ireland is \"not unique in experiencing an economic slowdown\". The equivalent PMI survey for the UK shows the weakest rate of growth in 19 months, while global output growth slipped to a 14-month low in December. Mr Ramsey said external economic conditions have a major bearing on Northern Ireland's economic performance, particularly for exporters. Economic stagnation in the Eurozone and the wider global economic slowdown has impacted upon the local manufacturing sector in particular. Northern Ireland's manufacturing firms reported their first decline in output, new orders and employment since mid-2013. The economist said it was \"perhaps concerning\" that Northern Ireland's slowdown has been more marked than the rest of the UK. However, he added that with Northern Ireland's two most important trading partners - the UK and the Republic of Ireland - are still posting strong rates of expansion and said this should drive growth in the local economy for some time to come.", "summary": "The NI economy stalled in December, research by the Ulster Bank suggests."}
{"article": "", "summary": "All photographs are copyrighted."}
{"article": "Nearly 600,000 migrants have reached the EU by sea so far this year, many of them travelling from Turkey to Greece before seeking to head north. Turkey made a number of demands in exchange for helping to stem the flow. In a press conference in Brussels, Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said he felt \"cautious optimism\" over the deal. Meanwhile, Agence France-Presse reported that an Afghan man was shot dead while trying to enter Bulgaria from Turkey late on Thursday. He was part of a \"large group\" of migrants trying to enter Bulgaria, AFP reported, quoting the interior ministry. In the Brussels summit, European officials agreed to: Turkey had also asked for \u00e2\u201a\u00ac3bn (\u00c2\u00a32.2bn, $3.4bn) in aid, something German Chancellor Angela Merkel said EU states were considering. Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, said talks over the sum to be given to Ankara would continue with Turkish officials over the coming days. Mrs Merkel will travel to Turkey at the weekend. \"There is still a huge amount to do,\" Mrs Merkel said. \"But you cannot say that we've achieved nothing.\" EU sources had said several countries were cautious about rushing into an agreement with Turkey too quickly. Among them were Greece, Cyprus and France. BBC Europe correspondent Chris Morris says most EU leaders are convinced that efforts to contain the migration crisis will not succeed without closer co-operation with the Turkish government. The BBC's Matthew Price is sending social media broadcasts from Calais on the EU migration crisis. You can follow his reports here. The pull of Europe: Five migrant stories Merkel under pressure: Chancellor's migrant policy faces criticism at home Focus on Turkey: Why the EU views Syria's northern neighbour as key Crisis in graphics: Migration numbers explained Earlier on Thursday, Mrs Merkel said all EU countries must be prepared to send security staff to the bloc's external borders. She said it would be unfair to ask EU countries seeing the majority of initial migrant entries to secure borders as well. \"It's quite obvious that only a few countries today take the majority of refugees and if these countries now are asked to secure the external borders on top of that, I don't think it would be what we could call a fair distribution of effort,\" Mrs Merkel said. She described the current situation as \"very disorderly\". In other developments: 593,432 migrants have arrived by sea in 2015, says IOM 3,103 migrants have died trying to cross the Mediterranean 76% arrived in Greece via the eastern route 70.1% of arrivals in Greece were from Syria 10,043 migrants arriving in Italy were unaccompanied children 710,000 migrants have crossed EU borders this year, according to Frontex figures Turkey is hosting some two million migrants, most of them fleeing the war in neighbouring Syria. Turkey has also called for the establishment of an international \"safe zone\" for refugees inside northern Syria - but Mr Tusk said Russia's involvement in Syria made the idea more difficult. Also in Brussels, the UK Prime Minister David Cameron said he would present four", "summary": "EU states have struck an action plan for Turkey that it is hoped will ease the flow of migrants to Europe."}
{"article": "The 40-year-old woman died from her injuries following the fall at Clarendon Court, Southsea, Portsmouth, on 12 February. A 46-year-old man, from Southsea, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, has been released with no further action to be taken, police said. Hampshire Constabulary added it was preparing a file for the coroner.", "summary": "The death of a woman who fell from the window of a third-floor flat is no longer being treated as suspicious."}
{"article": "Our first job was to go to the editorial planning meeting to find out how the BBC team decide what news stories to cover. We created our own running order for the programme and had a debate about what topics should go on air. We wanted to cover education in different countries, pollution and child abuse. Then we compared our running order with the actual one for the Radio 4 show. We only had two similarities - a story about the Queen's opinion on the EU and how much we pay for our energy bills. While presenter Mr Mardell and the team prepared for the lunchtime show we went for some smartphone training. It was really interesting and helpful because it taught us how to make professional videos and photos. Top tips included how to film a five-shot sequence, with each part lasting eight seconds. With it getting closer to one o'clock, we went to listen to World at One being broadcast live in the studio. We watched from the editorial room where they were taking live calls. It was really interesting, but we knew what was going to happen beforehand because we'd been in the planning meeting! When Mr Mardell came off air we were able to interview him, and we joined him in the studio to ask him some questions. We asked him what he most liked about presenting World at One and how he got his job as a journalist. He told us his favourite part of the job is meeting lots of new people and persuading them to give their real opinions on air. He explained that he became a journalist by following his talents and started doing journalism at university. Then we asked him what his most awkward moment was. He said he hasn't had any but that he is always worried that he won't be handed the script by his producers on time and that he is scared he might say something wrong. We loved the whole day at New Broadcasting House in London. Berdan said he was inspired to be a journalist, while Sudnaz would like to be an author.", "summary": "School Reporters Berdan and Sudnaz, from Heron Hall Academy, Enfield, went behind the scenes at BBC Radio 4's The World at One and asked presenter Mark Mardell to reveal his most awkward moment."}
{"article": "The band enjoyed several hit songs through the decade, the biggest of which was their cover version of Chip Taylor's Wild Thing which topped the US Billboard chart and made Rolling Stone magazine's greatest songs list. Presley's song Love Is All Around peaked at number five in the UK charts in 1967 but was a huge hit in 1994 when Wet Wet Wet covered it for the soundtrack to the Richard Curtis film Four Weddings And a Funeral, starring Hugh Grant. Born in Andover, Hampshire, on 12 June 1941, Presley, went to Andover Secondary Modern School. When he first learned the guitar, Presley was inspired by skiffle, a type of popular music with jazz, blues, folk, and roots influences - popularised in the UK by artists like Lonnie Donegan In his 20s Presley began listening to blues bands from America, including Louisiana Red and Lightnin' Hopkins. Presley had been working as a brick-layer and said in a previous interview it took three months for him to be persuaded to start playing music with a colleague, Howard Ginger Mansfield. His cohort was a lead guitarist and Presley in turn borrowed a bass, before being forced to drive down to London to buy his own equipment, when he was asked to return the instrument. Their first manager owned a building company and helped them by borrowing a van to carry their equipment around. The Troggs formed in 1964 and, in 1965, Presley, Chris Britton, Pete Staples and Ronnie Bond were signed by Larry Page, a budding record producer who got lucky with a new band called the Ravens, who he re-named The Kinks. After the success of The Kinks You Really Got Me, Page listened to a tape of the Troggs singing their own cover of the song and told them to come back a year later, which they dutifully did - to the day. Lost Girl backed by The Yella In Me was released on CBS, and was regarded as a flop. According to Presley, it got a single play on Radio Luxembourg. After that, Page came across a demo of Chip Taylor's Wild Thing, which had already been unsuccessfully recorded by a band called the Wild Ones. Around the same time, Presley had begun writing his own songs. Speaking to Stuart Maconie on BBC Radio 2 in 2010, he said: \"I started writing on the building site when I was a brick-layer. We needed songs and when I was brick-laying.\" He added: \"I'd finished With A Girl Like You and... in 45 minutes we had to get our gear in the studio, do the two songs and get out, because it was the end of his orchestra session and he left us only 45 minutes.\" \"I mean our first album only took two and a quarter hours, how do you do that?\", Presley laughed. \"It almost takes that to play it.\" Wild Thing made number one in the US and the follow-up single With A Girl Like You reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 4 August 1966, where it", "summary": "Reg Presley, the lead singer of the 1960's band The Troggs, has died aged 71."}
{"article": "According to the Daily Telegraph, the minimum fine is set to double up to \u00a3100. Current fines set by councils range between \u00a350 and \u00a380. Ministers are said to be preparing a \"clutter-free legacy for England\". And Communities minister Marcus Jones said those who drop litter would be \"hit in the pocket\". He added: \"Dropping litter is the kind of anti-social behaviour that really gets people's backs up, and rightly so. \"It's thoughtless, selfish and ruins shared spaces for everyone. Not only that, litter clearance and disposal costs hundreds of millions of pounds for councils every year - money that could be going on vital services. \"If litter louts can't put their rubbish in the bin perhaps we can hit them in the pocket instead.\" The Clean for the Queen campaign is a nationwide clean-up operation, ahead of Her Majesty's 90th birthday. Its chief executive, Adrian Evans, said some people thought it was their \"human right\" to drop rubbish but has urged the public to challenge offenders. \"The way I have done it in the past is to treat it as though they have made a mistake and something has inadvertently fallen out of their bag or pocket. Sort of, 'Oh no, did you mean to drop that?'\" In 2015, councils in England and Wales called for new powers to tackle the \"huge and spiralling\" problem of people throwing litter from vehicles. In London, vehicle owners can be fined if someone drops litter from their car.", "summary": "Penalties for people who drop litter could reach as much as \u00a3150 under plans set out by the Department for Communities and Local Government."}
{"article": "He was assaulted and had his phone stolen near Regent Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Officers were called shortly after 03:30 BST and the scene has been cordoned off while inquiries were being carried out. The force said the man was being supported by specially-trained officers. Police appealed for anyone in the area at the time to contact them.", "summary": "A man has been raped and robbed in the early hours."}
{"article": "Anna Signeul's side are missing injured trio Kim Little, Jen Beattie and Lizzie Arnot for Euro 2017, which begins on 17 July in the Netherlands. \"I think it's huge - any team at the Euros would miss players like Kim, Jenny and Lizzie,\" said Crichton. \"The good thing is we have got a bit of strength in depth in the squad now.\" Manchester City defender Beattie is nursing an ankle injury, while midfielder Little, of Arsenal, and Hibernian striker Arnot have both ruptured anterior cruciate knee ligaments. \"There are certainly quality players that have been brought in because of their absences, and I think those players along with myself will show it's about the squad and what we can do collectively,\" Glasgow City's Crichton told BBC Scotland. \"I'm disappointed for them and for us, but it's part of football. We just need to go on and do what we can now without them.\" Boss Signeul shares Crichton's disappointment for the missing trio, especially given how close Little and Beattie have come to qualifying for major tournaments in the past, only to fall at the play-off stage. \"It's very, very sad for them and I feel for the players,\" the Swede told BBC Scotland. \"Kim and Jennifer have been part of these play-offs that were so close so many times and now when we finally made it, they are not here. \"They are young and although this is the first time we've qualified, there will be many more times after this, so just focus on getting back to full fitness and helping the team get to the next World Cup.\" Little, voted BBC Women's Footballer of the Year for 2016, is on the way to recovery following successful surgery, and is positive about Scotland's chances in the Netherlands. \"It's obviously a blow to miss it, especially when I was initially told,\" she said. \"It was easy to accept because I knew I had no chance [of recovering from the injury in time]. It's devastating but it gives someone else an opportunity and I look forward to watching my team-mates.\" Scotland, drawn in Group D, begin their maiden European Championship campaign on 19 July against England, before taking on Portugal a week later, then Spain on 27 July. Crichton insists the Scots are \"not going to make up the numbers\" and hopes their presence and performances in the Netherlands can motivate girls and young women back home. \"We'll definitely grasp the opportunity, and who knows where the tournament will take us?\" she added. \"In Scotland, it's really important for young kids now to have positive role models and I think that's all that any of the girls in the team look to do. We want to inspire the next generation of footballers - maybe something we didn't have a lot of as kids. \"Anything we can change going forward for the next generation will be massive. Seeing the effect that major tournaments have had on other countries, I think it can definitely take Scotland to the next level. \"I think letting people see us", "summary": "Scotland women midfielder Leanne Crichton says competing in a first major tournament finals without three key players is a severe blow."}
{"article": "After leaking information about the National Security Agency's surveillance programme to the Guardian newspaper, he said he chose Hong Kong because the city has \"a spirited commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent\". Mr Snowden's current whereabouts cannot be confirmed. He left the hotel he had been staying in shortly after going public. The Hong Kong government has promised to handle any extradition request from the US according to established law and policy. Hong Kong signed an extradition treaty with the US shortly before the territory returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. \"You get extraditions several times a year from Hong Kong,\" Clive Grossman S.C, a barrister and former vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association, told the BBC. Under the Fugitive Offenders (United States of America) Order, both Hong Kong and the US have agreed to extradite someone who has committed \"an offence which is punishable under the laws of both Parties by imprisonment or other form of detention for more than one year... unless surrender for such offence is prohibited by the laws of the requested Party.\" Regina Ip, a legislator and Hong Kong's former Secretary for Security, told reporters in May that the Hong Kong government was \"obliged to comply with the terms of agreements\" with the US government, including extradition treaties. \"It's actually in his best interest to leave Hong Kong,\" she said, referring to Mr Snowden. However, the extradition process can be a long and complicated one in sensitive cases like this, Tim Parker, an immigration lawyer based in Hong Kong, has told the BBC. \"There are a number of hurdles that could come up for the extraditing authority, to the advantage of Snowden,\" he said. \"There is a bar under Hong Kong's extradition law... to extradition for an offence that is of a political character, [where] the prosecution is thought not just to be the application of the criminal law, but to crush that person or to crush their dissent,\" Mr Parker said. Another potential hurdle would be any intervention from Beijing, which could block an extradition if it raised questions \"going to their national security, foreign affairs, or defence\", Mr Parker says. A handover could also be halted if Mr Snowden was believed to be in danger of receiving inhumane treatment in the US, Mr Parker added. \"If Mr Snowden is at risk of being detained under the sort of conditions that Bradley Manning has reportedly been detained, which the UN special rapporteurs have said amounted to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment... then Hong Kong would not be allowed under its law, and could not extradite him to the US.\" A further consideration is what visa Mr Snowden used to enter Hong Kong. If his visa is due to expire soon, a formal extradition request may not be needed. However, it would not be \"legally possible\" under Hong Kong law for Mr Snowden to be forcibly taken to Beijing, Mr Parker says. \"That would be a serious breach of the autonomy under Hong Kong's One Country Two Systems arrangement. There", "summary": "Edward Snowden, who has been charged with espionage by US over leaks about US surveillance programmes, is thought to have been in Hong Kong since 20 May."}
{"article": "In the annals of great political statements, the Limehouse declaration isn't exactly up there with the Gettysburg Address or \"Peace for our time\". Yet the statement issued by Labour's so-called \"Gang of Four\" that they were leaving to form their own Social Democratic Party still occupies an important place in British political history. Now, 36 years on, the story behind that moment is being retold in a play that, on stage at least, sees David Owen, William \"Bill\" Rodgers, Shirley Williams and the late Roy Jenkins reunited. It arrives at a point when Labour is once again riven by internal divisions - prompting some to ponder whether another breakaway could be on the cards. Set on 25 January 1981 in the kitchen of Owen's London home, Limehouse imagines the \"gang\" coming together to thrash out the details of their departure. It is, concedes playwright Steve Waters, \"two years of arguments, debates, persuasion and plotting concentrated into a very short span of time\". \"It's fiction, but there's lots of things that come directly from reality,\" says Waters. \"The facts of the characters' situations have been soundly researched. \"No one knows what they said that day - we don't have a record of their words. That, for me, was an invitation to write the play.\" Rodgers, Williams, Owen and his wife Debbie were at London's Donmar Warehouse on Wednesday to see their pasts played out before them. That made for a nerve-wracking evening for Tom Goodman-Hill, the actor cast in the David Owen role. \"I was very glad that David and Debbie were on the back row of the stalls, because it meant they weren't in my eyeline,\" says one of the stars of Channel 4's Humans. \"But I've been able to meet them on a couple of occasions and talk to them about the play, so they knew what to expect.\" Speaking after Tuesday's press night, Lord Owen said Waters had \"obviously taken a lot of licence\". \"But he has captured the debates, the agonies and the quite strong arguments we had,\" he went on. \"In a way, he's captured the flavour of all of us.\" The veteran politician, now 78, does have one cavil, however - about the wine that is shown being liberally poured, and drunk, over the play's 105 minutes. \"There was no Chateau Lafite in the Owen household,\" he says with a rueful smile. For her part, Baroness Williams takes issue with a point in the play where she leaves to be interviewed by the BBC. \"I don't remember going off to do an interview, and I don't think they ever found any evidence I did,\" she insists. Generally, though, she considers Limehouse to be \"gripping and very authentic\". \"I didn't think it would ever be a play,\" the 86-year-old goes on. \"And who could've expected things to come full circle 35 years on?\" Waters was originally approached to write about the Labour Party of today but felt it was \"almost too painful to write about\". \"It's also a bit of a moving target,\" he continues. \"But hopefully the", "summary": "What can a play about the formation of the SDP in 1981 tell us about today's political landscape?"}
{"article": "O'Neill's tenure has yielded just one win from 13 matches. \"I strongly believe the way forward is with Michael at the helm and leading us into the Euros,\" commented Taylor. \"I really feel if he carries on then everyone will be better for that continuity. It's going to take time.\" Taylor, who is working on a short-term deal as goalkeeping coach less than two years since winning his last cap, believes O'Neill needs to stay on when his contract expires at the end of the year. Media playback is not supported on this device Defeats in Luxembourg and Azerbaijan in the last two World Cup qualifiers have proved particularly frustrating for the former Shamrock Rovers boss and his coaching staff. But there is more to the story, with O'Neill working hard behind the scenes to strengthen the Northern Ireland set-up from the bottom, while also overseeing a changing of the guard in the senior side. Talks with IFA officials will resume after Tuesday's final qualification match in Israel, and Taylor hopes they go well. \"Some of the young lads coming into the national side are not even playing club football, but we have a small pool of players and it's not as though we can go out and sign someone, so you do the best you can. \"Michael is very, very passionate. He's hurting as much, if not more, than anyone else. \"If you take the blip in Luxembourg out of it, the performances in all the other games - irrespective of the results - have been strong. Media playback is not supported on this device \"It is a period of transition at the moment. It's a young squad and although the results haven't always come the lads have set a standard of performance - getting the win against Russia and going very close to a result against Portugal at home. The lads will learn from this campaign.\" If O'Neill does get the chance to continue his work with Northern Ireland, it is highly likely he would ask Taylor to remain part of his backroom staff. At 42, the former Fulham and Birmingham goalkeeper is only just starting to get used to the idea of his playing days being over, but he would be keen to remain involved at club level even if he was offered a full-time role by the IFA. \"I sat down with Michael and he asked me to help out for five games. If he stays that doesn't necessarily mean I stay on, we'll have to sit down and talk. \"I had hoped to play again this season but I've had a niggle with my shoulder and it's set me back a bit. \"The coaching is something I'm very keen to progress with and there's no reason why I couldn't combine Northern Ireland coaching with a job at a club.\"", "summary": "Northern Ireland goalkeeping coach Maik Taylor has called on the Irish Football Association to hand manager Michael O'Neill a new contract despite the side's disappointing run of results."}
{"article": "Costa, 28, was told by text message that boss Antonio Conte does not have him in his plans for next season. He said: \"I don't know about my future. I have a contract with Chelsea and they are the ones who know what they will do with me. \"I have to wait to see what decision my club makes.\" Spain continue to lead Group G after the win in Skopje. Manchester City midfielder David Silva opened the scoring for the fourth Spain game in a row when he finished Jordi Alba's cutback. Costa doubled the lead when he tapped in Isco's cross. Stefan Ristovski pulled one back for Macedonia when he drilled past David de Gea but Spain saw it out. Spain top the group on goal difference after second-placed Italy beat Liechtenstein 5-0. Only the group winners are guaranteed a place at next year's finals in Russia, meaning that one of the European giants are set to be in the play-offs. Match ends, Macedonia 1, Spain 2. Second Half ends, Macedonia 1, Spain 2. Kire Ristevski (Macedonia) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Isco (Spain) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Kire Ristevski (Macedonia). Substitution, Spain. Sa\u00fal \u00d1\u00edguez replaces Andr\u00e9s Iniesta. Attempt blocked. Pedro (Spain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Diego Costa. Attempt blocked. Sergio Ramos (Spain) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Koke with a cross. Corner, Spain. Conceded by Vance Sikov. Corner, Spain. Conceded by Stefan Ristovski. Attempt blocked. Sergio Ramos (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Vance Sikov (Macedonia) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Diego Costa (Spain) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Vance Sikov (Macedonia). Attempt saved. Diego Costa (Spain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Substitution, Macedonia. Ivan Trickovski replaces Daniel Mojsov. Attempt missed. Gerard Piqu\u00e9 (Spain) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Koke with a cross following a corner. Corner, Spain. Conceded by Vance Sikov. Hand ball by Ilija Nestorovski (Macedonia). Eljif Elmas (Macedonia) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Koke (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Eljif Elmas (Macedonia). Attempt blocked. Ezgjan Alioski (Macedonia) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Sergio Busquets (Spain). Stefan Spirovski (Macedonia) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Macedonia. Aleksandar Trajkovski replaces Kristijan Tosevski. Substitution, Spain. Koke replaces Thiago Alc\u00e1ntara. Corner, Spain. Conceded by Daniel Mojsov. Jordi Alba (Spain) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Jordi Alba (Spain). Kristijan Tosevski (Macedonia) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Isco (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Daniel Mojsov (Macedonia). Substitution, Spain. Pedro replaces David Silva. Foul by Andr\u00e9s Iniesta (Spain). Eljif Elmas (Macedonia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.", "summary": "Diego Costa said that it is up to Chelsea to make a decision on his future after he scored in Spain's 2-1 World Cup qualifying win in Macedonia."}
{"article": "The local woman was driving a Peugeot which collided with a Ford driven by a 22-year-old man in Angley Road at the junction with Cranbrook High Street. Kent Police said the other driver was also taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening. The A229 was closed for five hours after the accident at 13:38 BST on Saturday. Det Sgt Scott Lynch said: 'It was a busy Saturday afternoon so there may have been a number of people who saw the collision. \"We would ask witnesses to contact us if they haven't already spoken to an officer.\"", "summary": "An 85-year-old woman has died in hospital after a collision between her car and another vehicle."}
{"article": "Manager Matt Beard told BBC Sport that Williams and Nigeria striker Asisat Oshoala would miss \"a couple of months\" with hamstring and knee problems. Defender Satara Murray (also hamstring) is expected to be out of action for about six weeks. \"It's a big blow,\" said Beard. \"It's the spine of your team - your central midfielder, your centre-back and your centre-forward - but it's one of those things.\" The players were all hurt during Saturday's WSL 1 defeat by Notts County and did not feature in Thursday's 2-0 Continental Tyres Cup victory against Everton. Williams played in all seven of England's matches at the recent World Cup, but Beard said her injury was not caused by returning to league action too soon following the tournament in Canada. \"It was an impact injury,\" he said. \"Unfortunately as she's tried to win the ball, her leg's completely hyperextended, which has caused the injury.\" Liverpool are the reigning Women's Super League One champions but are currently only sixth in the table after a disappointing start to the season. With the league concluding in October, Beard admitted that the new injuries would make defending their title even more difficult. \"They're important players to us but it's going to give maybe one or two of the younger players an opportunity,\" he continued. \"We'll do as much as we can, while we're still involved in everything mathematically, to finish as high as we can.\" Beard also told BBC Sport that he did not think he would be in a position to make emergency loan signings to cover for the injured players.", "summary": "Three Liverpool Ladies players, including England midfielder Fara Williams, are set to miss the majority of the club's remaining games this season after picking up injuries."}
{"article": "China's government asked the National Audit Office (NAO) in July to do a round-up of the debts outstanding at a local level. The report showed some local governments were using new loans to repay more than a fifth of their debt. China has a total government debt of about 58% of its economic output. Persistent fears over the level of non-performing bad debt have affected perceptions of the world's second-largest economy, as some worry whether the loans can be paid back. The figure is still less than half the debt burdens in Japan - the world's third-largest economy - and Greece, but some analysts warn that China's debt cannot continue to grow at this pace forever. \"While China's total government debt remains low by the OECD standards, the pace of the rise is still alarming,\" said ANZ Bank economists Liu Li-Gang and Zhou Hao. \"This national debt audit result could indicate that China's local government debt almost doubled in about two-and-a-half years.\" According to the China Banking Regulatory Commission, local governments took up 80% of total bank lending in China at the end of 2010. Local governments in China borrowed heavily after the global financial crisis, to try to sustain growth rates. The Chinese central government has repeatedly stressed the urgent need to guard against financial risks, including the local government debt problem.", "summary": "China has local government debts of 17.7 trillion yuan ($2.9tn), up 70% from three years ago, according to an official report."}
{"article": "The pirates are very good at what they do. They run sophisticated operations using the latest hi-tech equipment such as satellite phones and GPS. They are also heavily armed with rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47s. The pirates are known to receive tip-offs from contacts at ports in the Gulf of Aden. They use speedboats with very powerful outboard motors to approach their target. Sometimes the speedboats are launched from much larger \"mother ships\" on the high seas and they have even managed to seize enormous oil tankers. With warships patrolling along the Somali coast, the pirates have started to operate further away and have even staged some attacks across the Indian Ocean, closer to India than Somalia. To actually hijack the ships, the pirates first use grappling hooks and irons - some of which are even rocket-propelled - and climb aboard using ropes and ladders. The pirates have also on occasion fired at the ships to scare them into stopping, so it is easier for them to board the vessel. The pirates then sail the hijacked ship to their base, often the town of Eyl. There, pirates usually take the hostages ashore where they are normally well looked after until a ransom is paid. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) is advising ship owners to adopt measures such as having lookouts or travelling at speeds which would allow them to outrun the pirates. However, the pirates move extremely quickly and often at night and so it is sometimes too late before the crew has realised what has happened. Once the pirates have taken control of a ship, military intervention is complicated because of the hostages on board. There is also no international legal system for people accused of piracy. Although some have been put on trial in Kenya, the government says it is unfair if all the pirate suspects are sent there. One group has been jailed in the Netherlands - in Europe's first such case - while another group has been sentenced to death in Yemen. A trial in the US in 2010, meanwhile, convicted five men of piracy for an attack on a US Navy ship. But pirates apprehended on the high seas are also frequently released because of the difficulties of prosecuting them. Some argue an international court is needed, backed by the UN, with perhaps even an international prison for those convicted. The UN Security Council has approved a resolution allowing countries to pursue Somali pirates on land as well as at sea - an extension of the powers countries already have to enter Somali waters to chase pirates. But as long as Somalia continues to exist without an effective government, many believe lawlessness within the country and off its lengthy coast will only grow. The IMB estimates that 53 ships were hijacked worldwide in 2010 - 49 of them off Somalia's coast - and says a record 1,181 hostages were taken. The problem also appears to be growing. Overall, there were 445 pirate attacks in 2010, a 10% rise from 2009, the IMB says. Meanwhile, maritime piracy costs the", "summary": "Pirates have been operating in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, for several years, prompting world powers to send their navies to safeguard international trade."}
{"article": "Glasgow Sheriff Court has previously heard that Harry Clarke was unconscious at the wheel when the lorry hit pedestrians on 22 December last year. First Bus inspector John Stewart told the FAI that Mr Clarke had blacked out while unwell at a bus stop in 2010. The inquiry is examining the bin lorry, its route and Mr Clarke's health. Mr Stewart told the second day of the FAI, which is being overseen by Sheriff John Beckett QC, that he was an inspector and had been with First Bus Glasgow for 12 years. He referred to notes he had taken on a Blackberry, detailing an incident involving Mr Clarke, while he was a bus driver, on 7 April 2010. The notes of his daily report from that day state Mr Clarke \"blacked out for a couple of minutes\" while at a bus stop having \"taken unwell\". Mr Stewart said he was alerted by a passenger on the number 54 bus that the driver had collapsed at the wheel. The witness said Mr Clarke was still in the driver's seat of the bus when he arrived at the scene, but there were no passengers on board. An ambulance was called and paramedics arrived to attend to Mr Clarke who was given the all clear and refused to go to hospital. He was not allowed to drive the bus back, which was returned to the depot by Mr Stewart. The witness said his involvement ended as soon as he left Mr Clarke and that he assumed the driver would have been sent to the company doctor. Mr Stewart, under cross-examination from Dorothy Bain QC, agreed that \"other people could be killed\" due to a driver being \"out of control\" of the bus. The witness said he did not know if a driver who had blacked out would be suspended, but he said he would not let them drive. Going back over Mr Stewart's report, it was noted that Mr Clarke had driven the bus to the stop he was at after blacking out. Mr Stewart said Mr Clarke \"should have used his common sense\" and not driven the bus, but said \"you would have to ask him\". Ms Bain asked Mr Stewart if knew that Mr Clarke was suspended from driving and had to attend doctor's appointments. The witness said he did not. The court was then shown a letter from a First Bus doctor saying Mr Clarke had suffered \"loss of consciousness\". In a letter, the doctor said Mr Clarke was advised that \"he does not need to inform the DVLA of the incident\". Ms Bain asked Mr Stewart if he knew Mr Clarke had reported passing out in a canteen at work that same day in 2010. The witness said he did not know. Mr Stewart said he could not confirm if Mr Clarke had been suffering from dizzy spells, but said he would have stopped him driving if he had. Mr Stewart will give evidence on Friday when the FAI resumes for a third day. Earlier, the inquiry heard again from Henry", "summary": "The fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the Glasgow bin lorry crash which killed six people has heard the driver blacked out before while driving a bus."}
{"article": "The Cubbington pear tree is believed to have been growing near the Warwickshire village for more than 250 years. The Woodland Trust, which ran the Tree of the Year poll, has called for it to be preserved due to its age. HS2 officials say the tree's hollow trunk means it will have to be felled, with seedlings planted nearby. The proposed high-speed line will link London with Birmingham, but has attracted criticism due to its cost and planned route through areas of countryside. Peter Delow, chairman of the Cubbington Stop HS2 Action Group, nominated the tree for the award, and said the win sent \"a clear message\" to politicians to conserve the country's natural heritage. \"Those who voted for our tree clearly care about the protection of our natural environment,\" he said. \"It would be perfectly possible to build HS2 without destroying our tree and many others.\" Cubbington's pear tree was selected after attracting more than a third of 10,000 votes for the best tree in England, beating nine other finalists to the title. Runners-up included the Tolpuddle Martyrs tree in Dorset, Glastonbury's Holy Thorn and the Boscobel Oak in Shropshire, a descendant of the tree where the future King Charles II hid after the final battle of the English Civil War. The UK's Trees of the Year Beccy Speight, chief executive of the Woodland Trust, said public affection for the Cubbington pear tree - one of 20 within the construction boundaries of HS2's first phase - showed the importance of the natural world to the country. \"Sadly many iconic trees do not have the levels of protection they deserve,\" she said. Ben Ruse, a spokesman for HS2, said younger trees would be planted in the area surrounding Cubbington to offset the loss of the historic pear tree. \"We have always recognised the significance of the tree and will do all we can to ensure that wild pear trees continue to be a feature of the countryside around Cubbington,\" he said.", "summary": "An ancient pear tree due to be chopped down to make way for the HS2 high-speed rail line has been voted the best tree in England."}
{"article": "Alan Knight, 48, and wife Helen, 34, of Sketty, Swansea, had admitted perverting the course of justice. Helen Knight was jailed for 10 months at Swansea Crown Court on Friday. Her husband, who was jailed in November 2014 on fraud and forgery charges, will serve another 14 months on top of his current prison term. Judge Huw Davies told Knight - appearing via videolink from prison - and his wife they had both committed an \"extreme\" example of intending to pervert the course of justice. He said: \"It resulted in significant delay in bringing the offender to justice.\" He said this added to the distress of those facing giving evidence as Knight's trial was delayed time and time again over a period of two years. The judge called Knight's deception \"calculated\" and told his wife: \"All in all your behaviour was unscrupulous and selfish.\" The judge told the court the couple came up with their elaborate plan to feign a \"catastrophic\" illness to try to stop the husband's trial for theft, fraud and forgery. He had been accused of taking \u00c2\u00a340,000 of the the life savings of his elderly neighbour, who had dementia. Every time someone in authority visited Knight, he pretended he was paraplegic and often in a coma. He admitted himself to hospital for a total of 10 weeks to avoid the trial and convinced some GPs about his mystery illness. Numerous tests were carried out but they all concluded he had nothing physically wrong with him. Meanwhile, his wife wrote to the prime minister, the deputy prime minister and her local MP and AM, telling them her husband was being forced to go to court even though he was a paraplegic and in a permanent vegetative state. Her local MP even took on her case, writing to Mr Knight's solicitors. Eventually their lies were exposed after police found CCTV and picture evidence from their computer. The photographs showed them on holiday, on day trips to places like Legoland and at a friend's wedding.", "summary": "A man who faked being in a coma for two years to avoid a fraud trial has been jailed along with his wife for trying to con the courts."}
{"article": "Sarah Goldstein, 24, found the posts two weeks ago after her claim for personal independence payments (PIPs) was turned down. One post described how the nurse wanted to \"catapult\" a claimant \"back to...[where] he came from\". Capita, which assess claimants for the government, said it was investigating. Mrs Goldstein, who has fibromyalgia, Raynaud's phenomenon, and suffers with chronic anxiety, migraines and depression, claimed Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and first applied for PIPs in October 2014. Her husband, Jay Goldstein, said she had been assessed last year but turned down for PIPs because it was felt she was \"making everything up\". Mrs Goldstein reapplied for PIPs at the end of 2015 and was assessed at her home in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, in March by the nurse, who works for Capita on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DwP). But the couple's suspicions were aroused when they found they had been turned down by the nurse on the basis of a number of \"falsehoods\" in her accompanying report, which has been seen by the BBC. These included claims that Mrs Goldstein had given birth to 13-month-old daughter AJ naturally. Mrs Goldstein had a caesarean and said she was never asked about the birth. In addition, the report said Mrs Goldstein was \"calm, relaxed and her mood appeared stable\". Mr Goldstein said his wife was \"clearly anxious\" and did not make eye contact with the assessor. Mr Goldstein, 25, said the nurse's name was on the report, so his wife looked her up on social media \"to make sure everything was above board\" and discovered the posts. One, written in July 2014, appears to attack a claimant who had lost two legs as a child and had appeared on a programme about benefits. The post said he should \"get a job fitting carpets\" and that she \"would like to catapult the scrounger back to...[where] he came from\". It is believed the nurse started working for Capita a few months before the July post. Mr Goldstein said: \"People need to see how people with disabilities like my wife are treated. They're human beings, they deserve a good quality of life. \"[The nurse] is clearly not the best person for that job.\" The couple reported the posts to Capita, which, as a result, suspended the nurse and told the couple a new assessment on Mrs Goldstein would be carried out on Wednesday. Mr Goldstein said his wife, had been left \"stressed\" and \"unwell\" over the claim. A Capita spokesman said: \"The individual was suspended as soon as we were made aware of the allegations, and further investigations are taking place. All prospective assessors are subject to strict security and vetting checks. We also have strict policies in place which govern the use of social media.\" In response to a request for a comment, the nurse told the BBC to contact Capita.", "summary": "A disability benefits assessor has been suspended after allegedly posting abusive comments about disabled claimants on Facebook."}
{"article": "He took over on an interim basis when Craig Harrison left for Hartlepool on 26 May after guiding TNS to six consecutive Welsh titles. Steve Evans, who has been assisting Ruscoe, will also be retained. Both stepped up from coaching roles and led TNS in Champions League qualifiers against Europa of Gibraltar and Croatian side Rijeka in June and July. The Saints kick-off their Welsh Premier season away to Bangor City on 11 August. Find out how to get into football with our special guide.", "summary": "Scott Ruscoe has been appointed manager of Welsh Premier champions The New Saints on a permanent basis."}
{"article": "Currently scratch cards and display discs are used, but Transport Minister Deputy Eddie Noel advertised for a new app-based cashless system. He said this would eventually be rolled out to street parking as well as the island's 46 car parks. It would run alongside the scratch cards so people without a smart phone could still pay to park. The price of a scratch card is 76p per unit with a monthly season ticket costing \u00c2\u00a3123.31, and Mr Noel said the new system would cost the same as scratch cards. Mr Noel said it would give people a greater flexibility and make it easier to police as it would be likely to use number plate recognition. It should be in place by the middle of 2016.", "summary": "A new cashless payment system will be introduced into Jersey car parks under new plans by the States."}
{"article": "The 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medallist improved her English record to 65.10 metres at the New South Wales Championships in Sydney. It puts her second in the all-time British list behind Scotland's Margaret Ritchie, who threw 67.48. It is the second time she has thrown an Olympic qualifying mark in three days. The 28-year-old threw 64.22m at the Auckland Track Challenge on Thursday.", "summary": "Jade Lally has produced the longest discus throw by a British woman since 1983 to move to fourth in the 2016 world rankings."}
{"article": "Earlier this month, the force said 24 people had been charged with possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. On Friday, it said five more people had now been charged, bringing the total to 29 and they are all from the city. Police raided 35 addresses on 26 April during an operation involving 200 officers.", "summary": "Twenty-nine people have been charged following drugs raids in Newport, Gwent Police has said."}
{"article": "The school down the road from you that's had a bad name among parents and falling pupil numbers is taken over and turned into an academy school. The head teacher and the name will change, and there is a fair bet the discipline regime and uniform will too. Making schools independent from their local council and giving head teachers much greater leeway in whom to hire, and what to teach, isn't new. But until now, it has been applied to failing schools. The new Education Bill will extend that to \"coasting schools\". The government clearly intends to draw that category quite widely, which could mean many more schools than expected facing pressure to improve. The more obvious case for intervention is in local authority areas with large numbers of schools Ofsted says are less than good. In Lowestoft, Suffolk, there are four secondary schools. Only one is rated as being good, two others have just come out of special measures, and one requires improvement. Of the 20 primary schools, only eight are currently deemed to be good or outstanding. Tucked away behind streets of neat houses is Meadow Primary School. The building is a little down-at-heel, but it is surrounded by beautiful playing fields and green spaces. The school has chosen to begin a journey that hundreds more schools in England may be forced to follow in the coming years. Meadow, rated as requiring improvement, is joining the primary-only academy chain REAch2. Into this school has stepped a new head teacher, Nadia Paczuska, who was recruited through a scheme called Future Leaders. She says: \"It's very isolated geographically, there is high unemployment among the parents and the area surrounding the school, it's very difficult to recruit to this area and there's a sense of low expectation of the children.\" In order to have enough teachers for the coming year she has recruited from Canada and Romania, and taken to social media to persuade teachers to relocate from around the UK. The local neighbourhood is mainly white, typical of Lowestoft's long-established communities. The school's standing had slipped, and there were some tense moments between parents and her predecessor, but Nadia says there is a will to change. \"Most of the parents I speak to are very conscious it's not good enough, and although it had perhaps become normalised it's certainly not something the community are happy about.\" An appeal to the community to roll up its sleeves has led to volunteers offering to set up and run a library, and join a summer work party re-painting parts of the school. Over the holidays, the school will also be running catch-up classes for pupils. Which raises the question of whether it's Nadia's determination to lead a team improving the school that will make as much difference as becoming an academy. It is easy to make a case for intervening in schools that are underperforming. But Lowestoft also shows that simply becoming an academy, free from the management of the local council, is not a guarantee of success. Many of the pupils from Meadow Primary", "summary": "It is a familiar formula in many ways."}
{"article": "Hemmings scored 24 goals for Cowdenbeath last season, including two hat-tricks, and was named Scottish Championship Player of the Season. Barnsley manager Danny Wilson said he did not believe the 22-year-old would struggle to adapt to English football. \"He has got good pace and is a very good finisher as the stats will tell you,\" said Wilson. \"He can play in a number of positions, but more importantly he's down the middle and has got goals in him, which is what we want to bring into the team.\" Hemmings began his career at Tamworth before moving to Rangers, for whom he made 10 appearances, and then joined Cowdenbeath in the summer of 2013 after a successful loan spell. He is Barnsley's second signing since being relegated from the Championship, following the arrival of ex-Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Adam Davies.", "summary": "Relegated Barnsley have completed the signing of striker Kane Hemmings from Cowdenbeath on a free transfer."}
{"article": "City of Glasgow College student Majid Ali was recently held at Dungavel Detention Centre in Lanarkshire. Supporters believe he was deported on Tuesday night. The Home Office said it did not comment on individual cases. Mr Ali had accused the Pakistani authorities of killing his uncle and cousin and abducting his brother. He first claimed asylum in the UK in 2011 after stating that his brother was the victim of an enforced \"disappearance\" by Pakistani authorities. More recently, Mr Ali claimed that his family home in the Balochistan province was raided by government forces, and his uncle and cousin were shot and killed. The volatile province, in the south west of Pakistan, has seen conflict between government forces and groups from the region who want more political autonomy or independence and a greater share of revenue from natural resources. The National Union of Students (NUS) had been running a campaign to keep Mr Ali in the UK. Earlier this week, NUS Scotland president Gordon Maloney said: \"We are deeply concerned for Majid's safety if he is forced home. \"We all recognise that nobody deserves the kind of treatment he has received in this country, or the grave danger that might await him on his forced return home.\" The campaign had been supported by SNP MP for Glasgow South West, Chris Stephens, who wrote to the immigration minister and Scottish secretary and attempted to raise the case in the House of Commons. Mr Stephens had said it was \"fairly obvious to anyone looking at this case that Majid should be allowed to stay as there would be a genuine fear for his life if he was deported\".", "summary": "A Scottish-based student is thought to have been deported to Pakistan despite claims he faces political persecution and possible death in his homeland."}
{"article": "The hosts, who resumed on 23-0 at The Oval needing 230 runs to avoid an innings defeat, lost Rory Burns for 18. Kumar Sangakkara (84 not out) shared a century third-wicket stand with Arun Harinath (57) before the latter was caught behind off Sean Ervine. A rain shower saw the players taken off at 16:00 BST, with Surrey on 248-3 and play was called off. Surrey are now 27 points behind leaders Middlesex with just one match remaining, while Hampshire are six points from safety, but Lancashire and Durham above them have a game in hand. If Durham and Lancashire pick up a significant haul of points next week, the battle for the final relegation spot could be between Hampshire and Warwickshire, who are separated by eight points with one match left each. With Hampshire seeking 10 wickets on the final day, Brad Wheal followed up Liam Dawson's early dismissal of Burns by removing Dominic Sibley for 44, caught behind. However, on a flat pitch Sangakkara remained untroubled, reaching his seventh Championship half-century of the season having hit eight boundaries. Steven Davies' 57-run unbroken fourth-wicket partnership with the former Sri Lanka batsman saw Surrey creep towards taking the lead in the final session of play before the rain intervened. Surrey skipper Gareth Batty told BBC Radio London: \"There will be people that will say that after the first four sessions of the game the pitch died and there wasn't a lot (in it) for anybody. \"Fair comment, but you've still got to ride out those pressure situations. \"Hampshire put us on the back foot by going so far ahead, and making it so we were the only team that could be on the wrong end of the result. \"The character shown was great. On the whole, walking away with a draw is not a particularly bad result.\" Hampshire captain James Vince told BBC Radio Solent: \"We set the game up nicely for today and the bowlers stuck to it really well and were unlucky not to have a few more wickets. \"On a wicket where it was spinning out of the rough, they have left-handers, if we'd been able to get one or two more in that middle session, I'd have backed us to go on and win it. \"We'll have to see how next week unfolds and then make a plan going into the Durham game (in the final week). \"We're very much still alive, I think.\"", "summary": "Surrey's slim chances of winning the Division One title ended as they drew with relegation-threatened Hampshire."}
{"article": "US national Joshua Samuel Aaron, 32, was held at New York's JFK airport and will appear in court on Thursday. He is one of three men accused of illegally accessing the personal information of 100 million people in 2012-15. Twelve major institutions were victims of the hacking, including JPMorgan. Mr Aaron had been a fugitive living in Moscow, but flew to the US voluntarily to face the charges, his lawyer said. In a statement on Wednesday, US Attorney Preet Bharara said: \"Joshua Samuel Aaron allegedly worked to hack into the networks of dozens of American companies, ultimately leading to the largest theft of personal information from US financial institutions ever.\" The other two suspects are Israeli men: Gery Shalon and Ziv Orenstein. They were arrested in Israel in July 2015, and extradited to the US in June 2016. All three men were charged in November 2015. They allegedly manipulated stock prices by selling shares of companies to individuals whose contact information they had stolen. The men were also charged with running an illegal payment processing business that they used to collect $18m (\u00c2\u00a314.3m) in fees. Prosecutors claim the men hacked into competitors' systems to spy on them and then hacked into a credit card company investigating their payment processing business in order to avoid detection. The company hit hardest by the breach was JPMorgan. More than 83 million of the bank's customers had data stolen in the breach.", "summary": "FBI and US secret service agents have arrested a man charged with the largest cyber-attack of financial firms in America's history."}
{"article": "The Ayoub Sisters recorded their hit Melodies From Scotland with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. It features some of Burns' most famous works, including Auld Lang Syne and My Love is Like A Red Red Rose. The sisters, who have since recorded with producer Mark Ronson, have now signed a contract with the label Decca. Although their parents are not from Scotland, the sisters said they were brought up with a love of Scottish music. Sarah Ayoub told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: \"We were born in Glasgow but our parents are actually Egyptian so when we'd have guests at home in Glasgow, we'd be summoned to the lounge and requested to play Scottish music.\" Laura Ayoub said the sisters wanted to put their own mark on the music. She told the programme: \"We intentionally wanted to put our own spin on it. For example, you hear Mairi's Wedding and Scotland The Brave in this piece, but they are played in a style that's almost unrecognisable.\" The pair's talents were recently spotted by award winning producer Mark Ronson. They had posted a cover of his hit Uptown Funk on YouTube only to be contacted by him days later. Sarah told the programme: \"Mark Ronson must have seen the video and summoned us and a couple of other musicians to record a new cover in Abbey Road Studios in London. Laura added: \"We'd uploaded the video about four or five days before we then received the email, which means that the time we were uploading that video was exactly the time he was going through YouTube finding these covers. It had like 20 views , which were all from our mum, so it was really just luck.\"", "summary": "Two musical sisters from Milngavie are celebrating after their record released in time for Burns Night topped the classical charts on iTunes."}
{"article": "Steven Frater, 32, hid 167 diazepam tablets and quantities of heroin and oxymetholene inside his body. He then stole a television from the Asda store in Galashiels, hoping to be arrested and sent to Edinburgh Prison. Frater, formerly of Jedburgh, admitted at Selkirk Sheriff Court the theft and refusing an internal examination at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in February. The court heard he attempted to defeat the ends of justice by refusing to be examined in hospital knowing he had the controlled drugs inside his body. However, he was subsequently found to have swallowed a number of substances that he had hoped to distribute in jail. Sheriff Jamie Gilmour sentenced him to three years in prison for the offences.", "summary": "A man who swallowed a large quantity of drugs in order to smuggle them into prison has been jailed for three years."}
{"article": "Last month, Lidl said it would introduce a living wage of \u00a38.20 an hour, or \u00a39.35 an hour in London. But Northern Ireland staff were not included at the time, with Lidl saying this was due to the way its business was organised. Lidl has now reversed that position. The company added that a similar pay commitment is being made to staff in the Republic of Ireland. Susan Fitzgerald, a regional officer with the Unite union, welcomed the company's decision. \"This is a very significant victory for Lidl workers, our members and Unite, who led the campaign to demand equal pay for workers in Northern Ireland,\" she said. \"We are particularly pleased that Lidl's adoption of the living wage will extend to their workforce in the Republic of Ireland. \"This announcement means other retail chains are now on notice that they need to pay the living wage - there can be no justification for poverty-pay.\" Earlier this year, the government announced there would be a new, compulsory National Living Wage of \u00a37.20 an hour from April 2016. But that figure is lower than the \u00a38.20 recommendation set by the independent Living Wage Foundation. It is the rate calculated by academics as the level of pay that will give workers enough for a basic standard of living. It is an informal benchmark, not a legally enforceable minimum level of pay. Lidl has received plaudits for becoming the first UK supermarket to implement the independently recommended living wage. But its position in Northern Ireland became a PR disaster with some consumers threatening a boycott and trade unions planning protests outside shops. John Paul Scally, the managing director for Lidl in Ireland, said the majority of staff already earn above the living wage. \"It is important for us to ensure that those whose hourly pay falls below \u00a38.20 benefit from a substantial increase,\" he said. \"This would bring them to a level that is more reflective of enjoying a better standard of living.\" Lidl staff at store assistant level in Northern Ireland currently start at a basic \u00a37.20 an hour. Now all store assistants will earn a minimum of \u00a38.20, rising to \u00a38.80 an hour incrementally within three years. Mr Scally said the move will require an investment but he wanted to reassure customers that it will not lead to price increases. Lidl has about 600 employees in Northern Ireland who work at 38 stores and a distribution depot.", "summary": "The supermarket chain Lidl will now include Northern Ireland staff in the pay rise it has awarded to workers in the rest of the UK."}
{"article": "Mr Biden said a political deal \"would be better\" but \"if that's not possible\" the US would pursue alternatives. US officials said Mr Biden's remarks on a deal referred to planned peace talks between Syrian officials and rebels. They said his comment on possible military action applied only to IS. The US vice-president was speaking after meeting Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul. Commenting on the chance of achieving a political settlement in Syria, Mr Biden said: \"We are neither optimistic or pessimistic. We are determined.\" Referring to possible military action, he said this would entail \"taking out Daesh\", using the Arabic acronym for IS. Mr Biden said he and Mr Davutoglu had discussed how their countries could further support Sunni Arab rebels opposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In other comments, Mr Biden said Washington recognised that the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is banned in Turkey, was as much of a threat to Ankara as IS. \"It is a terror group plain and simple and what they continue to do is absolutely outrageous,\" he said. The PKK, which is listed as a terrorist group by Washington and the EU, has been accused of carrying out a number of deadly attacks on Turkish security forces since a truce collapsed in July. The group, which has been fighting Turkey for an autonomous homeland for the Kurds for decades, has said the truce had \"no meaning\" after it faced assaults from Turkish forces. Mr Biden, who also held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit, on Friday strongly criticised restrictions on freedom of expression in Turkey. He said that intimidating journalists, shutting down social media and accusing government critics of treason set a poor example to the region.", "summary": "US Vice-President Joe Biden has said the US and Turkey are prepared to seek a military solution against so-called Islamic State (IS) if a political agreement in Syria proves impossible."}
{"article": "Fighters from the Kamwina Nsapu group attacked a police convoy. Six policemen who spoke the local Tshiluba were freed, but the rest were killed, Kasai Assembly President Francois Kalamba said. The unrest in Kasai began last August, when security forces killed the Kamwina Nsapu leader. Friday's attack targeted a police convoy travelling between Tshikapa and Kananga. The state Governor Alexis Nkande Myopompa said an investigation had been launched into the killings. The UN says 400 people have been killed and 200,000 displaced in the Kasai region since Jean-Pierre Pandi, the Kamwina Nsapu leader, was killed. This came two months after Kamwina Nsapu launched a bid, in June 2016, for him to be officially recognised as a local chief and for state bodies to withdraw from the region. Why have 10 mass graves been found in Kasai? The UN says it has identified 10 mass graves where those killed in the unrest have been buried, as well as another seven suspected mass burial sites. Two UN experts, an American and a Swede, were kidnapped in the area two weeks ago with four Congolese colleagues and are still missing. DR Congo is in a state of increasing political uncertainty as President Joseph Kabila remains in power beyond the end of his mandate ,which expired last December. Elections are now due to be held before the end of this year, but no firm date has been set.", "summary": "Militia fighters in DR Congo have decapitated about 40 police officers in an ambush in the central province of Kasai, local officials say."}
{"article": "4 November 2015 Last updated at 20:34 GMT The team working on the project at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab are making their algorithm open source so that others can use and adapt it. One of the developers, Andrew Barry, told the BBC he believed the technology could appear within commercial products within two years.", "summary": "Researchers in the US are teaching high-speed drones how to avoid obstacles in their flight path with very little notice."}
{"article": "The visitors' centre was one of the few elements of the County Antrim prison praised in a recent damning report. But the bus that took people between the centre and the prison stopped after the start of a new contract. The Northern Ireland Prison Service said it has arrangements in place to \"assist people with mobility issues\". Just before Christmas, a private company took over the running of the visitors' centre from the Quaker Service, a family support charity, and the bus service ended. Malcolm McCormick said that has made it difficult for people to visit the jail as it is too far to walk. He had been visiting a friend regularly in the prison, but because of his disabilities he could not drive and had to use public transport. But when he arrived at the visitors' centre at the start of December he was told he would have to make his own way to the prison entrance. \"[The prison] is not the right access level for visiting,\" he said. \"They really don't care about people who've got disabilities, or people who have to go visit their loved ones inside.\" Until December, Mr McCormick chose a train closest to his visit, and then waited at the visitors' centre until his time slot, like many other prison visitors. They were then taken to the main prison in a minibus, which, like the visitors' centre, was run by the Quaker Service. But when the contract for the visitors' centre was awarded to a private company, the provision of a bus was not included in the tender. It is about a quarter of a mile from the centre to the prison, which Mr McCormick said was too far for him and others, \"especially people with mobility problems, people with bad sight, or carrying children\". He said although a taxi was able to drop him at the main building from the train station, he was not able to wait in the prison building itself and that the visitors' centre was the only place people could wait. Mr McCormick felt his only option was to get a taxi all the way from Belfast, costing him \"about forty quid on each visit\". The recent report on Maghaberry Prison was damning on almost all fronts, but it did give one area a glowing review. It said: \"The welcoming visitors' centre continued to offer good support, including to first-time visitors who were identified. \"The bus transporting visitors between the visitors' centre, the searching area and the prison also now provided a service to and from the local Moira train station.\" Mr McCormick said the prison service needs to do more to help visitors. Raymond McCartney, the deputy chair of the Northern Ireland Assembly's justice committee, said there should be \"compassion\" shown to prisoners' families and friends visiting the jail. \"I think it's an important service - the distance from the visitors' centre to the front gate is considerable,\" he said. \"Recently, when I was in the prison and spoke to the senior managers, they believed a solution could be brought", "summary": "A disabled man has said his visits to Maghaberry Prison have become more difficult since changes were made to the visitors' bus service."}
{"article": "The National Assembly Speaker argued that by allowing the economic crisis to spiral out of control, President Maduro had failed to fulfil his duties. The resolution is the latest in a series of attempts by the opposition to oust Mr Maduro from office. However, the Supreme Court is expected to declare the move unconstitutional. Even before lawmakers voted on the resolution on Monday, the Supreme Court had warned in a statement [in Spanish] that it was not in the power of the National Assembly to remove the president from office. Instead, it called on opposition lawmakers to resolve their differences with the government through dialogue. Opposition politicians and government representatives are due to meet for talks on Friday on how to solve Venezuela's economic and political crisis. The country is deeply divided into those who want to see President Maduro ousted from office and those who continue to be loyal to the \"Bolivarian Revolution\", the brand of socialism introduced by his predecessor in office, Hugo Chavez. President Maduro's critics say he, and Mr Chavez before him, are to blame for the sky-rocketing inflation and chronic shortages of basic goods the country is experiencing. Mr Maduro in turn blames Venezuela's business elite, accusing it of sabotaging the country's economy and conspiring with \"imperialist forces\" in the United States to force him from office. Previous attempts by the opposition to remove Mr Maduro from the presidency before his term comes to an end at the beginning of 2019 have so far failed. But critics of President Maduro remain adamant that a new government is needed to lift Venezuela from its economic crisis. The governing Socialist Party, meanwhile, continues to back Mr Maduro. Its vice-president, Diosdado Cabello, said on Monday: \"President Maduro has not resigned and he will not resign.\" \"He has not abandoned his post, and we have not recognized nor will we recognize a disobedient legislature,\" he added.", "summary": "Venezuela's National Assembly, which is controlled by opposition parties, has declared that President Nicolas Maduro has \"abandoned his post\"."}
{"article": "Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, Tidal and Amazon Prime Music are among nine services that will offer the band's tracks worldwide. The group split up in April 1970. However, their songs - including Hey Jude and Yesterday - remain hugely popular and influential. One expert suggested that the move would help their legacy endure. \"In terms of digital the Beatles have always been quite late to the party - they came to iTunes in 2010, which was a good five years after the iTunes Music Store started gaining momentum,\" said Chris Cooke, co-founder of the music industry news site CMU. \"We had expected they would probably do an exclusive deal to stream their music with one service, but it looks like instead they are going to be pretty much everywhere from day one. \"So, I suppose that is them accepting that streaming is now a very serious, significant part of the record industry.\" Other services that have secured the band's catalogue include Deezer, Microsoft Groove, Napster and Slacker Radio. The deal involves rights to stream 224 songs from the original 13 studio albums released in the UK as well as \"essential\" collections including Past Masters. The tracks will be made available from 24 December. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr clocked up 17 number one singles in the British charts as the Beatles. But long after the band broke up they continued to issue songs and compilations, the most recent of which was an expanded edition of Beatles 1 put on sale last month. \"There's a really simply reason why the Beatles catalogue took so long to join streaming services - their publishers didn't want to do anything to damage potential sales of reissues and retrospectives - it's a very lucrative catalogue,\" said Mark Mulligan from the media research firm Midia. \"But they've waited until the market has got some scale and they could get the best deal. \"It's a big PR catch as it helps communicate that the platforms are 'all the music in the world' - which is the value proposition of streaming services.\" Analysis - Mark Savage, BBC Music reporter It's a White (Album) Christmas. Some of the most enduring hits in pop are coming to a streaming service near you. The Beatles as a corporate entity have been notoriously slow in adapting to new technology. They waited five years to issue their albums on CD, and didn't talk about the download Revolution until 2010 - seven years after the iTunes store launched. Their arrival on streaming services comes as consumption on those platforms starts to overtake digital downloads as a source of income for the music industry. The number of songs streamed in the UK looks set to top 25 billion this year, up from 13.7 billion in 2014, according to the Official Charts Company. It will be interesting to see how the band's music competes against the likes of Justin Bieber - whose latest singles are being streamed almost six million times a week, exerting a firm grip on the top of the charts.", "summary": "The Beatles' music is being made available on a wide range of streaming music services."}
{"article": "Michelle Rocks' baby was in a sideways position but Dr Rachel O'Flaherty advised a junior colleague not to admit her, an inquest heard. Dr O'Flaherty apologised to Mrs Rocks and her husband Barry. Cara Rocks was stillborn at Coleraine's Causeway Hospital on 26 June 2013. The inquest is the first in Northern Ireland to focus on a stillbirth. Dr O'Flaherty said she could not recall why she had decided not to admit the patient on 5 June 2013. \"I don't know what information I was given at that time and I honestly can't remember the reasoning behind that decision,\" she said. When asked whether a Caesarean section would also have been offered, if it had been requested by Mrs Rocks at that time, Dr O'Flaherty said this would have been arranged. Dr O'Flaherty first came into contact with Mrs Rocks at a hospital appointment when she was 36-weeks pregnant, Belfast Coroners Court heard on the third day of the hearing. The doctor said that, in retrospect, she would have kept the patient in for observation. Dr O'Flaherty apologised to Mr and Mrs Rocks and their family for the distress they have experienced. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has already admitted a number of mistakes played a part in the death of Cara Rocks. These included wrongly categorising Michelle Rocks, who had a previous Caesarean section, as \"low risk\", incorrect recording of the baby's heart rate and delays in the decision to proceed to an emergency C-section because of time spent trying to locate a foetal heart beat. The hearing continues.", "summary": "The mother of a stillborn baby left court in tears after a doctor accepted she should have been kept in hospital when she was 38-weeks pregnant."}
{"article": "The British pair won gold in the synchronised 3m springboard at Rio 2016 last year and are also the European and Commonwealth champions. Their best Worlds result came two years ago, when they finished third in Kazan. \"It would be sensational and really amazing to add to the titles we already have,\" Laugher, 22, told BBC Sport. The pair are part of a 12-strong British diving squad for the World Championships, which begin in Budapest on Friday. Laugher, 22, and Mears, 24, are set to compete on Saturday. Laugher and Mears both considered quitting the sport after achieving their lifetime dream of becoming Olympic champions, but are now focused on claiming further honours. \"It was an open secret that after I'd done my event [in Rio] I was going to retire,\" said Mears, who is also a music producer and songwriter. \"But I came back into training to see how it felt and I'm still passionate about diving and there are still things I want to achieve.\" Laugher added: \"I always said that if I was to win the Olympic Games, I would retire instantly so I could quit at the best level. \"Having to compete in the individual event stopped that, but also I have that spark again.\" Laugher and Mears were furious earlier this year when long-term coach Ady Hinchcliffe became Diving Australia's head coach - with British Swimming having initially failed to offer him an improved contract. But, under the guidance of Adam Smallwood, they have battled through several injury problems to win silver medals - behind Chinese pair Cao Yuan and Xie Siyi - in three of the four World Series events this season. \"Jack and Chris are very experienced in that field and they've done plenty of World Series which has helped me transition into the role and they've been really successful,\" Smallwood told BBC Look North. Mears, who has struggled with a long-term back injury added: \"It's not been ideal over the past few months, but if I was competing without an injury or little niggle it would be quite rare, so it's normal and I'll work through it.\" Laugher said: \"We're so close as a pair as we've been through so much together and been there for one another at our darkest times. \"You need someone you trust, so having Chris beside me is just brilliant and although it won't be easy at the Worlds we're going to go out all guns blazing and really try to succeed.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Laugher also claimed Olympic silver in the individual 3m springboard event and is hoping he can now match the success he has enjoyed in synchronised events. \"I really want to be the person who changes the sport and progresses it,\" he said. \"I want to be remembered as one of the greatest in the sport and that's my aim now to try and remain within the top ranks and prove it wasn't just a one-off.\" Laugher and Mears will compete in the synchronised 3m event on Saturday, with Laugher", "summary": "Olympic champions Jack Laugher and Chris Mears are looking to complete their set of major diving titles with World Championship gold this weekend."}
{"article": "\"We'll be conducting more missile tests on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis,\" Vice-Foreign Minister Han Song-ryol told the BBC's John Sudworth. He said that an \"all-out war\" would result if the US took military action. Earlier, US Vice-President Mike Pence warned North Korea not to test the US. He said his country's \"era of strategic patience\" with North Korea was over. Mr Pence arrived in Seoul on Sunday hours after North Korea carried out a failed missile launch. Tensions have been escalating on the peninsula, with heated rhetoric from both North Korea and the US. Mr Han told the BBC: \"If the US is planning a military attack against us, we will react with a nuclear pre-emptive strike by our own style and method.\" North Korea has accelerated its nuclear and missile tests in recent years, despite international condemnation and UN sanctions. Its aim is to be able to put a nuclear warhead on an intercontinental ballistic missile that can reach targets around the world, including the US. US President Donald Trump has said that will not happen, and stepped up pressure on the isolated North. He has sent a navy strike group towards the Korean Peninsula, and the US and South Korea are moving ahead with the early deployment of a controversial missile defence system. Despite the tension, North Korea may carry out a sixth nuclear test soon, observers say. It test-fired a missile on Sunday that exploded within seconds of launch, following a grand military parade on Saturday. Speaking alongside South Korea's acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn on Monday, Mr Pence said North Korea should not test US President Donald Trump. \"Just in the past two weeks, the world witnessed the strength and resolve of our new president in actions taken in Syria and Afghanistan,\" Mr Pence said. \"North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region.\" He reiterated US support for South Korea, telling his host: \"We are with you 100%.\" Last month, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned that pre-emptive military action was \"on the table\". But the US is also working with China, North Korea's main ally, to pressure the regime to stop nuclear and missile tests. Mr Pence told journalists that the White House hoped China would use its \"extraordinary levers\" to pressure North Korea, the Associated Press reports. The BBC's Stephen Evans in Seoul says US policy now seems to be to persuade China to contain North Korea while keeping the economic and military pressure on. Vice-Foreign Minister Han Song-ryol told the BBC that North Korea believed its nuclear weapons \"protect\" it from the threat of US military action. \"If the US is reckless enough to use military means it would mean from that very day, an all-out war,\" he said. The North casts the US as the aggressor. At a news conference at the UN on Monday, North Korea's permanent representative Ambassador Kim In-ryong, condemned the US missile strikes in Syria, which targeted an air base after a", "summary": "North Korea will continue to test missiles, a senior official has told the BBC in Pyongyang, despite international condemnation and growing military tensions with the US."}
{"article": "Their agreement to give the European Central Bank the power to supervise the eurozone's bigger banks sounds horribly technical and dull. But it matters, in helping the eurozone to move a little further away from the cliff edge, while perhaps mapping a future for the UK in an EU increasingly dominated by currency union members acting as a unified bloc. The deal may represent the most significant new transfer of national powers to a eurozone institution since the crisis erupted in the currency union three years ago - and, for many, it represents the first step towards the kind of centralisation of decision-making that's necessary for the eurozone to survive. And it includes a possible blueprint for how the UK might avoid becoming too marginalised as a member of the European Union, should the eurozone evolve into a United States of Europe within a wider, looser EU structure. So it provides a possible answer to those who believe that one consequence of the eurozone doing what it needs to avoid fracture - to integrate politically in a deep sense - is that the UK will be propelled remorselessly towards the EU's exit. Here is the niggly detail. The ECB will take responsibility for supervising bigger banks, those with assets (loans and investments) of \u00e2\u201a\u00ac30bn or whose assets represent more than a fifth of a nation's economic output. That is about 200 banks initially. Significantly, loads of French banks will be supervised by the ECB, but few German banks (because its banking industry is more fragmented). That looks like a victory for Mrs Merkel, except that the ECB will have the power to intervene at smaller banks if it sees problems - so Mr Hollande's dignity is preserved. Those EU countries like the UK not in the eurozone can opt to join this so-called banking union. They can opt to have their banks supervised by the ECB. The UK won't cede its national banking supervision powers to the ECB, but other eurozone \"outs\" might (although Sweden and the Czech Republic seem, like the UK, to have decided to stick with their national supervisors, for the time being at least). As for the Chancellor, George Osborne, he had conflicting instincts in the negotiations. On the one hand, he didn't want to block banking union for the rest - because he believes it is in Britain's interest to help bring calm and stability to the eurozone. On the other hand, he has the commercial interests of the UK's banks and businesses to protect, and he fears that a more closely-knit eurozone would seek to rig the single market to the detriment of Britain. He achieved two forms of protections for British commerce. On the one hand, the European Central Bank has agreed that it will not discriminate against any EU member state in the way that it uses its supervisory powers. The fear was that in setting liquidity or capital rules for the banks under its umbrella, it could somehow tilt the competitive playing field away from London. As for the outfit that makes regulations", "summary": "At about 04:45 Brussels time this morning, European Union finance ministers made a bit of EU history."}
{"article": "Top-flight Boro took the lead in the ninth minute as David Nugent headed in debutant Fabio's back post cross. Cauley Woodrow was denied by Brad Guzan for the hosts shortly after before Julien de Sart inadvertently deflected Scott Malone's strike into his own net. With penalties looming, Lasse Vigen Christensen turned in Malone's low cross for a place in round three. The Whites will take on Bristol City in round three. Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic: \"I never had any plan to leave Fulham. \"If I complain about something it is because I want the best for my team, my team-mates, the supporters too and I was very clear what is my opinion about this situation and that is it. \"I am still in the same position and believe we need more people to be stronger in the future.\" Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka: \"I'm disappointed because I said before the game this trophy is very important for the club. \"I have to apologise to our crowd because they came here midweek and it's an important trophy for this club, we respect this trophy a lot. So this has been difficult.\" Match ends, Fulham 2, Middlesbrough 1. Second Half Extra Time ends, Fulham 2, Middlesbrough 1. Foul by Matt Smith (Fulham). Ben Gibson (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt saved. Alex Baptiste (Middlesbrough) header from the left side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Jesse Joronen (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by David Nugent (Middlesbrough). Attempt blocked. Julien de Sart (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Goal! Fulham 2, Middlesbrough 1. Lasse Vigen Christensen (Fulham) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Scott Malone. Attempt missed. Julien de Sart (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Attempt blocked. Julien de Sart (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Delay in match Tayo Edun (Fulham) because of an injury. Second Half Extra Time begins Fulham 1, Middlesbrough 1. First Half Extra Time ends, Fulham 1, Middlesbrough 1. Attempt blocked. Sean Kavanagh (Fulham) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Attempt saved. David Nugent (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Substitution, Fulham. Luca De La Torre replaces Jozabed. Attempt missed. Matt Smith (Fulham) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Attempt saved. Jozabed (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt blocked. Adam Forshaw (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Matt Smith (Fulham). Adam Clayton (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Fulham. Matt Smith replaces Cauley Woodrow. Delay in match Cauley Woodrow (Fulham) because of an injury. Attempt missed. David Nugent (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. First Half", "summary": "Championship side Fulham came from behind to knock out Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup second-round."}
{"article": "Some of them might even take place on a special Saturday sitting of the Commons, (the first since the Falklands War) if the prime minister so decides. In the event of a Remain vote, most of what is below will probably take place, although it may be that there is some kind of statement on the result on Monday. If the week's scheduled business does go ahead, look out for preliminary skirmishing in the Lords over the Buses Bill and the Investigatory Powers Bill, and keep an eye on an interesting attempt by the members of the Public Accounts Committee to amend the Finance Bill - another example of the hot new Westminster trend for select committees to try to push their recommendations into law. Here's my rundown of the week ahead: MPs return from their referendum recess at 2.30pm - when the first business will be Defence questions. It is highly likely that this will be followed by one or more ministerial statements or urgent questions, and somewhere in the mix, the newest MP, Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, who defended Sadiq Kahn's Tooting constituency for Labour, will take her seat. Then - if the powers that be stick to the published agenda, the Commons will move on to the detail of the Finance Bill - the measure which enacts the Budget. This will be the first of two days of committee stage - there are Labour amendments to give more favourable tax treatment for low emissions vehicles and to review the tax treatment of workers employed through intermediaries - agency staff. The SNP's Roger Mullin has an amendment calling for a review of the remuneration of investment fund managers, aimed at ensuring no element of their pay can be taxed as a capital gain. But the most interesting may be the cross-party amendment signed by, among others, the Public Accounts Committee Chair, Meg Hillier, on tax transparency for multinational companies. The amendment, which I'm told is the brainchild of Labour ex-minister Caroline Flint, comes out of the PAC's hearings on the Google tax affair and the release of the Panama Papers. On the argument that sunlight is the best preventative measure, they want an official register requiring multinationals to disclose where they do business, the money they make and the tax they pay. The clever bit is that the amendment contains a \"sunrise clause\" so it would not pre-empt attempts to negotiate an EU version of the proposed register, and would only come into force if no euro-register was in place by 2020. With a considerable cross-party coalition behind it, the amendment is highly likely to be called by the Speaker, who has a track record of ensuring that proposals by select committees are debated. In the Lords (from 2.30pm) questions to ministers cover countering anti-Semitism on university campuses; clearer use of language to combat the threat of terrorism and improving air quality in Britain. Then peers turn to the second reading debate on the Investigatory Powers Bill. This was passed by the Commons with a considerable majority - but a number", "summary": "This week's preview of next week's parliamentary action comes with a massive health warning: in the event of a victory for Leave in the EU referendum, much of what follows will probably be cancelled or rescheduled to make room for a series of statements and debates on the process for and ramifications of Brexit."}
{"article": "Southport led after 71 minutes when James Gray broke the deadlock, only for Will Evans to equalise eight minutes later. The hosts had looked dangerous on the break in the first half and finally took the lead when Gray finished well past Jake Cole with a well-driven shot. Southport then looked to sit deep as the Shots pressed for an equaliser. It didn't take long to come with Evans lashing home after a brilliant counter-attack involving Jake Gallagher and Shamir Fenelon. Shots went closest to a winner as Walker and Fenelon again combined without finding the net. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Southport 1, Aldershot Town 1. Second Half ends, Southport 1, Aldershot Town 1. Jake Gallagher (Aldershot Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Southport. Declan Weeks replaces Jordan Lussey. Goal! Southport 1, Aldershot Town 1. Will Evans (Aldershot Town). Substitution, Southport. Ashley Grimes replaces James Gray. Goal! Southport 1, Aldershot Town 0. James Gray (Southport). Substitution, Aldershot Town. Charlie Walker replaces Scott Rendell. Substitution, Aldershot Town. Iffy Allen replaces Dion Conroy. Jordan Lussey (Southport) is shown the yellow card. Second Half begins Southport 0, Aldershot Town 0. First Half ends, Southport 0, Aldershot Town 0. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Struggling Southport came close to securing a much-needed win as they drew with Aldershot following a frantic end to their National league clash at Haig Avenue."}
{"article": "Police in Cornwall were called to Great Western Beach, Newquay at 17:45 BST on Tuesday. A 38-year-old man was arrested and is in police custody. The car had to be towed on to a different beach once the tide was out in order to remove it, an eyewitness said. More on the car in the sea story, and other news Jamie Clogg from Towan Motors came to help the beach owners remove the car. He had to wait until the tide was out, after 8pm, to tow the car along the sand to Towan Beach - a journey of just under half a mile. \"The car would be stuck otherwise so I went down to help them. There were police everywhere. \"When the tide goes out there's a hard bit of ground which we could drive across - you'd never drive across the dry sand.\"", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving after a car was driven into the sea."}
{"article": "The agency said Movette had used \"deceptive methods\" to bill clients for the use of Google My Business - a free service provided by the US search firm. Movette had been in business for two-and-a-half years before being wound up in the High Court. It had received more than \u00a3500,000 in fees before the intervention. Google My Business is a service that encourages companies to share information and images about themselves to help the tech firm display relevant listings in its Search and Maps tools. Movette had charged its victims between \u00a3199 to \u00a3249 a year to manage their entries. The Insolvency Service said the firm had: The agency said its probe had followed \"a significant volume\" of customer complaints. Several clients had also posted their concerns online. \"This company contacted me telling me my Google page was about to expire and following a conversation claimed I had bought their services,\" wrote one on the Who Called Me site. \"Now they hound me every day demanding money and threatening to send in bailiffs. They always ring on withheld number but the number to call back on is a premium number. Clearly it's a scam.\" Another posted on business reviews website Trustpilot: \"Complete liars, rude arrogant... they claim the verbal contracts are legally binding and cannot be cancelled. Do not believe them.\" The Insolvency Service noted that Movette had operated a \"very similar business\" to another company - Online Platform Management Consultants Ltd - which had shut in April 2015 after operating from the same Manchester address.", "summary": "A Manchester-based company that pretended it was linked to Google has been closed following an investigation by the UK's Insolvency Service."}
{"article": "The artwork, by US sculptor Charles Ray, will be replaced by a lamp-post at the tip of the Punta della Dogana. The decision has angered some art lovers who argue that it shows a failure to embrace challenging, contemporary work. But city officials say the sculpture was always intended to be temporary. Boy with Frog, which is gleaming white and 8ft (2.5m) tall, has occupied the tip of a triangular piece of land that separates the Grand and the Giudecca canals for almost four years. It shows a boy holding up a frog by one leg and gazing at it. The sculptor had earlier expressed hope that his work would become a permanent \"citizen of Venice\". \"I never saw it as temporary,\" Mr Ray told the New York Times. But some residents reportedly missed a 19th Century lamp-post, long a romantic meeting spot, which stood at the spot before. Workers began to remove the sculpture overnight on Tuesday ready to clear the space early on Wednesday, Corriere del Veneto newspaper reported. In its place will be a reproduction of the original lamp-post. The old-fashioned landmark was thought to be more in keeping with the surrounding architecture, BBC Rome correspondent Alan Johnston reports. Some animal-lovers also argued that the image of a boy holding the frog upside down was cruel, our correspondent adds. But a piece in La Stampa newspaper criticised Venice's council, saying \"administrative cowardice\" had won out over real culture. Defending its decision, the council said the sculpture had been considered temporary and Venice had a fine record of welcoming and exhibiting modern art.", "summary": "Work has begun to take away a controversial statue depicting a naked boy with a frog in a part of ancient Venice, Italian media report."}
{"article": "A mouse was seen running around the cabin floor of the Chicago-bound flight. Staff tried to trap the tiny rodent but they couldn't find him. It's not the first time a tiny stowaway has caused problems; two flights from New York to London were cancelled in 2009 after mouse sightings. Officials had to ground the plane in Sweden and had to find alternative flights for all 250 passengers. The airline's boss said that the mouse could be a safety risk if he tried to nibble through the aircraft's wires.", "summary": "When passengers started boarding a flight from Stockholm in Sweden they spotted an unusual passenger scurrying between the seats."}
{"article": "Extern said it had been told the Intensive Family Support Service (IFSS) must close. Charlie Mack of Extern said the staff had worked \"tirelessly\" to help vulnerable children. The Department of Health said families would continue to be supported. \"Sadly we are the victims of not having a government in Northern Ireland at the moment,\" Mr Mack told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra. \"All of the leaders of all the political parties (in Northern Ireland) have said it would be morally wrong if this service was stopped. \"As late as this afternoon we were pleading with the permanent secretaries to reconsider.\" In a statement, the Department of Health said the pilot had \"now come to an end and work has already started to consider how we successfully apply the learning identified\". \"Families will continue to be supported by statutory services,\" the statement added. \"No cuts have been applied to any services. \"The Belfast Intensive Family Support Service was established in 2014 on a pilot basis for three years. Thus, since its initiation, it has always been scheduled to end on 31 March 2017.\" .", "summary": "Forty-seven staff employed by a Northern Ireland charity which works with disadvantaged families have lost their jobs after a three-year pilot scheme ended."}
{"article": "Dean Melnyk, 20, and Andrew Brown, 23, were given minimum terms of 20 years for killing Kevin MacKay, 40, in Ecclefechan last August. A court heard how they took the law into their own hands hours after the funeral of their friend Jamie Abba. Lord Armstrong told the pair they had been convicted of a \"brutal attack\". By Willie JohnstonBBC Scotland Ecclefechan was quiet this morning as, 80 miles away in Edinburgh, a judge passed sentence on Dean Melnyk and Andrew Brown. Most people were inside sheltering from the heavy rain; making sure they avoided me and my camera back to film the scene of the crime for TV. But in a village whose population is less than 1,000 two unnatural deaths in less than a fortnight is going to have an impact and there is no doubt that impact has been severe. There is tension here. Police Scotland have worked hard to prevent it bubbling over into further violence, and still are. Ten months ago, there was understandable shock and grief at the loss of 18-year-old Jamie Abba, apparently after taking a dodgy ecstasy tablet. But no-one foresaw the next tragic consequences as Dean Melnyk and Andrew Brown turned vigilante killers of the man pinpointed for supplying the fatal drug to their young friend. Their attack on Kevin MacKay was frenzied, their brutality shocking. One man who did venture out to speak to me today - albeit off-camera - said the murderers deserved 30 years and should never show face in Ecclefechan again. The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Melnyk and Brown believed that Mr MacKay had supplied the pill that killed 18-year-old Mr Abba, who was known as Jabba. So the two men travelled from Lockerbie to Ecclefechan in Dumfries and Galloway and repeatedly stabbed him in a frenzied revenge attack last August. Judge Lord Armstrong sentenced the two men to life imprisonment. Passing sentence, he told Melnyk and Brown that they would both have to serve a minimum of 20 years before becoming eligible for parole. He added: \"You have been convicted of carrying out a brutal attack which resulted in the death of Kevin MacKay. \"This incident did not happen on the spur of the moment. \"It was pre-meditated - you wrongly took justice into your own hands.\" He said they had travelled to the south of Scotland village with bladed weapons to carry out the attack. \"The court has heard that your victim suffered 80 injuries which were inflicted on the vital organs of your victim,\" he said. \"The court has also heard evidence that without immediate medical attention, your victim could not have survived more than five to 10 minutes. \"This was an intensely violent attack. The only sentence for murder is life imprisonment.\" Melnyk, of Lockerbie, and Brown, of Ecclefechan, were convicted of murder following proceedings at the High Court in Glasgow in April. Speaking after the sentencing, Procurator Fiscal Jennifer Harrower said: \"There is no doubt that Andrew Brown and Dean Melnyk went looking for their victim with the sole intention of doing", "summary": "Two men who murdered a man they blamed for supplying an ecstasy tablet that killed their teenage friend have been jailed for life."}
{"article": "Denbighshire council bought a terrace of properties on Queen Street to make way for new apartments and retail units. However, structural engineers raised concerns about the condition of some and part of the road was closed to traffic earlier this year. It will be closed again from Monday as demolition work takes place. The buildings being demolished are numbers 43 to 47, which was an adult shop, and 49 to 55, which were already derelict and had been knocked through inside a number of years ago. While the road will remain open to pedestrians and for businesses, the council hopes to reopen it for through-traffic in July.", "summary": "A main road in Rhyl will be closed to through-traffic from Monday while buildings are demolished."}
{"article": "Ward, 27, won 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 in the third and final round of qualifying in Roehampton. He was given a wildcard to play in qualifying and had lost his previous seven matches before this week. Fellow Britons Marcus Willis and Jay Clarke went out in the final round. Ward will be one of 12 British players, led by defending champion Andy Murray and world number seven Johanna Konta, in the main singles draws at Wimbledon. Ward, from Northampton, will take his place in the main draw at Wimbledon for only the second time, having received a wildcard 12 months ago. Willis, 26, became the early story of last year's Wimbledon by coming through six matches in pre-qualifying and qualifying, and then the first-round proper, before losing to Roger Federer on Centre Court. \"What a story that was, let's see what happens this year,\" said Ward. \"We're the same age, we used to train here together and he's always been a great player and a fantastic character, always fun to be around.\" Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide. Ward has taken an even more unlikely route than Willis having lost in the final round of pre-qualifying, only to be handed a wildcard into the Wimbledon qualifying event. He had lost all four previous matches in Wimbledon qualifying. \"It just feels amazing, I'm still struggling to get my head around it,\" said Ward, who slipped down the rankings from 242 last year after having six months off with a wrist injury. \"It will mean everything [to return to Wimbledon], especially having qualified. I feel like I really deserve my place there.\" Ward said he had played the best tennis of his life this week in beating Belarusian Egor Gerasimov, ranked 166th, Japan's Go Soeda, ranked 111th, and Gabashvili, ranked 176th. Reaching the first-round proper guarantees him at least \u00a335,000 in prize money. \"That's a big sum of money,\" said Ward. \"I haven't got a coach at the moment, so I can invest in a coach and have better preparation for matches.\" He now hopes to go one better than last year, when he lost to Belgian David Goffin in the first round at Wimbledon. \"We'll see what happens in the draw on Friday,\" he said.", "summary": "World number 855 Alex Ward became the only British player to come through Wimbledon singles qualifying by securing a stunning win over Russia's Teymuraz Gabashvili."}
{"article": "Pigott joined Cambridge in July 2016, but scored only once in 17 games before joining Maidstone on loan in January. The 23-year-old scored six goals in 16 league appearances for the Stones. Pigott is Maidstone's second signing since the end of the season, following the arrival of former Bromley left-back Joe Anderson.", "summary": "National League side Maidstone have signed striker Joe Pigott on a one-year deal following his release by League Two club Cambridge."}
{"article": "This week the UK government followed France in announcing it would ban the sale of such vehicles by 2040, while the mayors of Paris, Madrid, Mexico City and Athens plan to banish diesels from their city centres by 2025. Almost all car makers now offer hybrid cars and many sell fully electric vehicles. But the electric charge also extends to vans and trucks, and the need to switch to cleaner engines is even greater given that these larger vehicles are far bigger polluters than cars. \"In Europe, less than 5% of vehicles are commercial vehicles or heavy duty trucks, but they contribute to almost 20% of greenhouse gas emissions,\" says Ananth Srinivasan, mobility expert with research consultancy Frost & Sullivan. Even in a country with wide open spaces like Australia, the electric wave is rolling out. Melbourne-based logistics firm Kings Transport recently bought nine electric vans and light trucks from SEA Automotive. SEA chief executive Tony Fairweather says his firm realised a few years ago that electric commercial vehicles were becoming economically viable much faster than predicted. \"The components are cheaper every time we go to buy,\" he explains. \"There's not many industries where that happens.\" Beyond Australia, electric commercial vehicles are becoming an increasingly common sight. In Germany, for example, Deutsche Post has started building its own electric vans and will soon start selling them to other companies. Meanwhile, in the US, the city of Los Angeles plans to make its entire bus fleet emissions-free by 2030. The International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that keeping global temperature rises below 2C by the end of the century will in part depend on the electrification of some 600 million vehicles worldwide. Given there are more than 300 million commercial vehicles on the planet's roads, according to data portal Statista, it is clear that this goal need not be focused solely on passenger cars. SEA's approach involves fitting its own electric driveline technology to a chassis built by China's FAW. Big vehicle makers are also developing their own electric systems for commercial vehicles, including Nissan, with its e-NV200 fully electric van. Many light commercial vehicles often travel similar routes every time they leave the depot, Mr Fairweather and others point out. So businesses with depots can invest in installing their own charging stations. \"You can get super cheap electricity late at night,\" says Simon Evans, deputy editor of Carbon Brief. But if everyone starts charging their trucks and vans overnight, electricity consumption dynamics could change dramatically, he warns. \"You are basically sticking a massive great electricity demand into a new place,\" he says. If millions of new electric vehicles do hit the road in the coming years, electricity grids around the world will have to adapt. The UK's National Grid is already evaluating the impact of a potential boom in electric cars. However, the range of electric cars remains an issue. For smaller commercial vehicles travelling those relatively fixed urban routes, that is not too much of a concern. But larger trucks travelling long distances pose a much tougher challenge. Battery technology is still", "summary": "The clock may be ticking for petrol and diesel-powered cars, but it's vans, trucks and buses that are driving the electric vehicle revolution on the world's roads."}
{"article": "Labour asked for the data to be released to Parliament. The government blamed \"unacceptably lax\" contracts that allow staff to re-join the NHS a month after redundancy. It says it's working on tough new plans to cap payouts, and has reduced administrative posts overall. Labour shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said it would be galling for nurses who were battling over pay to see, as he put it, cheques handed out like confetti. Auditors have previously reported that the average payout was \u00a343,000. The number of national health service staff estimated to have been made redundant and later re-employed almost doubled in the last year - from 2,200 managers - Ministerial responses to Parliamentary Questions have revealed. The total now stands at 3,950. Overall, more than 10,000 full-time workers were made redundant from the NHS in England since the restructuring of the service. Changes introduced in April 2013 have seen 150 primary care trusts, run by managers, replaced with 211 clinical commissioning groups, led by family doctors. Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter said: \"By reducing managers and administrators by over 21,100, we are freeing up extra resources for patient care - \u00a35.5 billion in this Parliament and \u00a31.5 billion every year thereafter.\"", "summary": "New figures indicate that almost 4,000 staff made redundant from the NHS in England, before last year's major restructuring, have since been re-employed."}
{"article": "Kent County Council (KCC) is caring for 720 unaccompanied children who have crossed the English Channel to Dover - up from 630 at the start of August. The council is to reopen Appledore former reception centre near Cranbook to house about 40 boys aged 16 or 17. It is also converting a disused care home in Whitstable for under 18s. It comes as the Conservative MP for Tonbridge, Edenbridge and Malling added his voice to calls for the government to do more to help refugees and migrants entering Europe. Tom Tugendhat tweeted: \"Our common humanity, demands action at home and abroad.\" The Red Cross, which works with young migrants in Kent, said the \"overwhelming majority\" who arrived in Dover from migrant camps in Calais claimed asylum. \"I believe the numbers are around 95%,\" said spokesman Rhys Cutler. Children under 14 who arrive in the UK alone are taken into foster care while older teenagers live in the community as cared-for children. David Slater, chaplain for Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover said some young asylum seekers arrived in Calais after \"absolutely horrendous\" journeys. \"In some cases they are running away from wars, but frequently they are being sent by their family who have clubbed together to get the money to send them because they will then be potentially earning in Europe,\" he said. \"These are children who have got an awful lot of pressure on them.\" In July, KCC announced it was to convert the disused Ladesfield Care Home in Whitstable to house young migrants. Now it has said it will also bring back into use the Appledore building at Swattenden outdoor education centre to help ease pressure on its children's services. \"We need extra capacity as it is not possible to predict the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who will arrive at the border in need of our care,\" said Councillor Peter Oakford. \"Since June this year there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of arrivals. \"We have accommodated as many as is possible in our existing provision at Ashford but it reached full capacity several weeks ago.\" They say a picture is worth 1,000 words and the picture of a Syrian child's body washed up on the beach in Turkey seems to have galvanised the debate over whether the UK should take more asylum seekers. Even Conservative MPs have stepped up the pressure on the government. The MP for Tonbridge and Malling Tom Tugendhat took to Twitter to say that he'd \"spoken to many in West Kent who want us to do more\" and he agreed with them. He also said our common humanity demands action at home and abroad. The government's line has always been that they are at the forefront of the response to the Syrian crisis, but after growing calls for Britain to do more, the Prime Minister has now said that he felt deeply moved by the sight of that young boy on a beach in Turkey. He said \"Britain is a moral nation and we will fulfil our moral responsibilities\" but he has", "summary": "A former reception centre for asylum-seeker children is being brought back into use following an \"unprecedented\" surge in the number of young migrants."}
{"article": "The accident happened near to the 110m tall (360ft) Bridgewater Place, a building which architecture experts say has created a wind tunnel. The council said there were wind effect issues and they were \"looking urgently\" at ways of \"making the area safer\". The building owners said a wind tunnel analysis was done before construction. The dead man, a 35-year-old from Calderdale, was walking on a bridge over the Aire on Neville Street when a curtain-sided lorry toppled over on Thursday afternoon. He was hit by the falling vehicle and taken to Leeds General Infirmary where he later died. A 22-year-old woman from Leeds was also injured and is said to be in a stable condition in hospital. The tallest part of the tower block is side-on to the river, along which the prevailing wind blows. Dr Lindsay Smales, senior lecturer in building, planning and geography at Leeds Metropolitan University, said: \"Unfortunately I don't think there's a great deal you can do once you've built a tall building like that to mitigate the problems of micro climate and the effect of the wind. \"The reason why it's a problem is because they're often large slab buildings. The wind hits them and then just goes straight down to the ground because it can't go around.\" Tim Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council, said as part of the original planning application, a wind assessment was carried out on behalf of the developer, which indicated \"the impact the building would have on wind speed would be minimal\". He added: \"However, since the building was completed, there have been unforeseen wind effect issues around it.\" Mr Riordan said developers and architects were undertaking work with a wind engineering consultancy to identify the \"most effective solution to resolve the ongoing issues\". He added: \"Following the tragedy on Thursday afternoon, however, we are looking urgently at other ways of making the area safer.\" The building owners and original developers, Bridgewater Place Ltd, said all building and planning regulations had been fully adhered to. \"As part of the requirements for obtaining planning permission, Leeds City Council specifically requested that a comprehensive wind tunnel analysis was conducted to assess the effect of the building on the surrounding area.\" West Yorkshire Police are also investigating how the lorry came to overturn.", "summary": "Questions have been asked about the safety of Leeds' tallest building after the death of man who was crushed by a lorry which blew over in strong winds."}
{"article": "4 July 2017 Last updated at 09:17 BST Don't worry though, it's not a real wedding. It's part of a Mexican ceremony which is more than 200 years old. The mayor of the southern Mexican fishing town San Pedro Huamelula 'marries' a crocodile at the end of June as part of the local harvest tradition. The reptile bride, dressed in white with a flower crown on its head is taken around the town to music before the ceremony takes place. The croc is regarded as a princess, and the traditional belief is that it will bring peace and prosperity to their community, particularly a good harvest. It's not exactly a romance made in heaven, let's hope there were no \"crocodile tears.\"", "summary": "You wouldn't have thought a crocodile would be a dream bride, but that hasn't stopped this man from marrying one."}
{"article": "The party's Infrastructure Minister, Chris Hazzard, and his colleague, John O'Dowd, are in London for a meeting with Brexit Secretary David Davis. The DUP's Junior Minister, Alastair Ross, is also attending. However, Sinn F\u00e9in has accused the government of treating the council as a \"talking shop\". Earlier this week, Prime Minister Theresa May said Brexit means leaving the European Customs Union. It currently allows tariff and paperwork-free trade between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Sinn F\u00e9in MLA John O'Dowd said on Thursday: \"By making her so-called keynote speech on Brexit... this week two days ahead of the Joint Ministerial Council, British Prime Minister Theresa May treated the council with utter disdain.\" He added: \"That was a clear act of bad faith... it is clear she is intent on ignoring the will of the majority of people in the north who voted to remain in the EU. \"It has got to the stage where the Joint Ministerial Council is being treated as a talking shop by the British government and we will be reassessing our involvement with it.\" The DUP see the council as a useful forum to air their concerns. The DUP and Sinn F\u00e9in were joined at the council meeting by ministers from Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland Office minister Lord Dunlop described the talks as \"a constructive session in looking at the devolved administrations' important contribution to the process of planning the UK's departure from the European Union\". \"In her speech this week, the prime minister emphasised the importance of working together to achieve a deal that works for Northern Ireland as part of a United Kingdom that is determined to take advantage of the opportunities that leaving the EU presents,\" he said. Earlier, Mr Hazzard said Northern Ireland needed a \"special designated status\" within the EU. Former Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) John Bruton has said Mrs May's plan for a post-Brexit customs deal will be \"unworkable\". Sinn F\u00e9in has said exiting the European Customs Union creates a \"hard border on the island of Ireland\". But DUP MP Sammy Wilson said the prime minister's statement would give the business community \"more certainty\". Brexit Secretary David Davis has said the UK leaving the EU would result in difficulties over border controls on the island of Ireland, but that any problems could be solved. What is a customs union and why does it matter? A customs union is a form of trade agreement between two or more countries. It means they decide not to impose tariffs (taxes on imports) on each other's goods and agree to impose common external tariffs on goods from countries outside their customs union. Setting common external tariffs is what distinguishes a customs union from a free trade area. The key argument for leaving the customs union is that it will allow the UK to negotiate its own trade agreements. Read more here.", "summary": "Sinn F\u00e9in is threatening to pull out of the Joint Ministerial Council over concerns about negotiations for the UK to leave the EU."}
{"article": "Five weeks ago, the fraudsters telephoned 65-year-old Nargess Sadjady, from west London, in a series of calls. Posing as staff from her bank, they can be heard persuading her to transfer the money into one of their own accounts. The recordings were set up by her son, who was worried that either of his parents might fall victim to just such a fraud. He installed special software on their phone, and subsequently passed the recordings to the BBC. Originally the police decided not to get involved, as they said there was no realistic prospect of a conviction. But as a result of the recordings, to be broadcast on Radio 4's Moneybox programme on Saturday, detectives have now decided to launch a full investigation. The first call to Mrs Sadjady was from a man calling himself Mark, who claimed to be from her bank, Santander. He explains that he is worried about recent fraudulent transactions on her account. He comforts her by saying they have managed to stop the payments, but they might not be able to stop subsequent attempts. Mrs Sadjady can be heard trying to resist his enquiries. \"I don't know you,\" she says. \"Really I can't give more information. Please write to me, because I don't know you.\" But the man calling himself Mark offers her layer upon layer of reassurance, including giving her a password. \"I'm not going to ask for personal information,\" he says. Then he asks her to check the bank's helpline number on the back of her card, and tells her that she will receive a call back from that number. In a trick known as \"number spoofing\", orchestrated through freely-available software, that number then appeared on Mrs Sadjady's phone when a second man called back, claiming to be from Santander's fraud department. Later she admitted that up until this point in the call she had been sceptical - but the number spoofing persuaded her that it was genuine. \"I wasn't sure, until they called my mobile from that phone number on the back of my card,\" she said. A few minutes later, the fraudsters made a third and final call. Sensing that she might be about to alert her bank, they persuade her that staff at her local branch may be responsible for the fraud. So they suggest that she transfers \u00a312,000 in her Santander account to a separate account at the Halifax, which they say has her name on it. In reality they had already opened that account themselves. When money is transferred in, banks do not usually cross-check the names. So, after one hour and 40 minutes of phone calls, spread out over three hours, Mrs Sadjady moved her money, voluntarily. Almost immediately the fraudsters then started to distribute that money to other accounts in the UK, before the banks cottoned on. It was a classic case of \"Vishing\" - or voice phishing - which last year cost consumers and banks \u00a324m, according to Financial Fraud Action UK (FFAUK). But it is thought to be the first time that such a crime has", "summary": "Three men who tricked their victim into handing over her \u00a312,000 savings on the phone have been caught on tape."}
{"article": "The Vikings are top of the table with five wins from their opening six games and next face Wigan on Thursday. \"You've got to be on your game and the lads and coaches are working hard to prepare and are reviewing how we can get better,\" Betts said. \"It's how we train and carry ourselves, those things don't just turn up.\" Since regaining their Super League license in 2012, Widnes have failed to finish in the top half of the table. Last season they went through the Qualifiers to retain their top-flight status, but Betts says they are better equipped to succeed this season. \"Working hard and making it happen week in week out, that's a skill and it's something that we've not been able to do throughout the last three years,\" Betts told BBC Radio Merseyside. \"We've got some distinctive, confident players so we've scored some points and passed the ball really well and asked some questions.\" Media playback is not supported on this device After Widnes thrashed Hull FC 46-6 last week, Betts admits he is finding it difficult to rotate his squad with his side performing so well. \"The tough thing at the moment is we've got three or four lads who you want to try and give some game time to, like Paddy Flynn, Pat Ah Van and Tom Gilmore,\" he added. \"It's hard to get Tom into the game and I know I'm going to have to use him. I need him fit and need him to get some game time, but it's hard when the half-back pair is playing as well as it is.\"", "summary": "Widnes Vikings boss Denis Betts says their strong start to the Super League season is a reflection of their meticulous work in training."}
{"article": "Peter Robinson told the BBC it was \"possible\" to reach agreement by mid-week. Last week, Sinn F\u00e9in withdrew its support for welfare legislation. The parties have been taking part in talks to resolve the political impasse for several days. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Mr Robinson were due to travel to Washington for St Patrick's Day, but said on Sunday that they would stay in Northern Ireland in order to continue with negotiations. Last week, Mr McGuinness said \u00a3200m would solve the problems over welfare reform, but on Monday, Finance Minister Simon Hamilton said no additional money could be allocated. Mr Robinson said much was possible, but there was still a long way to go before reaching any solid deal. \"If that is possible to do, then it is also possible to have an executive meeting earlier than would normally have been be the case to look at the schemes that would be involved,\" he said. \"Then it would be possible to go to the speaker and the business committee and ask them to put the welfare reform bill in the assembly for next week. \"All that is possible, but it is only possible if we can reach agreements.\" The first minister also said he would only consider a deal had been done on welfare when the legislation is finally passed. Mr Robinson said: \"Agreement on welfare to me now is more than getting a paper that sets out the way forward. \"It's about agreeing the schemes to go before the executive to be agreed there, and getting the welfare bill through its final stage. \"When that happens we can consider ourselves to have an agreement on welfare, but not until.\" The Northern Ireland parties had agreed a deal on Westminster's welfare reform in the Stormont House Agreement in December. The issue had previously threatened the future of the Northern Ireland power-sharing executive. Last week, Sinn F\u00e9in withdrew support for the bill and accused the DUP of going back on what had been agreed. The DUP rejected this, saying there had never been the money for all the things Sinn F\u00e9in wanted and that Sinn F\u00e9in had been aware of this.", "summary": "The welfare reform bill could be debated in the assembly again next week if there is sufficient movement in ongoing negotiations, the first minister has said."}
{"article": "The blaze has destroyed a number of homes, dropping ash on the streets of the city in the province of Alberta. Fleeing residents have caused gridlock on the main road leading from the city, 380km (235 miles) north of Edmonton. The evacuation from Fort McMurray - which lies in an oil sands region - is the biggest in Alberta's history. \"If you just walk outside, you feel it (ash) falling on you. You see it floating in the air. I can take a broom and brush it off my deck,\" resident Mark Durocher was quoted as saying by the Globe and Mail. Homes in at least two neighbourhood have been gutted, and the fire has now spread to Highway 63 - the main road into Fort McMurray from the south. Firefighters are continuing to tackle the blaze, but the local authorities have called for reinforcements, including a water-dumping helicopter. So far there have been no reports of any injuries.", "summary": "A huge wildfire has forced the evacuation of about 60,000 people from Fort McMurray - the entire population of the Canadian city."}
{"article": "An early favourite with bookmakers, the band's album beat rapper Plan B, The Maccabees, Richard Hawley, Django Django, Jessie Ware and Field Music. BBC Sound of 2012 winner Michael Kiwanuka, Ben Howard, Lianne La Havas, Roller Trio and Sam Lee also lost out. Alt-J thanked their parents for helping them to win the \u00c2\u00a320,000 prize. \"We might just thank everyone in team Alt-J who has ever made a difference to us. And our parents... thanks for not making us get jobs!\" said the band as they accepted their award. The four-piece, who met at university in Leeds in 2007 but are now based in Cambridge, said the award would probably give them \"a level of security\". \"The Mercury Awards puts us in the hall of fame for sure, because it's such a well respected award,\" said frontman Joe Newman backstage. Alt-J also rubbished the idea of the so-called 'Mercury curse', a term coined after previous winners such as Speech Debelle failed to live up to the hype. \"This kind of curse isn't dependent on whether you win the Mercury. It's dependent on the material that you have after you win the Mercury,\" said Newman. \"We feel as a group we have a real strong set of songs, future songs. It's about the artist.\" The band revealed they would be celebrating by getting drunk. However they did add they would spend some of the prize money taking their parents out for a slap-up meal, after their families had watched the awards on TV while hosting their own Mercury-themed parties. Each of the 12 nominated acts performed live at this year's ceremony, in its new home, the Roundhouse in north London. Plan B, real name Ben Drew, opened the show with the title track from his nominated album Ill Manors, which is the soundtrack to the film he wrote, directed and starred in. He performed from the top of a new-look double-decker stage in the Camden venue, the same spot where The Maccabees later brought the show to a close with a high energy rendition of Pelican. BBC 6 Music presenter Lauren Laverne replaced longtime host Jools Holland as coverage of the event moved from BBC Two to Channel 4. Radio 1's new Breakfast Show host Nick Grimshaw fronted the backstage coverage. Other standout performances came from La Havas, who silenced the room, and Ware who like many of the nominees said they were happy just to be nominated. Most have already enjoyed a sales boost while the act behind this year's 'token jazz album', Roller Trio, said they received a host of new bookings and got a new agent the day after being nominated. HMV's Gennaro Castaldo predicted Alt-J's win could result in a \"five or sixfold\" increase in sales. Last week, fellow nominees Django Django, who met at art college in Edinburgh, won Q magazine's best new act award. However they admitted they were a little nervous as the Mercury's evening kicked off. \"It feels a bit like we're all about to get married. To each other,\" said Django drummer and producer", "summary": "Indie rock band Alt-J have been named winners of this year's prestigious Barclaycard Mercury Prize, with their debut album An Awesome Wave."}
{"article": "In 2013/14, York Theatre Royal and Sheffield Theatres reported the number of BME employees as 3%, while Hull Truck Theatre had none. ACE said that a survey showed that 14% of the English workforce were from BME communities. Hull Truck Theatre said it was taking action to address the issue. Last year Sir Peter Bazalgette, chair of Ace, said organisations could have their funding cut if they failed to improve diversity. Speaking at the launch of the new report, Sir Peter said theatres had to make \"their work more reflective of their communities, and representative of 21st Century England\". \"The arts can show us how things are and the arts can give us a vision of what they could be,\" he said. \"They can make the case for diversity; they can be the case for diversity. They can bring us together.\" Ace said it was providing \u00c2\u00a38.5m of funding to encourage diversity. The executive director of Hull Truck Theatre, Janthi Mills-Ward, said the theatre had introduced an apprenticeship scheme \"which has changed the demographic\". \"Hull's demographic is actually 94% white,\" she said. \"So actually, young people, or anybody from Hull from a BME community might not have seen a career in the arts as something they could go in to.\"", "summary": "A number of theatres in Yorkshire employ fewer than 5% black or minority ethnic (BME) workers, according to an Arts Council England (Ace) report."}
{"article": "The former Greece Under-21 cap had his contract terminated by the Greek Superleague club last week. Skondras joined PAOK from Atromitos in 2013 and has made 94 appearances for the Thessaloniki-based club. But he has not played at all this season after Vladimir Ivic took over as head coach. Skondras is unlikely to receive international clearance in time to play for Hamilton in Tuesday's Scottish Premiership game against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The defender, who has played for PAOK in the Champions League and Europa League, becomes the second player to sign for a Scottish club on Monday after leaving PAOK. Former team-mate Alexandros Tziolis, the Greece midfielder, joined Hearts until the end of the season. Accies player-manager Martin Canning is also on the look-out for a striker but says he may have to leave it late as Tuesday's 23:00 GMT transfer deadline looms. \"I'm still speaking to a couple of strikers that I'd like to get in, but they will be last minute things if they end up going through,\" he said. However, he does not expect to be waving goodbye to top scorer Ali Crawford any time soon. The midfielder has nine goals this season but missed a glorious chance to put Hamilton in front against St Johnstone on Saturday in a game Accies went on to lose 3-0 in Perth. And his boss reckons he will need to start putting those kind of opportunities away if he wants to make a move to a bigger club. \"There has been literally no-one contacting the club about Ali,\" said Canning. \"I think his agent has asked how much we would accept for him, but that's the only question that has ever been put to us. \"Hopefully that opportunity will come for Ali, but he has got to keep his head down and continue to work hard and, if you look at Saturday's game, take the chances that will put him in the spotlight. \"Over the last three or four games, he's had big opportunities to score important goals and, had he done that, I'm sure we'd be sitting here with an offer in for him. \"Big players take those chances and that's what kicks you on to the next level.\"", "summary": "Greek right-back Giannis Skondras has joined Hamilton Academical until the end of the season after the 26-year-old left PAOK Salonica."}
{"article": "The decision has been made due to a \"chronic shortage of accommodation\" in Wales' four existing dispersal areas. According to the latest UK Government figures, Cardiff, Swansea and Newport are all in the top ten of areas with the highest number of asylum seekers per head of population. Conwy council said it \"wants to play its role in assisting in the global humanitarian crisis.\" The Home Office confirmed it was working with the authority, adding: \"The UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need our protection.\" In March 2016, the Home Office wrote to all 18 Welsh local authorities who do not house asylum seekers to ask them to start taking people in. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said other local authorities in Wales were \"in discussions\" - but Conwy was the first to formally agree. It said it welcomed Conwy's step, saying Welsh councils had \"responded positively to the call to resettle Syrian refugees\". The Home Office wants every local authority in the UK to house more asylum seekers. Although the scheme is currently voluntary, the Home Office said it will become mandatory if not enough councils come forward. Conwy council said the aim of the pilot would be to \"investigate the feasibility of Conwy becoming a asylum dispersal area\", and would look at the \"logistical and resource implications and community impact.\" It added: \"Conwy wants to play its role in assisting in the global humanitarian crisis. \"The Home Office has consulted its housing providers in Wales, and have concluded that the current geography of asylum dispersal needs to be widened.\" Asylum seeker accommodation provider Clearsprings will provide one house in Conwy for \"small numbers\" of asylum seekers. The council will decide on the location, size and household type of the accommodation. The pilot will be evaluated before any further commitment. In March 2016, Cardiff had one asylum seeker per 263 people, Swansea one per 272, and Newport one per 302. The dispersal scheme is separate to the Home Office's programme to resettle Syrian refugees, which saw around 300 re-homed across all Welsh local authorities by the end of last year.", "summary": "Conwy county has agreed to house asylum seekers as part of a new pilot scheme."}
{"article": "A spokesman said the Western Isles Presbytery was taking the allegations against the late Reverend Dr Iain D Campbell \"very seriously\". The allegations are understood to relate to Dr Campbell's personal life. The minister of Point Free Church on Lewis died at the end of January, aged 53.", "summary": "The Free Church of Scotland is investigating allegations made in connection with a minister on the Isle of Lewis who died earlier this year."}
{"article": "Jim McCafferty, 70, from Raby Street, south Belfast, is accused of offences alleged to have taken place between 2011 and 2014, when the alleged victim was between 13 and 16 years old. Mr McCafferty is originally from Scotland. A defence solicitor said he would not apply for bail because of concerns over the defendant's safety. The judge remanded Mr McCafferty back into custody. He will appear in court again in January. The defendant worked for several football clubs during the 1980s and 90s as a scout, kitman and youth coach. The clubs included Celtic, Hibernian and Falkirk. Mr McCafferty moved to Northern Ireland seven years ago.", "summary": "A former Celtic FC youth coach has appeared in a court in Belfast charged with sexual activity with a child."}
{"article": "The Aga Khan University Hospital said it would do all it could to help and encouraged others to do the same. The breakdown of the machine in Uganda has left thousands at risk of missing potential life-saving treatment. Uganda's government has said it will cover the travel and other costs for the 400 going to the Nairobi hospital. The private, not-for-profit hospital in the Kenyan capital has two radiotherapy units and six radiation oncologists. Radiotherapy treatment can be expensive - and most patients in Uganda are unable to afford to pay for the treatment. \"We are committed to working with the government of Uganda to help save the lives of cancer patients in need of treatment while it works to re-establish its radiation therapy capacity,\" Aga Khan University Hospital's CEO Shawn Bolouk said in a statement. \"Our values as an institution dictate nothing less. While we can only treat a small fraction of those requiring care, given our resources and the tremendous need that exists, we will do all we can to help, and we encourage others to follow our lead.\" Details of how to transport the patients were being worked out by the relevant authorities, the hospital statement added. The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga in Uganda's capital, Kampala, says the Ugandan government has also agreed to pay for the 400 patients' accommodation and food as well as for those of a relative or friend if an attendant is needed. The government says it has purchased a new radiotherapy machine and it should be up and running in six months, once a special bunker has been built to house the radioactive equipment at Mulago Hospital in Kampala. Other treatments are still available in Uganda, but the cancer institute at Mulago Hospital says that three-quarters of the 44,000 new cancer patients in Uganda last year needed radiotherapy. Patients from Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan are also referred to Mulago Hospital for radiotherapy. The treatment uses radiation to target and kill cancerous cells in a specific part of the body, and can be used for many types of cancer. The incidence of cancer is on the rise in Africa overall as life expectancy increases.", "summary": "A Kenyan hospital is to provide free cancer treatment to 400 patients from Uganda as the neighbouring country's only radiotherapy machine has broken."}
{"article": "Some people make one to remember all the things they've done in a year. Many others find it a useful way to help them deal with the loss of a loved one by writing down memories of them. Newsround runs you through how to make your own memory jar for a special person. Find an empty jar or an object that's large enough to keep notes inside. Check that it's clean and not being used for anything else. If you want to, you can decorate your memory jar before placing it somewhere all of your family can reach it. Put some paper and pens next to it. Whenever you or your family remember something about your special person, you can write it down or draw it on a piece of paper, fold it up and put it in the jar. You can invite other relatives and friends who knew your special person to join in this activity too. Source: Child Bereavement UK You'll end up with a container full of memories that you can share with your family and those closest to you. Or if you're worried you might forget about your special person, you can dip into the container and open some of the messages to feel connected.", "summary": "A memory jar is where you can keep happy memories in a safe place."}
{"article": "Billy Muir's roles include firefighter, rubbish collector, lighthouse keeper and airport worker. The 67-year-old, from North Ronaldsay, who also works as an electrician, builder and tour guide, was honoured with a Pride of Britain award. His volunteering efforts were recognised at the ceremony in London on Monday. Mr Muir was hailed by the awards organisers as Britain's hardest-working man as he picked up a Community Partner award. The father-of-two said he had no plans to retire as he enjoyed working among the island's 50-strong community so much. He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: \"I've been the lighthouse keeper at the North Ronaldsay lighthouse for some 47 years. \"I've been a firemen on the island for the Scottish Fire and Rescue team for 33 years, and a fireman at North Ronaldsay airfield for about 11 years. \"And I've been a contractor on the island for most of my working lifetime.\" Mr Muir added: \"I've spent most of my life in the lighthouse service and that means a lot to me. \"It's something you dedicate yourself to doing as long as you're able to. There is no retiring age now and that's the reason I've clocked up so many years. \"It's made me very happy, and it keeps me fit. As long as I keep fit and healthy I've got no plans to retire.\" Mr Muir says his volunteering work, including that as a retained firefighter, is borne out of necessity on such a small island. He said: \"If you're a willing hand you get lumbered with the job. \"But we're a very close-knit community and we rely on each other all the time to keep the island going. The sheep are a major part of that because it takes the whole island to round them up. \"It's not an easy task to round up 2,500 sheep on a shoreline. We're like one big family.\" Mr Muir's wife Isobel, 76, said: \"He does a lot of work for the community when I would like him to be doing more work around here.\" But she added: \"It's worth it. I've often wondered where the island would be if he didn't do all those jobs. \"He contributes so much to everything that goes on. It's an ageing population and he's one of the people that's still strong and fit enough to do all this work.\"", "summary": "An Orkney sheep farmer who holds down a total of 20 jobs has been dubbed Britain's hardest-working man."}
{"article": "Mourinho has already made three big summer signings and is closing in on Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba. Schweinsteiger, 31, looks like being one of nine players who may leave. The midfielder, who has announced his international retirement, trained on his own as United's full squad trained together for the first time. Forwards Adnan Januzaj, Will Keane and James Wilson, midfielder Andreas Pereira and defenders Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Tim Fosu-Mensah, Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair are also reportedly set to be made available, though some may only leave on loan. With all the other senior players who were absent from the recent tour of China present, Schweinsteiger's absence from Thursday's squad training session is being viewed as significant. United paid a reported \u00a314.4m to sign him from Bayern Munich 12 months ago but the move did not work out as planned. Injury restricted Schweinsteiger to 31 appearances and he was involved in just seven of United's final 34 games, including missing the FA Cup final win over Crystal Palace. He injured a knee on international duty in March and only returned at Euro 2016, when he scored on his first appearance, as a substitute, against Ukraine. Of the other players who did not train with the United squad on Thursday, Januzaj has had the biggest fall from grace. The 21-year-old Belgian was one of the star performers in David Moyes' single season in charge, when he earned himself a big increase in a five-year contract. But his progress was not maintained and he was loaned to Borussia Dortmund last season. He did not start a league game and the German side were happy to let United cut the deal short midway through the season when Louis van Gaal's squad were badly affected by injury. He then featured for 17 minutes in three substitute appearances. Since his arrival, Mourinho has signed Villarreal defender Eric Bailly for about \u00a330m, midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund for an undisclosed fee and former Paris St Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a free transfer.", "summary": "German World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger's future at Manchester United is in doubt following Jose Mourinho's appointment as manager."}
{"article": "12 January 2017 Last updated at 12:52 GMT The lifelike robot was made to look and move like a meerkat but there was just one problem, to be accepted by the group he had to smell like one too. Hear how people working on the show 'Spy in the Wild' had to use poo to help him fit in. The first episode of Spy in the Wild is at 8pm on BBC1 on 12 January.", "summary": "This may look like a meerkat on first glance but it's actually an undercover spy camera used to film meerkats in their natural habitat."}
{"article": "The bodies of the victims, aged between 15 and 19, were found in plastic bags by the river Ulua in Yoro province. Their hands had been tied. The boys were kidnapped by armed men in a village 15 km (9 miles) from where their bodies were found. It is not clear why the boys - who worked as farm labourers and motorbike taxi drivers in - were abducted. Good news for Honduras' murder capital? Honduran migrants: 'We left because we had to' The Honduran authorities have not said whether the kidnappers demanded a ransom for their victims, EFE reported. An average of 11 people are murdered every day in the country, according to official figures. Neighbouring El Salvador is currently the most deadly country outside a war zone, with almost 100 murders per 100,000 people a year. Latin America makes up just 8% of the world's population but accounts for nearly a third of all murders.", "summary": "Firemen in northern Honduras have found the remains of four teenage boys who were kidnapped on 31 January."}
{"article": "Jake Cannon of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire said he had no sexual interest in the images himself, he just wanted to sell them to make money. The 22-year-old admitted possessing and distributing indecent images of children. Swansea Crown Court heard the expert who examined the images described them as the worst he had ever seen. Cannon told police he had been swapping indecent images since he was 13-years-old. Recorder Peter Rouch, said Cannon had been, in effect, continuing the abuse of children by both seeking out such material and then passing it on to others. Welcoming the sentence, a NSPCC Cymru spokesman said: \"The shocking scale of Cannon's offending and the particularly horrific nature of these images is deeply disturbing. \"Every single image represents a crime scene and behind each is a young victim of abuse who will need support to recover from what has happened to them. \"Those who distribute this appalling material are responsible for increasing its proliferation and - inevitably - leading to more children being abused.\"", "summary": "A man who claimed to be a professional distributor of child abuse images has been jailed for 15 months."}
{"article": "The \u00c2\u00a3200,000 work on Kingsway will include new signs, re-marking and remodelling of the road. Safety barriers were installed after the death of Sgt Louise Lucas in March, to stop pedestrians crossing. Another man was hit by a bus on 4 August, while Daniel Foss, 37, died in 2013. Swansea council is also considering introducing a dedicated cycle track as part of the changes. It said the work to prevent public transport travelling in both directions is a pre-cursor to more detailed plans to redevelop the route as a business district.", "summary": "Following a number of deaths and serious accidents on a main route through Swansea, a new one-way system will be introduced in the autumn."}
{"article": "Gordon Ross, 66, said he hoped the judicial review would clarify the legal position regarding assisted suicide. He has called on the Lord Advocate to issue guidance that makes clear whether any person who helps him end his life would be charged with an offence. Judge Lord Doherty reserved his decision in the action and will give a ruling at a later date. The Director of Public Prosecutions has issued guidelines for England but these do not apply to Scotland. Campaigners opposed to assisted suicide argue that changing the law would be a \"catastrophe\" in terms of how society confronts illness and disability, as well as \"devaluing\" suicide prevention efforts. But Mr Ross said he believes that the present legal situation \"encourages suicide\" and discriminated against people with a disability. While he did not attend the hearing in person due to poor health, supporters of the pensioner's case staged a demonstration outside the court in Edinburgh's Parliament Square. Campaigners have previously urged MSPs to pass the Assisted Suicide Bill which was introduced to Holyrood by the late MSP Margo Macdonald, and which is currently being taken forward by Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie. A Holyrood committee recently concluded that the bill contained \"significant flaws\" and opposed its general principles, but said the full parliament should decide whether or not to throw out the proposed legislation. Mr Ross, a former TV producer lives in a care home in Glasgow, suffers from several serious medical conditions including Parkinson's disease and loss of sensation in his arms and legs. He is unable to walk and uses a wheelchair, and cannot feed or dress himself or attend to his personal needs. Explaining his decision to bring the case, Mr Ross said he fears that, should a time come when he has \"had enough\", he will not be capable of ending his life without help - unlike an able-bodied person. He said: \"I believe that, as a disabled person, I am currently being discriminated against. Anyone else, in any circumstances, can choose to end their own lives at any time. Because of my disability that is something I am unable to do. \"I do not wish to end my life, I want it to go on as long as I can. However, if my condition deteriorates to the point that I do want to take that action, I want to know what action the law might take were someone to assist me.\" Gordon Ross is quite clear: he does not want to die. As a committed nationalist, he says he is looking forward to the Holyrood election in 2016 and possibly a further independence referendum. But he knows he may not see that happening. The 66-year-old grandfather lives in a care home on the south side of Glasgow, where his disabilities mean he requires help for all of his personal needs - including feeding and drinking. He suffers from Parkinson's disease, which gives him violent shaking fits, leaving him weak and exhausted. He also has a condition which has damaged his nervous system, meaning he has no", "summary": "A severely disabled grandfather has had his case seeking the right to die heard by the Court of Session."}
{"article": "The fifth biggest firm in South Korea gets an estimated 30% of its sales from China, and employs about 20,000 people there. But in the past week, several of its businesses have faced a backlash from hackers, customers and Chinese partners. On Monday, Lotte said that more than 10 of its department stores across the country had been closed down suddenly. So what's going on? At the end of February, Lotte finally agreed to provide land it owned in South Korea - which includes part of a golf course - so the US could build its controversial Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defence system. With the ability to shoot down ballistic missiles, the US says it is an important line of defence against North Korea's missile development programme. But over the past few months, Beijing has been lobbying heavily against it - saying the system's powerful radars are capable of monitoring Chinese territory. It disputes the argument that it will bring more stability to the region, saying it should not be allowed to go ahead. As well as its shops and food businesses, Lotte also has hotels and cinemas in China. But since signing the deal last week Lotte, has reported various operations in China have been disrupted. On Monday, photos and videos were circulating of protests outside Lotte stores. \"South Korea's Lotte has declared war on China. Lotte supports THAAD. Get the hell out of China\" said one banner. While confirming the department store closures, Lotte has given no explanation. Other incidents include: Prior to the missile deal being signed, Lotte had reported its businesses being put under extra scrutiny from tax authorities. And in February, a multi-billion dollar property project in China's north-east was halted after a fire inspection. Beijing certainly has not admitted any economic retaliation and Lotte has been restructuring loss-making China businesses. But China's state-run news agency Xinhua has described Lotte's decision to provide the land as \"opening a Pandora's box in North East Asia.\" Separately, it has written that \"the decision could turn into a nightmare for Lotte, which depends heavily on Chinese tourists to South Korea for revenue from duty free stores\". Meanwhile Lotte itself has not said directly that any of the incidents were linked to the missile project controversy. But South Korea's trade minister Joo Hyung-hwan, who has recently had an invitation to an annual forum withdrawn, has expressed \"deep concerns over a series of actions in China\". \"We will act accordingly to international law against any actions that violate policies of the World Trade Organization or the free trade agreement between South Korea and China,\" he said. There are reports of a broader backlash against South Korean products and industries from China. China's national tourism administration has told travel agencies to stop selling group packages in South Korea, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap. And Yonhap also reports that some Chinese streaming platforms have removed Korean material from their sites - a blow to viewers of the dramas which are increasingly popular.", "summary": "China is a crucial market for many South Korean companies, and the food and retail giant Lotte is no exception."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device James Ridley, riding Lookslikerainted, appeared to mistakenly think he had already crossed the finish line, allowing two horses to pass. The Hunters' Chase at Newbury was eventually won by Triangular, closely followed by Ballytober. Lookslikerainted, a 33-1 outsider trained by Martin Wilesmith, finished in third. At the resulting inquiry, Ridley said the half-furlong pole caused the problem. Stewards ruled he was guilty of failing to ride out on a horse that would have finished first. \"Obviously I'm a little upset but compared to what happened in Westminster the other day it is absolutely nothing,\" Wilesmith said, after the attack in central London on Wednesday in which four people were killed and 50 people injured by Khalid Masood, who also died. \"I'm thrilled with the horse and just looking forward to when we can run him again now. We'll just look forwards. James has apologised.\"", "summary": "An amateur jockey who slowed down and lost his lead in the final stages of a race has been banned for 28 days."}
{"article": "As part of BBC Scotland's coverage, leader Kezia Dugdale will take part in a half-hour webcast in which she will answer your questions. Do you want to find out what her party's long-term plans are for Holyrood's new tax powers or how Labour's approach to education differs from other parties? This is also your opportunity to quiz her on Europe, health, policing, crime and the state of Scotland's economy. If you have something to ask Ms Dugdale, email newsonlinescotland@bbc.co.uk Please put \"webchat questions\" in the message field of your email. You will be able to watch the one-to-one interview, hosted by BBC Scotland political editor Brian Taylor, via BBC Scotland's politics website.", "summary": "The Scottish Labour Party will be holding its spring conference in Glasgow on Saturday."}
{"article": "The agreement, which came after seven rounds of talks, is a significant step towards ending decades of conflict. Negotiators from the armed rebel groups still have to consult with their leaders before giving final approval. Rebels from the newest and most active conflict in Kokang did not attend the talks. The United Nations said the move was a \"historic and significant achievement\" and provided a basis for \"genuine and lasting peace in the country\". Myanmar has been engaged in armed conflict with various ethnic rebel groups seeking greater autonomy since independence from the British in 1948. While many have come into the political fold for peace deals, sporadic outbreaks of violence have continued. All but two of the ethnic armed groups at the talks already have bilateral ceasefires in place. \"The people need peace, they desire peace and they expect peace,\" Thein Sein was reported by AFP as saying to negotiators on Tuesday. He added that a full agreement could be signed in months. \"After that is signed, the road is open for political dialogue. This action will ensure the peace-builders a place in Myanmar's history,\" he said. The BBC's Jonah Fisher says one representative from the armed groups told him on Monday that the government had compromised significantly at the last moment to make a deal possible. Our correspondent says the idea is to bring all the rebels into a process that will lead on to talks on greater devolution of power and resources - something that the Burmese government has always fiercely resisted. At talks in Yangon the final four points of contention were resolved. There will be a halt to recruitment by the armed groups, their territory and status were confirmed, as was the nature and composition of the political dialogue that will follow. The negotiators are now taking the text back to their groups for approval. There will then be a meeting which may lead to a signing. Meanwhile there is still heavy fighting in the Kokang region and there are still regular clashes in other areas. The government declared a state of emergency in February as tens of thousands of refugees have been forced to flee their homes, some of them crossing the border into China. Naing Han Tha, who led the ethnic group negotiators for the ceasefire agreement, told AFP news agency that they planned to discuss the Kokang conflict in future dialogues.", "summary": "Myanmar's President Thein Sein has witnessed the signing of a draft ceasefire agreement between the government and 16 rebel groups."}
{"article": "Work by contractors to remove a grade II-listed seafront shelter has also started. The 1920s landmark was badly damaged and is being dismantled for repair. Ceredigion council aims to completely re-open the promenade to the public by Easter after it was battered by high tides and storms. Volunteers had been asked to join the promenade clean-up at 10:00 GMT and more than 200 turned out, with buckets and shovels. As well as students, one man had travelled from Gloucestershire to help clear shingle from the walkway. Charlotte Dubenskij reports from Aberystwyth Children filled their buckets up with scoops of the pebbles brought over onto the promenade by high waves over the last week. Parents and grandparents monitored their progress as they worked side with shovels and sweeping brushes. Others looked after those who toiled, offering snacks and drinks for the weary workers. One woman told me she came to do her bit as her husband found the prom therapeutic. \"He has ill health and the one thing that keeps him going is a walk along here everyday,\" she said. There is a real sense of community here as the clean up comes into its final phase. Elsewhere, the A487 in Newgale, Pembrokeshire, has been reopened after tonnes of shingle washed onto it during the storm. Engineers spent several days using earth moving equipment to move the shingle off the road and back onto the beach. But it was Aberystwyth that was hardest hit by the heavy rain, strong winds and high tides. The town's shelter partly fell into a hole after its foundations were washed away as massive waves pounded the seafront on 6 January. Cadw, the body which looks after Wales' historic monuments for the Welsh government, has told Ceredigion council it wants the shelter to be repaired and replaced in its current position. The council has said it does not know how long the dismantling process will take or how much it will cost. But it is hoping to have the full length of road along the promenade from the harbour car park to the base of Constitution Hill open by late Sunday night. A council spokesman said the local authority would be able to start accessing the damage to the promenade walkway on Monday. \"Early signs are that there are three main areas to repair between the bandstand and Constitutional Hill,\" he said. \"Depending on weather conditions, the aim is to enable the public to use the promenade by Easter Monday, apart from the area which will remain fenced off around the bathhouse shelter.\" Aberystwyth seafront shelter has been used by couples, rowdy students, sodden holidaymakers and the homeless since it was built in the 1920s. The building has survived major storms in 1927 and 1938 and a plan to demolish it in 2010. But it finally succumbed to the elements during storms that lashed the seaside town last week. The Bath Rock shelter was built around 1923/24 and the earliest photograph is on a book from 1925. A Bath House had previously been on the site between 1810", "summary": "Two hundred people volunteered to help with a clean-up of Aberystwyth promenade, a week after it was damaged by storms."}
{"article": "Laurent Blanc's runaway leaders moved on to 92 points with two games of the 38-match season remaining. Uruguay forward Cavani, 29, broke the deadlock with a perfectly placed header before his clinical finish made it 2-0. He completed his hat-trick with another header before Zlatan Ibrahimovic completed the rout in stoppage time. The win keeps PSG 27 points clear of nearest rivals Lyon, who thrashed third-placed Monaco 6-1 and have played one game more. Forward Alexandre Lacazette scored a hat-trick for Lyon, while former Newcastle United defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa got two and midfielder Rachid Ghezzal also found the net. PSG's last two league games are away to mid-table Bordeaux on Wednesday before they host Nantes on 14 May. Blanc's side, who have also won the French League Cup, meet Marseille in the Coupe de France final on 21 May.", "summary": "Edinson Cavani scored a hat-trick as champions Paris St-Germain set a new record points total in Ligue 1 after an easy win against Ajaccio in Corsica."}
{"article": "The American world number one shot seven birdies and an eagle as he moved to 16 under and overtook Patrick Reed. Reed (69) is joined on 12 under by fellow American Kevin Kisner (65) and Argentina's Fabian Gomez (66). Irishman Padraig Harrington (68) is eight under and Australia's US PGA champion Jason Day is three under (73), alongside Scotland's Russell Knox (72). Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell is one under after a 70 at the Plantation Course in Kapalua. Masters and US Open champion Spieth, who is bogey-free after his first two rounds, said: \"It is nice to have no blemishes on the card. I want to prepare and start the year with a bang, but I'm only through 36 holes. There's a long way to go.\" Rickie Fowler (67) is on 10 under, while two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson (68) is a shot further back.", "summary": "Jordan Spieth leads the Tournament of Champions by four shots after shooting a nine-under second-round 64 in Hawaii."}
{"article": "Joseph Keighley, 42, was a full-time firefighter with Essex Fire and Rescue Service and based in Basildon. An independent fire service report found no evidence bullying contributed to his death in July. His twin Jeffrey said Joseph had told him he was being bullied. An inquest in Chelmsford recorded a verdict of suicide. The inquest heard Joseph Keighley had left a note in which he said: \"I am sorry to all but I can't carry on in this life. It's too hard, too tough.\" A wider investigation into an alleged 'intimidatory culture' at Essex Fire and Rescue is under way.", "summary": "The twin brother of a firefighter says he complained of bullying at work in the weeks before he killed himself."}
{"article": "Since docking with the ISS in a Soyuz craft in December, the 53-year-old station commander has kept hundreds of thousands of followers back on Earth informed and entertained from orbit. He has tweeted from the space station at least 1,500 times, capturing remarkable images of many corners of the world. His first photograph came in his first tweet from the ISS: \"Space Station! Floating free, buoyed up even more by my smile :)\" His first days were marked by a series of photos detailing life inside the space station. But he soon branched out into striking orbital landscapes of the planet below. We have collected just a few of Cmdr Hadfield's tweeted shots and captions here - more are available by browsing his Twitter feed @Cmdr_Hadfield. A former fighter pilot, Chris Hadfield became a trainee astronaut in 1992 after winning selection from a field of 5,330 applicants, according to Nasa. He flew on board the space shuttle, docking with the Russian space station Mir and as part of an assembly flight to the ISS in 2001. He eventually won his own slot on board the ISS in 2010, training for his current mission until lift-off in December 2012. After gathering hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers during his months on board, he made one final hit as the time came for his departure from the ISS. He posted a striking video to YouTube of him performing a version of David Bowie's renowned 1969 hit song Space Oddity. The video quickly went viral, and even prompted a response from Bowie's own official account: \"Hallo Spaceboy...\"", "summary": "Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield is due to return to Earth on Tuesday from a five-month stint on board the International Space Station."}
{"article": "Paul McWhir, 51, of Castle Douglas, admitted four charges including rape and acting in a lewd and libidinous manner. The abuse mainly took place at a farm in Dumfriesshire in the early to mid-1990s. Sentence was deferred until next month at the High Court in Glasgow. McWhir preyed on the child for more than three years starting when she was just 10, the court was told. However, it was only last year that the victim disclosed her ordeal to police. McWhir was then confronted by his own relatives who demanded he hand himself in. The court was told the abuse had had a \"significant impact\" on his victim.", "summary": "A court has heard how a child abuser was forced to go to police by his own relatives after it emerged he had attacked a young girl."}
{"article": "Cosmetics which claim to lighten skin by using cancer-linked chemical hydroquinone were banned in the EU in 2001. A BBC reporter was able to buy six creams and three tested positive for hydroquinone. Analytical chemist Andrew Reid said of the chemical: \"It kills cells. It's the sort of thing used to clean toilets.\" Reaction to skin bleaching investigation, plus more Coventry news The undercover BBC Coventry & Warwickshire reporter visited 13 shops that predominantly serve people from Afro-Caribbean and Asian communities in and around Coventry. They bought six illegal skin bleaching products from six of the shops. Mr Reid, head of life sciences at Coventry University, said: \"Three out of the six products we tested did indeed contain the nasty chemical hydroquinone. \"That's a dangerous substance which will destroy the melanin producing cells. \"The sun will damage your skin and you could end up with a cancers like melanoma or leukaemia.\" Aspiring model Mutsa Chikwana, 24, of Holbrooks, Coventry, said she started using a skin lightening product after a photographer edited pictures to show her skin a few shades lighter. \"He said [the photographs] had to be a certain shade,\" said Ms Chikwana. \"It's quite shocking. It did not look like me. \"But if you look at the pageants it's always the light skinned girl that's won, or it's always the light skinned girl that's got that top job.\" A social media campaign - #unfairandlovely - is working to challenge the widely-held belief in many parts of the world that fair skin is the most attractive. Prof Steve Garner, head of criminology and sociology at Birmingham City University, is studying the use of skin lightening products in England. A study in Birmingham, Bristol and London found the majority of Black or Asian woman using the creams were aged 16-24. He said: \"This problem is going to get exponentially worse unless we deal with it... and that's in terms of public health and regulating the laws that do exist. \"The ideas around using skin lighteners to change your appearance are, in some cases, borderline mental health issues.\" National Trading Standards has joined with UK Border Force officials to tackle banned skin lightening products getting into the country. Warwickshire Trading Standards officer Eleanor Lake said the authority had seized 1,000 illegal skin lightening products at Coventry airport since May. \"We've found that some of them have contained up to 13% hydroquinone and significant amounts of mercury and these are dangerous substances which can lead to cancers,\" said Ms Lake. \"The idea is that they're putting these products on their skin to make themselves more beautiful - but ultimately they're causing themselves harm.\"", "summary": "Illegal skin bleaching products are being sold in shops in Coventry, a BBC investigation has found."}
{"article": "Alfio Anthony Granata pleaded guilty to multiple rapes, threats to kill, and intentionally causing serious injury. He held the backpacker in his Melbourne hotel room in 2012 after they had sex and took drugs with his partner. She was freed only when she tried to kill herself, prompting Granata and his partner to call emergency services. A judge on Monday described Granata's actions as \"akin to torture\", and that he had \"degraded and humiliated\" his 21-year-old victim, who has not been named. Granata and his partner, Jennifer Peaston, had met the backpacker at a party in November 2012 and invited her to their hotel room. The backpacker was forced to live in the shower. Granata, with the help of Peaston, beat the woman with various objects including a meat tenderiser and rolling pin, and performed bizarre rituals on her. The judge said the woman was left a \"reclusive and frightened\" individual. Earlier this year, a judge found that Peaston was traumatised and had also been a victim of abuse by Granata. She avoided jail and was given a good behaviour bond without conviction.", "summary": "An Australian man who imprisoned a Dutch backpacker in a hotel room for six weeks and repeatedly raped and beat her has been jailed for 17 years."}
{"article": "Thanks for sending us your photos and comments. This chat page has now closed. \"We looked through pinhole viewers and colanders. We also made a viewer out of a poster tube. We saw the sun turn into a tiny crescent and we got really chilly! It was amazing!\" Kestrels Class, Welford Sibbertoft and Sulby primary school, Northamptonshire", "summary": "Many parts of the UK have experienced a very rare partial solar eclipse, one of the most spectacular in years."}
{"article": "Due to face Arsenal on Sunday, Notts' players were told the Women's Super League One club cannot stay afloat 15 minutes before Friday's announcement. Previously known as Lincoln Ladies before relocating in 2014, the squad included England's Carly Telford, Laura Bassett, Jade Moore and Jo Potter. Notts finished sixth in WSL 1 in 2016 after reaching the 2015 FA Cup final. In March, a winding-up petition against the club was adjourned for a second time, giving Notts until 3 July to pay debts owed to HM Revenue and Customs. Local businessman Alan Hardy purchased Notts County's men's and women's clubs in December, aiming to clear debts owed to HMRC by both outfits. A club statement said: \"Alan Hardy has reluctantly admitted defeat in his bid to save Notts County Ladies Football Club after facing a near-\u00a31m bill to keep the club afloat this season. \"The Notts County chairman and owner had hoped to restructure six-figure HMRC debts inherited from Ray Trew and fund ongoing projected losses this season of half a million pounds. \"Despite weeks of negotiations with lawyers, HMRC and the Football Association, Hardy has now called time on his plans to save the Ladies set-up. \"The club has today been officially withdrawn from the Women's Super League and will play no matches in the Spring Series, including this Sunday's away fixture at Arsenal.\" Reacting to the news, Notts and England goalkeeper Telford posted on Twitter: \"CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT I HAVE JUST WITNESSED!!! NOTTS COUNTY LADIES NO LONGER EXISTS!!!\" Midfielder Danielle Buet added: \"Thanks @Official_NCFC left jobless and homeless.\" Former Arsenal winger Rachel Yankey, who had a spell on loan with Notts in 2016, posted: \"Totally gutted for the @Official_NCLFC players, staff and supporters. I hope the @PFA and @fa are doing everything they can to support them.\" An FA spokesperson said: \"The FA is aware of the situation and is liaising with all involved parties. \"Our priority is the welfare of the players and we will work closely with them, the PFA and wider stakeholders to support them through this time.\" With the WSL transfer window having closed, it is not yet clear if any of the Notts squad will be able to sign for another English top-flight club this season. \"I am devastated that we cannot continue the Ladies project but the numbers simply do not stack up,\" said Notts County chairman Hardy. \"Continuing would have been little short of financial suicide. \"When I took over the club, HMRC and other creditors had in excess of \u00a3350,000 of unpaid liabilities. Additionally, I was extremely concerned that to operate Notts County Ladies for the current season was going to cost us approximately \u00a3500,000 - a figure principally made up of player and coaching salaries. \"Our total projected incoming revenue from attendances and sponsorship was \u00a328,000. \"It's a very sad day for me personally and supporters should rest assured I have left no stone unturned in my quest to save the club. \"However, having taken all factors into consideration, the only possible outcome is to discontinue our Ladies club. \"I would", "summary": "English top-flight club Notts County Ladies have folded, two days before their first match of the Spring Series."}
{"article": "Members of the Aslef union have backed three days of action next week in a dispute over driver-only operated trains. But Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which has claimed all Southern services could be halted, have argued the strike would breach customers' rights. A separate Southern network strike by RMT members has entered its second day. Southern has said the hearing, which started earlier, will continue into Thursday with a judgement expected at 14:00 GMT. Aslef members have also launched an indefinite ban on overtime which, coupled with the RMT action over changes to the role of conductors, led to about half of Southern's services being cancelled on Tuesday. The long-running RMT dispute, which has seen several strikes throughout 2016, is set to continue in the run-up to Christmas. Southern refund: What you need to know Southern commuters' tales of 'hell' Your questions answered Maria Caulfield, the Conservative MP for Lewes, has warned of the impact a strike by Aslef drivers would have in Sussex. She said: \"Southern has said if the Aslef strike goes ahead next Tuesday, they won't provide any trains whatsoever.\" She said Gatwick Express and Thameslink services would be unaffected, but in areas only served by Southern there would be no trains. The latest strike began on Tuesday and is due to finish at 23:59 GMT on Thursday. A spokesman for Southern said the company had \"led the way\" in trying to resolve the dispute but claimed the RMT would not move on the \"fundamental issue\" of helping Southern \"modernise\" its train service. Gary Hassell, from the RMT, said: \"We are definitely prepared to talk, as far as I'm aware Southern haven't spoken to us for months. \"But we won't be stopping the strike because we've got a mandate from our members.\" 00:01 Tuesday 6 December to 23:59 Thursday 8 December (RMT) 00:01: Tuesday 13 December to 23:59 Wednesday 14 December (Aslef) 00:01 Friday 16 December to 23:59: Friday 16 December (Aslef) 00:01 Monday 19 December to 23:59 Tuesday 20 December (RMT) 00:01 Saturday 31 December to 23:59 Monday 2 January (RMT) 00:01 Monday 9 January to 23:59: Saturday 14 January (Aslef)", "summary": "The parent company of Southern rail has gone to the High Court in an attempt to stop a drivers' strike."}
{"article": "The company has not said what the meeting is for, but political sources have told the BBC \"bad news\" is expected. The factory, which has been operating in the town since 1969, employs about 1,000 people. It makes truck and bus tyres mainly for export to the US. In recent years, Michelin executives had warned that high energy costs in Northern Ireland have been making the Ballymena plant uncompetitive. BBC News NI Business Editor John Campbell said he had been told by a source at Michelin that production was to stop at 11:00 GMT for a briefing at 12:00 GMT and that there would be no production on Tuesday night. Otherwise, he said the source did not know what was happening.", "summary": "All staff at the Michelin factory in Ballymena, County Antrim, have been called to a meeting at 12:00 GMT."}
{"article": "The computer, about the same size as a credit card, was first released in 2012 and is widely used as an educational tool for programming. However, it can also be used for many practical purposes such as streaming music to several devices in a house. A new starter kit for Raspberry Pi, including a keyboard and mouse, has been released to celebrate the success. The kit also includes an SD storage card, official case, power supply, HDMI cable, mouse, keyboard and guidebook - it costs \u00c2\u00a399 plus VAT and will be available in the coming weeks. The Pi, which is manufactured in Wales, has been adopted by pupils, programmers and inventors around the world. Many have received versions for free via the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a charity. British astronaut Tim Peake even took two to the International Space Station. \"We thought our lifetime volumes might amount to 10,000 units - if we were lucky,\" wrote founder Eben Upton in a blog. \"There was no expectation that adults would use Raspberry Pi, no expectation of commercial success and certainly no expectation that four years later we would be manufacturing tens of thousands of units a day in the UK and exporting Raspberry Pi all over the world.\" The latest sales figures were \"fantastic\", said tech industry analyst Chris Green - who owns four of the computers himself - at business consultancy Lewis. \"It's more than just a geeky coding tool - it's increasingly proving itself as a useful computer,\" he told the BBC. The Raspberry Pi Zero, a version of the computer that costs \u00c2\u00a34, was ideal for use in developing countries, he added. \"They can run off batteries so where there isn't an abundance of electricity you still have a computer that can be used for teaching.\" Although the Raspberry Pi has been used in many schools, it was more complicated for children to get to grips with than the BBC Micro Bit, argued Bethany Koby, co-founder of education-focused start-up Technology Will Save Us, which helped design the BBC's device. \"[The Raspberry Pis are] incredibly powerful but they're hard to use,\" she told the BBC. \"That being said, the resources are amazing.\" One million BBC Micro Bit computers were delivered free to every Year Seven student in England and Wales earlier this year.", "summary": "The Raspberry Pi has sold 10 million units - continuing its success as the most popular British computer ever."}
{"article": "Cardiff Civic Society has asked Planning Minster Carl Sargeant to \"call in\" a planning application for part of the Cardiff Central Square development. Cardiff councillors are due to vote on the plans on Wednesday. The Welsh government said it had yet to make a decision. Cardiff planners have recommended the plans go ahead, saying concerns have been addressed. BBC Wales plans to take the tenancy of the planned new media centre building in Central Square - where the current bus station is situated - from developers Rightacres Property Ltd. Rightacres is also applying to demolish the nearby ageing Marland House office and retail building, build basement car parks and landscape the square. A council report to the committee said the application seeks to \"demonstrate that the development does not compromise the delivery of a new bus station on the Marland House/ NCP car park site, and that the environmental impact of relocating the bus station is acceptable\". However, the application does not include any plans for the permanent replacement of the bus station. In its letter to ministers, the civic society said the application failed to address the need for a transport hub close to the railway station and asked for the decision to be taken out of the hands of councillors. It claims the development will \"destroy the central bus station with no replacement provided for at least two and a half years\". Paul McCarthy, chief executive of Rightacres Property, said although the current application did not include the transport plan, details of a new hub would be revealed in the near future. A Cardiff council spokesperson said: \"Any mention of the bus station in the current planning documentation for the demolition of Marland House and the BBC headquarters is incidental and lacks significant detail, as it isn't part of this application.\" Network Rail has also raised concerns about the loss of current taxi parking and passenger pick-up and drop-off points, as a civic square could be built between the planned development and Cardiff Central rail station. In a statement to planners, it said: \"This proposed development will remove a key rail customer facility on the northern side of the rail station and will necessitate its relocation away from the station's main entrance.\"", "summary": "Permission for a new BBC Wales headquarters in Cardiff city centre should not be granted until plans for a new bus station are in place, a conservation group says."}
{"article": "She was summoned for questioning after a video of her dressed in \"indecent\" clothing sparked a heated debate in the Muslim country. Some demanded she be punished for breaking the strict Saudi dress code. But the public prosecutor has now closed the case, the ministry of information said. She was released on Tuesday after being questioned, having admitted walking through the site with her hair uncovered and wearing a skirt. Women in Saudi Arabia must wear loose-fitting, full-length robes known as abayas in public, as well as a headscarf if they are Muslim. However, there are no restrictions on what women can wear under their abayas. According to the ministry, she did not know the video had been uploaded. It was first shared on Snapchat over the weekend by a user called \"Model Khulood\". It shows a woman walking along an empty street in a fort at Ushayqir Heritage Village, about 155km (96 miles) north of the capital Riyadh, in Najd province. End of Twitter post by @50BM_ Najd is one of the most conservative regions in Saudi Arabia. It was where the founder of Wahhabism - the austere form of Sunni Islam that is practised by the Saudi royal family and religious establishment - was born in the late 18th Century. The video was quickly picked up by Saudis on Twitter, where critics used the hashtag \"demand_the_trial_of_Model_Khulood\". Others came to the woman's defence, praising her \"bravery\" and insisting that she ought to be allowed to wear what she wanted. Women are also banned from driving, are separated from unrelated men, and must be accompanied by or receive written permission from a male guardian - usually a father, husband or brother - if they want to travel, work or access healthcare.", "summary": "Saudi police have released a young woman who appeared in a video wearing a miniskirt and crop-top in public without charge."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old Algerian, who helped Leicester to the Premier League title, is also the PFA Player of the Year and BBC African Footballer of the Year. Borussia Dortmund's Gabonese forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was second and Senegal and Liverpool striker Sadio Mane came third. \"It's never easy to win a big award like that,\" Mahrez said. \"I'm very happy to win because obviously it was against two big players. \"What happened last season was amazing, we knew it wasn't going to happen again - and it won't happen again I think, for a small team like Leicester,\" added the first Algerian and North African to win the prestigious individual honour since its inception by Caf in 1992. Arsenal and Nigeria forward Alex Iwobi, 20, won the young player award. Countryman and Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho, 20, won the most promising talent award. South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango, 31, was named Africa-based player of the year and Nigeria forward Asisat Oshoala, 22, was named female player of the year. It was Oshoala's second title after winning in 2014 in Lagos. And it was double delight for her as the Super Falcons were adjudged Women's National Team of the Year following their record-extending eighth title at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon in December 2016. Two more awards came the way of Sundowns, who were named club of the year with Pitso Mosimane winning coach of the year. Uganda's qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations after a 39-year wait was recognised with the national Team of the year award. Gambian official Bakary Papa Gassama was named referee of the year for the third time in a row. Manuel Lopes Nascimento, president of Guinea Bissau Football Federation was named football leader of the year - his country qualified for their first major continental championship by reaching the Nations Cup in Gabon. Ivorian striker Laurent Pokou, who died in November, was post-humously recognised with the African Legend award, together with Cameroonian Emilienne Mbango, one of the pioneers of women's football on the continent. The Platinium Award went to President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari.", "summary": "Leicester forward Riyad Mahrez has won the Confederation of African Football's player of the year award."}
{"article": "She is one of only two women on the Bank's nine-member Monetary Policy Committee, which sets interest rates. Ms Shafik will step down at the end of February. She joined the Bank as deputy governor for markets and banking in August 2014 after stints at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Bank of England governor Mark Carney said Threadneedle Street would say \"farewell to Minouche with gratitude and regret\". \"She helped drive vital reforms on the domestic and international stages, perhaps most prominently in the successful completion of the Fair and Effective Markets Review, which she co-chaired,\" he said. \"She has overseen a transformation in how we manage our balance sheet and is modernising our high-value payments system. This has been alongside the invaluable insight she brings to all three main policy committees of the Bank and the inspirational leadership she gives to her colleagues. In her work and by her example, she leaves an important legacy.\" Ms Shafik said it had been a privilege to work at the Bank of England and that it was impossible to resist the chance to run the LSE. \"I have especially enjoyed connecting the dots and the people across the Bank's monetary, macro-prudential and micro-prudential policy responsibilities,\" she said. \"I leave the Bank with a deep appreciation for its work and much admiration of its staff.\" The LSE is familiar territory for the former IMF deputy managing director as she earned a Master's in Economics at the school, which is part of the University of London. Ms Shafik, who was born in Egypt and emigrated to the US with her family at the age of four, is the first woman to run the LSE on a permanent basis and its 16th director. Prof Julia Black will continue to run the LSE until the new director starts in September 2017 after a post-Bank cooling-off period. US academic Craig Calhoun said in February he was leaving before the end of his five-year term as LSE director to run the Berggruen Institute, a political and philosophical think tank set up by billionaire investor Nicolas Berggruen. Ms Shafik previously held academic appointments at the Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University's economics department. She was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honour's list last year. The Treasury, which is responsible for recruiting a successor, will advertise the deputy governor role in the coming months. The Bank of England has another three deputy governors: Ben Broadbent (monetary policy), Sam Woods (prudential regulation) and Sir Jon Cunliffe (financial stability).", "summary": "Minouche Shafik, one of the Bank of England's deputy governors, is leaving to become the director of the London School of Economics."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Hosszu's time of four minutes 26.36 seconds took more than two seconds off the previous best set by China's Shiwen Ye at London 2012. Scotland's Hannah Miley, 26, finished fourth after being pipped to bronze by Spain's Mireia Belmonte Garcia. Fellow Briton Aimee Willmott, 23, finished seventh. Miley, ranked second in the world behind 27-year-old Hosszu, said she had \"nothing left\" to stop Belmonte overtaking her on the final leg. \"I could see her. I knew she was coming back at me. I gave everything I had,\" Miley, who won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, told BBC Sport. \"It is such a mixture of emotions. I was so close to getting it. It is happy and disappointment all coming together.\" Rebecca Adlington, double Olympic gold-medal winner Find out how to get into swimming with our special guide. \"I am so angry. I was like, 'Hannah what were you doing?' In the last 50 metres, she did not breathe and look at Belmonte once. \"If you know someone is coming up, you can give that extra tiny bit if you breathe and think 'she is right there'. \"I am devastated for her because that was her opportunity. All she had to do was breathe once.\" Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Hungarian swimmer Katinka Hosszu set a remarkable new world record as Britain missed out on a medal in the women's 400m individual medley at Rio 2016."}
{"article": "Cezary Sobiewski, 40, murdered Barbara Baraniecka weeks after she confided concerns about his drinking to friends. A judge said Sobiewski went to buy cider after the \"sustained and brutal attack\" at the couple's home in Tipton, West Midlands. Sobiewski admitted Ms Baraniecka's murder on Monday. He entered the plea on what would have been the start of his trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court. Updates on this and other stories in Birmingham and the Black Country The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Ms Baraniecka had told Sobiewski she wanted to end their relationship last October, a month before her death. She had already confided in friends she had concerns about his increased alcohol consumption. Police said Sobiewski, who had moved to the UK from the US in 2010 to live with Ms Baraniecka, was arrested at the scene. Her 25-year-old daughter found her covered in blood on her bed as Sobiewski sat in the kitchen. Paramedics confirmed she had been dead for several hours. Sentencing him, Judge John Wait said: \"Having killed Barbara Baraniecka in the course of a sustained and brutal attack, you went out to the supermarket, bought cider and sat at home drinking it, leaving Barbara's daughter to find her mother's body and call the emergency services. \"You took the life of someone who had many friends and who was the mother of two daughters.\" Speaking after Sobiewski's guilty plea on Monday, Det Insp Jim Munro said: \"I very much hope that now this case is over, it will in some small way allow Barbara's daughters to start rebuilding their lives after the terrible events of November last year.\" \"Cezary Sobiewski could not control his drinking or his jealousy and his actions have resulted in the death of a completely innocent woman.\"", "summary": "A \"jealous\" man who stabbed his partner 13 times because he could not accept their relationship was over will serve a minimum of 20 years in prison."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Imps have reached the last 16 for the first time in 130 years. Victory on Saturday would see them become the first non-league team to reach the quarter-finals since 1925. \"If we're realistic, we'd probably only beat them once in a hundred times but we've got to believe this is that one game,\" boss Danny Cowley said. \"We're going to be brave, we're going to fight and give it one hell of a go. If we do all of those things, we might give ourselves that chance. \"We've achieved the impossible to get here, we've just got to go and do it again.\" Lincoln beat League One side Oldham and Championship teams Ipswich and Brighton to become the third non-league team to reach the fifth round since the turn of the century, after Crawley Town in 2010-11 and Luton Town in 2012-13. Cowley, whose assistant at Lincoln is his brother Nicky, said that the competition had \"fast-tracked our development.\" \"It's been brilliant and whenever this cup run ends, we will cherish what we have learned from it,\" he added. \"It will hold us in really good stead for all of our futures.\" Media playback is not supported on this device It's not too late to enter this year's FA People's Cup - as long as you do it by the deadline anyway - and that is at midnight on Sunday. Entry is completely FREE, there are categories for everyone AND you can enter either as a team or an individual player. Find out all the details here.", "summary": "National League leaders Lincoln City will aim to \"achieve the impossible\" against Premier League side Burnley in the FA Cup fifth round."}
{"article": "Omaree Lindsay, 19, of Cecil Road, Croydon, rode into Co-Op in Streatham Road, Mitcham, on 6 September. He appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to a number of offences. He was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work for offences including theft, failing to comply with a court order and driving a vehicle on the pavement. District Judge Adrian Turned also ordered Lindsay to pay \u00c2\u00a3150 in costs. The court order Lindsay had failed to comply with was an order to complete unpaid for work in the community issued on 28 of August for a driving offence.", "summary": "A teenager who used a \"hoverboard\" to enter a supermarket and steal a crate of Lucozade, has been spared jail."}
{"article": "The meetings will take place in October at a mountain resort in North Korea. The decision follows an agreement last month that de-escalated tensions sparked by a border mine explosion that injured two South Korean soldiers. Thousands of Korean families have been separated with little or no contact since the war ended in 1953. The highly emotional reunions of family member who have not seen one another in decades have been infrequent, and depend hugely on the state of relations on the peninsula. The BBC's Stephen Evans in Seoul says the reunions, which started in 1988, used to be annual but have often been cancelled in recent years as relations frayed. The last round was held in February 2014. About 66,000 South Koreans remain on the waiting list to see their relatives, many in their 80s and 90s, our correspondent adds. The upcoming reunions, slated to be held at the Diamond Mountain resort in Mount Kumgang from 20 to 26 October, will see 100 people from each side selected. Source: Korea Red Cross The decision came after Red Cross officials from both countries held talks earlier this week at the border village of Panmunjom. Communication between relatives across the border is highly restricted and almost non-existent. The two countries remain technically at war as the Korean War ended with an armistice.", "summary": "North and South Korea have agreed to hold rare reunions for families separated by the Korean War, according to Seoul."}
{"article": "Ice Arena Wales will hold 3,088 for Devils home games, a big increase up from the 2,300 capacity at their current Cardiff Bay Ice Arena base. The Big Blue Tent has been a temporary home since 2006 following the demolition of the Wales National Ice Rink. \"The facility is stunning,\" Devils managing director Todd Kelman said. \"We are very pleased with it and I know our fans are going to love it. \"There are a few things that still need to be completed, but it is nearly there.\" Devils are currently top of the Elite League and host Blaze in the league and Belfast Giants in the Challenge Cup in back-to-back home games this weekend.", "summary": "Cardiff Devils will play the first game at their new home against Coventry Blaze on 27 February."}
{"article": "Read the team news for Saturday's matches below. Kick-off 15:00 unless stated. All times GMT. Manchester City v Chelsea (12:30) Crystal Palace v Southampton Stoke City v Burnley Sunderland v Leicester City Tottenham Hotspur v Swansea City West Bromwich Albion v Watford West Ham United v Arsenal (17:30) Birmingham City v Barnsley Blackburn Rovers v Huddersfield Town Bristol City v Ipswich Town Burton Albion v Rotherham United Cardiff City v Brighton and Hove Albion Fulham v Reading Norwich City v Brentford Sheffield Wednesday v Preston North End Wigan Athletic v Derby County Leeds United v Aston Villa (17:30)", "summary": "Four of the Premier League's top five are in action on Saturday, while there is a packed programme in the Championship."}
{"article": "Christine Wilson, 25, was eventually found out by the pair, who thought she was male, and was then charged. Defence advocate Shelagh McCall told the High Court in Edinburgh that Wilson has Gender Identity Disorder. Judge Lord Bannatyne deferred sentence in order for the court to obtain reports. Jane Farquharson, prosecuting, told the court that Wilson had problems with her sexuality. \"The accused has by her own admission experienced some confusion about her sexuality. She has since childhood presented as a boy,\" said Ms Farquharson. \"Both complainers believed they were in a relationship with a boy.\" Defending, Ms McCall stated that Wilson was hoping to undergo gender reassignment therapy at some point in the future.", "summary": "An Aberdeen woman has admitted fraud by pretending to be a boy to become sexually intimate with two unsuspecting teenage girls."}
{"article": "Betsi Cadwaladr health board has been awarded \u00c2\u00a3500,000 for the unit at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan. It has already received \u00c2\u00a31.4m for electrical infrastructure upgrades and to pay for an extra transport incubator for transferring critically-ill babies. The Sub Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Centre (SuRNICC) is due to open in two years' time. Health Minister Mark Drakeford said: \"We have now taken a further step that will help the health board to develop the final business case for the SuRNICC through which we want to provide the best possible standards of care for mothers and babies across north Wales.\" Tina Donnelly, director of the Royal College Nurses in Wales, said: \"Neonatal care across Wales has been an area of specific concern to the RCN. The government has listened to the evidence-based advice of health care organisations, service users, clinicians and independent advisers. \"This is excellent news for mothers and babies because there is a commitment to providing a safe and effective neonatal service in north Wales.\"", "summary": "Plans to develop a new neo-natal baby care unit in north Wales have been approved by the Welsh Government."}
{"article": "The Hammers took the lead when Manuel Lanzini beat Thibaut Courtois with a sumptuous curling effort from 25 yards. Fabregas's superb set piece on the stroke of half-time pegged them back. Substitute Andy Carroll looked to have won it for West Ham, before Fabregas snatched a point after Michail Antonio fouled Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Victory would have moved West Ham in front of Manchester City into fourth place, but Slaven Bilic's side were unable to add Chelsea to Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal on their list of away scalps this season. Chelsea, who remain unbeaten in the league under interim boss Guus Hiddink, stay 10th. Media playback is not supported on this device After Carroll finished clinically from Dimitri Payet's superb through-ball, West Ham were two minutes plus added time away from their first victory in Stamford Bridge at 14 years when substitute Loftus-Cheek tumbled in the area. Referee Robert Madley pointed to the spot, but replays appeared to show that rather than being clipped by Antonio, the midfielder tripped over his own feet. In addition, Antonio - who had scored in each of his previous three league matches - appeared to be outside the box when Loftus-Cheek went down. \"To concede that late is gutting, but to concede it from a penalty that is not a penalty is unacceptable,\" Bilic said. \"It was not close to the line. It was way out. It was not a penalty. We are gutted and we are not getting these decisions.\" Following last week's defeat by Everton in the FA Cup, reigning league champions Chelsea have nothing left to play for this season - but they showed plenty of battling spirit to take a point from this match. The Blues were not at their fluent best but 18 crosses and 22 shots told the tale of their unstinting endeavour in forward areas. Fabregas, a superb performer last season, has endured a much more difficult campaign this time round, and has sometimes been accused of going missing in difficult matches, but here he was at his influential best. His free-kick was masterful, getting the ball up and down from 25 yards and beating the dive of Adrian after Winston Reid had fouled Oscar. But his performance was about much more than goals - the 28-year-old Spaniard also had more shots, passes and touches than anyone else on the pitch. Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink: \"We stared well in the first 10 minutes but we then started losing the possession too easily. We reacted just before half-time, especially with the beautiful Fabregas free-kick. In the second half we got caught on the counter, but we reacted perfectly to get the draw. \"This is a very good West Ham side. They are knocking on the door for the top four. I was happy with the late penalty decision. It's difficult for me to make a judgement - I think he was tripped on the line. On the line is part of the box.\" Media playback is not supported on this device West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: \"I don't look too", "summary": "Cesc Fabregas scored a free-kick and a late penalty as Chelsea earned a point to frustrate West Ham's Champions League ambitions."}
{"article": "The Big Gaelic Survey has been commissioned by the language's development body, B\u00f2rd na G\u00e0idhlig. The study of media, such as BBC Alba and BBC Radio nan G\u00e0idheal, has three questionnaires. They are aimed at Gaelic speakers, Gaelic learners and people who are interested in learning Gaelic in the future. Shona MacLennan, of B\u00f2rd na G\u00e0idhlig, said: \"B\u00f2rd na G\u00e0idhlig wants to understand better how people learn and enhance their Gaelic skills. \"It is paramount for planning and developing the language that we understand how the media helps Gaelic speakers, learners, and those interested in learning access the language. \"This is the first time research such as this has been undertaken and it will enable us to measure just how important the media is in growing Gaelic.\"", "summary": "The influence of Gaelic media on learning of the language is being examined."}
{"article": "Antonio Horta-Osorio told shareholders that the bank is \"just days away\" from returning to full private ownership. A sale of the final 0.25% stake would be a \"major milestone\", he added. The government said recently that the value of its share sales had surpassed \u00a320.3bn, although this did not account for inflation. Mr Horta-Osorio described 2016 as a \"significant year\" for Lloyds during which the government substantially reduced its shareholding in the lender. He said: \"We take great pride in the fact that the government has already received more than its original investment of \u00a320.3bn. \"With further proceeds to come as the sale is completed, this will ensure that the UK taxpayers get back at least \u00a3500m more than was originally put in.\" In 2008, Lloyds rescued HBOS but then had to seek a bailout from the government which gave the state a 43% stake on the bank. The Lloyds boss said: \"Looking at the group now, it is perhaps easy to lose sight of the fact that just six years ago this was a bank in crisis. \"Six years on we have turned the business around and we are now a strong, safe and UK-focused bank.\" However, the bank still has to deal with the aftermath of a \u00a3245m money laundering scandal that was uncovered at its Reading office which led to the jailing of two former employees. Lloyds has set aside \u00a3100m to compensate some 64 victims of the fraud which include Deal or No Deal host Noel Edmonds. Mr Edmonds is seeking \u00a350m from the fund to compensate him for the \"deep distress and public humiliation\" he suffered because of the scandal. Lloyds chairman told shareholders at the meeting that he was \"determined\" to ensure the victims in that case were \"fairly, swiftly and appropriately compensated\" within \"weeks rather than months\". He said: \"We remain committed to learning from our mistakes and following through our strategy to be the best bank for customers, shareholders and UK.\" Lloyds's progress is in marked contrast to Royal Bank of Scotland, which was also bailed out in 2008 at a cost of \u00a345bn. Chancellor Philip Hammond recently admitted that it is likely the government will sell its shares in RBS at a loss and it will only begin to divest once legacy issues at the bank are resolved.", "summary": "The taxpayer will make a profit of about \u00a3500m on the \u00a320.3bn bailout of Lloyds Bank Group during the financial crisis, its chief executive said."}
{"article": "Analysis shows the average rent of a one-bedroom property in almost half of all districts, boroughs and cities would cost more than 30% of the median take-home salary for the area. The problem is most acute in London and the South East. The government said it was committed to building more affordable homes. BBC England's data unit analysed the average rents for different types of property in each local authority area and the median weekly wage for those areas, using figures published by the Office for National Statistics. According to Shelter and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, spending more than a third of your disposable income on rent or a mortgage means you may not be able to afford other basic needs. Based on average rents and median weekly wages, our investigation found: Dan Wilson Craw, a policy manager at Generation Rent, which campaigns for affordable housing, said: \"Across London and the South East, the only option for average earners is to squeeze themselves into ever more crowded flat shares. \"This might work for some, but it's a completely unsustainable situation for anyone who wants to settle down. Unless rents start coming down, the capital and its hinterland will start losing workers and that will weaken the national economy.\" Kerry Taylor works as a teaching assistant in a special school in Stratford, earning about \u00a3350 a week in take-home pay. She pays \u00a3825 a month to rent a room in a shared house in Lambeth, south London, where she has her own bathroom and kitchen. She said: \"I would like to get on the housing ladder but I have resigned myself to the fact that working in social care isn't going to get you the right salary, let alone give you the chance to save up for anything. \"I would love to own a home so that no one can kick me out, as I now have to leave my house as the landlady wants to sell. \"I've lived in Manchester, Edinburgh and my home town in Yorkshire but I've never been happier and more comfortable than in London. This is really important to me and I have created a great network of friends so the idea of moving and starting again somewhere else, as I've done twice before, is too exhausting to think about. \"I hope it doesn't come to having to leave but I suppose I can't rule it out completely if it gets that desperate.\" Freelance musician and composer Matt Winkworth has been renting houses around Oxford for 10 years, but to gain security he has decided to buy a narrow boat, which he intends to live in. The 31-year-old said: \"Buying a boat is something that I've been thinking about doing for a long time. \"I've thought about getting a mortgage, but I would have to move out of the area that I work [in], it's impossible to buy anywhere in the South East. \"[Living in the boat] will be the first time I have lived on my own.\" Sophie Mogridge moved to Oxford last year and lives in", "summary": "People spend more than a third of their disposable income on rent across large parts of England, a BBC investigation has found."}
{"article": "Bev Doran, 37, of Shipley, West Yorkshire, was in bed when she received an email urging her to check her lottery account. Ms Doran said the fact she had won 17 February's EuroMillions jackpot had taken a while to \"sink in\". The mother-of-four had already won \u00a350 on a draw earlier in the week and said her mother thought it might be a scam. Read more about this and other stories from across West Yorkshire \"I was still waking up when I logged into my account,\" she said. \"I could see the jackpot amount but could not work out what I had won.\" She said eventually she realised there was just one UK winner and that it was her. \"It was taking a very long time to sink in. I jumped out of bed and burst into my eldest son's bedroom. \"He was asleep but I was shouting 'I've won the Euros. I'm a millionaire.' \"All he came back with was 'what you on about?'\" Ms Doran, who lives in a council-owned property, said buying a family home would be a priority. She said; \"I come from a council estate in a three-bedroom house with five of us, so it's pretty cramped. \"So for them to have their own rooms will be nice, but I am not moving far.\"", "summary": "A lottery winner said she \"leapt\" out of bed when she was told she had won \u00a314.5m."}
{"article": "Jim Murphy was responding to former Tory chairman Lord Baker's view that there could be a deal between the two rival parties after May's election. However, the Labour MP has not ruled out some kind of deal with the SNP. Mr Murphy told BBC political editor Brian Taylor that it was \"disrespectful\" to discuss political deals before the general election. On the suggestion of his party entering into a Conservative arrangement in the event of a hung parliament, Mr Murphy was very clear. He said: \"We don't need lessons from Tory dinosaurs about how to run Scotland, what a ludicrous idea.\" Mr Murphy added that the differences between the Labour Party and the Conservative Party were bigger than \"I have seen for a number of years\". Writing in The Independent, Lord Baker of Dorking said a Labour minority government reliant on the SNP would be a \"nightmare\" situation at Westminster. He added that such an arrangement could \"stretch the constitution of our country to breaking point\". However, the SNP said it was trusted more than Labour to keep the Tories out. Asked if a deal with the nationalists was possible, Mr Murphy said he did not want to get into a \"post-match analysis on an event that has not yet taken place\". He told Brian Taylor during a half-hour webcast: \"As I say, if the SNP want to vote for our policies in the House of Commons, it's up to them - some time they have done that in recent times, quite often they have sided with the Tories against Labour.\" Mr Murphy said he had no desire to focus on the \"politics of pessimism\" because he wanted his party to win government. The debate over coalition deals has arisen because polling suggests neither Labour nor the Conservatives would gain an overall majority in this year's election. If that is the case a coalition deal with smaller parties could be possible or a so-called \"confidence and supply\" arrangement could be agreed whereby the smaller party supports the larger party in key votes. During the webchat Mr Murphy was also asked about tuition fees, the Scottish independence referendum and his decision to fight his East Renfrewshire seat in May.", "summary": "The leader of the Scottish Labour Party has called the idea of a Conservative-Labour coalition \"ludicrous\"."}
{"article": "The police said a car was set on fire in Main Street, Crumlin, between 03:20 BST and 03:40 BST on Saturday and the blaze spread to the takeaway. Residents from flats above the takeaway escaped without injury. Other premises on the street have been damaged. The police said, at this stage, they were not treating the incident as a hate crime. SDLP councillor Thomas Burns said it was unclear what had actually happened but it looked like the car had been rammed against the shutter of the restaurant. \"This is an absolute disgrace,\" he said. \"Whether this vehicle has been moved or burnt and has been rammed against the shutters of this takeaway, for the people living upstairs, it could have been an absolute disaster. \"If the blaze had got going, if the people had not got out, the smoke could have killed them, never mind the fire. \"I'm horrified that these Chinese people have been targeted. Why it was them, is a question that is being asked.\" Councillor Mervyn Rea of the Ulster Unionist Party said: \"That vehicle could have exploded, it could have caused damage where it was parked, it could have caused injury to anyone on the street and, equally so, when it propelled into the shop and set the shop ablaze. \"It could have caused a nasty accident when it was veering across the street.\" Anne-Marie Logue, Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in councillor, said people in the area were \"aghast as to why this has happened\". \"We are very annoyed for the business involved as well and the family are devastated,\" she said. \"It's obviously put them out of business for quite a few weeks. \"Opportunists decided to break into the car. The car was put on fire and unfortunately it was directed towards this shop. I'm just glad that nobody has been hurt.\" She said \u00c2\u00a3700,000 had recently been invested to upgrade Crumlin Main Street. The police are treating the incident as a suspected arson attack and have appealed for information.", "summary": "A Chinese restaurant in County Antrim has been destroyed in an arson attack."}
{"article": "All 25,000 seats for the four-night event in the grounds of Windsor Castle had been bought within five hours of going on sale at 09:00 GMT. It will take place between May 12 and May 15 next year, with members of the Royal Family due to attend each night. The Queen herself will attend a performance on the final evening, which will be broadcast live on ITV. Singer Katherine Jenkins will be among 1,500 participants including musicians, dancers, famous actors and artists. The event will also feature 900 horses. Tickets were priced from \u00c2\u00a355 to \u00c2\u00a3195, with the most expensive seats situated next to the Royal Enclosure. Some 5,000 free tickets will be available which will allow guests to see celebrities arriving on the red carpet. Details of how to apply will be announced in the new year. The final night's show was the first to sell out. The Queen turns 90 on 21 April 2016. A spokeswoman for the event organisers said: \"They were selling very, very quickly. By 9.30am, 4,000 tickets had already been sold.\" The celebration at Windsor is a not-for-profit event and aims to raise a surplus to donate to charities. National commemorations will centre on her official birthday weekend in June with a mass street party in The Mall, a service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral and the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony.", "summary": "Tickets for a celebration to mark the Queen's 90th birthday sold out within hours of going on sale."}
{"article": "But he's not an aid worker, nor a medic - he's the boss of a gaming studio, Momentum Core, in Kenya's capital Nairobi. His firm specialises in developing games with an educational twist. Players of the game Mosquito Hood are tasked with killing increasingly pesky mosquitoes. When a player completes all levels of the game, the Kenyan government has agreed to donate one mosquito net to a family living in a malarial zone. Malaria is the leading cause of mortality in Kenya, and is particularly deadly among young children. Mr Mukhwana has also created games aimed at raising awareness about HIV, as well as educational games for children. \"We aim to make learning about these important topics fun and engaging to players,\" he says. Momentum Core is just one of several games developers aiming to raise the profile of African gaming. The market is very much still in its infancy on the continent - video games don't have much uptake among the population, especially on PCs and consoles. Kenya's video games market was worth $44m (\u00a328m) at the end of 2013; Nigeria's was valued at $71m, according to research by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Compare this to the size of the US market in 2013 - $20.5bn - and the African markets seem minuscule. But over the coming years, all the African gaming markets are expected to see annual double-digit growth, and gaming enthusiasts like Allan Mukhwana are ready for the market to take-off. But it will be the mobile phone that dominates as the gaming device of choice, not consoles and computers, experts believe. \"Because of the portability and accessibility of mobile phones, mobile is the best medium for gaming in Africa,\" says Mr Mukhwana. \"Most people are engaged with their mobile phones. Also, not everyone wants fancy games that cost hundreds of dollars and that require a lot of commitment to play. \"Since mobile games often cost a dollar or less and can be downloaded in a pinch, even people who aren't avid gamers can still enjoy a quick game during a break from work, or when they're sitting on the bus,\" he says. Over in Nigeria, Abiola Olaniran, founder and chief executive of Gamsole, agrees that mobile is the present and future of the African gaming market. Gamsole specialises in creating games for the Windows Phone platform, and has seen its games downloaded over 10 million times in the last 18 months. The company is now looking to expand its products to other mobile systems, including feature phones - as basic, low-cost phones are called. \"Gaming is still a nascent industry in Africa,\" says Mr Olaniran. \"Due to the high rate of mobile device penetration, mobile can serve as a converging point for both casual and hardcore gamers. \"Mobile is the single channel that cuts across all demographics of gamers.\" Gamsole creates games with an African flavour - based in African cities, telling African stories, with local characters. \"African-themed games can be the future of gaming if people can relate with the content on a personal basis, based on their daily life", "summary": "Allan Mukhwana has been instrumental in ensuring that more than 1,400 households in high-risk malaria zones in rural Kenya receive insecticide-treated mosquito nets."}
{"article": "Mr Liu's family had been informed of the situation, medical staff in the north-eastern city of Shenyang said. The dissident was diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer in May. He was imprisoned in 2009 on charges of inciting subversion against the state after he helped to write a petition calling for political reform in China. \"Liu Xiaobo's liver function has worsened, his bilirubin levels are gradually rising,\" the hospital said in a statement. Bilirubin is produced by the liver, and high levels of it can indicate liver failure. A photograph showing the dissident looking frail was shared among friends and fellow activists on Thursday. He is standing beside his wife, Liu Xia. In an open letter to the authorities, his friends have asked to be allowed to visit him on a \"humanitarian basis\". \"We feel this is deeply tragic and realise that Liu Xiaobo has few days left and fear he is near death,\" it says. \"At this moment, we urgently need to go to visit him to bring to Liu Xiaobo and Liu Xia their friends' care and well wishes.\" On Wednesday, China invited medical experts from the US and Germany to help treat Mr Liu. Authorities said the decision was made at the request of his family. The decision came ahead of the G20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany. Diplomatic sources in Beijing say China has been nervous the issue might overshadow President Xi Jinping's appearance at the summit, Reuters reports. Mr Liu, who was a key leader in the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, won the Nobel peace prize in 2010. His wife Liu Xia has been under house arrest since then - but she has never been charged. Mr Liu has three years left to serve of his sentence for \"inciting subversion\" after drafting Charter 08 - which called for multi-party democracy and respect for human rights in China. Amnesty International has said he should never have been jailed.", "summary": "The Chinese hospital treating imprisoned Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo for advanced liver cancer says his condition has worsened."}
{"article": "Georgina Le Fjord was out with a friend celebrating the end of her exams when the accident happened on Llantwit Major beach, Vale of Glamorgan, in June. The inquest in Cardiff heard she would have died instantly. Assistant coroner Thomas Atherton recorded a conclusion of accidental death, calling it a \"terrible tragedy\". Ms Le Fjord - who grew up in Salisbury, Wiltshire, but had been living in the area - was \"the happiest she had ever been\" after suffering from depression, the inquest was told. That day, she was with her friend Martha Ormerod, 25, marking the end of her A-levels when debris from a cliff gave way. In a statement read to the hearing, Ms Ormerod said they were sat about 15ft (4.5m) away from the rocks. \"As we were sat down enjoying our picnic I heard a sudden noise behind me. I turned around and saw Georgie lying on her front,\" she said. \"At first I thought she had managed to dive out of the way.\" Eyewitnesses tried to help Ms Ormerod administer first aid. One, Claire Louise Hobson, said there had been a rock fall there a few days before. \"I think perhaps about three or four large rocks hit her. At the time I did not think that she was that badly hurt,\" she added. PC Mark John, who later broke the news to boyfriend Paul Biggs, said it was the most distressing incident he had seen in his police career. Ms Le Fjord's mother Jackie Cleary, 53, described her daughter as inquisitive with a passion for knowledge, adding: \"The last few years of her life she was truly at her happiest.\" Reaching his conclusion, Mr Atherton said the death served as a reminder of how dangerous rocks near cliffs can be, especially as they can fall \"without warning\".", "summary": "A 23-year-old woman killed by a falling rock on a south Wales beach was \"in the wrong place at the wrong time\", an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Along with Argentina, Ukraine, Bolivia, Andorra and Israel, it has been deemed \"non-compliant\" by Wada. Brazil, Belgium, France, Greece, Mexico and Spain have been placed on a 'watch list' and must meet strict conditions by March 2016 or face similar action. Meanwhile, Kenya has been ordered to explain its doping controls or join those countries under scrutiny. Wada said that if Kenya's answers are \"unsatisfactory\", it could also face sanctions. There are 15 Kenyans currently banned for doping by athletics' governing body the IAAF. The \"non-compliant\" countries have failed to respond fully to Wada's request for information and Argentina, Bolivia and Ukraine have been found to be using non-accredited laboratories, which is a breach of the code. Andorra and Israel did not have correct rules in place. Drug testing will continue, but it will be carried out independently and the country in question will foot the bill. This will continue until the country reinstalls quality anti-doping programmes. Wada cannot prevent athletes from \"non-compliant\" countries competing - such a decision is taken by organisations such as the IAAF and International Olympic Committee. Russia's athletics federation is already provisionally banned from international competition for its alleged involvement in widespread doping. The IAAF imposed the sanction after a Wada independent commission report accused the country of \"state-sponsored doping\". The head of the Russian doping laboratory accused by the Wada report of destroying more than 1,400 blood and urine samples, has left his position, and the laboratory has had its accreditation suspended. Media playback is not supported on this device However, the report's co-author Dick Pound said it would be \"child's play\" for Russian athletics and Rusada - the country's anti-doping organisation - to meet the conditions in time to compete in Rio. \"I don't think you'll get the culture fixed in nine months but you can do actions that will come to the same result,\" Pound said. \"In a sense, I don't care whether you're there with clean athletes if the only reason is fear of getting caught, as opposed to thinking that's the right thing to do. Listen, Russia built Sochi in seven years. This is child's play.\" The country's Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said Russian athletics will co-operate \"in any way\" to prove it is clean. Pound's report stated Russia was not the only country with anti-doping issues, and that athletics was not the only sport with those problems. Pound also alleged Kenya has a \"real problem with doping\". However, during a two-day meeting in Colorado Springs in the United States, Wada said it was \"encouraged\" by reports the Kenyan government is committing funding to its national anti-doping programme. Last week, the country approved the immediate establishment of an anti-doping agency. The government said the new agency will carry out testing and ensure compliance with doping rules. The head of Kenya's Olympic committee, Kipchoge Keino, has accused his government of complacency. Travis Tygart, chief executive of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, said athletics is \"at a crossroads\" and declared the current investigation is the biggest", "summary": "Russia is one of six countries ruled to be in breach of the World Anti-Doping Agency's codes."}
{"article": "Mohini Arora, 25, died in a crash on the M20 in Kent on 13 November last year when her BMW was in collision with a Peugeot 206 driven by Ion Rusu, 25. Rusu, of College Avenue, Gillingham, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court. He admitted causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by careless driving while over the prescribed alcohol limit, and driving while over the prescribed limit. Rusu was also banned from driving for eight years.", "summary": "A drunk driver who caused a motorist's death has been jailed for six years."}
{"article": "Vikki Thompson was being held at Armley where she was found dead on Friday. She told her friends she would kill herself if she was sent to a male prison. The incident prompted the prisons minister to respond to an urgent question in the House of Commons. Andrew Selous told a debate they are \"reviewing prison service instruction\". Updates on this story and more from around West Yorkshire Tim Farron, Lib Dem leader, tweeted: \"We must reform the law urgently.\" Cat Smith, shadow minister for women and equalities, asked if the policy guidelines for transgender prisoners were adequate, and if they are being properly applied. Mr Selous responded: \"Her death like all others in custody is a tragedy and we are totally committed to reducing the number of deaths in prisons. \"We believe that Vikki Thompson was being looked after in accordance with the relevant procedures, but that is now a matter for the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and Coroner.\" He said a review of the policy relating to the care of transgender prisoners had begun earlier this year, and revised policy guidance will be issued and implemented \"in due course\". It is estimated there are around 80 transgender prisoners in the UK, although the Ministry of Justice does not keep precise figures. The debate also follows a transgender woman being sent to a men's prison in Bristol. 80 is the current estimate of transgender people in UK prisons 85,977 prisoners are men, according to the latest figures 3,935 prisoners are female Tara Hudson, from Bath, was later transferred to a female prison after a campaign to get her moved. Ms Smith said: \"I first raised the issue of Tara Hudson, a young trans woman who was placed in a men's prison on the floor of this house on the 3rd of November. \"It's a tragedy that within three weeks of that, we are once again discussing the issue of trans prisoners.\" Jackie Brooklyn, Ms Hudson's mother, said her daughter was \"absolutely heartbroken and disgusted\" when she heard about Vikki Thompson's death. She said: \"I just think if she was living as a woman she should have been put in a ladies' jail, possibly under segregation for her welfare.\" Greg Mulholland, Liberal Democrat MP for Leeds North West, said: \"It really seems like something from another era to be putting a transgender woman into a man's prison. \"The tragic consequences of that is there needs to be an inquiry into how this happened. It's certainly time to change the guidelines to avoid this happening again.\" Thompson, from Keighley, West Yorkshire, was handed a 12-month jail term in August which was suspended for 24 months. The BBC understands she later breached the terms of the sentence and was remanded in custody at Bradford Crown Court. An investigation into her death has been launched, the Prison Service said. West Yorkshire Police said her death was not being treated as suspicious. An inquest into Vikki Thompson's death is expected to be opened next week in Wakefield. Source: The Care and Management of Transsexual Prisoners, Ministry", "summary": "The government has announced it is re-examining its policy on transgender prisoners following the death of a woman in a male prison in Leeds."}
{"article": "The picture sees 163 of this year's nominees gathered together and smiling away, but zoom in and there is a whole lot more going on. Here are just seven of the things we spotted in this year's photo. 1. Pharrell Williams didn't exactly dress for the occasion All of this year's male nominees are dressed smartly in tuxes and suits. Well, almost all. The \"dress code\" memo must have gone into Pharrell's junk email inbox, because he turned up wearing a green baseball cap and grey sweater. To be fair - the sweater does have the Nasa logo on it, a reference to best picture nominee Hidden Figures. Pharrell wrote several songs for the soundtrack to the film, which tells the story of three African-American women who worked behind the scenes at the space agency in the 1960s. 2. Michelle Williams is upstaged by Casey Affleck's facial hair Casey Affleck's facial hair is fast becoming the eighth wonder of the world. It gets longer with every awards ceremony he appears at this season. It's now on the verge of totally eclipsing poor Michelle Williams, Affleck's co-star in Manchester by the Sea, who has to peep out from behind his mane. She must be used to Affleck stealing her limelight. The actor appears in nearly every scene in the 137-minute movie, while Williams's screen time clocks in at 11 minutes. 3. The writer of Moonlight wants you to know how many nominations it has Tarell Alvin McCraney brightens up the back row of the photograph with his winning smile. He's the man behind the stage play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue - which went on to become Moonlight, one of this year's most hotly-tipped Oscars contenders. McCraney is so pleased with the film's success he wants to let you know just how many Oscar nominations the film has received, and he is seen here holding up eight fingers. (There is, of course, another explanation. He could be making the \"305\" hand gesture - which is the area code for Miami-Dade county, his home and the place where Moonlight is set.) Also - hats off to Shawn Levy (who's standing next to Tarell), who wins the award for the most delightfully bright smile of the whole photo. He is the producer of Arrival, which is nominated for best picture. 4. Justin Timberlake needs to sack his tailor \"What's your inside leg measurement, Justin?\" \"I don't know, maybe 32 inches?\" \"Hmmm, I don't have enough material for that. Have a 28-inch pair of trousers instead.\" \"Great, that'll do, thanks Derek.\" 5. The front row is so where we wanna be Emma Stone, Matt Damon, Natalie Portman, Octavia Spencer are all sitting together in the front row. Can someone please organise for us to join this BFF group, that'd be great, thanks. Extra respect for Octavia Spencer for wearing a pair of white trousers while so many of the other female nominees are in a dress or skirt, and for Natalie Portman, who manages to create the illusion she's impressively wearing high heels even while", "summary": "This year's Oscars \"class photo\" has been released - and as usual there are several quirks and questionable outfits."}
{"article": "Students from 12,000 schools nationwide will be told not to do their weekend homework for the month of November. The Spanish Alliance of Parents' Associations (CEAPA), which called the strike, argues that homework is detrimental to children. Spain was high up on a homework league table in a 2012 education report. The PISA study, by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, found that Spanish children and teenagers have 6.5 hours of homework a week, compared with an average of 4.9 from a group of 38 countries. Spain ranked 11th on a list of 64 countries or locations in a PISA table covering the amount of homework given. The workload does not necessarily translate in better results for Spanish students - they have traditionally scored low results in maths, reading and science in other PISA reports. By contrast, in Finland and South Korea, two of the countries with the best student performances according to PISA - the average time spent on homework every week was less than three hours. So what does this say about the learning methods used in Spain? CEAPA president Jose Luis Pazos says education in Spain has been very reliant on the traditional method of rote-learning - memorising work. He stresses that what children have to learn is how to manage information and how to decide what to memorise and what not. \"Society has changed deeply, but the environment in the classroom hasn't,\" he says. The homework debate has been raging in other countries too, and it is not just parents who are concerned. In the US state of Texas, a secondary school teacher near Dallas sent a letter to parents telling them that she will not be assigning homework to students this year. Instead, she said she wanted them to spend more time with their families. A high school in Britain scrapped traditional homework at the start of term in favour of a more \"independent\" approach to learning. And even in South Korea, the authorities are considering reducing homework for younger pupils even further. The Yonhap news agency reported in August that the city education office in Seoul was banning primary schools from giving homework to lower grade students, starting next year.", "summary": "Thousands of parents in Spain are going on strike against state schools this weekend over the large amount of homework given to their children."}
{"article": "8 November 2016 Last updated at 10:40 GMT It's about 30 metres long and it's thought it may have been caused by work on an underground train line in the city of Fukuoka on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu. It began with two smaller holes that grew steadily until they formed one huge crater. Nobody has been hurt by the sinkhole but it has affected power, water, and gas supplies. People who live and work nearby have been evacuated. Check out this video.", "summary": "Check out this giant sinkhole in a road in Japan!"}
{"article": "They will also face Montpellier, now coached by former Scotland team boss Vern Cotter, and Leinster, who were second in the Pro12 table last season. Montpellier finished third in the French Top 14. The first pool match will be on either 12/13/14/15 October, with the final on Saturday 12 May in Bilbao. Glasgow reached the quarter-finals for the first time last season after home and away victories over both two-time European champions Leicester and French giants Racing 92 in the pool stages. The Warriors finished runners-up to group winners Munster, and were beaten by eventual champions Saracens in the last eight. Glasgow beat Montpellier home (21-10) and away (15-13) when they met in the pool stages of the 2014-15 Champions Cup, and also overcame Exeter twice in their group the previous season, winning 20-14 at home and 15-10 at Sandy Park. Leinster are familiar foes in the Pro12, with Warriors beating the Irish province 33-25 at home last season, before losing 31-30 at the RDS in Dublin in late April. The last time they met in Europe in 2011-12, Leinster prevailed home and away to finish top of the group on route to their third European title in four seasons. Glasgow were distant runners-up, having also beaten Montpellier at home and drawn away in the same campaign. Glasgow's new forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys, who worked alongside Cotter with Scotland before moving to the Warriors this summer, said he had a sense of inevitability about the draw. \"We talked to Vern about this a fair bit during the Six Nations - we were convinced it was going to happen!\" he told the Warriors website. \"We've worked together for a long time, so we know what the strengths and the style of play of Montpellier will be, although we said we would double-bluff each other. \"It's a really exciting group and we're looking forward to it. Leinster, Exeter and Montpellier all want to play a good brand of rugby.\"", "summary": "Glasgow Warriors have been drawn against English Premiership champions Exeter Chiefs in their four-strong European Champions Cup pool."}
{"article": "Davis, 20, has made three Championship appearances this season, with his 7-146 against Glamorgan the best 2016 figures by a Derbyshire bowler. Hemmings, also 20, made his first-class debut against Worcestershire in June. \"They will benefit greatly from another winter working with the first team,\" head coach John Sadler said.", "summary": "Derbyshire pace bowler Will Davis and all-rounder Rob Hemmings have signed two-year contracts, keeping them with the county until 2018."}
{"article": "Inverness Castle Viewpoint allows for 360 degree views of Inverness and surrounding area. High Life Highland, which runs leisure sites on Highland Council's behalf, said all the free slots were booked by lunchtime on Tuesday. Entry fees to access to the viewpoint on the North Tower begin on Saturday. After Easter Monday's opening day, 1,100 slots were available. High Life Highland said all the slots have been booked. Highland Council, which owns the tower, said the viewpoint was the first phase in transforming Inverness Castle into a major tourist attraction. The 175-year-old property is currently the base for the city's courts service, which is to be moved to a new building.", "summary": "All slots giving free access to a new viewpoint on a historic building were booked up less than 24 hours after it was first opened to the public."}
{"article": "Humberside Police said disbanding the unit, based in Walkington, by March 2014 would save it \u00c2\u00a3500,000 a year. The force said the saving would allow it to maintain frontline services as it faces making savings of \u00c2\u00a330m by 2016. Chief Constable Tim Hollis said the force would buy in mounted officers from other forces when needed for operational purposes. The Humberside unit has only six horses and is one of the smallest mounted units in England. Mr Hollis said: \"I realise, of course, that the public and many officers and police staff, serving and retired, will regret the loss of a mounted section which has been an integral part of policing across Humberside for so many years. \"Personally, I share that sadness but we are in a period when sentiment has come up against austerity and hard decisions must be made.\" He said the base at Walkington in East Yorkshire would be sold after the unit's disbandment.", "summary": "A police force is to axe its mounted unit in order to cut costs."}
{"article": "Historic Scotland has pledged \u00a3500,000 towards the scheme which also has council and private sector support. The project is due to get under way in April and finish in 2021. It will include the refurbishment, improvement and reuse of historic buildings in the town centre. They include Stranraer Museum, the former Harbourmaster's Office and Gillespie's Bakery. Grants will also be available to property owners to allow them to undertake essential external repairs to their premises and contribute to the wider improvement of property condition across the town. Dumfries and Galloway Council said the cash injection would ensure major improvements and restoration of some of the most historic parts of the town.", "summary": "The final element of a \u00a31.7m investment package has been secured to finance a regeneration programme for conservation areas within Stranraer."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The visitors took an early lead when Joel Lynch put the ball into his own net after Matt Ingram had saved Sam Gallagher's header. Liam Feeney tapped home from close range to double the Rovers lead before Jake Bidwell pulled one back from the penalty spot after Yeni Ngbakoto was fouled in the area. Jordan Cousins had a chance to equalise for the hosts but shot wide late on. Blackburn have now progressed to the fourth round for three successive seasons. QPR, who have won their last two in the league, pushed for a late leveller but have now been beaten at the third round stage 48 times in their history - an unwanted record they jointly hold with Plymouth. QPR boss Ian Holloway: \"That team, who haven't played before, will never be picked again. Simple as that. \"I wanted that team to fight and do it for each other. Unfortunately they couldn't do it. \"Simple things we don't do well enough as a group. It's very disappointing. \"There will be changes. You've got to get your foot in and we didn't do it well enough. Jamie Mackie did - he tackled everybody. But where's the rest? Come on. \"I've made some changes but I wanted to win and I thought that was a strong enough team.\" Blackburn boss Owen Coyle: \"I always say that at the top end of the pitch you want players who can influence games by having assists or scoring goals, which is the best thing in the game. \"We say to wide players that they've got an onus on them to get in there and score goals. You can never have enough goalscorers at your club. \"So it was great that Liam Feeney got on the end of that and he earned it because his performances have been of a very high standard.\" Match ends, Queens Park Rangers 1, Blackburn Rovers 2. Second Half ends, Queens Park Rangers 1, Blackburn Rovers 2. Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by James Perch. Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Wes Brown replaces Sam Gallagher. Foul by Joel Lynch (Queens Park Rangers). Anthony Stokes (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Ben Marshall (Blackburn Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Jordan Cousins (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Ben Marshall (Blackburn Rovers). Attempt missed. Jordan Cousins (Queens Park Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Anthony Stokes replaces Danny Graham. Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by James Perch. Substitution, Queens Park Rangers. Jordan Cousins replaces Massimo Luongo. Attempt missed. Ben Marshall (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Foul by Massimo Luongo (Queens Park Rangers). Ben Marshall (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing. James Perch (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Danny Graham (Blackburn Rovers). Foul by Joel Lynch (Queens Park Rangers). Sam Gallagher", "summary": "Blackburn beat fellow Championship side QPR in the FA Cup third round."}
{"article": "16 January 2017 Last updated at 12:32 GMT The ceremony is called the inauguration. At the event, he will make a promise to do the best for the country and will give a speech known as the inaugural address. There are a few traditions passed down, which he must observe on his inauguration day. Leah takes a look at what's going to happen throughout the day...", "summary": "On Friday, Donald Trump will officially become the next president of the United States."}
{"article": "A 40-year-old man faces charges of possessing the drug with intent to supply as well as having criminal property and concealing it. A 25 year old faces charges including cultivating cannabis, supplying the drug and concealing criminal property, Police said the drugs were found after a car was searched at Trench Road, Londonderry, on Thursday 22 September. About \u00a310,400 in cash was also seized during the search of a van on the Toomebridge Bypass at Hillhall Road.", "summary": "Two men have been charged in connection with the seizure of cannabis worth an estimated \u00a3280,000 in Londonderry."}
{"article": "England's Paul Casey (68) and South Korea-born New Zealander Danny Lee (69) are joint second on seven under. Simpson, the 2012 US Open champion, survived another windy day to post a nine-under 201 total at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth. The 31-year-old also saw a 15-foot birdie putt lip out at the final hole. Americans Stewart Cink (66) and Kevin Kisner (70) are three off the pace, while defending champion Jordan Spieth (68) and Masters champion Sergio Garcia (71) are both five shots behind. Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell dropped shots at three consecutive holes on his front nine as he shot a two-over 72 to fall seven strokes adrift. World number 14 Casey, without a PGA Tour victory since 2009, began the day in a group with Garcia one behind a four-way tie for the lead. The 39-year-old had three birdies in four holes at the start of the back nine, sending his tee shot to within four feet at the par-three 13th. After finishing with a 23-foot putt for a birdie at the last, he said: \"Weeks I've putted well I've always had a chance to win, or won. We can't predict the future but I'm very excited with how I've been playing.\" Former world number one Spieth played the final seven holes with trainer Damon Goddard carrying his bag after regular caddie Michael Greller fell ill in the oppressive heat and humidity. \"Michael went down with heat exhaustion,\" said Spieth, who finished with two birdies in the last three holes and is in a share of eighth. \"When we were walking down the 11th, he said: 'This is my last hole.' I thought he was acting a little strange, a little quiet.\"", "summary": "American Webb Simpson carded a three-under-par 67 to open a two-stroke lead after the third round of the Dean & Deluca Invitational in Texas."}
{"article": "Its developer Activision Blizzard has just announced the first seven team owners for a forthcoming league. It believes, in time, the tournament could prove more lucrative than the UK's Premier League - football's highest-earning competition. Several of the successful bidders have made their mark with traditional sports teams, and the buy-in price has not been cheap. The BBC understands the rights cost $20m (\u00a315.5m) per squad. For that, owners get the promise of a 50% revenue split with the Overwatch League itself for future earnings. The fast-paced cartoon-like shooter was designed to appeal to both players and spectators. It's low on gore and features a racial mix of male and female heroes, including a gay character - a relative rarity in gaming. Unlike most e-sports competitions, each team will be based in a different major city to help owners attract home crowds. And they will pursue the world's biggest consumer brands as sponsors, rather than the kind of games-related businesses usually associated with e-sports. \"If you want to reach 18-to-35-year-olds, you really need to be where they are, and they are playing games,\" Activision Blizzard's chief executive Bobby Kotick told the BBC. \"The other thing that we offer uniquely is that Overwatch is a very family-friendly game experience. It's a teen-rated game; it's super-colourful, super-friendly. \"And if you look at the geographical diversity of the maps or the ethnic and racial diversity of the characters, those are all things that we took into consideration in the construction of what we thought would be a globally appealing experience.\" To start with, teams are expected to make use of existing venues, but in time Activision Blizzard believes owners will build huge dedicated stadiums of their own. Fixtures will also be streamed online, and be made accessible from within the game itself. The first-person shooter features about two dozen characters who engage in team-based battles set across a near-future Earth. Each character has a distinct personality - including a genetically engineered scientist ape, a cowboy-styled bounty hunter and a nerdy-looking climatologist - and unique abilities. The heroes divide into four broad categories: Squads of six characters are pitched against each other in a range of challenges, including protecting/capturing a location; defending/destroying a vehicle as it is driven across a zone; and being first to wipe out the enemy team. Overwatch launched more than a year ago. Numerous awards and a thriving community of about 30 million players prove it has appeal. Even so, the new league is not guaranteed to succeed on the scale Activision Blizzard hopes. Critics suggest some potential investors have been put off by a demand that the firm gets a reported 25% cut of any team sale. And there is concern that ticket and sponsorship sales could be hit by plans to launch a similar venture based on its Call of Duty titles. Moreover, existing e-sports competitions have yet to collectively make more than \u00a31bn a year - by contrast Premier League clubs jointly earned \u00a33.6bn in the 2015-16 season, according to a recent study. \"I think it's a bunch of", "summary": "Could Overwatch be the game to take e-sports mainstream?"}
{"article": "Some 121 patients called at the hospital on 4 and 5 January - up 46 on the previous year. The spike coincided with a flu outbreak which forced the closure of ward 12. General Manager for Diagnostics, Nicole Hamlet, said the hospital had continued to provide \"high quality care\" at the \"most challenging part\" of the year. She said dealing with illness over winter months brought \"additional challenges\" such as ward closures. \"We have robust planning measures in place to respond to this peak in activity,\" she said. \"Contingency measures have been in place over recent weeks to cope with the anticipated extra demand on the service, particularly over the festive break. \"We had planned to keep our non-urgent elective operations to a minimum at this busy time.\" She said that despite admission pressures they had been able to \"maintain patient flow throughout the service\". Ms Hamlet said that was due in \"great part\" to the \"dedication and commitment\" of staff across the NHS and their partners. \"Their dedication, support and ability to work under pressure have proved invaluable,\" she said.", "summary": "NHS chiefs have praised staff who helped to cope with a 60% surge in emergency admissions to Dumfries Infirmary at the start of the new year."}
{"article": "The move was initially criticised by Colombia, which complained that it had not been consulted. But Colombian Defence Minister Luis Carlos Villegas has now published a review hailing the results. The number of murders in the border area has dropped by 10%, he said. More than 150,000 gallons of petrol and 400 cattle have been seized by Colombian forces since Venezuela's border security operation was launched on 19 August, added Mr Villegas. \"We have reached a new era of co-operation with Venezuela's defence minister,\" he said. The report was presented to President Juan Manuel Santos and his cabinet during a meeting in the border department of Arauca. Mr Villegas praised the results of the operation launched unilaterally by Venezuela, but said Colombia was already successfully tackling criminal activities in the area. \"I can affirm today that the border with Venezuela on the Colombian side is safer now than a year ago,\" he said. \"And I can undoubtedly affirm that the border is safer today than 60 days ago.\" Venezuela surprised Colombia on 21 August when it deployed more than 1,000 troops and closed the main crossings along the 2,200km (1,400-mile) border. The move followed a shootout in which several Venezuelan soldiers were wounded by smugglers. Other troops were taken to the area in the following days to tackle crime and smuggling. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that for many years Colombia had overlooked the problem, which was hurting the Venezuelan economy. Items subsidised by Venezuela's socialist government, including cheap petrol, are smuggled and sold at huge profit on the Colombian side of the border. Mr Santos recalled his ambassador to Caracas shortly after the operation was launched, complaining about the treatment of Colombians who lived illegally in Venezuela. More than 1,500 of them were expelled and thousands more fled in the following days. \"I agree that criminal organisations working in the border area are a big problem, but the best way to deal with it is by working together,\" said Mr Santos. The two presidents met in Ecuador on 17 September and agreed to \"a progressive normalisation\" of their common border.", "summary": "The Colombian government has acknowledged that crime and smuggling have gone down since Venezuela deployed thousands of troops along their common border two months ago."}
{"article": "A woman shows her political allegiance at the national congress of Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party in the capital, Harare, on Saturday. More than 10,000 delegates re-elected President Robert Mugabe, 90, as party leader while his wife Grace was chosen to head the women's wing. Nigerian leader Goodluck Jonathan's image is printed on the clothes of delegates at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary elections at Eagle Square in the capital, Abuja, on Wednesday. Mr Jonathan, 57, was endorsed as the party's candidate in next year's presidential election... The next day, a woman kisses a photo of ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari in the main city, Lagos. Mr Buhari has been chosen as the presidential candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). Mr Jonathan beat the 71-year-old former general in the 2011 election. On Friday, models present creations by Zimbabwean designer Sabina Mutsvati at the Swahili Fashion Week in Tanzania's main city Dar es Salaam. Twenty-four designers showcased their work at the event. A supporter of Moroccan football champions Moghreb Tetouan is disappointed on Wednesday after his team's defeat at the hands of Auckland City in a match played in Rabat, as part of the 2014 Fifa Club World Cup. The Oceania club champions won 4-3 on penalties. Girls from the Pokot ethnic group take part in an initiation ceremony in Kenya's Rift Valley on Saturday to mark their passage into womanhood. The girls sing and stay standing from the afternoon until the morning and remain out of the sight of men. A member of the Egyptian parkour group, EGY PK, practises a jump in front of the Pyramid of Khufu, the largest of the Great Pyramids of Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo on Tuesday. EGY PK, one of the first parkour groups in Egypt, is training for performances, aimed at tourists, during the Christmas season... A day later, an ostrich is fed at the Giza zoo in Cairo. Khedive Ismail, Egypt's ruler from 1863-1879, built the zoo and planned the opening to coincide with the inauguration of the Suez Canal in 1869 but missed the deadline. The zoo officially opened only in 1891, covering an area of 80 acres. A view over the village of Portela being covered by a lava flow on the Cape Verde island of Fogo on Sunday. Hundreds of residents were evacuated from the village as the volcano erupted on the island for the first time in 19 years. And in this photo people are seen crossing the Dawa river near Kenya's north-eastern town of Mandera. Militant Islamist group al-Shabab recently killed 64 people in two attacks in the region, forcing many non-Muslims to flee.", "summary": "A selection of photos from around the African continent this week:"}
{"article": "Roy Burke said the expiry of an agreement with Dutch company Verweij and Partners meant no-one now had exclusive rights to work on the site. The company had originally pledged to start redeveloping Fort Tourgis by the end of 2012. Plans for the Victorian fortification include a hotel and conference centre. Mr Burke said: \"Verweij and Partners no longer have exclusivity on Fort Tourgis... nobody has the right to build or develop Fort Tourgis.\" He added: \"If they come along with plans tomorrow, the States of Alderney would have to relook at those plans and decide whether or not they want to proceed with that development.\" Verweij and Partners entered into negotiations with the States of Alderney in 2007. The company submitted plans for a resort, which would include spa facilities and 50-70 bedrooms. Mr Burke said any development would need to involve much work to the inside of the fort, due to the fact that many of the floors have rotted and collapsed. He said: \"Virtually all the original features will have to stay. \"From an economic perspective there's no doubt it will be a great boon for Alderney.\" Mr Burke said he would be meeting a representative of Verweij and Partners in a few weeks, and was expecting an update on the development. He said following an announcement earlier in the year that part of the company had been declared bankrupt, he was examining its finances. Attempts to contact Verweij and Partners were unsuccessful, with the company's phone lines in the Netherlands appearing to have been disconnected.", "summary": "An agreement on the redevelopment of Alderney's derelict Fort Tourgis has lapsed, according to the chief executive of the island's States."}
{"article": "The Argentine, 36, shot a seven-under-par 65 to finish 17 under and win his first European Tour title for 10 years. Bland, 44, who shared the overnight lead with Spain's Sergio Garcia, carded a three-under 69 on Sunday to finish one shot adrift of Romero. Masters champion Garcia and Belgium's Thomas Detry also finished on 16 under at the Golfclub Munchen Eichenried. Romero's only other European Tour win was the Players Championship of Europe in 2007, the year he finished third at The Open. Three strokes off the lead before the final round, he made seven birdies, including one at the 18th to win. Four players were tied for the lead at one stage, but Detry was unable to match Romero on the final hole. Bland, who has never won on the European Tour, carded five birdies but dropped a shot on the par-five sixth and another on the 17th. He was playing in the final pairing of the day alongside Garcia, who was competing in Europe for the first time since he won the Masters in April. Both needed to eagle the last hole to force a play-off, but Garcia narrowly failed to chip in with his third shot before Bland's 15-foot putt slid wide.", "summary": "World number 837 Andres Romero won the BMW International as England's Richard Bland tied for second in Munich."}
{"article": "Adur District Council said it was looking into the possibility of a memorial walk along the River Adur. People are being invited to submit their thoughts and suggestions to the shorehamremembers.org website. A shortlist of ideas will be created in January, followed by a public consultation in March. Eleven men were killed on 22 August when a vintage Hawker Hunter plummeted into the A27 in West Sussex during the Shoreham Air Show. In a statement, Adur District Council said: \"It has been suggested that a new memorial, close to both the river and the proposed site for a new slipway, could form the start and finish of a beautiful walk between the recreation ground and Old Tollbridge. \"This idea potentially also incorporates the temporary memorial board and archway erected by the county council in a meaningful way, and could create a multitude of spaces and perspectives for reflection along the walk's length.\" It continues: \"While other ideas are being invited this particular one appears to be currently gathering support throughout the community.\" In the days after the crash, thousands of flowers, cards, pictures and messages of condolence were left on the Old Shoreham Toll Bridge, which became known as the \"Bridge of Flowers\". A memorial service was held at Lancing College's gothic chapel on 22 November, three months after the disaster. During the service, the Bishop of Chichester, The Right Reverend Dr Martin Warner, praised the \"human courage, generosity and compassion\" of the emergency services and said this was a time when \"grief must blend with love\" in a celebration of those who died.", "summary": "A permanent memorial is to be created as a \"fitting, lasting tribute\" to the 11 men who were killed in the Shoreham air disaster in August."}
{"article": "Hours before Wednesday's decision, local publications were already announcing her dismissal from office based on the speeches of senators made throughout the trial. Many politicians had openly declared that they would oust her. Print editions of mainstream newspapers appeared with similar front covers on the day of the Senate vote. \"Poll shows Dilma's departure\", anticipated daily O Estado de Sao Paulo. \"The Senate reaches majority to impeach Dilma; Temer prepares to be sworn in\", read the headline of Folha de Sao Paulo. When the result was confirmed, news outlets largely focused on the score of 61 to 20 votes. Two-thirds of the house, or 54 senators, were needed to remove her. \"Dilma Rousseff loses her presidential mandate,\" highlighted the website of daily Correio Braziliense. There was surprise, noted by local media, when the head of the Supreme Federal Court, Ricardo Lewandowski, who presided over the trial, agreed to a request made by the defence and split the vote in two. After deciding for removal, senators unexpectedly voted for the maintenance of Rousseff's political rights. \"Dilma can still stand in elections and hold public office,\" reported the online edition of newspaper O Globo. The result provoked the ire of opposition senators who said they were ready \"to appeal to the Supreme Court\", according to a text published by website UOL. Some of Rousseff's supporters, such as Senator Lindbergh Farias, reacted from the Senate floor. \"Angry political right is unable to revoke Dilma's rights, only the mandate. This is more proof that there was no crime. It is a coup,\" tweeted Farias. (@LindbergFarias) The \"coup\" argument was once again brought up during Ms Rousseff's first appearance after the vote. Speaking to the press, she called the senate's decision \"the second time she faces a coup d'etat in her lifetime\" and said that senators \"tore up the constitution\". Promising to \"fight back\", Ms Rousseff compared the impeachment process to an \"indirect election\", reported website G1. She has previously accused the former Speaker of the lower house, Eduardo Cunha, of \"conspiring\" against her alongside now President Michel Temer. Local media emphasised Mr Temer's \"quick\" swearing-in ceremony at the Senate. Less than three hours after the vote, his interim title was gone and he became Brazil's new official president. Mr Temer is travelling to China later on Wednesday to attend a G20 meeting in China, The trip puts the country in a curious situation. Brazil removed a president and would welcome two others on the same day, O Globo noted. That's because the Speaker of the lower house, Congressman Rodrigo Maia, automatically becomes the acting commander-in-chief when Michel Temer is abroad. As reported by news magazine Veja, the country \"no longer\" has a vice-president. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "summary": "The removal of President Dilma Rousseff, at the end of nine-month impeachment process, has come as no surprise to Brazil's media."}
{"article": "Alan Blacker, known as Lord Harley in a trial last year, is said to have used titles which were \"inaccurate\". He also appeared with St John Ambulance medals and ribbons on his chest, despite not being a St John member. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal is investigating. Mr Blacker was defending minibus driver Andrzej Wojcicki, jailed for five years after being found guilty of causing the death of a cyclist by dangerous driving in Caerphilly county, when he was scolded by Judge David Wynn Morgan for his appearance. He told him: \"If you want to look like something out of Harry Potter you can forget coming to this court ever again.\" Mr Blacker complained to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office about the comments, saying he was upset his \"qualifications, status and offices were brought into disrepute\". St John in Wales later said Mr Blacker was not a member of the Order of St John and it had contacted the police over the issue. Now, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal is looking into seven allegations, including that Mr Blacker: The allegations are subject to a hearing before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and are as yet unproven.", "summary": "A lawyer criticised by a judge for dressing \"like something out of Harry Potter\" is being investigated for allegedly misleading Cardiff Crown Court."}
{"article": "The suspects reportedly used automatic weapons and an anti-tank missile in the heist last September. Their colleagues in the police helped identify them to investigators, said Dragan Lukak, interior minister of Bosnia's Serb-run region. Two other people have been arrested for alleged involvement in the raid. Money on board the armoured vehicle belonged to a subsidiary of UniCredit, Italy's top bank. A security guard was injured in the robbery. Mr Lukak said the suspects, if found guilty, would have \"disgraced... their unit and the whole police force\". Bosnia is administered under two entities, the Muslim-Croat Federation and the Serb Republic, each with their own police force.", "summary": "Five members of Bosnia's special police have been held over an armed raid on a bank van that netted 617,000 marka ($344,000; \u00c2\u00a3241,000), officials say."}
{"article": "Every year temples in the state organise fireworks displays, often competing to stage the most spectacular ones. \"The devotees burst firecrackers to appease the female deity,\" local MP NK Premachandran told the BBC. Now the Puttingal temple has earned worldwide infamy for Sunday's explosion and fire that killed more than 100 people. This is not the first incident of its kind in Kerala: the famous Sabarimala temple banned fireworks in 1952 after 68 people died in a firecracker explosion. The Puttingal temple is one of the oldest in the state, built on the site of what devotees say was an ant hill where a goddess appeared many centuries ago. On Sunday, two groups of devotees, defying a ban by authorities and opposition from nearby residents, set off fireworks intended to dazzle the thousands of other devotees who had participated in the temple festival. Local police say they were misled by the temple authorities, who claimed to have received oral permission from the district authorities. \"Temples have become places of carnivals. There is no religious sanction for any of these actions like fireworks displays or competitions,'' activist and author Rahul Easwar says. \"There are about 8,000 to 9,000 temples in Kerala out of which 2,500 are controlled by the government. Everyone likes a celebration.\" \"So you have to do something to attract devotees. Fireworks are one way. Some temples even have cinema dances in the name of cultural programmes.\" \"This is a serious issue. There is no teaching of any religious text or even yoga at the temples. There has to be some welfare activity otherwise you will get only floating devotees.\" But Prayar Gopalakrishnan, a senior temple official, does not agree that there is no religious sanction for fireworks festivities. \"We are not interested in banning the custom. We cannot allow any fireworks competitions but the custom [of firework displays] as per Hindu tradition will go on.\"", "summary": "Fireworks and firecrackers are commonly used at temple festivals in the southern Indian state of Kerala, and the Puttingal temple is no exception."}
{"article": "Ministers hope to have parallel talks about our future trading relationship during that period - but what happens if they take longer? To avoid a \"cliff-edge\" scenario, the chairman of the Brexit select committee in the Commons, Hilary Benn, is among those who has argued for a transitional agreement. What might that look like? One possibility would be for the UK to seek membership of the European Economic Area (EEA) like Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. That would allow the UK to trade goods and services freely with the EU in exchange for financial contributions and the continued acceptance of free movement of people. But it would take the UK out of the common agriculture and fisheries policies and the customs union, allowing it to strike its own trade deals with non-EU countries. To join the EEA, ministers would first need to apply for membership of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). At a meeting of EFTA countries in Geneva, the current chair, Iceland's foreign minister Lilja Alfredsdottir, told the BBC her country would be keen to see a UK membership application, even if only on a temporary basis. \"From an Icelandic point of view, yes we would welcome that,\" she said, \"because I believe EFTA would be stronger with the UK inside\". Norway's trade minister, Monica Maeland, said there had been \"no signal\" from the UK that it would want to join EFTA. If the UK did submit an application, she said there would be a willingness in EFTA to discuss it. Ms Maeland also indicated that she had discussed the potential need for the UK to have transitional arrangements with Lord Price, who is a minister in Liam Fox's new Department for International Trade. \"That was something Price was talking about... what are we going to do in the meantime? So, we are hoping to discuss several solutions.\" Yet the UK government has not yet formally acknowledged that forging new trading relationships might have to be achieved in phases. Downing Street declined to confirm if that's what the prime minister meant when she spoke of avoiding a \"cliff-edge\" in her address to the CBI.", "summary": "When Brexit talks formally begin, the UK will have two years to negotiate its departure from the EU."}
{"article": "Top seed Murray, 29, can set up a potential second-round clash with Britain's Slovenia-born Aljaz Bedene if he defeats the world number 49. Bedene, 26, must first get past France's Benoit Paire after replacing Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the main draw. Swiss second seed Stan Wawrinka, 31, plays Spaniard Fernando Verdasco. British wildcards Dan Evans and Kyle Edmund face France's Paul-Henri Mathieu and eighth seed Gilles Simon respectively. Elsewhere in the first round, Australian Nick Kyrgios takes on Canadian third seed Milos Raonic and Britain's James Ward meets Luxembourg's Gilles Muller. Queen's is part of the ATP World Tour 500 series and finishes a week before Wimbledon, which runs from 27 June to 10 July. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "British number one Andy Murray will face France's Nicolas Mahut in the Aegon Championships first round at Queen's Club."}
{"article": "The crash was on the A96 Forres bypass. It took place early on Tuesday evening. The man's injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.", "summary": "A man has suffered serious injuries after his motorbike and a car collided."}
{"article": "The A9 drops from 150m (492ft) to 20m (65ft) as it enters a valley at the Berriedale Braes. Caithness Chamber of Commerce said it was taking too long starting construction work on the improvements and the problem was being ignored. Transport Scotland said it was continuing to progress the design work. The A9 provides a link to the far north mainland coast and the ferry services at Scrabster, Gills Bay and John O'Groats to Orkney. Chamber chief executive Trudy Morris said: \"For too long, the Scottish government has ignored the impact the Berriedale Braes has on those living and working in the North of Scotland and Orkney Isles.\" She added: \"While progress has been made in identifying a solution to this important issue, we are disappointed that the Scottish government is dragging its heels in moving towards a practical implementation of this. \"The project as it stands is effectively shovel-ready - all that remains is for Scottish government to commit the funding.\" Last year, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce called for work to tackle the bend to be accelerated. Government agency Transport Scotland said a significant step in the project should be taken later this year. A spokeswoman said: \"We are continuing to progress the design work for the Berriedale Braes improvement scheme following the publication of draft orders last year. \"We are currently working to resolve objections to the scheme and subject to completion of the statutory process we will look to publish made orders later this year.\" Made orders mark the last stage in the development of a final design for a new road.", "summary": "The Scottish government has been accused of \"dragging its heels\" on proposed improvements to a challenging hairpin bend on the A9 in Caithness."}
{"article": "The Staffordshire Regiment Association said it paid \u00c2\u00a364,000 to buy a 10-year lease on The King's Head in Lichfield. The regiment was founded in 1705 when Col Luke Lillingston raised a force that later became the Staffords. Capt Dave Donnelly said: \"It's brilliant. We believe we have bought a piece of history.\" He said the purchase was prompted by a \"mad idea\" by ex-warrant officer Derek Watts, from Wolverhampton, who went on social media to drum up support. Within a fortnight, he had managed to raise enough pledges to buy the pub. \"We have reunions in the pub annually, so we didn't want it becoming a bed and breakfast or anything like that,\" said Capt Donnelly. \"The support to get this off the ground has been immense. We don't know how many associations run pubs, but what is unique is that we were actually founded there.\" The pub will reopen - following a refurbishment - on March 25, 312 years to the day from when the regiment was formed. It will serve two ales created in honour of the regiment - one named Col Lillingston and the other named Watchman, after the association's mascot - and will be managed by a former regiment man. It will be opened by Lichfield's Lord Mayor and a descendent of Col Lillingston. The association will march from Lichfield Cathedral to the pub and will play the Last Post.", "summary": "Veterans of a historical Army regiment have bought the lease on the pub where it was founded."}
{"article": "The Labour leader said a new law would allow family and friends of deceased men to seek the quashing of historical convictions for \"gross indecency\". Legislation would be known as \"Turing's Law\" in memory of Alan Turing, he said. The Enigma code-breaker was convicted of \"gross indecency\" in 1952 and was only given a posthumous pardon in 2013. Homosexuality was illegal until it was decriminalised in England in 1967. Mr Turing was convicted for gross indecency in 1952 in connection with an affair with a 19-year-old man, after which he was chemically castrated. The conviction meant he lost his security clearance and had to stop the code-cracking work that had proved vital to the Allies in World War Two. The mathematician was only given a royal pardon in 2013, nearly 60 years after his death by suicide in 1954. This followed an official apology by former prime minister Gordon Brown in 2009 for how Mr Turing had been treated. Relatives of Mr Turing have led a high-profile campaign to secure pardons for the 49,000 other men convicted under historical indecency laws. Announcing his support for the move, Mr Miliband said: \"What was right for Alan Turing's family should be right for other families as well. \"The next Labour government will extend the right individuals already have to overturn convictions that society now see as grossly unfair to the relatives of those convicted who have passed away.\" Asked whether David Cameron would back Mr Miliband's proposals, No 10 said the prime minister \"will always continue to look carefully at what more can be done to right these wrongs\". A spokesman pointed out that the coalition government had already passed legislation to allow individuals with historical convictions or cautions for certain homosexual activities to apply for them to be removed from criminal records. \"It was this government that introduced that 2012 act,\" said the spokesman. \"It was under this government that Mr Turing received the pardon through the use of the royal prerogative.\" A pardon is only normally granted when the person is innocent of the offence and where a request has been made by someone with a vested interest such as a family member. But, in Mr Turing's case, a pardon was issued without either requirement being met, after an intervention by Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling.", "summary": "A future Labour government would pave the way for posthumous pardons for gay men convicted under historical indecency laws, Ed Miliband has said."}
{"article": "People in the multi-ethnic area of Yili will have to provide the samples before being allowed to go abroad. The Chinese government is trying to crack down on periodic violence, which it blames on Islamist militants. Many Muslims in Xinjiang say they are discriminated against. They say the Chinese authorities often refuse to issue documents allowing them to travel. Most of the Uighur ethnic minority, which makes up about 45% of Xinjiang's population, practise the Muslim faith. Over the years China's authorities have attributed violent attacks to Uighur militants, who they say are inspired or aided by overseas terror groups. Uighur leaders have denied being behind the violence. Why is there tension between China and the Uighurs? Did China's crackdown on terrorism work? The new restrictions on travel were announced in the Communist Party's newspaper in Yili and in advertisements posted by local travel agents. The announcements said that people would have to supply a blood sample, fingerprints, a voice recording and what police call a three-dimensional image. The policy came into force on 1 June, just before Ramadan started. Civil servants and children are banned from fasting for the Muslim holy month. Why is there tension between China and the Uighurs?", "summary": "Police in China's north-western region of Xinjiang are asking some residents to provide DNA samples and other biological data when applying for travel documents."}
{"article": "Ms Deacon will succeed Ian McKay when he stands down as chairman at the IoD Scotland conference on Friday. She was elected as Labour MSP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh in 1999 and served as Scotland's first health minister following devolution. Ms Deacon stood down from elected office in 2007. She has since worked across the private, public and third sectors and is currently a professorial fellow at the University of Edinburgh. Ms Deacon is also a non-executive director of Scottish Power Ltd, Lothian Buses Ltd and the Institute of Occupational Medicine. Mr McKay said: \"The future of the IoD is in excellent hands with Susan at the helm. \"Her varied experience and approach to leadership will be of real benefit to the IoD at a time when boards are increasingly embracing change.\" Commenting on her appointment, Ms Deacon signalled her intention to build on IoD Scotland's work on promoting strong leadership and governance. She said: \"Successful organisations need effective leaders - it's that simple. \"If Scotland is to continue to grow and flourish on a world stage we need to support the leaders of today and to grow the leaders of tomorrow. \"So too must our boardrooms have within them a diverse range of skills and experience and operate to the highest possible standards. \"I am very proud to be taking on the role of chair of IoD Scotland, an organisation which has been at the forefront of promoting high standards of leadership and governance.\"", "summary": "Former Scottish health minister Susan Deacon is set to become the first woman to chair the Institute of Directors in Scotland."}
{"article": "But then Steve Nash is not your average all-American, multi-millionaire NBA superstar. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, worth an estimated \u00c2\u00a375m, you wonder how life might have turned out for him had his parents not decided to emigrate many years ago. For the Californian surfer-style good looks of the sportsman, philanthropist, coach, motivational speaker, football club owner and businessman, belie a distinctly British heritage. \"I have a huge soft spot for my Welsh heritage,\" he tells me. Nearly 10 years after tracking down and interviewing Nash's late grandfather in his flat in Swansea's St Helen's, I have finally caught up with the grandson whose framed photograph took pride of place on his bedside table. One of the least well known sons of Wales, Nash's journey to the NBA has been an interesting one. It goes back all the way to Swansea Bay where Nash's mother, Jean Hall, grew up before heading to the 'big smoke' where her father worked as a police constable. There she met and later married John, an aspiring advertising executive from Tottenham. The young couple embarked on a new life together emigrating to South Africa. Nash, their first child, was born in Johannesburg in 1974. But not keen on their family growing up under apartheid, the Nash's made their next move. This time to Canada. The family relocated to Regina, Saskatchewan, and finally Vancouver Island, welcoming two other children along the way. From a young age Nash, who now has the likes of Red Hot Chilli Peppers star Flea on speed dial, had dreamed of sporting greatness. But it had nothing to do with basketball. \"I may have grown up on the west coast of Canada but in a British household and my dad was an avid Tottenham Hotspur fan just like his dad,\" Steve recalls. \"Spurs are a way of life for me. Football was my first love but I was better at basketball. \"I reckon my love of playing football and that competitive spirit definitely helped my basketball career.\" And how? He smashed records with university team Santa Clara, starting as he meant to go on. But there's more to Steve Nash than being the National Basketball Association's two-time most valuable player. As mentioned earlier, he has many strings to his bow - the Steve Nash foundation raises millions of dollars for disadvantaged children worldwide, closer to home he has set up a junior basketball league, then there's his media production company, his chain of gyms and the two football clubs he part owns. Undeniably the humanitarian focus of his work helped earn him a place alongside The Pope, Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates in Time Magazine's Most Influential People in the World list in 2006. 'So what is the driving force behind Wales' un-sung son?' I wondered. It was a question I put to him during our chat during his most recent pilgrimage to Tottenham Hotspur's training ground. \"My parents taught me about inequality,\" he says. \"I was lucky to grow up where and how I did, there", "summary": "Wales is not the first thing that comes to mind when talking about the all-American, multi-millionaire super stars of the NBA."}
{"article": "The lead exchanged hands on several occasions before Harlequins fly-half Nick Evans missed a last-minute drop-goal to win the game for the hosts. A crowd of more than 70,000 enjoyed a feast of points and four tries before half-time as Gloucester led 17-15. Quins' Ross Chisholm and Gloucester's Harry Trinder both scored twice, while Rob Cook grabbed the pick of the tries. Both sides go away with a bonus point but neither were able to get the decisive score on a day which saw England captain Chris Robshaw return to Twickenham for the first time since his team's disappointing World Cup campaign came to a premature end. In a side-plot to the main event, England winger Jonny May limped off for Gloucester in the second half with an apparent knee injury. Jeremy Thrush scored the opening try for the visitors after seven minutes before Gloucester open-side flanker Matt Kvesic, who produced a man-of-the-match performance, played a pivotal role in his side's second try, scored by fly-half James Hook. The Wales international then saw his fellow countryman Jamie Roberts inspire a Harlequins comeback on his first Premiership start for the club. Marland Yarde and Danny Care crossed in the first half for Conor O'Shea's men to put them back in contention. Trinder extended Gloucester's lead after the break with his first try before four action-filled second-half minutes produced three tries. Two went Harlequins' way, through Nick Easter and Chisholm, and then Trinder ran in his second, but pulled a hamstring in the process. Greig Laidlaw's penalty and Cook's dazzling run through the Harlequins defence seemed to make the win safe for Gloucester. But Evans kicked the home side to within a converted try and replacement Chisholm raced over once more to level it up again. Evans attempted a last-gasp drop-goal to win it, but his kick drifted just wide to the right. Harlequins: Brown; Yarde, Lowe, Roberts, Visser; Evans, Care (capt); Marler, Ward, Collier, Horwill, Matthews, Robshaw, Clifford, Easter. Replacements: Buchanan, Lambert, Sinckler, Merrick, Wallace, Dickson, Botica, Chisholm. Gloucester: Cook; Sharples, Meakes, Twelvetrees, May; Hook, Laidlaw (capt); McAllister, Hibbard, Afoa, Thrush, Galarza, Kalamafoni, Kvesic, Morgan. Replacements: Dawidiuk, Murphy, Doran-Jones, Savage, Rowan, Heinz, Burns, Trinder. For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "Harlequins and Gloucester shared 10 tries in an epic 39-39 Premiership draw at Twickenham."}
{"article": "Bristow had posted on Twitter that darts players were \"tough guys\" and footballers \"wimps\". In a heated interview with host Piers Morgan on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Bristow initially defended his tweets, saying he was trying to encourage children to report abuse immediately. He later accepted he had offended people and said: \"I am sorry for that.\" Bristow added: \"I apologise, it was mis-worded. They are not wimps.\" In a statement issued later on Wednesday, Bristow described himself as a \"bull in a China shop\" and said he now \"appreciated my wording was wrong and offended many people\". \"It makes me furious to think that an abuser can get away with it for so long, and to so many, when they should always be looking over their shoulder in fear, waiting to be confronted,\" he said. \"I know why I've been vilified but if one child comes forward quicker or one abuser thinks twice about the likelihood of being confronted then it will have been worth it.\" The 59-year-old was dropped by Sky Sports on Tuesday after asking why victims did not \"sort out\" their abusers \"when they got older and fitter\". Newcastle United said they had dropped Bristow \"immediately\" from a scheduled appearance at St James' Park on 6 December and \"will not work with Eric Bristow in the future\". His manager asked for a \u00a35,000 fee for Bristow to appear on the BBC to discuss his comments. GMB said it didn't disclose guest contracts - and Bristow later said any money received would be donated to charity. Nine police forces are now investigating allegations of historical sexual abuse, with more than 20 former footballers having made allegations to the Professional Footballers Association and a special NSPCC hotline receiving more than 100 calls. The Football Association has instructed independent leading counsel Kate Gallafent QC to oversee an internal review of what it knew and when. On Wednesday, the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme reported that the FA scrapped a major review of its child protection policies in 2003.", "summary": "Ex-darts world champion Eric Bristow has apologised for suggesting football sex abuse victims are not \"proper men\"."}
{"article": "The idea was discussed at a meeting between Justice Minister Caroline Dineage and parents who failed to receive the ashes of their dead babies. It followed an inquiry into failings at Shrewsbury crematorium. Glen Perkins, who formed the Action for Ashes campaign group, said Mrs Dineage had proposed a national consultation. It is expected to include affected families throughout England and Wales as well as industry experts. Mr Perkins - whose daughter Olivia died from sudden infant death syndrome in 2007 - described the meeting as \"very positive\" and said there was a willingness by the government to resolve the matter \"sooner rather than later\". He was joined in Westminster by parents from Leicester, Hull, Banbury and Stoke-on-Trent. They handed in a 61,000-signature petition calling for the return of ashes to be a legal requirement. Families were accompanied by Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury, who has secured a parliamentary debate on the issue on Wednesday. In a statement, Mrs Dineage said: \"Having heard the experiences of some of the families affected, it is clear we must do all we can to make sure this never happens again. \"No parent should have their grief compounded by a system that is supposed to help. The Emstrey report had a number of recommendations and it is imperative that we consider each one carefully.\" Last month, David Jenkins, who led the independent inquiry into failings in Shrewsbury, said he had been \"struck by the absence of authoritative national guidance\". He proposed the creation of a national inspector of crematoriums. About 60 families are believed to have been affected by failures at Shrewsbury's Emstrey crematorium between 1996 and 2012. Speaking at the time, Mr Jenkins said there was clearly \"no more painful experience\" than losing a child and that the issue of infant cremation should be treated as of \"the utmost importance\". A Freedom of Information inquiry by the BBC last year found the ashes of more than 1,000 babies were not handed to their parents between 2008 and 2013. In March, former Justice Minister Simon Hughes had suggested new national guidelines could be brought in by the end of the year. There was a real sense of positivity from the families that made the trip to London - a feeling they had done all they could to raise this issue. Now they are keeping a close eye on what happens next. I understand a consultation could start very soon and families are already being asked to register their details with the Ministry of Justice. Emotions were high when the campaigners handed in their petition. Five families carried boxes full to the brim with signatures. Glen Perkins, whose daughter Olivia died in 2007, was in tears on the steps of Number 10 Downing Street and that sums up the journey he and other families have been on. Other families put their arms around him as they posed for photos and then knocked on the door to hand in their petition. Of course it won't bring their child back and in many cases they will never know what", "summary": "A consultation about baby cremations could be held across England and Wales with a view to changing legislation, bereaved families have said."}
{"article": "Repressive drug law enforcement is driving high rates of infection among injecting drug users, it said. Resources need to be redirected into treatment and prevention. The Commission estimated that of 16 million people worldwide who inject drugs, 10 million are living with hepatitis C. This puts them at risk of fatal and debilitating liver disease. The Global Commission called on governments to decriminalise drug use and provide schemes, such as those which give access to sterile needles, to halt the spread of the disease. The group, which includes seven former presidents, ex-UN chief Kofi Annan and other world leaders, has previously linked the \"failed\" war on drugs with the spread of HIV. In its latest report it says in some countries with the harshest drug policies more than 90% of people who inject drugs are living with hepatitis C. Eastern Europe and Central Asia have seen the fastest spread of infection and the highest number of infections has been reported in China, the Russian Federation and the USA. Strongly enforced policies criminalising drug use force users away from public health services and locking up vast numbers of injecting users perpetuates the spread of the infection, the Commission warned in the latest report. Hepatitis C is highly infectious and around a quarter of those with chronic infection will develop fatal liver disease. But the disease can go undetected for several years with no or few symptoms and many people are completely unaware they are infected. Governments \"must immediately redirect resources away from the 'war on drugs' and into public health approaches that maximise hepatitis C prevention and care\", the report recommended. \"Hepatitis C has to be one of the most grossly miscalculated diseases by governments on the planet,\" said commissioner Michel Kazatchkine, who is also the UN secretary-general's special envoy on HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. \"It is a disgrace that barely a handful of countries can actually show significant declines in new infections of hepatitis C among people who inject drugs.\" The report highlighted Scotland's national Hepatitis C Action Plan as an example of best practice. Launched in 2006, the strategy has led to a four-to-six-fold increase in the provision of sterile injecting equipment and an increase in the number of people, mainly in drug services and prisons, being tested for the infection. The provisions put in place, which also include an eight-fold increase in the number of prisoners receiving treatment for hepatitis C, have led to falling rates of infection. The Commission also highlights the potential for dramatic savings to countries' health and welfare budgets in the long term from preventing cases of liver disease. \"The war on drugs is a war on common sense,\" said commissioner Ruth Dreifuss, who is also the former president of Switzerland. \"Repressive drug policies are ineffective, violate basic human rights, generate violence and expose individuals and communities to unnecessary risks. \"The hepatitis C epidemic, totally preventable and curable, is yet another proof that the drug policy status quo has failed us all miserably.\" The World Hepatitis Alliance said: \"It is incomprehensible that hepatitis", "summary": "The global war on drugs is fuelling a hepatitis C pandemic causing millions of needless infections, the Global Commission on Drug Policy has warned."}
{"article": "Brondby supporters threw the rodents at Copenhagen defender Ludwig Augustinsson as he went to take a corner. Leaders Copenhagen won the match 1-0 to open up a 13-point lead over nearest rivals Brondby. \"It's unfortunate that there are some visitors who could not figure out how to behave properly,\" said Brondby's sports director Troels Bech. Footage of the incident shows Slovenia international Benjamin Verbic helping team-mate Augustinsson clear at least two rats off the pitch at the 28,000-capacity Brondby Stadium. Brondby are 10-times champions of Denmark while FC Copenhagen, managed by former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Stale Solbakken, have won the title 11 times.", "summary": "A Danish Superliga game between Brondby and FC Copenhagen was marred when home fans threw dead rats at a player."}
{"article": "The Virginia-based court said the president's broad immigration power was \"not absolute\" and the ban \"intended to bar Muslims from this country\". The decision upheld a lower Maryland court ruling that found the ban violated constitutional rights. The justice department said it would now seek a Supreme Court review of the appeals verdict. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the verdict thwarted Mr Trump's effort to protect US national security. Mr Trump's revised executive order would have placed a temporary ban on people from six mainly Muslim countries and the refugee programme. The US government argues federal immigration laws grant the president broad powers to stop foreigners from entering the country. But Chief Judge Roger L Gregory, who wrote the majority opinion for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, said on Thursday that Mr Trump's powers had limits. \"It cannot go unchecked when, as here, the president wields it through an executive edict that stands to cause irreparable harm to individuals across this nation,\" said Judge Gregory. The court added that the government's national security argument was a \"secondary justification for an executive order rooted in religious animus and intended to bar Muslims from this country\". The decision means citizens from Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya can continue travelling to the US. The 10-3 ruling is the latest in a series of legal setbacks for an order the president insists is needed to stop terrorists from entering the country. Two lower court rulings blocked the ban just hours before it was due to begin in March. A Maryland judge ruled that the order was meant to be a ban on Muslims and violated the first amendment of the US constitution. A federal judge in Hawaii also sided with opponents that the ban was discriminatory and cited \"questionable evidence\" in the government's argument that the ban was a matter of national security. The justice department has appealed against the Hawaii decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard oral arguments for the case on 15 May. The Ninth Circuit is the same court that refused to lift a block on Mr Trump's initial travel ban signed on 27 January. That order took effect for seven days before a federal judge in Seattle halted it. Instead of appealing against the decision to the Supreme Court, Mr Trump issued a revised version on 6 March. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued a statement after Thursday's ruling calling it an \"important victory for the rule of law\". \"I will support challenges to this illegal and unconstitutional executive order as our own case against the travel ban continues in federal court here in Washington.\" Mr Sessions said in a statement that Mr Trump was abiding by the US constitution and was doing his \"duty to protect our communities from terrorism\". \"This Department of Justice will continue to vigorously defend the power and duty of the Executive Branch to protect the people of this country from danger\", he added. The controversial ban has prompted protests and debate across the US. More recently, a North Carolina", "summary": "A US federal appeals court has refused to lift a temporary block on President Donald Trump's revised travel ban."}
{"article": "But occasionally I also have to take issue with the use of much bigger surveys, such as the country's biggest household one, the Labour Force Survey (LFS). One of its main uses is in the production of the unemployment figures every month. It used to be that the headline unemployment figure was the number of people claiming out-of-work benefits, but that meant the figures were vulnerable to changes in who was allowed to claim such benefits, so instead the country switched to the International Labour Organisation's definition of unemployment, which is people out of work and seeking a job, whether or not they are claiming benefits. As I reported a few weeks ago, the claimant count has lost its national statistic designation, because the introduction of universal credit has made it more difficult to calculate. But our headline unemployment figure comes from the LFS, in which the Office for National Statistics (ONS) speaks to 60,000 households once a quarter. It's a big survey, but it's still a survey. The ONS is very clear in its monthly releases about its limitations. Two weeks ago we had the unemployment figures for the three months from March to May, which it turned out had risen by 15,000 compared with the previous three months. But lower down in the release, readers were warned that the ONS was 95% confident that the actual figure was within plus or minus 80,000 of that mark, so between a rise of 95,000 and a fall of 65,000. Which may make you question our top line, that unemployment had risen for the first time in two years. Unemployment is not the only figure taken from the LFS, and there was some interesting analysis done by Migration Watch last week using the survey. The group said its research showed that groups of migrants with weaker economic characteristics (based on level of employment, rates of pay and likelihood to claim benefits) outnumbered those with stronger economic characteristics by two to one. The House of Commons Library has been looking at this analysis and questioning whether the LFS is a robust enough source to make such claims. As an example, it considers the figure given for the gap in likelihood to claim benefits between UK residents born in the UK, and those born in Pakistan or Bangladesh, between the ages of 40 and 44. It says that despite its huge sample size, the LFS is only likely to have interviewed about 27 people who fall into the category of 40 to 44 year-old benefit claimants born in Pakistan or Bangladesh. The Library suggests: \"a nuanced narrative might be more appropriate than broad statements about migrants' likelihood to claim\".", "summary": "A lot of the stories I am asked to look at involve organisations trying to make big claims based on surveys of tiny numbers of people with questionable methodology."}
{"article": "Dons manager Derek McInnes and assistant Tony Docherty opted to stay with Aberdeen despite talks this week with Championship club Sunderland. \"I was fairly confident he would stay,\" Milne told BBC Scotland on Friday. \"He phoned yesterday morning and said he was absolutely committed to the club. It would have been a massive wrench for him to walk away.\" McInnes, 45, took over from Craig Brown in 2013 and the following year led the club to League Cup success, beating Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the final for the Dons' first trophy in 19 years. Last season, McInnes and Docherty guided the Dons to second place in the Premiership behind Celtic, and were runners-up to Celtic in the Scottish Cup and League Cup. \"He sees Aberdeen Football Club as his,\" said Milne of McInnes who, along with Docherty, is contracted to the Pittodrie club until 2019. \"I've built up a very close relationship with Derek over the last three or four years and we have been in constant dialogue over the past four or five days. I believed it was 50-50 (whether he would leave). \"He has always said how happy he is at Aberdeen. He feels he gets the backing of the board, he has been very successful here, any move entails risk and he knows what he's got here. \"Last year was probably the best season in the last three decades and he believes that he can better last year. \"I'm absolutely delighted. I've always said we had one of the best management teams in the whole of the UK here.\" Milne revealed that the club had \"reshaped\" McInnes's contract in the \"past week or so\" and that fans can expect to see a few new players coming to Aberdeen when McInnes returns to work on Tuesday. Milne also says he would be surprised if the club don't make a few signings before the end of next week.", "summary": "Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne thinks the club have retained \"one of the best management teams in the UK\"."}
{"article": "Investigators have found signs of metal fatigue in components from the aircraft that crashed off Norway in April, killing 13 people. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said both H225 and AS332 (L2) variants should cease flying. Iain Stuart from Aberdeenshire was among those killed in the crash. Mr Stuart, 41, from Laurencekirk, was working for the oil field services company Halliburton and was a passenger on the helicopter. The Airbus Super Puma 225 was travelling from the Gullfaks field to Bergen when it crashed near the small island of Turoey on 29 April. The pilots had no time to issue a mayday and the main rotor is believed to have become detached before impact. On Wednesday a preliminary report issued by the Accident Investigation Board Norway (AIBN) said it had found \"features strongly consistent with fatigue\" in parts of the main gearbox (MGB). It added: \"It cannot be ruled out that this signifies a possible safety issue that can affect other MGBs of the same type. \"The nature of the catastrophic failure of the LN-OJF main rotor system indicates that the current means to detect a failure in advance are not effective.\" The Super Puma H225 helicopter had already grounded in the UK and Norway since the crash but the latest EASA directive includes the other main variant of the Super Puma and extends the ban across Europe. An online petition calling for all Super Puma 225s to be \"permanently removed from service\" has attracted nearly 30,000 signatures. Tommy Campbell, chair of the Offshore Coordinating Group (OCG) of trade unions said: \"The Accident Investigation Board Norway (AIBN) report is a further development in the investigation process, but it is just part of that process. \"The OCG will await the outcome of investigations aimed at providing proof around what caused the tragedy in Norway and thereafter we will react to those findings. \"The OCG accepts and fully understands the concerns of our respective members and their families, and the OCG trade unions will continue to support members during this period. \"There is no question of this aircraft type coming back into service anytime soon as a consequence of these latest findings. \"If that position changes, we will engage with our members to determine a position\".", "summary": "European aviation safety officials have extended the grounding of Super Puma helicopters amid concerns about its gearbox."}
{"article": "Ryan Craig Preston, 23, was also accused of drink driving, failing to stop for a uniformed constable and failing to report an accident. He was arrested after a 22-year-old man was struck by a car as he left the EQHQ nightclub in Livingston on Saturday. The victim was treated in hospital but his injuries were not thought to be life-threatening. Mr Preston was also charged with failing to give police his name and address and other details. A Crown Office spokesman said Mr Preston, from Kirknewton, West Lothian, made no plea or declaration during his appearance on petition at Livingston Sheriff Court. He was committed for further examination and released on bail. The date of his next court appearance has not yet been set.", "summary": "A man has appeared in court charged with attempted murder after an incident outside a West Lothian nightclub."}
{"article": "The firm's progress is seen as a good indicator of global trade, as shipping carries about nine tenths of the world's trade, and Maersk Line is the world's biggest container carrier. Maersk will probably book $3.4bn in profit for 2015, it said. The company's shares fell 6.5% in early trading. Shipping companies were charging about $233 to move 20-foot containers from Asia to Northern Europe, a loss-making rate according to analysis by Reuters. Maersk blamed the drop in earnings on slender container shipping margins. It makes about half its profit from running the Maersk Line. \"Maersk Line has been hit harder than expected by low capacity utilisation due to the low volume growth in the global container transportation market,\" Sydbank analyst Jacob Pedersen said.", "summary": "Maersk, the Danish shipping and oil firm, said it will probably make $600m (\u00a3389m) less profit than previously thought, as global demand dropped."}
{"article": "The star, whose hits include Orinoco Flow and Book of Days, famously creates complex vocal arrangements, in which her voice is layered hundreds of times. She told the BBC that, when she first became famous in 1988, replicating those songs on stage \"wouldn't really have been possible.\" \"But now it is very, very possible. You see wonderful concerts. \"There are orchestras there, choirs there, so it's a different time.\" But, the star added: \"I don't know if that's something I would do.\" Enya is one of the most-successful folk singers of all time, selling more than 75 million records worldwide. Yet she has never played a solo concert, and tends to disappear for years between albums. She said the decision not to tour with her music had initially arisen out of necessity. \"We actually had in my [record] contract that we would have two to three years between each album, \" she said, explaining that the painstaking construction of her songs required several years of work. \"So that's why I ended up not touring. The success of [my debut album] Watermark caught them by surprise, as it did me. They were worried that if I went on tour and then had three years to work on the next album, it would be too much of a gap.\" Enya admitted that, had she become famous in this decade, \"the focus would have been to tour\". \"A lot of artists now are touring because sales are not what they were in 1988.\" And she will perform some of the material from her latest record, Dark Sky Island, on US television later this year, \"because they insist\". The album is her first in seven years, and is preceded by a single - Echoes In Rain - which has been described as a companion piece to her breakthrough hit, Orinoco Flow. A full interview with Enya will be published in coming weeks.", "summary": "Irish folk singer Enya says it would be \"very possible\" to perform her songs on tour for the first time."}
{"article": "Tonia Antoniazzi polled 22,727 votes compared with the Tories' Byron Davies on 19,458 in what was the tightest marginal seat in the UK. Labour's Nia Griffith retained Llanelli while the party's Carolyn Harris kept Swansea East. Shadow defence secretary Ms Griffith polled 21,568 votes with Conservative Stephen Davies on 9,544 in second. Labour's Christina Rees also held on to Neath, Geraint Davies retained Swansea West and Stephen Kinnock kept Aberavon. Meanwhile, the Conservatives' Simon Hart held on to Carmarthenshire West and Pembrokeshire South with 46.8% of the vote, and former Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb retained Preseli Pembrokeshire by just 314 votes for the Tories. Plaid Cymru's Jonathan Edwards retained Carmarthen East and Dinefwr with 16,127, ahead of Labour's David Darkin on 12,219. Ms Antoniazzi said she though the key moment for the Labour campaign was when Prime Minister Theresa May \"did a U-turn\" on the Tories' social care policy. \"But also we have a strong manifesto and moving forward, on the doorstep that's what we were hearing,\" she added. Mr Crabb said: \"The motivations for doing this election were entirely right and proper, to strengthen the position of the United Kingdom before going into what will prove to be the most difficult set of international negotiations we've faced since the Second World War. \"Clearly something has gone wrong because the country has wanted to talk about other issues at this election time. \"They wanted to raise other concerns and there are a whole lot of new voters who were less concerned about Brexit and more concerned about issues to do with quality of life and their economic security into the future.\" Stephen Kinnock, re-elected in Aberavon, said Labour had presented \"radical but realistic policies\" and common sense which reached out into the centre ground to appeal to voters. He said Jeremy Corbyn had shown leadership and judgement in the manifesto put forward.", "summary": "Labour has won back Gower from the Conservatives, a seat the party won by 27 votes in 2015."}
{"article": "They show that in 1987, faced by mounting losses and missed deadlines, the Secretary of State, Tom King, recommended the closure of the shipyard. At the same time, however, a confidential memo from the NIO warned of the possibility of serious political unrest in the Protestant community if the 3,000-strong workforce was paid off. The problems at the yard surfaced in a memo from D J Watkins of the NIO to David Fell of the Stormont Department of Economic Development (DED) on 24 June, 1987. The official reported that the Secretary of State \"was deeply disturbed to hear your report of increased cash difficulties [at] Harland and Wolff.\" Mr King understood that the company was in need of an immediate injection of \u00c2\u00a310m and wanted to know why the need for additional cash had not been identified earlier. In a confidential memo on 30 June, 1987, Peter Viggers, the Stormont Industry Minister ascribed the difficulties at the firm to its failure to complete a stage in the construction of a Swops oil tanker (designed to draw oil from submerged sea wells). More serious, in Mr Viggers' view, was the breach by the company of its annual budget. He added: \"I believe we have now reached crisis point in our dealings with Harland and Wolff.\" It was essential that the government acted decisively as cash flow problems at the firm had become \"a recurring problem\". This suggested \"a reversal of our current hands-off approach of leaving management to manage and of market forces to determine the size of the yard\". One option was to place the company in receivership, he wrote. At a follow-up meeting between the minister and John Parker, the Harland and Wolff managing director, on 2 July, 1987, Mr Parker was \"shaken\" by the minister's determination to send in a firm of accountants \"to let the government know the true position\". On 4 September, 1987 Mr Viggers received the report from Deloitte, Haskins and Sells on the financial problems of the yard. It warned the DED that it could no longer accept the \"over-optimistic assumptions\" of management. It was Deloitte's understanding that another major vessel, the AOR was also behind schedule. In their view, Harland and Wolff had adopted unusual commercial practices: for example, earlier that year, a director, close to retirement, had been made technically redundant, enabling him to receive a redundancy payment of \u00c2\u00a340,000. In November 1987, the Northern Ireland Secretary noted the lack of \"acceptable orders\" for Harland and Wolff and the danger of the firm accepting a \"potentially catastrophic\" order for a holiday liner. While acknowledging that the closure of the yard would have \"a profound impact on morale in Northern Ireland\" he nonetheless felt that \"the yard should be closed after the AOR tanker was completed\". Moves to shut down the Belfast shipyard elicited a plaintive memo from F G McConnell of the NIO to Secretary of State Tom King on 9 September, 1987. This warned of the political and security implications of any phased-down closure of Harland and Wolff in view of its symbolic", "summary": "The government recommended the closure of the former shipbuilding giant, Harland and Wolff, in 1987, according to newly declassified files."}
{"article": "Bowie received posthumous nominations for best British male and best album, for his haunting swansong Blackstar. After a row over diversity at last year's ceremony, the rest of the best male category comprises artists from BAME backgrounds. Craig David, Kano, Michael Kiwanuka and Skepta, who beat Bowie at the Mercury Prize, are all up for the title. Skepta has three nominations in total, with additional nods in the best breakthrough and best album categories. Girl band Little Mix also have three - including best group and best single, for their song Shout Out To My Ex. Meanwhile, Beyonce and her younger sister Solange Knowles are both up for best international female, after releasing albums about race and politics last year. Brit Awards 2017: Nominations in full There were calls for a boycott of last year's Brits, after BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) artists were absent from all but the international categories. Organisers later overhauled the voting system, improving the representation of both women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds. Grime star Stormzy, who called the Brits \"embarrassing\" in his single One Take Freestyle, this year receives a nomination in the best British breakthrough category. Craig David said he felt grime, urban and R&B artists had excelled themselves in the past year. \"What they're doing for British music is pivotal, and it's moving a whole scene forward,\" he told BBC News. \"Diversity is the key,\" added Michael Kiwanuka. \"I don't think it's about just skin colour. \"When you put a record on, it's about seeing things from a different perspective. It's deeper than what someone looks like, and I think the Brits are reflecting that.\" However, David said it would be hard for his fellow best male nominees to compete against Bowie. \"His career has been so epic. He influenced me and so many other artists. There's no competition.\" The best female category sees competition between Ellie Goulding, Lianne La Havas, Emeli Sande, NAO and Anohni - who formerly performed under the name Antony and the Johnsons. In the international categories, there was also recognition for Leonard Cohen, who died late last year. For the first time, the nominations were revealed in a live programme on ITV1. The show included performances from best international female nominee Christine & The Queens and Britain's Got Talent contestant Callum Scott, whose cover of Dancing On My Own was a major international hit last year. Blues singer Rag 'N' Bone Man also performed, after being presented with the Brits Critics' Choice Award, singling him out as one to watch in 2017. The prize, which has previously gone to the likes of Adele, Sam Smith and Florence + The Machine, is one of only two awards to be announced in advance. The other - the Brits Icon award - will be given to Robbie Williams. It is the 18th Brit he has won, either as a solo artist or as a member of Take That. Little Mix, Emeli Sande and The 1975 will all perform at the event, at London's O2 Arena on Wednesday, 22 February, with", "summary": "David Bowie, Skepta and Craig David are up for some of the biggest prizes at the 2017 Brit Awards."}
{"article": "Helen Hinks, of Talybont, and her son William, aged three, discovered the boat while walking along Borth beach. It had been launched by youngsters at St Andrew's School of Math and Science in Charleston, South Carolina, in May 2015 as part of a school project. Ms Hinks said it was \"magical\" to find the boat nine months later, while the school said it was \"over the moon\". The boat, named the Carolina Dreamer, had been fitted with a GPS tracker and had sailed for less than a week before washing up on Bermuda. There, it was relaunched and although initially heading towards Ireland, it made a detour towards the west Wales coast - a journey of about 4,000 miles. Pupils at St Andrew's had contacted Welsh harbour masters and marinas in the hope it had been sighted and rescued. Explaining the moment they found the boat, Ms Hinks said: \"I was waiting to pick my two daughters up from school and normally take my little boy to the beach if the weather's nice. \"We were looking across the waves when it literally sailed right to us. It was magical.\" Ms Hinks said she did not realise the significance of the boat until seeing media reports a week later. \"When we contacted the school they were really excited. My children's school is hoping to relaunch it back to America,\" she said. On hearing the news, St Andrew's pupil Paris said: \"When I heard somebody had found our boat...I jumped up and down\" while Dhyeya said: \"Thank you for saving our boat, we appreciate it\". Fourth grade teacher Amy McMahon said: \"We cannot tell you how excited and elated we are to hear that our beloved boat has been recovered and has found its way to a nearby school. \"We are over the moon.\"", "summary": "A toy boat set sail by American school pupils has been found thousands of miles away by a family in Ceredigion."}
{"article": "It is understood that the Indian owners of the plant fear that the current UK political uncertainty could derail efforts linked to the planned sale. Concerns centre on proposed changes to the pension scheme which are crucial to securing the future of the business. The government says its consultation on the scheme is closed, and it will respond in due course. Tata announced in March that it was considering selling its UK steel business, putting 11,000 jobs at risk. But buyers are reluctant to take on the huge steelworkers' pension scheme, which has 130,000 members. Including spouses and children, hundreds of thousands of people depend upon it. The scheme also has a deficit of about \u00c2\u00a3700m. In May, the business secretary Sajid Javid launched a consultation outlining options to resolve the pensions issue. But it is understood that Tata now has concerns that the political uncertainty surrounding the Tory leadership battle could derail the process. \"It's clearly an incredibly busy time in UK politics,\" a source close to the company said. \"Nevertheless, the company still hopes that the hundreds of thousands of people in Britain who are dependent on a steel pension will not be left worse off by the current political leadership uncertainties.\" The consultation on Tata's pension scheme is being handled by the Department of Work and Pensions. On Wednesday the Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb announced his intention to run for the leadership of the Conservative Party. He is being backed by Sajid Javid, who hopes to become chancellor if Mr Crabb wins. Mr Javid has led efforts to resolve the crisis in the steel industry which has intensified under his watch. That's led to concerns that the leadership race could take priority over efforts to resolve the pensions issue. The consultation on the scheme closed on 23 June, with a government response due four weeks later, just before the summer parliamentary recess. The Tata Steel pension consultation included a plan to base the scheme's annual increase on the CPI measure of inflation rather than RPI, a move expected to save billions of pounds. While reducing payouts, the plan would leave most pensions holders either better off or no worse off compared with entering the Pension Protection Fund - the industry lifeboat for pension schemes that go under. But the plans have been criticised for setting a precedent that could lead other employers to attempt to dilute their pensions promises. A DWP spokesman said: \"Our consultation into the British Steel Pensions Scheme has now closed. We have received over 5,000 responses and will respond in due course.\" You can follow John at @JohnMoylanBBC", "summary": "Fresh concerns have emerged over the future of Tata Steel's UK assets, which include the huge Port Talbot works."}
{"article": "Its survey of manufacturers, retailers and the services sector showed a balance of 6% reporting increased business, the lowest since May 2013. The economy has had a \"tough start to the year\", said Rain Newton-Smith, the CBI's director of economics. Official figures last week put UK growth at 0.5% in the last quarter of 2015, the slowest for three years. Ms Newton-Smith said: \"Manufacturing and business and professional services have struggled to make a mark, but a healthier picture can be seen in the household-focused consumer services and retail sectors.\" Output from professional services firms - including telecoms, computing and legal services - slowed down the most, according to the CBI Growth Indicator. The CBI figures signalled only \"modest\" growth in the next three months. Reports have suggested the Bank of England will this week cut its UK economic growth forecasts to around 2.3% for 2016, compared with 2.5% in November. The central bank will release its latest inflation report on Thursday, when it will also keep interest rates unchanged amid concerns about global economic volatility. A Treasury spokesperson said: \"Despite turbulence in the global economy, Britain is pushing ahead and continues to grow steadily.\"", "summary": "The UK economy grew at its slowest rate since mid-2013 in the three months to January, according to the CBI."}
{"article": "Sirigu, who spent last season on loan in Spain with Sevilla and Osasuna, moves on a free transfer after ending his PSG contract by mutual consent. England international Joe Hart was Torino's first-choice keeper last season, but has returned to Manchester City after completing a loan spell. \"The club and the president made me feel important and I thank them for that,\" said Sirigu, 30. Sirigu, capped 17 times by Italy, joined PSG from Palermo in 2011, but lost his place to Kevin Trapp at the start of the 2015-16 season.", "summary": "Torino have signed Italy goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu from Paris St-Germain."}
{"article": "It follows concerns highlighted in a recent UN committee report about race discrimination. It also recognises the recent sharp increase in racist hate crime following the EU referendum. The report also calls for better accommodation for the traveller community in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland's traveller community still faces problems with health, education, housing and employment, adds the UN report. NIHRC chief Les Allamby welcomed the call supporting Northern Ireland's travellers. \"The committee has highlighted the disparity in equality protection between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, calling for a Single Equality Bill to address this problem,\" he said. \"We raised these concerns directly with the committee in July and welcome that they have been incorporated into the UN report. \"We now need action to be taken by the Northern Ireland Executive to tackle these important issues and improve the quality of life and experiences of people from minority ethnic backgrounds in Northern Ireland.\"", "summary": "The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has called on the Executive to do more to improve life for people from minority ethnic backgrounds."}
{"article": "Kenya's government said Mohamed Kuno was behind the attack in April 2015 that killed 148 people. Regional forces in Somalia said he was one of 16 people killed in an overnight raid on their convoy in Kismayo, a port city in southern Somalia. Four of those who died were reportedly senior members of the al-Shabab Islamist militant group. The BBC's Africa security correspondent, Tomi Oladipo, said the news comes as a huge boost for Somalia and its allies in the fight against al-Shabab. However, at least 10 people were killed on Wednesday by a car bomb outside a hotel in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, that was claimed by al-Shabab. The news of Kuno's death was confirmed in a press conference held by Abdirashid Janan, the security minister in the Somali region of Jubaland. Mohamed Kuno: Kenya's most wanted Africa Live: Latest updates After the Garissa attack, Kenya's government put up a $215,000 (\u00c2\u00a3149,000) reward for Kuno's capture. A Kenyan-Somali, he was a headmaster at a madrassa, or Islamic school, in Garissa until 2007. But then he crossed the border into Somalia to join the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which at one point controlled much of the country. When the UIC collapsed, he joined the militant group Hizbul Islam, which in 2010 merged with al-Shabab. He had several aliases but was best known as Mohamed Dulyadin, which means ambidextrous in the Somali language. He was thought to be in mid-30s. Attack as it happened Who were Garissa victims? Why does al-Shabab target Kenya? In the university attack on 2 April last year, four al-Shabab militants shot students in their dormitories before rounding up and killing dozens more. The four gunmen were killed during the siege but it took 16 hours for anti-terrorism forces to bring the attack to an end. It was the deadliest attack in Kenya since al-Qaeda's bombing of the US embassy in Nairobi in 1998, which killed 213 people. It also came a year and half after al-Shabab fighters targeted the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, killing 67 people. Kuno is alleged to have been behind several attacks on Kenyan soldiers who are fighting al-Shabab in Jubaland. He was also blamed for attacks on Kenyan civilians in Kenya itself. Al-Shabab says it is retaliating for acts by Kenya's security forces, which are part of the African Union's mission in Somalia against the group. 1. Militants enter the university grounds, two guards are shot dead 2. Shooting begins within the campus 3. Students attacked in their classrooms while preparing for exams 4. Gunmen believed isolated in the female dormitories 5. Some students make an escape through the fence", "summary": "The leader of the attack on Garissa University in Kenya has been killed, officials in Somalia say."}
{"article": "Phillip Monk, 61, of Penycoedcae, Pontypridd, went on trial at Newport Crown Court accused of 23 counts of indecent assault of a person under the age of 14, relating to seven girls. He was found not guilty of assaulting pupils at Maesybryn Primary School, near Pontypridd, between 1984 and 1995. No evidence was offered on six similar charges relating to two girls. He was also cleared of these. Judge Daniel Williams formally found Mr Monk not guilty of these charges after at a hearing on Monday after being told no evidence would be offered by the prosecution.", "summary": "A primary school teacher accused of indecently assaulting his pupils has been cleared of all charges."}
{"article": "Phoenix has launched a mandatory bid for Hornby, after offering to buy a stake from another investor that would gave it a 55% holding in the firm. The offer, of 32.375p per share, values Hornby - which also owns the Scalextric and Airfix brands - at \u00a327.4m. Hornby has advised investors to take \"no action for the time being\". The toymaker also said it had appointed David Adams as its interim chairman, replacing Roger Canham who resigned from Hornby's board on Wednesday. Mr Canham is also the non-executive chairman of Phoenix Asset Management. On Wednesday, Hornby had reported falling revenues and deepening annual losses. The company is struggling to revive its fortunes, which has led to it cut back the number of products it sells. In the year to 31 March, revenues fell to \u00a347.4m from \u00a355.8m, while underlying losses widened to \u00a36.3m from a \u00a35.7m deficit last year.", "summary": "Model toymaker Hornby has said a takeover offer from its largest shareholder, Phoenix Asset Management, \"significantly undervalues\" the firm."}
{"article": "Garita, 20, plays for Chateauroux in France's third tier and was at Ashton Gate on trial in November. \"Arnie is a \u00a350,000 punt that will play in our under-21s,\" Cotterill told BBC Radio Bristol. \"We don't have anyone who is as physically strong as he is. He's raw, big, strong, tough and hungry.\" The Robins are currently short of options up front, with Jonathan Kodjia, signed from French side Angers last summer, starting all but one of their matches in the Championship this season. Cotterill says that Garita will train with City's first team, and could force his way into the senior XI as his search for new players continues. \"In the first training session he clattered Nathan Baker, and then Nathan clattered him back, and he had a big smile on his face,\" said Cotterill, who had been hoping to extend Elliott Bennett's stay with the club before he joined Blackburn from Norwich on Tuesday. \"He endeared himself to all the lads by working hard and we have to see where that one goes. If he ends up in the first team it'll be one hell of a story.\" On the type of player he is hoping to sign in January, Cotterill added: \"Good ones if we can - the trouble is there is a lack of good ones available. \"We need some players that can go in and help the younger ones. \"We are doing our best. My phone is having to be charged two or three times a day - we just want a few good ones. We don't want the wrong ones, we've got a lot going for us.\"", "summary": "Bristol City are closing in on the signing of striker Arnold Garita, a player that manager Steve Cotterill has described as a \"\u00a350,000 punt\"."}
{"article": "His election ends a period of uncertainty as he replaces Chabur Goc Alei, who was suspended by the SSFA's general assembly last year. Amin beat former international referee Lual Maluk Lual in the polls which were overseen by delegates from Fifa and the Confederation of African Football. \"Let's forget our differences but be united by the beautiful game of football,\" Amin said. \"I welcome all my opponents to come and join hands so that we develop football in our beloved country South Sudan.\" Alei was forced out of office amid allegations of mismanagement. Amin is a well-known businessman in Juba and is a former board member with local club Atlabara. Venasio Deng Amun will be Amin's deputy after he beat Sestilio Juba Leriba in the polls for vice-president.", "summary": "Francis Amin Michael Paul has been elected as the new president of the South Sudan Football Association (SSFA)."}
{"article": "Mageean's time of 2:00.79 cut 2.05 seconds off her previous best but she was passed in the closing 15 metres by England's Alex Bell who won in 2:00.53. The Portaferry woman had been tipped to challenge Rose-Anne Galligan's Irish record of 2:00.58. Pacemaker Sinead Denny went to the bell in 59.45 with Mageean just in arrears. When European Championship 400m semi-finalist Denny dropped out after 450 metres, it left Mageean with a two-metre lead but Bell, a quality athlete who just missed on Olympic qualification, stayed in touch before unleashing her late run to pass the Northern Irishwoman. Yorkshire athlete Bell's winning time cut 0.76 seconds off her previous personal best. After her first run on home soil since winning her European bronze medal two weeks ago, Mageean made no attempt to hide her frustration after being pipped by the 23-year-old. \"I'm very disappointed. I had to do a lot of the work in that race and just got run down in the last few metres,\" said Mageean, who will head to the Ireland pre-Olympic training camp in Rio early next week. \"I'll be back to win the 800m and the mile at the Morton Games in the future.\" There were American winners in both mile races with Katie Mackey setting a new women's meeting record of 4:25.48 and John Gregorek also improving his personal best as he pipped compatriot Kyle Merber to win the men's event in 3:55.57. The quality of the race was such that even 11th-placed Irishman Paul Robinson, back in action after a long injury spell, broke four minutes as he clocked 3:58.75. The men's 400m produced the tightest of finishes with Sudanese athlete Sadam Koumi given the verdict as he was given the same time as Guyana's Winston George. With Britain's Jared Dunn (46.28) in third, Brian Gregan finished fourth in 46.59 to edge out David Gillick (46.93) in the battle of the Irish athletes. There was a predictable American one-two in the men's 100m as US Olympic trials semi-finals Joe Morris (10.27) pipped Dentarius Locke (10.27) who finished eighth in the final in Eugene. With Amy Foster, like Jason Smyth, a late withdrawal from the meeting, Nigeria's Stephani Kalu won the women's 100m in 11.60 which left her ahead of Irish pair Niamh Whelan (11.72) and Joan Healy (11.73). Meanwhile, Mark English showed encouraging form as he battles for form after injury as he clocked a big season's best of 1:45.36 at the Diamond League meeting at London's Olympic Stadium. English, who only recently return to action after a stress fracture, was 1.48 seconds behind French winner Pierre-Ambroise Bosse but it was still a very encouraging run for the Donegal man ahead of the Olympics.", "summary": "European medallist Ciara Mageean was left \"disappointed\" as she was edged out over 800m at the Morton Games despite setting a big personal best."}
{"article": "In the past year, the combined pensions deficit of firms on the UK's FTSE 100 index has increased 13%, according to JLT Employee Benefits. That could cause problems when some firms carry out pension re-valuations in the coming months, JLT said. Tesco and Lloyds bank are among those re-valuing their pension schemes. UK companies have to measure the deficit or surplus of their defined benefit pension schemes every three years. \"With many pension schemes now embarking on their triennial actuarial valuations and deficits likely to be much bigger than three years ago there are going to be some difficult discussions between companies and pension scheme trustees,\" said Charles Cowling, a director at JLT. Companies could be forced to put much more money into their pension schemes to reduce the deficits, he said. JLT found that the combined pension funds deficit of FTSE 100 companies was \u00c2\u00a360bn in April, up from \u00c2\u00a353bn a year ago. The deficit of all UK private sector pension schemes was unchanged at \u00c2\u00a3182bn, JLT found. They \"remain high due to quantitative easing and record low interest rates,\" Mr Cowling said.", "summary": "Some of the UK's biggest companies face \"difficult discussions\" over their growing pension deficits, according to a pensions consultancy."}
{"article": "The midfielder has only started two games since joining from Inverness Caledonian Thistle in September, but he hopes to become a regular next term. \"I'm hoping to hit the ground running,\" 21-year-old Christie said. \"We've got a lot of big games before the leagues starts, so it's important to impress the manager straight away.\" Christie was sold to Celtic last summer but immediately sent back to Caley Thistle on a season-long loan cut short by a knee injury in November. Now the manager who signed him, Ronny Deila, has been replaced with Rodgers. \"I've been really looking forward to working with him ever since he was announced,\" said Christie of the former Liverpool and Swansea City boss. \"I think this kind of appointment shows how big a club Celtic really is, with the manager we can still attract. \"I think in terms of the way the club wants to go, it's shows we're very very positive. \"My mindset going into training next week is it's like a clean slate and your job to impress him every day in training and try to get in his thoughts of the season ahead.\" Christie is unconcerned by the recent comments by Rangers' new signing, Joey Barton, who has already stirred up the rivalry ahead of the first Old Firm fixture of the season on 10 September. Barton said Celtic captain Scott Brown was \"not in my league\" as a player. \"He likes to build it up a bit more, maybe make it more exciting,\" Christie said of the former Burnley midfielder. \"But, to be fair, it's not anything that's going to effect us, or any of our camp. \"He can focus on Rangers and we'll focus on us. \"It doesn't really affect me. I think the way he goes about his publicity is probably good because it attracts attention. \"Maybe that's what he wants, or Rangers wants, but for us, it's nothing really.\"", "summary": "Ryan Christie hopes to make an immediate impression on new manager Brendan Rodgers and force his way into the Celtic team for the coming season."}
{"article": "The Taiwanese researcher found files left behind by the other intruder on a neglected Facebook server. The former hacker was using tools to scoop up login names of Facebook's net admin staff. Facebook said the traces were left by another security researcher also seeking loopholes in its systems. In a blog post, security researcher Orange Tsai detailed the way he found the vulnerable server and his realisation that someone else had been there before him. The earlier intruder had set up scripts to grab the login names and other credentials for Facebook employees. At first glance, he said it looked like a \"pretty serious security incident\". Mr Tsai, who works for security firm Devcore, reported his findings to Facebook so it could harden the server and clean out the login-sniffing scripts. He won a $10,000 (\u00c2\u00a37,000) bug bounty from Facebook for finding the vulnerable server. In a statement on the Hacker News site, Facebook said it was \"really glad\" that Mr Tsai reported his findings. \"After incident response, we determined that the activity Orange detected was in fact from another researcher who participates in our bounty program,\" it said. Facebook described the discovery of the vulnerable server as a \"double win\" as it involved two competent researchers assessing its systems. Neither was able to get further than the server to get full access to the site's internal networks, it added. Paul Ducklin, writing on the blog of security firm Sophos, said anyone planning to do similar work on other net firms should be more careful. \"We recommend that you don't go as far as either hacker in this case.\" he wrote. \"Orange stretched the rules a bit; the earlier mystery hacker stretched them a lot.\" Going too far might introduce new weaknesses, warned Mr Ducklin. \"You don't make security stronger by weakening it,\" he said.", "summary": "A hacker looking for ways to breach Facebook's internal network has uncovered traces of another hacker who got there first."}
{"article": "\"The joke has worn thin. I'm tired of having your opinions ascribed to me. Pls tweet under your own name. Thanks\", the author had tweeted to the account. The handle with more than 30,000 followers adopted a \"faux Rushdie persona\" and engaged in debates with right-wing accounts. The owner immediately capitulated and changed his handle to @IndiaExplained. \"It gave me a chance to pay homage to Rushdie and other writers while being able to reflect and comment on things that matter to me\", the owner of the account, Rohit Chopra told Indian news website Scroll.in. But many Indians online have taken exception to Sir Salman's stance, accusing him of both lacking a sense of humour and clamping down on freedom of expression. With its new name, the account has promised to provide \"satirical and political commentary on India\". It is just one among a number of Indian parody Twitter accounts which have courted controversy with those tried to send up. In one instance, the office of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked Twitter to block the account of @PM0India (which used a zero instead of a 'O') because of \"objectionable content\", which \"could be mistaken as the official account of the PMO and have serious ramifications.\"", "summary": "Salman Rushdie has been pilloried by Indian tweeters after confronting a parody account @RushdieExplains."}
{"article": "Held at the city's Eden Court, the line-up includes 34 films from 21 countries. Five of the features are UK premieres and 17 will get their Scottish premiere during the event, which runs from the 5-9 November. Documentary, The Possibilities are Endless, follows Scots singer Edwyn Collins' recovery from a stroke in 2005 with the help of his wife Grace. Collins will perform songs after the screening of the film. Foreign films are a key feature of the festival. This year's include Difret about a teenage girl in Ethiopia who is charged with murdering a 29 year old man after he abducts her. Winter Sleep, set in a small hotel in central Anatolia, will be given its Scottish premiere at Eden Court. Another feature that will be give its Scottish premiere in Inverness will be Fantail, a story about a white New Zealand woman who was raised as a Maori. The foreign language offerings also include Firestorm. Another is The Tribe. Festival director Paul Taylor said: \"The Tribe is my pick of the festival, it's a unique and original film from Ukraine without words or subtitles or translation and is the most exciting and powerful film that you will see all year. \"It's a true one of a kind, which after 120 years of cinema doesn't happen very often.\" Drama on and under water appear in a number of the films to be shown, including Kon-Tiki which is about Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl's 1947 bid to cross the Pacific Ocean on a balsa wood raft. Angel Azul tells of the creation of an artificial coral reef by artist Jason deCaires Taylor. Also on an aquatic theme is Once in Your Lifetime. It explores the idea that all keen anglers should try fishing on Scotland's lochs and rivers.", "summary": "The programme for the 12th Inverness Film Festival has been announced."}
{"article": "Han, Job, Kukin and Fabiana were poorly and hadn't had enough to eat or drink when they were found. They were rescued by marine biologists and spent two months at a special rehabilitation centre in Peru in South America. Carlos Yaipen, one of the experts who helped make the the creatures better, says he's found lots of sick sea lions and believes changing sea temperatures are to blame. He said: \"These sea lions are survivors of various illnesses which they contracted off the coast of Peru caused by the phenomenon of El Nino.'' The little creatures were taken by boat to Palomino island, in Callao, Peru for their release, which is home to over three thousand other sea lions.", "summary": "Four sea lions have returned to the ocean after being nursed back to health."}
{"article": "Over the last four years, a total of 165 individuals on North Uist, South Uist and Benbecula have been diagnosed with the disease. In that same period, Lewis and Harris have recorded just one case and Barra three. NHS Western Isles is developing an awareness campaign for Uist. Lyme disease can cause arthritis and neurological problems if untreated. The infection can be transmitted to humans through a bite from a tick. The figures for incidence of Lyme disease on the Western Isles were provided by medical practices across the islands. The reason of the higher numbers on Uist has still to be fully understood. NHS Western Isles and other groups are investigating. Lyme disease and ticks Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is spread to humans by infected ticks. Flu-like symptoms and fatigue are often the first noticeable signs of infection. An untreated bite often shows as a distinctive red circle-like mark on a person's skin. Diagnosed cases of Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, but, if left untreated, neurological problems and joint pain can develop months or years later. Ticks are small arthropods related to spiders, mites and scorpions and Britain has a number of different species. People are most likely to come across sheep ticks, which feed on mammals and birds, in open spaces with long grass or bracken. Hillwalkers and climbers organisation, Mountaineering Scotland, regularly issues advice on how to avoid and deal with ticks. It suggests people can protect themselves better by tucking trousers into socks or wearing gaiters, and also by making thorough checks of their bodies once back home. It recommends that these checks should be repeated over several days. If a tick is found attached to a person's skin, it can be removed with a tick hook. If in doubt, seek advice from a doctor, Mountaineering Scotland says. NHS Western Isles said: \"We are aware of the difference in prevalence across the islands and, as geographically separate islands, we are not surprised that the patterns are different. \"There is different land use in North and South Uist as opposed to Benbecula and this may be related. \"We know that some people have expressed their concerns and views about the changing patterns of deer roaming, and the overlap in certain areas of deer and croft animals.\" The health board already supports efforts to raise awareness of ticks, their presence and how to remove and treat them. But a spokeswoman added: \"However, we are developing a targeted campaign for the Uists that will focus on prevention of bites, tick removal and identification and treatment of tick-related disease in people. \"As tick bites tend to reduce in frequency in the winter, this will be in place prior to the spring rise in tick prevalence.\" Scottish Natural Heritage, a public body with a responsibility for managing wild deer numbers, said it was also aware of islanders' concerns about the link between ticks and red deer. A spokesman said: \"We recognise that the deer population in Uist has increased and has been gradually using agricultural land more and", "summary": "The incidence of Lyme disease on Uist is far greater than that on neighbouring islands, according to figures gathered by BBC Gaelic News."}
{"article": "The former England international, 34, has signed on a free transfer after winning friends on and off the field in his three months at the Ricoh Arena. \"He's great to have around the dressing room,\" said City manager Tony Mowbray. \"The rest of the squad feed off his experience. I'm sure it'll have a positive impact on our young players.\" Cole scored a cracking free-kick in a 4-3 win over Barnsley after arriving on 19 October, but has only made seven appearances in total because of injury niggles. \"Our staff have worked hard to build up his fitness and physicality, and we've seen Joe really buy into what we're trying to do here,\" added Mowbray. \"I only see his performances for the club getting better. He is a fantastic option to have from now until the end of the season.\" Cole began his career at West Ham before moving in 2003 to Chelsea, for whom he made 183 league appearances, scoring 28 goals. After seven years at Stamford Bridge and two Premier League titles, he moved to Liverpool, but had a loan spell with French Ligue 1 side Lille before returning to boyhood club West Ham in 2013. He made 31 appearances in a one-year spell at Upton Park, scoring five goals, before switching to Villa, for whom he made four starts. Cole scored 10 goals in 56 international appearances for England. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Coventry City's on-loan Aston Villa midfielder Joe Cole has completed a move to the Ricoh Arena on a deal until the end of the season."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old joined the Millers on loan in January and has made two appearances so far. Bray never played a first-team game for the Swans but did appear five times for the club's under-21 side in the EFL Trophy this season. Rotherham are bottom of the Championship, 19 points adrift of safety. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Rotherham United have signed Swansea winger Alex Bray for an undisclosed fee until the end of the 2018-19 season."}
{"article": "To mark this moment, Polish photographer Piotr Malecki has flown into London and is making his way from the outskirts of the capital to the centre, capturing the mood and the thoughts of some of those he meets. \"I think Brexit is sad and I feel sorry for those people who don't really know what's happening, who are thinking they should leave the country. There are some mums at school who are really lovely, really involved with the school, great kids - and they're just thinking that they might have to move. They don't know whether they should get ahead of the game or stay, which is sad for the community.\" \"Personally, I'm sad for my children that they can't be a part of Europe as I grew up. It's a shame.\" \"As long as I can work, I don't see any problem. \"You know, we work legally, we pay taxes. I hope they won't see any problem in us being here, why would they? I came here to work, in 2010. \"As long as they won't close the borders, it's OK.\" \"I felt insecure three months ago and I still do. I don't understand it, I don't know what they're fighting for, I don't know what's going to happen. I think they're just trying to scare us, but, in reality, nothing will change. \"They can't just get rid of us, because who's going to work here? Who? Tell me. And who's going to pay taxes? All this big business, shops, services, they are Polish. \"What will happen in the future?\" \"I just finished nights so I'm just going to sleep a little bit and then later on I'll go and pick up my children from school. \"If we're in the EU or not, nothing changes for me.\" \"I voted to stay. \"We should be making bridges, not demolishing bridges. That's my view on life. You know, we're all the same. We may have different beliefs, different views. But at the end of the day, we want the same thing in life which is to raise our families in peace an harmony. \"What else do we want in life? Care, a little bit of consideration to our health service, our roads, our infrastructure. You know, these things are important but we allow silly prejudice to blind us from what we really need in life. What else can I add to that really.\" \"Well, I think the country is a bit undecided - still. But we'll see how it goes. You know, we're an ambitious country. We like to put our first foot forward and see where we land. \"We're still not sure, we're undecided. But we made a statement, to see what's going to progress, maybe by not going in. That's what I can tell you for the meantime.\" \"My wife works. I'm looking after the kids. \"I know it's Brexit, but I'm not really sure what that means for anyone. I don't think it'll really affect me much.\" \"When I was new in this country I didn't see that many people", "summary": "Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May has signed the letter that will formally begin the UK's departure from the European Union, following June's referendum which resulted in a vote to leave the EU."}
{"article": "Norrie and Claire Aitchison said that Liam's killers should have been kept in custody before and during their trial. The Aitchisons said they will campaign to have the rules changed. On Monday, Johnathan MacKinnon and Stefan Millar, both 22, were convicted of murdering Liam. The two men had lived on Lewis. Following their arrests in December 2011, Millar was allowed bail and moved to Inverness. MacKinnon was bailed in February 2012. A jury at the High Court in Glasgow convicted the two men of murder. The court had heard that Liam was beaten, stabbed and stripped his of clothing during an attack on 23 November 2011. The body of the 16-year-old, from South Uist, was later found in a derelict property in Steinish on Lewis. Following the conviction of the two men, Mr and Mrs Aitchison have spoken out against the right of murder suspects to bail. They said the knowledge that MacKinnon and Millar were out on bail had caused their family distress. Mr Aitchison said his youngest son, Steven, eight, had shared a room with Liam when he stayed at home and was terrified after his older brother was murdered. He said: \"The wee fellow wouldn't sleep and thought he was next - we had to move him from the downstairs room to the upstairs room because the downstairs room was by the front door. \"He had to watch us lock the door and if I wasn't in he had to wait until I was before he would go to sleep\" \"We want to head up a campaign to keep anyone that is charged with murder on remand until proven innocent or guilty.\" The Aitchisons said that they also hope to set up a memorial garden for Liam.", "summary": "The father and step-mother of murdered Western Isles teenager Liam Aitchison have called for bail to be refused to people who are charged with murder."}
{"article": "Sir Nigel dedicated his career to combating human rights violations through his involvement with the United Nations and Amnesty International. Colleagues described him as \"brilliant and unpretentious\" and an \"inspiring and generous human being\". In 1998 he was knighted for services to human rights and international law. Sir Nigel worked as a legal adviser at Amnesty International from 1973 onwards and collaborated with universities including the London School of Economics and the University of Essex. From 1993 to 2001 he served as United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture. An international lawyer and professor, Sir Nigel was a prominent member of the UN Human Rights Committee between 2001 and 2016. He served as its chairman from 2012 to 2014. He helped found the University of Essex Human Rights Centre where staff said he would be greatly missed. Centre director Dr Clara Sandoval said: \"The human rights movement has lost one of its founding fathers. \"The School of Law and the Human Rights Centre have lost a brilliant and unpretentious colleague, an inspiring and generous human being and a wonderful mentor and friend.\" University of Essex Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony Forster added: \"Professor Sir Nigel Rodley was a global champion of human rights - writing influential books on international human rights law while also undertaking incredibly important work on behalf of the United Nations. \"He was an inspiration to many, many students and colleagues. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.\" Wilder Tayler, secretary general of the International Commission of Jurists, of which Sir Nigel was president, said: \"Sir Nigel was a stalwart of the human rights movement. \"His firm commitment to the promotion of human rights and rule of law has had a deep and lasting impact that will continue in his absence.\"", "summary": "One of the \"founding fathers\" of the humans rights movement, Professor Sir Nigel Rodley, has died at the age of 75."}
{"article": "He is to be prosecuted in relation to the internet broadcast of a sermon he delivered at the Whitewell Tabernacle, Belfast in May 2014. He told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme: \"I don't want to go to jail, but I am prepared to go. Pastor McConnell said he was defending the right to free speech. \"I believe passionately in the word of the Lord Jesus Christ and I am fighting for a principle.\" In May 2014, the pastor delivered a sermon in which he described Islam as \"heathen\" and \"satanic\". After the sermon was posted online, complaints led to a police investigation. The evangelical preacher later issued a public apology for any offence caused. The Public Prosecution Service says Pastor McConnell was offered an informed warning but he refused it. While an informed warning is not a conviction, it is recorded on a person's criminal record for 12 months. Anyone who refuses to accept it can be prosecuted.", "summary": "Pastor James McConnell says he is prepared to go to jail to defend his right to free speech."}
{"article": "Michael Slager, who is white, could face decades in jail despite the state dropping the murder charge in a deal. Walter Scott was killed after Slager shot him in the back five times in North Charleston, South Carolina. A bystander filmed the 2015 incident on a mobile phone camera and Slager's actions were widely condemned. It came as the US grappled with a series of police killings that sparked a debate about the use of force against African Americans. Slager was fired by the force shortly after the video came to light. The incident was viewed millions of times online, and led to calls for the officer to face severe punishment. The plea deal does not carry a specific punishment, so Slager could face no prison time or life behind bars. He entered a guilty plea in front of his family, Scott's relatives and about 50 people who had gathered in the court. As part of the plea, he admitted to deprivation of rights under the colour of law, lying to state investigators, and using a firearm in a violent crime. \"Today is a victory for Walter,\" said Judy Scott, Walter Scott's mother. \"We got justice,\" she continued, adding that she forgave Slager for her son's death. Andy Savage, a lawyer for Slager, said: \"We hope that Michael's acceptance of responsibility will help the Scott family as they continue to grieve their loss.\" Slager had maintained that he shot Scott after he had taken his stun-gun during a tussle that broke out after he pulled over Mr Scott for having a broken tail light. An earlier murder trial in the state court ended in mistrial. In March, a judge ruled that jurors could view the video, despite Slager's defence team trying to prevent that. The plea deal makes no reference to Walter Scott's race. \"The defendant wilfully used deadly force even though it was objectively unreasonable under the circumstances,\" according to the plea agreement. \"The defendant acknowledges that during the time he used deadly force, he knew that the use of deadly force was unnecessary and excessive, and therefore unreasonable under the circumstances.\" Slager's sentence is not expected to be handed down for several more weeks.", "summary": "An ex-police officer has admitted violating the civil rights of a black man he was filmed shooting to death, in a case that sparked a national outcry."}
{"article": "Cesare Tavella, 50, was shot dead in the capital, Dhaka, in late September. The attack was the first in a series of killings in Bangladesh claimed by the so-called Islamic State (IS). However, the government says IS does not have a presence in the country, and has blamed local militant groups and the opposition BNP party instead. The opposition has denied any involvement, and says the government's accusations have hampered a credible investigation into the killings. Attacks on foreigners in Bangladesh are rare, correspondents say, but Islamist violence has surged recently. More than 40 people, including secular bloggers, academics, gay rights activists and members of religious minorities, have been killed in attacks blamed on Islamist militants in Bangladesh since February 2013. Five of those charged with the murder of Mr Tavella are in custody. Two, including a leading BNP politician, are still being sought by the authorities, BBC Bengali's Waliur Rahman in Dhaka reports. Who is behind the Bangladesh killings? Hundreds arrested in Bangladesh crackdown Is extremism on the rise in Bangladesh? Secular bloggers, academics, gay rights activists, and members of religious minorities including Shia, Sufi and Ahmadi Muslims, Christians and Hindus have all been killed, many of them hacked to death. A university professor whose family said he was not an atheist was murdered in April, suggesting the list of those at risk had widened further. Who exactly is behind the attacks remains unclear. Bangladesh has myriad extremist groups and there have been few convictions over the attacks. Many of the attacks have been claimed by so-called Islamic State (IS) or al-Qaeda linked groups. However, the government has disputed these claims. Instead, government members have blamed opposition parties and local Islamist groups. Bangladesh's home minister has suggested an Israeli link to the killings, describing an \"international conspiracy\" against Bangladesh. Both the opposition and the Israeli government have denied any involvement - and Israel described the accusations as \"utter drivel\". Until the killings stop, the Bangladeshi government itself will face accusations of not doing enough to protect minorities in the Sunni-dominated nation.", "summary": "Bangladeshi police have charged seven people, including an opposition politician, over the murder of an Italian aid worker."}
{"article": "The audience peaked at 9.7m when the winner was announced at 21.55GMT. Two other peaks occurred when One Direction (9.1m) and Adele performed (9.2m). Last year's average audience for the results show was 9.1m but this included +1 figures. X Factor's Saturday show was watched by an average of 5.9m. In recent weeks, the X Factor has struggled to get past the 7 million mark, dipping to 6.71 million for last week's semi-final. The ITV show has consistently been beaten by BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing this year. Sunday's Strictly semi-final results show, which saw Anita Rani eliminated, was seen by an average of 10.8m. The audience peaked at 11.7m. Next week's final will see The Wanted singer Jay McGuinness, BBC Proms and Radio 3 presenter Katie Derham, EastEnders' Kellie Bright and former Coronation Street star Georgia May Foote compete for the Strictly crown.", "summary": "The X Factor results show was watched by an average of 8.4m on Sunday, an improvement on recent ratings but still down on last year's final figure."}
{"article": "Richard Ratcliffe's wife, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, was arrested in April while visiting family with their two-year-old daughter and is accused of seeking to \"overthrow the regime\". Mr Ratcliffe has asked David Cameron to help, and says the Foreign Office is doing more \"as this gets more serious\". His daughter is with family in Iran. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 37, of north London, works for the London-based Thomson Reuters Foundation charity. She travelled to Iran on an Iranian passport with daughter Gabriella and was arrested at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport on 3 April and taken to Kerman in the south-east of the country. Her family had expected her to be released last week, but a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps now claims she heads a \"foreign-linked hostile network\". Mr Ratcliffe, who has been trying to get a visa to visit his wife, told BBC Radio 4 she had spent 45 days in solitary confinement and this had made her \"very weak\". \"When she came out she wasn't able to walk without blackouts and she had a problem with her hair falling out and she'd lost quite a lot of weight,\" he said. Her condition improved during a spell living alongside other inmates and she was then told she would be released, Mr Ratcliffe said. Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe left Kerman prison on 5 June but, instead of being released, her parents were told she was being moved to a different prison. Mr Ratcliffe said the family then heard \"nothing from her for a number of days\", adding: \"Last week we celebrated Gabriella's birthday and we had no idea where she was.\" On Monday Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe called her parents to say she was in a prison in Tehran - and Mr Ratcliffe believes that may help her. \"Now she's in Tehran then, if nothing else, the Iranian authorities can look more seriously at what's going on and look at these crazy theories coming out from the provincial office,\" he said. He said the reasons for the accusations against his wife were \"not at all clear\", but he believed they came from the Kerman branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard - and in part they might be \"justifying that they've held her for 70 days\". He said the accusations were not detailed but they suggested his wife was \"in charge of this great network of media organisations and espionage agencies and that she and Gabriella are there running the whole thing\". He added: \"It feels this is wrapped up in Iranian politics and different factions fighting and holding her as some sort of bargaining chip.\" The Foreign Office said it was urgently seeking information on Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's situation.", "summary": "The husband of a British-Iranian woman in jail in Iran says he hopes \"senior intervention\" from UK and Iranian authorities will lead to her release."}
{"article": "Almost none of these will work. Why? Because, on current polling, it all comes down to whether you think the people voting for Andy Burnham or those voting for Yvette Cooper are more likely to put Corbyn as their next preference. And there is no decent publicly available evidence that either of them are. Furthermore, for similar reasons, there is no arithmetic reason why non Corbyn candidates withdrawing would do anything to stop Corbyn. Voters in this election will be given the opportunity to rank the candidates in order of preference. The first preferences are counted up, and the person with the fewest is eliminated from the contest - and the votes they received are given to whoever each person that voted for them rated as their second preference. If after that none of the candidates has achieved 50% of the vote, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated and their votes are given to whoever they put as their higher preference amongst the two remaining candidates. By definition, this gives one of the two remaining candidates a majority of the votes. Current polling puts Corbyn first, Cooper and Burnham roughly tied in second, and Kendall trailing in third. So either Cooper or Burnham will most likely be the candidate that faces Corbyn in the final round. If you want to stop Corbyn, you'll be voting for some combination of Cooper, Burnham and Kendall as your first three preferences. So your vote WILL end up being for whoever faces Corbyn in the final round, WHICHEVER order you put those three in. The only way you can affect the number of votes Corbyn gets is by trying to second-guess the second preferences of people that vote for eliminated candidates. If you believe the polls, Kendall's almost certain to be eliminated first, so you can't affect that. But one of Burnham and Cooper won't be eliminated before the final run off with Corbyn. Whichever one is eliminated will have their preferences redistributed to either Corbyn or his opponent. So, in theory, if you, the \"stop Corbyn\" voter thought that, say, Burnham's supporters are more likely to have Corbyn as their next preference than Cooper's, you should put Burnham ahead of Cooper in your preference list even if you ACTUALLY prefer Cooper to Burnham - because it'll starve Corbyn of the extra votes he'd get if Burnham was knocked out. The thing is, I am not aware of any decent evidence that this is the case. We have very few polls on the Labour leadership election - and those that exist (necessarily) have small samples of what Burnham and Cooper's second preferences would be. Very roughly speaking, the polling tables I've seen suggest supporters of both split their second preferences about 30/70 between Corbyn and his opponent. So it's not clear which of these you should give a higher preference to tactically stop Corbyn anyway. In other words, there is no obvious way to tactically vote against Corbyn. If you want to stop him he'll be your last preference anyway - and", "summary": "Ballot papers are going out this morning for the Labour leadership contest after a weekend of various grandees apparently dreaming up new schemes to stop Jeremy Corbyn."}
{"article": "Locals fear it will damage the environment and pollute their water sources. La Colosa, in Central Colombia, has the potential to become South America's largest gold mine. Mr Arce said the town's decision could not be applied retroactively. The minister added that the South African mining giant AngloGold Ashanti had already been issued an exploration licence, which would retain its validity. Mr Arce also said that while the land was under the control of local authorities, any subterranean riches were under the control of the national government. The minister said that if AngloGold Ashanti was awarded the environmental licence it needs to proceed with the project, the courts or Colombia's congress would have to decide whether the local or national authorities prevailed. Mr Arce insisted that the referendum vote would not affect foreign investment in Colombia's mining sector. \"For the first time in 20 years we will have three major projects in execution phase,\" he told RCN. He said campaigners had misinformed voters. \"We're not talking about an open-air mine here,\" he said. \"Nor are there a hundred rivers at risk.\" Campaigners were angered by Mr Arce's comments. The opposition to President Juan Manuel Santos also criticised the government's stance on the issue. \"Santos and the Mining Minister agreed to disregard Cajamarca's decision on La Colosa. Democratic mobilisation will also defeat them,\" tweeted opposition Senator and presidential hopeful Jorge Robledo. Only 76 residents of Cajamarca, in the central province of Tolima, voted in favour of the mining project in Sunday's referendum, while more than 6,100 of the town's 19,000 inhabitants voted against. Several other Colombian cities and towns are planning to hold similar votes to try to block mining projects in their area. Correction 29 March 2017: This story has been amended to clarify the government's position on the mining ban.", "summary": "Colombia's Mining Minister German Arce has questioned whether the result of a referendum held in the town of Cajamarca, where 98% of residents voted against a major gold mining project, will prevail."}
{"article": "Milk will replace sugar as the treat's main ingredient, as the white stuff content is boosted from 26% to 37.5%. Nestle said the new recipe bars - with sugar cut by 0.7g - will be in stores by the end of the month. It follows a similar move with its KitKat recipe, which increased the milk and cocoa content. The Milkybar recipe has been the same since the bar first came into production in 1936, but is being changed as part of Public Health England's drive to reduce the amount of sugar consumed in the UK by 20%. In April Nestle reduced the amount of sugar in its fruit pastilles by 30%. A spokesman said the reductions in sugar would make \"a positive step overall to removing sugar from the nation's diet while maintaining the taste\"", "summary": "Milkybars are about to get milkier, as the recipe changes for the first time in 81 years."}
{"article": "Regina Lopez said she was disappointed that \"business interests\" had \"manoeuvred the decision\". She had been in the position for 10 months but had not been confirmed. Congressional confirmations in the Philippines often happen months after ministers start work. The decision made by the country's Commission on Appointments is final. Backed by President Rodrigo Duterte, Ms Lopez had ordered 22 out of 41 mines to be closed, and banned open-pit mines. She also cancelled contracts for undeveloped mines, and said environmental damage was harming the country's poor. Following the vote, she said: \"I'm disappointed because clearly there are business influences that have manoeuvred the decision. And, from my point of view, government should make decisions primarily on the filter of the common good. \"And when business interests take dominant influence in a way that even adversely affects our people, that's not good at all.\" The Chamber of Mines of The Philippines said it would seek to undo her measures when a new minister was in post. \"Those have no legal foundation,\" chamber spokesman Ronald Recidoro said. \"There were no proper consultations held. And more importantly it's really out to kill the mining industry.\" Yeb Sa\u00c3\u00b1o of Greenpeace Southeast Asia said the sacking \"shows how destructive industries continue to hold Philippine lawmakers by their necks.\" A spokesman for the president said no replacement had yet been lined up. Ms Lopez's supporters, who call her an earth warrior, have organised candlelit vigils to mark the end of her tenure.", "summary": "Lawmakers in the Philippines have removed the environmental secretary, who angered the mining industry by ordering the closure of more than half the country's existing mines."}
{"article": "The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were among those at the event at St Paul's Cathedral in London. Representatives of the UK's armed forces and all countries involved in the battle were in attendance, as well as descendants of men who fought in it. The battle at Waterloo cost thousands of British and allied lives in the defeat of Napoleon's forces. Nearly 180,000 men fought for more than 10 hours, with more than 35,000 horses and some 500 cannon on the two sides. Waterloo: The day that decided Europe's fate Discover how close Britain came to defeat at Waterloo Wellington: Forging the 'Iron Duke' Napoleon Bonaparte: The 'Little Corporal' who built an empire The service, which was also attended by Prime Minister David Cameron, is part of a series of events marking the anniversary. The Earl of Wessex, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the 9th Duke of Wellington were also among the congregation. Some 200 children and 200 teachers were invited, along with members of the public who entered a ballot for tickets. British soldiers in full military regalia stood to attention outside the cathedral as guests went in. Squadron Sgt Maj Tony Gray, 76, of the Light Cavalry, said: \"This anniversary means a great deal. \"The battle changed history. Had we not won, we probably would be speaking French now.\" Extracts from accounts of the battle were read at the service by British, French and German readers. A commemoration service, attended by the Duke of Kent, was also held in Belgium with European dignitaries. On Wednesday, Prince Charles unveiled a memorial in Belgium to the British soldiers who fought and died at Waterloo. The prince and the Duchess of Cornwall visited the battlefield before unveiling the memorial at Hougoumont Farm, a key site in the fighting. The site played a crucial role in the victory of the Duke of Wellington's allied army over Napoleon's French forces in 1815, and saw some of the fiercest fighting of the battle. The memorial depicts two life-size soldiers struggling to close the farm's north gate to save it from being overrun by the French. Soldiers from the Coldstream Guards managed to shut the gate and Wellington later said the outcome of Waterloo \"turned on the closing of the gates at Hougoumont\". Prince Charles and the duchess also took a tour of the battlefield, starting at La Belle Alliance Farm - which served as Napoleon's headquarters. The duchess has a direct connection with the new monument as her great-great-great-grandfather, John Whitehill Parson, fought at Waterloo while serving with the 10th Regiment of Light Dragoons. More than 5,000 enthusiasts are due to perform battle re-enactment displays at Waterloo over the weekend as the bicentenary commemorations continue. And tens of thousands of people are expected to attend a sound-and-light show on the battlefield later. The battle was fought after French emperor Napoleon conquered large swathes of Europe, before being defeated by allied forces in 1814. He was exiled to the Mediterranean island of Elba, but escaped the following year, and on 18 June", "summary": "Royal Family members have taken part in a service to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo."}
{"article": "Workers for the salvage firm recovered the body from a cabin and handed it to the authorities to be identified. They believe it is Indian waiter Russel Rebello, the last of 32 victims to be recovered from the wreck. The cruise ship partially sank in January 2012 after it hit a reef off the Italian island of Giglio. The Concordia was finally raised from the sea in July and towed to Genoa to be scrapped. The captain, Francesco Schettino, is on trial for manslaughter and abandoning ship, charges he denies. This is the third time local officials have said Mr Rebello's remains might have been found. Tests on the other two occasions determined that the remains were not his. This time, his brother Kevin said on Facebook he believed Russel was now coming home to India. \"I promised my family that I would bring back home my brother some day. When was the biggest question,\" he said. \"Finally, my younger brother's body has been found. \"Thanks to everyone who prayed and believed that one day he would be found.\"", "summary": "Human remains found in the wreck of the Costa Concordia are believed to be the last victim of the cruise ship's 2012 capsize, Italian officials have said."}
{"article": "Roman Seleznev, 32, was found guilty by a federal jury in Seattle on 38 of 40 counts, including intentional damage to a protected computer and wire fraud. Prosecutors said he was a \"master hacker\" behind a plan which led to $170m (\u00a3131m) of fraudulent purchases. Vowing to appeal, his lawyer argued he had been kidnapped by US agents. Seleznev (his name is also spelt Seleznyov in English) faces a mandatory minimum sentence of four years in jail, lawyer John Henry Browne said. A sentence is expected on 2 December. The Russian also faces similar charges in federal courts in Nevada and Georgia. Prosecutors say Seleznev hacked into retail systems and installed malware to steal credit card numbers from businesses, mostly pizza restaurants in the state of Washington. He then sold the information online, they say. The scheme is said to have been carried out between 2008 and 2014. Roman is the son of Valery Seleznev, a Russian member of parliament for the Liberal Democratic Party. He and his girlfriend were arrested by US Secret Service agents at a Maldives airport in July 2014. Lawyers argued that his arrest was a \"kidnapping\" or an \"illegal rendition\" that violated international law but a US district judge blocked that argument from the trial. Mr Browne said they planned to challenge his client's arrest and a ruling that allowed prosecutors to introduce evidence from a corrupted laptop seized with him. The computer contained more than 1.7m stolen numbers, along with evidence linking him to various servers, prosecutors said.", "summary": "The son of a Russian MP has been convicted on charges that he orchestrated a hacking scheme that targeted US pizza restaurants."}
{"article": "It also cleared the party of wrongdoing in paying office rent to three cultural societies. Police examined allegations made in two BBC Spotlight programmes aired in 2014. Sinn F\u00e9in denied doing anything wrong. Spotlight could not establish what the societies were or who was behind them. A BBC spokesperson said: \"We stand by our journalism. We believe the investigation was of significant public interest.\" The TUV leader Jim Allister, who tabled a series of questions arising out of the programmes, has said confirmation that the commission found the payments were for \"admissible expenditure\" is \"remarkable\". The assembly said it had no comment to make on Mr Allister's press statement. One of the BBC programmes reported that 36 Sinn F\u00e9in MLAs claimed about \u00a3700,000 in total through Stormont expenses to pay Research Services Ireland (RSI) over a 10 year period. However, the programme-makers were not able to find any evidence of research that had been carried out by RSI and one Sinn F\u00e9in MLA was reported to have said they had never heard of the company until they saw it on their annual expenses. Mr Allister asked the Assembly Commission how much of the money had been recovered. The Assembly Commission, which runs Stormont, is chaired by the speaker and includes MLAs representing the five main parties. In its reply, the commission said its review \"confirmed that payments for research services, as reported in the programme, were made for admissible expenditure up to and including the 2012/13 financial year\". \"As such, no recovery has been sought,\" it added. \"No payments to Research Services Ireland for work undertaken after 31 December 2012 have been made as a result of changes to the system of financial support for members that were introduced by the Independent Financial Review Panel from 1 January 2013.\" Asked about the payment of rent to cultural societies, the commission said its review confirmed the money was for \"admissible expenditure\" adding that \"as such, no recovery has been sought\". Mr Allister also asked about the disclosure that former DUP assembly speaker William Hay's Office claimed more than \u00a34,000 for heating oil in one year. The Assembly Commission said \"the judicial process is on-going\". A former Sinn F\u00e9in MLA, Davy Hyland, also told Spotlight that a party expenses claim form for mileage, amounting to almost \u00a35,000, was signed without his knowledge. Mr Hyland does not drive and said he knew nothing about most of the mileage claimed on his behalf. The commission found the claim had not been processed \"and as such no recovery was required\". It added that the PSNI had concluded the matter should not be referred to the Public Prosecution Service. Mr Allister called the Assembly Commission's findings \"bizarre\". He said: \"The Assembly Commission has now confirmed that none of the \u00a3700,000 claimed by Sinn F\u00e9in MLAs and paid to Research Services Ireland has been recovered by the assembly, in spite of the BBC finding that no evidence of research carried out by the company could be produced. \"More bizarre still is confirmation that the assembly did not seek to", "summary": "Sinn F\u00e9in MLAs who claimed almost \u00a3700,000 in expenses for research from a company run by the party's finance managers did nothing wrong, the Assembly Commission has found."}
{"article": "Police in Tamaulipas state said the hole, which had been hidden by bricks, was up to five metres (16ft) deep. They said it was unfinished and no one has escaped. In 2015, one of the country's biggest drug lords, Joaquin \"El Chapo\" Guzman, escaped via tunnel from Altiplano prison. He was recaptured after six months on the run and later extradited to the US. The latest hole was in a jail in Reynosa, a city close to the US border. It was found after authorities used geothermal technology to detect activities underground, according to local media. In March, 29 inmates escaped via a tunnel from a prison in the Tamaulipas state capital Ciudad Victoria. One of the prisoners who fled was involved in the 2012 kidnapping and murder of Karen Alejandra Rodr\u00edguez. He was later recaptured, but the victim's mother, Miriam, who had been campaigning for justice for Mexico's missing people, said she lived in increased fear after the escape. She was shot dead in her home last week by an unknown assailant. Mexico also saw another major prison break in the country's north-west in March. Juan Jos\u00e9 Esparragoza Monz\u00f3n, son of one of the country's other drug kingpins, escaped from a jail in Culiac\u00e1n, Sinaloa state, alongside four other inmates. His father, Juan Jos\u00e9 Esparragoza, was a long-time partner of El Chapo in the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the country's biggest crime syndicates. Monz\u00f3n remains on the loose. Tamaulipas police said on Sunday that they were conducting a search for further holes after the latest tunnel was discovered on Saturday night. They said that Reynosa prison was operating as normal and visiting hours had resumed.", "summary": "A tunnel has been discovered in a Mexican prison, stashed with drugs, alcohol and sharp tools, according to local authorities."}
{"article": "But his leadership of Cuba divided opinion, and leaders across the world have had to decide whether or not to attend the revolutionary's funeral. In the end, the list of those wanting to pay respect Castro in person appears to be very short, with some notable allies choosing to send representatives instead. So who is making the trip to Havana? Perhaps most surprisingly, considering the two countries' long friendship, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will not be attending. His spokesman said he was too busy to travel to Cuba but that Russia would be sending a representative. Less surprising is US President Barack Obama's decision to stay away. Despite the steps Mr Obama made towards fixing US-Cuban relations, Castro remains a divisive figure - not least for Cuban-Americans who fled his rule. The White House will not send an official delegation, but Mr Obama's pick for ambassador to Cuba, Jeffrey DeLaurentis, and deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, will attend the commemorative event. UK Prime Minister Theresa May, France's President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are all staying away. However, they will be sending government representatives. Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry will attend to represent the UK's Labour Party. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - whose late father Pierre was friends with Mr Castro - was one of the few Western leaders to release a message of condolences following the leader's death, but will not be attending. Governor-General David Johnston was attending Tuesday's commemoration. China's President Xi Jinping paid his respects at the Cuban embassy in Beijing, saying the country had lost a \"close comrade and real friend\". Vice President Li Yuanchao is representing China at the commemorations in Cuba. Despite their close friendship, Vietnam's President Tran Dai Quang will also not be attending, sending National Assembly chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Nga in his place. The country will be holding a national day of mourning for Castro, however. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi - who paid tribute to an \"iconic\" world leader last week - will be sending his home minister but will not be flying to Cuba himself. North Korea's Kim Jung-un will not be travelling to Cuba either, sending a delegation on his behalf. The list of world leaders actually attending is relatively short. A number of South American leaders will be making the trip: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, whose late mentor Hugo Chavez had a special bond with Castro, Ecuador's Rafael Correa, Bolivia's Evo Morales and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega have all indicated they will attend. Also expected are Salvadorean President Salvador Sanchez Ceren and Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto. At least two southern African presidents will also fly to Cuba, South Africa's Jacob Zuma, who has just survived a vote of confidence, and Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, whose country has just brought in a new currency. And it seems the European Union may be represented by just one leader, in the form of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. Other notable Europeans attending include Ireland's Gerry Adams and Spain's ex-King Juan Carlos.", "summary": "Fidel Castro was a fixture of international politics for more than 50 years."}
{"article": "The announcement will be made during half time of the FA Cup semi-final Match of the Day Live: Everton versus Manchester United at around 18:00 BST. The new companion will star alongside Peter Capaldi's Time Lord in the 10th new season of Doctor Who. They will replace Jenna Coleman, who played Clara Oswald, who left the show in 2015. Coleman joined Doctor Who in 2012, and starred alongside two Doctors, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi. She asked to be written out and left to take on the role of Queen Victoria in a major ITV drama series. Filming for the next series of Doctor Who will start this year but will air in 2017. In January, it was announced the head writer and executive producer of Doctor Who, Steven Moffat, was stepping down from the show. The next series will be his last, after which he will be replaced by Broadchurch writer Chris Chibnall.", "summary": "The new Doctor Who companion will be revealed live on BBC One on Saturday night."}
{"article": "The Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers (CIIC) says it has done so due to changes in immigration enforcement policy under President Donald Trump. It says the focus has been on people from seven countries named by the president and those with deportation orders or criminal histories. \"This applies to a small portion of the Irish community,\" it adds. \"Given the change in immigration enforcement policy and implementation, the immigrant community is strongly advised to be vigilant in obeying all local and state laws, especially when driving.\" It also advises \"those who feel they are at risk of deportation\" to speak to a lawyer and be screened for possible benefits or relief. \"Have an emergency and family plan in place in case of arrest, especially involving children.\" The organisation advises people to \"be wary of rumours about ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] activity, ICE raids or immigration policy changes\". It said Immigration and Customs Enforcement had recently carried out focused enforcement actions and community arrests of about 680 non-citizens, most with criminal histories or prior orders of deportation. \"This operation was not unlike previous enforcement actions in the past,\" it said. \"However, there have been some reports of secondary arrests of individuals who were not the original focus of the enforcement efforts, resulting from the fact that ICE now has broader authority to arrest anyone who is undocumented.\" The Trump administration has issued tough guidelines to widen the net for deporting illegal immigrants from the US, and speed up their removal. Undocumented immigrants arrested for traffic violations or shop-lifting will be targeted along with those convicted of more serious crimes. The memos do not alter US immigration laws, but take a much tougher approach towards enforcing existing measures. There are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the US, about 50,000 of whom are believed to be Irish.", "summary": "An organisation that represents immigrant groups has issued new advice to Irish people in the US."}
{"article": "The South American country qualified for the event by winning the Division Six tournament in Essex last September, when they beat Guernsey in the final. But the International Cricket Council launched an investigation after eligibility issues came to light. They will be replaced by Vanuatu, who finished third in Division Six. The World Cricket League is the ICC's one-day tournament for non Test-playing nations, which offers them the chance of qualifying for the World Cup. \"The Surinaamse Cricket Bond (SCB) has now accepted that it failed in its duty to ensure the provision of accurate residency information in respect of a number of players,\" the ICC said in a statement. Suriname has also been relegated to the World Cricket League's Americas Division One and forfeited a $25,000 grant received for the tournament in Jersey, which takes place from 21 to 28 May. \"We were obviously disappointed by the shortcomings in the SCB's procedures that were revealed by our investigation,\" said Tim Anderson, the ICC's head of global development. \"There is inevitably an element of self-certification when it comes to determining compliance with the player eligibility regulations, and for this reason the wider cricketing community needs to be able to place the utmost trust in the accuracy of information submitted by other ICC members. \"We are, however, heartened by the action the SCB have taken in confronting the issues raised and look forward to working closely with them to ensure they can resume their participation in ICC competitions in 2017.\" Nigeria, Tanzania and Oman will compete against Jersey, Guernsey and Vanuatu with the aim of winning promotion to Division Four of the World Cricket league. Have you added the new Top Story alerts in the BBC Sport app? Simply head to the menu in the app - and don't forget you can also add alerts for the Six Nations, cricket scores, your football team and more.", "summary": "Suriname have pulled out of May's World Cricket League Division Five tournament in Jersey after an inquiry into the eligibility of their players."}
{"article": "At least 20 shots were fired from an automatic weapon through the living room window of a house in Carrigart Crescent at about 01:45 GMT on Monday. There was no-one else in the house at the time. Police are investigating a possible link to a silver Skoda car which was seen in the Carrigart area before the shooting. It was stolen from Dublin in December and had fake number plates. The vehicle was found burnt out in the New Line area a short time after the shooting. Ch Insp Jon Burrows has appealed for the public to come forward with information. \"Someone must know what the background to this was,\" he said. \"Why was this person targeted? It was a very orchestrated, carefully planned attack. \"Is there anything happening in that area? Do you know anything about that individual who was targeted? \"We need your help in solving this crime.\"", "summary": "A 31-year-old man is in a critical condition in hospital after he was shot in the head in Lurgan in County Armagh."}
{"article": "It is a year since Iymen Baerli, a refugee from Syria, arrived in Sydney with his wife and three young children. Within days, the skies above the harbour of Australia's biggest city sparkled and glowed as arguably the world's finest fireworks display ushered in another new year. The newcomers shared their adopted homeland's optimism about the journey ahead. Iymen, a 52-year old former pharmaceutical sales rep, had ambitions to open up a catering business, helped by his brother, who ran a well-established cake shop in suburban Sydney. But 12 months later much of that hope has withered and the Baerli family are living at their modest apartment in Guildford, a multicultural district 25km (15 miles) from Sydney Opera House. War had forced them out of their home in Homs, Syria's third largest city, and they sought safety in Egypt. Resettlement down under would eventually follow. \"It was very hard moving from Syria to Australia. There are huge differences in the culture and tradition,\" he told me through a translator. \"I have been struggling and it is not easy but I am hoping that in the future it is going to be easier for me.\" Iymen's English is rudimentary and, although he is receiving tuition, his lack of language skills has been a major hindrance, as has a chronic back injury. Most of the new arrivals have been staying with relatives in Sydney, but community workers believe that, for many, the transition has been hard. Ahmad Hemmed, a migration agent, who has helped many Syrian families in Sydney, told the BBC that the majority of the refugees have been unable to adapt. \"There are people that after I meet them here after even a year, they do not like the country and they are scared to mix with the Australian community,\" Mr Hemmed explained. \"They are still isolating themselves with similar cultural background people and I think they are raising their kids in the same way, which for me it is really concerning. They live in Australia but they are not actually carrying Australian values.\" It is a harsh assessment, but officials have conceded that many of those fleeing the Syrian conflict have found life tough in Australia and that finding jobs in particular has not been easy. \"It is that extraordinary mixed feeling,\" said Prof Peter Shergold, the New South Wales co-ordinator general for refugee resettlement. \"At one level I think their first feeling as they get out of the airport is just sheer relief, expectations that they can build a new life, but of course absolute fear of what they have left behind, is this the right decision?\" He believes it is crucial the migrants mix with the broader community. \"They are coming to a society in which 27% of Australians were born overseas and a similar number had a parent born overseas. \"They are coming to a society which is used to diversity and that helps integrate into society and, yes, initially you'll tend to live in areas where other people from your ethnicity or religion live, [but] they need", "summary": "Australia has resettled about half of the 12,000 refugees it agreed to take in over the past 13 months from the conflict in Syria, but how are they adapting to life in their new country?"}
{"article": "Interior Minister Nikos Voutsis made his comments during a weekend TV programme. Stocks on Greece's ATG index closed 3.11% lower at 814.06. Greece still needs to strike a deal with its creditors in order to release \u20ac7.2bn (\u00a35.1bn) in remaining assistance. \"The four instalments for the IMF in June are \u20ac1.6bn, this money will not be given and is not there to be given,\" Mr Voutsis said. The country's finance minister meanwhile has told the BBC on Sunday that progress was being made. \"Greece has made enormous strides at reaching a deal,\" Yanis Varoufakis told the Andrew Marr Show. Other benchmark indexes across Europe have also fallen. The IBEX closed down 2.01% to 11,322.3 after Spain's voters punished the ruling Popular Party (PP) in local and regional elections. \"Sunday's losses by the ruling party are seen as a protest against the country's economic hardship, which is shown most clearly in an unemployment rate of 23% - and more than double that among young people,\" said BBC economics correspondent Andrew Walker. Financial markets were unsettled by the vote against an economic strategy that many investors broadly support, he added. France's Cac-40 closed down 0.5% to 5117.1, and Italy's MIB closed down 1.94% to 23,305. Stock markets in London and Germany were closed for public holidays.", "summary": "European stocks have fallen after a Greek minister said that Athens would struggle to meet its upcoming debt payments."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device PE teacher Vicki Randall turned to coaching after being forced to give up playing netball and football because of injury. The 29-year-old has encouraged more than 200 girls to play sport every week. \"I say quite often to them I don't care about the score, I just want them to enjoy it,\" Vicki said. \"I know that they appreciate everything that I do and at the end of the sessions they'll all say thank you.\" Vicki set up Cwmbran Youth netball club in 2009 with just five girls, which has now grown to 14 teams. Three players have recently been selected for Wales' under 17 squad. She also organises a weekly 'netball tots' club for children aged between one and five. She also runs Risca Netball Club, managing all five of their teams in the South East Wales League. Vicki also set up Cwmbran Celtic Ladies football team in 2012, guiding them to promotion to the Welsh Premier league two years later and also started a reserve team to encourage women to take up the sport. She typically spends four evenings a week coaching sport after work, often more than one session per evening. At weekends, she spends most Saturdays organising netball matches and tournaments, before devoting up to seven hours on a Sunday to her football teams. Despite undergoing nine operations on her knee she has continued to coach, sometimes on crutches or in a wheelchair. Vicki was nominated by Ann Daley from Pontypool whose daughter plays netball with Cwmbran Youth. \"Vicki has given so much to so many, volunteering all her free time,\" Ann Daley said. \"She has had a massive impact in raising levels of participation in sport for girls and women in South East Wales. Vicki really is an Unsung Hero.\" Vicki's achievement will be recognised at the Wales Sport Awards 2016 on Monday, 5 December at Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff, She will share the stage with the night's other big winners including Coach of the Year, Team of the Year and the prestigious BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year. The Wales Sport Awards 2016 will be broadcast live from 19.30 GMT on Monday, 5 December at the BBC Wales Sport website and also on BBC iPlayer and the Red Button. The event will also be live on BBC Radio Wales. The Wales Sport Awards is an event, organised in partnership by BBC Wales and Sport Wales. It aims to recognise the best achievements at elite and community level in Welsh sport. Watch BBC Wales Today at 18:30 GMT on BBC One Wales this evening to see the moment presenter Claire Summers surprises Vicki with her Unsung Hero award.", "summary": "A volunteer netball and football coach from Cwmbran has been named as BBC Wales Sport's Unsung Hero for 2016."}
{"article": "Sunderland said they agreed a three-and-a-half-year deal with M'Vila but \"decided not to enforce the contract\". M'Vila, 26, made 37 appearances for the Black Cats on a season-long loan last term before returning to Rubin Kazan. \"Any player we bring to Sunderland must be wholly committed,\" said chief executive Martin Bain. M'Vila missed just one Premier League game as he helped Sam Allardyce's side avoid relegation last term, with Black Cats fans hopeful the club would sign him on a permanent deal last summer. However, the move failed to materialise on transfer deadline day in September, leading to M'Vila posting an Instagram message - which was later deleted - saying he had tried contacting the club to push the deal through. M'Vila returned to the Russian club when his loan deal expired, making nine appearances in the Russian Premier League this season. Sunderland had not announced they had agreed a deal to re-sign the player until they revealed on Wednesday it had fallen through. \"I was contacted this week by Yann M'Vila's representatives, who advised that the player no longer wishes to join Sunderland,\" added Bain. \"There was a three-and-a-half-year agreement in place, however after discussions with the manager we have decided not to enforce the contract.\"", "summary": "Sunderland say they will not be signing Yann M'Vila in January after being told the French midfielder no longer wants to re-join the Premier League club."}
{"article": "It failed to pass on the last day of the previous assembly after opposition from Plaid Cymru. Carwyn Jones told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement the bill would be tabled again without the e-cigs ban. He said Labour's minority government would also have to rethink its council shake-up plans to win wider support. \"There is no point trying to bang our heads against a brick wall when it comes to e-cigs,\" he said. \"The public health bill will be brought back to the assembly but, clearly, there is no point including the provisions on e-cigs when we know they are not going to get through.\" His comments come at the start of a new assembly term with the minority government requiring support from other parties to pass through plans. Tobacco control action group ASH Wales has welcomed the minister's decision. Chief executive Suzanne Cass said: \"The evidence shows that e-cigs are being used as a cessation tool by a significant number of ex-smokers.\" The Public Health (Wales) Bill failed to pass at the last assembly after the presiding officer was required, because of a tie, to also vote, bringing the vote to 27 AMs against and 26 for. As well as the e-cigarette measure, it aimed to create a compulsory licensing system for tattooists, prohibit intimate piercing of children under 16 and require councils to produce a local toilets strategy. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said he was \"delighted that Labour has been forced to admit that they won't be pursuing this misguided policy\". The failed vote came despite AMs previously backing revised e-cigarette plans. On local government reorganisation plans, the first minister admitted he would now need to find \"common ground\" with the other political parties in the Senedd. Labour has long hoped to cut the number of authorities from 22 to single figures which has been opposed by the Conservatives among others. He said: \"Clearly, the map we published before the election, that is not going to gain support across the assembly, that's obvious. \"But we do need to find a way forward.\" Meanwhile, he was adamant that a preferred option for a new M4 relief road south of Newport, known as the black route, was the only way forward. However, Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood has previously ruled out any kind of deal with Labour if it pushed the proposals forward. Speaking on BBC Wales' Sunday Politics, Ms Wood said: \"Danger faces the government if it continues to be intransigent\". She said it will need the backing of another party to get policies passed, adding that Plaid Cymru's 12 AMs would \"consider very carefully what we do with our votes\". Carwyn Jones said he was just reflecting the arithmetic of the assembly in accepting that there wouldn't be enough support to push ahead with a ban on e-cigs in Wales and cutting the number of councils. Having Kirsty Williams in the cabinet helps him with the numbers but the first minister has to choose his battles because he needs support from the opposition in order to get his", "summary": "Plans to ban e-cigarettes in some public places will be dropped from Wales' public health bill, the first minister has said."}
{"article": "The DUP leader said he was not prepared to remain as first minister in a power-sharing government \"kept in the dark\" about such an important matter. He was speaking after the trial of Donegal man John Downey collapsed. Mr Downey denied killing four soldiers in the 1982 IRA Hyde Park bombing. The case collapsed because he was mistakenly told in a letter in 2007 that he was no longer a wanted man, despite the fact that police in Northern Ireland knew he was still being sought by Scotland Yard. Although police soon realised they had made a mistake, the assurance was never withdrawn. It said a total of about 200 such letters were distributed - mostly under the previous Labour government - to suspects \"on the run\". The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has confirmed that all the recipients were republicans. Prime Minister David Cameron told the Commons on Wednesday that Mr Downey should never have been sent the letter and that it had been a \"dreadful mistake\". Mr Downey's lawyer said his alleged offences had been categorised as one of the on-the-run cases that would no longer be pursued in the light of progress in the Northern Ireland peace process. Attorney General Dominic Grieve told the Commons on Wednesday that the judgement would not be appealed. Mr Robinson called for all letters sent out to be rescinded and \"full disclosure\" of what had happened. \"I am not prepared to be kept in the dark by Her Majesty's government about matters relevant to Northern Ireland,\" he told the BBC. \"I want a full judicial inquiry to find out who knew, when they knew and what they knew. I want to know who they are and what crimes they are believed to have committed.\" He said he felt deceived by the government, and if he and former DUP leader Ian Paisley had known about this, they would not have entered into power-sharing government with Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in in 2007. \"I am not prepared to be a stooge for Westminster who keep secrets on matters which are now devolved to Northern Ireland,\" he said. Anyone already convicted of paramilitary crimes became eligible for early release under the terms of the Northern Ireland Good Friday agreement of 1998. The agreement did not cover: Mr Robinson said he would discuss the matter with Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers at a meeting later on Wednesday. Responding to Mr Robinson's comments, Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland's deputy first minister, tweeted: \"My unionist colleagues need to calm down. We've all come a long way. No sensible person will thank anyone for threatening the institutions.\" Denis Bradley, a former vice chairman of the NI Policing Board and who co-chaired a group set up to deal with Northern Ireland's past, said he was surprised when unionists said they were not aware of the issue. \"I don't know who kept who in the dark because it was very much in the public situation,\" he said. \"It was well briefed at the Policing Board at the time, it may not have been at full board, but", "summary": "Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson has threatened to resign unless there is a judicial inquiry into secret letters given to more than 180 Irish republican paramilitary suspects."}
{"article": "The film has led to arguably one of the biggest scandals in the country's history and has shaken the foundations of the judiciary. Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas made it after two years of undercover work in which he gathered 500 hours of raw footage. It appears to show judges and court workers taking bribes from litigants, as well as some demanding sex, to manipulate justice. Allegations have been made against 34 judges, as well as dozens of other court officials, in evidence that was handed to President John Mahama and Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood. The chief justice launched an investigation into the 22 lower court judges, and is considering what to do about the 12 high court judges. Lawyers for 14 of the accused judges have denied the allegations and the High Court has dismissed their attempt to get the investigation suspended. The other accused judges have yet to comment in public. The film - Ghana in the eyes of God; Epic of Injustice - has been shown in the capital, Accra, and is now being screened for free across the country. Mr Anas has opted for public screenings rather than a television broadcast because media companies have been threatened with legal action if they do show it. But he wants as many people as possible to see the work as he told me he believes \"justice is for the people, let them see what justice means in this country\". Anas Aremeyaw Anas is something of an enigma, as he is never seen in public without a disguise. His fans call him a modern-day folk hero or the \"James Bond of journalism\" for his work in exposing alleged corruption and malpractice in Ghana and beyond. In his 15 years of undercover journalism he has among other disguises, posed as a female investor in high heels, sunglasses and lipstick, and a janitor in a brothel. He has also secreted himself inside a fake rock placed at the side of the road with a peep hole for his eyes. In his work he has exposed a human trafficking racket, corruption in the police and malpractice in a food processing plant. He argues that \"there is no point in doing journalism, if it does not lead progress in your society\". Before becoming a journalist, Mr Anas worked as a lawyer for two years. Unsurprisingly, the judges featured in the film are not keen for it to be shown, and a case has been filed to restrain cinemas and other venues from allowing their facilities to be used to screen the film. But this has so far been ignored. Justice Paul Uuter Dery has filed a new suit at the Supreme Court seeking to stop the investigations into the judges. He wants the court to declare that the material gathered cannot be used, as Ghana's constitution guarantees that evidence in a case relating to the removal of a judge should be heard in camera - in other words behind closed doors - and Mr Anas has already shown it in public. The documentary itself", "summary": "It has all the ingredients of a Hollywood blockbuster but the tale of sex, money and corruption that is gripping Ghanaian cinema-goers is a three-hour documentary that purports to expose judicial corruption."}
{"article": "When applications closed at midday on Friday, 1,924 people had been sent postal votes, which represents 6.4% of those on the electoral role. They have until midday on Wednesday to deliver their completed ballot slips, either by post or by hand, to Sir Charles Frossard House. Wednesday is polling day across the island. Registrar-general of electors Mark de Garis: \"Anyone on the electoral roll could choose to vote by post and our goal was to make the process as straightforward as possible. \"The popularity of postal voting is increasing... it's important that we continue to make it a quick and easy process.\" Postal voting has been allowed in Guernsey since 1972 and has grown significantly in recent years; 662 in 2000, 1,513 in 2004, 1,386 in 2008 and 1,685 in 2012.", "summary": "A record number of people have signed up for postal votes ahead of Guernsey's election next week."}
{"article": "Gloucestershire Police said they had received allegations that Opus Fine Art in Stow-on-the-Wold had been \"dishonestly retaining or selling\" art. The gallery deals in works by high profile artists including Damien Hirst. A police spokesman said investigations were ongoing to establish ownership of the seized property. The Independent newspaper reported the owners, Donald Smith and Emma Poole, were believed to have moved to the south of France.", "summary": "A large number of works of art have been seized from a Cotswold art gallery after allegations of fraud and theft."}
{"article": "Taylor, 27, is taking an indefinite break from cricket after suffering with anxiety and panic attacks. New Zealand all-rounder Amy Satterthwaite will captain the side in Taylor's absence. Six Super League teams will play 15 Twenty20 matches in a round-robin tournament that begins on 30 July.", "summary": "England wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Taylor will not appear for Lancashire Thunder in the inaugural edition of the Super League."}
{"article": "The guest list has been decided by Lady Thatcher's family and representatives, along with the government and the Conservative Party. It includes family and friends of Lady Thatcher and those who worked with her over the years, including members of her cabinets and representatives from a range of groups with which she was associated. Those also invited include staff who worked closely with Lady Thatcher or who served her in some personal capacity, such as housekeepers who looked after her office in the Houses of Parliament. Ten members of staff from the Ritz hotel, where Lady Thatcher was staying when she died, have been invited. About 200 states, territories and international organisations have been invited to send an official representative. Argentina's president has not been invited but the country's ambassador to Britain has. Downing Street says this is in keeping with diplomatic protocol for such occasions. The Queen will lead the mourners with the Duke of Edinburgh. St Paul's has a capacity of 2,300 and is expected to be full on the day. Invitees include: Some of those who have confirmed their attendance include: Among those not attending:", "summary": "Further details of guests invited to attend the funeral of Baroness Thatcher at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday have been released."}
{"article": "Several provinces of Kalimantan often experience the direct wrath of the fires, with hundreds of hotspots detected. In Malaysia and Singapore, people are advised to stay indoors when the haze is bad, avoid exercise and wear N95 masks - high quality protection against particles in the air. But in Kalimantan \"a lot of people do not even wear masks here because they are so used to the pollution,\" relief worker Jonathan How told the BBC. \"They've been conditioned by the haze for decades and are subjected to serious health problems much worse than in Singapore.\" This week, Mr How took a team from Singapore to Kalimantan. Their mission: to raise awareness about the dangerous air pollution and distribute 25,000 of the N95 masks. He described seeing \"smoky yellow skies\" in the region, where PSI pollutant levels have neared 2,000. Any reading over 300 is considered hazardous. The team of five arrived in Kalimantan on Monday, where they spent three days visiting local schools and hospitals to distribute masks. \"One lesson we learnt was that haze awareness is key. Though people may politely receive the N95 masks they are given, they will only use them if they truly understand the long-term health impacts of inhaling fine particulates from the haze,\" Mr How said. Singaporean photographer Edwin Koo, who also travelled with the team, documented their efforts. He shared with the BBC one experience of teaching a man how to put on a specialised N95 mask. \"When we first arrived at the airport, we gave out masks to the porters too. One of them took the strap [that were supposed to be looped over the head] and wore it on his ears, like a surgical mask. It ended up blocking his eyes and he didn't realize it was wrongly worn. So I showed him how to put it on correctly. It was then I realised that the mission was not as simple as it seemed.\" Mr Koo also said: \"Sometimes we have to cross the line of documentation. In this case, it meant that I had to put my camera down to help people put on masks and explain the hazards of exposing oneself to haze.\" Mr Koo has also been actively sharing images from the trip onto his Facebook page. His album titled, Haze Response Kalimantan 2015, features photographs of Kalimantan's burning peatlands and the daily life of the locals. Now back in Singapore, Jonathan How and the team are currently exploring new ideas on how to \"better inform people about the negative health impact of the haze\". They also want to continue to \"encourage people to use the correct masks for their protection\". \"We want to meet as many like-minded individuals and organisations as possible, to explore collaboration on longer-term solutions to the haze,\" he said. \"The regional pollution is a global responsibility, not just of the Indonesian government.\"", "summary": "Every year, a haze spreads across South East Asia - at the heart is Indonesia's Central Kalimantan, where raging forest fires cause the hazardous air pollution."}
{"article": "Vincent Friel crashed into Charlotte Collins, 68, and her cousin Margaret Haldane, 69, near Silverburn shopping centre in Glasgow on 18 January 2014. Ms Collins died shortly afterwards and Ms Haldane was seriously injured. Friel, 44, from Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, was also banned from driving for five years. Jailing Friel at the High Court in Glasgow, judge John Morris QC told him: \"You were a normal respectable member of the community until the date of this accident. \"I take into account the exceptionally slow speed your vehicle was travelling at. However, you drove through a pedestrian crossing on a red light causing the death of one lady and injuring another. \"Miss Collins relatives have lost a much loved family member. The effect on the families has been devastating. No sentence I can pass will assuage such devastation. No sentence passed by a judge will ever be viewed by the families as adequate.\" The court previously heard that Friel's Range Rover ploughed into the women at a pedestrian crossing in Barrhead Road. Friel, who owns a property letting business employing 20 people, was taking blood pressure medication at the time of the collision. He had also been prescribed Viagra and medicine to take away headaches that were brought on by having sex. His lawyers claimed the combined medicine caused his blood pressure to drop to such a low level as to cause him to faint and he was not in control of his actions at the time. The court heard from one doctor, described as a world-renowned expert in his field, who said it was \"likely or possible\" that Friel had suffered a \"vasovagal\" episode, another term for a faint. However, cardiologist Dr Andrew Flapan told jurors he thought it was \"extremely unlikely\" that Friel had fainted at the wheel of his 4x4. He pointed to the fact Friel looked normal after the crash and was able to reverse his car off one of the women and use his mobile phone to call for an ambulance, saying he would not be able to do these things for at least 20 minutes after fainting. A jury of nine women and six men took just one hour and 40 minutes to find Friel guilty of causing the death of Ms Collins and the serious injury of Miss Haldane by driving dangerously.", "summary": "A man who was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving after jurors rejected claims that he fainted at the wheel has been jailed for three years."}
{"article": "The E-ACT academy group says it will replace them with \"academy ambassadorial advisory bodies\". These new bodies will \"play a central role in celebrating the academy's achievements\", E-ACT has told its school governors in a letter. But governing bodies, with parental representatives, will no longer hold their local schools to account. The academy chain says it was about providing the \"best possible education\". A school governor described it as \"authoritarian\" and \"repugnant\". E-ACT's 23 schools are spread across England, with clusters in the West Midlands, Buckinghamshire, Bristol and the north west. As an academy chain it receives public funding to operate schools, with accounts for the academic year ending in August 2014 showing an income of \u00c2\u00a3135m. A letter sent to governors tells them that the academy chain has decided to change its form of governance. Instead of local school governing bodies, there will be a centralised process for monitoring standards. The letter to governors says the academy chain would contact governing bodies \"to discuss an appropriate transition date\" and the replacement bodies would provide a different type of function, such as an \"interface with the community\". And it invites current governors to move over to the new bodies, but these would no longer be involved in areas such as hiring senior staff and monitoring budgets and standards. A governor in one of E-ACT's schools in the midlands said he was \"shocked\" at how governing bodies had been disbanded, which he described as \"offensive and disrespectful to the people who freely volunteer their time to act as governors\". What makes this more controversial is that E-ACT itself has a troubled record. In 2014, the academy chain lost control of 10 of its schools after Ofsted inspectors raised serious concerns about their performance. Until July 2015, the chain was operating under a financial notice to improve, imposed by the Education Funding Agency. A spokeswoman for E-ACT said the academy group had introduced \"fundamental changes to how the organisation operates to ensure that every young person received the best possible education with us\". She added: \"Part of this involves adopting a new governance model, in line with the Department for Education's guidance. \"We appreciate that change can be challenging for some, but we are committed to continuing to work closely with our governors and are encouraging each of them to take up posts in the newly-formed advisory bodies.\"", "summary": "An academy chain is scrapping the current form of governing bodies for its schools in England."}
{"article": "Mr Jones announced the news in a tweet, which included a hand-drawn cartoon of a baby inside the womb along with a message referencing his father's death. \"One month since dad died today. Made this card for him at Christmas. Due in June. Circle of life. Love you, granddad,\" the director, 44, wrote. Mr Jones is the eldest child of Bowie, who died of cancer last month, aged 69. The Bafta award-winning director is the singer's only child from his 10-year marriage to his first wife, Angie. He is married to photographer Rodene Ronquillo.", "summary": "David Bowie's son Duncan Jones has announced he is to become a father for the first time."}
{"article": "RSPCA officers said Bradley Powers' English Mastiff Hercules was so emaciated, with \"nearly every bone visible\", he had to be euthanized. Powers, 51, of Swansea, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the dog at Swansea Magistrates' Court. He was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for two years. RSPCA said inspector Leigh Summers visited Powers' home in November last year to find an \"extremely skinny\" Hercules with a flea infestation. Insp Summers said it was one of the \"worst cases of neglect I have ever seen as an inspector - you could see nearly every bone in his body\". Insp Summers added: \"As well as not treating him for his weight loss, Hercules also had to suffer with a flea infestation, something which is easily preventable.\" She added: \"Although his owner has now been convicted and has been banned from keeping animals, his actions meant that Hercules lost his life and was not able to get the second chance he deserved.\"", "summary": "A man who failed to take his severely-underweight and flea-infested dog to a vet has been banned from keeping animals for 10 years."}
{"article": "The children, aged between three and seven, were being driven to their kindergarten in the city of Weihai when the bus burst into flames in a tunnel. The driver was angry that his overtime and night shift pay had been cut, police told Xinhua news agency. The children's teacher and the driver were also killed. The fire was started on the bus floor near the driver's seat. Part of a lighter was discovered nearby and petrol traces were found on the bus, Xinhua said. Electrical faults and traffic accidents had been ruled out as possible causes, police said.", "summary": "A fire on a bus in China that killed five South Korean and six Chinese children was started deliberately by the driver, Chinese state media say."}
{"article": "16 September 2014 Last updated at 07:25 BST Leaders from both sides have been touring the country and encouraging people to vote. Scotland's first minister Alex Salmond, who is leading the campaign for the \"Yes\" vote, tells Newsround what he thinks being Scottish means.", "summary": "There are only a few days left until the people of Scotland decide whether or not to become an independent country."}
{"article": "His side have won only two of their first seven league games following promotion and lie in seventh place. \"What I said at the start of the season, and I was very, very clear, was that we'd be highly competitive,\" the English manager told the media. \"You guys said about challenging Celtic and challenging Aberdeen.\" Rangers are seven points behind reigning champions Celtic and three adrift of the Dons, who were last year's runners-up, after losing to both in recent weeks. \"I said we'd be highly competitive and that won't change,\" he said of a side beaten 2-1 at Pittodrie in their last outing. \"I think you saw on Sunday we were highly competitive, but we have to get the rewards for it. \"What we have to do is to turn our domination and ball possession into rewards. \"That's what we did against Queen of the South. Between the Ross County and Queens match, there was no difference between the displays, but in one game we were far more clinical than the other.\" Warburton, who has received a one-match touchline ban for comments made after the loss to Aberdeen, insists it is still early in the season to express disappointment at Rangers' league position. \"You can say you are four points from the bottom or three points from second,\" he said ahead of Saturday's Glasgow derby against Partick Thistle. \"At this stage of the season, in any league, you win two games and the whole picture changes. The same if you lose two.\"", "summary": "Mark Warburton says his goal at the start of the season was simply to be \"highly competitive\" in the Scottish Premiership and Rangers have done that."}
{"article": "About 50 people attended a protest at Blackpool North after Chad Vickers was fired from his post, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said. It added that the police found \"no evidence at all\" and his removal by Northern Rail was a \"farce\". The rail operator said it was \"confident this dismissal was fair\". Adrian Thompson, human resources director for Northern Rail, added: \"We never rush to dismiss our staff. Dismissal is always a last resort.\" The union's general secretary Mick Cash said: \"There is no compelling CCTV evidence, the police found no forensic evidence and management could come up with very little in anecdotal evidence to support the decision to dismiss Chad.\" Northern Rail said it would continue a normal service this weekend despite the 48-hour strike, which started on Saturday midnight.", "summary": "Rail staff at a Lancashire station are on strike this weekend after a worker was sacked for allegedly putting hand gel in a supervisor's coffee cup."}
{"article": "It follows concerns changes proposed by the UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) could undermine the \"scores on doors\" scheme in Wales. In November 2013, Wales became the first UK nation to require food outlets to display their inspection ratings. The FSA is considering allowing third party auditors to be brought in to make much more limited inspections of premises. Senior officers in Wales are concerned the changes are fuelled by a need for councils in England to make savings - something the FSA has denied - and believe they would undermine the improvements in Wales. Mark Elliott, from the Directors of Public Protection in Wales, said: \"We should in Wales really consider a Wales-specific solution now, to build on what we've done, and not mess up what we've already got.\" The FSA said the proposed new system would give a better picture about a premises' standards every day - rather than just on the day they are inspected - by taking their own audits and systems into account. It has also been suggested food businesses should have to pay for a licence before they could open. A Welsh Government spokesman said: \"We will continue to collaborate with the FSA and local authorities to develop a sustainable approach to food business regulation that works across Wales and which reflects the need to ensure that the highest standards of food hygiene and safety are maintained.\"", "summary": "Calls have been made for Wales to have greater control over food hygiene."}
{"article": "Dawn Goodacre said she regularly slept with nine-week-old Henry Whitehouse nuzzled in her shoulder and would wake to breastfeed him at regular intervals. He did not regain consciousness on 20 December and died at Northampton General Hospital. Coroner Anne Pember recorded an open verdict and repeated her warning that co-sleeping is unsafe. It comes just two weeks after the inquest of 11-week-old Darcie-Rose Souster, who was starved of oxygen while sleeping on her father's arm at home in Wellingborough. Ms Goodacre sobbed throughout her evidence at Northampton County Hall. \"I went to kiss him on the head and I realised his temperature wasn't right,\" she said. \"I screamed to get an ambulance.\" He was taken to Northampton General Hospital but did not regain consciousness and died. Henry's father, Kieron Whitehouse, said he and Ms Goodacre were \"both in shock and devastated\". In a statement read to the court, he said Henry was Dawn's fifth child and while he was unexpected - Ms Goodacre hadn't realised she was pregnant until she gave birth - he was well cared for and much loved. Consultant paediatric pathologist Dr Roger Malcomson, who oversaw the post-mortem examination, said the cause of death was unascertained but linked to sudden unexplained death in infancy and \"in the context\" of co-sleeping with parents. Mrs Pember said she wanted to alert all parents that \"to sleep with a baby is an unsafe sleeping environment whether on a bed or a sofa.\"", "summary": "A baby sleeping with his mum on a sofa was found cold and unresponsive when she woke up, an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "The Police Ombudsman launched an inquiry after a complaint was made that police did not fully investigated claims against the Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in president. A police probe into the allegations was conducted properly, it said. The ombudsman, Dr Michael Maguire, said there were no signs of misconduct. He also said he had \"found no evidence to indicate that [police officers'] thinking was influenced by who Mr Adams was\". The complaint was in relation to Mr Adams' evidence in the case of his brother, Liam. Liam Adams was convicted in 2013 of raping his daughter, \u00c3", "summary": "A recommendation not to prosecute Gerry Adams over allegations he withheld information on sexual abuse within his family was not politically motivated, a police watchdog has found."}
{"article": "This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. If you want to receive Breaking News alerts via email, or on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App then details on how to do so are available on this help page. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts.", "summary": "Discussions continue in court over where terminally ill baby Charlie Gard should spend his final days."}
{"article": "The two English players shared the first four frames before O'Sullivan hit a 124 clearance to edge ahead in the semi-final in Cardiff. O'Sullivan, a three-time champion, then made breaks of 94 and 88 to lead 5-2 before winning with a 78. Australia's Robertson beat Northern Ireland's Mark Allen 6-4 to reach his second final, to be played on Sunday. Robertson, the 2007 champion, had trailed 2-0 in the best-of-11 frame match, but won the crucial third frame after a foul by Allen, of Northern Ireland. The world number three then won five consecutive frames to lead 5-2 and withstood a comeback by Allen to reach the final. Speaking after the semi-final, O'Sullivan, 40, compared Robertson to cinematic cyborg law enforcer RoboCop. \"I have watched him through the UK Championships and he never showed emotion through the whole tournament, \" O'Sullivan told BBC Sport, ahead of the best-of-17 final. \"It shows what an unbelievable professional he is. He is Robocop, he is like the new Steve Davis or Stephen Hendry.\" Robertson, 34, believes O'Sullivan is the favourite for the title. \"I don't mind flying under the radar,\" he added. \"It is nice, I can be the underdog.\"", "summary": "Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Joe Perry 6-3 to reach the Welsh Open final where he will play Neil Robertson."}
{"article": "South Yorkshire Police hopes to build the 50-cell suite in Shepcote Lane, near to Meadowhall shopping centre. It will replace suites in Ecclesfield, Sheffield and Rotherham, saving more than \u00a31m a year said the police. Ch Supt Rob Odell said it was hoped the new suite would be completed by the summer of 2016. He said: \"We anticipate that replacing three existing properties within Rotherham and Sheffield with one purpose-built facility will deliver annual savings of approximately \u00a31.2m. \"The majority of this will come from a reduction in staffing, but there will be other revenue savings and energy efficiencies too. \"We are consulting regularly with the staff affected, who are mainly custody sergeants and detention officers, and we hope to achieve the savings through natural wastage.\" A public consultation on the plans has begun.", "summary": "Plans for a \u00a319m police custody centre to replace three \"outdated and inefficient\" suites are being submitted to Sheffield City Council."}
{"article": "The Corsican side took the lead when Guinean Sadio Diallo beat goalkeeper Danijel Subasic from close range. But Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva pulled the league leaders level early in the second half when he headed in an Almamy Toure cross. Champions Paris St-Germain would move to within a point of the summit should they beat Toulouse on Sunday. Monaco travel to face Manchester City in their Champions League last-16 first-leg game on Tuesday. Match ends, Bastia 1, Monaco 1. Second Half ends, Bastia 1, Monaco 1. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Jean-Louis Leca (Bastia) because of an injury. Foul by Benjamin Mendy (Monaco). Jean-Louis Leca (Bastia) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Fabinho (Monaco) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Lenny Nangis (Bastia). Attempt missed. Thomas Lemar (Monaco) left footed shot from very close range is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Bernardo Silva with a cross. Lenny Nangis (Bastia) is shown the yellow card. Attempt missed. Florian Marange (Bastia) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Axel Ngando with a cross following a corner. Corner, Bastia. Conceded by Benjamin Mendy. Attempt missed. Jemerson (Monaco) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Thomas Lemar with a cross following a corner. Corner, Monaco. Conceded by Jean-Louis Leca. Attempt saved. Kylian Mbappe (Monaco) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Bernardo Silva. Foul by Bernardo Silva (Monaco). Lassana Coulibaly (Bastia) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Kylian Mbappe (Monaco) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Benjamin Mendy. Bernardo Silva (Monaco) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Lenny Nangis (Bastia). Substitution, Bastia. Lenny Nangis replaces Ga\u00ebl Danic. Attempt missed. Falcao (Monaco) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Nabil Dirar with a cross. Substitution, Monaco. Nabil Dirar replaces Almamy Tour\u00e9. Attempt missed. Jemerson (Monaco) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Thomas Lemar with a cross following a corner. Corner, Monaco. Conceded by Florian Marange. Corner, Monaco. Conceded by Alexander Djiku. Attempt missed. Jo\u00e3o Moutinho (Monaco) right footed shot from outside the box is too high following a corner. Corner, Monaco. Conceded by Abdelhamid El Kaoutari. Foul by Thomas Lemar (Monaco). Prince Oniangu\u00e9 (Bastia) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Almamy Tour\u00e9 (Monaco) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ga\u00ebl Danic (Bastia). Substitution, Bastia. Axel Ngando replaces Sadio Diallo. Substitution, Monaco. Kylian Mbappe replaces Val\u00e8re Germain. Foul by Fabinho (Monaco). Sadio Diallo (Bastia) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Val\u00e8re Germain (Monaco) header from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Benjamin Mendy with a cross. Corner, Monaco. Conceded by Alexander Djiku. Attempt blocked. Bernardo Silva (Monaco) left footed", "summary": "Monaco missed the chance to go six points clear at the top of Ligue 1 after being held by Bastia."}
{"article": "The Under-20 boss replaces Gareth Southgate, who vacated the role to become England manager after the departure of Sam Allardyce. Boothroyd, 45, took charge for the U21 side's final two Euro 2017 qualifiers and secured qualification for this summer's finals in Poland. \"I've been at the FA three years; this is the logical next step,\" he said. \"I believe I am here on merit because I've worked in all four divisions and I've got an understanding of speaking to a League Two manager or a Premier League manager and the problems they have.\" Boothroyd was in charge of Watford for three seasons from 2005, initially saving the club from relegation to the third tier before leading them to the top flight in 2006. The Vicarage Road side finished bottom of the Premier League the following season, then failed to make an immediate return, losing in the play-off semi-finals. Boothroyd left the following season and had a nine-month spell at Colchester and an 11-month stint at Coventry before taking charge at Northampton in 2011. The side were bottom of League Two at the time and Boothroyd guided them to safety, and the play-offs the next season, before being sacked in 2013 with the club once again last in the fourth tier. \"You can get stuck in a job and I was very much on a hamster's wheel in my previous jobs,\" he told BBC Radio 5 live. \"But this has reinvigorated me. I've watched games I could only have dreamed of, met people, been to World Cups and I feel like I've grown massively in the last three years.\"", "summary": "Former Watford and Coventry boss Aidy Boothroyd has been confirmed as manager of the England Under-21 team."}
{"article": "Konta won 7-5 6-2 and will now face the Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova. The fifth seed beat Russia's Daria Kasatkina 3-6 7-5 7-6 (9-7). Konta, 25, is 11th in the race to Singapore, with only the top eight qualifying for the tournament, which takes place from 23-30 October. Konta could also break into the world's top 10 for the first time if she continues her run at the China Open. Currently ranked 14th, she would join Virginia Wade, Sue Barker and Jo Durie as the only Britons to achieve the feat on the WTA Tour.", "summary": "British number one Johanna Konta boosted her hopes of reaching the WTA Finals in Singapore by beating Hungary's Timea Babos in straight sets to reach the China Open third round."}
{"article": "The campaign is expected to be a head-to-head between MSPs Kezia Dugdale and Ken Macintosh. Mr Macintosh has launched his campaign with a promise to shake up the party organisation, including moving the headquarters from Glasgow to Edinburgh. He said Scotland must be more accountable and responsive to the needs and wants of Scottish people. Ms Dugdale will launch her leadership campaign on Saturday. She has said she will offer the party a fresh face and fresh thinking. Mr Macintosh said that if he became leader he would begin negotiations with the new national Labour leadership to establish a formal relationship with Scottish Labour that recognises its autonomous role within the UK party. He said that was one of several fundamental changes to the way Scottish Labour operates that were needed before the party could win back voters' trust. The MSP for Eastwood's reforms would include: Launching his leadership campaign at the headquarters of East Kilbride and District Engineering Group Training Association, Mr Macintosh said: \"I want to make it quite clear - I see myself as the change candidate. Yes we could manage the situation we are in. We could lurch from election to election as we have done in the past. \"But I want to change the whole way the Labour Party operates. I want to move away from the machine politics of the past, to give the party back to its members and to the people we want to represent.\" He added that his leadership would seek to assert the \"identity, authority and autonomy of the Scottish Labour Party\". \"I've never been interested in standing for Westminster and I don't look over my shoulder or seek permission to say what I want to say on behalf of the people of Scotland. \"The Welsh Labour party seems to have had no difficulty in establishing its own identity, with significantly less devolved power or responsibility than we enjoy here in Scotland.\" He said: \"We will be entirely in charge of our own affairs and our own decision-making, but it is important to us that we have a partnership of equals with party colleagues in the rest of the UK. As I heard it described recently, our future will be one of both self-rule and shared-rule.\" On his plan to move the party's head office to Edinburgh, he added: \"It is time the structure of the Labour Party reflected that the focus of political attention in Scotland is Holyrood. \"This will be the head office - we will opt in to the Labour Party, we will choose to be members of something bigger, but control rests with members here in Scotland.\" He said he was committed to devolution and wanted to devolve responsibility within the party to eight regions reflecting the list regions of the Scottish Parliament, with membership and campaigning organised at that level. Speaking about his plan to put all elected representatives on an equal footing within the party, he said: \"I want to broaden our appeal, not narrowly focus on an ever declining audience of Scots with so-called traditional", "summary": "Nominations have closed in the contest to replace Jim Murphy as Scottish Labour leader."}
{"article": "After the bus explosion, huge blasts were heard in the Gaza Strip as the Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian territory continued. Eleven people were killed in Gaza on Wednesday, the health ministry said. Unnamed Palestinian officials told news agencies a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel would be announced within hours. After eight days of exchanges of fire between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon are now in Cairo for talks with the Egyptian president. There were \"many details to work out\" before a ceasefire could be reached, Mr Ban warned. By Kevin ConnollyBBC News, Tel Aviv In the immediate aftermath of the bus bombing, there was a palpable sense of shock hanging in the air around the scene. Israel's largest city has seen nothing like this for six-and-a-half years. One resident - when told that the news of the explosion broadcast from mosques in Gaza has been greeted with a sound of celebratory gunfire there - said that they need to celebrate this as some kind of victory because they have nothing else to offer but violence. A police helicopter still circled overhead and there were roadblocks at many main junctions around the scene as police hunted for the bomber or bombers seen running away from the scene. Paradoxically, the explosion and the waves of Israeli air raids on Gaza this morning do not necessarily mean that the search for a ceasefire is dead. It may mean that both sides are sending a signal that if a deal is agreed, they will be reaching it from what they regard as a position of strength. The search for a diplomatic solution reaches a critical phase this afternoon when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi - the only leader with effective lines of communication both to Israel and to Hamas. Earlier, she and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon held talks in the West Bank with the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The US \"strongly condemns\" the bus bombing, Mrs Clinton said. Militants fired more rockets at Israel, while Israel renewed its naval artillery bombardment of Gaza late on Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman Ofir Gendelman said on his Twitter account that the bus explosion in Tel Aviv was a \"terrorist attack\". The Ichilov medical centre in Tel Aviv said that of the 28 injured, 10 had suffered \"body injuries\" - three of them serious - three received \"moderate-light\" injuries including shrapnel wounds and burns, and the remainder were suffering from \"anxiety\". The bus was passing the military headquarters in the city at the time of the blast. Police say they believe the blast was caused by a bomb and they are still searching for a suspect. According to Israel's ministry of foreign affairs, the last bomb attack in Tel Aviv was in April 2006, when a suicide bombing on a restaurant killed 11. Hamas, the Islamist movement which has governed Gaza since 2007, has praised the attack but has not said it was behind the", "summary": "Twenty-eight people have been injured in a \"terrorist attack\" on a bus in Israel's commercial capital Tel Aviv, Israeli officials say."}
{"article": "Wentworth, which was bought by the Beijing-based Reignwood Group in September 2014, has told existing members they must stump up \u00a3100,000. Annual fees on top of that are to rise from \u00a38,000 to \u00a316,000. James Wyatt said he and other members faced having to pay \"an enormous amount\". The Surrey golf club said membership pricing \"is a private club matter\". Mr Wyatt, who learned of the new fees at a meeting on Tuesday evening, told the BBC: \"You'll have to pay a debenture of \u00a3100,000 and if you want to join as a new member it'll be \u00a3125,000. \"A debenture is essentially a loan note with no interest on it, but there was some doubt as to whether we're looking at what we all think a debenture to be, or if it is really just a payment to the owners to fund their purchase and improvements in the club. \"On top of that you'll have to pay annual subs of \u00a316,000. \"People were completely shocked.\" He said the debenture scheme and increase in annual subscriptions would come in to force in April 2017. Currently, full members pay a joining fee of \u00a315,000. Despite opposition, one of the club's members - who preferred not to be named - said he welcomed the increase, calling it \"fantastic news\". He said: \"Members for years have been asking for improvements to our courses, facilities and services. \"The new investment plans, focused on quality and family, will propel the club forward to become one of the finest golf and country clubs in the world.\" The golf club is on the Wentworth estate, in the heart of the Surrey stockbroker belt. Its large houses are home to Middle Eastern royalty, international business tycoons, professional golfers and celebrities. The six-figure cost of membership would make Wentworth the UK's most expensive golf club, although some other exclusive venues worldwide reportedly cost more. The BBC asked three other top UK golf clubs - Royal Liverpool, Sandwich Royal St George's and The Belfry - for details of their membership fees. The first two said as private members' clubs they would not disclose the information, while the Belfry revealed the joining fee for the Brabazon course was \u00a32,000, with an annual membership of \u00a33,250. It's unheard of [the cost of the debenture plan], in this country anyway, and unheard of in the whole of Europe I would think, although years ago in the Far East and some clubs in the United States have had this sort of thing. Whether it will work in Wentworth I really don't know. I'd like to see the reaction from the members, because this is a very bold step. The idea, I'm told, is the club wants to have a very good relationship with those who have houses on the estate, but a lot of them are from overseas, from Asia and Russia and other places. It's a jigsaw puzzle at the moment and I wonder how many pieces will fall into place. A spokesman for the Virginia Water-based club said: \"We will be discussing our new membership", "summary": "One of the UK's most exclusive golf clubs is to start charging \u00a3125,000 to new joiners."}
{"article": "25 June 2017 Last updated at 09:35 BST Anne was a Jewish victim of the Holocaust. Her diary, which she nicknamed 'Kitty' is a very famous record of her experiences during World War II. Anne wrote about how she and her family lived in a secret hidden attic in the Netherlands to help them hide from the Nazis. We spoke to a group of girls who have read Anne's diary, and they said that Anne's optimism and positivity was very relatable and inspiring. Take a look to find out more...", "summary": "It's 70 years since Anne Frank's diary was published."}
{"article": "Not that long ago, lenders made it easy for people in their early 20s to climb onto the nearest ladder by offering interest-only mortgages. As house prices rose year after year, homes looked like a solid investment. There appeared to be little danger of buyers slipping down to where they started. Then the financial crisis hit, the board became a seething mass of snakes, and the property market did not seem as easy to play after all. So, how has the game changed now, and what is facing those who fell back to having to start all over again? With an interest-only mortgage, householders pay off the interest on the loan but not the capital. At the end of the mortgage term, borrowers are expected to repay the capital. The attraction of interest-only mortgages was obvious to many young first-time buyers. Many were aged in their early 20s, had just started their first job, and were happy to put off any real consideration of how they would pay the loan back, or to rely solely on the rising value of their home. In addition, they were cheaper than the repayment option. But, as they became more and more popular, this type of mortgage was placed more frequently under the microscope of the City regulator - the Financial Services Authority (FSA). In 2006, when 24% of all new mortgages were lent on an interest-only basis, the FSA said most people with interest-only mortgages did not have \"robust plans\" to repay them \"There is nothing wrong with interest-only mortgages,\" said Clive Briault, of the FSA, six years ago. \"However, consumers must be very clear about how they are going to repay the loans they take out.\" That comment may sound familiar because just a few weeks ago, Martin Wheatley, the managing director of the FSA said almost exactly the same thing. \"There is a place for interest-only,\" he told a mortgage industry conference. \"Lenders must ensure these mortgages are taken out by consumers with a concrete repayment plan.\" The fears may not have changed, but the market for interest-only mortgages certainly has. In the last week or so, RBS, NatWest and the Coventry Building Society have pulled out of the market altogether. They followed a withdrawal in October by the UK's biggest building society, the Nationwide. \"Whether this is the ultimate final nail in the coffin remains to be seen, but it does look increasingly like interest only is destined to survive only as a niche product or the preserve of the wealthy through the private banking fraternity,\" said Andrew Montlake, director at mortgage broker Coreco. The only lender to ease its stance is Santander which, after cutting back sharply on interest-only, is now allowing a mix of interest-only and repayment under a new deal. The FSA would be pleased to see interest-only disappearing for good as a mainstream product, but that is not a view shared by everyone. Source: Moody's Investors Service Jonathan Harris, director of mortgage broker Anderson Harris, said: \"Interest-only is increasingly becoming a niche product, the preserve of wealthier borrowers.", "summary": "In the game of snakes and property ladders, winning now looks a lot more difficult for young buyers."}
{"article": "Oduwa, 19, and Ball, 20, represent manager Mark Warburton's eighth and ninth signings of the summer window. Both Players are a product of the Tottenham youth system. Ball spent the second half of last season on loan at Cambridge United, making 11 appearances, whilst Oduwa also appeared 11 times for Luton town. Ball has represented England at Under-19 and Under-20 level, having previously represented Northern Ireland at younger age groups. Oduwa has also played for England at youth level, representing his country at the Under-18 level. Warburton will have both players available this Sunday as Rangers continue their Championship campaign away to Alloa.", "summary": "Rangers have signed winger Nathan Oduwa and defensive-midfielder Dominic Ball on a season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur."}
{"article": "Sussex could have taken third place had they won at Hampshire, but rain forced their match to be abandoned. Somerset's fixture at Middlesex was also called off, meaning Somerset finish second in the South Group. Essex finished top of the group after beating Kent by 57 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method at Canterbury. They are joined by North Group winners Worcestershire in going straight through to the semi-finals. Somerset will host Nottinghamshire in the quarter-final on 13 June with the winner to face Essex at Chelmsford three days later. Yorkshire play Surrey at Headingley in the other quarter-final, also on 13 June. The winner travels to Worcestershire on 17 June. At Canterbury on Wednesday, Varun Chopra scored 83 from 98 deliveries, while England Test opener Alastair Cook made 54 as the visitors reached 307-6 from their 50 overs. Kent lost three early wickets before rain caused play to be stopped after 11 overs had been bowled, with the hosts on 50-3 - well short of their adjusted target. Surrey captain Gareth Batty told BBC Radio London: \"It was 100% the right decision [to call the game off], the water's coming over your shoes out there. \"There's nothing you can do, you just move on to the next game.\"", "summary": "Surrey qualified for the One-Day Cup knockout stages despite rain causing their game at Gloucestershire to be called off without a ball being bowled."}
{"article": "It is claimed the accounts for the Cleddau Bridge are confusing, with some showing a loss and others a profit. Motorists pay 75p - lorry drivers \u00a31.50 - to cross between Pembroke Dock and Neyland. There have been previous calls to scrap the tolls altogether. The council said it will review both the physical and financial management of the bridge. The announcement follows a complaint from a member of the public to the Wales Audit Office, which argued that money collected by the council was not being spent in line with rules governing the bridge. The complaint also suggested that council accounts for the bridge are confusing. One set of Pembrokeshire council figures for 2013/14 show the bridge operation made a loss of \u00a360.6m. A second set of figures for the same period suggest the loss was \u00a39.3m. And a third set of figures state that the council actually made a combined surplus of \u00a317.6m. Council officials have confirmed to BBC Wales that \u00a360m deficit is in fact a 'notional' loss - and does not actually exist. The second part of the complaint to auditors is over whether the council should be allowed to make a profit - and where that money should be spent. Collecting tolls on the Cleddau Bridge is governed by legislation set out by the UK Parliament in the Dyfed Act 1987. Council leader Jamie Adams said the authority's position was that it can make a profit as long as the funds are used for other transport projects. However, he accepted that the wording of the 1987 law was unclear. Mr Adams added: \"We've simply followed the example set by our predecessor authority Dyfed. \"Certainly there are different ways to interpret the act which allow for different accounting practices to be undertaken.\" The council said it plans to carry out the review of the lifetime cycle of the Cleddau Bridge by the end of March 2016.", "summary": "The way tolls on a Pembrokeshire bridge are managed are to be reviewed after a complaint to a spending watchdog."}
{"article": "Keith Bristow said expecting all the estimated 50,000 people in the UK who have accessed abuse images to be brought to justice was \"not realistic\". He said police would have to focus on those who posed most risk. Labour called it \"disgraceful\", adding that the NCA was not fit for dealing with the problem. The Home Office said all crimes should be investigated. Some 660 arrests were made during a recent operation targeting people who had accessed child abuse images online. However, the BBC understands that as part of that investigation, as many as 20,000-30,000 individuals were identified as potential offenders. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) - part of the NCA - has estimated that 50,000 people in the UK are involved in downloading and sharing images of child abuse. \"It is uncomfortable because... we want to see these people in the criminal justice system,\" NCA director general Mr Bristow said. \"But in my judgement, if there are 50,000 people involved, we won't be able to identify all of them and we won't necessarily be able to bring all of them to justice.\" He said the agency's priority was to concentrate effort on the \"most dangerous people\" and those most likely to carry out physical abuse. But campaigners pointed to a link between accessing abuse images and \"contact offending\". A 2012 Ceop report found \"compelling evidence\" that those who possessed child abuse images should be considered a risk to children. Tom Symonds, BBC home affairs correspondent It is an honest admission, which it would have been easier not to have made. But it is clear that police forces and child abuse experts are dealing with a flood of potential evidence - partly the result of increasingly sophisticated software which can detect the digital fingerprint of abusive images online. The implication is that police forces and the NCA will have to review their cases to determine those where immediate action is needed to protect children, those where more time can be taken, and those which will simply have to be left on file. This brings obvious risks. A suspect who has viewed indecent images online but, to date, done nothing abusive in the \"real world\" may offend at a later date. Keith Bristow's comments - at a briefing for specialist reporters - did not include a call for more resources. There is little doubt others will take up those reins. The NCA said in July that the 660 arrests made as part of Operation Notarise included teachers, medical staff, former police officers, a social services worker and a scout leader. Some of the suspected paedophiles had terabytes - equivalent to 1,000GB - worth of data on their hard drives or storage devices. Mr Bristow said the \"most risky\" would be targeted first. He said there would be a \"range of interventions\" which for some of the offenders could fall short of them \"standing in a court\". An NCA spokesman said that included preventative measures and enabling young people to protect themselves online - such as blocking search terms and disrupting", "summary": "Some paedophiles with images of child abuse will escape prosecution, the head of the National Crime Agency has said."}
{"article": "NTS said four chicks had hatched from one nest at the Mar Lodge Estate. One male chick has been satellite tagged as part of the RSPB's Hen Harrier Life project. The species was pushed to the brink of extinction by the early 1900s. Numbers recovered but there are still only about 500 breeding pairs in Scotland. The large raptors are found mainly in moorland areas. Mar Lodge Estate property manager David Frew said: \"It is fantastic news and really exciting to see these birds returning to the estate for the first time in living memory. \"We have worked hard to create an environment where raptors can thrive, and it is great to see that our approach to management is paying off.\" Will Boyd-Wallis, from the Cairngorms National Park Authority, said: \"We very much hope that the careful management undertaken by the National Trust for Scotland alongside other estates in the East Cairngorms Moorland Partnership and in the wider National Park will lead to many more pairs successfully returning to the area.\" Blanaid Denman, from the RSPB's Hen Harrier Life Project, said the news was \"amazing\", given the \"parlous state\" of Scotland's hen harrier population. She added: \"National surveys show a 20% decline in just six years between 2004 and 2010 and east Scotland in particular has seen only a handful of successful breeding attempts in recent years. \"All this makes the return of hen harriers to Mar Lodge even more exciting and a wonderful cause for celebration.\" From the end of the summer, people will be able to follow the tagged chick's adventures online via the Hen Harrier Life Project website. In the meantime, Mar Lodge Estate is running an online poll to name the chick.", "summary": "Rare hen harriers have bred successfully at a National Trust for Scotland (NTS) estate in the Cairngorms for the first time in living memory."}
{"article": "Safety at HMP Birmingham is at risk as a result, they said, after the 12-hour disturbance involving hundreds of inmates last December. The riot had a \"profound\" effect on staff who were in shock but committed to moving on, inspectors said. G4S, which runs the jail, said the findings were a \"fair assessment\" of challenges it faced. February's inspection was carried out to check on how prisoners were being housed after 500 were moved after the riot and not to look at why it happened, chief inspector of prisons Peter Clarke said. The findings come as wings of the jail that were damaged in the riot have fully re-opened to inmates. The inspection followed an assessment by the Independent Monitoring Board last October that said an \"urgent\" solution was needed to stop prisoners taking psychoactive drugs. But, inspectors said illegal drugs were still widely available in February, with 52% of inmates saying said it was easy to get them - including psychoactive substances like Spice. This was up from 37% at the last inspection, in 2014, which said conditions had improved at the Category B jail. One in seven inmates also said they had developed a drug problem at the prison and nurses treated prisoners under the influence of those substances on 52 occasions in January. The use of mobile phones and drones to arrange and deliver drugs was \"a significant threat\". Violence had increased \"substantially\", much of it linked to the drug use, and some prisoners felt unsafe, inspectors said. The disturbance took much of the newer accommodation out of use, leaving more than 900 prisoners in older Victorian accommodation. Despite improvements to some internal communal areas, many of the showers, stairways and sluices were dirty, along with cramped cells, many having broken windows. However, security processes in the aftermath of the riot were \"broadly proportionate\". Inspectors praised many positive interactions between staff and prisoners and said healthcare was generally good and community rehabilitation projects were working better than in other jails. Prison director, Richard Stedman, said: \"We are resolute in our determination to move on, make progress and not be defined by December's disorder and this week the prison returns to its full operational capacity.\" Michael Spurr, HM Prison and Probation Service chief executive, said \"There remains more to do to provide purposeful activity and to tackle violence and illicit drug use, but the staff and the leadership team deserve credit for the commendable way they have responded to the challenges to date. Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said the prison was in the headlines for \"all the wrong reasons last year\" and remains a hotbed of violence. Source: HM Inspectorate of Prisons", "summary": "Violence is on the rise at a riot-hit jail because of a high volume of illegal drugs inside, inspectors say."}
{"article": "However, Wednesday's gain of 12.1% paled by comparison with its 66% plunge on Tuesday. At the other end of the scale, advertising giant WPP's shares sank 11% after it reported slowing sales. At the close, the FTSE 100 was just in positive territory, up 0.91 points or 0.01% at 7,382.65. On the currency markets, the pound was down 0.3% against the dollar at $1.2786 and down 0.63% against the euro at 1.031 euros.", "summary": "Troubled doorstep lender Provident Financial has gone from being Tuesday's biggest stock market loser to Wednesday's biggest winner."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old Kenyan hit the front with about 300m to go after compatriot Alfred Kipketer sprinted clear on the first lap of the race. Rudisha finished in one minute 42.15 seconds, ahead of Algeria's Taoufik Makhloufi and fast-finishing American Clayton Murphy. \"I am so excited,\" said Rudisha. \"It is the greatest moment of my career.\" Makhloufi ran a new national record of one minute 42.61 seconds and Murphy clocked a personal best of one minute 42.93 seconds in a bizarre race. Kipketer set out fast, going through the first 200m in just 23 seconds. But the 19-year-old, who had beaten Rudisha in the Kenyan national trials, faded to finish seventh in Rio. \"Running 1:42, it's just fantastic,\" added Rudisha. \"I had no doubts before. The feeling in my body was good. It is great to win such a big competition.\" BBC Sport's chief sports writer Tom Fordyce in Rio: \"He is the greatest 800m runner of all time and he may also be the nicest man in his sport. Rudisha may not be at the same holy level as that unforgettable night in London, but he remains both a joy to watch and an unstoppable force. \"After the injuries he suffered after 2012 - missing the worlds in 2013, requiring a serious knee operation less than two years ago - this victory was never preordained. He just makes it look that way.\"", "summary": "David Rudisha became the first athlete since New Zealand's Peter Snell in 1964 to retain the men's 800m Olympic title."}
{"article": "Scowen, 24, who made his first-team debut at the age of 17 with Wycombe, joins on a free transfer having turned down a new contract with the Tykes. Enfield-born Scowen played 44 games to help Barnsley to a 14th-placed finish in England's second tier last season. He moved to the Oakwell club for an undisclosed fee in January 2015. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Queens Park Rangers have signed midfielder Josh Scowen on a three-year deal following his exit from Championship rivals Barnsley."}
{"article": "Campaign groups and opposition parties are organising a march on 9 July against the current system, which they say is plagued with fraud. Police say the rally to be held in Kuala Lumpur is illegal and have warned the public against attending. Prime Minister Najib Razak is expected to call a general election this year. Mr Razak called on the opposition to fight him at the polls rather than on the street, brushing off allegations of electoral fraud. \"Do not create chaos just because you want power. If there is chaos, then [the organisers] will be held responsible,\" he said in an interview with the Star newspaper published on Sunday. Police arrested scores of people at the weekend, stopping buses carrying activists, many of them from the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM), in the north and south of the country. Many have since been released but some 31 remain in detention in northern Penang, according to PSM spokesperson Y Kohila. The BBC's Jennifer Pak in Kuala Lumpur says the activists are demanding longer campaign periods, automatic voter registration and equality of access to the largely government-linked mainstream media. Police have accused the detainees of carrying flyers and T-shirts advertising the demonstration that have \"inflammatory slogans\". The authorities say they are trying to promote communist ideology, thereby \"waging war against the king\". \"Based on paraphernalia seized by police from the activists, it can be seen that they have connections with the Communist Party of Malaya ideology,\" said Penang's deputy police chief Abdul Rahim. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has urged police to release the activists, calling the communist allegation a \"flimsy pretext\". Human rights groups said the arrests appeared to be pre-emptive. \"The police campaign appears to be aimed more at intimidation, apparently on the misconceived basis that this is a legitimate means to preserving public order,\" said rights lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar. PSM leaders said the allegations were \"ridiculous and far-fetched\". The police launched a crackdown after a similar demonstration in 2007. Analysts say that protest helped the opposition win an unprecedented number of seats in the last general election. This time though, pro-government groups have pledged to counter the demonstrations planned for next month, setting the stage for potential confrontation, our correspondent says.", "summary": "More than 30 Malaysian activists remain in detention, after being arrested at the weekend weeks before a planned mass rally calling for electoral reforms."}
{"article": "On its Twitter feed, the firm reported a second outage this afternoon - which was restored less than an hour later. \"Internet of North Korea down again at 15.41 UTC. Second blackout since last night's restoration of service,\" the tweet read. The first outage saw large parts of the internet unavailable in North Korea. Officials have not yet commented on the issue. Speculation is rife about the source of the blackouts, following a cyber security row with the US. China has denounced reports suggesting it was responsible. US officials have not commented on any possible American involvement. The US had said it would launch a proportional response to the hacking of Sony Pictures, after an FBI investigation appeared to show that North Korea was behind the hack attack which led to films and private emails being leaked online. The Interview, which depicts the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was cancelled by Sony following threats from hackers. Internet services in North Korea were down for around nine and a half hours in the first outage, according to Dyn Research. Some questioned how much an outage would affect a country where normal citizens have little access to the web. Although many have computers and smartphones, they only have access to a government-approved intranet. Access to the world wide web is reserved for a trusted elite in North Korean society. North Korea's internet is handled by state-run company Star Join Ventures which is routed through Chinese telecommunications firm China Unicom.", "summary": "North Korea appears to have suffered a second internet blackout, according to internet performance measuring firm Dyn Research."}
{"article": "Anne sent the eight-line verse to a friend in 1942. The auction house in the Netherlands had valued the rare, handwritten note at \u20ac30,000-\u20ac50,000. Anne is best remembered for her diaries of life as a German-born Jew in occupied Amsterdam in World War Two. The poem was signed and dated 28 March 1942, which was less than four months before the Frank family moved into a secret apartment to hide from German forces. Addressed \"Dear Cri-Cri\", it was given to Christiane van Maarsen, the older sister of one of Anne's best friends, Jacqueline. The Bubb Kuyper auction house, based in the Dutch city of Haarlem, said Jacqueline van Maarsen was selling the poem because she knew her sister, who died in 2006, did not see it as a prized possession. In a note published on the auctioneers' website, she wrote, \"My sister (nicknamed Cri-Cri) tore this page out of her poezie album and gave it to me around 1970. I know that my sister was not as attached to this verse from Anne to her as I am to the verse Anne addressed to me.\" It was common for girls of the era to collate notes from friends in scrapbooks they called poezie albums. The first four lines of the poem, which encouraged the older sister to work hard at school, are known to have been copied from a magazine. The second four carried on the same edifying theme, but may be Anne's original work. The auctioneers noted that Anne switched her style of handwriting midway through writing. Her diaries have become one the most important documents to emerge from the Holocaust. Her father published them after she died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen Nazi death camp aged 15.", "summary": "A poem by Dutch schoolgirl Anne Frank written shortly before her family went into hiding from the Nazis has sold at auction for \u20ac140,000 ($148,000; \u00a3120,000), well over the estimate."}
{"article": "Warriors rested a host of regulars but spent most of the first half in Zebre territory and secured the bonus point before the half-hour mark. The tries came from Nick Grigg, Peter Murchie, Rob Harley and Matt Fagerson, with Peter Horne converting all four. A Sam Johnson try and two from Matt Smith stretched Glasgow's lead with Kyle van Zyl and Kurt Baker replying. The visitors came into the match on the back of successive wins over Connacht and the Dragons, but they lost Carlo Engelbrecht and skipper Valerio Bernabo to injuries in the opening seven minutes, and they fell behind after 11. Glasgow captain Henry Pyrgos fed Peter Horne who slipped the ball to Grigg to dive over, with Horne adding the conversion. The hosts doubled their lead when excellent work by the pack sucked Zebre in on the left and a swift shift to the right allowed Murchie to cross, with Horne converting. Harley scored his first try of the season soon after, following a brilliant break from his own half by Johnson, with Grigg and Horne also involved in the set-up work. The bonus point was sealed before the half-hour mark, Pyrgos and Chris Fusaro linking brilliantly to play in Matt Fagerson for his maiden Glasgow try, with Horne making it four conversions from four. Johnson added the fifth try after the break, capitalising on great work from Fusaro, with Horne's hot streak from conversions continuing. In a nice moment for the Horne family, Peter then left the action and was replaced by brother George. Seconds later Glasgow scored again when a superb drive on the left allowed Smith to cross over. Zebre reduced the deficit slightly when Van Zyl cashed in on the first real lapse in the home defence to cross over. Smith added his second of the match thanks to a moment of luck when the ball was knocked out of Brian Alainu'uese's hands and it dropped into the arms of his team-mate to cross over. The hosts were sloppy in defence as Baker ran over late on but that did not detract from a solid display from Warriors, who are now six points adrift of the top four with two games to play. Glasgow head coach Gregor Townsend: \"I'm happy, there was a great crowd and we got the win. Zebre played a lot of good rugby and they were committed, and that's a big improvement on Zebre teams that have come here in the past. They've shown why they have won two games in a row and they were tough to break down, but this new team we had out tonight found a way to do that. \"We'll miss these nights and it's great to see so many fans turning up, when you're playing a team at the bottom of the table that are not bringing any fans and we are not going for the play-offs this year. The loyal supporters are still there supporting us.\" Glasgow Warriors: Peter Murchie, Leonardo Sarto, Nick Grigg, Sam Johnson, Rory Hughes, Peter Horne, Henry Pyrgos (c); Alex", "summary": "A much-changed Glasgow Warriors side cruised to a bonus-point victory over Zebre in the Pro12."}
{"article": "Throughout Northern Ireland's Troubles, hijackings by paramilitaries became an all too frequent occurrence for bus drivers and their passengers. Ulsterbus, which celebrated its 50th birthday this week, had 1,500 buses destroyed during the Troubles. However, the impact on drivers was even more severe - 12 lost their lives and many more were injured. Ulsterbus driver Raymond Bell was hijacked five times, with three of his buses completely destroyed. \"Normally, what they did was to get someone to stand at a pedestrian crossing and as you went down the road they would have stepped onto the crossing to get you stopped,\" he told BBC NI's Good Morning Ulster. \"Once you stopped, all of a sudden the doors would open and there would be masked men with either cudgels or a gun and they'd say 'we're hijacking your bus'.\" Mr Bell said drivers tried not to dwell on the threat because, if they did, they wouldn't have gone into work. However, he said the incidents did have an effect. \"If you were hijacked and you weren't injured, you came back to the depot and you continued your night's work or your day's work after that,\" he said. \"Or the company would have said 'we'll cover your duty for you, see you tomorrow if you're able to come in'. \"Quite a lot of drivers suffered mental issues and also injuries and it stayed with them on the job and also many left the job because of issues like that.\" The managing director of Ulsterbus during some of the darkest days of the Troubles was former Luftwaffe World War Two conscript Werner Heubeck. He became famous for carrying bombs off hijacked buses. Frank Clegg, a former colleague of Mr Heubeck, worked as general manager for services for Ulsterbus. He said if the company didn't keep the buses running, they weren't serving the people of Northern Ireland. \"Buses represented normality - having buses on the road was lifeblood for commerce, for getting people to and from work,\" Mr Clegg said. \"So with all our colleagues - drivers, engineers - we kept the buses running and the service running. \"We didn't know how many buses we were probably going to have the next morning, we didn't know how many drivers, because unfortunately they suffered assaults and hijacks, but we had to keep services running and that meant changing timetables overnight in certain instances. \"It was a case of working together, it was a case of keeping things going. \"It wasn't defiance against whatever, it really was that was what our job was.\"", "summary": "\"All of a sudden the doors would open and there would be masked men with either cudgels or a gun.\""}
{"article": "Pacquiao was unanimously outpointed in Brisbane last week as 29-year-old Horn won his first world title. The Filipino, 38, urged governing body the WBO to review an \"unfair decision and officiating\". It asked five judges to analyse the fight and they found \"Pacquiao won five rounds while Horn won seven rounds\". The five \"anonymous, competent judges from different countries\" watched the fight without sound, it added. The WBO stressed the analysis was carried out for \"transparency\" as it did not have the power to reverse the original decision. \"It can only be revoked when fraud or a violation of law has occurred, which is not relevant in this case,\" a spokesperson said.", "summary": "Former welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao's controversial loss to Jeff Horn has been rescored by WBO judges - who reached the same result."}
{"article": "The reforms are thought to include tax rises and pension changes. Greece is due to present the proposals by 22:00 GMT on Thursday to try to secure a third bailout and prevent a possible exit from the eurozone. The new proposals will be studied by eurozone finance ministers on Saturday and a full EU summit on Sunday. Defence Minister and junior coalition party leader Panos Kammenos gave no further details of the agreed plans as he left the prime minister's official residence, where ministers had been meeting. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has spent the day discussing the proposals with his cabinet. Greek media are reporting that the reforms will be put to the Greek parliament on Friday for approval. On Wednesday Greece formally submitted a request for an unspecified loan from the European Stability Mechanism bailout fund. This would be a fresh loan \"to meet Greece's debt obligations and to ensure stability of the financial system\", Greece says - in other words, to avoid bankruptcy. The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, who will chair Sunday's EU summit, said he hoped to receive \"concrete and realistic proposals of reforms from Athens\". Such proposals \"will have to be matched by an equally realistic proposal on debt sustainability from the creditors. Only then will we have a win-win situation,\" Mr Tusk added. However the German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that \"a classic haircut\" (meaning reducing the value of Greece's debts) was \"out of the question\" for her. All Greek to you? Debt jargon explained Speaking in Sarajevo, Mrs Merkel said the eurozone had dealt with the issue of debt sustainability in 2012. She described Sunday's EU summit as a decisive and important meeting. \"We must not forget that the Greek people are suffering at the moment,\" she said. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble also ruled out debt relief for Greece, saying \"there cannot be a haircut because it would infringe the system of the European Union\". Greece needs to implement reforms to win the trust of its eurozone partners, Mr Schaeuble said. He told a conference in Frankfurt that his message to the new Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos was: \"Just do it!\". Follow the latest updates here The Greek government has meanwhile extended bank closures and the \u20ac60 (\u00a343; $66) daily limit on cash machine withdrawals until Monday. The curbs were imposed on 28 June, after a deadlock in bailout talks with creditors led to a rush of withdrawals. Louka Katseli, the head of the Greek bank association, said on Thursday that there was enough liquidity in cash machines to serve the public until Monday. Tsipras, Greece's high-stakes gambler Why Greece sees France as last hope How easy is it to swap currencies? Full coverage of Greek debt crisis On Thursday, EU Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said he was hopeful of a new deal: \"I have the sense that the dialogue is established, or restored, and that there is a way out.\" The IMF, lowering its economic growth forecast for the world for 2015, said events in Greece would have a \"limited\"", "summary": "Greece's government has agreed a reform programme and will submit its proposals to its international lenders soon, the defence minister has said."}
{"article": "Walkers have been warned to keep away from the site at Seaford Head, with the coastguard warning it could fall away at any time. Amanda Death, who lives in Seaford, spotted the crack and alerted Newhaven Coastguard after going out for a walk with her daughter. Coastguard spokesman Graham Easton said there had been cliff falls at Seaford, Birling Gap and Hastings this year. \"It could go at any time but it could hang on for quite a long time,\" he said. \"The advice is simple to stay away from cliff edges - but equally we want people to stay away from the base of cliffs. \"They can be crumbly and fall away and obviously a big crack like this would cause a massive cliff fall but even small rocks will cause a lot of damage if you're underneath at that sort of height.\" BBC reporter Lucinda Adam estimated the crack was about 6ft (1.8m) to 7ft (2.1m) long. She said the land above the crack was on the other side of the safety fence, closest to the sea. Mrs Death said she went to have breakfast on the beach with her daughter on Saturday and spotted the crack when the pair walked further along the coast. She said she stayed back from the edge but was able to zoom in on the crack with her phone and added: \"It looks like it could go pretty soon.\" Seaford is the start of a six-mile (10km) stretch of protected limestone sea cliffs that lead up to Beachy Head, according to Natural England. Walkers follow a cliff top footpath from Seaford to reach Hope Gap and Cuckmere Haven.", "summary": "A large crack has appeared in a cliff face in East Sussex."}
{"article": "The \u00a313m fee, along with the \u00a32m paid by Sunderland for fellow defender Adam Matthews, suggests that the Scottish champions once again emerged from summer dealings having made a profit. Striker Nadir Ciftci, from Dundee United, and defender Dedryck Boyata, from Manchester City, arrived for about \u00a31.5m each, while Celtic still had some spare change to purchase centre-back Jozo Simunovic from Dinamo Zagreb and midfielder Ryan Christie from Inverness Caledonian Thistle on the final day of the window. The number of other clubs willing or able to pay transfer or compensation fees has been on the increase and Dundee, Dundee United, Hearts, Motherwell and Ross County have all loosened the purse strings to some degree. However, cost cutting remains as squad sizes continue to shrink County under Jim McIntyre continued where Derek Adams left off in previous seasons with the biggest turnover of staff along with Motherwell, where an incredible 23 players passed through the exit door in the wake of their close shave with relegation. On balance, Celtic, Aberdeen, St Johnstone, Dundee, Kilmarnock and Hearts appear to have stronger squads than last season, while Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Dundee United, Hamilton Accies, Partrick Thistle and Motherwell seem to be starting the season weaker. With all those changes at Victoria Park, it is a guessing game to decide on which side of that line County's new squad will fall. Marquee signing: Danny Ward is only on loan from Liverpool, but the former Wales Under-21 goalkeeper is so highly regarded that he immediately displaced Scott Brown and Jamie Langfield from the first team, with the latter's long stay at Pittodrie looking likely to come to an end soon. Key arrival: Having utilised natural centre-half Andrew Considine, admittedly somewhat successfully, at left-back, Dons manager Derek McInnes has drafted in a much-lauded specialist in Graeme Shinnie from Premiership rivals Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The 23-year-old decided against extending his career-long stay at Caledonian Stadium, where he has also shown his versatility on the right and in midfield. One that got away: Russell Anderson's injury enforced retirement not only deprives the Dons of the former Scotland international's influence on the pitch but - along with Donvervon Daniels' return to West Brom - leaves them short of cover in central defence. In: Graeme Shinnie, defender (Inverness Caledonian Thistle); Paul Quinn, defender (Ross County); Joe Nuttall, forward (Manchester City). Loan: Danny Ward, goalkeeper (Liverpool); Josh Parker, forward (Red Star Belgrade); Ryan McLaughlin, defender (Liverpool). Out: Jamie Langfield, goalkeeper (St Mirren); Joe Shaughnessy, defender (St Johnstone); Nicky Low, midfielder (Dundee); Clark Robertson, defender (Blackpool); Declan McManus, forward (Fleetwood Town); Andrew Driver, midfielder (De Graafshap); Kieran Gibbons, midfielder (Livingston); Craig Murray, defender (East Fife); Russell Anderson, defender (retired); Lewis Dunbar, defender; Jamie Masson, midfielder; Cem Felek, defender; Ritchie Petrie, midfielder; Marcus Campanile, midfielder; Michael Jones, forward. Loan: Lawrence Shankland, forward (St Mirren); Danny Rogers, goalkeeper (Falkirk). Loan ended: Donervon Daniels, defender (West Bromwich Albion). Last season: 2nd Prediction: 2nd. Derek McInnes has had to reduce the size of his squad, but those shed were on the fringes while the new additions increase", "summary": "As always seems to be the case, the marquee move of the summer transfer window was left to the final day, with Virgil van Dijk's long-touted switch to Southampton from Celtic finally being completed."}
{"article": "Express Wi-fi allows users to purchase data from local providers in order to access the web. A pilot version with a state-run telecoms company has already been offered at 125 rural wi-fi hotspots. In a statement, Facebook said the tests were being carried out with \"multiple local ISP partners\". Facebook is probably hoping that users who first encounter the web via a Facebook initiative will be more likely to become users of the social network - rather than a competitor - according to Ian Fogg, an analyst at IHS Technology. \"In emerging economies, Facebook is pursuing an intervention strategy to increase the pace of internet and online usage because this will also raise the addressable market for Facebook,\" he told the BBC. Earlier this year, Facebook's Free Basics internet service app was blocked by India's telecoms regulator. A ruling in favour of net neutrality put a stop to the plans, which would have offered free access to a select number of websites only.", "summary": "Facebook has confirmed that it is in the early stages of testing a wi-fi service with Indian internet service providers (ISPs)."}
{"article": "The country's bank central bank also raised interest rates from 12% to 13% in a bid to stem foreign reserve loses. Nigeria has spent billions of dollars defending the naira using \"dwindling foreign reserves\", the bank's governor said. Falling oil prices also affected the Angolan kwanza, which hit a record low against the dollar on Tuesday. The bank's governor Godwin Emefiele said: \"Falling oil prices have consistently reduced the accretion to external reserves, thus constraining the ability of the bank to continually defend the naira and sustain the stability of the naira exchange rate.\" The bank moved the target band of the currency to 160-176 naira to the US dollar, compared with 150-160 naira previously. It also raised interest rates by 100 basis points. Nigeria, which has one of the biggest economies in Africa, and is one of the continent's leading energy producers, has spent billions of dollars in the past year shoring up the naira, Mr Emefiele said. Foreign reserves stood at around $37bn (\u00c2\u00a323.5bn), down over 18% from a year ago. \"Big surprises from the central bank,\" said Razia Khan, head of Africa research at Standard Chartered. \"With these moves the central bank has shown absolute commitment to dealing with current challenges,\" she said. \"They have not shied away from the tightening needed to sustain current FX [foreign exchange] reserves.\" Meanwhile, Angola's kwanza traded traded as low as 100.895 against the dollar before recovering some ground to 100.700 on Tuesday. Angola is Africa's biggest oil producer after Nigeria.", "summary": "Nigeria has devalued the naira, saying a drop in oil prices had made it hard to defend its currency."}
{"article": "Sir Bob Kerslake said one of the difficulties was that \"easier\" savings had already been made. He said the \"sense of urgency\" would be reduced and the need for cuts would be hard to explain to public sector staff. Sir Bob stepped down from his role this month and was replaced by former Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood. He said the civil service had \"excelled\" during his time in charge. Speaking at the Institute for Government think tank, he said it was clear that \"under any government, we face up to a further five years of austerity in public sector spending\". \"The first five years have been challenging but the second five years are likely to prove even harder for three reasons,\" he said. \"Firstly, the easier savings have already been made. \"Secondly, we are likely to be doing it against a background of a growing economy and greater competition for good staff. \"Thirdly, the sense of urgency that underpinned the first savings programme will be reduced. \"In reality, the task is not yet complete. But this will be hard to explain to those in the public sector, including our own staff, who are looking for some relief.\" Sir Bob said the civil service had \"excelled\" in its challenge to \"deliver big programme savings at the same time as undergoing huge change and reduction itself\". The roles of cabinet secretary and head of the civil service were split into two jobs when Sir Gus O'Donnell retired as both in 2012. Sir Bob, who was already permanent secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), took the role as head of the civil service at that time. He will retire from his DCLG role early next year.", "summary": "The outgoing head of the civil service has predicted another five years of UK government spending cuts - and he said making the cuts would be \"even harder\"."}
{"article": "The opposition said its demand for free elections have not been met. Separately, UN human rights chief Zeid Raad al-Hussein warned that a government-allied youth group was becoming increasingly violent. Burundi has been hit by unrest and a failed coup since President Pierre Nkurunziza announced in April that he would run for a third term. African news updates Western donors have cut some aid to the country, and say they will not help finance the election. Mr Nkurunziza's spokesman Philippe Nzobonariba said his decision to stand for re-election was \"non-negotiable\", and the polls would not be delayed again. Mr al-Hussein said his office received nearly 50 phone calls a day from people across Burundi pleading for protection. The Imbonerakure youth group was accused of summary executions, tortures and beatings, and \"could tip an already extremely tense situation over the edge,\" he said.. The electoral commission proposed on Monday that presidential elections, originally scheduled for 26 June, take place on 15 July, which falls short of a call by regional leaders to delay the poll by at least six weeks. The commission has suggested that parliamentary elections, originally due on 5 June, be shifted to 26 June. None of the opposition parties attended the meeting where the commission unveiled the new dates, Reuters news agency reports. A group of 17 opposition parties had earlier issued a statement saying they were committed to dialogue, but repeated their demand for the 51-year-old president, who survived a coup attempt last month, to quit, it reports. The BBC French Service's Venuste Nshimiyimana reports that one of the main opposition parties, the National Liberation Forces (FNL), has condemned the electoral commission's proposal as unconstitutional. FNL secretary-general Adolphe Banyikwa said the five-member body lacked a quorum, after two of its members fled to Rwanda because they feared for their lives. Its decisions were, therefore, invalid, Mr Banyikwa said. More than 20 people have been killed since 25 April in protests against Mr Nkurunziza's bid to extend his 10-year rule. More than 100,000 have fled to neighbouring states, aid agencies say. Another opposition leader, Charles Nditije, told the AFP news agency that Burundi could not hold elections in the current climate. \"If things remain as they are, we consider that it will be a masquerade, a parody of elections,\" Mr Nditije is quoted as saying. Meanwhile, the main civil society group in Burundi said it had written to UN chief Ban Ki-moon, demanding the resignation of his chief mediator, Said Djinnit. Mr Djinnit had not focused on Mr Nkurunziza bid for re-election, which is the root of the crisis in Burundi, the letter said. The opposition says Mr Nkurunziza's attempt to run for office again contravenes the constitution, which states a president can only serve two terms. But Mr Nkurunziza's supporters argue that he is entitled to another term because he was first elected by parliament in 2005 - not voters. The Constitutional Court has ruled in favour of the president.", "summary": "Burundi's opposition has rejected a proposal by the electoral commission to hold presidential polls on 15 July."}
{"article": "The award was created in 2011 by BBC Radio 1 presenter Huw Stephens and promoter John Rostron. This year's shortlist includes a mix of established artists and emerging stars, with songs that embrace a range of genres, sounds and influences. Past winners of the prize include Gwenno and Gruff Rhys. The 2016 shortlist of artists and their albums: 9Bach - Anian Alun Gaffey - Alun Gaffey Cate Le Bon - Crab Day Climbing Trees - Borders Datblygu - Porwr Trallod Meilyr Jones - 2013 Plu - Tir a Golau Right Hand Left Hand - Right Hand Left Hand Simon Love - It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time Skindred - Volume Swnami - Swnami The Anchoress - Confessions of a Romance Novelist The winner will be chosen by a panel of industry experts including musician Amy Wadge, Dwynwen Morgan from BBC Radio Cymru and critic Lowri Cooke. The winner will be announced on 24 November at The Depot in Cardiff. Mr Rostron, from the Welsh Music Prize, said: \"So many great albums are being released from Wales at the moment - it's a really good time to be listening to new music and finding some new favourites.\"", "summary": "A shortlist of 12 artists has been announced for the Welsh Music Prize 2016."}
{"article": "The security alert began after police received a report of a suspicious object on Thursday afternoon. A number of cordons are in place and police have warned that traffic will be affected. A respite centre has been opened at Long Tower Youth Club for people displaced by the alert. Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in Councillor Patricia Logue said: \"The people who create these alerts have nothing to offer the community and should desist immediately from their campaign of disruption.\"", "summary": "Homes have been evacuated and traffic has been disrupted due to an ongoing security alert in Southway, Londonderry."}
{"article": "Officials said further refinement of satellite data found the plane may have turned south earlier than thought. The announcement came as Australia and Malaysia signed an agreement on the search's next phase, which will see the two countries sharing costs. The Beijing-bound plane disappeared on 8 March with 239 people onboard. Based on analysis of satellite data, it is believed to have ended its journey in seas far west of the Australian city of Perth. Investigators do not know what happened to the flight and finding its \"black box\" flight recorders is seen as key to understanding the factors behind its disappearance. Australia, which is responsible for search and rescue operations, has been looking for the plane in an area about 1,800km off its west coast. The latest detail on the plane's possible flight path came from an analysis of a failed attempted satellite phone call from Malaysia Airlines to the plane, said Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss. \"The search area remains the same, but some of the information that we now have suggests to us that areas a little further to the south... are of particular interest and priority,\" he told reporters in Canberra. A Dutch contractor, Fugro Survey, will kick off the next phase in the search in September. Three vessels towing underwater vehicles will scan for the plane. The search will focus on an area of about 60,000 sq km and is estimated to cost about A$52m (\u00c2\u00a329m, $49m). Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai signed the memorandum of understanding with Mr Truss. The two were also briefed on search efforts, together with China's Transport Vice-Minister He Jianzhong. Most of the passengers onboard the flight were Chinese. The ministers issued a statement saying they \"remain cautiously optimistic\" that the plane will be found.", "summary": "Australia says the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will focus on the southern part of the search area in the Indian Ocean."}
{"article": "The money would ensure anyone waiting 12 months to either see a consultant or start treatment by March 2017 would be seen and treated by March 2018. Michelle O'Neill said she was confident the money would be agreed after the election on 2 March. She told BBC News NI she believes the plan is achievable. The minister published her strategy to tackle hospital waiting lists on Tuesday. The minister revealed that \u00a31m is being invested in the private sector in order to start tackling waiting lists immediately, although this is not detailed in the action plan. While welcoming the announcement of the plan, the DUP's health spokesperson Paula Bradley said improvement on waiting lists was being hampered by the lack of a budget and election demands. \"Progress was being made on waiting lists previously,\" she said. \"At the start of 2016, figures for both outpatient and inpatient waiting times were coming down and we need to see a continuation of that kind of progress.\" Jo-Anne Dobson from the Ulster Unionist Party claimed the health minister was \"engaging in a pre-election stunt.\" \"Michelle O'Neill is right to say that when she took up office last May lengthy waiting times were a major problem,\" she said. \"Yet under her watch those delays have only worsened.\" The SDLP's Nichola Mallon said patients who are waiting for procedures would want to know what the strategy means for them. \"We need to know when people are going to be treated and have cast iron guarantees that the money is going to be there,\" she said. \"Unfortunately we don't have those guarantees.\" Paula Bradshaw, the Alliance Party's spokesperson on health, said more detail and further scrutiny was required. \"It is concerning the lack of a Budget means the allocation of funding which is needed to achieve what the plan sets out to do remains unclear,\" she said.", "summary": "More than \u00a331m is required to treat patients who have been waiting more than a year for some appointments, the health minister has said."}
{"article": "A team from Strathclyde University in Glasgow tested 22 different brands of compost and found that 14 contained a variety of Legionella species. It says a larger survey is needed to determine the extent of the issue. The study, \"Legionella spp. in UK composts - a potential public health issue\", is published by Clinical Microbiology and Infection. Dr Beattie, one of those who conducted the study, said: \"Disease causing micro-organisms are widespread in the environment, and therefore it is not too surprising that species of Legionella that can cause human disease are present in compost. \"Any environment where you have pathogenic bacteria could be a source of infection, and we already know that compost has been linked to human Legionella infection in countries such as Australia and New Zealand.\" Dr Beattie said European produced composts have traditionally been composed of peat, whereas those from Australia and New Zealand had more often used sawdust and bark. \"It may be that the change in composition of composts in the UK, moving away from peat-based products, could be resulting in species such as Legionella longbeachae being present in compost and therefore more cases of infection could occur,\" she said. Dr Beattie wants a larger scale survey, covering a wider range of compost products, to be carried out to see if Legionella bacteria are as widespread in composts as her study suggests. She added: \"It should be emphasised though, that although Legionella seem to be common in compost, human infection is very rare, especially if you consider the volume of compost sold and used. \"But with any potential source of infection precautions should always be taken. \"The occurrence of these bacteria in composts in Australia and New Zealand, and the cases of infection that have been traced to compost has resulted in hygiene warnings on compost packaging in these countries, and this is something manufacturers in the UK may wish to consider.\" The study was conducted by Dr Tara Beattie, fellow academic Dr Charles Knapp, Strathclyde PhD student Sandra Currie and Dr Diane Lindsay of the Scottish Haemophilus, Legionella, Meningococcus and Pneumococcus Reference Laboratory.", "summary": "Legionella bacteria appears to be \"common\" in many compost brands sold in the UK, a study has found."}
{"article": "A number of smoke bombs were thrown onto the field marring Forfar's abandoned Scottish Cup replay against Linlithgow Rose on Tuesday night. \"I'm not entirely certain Scottish football can do anything to eradicate it,\" Donald told BBC Scotland. \"These tiny missiles that are coming in are the size of a cigarette lighter.\" The fourth round replay was cut short due to floodlight failure at Station Park, with a \"distraught\" Donald stating he had not anticipated any trouble or pyrotechnics from supporters. \"Had this been a higher profile game, we would probably have put measures in place,\" he said. \"But because we'd already played once and it went off absolutely seamlessly, you do your risk assessment and we thought we had the adequate amount of cover. \"We possibly could have handled it better and maybe we should have been more prepared, but I think when you sit down, do your analysis of the facts before the game, this is probably as low-risk a game as you could get. Media playback is not supported on this device The 42 SPFL member clubs met on Tuesday, with facial recognition technology mentioned as one potential method of identifying fans engaging in antisocial behaviour. \"I'm open to suggestions from people - how would you control it?\" added Donald. \"If you've got 500-600 people in a contained environment and they're hell-bent on setting a flare off, you would need to have a steward for every three or four spectators to stop that, and that's never going to happen. \"It's really regrettable and it's something that is happening more and more often. It's a wider problem that's becoming far too prevalent.\" Linlithgow Rose manager David McGlynn said the club would try to track down those responsible for throwing the smoke bombs, while club president Les Donaldson attempted to challenge the perpetrators at Station Park. \"It's just shocking to think that a club who has tried so hard to go forward, to make facilities so good for every person who comes along to eventually be brought down by a bunch of hooligans who have no interest whatsoever in watching football, all they were there for was causing trouble,\" Donaldson told BBC Radio Scotland on Wednesday. \"All I wanted to do was try to show solidarity with the stewards and the police and try to get these people to realise how they were letting a club down that has never been in any trouble before. \"To be faced with this bunch of morons last night - they are not true Linlithgow supporters - we are just at a loss what to do.\"", "summary": "Forfar Athletic chairman Alastair Donald has conceded he has no solution to the recent spate in flares and smoke bombs being thrown by supporters."}
{"article": "But his term in office has been dogged by the deep schism between his own Fatah movement in the West Bank and the militant Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip. Mr Abbas, opposed to armed struggle and committed to pursuing an independent Palestinian state through negotiations, has enjoyed strong support from the international community. Under his leadership, US and European money has flowed into the West Bank to build up security forces which he has used to crack down on militant activity and Hamas's political infrastructure. But in the face of scant progress from years of negotiations, and the tough stance of the right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu elected in early 2009, his strategy has looked increasingly bankrupt to many Palestinians. A year after Mr Abbas won presidential elections, he suffered a major blow as Hamas gained a sweeping victory in legislative polls. A short-lived unity government was formed after months of wrangling, but fell apart in June 2007 as factional street battles broke out in Gaza and Hamas drove Fatah's security forces from the Strip. From then on, Mr Abbas ruled the West Bank only, essentially by presidential decree. And when his four-year term ended in January 2009, Hamas declared him illegitimate - although he argued that the Palestinian basic law called for presidential and legislative elections to be held at the same time, so he could legally stay in post for a further year until legislative polls due in January 2010. In November 2008, he also was elected \"president of a future Palestinian state\" by the Palestine Liberation Organisation. He had been chairman of the umbrella body - which represents Palestinian political factions (although not Hamas) and conducts negotiations with Israel - since the death of its previous leader, Yasser Arafat, in 2004. But the move was seen as a way of shoring up his authority. Mr Abbas has walked a delicate line between appeasing Israeli and US demands that he improve security and participate in peace negotiations, and popular Palestinian pressure for genuine political and economic progress. And he has, in the past year, undermined his already fragile poll ratings with misjudged comments and actions. Even Fatah supporters were angered when Mr Abbas was slow to condemn the punishing military assault that Israel launched on Gaza in December 2008, and criticised the Hamas rocket fire Israel said it was trying to end. And Mr Abbas's credibility suffered further when the PA initially agreed, under Israeli and US pressure, to allow the postponement of a UN vote on the Goldstone report which was heavily critical of Israel's conduct during the operation. But, under him and his appointed Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, the West Bank economy has shown signs of improvement while Gaza has suffered under a crippling Israeli-Egyptian blockade aimed at weakening Hamas. Born in Safed in British Mandate Palestine in 1935, he is one of the few surviving founder members of Fatah - the main political grouping within the PLO. In exile in Qatar during the late 1950s, he helped recruit a group of Palestinians", "summary": "Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, has led the Palestinian Authority since he was elected as its president in January 2005."}
{"article": "CNOOC had offered to pay $27.50 cash per share for Nexen in July, a 60% premium on its share price at the time. However, the deal still needs to be approved by the Canadian government which has launched a review to assess its benefit to Canada. If approved, the deal will be China's largest foreign business takeover. \"The offer is a compelling one, and offers benefits for all Nexen's stakeholders, including employees and communities,\" CNOOC spokesman Peter Hunt was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. \"CNOOC Limited will continue to pursue all regulatory approvals required to close the transaction.\" While Nexen shareholders have backed the deal, there seems to be growing opposition to it among politicians and even the general public in Canada. Canada's biggest opposition party, the New Democratic Party (NDP), has voiced its concerns over the deal. \"We're very concerned about the potential sale of a strategic Canadian asset, not only to a foreign enterprise, but one that is wholly controlled by a foreign government that doesn't follow the same market rules as Canada,\" said Thomas Mulcair, leader of the NDP. \"The question is how can it be in Canada's interest, how can it be of a net benefit to Canada, to sell a strategic natural resource to a corporation that is wholly owned by a foreign country?\" Meanwhile, according to a latest survey conducted by Abacus Data, 69% of Canadians are also against the deal, while only 8% approve of it, with the rest being unsure. \"A majority of those opposed to the deal (58%) cited the fact that Nexen operates in one of Canada's core strategic industries, and a foreign company should not have control of such an important resource,\" Abacus Data said. Mr Mulcair added that the survey indicated that \"Canadians share our concerns\". Canada's government has the right to block any foreign investments over 330m Canadian dollars if it believes they are not in the country's best interests. CNOOC, which is China's biggest offshore oil producer, has made commitments to ensure the authorities that the deal will bring benefit to the country. It has said that it will retain Nexen employees and make Nexen's Calgary office as its headquarters for North and Central America. It has also offered to list shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Kevin Reinhart, Nexen's interim chief executive, said the Chinese firm also wanted to keep the Nexen brand name. \"This transaction will in no way close the book on Nexen or our way of doing business,\" he said.", "summary": "Shareholders of Canada's Nexen have approved the takeover bid by China's state-owned CNOOC to acquire the firm in a $15.1bn (\u00a39.3bn) deal."}
{"article": "At least 10 more women were wounded, medical sources said. A Houthi rebel spokesman said the strike was followed by a second which hit emergency responders in Arhab, 40km (25 miles) from Sanaa. The rebels blamed a US and Saudi-backed coalition for the bloodshed, who are yet to comment. The coalition has been fighting the Houthis and forces loyal to a former Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, since March 2015. Its aim is to restore the internationally recognised government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. Abdel-Rahman al-Ahnomi, a spokesman for the Houthis, said the twin strikes killed and wounded dozens of people. However, other reports from the scene said there was only one air strike. Conflicting reports are common in the chaos following air raids in Yemen. Yemen's war has killed more than 10,000 civilians and displaced more than three million people since 2015. The conflict and a blockade imposed by the Saudi-led coalition have also triggered a humanitarian disaster, leaving 80% of the population in need of aid. Doctors Without Borders warned this week of a worsening situation in the city of Taiz, where hospitals have been repeatedly attacked and where 200,000 people face food, water and medicine shortages. The US was criticised last month over a raid on a village in central Yemen, in which a number of civilians died - many of them children. Its target was the house of a suspected leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). US media now report that the dead included a tribal leader allied to the internationally-backed president. A US Navy Seal was also killed in the attack, and six American soldiers were wounded.", "summary": "Eight women and a child have reportedly been killed in an overnight air raid on a funeral reception near Yemen's rebel-held capital, Sanaa."}
{"article": "Among her prizes were best female artist, best streaming song for Shake It Off and the ceremony's top honour, artist of the year. Sam Smith won best new artist and accepted his trophy via a video message using a series of cards. One Direction came away with two trophies, for best group and best touring artist, dedicating one of the awards to Zayn Malik, who left the band in March. Other Brit winners were Coldplay who won best rock album for Ghost Stories, while Irish singer Hozier picked up best rock song for Take Me To Church.", "summary": "Taylor Swift dominated at the Billboard music awards winning eight of the 14 categories in which she was nominated."}
{"article": "This is a major problem in a globalised economy, where rewards go to the most highly-skilled and most productive workers, and where there is more importance than ever attached to high-quality education. But how do we measure the quality of education in Latin America against global standards if there is an unwillingness to take part in international tests? How can would-be reformers compare results across international borders? Among the most widely recognised international comparisons are the Pisa tests - the Programme for International Student Assessment - conducted every three years by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In Latin America, the regional rankings of these international tests taken by 15 year olds in maths, reading and science, are headed by diminutive Chile, ahead of economic powerhouses like Brazil and Mexico. But most countries remain off the ranking completely. Part of the reluctance for many Latin American countries might be a fear of being compared with world leaders in education like Finland and Japan. Even Chile, the highest ranking country in the region, is considerably below the global average for these tests, with the average in the Pisa tests being countries such as the UK and France. But the Pisa exam has also generated significant controversy over its methodology and design, leading to concerns - common to many standardised tests - that it does not adequately measure the quality of instruction. Or that it does not truly capture the diversity of contexts facing such different school systems. These concerns are reflected in the fact that fewer than half of Latin American countries currently participate. But there are other tests that can provide a global scale for measurement. Unesco's Third Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study (TERCE) covers a much larger part of the region. This has evaluated 15 countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia, as well as smaller participants such as Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay. The assessment also has a broader range than Pisa, looking at children at different stages of development (at the ages of eight and 11), and evaluating the context of each school. What TERCE found was reason for cautious optimism - but also renewed effort. Its comparison between its last evaluation in 2006 and today showed a modest but broad improvement in test results across the majority of Latin American countries. More stories from the BBC's Knowledge economy series looking at education from a global perspective and how to get in touch These rankings were also headed by Chile, followed by Costa Rica and Uruguay. But they also allowed a comparison with countries missing from the Pisa tests, such as Guatemala and Paraguay, which appear in the lower half of the TERCE test scores. But despite - or even because of - the surrounding controversy, these tests have already served an important purpose. Whatever their flaws, they have brought attention to the fact that the massive expansion of access to education in the region, a major victory in itself, isn't sufficient without an equal improvement in quality. No longer can policymakers ignore", "summary": "There have been concerns that the quality of education has been stagnant in too many countries across Latin America."}
{"article": "The local authority said it currently had no power to restrict the number operating as a business, or to regulate the safety or prevent nuisance. There is currently only one horse-drawn carriage business in the county, in Tenby. Kate Telford, of Tenby Carriage Rides, said she had not been contacted about the consultation and felt \"targeted\". A report by the council's head of legal and democratic services said there had been a horse-drawn carriage operating within the walled town in Tenby for more than 25 years. It said the same operator provided the service until retirement a few years ago when a new operator took over. Shortly after, a second new operator moved into the town, which led to complaints about the operation of two services in a confined area, and the health and safety implications this had on pedestrians and other road users, the report said. Historically the authority has licensed horse-drawn carriages of less than eight seats as hackney carriages, but, the report said, the current operator has a carriage with more than eight seats. The consultation is looking at whether the council should introduce a licensing regime, with byelaws. Ms Telford said: \"I'm quite shocked about it. We do it to help the town and have people from all over the world coming to us. \"If it's going to cost thousands of pounds, we won't be able to do it.\" The consultation runs until 22 September.", "summary": "Pembrokeshire council is consulting on how to best regulate horse-drawn carriages in the county."}
{"article": "As German and Italian troops occupied Greece, tens of thousands of people fled by sea to refugee camps in the Middle East. At the end of the war, they began heading home. Most made it back safely, but for some the journey ended in tragedy. \"An event like this is hard to forget,\" says Eleni Karavelatzi. \"It leaves you seared with scars and makes you bitter forever.\" Eleni Karavelatzi was 12 months old when in 1942 her family fled the Nazi occupation of Kastelorizo, a Greek island 2km (1.5 miles) from the Turkish coast. They sailed first to Cyprus and then to a refugee camp in Gaza known as El Nuseirat. They stayed there until the end of the war. In September 1945, a British vessel, the SS Empire Patrol, left the Egyptian city of Port Said carrying Eleni's family and 500 other Greek refugees. Within hours, fire broke out onboard. Thirty-three passengers died, including 14 children. From her garden on Kastelorizo, Eleni can now see the EU border agency ship searching for new migrants and reminisces about what happened in 1945. \"My parents told me that I was tied with a rope and lowered on to a raft. But as they were letting me down, my father saw that it was full and ordered me back. As soon as I was brought up, a woman jumped on the dinghy. It capsized and all the children drowned.\" Among the victims were Eleni's three cousins, whose names are carved on a monument a short distance from where she lives. To the east of the monument lives Kastelorizo's only other survivor, Maria Chroni, who lives with her granddaughter. Maria Chroni, who was born in 1937, clung for life on a piece of wreckage. \"I found myself at sea holding on to a wooden plank.\" \"How it happened, I can't remember. I only know I that I stayed in this position for 10 hours. Then my father rescued me and lifted me into the charred boat.\" From Aleppo to Egypt and beyond Other Greek refugees had fled the Nazi occupation to Syria. They were mainly from the island of Chios, a few kilometres off the Turkey coast. \"The Germans were here and we were hungry. I was three back then,\" remembers Marianthi Andreadi. \"So we left for Turkey illegally and from there we took the train to Al Nayrab camp in Aleppo (Syria).\" Marianthi remembers some of the faces that stood out on her journey. \"I was surrounded by older women. And there was this moment that stays with me when we were on the Turkish border and the guard yells 'Gel Burda! Gel Burda!' (come here).\" \"We ran away quickly. I fell down. And eventually he let us go. But I never forgot this.\" Greek archives reveal Al Nayrab camp was less a permanent settlement than a meeting point, says Iakovos Michailidis, professor of history at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. \"People were brought here for short periods of time before being sent to various parts of the Middle East, or even Africa.\" Ioannis Stekas", "summary": "The influx of more than a million refugees and migrants to the Greek islands in the past year has stirred up difficult memories for a dwindling group who followed the same route during World War Two, but in reverse."}
{"article": "Ravichandran Ashwin took 5-67 as the tourists were bowled out for 255 to give up a first-innings deficit of 200. Ben Stokes made 70 and Jonny Bairstow 53 in a sixth-wicket partnership of 110 before England lost their last four wickets for 30 runs. India were reduced to 40-3, but Virat Kohli's unbeaten 56 took his side to 98-3 and a lead of 298. At some point on Sunday, probably soon after lunch, England will begin the task of batting for a day and a half to save the game. It will require a remarkable effort on a surface that is showing variable bounce and is likely to offer more than its current modest turn. \"If England had got 350 and taken more time out of the game, I could see a way out for them,\" said former England captain Michael Vaughan on Test Match Special. \"But they allowed India to be too far ahead. England will have to bat four and a half sessions to avoid going 1-0 down in the series - on a pitch that won't get any better.\" Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott I thought that if England didn't play very well it could have been over very quickly, even today. If today was a boxing match, England actually won it on points. But it really knocked the stuffing out of England yesterday. Ex-England spinner Vic Marks The damage was done yesterday - in one session. England have fought hard today, but if they get out of this it will be a monumental achievement. Former England captain Michael Vaughan Realistically, England will be thinking they need to bat 140 overs in the second innings to get away with a draw. I can't see how they can win. The draw is a possibility but it's very, very minute. England's predicament was the result of a collapse of 4-29 on the second evening, a slump in which the tourists contributed to each wicket that fell. On the third morning, the watchful and skilful combination of Stokes and Bairstow showed their team-mates the way, as well continuing their prolific 2016, both individually and as a partnership. Bairstow, the leading Test run scorer of 2016, and Stokes, who averages 60, have added 772 as a partnership, more than any other pair in the world. Wicketkeeper Bairstow overcame a knee injury sustained as he limbered up on the way to the middle before play and some early indecisive footwork to sweep and nudge his way to a 137-ball half-century, his slowest in Tests. By the time he was bowled off his pads playing across a searing inswinger from Umesh Yadav, the aggregate number of runs added by England's sixth wicket in 2016 stood at 1,759, an England record for any wicket in Tests. \"The way Bairstow and Stokes played was terrific,\" said Boycott. \"To intersperse defence and attack in the situation England were in means they deserve full marks.\" Stokes also made his slowest Test half-century, from 108 deliveries, but was more assured than Bairstow, bar one sharp stumping chance to Wriddhiman Saha", "summary": "England were pushed further towards defeat on day three of the second Test against India in Visakhapatnam."}
{"article": "Speaking in Cardiff, Mr Osborne said this year is likely to be one of the toughest since the financial crisis. He told business leaders that far from \"mission accomplished\" on the economy, \"2016 is the year of mission critical\". His message is in stark contrast to the positive tone of his Autumn Statement, when he said the UK was \"growing fast\". Earlier the chancellor told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the Autumn Statement had put in place a four-year plan to restore the UK's public finances, and make the economy more productive, with businesses more competitive so they could create jobs. \"It is precisely because we live in an uncertain world. It is precisely because we have not abolished boom and bust as a nation, that you need to take these steps, difficult steps, and I need to go explaining to the public, that the difficult times aren't over, we have got to go on making the difficult decisions, precisely so that Britain can continue to enjoy the low unemployment and the rising wages that we see at the moment,\" Mr Osborne said. The chancellor's warning came on the same day that China suspended trading on its stock markets after only 15 minutes. Circuit-breakers triggered the Chinese share suspension following a 7% fall in the country's main index. Later on Thursday, the Chinese authorities said they were suspending the circuit-breaker system. The price of a range of key commodities, such as oil, gas and iron ore, has fallen sharply in the past year, a move that indicates weakening demand in the global economy while oil prices hit fresh 11-year lows. earlier on Monday. But shadow chancellor John McDonnell blamed the government's \"failed economic policies\" for the threats facing the economy. \"It's a cocktail of his own mixture - failing to invest, failing to rebalance the economy, relying upon consumer debt to boost the economy for an election victory and now we're facing our own lethal cocktail within our own economy,\" he told the BBC. \"He's getting his excuses in early for the problems that he's caused that will now unfortunately hit upon many families across the country, especially if interest rates are increased during the year.\" The chancellor laid out a number of risks that the UK economy faces over the next 12 months in his Cardiff speech. People must not be \"complacent\" that the economy is fixed, he said. Significant challenges - including tension in the Middle East, slowing growth in China and low commodity prices - are all weighing on global confidence, he added. Mr Osborne told the Today programme the UK's economic recovery was not \"a debt-fuelled recovery\", citing the support of the governor of the Bank of England in his assessment. But the chancellor said he feared there was a complacency that appeared to be developing in the UK's national debate. \"You have had people coming on programmes like this saying, 'We've got to spend billions of pounds here or billions of pounds there; the country can afford it,'\" Mr Osborne said. \"All the old habits, all", "summary": "The UK faces a \"cocktail\" of serious threats from a slowing global economy as 2016 begins, Chancellor George Osborne has warned."}
{"article": "The Oceanic whitetip has seen its numbers decline dramatically in recent years because of overfishing for fins. Campaigners said the move to record and regulate all trade in the species was historic, and that they believed two other sharks would also be protected. However, the decisions could still be overturned on appeal at the meeting. An estimated 100 million sharks are killed by commercial fishing every year, researchers have recently reported. They blame a huge appetite for shark-fin soup in China and Hong Kong for stimulating the trade. The Oceanic whitetip and the two other species for which campaigners are seeking further protection - the Hammerhead and the Portbeagle - are highly valued for their fins. The conservation meeting will also decide whether to regulate trade in two types of manta ray hunted for their gill plates, which are used in some Chinese traditional medicines. After a tense debate, delegates voted by 92 votes to 42 to upgrade the Oceanic whitetip to Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites). Appendix II lists species which are not necessarily now threatened with extinction but which may become so unless trade is closely controlled. Campaigners were delighted with the outcome of the vote, but cautioned that it could still be overturned before the end of the meeting. Dr Susan Lieberman from Pew Environment Group said it was a big day for the convention. \"It is a great victory for conservation, but it is a great victory for Cites as well. It is 40 years old, it is a real coming of age,\" she told the BBC. Many attendees say the move is highly significant because it is the first time that Cites delegates have voted to protect a commercially valuable species of shark. \"It does set a tone that countries are finally ready to accept that we need Cites listings for commercially valuable, highly-traded highly-threatened shark species,\" said Sonja Fordham from Shark Advocates International. Even though the vote was 92 to 42 in favour, it barely reached the two thirds majority needed to become part of Cites regulations. Two other species of threatened shark will be voted on later on Monday. \"The momentum is building,\" Dr Liebermann said. \"I'm optimistic that the Hammerheads will go through as well.\" China and Japan strongly oppose the moves to upgrade the three shark species, and there had been much talk about undue pressure being brought to bear on developing countries. Many believe their underlying concern is about Cites having power over commercial fishing. But in the end it was European Union money that might have played a crucial role with the Oceanic whitetip vote. The head of the EU's delegation told the meeting that extra cash would be made available to help poorer countries change their fishing practices. \"If there's a need for it the funding will be available,\" Feargal O'Coigligh said. Whatever the outcomes of the other votes, all of them can be overturned in the final, plenary session of this meeting. However, re-opening a proposal requires", "summary": "Delegates at the Cites conservation meeting in Thailand's capital, Bangkok, have voted to extend the protection to a threatened species of shark."}
{"article": "Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox already owns 39% and he first tried to buy the remainder five years ago before abandoning the attempt in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal. Martin Gilbert, the chairman of the independent directors (which excludes James Murdoch, who is unable to vote because of his role as chief executive of Fox), recommended the deal today saying it delivered good value for shareholders. Not all of them agree with Gilbert. One shareholder told the BBC, \"this is a patsy deal. Many of the directors are not really independent and as a group they should be ashamed of themselves\" The BBC understands that James Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch's son and chief executive of 21st Century Fox, met with directors in early December and told them \"we are either a buyer or seller of our stake. The status quo is not an option\". James Murdoch offered a 30% premium to the existing price on the condition the directors recommended it. After further meetings, that premium was raised to 40%. Even with that premium, the sale price is roughly what the company was worth six months ago and many shareholders will feel short-changed. The directors felt that if Fox had pursued a hostile bid, it could have bought shares in the open market at the prevailing price to take its 39% stake to more than 50%. After making an offer for the remaining shares, Sky shareholders may have ended up with a lower premium of around 20-25%. Fox will require 75% of the independent shareholders to approve the deal. It may also be referred to regulators to check whether it breaks national interest tests on the plurality of media. The Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, Karen Bradley has 10 days to decide whether to take that option. Given the outcry over the last bid, it seems likely she will do that but the media landscape has changed a great deal since the last takeover attempt. The last bid came from NewsCorp, which owns the Wall Street Journal, The Times and The Sun. This bid is from Fox which owns television and film businesses. The emergence of new players in media like Netflix and Amazon mean that this deal would mean less concentration of power in the sector.", "summary": "Sky's independent directors have recommended a takeover offer from 21st Century Fox valuing the company at \u00c2\u00a318.5bn."}
{"article": "John Bainbridge, 54, denied one count of rape via video link at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday. The offence is alleged to have taken place in Vernon Road, Basford, in May 1986. Mr Bainbridge, of Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, is set to stand trial on December 12. He was remanded in custody following the hearing.", "summary": "A man has pleaded not guilty to the rape of a woman which took place 30 years ago."}
{"article": "Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the Federal Protective Service will enhance its presence at various sites in Washington DC and elsewhere. The action has been described as a precautionary step to safeguard US government personnel and facilities. It comes one week after a gunman opened fire in Ottawa, killing a soldier. \"The reasons for this action are self-evident: the continued public calls by terrorist organisations for attacks on the homeland and elsewhere, including against law enforcement and other government officials, and the acts of violence targeted at government personnel and installations in Canada,\" Mr Johnson wrote in a statement on Tuesday. \"Given world events, prudence dictates a heightened vigilance.\" The homeland security chief did not provide details as to which of the more than 9,500 federal US facilities will see additional security, claiming such information is \"law-enforcement sensitive\". The announcement comes just hours after Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke at a funeral for Cpl Nathan Cirillo, 24, killed by gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau last week. \"May time ease the searing pain of today,\" Mr Harper told mourners. Cirillo was standing guard unarmed at Canada's war memorial when Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, opened fire. The gunman then entered Canada's parliament and fired dozens of shots before being killed by Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers. The Canadian authorities earlier said the gunman was radicalised but had no ties to Middle Eastern Islamist extremists.", "summary": "The US has announced bolstered security measures at government buildings across the nation in the wake of an attack on Canadian parliament."}
{"article": "Written by Stephen Baxter, The Massacre of Mankind will see the Martians from Wells's story invading Earth once more, having learned from the mistakes they made first time around. Gollancz will publish the sequel in hardback and eBook on 19 January 2017. The copyright on the original, which was published in book form in 1898, lasts until 31 December 2016. In a statement, Baxter said it was \"an honour... to celebrate [Wells's] enduring imaginative legacy, more than 150 years after his birth.\" The author of more than 20 novels previously penned The Time Ships, a sequel to Wells's 1895 story The Time Machine. \"Steve has a great track record of collaborating with other authors,\" said Marcus Gipps, commissioning editor at Gollancz. \"I've seen early material from this remarkable new project and can't wait to unleash Steve's new Martian terror upon the world.\" The lucrative film rights to the novel will also certainly be hotly contested after a 2005 film, starring Tom Cruise and directed by Steven Spielberg, earned nearly $600m at the global box office.", "summary": "A sequel to HG Wells's The War of the Worlds is to be published in 2017 when the copyright on the original expires."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old was taken by \"unknown parties\" to Aintree University Hospital, Liverpool, in the early hours of Sunday with wounds to his hand and side. Police said he was stable and the motive for the attack was unknown, although it was thought to be targeted. They are appealing to witnesses for information.", "summary": "A man with stab wounds was left outside a hospital in a van with blacked-out windows, police have said."}
{"article": "Democratic Party deputy leader (PD), Enrico Letta, becomes prime minister at the head of a \"grand coalition\" including Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom party (PDL). The swearing-in signals the end of two months of political deadlock. Away from the ceremony, outside the PM's office, two police officers were injured in a shooting incident. Giuseppe Giangrande, 50, was shot in the neck and is described as being in a serious condition. The second officer, 30-year-old Francesco Negri, suffered a serious wound to the leg and he remains in hospital. A pregnant woman was also slightly hurt. All three are being treated in hospital in Rome, according to Italian news agency Ansa. A 46-year-old man, named as Luigi Preiti, was arrested at the scene. Prosecutors said he had confessed to targeting politicians, angry that he had lost his job. Rome Prosecutor Pierfilippo Laviani said he \"wanted to shoot politicians, but given that he couldn't reach any, he shot the Carabinieri\". Former PD president Rosy Bindi said: \"This has its roots in an increasingly widespread social desperation. \"The dramatic problems the country is living through call for strong, radical decisions.\" Since February's inconclusive poll there has been political stalemate in Italy, which is still plagued by economic woes after becoming one of the first eurozone victims of the global financial crisis of 2008. The shooting happened about 1km (0.6 miles) away from the swearing-in ceremony, where, beginning with Mr Letta, the 21 new government ministers stepped forward one by one to receive the oath of office from President Giorgio Napolitano. Correspondents say the \"grand coalition\" between Italy's current main right- and left-wing parties is unprecedented, and will probably prove an uneasy alliance. By David WilleyBBC News, Rome A new wave of political optimism reigns, after dire predictions of the possible institutional and economic collapse of the eurozone's third largest economy. With their backs to the wall, the seriously fractured Democratic Party, and Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom Party decided to bury their ideological differences and will now try to co-operate in a last-ditch attempt to remedy a social and economic crisis that threatened to get out of hand after an indecisive February election. The history of the very few \"grand coalition\" experiments in Italy since World War II does not inspire hope for long-term success. But Italy's former ruling parties, which monopolised power in Rome for many decades after the end of WWII, have long since disappeared. Optimism greets Italy's grand coalition Mr Berlusconi will not be a minister but had pushed for leading figures from his party to be given top posts. Mr Alfano, the PDL's secretary and one of Mr Berlusconi's closest political allies, is deputy prime minister as well as interior minister in the new government. Among the other key appointments are Bank of Italy director-general Fabrizio Saccomanni to head the powerful economy ministry. The cabinet is to have more women than usual, including former European commissioner Emma Bonino as foreign minister. Other women given government jobs include Olympic kayaker Josefa Idem who becomes minister of equal opportunity and sports, and Anna", "summary": "A new Italian government has been sworn in at the presidential Quirinale Palace in Rome."}
{"article": "She singled out four forces for having no black police officers - but two of those constabularies hit back, saying they had at least one black officer. Mrs May said the proportion of black and Asian officers was \"simply not good enough\". Critics said funding cuts were restricting recruitment of officers. The home secretary also said that stop and search reforms \"must continue\". And she challenged police over the number of female officers, who currently make up 28% of the police workforce - despite representing 51% of the population. During a speech to the National Black Police Association conference, Mrs May said \"diversity profiles\" showed no force had a black and minority ethnic representation reflecting its local population. Mrs May said she hoped the figures would act as a \"wake-up call\". She quoted data suggesting four forces - Cheshire, Durham, Dyfed-Powys and North Yorkshire - did not have a single black officer. The four forces do have officers from other ethnic minorities, according to the most recent Home Office figures, which are based on information officers volunteer themselves. But both Durham Constabulary and Dyfed-Powys Police said they did have black officers. Det Con Waheed Mughal, chair of Durham Black and Asian Police Association, said: \"I can confirm that the force does have a British Black Caribbean officer who serves in the north of the county as well as at least 19 other black and minority ethnic officers.\" Julia Mulligan, police and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire, said the force had needed to recruit BME officers from other areas of the UK because of small numbers within the force's area. A Cheshire Police spokesman said: \"Despite our current efforts, more needs to be done particularly to recruit officers of Afro-Caribbean descent.\" Met Assistant Commissioner Helen King also questioned figures being quoted, and said that four chief officers in London were black or minority ethnic. She added that, of London's 32 boroughs, five were lead by BME chief superintendents. By Danny Shaw, BBC home affairs correspondent Although a dispute about the precise figures on ethnic diversity may have blunted Theresa May's message, the broad point she is making remains: for police to have the confidence of the public they must be more racially representative of the communities they serve. There have been improvements since the Macpherson report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1999 branded the Metropolitan Police as \"institutionally racist\". However, targets for BME officers set after the report have not been met. Although the proportion of new BME officers appears to be rising, recruitment is not at a high enough level - because of budget cuts - to make a significant difference. Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe wants a change to the law which would, in effect, allow forces to impose BME recruitment quotas. The home secretary is against that and there is little wider appetite for such a fundamental reform. Watch children give their views on black and ethnic minority police officers Chief Constable Giles York, from the National Police Chiefs Council, said the rate of recruitment of officers from black and", "summary": "The public will not have confidence in the police unless there are more black and ethnic minority officers, Home Secretary Theresa May has said."}
{"article": "Grant is one of a number of voices to criticise the playing surfaces in Gabon and he declared \"five injuries so far have been down to the pitch\". The Israeli added: \"The main actors are the players and we need to give them the stage to perform well. \"The organising committee should change the rules to let teams replace players who got injured due to the pitch.\" Grant highlighted the problem facing Group D rivals Egypt, who have only veteran stopper Essam El Hadary available after injuries to Ahmed El Shenawy and Sherif Ekramy but under tournament regulations cannot call up another goalkeeper to their squad. \"Two of Egypt's goalkeepers got injured due to the pitch. It is not their fault and not fair to them,\" Grant said. \"We cannot change the pitch now so let Egypt bring in another goalkeeper. They cannot stay with one 'keeper, even if we have to play against them, it's not sporting.\" Tunisia defender Syam Ben Youssef believes the playing surface in Libreville - one of four pitches being used in Gabon - is so bad that his side will have to change their style when they face Zimbabwe there for their final Group B match. So far the Carthage Eagles have played both their matches in Franceville, which is seen as the best of the four pitches. \"Of course (it will affect us) I think we have technical players we like to play,\" Ben Youssef said. \"But it's usual for us to play in Africa on bad pitches so we have to win and not care about the pitch.\" Burkina Faso midfielder Adama Guira is also unhappy with the state of the pitches - but resigned to it at the same time. After the Stallions' 1-1 draw with hosts Gabon in Libreville on Wednesday, he warned that players need to be careful in the conditions. \"To be honest it is very hard to play on that kind of a field because you can't control your running and stopping so it's difficult,\" he said. \"But we are in Africa and we are Africans so we'll do our best for our country.\" Pitches are just about thinking and having the money - Caf must think about it It is not just the pitch at the Stade de l'Amitie in Libreville that has been criticised. Mali's Bakary Sako was less than impressed with the surface in Port-Gentil after his side's goalless draw with Egypt. \"The pitch is horrendous it's really tough to control the ball, to drive with the ball, everything is tough,\" said the midfielder who plays his club football for Crystal Palace. \"You have to be focussed 100% but it is the same for both teams so we have to get on with it.\" It is a problem that is not confined to the Nations Cup according to Grant, who revealed he was taken aback by the pitches when he first arrived in Africa as Ghana coach in November 2014. \"Africa has great champions but you can't play on these pitches,\" he told BBC Sport. \"I", "summary": "Ghana coach Avrant Grant believes the poor pitches at the Africa Cup of Nations are damaging the players."}
{"article": "Okja, starring Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal, had been booed by some in the audience after the Netflix logo appeared at the beginning. But it then became clear the film was playing in the wrong aspect ratio. The film has been controversial because producer Netflix has refused to screen it in French cinemas. After the jeers, the movie was stopped and restarted without explanation. Some film journalists in the screening uploaded videos of the heckling on social media. The BBC's Lauren Turner, who was at the screening, said: \"There was shouting from the upper seats and it became apparent the aspect ratio was wrong, so they restarted it after about 10 minutes. \"The second time around the audience booed the Netflix logo again. But there was also some cheering at the same time and a warm round of applause at the end.\" A statement from the Cannes Film Festival said: \"This incident was entirely the responsibility of the Festival's technical service, which offers its apologies to the director and his team, to the producers and the audience.\" On Thursday, there was also some booing when the Amazon logo came up at the beginning of Wonderstruck, which stars Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams. Earlier this week, Cannes jury chair Pedro Almodovar said he agreed that films should have to be screened in cinemas if producers want them to be considered. Indiewire film critic David Ehrlich tweeted: \"Okja starts, huge boos at Netflix logo. Then film plays in wrong aspect ratio and Grand Lumiere almost rioted. Movie stopped.\" The Telegraph's Robbie Collin wrote: \"Cannes making an A+ case for the primacy of the cinema experience by projecting the first ten mins of Okja in the wrong aspect ratio.\" Blogger Elena Lazic said: \"That didn't start well. Screen not open properly, significantly cropped at top... the boos at the Netflix logo were immediately followed by boos at the terrible projection.\" The film is a South Korean-American adventure movie about a young girl named Mija who tries to prevent a multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend, a genetically engineered super-pig named Okja. Speaking after the film, director Bong Joon Ho said he \"loved working with Netflix\", adding it was a luxury to be given such a huge budget for it. Swinton said: \"It's an enormous and really interesting conversation that's beginning. But I think, as in many matters, there's room for everybody.\" Gyllenhaal added: \"It's important to have artistic expression in whatever form we can. \"Debate is essential always. It's a useful thing to have this discussion about how art is perceived and distributed.\" Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "A screening at the Cannes Film Festival had to be stopped after technical problems during the first few minutes of the film."}
{"article": "Sir Philip Bailhache, then Jersey's attorney general, supervised Roger Holland's appointment to the honorary police in 1992. Holland had been convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl with learning difficulties in 1986, when he worked for St John Ambulance. Sir Philip said he had not known before Holland's inauguration. Holland was jailed for two years in 2008 for eight sexual offences, some of which were committed while he was in the honorary force. Despite including the 1986 conviction on his application form, he was elected to the St Helier honorary police in 1992, where he held office for another six years. Sir Philip said he was only informed of Holland's conviction after the election, and \"it was reasonable to conclude he had been re-habilitated\". \"What Holland did was put his hand up a girl's pullover. It was an unpleasant thing to do but across the range of sexual offences it was at the lower end of the scale.\", he said. The Jersey Care Inquiry is investigating allegations of child abuse in Jersey's care system since 1945. Sir Philip, Jersey's current external relations minister, also denied he deliberately distracted attention from abuse victims in a speech he gave in 2008. He told people on Liberation Day :\"All child abuse is scandalous but it is the unjustified and remorseless denigration of Jersey and her people that is the real scandal.\" Sir Philip told the inquiry he was not \"diminishing the gravity of child abuse\" but that his choice of words were possibly \"unfortunate\".", "summary": "A former senior judge was \"not aware\" a man was a convicted sex offender when he was admitted to a voluntary police force, an inquiry has heard."}
{"article": "He said there was no difference between \"a terrorist holding a gun or a bomb and those who use their position and pen to serve the aims\" of terrorists. Mr Erdogan added that this could be a journalist, a lawmaker or an activist. He was speaking a day after a bomb attack in the Turkish capital Ankara that killed 37 people. No group has so far claimed the blast, but Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said evidence \"almost certainly\" pointed towards the banned PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) separatist group. On Monday, Turkey launched air strikes against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. Mr Davutoglu said 11 people had so far been detained in connection with the attack. \"There are very serious, almost certain indications that point to the separatist terror organisation,'' he said, referring to the PKK. Four of those detained were in the south-eastern city of Sanliurfa, according to Turkish media. Officials were quoted as saying the car used in the bombing was traced to a showroom there. One of the bombers, who also died in the blast, was \"definitely\" a woman, Deputy PM Numan Kurtulmus said earlier on Monday. Mr Kurtulmus told reporters that a second suicide bomber was male, but had not yet been identified. Earlier, unnamed security officials said the female bomber was a member of the PKK from the eastern town of Kars, who joined the group in 2013. Eleven warplanes carried out air strikes on 18 PKK targets in northern Iraq including ammunition dumps and shelters in the Qandil and Gara sectors, the army said. The PKK confirmed the strikes. How dangerous is Turkey's unrest? Tears and destruction amid PKK crackdown Turkey in midst of hideous vortex Meanwhile, curfews have been imposed in two mainly Kurdish towns in south-eastern Turkey, Yuksekova and Nusaybin, as security operations are carried out against Kurdish militants, Anadolu news agency reports. Another curfew is due to start in the city of Sirnak. Funeral services have been taking place for some of those killed. Among the victims was the father of a Turkish international footballer. More than 100 people were wounded in the blast. Turkey is part of the US-led coalition against IS and allows coalition planes to use its air base at Incirlik for raids on Iraq and Syria. It has also been carrying out a campaign of bombardment against Syrian Kurdish fighters of the People's Protection Units (YPG), which it regards as a extension of the PKK. Turkey Syria Iraq Turkey's pro-Kurdish political party, the HDP, issued a statement condemning the attack, saying it shares \"the huge pain felt along with our citizens\". Last month, a bomb attack on a military convoy in Ankara killed 28 people and wounded dozens more. That bombing was claimed by a Kurdish militant group, the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK). It said on its website that the attack was in retaliation for the policies of President Erdogan. Turkey, however, blamed a Syrian national who was a member of the YPG. Last October, more than 100 people were killed in a double-suicide bombing at a Kurdish peace rally", "summary": "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said it is necessary to redefine terrorism to include those who support such acts."}
{"article": "Barry Crossan, from Creggan Heights, had denied involvement in the armed robbery at Ladbrokes on the Racecourse Road back in December 2013. However, Crossan was convicted last month by a jury of stealing almost \u00a3400 in the raid. The 38-year-old was also found guilty of possessing a firearm or imitation firearm. The court was told that Crossan was armed and wearing a black balaclava during the robbery. He shouted at the male staff member behind the counter \"give me the money\". A judge said: \"Offending such as this against small businesses must be deterred.\" Crossan will serve five years of the sentence in custody and five years on licence in the community.", "summary": "A man with more than 100 convictions has been jailed for 10 years for robbing a bookmakers in Londonderry."}
{"article": "A trailer and tractor backed into Harry Whitlam at Swithens Farm, Rothwell, West Yorkshire, on 9 August 2013. He died later the same day. Leeds Coroners' Court heard Harry was struck at an area of the farm not usually open to the public. Tractor driver Gary Green was arrested but never charged. Mr Green had 90 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath at the time of the accident. The legal limit is 35 micrograms. The court heard Mr Green was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and causing death by dangerous driving but was later released and never charged. West Yorkshire Police said a criminal prosecution could not be brought because the incident occurred on private land. Jurors were told Harry had gone into the area where he was run over just after 09:00 BST. His mother, Pamela Whitlam, who worked at the farm's cafe, said she had not explained to him where he could or could not go because she was not familiar with the layout of the site. In a statement to the court, she described how just before the accident she told her son: \"Be careful.\" Moments later she ran outside to find him lying on the floor after being hit by the vehicle. Jurors heard Mr Green had drunk \"three of four pints\" at the pub the night before the accident and continued drinking at home until 01:45. Following his arrest, he told police officers: \"I don't know where he came from because no-one should be down the back of the tractor.\" The inquest continues. Update 31 July 2015: This story has been amended following updated information supplied by West Yorkshire Police about why a prosecution could not be brought.", "summary": "A tractor driver was almost three times the legal alcohol limit when he reversed into an 11-year-old boy, an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "13 May 2016 Last updated at 07:08 BST A lot of time and money is spent trying to keep animals safe. Rangers at Kariega Game Reserve have lots of high-tech gear to keep track of their animals and keep poachers away. Patrols are carried out by the rangers, especially at night. Armed with special cameras and night vision goggles, Ayshah joins the rangers as they head out in the night to keep a watch on the wildlife.", "summary": "South Africa is home to some amazing wild animals, but poaching from wildlife reserves in Africa is a big problem."}
{"article": "Dr Balshaw will become the first female director in the Tate's 120-year history and will replace Sir Nicholas Serota, who has been at the helm since 1988. She will take charge of the Tate Modern and Tate Britain in London as well as offshoots in Liverpool and St Ives. Under her stewardship, the Whitworth had an award-winning expansion in 2015. She also runs Manchester Art Gallery. Dr Balshaw said she will focus on developing the organisation's reputation as \"artistically adventurous\". She added: \"I am tremendously excited to be leading Tate in the next chapter of its life. I look forward to developing Tate's reputation as the most artistically adventurous and culturally inclusive gallery in the world.\" Balshaw, whose appointment was approved by Prime Minister Theresa May, is the gallery's ninth director and will take up her new post on 1 June. Lord Browne, chairman of the trustees of Tate, said: \"The Trustees and I know that Maria has the vision, drive and stature to lead Tate into its next phase of development. We enthusiastically look forward to working with her as she does so.\" An ambitious, charismatic and indefatigable operator who is admired by artists and administrators alike, Dr Balshaw has been one of the key movers in Manchester's cultural renaissance over the past decade. She took over the Whitworth in 2006 then took on the main civic gallery, Manchester Art Gallery, in 2011. They have been good training for Tate - you could say the contemporary Whitworth is the Tate Modern of Manchester, while the more traditional Manchester Art Gallery is the equivalent of Tate Britain. She has been Manchester City Council's cultural leader, is on the Arts Council England board and was made a CBE in 2015. She proved her vision and leadership with the \u00c2\u00a315m redevelopment of the Whitworth, which was named museum of the year by The Art Fund in 2015. She also helped persuade then Chancellor George Osborne to include a \u00c2\u00a3110m arts venue, The Factory, in his Northern Powerhouse plans. But she is equally at home with the world's leading artists - she has forged strong relationships with the likes of Gerhard Richter, Marina Abramovic and Cornelia Parker. Her Whitworth exhibitions have shown a passion for work from all corners of the globe, from the excellent current Warhol show to the art of her beloved West Africa, and work that brings her rooms to life - stimulating, not static. Which sums her up pretty well. She has big shoes to fill. During his 29 years in charge, Sir Nicholas has built up the Tate to be one of the world's most successful art brands. Tate Modern alone gets 4.5 million visitors per year and has just opened a \u00c2\u00a3260m new extension. Tate St Ives is currently closed for renovation and will reopen in March. When he announced his departure, Sir Nicholas set a challenge to his successor, saying Tate still has \"the potential to reach broad audiences across the UK and abroad, through its own programmes, partnerships and online\". Sir Nicholas will now become chairman of", "summary": "Maria Balshaw, the head of Manchester's acclaimed Whitworth Art Gallery, has been chosen to run the Tate art empire."}
{"article": "Mrs Cox, 41, who was shot and stabbed in Birstall, West Yorkshire last year, was a fan of the theatre and particularly enjoyed Les Miserables. A youth theatre group led by West End professionals will put on its first show in Batley later. Kim Leadbeater, Mrs Cox's sister, said she would have been \"very proud\". The school edition adaptation, which is being performed entirely by people from the newly-formed Batley and Spen Youth Theatre Company, will feature costumes and props from the original West End production. Read more about this and other stories from across Yorkshire It is being led by director Nick Evans, who has guided productions such as Billy Elliot, the Musical and Mary Poppins as well as producer Donna Munday, who has worked on Hamlet, Funny Girl and Bend it Like Beckham. Mr Evans said the project was intended to show people in the community that the rest of the country cared about what had happened. \"We wanted to say to people who had been in that town who had been in that community on that day, that they weren't alone, that actually there was a future.\" Ella Schofield, 17, who plays the role of Cosette, described the costumes, as \"sick\". \"The most exciting thing about them, despite how gorgeous they are, is if you look in the labels you can see which actors have worn them.\" The musical, which runs until Saturday, is being performed in a pop-up theatre space donated by Oxfam, where Mrs Cox previously worked for eight years.", "summary": "More than 100 youngsters will pay tribute to murdered MP Jo Cox by staging a performance of her favourite musical in her constituency."}
{"article": "The inaugural three-day event, involving communities from England and Wales, featured competitive sports - all Whitchurch versus Whitchurch. Organisers also received a message of support from the mayor of Whitchurch-Stoufville, in Canada. The next event is already being planned in Shropshire for 2017. The places represented were in Shropshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Buckinghamshire, Somerset, Herefordshire, Dorset, Cardiff, Cardigan and St David's. Competitors took part in archery, bowls, tug-of-war and a bake-off. Non-competitive activities included a vintage car parade and live music. Organising committee member Paul Driver said: \"We were just looking for something unique and the amount of times we got contacted by other Whitchurches looking for the wrong venue, we just thought, that's got to be something different, let's get them all together. \"'Come on Whitchurch' is all you can hear, which is great. Everybody is being cheered on. \"We had a great response to this. We said it's something we envisage taking place every two years and this week, luckily, Shropshire have said they want to be the hosts next time so we are all looking forward already for two years time.\"", "summary": "People from 11 towns, villages and suburbs all called Whitchurch, have gathered in Whitchurch, Hampshire, for the Worldwide Whitchurch Weekend."}
{"article": "Thousands entered border camps and are receiving humanitarian assistance, China's foreign ministry said. Earlier this week, about 30 people were killed on Myanmar's border with China after rebels launched a surprise raid. The violence is a blow to efforts by Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to end decades of conflict. The latest clashes, which involved artillery and small-arms fire, took place in the town of Laukkai in the Kokang region in the northern part of Shan state. Chinese foreign spokesman Geng Shuang said aid was being offered to those looking to \"temporarily avoid the war\", and called for an immediate ceasefire, adding that China supported Myanmar's peace process. He said that all sides needed to find a peaceful solution through dialogue and urged restraint to \"prevent further escalation\" and \"to restore peace and stability to the border areas\". On Monday, fighting erupted after the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) launched a surprise raid while dressed in police uniforms, officials said. The attack targeted police and military posts. A separate group of fighters later attacked other sites in Laukkai. Five civilians, five police officers and at least 20 rebel fighters are said to have died. This week's violence is among the worst to hit the Kokang region since 2015. Kokang has close ties to China, with locals speaking a Chinese dialect and using the yuan as currency. The worsening conflict in the borderlands has raised tensions between Myanmar and Beijing. Ms Suu Kyi's government is desperate to end the decades-long violence, amid fears it could spark a major new refugee exodus.", "summary": "At least 20,000 people from Myanmar have fled across the border to China after violence erupted between ethnic rebels and the security forces."}
{"article": "The pair, in their 20s, became stranded in the 2.5m (8ft) vessel about 200m (665ft) off the Essex coast at 14:30 BST on Monday. Clacton RNLI said the boat, made from insulation boards, had been \"held together with coat-hangers\" and glue. One of the men said it had been \"a successful fishing trip\" before they had run into trouble. The 27-year-old, a self-employed builder from Jaywick, said the pair had caught two or three cod and some crabs before they were rescued. \"The boat didn't leak,\" he said. \"I'd do it again.\" The men, who were unhurt, were given safety advice and the boat was destroyed. Volunteer Joff Strutt said the pair had been fishing in the boat all weekend but had run into trouble near Jaywick when the weather turned. It was \"a bit of a project that went a little pear-shaped\", Mr Strutt said. The vessel, built in two days from eight sheets of board, was \"not something we've ever seen before\", he added. \"[They] are very lucky they were spotted or things could have been a lot worse.\" Mr Strutt said it was vital that people only sailed using the correct equipment. \"Neither of the men had lifejackets and one of them couldn't swim,\" he said. More on this story from BBC Radio 4's Six O'Clock News.", "summary": "Two fishermen who went to sea in a homemade boat they built for \u00a39 had to be rescued when their oars broke."}
{"article": "A Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) report said the situation was \"dangerous\" and that children were also suffering due to operation delays. Cynon Valley MP Ann Clwyd claimed it was the Welsh equivalent of the Stafford Hospital scandal. Hospital chiefs refuted the comparison and said problems were being tackled. Adam Cairns, chief executive of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (CVUHB), told BBC Wales Today that 12 patients had died over a 15 month period while on the cardiac waiting list. He said he could not be certain whether any one of those deaths was avoidable but shortening the length of time people waited reduced the risk. The report by the RCS on UHW - the biggest hospital in Wales - followed a visit of its surgical departments by the college's Professional Affairs Board for Wales (PAB) in April. The report said there was \"universal consensus\" amongst the clinicians that services at the hospital were \"dangerous\" and of \"poor quality\". \"Urgent attention\" by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (CVUHB) was needed to address the issues, it said. An action plan has been agreed with the health board and will be reviewed in the autumn. Ms Clwyd, who is conducting a review into complaints by hospital patients in England, told BBC Radio Wales that a public inquiry into the hospital should be chaired by someone from outside Wales. She pointed to UHW having the highest mortality rate of any hospital in Wales adding that UHW accounted for the \"vast majority\" of complaints she had received from Wales. \"I think it's very serious - I think it's the equivalent of Wales' Mid Staffs,\" Ms Clwyd said. \"It was mortality rates in Mid Staffs that first raised the alarm [there] and because of that there was an inquiry.\" The Francis inquiry into failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust between 2005 and 2008 showed there were between 400 and 1,200 more deaths at Stafford Hospital than would have been expected. The report argued for \"fundamental change\" in the culture of the NHS to make sure patients were put first. It prompted a separate review of 14 NHS hospitals in England with high mortality rates. Ms Clwyd added: \"This is a shocking set of events and the report from the Royal College of Surgeons, who as you know are fairly conservative in their approach to things, has made these severe criticisms of the University Hospital of Wales. \"And I think both the chairman and the chief executive should consider their own positions. \"They're responsible for running that hospital, they've got questions to answer. And in my view, they have not answered them, and the only way this will happen is through a proper inquiry like the Francis inquiry into Mid Staffs.\" Cardiff and Vale Health Board said revised figures for death rates at the hospital were significantly better than those originally reported in March adding that it needed \"to make further improvements including targeted audits of clinical specialities where we have concerns and continued improvement in our data quality and coding activities\". The RCS report", "summary": "An MP has called for an inquiry after surgeons said patients had died waiting for heart surgery at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff."}
{"article": "The catch-up app is not ready to launch alongside the revamped set top box when it goes on sale this week, but the broadcaster signalled it would be soon. iPlayer was absent on earlier Apple TVs, despite the fact it is on other platforms including Amazon's Fire TV, Roku, Google Chromecast, Sky's Now TV box and several video game consoles. One analyst said the move should aid sales of the new kit in the UK. \"Available on over 10,000 devices, BBC iPlayer is one of the biggest and best on-demand video services in the world, and has transformed how UK audiences watch programmes online,\" said the BBC's director-general Tony Hall. \"I am delighted that iPlayer will be coming to the new Apple TV in the coming months, helping to bring the BBC's distinctive and loved content to an even wider audience.\" Until now, Sky was the only major British broadcaster to offer an app for the US firm's set top boxes. The BBC has, however, allowed users to stream content from iPlayer's iPhone and iPad apps to older Apple TVs. In September, its iPlayer team indicated it had \"no plans\" to change this. for the new device. But a key part of Apple's pitch for its new box is that owners can use their voices to request programmes and movies by theme from across a range of services without having to open and close individual apps. Users can, for example, ask for popular science fiction shows and be shown a range of suggestions from Netflix, NowTV and other apps that communicate their content with Apple's computer servers. For iPlayer's content to be added to the list of recommendations, the service has to become a native app rather than be run off a separate device. Earlier this month, the MacRumors news site reported that two Bournemouth-based developers had created a tvOS app they dubbed Auntie Player to demonstrate that it would be relatively easy for the BBC to support the new platform. They noted it had taken them less than nine hours to build a working program and urged the BBC to build an official version of its own. \"iPlayer coming to the Apple TV is a landmark deal,\" commented Ian Maude from the research firm Enders Analysis. \"I think it's very difficult for any internet-based video streaming service to launch in the UK without it now. \"That was true for Sky's Now TV box - it was huge when it got iPlayer - and I think the same will be true for Apple.\" The BBC understands that ITV has no plans to release an app for Apple TV. Channel 4 and Channel 5's intentions are unknown.", "summary": "The BBC has confirmed that its iPlayer service is coming to the new Apple TV."}
{"article": "Paul Gallihawk, 34, failed to finish the initial swimming part of the race at Leybourne Lakes and was reported missing after he did not arrive to collect his bike for the cycling stage. The cause of his death remains unclear. His girlfriend Hayley said: \"He was the most amazing and thoughtful partner. I loved him to bits and always will.\" \"He was incredible in every way and he always put others before himself,\" she added. In a statement, the family said: \"[Paul] had such a caring nature and will be sadly missed by all the family, extended family and friends. \"Paul was a brilliant son and brother to Nick - he would do anything to help anyone and would always put them first.\" His friends also issued a statement: \"Many of us have known Paul since we went to school together and we are all completely heartbroken. \"He was a genuine and honest man - he was the funniest person in the world.\" The triathlon event was organised by Ocean Lake Triathlon, who said: \"We are shocked by what happened.\" The triathlon club, based at Leybourne Lake Country Park and Simon Langton School in Canterbury, organises a series of six sprint distance races. Mr Gallihawk had been missing since a 750m swim at the start of the triathlon. He had written on his JustGiving page that he was competing to raise money for King's College Hospital in London, which had looked after his father. Since his disappearance was announced, donations on the page have risen to over \u00c2\u00a36,000. One donor wrote on the site: \"Paul, you always had a smile and a laugh about everything, and a great teammate playing for Lenham. An absolute gent and our thoughts are with your loved ones.\"", "summary": "Tributes have been paid to a triathlete whose body was found after he disappeared during a race near Maidstone on Saturday."}
{"article": "People logging on are asked which team they want to follow to get the latest news during the tournament. All countries taking part in the competition were listed apart from Wales, Turkey, Switzerland and Ukraine. Football body UEFA, which runs the app, blamed a \"technical issue\" on some devices which it has now resolved. Wales fan Tim Hartley said he was \"very disappointed\" that his team was not on the app after it launched. \"It's surprising that I've received tickets to follow my team right through to the final, and yet UEFA has left Wales out of app,\" he said. \"But having said that, the fans will stand together in France next month regardless, app or not.\" After BBC Wales contacted UEFA it said it resolved the glitch and the missing countries were now available to fans. A spokesman said no teams were left out but a technical issue had meant the last row of participating teams could not be seen.", "summary": "Wales fans hoping to follow their team on the official Euro 2016 app were left disappointed - after the country was not included."}
{"article": "Suarez, 26, has been training alone after attempting to engineer a move away from Anfield this summer. 29 May: Drops a big hint that he wants to leave Liverpool after saying he finds life in England hard. 8 July: Liverpool turn down a \u00a330m bid from Arsenal. 24 July: Arsenal offer \u00a340,000,001 for Suarez, triggering a clause in his contract. 2 August: Says he will consider a formal transfer request and the possibility of court action if his Liverpool dispute is not resolved. 7 August: Suarez says he wants to leave Liverpool to join a Champions League side. 8 August: Told to train alone by manager Brendan Rodgers, who says the player has shown \"total disrespect\" for the club. \"Initially there will be a recognition that [there needs to be] an apology to his team-mates and the club,\" said Rodgers when asked what the striker needs to do next. Arsenal have had two bids rejected for the Uruguayan. \"I have seen him over a period of time. I know it is not the Luis Suarez we know and I have to protect the fans and the players because they deserve more than that,\" added Rodgers. The Liverpool boss was speaking after his side, without Suarez, lost 1-0 to Celtic in their final pre-season friendly. \"He has spent some days working on his own,\" said Rodgers, who will be without Suarez this week as he travels to Japan with Uruguay. \"The group has been separate to that and working very hard. \"When he is back from his international trip we will assess it from there.\" The latest blow to Suarez's hopes of concluding a move away from Anfield comes just a day after the Reds boss urged him to accept that he is going nowhere. \"There will come a point where he'll recognise the club is not going to sell,\" Rodgers said on Friday. There has been no further move from Arsenal since they bid \u00a340,000,001 for the former Ajax striker on 24 July. December 2011 - Given eight-match suspension and fined \u00a340,000 for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra. February 2012 - Refuses to shake hands with Evra at Old Trafford and is described as a \"disgrace\" by Sir Alex Ferguson. October 2012 - Accused of diving by Stoke manager Tony Pulis. November 2012 - Accused of stamping on Dave Jones by Wigan manager Roberto Martinez. January 2013 - Mansfield chief executive Carolyn Radford says Suarez \"stole\" their FA Cup tie when he scored after using his hand. The Gunners expected the bid to trigger a release clause in Suarez's contract, but his club insist it does not do so. Suarez then told both the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph he had been promised he could leave Liverpool this summer if they did not qualify for the Champions League. Both Rodgers and club owner John W Henry dismissed the claims. Suarez was banned for eight matches in December 2011 after the FA found him guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra and is currently serving a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea's", "summary": "Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has told striker Luis Suarez he must apologise for his recent conduct."}
{"article": "This contradict earlier reports that a Canadair aircraft went down near the central Pedr\u00c3\u00b3g\u00c3\u00a3o Grande area. More than 1,000 firefighters on the ground and planes from several countries are battling the fires. The fires have claimed the lives of at least 64 people and since Saturday. Many of the victims died in their cars as they tried to escape. More than 130 people have been injured. Portugal fires: Varzeas mourns villagers who fled Civil protection officials have said they expect the blazes to be under control soon, but warn that soaring temperatures are hampering efforts. The week's highest temperatures in the area are expected to reach about 38C (100F) and, together with windy conditions, could reignite fires that have already been brought under control. Wildfires are an annual menace in Portugal. More broke out there between 1993 and 2013 than in Spain, France, Italy or Greece, the European Environment Agency reported last year, despite the country's relatively small geographical size. Given that, was this year's tragedy preventable? Could Portugal have done anything more to save lives and minimise the damage? Read more: Just what makes Portugal such a tinderbox? One of the worst-hit areas was around the village of Nodeirinho. Thirty bodies were found inside cars and another 17 next to vehicles on the N-236 road. Portuguese media have dubbed the N-236 the \"road of death\". Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has questioned why the emergency services did not close the road.", "summary": "Reports that a firefighting plane crashed during an operation to tackle huge blazes in central Portugal have been denied by the country's civil protection authority."}
{"article": "Once they had been some of the most powerful men in Libya, with the power of life and death over their fellow citizens. Now they just looked old and diminished, and some looked ill. One former minister (he was later found not guilty) seemed to be suffering from advanced senility. The most powerful of them all, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, was absent, as he had been for the entire trial. Col Gaddafi's son was locked in a prison nearly a 100 miles away. It was hard to think that these men once inspired such terror. None of them seemed cocky or aggressive as they waited to hear what their punishment would be. They sat quietly, some making nervous movements of their hands, one or two grasping the bars of the cage, others playing with imaginary worry-beads. One kept his eyes shut, moving gently backwards and forwards, muttering to himself. When the sentences were read out, though, their faces didn't register much emotion - though one man winced as he heard what would happen to him: life imprisonment. One prisoner, overweight and tough-looking, suddenly collapsed. Leaning against the man next to him, his face turned a blueish-grey and his eyes sightless. It looked like a stroke or a heart-attack, but it turned out to be a powerful asthma attack brought on by the stress of the sentencing. The presiding judge rarely glanced at the men in the dock; he must have seen them all so often during the past three years. He ran through the long list quickly and fluently. Even when the lights went out - in Tripoli, the electricity supply is constantly being cut - he continued reading aloud with scarcely a beat missed, using the emergency red lights around his microphone. No one could forget, though, that the star of the show was missing. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi's sentence - death by shooting - was the first to be announced, and a little quiver ran around the court-room as it was. He may have been watching the proceedings in his prison in the centre of Zintan, in the western mountains. If so, he won't have been surprised. By the last years of the Gaddafi regime Saif al-Islam was deeply loathed in Libya, even while politicians in Britain, France and Italy were behaving as though he was a close friend. His dubious PhD from the London School of Economics was regarded in Tripoli with scorn. Yet he continued to lecture the nation on television, much as he lectured anyone who - like me - interviewed him, waving his forefinger in everyone's face. At first, when the men from the Zintan group captured Saif al-Islam Gaddafi after the fall of his father in 2011, some of them treated him brutally. They chopped off the admonitory forefinger, and, cradling his hand in a bloodstained handkerchief, he pretended his hand had been injured in a Western air strike. A year or so later, some of his self-confidence had returned. In 2013, when I went to Zintan to watch him make an appearance in court, he greeted", "summary": "The accused men sat behind the bars of their cage in blue prison-issue pyjamas, their heads close-cropped."}
{"article": "Robson-Kanu has not featured for the Championship side since suffering a thigh injury in the 1-1 draw with Cardiff on 19 March. The 26-year-old featured in eight of Wales' qualifiers but injury ruled him out of the past four international friendlies. \"I'll be fit for the summer,\" he told BBC Wales Sport. \"I'm getting on well. No-one likes being injured, but it is just a little strain, so I am just managing it now and getting it right, and it will be right come the summer. \"I am definitely on the mend and looking forward to getting back fit.\" Robson-Kanu, who is out of contract at the end of the season, expects to feature for Reading before the campaign finishes. \"I will hopefully play a few games and get my fitness up ahead of the camp and as we get ready for the summer,\" he said. Wales have qualified their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup in Sweden and will face Slovakia, England and Russia at the European Championship. Robson-Kanu believes the success of Chris Coleman's team has helped to challenge the notion Wales is a rugby nation. \"Things have changed, there is this perception that Wales is a rugby nation and of course rugby is a massive part of this nation,\" he said. \"But if you look at the support Swansea and Cardiff get, especially when Cardiff were in the top league, it was fantastic. \"Now we are doing so well at international level, you can really feel the buzz and the attendances reflect that. \"We know how much it means to the fans, it is that special feeling isn't it? And that is what it is all about.\" Robson-Kanu hopes to add to his tally of two international goals in France, and believes Wales can challenge in the tournament. \"What we've achieved getting there, great, but we want to do better than that,\" he said. \"We have players in the group who are programmed week in and week out to do better than that. \"It will be an exciting summer, but we want to be successful.\"", "summary": "Reading forward Hal Robson-Kanu says he will be fit for Wales' Euro 2016 campaign in France this summer."}
{"article": "Phillip Shortman, 27, from Abersychan, Pontypool, has admitted 10 counts of fraud and will be sentenced on Friday. The charges related to selling a \"non-existent\" phone and vehicle parts on eBay and another website. Newport Crown Court heard he has 17 previous convictions for 77 offences, many related to eBay. In the latest case, Shortman admitted using his five-year-old son's details to sell a bogus Samsung Galaxy S4 mobile phone through the online market place. He arranged for \u00a3480 to be transferred into his wife's account, but failed to deliver the phone. Shortman then attempted the same con again, being paid \u00a3440 for the same phone. The court was told he then \"attached\" himself to a website selling Suzuki Jeep parts, calling himself Yuppy Bear. The Essex police officer who failed to receive the parts he ordered from Shortman helped fraud officers in Cardiff arrest him. Jeffrey Jones, prosecuting, said the value of his fraud was estimated at \u00a32,065. Mr Jones told the court Shortman had arrived at court with the sum in cash. The court heard one of his previous crimes, committed when he was 17, had 80 victims. He has also been convicted of selling bogus Wales Rugby international tickets, worth \u00a37,000. Nigel Friar, defending, said much of Shortman's offending \"had its basis in immaturity and a lack of understanding of money\". He said: \"Mr Shortman is finally beginning to grow up.\" He told the judge, John Jenkins QC, Shortman was remorseful, and \"custody has been imposed on a number of occasions since 2007\", adding \"some would say that has failed\".", "summary": "A prolific eBay conman has been caught again after failing to deliver a car part to a police officer who ordered it from him online."}
{"article": "PC Amar Tasaddiq Hussain, 29, is one of three men accused of conspiring to make a \"false and malicious\" 999 call to West Midlands Police. He denies two counts of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Adil Bashir, 26, and Muhammad Ali Sheikh, 31, have also denied the charges at Stafford Crown Court. More on this and other Birmingham stories Prosecutor Simon Davis said the bogus call about the kidnap plot on 8 December 2014, and another two calls made earlier on 27 September about an alleged sham marriage, were staged to target two members of a religious group; Faisal Sami and Irfan Ul-Haq, because of a \"personal grudge\". The court heard Mr Hussain wanted to be the head of security at the Dawat-e-Islami faith group where Mr Sami was the leader. This sparked the three defendants to plot a \"course of conduct intended to undermine Ul-Haq and, in turn, a friend of his called Faisal Sami\", said Mr Davis. The court heard from Irfan Ul-Haq from Pakistani via video link, who was arrested after counter-terrorism police raided a tyre business in Walsall as part of the investigation, and he was deported for immigration offences. Mr Ul-Haq claimed to have been friends with Mr Hussain for seven years and knew him as Amir. \"Amir wanted to become head of security department. He wanted to be security head,\" he said, referring to the Dawat-e-Islami group. Mr Hussain, from Yardley, who is suspended from duty, was charged with Mr Bashir of Small Heath and Mr Sheikh from Bordesley Green. All three deny the charges. The trial continues.", "summary": "A police officer tried to incriminate two men over a \"personal grudge\" by faking a so-called \"IS kidnap\" of an officer, a court has heard."}
{"article": "At one stage, the judge told staff to turn up the court heaters as a result of the low temperature in Court 12. There was also a coldness to the proceedings, compared to the hot and heavy exchanges in the media on the issue. There was no heckling, no shouting, no jeering. In fact, the only time the volume was raised in court was when a journalist's mobile telephone rang loudly for 30 seconds, as the owner frantically fumbled around, failing to find the off-button. There was respect between the legal teams, politeness from the witnesses and a respectful atmosphere inside the courtroom, including the packed public gallery. A number of gay rights activists were present as were unionist politicians including Edwin Poots and Jim Allister. The air of calm seemed to take the authorities by surprise. On day one, a group of police officers was stationed outside Court 12. By day two, they had gone. At the centre of the case was Gareth Lee, a gay rights activist whose order for a cake bearing the slogan 'support gay marriage' was turned down. The Equality Commission supported his case. They claimed he was discriminated against on the grounds of his sexual orientation. Mr Lee sat on the left-hand side of the court. The baker from Ashers bakery who turned down his order for the cake, Karen McArthur, sat on the other side. Beside her was her husband, Colin, one of her three sons, Daniel, and her daughter-in-law Amy. They are a close-knit Christian family and they sat in the same seats each day. The most tense moment in court came when Karen McArthur was questioned about why she initially accepted Gareth Lee's order and then rang him a few days later to tell him that it was being cancelled. \"In my heart I knew I would not be able to put that (slogan) on the cake,\" she said \"I didn't want to embarrass him or have a confrontation in the bakery.\" So was Mr Lee's order turned down because he was gay? No, insisted Mrs McArthur. She did not know he was gay, and it would not have mattered even if she did. Ashers would not have been prepared to make a cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan for anyone. The point was emphasised by the family's barrister, David Scoffield QC - \"the issue was the cake not the customer\". However, Gareth Lee felt he was discriminated against. He told the court that after ordering the cake and paying for it, only to be told two days later that his order had been rejected: \"It made me feel unworthy, a lesser person.\" It will be up to district judge Isobel Brownlie whether these feelings were as result of discrimination or not. At the outset of the case, Mr Lee's barrister Robin Allen QC advised the judge to bear in mind \"law must not be determined by those who shout loudest\". It set the tone for three days of complex but courteous legal argument. Never has a courtroom heard so much evidence about", "summary": "The public debate over the 'gay cake' controversy may have been heated, but the three-day court case was a chilly affair."}
{"article": "The Pope said migrants often met \"rejection from those who could offer them welcome and assistance\". He also condemned terrorism as \"a blind and brutal violence\" that should be fought with \"weapons of love\". The Pope was delivering his \"urbi et orbi\" (To the city and the world) message to thousands amid tight security in St Peter's Square. The Pope said: \"The Easter message of the risen Christ... invites us not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees... fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice. \"All too often, these brothers and sisters of ours meet along the way with death or, in any event, rejection by those who could offer them welcome and assistance.\" Tens of thousands of migrants, mainly fleeing conflict in Syria and Iraq, are now stranded in Greece, after European nations and Turkey agreed a plan to shut their route to northern Europe. Pope Francis also offered a prayer for Syria: \"The risen Christ points out paths of hope to beloved Syria, a country torn by a lengthy conflict with its sad wake of destruction, death, contempt for humanitarian law and the breakdown of civil concord.\" He expressed his hope for success at peace scheduled to resume next month. The Pope also urged people to use the \"weapons of love\" to combat the evil of terrorism. He spoke of recent attacks in Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Iraq. \"May [the risen Jesus Christ] draw us closer on this Easter feast to the victims of terrorism, that blind and brutal form of violence which continues to shed blood in different parts of the world,\" he said (text in Italian). The latest terror attack - in Brussels on Tuesday - left 28 people dead. The former king and queen of Belgium, Albert II and Paola, attended the Mass on Sunday and met the Pope. Many pilgrims cancelled their planned trips to Rome in the wake of the violence in Brussels, but the square was packed on Sunday, as was St Peter's Basilica when Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Saturday evening. In his homily in the basilica, he called on Christians not to let fear and pessimism \"imprison\" them. He said: \"Today is the celebration of our hope. It is so necessary today.\"", "summary": "Pope Francis has condemned those who fail to help migrants, during his traditional Easter speech in Rome."}
{"article": "The club revealed the 'Story Of My Life' singer was behind the design on Monday after the poll had closed. In the wake of the announcement some fans have criticised the club and questioned the credibility of the vote. Doncaster Rovers say the voting process \"was all was fair and above board\". Writing on Twitter one fan said: \"I wonder if the vote was rigged or that shirt actually won??? #drfc.\" The design for the 2016/17 away kit submitted by Tomlinson and his grandfather was one of five put to the public vote. It received 33.7% of votes while the second placed design polled 26.2% of votes. After being announced as the winner Tomlinson told the club's website: \"I designed the kit with my granddad when I was home a few weeks ago. \"We used to go to Belle Vue together so it has always been a family affair with us and to now have a hand in next seasons away shirt is brilliant. I can't wait to see my team wearing it\". Doncaster Rovers revealed the winning design in February, but did not say who was responsible. At the time it said the winner would be taken to Thailand to see the first stage of manufacturing. Fans have also raised their eyebrows at the clubs decision to give away 20 shirts signed by Tomlinson to fans who pre-order the strip. One asked if he could receive a signed version of the new home strip, also chosen from a poll of fan designs. Other fans however, have tweeted their support for Tomlinson's design. A spokesperson for Doncaster Rovers said: \"The process for receiving kit designs, shortlisting and the public voting for our kit design competition followed strict legal guidance to ensure that the club adhered to competition law and that all processes were fair. \"We are aware that the result of the competition has attracted some negative feedback, but we can assure our fans that the voting process for the 2016/17 shirt designs was all was fair and above board.\" Tomlinson, who was part of a failed bid to buy Doncaster Rovers in 2014 , signed for the club as a non-contract player in August 2013 and made his debut for the side's reserve team in February 2014.", "summary": "Doncaster Rovers fans have reacted angrily to One Direction star Louis Tomlinson and his grandfather winning a competition to design the football club's new away kit."}
{"article": "Hannah Witheridge, from Hemsby in Norfolk, died along with David Miller, 24, from Jersey, in an attack on Koh Tao island in 2014. Burmese migrants Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were convicted of the murders and sentenced to death in December. Norfolk coroner Jacqueline Lake ruled Ms Witheridge's death was caused by \"severe head injuries\". More on this and other Norfolk stories In October 2014, about 200 people gathered inside St Mary's Church in Hemsby for the speech and language therapy student's funeral. In a statement read to the inquest, Ms Witheridge's mother Susan told how her daughter was thinking of going on holiday to mainland Europe or Australia but made a late decision to go to Thailand. \"None of the family was happy with her going there, but she had made her mind up,\" said Mrs Witheridge. She said the death \"changed our lives forever\". She added that on being told the news Ms Witheridge's father, Tony, had burst into the kitchen and \"collapsed crying and sobbing\". Amnesty International has called for an independent inquiry over allegations Thai police tortured both defendants during the inquiry. On their conviction in December, Michael Miller, David Miller's brother, urged those who had doubted the accused's guilt to respect the court's decision.", "summary": "A 23-year-old British woman who died in Thailand was unlawfully killed, an inquest has found."}
{"article": "A search is continuing for four other people missing at the site. Reports say an initial collapse caused a crane to fall, bringing down more of the multi-storey building. At least 20 people were treated for injuries following the incident in Ramat Hahayil, a commercial area in the north of the city. Pictures from the scene show clouds of dust rising from a huge crater, with large amounts of debris at the bottom. Dozens of firefighters, rescue and security services were dispatched to the site to help the injured and search for those feared missing. Israel's Haaretz newspaper quoted a fire service spokesman as saying there were \"people buried beneath the sand\". Police moved people away from the area, fearing other parts of the building might also collapse.", "summary": "The death toll after a car park collapsed while under construction in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv has risen to three, rescue workers say."}
{"article": "The move comes after an independent review concluded the magazine failed to follow basic journalistic safeguards before publishing. The November article described a gang rape at a University of Virginia (UVA) fraternity house in 2012. A four-month police investigation found no evidence that the incident occurred. However, police chief Timothy Longo has said that did not mean \"something terrible didn't happen\" to the student known as Jackie. In a statement, UVA's chapter of Phi Kappa Psi said they would \"pursue all available legal action against the magazine\". The chapter said its members were ostracised and the fraternity house was vandalised as a result of the article, which was read by millions. The Columbia School of Journalism report, commissioned by Rolling Stone, described the article as \"a story of journalistic failure\". Written by journalist Sabrina Erdely, the 9,000-word article A Rape on Campus relied on Jackie as the sole source to tell the story of an alleged rape at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house. Subsequent investigations by other reporters and Ms Erdely herself identified errors in the reporting of the piece. Rolling Stone has apologised and officially retracted \"A Rape on Campus\" after the review. Managing Editor Will Dana apologised to readers and \"all of those who were damaged by our story and the ensuing fallout\". The Columbia School of Journalism report said the magazine failed to use \"basic, even routine journalistic practice\" to verify the details after Ms Erdely failed to contact the alleged attackers. \"The failure encompassed reporting, editing, editorial supervision and fact-checking\", and there were \"systematic failures\" at the magazine, the report said. The report went on to suggest that the article had undermined work to stop sexual violence as it \"spread the idea that many women invent rape allegations\". During a press conference on Monday, Steven Coll, one of the authors of the report, said Rolling Stone had hid behind sensitivity to Jackie to explain their lapses in reporting. \"We do disagree with any suggestion that this is Jackie's fault,\" Mr Coll added. Mr Dana described the report as \"painful reading\", and said the magazine was committing itself to a series of recommendations in the report, but said no-one would be fired for their involvement in the story. He apologised to all those affected by the story, \"including members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and UVA administrators and students\". Columbia said that Jackie had declined to answer questions for the report and that her lawyer said it \"is in her best interest to remain silent at this time\".", "summary": "The fraternity at the centre of a discredited Rolling Stone article about a campus rape has threatened to sue the magazine for its \"reckless\" reporting."}
{"article": "Cameron Logan, 23, died in the blaze in Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire, and his girlfriend Rebecca Williams, 25, was seriously injured. Last month, Blair Logan, 27, admitted murdering his brother and attempting to murder Ms Williams at the family home. He said he doused his sibling in petrol and set him alight but did not mean to kill him. At the High Court in Edinburgh, he was given a life sentence with a minimum jail term of 20 years before he can be considered for parole. An earlier hearing was told that the brothers had a \"hostile\" relationship and had not spoken to each other since 2013. In a letter read to the court, his parents said they found it \"extremely difficult to reconcile the Blair that they know with the Blair that caused Cameron's death\". Both parents were in the court room in Edinburgh, along with Ms Williams and her family, as the sentence was passed by Lady Scott. She said Cameron was a \"happy and much loved young man\" who had died a \"horrible death\" and that Logan \"acted with wicked recklessness\". The judge accepted court reports that he had \"abnormal personality traits\" and features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). But she said there was no suggestion that Logan had a mental disorder and he was fully criminally responsible for his actions. \"Your motivation was malice,\" she said. \"You had planned this attack for a considerable time.\" Lady Scott said Logan's actions had also dramatically affected the life of Ms Williams, who sustained \"truly terrible injuries\", and his parents. \"At the time Miss Williams was employed in her dream job in radio broadcasting - you have robbed her of her voice and her career, of her future with Cameron and of her confidence and sense of self-worth. She remains disfigured, impaired and in pain,\" she added. \"Your act in setting this fire also endangered the lives of your own parents who were asleep upstairs. I cannot imagine the pain they will forever endure from what you did, losing in effect both their sons.\" In a statement read by her father outside court, Ms Williams said Cameron Logan was a \"caring, respectful and loving man\" but their future together had been \"stolen\". She added that no sentence would ever be enough for such a \"barbaric and ruthless\" murder. \"The horror of what happened in that room will haunt me forever,\" she said. \"Cameron died in the most cruel way, in front of my eyes. I can only imagine the pain and suffering he will have experienced in his final moments. \"I wish more than anything that I could have saved him.\" An earlier hearing at the High Court in Glasgow heard that Blair Logan told police the brothers had not spoken since the death of their grandmother in 2013. The attack was said to be in retaliation for a recent incident at the house when his brother had punched him. On the night of the fire Cameron and Ms Williams slept on an inflatable mattress in the living room of the family", "summary": "A man who murdered his brother by setting fire to him has been ordered to spend at least 20 years in jail."}
{"article": "Plymouth planning officers concluded the plans for Drake's Island should be rejected partly because the little egrets would be disturbed and leave. Developers Rotolok, who want to build a 25-bed hotel on the uninhabited island, said there was \"no problem\" with its effect on the birds. No-one from the council was available for immediate comment. Drake's Island, which was bought by the Tiverton-based businessman and former Plymouth Argyle chairman Dan McCauley, covers about six acres and contains military barracks and buildings from the Napoleonic era. Mr McCauley is trying for a third time to get permission to build a \u00c2\u00a310m boutique hotel, bar and restaurant on the island. Last year, plans submitted by his company Rotolok Holdings for Drake's Island in Plymouth Sound were rejected by city councillors who said more information on the risks to wildlife was needed. Natural England has now told officers: \"The little egrets have selected a roosting and breeding site distant from human activity. \"If the development were to result in disturbance, as we believe is likely even with the proposed mitigation in place, this may result in the complete loss of the breeding colony from this site and communal roost rather than a reduction in numbers of birds present.\" Little Egrets There are thought to be about 700 breeding pairs nationally and it is ranked amber on the RSPB's conservation list, as a rare breeding species. They first arrived in the UK in 1989, and only started nesting in 1996. Source: RSPB Officers recommended refusal to the planning committee on 15 January citing the effect on the egrets and flooding risk. Mr McCauley's son Aidan said: \"I am staggered that after years of close working with council officers they are choosing to ignore the evidence that is before them and turn our proposed investment away. \"My professional team has provided the council with all they need to approve this existing scheme and it is clear that there is no problem with the little egrets, and no need for any off-site mitigation measures to be taken.\"", "summary": "A colony of rare birds could thwart a multimillion-pound scheme to redevelop an island in Plymouth Sound."}
{"article": "Daly replaces lock Courtney Lawes in the only change from the squad that beat Italy. \"Elliot Daly has impressed in training and is now ready to be part of the matchday 23,\" Jones said. England won their opening two matches and top the table, while Ireland lost to France and drew with Wales. Daly, 23, has played four times for England Saxons and also represented England at under-18 and under-20 level. Ireland could also bring a debutant into midfield, with Ulster's Stuart McCloskey in contention for a first cap if fitness-doubt Jared Payne is ruled out. Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Alex Goode (Saracens), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers). Forwards: Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Jack Clifford (Harlequins), Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Wasps), Paul Hill (Northampton Saints), Maro Itodje (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens). Have you added the new Top Story alerts in the BBC Sport app? Simply head to the menu in the app - and don't forget you can also add alerts for the Six Nations, cricket scores, your football team and more.", "summary": "Wasps centre Elliot Daly is set for his England debut after being named in Eddie Jones' 23-man squad for Saturday's match against Ireland."}
{"article": "The environmental watchdog said it received a large number of complaints to its pollution hotline after a fault caused high-pressure steam venting. The noise stopped when the fault, which took several hours to investigate, was fixed at about 23.00. Sepa said its inspectors would be following up the incident with Ineos. Scott Cumming, 42, who lives in Linlithgow, about seven miles away from the site, said: \"It was a bit like the noise from an aircraft landing or taking off. \"It went on for literally hours. I wrote an email to Ineos asking if they could give an explanation but I haven't had a reply from them.\" A post on the Sepa Facebook page read: \"We're aware of a very loud noise in Grangemouth last night, which caused significant disturbance and public complaints in the wider area. \"This was caused by high pressure steam venting from the Ineos Power Station at Grangemouth, due to a fault. \"It took a numbers of hours to investigate and correct. The noise ceased when it was corrected at 11pm. \"We'll be following the incident up with Ineos.\"", "summary": "Noise from the Ineos petrochemical site in Grangemouth caused \"significant disturbance\" to the public on Tuesday night, according to Sepa."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Lowland League side take on East of Scotland League outfit Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale for the right to host Celtic in the competition's last 16. \"I was sitting with my wee girl about to change her nappy. I just jumped up and went mad,\" said Russell. Asked where the nappy ended up, he replied, \"I don't know!\" The centre-back said he told his girlfriend, who was also watching the draw being made at Hampden, he was certain that when his own team and Vale's names were pulled out that Celtic's would follow. However, the 26-year-old plumbing and heating engineer confessed he might struggle to focus on his job in the coming days. \"I think my boss will understand if I try to put my head down a toilet or something,\" he joked. \"I tried to go the gym. I was sitting on the bike just shaking my head.\" Russell and his team-mates are determined to focus on their rearranged home game at K Park against Vale on 20 January, but the prospect of the Scottish champions playing at their tiny Lanarkshire ground inevitably seeps into the conversation. So, can he imagine Celtic manager Ronny Deila watching him play from the stand? \"I'll put it out my head and make sure we get the win,\" he replied matter-of-factly. \"But after the game if he wants to talk contracts I'll be free!\" Sean Winter was also at home watching Monday's draw. The former Stranraer midfielder told BBC Scotland: \"It was me, my wee boy and my girlfriend and I just had a feeling. I've had a feeling for a few weeks it was going to be Celtic. \"I've played Rangers but I've never had a chance to play Celtic. As soon as I saw East Kilbride, I knew the next one was going to be Celtic. I was absolutely delighted. \"Whether it's us or Lothian Thistle, we have earned the right to be there. It's a fantastic thing for the town.\" Fellow midfielder Craig Hastings, who works at the town's tax office, said: \"I'm excited. I was sitting there with my wee maw, watching the telly, and she said, 'Who do you think it will be?' \"When Celtic came out she started screaming and then the phone was red hot, with my dad and my gran and everybody phoning me. \"Everyone is talking about it but we're not there yet. It's a great draw if we get there. We've got to prepare well.\" Matt McGinley, a PE teacher at Calderglen High in the town, added: \"It's the draw we wanted, the big-money tie, we are all absolutely buzzing.\" \"Bring them on. You want to test yourself against them the best, so why not?\"", "summary": "East Kilbride captain Barry Russell admits that seeing Celtic being drawn on TV as potential Scottish Cup opponents led to a domestic mishap."}
{"article": "The undefeated Manchester fighter, 26, was awarded a 117-110, 115-112, 117-110 verdict over his Liverpool opponent. Flanagan was docked a point in the eighth round by referee Phil Edwards for using his forearm, after receiving repeated warnings for pushing. But it made no difference at the Liverpool Echo Arena as 32-year-old Mathews slipped to a 10th defeat. Flanagan has now won all 30 of his professional fights. His promoter, Frank Warren, says \"the obvious next fight\" for him is against fellow Mancunian and holder of the WBA lightweight world title Anthony Crolla. \"We've made him a big offer,\" said Warren on Box Nation. \"Let the two of them fight. There's no problem from our end. It's a fight that could be made. \"Other than that I like the Linares fight,\" he added, referring to Venezuelan three-weight champion Jorge Linares, who currently holds the WBC version of the world lightweight title. Crolla is scheduled to defend his WBA lightweight title against Ismael Barroso at the Manchester Arena on 7 May.", "summary": "Terry Flanagan retained his WBO world lightweight title with a unanimous points decision over Derry Mathews."}
{"article": "25 April 2016 Last updated at 00:09 BST Jackie Stokes, of Burton-upon-Trent, said she spent \u00c2\u00a39,500 on implants in Hungary and endured four years of pain before being told the treatment had been unsuccessful. She said: \"It has left me feeling like I have been assaulted, butchered and robbed of my life savings.\"", "summary": "A woman who spent her life savings on dental implants that had to be removed says she feels \"butchered\" by her dentist."}
{"article": "Lord Waldegrave was a local government minister when Margaret Thatcher asked him to find an alternative to rates. But the former Bristol West MP told BBC Points West he had not intended it to be introduced in such a \"gung-ho\" way. The community charge, introduced in Scotland in 1989 and England and Wales in 1990, led to riots in London and a mass non-payment campaign in Scotland. The charge, which replaced the rates system, was levied on individuals rather than properties. In his memoirs, William Waldegrave, who was Conservative MP for Bristol West from 1979 until 1997, described the community charge as \"all my own work\". In an interview with BBC Points West, he said he was not alone among ministers backing the plan but added: \"I think that I made a policy that looked as if it would work, intellectually if you like, theoretically, and delivered it to Mrs Thatcher, who liked it very much. And it was a serious mistake. \"I was too trusting of my bosses, as it were, to see as I saw, all the difficulties with it. They went gung ho and introduced it overnight in one go, which was never my plan and I thought they must know what there were doing - but they didn't.\" In the London poll tax riots in 1990, up to 3,000 demonstrators turned on police. Of 113 people injured, 45 were police. By the end of the year, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had stood down. She was replaced by John Major who scrapped the charge in favour of the council tax that continues today.", "summary": "Creating the poll tax was a \"serious mistake\", one of the architects of the ill-fated charge has said."}
{"article": "Norway went ahead midway through the first half when the Hegerberg sisters combined to make the breakthrough. Andrine Hegerberg sent a free-kick into the box for sibling Ada to head past Siobhan Chamberlain from close range. England are next in action on Tuesday when they face Sweden, the Olympic silver medallists from Rio, in Murcia. Their best chances against Norway fell to Fara Williams and Lucy Bronze, who saw efforts from the edge of the box go over the crossbar. Steph Houghton's shot from a corner was cleared off the line, while Ellen White had a penalty appeal turned down after she appeared to receive a shove in the penalty area. Norway continued to push for a second goal but Chamberlain made a string of impressive saves to deny the opposition. With the Women's Super League clubs returning from their close season break only two weeks ago, the majority of the England players are still some way from peak fitness. Even so, with the European Championship seven months away, a defeat by quality opposition such as Norway will be a disappointment to England manager Mark Sampson. The match was England's first since November and they appeared to lose some of the free-flowing football they were displaying in the back end of 2016. Having failed to create a single clear-cut chance in the first half, the introduction of Millie Bright and White looked welcome in the 68th minute. The team came to life in the closing moments, when they won a string of corners which they followed up with on-target efforts but failed to find the equaliser. Sampson played a 3-4-3 formation and despite the defeat, England looked mostly solid across the park but lacked the creativity to find an equaliser for large part of the game. Media playback is not supported on this device After topping their Euro 2017 qualifying group, England came into the match on a 10-game unbeaten run and showed a gritty determination to get back into the match. Chamberlain, deputising for the injured Karen Bardsley, made a string of impressive saves to prevent England from going further behind. Jade Moore once again showed her battling qualities and her ability to control play in the middle of the field, while on the left wing Demi Stokes displayed pace and power. For some players, this training camp could be one of their last chances to impress before the summer and Sampson is expected to make a number of changes ahead of Tuesday's match against Sweden. Striker Danielle Carter, who did not play against Norway, will miss the Sweden game with a hamstring injury. The Arsenal striker, 23, will remain with the squad in La Manga. Chelsea defender Hannah Blundell has been called up as a replacement. Match ends, England 0, Norway 1. Second Half ends, England 0, Norway 1. Gunhild Herregarden (Norway) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Millie Bright (England). Offside, England. Lucy Bronze tries a through ball, but Nikita Parris is caught offside. Foul by Elise Thorsnes (Norway). Nikita Parris (England) wins a free", "summary": "England women began their 2017 season with a 1-0 friendly defeat by Norway in Spain, bringing their 10-match unbeaten run to an end."}
{"article": "An early own goal from Pilgrims defender Sonny Bradley put the Shrimpers in front at Roots Hall. But Edwards' 62nd-minute equaliser ensured the game ended all square. Southend - beaten 5-0 at Rotherham in their previous outing - bossed the majority of the first half and took the lead when Jermaine McGlashan's right-wing cross was diverted into his own net by Bradley. The Shrimpers remained on top with Ryan Leonard shooting inches over from 20 yards and Edwards almost putting past his own goalkeeper when he stabbed a left-wing cross from Stephen Hendrie wide of the left post. But, following a double substitution at the break, Plymouth improved at the start of the second half with Nathan Blissett having a low shot smartly saved by Mark Oxley. The Pilgrims stayed on top and equalised in the 66th minute when Edwards headed home Graham Carey's left-wing corner before Oxley brilliantly denied Carey late on. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Southend United 1, Plymouth Argyle 1. Second Half ends, Southend United 1, Plymouth Argyle 1. Attempt blocked. Stephen Hendrie (Southend United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Corner, Southend United. Conceded by Jake Jervis. Corner, Southend United. Conceded by Ryan Edwards. Corner, Southend United. Conceded by Sonny Bradley. Attempt blocked. Ryan Edwards (Plymouth Argyle) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Michael Timlin (Southend United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Michael Timlin (Southend United). Lionel Ainsworth (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Stephen McLaughlin (Southend United) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Stephen McLaughlin (Southend United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle). Corner, Plymouth Argyle. Conceded by Mark Oxley. Attempt saved. Graham Carey (Plymouth Argyle) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Substitution, Southend United. Stephen McLaughlin replaces Jermaine McGlashan. Foul by Michael Kightly (Southend United). Ryan Edwards (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt saved. Michael Kightly (Southend United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Jermaine McGlashan (Southend United) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Antoni Sarcevic (Plymouth Argyle). Corner, Plymouth Argyle. Conceded by Stephen Hendrie. Attempt blocked. Antoni Sarcevic (Plymouth Argyle) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Corner, Southend United. Conceded by Graham Carey. Marc-Antoine Fortun\u00e9 (Southend United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Antoni Sarcevic (Plymouth Argyle). Corner, Southend United. Conceded by Gary Miller. Attempt blocked. Theo Robinson (Southend United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Marc-Antoine Fortun\u00e9 (Southend United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Gary Miller (Plymouth Argyle). Substitution, Southend United. Theo Robinson replaces Simon Cox. Corner, Southend United. Conceded by Gary Miller. Ryan Edwards (Plymouth Argyle) is shown the yellow card for a bad", "summary": "Ryan Edwards' second-half header secured Plymouth Argyle a draw at Southend United in League One."}
{"article": "The huts on Friars Cliff beach in Christchurch, Dorset, have no fittings, running water or electricity and cannot be used between 22:00 and 06:00. Even so the 8ft x 7ft huts were sold within weeks by Christchurch Borough Council, fetching \u00a342,000 each. The buyers will also have to pay a \u00a3757 annual licence fee to the council and rates of about \u00a3450. Judith Plumley, from the council, said: \"The fact that these huts have sold so quickly shows that there is a great demand for people to have a hut in one of the prime locations on the south coast. \"The funds generated will help to resource other projects and services across the borough.\" There are 167 privately-owned huts on Friars Cliff beach.", "summary": "Eleven new beach huts the size of garden sheds have sold for a total of \u00a3462,000."}
{"article": "The Blues topped the table while, at the other end, Sunderland could not escape the drop after 110 straight days at the bottom. Records tumbled through to the last day of the campaign, when we saw 33 goalscorers, more than ever before in a single day of a 38-game season. Goals scored from outside the penalty area fell to a Premier League low of 11.6% so, if you like a goalmouth scramble, this was your year. From the moment Prime Minister Theresa May called a snap General Election on 18 April, the title was as good as Chelsea's. The London club have won the title the past four times - 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2017 - the country has been asked to elect a government. They did so in style, with their 30 wins beating the Premier League record of 29, which the Blues also set in 2004-05 and 2005-06. As the graphic above shows, Antonio Conte would do well to hold on to Diego Costa as his goals won more points than anyone else in the league. The striker has been linked with a move to China, but why would he want to leave London? The city is home to the best and second-best sides in the league for just the third time in English top-flight history. For all their free-flowing attacking play, for all Dele Alli's quality and Christian Eriksen's guile, Tottenham didn't spend a single day on top of the table in 2016-17. That's less than relegated Hull City who spent 24 hours at the summit on the opening weekend. Incredibly, Spurs had four players who were involved in 20 or more league goals this season. No other side had two players who could boast of such a contribution. So many troops chipping in helped Mauricio Pochettino's side to a goal difference of +60, a record for any side who did not win the title. What would they have mustered had Harry Kane not missed eight games in the league? His mark of five hat-tricks in the season puts him among stellar company, as only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo can match the mark in any of Europe's top five leagues. Manchester United's season saw manager Jose Mourinho criticise Luke Shaw, take an age to utilise Henrikh Mkhitaryan and lament the workings of the fixture computer. It led to him making more changes to his starting line-up - 120 - than any other manager and he finished outside the top three for the first time in his managerial career. The Red Devils never finished a Premier League season lower than third under Sir Alex Ferguson but have now done so in each of the four seasons since he left. And those famous Manchester United v Arsenal battles for titles in recent memory now look further away than ever, with the pair outside the top four as a duo for the first time since 1979. The Gunners - fifth - can feel a little hard done by as their mark of 75 points is a record for any side finishing outside", "summary": "It was the season in which Chelsea played by their own record book."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old former Celebrity Big Brother winner and Geordie Shore cast member was stopped for driving erratically in Newcastle in January. The city's magistrates heard she had earlier been drinking on a train home from London to Tyneside. The court heard the conviction would scupper plans for a career in the US. Crosby, who admitted the charge, was also ordered to pay \u00c2\u00a31,185. Magistrates were told Crosby's Range Rover was seen weaving down the road by two police officers in the early hours of 28 January. When she was pulled over, a breath test showed she had 80 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, compared with the legal limit of 35. The court heard because she also had been banned from driving for 18 months in 2012, she would not be able to get a visa to travel to the United States, where she had planned to work. Nick Freeman, defending, said Crosby had decided to make the short journey from the railway station to her hotel despite having initially planned to get a taxi. He said: \"She accepts that she is the author of her misfortune and is bitterly ashamed, contrite and embarrassed.\" He added his client had been close to landing a TV career in America but \"that will not now happen as she will not get a visa\". Banning Crosby, chairman of the bench Keith McIntosh said it \"beggared belief\" that she had been caught for a second time. \"We take drink-driving offences very seriously in this court, even more so when it's not the first offence,\" he said. Crosby, from Sunderland, won Celebrity Big Brother in 2013 and appeared in all 11 series of Geordie Shore.", "summary": "Reality TV star Charlotte Crosby has been banned from driving for three years after being convicted of a second drink-driving offence."}
{"article": "Four people were on board the Irish Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 116 when it went down on 14 March. Cpt Dara Fitzpatrick died after she was rescued from the sea. Police said that the body of another crew member had been found but they could not yet confirm identification. The missing coastguard crew were Cpt Mark Duffy, winch operator Paul Ormsby and winchman Ciaran Smith - it is not yet known which member has been found. Search teams are trying to remove the body of the crew member from the cockpit of the aircraft, but investigators said sea conditions have meant dives to the wreckage on Saturday have been prevented. On Friday the black box recorder from the rescue helicopter was recovered. The chief inspector with the Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit (IAAIU) Jurgen Whyte said: \"We're happy to announce we had a positive recovery of the data recorder at 1630 from the seabed just off Blackrock.\" Mr Whyte said the recorder will be brought to Dublin before being sent to the UK air accident investigation branch where it will be prepared for download, hopefully successfully, by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. Late on Friday afternoon, searchers began diving at Blackrock island off the coast of Blacksod, County Mayo, where the wreckage of the helicopter was found on Wednesday It was discovered about 60m west of Blackrock island, in waters about 40m deep. R116 lost contact with the Irish Coastguard at about 01:00 on 14 March, as it made its final approach to Blacksod refuelling depot. The crew had been providing communications support to another coastguard helicopter that had been deployed to take an injured fisherman to hospital. The wreckage of R116 was pinpointed after search teams deployed a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV), fitted with an underwater camera.", "summary": "The body of a crew member has been located in the wreckage of a rescue helicopter which crashed earlier this month, garda\u00c3\u00ad (Irish police) have confirmed."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old had been with Silkmen since 2013 after starting his career at Stockport County. He was captain of the Macclesfield side that lost at Wembley in the FA Trophy final this season to York City. Halls is Chester's third close-season signing, after the arrival of strikers Harry White and Nyal Bell. White was signed from Solihull Moors, while Nyal Bell has joined on a half-season loan from Gateshead until 7 January. Jon McCarthy's side finished 19th in the table, narrowly avoiding relegation, having been seventh at Christmas. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Chester have signed full-back Andy Halls on a one-year deal after he turned down a new contract with fellow National League side Macclesfield Town."}
{"article": "Panathinaikos led 1-0 in a play-off to secure a place in next season's Champions League. On 55 minutes, with the sides each down to 10 men, a melee saw two more sent off. Moments later, PAOK coach Vladimir Ivic fell to the ground after being hit by a bottle thrown by a fan and the game was halted before being abandoned. The 40-year-old was struck on the right side of the head and received treatment in the dressing room at Stadio Apostolos Nikolaidis in Athens before having stitches in hospital. After close to an hour's suspension, referee Giorgos Kominos abandoned the match. \"The natural and moral perpetrators... will be hunted with all the means of redress,\" PAOK owner Ivan Savvidis said in a statement. PAOK, Panathinaikos, AEK Athens and Panionios, are in a round-robin play-off to determine who joins league winners Olympiakos in the Champions League. Panathinaikos' Odisseas Vlachodimos saw red after 20 minutes with his side a goal up but Amr Ward picked up two yellow cards in four second-half minutes to even up the numbers. Three minutes later, ex-Barnsley goalkeeper Luke Steele was kicked by PAOK's Jose Angel Crespo, who then grabbed Steele's team-mate Marcus Berg by the throat and threw him to the floor. This led to pushing and shoving by several players, prompting red cards for Panathinaikos' Mali defender Ousmane Coulibaly and PAOK's Ukraine midfielder Yevhen Shakhov.", "summary": "Four red cards, a mass brawl and a manager struck on the head by a bottle - little wonder then that Panathinaikos v PAOK Salonika was abandoned."}
{"article": "Kevin McKearney and his elderly uncle Jack McKearney were shot at their family shop in County Tyrone in 1992 by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). Their family has welcomed the report by the Historical Enquiries Team (HET). The HET found no evidence of security force collusion but also said it could not allay the family's suspicions. The report has identified eight areas of concern about the security force operation, both in the lead up to and the aftermath of the murders. The McKearney family were well-known in Republican circles and felt they were particularly vulnerable to attack. Days before the murders, Kevin's mother Maura had received a telephone call threatening that three men \"in white coats\" would be killed in Moy Square. The family, several of whom wore white coats while working at the butchers shop they owned in the centre of the County Tyrone village, reported the call to police through a local councillor. The HET report has concluded that the RUC \"did not formally record or investigate the reported death threat\". It stated that the McKearney family were given no police advice about their personal security after they were threatened. The inquiries team also said that the loss of forensic material during the RUC investigation, and the \"fact that a special branch officer was aware of the getaway car three minutes after the murders\" remained unexplained. Kevin McKearney, a father of four, was working behind the counter of the butcher shop on 3 January 1992 when a gunman walked in a shot him several times. The 32 year old died at the scene. His 68-year-old uncle John McKearney - known as Jack - was shot and seriously wounded in the attack. He was taken to hospital but died from his injuries three months later on 4 April 1992. The murders took place two weeks after a Protestant man was shot dead by Republican paramilitaries at his family's shop in the same village. Robin Farmer, the 19-year-old son of a policeman, was murdered on 21 December 1991 by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA). The HET report stated Mr Farmer's murder had \"raised fears among the Catholic community in Moy of a retaliatory attack because of the history of tit-for-tat sectarian murders in mid-Ulster throughout the Troubles\". Mrs McKearney received the death threat from anonymous caller just six days after the teenager was killed. The butcher shop murders were not the first time the Troubles had affected the McKearney family. Three of Kevin's brothers had joined the IRA. In May 1974, his older brother Sean McKearney died when a bomb he was planting at a petrol station outside Dungannon exploded prematurely In May 1987, his brother Patrick McKearney was one of eight IRA men killed by the SAS when they tried to attack Loughall police station in County Armagh. Last year, a HET report into that incident concluded that the IRA opened fire first. A third brother, Tommy McKearney, was jailed for his involvement in the killing of a part-time UDR soldier in 1976. Tommy McKearney spent 53 days on hunger", "summary": "A new report into the murders of two men shot by loyalist paramiltaries 20 years ago has concluded the RUC did not do enough to prevent their murders."}
{"article": "Sexton suffered a calf injury during Leinster's 24-24 European Champions Cup draw away to Castres on Friday. \"There's not a lot of damage there, nothing's showing up that's overly significant,\" said Schmidt. \"We'd be confident he'll be able to train next week and therefore be fully available to face Scotland.\" He continued: \"Johnny's already starting back doing a little bit.\" The New Zealander was also upbeat about the fitness of Sean O'Brien, with the Leinster back-row another player with a calf injury. \"He's slightly further ahead than Johnny,\" said Schmidt. \"We're confident he may train before the end of the week fully, but he should train fully next week.\" Schmidt left out Bordeaux's Ian Madigan from his 40-man tournament squad following the fly-half's decision to play club rugby in France, and brought in Munster's uncapped midfielder Rory Scannell as cover for Sexton. But he said former Leinster player Madigan could come back into Ireland contention later this Six Nations. \"The first time I saw Rory play for Dolphin against Belvedere he had a fantastic game at 10,\" said Schmidt. \"There's a big difference between that and Murrayfield but he would be the guy who could cover there. \"We've also got Paddy Jackson available obviously.\" He added: \"With Ian [Madigan], he could only have done those two first days' training with us. You only get that three-day opportunity with the window. So it complicates that. \"Ian had an injury earlier in the season so he hasn't had a lot of rugby really. \"I've kept in touch with Ian. He would slot back in pretty seamlessly for us, so that's still something potentially that we could look at.\"", "summary": "Ireland coach Joe Schmidt expects fly-half Jonathan Sexton to be fit for the Six Nations opener away to Scotland on 4 February."}
{"article": "First, the BBC pays below - and sometimes much below - market rates, both at management level and in terms of top broadcasting talent. Second, this move will prove inflationary. Those on the list will think to themselves: \"Why is that inferior presenter getting paid more than me?\" - and will demand a pay rise. Third, if you thought it was tin hat time for the talent, pity the poor agents they work with. All over the land talent agents are being exposed either for having exaggerated what certain people are paid - in order to get a good deal for their client - or having several clients who do similar roles but at wildly different pay. Ouch. In recent weeks I have spoken to at least a dozen people in the industry, from top agents to the likes of Michael Grade (former boss of the BBC, Channel 4, and ITV - and an agent) and these points command a consensus. But whenever I see a consensus, my instinct is to run in the opposite direction. For all that the BBC may pay less than some rivals, the individual figures released today will shock many members of the public. It is in the very nature of broadcasting that viewers and listeners develop a connection to these so-called stars. Some they like, some they hate; and almost all they will have an opinion on. That opinion will be fundamentally re-adjusted by their knowledge of how much these broadcasters are charging. Not all the numbers released today actually pertain to salaries: there are some individuals who will have been paid over \u00c2\u00a3150,000 in the financial year up to 2016/7, but who aren't continuing in those roles and projects in the following financial year. Such details will most likely be lost in the coming days, as a few key themes emerge. One is the gender gap. A third of the 96 names are women, which Tony Hall admitted to me last night isn't good enough. An area that I suspect will arouse controversy is why different presenters on the same shows get different salaries. There are several instances where men get paid more than women doing the same show. Of course individual circumstances vary. But this is not a good look for the BBC. But as I said on Today this morning, the BBC might feel relatively happy talking about gender, because they have a decent story to tell here. Not only are over 60 per cent of recent appointments of over \u00c2\u00a3150,000 female, but there are some really high-profile ones too. Just this weekend, the new Doctor Who was revealed to be a woman. Moreover, what the BBC won't want - but which is inevitable - is for this story to become a sequence of character assassinations. They'd much rather talk about gender targets than why anyone should get 20 or 50 times the average income in Britain to read the news or host a conversation on the radio. Tomorrow's papers will be full of aggressive personal attacks, not just on Chris Evans and", "summary": "If you ask experienced people in the world of broadcasting what they think of these salary disclosures, three clear and consistent points are apparent."}
{"article": "Cory Allen scored a hat-trick as Wales opened a 28-9 half-time lead. But the centre may miss the rest of the World Cup with full-back Liam Williams and props Paul James and Samson Lee among other injury worries. Uruguay fly-half Felipe Berchesi impressed and kicked Los Teros into an early 6-0 lead, before Wales responded. However, six days before facing England at Twickenham, Warren Gatland's team were not convincing, despite completely dominating the forward exchanges. Relive Wales' win as it happened. Wales lacked composure behind the scrum, while Uruguay were dogged and courageous opponents who refused to capitulate even after Wales reached the 40-point mark on the hour. Wales eventually made their forward dominance pay, with two tries for scrum-half Gareth Davies and one each for Lee, Justin Tipuric and Hallam Amos. With Jonathan Davies, Rhys Webb and Leigh Halfpenny already out of the tournament, the last thing Wales needed was more injury trouble. So the sight of full-back Williams limping off with a thigh injury after 35 minutes on his return after foot surgery was a major worry for Gatland, who said it was too early to tell how serious the full-back's injury was. Gatland also described Allen's hamstring injury as \"significant\", and he said props Lee and James have calf injuries. Gatland faces a decision over which prop to replace and there is also concern over fellow prop Aaron Jarvis, who has a rib problem. There was some good news for Wales with flanker Dan Lydiate passing his concussion protocol. With fly-half Berchesi a lively playmaker and their defence determined to cut down anything in a red shirt, Uruguay started with purpose and were 6-0 up in nine minutes. Wales hit back with their pack dominating and Lee touching down from a driving line-out. It was a recipe which troubled the South Americans all afternoon, though the Welsh backs play was less impressive. But it was Allen who profited most, taking advantage of Rhys Priestland's chip to score the first of his three tries. His third, on the stroke of half-time, was the pick with Tipuric and Amos combining superbly as Wales claimed their bonus point. Wales' driving line-out was their main weapon, but this was not a vintage display. Uruguay's mix of full-time Europe-based professionals and home-grown part-timers deserved their lap of honour and the warm applause. England's pack is unlikely to be as accommodating at Twickenham on Saturday. Wales coach Warren Gatland: \"Hopefully some of those players will recover over the next couple of days. The next day we're back in training is Wednesday to get ready for Saturday. \"The number of turnovers was a bit disappointing. We had 24 turnovers. Respecting the ball and keeping the ball in hand is a big thing. \"I was pleased up front. We stuck to the task and I was pretty happy with some of the performances. \"Tipuric was outstanding again. Jake Ball had a really strong game for us and the front five stuck to their task as well.\" Wales captain Sam Warburton: \"They were going to be extremely passionate.", "summary": "Wales claimed a bonus point as they opened their World Cup campaign with a stuttering eight-try win over battling Uruguay at the Millennium Stadium."}
{"article": "With 80% of votes counted, his National Democratic Party (NDP) looked set to take 27 seats in the 51-seat National Assembly, an absolute majority. The National Assembly will choose a president within weeks of the parliamentary election. For Mr Bouterse to stay in power, 34 lawmakers will have to vote for him. His party currently looks short of achieving that figure, but Mr Bouterse said on Monday that he favoured entering into a coalition. \"It depends on how many votes the population gives us, but regardless it would be good to form a stronger and more stable [government] with those who also think positively,\" he said. NDP supporters celebrated at their party headquarters as the preliminary results came in, waving purple flags, dancing and setting off fireworks. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, the leader of the V7 main opposition coalition, told local media the result was \"worse than I had expected\". Mr Bouterse is a powerful but controversial figure in Suriname. He ruled for seven years after seizing power in a coup in 1980 before stepping down, but briefly ruled again after a second coup in 1990. In 1999 he was convicted in absentia by a Dutch court for cocaine trafficking, charges he has denied. As the Netherlands does not have an extradition treaty with its former colony, Mr Bouterse was never jailed. In 2012 the National Assembly, which was dominated by Mr Bouterse's party, voted to grant the president immunity for alleged human rights abuses committed under his military rule. He had been charged with involvement in the murder of 15 political opponents in 1982, which he denied. The probe was led by his now political rival Mr Santokhi, who was the police commissioner at the time.", "summary": "Preliminary results from Monday's general election in Suriname suggest the party of incumbent President Desi Bouterse has a comfortable lead."}
{"article": "Emergency services found then man when they were called to Elizabeth Street in Govan at about 00:20 on Tuesday. Paramedics attended but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Gavin Riley, 27, from Glasgow, made no plea or declaration when he appeared at the city's sheriff court charged with murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice. The case was committed for further examination and he was remanded in custody ahead of a further expected appearance next week, the Crown Office confirmed. The dead man has yet to be identified.", "summary": "A man has been charged with murder after the death of a man found injured in a Glasgow street."}
{"article": "The cases were re-opened after officers heard tapes seized from the American university, the BBC understands. The murders being re-examined are those of John Benedict Devine in July 1989 and John Joseph O'Hara in April 1991. No-one has ever been charged in connection with the two murders. It is the first time loyalist killings have been investigated as a result of details in the Boston tapes. Police say the two men were killed simply because of their religion. Mr Devine, a 37-year-old father-of-three, was shot in front of his 13-year-old son at his home in Fallswater Street in west Belfast. Mr O'Hara, a father-of-five, was working as a taxi driver when he was shot in Dunluce Avenue in south Belfast in April 1991. Police have said they have new information that could help them to catch the killers. \"As a result of information we have recently received, we believe we are now in a position to progress both of these investigations. \"However, we need the help of the public,\" said Det Insp Neil McGuinness. The Police Service of Northern Ireland will not comment on the nature of the new information. But the BBC believes the decision to re-open these cases was taken after detectives listened to tapes seized from Boston College in recent months. Dozens of former paramilitaries, most of them republican, gave interviews to university researchers compiling an oral history of the Troubles. They did so on the understanding that the tapes would not be made public until after their deaths. But police took legal action and were granted permission to access some of the recordings. It is understood police believe information contained on some of the seized tapes could help them identify those responsible for these two killings. Detectives are now trying to find other supporting evidence. They have appealed to anyone with information about the killings to come forward.", "summary": "Police are re-investigating the murders of two Catholics because of information from interviews about the Troubles by former loyalist paramilitaries for a history project by Boston College."}
{"article": "Elba, 42, has given the album the working title Murder Loves John. \"I'd like to dissect the idea of someone who has to deal with so much darkness,\" he told John Wilson on BBC Radio 4's Front Row. Next week the actor releases his debut album, mi Mandela - inspired by Elba's African heritage and his role as Nelson Mandela in 2013's Long Walk to Freedom. It is intended as the first of a series of albums which are character-inspired. Elba said: \"Detectives carry a lot of stuff. They meet someone who's done something heinous, but they have to have an objective perspective on them until proven.\" \"That could create some really good songs... and definitely an interesting mood, musically,\" he added. The \"character albums\" are not Elba's first foray into the music world. The Wire actor released a five-song EP called High Class Problems Vol 1 in 2010, under the moniker Driis. He released an earlier EP - Big Man - in 2006. He told Wilson he believed David Bowie would be a significant influence on the album. \"Luther listens to Bowie. He likes Bowie. John loves the idea that David's music is escapism for a complex mind.\" \"I'm not saying that I am going to make an album that sounds like a Bowie album. I'm just saying that would be an inspiration for some of the writing and songs.\" Elba is due to return to the role of the troubled police detective in a two-part Luther special for broadcast next year. He added he hoped to perform on stage in the near future and is in talks over a possible musical role. Idris Elba appears on BBC Radio 4's Front Row on Wednesday 26 November, at 19:15 GMT.", "summary": "Idris Elba is planning to release an album of music inspired by his BBC detective character Luther."}
{"article": "The 96-tonne crane exploded into a fireball just before 21:30 BST on Wednesday between J2 for Beaconsfield and J1a for the M25. A number of cars were trapped for several hours. The road partially re-opened on Thursday morning. Highways England said one lane would remain closed for safety reasons. Updates on this and other stories from Buckinghamshire It said the \"intense fire\" happened after a \"significant spillage of hydraulic fluid\", causing \"serious damage to the road surface\", which is due to be resurfaced on Thursday night. A specialist lifting team removed the crane from lane one and the hard shoulder earlier. Drivers near Beaconsfield are being advised to allow extra time for their journeys.", "summary": "Cars were trapped on the southbound M40 in Buckinghamshire overnight after a crane burst into flames, closing the motorway,"}
{"article": "A tractor pulled up outside the building, in Morledge, at 07:10 GMT and deposited the dirt, police said. A note left inside the abandoned vehicle said the action was a \"personal protest against the severely flawed judicial system\". The 49-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and later released on bail. Updates on this story and more from Derbyshire The note left in the tractor read: \"What a shame to have to resort to this, today is a personal protest against the severely flawed judicial system that has consistently failed to listen to simple truth and reason. \"Sorry for any inconvenience caused (to the general public).\" BBC Radio Derby reporter Nigel Cash said: \"The pile immediately behind the trailer is probably a couple of feet high and couple of feet wide. \"It looks as if whoever has dumped it there may have deliberately spread it out.\" Police removed the tractor and spreader after a few hours. They said the man was bailed while their investigation continues and they \"consult with the Crown Prosecution Service\". Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information has been asked to contact the force.", "summary": "A man has been arrested and bailed after muck was spread across the steps of Derby Crown Court."}
{"article": "The Pentagon said Khalid al-Dhuby had been approved for release since 2006 and Mahmoud Omar Bin Atef since 2009. Both have been held for more than a decade and have never been charged. Ghana has given permission for the men to stay for two years subject to security clearances, Foreign Minister Hanna Tetteh said. The West African nation has not previously taken any Guantanamo prisoners. The jail was set up following the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US to detain what Washington called \"enemy combatants\". US President Barack Obama has said he wants to close the jail down before he leaves office in 2017. According to military records, Mahmoud Omar Bin Atef is a Yemeni citizen born in Saudi Arabia in 1979 and was handed over to the US following his capture by Northern Alliance Forces in Afghanistan in 2001. His US lawyer, George Clark, described him as a \"smart, bright young man\" and said his client intended to start a family and find employment. US official documents say Khalid al-Dhuby was born in Saudi Arabia in 1981 and travelled to Afghanistan to fight. They say he was assessed as \"a probable member\" of al-Qaeda. Dozens of countries have received former Guantanamo Bay detainees, including other African states such as Uganda and Cape Verde. A total of 780 men have been held at Guantanamo since 2002, the vast majority without charge or criminal trial. The US navy base now has 105 detainees, nearly 50 of whom have been cleared for release.", "summary": "Two Yemeni detainees held at the controversial US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been transferred to Ghana."}
{"article": "Video gamer Felix Kjellberg, known as PewDiePie, suggested changes to YouTube's algorithms had affected the discoverability of creators' content. On Tuesday, a Forbes report named the Swedish gamer who now lives in the UK as the highest-earning YouTuber. YouTube told the BBC it had not made any changes to its \"suggested videos\" algorithms. However, other video-makers have reported the same problem, with new videos being viewed fewer times than old content. The \"suggested videos\" feed appears when a video is being watched, and recommends more content to watch. Mr Kjellberg said the feed usually accounted for more than 30% of his video traffic, but in recent weeks it had suddenly fallen to under 1%, signalling an undisclosed algorithm change. Other criticisms aimed at YouTube included suggestions that: Film-makers have argued that YouTube has made it more difficult for fans to keep track of their latest uploads, and for new viewers to discover their content, since the platform was acquired by Google. In a video uploaded on Friday, video gamer Mr Kjellberg said he would delete his channel when it reached 50 million subscribers as a result of his frustration with the platform. His channel, currently the most-followed on the video-sharing site, is about 200,000 subscribers short of that target. However, when asked by the BBC, YouTube denied that it had made any changes to its algorithms in recent months. It added that it had found no evidence that people were being unsubscribed from channels they followed. A spokeswoman said: \"Some creators have expressed concerns around a drop in their subscriber numbers. \"We've done an extensive review and found there have been no decreases in creators' subscriber numbers beyond what normally happens when viewers either unsubscribe from a creator's channel or when YouTube removes spammed subscribers.\" Mr Kjellberg is currently producing new episodes of his YouTube-financed series Scare PewDiePie, and on Tuesday topped Forbes' list of highest-paid YouTube stars for the second year in a row. His PewDiePie gaming channel is likely to reach 50 million subscribers in a matter of days. Mr Kjellberg suggested at that stage he would \"start fresh\" with a new channel, although some have taken his claim as light-hearted. Source: Forbes", "summary": "YouTube has denied making changes to its algorithms, after its most popular star said he would delete his channel."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old was contemplating life outside the sport while working for the media at the Olympic Games in Rio. But Dmitriy Balandin's gold in the 200m breaststroke prompted a rethink, as Jamieson swam faster for 2012 silver. The Scot will only continue racing if he feels he can compete for a Commonwealth gold medal in 2018. \"Going into Rio, I thought being there in a different capacity, just trying to relax, I was leaning towards finishing,\" Jamieson told BBC Scotland's Sportsound programme. \"I don't want to be an athlete that hangs on and falls down the pecking order, I want to be competing for medals. \"But the time that I swam in London four years ago [2:07.43] was quicker than won gold [2:07.46] in Rio. The time that won the bronze medal [2:07.70], I've done that eight or nine times in my career.\" Jamieson was the only British male to win a swimming medal at the London Games four years ago, but he finished second to Ross Murdoch at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and has struggled for form since then. He was not selected for the GB team for the World Championships last year, which prompted him to move away from his Bath training base to Edinburgh University, but Jamieson could only finish fifth in the Olympic trials. In the immediate aftermath, he admitted he was considering retirement, and will make a final decision shortly, with the competitive fire still burning in him. \"Missing out on the team this year was heartbreaking,\" he said. \"It should have been bread and butter for me to make it. \"I certainly don't have another four years in me, to go to Tokyo [2020], so if I was to continue, it would to looking to the Gold Coast and the Commonwealth Games in two years. \"After having won two silvers in the past, I'd only be going there to win. So the question is if my body's capable of doing that. The honest answer is, I don't know, but psychologically I don't want to be involved in the sport if I'm not going to be competing for major medals. \"I feel like I was very close to a decision before going out to Rio and then seeing the standard of times that won the medals in the 200m breaststroke, I thought 'I'm still there, I'm still capable of doing this. That's thrown the cat amongst the pigeons'. \"I've kept myself in really good condition in the past couple of months. I've been doing a lot of strength training, a lot of yoga, a lot of land-based training, so I wouldn't have a problem getting back to 90% fitness, which I feel is where I've been for the last 12-18 months, but it's that other 10% that's missing. \"The swimmers are all on a break just now, but within the next few weeks I need to make a call. I'm just not able to get the same out of my body as I was a few years ago. \"That's quite a bizarre concept, and still something that", "summary": "Olympic 2012 silver medallist Michael Jamieson admits he is \"leaning towards\" retirement from swimming, but will decide his future in the coming weeks."}
{"article": "The painting was revealed by the veteran broadcaster and naturalist at New Walk Museum, in Leicester. He grew up in the city and volunteered at the museum as a teenager. The artist - Bryan Organ - has also painted Sir David's brother Lord Attenborough, Prince Charles and former prime minister Harold Macmillan. The portrait was commissioned by the City of Leicester Museums Trust and will complement the portrait of Lord Attenborough, the acclaimed actor and film director, which also hangs in New Walk Museum. More on this and other Leicestershire stories Sir David said it was \"an honour\" to sit for Mr Organ. When asked what he made of the portrait, he said: \"I haven't had the chance to have a look at it - I mean, I've only seen it obliquely. As far as I can see, it's very nice. \"It was great fun sitting with Bryan, the only problem was the painting got in the way.\" The Attenborough brothers grew up in the city where their father was principal of the then University College Leicester. Tributes have been paid to Sir David throughout the year since he turned 90 in May.", "summary": "A portrait of Sir David Attenborough has been unveiled to commemorate his 90th birthday - in a museum where he once volunteered."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old, who was a former England youth international, started his career at Everton before joining Burnley in 2015. Long had loan spells at both Fleetwood Town and Bolton Wanderers in League One last season. \"He is a quality striker and possesses real pace which frightens defenders,\" said Town manager Justin Edinburgh. \"I think all we will be adding now is another goalkeeper, which should complete a strong summer of recruitment for us. We are happy with the balance of the squad.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League One club Northampton Town have signed Burnley striker Chris Long on a season-long loan deal."}
{"article": "The Old Bailey heard Daniel Green, of Walthamstow, attacked the woman in her 20s in the early hours of 16 May 2015 at StratX stockbrokers' offices near Monument. The victim said she tried to get away but Green, 26, claimed it was consensual. Green will be on the sexual offenders' register for an indefinite period. The jury heard Green went back to the office with a group of people, including the victim, after the party where people were doing lines of cocaine, dancing on the tables and drinking champagne. Most people went home after the mood soured over a stash of cocaine going missing. The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was left in the office with Green, her friend and another employee. The trial heard she went to sleep under a desk but woke to find Green tugging her trousers down. She said: \"At that point I remember just trying to crawl forward to get away. I knew what was going to happen. I remember being pulled back. \"The next thing I remember was Daniel raping me. \"He was making sexual noises, making me feel horrible, so I burst into tears.\" Prosecutor Timothy Forster said Green had treated the woman like a \"piece of meat\". In a victim impact statement read in court, the woman said: \"I desperately want to forget about what happened, but I'm not able to and fear this is something which will continue to blight my life.\" Sentencing, the judge said he was not punishing Green for \"City culture of excessive drink and casual use of drugs when you go out socialising\" but because he had shown no remorse and behaved with \"a degree of arrogance\" when giving evidence.", "summary": "A City trader has been jailed for six years after being convicted of raping a woman at an office party in London."}
{"article": "Two new pictures of the third in line to the throne have been released to mark the occasion on Tuesday. One shows Prince George transfixed by a butterfly, while a second shows him with his mother and father, staring at an object above their heads. In a statement the duke and duchess thanked people for their \"warm and generous good wishes\". The couple said: \"We would like to take this opportunity on George's first birthday to thank everyone over the last year, wherever we have met them, both at home and overseas, for their warm and generous good wishes to George and our family.\" The duke and duchess are expected to hold a birthday party for the young prince on Tuesday at their Kensington Palace apartment. Prince George was first revealed to the public on the steps of St Mary's hospital in London on 23 July 2013. The couple and their son were also warmly welcomed when they travelled to New Zealand and Australia on a royal visit. An image of Prince George was released on Sunday and the new pictures published on Monday night complete the set. One shows the young royal fascinated by a blue morpho butterfly, which has landed on his father's hand. The other image shows the two future kings and the Duchess of Cambridge looking at an object above their heads. The pictures were taken a few weeks ago at London's Natural History Museum by the Press Association's John Stillwell. Just like many of the other 2,200 babies born in the UK on the same day, last year, George Alexander Louis will mark his birthday with a party. His though, will be at a palace and his guest of honour will be his great-grandmother, the Queen. Prince George offers the institution she has served for decades the prospect of renewal, but not - as things stand - for many years to come, after the reigns of his grandfather and his father. For now, the emphasis will be on him leading as normal a life as possible - not easy when you're a prince growing up in a palace - and on shielding the child, destined to be a king, from too much public exposure. But George will continue to fascinate and he will continue to be showered with presents. A Kenyan women's group has given the baby prince, who will one day inherit the Duchy of Cornwall's 53,000 hectares, two fattened bulls, a heifer and a goat. Sir Michael Dixon, director of the Natural History Museum, said: \"It was a real pleasure to host our patron and her family earlier this month. They seemed to enjoy their visit, wandering through the tropical plants as brightly coloured butterflies took flight around them.\" The duchess became patron of the museum in April last year.", "summary": "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have thanked well-wishers as Prince George celebrates his first birthday."}
{"article": "She has been removed for allegedly bringing the party into disrepute. Ms Patterson recently criticised the party's decision to overlook her for the South Belfast assembly seat vacated by Jimmy Spratt, and instead appointing former special adviser Emma Pengelly. Mr Robinson said Ms Patterson has a right to appeal her expulsion. He said party officers \"unanimously decided to expel her earlier this week\". He added that he believed \"there has been some correspondence\" between the party and Ms Patterson since she was informed of the decision. Ms Pengelly took her place in the Northern Ireland Assembly in September through the co-option system, which allows parties to replace departing MLAs with a party colleague without a by-election. It has been used extensively by many of the parties in the assembly. Within a month of her selection as an MLA for South Belfast, Ms Pengelly was appointed as a junior minister in the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. She had previously worked in the department as a special adviser to the first minister for almost nine years. Last month, Ms Patterson, a former deputy lord mayor of Belfast, said she had been annoyed by Ms Pengelly's dual promotion. \"There is a principle, in my book, of giving someone who has earned something the chance, rather than someone who does not have one solitary vote, who has never stood for election, who has never run the gauntlet of an election,\" she said. \"It it not sour grapes. Anyone in my position would feel exactly the same - not surprised, but let down. \"I thought I was worth a little more.\" Ms Patterson also said last month that her party's return to the Northern Ireland Executive after the publication of a report on paramilitaries had shocked her \"to the core\". She said she had major difficulties with the move, and had been considering her position in the party.", "summary": "Belfast councillor Ruth Patterson has been expelled from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), its leader Peter Robinson has told the BBC."}
{"article": "But house D5 will forever be remembered as the place where at least 19 young women and children were raped, killed and dismembered. The two men living there were accused of the dreadful crimes; one of them, Surinder Koli, has since been sentenced to death. He was due to be executed this week, but the date has been put off while India's president considers a mercy plea. Its gate is blocked by police barriers, and life in the street outside carries on as normal. There is a man selling water melons, another herding cattle. Signs on the gates of the neighbouring mansions show that lawyers, doctors and other professionals live there. The deaths were discovered in December 2006 after body parts and children's clothing were found blocking the sewer running in front of the house. Koli worked in D5 as a servant for the owner, Monindher Pandher, who was a businessman. In the five cases which have so far gone to trial, Pandher has been let off due to a lack of evidence, but is still in jail facing other charges. He says he is innocent. The murders caused an outcry because they seemed to exemplify the divisions that still exist in India despite its economic miracle. The killings took place in a wealthy Delhi suburb but the victims came from families that had migrated from the countryside. The families accused the police of ignoring their pleas for help in tracking down their missing children because they were poor. They lived in a slum, Nithari, which backed onto the house. The children were allegedly lured to their deaths by Koli, who offered them sweets and chocolate. He confessed in court to cannibalism and necrophilia. When the crimes emerged, these details were not known and when I first visited Nithari what struck me most was the community's anger at the authorities. Four years on, it is still strong. \"We haven't seen justice yet, they should have let us deal with the two men,\" Seema, a tea seller, said. One of the first girls to disappear was Rachna, an eight year old. Her father Pappu Lal is the caretaker of a house three doors up from D5. Every day he walks past the scene of his child's murder. \"Yes today we're still angry. Whenever I think about my child I feel so sorry, I feel like crying. And whenever I see D5 I feel like burning it down,\" he said. \"Justice hasn't yet been done and the truth still hasn't come out.\" Pappu Lal shares the widely held view in Nithari that the police and courts are covering up a conspiracy. \"We don't believe that one man can have done it all by himself. Evidence has been destroyed. But we are poor. How can we influence the courts?\" When the children started disappearing, the families asked a local social activist, Ushaa Thakur, to help them with the police. But she says they were just not interested. \"The police said the girls had just run off with some boy, or gone to some village. They", "summary": "Delhi's \"house of horrors\", as the Indian media call it, is now hidden behind an overgrown bougainvillea covered in pretty flowers."}
{"article": "William Gowan, 38, had received details of driving test candidates weeks in advance. Gowan, from Ardminnan Road, Portaferry, County Down, pleaded guilty to six counts of misconduct. He received details of 21 candidates sitting driving tests before their test dates. The court was told texts had been received from two mobile phones. The court also heard that Gowan had run to the toilet with his phone in his hand when the police arrived to speak to him. Sentencing him, the judge said Gowan had betrayed the trust placed in him. He said the offence would fully deserve a custodial sentence, but giving him some credit for his guilty plea and taking into account his clean record and low risk of re-offending, he was prepared to mark this \"quite disgraceful behaviour\" with a non-custodial sentence. Gowan received the maximum community service order of 240 hours. The judge warned him he was escaping prison \"by the skin of his teeth\" and would not get a second chance.", "summary": "A driving examiner has been sentenced to 240 hours community service for misconduct in public office."}
{"article": "Mexico's women overcame challengers Kyrgyzstan in a 5-0 thriller to lift the trophy. The men's team also put in a powerful performance to see off Brazil 6-1, and keep the silverware. More than 500 men and women from 52 countries around the world competed in four-a-side matches over several days. Nearly 100,000 spectators watched the free-to-watch games, which were staged in George Square in the heart of Glasgow. Organisers said two million people also watched the tournament online. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who attended the event, said the Homeless World Cup would energise and engage people who, for whatever reason, had become socially excluded. The event was set up by the International Network of Street Papers and Mel Young, founder of the Big Issue in Scotland. Mr Young said: \"We promised that George Square would be the most inspiring place on the planet for the duration of this tournament, that so it has been. \"The people of Glasgow have taken our players to their hearts, and made this such a very special tournament in the history of the Homeless World Cup. \"As our players head back to their countries, we wish them every success as they look to build on this experience, and create a life they would want for themselves. \"Rightly, they should stand tall. We can genuinely say: you are all winners.\" Scottish Minister for Sport Aileen Campbell said: \"The Homeless World Cup has been a fantastic and exciting tournament that all of Scotland has got behind. \"It's been great to see George Square busy every day and is a perfect example of how the power of sport can both transform lives and change perceptions for the better.\" The next Homeless World Cup will be held in Oslo in the summer of 2017.", "summary": "Mexico celebrated double success at the 14th Homeless World Cup in Glasgow after both their men's and women's teams retained their titles."}
{"article": "The 16-month-old boy was rescued by a parent dropping off a different child at the day care residence. The woman fled in her minivan, striking two people, before attempting to take her own life by jumping off a bridge, but was stopped by bystanders. Police have not released a possible motive, but say that the child is \"doing fine\". Minneapolis Assistant Police Chief Kris Arneson said that the woman is now being evaluated at a local hospital. \"It's horrific, horrific,\" Ms Arneson said of the assault. \"We never want children to be injured. That's part of reason we call in our chaplains. It's a horrific scene for officers to encounter,\" she added. The hit-and-run victim, who was dragged for several blocks, has broken bones and cuts but is expected to survive, Ms Arneson said. A cyclist was also hit by the same minivan. At least six investigators are working on the case, including detectives from the homicide and crimes against children units. Police declined to provide the suspect's name. There were fewer than six children in the nursery at the time of the attack, Ms Arneson said.", "summary": "A nursery worker intentionally hung a one-year-old child in her care, police say."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old victim was subjected to a serious sexual assault by two men in Dixon Road, in the city's Govanhill area, in the early hours of 19 May. Police Scotland launched a high-profile inquiry after the incident. The force said two men, aged 28 and 29, had been reported to prosecutors following the inquiry.", "summary": "Two men have been reported to the procurator fiscal over the alleged rape of a woman in the south side of Glasgow earlier this year."}
{"article": "The first was for the development of tidal arrays in Alderney's waters. The second involves the development of an electricity interconnector cable between France, Alderney and Britain. Paul Clark, chief executive officer, said it was a move towards the creation off Alderney of one of Europe's largest tidal stream developments. Alderney Renewable Energy (ARE) was set up in 2004 and holds an exclusive licence to commercially develop tidal and wave power around the coast of the northern most of the Channel Islands. The first agreement was signed with French industrial group DCNS and the second with ARE, its partner Transmission Capital and the French grid operator RTE. ARE said the electricity interconnector cable between France, Alderney and Britain would enable the export of up to four gigawatts of tidal power from Alderney. It said the cable, known as the FABLink, could also be used as a power trading link between the two countries. The agreements were signed at the Anglo-French summit held in Paris, with the French Industry Minister Eric Besson and the UK Energy Secretary Ed Davey signing on the behalf of their governments. Mr Davey said: \"We are determined to promote the potential of marine energies. We welcome the plan for a tidal turbine farm off Alderney in the Channel Islands.\" He said: \"We believe this project could encourage the emergence of industrial co-operation between France and the UK, while opening up new international prospects. \"We acknowledge the importance of developing new electricity interconnectors between our two countries in order to strengthen further the linking of our grids, improve the security of our energy supplies and facilitate the integration of intermittent energy sources.\"", "summary": "Two agreements have been signed aimed at creating one of the most significant tidal power sites in Europe, Alderney Renewable Energy has announced."}
{"article": "Along with technology investor Silver Lake, and with financial backing from Microsoft, he will offer to buy the firm for $24.4bn (\u00a315.5bn). The move will take Dell off the Nasdaq stock exchange after 25 years. Mr Dell hopes to turn the tide for a firm that has struggled to compete with cheap Asian rivals and the boom in smartphones and tablet computers. Dell's success over the last 29 years has made its founder one of the richest men in America. The chief executive and chairman already owns about 14% of the firm. He and fellow senior executives will retain their existing stakes. The buy-out of the remaining shares will be carried out by a consortium made up of Mr Dell himself, his own investment fund, and Silver Lake. It will be financed by loans from four banks, and by a $2bn loan from Microsoft. Analysts said the move would give Mr Dell greater flexibility in turning the company around, by dispensing with the need to deliver strong results every quarter to shareholders on the stock market. The entrepreneur said that the firm's long-term strategy would \"still take more time, investment and patience, and I believe our efforts will be better supported by partnering with Silver Lake in our shared vision\". By Rory Cellan-JonesTechnology correspondent For consumers looking for a decent PC at a keen price, Dell was for many years the obvious choice. Design was never the company's strong suit - even when the firm moved on from beige boxes - but for many years it vied with HP for the number one spot in the PC market. Now though, according to one view, we are moving into the post-PC era, and that has left Dell struggling to look relevant as smartphones and tablets grab all the consumer attention. The most recent figures from Gartner showed a 5% year-on-year fall in global PC shipments in the last quarter of 2012 - but Dell's shipments fell by 21%. So far, Dell's attempts to move into the tablet world have flopped, and the stock market has been impatient for results. Michael Dell will hope that, away from the relentless spotlight of quarterly reporting, he can get on with the long-term task of transforming his business. But, given the seismic changes taking place in the way we use computers, he may still have to move fast to make Dell matter to tomorrow's consumers. \"One of the key questions is going to be how much influence Microsoft is going to have over Dell's strategy,\" said Cindy Shaw, analyst at Discern Group. Microsoft provides the Windows operating systems for Dell's computers, as well as for rival PC makers such as Hewlett Packard. Michael Dell founded the company - originally named \"PCs Limited\" - in 1984 at the age of 19, operating out of his dorm room at the University of Texas. He later dropped out of university in order to develop his PCs, including innovative laptops, and to expand his business overseas. But over the last decade, Dell has faced increasingly steep competition, from cheaper Asian PC", "summary": "Michael Dell has said he will buy back the world's number three PC-maker that he founded and that carries his name."}
{"article": "In 1787, the 28-year-old Robert Burns was suddenly a \"celebrity\", according to Prof Nigel Leask, regius chair of English Language and Literature at the University of Glasgow. The 2nd Edinburgh edition of his poems had given him a quite a handsome pot of money and it had also made him famous, with the cream of Scottish society taking an interest in him. Prof Leask says: \"He was the lion of Scottish literature, everyone wants to meet him.\" And Burns also wants to meet them, especially if they have the power to promote his work further and the cash to buy his books. \"Poets in the 18th Century depended on patronage so he tours around the gentry and nobles, really doing a bit of salesmanship,\" says Prof Leask. Throughout 1787 Burns embarked on a series of tours, firstly around the Scottish Borders and northern England and then further afield to the west Highlands taking in Inveraray, Arrochar and dinner with Glasgow tobacco merchant George Buchanan at Arden House at Bannachra near Loch Lomond. Later in the year he toured the Highlands during which time he stayed with the Duke and Duchess of Atholl at Blair Castle, dined with the Duke and Duchess of Gordon at Castle Gordon and visited historical sites such as the Culloden battlefield and Cawdor Castle, which featured in Shakespeare's Macbeth. Prof Leask says that Burns seems to have had letters of introduction from Edinburgh patrons that gained him access to the upper-echelons of Scottish nobility. \"He's not overawed by his posh surroundings,\" says Prof Leask. \"It shows his amazing social versatility. He's got an ability to move in all the circles of society. \"There is a sense of how thoroughly he was in the society and culture of the late 18th Century.\" Prof Leask says: \"It slightly qualifies the image of the 'heaven-taught ploughman' who does not have formal qualifications, who is just a genius endowed by nature. \"This shows how learned he was, how much he knew.\" Prof Leask says the tours of the Highlands are also important because it was a Lowlander's encounter with Gaelic culture, the Highland culture of Scotland. During his travels he composes songs like the Birks of Aberfeldy and discovers his east coast heritage, visiting relatives in Stonehaven and Laurencekirk. His father's family had a strong connection to the Jacobites in the north east. As well as mixing with the Scottish nobility there was plenty of time for the rock star antics for which Burns has become well known. Prof Leask recounts how Burns stopped for the night at Arden House near Loch Lomond. \"He has a very convivial night of dancing and drinking and seeing the sun rise over Ben Lomond,\" says Prof Leask. \"He sets off the next day and has a horse race on the road down to Dumbarton with a Highland man he calls Donald, who is riding an unharnessed horse and Burns is riding Jenny Geddes, his old mare. \"He is determined not to be overtaken so he races and has an accident. \"It's a bit like two", "summary": "At the height of his new-found fame Robert Burns embarked on a series of tours around Scotland, keeping company with some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the land."}
{"article": "Gurmehar Kaur has been receiving threats and abuse after her campaign against a right-wing student union. But, Sehwag's tweet was directed at an earlier campaign, when she said her father, a soldier who died in Kargil, was killed by war, not Pakistan. He tweeted a picture of himself holding a sign saying, \"I did not score two triple centuries, my bat did.\" It has been retweeted more than 20,000 times and received 33,000 \"likes\" since then, with many, including Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda praising the tweet. However, others have condemned what they have called \"bullying\". Cricketer defends wife against trolls Why are Indian women being attacked on social media? The timing of Sehwag's tweet has also been called into question, given the level of abuse Ms Kaur has been facing for her campaign against the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a right-wing student union, following a clash at Delhi University's Ramjas college. The Delhi commissioner for women has directed the police to provide her with protection following the nature of abuse directed against her. They have also directed the police to initiate criminal action against those targeting her online.", "summary": "Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag is being accused of trolling a student on Twitter."}
{"article": "Falls in clothing and food prices were the main contributors to the change in the rate, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. The ONS said the rate was also affected by a smaller rise in air fares in June than a year ago. Bank of England governor Mark Carney has said he expects inflation to remain low in the immediate short term. But the Bank expects it to start picking up around the turn of the year. The rate of Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation - which includes housing costs such as mortgage interest payments and council tax - was 1% in June, unchanged from May. \"Inflation has continued its pattern of recent months, when prices have been very little changed on the previous year,\" said Philip Gooding from the ONS. \"The headline rate for June has dropped very slightly on May, back to zero, thanks to small downwards effects from movements in clothing and food prices and air fares.\" The CPI rate has been hovering around zero since February, and moved into negative territory in April for the first time on record, dropping to -0.1%. Howard Archer, chief UK economist at Global Insight, said the latest figure was good news for consumers. \"With earnings growth currently seeing clear improvement and employment high and rising, purchasing power is currently in rude heath,\" he added. While flat or low inflation can be good news for consumers, a prolonged period of negative inflation is generally perceived as harmful to an economy. The fear is that people will defer spending in the hope that goods or services will become cheaper later. The current inflation figure is well below the Bank of England's target of around 2%. Core inflation, which excludes energy, food, alcohol and tobacco prices, fell last month to 0.8%. That was down from 0.9% and the joint-lowest rate since 2001. \"The data therefore raise questions over the whether underlying price pressures are really picking up to the extent than the Bank of England is anticipating,\" said Chris Williamson, chief UK economist at Markit. He said that attention would now turn to Wednesday's wage growth data, \"The Bank of England needs to determine whether pay growth will continue to accelerate as firms compete for staff, or whether low inflation will keep the overall rate of increase below levels that would normally worry the monetary policy committee into hiking interest rates,\" he added.", "summary": "The rate of UK Consumer Prices Index inflation fell to 0% in June, from 0.1% in May, official figures show."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old defender, who has been with Rosenborg since 2008, will join Celtic in January after signing a three-and-a-half year deal. Lustig told the Glasgow club's website: \"This is a really exciting time for me and I am delighted to be committing my future to Celtic. \"I know a lot about Celtic, about the size of the club.\" Lustig won his 23rd cap for Sweden in this month's 1-0 friendly defeat by England at Wembley. We believe he has the qualities to make a real impact at the club and we look forward to him joining us in January \"I'm really looking forward to joining this squad, to the challenges ahead and hopefully playing my part in bringing some success to the club,\" he said. With Wales international Adam Matthews having moved to Glasgow after leaving Cardiff City in the summer, Celtic already have three first-team right-backs on their books, the others being Scotland cap Mark Wilson and South Korea's Cha Du-Ri. However, Celtic manager Neil Lennon said Lustig would be a quality addition to his squad. \"We are delighted to bring Mikael to Celtic,\" he said about a player who can play at full-back or in central defence. \"We believe he has the qualities to make a real impact at the club and we look forward to him joining us in January. \"He is a player with international pedigree and a defender with great versatility. \"He is someone who I feel will be a very positive addition to the squad. \"I like his attributes and he can play both positions, but he's predominantly a right-back.\"", "summary": "Celtic have signed Sweden international right-back Mikael Lustig on a pre-contract agreement."}
{"article": "Daran Hill, director of the 2011 Yes for Wales referendum campaign, said bills passed had been mainly \"managerial\". AMs are expected to pass the last of 26 government laws for this assembly term on Wednesday. Labour's Jane Hutt said the term was a success, with pioneering laws passed. The National Assembly for Wales gained primary law-making powers after the result of the 2011 referendum, which the Yes side won. If the Public Health Bill passes as expected on Wednesday on the last day of business, the government will have completed its legislative programme. The Senedd AMs have passed 25 government bills into law so far. They have included: Mr Hill, managing director of Welsh public affairs company Positif, said the bills had been \"mainly managerial and unambitious\", and were \"aimed at the public sector and not individuals\". He said: \"I don't think they ever intended to be particularly ambitious with this new system to start with.\" Mr Hill said: \"I remember somebody from the Labour camp telling me back in 2010, 2011, that Labour's first legislative programme would be as dull as the one Alex Salmond had done in Scotland, when he had a minority government from 2007 to 2011... proving you can use the system and making law but not necessarily particularly dynamic law either.\" He added the government had handled getting its law plans through \"pretty shrewdly\". Jane Hutt, Welsh Government business minister, refuted his claim the programme had not been ambitious. She said there had been \"pioneering legislation\" passed by the assembly, such as the law on violence against women. Ms Hutt said the legislative term had been a success for the Welsh Government because it had \"got through policies into legislation with financial backing at a time of austerity when our budgets are being cut\". Asked if the government had been assisted in its legislative programme by a lack of unity among the opposition, Plaid Cymru North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd said: \"I don't think we should be in a position to vote legislation down just because we want to have a go at the government.\" Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives said there had been \"opportunities missed\" for the opposition to work together, but said the government had not put forward \"tough decisions\" to vote on.", "summary": "The first laws passed by the assembly have been largely unambitious, a leading figure in the campaign for law-making powers in Wales has said."}
{"article": "Tech stocks had fallen on Friday and Monday, with some analysts saying that share prices in the sector had become overblown. But after dropping 2.5% on Monday, shares in tech giant Apple were up 1.2% at the close. Google owner Alphabet was also up 1.1% while shares in social media giant Facebook rose 1.5%. The tech-focused Nasdaq index rose 44.90 points, or 0.7%, to 6,220.37. The Dow Jones climbed 93.28 points to 21,328.95, while wider S&P 500 index added 10.96 points to 2,440.35, with both indexes setting fresh record highs. Traders expect an interest rate increase when the Fed concludes a two-day meeting on Wednesday.", "summary": "Stocks on Wall Street have closed higher, with tech stocks recovering some of the ground lost in recent days."}
{"article": "Former England under-17 player Clark joined the U's on loan in March last season, making nine league appearances for Shaun Derry's side. The 20-year-old has yet to play a game for Hull's senior team. \"Max made a huge impression on us all last season, with not only his performances but his appreciation and appetite for our club,\" Derry said. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League Two side Cambridge United have re-signed left-back Max Clark on a six-month loan deal from Hull City."}
{"article": "Although the speech lasted little more than an hour, it was substantial in its scope. Channelling former Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, George Osborne said \"there will be no turning back\". But in some key respects, it was Labour's clothes he stole. Picking up the mantle of 'One Nation' - appropriated but then arguably discarded by former Labour leader Ed Miliband - the centre point of Mr Osborne's speech was to take a key opposition policy, then enhance it. So there would not just be incentives for employers to pay a Living Wage, it would become compulsory for them to do so. \"Britain deserves a pay rise\", said the chancellor. Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith almost burst a blood vessel as he cheered enthusiastically, delighted that Mr Osborne had now apparently symbolised his message that it pays to work. And Mr Osborne expropriated even more policies from his opponents, such as abolishing \"non-dom\" status for wealthy residents who had lived here for 15 of the past 20 years. All of this was designed to bolster his narrative that the Conservatives would help working people rather than just the wealthy. So he made his tax priorities clear. No cut yet in the 45p rate of tax which is paid on earnings above \u00c2\u00a3150,000. With a ComRes poll for the Daily Mail suggesting 57% of Conservative voters would oppose this, it wasn't a difficult decision to reach. Those high earners will see their pension tax relief cut too, and tax avoiders will also be targeted. More low income wage earners will be taken out of tax all together, too. But in other areas he pushed ahead with measures designed to highlight divisions with the leaderless Labour Party - including a cut in corporation tax to 18% by 2020, while imposing further pay restraint on public sector employees. The chancellor knows that three of the four candidates who hope to lead the opposition have talked a lot about \"aspiration\", following criticism - especially from 'Blairites' - that Ed Miliband was obsessed with those at the top of society, whom he wanted to tax, and those at the bottom - while forgetting all about \"the squeezed middle\". So Mr Osborne helped some of those higher up the income scale - but who might be, especially in the south, struggling with high mortgage payments and may not be feeling desperately well off - by raising the threshold at which the 40p rate of tax is levied and taking 130,000 people out of that tax band entirely. And there would be more help with child care costs pretty much across the board, he said. More controversially, Mr Osborne kept the promise he made in opposition to take family homes worth up to \u00c2\u00a31m out of inheritance tax. Its a measure which polls suggest divides opinion largely along party lines, with Conservatives supporting it and Labour voters opposed. But on welfare reform in particular, Ms Harman argued that the chancellor's actions did not match his rhetoric on helping working families. While Mr Osborne eased the impact of", "summary": "It was the first fully-fledged Conservative Budget for nearly two decades, and one that was as deeply political as it was fiscal."}
{"article": "Net profit was 147.8bn yen ($1.33bn; \u00c2\u00a3934m), compared with a 126bn yen loss a year earlier. Strong demand for its Playstation 4 console and games led to an 11.8% jump in sales for Sony's Game and Network Services division. That helped to offset a 20% plunge in smartphone sales. Sony's Pictures segment - which covers films and television programmes - saw a 6.8% jump in annual sales. The boost came partly from higher subscription video-on-demand revenues for television series such as Breaking Bad, The Blacklist and Better Call Saul. Sony +11.8% PS4 hardware & software +10.4% Music +6.8% Pictures -20% Mobile Communications Sony did not offer a forecast on future performance, as it is still assessing the impact from this month's twin earthquakes which took place in south-west Japan and affected Sony's supply chain. The region where the earthquake struck - Kumamoto - is a manufacturing hub for many Japanese companies, including Sony and carmakers Toyota and Honda. Sony said, \"With aftershocks continuing and employee safety the foremost priority, inspections of the facility and the development of a recovery plan remain ongoing.\" The Kumamoto Technology Center is the main manufacturing site of image sensors for the firm's digital and security cameras, as well as micro-display devices. Last year, Sony decided to spin off its video-and-audio business into a separate company as part of a three-year plan to return to profit. Chief executive Kazuo Hirai said the company must not be afraid to change if it hoped \"to grow in a Sony-like way\". He said the Japanese electronics firm would no longer pursue sales growth in areas such as smartphones where it has suffered competition from rivals Apple and Samsung. Mr Hirai said instead it would focus on profitable businesses areas, including entertainment operations such as TV programming and the PlayStation game business.", "summary": "Japan's Sony has swung into profit for the year to March, helped by strong sales in its games division."}
{"article": "15 April 2016 Last updated at 10:49 BST About 1,000 people were killed and bombs hit half of the houses in the city, leaving 100,000 people homeless. Belfast was largely unprepared for an attack of such a scale as 200 German bombers shelled the city on 15 April 1941. Many in Northern Ireland thought that Belfast was outside the range of the Luftwaffe. The Germans, however, saw Belfast as a legitimate target due to the shipyards in the city that were contributing to Britain's war efforts. Poor visibility on the night meant that the accuracy of the bombers was hampered and the explosives were dropped on densely populated areas of Belfast. It was the worst wartime raid outside of London in the UK.", "summary": "The Belfast blitz devastated a city that up until 1941 had remained unscathed during World War Two."}
{"article": "Michelle Owens, 28, was sentenced at Belfast Crown Court after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Brendan Owens, 3, in their home at Trinity Terrace, Lisburn, in July 2013. The child died after being suffocated with a pillow. The judge said he was satisfied that Owens was very unwell at the time. He described it as a tragic situation for both her and her son and made the hospital order without time restrictions. A consultant psychiatrist told the court that the defendant was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and did not want the child to be taken into care because she believed he could be abused in a home. The court heard that Owens told her son that \"mummy's going to help you in case the bad men get you\", before placing the pillow over his face. The judge said he believed Owens had been a loving mother and that she bitterly regrets the death of her son.", "summary": "A mother who admitted killing her toddler son at their Lisburn home almost two years ago has been placed under a psychiatric hospital order."}
{"article": "Lord Patten, who supports the UK remaining in the EU, said Mr Johnson, a prominent Leave campaigner, \"just makes it up as he goes along\". He also said it would be \"very difficult\" for David Cameron to remain leader if the UK voted to leave the EU. Vote Leave said it was saddened at \"the level of debate\" from the Remain camp. Mr Johnson has previously said voters want proper debate and to hear about the issues, \"not personal attacks\". The UK decides whether to stay in or leave the European Union in a referendum on 23 June. The Conservative Party is deeply split over the the issue, with David Cameron and most of his cabinet campaigning for a Remain vote but about half of the MPs supporting an EU exit. The debate inside the party has turned increasingly acrimonious, with former deputy prime minister and pro-Remain campaigner Lord Heseltine recently accusing Mr Johnson of losing his judgement over the EU. Lord Patten, Tory party chairman from 1990 to 1992, added to that criticism of the former London mayor, in an interview with Newsnight's David Grossman on Friday. \"Boris just makes it up as he goes along, and you come across people like that,\" he said. \"There's a sense in which you can't call Boris a liar. I think he's one of those people in life who simply doesn't really understand the difference between fact and fiction.\" He added: \"If he can make a good joke by saying something, or if he can write a newspaper article by referring to Hitler and the European Union, he does it - and he doesn't think about it. \"He'll be saying the opposite in a few months' time.\" Lord Patten, a European commissioner from 2000 to 2004, said Mr Johnson was an \"amiable\" character, but added: \"Boris is Boris. Tommy Cooper was Tommy Cooper.\" In response, Vote Leave said: \"It's sad to see the level of debate the 'Remainers' have been reduced to. They were wrong about the euro then and they are wrong now.\" And speaking to BBC Newsnight, Leave campaigner Jacob Rees Mogg suggested that Lord Patten's \"anger is almost certainly synthetic\". The MP suggested Lord Patten was trying to \"bash down\" Mr Johnson because he knows that the former London mayor was \"hugely popular and trusted\" and was making the case for an EU exit \"exceptionally effectively\". The Daily Mail reported earlier this week that \"senior party figures\" had warned of a vote of no-confidence in Mr Cameron after 23 June, whatever the outcome, over his handling of the referendum campaign. On the question of re-uniting the Conservative Party after the referendum, Lord Patten said that if the UK voted to Leave the EU it would be \"very difficult\" for Mr Cameron to stay on as leader. \"Are people like Michael Gove and Mr Johnson and Iain Duncan Smith... are they all going to require Mr Cameron to go cap in hand around Europe for the next few years trying to negotiate new trade deals and new agreements with the EU? \"I", "summary": "Boris Johnson does not seem to understand \"the difference between fact and fiction\", former Tory chairman Lord Patten has told BBC Newsnight."}
{"article": "The survey, conducted by the National Union of Teachers, found 61% of those wanting to leave blamed workload and 57% desired a better work/life balance. Two thirds of the 1,020 primary and secondary school teachers questioned felt morale in the profession had declined over the past five years. Schools minister Nick Gibb pledged to tackle excessive workloads. The findings of the survey are timely, because last month the five main teaching unions warned of a crisis in recruitment and retention, although the government maintains the vacancy rate has stayed stable at about 1%. The survey, undertaken with a representative sample of teachers, also suggested many were unhappy with some of the government's plans. General secretary of the NUT, Christine Blower, said: \"This survey demonstrates the combined, negative impact of the accountability agenda on teacher workload and morale. \"Teachers feel that the Department for Education's work thus far to tackle workload has been totally inadequate. \"Meanwhile, nearly one million more pupils are coming into the system over the next decade. The government's solution so far has been to build free schools, often where there are surplus places, and to allow class sizes to grow. \"Add to this a situation where teachers are leaving in droves and teacher recruitment remains low. We now have a perfect storm of crisis upon crisis in the schools system.\" She added that many teachers felt their pay had been eroded over a long period of time, and that many were missing out on the 1% pay rise because of the tightness of school budgets. Mr Gibb said teaching remained \"a hugely popular profession with the highest numbers of people joining since 2008. \"The latest figures show the number of former teachers coming back to the classroom has continued to rise year after year - from 14,720 in 2011 to 17,350 in 2014. \"While the vast majority of teachers stay in their roles for more than five years, we know unnecessary workload can detract from what matters most - teaching. \"That's why we launched the Workload Challenge and are working with the profession to understand and tackle the top issues that teachers said caused the most bureaucracy, with leading education experts taking action on key areas such as marking and lesson planning.\"", "summary": "More than half of teachers in England (53%) are thinking of quitting in the next two years, a survey has suggested."}
{"article": "Scotland's largest teaching union, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), has compiled the guidance which will be sent to all schools and colleges next week. The 20-page booklet sets out a series of \"poverty-proofing measures\". These will help teachers mitigate the effect of low incomes on children's educational experiences. It addresses areas where cost could become an issue, such as uniform policies, school trips and access to technology, and examines the financial pressure that can be placed on families as a result. The booklet, entitled Face up to Child Poverty, is being published after the EIS asked teachers and lecturers to share their experiences of the impact of poverty on their pupils and students. It states that high living costs, the low wage economy and changes to the welfare system introduced by the Westminster government have resulted in \"growing income inequality in Scotland for the first time in 20 years\". It says: \"Among those most severely affected by this deleterious economic combination are the children and young people that we teach. Currently 222,000 children in Scotland are in poverty - more than one in five, with the ratio increasing to more than one in three in several parts of Scotland. \"Within five years, if the current austerity agenda is maintained, the number of children living in poverty will have increased by almost 50% to 322,000.\" On the issue of school uniform, the guidance says: \"Consideration should be given to the financial cost to families of adherence to the school's uniform code, especially in cases where the school recommends a particular uniform supplier. \"Often such suppliers are more expensive to purchase from than high street stores and supermarkets. In encouraging parents to buy from these more expensive suppliers, schools may be causing families, albeit inadvertently, even greater financial hardship.\" Referring to equipment, it said it should \"never be assumed that all families can afford to buy even the most basic of resources such as pens and pencils\". Teachers are also advised to be aware of signs of hunger among pupils and to act with \"sensitivity\" on the issue. EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said: \"The fact that food poverty now affects such a large, and growing, section of society should shame those in government and elsewhere who continue to push the damaging and divisive austerity-above-all agenda. \"Schools and colleges are part of society, and so are not immune from the problems of that wider society. Working alone, educational establishments cannot eradicate poverty or eliminate completely its negative impact on young people. \"However, teachers and lecturers can, and do, make a very real difference in the lives of the young people that they work with on a day-to-day basis.\" He added: \"Our hope is that, by offering this booklet to all schools and colleges, teachers and lecturers will give even greater consideration to how poverty affects their pupils and students.\"", "summary": "Scottish teachers are to receive new advice on reducing the impact of poverty on their pupils."}
{"article": "Lewis Dunne, 16, was shot in the back in Eldonian Village, Vauxhall, Liverpool, in November 2015. Jake Culshaw, 25, of no fixed address, and brothers John and Paul Martin, aged 20 and 25, of Walton, all deny murder. A jury heard the accused men had been involved in violent clashes with another group before Lewis was killed. The teenager had left his home to buy cigarettes when he was shot, Liverpool Crown Court heard. Described as \"a quiet lad who kept himself to himself\", he had earlier been enjoying a \"perfectly ordinary evening\" sharing a Chinese takeaway and watching television with his family. Ian Unsworth QC, prosecuting, told how a witness said one of the men in the rival group had curly hair sticking out of his baseball cap. Lewis too, had noticeably curly hair, he added. Mr Unsworth said the accused were among a group of men who were intent on revenge for what had happened earlier. He told the jury it was a \"truly cowardly attack.\" Lewis was shot in the back as he walked under a bridge along a canal towpath, before four men were seen on CCTV running from the scene, the jury was told. He was \"simply in the wrong place at the wrong time\" and suffered \"catastrophic injuries\" from the shooting. The fourth man allegedly involved in the killing has not been traced. Mr Unsworth said Jake Culshaw later told people he had carried out the shooting and referred to the gun used being thrown in the water, as well as his mobile telephone. The court was told the defendant's phone has not been traced and parts of a shotgun, which is said to be the murder weapon, were recovered from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in January. Mr Unsworth said: \"Each of the three defendants bears the responsibility...that we cannot say which person actually shot him does not matter. \"Whether he looked like looked like one of the opposing group or whether they simply believed he was one of them, they used the gun to shoot him dead as he walked unwittingly into their path.\" The trial, expected to last between four and six weeks, continues.", "summary": "A teenager was shot dead in what may have been a case of mistaken identity after his alleged killers sought revenge on a rival, a court heard."}
{"article": "But his pro-Western party is set to win 41% of the votes, short of the majority he wanted to ensure a push to join Nato and the EU. Mr Djukanovic had presented the vote as a choice between the West or becoming a \"Russian colony\". Earlier, authorities said 20 Serbian paramilitaries had been arrested. Prosecutors said the group may have been planning to kidnap Mr Djukanovic, who has been in charge for a quarter of a century. The development, hours before voting took place, was described by opposition Democratic Front leader Andrija Mandic as \"gross propaganda\" and Serbia's prime minister, Aleksandar Vucic, said the timing was strange. Serbia's former special forces commander, Bratislav Dikic, who was removed from the post in 2013 because of alleged criminal activities, was reported to be among those arrested. The men had been charged with terror offences and one Serb was still on the run, Montenegro's police chief said. Montenegro: Nato's newest and last member? Montenegro country profile Mr Djukanovic will now try to form a majority with smaller parties, and told supporters as the results came through that \"tonight we can say that Montenegro will continue its path towards a secure place in Europe\". Montenegro would formally join Nato in months and step up talks on joining the EU, he said. The Democratic Front Alliance, made up of largely pro-Serbian and pro-Russian groups, is forecast to win just over 20% of the votes. It also hopes to form a coalition among other opposition parties. Another, more moderate, opposition grouping stands at about 11%. Many Montenegrins are unhappy that Mr Djukanovic is taking the country into Nato. They remain angry that Nato bombed Serbia and Montenegro in 1999 as part of a strategy to halt the killing and expulsion of ethnic Albanians in Serbia's then southern province of Kosovo. The opposition accuses Mr Djukanovic of corruption and cronyism, which he denies. He accuses them of receiving funding from Moscow, which they deny. Montenegro, which has a population of some 630,000, has in recent years seen an influx of Russian money, homebuyers and tourists since splitting from Serbia in 2006.", "summary": "Montenegro Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic has declared victory in elections and pledged to push for closer ties to Nato and the EU."}
{"article": "Zookeepers say it is very unusual to see a koala with fur this light and with eyes and skin remaining the usual brown black. But said the koala's white coat is not caused by a condition called albinism, which is when a human or animal doesn't have the chemical in its hair, skin and eyes that creates colour. Australia Zoo have now asked the public to help name the rare koala. Suggestions so far include Snowflake, Diamond, Pearl and Djendaladi, meaning \"white-haired\" in the Noongar language.", "summary": "A rare white koala joey has been born at a zoo in Queensland, Australia."}
{"article": "Raymond Dempster raped a 42-year-old woman in her home in Glasgow's east end and days later attacked a 19-year-old student in the city's west end. Dempster, who has 110 previous convictions, had denied the charges. At the High Court of Glasgow, Judge Norman Ritchie QC deferred sentence for background reports. The court heard how the 38-year-old raped the first victim in her home on 20 June, three days after his release from prison. The victim has since died, and her police statement was read out as evidence in court. She told how she was locked out of her home in her nightclothes. When Dempster came along at first she thought he was a Good Samaritan. She had said: \"He told me once we were inside 'you've got a nice wee flat here'.\" He then grabbed her by the arms and pushed her into the bedroom, removing her clothing and raping her. The court heard that Dempster bit his victim and punched her on the face during her ordeal. Dempster's other victim was walking home alone along Kelvin Walkway in the early hours of the morning on 23 June. He followed her, then grabbed her, forced her to the ground and put his hand over her mouth. The woman fought back kicking Dempster in the face, and he ran off to the hostel he was living in. She said: \" I believe his intention was to rape me.\" Police found CCTV footage which showed Dempster in the vicinity of the attack and his victim identified him. The prosecutor said that Dempster was jailed for five years in 2003 for rape and has breached the condition of the sex offenders' register five times. His 110 previous convictions also included dishonesty and violence. Judge Norman Ritchie QC said: \"A man with his record is simply shown the door and then within a handful of days has attacked two women.\" He told Dempster he would be considering whether to make an order for lifelong restriction.", "summary": "A convicted rapist has been found guilty of raping a woman and attacking another just days after being released from prison in June last year."}
{"article": "Foreign ministers will seek to pressure Russia to distance itself from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said possible sanctions against Russian military officials would be discussed. Allies will also be seeking clarity from the US on its Syria policy, after some apparently mixed messages. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has strongly criticised Russia for failing to prevent Syria from carrying out the chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun last Wednesday that left 89 people dead. But he also said there had been \"no change to our military posture\" in Syria following a retaliatory US strike against a Syrian airbase, and that Washington's \"first priority\" in Syria was to defeat so-called Islamic State (IS). Ahead of the meeting in the city of Lucca, in Tuscany, on Monday, Mr Tillerson took part in an international wreath-laying ceremony to remember those killed in a Nazi massacre of villagers at Sant'Anna di Stazzema in 1944. He drew a parallel to last week's chemical attack, saying: \"We rededicate ourselves to holding to account any and all who commit crimes against the innocents anywhere in the world.\" Separately on Monday, US Defence Secretary James Mattis said the retaliatory US air strike had damaged or destroyed 20% of Syria's operational aircraft. \"The Syrian government would be ill-advised ever again to use chemical weapons,\" he said. Boris Johnson said the message from the meeting should be clear - that Russian President Vladimir Putin must be made to abandon his support for Mr Assad. \"He's toxifying the reputation of Russia by his continual association with a guy who has flagrantly poisoned his own people,\" Mr Johnson said. He said the meeting would be \"discussing the possibility of further sanctions certainly on some of the Syrian military figures and indeed on some of the Russian military figures who have been involved in co-ordinating the Syrian military efforts\". Decoding Russia's response to Johnson's cancelled trip Russia is already under a raft of sanctions imposed by the US and EU in response to the annexation of Crimea and the crisis in eastern Ukraine. These target Russian individuals and businesses, and key sectors of the Russian economy closely connected to the ruling elite. These would be the first sanctions against Russian figures over Syria if they were to be adopted, but it is far from clear they will be. Mr Tillerson will want to go from the G7 talks to Moscow on Tuesday to confront the Russians with a unified set of demands. However, Reuters news agency quoted one senior European diplomat as saying that the US was \"navigating aimlessly in the dark\" in the search for a transfer of power in Syria. The G7 groups Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, with the European Union also represented. Sanctions already on Russia over Crimea That is what the other G7 ministers will be seeking to clarify. In addition to Mr Tillerson's comments, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, appears to have given mixed signals. \"In no way do we see", "summary": "G7 nations are meeting in Italy to try to hammer out a unified approach to the Syria conflict, in the wake of last week's suspected chemical attack."}
{"article": "The victim, identified as Nathan Graff, was knifed multiple times by an unknown assailant on Thursday. His injuries are not life-threatening. The motive for the attack is unclear but police are investigating whether it was a hate crime. Several Israelis have been stabbed by Palestinians in Israel and the occupied West Bank in recent weeks. Mr Graff was attacked outside a kosher restaurant. Police are still searching for the assailant. A statement from Milan's Jewish community said it hoped the attack was an isolated incident. \"We have never had problems in Milan. We don't think this was a personal affair - there is nothing to suggest that,\" the community's co-president Milo Hasbani told reporters, according to Reuters.", "summary": "Italy has boosted security at Jewish sites in Milan after an Israeli Jew was stabbed in the city, officials said."}
{"article": "Bob Sleigh, leader of Solihull council, said he intended to seek its approval for talks in principle. The councils controlling Birmingham, Walsall, Sandwell, Wolverhampton, Coventry and Dudley have backed the combined authority proposal. Cities may be in line for new housing, transport, planning and policing powers if they sign up for devolution plans. Chancellor George Osborne said on Thursday that Greater Manchester should become a blueprint for other large cities. There, leaders of 10 councils work together as part of combined authority and there are plans to elect a mayor for the entire area in two years. Labour claimed the government's \"piecemeal approach\" could mask big cuts to local councils' spending. On 14 July Solihull's full council will debate the plan to join other West Midlands authorities in talks over a proposed combined authority. Mr Sleigh said he told full council he intended to seek approval \"for taking forward detailed discussions in principle\" to support a combined authority. He said to achieve Solihull's ambition for sustainable economic growth, the borough \"needs a high-performing regional platform of a scale and geography that attracts the significant inward investment needed to satisfy that ambition\". Council leaders have previously said the combined authority, which could serve four million people, would help attract investment worth hundreds of millions of pounds.", "summary": "Solihull has moved closer to joining the proposal for a West Midlands combined authority."}
{"article": "During July - the first full month after the Brexit vote - 60,912 new mortgages were approved. That was down from 64,152 approvals in June, and was the lowest total since January 2015. The total amount lent out for house purchases was \u00a310.4bn, down from \u00a311.1bn in June. The figures also show a 12.4% drop in the number of mortgage approvals on the same month a year ago. The number of approvals has been falling steadily since March, when there was a rush to buy ahead of tax changes. \"Mortgage approvals for house purchases have progressively slowed after being buoyed in the first quarter by buy-to-let and second home sectors rushing to beat April's Stamp Duty increase for these sectors,\" said Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight. \"It is also highly possible that mortgage activity was hit in July by heightened uncertainty following June's vote for Brexit.\" The Bank of England figures also show that growth in the amount being borrowed by consumers on credit cards and other loans eased off in July. UK residents borrowed an extra \u00a31.2bn during the month - down from \u00a31.9bn in June, and 17% less than in July 2015. This is the first time that growth in unsecured consumer credit has slowed since December 2014. However, credit card lending by itself rose by \u00a30.5bn in July to a record of \u00a365.5bn. \"We remain concerned that while most households will be able to handle this extra borrowing, a minority of households could find themselves exposed to financial difficulty,\" said Joanna Elson, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust. Where can I afford to live?", "summary": "The number of mortgages being approved by banks and building societies is at its lowest for a year and a half, according to Bank of England figures."}
{"article": "The chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, ordered a judicial inquiry into reports that hundreds of children had been abused over a period of several years. Local media say a gang made videos showing the abuse of children, whose parents were then subject to blackmail. The scandal centres on a village near the city of Kasur. Reports say about 280 children, mostly under 14-years-old, were abused and filmed, in the village of Husain Khan Wala. Correspondents say many victims are afraid to report abuse, in a society which allows abusers to brag about their exploits but stigmatises their victims. Police say more arrests are expected. Analysis by the BBC's Ilyas Khan in Islamabad Child sex abuse is widespread in parts of Pakistan, especially in the countryside. According to one estimate, over 3,500 cases of child molestation were reported in 2014, of which 67% were reported from rural areas. Meanwhile, many have noticed that most of the clips being investigated date back to 2009-11, shortly after camera phones first became widely available, with few recent cases being reported. This has led some to suspect that the clips were reported to the police amid a local dispute. One boy told BBC Urdu the abuse began when he was 11, five years ago: \"They sexually abused me in front of secret cameras... they came back a week later and showed me the video, and said if I did not do what they wanted, they would show it to my friends and school colleagues.\" A woman told the BBC her son had been molested and blackmailed for five years, and she had only recently learned about the abuse: \"They used to badly treat him wherever they could get hold of him. They would snatch his mobile and money. \"They [the perpetrators] are now threatening us.\" District police officer Rai Babar Saeed told BBC Urdu: \"We have around 30 video clips of one incident showing six victims and seven people involved. We have arrested these seven. We are still trying to recover more videos.\" He added that there was \"no political motive\" behind the investigations, which he said were being conducted \"on merit\". Last week, more than 20 people were injured as families of the alleged victims clashed with police in Kasur, accusing the authorities of ignoring their complaints. Saba Sadiq, the head of Punjab's child protection bureau, described the case as \"the largest child abuse scandal in Pakistan's history\", the AFP news agency reports. The provincial chief in Punjab is the brother of Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.", "summary": "Seven people have been arrested in Pakistan on suspicion of involvement in child sexual abuse and extortion."}
{"article": "Grace, 31, had an amazing run to the semi-finals last year but 19-year-old Zhao, one of the rising stars of the game, showed superb form to beat him. The Leeds player said he felt the need to go for hard pots because Zhao was \"potting balls off the lampshade\". \"I had half-chances but I couldn't take them,\" Grace said. Media playback is not supported on this device \"Up until a few weeks ago I was winning lots of first-round games. But I have had Mark Williams in the last tournament [Northern Ireland Open] and Zhao Xintong here. \"It's a tough draw so I will not beat myself up too much. \"It would have been to get through to at least the televised stages because I really enjoyed it last year. But it wasn't to be.\" Grace, the world number 47, said he felt his form was decent and remained positive about his chances in the German Masters qualifiers and Scottish Open, which are both before Christmas. \"I don't feel like I am that far away - just a few missed shots here and there and key moments in the game,\" he added. Sign up to My Sport to follow snooker news and reports on the BBC app.", "summary": "David Grace was unable to repeat his 2015 UK Championship heroics but said he did little wrong in his 6-2 first-round defeat by China's Zhao Xintong."}
{"article": "3 March 2017 Last updated at 14:07 GMT Romeo, aged four, asked his father Charlie Makaveli if he could go to school dressed as the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime. It took his father a week to construct the outfit out of cardboard, paint and glue. Mr Makaveli, a florist from Romford, east London, said his son got a big cheer when he showed how his outfit \"transformed\". So far, the video has been viewed about 50,000 times on Mr Makaveli's Facebook page.", "summary": "A father really went to town when his son asked for a Transformers outfit for World Book Day."}
{"article": "Its announcement came at the same time as a team of investigators for the World Anti-Doping Agency recommended Russia be banned from athletics. Last week, French prosecutors accused the sport's governing body's ex-president of being involved. He is alleged to have taken bribes to cover up doping cases. Interpol's announcement follows Monday's publication of a report by an independent commission established by Wada investigating a number of individuals, including former officials of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the agency said in a statement. \"The world police body is now working with member countries potentially linked to the inquiry, including Singapore, to seek assistance in co-ordinating a global investigative network and support the criminal investigation on the basis of the intelligence gathered by the [Wada] independent commission.\" According to French investigative news agency Mediapart, the people who conducted doping inquiries for Wada believe a company registered in Singapore was used to channel certain funds that were part of the corruption operation. As part of the inquiry, French police last week raided premises belonging to individuals and companies, Interpol said. The Wada report was commissioned to \"determine the accuracy\" of allegations made in a German TV documentary about Russian athletics last December. \"The IC [independent commission] has withheld most of the contents of the chapter on the IAAF in order to not compromise the continuing efforts in respect of information provided to Interpol,\" the Wada report says. \"The IC is in possession of information which has been passed on to Interpol for the purposes of an integrated investigative activity, Operation Augeas. Therefore, most of the IC's recommendations in respect of the IAAF are being withheld until such time as the full chapter is released.\" French prosecutors are already investigating former IAAF President Lamine Diack, who was put under criminal investigation last week on suspicion of corruption and money laundering. He is alleged to have received more than \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1m (\u00c2\u00a3700,000; $1.1m) in bribes in 2011 to cover up positive doping tests by Russian athletes, Reuters quoted the office of France's financial prosecutor as saying. The 82-year-old Senegalese stepped down in August after 16 years as IAAF president when Briton Sebastian Coe was elected as his replacement. December 2014: German documentary alleges Russian doping scandal February 2015: Diack says athletics faces 'crisis' August 2015: Coe says IAAF will react robustly August 2015: Wada 'alarmed' by fresh allegations", "summary": "International police body Interpol has said it will coordinate a French-led global investigation into doping allegations in athletics."}
{"article": "Gareth McAllister, 18, is also accused of inflicting wounds on a 74-year-old man during a triple stabbing in Glengormley, County Antrim. All three alleged victims are members of the same family. Mr McAllister, of Rogan Manor in Newtownabbey, was arrested at a nearby petrol station on Wednesday night. A man aged 20 had suffered a slash wound to his forehead in an alleged attack at the house on the Antrim Road. His 51-year-old father and his grandfather also sustained cuts as further violence broke out at the nearby garage, according to police. Mr McAllister appeared before Belfast Magistrates' Court on a total of 10 counts. He is charged with the attempted murders of Jonathan and John Green, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Derek Green. The other alleged offences include: possessing a bread knife in public; four assaults on police representatives; a separate assault on John Green last Saturday; and criminal damage to his front door. Mr McAllister spoke only to confirm he understood the charges against him. Although no further details were disclosed, a detective constable said he could connect the accused to the alleged offences. A defence lawyer said he was not applying for bail \"at this time\". A judge remanded Mr McAllister in custody to appear again by video-link next Thursday.", "summary": "A teenager has been remanded in custody charged with the attempted murder of a father and son in a knife attack on the outskirts of north Belfast."}
{"article": "The UK government has announced a public consultation on the creation of five new marine protected areas in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. These areas are designed to protect harbour porpoise populations. Scientists say numbers are falling due to threats which affect their ability to catch food, breed and communicate. But campaigners have accused the Scottish government of delaying efforts to protect the species. Catherine Weller, of environmental law group ClientEarth, said: \"These new protected areas are a step in the right direction for the harbour porpoise. \"We need to ensure the areas designated are those that will offer the highest benefit to the harbour porpoise and that when designated, these sites are managed effectively. \"It's disappointing the Scottish government has stalled its consultation regarding at least three further areas, reducing the potential for comprehensive protection for the harbour porpoise in UK waters.\" The Scottish government has defended its record. A spokeswoman told BBC Scotland: \"The Scottish government remains fully committed to having harbour porpoise special areas of conservation in Scottish waters, where they are fully justified and supported by the evidence. \"However, the four proposals received for Scottish waters did not fully meet the scientific requirements, which is why Marine Scotland has begun a new selection process which will progress as quickly and methodically as possible.\" The Scottish government has responsibility for the conservation, protection and management of seals and cetaceans. Sixteen special areas of conservation for marine mammals have already been designated in Scottish waters.", "summary": "Scotland is falling behind the rest of the UK on efforts to protect the harbour porpoise, according to environmental campaigners."}
{"article": "Two goals by Timmy Adamson in the first half appeared to have Crusaders in control but the Crues striker was later sent-off for two yellow cards. Dean Youle headed Bangor back into contention on 68 minutes with Andy Hall equalising with a superb free-kick. Sub Ethan Boylan scored two goals in extra-time to put Bangor through. He ran onto a flick on to shoot past keeper Sean O'Neill in the 99th minute. Boylan then produced a lovely finish for 4-2, lifting the ball over the stranded O'Neill to make sure of the victory. Adamson had given Crusaders the lead in the 24th minute after Stephen Cockcroft's cross had caused hesitation between defender Colin Nixon and keeper Paul Cairnduff. The Crues front man scored again on 36 minutes after Gavin Whyte had set the chance up. Adamson, who had been booked in the first half for a hand ball, was sent-off when a foul early in the second half resulted in a second yellow card. Bangor, seven points clear in the Irish League's second division, play the Crues again in the semi-finals of the County Antrim Shield. Bangor manager Garth Scates: \"We were excellent from the start and had a couple of chances in the first half which we did not take. \"We knew if we kept going forward we would get a chance to get into the game. \"The sending-off helped and we went three at the back. What a team performance, they worked tirelessly.\" Crusaders manager Stephen Baxter: \"The sending-off was stupid. Timmy is not a young lad, he is 32 and should have known better. \"We made one or two changes with Saturday's match against Cliftonville in mind and it has come back to haunt us. \"But there are more important things going on in the world than a game of football so we are not going to lose any sleep over it.\"", "summary": "Championship One leaders Bangor came from two goals down to beat Premiership title challengers Crusaders in the League Cup quarter-finals."}
{"article": "The first-stage booster, which was previously used on a mission 11 months ago, helped send a telecommunications satellite into orbit from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. It marks an important milestone for SpaceX in its quest for re-usability. Traditionally, rockets are expendable - their various segments are discarded and destroyed during an ascent. The California outfit, in contrast, aims to recover Falcon first-stages and fly them multiple times to try to reduce the cost of its operations. And to emphasise this point, Thursday's booster was also brought back under control to land on a barge stationed out in the Atlantic. \"I think it's an amazing day for space,\" said Elon Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX. \"It means you can fly and re-fly an orbit class booster, which is the most expensive part of the rocket. This is going to be, hopefully, a huge revolution in spaceflight.\" The lift-off had occurred on cue at 18:27 EDT (22:27 GMT; 23:27 BST). The satellite passenger, SES-10, was ejected some 32 minutes later. This spacecraft is now being manoeuvred by its own thruster system to a position over the equator from where it can deliver TV and telecom services to the Caribbean, Brazil, and other regions in Central and South America. SpaceX has become adept in the past two years at bringing first-stage boosters home after they have completed their primary task of getting a payload out of the thicker lower-reaches of the atmosphere. The segments autonomously guide themselves back to the floating platform or a coastal pad to make propulsive landings. Thursday's mission was the first time one of these \"flight proven\" vehicles had been re-launched. Other landed boosters will now be used on future missions. Another six this year, most likely. Some customers may still insist on a brand new rocket, but if SpaceX can demonstrate routine, untroubled performance from these second-hand vehicles then satellite operators will get increasingly comfortable with the concept. Getting away from expendable rockets has been a long quest. Famously, Nasa's space shuttle system was partially re-usable. Its white solid-fuel strap-on boosters, for example, would parachute into the Atlantic after each launch. The casings of these boosters were then refurbished and re-used numerous times. And yet the complexities of servicing the shuttle system after every flight swamped any savings. SpaceX hopes its simpler Falcon 9 rocket can finally deliver a practical commercial solution. It believes its technology will eventually permit rapid turnaround, with boosters flying perhaps 10 times before being retired; maybe even up to 100 times with a certain level of refurbishment. \"With this being the first re-light we were incredibly paranoid about everything,\" Mr Musk said. \"The core airframe remained the same, the engines remained the same - but any auxiliary components that we thought might be slightly questionable, we changed out. Now our aspiration will be zero hardware changes, re-flight in 24 hours - the only thing that changes is that we reload propellant.\" SpaceX hopes its simpler Falcon 9 rocket can finally deliver a practical commercial solution. It believes its technology will eventually permit rapid turnaround,", "summary": "California's SpaceX company has successfully re-flown a segment from one of its Falcon 9 rockets."}
{"article": "There were delays on Monday at airports in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Berlin, and Brussels, where visibility reportedly dropped to just 100m. The situation was worsened at Duesseldorf Airport by the discovery overnight of an unexploded World War Two bomb. A controlled explosion closed the airport to flights for an hour. According to Eurocontrol, the European air safety agency, there were more than 120,000 minutes of flight delays across the continent on Monday morning, with 94% due to adverse weather conditions. Cancelled flights: Why does fog cause chaos at airports? A Eurocontrol spokesman told the Guardian it was \"unusual situation to have such widespread low visibility for such a long period\". Airports in Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and the UK were among the worst affected, according to the agency's Twitter feed. Easyjet said it was suffering \"major network disruption today due to poor weather conditions throughout Europe causing low visibility\". \"This has resulted in a large number of aircraft and crew out of place for flights today,\" the airline said in a statement. \"In addition we are seeing a lot of Air Traffic Control restrictions which has resulted in some delays, diversions and cancellations.\" In Paris, the top half of the Eiffel Tower was obscured by a thick blanket of fog. Several airlines warned on Twitter that delays were expected to continue throughout Monday. There were widespread delays at UK airports. Heathrow airport said it expected to cancel around 10% of flights on Monday, while London City was forced to close to all traffic. Other affected airports include Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Glasgow, Belfast and Cardiff.", "summary": "Heavy fog is causing disruption across western Europe, with low visibility leading to significant flight delays."}
{"article": "The 41-year-old former Ross County boss took Argyle to May's play-off final in his first season in charge, but they lost to AFC Wimbledon. The Pilgrims spent much of the last campaign in the automatic promotion places, but finished in fifth place after a drop in form. Adams' previous deal was scheduled to expire at the end of this season. \"Derek has already made a major contribution to Plymouth Argyle and the board believes he has much more to offer,\" chairman James Brent said. \"Much of what football clubs do is focused on the \u200ecurrent season and yet, to achieve sustainable success, we believe that plans need to be implemented for the medium-term, as well.\"", "summary": "Plymouth Argyle manager Derek Adams has signed a new four-year contract with the League Two club."}
{"article": "The service for the 74-year-old, who died earlier this month a few days after having a stroke, was held at St Peter's Church in Bournemouth. Stewart's broadcasting career spanned more than five decades. Fellow DJ Mike Read, actress and singer Anita Harris, and comedian Bobby Davro were among the congregation. Former snooker player John Virgo also attended. The service, which was led by the Reverend Dr Ian Terry, included the hymns Amazing Grace and Lord Of The Dance, as well as the song You'll Never Walk Alone. There was also a farewell address by the Grand Order of the Water Rats - an entertainment industry fraternity - of which Devon-born Stewart was a member. A private cremation followed the church service. Dr Terry said the service would \"celebrate the life of somebody who just loved life\". \"It's a service of thanksgiving for Ed who, through the radio and through the television, gave enjoyment and fun,\" he added. Stewart started out as an announcer, film critic and rugby reporter with Radio Hong Kong. He was one of the first presenters on Radio 1 when it launched in 1967, and a Radio 2 presenter for 15 years - during which he broadcast from the summits of Ben Nevis and Snowdon, Mount Vesuvius volcano in Italy, and also from the Falkland Islands. On television, Stewart went on to become a regular Top of the Pops presenter in the 1970s and was best known for children's favourite Crackerjack, which he hosted from 1973 to 1979. He was also a longstanding presenter of children's show Junior Choice, which was last broadcast on BBC Radio 2 over Christmas. On it he coined his trademark catchphrase: '''Ello darling.\" Stewart is survived by his two children, Francesca and Marco, and four grandchildren.", "summary": "Hundreds of people have attended the funeral of former BBC DJ and Crackerjack presenter Ed \"Stewpot\" Stewart in his hometown."}
{"article": "Twenty-four delegates from across Europe and the United States are at Goonhilly Earth Station to learn about satellite communications, and how to control orbiting spacecraft. Staff said they believed it was the only course of its type in Europe teaching how to operate such equipment. Goonhilly was the first site to receive TV images via the Telstar satellite in the 1960s. The four-day course, which runs until Friday, is aimed at giving science graduates with an interest in working in the space industry a first-hand idea of operating satellites. The delegates are being taught by space scientists, including members of the team which flew the Beagle 2 Mission to Mars. Goonhilly, on The Lizard peninsula, was built in 1962 and played a key role in the broadcasting of events including the Olympic Games, the Apollo 11 Moon landing, and 1985's Live Aid concert. It was closed in 2008 by BT, which moved operations to Herefordshire. Goonhilly Earth Station Limited (GES) bought the site near Helston in 2011 to create a space science centre for space exploration and science research.", "summary": "A course for space mission controllers has started in Cornwall."}
{"article": "Officers recovered \u00a3800,000 worth of the drug during 10 searches in Belfast, Greenisland, Bangor, Newtownards and Ballywalter. Six people were arrested. Two people were also arrested in the Prato and Bologna areas of Italy. Police said those arrested were believed to be \"significant members\" of a crime gang. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the gang had been involved in money laundering and drugs trafficking activities. The six people arrested in Northern Ireland were four men and two women, with ages ranging from 26 years to 33 years old. They are being questioned on suspicion of the importation of cannabis and conspiracy to supply cannabis and money laundering. Three searches were carried out in the Prato and Bologna areas of Italy. The PSNI is the lead investigator in the operation, which involved officers from the Italian Carabiniere and the National Crime Agency. The officer leading the investigation, Det Insp Andy Dunlop from the PSNI's organised crime branch, said: \"We believe we have established the source of a major supply of herbal cannabis trafficked into Northern Ireland. \"This is a substantial multi-agency international investigation which has involved various investigative tactics and methods - resulting in these searches, seizures and arrests. \"We have seized \u00a3800,000 of herbal cannabis but our enquiries lead us to believe that much more has already been sent from Italy to Northern Ireland. \"In recent months, officers in organised crime branch and local districts have seized \u00a31.2m worth of herbal cannabis as part of this operation.\" The senior officer said it was a \"developing investigation\". \"We are maintaining close contact with our colleagues in the Italian Carabiniere and the National Crime Agency as well as a number of other law enforcement agencies in the UK and Ireland,\" he added. Police said the 'skunk' variety of cannabis could be \"particularly dangerous\" because it could significantly increase a user's likelihood of experiencing a psychotic episode.", "summary": "Eight people have been arrested as part of an international investigation into the supply of 'skunk' cannabis into Northern Ireland."}
{"article": "Although it will focus on the battles faced by writers Jimmy Perry and David Croft, it will also be full of humour. \"It's a bit of a journey for the two guys and there are lots of ups and downs,\" said producer, Brett Wilson. \"It was very hard for the writers to convince the BBC to commission the series in the first place. \"A comedy about members of the Home Guard during World War Two wasn't very appealing to them. \"But there will also be a lot of humour and we have some great actors involved, including John Sessions who is playing Arthur Lowe.\" The drama is being shot entirely in Northern Ireland. \"We are using Northern Ireland crew - all the heads of department ... costume, make up, production, even the accountants are from Northern Ireland,\" said Mr Wilson. Locations include Cultra Manor in County Down, Broadcasting House and the Ulster Reform Club in Belfast. \"It's all going really well,\" he added. \"I have never worked here before, so I wasn't sure. \"But it's been fantastic and I would love to bring more productions to Northern Ireland.\" Dad's Army was first broadcast in the late 1960s. The original series ran for nine years and included 90 episodes. It followed the adventures of the Home Guard unit of fictional town, Walmington-on-Sea, during World War Two. The television series looks set to attract a new generation of fans with the release in October of a movie based on the series. At its peak, the Dad's Army series was watched by nearly 18m viewers.", "summary": "A documentary-drama about the making of the Dad's Army television series will begin filming in Northern Ireland this month."}
{"article": "Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's conservative coalition holds a majority of one seat in the parliament. The opposition Labor Party came within a single vote of calling for a royal commission into Australian banks. Coming at the end of the first week of the new parliament, the result is an embarrassment for Mr Turnbull. It is seen as undermining the government's claim of having a \"strong working majority\". Three senior ministers - Peter Dutton, Christian Porter and Michael Keenan - were among the coalition MPs not in the Lower House when Labor decided to pull a surprise test of the government's power. Their absence meant the opposition won three consecutive motions: first surprising parliament against adjourning at the usual time of 16:30. Second and third votes effectively brought forward a fourth vote on a royal commission into Australian banks. The opposition have been pushing for this after a series of allegations of misconduct in the banking sector. In response, MPs were recalled from airports and turned back on return drives to Sydney. The government then regained control over parliament to quash the proposal. Mr Turnbull said the move exposed a degree of complacency among his colleagues, and that he had \"read the riot act\" to the ministers. \"A number of our members should not have left the building,\" he told 3AW radio. \"They did the wrong thing, they know they did the wrong thing. \"They've been caught out. They've been embarrassed. They've been humiliated. They've been excoriated and it won't happen again.\" Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese told the Nine Network: \"If you can't run the parliament, you can't run the country.\" \"It was a farce yesterday, it shows as an example of just how out of touch this government is; it doesn't have an agenda, it doesn't have ideas and now it doesn't have control of the House of Representatives.\" Treasurer Scott Morrison dismissed the tactics as a \"stunt\" while Labor MP Michael Dandby said the move was a \"legitimate political tactic\". Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, now a backbench MP, said it would be a learning experience for many people. \"All of us are learning lessons all the time, whether you're a journalist, a member of parliament, a whip or even a prime minister,\" he said.", "summary": "Australia's prime minister has said he \"read the riot act\" to three ministers after they went home early, meaning his government lost a series of votes."}
{"article": "Official data do not include emissions from making imported goods but both sets of researchers say they should. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports 26% of global emissions come from producing goods for trade. The Carbon Trust found such \"embedded\" CO2 could negate domestic carbon cuts planned in the UK up to 2025. Researchers want all nations to publish their data on embedded emissions. Glen Peters of research group Cicero, lead authors of the PNAS report, told BBC News: \"There is a degree of delusion about emissions cuts in developed nations. They are not really cuts at all if countries are simply buying in products they used to manufacture. \"We really need all countries to be developing and publishing the full extent of their emissions, whether they are produced domestically or outsourced through traded goods.\" The issue of embedded (or outsourced) carbon emissions has been recognised for several years, and the methodology to track emissions pathways is developing. Cicero produced a trade-linked global database for CO2 emissions covering 113 countries and 57 economic sectors from 1990 to 2008. It found that emissions from producing exported goods increased from 4.3Gt (gigatonnes) of CO2 in 1990 (20% of global emissions) to 7.8Gt of CO2 in 2008 (26%). Most developed countries increased their consumption-based emissions faster than their territorial emissions - particularly from goods such cars and clothes. The Carbon Trust research confirms that the UK has increased emissions since 1990 rather than decreasing them, as politicians typically claim. What may alarm ministers even more is a projection that the radical CO2 cuts planned by government into the 2020s may be offset by ever-increasing levels of CO2 in imports. Dr Peters said: \"Publishing this sort of data is the first step. The next step - what to do about it - is more difficult. \"It raises questions about consumption patterns, and whether countries should consider border taxes on imports from countries with no controls on CO2 emissions\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 though this is controversial and will be some way down the line.\" A UK think tank, the Public Interest Research Centre (Pirc), has been discovering how uncomfortable this issue is proving for rich nations. A succession of Freedom of Information requests reveals a degree of frustration among some British civil servants that the UK insists on basing its emissions calculations solely on domestic emissions. One piece of government correspondence reveals: \"While technological efficiency has improved the CO2 impacts of our products since 1992, the rise in UK consumption has outstripped the improvements achieved. \"The government needs to be cautious about over-claiming on its achievements in decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation.\" Ministers are well aware of the issue, but insist that the UK should stick to reporting domestic emissions, as these form the basis for international climate negotiations. They also point out that emissions data from major exporters like China is notoriously opaque, and that the methodology for calculating outsourced emissions is unreliable. They say all this creates even greater pressure for the UK to persuade China to cut its own emissions. Guy Shrubsole, from", "summary": "The extent of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions \"hidden\" in imported goods is growing, according to two studies."}
{"article": "The centre scored two tries as Warriors thrashed the Dragons 47-17 to keep their faint hopes of a top-four finish alive. \"I think we have to win all of our games and we can do it,\" said Kiwi Grigg. \"Confidence is key and, with five points today, we're on the rise.\" After a sticky opening period in which they fell 10-0 behind, Glasgow came storming back with seven tries to blow the Dragons away and secure an important bonus-point victory at Scotstoun. Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend was pleased to see his side end a three-match losing run in the Pro12. \"We got into our attack flow pretty well,\" he told BBC Scotland. \"When you're moving the ball so much, there will be mistakes, but we were working out where best to target in the Dragons defence. It was also fatiguing them as a side. \"Defensively, we just weren't in place in those first 10 minutes and they deserved their lead, but we showed really good resilience. \"The switch went on at 10-0. We won the kick-off back, got into their 22 and then eventually scored from the scrum. \"It was pleasing. I thought, individually, guys stood up really well. We showed the ambition we like to show when we play here.\" Townsend echoed Grigg's assertion that Glasgow can still overcome the odds to make the top four but admits they will be relying on the teams above them to slip up even after collecting five points against the Dragons. \"We could do with a 10-pointer one week,\" Townsend joked. \"We know we've got a lot of catching up to do and we'll probably have to rely on the teams above us losing. \"We'll have to rely on teams like Scarlets and Ulster to slip up and we'll have to get on a really good winning run. \"This is an exciting part of the season. We've got Connacht here in three weeks' time, a massive game against the champions. \"Then we have a run of Saracens away (in the Champions Cup quarter-final), Munster away two weeks after that. \"We'll have more players available and they'll come back (from Scotland duty) full of confidence.\"", "summary": "Glasgow Warriors can still make the Pro12 play-offs but will need to win the last five games of the regular season to do so, says Nick Grigg."}
{"article": "Ms Dati gave a furious television interview denying any wrongdoing. According to France's Le Point, the purchases included Hermes scarves. The claims date to 2007-2010, during which time she was was justice minister under ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy. Ms Dati, now an MEP for Mr Sarkozy's UMP party and mayor of Paris's 7th arrondissement, said it was normal practice to buy presents for foreign delegates. A letter from the Cour des Comptes, which audits state accounts, lists \u20ac9,850 of unsuccessful claims - including hundreds of euros for pastries, as well as almost \u20ac1,500 on luxury gifts and more than \u20ac1,600 on clothes and accessories. Another \u20ac180,000 spent on communications strategy was also rejected. Ms Dati said the auditors had ruled against the justice ministry administration and not against her. The auditors rejected the claims due to a lack of supporting documents and justification. \"The ministry of justice has never financed my personal costs or bought me any item of clothing,\" Ms Dati told AFP earlier this week. \"The state auditor has never accused me of anything, either personally or professionally.\" Speaking to the French TV channel iTele on Thursday, she attacked media coverage of the auditors' decision and said there was a political plot against her. She said she had suffered racist attacks - being dismissed as an \"Arab\" - as well as sexism within her party, and that she had complained to Mr Sarkozy. Ms Dati was the first Muslim woman to serve as a government minister in France. She has long complained of sexism and elitism in French politics. She resigned as justice minister in 2009 amid criticism of her management style and gossip about her clothes and love life. Correspondents say the UMP is keen to move on from a series of financial scandals, including an ongoing investigation into party funding, ahead of Mr Sarkozy's expected bid for the presidency in 2017.", "summary": "France's former Justice Minister Rachida Dati has hit out at \"political plotters\" in her own UMP party after it emerged auditors had rejected expenses claims of nearly \u20ac190,000 (\u00a3137,000) for items including luxury clothing."}
{"article": "Now it is being talked about a lot again, because there is a battle taking place over a city called Mosul. Mosul is currently under the control of a group that calls itself Islamic State (IS), but Iraqi soldiers want to take it back off them. IS have extreme religious beliefs and use brutal violence against anyone who doesn't agree with their views. They're trying to take control of areas of the Middle East, forcing people to live by very strict rules. An army of around 50,000 troops is involved in the operation to take Mosul from the IS soldiers in the city. The people battling against IS are made up of many different groups who all want to remove them from power. However, even though they are fighting together, some of the people in this group have different beliefs and disagree about how Iraq should be ruled. But they have joined together to fight IS. Some countries around the world are also helping them. The US government has said there could be as many as 5,000 IS soldiers in Mosul. It is likely to take a long time for Iraq to win the city back from IS. But why is this fight significant? And where did all this conflict in Iraq come from? Newsround explains where this situation started, who is involved, and what it means for the people who live in the country. The problems in Iraq have gone on for a long time. Back in 2003, British and US troops went to war in Iraq to remove the leader of the country, Saddam Hussein, from power. Leaders of these countries said at the time that this needed to happen because he was a dangerous man who treated the people in his country very badly. They also said they believed he was hiding extremely dangerous weapons. Saddam Hussein was captured in 2003 and killed three years later. The decision to go to war in Iraq was a controversial one. None of the dangerous weapons that the US and UK leaders said they believed Saddam Hussein had were ever found. This led to an investigation, which you can read about here. Removing Iraq's leader from power was supposed to be quite a simple mission, but it turned into a long war that lasted eight years. This was because after Saddam Hussein was no longer in charge, there were many people fighting for power in the country. In 2009, British forces stopped fighting there and the US followed by the end of 2011. More than 4,500 US troops died in the Iraq war and 179 UK soldiers lost their lives. Everybody hoped that Iraq would be able to recover on its own after the conflict. However, this didn't happen. Most people in Iraq are Muslim, but they belong to different types of the religion. Some are Shia Muslims and some are Sunni Muslims. These two groups disagree about how the country should be run. The government in Iraq is Shia, while IS soldiers claim to be Sunni Muslims - although other Sunni", "summary": "Iraq is a country in the Middle East that has been in the news for many years because of fighting there."}
{"article": "Bentaleb played only 13 times for Spurs last season because of injuries. The 21-year-old midfielder has not trained with the Tottenham first-team since July after being told he was not in manager Mauricio Pochettino's plans. \"He is 100% fit but we must give him time to integrate into the team,\" Schalke director Christian Heidel said. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Algeria international Nabil Bentaleb has joined German side Schalke 04 on a season-long loan from English Premier League side Tottenham."}
{"article": "The officer, 52, was seriously injured when a booby-trap device exploded under his van on Friday, 4 March. Christopher Alphonsos Robinson, of Aspen Park in Dunmurry, County Antrim, appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court. The 45-year-old was also charged with possessing an improvised explosive device with intent to endanger life. There was an increased police presence in court for the hearing. A detective constable said he could connect Mr Robinson to the charges. When asked by the clerk if he understood the charges, Mr Robinson did not reply, but let out a loud sigh. A defence solicitor told the court that Mr Robinson was not applying for bail, but said during 16 police interviews, \"no evidence was actually put\" to the defendant to link him to the attack. Mr Robinson was remanded in custody to appear again on 1 April via video-link. A dissident republican group known as the New IRA has said it carried out the attack.", "summary": "A man has appeared in court charged with the attempted murder of a prison officer in a bomb attack in Belfast last week."}
{"article": "King Bhumibol Adulyadej has had a lengthy spell in hospital in Bangkok and has not been seen in public for months. The king is widely revered and seen as an arbiter in the country's divided political arena. Thailand is preparing to celebrate 70 years of his reign on Thursday. The monarch was treated for narrowing of the arteries with \"satisfactory results\", the palace said in a statement. Doctors performed a procedure known as balloon surgery to widen the arteries on Tuesday after tests had shown insufficient blood in the heart muscles, the statement said. In the past month, the king has also been treated for a build up of fluid surrounding the brain and a swollen lung. An X-ray on Saturday showed less fluid around the brain, the statement said. The monarch's health is closely watched in Thailand as he is seen as a unifying symbol and pillar of stability in a society that has suffered increased political divisions and violence.", "summary": "Thailand's 88-year-old king, the world's longest-reigning monarch, has undergone heart surgery, the Thai Royal Household Bureau said."}
{"article": "Travellers to Paris and Brussels were deterred after major terror attacks in November 2015 and March 2016 and numbers fell by 4% to 10 million. Eurostar, whose main shareholder is the French national rail operator, SNCF, made a profit of 31m euros in 2015. It said 2016 had been \"a difficult year\". Revenues were down 3% at \u00c2\u00a3794m. But the company said there had been a pick-up in business at the end of last year which had continued into 2017. Last year, Eurostar said it would cut some of its services from December as it introduced longer trains. The new e320 trains introduced earlier in 2016 have around 20% more seats than the previous model, and are used for most services between London and Paris.", "summary": "The channel tunnel train service Eurostar said it made an operating loss of 28m euros (\u00c2\u00a325m, $30m) in 2016 following a drop in passenger numbers."}
{"article": "More than 10,000 pupils were absent from high schools for more than 25 days in 2015-16, the equivalent of five weeks off. Meanwhile nearly 15,000 of students in Wales had no days off at all last year - the highest recorded. Overall absence levels in secondary schools were down to their lowest level since 2006-07. But the number of secondary and middle school pupils going on unauthorised holidays during term-time has increased. In Wales families are allowed up to 10 days of term-time holiday at the head's discretion. Last year 3.6% of all absences were because of holidays that had not been agreed by schools - an increase from 3.0% in 2014-15. Education secretary Kirsty Williams said the falling absence rates were a \"testament to the dedication\" of teachers, parents and councils. She said: \"I am really pleased to see levels of overall absenteeism in secondary schools continue to fall and now stand at their lowest level for 10 years. \"This is testament to the commitment and dedication of parents, teachers, and local authorities across Wales who are helping our young people understand that if they are going to fulfil their potential, regular school attendance is vital.\" Sickness remains the main reason 11 to 16-year-olds take time off school, accounting for 60.7% of all absences. Meanwhile the proportion of absence due to family holidays agreed by the school fell from 5.9% in 2011-12 to 1.8% in 2015-16. Earlier this year then education minister Huw Lewis wrote to councils to say it was wrong to tell head teachers to ban all term-time leave. His intervention followed a petition by parents last year against fines for taking holidays in term-time. South East Wales had the highest number of 11-16-year-olds missing school classes last year, while North Wales had the lowest. Newport recorded the highest absence rate with children missing 6.8% half school days, while Gwynedd and the Vale of Glamorgan had the lowest rate at 5.0%. Flintshire had the lowest rate of unauthorised absence at 0.4%, with Newport recording the highest at 2.1%. The Wales-wide unauthorised absence rate has remained static at 1.3% for the last few years. Figures show Wrexham, Flintshire, Powys, Pembrokeshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil and Monmouthshire all saw slight increases in the unauthorised absences last year, The figures also show pupils eligible for free school meals were more likely to miss classes, while girls were more likely to miss school than boys.", "summary": "The number of children missing school in Wales has fallen to an all time low, government statistics have shown."}
{"article": "Barry Imray, 35, of no fixed address, is jointly accused of killing Lee Irving, who was found dead near a footpath in Newcastle last year. James Wheatley, 29, from Studdon Walk, also denies Mr Irving's murder. Mr Wheatley's mother, Julie Mills, 51, and his girlfriend, Nicole Lawrence, 22, are accused of \"causing or allowing\" Mr Irving's death. All four deny the charges against them. Mr Imray told Newcastle Crown Court he had seen Mr Irving with facial injuries a week before his death. When asked by his defence counsel how he felt on finding the 24-year-old apparently lifeless a week later at the house they shared in Kenton Bar, he said he had been \"scared\". Jamie Hill QC asked Mr Imray if he had \"done anything\" to Mr Irving, such as hitting him or kicking him, to which he said no. It is alleged Mr Irving, who had learning difficulties, had been sedated by the defendants, rather than taken for medical treatment. The court heard how he had been found about half a mile from the house with 27 rib fractures and a broken nose and jaw. The trial continues.", "summary": "A man accused of murder has told a court he is \"easily led\"."}
{"article": "Tencent confirmed that up to six former employees were under investigation in an ongoing anti-graft probe. China's biggest social network said an \"internal investigation\" brought to light bribery allegations. Several executives have been implicated in China's corruption crackdown. The government has been on a drive to reform the economy, the world's second largest, by clamping down on corruption in major institutions and businesses for the past two years. Tencent has not identified the former employees, but said that \"the police have been notified\" and they were awaiting further information. Alibaba confirmed to the Reuters news agency that Mr Lui was detained but the case was \"related to his time at Tencent and has nothing to do with Alibaba\". Mr Liu left Tencent for competitor Alibaba in 2013 to become the president of its digital entertainment unit. Tencent is behind China's popular messaging app, WeChat. It also owns China's largest music streaming service by subscribers and its online gaming business has been compared to that of Nintendo's and Sony's gaming units. Alibaba also has a large stake in Weibo, a social media site similar to Twitter as well as Chinese online video providers similar to YouTube. China's anti-corruption crackdown has targeted both government officials as well as company executives with many being taken into custody. Among recent high-profile cases in the past year were China's ex-security chief Zhou Yongkang and the former China head of pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline Mark Reilly.", "summary": "Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has said its senior executive Patrick Liu is in police custody over corruption allegations related to his previous job with internet company Tencent."}
{"article": "The leaders, who have won 26 of their 27 top-flight games, are 27 points clear of second-placed Aberdeen and require seven points to win the title. Responding to criticism of Scottish football, Rodgers said: \"It's ignorance really. \"The footballing world is more than the (English) Premier League.\" Celtic's 4-0 victory at Inverness CT in midweek left them three games away from a sixth consecutive league title. \"With all due respect, it's a lack of knowledge of football,\" Rodgers said of criticism of Scotland's top flight. \"We all love to see the Premier League and I was part of it but football is global and Celtic is one of the biggest clubs in the world. \"But if your eyes are only on one league then of course you tend to ignore what's around that. \"It (Scottish Premiership) is not as prestigious as some of the other leagues and that's purely on the basis of finance. Financially, Scottish football doesn't have the same rewards or the same propaganda that surrounds some of the other leagues, but it's still a very very competitive league.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Celtic midfielder Nir Bitton echoed his manager's view and said the Premiership was a \"competitive league\". \"For us it is not as easy as it looks on the table. It's a very competitive league,\" said the Israel international. Bitton, who featured in the win in the Highlands, believes critics of the Scottish Premiership are wide of the mark. \"I think every game is difficult and the other team are going to defend and try to get something out of the game,\" he said. \"A lot of people look at the table and think Celtic are far better team [than others] in the Scottish league and they have no competition. It's far from being true. \"I think you can see that players who have played in the Premier League like Joey Barton or Niko Kranjcar that came to Scotland and thought it was going to be easy. \"But no, it's not easy. It's a very competitive league, it's a very difficult league, it's very tough. Some places you go to play like Inverness on Wednesday night, believe me it's not easy.\"", "summary": "Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has defended the standard of Scottish football as his unbeaten side close in on the Premiership title."}
{"article": "Labour's Clive Lewis, who is standing in Norwich South, made the comment in an interview with the New Statesman. He had been asked if he was taking victory in the marginal seat for granted. He said he was \"sincerely sorry\" if anyone had been offended by the comment. Mr Lewis, who worked for BBC Look East as a reporter, had told the magazine: \"I mean, in the multiverse there's still three universes in a hundred where there's a Green MP in Norwich, so anything could happen. \"I could be caught with my pants down behind a goat with Ed Miliband at the other end - well, hopefully that won't happen.\" In 2010, Labour's Charles Clarke lost the seat to the Liberal Democrats' Simon Wright who had a majority of 310 votes. Regarding his New Statesman interview, Mr Lewis said: \"On occasion we all have the ability to get carried away with language and colourful metaphors. \"If anyone was genuinely offended then I'm sincerely sorry for that.\" Mr Lewis is standing against independent Cengiz Ceker, UKIP's Stephen Emmens, Lesley Grahame from the Green Party, David Peel of Class War, Conservative Lisa Townsend and Liberal Democrat Simon Wright.", "summary": "An election candidate has apologised for joking that he \"could be caught with my pants down behind a goat with Ed Miliband at the other end\"."}
{"article": "The collision took place on Repington Road, near its junction with Bagot Grove, in the Sneyd Green area of the city at about 17:00 BST on 14 April. The boy, who was from the area, died in Birmingham Children's Hospital on Tuesday. Staffordshire Police confirmed it was investigating the incident and appealed for any witnesses to come forward. More on this and other stories from Stoke and Staffordshire", "summary": "A seven-year-old boy has died in hospital five days after he was hit by a car in Stoke-on-Trent."}
{"article": "A letter has been signed by more than 150 groups before a European Parliament vote on ways to limit their sale. Many tech gadgets such as smartphones use conflict materials, so-called because they are mined in warlike conditions and traded by armed groups. The letter says the law must cover more manufacturers and types of materials, and make firms police supply chains. European politicians will vote on proposals drawn up by the European Commission on 19 May. Signed by Amnesty International. Friends of the Earth, Global Witness, Christian Aid, the Ethical Consumer Research Association and many others, the open letter says the trade in conflict minerals fuels wars and human rights abuses around the world. It says the vote this week is a \"landmark opportunity\" for Europe to take action to stem the trade and curtail the conflict it engenders. However, it says the current proposals are \"weak\" and do not go far enough. The big problem with the scheme proposed by Brussels is that it applies on a voluntary basis to most companies, the groups argue. As a result, they say, few firms would be motivated to clean up their supply chains and report on their actions. In addition, the letter says, the scheme only covers four minerals - tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold - in their raw form, and does nothing to address products entering Europe which have been made using conflict minerals. Many smartphones, tablets and other devices made in China are manufactured using these substances. The letter says the scheme does not cover minerals and materials such as diamonds, jade and chromite, which are also known to be sources of conflict. It urges MEPs to reject the plans in favour of a stronger scheme involving a mandatory system to ensure firms vet their supply chain. \"Those bearing the cost of our weak efforts to regulate this trade will be some of the poorest and most vulnerable citizens of the world,\" said the letter. \"Now is the time for change.\" Romanian MEP Iuliu Winkler - the European Parliament's lead negotiator on the plans - has previously said he \"largely supported\" the plans, adding that the priority should be ensuring that the right incentives are in place to encourage participation. However, Green and left-wing MEPs have criticised the opt-in nature of the scheme.", "summary": "Europe's proposed laws on \"conflict minerals\" will fail to slow trade in the raw materials, claim rights groups."}
{"article": "Investigations by The Daily Telegraph newspaper have revealed several cases of alleged fraud in football. Coleman says he has never taken or been offered a 'bung' and believes the sport's governing bodies should operate a zero tolerance policy on corruption. \"If anyone is caught then they should be removed from the game permanently and that's it, good night,\" he said. He continued: \"It's sad, but I have zero respect for anyone caught. \"If you earn \u00a350,000 a year, that's a good salary to the man in the street. If you're earning \u00a350,000 a week then why are you after more? It's just greed. \"Unfortunately we are all tarnished with the same brush. We are all involved in an industry where there is corruption from the very top. \"But what are we going to do about it if someone is caught? Will it just be a rap of the knuckles or will they be banished? \"If there is evidence against someone and they are found guilty then get rid of them from the game and they should never be allowed back.\" Barnsley suspended assistant manager Tommy Wright after he was named in a Daily Telegraph investigation in which he was filmed apparently being given an envelope of money in return for allegedly helping Barnsley to sign players from a fake Far East Firm. Sam Allardyce lasted only 67 days as England manager before leaving in disgrace after the same newspaper said he advised undercover reporters posing as businessmen how to \"get around\" transfer rules. Coleman says he has sympathy for Allardyce. \"I'm really disappointed for Sam. I was with him last week at a coaches' conference in Paris and I know he will be absolutely devastated,\" Coleman added. \"I've known Sam for a long time and I know how much he wanted the job and how proud he was to get it. So I'm gutted for him that he has lost it through events off the pitch rather than on it. \"He has made a mistake and admitted that. It's a shame that someone of his experience let their guard down for five minutes and lost their job over it.\" However, Coleman made clear he has no desires to succeed Allardyce, answering unequivocally when asked if he would be interested in the position. \"My answer would a big fat no,\" he said.", "summary": "Wales manager Chris Coleman says anyone found guilty of corruption in football should be banned for life."}
{"article": "The 56-year-old met chairman Steve Parish on Thursday as tension between the pair came to a head. The former Stoke boss, who won the Premier League's manager of the year award last season, had been frustrated by the failure to land a number of summer transfer targets. Media playback is not supported on this device Assistant manager Keith Millen will be in charge against Arsenal on Saturday. On Friday, Palace issued a statement, saying: \"The club would like to thank Tony for his efforts with the club last season and wish him all the best for the future.\" Bookmakers' odds had tumbled on Thursday as speculation over the Welshman's job intensified. Media playback is not supported on this device Malky Mackay and David Moyes were suggested as potential candidates to replace Pulis by former Palace defender Matt Lawrence, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live. The remainder of Pulis's coaching staff - including Gerry Francis and Dave Kemp - have been asked by Parish to stay on for the trip to Arsenal before leaving the club. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said: \"He has done a remarkable job last season, made a miracle. I was at a managers' meeting on Monday, he was there and nothing indicated he wouldn't be here tomorrow.\" Pulis wanted to assume greater control of all football matters at Selhurst Park, especially transfers, after missing out on a number of key targets. He and Parish also disagreed about their vision for the club. Parish and sporting director Iain Moody are in charge of delivering the potential signings earmarked by Pulis. Moody arrived in November from Cardiff City, where he had held a similar role before being dismissed by the owner Vincent Tan. Media playback is not supported on this device Palace signed Liverpool full-back Martin Kelly on Thursday, while striker Fraizer Campbell arrived from Cardiff for \u00a3900,000 and former Fulham centre-back Brede Hangeland have joined on a free. Just hours before Pulis left, Kelly told the club's official website: \"I'm looking forward to playing under Tony and playing regular football again.\" Hangeland also picked out Pulis as one of his reasons for moving to Selhurst Park, saying: \"All the things I've heard about this club - the manager, players, staff - it's all been good.\" Pulis left Stoke last year after seven years at the Britannia Stadium, having guided the Potteries outfit to the Premier League and kept them there, extending his record of never being relegated. Palace were bottom of the table when he was named as Ian Holloway's replacement in November 2013. Pulis managed to halt the decline, and a run of five successive victories from 29 March, starting with a 1-0 win over Chelsea, steered the Eagles to safety. They famously came back from three goals down in the final 11 minutes against Liverpool to all but deny the Reds the title at the end of last season. Their eventual 11th-placed finish was the club's highest since 1992. Former Palace chairman Simon Jordan told Talksport that managers \"have to do as they're told\". \"Football managers are incredibly", "summary": "Manager Tony Pulis has left Crystal Palace by mutual consent less than 48 hours before the start of the season."}
{"article": "The \u00a35m signing from Lorient sustained the grade-three tear on international duty with Gabon. Bluebirds boss Russell Slade is seeking clarification on how last season's player of the year suffered the blow during training between games. \"It is very difficult with Gabon to request what they have done and find out what they have done,\" said Slade. \"Training regimes are different. We could help them if we could get information on how they prepare and how they train as well. \"It's very important and we don't seem to get any dialogue from them. \"Obviously the medical department and myself would like to know because it s out of our control what they are doing in the meantime.\" Cardiff hope Ecuele Manga's fellow centre-back Ben Turner will be able to return from ankle surgery in an under-21 game on 13 November. Meanwhile, Bluebirds captain and goalkeeper David Marshall is expected to return for Saturday's Championship clash at Preston after serving a two-match ban after a red card at Rotherham. Simon Moore has been deputising. \"When you break it down, Preston seem to be finding life a little bit tougher at home. Hopefully that continues for at least one more week,\" said Slade. \"Simon [Grayson] is a good manager, who has had several promotions to the Championship with various teams, so he knows his way around. \"He will set his team up to be very difficult. It has not quite happened for them at home yet but I am sure they will be more than capable of climbing the table in the coming weeks.\"", "summary": "Cardiff City defender Bruno Ecuele Manga faces at least two months out with a groin injury."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Rodney Brown nodded in from a Brad Lyons cross to put the Bannsiders ahead but the Blues hit back with Aaron Burns heading home the equaliser. Matthew Clarke's side-foot finish moved Linfield in front before Coleraine defender David Ogilby was sent-off for two yellows on 67 minutes. Jamie Mulgrew poked in Linfield's third as they maintained their 100% record. Coleraine made the early running and were rewarded on 23 minutes when Brown scored against his former club with a downward header into the bottom corner. Blues forward Guy Bates had almost sent a clearance into his own net and headed wide of the Coleraine goal before he set up Linfield's two first-half goals. His dinked cross picked out the unmarked Burns as the midfielder netted his fifth goal of the campaign while Clarke rifled home from a tight angle at the back post. Lyons saw his goalbound shot deflected over by Sean Ward before Clarke's goal while Brown went close twice before the break. A dull second half came to life when Ogilby was controversially dismissed after the defender appeared to make minimal contact with Andrew Waterworth. Linfield capitalised with the extra man two minutes later - substitute Mulgrew jinked into the box before prodding the ball beyond keeper Michael Doherty. \"We knew it was going to difficult and this was about the result, not the performance,\" said Linfield boss Warren Feeney. \"We started slowly but showed tremendous character to come from behind to win.\"", "summary": "Linfield remain top of the Irish Premiership after overcoming 10-man Coleraine at the Showgrounds."}
{"article": "Labour's Barry Sheerman said the change \"shrinks childhood\" by making people adults at 16. He spoke as MPs debated extending the franchise during the EU referendum, a move they then rejected in a vote. Shadow Europe minister Pat McFadden said he respected Mr Sheerman but could see no link between extending voting rights and sexual abuse. Huddersfield MP Mr Sheerman said: \"Up and down this country we've had vulnerability to sexual predators and ghastly things happening right through to 18 and this move to have adults at 16 will make a lot of young men and women more vulnerable to sexual predation than that happens at the moment.\" After Mr McFadden rejected this argument, Mr Sheerman added \"what those of us - the small minority of us on these benches I have to say - worry about is\" that if people are treated as an adult at 16 \"that shrinks childhood\". Labour and the SNP support allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in UK elections, but the government is against the policy. Setting out his party's position, Mr McFadden said that aside from the wider debate about the voting age, there was a \"very strong reason\" to lower it for the EU referendum because young people's future was \"directly at stake\". If the UK votes to leave the EU, their ability to live and study in Europe would be affected, he said. But Conservative Cabinet Office Minister John Penrose said this was not the time to consider such a change, saying the issue should be \"soberly and properly debated\" on another occasion. The change was rejected in a Commons vote by 310 to 265. The bill, which will put into law the in/out referendum promised by 2017, is currently making its way through Parliament. Also during the committee stage debate, an SNP motion to allow EU nationals resident in the UK to vote in the referendum was rejected by 514 votes to 71.", "summary": "Allowing 16-year-olds to vote will make them more vulnerable to sexual abuse, an MP has said."}
{"article": "It said the \"irresponsible\" advert for meal delivery service Diet Chef implied happiness and self-confidence could only be achieved through weight loss. The advert featured a woman, Cheryl, before and after using the service. Diet Chef said the advert showed her sense of achievement after taking control of her lifestyle. It said the actor who played both versions of Cheryl had a Body Mass Index of 27.4 when she played the earlier version, which was in the overweight category. In the advert, the later Cheryl tells her former self: \"I know how you feel; you can look that good again, you know,\" and \"I bought a bikini last week, for the first time since this picture.\" The former Cheryl says: \"You look amazing. I never dreamed I could be that slim again.\" The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received complaints from 26 viewers objecting that the advert was irresponsible for exploiting women's body insecurities by implying that they needed to be slim to be happy. Complainants also said it implied that overweight women did not take care of themselves or how they looked. The former Cheryl was shown wearing a baggy shirt and had messy hair, while the current, happier Cheryl had a more polished appearance. Diet Chef said the ad showed the frustration of the former Cheryl, who did not feel able to make a change in her lifestyle or to maintain a controlled diet and so was surprised that she had done so, and the sense of achievement of the later Cheryl. It also said the advert's approach was typical of the \"before and after\" genre commonly used to advertise weight loss products. The ASA said the advert did not give the impression that former Cheryl had neglected her personal appearance and said viewers would be unlikely to find this part of the advert offensive. But it said the character's unhappy demeanour while talking about wearing a bikini appeared disproportionate to concerns about her weight, especially as she did not appear to be particularly overweight. The ASA said the advert \"implied that weight loss was the only solution to her problems\". It went on: \"It therefore implied that those with insecurities about their bodies, and particularly their weight, could only achieve happiness and self-confidence through weight loss. \"We therefore concluded that the ad presented a socially irresponsible approach to body image and breached the code.\" It ruled that the advert must not appear again in its current form and told Diet Chef \"to ensure that their products were advertised in a socially responsible way\".", "summary": "A television advert in which a tearful woman meets a slimmer and happier version of herself has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority."}
{"article": "It was the 1990s and Mr Rouhani was a post-graduate student at Glasgow Caledonian University. He once joked that he should divorce his wife so he'd stand a better chance of getting university accommodation as a single person, rather than requiring family rooms. At that time, he was also the deputy speaker of the Iranian parliament. But those who knew him say he readily accepted the more lowly status of a student. \"He was on first (name) terms with fellow students,\" says Prof Hassan Amin, who has now retired from his post teaching law at Glasgow Caledonian University. \"Many times he ate in the students' canteen and sometimes I would take him to the staff restaurant,\" he says. \"People would come and sit down and I would introduce him\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 and he would happily engage in a conversation with them.\" The thesis Mr Rouhani wrote for his PhD is called \"The flexibility of Shariah (Islamic Law) with reference to the Iranian experience.\" He did the research in Iran while continuing his political duties in Tehran. But he commuted regularly to Glasgow to meet his academic supervisors and discuss the progress he was making. Dr Mahdi Zahraa, who was one of Mr Rouhani's supervisors, remembers him as \"a quiet-spoken, very gentle man\", with whom he enjoyed \"intelligent and challenging\" conversations. His spoken English was good. \"We had very different views on some matters, on others we found that we held similar opinions,\" he said. \"From our discussions, I ascertained that he had a modern and reformist approach to Shariah law.\" His thesis can still be brought out and read at the university library. \"There has been quite a bit of press interest (in the thesis), interest from the public in general and quite a bit of interest from the Iranian community,\" says the library director, Robert Ruthven. \"The thesis seems to show he has quite a flexible and perhaps modernising outlook.\" In the first line of the abstract, Dr Rouhani writes: \"This thesis verifies that no laws in Islam are immutable.\" And he goes on to state: \"The primary source of the Islamic law (the Quran) is in itself flexible on the basis of the analysis that the Quranic legislation leaves room for flexibility in the evaluation of its injunctions.\" Experts say this is not something new in recent Iranian thinking, but it does put him in the modernist or pragmatist camp. And while he's not regarded as a reformist, his victory in the election in June has raised expectations amongst the reformist groups which rallied around him that he will bring change to Iran. Since the election, Mr Rouhani has spoken of bringing moderation back to Iranian politics and being more transparent about Iran's nuclear programme, so what he called \"cruel\" sanctions imposed on Iran by the international community, can be lifted. And it seems his decision to study in Britain back in the 1990s, did to some extent reflect his more liberal outlook. \"He chose Great Britain because he has respect for the legal system here, for the judiciary and also for", "summary": "The cleric, Hassan Rouhani, who is being sworn-in as President of Iran this weekend, used to stroll the streets of the Scottish city, Glasgow, dressed in a smart business suit, his turban removed."}
{"article": "The 33ft (10m) deep crater appeared eight days ago in Fontmell Close, and nearly 7,000 tonnes of concrete has been pumped into it. Hertfordshire County Council has said tests are under way to see if there are any more cavities. It is unable to say if there has been further movement without looking at the results of that monitoring work. Dozens of residents have been unable to move back into their homes. Some are angry that a smaller hole reported previously had not been filled in. \"The neighbour whose house it was outside was concerned and was chasing for some action and not getting an awful lot,\" said David Walker, who lives on the street. Council spokesman Rob Smith said: \"Safety is our priority and we think we are a long way towards achieving that. We need to know what's going on in the surrounding ground. \"We've already started doing non-intrusive radar-type surveys of the road to see if there's anything else that might possibly happen.\"", "summary": "Engineers working at the St Albans sinkhole have revealed the ground is still moving and cracks are appearing."}
{"article": "The Walkabout Creek Hotel, in the small town of McKinlay in the state of Queensland, was made a popular tourist attraction by the film. But owner Paul Collins says he is looking for a change after 23 years. In the movie, the Walkabout Creek Hotel is the favourite watering hole for knife-wielding hero Mick \"Crocodile\" Dundee played by Paul Hogan. The hotel - built in 1900 - was originally known as the Federal Hotel but later changed its name to that used in the film. \"I've been running it for 23 years, it's time for a change and a break,\" Mr Collins told AFP news agency. \"It's a different pub, it's in a remote location. It's not everyone's cup of tea,\" he added. \"But there has been some pretty strong interest to date. It's a good pub.\" The pub is packed with memorabilia and photographs from the hit film. It is a popular stopping-off point for tourists who travel between Brisbane and Darwin.", "summary": "The Australian outback pub made famous by the 1980s film Crocodile Dundee is up for sale."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old, who was out of contract, is manager Paul Cox's ninth signing of the summer. Hughes was a target for Cox in January, when he was at Cambridge United, but Barrow were unable to sign him either on loan or permanently. He moved to Scotland in February and played 11 games for Inverness, nine of them in the Scottish Premiership. But he only started five games and leaves Caley Thistle after the exit of manager John Hughes, who has been succeeded by Richie Foran, making the step up from club captain. Hughes scored Cambridge United's opening goal when they beat Gateshead 2-1 to win the Conference play-off final at Wembley in 2014 and was part of the U's side that also won the FA Trophy that year.", "summary": "National League club Barrow have signed midfielder Liam Hughes from Scottish outfit Inverness Caledonian Thistle."}
{"article": "Mandy and Pete Garland, from Weston-super-Mare, said their home address, phone numbers and flight dates were shared by Thomson in an email. Thomson apologised for the error. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said it had investigated and was taking no further action. Mr and Mrs Garland were among 458 customers whose booking details were shared on 15 August. The couple booked a two-week trip to the Dominican Republic in January but later received a balance reminder email with a spreadsheet attached which included details of almost 500 customers from \"Scotland to Cornwall\", Mr Garland said. \"My biggest worry was how many people on that list are going to be prepared to show those details? \"Anybody with a little bit of brains would be able to look at the list and go 'there's a pretty good chance that house is going to be empty for at least a week'. \"So my biggest concern was the security of the house.\" A Thomson spokesman said the email was \"identified very quickly and recalled\". The couple said they had received \"no apology and no money back\". They said rescheduling their holiday \"was not an option\" as their jobs did not give them that flexibility.", "summary": "A couple whose personal details were revealed in a data breach by holiday company Thomson have cancelled their Caribbean trip over fears they could be burgled while away."}
{"article": "Maughold Lighthouse, the closest point on the island to England, is situated about 31 miles (50km) from Cumbria. It was designed and built by David A Stevenson, of the Stevenson engineers, at an estimated cost of \u00a311,000. The ceremony will be held on Sunday and attended by the island's Lieutenant Governor, Adam Wood. A Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) spokesman said: \"On 15 April, Maughold lighthouse will have provided a guiding beam of light to the mariner for 100 years. \"Battling against the odds, the Stevenson family constructed wonders of engineering that have withstood the test of time - an amazing historical achievement.\" David Stevenson was a Scottish lighthouse designer who designed over 30 lighthouses in Scotland. The Stevensons also included the writer Robert Louis Stevenson, who was said to have gained inspiration for his books Kidnapped and Treasure Island from family visits to remote lighthouses in the British Isles. The Northern Lighthouse Board was established in 1786 and is responsible for about 200 lighthouses. In 1854 the organisation took responsibility for six Isle of Man lighthouses - Point of Ayre, Maughold Head, Douglas Head, Langness, Calf of Man and Chicken Rock. Maughold was the last lighthouse to have been built on the island. Work began in 1911 and finished in April 1914. It consists of a 23m (77ft) tower, which is situated on a slope of headland at Maughold Head. \"The building of the light at Maughold Head was not an easy task,\" said Lorna Hunter from the NLB. \"The tower is positioned half way down a cliff and can only be reached by a flight of 128 steps.\" The keeper's houses, now privately owned, are situated at the top of the cliff. The coastal residence, which consists of four bedrooms and two bathrooms, was sold in 2012 for about \u00a3600,000. The area between the lighthouse and Port-Vullen is a government-protected breeding ground for more than 35 bird species, including puffins and guillemots. The original Frensel lens at Maughold was named after its French inventor, Augustin Fresnel. It is made from a series of perfectly polished crystal glass lenses set into a brass structure. The automated light, now monitored around the clock from a remote centre, is visited and maintained locally on a regular basis. However, once a year, all the lighthouses on the island are visited by the vessel, NLV Pharos, when specialised technicians undertake a full service of the equipment.", "summary": "A ceremony has been held in the Isle of Man to mark the centenary of a \"wonder of British engineering\"."}
{"article": "A sobbing Minami Minegishi apologised to her fans and said she did not want to leave the band AKB48, in the video seen by millions on YouTube. The production company behind AKB48 said Minegishi, 20, had failed to abide by its cardinal rule - no dating. But fans have defended her, saying she is entitled to a normal life. Head shaving is a traditional form of showing contrition in Japan. Minegishi's apology came hours after a tabloid newspaper published photographs of her leaving the apartment of her boyfriend, Alan Shirahama, a dancer in a boy band. In the video posted on AKB48's official website, she said she had made the decision to shave off her long hair to show contrition for her \"thoughtless and immature\" actions. \"I don't believe just doing this means I can be forgiven for what I did, but the first thing I thought was that I don't want to quit AKB48,\" she said. At times sobbing and bowing her head during the nearly four-minute-long video, she also said: \"If it is possible, I wish from the bottom of my heart to stay in the band. Everything I did is entirely my fault. I am so sorry.\" Minegishi was one of the original members of AKB48 when it was launched by producer Yasushi Akimoto in 2005. The band is made up of some 90 girls - whose ages range from mid teens to early 20s - who, in teams, appear daily in their own theatre and regularly on television, in adverts, and in magazines. They portray an image of cuteness known as \"kawaii\", and have become a huge phenomenon both in Japan and increasingly in other Asian countries, correspondents say. The condition for being part of such a successful act is that the girls must not date boys, so as not to shatter their fans' illusions. AKB48's management office said Minegishi had been demoted to a trainee team as punishment \"for causing a nuisance to the fans\". But author and critic Hiroki Azuma said it was \"disgusting\" that the star felt she should resort to a traditional act of contrition when the only rules she had broken were those of her band's. Some fans and commentators say Minegishi went too far with her public apology, and that it was unnecessary. \"What's the point of this public execution show? It's like something from the war or a totalitarian state,\" one fan said on Twitter.", "summary": "A Japanese pop star has shaved her head and offered a filmed apology after breaking her management firm's rules by spending a night with her boyfriend."}
{"article": "Until now the product - which suggests \"answers before you ask\" - had been limited to devices running Google's own Android operating system. Unlike the original version, Google Now only works within the firm's Search app on Apple's iOS platform - potentially limiting its appeal. One analyst suggested the launch indicated that the firm's priority was securing the widest audience possible. \"Google is going to put its technologies onto other platforms whenever it can draw people into its services,\" said Brain Blau, consumer technology research director at the consultants Gartner. \"They do want to entice people to buy Android devices, but they know not everybody's going to, and they still want to deliver their services - especially for people who are already using their products on iOS.\" iOS powered 29% of smartphones sold in Great Britain between December and February, according to fresh data from market research firm Kantar Worldpanel. It said Android accounted for a further 58% of the market. Google Now works by offering \"cards\" filled with information designed to be useful to a smart device user without them needing to type in a search request. It works by accessing the machine's location data, and analysing the contents of the person's Gmail and Google Calendar records as well as their past Google searches. Examples of the results given include: Those worried about privacy issues can restrict which information is stored and used. The cards are accessed by swiping up the bottom section of the Google Search app's screen, and the user can then scroll through a selection of the various categories generated. The facility could potentially draw users away from using Apple's own personalised search tool, Siri, which relies on users instigating a request. However, the fact that it involves more screen presses to access Google's information could discourage some from using it. \"The big difference is that Google Now isn't limited to the search product when used on Android - it's connected to the OS [operating system],\" said Mr Blau, referring to the fact that the Android version can be activated by a single button press and be set to bring up high-priority card alerts when the app is not open. \"So there's a big user interface difference and they may have different usage patterns and interaction paradigms because of that.\" A comparison chart posted online by Google also shows that the iOS version of Google Now only offers 21 of the 29 types of cards available on Android. Missing categories include Nearby Events which brings up concerts and other shows; Research Topic which offers web page suggestions based on earlier searches; and Fandango which reminds a user when they need to leave home to arrive at a cinema in time for a pre-booked show and then brings up their electronic ticket when they arrive. Several tech sites, including Cnet and The Next Web, have reported that the search firm might next bring the Google Now service to its Chrome browser and possibly its search webpage based on analysis of changes to the firm's code. More will be revealed", "summary": "The Google Now service is being extended to Apple's iPhones and iPads."}
{"article": "Welsh Government statistics showed that 60.2% of Year 11 pupils achieved five A* to C GCSE or equivalent passes including Maths and first language English or Welsh. This compared to 57.9% of pupils achieving this threshold in 2014-15. The Welsh Government said learners continued to improve with attainment again at record levels. Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said government grants for the most deprived pupils had helped narrow the gap in performance between poorer pupils and their peers. But changes to the way the data is measured means comparisons with previous years are more difficult. Independent schools are no longer included in the figures in this latest annual report taken from exam bodies. The attainment gap between pupils who are eligible for school meals - and those who are not - has narrowed for the second year in a row and now stands at 31.2%. Ms Williams said the \"commendable set of results\" recognised the efforts of pupils, teachers and parents in Wales. She said the pupil deprivation grant - introduced in 2012 and now an extra \u00c2\u00a31,150 for schools for each pupil from a disadvantaged background - was \"making a real difference to the lives of these children\". Ms Williams added: \"We are starting to break the link between poverty and attainment that has dogged our education system. \"While this is good news, there is still a lot more that we need to do. That is why I recently announced my intention to double the Early Years Pupil Deprivation Grant, concentrating extra resources on our youngest pupils.\" Rob Williams, director of policy with the head teachers' union, NAHT Cymru, said it was important to keep focusing on the youngest children. \"When school leaders, teachers and support staff are equipped with adequate resources to work proactively with pupils and their families, it is clear what can be achieved,\" he said. \"It is also clear that a consistent policy, left in place for long enough for schools to make it work, reaps rewards.\"", "summary": "Welsh pupils' exam performance continued to improve this year, official data has suggested."}
{"article": "Cumbernauld couple Jim and Ann McQuire and Billy and Lisa Graham from Bankfoot were among 38 people killed by a gunman with links to Islamic State extremists. Deputy First Minister John Swinney was at RAF Brize Norton for the repatriation. The UK government said 30 Britons were killed at the Sousse beach last Friday. Eight bodies were repatriated on Wednesday, with nine to follow on Thursday, including the four Scots. The Tunisian government said it had arrested 12 suspects in connection with the attack by gunman Seifeddine Rezgui, who was killed following the shooting last Friday. A national minute's silence is to be held at 12:00 on Friday, one week on from the incident, and there will be a gathering at Abronhill Church, where Mr McQuire, 67, and his wife, 64, were members. Minister Rev Joyce Keyes said they had been \"overwhelmed by expressions of support\". She asked for privacy at the event dedicated to the McQuires, who had only booked their holiday a fortnight before the shooting. She said: \"We have been overwhelmed by expressions of support from those who loved this exceptional couple, and many more messages from those who simply shared in our grief. \"Ann and Jim were a kind and gentle couple who will be sorely missed by our congregation; for their willingness to share their musical talents, for their contributions to the Boys Brigade; and for the fellowship we shared.\" North Lanarkshire Council has been flying flags at half-mast, and has opened several books of condolence for the victims. Perth and Kinross Council has instituted similar moves in tribute to Billy and Lisa Graham, who were in Tunisia celebrating Mrs Graham's 50th birthday, and a candlelit vigil is to be held in Bankfoot. Mr Graham worked as a turnstile operator at St Johnstone football club in Perth, and the team are to take to the field in their Europa League match wearing black armbands as a mark of respect. Club chairman Steve Brown said the 51-year-old was \"a great ambassador for the club\", while the couple's MSP John Swinney said there were \"no words that can explain the awfulness of this act\". The repatriations of all the British victims is likely to take several days. Post-mortem examinations will be carried out before the bodies are released to their families. The UK government has ruled out an inquiry into the attack, but said Scotland Yard would assist the Tunisian investigation.", "summary": "The four Scottish victims of the Sousse massacre in Tunisia are among nine bodies returned to the UK on an RAF flight."}
{"article": "John Boreland, a leading member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), a paramilitary group, was shot dead outside his home on Sunday night. Police have called for calm and say they will increase patrols in the area. Tensions among loyalist paramilitaries and criminality are among a number of lines of inquiry, police said. But their early assessment is that this was not a sectarian murder. The 46-year-old father-of-three was shot outside his flat in Sunningdale Gardens as he returned home just before 21:50 BST. \"He had just got out of his car when he was shot at close range a number of times,\" said the detective leading the investigation, Det Ch Insp Justyn Galloway. \"His injuries were such that he died at the scene.\" Police believe a shotgun was used. \"John Boreland was known to police,\" said Mr Galloway. \"He had survived a previous attempt on his life in 2014 and had been warned by police about his safety within the past few months.\" The victim was being mourned by his two sons and his daughter, his fianc\u00c3\u00a9e, his sister and his mother and father, said Mr Galloway. \"I have visited the family today and I am sure you will understand that they are completely devastated,\" he added. He appealed to the public for help in compiling information about the last 24 hours of Mr Boreland's life. He also asked for anyone who witnessed vehicles leaving the scene of the shooting - including a motorbike, a silver Renault Megan car and a black Peugeot 307 car - to contact police. North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds said the murder had \"sent shockwaves throughout North Belfast and have cast a dark shadow over the local area\". Mr Dodds, who led a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) delegation who met police to discuss the attack, welcomed the announcement that more police will be deployed in the area. \"We are committed to ensuring they have every resource necessary at their disposal during the investigation,\" said the DUP MP. \"We reiterate our calls to those who may have any information surrounding the events of last night to bring it forward to the PSNI as a matter of urgency.\"", "summary": "A prominent loyalist who was murdered in north Belfast had been warned by police about his safety within the past few months, officers have confirmed."}
{"article": "North Korea's state news agency said Mr Newman was expelled on \"humanitarian grounds\" after confessing to \"crimes\" in the 1950-53 war and \"apologising\". He had been held since October on charges of \"hostile acts\" against the North, while visiting as a tourist. Although Mr Newman, 85, did serve during the Korean War, his family says he is the victim of mistaken identity. The US welcomed Pyongyang's decision. \"We are pleased that Mr Merrill Newman has been allowed to depart the DPRK (North Korea) and re-join his family. We welcome the DPRK's decision to release him,\" said state department spokeswoman Marie Harf. \"I'm delighted to be home,\" Mr Newman said in San Francisco. \"It's been a great homecoming. I'm tired, but ready to be with my family.\" He thanked the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang and US embassy in Beijing for helping to secure his release. Mr Newman - a pensioner from Palo Alto, California - had been held in North Korea since being taken off a plane as he prepared to leave the country on 26 October, following a 10-day tourist visit. In a video released by North Korean authorities last week, Mr Newman was shown reading his alleged apology, dated 9 November. It claims he was an \"adviser of the Kuwol Unit of the UN Korea 6th Partisan Regiment part of the Intelligence Bureau of the Far East Command\" - an apparent reference to one of the special operations units acting against the North. Mr Newman allegedly confessed to trying to contact surviving soldiers during his trip as a tourist. The statement added: \"Please forgive me.\" But Mr Newman's family said there must have been \"some dreadful misunderstanding\". Another veteran, also named Merrill Newman, was awarded a Silver Star medal for his efforts during the Korean War. The North Korean authorities have previously been accused of coercing confessions from detainees. US Vice-President Joe Biden, while welcoming North Korea's release of Mr Newman as \"a positive thing\", renewed calls for Pyongyang to free another American, Kenneth Bae, held since November 2012 and sentenced in May to 15 years' hard labour. Pyongyang said Mr Bae - described as both a tour operator and Christian missionary - had used his tourism business to plot sedition.", "summary": "US veteran of the Korean War Merrill Newman has arrived in San Francisco after being released by North Korea."}
{"article": "One victim, from Londonderry, told the BBC that blackmailers had demanded \u00c2\u00a310,000 not to reveal an intimate video on Facebook. He described two months of \"hell\" after being tricked into making the recording by a woman he met online. Det Ch Insp James Mullan praised the man for coming forward to warn others. \"We get about two or three reports a week across Northern Ireland of predominantly male people within the community who become victims of this type of incident,\" he said. \"I want to give people the confidence to come forward to the police and report it,\" he said. \"While we find it very difficult to get the people responsible, it's really important that, not just the police service, but other agencies are there to support these people.\" Most of the scams originate in countries such as Philippines and Morocco, Mr Mullan added. Christopher (not his real name) told the Mark Patterson Show how he received a friend request from a \"very attractive young lady\" on Facebook. \"Over a period of a few days we were chatting. She was a lot younger than I was. I'm in my 40s, she was, maybe, in her 20s. \"I was going through a bitter divorce at the time and you know... I was enjoying the attention, looking for a new relationship,\" he said. \"Over a period of time, it progressed to another level where she asked me did I want a video chat and the conversation became quite sexual. \"She got me on my phone through messenger and asked: 'Do you want to see me naked?' \"I put on video call, and all of a sudden I see a bedroom, and a girl naked, touching herself, caressing herself - she asked me to do the same thing. \"Then all of a sudden she left the camera and came back and she seemed to push some sort of a button, and all of a sudden it was a video of me doing what I shouldn't. \"She says: 'You've just broken the law, if you don't send \u00c2\u00a310,000 it (the video) will be posted to various friends.'\" One of the names that appeared on Christopher's device was the name of his daughter. \"I went into total panic, total panic and talk about cold sweats,\" he said. The blackmailer managed to post the video onto Christopher's Facebook timeline, but he was able to swiftly remove it. Christopher was given 24 hours to send his blackmailer the money. During this time, he described how feelings of shame, disgust and most of all fear, nearly drove him over the edge. In the end, Christopher reported the person to Facebook, and said the company was very supportive. He also spoke to the Samaritans before confiding in two close friends, who accompanied him to the local police station. \"That constable was absolutely brilliant, she saw the stress I was under, she said 'you've broken no law',\" he said. He explained that the police wanted to trace the IP address of the computer being used by the blackmailer. \"The case is now", "summary": "The police have been investigating 160 cases of internet sex blackmail in Northern Ireland over the past year, a senior PSNI officer has said."}
{"article": "News presenter Huw Edwards had been expected to front the show after Dimbleby said 2015's results coverage was his final time at the helm. It will be the tenth occasion that Dimbleby has hosted proceedings, have first fronted the broadcast in 1979 when Margaret Thatcher became prime minister. The programme will start on the night of 8 June and continue until morning. Edwards will take over as lead presenter on the morning of 9 June and will also present the evening bulletin that day. BBC director of news James Harding had said ahead of the 2015 general election that it would be Dimbleby's last time as lead anchor, with Edwards set to front the show from then on. He said: \"This snap election surprised the country and election night is bound to be one of the most closely followed in recent times. \"BBC's results night will once again offer people the most reliable breaking news, impartial analysis, with a host of trusted experts and above all our unrivalled presenting team.\" Dimbleby, 78, who also hosts debate show Question Time, will be joined in the studio by Mishal Husain, Emily Maitlis and Jeremy Vine. BBC experts including political editor Laura Kuenssberg and economics editor Kamal Ahmed will be giving their views on the proceedings as results come in. The programme will be broadcast simultaneously on BBC One, the BBC News Channel and BBC World News.", "summary": "David Dimbleby is to host the BBC's 2017 general election programme."}
{"article": "Wages were due to be paid on 28 October but owner Diego Lemos said last week that \"unexpected cash flow problems\" had prevented that happening. \"All wages have now been paid and once again I apologise to every member of staff for the delay in payment,\" Lemos told the club website. Shrimps' Tom Barkhuizen, meanwhile, has mutually agreed to cancel his deal. The 23-year-old forward joined in 2015 from Blackpool and Morecambe have stated they retain the right to compensation for the player. Shrimps boss Jim Bentley had told BBC Radio Lancashire one option they had considered was selling a player to raise funds, while the Professional Footballers' Association had been deal with the wages situation. Brazilian businessman Lemos bought the Shrimps on 1 September, taking over from Peter McGuigan.", "summary": "League Two side Morecambe have confirmed that all players and staff have been paid after a delay."}
{"article": "Gay sex is illegal in Uganda. The embassy said in a Facebook post that it \"deplored\" the decision to ban the film. It then published the full list of objections from the media council which also include using \"lurid language\", and \"smoking especially by women\". The Uganda Media Council described the film as women forming a \"Dinner Club which is in reality a sort of brothel\", and said the film included scenes of \"gay men sauntering away drunk\". It said \"while glorifying homosexuality two women say marriage (presumably to men) is hard work! This is against Ugandan values.\" The council also objected to one man calling another a \"hot chick\". In the comments under the embassy's Facebook post many people back the media council's stand. One person said: \"People from [the] West should know that Uganda has a culture and it's very right to prohibit what they see [as] evil or will torment our culture.\" But the embassy gets some support, with another person writing: \"This is just unfortunate. The author at the media council does not represent the views of the majority of Ugandans. In fact he has greatly embarrassed many of us.\" The film was released in 2010 and was due to be shown in a European film festival in Uganda. But the Embassy of the Netherlands said it will no longer taking part in the festival.", "summary": "Uganda's censorship board has banned a Dutch film, The Dinner Club, after accusing it of \"glorifying homosexuality\" the Embassy of The Netherlands in Kampala has said."}
{"article": "The move is in line with recommendations from a review of management and practices at the firm, which is facing a number of scandals. The review was sparked by a former employee's claims the company ignored her complaints about sexual harassment. Uber's board voted unanimously in favour of the recommendations on Sunday. Some of Mr Kalanick's responsibilities could be shifted to other executives. In the email to staff, Mr Kalanick said the decision to take leave, which also comes after the sudden death of his mother in a boating accident, is part of an effort to create \"Uber 2.0\". \"For Uber 2.0 to succeed there is nothing more important than dedicating my time to building out the leadership team,\" Mr Kalanick wrote. \"But if we are going to work on Uber 2.0, I also need to work on Travis 2.0 to become the leader that this company needs and that you deserve.\" Mr Kalanick's email did not say how long he would be away from the firm. Analysis: Dave Lee, BBC North America Technology Reporter When that blog post by ex-employee Susan Fowler dropped on a quiet Sunday afternoon, I doubt anybody at the company thought it would lead to this. I certainly didn't. That moment marked the beginning of the crisis at Silicon Valley's most talked about start-up. In the middle of it all, Travis Kalanick, a man who, rightly or wrongly, now symbolises what people feel is the very worst of tech \"bro\" culture. A man flush with money and an unrelenting ambition that slowed for no-one. Until now. Uber's problems were enough, most argued, for Mr Kalanick to make this decision. But coupled with the tragic death of his mother, the 40-year-old is quite understandably not in a position to give the company the attention it so desperately needs. Since I started reporting this story I've been told how this problem is not limited to Uber. It's across the tech industry far and wide. With that in mind, it will perhaps be encouraging to the rank-and-file at every tech firm that this fiasco began with one act: a woman brave enough to speak out. Uber, a ride hailing company based in San Francisco, has been rocked by a series of controversies in recent months, including an investigation of its business practices and a lawsuit from Google's parent company, Alphabet, over alleged theft of trade secrets related to driverless cars. It also encountered pushback when it changed its policies around collecting user data. Its corporate culture has been criticised for being aggressive, and this was inflamed earlier this year when Mr Kalanick was caught on video berating an Uber driver who voiced concerns about fares. He said in response to the video: \"I must fundamentally change as a leader and grow up.\" Uber: Travis Kalanick's rollercoaster reign His leave follows the departure of other high-ranked executives. Uber last week also said it had fired more than 20 staff and taken actions against others following a separate review of more than 200 human resources complaints that included harassment and bullying. The", "summary": "Uber boss Travis Kalanick plans to take time away from the company, and could return in a diminished role."}
{"article": "The \"unique window\" has been installed in the church at the Royal Citadel to mark the 300th anniversary of the Royal Artillery. A Merlin helicopter, soldiers and amphibious vehicles all feature in the scene. The windows have been installed at The Royal Chapel of St Katherine Upon The Hoe within the Royal Citadel. Karl Freeman MBE, the Vicar for 29 Commando Regiment, said: \"It is quite unusual to see helicopters in church glass. Basically, there's an integration of faith into regimental life, which is my job.\" Lieutenant Colonel Jon Cresswell, who is Commanding Officer of the regiment, said \"We wanted to leave our mark here, and I think we've very much done that.\"", "summary": "A military scene has been included as part of a stained glass window at a church in Plymouth."}
{"article": "The 40-year-old, capped 42 times by Finland, joined the Latics at the beginning of 2015-16 and has gone to play 32 games and keep 15 clean sheets. Wigan are currently second in the table and on an 18-match unbeaten run. \"If my experience can help what we want to achieve then that is fantastic,\" said the veteran keeper. \"I've really enjoyed my season here so far, the team is playing well, the club have been very good to me and it's been great to play for the manager [Gary Caldwell] with the way he does things.\" Latics manager Gary Caldwell added: \"Jussi has been absolutely tremendous since breaking into the team. \"I've said on several occasions when asked about him that there's nothing I can teach him about goalkeeping, or how to recover and train.\"", "summary": "Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen has signed an extended deal at the League One club that will expire in the summer of 2017."}
{"article": "The city council declared the whole of Glasgow an air quality management area in 2012 after targets were exceeded. The authority said tests had shown 95% of areas were now meeting air quality targets but some still faced challenges posed by traffic emissions. The improvement is being attributed to more low-emission buses, a cycle-hire scheme and a city car club. Councillor Alistair Watson, the council's executive member for sustainability and transport, said: \"While we have made very good progress, we recognise that there is more to be done. \"We will continue to work together with our partners to reduce air pollution levels and improve the health of our citizens.\" Councillor Watson said there had been a number of initiatives over the last three years to improve air quality in the city. These included a bus quality partnership with now sees only lower emission vehicles on particular public transport routes; the introduction of a car club, and schemes to encourage more sustainable transport such as the city's first all-electric bus service and the cycle hire scheme.", "summary": "Glasgow is revoking a city-wide air quality management plan after a major improvement in pollution levels."}
{"article": "In the past five years, 17,982 complaints have been lodged with the county's borough and district councils. Of those, 3,454 relate to dogs barking, the BBC Radio Suffolk Freedom of Information request found. Seven thousand complaints were made about loud music and parties, while church bells have led to 10 complaints to councils. Other complaints were made about bird scarers in fields, machinery and vehicle noise, and people shouting or talking loudly. 17,982 Total number of complaints 3,454 about barking dogs 336 about bird scarers 16 about fireworks 10 about church bells Ipswich Borough Council received the highest number of complaints over the five years, with 4,568. Waveney District Council received 3,672 complaints, while Suffolk Coastal District Council had a total of just over 3,000. Mark Johnson, senior public health officer at St Edmundsbury Borough Council, said the best thing for people to do was to speak with the person making the noise. \"It's the most common sense approach because sometimes they don't even realise they're causing a nuisance to their neighbours,\" he said. As for dogs, Candice Rose, owner of Canine Creche in Martlesham, said they could be taught not to bark. \"The key thing is reward and distraction,\" she said. \"We distract them and then reward the good behaviour. \"There are solutions, it could be a behavioural issue, in which case that can be adjusted, but if it's just through boredom - there really is no excuse in this day and age.\"", "summary": "Barking dogs account for about a fifth of all noise complaints in Suffolk, it has emerged."}
{"article": "Doctors had said Ontlametse Phalatse would not make it past the age of 14. President Jacob Zuma was among those who conveyed their condolences to the family of \"the special child of South Africa\". She was known as the \"First Lady\" by her friends and family. Local broadcaster Enca called her the country's \"champion of positivity\". Africa Live: More updates on this and other stories In a tribute her family wrote: \"We will miss you sorely, Tsontso, our first lady. May you find eternal peace among the angels. Rest in Peace\". She called herself the first lady because she was the first black woman in South Africa to be diagnosed with progeria. Ontlametse loved life, lived it to the full, and never wished that she was born in any other way. This is what South Africans will remember her for. She rose to prominence a few years ago when a documentary was made of her life. Ms Phalatse used her new-found fame to motivate people to get on with their lives. In the process, she touched the hearts of many South Africans. The country got to share in some of her special moments and milestones - her 16th birthday, a school graduation ball and more recently her 18th birthday party spent with President Jacob Zuma. Ontlametse died surrounded by her family, who described her as having a \"courageous spirit\". Her legacy at 18 is not taking life's precious moments for granted. President Zuma led a minute's silence for Ms Phalatse on his 75th birthday and said he had planned to give her a car. \"A brave young fighter has fallen. May her spirit inspire all others living with disabilities or facing any difficulty, to soldier on as she did and live life to the fullest. We are really proud of her,\" he said in a statement. Sources: Medical News Today, US National Library of Medicine, Mayo Clinic", "summary": "A woman who captured the hearts of many South Africans for her brave battle against premature aging disorder progeria has died aged 18."}
{"article": "It has caused big problems for people living in parts of northern England and Scotland. Heavy rain and high-speed winds have resulted in water flooding roads and houses. Hundreds of people have been forced to leave their homes as rivers burst their banks and flood waters rose quickly. Around one month's worth of rainfall fell in just 24 hours. There are more than 50 flood warnings in place across the UK and the Met Office has advised people not to travel. Dozens of trains have been cancelled, and roads have been closed in Scotland, England and Wales.", "summary": "Schools and hospital services have been closed in parts of northern England, as emergency services continue to battle against the effects of Storm Desmond."}
{"article": "The hosts have not beaten the Pars at home since 2009 but looked like changing that in the first half when Brian Gilmour, Conrad Balatoni and Allan Forrest all forced visiting goalkeeper Sean Murdoch into good saves. Dunfermline threatened more after the break, particularly when substitute Farid El Alagui's scissor-kick tested Greg Fleming. Gaps opened up towards the end as play moved from end to end but neither side could capitalise. It means there was no home win against Dunfermline at the 10th attempt, in front of a 2883 crowd who had paid only five pounds to get in on the day former chairman Donald Cameron was remembered by a minute's silence. But there had been plenty of chances for the Honest Men to take the lead in the opening 45 minutes. Gilmour's volley from 25 yards brought out the best in Murdoch as the ex-Hibernian man tipped the effort over the bar, before clutching Balatoni's header from the ensuing corner kick. The Pars' 'keeper earned his corn again as he kept out Forrest's header at the back post. Dunfermline lost Nicky Clark and John Herron in the first half but El Alagui's introduction speared their attack in the second half and in addition to his acrobatic effort he almost assisted a Joe Cardle strike but it was ruled out because of a push by the French-born Moroccan. It was interesting to watch the effective role Ayr United midfielder Jamie Adams played in the match. The 29-year-old former Kilmarnock, Queen of the South and Dundee man has had an injury-blighted career, even spending some of last season at South of Scotland outfit Wigtown and Bladnoch to build fitness. Several fans at Somerset Park label him 'the disrupter' due to his ability to \"run about the pitch and break up play all over the place\". That quality was certainly evident today and the Stranraer-born player nearly scored as well. Ayr United manager Ian McCall: \"It's our home game so you're never happy, but I thought it was a really good game for a 0-0. \"I thought we shaded it and worked their goalie more than ours was - but overall a fair result. We're getting performances and getting points.\" Dunfermline manager Allan Johnston: \"I thought both clubs gave all they had and I felt we shaded it with the chances and possession we had. \"We had good control of the game but we've got to turn that into goals. The most pleasing thing for me was the clean sheet. \"John Herron's ankle is quite swollen and Nicky Clark was feeling his groin since Thursday and it was just starting to get a bit tight.\" Match ends, Ayr United 0, Dunfermline Athletic 0. Second Half ends, Ayr United 0, Dunfermline Athletic 0. Foul by Paul Cairney (Ayr United). Michael Paton (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Paul Cairney (Ayr United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Attempt blocked. Craig McGuffie (Ayr United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Substitution, Ayr", "summary": "Ayr United and Dunfermline Athletic had to settle for a point apiece in front of a healthy crowd at Somerset Park."}
{"article": "But he thought it would be fun to see some old friends and he could take his five-year-old son, Gavin, along too. His fiancee Jen Regan persuaded him they'd probably want to have a beer and Gavin shouldn't miss pre-school. He agreed. That was the last piece of luck that day. When the first bomb went off, Mr Fucarile and his friends all rushed into the street. The second blast was about 4ft (1.2m) away from them. He found himself on his back, one leg on fire. He tried to get his trousers off, but got third-degree burns on his hands from touching his belt buckle. His right leg had been blown off. People started to help. They told him not to try to sit up. He knew that wasn't good. He'd once helped a guy in a car crash and remembered telling him not to move because he looked so bad. First one ambulance and then another went by. They were too full. Eventually a policeman took him to hospital. He kept thinking about his son. He had to stay alive for Gavin. The twin swing doors to the hospital opened: he was wheeled through and then he blacked out. He was in a coma for days. Someone phoned Ms Regan. The person told her to get the hospital quickly. At first she thought it was one of his friends playing a sick joke, but then she realised this was serious. She went with his brother, a policeman. He'd get her in past any security. When a doctor phoned to say Mr Fucarile had lost his leg, she threw the phone and punched the truck. She said the man in the hospital bed looked nothing like him. They are a pretty amazing couple. Together since school, childhood sweethearts. He was a roofer, she's a nurse, both Boston Irish-Italian. A long line of family in the police, military and the fire brigade. He's a regular guy, a charmer, a joker and a tease. She's tough and lovely, and says she is coping because you have to when you have family. But her smile is thin and she's rather closer to the edge than you feel happy about. They're the sort of people who tell you they're average Americans, but they're going through something extraordinary and terrible and somehow holding it together. They name-check all the people who helped them, whom they've become close to, whose acts reassure them strength and goodness can be shaped from formless horror. An online fundraising effort has garnered more than $190,000 (\u00c2\u00a3114,000). Ms Regan says the bombers failed; the terrorists lost because of that, because Boston is strong, as the slogan goes. \"You think that you can break everyone and they didn't succeed, you know? They really didn't.\" A lot of what they say could sound bitter in cold print - but it is not said with bitterness but resignation. They are clearly mourning a life they once had that will never return. They hope for what Ms Regan calls \"a new normal\" that is merely bad,", "summary": "Marc Fucarile didn't really want to go watch the Boston Marathon last year - he'd never been before and isn't keen on crowds."}
{"article": "Gordon Coventry, 52, must spend a minimum of 20 years in jail for killing Mr Adie in Tweed Avenue, Kirkcaldy, on Saturday 28 May 2016. Mr Adie was found unconscious in the street and he died later the same day in the Victoria Hospital. Coventry was convicted at the High Court in Dunfermline on Monday. Det Ch Insp Raymond Brown said: \"The investigation into Darren's murder was complex and Gordon Coventry's efforts to evade justice caused the family unnecessary additional suffering. \"However, due to the diligence, skill and professionalism of the officers involved in the inquiry, coupled with the support and assistance from the local community, we were able to identify him as being responsible through protracted and detailed investigations. \"My thoughts today are with Darren's family and friends who had to endure the most tragic of circumstances. \"I would like to thank them for their support during the investigation and although nothing can ever undo the wicked actions of Coventry, I hope this verdict brings them some sense of comfort.\"", "summary": "A man has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering father-of-two Darren Adie by repeatedly stabbing him on the body in Fife."}
{"article": "The team tracked the health of nearly 800 villagers from the Chianti region of Italy to see if their local tipple had any discernable impact. They found no proof that the wine ingredient resveratrol stops heart disease or prolongs life. Experts say more research is needed to get a definitive answer. The British Heart Foundation is carrying out its own resveratrol study. Many studies have sought to explain why there is a low incidence of heart disease in France, despite many of its inhabitants eating a high-fat diet. Some put it down to moderate drinking of red wine. Studies have shown that consumption of red wine, dark chocolate and berries reduces inflammation, leading researchers to speculate that their common ingredient, resveratrol, explains why. But Prof Richard Semba, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and colleagues found no evidence for this. They chose two small towns in Tuscany as their test ground, and 783 elderly people who were living there agreed to take part in their investigation. The volunteers gave details about their daily diets as well as urine samples for measurement of their resveratrol intake. During the nine years of the study, 268 of the men and women died, 174 developed heart disease and 34 got cancer. But urinary resveratrol was not linked with death risk, heart disease risk or cancer risk. Nor was it associated with any markers of inflammation in the blood, the researchers report in JAMA Internal Medicine. Prof Semba said: \"The thinking was that certain foods are good for you because they contain resveratrol. We didn't find that at all. \"The story of resveratrol turns out to be another case where you get a lot of hype about health benefits that doesn't stand the test of time.\" He says any benefits of drinking wine or eating dark chocolate or berries, if they are there, must come from other shared ingredients. And it's not clear how much you might need to eat or drink. \"These are complex foods, and all we really know from our study is that the benefits are probably not due to resveratrol.\" Maureen Talbot, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: \"The results of this study, while interesting, will not change the dietary advice we provide. People should continue to eat plenty of fruit, veg and wholegrains. \"We recognise the need to learn more about the action of resveratrol though, so are funding research into its reported disease-combating properties and how it affects the heart and circulatory system. \"This research is vital as it could form the basis of future medicines.\"", "summary": "Red wine may not be as good for you as hoped, say scientists who have studied the drink's ingredient that is purported to confer good health."}
{"article": "It has also been struggling with a stubbornly strong Australian dollar. A rate cut usually weakens a currency. The rate cut is the second since October and came after the Reserve Bank of Australia's monthly policy meeting. Australia's cost of borrowing is now at the same level it was during the global financial crisis of 2009. The Australian dollar was little changed on the news, while the main Sydney stock exchange was down slightly. Analysts said that as the mining boom starts to run out of steam, the other sectors of the economy will have to take over and drive growth. \"The urgency to actually find a replacement for mining investment has become quite acute,\" said Brian Redican of Macquarie Bank. Mr Redican said more action will be required from the Reserve Bank of Australia. \"In 2013 there will be further aggressive rate cuts, although there is nothing in this statement that suggests that the Reserve Bank is thinking along those lines.\" Demand for Australian commodities has meant that its economy has remained buoyant during the recent global slowdown whilst Europe and the US have slowed down. However, that demand mainly from China is beginning to taper off as the slowdown starts to hurt Asia as well. Prices for Australia's commodities have fallen as a result and the value of its exports has been reduced. The strength of the Australian dollar is also causing problems for the economy hurting sectors such as tourism and manufacturing. In a statement on Tuesday, central bank governor, Glen Stevens, said the dollar remains \"higher than might have been expected\" given lower export prices and a weaker global outlook. The Australian dollar is above parity with the US dollar. Businesses have been suffering as a result with the unemployment rate at a two-and-a-half year high.", "summary": "Australia's central bank has cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 3%, as it looks to counter a slowdown in its mining sector."}
{"article": "Bodies of the victims arrived at the stadium in a procession through Chapeco after arriving from Colombia. Seventy-one people died in Monday's crash outside Medellin where the team was due to play. Six survived. The cause of the crash is unclear. But a recording suggests the plane was out of fuel moments before the crash. Brazilian President Michel Temer attended the ceremony at the stadium. He watched silently but did not address the crowd. A black sash was hung on the stadium's outer wall. Giant screens transmitted the speeches to those watching outside in the pouring rain. Inside, young supporters carried the team's flag out on to the pitch, alongside the national flags of Brazil and Colombia. The mayor of Chapeco, Luciano Buligon, started his speech by comparing the rain to God's tears. He was dressed in a shirt of Colombian side Atletico Nacional, the team Chapecoense had been travelling to play, and who held a memorial for the victims in their own stadium on Wednesday. The victims' families circled the pitch. Posters of the deceased players were held in the air, and an announcer repeated each one's name over the loudspeaker. \"The feeling is horrible, to watch and know, that my son is going to enter here in a coffin,\" said Ilaide Padilha, the mother of goalkeeper Marcos Danilo Padilha, before the event. Mrs Padilha told the Brazilian press earlier in the week that she felt like she had lost one son but gained thousands, owing to the outpouring of support across the nation. Mourning has been centred around the Conda Arena since the plane crash, with fans of the Chapecoense club clinging to the stadium as to the memories of the football team. The pain climaxed at the open-air wake. The coffins of 50 victims were brought into the stadium that had been a second home to many of them. Tens of thousands came to bid farewell, despite the heavy rain that poured over Chapeco during the service, with gloomy grey skies taking over after a week of bright sunny days. The caskets were draped in Chapecoense flags, as were many of the fans. The grief of the families was heartbreaking. A little girl gently caressed her father's picture, clinging to the frame. On the stands, the man next to me wept like a child, wiping his tears with a Chapecoense scarf. He told me he and his nine-year-old son had attend all of the team's matches this year except one. It's a common story here in Chapeco. The team was a son of the city, and the city joins the families in mourning. The victims of the crash include 64 Brazilians, five Bolivians, a Venezuelan and a Paraguayan. Nineteen of the dead were players with Chapecoense. Many more were support staff and journalists covering the team. A minute's silence will be held before every football match this weekend. Football's world governing body Fifa, whose head Gianni Infantino attended the service in Chapeco, requested that all players wear black armbands in remembrance. The team has been described as having \"a", "summary": "Thousands of fans have gathered at Brazil's Chapecoense stadium to pay tribute to those killed when the football team's plane crashed."}
{"article": "A Walmart truck crashed in to the back of Morgan's limo in June 2014, with prosecutors alleging the driver had not slept for more than 24 hours. Comedian James McNair, known as Jimmy Mack, was killed in the crash. Morgan's lawyer, Benedict Morelli, said Walmart \"took full responsibility for the accident\". All sides had worked hard to reach the undisclosed agreement, he added. Morgan said Walmart \"did right by me and my family, and for my associates and their families\". \"I am grateful that the case was resolved amicably.'' A representative for supermarket giant Walmart also called it an \"amicable settlement\". Morgan, 46, was left in a critical condition following the crash, suffering a traumatic head injury, a broken leg, nose and ribs. In March, his lawyer said the star had not yet been able to get back to work but was \"working very hard to get better, physically, emotionally and mentally.\" The comedian, who rose to fame on Saturday Night Live, will give his first interview since the crash to NBC's Today on Monday, 1 June. Morgan will be interviewed by Matt Lauer live in the Rockefeller Center - which was the setting for 30 Rock - and will be joined by his lawyer Benedict Morelli. Walmart had previously reached an agreement with the family of James McNair, 62, who grew up with Morgan in New York. Their driver, Kevin Roper of Jonesboro, Georgia, has pleaded not guilty to death by auto and assault and is currently on bail.", "summary": "Comic and 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan has settled his legal case against Walmart over a crash which left him seriously injured, and killed his friend."}
{"article": "Isabel Gentry, 16, was taken to Bristol Royal Infirmary after falling ill on 18 May and discharged four hours later. Her mother Claire Booty said an initial assessment was \"cursory and brief\" and she \"could hardly walk\" when sent home. In a review after the teenager's death, the NHS Foundation Trust said her treatment was \"appropriate\". Isabel, who was known as Izzy, had been revising for exams when she started to feel unwell on 18 May. She was taken to hospital, by ambulance, at 01:00 GMT but was sent home at 05:00. Ms Booty told the inquest, the hospital had said her daughter had a \"viral infection of the stomach\". Avon Coroner's Court heard the teenager \"could hardly walk to the car\" when they left the hospital after the initial assessment. Ms Booty said: \"Izzy said 'Mum, I can't believe they're sending me home, I feel so ill'. She was not given a chance.\" The court heard there had been a possible case of meningitis at her school, St Brendan's Sixth Form College in Bristol, a couple of weeks earlier and all students had been given leaflets explaining the symptoms. Her mother said Izzy had the very symptoms described in the leaflet. Paramedic Gary White, who was called out on 18 May, said he had been told the patient might have meningitis but said he \"couldn't detect any major symptoms such as a rash or photophobia\". Ms Booty said her daughter \"kept asking for the lights to be turned down\" in the hospital treatment room. She also said doctors \"seemed to be distracted by another patient who was causing disruption at the emergency department\". The inquest heard that Izzy deteriorated over the day and another ambulance was called which took her back to the hospital at 17:30. The consultant who treated Izzy diagnosed meningitis and told Ms Booty her daughter was \"very seriously ill\". Ms Booty told the court the doctor \"couldn't believe she'd been sent home initially\". The next day an MRI scan detected Izzy's brain was swelling and she died, on 20 May, 48 hours after being initially discharged from Bristol Royal Infirmary. The inquest is expected to last five days and will hear from paramedics, nurses and doctors from University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.", "summary": "A girl who died of meningitis \"was not given a chance\" by the hospital which sent her home 48 hours before her death, an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "There may be 101 pages of amendments down so far, but the government is in no mood to take any of them on board; on the contrary, their aim is to repel boarders, to the point where they would even resist the one amendment being mooted by the Brexiteer camp, which would aim to forbid ministers from accepting any extra time to extend the two year negotiating window specified by the EU's Lisbon Treaty. Ministers do believe that the EU's Michel Barnier's strategy is to enmesh the UK in a long-term negotiating limbo, perhaps including a post-Brexit transitional deal, but they don't want their hands tied. Many of the amendments, thus far, look like the product of an amendment generating bot, standard stuff about laying reports and regular debates. But ministers are wary of some of the substantive ones setting conditions - and in particular of the emotive issue of EU nationals resident in Britain, a matter now featuring regularly in most MPs' constituency surgeries. There is strong pressure for some kind of unilateral move for the UK to guarantee their right to remain - but, the government retorts, if that was passed, its backers would be to blame if one or two European states didn't reciprocate and allow UK nationals to stay within their borders. In the debate, Labour's frontbench Brexit spokesman, Sir Keir Starmer, looked and sounded like a lawyer delivering a plea in mitigation on behalf of a convicted prisoner. Early in his speech, he appealed to the Commons for a courteous hearing - something his opposite number, David Davis, would never have got away with. It just about worked, because the House genuinely wanted to hear what he had to say, but he does suffer from the lawyer-turned politician's tendency to address MPs as if they were the Court of Appeal. But leaving aside the style points, forging a line on Brexit which can stitch together the strongly pro-Brexit and strongly pro-Remain elements of Labour's heartland, let alone unify the deeply divided Parliamentary Labour Party, may prove an impossible challenge. Whether it's in the leadership ratings in Conservative Home, where he has now edged ahead of the prime minister herself, or in the growls of approval from his colleagues in the regular statements in the chamber, the Brexit Secretary, David Davis, increasingly commands the status of second minister in this government. This is not a wholly comfortable place to be - flying perilously near to the Sun - but as someone reconciled, not that long ago, to seeing out their parliamentary career on the backbenches, I suspect Mr Davis can bear it. The Lib Dems have sought to position themselves as the last champions of the Remain cause (although two of their MPs, Norman Lamb and Greg Mulholland have promised to abstain on the Article 50 Bill). But they can't claim to be the arch-opponents of Brexit and fail to maintain a presence for the big debates on it - and their leader, Tim Farron, had a chastening time at PMQs when this was pointed out. In truth,", "summary": "I've got five take-outs from the Article 50 bill so far."}
{"article": "Midfielder Conor Hourihane made the main headlines with a hat-trick. But teenagers Keinan Davis, who set up Hourihane's opener on his first EFL start, and Andre Green, who curled in a second for the hosts, both shone. Josh Murphy and sub Nelson Oliveira each reduced the arrears after the break but, each time, Hourihane struck. Villa's first four-goal haul since winning 4-0 at Sunderland in March 2015 was only their second league victory in nine matches, going back to last season, and the first time they have scored four at home since their 4-3 win over West Bromwich Albion in January 2014. Hourihane's hat-trick was Villa's first in the league since Christian Benteke's three-goal haul against QPR in April 2015. Meanwhile, Norwich are without a league win at Villa Park since a 3-2 win in November 1992. Davis might have scored in the very first minute when he was thwarted by Norwich keeper Angus Gunn who then dived to save his powerful header. And, after setting up Hourihane's first goal, the teenager was this time denied when his cute lob came back off the bar. There was even better to come for Steve Bruce's side just before the break when boyhood Villa fan Green, also just 19 years old, netted his first goal for the club with a superb right-foot curler. Media playback is not supported on this device There could have been others too. Ahmed Elmohamady just failed to get on the end of Hourihane's cross, while James Chester should have done better with a close-range header at the start of the second half. Those missed chances looked costly when Norwich pulled one back on the hour mark through the tricky, pacy Murphy. Eight minutes later, Hourihane's hopeful right-foot 25-yard strike took a deflection before nestling in Gunn's top-left corner and, although the mood again became fraught when Oliveira scored just five minutes after coming off the bench, Hourihane had the final word. Having been in the right place at the far post to drill home Davis's low right-wing cross for the first, this time he was a lot further out when he again found the top corner to complete the scoring five minutes from time. And there was still time to miss out on a fifth goal when Green was denied only by the bar. Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce told BBC WM: \"We've had a difficult week, results-wise. But we were close to blowing Hull away in the first game and we were very close to blowing these away. \"It just shows you how quickly this club can lurch into a crisis, after a week. What has been going around is nonsense. I've got the nucleus of a decent team. \"We're young. And thankfully, under pressure, they've performed really well. We could have scored another four, if truth be known. And to get a hat-trick from a midfield player is terrific.\" Norwich City manager Daniel Farke: \"The reason we lost was the first half. We made some silly and easy mistakes. We have to improve in the areas that", "summary": "Aston Villa made light of their early-season wobbles as they deservedly beat Norwich City to claim their first Championship win of the season."}
{"article": "DUP MP Sammy Wilson decided not to contest a leadership race when Peter Robinson stood down before Christmas. \"Obviously the Assembly does not have a great image and that is partly due to its own behaviour and partly due to the way the media has treated even some of its successes,\" Mr Wilson told the BBC. \"So I think the first thing that she should do between now and the election is to get a lot of positives for the assembly.\" He said that the new first minister must work hard to show how devolution can change people's lives. \"There are positive things being done on a day to day basis and those have to be emphasised,\" Mr Wilson said. Mrs Foster has taken over as first minister from Robinson, who held the post for nearly six years. The Fermanagh MLA previously held the executive posts of finance and enterprise ministers. She became party leader after members met in a east Belfast hotel last month. She said she was \"humbled\" to be following in the footsteps of Mr Robinson and his predecessor Ian Paisley. Political commentator Fionnuala O'Connor said the new first minister could change perceptions. \"Her first biggest hurdle will be reaching out whilst sounding perfectly in command of her own unionism and reaching out to nationalism,\" she told the BBC. Ms O'Connor also believes that party discipline will be important and should be about \"managing the party in a positive way rather than a negative way\". In the months ahead the new first minster will want to implement the Fresh Start Agreement which was negotiated before Christmas. Education will also be a priority and not surprisingly the former enterprise minister wants to see more inward investment and prioritise job creation. Aside from the wider economic issues, May's assembly elections loom large and Alex Kane, a former communications director with the UUP, who is now a political journalist, says the forthcoming poll is crucial. He says Mrs Foster needs a very good election and \"does not want to spend May 6th touring studios explaining why the DUP has lost six or seven seats\". \"She has to prove herself: \"If she does that on May the 6th she can do what she likes,\" he added. To some Mrs Foster is more than a politician and they see her as someone who can inspire other women to enter public life. Jane Morrice, who was a Women's Coalition MLA and deputy assembly speaker hopes the new first minister will promote women. \"I think that is something Arlene Foster should definitely concentrate on. There are women in her party and elsewhere who she should encourage and she should do that,\" she said. All leaders are judged by results and Arlene Foster will be no different. Her political honeymoon will be brief and time is short. She does not need to be reminded that polling day is just four months away.", "summary": "Arlene Foster, who became Northern Ireland first minister on Monday, faces a \"fairly daunting task\" according to the man who considered challenging her for the job of party leader."}
{"article": "The shower takes place every year, when the Earth moves into the path of debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet. The shower reached its peak in the early hours of Thursday morning, between 1.00am and 4.00am, when as many as 100 meteors were expected to be seen every hour. Astronomers expected extra-dark skies which created perfect stargazing conditions. Have you already caught a glimpse of the shooting stars? Or are you planning on seeing it later? YOUR COMMENTS: \"I lay outside on our chairs facing the sky. It was very clear as we were in Manchester and we saw about 10 bright, fast meteors. We saw them with the naked eye as they were only visible for around one second!\" Benj, Manchester, England \"I stayed up to watch the meteors. I saw a few. When I saw one I got very over excited and had to be told to be quiet so I didn't disturb the neighbours.\" Alfie, Salisbury, England \"I really enjoyed the meteor shower and I loved all the bright sparks.\" Michael, Hereford, England \"I tried to stay up but I fell asleep accidentally! I watched Newsround this morning though and it was so cool.\" Francine, London, England \"I normally see it on holiday where there is no light pollution. I live near a busy road so there might be a lot of light pollution.\" Sarah, Manchester, England Thank you for your comments, this chat is now closed.", "summary": "The Perseid Meteor shower is lighting up the night skies and many kids across the UK are staying up late to enjoy it."}
{"article": "Fire crews were called to the Hootananny venue in Church Street at about 17:20 on Monday following reports of an explosion. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said firefighters quickly established that it was not a gas explosion. SFRS said the incident was linked to a fireplace in the pub and a flammable liquid. Miles Stubbs, SFRS Inverness watch manager, said a member of Hootananny's staff was taken to hospital. He told BBC Radio Scotland that no-one else was hurt and fire crews dealt with the incident quickly. Mr Stubbs said: \"We turned out to Hootananny to reports of a possible explosion. \"On attendance we committed crews very quickly and offensively and ruled out quite quickly that it wasn't a gas explosion. \"There had been a small fire involved in a fireplace with some form of bioethanol fuel.\" Following the fire, the owners of the city centre venue said on Twitter: \"We are closed for the rest of today due to an incident this evening.\"", "summary": "One person has been taken to hospital after a fire at a bar in Inverness."}
{"article": "The clever machine dishes up six delicious flavours of ice cream with a variety of toppings. One day robots may become sentient and take over the world. Until then, we're free to boss them about, so we want to know: What job would you give a robot? Perhaps you'd make robots clean your room, or prepare delicious snacks? I would make a robot clean the dishes and make beds! Gabrielle, Birmingham, England I would make my robot cook for me and do my homework for me. Jessica, London, England I would like a robot to work in mines so people don't have to go underground. I would also like a robot that sorts out my Lego bricks. Jack, Swindon, Wiltshire My robot would help me with my home work. Aidan, Beckenham, England", "summary": "A robot that can serve ice cream has been revealed at a shopping centre in China."}
{"article": "A man in his 40s was found dead just after 06:30 GMT at the One-Stop store in Ditton Lane, police said. Three men, aged 40, 44 and 69 from Cambridge, and a 50-year-old man from Fenstanton have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. A 45-year-old man from Cambridge was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. Police said the man who died was from the local area. A post-mortem examination is due to be held on Tuesday.", "summary": "Five men have been arrested after a body was found at a convenience store in Cambridge."}
{"article": "Thomas Sellar stabbed 23-year-old Jamie Walsh during a row in Greenock, Inverclyde, on 10 September 2015. Sellar said he feared for his life but a jury convicted him of murder after hearing that the victim was unarmed. At the High Court in Edinburgh, 38-year-old Sellar was ordered to serve a minimum of 18 years in prison before he can apply for parole. Jailing him, judge Lord Ericht said: \"It is because of your actions that Jamie Walsh is dead and it is because of your actions that the family of Jamie Walsh have lost a much loved son and brother.\" During Sellar's trial, the court heard that he and Mr Walsh both lived at an address in Wren Road, Greenock. Mr Walsh had recently moved into a flat below Sellar, which was being rented by the victim's friend. In the days leading up to the murder, Sellar had objected to \"noise\" which was coming from the downstairs flat. On the night of the incident, Sellar said he had gone to the downstairs flat to try to convince the residents to keep the noise down. He claimed that a group of youths objected to this and had \"battered\" him and chased him back to his flat. Sellar claimed he felt he had no other option but to grab a knife in a bid to protect himself. He said that in the ensuing fight, the knife came into contact with Mr Walsh, who died shortly afterwards. He said: \"They chased me down. I couldn't breathe. I never intended to kill him. I never intended for anything like this to happen.\" Christopher Walsh told jurors that his brother did nothing wrong and that Sellar had attacked him. He told the court that following the incident, Sellar claimed that Mr Walsh had stabbed him first and showed off a wound which he claimed he had suffered during the fight. He said his brother did not have a knife and when asked why Sellar claimed to have been stabbed by his brother, answered: \"He was trying to get a defence.\" Sellar denied stabbing himself and maintained he was acting in self defence. However, a jury refused to believe his claims and returned a guilty verdict to a murder charge. Following the verdict, it emerged that Sellar, had six previous convictions for offences involving knives. He also wrote a two-act play - Dead Boys tales - when he was 19-years-old. The work, which was performed in Greenock in 1997 by a cast of young people struggling with addiction - depicted the problems teenagers had in staying away from drugs and crime.", "summary": "A man who claimed he killed his neighbour in an act of self defence has been jailed for life for murder."}
{"article": "They were forced to hand over property including bank cards, cash, mobile phones and wallets by a man who contacted them on the site Fabguys.com. Police said during one of the robberies a man was threatened at knifepoint and they believe the three crimes are linked. Two of the victims were from Reading and one was from Frimley in Surrey. The first victim, aged in his twenties, arranged to meet a man online at about 22:00 GMT on 9 February in Victoria Park in Reading. A man arrived, threatened him with a knife, and demanded his phone and bank card, which he used to withdraw money. Then on 14 February a 56-year-old man arranged a meeting in his home in the Tilehurst area at about 02:00 GMT. The suspect asked his victim to turn off the lights and light a candle, then demanded his wallet and also stole his bicycle. Both suspects were black, slim, 5ft 8ins to 6ft tall, and aged 20 to 25-years-old. A man in his 40s arranged a meeting at midnight on the same day his home in the Warren Rise area of Frimley after getting in contact via the site's app. When inside his house the suspect robbed the victim of his wallet, mobile phone and iWatch. PC Jim Bone from Reading CID said: \"I would like to remind everyone of the need to be careful when you are arranging to meet people online.\" A police spokeswoman added that people using other dating websites could also be targeted. A spokesman from Fabguys.com said: \"We're by far the biggest gay site in the UK so when tens of thousands of men are arranging meets each day, there is the potential for bad encounters. \"We're working with the police to assist them with their enquiry.\" He added that tips for safe meetings were offered to users via its website.", "summary": "Three men have been targeted in a series of robberies after using a gay dating website to arrange meetings."}
{"article": "15 June 2013 Last updated at 17:21 BST Tafwyl is a free family festival in the grounds of Cardiff Castle, featuring music, sport and craft activities, as well as cookery and literature. Around 10,000 people were attending. Rhys, who is also due to start filming a BBC Wales drama from Monday, said holding the festival in the city helped to break down potential barriers to the Welsh language. Education Minister Leighton Andrews also said it had an important role to play in showing off the language and its growth in the city.", "summary": "Actor Matthew Rhys, the star of Cold War drama series The Americans, returned to his home city Cardiff to open a Welsh language festival."}
{"article": "Baby cheetahs are so prized as exotic pets that entire litters are seized from their mothers when they may only be four to six weeks old. Each tiny animal can fetch as much as $10,000 on the black market and end up being paraded on social media by wealthy buyers in Gulf states. But the trade exacts a terrible toll on a species that claims a superlative status as the fastest land animal on the planet but which now faces a serious threat to its survival. According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, some 1,200 cheetah cubs are known to have been trafficked out of Africa over the past 10 years but a shocking 85% of them died during the journey. Dr Laurie Marker, the trust's director, describes the horrific conditions involved in shipping the animals from their habitats in northern Kenya, Somaliland and Ethiopia by land and sea to the Arabian Gulf. \"They're probably just thrown into a crate, living in their own faeces, travelling for days without proper food, and many of them end up dead on arrival at wherever that place would be, and maybe one or two living out of a pile that are dead.\" And those that do make it into the hands of new owners usually die rapidly because they are denied the chance to exercise and are given an inadequate diet. Dr Marker says that they're often kept in \"chicken coop-sized pens\" which are far too small for them. \"And this is an animal that is the fastest land animal that is used to living in huge home ranges of 800 sq km. Most of those cheetahs don't make it over a two-year period of time in captivity.\" With the total of adult cheetahs living in the wild now numbering less than 7,000, the concern is that seizures of an estimated 200-300 a year could drive some of the remaining populations, which are already diminished, to extinction. The poaching comes on top of the long-running destruction of the cheetahs' habitats. The animals tend not to thrive in the confines of national parks where other predators dominate, so they live outside protected areas and are more exposed to conflict with people. The threat to the cheetah will be raised at the CITES COP17 conference being held in Johannesburg over the next fortnight. One criticism of the conservation movement is that it has recently been doing a better job highlighting the plight of the giants of African wildlife, the elephants and the rhinos, compared with other iconic species whose existence is equally at risk. As a vet working in Kuwait, Jill Mullen saw for herself how easily cheetah cubs were imported despite the existence of controls under the CITES convention. Now back in the UK, she told me how her surgery would see as many as six cubs in a single day. All of them would be suffering from dehydration, malnutrition and a common virus known as panleukopenia against which the cubs have no immunity. Usually, only one of the six would survive. \"I would stand on the", "summary": "Pitiful scenes of cheetah cubs lying emaciated and bewildered highlight one of the cruellest but least-publicised examples of illegal wildlife trafficking."}
{"article": "Jason Downie, 32, befriended youngsters on the social media site before sending them messages asking to meet up. Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl in Fraserburgh in September 2012. Sentencing him, Sheriff Annella Cowan described Downie as a \"dangerous and manipulative\" man who would remain on the sex offenders register for life. Downie, who admitted the assault, had started chatting with the young girl on Facebook and X-box Live Chat. The court heard he then encouraged the girl to meet him in a car in Fraserburgh. Fiscal depute Kelly Mitchell said: \"The complainer asked if he would get her a sweet from the nearby shop. He said that he would do it in return for a kiss.\" After seizing the youngster's head and kissing her he jumped into the back seat of the vehicle and sexually assaulted the schoolgirl. Miss Mitchell said: \"She screamed 'stop' and 'get off me'. Neighbours stated that they heard a girl screaming.\" The court heard that the next day the girl went to the police and reported the attack. Downie also pleaded guilty to travelling \"with the intention of having unlawful sex\" with another young girl he befriended on Facebook earlier this year. The court heard he sent her inappropriate messages in June 2015, asking for pictures of herself in her underwear. At one point, he suggested they go for a drive in his car and they could kiss - but the girl turned up to the meeting near Banff in the company of friends. The court heard Downie later sent her abusive messages, stating that she had wasted his \"time and fuel\". The girl's mother found the messages on her daughter's Facebook app and reported Downie to the police. Downie, whose address on court papers was given as HMP Grampian, was sentenced to 38 months in jail, with an extended sentence of three years.", "summary": "A man who used Facebook to find young girls to have unlawful sex with has been jailed for more than three years."}
{"article": "An image of a Kyrgyz passport purportedly belonging to the suspect circulated on social media. But Kyrgyz authorities said they had questioned the man and that he had played no part in the attack. Turkish media have run images of a suspect, saying they were given out by the police. But the police have given no official details of the search for the suspect. The passport image circulated on social media shows a similar-looking man to the suspect, but the head of the Kyrgyz security services told the BBC that the passport holder was not involved. Rakhat Sulaimanov said the man had been questioned by both their agents and Turkish security and that he had nothing to do with the attack. The Kyrgyz authorities say they were not contacted by their Turkish counterparts about the possible connection. Tairbek Sarpashev from the Kyrgyz state registration service, said they only started to investigate the man in question after seeing the media reports. Turkish media have said the man police are investigating is from Central Asia and had rented a flat in the central city of Konya with a woman believed to be his wife and two children, who have been detained. As more details emerge about the Istanbul nightclub gunman, it looks increasingly likely that - unlike most of the attacks in France and Germany last summer - the murderer had at least some rudimentary military training. Like the IS gunmen who attacked Paris in November 2015 and the jihadists who attacked Mumbai in 2008, he arrived on the scene with several full magazines for his assault rifle, each containing 30 rounds. Reports from the scene say he fired more than 100 rounds, shooting at the wounded and setting off explosive devices as a distraction as he reloaded. After nearly six years of civil war in Syria, and a still-active insurgency in Iraq, governments in both Europe and the Middle East are deeply concerned that fanatical jihadists who have spent time in those arenas will try to import their lethal skills into other countries. Some reports suggest police have gathered details of the man from calls he made on the mobile phone of the taxi driver who took him to the nightclub. However, nothing has been officially confirmed as Turkish authorities have given no details. The only official statements came from Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, who said on Monday that authorities had fingerprints and a basic description of the suspect. Twelve people were arrested on Monday and another two foreigners were detained at Istanbul's Ataturk airport on Tuesday. Late on Tuesday, Turkey's parliament extended a state of emergency imposed following a failed military coup in July. It will now be in force until at least mid-April. Mr Kurtulmus said the extension was necessary as followers of the US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen - whom the government blames for instigating the coup - were still active in public institutions. He added: \"Regardless of which terrorist organisation they are (...) and regardless of their motivation, we are determined to fight all terrorist organisations in 2017", "summary": "Kyrgyzstan has ruled out a suspect named in media reports in connection with the new year attack on an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people."}
{"article": "The Muslim Personal Law Board told the Supreme Court that men were \"better at controlling emotions and unlikely to take a hasty decision\". The board's explanation came after Muslim women complained about gender discrimination in divorce cases. Activists said the comments were \"patriarchal, inhuman and unjust\". The Supreme Court is hearing several petitions challenging what is known as the \"instant triple talaq\" where a Muslim man can divorce his wife in a matter of minutes by just uttering the word talaq (divorce) three times. \"Their [the All India Muslim Personal Law Board or AIMPLB] stand that 'men have greater reasoning power compared to women' smacks of a medieval mindset and prejudice against women,\" the Mumbai-based Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA - Indian Muslim Women's Movement) and the All India Democratic Women's Association said in a joint statement. \"Their justification of polygamy and triple talaq contravenes the constitution and indeed the principles of gender justice in Islam. Triple talaq is unilateral and arbitrary. Nowhere in the Islamic world is triple talaq legal. We oppose it and demand a ban on it forthwith,\" the statement added. The activists said the board should apologise to all women and ensure that their statements in the future were not derogatory to women. Muslims are India's largest minority community with a population of 155 million and their marriages and divorces are governed by the Muslim personal law, ostensibly based on the sharia. Women's groups and campaigners say the controversial practice of triple talaq is un-Koranic and must be declared unconstitutional. Most Islamic countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, have banned triple talaq, but it thrives in India, they say. Islamic scholars too say the Koran clearly spells out how to issue a divorce - it has to be spread over three months which allows a couple time for reflection and reconciliation. Campaigners say men are now increasingly using text messages, Skype, WhatsApp or Facebook to pronounce divorce. But the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) says the divorce rate is still very low among Indian Muslims and that the issue is being blown out of proportion by forces inimical to Islam.", "summary": "Women's groups and activists in India have criticised an influential Muslim group for saying that \"men have greater power of decision making\"."}
{"article": "Well, having dusted himself off from scoring a hat-trick on Thursday night, the Manchester United striker is now dishing out life lessons to the club's fans. The giant Swede has taken over United's Instagram account, so here he is with a some advice for all the wannabe Zlatans out there. This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser", "summary": "Ever wondered what it's like to spend 24 hours in the world of Zlatan Ibrahimovic?"}
{"article": "The Heritage Lottery Fund said the project lacked backing from Conwy council and was deemed \"high risk\". The council has applied to have the Grade II-listed structure demolished. However, a protracted legal dispute over the ownership of the pier is still rumbling on between businessman Steve Hunt and the council. The bid for lottery cash from the HLF was made by the Colwyn Victoria Pier Trust, who described the request as a \"last chance\" for the pier. Announcing that the funding bid was unsuccessful, HLF's chief executive Carole Souter said: \"HLF takes its role of investing National Lottery players' money extremely seriously and we only support projects that we are confident can deliver long-term benefits. \"Unfortunately, we have not had a clear enough indication of strong support from Conwy County Borough Council. \"In light of this as well as the absence of other confirmed financial support and the potential for increased costs, the application was deemed high risk.\" The campaigners trying to save the pier said on Wednesday they were \"bitterly disappointed\" by the decision. Conwy's council leader Dilwyn Roberts said he realised the pier trust would be disappointed, stressing that the authority would continue to talk to the trust and Colwyn town council and \"would welcome talking to them further about proposals for legacy\". However, restoration is not on the council's agenda following the HLF announcement. \"As the application was unsuccessful, the council's application to demolish the pier will continue through the planning process,\" said the council leader.", "summary": "Colwyn Bay's Victoria pier has failed to win a \u00a39.6m bid for lottery heritage restoration cash and now faces demolition."}
{"article": "Labour peer Lord Foulkes has said there should be two separate votes - the first one to decide on independence. If that vote was defeated, a second ballot could be held on further devolution. Lord Foulkes has tabled an amendment to the Scotland Bill proposing the measure. The bill - which is designed to implement the proposals of the Calman Commission to increase the powers of the Scottish Parliament - is being debated in the House of Lords later. Last week, Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond set out the question he intends to ask in the referendum on independence which he wants to hold in autumn 2014. However, the SNP leader, who is holding a consultation on the referendum process, has said that he does not rule out a second question on the so-called Devo Max option, which could see Scotland being given fiscal autonomy. The UK government has insisted that the referendum should be a single question on whether the Scottish people want independence. Lord Foulkes, who was a Scotland Office minister in Tony Blair's Labour government, said many people were confused about what question or questions would be put on the ballot paper. The former MP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley argued it would be better to split the issues. He said if people in Scotland voted for independence there would be no need for another referendum. But if the idea was rejected, then a second vote could be held about a month later to decide what extra devolution powers the country should have. Lord Foulkes told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: \"Well there has been a lot of discussion about two questions at the one time on the one ballot paper, or two ballot papers, making the decision simultaneously and that would confuse things. \"The first question is should Scotland remaining part of the UK. If Scotland is going to become an independent country then the question of devolution and the extent of devolution doesn't arise. \"But if Scotland remains part of the United Kingdom then we have a second question which says how much devolution do you want - I actually want more devolution, I want more fiscal autonomy, full fiscal responsibility. \"But you can't make a decision about that until you know whether Scotland is going to remain part of the UK. How can you make a decision about how much devolution when you don't know whether Scotland is going to remain in the UK - is that logical?\" Another amendment to the Scotland Bill will attempt to stop Scottish universities charging students from the rest of the UK up to \u00c2\u00a39,000 a year to study in Scotland, while other EU students pay nothing. A number of peers have said the present system is ''discriminatory\" and their amendment calls for an end to the practice. Although peers are debating the bill on Thursday, the proposals will not be considered until after the UK government's consultation exercise has concluded.", "summary": "A former Scotland Office minister is calling for a \"double referendum\" to determine Scotland's constitutional future."}
{"article": "Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Gezi Park was an issue \"where we need to be courageous\". Plans envisaged rebuilding an old barracks and erecting other structures on the rare central green space. Several people were killed and thousands injured in the protests which began in May 2013. What started as demonstrations against urban redevelopment turned into a wider expression of anger against the policies of the government under Mr Erdogan, the then prime minister. The excessive use of force by riot police escalated tensions. \"If we want to preserve our history we must rebuild this historic structure, we will rebuild it,\" he said in a speech in Istanbul, quoted by AFP news agency. He was referring to the Ottoman-era barracks that used to stand in Gezi Park. For some Turks, the proposed reconstruction of the barracks has symbolic significance. Some accounts say it was at the barracks that a failed mutiny by Islamic-minded soldiers was initiated in 1909. The barracks were demolished in 1940, and attempts to rebuild them are seen by opponents to have the ring of Islamism. In the wake of the 2013 unrest Turkey's top administrative court blocked the redevelopment but last year it reversed its decision, following an appeal by the municipality of Istanbul, AFP reports.", "summary": "Turkey's president has signalled that he intends to revive plans to redevelop a central Istanbul park which sparked large anti-government protests in 2013."}
{"article": "Brown, 75, led Scotland to Euro 96 and the 1998 World Cup as manager and believes Wales can shine in France. Next summer's finals will be Wales' first appearance at a major tournament since 1958. \"When you see the Welsh team play, they're excellent. I think they've got a very good chance,\" said Brown. \"They won't surprise me, but they could surprise a few folk.\" Wales will not face the Republic of Ireland, who reached the finals as ex-Wrexham striker Jon Walters scored both their goals in the victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday night. The Republic are set to join Wales and Northern Ireland in pot four for the Championship draw. Assistant manager Osian Roberts says Brown's insights and advice have been valuable. \"Craig Brown has been a great help to us and Chris [Wales boss Coleman] knows him very well,\" Roberts said. \"I was out with him at a conference in Russia last week. We had a couple of hours going through all the details, which I've brought back and shared. \"There's people with a wealth of experience we can tap into, so we're doing that. Media playback is not supported on this device \"It gives us a great insight into how to go about it because it's a learning curve for us.\" The draw for the Euro 2016 pools is scheduled to take place in Paris on 12 December, with Wales among the lowest seeds. Coleman's men hope to finalise their training base for next summer's finals in France before the end of 2015. Euro 2016 matches will be played in Paris, Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Saint-Denis and Toulouse. An under-strength Wales side lost their first pre-Euro 2016 friendly to the Netherlands 3-2 in Cardiff on Friday. Wales' next friendly window will be in March and the ramifications of the draw will be considered before a list of suitable opponents is drawn up.", "summary": "Wales have sought the advice of former Scotland manager Craig Brown to help their preparations for the Euro 2016 Championship in France."}
{"article": "Kristin Forbes, a US academic, was the only member of the Monetary Policy Committee to vote to raise rates this month. This was the first split between policymakers on rates since last July. \"Monetary policy should not go on hold,\" Ms Forbes wrote in an opinion piece in the Daily Telegraph. Ms Forbes, who is due to leave the Bank in June, said raising rates would lessen the risk of above-target inflation, and boost an improved outlook for unemployment and UK output. Official data on Wednesday showed UK pay growth, adjusted for inflation, halved to just 0.7% - the lowest since October 2014. But Ms Forbes said that recent weakness in wages growth probably reflects temporary caution about Brexit among employers. The majority of MPC members saw signs of slowing consumer spending as one reason for caution on interest rates, but Ms Forbes said this should be seen in the context of strong levels of consumption in recent months. \"This softening ... should only be moderate, due to support from resilient consumer confidence, solid house prices, low unemployment, and easy access to cheap credit,\" she said. \"There are risks consumers could pull back more sharply - but these are still just risks.\" Although the UK economy faces a long list of risks including slowing growth, she said these \"will continue for years\" and should not deter policymakers from making \"nimble\" decisions.", "summary": "UK interest rates should be raised, despite risks in the economy, according to a member of the Bank of England's rate-setting committee."}
{"article": "United are expected to release an official statement in the coming days. Giggs, 42, had a year remaining on his contract as assistant manager but new boss Jose Mourinho intends to fill that role with long-time friend Rui Faria. Unable to reach agreement over another role at the Premier League club, Giggs, who made a record 963 appearances for the club, has decided to move on. Cardiff-born Giggs has passed all his coaching badges and has never made any secret of his desire to move into management. Linked with Swansea last season, he felt he was ready to manage United, having served his apprenticeship under David Moyes and then Louis van Gaal. But he was known to be less than impressed with how Van Gaal's exit was handled by United, when news of the Dutchman's sacking emerged moments after the club's FA Cup final success. Giggs was also disappointed to be overlooked in favour of former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss Mourinho, whose appointment was confirmed in May. Giggs joined the United academy on his 14th birthday, turning professional aged 17 in November 1990 and making his first-team debut against Everton on 2 March, 1991. He won a record 13 league titles, two European Cups, four FA Cups and four League Cups to become the most decorated British player of all time. He became a player-coach following the arrival of Moyes as manager in 2013, taking control of the first team for the final four games of the season after the Scot's dismissal. Giggs was then appointed as assistant-manager by Van Gaal in 2014. In the 2013-14 season, he was made a player-coach by Moyes and retired as a player that summer, aged 40, before signing a three-year deal as Van Gaal's number two, with the pair leading United to their first FA Cup win in 12 years last season. Giggs represented one of the final links to the Ferguson era - and given his service and achievements at United, the club risk a potential PR disaster in letting him leave. The Welshman was largely responsible for promoting exciting 18-year-old England striker Marcus Rashford to the first team last season and is the embodiment of the United traditions of a commitment to youth and attacking football. However, he was part of a static management team criticised by fans, pundits and former players for a dull style of play which ultimately cost Dutchman Van Gaal his job. Led by executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, United are now a different club to the trophy-winning juggernaut of the Sir Alex Ferguson era. With a revised transfer policy of world-class marquee signings and the abrupt termination of Moyes and Van Gaal's contracts, along with the appointment of Mourinho, winning has been prioritised ahead of longevity and long-term planning. Despite one senior member of the club's hierarchy saying last year that Giggs \"triple-ticked\" many essential components needed for the manager's job, he remains unproven at the highest level. Giggs has made no secret of wanting to manage United in the future and it was thought the club had", "summary": "Ryan Giggs has ended his 29-year stay at Manchester United by agreeing a settlement with the Old Trafford club."}
{"article": "Tydfil Jenkins, 80, was struck by Alan Davies' car as she delivered a cake to an elderly friend. Davies, 35, admitted causing death by careless driving and driving while disqualified, being uninsured and under the influence of drugs. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced later this month at Cardiff Crown Court. Mrs Jenkins was knocked down by Davies' Renault Clio on Bethania Street in January, after taking a home-made cake to a neighbour. At the time a family member said: \"She was a much loved mother and also a loving grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother. \"She was a straight forward woman who loved going to the bingo with her friends and will be very much missed by all who knew her.\"", "summary": "A banned driver has admitted killing a great-great-grandmother in Maesteg, Bridgend county."}
{"article": "Bryan Cooper sent the 6-1 shot straight to the lead with Nichols Canyon (2-5) his closest pursuer throughout. The pair were almost as one before Petit Mouchoir jumped the second-last better and found another gear. Petit Mouchoir sealed a seven-length success from Nichols Canyon with Ivanovich Gorbatov in third. Henry de Bromhead's charge was slashed to 10-1 from 25-1 for the Champion Hurdle by RaceBets following the victory. De Bromhead confirmed the two-mile hurdling crown at Cheltenham is high on his agenda. He said: \"It was amazing. He gave him some ride. It was brilliant and he jumped deadly. \"It's lovely when it works out. It's been a frustrating few days now but that's made up for it all. It's great. \"I'll speak to Eddie and Michael (O'Leary), but I think we have every right to consider the Champion Hurdle. \"He hasn't had a hard season thus far so the Irish Champion Hurdle might be a plan. I'll have to speak to the lads.\"", "summary": "Petit Mouchoir ran out an impressive winner of the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown on Thursday with odds-on favourite Nichols Canyon in second."}
{"article": "The proposed new high-speed rail line, HS2, is due to slice right through Fred Moreton's 550-acre farm near Offchurch, Warwickshire. And last week, he finally had his chance to tell MPs on the High Speed Rail Bill Select Committee just how this titanic building project would upend his life. Fred brought along slides for them to see. The thick black line is his land and all the green will be taken up by the railway. He didn't want the line at all, he told them, but if it had to be built, he wanted it in a tunnel so it didn't destroy his business. We were in the slightly jaded, but still grand, Committee Room Five in the House of Commons. The room is as high as it's wide, all portraits and rickety chairs with the Commons logo on the back. Fred was up against two lawyers from HS2. The cost of such a tunnel, they explained to MPs, would be \u00c2\u00a3190m. Fred told me later that the first HS2 estimate he'd been given was for \u00c2\u00a380m. \"All the details keep changing,\" he said. At the back of the room, 20 or so other people, all of them affected by the proposed line, patiently waited their turn. There were plenty of quiet little \"good lucks\" and \"you did wells\" as the day wore on. After all the big rows, we're down to the nitty-gritty of how you actually get a gigantic, hugely contentious thing built in Britain. A piece of legislation called a Hybrid Bill is being put before the committee of MPs. Think of it as planning permission for phase one of the line - the route between London and Birmingham. It's an inch-by-inch summary of exactly where it will go and how it will be built. And this is the forensic scrutiny that takes place before the final version of the Bill goes before all MPs for a vote, probably next year. If they say yes, the line seems certain to be built. If they reject it, well.... Forget arguments about economics and rail capacity. This is about ordinary people, often living in peaceful villages, who are worried about how their narrow country lanes will cope with all the HGVs and diggers that could soon be appearing in their backyards. They're worried about the school kids who walk along those lanes every day without a path to keep them safe. They're worried their businesses will go bust. The High Speed Rail Bill Select Committee is made up of six MPs, who'll eventually spend around 18 months listening to 2,000 or so people and groups directly affected by the project. From what I saw, their attention to detail was impressive as they drilled down into the whys and wherefores of moving a path here, a lorry route there. Every so often they go on site visits. At one point they joked with a petitioner about how good her biscuits had been when they visited her. She'd been impressed that she got her tin back afterwards. During my brief dip into the", "summary": "After four years of battling, it was all over in 10 minutes."}
{"article": "The International Football Association Board (Ifab) has several ideas to alter the laws of the game - supposedly to make it more attractive. They form part of a strategy document called 'Play Fair!' - but would they work, and what would be the consequences if they were implemented? BBC football analyst Pat Nevin says he welcomes the discussion - and thinks it is long overdue. \"I honestly think we have had 20 or 30 years of Luddites being in charge of the game,\" the former Chelsea, Everton and Scotland winger told BBC Sport. \"But we are now hopefully entering an era where people are willing to see if the game needs adapting, and I have to say I applaud their efforts at the moment. \"For example they have finally started using video replay technology, which is something people were calling for when I was playing 25-30 years ago. \"The game moves on and people find ways around the rules that are in place - I did it myself when I played. \"So, I am very positive about any attempts to make the game better and my attitude generally with most of these proposals is let's give them a go to see how they work out.\" You can read the full Ifab strategy document here. Nevin has looked at some of the more radical suggestions in detail - this is his verdict. Ifab proposal: Two periods of 30 minutes with the clock stopped whenever the ball goes out of play. Stats from Opta show that, last season, the Premier League team whose games saw the most actual game time were Arsenal, with an average of 58.10 minutes. Crystal Palace had the least, with 52.33 minutes. Nevin: \"I agree with the thinking behind scrapping 45-minute halves because the misuse of that time is a big part of the game now. \"When you get towards the back end of matches, and people start making lots of substitutions for example, then you never get enough time added back on the end. \"This method would mean there is no point in wasting time, because the clock is stopped anyway. Players would not bother doing it anymore. \"When they suggest an hour of playing time, they have obviously got it right. People might initially think 'only an hour?' but in actual fact it is exactly the amount of time that I would expect the ball to be in play anyway.\" Nevin: \"The change to playing time would not make any difference to players - the groups of people who this is most important to are fans, and the TV companies. \"Broadcasters are the ones who will be most concerned, if they find they can no longer be certain when games are going to finish because it takes a varying amount of time to play the full 60 minutes. \"From a fans' perspective, stopping time-wasting is very important and this would be a way of ensuring people are getting their money's worth when they watch games. \"But you also have to consider the effect this change would have on", "summary": "From 30-minute halves to dribbling straight from a free-kick, proposals have been put forward to change the game of football as we know it."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old only joined the Tigers from Blackpool in the summer. But he has been limited to four games for the Premier League side and has not appeared in the league since August. Reds boss Stuart Pearce told BBC Radio Nottingham: \"He needs first-team football and a challenge. He's not featured much for Hull, so this move - for him and us - will be fantastic.\" Chairman Fawaz Al Hasawi said on Twitter: \"I'm thrilled to say Thomas Ince has joined us on loan until 28 December. A very warm welcome.\" England Under-21 international Ince is the son of ex-England and Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince, and also made eight appearances for Forest's neighbours Notts County in 2010-11.", "summary": "Nottingham Forest have signed out-of-favour Hull City winger Thomas Ince on loan until the end of December."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old Italian, who joined the Black Cats from Arsenal in 2013, was injured during a training session. Manager David Moyes said he would \"definitely\" look to make a signing as Jordan Pickford, 22, is his only fit senior goalkeeper. Moyes added the club had made a bid for Sevilla midfielder Vicente Iborra. The 28-year-old joined Sevilla from Levante in 2013 and is a three-time Europa League winner. Moyes said Mannone's injury gives Pickford \"the chance to show what he can do\". He added: \"He has a big future ahead of him.\" The England Under-21 international is a product of the Sunderland academy and has played for a host of clubs on loan. He made his senior debut for the Black Cats in an FA Cup tie at Arsenal last season, before making two Premier League appearances.", "summary": "Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone will be out for at least three months and could require an operation after tearing elbow ligaments."}
{"article": "Metropolitan Police officers were sent to 166 key junctions during London's rush hour periods as part of Operation Safeway. It follows the deaths of six cyclists in the city within a two-week period. Between Monday and Wednesday 1,392 fixed penalty notices were issued to motorists and 755 to cyclists. The force said the most common reason for motorists being stopped was for using a mobile phone while driving and jumping red lights. Cyclists were spoken to for jumping red lights, cycling on the footway and having incorrect lights. Additionally, 28 people were arrested for assault, possessing drugs, driving while disqualified, failing to stop and assaulting a police officer. Ch Supt Glyn Jones said: \"This operation is aimed at getting all road users to behave more safely on the roads, for their benefit and the benefit of others. \"My hope is that as the operation continues, compliance with the law and the highway code will improve and the need to issue fixed penalty notices will diminish.\" During the operation, which will run until Christmas before being reviewed, 2,500 officers will hand out advice to anyone seen putting themselves or other road users and pedestrians at risk. The six cyclists who died between 5 and 18 November are: Brian Holt, 62; Francis Golding, 69; Roger William De Klerk, 43; Venera Minakhmetova, 24; a 21-year-old man from St John's Wood and a man believed to be in his 60s. The names of two of the victims have not yet been officially released by police.", "summary": "More than 2,000 fixed penalty notices were issued to motorists and cyclists during the first three days of a police road safety operation across London."}
{"article": "All three teaching unions are now taking some form of industrial action over their concerns about the new courses. Problems highlighted include the level of bureaucracy and increased workload. These are likely to be among the topics raised at a regular meeting involving unions, education chiefs and others. The group brings together a full range of stakeholders including the Scottish government, the exams body the SQA, senior figures in education such as directors of education from local authorities, all three unions and the council umbrella body Cosla. But finding a solution which fully addresses the concerns of unions and leads to an end to industrial action will be a challenge. School qualifications have been through a three-year shake-up. Standard Grades and Intermediates were scrapped, National 4 and 5 qualifications were introduced and Highers and Advanced Highers were revamped. Although the shake-up is now complete - and this year's S4 students will be the fourth set of pupils to study for N4s and N5s - some teachers and unions have serious practical worries. Their concerns are about how the new courses are working out in practice - not the qualifications themselves or the underlying aims of the changes. One issue concerns ongoing assessments - unit assessments - in the National 5 and Higher courses. Members of the largest union - the EIS - are now taking part in a partial work-to-rule over their concerns. Teachers are not taking part in work linked to developing the new qualifications unless they are contractually obliged to. However the work-to-rule should have no direct impact on learners and the union stresses it does not cover other additional activities teachers do such as sports clubs and school trips. The EIS has argued that there is unnecessary duplication between the assessments and the exams. The union said it wanted to see an acceptable timetable for a significant reduction in unit assessments and the workload associated with them. There are also worries linked to the National 4s. In some schools and council areas, N5 candidates routinely have to complete a special unit so they still receive a N4 award if they fail their course. Some argue this is a waste of time for both the candidates and teachers unless the teacher believes there is a genuine chance of the individual candidate failing. The SSTA is likely to hold a ballot soon on taking similar action - an unofficial ballot recently suggested overwhelming support. The NASUWT has also been taking action. The qualifications agency the SQA said it had spoken extensively to a wide range of people in education including teachers, candidates and managers to gather evidence about how the new qualifications were going. This had informed discussion at the Ministerial Group on Assessment and new National Qualifications. A spokesman said this had identified that there were several factors which contributed to the workload for both teachers and students which could have had a direct impact on both the delivery of courses and assessment. One included how well prepared candidates were to start studying for them by the end of third", "summary": "Ongoing issues about the workload linked to the new school qualifications in Scotland are expected to be discussed later."}
{"article": "Its last issue came out on 7 October, leaving former colleagues, friends and many others mourning something that had become beloved. HK Magazine was one of only a few English-language magazines in Hong Kong and had earned a reputation as fun, independent and free-thinking. Although it listed the hippest new restaurants, bars and spas, it also reported on issues such as Hong Kong's relationship with mainland China, the staggering income inequality found in the city and LGBT issues, at a time when few mainstream outlets were interested. My three-year stint at HK Magazine was a dream for a rookie journalist. Right after graduation, I was given absolute freedom to chase the topics that interested me. I once travelled to a remote part of the city to talk to street hawkers who were being hassled by authorities during the early hours. I also did my very first interview with Joshua Wong for the magazine. He was only 15 at that time, but would go on to make global headlines - and the cover of TIME magazine - as the public face of Hong Kong's democracy movement. HK Magazine was by no means the most influential weekly in town. It targeted a niche but loyal audience: expatriates and those Hong Kongers with fluent English. Many Chinese-speaking locals with little English would never have heard of it. \"I don't think HK Magazine had much cultural or political influence, but it did have a fun and fresh take on Hong Kong, through young expat eyes,\" said Yan Sham-Shackleton, a writer who was once based in Hong Kong. \"It captured the zeitgeist of that subculture, and I think if we read the magazine... it would bring back a lot of memories and a smile.\" HK Magazine was bought by the English-language South China Morning Post in 2013. An SCMP said it now had to shut down because it faced \"very challenging market conditions\" which were especially dire for English-language lifestyle media. \"The volatile advertising landscape, diminishing profitability from display advertising and event business further thwarted the magazine's sustainability in the foreseeable future,\" the statement added. It did not come as a total surprise. Even before I left the magazine three years ago there were signs of trouble. Advertising sales, as well as circulation figures, had been falling for a while. In the first six months of 2006, HK Magazine boasted a weekly distribution of about 80,000. Last year, that plummeted to about 40,000. \"It reflects the demise of the print media. All print media are losing circulation or they are closing for one reason or another. This is another one,\" said Ying Chan, the founding director of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at the University of Hong Kong. Hong Kong's competitive media landscape has become unforgiving in the digital age. Even Chinese-language gossip magazines like FACE and Sudden Weekly could not escape the same fate. HK Magazine will certainly not be the last casualty. It is obvious that HK Magazine has faced difficult times, but the closure still prompted questions from some who believed the magazine", "summary": "Last week I woke up to the news that HK Magazine, irreverent and wry and which gave me my first full-time job in journalism, is to be closed down after 25 years."}
{"article": "The Public Accounts Committee at Stormont has published a damning report on the affair, after taxpayers were left to clear its \u00c2\u00a31.6m debts. \"The level of scandal is completely shocking,\" said the committee's chairperson, Michaela Boyle. The PSNI is investigating what went on and, separately, NIEC board members are facing disqualification proceedings. This follows a five-year inquiry costing \u00c2\u00a31.2m. \"This debacle makes uncomfortable reading - the scale of the mismanagement was massive,\" Ms Boyle said. The NI Events Company (NIEC) was formed in 1997 to support major sports and music events. It was answerable to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), whose oversight prior to its downfall in 2007 is described as being close to non-existent. The department's then permanent secretary, Paul Sweeney, has already apologised and accepted responsibility for what happened. The PAC report notes that no DCAL official has ever been disciplined. The report said the NIEC board's performance \"in key areas was extraordinarily weak\" and questioned whether all its members were fully motivated. The NIEC was the subject of an Audit Office report last September, with the conduct of its former chief executive Janice McAleese branded the worst it had seen from a public official.", "summary": "The collapse of the NI Events Company quango has been described as one of the worst scandals since devolution."}
{"article": "The Wild Dolphins project was organised by Wild in Art along with the Archie Foundation at the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC). For the last 10 weeks they have been the most photographed and talked about attractions in the city. They were in parks, shopping centres, the beach and museums. The models will now be auctioned. The auction will be held at Aberdeen's Music Hall on Wednesday 10 September from 19:00. Proceeds will be split between Archie and WDC.", "summary": "A popular arts project which brought 50 life-sized fibre glass dolphins to Aberdeen is drawing to a close."}
{"article": "The message from Celtic Park, in the wake of the announcement of Ronny Deila's exit at the end of the season, was one of calm and an insistence that they know what's gone wrong and they know what needs to happen in order to fix it. As chief executive, Peter Lawwell has been caught in the fallout of Sunday's loss to Rangers in the Scottish Cup semi-final. There have been calls for his head as well as Deila's, but Lawwell is probably less likely to leave now than he has been at any point in recent times. Lawwell - and all people in his position - think about legacy. They all want to leave on a high, serenaded out on the back of a big feel-good moment. Lawwell is not likely to have Deila as the full-stop on his years at Parkhead, even though Deila was his appointment. That's where the pressure comes, though. His next decision is a monumental one - and he'd better get it right. If he doesn't then you wouldn't bank on him leaving on his own terms. If he does, and a winning manager is the result, then everything else fades away - all the supporter disaffection, all the issues about stockpiling players, all of it. There were huge doubts swirling around Celtic Park in the dog-days of Tony Mowbray's reign but Neil Lennon took over and took things forward. Rangers could scarcely have been at a lower ebb than a 6-1 aggregate loss to a poor Motherwell side at the end of last season but Mark Warburton, in rapid time, turned it around. Good managers are like that. They have a touch of magic about them - they make other problems disappear. The names of possible successors are coming thick and fast - David Moyes is, by the looks of it, fluttering his eyelashes at Aston Villa and Celtic. Lennon has made it clear that he would be happy to talk about a return. Malky Mackay has already let it be known that he would love the job. Alan Stubbs was considered a contender in the media a few months ago, then was written off when Hibs hit the wall, and might yet be a contender again if Hibs win the Scottish Cup and get promotion to the Premiership. Media playback is not supported on this device Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill has been mentioned. Roy Keane was offered the job before Deila and he's on the betting short-list again now. Before this is done, there will be other names - many, many others. Keane's recollection of the summer of 2014 is interesting. It comes from his book, The Second Half. \"I got a call: would I go and have a chat with Dermot Desmond,\" Keane wrote about the time he was approached to succeed Lennon. \"At the end of the chat, [Desmond] said: \"The job is yours.' It was all pretty straightforward. There'd be one or two restrictions, about staff. They'd already picked the man who'd be my assistant, and they were insisting on him.", "summary": "Football history is littered with examples of seemingly lost causes rescued by a great redeemer, situations that appear hopeless being turned around by somebody who knows exactly what they're doing."}
{"article": "Turnout: 187,517 valid votes (48.9%) Second preference votes are only used if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote. The top two candidates then receive the second preference votes from their eliminated opponents. See also our guides to: Dyfed-Powys is the largest police force by geography in England and Wales. It covers the counties of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys, with a population of more than 488,000 and policing more than half of Wales' land mass and more than 350 miles of coastline. The post of chief constable is served by Simon Prince, while deputy chief constable is Carl Langley. Neighbouring forces are South Wales Police, North Wales Police, Gwent Police and West Mercia Police in England. The force's total funding for the year 2016/17 is \u00a393.3m. Average band D properties in the area will pay a precept of \u00a3200.07. That compares to \u00a3240.12 in North Wales, \u00a3220.06 in Gwent and \u00a3207.85 in South Wales Police force areas. There were 20,021 crimes recorded in Dyfed-Powys in the year to September 2015. That is an increased of 9% since the previous year. Incidents of violence against the person rose by 28%, although all police forces but one saw an increase. Recorded sexual offences rose by 53%, while burglary rose by 6%, vehicle offences fell by 24% and public order offences dropped by 18%. A recent inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said Dyfed-Powys Police recognised it needed to work with partners in order to prevent crime and reduce anti-social behaviour. The review found that it uses a range of alternative methods to divert offenders from the criminal justice system, and has invested significant resources into establishing strong partnership arrangements for managing the most prolific offenders. But it said there needs to be improvements made in the way the force identifies vulnerability and how it allocates crime for investigation.", "summary": "Plaid Cymru's Dafydd Llywelyn has been elected Dyfed-Powys police and crime commissioner."}
{"article": "Nick Bennett said a \"fear and blame\" culture needed to be tackled describing the situation as \"groundhog day\". He said his office handled about 2,000 complaints every year - double the number investigated 10 years ago. The Welsh Government said it would consider the findings and expected all public bodies to do the same. The Welsh Local Government Association said there was a Public Services Ombudsman bill going through the assembly which it felt would lead to greater consistency and improvements in complaints handling. Mr Bennett's report highlighted delayed and inadequate investigation of complaints, and said the outcomes were \"nothing less than absurd\". He has called for effective governance across the Welsh public sector, robust staff training and improved methods of data collection. \"The number of complaints coming to my office about public services has doubled over the last decade,\" he said. \"I think it will increase by at least 5% over the next year. I have a choice, either we can deal with an ever increasing number of frustrated service users in Wales, or we can try and do more to make sure that things are being corrected at source.\" Mr Bennett said the increase in the number of health complaints he had received was likely to be due to an ageing population and patients each having a number of health issues, which increase the risk of something going wrong. \"Nonetheless, I still see a significant number of health complaints that are linked back to complaint handling,\" he added. \"This is not a medical issue, it's got nothing to do with a changing demographic - it's about the fact these organisations are not demonstrating the learning from things that have gone wrong. \"There is an awful lot of cultural work that can be done by the NHS and other public service bodies in Wales, which has got nothing to do with cuts and nothing to do with the challenge of an ageing population - it's about the culture of an organisation, it's about leadership and it's about better delivery.\" Sue Pink and her husband Tim from near Llanon, Ceredigion have been struggling to get suitable education for their two autistic sons. Their complaint to the ombudsman about Ceredigion council was upheld two years ago. Mrs Pink said their complaint had been dealt with \"very slowly\" and there was \"an awful lot of burden of proof on themselves\". She said they not only had to \"prove that what they said was correct, but what the council said was incorrect\". Mr and Mrs Pink have gone on to make repeated complaints and do not believe lessons have been learned. \"We've experienced the same delays,\" Mrs Pink said. She said there needed to be \"improved communication\" and people taking responsibility. Vanessa Young, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said NHS chiefs had recently met with the ombudsman to discuss sharing good practice. \"The feedback and experiences - both good and bad - of patients and their families are critical in helping NHS Wales to provide high standards of care,\" she said. \"However we know", "summary": "Public service bodies are failing to learn lessons because of complaints being handled in an inadequate way, the ombudsman has said."}
{"article": "The 34-year-old goalkeeper was hurt during last week's Manchester derby at Etihad Stadium, which finished 0-0. Willy Caballero is now expected to play for the rest of the season as City look to hold on to a place in the top four and Champions League qualification. Boss Pep Guardiola also confirmed striker Sergio Aguero will miss Saturday's game with Crystal Palace. The Argentina international injured himself against Middlesbrough, but could return for their next Premier League match on 13 May. \"Aguero is out. Hopefully he'll be back for Leicester, but this game no,\" said Guardiola. \"John Stones and Bravo are out, Claudio until next season and John maybe in the next games [can return].\" Guardiola also confirmed David Silva will miss the Palace game.", "summary": "Manchester City's Claudio Bravo will miss the last four games of the Premier League season with a calf injury."}
{"article": "With the sound of the drums echoing off the walls of the surrounding buildings, it feels as if it could be an impromptu street performance - but it's not. This is tax collecting Bangalore-style. Fed up with companies refusing to pay their tax bills, the city has gone one better than merely sending out reminder letters. Instead it is striking back, shaming local tax avoiders, through the use of music. Bangalore has a clear message to offenders: Pay up or we send in the drummers, and then everybody will know what you've done wrong. And so far, it seems to be working. \"People like this. They gather to hear the drums playing,\" says one of the band, 19-year-old drummer Shankarantha. The band's co-ordinator is K C Chellaiah, who is standing to one side, watching his team in action. He says while the audience might like it - those targeted do not. \"The company owners get afraid of it when the troupe starts beating the drum,\" he says. \"Usually the firms have a good name in their area and when this comes to people's attention and the real picture comes out of it, they start paying their tax immediately - they respond immediately.\" By Yogita LimayeBusiness reporter, BBC News, Bangalore When we went with the drummers to one company located in south-east Bangalore, dozens of people came out of their homes and offices to see what was going on. The lorry that carried the drummers had big banners on the front and sides displaying the name of the company that had evaded tax. However, no-one from the company was present at the office, and civic officials told us this was probably because information about the drum beating had leaked to them somehow. But the authorities did not call off the drumming. In fact they said the main purpose of the drive was to attract the attention of the company's neighbours and to try to shame the firm into paying up. Bangalore's civic body isn't the only one to adopt this method to try to recover taxes. The Delhi city corporation has launched a similar drive, and some years ago in Patna, the capital city of the central India state of Bihar, eunuchs were deployed to sing outside shops that had not paid taxes. 10 things you might not know about India Bangalore is India's third-largest city, and as the centre of the India's hi-tech industry, its economy is worth some $9.6bn (\u00a36.1bn) a year. But it has a problem with unpaid taxes, and so six months ago it started employing its teams of drummers. And it is proving to be steady work for the musicians. Band member Shankarantha says that he and his fellow players have been called out to beat the drum for Bangalore's tax department four times in the past few days. \"Initially we didn't get a good response,\" says Shivakumar CM, an executive engineer with Bangalore Municipal Corporation. \"Since then we have seen that about 50% of the firms we have targeted have come to us to pay up their", "summary": "The band of drummers, with their matching shirts and bright bandanas, is beating out a fast-paced tattoo to a small appreciative audience."}
{"article": "The Commons Treasury Select Committee said the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) made a serious error last year by mishandling a pre-briefing of its life insurance review. Comments made by an FCA official in a newspaper interview sent insurers' share prices plunging. Companies affected included Aviva, Legal & General and Prudential. Clive Adamson, the head of supervision, said in the interview that the FCA would investigate whether people locked into pension plans were being treated unfairly. That sparked fears about a possible effect on insurers' profits and prompted some investors to sell their stakes. In a strongly worded 89-page report, the Treasury committee said the incident had been a \"major self-inflicted distraction\" from the FCA's core purpose of making markets function smoothly. Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the committee, said: \"By effectively breaching its own listing rules, the FCA itself created a false market in life insurance shares. Had a regulated firm behaved as the FCA did last March, the FCA is likely to have imposed a considerable fine.\" However, the report stopped short of calling for resignations and instead set out several steps the watchdog should take over the next six months and report back. The FCA said it was determined to learn the lessons and ensure this would never happen again, and would study the committee's recommendations. The authority's executive committee, headed by chief executive Martin Wheatley, should examine communications methods and \"poor working relationships\" between divisions, the report said. The board, headed by FCA chairman John Griffith-Jones, should commission an external review of its own effectiveness, according to the committee. The FCA and the Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Authority should each produce a map setting out the responsibilities of senior officials in the same way the regulators are asking banks to, MPs said in the report. They also called on the FCA to stop briefing certain journalists on forthcoming announcements unless it published the news at the same time any stories appeared in the media. Further, the authority should train its staff on how to handle price-sensitive information. \"The evidence from this episode suggests that problems may still exist at the FCA. It is not yet clear to the committee that the FCA has fully grasped this,\" Mr Tyrie said. The report echoes an independent inquiry by Simon Davis published in December that led to Mr Wheatley and other senior FCA officials losing their bonuses. Mr Adamson left the FCA two days before the Davis report was published.", "summary": "Britain's financial regulator created a false market in shares of life insurers last year, a group of MPs has said."}
{"article": "Cash, who still presents shows on BBC radio in the South, played his first record, Bill Haley and His Comets' Rock Around the Clock, in Canada. \"This little job came up as holiday relief on 15 August 1964,\" he said. \"It feels more like 50 minutes than 50 years. There were times when things weren't the best in the west, but 99.99% of the time they were great.\" Cash, aged 72, was born in London but went to Canada with the Merchant Navy. His first broadcast give him an audition tape to take to the pirate ships broadcasting offshore to Britain, and he joined Radio London. \"I saw this guy huddling over and being very ill, because the ship was going up and down at a heck of a pace,\" he said. \"He said, 'I'm Maurice Cole - they call me Kenny Everett'.\" When the pirates, which inspired the 2009 film The Boat That Rocked, were outlawed, Cash became one of the first DJs on Radio 1 in 1967 alongside the likes of Tony Blackburn, Pete Murray, Ed Stewart and John Peel. He also worked for Capital Radio for 20 years from 1973 before rejoining the BBC in 1999. \"I love talking to the people and getting their reaction,\" he said. \"And, of course, you get to play the best music on the planet, which can't be bad.\" Cash's shows are broadcast at weekends in Kent - where he lives - Surrey, Sussex, Berkshire, Dorset, Oxfordshire and Hampshire. There will be a special show on 25 August, but he said he was spending the 50th anniversary of his first show getting an MOT for his car. \"Maybe I'll have a cup of coffee or something later on with the wife.\"", "summary": "Former pirate radio and Radio One DJ Dave Cash is celebrating 50 years of broadcasting."}
{"article": "The Football Association of Wales confirmed Coleman's appointment until 2014 at a Cardiff news conference on Thursday. Coleman said it was one of the proudest moments of his career but also a difficult situation. \"We're still all shocked by what happened [with Gary Speed] and we're still grieving,\" said Coleman. \"And the only way we can put smiles on fans' faces again is to continue to win matches but I don't think we'll ever get over the loss of Gary. \"I've already spoken with the FAW members... and I said 'excuse me if I don't seem that excited, I am excited, I'm just a little bit subdued because of the circumstances'. \"It won't be easy but I'm looking forward to it. I think for any manager who was going to come in it was going to be difficult because of the situation and it's more difficult for me with my relationship with Gary. \"...It's not going to be easy, but it's something I'm prepared for. \"On one hand it is the proudest moment of my career but on the other hand, with the circumstances I was very close friends with Gary for 30 years. \"It is the most difficult press conference I am ever likely to do.\" The FAW's chief executive Jonathan Ford admitted it had been a difficult time since Speed's death in November 2011. \"We have explored every avenue, every scenario possible,\" said Ford. \"We have taken on board the thoughts and views of the backroom staff, the players and the supporters. \"All along we believe that we have been respectful and dignified and had no wish to be involved in a public debate on the appointment of Gary's successor. \"Gary was the manager of Welsh football and of course we want to continue his legacy. \"He was not a figurehead, he was the manager and that is why we have decided on the appointment of Chris Coleman to build on the excellent foundations put in place by Gary.\" Former Wales international and Manchester City manager Mark Hughes added: \"I think he'll [Chris] do a great job and respect the legacy Gary left behind.\" Former Fulham boss Coleman was contacted by the FAW last week after resigning as manager of Larissa and citing financial problems at the Greek club as the reason for his departure. However, on the day Coleman was appointed Wales manager, Larissa began legal action to claim compensation from the Football Association of Wales. John Hartson, another former Wales international, was the only other candidate to publicly announce his interest, while Ryan Giggs and Ian Rush had been suggested as possible \"figureheads\". Coleman joined Larissa in May 2011 as he attempted to resurrect his managerial career after a year out of the game. His last job in England was with Coventry City, but he was sacked in 2010 after a difficult two and a half years in charge. Before joining the Sky Blues, a promising start as manager of Real Sociedad ended in resignation following internal upheaval at the Spanish club. Injuries suffered in a car accident", "summary": "Chris Coleman has been unveiled as the new Wales manager to replace the late Gary Speed."}
{"article": "Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce said the 33ft (10m) stainless steel sculpture next to Hull's Beverley Gate relic was like a \"granny's vase\". The gate was where King Charles I was refused entry to Hull in 1642, sparking the English Civil War. Hull City Council said it has submitted plans for \"an engaging piece of art\". The chamber is to request the council reconsider the plan. Live updates on this story and others from Hull and East Yorkshire The statue, called Shadow Gate, is to be positioned between Whitefriargate and King Edward Street. Architects Tonkin Liu said it \"invokes the imagery of the trading ships masts and sails,\" and that \"careful consideration has been made to position the sculpture to minimise any harmful impact to surrounding historical buildings.\" Beverley Gate was designated a scheduled ancient monument earlier this year. The chamber has suggested, as an alternative, a statue of Sir John Hotham - the governor of Hull who refused King Charles I entry into the city and its arsenal. During the civil war he was found guilty of treachery and executed in London.", "summary": "Plans for a sculpture near the remains of Hull's ancient defence walls have been criticised by the chamber of commerce."}
{"article": "The Australian hit a nine-under-par 63 at Sawgrass to move ahead of a group of five players that includes England's Justin Rose and Ireland's Shane Lowry. Lowry picked up seven shots on the back nine to come home in a tournament record 29 strokes. Masters champion Danny Willett is seven adrift on two under, while world number two Jordan Spieth is level par. Rory McIlroy, the world number three, also finished nine shots off the lead after a 72 containing two birdies and two bogeys. Day, starting on the back nine, began his round with three straight birdies and reached the turn in four under par. He then added five more birdies when he got to the front nine to equal the course record shared by Martin Kaymer, Roberto Castro, Greg Norman and Fred Couples. Lowry, 29, has recorded only one top-10 finish this season but joined Rose and American trio Bill Haas, Brendan Steele and Cameron Tringale in a homeward run that included chipping in for an eagle-three at the par-five 11th. Willett and Spieth, both playing their first tournaments since an Augusta duel won by the Englishman, ended up well adrift on a day of low scoring. Indeed, Spieth took a seven on the par-five ninth, his final hole, after taking five shots to get down from a greenside bunker.", "summary": "World number one Jason Day equalled the course record to take a two-shot first-round lead at the Players Championship."}
{"article": "Stephen Gannon, 36, was assaulted on Broomfield Lane, near St Monance Street in the city's Springburn area, at about 17:20 on Friday. Police Scotland said his attackers ran off in the direction of Balgrayhill Road. Mr Gannon died at the scene. The death is being treated as murder and officers have appealed for information. Det Ch Insp Allan Burton said: \"Extensive inquiries are ongoing to try to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the incident. \"We have detectives from across the country assisting with the investigation and we will have additional uniformed officers in the area.\"", "summary": "Detectives are looking for two men who left another man dying after a street attack in Glasgow."}
{"article": "When he saw the exit poll on election night, 2015, on the first bong of Big Ben, he began to celebrate the first majority Conservative government for 23 years. But the successful decapitation of his coalition partners turned out to be a curse. Without a majority, it would have been easier to postpone the EU referendum that brought him down, and blame the delay on those pesky Liberal Democrats. That chance was lost. Instead, with the bravado that he sometimes enjoys to indulge, he pressed on. And another piece of luck turned against him. He watched the Labour Party elect Jeremy Corbyn to succeed Ed Miliband. Still unaware of how much that meant, he prepared for life after the referendum and the delicious chance to reshape his government for an extended swansong. But Corbyn's lukewarm referendum campaign - and his unpopularity among many older Labour voters who pulsed to the Brexit message - compounded the consequences of Cameron's decision to go for a vote. And there was no way back. He now finds himself in the unusual position of depending on his referendum arguments being proved wrong for his reputation to rise. If recession is avoided, and Brexit seems calmer than the Cameron-Osborne stormy forecast - complete with thunder, lightning and financial pestilence - then he may be seen as a significant transitional figure who left the country strong enough to adapt to fundamental constitutional change. If not, he will surely be considered - at least in the years immediately ahead - a prime minister whose rashness betrayed him, and as a leader too weak to unite a party still riven by the schism at the end of the Thatcher era that remains an obvious and debilitating rift, albeit a touch less ill-mannered than Labour's. The Cameron project delivered some of the \"progressive\" reforms that he promised - he would cite gay marriage and the national living wage - but never stood a chance of healing a party in which many of the members didn't want those reforms. Therefore his legacy will depend in large part on the performance of his successor. If she finds a way of negotiating a way through the Brussels thicket that can satisfy most reasonable Leave campaigners and reassure others that 40 years hasn't been thrown away for nothing, Cameron will be one of the beneficiaries. But think of the dangers. A governing party split more painfully even than before. Financial storms stirred up by markets and businesses who don't believe the negotiation offers prosperity, and take their investment elsewhere. Perhaps even - although there's been too much loose talk of this - an independence referendum in Scotland in two years or so, and the possibility of a Yes vote. In those circumstances Cameron would slip fast down the prime ministerial league table. He might find himself near the bottom of the modern ones, bumping into Anthony Eden, after whose downfall an American secretary of state said famously that Britain had lost an empire and not yet found a role. The pervasive feeling of failure that followed", "summary": "David Cameron's luck ran out at the moment of his greatest triumph."}
{"article": "Terry Bywater led the scoring with 24 points in a 77-48 victory. \"It's another dream, another Paralympics and there's no reason why we don't deserve it,\" he told BBC Sport. The women's team, who lost their final pool game 64-52 to the Netherlands, have already qualified for Rio. GB's men are chasing a third straight European title after back-to back successes in 2011 and 2013. They got off to a slow start against the Italians in the first period, but a three-point basket from Bywater sparked a run of 10 unanswered points to take a 36-27 half-time lead. Haj Bhania's side eased their nerves in the second half to earn a 29-point win and book a semi-final tie against Germany on Friday (14:45 BST). GB women will play London 2012 Paralympic champions Germany in their semi final at 18:15 BST on Friday after a hard-fought effort against the Netherlands. Helen Freeman finished the game with 28 points but it was not enough to upset the tournament favourites, who raced away with the lead in the second half to claim a 12-point victory.", "summary": "Great Britain beat Italy in the men's quarter-finals of the European Wheelchair Basketball Championships to qualify for the Rio 2016 Paralympics."}
{"article": "Despite stringent carbon emissions targets in Europe designed to slow global warming and massive investment in renewable energy in China, demand for this most ancient source of energy is greater than ever. In fact, coal was the fastest growing form of energy in the world outside renewables last year, with production up 6% on 2010, twice the rate of increase of gas and more than four times that of oil. Consumption data paints a similar picture, while figures for this year are set to tell the same story. There are a number of drivers behind coal's renaissance, many of which may be short lived. Others will push demand ever higher for decades to come. Coal consumption in Europe, where governments have been at the forefront of the push to curb carbon dioxide emissions, has risen sharply in recent years. Why? Because it's cheap, and getting cheaper all the time. Due to the economic downturn, there has been what Paul McConnell, senior analyst at energy research group Wood Mackenzie, calls a \"collapse in industrial demand for energy\". This has led to an oversupply of coal, pushing the price down. It has also led to a massive surfeit of CO2 emissions permits, pushing the price of carbon, and therefore the cost of coal production, sharply lower. Equally important, there has been a huge influx of cheap coal from the US, where the discovery of shale gas has provided an even cheaper alternative energy source. The coal has to go somewhere, so it's exported to Europe. Finally, higher non-shale, natural gas prices are making coal an attractive alternative. As Laszlo Varro, head of gas, coal and power markets at the International Energy Agency (IEA), says: \"All parameters favour coal.\" So much so that \"coal is [now] being burned as the baseload fuel across most of Europe,\" says Gareth Carpenter, associate editor at global energy information provider Platts. Germany's decision to scrap all nuclear power and build more coal-fired power stations can only boost production further. Just how long coal's resurgence lasts depends to some extent on the global economic recovery and the ability of governments to implement a system that finally delivers a meaningful carbon price. But, in the meantime, legislation passed more than a decade ago will severely curb coal production over the coming years, according to Mr Varro. The full impact of the EU's Large Combustion Plant Directive, which is designed to reduce local air pollutants, but not in fact carbon dioxide, is about to be felt, meaning a number of inefficient coal plants will be decommissioned. As a result, in five years, coal production capacity \"will be considerably lower than today\", says Mr Varro. The directive will do nothing, of course, to restrict cheap US imports. But whatever happens to coal production and consumption in Europe, spiralling demand for energy in Asia, in particular China, will ensure that coal production continues to rise significantly over the coming decades. Source: BP. Reserves calculated at current price using current technologies Population growth and the exploding middle classes will see to that - in China", "summary": "Coal, the dirtiest and most polluting of all the major fossil fuels, is making a comeback."}
{"article": "The BBC has presented the company with evidence that many of its customers' router credentials have been hacked, putting them at risk of data theft. The UK broadband provider confirmed that the sample of stolen router IDs it had been shown was real. But it is still advising users that there is \"no need\" to change their routers' settings. A cyber-security advisor to Europol said he was astounded by the decision. \"If TalkTalk has evidence that significant numbers of passwords are out in the wild, then at the very least they should be advising their customers to change their passwords,\" said the University of Surrey's Prof Alan Woodward. \"To say they see no need to do so is, frankly, astonishing.\" A spokeswoman for TalkTalk said that customers could change their settings \"if they wish\" but added that she believed there was \"no risk to their personal information\". She referred the BBC to another security expert. But when questioned, he also said the company should change its advice. The risk to TalkTalk's subscribers was first flagged over the weekend by cyber-security researchers at Pen Test Partners. They had been investigating the spread of a variant of the Mirai worm, which was causing several makes of routers to stop working properly. During tests of a TalkTalk model, the researchers discovered that the vulnerability exploited by the worm was also being abused to carry out a separate attack that forced the router to reveal its wi-fi password. But TalkTalk played down the discovery, saying it had \"not seen anything to confirm\" that users' router credentials had been stolen. It said it was also making \"good progress\" to protect its routers. The BBC was subsequently contacted by someone who said he had access to a database of 57,000 router IDs that had been scraped before any fix had been rolled out. He did not reveal his identity, but agreed to share a sample of the credentials that had been harvested. The list contained details of about 100 routers including: The source said he wanted to highlight the problem because other more malevolent actors might have carried out a similar operation. The BBC passed the details on to TalkTalk. \"The list that you sent me, I can confirm that they are TalkTalk router IDs,\" said its head of corporate communications. \"But we haven't seen anything to suggest that there are 57,000 of them out there.\" Hackers could not use the credentials to carry out a mass attack from afar - but they could use the IDs to identify high value targets to travel to, or they could simply drive through the streets hunting for a match. Prof Alan Woodward said once a hacker was outside a vulnerable property, they could: TalkTalk's spokeswoman referred the BBC to Steve Armstrong, a cyber-security instructor that she said would support it on the matter. He said the risk to an individual user was relatively low. \"If you look at the average home user and what is on their home network, that would be exposed to an attacker,... then there is not", "summary": "TalkTalk's handling of a wi-fi password breach is being criticised by several cyber-security experts."}
{"article": "The barrister and master of Clare College Cambridge will remain a party member but will sit as a crossbencher. He told the Times Jeremy Corbyn's proposals were \"terribly damaging\". It comes five days after former junior health minister Lord Warner resigned the Labour whip, saying the party did not have a \"hope in hell\" of winning power under its new leader. Lord Grabiner said Labour was now in \"disarray\" and that he could not \"square [staying] with my conscience\". He added: \"I have nothing in common whatever with Mr Corbyn and I don't believe we are ever going to win an election.\" He also said he was particularly concerned about John McDonnell's appointment as shadow chancellor. \"I am concerned with the economic stuff. I am really concerned with the shadow chancellor,\" he declared. Former Labour cabinet minister Lord Mandelson has also criticised Mr Corbyn. Speaking on the BBC's Week in Westminster programme, he said the Labour leader was not \"growing into the job at all\". Mr Corbyn was not showing \"any professionalism in his leadership of the Labour party\", and had made poor choices in his appointment of senior staff in his team, he said. A Labour spokesman said of the peer: \"We welcome Tony's continued membership and support of the party. \"We know he has been increasingly busy and less able to attend the Lords to participate in House business and we of course understand his decision to relinquish the Labour whip\". The spokesman also said Lord Grabiner had not voted in the Lords since 2013.", "summary": "Lord Grabiner has become the second peer in recent days to resign the Labour whip in the Lords."}
{"article": "The German Grand Prix was once a cornerstone of the calendar, a historic race on a unique and special circuit, packed out with enthusiastic spectators. But that status is under serious threat. For one thing, the demise of the Nurburgring - which shared the hosting duties - means the event is held only once every two seasons. And its future beyond the end of Hockenheim's current contract in 2018 is uncertain to say the least. The German GP used to be overrun with fans - and not just in the Michael Schumacher era; way before then, too, going back decades, from the golden days of the old Nurburgring and its 14 unbelievable miles and 180-odd corners through the Eiffel forests, and into the Hockenheim era. Now, though, the race seems to have lost its appeal. The last time it was held, in 2014, only 50,000 or so fans turned up - and Hockenheim's atmospheric concrete 'stadium' section, which used to be packed, was dotted with gaps. This year, organisers are hopeful of reaching the 60,000 they need to break even. But that's still less than half the numbers who thronged Silverstone for the British Grand Prix earlier this month. Is it down to seven-time champion Schumacher's absence? If so, what did the German fans find so alluring about him that they do not now about four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, title challenger Nico Rosberg and a dominant home Mercedes team? Is it part of the perceived general decline of F1's appeal to younger audiences? If so, why are crowds going up at Silverstone, and staying strong at other historic venues, such as Italy, Canada and Brazil? And why are German TV figures rising, not declining? Or is it that Hockenheim has had it character largely removed, with its long, flat-out blasts out into spooky pine forest replaced by yet another characterless 'Tilke-drome' from Bernie Ecclestone's favoured track architect? It's not a completely terrible race track. The long, curving straight between Turns Two and Six provides for decent overtaking opportunities, there are a couple of demanding fast corners and the racing is usually OK, sometimes very good. But it lacks spirit, challenge, jeopardy and, most of all, a sense of specialness - a reason to be excited. Just as, to a lesser extent, did Magny-Cours before the French Grand Prix - the oldest race of all - dropped off the calendar after 2008. Is Germany going the same way? One has to hope not. But keeping it on the calendar will not be easy. Andrew Benson, Chief F1 Writer Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Something strange has happened to Formula 1 in Germany."}
{"article": "Operators Serco said it was a \"peaceful protest\" and it was talking to the women involved. Two members of staff had earlier been suspended following allegations of abuse. Undercover filming by Channel 4 News had shown staff referring to inmates as \"animals\", \"beasties\" and \"bitches\". The facility houses up to 400 women under threat of deportation. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Home Office Minister Karen Bradley told MPs Serco \"immediately suspended\" one member of staff and then another after seeing the footage. \"The company has also commissioned an independent review of its culture and staffing at Yarl's Wood,\" she said. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has called for an independent inquiry into conditions at the centre.", "summary": "About a dozen female detainees at Yarl's Wood detention centre in Bedfordshire were involved in a \"small\" protest on Tuesday night."}
{"article": "Joedyn Luben, 32, had \u00a377,000 in a safe at his home in Penlan, Swansea, he told Cardiff Crown Court. He claims officers from South Wales Police stole \u00a330,000 of this during the raid in April 2011. Det Sgt Stephen Phillips, 47, of Swansea, Det Cons Christopher Evans, 38, of Llangennech, and Michael Stokes, 35, from Glynneath, deny theft. Mr Luben told the court on Tuesday he gave the code to the safe to Det Con Stokes when asked by the officers. He said he had been saving the money since he was 16 and last used the safe the night before the raid, when he deposited \u00a312,000 following the sale of a car. No action was taken against Mr Luben so a cheque was written for him to return his money. However, he said this was \u00a330,000 short of what was seized. The case continues.", "summary": "Three detectives stole a man's life savings in a raid on his home, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Justice Ginsburg, 80, officiates this weekend at the wedding of Michael Kaiser, 59, president of the Kennedy Center performing arts space, and economist John Roberts, 32. Mr Kaiser is a personal friend of hers. In June, the Supreme Court overturned a law that banned recognition of same-sex marriages by the US government. The ruling granted legally married gay men and women access to the same federal entitlements available to opposite-sex married couples. Justice Ginsburg, who was appointed to the nine-member high court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, voted in the majority in that case. Same-sex marriage is now legal in 13 states and Washington DC, and since the court's decision, the federal government under President Barack Obama has taken several steps to grant same-sex marriage couples the same legal status as opposite-sex couples. The ceremony will take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, the Associated Press reports. Justice Ginsburg told the Washington Post newspaper she believed none of the Supreme Court justices had been asked previously to conduct a same-sex ceremony for fear it would compromise their ability to hear a case on the issue.", "summary": "US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is poised to become the first judge on the country's highest court to perform a same-sex marriage."}
{"article": "A member of staff at Glenshee Ski Centre alerted SAIS to the slide on Glas Tulaichean, a 3,448ft (1,051m) Munro. SAIS Southern Cairngorms said the full depth avalanche was filled with mud, rocks and large blocks of snow. Another large slide was recorded at Creag Meagaidh in February. The Sportscotland Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) provides avalanche hazard information reports for walkers, climbers and skiers from December to early April. The service covers hills and mountains in Lochaber, Glencoe, Creag Meagaidh, Southern Cairngorms, Northern Cairngorms and Torridon.", "summary": "The largest avalanche recorded by the Sportscotland Avalanche Information Service so far this season has been discovered in the Southern Cairngorms."}
{"article": "The club was honoured by the Institute of Groundsmanship, beating 200 nominees to the top prize in the sustainability and environmental category. The institute also recognised other factors, such as the club's solar panels and solar-powered mower. Groundsman at the Conference National club Stewart Ward said he was \"over the moon\" at the honour. He added that it was fantastic the club had been recognised as \"a small fish in a big pond\". Mr Ward said: \"It is great to be recognised by the industry leaders and shows that our unconventional methods really do work. \"I am constantly learning and am always keen to further my knowledge; I want to ensure that Forest Green Rovers are always at the forefront of the groundskeeping industry and am lucky that the chairman is very supportive of this.\" Earlier in the year, the football club achieved an EU gold standard in environmental management, which contributed to the club securing the Institute of Groundmanship award. Forest Green has a reputation for standing out from the football crowd: its solar-powered mower uses GPS technology, avoiding the need for human intervention. And in February 2011, the club's owner, Ecotricity founder Dale Vince, banned burgers and sausages being sold to fans. Free-range poultry and fish from sustainable stocks are served instead.", "summary": "Forest Green Rovers Football Club has won an award for growing an \"organic\" pitch avoiding the use of chemicals."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old joined the Blades in the summer but made just one appearance, before being loaned out to former club Walsall last month. He played seven times for the Saddlers and boss Dean Smith had been keen to retain his services. Butler joins a Doncaster side that is currently one point above the relegation zone.", "summary": "Doncaster Rovers have signed Sheffield United defender Andy Butler on loan until January."}
{"article": "The ex-Premier League sides meet on a day which also sees Bury host Charlton, while MK Dons visit Shrewsbury. League Two champions Northampton Town start at home to Fleetwood Town, while Oxford United host Chesterfield. The first league meeting of AFC Wimbledon and MK Dons is scheduled for 10 December at Stadium:MK. Bristol Rovers and AFC Wimbledon, both promoted to League One last season, start at Scunthorpe and Walsall respectively. Rochdale are at home to Peterborough United on the opening weekend for the third consecutive season. The 2016-17 League One season, which begins on Saturday, 6 August, will conclude on 30 April - one weekend before the final fixtures in the Championship and League Two. The League One play-offs will also be played one week ahead of the rest of the English Football League, because of the FA Cup final being played on Saturday, 27 May.", "summary": "Bolton Wanderers will begin life back in the third tier of English football for the first time since 1992-93 with a home game against Sheffield United."}
{"article": "Fighting is said to have erupted near the town of Harad which was captured by government forces two days ago. Military sources said 28 troops were killed while Houthi rebels said they had lost 40 fighters. Clashes have continued despite a UN-backed ceasefire and peace talks in Switzerland which began on Tuesday. As well as those killed on Saturday, at least another 50 rebels and 40 pro-government troops were reported to have been wounded. Tribal sources said there was an upsurge in fighting early on Saturday as government forces - which are being backed by a Saudi-led coalition - advanced towards the Red Sea port of Midi and rebels brought in reinforcements. Houthi and government delegates have been meeting in Biel in Switzerland to try to end months of fighting. Rebels have accused Yemeni and Saudi-led coalition forces of repeatedly breaching the ceasefire, which is meant to last for a week. The Saudi-led coalition launched a military campaign in March in support of the government after Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and advanced towards the second city of Aden. Since then, at least 5,700 people, almost half of them civilians, have been killed in air strikes and clashes on the ground. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen has also worsened, with more than 21 million people - four-fifths of the population - now in need of aid.", "summary": "At least 68 people are reported to have been killed in fresh clashes between government troops and Houthi rebels in north-west Yemen near the Saudi border."}
{"article": "People living close to the plant in Monkton Lane, Farnham, have complained that the stench has recently got worse. Thames Water, which manages the site, said emergency repair work could be the cause, but that it had written to residents to explain the situation. Local councillor Roger Steel said he had been inundated with complaints, but the firm said it was not aware of any. He said the Farnham Sewage Treatment Works was built 100 years ago and the odour problem was not new. \"In the summer residents are not able to open the windows when it's hot, children can't play in the garden. \"The odour gets into their clothes, even the wallpaper,\" Mr Steel said. The councillor, who represents Farnham Moor Park on Waverley Borough Council, said the plant was too old to cope with the current population it served. \"There's plenty of room for them to perhaps rebuild a new plant or even to make major additions for it to be able to cope. \"It's been inadequate for years and years and years,\" he said. In a statement, Thames Water said: \"We're sorry if residents have noticed an increase in odour, but we're not aware of any complaints and [have] not noticed any difference. \"We sent a courtesy letter to inform residents we would be doing a piece of cleaning work, outside of day-to-day operations. \"Work stated last Tuesday, and is going well - we're ahead of schedule.\"", "summary": "Residents in a Surrey town have claimed their lives are being made a misery due to the smell from nearby sewage works."}
{"article": "The rebel, known as Roman Ruiz, led the 18th division of the Farc, which operates in north-west Colombia. The bombing was the latest in a series of attacks on the Farc by Colombian security forces. The two sides are holding peace talks but have not agreed a ceasefire. The Colombian air force said it bombed a rebel position near the town of Riosucio in north-western Choco province on Monday. Sources in the security forces later told local media that among those killed in the raid was Alfredo Alarcon Machado, better known by his alias, Roman Ruiz. However, Ruiz has been reported killed once before. Last year, sources in the security forces announced he had been killed, only for the head of the police to deny it later. Ruiz is believed to be the right-hand man of Pastor Alape, who is part of the Farc team negotiating with the Colombian government at peace talks in the Cuban capital, Havana. About 40 Farc rebels have been killed since the security forces resumed their bombing raids. President Juan Manuel Santos gave the order for the resumption after 11 soldiers were killed on 15 April in a Farc ambush in south-western Cauca province. The attack on the soldiers caused outrage in Colombia, with many questioning the rebels' commitment to the peace talks. The Farc had declared a unilateral ceasefire in December as a sign of its commitment to the talks. It argued the ambush in Cauca had been a \"defensive measure\" taken by its rebels as they came under pressure from the security forces. When the peace talks officially began in November 2012, President Juan Manuel Santos ruled out a ceasefire, arguing that the guerrilla had used them during previous negotiations to re-group and re-arm. In March of this year, he did however order the suspension of bombing raids. The peace talks have been going on for two and a half years during which the two sides have so far reached agreement on three topics on their five-point agenda. An estimated 220,000 people have died in a half century of armed conflict in Colombia. November 2012 - Formal peace talks begin in the Cuban capital Havana between the Colombian government and the Farc. May 2013 - A deal is reached on land reform, one of the most contentious issues. It calls for fair access to land, and rural development, two key causes of the conflict. November 2013 - The two sides agree on the political participation of the Farc should a peace deal be reached. May 2014 - Both parties pledge to eliminate all illicit drug production in Colombia. December 2014 - Farc declares a unilateral ceasefire. March 2015 - Both sides agree to work together to remove landmines. Colombia is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. April 2015 Government resumes air strikes after the Farc kills 11 soldiers in ambush. May 2015 Farc suspends its unilateral ceasefire after government military operation kills 26 rebel fighters. What is at stake in Colombia's peace process?", "summary": "A commander of Colombia's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), was among five rebels killed in a bombing raid on Monday, the Colombian military says."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old joined up with his new teammates after the World Cup, but has yet to feature for the Chiefs. \"We have won two games out of three in the Premiership and he's not been here very long,\" Baxter told BBC Sport. \"He, like a number of other very good players here at Exeter, will have to be patient and when their chance comes they'll have to play very well if they want to stay in the team.\" Campagnaro, who has won 18 caps for his country and featured in all four of their games at this year's World Cup, agreed a move to the Chiefs in Janaury from Pro12 side Benetton Treviso. He has been training with the Premiership club for the past three weeks. \"It's hard for me to say how far away he is, we don't know what injuries are going to happen, we don't know the form of the team, we don't know how our centres are going to play this weekend,\" added Baxter. \"He could be very close or he could have to be patient for a while, but the A League's not more than two or three weeks away now. \"All the players that haven't played so far will feature in the A League. That will give them an opportunity to play. They may well get an opportunity before then depending on other circumstances.\"", "summary": "Italy centre Michele Campagnaro will have to wait to make his Exeter debut."}
{"article": "The bank said that \"due to changes in commercial priorities\" it would not sponsor the event beyond 2016. It has sponsored the event, which features the top eight men's players in singles and doubles, since 2009 when it moved to London's 02 Arena. Barclays has also dropped sponsorship of the Premier League and London's \"Boris bikes\". A spokesman said the bank was going through a period of change and it was re-assessing the way its portfolio of sponsorships worked for the company. The bank has not disclosed the value of the tennis deal. Separately the Daily Mail reported that the World Tour Finals would remain at the 02 Arena until at least 2018. There had been speculation that it would move elsewhere - with interest from North America and Abu Dhabi. This year's event takes place from 15-22 November.", "summary": "Barclays Bank is to end its sponsorship of the ATP World Tour Finals tennis tournament."}
{"article": "In an unexpected move, the European Parliament voted to require all EU importers of four minerals to be certified to ensure they do not fuel conflicts and human rights abuses. The European Commission had recommended that checks be only voluntary. Human rights groups praised the vote as a \"historic moment\". The decision will now be discussed by member states and the European Commission. Amnesty International and Global Witness had originally warned that a voluntary system covering European businesses would have watered down the proposals. Before the vote, the two groups were among more than 150 which signed a letter calling for binding rules that focused on more manufacturers and more materials. MEPs decided to back a law covering not just European importers that sourced minerals from conflict zones but also companies that used the four materials - tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold - in the manufacturing process. While an estimated 20 refineries and smelters would be directly affected, the EU also estimates as many as 880,000 firms would have to provide details on the measures they take to avoid the use of minerals from conflict areas such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes area of East Africa. Many tech gadgets such as smartphones use conflict materials, so-called because they are mined in warlike conditions and traded by armed groups. Campaigners had earlier complained that the scheme did not cover minerals and materials such as diamonds, jade and chromite, which are also known to be sources of conflict.", "summary": "Euro MPs have called for companies to carry out mandatory checks to stop \"conflict minerals\" entering Europe from war zones."}
{"article": "Serco won a \u00a370m contract in April 2015 to take over HR and finance support for Lincolnshire County Council. Lincoln's Bishop King Primary School said about 30 staff were affected, with four receiving no wages at all. Serco said it was \"really sorry for the impact\" the latest error had had on staff at the school. Abi Tierney, delivery director for Serco, said there has been some \"significant issues\" with parts of the service. She said the firm was \"putting in a lot of work to deliver changes and make improvements\", but denied accusations the contract was too big for the company to handle. More on this and other local stories from across Lincolnshire In May, Serco was fined more than \u00a31m after failing to pay bills to suppliers and leaving staff without wages. The fine came after a number of head teachers complained that errors by Serco meant staff were left unpaid. Paula Colburn, business manager at Bishop King, said staff had been \"left in tears\" and put under unnecessary stress. She said: \"We can't keep working like this - I can't have it being detrimental to the staff's health.\" In a statement, Lincolnshire County Council said: \"Serco has committed to rectifying the payroll issues by the end of October, and we are satisfied that they are making good progress to achieve this.\"", "summary": "A company responsible for council payroll services has apologised after staff at a school were left without wages, or paid incorrectly."}
{"article": "US businessmen Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan are leading a bid to buy a 60% stake in Wales' only Premier League club. Swansea had hoped the deal would be done by the end of 2015-16. \"It remains to be seen if it will be done before the start of next season,\" Jenkins told BBC Wales Sport. \"Will it be taken further and finalised in the summer? We wait to see. \"All we can do is try to continue along the same path and get ready for next season.\" Jenkins is among the shareholders set to enjoy a tenfold windfall on the shares they purchased during a successful rescue of what was an ailing club in 2002. Francesco Guidolin will remain manager for the next two seasons after signing a fresh deal. Asked whether the potential new owners had any input into the decision to retain Guidolin, Jenkins said: \"They are fully aware of the way we run the club and try to do things in a certain way. \"They are fully aware of how we work and why we make the decisions that we do.\" Jenkins also revealed Swansea held talks with former boss Brendan Rodgers before opting to stick with Italian Guidolin.", "summary": "Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins says the club's proposed takeover by an American consortium may not be completed until next season."}
{"article": "The coach, which was carrying a cheerleading team from Kent, collided with an Audi car near Flitwick at 06:45 GMT. Two men from Buckinghamshire and a third from the London area, all of whom were in the car, died. A fourth man, who was also in the car, has been taken to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital. No-one on the coach was injured. Bedfordshire Police said the double-decker coach collided with the Audi while it was stationary on the hard shoulder. \"The coach driver was arrested in connection with the incident and taken to Luton Police Station where he is being interviewed,\" a police spokesman said. It is understood the cheerleading team are from a university in Kent and were on their way to a sporting event in Birmingham when the crash happened. Tim Lambkin, director of Sheerness-based Travelmasters, said the cheerleaders were transferred to another vehicle and continued on their way after the collision. Mr Lambkin said: \"It is too soon to comment on the causes of what happened - we have to let the police experts do their work. \"Our hearts and thoughts go out to the families of those who died and the man hurt. \"In the 31 years I've been involved in the company I've never known anything like this.\" Police have urged any witnesses to the accident to come forward.", "summary": "A coach driver involved in a crash which left three people dead on the M1 in Bedfordshire has been arrested."}
{"article": "The indictment says Hubert Zafke was an accessory to the murder of at least 3,681 people during one month in 1944. It says he was an SS medical orderly. The trial is to start on 29 February in Neubrandenburg. Mr Zafke remains at home, a prosecution spokesman said. The Nazis killed about 1.1m people in Auschwitz, most of them Jews. During the month covered by the indictment - 15 August to 14 September, 1944 - the teenage Jewish girl Anne Frank arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the most notorious Nazi camp complex. Her diary, describing the ordeal of her family hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam, remains a worldwide bestseller. She died in Bergen-Belsen, shortly before that camp's liberation by the British Army in 1945. According to the indictment, Mr Zafke served in the SS in a different part of the Auschwitz complex from October 1943 to January 1944, during World War Two. Prosecutors say that, like the other SS guards at Auschwitz, Mr Zafke was well aware of the camp's function as \"an industrial-scale mass murder site\". Last year a German court sentenced Oskar Groening, 94, to four years in jail as an accessory to the murder of at least 300,000 people at Auschwitz. Known as the SS \"book-keeper of Auschwitz\", he was allegedly responsible for counting banknotes confiscated from prisoners. How the Holocaust unfolded, year by year Why did ordinary people commit atrocities in the Holocaust?", "summary": "A 95-year-old former SS member will go on trial in north-east Germany next month accused of assisting in the mass murder of Auschwitz death camp inmates."}
{"article": "The institutions housed women and girls who became pregnant outside marriage. An investigative website has found that in 1942 the mortality rate of babies born outside marriage was twice that of those born to married parents. The Detail's research also reveals that the deaths of many babies in the homes were caused by \"severe malnutrition\". The website compiled its research by examining death certificates and archive files at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI). It also analysed burial records for Milltown Cemetery, Belfast's biggest Catholic cemetery. The Catholic Church's Down and Connor Diocese, which owns the burial records, said the website's revelations \"add further to our shame\". \"These findings demonstrate how, as a church and as a society, we have failed to protect the most vulnerable members of our community,\" a diocesan statement said. Not all of the homes were Catholic; some were run by the Church of Ireland and the Salvation Army. Former residents of the Northern Ireland institutions are launching a campaign for a dedicated public inquiry into the treatment of woman and children at the homes. Some of the girls who were sent to the homes were as young as 13, but most were older teenagers. Many mothers who gave birth in the homes were excluded from Stormont's recent Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry because it only focused on victims who were under the age of 18. The campaign is being supported by the human rights organisation Amnesty International. The Detail said Amnesty International is calling for a \"proper human rights-compliant public inquiry\" after it received allegations of \"forced labour, arbitrary detention, ill treatment and the illegal adoption of babies in former mother and baby homes\". Stormont's Executive Office recently set up a working group to look into allegations of abuse in mother and baby homes. It is focusing on residents aged over 18 from mother and baby homes and Magdalene laundries who fell outside the remit of the HIA inquiry. The group held its first meeting in March. The harsh conditions in mother and baby homes have recently gained international attention due to the Tuam babies scandal in the Republic of Ireland. Three months ago, an Irish public inquiry confirmed that \"significant quantities\" of human remains had been discovered at the site of a former home in Tuam, County Galway. The Irish government agreed to set up the inquiry in 2014 after allegations about the deaths of 800 babies in Tuam and the manner in which they were buried. The issue was brought to the fore by County Galway historian Catherine Corless, whose personal research into hundreds of death certificates raised questions over where the children had been buried. Excavation of the site by the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation began in October 2016. In March, investigators confirmed that human remains were found in \"at least 17 of the 20 underground chambers which were examined\". The Tuam home operated from 1925 to 1961 and a child died in the home nearly every two weeks between the mid-1920s and 1960s. Most of the deaths are", "summary": "New research into infant mortality rates at former mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland has added weight to calls for a public inquiry."}
{"article": "Mr Jammeh told state TV the proclamation was in line with Gambia's \"religious identity and values\". He added that no dress code would be imposed and citizens of other faiths would be allowed to practise freely. Some 90% of Gambians are Muslim. The former British colony's economy relies heavily on tourism. However, relations with the West have soured recently. The European Union temporarily withheld aid money to Gambia last year over its poor human rights record. Mr Jammeh has been president of the tiny West African country for 21 years. \"As Muslims are the majority in the country, the Gambia cannot afford to continue the colonial legacy,\" Mr Jammeh told state TV, explaining his decision to proclaim an Islamic republic. Other Islamic republics include Iran, Pakistan and - in Africa, Mauritania. Mr Jammeh withdrew Gambia from the Commonwealth in 2013, describing the organisation as neo-colonial. In 2007, he claimed to have found a herbal cure for Aids.", "summary": "Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has declared his Muslim-majority country an Islamic republic, saying the move marks a break with the colonial past."}
{"article": "Yassar Yaqub, 28, from Huddersfield, was shot by an officer in an operation near junction 24 on 2 January. Moshin Amin, 30, Broomer Street, Dewsbury, denied possessing a handgun, a silencer and ammunition with intent to endanger life at Leeds Crown Court. A provisional trial date was set for 4 December and Mr Amin was bailed until 27 June.", "summary": "A man driving a car in which his passenger was shot dead by police on the M62 has appeared in court."}
{"article": "It happened at Pinewood Avenue in Woodburn. The man is understood to be a high-profile loyalist. The ambulance service received a call about 14:15 GMT following reports of a man with a gunshot wound. After treatment at the scene by paramedics, he was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. In the aftermath of the attack, armed police wearing protective masks carried out raids on property in the area. There has been an ongoing feud between loyalist factions in Carrickfergus for some time. It is understood one line of enquiry is that the shooting could be connected. PSNI Supt Darrin Jones said that while the investigation was \"still at an early stage police are following significant lines of enquiry\". \"Firearms being discharged in a residential area, particularly during daylight hours when children are in the vicinity, is concerning,\" he added. \"We need the community to give us the information needed so we can remove the dangerous individuals who carried out this attack from our streets and put them before a court of law. \"There will be a continued police presence in the area as we search for those who carried out this brutal attack.\" Alliance MLA for East Antrim Stewart Dickson said a \"shooting is a very violent incident and it will undoubtedly have caused a great deal of fear and concern\". Ulster Unionist MLA John Stewart said he was \"shocked\" to hear of the attack and that there was \"no justification for such actions\". Detectives are appealing for anyone with information to contact them on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously by telephoning 0800 555 111.", "summary": "A man in his 40s has been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after being shot in the neck in Carrickfergus, County Antrim."}
{"article": "BBC Turkish spoke to residents on the Syrian border to find out how the military escalation has affected their daily lives. The first two contributors come from Beylerbeyi and Lower Beylerbeyi villages - directly north of the Syrian city of Aleppo, just on the Turkish side of the border. The third contributor did not want his name or location to be given. Our village is 100m (330 feet) from the border. IS controls the Syrian side of the border. We see IS militants from time to time. They can come all the way to the border fence. The border has always been busy since the start of the Syrian war. But since the Turkish air strikes against IS, it has got busier. Of course, this worries us. Our kids used to take the livestock to the areas next to the border for grazing without any problems. Now they can't as they fear some stray bullet or an attack could come from the other side. We see military build-ups. We used to sleep on the roofs because of the heat. Now we can't as bullets may come. We don't get too close to the border unless we really have to. We live right on the border but we are worried and live in fear. We particularly fear that the Turkish army is going to move into Syria from here. If that happens, our lives will be in danger. IS would attack the border villages. If IS attacks us, the whole village would have to move from here. We sleep in fear. Warplanes fly over us. That makes us even more worried - especially about our kids. Drones are making reconnaissance flights. I would leave my village if I could but I don't have the means. We don't want war on our border. We want to live carefree! I live in a village close to the border. After the war, smuggling thrived. I used to smuggle people in and out of Syria until 10 days ago. I charged 50 Turkish lira per person (\u00c2\u00a312; $18) - of course, if it was an IS militant I charged double! I can't do any smuggling at present because of the military mobilising. After the clashes between the Turkish army and IS, security has been tightened along the border. I tried to smuggle someone twice but soldiers showed up right away. We can't do our job any more. Warplanes are flying over us. We hope things along the border normalise soon.", "summary": "Turkey has dramatically stepped up its involvement in the conflicts across its south-eastern border, bombing both militants from the Islamic State (IS) group and Kurdish militants, and allowing the US to use a key airbase."}
{"article": "The 3.5-acre site in St Werburghs shut in 2007 when the company went into liquidation. A property consultant is now preparing an outline plan on behalf of the land owners Folland Ltd. Nearly 900 people lost their jobs in 2007 when four companies which formed part of the Brooks Service Group closed. Some 350 of these were from the Bristol operation. Outline plans include 114 houses and flats, with further space allocated for uses including offices, studios and workshops. But the St Werburgh's Neighbourhood Association has drawn up its own community plan for the land. They want to see a mixed-use development, weighted more to residential use with \"small-scale employment opportunities\". Campaigners say they want the existing buildings and the chimney should be kept as local landmarks. A public consultation event is due to take place between 14:30 and 18:30 BST on 1 April at the St Werburghs Community Centre, on Horley Road. Bristol City Council has received a pre-application enquiry from the developer and the firm hopes to submit a planning application in the summer. None of the 19th or 20th Century buildings is believed to be listed and it is not a conservation area.", "summary": "Plans for more than 100 homes are being drawn-up for the former Brooks Laundry complex in Bristol."}
{"article": "The men, who are in their mid 20s, were caught in squally conditions after they left Raasay at about 20:00 on Sunday to paddle across about a mile of sea. The mother of one of the men raised the alarm before later finding them on the shore of The Braes peninsula on Skye. The Coastguard said the men were \"very cold\" and needed medical attention. The Portree RNLI lifeboat and Coastguard Rescue Team had been looking for the two men. After the kayakers were found, the lifeboat crew took them to Portree Hospital where they were treated for hypothermia and cuts and scrapes. The Coastguard team escorted the mother and another woman safely back home. Coastguard watch manager Martin Collins said: \"These kayakers have been very lucky. \"We have had wintery squalls across the area this evening with winds gusting to over 40mph at times and if they hadn't made someone aware of their plans they could have been exposed to the elements for a lot longer. \"If you are heading out to sea in a kayak the Coastguard recommends that you check the weather forecast and tidal conditions before you head out, wear a buoyancy aid and carry distress flares are in date and stowed where you can reach them.\" He added: \"For remote locations carrying a personal locator beacon is highly recommended.\"", "summary": "Two kayakers got into difficulty after their craft capsized in bad weather while making an evening crossing between the isles of Raasay and Skye."}
{"article": "The Candystripes play their last home game of the season on Friday when they host Sligo Rovers. However, the club still do not know when work on a multi-million pound redevelopment of their stadium will begin. Derry City and Strabane District Council, who own the stadium, said a tendering process is ongoing. Club chairman Philip O'Doherty said he is concerned that Friday's game could be the club's last at Brandywell for some time. \"The ideal situation would have been that, after this last home game, the diggers would be in the next day,\" Mr O'Doherty said. \"That's not going to happen, the longer construction work is delayed the less games we will play at Brandywell next season. \"That means that the possibility of having the European tie at Brandywell is basically under threat at the minute,\" he added. Derry City secured their place in next season's Europa League competition with last week's 2-1 victory over Bohemians. Brandywell 2016 Timeline Earlier this year, Derry City sought out venues for the relocation of six home games which would be affected by the redevelopment. Since then, the Brandywell delays have left talks with other clubs 'up in the air', Mr O'Doherty said. \"We have no clarity from Derry City and Strabane council which is extremely frustrating. \"The club has been slaughtered on social media about holding things back but I do not know when this project will start. \"Derry City Football Club is also a business and it is not a good situation for the club to be in.\" A spokesperson for Derry City and Strabane District Council said: \"The tender process for the appointment of a contractor for the Brandywell Stadium redevelopment and dog track is ongoing. \"Council is hopeful that these processes will be concluded shortly,\" they added. Although Friday's tie with Sligo Rovers is the last home game for Derry City, other stakeholders at Brandywell - which include a greyhound track - have use of the stadium until at least the end of November. That means construction could be delayed further.", "summary": "The chairman of Derry City Football Club has warned that European football at Brandywell stadium is under threat."}
{"article": "After initially refusing to talk, he has confirmed he is 29-year-old Egyptian Abdullah Hamamy. He was shot in the stomach as, authorities say, he lunged at soldiers. President Francois Hollande says there is little doubt it was a terrorist act. The Egyptian remains under arrest in hospital. His father, a retired Egyptian police general, said his son had not shown any signs of radicalisation, AFP reported. Reda al-Hamamy said his son was in Paris on a business trip, lives in the United Arab Emirates, and has a wife and a seven-month old son. Abdullah Hamamy had visited Turkey in 2015 and 2016, AFP reported. He entered France on 26 January on a flight from Dubai and stayed at an apartment costing \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1,700 ($1,830; \u00c2\u00a31,470) a week near the Champs Elysees that had been reserved last June, months before Mr Hamamy applied for his tourist visa in October, a source told the news agency. He is believed to have bought two machetes after arriving. Cans of spray paint, but no explosives, were found in his backpack. French authorities say the suspect also shouted the Islamic phrase \"Allahu Akbar\" (\"God is greatest\") during the incident. No group has claimed the attempted attack and no link to extremism was found during a search of the apartment. However police are also examining Mr Hamamy's Twitter account after around a dozen messages were posted in Arabic just minutes before the attack. \"In the name of Allah... for our brothers in Syria and fighters across the world,\" he wrote, before referring to the so-called Islamic State jihadist group in another tweet a minute later, AFP says. Hundreds of visitors were inside the museum at the time of the incident and were evacuated.", "summary": "The man suspected of attacking soldiers with two machetes at Paris's Louvre Museum on Friday has confirmed his identity to investigators and given his version of events, judicial sources say."}
{"article": "After suffering two consecutive - and humiliating - defeats in the Delhi and Bihar elections, India's ruling BJP, many believe, also needed a small rebellion to shake it out of its complacency. On Tuesday evening, four senior party leaders, led by India's former deputy prime minister LK Advani, fired what was clearly a broadside against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. \"The principal reason for the latest defeat is the way the party has been emasculated in the last year,\" said the leaders in a statement, criticising the party's campaign strategy after Sunday's humiliating defeat in Bihar. \"A thorough review must be done of the reasons for the defeat as well as the way the party is being forced to kow-tow... and how its consensual character has been destroyed.\" The scathing missive was strategically timed: it came hours after the government eased regulations for foreign direct investment in at least 15 sectors to boost reforms and inject some feel-good before a gloomy Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. The challenge also came ahead of Mr Modi's much-hyped three-day visit to Britain. It was clearly intended to embarrass the prime minister. Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, who has written a biography of Mr Modi, says revolt by the party elders - \"oldies come out of cocoon\", headlined The Economic Times - is mainly aimed at scuttling BJP president and Mr Modi's closest aide, Amit Shah's chances of beginning a fresh term as party president in January. Mr Shah, a ruthless tactician, is often described as Mr Modi's Karl Rove and the man behind the party's sweeping win in last year's general election. At 50, he is also one of the youngest presidents of the Hindu nationalist party. He is also a controversial politician, who is accused of sanctioning the killing of a Muslim civilian in 2005, when he was the home minister of Gujarat state. He spent more than three months in jail after which he was released on bail. Mr Shah denies the charges. Critics say Mr Modi and Mr Shah, both from Gujarat, have completely taken over the BJP, and are running what used to be a loose, collective and largely democratic party as their private fief. The duo have also successfully managed to sideline the old guard. Mr Advani, one of BJP's architects, was removed from the party's parliamentary board last year, and kicked upstairs to a newly formed Margdarshak Mandal (guidance committee) an ineffectual body of elders, along with other veterans like former minister, Murli Manohar Joshi, and former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Mr Joshi, still remembered for his incendiary rhetoric in the run up to the 1992 demolition of the Babri mosque by Hindu hardliners, was forced to vacate his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, to make way for Mr Modi last year. Clearly, Tuesday's revolt was initiated by some of the party's most experienced leaders, but they are in their autumn of their lives, marginalised and ignored by the party - supporters of Mr Modi uncharitably call them yesterday's people. They have been seething against what they think", "summary": "US founding father Thomas Jefferson once said a \"little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world, as storms in the physical\"."}
{"article": "RWE Npower is planning to bring down the remains of the boiler house at the Didcot A plant which partly collapsed in February, killing four men. Three bodies are yet to be recovered. The energy company said using remote-operated vehicles (ROVs) was preferable \"since it limits the risk to life\". It called the conditions caused by the collapse \"unprecedented at this scale in the UK\". A spokesman said the \"traditional demolition method, which would require people to go underneath the structure to place demolition charges to bring down the building\" would risk lives \"because the building cannot be proven to be stable\". \"The ROV option is the preferred route, with the traditional method being prepared as a back-up, should the robotic option not prove reliable.\" Plans are being finalised and are due to be submitted to the Health and Safety Executive. The spokesman added: \"We understand that the time taken to recover the families' loved ones is deeply upsetting... our priority remains the recovery of the missing men and we are doing everything that is within our power to ensure it is progressed as fast and safely as possible.\" Work to recover the men's bodies had been halted because contractors have reached a 50m (164 ft) exclusion zone. In Oxfordshire County Council cabinet papers published earlier the cost to Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service of attending the incident and subsequent search and recovery operations stands at \u00c2\u00a3300,000. The length of time to recover Christopher Huxtable, 34, from Swansea, Ken Cresswell, 57, and John Shaw, 61, both from Rotherham, has previously been criticised by some family members. John Howley, the uncle of Mr Cresswell, described it as \"diabolical\". Labour MP for Rotherham Sarah Champion also branded it a \"national scandal\".", "summary": "Robots should be used to place demolition charges at the base of the collapsed Didcot power station because using people \"carries inherent risks to life\", the site owner has said."}
{"article": "The government has moved responsibility for its funding to the BBC, which the Defence Committee said had \"entirely predictably\" led to cuts. It added that BBC Monitoring was \"vital\" to diplomacy and business. The BBC said it was \"confident\" the service would continue to meet the UK government's needs. The government directly funded BBC Monitoring until 2013, when responsibility passed to the BBC under an agreement announced by Chancellor George Osborne in 2010. The cross-party committee said this had left the service exposed, with around 100 jobs set to go under a re-structuring programme. It expressed concern at plans to move Monitoring out of its current Caversham Park headquarters in Berkshire, where it operates alongside US counterpart Open Source Enterprise, because of potential disruption to information-sharing. Currently, Monitoring covers 25% of the globe, while Open Source Enterprise covers the remaining 75%. The committee's report said: \"The government uses open-source information for indicators and warnings of areas of instability and potential threats to UK security. \"The decisions made concerning the funding and governance of BBC Monitoring over the past decade or so have been woefully short-sighted and catastrophically ill-thought-out. \"A service that has the potential to be a vital tool in opening the world to UK diplomacy and business is in grave danger of becoming a hollow shell of its former existence.\" A BBC spokeswoman said: \"The media landscape has changed vastly since the creation of BBC Monitoring in the 1930s and we believe our planned restructure is vital to equip us for a world in which digital skills are far more important than physical location. \"We are confident that we will continue to meet the UK government's needs for open-source monitoring and they have told us they are happy with our changes.\"", "summary": "BBC Monitoring, the UK service that translates and analyses global media, is in danger of becoming a \"hollow shell\", MPs have warned."}
{"article": "Massive adult yellowfins swim together, while juveniles group separately and swim with adult skipjack of a similar size. Schooling confuses predators and makes it less likely that any single fish will fall victim to one. And bigger numbers mean more eyes are on the lookout for a meal. Fishing is the best economic hope for the tiny island states that dot this part of the Pacific. And much like the fish they pull from the ocean, they've learned the benefits of swimming together. The bulk of the fishing in the Pacific is sold by treaty to other countries, with the host nation collecting an access fee for each day of fishing. Since the Pacific island nations started negotiating as a bloc five years ago, they've found themselves in a much better position. Effectively, eight Pacific countries including Kiribati, formed a cartel, banding together to wield their market power to negotiate a better deal, and it's working. Their revenues from fishing rights have increased from $100m (\u00c2\u00a365m) to $430m over the past five years, according to the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency. So how can these tiny states, mere specks on a map of the vast Pacific, wield this kind of market power? In truth, they're not as small as they seem. Every nation's exclusive economic zone spreads roughly 370 kilometres (230 miles) from its shores in every direction. So a country of widely-scattered, tiny atolls can have massive fishing grounds, even if it doesn't have much land. Kiribati's land area is only 810 sq km, roughly equal to the city of New York or about half the size of Greater London, but its exclusive economic zone is bigger than India (about 3.5 million sq km). Together, the small island states control so much ocean that they've enacted a rule forcing their customers to choose between their waters and the open ocean. Most opt for the former. But controlling enough of the resources is no guarantee of an effective cartel. Cartels take a considerable amount of political will and discipline. Members of the most famous one, Opec, often break ranks, and there's some evidence of discord here, too. \"Certainly we encounter more and more where it becomes more difficult to operate as a bloc. The easy wins have been won already,\" says Wez Norris, the deputy director-general of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency. Last year, Kiribati largely opted out of a regional $90m deal with the US, drastically cutting the number of days US boats could fish in its water under the treaty. Kiribati's President Anote Tong says there's a practical element to it. In previous years, they ran out of fishing days allowed under the treaty, and had to buy some from one country in order to give it to another. But Kiribati might also be looking for a better deal. \"All we're saying is we would reduce our contribution of vessel days to the US treaty. If the US boats want to fish in our waters, they can buy direct from us,\" he says. Regardless of whether cartels stick together,", "summary": "As huge schools of tuna cut swiftly across the Western Pacific on a migration course that spans thousands of kilometres, they cluster by size."}
{"article": "Researchers suggest there is poor evidence to support screening and isolating infected patients - standard practice in hospitals worldwide. But good hand hygiene and bathing with antibacterial solutions are key to reducing infections, they say. Experts warn more studies are needed before any change in protocols. Despite rates of Meticillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) falling in many countries, concerns about its spread remain. The bug is resistant to most antibiotics and while it is can be carried harmlessly on the skin it may lead to serious wound infections - particularly in people who are already unwell. Hospitals have used a varied combination of methods to tackle it, including: Scientists reviewed studies over the last decade. But most investigated several infection control measures in combination, making it difficult to tease out which ones worked best. Researchers say the limited evidence focusing solely on isolation or screening suggest they may not reduce spread of the disease and could do more harm than good. Prof Gerd Fatkenheuer, from the University Hospital Cologne, Germany, who was part of the research team said: \"In the haste to do something against the rising tide of MRSA infection, measures were adopted that seemed plausible but were not properly assessed, bundling the effective and harmless with the ineffective and harmful. \"We know for example that isolating patients can result in anxiety and depression and fewer visits by doctors and nurses.\" The scientists emphasise evidence backs good hand-washing and suggests people with the bug should bathe daily using antibacterial solutions. Prof Peter Collignon at the Canberra Hospital, Australia said: \"Certain countries, however, that take all of these combined approaches - such as the Netherlands and Denmark - have the lowest rates of MRSA spread in healthcare facilities. \"So we need to make sure that studies clearly show that we will not do harm by stopping some or all of these isolation methods.\" The report authors say as MRSA levels continue to drop this provides a good opportunity to reassess how best to tackle the problem. And they recommend scarce resources could be redeployed to combat other infections - rather than singling out MRSA. Recent figures for England suggest 862 cases of MRSA were recorded in the year 2013-14, a substantial reduction from the 4,451 cases reported in 2007-08.", "summary": "The jury is still out on the effectiveness of methods to control the hospital superbug MRSA, according to an international report in the Lancet."}
{"article": "The presidency has published a \"transparency charter\" defining her duties, funded from Mr Macron's budget. She will have an active role in civil society, focusing on disabled people, education, children, women's issues, health and gender equality. A petition signed by more than 316,000 people opposed a \"first lady\" role. Much French media comment has focused on the 24-year age gap between her and her younger husband. She played a prominent role in his election campaign and is seen as a strong influence on him. The social issues that will particularly engage her also figured as priorities in Mr Macron's manifesto. The Elys\u00c3\u00a9e Palace's new \"charter\" (in French) is an innovation - no previous French presidency has stated the spouse's role so clearly. Should France have a first lady? Meet France's new first lady Macron targets nepotisms Emmanuel Macron: France's controversial man on the move Creating an official first lady position would have required a change to the law or constitution. Instead, the charter uses the term \"the head of state's spouse\". It stipulates that Mrs Macron will not be paid a salary for exercising her duties, nor will she have her own budget or expenses claims. The costs will come out of the presidential budget. She will have the assistance of two advisers, her own office and a secretariat. In his presidential campaign, Mr Macron stressed that politicians should not employ relatives, after his conservative rival Fran\u00c3\u00a7ois Fillon lost much support for doing so. In an interview, Elle magazine asked Mrs Macron how she had reacted to hostile and sexist comments on the age gap between her and Mr Macron. She answered: \"Badly - but finally I told myself: 'Well, you're having a hard time, but just keep quiet about it.'\" She added: \"In time, it goes away\". She admitted that her love for Mr Macron had caused some private anguish. \"The children often suffer. I know I caused some harm to my children, and that's the thing I reproach myself for most of all. But I couldn't help doing what I did. There are moments in life when you have to make vital choices.\" On the age gap, she said: \"So regarding the 20-year gap, whatever could be said about that was so petty. Of course at breakfast I sit there with my wrinkles, he with his freshness. But that's just the way it is.\"", "summary": "Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, is getting an official role but without the title \"first lady\"."}
{"article": "The gunmen seized the compound five days ago and have been demanding the release of an opposition leader arrested last month on weapons charges. Supporters of the gunmen have staged rallies nearby and clashed on Wednesday with police, who fired tear gas. Mr Sarkisian urged the gunmen to \"sober up\" and end their \"provocative\" action. In comments reported by Armenian Armenpress news agency, he said: \"No problem will be solved in Armenia with the use of force, raids and hostage-taking. The resolution of the problem will be an important test for Armenia and the maturity of our society.\" Mr Sarkisian said the government would act \"in line with Armenia's laws\" if the gunmen persisted, but he gave no further details. The hostage-takers have been demanding the release of Jirair Sefilian, a military veteran of Armenia's conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, who has been accused of illegally possessing weapons and preparing to seize government buildings. In taking control of the police station in Armenia's capital on Sunday, the gunmen killed one police officer and injured two others. They later released five hostages. Those still being held include a deputy police chief. Mr Sefilian has criticised Mr Sarkisian over his handling of the conflict involving pro-Armenian separatists in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has an ethnic Armenian majority. A bloody war erupted after the end of Soviet rule in 1988, and there has been frequent unrest since, the latest in April, when clashes left dozens dead.", "summary": "Armenia's President Serge Sarkisian has urged gunmen holding four hostages at a police station in Yerevan to free their captives and lay down their arms."}
{"article": "First Great Western has amended some services from midday to 20:00 BST because of the expected intense heat. There will be no fast trains between London Paddington and Bourne End in Buckinghamshire or Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. Network Rail said if the track buckled the line must be closed for repairs \"causing considerable disruption\". Trains from London Paddington will terminate at Twyford for a connection with a branch line service to Henley-on-Thames. Passengers travelling to Bourne End will see their services from Paddington terminate at Maidenhead and will also have to complete their journey on a branch line train. Temperatures are set to hit 30C (86F) in parts of the Thames Valley, the Met Office said.", "summary": "Hot weather is set to disrupt trains in the Thames Valley area with speeds being cut over fears of rails buckling."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The National League side were beaten 2-0 by Premier League visitors Arsenal, who are 105 places above Sutton on English football's ladder. The home side had several chances, with Adam May wasting a chance and Roarie Deacon hitting the crossbar. \"This was our cup final,\" said Doswell. \"I'm very, very proud.\" The 50-year-old said it was \"a dream\" to watch his side play Arsenal, who will face another non-league team - Lincoln City - in the last eight. \"We were disappointed not to get a goal for the supporters here but the overriding emotion is pride,\" he added. Sutton, who famously beat Coventry in the FA Cup in 1989, had overcome league sides AFC Wimbledon and Leeds United on their way to the fifth round. But they could not get the better of an Arsenal team who had lost three of their previous four games. FA Cup fairytale over for Sutton United - 5 live podcast This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser Sutton held their own against 12-time FA Cup winners Arsenal, who are fourth in the Premier League, before Lucas Perez's 26th-minute cross-shot gave Arsene Wenger's side the lead. Theo Walcott's 100th goal for the club sealed victory at Gander Green Lane. Wenger, who made seven changes to the team beaten 5-1 by Bayern Munich last week, said Sutton's performance surprised him. \"I don't really enjoy tonight because we absolutely had to do the job and it is tricky,\" he said. \"They played very well. It is basically division five and when I arrived here in England 20 years ago, in division five they were not as fit physically as they were today. \"They were organised and had a huge desire. If we were not mentally prepared, we would not have gone through.\" Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown was surprised to see Deacon, who came through the Gunners' youth system, playing at non-league level. \"You wonder, looking at Roarie Deacon, if the game has failed him,\" he said. \"He should be playing at a higher level. He has great quality with both feet and he was really unlucky with that shot that hit the bar.\" Former England striker Alan Shearer said the Sutton players can be very proud of their performance throughout the competition. \"It has been one heck of a run,\" he said. \"There were some very, very positive performances out there.\"", "summary": "Sutton United's players will \"go down in history\" despite missing out on a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals, said manager Paul Doswell."}
{"article": "Profits for the first three months of 2015 were $626m (\u00c2\u00a3416m), and revenues were $4.45bn, a 4% increase from a year earlier. However, eBay said that \"strengthening dollar significantly impacted first quarter results\". Revenue at eBay would have been 7% higher without that currency headwind. At payment site PayPal, currency fluctuations were less severe, hurting revenues by 3% as a result of hedging by the site. eBay said it expected to complete its spinoff of PayPal into a separate company by the third quarter of 2015. \"I feel very good about the performance of our teams at eBay and PayPal. Each business is executing well with greater focus and operating discipline as we prepare to separate eBay and PayPal into independent publicly traded companies,\" said eBay chief executive John Donahoe in a statement accompanying earnings. Shares in the site increased by over 5% in trading after markets had closed.", "summary": "Online retailer eBay has reported better-than-expected results but added that a strong dollar substantially hurt the company's results."}
{"article": "On Thursday, Root himself said he was looking forward to the time when his leadership mettle would be examined. On the first day of the second Test, where South Africa moved on to 309-6, Root got his wish and, in turn, allowed the pressure to ease off the Proteas on more than one occasion. It was a fluctuating day - South Africa were attritional in the first session, fluent after lunch and had to recover following a four-wicket collapse in the evening. They were helped by England opting to use Liam Dawson ahead of fellow spinner Moeen Ali and again in the sleepy overs in the run-up to the second new ball. I'm not the only one confused by England's approach to Moeen, with both Root and coach Trevor Bayliss saying that he is now seen as the second spinner. When confidence is high - as Moeen's should be after taking 10 wickets at Lord's - it is reasonable to expect players to perform for you. Therefore, I was surprised when left-armer Dawson, despite what the England higher-ups are saying about his place in the pecking order, was used before Moeen at Trent Bridge. Media playback is not supported on this device Put simply, we know that Moeen is good enough at this level, but the same cannot yet be said about Dawson, who is playing in only his third Test. Indeed, Dawson was the most expensive of England's bowlers, often providing a release for the South Africa batsmen. It was almost as if Root felt like he had to bowl him simply because he was in the side. In all, the six bowlers that England have in their side is probably too many. It creates a problem for the captain in juggling them, and perhaps even puts doubt in a bowler's mind in that he may be thinking that he has to perform well quickly otherwise he will be replaced by one of the many other options. I would prefer to see England play an extra batsman, even if that does push the talented Moeen down to number eight. The make-up of this side is not one I expect to be mirrored during this winter's Ashes series. When England knew that the new ball was approaching, they allowed the game to drift, fiddling overs from Dawson and Keaton Jennings. It was almost as if they were waiting for James Anderson and Stuart Broad to take the wickets, rather than using the other two of their four seamers - Ben Stokes and Mark Wood - with the old ball. Often, the whole point of a new ball is that you are using it against a new batsman. England may have missed a trick by taking the foot off the gas at that moment. Root's other issue on Friday was the use of the review system, with both of England's referrals frittered away inside 24 overs. On both occasions, headstrong bowlers in Stokes and Broad wanted reviews, only to see that their lbw appeals were turned down for pretty obvious reasons. It's tricky", "summary": "After England handsomely defeated South Africa in the first Test at Lord's, I wrote that new captain Joe Root had been given an easy ride."}
{"article": "Regulator Ofcom ruled the performance, by Alexandr Magala of Moldova, was \"in line with audience expectations\". It also rejected suggestions the act might lead to copycat behaviour. \"The repeated warnings and clear references to the inherent danger of the act meant it was very unlikely that audiences would attempt to copy it.\" Magala is no stranger to the ...Got Talent format, having previously appeared on the US, French, Italian, Russian and Ukrainian versions of the show. The 26-year-old also performed at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014 prior to his ITV debut on 9 April. Audience members screamed and covered their eyes as the Magala slid down a pole with a sword lodged in his mouth, coming to a stop an inch above the ground. \"I actually thought you were going to die,\" judge Simon Cowell admitted after the act was put through to the next round of the competition. The impresario later described Magala's oesophageal exertions as \"the most dangerous act... ever seen on Britain's Got Talent\". The same programme drew three complaints over its language, another three relating to animal welfare and another related to \"generally accepted standards\". These complaints will also not be investigated, according to the media regulator's latest broadcast and on demand bulletin.", "summary": "ITV show Britain's Got Talent will not be investigated by the broadcasting watchdog over a sword-swallowing act that drew 33 complaints."}
{"article": "Jack Brereton, 25, will stand in the Stoke-on-Trent Central election triggered by the resignation of Labour MP Tristram Hunt. Meanwhile, Trudy Harrison, 40, who lives in the village of Bootle where she was a parish councillor for a number of years, will stand in Copeland. The by-election was called following the resignation of Labour's Jamie Reed. Mr Reed said he was stepping down to take a job at the Sellafield nuclear plant while Mr Hunt has taken up a director's role at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Conservatives are quietly confident of doing well in both Copeland and Stoke-on-Trent Central, places that were once safe Labour seats but are now seen as being in play in the volatile Brexit climate. In choosing a candidate for the west Cumbrian seat who has worked at Sellafield, the Conservatives are making a statement of their support for the nuclear industry, the constituency's largest employer. If he were to win, the Conservative candidate in Stoke - 25 year-old Jack Brereton - would become one of the country's youngest MPs, although he already has plenty of experience having served on the local council for five years. The party finished third in the seat in the 2015 election and faces a strong challenge from UKIP, whose leader Paul Nuttall is standing, as well as a Labour Party who on Wednesday evening chose former Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council leader Gareth Snell as its candidate. Ms Harrison said she would campaign on supporting the local nuclear industry and backing the UK plans to leave the European Union. \"Copeland has had Labour MPs and Labour Councils for years,\" she said. \"They've ignored us and failed to deliver the jobs, infrastructure and services we need, and now they want to ignore how we voted in the referendum.\" Mr Brereton, who was elected to represent the Baddeley, Milton and Norton ward on Stoke-on-Trent City Council in 2011, said: \"This by-election has come at a crucial time for our country. \"It is an opportunity for the people of Stoke to send a message that the referendum result must be respected, and to back the Prime Minister's clear plan to make a success of Brexit.\" Voting in both constituencies takes place on 23 February. The other candidates so far declared in Copeland are: Liberal Democrats: Rebecca Hanson UKIP: Fiona Mills Labour Party: Gill Troughton The other candidates in Stoke are: Liberal Democrats: Zulfiqar Ali Christian Peoples Alliance: Godfrey Davies UKIP: Paul Nuttall Labour Party: Gareth Snell", "summary": "The Conservative Party has chosen its candidates for two by-elections."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old former Bristol City trainee has scored four goals in 29 appearances for Gareth Ainsworth's Chairboys this campaign. He joins a Latics side currently 23rd in League One. \"Aaron's been unhappy of late because he hasn't been able to force his way into the team, so this move is best for all parties,\" said Ainsworth.", "summary": "Oldham have signed striker Aaron Amadi-Holloway on loan from League Two side Wycombe for the rest of the season."}
{"article": "From 1 April, there will be a three-year ban on killing fish outside estuary limits and strict controls on numbers in inland waters. The SNP's Joan McAlpine hailed a \"reprieve\" for haaf netting methods. However, Labour's Elaine Murray called it a \"guesswork decision\" while Conservative Alex Fergusson criticised the failure to delay the regulations. Concerns had previously been raised about the impact of the controls on the historic tradition of haaf netting on the Solway Firth which dates back to Viking times. Ms McAlpine claimed the regulations recognised the \"unique cultural heritage\" of the pursuit. She said Scottish government officials would work on a scientific project which would allow some salmon to be caught. \"Nobody knows these stocks better than the haaf netters who have been working the Solway for generations,\" she said. \"So they are ideally placed to participate in a project gathering evidence about fish numbers and other conservation material.\" She said the details of the plans had still to be revealed but she would be pressing for an early meeting with fishermen. Ms Murray said the regulations threatened the future of angling clubs as well as haaf-netting and related tourism. \"Haaf netters and anglers across Dumfriesshire will find it extremely difficult to forgive or forget this disastrous order which has been pushed through by the Scottish government,\" she said. \"What makes things worse is that there has been simply no proper scientific evidence given by the government to back up their decision to introduce a blanket ban on salmon taking in our region.\" She added that despite the offer of \"belated scientific studies\" there would be no direct compensation to counter the loss of earnings. \"The ban will be felt in every part of the region, as fishing tourism will likely fall, something which is absolutely crucial for rural economies like ours,\" she said. Mr Fergusson tabled a motion to annul the measures but it was voted down. \"It is clear that many stakeholders feel that the scientific basis for these measures is seriously unsound and that the measures are being pushed in order to be seen to be 'doing something',\" he said. \"My motion to annul the measures was simply designed to delay conservation measures being introduced in order to give the Scottish government time to bring forward a more robust scientific basis for them in a way that would ensure the buy-in of all stakeholders - something that is far from universal at present.\" A Scottish government spokeswoman said it was aware of the \"cultural importance\" of haaf netting and the \"poor conservation status\" assessed in the area meant it could continue on a \"catch and release\" basis. She said Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead had made clear they were looking to widen their science focus to include more specific work on the impact on such \"cultural activities\". \"Marine Scotland is keen to undertake further scientific work on salmon catches that involves the continuation of existing activities to a degree and we are keen to involve the haaf netters in that programme,\" she added.", "summary": "MSPs have given widely differing views of the impact in south west Scotland of new wild salmon stock protection rules."}
{"article": "21 July 2016 Last updated at 20:33 BST The targeting of oil facilities has reduced the country's output and threatened its fragile economy. So what is behind the renewed violence? The BBC's Martin Patience has spoken to one of the militants.", "summary": "Oil militancy has made a comeback in Nigeria with a recent wave of attacks carried out by the Niger Delta Avengers."}
{"article": "They have become two of the most recognisable estates in the country, after appearing as the backdrop for films such as Harry Brown and numerous TV shows including the The Bill and Spooks. It is the sheer size of the estates that is a draw to directors. With long lines, corridors and walkways, they can be a film-maker's dream. But as a result of complaints, Southwark Council has enforced strict guidelines for anyone wanting to film on the Aylesbury or Heygate housing estates. \"I don't want to see any filming on the Aylesbury that portrays violence and all the things that are not right for the estate,\" says Jean Bartlett, who speaks on behalf of the Aylesbury Residents and Tenants Association. On iPlayer Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Front Row she admits the locals have, in the past, welcomed stars and film crews. \"We all did (welcome them) at first because there was funding coming from the film companies. \"I think that over time time it was the same subjects being used.... violence, drugs and run-down areas, which then portrayed the estate as a hell-hole.\" The 2009 film Harry Brown, starring Sir Michael Caine, depicted an elderly man living in fear of violent gangs. Other gritty television programmes filmed on the estates have also included gang drama Top Boy. Jean is also unhappy at the way the location has been used in the Channel 4 promotional trailer. \"Every time I see the logo it makes me cringe. They put washing hanging out in areas that doesn't even have washing. \"They put loads of rubbish across the whole of the area. It's absolutely terrible.\" In 1997 the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, chose the Aylesbury Estate to make his first major speech outside of Parliament. At that time, the estate symbolised the problems of urban deprivation and despair. Mr Blair unveiled his vision for regenerating Britain's inner cities and underlined his government's determination to tackle the issues and declared that there must not be any \"no hope areas\". British rapper, Tinie Tempah, grew up on Aylesbury Estate and his memories of living there are in tune with some of the darker sides of films shot there. \"I remember growing up and seeing grey, very narrow walkways which are sort of prone to conflict. \"You can only walk past the same person so many times without someone saying 'Who are you?' or 'What's all this about?' \"There were very grubby lifts where people would urinate. Those high-rises, when you wake up in the morning, they don't inspire you - you don't feel the need to want to get out of there.\" Unique memory Despite millions of pounds being spent on regeneration over the years, the Aylesbury Estate, together with the neighbouring Heygate Estate, are in the process of being demolished and rebuilt. These two projects will cost \u00c2\u00a33.9bn and involve the construction of hundreds of new homes, shops and open spaces and the rebuilding of several schools. But the film director Joe Cornish, who made the science fiction hit Attack The Block on the", "summary": "Many people would enjoy opening their front door to see a Hollywood star making their new movie, but residents living in the Aylesbury and Heygate housing estates in South London have had enough of film-makers."}
{"article": "President Francois Hollande told British Prime Minister Theresa May that talks must settle the UK's financial bills and the rights of citizens. Other pro-EU politicians meeting in Malta expressed a similar view, saying they would not allow \"cherry-picking\". Mrs May called for simultaneous talks during exit negotiations. But in a phone call, Mr Hollande warned her that the withdrawal agreement should come first, a common line among European leaders. \"First we must begin discussions on the modalities of the withdrawal, especially on the rights of citizens and the obligations arising from the commitments that the United Kingdom has made,\" he said. Meeting in Malta, members of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the largest group in the European parliament, said they would focus on: The party chairman Manfred Weber said they would \"not allow the cherry-picking we saw over the past few decades\", and that the UK could not shape the future relationship with the bloc in the way it had done as a member of the EU. Speaking at the meeting, German Chancellor Angela Merkel did not mention Brexit directly, but said the EU must guarantee the prosperity and security of its citizens or risk them turning away. She had already said that Britain's commitments to the EU had to be dismantled before talks could move on. Mrs Merkel ended her speech with a quote from the philosopher Erich Fromm: \"He said one loves what one makes a lot of effort for and what one makes a lot of effort for one loves. \"And it's important we must make an effort for this Europe because we love it and we want to leave it behind in a good position for future generations.\" The European Council President, Donald Tusk, is expected to set on Friday draft guidelines that will form the basis for EU negotiations with the UK. They will be amended and then approved by the remaining 27 EU leaders in a month's time, and they are likely to set out a clear negotiation schedule, the BBC's Chris Morris in Malta says.", "summary": "France has insisted that the UK must first sort out the terms of its exit from the European Union before talks can move on to future relationships."}
{"article": "A total of 737 clubs have entered the 2017-18 competition, with 370 of those starting their campaign on the weekend 5-6 August when 185 extra preliminary round ties will be played. The extra preliminary round is the first of six qualifying rounds before the first round proper on 4 November. The two Northwich teams will be also face each other in the North West Counties Premier Division next season. Northwich Victoria were beaten 3-0 by Premier League Sunderland at the Stadium of Light 11 years ago. There are 18 clubs taking part in the FA Cup for the first time this season, including Whitchurch Alport. The Shropshire club was formed in 1946 and boasts former Northern Ireland striker Jimmy Quinn among its former players. Friday's draw took place 41 days after Arsenal beat Chelsea in the 2017 final at Wembley. All extra preliminary round winners will receive \u00a31,500 in prize money. Click here for the full FA Cup extra preliminary round draw", "summary": "Northwich Victoria, who reached the second round two seasons ago and the third round in 2006, will face local rivals 1874 Northwich - a breakaway club formed five years ago - in the extra preliminary round of the FA Cup."}
{"article": "The hosts fell behind just before the break when Sergio Ramos used his hand to block a shot in the box and Bruno Soriano chipped in from the spot. Ramos made amends soon after the restart, heading in from a corner. Zinedine Zidane's side put the visitors under concerted pressure throughout the second half, but Villarreal held on to deny Real the outright record. Instead they will have to share the record of 16 straight wins set by Pep Guardiola's Barcelona side in the 2010-11 season. However a point ensures they remain top of La Liga, four points ahead of Barcelona, who could only draw 1-1 with Atletico Madrid. Not many players switch between the roles of hero and villain as easily as Sergio Ramos and the volatile defender once again played both parts expertly either side of the interval. For the second game in a row he tried to disguise a handball by pretending the ball had hit his face. But the referee was having none of it and Bruno outsmarted Real keeper Kiko Casilla with a Panenka-style penalty to give Villarreal the lead. Ramos did the same against Espanyol at the weekend. It is the third penalty that Ramos has conceded in seven games across all competitions this season, yet the Spaniard made amends, losing his man at a corner and producing a powerful header that gave Sergio Asenjo no chance. It was the only one of 17 corners that the hosts converted, with Ramos also unable to persuade the referee to award Real a late penalty as he fell under the challenge of Roberto Soriano. This was the first game in which Real's 'BBC' front line of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo have all started together - a result of both injury and Zidane's commitment to rotating his squad. Yet there were only flickers of the trio's best football, especially in the first half when a resolute Villarreal stopped Real's fluid passing game and forced them to resort to shots from distance. The hosts dominated for long spells of the second half but rarely forced Asenjo into a save, with Benzema guilty of heading over two chances when well placed before both he and Bale were substituted before the end. A night of frustration for Real's talisman Ronaldo was complete when he finally found the target, only to see his effort parried away by Asenjo before slamming a late free-kick straight at the Villarreal keeper. Match ends, Real Madrid 1, Villarreal 1. Daniel Carvajal (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card. Second Half ends, Real Madrid 1, Villarreal 1. Attempt saved. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Alfred N'Diaye (Villarreal). Foul by Raphael Varane (Real Madrid). Alexandre Pato (Villarreal) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Alfred N'Diaye (Villarreal). Foul by Lucas V\u00e1zquez (Real Madrid).", "summary": "Real Madrid missed out on a record-breaking 17th consecutive La Liga victory as they drew with Villarreal."}
{"article": "Two people were left with \"life-changing\" injuries when a corrosive substance was thrown on to them through their car windows. Cousins Resham Khan and Jameel Muhktar had been celebrating Ms Khan's 21st birthday before the attack. John Tomlin, 24, is described as white, 6ft tall, of stocky build and with short fair hair. The new images show Mr Tomlin, who has distinctive hand and face tattoos, entering a shop in Romford on 3 July. Mr Tomlin is also known to frequent the Canning Town area. Ms Khan, a student at Manchester Metropolitan University, and Mr Muhktar suffered severe burns to the face and body in the attack on 21 June. \"Within seconds, my cousin started screaming. Her eyes were blistered, her face started melting. My face started melting\", Mr Muhktar said. According to police, they had stopped at traffic lights when the man approached them and threw the toxic substance at Ms Khan through the window. The attacker then circled around the car and threw more of the acid at Mr Muhktar, before eventually fleeing the scene. Mr Muhktar, 37, had to be temporarily placed in an induced coma to treat his injuries. \"I'm in a really bad way. I'm going to be scarred for life. I can't walk properly, I can't hear properly, I can't sleep\", he said. Police said the incident is being treated as a hate crime.", "summary": "Police have released new images of a man they want to talk to in connection with an acid attack in east London."}
{"article": "Dr Imran Farooq was stabbed outside his home in Green Lane, Edgware, last year. His killers may have had help from other people, some of whom could have assisted unwittingly, police added. An e-fit image of a suspect wearing a baseball cap has been released. A man aged 34 who was questioned last year has been bailed until this November. Dr Farooq, who was a senior member of the MQM party, was killed \"in a brutal manner\", said Det Ch Supt Neil Basu of the Metropolitan Police. His death, on 16 September 2010, \"has left the community with a deep sense of loss\", he added. The 50-year-old suffered multiple wounds and blunt trauma to the head. Police have previously said he may have been followed by up to four Asian men in vehicles or on foot. Officers are asking for information about Dr Farooq, who came to the UK in 1999 seeking political asylum, and his routine. They also want to talk to anyone asked to help buy items which could have been used in the attack, of the planning of it, such as knives or mobile phones. It is thought two kitchen knives were used in the attack, along with a brick from a house. One of the knives was made by Ausbein Messer, with a 5in (13cm) blade, and the other was branded as Schinken Messer, with a 5.5in (14cm) blade.", "summary": "The murder of a Pakistani politician in north London a year ago was \"carefully planned\", Scotland Yard has said, as it offered a \u00a320,000 reward for details."}
{"article": "It means that 1,500 jobs are at risk: 650 in higher education, 500 in further education and 400 civil servants. About 1,000 places may be lost in universities but 16,000 would go from further education colleges. The department is being asked to cut \u00a382m or 10.8% from its annual spending. Employment and Learning Minster Stephen Farry said the level of cuts proposed was \"unprecedented\". Mr Farry said: \"This document outlines the possible impact on a wide range of functions and services across the department and arms length bodies in response to the executive's draft budget. \"The level of cuts being proposed for the department is unprecedented and this will have far reaching and deep implications across all of the department's provision. \"The potential measures will impact on the universities, colleges and other sectoral training providers and will almost certainly result in a reduction in places offered to train and educate our young people.\" The news comes a day after a senior official in the Department of Education predicted at least 2,500 job losses in schools over the next financial year. The proposed cuts at the Department for Employment and Learning are contained in a draft savings plan that sets out the impact the 2015/16 budget will have on the department. To date, the department has decided upon reductions of less than half of the required \u00a382m. BBC News NI education correspondent Maggie Taggart said: \"Some 17,000 fewer places in colleges and universities would be extremely damaging to the prospects of young people. \"71% of the department's budget goes on staff costs and more than 1,500 jobs are at risk.\" Mr Farry has also decided to take more than \u00a32m out of the budget for smaller teacher training colleges - a 20% cut. \"It is the money St Mary's and Stranmillis currently get because of their small scale,\" said our education correspondent. \"He says the payment called the 'premia' does not contribute to front line training and if he did not remove it , he would have to make even steeper cuts.\" NUS-USI president Rebecca Hall said the ramifications for students could be catastrophic. \"Government must make investing in our future a key priority. That means investing in students and in further and higher education,\" she said. \"Government simply must overturn the proposed cut to DEL funding within the draft budget.\" A senior official in the Department of Education has predicted at least 2,500 job losses in schools over the next financial year because of cuts. Trevor Connolly described the situation as \"extremely bleak and difficult\". Mr Connolly said 1,000 teaching jobs and 1,500 non-teaching jobs could be lost and that that figure could rise. He said schools budgets could also be cut. The Department of Education has to make cuts of \u00a3198m to its budget. Mr Connolly made his remarks when he was giving evidence to the Education Committee at Stormont. The draft budget is out for public consultation until the end of the month. The assembly will debate the budget next month.", "summary": "Some 17,000 education and training places could go as a result of severe cutbacks, the Department for Employment and Learning has revealed."}
{"article": "Christian Calderwood was forced to stop by other drivers who surrounded him with their vehicles and took his keys. Stirling Sheriff Court was told that Calderwood, 42, was barely able to stand by the time police arrived. Calderwood, of Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, will be sentenced in April. The court heard that Calderwood was spotted driving erratically on the M80, west of Stirling, at about 17:00 on 23 May last year. Motorists saw him speeding up and slowing down, and veering from lane to lane. Lindsey Brooks, prosecuting, said that other motorists were so concerned about the way he was driving that they began to follow him, and saw that he then joined the M9. A truck driver saw Calderwood's car come up behind him, almost hit him, then overtake and just miss the rear of the lorry before drifting onto the hard shoulder and back again onto the motorway. After seeing further erratic driving, the truck driver slowed to a halt near the Park of Keir roundabout forcing Calderwood to stop behind him. Mrs Brooks said other motorists stopped alongside Calderwood, \"effectively blocking him in\". One witness took the keys out of his car's ignition. Mrs Brooks said: \"The witnesses spoke to the accused, who seemed to be confused and foaming from the mouth. \"The police noted he was unsteady on his feet, unaware of his surroundings, where he was, or what he was doing. \"There appeared to be white powder round his mouth and the officers said they were having difficulty keeping him awake.\" He was told to take a roadside breath test, but did not appear to understand what he was being asked to do. A blood test later showed high levels of Etizolam, a benzodiazepine which is prescribed for anxiety and insomnia in India and Japan. Calderwood admitted driving while unfit through drugs. Sheriff Richard McFarlane deferred sentence for four weeks for reports and disqualified Calderwood from driving in the interim. He said: \"From the description I have, you were hardly fit to stand, let alone drive a vehicle.\"", "summary": "A man who drove for 20 miles on a motorway after taking drugs was \"foaming from the mouth\" when he was stopped by police, a court has heard."}
{"article": "He also told MPs the British and Irish governments \"recognise the benefits\" that come from the travel area. Mr Brokenshire was responding to questions from East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson and Foyle MP Mark Durkan. He said said he did not \"want to see a return to the borders of the past\". It was Mr Brokenshire's first appearance at Northern Ireland Questions since he was appointed secretary of state last week. He was also asked about the possibility of holding a border poll and repeated his view that the \"conditions had not been met\". DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds told the House that a united Ireland would be \"financially catastrophic\". Mr Brokenshire appeared in the Commons alongside the new Northern Ireland Minister Kris Hopkins, who succeeded Ben Wallace. Shadow Northern Ireland Minister Stephen Pound joked that he had now faced six Conservative ministers and he suggested he was being used \"as a training aid for young thrusting Tories\". Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Dave Anderson said the Conservative government was \"badly prepared for Brexit\" and he urged Mr Brokenshire to read recent reports which highlighted the economic difficulties. The secretary of state said he was \"always grateful for summer reading\" and he said he would add the Labour MP's suggestions to his list. Mr Brokenshire's predecessor Theresa Villiers was an interested observer during the session of Northern Ireland Questions, which is the last before the summer recess.", "summary": "Secretary of State James Brokenshire has told the House of Commons the continuation of the Common Travel Area between Northern Ireland and the Republic will be a \"priority issue\"."}
{"article": "Two people were left with \"life-changing\" injuries when a corrosive substance was thrown on to them through their car windows. Cousins Resham Khan and Jameel Muhktar had been celebrating Ms Khan's 21st birthday before the attack. John Tomlin, 24, is described as white, 6ft tall, of stocky build and with short fair hair. He is known to frequent the Canning Town area. Ms Khan, a student at Manchester Metropolitan University, and Mr Muhktar suffered severe burns to the face and body in the attack on 21 June. \"Within seconds, my cousin started screaming. Her eyes were blistered, her face started melting. My face started melting\", Mr Muhktar said. According to police, they had stopped at traffic lights when the man approached them and threw the toxic substance at Ms Khan through the window. The attacker then circled around the car and threw more of the acid at Mr Muhktar, before eventually fleeing the scene. Mr Muhktar, 37, had to be temporarily placed in an induced coma to treat his injuries. \"I'm in a really bad way. I'm going to be scarred for life. I can't walk properly, I can't hear properly, I can't sleep\", he said. Police said there was no current information to suggest the attack was racially or religiously motivated.", "summary": "Police have released an image of a man they want to talk to in connection with an acid attack in east London."}
{"article": "The bus was travelling to the Monastery of St Samuel the Confessor, 135km (85 miles) south of Cairo, from Minya province when it came under fire. No group immediately said it was behind the attack. But Islamic State (IS) militants have targeted Copts several times in recent months, and vowed to do so again. Two suicide bombings at Palm Sunday services at churches in the northern cities of Alexandria and Tanta on 9 April left 46 people dead. Another suicide bombing at a church in the capital in December killed 29 people, while a Christian community was forced to flee the town of el-Arish in the northern Sinai peninsula after a series of gun attacks in February. The Copts killed on Friday had been travelling to St Samuel's monastery to pray. Their bus was in a small convoy that was stopped on a desert road near Adwa police station by between eight and 10 gunmen wearing military uniforms, officials cited witnesses as saying. The gunmen then fired at the bus with automatic weapons before fleeing in three 4x4 vehicles, they added. A Christian official in Minya, Ibram Samir, told the New York Times that children had been on the bus and were among the dead. Mr Samir said a pick-up truck carrying workmen at the monastery was also in the convoy. It is not clear whether it was targeted as well. Minya governor Essam al-Bedawi said security forces had arrived at the scene and were fanning out along the road to the monastery and setting up checkpoints. Copts make up about 10% of Egypt's population of 92 million. Last month's attacks prompted President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to declare a three-month nationwide state of emergency and promise to do whatever was necessary to confront jihadist militants, most of whom are based in northern Sinai. But many Copts complain that the Egyptian authorities are not doing enough to protect them, says the BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo. There is now a real sense of fear, and a feeling of being hunted, she adds. The Coptic Orthodox Church is the main Christian Church in Egypt. While most Copts live in Egypt, the Church has about a million members outside the country. Copts believe that their Church dates back to about 50 AD, when the Apostle Mark is said to have visited Egypt. The head of the Church is called the Pope and is considered to be the successor of St Mark. This makes it one of the earliest Christian groups outside the Holy Land. The Church separated from other Christian denominations at the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) in a dispute over the human and divine nature of Jesus Christ. Read more about the Coptic Orthodox Church", "summary": "Gunmen have attacked a bus carrying Coptic Christians in central Egypt, killing at least 26 people and wounding 25 others, state media report."}
{"article": "The FA's investigation into Whelan's comments about Jewish and Chinese people will be treated \"as a priority\". Whelan, who has denied being racist, made the comments while defending his decision to appoint Malky Mackay. \"Should they even suggest I'm guilty I would immediately resign,\" he said. In an interview with ITV News, Whelan added that he does not expect to be found guilty because \"I'm absolutely anti-racist, always have been, always will be\". The FA issued a statement on Friday in which it said it was \"very concerned\" by the situation and had written to Whelan. Media playback is not supported on this device The 77-year-old must respond to the FA by Wednesday. Mackay was recruited by Wigan despite being under investigation by the FA for allegedly sending homophobic, sexist and racist text messages while at Cardiff. Mackay, who took charge of Wigan for the first time against Middlesbrough on Saturday, has also denied being racist. Whelan has apologised for remarks he made in an interview with the Guardian, although he has insisted he was misquoted and did not intend any racial slight. The newspaper reported that Whelan used the word \"chink\" and also said that \"Jewish people chase money more than everybody else\". \"If I have upset one person, I apologise,\" said Whelan. Tan, who sacked the 42-year-old Mackay last year in acrimonious circumstances, leading to a legal dispute, thinks the decision to make him Wigan manager is a mistake. \"This is a racist chairman hiring a racist manager,\" Tan told BBC Sport. \"I hope that stops at two racists in Wigan, not snowballing to 2,000 or 20,000 racists in Wigan.\" Both Whelan and Mackay have refused to respond to Tan's comments.", "summary": "Dave Whelan says he will resign as Wigan chairman if the Football Association punishes him for the controversy in which Cardiff owner Vincent Tan has labelled him \"racist\"."}
{"article": "A four-mile section of the A591 between Keswick and Grasmere remains closed after it was damaged in a landslide. Cumbria County Council said it had upgraded a forest road at Dunmail Raise which is wide enough for a small bus but not general traffic. A spokesman said the service would begin on Tuesday. A spokesman said there would be a park and ride service with pick up points at Keswick, Legburthwaite and Grasmere.", "summary": "A shuttle bus service is being put in place to help passengers stranded after the collapse of a major road during Storm Desmond."}
{"article": "The former party leader's victory came as the SNP won all six seats in the north east of Scotland. Callum McCaig won Aberdeen South from Labour, and Kirsty Blackman did likewise in Aberdeen North. Stuart Donaldson won West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Angus Robertson held Moray, and Eilidh Whiteford was re-elected in Banff and Buchan. However, Alistair Carmichael retained Orkney and Shetland for the Liberal Democrats. Mr Salmond, speaking after defeating the Liberal Democrats in Gordon, said: \"The Scottish lion has roared this morning across the country. \"There is a swing under way in Scotland the like of which has not been seen in recorded politics. \"I look forward to representing every constituent, regardless of their political views.\" Mr Salmond claimed a 47.7% share of the vote, over Christine Jardine on 32.7%, as the SNP saw a 25.5% increase. Mr McCaig's win, with a 29.8% increase, saw Anne Begg lose her seat. He said he was \"honoured and thrilled\". Ms Blackman's win was on the back of a 34.2% increase to defeat Richard Baker. Mr Donaldson's West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine victory came after a 25.9% share increase. Lib Dem Sir Robert Smith, who lost the seat, was pushed into third behind Conservative Alexander Burnett after a 17% fall. Mr Robertson increased his majority for a 49.5% share, as did Ms Whiteford, with a 19% vote increase and a 60.25% share. Mr Carmichael's victory came after a 20.6% fall in his share of the vote. He thanked the people of Orkney and Shetland for giving him the \"tremendous privilege\" of serving them again.", "summary": "Alex Salmond said the Scottish lion had \"roared\", after he won the Gordon seat for the SNP in the general election."}
{"article": "The squat, squeaking android is being created at Pinewood Studios by two British men who are members of a Star Wars robot-building group. Lee Towersey and Oliver Steeples say they feel \"very privileged\" to be working on the film. Star Wars: Episode VII is currently in pre-production and filming is due to begin in the spring. The new outing is being directed by JJ Abrams and is set for release in December 2015. The two robot builders have previously employed their skills on Star Wars-themed commercials, but it was a visit of LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy to a convention in Germany that got their work noticed - and landed them jobs on the new film. \"I mentioned that the R2-D2 Builders in the UK were available if required, as a semi-joke. When I was contacted to work on the film by executive producer Jason McGatlin, it was on her recommendation,\" said Mr Steeples. \"It's a dream come true,\" he added. \"I hope I can live up to the expectations of the thousands of R2-D2 builders around the world, let alone the millions of Star Wars fans.\" The pair, who have been constructing R2-D2 units for some years, will be responsible for maintaining the robots during the making of the film, and will try to improve on its design. The robot is a mesh of gears, lights and electronics which need to be kept in excellent condition throughout the production of the movie. British actor Kenny Baker was inside the machine for the first six Star Wars films. It has not been revealed whether he will rejoin the series for Episode VII. R2-D2, an astromech android, is best known as a companion to the human heroes of the Star Wars franchise, including Luke and Anakin Skywalker, using its resources to rescue them from perilous situations. He built up an endearing partnership with his fussy fellow android C-3PO, who is able to understand R2-D2's language and interprets it for humans. The droid's name is an abbreviation of \"reel 2, dialogue 2\" - which Star Wars creator George Lucas overheard in the editing suite for his second film, American Graffiti.", "summary": "R2-D2 is to make an appearance in the next outing of Star Wars, makers LucasFilm have confirmed."}
{"article": "A suicide bomber detonated his explosives inside the cafe in the west of the city, police said. No group has said it carried out the attack. The violence comes ahead of Iraq's provincial elections on 20 April, the first in the country since 2010. Emergency workers were still trying to pull out victims trapped in the rubble when part of the building collapsed, police told the Reuters news agency. On Monday, a series of co-ordinated car bomb attacks took place across the country, claiming at least 31 lives and injuring more than 200 people. Tensions are high between Iraq's Sunni and Shia, amid claims by the Sunni Muslim communities that they are being marginalised by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Shia-led government. Sunni Islamist militants linked to al-Qaeda have attempted to destabilise the government by stepping up attacks, mainly on Shia but also Sunni targets this year. Although violence has decreased in Iraq since the peak of the insurgency in 2006 and 2007, bombings are still common.", "summary": "At least 27 people, including two children, have been killed and dozens more injured in a bomb attack on a cafe in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, officials have said."}
{"article": "France's answer to Jay Leno (sort of), Thierry Ardisson is Gallic media-man personified. He is smart, a bit of a big-mouth, and regularly to be seen on chat-shows being applauded by airbrushed studio audiences. Fittingly for a television celebrity, he also lives at number 214 Rue de Rivoli, one of the nicer addresses in the capital. From his window on the fourth floor, the view over the Tuileries Gardens and the Musee d'Orsay is stupendous. But it's not the view that bugs Ardisson. It's what awaits him when he steps out of his front door. The arcades of the Rue de Rivoli were commissioned by Napoleon, and for a century and a half were one of the delights of the city. You came to stroll and take a coffee or browse alongside the booksellers and the antique-dealers who ran the little boutiques. Today, fumes Ardisson, the glory has gone. Instead, there are souvenir shops selling chef's hats and two-euro Eiffel Towers. The pavement is riddled with pot-holes (or hen's nests as the French call them), and some of the marvellous old floor mosaics are hidden by tourist tat. Worse, the food outlets sell junk sandwiches and junk kebabs. \"I love kebabs, but not here. At Barbes [an area with a large Arab population],\" Ardisson says in a video. So incensed is the presenter that he has created the Association for the Defence of the Arcades of the Rue de Rivoli (ADAR). He claims to have the support of the Paris Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, as well as the prefecture of police and the ministry of culture. What he wants is for the authorities to enforce by-laws that govern the arcades, some of which go back to the mid-19th Century. For example, a decree dated 1855 forbids tradespeople along the arcades from using an oven. They must allow free access for pedestrians along the walkway, and they must not put up pictures or advertisements. Because the arcades are not a historical monument, it is up to the owners of the buildings to enforce the rules. And this, says Ardisson, they are singularly failing to do. When I meet Thierry Ardisson in his apartment, he is kindness itself. He is happy to field my nastier questions, such as: is his behaviour not the worst kind of rich man's Nimbyism? \"The arcades of the Rue de Rivoli are famous throughout the world. They are sublime. But they have fallen into ruin. All I want to do is limit the damage,\" he says. \"Of course I know I can't return them to the way they were in the 60s. The world has changed. But we can slow down the decrepitude.\" It turns out that Ardisson - a self-made man who arrived in Paris from the south in 1969 - is that rare thing in France: a monarchist. \"I believe in your British constitution, the Westminster system, but obviously here in France that is a lost cause! \"We'll never have a king again. So I believe in lost causes. But as I always say: you don't have to", "summary": "A French TV host's campaign to ban junk-food stalls on the chic Rue de Rivoli has got le tout Paris wondering: \"What on Earth is eating our Thierry?\""}
{"article": "Ohio officials say that 26-year-old Saif Nasser Mubarak Alameri was shot in the head after fighting with officers. The Case Western University law student caused a car crash on the Ohio Turnpike then fled from police on Sunday, police officials say. His body has been flown to Abu Dhabi, where he will be buried on Friday. Jill Del Greco, a spokesperson for the Ohio Attorney General's office, said investigators from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation will be meeting representatives from Abu Dhabi Police's Criminal Investigation Department. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a major American ally in the Middle East, and has assisted the US in its fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Emirati officials called the death a \"painful incident\" but did not elaborate on what role their investigators will have in the US. Ohio officials have said that they will act as representatives of Alameri's family. Police in Hudson, Ohio, say Alameri was speeding and driving erratically on Sunday when he clipped another car and flipped over. He then allegedly fled into nearby woods, chased by officers for about a kilometre. A struggle ensued and Alameri was shot once in the head, medical examiners say. It is unclear whether he was armed, but his death has been ruled a homicide. The officer, who has not been named, has been put on leave. Alameri's father, Nasser Alameri, told the Khaleej Times newspaper that his family is in a state of mourning but have been following the investigation through US media reports. \"There has been a lot of contradictions in the American media. While they call it a homicide, we read that the officer is on paid leave, which is ironic,\" said Mr Nasser. Alameri, the eldest of six children, will be buried at a cemetery in Abu Dhabi after a funeral at a mosque following Friday prayers. \"We have deep trust in the government,\" Mr Alameri said, \"and we know that they will not let the case go until we get a clear image of what had happened.\" Saif Nasser Mubarak Alameri's name was trending on Twitter in his home country after news of his death. The Case Western University Daily reports that he had planned to return to the UAE after graduation to open a law firm. He recently hosted a Middle Eastern-themed dinner for university students and faculty. This is the second high-profile incident involving an Emirati man in Ohio this year. In October a grand jury chose not to indict a hotel desk clerk who falsely accused an Emirati guest of pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group. The incident prompted the UAE's foreign ministry to warn its citizens to avoid wearing traditional Arabic garments when travelling abroad.", "summary": "Abu Dhabi police are travelling to the US state of Ohio to \"participate in the investigation\" into the death of an Emirati student who was shot by police."}
{"article": "The Irish were dismissed for 181 in 46.3 overs as several of their batsman, including top-scorer Ed Joyce (46), got out playing poor shots. Bangladesh sealed victory in the 28th over with Soumya Sarkar unbeaten on 87. This was another untimely Irish display with the game's bosses set to decide on their possible Test status next month. Mustafizur Rahman did much of the damage in the Ireland innings as he took 4-23 after dismissing opener Paul Stirling in the second over, with the Irish still to get off the mark. Home captain William Porterfield chipped an easy caught-and-bowled dismissal to Mosaddek Hossain to leave the Irish on 37-2. A mini-revival as Ireland moved to 116-3 abruptly ended as Niall O'Brien (30) became the first of three Mustafizur victims in a six-over period to leave the home side on 136-7. O'Brien's brother Kevin top-edged the left-arm seamer to Mosaddek while Joyce was also out during that calamitous spell for the Irish as he went down the pitch and slogged spinner Sunzamul Islam straight to Sabbir Rahman. Lower-order batsmen George Dockrell (25) and Barry McCarthy (12) put on 35 for the eighth wicket before their departures saw Ireland quickly in the pavilion. Only a series of early dismissals would have got Ireland back into the game but instead Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal put on 95 for the first wicket as the visitors strolled to the most emphatic of victories. Joyce acknowledged Ireland \"didn't bat well enough\" after suffering a defeat arguably worse than the seven-wicket rout by England in Bristol earlier this month. \"I thought lots of the senior players, including myself, got out very cheaply. We'll look to put that right on Sunday against New Zealand,\" said the former England player. Ireland were competitive for much of last weekend's game against New Zealand at Malahide and will need a similar display or better on Sunday to take pressure off coach John Bracewell and his struggling side.", "summary": "Ireland suffered another chastening defeat as Bangladesh clinched an eight-wicket win with 22.5 overs to spare in the Tri-Nations game in Dublin."}
{"article": "City will meet Liverpool in the final at Wembley on 28 February after a 3-1 victory at the Etihad Stadium gave them a 4-3 aggregate win against the Toffees. Martinez, however, was upset that the match officials failed to spot Raheem Sterling had run the ball out of play before crossing for Kevin de Bruyne to score City's second with a thrilling game poised at 1-1. That scoreline would have sent Everton to Wembley to face their arch-rivals. Sergio Aguero added a third goal that secured City's place in the final, but an inconsolable Martinez believed Everton's hopes had been wrecked in that crucial 70th-minute moment when referee Martin Atkinson and assistant Scott Ledger allowed play to continue. \"You don't mind if Manchester City find a way of being outstanding and scoring three goals but it is very difficult to find an explanation in the dressing room for the players to find a reason we have been knocked out,\" he said. \"That is hurtful and unfair.\" Martinez added: \"It was a clear decision. The ball is out of play and the second goal affected the outcome too much. You feel so hurt because there have been a few big decisions that have not gone in our favour. \"You have to respect the referees and they have the toughest job in football but certain decisions are clear cut, away from the judgment of the referee. \"When the ball is out of play in the modern game, you don't expect that to be missed. When it ends up as the second goal, you can imagine the major blow it has to our feelings, our performance and our chances to get through.\" Martinez also dismissed talk of the introduction of technology when he said: \"My question to the referees' chief is do we need technology or should we expect the linesman and the referee to get these calls right? For me that action is so clear. I would expect international or Premier League linesmen to get that call right. I would expect a top referee to get his angle and his position right.\" Martinez's complaints cut no ice with City counterpart Manuel Pellegrini, who pointed out that Everton had been the beneficiaries of refereeing decisions against his side recently. \"It was maybe a mistake but I think the one thing Everton cannot complain about is the referee,\" said Pellegrini. \"We lost at Goodison when their first goal from Ramiro Funes Mori was clearly offside and there was also a clear penalty when Jesus Navas was fouled. \"We also had a clear penalty not given when Raheem Sterling was fouled against Everton recently and there was also a foul on one of our players before Everton's goal in this game.\"", "summary": "Everton manager Roberto Martinez was left fuming at what he said was a \"hurtful and unfair\" exit at the hands of Manchester City in the Capital One Cup."}
{"article": "The government would also retain Cuban physicians currently in the country whose contracts had expired, he added. Negotiations between the government and doctors to end the three-week strike have broken down. A policy of no-work-no-pay would be applied on those who refused to return to work by Thursday, the minister said. The minister did not say when the recruitment would start. However, Mr Segbefia appealed to the doctors to reconsider their position and return to work for negotiations to resume. The government said it would only resume talks when the doctors returned to work. The striking doctors want free postgraduate medical education, better retirement packages and increases in clothing, fuel and maintenance allowances. Other demands include a request for free overseas healthcare for services not available in Ghana, and the right to import vehicles into the country free of duty. The BBC's Sammy Darko in the capital, Accra, says the strike has mainly affected large teaching hospitals. It has also put enormous pressure on military and police hospitals, which are treating emergency cases, he adds. All Ghanaians can have access to free state healthcare if they register with the National Health Insurance Authority. Government officials have advised people needing urgent medical attention during the strike to go to private clinics and show their health insurance cards. It is not clear whether those who have done so have received free medical care.", "summary": "Ghana is planning to recruit 177 doctors from Cuba to work at state-run hospitals hit by a doctors' strike, Health Minister Alex Segbefia has said."}
{"article": "Set 302 to win from 46 overs at Taunton, Middlesex needed eight from the last and Simpson lofted Jim Allenby over long leg to finish 79 not out. Nick Gubbins contributed 76 and James Fuller smashed 36 from only 18 balls. Somerset, 348-6 overnight, earlier declared on 446-9 to give Middlesex an invitation they were happy to accept. The visitors, who began the game with a one-point lead at the top of County Championship Division One, extended it to 14 points because of Warwickshire's draw with Hampshire and Lancashire's week off. The catalyst for victory came from Fuller, who took three wickets in the morning session then provided acceleration to the run chase. With 109 needed from nine overs, Fuller, who had survived a loud appeal for caught behind off Tim Groenewald, hit the same bowler for successive sixes over extra cover in an over that cost 22. His onslaught jolted Simpson into life, with the wicketkeeper taking up the chase after Fuller and Ollie Rayner fell in the same Jack Leach over. Allenby was given the responsibility of the final over and with six needed from four balls, Simpson swept a leg-stump delivery over the longest boundary on the ground. It completed a remarkable chase, one that Middlesex looked to have abandoned after Sam Robson, Dawid Malan, Gubbins and George Bailey fell in quick succession, all four to Groenewald, who finished with 5-90. A sedate passage with Simpson and James Franklin at the crease followed, but Fuller arrived to make things happen, just as he had with the ball in the morning session. He took all three wickets to fall before lunch, including Peter Trego, who made 138, for figures of 3-125. Middlesex were held up by last-wicket pair Leach and Groenewald until midway through the afternoon, when Somerset captain Chris Rogers declared. It led to a thrilling climax, with all four results possible until Simpson, on his 28th birthday, struck the decisive blow.", "summary": "Middlesex's John Simpson hit a six with two balls remaining to seal a thrilling two-wicket win over Somerset in County Championship Division One."}
{"article": "The Labour leader said hospital waiting lists and financial deficits were rising and asked for a guarantee that the NHS, which he described as a \"jewel in the crown\", would be fully funded. The PM said the NHS was treating more people and outcomes were improving. He insisted that a strong economy was the backbone of a strong NHS. The exchange comes amid a bitter row between health secretary Jeremy Hunt and junior doctors over proposed changes to their contracts. Mr Corbyn said the prime minister was \"trying to dig himself out of a hole\" over the issue and Labour would be demanding more details of the government's latest pay offer. Turning to the wider situation in the NHS, the first time he has specifically raised the health service at PMQs since he became leader, Mr Corbyn quoted a senior figure from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine as saying \"this winter will be worse than last winter and the last winter was the worst we have ever had\". Mr Corbyn said that, since 2010, waiting lists at English hospitals had gone up by a third, while 3.5 million people were now waiting to be treated. He went on to quote the King's Fund think tank which he said had warned of a \"rapid decline in patient care\" without extra funding. \"The NHS is in a problem, a problem of deficits in many hospitals, it's in a problem of waiting lists, it's in a problem of the financial crisis that has been faced with so many others. \"Can you address that issue and ensure everyone in this country can rely on the NHS which is surely the jewel in all of our crowns.\" Mr Cameron said the Royal College of Emergency Medicine supported reforms to the NHS to create a truly seven-day-a week service and insisted that the government was committed to providing the billions in extra funding a year sought by senior NHS officials. \"I believe the NHS has the resources it needs and that is why we are seeing it treat more patients, more drugs being delivered, more tests being carried out. It is a much stronger NHS and the reason is simple. We have a much stronger economy.\" For the fifth PMQs running, Mr Corbyn also raised the issue of tax credits, pressing the prime minister again for a guarantee that no-one would lose out from cuts to working tax credits from next April. He cited the case of a serving soldier with children who he said would be \u00c2\u00a32,000 worse off. Mr Cameron said the soldier in question would benefit from the increase in the personal tax allowance and an expansion in subsidised childcare but went on to defend the government's goal of a \"low welfare, low tax, high pay\" economy. He told the Labour leader would have to wait three weeks until the Autumn Statement to learn the government's revised proposals following its recent defeat in the House of Commons, accusing him of opposing every single reform in the area and supporting unlimited benefits. Mr Cameron tried", "summary": "Jeremy Corbyn has warned of the risk of another \"winter crisis\" in the NHS as he and David Cameron clashed over health at Prime Minister's Questions."}
{"article": "Up to 1,000 people dressed in Harris Tweed jackets set off from Clerkenwell to take part in the annual London Tweed Run. The event, which took in the major landmarks, is described as a \"bicycle ride with a bit of style\". Cyclists stopped for tea in Tavistock Square and lunch in Kensington Gardens. Crowds took photos as the well-dressed riders, some on vintage bikes including penny-farthings, toured the capital's streets at a fairly leisurely pace. The riders, who also finished in Clerkenwell, were warned that \"proper attire\" was expected but bowler hats were a \"spot more aerodynamic than top hats\". \"We take to the streets in our well-pressed best, and cycle through the city's iconic landmarks,\" a spokeswoman said. \"Along the way, we stop for a tea break and a picnic stop, and we usually end with a bit of a jolly knees-up.\"", "summary": "Hundreds of cyclists swapped lycra for flat caps, trilbies, berets and their sartorial best during a 12-mile ride."}
{"article": "Campaign manager Kellyanne Conway told the BBC such antipathy \"doesn't reflect why Donald Trump is running and who he would be on the global stage\". She also attacked Hillary Clinton's \"unremarkable to chequered\" record as secretary of state. Both candidates are undertaking a blitz of campaigning in key states on Monday. The latest national poll, conducted by YouGov for The Economist, gave Mrs Clinton a four-point lead. The final full day of campaigning - as it happened The disunited states of America - whoever wins Mr Trump has faced a barrage of criticism from some world figures during campaigning. French President Francois Hollande said the businessman made people \"want to retch\". The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights described him as a danger internationally. Speaking to the BBC's Katty Kay, Ms Conway said negative attitudes overseas do \"bother me\" but defended Mr Trump's \"America First\" stance. Mr Trump \"does say America First and he means it\", she said, spelling out the reasons - stopping the loss of American jobs overseas, making sure all partners, including Nato, pay their fair share and renegotiating trade deals that are bad for the US. What do Russians think of Trump? Donald Trump - the Canadian view Clinton and Trump compared to world leaders Europe hates Trump. Does it matter? Ms Conway also responded to a jibe from President Barack Obama that Mr Trump could not be trusted with US nuclear codes. The president, during a rally in Florida on Sunday, said that if Mr Trump could not be trusted with a Twitter account, he should not be in charge of US nuclear weapons. He was referring to a New York Times report that Mr Trump's team had taken control of his Twitter account from him. But Ms Conway denied the Times report and said Mr Trump could be trusted with the nuclear weapons. She said that Mrs Clinton had herself \"not proved to be qualified with nuclear codes\" citing her use of a private email server for classified information when she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 in the Obama administration. Ms Conway condemned Mrs Clinton for allegedly allowing her maid to print off classified documents. On Sunday, the FBI's director said a fresh inquiry into the Democratic candidate's communications had found nothing to change the bureau's conclusion this summer that she should not face criminal charges. Pointing to what she said was a series of foreign policy errors by Mrs Clinton, Ms Conway said: \"The Russian reset was a joke, she owns the fake 'red-line' in Syria, she owns the lack of progress in North Africa and she certainly owns Benghazi.\" Asked why Mr Trump had been referring to Brexit in recent times, she said he was talking about how the UK's Remain camp had seemed \"pretty robust\" in the final days before the referendum, but that the Leave team were able to turn out their supporters. She said: \"But I told him just yesterday you should stop referring to Brexit, because it's actually the Trump effect, the fact that you have so", "summary": "Donald Trump's campaign team has sought to allay negative views expressed overseas towards its candidate, a day before the US goes to the polls."}
{"article": "President Nicos Anastasiades said new measures, mostly affecting the Russian business community, would be approved at a cabinet meeting on Monday. Russians have billions of euros in Cypriot bank deposits. Investors were angered when it emerged they would lose up to 60% of their savings under the terms of the bailout. In order to secure the 10bn euros, agreed by the EU and IMF, Cyprus was forced to wind up one major bank and write-off of a large portion of secured debt and uninsured deposits in the largest bank, Bank of Cyprus. Speaking at a Russian business conference in the coastal resort of Limassol, President Anastasiades said the new measures would \"mitigate to some extent the damage\" Russian investors had endured. Cyprus has been a member of the EU since 2004. It sealed an EU bailout last month to save it from bankruptcy. President Anastasiades said foreign investors who held deposits prior to 15 March, and who lost at least 3m euros would be eligible to apply for Cypriot citizenship. Cyprus's existing \"citizenship by investment\" programme will also be revised to reduce the amount of investment required to be eligible from 10m euros to 3m. The president said he would also drop requirements for citizenship applicants to keep 15m euros in Cypriot banks for five years, saying they would be allowed immediate access to their money. \"These decisions will be deployed in a fast-track manner,\" President Anastasiades said. The Cypriot economy is worth about 18bn euros, which accounts for less than 0.2% of the eurozone total.", "summary": "Cyprus is to relax its citizenship rules for foreign investors who lost at least 3m euros (\u00a32.5m) under an EU bailout deal."}
{"article": "Their answer: a festival that showcased two of the key themes of country life. Country music and utes. The ute, a passenger car with a cargo tray (or pick-up truck), was first manufactured in Australia in 1932 after a farmer wrote a letter to the head of Ford asking him to build a two-in-one vehicle so \"I can go in to church on Sunday and carry pigs to market on Monday\". Held over the October Labour Day Long Weekend, the Deni Ute Muster now attracts 20,000 people annually to a paddock outside Deniliquin. It holds two Guinness World Records: the largest parade of legally registered utes (9,763) and the event with the most blue singlets (3,959) - another Aussie icon created in the 1890s when legendary sheep shearer Jackie Howe tore the sleeves off his undershirt to free up his upper arms. \"The Deni Ute Muster is recognised as one of Australia's premier rural events,\" says Sandra Chipcase, CEO of Destination NSW, the tourism bureau for the state of New South Wales. \"It encapsulates all the uniqueness and vibrancy of our rural heritage and culture.\" Attracting big-name performers has been key to the muster's success. The inaugural event featured Australian country music legend Lee Kernaghan, with alternative rock band Spiderbait and Australian crooner Jimmy Barnes of Cold Chisel fame also making appearances over the years. This year's event was headlined by four-time Grammy Award winner Keith Urban, who performed in howling rain as the remains one of the biggest storms to hit Australia in half a century turned the muster into a muddy swamp. The bad weather didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd. Rather it appeared to accentuate it, with many revellers gleefully rolling around in the mud. \"In the city when the weather is like this nobody goes out. But here nobody cares,\" says Bernie Green, one of more than 1,000 volunteers who manned a breathalyser station that raised money for driver education at a local high school. \"They love their utes, they love the country music, and come rain, hail or shine, everyone turns up.\" The highest blood alcohol concentration recorded over the weekend says Green was 0.4% - a life-threatening reading according to that National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. And while binge drinking is highly prevalent at the muster, incidents of alcohol-related violence are rare. \"There is a lot of alcohol around, yes, but I have not seen too many issues,\" says Collin Jacobs, a police officer from the town of Wagga Wagga. Live music is only one element of the muster. There's wood chopping, bull riding, a big top circus, chainsaw art, a whip-cracking competition, helicopter, camel and monster truck rides, a petting zoo, fireworks displays and the screening of the Australian Football League's Grand Final in Melbourne. Utes and ute culture are also central to the entertainment. At the \"Go to Wo\" Competition, drivers in supercharged utes run a course while attempting to stop within a predetermined space. The Milwaukee Barrel Race sees drivers race around a course outlined by barrels while trying not", "summary": "In 1999, the residents of Deniliquin, a small farming community of 8,000 people on a drought and flood-prone plain 720km (450 miles) south-west of Sydney concocted a plan to kickstart tourism."}
{"article": "Lawyers are continuing to refer alleged abuse by soldiers to the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT). It has so far informed about 280 UK veterans they are under investigation. No 10 said David Cameron feared people were being \"solicited by lawyers\" enticing them into making accusations. Established in 2010 by the previous Labour government, IHAT has considered at least 1,515 possible victims, of whom 280 are alleged to have been unlawfully killed. Unlawful death cases involving 35 alleged killings have already been referred to the Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA) - the military equivalent of the Crown Prosecution Service - along with 36 cases of alleged abuse and mistreatment with \"multiple complainants\". Asked about reports that some servicemen had faced repeated investigation over the same events, the prime minister's official spokeswoman said: \"We are deeply concerned about these types of situation. \"Every false claim that the government [has to] respond to, investigate and defend is diverting spending from the front line and from the work that our armed forces do to keep us safe. \"It is important that the government looks at what it can do to stop these types of scenarios where the claims may be fabricated, or not justified, and to look at how we deliver a better system in the future.\" Two public inquiries have already looked at claims against UK troops in Iraq. Last year, the Al-Sweady Inquiry concluded that allegations that troops murdered and mutilated Iraqis in custody were \"wholly without foundation\" - although some of the detention techniques used had amounted to mistreatment. In 2011, another inquiry into claims of abuse highlighted the death of hotel worker Baha Mousa in British military custody, and blamed \"corporate failure\" at the Ministry of Defence for the use of banned interrogation methods in Iraq. The PM's spokeswoman added: \"We are concerned at reports about people being solicited by lawyers to make allegations that - as the Al-Sweady Inquiry showed - can often be fabricated.\" She said IHAT's work should be \"completed as quickly and efficiently as possible\". IHAT's budget of \u00c2\u00a357.2m runs until the end of 2019 - 16 years after the invasion of Iraq began in 2003. Last week, the unit's head, Mark Warwick, said there were \"lots of significant cases\" being investigated and discussions would be held over whether any of them met the threshold for a war crimes prosecution. Andrew Cayley QC, the director of the SPA, has said it \"will not flinch\" in prosecuting British soldiers where there is sufficient evidence of wrongdoing. The Ministry of Defence says it takes such allegations \"extremely seriously\". But Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has criticised \"ambulance-chasing British law firms\" whom he said were inhibiting soldiers on the battlefield because they feared being hauled in front of the courts on their return. He argued there was \"a strong case\" for suspending the European human rights law when sending forces into action overseas.", "summary": "The prime minister is \"deeply concerned\" that Iraq War veterans could face threats of prosecution due to \"fabricated\" or \"unjustified\" claims of misconduct, Downing Street says."}
{"article": "The 13-year-old boy collapsed in Cardiff after smoking King Cobra, South Wales Police said. It comes after officers carried out a drugs raid in Morriston, Swansea, last week and seized \u00c2\u00a36,000 worth of new psychoactive substances (NPS). Police said Swansea council's trading standards team is now investigating. Det Ch Insp Jason Redrup said: \"Across south Wales we are seeing an increase in people using NPS, especially among young people. \"It is important that people know that these substances are not only illegal but are also dangerous to their health. In most cases users won't know exactly what they are taking.\" Referring to the drugs warrant executed at a commercial premises at Woodfield Street in Morriston, police neighbourhood beat manager PC Richard Williams said: \"We have received a constant flow of information from the local community about this premises which is linked to recent publicity about the use of so-called legal highs. \"We have acted on this information and by working with our partners in trading standards have disrupted this operation.\" Legal highs which are not under any form of controls are sometimes labelled as \"research chemicals\", \"herbal incense\" or \"not for human consumption\". Nearly 350 new psychoactive substances have been identified, the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said earlier this month.", "summary": "A warning over the dangers of taking so-called legal highs has been issued by police after a teenager was taken to hospital."}
{"article": "Tarzan has in the past dragged logs from the Migdale Rock Site of Special Scientific Interest in Ledmore and Migdale Woods in Sutherland. The horse caused less damage to rare plants than modern forest machinery. Tarzan has been put to use at the Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore where woodland is being thinned out. Trees in a dense plantation of Scots pine have been felled to improve it as a habitat for wildlife including red squirrels. Meanwhile, Scots pine woods on a nature reserve at the most northerly estuary on Scotland's east coast are to be given greater protection. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) plans to control deer numbers and remove non-native plants at the site at Loch Fleet near Golspie in Sutherland. SNH said Scots pine trees in the area were in an \"unfavourable condition\". Work to remove rhododendron and sycamore, which are both not native to the UK, will start next month. Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve covers a large tidal basin surrounded by dunes, salt marsh and pine woods.", "summary": "A horse used in logging operations in a fragile wildlife habitat has been hauling timber in woodland at a museum of Highland life."}
{"article": "A team, at Western University, Ontario, want people from all over the world to sign up online to do cognitive tests. The specially devised computer games test skills such as reasoning, language comprehension and decision-making. I joined a group of volunteers trying out the tests and had my brain scanned while doing them. Prof Adrian Owen, a British neuroscientist based at the Brain and Mind Institute in London, Ontario, is leading the study. He told me: \"We all know what it feels like to not get enough sleep but we know very little about the effects on the brain; we want to see how it affects cognition, memory and your ability to concentrate.\" The team will collate the cognitive scores and see the variations depending on how much sleep people have had. Everyone's sleep requirements are different, but if enough people join the study, it may allow scientists to determine the average number of hours needed for optimum brain function. I joined four volunteers spending the night at Western University, where we road-tested the brain games and were able to demonstrate how lack of sleep affects cognitive performance. The tests can be played on any computer, tablet or smart phone. Double Trouble: This looks simple but really stretches the grey matter. You have to click on the word below that corresponds to the colour in which the word above is written. So, if the word at the top is \"blue\", but is coloured in red, you must click on the word below that is coloured red, even if it is written as \"blue\". Fiendish. Odd One Out: This starts simple but gets increasingly complex as you try to find the one shape that is different from the others. Grammatical reasoning: Is the statement about a diagram true or false? Sounds easy, until you begin dealing with negative statements. Spatial planning: This tests the ability to plan ahead - like all the games, it measures cognitive skills we use repeatedly during the day. After staying up until 04:00, we were allowed four hours' sleep. When we re-did the cognitive tests later in the morning, Evan, Cecilia and I scored significantly worse than we had the night before. Hooman - who is used to being on-call and responding to patients - did not see much of a dip in his score, while Sylvie's actually improved. Sylvie said: \"Although I feel a bit fuzzy this morning, maybe I've just got used to functioning on very little sleep; I have to be on as soon as my kids wake up, so it's normal for me.\" I have long known that I don't function well when sleep deprived, so it was no surprise that my cognitive scores dipped dramatically in the morning. In order to find out what might be happening in my brain, I repeated the cognitive tests while inside an MRI machine. I was scanned twice - after a normal night's sleep and then after the sleep-deprived night. The functional MRI scanner is able to detect blood flow in the brain - so the areas", "summary": "Scientists in Canada have launched what is set to become the world's largest study of the effects of lack of sleep on the brain."}
{"article": "Stephen Myler kicked three penalties to put the hosts 9-3 ahead at half-time, despite losing captain Tom Wood to the sin bin for infringing at a maul. Two more Myler penalties after the break extended their lead to 12 points. But Saints, who handed South Africa great Victor Matfield his debut off the bench, were short of their best as they sealed a second league win this season. After losing at newly promoted Worcester Warriors on the opening night of the campaign, Northampton have since continued to stutter and suffered domestic defeats by Sale Sharks and defending champions Saracens. Media playback is not supported on this device However, while they still remain without a try at Franklin's Gardens since May, director of rugby Jim Mallinder will be encouraged by the resilience shown by his players in overcoming Gloucester in difficult conditions for flowing rugby. He will also be boosted by the return of Matfield from World Cup duty, the 127-cap Springboks lock coming on for the final 21 minutes to make his Premiership debut. The 38-year-old adds further power and experience to a pack dominant throughout against the Cherry and Whites, setting the platform for Myler to kick five out of six attempts at goal. Victory moves Saints up to fifth in the table, level on points with Leicester in the final play-off place, while Gloucester remain in 10th. Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: \"Coming here it's always going to be a set-piece game, but those conditions meant that it was going to be a case of whichever team made the fewest mistakes, was able to control field position and didn't give away penalties.\" \"I thought for long periods of the game we did control field position, but we made too many mistakes and obviously gave away too many penalties with a kicker of the quality of Stephen Myler on the pitch.\" \"Scrummaging's not just about one player, it's about the whole eight - you've got to give credit to Northampton, it's what they've built their success around over the course of the last few years - a very strong set piece.\" Northampton Saints: Foden, Tuala, G. Pisi, Burrell, North, Myler, Fotuali'i, A. Waller, Haywood, Brookes, Paterson, C. Day, Gibson, Wood, S. Dickinson. Replacements: L. Dickson for Burrell (60), Hanrahan for Fotuali'i (51), E. Waller for A. Waller (71), Williams for Haywood (78), Matfield for Paterson (60), Harrison for Gibson (69). Not Used: Hill, K. Pisi. Sin Bin: Wood (31). Gloucester: Cook, Sharples, Meakes, Hook, May, Twelvetrees, Heinz, McAllister, Hibbard, Afoa, Savage, Thrush, Moriarty, Kvesic, B. Morgan. Replacements: Purdy for Meakes (68), Dawidiuk for Hibbard (67), Doran-Jones for Afoa (63), Galarza for Savage (53), Rowan for Kvesic (67), Laidlaw for B. Morgan (53). Not Used: Y. Thomas, Kalamafoni. Sin Bin: Y. Thomas (80). Att: 14,893 Ref: Greg Garner (RFU).", "summary": "Northampton Saints battled to a hard-fought victory over Gloucester in the wind and rain at Franklin's Gardens."}
{"article": "She's messing with our minds. That was the only explanation some could come up with for Melania Trump's latest intervention in the race for the White House. After her last big outing ended in a row over plagiarism, it was assumed that we wouldn't see much of the former model as polling day approached. But with husband Donald buoyant over improving poll numbers, she was sent out on Thursday to try to win over female voters scared away by the allegations about his past behaviour. Speaking in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Mrs Trump sought to present herself as a proud child of immigrants and a regular Mom of a 10-year-old boy, and her husband as a man who could bring \"real change\" to America. \"He loves this country and he knows how to get things done. He certainly knows how to shake things up, doesn't he?\" she said to screams of support from the crowd. Then she announced her big idea if she becomes First Lady - a crusade against cyber-bullying. \"Our culture has gotten too mean and too rough, especially for children and teenagers,\" she opined, seemingly forgetting the pugnacious campaign that her husband has run. \"We have to find a better way to talk to each other, to disagree with each other, to respect each other,\" she added, as Twitter users kicked into gear with their astonishment. One tweet captured the reaction: \"Have you seen your husband's tweets over the years?\" Not for the first time, Mrs Trump had left the media scratching its head, noted The Washington Post's Callum Borchers. Had she not noticed she is \"married to the year's cyber-bully-in-chief\"? There were also suggestions that Mrs Trump had borrowed part of her speech from something one of her husband's ex-wives, Marla Maples, had said in 2011. Although the phrase in question was so generic it would be hard to pin another plagiarism charge on her speech writers, no matter how badly some of her husband's critics would like to. Speaking about her childhood in Slovenia, Mrs Trump said: \"America meant, if you could dream it, you could become it.\" Ms Maples, who was married to Mr Trump from 1993 to 1999, had said, of her own upbringing, \"I believed if you could dream it, you could become it\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\" Mrs Trump's outing is a bit late in the day to have much effect on the race, with more than 33 million people thought to have already cast their votes in states that allow early voting (which is more than half of them). It's particularly hard to glean any nuggets of information from early voting data, but that doesn't stop political nerds from trying. In Nevada, which is proving to be a key battleground state, it appears that early voting may be looking pretty good for the Clinton camp. Although we don't find out who those early voters have voted for, we do know how many registered Democrats and Republicans have cast their ballots - and so far, the Democrats are well ahead. One challenge for Clinton though, is trying to energise", "summary": "With just four days to go, Melania Trump makes a rare campaign appearance while everyone tries to make sense of new polls and early voting numbers."}
{"article": "The baton contains the Queen's hand-written message to the Commonwealth and will visit all 70 competing nations and territories over the next 288 days. It will travel to Scotland on Thursday before heading to India for its first international stopover on 11 October. The baton's journey will end at the opening ceremony on 23 July 2014, when the Queen will read the message inside. The empty baton was escorted to Buckingham Palace by pipers and cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, a six-time Olympic Gold and double Commonwealth Gold medallist. During the launch ceremony, the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Prince Imran of Malaysia, said the relay had power and meaning. \"The relay unites two billion citizens of the Commonwealth in a celebration of sport, diversity and peace,\" he said. \"It will also bring the 70 nations and territories of the Commonwealth together. \"Every time the baton is passed it will cement the Commonwealth friendship and reinforce the ways in which we are connected.\" The ceremony also heard from Lord Smith of Kelvin, chairman of games organiser Glasgow 2014. Q&A: What is the Queen's baton relay? He said: \"The spirit of friendship that will be displayed as the baton is passed from hand to hand reflects the warm welcome that nations and territories of the Commonwealth can expect when they come to Glasgow and to Scotland next summer. \"This is a historic moment for Glasgow 2014. We will treasure it and we look forward to following closely the Queen's baton relay on its momentous journey.\" Following the speeches, the Queen placed the hand-written scroll, which contains her message to the Commonwealth, inside the baton. It was then sealed for its journey of more than 190,000km through Commonwealth territories in Asia, Oceania, Africa, North and South America and the Caribbean. The first baton bearer was Alan Wells, the Scottish sprinter who won gold in the men's 100m at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. He said: \"As the final runner of the Queen's Baton Relay (QBR) at the last Commonwealth Games on Scottish soil in Edinburgh in 1986, the baton and what it symbolises is incredibly special for me. \"It is a real honour for me to now be named as the first baton-bearer for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.\" Wells handed the baton on to Scottish swimmer Caitlin McLatchey, who won two gold medals at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. A short relay then took place up and down The Mall involving Scottish athletes Cara Kennedy (artistic gymnast), Morgan McKinnon (triple jump) and Ruairi Kirkwood (swimming). Other participants included Izzy Conway, a volunteer or Clydesider at the games, Aamir Meymood, the 13-year-old Shawlands Academy pupil who designed the Glasgow 2014 tartan, games ambassador Julie McIlroy and 12-year-old Beth Gilmour, who will be accompanied by games mascot Clyde, whom she designed. Glasgow 2014: Queen's Baton Relay route Those attending the ceremony included Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond. He said: \"The start of the Queen's Baton Relay, with two of Scotland's greatest-ever athletes, is another step towards what will be a momentous year for Scotland. \"2014", "summary": "The Queen's Baton Relay - heralding the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow - has been launched at Buckingham Palace."}
{"article": "The subway stops near Wall Street are still crammed in the mornings yet financial firms in New York - once the centre of the money universe - aren't expanding the way they used to. Companies in far-flung states such as Arizona and Texas are seeing the rise in financial jobs instead. The shift in part reflects population trends in the US, where states in the south and west - often dubbed Sun Belt states - are growing faster than their counterparts in the north. It's also driven by growth in insurance, investment advice and consumer lending jobs, over the trading and securities roles historically based in New York. Just as important, companies say, is that new technology and the rise of online banking means they can look more broadly when making location decisions. \"You don't need to go into a bank anymore. You don't need a brick-and-mortar building. You can do it from anywhere,\" says Gay Meyer, assistant vice president for regional human resources at the banking and insurance company USAA. \"That allows us as a company to think outside of, 'We have to be in New York or have to be in Chicago'.\" As the economic recovery takes hold and low interest rates persist, demand for home loans, credit cards and other products has picked up. That's translated into jobs. The number of finance and insurance jobs in the US expanded by 1.8% over the 12 months that ended in March, finally rebounding to pre-financial crisis levels. New York remains home to about 8% of those positions. But at the end of 2014, Texas overtook it as the state with the highest number of jobs in the sector. Meyer is based in Arizona, a desert state on the border with Mexico that is better known for the Grand Canyon than banking. But over the 12 months to March, hiring for finance and insurance jobs grew faster than any other state in the country. Its rise as a regional financial hub is fuelled by expansions from companies such as USAA, State Farm and Charles Schwab, which have been drawn to the area by affordability, booming population and a large pool of university graduates and potential recruits. USAA, an insurance and banking firm that serves military and veteran families all over the world, hired nearly 600 people in Arizona last year, as demand for credit cards and mortgages boomed, Meyer said. Forty minutes south, insurance giant State Farm hired about 2,000 people in 2016 and expects to bring on a similar number this year, in roles such as customer service, sales and IT, said Naomi Johnson, a State Farm public affairs specialist. She transferred to the Phoenix-area campus last June after working for the company for 16 years in her home state of New York. Johnson, 39, said she's seen the way the job growth is boosting the local economy, spurring new food and shopping spots to open. She regularly gets calls from builders, checking on hiring - the campus now holds about 6,600 and the firm is aiming for 10,000 - as", "summary": "Financial jobs in the US have finally rebounded but they're not growing where you might think."}
{"article": "Canadian officials said an attack had been planned with support from al-Qaeda elements in Iran, although there was no evidence of state sponsorship. Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, and Raed Jaser, 35, are due to appear in court on Tuesday for a bail hearing. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said to suggest a link between al-Qaeda and Iran was \"ridiculous\". \"This is the most hilarious thing I've heard in my 64 years,\" Mr Salehi told the Iranian Isna news agency. \"It is really ridiculous to link al-Qaeda to Iran. I hope that the Canadian authorities think a bit more rationally and pay attention to the consciousness of the people and world public opinion.\" Al-Qaeda - a militant Salafist Islamic movement - preaches a radical anti-Shia ideology that places it firmly at odds with Shia Iran. However, analysts say that despite this enmity, al-Qaeda and Iran have tolerated one another where it suits them. Last September Canada severed diplomatic ties with Iran, closing its embassy in Tehran and expelling all remaining Iranian diplomats from Canada. At the time Foreign Minister John Baird said Canada viewed Iran \"as the most significant threat to global peace and security in the world today\". Canadian authorities said the two suspects were arrested in Montreal and Toronto on Monday. They are not Canadian citizens but their nationalities have not yet been officially confirmed. According to Canadian media reports, Mr Esseghaier is a Tunisian national while Mr Jaser is thought to be a Palestinian with citizenship in the United Arab Emirates. Canada's Globe and Mail reported that the pair had been under investigation since last year following a tip-off by a concerned imam in the Toronto Muslim community. The imam was worried that young people in his community were being corrupted by an extremist, the report said. It is alleged that the two had planned to derail a passenger train in the greater Toronto area, but it is not clear when. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the surveillance operation leading to the arrests was \"a result of extensive collaborative efforts\". It said FBI agents from the US were involved in helping to foil the attack, although a US justice department official said there was no connection between the plot and last week's Boston Marathon bombings. The RCMP said the two men, who were not Canadian citizens, had planned to derail a train operated by VIA Rail and \"kill and hurt people\". RCMP Chief Superintendent Jennifer Strachan said the attack was \"definitely in the planning stage but not imminent\". \"We are alleging that these two individuals took steps and conducted activities to initiate a terrorist attack,\" she said. \"They watched trains and railways in the Greater Toronto area.\" Chief Supt Strachan did not say if the route being targeted was a cross-border route with the US. However, the Globe and Mail, citing sources, said it involved a Toronto-New York City train, and New York Republican Representative Peter King said the attack was intended \"to cause significant loss of human life including New Yorkers\". VIA Rail, which operates passenger rail", "summary": "Iran has denied any links to two men arrested in Canada on suspicion of planning an attack on a train."}
{"article": "The company behind the project at Woodburn Forest, near Carrickfergus, is set to formally end its application for a court order to stop alleged trespassing and obstruction, according to a lawyer in the case. Lawyers for InfraStrata had issued High Court proceedings against 10 people after a notice was issued for opponents to vacate the site last week. At one stage, a judge had warned that he would ban them from going near the area if they blocked work getting underway. However, with contractors able to move in without obstruction, the case had been adjourned to Friday for a further update. It was indicated that the legal application is set to be formally discontinued. Outside court, solicitor Mark O'Connor, representing some of the protestors, said: \"My clients are delighted with the resolution to this matter, where they are no longer to face injunction proceedings. \"They don't believe this case should ever have been brought in the first place.\" The Stop the Drill campaign group is objecting to a controversial borehole to search for oil and gas in the area, saying it is part of the catchment for a reservoir supplying water to homes in Belfast and Carrickfergus. They claim chemicals used in the drill process could leach into the water table. But Northern Ireland Water, which leased the site to InfraStrata, insists the project will not compromise the water supply. Groundwater will also be protected by measures, including the drill shaft being encased in steel and concrete, according to the firm. Last week, Mid and East Antrim Council approved a waste management plan - effectively paving the way for four months of work on the site to begin. During a previous hearing, a lawyer for InfraStrata said a protest camp was in operation since March. He claimed groups of up to 25 people gathered during earlier, preliminary stages in the project. At one stage cars were used to block off the entrance to the site, he said. Any further disruption will have financial consequences for a project costing \u00c2\u00a38,000 a day, the court heard. It was argued that the company has a right of way on private land and was only taking the minimal step of seeking an injunction at this stage. A lawyer representing some of the 10 defendants insisted his clients had neither trespassed nor caused obstruction. He also stressed the international concern at what he described as a world-first attempt to drill in a water catchment area. But with the case now apparently settled, Mr O'Connor said both sides will bear their own legal costs.", "summary": "Anti-drilling protesters are no longer facing injunction proceedings over an exploratory oil well site in County Antrim."}
{"article": "He was playing against opponents who, earlier that season, had wound him up so badly that it completely put him off his game. Players who 24 hours earlier had spoken to a newspaper to explain, in detail, how this imposter was going to be stopped. The supporters didn't like him. Nothing was going right. And then, taking possession 40 yards out, Ibrahimovic explodes. A dart forward. The acceleration beginning. A quick stepover, round one opponent, speed increasing. Another stepover. Outside another, back inside the same man as he tries to recover and then a shot into the bottom corner from 18 yards. \"He could have passed,\" recalled one of the opponents he had left trailing in his wake. \"But he had read the article. It was as if he was saying, 'Forget it guys. It's me'.\" Ibrahimovic was not finished. Initial glee, wide smile, on bended knee, waving an arm in mock celebration to show how easy it was. Then something else, more serious, a point to be made. A cup-eared celebration, blowing kisses to the crowd who were already in a state of fury. He was 19. The goal is well known among Swedish fans. The reaction to it new. It is part of a documentary 'Becoming Zlatan' to be released in August that contains remarkable archive footage of Ibrahimovic's early years at Malmo. Getting such close access at an early stage of his career was sheer good fortune for brothers Fredrik and Magnus Gertten, who shot the footage in 2000 and 2001 as part of a film intended to show the conflict between young and older players at their beloved Malmo. They needed a focus for each side of the debate. They had heard of Ibrahimovic and approached him. \"The way he saw it, of course we should make a documentary him,\" said Fredrik. \"It suited his self image. He was only 17 but he had a very strong confidence that he would make it because he had something special.\" Manchester United's newest recruit has a reputation for saying what he thinks. Numerous times in recent weeks he refused to say where he was going, even though his destination after leaving Paris St-Germain was obvious. Instead he said he amused himself by reading what was being written and would eventually let everyone know, at a time of his choosing. He meant it. When he posted United's badge on Instagram, he even beat his new club to the news by 24 hours. \"We are not part of the football world,\" said Gertten. \"Our business is making social and political films. Our initial experience of dealing with footballers was that nothing of them ever comes out in what they say. Their words are controlled, boring, nothing. \"Zlatan was different. Here was a young guy who said interesting things, very honest things about himself and his emotions. It was so fresh. It made you feel warm towards him. \"The problem is people don't always like honesty. When someone says what they think it can be painful.\" His Croatian mother and hard-drinking Bosnian father", "summary": "It was typical of Zlatan Ibrahimovic."}
{"article": "James Lynch, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), told the BBC that passengers saw smugglers being paid after the boat was intercepted. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Friday admitted using \"creative\" strategies to stop migrant boats but refused to go into detail. The country's immigration and foreign ministers denied payments were made. \"The boat that was rescued by the Indonesian navy on 31 May - we have interviewed the 65 passengers and they have said that the crew received a payment,\" said Mr Lynch. He said the passengers - 54 from Sri Lanka, 10 from Bangladesh, and one from Myanmar - were transferred to a customs boat for four days \"before being put on two boats and sent back to Indonesia\". He added: \"Mr Abbott says the reason is to save lives because people risk their lives on the boats, and I agree, but I'm not sure putting them back on boats and sending them back is the answer.\" Mr Lynch said Australia had a responsibility under UN treaties, which it had signed, to see if any of the migrants were in need of international protection. He accused Australia of \"sending the wrong signal\" to other countries in the region - including Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand - which the UN is trying to persuade to allow migrants to disembark. Indonesia's foreign ministry said it was \"very concerned\" about the alleged payment. The Indonesian navy said it intercepted the boats on their return and arrested the crew, who said they had each been paid A$5,000 ($3,900; \u00c2\u00a32,500) to turn back. Local police chief Hidayat told AFP news agency: \"I saw the money with my own eyes.\" Speaking to Radio 3AW on Friday morning, Mr Abbott refused to deny that a payment had been made, saying simply that \"creative strategies\" had been developed to stop the migrant boats. \"We have stopped the trade and we will do what we have to do to ensure that it stays stopped,\" he said. Under Australia's controversial policies, no migrants and asylum seekers are allowed to reach its territories by boat. They are instead intercepted at sea and turned back or taken to detention facilities on the island nation of Nauru and on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. Australia asylum: Why is it controversial?", "summary": "Migrants on a boat headed for Australia have told the UN that the crew was paid by the Australian navy to turn back."}
{"article": "The allocation was made at the start of February. The money must be spent by the end of March 2017, according to an email seen by the BBC. The email told medical staff to refer \"long waiting patients suitable for the independent sector\". It said to refer those who require treatment for \"spines, hip and knee, lower and upper limbs\". The news comes after the health minister said on Tuesday that more than \u00a331m is required to treat patients who have been waiting more than a year for some appointments. Michelle O'Neill said she was confident the money would be agreed after the election on 2 March. The funding to the private sector does not include money to treat outpatients. The email goes on to say that the \u00a31m funding move does not affect any \"in-house\" funding, which the trust received in the past four months, and that staff can continue to backfill lists and carry out weekend work when teams are available. While most people waiting may not mind when their operation is performed, it is understood that doctors and nurses would have preferred for the additional money be invested in the health service instead. In 2015, when the then health minister allocated \u00a340m towards waiting lists, the money could not be spent in time and only half of the amount when on operations. That was because hospitals do not have the capacity or the staff to spend the money in such a short space of time.", "summary": "The Belfast Health Trust has been allocated \u00a31m in order to send patients currently on waiting lists to be treated in the private sector instead, the BBC has learned."}
{"article": "It was the sixth Olympic gold and 10th medal overall for the 33-year-old. She finished in one hour 11 minutes and 5.2 seconds to lead home a Norwegian clean sweep with Therese Johaug in silver, 2.6 seconds back and Kristin Stoermer Steira winning bronze. \"It's incredible. I thought it would be hard but I've felt good,\" she said. \"I knew that I am stronger in the sprints, so I was waiting for them to attack on the last climb. Bjoergen's gold saw her match the six golds won by Russian cross-country skier Lyubov Egorova, who also won three silvers over her career, and former Soviet speed skater Lidia Skoblikova. She also matches the 10 medals won by fellow cross-country skiers Stefania Belmondo of Italy and Raisa Smetanina of the Soviet Uniion and the United team, but they have won fewer golds. Bjoergen, who won three golds in Vancouver, pulled away from Johaug heading into the stadium and sprinted clear to follow up on her wins in the 15km skiathlon and the team sprint classic earlier in the programme. It was the first clean sweep in Olympic cross-country skiing since Vegard Ulvang led Bjorn Daehlie and Terje Langli for a Norwegian sweep in the men's 30km classic in 1992.", "summary": "Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjoergen won the women's 30km mass start to become the most decorated female Winter Olympian."}
{"article": "The Suffolk Chamber of Commerce said the work could help boost the county's economy by more than \u00a3350m a year. In 2013, the government announced a \u00a31.5bn upgrade of the Cambridgeshire section of the road, ruling out initial plans for a toll. Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey said the road was currently \"not delivering\" a \"quick and efficient\" route. \"Businesses rely on goods coming into the port of Felixstowe being transported in a quick and efficient manner, something the road is not currently delivering on,\" said the Conservative MP. The twelve sites identified stretch from Exning to Felixstowe, and include the Copdock Interchange. The areas named in a document called No More A14 Delays also includes junctions in Exning, Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich and the Orwell Bridge. It calls for various improvements, such as extra capacity at junctions, better links with other roads, improved parking facilities for lorry drivers, extra lanes and reduced speed limits on the Orwell Bridge. The document states: \"An end to congestion on the A14 in Suffolk could generate up to \u00a3362m of extra gross value added (GVA) per year, saving the A14 user an average 13 minutes per day in travel time, and creating an additional 7,000 jobs.\" Jo Churchill, Conservative MP for Bury St Edmunds, said the route was crucial as \"nearly 30% of all the UK's container trade passes through Needham Market, Stowmarket and Bury St Edmunds along the A14\". Nick Burfield, policy director at Suffolk Chamber, said: \"The chamber and our partners are very concerned that, following the success of the 'No Toll Tax on Suffolk' campaign and the proposed Cambridge to Huntingdon improvements, the government may now regard the A14 as 'done'. \"This is far from the case.\" A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: \"The government is committed to regularly reviewing the needs of England's strategic road network. \"We will be outlining plans for developing the next Road Investment Strategy later in the year, and we want every community affected by heavy traffic to have their chance to get involved.\"", "summary": "Campaigners calling for improvements to the A14 have listed 12 sites they say are in need of improvement."}
{"article": "Stephen Jamieson, 28, is reported to have attached a pillow round his waist to avoid being injured by razor wire. He was serving a 12-year sentence for armed robbery. He is reported to have escaped after cutting through a gate at the back of a small secure exercise yard attached to his cell. \"He was able to get out of that exercise yard and then he had a range of bed sheets that he tied together and was able to swing them over the wall to then effect his escape by scaling that wall,\" New South Wales Corrective Services Commissioner Peter Severin told ABC News. \"It appears that he also had a pillow [that was] put around his waist and enabled him to make good his escape over the razor wire.\" Commissioner Severin said Jamieson had a history of trying to escape and was put into solitary confinement after a man-made hole was discovered inside a workshop at the prison. \"He was clearly somebody that was in maximum security for all the right reasons and furthermore he was actually segregated in the maximum security section,\" he said. The commissioner said that the escape was \"a very serious matter\" and would be the subject of an intensive security review because there was \"absolutely no excuse for anybody being able to escape from maximum security\". A huge manhunt for Jamieson is now under way.", "summary": "A maximum security prisoner has staged an audacious escape in the Australian state of New South Wales by tying bed sheets together to climb over a wall."}
{"article": "It has been swapped for a more festive offering, ahead of the town's annual tree light switch-on ceremony. Local people and councillors had taken to Facebook to cry bah-humbug about the \"sad-looking tree.\" It comes after a festive village tree in Bushmills was removed in 2014 after it was described as \"one of the worst ever seen in the UK\". UUP councillor, Mark McKinty, posted a photo of the Larne tree on social media and said: \"I'm all for recycling, but when your Christmas tree goes up looking like it's spent a few years on the compost heap, that is a bit much.\" Angry comments were also left on the Mid and East Antrim Council's 'Larne Christmas Switch On' page. Larne resident Ian Stokes, said \"for many a year Larne has always been the laughing stock of local councils for their awful trees.\" But Mid and East Antrim Council have proven their festive spirit by bringing in a brand new replacement before the local Christmas parade and light switch-on on Friday. A spokesperson said, \"Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has responded to concerns about the condition of the recently erected Christmas tree in Larne. \"Council officers carried out an inspection earlier this week and as a result it has been replaced.\" TUV Councillor Ruth Wilson shared news of the replacement on Facebook, with one user replying, \"glad to hear the tree is being replaced. The other one was an eyesore.\"", "summary": "A Christmas tree in the centre of Larne has been replaced after complaints that it was an \"eyesore\"."}
{"article": "Under the new rules, households will be fined $1 (\u00c2\u00a30.61) if their rubbish bins contain more than 10% food waste, and businesses and apartment buildings $50. The city already recycles 56% of its waste but is aiming for 60% by 2015. Seattle, in Washington State, is the second US city after San Francisco to make composting mandatory in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Composting is the processing of breaking down food and lawn refuse into useable soil through decomposition. Up to 40% of food in the US is wasted, according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Only 5% of food scraps are composted, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Many Seattle homes and businesses have food compost bins but are not required to use them - now they will have to. The city will begin issuing warning tickets on 1 January 2015 and fining customers on 1 July, according to the ordinance, which passed unanimously on Monday. Under the new rules when Seattle garbage pickers see too much food waste in a rubbish bin, they will note it in a computerised system and the fine will be added to the customer's rubbish carting bill, local media reported. Multi-unit flats and businesses will also be required to limit their food waste but will get two warnings before they are fined, according to the Seattle Times newspaper. Seattle officials do not expect the programme to be a money-maker for the city, Tim Croll, the Seattle Public Utilities solid waste director, told the newspaper. He added the city has collected less than $2,000 (\u00c2\u00a31,220) over nine years of a similar programme that banned recyclable items from the rubbish. \"The point isn't to raise revenue,\" Mr Croll said. \"We care more about reminding people to separate their materials.\" Correction 10 October 2014: This report has been amended to clarify that fines will apply for disposing of food waste incorrectly rather than doing so at all.", "summary": "The Seattle city council has voted to fine businesses and residents that do not recycle their food waste."}
{"article": "Tring School in Hertfordshire said the laptop devices will be brought into use from next year. But more than 100 people have signed an online petition against the plans. Headteacher Sue Collins said the school was having to manage an \u00a3800,000 per year cut in its budget from the government. The Chromebooks for Learning Scheme will affect hundreds of students at the school, which has more than 1,500 pupils aged from 11-19, with only years 11 and 13 exempt. There are two options available, a \u00a3149 model and a \u00a3185 model, although pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds can pay \u00a320. The school said students \"need to be prepared for an increasingly digital world\". It is offering payment plans, but many parents and pupils said the devices should be provided by the school. The petition's organisers said people were being forced to pay when there were \"perfectly good computers at the school\". Ms Collins said she \"wholeheartedly accepted\" parents concerns but insisted the school was having to manage a budget cut. \"It is absolutely enormous to manage that and at the same time raise standards and continue to develop so that our children have access to the online and modern materials that are out there now,\" she said. \"There isn't a U-turn on this, we're rolling it out. We know from the research we've done, this is the way forward for schools.\"", "summary": "A secondary school has ruled parents must pay a compulsory charge of at least \u00a3149 for pupils to use Google Chromebooks in lessons."}
{"article": "State department spokesman John Kirby called the plans the \"latest step... in a systematic process of land seizures\". UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was \"deeply disappointed\" by the Israeli government's decision. The international Quartet of Middle East peace mediators also recently criticised settlement construction. About 570,000 Israelis live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. Citing an Israeli official, the Associated Press reported that the Israeli plans included 560 new homes in Maale Adumim, just outside Jerusalem, as well as almost 200 in the city itself. The plan also called for more than 600 new homes in an Arab neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, AP said. Mr Kirby said: \"If true, this report would be the latest step in what seems to be a systematic process of land seizures, settlement expansions and legalizations of outposts that is fundamentally undermining the prospects for a two-state solution.\" The plans were also sharply criticised by Ban Ki-moon. \"This raises legitimate questions about Israel's long-term intentions, which are compounded by continuing statements of some Israeli ministers calling for the annexation of the West Bank,\" the UN chief's spokesman said in a statement. On Friday, the Quartet released a report saying Israeli settlement-building - along with continuing violence, terrorism and incitement, and lack of control of the Gaza Strip by the West-Bank based Palestinian Authority - was undermining peace hopes. Israel welcomed parts of the Quartet report, but said it \"perpetuates the myth that Israeli construction in the West Bank is an obstacle to peace\". The last round of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians came to an end amid acrimony in April 2014. The Palestinians accused Israel of reneging on a deal to free prisoners, while Israel said it would not continue negotiations after the Palestinians decided to bring the militant Islamist Hamas movement into a unity government.", "summary": "The US has criticised Israeli plans to build hundreds of new homes in existing Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem."}
{"article": "Forty-two refugees, belonging to five families, were greeted on arrival by the Uruguayan President, Jose Mujica. They will spend two months in accommodation near the capital Montevideo where they will learn Spanish and attend classes on local customs. Other Latin American countries have taken Syrians in but Uruguay is the first to assume all resettlement costs. Officials say the two-year resettlement programme will cost Uruguay around $3m (\u00c2\u00a31.9m). They say the adults have already been guaranteed jobs and the children have places in local school. A second group is due to arrive next year.", "summary": "A small number of Syrian refugees have arrived in Uruguay from Lebanon."}
{"article": "Striker Stamp, 37, will also be available as a player for the east Yorkshire club, who were promoted to the National League via the play-offs. Housham was appointed last week following former manager Billy Heath's decision to switch to FC Halifax Town. Stamp played under Housham at previous club Gainsborough Trinity, \"Darryn is a perfect match with Steve and he has that added bonus that he is still a quality striker,\" joint chairman Steve Forster told the club website.", "summary": "North Ferriby United have finalised their management team by appointing Darryn Stamp as assistant to new boss Steve Housham."}
{"article": "Up to six shots were fired. It is believed the man was shot in the head. The shooting happened outside a pub in Sheriff Street/Oriel Street area at about 12:30 local time on Thursday. RT\u00c3\u2030 is reporting that the attack may be linked to a gangland feud and that Thursday's shooting may be a case of mistaken identity.", "summary": "A man believed to be in his 20s has been shot dead in Dublin."}
{"article": "About 20 pupils fell ill at Flash Ley Community Primary School and Nursery in Stafford in October amid reports of a mystery smell. An investigation has concluded that work to floor ducts last summer led to high levels of the chemical, Staffordshire County Council said. The Hawksmoor Road school has been shut on safety grounds ever since. Repairs will now start in March and completed in time for the new school year in September. The building will undergo a deep clean and the substance believed to be behind the presence of formaldehyde in the air removed. Children will continue lessons at the nearby Chetwynd Centre, Tillington Manor Primary and Stafford Manor High School. Councillor Ben Adams, cabinet member for learning and skills, said: \"Children and staff will only return to the building once extensive tests show that is safe to do so.\" Head teacher Simon Barker said: \"We are delighted that the county council have announced the decision and staff will now begin to make plans to ensure the arrangements for September will be in place and the transition back to Flash Ley will be smooth. \"I would personally like to thank the children, parents and staff for their support while we have been temporarily moved. We can now look forward to a safe school to educate our children.\" Formaldehyde is a colourless gas with a pungent odour and is found in materials used in plywood, carpeting and foam insulation. Those exposed to it can suffer irritation to the eyes, nose, mouth and throat. It is understood parents reported children with symptoms of nausea, vomiting and dizziness at the time.", "summary": "A primary school will be closed until September after high levels of formaldehyde were discovered last year."}
{"article": "An earlier 06.15 GMT Belfast departure time had been due to begin at the end of January. But the journey time would have taken longer - almost two and a half hours. However Translink has now said that \"alternative options\" are being looked at. Passengers have been consulted by Translink and Iarnr\u00f3d \u00c9ireann about the proposed changes. The service is operated jointly by Translink and Iarnr\u00f3d \u00c9ireann. \"The companies will work together to review feedback from the timetable consultation processes,\" a statement from Translink read. It added they hoped to finalise a new timetable by the end of \"the first quarter of 2016\".", "summary": "Translink has postponed the introduction of a new timetable for the Enterprise train service to Dublin."}
{"article": "The American, 28, hit eight birdies in a bogey-free 64 to lead Sung Kang, with Stewart Cink, Jhonattan Vegas and Kyle Stanley another shot back on six under. England's Justin Rose shot a five-under 67, with 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth two more shots adrift. England's Luke Donald carded a one-under 71, while compatriots Chris Wood and Andrew Johnston are one over. \"They've done a great job here with conditions around the greens and making it as similar as possible to next week,\" said Fowler, who will be aiming to win his first major at Augusta. Full Houston Open leaderboard Find out how to get into golf with our special guide.", "summary": "Rickie Fowler warmed up for next week's Masters by taking a one-shot lead after the first round of the Houston Open."}
{"article": "In his first Commons speech since returning as an MP, Mr Johnson said he believed David Cameron would be successful in his EU negotiations. But the London mayor said the UK had to be willing to \"strike out\" and forge \"an alternative future\" if the desired result could not be secured. The government has promised to hold an in/out referendum on the EU by 2017. Mr Johnson's comments come after European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker suggested David Cameron wanted to use the EU vote to \"dock\" the UK permanently into the 28-nation bloc. Mr Juncker told a German newspaper the question of a British exit from the EU \"does not arise\", as this was not what the UK was seeking. BBC deputy political editor James Landale said it showed what pressure the prime minister will come under over Europe, from both Brussels and his own backbenchers. Mr Cameron spent the last week of May on a whirlwind tour of Europe to lobby leaders over his proposed EU reforms, which include tougher rules to prevent migrants claiming benefits. Addressing the House of Commons, Mr Johnson, the new MP for Uxbridge and Ruislip, congratulated Mr Cameron on his \"schmoozathon\" around Europe. He said the all-Conservative government had \"a clear mandate\" to deliver change in the EU. \"And we can - we can win that argument by being relentlessly positive and by making it clear that what we are advocating is not simply in the interests of Britain, but in the interest of the entire European Union,\" Mr Johnson said. But Mr Johnson added: \"If you are going to go into a difficult international negotiation of this kind, then you have got to be prepared to walk away if you don't get the result that you want. \"If we don't get the deal that is either in the interests of this country or of Europe, then we should be prepared to strike out and forge an alternative future that could be just as glorious and just as prosperous with a free trading arrangement.\" Meanwhile, at a foreign affairs conference in London at Chatham House, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said that ahead of the referendum the government would be \"selling hard\" the advantages of staying in the EU, if a good package of reforms had been secured. \"The prime minister's made no secret of the fact that what he wants to do in Europe is negotiate a reform of the European Union and then settle this question once and for all that Britain is an active leading member of the EU of a reformed EU, going forward,\" he said. The government has introduced legislation paving the way for a vote on the EU by the end of 2017 at the very latest, although there is speculation it could take place as early as next autumn. The eligibility rules for the poll will be broadly the same as for a general election, meaning citizens from most EU countries living in the UK will not get a vote. Irish citizens in the UK qualify, as do residents from", "summary": "The UK must be prepared to walk away from the EU if sufficient reform is not achieved, Boris Johnson has said."}
{"article": "The app, which helps doctors and nurses spot signs of kidney failure, proved controversial when it was rolled out at the Royal Free hospital in London. The issue centred around whether it should have sought consent to access 1.6 million patient records. The BBC understands that in the new deal there will be no opt-out for patients who do not wish to share their data. DeepMind is Google's artificial intelligence firm, although development of the app did not involve any AI. The firm has a health division and is keen to explore new ways that technology can be used in the NHS. While the Streams app was welcomed by doctors and nurses, questions were raised about whether the NHS should have shared data with a firm such as Google. DeepMind has always reiterated that no data is shared with its parent firm. A report from the the head of the National Data Guardian said patients should have been informed about the partnership and data sharing arrangement. The app is also the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office. Following some negative headlines, DeepMind pledged to be more open with patients about its health plans and hold regular patient engagement forums. Musgrove Park Hospital plans to hold workshops and open day events with staff and the public to see how the app works, what it will mean for patients and how it will be developed in future. The hospital did not rule out the possibility that it could be used in future to detect other health conditions. Dr Luke Gompels, consultant in medicine at Musgrove Park Hospital, said: \"This is all about early detection of seriously unwell patients so that we can immediately escalate care, ensure a very rapid response, and make sure they are treated quickly by the right specialist doctor. In this way we can make more of a difference, more quickly.\"", "summary": "Google's DeepMind has extended the use of its Streams health app to Musgrove Park Hospital in Somerset."}
{"article": "Sheffield City Council was ordered to stop felling trees in February after campaigners applied for a temporary injunction. Mr Justice Gilbart lifted the order on Wednesday and is expected to hand down his final judgement next month. The council said it would not implement its full felling scheme until the ruling. Sheffield Tree Action Group (Stag) said it was disappointed by the news. Executive director Simon Green said: \"We are delighted that the court has agreed with the council's case to have the tree injunction lifted. \"However, we have been clear throughout that we want to make sure that our work with communities on this issue is right, so we will not resume the full street tree replacement programme until we have had the court's final decision. \"We will of course continue to assess our trees and replace those that are dangerous.\" More than 3,300 trees have been removed across the city since 2012 as part of a \u00c2\u00a32bn project. Campaigner Dave Dillner, from Stag, said he retained \"a measure of confidence\" over the High Court's final decision. \"It's absolutely not the end of the campaign. We wait with interest Mr Justice Gilbart's final judgement,\" he said. The Labour-run council launched the scheme to remove dead and dangerous trees from the roadside. It planned to remove and replace about 5,000 trees in total and has so far replanted about 3,600 trees. Former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg previously called on the council to abandon the programme and described it a \"national scandal\".", "summary": "A ban on chopping down trees in Sheffield has been overturned by the High Court."}
{"article": "The pair were sent off at half-time for the altercation in the 1-0 defeat. St Johnstone have now concluded an internal investigation into the incident and imposed the \"most severe\" sanctions \"short of summary dismissal\". In a statement the club added that both accept they brought the Perth outfit into disrepute due to the incident. The statement continued: \"The players have accepted the sanctions without question and they wish to apologise unreservedly to the supporters of the club for their behaviour. \"Both players have expressed a desire for a proportion of the fines to be utilised for free bus travel for supporters to the remaining away matches this season and the club is in full agreement with this request. \"The players will now return to training and playing duties where they can channel their energies into contributing to the continued success of the club.\"", "summary": "St Johnstone have fined Danny Swanson and Richard Foster four weeks' wages for their on-field bust-up against Hamilton Academical."}
{"article": "The Finn, who won the world title with Ferrari in 2007 but was replaced by Alonso at the end of 2009, has signed a one-year deal with an option for 2015. Ferrari, who will now have arguably the strongest driver line-up in Formula 1, have not yet announced the deal but are expected to do so imminently. Raikkonen, 33, will replace Felipe Massa, who announced on Twitter that he will leave at the end of the season. Media playback is not supported on this device The Brazilian, who had earlier been informed of Ferrari's decision and has driven for the Italian outfit since 2006, said: \"From 2014 I will no longer be driving for Ferrari. \"I would like to thank the team for all the victories and incredible moments experienced together. \"Right now I want to push as hard as possible with Ferrari for the remaining seven races. \"For next year, I want to find a team that can give me a competitive car to win many more races and challenge for the championship, which remains my greatest objective!\" Massa came agonisingly close to winning the title in 2008, when he won the Brazilian Grand Prix, only to be deprived of the championship when Lewis Hamilton moved up into the fifth place he required on the penultimate corner of the last lap. He has been linked with a move to Lotus, who are also considering Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg, another man who was in the frame at Ferrari before they decided on Raikkonen. The decision to partner Alonso with Raikkonen is a dramatic change in philosophy by Ferrari, who have previously operated with a clear number one driver, both with Michael Schumacher from 1996-2006 and then with Alonso for the last four years. Ferrari have now decided that having two lead drivers will be a more effective way of securing success - this was their policy when Raikkonen and Massa were team-mates in 2007-9. The decision will be interpreted in some quarters as a snub to Alonso, but the Spaniard has been told of Ferrari's decision and is said to have accepted it. The partnership and rivalry between the two men will be eagerly anticipated - Alonso and Raikkonen are widely recognised as two of the four best drivers in the world, along with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel. Alonso's relationship with McLaren, when he was team-mates with Hamilton in 2007, was famously turbulent, and the ructions led to him leaving the team just one year into a three-year contract. Alonso has since made it clear that his problems at the time were not with Hamilton but with the team not delivering on promises that had been made to him about his status. The deal for Raikkonen to rejoin Ferrari was completed on Monday. Ferrari wanted to replace Massa with someone who would provide more reliable performance and have for some time considered Raikkonen to be the best candidate. But the decision needed to be approved by Ferrari president Luca Di Montezemolo. Raikkonen had the option to remain at", "summary": "Kimi Raikkonen will join Fernando Alonso at Ferrari in 2014."}
{"article": "Their lab-based work suggests there is a biological step that can restore normality and stop cells replicating out of control. When the US researchers added molecules called microRNAs, it put the brakes on cancer, Nature Cell Biology reports. Although the early tests in a dish look promising, it is unclear whether it will help treat people with cancer. The Mayo Clinic researchers are hopeful that the new mechanism they have found could apply to all types of cancer. It brings together two strands of science - cell adhesion and microRNA (miRNA) biology - that, until now, had not been linked. Scientists had thought adhesion molecules were simply the glue that holds cells together. But then others found they might have signalling roles. The Mayo Clinic work shows adhesion molecules connect cells and signal via miRNAs to control cell growth. If this becomes deregulated it can drive cancer. But replenishing cells with miRNAs can remedy this. Lead researcher Dr Panos Anastasiadis said: \"By administering the affected miRNAs in cancer cells to restore their normal levels, we should be able to re-establish the brakes and restore normal cell function. \"Initial experiments in some aggressive types of cancer are indeed very promising.\" Henry Scowcroft, Cancer Research UK's senior science information manager, said: \"This important study solves a long-standing biological mystery, but we mustn't get ahead of ourselves. \"There's a long way to go before we know whether these findings, in cells grown in a laboratory, will help treat people with cancer. But it's a significant step forward in understanding how certain cells in our body know when to grow, and when to stop. Understanding these key concepts is crucial to help continue the encouraging progress against cancer we've seen in recent years.\"", "summary": "Scientists believe they may have found a way to turn cancerous cells back into healthy tissue."}
{"article": "The average mileage for four-wheeled vehicles stood at 7,900 miles (12,700km) in 2013, official figures showed. This represents a 14% fall from a figure of 9,200 miles in 2002, the first year for which data is available. Average annual mileage has dipped steadily in the intervening period, with mileage rising only in 2007. The average figure for 2013 fell from the previous year even though the distance travelled when commuting to and from work increased from 2,500 miles in 2012 to 2,800 miles last year. Business mileage dropped from 800 miles in 2012 to 700 miles in 2013. In 2002, this figure stood at 1,300 miles. RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister said: \"While it is important to see whether individuals are driving more or less than before, official figures show overall traffic volume is on the rise again following the end of the recession. \"With the population expected to increase by 10 million over the next two decades congestion is going to get worse, not better.\" AA president Edmund King said: \"The weather in 2013, spikes in fuel prices and an increase in online shopping have all contributed to the drop in car use. \"Although the coldest March in 50 years will have contributed to the fall in petrol sales in 2013, by far the biggest cause over the first quarter was the third 8p to 10p-a-litre price swing in 12 months.\" The figures also showed that people in England travelled 6,592 miles on average in all modes of transport last year, including walking and travelling as a passenger in a car or van. This figure is lower than the headline 7,900-mile figure for drivers, which applies to each vehicle, many of which are driven by more than one person. Each person on average walked 184 miles and travelled 288 miles by bus. The largest users of cars and vans were those living in rural areas, who walked only 97 miles on average last year. Those living in London walked the most, averaging 215 miles, while those in the West Midlands walked the least, clocking up only 161 miles. Car and van occupancy has not changed in recent years with the 2013 average being 1.57 people per journey, the same as in 2012 and 2011.", "summary": "Drivers in England are clocking up the lowest number of miles on average since records began 12 years ago."}
{"article": "It is unclear who stopped the landing but a source close to President Ashraf Ghani told the BBC the return had not been co-ordinated with the government. Gen Dostum left for Turkey in May amid claims he ordered his men to kidnap, beat and rape a political rival. He denies wrongdoing. His spokesman said he went for a medical check-up. Atta Mohammad Noor, the powerful governor of northern Balkh province, was waiting at Mazar-e Sharif airport to meet Gen Dostum on Monday night, the Pajhwok news agency reported. More than 1,000 people accompanied the governor to receive the former warlord at the airport, which is near his home province of Jowzjan. Witnesses said some Dostum supporters held posters with slogans such as \"Welcome back our dear leader,\" Reuters news agency reported. But the plane was diverted to Ashgabat in Turkmenistan. Early reports suggested German forces were behind the move. However, Nato later denied this, saying such decisions were a matter for the Afghan authorities. A source close to President Ghani told the BBC's Afghan service that Gen Dostum's decision to return without consulting the authorities in Kabul had caused suspicion. \"We wanted him to come to Kabul... because we wanted to have a clear understanding of what's going on,\" the source said. \"There are no legal hurdles for him to return, the government has no issues, but he has to take the right route.\" Gen Dostum, Atta Mohammad and Mohammad Mohaqeq, another influential ethnic leader, recently formed an opposition group calling for major political reforms. They want to trim the powers of the president, whom they accuse of accumulating power. Gen Dostum's officials have denied he was on the plane that was turned away. But one of the men tasked with preparing for his return confirmed to the BBC that Gen Dostum had spoken with his men from Ankara on Monday morning. He had directed them to co-ordinate with Atta Mohammad and Mohammad Mohaqeq and to organise a major event to launch the new coalition. The vice-president is a former warlord with decades of experience in Afghanistan's turbulent political arena. He has been blamed for some of the worst atrocities in the country's long-running civil war, but joined its national unity government in 2014. The allegations against him come from Ahmad Eshchi, a former ally, who says he suffered days of severe beatings and sexual abuse at Gen Dostum's command. He said the vice-president and 10 other men assaulted him while he was forcibly kept at Gen Dostum's residence in November 2016. The ex-warlord denies the claims and has said that Mr Eshchi was detained by the country's intelligence service. In 2008 Gen Dostum went to Turkey amid similar allegations that his personal militia had abducted, beaten and sexually assaulted a political rival in Kabul, then fired on police who responded to the incident.", "summary": "Afghan Vice-President Abdul Rashid Dostum tried to fly back from Turkey late on Monday but was denied permission to land, officials say."}
{"article": "Gordon Thompson, of Waddon Road, Croydon, was charged with arson with intent to endanger life and arson. He was also charged with two counts of burglary and one count of violent disorder in the town centre. He was remanded in custody to appear at Croydon Magistrates' Court on Monday. A man aged 21 and 15-year-old boy have already been arrested over the fire. They have been released on bail. A 25-year-old man who was arrested on Wednesday was later released without charge. Violence erupted in Croydon on Monday night after two nights of trouble in other parts of the capital. Demolition has begun on the 150-year-old furniture store in south London. The Reeves family, who owned House of Reeves Furniture, hired a demolition crew so the remains of their ruined furniture store could be cleared.", "summary": "A 33-year-old man has been charged with starting a fire which destroyed the Reeves Furniture Store in Croydon."}
{"article": "High levels of formaldehyde were discovered at Flash Ley Community Primary School and Nursery in Stafford after pupils fell ill last October. Students have been forced to attend lessons elsewhere. Staffordshire County Council said it could not provide a date for their return but it was doing all it could to reopen the site as soon as possible. Read more news for Staffordshire The authority said an investigation concluded work to floor ducts last summer led to high levels of the chemical. It said air quality in \"some parts\" of the school was \"yet to reach safe levels\" and work there would start \"as soon as air testing revealed it was safe to do so\". Cabinet member for learning and skills, Ben Adams, said he wanted to thank parents and staff \"for their continued patience and support\". \"We want all of the pupils and staff to return to the school as soon as possible, but the safety of the whole school community will always remain our top priority,\" he added.", "summary": "Repair work has not begun in parts of a school a year after it closed as the air quality is still not safe."}
{"article": "But pay remains lower than at Aldi and Lidl and overtime pay on Sundays and Bank Holidays is being cut. Currently Tesco workers are paid \u00a37.62 an hour, which will rise to \u00a38.42 an hour by November 2018. The pay rise will put Tesco workers' pay above the \u00a37.90 level that the National Living Wage is expected to reach by 2018. The National Living Wage is the effective minimum wage for adults aged 25 and over, and is currently \u00a37.50. Those under the age of 25 are entitled to a lower minimum wage rate. Statutory minimum pay rates will continue to rise until at least 2020, according to recent government Budgets, and companies are planning for those changes, as well as striving to remain competitive with rivals in order to recruit and retain staff. Wage growth in the UK has been slow in recent years, but inflation has risen and other supermarkets have increased the wages they pay. Aldi recently announced a rise in hourly pay to \u00a38.53 an hour; Lidl's website says it pays store staff \u00a38.45 an hour. Tesco said it would increase hourly pay in three stages: to \u00a38.02 in November 2017, then to \u00a38.18 in July 2018 and to \u00a38.42 in November 2018. \"This reward package sees our biggest investment in store pay for a decade, and gives colleagues a sustainable pay deal that rewards them for everything they do, while allowing us to also attract new talent,\" said Tesco UK chief executive, Matt Davies. The retailer said maternity pay terms had also been improved. But extra pay for Sundays and bank holidays will be reduced from time-and-a-half to time-and-a-quarter after July 2018. \"This is designed to meet the government legislative requirement around the minimum wage. \"As expected, most of the businesses who have had to face up to this rise have had to reduce premiums and other perks that employees benefitted from in order to meet the core wage rises,\" said retail analyst Steve Dresser.", "summary": "Hourly pay rates for Tesco store staff will rise by 10.5% over the next two years, the supermarket has said."}
{"article": "Manx organisation Beach Buddies tackled the problem at Fleshwick Bay following concerns from the public. Coordinator Bill Dale said one of the coves near the beach was found to be \"jammed with plastic\". He added: \"Amongst the find were a number of plastic bands which became infamous when a basking shark was photographed with one around its nose.\" About 30 people joined forces with the Beach Buddies volunteers on Saturday morning. \"The area was in serious need of a clear-up,\" said Mr Dale. \"It was the first trip to Fleshwick for a team of our volunteers this year and it was a really big job\".", "summary": "A stream \"choked by plastic\" on the southern coast of the Isle of Man has been cleaned up by charity volunteers."}
{"article": "Johnson helped the Robins avoid relegation last season after joining them from Barnsley in February. The 35-year-old, who played 199 games for City between 2006 and 2012, started his managerial career with Oldham in 2013, before moving to Oakwell in 2015. His previous contract at Ashton Gate was set to end at the end of the 2018-19 season. \"Like I said when I was appointed, Bristol City is the perfect club for me,\" he told the club website. \"We want to deliver success; everything about the club is progressive and that's why I'm desperate to be a part of that in the long term.\" Bristol City have won just one of their past six games in all competitions, but they are 11th in the Championship table, just four points outside the play-off places.", "summary": "Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson has signed a new contract to stay with the Championship club until 2020."}
{"article": "Willett, 29, was due to partner Lee Westwood when the 72-hole tournament begins in Melbourne on 24 November. But the Masters champion does not want to risk aggravating the issue that saw him miss October's British Masters. \"Considering everything, including the amount of travel involved and extra strain, I decided that it was not in my best interests,\" Willett said. The four-day competition would have been the fifth tournament in consecutive weeks for Willett, who has dropped out of the world top 10 for the first time since his Masters victory in April. Willett is second in the Race to Dubai and is tied for 54th in the penultimate tournament, the Nedbank Golf Challenge, after a round of 74 at Sun City. We've launched a new BBC Sport newsletter, bringing all the best stories, features and video right to your inbox. You can sign up here.", "summary": "England's Danny Willett has withdrawn from the World Cup in Australia to avoid aggravating his back problem."}
{"article": "Saturday's flight was the first movement of material held at the Caithness plant to the US since an announcement in February. David Cameron, who was prime minister at the time, said the UK and US governments had agreed to an exchange of nuclear materials. He said the UK would receive a type of uranium used to diagnose cancer. But Highlands and Islands SNP MSP Maree Todd has criticised the weekend's flight and the level of secrecy surrounding the handling of nuclear material at Dounreay. She said there should not be a need for an exchange of nuclear material, and the UK should be able to purchase what it requires for medical diagnoses. Dounreay, near Thurso, is being decommissioned and the site cleaned up. Most of the radioactive materials held there, such as fuel, are being moved to other locations, including Sellafield in Cumbria where it will be reprocessed or stored. These shipments are being made by rail. Other material has been returned to nuclear sites overseas. During the 1990s, nuclear material was sent from abroad to Dounreay for reprocessing. The customers included power plants and research centres in Australia, Germany and Belgium. Under the UK-US deal signed earlier this year, highly-enriched uranium (HEU) stored at Dounreay is being sent to the US. Saturday's flight took place under tight security from Wick John O'Groats Airport, which is about 30 miles (48km) from the Dounreay nuclear site. It involved a US military Boeing C-17 transport aircraft. Radioactive material from the civil nuclear industry has been transported by plane from the UK to other countries in the past. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) provided Highlands and Islands Airports Limited with funding to upgrade Wick John O'Groats Airport in preparation for the US flights. A spokesman for Dounreay said: \"All nuclear materials are being removed from the site. This programme started in 2001 and we expect it to continue for a number of years. \"Our priority at all times is to comply with regulations governing the safe and secure transportation of nuclear material, both in storage and transit. \"Compliance with these regulations includes protecting information about routes, dates, timings and locations of nuclear material in any current or future transport.\" MSP Ms Todd told BBC Radio Scotland: \"I am disappointed we are hearing reports from people living up in Wick that this has happened, but got no official notification. \"I understand that there has to be some secrecy surrounding this industry, but I feel there is more secrecy than is absolutely required.\" She added: \"I understand that this material is weapons-grade in exchange for some medical radionuclides. \"I fail to understand why we cannot pay money for these things than have to supply them with weapons-grade nuclear material from the UK.\"", "summary": "Radioactive material that was being kept at the Scottish nuclear power site Dounreay has been flown to the US."}
{"article": "The statement, purportedly sent by a British member of IS, said it was \"outrageous\" to suggest the Mannan family from Luton had been kidnapped and forced to join the group. The BBC has not been able to verify if the statement is genuine. A friend of a teenager among the 12 said he thought he had been \"tricked\". The family, who have not been seen since 17 May, includes three children aged between one and 11. Police have previously said they may have travelled to Syria. The statement is accompanied by two photos purportedly of family member Muhammed Abdul Mannan, which have not been independently verified. It comes as a video apparently released by the IS group showed 25 men being shot dead in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra. The missing family is: The statement, passed to the BBC by a Briton fighting with IS, said the family had arrived in a land that was \"free from corruption and oppression\" and had not been \"commanded\" to join by a single person but by the \"Khalifah of the Muslims\". It said: \"We say to those that are concerned for our safety to put your hearts at rest for we feel safer than we have ever felt before.\" It went on to urge Muslims to \"race to your state\". Nazrull Ali, a school friend of 19-year-old Mohammed Toufique Hussain, who is said to be among the 12, said he did not believe the statement. \"That doesn't seem right to be honest. I don't think they would say stuff like that,\" he said. \"I don't know but I heard they [IS] could make you say whatever they want, obviously if someone puts a gun to your head what would you say?\" he said. \"He would have said bye to all of us properly and I'm telling you, he did not know that he was going to Syria. I know it wasn't him, I think he's got tricked into it. It wasn't his idea, definitely.\" The Islamic State group has seized large swathes of Iraq and Syria since last June, becoming notorious for its brutality, including mass killings, abductions and beheadings. On 29 June 2014 it announced the formation of a caliphate - a state governed in accordance with Islamic law or Sharia, by God's deputy on Earth, or caliph. Shiraz Maher, senior fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College London, which tracks the movements of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq, said there was an element of propaganda to the statement. Mr Maher said he was told by a British fighter that the family had chosen to release the statement to show it was their decision to move. He said the broader project of IS was to persuade women and families to join them. \"They never wanted just fighters, I think that's a misnomer,\" he said. The family was reported missing to police by two sons, understood to be Mr Mannan's from a previous marriage, who live in Luton. They flew to Bangladesh on 10 April, police said,", "summary": "A UK family of 12 who went missing have joined so-called Islamic State and feel \"safer than ever\", according to a statement said to be on their behalf."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called to River View Maltings, Grantham, at about 11:30 GMT, on Thursday. A 42-year-old man was airlifted to the Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, where he is receiving treatment. The 41-year-old woman, who is from Gonerby Hill Foot, is due to appear before magistrates in Lincoln.", "summary": "A woman has been charged with wounding with intent after a man was stabbed at a house in a Lincolnshire market town on New Year's Day."}
{"article": "The fire in Barn End Lane, Wilmington, was reported at about 07:40 BST, Kent Fire and Rescue Service said. At its peak, eight fire crews tackled the blaze in one of the flats, which spread smoke to neighbouring flats. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Eight people were taken to hospital after the fire, South East Coast Ambulance (Secamb) said. Secamb earlier said nine people were taken to hospital but has since revised its figure. The Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance and nine ambulances were called to the scene. For a time, Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford asked patients not to attend its accident and emergency department, saying the hospital was dealing with a \"major incident\". The Darent Valley later tweeted: \"The hospital has been stood down and normal service has resumed in the A&E Department.\"", "summary": "A man in his 70s has died in a fire at a flat in a sheltered housing block."}
{"article": "The All Blacks ran in 12 tries, with Sonny Bill Williams and Julian Savea both touching down twice. Over 61,000 fans were in attendance, more than three times the previous best crowd for a rugby match in the USA. New Zealand fielded an inexperienced line-up, but were impressive ahead of their meeting with Stuart Lancaster's England at Twickenham next Saturday. The match - the first on US soil between the two sides since 1980 - was broadcast live on NBC in America. Bob Latham, chairman of USA Rugby, described the match as \"monumental\" for rugby in the United States. New Zealand Rugby Union's chief executive Steve Tew told BBC World Service Sportsworld: \"Our guys finished the game with a lot of respect for the US boys. They took it to us for periods of the game, but unfortunately when we had the ball they weren't able to match us for pace and power. \"I think we've done our bit - we've given them a profile they haven't had here before. \"The primary reason we wanted a game on the way, we've got to play England next Saturday at Twickenham - a little bit like the World Cup will be next year for us. \"We have a pool that doesn't have the hardest opposition in it and then we hit a quarter-final at Cardiff and we'll see either France or Ireland play us if we finish first - so this replicates that to a degree. \"We know we've got a big battle in front us at Twickenham.\"", "summary": "New Zealand secured a resounding win over the USA in front of a capacity crowd at Chicago's Soldier Field."}
{"article": "She will address 120 chief executives at Irish business organisation Ibec and is expected to emphasise that \"Scotland is open for business\". Ms Sturgeon will also visit the Scottish government's investment and innovation hub in the city. She said she wanted to strengthen Scotland's Irish links \"even further\". \"Scottish exports to Ireland are worth \u00c2\u00a31.125bn and Irish investment into Scotland currently supports more than 6,000 jobs,\" she said. \"It's important to get across to our European partners, such as Ireland, that Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU and that we are doing everything we can to protect our relationship with Europe. \"I want companies in Ireland to know that Scotland remains open for business and will continue to be an attractive place to invest. \"I will be asking the delegates at Ibec to work with the hub and to come to Scotland to see what we have to offer. \"A number of new Scottish investment wins have been landed this year and through the strong network the hub continues to develop with Irish-based investors - further projects are in the pipeline.\" Ms Sturgeon said \"Ireland has always been and will continue to be a key economic partner for Scotland\". \"It is even more important than ever that our two countries work together for the benefit of both our nations,\" she said. On Friday, Ms Sturgeon told a summit of the British-Irish Council that remaining in the single market was the UK's \"least worst\" Brexit option. She said staying inside the common market after leaving the EU would be best for every part of the UK.", "summary": "Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is due to visit Dublin on Monday to meet business leaders and discuss investment plans."}
{"article": "The Asia-focused lender said on Thursday the move would help it save some $100m (\u00c2\u00a366.2m) in 2016. It also said it plans to shed another 2,000 positions in its retail banking division, on top of the 2,000 already announced. The bank issued three profit warnings last year. It posted a 16% fall in operating profit in October last year due to a restructuring of its South Korean business and an increase in bad loans. The bank's Hong Kong-listed shares were up more than 2% on Thursday as investors welcomed the cost-cutting news. Standard Chartered told its investors in November last year it would try to deliver $400m in cost savings this year. It said on Thursday it was on track to deliver those savings. Some 2,000 job cuts had been announced or completed in its retail sector over the last three months, the lender said, \"with a reduction of a further 2,000 expected during 2015.\" The bank also said in November that it would close up to 100 bank branches in 2015 in Asia, Africa and the Middle East in an attempt to boost its profitability. On Thursday it said it had made \"good progress in closing 22 branches in the second half of 2014\" and that it was on track to close up to 100. Steven Chan, an analyst at Maybank Kim Eng Securities in Hong Kong said the moves \"would certainly help improve the bank's profits.\"", "summary": "Standard Chartered has said it will axe jobs and shut its equities business in a continued effort to cut costs and boost profits."}
{"article": "NHS Highland has confirmed that plans to add an extra 150 spaces at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness were in the early stages. Parking has been a long-running issue at the hospital. It has been claimed it is being used as an unofficial park and ride facility with people able to park there for free and then take a bus into the city. NHS Highland said: \"We have identified funding which we will use to create up to 150 extra spaces on the site and we will also be reintroducing entrance and exit barriers to the car park.\"", "summary": "Additional car parking could be provided at the biggest hospital in the Highlands."}
{"article": "One senior police officer was reduced to tears in his office as he recalled in an off-the-cuff chat, the cold-blooded way the gunmen picked through their victims' belongings, forced them onto the floor face down, then gunned them down. Kenyans are hard-working people who deeply care about security but many express a sense of being hamstrung. As one man I spoke to in Garissa put it, there is \"a sense of disconnect between the government and its people\" and its ability to provide security in the face of an al-Shabab threat. Key to this is a deep mistrust of authority. Kenyan whistle-blower John Githongo, who in secretly recorded tapes exposed corruption under a previous administration, has been talking on social networks of \"chickens coming home to roost\". He is not alone in that view. Porous borders, allegations of widespread corruption within the security services and even claims by the Muslim community of \"extrajudicial killings\" all sound remarkably familiar to Kenyan ears. It was no surprise then that many rolled their eyes in dismay, rather than marched in anger on the streets, at reports that the plane that was meant to bring commandos to storm the building during the deadly siege in Garissa, was delayed by several hours. It had apparently been diverted, sent to collect a police chief's family, from their holiday on the coast. The police are yet to comment on the allegation. Intelligence reports and parliamentary committees have warned of a tactical shift in the Somali Islamist group's recruitment campaign. The evidence that al-Shabab is hiring in the \"Kenyan homeland\" shows it is exploiting the country's Achilles heel - what people here call \"graft\". A thoughtful Kenyan businessman of Somali origin I met in the arid north-east of the country told me bluntly that for a government to win the fight against terrorism, it needed to win its people's trust first. The scramble to woo the Muslim community in the past few days in these remote dusty parts, by a posse of government envoys, appears to be a frank admission that it needs to make friends. Ali (this same Kenyan businessman whose name I have changed because like many others he fears his candour will lose him his job) told me he had spent a lot of time in the US and the Middle East since the 9/11 attack and had devoted much time to pondering about security. Building elaborate \"fences\" to seal the border with Somalia, a programme which got under way this week, sounds to many like Ali more like a money-making scam than a concerted effort to control cross border attacks by al-Shabab. What is needed, he believes, is not walls and fences but robust \"intelligence gathering\" and covert operations, which cannot be sabotaged by \"graft\". As President Uhuru Kenyatta talks tough in the fight against corruption, one is left with a sense of missed opportunities to win the confidence of some in the Muslim community here. In 2007 I stood on the border between Somalia and Kenya, as the US and Kenyan military bombed camps in", "summary": "There is no doubt that Kenya has been deeply scarred by the attack on the University in Garissa, in which at least 148 people were killed."}
{"article": "Russia's Investigative Committee, modelled on the FBI, will question the activists. Six Britons are among them. Their ship, the Arctic Sunrise, is being towed to the port of Murmansk. Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said \"all those who assaulted the platform, regardless of nationality, will be prosecuted\". The campaigners were detained on Thursday along with their ship after two Greenpeace activists tried to climb onto a Gazprom offshore platform, in a protest against oil drilling in the Arctic. The ship was raided by armed Russian men in balaclavas who abseiled down from helicopters. The ship was seized in the Pechora Sea, near the rig. Greenpeace said the Russian authorities \"are holding 30 of our activists\". In a statement on Tuesday, Greenpeace said its ship had arrived in a fjord near Murmansk accompanied by a tug boat and the Russian Coast Guard vessel Ladoga. \"Greenpeace International lawyers are demanding immediate access to the 30 activists who have been held for over four days without legal or consular assistance. It is still not known whether Russia intends to lay formal charges and Greenpeace has not received any formal contact from the authorities,\" it said. The environmental organisation said its protest against \"dangerous Arctic oil drilling\" was peaceful and in line with its \"strong principles\". \"Our activists did nothing to warrant the reaction we've seen from the Russian authorities,\" it said. The campaigners on the ship are from 18 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Russia, the UK and the US, Greenpeace said. Mr Markin described the protest as \"an attempt to seize a drilling platform by storm\" and said it raised \"legitimate doubts about their intentions\". The ship \"was loaded with electronics whose purpose was not clear\", he said. \"It's hard to believe that the so-called activists did not know that the platform is an installation with a high hazard level, and any unauthorised actions on it can lead to an accident, which would not only endanger the people aboard it but also the ecology, which is being protected zealously,\" he said. Article 227 of Russia's penal code defines piracy as \"an attack on a ship at sea or on a river, with the aim of seizing someone else's property, using violence or the threat of violence\". It can be punished with a jail term of up to 15 years, depending on the gravity of the offence, and a fine of up to 500,000 roubles (\u00c2\u00a310,000; $15,000). Commenting on the Arctic campaigners, a Greenpeace spokesman said that \"as far as we are aware they are in fairly good spirits and no-one has been ill-treated\". A British campaigner, Alex Harris, has texted her parents from the ship, saying she is \"safe\". \"Will call when I can. Individuals have not been charged. Just the ship,\" she added in the message. Earlier Sue Turner, mother of British campaigner Iain Rogers from Exeter in Devon, said: \"I've been told they are being treated well by the Russians - I am very relieved\". Anthony Perrett, another British Greenpeace activist on the ship, spoke to his partner Zaharah", "summary": "Russian prosecutors have accused 30 Greenpeace activists of piracy and say they will prosecute all of them for trying to board an Arctic oil platform."}
{"article": "The application was approved on a majority vote at the organisation's congress in London, with no votes against and no abstentions. The British Overseas Territory off the south coast of Spain has a population of just under 30,000. Gibraltar will be allowed to enter qualifying for the 2016 European Championship. The territory tried to join Uefa in 2007 but the bid was controversially rejected. Spain opposed the move and threatened to boycott both club and international competitions if it succeeded. Only three of Uefa's 52 associations voted in favour of Gibraltar - the English, Welsh and Scottish Football Associations. Previously Gibraltar, which has six top-division teams and 600 registered senior players, had been told it could not join Uefa as it was not a country recognised by the United Nations. It was accepted as a provisional member of Uefa in October 2012 and that membership has now been ratified. Spain continues to claim sovereignty over the territory, which has been ruled by Britain since 1713 under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht. The European Union has put pressure on Spain and Britain to resolve the issue of Gibraltar's status. Both sides, under the Brussels Process launched in 1984, have attempted to reach an agreement. But Spain's insistence on eventually acquiring full sovereignty, and Britain's determination to retain full control of Gibraltar's military base, have been among the stumbling blocks. Uefa president Michel Platini has confirmed that Gibraltar and Spain will be kept apart in qualifying groups. \"Gibraltar will not play qualifying matches with Spain - we also have this situation with Armenia and Azerbaijan,\" Platini said. \"This is a momentous occasion for football in Gibraltar. Uefa membership means that we can begin the next chapter of Gibraltarian football,\" the president of the Gibraltar Football Association, Gareth Latin, said. \"At last we'll be able to show the whole of Europe that we can match the best with football of a high standard and entertaining style.\" Allen Bula, head coach of Gibraltar's national side, would relish the chance to play the country's neighbours. \"I always said I would love to play Spain. I would play them any day, anywhere, any time,\" Bula told the BBC's World Football programme earlier this year. \"When I took over the national team I had one purpose - to show Europe and the world that what Spain were saying about us, that we were only in it for political reasons and that we didn't have any quality, was a load of rubbish. \"They have not let us progress, we've never given up and now we are ready to show Europe what we are made of.\" Gibraltar becomes the smallest Uefa member in terms of population, behind San Marino (just over 32,000), Liechtenstein (approximately 37,000) and the Faroe Islands (just under 50,000).", "summary": "Gibraltar has been accepted as a full member of Uefa, European football's governing body."}
{"article": "Norris, 17, set the second fastest time behind championship leader Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari at the Hungaroring on Wednesday. McLaren racing director Eric Boullier said Norris \"impressed us all with his maturity, professionalism and speed\". \"He's certainly an asset to our test-driver line-up - not to mention a potential star of the future,\" he said. \"His feedback with the engineers has been valuable and accurate.\" Norris' fastest lap of one minute 17.385 seconds was 0.164secs quicker than the qualifying time of double world champion Fernando Alonso in the McLaren at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday. But the times cannot be directly compared because Alonso was on slower tyres, track conditions were different and the specification of the car Norris was using is not made public. Norris, who is a front-runner in the European Formula Three series, said on his Twitter feed on Thursday: \"How insane was that? Thanks, McLaren.\" McLaren replied: \"Was totally mega, Lando.\" After the test, Norris said in a McLaren statement: \"Getting used to the car was a bit of a challenge at first, but by the end of the day I felt very comfortable. I got a lot of laps under my belt and I really enjoyed the experience.\" Another British rising star was driving at the test - Mercedes young driver George Russell. The 19-year-old was eighth fastest without having the opportunity to go for headline lap times on the fastest tyres like Norris. Russell, who races in GP3 this season, tested the 'halo' head protection device which will be used in F1 for the first time next season and said that he had no problems with it - and that in some circumstances it aided visibility. \"I had a much better view with the halo than I expected,\" he said. \"When the sun was coming down at the end of the day, it blocked the sun from my eyes. \"From a driver's perspective, the visibility is completely fine. The only hindrance could potentially be seeing the start lights. \"Getting in and out of the car with the halo takes a bit of experience. I struggled initially, but after a few trial runs I was fine.\"", "summary": "Rising British star Lando Norris had an impressive first test in a current Formula 1 car with McLaren."}
{"article": "Thames Water said 26,000 properties in Reading and Wokingham were affected when a pump at Earley failed. The company said the fault occurred at about 06:30 BST and supplies and pressure were restored at 16:00. At least three schools - Hillside Primary, White Knights and Leighton Park School - closed as a result of the problems. Thames Water apologised for any inconvenience caused and said its engineers brought in water from other areas of Berkshire to supply customers in Reading. The company warned that water may be discoloured when it first came back. It said it was \"harmless\" but advised customers to keep taps running until it cleared, and to inform the firm if it continued. Free bottled water depots had been set up in the car parks of the University of Reading, Asda at Lower Earley and Showcase Cinema at Winnersh for those affected.", "summary": "Thousands of people in Berkshire were left without water or low pressure following a pump failure."}
{"article": "But the Australian media has gone into overdrive after news broke that Johnny Depp may have broken quarantine laws by not declaring his Yorkshire Terriers when they flew into Queensland. It wasn't long before a posse of reporters had gathered outside the Gold Coast estate where the dogs are being held in quarantine prison. There is a dog's breakfast of online stories, and commercial TV networks have sent choppers up in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Pirates of the Caribbean star and his customs-busting mutts. Even the nation's venerable financial journal, The Australian Financial Review, has got in on the act. Media interest in the story is so intense a mini economy has sprouted up outside the estate with a catering van arriving to feed the press, according to the Courier Mail. #WarOnTerrier: Australia reacts to Depp's dogs It might all sound like a bit of fun but Australian quarantine laws are no joke. Live animals and plants, plant material, animal products and some food from overseas can't be brought into the country without government permission because they can introduce some of the world's most serious pests and diseases into this island nation. Those who flaunt the rules face fines of more than A$66,000 ($5,400; \u00c2\u00a334,000) and risk 10 years jail. As an example of how serious it can be, in 1995 a 500km (310-mile) by 200km quarantine zone was established in northern Queensland just to control foreign fruit fly maggots. So, it's lucky Depp didn't bring any bananas with him.", "summary": "Maybe it was because they had spent the past week poring over government budget documents, or maybe this story was just too good to ignore."}
{"article": "The Arsenal midfielder, 23, helped the Lionesses qualify for Euro 2017. Chelsea's Millie Bright, who made her senior international debut in a 2-0 win against Belgium in September, was voted England young player of the year. Manchester City boss Nick Cushing was awarded Women's Super League manager of the year after guiding the Blues to a league and cup double. City also took the club of the year award, while their defender Lucy Bronze was crowned Women's Super League 1 player of the year. Former England women boss Hope Powell was also recognised at the event as the 49-year-old took the outstanding contribution to women's football award.", "summary": "Jordan Nobbs has been named England player of the year at the Football Association Women's Football Awards."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 26-year-old Scot became the first Briton in 77 years to win the Wimbledon men's singles title with victory over Novak Djokovic in the summer. British and Irish Lions player Leigh Halfpenny was runner-up at the ceremony in Leeds, with jockey AP McCoy third. BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2015 is broadcast live from Belfast on Sunday, 20 December from 19:00 GMT on BBC One. Further coverage on BBC Sport's online platforms and Radio 5 live.", "summary": "Wimbledon champion Andy Murray is named the 2013 BBC Sports Personality of the Year."}
{"article": "Only Italian champions Juventus earned more than Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United, while Arsenal and Southampton were also in the top 10. In total, 641 European clubs from 54 national associations received a revenue share of 150m euros (\u00a3127.74m). Liverpool, top earners in the Premier League, took \u00a32,890,773 for releasing players for the finals and qualifying. Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Roma completed the top 10. At the other end of the scale, Gibraltar's inclusion in Euro 2016 qualifying meant Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Division One North side Farsley Celtic and Welsh Premier League outfit Bala Town took a share of the revenue. An understanding between Uefa, European football's governing body, and the European Club Association (ECA) means some of the revenue from Euro 2016 is shared among those clubs who released players to their national teams. Clubs that released players for the final tournament took a share of 100m euros (\u00a385.6m), while another 50m euros (\u00a342.58m) was set aside for those that released players for qualifying matches. Another 744,937 euros (\u00a3634,390) was carried over from Euro 2012 and divided up during the qualification phase. \"It is important and fair to recognise and reward the clubs for the release of their players,\" said ECA Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. In qualifying, each club that releases a player to the national team for is entitled to receive a fixed amount per player, per match. For the final tournament, clubs receive a fixed amount per player, per day. This starts 14 days before the player's country's first match and ends the day after their last match. Liverpool, who supplied five of Roy Hodgson's 23-man England squad, were the top earners in the Premier League and enjoyed the second highest payout for the whole tournament with \u00a32,890,773. Meanwhile, striker Adam Priestley's appearances in qualifying for Gibraltar pocketed eighth-tier Farsley \u00a321,531. Linfield were the only team from Northern Ireland to benefit, while Welsh side Bala Town earned \u00a317,942 from Gibraltar international David Artell.", "summary": "Five Premier League clubs were among those to benefit most financially from sending their players to Euro 2016."}
{"article": "Dywedodd arweinydd y cyngor, Peter Fox fod sawl lleoliad \"allai fod yn briodol ar gyfer digwyddiad o'r natur a'r maint yma\". Roedd prif weithredwr yr \u0175yl, Elfed Roberts wedi dweud wrth BBC Cymru Fyw ei fod ar ddeall fod y trafodaethau cychwynnol hynny wedi dechrau. Ychwanegodd Mr Roberts eu bod wedi \"plesio'n aruthrol\" gydag ymateb trigolion Y Fenni yn 2016, wedi i'r Brifwyl ymweld \u00e2'r sir am y tro cyntaf ers dros ganrif. Dywedodd Mr Fox fod y cyngor wrthi'n ystyried gwneud cais, ond nad oedd \"unrhyw gynlluniau pendant wedi'u gwneud\". \"Roedd hi'n fraint aruthrol croesawu'r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol i'r Fenni haf diwethaf ac rydym wedi mynegi diddordeb mewn cynnal [un arall], o bosib yng nghanol tymor nesaf y cyngor [2022-27]\", meddai. Ychwanegodd: \"Mae'n rhaid i ni edrych ar sawl ffactor gan gynnwys yr effaith a'r buddion i'r sir, cefnogaeth gymunedol a'r safle sy'n cael ei ddewis. \"Cafodd Y Fenni ei chydnabod fel un o'r lleoliadau gorau yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf, ond mae gan Sir Fynwy leoliadau posib eraill allai fod yn briodol ar gyfer digwyddiad o'r natur a'r maint yma.\" Dywedodd Mr Roberts fod diddordeb y cyngor yn dangos eu bod yn teimlo fod Sir Fynwy wedi elwa o gynnal yr Eisteddfod. Mae hynny, meddai, yn gwrthbrofi'r cyhuddiad cyffredin fod gormod o ddigwyddiadau wedi'u canoli ar y maes bellach, ac nad yw'r \u0175yl yn cyfrannu digon i'r ardaloedd y mae'n ymweld \u00e2 nhw. \"Os ddaru Sir Fynwy ddim cael budd allan o'r Eisteddfod, dwi'n gofyn pam fod y cyngor sir eisiau hi n\u00f4l\", meddai. Ychwanegodd: \"Mae mynd \u00e2'r Eisteddfod i rywle fel Sir Fynwy a chyflwyno'r Gymraeg i bobl ddi-Gymraeg yn bwysig i ni. \"Mi gawson ni ein plesio'n aruthrol gan ymateb y rhan fwyaf o bobl y sir, oedd yn ofnadwy o gynnes a chefnogol i'r iaith.\"", "summary": "Mae Cyngor Sir Fynwy wedi cadarnhau fod ganddyn nhw ddiddordeb mewn cynnal yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol unwaith eto ymhen ychydig flynyddoedd."}
{"article": "Poole, 19, moved to Old Trafford in 2015 from Newport County, where he played under current Cobblers boss Justin Edinburgh. But his only United appearance to date was as a late substitute in the Europa League in February 2016. The Wales Under-21 international comes in as competition for centre-backs Ash Taylor and Leon Barnett. Edinburgh said: \"He is a central defender who is comfortable on the ball. He is strong, he leaps well and he has all the attributes to be a top, top player. \"He is mobile and he will complement the other defenders we have at the club well.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League One side Northampton Town have signed young Manchester United defender Regan Poole on a season-long loan."}
{"article": "During his testimony before the Senate committee investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign, he was often evasive. His accounting of details was uncertain, littered with \"I don't recalls\" and \"I have no recollections\". Mr Sessions is far from the first politician to seek refuge in a fuzzy memory under sharp questioning. Definitive statements proven inaccurate under oath are more prone to accusations of perjury. When it came time to discuss his conversations with the president, Mr Sessions demurred, noting that he wanted to give Mr Trump the opportunity to review the question before sharing his thoughts. It was as if the attorney general was trying to pre-emptively invoke executive privilege - the right of a president to candid counsel from his advisers - without using those magic words. Where Mr Sessions's memory did serve him well, he forcefully condemned allegations of Russian collusion as \"appalling and detestable\". The controversy at this point is about more than just collusion, however. It's about obstruction of justice and the circumstances around the firing of an FBI director. In those areas the attorney general did little to turn down the heat. Going into Mr Sessions's testimony on Tuesday, there were some obvious questions he would face. Here's a look at how he answered (or, occasionally, didn't answer) them. The scene was the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. The date was 27 April 2016. The event was a high-profile foreign policy speech by then-candidate Trump. Mr Sessions was in attendance, and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak was sitting in the front row. According to the attorney general's testimony, however, he didn't know Mr Kislyak was in the room (although a photograph showed them just a few metres apart at one point and reporters in the back of the room were buzzing about his presence). He said he didn't recall if he had any conversation with the ambassador, although it was \"conceivable\". \"I can assure you nothing improper, if I had a conversation with him,\" Mr Sessions said. It was undisclosed meetings with Mr Kislyak - who is considered by some to be the top Russian spymaster in the US - that is widely considered to be behind Mr Sessions's February announcement that he would recuse himself from the Justice Department's investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Mr Sessions on Tuesday, however, said that his recusal was a result of Justice Department rules preventing him from overseeing an investigation into a campaign he was part of and not due to any personal activity. It was a blockbuster story in the New York Times and one of the most gripping moments of last week's testimony from ex-FBI boss James Comey. On 14 February, the former director said he was held back by the president during a national security meeting in the White House and, in private, pressured to curtail the ongoing FBI investigation into Mr Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. On Tuesday Mr Sessions, at least in part, corroborated Mr Comey's account. \"We were there and I was standing there", "summary": "The glimpse Jeff Sessions offered into the controversies bedevilling the Trump administration came through a glass, darkly."}
{"article": "MTR was one of four companies short-listed to bid for the contract late last year. The other train companies bidding to run the franchise included National Express, Arriva and French transport firm Keolis, through the Go-Ahead Group. MTR is expected to employ 1,100 staff. The franchise will run for an initial eight years with an option to extend the franchise for another 10 years after that. London mayor, Boris Johnson, said the award of the franchise represented the \"final pieces of the jigsaw puzzle\" being put in place. \"I am delighted that we can now announce the new operator of this landmark railway, bringing it one step closer to welcoming passengers aboard,\" he said. \"Crossrail will revolutionise east-west transit in the capital, making London an even more attractive place to visit and invest.\" The rail franchise will employ around 400 drivers and there will be more than 50 apprenticeships for people from communities along the route. MTR already operates the London Overground franchise with Arriva UK Trains, as well as running the metro system in Hong Kong. The huge Crossrail project, costing around \u00a315bn to build, is the first complete new underground line in London since the Victoria line was built in the late 1960s. The line will see trains running from Reading in Berkshire to the west of the capital and as far east as Shenfield in Essex, as well as linking to south London. It is also one of the most ambitious transport construction projects undertaken in London since the original underground was built over 150 years ago. Crossrail is expected to reduce passenger overcrowding on underground trains in central London and to reduce cross-London journey times. TfL said it expected Crossrail to support the equivalent of 55,000 full-time jobs around the UK. New trains will begin entering service in 2017. The route through Canary Wharf, the City and the West End will open in late 2018, with the full route running from late 2019. MTR will start running services from the end of May 2015 between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, when it takes over the existing stopping services currently operated by Abellio Greater Anglia. London Underground managing director Mike Brown said the award of the franchise was \"a huge step towards the new railway coming to London.\"", "summary": "The \u00a31.4bn contract to run the new Crossrail service through London from 2018 has been awarded to Hong Kong-based MTR Corporation, Transport for London (TfL) has announced."}
{"article": "About \u00a345m was spent on new accommodation for 1,000 students with 100 studio flats at Fferm Penglais. A further \u00a335m is being spent a research campus at Gogerddan. About \u00a34.5m has been spent on lecture and teaching areas at Llanbadarn Centre, and the university is resubmitting a bid for heritage lottery funding for the Old College. The university said the refurbishment of Welsh-language halls Pantycelyn is due to be discussed in October.", "summary": "Work is continuing on a \u00a3100m investment to improve facilities at Aberystwyth University."}
{"article": "His 16 years in office made him the longest-serving German chancellor since Bismarck and he was once described as the greatest European leader in the second half of the 20th Century. He was a passionate supporter of greater European integration and was one of the main architects of the Maastricht Treaty. Yet the end of his career was marred by economic problems in the old East Germany and a financial scandal within his own CDU party. Helmut Josef Michael Kohl was born on 3 April 1930 into a conservative, Catholic family, His political outlook was shaped by his experiences in his hometown of Ludwigshafen in the Rhineland during World War Two. Because of its huge chemical works, the town was heavily bombed and, at the age of 12, the young Helmut found himself helping to recover the charred bodies of his neighbours from the rubble. What he once described as \"the blessing of a late birth\" freed him from any taints of Nazism. After studying politics and law at Heidelberg University, Kohl entered politics in the German federal system where, in the Rhineland Palatinate, he rose to become the youngest Land [federal state] minister-president at the age of 39. He built up a large network of political allies and forced through important changes, among them the law that outlawed denominational schools unless 80% of the parents approved. Three years later, Kohl became national chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the dominant post-war West German political party. He was the CDU's candidate for chancellor in the 1976 election, but was defeated by the Social Democrat/Free Democrat coalition of Helmut Schmidt. Four years later, Kohl looked on as another CDU candidate, and great rival, the Bavarian Prime Minister Franz Josef Strauss, also went down to defeat by Schmidt. A bear of a man, Kohl was often ridiculed for his love of food - one nickname being \"Birne\" or pear - and for his often clumsy provincial manner. Beyond this, Kohl's critics relentlessly mocked him for what they said was his lacklustre oratory and apparent lack of vision. But many underestimated his ability to wield power, which he managed through a complex, but highly effective, network of patronage and political cronies. In 1982, after the Free Democrats had left the ruling coalition, he took over as chancellor from Helmut Schmidt, and would go on to win the next four general elections, staying in power for 16 years. The 1980s witnessed a golden age of German economic and political power. Together with his closest ally, France's President Mitterrand, Kohl shaped the federal ideal of the European Union and laid the groundwork for the creation of the single currency. In 1987 there was a groundbreaking visit to West Germany by the East German leader, Erich Honecker. It was part of Kohl's policy of detente with the East, something his party had firmly rejected just 20 years before. Two years later, the Berlin Wall came down and Kohl began the negotiations that would lead to reunification. Having realised that Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's attempts to reform communism", "summary": "Helmut Kohl earned his place in history by securing the successful reunification of Germany after the collapse of communism."}
{"article": "Ann Grisman, from Hereford, disappeared after arriving in Wellington by taxi on 28 November. The body was discovered by a member of the public on a building site at Longforth Farm, on the outskirts of Wellington, at about 09:30 GMT. Police said Mrs Grisman's death was not at this stage being treated as suspicious and her family had been informed.", "summary": "Police searching for a missing 80-year-old woman have found a body."}
{"article": "MSPs voted by 59 to 56 to reject taking forward Anne McTaggart's Transplantation Bill. Holyrood's health committee backed the aim, but not the detail of the bill. The government amendment accepted by MSPs said there were \"merits\" to such a system and pledged a consultation. The amendment, lodged by public health minister Maureen Watt voiced \"serious concerns\" about the \"practical impact of the specific details\" of the bill as it stood, and prevented it from proceeding to the next stage of consideration. However, Ms Watt did say a \"workable\" opt-out system should be considered, calling on the government to \"commence work in preparation for a detailed consultation\" during the next parliament. The SNP offered members a free vote on the issue, and 11 administration MSPs voted against the government amendment, which won out only with the votes of Conservative and Liberal Democrat members. Anyone who wants to donate their organs after death currently has to \"opt-in\" through the donor card scheme. Ms McTaggart's bill proposed a move to a \"soft opt-out\" system which would allow parts of a dead adult's body to be used in transplants in the absence of express permission. It would have still been possible for people to opt-in to organ donation, but the bill would also have given adults the option of appointing someone to make a decision about authorisation on their behalf. BMA Scotland had called on MSPs to support the general principles of the Transplantation Bill, and MSPs from across the chamber spoke in favour of it during the debate. SNP MSPs including Kenneth Gibson, Sandra White and Stewart Stevenson spoke in favour of Ms McTaggart's bill, with Mr Gibson calling on members to \"stand up and be counted\". While they and a number of their colleagues voted against the government amendment, the votes of 11 Conservative MSPs and one Liberal Democrat ensured the bill will not proceed to the next stage. Ms Watt said: \"While we're very supportive of measures to increase organ availability, in our view the Member's Bill before the Scottish Parliament is seriously flawed and could actually harm organ donation. \"Many of the measures set out in the Bill could make things worse due to legal ambiguities and delays in decision-making processes. \"We have concerns that the proposals around authorised investigating persons (AIPs) and proxies will add significant complexity into the donation pathway, and may lead to potential donors being lost. \"We also have concerns that provisions in relation to adults with incapacity may make it difficult for such adults, or their relatives, to opt-out, leaving them 'locked in' to donation.\" The minister said Ms McTaggart's bill had \"helped to raise the profile of the debate\". She said the government's consultation would be \"an opportunity to seek the views of the public on a range of issues, including soft opt-out, and determine what action the Scottish government should take next to increase the availability of organs\". Ms McTaggart, who is unlikely to be re-elected to Holyrood in May after placing last in Labour's Glasgow list, said the outcome was \"deeply disappointing\". She", "summary": "The Scottish government said it would consider bringing forward new legislation on an \"opt-out\" system for organ donation despite MSPs rejecting a Labour member's bill on the topic."}
{"article": "The Welshman's withdrawal means neither he nor Tour de France winner Chris Froome will compete in the USA. Froome broke a foot in a crash at the Vuelta a Espana, ruling him out. \"It's been a hard decision to make but the season has taken its toll on me and I don't feel physically up for a good Worlds,\" Thomas, 29, wrote on Facebook. \"I don't want to go there just to make up the numbers, I'd want to be competitive or at least do a good job for the boys.\" Thomas says he wants to rest ahead of 2016 when he feels a top-five Tour de France spot is possible along with an Olympic track medal. \"I love racing for GB and the Worlds are a really special race so it was a difficult decision to make, along with the team, but I feel it's best to rest up now before it's all systems go for a big year next year.\" Fellow Briton Mark Cavendish crashed out of the Tour of Britain last week and suffered a shoulder injury, but is hopeful of competing in Virginia as the men's road race takes place on the final day of the championships - 27 September.", "summary": "Geraint Thomas has pulled out of the UCI World Road Race Championships in Virginia from 19-27 September, saying he does not feel \"physically\" up to it."}
{"article": "The American screamed in agony after slipping during the third set against Romania's Sorana Cirstea on court 17. The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) said more will be known following Friday's tests. \"Bethanie of course thanks everyone for their kind wishes and messages of support,\" the WTA statement added. \"She is resting tonight but wants to chat tomorrow [Saturday] via Facebook Live so she can let everyone know how she's doing and answer some questions.\" Mattek-Sands was treated by paramedics on the court before being carried off on a stretcher and taken straight to hospital. The 32-year-old later wrote on social media: \"To the best family, friends and fans a girl could ask for, it's been a painful and emotional 36 hours but thank you for all the love and support.\" Mattek-Sands had been favourite to add a Wimbledon doubles title to her US Open, Australian Open and French Open victories with Czech partner Lucie Safarova, who went to the court when she heard about the injury. Mattek-Sands has also received support from the tennis world. Nine-time Wimbledon singles champion Martina Navratilova wrote on social media: \"Am just devastated about Bethanie Mattek-Sands and her injury - we are all behind you, hoping for the best - lots of love, m.\" American Wimbledon singles champion Chris Evert added: \"Going over the day and remembering @BMATTEK [Bethanie Mattek-Sands] in my thoughts and prayers and wishing this very special lady a speedy recovery...\" Andrew Castle, BBC Sport tennis commentator: The club monitor the moisture levels of the grass at all times but when it's hot, it wilts and dies and then can become slippery. I spoke to the Centre Court groundsman who told me his plan. This morning, he put the roof over and soaked it to give it a drink and a rest. We all need that every now and again. The trouble is the players aren't used to it as they don't play on it for much of the year - they are mostly on clay or hard courts. Hopefully they understand it's a natural surface and it does show natural signs of wear and tear.", "summary": "Bethanie Mattek-Sands is having more scans on a serious knee injury she picked up during her second-round Wimbledon singles match on Thursday."}
{"article": "Should they be passed fit, the Baggies will have a fully-fit squad on Sunday. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expects injured midfielders Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana to return before the end of the month. Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho should be recalled to the starting XI after being substitutes against Stoke. Jonathan Pearce: \"Liverpool can ill afford any slip-ups in the chase for a Champions League slot but West Brom can cause them real problems. \"It's understandable that the Baggies have stalled since passing the 40-point safety mark. Their tiny squad is exhausted. \"Tony Pulis has worked miracles and needs the reward of a treasure chest of summer transfer funds. This is also the sort of game to kick-start a new charge for a club record Premier League points haul. \"They are so strong in the air at set pieces. Liverpool can't defend them or keep clean sheets. I expect a draw.\" West Brom head coach Tony Pulis: \"The target is to get as many points as we can. And we want performances. We want the players to go out and put good performances in. \"It's going to be a really tough game because they have a lot to play for.\" Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: \"West Brom have all our respect and all our concentration. \"We will try to be at our best. West Brom have had an outstanding season. Last two or three matches they didn't score but (that's) nothing we should think about. \"Maybe they are the most experienced team in the Premier League. [They have] a lot of things that cause us problems.\" I fancy Liverpool to get a win here. West Brom have just started to struggle for goals again and, with no wins in four, there is a danger their season could peter out. Prediction: 0-2 Lawro's full predictions v singer Sting and his son Head-to-head West Bromwich Albion Liverpool SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.", "summary": "West Brom head coach Tony Pulis says one or two unnamed players are nursing bruises and will be assessed ahead of the visit of Liverpool."}
{"article": "Jordan Maguire was stabbed at his house in Thrales Close, Marsh Farm, in May 2013 and later died in hospital. Jason Nelson, 32, was detained in Trinidad in October 2013. He was extradited to the UK and appeared at Luton Magistrates' court on Saturday. Mr Nelson was remanded in custody ahead of a crown court appearance later this month, Bedfordshire Police said.", "summary": "A man has appeared in court charged with the 2013 murder of a 20-year-old at his home in Luton."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Lewis Hamilton's superb victory, the climax of an afternoon of action and drama enlivened by a late downpour, showcased all that is good about F1, and 140,000 fans were treated to what was undoubtedly the race of the year so far. It was a race that, to be fair, F1 needed. The 2015 world championship had crackled a little over its previous eight events, but there had not been a moment when it had really caught fire. Not until now, anyway. Media playback is not supported on this device Hamilton's 38th career victory was undoubtedly one of his best but for it to end up that way, rather than the routine cruise it had looked like being, it needed something unusual to happen. The electric starts of both Williams drivers provided it. Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas got off the line \"like missiles,\" as Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff put it afterwards, Massa blasting past Hamilton and team-mate Nico Rosberg as if they were not there, and Bottas passing the German as well. Briefly, it looked as if Bottas would get Hamilton, too, but the world champion's racing instincts got him back into second place after Bottas left the door open at Turn Four. Hamilton lost the place anyway, though, when after a safety-car period to clear up the mess left by a first-lap pile-up, he just failed to pass Massa on the re-start, ran a little wide and Bottas sneaked by. In the car, Hamilton was unperturbed. \"I was just chilled,\" he said afterwards. \"I was more concerned about losing position to Nico. I was nearly there, I nearly had it, it was just a bit too much.\" Hamilton bided his time, knowing he had the pace to re-take the lead, as he duly did at the first pit stops thanks to an in-lap that Williams technical boss Pat Symonds described as \"stunning\", and an equally good first lap out of the pits. At that stage, the race looked won, but that was counting without the rain. Had Hamilton mistimed his pit stop for wet-weather tyres, he could still have lost out to Rosberg. But he made the call - and it was his alone - perfectly, just as the rain was about to come down properly. It was a victory that showcased all the qualities that Hamilton has displayed this season, during which he seems to have stepped up to another level. Hamilton might have won his second title last year, but he stumbled along the way, and it was at this stage of the season that he did so. Media playback is not supported on this device But actually achieving a goal he had been trying to fulfil for six frustrating years since his first crown seems to have helped calm him down, boosted his self-belief and allowed him to relax into his ability. Last year, Hamilton was thrown off course a few times when things did not go his way. This year, he has proved time and again his ability", "summary": "All season the talk has been of Formula 1 being faced with some sort of existential crisis, but the sport put on its best face for a thrill-a-minute British Grand Prix in front of the biggest Silverstone crowd for more than 20 years."}
{"article": "13 March 2012 Last updated at 18:31 GMT Nan Weidong and Nan Weiping have been transforming vegetables into musical instruments for two years. Their dad was a music teacher and encouraged them to be musical from a young age - but carrot panpipes probably weren't what he had in mind! Weidong says it's important the veg is fresh - otherwise it risks being out of tune. And no vegetable is too much of a challenge: they've turned a sweet potato into an ocarina, a bamboo shoot has become a flute, and a yam has doubled up as a whistle. Watch the clip to see them in action!", "summary": "We were always told to not play with our food, but these two brothers from China clearly never listened!"}
{"article": "A further 26 people were injured when the two-storey factory, under construction in the Sao Mateus neighbourhood, collapsed. Two of the 36 people who are believed to have been working in the building at the time are still unaccounted for. It is not yet clear what may have caused the collapse. According to city officials, the construction work did not have the necessary permits and two fines had been issued already in relation to the work carried out. Edilson Carlos dos Santos, a lawyer for the owner of the site, blamed the engineering company hired to work on the building for the collapse. Mr Santos said the company, Salvatta Engenharia, had been installing lift shafts and staircases at the time of the collapse on Tuesday. The engineering company denied the allegations, saying in a statement that it had not yet received the keys to the building \"because the works he [the owner of the site] had agreed to carry out had not been completed\". Some 60 rescue workers continue to search the site with sniffer dogs. They dug holes into concrete walls with sledgehammers and removed metal sheeting in their attempt to find the missing construction workers. Building collapses of this kind are common in Sao Paulo - Brazil's largest city - and particularly affect structures that are either poorly maintained or still under construction. Home to 11 million people, Sao Paulo is one of 12 Brazilian host cities for next year's World Cup.", "summary": "Firefighters searching the rubble of a collapsed building in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo have found another body, taking the death toll to eight."}
{"article": "Waterloo Bridge, built between 1937 and 1945, has Grade II listed status. Historian Christine Wall uncovered new evidence of the largely forgotten contribution by women. Information about how women worked on the design and build is now included on the bridge's listing on the National Heritage List for England. A campaign by heritage minster Tracey Crouch, to recognise the role of women in building historic places, led to the recognition as part of her #builtbywomen push. The move could lead to further recognition of the role of women on the 400,000-strong list of England's protected buildings and sites. Ms Crouch said: \"This is a wonderful opportunity to ensure our great female engineers are properly recognised. \"This project will show the remarkable achievements of the women who broke conventions to help build Britain and inspire the next generation of female engineers, architects and builders.\" Emily Gee at Historic England said women had \"always\" been involved in engineering, through patronage, design, labour, craftsmanship, alteration and decoration. She said: \"These roles have historically been overlooked, but as important research, understanding and awareness reveals their hands, it can illuminate many fascinating and inspiring stories.\" The move marks National Women in Engineering Day.", "summary": "The role by women in building Waterloo Bridge during World War Two has been officially recognised for the first time as part of its listed status."}
{"article": "Joy Hewer, 52, was sexually assaulted and stabbed in her flat in Walthamstow, north east London, in 1995. Her younger sister, Penny Barnes, said the family couldn't face \"another 20 years of unanswered questions.\" There were no signs of forced entry at the flat and Ms Hewer may have known her killer, police said. Her body was found in her bedroom with multiple stab wounds after two fires were deliberately started in her sixth-floor flat. An enhanced CCTV image of a man seen entering Ms Hewer's flat in St David's Court at around 22:30 BST on the night she died has been issued. He is white, with short hair and wearing a light-coloured jacket. He would now be aged between 50 and 60 years old. Officers believe that those close to the man would still be able to recognise him. Ms Barnes said her sister was \"absolutely no harm to anyone\" and \"would go out of her way to help others\". She added: \"We've never forgotten the moment we were told she'd been murdered. It will never make any sense to us. \"She lived a quiet and peaceful life which was totally at odds with her last terrifying moments.\" Police are also searching for a man who called the fire service on the night of Ms Hewer's death from a public phone on Fulbourne Road and a person waiting at the bus stop who he spoke to during the call. Lead investigator Det Insp Susan Stansfield urged witnesses who may not previously have come forward to break their silence.", "summary": "The family of a primary school teacher killed at her home have made a fresh appeal for information, 20 years after her murder."}
{"article": "The 66-year-old republican from County Louth denies nine tax evasion charges. The prosecution's case is that he had significant dealings in relation to cattle and land and received farming grants, but failed to make tax returns. A court in Dublin heard a third day of closing submissions on Tuesday. Mr Murphy's defence barrister told the Special Criminal Court that \"fair analysis\" of the evidence should lead to the conclusion it was the accused's brother, Patrick Murphy, who ran the farming operation and controlled the finances. \"I am suggesting that the person in charge of this farming enterprise was Patrick Murphy; that the profiteer was Patrick Murphy; that the chargeable person was Patrick Murphy,\" the barrister said. \"I am not suggesting that Thomas Murphy was not about the farm. But there is a big difference between growing up in a farming environment and being about the place doing bits and bobs and being the chargeable person, being the actual farmer in charge.\" The three judges in the non-jury trial were told the case has been built on hearsay evidence and that key financial documents found inside Patrick Murphy's house had effectively been \"buried\" because they \"didn't suit\". \"When you scratch below the surface the reasonable doubt lurks just below the surface, and so does Patrick Murphy,\" the defence lawyer said. It was also claimed the state was seeking to \"galvanise\" the suggestion Thomas Murphy received a farming income. \"It simply isn't there,\" the lawyer said. The inclusion of \"business drawings\" for items like food, presents, watch repairs, boots and tickets to Paris should also deposit doubt in the minds of the judges, the barrister said. \"That's the height of the prosecution case. It reached the stage that it was utterly ludicrous,\" he added. Allegations that Mr Murphy, of Ballybinaby, Hackballscross, had access to large sources of cash were also rejected. The trial continues.", "summary": "The case against Thomas \"Slab\" Murphy is based on \"utterly ludicrous\" documentation which attempts to link him to a non-existent farming income, his defence barrister has said."}
{"article": "The family of Luke Schemm confirmed on Wednesday he was taken off life support at a hospital in Denver after being declared brain-dead. The principal of Luke's school did not know why the football player had collapsed during the game. Game officials did not see him sustain neck or head injuries while playing. His teammates are likely to still play in a game on Saturday, something those who knew Luke say he would have wanted. \"Luke gave his all on the field,\" said Gary Musselman of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. \"He lived his life with a passion, and that's what we want them to do.\" Luke's death, if ruled to be football-related, would be the third of its kind in Kansas in 17 years. \"Any death is one death too many. We are just heartsick any time a youngster prematurely passes because of whatever reason,\" said Mr Musselman. There have been 11 high school football deaths in the US since July, according to the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, seven of which were directly related to football trauma.", "summary": "A 17-year-old high school football player from Kansas has collapsed on the sidelines and died after scoring for his team during a game."}
{"article": "Holyrood backed a series of opposition amendments following a Scottish government debate on patient safety. They included a Lib Dem mention of a \"recruitment crisis\" and Labour warnings that services are \"near breaking point\". This left the SNP voting against Shona Robison's amended motion, but they were defeated by opposition members. Health Secretary Ms Robison had put forward a motion highlighting the work of the government's \"world-leading\" patient safety programme. It said the programme \"represents the international benchmark for safe care\" and noted \"the huge challenges that face the NHS in meeting the demands of an ageing population and those of integrating health and social care services\". Members unanimously backed a Conservative amendment from Donald Cameron adding that the health service is \"facing severe workforce and staffing issues\", and that \"further action on staffing must be a priority\". Another amendment from Labour's Anas Sarwar was then passed by 62 votes to 61, adding in claims that \"services are facing a situation in which demand is often outstripping supply\". It also cited a report from the British Medical Association that the NHS is \"near breaking point\". A further amendment from Lib Dem Alex Cole-Hamilton highlighted a \"recruitment crisis\" in the NHS, raising fears it could \"pose a risk to patient safety\", and was passed by the same margin. The amended motion was then passed by 62 votes to 61, with SNP members voting against.", "summary": "MSPs have passed a motion warning that patient safety is at risk amid a \"recruitment crisis\" in the NHS."}
{"article": "New Zealand striker Wood finished from close range after Forest failed to clear a corner for his sixth goal in his past four league appearances. Souleymane Doukara netted a stunning 20-yard volley to seal the win. Forest went closest at 0-0 when Britt Assombalonga forced an excellent save from goalkeeper Robert Green. An entertaining game was short on clear chances until the visitors were made to pay for two lapses in concentration at set-pieces. Forest, who stay 19th and five points above the relegation zone, fell to their first defeat since Philippe Montanier was sacked and Gary Brazil was placed in interim charge on 14 January. Leeds climbed above Reading and Huddersfield in the table and they are seven points behind second-placed Newcastle, having played a game more then their promotion rivals. Garry Monk's side have won 10 of their 12 Championship games at Elland Road since losing to Huddersfield on 10 September, their only defeat in that time being against Newcastle in November. Leeds have also kept six successive clean sheets at home in all competitions. Leeds head coach Garry Monk told BBC Radio Leeds: \"Credit to Forest in the first half - their game plan to slow the tempo was lowering our intensity and pace of play, which was making it difficult for us and making it a much more even game. \"I said at half-time that we needed to up our intensity and we made a couple of tweaks. We looked very dangerous, controlled the second half, scored two really good goals and could have had a few more. \"The pleasing bit was that we bounced back from a defeat. It's something that we talked about in pre-season, something that we felt was important as a group - if we suffer a defeat, we make sure we react straight away. That was the pleasing bit because that was the most important bit.\" Nottingham Forest interim boss Gary Brazil told BBC Radio Nottingham: \"I felt in the first half we were the better team, we got ourselves a couple of good chances we didn't take, we defended well and played some good football. We knew our opponents, and knew they were in good form and handled it fantastically in the first half. \"In the second half we lost tempo, it's something we'll work on, we need to maintain the tempo from the first half and we didn't, we fell away a bit. \"We lost to a set-piece and a worldie goal. I didn't think there was much in the teams at all, there was a lot in the performance to be pleased with, we need to get fitter and we know we need to keep working on the training ground.\" Match ends, Leeds United 2, Nottingham Forest 0. Second Half ends, Leeds United 2, Nottingham Forest 0. Corner, Nottingham Forest. Conceded by Pontus Jansson. Attempt blocked. Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Luke Ayling (Leeds United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Ben Osborn (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick", "summary": "Chris Wood's 20th goal of the season helped Leeds United to victory over Nottingham Forest, which took them up to third in the Championship."}
{"article": "The 59-year-old was killed in a crash on the Old Military Road near to Castle Douglas on Wednesday. Emergency services were sent to the location at about 23:30 but the man - who was riding a black Triumph bike - had died at the scene. The road was closed for about five hours to allow for collision investigations to take place. PC Hazel Smyth said: \"We are carrying out a full crash investigation into this collision and would ask that anyone who may have witnessed this RTC get in touch with us. \"We are particularly keen to speak with anyone who may have travelled the Old Military Road between 16:30 and 23:30 on Wednesday.\"", "summary": "A motorcyclist has died in an accident on a minor road in Dumfries and Galloway."}
{"article": "Max Quartermain and four US citizens died when their light plane hit a shopping centre on Tuesday. Police said the charter flight appeared to have had a \"catastrophic engine failure\" shortly after take-off. The head of the national transport safety board has said they \"won't be participating in any speculation\". Mr Quartermain, an experienced pilot, had just taken off from Melbourne's small Essendon Airport on Tuesday when he issued two mayday calls. Moments later, his Beechcraft B200 King Air crashed into a Direct Factory Outlets (DFO) shopping centre, killing himself and his four US passengers. Nobody on the ground was hurt. Aviation authorities said Mr Quartermain had been investigated over the earlier incident in September 2015. His plane came within 1.8km (1.1 miles) horizontally and 90m (300ft) vertically of another plane at Mt Hotham, a ski resort in Victoria state, amid bad weather. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) described it as a \"serious incident\" in a summary online - which does not name Mr Quartermain - but its final report will not be released until May. According the ATSB summary, the plane had \"tracking difficulties\" approaching Mt Hotham before being \"observed to carry out significant manoeuvring\" ahead of landing. \"Following the incident at Mt Hotham, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) required the pilot to undergo some additional proficiency checks. They were done, the pilot passed those checks,\" a CASA spokesman told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. \"And in subsequent checks done prior to yesterday's flight... the pilot has passed all of those.\" ATSB chief commissioner Greg Hood said the Mt Hotham incident would form part of the new investigation, but that \"as Australia's no-blame transport safety investigator we won't be participating in any speculation\". Mr Quartermain had more than 38 years of flying experience, according to the website of charter company Corporate and Leisure Aviation, which he owned with his wife, Cilla. His friends have described him as a \"true gentleman\" who was highly respected within aviation circles. \"He gave me my start as a young pilot,\" fellow aviator Peter Matthew told The Age. \"He was very honest, a very reliable person. Nothing ever got him down.\" Michael Innes said he had flown with Mr Quartermain more than 30 times. \"A wonderful person and one of Victoria's most experienced charter pilots,\" he told the Herald Sun. The plane was bound for Tasmania's King Island, where the US men planned to play golf. Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews said it was the state's worst civil aviation accident in 30 years. The US embassy in Canberra has confirmed that the four passengers on the plane were US citizens. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said \"the president's thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and the US embassy and consulate are ready to provide necessary and appropriate assistance\". Greg Reynolds De Haven The 70-year-old from Texas was identified on social media by his sister, Denelle Wicht, who posted tributes to her \"handsome athletic big brother\". She said he was killed in the accident while on a \"once in a lifetime\" trip to", "summary": "An Australian pilot who died in a Melbourne plane crash had been investigated before over a \"near collision\" in 2015, say officials."}
{"article": "The USGS said it struck at 03:20 local time (10:20 GMT) four miles (6km) north-west of the town of American Canyon, at a depth of 6.7 miles. At least 87 people have been taken to hospital in the Napa area, a renowned wine-producing region and tourist area. California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in order to deal with the effects of the quake. Officials in Napa said in a statement that the quake - believed to be the biggest in the region in 25 years - had destroyed four mobile homes and made 16 buildings \"uninhabitable\", as well as causing \"approximately 50\" gas main breaks and around 30 leaks from water mains. The clear-up operation will begin in earnest on Monday. At least three of those injured in Napa are in a serious condition. Three historic buildings in the town had been hit and two commercial buildings \"severely damaged\", the statement went on. By Sunday evening, between 11,000 and 15,000 people were still reported without power, down from 70,000 people in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake. At least 33 buildings in the city of 77,000 have been \"red-tagged\", which means that they have been designated as unsafe to enter, Community Development Director Rick Tooker was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying. A Red Cross evacuation centre has been set up in a church in the city. The California Highway Patrol in the San Francisco Bay area tweeted that it was \"checking over crossings and bridges for obvious signs of structural integrity\", and asked residents to report any signs of problems. \"They say [the quake] went for 50 seconds. It felt like 50 minutes. I was just too terrified to even scream,\" antique shop owner Patricia Trimble told Reuters. The front window of her shop was destroyed, with cabinets on their sides and merchandise strewn across the floor. The site of the earthquake was 51 miles from Sacramento and about 30 miles north-east of San Francisco. Numerous small aftershocks were also reported on Sunday. California lies on the San Andreas Fault, which forms the tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, two of the large moving plates that form the Earth's crust. The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and subsequent fires devastated the city. In 1989, a powerful earthquake struck San Francisco, killing more than 60 people and injuring hundreds.", "summary": "An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 has shaken northern California, causing injuries and damage to buildings."}
{"article": "The father of the victim, 43-year-old Jared Tucker, told US media his son's wife of only one year had identified his body at the consulate. Father-of-three Mr Tucker and spouse Heidi Nunes had been enjoying drinks on the Las Ramblas promenade when a van drove into pedestrians. Thirteen people died, and more than 100 were injured. Earlier in the day, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson offered his condolences to the victim's loved ones, and said officials were \"still confirming the death or injuries\" of any other Americans. Ms Nunes told NBC that Mr Tucker had excused himself to go to the bathroom minutes before the attack. \"Next thing I know there's screaming,\" Ms Nunes said. \"I got pushed inside the souvenir kiosk and stayed there hiding while everybody kept running by screaming.\" The couple from Walnut Creek, California, were celebrating their first wedding anniversary and honeymoon by travelling through Europe, and had arrived in Spain after visiting Paris and Venice. Jared's father, Dan Tucker, told KGO-TV that his family had not heard until Friday morning that Ms Nunes had been called to the US consulate, and \"was shown pictures of his body\". \"She confirmed it was him and now she's on the way over to the morgue to make a real confirmation,\" Mr Tucker said, adding: \"He didn't make it.\" The victim's father added that he and his son had worked together in the construction industry since he was 16 years old. Jared Tucker leaves behind three teenage daughters. The attack was one of three incidents in Spain, which officials have said were part of a \"jihadist\" plot. People from 34 different countries were injured or killed, emergency services said.", "summary": "An American honeymooner who died in Thursday's Barcelona terror attacks has been identified by his family."}
{"article": "Saints won 13 trophies under Harrison, who has left after five and a half years in charge to join Hartlepool. Ruscoe, 39, is in interim charge along with Steve Evans following Harrison's departure. \"He's won so many [trophies] and he's done such a good job, how do you go and follow that now?\" Ruscoe said. \"Me and Steve want to give it our best and the lads will as well. They've been great in the last few days as we've taken over.\" Saints begin their preparations for the Champions League qualifiers with a friendly against an Anglesey Island Games XI on Tuesday, 6 June. Club owner Mike Harris hopes Ruscoe and Evans will be permanent replacements, but says one of them must complete their coaching qualifications. Former club captain Ruscoe, who joined Saints as a player in 2001 and holds a Uefa A coaching licence, wants the job on a permanent basis. \"I've been in football full-time for over 20 years so it's something I want to do for the rest of my career,\" Ruscoe told BBC Radio Shropshire.", "summary": "Interim manager Scott Ruscoe says Craig Harrison will be a hard act to follow at Welsh Premier League champions New Saints."}
{"article": "The allegation by Drew McMaster follows a Sunday Times investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs among elite athletes The Commonwealth gold medallist, who has admitted taking steroids, made the claims on BBC Radio Scotland. He said \"at least four\" rugby players and two Edinburgh footballers took drugs. He told interviewer John Beattie that the former Scotland rugby international would have known four drug users from his playing days. Explaining why athletes turn to drugs, Mr McMaster added: \"You're single-minded to do everything you can to better yourself within that sport. \"The higher you go up that tree, the more competitive it gets. \"When you're competing at a Commonwealth or world stage... to reach that level and maintain that level you will do anything that you can to basically win. \"That is your state of mind as you come up the ranks because you start off from a certain level and as you go through the various levels to achieve and be successful, you get hungrier and hungrier and hungrier to be successful. \"Therefore the temptation that's put in your way as it were, and you find that it's all around you... over a period of time you do get drawn in.\" UK Government order inquiry into Ukad's doctor probe Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester deny 'false' claims Allan Wells 'took drugs ahead of gold medal win' Doping in sport: What is it and how is it being tackled? He said that he believes very little has changed in sport since the 1980s. \"The only thing that's changed in a large way is the amount of money that's now involved,\" he added. \"People are prepared to take big risks where there's big money.\" Mr McMaster won Commonwealth gold in the 4 x 100m relay alongside Allan Wells as part of the famous flying Scotsman quartet. Last year he claimed he had secretly recorded conversations with Jimmy Ledingham, the Great Britain team doctor and an Edinburgh GP, who had apparently admitted supplying Wells with steroids. Allan Wells has strenuously denied the allegations. In a statement from his lawyer when the claims were made, he said: \"It is denied that any drugs were provided by Dr Jimmy Ledingham. \"It is not true our client had used any banned performance drugs\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 at any\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 time in his athletics career.\" He has previously criticised his former colleague, saying: \"The truth is, McMaster turned to steroids because I started beating him - and I was not using drugs.\" Earlier this year BBC Sport revealed that only eight drugs tests were conducted in Scottish football over a nine-month period between April and December 2015. There were 1,583 tests in English football over the same period.", "summary": "A former athlete has claimed he knew of Scottish rugby players and footballers who doped in the 1980s."}
{"article": "Bwriad Cyngor Powys yw rhoi'r gorau i addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg yn Ysgol Uwchradd Aberhonddu, gyda disgyblion sy'n dymuno addysg Gymraeg yn gorfod teithio i Lanfair-ym-Muallt. Mae'r sir yn dweud bydd y newidiadau yn golygu y bydd mwy o adnoddau ar gael ar gyfer addysg uwchradd Cymraeg ar un safle. Ond mae 'na wrthwynebiad gan rai o rieni Ysgol y Bannau, sy'n poeni y bydd y newidiadau yn golygu y bydd llai o drigolion ardal Aberhonddu yn dewis anfon eu plant i'r ysgol gynradd cyfrwng Cymraeg. Fe fydd swyddogion y sir yn mynd ati i lunio adroddiad ar sail yr ymgynghoriad diweddara' ac mae disgwyl i gabinet y sir wneud penderfyniad ym mis Chwefror. Yn dilyn yr ymgynghoriad gwreiddiol fe wnaeth y cabinet benderfynu symud addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg i Lanfair-ym-Muallt, gan ddweud y byddai trafnidaeth yn cael ei ddarparu ar gyfer disgyblion. Roedd hynny'n rhan o ad-drefnu ehangach i ysgolion de'r sir, a bwriad y cyngor oedd cau Ysgol Uwchradd Aberhonddu ac Ysgol Gwernyfed yn Aberllynfi er mwyn sefydlu un ysgol uwchradd newydd yn Aberhonddu. Fis Medi, yn dilyn gwrthwynebiad chwyrn yn lleol, fe wnaeth y cyngor dro pedol, gan benderfynu cadw'r ddwy ysgol uwchradd bresennol ar agor. Oherwydd bod y trefniadau hynny wedi newid, gwnaed y penderfyniad fod yn rhaid cynnal ail ymgynghoriad ar addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg.", "summary": "Fe fydd ail ymgynghoriad yngl\u0177n \u00e2 dyfodol addysg cyfrwng Cymraeg yn ne Powys yn dod i ben ddydd Llun."}
{"article": "A judged has granted leave for a judicial review of a report by the Police Ombudsman into the attack on the Heights Bar in Loughinisland in 1994. Families of the victims said they were surprised and disappointed retired officers continue to rub salt into their emotional wounds, with what they called a \"vexatious challenge\". The report published last June said police informers were involved, adding that collusion was \"a significant feature\" of the murders. The report was the result of a five-year investigation by the office of the Police Ombudsman. Those taking the legal action argue that the Ombudsman acted beyond his legal powers and want his report quashed. At a press conference launching the report, Ombudsman Dr Michael Maguire said he had \"no hesitation\" in saying there had been collusion. But he said there was insufficient evidence to recommend criminal charges for any of the officers who colluded with the UVF gang, he added. The findings were strongly criticised by unionist politicians and the Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers' Association. Chief Constable George Hamilton also said he was surprised the Ombudsman did not arrest and charge officers he said had been involved. A judge has granted permission for two retired police officers to challenge the report; one of them is Raymond White, a former RUC Assistant Chief Constable and senior Special Branch officer, who is now chairman of the Retired Police Officers' Association. They have been granted leave to judicially review the report on a number of grounds. These include an assertion that the Ombudsman acted \"ultra vires\" - beyond his powers - because there was no legal basis for the investigation and subsequent report. The applicants claim the Ombudsman failed to establish any basis of belief that a serving or retired police officer had committed a criminal offence. They are seeking a court order quashing the report. They also want a declaration that the findings were \"flawed and misconceived\". Niall Murphy, a solicitor for the Loughinisland families, said Dr Maguire's detailed and evidence-based report was unambiguous in his finding of collusion. He said: \"The victims and survivors are further distressed and disturbed that despite having written to the Retired Police Officers' Association and the court seeking formal notice party status, no party has sought to update the families, instead the victims and survivors have found this out via the media, which they consider to be nothing short of disgraceful.\" In a statement to the BBC, Raymond White said: \"We have every sympathy with the families connected to the Loughinisland tragedy. We are not challenging them, but the powers of the Police Ombudsman. \"The Ombudsman produces reports that do not contain any actual evidence about individuals and files are not sent to the director of public prosecutions recommending prosecution. \"But they conclude there was collusion, which infers criminal intent. \"If files were sent to the PPS to make a decision and retired officers were taken to court, they would have the opportunity to see the evidence and to challenge it. \"But that does not happen, instead they are indicted in the", "summary": "Retired police officers have won High Court permission to challenge a report which said there was collusion between RUC officers and loyalist gunmen who killed six Catholics 23 years ago."}
{"article": "The link is suggested by a study of 19,000 women in the US who were asked about their diet in the year leading up to pregnancy. A healthy diet was one with plenty of fresh fish, fruit, nuts and vegetables. Pregnant women and women trying to conceive are already advised to take certain supplements. Experts recommend folic acid to reduce the risk of other birth defects like spina bifida, and vitamin D for healthy bones and teeth. In England, the government's Healthy Start scheme provides vouchers for pregnant women that can be used to buy milk and vegetables. In the study, published in Archives of Diseases in Childhood Fetal & Neonatal Edition, half of the women had babies with heart problems while the other half did not. When the researchers compared the diets of these two groups they found a healthier maternal diet was associated with a lower chance of congenital heart defects. Pregnant women in the top 25% (quartile) of diet quality, had a lower risk of having a baby with certain heart defects - atrial septal defects and Tetralogy of Fallot - than those in the bottom 25%, even after accounting for other factors such as whether the mother took folic acid or was a smoker. Congenital heart disease is one of the most common types of birth defect, affecting up to nine in every 1,000 babies born in the UK. Mild defects, such as holes in the heart, often don't need to be treated, as they may improve on their own and may not cause any further problems. But others can be more serious and some, lethal. In most cases, something has gone wrong in the early development of the foetus. Some heart conditions are due to faulty genes or chromosomes. But often it is unclear why the baby's heart has not developed normally, says the British Heart Foundation (BHF). Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the BHF, said: \"This is an interesting study which highlights the importance of diet right from the start of life. \"A healthy diet before, during and after pregnancy can have benefits for both mother and child and, as seen here, the whole diet should be taken into consideration, rather than solely focusing on individual nutrients. \"Eating well isn't a guaranteed way to avoid congenital heart defects, but this will be another factor that will motivate women planning a pregnancy to make healthy choices.\"", "summary": "Women who eat healthily before and during pregnancy may cut the risk of their baby developing a heart problem, researchers believe."}
{"article": "The Glasgow Warriors coach will replace Cotter as Scotland coach next summer. \"I would have thought he would already have been looking to go elsewhere,\" former Scotland scrum-half Lawson said. \"The risk of potentially losing Gregor before Vern Cotter had done his bit - had he taken them through to the next World Cup - is now nullified.\" Townsend served as Scotland's backs and attack coach for three years, and his Glasgow players have provided a large percentage of the squad under Cotter. \"In many ways he's perfectly positioned to step into that role,\" Lawson told BBC Scotland. \"He's obviously been in and around the Scotland coaching environment before and naturally the two professional clubs work very closely with the national team as it is. \"He's gone in at Glasgow, taken a year or so to build the squad he wants, the culture he wants and the playing style he wants. \"And by the time he steps in, he'll have had four to five years as head coach of Glasgow and that will stand him in incredibly good stead.\" Cotter's future beyond the summer of 2017 remains unclear, though Lawson thinks approaches from elsewhere may have convinced him to move on after his contract expires next year. \"Obviously somebody has offered him the chance to go elsewhere,\" added Lawson, who won 31 caps between 2006 and 2012. \"Whether that's back to New Zealand or elsewhere we'll see. \"As much as we're shocked and disappointed [at losing Cotter], we're incredibly fortunate that we have one of the best and most sought-after coaches in the northern hemisphere, in the shape of Gregor Townsend, to come in and pick up as head coach.\"", "summary": "Rory Lawson believes the risk of Gregor Townsend leaving Scotland may have influenced the decision to name him as Vern Cotter's successor."}
{"article": "These Western countries - and their allies - want Africa to do more to promote stability so that extremists can be effectively denied room to operate. The repeated need for Western intervention in African conflicts has raised questions about the continent's efforts to achieve stability. ''There is a sense of frustration,\" said Comfort Ero, Africa director at the International Crisis Group (ICG). \"Some African leaders would tell privately tell you that there is a sense of embarrassment.'' In Mali, the French militarily intervened in January to prevent militants from taking over the country. Libya has descended into chaos and is now thought to be home to many radical Islamist groups. Now, French intervention has also become necessary in the Central African Republic (CAR) following a takeover by mainly Muslim rebels which has led to clashes with the Christian community. After years of talk about establishing a robust military force to intervene in African conflicts, lack of political will is holding back progress. \"Up to a certain extent, the Africans have become prisoners of their own rhetoric - [that] African problems need African solutions,\" said Roland Marchal, a senior research fellow specialising in Africa at Sciences-Po in Paris. A number of African countries prefer interventions such as those seen in Mali and the CAR because they are a good way to get military funding, he added. But Ms Ero cautions against any assumption that Africa must alone address crises that have international impact. \"While there is a desire and more willingness to see an African response, the continent still requires a significant amount of international assistance,\" she told the BBC. She added that the challenge today is to provide a careful assessment of what the African Union can, realistically, achieve in trying to provide peace and security responses in the continent. The US and France see some obligation in being part of the fight against terrorists in Africa. After all, al-Qaeda attacked US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. Militants thought to be affiliated to al-Qaeda in West Africa continue to kidnap French nationals, and threaten French business interests in the region. In February this year, the US deployed 100 troops to Niger to assist French forces in neighbouring Mali in their hunt for al-Qaeda-linked militants. Their mission is to focus on \"intelligence sharing\", an official said. According to media reports, the US now flies surveillance drones from Niger, tracking militants across a hostile desert region that is home to unstable states sharing porous borders. Although their joint counter-insurgency operations with a number of African countries are seen as crucial, questions remain over the sustainability of international intervention. In the absence of a robust African force, France has had to step in a number of times to intervene in local conflicts. In situations where an African force has intervened, they have often faced financial bottlenecks. In Somalia, an African Union (AU) mission - backed by the UN - has managed to beat back Islamist militant group al-Shabab. But the force's effectiveness is hindered by a lack of helicopters and other logistics. Hawa", "summary": "Although often seen as rivals in global politics, the US and France are working together to prevent parts of Africa from falling into the hands of al-Qaeda-linked fighters."}
{"article": "Shark attacks; a plane crash; and surreal interludes that delve deep into a dog's subconscious mind - no plotline is off-limits for Australia's longest running soap. But although for devoted fans the likes of Karl Kennedy and Harold Bishop are the real stars of Ramsay Street, Neighbours has proved a steppingstone to profitable global stardom. Although it's never been confirmed many believe Crowe based his gladiatorial Maximus Decimus Meridius, on Kenny Larkin - the mulleted, ex-con who appeared on Ramsay Street for four episodes back in 1987. Minogue's love of music can be traced back to her days spent under over a car bonnet as Erinsborough's resident mechanic. The pint-sized pop star found fame dressed in dungarees and sporting a huge perm as Charlene Mitchell in 1986. When her character married Scott Robinson (Jason Donovan) in 1988, 20 million people tuned in to watch in the UK alone. We reckon Miley first set eyes on her ex when he was playing Josh Taylor back in 2007. Josh was involved in a classic soap love triangle. He fell in love with Bridget Parker, who was also being chased by Declan Napier. So, in a bid to win dear Bridget's heart he roped in Margot Robbie (more on her later) to make her jealous. Her performance in The Wolf of Wall Street saw her working with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and director Martin Scorsese. But it was as Donna Freedman that Margot Robbie made her name. Donna experimented with her sexuality, tried to track her biological father and then 'conveniently' went to study fashion in New York just before her Hollywood career took off. A 1990s pin-up, Spencer's Billy Kennedy adorned the walls of many a teenage bedroom. For six years he broke hearts and hung out with best-mate Toadie, before ditching Australia to play a young doctor alongside Hugh Lawrie in hit TV series House. Proving soap stars can not only make it to Hollywood, but have the staying power to stick around too, Guy Pearce is arguably Ramsay Street's most successful export. The Hurt Locker, LA Confidential and The King's Speech are amongst the titles in his impressive back catalogue. His training for such prestigious roles? Playing Mike Young - the son of an abusive father who went on to train as a teacher and have an affair with one of his pupils. Classic soap stuff. Holly Candy (formerly Valance) starred as Flick Scully from 1999 to 2005. Towards the end of the stint on the street she managed to rip the Scully family apart by bedding her sister's fianc\u00c3\u00a9e. With their differences irreconcilable, Flick left the soap to follow in the footsteps of Kylie and pursue that well worn path to pop stardom. It didn't quite work out, with a charity single Kiss Kiss about as good as it got. Delta did manage a credible pop career. She'd already signed a record deal with Sony when she started playing Nina Tucker in 2002 and went on to achieve multi-platinum-selling status, with eight number one singles and three number one albums in", "summary": "For 30 years the residents of Erinsborough's premier cul-de-sac have kept us entertained in that awkward half-an-hour before dinner."}
{"article": "Jennah Bawa, eight, had been on a shopping trip with her Kenyan-born mother, Zahira, on Saturday. Businessman Louis Bawa, of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, said he had spoken to them on Friday but \"didn't get a chance to catch up with them\" again. \"This time they didn't come home.\" The official death toll stands at 62, with more than 170 injured. The UK government says five of the dead people have been confirmed as British, with another one thought to be British. Meanwhile, the Foreign Office said it was aware of comments by Kenya's foreign minister that a British woman was among foreign nationals involved in the attack. Amina Mohamed said the Briton was a woman who has \"done this many times before\" and two or three Americans were also among the suspected militants. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: \"We continue to liaise very closely with the Kenyan authorities and to support their investigation into this attack.\" Kenyan security forces say they have now taken control of all floors of the shopping centre in Nairobi, although an explosion and gunfire was heard from there on Tuesday morning. The Somali Islamist movement al-Shabab says it carried out the attack at the Westgate shopping mall in retaliation for Kenyan military operations in Somalia. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mr Bawa, 43, said his wife and daughter were both Muslims but were killed by \"animals\" who were using \"religion as an excuse to kill people... They're saying that they were targeting certain people, but they were targeting anyone\". The family lived in Leamington Spa until last year, when lawyer Mrs Bawa is reported to have returned to Kenya to look after her mother. Mr Bawa then took a job as the chief executive of a marketing company in Dubai and began commuting to his family in Nairobi at weekends. He told the paper: \"The last time I spoke to them was on Friday evening, I didn't get a chance to catch up with them on Saturday morning. They were going to Westgate to do what they always did, grocery shopping. This time they didn't come home. \"I think our last conversation was about just normal things, school fees, something like that, I can't remember. I don't know exactly what happened but it looks to me that they were gunned down ... they were just shot.\" Mr Bawa began waiting outside the mall on Sunday for news of his family. Describing the moment he realised they were among the victims, Mr Bawa said: \"At first I was convinced that they would be OK. I had hope. Then on Sunday night there was a team that went in to bring out some bodies and they took photographs of other bodies. \"We all had to look at these pictures - something I would never want anyone to have to do - and identify them. That was how I knew. My heart just stopped, that was the last news in the world I wanted to hear. It's like nothing else, I can't fathom it, even now.\" He added", "summary": "A British man, whose wife and daughter died in the Kenyan shopping centre attack, has recalled the last time he spoke to them and the \"heart-stopping\" moment when he found out they had died."}
{"article": "Helen Bailey, who wrote the Electra Brown series, was last seen walking her dog near her home in Royston, Hertfordshire, on 11 April. There has not been any trace of the 51-year-old or her pet despite searches. Her partner Ian Stewart said: \"Whatever has happened, wherever you are I will come and get you.\" Read more on this story and others from across Hertfordshire Northumberland-born Ms Bailey, who lived with her partner, had gone for a walk with her miniature dachshund Boris and had reportedly said she \"needed a little time to herself\". She was reported missing on 15 April. As well as the teenage book series, she started a blog called Planet Grief after her husband of 22 years drowned on holiday in Barbados in 2011. Officers searching for the author have carried out extensive searches of the local area and checked hundreds of hours of CCTV footage. They have said there is nothing to indicate \"foul play\"\". In a statement, Mr Stewart said he hoped she would hear his message and \"listen carefully\". \"We miss you and Boris so much... We are shattered in so many ways,\" he said. \"You not only mended my heart five years ago but made it bigger, stronger and kinder. \"Together we learnt to live with our grief and move forward with our lives but never forgetting. Now it feels like my heart doesn't even exist. Our plans are nowhere near complete and without you there is no point.\" Ms Bailey's brother, John, said it had been an \"extremely difficult time\" for her family. Making a direct appeal to his sister, he said: \"I know you had said you wanted some time and space and we don't want to intrude on that unless you want us to... All we need is some information that you are OK.\" Chief inspector Julie Wheatley said it was a \"highly unusual case\" because Ms Bailey \"seems to have simply disappeared\". \"We literally have no trace of her despite extensive searches and inquiries which have been on-going since she was reported missing,\" she said. \"Whilst this very much remains a missing person's inquiry... as the days and weeks pass we and Helen's family and friends are becoming increasingly concerned for her welfare.\" The force has asked for Ms Bailey, or anyone who knows where she might be, to contact them.", "summary": "One month after a missing children's author was last seen, her partner has said her disappearance has \"shattered\" the family."}
{"article": "Net profit rose to $335m (\u00c2\u00a3196m) for the period, up from $222m a year ago, EA has also benefitted from the launch of gaming consoles, which has driven up demand for its video game titles. However, the firm said it was delaying the launch of its title Battlefield Hardline from October to early 2015. It said it was looking to make improvements to the game based on user suggestions and feedback on the test version. Andrew Wilson, chief executive of the firm, said in a statement the firm was \"testing and implementing several new features that will help to make Battlefield Hardline a game that players can enjoy for many years to come\". The firm also reported that its revenue from gaming on mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, rose 18% to $120m during the period. A large part of that growth was driven by the so-called \"freemium\" model - which offers free content but then charges users for additional digital goods. EA said $105m of its mobile revenue during the period \"comprised of digital extra content and advertising revenue, reflecting the shift to the freemium business model\". That was up 39% from a year ago. \"We continue to view mobile as a business with tremendous opportunity as the market is experiencing significant global growth in smartphones and tablets,\" Blake Jorgensen, chief financial officer of the firm said. Meanwhile, its full game PC and console downloads were up 90% from a year ago to $71m.", "summary": "US video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) has reported a 51% jump in profit for the April-to-June quarter, boosted by strong sales of titles like Titanfall and FIFA 2014."}
{"article": "The victim was found with serious injuries at a house in Unsworth Way in Oldham, Greater Manchester, at about 19:50 GMT on Thursday. He was taken to hospital and died a short time later. Details of his injuries have not yet been revealed. The house was cordoned off while police carried out an investigation. A 58-year-old woman has been taken into custody for questioning.", "summary": "A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 56-year-old man."}
{"article": "The Buddies' Lawrence Shankland missed a second-half penalty before Paul Cairney gave Ayr the lead. But the Honest Men were reduced to 10 men with a red card for Jamie Adams. And, within three minutes, St Mirren were level through a Sutton header and Ryan Hardie came close to a winner with a shot off the Ayr crossbar. It was a game after which the home side will be disappointed not to have maintained their recent winning run. With the visitors content to hit on the break, it was St Mirren who had the majority of the first-half chances, including a Gary MacKenzie header cleared off the line. Despite the home dominance, Ayr were creating chances, but the big talking points came after the break. St Mirren spurned the opportunity to go in front from the spot after 59 minutes when Jason Naismith was brought down and Shankland screwed the penalty low past the post. The miss was compounded five minutes later when Ayr took the lead with a clinical finish from Cairney for his third goal of the season. Adams received a straight red card from referee Greg Aitken after 77 minutes for a foul on Kyle McAllister and substitute Sutton soon contributed his eighth goal of the season from David Clarkson's cross. Hardie smashed a 20-yard effort off the crossbar as the home side pressed for the win. However, the Buddies had to make do with a second 1-1 league draw with Ayr this season, while the visitors drop to second bottom following Dumbarton's win over Falkirk. St. Mirren manager Jack Ross: \"We had a lot of opportunities to win the game, but if we can keep picking up seven points out of nine from each three-game segment over the next few weeks, we will certainly climb the table. \"Our reaction to going a goal down was good, but the players are frustrated not to continue the winning run.\" Ayr United manager Ian McCall: \"Under the new rules, the red card for Jamie Adams was probably correct - one of the few decision the officials got right. \"The decisions cost us two points and the players a win bonus.\" Match ends, St. Mirren 1, Ayr United 1. Second Half ends, St. Mirren 1, Ayr United 1. Attempt saved. John Sutton (St. Mirren) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Corner, St. Mirren. Conceded by Ross Docherty. Attempt missed. Stephen Mallan (St. Mirren) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Corner, St. Mirren. Conceded by Ross Docherty. Attempt missed. Stephen Mallan (St. Mirren) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Attempt missed. Kevin Nisbet (Ayr United) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Foul by David Clarkson (St. Mirren). Ross Docherty (Ayr United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, St. Mirren. Conceded by Greg Fleming. Attempt saved. Ryan Hardie (St. Mirren) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of", "summary": "John Sutton's equaliser for St Mirren ensured that they and visitors Ayr United occupy the bottom two spots in the Scottish Championship."}
{"article": "Carbon nanotubes have long been known to have electronic properties superior to current silicon-based devices. But difficulties in manipulating them have hampered nanotube-based chips. The experiments, reported in Nature Nanotechnology, show a kind of two-part epoxy approach to individually place the nanotubes at high density. The race is on in the semiconductor chip industry to replace current silicon technology - methods to make smaller and therefore faster devices will soon come up against physical limits on just how small a silicon device can be. Study co-author James Hannon, a materials scientist at IBM, said that there are few realistic successors to silicon's throne. \"The problem is you have to put it in to production on a 10- or 15-year time scale, so the kinks have to be worked out in the next few years,\" he said. \"If you look at all the possibilities out there, there are very few that have actually produced an electronic device that would outperform silicon - there are exotic things out there but they're all still at the 'PowerPoint stage'.\" Though single nanotubes have shown vastly superior speed and energy characteristics in lab demonstrations, the challenge has been in so-called integration - getting billions of them placed onto a chip with the precision the industry now demands. Current chips are made using lithography, in which large wafers of silicon are layered with other materials of different electronic properties and then devices are simply \"etched\" out using a focused beam of electrons or charged atoms. To address the integration challenge, Dr Hannon and his colleagues came up with a solution - two of them in fact. The first was a chemical that coats nanotubes and makes them soluble in water. The second was a solution that binds to the first chemical and to the element hafnium, but not to silicon. The team used standard techniques to etch a pattern of channels in hafnium deposited on silicon. Then they simply \"double-dipped\" the chip into the two solutions - one chemical stuck to the hafnium, and the other chemical acted as the second part of a two-part epoxy, tightly binding nanotubes to the hafnium regions on the chip but not to silicon. The result was a series of neatly aligned nanotube devices, already wired up within the pattern, at a density of a billion per square centimetre. \"That's one nanotube every 150 or 200 (billionths of a metre) or so,\" explained Dr Hannon. \"That's not good enough to make a microprocessor yet - it's a factor of 10 away. \"But it's a factor of 100 better than has been done previously.\" The demonstration is a \"huge improvement\", but Dr Hannon said several issues are still to be solved. They incude finding more efficient ways to sort through nanotubes - which are made in a wide variety of sizes and types - to select in large quantity and high accuracy the kind suitable for devices. The etching process that sets the ultimate size of a transistor on the chip must also be improved. For now, the team has modelled what it", "summary": "Scientists have demonstrated methods that could see higher-performance computer chips made from tiny straws of carbon called nanotubes."}
{"article": "The court is considering its verdict in an infringement hearing about emissions from coal-fired Aberthaw. It is alleged the site has been pumping out more than double the legal amount of toxic nitrogen oxides for seven years. The UK Government argues the power station is not in breach of the rules. It further claims that the Vale of Glamorgan plant has made major investments to try to improve its performance. In a document summarising his opinion of the case, advocate general of the European Court of Justice, Michal Bobek, says he finds the arguments put by the UK to be \"untenable\". He proposes that the court find the UK to be in breach of its obligations under EU rules to limit pollution levels. Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, Gareth Clubb, said: \"Since at least 2001, Aberthaw power station has had no legal justification for emitting horrific amounts of toxic pollution into the atmosphere. \"The judgement spells disaster for Aberthaw. It's very difficult to see how it can avoid permanent closure once the Court of Justice reaches its final verdict.\" In April, BBC Wales revealed that Aberthaw's operator, RWE, is set to downgrade the plant so that it only generates electricity at times of peak demand. The UK government has said it wants all coal-fired power stations to close by 2025. RWE said it was \"disappointed\" with the advocate general's opinion but would await the final EU court judgement. The UK government had claimed that an exemption in the law around air pollution for plants burning low volatile coal was aimed at sites such as Aberthaw, given that the anthracite coal it uses is sourced locally, harder to burn and important to the local economy. \"Aberthaw Power Station was specifically designed to burn Welsh, regional, low volatile coal and historically, 60% of its fuel diet is Welsh,\" a RWE spokesperson said, adding that \"the station has always been compliant with its operational permit.\" \"Following a successful installation of new technology to one unit at the plant the nitrogen oxide emissions have been substantially reduced. RWE has committed to further reduce emissions and increase fuel diversity, despite very difficult market conditions.\"", "summary": "A senior legal adviser at the European Court of Justice has said the UK's position on pollution levels at a south Wales power station is \"untenable\"."}
{"article": "Matthew Cryer, 17, from Killamarsh, north Derbyshire, suffered head injuries outside a bar in the beach resort of Laganas in 2008. At the time, Greek police said he died from excessive drinking, but a UK inquest heard evidence he had been attacked and sustained 20 injuries. Lawyers for Matthew's family have now said charges could be imminent. His family has campaigned for justice since his death, and in 2011 police on the Greek island reopened the case. This week, his mother Jo Froud said she had been told that prosecutors are close to charging suspects with exposure to harm. Mrs Froud said if a prosecution went ahead, it would then be for a judge to decide whether the case should go to a trial. \"There's still a small possibility that it might not go ahead so we can't get our hopes up just yet,\" she said. \"We have waited for so long now. Over the years we have had to develop patience and the art of compromise. \"Matthew will always be missing from our lives and there's nothing we can do about that, but if we can get this court case and what we think is a reasonable kind of justice for him, then we can move forward.\" An inquest in Chesterfield in 2009 found Matthew was unlawfully killed. A coroner said he had been dragged from inside the nightclub, attacked and allowed to fall down steep steps outside. The coroner at the time criticised Greek authorities saying no attempts were made to find out how Matthew sustained his fatal injuries.", "summary": "The family of a teenager who died while on holiday in Zante five years ago are hopeful of a breakthrough in the case."}
{"article": "The ostensible trigger for this warning from Pyongyang has been a two-week-long set of extensive joint military exercises involving primarily some 13,000 US and South Korean forces on the Korean peninsula, scheduled to start on 11 March. The threat comes on the back of an earlier warning from the North to abrogate the Armistice Agreement of 1953 marking the cessation of hostilities between North Korea and the US and its allies during the Korean War. Notwithstanding the North's strident claims that the US is planning an unprovoked assault on the North, the exercises - known as Key Resolve and Foal Eagle - are defensive in character and have been taking place routinely, in varying form, since the 1970s. This year's exercise marks a departure only in being directed by the South Korean joint chiefs of staff rather than by the Combined Forces Command linking together US and South Korean top military officials. A more plausible explanation for Pyongyang's bellicose, provocative rhetoric is the unanimous passage of a new UN Security Council Resolution (2094), sharply condemning North's Korea's rocket launch of December 2012 and its apparent detonation of a nuclear device on 12 February. Historically, the North has routinely used belligerent statements when the council has been about to pass resolutions, possibly in an effort to discourage it from reaching an agreement. If blocking an agreement was the North's goal, it appears to have signally failed to achieve this. Resolution 2094 was passed unanimously by all 15 members of the Security Council. It significantly tightens existing sanctions intended to restrict the North's development of its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programme, while introducing a more extensive set of new measures focusing on freezing the North's financial transactions, prohibiting the opening of bank branches, limiting bulk cash transfers (a common way for the North to gain access to finance), and restricting trade connected to any of the North's illicit activities. The resolution also targets individuals and institutions explicitly connected with the North's WMD program, strengthens interdiction measures to limit the transfer of WMD technology by land, sea and air, and also prohibits the transfer of luxury commodities - such as jewellery, yachts and cars - to the North. While 2094 has important declaratory weight in signalling the international community's clear opposition to the North's recent provocations, it is unclear how effective the new measures will be in impeding or reversing the North's nuclear programme. Targeting luxury commodities may impose temporary pain on the North's leaders, but it is questionable whether the list of commodities is sufficiently extensive to make a difference. Tightening controls on the flow of cash to the North may make it more difficult for the regime to protect its assets, but the North's leadership has become more agile in eluding financial restrictions since 2005 when the US treasury successfully closed down access to some of the bank accounts of senior North Korean officials. Most importantly, the interdiction provisions involve conditional language that could function as a loophole for non-compliance, mandating states to inspect cargo, but only if they have \"reasonable grounds\"", "summary": "North Korea has threatened to defend its sovereignty by launching pre-emptive nuclear strikes against both the United States and its ally, South Korea, claiming that Washington is itself preparing to attack the North with nuclear weapons."}
{"article": "However, Wood has been given a warning after his shin made contact with Williams' head as he tried to secure possession for Wales in the 28-25 win over the hosts at Twickenham. A warning equates to a yellow card. Three yellow cards in the tournament lead to a disciplinary hearing. On Sunday, Wood apologised to Williams with a message on Twitter. Wood wrote: \"Really relieved to hear you're back on your feet OK mate. Horrible to see you stretchered off because of me. Hope you have a speedy recovery.\" Full-back Williams, 24, though, could pay a heavier price for the clash as he can only make a gradual return to play under head injury protocols. These could see him ruled out of Wales' remaining pool matches against Fiji and Australia. Williams's potential absence adds to Wales's injury problems with centre Scott Williams (leg) and winger Hallam Amos (shoulder) set to be ruled out of the tournament. Wales play Fiji in Cardiff on Thursday, before England host Australia at Twickenham on Saturday.", "summary": "England flanker Tom Wood is free to play against Australia after he was not cited for the incident which saw Wales full-back Liam Williams knocked unconscious on Saturday."}
{"article": "Rudy Bruynius' two-year old daughter Mckayla is in a serious condition after the family was knocked off rocks at the beach while holidaying in Newquay. Friends are now raising money to help Mr Bruynius' widow Lisinda and the couple's three children. His death came on a weekend of fatalities off the coast of the UK amid stormy conditions. A friend of the Bruynius family, Madelein Jansen Van Noordwyk, has set up a crowdfunding page, which has already raised more than \u00c2\u00a313,000. On the JustGiving site, Lisinda Bruynius said her daughter Mckayla had been moved from the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro to the Bristol Children's Hospital. The two-year old's condition was stable during the ambulance journey. Mrs Bruynius wrote: \"Pls continue to pray for my miracle baby...for her to pull through. \"As they can't give me a certain indication of how much brain damage occurred during her time in the water.\" The family, from Surrey, were swept out to sea at South Fistral Beach at 17:20 BST on Friday. An RNLI sea scooter was used to rescue Mrs Bruynius, while a lifeboat was deployed to recover Mr Bruynius and Mckayla. They were flown to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police said two other children managed to get back on to the rocks and were located by the coastguard. Mrs Bruynius received hospital treatment for minor injuries. The RNLI said the sea conditions changed considerably between 16:00 and 17:30 and crews were called to three rescues. James Instance from Falmouth Coastguard said: \"At about 16:00 BST, there were normal conditions. \"By 17:00, the swell had picked up to eight to 10ft and that massive increase in such a short period has caught quite a few people unawares.\" Mr Instance warned people to take extra care near the coast. \"What should be an enjoyable experience could so easily take a traumatic turn,\" he said. \"Please do listen to warnings and stay at a safe distance from the water.\" Visitors to the UK coastline have been urged to stay away from areas where surging waves could sweep people off their feet and to be careful of tides, as strong wind conditions mean the sea could reach higher levels than expected.", "summary": "An appeal has been set up to help the family of a man who died after he was swept into the sea by a large wave."}
{"article": "The motorcyclist, a woman in her 50s, and the driver of a Fiat Doblo crashed at traffic lights at the junction in The Avenue, Fareham at about 13:00 BST. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman driving the Fiat was not seriously injured. The eastbound carriageway was closed for several hours with drivers urged to follow diversions. The westbound carriageway remained open.", "summary": "A motorcyclist has died in a crash with a car in Hampshire."}
{"article": "Farieissia Martin, 22, had denied killing 21-year-old Kyle Farrell, who was knifed in the chest at the house in Charlecote Street, Dingle. But a jury at Liverpool Crown Court found Martin guilty. She is due to be sentenced on 9 June. Mr Farrell died in hospital after suffering a single stab wound early on 21 November 2014. His family said he was a \"devoted father and loving son\" who will be missed by all his family and friends.", "summary": "A woman accused of stabbing a man to death at her house in Liverpool has been convicted of murder."}
{"article": "Scrum-half Takulua kicked two penalties to put Newcastle 6-0 up at half-time against a wasteful Worcester side. A third penalty edged Falcons further ahead before Will Welch was sin-binned as Worcester grabbed a penalty try. Wynand Olivier's score edged Worcester ahead, but Tongan scrum-half Takulua converted his own try to seal victory. The win does enough to mathematically keep Falcons in contention for a place in European club rugby's top competition for the first time in 12 years, as the team finishing seventh in the table earn the chance to qualify through the play-offs. However, a win for Northampton at Exeter on Saturday ends all hopes, which also come with other permutations outside their final league standing. Falcons' aspirations were under real threat throughout at Kingston Park, with Worcester seeing a number of good chances go begging before the break, the best of which saw Perry Humphreys knock-on close to the line. A penalty try from a maul, which also saw Newcastle's Welch yellow-carded, was their first response after going 9-0 down. Olivier's try edged the visitors ahead for the first time, with both sides momentarily a man down soon after as Will Spencer was sin-binned for the hosts. And as Worcester closed in for their first away league win for 13 months, Takulua dived over and kept his cool when adding the extra two points to cap a fine individual display. Newcastle: Watson; Goneva, C Harris, Socino, Sinoti; Hodgson, Takulua; Vickers, Lawson, Welsh, Green, Robinson, M Wilson, Welch (capt), Chick. Replacements: Cooper, B Harris, S Wilson, Fonua, Witty, Egerton, Willis, Tait. Worcester Warriors: Pennell; Heem, Olivier, Te'o, Humphreys; Mills (capt), Hougaard; Rapava Ruskin, Taufete'e, Alo, Vui, Spencer, Potgieter, Lewis, Mama. Replacements: Singleton, Bower, Milasinovich, Barry, Faosiliva, Baldwin, Lamb, Vuna. Referee: Greg Garner For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "Sonatane Takulua scored all of Newcastle's points to beat Worcester, and maintain slim hopes of challenging for a European Champions Cup spot."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 15-year-old clocked one minute 50.23 seconds over her two runs, 0.96 seconds ahead of Germany's Hannah Neise. Pittaway's triumph follows fellow Brit Madi Rowlands, who won gold in the ski halfpipe on Sunday in Lillehammer. Rowlands, 15, added a bronze in the women's ski slopestyle final on Friday. \"When I first crossed the line I couldn't believe it,\" said Pittaway. \"I felt like I was standing next to me watching me finish - it was so surreal and just like a movie. \"Hannah [Neise] is one of my best friends and we're really happy to be on the podium together. That's been our dream together for four years.\" Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Ashleigh Pittaway claimed Great Britain's second gold medal of the Winter Youth Olympics, winning the skeleton bob event in Norway."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old - along with diving partner Chris Mears - won Britain's first Olympic diving title in the men's synchronised 3m springboard. Jack's father David watched Wednesday's victory from the family's home at Ripon, North Yorkshire. He said he was \"banned\" from Rio because he gets too nervous watching. Read more about this and other stories from across North Yorkshire Mr Laugher, whose wife is in Rio, admitted waiting for his son's event to start on Wednesday evening had been difficult. He said: \"The waiting got to me and I burst into tears. It was just the tension I think. Four years' wait and here we are. \"I was watching with our dog Alfie - I had my hands over my eyes. \"As Jack said, they have worked almost every day for the last four years to get to this position.\" Jack told BBC Radio York it had been a \"long road\" to Rio. Mr Laugher said: \"Jack started when he was seven. \"He moved out a couple of years ago to Leeds, so that took the pressure off us. But for the first ten years it was pick him up from school, drive him across, wait around for a couple of hours while he trained, then home at about half-past-eight for dinner, homework and bed. \"That was pretty much our life, but we have never regretted a single moment of it, certainly not with this outcome.\" Jack currently trains with diving partner Chris at the City of Leeds Diving Club, but he began as a seven-year-old at the Harrogate and District Diving Club. One of his former diving coaches in Harrogate, Sophie Howard, said: \"I am just so pleased, not just for Jack but for his whole family. \"The sacrifices they have all made and that dedication - and it all comes together on a night like last night.\"", "summary": "The family of Olympic diver Jack Laugher said his Rio gold medal was \"thoroughly deserved\" after years of hard work."}
{"article": "Giving evidence, the anonymous 72-year-old said Brother Lawrence Murphy took him in to his bedroom twice, forcing him to perform sex acts. If I had told anyone, I would have been belted or got the strap, he said. Castledare orphanage near Perth, run by the Christian Brothers order, was like \"a legal paedophile ring\", he said. The witness told the inquiry: \"If someone did it in the public eye, he'd go to court, he'd get sentenced and he'd serve time. \"If he'd got a habit on, if you're a Christian Brother then it seemed to be a free-for-all. \"We knew what would happen if you told somebody, especially in authority, they would say 'this doesn't happen here.'\" The abuse scandal of the British children sent abroad 'Name the villains', abuse inquiry told He went on to claim that Brother Murphy was later \"transferred from place to place\" to effectively hide him. He said his time at the orphanage still haunted him and was \"probably something I will never forget\". He had bottled it up for nearly 30 years and had only chosen to speak out when he found out about the inquiry, he added. Life for the orphans involved hard physical labour including pulling down trees, clearing land, digging out a swimming pool and building a handball court by chipping bricks. \"You had to chip X amount of bricks before you can knock off, before you had something to eat,\" he told the inquiry, which is looking into abuse in England and Wales. The boys wore only a grey shirt and shorts, no matter what the weather, he said. There were no underpants and shoes were only worn when somebody important visited, otherwise feet were bare, he added. Brothers would be fully clothed with shoes and gloves while the boys shivered in the cold, he said. The inquiry also heard from another former child migrant, Oliver Cosgrove, who is now in his late sixties and who also lived at Castledare. He said the Christian Brothers, who ran the home, would visit the children's beds at night. \"We were told at Castledare that we always had to sleep on our right hand side so that the heart was closer to heaven,\" he said. Brother Murray had fondled him and had also \"come to my bed and forced me to give him oral sex,\" the Inquiry was told. Mr Cosgrove only fully remembered some of the abuse in 2014 after reading documents connected to an Australian abuse inquiry. He said: \"The memory of this caused me to have several days of sobbing in my apartment, the apartment walls are not very thick. I used to drive down to a riverside reserve which is nearby and just sob for several hours in the night.\" How will the inquiry work? The first phase of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse is looking at the way organisations have protected children outside the UK. Between 7,000 and 10,000 children were moved from the UK to Australia after World War Two. They were recruited by religious institutions from", "summary": "A former child migrant, sent from Wales to an Australian orphanage, has told a child abuse inquiry how it was a \"feast of kids\" for paedophiles working there."}
{"article": "Mr Brazeau, who was already suspended from the senate, and Mr Harb, who resigned in August, were also charged with breach of trust. They, along with two other senators, were the focus of outside audits of their expenses last year. The two men deny the charges. Authorities say the senators claimed reimbursement for travel and housing expenses for secondary residences near the national capital, Ottawa, even as they in fact lived there full-time. \"Canadians expect the RCMP to be exhaustive and unbiased in our investigations,\" Gilles Michaud, the RCMP's assistant commissioner, said in a statement on Tuesday. \"These investigations were detailed and involved careful consideration and examination of evidence.\" Mr Harb, a Liberal Party senator from Ontario and former MP, left the Senate in August 2013, dropping his challenge against an order that he repay 231,000 Canadian dollars ($220,000; \u00c2\u00a3141,000) for improperly claimed expenses. The remaining three, Mr Brazeau, Mike Duffy, and Pamela Wallin, all Conservatives, have been ordered to pay back thousands in expenses and were suspended from the chamber by a vote in November. Mr Harb and Mr Brazeau, who represents the Repentigny, Quebec, division, were the only two charged on Tuesday. It is unclear if RCMP officials will bring charges against Mr Duffy, representing Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, or Ms Wallin, representing Saskatchewan, in the future, but Mr Michaud said the RCMP was continuing its investigation. Mr Harb's lawyer, Sean May, told broadcaster CBC it was \"disappointing that charges are being laid. He's going to be prepared to respond in court and he looks forward to that.\" Mr Brazeau has previously said he will fight any charges. Canadian senators are appointed by the governor general of Canada - the Queen's representative - on the advice of the prime minister. They typically join either the government caucus or the opposition caucus, or sit as independents.", "summary": "The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have charged Senator Patrick Brazeau and ex-Senator Mac Harb with fraud, saying they claimed improper living and travel expenses."}
{"article": "Jurors could not reach a verdict after four days of deliberations in the case against former North Charleston patrolman Michael Slager, 35. A bystander filmed the officer opening fire on 50-year-old Walter Scott after he fled an April 2015 traffic stop. The jury of 11 white people and a black man heard four weeks of testimony. Charleston County prosecutor Scarlett A Wilson said her office would retry Mr Slager, who is also scheduled to stand trial in federal court next year. \"We hope the federal and state courts will coordinate efforts regarding any future trial dates but we stand ready whenever the court calls,\" she said in a statement, referring to his federal trial. The case gained national attention after video emerged appearing to show the moment the officer opened fire on a fleeing Mr Scott. Mr Scott was fatally shot five times in the back as he tried to run away after he had been pulled over for a broken tail light. Mr Slager was fired from the police force after the shooting. He pleaded not guilty to murder, but jurors were also allowed to consider a voluntary manslaughter charge against him as the trial came to a close last week. The jury announced on Friday they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict, but the judge sent them back to continue deliberations. One of the jurors wrote Judge Clifton Newman a letter saying he could not \"in good conscience approve a guilty verdict\" and would not change his mind. On Monday, a note from the jury said \"the majority\" of jurors were still undecided. The panel also submitted a number of questions, including why voluntary manslaughter was added as a possible verdict and whether the definition of self-defence is different for police than for civilians. Mr Slager had testified that he feared for his life during the encounter. \"Like so many others in our community, I'm deeply disappointed by the jury's inability to reach a unanimous verdict\", Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said in a statement. \"However, despite that disappointment, I also understand that justice is not always delivered by a single jury, in a single courtroom, on a single day. Justice is often a journey. And the journey to justice in the Michal Slager case is far from over.\" The former police officer would have faced 30 years to life in prison on a murder charge while a manslaughter conviction would have carried a sentence of two to 30 years behind bars. The North Charleston City Council reached a $6.5m (\u00c2\u00a35.1m) settlement with Mr Scott's family in October 2015 over the incident.", "summary": "The case of a South Carolina police officer accused of murdering a fleeing black motorist by shooting him dead has ended in a mistrial."}
{"article": "Charles Owenson, 62, and James Costello, 44, received bribes from ABC Ltd staff members Kevin Balmer, 52, and Brendan Cantwell, 44. For cash, the council workers helped award contracts to the Edinburgh firm. The charges related to the maintenance of Edinburgh Council buildings between 2006 and 2010. The council workers pleaded guilty on Tuesday at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to breaching the 1889 Public Bodies Corrupt Practices Act. The men also admitted committing fraud and breaching proceeds of crime charges at a hearing before Sheriff Michael O'Grady. During the hearing, depute procurator fiscal Keith O'Mahoney told the court the scam was so complicated he would need another day in court to explain how it worked. However, the contents of a legal document given to the press detailed the nature of the charges against Owenson and Costello, both of Edinburgh, and Balmer and Cantwell, both of Livingston, West Lothian. The first charge details how between 6 January 2006 and November 10 2010, Balmer and Cantwell corruptly gave \u00a342,521 to Owenson and Costello at various locations in Edinburgh. The two ABC Ltd employees also gave Owenson and Costello \u00a330,249 in hospitality as an inducement to secure contracts for the repair and maintenance of Edinburgh City Council buildings. The second charge states Owenson acted corruptly whilst working as an officer at the local authority's Property Care Services Ltd. It states that he received \u00a328,387 at various locations in Edinburgh between 2006 and 2010 as a reward for the council awarding contracts to ABC Ltd. The third charge states Costello acted corruptly whilst acting as an officer in the same department and received \u00a314,134 as a reward for the council awarding contracts to ABC Ltd. Between 18 April 2007 and May 2010, at various locations in Edinburgh, Balmer fraudulently caused Edinburgh City Council to pay ABC Ltd \u00a367,923 for work the company carried out on behalf of the local authority. Balmer took \u00a322,641 from the fraudulent scheme. Between 19 May 2007 and 29 December 2011, at various locations in Scotland, Owenson breached Proceeds of Crime legislation by laundering \u00a328,387 by purchasing cars. Costello carried out the same scam between June 2007 and April 2012 at various locations in Scotland. Sheriff O'Grady adjourned the case until Friday.", "summary": "Two Edinburgh City Council employees have pleaded guilty to receiving tens of thousands of pounds worth of bribes from building company workers."}
{"article": "\"Islamists were starting to attack girls in the street,\" she says. \"I had to think about my daughters, so I decided to move to Canada.\" This was back in 1990, and Algeria was about to descend into more than a decade of civil war between a secular government and various Islamist groups. Morocco-born Daniele was 34 at the time, and she and her Algerian husband lived a comfortable life with their four children. She worked as a political and economic adviser for the US consulate in the coastal city of Oran, while he was engineer. But they gave up everything, almost overnight, to seek asylum in Canada. The family arrived penniless in the city of Montreal in the middle of a bitterly cold Canadian winter, a snowstorm in full swing. \"Before moving, the immigration department of Canada had told us that my husband and I would easily find work,\" says Daniele. \"In reality, things turned out to be very different.\" While her husband Ahmad couldn't secure any work in his field, Daniele spent seven years scraping a living earning 75% less than she had done in Algeria. She did everything from working as a secretary, to selling lunchboxes, to trying her hand with an estate agents firm. Daniele says she felt \"rejected and worthless\", but her life was to transform again for the better in 1997 when she decided to start her own business selling health and beauty products. She says she wanted to be her own boss because she was \"tired of being exploited\". Her eponymous company has gone on to make her a multi-millionaire, and, today the 60-year-old is one of the best-known business leaders in the French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec. Born to a Moroccan mother and a German father whom she never met, Daniele was raised in Algeria. At the age of 18 her mother forced her to have an arranged marriage with the best friend of her older brother. \"When my mother told me I had to marry Ahmad I screamed and cried. I was furious,\" says Daniele. \"I didn't want to get married, but I wanted to stay close to my family, so I eventually agreed. I was married within two weeks.\" Although she hadn't wanted the relationship, Daniele says she soon learned to love her husband. \"He was the perfect man. He was generous, smart and very loving.\" While he was a successful engineer, she quickly rose through the ranks at the US consulate after initially getting a low-grade job allocating visas. So the couple built a happy life together in Algeria, until they were forced to flee the country. In Canada, however, the marriage came under strain, which Daniele says was caused by Ahmad being unable to find work as an engineer. Ultimately they divorced, which she says made her feel \"very guilty\". With four children to feed this put extra pressure on Daniele for her business to succeed. Her idea was to create an exfoliating glove inspired by those used in Algerian and Moroccan bathhouses. Made of plant fibres (eucalyptus and spruce), the", "summary": "Daniele Henkel decided she had to flee Algeria because she felt her children were no longer safe."}
{"article": "Dr Reg Bunting, who died in 2013, was the chief medical officer at Avon and Somerset Police between 1990 and 1997. A probe was launched after a number of complaints by retired police officers. Deputy Chief Constable Gareth Morgan said had Dr Bunting been alive there was enough \"evidence to interview him under caution as a criminal suspect\". The matter was initially referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which recommended an investigation. The IPCC is carrying out its own inquiry into the claims. Concerns were raised in April 2015 about the way medical examinations between 1987 and 2004, were carried out. Avon and Somerset Police commissioned an independent investigation, carried out by recently retired Det Supt Tim Keelan, of Merseyside Police, and 835 people were interviewed, with 212 providing statements. A force spokesman said of 112 cases examined, 44 contained elements where the medical examination \"fell below a common or acceptable standard for the time\". He added a further 10 cases fell \"woefully or grossly below common and acceptable standards of the time\". Mr Morgan apologised \"unreservedly\" for those affected and said those who came forward with concerns \"absolutely did the right thing\". \"Anyone requiring a police medical examination held on police premises by a police doctor should have had an expectation of being safe,\" he said. The report also identified concerns over examinations carried out by other physicians. Five doctors have been identified, one of whom has also since died. Avon and Somerset Police said none have been charged with any criminal offence but the force has notified the General Medical Council about the allegations against those concerned.", "summary": "A former police surgeon conducted \"woefully or grossly\" unacceptable medical examinations, an independent investigation found."}
{"article": "Scotland's Information Commissioner has described proposed reforms to freedom of information law as setting a \"worrying precedent\". Rosemary Agnew is due to give evidence to Holyrood's Finance Committee. It is looking at changes to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill. As part of the reforms, ministers want to give an \"absolute\" exemption to communications between the Scottish government and senior members of the royal family. At the moment, information about the Royal Family can be published in Scotland if it passes a public interest test. Ministers want to remove that test thereby banning any release and bringing the situation in Scotland into line with legislation in other parts of the UK. The amendment would exempt communications with the monarch, the heir to the throne or a member of the royal household acting on their behalf. But in her response to the proposed changes, Ms Agnew said: \"The amendment will create a provision which requires absolute secrecy in relation to any aspect of communications with senior royals in all circumstances - regardless of how far removed the information is from the content of communications, or of the weight of the public interest in favour of release. \"It is my considered view that it will... have the effect of unnecessarily restricting rights and create a worrying precedent with the introduction of a wide-ranging absolute exemption which sets aside the public interest. \"The amendment is therefore in direct conflict with the public interest.\" Ms Agnew believes current protections for communications between ministers and the royals are sufficient. A spokesman for the Scottish government said: \"The amendment on correspondence on (or behalf of) Her Majesty provides for consistency of approach across the UK and in doing so ensures an appropriate level of protection for Scotland's current and future heads of state by safeguarding the well established conventions of confidentiality. \"Key elements of the Freedom of Information (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill include greater flexibility in reducing the lifespan of exemptions paving the way for more information to be made public earlier. \"The bill also makes the legislation stronger by making more effective the ability to bring a prosecution where requested information has been deliberately altered, destroyed or concealed.\"", "summary": "Plans by the Scottish government to keep any communication between ministers and the royal family secret are in direct conflict with the public interest, MSPs are to hear."}
{"article": "Among the victims of Sudan's conflict were 27,000 boys orphaned by the fighting. Known as the Lost Boys, some were forced to fight as child soldiers, while others fled and became refugees. An estimated 1.5 million people were killed and another four million were displaced in what became Africa's longest-running conflict. The refugees fled to camps in Ethiopia and other neighbouring countries. It was a dangerous journey - many drowned or died from hunger. Others were killed by wild animals. Some of those who survived ended up far away, in countries such as the US. More than two decades of fighting ended in a peace deal in 2005 which led to the people of South Sudan voting for secession in a referendum. As the new nation starts building its future, three of these Lost Boys have told their stories to BBC Two's This World, speaking about what independence means to them and their hopes for the future. Along with about 4,000 other Lost Boys, Kuol Awan was resettled in the United States in 2000. The 32-year-old has been living in Arizona, managing the Arizona Lost Boys' Centre. It is the largest centre of its kind, helping its 600 members to adjust to life in the US. Independence for South Sudan provided a chance for Mr Awan to return to the country of his birth. He wanted to revisit the village that was his home until the age of eight and which he had not seen since. He was keen to search for any relatives who may have remained. But much had changed. Shortly after he left, the village was burnt to the ground and people have only recently returned to rebuild their homes. \"It used to be a very close village. The way I left it is not the way it is [now],\" he says. Mr Awan tried to visit his mother's grave to pay his respects, but it had been buried in the sand and he was unable to find it. \"It's hard to kind of conceive. Where I used to play and see my family, now nobody is here,\" he said. \"I feel like someone who has been away from home for a long time.\" He feels that independence promises a new start and a chance to make the country peaceful and prosperous. Lam Tungwar was recruited into the rebel Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) when he was seven years old. He was promised an education, but instead he was taught how to fight. \"I didn't know why I was fighting. No-one could answer me,\" said Mr Tungwar. \"I learned a different lesson, a lesson of war, a lesson of death, a lesson of killing people.\" Today, he is one of South Sudan's biggest pop stars. He was heavily involved in organising some of the cultural events staged to celebrate independence. He wants to put his own past behind him and believes the country should do the same. \"We are tired of being oppressed. We're tired of our dignity not being recognised. We still have a lot to do ahead,", "summary": "When South Sudan was created as an independent country in July, it offered a new hope and possibilities for a whole generation whose childhood was blighted by civil war."}
{"article": "The winners have been announced for a photography competition capturing wildlife and scenery from across the Galapagos Islands.", "summary": "All images are subject to copyright."}
{"article": "Germany had said it is reviewing all arms deals with Turkey, saying it must consider human rights when making export decisions. \"You (Germany) do not have the power to smear Turkey,\" Mr Erdogan said. The German government had warned its citizens they risked \"arbitrary\" arrest in Turkey. Finance Minister Wolfgang Sch\u00c3\u00a4uble accused the country of acting like Communist East Germany - arresting people and denying them consular help. \"People who are travelling to Turkey for private or business reasons are urged to exercise increased caution,\" the German foreign ministry said on Thursday. But Mr Erdogan described the warning as \"baseless and malicious\". Frosty relations between the two Nato partners have chilled further in recent days over the Turkish authorities' recent wave of arrests. A German citizen, Peter Steudtner, and Amnesty International's Turkey director, Idil Eser, were among those detained. Responding to German criticism over the rights situation in Turkey, Mr Erdogan claimed that Turkish courts were \"more independent\" than German ones. \"Germany should sort itself out,\" he added. Turkey has repeatedly accused Germany of harbouring Kurdish militants, as well as suspects wanted over last year's failed coup. Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek meanwhile denied reports that German firms were being investigated over terrorism. \"I want to assure the German business community that German companies aren't subject to any investigations for terrorist financing by Turkish authorities,\" Mr Simsek said. He said his country was committed to improving the investment climate, strengthening the rule of law, enhancing standards of democracy, and converging with European Union standards. Germany's Die Zeit website had reported that Turkey handed Angela Merkel's government a list of 68 German companies and individuals accused of supporting the \"terrorist\" movement of US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey's president blames for a failed coup against him. Industrial giants BASF and Daimler were reportedly on the list, as well as various small firms. Die Zeit said German officials had dismissed the list as \"absurd\". Turkey's President Erdogan has been condemned internationally for a huge purge of state institutions after rogue military officers tried to topple him a year ago. More than 50,000 people have been arrested since 15 July, 2016, including more than 170 journalists and many opposition politicians, academics and activists. Turkey's detention of Deniz Y\u00c3\u00bccel, a German-Turkish journalist with the Berlin daily Die Welt, is another sore point in the two countries' relations. He was arrested in February on terror charges, which he has denied.", "summary": "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told Germany it cannot scare Ankara with threats, in a growing row over the arrest of six human rights activists."}
{"article": "Police Scotland said they had searched four properties and had seized drugs worth about \u00c2\u00a365,000 and a four-figure sum of cash. An air weapon was also recovered during the operation. The drugs seized are believed to be cocaine. Three men, aged 65, 38 and 18, and two women, aged 68 and 39, were arrested for alleged drugs offences. They are expected to appear at Paisley Sheriff Court on Monday. A 64 year-old woman and a 66 year-old man will also be subject of a report to the procurator fiscal in connection with the air weapon. Officers said they had searched homes in Cameron Avenue in Bishopton, Ryat Linn and Sconser in Erskine, and Merlinford Crescent in Renfrew at about 15:30 on Friday.", "summary": "Five people have been arrested after a series of drugs raids at homes across Renfrewshire."}
{"article": "The spacecraft, which takes visible and infrared pictures of the Earth, was launched in June and is now undergoing a period of commissioning. The observer is the second dedicated mission to fly in the European Union's Copernicus programme. This will see a multi-billion-euro series of satellite sensors put in orbit over the next few years. Sentinel-2a, however, will be the system's backbone, producing a wide range of imaging products that will focus predominantly on the planet's land surface. The European Space Agency, which led the development of the platform, released a taster on Monday of what to expect. These views ranged from cities and forests to glaciers and coral reefs. \"They are stunning,\" said mission manager Bianca Hoersch. \"Okay, we still have some calibration work to do, on co-registration between visible and shortwave infrared bands, but I think you can see just from this release that the quality is going to be really excellent.\" Sentinel-2a is the European equivalent of America's Landsat mission, which has been imaging the surface of the Earth for 40 years. The US satellite's data is free and open, which has driven a multitude of applications. Most people will probably know it best from the map tools they use on their computers and smartphones. These all incorporate Landsat pictures. Sentinel's data has been designed to be complementary, but the platform also represents a big jump in capability. Its imaging instrument will be sensitive across more bands of light (13 versus Landsat's eight), allowing it to discern more information about the land beneath it; and Sentinel-2a will \"carpet map\" a much wider strip of ground (290km versus 185km). In addition, its colour images have a best resolution of 10m, versus Landsat's 30m. Given that today, non-specialist use of Earth imagery overwhelmingly relies on Landsat data, it is more than probable that Sentinel products will be in big demand. The European Commission will be using Sentinel pictures in its Copernicus programme to run variety of services, reaching across agriculture and forestry, urban planning and disaster mitigation. Agriculture, though, is certain to be a big user. The satellite's camera sensor has been designed to detect very specific wavelengths of light that detail the health of plants. In normal operation, Sentinel-2a will be producing 1.7 terabytes of processed data per day. And this will double when the sister satellite, Sentinel-2b, is launched next year. \"The data volume is incredible,\" Dr Hoersch told BBC News. \"Of course, we all knew it would be like this, but when you sit there with your computer and try to download it, it's massive - gigabytes of data. I had to go out at the weekend and buy a hard disk to store all these products for my presentations.\" Esa will launch Sentinel-3a at the end of 2015. This satellite is dedicated to observing the oceans. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos", "summary": "Europe's Sentinel-2a satellite is on course to go into full operation in early or mid-October."}
{"article": "Bruno Travalja, 52, was kneeling to take a measurement on the 42nd floor of the Manhattan building when he stood up and felt \"dizzy\", say police reports. His body was found between 52nd and 53rd streets in midtown on Thursday afternoon, according to local media. Officials are investigating whether faulty equipment or any violated safety protocols were factors in the death. It is thought the New Jersey architect fell from the former Flatotel, which construction crews are converting into condominiums and offices. The NYPD and the city's Department of Buildings are investigating the incident. Mr Travalja was the owner of Crown Architectural Systems, according to his Facebook page. Cetra/Ruddy, the architectural firm of record on the project, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.", "summary": "An architect has fallen to his death from a New York City skyscraper after losing his footing while at work."}
{"article": "Dover took the lead on 15 minutes when Miller turned well and slotted the ball into the bottom corner. Moments later Guiseley almost equalised but Kevan Hurst's corner was headed wide by Jake Cassidy. Hurst then had a couple of attempts of his own, including a 40-yard effort, while Miller lashed an effort just wide as the visitors looked to double their advantage. Miller also hit the post after the break but the Whites did make it 2-0 on 67 minutes as Ricky Modeste headed home from close range. Miller grabbed his second with a penalty on 81 minutes and Ross Lafayette added a spot-kick of his own in added time to seal a comprehensive victory. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Guiseley 0, Dover Athletic 4. Second Half ends, Guiseley 0, Dover Athletic 4. Goal! Guiseley 0, Dover Athletic 4. Ross Lafayette (Dover Athletic) converts the penalty with a. Substitution, Dover Athletic. Mitchell Pinnock replaces James Hurst. Substitution, Dover Athletic. Chris Kinnear replaces Ricky Miller. Goal! Guiseley 0, Dover Athletic 3. Ricky Miller (Dover Athletic) converts the penalty with a. Substitution, Dover Athletic. Ross Lafayette replaces Moses Emmanuel. Substitution, Guiseley. Derek Asamoah replaces Kevan Hurst. Substitution, Guiseley. Michael Rankine replaces Ashley Palmer. Goal! Guiseley 0, Dover Athletic 2. Ricky Modeste (Dover Athletic). Substitution, Guiseley. Alex Purver replaces Simon Walton. Simon Walton (Guiseley) is shown the yellow card. Second Half begins Guiseley 0, Dover Athletic 1. First Half ends, Guiseley 0, Dover Athletic 1. Goal! Guiseley 0, Dover Athletic 1. Ricky Miller (Dover Athletic). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Ricky Miller scored twice as Dover boosted their National League play-off hopes with victory at in-form Guiseley."}
{"article": "Sylvia Bradshaw, of Fakenham, Norfolk, heard an appeal by Gamble Plant Skip Hire to find relatives of Gwendoline Harding, whose remains were found in a metal urn in one of its containers. She had been cremated in March 1996 at West Hertfordshire crematorium. Ms Bradshaw thanked the skip firm for being \"decent human beings\". \"They've done a tremendous thing,\" she said. She heard her relative's name on a BBC Radio Norfolk appeal, where skip firm office manager Alex Dunmore said it was doing all it could to trace the family. He said the firm had contacted the people who ordered the skip but they did not recognise the name. Ms Bradshaw said she was \"at a complete loss\" as to how the remains ended up in the skip. She believed the urn had been with her father, Allan Bradshaw, in Little Snoring. Mr Bradshaw is no longer alive. Her grandmother had lived in Elstree for many years and was living in a Harrow retirement home when she died, aged 83. The ashes had been brought to her son - Mr Bradshaw - in Norfolk. Ms Bradshaw now plans to take the urn to her aunt Julie Hall, her grandmother's eldest daughter. She once took the ashes on an Orient Express trip, as that had been her mother's lifelong ambition. \"I feel like she's has lots of journeys now, after this,\" Ms Bradshaw said. \"It'll be just nice that she'll be back with her family. \"It's an emotional day - I'm happy, tearful and sad at the same time.\"", "summary": "The granddaughter of a woman whose ashes were found in a skip said it was a \"massive shock\"."}
{"article": "Malcolm Wright, 56, was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary with serious injuries following the incident in the Peter Buchan Drive area last month. He died later. Gary Crossan, 30, of Peterhead, appeared at the town's sheriff court charged with murder. He made no plea and was remanded in custody.", "summary": "A man has appeared in court charged with murder in Peterhead."}
{"article": "She was at home and had just been listening to a visitor remark on the serenity of the surrounding landscape, when they were interrupted by a mighty roar. \"I went to the window and across the valley I could see a wall of mud 20ft (6m) high and travelling at what seemed like 100mph (160km/h). The next thing I knew we were hit. We were hit and we were moving.\" The blast ripped her home from its foundations and sent it careering down the hillside. By the time it came to rest - a quarter of a mile away - the torrent of mud and rock was threatening to engulf her. But 63-year-old Ms Youngblood - whose ancestors helped establish the town of Oso - somehow managed to claw her way out from beneath a huge pile of furniture and raise the alarm. Scanning the horizon from a rescue helicopter a short while later, she realised that the entire town had been swept away. Ms Youngblood is not the only resident of this scenic lakeside town to have witnessed the kind of scenes that are normally confined to nightmares. At a Red Cross shelter in the nearby town of Darrington I met James Michael. The 13-year-old was playing outside at his friend Elijah's house when they heard what sounded like several bulldozers bearing down upon them. James looked round to see homes being torn in two and people being sucked into a giant sea of mud. \"I thought: This is it, I'm going to die,\" he told me. \"And then it just stopped.\" It stopped and everything fell silent. And that was when a four-year-old boy clambered onto a rooftop. Jacob Spillers was upstairs at his home when it was hit by the deadly tide of mud and rock. His father and three siblings were watching TV downstairs. A helicopter rescue team spotted Jacob up to his knees in mud, and winched him to safety. And that is where he met Robin Youngblood. \"He was shaking like a leaf so I wrapped him in a blanket and put him on my lap,\" Ms Youngblood said. \"He kept asking for his mummy and I told him: \"We're going find her.\" Jacob was eventually reunited with his mother, but there has been no sign of the rest of his family since the mudslide wiped their town off the map. The same goes for some 90 other members of this tight-knit community. Nothing's been seen or heard of them since Saturday. I met Ms Youngblood at her new home - a hotel room in the nearby town of Marysville - just as reports had started to emerge that suggested the mountains around Oso were an accident waiting to happen. It seems a government scientist warned of the dangers of a major mudslide in the area some 15 years ago, only for home building and other commercial activities to continue apace. Understandably perhaps, Ms Youngblood was angry, not only because she wasn't informed of the dangers when she moved back to Oso two years ago, but", "summary": "Robin Youngblood will never forget the moment the mudslide hit."}
{"article": "The 36-year-old made 14 appearances in the County Championship last season as Middlesex won the Division One title for the first time since 1993. \"James remains a high-quality cricketer,\" said managing director of cricket Angus Fraser. \"As a senior player he sets a wonderful example and he remains motivated.\" He added: \"James worked as hard as anybody in helping the club win its first Championship title for 23 years.\" Franklin joined Middlesex in 2015 and has featured 70 times for them in all formats of the game. The left-hander played 31 Tests for New Zealand, 110 one-day internationals and 38 Twenty20 games between 2001 and 2013.", "summary": "Middlesex captain James Franklin has signed a new contract, which will keep the former New Zealand all-rounder at Lord's until the end of 2018."}
{"article": "Fire crews were called to Walford Road, Sparkbrook, at about 23:30 BST on Monday. The committee which runs the mosque said work had been under way to replace the building's floors. A specialist dog unit from Leicestershire was brought in to search the area for possible casualties. The all-clear was given at about 03:00 BST. Walford Road was closed for several hours and police asked people to avoid the area. Birmingham City Council said the immediate danger had been cleared from the site, including remnants of the roof structure and loose masonry. Abid Shah, who lives opposite the mosque, said the sound of the collapsing roof was like \"a big lorry had driven past - there was no explosion\". \"I came outside and there was dust in the air and rubble was across the road,\" he said. Usman Khan, part of the committee who run the mosque, said building work was under way to replace the original wooden floors with ones made from concrete and steel. \"Some of the older walls were taken out and supported by a cage of steel - in that process the roof was being supported by scaffolding [which] last night for some reason slid to one side,\" he said. The mosque, which is used by about 60 worshippers, was already closed because of the building work, he added. Mr Khan said the mosque will be liaising with its contractors and the city council to see when the work can start again. Birmingham City Council said its building control is handled by a professional services company, Acivico, who were called to the scene last night. An Acivico spokesperson said: \"A meeting is taking place with a demolition contractor to assess the immediate danger and to survey the building - remedial work to make the building safe will then commence.\" West Midlands Police said the collapse was \"not a police matter\". The road will remain closed while debris is cleared, a spokeswoman added.", "summary": "A mosque in Birmingham was undergoing renovations when it collapsed, it has emerged."}
{"article": "On Friday, we saw signs of what shape such a shift may take. In a post on the platform he runs, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman suggested the technology industry - and the complex spider's web of relationships within it - needs to agree on what he's called a Decency Pledge, a code of conduct most would consider to just be responsible, professional behaviour, but in the technology business apparently needs to be hammered home. Mr Hoffman's post - which I'll go into more detail about in a moment - followed a damning report published on Thursday by The Information - a subscription-only tech news service. It shared details alleging several instances of sexual harassment by a prominent venture capitalist, Justin Caldbeck, who by Friday afternoon had taken a leave of absence from Binary Capital, where he is/was a managing partner. The Information quoted several women, some of whom chose to make their identities public - a stance not often taken in this industry, but one buoyed by the efforts of Susan Fowler, the former Uber employee who blogged about her treatment at the firm, kicking off Uber's torrid phase. From the report: \"The women who made the allegations include Niniane Wang, who co-created Google Desktop and served as CTO of Minted, and Susan Ho and Leiti Hsu, co-founders of Journy, a travel planning and booking service. \"Ms Wang alleges Mr Caldbeck, while informally trying to recruit her for a tech company job, tried to sleep with her. \"Ms Ho said that Mr Caldbeck, while discussing investing in their start-up, sent her text messages in the middle of the night suggesting they meet up. Ms Hsu says that Mr Caldbeck groped her under a table at a Manhattan hotel bar.\" Mr Caldbeck responded to the allegations on Friday afternoon. \"The past 24 hours have been the darkest of my life,\" he said in a statement first reported by Axios. \"I have made many mistakes over the course of my career, some of which were brought to light this week. To say I'm sorry about my behaviour is a categorical understatement. Still, I need to say it: I am so, so sorry.\" He said he apologised for contributing to a \"gender hostile\" environment. \"The power dynamic that exists in venture capital is despicably unfair,\" he continued. \"The gap of influence between male venture capitalists and female entrepreneurs is frightening and I hate that my behaviour played a role in perpetrating a gender-hostile environment. It is outrageous and unethical for any person to leverage a position of power in exchange for sexual gain, it is clear to me now that that is exactly what I've done.\" Unlike Uber, a service used by millions around the world, the allegations against Mr Caldbeck will not generate many headlines. While well-known among the movers of Silicon Valley, like many big-time investors here, Mr Caldbeck operates in a world the majority of the public don't get to see. But the ramifications of this fall from grace, coming as it does so soon after the Uber scandal, point to a", "summary": "We may look back and see the events of this week, where multiple scandals at Uber saw Travis Kalanick removed as chief executive, as the beginning of a culture change across Silicon Valley as a whole."}
{"article": "The problems began early on Thursday when NIR's 06:15 BST service from Belfast to Newry broke down across a set of points at Central Station. The position of the train meant that NIR could only operate one of its four platforms at Central Station. The train has now been moved and services are returning to normal. The rail junction had been blocked for several hours on Thursday morning. A Translink spokeswoman said the knock-on delays had affected train services between Belfast and Newry, Bangor, Portadown, Larne and Londonderry. The company apologised to its passengers and said it had been working hard to \"keep delays to a minimum\".", "summary": "A broken down train that caused long rush-hour delays on all of Northern Ireland Railways' services is no longer blocking the line at a Belfast station."}
{"article": "After 10 months, Sudan's Ministry of Health finally confirmed that there have been 265 deaths and more than 16,000 infected cases of \"acute watery diarrhoea\" in 11 of the country's 18 states. A half-admission that came only after the disease pierced the bubble of Sudan's capital, Khartoum. Medical professionals have long diagnosed the cases as cholera, despite the euphemisms the government has insisted on to downplay the severity of the crisis. But cholera by any other name is still cholera. The Federal Minister of Health, Bahar Abu Garda, told parliament that cases of \"watery diarrhoea\" were not his business - shifting blame to the Ministry of Water Resources and State Ministers. The private hospital of Khartoum's State Minister of Health, Mamoun Himeda, has a printed sign on the door, refusing the admission of any cases of watery diarrhoea. In April, journalist Ammar El-Daw was detained for reporting on the outbreak and accused of defamation by the minister of his home state, Gaderef. While the country's politicians continue to shirk responsibility and avoid action, the number of cases continues to climb. The first infections were confirmed as early as August 2016, in the White Nile state where the cluster of South Sudanese refugee camps has been identified by the government as the source of the outbreak. Whatever the origins, Sudan's crumbling infrastructure and underfunded healthcare system made conditions rife for the disease to spread. Poor sanitation, meagre emergency services and underpaid doctors, striking intermittently since October 2016, have left the nation extremely vulnerable. Medics have highlighted the lack of quarantine spaces and photos have been shared online of brackish water pouring out of taps across the country. Yousra Elbagir: Once again, the Sudanese community must rely on itself to fulfil its basic needs. Imams are spreading awareness at Friday sermons in mosques across the capital Khartoum, calling for the government to address the issue and praying to God to prevent a disaster. Citizens are handing out health and safety pamphlets throughout the capital and activists are taking to Twitter and Facebook to spread awareness and criticise the government's approach. And protests have broken out at cemeteries after the mass burial of tens of bodies, all victims of cholera. Locals have organised two sit-ins in the White Nile state. All of which seems to have fallen on deaf ears. The World Health Organization has been ominously silent in the face of the growing crisis. Many assume that pressure from the government - never shy to expel a UN official for saying the wrong thing - has left them at a loss for words. In this case, \"cholera\" seems to be the trigger word. Sudanese Twitter users have been using the hashtag #CholeraInSudan, hoping to attract international attention and pressurising the government to act - the same international pressure that forced the Sudanese government to restore subsidies on imported medicine back in November. Once again, the Sudanese community must rely on itself to fulfil its basic needs. Sudanese fight for their African identity How poets are fighting censorship in Sudan Why Sudanese people still feel", "summary": "In the latest of our series of letters from African journalists, Yousra Elbagir criticises the Sudanese government's failure to get to grips with a cholera outbreak."}
{"article": "The Swiss-based drinks bottling firm rose 3.46% in early trading. Broadcaster ITV and DIY group Kingfisher were both up more than 1%, while oil giants Royal Dutch Shell and BP both fell by less than 1% On the currency markets, the pound was down slightly against the dollar, falling 0.15% to $1.5752, and down 0.04% against the euro.", "summary": "(Open) The UK's benchmark FTSE 100 index opened 0.26% higher at 6,991.36 points, led by Coca-Cola HBC AG."}
{"article": "Farzana Parveen was bludgeoned to death by her family for marrying a man of her own choice. Police say she had died by the time they were able to intervene. Ms Parveen's husband Muhammad Iqbal has maintained that officers stood by as the attack took place. Meanwhile, Iqbal himself has admitted killing his first wife six years ago in order to marry Ms Parveen. Ms Parveen, who was three months pregnant, was pelted with bricks and bludgeoned by relatives furious because she married against their wishes. In a report given to the chief minister of Punjab state on Friday, police say one of Ms Parveen's relatives accosted her \"several hundred feet\" from the court premises and shot her in the shin. There was no police deployment in that area, the report says, but a police inspector happened to be nearby and managed to snatch away the gun. However, according the police, a scuffle ensued between about 20 members of Ms Parveen's family and 10 to 15 of Iqbal's, during which one of Ms Parveen's brothers struck her with a brick three times, wounding her fatally. Police say one of Ms Parveen's uncles, two of her cousins, and the driver who brought them to Lahore were arrested on Friday. Her father surrendered to police shortly after the killing. 'Honour' killings in Pakistan \u2022In 2013, 869 women murdered in so called \"honour killings\" \u2022Campaigners say real number is likely to be much higher \u2022Of these, 359 were so called \"Karo Kari\" cases, whereby family members consider themselves authorised to kill offending relatives to restore honour \u2022Rights groups say conviction rate in cases of sexual and other violence against women is \"critically low\" Source: Human Rights Commission of Pakistan annual report 2013 Further reading: Why do families kill their daughters? Ms Parveen's relatives had filed a case against Iqbal at the High Court, accusing him of abducting her. The newlyweds were at the Lahore court to contest this case. Ms Parveen had already testified to police that she had married of her own free will. Analysis - M Ilyas Khan, BBC News, Islamabad The twists and turns in the events since Farzana Perveen's murder on Tuesday have transformed a case of honour killing into a tricky tale of love, greed and murder. We have a man who now admits to have killed an earlier wife, and a woman who the police claim was already someone else's legally wedded wife - which would make her an adulteress under Pakistani law. In addition, the father, brothers and cousins who are accused of murdering Farzana are also said to have killed a woman of the family before. A recent police report does little to explain this, except for its emphasis on the point that the Farzana case was not a case of stoning, suggesting that it did not merit the attention it got. This is reflective of a deeply conservative society which tends to condone such crimes, and is helped by a set of Islamic laws dating from the 1980s that \"privatise\" murder as a crime against the", "summary": "Pakistani police have denied they did nothing to stop a so-called honour killing in front of a court in Lahore."}
{"article": "Despite returning 80 more councillors, 184 in total, at Thursday's local elections in Wales, the party only took control of Monmouthshire. Welsh Tory chairman Jonathan Evans said June's poll will be regarded as a Theresa May-Jeremy Corbyn battle. Welsh Labour's Chris Evans said the local election results gave the party a \"firm foundation\" to build on. Although Labour lost more than 100 councillors in Wales, taking its tally down to 472, and lost control of both Bridgend and Blaenau Gwent councils, the results were not as bad for the party as had been predicted. Labour was also three seats short of a majority in Merthyr Tydfil, but polling has been delayed until next month in the Cyfarthfa ward following the death of a candidate. It means a five-week wait before the council's final political makeup is clear. The ward elected two independents and one Labour councillor in 2012. Ex-MP and general election candidate in June Chris Evans said: \"What's quite clear is Labour in Wales is much stronger than the polls are telling us at the moment. \"People haven't deserted the Labour Party - people still have faith and they're still strong with the Labour Party and that is what we will build on in the next four weeks.\" Jonathan Evans, who is running the Conservative general election campaign in Wales, told the BBC's Sunday Politics Wales programme there had been a range of alternatives to Labour in Welsh elections. But he said: \"In the general election it's my expectation that people will see this as a two party contest. \"The election has been presented as a choice between Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May. \"I see it that way, and the public see it that way as well and I think that is going to be very helpful for the Conservative Party in these elections.\" Plaid Cymru said gaining more than 30 councillors, meaning the party now has 202, was \"great news\". It said voting patterns in some local election areas were a cause for optimism ahead of the general election. Ynys Mon AM Rhun ap Iorwerth said it was \"pleasing\" to see gains \"in places where we aren't seen as traditionally strong\". \"Looking across the board it's got to be seen I think as a pretty solid result for Plaid Cymru and bodes well for the poll which is coming up in just a few weeks' time.\" The Liberal Democrats lost 11 council seats and now have 62 councillors in Wales in what Lib Dem AM and Welsh Government Education Secretary Kirsty Williams called \"a mixed set of results\". But she said local election voting should not be seen as a prediction of what will happen on 8 June. \"I think we have to be very careful not to make a direct read across from local government elections to the general election,\" she said. \"What's absolutely clear is that politics is in a state of flux and there are arguments to be made on doorsteps in the weeks to come.\" UKIP AM Gareth Bennett said his party still had a key", "summary": "Welsh Conservatives will benefit from a general election seen as a two party contest, a senior Tory has said."}
{"article": "Titled \"Albert Finney was never a member\", it debunks myths while also celebrating past events at the venue. Project manager Leslie Holmes said: \"Our plaques are a bluey green, to be a bit different from the official English Heritage scheme.\" It is being held in conjunction with the Manchester International Festival. Mr Holmes said: \"Whenever I go to London, I'm always amazed by how many blue plaques there are about the lives of the rich and famous, but hardly any in Salford, so I thought it would be good to change this - even for the weekend - and put 20 plaques here at Salford Lads Club.\" He said the exhibition's title was \"a humorous way of putting the record straight\" on a myth that Salford-born actor Finney, who appeared in Skyfall and The Bourne Ultimatum, was a member when he was a boy. The plaques, designed by the artist Amber Sanchez, will be on display at the venue until Sunday afternoon.", "summary": "A display of spoof blue plaques on celebrities' links with Salford Lads Club, which famously appeared on an album by The Smiths, has gone on show."}
{"article": "Northampton Borough Council lent money to Northampton Town FC but work on the Sixfields Stadium stalled and the club has since been taken over. The council was in talks with the new owner about land around the ground. Mary Markham, Tory council leader, said: \"The debt is still there and we will recover [it] through the land.\" The council, which owns the stadium site, made the deal with former club chairman David Cardoza so parts of the stadium could be rebuilt. Land around Sixfields was meant to be developed for leisure by the club to fund the repayment of the loan. Read more on this and other news from across Northamptonshire Construction work on the East Stand halted and the club said it could not repay the loan. The Buckingham Group, which was constructing the East Stand, said it had carried out \u00a33m of work for which it had not been paid. It is in talks with the club's new owner Kelvin Thomas. Mrs Markham said: \"We will do all in our power to recoup the money and pursue the people involved.\" A memorandum of understanding has been agreed between the council and Mr Thomas that would see Northampton Town's debt wiped out with the council acquiring the land around Sixfields for development in return. The football club has been asked to comment.", "summary": "A council has said it has received a \"number of offers\" on land it claimed in return for an unpaid \u00a310.25m loan for football stadium development."}
{"article": "5 February 2016 Last updated at 13:10 GMT It shows cast members, including Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier and Clive Dunn interviewed in character as they attended a vintage vehicle rally in Brighton in 1974. The BBC South Today film report, which has not been broadcast for more than 40 years, was found in the library at BBC Broadcasting House in Southampton. A film version of the legendary TV sitcom, directed by Oliver Parker and staring Toby Jones and Catherine Zeta Jones has been released.", "summary": "News footage of the original cast of Dad's Army being interviewed has been unearthed."}
{"article": "Defence Minister Mark Francois said no posts would be lost but 183 people from 1 Force Protection Wing and 3 Squadron at RAF Wittering would be assimilated into four other bases in the UK. He said the move was the latest in a reorganisation that saw disbandments at RAF Leuchars in St Andrews. North West Cambridgeshire MP Shailesh Vara said it was \"regrettable\", but was pleased that no jobs would be lost. He added he had received assurances from Mr Francois that the number of people affected would not increase and that it was not a prelude to the eventual closure of the base. RAF Wittering is a logistics and engineering hub and currently has about 1,500 service and civilian personnel. Up until 2010 it was the home of the Harrier jet. Mr Francois said the staff would be transferred to Honington in Suffolk, Marham in Norfolk, Coningsby in Lincolnshire and Lossiemouth in Moray. The move will start in spring 2015.", "summary": "Nearly 200 members of the RAF based in Cambridgeshire are to be disbanded."}
{"article": "Shillingford, 30, and team-mate Marlon Samuels were both reported to the ICC for suspected illegal actions during last month's Test series in India. Meanwhile, Samuels, 32, has been banned from bowling his quicker deliveries. Shillingford's arm was found to extend more then the permitted 15 degrees for his off breaks and doosras. Samuels exceeded the 15-degree limit for his quicker balls, but he is allowed to continue bowling his standard off breaks. A batting all-rounder, he has played for the Windies as a specialist batsman before now, although Shillingford - a specialist bowler - now faces withdrawing from international cricket until he remodels his action. The pair have 14 days to lodge a written appeal to the ICC, although West Indies are currently in the middle of a Test series in New Zealand. Shillingford and Samuels both played in the first two Tests, although Samuels did not bowl. The third Test begins in Hamilton on Thursday, with one-day and Twenty20 internationals to follow. Both players have previously been suspended from bowling in international cricket for illegal actions. However, they were allowed to resume bowling after undergoing remedial work and further testing. Samuels was banned from bowling in February 2008 because his arm extended more than the permitted 15 degrees for off-breaks and quicker deliveries. Although the Jamaican continued to play as a batsman, he did not resume bowling in international cricket until September 2011, having served an unrelated two-year suspension from cricket between May 2008 and May 2010 for passing information to a bookmaker. Shillingford, from Dominica, was reported after his international debut in November 2010 and banned a month later when his average elbow extension was found to be 17 degrees. He was cleared to return in June 2011.", "summary": "West Indies off-spinner Shane Shillingford has been suspended from bowling in international cricket by the International Cricket Council (ICC)."}
{"article": "Down 0-15 0-14 Derry Armagh 2-19 0-09 Queen's Antrim 0-09 2-20 Monaghan St Mary's 0-13 2-13 Fermanagh Donegal 1-06 2-14 Cavan Tyrone 2-17 1-07 UU", "summary": "Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup results"}
{"article": "Officials said security camera footage showed two white males placing the flags on the ground at the church. They were discovered by maintenance workers on Thursday morning. One of the church's pastors said it was \"a hateful act\" meant to intimidate churchgoers. The flag is very divisive in the US and seen as a symbol of slavery by critics. Staff were disturbed when they came across the flags at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, according to the Reverend Shannon Jones. \"Our groundsmen were so upset, they took pictures and then they moved them,\" she told reporters. She said the church has been holding a conference on the role of black churches in social justice issues this week. \"We do have images of two white males placing those flags on the campus,\" police chief George Turner said at a news conference. There were no more details about the suspects but Mr Turner said the video would be released to the public soon. \"We've seen this kind of ugliness before,\" he said, adding that it was disgusting but not surprising. He said they had \"good, strong physical evidence\" and were not ruling it out from being a hate crime. Rev Raphael Warnock, a senior pastor at the church, said: \"It is a hateful act. I view it as an effort to intimidate us in some way, and we will not be intimidated.\" Mr King once preached at the church in Georgia's capital. The Confederate flag is the battle emblem of the southern states in the US Civil War, and its supporters today say it is an important part of southern heritage. The backlash against it grew when nine black people were shot dead at a South Carolina church in June. The man charged with the killings, Dylann Roof, was pictured holding the flag.", "summary": "US police are investigating after four Confederate flags were found on the grounds of a church near the Martin Luther King Jr Center in Atlanta."}
{"article": "The 65-year-old was cleared of eight other indecent assault charges by a jury at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court. He was accused of abusing four former pupils at Altrincham Grammar School in Greater Manchester and a fifth schoolboy from the Newcastle area. Talbot was remanded in custody for sentencing on 13 March. Judge Timothy Mort told Talbot, from Bowdon in Greater Manchester, his sentence should start immediately bearing in mind his \"abuse of trust\". The Edinburgh-born former ITV star displayed no obvious reaction while the verdicts were read and nodded at the judge as he was taken down to the cells. He had denied abusing boys aged 14 to 17, but was found guilty of two counts relating to former pupils at Altrincham Grammar School on canal boat trips. The jury heard Talbot staged a naked orgy involving 10 drunken schoolboys on a canal barge. He was said to have asked some of the pupils to pretend they were girls and lie on top of each other as photographs were taken. One victim, who said he thought he was 14 at the time, said Talbot abused him after he was told to share a bed with him. Another boy was abused on another barge trip in similar circumstances. He said boys would take turns to sleep in Talbot's bed during the trip and when it was his turn Talbot \"started talking to me about sexual stuff\". The incidents are said to have taken place on school trips in the 1970s. It can now be reported that a number of similar complaints against Talbot have been passed by police to the Procurator Fiscal about alleged offences said to have been committed in Scotland. Talbot was also questioned by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) about a serious sexual assault allegedly committed on a former pupil but the matter was withdrawn after the complainant died. Talbot worked as a biology teacher at the boys' school until May 1984. The court heard his teaching career came to \"an abrupt end\" following an indecent proposal he made to two pupils he invited to his home to look at his telescope. The jury was told he was said to have been \"obsessed\" with teenage boys throughout his teaching career and \"could not help himself\" around them when under the influence of drink. During the investigation, police seized a number of diaries Talbot kept during his teaching career. Police found entries \"highly suggestive of inappropriate behaviour\". Det Con Chris Doggart, of GMP, said: \"Talbot was an extremely popular and well liked individual - both as a celebrity weatherman and formerly as a science teacher - who earned not only the trust and adulation of many of his peers and pupils, but also much of the nation. \"Now he has been exposed as an opportunistic sex offender and that reputation is rightly in tatters. \"Even when he was not committing offences against the two vulnerable young boys, his behaviour was wholly inappropriate and so far removed from his duty as a teacher to nurture and safeguard those under his care it", "summary": "Ex-TV weatherman Fred Talbot has been found guilty of indecently assaulting two teenage boys when he was a teacher."}
{"article": "The deal would only go ahead if Zurich felt it was getting a fair deal, said chief executive Martin Senn. His comments came as Zurich reported a 1% dip in net profits for the April to June quarter to $840m (\u00c2\u00a3538m). Separately, RSA reported pre-tax profits of \u00c2\u00a3288m for the first half of 2015, beating analysts' estimates and dwarfing 2014's results. RSA is amid a turnaround process under chief executive Stephen Hester. The firm said it planned to have \"substantially completed\" that process by the end of the year. Last month, Zurich said it was considering a bid for RSA, the owner of the More Than brand, which has a market value of about \u00c2\u00a35.3bn. Zurich is Europe's third-largest insurer and has often been linked with a bid for RSA. The Swiss firm said that its second quarter results were hit by \"large losses\" in the UK and at its global corporate business in North America, and \"higher levels of catastrophe and weather related losses\".", "summary": "The head of Swiss insurer Zurich has said he sees \"significant benefits\" in buying UK rival and bid target RSA."}
{"article": "It is understood proposals for a \u00a312m project at Fairy Glen would mean half an acre of wood is destroyed, Coed Cadw has claimed. It has asked Snowdonia National Park Authority to reject RWE Innogy's plans. The scheme would be capable of generating up to 13,000 megawatt hours of electricity each year, enough to supply around 2,700 households. RWE Innogy revealed the plans three years ago and the authority has been carrying out a consultation. It would involve getting water from the river above Penmachno bridge and diverting it through more than half a mile (1km) of pipeline around Fairy Glen, before returning it to the river near the River Lledr junction. Rory Francis from Coed Cadw said: \"When woodlands such as this, which are centuries old, are lost they cannot be replaced. \"We urge the Snowdonia National Park planning committee to say no to the proposal and for the company involved to think again.\" RWE Innogy said a consultation had taken place, and that the project had been designed to to minimise any environmental impact. A spokesman said: \"Let's not forget that one of the biggest threats to the environment and wildlife is climate change itself, and so it is important that we are able to deliver projects like this which make an important contribution towards tackling climate change.\"", "summary": "Woodland in Conwy is \"under threat\" if a hydro-electric scheme goes ahead, a charity has said."}
{"article": "A breakdown of voting patterns, drawn from a survey of 5,000 Scots conducted soon after the referendum day, runs counter to the widespread belief that there was a clear split between older and young voters, or that higher earners backed the United Kingdom. It did, however, confirm other polling evidence that women were decisive in the result. While men were 53% for 'Yes', women were 57% for 'No'. Voters earning more than \u00a330,000 were found to be evenly split, while those earning less than \u00a320,000 were 53% for independence. It was those earning between \u00a320,000 and \u00a330,000 who can also be seen as deciding the outcome - voting 'No' by a margin of 56% to 44%. It is not explained why that pattern emerged, but one possibility is that these voters felt they had something to lose if independence proved costly, while not having the higher earners' financial security with which to take a risk on constitutional change. The research found that older voters were strongly in favour of Scotland remaining part of the UK, including 67% of those aged over 70. But the academics behind the Scottish Referendum Study note that the youngest voters, aged between 16 and 24, appear to have voted 'No' as well. Those aged 25 to 29 were in the age group most likely to vote 'Yes', with 62% for independence, yet teenagers and those in their early twenties were 54% for the Union. The analysis does not offer any explanation for why younger age groups split that way. The survey looked for correlation between voters' identities and the way they cast their referendum ballot. It found a strong link on religious affiliation. Some 60% of Protestants voted 'No', while 58% of Catholics voted 'Yes'. Those adherents of the Church of England were 81% for the Union - the strongest correlation of all. However, the research does not indicate that religion was a cause of the way people voted. It found a weaker correlation between owner occupiers and a 'No' vote. Those born in other parts of the UK were much more likely to vote 'No', by 70% to 30%. There was a smaller 'No' majority for those born outside the UK, and those born in Scotland were evenly split. The Scottish Referendum Study is linked to the British Election Study. It is run by academics at the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Essex, and is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Its findings are broadly in line with two polls carried out at the time of the referendum. Though with smaller samples and less detail, these showed a similar gender gap, there was an indication that the youngest voters were pro-union, and there was a a split between higher skilled, higher earners and those on lower pay with lower work skill levels. In an extension of the research, a briefing paper from the Scottish Referendum Study shows the issues that had most impact on voters in the latter weeks of the campaign. The arguments that worked best for the Unionist side were that new", "summary": "The 'No' majority in the independence referendum last year is being explained by an unusual alliance of Scotland's youngest voters, its average earners, Protestants and women."}
{"article": "\"Celtic have brought in the higher-class player, I think,\" said former Celtic midfielder MacLeod. \"When you are bringing players from Liverpool, boys who have played at Man City - it is good quality players they have brought in. \"But Rangers have brought in good quality as well.\" Former Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool defender Kolo Toure and winger Scott Sinclair, formerly of Man City and Aston Villa, have been recruited by new Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers. Meanwhile, Rangers counterpart Mark Warburton's big-name additions are former Burnley midfielder Joey Barton and his former QPR team-mate, Niko Kranjcar. \"I think Rangers fans will be going into this game hoping they all produce a good performance on the day,\" said MacLeod looking ahead to Saturday's first Old Firm game of the season at Celtic Park. \"But Celtic fans will be looking at their team and thinking they are a strong side, quicker, better and they can win the match.\" However, MacLeod pointed out that the Old Firm occasion has sometimes proved too much for some notable names to handle. \"There have been a lot of players and even big-name players who have turned up for an Old Firm game and not played well,\" he said. \"Some players in the past, you have looked at them and thought that he will be great addition to the club and they have not produced anything. \"You have to wait until the game actually happens and then decide how well they have played.\" MacLeod believes Leigh Griffiths could be the difference between the teams in Saturday's Old Firm derby - as long as the striker recovers from injury. The 26-year-old missed Scotland's 2018 World Cup qualifying win in Malta on Sunday with a hamstring complaint, but Celtic are confident he will recover in time to face Rangers in their first Premiership encounter of the season. \"In any Old Firm game, you need people who can score goals and, when you have got Griffiths fully fit, that is so important because I think he is the one that will get goals,\" said MacLeod. \"Griffiths is the guy you look at that is going to score, whether from outside the box or inside the box. He is a predator and he will score goals for you at all levels.\"", "summary": "Celtic have got the better of Rangers in the summer transfer market, according to former Bhoys assistant manager Murdo MacLeod."}
{"article": "The new season is due to get underway soon, so what do we know about Bibiana Steinhaus? Speaking about her new role, she said...", "summary": "Bibiana Steinhaus is set to become the first female to referee in Germany's top level of football, the Bundesliga."}
{"article": "Danish newspaper Politiken claims it has seen documents suggesting Laudrup's agent, Bayram Tutumlu, could have made more than \u00a33m during the Dane's reign. It claims Swansea accused the two of trying to \"benefit from transactions at the expense of the club\". However, chairman Huw Jenkins said he sacked Laudrup for \"football reasons\". Laudrup told BBC Wales Sport: \"I have never received any payment or commission related to any player transfer in any of the clubs I have coached. Never.\" The former Denmark international was appointed in June 2012 and led the Swans to their first major trophy when they won the 2013 League Cup - but he left the club after less than two seasons in charge. The Swans cut all ties with Tutumlu in June 2013 following concerns he was trying to dictate transfer policy, with the club perturbed by his attempt to sell then-captain Ashley Williams without the board's consent. A poor run of form left Swansea two points above the Premier League relegation zone and Laudrup was sacked in February 2014 - but he insists his departure had nothing to do with any irregular payments. \"I have read that Swansea stated that they have not found anything that indicates that I have done something wrong or illegal regarding the player transfers in my period as a manager in the club,\" he said. \"I knew that but it is a relief that the club confirms it.\" The Politiken article was based on documents it says were obtained in collaboration with Football Leaks. According to the article, Swansea wrote a letter to the League Managers' Association (LMA) when Laudrup was sacked, claiming there were \"a number of transactions and dealings with players about which the club has concerns\". However, speaking to BBC Wales Sport, Jenkins said the club did not suspect the former Barcelona and Real Madrid player of any wrongdoing. \"There were discussions with the LMA but that was done in the context of negotiating a settlement and it should be taken in that light,\" he added. \"As far as we are concerned that is the end of the matter and we agreed a settlement and we move on.\" Tutumlu has represented Laudrup since the 52-year-old played for Barcelona from 1989 to 1994. According to the Politiken article, the documents show Jenkins signed an agreement which would give Tutumlu 7.5% of the net profit from all player sales when Laudrup extended his contract in March 2013. Tutumlu has yet to respond to BBC Wales Sport's request for comment, but Jenkins says that particular clause never came into effect. \"On that particular point it was never acted upon and as most people know transfers in and out of the club are controlled and decided by myself, always in conjunction with the manager,\" he added. \"But ultimately we had the control and from that date to Michael's departure in 2014 that point in particular was never active. \"All I can say as far as I am concerned is we dealt with everything in the right way as we saw it and in", "summary": "Former Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup has denied he was sacked because of concerns he and his agent stood to profit from player transfers."}
{"article": "TUV Rheinland, which awarded EU safety certificates to the French implant manufacturer, \"neglected its duties of vigilance\", the court said. PIP (Poly Implant Prothese) was shut down in March 2010 amidst a worldwide health scare. The company used sub-standard silicone gel, causing many implants to rupture. Q&A: Breast implants health scare Six implant distributors and 1,700 women had sued TUV Rheinland for 50m euros (\u00c2\u00a342m), arguing anything but a cursory inspection would have found problems. The plaintiffs in the civil case will be given an initial payment of 3,000 euros per victim for surgery to have the implants removed. Jan Spivey, a British woman who received PIP implants as part of reconstructive surgery following breast cancer in 2002, said she was \"delighted\" with the ruling. \"Of course TUV has some responsibility and should be held to account. They're the organisation that gives the CE certification for safety, and that was what my surgeon relied on when he gave the implants to me. \"Anybody that gives safety certification for a product that is going to make women very sick does have responsibility,\" she told the BBC's Newshour programme. It could open the door to many more compensation claims, says the BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris. TUV Rheinland had won two previous cases in Germany. This was the first such case in France. The German firm has said it will appeal against the verdict. TUV Rheinland awarded PIP - formerly one of the world's leading suppliers of implants - its European safety certificate for 17 years. The founder of PIP, Jean Claude Mas, is still on trial for aggravated fraud in Marseilles, along with four of his executives. He revealed during police interviews that he had ordered employees to hide the unauthorised silicone when inspectors visited his factory. It has since emerged the substandard gel was used in 75% of the implants. The court heard an employee in charge of quality control had only a cooking diploma - another in charge of the lab had previously trained as a pastry chef, our correspondent says. A ruling is expected in Jean Claude Mas' case on 10 December.", "summary": "A French court has ordered a German company to pay compensation to hundreds of women who were fitted with defective breast implants."}
{"article": "It came as figures obtained by BBC Radio Wales showed 15% of medical positions were vacant or filled by temporary staff. In the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, one in 10 of the medical staff positions were vacant. The Welsh government said there were difficulties recruiting A&E doctors. BBC Radio Wales submitted Freedom of Information requests to the seven boards in Wales asking about staff levels for consultants, doctors and nurses. All responded for the 11 months to August 2013 and showed that all the A&E wards were regularly operating below agreed staff levels. The worst was Aneurin Bevan University Health Board in south east Wales, where one in 10 of the medical staff positions were vacant. In the Hywel Dda Health Board in south west Wales, a quarter of the A&E staff were temporary. The chair of College of Emergency Medicine Mark Poulden called the issue in Wales a \"vacancy staffing crisis\". \"Over the last year or 18 months we have seen a change. We've essentially reached a tipping point in our staffing levels. Some departments you cannot deliver what you want to for patients,\" he said. \"Sometimes you can't deliver the quality and certain times we can't deliver the safety we require either which can be difficult.\" Across Wales, more than 15% or almost one in seven positions at A&Es were either vacant or being filled by temporary staff. However the average NHS vacancy rate was more than 5% which is less than the English NHS rate of 9%. In September the Auditor General for Wales identified a deterioration of care at A&Es. Nicola Davis-Job, who represents A&E nurses for the Royal College of Nursing, said: \"If you have a nurse down on your shift and nobody to fill that the patient care level it doesn't go down, it just means that the nurses have less time to spend with each patient. \"You have to choose which patients that you're going to care for and that's not something that nurses like to do. \"They feel they should give dignified care to all those patients on their shift.\" Responding to the figures, the Welsh government said: \"While just over 96% of all medical and dental posts are filled, demonstrating we do not have a general recruitment problem, there are geographical hotspots and recruitment difficulties in some specialities... \"If we want senior A&E doctors present for more hours of the week, we will only achieve this if we stop spreading them so thinly and focus their working in fewer centres.\" Health Minister Mark Drakeford added: \"Right across the United Kingdom there is a shortage of senior doctors to work in A&E departments and Wales is no exception.\" He told BBC Radio Wales that the NHS in Wales was being overhauled, including A&E care in an attempt to prevent such issues arising. \"The problems of recruitment don't go away by reorganisation but they become more manageable because you are able to concentrate your forces,\" he said. The shadow health minister Darren Millar called the figures unacceptable and said First Minister Carwyn Jones was", "summary": "A shortage of staff at Welsh hospital emergency departments is at \"tipping point\" and putting patient safety at risk, a top consultant has said."}
{"article": "West Yorkshire Fire Service said five buildings in Leeds failed, including Park Plaza Hotel and two Unite student blocks. The fire service said it had requested interim safety measures and had carried out re-inspections. As well as the Leeds tower blocks, three failed in Halifax and one in Bradford. More stories from across Yorkshire High-rise cladding combustibility tests have been carried out across the UK in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. The fire service said those which failed in West Yorkshire were a mix of privately-owned buildings and social housing - all six storeys or higher. The West Yorkshire tower blocks which failed cladding combustibility tests are: Some of the failed tower blocks have been asked to install temporary fire alarms, move smoking areas and clear rubbish and combustible items. PPHE Group, which runs Park Plaza, said the hotel \"proactively\" submitted cladding test samples and \"fully complied\" with the fire service's interim requirements. Shaun Broers from Park Plaza said: \"At this time no recommendations have been made to remove or update the cladding. \"This will be reviewed if any further guidance or advice is offered from the Department for Communities and Local Government.\" A spokesperson for Unite, which manages Concept Place and Sky Plaza student accommodation in Leeds, said: \"Based on the advice of experts and bearing in mind the wide range of fire prevention measures we have in place, we believe our buildings are safe for occupation. \"We will do everything necessary to ensure our buildings remain safe.\" The fire service said more fire engines would be sent to tower block fires; six (one with high-reach capability) to most tower blocks, and eight (two with high reach capability) to failed blocks. Residents were also urged to \"do their bit\" in being vigilant and knowing evacuation procedures.", "summary": "Nine high rise tower blocks in West Yorkshire have failed fire safety cladding checks."}
{"article": "McManus is getting married on Saturday to Dunloy and Antrim camogie player Aileen Martin. The Cushendall man played a pivotal role as he struck 1-13 in last weekend's dramatic 3-20 to 2-22 extra-time win over Carlow. Paul Sheehan hit 0-15 for Down as they beat Roscommon 2-24 to 1-20. However, Down's recent form suggest that the Saffrons should still be good enough to see off the Mourne County with something to spare despite McManus' absence. SATURDAY SUNDAY", "summary": "Antrim will hope Neil McManus' absence will not unduly hinder them in Saturday's Christy Ring Cup game against Down at Cushendall."}
{"article": "Chanel's creative director accused Streep of rejecting one of his dresses because she found a different designer who was willing to pay her. He has since said he \"misunderstood\" - but that has not calmed Streep's ire. \"I do not take this lightly, and Mr Lagerfeld's generic 'statement' of regret for this 'controversy' was not an apology,\" she said. She also criticised fashion website WWD, which originally reported his quotes. \"He lied, they printed the lie, and I am still waiting,\" she said in a statement. The dispute began when WWD published an interview in which Lagerfeld said he had started work on a dress for Streep to wear to Sunday's Academy Awards. But he claimed he was then told by one of the actress's representatives: \"Don't continue the dress. We found somebody who will pay us.\" Referring to Streep, he said: \"A genius actress, but cheapness also, no?\" The designer later issued a statement admitting he had \"misunderstood that Ms Streep may have chosen another designer due to remuneration\" and said he regretted the controversy. However, Streep, who has her 20th Oscar nomination this year for Florence Foster Jenkins, hit back. She said Lagerfeld \"defamed me, my stylist and the illustrious designer whose dress I chose to wear, in an important industry publication\". Her statement added: \"The story was picked up globally, and continues, globally, to overwhelm my appearance at the Oscars, on the occasion of my record-breaking 20th nomination, and to eclipse this honour in the eyes of the media, my colleagues and the audience.\" Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Meryl Streep's choice of dress for the Oscars has sparked a bitter row between the star and designer Karl Lagerfeld."}
{"article": "The Russian-born 24-year-old picked up a season-ending injury in September. \"I wish I could have shown more to the supporters who have always been very supportive of me,\" said Bilate. \"However, I know at this stage it is the right thing to do for the club and myself and I will now look to progress my career elsewhere.\" Bilate is the first departure from Tannadice since Mixu Paatelainen took over from sacked manager Jackie McNamara last month with the club sitting second bottom of the league table. \"I am sad to be leaving as I feel that, despite the current position in the league, the players and the team are improving things,\" said the striker. Bilate, who was brought up in the Netherlands, joined United in July 2014 after being released a year early from his contract with Dutch club Sparta Rotterdam. A series of injuries have meant he only started eight games for the Scottish club, with another 10 appearances coming from the substitutes' bench. Bilate scored two goals for the Tannadice side in that time. United said on a website statement: \"We know how disappointed he is not to have featured more regularly, but this announcement allows him to look to the future.\"", "summary": "Striker Mario Bilate has expressed his \"sadness\" after he and the Scottish Premiership club agreed terms for his exit from Tannadice."}
{"article": "Even organising matches is difficult. Visas are hard to come by and world football's governing body rules mean Tibet can only play other unrecognised teams. The Tibetan football team is one of the main obstacles for China. They didn't like the Tibetan football team After five years without a game, the Tibetans - whose national team are nicknamed the Forbiddens - finally took to the field again when they competed in the 25th All India Shaheed Dal Bahadur Durgamal Mal Gold Cup, with teams from across India, Nepal and Bhutan. The tournament took place in Dharamsala, Northern India, the current home of Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in exile. Fearing for his life, the 77-year-old was forced to flee Tibet in 1959 after years of violent conflict between Tibetan rebels and the Chinese army. The Tibetan National Football Association was only set up in 2001. In that same year the team played its first match, a 4-1 loss to Greenland in Copenhagen. But as Tibet's coach Kalsang Dhondup told the BBC's World Football programme, football is something the estimated 150,000 exiles feel very passionate about. \"Football was introduced by the British into Tibet in, I think, 1904,\" said Kalsang. \"Since then the Tibetans love football and physically the Tibetans are very much suited to football. Football is the most popular game in Tibet.\" Ironically the British were in Tibet on a military expedition fearing Russia's growing influence in the region. But now Tibet, in the north-east of the Himalayas, faces a very different problem. The football team encounters strong opposition from the Chinese who claim sovereignty over Tibet and dismiss any show of independence. But coach Kalsang remains defiant. \"The Tibetan football team is one of the main obstacles for China,\" he continued. \"They didn't like the Tibetan football team. But, whether they like us or not, we will play football.\" During the tournament in Dharamsala, the team wore black armbands to show their solidarity with Tibetans inside Tibet. Since 2009, 117 Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest against the Chinese Government. Tenzin plays for the Tibetans. He didn't want to give his family name because of fears for the safety of his relatives still in Tibet. He admits that it's difficult to represent a country which is no longer recognised. \"I escaped from Tibet in 1996 and I feel very, very special and a lucky one to be part of the national team and it's really a proud moment for me,\" he said. \"Sometimes it's really challenging and difficult in such an environment where Fifa is not recognising our Tibetan football. At the same time I feel proud to represent Tibet and also feel responsible for the Tibetan cause.\" And, as Kalsang explains, the team have a big fan in the shape of the Dalai Lama. \"I think His Holiness has support for Tibetans in all issues,\" he stated. \"Even sport also. We went to Italy in 1999 and after we came from Italy we had an audience with His Holiness. \"At the end", "summary": "Living in exile and playing for a team unrecognised by Fifa and opposed by the Chinese, means life isn't always easy for Tibet's footballers."}
{"article": "President Wulff was entitled to what is called a Grosser Zapfenstreich, or Grand Tattoo, in front of the presidential palace. In the dark of night, by the Tiergarten in Berlin, soldiers in full ceremonial uniform carried burning torches. Trumpets sounded. The fife and drum were prominent. But it did not feel like a celebration. Chancellor Angel Merkel did attend but the four former presidents still alive were not there. The event was overshadowed by debate over whether it should happen at all because of the allegations of corruption which have forced the current president from office. There was also a row over the music. President Wulff had requested four pieces instead of the usual three. The newspaper Bild said that he had wanted Ebony And Ivory written by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. This tune, it said, was deemed by the military band as not suitable for trumpets! What was played was Somewhere Over The Rainbow, the great hymn to a better life beyond today's troubles from The Wizard Of Oz. It was an instrumental version, but it was hard to see if anyone was humming the words: \"Some day I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me.\" Not for some time, though. President Wulff leaves office to deal with investigations into his closeness to business people when he was a prominent politician and finally president of one of the German states, Lower Saxony. His difficulties started when it was revealed that he had been lent money on favourable terms by a businessman's wife. He then made two big mistakes: he denied a connection to the businessman when asked by the state's parliament, and he left an angry message on the voice-mail of Bild, Germany's best-selling newspaper when it started investigating and publishing details of the loan. Hell hath no fury like a newspaper threatened. Bild went into investigative over-drive, publishing a string of articles about President Wulff and holidays paid for by others. Where previously Bild had painted him as a happily married family man (helpful to a recently divorced Catholic), it examined every detail of his connections to business. Where he went and who paid for it, became the leitmotif. It all became a stand-off between president and press. He would assert that he had done nothing wrong and papers would reveal more questionable contacts and arrangements. It became too much when the prosecutors in Hanover, the capital of Lower Saxony, asked the Bundestag to lift the president's immunity from prosecution. Mr Wulff, the country's youngest ever president at 51 when he took the job in 2010, resigned because he said the trust of the people had \"been seriously damaged\". A man once talked about as a future chancellor of Germany will, instead, engage closely with lawyers and prosecutors. He has one less thing to worry about: ex-presidents are entitled to a pension of 199,000 euros a year. The papers questioned whether he should get it, but it was decided that he should get the money. And a Grosser Zapfenstreich. It is worth", "summary": "The president of Germany marked his early departure from office with the grandest of torchlight parades in the full tradition of the Prussian military - and with a squabble over what tunes should be played."}
{"article": "Former Gower AM Edwina Hart backed steel-coating firm Kancoat despite a warning of a \"weak\" business plan. The Tories claim she may have broken the code because the firm was based near her constituency and she did not consult with the first minister. The Welsh Government said the code was not broken. Mrs Hart, who stood down from the assembly at the election in May, has been asked to comment. Paragraph 4.4 of the Welsh Government's ministerial code, which sets out standards for their conduct, states: \"Where ministers have to take decisions on their own portfolios which might have a particular impact on their own constituencies or electoral regions, they must take particular care to avoid any possible conflict of interest. \"Where ministers are uncertain about whether a conflict arises between their ministerial and constituency/regional responsibilities they should consult the first minister, for a decision as to how the business is to be handled.\" A Freedom of Information request by the Welsh Conservatives found there was no record of any meeting between Mrs Hart and the first minister to discuss the granting of financial support to Kancoat. Kancoat, which was based at the old Alcoa factory in Waunarlwydd, Swansea, was set up to coat metal used to make food cans and other products. It was based less than half a mile outside Mrs Hart's Gower constituency. Between May 2012 and February 2014 Kancoat was given a mix of loans and grants totalling \u00a33.4m by the Welsh Government in decisions signed off by Mrs Hart. The bulk of the support was given after the Welsh Government's own financial due-diligence reviewer raised concerns about Kancoat's financial projections in February 2013. The review said Kancoat's business plan \"appears weak and inconsistent\" and the project was identified as high risk. A request for support had previously been turned down by the government's investment arm Finance Wales due to an \"unacceptably high\" risk. The company went into administration in September 2014. A Wales Audit Office report in July revealed the company owed the government \u00a32.6m - it created 12 jobs but ran into difficulties when it struggled to maintain its supply of steel. Sir Alistair Graham, who chaired the UK's Committee on Standards in Public Life from 2004 to 2007, told BBC Wales he believed possible jobs for Ms Hart's constituents led to a potential conflict of interest. Suzy Davies, Tory AM for South Wales West, said: \"The decision comes off the back of a series of poor financial decisions made by the Welsh Government. \"I feel strongly that there needs to be an overhaul of the ministerial code, which in its current state lacks independence and transparency. \"It cannot be right that the first minister is the sole arbitrator of these rules.\" Responding to the Conservative claims, a Welsh Government spokeswoman said: \"The previous minister did not break the ministerial code.\" The government had previously said the decision to support Kancoat was based on projections that more than 30 jobs would be created. It has also pointed out that the factory was outside Mrs Hart's Gower", "summary": "An ex-economy minister has been accused by the Welsh Conservatives of breaking the ministerial code by approving \u00a33.4m aid for a firm which later went bust."}
{"article": "Tess Newall, 29, of Morham, East Lothian, had worn the dress - belonging to her great-great grandmother - when she got married in June last year. However, after it was booked in to be cleaned by Kleen Cleaners in St Mary Street, Edinburgh, it went missing. Mrs Newall's father, Patrick Gammell, confirmed to the BBC that the dress had now been returned. It was handed back to the family on Monday by two officials from the sequestrators dealing with Kleen Cleaners financial affairs. Mr Gammell said he and his wife were \"petrified\" to let it out of their sight again. The 61-year-old, who is the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of East Lothian, told BBC Scotland's news website: \"We are thrilled finally to have my wife's family's wedding dress back safely in our hands. \"This has been in no small part due to the media interest in which the BBC helped considerably, for which we are very grateful.\" He added: \"We are petrified to let it out of our sight now and I think my wife, Sally, is going to try to clean it herself instead of sending it somewhere again.\" After the BBC highlighted the dress's disappearance, it was found \"in a crumpled heap\" at the closed shop. Mrs Newall, who married Alfred Newall, 30, in East Lothian, said she was \"absolutely over the moon\" at the discovery. The dress was sent to be dry cleaned in September and the shop shut in October. The business is now being dealt with under Scottish bankruptcy law in a process known as sequestration. An AiB spokeswoman said: \"Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB) was appointed as trustee in this case. \"Wylie & Bisset were allocated the case in October 2016 to administer on AiB's behalf and handled the closure of the Kleen Cleaners dry cleaning business in Edinburgh. \"In a bankruptcy, the whole estate of the debtor vests with the trustee, with specific exceptions laid down in law. \"When business is involved in a bankruptcy, it is normal practice to immediately close down the trading premises and investigate and identify assets of the bankruptcy.\" She said in these circumstances attempts are made to notify customers of the bankruptcy and return any items that belong to them. She added: \"At the commencement of a bankruptcy, a bankrupt individual will complete a questionnaire to disclose assets, income, creditors and other information. \"This will be used as a starting point for the trustee to establish the value of the estate and the extent of liabilities. The trustee will not seek to realise assets unless satisfied he is entitled to do so. \"AiB has been advised of the issues surrounding this particular case and while it is our policy not to comment on individual cases, we can confirm this issue has now been concluded satisfactorily.\"", "summary": "A 150-year-old antique wedding dress that was lost after a dry cleaners went bust has been given back to its family."}
{"article": "The 111 number, which has been tested in four areas, will be available nationally by April 2013. The service will replace NHS Direct, which the government announced it was scrapping last year. It will give health advice and information about services such as out-of-hours GPs, walk-in centres, emergency dentists and pharmacies. The government says it will reduce confusion and effectively abolish the concept of \"out-of-hours\" in the NHS. After pilot schemes in County Durham, Nottingham, Lincolnshire and Luton, the service will be extended to the Isle of Wight and Chesterfield before Christmas. The government says NHS Direct is expected to \"retain a role\" in its the delivery, staffed by call advisers supported by nurses. Currently, around 14,000 people a day call NHS Direct for medical advice, with the service costing \u00c2\u00a3123m a year to run. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: \"The new 111 service will mean patients can access the whole of the NHS through just one simple number. \"This marks another important step in modernising the NHS and giving patients greater control and choice over their healthcare.\" Dr Clare Gerada, chairwoman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: \"Not only will callers to the service be advised on what to do but also be directed to the appropriate local service to address their need consistently. \"However, patients should be aware that this is not a replacement for the current system and that they can continue to call their GP practice as normal.\" The change will not affect existing NHS helpline services in Scotland and Wales. Critics claimed the decision to scrap NHS Direct would undermine the quality of the service by reducing the number of qualified nurses answering calls. And shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said last year that the service saved the NHS \u00c2\u00a3200m a year and played a key role in taking pressure off the health service. But last June the British Medical Association said MPs should consider scrapping the telephone service, saying it was not cost-effective.", "summary": "A non-emergency telephone number for NHS services is to launch across England, the Department of Health says."}
{"article": "HIE along with other public bodies are to be run by a single board under Scottish government plans. The government has said services already provided in the Highlands and Islands would be protected. Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie unveiled the petition on a visit to Inverness. He and his party argue that decisions on HIE should be taken by a board based in the Highlands and Islands. In October, the Scottish government set out plans to reform Scotland's enterprise and skills agencies in a report on Phase 1 of its Enterprise and Skills Review. It has proposed setting up a new single Scotland-wide statutory board to co-ordinate the activities of HIE, Scottish Enterprise and other public bodies. HIE began as Highlands and Islands Development Board more than 50 years ago. It supports businesses and initiatives in the Highlands, Western Isles, Northern Isles, Moray and Argyll.", "summary": "The Scottish Lib Dems have started a petition supporting calls for Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to keep its board."}
{"article": "Rothamsted said that crops had been vandalised, causing \"significant\" damage. The incident took place on Sunday morning at the centre's test site in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. The project aims to see whether the modified crops can deter aphids - a major wheat pest. Rothamsted has previously pleaded with anti-GM campaigners not to destroy their experimental plots, which they say could help reduce pesticide use. But opponents of GM technology claim that planting the crops in the open air would allow modified pollen to get out into the surrounding environment. After the break-in at the site, Rothamsted scientist Toby Bruce wrote on Twitter that wheat seeds appeared to have been strewn onto plots, and the tops of plants had been cut off. However, the laboratory said the account was anecdotal and might not be accurate. In a statement, Rothamsted commented: \"The intruder caused significant, random property damage, but failed to disrupt the experiment in this attack.\" The lab's director Prof Maurice Moloney said the act was an attempt to \"deny us all the opportunity to gather knowledge and evidence\" on a possible new approach for reducing the use of pesticides. A 50-year-old man from Devon is to appear at the Central Magistrates Court in St Albans on 13 July. The crop being trialled at Rothamsted contains genes synthesised in the laboratory. It will produce a pheromone called E-beta-farnesene that is normally emitted by aphids when they are threatened by something. When aphids smell it, they fly away. Anti-GM group Take the Flour Back has vowed to \"decontaminate\" the site unless the research is halted. The event was trailed on the organisation's website as \"a nice day out in the country, with picnics, music... and a decontamination\". There is no suggestion the man who has been charged is linked to Take the Flour Back. Eleanor Baylis, from the anti-GM group, said in a statement: \"We have no information about this incident, but are relieved if the quantity of GM pollen released from the trial has been reduced. \"The British people are clear that they're not swallowing this technology.\" The protesters have previously declined an invitation from Rothamsted to meet scientists behind the project and, following a heated debate on the BBC's Newsnight programme, a planned day of action on 27 May will go ahead. But a spokeswoman for Take the Flour Back told BBC News the group would be interested in engaging in a public debate with wide participation. She said the decision not to take part in the debate proposed by Rothamsted was due to the specific conditions of the event. Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk", "summary": "A man has been charged with criminal damage following a break-in at the Rothamsted Research centre where a trial of GM wheat is being held."}
{"article": "Having made only three in the first innings, Cook was caught at mid-wicket for five off Jack Brooks (3-22). Adil Rashid took 4-72 as MCC were bowled out for 220 in their second innings, despite Nick Compton's 74. First-innings centurion Adam Lyth made 46 not out as Yorkshire eased to victory with a day to spare on 73-1. Cook did not even manage a boundary in his last competitive knock before England head to the West Indies. Last week, Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie said Cook's inclusion in the MCC team was a \"win-win for everyone\". The Essex opener went into the annual Champion County first-class fixture after making 35 in last Friday's T20 match against Sussex - his first competitive innings since losing the England one-day captaincy. Having resumed on his overnight score of two, Cook fell to the first delivery of the day's seventh over as Brooks made the Tykes' first breakthrough. MCC, who began the day on 13-0, recovered after losing Cook early as Michael Carberry (23), James Hildreth (49) and Compton gave them a second-innings lead. But Rashid helped wrap up the innings and leave Yorkshire a victory target of only 70, which they passed with ease as Lyth hit seven fours in his 65-ball knock.", "summary": "England Test captain Alastair Cook suffered his second failure of the match as county champions Yorkshire beat MCC by nine wickets in Abu Dhabi."}
{"article": "Sam Cataki, 36, who has lived in Neyland for the past five years, has also been told he can no longer work. He lost his job at Milford Haven Port Authority on Wednesday and, with two young children aged one and five, said he fears for his family's future. The Home Office has been contacted for comment. Before he left the Army in 2013, Mr Cataki said he applied for citizenship in the UK but believes he was rejected because of three points on his driving licence. \"They say it doesn't count as 'good citizenship' which is one of the criteria,\" he explained. He was given further leave to remain until his points cleared and told he would then be able to re-apply for citizenship. \"I applied again last year but that's when they told me it was void. They're telling me to re-apply for settlement [with] Armed Forces indefinite leave to remain but I'm still waiting,\" he said. \"I normally don't complain about anything but I have followed every procedure they've asked. \"After serving they should be giving more to ex-servicemen but it's like they have neglected and left me. They thank you for your service and then you're forgotten about.\" Mr Cataki had been working in Milford Haven for two years and said the situation was also putting his wife Seini's visa status at risk. \"We really enjoy it here, we just want to work,\" he added. \"I've spent about \u00c2\u00a35,000 on applying for visas but without a job it will be difficult to afford applying again.\" Stephen Crabb, MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, has been assisting Mr Cataki since 2014. In a message on Facebook on Friday, Mr Crabb said: \"Lots of strong support from our local community for Sam Cataki over his visa application. He is a lovely guy and served in our Armed Forces for more than a decade. \"I have briefed the immigration minister and requested that the Home Office treats this as an urgent case. I have also asked for them to restore his right to work in the UK immediately. \"Having strong immigration rules is important but clearly the system should work better for our ex servicemen and women from Commonwealth countries.\" A petition set up by the Neyland community in support of Mr Cataki has attracted nearly 20,000 signatures.", "summary": "A Fijian father who served in the British Army for 12 years says he feels \"neglected\" after being refused UK citizenship."}
{"article": "As many as 30 stores around the state are expected to start selling the drug for recreational purposes from 1 January, dubbed Green Wednesday. Colorado, along with Washington state, voted to legalise the use and possession of cannabis for people over the age of 21 in November 2012. Washington is not expected to allow the sale of it until later in 2014. Colorado and Washington are among 20 states to have approved marijuana use for medical purposes. The drug is still illegal under federal law. Store owners had stocked up, prepared celebrations and hired extra security in preparation for their opening on Green Wednesday. Burning questions Under the new law, cannabis will be sold like alcohol. Residents will be able to buy up to one ounce, while those from out of the state can purchase up to a quarter of an ounce. Cannabis can only be smoked on private premises, with the permission of the owners. The sale of the drug will be taxed in the same way as alcohol, and state officials have said they expected it to raise millions - the first $40m of which will be used for school construction, The Denver Post reports. It was not clear exactly how many shops were expected to open on New Year's Day, though around 30 were listed by The Denver Post. A total of 136 stores have been given licences to sell marijuana. Most of the shops are based in Denver. Some communities elsewhere in Colorado have exercised their right not to have the stores. Supporters of legalising cannabis have praised Colorado's move. Rachel Gillette, of the Colorado branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said the state \"has found an exit strategy for the failed drug war and I hope other states will follow our lead\". But critics say it sends the wrong message to the nation's youth and fear it will lead to serious public health and social problems. \"There will still need to be a black market to serve people who are ineligible to buy on a legal market, especially kids,\" said Kevin Sabet of Smart Approaches to Marijuana. \"It's almost the worst of both worlds.\"", "summary": "The US state of Colorado is making history by becoming the first to allow stores to sell cannabis."}
{"article": "OP Jaisha said she \"could have died\" after the women's marathon in Rio. Jaisha, 33, finished in 89th place and collapsed after finishing the 42km (26 miles) race in two hours 47 minutes 19 seconds last week. Indian officials denied the allegation and said Jaisha and her coach had refused refreshments. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) said officials in Rio were not told by the athletes or their coaches about any specific requirement for any drinks. \"It is the responsibility of the organisers to provide water and energy drinks. For that there are water and energy stations throughout the course,\" senior AFI official CK Valson told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency. \"We could have provided water and energy drinks to our athletes but neither they nor their coaches informed us that they would need water and energy drinks separately.\" Jaisha said she ran \"in scorching heat\" and there was no water available from Indian officials during the race. \"Only once in 8km did we get water [from the Rio organisers] which did not help at all. All the countries had their stalls at every 2km but our country's stall was empty,\" she was quoted as saying by PTI. Jaisha had to be taken to hospital after finishing the race. \"We are supposed to be given drinks by our technical officials, it's the rule. We cannot take water from any other team. I saw the Indian board there but there was nothing,\" she said. \"I had a lot of problem, I fainted after the race. I was administered glucose, I thought I would die.\" Jaisha said she got no response from officials when she asked why water was not provided to her at the stalls. \"I don't know who to blame for this. May be nobody realises the seriousness of a marathon, the fact that we have to run 42km,\" she said. India's Sports Minister Vijay Goel has said he will investigate the allegation. \"I'll look into this and if there was negligence of any sort, action will be taken,\" he told NDTV. India finished with just two medals at the Rio Games, fewer than the six medals it won during its best-ever performance in London four years ago.", "summary": "An Olympic woman marathon runner from India has alleged she was not provided water and energy drinks by Indian officials at designated stations."}
{"article": "Parklands High School in Speke will shut in August following consultations with parents, staff and students, Liverpool City Council said. It was placed in special measures following an inspection by Ofsted in December. Students will transfer to other schools and the council said it would look at alternative employment for staff. Exam results are lower than other Liverpool schools with 32% of pupils getting five GCSEs including English and maths, compared to 58% across the rest of the city, the council said. Parklands High School opened in 2002 as a replacement for Speke Comprehensive. There are currently 198 pupils at the school, which has capacity for more than 900, and only 34 children applied for places in September. Councillor Jane Corbett, cabinet member for education, said: \"We are now at the stage where the numbers are so low that it is not able to offer a full curriculum and this is simply not in the best interests of the pupils.\" Pupils will transfer to others schools in the area including ESLA (Enterprise South Liverpool Academy), St Julies and Gateacre. Councillors will give final approval of the school's closure at a cabinet meeting on 21 March.", "summary": "A Liverpool school branded \"among the lowest of all schools in England\" by the education watchdog is to close."}
{"article": "The Premiership winner tied the knot with Rebekah Nicholson at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire. Guests included stars from the worlds of music and football. The 29-year-old had already postponed the big day three times to avoid footballing commitments but will miss England's friendly on Friday. Fellow England internationals were all apparently invited but manager Roy Hodgson poured cold water on the plans. But he did give permission to the Foxes' Danny Drinkwater - as long as he made it to England training by 17:00. With England commitments taking up much of the summer, Vardy - who signed from then non-league Fleetwood Town four years ago - has said he will delay his honeymoon. Guests at the glitzy bash included One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson and Kasabian guitarist - and Foxes fan - Sergio Pizzorno. Vardy's Premier League-winning team-mates Wes Morgan, Danny Simpson and Marcin Wasilewski also saw him tie the knot along with best man David Nugent. Vardy has previously said it would be a quiet night for him as he prepares for a busy summer of football.", "summary": "Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has got married at a star-studded ceremony - after postponing his nuptials three times."}
{"article": "Cafodd y datganiad ei wneud gan Ysgrifennydd Brexit, David Davis, a phrif drafodwr yr UE, Michel Barnier, yn dilyn trafodaethau cychwynnol ym Mrwsel ddydd Iau. Dydd Llun oedd y dyddiad gwreiddiol yr oedd trafodaethau i fod i ddechrau, ond roedd amheuon am hynny yn dilyn canlyniad yr etholiad cyffredinol. Mae'r trafodaethau rhwng y Ceidwadwyr a'r DUP wedi golygu y cafodd Araith y Frenhines ei symud o ddydd Llun i ddydd Mercher yr wythnos nesaf. Fe wnaeth Theresa May danio Erthygl 50 ym mis Mawrth i ddechrau'r broses o adael yr UE. Mae disgwyl felly i'r DU adael erbyn Mawrth 2019. Mae'r pynciau fydd yn cael eu trafod yn cynnwys statws pobl o'r UE sy'n byw yn ym Mhrydain ar hyn o bryd, y costau fyddai'n rhaid i'r DU dalu i adael a sut y bydd y DU yn masnachu gydag Ewrop ar \u00f4l hynny. Ers yr etholiad yr wythnos diwethaf mae galwadau wedi'u gwneud am safbwynt trawsbleidiol i'r trafodaethau, a dywedodd Prif Weinidog Cymru Carwyn Jones nad oes gan Mrs May fandad ar gyfer Brexit caled bellach. Ond mae Downing Street wedi mynnu na fydd eu strategaeth yn newid.", "summary": "Bydd trafodaethau ffurfiol Brexit yn dechrau ddydd Llun, yn \u00f4l Llywodraeth y DU a'r Undeb Ewropeaidd."}
{"article": "The bond, which will pay a fixed gross rate of interest of 6.50% a year until 2022, was on sale from 24 April to 6 May. David Armstrong, the club's chief executive, said the response had been \"very positive\" and offered stability for the club's future. Wasps play in the Aviva Premiership at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. The club moved to the 32,600-seater stadium from Adams Park, High Wycombe, in December 2014. \"The funds raised [from bond sales] will enable us to restructure our balance sheet and pay down our existing debt, including the loans we acquired with the Ricoh Arena,\" Mr Armstrong said. \"We now have a solid foundation for the long-term future of the club and look forward to the future with confidence.\" Minimum initial investment in the bond was \u00a32,000 - which, like any investment, has risks involved. There are plans for it to be tradable on the London Stock Exchange's Order Book for Retail Bonds. The bonds will be guaranteed by the two key operating companies, Wasps Holdings and Arena Coventry Ltd, including the Ricoh Arena. Interest will be paid on 13 November and 13 May in each year with the investment due to be paid back in full on 13 May, 2022. Trading in the bonds is earmarked to start on 14 May.", "summary": "English rugby union club Wasps has reached its \u00a335m target with the sale of its seven-year bond."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old capped for both France and Martinique is a free agent after leaving Bordeaux last summer. Saints boss Tommy Wright has also taken defenders Daniel Adejo and Plamen Krachunov on trial. Wright said: \"All three come with very good pedigrees and quality, but what we'll have to look at is fitness as well as ability.\" Adejo joined Kalloni in 2014 from Reggina but left in January, the 26-year-old Nigerian having made 11 appearances for the Greek Superleague club this season. Krachunov played eight times for Slavia Sofia this season in his homeland's top flight, the 27-year-old having joined from city rivals CSKA in the summer. The central defender has played all his football in Bulgaria, his previous spells being with Maritsa Plovdiv and Lokomotiv Plovdiv. Faubert, who began his career with Cannes, had spent three years back with Bordeaux in the French Ligue 1 before his release. It was his second spell with Les Girondins, who he left to join West Ham in 2007. During his five years with the English club, he had a short loan spell with Real Madrid before leaving to join Turkish outfit Elazigspor. Faubert, born in Le Havre but of Martinican descent, made only one appearance for France, scoring on his debut in August 2006 against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He used a legal loophole - the Martinican Football Association is not a member of world governing body Fifa - to make a second international debut. Fuabert scored against Curacao and went on to score twice in his next two international games.", "summary": "St Johnstone have handed a trial to former Real Madrid and West Ham United right-back Julien Faubert."}
{"article": "Dubbed Scotland's Route 66, NC 500 loops around the north Highlands' coast and interior. The seven included Commonwealth Games cyclists Lee Craigie and Anne Ewing and British 24-hour mountain bike champion Rickie Cotter. The time trial over Saturday and Sunday started and finished in Inverness. The other riders were author and travel blogger Emily Chappell, transcontinental cyclist Gaby Leveridge, plus Zara Muir and Jo Thom, winners of the women's pairs event at this year's Strathpuffer endurance ride near Strathpeffer. Their time sets a new record for cycling the route. Scottish endurance cyclist Mark Beaumont previously completed the NC 500 solo in 37 hours 58 minutes. The NC 500 features several challenging ascents and descents, including the Bealach-na-Ba at Applecross. The unclassified road rises to about 626m (2,053ft) over about four miles (8km).", "summary": "Seven women cyclists have set a time of 36 hours to complete the gruelling 518-mile (833km) North Coast 500 in a non-stop team time trial."}
{"article": "The comic actor, also known for his TV shows with Ben Miller, said voicing the character was \"about as close to a dream job as you could wish for\". Armstrong takes over from Sir David Jason, who voiced the eye patch-sporting \"DM\" in ITV's original series from 1981 to 1992. Kevin Eldon will voice trusty sidekick Penfold, Terry Scott's old character. \"When I am recording the episodes, I'll be making sure that at all times my eyebrows are at least three inches above my head,\" joked Eldon, known for his appearances in Big Train, Nighty Night and other comedy shows. Other cast members include Shauna MacDonald and Morwenna Banks, while Dave Lamb - the voice of Channel 4's Come Dine With Me - will take on the role of narrator. The new series, which will initially run for 52 episodes, is due to be broadcast on the CBBC channel in 2015. Armstrong's Danger Mouse will have more gadgets at his disposal than the original, among them a multi-purpose \"i-patch\". The actor previously voiced an alien super-computer in Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures and Professor M in the animated series Tooned. \"As a lifelong fan of Danger Mouse, I was ecstatic just to know that the show was coming back,\" the 44-year-old said. \"To be actually involved with the reboot and to be taking DM out to a whole new generation is about as close to a dream job as you could wish for.\" \"We're all genuinely bowled over to have Kevin and Alexander on board as Penfold and the mighty DM himself,\" said CBBC controller Cheryl Taylor. \"They are both funny and fabulously talented performers and... will ensure that the series' considerable comedy credentials are bestowed on a new generation of fans.\"", "summary": "Pointless host Alexander Armstrong will voice Danger Mouse when the much-loved cartoon hero returns to TV next year."}
{"article": "In a first half boasting five tries, Christian Wade crossed twice and Thomas Young added Wasps's third on half-time after scores from Ross Batty and Dave Atwood for the visitors. Wade completed his hat-trick after the break before Jimmy Gopperth slotted two penalties to extend Wasps' lead. Tom Ellis and Ben Tapuai secured a bonus point for Bath but Wasps held on. For the first time this season, director of rugby Dai Young had a near full complement of backs from which to select, and they were in fine form during a spectacular show in front of a 26,000-strong crowd. Kurtley Beale made his first Premiership start for Wasps, but it was winger Wade who stole the show with both individual brilliance and strong support play. Bath's typically strong defence looked tired, but they fought their way back into the game to secure a try bonus point. Wasps are now level on points with Saracens at the top of the table and will secure top spot outright if they beat Newcastle away on Friday. Following the game, director of rugby Dai Young confirmed that England flanker James Haskell is close to a return from injury and that Wasps are looking at involving him in games against Leicester (8 January) or Toulouse (14 January) in the new year. Wasps director of rugby Dai Young: \"It was obviously a really tough game, as you expect with it being second against third. \"We showed some fantastic stuff in attack, I thought, some real cutting-edge stuff with great support play. But to be totally honest I thought we lacked some energy in defence especially first half. \"We also had lots of flu through the camp throughout the week, so I don't think our energy levels were through the roof. \"But in fairness to the players I thought they were much more rugged in the second half and we kept Bath at bay.\" Bath head coach Todd Blackadder: \"We made three mistakes in the first half, and they capitalised on two of them, which is what good teams do. \"I thought we started really well, and made a couple of nice line-breaks but didn't turn them into points, and that was the difference between the two sides. \"As the game went on, we didn't get our basics right, and today was a really good test which highlighted a few things within our game. \"Overall it was a good game, and we passed the character test when we were down and could have capitulated, but we showed some fight to get a losing bonus point.\" Wasps: Beale; Wade, Daly, Gopperth, Halai; Cipriani, Simpson; Mullan, Taylor, Moore, Launchbury (capt.), Gaskell, Johnson, Young, Hughes. Replacements: Rieder, Bristow, Swainston, Myall, Thompson, Robson, Eastmond, Miller. Bath: Homer; Rokoduguni, Joseph, Tapuai, Brew; Ford, Fotuali'i; Catt, Batty, Lahiff, Charteris, Attwood, Garvey, Louw, Faletau. Replacements: Dunn, Auterac, Palma-Newport, Stooke, Ellis, Allinson, Hastings, Clark. For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "Wasps ended the year with an unbeaten home record after a scintillating match against Bath at the Ricoh Arena."}
{"article": "Police were called to a house in Manor Farm Close on Wednesday after a woman in her 40s was attacked. North Yorkshire Police said the woman remains in hospital in a stable condition. The teenager was remanded in custody by magistrates in York and is due to appear before a youth court on Tuesday.", "summary": "A 16-year-old boy has been charged with wounding with intent in connection with the stabbing of a woman in Carlton, near Goole."}
{"article": "The firm says its oil and gas reserves will not lose value as the world adapts to rising temperatures. However, Exxon does not dispute that global warming is happening. Exxon's report was in response to a call from activist shareholders. It is the first detailed report by a major oil and gas company about the potential impact of climate change on future business prospects. Exxon shareholders As You Sow and Arjuna Capital had demanded to know what impact climate change, and subsequent global policies to slow its impact, could have on Exxon's assets and future profitability. In their appeal, they had cited reports that there would be lower demand or prices for fossil fuels in the future as a result of climate change or greater global carbon regulations. \"We believe producing these assets is essential to meeting growing energy demand worldwide, and in preventing consumers - especially those in the least developed and most vulnerable economies - from themselves becoming stranded in the global pursuit of higher living standards and greater economic opportunity,\" Exxon said in the report. Exxon said that it expected carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels to peak by about 2030 and then begin to decline. Exxon's report came just after the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that the impacts of global warming are likely to be \"severe, pervasive and irreversible\".", "summary": "Exxon Mobil, the US's largest oil and gas company, said in a new report that world climate policies are \"highly unlikely\" to stop it from producing and selling fossil fuels in the near future."}
{"article": "The same formula protects humans and badgers from TB - but a supply shortage has seen use of the badger vaccine suspended to prioritise human health. The Sussex Badger Vaccination Project (SBVP) said work would still continue. Director Trevor Weeks said badgers would retain some immunity against bovine TB, which affects cattle. Mr Weeks said volunteers, who began vaccinating badgers in 2014, had to carry out site surveys, paperwork and mapping before vaccinations could take place and they saw this as an opportunity. He said the big problem for SBVP was lack of time and added: \"We are very much going to use this to our advantage.\" Both SBVP and the Badger Trust have said they do not want to see renewed calls for a badger cull because of the lack of vaccines. Dominic Dyer, chief executive of the Badger Trust, which has its headquarters in East Grinstead, said the charity had called on the National Farmers Union (NFU), National Trust and Wildlife Trust to support continued vaccinations. James Osman, from the Sussex NFU, said the suspension of vaccines was disappointing but the organisation still saw culling as a \"vital part of the toolbox\" of measures to tackle bovine TB. He said bovine TB levels remained lower in Sussex but it was still \"endemic\" with some farms still closed down. Last month, Defra said nearly 1,500 badgers were killed in 2015 as part of the government's cull in the South West and more than half of England was expected to be free of the disease by 2019. Campaigners claim there is no evidence killing badgers reduces levels of the disease in cattle.", "summary": "Badger vaccination volunteers will spend a year surveying and mapping sites after a vaccine shortage forced them to halt jabs for the rest of 2016."}
{"article": "An investigation has been launched at the Angel Hotel after management decided to shut it as a precautionary measure. A spokeswoman said they were providing support to guests, 26 of whom have been struck down by gastroenteritis. No one needed hospital treatment. The hotel has been contacting guests due to arrive over the next few days to help them make other arrangements. Cardiff council said environmental health officers have confirmed the virus is gastroenteritis. No further information can be given until the investigation has been completed, the spokeswoman added. The council was notified on Wednesday that guests were falling ill at the hotel. Teacher Kevin Waite from Gwaelod-y-Garth, Cardiff, said he fell ill over the weekend after attending a training event at the hotel on 5 June. \"I felt nauseous, I was having hot and cold flushes and my limbs were aching,\" he told BBC Wales. \"I started vomiting on Sunday and this lasted through until Monday.\" Mr Waite said he has contacted the hotel to discuss his sickness and is waiting to hear from managers. \"The hotel looked plush, pleasant and clean. There was nothing to point to any problems,\" he added. \"I'm shocked and disappointed. But these bugs can happen for many reasons.\"", "summary": "A Cardiff hotel remains closed on Friday after a virus outbreak."}
{"article": "Manchester United moves up from fourth to second on the list, which is based on season 2013-14 revenues. Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain filled the next spots. English clubs Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool were placed sixth to ninth, all of them showing healthy rises in revenues. Tottenham were in 13th spot, while there were new entries for Newcastle United and Everton at 19th and 20th. The total combined revenue for the top 20 richest clubs rose by 14% to \u20ac6.2bn, the report found. The list only looks at revenues accrued and does not take into account club debts. Real Madrid, which won its so-called \"Decima\" European Cup/Champions League after beating city neighbours Atletico 4-1 last May, saw revenues of \u20ac549.5m (\u00a3459.5m, at average exchange rate for the year ending 30 June 2014). The club saw revenue growth of \u20ac30.6m, from increases of 8% and 9% in broadcast and commercial revenues respectively. Other findings include: Meanwhile, broadcast rights deals pushed the entire Premier League into the wider top 40 highest earning clubs. \"The Premier League's new broadcast deals have translated into big revenue increases across the English top flight,\" said Austin Houlihan, senior manager at Deloitte. \"In fact, every Premier League club reported record revenues in 2013-14.\" DELOITTE FOOTBALL MONEY LEAGUE \u20221. Real Madrid: 549.5m (518.9m) \u20222. Man Utd: 518m (423.8m) \u20223. Bayern Munich: 487.5m (431.2m) \u20224. Barcelona: 484.6m (482.6m) \u20225. Paris Saint Germain; 474.2m (398.8m) \u20226. Manchester City: 414.4m (316.2m) \u20227. Chelsea: 387.9m (303.4m) \u20228. Arsenal: 359.3m (284.3) \u20229. Liverpool: 305.9m (240.6m) \u202210. Juventus: 279.4m (272.4m) Source: Deloitte, revenues in euros for 2013-14 season. Note: 2012-13 revenues in brackets Mr Houlihan said that between them, the eight English clubs in the top 20 achieved total broadcast revenues of \u20ac1.1bn. \"The fact that all the clubs in the Premier League are in the top 40 is testament to the huge appeal of the league globally and also the equality of the distributions the clubs enjoy relative to their European counterparts,\" he added. \"Additionally, the Premier League is currently negotiating for the next cycle of media rights and further uplifts are anticipated.\" Once again, the list was dominated by clubs from the so-called \"Big Five\" leagues; England's Premier League, Germany's Bundesliga, Italy's Serie A, Spain's La Liga and France's Ligue 1.", "summary": "Real Madrid has matched its 10th triumph as champions of Europe by topping the Deloitte football rich list for a 10th straight year."}
{"article": "But after an amazing Northern Ireland Assembly election result in the constituency in March, Sinn F\u00e9in can see the summit. The party began 155 votes behind the SDLP on the previous assembly poll result of May 2016. They emerged 6,650 votes ahead. That is why many believe Chris Hazzard, one of Sinn F\u00e9in's two candidates in that election, is set to become the party's first MP for South Down. But there is a caveat - or two. Firstly, the SDLP's Margaret Ritchie easily beat Mr Hazzard in the 2015 general election - the margin was 5,891 votes. And, of course, there is the old claim that in Westminster elections many unionists lend their votes to the SDLP to ensure Sinn F\u00e9in is defeated. Right? Well, maybe not this time. According to Paul Smyington, the editor of the Down Recorder newspaper, unionists who were spooked by the surge for Sinn F\u00e9in in March are telling voters on the doorsteps to \"vote for the union\". He claims that could have an \"important impact on this election\". Not that Ms Ritchie appeared bothered about the unionist factor two years ago. In her victory speech, she told her supporters: \"Let us be very clear that the SDLP vote increased and that we have a solid majority now in South Down without any votes being lent to us. \"So, let's lose that myth now.\" That claim is about to be put to the test. Asked about the forthcoming election, the outgoing SDLP MP chose her words carefully. \"I, as an MP who has served for the last seven years, have been an MP for all of the constituents in South Down, representing them on a wide range of issues,\" she said. \"Every vote is valued for me and I look forward to many, many people right across the constituency - irrespective of political affiliations - voting for Margaret Ritchie on 8 June. \"They will get an MP who will represent them both here in the constituency and at Westminster 24-7, 365 days per year.\" Sinn F\u00e9in has been putting a massive effort into the constituency. About 400 people, including the party president Gerry Adams, attended Mr Hazzard's campaign launch in Newcastle. \"When the results were coming in in March more people joined Sinn F\u00e9in in the six hours during the count than had previously joined in the previous six months in South Down,\" said Mr Hazzard. \"There's an appetite now for Sinn F\u00e9in that is growing year-on-year. \"We have canvas teams out in nearly every village and town every night and certainly the message coming back is positive. \"People see the work that we are doing, the leadership that we are giving and they're coming on board.\" The largest unionist party, the Democratic Unionist Party, is not represented this time by the well-known Jim Wells but by a first-timer, 32-year-old accountant Diane Forsythe. She said the election in March was a wake-up call for unionists. \"There's definitely that strong feeling that I'm getting on the doors that people are wanting to come out and put their pro-union", "summary": "For three decades the chances of toppling the SDLP in South Down have been about as strong as the prospect of anyone scaling the Mourne mountains barefoot."}
{"article": "Style is Eternal, which showcases key items from his 50-year career, has been running at the Bowes Museum in County Durham since July. It has been the most popular exhibition in the museum's history, attracting three time the usual visitor numbers. The initial closing date of 25 October has now been extended to 8 November. The show highlights how the designer revolutionised womenswear and includes dresses from the late 1950s which have never been seen in public before. There have been 55,000 visitors to date, a figure which is expected to reach 70,000 by the time it closes. Adrian Jenkins, Director of The Bowes Museum said: \"It has been a wonderful moment in the museum's history. \"The exhibition has dazzled visitors and informed us of Yves Saint Laurent's huge contribution to the world of fashion, evident in the way women dress every day.\"", "summary": "The first major UK exhibition of the work of French designer Yves Saint Laurent has proved so popular that it is being extended."}
{"article": "The Norway international, 29, was substituted in the 36th minute of Tuesday's 2-1 home defeat by Chelsea after a collision with Eden Hazard. \"It's not good news but we have got strength in depth in midfield,\" Neil said before Saturday's trip to Swansea. The Canaries are 18th in the Premier League after an eight-game winless run.", "summary": "Norwich midfielder Alex Tettey needs ankle surgery and is likely to miss the rest of the season, says Canaries manager Alex Neil."}
{"article": "The UK voted to leave the European Union in a referendum on 23 June. A spokesperson from CoDA confirmed that Citywing's proposed new service had become \"commercially difficult\" since the vote. Discussions will now take place between the airport and other potential carriers. The flight was originally announced by the Isle of Man-based regional carrier Citywing in March 2015. It was due to begin its new service in October but was delayed on numerous occasions. The proposed new route was to be part funded by the Governments Regional Air Connectivity Fund. Citywing has not yet issued the BBC with a statement, but a spokesperson from CoDA confirmed the loss on Friday. \"The impact of the referendum vote in favour of Brexit has led to significant devaluation in the pound sterling, given that the airline industry operates in Euro and Dollars, the economics of the route deteriorated to a position which has made the operation of this route commercially difficult.\" The spokesperson added that while this was \"clearly disappointing news for the Airport and for the passengers\", it remained optimistic in future efforts to secure the route. In August, Ryanair announced it would be reducing its service to London Stansted.", "summary": "A proposed new flight from City of Derry Airport (CoDA) to Dublin has been cancelled as a result of the Brexit vote."}
{"article": "The survey of more than 1,600 business leaders also found nearly 10% said some staff had quit for the same reason. Government policy \"should evolve to help as many parents as possible stay in the workplace,\" the BCC urged. The government said it was doing \"more than ever before to support families\". Under current measures, every three- and four-year-old in Britain is entitled to up to 15 hours of free early education and childcare per week. From 2017, this entitlement will be doubled to 30 hours a week. Those surveyed said they would welcome further support. The BCC carried out the survey in conjunction with Middlesex University researchers. One third of those questioned said the availability of childcare was a \"key issue in recruiting and retaining staff\". Some 12% said their employees' productivity had fallen because of the cost of childcare, and a further 8% said staff changed roles within their business as a result of the same issue. Although almost 40% of the businesses surveyed said the government plans to double free childcare in 2017 would help, the BCC said it was calling on ministers to do more, including considering offering universal childcare until a child started school. Adam Marshall, director general of the BCC, said the government should consider the childcare system as part of Britain's core business infrastructure - \"in the same way that it thinks of energy, transport, or broadband\". A Department for Education spokesman said that in England, from September, parents would have up to 30 hours of childcare a week for three- and four-year-olds, \"helping to remove the barriers that can stop them from working\". \"It is backed up by a record \u00c2\u00a36bn per year investment in childcare by the end of the Parliament, as well as introducing tax-free childcare worth up to \u00c2\u00a32,000 per child per year.\"", "summary": "More than one in four UK business leaders say employees have cut their hours because of the \"high cost of childcare\", a report from the British Chambers of Commerce says."}
{"article": "The hosts led when Harrison ran onto a long goal kick that had bounced over Cambridge keeper Josh Coulson, and tapped the ball into the net. Ben Williamson hit the post for Cambridge as they looked to level. Stevenage sealed the win when Connor Ogilvie's drilled cross found Harrison, who converted from close range. Harrison helped Stevenage secure promotion to League One in 2011, and is back at the club on loan from Chesterfield. Stevenage caretaker manager Darren Sarll told BBC Three Counties Radio: Media playback is not supported on this device \"It was a good performance. We've come away from that knowing that that's still not our best. There's still so much to do in terms of improving us. \"There's real signs of the old Stevenage coming back. Standing shoulder to shoulder, and we won't be beat. I love that mentality, that's the mentality that I've been brought up on here. \"I thought we could have done better in the first half. To be a little more authoritative with our football, to go after Cambridge a little bit more than we did. There's lots to be pleased with, more so the fact we can beat sides above us.\"", "summary": "Byron Harrison scored twice on his return to Stevenage, securing their first home win since November."}
{"article": "Speaking from the Heights Bar in Loughinisland, where loyalist gunmen carried out the murders, Kevin Gordon said what he found \"never leaves you\". On Thursday, an official report said there was collusion between police and loyalist gunmen in the killings. \"Everybody knew in their hearts there was a cover-up,\" Mr Gordon said. \"For it to be exposed at such a high level is a relief.\" An emotional Mr Gordon told the BBC: \"Talking to the relatives, there's that sense of justice being done and their long campaign has been justified.\" The Catholic victims were in the bar watching the Republic of Ireland play a World Cup football match against Italy on 18 June that year, when two Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) members walked in and opened fire indiscriminately. They were killed instantly. Mr Gordon said he was driving past the bar on what was \"a beautiful summer evening\" and saw a friend come \"staggering out of the bar\". \"I thought he perhaps had too much to drink but he wagged me down,\" he said. \"I stopped and he said: 'Kevin, Kevin, help us, they've shot us. There's six dead in here.' \"I abandoned my car outside the door, I came in and the bodies were lying. \"I was in for a long, long time - it seemed a long time. Obviously, you're in shock and as time lapses, you don't realise how fast it goes.\" Mr Gordon said that he felt comfort in returning to the bar after the attack, and that he and others found it to be \"a good place to meet\". But he added that he is still dealing with the trauma of what he witnessed that night. \"I actually found solace in meeting my friends and we talked about it, a shoulder to lean on, rather than sitting at home,\" he said. \"Of course you remember, you never forget - I personally am still getting treatment for it. \"Twenty-two years down the line and it'll never ever leave you. \"You walk through this room and you look at that plaque on the wall and you remember your friends - I knew every one of them. \"I'm delighted, if that's the word, that the families, who have fought a really hard, emotional battle for 22 years, have got justice at last.\"", "summary": "The first person to arrive at the scene of the massacre of six men in a County Down pub in 1994 has said he is still having counselling after what he saw."}
{"article": "Prof Michael Arthur said that he \"regretted\" the personal difficulty suffered by Sir Tim, who has been accused of sexism. But he said his comments about women in laboratories had struck \"such a discordant note\". He said they were at odds with the university's aim to create a working environment where women felt supported. Prof Arthur added in a statement in the staff news section of the UCL website that Sir Tim's offer of resignation was his personal choice and the honourable thing to do. He said that despite many calls for him to reinstate Sir Tim, there had been \"very significant\" representations to him not to do so - and not only from women in science. \"Our view is that reversing that decision would send entirely the wrong signal and I have reason to believe that Sir Tim would also not want that to happen,\" he said. The Nobel prize-winning scientist resigned from his honorary post at UCL earlier this month following the reaction to comments he made at a science journalism conference in South Korea. He said at a lunch that women in labs \"cry\" when criticised and \"fall in love\" with male counterparts. His resignation prompted many messages of support for Sir Tim from scientists, including many Nobel prize winners calling for his reinstatement. His supporters said that his comments were meant as a self deprecating satirical joke and were taken out of context. The evolutionary biologist and author, Prof Richard Dawkins, described criticism of Sir Tim as a \"witch-hunt\" But Prof Arthur said in his statement that \"an honorary appointment is meant to bring honour both to the person and to the university\". \"Sir Tim has apologised for his remarks, and in no way do they diminish his reputation as a scientist. \"However, they do contradict the basic values of UCL - even if meant to be taken lightly - and because of that I believe we were right to accept his resignation. \"Our commitment to gender equality and our support for women in science was and is the ultimate concern.\" Follow Pallab on Twitter", "summary": "The president of University College London has said that Prof Sir Tim Hunt will not be reinstated."}
{"article": "This takes FOI closer to the centre of power within Whitehall and the personal involvement of the prime minister. But how good is the Cabinet Office's own record on handling FOI requests? New data obtained by the BBC shows a big increase in complaints to the information commissioner about Cabinet Office slowness. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has disclosed that the number of Cabinet Office delay cases which were not previously reported amounted to 90 in the two years 2013/4 and 2014/5. That's more than three times the comparable figure of 29 in the previous two years. This is on top of the smaller number of investigations which have led to the ICO publicly issuing formal decision notices. It is the latest evidence of the historically poor track record of the Cabinet Office, which has twice been subject to special monitoring by the ICO due to its inadequate performance on processing FOI applications. It's possible that the Cabinet Office may now face this for a third time. \"In the last two months or so we've issued six decision notices against the Cabinet Office for exceeding the statutory time limit - it's not a good record,\" says Graham Smith, the deputy information commissioner. As well as obtaining direct control over freedom of information policy, the Cabinet Office has also taken over the \"clearing house\" from the Ministry of Justice. This is the team of officials who advise other government departments on how to handle sensitive FOI cases. \"The Cabinet Office should be setting a good example to the rest of Whitehall,\" Smith adds. \"You would hope that they would want to be an exemplar\". A few days ago the ICO also rebuked the Cabinet Office for failing to comply properly with an investigation. A decision notice reported that the commissioner was \"extremely disappointed\" he had to serve a formal notice on the Cabinet Office to get cooperation. However the ICO itself is often criticised and sometimes derided by those who feel that for political reasons it fails to take a tough enough stance over the Cabinet Office's failings. Some who believe this are FOI officers in other public authorities. In June the commissioner issued an enforcement notice against the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland, instructing it to deal with its extensive backlog of unanswered FOI requests. But Smith told the ICO press office not to issue a press release announcing this measure, because it would \"provoke more questions and comment about lack of action against others, notably the Cabinet Office\". This document was revealed following an FOI request to the ICO by the information law consultant, Tim Turner. Smith says he does not feel any embarrassment at this disclosure. He argues that the specific legal and practical circumstances for an enforcement notice to be issued do not exist in the case of the Cabinet Office. His reasons for dropping the press release simply reflected the facts of life, he says: \"We know how these things are talked about\". A Cabinet Office spokesperson commented: \"The transfer of FOI policy to Cabinet", "summary": "Last month the Cabinet Office took control of government policy on freedom of information, removing it from the Ministry of Justice."}
{"article": "On Tuesday Mr Mugabe read a state-of-the-nation address he gave in August. The error has been blamed on a mix-up in the president's office. It took Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa two hours to submit the correct version because of demands from opposition MPs for an apology. Wednesday's extraordinary session was called so that Mr Mugabe's speech could be officially recorded. The state-run Herald newspaper has printed the speech in full. It says that the government plans to introduce legislation requiring senior public officials to declare assets as part of measures to tackle corruption. The speech mix-up has prompted questions from the opposition over whether the president remains fit to lead, the BBC's Brian Hungwe reports from the capital, Harare. After Mr Mugabe began speaking on Tuesday, it was not long before it dawned on those present that they had heard it all before, our reporter says. When he delivered the speech last month on the economy, he was heckled by opposition MPs. Analysis: Brian Hungwe, BBC Africa, Harare This has been an unprecedented fiasco for Zimbabwe's 91-year-old leader. Never in his 35-year rule has he been allowed to be so publicly embarrassed. He repeated the whole 27-minute speech at the opening of parliament, before military generals, judges, diplomats and both chambers of the house. It has provoked a barrage of criticism. Some explain the mix-up as a sign of an internal power-struggle within the ruling Zanu-PF party - that he was deliberately given the wrong papers. Others see it as evidence that President Mugabe is too old to continue in the job. Sheer incompetence on the part of his office is another explanation. Opposition MPs are unlikely to get the formal apology they demand. And for Zanu-PF, the debate over the effectiveness of Mr Mugabe's leadership style is unlikely to end. The state broadcaster had cancelled its live feed of the opening of parliament on Tuesday fearing further disruptions. Opposition MPs belonging to Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) reportedly kept quiet during the speech, as Zanu-PF supporters clapped at regular intervals. However MDC spokesman Obert Gutu later told the Reuters news agency that it was \"a historic blunder\", adding: \"Anyone who is still of a sound mind would have quickly picked it up that the speech was the wrong one.\" Opposition MP Ruth Labode blamed infighting within the ruling Zanu-PF. \"I suspect someone did that deliberately to embarrass the old man,\" she told the BBC, saying a formal apology was necessary. Mr Mugabe, who has been in power since 1980, is Africa's oldest leader.", "summary": "Zimbabwe's vice-president has submitted to parliament a speech that President Robert Mugabe was supposed to deliver, a day after the 91-year-old leader accidentally gave the wrong one."}
{"article": "The singer announced on Tuesday that he was leaving the BBC One dancing competition after three live shows for \"personal reasons\". His dance partner Karen Clifton has said she is \"so sad\" at his departure. Strictly will proceed as normal this weekend, with a third celebrity eliminated on Sunday. Young, 37, sent a text to BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show host Chris Evans after quitting the contest, which was read out on air. It said: \"Here's the thing. I'm absolutely dandy, thanks. It's all very undramatic, really. \"I've done my statement and others can say what they want to say. I never read what they say anyway.\" He is only the fifth celebrity contestant to pull out of the show in its 13-year history. In his statement, the former Pop Idol winner said he was leaving Strictly \"with joy in my heart that I have been able to take part in one of the most loved shows on British television\". He said: \"To be a part of Strictly has been a long time ambition of mine. As a performer, a viewer, and a fan of the show, to dance as a contestant was an experience I always hoped for. \"I have made some great friends, and am in awe of their performances week in, week out. I have found a creative partnership with Karen that has been the most wonderful thing to experience.\" He promised to keep watching as a viewer and wished his fellow Strictly contestants \"so much luck\". Young and Clifton came joint fourth on the leaderboard after last weekend's movie week, and the pair had been considered early favourites to lift the glitterball trophy. They were due to dance the Viennese Waltz to Say Something by A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera on Saturday's show. Clifton said: \"I'm so sad that Will has decided to quit the show and I know it wasn't an easy decision for him. \"It was great dancing with him, he was such fun to work with and I wish him all the very best for the future.\" Young had been criticised by head judge Len Goodman for his dance not containing enough salsa elements. When Young disagreed, he was advised to \"turn up, keep up and shut up\" - but Goodman stressed this was \"only a joke\". A Strictly source said there had been no falling out between the pair. \"The pair have a lot of mutual respect for each other and had a laugh about what had happened backstage together when the show came off air on Saturday evening,\" the source said. Other celebrities taking part in the show have reacted with sadness to the news. Daisy Lowe wrote on Twitter: \"@willyoung you are such a talented superstar... @bbcstrictly won't be the same without - I love you dearly and hope you're alright.\" Ore Oduba said: \"So sad to see our @bbcstrictly friend @willyoung leave us. Been amazing sharing the floor with you, even better getting to know you.\" Laura Whitmore tweeted a quote, seemingly in relation to Young's departure, reading: \"Be", "summary": "Will Young says he is \"absolutely dandy\" after leaving Strictly Come Dancing, stressing that his early exit is \"undramatic\"."}
{"article": "The defence ministry had been told to develop plans for a \"modest military industrial complex,\" the president, who came to power in May, said Nigeria has been battling the militant Islamist group Boko Haram for the last six years. The US has refused to sell arms to Nigeria citing human rights abuses. President Buhari told a gathering of newly graduated military officers that Nigeria \"must evolve viable mechanisms for near-self-sufficiency\" in defence equipment that it usually imports. On a visit to Washington last month, Mr Buhari said that the US had \"aided and abetted\" Boko Haram in the past by refusing to sell weapons to Nigeria. A US law prevents the government from selling arms to countries which fail to tackle human rights abuses. On Tuesday, a group of visiting US Congress members said Washington could lift its ban on shipping arms to Nigeria's military if the country improved its human rights record. The US's stance has effectively stopped other Western countries from selling sophisticated military hardware to the country, the BBC's Bashir Sa'ad Abdullahi reports from the capital, Abuja. Nigeria's only weapons factory in the northern city of Kaduna mainly produces rifles and civilian tools, Mr Buhari's spokesman Garba Shehu told the Reuters news agency. He said that defence chiefs had now been asked to \"re-engineer\" it. Boko Haram has killed some 10,000 people since 2009 and has also kidnapped hundreds of girls and women. Last month, human rights group Amnesty International said that some 8,000 men and boys had died in Nigerian military custody after being detained as suspected militants. The military rejected this allegation and Mr Buhari promised an investigation, although there have been no further details. Why Boko Haram remains a threat Who are Boko Haram?", "summary": "Nigeria is going to establish a domestic weapons factory in an effort to cut its dependence on imported arms, President Muhammadu Buhari has said."}
{"article": "The words of British Chancellor George Osborne. With this week's UK state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the British government hopes to step over that golden threshold. President Xi will be accorded every honour, including a visit to the prime minister's country retreat at Chequers and an address to both Houses of Parliament. After the pomp and ceremony of a carriage on the Mall and a state banquet at Buckingham Palace, President Xi is expected to preside over the signing of some multi-billion pound business deals, including one to bring China into the heart of Britain's civil nuclear power programme. \"Let us embrace the golden era,\" echoed the Chinese ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, in a news conference on the eve of the visit. Last year I said the UK had some catching up to do, but now the UK is catching up from behind. It is committed to being China's \"best partner in the west\", and in developing relations with China it is indeed becoming the leader in Europe. But as London prepares to welcome the Chinese president, the UK drive to become China's best western partner raises important questions about costs in other areas of British foreign policy and consequences for existing alliances. How China guards the Xi creation myth Nigel Inkster, former director of operations and intelligence for the Special Intelligence Service, MI6, voices concern over \"a propensity on the part of some areas of the UK government to see China as little more than a giant hypermarket, to which we can export clones of Eton and Dulwich College and the kind of Burberry rainwear that few British nationals would ever wear. \"But I think if that is really the way the relationship is perceived, it does not represent an adequate assessment of what it is we're dealing with.\" The momentum for a shift in the UK's China policy is coming very much from George Osborne, who also happens to be the bookies' favourite to succeed David Cameron as leader of the Conservative Party. Whitehall sources tell me the so-called \"Osborne Doctrine\" does amount to a strategic shift on China, one in which the prime minister has let the chancellor drive the agenda and where reluctant members of the cabinet are being \"dragged along\". The chancellor wants China to become the UK's second-largest trading partner by the end of the decade. He points out that while growth in China has slowed, it is still supplying about a quarter of global growth, enough to add an economy the size of the UK's over five years. Mr Osborne insists that this is a golden moment, where the interests of the UK and China align. China's maturing economy can absorb more of the services which are British export strengths. And UK infrastructure can soak up Chinese investment funds looking for a reliable return. Win-win for both sides, according to the chancellor. But not everyone is convinced. Jonathan Fenby is a former editor of the Observer who has written several books on China. \"My unease about this policy is that in", "summary": "\"Let's stick together and make a golden decade for both our countries.\""}
{"article": "Peter Baldwin, 13, from Cardiff, died in 2015, just days after he was diagnosed. His family are working closely with Diabetes UK Cymru \"to put a stop to completely preventable deaths\". A national assembly committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss how health boards diagnose the condition. It follows a petition set up by the Baldwin family calling on the Welsh Government to introduce routine screening for children and young people. People with type one diabetes cannot produce the hormone insulin, which controls the amount of glucose in the blood. It is an unpreventable, lifelong condition and the cause is unknown. It usually affects children or young adults, with symptoms starting suddenly and progressing quickly. Diabetes UK Cymru figures show it affects around 1,400 children and 18,600 adults in Wales. About one in five of children are not diagnosed until they are in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which is life threatening and requires urgent medical attention. The symptoms, commonly known as the four T's, include going to the toilet more often, feeling really thirsty, tired and looking thinner. Despite showing the symptoms, Peter's diabetes went undiagnosed until he was seriously ill with DKA. His mother Beth Baldwin said: \"Losing a child is beyond anyone's worst nightmare. \"It's something that no family should have to go through and now it's our mission to make sure that parents and medical professionals have the symptoms of type one at the front of their minds.\" She said type one diabetes could be \"easily mistaken\" for other illnesses, and because Peter was unwell with a chest infection, it made his symptoms harder to identify. \"We need to be much more vigilant if we're going to put a stop to completely preventable deaths,\" she added. \"Being able to recognise the symptoms, get a quick diagnosis, and early treatment could save your child's life. This is Peter's legacy, and it's all about helping as many other families as we can.\" The family also want to raise awareness of the need to check for the condition in anyone who has unexplained flu-like symptoms or who is generally unwell. They want to make the test, which involves a finger prick or urine sample, as routine in GP surgeries and clinics as temperature and blood pressure checks. The national assembly petitions committee agreed in February to write to all of the health boards in Wales for information on their diagnosis and referral pathways for type one diabetes in children and young people. The responses will be discussed at Tuesday's meeting. The Welsh Government diabetes delivery plan for Wales 2016-2020 highlights the need for prompt diagnosis of type one diabetes to reduce the risk of harm associated with DKA. Diabetes UK Cymru will launch its Know Type 1 campaign in Cardiff Bay on Tuesday, to coincide with National Diabetes Week. The charity's policy and public affairs manager Sara Moran said: \"We want the four Ts to be common knowledge and to just roll off the tongue.\" She welcomed that the Welsh Government was reviewing health board responses to \"identify any gaps in pathways\", especially", "summary": "The family of a teenager who died from type one diabetes have made it \"their mission\" to raise the profile of the condition."}
{"article": "Michael Higdon scored what proved to be the decisive goal, heading home Lee Vaughan's cross just before the hour. Torquay almost grabbed a late equaliser when Luke Young's 25-yard free-kick was saved by Scott Davies, but Rovers held onto the lead to move three points clear in the final play-off position. The Gulls remain in 18th with a three-point cushion from the division's relegation places.", "summary": "Tranmere consolidated their play-off position with a narrow win at Torquay."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old is expected to play five games for the Sixers before joining up with England's limited-overs squad in India. \"To get the opportunity to play at the SCG is obviously a massive ambition of mine,\" he told the club website. Roy could make his debut in the game against Sydney Thunder on 20 December. He played three Big Bash games for Thunder two seasons ago. \"Jason is known as an explosive weapon at the top of the order and we look forward to his contribution, bringing also his English experiences from which we can share,\" said Sixers head coach Greg Shipperd. England begin the limited-overs section of their tour to India next month. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Surrey and England batsman Jason Roy has agreed a short-term deal to play for Sydney Sixers in the forthcoming Big Bash tournament in Australia."}
{"article": "The six-time major winner from England, who would be 59 when the event is staged, designed the course in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. \"I wouldn't mind giving it a go - I'd love to, that would be a cool thing to do,\" said Faldo. Faldo has fond memories of competing in the Irish Open, winning three titles in a row from 1991. He also won the Open Championship three times while his third victory in the US Masters came in 1996. Media playback is not supported on this device The former European Ryder Cup captain now works as a television analyst in the United States. \"I might tee it up and I'll only be 59. I'll see if I can get my TV schedules worked out and get in a bit of practice,\" added Faldo, speaking after the US Masters finished on Sunday. George O'Grady, European Tour chief executive, said Faldo would be given a place in the tournament. \"You know he wouldn't just pitch up to make up the numbers - he would go and work on his game to make sure he is a competitor,\" added O'Grady. \"You don't make rules for players like Nick Faldo.\" The Lough Erne course will be staging the Irish Open for the first time, two years after the tournament is held at Royal County Down. The Irish Open returned to Northern Ireland after a 59-year absence in a hugely-successful staging of the event at Royal Portrush in 2012.", "summary": "Sir Nick Faldo wants to compete in the Irish Open when it comes to Lough Erne for the first time in 2017."}
{"article": "The Uppal family home in Wolverhampton was damaged after a suspected gas explosion destroyed the property next door on 28 December last year. The blast totally destroyed Wendy Ayoub's home. She was rescued from the site and treated for cuts and a broken ankle. Neighbour Daljit Uppal said his family hoped to return by February. Mr Uppal said the explosion \"took the side of my house out\". \"We had to have one side demolished and it was rebuilt.\" \"It's frustrating, I would have liked to have been back in the house for Christmas, unfortunately it has taken a lot longer than what we anticipated,\" added Mr Uppal. Following the explosion, emergency services said Mrs Ayoub, who was trapped for about two hours, appeared \"to have been saved by her washing machine holding back additional rubble and timbers\". She hopes to move back and plans have been submitted for a new two-storey property at the site. Mr Uppal said his extension had now been completed and the inside of the home was being furnished. The cause of the blast remains unknown. National Grid investigated and found none of its pipes or meters were at fault.", "summary": "A man whose home was badly damaged after an explosion says his family are still waiting to return one year on."}
{"article": "Stuart Brownhill, 59, was absent during a roll-call at 05:00 BST at the North Sea Camp prison, near Boston, police said. He murdered Lynne Taylor while her 11-year-old son slept in their home in Werneth, Oldham, in 1984 and was jailed for life at Manchester Crown Court the following year. Police have asked the public not to approach him. More on this story and others news in Lincolnshire Brownhill met Ms Taylor on a night out and later set fire to her home. He admitted he strangled Ms Taylor after trying to rape her and that he knew the boy was asleep in the property when he started the fire. He is described as 5ft 8in tall, bald, and has a green right eye and a blue left eye. Officers believe he may be wearing a brown jacket and black boots. The force have appealed for anyone who sees him to contact them immediately by dialling 999. Officers said anyone with information on his whereabouts should call 101.", "summary": "A convicted murderer has absconded from an open prison in Lincolnshire."}
{"article": "The girl said during a TV interview the child would be \"like having a doll\". Experts criticised Mr Pinera's comments as having no scientific foundation. Mr Pinera supports Chile's abortion laws, which outlaw the practice in all circumstances. His critics want it legalised in cases of rape, and want the girl to be allowed an abortion. The 11-year-old girl appeared in a TV interview on Monday, saying: \"I'm going to love the baby very much, even though it comes from that man who hurt me. \"It will be like having a doll in my arms.\" The girl was raped repeatedly over a two-year period by her mother's boyfriend, who has since been arrested. Mr Pinera said he had asked the health minister to personally look after the girl's health. \"She surprised us all with words showing depth and maturity when she said that, despite the pain caused by the man who raped her, she wanted to have and take care of her baby,\" he said. Forensic psychologist Giorgio Agostini said the girl would not have the mental or emotional capacity to understand her situation. Sources: World Health Organization, Guttmacher Institute \"What the president is saying doesn't get close to the psychological truth of an 11-year-old-girl,\" he told the Associated Press news agency. \"It's a subjective view that is not based on any scientific reasoning.\" The girl's case has already sparked a public debate about abortion. Campaigners argue that the laws, which date back to the authoritarian rule of Gen Augusto Pinochet, should be changed to allow for abortions in cases of rape or when the mother's health is at risk. Michelle Bachelet, the likely presidential candidate next year for the left-leaning opposition, supports the campaign. Ms Bachelet earlier commented that the 11-year-old girl need to be protected. \"I think a therapeutic abortion, in this case because of rape, would be in order,\" she said. Chile is one of seven Latin American countries where abortion is completely banned. Last month, the case of a seriously ill woman in El Salvador made international headlines when the courts upheld the ban on abortion even though the woman's life was at risk and the foetus was unlikely to survive. She was eventually allowed to have a caesarean section.", "summary": "Chilean President Sebastian Pinera has praised as \"brave and mature\" a pregnant 11-year-old rape victim who said she was happy to have the child."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "The Floyd Mayweather v Conor McGregor fight brought boxing and the mixed martial arts head to head, but while Mayweather won on the night, whose organisation is winning the battle of the world's most popular combat sport?"}
{"article": "But chairman Bill Kenwright says he will not make a snap decision. \"Eleven years ago I made a decision [to appoint Moyes] and it was an instant decision. I don't think that can happen this time,\" he said. Media playback is not supported on this device \"We have to see what candidates are out there to take the club forward.\" Laudrup, 48, led Swansea to the League Cup trophy this season - the club's first major silverware - while Martinez, 39, has been at Wigan since 2009. Departing captain Phil Neville, 36, may also figure in Everton's plans. Kenwright will take on board the views of the fans before making an appointment and said: \"I will be looking to the fans to get that guidance. \"I can't individually poll each one of them but it is important that they get the right manager. \"The fans know the adventure they have had for 11 years. A very important part of my life is to see they are not let down because I don't want Evertonians let down.\" Kenwright praised Moyes for his contribution at Goodison Park over the last 11 seasons. \"Manchester United are very lucky,\" he said. \"It will be tough for all Evertonians to say goodbye to him, a great manager. Everton were shocked by the speed of events that have taken David Moyes to Old Trafford. The manager was planning for next season and even held meetings about transfer targets earlier this week before Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement. There was a quiet confidence behind the scenes that, in the apparent absence of attractive offers, Moyes would stay at Goodison Park after his contract expires this summer. Now owner Bill Kenwright must find a successor to the man who has led Everton for 11 years. Swansea's Michael Laudrup and Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez head the list but other candidates will merit discussion, such as departing Everton captain Phil Neville. If the decision on who succeeded Ferguson was crucial to Manchester United, the same can be said for Everton as they seek to replace the manager who has been central to the workings of the club since 2002. \"We could not stand in his way because he was out of contract. It was his decision; he has made it.\" Neville, who may yet emerge as a candidate to join the new managerial team at Old Trafford, announced last month that he would leave Goodison at the end of the season. He is highly respected at the club and will gain coaching experience with England at the European Under-21s Championship in Israel this summer. Former Barcelona and Real Madrid midfielder Laudrup started his managerial career at Danish club Brondby, guiding them to the title and Danish Cup twice during four years in charge. He then had spells at Spain's Getafe and Spartak Moscow in Russia, before being appointed Real Mallorca manager in La Liga in July 2010. He joined Swansea City last summer, replacing Liverpool-bound Brendan Rodgers, and has enjoyed a successful first season in England, guiding the Welsh side to their", "summary": "Swansea's Michael Laudrup and Wigan's Roberto Martinez are the frontrunners to replace David Moyes as Everton boss when he takes over from Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in July."}
{"article": "The 31-year-old striker spent the second half of last season at Fir Park and helped Well avoid relegation. \"It is quite easy for me to make that choice, but I have got other options further afield - abroad,\" he said. \"I did state I want to get back down to England again - I do feel there's some unfinished business there.\" McDonald revealed there had been talks with clubs in England as well as Motherwell but suggested it was \"early days\" as many managers and chief executives had only just returned from summer holidays. \"Obviously it's nice to have a few offers, because we know that in football at the moment it's difficult times for a lot of players,\" he told BBC Scotland. \"It will be decided with me and the family. My wife's pregnant again, a big bearing on everything, so it's taking a bit more time than usual to get it over the line on what we want next.\" McDonald, who won 26 caps for Australia, spent three years with Motherwell and had a similar spell at Celtic before time in England with Middlesbrough and Millwall. He returned to Fir Park after being released by the Lions and scored five times in 13 appearances before Motherwell beat Rangers in the play-off final. \"Motherwell have been very good to me over the time I was there - this time and the time before,\" said McDonald, who added that the club had a strong place in his heart. \"We've always loved living in Scotland, me and my family, and I still have my house up there as well.\" John Sutton has left Well for St Johnstone and Lee Erwin has joined Leeds United this summer, with manager Ian Baraclough already recruiting David Clarkson after his exit from Dundee and fellow striker Wes Fletcher after his release by York City. McDonald was full of praise for the man who took over from Stuart McCall midway through the season. \"It was obviously difficult circumstances, but thankfully we got through it in the end and it was a fantastic ending to what was probably a disappointing season all round for the club,\" he said. \"I fully believe that, with the manager in place, and the assistant that's there now, the club's in great hands and I think it's on the up again.\"", "summary": "Scott McDonald suggests there is \"a huge chance\" he could return for a third spell with Motherwell but says there is interest from other clubs."}
{"article": "Francisco Marcolino married his maid of decades, Rita Monteiro, 52, in northern Portugal on 4 May. But three children from his previous marriage claim she is eyeing his \u20ac2m (\u00a31.7m; $2.2m) estate and that he is not of sound mind. \"If he had wanted to marry, he would have done it when he was capable,\" his son told Portuguese media. The children are trying to annul the marriage on grounds of incapacity - though a fourth is refusing to join the action and has not commented. Ms Monteiro was hired by Mr Marcolino's wife 30 years ago, two years before she died. According to Manuel Marcolino de Jesus, one of three children who have filed the lawsuit, his father's health has sharply deteriorated over the past few years. His father has made several emergency trips to the local hospital, where his files say he suffers dementia and is totally dependent, Manuel Marcolino said. \"They have lived in [Ms Monteiro's] house since he became incapable five years ago, and that is when she started to take over everything,\" he told Portugal's CM Jornal. \"Since then, more than \u20ac319,000 has gone missing from one [bank] account and more than \u20ac200,000 from another,\" he alleged. Last December, the three lodged two criminal cases of abuse of trust against Ms Monteiro and listed Mr Marcolino's assets. A psychological assessment was under way to see whether Mr Marcolino should be appointed a representative to manage his affairs. But they say they were caught by surprise when they found out their father had married. They say officials at a register office 80km (50 miles) away refused to marry the pair, forcing them to travel to another one 150km away. Portuguese news agency Lusa has repeatedly contacted Ms Monteiro's lawyer, but her lawyer says she has \"no questions to answer\". You might also like: German schools get tough Prince Harry English exam changed Dutch King Willem-Alexander reveals secret flights as co-pilot French host humiliated gay men on live TV", "summary": "The children of a 101-year-old man have legally challenged his marriage to his ex-maid, who is just over half his age."}
{"article": "Lulzsec has claimed a new scalp - releasing confidential material taken from the Arizona police department. The anonymous hacking group says they've not been knocked off course, or successfully exposed, by rival hackers who claim to have named them online - apparently because they object to their agenda. This agenda seems to have evolved. When they started out, two months ago, they said they were mainly hacking \"for laughs\". In an online Q&A, Whirlpool, the spokesman for Lulzsec, who describes himself as \"captain of the Lulz Boat\", agreed that their goals now go beyond that: \"Politically motivated ethical hacking is more fulfilling\". We weren't able to talk to Whirlpool in person, but met in cyberspace in a private online chat room. In those circumstances it's almost impossible to verify with absolute certainty who you are speaking to, but Newsnight was able to verify that this person had access to the @Lulzsec Twitter feed. Here are some other edited highlights from the online chat, which began with a question about the Antisec movement to which Lulzsec seem recently to have aligned themselves. What is Operation Antisec in your own words? Operation Antisec - our energy has manifested from single-drop personal operations to a global hacker movement against the common people who deem themselves oppressors, namely the world governments... Our Lulz Boat has gathered allied ships in Anonymous and several rogue hacker groups, including prominent Brazilian, Iranian, and Spanish groups. We saw the Arizona material should we expect more today? We're hoping to load payload bay #1 with delicious booty and release more material early next week, preferably Monday. What do you mean by \"who deem themselves oppressors\"? Those who materialise rules to govern the oceans aren't corrupt in nature, but they soon realize that nobody will question rules that they put out, so they use this system to abuse the public. People fear new rules, people fear the \"higher-ups\", and we're here to bring them down a few notches. Is it the wrong rules? Or the wrong people making the rules? Would you be ok with rules, but more transparency also? Rules are rules and we, as a people, are OK with dedicated individuals to moderate them (politicians, officials, etc) - and that's fine. However, when our boat wants to sail into a book store, we're not going to pay Apple for a mobile reading device and subsequently purchase an application allowing us to read books, and then purchase the rights to read the book in text format. Copyright laws - a no-no. Copywrong is a constant enemy of the seas. So copyright is one of your issues, but that's not why you attacked Arizona police. Can you explain? Our hit on the Arizona police was to expose the corruption and racial profiling of their battle fleet. In one of the e-mails leaked, they refer to Mexicans as \"illegal aliens\" and that they need to build a bigger and bigger wall to keep them out. We have hundreds more documents ready to drop on similar corrupt states. So immigration- quite a leap from", "summary": "The Lulz Security hacking group that has claimed attacks on high-profile targets including the CIA and Sony in recent weeks has exclusively told the BBC's Newsnight programme that it wants to target the \"higher ups\" who write the rules and \"bring them down a few notches\"."}
{"article": "Yvonne Mosquito was suspended last month over allegations she visited a murder victim's family without informing officers. But Maxie Hayles said Ms Mosquito was \"an ordained minister giving condolences to a grieving family\"\u00e2\u20ac\u017d and a councillor for the area. He chaired a meeting of more than 100 people to discuss the suspension. Monday's public meeting at the Afro-Caribbean Millennium Centre in Winson Green, Birmingham, discussed community concerns over the suspension. Kenichi Phillips, 18, was killed as he sat in a car in St Mark's Crescent, Birmingham, on 17 March. Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson previously said he took the \"very difficult decision to suspend the deputy PCC\" with immediate effect, pending an internal investigation into potential gross misconduct. Allegations against Ms Mosquito were reported by a \"senior officer from the force\" and if proven \"could have potentially hindered and jeopardised a complex, sensitive and ongoing murder investigation\", he said. The union Unite said it was \"appalled\" more detail about the allegations \"that should be private and confidential\" had been put into the public domain by the PCC. The BBC later revealed Ms Mosquito had complained about the PCC four weeks before her suspension. There was \"no connection between the decision [to suspend] and any other issues,\" the PCC's office has said. Peter Pennant, local pastor from the Council of Black Majority Churches, told Monday's meeting Ms Mosquito's visit was not in her capacity as deputy PCC, but in a \"church pastoral capacity\". Ms Mosquito has not yet commented.", "summary": "The suspension of the West Midlands Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner was \"heavy-handed\", a meeting heard."}
{"article": "The indoor complex in Middlehaven will include a 557ft (170m) ski slope, climbing area, indoor sky-diving centre, shops and cafes. Developer Cool Runnings (NE) expect the centre to attract 2.5m visitors a year. Building work is expected to start early next year, with a forecast opening by the summer of 2019. Middlesbrough Council described the scheme as a \"massive step\" in the town's regeneration plans. Paul Mosley, of Cool Runnings NE, said: \"This is fantastic news for us as developer and for Middlesbrough as a whole. \"The feedback we have had from local people has been superb. People have been screaming out for something like this in Middlesbrough. \"There is already a lot of development in Middlehaven and this will just be the icing on the cake.\" The project is the latest phase in the regeneration of Middlehaven, with more than \u00a3150m already being spent on housing, leisure and business developments. The nearest snow centre to Middlesbrough is currently in Castleford, West Yorkshire.", "summary": "Plans for a \u00a330m snow and leisure centre, which is expected to create more than 300 jobs, have been approved by councillors in Middlesbrough."}
{"article": "Jodie Simpson, 38, fell into a vegetative state after taking an overdose of drugs at her home in Barrow, Cumbria, in 2012. She died in June after her family fought for a legal ruling to withhold nutrition and hydration. The coroner ruled she died of a brain injury resulting from the overdose. Ms Simpson's brother Michael Devlin told the inquest his sister had a history of drink and drug use and had been on a \"weekend bender\" before he found her collapsed at her home. She ended up in a vegetative state with no sign of consciousness. She was able to breathe without assistance but needed to be fed and given liquid through a stomach tube. Her mother Jean Simpson said: \"I knew from the beginning there was no hope, my worst fear was that she was actually minimally unconscious. \"No one would want to live like that.\" Doctors agreed there was no chance of recovery yet the legal application to allow her to die was subjected to years of delay. She told the inquest her family was \"treated as insignificant\" by the authorities and she had lost faith in professionals. Cumbria Care Commissioning Group has since apologised for the process taking so long. The coroner said looking back to the events of 2012, there was no evidence Jodie Simpson intended to take her own life.", "summary": "A woman who spent four years trying to get permission to allow her daughter to die has told an inquest the delay was \"excruciating\"."}
{"article": "Harvard researchers say replacing red meat with a combination of beans, peas and lentils, poultry, nuts, and fish may reduce the risk in younger women. But UK experts urge caution, saying other studies have shown no clear link between red meat and breast cancer. Past research has shown that eating a lot of red and processed meat probably increases the risk of bowel cancer. The new data comes from a US study tracking the health of 89,000 women aged 24 to 43. A team, led by Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, analysed the diets of almost 3,000 women who developed breast cancer. \"Higher red meat intake in early adulthood may be a risk factor for breast cancer,\" they report in the British Medical Journal. \"And replacing red meat with a combination of legumes, poultry, nuts and fish may reduce the risk of breast cancer.\" Dr Maryam Farvid and colleagues described the risk as \"small\". Prof Tim Key, an epidemiologist at the University of Oxford, said the US study found \"only a weak link\" between eating red meat and breast cancer, which was \"not strong enough to change the existing evidence that has found no definite link between the two\". \"Women can reduce their risk of breast cancer by maintaining a healthy weight, drinking less alcohol and being physically active, and it's not a bad idea to swap some red meat - which is linked to bowel cancer - for white meat, beans or fish,\" he added. Prof Valerie Beral, director of the Cancer Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford, said dozens of studies had looked at breast cancer risk associated with diet. \"The totality of the available evidence indicates that red meat consumption has little or no effect on breast cancer risk, so results from a single study cannot be considered in isolation,\" she said. Sally Greenbrook of Breakthrough Breast Cancer said the charity would welcome more research into the impact of red meat on breast cancer risk. \"It's already been proven that women can reduce their breast cancer risk by maintaining a healthy weight, reducing alcohol consumption and increasing the amount of physical activity they do,\" she said. Jackie Harris, a clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care, said: \"This study is interesting because it looks at young women's eating habits and supports the growing body of evidence of the importance of eating a well balanced diet. \"Doing exercise and keeping a healthy body weight can also help reduce your risk of breast cancer. \"However it is important to remember that it can't prevent it completely. \"Being female, increasing age and having a significant family history are the three main risk factors for developing breast cancer.\" Evidence has shown that there is probably a link between eating lots of red and processed meat, and the risk of bowel cancer. The Department of Health has advised that people who eat more than 90g (cooked weight) of red and processed meat a day cut down to 70g. Guidelines from the American Cancer Society also suggest limiting how much processed and", "summary": "Eating a lot of red meat in early adult life may slightly increase the risk of breast cancer, according to a US study."}
{"article": "Greybull Capital, a UK-based investment firm, is to plough up to \u00a3400m into the plant - but workers had to accept a pay cut and smaller pension contributions. In an earlier ballot, Community, Unite and GMB members accepted temporary changes to their terms and conditions. Officials said it was a positive step in \"securing a sustainable future\" for the plant. More on this and other local stories in Lincolnshire Unite's National Officer, Harish Patel, said: \"This will have been a difficult decision to take for many, but by agreeing to make these short-term sacrifices, members have secured a future for steelmaking in Scunthorpe and the long product division's other sites. \"Government ministers need to make sure that the sacrifices are not being made in vain by taking decisive action to support the steel industry and allowing steelworkers to compete on a level playing field with their global competitors.\" Steve McCool, from the union Community, echoed calls for Government action. \"He said: \"The steel made at Scunthorpe and across the north of England is some of the best in the world and is absolutely vital to the infrastructure and construction industries.\" \"When Britain builds, we must always build using British steel,\" he said. The Government is yet to respond to a request to comment on what the union leaders have said. Ahead of the vote, steelworker Charlotte Upton said the proposed deal meant \"job security for me so I can stay where my family is, near my home\". \"It means I can continue to be a steelworker, I love my job.\" The proposed temporary changes to terms and conditions include a one year, 3% reduction in pay, and a one year, 3% reduction (from 6%) in both employer's and employee's pension contributions. The Tata signs will be also removed and replaced with ones saying British Steel. The Scunthorpe steelworks is part of Tata Steel's long products division, which was put up for sale in 2014.", "summary": "Workers have voted to accept a deal which will safeguard about 4,400 jobs at Tata's steelworks at Scunthorpe."}
{"article": "Liberal Democrat Robin Bradburn had lost his seat on Milton Keynes Council before details of Nadeem Ahmed Kiani's convictions emerged in August 2014. But Milton Keynes Taxi Association said he should not have been selected as a candidate in Bradwell. Mr Bradburn has refused to comment on his role in the affair. The council revoked Kiani's licence last year after it was revealed he had been given a private hire licence by the licensing committee in 2011. A second committee lifted a suspension on his licence in 2012, despite Thames Valley Police having written to the authority giving more details of Kiani's convictions for raping and assaulting prostitutes in London, in 1994. Councillors Stuart Burke and Gladstone McKenzie resigned from the council's licensing committee as a result. Labour's Mr McKenzie has also stood down from the council. Subhan Shafiq, who had vouched for Kiani as a friend in 2011, resigned as mayor in August. He then quit as a councillor when the council released a report into the affair in November. Mr Bradburn had sat on both of the committees, before he lost his seat in the Bradwell ward in May 2014, three months before the scandal broke. As a result, he escaped much of the media inquiries that followed. When asked by the BBC if he would like to comment as to why he had allowed Kiani a licence, he said: \"Not at the moment, no.\" The council's report revealed Mr Bradburn told investigators \"everyone is saying [Kiani] was a risk but he has not done anything in the 14 years since his release\". He also told the council he was \"confident the right decisions were made. So were the other members, but their leaders told them to apologise\". But Dennis Edwards, chairman of the taxi association said it was \"unacceptable\" Mr Bradburn was standing for election again. He said: \"What he did was appalling. Why would anyone want to vote for someone who put them at risk?\" Cari Mitchell, of the English Collective of Prostitutes, condemned Mr Bradburn's decision to give Kiani a taxi licence. She said: \"It is this blatant devaluing of sex workers lives which makes us vulnerable to violence.\" Mr Bradburn will stand in Bradwell against Rachel Cadger from the Green Party, Conservative Max Chaudhry, Labour's Rachel Pallett, Katie Simpson from the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition and UKIP's Cathy Kitchiner. Lib Dem Mr Burke is seeking re-election in Shenley Brook End ward, where he will stand against Labour's Binta Bah-Pokawa, Conservative Hiten Ganatra, the Green's Michael Gurner and Geoffrey Winter of UKIP.", "summary": "A former councillor who stood by his decision to allow a serial rapist to get a licence to drive a taxi is standing for election."}
{"article": "Morton had the best chance of the game, Bobby Barr's shot going through the legs of Hibs goalkeeper Mark Oxley and rebounding off the post. Hibs looked tired and struggled to create clear-cut chances. The result is a huge blow to the Edinburgh side's hopes as they attempt to pip Falkirk to second place in the Championship. Manager Alan Stubbs rested midfielder John McGinn, who had been struggling with a back problem. But Stubbs had to introduce the player midway through the second half as the visitors searched in vain for victory. The first chance arrived on the quarter-hour mark, and it came for Morton - Mark Russell's long-range effort comfortably saved by Oxley. Immediately after that, Hibs should have taken the lead. Liam Henderson was played through one-on-one with Derek Gaston, but the on-loan Celtic midfielder dinked his effort over the keeper and the bar. Just before half-time Morton had a great chance to take the lead after a cross from Barr found the head of Declan McManus, but he failed to get enough on it and the ball trickled wide. Hibernian struggled to create chances with the strike force of Jason Cummings and Anthony Stokes failing to click. In the second half Stokes did produce a moment of real quality from 20 yards, a looping shot which Gaston did well to palm over. Cummings then fired into the top corner of the net after being played in by Lewis Stevenson, but the assistant referee had his flag up for offside. Morton almost took the lead after a mistake from Niklas Gunnarson allowed in Barr. His shot went through Oxley and came back off the post before Hibs scrambled to safety. Hibs needed to add energy to their play and Stubbs introduced McGinn to the fray. The Scotland cap almost made an immediate impact, his shot from the edge of the area flying just over the bar. But Stubbs' men failed to make that vital breakthrough against a resolute Morton side that looked solid throughout.", "summary": "Hibernian were held to a draw by a Greenock Morton side that more than merited a point."}
{"article": "The second bomb, which dropped 70 years ago during World War II, hit the Herefordshire home of his father, Ernest Hursey, who was in charge of security at the Rotherwas factory at the time. Mr Hursey said it was \"fate\" he was in the back of the house in the early hours because the family had visitors and the front bedrooms were taken. He said: \"While [time has] healed, it hasn't really stopped the picture of the aircraft coming over and dropping its bombs. \"What's in the bomb bounced out of the factory area along the ground into our house... It will always remain very prominent in my mind.\" Thousands of women worked at the Royal Ordnance Factory during the two world wars, said Herefordshire Lore, which publishes local memories in a newsletter and online. It was believed 17 people died in the factory in the incident on 27 July 1942, the group added. Mr Hursey said: \"About 6 o'clock in the morning - a lovely sunny morning, beautiful - and the sirens went and of course in Hereford nobody took any notice of the sirens. \"I saw the bomb bays were open and two bombs dropped out. \"One landed sort of in the middle of a row of sheds and exploded and the other one went into the end shed nearest our house, which was probably about 200, 300 yards away.\" Mr Hursey said he did not know if he was knocked unconscious, but \"over a period of time... everything was so quiet\". He added: \"I couldn't understand why [there was] no noise, nothing was happening and then eventually I heard somebody running down the road and shouting 'is there anybody about?' \"They came and gradually dug me out of all the debris.\" His father Ernest and French mother Bertha - both in their late 50s - died along with his 22-year-old brother Ron, who was on leave from the Army, and his brother Ernest's wife and mother-in-law. Ernest junior, an RAF pilot, was killed in action in his mid 20s about a year after the Rotherwas tragedy. The family house was demolished after the Rotherwas factory incident, but Ken Hursey - the youngest brother - \"just had a couple of little scratches\". After the bombing the apprentice electrician, who had left school at 14, lived with his uncle, Bob Hursey, and his wife before later joining the Fleet Air Arm and the police in 1949. Now aged 86, Ken Hursey has been married to Margaret for 67 years and has three children and four grandchildren. But he clearly remembers his \"great\" parents who met in France while his father was serving in the Army during World War I. He said: \"We had a wonderful upbringing... I wouldn't have changed anything. \"Something happens and it causes a lot of upset, terrible strife, but you've just got to get on with it and get over it.\" Asked if he ever thought about the pilot, Mr Hursey said: \"I can't bear any animosity against them. They were only doing their job, the same", "summary": "Ken Hursey was 16 when two 250kg bombs were dropped on a munitions factory, killing several members of his family."}
{"article": "It amounts to \u00a31.5m in the UK and $2.4m in the US for individuals with the highest needs, say UK and US experts. Autism cost the UK more than heart disease, stroke and cancer combined, said an autism charity. But only \u00a36.60 per person is spent on autism research compared with \u00a3295 on cancer, according to Autistica. The research looked at the costs to society of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in both the UK and US. Autism cost the UK at least \u00a332bn a year in terms of treatment, lost earnings, and care and support for children and adults with ASD, found the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics. This compared with \u00a312bn for cancer, \u00a38bn for heart disease and \u00a35bn for stroke, said Autistica. The figures showed a clear need for more effective interventions to treat autism, ideally in early life, to make the best use of scarce resources, said lead researcher Prof Martin Knapp, of the London School of Economics and Political Science, in London. \"We need to use our resources earlier, identify people earlier and try to provide therapies and support that makes it easier to manage the condition,\" he told BBC News. He said new government policies were also needed to address \"the enormous impact on families\". Christine Swabey, chief executive of the autism research charity, Autistica, said there was an \"unacceptable imbalance\" between the high cost of autism and the amount spent on research. \"The right research would provide early interventions, better mental health, and more independence,\" she said. \"But right now we spend just \u00a3180 on research for every \u00a31m we spend on care.\" Commenting on the study, Prof Emily Simonoff, of King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, said the finding was important because of the \"relatively low amounts of research funding that go to mental health, despite its huge burden\". More than 600,000 people in the UK have autism, a developmental disorder that can cause problems with social interaction, language skills and physical behaviour. The disorder varies from mild to so severe that a person may be unable to communicate and need round-the-clock care. Follow Helen on Twitter.", "summary": "The economic cost of supporting someone with autism over a lifetime is much higher than previously thought, research suggests."}
{"article": "The Ashmolean has raised \u00a3860,000 to acquire J M W Turner's The High Street, Oxford but hopes the public will help contribute towards the final \u00a360,000. On loan from a private collection since 1997, it has been offered to the nation in lieu of \u00a33.5m inheritance tax. Director Dr Alexander Sturgis described it as the \"greatest painting of the city that has ever been made\". He added: \"The importance of keeping this beautiful painting in Oxford cannot be overstated. \"High Street, Oxford is the young Turner's most significant townscape... if the Ashmolean does not acquire the painting, it will be sold on the open market. \"All major oil paintings by Turner that have been offered at auction in recent years have been bought by foreign buyers.\" Turner created the painting of one of Oxford's most picturesque streets in 1810 after being commissioned by Oxford printseller James Wyatt for 100 guineas. He painted more than 30 watercolours of Oxford in his lifetime, and is credited with inventing new techniques in landscape painting, such as making skies and clouds look luminous and expressive. The museum has received a \u00a3550,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) towards the painting, as well as \u00a3220,000 from the Art Fund, and \u00a330,000 from the Friends and Patrons of the Ashmolean. Stuart McLeod, head of HLF South East England, said it would be \"unthinkable\" if it did not remain on public display in Oxford. Stephen Deuchar, director of the Art Fund, said: \"This most important picture simply must be saved by the Ashmolean.\" A previous campaign by the museum in 2012 was successful in keeping Edouard Manet's portrait of Mademoiselle Claus in the UK.", "summary": "A museum has launched a fundraising campaign to keep the \"greatest\" ever painting of Oxford on show in the city."}
{"article": "Prince William made the comment when asked how many children he would like, during the second day of the couple's Diamond Jubilee tour to Singapore. A teenager at one walkabout said the prince had responded by saying \"he was thinking about having two\". The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also said they would like their \"superhero superpower\" to be invisibility. The prince, who married Catherine Middleton in April last year, has spoken before about starting a family, but has not mentioned numbers. After the couple's visit to the Gardens by the Bay attraction, Corine Ackermann, 17, said: \"Someone asked him how many children he would like to have, and he said he was thinking about having two.\" Jaz Heber Percy, 13, asked the prince what superpower he would like to have if he could be a superhero. The prince replied: \"That's a hard question - I'm not sure. I'll have to think about it. I think invisibility.\" The duchess had agreed that she would need to be invisible too, \"otherwise he would be able to sneak up on her,\" Jaz said. Several people in the 1,000-strong crowd fainted as they waited in sweltering heat for three hours to see the royals. Local children who had been given the morning off school chanted: \"Will, you're brill. Kate, you're great\". The royal couple planted a Pachira glabra variegata tree to mark their visit. They also visited a Rolls-Royce jet engine factory, where the prince praised the \"cutting-edge aerospace technology developed by one of the United Kingdom's great global companies\". During the visit, the duchess fitted the last of 24 fan blades to a Trent 900 engine.", "summary": "The Duke of Cambridge has reportedly revealed he would like to have two children with his wife."}
{"article": "People are twice as likely to survive for at least a decade after being diagnosed than they were at the start of the 1970s, the charity said. It said better treatments and speedier diagnoses are among the reasons. But cancer can leave a legacy of side effects such as depression and financial difficulties, it also warned. The report, called Cancer Then and Now, estimates around a quarter of survivors will have long-term issues that need support. Helen Taskiran told BBC News she suffered from depression as a result of surviving cancer, and has even missed out on job opportunities because of it. She was first diagnosed in 1991 with bowel cancer, which she survived, but since then has been diagnosed with four other cancers, including breast, skin and womb. \"They've left me with swollen arms and legs, tiredness, sometimes depression, [making me] dubious about going for other jobs,\" said Helen, whose son was just three years old when she was first diagnosed. \"Your self-esteem goes down, you're wondering whether people will judge you. \"I've had job interviews where people have turned me down because I've had cancer - so that all adds to the depression. I've been offered jobs and then when I've filled in medical forms all of a sudden the job has disappeared before it's even started,\" she added. A total of 625,000 people in the UK are currently suffering with depression after cancer treatment, Macmillan Cancer Support said. Greig Trout survived cancer at the age of seven, and again at 30, but he says the worst part of his battle was after his second all-clear. He says he became \"gripped by anxiety, and the fear of cancer coming back, or the fear that maybe it hadn't gone\". \"I felt guilty, angry at myself,\" says Mr Trout, now 37 and from Thames Ditton in south-west London. \"At times I was thinking 'am I ungrateful for feeling this way after having survived when so many others don't?'.\" Read more about his story Prof Jane Maher, chief medical officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: \"We now see fewer of the big side-effects, such as an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, we saw after treatment in the 1970s and 80s. \"But some of the effects doctors consider 'small', such as fatigue and poor bowel control, can have a profound impact on someone's quality of life. \"Sadly there is no cancer treatment available at the moment that does not carry a risk of side-effects.\" The charity said although a growing number of people are surviving long-term with cancer, more needed to be done to make sure they got the right care. The organisation says it has evolved from being a handful of nurses providing end-of-life care in the 1970s to a much bigger network that even includes benefits advisers. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the fact more people were surviving cancer was \"excellent news\" and credited the work of NHS staff carrying out diagnosis, treatment and care to help patients. \"To help, we announced last year that by 2020 people diagnosed with", "summary": "More than 170,000 people in the UK who were diagnosed with cancer up to 40 years ago are still alive, a report by Macmillan Cancer Support has suggested."}
{"article": "Archant, owner of Mustard TV, is planning to sell to the That's TV Group, which already runs channels in 10 different regions. If the sale goes through, it is understood current staff will not be needed to operate the Norwich station. An Archant spokeswoman said: \"We have consistently said the success of local TV will come from consolidation.\" Mustard TV has broadcast from Norwich for the past three years and was set up as part of a UK-wide government scheme. Its presenters include former Norwich City player Darren Eadie and ex-Anglia TV presenter Helen McDermott. As part of the deal, Archant will take a stake in the That's TV Group. In a letter to Mustard TV staff, seen by the BBC, Archant chief executive Jeff Henry said the sale was anticipated to be completed in September. \"We expect that That's TV will broadcast from Prospect House for a year after completion of the share sale, but that, operationally, the Norwich station will work closely with its new sister station in Cambridge,\" it said. Mr Henry said Mustard TV had failed to turn a profit since its launch. \"I have consistently said that the success of local television will come from consolidation which can bring the right mix of shared investment and skills needed to make this financially viable; we simply can't afford this on our own,\" he said. An Archant spokeswoman said: \"Archant can confirm it has started a consultation period with the affected members of staff.\"", "summary": "The owners of Norfolk's local TV station are proposing its sale, which could lead to potential job losses."}
{"article": "It had submitted plans for a new short-term holding facility near Glasgow Airport, which would have replaced the Lanarkshire detention centre. But Renfrewshire Council rejected the planning application for the new facility. As a result, the Home Office said it will retain Dungavel House for people who are facing removal. The Home Office said it had been \"disappointed\" by the council's decision to block a new holding centre. It said the Glasgow Airport plan would have created a \"modern and secure facility\" for \"those with no right to be in the UK\". A spokesman said: \"We always made clear that the closure of Dungavel immigration removal centre was dependent on the opening of a new short-term holding facility in Scotland. \"As the application for a new facility at Paisley was rejected, Dungavel will remain open.\" The replacement would have used to detain people under immigration powers for up to seven days before they were moved on to an airport for deportation or to an immigration removal centre. The Home Office has said it believes detention and removal are essential parts of effective immigration controls but insists they are carried out with dignity and respect. Officials say that when people are detained, it is for the minimum time possible. They pointed out the most recent inspection of Dungavel by Her Majesty's Inspector of Prisons found that the centre was a safe place where detainees are given the support and help they need. The Lanarkshire detention centre has attracted protests from opponents who described it as \"racist and inhumane\".", "summary": "The Home Office has abandoned plans to replace the immigration removal centre at Dungavel House."}
{"article": "The Hammers said they chose the group for its \"close links to the community\". Vice-chairman Karren Brady said the deal demonstrated the club had kept its promise to regenerate two areas of east London through its stadium move. The developer plans to build new homes on the site as well as retail and leisure facilities by 2018. It has also been in talks with the family of former West Ham and England captain Bobby Moore about the possibility of placing a landscaped garden named in his honour at the centre of the site, as well as a statue of him. In a statement, Moore's daughter Roberta Moore said: \"I have always believed that there should be some form of permanent West Ham United presence at the Boleyn Ground site after the team leave and I'm really pleased that the centre point of the development is planned to be named in honour of my father.\"", "summary": "West Ham have agreed to sell Upton Park to London developer the Galliard Group once they have completed their move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016."}
{"article": "The Australian impresario's death was confirmed on Facebook by Spencer Gibb, son of Bee Gees star Robin Gibb. A cause of death was not immediately available. Andrew Lloyd Webber was among those paying tribute, describing Stigwood as a \"great showman\" who \"taught me much\". Spencer Gibb called him \"a creative genius with a very quick and dry wit\" adding that \"Robert was the driving force behind The Bee Gees career\". Stigwood started out as an advertising agency copywriter in his native Australia before moving to the UK at the age of 21 There, he made his name representing English singer John Leyton, securing him a role on the TV show Harpers West One. The deal allowed Leyton to perform a song - Johnny Remember Me - which spent four weeks at number one in 1961. By 1966, after a period of bankruptcy, he became a booking agent for The Who, luring them onto his own Reaction Records label, where they recorded the hit single Substitute. He went on to manage Cream and Eric Clapton, before signing the Bee Gees in 1967 and steering them to international success with an intensive promotional campaign for the single New York Mining Disaster 1941. By the early 1970s, though, the Bee Gees had fallen out of favour, and Clapton was inactive due to drug addiction. Stigwood turned his attention to musicals, producing the movie version of Jesus Christ Superstar and The Who's rock opera Tommy. Having bought the management rights to Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar, Stigwood was instrumental in cracking down on unlicensed performances of the musicals in the US - including school productions - to ensure profits went into pockets of its creators. He also formed RSO Records (short for Robert Stigwood Organization), where he resuscitated the careers of his two biggest acts - sending Clapton to the top of the charts with I Shot The Sheriff, and rebranding the Bee Gees as falsetto-voiced disco lynchpins on Jive Talking. The Australian's midas touch continued in the late 1970s, when he produced Saturday Night Fever, making a global star of television actor John Travolta and selling 40 million copies of the Bee Gees-powered soundtrack. Stigwood followed it with the evergreen teen musical Grease, and was particularly proud of casting fellow Australian Olivia Newton John in the role of Sandy. But he faltered with the 1978 Beatles musical Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - a fantastical but unfocused movie starring The Bee Gees, Peter Frampton and comedian Frankie Howerd. \"If you like the Beatles and you like movies, do yourself a favour and stay away,\" wrote influential US film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum. Audiences took note, and the film flopped at the box office, although the soundtrack sold well. Stigwood went on to produce the similarly-disappointing sequels Grease 2 and Staying Alive - but found success later in life with the Madonna-starring musical Evita, which won the 1997 Golden Globe for best film. The movie's lyricist, Sir Tim Rice, paid tribute to Stigwood on Twitter, calling him \"extraordinary, innovative [and] generous\". \"[He was] a vital part", "summary": "Robert Stigwood, who managed Cream and the Bee Gees before producing the rock musicals Saturday Night Fever and Grease has died at the age of 81."}
{"article": "Dr Antinori has been placed under house arrest and banned from practising pending a police investigation. The complaint, rejected by the doctor's lawyers, was made by a 24-year-old Spanish woman. Dr Antinori shot to fame in the 1990s when he helped a woman give birth at 63, a first at the time. The 70-year-old was arrested at Rome's Fiumicino airport and is now under house arrest in the Italian capital. According to Italian investigators, the Spanish woman, who was temporarily working at Dr Antinori's Matris clinic in Milan, had her mobile phone taken and was forcibly immobilised and anaesthetised before her eggs were harvested. Lawyers for Dr Antinori, nicknamed the \"grandmothers' obstetrician\", said the doctor was an innocent victim of extortion. Prosecutors believe his may not be an isolated case, according to the Italian media. Donata Lenzi, an Italian MP, said: \"The arrest of Severino Antinori is extremely serious because it indicates the existence of a market in eggs that will not stop at anything.\" Dr Antinori became famous worldwide in 1994 when he gave fertility treatment to Rossana Della Corte, an Italian who at the time became the oldest woman to give birth. He also helped Patricia Rashbrook, who became the UK's oldest mother in 2006. In 2003, the controversial doctor said Italian authorities were persecuting him over his human cloning projects. This followed his announcement that one of his patients would give birth to a cloned baby.", "summary": "Well-known Italian fertility doctor Severino Antinori has been arrested after a woman said he had forcibly removed eggs from her at his clinic."}
{"article": "The California-based firm unveiled the five-seater car - its lowest-cost vehicle to date - on Thursday. Mr Musk tweeted the total reflected the orders received by the end of Saturday. Pre-orders of the Model 3 will not necessarily all translate into actual sales when the car is released, with first deliveries in late 2017. It can be ordered in advance in dozens of countries, including the UK, Republic of Ireland, Brazil, India, China and New Zealand. Potential car owners need to put down $1,000 deposits to reserve their vehicles. Such has been the interest that Mr Musk tweeted the company was \"definitely going to need to rethink production planning\". Mr Musk has said his goal is to produce about 500,000 vehicles a year once production is at full capacity. The basic model will start at $35,000 (\u00c2\u00a324,423) and have a range of at least 215 miles (346km) per charge. Tesla delivered 50,580 vehicles last year. Most of those were its Model S saloon, which overtook Nissan's Leaf to become the world's best selling pure-electric vehicle. But the firm still posted a net loss of $889m (\u00c2\u00a3620m) for 2015, partly because it spent $718m on research and development over the period. It left Tesla with cash reserves of $1.2bn, down from $1.9bn a year earlier. The company is facing competition from other electric cars with a similar price and range that will become available first, including General Motors' Chevy Bolt and BYD's Qin EV300.", "summary": "Tesla founder and chief executive Elon Musk says pre-orders of the firm's much-anticipated Model 3 electric car currently total 276,000."}
{"article": "And 15 other forces are looking at following Nottinghamshire Police's lead in treating incidents against women in this way, the Victoria Derbyshire programme has learned. One expert said harassment by men was an \"everyday experience\" for many. Harassment on grounds of race, religion and sexuality is already illegal. Nottinghamshire Police introduced its reclassification of harassment by men against women in July. Its figures, however, cover incidents dating back to April. The force found that there had been 11 misogynistic \"hate crimes\" - offences including harassment, kidnapping, possession of weapons and causing public fear, alarm or distress. There were also 19 \"hate incidents\" - behaviour also motivated by misogyny but falling short of criminal acts, such as name-calling and offensive jokes. \"We're not saying all men engage in this behaviour, but for some women this has become an everyday experience. A lot of men are not aware of the implications it has on women,\" said Loretta Trickett, a criminologist at Nottingham Trent University. \"Up until now, women have largely not reported this. Women put up with it because it is trivialised in society. People say it's complimentary to be wolf-whistled. \"I think the new recording will give women reassurance that if they call the police, their incident will be registered and they will do something.\" Martha Jephcott, who has trained Nottinghamshire police officers on how to deal with misogyny as a hate crime, said: \"Recognising misogyny as a hate crime is important because it acknowledges the world in which women live and the everyday nature of these sorts of incidents.\" Fifteen police forces will attend a conference in Nottingham on Wednesday, looking at the possibility of adopting similar schemes, which they hope will increase the reporting of harassment. Ms Jephcott said: \"I want forces across the country to adopt this. I think it's a matter of equality. \"UK-wide, racist and homophobic hate crimes take place and are recognised as such. Women should have that too because, wherever they are, they probably will have experienced this.\" Nottinghamshire Police define misogynistic hate crime as \"incidents against women that are motivated by an attitude of a man towards a woman and includes behaviour targeted towards a woman by men simply because they are a woman\". The classification means people can report incidents which might not otherwise be considered to be a crime and the police will investigate. Domestic abuse will not be recorded as a misogyny hate crime because it has its own procedure. A crime that the victim or any other person perceives to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards any aspect of a person's identity. Police forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland annually monitor five strands of hate crime: Forces can include their own definition of a hate crime with several recently adding sub-cultures. The Victoria Derbyshire programme is broadcast on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.", "summary": "A police force that reclassified wolf-whistling, cat-calling and other misogynistic harassment as hate crimes has handled 30 cases in five months."}
{"article": "West Dunbartonshire Council planning chairman Lawrence O'Neill said a \"presumption against\" new shops meant they would probably be rejected. He accused betting shops \"of feeding on the vulnerable\". But an industry spokesman said it was heavily regulated and the number of shops had fallen in recent years. Traditionally, bookmakers have been able to open up at a premises previously occupied by businesses such as banks, on the grounds they provided a financial service. Councils are about to get new powers, previously approved through a legislative amendment by MSPs at Holyrood, which will allow them to consider future betting shop applications purely on their individual merits. Asked if he thought the betting shop industry was targeting less well-off areas, Mr O'Neill said places like Clydebank, which has 13 bookmaker shops, had a higher level of multiple deprivation. He told the BBC's Sunday Politics Scotland programme: \"To say it would be feeding on the vulnerable, yeah - that's my opinion.\" On the issue of future betting shop applications in West Dunbartonshire - which has the highest number of betting shops per head of population in Scotland - Mr O'Neill said he was not opposed to them outright. He said: \"Each and every one will be taken on its merits. \"The likelihood is, given the policy we have in place currently and the legislation in terms of the amendment, the likelihood is that they wouldn't be granted within town centres.\" Bob's story Bob is a recovering gambling addict. What began with the odd bet on football and horseracing led to something more serious. \"Gambling became my be-all and end-all, he said, adding: \"It was the most important thing in my life.\" Speaking anonymously to BBC Scotland, he recalled: \"I ran my own business at the time and I should have been there from eight in the morning. But I hadn't left work until six o'clock that morning. \"I'd go home and sleep till 12 in the day and at 12 o'clock I'd go straight to the bookmakers again and I'd be there till closing or until I lost my money. \"Then I'd go back to work and work through the night and the same routine constantly perpetuated itself.\" Bob sought help after being overcome with guilt and remorse at not having the money to by his mother a birthday present, and has not gambled for some time. Donald Morrison, from the Association of British Bookmakers in Scotland, said the organisation would work with government and councils to make sure the regulations were applied responsibly. He added: \"Betting shops open in busy commercial areas that have high footfall and strong demand and, like any sector, where's demand, there's competition.\" Mr Morrison said that since the financial crash, bookmakers had moved into empty town centre locations, contributing business rates and creating jobs. He added: \"Despite the perception that bookies have actually proliferated, the actual numbers of bookmakers in Scotland and across the UK has been in decline in recent years. \"In the last two years or so we've lost 300 shops across the UK, including dozens in", "summary": "The council with Scotland's highest concentration of betting shops is to use new powers to limit the number of new premises in town centres."}
{"article": "The PSNI began an investigation after allegations emerged last week that trainees had shared exam questions. Chief Constable George Hamilton has said 54 student police officers must go back to the start of their 22-week training programme and repeat it. He said all concerned received written warnings under misconduct procedures. Several recruits were not allowed to graduate from the PSNI training college at Garnerville, east Belfast, after a whistleblower raised the allegations. In a statement, Mr Hamilton said the cheating claims emerged \"the day before last Friday's graduation\". \"The allegations of impropriety suggested that student officers had individually memorised examination questions and collectively shared this information between themselves with a view to assisting them prepare for any re-sit examinations they might have been required to take.\" He added: \"As chief constable, I am deeply disappointed by the actions of those student officers who have acted in a way that is not in keeping with the standards I expect from aspiring police officers. There have been disciplinary consequences for all of those students who were involved in this impropriety.\" However, Mr Hamilton also admitted that Policing Board members, who hold the PSNI to account, were \"concerned at the action I had taken\". He described his meeting with board members on Thursday as \"challenging\". He added: \"I accept that others may not fully agree with my decisions on the matter. \"However, I have acted in good faith and with integrity believing that my actions have been proportionate and appropriate in all the circumstances.\" In a statement, the Policing Board said that the chief constable was questioned for two hours regarding the \"actions and decisions taken following this information coming to light\". Policing Board Chair Anne Connolly said: \"The chief constable has been left in no doubt that board members consider this to be a very serious matter which has caused reputational damage to the PSNI. \"It is deeply concerning to the board that so many trainees, at the very start of their careers, have been prepared to engage in this impropriety.\" She added: \"Members questioned the chief constable on their suitability and future credibility to perform the duties of constable and did not agree that the sanctions imposed were appropriate or adequate. \"The board is of the unanimous view that a clear, organisational message needs to be conveyed that inappropriate behaviours can simply not be tolerated. \"The chief constable has now been asked to ensure the investigation that is already under way is completed expeditiously and a further report is provided to the board when complete.\" Mr Hamilton said the ongoing investigation, led by Ass Ch Con Alan Todd, would \"report to the Policing Board in due course\".", "summary": "The Northern Ireland Policing Board has said that sanctions imposed on student officers who allegedly cheated in exams were not \"appropriate or adequate\"."}
{"article": "Oscar Munoz said he felt \"shame and embarrassment\" and vowed it would never happen again to a seated passenger on one of United's aircraft. The embattled aviation boss said the passenger in question, David Dao, deserved \"certainly an apology\". Mr Munoz initially described Mr Dao as \"disruptive and belligerent\". United Airline's public relations disaster Why do airlines overbook? \"That shame and embarrassment was pretty palpable for me and for a lot of our family,\" the contrite chief executive told ABC's Good Morning America programme. An online petition calling for Mr Munoz to resign had gained more than 60,000 signatures by Wednesday afternoon. But when asked if he would stand down, he said: \"No. I was hired to make United better and we've been doing that and that's what I'll continue to do.\" Mr Dao was pulled off Sunday evening's flight from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky, because the flight was fully booked, and the airline wanted to get four passengers to leave to make room for four staff members. Mr Dao was left bloodied after law enforcement officials dragged him off the plane as he refused to leave. The footage provoked international outrage and the Dao family issued a statement on Tuesday evening expressing gratitude for the \"outpouring of support\". \"This can never, will never happen again on a United Airlines flight,\" said Mr Munoz in Wednesday morning's television interview. He was asked what the company would do in future if a seated passenger refused voluntarily to leave an overbooked plane based on the airline's compensation offer. \"We're not going to put a law enforcement official to take them off,\" he said. \"To remove a booked, paid seated passenger, we can't do that.\" Mr Munoz was asked if Mr Dao, who has been undergoing treatment at a Chicago hospital, was at fault. The chief executive paused. He said: \"No. He can't be. He was a paying passenger sitting on our seat in our aircraft and no one should be treated that way. Period.\" But on Monday Mr Munoz said Mr Dao's conduct meant employees were \"left with no choice but to call Chicago Aviation Security Officers to assist in removing the customer from the flight\". Global outrage spread to Vietnam on Wednesday after it emerged that Mr Dao was born there, contradicting earlier reports that he was from China. Vietnamese social media users have called for a boycott, despite there being no direct United flights to the Southeast Asian country. \"Watching this makes my blood boil, I'll never fly United Airlines,\" said one Facebook user, Anh Trang Khuya. A spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry said the government had \"noticed the unfortunate incident in the United States\". Spokesperson Lu Kang added: \"We sincerely hope that this incident will be properly settled.\" On Wednesday, two of the aviation aviation security officers involved in removing Mr Dao from the plane were \"placed on leave\", the Chicago Department of Aviation said, adding to one other that was suspended on Monday. The agency added that their actions are \"obviously not condoned by the department\". The US Department", "summary": "United Airlines' chief executive has said he will not quit amid an explosive backlash to video of a screaming man being dragged off a plane."}
{"article": "Researchers from Aberdeen University said their find raised the possibility of bigger finds elsewhere. The discovery is unusual as gold is normally found in \"veins\" deep in the Earth's crust, which are produced by water flowing at high temperature. Gold has previously been found in red sandstone in England but not to the consistency discovered in Millport. The Isle of Great Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde is off the coast of North Ayrshire. Professor John Parnell, from Aberdeen University's School of Geosciences, said the find within the rocks from Millport was surprising. \"In undertaking this research I was initially interested in analysing little structures found within common red sandstone rocks which we took from the beach at Millport, which to the naked eye appear as tiny black spots,\" he said. \"By analysing the structures using a high-powered microscope, we discovered that they contain concentrations of gold, which is unusual because gold normally tends to be concentrated by hot waters rising up through cracks in the Earth. \"In this case the gold has been formed and concentrated in a completely different environment, which raises the possibility of similar structures appearing within red sandstone elsewhere but on a much bigger scale.\" Prof Parnell added: \"While there is certainly no prospect of a modern-day gold rush in Millport, this analysis is helping us to understand unusual circumstances where gold can be formed, which in the future may even lead to discoveries that are commercially viable.\" The Aberdeen University study has been published in the Journal of the Geological Society.", "summary": "Tiny specks of gold have been found in sandstone rocks from a beach at Millport on the Isle of Great Cumbrae."}
{"article": "The Warriors have won three Super League games in a row and sit just two points behind leaders Hull FC. \"I think we're off it at the moment, I don't think we're anywhere near our potential,\" Wane, 51, told BBC Radio Manchester. \"I was asked a few weeks ago and I said we're four or five out of 10 and I still think the same.\" He added: \"I don't mean to say that in an arrogant way, I genuinely believe that. I know what the players are capable of.\" Wigan winger Josh Charnley has impressed during their recent run, including a hat-trick in Friday's win at Salford. He has now scored 15 tries in 17 outings in what is his final season with the club before a cross-code switch to Sale Sharks. \"I think he's been great,\" added Wane. \"I do think his performances have improved and that shows you the mental strength of Josh Charnley. \"He'll be sorely missed by us, but he wants to go out of this season with a bang and the way he's playing at the moment, he's been outstanding. \"He has my mentality that we want to win things every single year, and he's playing that way.\"", "summary": "Wigan head coach Shaun Wane believes there is much more to come from his squad in the second half of the season."}
{"article": "The UK government suspended flights to the Red Sea resort in November after the suspected bombing of a Russian passenger jet killed 224 people. So-called Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the attack. Over 16,000 Britons stranded in the area were brought home on a series of rescue flights amid increased security. No flights have operated between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh since 17 November, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel using the resort's airport. British Airways has said it will not operate flights to the Egyptian resort until after 13 February at the earliest, while Monarch services are currently suspended up to 24 January. EasyJet has stopped services until 29 February, while Thomson and Thomas Cook this week both extended their suspension of services until 23 March. The Association of British Travel Agents has said the decision about whether to use Sharm el-Sheikh airport is being made by the UK authorities rather than the airlines. Travel analyst Bob Atkinson, from Travel Supermarket, said the length of the suspension suggested that security issues at the airport were proving difficult to solve. He said services would resume \"at some point\", but added: \"The longer it goes on makes you think, 'Why are they delaying it so long if it's as simple as making sure security checks are in place?'\" But the Egyptian authorities would be doing \"everything possible within their powers\" to give the UK confidence about the safety of its citizens, so as not to lose out on tourist trade, he added. On Tuesday, the Egyptian government announced it had hired global risk and security consultancy firm Control Risks to conduct a review of airports across the country. The announcement was welcomed by British ambassador to Egypt, John Casson, who said he hoped flights would resume \"as soon as possible\". \"Britain was the first to raise security concerns about Sharm airport and Britain wants to be the first to restart flights, so that tourism can lead the revival of Egypt's economy,\" he said. The crash on 31 October involved an Airbus A321, operated by the Russian airline Kogalymavia, which had taken off from Sharm el-Sheikh for St Petersburg, but crashed into the Sinai desert killing everybody on board. UK investigators believe the crash was caused by a bomb put in the hold of the plane prior to take-off.", "summary": "Travel firms Thomson and Thomas Cook have extended a suspension of flights to the Egyptian holiday resort of Sharm el-Sheikh until at least 23 March."}
{"article": "The Met Office, which monitors the weather for the UK, has warned that this Christmas's bad weather isn't over, with a second storm is on its way. Storm Conor is expected to hit northern areas of Scotland on Boxing Day, with winds of up to 90 miles per hour. On Friday, gusts of wind from Storm Barbara reaching almost 120 miles per hour were recorded on the summit of Cairn Gorm in Scotland - one of the highest points in the UK. Elsewhere, high winds created disruptions and cancelations to trains and ferries, and a lightning strike caused power cuts for thousands of homes in Scotland. More snow and ice are expected, and the Met Office has issued weather warnings telling people to be careful, and stay safe.", "summary": "Schools were closed and thousands of homes suffered power cuts as Storm Barbara battered northern areas of the UK yesterday."}
{"article": "Sources earlier told BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw that one wing of HMP The Mount in Hertfordshire and half of another wing had been \"lost\". The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) later said the incident was \"resolved\" and no staff or prisoners had been injured. A report into the jail published earlier highlighted staffing problems and said violence was an issue. The Mount, in Bovingdon village near Hemel Hempstead, opened in 1987 and is classed as a category C male prison. A \"tornado team\" made up of riot-trained staff arrived at the jail at about 18:30, equipped with shields and batons while fire, police and ambulance crews were on standby outside. The MoJ said officers had dealt with an \"incident involving a number of prisoners\". The BBC understands the wings involved were H and L, which house 110 and 117 prisoners. At about 23:45, a Prison Service spokesperson said: \"Specialist prison staff resolved an incident involving a number of prisoners. There were no injuries to staff or prisoners. \"The offenders responsible will be referred to the police and could spend longer behind bars.\" Earlier on Monday, the Independent Monitoring Board published its annual review into conditions at Mount Prison and said it had \"struggled\" with staff shortages. There were 24 vacancies out of a total of 136 officers in February, it added. It also claimed violence \"grew considerably\" throughout the year and that drugs were readily available, in particular the synthetic cannabis substitute spice. The report says concerns raised last year had not been addressed by the MoJ. The Prison Reform Trust calls this type of institution one where \"prison staff think [inmates] will not escape\", while acknowledging they \"cannot be trusted in an open prison\". Prison affairs academic and blogger Alex Cavendish had tweeted on Saturday: \"Staff shortages at HMP The Mount (Herts) are so severe that this is the 3rd weekend of total lockdown. Meals given at cell door. Trouble brewing.\" Mark Fairhurst, of the Prison Officers Association, said staff shortages in UK jails were \"an epidemic\" and partly due to \"poor salaries\". \"We need to increase the starting salary to incentivise people to join and then we need to give them regular increments to incentivise them to stay,\" he said. Mr Fairhurst added it was difficult to retain staff because of \"adverse working conditions, the violence they face and poor salary\". The Mount is built on a former RAF station site and has more than 1,000 prisoners, according to the MoJ. It is described as a \"hybrid training and resettlement prison\" for inmates in the final six months of their sentences. A 2015 inspection of the prison found The Mount was \"reasonably safe and felt calm and well ordered\", but chief inspector of prisons Nick Hardwick added that there was \"room for improvement\". In March 2016 an inmate at The Mount stabbed a fellow prisoner with a shard of glass from a microwave.", "summary": "Riot-trained prison staff were sent to a jail amid reports of violence on two wings."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device City, unbeaten in the WSL in 2016, beat Chelsea 2-0 on Sunday to win the title with one game to play. Houghton, 28, joined City with England team-mates Jill Scott, Karen Bardsley and Toni Duggan before the 2014 season. \"Coming here, it was a massive risk for me. In the first year, it was a bit of an unknown,\" she told BBC Sport. \"We took that risk and we've seen this club grow.\" Defender Houghton joined City from Arsenal as they were controversially introduced to the WSL for the 2014 season. They were placed in the top division as the competition was expanded to two tiers following a bidding process, in a move which saw Doncaster Rovers Belles demoted to WSL 2. City won the Continental Cup in their first year, were second in the league in 2015 and, on Sunday, secured their first national title in front of a club-record crowd of 4,096 at the Academy Stadium. \"That's what I joined the club for - I knew it was going to be about winning trophies and being ambitious,\" Houghton added on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra. \"We deserve this. We've been brilliant all season and every player and staff member has been fantastic.\" City have kept 16 clean sheets in their 21 matches in all competitions so far in 2016 and will attempt to win another trophy when they face Birmingham City in the Continental Cup final on 2 October. Their starting line-up against Chelsea was made up entirely of British players - nine English and two Scottish. City's victory took them 10 points clear of second-placed Chelsea, who won the league and FA Cup double in 2015. \"I'm really pleased that we've won the title - it's what we set out to do,\" said City manager Nick Cushing. \"But I'm more pleased with the performance today. In the second half especially, we were dominant defensively and offensively.\" BBC television commentator Jonathan Pearce on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra: \"Because of the investment they've put into the team - they've really backed women's football at Manchester City - it was inevitable they were going to win the title, whether it was this season or next. \"Right from the word go, they've been very, very strong. They've got a real core contingent of players with England as well and that helps, as they stay together with club and country. \"It comes down to money, investment and belief. I think Chelsea will come back fighting and they'll have players with points to prove who will come back very, very strongly. \"But, unless the other clubs do something remarkable, it will be the big three - and I'm not including Liverpool in that. Unless Liverpool really work hard in terms of investment, then their days of winning WSL have gone, I think, for a while.\"", "summary": "England captain Steph Houghton believes her \"risky\" move to Manchester City has been justified by their first Women's Super League title."}
{"article": "Earlier this year, Stacy Nichols' small electrical business on Queensland's Gold Coast employed six people. By the time the Australian government announced on 22 October its intention to reduce its support for renewable energy, she was down to just two staff. \"I have a van set up for solar work sitting on the street, with no solar work or staff due to [Prime Minister] Tony Abbott,\" Ms Nichols says. The many companies, such as Ms Nichols' firm, that are involved in the burgeoning renewables industry - mostly wind and solar power operators - were devastated by the government's announcement that it would cut its target of generating 41,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) a year of renewable energy by 2020 to 27,000 GWh a year. The government says the cut in the Renewable Energy Target (RET) takes account of a decline in overall demand for electricity that has been sparked, in part, by higher power prices. It also says the lower target will provide certainty to the renewables sector. The decision is not as drastic as it could have been. A government-commissioned review by businessman and climate change sceptic Dick Warburton had proposed, as one option, scrapping the RET altogether. However, the new target still has to make its way through parliament either with the support of the Labor opposition or of a number of independent senators in the Upper House - neither of which is a sure thing. Until that is settled, businesses such as Ms Nichols' are facing an uncertain future. \"We were growing,\" the mother of two young children said of their family business. \"We were looking to put on more people and get another van.\" Her company, Infinite Lighting & Electrical, decided to specialise in solar electricity work just two years ago as the industry encouraged its members to pursue solar power in a political climate where the sector was supported by an RET entrenched in legislation by the previous Labor government. Ms Nichols invested heavily in training and certification for her staff. But months ago, when it became clear the government would cut or dump the target RET, business began to dry up, she says. It is not only small operators who have been hurt. One of Australia's largest wind turbine tower producers, Keppel Prince Engineering in Victoria, announced last Thursday it had sacked 100 workers because of the government's RET decision. A number of large-scale renewable energy producers had already been affected by the conservative government's lack of commitment to renewable energy, says the sector's peak body, the Clean Energy Council. In July, clean energy solutions provider Pacific Hydro cut its staff by 10%; Hydro Tasmania has said the government's scrapping of the carbon tax would significantly cut into profits, and US company, Recurrent Energy, has reportedly closed its Australian office. The Clean Energy Council says a cut in the RET will kill much of Australia's renewable energy industry, which employs about 21,000 people nationwide. \"A substantial reduction of [the] target to around 27,000 GWh\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 would equate to a 64% reduction in future investment and effectively devastate the", "summary": "The Australian government has never hidden its scepticism about climate change or renewable energy but its decision last week to cut support for cleaner energy sources still left the renewable energy industry reeling."}
{"article": "\"Lets go and see the celery rig,\" says John Shropshire. I'm intrigued by the Mad Max-style vehicle I can see across the green fields. Green, that is, with celery. The smell of the stuff fills the air, crunches under foot, fills the view up to the horizon, from an ever-so-pastel, whiter shade of green to a green so deep it is almost black. But I'll pause and do some explaining before we get to that celery rig. This farm is in the Fens, one of the areas with one of the highest Leave votes in the country, though it's also not far from Cambridge, one of the highest Remain vote areas. Mr Shropshire has a business to run, but he's spending too much time these days, he tells, me, trying to persuade people what Mrs May mustn't allow Brexit to mean. His company is huge: G's Fresh has a turnover of \u00c2\u00a3420m a year, employing 6,000 people worldwide. It owns farms growing lettuce in Spain, spring onions in Senegal, beetroot in the US and, here and in Poland, celery. He employs 2,500 people from Eastern and Central Europe in the high season, and he doesn't think Brexit will change either his need, or the actual supply. \"Nobody wants the seasonal jobs - maybe they want the permanent jobs. Let's face it, it is higher status in Britain to be on the dole than to be a cleaner. \"It's a nice evening in these fields at the moment, but it can be raining, it can be very hot and after a day on the celery rig you don't need to work out in the gym. Five per cent unemployment is incredibly low. The reason we've got immigration is that we've created too many jobs.\" He says that's not going to change: the government will find a solution. \"We've had access since long before we joined the EU to people from Eastern Europe. There was a seasonal agricultural workers scheme that was brought in in 1948. We need foreign workers to come.\" He shows me where the workers live. \"It's not the Ritz,\" he says cheerfully. Stefania is sitting by a small table, knees drawn up to her chin, looking rather elfin in front of the cluttered dorm room, narrow but not that long, with six bunk beds, and pots and pans on the shelves. She says the work is not too hard and her English is getting better. But she's sad about the vote. \"Not so good, because it's not good for Romanian people. I think we will have to go home.\" Evelina from Bulgaria thinks there'll be another referendum: \"I hope they will make a list of those who want a second vote.\" Agnieszka from Poland shakes her head. \"I honestly don't think so, but I hope things work out. It's not fair, we don't want to go out.\" Angel from Bulgaria says: \"The consequences will be terrible, very big. I don't want to say economic catastrophe, but disaster anyway. People wanted immigrants out of the country, not the country out of", "summary": "If Brexit means farmers cannot get the foreign workers they rely on, or it hits efficiency, could more production switch abroad?"}
{"article": "\"I was expecting it to be quiet, but not that quiet. Even the homeless people were still asleep,\" Dean Saunderson said of his expedition to capture a unique side of a city. The 21-year-old photography student had been looking for inspiration for his project to make a portrait of his home town, Nottingham. \"I came across lots of images of abandoned towns and cities, completely untouched by humans for years, \" he said. \"Knowing there isn't anywhere like that in the UK, I wondered if I could get close in some way.\" Getting up before dawn on Christmas Day, he found a city given over to the birds and litter. \"It was a big shock. It felt so different, eerie. I kept checking over my shoulder. \"There was no one looking at you but it felt like there was no one looking out for you either - like anything could happen to you and no one would know. \"It reminded me of those pictures of the city near Chernobyl.\" His ambition is now to visit a truly deserted place and put together a photo essay chronicling its story.", "summary": "Inspired by pictures of deserted cities such as Pripyat, which was vacated in the fallout of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, a photographer has been trying to capture quiet streets closer to home - starting with Nottingham on Christmas morning."}
{"article": "The Spice Girls' Wannabe was the UK number one single for seven weeks and in February 1997, topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. Two decades on, the group's influence continues to be identifiable in popular culture - and in some unexpected ways. From how TV and newspapers cover music, to the way stars brand themselves, the Spice Girls influenced many of the rules for 21st Century pop stars. Before 1996, manufactured groups were expected to obey management and music label orders. Even though the five were put together by Bob and Chris Herbert, the group soon decided to replace the father-and-son management team with Simon Fuller. And against record company advice, they also chose their first single. \"If they decided they wanted to do something, then that's what was going to happen,\" says Wannabe's co-writer Richard \"Biff\" Stannard. Visual artist Liz West, a Guinness Book of Records entrant for the world's largest collection of Spice memorabilia (nearly 5,000 items), agrees. \"When it was suggested to people what their first single should be, they had already chosen it,\" she says. Wannabe's release came the year after the battle for chart dominance between the all-male Britpop groups Blur and Oasis. Timing was ripe for an opinionated girl group, says Paul Gorman, the first writer to interview them for Music Week. \"Britpop was a bunch of blokes going through their dads' record collections,\" he says. Wannabe's nursery-rhyme-style hypnotic chant secured a broad coalition of fans including those hard-to-get pre-teens who the music industry had previously considered as a small market. And in the following years, in the run-up to the millennium, the influence of the Spice Girls on this audience, led to the emergence of other acts aimed at a younger market. As a result, acts such as S Club 7, B*Witched, Aqua, Hanson, Steps and Billie Piper started to top the charts. Kim Glover, the manager of girlband B*Witched, who had four number one singles in the slipstream of Spice success says: \"They were very different from what had gone before them. Wannabe jumped out the radio - from the very first bar, you were hooked.\" The single was a springboard for 80m global album sales, and the now ingrained slogan \"Girl Power\". Yet not everyone was convinced. Girl Power, according to Gorman, was \"in many respects an empty phrase\". \"But it did mark a change in the way strong young British women saw themselves in the '90s and reflected the rise of ladette culture.\" \"Half of it was a marketing man's slogan,\" says Liz West. \"But as an 11-year-old girl, it instilled confidence in me.\" Glover is more positive. \"I personally loved it. As a woman in the music business, it resonated with me.\" Many current female stars such as Adele, Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Watson have revealed they were and still are fans. Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley told last month's Radio Times that Adele had Spice Girls photos on her fridge. She sang Spice Up Your Life at her June Amsterdam gig. \"Adele and other female", "summary": "On 8 July 1996, a single from five unknown girls - Victoria Adams, Mel Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell - was released and made them household names around the world."}
{"article": "A Commons Justice Committee report says offenders aged between 18 and 25 are 10 times more likely to have a learning disability or autistic disorder. It said a \"lack of action\" on these offenders had led many to re-offend. The government said \"significant efforts\" had been made to prevent young people ending up in prison. The committee's report argues there is a strong case for treating young adult offenders differently because their brains are still developing up to the age of 25 - meaning they are more likely to act impulsively and not weigh up the long-term effects. It also found those still offending into adulthood were more likely to have learning difficulties or communication disorders, or to have suffered head injuries. It said flawed interventions, set up by the Ministry of Justice and carried out by the National Offender Management Service, did not recognise young adults' needs and prevented them getting out of a cycle of crime. The young adults tired of offending The terror of young offender institutions The number of young adults in the criminal justice system, who are mostly men, has fallen in recent years, but figures suggest 18 to 25-year-olds still account for up to 40% of the criminal caseload. They also have the highest reconviction rate, with 75% returning to crime within two years of being released. But the report argued that, while those in this age group offended the most, they also had the greatest potential to stop offending as they \"grow out of crime\". It said age and maturity should be taken into significantly greater account within the criminal justice system and should presume that up to the age of 25 young adults were typically still maturing. The committee said it welcomed the Ministry of Justice's commitment to develop a maturity assessment when dealing with young offenders but said that not screening for mental disorders and learning and communication needs was a \"missed opportunity\". \"This is short-sighted as such screening would enable a thorough understanding of individual needs and underpin better informed commissioning decisions for the services young adults need to address their offending,\" the report said. Alex Hewson, of the Prison Reform Trust, said: \"A justice system which throws young people off a cliff edge on their 18th birthday, and expects them to fend for themselves in the adult system when they are still maturing and often vulnerable, is not one that is set up to deliver for offenders, victims or local communities.\" A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: \"Significant efforts have been made to divert young people from custody and this has resulted in a welcome reduction in the prison population - down 40% since 2010. But those in custody are in for longer and for more serious offences. \"We recognise the specific challenges associated with this age group and are committed to addressing these.\"", "summary": "There needs to be a major change in dealing with young adult offenders, MPs have said, based on evidence that shows their brains are still developing."}
{"article": "Ben Smith, 34, began his charity attempt on 1 September 2015 and ran 284 consecutive marathons in 284 days. He then developed an umbilical hernia in June which forced him to stop for 10 days to recover before resuming and making up the lost mileage. Mr Smith, from Bristol, was joined by about 350 people who set off with him at 10:00 BST on his 401st marathon. The return loop from Millennium Square in Bristol to Portishead is expected to take the runners about seven hours to complete. Some runners will join the group from Portishead to run the half marathon distance. Before setting off, he said he was feeling \"nervous but excited\" and expected the run to be emotional. \"I'm actually aching today, my legs have been alright for the last 101 days and typical, last day, legs ache, back aches, but I've got one day left,\" he added. \"I'm doing this to raise \u00c2\u00a3250,000 for two anti-bullying charities, I was bullied for eight years of my life at school. \"It affected my confidence and self-esteem and that led to me trying to take my own life when I was 18.\" 2,528,500 calories burned \u00c2\u00a3163,000 raised in sponsorship 10,506 total distance, in miles 9,485 people who've run with Ben along the way 309 locations throughout the UK 101 schools visited After the run, his team have put together a three-month \"cool down\" involving a month of back-to-back half marathons, followed by a month of 10km runs and a month of daily 5km runs. Mr Smith has had to cover an extra 2.5 miles a day to make up for the time lost through injury - missing 10 days of running equates to 262 miles. After coming out as gay, the runner wanted to raise awareness of the damage caused by bullying and support his chosen charities, Kidscape and Stonewall. He said: \"A key objective of The 401 Challenge has been to involve as many people as possible and create opportunities for children, young people and adults to discuss the difficult topics of bullying and sexuality.\" By the time he finishes his last marathon he will have covered 10,506.2 miles. Mr Smith's challenge took in 309 locations throughout the UK, with the vast majority of his marathons being distance runs organised by local running clubs.", "summary": "A runner who battled a back injury is set to complete his challenge of running 401 marathons in 401 days."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The reigning European champion held off Danny Talbot and Zharnel Hughes on a track where he ruptured his hamstring a year ago. British record holder Dina Asher-Smith edged out Desiree Henry and Jodie Williams in the women's event. Matthew Hudson-Smith won the 400m in a European leading time of 44.88 seconds. On his home track, Hudson-Smith pulled away from Rabah Yousif and Martyn Rooney and held his form down the home straight as Yousif came through in second with a characteristic late surge. In the absence of established stars such as Mo Farah, Greg Rutherford and Jessica Ennis-Hill, Andy Pozzi produced one of the other performances of the weekend to win the 110m hurdles with a personal best of 13.31 secs into a headwind of 1.3 metres. Pozzi, taking part in his first British championships since 2012 after four years of injury, sealed automatic Olympic selection, along with Lawrence Clarke, who was second. Gemili had never before won a national title but he powered past Hughes in the lane outside him on the bend and then kept his form as Talbot closed in the last 20 metres to win in 20.44 secs. A seemingly-unfit Hughes could only come fourth in 20.84, meaning he faces a shoot-out with Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake for the third and final Olympic 200m place. Gemili, who missed the British Championships last year through injury, said: \"This time last year, I was watching on TV as my hamstring was in two pieces. \"That third spot will be tough. Rather them than me. I am glad I booked my place, I wanted to do that automatically. If I didn't then it would have been a tough selection for everyone. \"I know those guys aren't 100%, but when they are they can fly.\" Asher-Smith was given a scare by Henry, looking to put the disappointment of her 100m display on Saturday behind her, her margin of victory - 23.11 secs to 23.13 secs, with Williams a further nine-hundredths of a second back - testament to the depth of talent Britain has in the women's sprints. Athletes needed to finish in the top two in their event this weekend and have two performances inside the qualification standard to be guaranteed a place in the squad for Rio. While that was straightforward for some - Eilidh Doyle dominating her 400m hurdles final in 54.93 secs, Charlie Grice and Chris O'Hare taking an expected one-two in the 1500m - it left others with anxious weeks ahead. The final deadline for qualification times is 11 July and Sebastian Rodger will be one hopeful chasing another quick time after winning the men's 400m hurdles but with only one mark under his belt. But Jack Green, who has battled depression and came off his medication in order to get in the optimum physical shape, will be on the plane for Rio after coming in second with the requisite times already under his belt. There was emotion too for Steph Twell after she won her third 5,000m title to qualify for", "summary": "Adam Gemili produced a champion's display under immense pressure to take the British 200m title and win his place in the GB Olympic squad."}
{"article": "The writing, if not on the wall, is clear enough on the roads themselves. Street level democracy is in the rudest of rude health here. Which here in Walsall, really is quite rude! The saucy \"double entendre\" that's been enlivening local social media is an appropriate piece of signposting for a town where passions run deep and local politics is anything but the dreary, humdrum business of general repute. Although in fairness, we should point out that the council has now responded by repainting the offending road markings since this \"hot button\" image was recorded for posterity. For this is a town with a very acute sense of itself. Traditionally the home of the leather industry, Walsall has a football team known as the Saddlers. They are mounting a spirited challenge for promotion to the second tier of English football, the Skybet Championship. There they would rub shoulders with an assortment of local rivals including the newly-relegated star attractions, Aston Villa. At the centre of the town, is the art gallery which opened 16 years ago to widespread international acclaim. It is home to works by, among others, Jacob Epstein, Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh and Turner. No less significantly, it has provided a catalyst for the economic regeneration of the area surrounding the canal basin, like a smaller version of Birmingham's famous Gas Street. And Walsall really is like a microcosm of the political landscape of our part of the country as a whole. It's like all our famous marginals rolled into one electoral battlefield. Or is it a minefield more like? It has long been a predominantly two-party affair: the map shows the west of the town, leaning towards the rest of the Black Country, almost exclusively Labour red. While the east, inclining towards Birmingham's leafy stockbroker belt in neighbouring Four Oaks and Little Aston, is an exclusively blue Conservative preserve. And within the council, where one third of the 60 seats are up for election, the numbers reflect the changeable political weather in a region well-known for swinging back and forth between the two biggest parties. It is a significant weather vane. Labour and the Conservatives have both had long periods in over-all control. But this is a council is famous for its knife-edge outcomes producing no outright majority, with all the back room deal-making and deal-breaking that entails. A year ago the town had a minority Labour administration. But last June, the indefatigable Conservative group leader Mike Bird brokered a minority administration even though Labour have two more seats than his party. He wrestled-back the leadership of the council with the support of the three UKIP and two Independent councillors. A town that's grown accustomed to living on a political knife-edge now faces another equally cut-throat encounter. Labour's fortunes hit a notable high the last time this particular set of seats were contested four years ago, so this time round they appear to have far more to lose than to gain. They must defend nine of their 27 seats while the Conservatives defend seven of their 25. With both", "summary": "For anyone who thinks these local elections are dull and boring, I have this challenge - come to Walsall."}
{"article": "The John Osborne production will see Sir John play legendary patriarch Billy Rice, with Branagh as Archie Rice. \"I am thrilled to be invited to play Billy Rice in this production of what I believe to be one of the great plays of the twentieth century,\" the actor said. It will be the final production in Branagh's Plays at the Garrick season. \"This has been a wonderfully successful season for Ken Branagh and his company, and I feel proud and privileged to be joining them,\" Sir John added. Set against the backdrop of post-war Britain, the modern classic conjures the seedy glamour of the old music halls for an explosive examination of public masks and private torment. \"I am really looking forward to working on this play. I find The Entertainer riveting and in my opinion there is no better group of actors to bring it to life,\" director Rob Ashford said. The Entertainer will play at the Garrick from 20 August to 12 November. The show will also be broadcast live to cinemas worldwide, on a date to be announced shortly.", "summary": "Sir John Hurt will return to the London stage for the first time in a decade, to star opposite Sir Kenneth Branagh in The Entertainer."}
{"article": "Cooke won the first of GB's gold medals at Beijing in 2008, but since then Lizzie Armitstead has taken over as team leader. That means Cooke could have to sacrifice gold to Armitstead, with whom she has had differences in the past. But Cooke said recently: \"I know deep down what it takes to win races.\" In an interview recorded for Wales at the Olympics, Cooke, who is now based in Switzerland, added: \"I have proven through my experience and my results what I'm capable of.\" Cooke and Armitstead's relationship was strained at the 2011 World Championships in Copenhagen. They were in the same GB women's team, with Armitstead the leader. The team looked well-placed to contend for the title until a crash late in the race separated Armitstead from Cooke up ahead. They have differing recollections of subsequent events, which saw Cooke set off for the line only to finish fourth, with Armitstead coming home seventh. Matters came to a head when Armitstead told Cycling Weekly magazine of a furious row once the team had crossed the line, adding: \"I've never seen her [Nicole] work for a team-mate. It was a unanimous decision that Nicole didn't do her job properly.\" But Cooke says that the pair have now smoothed over their differences ahead of the Olympic road race in London on 29 July. \"Lizzie and I have spoken about what happened in the race [2011 World Championships], what's happened since. I have forgiven for what she did and how she reacted,\" insisted Cooke. \"And I think in a way it did highlight why we were under-performing as a team. \"We realised that if we went into the London Olympics like we went into the last World Championships we would probably under-perform again.\"", "summary": "Welsh cyclist Nicole Cooke is in the UK for Sunday's Olympic road race with team orders likely to hinder her chances of another gold medal."}
{"article": "F-35 air operations were paused at an Arizona air base after pilots suffered symptoms resembling hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, Captain Mark Graff said. Lockheed Martin, which built the jet, said it still plans to show the plane at the Paris Air Show this month. Air Force officials said F-35 fighter jets at other bases were still in use. Luke Air Force Base, located northwest of Phoenix, cancelled local flying operations for its F-35A Lightning II aircraft on Friday after five incidents were reported in which pilots experienced hypoxia-like symptoms. But they continued to be grounded on Monday as the Air Force investigated the issue with pilots, maintenance workers and medical professionals, according to base spokeswoman Major Rebecca Heyse. The incidents took place between 2 May and Thursday, but in each case the jet's backup oxygen system was successful and the aircraft landed safely. Luke Air Force Base has 55 F-35A Lightning II jets in operation and conducts 25 training flights each weekday, according to base officials. More than 220 operational F-35 jets have been built worldwide. The stealthy jets have logged more than 95,000 flight hours, but the planes have yet to see combat.", "summary": "The US Air Force has grounded a fleet of F-35 fighter jets indefinitely over concerns over pilots' oxygen supplies, according to a spokesman."}
{"article": "Parking controls will be implemented between 12:30 and 18:00 in zones 1-4. Councillors said this would reduce traffic \"chaos\" on some streets and encourage more people to use buses, trams or bicycles to get into the city. But they heard warnings that the restrictions could affect footfall in the city centre and faith groups which meet on Sundays. Conservative councillor Nick Cook warned that the parking charges could affect church congregations. He said he feared that the charges set a \"dangerous precedent\" and could be extended in the future. \"It will be bad for society, bad for business and bad for Edinburgh,\" he said. However, Nigel Bagshaw, of the Scottish Green Group, urged the transport and environment committee to implement all-day parking charges. He said the move would improve health, safety, air pollution and emissions. \"We have to make bold choices,\" he added. SNP councillor Gavin Barrie backed the limited parking charges, claiming they would make the city centre more accessible to the vulnerable. He said people in wheelchairs and those pushing prams struggle to get around when vehicles were badly parked. Councillor Lesley Hinds, the convenor of the committee, said the restrictions were appropriate for a \"seven-day city\". She added: \"Not only will this make parking easier for residents and visitors by increasing parking turnover, but we hope, in turn, it will encourage more people to choose public transport or active travel over the car by creating safer, more free-flowing roads. \"Therefore I believe that we've agreed the best option for Edinburgh. By introducing restrictions on Sunday afternoons we want to strike a balance for all those that live in and visit the city, and I think that our final decision reflects the fact we really listened to the concerns of various groups and individuals.\" The motion to introduce parking charges on Sunday afternoons was approved 10 votes to two. It is expected to be implemented around the end of 2018.", "summary": "Councillors in Edinburgh have agreed to begin charging drivers to park in the city centre on Sundays."}
{"article": "Police and security services will be able to see names of sites visited in the past year without a warrant, under the draft Investigatory Powers Bill. The science and technology Committee says its requirements are confusing, and firms fear a rise in hacking. The Home Office said it would study the report's findings. When she announced the draft bill last year, Theresa May stressed that the authorities would not be able to see individual web pages visited, just basic data, such as domain names like bbc.co.uk or facebook.com. But tech firms have told MPs it may not be possible to separate out data in that way and the plans were not clear about was meant by \"internet connection records\". Committee chairman Nicola Blackwood said: \"There remain questions about the feasibility of collecting and storing internet connection records (ICRs), including concerns about ensuring security for the records from hackers. \"The bill was intended to provide clarity to the industry, but the current draft contains very broad and ambiguous definitions of ICRs, which are confusing communications providers. \"This must be put right for the bill to achieve its stated security goals.\" Mrs May insisted in January that the Home Office had been clear about what it meant by ICRs and was working closely with the industry on the legislation. The science and technology committee also raised concerns about powers to allow spies to hack into suspects' smartphones or computers, known as \"equipment interference\". Ms Blackwood said the technique may \"occasionally be necessary\", but added: \"The tech industry has legitimate concerns about the reaction of their customers to the possibility that electronic devices could be hacked by the security services.\" There are also concerns, expressed by Apple and other tech giants, that the bill will force them to adopt weaker encryption standards. Some products, such as the iPhone, allow people to communicate privately in a form that cannot be decoded, even by the company which makes the device, known as \"end-to-end encryption\". The bill would strengthen the power to force firms to give up decryption keys so that coded messages might be read. But Nicola Blackwood said the government had to do more to \"allay unfounded concerns that encryption will no longer be possible\". Service providers, such as BT and Sky, are concerned about the cost of storing internet records for 12 months, something they do not routinely do at the moment. The Home Office says the overall cost to the industry will be \u00c2\u00a3174m over 10 years and \"reasonable costs\" will be reimbursed, but the industry has cast doubt on that estimate. The committee said the government should make an \"explicit commitment\" to pay the full costs incurred by compliance,\" to protect smaller firms hit with demands to store records. The Home Office said it was important companies did not suffer a commercial disadvantage and stressed there were no plans to change a long-standing position of reimbursing 100% of costs associated with data retention. Security Minister John Hayes said: \"We are mindful of the need for legislation to provide law enforcement and the security", "summary": "The home secretary's plan to force internet service providers to store everyone's internet activity is vague and confusing, says a committee of MPs."}
{"article": "The Dow Jones closed down 122.65 points, or 0.61%, at 19,971.13. The S&P 500 index dropped 13.8 points, or 0.6%, to 2,280.89, while the Nasdaq fell 47 points, or 0.83%, to 5,613.7. Airline stocks fell, with American Airlines down 4.4% and United Continental dropping 3.8%. Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK said US markets had taken their lead from weak European markets \"as investors wake up to the downside of what a Trump presidency might mean for risky assets\". \"The weekend executive order to implement more stringent vetting procedures to visitors to the US from specific destinations, as well as a wider travel ban, could well be the beginning of this realisation. \"It is perhaps no surprise that the tech sector has been the most vocal given that its highly skilled workforce has a higher proportion of overseas workers due to the higher skill set required.\"", "summary": "Stocks on Wall Street fell saw their biggest drop so far this year as investors took a cautious stance in the face of uncertainty over Donald Trump's travel and immigration curbs."}
{"article": "The England Under-19 international had a medical on Friday and agreed a five-year deal with the Premier League club. The 18-year-old will start pre-season with the Reds but is expected to go out on loan, with Championship side Derby thought to be interested. \"It's a dream come true. It's a bit surreal and it hasn't really hit me yet. But I'm buzzing and just excited to get started,\" said Gomez. \"The club has got great history, it's a great club and one that I've always been following from when I was young. \"Here was somewhere I wanted to go and get better and learn, and play good football. It was an easy decision.\" Gomez won the 2014 European Championship in Malta with the England Under-17 side. He made 24 appearances for Charlton last season and is the Anfield club's fourth summer signing, after midfielder James Milner, striker Danny Ings and goalkeeper Adam Bogdan.", "summary": "Liverpool have signed highly rated Charlton defender Joe Gomez for \u00a33.5m."}
{"article": "Some 148,976 cars rolled off UK production lines last month, down from 150,060 in the same month last year. But, for the 10 months to end-October, production was still running at its highest since 2005, driven by exports. Overseas demand rose 1.5% in October year-on-year, but domestic demand fell 8.3%. About 80% of UK car production went for export, according to the figures. \"Despite a small drop in overall output last month, the industry has delivered a robust performance so far this year, particularly in terms of exports,\" said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive. \"Given the slowdown we've seen in several key global markets in recent months, UK automotive manufacturing still remains in a strong position.\" For the year so far, production is at 1,318,452, up 2.8% on the figure of 1,282,080 in the same period for 2014. On Tuesday, Europe's trade body for the car industry, the Association of European Carmakers, reported that car sales across the EU slowed sharply in October from the month before. Analysts suggested that buyers may have been put off purchases while they awaited the outcome of investigations into how carmakers report emissions data, sparked by the discovery that VW cheated emissions tests.", "summary": "UK car production fell by 0.7% last month compared with October 2014, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders."}
{"article": "Defence barrister Stephen Vullo made the announcement to the jury at Southwark Crown Court in London. The entertainer denies four charges relating to alleged assaults on three teenage girls between 1971 and 1983. Mr Harris, 87, was released from prison on Friday and is now appearing in the dock in person, having appeared via a video link in the trial's first week. Kenneth Jeacle, Mr Harris's former tour manager, told the court via video link from Australia he had seen parents encourage their children to \"perhaps sit on his knee or perhaps give him a kiss on the cheek\". But he said that Mr Harris was never the \"instigator\" of such behaviour. Mr Jeacle, who worked with the defendant from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, said: \"Mr Harris's attitude in these incidents was always that people would approach him. \"He would then perhaps open his arms and embrace them but in, shall I say, a fraternal or brotherly style or manner.\" Mr Vullo asked him whether he had ever seen Harris act inappropriately with his fans, and Mr Jeacle replied: \"Categorically, never. \"Mr Harris was, in my presence, constantly respectful of children and parents alike.\" Mr Harris is accused of groping a 14-year-old girl during a music event at the Lyceum Theatre in London in 1971. Two further charges relate to alleged indecent assaults on a teenager in 1978, during filming for ITV celebrity show Star Games. The fourth relates to a 13-year-old girl who claims he touched her breast after filming BBC children's TV programme Saturday Superstore in 1983. Second defence lawyer David Patience read to the jury statements from people who attended the events. They included those who denied seeing or hearing anybody upset or anything of concern taking place. One was from ex-EastEnders and Coronation Street actress Rula Lenska, who was at Star Games. She said: \"I can say, hand on heart, I never witnessed anything untoward or suspicious.\" Another woman, who was five when she attended the It's a Knockout-style event in 1978, said the \"incredibly sweet\" Mr Harris sat down next to her on a bench and gave her a cartoon. Statements from two boys who attended the filming of Saturday Superstore recalled him being a \"very nice fella\" and a \"perfect gentleman\" respectively. The trial continues.", "summary": "Rolf Harris will not give evidence in his defence at his indecent assault trial, his lawyer has told the court."}
{"article": "Officers from South Yorkshire Police are on the island for two weeks to re-appeal to local people and follow up lines of inquiry. Ben, from Sheffield, was 21 months old when he disappeared on 24 July 1991. His mother Kerry has always maintained her son, who would now be 26, is alive and was probably abducted. Ms Needham said she hoped that Greece's statute of limitation laws would mean that people may now come forward in the knowledge they can no longer be prosecuted for withholding information. Live updates on this story and others from South Yorkshire At a press conference, Det Insp John Cousins said: \"We specifically want to appeal to anyone who thinks they might be Ben. Did you have blonde hair and blue eyes as a child? Are you unsure of your background? \"I'd like any of those individuals who believe they might be Ben to come forward and speak to us. There will be no pressure on them at all. \"We have Ben's DNA and it will be very easy for us to do a quick test and confirm or otherwise.\" Mr Cousins said officers were looking into calls made to the UK's Missing Persons Bureau in 1993 by an anonymous Greek person who had said \"Ben was known then as Andreas and was being cared for by a man called Nikos\". Ben vanished after travelling to the island with his mother and grandparents who were renovating a run-down farmhouse building in the village of Iraklis. Speaking on the island where her son went missing, Ms Needham said: \"The answer does lie on Kos, Ben was abducted from Kos, and someone knows on the island what happened to Ben. I think the appeal this morning by the detectives can bring that person forward. \"Every day is difficult to deal with. It seems, and it's a little bit ironic, but it's nearly 25 years and we're going back to the beginning. I wish this could have been done so many years before but unfortunately it never was allowed. \"I'm just thankful now that the Greek police and the British police are working together. The British government have given funding for this to happen. \"We need to look to the future now, to remain positive and hopefully, we can get some answers. \"There's no word to describe how much this means to me. \"I think we've got the best team of detectives on the case.\" Officers travelled to Kos on Sunday, they are carrying out \"house-to-house visits\" and distributing leaflets and posters during the \"next two weeks\". Speaking from the farmhouse where Ben disappeared, Mr Cousins said: \"I'm aware there were a number of vehicles and people on this lane on the day that Ben disappeared. I'd also like to appeal to anyone that was here on this day to come forward and speak to us.\" Earlier this year, the force secured \u00a3450,000 from the Home Office to investigate the disappearance of Ben for another six months. A DNA test was carried out on a man in Cyprus in an", "summary": "Police have offered a reward of 12,500 euros (\u00a39,800) in the search for missing Ben Needham, who disappeared on the Greek island of Kos in 1991."}
{"article": "Boero, 38, sustained fatal injuries in a fall during the first stage in western Argentina, organisers say. The annual off-road race, originally from Paris to Dakar in Senegal, moved to South America in 2009, largely because of security concerns. Most of the participants are amateur motorcyclists and car drivers, running against experienced racers. It was the second Dakar rally Boero had taken part in. Organisers say he was killed when he came off his bike during the stage between the Argentine cities of Mar del Plata and Santa Rosa de la Pampa on Saturday.", "summary": "Argentine motorcyclist Jorge Martinez Boero has died in an accident on the opening day of the Dakar Rally."}
{"article": "The Green Party of England and Wales is not taking on Labour in Ealing Central and Acton and Brighton Kemp Town. And Ms Lucas says left and centre-left parties should get together to prevent \"a massive Tory landslide\". But shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth dismissed the idea of what he described as \"back room deals\". And the Conservatives have warned against any \"coalition of chaos\". Ms Lucas, the Greens' only MP in the last Parliament, said there was \"a huge amount of enthusiasm and energy\" for deals between parties such as the Greens, Liberal Democrats and Labour to defeat the Conservatives in the upcoming election. It comes as the Greens withdrew their candidate in Oxford West and Abingdon to help the Liberal Democrat Layla Moran stand against health minister Nicola Blackwood. The Lib Dems have already stood aside in Brighton Pavilion for Ms Lucas, but Labour rejected a similar deal for the Isle of Wight, despite Greens standing down to help Labour in Ealing Central and Acton. Ms Lucas, who is campaigning on the Isle of Wight on Monday, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was time for the left and centre-left to get together \"and do grown up politics\". She said it was \"scandalous\" that the Conservatives got 51% of the vote across the south east region, but ended up with 93% of the seats. \"What we ought to be doing is saying: 'How do we stop the Tories getting the kind of landslide that will allow them to impose not just an extreme Brexit, but extreme social policies, long term damage to our health, education and so forth?'\" she said. She claimed the Isle of Wight Greens were \"best placed to challenge\" the Conservatives, ahead of the Liberal Democrats and Labour with a candidate \"that will fight for this chance in our electoral system\". \"But for this to happen, we need Jeremy Corbyn to get round a table with us,\" she said. \"What's so disappointing is that he talks about doing politics differently and yet he's betraying the millions of people he represents by allowing them to be hit hardest by a massive Tory majority.\" Ms Lucas argues that more than one million people voted Green in the 2015 general election, which under a different electoral system could have led to 24 Green MPs. \"What we're saying is it's time to do politics differently. People in marginal constituencies don't want parties on the left and centre-left to spend all of their time fighting each other and for the Conservatives to come through the middle.\" But Labour's Jon Ashworth refused to entertain the idea of entering into discussions with the Greens and Lib Dems about some candidates standing aside to avoid splitting the anti-Tory vote, \"We're a national party and we have a responsibility to give every part of England, Scotland and Wales the chance to vote for a Labour candidate,\" he said. \"Politicians who try to do these backroom deals, never come out of it well.\"", "summary": "Jeremy Corbyn needs to get round a table with the Greens to discuss ways of developing a progressive alliance, its co-leader Caroline Lucas has said."}
{"article": "Wales are in Group D alongside Austria, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Moldova and Georgia. \"It's a good group and you look at other groups and think it maybe could have been easier, maybe it could have been tougher,\" Coleman said. \"It's a positive group, there'll be some great games and I think the whole nation will be looking forward to it.\" Wales were one of the top seeds for Saturday's 2018 World Cup draw in St Petersburg after a remarkable rise under Coleman to be ranked 10th in the world. Their reward was being one of the top nine seeds which ensured Wales would avoid the likes of world champions Germany and European champions Spain, arch-rivals England and hosts Russia. Wales avoided former World Cup winners France and Italy, who were in pot two, and instead will face Austria, who they beat 2-1 in a friendly when they last faced them in February 2013. However, Coleman admits that the teams they will face are no pushovers. \"We're looking forward to it. There's some good teams in there, strong teams,\" Coleman said. \"It's never easy going to places like Georgia and Moldova. It's always very difficult, and, of course, we know the quality of Republic of Ireland and Austria. \"In the last campaign in the World Cup [2014 qualifying] we faced Serbia and were beaten heavily twice, so we know there's good teams in there. \"But what we know is in the last two or three years we've really improved as a nation and at the moment, at our strongest, we fancy ourselves against anyone. \"I don't say that flippantly because we're in amongst some good teams.\" The top team from each group will qualify for the finals in Russia with the eight best second-placed teams going into the play-offs. Wales currently top their Euro 2016 qualifying group after beating Belgium 1-0 in Cardiff last June. They hold a three-point lead with four games remaining, needing to finish in the top two to secure their place at a major finals for the first time since 1958. \"We've got a lot of football to play in this European qualifying campaign before we get to the next one,\" Coleman added.", "summary": "Manager Chris Coleman was content with Wales' 2018 World Cup qualifying group after Saturday's draw in Russia."}
{"article": "Rat droppings and a live mouse were found in the kitchen at Shimla Pinks, in Leicester, on Tuesday. Officers shut the restaurant while people were dining, with the business fined \u00c2\u00a31,000 during a hearing at the city's magistrates. Owner Meena Patel told the Leicester Mercury he felt \"terrible\" about the problem and vowed to rectify it. Leicester City Council health inspectors confirmed the closure during the hearing on Thursday. The court was told droppings were found behind the freezer and there were holes in doors and the skirting boards, allowing the rodents access to food preparation areas. Bacterial infections such as Leptospirosis and Ecoli can be spread by urine from mice and rats. The council said in a statement the owners are not allowed to open until it was satisfied they have \"addressed the problems\". The BBC approached Shimla Pinks for comment but has yet to receive a reply. However, Mr Patel told the Mercury he was going to \"eradicate\" the problem. The premises, in London Road, will close for a week to allow walls to be rebuilt and kitchen equipment replaced. Shimla Pinks has earned consistent positive reviews on Trip Advisor, earning it a \"certificate of excellence\" in 2015.", "summary": "A curry house has been shut down after an infestation of rats and mice was found by health inspectors."}
{"article": "The incident involving the 10:13 service happened close to Inverurie. ScotRail Alliance said no-one was injured in the collision, but that the damage included a smashed windscreen and engine failure. Services between Aberdeen, Inverurie and Inverness were affected until early afternoon. A ScotRail Alliance spokesperson said: \"Due to a train hitting a tree between Aberdeen and Inverness services along the route are disrupted. \"We have replacement buses in place to get our customers where they need to be. \"We apologise to anyone delayed by this incident.\"", "summary": "Rail service have been disrupted after an Aberdeen to Inverness train was damaged when it hit a fallen tree in Aberdeenshire."}
{"article": "The star, who is of Egyptian heritage, won the prize for his role in the USA Network drama Mr Robot. He said he hoped his win would open the door for more ethnic minority actors. \"For me to stand here as not the typical leading man and to have come home with this speaks a lot about where we're headed,\" he said. \"I think we can keep going a lot further in that direction, not just in entertainment, but socially and politically, and strive to be as progressive as possible.\" Malek held off competition from actors including bookmakers' favourite Kevin Spacey, who was nominated for House of Cards, The Americans' Matthew Rhys and Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk. The last non-white winner to win the trophy was Andre Braugher for Homicide: Life on the Street in 1998. Since then, the winners have included James Gandolfini for The Sopranos, Damian Lewis for Homeland, The Shield's Michael Chiklis, Jeff Daniels for The Newsroom and Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston. In his acceptance speech, Malek said: \"I'm honoured to stand here and represent my family and every single person who's helped me get this far.\" Reacting to his surprise win, the actor - whose character sees things that are not real - joked to the audience: \"Please tell me you're seeing this too.\" Malek was born in Los Angeles in 1981 to Egyptian parents. He went to Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California - graduating in 1999 along with fellow actor Rachel Bilson. In 2004, Malek got his first major TV role in Gilmore Girls and went on to appear in 24, The Pacific, Over There and The War at Home. His film roles to date include Larry Crowne, Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, a recurring role in the Night At The Museum series. Malek began starring in Mr Robot in 2015, a role that has also netted him a Critics' Choice Award. Malek was one of several ethnic minority actors to triumph at Sunday's ceremony. Courtney B Vance and Sterling K Brown, who both appeared in The People vs OJ Simpson, won the best leading actor and supporting actor in a limited series categories respectively. And Regina King was named outstanding supporting actress in a limited series or movie for her role in American Crime. Meanwhile, Alan Yang and Aziz Ansari called for better Asian representation on screen after winning the Emmy for outstanding writing for a comedy series for Netflix series Master of None. Host Jimmy Kimmel made several references to diversity during the ceremony in light of the \"Oscars So White\" controversy earlier this year. \"Here in Hollywood the only thing we value more than diversity is congratulating ourselves on how much we value diversity,\" he said in his opening monologue. \"The Emmys are so diverse this year the Oscars are now telling people we're one of their closest friends.\" He joked that the ceremony was almost too diverse - with other notable winners including Susanne Bier, who was the only woman nominated in her category of best limited", "summary": "Rami Malek has become the first minority actor in 18 years to win the Emmy Award for best leading actor in a drama series."}
{"article": "Pte William Kemp, Cpl Sandy MacDonald, and L/Cpl James Wilson escaped their captors after convincing them they were from the Soviet Union. Now film producers have used the tale as a premise for new World War Two drama In the Darkest Hour. Scottish film company Burning Horseshoe Productions is behind the project. However, it will not be a faithful re-telling of the story of the soldiers' escape from enemy clutches. Stephen Don, a director with Northern Ireland-based Silver Sombrero Pictures which is also involved in the project, said it was a \"brilliant premise\" for a film. He said: \"The germ of the idea for this project came from my father who was a soldier in World War Two. \"He told me that two Scots soldiers got stuck in enemy territory and ditched their uniform in an effort to get back to their lines and avoid capture. \"Their only defence if captured was that one of the them was a fluent Gaelic speaker and would bamboozle the Nazis in a lingo which they couldn't understand.\" He added: \"I find it a brilliant premise to throw together two characters into a make or break situation.\" The soldiers' escape from the Germans in June 1940 came weeks after their Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders regiments surrendered to enemy forces. Pte Kemp's memoir charts their remarkable journey from Abbeville, in occupied northern France, to the safety of the British consulate in Spain. In it, the soldier from Ballachulish, recounts the moment a German commander pointed a revolver at each of their heads after they were taken to prisoner of war camp. When they were asked to state their nationality, Pte Kemp replied in Gaelic: \"I do not know\". When he was asked which country he was from, he said: \"Ardnamurchan\". The men were then questioned in seven other languages - and to each they replied in Gaelic, to the confusion of their captors. The memoir continued: \"Next an atlas was produced. The interpreter took us over the various countries on the continent, one by one, and when he came to the Ukraine, I quickly pointed my finger to it.\" He said the commander consulted three other officers, before saying \"Allez\" and opening the gate for the trio. \"We were free once more\", Pte Kemp wrote. The soldiers were hailed heroes on their return to Scotland but once the Nazis got wind of the story, they targeted Gaelic prisoners for harsher treatment. Their tale has been adapted for In the Darkest Hour, which features fictional soldiers Hamish McNeill, who speaks Gaelic, and his sergeant, Gordon McGregor. It will look at the pair's fraught relationship as they move from the front line in France to a Nazi interrogation room in Berlin. The film, which is still in development, is a \"high concept World War Two action drama\", said Mr Don. It has received lottery development funding from Northern Ireland Screen.", "summary": "The true story of a trio of Gaelic-speaking soldiers who used their native tongue to \"bamboozle\" the Germans has inspired a new feature film."}
{"article": "However, it seems that is not so as new collections of pictures continue to emerge. Two such bodies of work stood out for me recently. Both comprise portraits of people on the street from a similar time, the late 1970s and early 80s, which are now far enough away to seem like ancient history to the generation now picking up cameras for the first time. Christine Osinski's series, Summer Days Staten Island, was taken when she moved with her husband to what is known as New York's \"forgotten borough\" in 1982 after years of living in Manhattan. The move was enforced to some extent by rising rent prices and this led them to purchase an older property on the island. Wanting to get to know the area and her new neighbours, she began exploring with her camera, later saying: \"It was an adventure first and became a project much, much later.\" The portraits are direct, the clothes unmistakably of the time and even the poses seem naive, taken in the pre-selfie, self-worship era of today. They remind us what a talented photographer can do with a simple dark box, a lens and some film. At around the same time on this side of \"the pond\", another American photographer, Al Vandenberg, was chronicling life on the streets of London. Perhaps best known for his art direction of The Beatles' Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover, Vandenberg had studied with some of the biggest names in the business, like Bruce Davidson, Alexey Brodovitch and Richard Avedon, before moving to London, living off the King's Road, in 1965. There he built a successful career before giving it up to head back to New York, from where he hitchhiked through parts of the US and Canada, before returning to the UK in 1974. It was at this time he began taking portraits of Londoners, the results as compelling at Osinki's. The faces stare back at the lens with an assurance that can only be found in the young. Vandenberg walked the streets of London to make these pictures, freed from commercial ties and having to produce work on demand. He wrote that once he stopped using his photographs for advertising consumer goods he had \"no visible means of support\". \"A lot of people believed in my art and gave me several helping hands and a great deal of support. It seemed that when I stopped making money I gained many friends,\" he added. He was in a good place and that comes through in the open nature of the work. This is perhaps best summed up by Martin Barnes, senior curator of photographs at the Victoria and Albert Museum, who writes in a book of the work published by Stanley / Barker: \"Vandenberg had an unconscious knack of being alert to the nostalgia of the future.\" Technically the two approaches were very different, with Osinski using a large format 5x4 camera and Vandenberg an Olympus OM1 - the entire project shot with one lens and Kodak Tri-X film with it all printed on Agfa", "summary": "The role of photography has changed in recent years and, given the amount published daily to the web, you might begin to think you'd seen everything worth looking at - especially images from the past."}
{"article": "The 35-year-old man, who has not been named, was walking on Coopers Green Road in Uckfield at about 01:00 GMT on Saturday. A vehicle believed to have been involved was later traced by police to a nearby address. A 26-year-old man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He has been released on bail until 28 February.", "summary": "A pedestrian has been struck and killed by a car in Sussex."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old clocked 101.76 seconds to finish behind Slovakia's Michal Martikan and Sideris Tasiadis of Germany in the third leg of the series. Martikan took victory by 0.69 seconds on the Markkleeberg course to secure the 20th World Cup gold medal of his career. \"The manner in which I did it today is what I'm happy about,\" said Burgess. \"Third in the heats, third in the semis, third in the final. That consistency is what I had last year and it's what got me a lot of good results.\" The fourth leg of the World Cup is in Ivrea, Italy from 1-3 September. Women's K1 Ricarda Funk (GER) 103.85 (0) Jessica Fox (AUS) 106.31 (0) Eva Tercelj (SLO) 109.17 (0) Men's C1 Michal Martikan (SVK) 100.88 (2) Sideris Tasiadis (GER) 101.57 (2) Adam Burgess (GBR) 101.76 (0)", "summary": "Great Britain's Adam Burgess won bronze in the men's C1 at the Canoe Slalom World Cup in Markkleeberg, Germany."}
{"article": "Austen Harrison suffered fatal head injuries at the Hugo Boss shop in Bicester, Oxfordshire, in June 2013. Hugo Boss UK pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and Management of Health and Safety at Work regulations. Sentencing is due to take place at Oxford Crown Court on 19 June. Austen, of Crawley, West Sussex, had been playing with the unfixed steel-framed fitting-room mirror which toppled on to him while his father tried on a suit in the shop at the Bicester outlet village. He underwent an emergency operation to relieve pressure on his brain but died four days later in hospital after life-support was switched off. At a hearing at Banbury Magistrates Court on Tuesday, Barry Berlin, prosecuting on behalf of Cherwell District Council, requested the case should be sentenced at Oxford Crown Court where fines of \u00c2\u00a3100,000 or more could be imposed, rather than the \u00c2\u00a320,000 possible at a magistrates court. An inquest jury at Oxford Coroner's Court earlier this year returned a narrative verdict. Austen's death was an \"accident waiting to happen\", the coroner said.", "summary": "A designer store has admitted health and safety offences following the death of a four-year-old boy who was crushed when a 120kg mirror fell on him."}
{"article": "The incident occurred in the second half, as Barnsley won 3-1 to seal promotion back to the Championship. \"An altercation between a small number of fans occurred,\" New Scotland Yard said. \"No arrests have been made at this stage and enquiries continue.\" The Football Association and Millwall have both condemned those involved. The London club said in a statement on their website: \"Millwall Football Club deplores the actions of a small minority of its fans during the second half of Sunday's League One play-off final. \"Such behaviour is unacceptable and anyone found guilty of disorder will face life bans from the football club.\" An FA statement said: \"The FA condemns the disorder caused by a small number of fans. We will work closely with the clubs, the Football League and the Met Police to identify those involved and take appropriate action. \"We would like to take this opportunity to praise the actions of our stewards and the police, who responded responsibly under provocation.\" The Police's statement added: \"The Metropolitan Police Service will conduct a review and will liaise with the Football Association and the two clubs involved to identify those responsible and where necessary take the appropriate action.\"", "summary": "Police are to conduct a review after Millwall fans were involved in crowd trouble during the League One play-off final with Barnsley at Wembley."}
{"article": "Willie Macleod, executive director of the British Hospitality Association, said many retailers \"relied on daily deliveries\" from Blochairn. Firefighters began tackling the blaze in the early hours of Thursday. Mr Macleod said suppliers at the market were sure to be \"resilient\" but that businesses would be impacted. City Property, which owns the site, said it was trying to establish alternative arrangements so that normal business could resume as soon as possible. Mr Macleod told the BBC: \"The impact on the market - short and medium-term - is not yet clear, it's unlikely that normal operations will be possible for the immediate or foreseeable future. \"Any disruption to supplies of fresh produce will have an impact on hospitality businesses and caterers, as well as retailers - many of whom rely on daily deliveries.\" Mr Macleod said that in the immediate term, menus were likely to be adjusted and, in some cases, fresh produce would be substituted by frozen items. He added: \"I'm sure that the wholesale suppliers which operate out of Blochairn will be resilient and adaptable and will already be looking at alternative arrangements for their customers - possibly using alternative markets such as Edinburgh or Newcastle in the interim. \"Hospitality businesses will look for alternative, short-term sources of supply where they can. \"Many larger chains and branded outlets operating in the west of Scotland will have national or regional procurement arrangements in place - these will not necessarily be reliant on Blochairn, so the impact in these cases is unlikely to be so severe.\" Donald Neilson, director of seafood company John Vallance, had been processing orders and loading vans when the fire broke out. \"It was a pretty quick evacuation and most of our stock was left lying,\" he said. \"We supply from the market to other wholesalers, restaurants, hotels, fish and chip shops and places like that. \"The west of Scotland and central Scotland - all the restaurants and hotels - will have to go without orders today.\" Mr Neilson said he was hopeful the fire had been stopped before it got the the fish market area. \"Hopefully we'll get back into the markets as soon as possible because all our computers and office stuff is there. \"We also want to check our chills, our freezers and our tanks are ok.\" In the meantime, he said they had secured temporary warehouse space and hoped to provide a service from there. Jim McGhee, who owns Castle Douglas fruit and veg shop Mitchell's, was also there when the fire broke out. \"We have a wholesale fruit business with a retail outlet and we go to the market two to three times a week,\" he said. \"I had just got my lorry loaded up luckily - there were a couple of things I didn't get because the police asked us all to leave the area. \"There is a bit of the market that hasn't been touched by the fire so I would think we will still be OK next week to get stuff. \"The top end of the market has escaped the fire", "summary": "A huge fire at a Glasgow fruit and vegetable market will hit local restaurants, flower shops and cafes, an industry chief has predicted."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old won his first medal in the 10m platform event, finishing with a score of 543.80. China's Olympic champion Aisen Chen took gold with 580.60 while silver went to compatriot Hao Yang (574.80). Daley then teamed up with 20-year-old Grace Reid to finish third in the mixed 3m synchro behind pairs from China and Canada. Their best dive came in the third round when they scored 69.30 points for their inward two-and-a-half somersaults piked.", "summary": "Britain's Tom Daley won two bronzes on the final day of the Diving World Cup event in Kazan, Russia."}
{"article": "The club, which was formed more than two centuries ago, has only ever allowed men to join. A vote on proposals to change that rule is scheduled for September. The early indication is that there is great support In advance of that meeting, the Royal and Ancient has written to its members urging them to support a change in policy which would allow women members. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club has been the guardian of the rules of the game since 1754, although in 2004 it devolved responsibility for the administration of the game and the Open to the newly-formed R&A. \"It's a big day for the club,\" R&A chief executive Peter Dawson told BBC Sport. \"We've done this really because of our governance role in the game. \"We think it's very good for the governance of golf that we make this move. Sport has been changing, society has been changing and golf is part of that. \"We think it's time this change is made.\" If the vote goes against women members, Dawson said that would be an \"undesirable\" result. He added: \"The early indication is that there is great support. We will have to see what happens.\" Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond boycotted last year's Open at all-male club Muirfield, while Open venues Royal St George's and Troon also bar women members. However, in 2012 the Augusta National Club, which hosts the Masters in the United States every year, allowed women to join for the first time in its 80-year history.", "summary": "The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is urging its 2,500 members to vote in favour of abolishing its men-only policy, the BBC has learned."}
{"article": "Mark Glasswell, 34, of Simmons Way, Gipton, bludgeoned one of his victims with a hammer and also set fire to a house with a 78-year-old woman inside. He pleaded guilty to a number of charges and was jailed for life with a minimum term of six years. Police described Glasswell as a \"despicable individual\". West Yorkshire Police said his crime spree began on 8 September last year by robbing a clothes store on Vicar Lane after threatening a store assistant. Two days later he went to the home of an 86-year-old woman on Pendas Walk where he hit her several times over the head with a hammer. The victim suffered two skull fractures and a broken eye socket and had to have 50 stitches in her head. The following day he ripped the handbag off the shoulder of an 82-year-old woman walking on Beckett Street. Later that day he returned to Leeds where he went into a shop and threatened a staff member with a plastic handgun. Police said Glasswell's final offence took place in the early hours of 12 September when 78-year-old Jean Lord was woken in her home by Glasswell, who was stood in the door of her bedroom and threatened her with the same replica firearm. He dragged her downstairs and threatened to pour boiling water over her head before making off with jewellery and a DVD player. Leaving Mrs Lord injured on the living-room floor, Glasswell then started two fires as he left, one in front of the main door and the other in front of a desk containing all the keys to the house. Mrs Lord managed to escape and raise the alarm with a neighbour. Glasswell admitted aggravated burglary, assault, theft, robbery, attempted robbery, false imprisonment and arson with intent to endanger life.", "summary": "A man who carried out a five day crime spree across Leeds including attacking two elderly women in their homes has been jailed for life."}
{"article": "Kerry Smith stepped down as a candidate for South Basildon and East Thurrock after the Mail on Sunday reported leaked phone calls in which he made offensive comments about gay people. Mr Smith told the BBC that his comments were no worse than the language in the TV comedy Only Fools and Horses. UKIP said he was no longer a party member and \"can do what he likes\". In a recording obtained by the newspaper, Mr Smith made offensive remarks about gay people, other UKIP members and Chigwell in Essex. In his first broadcast interview since resigning as a party member, Mr Smith said ambitious people in UKIP needed to be \"very, very afraid\" in case more secret recordings existed. Speaking to the BBC's Tom Barton, he said his comments were no worse than the language in the TV comedy Only Fools and Horses, and said he had been \"too politically incorrect\". After apologising \"unreservedly\" he added: \"My language, for the record, was no worse than watching an old episode of Fools and Horses to be fair. I come from the East End, the word was never offensive and if you talked politically correct where I grew up you were battered for being a boffin.\" He said this was no excuse. Mr Smith said the constituency had \"become a real farce as far as the national party's concerned\". Before Mr Smith was chosen last week, the former Conservative MP Neil Hamilton withdrew from the selection process for the seat after a letter querying his expenses claims was leaked to the media. A UKIP spokesman said of Mr Smith: \"He's not a member of the party. He can do what he likes. We don't recognise that story.\"", "summary": "A UKIP candidate who resigned on Sunday has said he may have been a victim of \"black arts\" within the party."}
{"article": "Mostyn Hall, near Holywell, which is set in 25 acres (10 hectares) of formal gardens, has been home to the Mostyn family for generations. Their connection with the area dates back more than 500 years. The garden is being opened for the first time under the National Garden Scheme which was set up to benefit nursing charities. The estate has a Japanese garden and a restored Victorian kitchen garden.", "summary": "The private gardens of an historic house in Flintshire are being opened to the public on Sunday."}
{"article": "Winds gusting to up to 75mph have been forecast for Tuesday. The Met Office has issued a yellow \"be aware\" warning to cover from 10:00 to 18:00 on Tuesday for the worst affected areas. It has warned of the possibility of disruption to ferries, large waves and heavy showers. The Met Office said the stronger winds would be \"short lived in any one location\". But it added: \"At the same time some large waves will run onto exposed coasts bringing the chance of some spray and wave overtopping.\"", "summary": "The Met Office has issued a high winds warning for Shetland, Orkney and parts of the Western Isles and northern mainland Scotland."}
{"article": "Just as the founder of the state, Kim Il-sung (\"The Great Leader\"), brought his son Kim Jong-il to the fore 30 years ago, so Kim Jong-il (\"The Dear Leader\") has now made clear his choice of his youngest son Kim Jong-un (to be known as \"The Brilliant Comrade\") to be his successor. The difference may lie in the timing. Kim Jong-il's elevation to the status of heir apparent was in 1980, but it was not until his father died in 1994 that he formally took over power. It seems unlikely that Kim Jong-un, who is about 27 (such basic personal details can be absurdly difficult to pin down in North Korea), will have to wait that long. The present leader, who is 68, is widely thought to be a sick man, who may well have suffered a stroke in 2008. There has been speculation that the reason for delaying the present gathering of the ruling Workers' Party for a fortnight, a remarkable and slightly humiliating change for the North Korean leadership, was that he was ill once again. If Kim Jong-il's health is indeed failing fast, this may explain why an apparently wide-ranging reshuffle of the leadership structure has emerged at this party meeting. In the space of a few hours his son, Kim Jon-un, who has no military or political experience whatever, became a four-star general, deputy chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party, and a member of the Central Committee. Guide: Secretive 'first family' To bolster his position, the younger Kim's aunt, Kim Kyong-hui, was also made a general, as well as a member of the politburo. Her husband, Chang Song-taek, is head of the National Defence Commission, and is usually regarded as the power behind the throne. Most of the seats on the politburo have been empty for years; it is possible they may now slowly be filled. Behind this may lie a determined effort to assert the control of the Workers' Party over the military, who have traditionally been the leading power in North Korea. If that is so, it seems likely that the hand of China lies behind much of this. The leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, rather than the foreign ministry, seems to be in charge of China's policy towards North Korea. There have been clear signs that China would like North Korea to develop in very much the same way as China itself did in the 1970s and 80s, leading to the rampant and highly successful state-controlled capitalism of recent years. The main architect of this change was Deng Xiaoping. Interestingly, his only formal official position for years was his control over the military committee of China's Communist Party: not very different from the most important of the young Kim Jong-un's new jobs. China clearly wants reform in North Korea. There have been various signs of its alarm over North Korea's unpredictable military policy. The thought that its economy might simply implode, perhaps unleashing a wave of millions of refugees across North Korea's borders, is deeply disturbing to the Chinese leadership.", "summary": "North Korea has begun the process of political succession in the same idiosyncratic manner it has developed over the decades."}
{"article": "Froch, 37, will make his screen debut in a film called Once Upon a Time In London. The Nottingham fighter has consulted industry legends such as Samuel L Jackson for tips and said he will play a \"tough guy or a villain\". \"I'll probably be chucking someone in the River Thames,\" said Froch. Froch, who admits he is \"in a bit of a dilemma\" whether he should continue his boxing career, would not be the first fighter to swap the sweat of the gym for the glare of the camera. Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson played a cameo role in recent Hollywood hit The Hangover, while Irish former middleweight champion Steve Collins held a minor part in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. \"I'm by no stage of the imagination an actor, I don't think you're listening to the next Robert De Niro,\" Froch told BBC Radio 5 live. \"[Former footballer] Vinnie Jones did well out of it, I think [former Commonwealth diver] Jason Statham did well from no real experience and they've gone on to have good careers. \"When I was on the Jonathan Ross Show I met Sir Ben Kingsley - acting royalty - I've met Samuel L Jackson, Michael Douglas. I've been talking to them and asking how they got into it. Nobody became a superstar overnight. \"A lot of the time they play themselves, so that was the advice: be yourself.\" Froch, who has 33 wins from 35 fights, last competed when he knocked out George Groves at Wembley Stadium in May 2014. He has since appeared on BBC gymnastics show Tumble and said he was envious of former Manchester United striker Dion Dublin, who has landed a role presenting Homes under the Hammer. He vacated the IBF world title earlier this year and fellow Briton James DeGale will now fight American Andre Dirrell for the belt on 23 May. Froch added: \"The only two things left for me to do would be to fight at the Nottingham Forest City Ground that'll hold 30,000 and they'll be all loyal my fans, or in Las Vegas. \"[Mexico's] Julio Cesar Chavez Junior is fighting in April and that's a fight that could still happen for me in August or September.\" You can listen to Carl Froch's interview on BBC 5 live in short.", "summary": "WBA super-middleweight champion Carl Froch is set to take his first steps on the road to Hollywood stardom while he considers his future in boxing."}
{"article": "Benzema is being investigated for his part in an alleged plot to blackmail France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena. The Real Madrid player - who denies wrongdoing - was not allowed to contact Valbuena, meaning they could not be in the same squad, but an appeals court has partially lifted some restrictions. However Benzema, who is injured, was suspended from France duty in December. That ban was due to stand until the end of court proceedings. An investigating judge last month lifted the order keeping Benzema and Lyon playmaker Valbuena apart, but the prosecutor appealed. That was dismissed on Friday. Benzema's lawyer, Sylvain Cormier, described the decision as \"a first step\". The 28-year-old forward faces preliminary charges of conspiracy to blackmail relating to an extortion scam over a sex tape involving Valbuena. If found guilty, he could face a minimum of five years in prison. According to French media, Benzema mentioned a sex tape to Valbuena, 31, during a national team training session at Clairefontaine on 5 October. Benzema told police he was advising a friend about what to do in a difficult situation. But he could face charges for complicity in attempted blackmail and participation in a criminal conspiracy.", "summary": "Striker Karim Benzema will be eligible to play for France at Euro 2016 after some legal restrictions were lifted."}
{"article": "Chris Murphy was granted leave to pursue a judicial review of the A6 upgrade. It is the first stage in a bid to halt the \u00c2\u00a3160m dual carriageway because of concerns over the impact on wildlife in and around Lough Neagh and Lough Beg. A judge has ruled the challenge should proceed to a full hearing in 2017. The A6 is the main Belfast to Londonderry road and is heavily used. Mr Murphy, an ornithologist, was granted leave in the High Court to seek a judicial review over an alleged breach of a directive on a specially protected area close to a section of the Toome to Castledawson stretch of the upgrade. The A6 upgrade would also run through a landscape made famous by Heaney including an area near Mossbawn, County Londonderry, the former Nobel laureate's childhood home. Mr Murphy said Heaney's work was fundamental to the area's landscape. \"The wild and the wet inspired him and he immortalised it in his work,\" he said. \"You have got dozens of places in his poetry that will be destroyed by the impact of the noise of a motorway so close to Mossbawn\". The environmentalist issued proceedings after the upgrade was given the go ahead by Northern Ireland's Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard. At Thursday's hearing, a judge said there was still uncertainty surrounding checks to determine the disturbance to wildlife in and around Lough Neagh and Lough Beg. The judge held that an arguable case has been established on an alleged breach of the habitats directive that gives protected status to both Loughs. He noted that further assessments have been carried out since the department first made checks on the presence of nesting birds, badgers and bats, and to ensure minimisation of disturbance to whooper swans. But the judge said he was unclear whether these actions were part of a fulfilment of the habitats directive obligations. \"The court is left wondering about the impact or otherwise of the checks being carried out,\" he said. The judge said that any concerns may be eased once further information is supplied. However, he ruled that the challenge should proceed to a full hearing early next year. \"There's substantial public interest involved in a case like this,\" he said. \"Stopping a major road project is a matter of considerable importance.\" The disputed route for the dual carriageway was identified following a public inquiry nearly a decade ago.", "summary": "An environmental campaigner has got permission to challenge a proposed new road through landscape made famous by poet Seamus Heaney."}
{"article": "Cameron Lancaster, from Burntisland, Fife, died on Sunday evening. His family described his death as a tragic accident and \"a great loss\" and said Cameron would be hugely missed by family and friends. The emergency services were called to Prestonhill Quarry near Inverkeithing at about 17:00 on Sunday and a body was recovered four hours later. Police Scotland said inquiries are under way to establish the full circumstances of what happened, but it is thought the incident is connected to the ice bucket challenge. A statement from Cameron's family added: \"During his short life, he touched so many people with his friendliness, kindness and thoughtful generosity of spirit.\"", "summary": "The death of an 18-year-old man in a flooded quarry is believed to be linked to the ice bucket challenge craze."}
{"article": "Tens of thousands of Wales supporters travelled to France in the summer to see their side progress to the tournament's semi finals. They were branded \"the red wall\" by the Wales players. Uefa's executive committee has also recognised supporters from Iceland, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The announcement coincides with Wales rising to 10th in the Fifa world rankings.", "summary": "Wales football fans have been given an \"outstanding contribution\" award from Uefa for their part at Euro 2016."}
{"article": "The missile was fired on Monday from the Tongchang-ri region, near the North's border with China, the South Korean military said. Last month North Korea said it had successfully test-fired a new kind of ballistic missile in a launch supervised by leader Kim Jong-un. The nation is banned by the UN from any tests of missile or nuclear technology. The test in February was condemned by the UN, the US, South Korea and Japan. A South Korean military official said the latest launch, which took place at 07:36 local time Monday (22:36 GMT Sunday), was being investigated to determine the type of the projectile used. North Korea has repeatedly said its space programme is peaceful but it is believed to be developing an intercontinental ballistic missile that could strike the US. It is also believed to be working to make nuclear warheads small enough to fit on a missile.", "summary": "North Korea has launched an unidentified missile which fell into the Sea of Japan, South Korea says."}
{"article": "In a post on the social media site, he said his personal challenge this year would be to build a \"simple AI\" similar to the butler Jarvis from the film Iron Man. Mr Zuckerberg plans to share his progress over the course of the year. Last month, he made headlines for plans to give away 99% of his Facebook stake. He had to defend his philanthropic venture - launched to celebrate the birth of his daughter- after critics argued that it could provide a way for the founder to avoid paying tax on the sale of his shares. On Monday, Mr Zuckerberg said he would start to build the AI with technology that is already out there and teach it to understand his voice to control everything in his home from music and lights to temperature. \"This should be a fun intellectual challenge to code this for myself,\" Mr Zuckerberg said. \"I'll teach it to let friends in by looking at their faces when they ring the doorbell,\" he said. \"I'll teach it to let me know if anything is going on in Max's (his daughter's) room that I need to check on when I'm not with her.\" It is now a long time ago, but I've been trying to remember my two periods of paternity leave. I dimly recall clumsily changing nappies, making endless cups of tea for visitors, and a mixture of immense joy and total weariness. What I'm sure I did not do is come up with a plan for a personal robot assistant. Read Rory's full analysis here. For Facebook, he added that the system would help him visualise data in virtual reality and help him build better services, as well as lead his company. His announcement comes as Facebook is in the midst of AI initiatives such as building an assistant through its Messenger app for users. The tech billionaire said a part of the motivation behind this year's challenge was the reward of building things yourself. His previous personal challenges have included learning Mandarin, reading two books a month and meeting a new person every day, he said. Read more of our CES coverage and follow the BBC team at CES on Twitter", "summary": "Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has said he plans to build artificial intelligence (AI) to help him around the house and with his work."}
{"article": "NHS figures show 10.5% of women currently smoke at the time of delivery - a drop of only 0.1% on last year. Over the same period, smoking rates among adults in the UK fell from 17.2% to 15.8%. The Smoking in Pregnancy Challenge Group said smoking was the cause of too many babies born with health problems. The group of health charities, which includes the Royal College of Midwives, Action on Smoking and Health and the Lullaby Trust, said good progress had been made in recent years to reduce smoking in pregnant women. In 2012-13, 12.7% of women in England were smoking when their baby was born, figures from NHS Digital show. But women living in poorer areas who needed most support to quit smoking were not getting enough help, they added. Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of complications such as miscarriage, premature birth, a low birth weight baby and stillbirth. A Department of Health spokeswoman said it was \"encouraging to see smoking rates at their lowest ever levels, but smoking still kills around 79,000 people in England every year so the battle is by no means won\". \"We have taken bold action to protect the public by introducing standardised packaging for cigarettes, making it illegal to smoke in a car with a child and covering up tobacco products in shops.\" She said a new tobacco control strategy to drive down smoking rates even further would be published \"in due course\". Francine Bates, co-chair of the group and chief executive of the Lullaby Trust, said: \"We cannot afford to go backwards, having made good progress. \"The government must urgently publish the now long promised Tobacco Control Plan to not only address smoking in pregnancy but ensure that fewer women are smoking when they become pregnant.\" The plan for England, which has been in the pipeline since earlier this year, will include measures to narrow the difference in smoking rates between rich and poor. The charities said good local services were required as well as strong new targets to reach women who needed most help and support. Hazel Cheeseman, director of policy at Action on Smoking and Health, which co-ordinates the group, said: \"This work must continue, and it is important that smoking continues to be a priority if the government's targets to reduce stillbirths are to be met.\" Smoking rates during pregnancy are measured differently in the other countries of the UK. The largest reductions in smoking have been among young people aged 18 to 24, figures from the Office for National Statistics show. Since 2010, smoking has declined by 6.5% in this group. About 5.6% of people - 2.9 million - in the UK are now using e-cigarettes.", "summary": "The reduction in smoking rates among pregnant women in England has slowed down in the past year, prompting concern from health charities."}
{"article": "The biker, 56, died in the crash on the A612 Daleside Road in Sneinton at 06:30 BST on Wednesday. Nottinghamshire Police said the 50-year-old man, who was detained on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop, has been bailed. The Carlton-bound carriageway of the A612 was closed for several hours. Earlier officers made an appeal for a second biker, who did not stop at the scene, to come forward. Updates on this story and more from Nottinghamshire Anyone with any information on the crash has been asked to contact the police.", "summary": "A man has been arrested in connection with the death of a motorcyclist who was killed on a road in Nottingham."}
{"article": "From this autumn, the leading UK independent school is going to provide classes in leadership to Chinese students, using live online tuition. The school has formed a partnership with a technology firm to create a company called EtonX. The school, in Berkshire, says any income raised by the international project will be used for bursaries to cover pupils' fees. Percy Harrison, director of information technology at Eton College, says the school would be able to reach a wider number of pupils, without setting up an overseas campus. He said there were risks to the \"brand\" of independent schools setting up overseas \"franchises\", but the online venture would allow Eton to provide lessons for students in China without losing control of the quality. The EtonX project will see pupils in China learning from a mixture of interactive content produced at Eton, with one-to-one online teaching from tutors in the UK. The cost, about \u00c2\u00a3700 per pupil, will be paid by Chinese parents as an optional extra, like a music lesson. Teachers from Eton have been to the schools in China to talk to their counterparts in Chinese classrooms. At the launch, the project is expected to involve \"less than a dozen\" schools in China. The lessons, aimed at China's aspirational middle-class families, will teach secondary pupils a \"modern leadership programme\", taught in English and focusing on communication skills and how to work collaboratively. The aim is to give Chinese students skills for a modern international workplace, which will help them think beyond a school system with a high level of rote learning. Mr Harrison said the project would carry Eton's \"DNA\" in terms of the school's emphasis on developing leadership. The project is being run with education-technology company Eighteen70 . Its founder, Simon Walsh, said he wanted to \"humanise\" digital education through individual online tuition. Such online courses have been mainly associated with universities - and the EtonX brand is reminiscent of online projects by US universities, such as HarvardX and MITx. Former pupils at the school include Prince William and Prime Minister David Cameron.", "summary": "Eton College is going to launch online lessons for schools in China."}
{"article": "Researchers said seven out of 10 companies had reported an increase in sales - some by more than 50%. The Scottish Technology Industry Survey also found that 82% of businesses were predicting sales to increase in 2017. Predicted employment growth is also on the up, with 78% of firms expecting to employ more people this year. This compares to 66% of firms that were expecting to hire more staff in 2016. The digital technologies trade body, ScotlandIS, produced the annual survey. Polly Purvis, chief executive of ScotlandIS, said: \"The results of this year's survey show the confidence and resilience of the digital technologies industry which is continuing to grow and maintain its optimistic outlook despite uncertainties in the political environment. \"This is great news not just for our sector, but also for the economy as a whole. The digital technologies industry generates over \u00c2\u00a35bn in GVA [gross value added] for Scotland every year and is becoming more and more important in our increasingly digital world.\" But ScotlandIS said a \"skills shortage\" remained an issue for many firms. For the first time since 2013, demand for experienced staff outstripped that for graduates. Ms Purvis added: \"Our survey shows that more companies are looking to Scotland to recruit new employees. This is likely to be a sign of Brexit-related concerns and the decreasing attractiveness of the UK for international talent.\"", "summary": "Scotland's digital technology industry enjoyed \"sustained growth\" in 2016 and is optimistic for the future, a survey has found."}
{"article": "Aaron McEneff put the Candystripes in control with two first-half penalties, both given for fouls on Lukas Schubert. Nathan Boyle fired home early in the second half and Schubert hammered in the fourth before Keith Ward's late lob completed the Finn Park rout. Derry go a point ahead of Cork City and the teams meet at the Brandywell on Monday night in a crunch encounter. It was Derry's first win over their north-west rivals in three meetings this season and they were rarely troubled by a disappointing Harps side. McEneff tucked away the opener on 17 minutes after Ciaran Coll's challenge on Schubert, although the foul appeared to be outside the box. There was no doubt the second spot-kick, with former Candystripes midfielder Barry Molloy bringing downing Schubert and McEneff making it 2-0 three minutes from the break. Boyle produced a clinical finish from a Dean Jarvis cut-back eight minutes after the restart. City keeper Gerard Doherty had a quiet night but he made a fine save to deny David Scully in the host's best opening of the game. Schubert flicked the ball past Coll before blasting in after 83 minutes and it was soon followed by Ward's clever chip over Harps stopper Richard Brush. It was Derry's biggest win of the campaign and perfect preparation for the showdown with Cork.", "summary": "Derry City have moved up to second in the Premier Division thanks to a thumping 5-0 derby win over Finn Harps."}
{"article": "Wiltshire Police arrested three boys from Swindon aged 16, 14 and 13 in connection with the incident. The younger boys were charged with common assault and public order offences, and the 16-year-old was released with no further action. The 14-year-old will appear before Swindon Magistrates' Court later. The 13-year-old has been bailed to appear at Swindon Youth Court on 23 June.", "summary": "Two teenagers have been charged with assault after a video was posted on Facebook showing a boy being bullied by a gang of youths in Swindon."}
{"article": "Ina Lewis, 73, had been initially admitted to Denbighshire's Glan Clwyd Hospital after being found wandering on Colwyn Bay promenade. She was then transferred to The Priory in Bristol, 200 miles away. Health officials said sometimes they had to provide care outside north Wales when care beds were unavailable. But Mrs Lewis's son has criticised the decision, and said his mother had been taken on an \"eight-day magical mystery tour\" of hospitals. \"One of the main things about dementia is to keep everything the same, and familiar for the patients,\" said Stephen Lewis. \"What they've ended up doing is 100% what they're not supposed to do. \"It just seems to me there are not enough beds at all, and I don't think we're being given the full picture about just how bad the beds situation is at the three north Wales hospitals.\" Mrs Lewis was originally admitted to the emergency unit at Glan Clwyd on 8 May. A decision was then taken to transfer her to another hospital three days later. \"They said she was going to be transferred to either Bangor or Wrexham hospitals - either one would have been fine. But, lo and behold, she was transferred to Bristol on the Wednesday,\" said Mr Lewis. \"They didn't even tell us which hospital they'd taken her to. We had to ring round to find where she was, and discovered they'd actually taken her to The Priory in Bristol.\" Three days later she was brought back to north Wales, and finally on Monday was transferred to the Bryn Hesketh Hospital nearer her home in Colwyn Bay. A Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board spokesman said: \"Although we cannot comment on this specific case, it is sometimes necessary to arrange for patients needing specialist care to be admitted to units that are outside of the local area if an appropriate bed is not currently available within north Wales.\"", "summary": "The family of a dementia patient say they cannot believe their mother was sent from north Wales to a private clinic four hours away."}
{"article": "The FTSE 100 index closed up 35.52 points at 6,175.49, helped by oil giants BP and Royal Dutch Shell. However shares in soft-drinks makers fell after the announcement of a tax on sugary drinks in the Budget. Shares in Britvic - maker of Robinsons squash - fell 9.5p to 700p while Vimto maker Nichols fell 7% to 1219p. Shares in the London Stock Exchange Group fell 1.2% after the company agreed terms to merge with Germany's Deutsche Boerse. On the currency markets, the pound fell 0.24% against the dollar to $1.4118 and little changed against the euro at \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.2733.", "summary": "(Close): London's benchmark share index rose, helped by a strong performance from oil companies as the price of crude climbs."}
{"article": "Parts of Pleasure Island Family Theme Park in Cleethorpes were inaccessible to the public due to surface water flooding, manager Neil Ireland said. He added that no major damage had been caused but high winds and rain also meant some of the park's rides would not have been able to run. The park is expected to reopen to the public on Tuesday.", "summary": "Heavy rain and surface water flooding have forced a theme park in Lincolnshire to close."}
{"article": "David Greenwood said fewer than 100 of the estimated 1,400 victims identified in the Jay Report have taken part in a raft of new enquiries. He believes \"radical change\" is needed for more victims to come forward. It is nearly a year since the report into the shocking scale of abuse in the South Yorkshire town was published. Mr Greenwood, who works for 58 of the girls subjected to sexual abuse by gangs of men in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013, concedes that improvements have been made locally in the past 12 months. Two of the agencies that bore the brunt of criticism in the aftermath of the publication, South Yorkshire Police and Rotherham Council, have made progress but a truly independent organisation is needed to gain the trust of some survivors, he said. \"Both agencies have improved in Rotherham in the last 12 months but survivors of exploitation will be unwilling to come forward to them unless radical changes are made. \"An agency independent from South Yorkshire Police and RMBC [Rotherham Council] is essential for the 1,400 young women who need help. \"I am aware of only around 50 to 60 girls having come forward. This means there are around 1,350 whose lives could be improved with specialist help,\" he added. The report by Prof Alexis Jay, published on 26 August 2014, detailed how children as young as 11 were raped by multiple perpetrators, abducted, trafficked to other cities in England, beaten and intimidated. It revealed \"blatant\" collective failures by the council's leadership, senior managers had \"underplayed\" the scale of the problem and South Yorkshire Police had failed to prioritise the issue. Its findings provoked outrage and a wave of resignations followed in its wake, the most high profile of which was South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Shaun Wright, who had been in charge of children's services in the town during the period some of the abuse happened. The council was later deemed \"not fit for purpose\" by government inspectors and its powers were handed over to government-appointed commissioners. The police now have a dedicated team of more than 60 working on child sexual exploitation (CSE) and its joint operation with the council and the Crown Prosecution Service, Operation Clover, has brought some suspected perpetrators before the courts. The police insist they are working hard to restore trust with those affected by CSE. Rotherham's police commander, Ch Supt Jason Harwin, said: \"Over the last 12 months, if nothing else, restoring confidence has been really, really important and we've still got a journey to go on. \"The key focus has been around the victims and survivors. We need to understand better what the issues are for them and we could have done better and what we need to do for the future.\" Mr Harwin said he understands the public want to see perpetrators jailed and that his force has arrested 460 people for child abuse offences in the last 12 months - with 76 of these suspected of involvement in \"grooming and facilitation\". And he said 22 people have been charged", "summary": "A fraction of the hundreds of victims of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham have sought help, according to a lawyer for some of the survivors."}
{"article": "Halsey said on Twitter that he had \"seen an incident and been told to say I haven't seen it\". He spoke out after Manchester City's Sergio Aguero received a retrospective three-game ban for violent conduct. However, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited said: \"There is no pressure to include or omit anything.\" The body's statement continued: \"Match officials submit their reports, including critical incidents, directly to the FA. \"Match officials ensure that their reports are a full and accurate description of the incident.\" Halsey, who retired in 2013, also pointed out these were issues he had previously mentioned in his autobiography three years ago. He later added: \"To be fair to the FA... it's not them, it comes from within the PGMOL.\" Formed in 2001, the PGMOL was established when referees turned professional and aims to improve standards across the Premier League, Football League and FA competitions in England as well as training and development. Had the incident that saw Aguero banned by a Football Association panel for elbowing West Ham's Winston Reid been witnessed by a match official, including referee Andre Marriner, the retrospective punishment would not have been possible. Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville said Halsey's claims were \"too big\" to avoid a full investigation.", "summary": "Former referee Mark Halsey's claims that he was told to lie after a game have been denied by the body which oversees match officials."}
{"article": "He was convicted of contesting crimes against humanity. The former Front National chief was convicted of the same charge in 2012 after saying France's Nazi occupation had been \"not particularly inhumane\". France has strict laws against Holocaust denial. Mr Le Pen told a journalist his remarks \"corresponded to my thought that the gas chambers were a detail of the history of war\". Asked if \"millions of deaths\" could be called \"point of detail\", Mr Le Pen said: \"It is not a million deaths, it is the gas chambers. I'm talking about specific things. I have not talked about the number of dead. I spoke of a system. I said it was a detail of the history of warfare.\" As well as remarks about the Holocaust, Mr Le Pen said in 2014 that the Ebola virus could solve Europe's \"immigration problem\". He was expelled from the party he founded last year by his daughter Marine Le Pen, the current leader, over his extreme beliefs. In 2015, Ms Le Pen was acquitted of inciting hatred after comparing French Muslims to the Nazis who occupied France during the war.", "summary": "Former French far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen has been fined 30,000 euros (\u00c2\u00a324,000; $34,000) for calling the Nazi gas chambers a \"detail\" of World War Two."}
{"article": "He told an emergency debate that UK intelligence chiefs believed it \"highly likely\" the Syrian government was responsible for the 21 August attack. But he said MPs must make a judgement call ahead of a Commons vote. The UK could launch strikes without UN backing, according to legal advice. Action would be a legal \"humanitarian intervention\" - even if it was vetoed at the UN, the government's summary of the advice said. Mr Cameron told MPs - who have been recalled early from their summer recess - he was convinced it was \"beyond doubt\" Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime was behind the attack. By Nick RobinsonPolitical editor But he added: \"In the end there is no 100% certainty about who is responsible.\" Mr Cameron also stressed that unless action was taken Damascus would conclude it could use such weapons again and again. UK opposition leader Ed Miliband said Labour was not ruling out military intervention but insisted there had to be a clear road-map to a decision. Meanwhile, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council met to discuss the crisis. Two of them, Russia and China, have blocked previous resolutions on the issue and analysts predict they will again. Russia - Syria's main international ally - called the meeting, which has now ended with no progress towards a consensus, the BBC understands. The Syrian government has denied it is behind the suspected chemical attack near Damascus last week, in which hundreds of people are reported to have died, blaming opposition forces. US President Barack Obama has said he has not yet decided on a plan for action against Syria, but the White House has said any response will be based on US national security interests. The White House is due to give senior US Congress members a classified briefing on why it is certain Syria has used chemical weapons. Other nations are also considering the next move. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for patience and insists he will receive a report on Saturday from weapons inspectors investigating the attack. By Gordon CoreraSecurity correspondent, BBC News The shadow of Iraq still hangs over the use of intelligence to justify military action. More than a decade on, we are presented with a very different document. This time we get the conclusions and overall assessment but not the evidence that lies behind them. And so while the government will hope the overall conclusion that it is \"highly likely\" the regime was responsible, there will still be ammunition for sceptics. They will say they need to see the evidence and not just assessments and judgements. The language used is one of probability rather than certainty - that is partly the reality of intelligence assessment, but also suggests there is no single, conclusive piece of intelligence which sweeps away all doubt. It also raises other questions which are not answered. What was the trigger for such a large use of chemical weapons when inspectors were in the country? Was it the result of an order from the top or could it have been", "summary": "Prime Minister David Cameron has put his case for military action against Syria to British MPs, but has conceded intelligence that the regime used chemical weapons is not \"100% certain\"."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device You hope the call to abandon the match never has to be taken Referees' chief Mike Riley on racism A BBC Panorama programme highlighted racism incidents at grounds in Poland and Ukraine, who co-host Euro 2012. Manchester City and Italy striker Mario Balotelli threatened to walk off the pitch if he believed he was a victim. But Platini said: \"It's a yellow card. It's not a player - Mr Balotelli - who's in charge of refereeing.\" Platini insists officials will deal with any racist incidents that occur during the tournament, which begins on Friday. \"It's the referee who takes these decisions. Referees can finish the game. They have this power in case of racism,\" Platini told the BBC sports editor David Bond. \"That is, I think, the best way to protect the game against racism. \"The referee has been given advice and he can stop the game if there are problems.\" But both Premier League referees' chief Mike Riley and executive director of Football Against Racism in Europe, Piara Powar, say the situation should not arise. Piara said: \"[Euro 2012 Respect ambassador Pierluigi] Collina was clear that if a player did approach a referee and was looking for help, that the referee would then facilitate the player leaving the field of play. \"There would be no question of yellow or red cards being issued.\" Platini dismissed suggestions his reputation would be tarnished if there is racial abuse at Euro 2012. \"Are you joking? You think I am responsible for the racists in the rest of Europe or in England or in France?\" he said. Platini said Uefa had done a lot to tackle racisim, backing such initiatives as 'Never Again', but said he was \"not responsible for society\". He added: \"Society is not so easy. You have some problems and we have to organise these Euros from the beginning with some problems because these two countries never welcome so big an event in the past. \"Over the next month Ukraine and Poland will be in the spotlight in a way they have never encountered before. Should it go wrong then the reputation of Uefa and its ambitious French president will also be on the line.\" Read the rest of David's blog here \"It was a big challenge for Poland, big challenge for Ukraine, a big challenge for Uefa, and we have done our best.\" Asked about the footage shown in Panorama's documentary, Platini said: \"We are shocked about racists but we are trying to do something; we have to fight against that. \"I feel bad. Of course I feel bad because I am not a racist.\" The 56-year-old former France international midfiedler also insisted the issue of racism is one that extends far beyond the two host nations of Euro 2012. Platini, who has been Uefa president since January 2007, said: \"If you want to have a programme on racism you can go everywhere now because there is an increase in the nationalists in many, many countries. \"It is not just a fact only", "summary": "Uefa president Michel Platini says that any players who walk off the pitch at Euro 2012 due to racial abuse will be booked."}
{"article": "The Oxford Mail reported Thomas Yuill's remains were found at his Oxford flat when police forced entry on Friday. Housing officers visited the property in January but saw \"no concerns\" for the 82-year-old's welfare and left. Blackbird Leys councillor Linda Smith said: \"I'm shocked...why wasn't [this case] followed up for so long?\" Mr Yuill stopped paying the rent on his Blackbird Leys flat in November, and housing officers visited his flat in Sorrel Road in January but saw \"no concerns for his welfare\". In April, Oxford City Council housing officers called the city's John Radcliffe Hospital, county's coroner's office and care homes in the area to try to locate him. On Friday the council asked police to force entry to the property, where Mr Yuill's body was found. Cabinet member for housing Mike Rowley said: \"It wasn't an unusual thing for his neighbours not to see him for weeks at a time.\" He said the council was launching an inquiry into the \"tragic case.\" The council said it had identified 700 residents who might be \"socially isolated\" who would be contacted by officers in the next three weeks.", "summary": "A man's body was undiscovered at his flat for seven months after he died, despite council officers visiting the property when he stopped paying rent."}
{"article": "The endorsement came after Mr Rajoy's Popular Party (PP) gained the backing of the Ciudadanos (\"Citizens\") party and tacit support from the Socialists. Socialist lawmakers are said to have been among the 68 abstentions. The country had faced the prospect of a third general election inside a year. But the Socialists forced out their leader, Pedro Sanchez, earlier this month after he rejected abstention. Mr Rajoy has led a caretaker administration since losing his overall majority in an election last December. A repeat election in June failed to end the impasse but strengthened his hand. The Socialists (commonly known by their Spanish abbreviation, the PSOE) came second on both occasions, their support eroded by radical leftist newcomers Podemos. For decades, the PSOE and PP took turns in governing the country on their own but last year the popular vote split four ways - the new centrist Ciudadanos party came fourth. Spain country profile The PSOE has 85 seats to the 137 won by the PP in June. Podemos's Ikea-style appeal to young voters Resisting change in a dying Spanish village Taking back Barcelona's apartments", "summary": "Spain's parliament has voted to allow conservative leader Mariano Rajoy to lead a minority government after a 10-month political deadlock following inconclusive elections."}
{"article": "A police officer told the BBC that two people were killed after a gunman believed to be the killer of a policewoman in Montrouge entered the supermarket near Porte de Vincennes. Armed police have flooded the area. In Dammartin-en-Goele, 35km (22 miles) north-east of Paris, the Charlie Hebdo suspects are also holding a hostage. The Islamist militants are inside a small printing business and have reportedly said they are prepared to die. Twelve people were shot dead and 11 were injured in Wednesday's attack on the office of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine which freely mocks religion. The unprecedented attack shocked France and there has been an outpouring of sympathy and solidarity worldwide. Armed anti-terror teams have surrounded the Hypercacher supermarket on avenue de la Porte de Vincennes in eastern Paris, where a gunman is said to be holding five hostages. He knew at least one of the suspected Charlie Hebdo attackers, brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, a source told AFP news agency. The gunman has threatened to kill his captives if police seek to capture the brothers, reports citing police say. Schools near the supermarket are under lockdown. Separately police have ordered the closure of all shops in the Marais, a traditionally Jewish area in the heart of Paris's central tourist district. The gunman in eastern Paris is also suspected to be behind the shooting of a policewoman in the southern suburb of Montrouge on Thursday. French police have issued an appeal for witnesses to that shooting. They said they were looking for two people: a man called Amedy Coulibaly, 32, and a woman called Hayat Boumeddiene, 26. The two were thought to be \"armed and dangerous\", French police said. The Charlie Hebdo attackers, linked by intelligence officials to militant groups, shouted Islamist slogans during the shooting at the magazine office on Wednesday and then fled Paris in a hijacked car, heading north. Shots were fired during a high-speed car chase earlier on Friday. It appears the suspects had hijacked another car in the town of Montagny-Sainte-Felicite before travelling on to Dammartin. The car's owner is said to have recognised them as the Kouachi brothers. In a televised statement, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve confirmed the men being sought on Friday were those wanted for the Charlie Hebdo attack and said they would be \"neutralised\". The suspects have been surrounded in a small printing business named CTD, a source close to the investigation told AFP. Officials from the town council say pupils from three schools are being evacuated to a nearby gymnasium, where they will be reunited with their parents. Christelle Alleume, who works near CTD in Dammartin, said a round of gunfire had interrupted her morning coffee break. \"We heard shots and we returned very fast because everyone was afraid,\" she told French broadcaster iTele. \"We had orders to turn off the lights and not approach the windows.\" People in the area say police helicopters began arriving around 08:45 (07:45 GMT) followed by convoys of armed officers. Sharpshooters could be seen taking up position on rooftops. The security situation has affected", "summary": "A gunman has seized hostages at a kosher supermarket in Paris as police have cornered the two Charlie Hebdo massacre suspects further north."}
{"article": "The investigation centred around allegations in former Labour leadership contender Angela Eagle's constituency. Ms Eagle faced criticism from sections of her party when she challenged Jeremy Corbyn in July 2016. Wallasey Constituency Labour Party (CLP) remains suspended until the inquiry is finished in March. Labour Party spokeswoman said further details of the two individuals' cases which have concluded will not be made available until next month. A window at the MP's office building in Wallasey was smashed at the time. The Labour spokeswoman added: \"The National Executive Committee will consider allegations against individuals and the CLP remains suspended while these allegations are investigated. \"The Labour Party has concluded investigations into two individual members. Other investigations remain ongoing.\" Ms Eagle eventually withdrew her candidacy in favour of colleague Owen Smith, who was beaten by Mr Corbyn in the leadership poll. Correction: An earlier version of this article stated an individual had been cleared of allegations of bullying and intimidation as part of the investigation. This has now been amended in light of clarification from the Labour Party.", "summary": "Investigations into two members of a Merseyside Labour Party group accused of bullying and intimidation have now concluded, the Labour Party has said."}
{"article": "Celebrities eager to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the festival walked the red carpet for the opening ceremony. They included Bella Hadid, Kirsten Dunst, Uma Thurman and Julianne Moore. Drama Ismael's Ghosts, starring Marion Cotillard, was the first film to have its premiere at the Palais, the heart of the action during the 11-day event. Jessica Chastain, on the jury deciding the key award winners, hugged Thelma and Louise actress Susan Sarandon on the red carpet, while British Oscar nominee Naomie Harris was there for the first main event of a packed festival. If you're not one of the thousands of industry professionals, budding actors or media in town for the festival, here's what you might have missed from its opening scenes. Among the stars who turned heads and set the paparazzi bulbs flashing included Julianne Moore and Susan Sarandon, Bella Hadid (and her plunging neckline) and Elle Fanning. It's fair to say Will Smith is pretty chuffed at being on the Cannes jury alongside the likes of Paolo Sorrentino - even though he said seeing three films a day was something he'd not done since he was a teenager. He almost bounced into the jury press conference, giving a whoop before seeing his name badge set on the desk and announcing he would be \"playing the part of Will Smith today\", then jokingly called security on a photographer getting a little too close. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air star joked he would wear 32 outfits during the festival, after he was told previous juror Kirsten Dunst had worn 28 during her stint. But he conceded that it was too hot in the resort to be sexy and that being comfortable was key. \"I started off wanting to be sexy - really south of France Cannes sexy, but that really went out of the window today,\" he said. There was no word on his thoughts on jury president Pedro Almodovar's maroon tracksuit and shades that he wore for the press conference. Being chosen as the opening film of Cannes may be a coup for the crew and cast - but that doesn't save it from being critically mauled. Ismael's Ghosts, directed by Arnaud Desplechin, is about a woman returning to her film director husband after being missing for 20 years, but finding him with a new lover. It was described as \"time-wasting\" and \"self indulgent\" by The Guardian. While The Hollywood Reporter is a little kinder, it says the film \"won't be an easy sell\". But it clearly left a nasty taste in Variety's critic Peter Debruge's mouth, as he wrote: \"If Ismael's Ghosts were a meal, it would be a massive slab of off-tasting meat alternative, wrapped in fake bacon, cooked in margarine, then covered in dairy-free imitation cheese.\" The reviews for Loveless, which was also screened on Wednesday, were much better. Matt Anderson of BBC Culture described it as \"brilliant - but heavy and relentlessly grim\". He said: \"After his last film, Leviathan, the director Andrei Zvyagintsev came in for a lot of criticism in Russia for the dark", "summary": "It may have only been the first day of the Cannes Film Festival, but it was packed with glamour as stars descended on the sunshine-soaked resort."}
{"article": "Spray-painted yellow bikes stuck on walls compete with thousands of banners and flags. It is mass mobilisation with road closure signs in place for race days and temporary camp sites and car parks being prepared. Even one of my favourite pubs, The Waggon and Horses at Langsett in South Yorkshire, has temporarily changed its name to The Pedalers in honour of riders in Europe's biggest sporting event flashing by. The cafe across the road has come out in spots - its walls now painted like a giant King of the Mountains shirt. In all the razzmatazz one little sign might be missed as the peloton heads out of the West Yorkshire \"Last of the Summer Wine\" Pennine market town of Holmfirth and starts the long climb up the moorland road to the summit at Holme Moss on its way to Sheffield. It is a round granite millstone propped up at the side of the road. Pass it and you are in the boundaries of the Peak District National Park which spans the rugged spectacular moorlands bordering West and South Yorkshire. It is certainly no coincidence that the Tour organisers chose a county with three national parks to stage the opening two days of the 2014 competition - the \"Grand Depart\". By the time the riders have reached the top of Holme Moss they will already have gone right through one of the county's other National Parks, the Yorkshire Dales, and come within spitting distanced of the third - the North York Moors. These huge areas of natural beauty became parks over 60 years ago in order to give them legal protection from encroaching modernisation and urbanisation. The windfall in the 21st Century is they are now at the heart of a tourism industry that draws in 30 million visitors a year, film and TV production companies and now major money-spinning events like the Tour de France. But who oversees the running of the national parks and are they up to the job? Well there has just been a pretty broad hint that the government believes the growing economic role of the parks is far beyond the system devised in the 1950s where each park is run by an authority made up of appointed members with most seats on it reserved for local councillors. The messenger was Her Majesty the Queen. In her annual address on the opening of Parliament her speech contained just one line that could see the biggest change to governance in the six decades of the parks. She said her government would introduce legislation to enable ballot boxes to be used in the parks for the first time with the suggestion that members should be directly elected. It is likely to be fiercely debated with many of those on the authorities at the moment saying they are already elected as local councillors. Others point out that being elected for one body does not mean they can be held accountable for the decisions they make about another one. Suddenly the quiet and tranquillity of the parks could be disturbed... and", "summary": "As I drove around Yorkshire this week there was no mistaking the route of the Tour de France through Yorkshire."}
{"article": "Exxon Mobil was down 2% and Chevron fell 2.27% as US crude dropped by more than $1 a barrel to $46.54. Oil traders decided a sharp drop in US crude stockpiles in the past week - which had eased concerns of oversupply and sent the oil price up on Thursday - would be short-lived. \"One week's worth of data does not make a trend,\" said IG analyst Bernard Aw. Bank stocks posted modest gains, although Wells Fargo was down 2% after it was fined $185m for illegally opening accounts to boost sales targets. In late trading in New York, the Dow was down 1.6%, S&P 1.8%, and Nasdaq 2%.", "summary": "US stocks edged lower on Wall Street as a 2% drop in oil prices weighed on energy firms."}
{"article": "Warnock, 68, has signed a one-year extension to remain with the Championship club. Dalman said Warnock had the full support of club owner Vincent Tan and the manager would be backed in a push for promotion to the Premier League. \"We want to him to have a go. We want to have a go,\" Dalman said. \"We had very extensive discussions over what his needs are. \"We've agreed on all of them and I think he needs to get off the block pretty quickly in getting his team together for next season. \"We always want promotion - every season we say that. \"The real wonderful situation for us here, and I don't think people appreciate, is that Neil has his own agenda on getting promotion. \"That plays into our hands very well. We have somebody who has ambitions beyond being a manager and that's fantastic news for us. Cardiff were in the Championship relegation zone when Warnock took over, but have moved up to 12th after three successive wins. The former Leeds, QPR and Crystal Palace boss had been seeking assurances over the club's transfer policy before committing to a new deal. Dalman said the club's Malaysian-based owner Tan did not need any convincing about retaining Warnock for for the 2017-18 season. \"He watches every game, he doesn't need any convincing,\" Dalman told BBC Wales Sport. \"We all make decisions on a rational basis. You look at the results, you look at the atmosphere, look at the togetherness and you look at the attendances. \"Neil addressed all those things all in one go so Vincent would never have doubts about supporting someone like Neil. \"Because he's incentivised by his own motives all we have to do is give him the platform and the environment to achieve that.\" Dalman said Warnock has brought \"togetherness\" to the Championship club since replacing Paul Trollope in October 2016. \"We love Neil to bits, both on a personal and professional basis. He's good for us and long may it last,\" Dalman said. \"He's won the management over, certainly the owner and the board. He communicates extremely well with the fans and most importantly with the players. \"Getting Neil on board there was no hesitation and renewing his contract was the same.\"", "summary": "Cardiff City chairman Mehmet Dalman says manager Neil Warnock will receive the backing he needs to mount a promotion bid in 2017-18."}
{"article": "Fire crews were called to L & M Spray in Gladstone Street at 10:20 BST. Leicestershire Police closed the street alongside Crafton Street, Humberstone Road, Clyde Street, Wharf Street South and St Matthews Way due to smoke billowing across the city. St Matthews Way has been reopened but two fire engines remain at the scene. A Leicestershire Fire and Rescue spokesman said the cause of the fire is unknown at the moment. He added an inspector has deemed the factory building \"unsafe\" and that it may have to be demolished. Witnesses have told the BBC the road closures have caused chaos for buses and vehicles travelling around the city. The BBC has attempted to contact L & M Spray but has not received a response.", "summary": "A large fire at a spray paint factory has closed a number of roads in Leicester city centre."}
{"article": "The 31-year-old failed a drugs test following their 36-8 defeat by Wakefield Trinity on 14 July. The Super League club said they had received notification from UK Anti-Doping and the Rugby Football League. A Widnes statement said: \"The club fully respects this suspension and are currently reviewing this matter.\" Chase won the Man of Steel award in 2011 - a year in which he would later go on to represent England and earn eight caps. He joined Widnes from the Tigers in May, initially on loan, before the deal was made permanent in July. BBC Sport's rugby league correspondent Dave Woods Rangi Chase has been the ultimate enigma since he arrived at Castleford eight years ago. Unbelievably skilful, he has produced some of Super League's most breathtaking moments. But equally breathtaking has been his often off-field stupidity. His has been a career full of official warnings, last chances and shown doors by a collection of clubs that have lost patience with his extra-curricular activities. He's come and gone at Cas, Salford, Leigh, Cas again and now, presumably, Widnes. If this latest drug test failure is upheld, there will finally be no way back in rugby league for his mercurial, magical but misguided talents. Precedent has been set. Gareth Hock, then at Wigan, was banned for two years when he was found guilty of cocaine misuse ahead of a game. If the same holds for Chase, that would take him to 33. Age alone would probably be against him. But reputation will hold even greater sway. A premature end to his career, if that's what this is, will surprise no-one but it will sadden many that such skills, such sublime ability that he possesses couldn't have been harnessed for the even greater pleasure of all those who have marvelled at the very best of Rangi down the years.", "summary": "Widnes Vikings half-back Rangi Chase has been suspended from all training and playing activity after testing positive for cocaine."}
{"article": "Callum Gathercole, 20, from Surrey began the 3,000-mile (4,828km) Atlantic Challenge race in the Canary Islands on 20 December. He arrived in Antigua's English Harbour in the Caribbean early on Wednesday. Mr Gathercole, who is studying aerospace engineering at the University of Bristol, set a time of 58 days, 15 hours and 15 minutes. His achievement as the youngest solo trans-oceanic rower has been confirmed by the Ocean Rowing Society, the official adjudicator of ocean rowing records for Guinness World Records. Mr Gathercole experienced \"some difficult days rowing in tough conditions\" as he battled tropical storms, 40ft (12m) waves and sleep deprivation. \"It was a brilliant challenge that I thoroughly enjoyed taking on,\" he said. His challenge has raised more than \u00c2\u00a385,000 so far for the Princess Alice Hospice in Esher, Surrey, in memory of his father. He has also represented Great Britain in the European and World Internationals in 2012 and 2013. The previous youngest solo ocean rower was 22-year-old Katie Spotz from the USA who rowed the Atlantic east-to-west between 3 January and 14 March 2010. The previous youngest male solo ocean rower was the UK's Tommy Tippetts, 22, who rowed the same route as Ms Spotz between 21 January and 12 April 2012. Mr Gathercole's success comes nine days after that of two other University of Bristol students - Freddie Wright and Jack Galsworthy - both 21, who have become the youngest pair to row the Atlantic. The men were at sea for 47 days, 14 hours and 46 minutes before crossing the finishing line in their 6.9m boat 'Blue Steel'. Mr Wright described the race as \"an awesome experience\" and something \"we would definitely do again\".", "summary": "A British student has become the youngest person to row solo across an ocean."}
{"article": "Hooker Tom Holmes returns for Tigers, who secured a top-eight place by beating Catalans in their last game. Warrington half-back Kurt Gidley returns in the only change to their squad from the win over Salford. Wolves, who have won four of their last five games at home, have already guaranteed a top-four finish when the Super 8s begin. Castleford (from): Chase, Cook, Crooks, Dorn, Gale, Hampshire, O Holmes, T Holmes, Maher, Mariano, McShane, Millington, Milner, Minikin, Moors, Patrick, Solomona, Springer, Tickle. Warrington (from): Atkins, Bailey, Clark, Currie, Dwyer, Evans, Gidley, Hill, Hughes, G King, T King, Lineham,, Penny, Ratchford, Russell, Sandow, Sims, Westerman, Westwood. Referee: Chris Kendall.", "summary": "Nathan Massey requires surgery to fix a long-term scaphoid problem and is unavailable for Castleford."}
{"article": "Syria's 1-0 victory on Thursday shocked fans in the Chinese city of Xi'an who took to the streets. China has said it wants to become a \"world football superpower\". But the loss means the team could now miss out on a place in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. China is ranked 78th in the world whereas Syria is 114th, just ahead of North Korea. The Chinese team faces Uzbekistan on 11 October which will decide if they qualify. Tencent's sports website said large group of fans gathered on the streets outside the Zhuque stadium, demanding the resignation of Cai Zhenhua, president of the Chinese Football Association after the game. \"Resign, resign, resign!\", they are heard shouting in a video posted to Twitter. Online, fans were equally critical of the Chinese team's performance. \"The Syrian football team has proved that we aren't strong and victorious,\" said one user on micro-blogging site Weibo. \"I'm going to hide my face now,\" said another. \"My blood pressure literally rose when I was watching the game,\" a user said. \"Syria, a war-torn country who can't even afford to buy their own shoes or shirts, whose manager earns a monthly salary of 2000 yuan, defeated China whose players earn millions,\" one person said. Syria, who play their home matches in Oman due to the war, has seen almost five years of armed conflict. Earlier this year, China laid out an ambitious plan to become a \"world football superpower\" by 2050. The country's President Xi Jinping, a football enthusiast, previously said he wanted China to win the World Cup in 15 years. The country also wants 50 million children and adults playing the game by 2020. \"The president of the country is pushing for football,\" Sven-Goran Eriksson, who coaches the Chinese Super League, told the BBC earlier this year. \"He wants China as a national team to be big, to be better in football.\"", "summary": "Angry Chinese fans have called for the resignation of the president of China's football association, after the country lost to Syria in a World Cup qualifier."}
{"article": "The emergency services were called to Boclair Academy in Bearsden on Friday morning after a \"strange smell\" was detected in the building. East Dunbartonshire Council said all pupils were safe and had been taken to nearby Killermont Primary School. Boclair Academy was later declared safe after a leak from emergency lighting was identified as the source. After the evacuation, arrangements had been made for pupils to sit their National 5 Modern Studies exam at Bearsden Academy. However, the council later said the exam would take place as originally planned at Boclair Academy. The school is expected to open again as usual on Monday.", "summary": "Exams are set to go ahead as planned at a secondary school which was evacuated due to a chemical leak."}
{"article": "Swimming is England's most popular mass-participation sport, ahead of athletics or cycling, but a 2016 survey found a drop in adult swimming numbers. The strategy - titled 'Toward a Nation Swimming' - aims for a \"significant increase\" in participation. This includes encouraging young people to try other types of aquatic sport. The strategy document cites six areas of focus: It details how Swim England will support its 200,000 members and the thousands of young people who take part in weekly swimming lessons, as well as the workforce that teaches and coaches them. Young people will be encouraged to try diving, water polo and synchronised swimming, and swimmers supported to reach their potential. Find out how to get into swimming with our fully inclusive guide. Jane Nickerson, who was confirmed last week as Swim England's chief executive, said: \"Our vision is a nation swimming and our strategy sets out how we will bring together organisations from across the swimming, health and physical activity sectors to work towards this. \"Leadership and support for our partners are key parts of our strategy and, as such, we have changed from a local delivery organisation to one that is more strategically-focused. 'Toward a Nation Swimming' is the first strategy that focuses solely on swimming in England. Click on the following links to find out more about swimming in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.", "summary": "The Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) has been rebranded Swim England as part of a four-year strategy to strengthen the sport and boost participation."}
{"article": "South Yorkshire Police officers were called to High Melton College at about 14:45 GMT on Tuesday where workmen had found what appeared to be a body. Dark and cold conditions prevented officers from accessing the body so the scene was guarded overnight. Detectives are working with Yorkshire Water, underwater search teams and crime scene officers to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. More stories from Sheffield and South Yorkshire High Melton is a campus of Doncaster College.", "summary": "A body has been found in a sewage tank at a Doncaster college."}
{"article": "The musician was sued by Daniel Ramos after the photographer said West attacked him outside an LA airport. Gloria Allred, the lawyer representing Ramos, says the case has now been resolved a week before the trial was due to start. She has released a photo of the pair shaking hands and smiling. The lawsuit said that West attacked Ramos in 2013 after the paparazzo asked the rapper why he wouldn't talk to photographers. \"Celebrities are not above the law, and they have no right to physically attack someone simply because they were asked a question,\" Allred wrote in a statement. Shawn Holley, West's lawyer, has not made a comment about the settlement. In a statement, Allred says the other details relating to the legal agreement will not be made public, but the apology was an important part of the deal. West, 37, pleaded no contest last year to misdemeanour battery over the attack. Misdemeanour generally means a less serious crime, while battery refers to any kind of unlawful physical contact. He remains on probation. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Kanye West has settled a lawsuit with a paparazzo with a handshake and an apology, the photographer's lawyer says."}
{"article": "Dave Duncan, of Otley, West Yorkshire, set up a crowdfunding campaign to help Lukasz Urban's relatives. Mr Urban was found dead after his lorry was crashed into the Breitscheidplatz market in December, killing 12 people. Mr Duncan said he felt compelled to help his \"fellow trucker\". Attacker Anis Amri left at least 48 injured when he ploughed into crowds at the German market. Mr Urban, a Polish national, had been stabbed and shot. The driver had arrived in Berlin ahead of schedule to deliver steel beams and was asked to return the next day to unload his trailer. Mr Duncan said: \"If they had unloaded their freight none of this would have happened and Lukasz would have been able to go home and spend Christmas with his family.\" He said it was that thought that made him want to do something to help \"the innocent people left devastated by this\". \"It could have been any one of us there that day,\" he added. Since setting up the online fund, Mr Duncan has met Mr Urban's widow and son. He said: \"They were extremely grateful and shocked by the support, and that a stranger would help them this way when nobody else would.\" Mr Urban's family invited Mr Duncan to attend the driver's funeral in Banie, near the Polish border with Germany. He said it was \"a beautiful ceremony in a beautiful place\", adding: \"Although I felt detached by the language barriers, it was very moving, especially the amount of people who came to pay their respects.\" The Polish ambassador, Arkady Rzegocki, honoured Mr Duncan on Monday for his actions. He said the lorry driver's \"gesture and presence at the funeral of the late Mr Urban, have been greatly appreciated in Poland\". Mr Duncan added: \"The Polish truckers' own tributes are what being a truck driver is all about. \"We have to watch out for one another, as in most cases nobody else does.\" Mr Rzegocki said he wanted to \"personally thank Mr Duncan for his selfless initiative\". \"His compassion moved many both in the UK and back in Poland. It is an inspiring example of British-Polish solidarity which never fails in times of crisis,\" he added. The ceremony took place in London at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland.", "summary": "A trucker who raised nearly \u00a3200,000 for relatives of the driver killed in the Berlin Christmas market attack has been thanked by the Polish ambassador at a ceremony in London."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device England took the lead through Harry Kane's early close-range strike, but Samuel Umtiti and Djibril Sidibe gave France a 2-1 lead. Kane equalised from the penalty spot after Raphael Varane was sent off, but Dembele's low finish in the 78th minute earned victory. Who stood out in the thriller at Stade de France? Burnley's keeper had no luck. Made two fine saves from Olivier Giroud and Ousmane Dembele that ended in goals for Samuel Umtiti and Djibril Sidibe. Jones at times looked the most assured of England's back three, which shouldn't be taken as a huge compliment. However, he didn't disgrace himself. Poor night but it should be remembered he has been short of match action. Struggled with France's vibrant attack. Not the assured and calm performer we have seen for Chelsea. Lost Olivier Giroud in the lead-up to France's first goal. Very decent night for the Tottenham player. Looked solid and assured and showed a good temperament on his England debut. Once again proved more than an able deputy for Danny Rose. Put Harry Kane's first goal on a plate and also brought a fine save from France keeper Hugo Lloris. More effective than against Scotland and won the penalty with a typical surge into the area. Tough night but lacked support and found it hard to shackle the rampaging Paul Pogba. Great invention to play a key part in Kane's opening goal but so frustrating at other times with a lack of end product. Very poor. Wandered ineffectively around midfield in the first half and lost the ball far too often. Quite simply a natural goalscorer and proved again he is England's main marksman on the pitch. Should keep the captaincy permanently now. Jack Butland (for Heaton, 45 minutes) 7: Excellent. Made fine saves and had no chance with the goal he conceded. Enhanced his reputation. Kyle Walker (for Bertrand, 45 minutes) 6: Surprisingly sent on ahead of Aaron Cresswell to operate on the left flank. A right-back - no more no less. Adam Lallana (for Trippier, 76 minutes) No rating. Aaron Cresswell (for Jones, 80 minutes) No rating. Made a good, low save from Ryan Bertrand's strike, but was beaten twice by Tottenham team-mate Harry Kane. Supported the forward players time and time again with intelligent overlapping runs and got on the scoresheet by slotting home shortly before half-time. Real Madrid's three-time Champions League winner brought down Dele Alli for a penalty early in the second half and was shown a straight red card. Stabbed home France's goal from a set-piece, but lucky not to concede a penalty when challenging Raheem Sterling inside the box. The Monaco player, heavily linked with Chelsea, broke forward in the early stages, but lasted only 21 minutes as he came off injured after colliding with the advertising boards. Wonderful. The 20-year-old showcased his marvellous talent with nimble footwork, sending John Stones to the deck with a stunning turn in the lead-up to the second goal and netting a clinical winner late on. Imposing. Kept the", "summary": "Ousmane Dembele scored a late winner as 10-man France came from behind to beat England 3-2 in a friendly in Paris."}
{"article": "John Baird's cool finish from a tight angle proved to be the difference. That lead was nearly added to when Will Vaulks hit the crossbar from 20 yards, then Morton's Declan McManus did the same from 30 yards. The game ended on a low note with Falkirk's on-loan Norwich midfielder Conor McGrandles suffering a serious leg injury. Apart from Ton midfielder Joe McKee almost scoring directly from a corner and Vaulks' looping effort at the other end, the opening exchanges at Cappielow matched the dull weather. But the uncovered, wet Bairns fans had something to cheer about when Baird used all his know-how to net his 17th goal of the season in front of the away end. The ball had been booted high into the air in Morton's box and Baird outmuscled home defender Conor Pepper as it dropped, before staying calm to place it beyond goalkeeper Derek Gaston. Vaulks' technique was ideal as he watched a side-footed curler kiss the the top of the woodwork soon after. Morton's McKee directed a header wide when well placed and on-loan Fleetwood Town striker McManus - a revelation for Ton last season - went closer with a dipping free-kick just prior to half-time. Bobby Barr rifled in a low left-footed shot just wide of the far post and McManus tested Danny Rogers again as Morton pushed for the equaliser. But clear contender for man-of-the-match Baird came closest to hitting the back of the net in the second 45 minutes, forcing Gaston to make a brilliant clawed save from his half-volley. McGrandles - in his second spell at Falkirk - came off the worst in a crunching tackle with McKee near the end, for which the Morton player was booked. It meant eight minutes of added time but the visitors held on to secure their first victory since 2 January.", "summary": "Falkirk beat Morton to land their first win in six games, moving two points behind Hibernian in the Championship."}
{"article": "Christopher Colegate, 69, was found in the road at the junction of Heath Avenue and Darby's Lane in Poole, at about 19:30 GMT on Friday 13 December. He suffered significant injuries and later died at Poole Hospital. Despite numerous appeals and rewards of \u00a311,000 being offered, the driver of the car has never been found. Dorset Police have renewed their appeal for witnesses. Officers believe a light-coloured VW Golf Mark 4, made between 1998 and 2005, was involved in the collision. Mr Colegate, from Poole, walked with a \"distinctive stoop\" and used two walking sticks. Inspector Matt Butler, of the Dorset Police traffic unit, said: \"We still do not know exactly what happened to Mr Colegate. \"We know that a number of cars were in the area at the time of the collision. \"Some we have traced but we have not been able to identify a Golf driver that travelled along Heath Avenue toward Wimborne Road at around the time of the incident.\" Dorset Police and Crimestoppers are still offering a \u00a310,000 reward, while Oakdale Conservative Club, which Mr Colegate regularly attended, has offered an extra \u00a31,000.", "summary": "A hit-and-run driver who fled a collision in which a man was killed in Dorset is still being hunted a year on."}
{"article": "Simons blamed construction costs and archaeology requirements for its decision to ask West Dorset District Council to find alternative developers. West Dorset District Council had agreed funding of up to \u00c2\u00a34m towards the scheme which includes Marks & Spencer and Waitrose stores. The council said it was \"disappointed\" by the decision. The company cited the requirements of English Heritage, including undertaking a full archaeological survey, as making the project financially unviable. In a letter to the council, Simons' chief executive Tom Robinson said the viability of the second phase of the project had been \"marginal for a number of years\". An online petition set up by residents' group Defend our Rich Cultural Heritage backing calls for archaeological investigations of the site, which lies within the walls of the old Roman town, has received almost 4,000 signatures. Anthony Alford, leader of West Dorset District Council, said: \"We remain ambitious for this key town centre site. \"Our vision is to keep Dorchester a thriving shopping destination and keep retailers in our county town.\" New council buildings, a library and an adult learning centre have already been built in Charles Street in the first phase of its regeneration.", "summary": "The developer of a new retail area in Dorchester town centre has pulled out of the scheme."}
{"article": "They agreed to take control of the two-time European Cup winners after reaching terms to buy the late Nigel Doughty's controlling stake. \"It's an honour and privilege to assume control of this great club,\" said the Kuwaiti-based family, who plan to hold a news conference on Saturday. From 1865 to 1982, Nottingham Forest were run as a members club, and were the last Football League club to switch to becoming a limited company. \"You can be assured of our best efforts in bringing the Reds back to the top.\" Doughty put Forest up for sale in October but died four months later. The Al-Hasawi's interest in the club first emerged at the end of May. Fawaz Al-Hasawi had been chairman of Al-Quadisya Sports Club in his native country, but his decision to step down was a precursor to interest in investment within English football. \"We know there are challenging times ahead of us to bring the club back to its glory days and we look forward with excitement towards a new successful future,\" added the Al-Hasawi statement. \"Over the next few weeks we will be working closely with our players, on-field and off-field team members in preparation for the forthcoming season.\" Doughty, a genuine Forest supporter, helped rebuild the club financially, although recovering past glories has proved difficult. The former European Cup winners were relegated to League One in 2005. They returned to the Championship after a three-year absence but, after two failed play-off campaigns, they finished 19th last season.", "summary": "The Al-Hasawi family have completed their takeover of Championship side Nottingham Forest."}
{"article": "Mr Hichilema was due to stand trial, but instead walked free from Lusaka's high court after 100 days in custody. Sources say the charges against Mr Hichilema and five aides were dropped after a deal was negotiated by the Commonwealth. He narrowly lost the election to President Edgar Lungu last year. Mr Hichilema, the leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND), alleges the vote was fixed, and does not recognise Mr Lungu as president. Mr Lungu, meanwhile, faces accusations of growing authoritarianism. Mr Hichilema was arrested in April, accused of endangering the president's life after his motorcade allegedly refused to give way to the one transporting Mr Lungu. He and his aides \"strongly\" denied the charge, which carries a sentence of at least 15 years. Those found guilty can also be sentenced to death. But all charges have now been dropped, apparently after a visit by Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland, who was in Zambia last week and met Mr Lungu and Mr Hichilema. She later hinted Mr Hichilema could be released in the public interest. A source had earlier told the BBC he was \"definitely being released today... unless there's a last minute development\".", "summary": "Zambia's opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, who has been held in prison since April on treason charges, has been released."}
{"article": "Billy Monger, from Charlwood in Surrey, hit the back of a stationary car at Donington Park on 16 April. The teen was trapped for 90 minutes, lost both of his lower legs and has spent nearly a month in hospital. Monger, who turned 18 on Friday, said: \"I'll be back racing as soon as I can.\" He added: \"All the support just makes me more determined.\" His story has touched motor sport fans the world over who have raised in excess of \u00a3800,000 for his future. The appeal exceeded its original \u00a3260,000 target after just six hours, raising \u00a347,000 in one hour, Just Giving said. Former Formula 1 world champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button are among those who have given their backing. Monger said he was \"lost for words\" by the worldwide appeal. His father Rob said: \"If he wants to get back in the car, that's fine by me. I'm not sure about his mum, but there we go.\" His mother Amanda said the crash was \"all your nightmares rolled into one\" but the hospital staff had helped them through it. Billy's sister Bonnie, 16, was among those at the scene of the accident and spoke to him to keep him calm while he was tended to by paramedics. She said: \"The first week was hard when he was in intensive care, but as soon as he woke up he was in such good spirits and that's lifted up everyone around him.\" Kirsty Measures, a staff nurse who treated the young racer, said: \"When Billy first came in he was quite unwell... he struggled to get to grips with what happened to him. But he has overcome it.\" The family are due to return to their home in Charlwood on Saturday after Billy's discharge from hospital.", "summary": "A teenage Formula 4 driver who had to have both legs amputated after a high speed crash has vowed to get back behind the wheel again."}
{"article": "Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said US warplanes and drones were now arriving at Turkish airbases. \"We will soon launch a comprehensive battle against Islamic State all together,\" he said. Last month Turkey launched its first strikes on the militants since the group began its advance through Iraq and Syria in 2013. It had previously been reluctant to take military action, but that position changed after a number of attacks within Turkey that were blamed on IS. Syria said on Wednesday that any military action not co-ordinated with Damascus would breach its sovereignty. Turkey agreed to let the US military use the Incirlik airbase, in the south-west of the country, in July. \"As part of our agreement with the US we have made progress regarding the opening up of our bases, particularly Incirlik,\" Mr Cavusoglu told reporters as he met US Secretary of State John Kerry in Malaysia on Wednesday. \"We're seeing that manned and unmanned American planes are arriving and soon we will launch a comprehensive battle against Islamic State all together.\" 'More effective strikes' - Selin Girit, BBC News, Istanbul Coalition planes currently take off from bases in the Gulf to hit IS targets in Syria. The use of Turkish bases, especially Incirlik, will potentially make the strikes much more effective. Because of Turkey's proximity, coalition warplanes will be able to reach targets in Syria in less than an hour and spend up to six hours in Syrian airspace. One Turkish official said the operations could start any moment now. That might please many in Turkey, and outside, who have been calling for a tougher stance against IS. But there is serious opposition to any Turkish boots on the ground in Syria and concern about the proposed \"safe zone\" there. Many suggest that as Turkey only has an interim government - since the June general election - it should not take such serious decisions as engaging in a \"comprehensive battle\". The US military is familiar with the southern Turkish base, and its recent history is tied closely with recent US military operations. Tensions increased after a series of attacks on the Turkish side of the Syrian border. A Turkish soldier was killed in an exchange of fire with IS fighters near the Syrian border in July. Just days earlier a suicide bombing blamed on IS killed 32 people in the predominantly Kurdish town of Suruc. Turkish police have arrested hundreds of people in raids against IS and Kurdish militants across the country in recent weeks. The country has also carried out a series of air strikes, saying they were targeting militants from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq as well as Islamic State militants. But observers say PKK fighters have been on the receiving end of far more attacks than IS. Turkish officials deny that the campaign against the Islamic State group is a cover to prevent Kurdish gains. The government has previously faced criticism at home and abroad for not doing enough against IS, despite being part of the international coalition fighting it.", "summary": "Turkey has said it plans to escalate its attacks on Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria."}
{"article": "The figure is down from 10 flags awarded last year. Beaches with a Blue Flag demonstrate their commitment to protecting the coastal environment, water quality, safety, and access for all. Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful have presented beach and marina operators with 14 national and 10 internationally-recognised awards. Two marinas have also been awarded blue flags - at Ballyronan, County Londonderry, and Ballycastle, County Antrim. Tony Wilcox, chairman of Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, said: \"Having Northern Ireland's world class beaches managed to such high standards is helping improve the quality of our lives as well as attracting visitors\". Forty-seven countries participate in awarding Blue Flags to more than 4,000 beaches and marinas worldwide. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs monitors identified bathing waters on 20 occasions during the annual bathing season, which runs from the 1 June until 15 September. In 2016, Portstewart Strand in County Londonderry was awarded the accolade of Best Blue Flag Beach in the UK. County Down: Cranfield West, Murlough, Tyrella County Antrim: Portrush West Strand, Portrush East Strand County Londonderry: Portstewart, Benone, Downhill Twelve beaches were given the Seaside Award - the national standard for beaches across the UK. This award guarantees a clean, safe, attractive and well-managed coastal environment with varied levels of facilities provided depending on the location of the beach. Two Northern Ireland beaches have received the Green Coast Award, which recognises an agreement with the local community to protect and promote a natural beach environment, rather than developing visitor infrastructure.", "summary": "Eight Northern Ireland beaches will proudly display international Blue Flags this summer."}
{"article": "", "summary": "President Barack Obama has arrived in Cuba for a historic visit to the island and talks with its communist leader."}
{"article": "Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg isn't quite Prost-Senna, Piquet-Mansell or Villeneuve-Pironi, but they are definitely not the easiest pair of drivers in F1 to handle. All credit to the Mercedes management. Because of their very open style, they have been able to manage their egos. So far. Hamilton is the biggest star in F1. Rosberg is a very talented racer, who you feel after performances like we saw in Mexico is on the cusp of great things. Take Hamilton out of the team and we could well be hailing him a two-time world champion. Quite apart from the battles on track, there is a lot going on between these two guys at the moment, and it's fascinating to watch. Media playback is not supported on this device Hamilton is far from averse to making little digs at Rosberg. There was the comment after winning the US Grand Prix, when he said he was \"your worst nightmare\" as a team-mate. Then the remark after Mexico when he said Rosberg had \"driven really well today, no mistakes, no gust of wind\" - a reference to the reason Rosberg gave for his decisive error during the race in Austin. There is a real subtlety to those remarks, much more Prost than Muhammad Ali, and that makes you realise there is a much greater awareness there than Hamilton sometimes lets on. Hamilton's argument with his team in Mexico over whether he should make a second stop for tyres was evidence of the mind of a serial winner. He has not won three world titles and 43 races by always being in the best car, even if that is exactly what he has right now. Media playback is not supported on this device He has an instinctive understanding and spatial awareness of what is going on in a race. He had seen Rosberg pit. He was feeling good on his tyres. He knew from the strategy the team went into the race with that they were planning to do a one-stop race. And then they told him they were on Plan B. He was thinking: \"Hang on a minute. Why are we on Plan B? I can go Plan A. I have track position now. If I stay here I could have a better chance of winning.\" So he questioned it, and left the team hanging in the pit lane for a whole lap. It took the firm action of Lewis's engineer to sort that out - and full credit to Peter Bonnington for that, because it cannot be an easy situation to deal with. From the outside, we can easily read into it that Mercedes wanted to take the risk out of the race, neutralise it between the two drivers and keep it all fair and square. If they had allowed Hamilton to go on and make only one stop, and he had gone on to win the race, then the very real risk was that all relationships would have broken down within the team. Since then, Hamilton has thrown out some crumbs about the team", "summary": "Throughout the history of Formula 1 there have been many examples of very public and acrimonious fall-outs between team-mates."}
{"article": "In a strong field, Muir clocked 4:11.48 to finish behind world record holder Genzebe Dibaba, Commonwealth champion Faith Kipyegon, European champion Sifan Hassan and Ethiopia's Dawit Seyaum. \"I'm really pleased. That was such a tough field,\" said the Scot, 22. \"I think any other year I probably would have medalled.\" Muir added: \"I expected it to be hard - it's a championship final. \"There are so many girls in there, you don't know who is going to do what but I was prepared for a fast race or a slow race and I just worked on staying out of trouble. \"This is the first time I've done three rounds, so to have got three and done them well, my preparation for [the Rio Olympics] next year is good.\" Muir - who was three seconds behind Ethiopian winner Dibaba - said she was pleased to have posted a good time in Beijing after missing out on the 800m final at last year's World Indoor Championships and not picking up a medal at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. \"I left last year so frustrated as I knew I could run so much better but it's great to have come here and have done well in the final,\" she added.", "summary": "Britain's Laura Muir said she was delighted with her fifth place in the 1500m final at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing."}
{"article": "Following the veteran entertainer's death last week, they have shared some of their best photos. The friends met at university in Brighton and started \"doing a Brucie\" when posing for photos on nights out. Their homage to the great man went global when they travelled to the Roskilde music festival in Denmark after graduating in 2007. \"That trip was where the whole idea of taking these photos in various locations around the world came from,\" says Joseph Bradfield, 31. \"We did it a lot through our university days when we were out drinking, but that trip around Europe after graduating, we pretty much took one everywhere we went. \"It became a bit of a thing whenever there was a photo op. It would be, 'Look at the camera, smile, now pull a Bruce.' It just snowballed.\" Perhaps the best \"thinker\" tribute was staged when one of the group, Jeremy Dresner, got married in Canada. The friends often attract confused looks when striking the pose in countries where Sir Bruce wasn't a big star, Joseph says. \"You do it in the UK and people kind of know what you're doing. They still don't really know why you're doing it but there's at least that glimmer of recognition. \"But whenever we've done it overseas there's always puzzlement on the locals' faces.\" Joseph says the friends - about 10 in all - admired Sir Bruce's approach to his career as well as being fans of his TV shows. \"There's that quote where he said, 'I don't see myself as a singer or a dancer or an actor. I'm an entertainer,'\" Joseph explains. \"That really resonated with us, that approach to life, that you don't have to be the best at any one particular discipline but it's all about the impact you have on other people and entertaining other people.\" The friends decided to gather the photos after the news of Sir Bruce's death broke. \"It's been quite an operation of digging through Facebook photos to find everything,\" Joseph says. \"The second the news happened last week my phone lit up with the Whatsapp group we're all part of saying, we really have to do something with this trove of photos.\" Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Among Sir Bruce Forsyth's biggest fans are a group of friends who worshipped him so much that they have recreated his famous \"thinker\" pose wherever they have been around the world for the past decade."}
{"article": "The claim: The pound is up and the FTSE 100 share index is at the same level as it was in March. Reality Check verdict: Nigel Farage is right about the levels compared with March, but looking a few months further back and considering options markets may give a more useful view of concerns on the currency markets about the risks of a Brexit. Mr Farage said: \"Sterling is up since March. Since Brexit became a possibility, sterling is up and FTSE is exactly the same level it was in March. Let's have a look at the value of the pound against the euro first. It was below the level it is now towards the end of March. But was March a good month to compare it with? The Bank of England's quarterly inflation report in May blamed half of the fall in the value of the pound since November on uncertainty about the referendum. It's now fallen by about 11% since November. There have also been signs on the options markets that traders have concerns about a depreciation in the pound. Bank of England governor Mark Carney told a parliamentary committee in March that there had been big increases in traders buying options as protection against falls in the pound in the coming months. The FTSE 100, meanwhile, is also trading at levels it saw in March, although it is less clear how closely tied the index is to the state of the UK economy - many of its biggest components are multi-national companies, more affected by commodity prices than whether the UK stays in the EU. There are various forecasts for what would happen to the pound if the UK left the EU. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research predicted that by 2030 one pound would be worth about one euro, which would be a depreciation of more than 20%, but that comes with the usual caveats about the uncertainties surrounding forecasts and economic modelling. Read more: The facts behind claims in the EU debate", "summary": "UKIP leader Nigel Farage was asked on the Andrew Marr show about Friday's falls on the markets and whether it was to do with fears about the UK leaving the European Union."}
{"article": "Fifth seed Nadal beat fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3 7-5. Switzerland's Federer, who won his 18th Grand Slam title with a five-set victory over Nadal in January, beat American Steve Johnson 7-6 7-6. Novak Djokovic beat Juan Martin del Potro, while Angelique Kerber, who is set to become world number one, is out. The German, who is guaranteed a return to the top of the rankings on Monday following Serena Williams' withdrawal from Indian Wells and the Miami Open, lost 3-6 3-6 to Russian Elena Vesnina. Serb second seed Djokovic was hugely impressive as he won the deciding set 6-1 against Argentine Del Potro and he will play Australian 15th seed Nick Kyrgios, who earlier beat 18th seed Alexander Zverev of Germany 6-3 6-4. \"That's why I came here, to play against guys like Rafa,\" said Federer, 35, before a 36th meeting with Nadal, 30. \"I'd better be excited now otherwise I came for the wrong reasons. \"I try to see it really as another opportunity to build upon something for the rest of the season. \"So regardless of Australia, winning or losing, I'm going to try to go out there and play free again. I think it's really important.\" In earlier matches, unseeded American Donald Young beat French 14th seed Lucas Pouille 6-4 1-6 6-3 in the men's draw, while Japan's fourth seed Kei Nishikori swept past Frenchman Gilles Muller 6-2 6-2. American 17th seed Jack Sock edged a third set tie-break to beat Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 3-6 6-3 7-6. In the women's draw, American 12th seed Venus Williams beat Peng Shuai of China 3-6 6-1 6-3, and Czech third seed Karolina Pliskova led Timea Bacsinszky 5-1 when the Swiss retired.", "summary": "Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have set up a fourth-round tie at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells - a re-run of this year's Australian Open final."}
{"article": "Rescuers were continuing to clear fallen rock to get to the area where the two missing miners were thought to have been working, officials said. They were trapped 150m (490 feet) underground by a cave-in on Friday. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera has offered his help, three days after the dramatic rescue of 33 miners in Chile. Deputy Mining Minister Jorge Espinosa said the searchers had hopes of finding the two missing men alive. \"We hope to find the two other miners alive because they were in a spot that probably was not affected\" by the cave-in, he told Associated Press news agency. Mr Espinosa identified the two workers who had been confirmed dead as Walter Vera and Paul Aguirre. He said the two missing men were Pedro Mendoza and Angel Vera, Walter's brother. President Rafael Correa promised to do \"everything possible\" to save them. \"God willing, we will find them alive.\" The collapse at the Casa Negro gold, silver and copper mine, near the town of Portovelo, is thought to have been caused by a water leak which eroded structural supports.", "summary": "Rescuers have found the bodies of two of four miners trapped underground in a gold mine in southern Ecuador."}
{"article": "The letters threatened legal action, but the law firms were false. In some cases Wonga added fees for these letters to customers' accounts. The City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), said 45,000 customers would be compensated. Wonga has apologised and said the tactic ended nearly four years ago. The City regulator has told the BBC it has sent a file to the police. The company is the UK's largest payday lender, making nearly four million loans to one million customers in 2012, latest figures show. An investigation found that Wonga sent letters to customers from fake law firms called \"Chainey, D'Amato & Shannon\" and \"Barker and Lowe Legal Recoveries\". The plan was to make customers in arrears believe that their outstanding debt had been passed to a law firm, with legal action threatened if the debt was not paid. The company was using this tactic to maximise collections by piling the pressure on customers, the regulator said. \"Wonga's misconduct was very serious because it had the effect of exacerbating an already difficult situation for customers in arrears,\" said Clive Adamson, director of supervision at the FCA. \"The FCA expects firms to pay particular attention to fair treatment of those who have difficulty in meeting their loan repayments.\" The situation occurred between October 2008 and November 2010, and involved Wonga and other companies within its group. As this happened before the FCA took over the regulation of payday lenders, it is unable to fine Wonga. It also said there would be no criminal investigation as it wanted to set up a compensation scheme as quickly as possible and a criminal probe would take time. Affected customers will receive about \u00a350 each. Instead, Wonga will start contacting customers in July to offer compensation, with money likely to be paid by the end of the month. This will either be paid in cash or customers will have their outstanding debt reduced. \"We would like to apologise unreservedly to anyone affected by the historical debt collection activity and for any distress caused as a result,\" said Tim Weller, interim chief executive of Wonga. \"The practice was unacceptable and we voluntarily ceased it nearly four years ago.\" Anyone who might have changed address in the intervening period should contact Wonga. Labour MP and campaigner against payday loans Stella Creasy has questioned the lack of criminal investigation. \"Why in those instances where customers of Wonga charged debt collection fees for these letters is that not police matter?,\" she asked on social media site Twitter. Richard Lloyd, executive director of consumer group Which?, said: \"It is right the FCA is taking a tougher line on irresponsible lending and it does not get much more irresponsible than this. \"It is a shocking new low for the payday industry that is already dogged by bad practice and Wonga deserves to have the book thrown at it.\" The investigation was started by the FCA's predecessor, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). Wonga said it stopped the tactic voluntarily then offered information to the OFT. In addition, in April this year, Wonga", "summary": "Payday lender Wonga must pay \u00a32.6m in compensation after sending letters from non-existent law firms to customers in arrears."}
{"article": "Both locals and immigrants joined the protest with placards saying \"Africa Unite\" and \"Welcome foreigners\". An anti-xenophobic protest also took place in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth. South Africa's army was deployed to flashpoints earlier this week to prevent further violence. At least seven people have been killed, 5,000 left homeless and many foreign-owned shops looted since the attacks started about three weeks ago. \"We will defeat xenophobia like we defeated apartheid,\" the premier of South Africa's Gauteng province, David Makhura, told the crowd in Johannesburg. Gauteng is the economic heartland of South Africa and includes Johannesburg. Many unemployed South Africans accuse foreigners of taking their jobs. South Africa has an official unemployment rate of around 25%. The BBC's Pumza Fihlani, who was at the scene, said the crowd marched through Johannesburg's Hillbrow suburb, which some describe as Lagos because of its huge Nigerian population. Protesters sang a sorrowful song, Senzenina, or \"What have we done?\" It was popular at funerals of anti-apartheid activists during white-minority rule. \"Mandela must be turning in his grave. This is not the South Africa he fought for,\" Johannesburg resident Vusi Hlongwane told the BBC. South Africa's freedom was won through such solidarity. \"Africa for all\" was the message shared by the tens of thousands who marched through the streets of Johannesburg. A sea of people from different parts of the continent carried banners in support of the day's event. They are hoping the same spirit that led this country to freedom will help bring unity here. The events of the past few weeks have brought shame to many South Africans and the country. But many speakers sought to remind South Africans that in the days of apartheid it was the rest of Africa that became a home for this country's leaders, reminding them that its liberation was won with the support of the entire continent. \"They were welcomed with open arms and never treated how some of you are treating them now,\" one leader said. As they danced and sang together, calling for an end to the violence that has brought fear to some communities here, a group shouted: \"This is for Mandela!\" Another chanted \"Mayibuye iAfrika\" - an old slogan calling for the revival of Africa. For those hours, it seemed that Africa stood united. In Port Elizabeth, a silent march was held, with some protesters waving a Zimbabwean flag and and carrying placards which said: \"Diversity is our strength\". South Africa has faced a backlash across Africa over the attacks. Official data suggests there are about about two million foreign nationals in South Africa, about 4% of the total population. But some estimates put the number of immigrants at five million. Most of them are Africans and Asians who came to South Africa when apartheid ended in 1994, with the election of Nelson Mandela as South Africa's first black leader.", "summary": "About 30,000 people have taken part in a march through South Africa's main city, Johannesburg, to demand an end to a recent wave of xenophobic attacks."}
{"article": "China's leader attended a state banquet at Buckingham Palace along with his wife, Peng Liyuan, on his four-day visit of the UK. There was chanting by pro and anti-China supporters and, during a press photo call for the Amnesty protesters, huge Chinese flags interrupted their line of vision and drumming from the groups in support of the leader intensified. People handed out bright red 'I love China' t-shirts and the crowds coming out in favour of President Xi dwarfed those who rallied against the communist ruler. Among Amnesty International protesters was Dr Shao Ting, a research scholar who was involved with the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest. Dr Shao, who now lives in London, says he was protesting because if the British government follows the Chinese model, it will \"push the issue of human rights away\". Amnesty, pro-Tibet and Falun Gong protesters watched on as the Mall was flanked by hordes of people clad in bright red shouting \"Xi Jinping, Xi Jinping\" as the politician was driven past in a gilded carriage. Amnesty protesters say they wanted to raise cases such as that of Cao Shunli, a human rights activist who died in police detention having been denied medical attention. Her family were reportedly denied access to her body. One pro-China group were visiting from Swansea University. They did not wish to be named, but one man says they were out supporting President Xi \"because it (China) is our country - and we are so proud\". \"His visit will strengthen the link between the two countries and benefit both sides in terms of the economy.\" he said.", "summary": "Protesters gathered at London's St James' Park as President of China Xi Jinping took part in a procession down The Mall."}
{"article": "The four boys and one girl were reported missing on Monday afternoon. The last confirmed sighting had been at Clonfeckle Tower. The scouts, all aged 13, had been due to walk to Craigshields, north of Ae Forest. They were reported to be equipped with adequate outdoor clothing and torches. They were found and brought to safety by police officers.", "summary": "Five scouts have been found safe and well after an overnight search in a forest in south-west Scotland."}
{"article": "Robert Lainsbury, 22, originally from Kidderminster, Worcestershire and Dwayne Edgar, 29 from Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, appeared before Cardiff Crown Court on Monday. They are charged with the murder of Lynford Brewster, who died from stab wounds in the Llanedeyrn area of Cardiff in June. The pair will next appear in court on 28 October.", "summary": "Two men have pleaded not guilty to the murder of a 29-year-old man in Cardiff."}
{"article": "Nearly every bollard in Callander has been given a woolly makeover to mark the town's Winter Fest. The most popular covers have been knitted in the style of Olaf the snowman, from Disney movie favourite Frozen. They were created by women from the town's Meet and Make and Creative in Callander groups. Among them was 52-year-old Deborah O'Hara. She said the women, known as \"yarn-bombers\", had first knitted bollard covers as part of the town's Summer Fest and they had proven extremely popular. \"People just love them. Visitors to the town have been stopping to get photographs of them,\" she said. \"I have been watching them from the shop where I work. It's very funny to see people's faces. \"There has of course been the odd joke and innuendo about them, but mostly people just love them.\" Visitors will be able to admire the covers from Thursday until Tuesday next week.", "summary": "The appearance of woolly bollards in a Trossachs town has proved a major hit with visitors."}
{"article": "Katie Perrior, who served as director of communications for 10 months, said she and others were not able to \"speak freely\" and her advice was not heeded. She accused the PM's chiefs of staff Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy of treating ministers with a lack of respect. The PM is being urged to make changes after losing her majority. The BBC understands Mrs May has been warned she faces a leadership challenge on Monday unless she sacks her two closest advisers. Mrs May, who is seeking to form a government with the support of the DUP, has said she will look at \"personnel issues\" amid anger in Tory circles about the role of Mr Timothy and Ms Hill in the drafting of the party's manifesto and the overall conduct of the election campaign. Ms Perrior said Mrs May was a \"good person\" who would take personal responsibility for the campaign but suggested the set-up in No 10 was not working. \"Being in the Home Office for such a long time with her top team, she became accustomed to that being it and of course running the Home Office is very different from running the country,\" she told BBC Radio 4's Today. \"She needed to broaden her circle of advisers and have a few grey hairs in there who had been around the block a bit in politics who could say 'don't do that and don't make enemies when you don't need to'.\" She suggested that Mr Timothy and Ms Hill - the PM's \"gatekeepers\" who worked for her in the Home Office - were too protective of the prime minister and had a negative influence on how No 10 functioned, often \"bellowing\" at other staff. \"We would be able to speak freely if they weren't around and if they were, you don't speak,\" she said. \"Sometimes we would sit there and hear Fiona come up with things which, quite frankly, were crazy and say nothing.\" Asked if the two aides treated cabinet ministers badly, as has been reported in the newspapers, she replied \"There was not enough respect shown to people who had spent 20 years in office. I felt sending people rude text messages was unacceptable. \"What the PM needs when you are going through a tough time like negotiating Brexit is diplomats, not street fighters. They only know one way to operate and that is to have enemies. I am sure I am one of these this morning.\" Ms Perrior, a PR specialist who previously worked on Boris Johnson's 2008 mayoral campaign, said she had expressed her concerns before leaving in April about how things were done and \"that did not go down very well, as you can imagine\". Although she had never intended to stay in the role for more than two years, she said she concluded that remaining was \"pointless\" as former journalist Ms Hill had made it \"pretty clear\" she wanted to be communications director during the campaign. \"If you feel you are actually not being listened to then there is not point you being there... in", "summary": "The atmosphere in Downing Street under Theresa May is \"pretty toxic\" and its operation \"dysfunctional\", a former aide of the prime minister has said."}
{"article": "Several court rulings have underlined local councils' need to consider all options, such as placing with birth relatives, before seeking adoption. Unreleased figures, cited by the Independent newspaper, show a 50% drop in adoptions between 2013 and 2014. Adoption UK said the fall could mean children remaining in abusive and neglectful families for too long. Its chief executive, Hugh Thornbery, said: \"We're very concerned that there has been such a marked drop-off in the number of children being considered for adoption. \"That leads us to believe that children aren't being considered for adoption who should be.\" He added that approved adopter families were also waiting longer to be matched with children because of the reduced flow of children coming through the system. It comes after the previous coalition government attempted to speed up the adoption process, criticising local authorities for dragging their heels on adoptions. In November 2013, Sir James Munby, who is president of the family division of the High Court, ruled the education secretary's six-month target for adoptions should not be allowed to break up families unnecessarily. He said grandparents and other family members should be considered before children were placed for adoption. According to the Independent, the rate of adoptions fell from 1,550 in the summer of 2013 to 780 in the summer of 2014. The Department for Education would not confirm the figures and said it would be publishing statistics for this period in due course. John Simmonds, director of policy, research and development for British Association for Adoption and Fostering, told the BBC research made clear that children needed loving stable families from the start. \"Their development is centred on that family for life. If that can't happen for birth parents and birth families, then adoption is a good way to solve that,\" he said. But Mr Simmonds added that judgements in the Supreme Court and the Appeal Court were reminding lower courts and local authorities that \"the forceful termination of a legal relationship between a child and their parents is a very significant act\". \"For children who are abused or neglected, if you are absolutely clear that there's no other way of dealing with them than adoption, then there has to be very strong evidence that the local authority has explored all other options.\" He suggested that there may be \"a degree of hesitancy\" in placing children for adoption because of these rulings. He said the option of \"special guardianship\" arrangements with a child's grandparents or other relatives was being used more as a way of finding a suitable half-way house that did not sever totally the child's ties with the family or leave the child in an abusive or neglectful situation. A Department for Education spokeswoman said there had been a drop in the number of children with an adoption decision. \"We believe this is a result of the way local authorities have interpreted some court judgements. The Adoption Leadership Board has published a 'mythbuster' guide to clarify what these judgments mean and to allow clear and confident adoption decisions to be made. \"We are", "summary": "There has been a marked drop in the number of children being put up for adoption, leading charities have said."}
{"article": "The ADB said that poor air quality had reached such a serious level that it was \"jeopardising health and sustainable growth\". The loan is intended to cut the region's coal use, among other pollution issues. China is the world's biggest polluter. The loan will target Beijing city and surrounding areas including Hebie and Tianjin. The region is home to more than 100 million people and accounts for 10% of China's gross domestic product, the ADB said. \"Poor air quality has reached such a serious level that it is jeopardising health and sustainable growth in the capital region,\" said ADB's urban development specialist Satoshi Ishii. \"[Our] assistance will help reduce emissions and strengthen the environment regulatory framework and capacity of environmental monitoring and enforcement. \"Better air quality will benefit the economy and people's health, both in the region and beyond,\" he added. The money from the ADB follows the latest World Climate Summit which is concluding in Paris this week. The bank said in a statement the loan was expected to be accompanied by co-financing from Germany's KfW Development Bank of \u20ac150m ($164m; \u00a3108.2m). The agreement follows Beijing's first \"red alert\" warning over pollution levels earlier this week. It was issued late on Monday and lasted until Thursday, and was the first time that China had declared a red alert under the system, which was adopted a little over two years ago. Schools in Beijing were closed, outdoor construction was halted, limits were placed on car use and some factories were ordered to stop operations. Emissions from coal-powered industries, cars and heating systems, together with dust from construction sites all help create the dangerous smog. When the red alert was declared, the US Embassy's air pollution monitor in Beijing said the intensity of the tiny particles known as PM 2.5 were at 291 micrograms per cubic metre. A reading of 25 micrograms per cubic metre is recommended by The World Health Organization as the maximum safe level. Despite large investments in renewable sources, China still depends on coal for more than 60% of its power.", "summary": "China is to receive a $300m (\u00a3198m) loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help it combat dangerous pollution levels in Beijing city and its surrounding area."}
{"article": "The \u00a3433m motor racing track and leisure project aimed to create up to 6,000 jobs in a deprived area. But Economy Secretary Ken Skates said job claims were \"overstated\" and there was too much financial risk. The developers \"strongly disagreed\" with the decision and the rationale behind it. Ministers said a \u00a3100m automotive business park would be built instead. First Minister Carwyn Jones said backing the scheme would mean schools and homes would not be built. The project, first unveiled in 2011, has been dogged by controversy. Its backers - the Heads of the Valleys Development Company (HoVDC) - had wanted the Welsh Government to underwrite 80% of the cost, revised down to about 50% when ministers asked for a rethink. Alongside the circuit itself, which would have hosted the British leg of the MotoGP for at least five years, there were also plans to bring BMX and mountain biking, indoor skiing and concerts. The issue of the guarantee meant the Welsh Government would have received \u00a399m over 33 years in exchange for underwriting the project once it was open for business. But in the event of it failing, the public purse would have to pay back \u00a3210m over time, while backers Aviva would keep the circuit and the infrastructure. But Mr Skates said on Tuesday the cost of the underwriting was still too high and would have had an impact on ministers' other spending plans. He said after discussions with Treasury officials and the Office for National Statistics, it appeared there was a \"very significant risk\" that the full \u00a3373m debt of the project would be classified against Welsh Government capital spending. Mr Skates added that the true figure on employment was about 100 direct jobs, with 500 indirect jobs and about 500 construction jobs while the track was being built. Later, during First Minister's Questions, Mr Jones said providing the funding guarantees would have meant his government \"would lose \u00a3373m of capital funding, \u00a3173m would have to be found this financial year\". He told AMs: \"That is schools not being built. Hospitals not being modernised. Houses not being built.\" Blaenau Gwent council leader Nigel Daniels said he was disappointed with the decision but understood the complex issues involved. He welcomed the \u00a3100m investment in a new automotive technology park. But Mr Daniels said he would be \"seeking urgent meetings with Welsh Government and other parties to explore other options that can be brought forward to mitigate the impact of this decision given the level of expectation which has grown in the community over the last few years\". UKIP assembly group leader Neil Hamilton said it was a \"bean-counters convention\". \"What we need to do here is change the accounting convention rather than to destroy the hopes of those who relying on regenerating the whole of south east Wales,\" he said. Plaid Cymru finance spokesman Adam Price said it was a \"shocking indictment\" of ministers that they had \"taken seven years and over \u00a39m of public money\" to turn down \"the single biggest private investment proposal in the history of Wales\".", "summary": "A plea by developers of the Circuit of Wales in Ebbw Vale for \u00a3210m in taxpayer-funded guarantees has been rejected by the Welsh Government."}
{"article": "She is one of around 80,000 children and young people who suffer from severe depression in the UK. Recently, she posted on Facebook about her mental health struggles and was met with a very positive response. This gave her the confidence to contact us and share her experiences, while receiving treatment at Cygnet Hospital Harrogate. More than anything, she wants to inspire others to be open about their mental health. This is her story. \"Since as long as I can remember I have felt unhappy, unmotivated overall unsuccessful, with dark thoughts lingering in my mind. \"People say we cannot see mental health, but I don't agree. The photos above show how gradually mental health has physically affected me. (From left to right) \"It can be seen in the hair that I couldn't be bothered to brush anymore, in the lack of make-up, because - what was the point? \"And it can be seen in the smile, that is in all four photos, but which gradually becomes more and more of a cry for help. \"How can it be possible for a person like me to be so unhappy with their life? I owned two beautiful horses which have played a significant role in helping me cope with my depression and anxiety, among other issues. \"My parents have been more than generous and support me in every possible way. \"Yet I felt incomplete, I felt as if it is almost impossible some mornings to leave my bed because at the end of the day - what was the point? Nothing had a purpose. \"I've had people yell at me and say, 'Just get up', and, 'Stop being lazy', but the truth is, for anyone else that has experienced anything similar, it is not that easy. And the days I do manage to move from my bed, I feel like I deserve a gold medal. \"When I was at my lowest, not only did I feel sad, I began struggling in simple situations. \"It began with speaking in public at a young age. I would avoid school until eventually it wasn't necessary for me to go at all. \"On other occasions, I would find myself in situations in Tesco where someone's laughter was enough to cause me great distress because I began to feel strangers were laughing at me. \"If I caught a glimpse of someone staring at me it was because I must be overweight. So I found myself focusing on girl body builders and models, on how good they looked. \"Seeing myself in the mirror made me feel really down because I did not match up to this image - which girls these days strive to achieve. \"This became another daily stress which has led me to lose weight over the past few months. \"It then started to affect things I enjoyed. I was unable to ride my horse without feeling we weren't good enough - that I was a poor rider and that I'd let my horse down. I would put immense pressure on myself before a riding show, the kind", "summary": "Celine is a 19-year-old law student at the University of Hull who has suffered with depression and anxiety for much of her life."}
{"article": "18 June 2016 Last updated at 13:53 BST The capsule, carrying Tim Peake, Tim Kopra, and Yuri Malenchenko, touched down in Kazakhstan at 10.15 on Saturday morning. Tim described the journey back to Earth as \"the best ride I've been on ever\".", "summary": "After six months on the International Space Station, Tim Peake returned to Earth with a bump in the Soyuz capsule."}
{"article": "It meant that Mr Bayrou's centrist party, MoDem, surrendered all three of its cabinet posts within 24 hours. President Macron came to power with a promise to fight political sleaze. MoDem, allied to Mr Macron's La R\u00e9publique en Marche (LREM) party, is facing an inquiry into claims that it used EU funds to pay party workers. Defence Minister and ex-MEP Sylvie Goulard was the first MoDem minister to hand in her resignation on Tuesday. After Mr Bayrou said he was standing down early on Wednesday, it became clear that Marielle de Sarnez, European affairs minister, was also leaving the government to take over as head of MoDem in the National Assembly. The resignations were not confined to Mr Bayrou's party. Mr Macron's close ally Richard Ferrand stepped down on Monday, amid unrelated allegations he had used insider information to secure a lucrative property deal for his wife while he was head of a mutual health insurance fund. Mr Ferrand and Ms Goulard have both denied any wrongdoing. However, the allegations have cast a shadow over the new government. It was Fran\u00e7ois Bayrou who outlined details of a bill to clean up politics. Three of the figures brought in to replace the four who resigned were women from civil society rather than politics: The relationship between the outspoken Francois Bayrou and Mr Macron's government has been tense for weeks. The French papers were full of anonymous sources from the president's party denouncing Mr Bayrou as having an \"outsized ego\" who \"stops [them] from governing\". \"We can't keep moving forward,\" one said, \"when we're always going back every five minutes to check whether Bayrou has made a mess again.\" Mr Bayrou's departure shows how difficult it can be to prevent scandal, even in those with a well-known political past. With so many new faces entering parliament this month after a rapid selection process, there's a risk those problems could multiply. The president's party has a clear majority in parliament, even without the support of MoDem. But having vowed to bridge the left-right divide in French politics, Mr Macron may instead be facing a growing chasm with his centrist allies. The bill to clean up politics included stopping politicians hiring members of their own family, a ban of up to 10 years for MPs and senators convicted of corruption or fraud, and reform of party financing. Mr Macron will no doubt be hoping it quells concerns over his fledgling administration, which faces one of its first hurdles on Thursday when it presents controversial new anti-terrorism legislation. Documents leaked to French newspaper Le Monde have already raised fears amongst civil liberties campaigners it may make France's emergency measures, which give authorities extra powers including the ability to carry out searches at any time, permanent. Interior Minister G\u00e9rard Collomb told French newspaper Le Figaro [in French] the legislation would involve four flagship methods: creating protection areas around potential targets, closing places of worship which incite terrorism, replacing house arrest with personalised measures, and placing a judge in overall charge of searches and the resulting documents.", "summary": "France's Justice Minister, Fran\u00e7ois Bayrou, resigned on Wednesday hours before President Emmanuel Macron announced his new government line-up."}
{"article": "Theresa Villiers said there was a \"thorough consideration\" of some key elements of the Stormont House Agreement on Wednesday. This included reform of the public sector to release resources for frontline public services. The talks are to resume on Thursday. \"The Northern Ireland parties carried out a thorough consideration of some key elements of the Stormont House Agreement designed to make devolution work better,\" Ms Villiers said. \"We also continued our detailed discussion of finance and welfare issues, including reform of the public sector to release resources for frontline public services. \"The differences between the parties are still very significant on these issues, but I do sense a willingness to make progress. \"Tomorrow, we focus on the impact of paramilitary activity and legacy issues such as the new Stormont House Agreement institutions to help address the concerns of victims and survivors.\" Meanwhile, Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan has addressed the Irish parliament about the political situation in Northern Ireland. He said that \"contrary to some recent reports, the institutions for dealing with the past set out in the Stormont House Agreement would not convey an amnesty\" for those who had committed a crime. \"The new Historical Investigations Unit provides for police investigation and, where there is an evidential basis, the prospect of justice,\" he added. \"The Independent Commission for Information Retrieval, to be established by the two governments, is intended to allow individuals to seek information about Troubles related deaths where there is no realistic prospect of prosecution; information provided to the commission for this purpose would not be admissible in court. \"However, the Stormont House Agreement makes it clear that no individual who provides information to this body will be immune from prosecution for any crime committed should the required evidential test be satisfied by other means and this will be reflected in the agreement establishing the body.\" The round-table talks between Northern Ireland's political parties are aimed at finding a resolution to the crisis at Stormont. The political row was triggered by a police assessment that IRA members were involved in the murder of former IRA man Kevin McGuigan Sr last month. Police said the IRA still existed, but added that it was not engaged in terrorism. Analysis Mark Devenport BBC Northern Ireland political editor There are different things that may bring this talks process to a conclusion. One is that the financial clock continues to tick away under the Stormont Executive. Another is that Peter Robinson stood down for a six-week period and, if there isn't some sort of revolving mechanism dreamt up by the DUP, that should be running out, I think it is 22 October. So that might put a little bit of a back-stop to the talks. Certainly, he wouldn't, I would have thought, want to come back into the job without having seen something from this panel which gives him cause for satisfaction. Three Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) ministers subsequently resigned from Northern Ireland's ruling executive, and Peter Robinson, the party's leader, stepped aside as first minister. The DUP and the Ulster Unionists agreed", "summary": "The Northern Ireland Secretary has said she senses a willingness among the political parties to make progress despite significant differences on finance and welfare reform issues."}
{"article": "Paul Flynn said the watchdog set up after the expenses scandal had failed to restore public confidence. But the Newport West MP said his views were being used as a \"stunt\" in the ongoing row within Labour. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) said it was currently consulting on the rules. Labour distanced the party from Mr Flynn's comments, emphasising they were not Labour policy. In a blog post, the shadow Welsh secretary described Ipsa as a \"bureaucratic ornament\" which he said had taken \"minute control of claims large and small\". He said it had failed to restore faith in the expenses system, which was time-consuming and robbed MPs and their staff of their \"most precious possession - time\". He wrote: \"Our reputation has sunk from rock bottom to subterranean. Financial scandals have continued in both Houses with toe-curling regularity. \"The public are still convinced that MPs use the system for own ends.\" Mr Flynn suggested a new system could be based on an allowance calculated on average expenses, based on MPs' distance from Westminster, and could be paid automatically. He claimed MPs would accept such a change, even if it meant they were worse off, because they would be liberated from the \"tentacles of tedious bureaucracy\". Speaking on BBC Radio's Good Morning Wales programme, Mr Flynn suggested that he originally outlined his views in a document written nine months ago \"as a backbencher\". He told the programme: \"Jeremy Corbyn knows nothing at all about it and this is now being used as a stunt by people in this mad battle we have in our own party where we are tearing ourselves apart. \"This is nothing to do with expenses, except that Ipsa is being looked at at the moment and we've been asked for ideas. I've put forward ideas that I published nine months ago.\" Delyn Labour MP David Hanson said Mr Flynn's suggestions were \"wrong\". \"The public expect us to have accountability and transparency on the money that we spend on behalf of them to provide constituency staff, constituency offices and the services that we provide,\" he said. \"I have no problem whatsoever as a member of parliament with my staff in completing Ipsa's requirements and filling in forms to account for that money.\" A spokesman for the Labour party said: \"The public rightly demands the trust of their politicians and Labour therefore remains committed to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority which Labour established to ensure MPs do not set their own pay and conditions.\" An Ipsa spokesman said: \"Ipsa is currently consulting on rules for MPs six years after they were introduced and is seeking views from members of parliament and members of the public.\"", "summary": "MPs should be given an allowance instead of having to claim for expenses, Labour's shadow Commons leader has said."}
{"article": "On 9 April, a Kashmiri man called Farooq Ahmed Dar was trussed to the spare tyre at the front of a jeep and driven on a five-hour journey through several villages at the head of an army convoy. He had just voted in a by-election for the national parliament when he was picked up by an army patrol. He was allegedly beaten before he was lashed to the vehicle with a sign saying \"This is the fate that will befall stone throwers\" pinned to his chest. Kashmir is disputed between India and Pakistan and Indian-administered Kashmir has seen a fresh upsurge of violence in the past few months, with stone-throwing civilians pitted against military personnel. The young army officer responsible, Major Leetul Gogoi, said Mr Dar was seized because he was directing a stone-throwing mob that was besieging a polling station - something denied by both Mr Dar and witnesses in the village. Major Gogoi says he decided to tie Mr Dar to the jeep in a \"fraction of a moment\" and subsequently claimed it saved 12 lives. Despite the length of Mr Dar's ordeal, he argues it created \"a window to move out of the area safely\". The incident was filmed and shared on social media, causing uproar in the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley. The use of Mr Dar as a human shield was criticised around the world. Amnesty International described it as \"cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment amounting to torture\". The Indian government announced there would be an inquiry into the incident but on 22 May, before the inquiry had been completed, the army awarded Major Gogoi a commendation medal for, it said, his \"sustained efforts during counter-insurgency operations\". This incident shows just how difficult India is finding it to keep a lid on unrest in Kashmir. Indian army sources have told the BBC that morale among soldiers stationed in the valley is very low. Many any soldiers are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with their role in Kashmir, saying they fear they are effectively becoming an army of occupation. Meanwhile, opposition to Indian rule in Kashmir appears to be deepening. That is reflected in the fact that Mr Dar was just one of 7% of eligible voters who actually voted in the by-election - the lowest turnout for decades. \"We are fighting a legacy of political betrayal, infiltration, rigging in local elections, cynical politics, bad governance, vested interests, religion and regional divides,\" one senior army officer in Kashmir told my colleague, Soutik Biswas, a few weeks ago. The officer acknowledged how difficult it is to operate in an environment where many people want the army to withdraw and said that, despite efforts to reach out to Kashmiris, the army remains unpopular. This weekend the chief of the Indian army, General Bipin Rawat, was clear why he wanted to honour Major Gogoi. He told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that the medal was given as a way of boosting the morale of young officers. Gen Rawat served for many years in Kashmir and, like many Indians, believes much of the opposition to", "summary": "If you want to know why India has courted international controversy by awarding a medal to an army officer who tied a civilian to the front of a jeep, you need to understand what is really happening in Indian-administered Kashmir."}
{"article": "Currently, they can start school at the beginning of the term in which they have their fourth birthday. But Powys council's cabinet approved the plans on Tuesday, which will see children start school in the September. The change will be introduced from September 2017 and will save \u00a31.2m a year. The council also voted to increase the hours of free pre-school provision from 10 hours per week to 12.5 hours. Councillor Arwel Jones, cabinet member for schools, said: \"There's no secret that we are proposing this revised policy to help in our bid to meet the \u00a327m budget savings target over the next three financial years.\" He added: \"Today's decision will bring us in line with the majority of other councils in England and Wales where children start school in the September after their fourth birthday.\"", "summary": "Children in Powys will only be able to start primary school after turning four years old, it has been decided."}
{"article": "Science and research should be a priority in the talks between the UK and the EU, says the Russell Group of research intensive universities. Any barriers \"would be bad for the UK and bad for Europe\", said the group's acting director, Tim Bradshaw. His comments come as the EU prepares to authorise the start of the talks. The EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, is due later on Monday to seek a formal mandate from the European Council in Brussels to begin negotiations. Mr Barnier expects the talks to begin immediately after June's general election. The Russell Group says there will be \"no winners\" if Brexit results in barriers between researchers and has pledged to work with \"all sides to secure a positive outcome\". Dr Bradshaw said there had been \"huge breakthroughs in medicine, engineering, and any number of fields\" as a result of joint working, which he promised would continue after Brexit. \"We want to maintain the closest possible relationships with colleagues across the EU, and research must be a priority during talks,\" he added. He called for the rights of EU students and staff at UK universities to be guaranteed after Brexit. \"We value our EU colleagues very highly and need urgent assurances, that after Brexit, they will retain the same rights to stay and work in the UK that they have now. \"Nearly half of all UK academic articles result from international collaboration and EU member states are some of our biggest partners. \"These relationships improve the quality of UK research and underpin the strength of our science base.\" UK universities are among the biggest beneficiaries of the EU's huge Horizon 2020 research fund. Non-EU countries can also draw on the fund if they contribute to it - but a major condition of countries being able to participate is allowing freedom of movement for researchers, a potential stumbling block in the talks. The Conservative party manifesto, promises to \"collaborate in science and innovation\" with EU member states. The manifesto also pledges to secure the entitlements of EU nationals in Britain and British nationals in the EU. \"There may be specific European programmes in which we might want to participate and if so, it will be reasonable that we make a contribution,\" the document adds. Labour's manifesto promises that the party in government would \"ensure that the UK maintains our leading research role by seeking to stay part of Horizon 2020 and its successor programmes and by welcoming research staff to the UK\". The party also says it will seek to maintain membership, or equivalent, with European organisations that offer benefits to the UK such as Euratom and the European Medicines Agency. The Liberal Democrat manifesto warns that \"the Leave vote has already started to affect existing and proposed research programmes\". \"We will campaign against any reduction in investment in UK universities and for their right to apply for EU funds on equal terms.\" Manifestos have not yet been published for the SNP, UKIP or the Green Party.", "summary": "Barriers to research collaboration in Europe as a result of Brexit would harm scientific progress, says a group of leading UK universities."}
{"article": "Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the accord between his government and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland as \"historic\". The rebels in Nagaland state have been demanding an independent homeland for two million Naga tribespeople. The group, in India's north-east, have been fighting for more than 60 years. \"I have the deepest admiration for the great Naga people for their extraordinary support to the peace efforts,\" Mr Modi said, after the agreement was signed at his office in Delhi on Monday. \"Our oldest insurgency is getting resolved, it is a signal to other smaller groups to give up weapons,\" he added. The prime minister earlier said that developing India's north-east was a priority for his government. Talks between India's government and the rebels had been taking place since 1997. Correspondents say many hope the deal will pave the way for similar agreements with other rebel groups in the region. The agreement was signed by its leader Thuingaleng Muivah, who once led rebel raids from neighbouring Myanmar in what is often described as India's first ethnic rebellion. The terms of the peace agreement were not immediately known. The Naga mainly live in Nagaland and also in the states of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.", "summary": "India's government has signed a peace deal with a leading Naga separatist group, bringing to an end one of the country's oldest insurgencies."}
{"article": "Barnet took the lead in the eighth minute when Luke Gambin crashed a left-footed effort against the bar and Curtis Weston was quickest to react, rolling a shot into the net from eight yards. Cheltenham had a penalty appeal for handball turned down four minutes later when Jack Barthram's cross from the right was charged down. Danny Wright hit the left post in the 37th minute with Jamie Stephens beaten and almost immediately Barnet broke and hit the post themselves through Akinde, who powered past Dan Parslow. But Cheltenham levelled in the 44th minute when Wright reached Jack Munns' free-kick and headed into the top right corner for his sixth goal of the season. Barnet regained the lead seven minutes into the second half when Akinde finished off a swift break, latching onto Gambin's pass. Griffiths saved Alex Nicholls' free-kick low to his left and Akinde hit the post again with a header in the 68th minute. Report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Cheltenham Town 1, Barnet 2. Second Half ends, Cheltenham Town 1, Barnet 2. Kyle Storer (Cheltenham Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jack Taylor (Barnet). Corner, Cheltenham Town. Conceded by Curtis Weston. Dan Holman (Cheltenham Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by John Akinde (Barnet). Harry Pell (Cheltenham Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Jamal Campbell-Ryce (Barnet) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Harry Pell (Cheltenham Town). Jamal Campbell-Ryce (Barnet) is shown the yellow card. Foul by Kyle Storer (Cheltenham Town). Mauro Vilhete (Barnet) wins a free kick on the right wing. Jack Barthram (Cheltenham Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by John Akinde (Barnet). Substitution, Barnet. Alie Sesay replaces Luke Gambin. Aaron Downes (Cheltenham Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by John Akinde (Barnet). Corner, Cheltenham Town. Conceded by Elliot Johnson. Harry Pell (Cheltenham Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Curtis Weston (Barnet). Foul by Harry Pell (Cheltenham Town). Bira Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 (Barnet) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Sam Muggleton (Barnet) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Substitution, Barnet. Sam Muggleton replaces Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro. Billy Waters (Cheltenham Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Billy Waters (Cheltenham Town). Jack Taylor (Barnet) wins a free kick on the right wing. Substitution, Cheltenham Town. Amari Morgan-Smith replaces Daniel Wright. Substitution, Barnet. Jamal Campbell-Ryce replaces Alex Nicholls. Foul by Kyle Storer (Cheltenham Town). Alex Nicholls (Barnet) wins a free kick on the right wing. John Akinde (Barnet) hits the right post with a header from the centre of the box. Jordan Cranston (Cheltenham Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Jordan Cranston (Cheltenham Town). Luke Gambin (Barnet) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Dan Holman (Cheltenham Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro (Barnet). Attempt missed. Billy Waters (Cheltenham", "summary": "John Akinde's 17th goal of the season secured a win for Barnet at struggling Cheltenham Town."}
{"article": "The reforms - which would significantly increase the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan - received the required three-fifth majority in the assembly. The bill will be put to a referendum, probably in April, and will become law if more than 50% of voters back it. Critics say the move could usher in authoritarian rule, and amounts to a power grab by Mr Erdogan. But the president says the changed system will resemble those in France and the US. The constitutional reform bill was approved by 339 of the 550-member assembly. Who is Turkey's dominant president? No cause for optimism in divided Turkey Turkey targets 10,000 social media users Mr Erdogan assumed the presidency, a largely ceremonial position, in 2014 after over a decade as Turkey's prime minister. The reforms would let the president retain ties to a political party, so Mr Erdogan could resume leadership of the AK Party (AKP), which he co-founded. Opposition leaders say that would abolish any chance of presidential impartiality. It has been suggested that Mr Erdogan could remain in power until 2029 under the new rules. The draft constitution states that the next presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on November 3, 2019. The president would have a five-year tenure, for a maximum of two terms. If the clock on Mr Erdogan's presidency re-sets from 2019, that would allow him to stay in the job until 2029, not 2024. Mr Erdogan has not made clear whether this would be the case. Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim congratulated MPs on passing the constitutional changes, saying: \"We have done our job. Now we convey the issue to its real owner, our people.\" Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), urged Turks to \"spoil the game that was played in parliament\". He described the approval of the presidential system as a \"mistake\". Debates over the constitution changes have been heated. Last week a fight broke out in parliament after the AKP clashed with CHP members when an MP tried to film a voting session during a debate. The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) boycotted the vote. To secure its necessary majority, the AKP has relied on the support of the rightwing Nationalist Movement Party, the fourth-largest in the legislature. Turkey has been in a state of emergency since a failed coup in July. The status was extended after a series of attacks on the country, including a mass shooting in an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Eve.", "summary": "Turkey's parliament has approved a new draft constitution paving the way for a presidential system of government."}
{"article": "The airline said that in future crew members would be allocated seats at least an hour before departure. It comes after passenger Dr David Dao lost two front teeth and suffered a broken nose when he was forcibly removed from a flight last Sunday. United Airlines said the move was aimed at improving its customer services. The incident involving Dr Dao caused outrage and widespread condemnation of the airline after shocking footage was shared and watched by millions of people online. His daughter, Crystal Dao Pepper, later told a news conference in Chicago that the family had been \"sickened\" by what had happened. Law enforcement officials dragged Dr Dao off a flight departing from Chicago for Louisville, Kentucky, because it was fully booked, and the airline wanted four passengers to make way for staff members. The 69-year-old Vietnamese-American physician had refused to leave, saying he needed to go home to see his patients. He was then dragged down the aisle of the aircraft. His lawyer later said that Dr Dao found the experience \"more horrifying and harrowing than what he experienced when leaving Vietnam\". The ordeal led to demonstrations at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and turned into a public relations disaster for United Airlines. The situation escalated when a response from the airline's chief executive, Oscar Munoz, failed to mention any use of excessive force. \"This is an upsetting event to all of us here at United. I apologise for having to re-accommodate these customers,\" he said in a statement. He also said that Dr Dao was \"disruptive and belligerent\". Days later Mr Munoz, who was facing calls to resign from online petitions that had received thousands of signatures, said he felt \"shame and embarrassment\" and vowed that it would never happen again. The airline offered compensation to all customers on board last Sunday's United Flight 3411.", "summary": "United Airlines is changing its policy on giving staff last-minute seats on full flights after a man was dragged screaming from an overbooked plane."}
{"article": "In the letter, the hugely popular chief minister of Tamil Nadu state says that she has \"been reborn\" thanks to the prayers of her supporters. The letter also urged people to vote for her party in upcoming by-elections. Critics say this could be an attempt to quell fears about the extent of her illness and mobilise her supporters. The chief minister was last seen in public on 21 September and admitted to hospital a day later. Why ailing leader has Indian state on edge Ailing Tamil Nadu chief gives up powers Initially, doctors said the 68-year-old was receiving treatment for \"fever and dehydration\". She was placed under observation and her diet was monitored. But since then there has been a fierce veil of secrecy around her health. Last Saturday her doctors reportedly said she had \"completely recovered\" and would go home \"whenever she feels fit\". \"Due to the continuous prayers by people in Tamil Nadu, in other states and across the world, I have been reborn and I am happy to share this information with you,\" Ms Jayalalitha said in the letter released late Sunday. But all her political responsibilities remain with her deputy O Panneerselvam. A former film star, Ms Jayalalitha has been Tamil Nadu chief minister three times and is virtually revered in the state.", "summary": "Ailing Indian politician Jayaram Jayalalitha has hinted at a recovery after months in hospital, in a letter released by her party."}
{"article": "Speaking in Washington, Ciaran Martin was giving his first public comments as the chief executive of the NCSC. The centre, which launches next month, will absorb existing roles such as protecting government and critical infrastructure. It will also look at new ways of engaging with business and the public. Among its plans are developing automated defences to offer protection from high-volume but relatively unsophisticated cyber-attacks. The NCSC will take a lead on protecting government networks and those of national level importance, but Mr Martin also outlined ways in which it would be more ambitious in improving the UK's overall cybersecurity. One-eighth of the UK's gross domestic product (GDP) comes from the digital economy, the highest in the G20 group of industrialised economies, and Mr Martin said retaining public confidence in online transactions and ensuring economic growth was a priority in the same way as protecting national security. Last year, twice as many \"national-security-level cyber-incidents\" were detected compared with a year before, amounting to about 200 per month. The attacks are not always highly sophisticated. The breach at the telecoms company TalkTalk used a basic technique dating from the end of the 20th Century rather than anything new. \"Far too many of these basic attacks are getting through,\" Mr Martin said. \"And they are doing a lot of damage.\" The new strategy will include using technology to automate defences against unsophisticated but high-volume cyber-attacks. Mr Martin described this as \"active cyber-defence\", distinguishing it from the US use of the term, which relates to pursuing hackers into their networks. Two to three years ago, there had been an expectation in government that a market of supply and demand would help deal with the low- to medium-end cyber-threats, leaving government to concentre on high-end threats. But officials acknowledge this has not taken place and that information sharing has often reached limits leading to a shift towards a more \"activist and automated approach\". The NCSC has already been working on using automated measures on government networks. This includes ensuring UK government email is trusted and not spoofed to fool members of the public. \"We trialled it, and whoever was sending 58,000 malicious emails per day from taxrefund@gov.uk... isn't doing it anymore,\" Mr Martin said. The centre has also been piloting ways of tackling commodity attacks - off the shelf, easy-to-use malware. This has involved sending automated takedown requests to web hosts, registrars and others. The focus has been on government networks but the ambition is to take these ideas beyond government on a voluntary basis - for instance working with service providers to stop the abuse of certain protocols to reroute traffic. This would make it harder for UK machines to be hijacked for use in denial of service attacks. The centre is also exploring scaling up DNS filtering - a method of screening web addresses for malware and other malicious content - to help providers protect their customers (with the public able to choose if they wanted to take part). Another aspect of the overall strategy is working on \"core national defensive cyber-capabilities\" to tackle", "summary": "Britain is moving towards more active defence in cyberspace, the head of the UK's new National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has said."}
{"article": "Second quarter operating profit rose nearly 5% to 3.49bn euros (\u00c2\u00a32.47bn). But it listed a raft of potential problems, including \"fierce competition, interest rate and exchange rate volatility, and fluctuations in raw materials prices\". The results come one day after news VW had overtaken Toyota to become the world's biggest vehicle maker. But VW noted that robust growth in the global economy lost momentum in the first half 2015 and it said it expected the same level of growth for this year as in 2014. VW cited risks to global financial markets resulting from \"the strained debt situation of many countries\". It expects the strongest growth to come from Asian emerging economies, with moderate rates of expansion from major industrialised nations. The company's shares are down more than 2% in Frankfurt.", "summary": "The German carmaker Volkswagen reported a rise in its quarterly profit, but noted slowing demand in key markets."}
{"article": "Andorra had stunned Chris Coleman's side by taking a sixth-minute lead through Ildefons Lima's penalty, Andorra's first competitive goal since 2010. Bale headed Wales level 16 minutes later, though that did not spare Coleman the jeers of the furious travelling Welsh fans as the score remained 1-1 at half-time. Wales searched desperately for a winner, and their reprieve eventually came after 81 minutes when Bale curled in a beautiful free-kick to deny Andorra a first competitive point for nine years. Although a victory of any sort was welcome, the Welsh performance was distinctly unconvincing as they aim to qualify for the finals stage of a major tournament for the first time since the 1958 World Cup. There had been optimism leading up to this campaign, with Euro 2016 expanded from 16 to 24 teams for the first time and Wales drawn alongside Bosnia, Belgium, Israel, Cyprus and Andorra in their qualifying group. Wales could hardly have asked for a kinder opening fixture - a trip to an Andorran side who are ranked 199th in the world, 158 places below them in the standings, and have lost their last 44 competitive games. But to Wales' horror, the prospect of a first competitive win for Andorra since 2004 seemed soberingly real as the hosts took an unexpected lead. With Wales unable to clear from a long Andorran throw, Neil Taylor was adjudged to have pulled the shirt of Ivan Lorenzo. Prompted by Mitja Zganec - the additional assistant referee behind the goal - Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic pointed to the spot and Andorra captain Lima calmly converted by sending Wayne Hennessey the wrong way. While Wales' travelling contingent of around 1,500 were momentarily silenced, the other half of the 3,300-capacity Estadio Nacional roared in disbelieving rapture. The lead lasted only 16 minutes, as Bale headed into the bottom corner from a tantalising cross from left-back Ben Davies. Bale had inevitably been the focus of pre-match attention, with the \u00a385m Real Madrid winger expected to start as centre-forward. Coleman instead picked the world's most expensive footballer on his favoured right flank, but he showed the goalscoring instinct of a natural striker to nod Wales level. The visitors enjoyed near total domination of possession, albeit a little unsteadily at times as players familiarised themselves with the erratic bounce of Andorra's controversial 3G pitch. With the artificial surface's rubber pellets flying up every time the ball hit the ground, Wales made hard work of creating genuine scoring opportunities. Having been booed off the field at half time, Coleman sought to take the initiative by switching to a 3-5-2 formation at the beginning of the second half. There was more urgency to the Welsh performance after the restart, and Bale was the catalyst for the change in pace. He had a free-kick from distance saved by Ferran Pol and a long-range effort which fizzed just wide, while his cross was headed wide by Andy King. There were times when Wales' desperation to take the lead led to a loss of shape and rhythm, as players struggled to adapt", "summary": "Gareth Bale's late free-kick saved Wales from embarrassment in Andorra as his two goals made it a winning start to their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign."}
{"article": "Cornell, 52, was found dead after performing in a concert with his band, Soundgarden, in Detroit on Wednesday evening. The Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed in a statement the frontman took his own life. In an earlier statement, Cornell's representative Brian Bumbery had said his death was \"sudden and unexpected\". It also said the family would be working closely with the medical examiner and asked for privacy. A spokesperson for Detroit Police confirmed to the BBC they received a call just after midnight (05:00 BST) on Wednesday. \"He was found on the bathroom floor, our medical unit were called and he was pronounced dead on scene,\" a spokesperson said. \"A family friend went to go check on him and observed him on the bathroom floor. The body was transferred to the medical examiner's office.\" The medical examiner's office said on Thursday that the cause of death had been determined as suicide by hanging, adding: \"A full autopsy report has not yet been completed.\" The Soundgarden show was part of a wider tour and the group had a number of live dates scheduled for later this month. Sir Elton John led the tributes, tweeting: \"Shocked and saddened by the sudden death of @chriscornell. A great singer, songwriter and the loveliest man.\" Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page added: \"RIP Chris Cornell. Incredibly talented, incredibly young, incredibly missed.\" BBC 6 Music's Matt Everitt said he was taken aback by Cornell's death. \"This is a hell of a shock, he'd been gigging frequently despite having a life that was quite extreme, and he was certainly in extremely good health, performing concerts and seemingly pretty much at the top of his game,\" he said. Cornell was born on 20 July 1964. As a solo artist, he released four studio albums - most recently 2015's Higher Truth. His biggest single in the UK was 2006's You Know My Name, which was the theme song to Casino Royale, which starred Daniel Craig. The track made him the first male American artist to write and perform the theme song for a James Bond movie. But he was perhaps most famous as the lead singer of Seattle band Soundgarden, which formed in 1984 and went on to release six studio albums. Last year, the band confirmed they were returning to the studio to record new material and a tour was announced for this year. On Wednesday evening, the Fox Theatre in Detroit tweeted pictures of the band while they were live on stage. Cornell himself tweeted about the show on Wednesday evening, writing: \"Finally back to Rock City!\" Soundgarden's most successful album in the UK was 1994's Superunknown, which reached number four in the chart. In 2001, he joined rock supergroup Audioslave, which consisted of Cornell on lead vocals, together with Rage Against The Machine members Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk (drums). The group released three albums - all of which reached the top 20 in the UK - but disbanded in 2007. If you are affected by the topics in this article, the Samaritans can be contacted", "summary": "Singer Chris Cornell died as a result of hanging himself, US officials have confirmed."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old Russian is ranked 211 in the world and was given a wildcard in Rome as she continues her return from a 15-month drugs ban. Monday's 6-4 6-2 win ensures Sharapova will move inside the top 200 and earn a Wimbledon qualifying place next month. She will qualify for Wimbledon's main draw if she reaches the Rome semis. However, when asked if she was aware of this week's rankings deadline, Sharapova replied: \"Oh, is it? See, I think maybe you guys assume that I know these things, but I genuinely want to take care of each and every single week, and every single match is a priority for me. \"The fact that I'm back and playing three weeks in a row now and three events in a row for me is a big deal. That's my focus.\" Sharapova will learn on Tuesday whether she has been given a wildcard into either qualifying or the main draw at the French Open, which gets under way on 28 May. The five-time Grand Slam champion reached the semi-finals on her return in Stuttgart last month, but lost to Eugenie Bouchard in the second round in Madrid last week. She made a slow start against American McHale, ranked 58th, at the Foro Italico, dropping serve three times before edging through the first set and dominating the second. Sharapova will play Croatian 16th seed Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in round two, with world number one Angelique Kerber a potential third-round opponent. Wimbledon's qualifying tournament is played over three rounds and takes place from 26 to 29 June at the Bank of England Sports Grounds in Roehampton. It has previously been an unticketed event but this year there will be 1,000 tickets for sale at \u00a35 each, with proceeds going to the Wimbledon Foundation, along with video coverage of one court.", "summary": "Maria Sharapova secured a place in Wimbledon qualifying - at least - with a first-round win over Christina McHale at the Italian Open."}
{"article": "Said Djinnit had been hosting talks between the governing party and those who do not want President Pierre Nkurunziza to stand for re-election. His announcement has sparked weeks of protests in Burundi and a failed coup. The election was due in June but was put back to 15 July following pressure from regional leaders. Mr Djinnit was aware of the \"positions expressed... on his role as facilitator by some Burundian parties\", according to a UN statement. They had complained that the talks were not focusing on the root cause of the crisis, which they say is the third-term bid. What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s behind the coup bid? President Pierre Nkurunziza profile African news updates But Mr Djinnit said that though the dialogue had not achieved agreement on the \"candidature of President Nkurunziza\", there had been \"progress\" in other areas. One of the leaders of the anti-third-term protests, Nininahazwe Pacifique, has welcomed the resignation saying that Mr Djinnit had \"no choice\". The president \"should follow this beautiful example,\" he added. The presidential election was postponed by 18 days, which falls short of a call by regional leaders to delay the poll by at least six weeks. Though he is stepping down from his role as talks mediator, Mr Djinnit remains the UN's envoy to the Great Lakes region, a UN official says.", "summary": "UN envoy Said Djinnit has stepped down as mediator in the Burundi crisis - a demand of those opposed to the president's third-term bid."}
{"article": "The plane was salvaged from the bottom of Loch Doon in Ayrshire in 1982 after a four-year search by divers. It crashed during a training flight from Ayr in 1941, killing the Czech pilot. Returning the bodywork to its former glory has taken 35 years of work and involved several false starts before being carried out. However, the Spitfire is finally ready to take pride of place at Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum whose founders first commissioned the salvage project way back in 1977. Chairman David Reid said it was a fantastic addition to their collection. \"When we first started, most of the bits and pieces we were recovering then were coming from wartime crash sites and this one looked a peach,\" he explained. \"We contacted the local diving club in 1977, just after the museum opened in the July, and they agreed to take on the task of looking for this. \"We were expecting them to find it the first weekend - they found a syrup tin.\" However, the search continued for four years with \"countless hours of diving\". \"They finally found it in 1982, probably just by feel, because the silt at the bottom of Loch Doon is several feet deep,\" said Mr Reid. \"They actually bumped into to it, I think the engine was the first part they found.\" That was just the start of another long journey towards its restoration. A Yorkshire-based expert was able to finish the fuselage but could not work on the wings due to ill health. Eventually the museum secured some funding to buy a set of wings and the plane has finally been able to go on show. \"If you ask anybody in the UK or probably worldwide to name the most famous World War II aircraft - depending on which side you were on, it is almost certainly going to be a Spitfire,\" said Mr Reid. \"It was the greatest World War II fighter, really.\" Although the exterior of the plane has been largely completed there is still a significant amount of work to do to the interior. Nonetheless, the museum is optimistic that it can be carried out in the not too distant future. \"Hopefully within the next couple of years we will be able to let people actually sit in a genuine Battle of Britain survivor,\" said Mr Reid.", "summary": "A restored World War II Spitfire that saw service in the Battle of Britain has gone on public show in Dumfries."}
{"article": "The cromlech built in Langemark, Belgium, has marked the 100th anniversary of the war's outbreak. It followed years of campaigning by those who wanted a permanent dedication to the fallen. It is estimated 40,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen from Wales died during the 1914 to 1918 war. Langemark was at the heart of battle in 1917 as the Welsh advanced through the village on the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele. Peter Carter Jones, co-ordinator of the Welsh Memorial in Flanders Campaign Group, told the service: \"At a chance meeting on 2010 I learned there was no single welsh memorial for all the Welsh fallen. \"We wanted to change that. \"This memorial's artist is from Tenby, the stones from Pontypridd and the dragon was made in north Wales. Every bit of it is Welsh. \"People not born yet will come here to remember the dreadful history this memorial represents. We will not forget them.\" Fellow co-ordinator Erwin Ureel added: \"The idea of a dragon memorial is easy, the hatching of that dragon takes much longer. \"The dragon you see before you is a fitting memorial to the battles fought here.\" The monument is made of four Welsh blue pennant stones transported from Craig yr Hesg quarry, Pontypridd, and surmounted by a red bronze dragon, designed by artist Lee Odishow. The sounding of the Last Post signalled the start of a minute silence. Heads bowed, there is no sound from the site, except for the birds Falklands veteran Simon Weston who earlier said it was \"very humbling\" to be part of the ceremony, read The Kohima Epitaph before the Welsh flag was raised by army cadets. Minister president of the Flemish government, Geert Bourgeois, said he is proud local people played a part in making the memorial a reality. He added: \"Although we have escaped war for 70 years now, we must never forget how fast things can change.\" First Minister Carwyn Jones told the service: \"This memorial is the result of many years of hard work by dedicated individuals both in Flanders and of course in Wales. \"Indeed the appeal has caught the imagination of people around the world and this impressive sculpture demonstrates the importance with which we, in Wales together with our partners in Flanders hold the memory of those who sacrificed their lives a century ago.\" BBC News reporter Natalie Crockett in Flanders From the outset this could be any other European town. With its neat cobbled streets, beautiful buildings and quaint village-feel you could be forgiven for forgetting the horrors that happened in Ypres, Flanders, during the Great War. But the town has not forgotten. There are museums dedicated to the Great War, plaques marking the sacrifice of the many countries which fought here, while cemeteries are dotted around the area marking the place where soldiers fell. In the town centre the imposing Menin Gate serves as a memorial for those whose bodies were not recovered. Every night at 20:00 hundreds of people gather to hear the sounding of the Last Post. Families and veterans, locals and", "summary": "About 1,000 people gathered to see the unveiling of a lasting monument to Welsh soldiers who died in World War One in Flanders."}
{"article": "Ms Swinson's campaign spending came in \u00a3210 below the legal limit, but reports say this was only after almost \u00a37,000 of costs were disregarded. The SNP said there were \"serious questions\", with the Lib Dems \"living dangerously close to spending limits\". The Lib Dems said they had complied with all Electoral Commission rules. Ms Swinson re-took the seat from John Nicolson by a margin of 5,339, a 10% majority, having previously lost out to the SNP politician in 2015. She was subsequently made her party's deputy leader. Her official declaration of expenses was within legal limits, but only after \u00a32,700 of leaflets and other material bought by the party went undelivered - thus not counting towards the total. A further \u00a34,040 of costs were registered as \"national\" spending, promoting the party generally rather than Ms Swinson's local campaign. The SNP said voters would \"find it hard to believe that so much cash could be spent on leaflets that just vanished\", adding that: \"It was an election, not an illusion show.\" A spokesman said: \"These revelations raise serious questions over the Lib Dems' campaign in East Dunbartonshire. People have a right to know what has gone on here. They have been living dangerously close to spending limits - and seemingly writing off thousands in costs to keep them within the rules.\" However, a spokesman for the Scottish Lib Dems said all spending was above board, and said the SNP were \"smarting\" after losing 21 seats in the elections. He said: \"All Liberal Democrat candidates follow the clear guidance they are given about election spending, and our party's compliance team are in constant dialogue with the Electoral Commission to ensure that we are abreast of the latest advice and abide fully by all their requirements. \"All expenditure in this election was apportioned correctly and clearly identified in our election return which is now a matter of public record. \"It's understandable that the SNP are smarting from a disappointing result, but they should accept that they were beaten in a fair fight in seats right across Scotland, and concentrate instead on the important business of running the country.\"", "summary": "Questions have been raised over the general election expenses of Liberal Democrat deputy leader Jo Swinson in East Dunbartonshire."}
{"article": "Arlene Foster's comments followed a week of disagreements over expenses payments. In a speech on Friday, the DUP leader called for \"a completely independent system\" for administering expenses. She said the electorate \"need to be confident that we're one of them, fighting for them and not for ourselves\". Mrs Foster added: \"If people are going to vote for us, they need to have confidence in us.\" On Friday, the Assembly Commission and the Stormont expenses watchdog issued a joint statement on expenses payments. It said the two bodies are committed to working together to sort out the differences. In her speech to DUP members in Cookstown, County Tyrone, Mrs Foster expressed frustration that the issue was preventing her from communicating her vision for Northern Ireland. She said that she left the stability of a career in the legal profession \"because [she] believed in a cause\". \"I wanted to make Northern Ireland a better place. I still have that vision,\" she said. \"At the minute, no-one can hear about my vision for Northern Ireland because the administration of expenses is the main issue. \"As leader of this party, I am not going to let an issue like this destabilise our strategy. \"How we deal with this will reflect on how we deal with other matters of government.\" The first minister said that she plans to send a letter to DUP assembly candidates and other party leaders appealing for a new system to deal with financial matters in the new term. \"The DUP has consistently argued that politicians should have absolutely no role in either deciding the level of their pay or expenses, or in administering the system by which those expenses are paid. \"The completely independent system at Westminster may not be perfect, but it has instilled public confidence that failures of the past will not be repeated.\" At present, an independent Stormont regulator determines the level of MLAs' pay and Office Cost Allowances. However, claims are submitted to, and processed by staff within the assembly. Mrs Foster suggested that this \"creates confusion and dents public confidence\". \"We need a completely independent system, just as there is in Westminster, where expenses are taken entirely out of the hands of MLAs and of staff working for the Northern Ireland Assembly,\" she said. \"The DUP proposed exactly this kind of system 18 months ago. Sadly, other parties did not agree with us at that time. \"If other parties will not join me in reforming the system, I will take steps on the floor of the House to have this put in place. I accept IPSA is more expensive and bureaucratic but it is essential that people can have confidence.\"", "summary": "The first minister has said Northern Ireland politicians need to strive to regain the confidence of voters."}
{"article": "Efforts to create a Palestinian state on the West Bank of the River Jordan and Gaza on the Mediterranean coast have been frustrated by the continuing conflict with Israel and disputes over the status of diaspora Palestinians. The war that followed Israel's declaration of independence in 1948 saw the former British mandate of Palestine partitioned between Israel, Trans-Jordan and Egypt. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced out of their native land during the war, in what they call the \"Nakba\" or \"Catastrophe\". The demand of these refugees and their descendants to return to their former homes remains one of the most fiercely debated aspects of the dispute with Israel. The Palestinian national movement gradually regrouped in the West Bank and Gaza, run respectively by Jordan and Egypt, and in refugee camps in neighbouring Arab states. The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) emerged as its leading umbrella group shortly before the Six-Day War of 1967, during which Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, and conducted a protracted campaign of violence against Israel. Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring The PLO under Yasser Arafat gradually won international recognition as the representative of the Palestinian people, culminating in the Oslo Accords with Israel in 1993. These accords established a Palestinian National Authority (PNA - also referred to as the Palestinian Authority, or PA) as an interim body to run parts of Gaza and the West Bank (but not East Jerusalem) pending an agreed solution to the conflict. The PNA functions as an agency of the PLO, which represents Palestinians at international bodies. It is led by a directly-elected president, who appoints a prime minister and government which must have the support of the elected Legislative Council. Its civilian and security writ runs in urban areas (Area A) under the Oslo Accords, with civilian but not security control over rural areas (Area B). The Israeli occupation of the West Bank, with its continuing settlement building and military checkpoints, and Palestinian attacks, have slowed progress towards a final agreement and led many on both sides to dispute the worth of the Accords. Israel retains full control over bypass roads, settlements and the Jordan Valley, and makes incursions into urban areas against armed groups. In 2005, Israel completed the withdrawal of all its troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip but it retains control of the airspace, seafront and access - including deliveries of food and other goods - apart from the crossing with Egypt. The Islamist Hamas movement, which runs Gaza, explicitly rejects Oslo and its charter calls for Israel's \"nullification\". The Fatah faction of the PLO ran the PNA until 2006, when Hamas won a majority in Legislative Council elections. Uneasy co-existence between PNA President Mahmoud Abbas and a Hamas-led government led to violence between armed wings of Fatah and Hamas, culminating in Hamas seizing power in Gaza in June 2007 and President Abbas dismissing the government. The two PNA areas have since been run by the separate factions - the West Bank by Fatah, and Gaza by Hamas. Egyptian-mediated efforts", "summary": "The Palestinian population of around ten or eleven million people is divided between historic Palestine and a diaspora, mainly in neighbouring Arab countries."}
{"article": "The Russian, 29, tested positive for meldonium at January's Australian Open. When asked if Sharapova would play any more tournaments, Shamil Tarpishchev told R-Sport news agency it was \"very doubtful\" and added the five-time Grand Slam winner was in a \"bad situation\". In March, Sharapova said she was \"determined to play tennis again\". The International Tennis Federation (ITF) provisionally suspended Sharapova on 12 March. She is waiting to hear the full extent of her punishment, which could be as much as a four-year ban, although experts say a six-month or 12-month suspension is more likely. That is because the World Anti-Doping Association (Wada) admitted in April that scientists were unsure how long meldonium stayed in the system. It even suggested athletes who tested positive for the substance before 1 March could avoid bans, provided they had stopped taking it before 1 January. However, Sharapova has already admitted she continued taking meldonium past that date, saying she was unaware it had been added to the banned list as she knew it by another name - mildronate. We've launched a new BBC Sport newsletter ahead of the Euros and Olympics, bringing all the best stories, features and video right to your inbox. You can sign up here.", "summary": "Former world number one Maria Sharapova may never play again following her failed drugs test, the president of the Russian Tennis Federation says."}
{"article": "It coincides with the release of figures showing that 24 people died on Scotland's coastline in 2014. Over the past five years, the average fatality rate in Scotland was 35 each year. Scotland experiences proportionately more coastal drownings than the UK as a whole. The UK figure for 2014 recorded by the RNLI was 163. The charity's Respect the Water campaign aims to halve the rate of drownings by 2024. It includes two films which will be shown in cinemas throughout the UK. The largest proportion of deaths over the past five years - 24% - were accounted for by people slipping and falling into the water while walking and running. Other dangers included: Men are considerably more likely to put themselves in danger than women. Over the five-year period, 74% of those who died were men. RNLI lifeboat crews in Scotland saved 51 lives in 2014. The charity has highlighted dangers which can be more common in Scotland. After falling in, people can experience cold water shock or the effects of strong currents under the surface. There are also problems with slippery rocks, sudden waves or unstable ground. RNLI coastal safety manager for Scotland Michael Avril said: \"We want people to enjoy the water but to make sure they respect it. \"Around 35 lives are lost around Scotland's coast each year but many of these losses could be avoided if people acknowledge the dangers and follow some basic safety advice.\"", "summary": "The RNLI has launched a drowning prevention campaign with the intention of reducing coastal deaths by 50%."}
{"article": "Daw'r newid arfaethedig wedi i berchnogion clybiau a thafarndai ar Stryd Womanby yng Nghaerdydd alw ar gyngor y ddinas i newid statws y stryd yn un \"diwylliannol\", er mwyn gwarchod s\u00een gerddoriaeth y brifddinas. Roedd ymgyrchwyr yn pryderu nad oedd rheolau mewn grym i amddiffyn y clybiau a'r tafarndai, yn dilyn nifer o ddatblygiadau adeiladu yn yr ardal. Dywedodd Lesley Griffiths ddydd Gwener ei bod am gyfeirio at yr egwyddor o 'Asiant dros Newid' o fewn y polisi cynllunio cenedlaethol. O dan yr egwyddor yma, os caiff datblygiadau newydd fel fflatiau neu westai eu hadeiladu yn agos at leoliad cerddoriaeth fyw, cyfrifoldeb y datblygwr fydd rheoli effaith y newid a rheoli'r s\u0175n. Fe wnaeth Lesley Griffiths gadarnhau hefyd y bydd Polisi Cynllunio Cymru yn cael ei ddiweddaru i ddynodi \"ardaloedd o bwysigrwydd diwylliannol\" ym maes cerddoriaeth o fewn Cynlluniau Datblygu Lleol. Yn ystod yr ymweliad \u00e2 Stryd Womanby dywedodd: \"Mae lleoliadau cerddoriaeth fyw yn cyfrannu'n fawr at ddiwylliant Cymru a'n heconomi liw nos. \"Dwi'n ymwybodol o'r ymdrechion i ddiogelu'r lleoliadau hyn at y dyfodol, gan gynnwys ymgyrch \"Achub Stryd Womanby\" yng Nghaerdydd, a hoffwn dalu teyrnged i waith caled ac ymrwymiad pawb fu'n rhan o hyn. \"Er bod bywiogrwydd ardaloedd fel Stryd Womanby yn dibynnu ar nifer o wahanol garfanau, gan gynnwys awdurdodau lleol, y lleoliadau eu hunain a'u cwsmeriaid, rwyf wedi clywed y galwadau i ddiweddaru ein polisi cynllunio cenedlaethol er mwyn diogelu lleoliadau cerddoriaeth fyw. \"Dwi'n falch iawn, felly, o gadarnhau fy mod wedi gofyn i'm swyddogion ddechrau diwygio Polisi Cynllunio Cymru cyn gynted \u00e2 phosib.\" Wrth ymateb i'r newyddion, dywedodd Guto Brychan, Prif Weithredwr Clwb Ifor Bach ar Stryd Womanby, ac un fu'n ymgyrchu i ddiogelu cerddoriaeth fyw ar y stryd: \"Ers i ni ddechrau'r ymgyrch rhyw ddau fis yn \u00f4l, dau brif amcan oedd ganddo ni. \"Un oedd dod a'r egwyddor 'Asiant dros Newid' i mewn i'r canllawiau cynllunio cenedlaethol a'r llall oedd i newid designation y stryd i fod yn un diwyllianol a bod hwnna'n rhywbeth oedd yn cael ei fabwysiadu o fewn polisiau lleol y cyngor. \"Dyma'r ddau beth sy'n cael ei gyfeirio ato yn y datganiad yma felly mae hyn yn arwyddocaol iawn.\"", "summary": "Mae Lesley Griffiths, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros yr Amgylchedd a Materion Gwledig, wedi cyhoeddi ei bod yn bwriadu diwygio'r polisi cynllunio mewn ymgais i gefnogi lleoliadau cerddoriaeth fyw."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old France forward had been heavily linked with Manchester United, and said last month there was a \"6/10\" chance he could move to Old Trafford this summer. But he agreed to stay at Atletico after the club had a transfer ban upheld. \"The first thing I want to do is apologise to people who misunderstood my statements,\" Griezmann said. \"Since I have arrived, I have given everything for my club, my colleagues and my coaching staff.\" Atletico cannot sign anyone until January after failing in an appeal against a ban imposed in July 2016 for breaching Fifa rules over the signing of youth players. Griezmann, capped 41 times, scored 26 goals in 2016-17 as Atletico finished third in La Liga behind Real Madrid and Barcelona. He was named the third best player in the world, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in January. Griezmann, who played in France's 2-1 defeat by Sweden in World Cup qualifying on Friday, is in the squad to face England in a friendly on Tuesday. BBC World Service's John Bennett: For me, the most interesting piece of information about Antoine Griezmann's new contract is the release clause. The club have confirmed that it stays the same, at 100 m euros, that's around \u00a388m. So despite the fact that 2022 is printed on the contract, this feels very much like the Frenchman will give Atletico Madrid one more year before making the big money move we all expected him to make this summer. For now though the Atletico fans will be delighted by Griezmann's loyalty. He said it would be a \"dirty move\" to leave the club in their hour of need and he has kept his word.", "summary": "Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann has extended his contract by a year, with his new deal expiring in 2022."}
{"article": "Officers found Jia Li Huang, 63, in a property in Atkinson Road, Urmston, at about 12:30 BST on Monday after being called to reports of an injured woman. The woman had suffered head injuries and was taken to hospital. Lorand-Sebastian Zdarcea, 35, of no fixed abode, was remanded in custody on charges of murder and attempted murder by Manchester Magistrates Court. He is due to appear at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday.", "summary": "A man has been charged with murder over the death of a man whose body was found by police in Greater Manchester."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Frenchman's stance puts him in direct opposition to some of Europe's biggest leagues and clubs, who want the event to be staged in May. The World Cup is usually held in June and July, but Fifa has been told that Qatar's searing summer temperatures will put players' health at risk. Platini said: \"It'll never be in April, May or June. It will be in winter.\" He added the 2022 Champions League semi-finals and final could be moved to June if necessary, saying the clubs would accept whatever decision was made. \"It's not the clubs that are playing, it's the players and it's not possible to play in May when it's 40 degrees,\" said Platini, 59. Media playback is not supported on this device The English Premier League, Spain's La Liga and the German Bundesliga think a May World Cup will cause the least disruption as Fifa attempts to find an alternative date to June and July. But the favourite dates are either November and December or January and February. Football's most influential figures met in Zurich on Monday in an attempt to agree a solution to one of the sport's most controversial dilemmas, and plan to meet again in January. The taskforce set up to look into this issue will then present its preferred option to Fifa's executive committee in March. Fifa's preference is for a switch to November and December. President Sepp Blatter has already agreed that a World Cup will not clash with the Winter Olympics, which appears to rule out a move to January and February. But Uefa, which governs European football, is opposed on the grounds it would impact on the Champions League group stages, a stance backed by the Premier League. Many North American and South American domestic seasons conclude about this time, too. Speaking during a tour of the Football Association's training base at St George's Park in Staffordshire, Platini said: \"As president of Uefa, I have no problem whether it's in November, December, January or February. \"I have no problem. For the competition of the Champions League, we have no problem. \"Your clubs in England, your league (the Premier League) has a problem\u2026 but we have to find a compromise. Everybody has to lose something but in the end I think winter will be a good date. \"It will not be in April, it will not be in May or June or July or September. It will be November, December or January.\" When asked how regrettable it was that the issue had still not been finalised four years after Fifa's executive committee voted for Qatar, Platini said: \"It's not regrettable for me. I don't regret voting for Qatar.\" He also rejected any suggestion the World Cup's credibility had been damaged by the Qatar controversy. \"I don't think so,\" he said. \"I've always said that I hope it will be in Qatar in winter. A lot of people voted for Qatar, not only me.\" Platini insisted Qatar was the right choice because Arab countries had bid for", "summary": "Uefa president Michel Platini has told BBC Sport the 2022 Qatar World Cup must be played in winter."}
{"article": "University of Cambridge experts said global investment portfolios could see losses of up to 45%. No investor was \"immune from the risks posed by climate change\", they added. In a recent speech to the City, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said climate change would \"threaten financial resilience\". The report, Unhedgeable Risk: How Climate Change Sentiment Impacts Investment, was commissioned by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership (CISL) and the Investment Leaders Group. It focused on the short-term risks associated with how investors reacted to climate-related information, such as policy decisions to market confidence and extreme weather events. No immunity The authors said the report's findings added to previous studies that had analysed the direct, physical effects of climate change on long-term economic performance. \"This new research suggests that no investor is immune from the risks posed by climate change, even in the short run,\" explained CISL Sustainable Economy director Dr Jake Reynolds. \"It is surprisingly difficult to distinguish between risks that can be addressed by an individual investor through smart hedging strategies and ones that are systematic and require much deeper transformations in the economy to deal with,\" he added. \"That's what this report attempts to do.\" The study focused on potential short-term impacts on investor sentiment/confidence that could emerge at any time, such as an extreme weather event or the outcome of the UN climate talks in Paris. The authors modelled the impacts using three scenarios: These scenarios were applied to four \"typical investment portfolios\" in order to understand the resilience or vulnerability of investments to climate-related shifts in market confidence. \"One of the key findings (from the modelling) is that it reveals the potential for very significant, short-term financial impacts for investors whereas previously, I think, a lot of the analysis had pointed to the longer term, multi-decadal impacts,\" explained CISL Finance Sector director Andrew Voysey. \"This is particularly timely because Mark Carey at the Bank of England has recently warned about the potentially huge losses to markets in the short term as a result of climate change. \"He indentified this issue and the Bank of England then went on to note the merit in \"stress testing\", which is the technical name of the technique that we have deployed here.\" The modelling showed that shifts in climate change sentiments among investors could cause global economic growth to slow over five to 10 years. But, the authors noted: \"The study found that economic growth picks up most quickly along a Two Degree (low carbon) pathway, with annual growth rates of 3.5%; not only exceeding the Baseline scenario (2.9%) but significantly exceeding the No Mitigation scenario (2.0%).\"", "summary": "A report has warned that investors could be hit hard amid changes in short-term market swings, triggered by climate impact concerns."}
{"article": "An announcement from steel firm Tata is expected on Tuesday on the future of its plants in Motherwell, Cambuslang and Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire. It is believed about 1,200 jobs will be affected, including 400 in Scotland. The Scottish government said it continued to \"explore all options\" to find a viable future for Tata's sites. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told her party conference in Aberdeen on Saturday that \"if our worst fears are realised\", she would immediately establish a task force to work with the company, the trade unions and local authorities. Tata employs about 70 people at its Clydebridge plant in Cambuslang, with the remainder of its Scottish workforce based at its Dalzell plate rolling works in Motherwell. Trade union Community, which represents steel workers, said it wanted any task force to support a programme which would keep the plants open while a long-term solution was sought. Assistant general secretary John Park said: \"We are in the middle of the worst slump in steel prices in living memory and it is essential we maintain our capacity to produce steel in Scotland. \"We welcome Nicola Sturgeon's announcement of a steel task force, but it cannot simply be an exercise in managing decline. \"If the Scottish steel industry is to have a future, then Nicola Sturgeon must ensure the strategic assets at Dalzell and Clydebridge are maintained.\" Mr Park also called for a \"proper industrial strategy\" for the sector to be developed. He added: \"For steel to have that future we must secure the skills of the men and women who work in the industry. \"That is why we are calling on the Scottish government to support short-time working programme, should that be necessary over the coming weeks.\" A Scottish government spokeswoman said: \"Since last year, when Tata Steel first announced the potential sale of its long products division, the Scottish government and its agencies have been in constant contact with both Tata Steel and with the trades unions. \"We continue to be in contact to explore all possible options to find a viable future for the company's sites in Scotland.\" Labour MSP John Pentland said: \"When Grangemouth, Fergusons and Prestwick Airport were at risk, the Scottish government stepped in to provide support and to secure jobs. \"They need to do the same now - anything less will not be acceptable. \"This is an iconic industry for our nation and the men and women who work at Clydesdale and Dalzell deserve all possible support.\"", "summary": "Steel workers have called on Scottish ministers to help secure the industry's future by backing a \"short-time working programme\" if plant closures go ahead."}
{"article": "Paul Wilson, 38, of Helperby, had an allergic reaction to a takeaway from the Indian Garden in Easingwold, North Yorkshire, on 30 January 2014. Mohammed Khalique Zaman, 52, from York, did not enter a plea at Northallerton Magistrates' Court on Friday. The case was adjourned to Teesside Crown Court on 8 May. Mr Zaman spoke only to confirm his name, age and address. He has been further charged with perverting the course of justice and an employment offence under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. North Yorkshire Trading Standards has served summonses on Mr Zaman for six offences under food regulations, the court was told.", "summary": "A restaurant owner has appeared in court accused of the manslaughter of a customer with a peanut allergy, who died from anaphylactic shock."}
{"article": "Mr Kejriwal spent Monday night in the open and conducted business with cabinet members from the street. His administration had accused the police of failing to deal with an alleged drugs and prostitution ring - something they denied. The chief minister says he has won concessions from central government. By Soutik BiswasIndia correspondent India's Arvind Kejriwal's 'anarchic' politics The government, which commands Delhi's police force, has agreed to send on leave two police officers Mr Kejriwal wants suspended on allegations of misconduct. \"I'm very happy today. Today the people of Delhi have won. I want to congratulate the people of Delhi,\" AFP news agency quotes Mr Kejriwal as telling supporters. The protest began on Monday when Mr Kejriwal was prevented from going to the home minister's office to demand the officers' suspension. He was acting in response to an incident which threatened to become a diplomatic issue, putting his Aam Aadmi Party, the police and members of Delhi's African community at loggerheads. Last Wednesday Mr Kejriwal's Law Minister, Somnath Bharti, and various party supporters allegedly confronted four Ugandan women in a Delhi neighbourhood, accusing them of prostitution. Police refused to search a nearby house for evidence of the suspected drugs and prostitution ring because they did not have a warrant. Mr Bharti and supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party were accused of threatening and intimidating the women, forcing their way into homes and making racist remarks - allegations they deny. Mr Kejriwal's wider demands include police reform and transferring control of Delhi's police force from the federal authorities. The chief minister also accuses the police of failing to protect women, following the fatal gang-rape of a student in December 2012. The Aam Aadmi Party, or Common Man's Party, performed unexpectedly well in state elections on an anti-corruption platform, propelling Mr Kejriwal to the post of chief minister last month. India's general election must take place by May and the party, only one year old, is expected to field a large number of candidates. The protest in Delhi is thought likely to raise its profile as the national poll approaches. While hailed as a victory by some, Mr Kejriwal's protest has been criticised by others, who urged him to get off the streets in order to govern as he was elected to do. His sit-in had caused congestion in central Delhi as police barricaded roads to the site. Police clashed with protesters who had gathered to join him on Tuesday.", "summary": "Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called off a sit-in protest in the city centre which was sparked by a row over who controls Delhi's police force."}
{"article": "Police said the man was assaulted on Friday night in the car park of The White House, a Wetherspoon pub in the Leicestershire village of Scraptoft. Emergency services were called to the pub at 22:10 BST and the man was taken to hospital where he died. The 23-year-old man who was arrested is in police custody. Tributes have been left near the door of the pub. Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed the assault or events leading up to it to contact them.", "summary": "A man has been arrested in connection with the death of a man who was assaulted in a pub car park."}
{"article": "Trevor Campbell, 59, from Sompting, was treated by paramedics but died at the scene. He was struck at about 06:00 GMT on the eastbound carriageway in Lancing. A 58-year-old man from Climping had been arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving. More news from Sussex Mr Campbell, his wife Rosemary said the family was devastated. She said he left a daughter, Ella, 28, and a granddaughter, Aerith, aged two. \"Trevor absolutely doted on Aerith, just as he did our own daughter, and his death is going to leave a huge gap in our family,\" she said. Mr Campbell, a porter at Lancing College, was taking his usual walk to work when he was killed, police said. Lancing College headmaster Dominic Oliver said he was a long-serving and loyal member of the team, and the Lancing community was saddened and shocked by his death.", "summary": "A man arrested over the death of a pedestrian hit by a car on the A27 in West Sussex on Thursday has been released without charge."}
{"article": "Jack Payne dinked a shot over goalkeeper Daniel Bentley to put Southend ahead before veteran forward Grant Holt drilled home an equaliser. Joe Rafferty's first goal of the season put Dale in front and Jamie Allen made it 3-1 with a long-range drive. Joe Bunney added a fourth to move Rochdale to within two points of the play-off places. Phil Brown's Southend slip down to 12th, four points adrift of the top six. Rochdale manager Keith Hill told BBC Radio Manchester: Media playback is not supported on this device \"We've reached the point of safety when, 10 games ago, we were looking at getting involved in a relegation fight. \"I was really pleased with the equaliser and then the second half. \"The second-half performance just showed our intent.\"", "summary": "Rochdale leapfrogged Southend to climb up to eighth place in League One with a comfortable win over the Shrimpers."}
{"article": "The broadcaster is still promoting trailers, clips and interviews on the website but users trying to access shows are instead met with a statement. \"As a not-for-profit broadcaster funded by advertising, we put our money back into the programmes themselves,\" it reads. It says it is directing viewers to its 4oD catch-up services instead. The statement adds: \"To make the best of this investment, we've decided to focus on bringing online viewers of our full-length shows to our own 4oD apps - such as those on iOS, Android and channel4.com. \"These apps also allow us to encourage more viewing by recommending programmes we think people will appreciate and to provide viewers with additional services.\" Programmes on 4oD are still available across a range of platforms including Sky, Virgin Media and Freesat, on consoles such as Sony's PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox One and on apps for Windows 8, Windows Phone, iOS and Android devices. The television brand says it will still maintain a presence on YouTube, with a press statement revealing some of its plans. \"Reflecting the ways in which our viewers consume Channel 4 content across digital and mobile platforms, our relationship with YouTube will now focus on short-form content,\" it says. The move ends the previous deal Channel 4 had with the online streaming service, where its 4oD catch-up service was available on YouTube's UK site. In 2009, when the partnership was announced, a joint statement said it was the \"first time that a broadcaster anywhere in the world has made a comprehensive catch-up schedule available\". Popular Channel 4 series including Peep Show, Skins and Misfits had been available to view free of charge, as were other programmes from its sister stations, including E4. Under the deal, each company took a share of revenues from any advertising sold around the programmes. YouTube, bought by Google in 2006, is the biggest video-streaming site in the world. Other UK broadcasters, including the BBC and ITV, currently make clips available on the video-sharing website. Channel 4 was the first UK broadcaster to launch a video on demand service in late 2006, and was also the first to sell advertising around TV content online. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter", "summary": "Channel 4 has removed all its full-length programmes from the video-streaming site YouTube."}
{"article": "Former Swans striker Wilfried Bony scored his first goal for Stoke before Wayne Routledge headed the visitors level in a frenetic first half in which the hosts hit the post three times. The volume of Stoke chances eventually told as visiting defender Alfie Mawson turned Ramadan Sobhi's shot into his own net, and Bony then nodded in a third after Joe Allen's shot was saved. Mark Hughes' side are now 12th in the table while Swansea, despite some initial signs of improvement, remain second from bottom and five points from safety. It was a galling evening for the visitors, who had the chance to re-sign midfielder Allen from Liverpool in the summer. Instead it is with Stoke he is enjoying the most prolific season of his career, his two assists here adding to the four goals he had scored in his previous four appearances for the club. A fifth match unbeaten represents an impressive transformation from Stoke, whose dismal start to the season had left them at the foot of the table after five games. One thing missing from Stoke's revival had been a goal for Bony, so there was a sense of fate to the way the striker on loan from Manchester City put the Potters ahead against his former club. Allen provided the assist with a half-volley from a half-cleared corner - an example of the visitors' ragged defending that was symptomatic of a frantic start to the game. Bob Bradley's side were overrun by their dominant opponents, for whom Charlie Adam twice hit the post with shots from outside the penalty area. Marko Arnautovic did the same after rounding Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, but the visitors' narrow escapes merely felt like delaying the inevitable. Stoke's pressure was unrelenting and, after substitute Ramadan wriggled past Swansea's hesitant defenders and forced Mawson into an own goal, it was left to Bony to nod in from close range after more good work from Allen to seal victory and score against Swansea for a second successive season. Allen's performance saw him provide two assists in a Premier League game for the first time, while Bony scored for the first time since Boxing Day, having gone 23 games for club and country without a goal. Swansea's slump of nine matches without victory is their worst since their 2011 promotion to the Premier League. There were hints of improvement in Bradley's first two games in charge, a 3-2 defeat at Arsenal and a goalless draw at home to Watford. He will also have been encouraged by his team's initially spirited response to the relentless Stoke pressure - but Swansea's defects remain. They were porous in defence and weak in midfield, where Ki Sung-yueng and Leroy Fer offered precious little resistance against their vibrant opponents. Lone striker Fernando Llorente led the line willingly enough but he and substitute Borja Baston were starved of service - characteristically for a Swansea team with just nine goals from 10 Premier League games this season. Stoke manager Mark Hughes: \"I was frustrated at times because we had all manner of", "summary": "Stoke claimed a third successive Premier League victory as they overcame a Swansea side still without a win since the opening day of the season."}
{"article": "In 1966, a coal waste tip slid down a mountain above Aberfan, south Wales, onto the village school, killing 116 children and 28 adults. The Green Hollow has been written by author Owen Sheers based on interviews with those involved. The drama is part of a new season of BBC Wales-produced programming. The hour-long programme, in the form of a poetry film, will feature high-profile Welsh actors including Michael Sheen, Jonathan Pryce, Sian Phillips and Eve Myles. Owen Sheers said of the programme: \"As well as remembering the circumstances and consequences of the disaster, it became equally important for me to create a portrait of what the village was like in 1966 before tip number seven collapsed on Pantglas School - a thriving, vibrant cultural and economic community - and also to paint a picture of the fortitude and optimism present in the village today.\" The programme will be broadcast on the day of the anniversary, Friday 21 October on BBC One Wales and BBC Four. Also making a return to both channels in October will be Ordinary Lies, the Newport-based drama set in a sports company starring Griff Rhys Jones and Kimberley Nixon. A Doctor Who spin-off for young adults, Class, will be screened on BBC Three from 22 October, while the Ceredigion-set crime drama Hinterland, which is in its third series, will return in the new year to BBC One Wales and BBC Four starring Richard Harrington. BBC Wales director Rhodri Talfan Davies said: \"These four very special shows provide a glimpse into very different Welsh experiences - from the lives and passions of a Newport workforce to the brooding landscapes of west Wales. \"They showcase the brilliant production and acting talent Wales has to offer, and underline the BBC's commitment to improve the portrayal of Wales on the BBC's networks.\"", "summary": "A drama portraying the events surrounding the deaths of 144 people in a Welsh village will be aired to mark the 50th anniversary of the tragedy."}
{"article": "Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) said all services would be suspended from 2 July. They are due to resume on 1 August. A replacement bus service will be provided for subway passengers during the closure. It will follow the subway route, with additional direct services to the city centre from key stations. They include park and ride facilities at Bridge Street, Kelvinbridge and Shields Road. Services will run every five minutes at peak times and every 10 minutes during off-peak. All passengers will pay \u00a31 for a single journey, \u00a32 for a return and \u00a32.50 for an all-day ticket. Child fares will be 50p for a single and \u00a31 for a return. The modernisation work involves replacing a 40-year-old section known as \"ramps and turnouts\", which permits trains to access the tunnels from the surface depot at Broomloan and cross over between the inner and outer circles. SPT said the section had to be fully replaced to ensure a reliable subway service in the future. SPT chairman Jonathan Findlay said: \"To date, SPT has achieved all of the modernisation works without any disruption to passenger service which is a considerable achievement. \"We have now reached a crucial stage in the modernisation plan that requires us - for reasons of safety for everyone involved - to suspend services for a short time during July. \"We apologise for any inconvenience to all our passengers but our full replacement bus service will mean that they can still get to where they want to go.\" He added: \"All our passengers are encouraged to turn up at their designated stop, allow a little longer for the journey, and leave the rest to us.\" All the information on the subway suspension and the replacement bus service is available on the SPT website. The Glasgow subway is the third oldest underground system in the world and is 120 years old this year. It is currently undergoing a \u00a3288m modernisation plan to upgrade or replace trains, signalling, platforms and stations. The Scottish government is contributing \u00a3246m towards the cost.", "summary": "The Glasgow Subway is to close for about four weeks in the summer while modernisation work is carried out."}
{"article": "Sebastian Zuchlinski was found with stab wounds in Davenport Street, Bolton, on 6 February and died at the scene. A post-mortem examination confirmed he had suffered multiple knife wounds. A 37-year-old man, from Bolton, has been charged with murder and is due before Bolton Magistrates' Court later. Six other people arrested in connection with the attack have been released on bail.", "summary": "A man has been charged with murder after a 39-year-old was stabbed in a street attack, police have said."}
{"article": "The hosts went ahead after 14 seconds when a poor Hugo Lloris clearance led to Jesus Navas brilliantly chipping in. Alvaro Negredo's shot went in off Sandro and Sergio Aguero turned in a cross to put City 3-0 up at half-time. Media playback is not supported on this device Aguero again slotted in before Negredo's 18-yard strike and a side-footed Navas shot completed the rout. City have struggled on their travels this season but at home they have been an irresistible force and they were once again in sublime form at Etihad Stadium, where they have a 100% record in the present campaign with six wins from as many games. The movement and ruthlessness of Aguero, the invention of Samir Nasri, the midfield power of Yaya Toure and pace of Navas was too much for a shell-shocked Spurs as they suffered their biggest league defeat since losing 7-1 to Newcastle in December 1996. The defeat left Tottenham with just one point from their last three top-flight outings and the drop in form has put them ninth in the Premier League. Spurs had only conceded one league goal on the road this season - and six in total - but any hope they may have had before the game evaporated after just 14 seconds. \"Tottenham have taken a hammering from a Manchester City side who have achieved an emphatic win with an exhilarating performance. City have won six out of six in the Premier League this season and scored 26 goals in the process. They were brilliant from the start.\" Lloris sent a clearance straight to Aguero and, even though the Tottenham keeper parried the Argentine's resulting 22-yard shot, he was beaten when Navas got to the loose ball ahead of Younes Kaboul and brilliantly scored with a first-time chip. The visitors tried to respond and City centre-back Martin Demichelis cleared an Erik Lamela shot off his goal-line after keeper Costel Pantilimon had missed a low Kyle Walker cross. However, that was as good as it got for Tottenham as City stunned their rivals. Aguero latched on to a Nasri cross and, despite Lloris getting a hand to the striker's chipped shot, the ball fell to Negredo, whose shot rebounded off Kaboul and Sandro on the way into the net. City right-back Pablo Zabaleta then released Navas on the right flank and the Spaniard's inviting low cross was expertly turned in from Aguero as the hosts all-but wrapped up the game before half-time. Media playback is not supported on this device Pellegrini's side continued to dominate after the break and Toure played a one-two with Negredo before surging into the Tottenham box and squaring for Aguero to slot in his 14th goal in 11 games for the club this season. A Nasri effort came back off the crossbar before the quality of Negredo's finish for City's fifth then epitomised the home side's confidence. The Spain forward produced a drag back from Fernandinho's through ball to leave defender Michael Dawson trailing before rifling a shot past Lloris from the edge of the box. Pantilimon", "summary": "A rampant Manchester City thrashed Tottenham to reassert their title credentials and move six points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal."}
{"article": "France international Sissoko, 27, did not even make the bench for Spurs' 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday. \"Football is not about money,\" said Pochettino. \"You need to show on the training ground you are better than another team-mate and you deserve to be involved.\" Sissoko joined Spurs on a five-year contract after they matched Everton's bid on transfer deadline day in September. He has made five starts in all competitions, plus five more appearances as a substitute. However, he has not played in the Premier League since being given a three-match ban for elbowing Bournemouth's Harry Arter on 22 October. The former Toulouse player missed the EFL Cup tie against Liverpool as well as league games against Leicester and Arsenal, but was not involved against West Ham on 19 November. \"If you sign a player and you expect something and you do not find what you expect and if another deserves to be involved, like (Georges-Kevin) Nkoudou or (Vincent) Janssen - why? Because we paid money we need to put the player to play?\" added Argentine Pochettino. \"Of course he needs to work hard and show in the future he deserves to be involved in the team. \"I need to take a decision and I believe the players that start on the bench deserve to be involved.\"", "summary": "Tottenham midfielder Moussa Sissoko has failed to live up to expectations following his \u00a330m move from Newcastle, says manager Mauricio Pochettino."}
{"article": "The UK government sent the warship to aid search efforts in the Mediterranean amid a rise in the number of people dying while trying to reach Europe. BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale said the ship was sailing south with around 12 other European vessels. Last week, Bulwark rescued 747 people from boats off Libya's coast. The ship is thought to have been involved in the rescue of around 1,700 migrants in the past month. Our correspondent, who is on board the ship, said: \"Bulwark, along with about a dozen other European vessels, is patrolling an area of about 70,000 square miles of the central Mediterranean - looking out for those migrants desperately fleeing Africa trying to get to Europe. \" It is likely the vessel will locate migrants in the next 48 hours and attempts will be made to rescue them, he added. Estimates suggest more than 1,600 people have drowned so far this year trying to cross the Mediterranean. Many are fleeing war in Libya, where Islamic State fighters are terrorising the population, fuelling instability.", "summary": "Royal Navy warship HMS Bulwark is heading towards Libya after reports 14 vessels carrying migrants have left the country's coast."}
{"article": "No suspicious packages were found and passengers were being allowed back in the terminal buildings. Earlier, flights were on hold after the airport received a \"very specific threat\" by phone at 14:00 (19:00 GMT). Local news channel KENS 5 reported that one flight was diverted, three cancelled, and 28 delayed. As the airport was reopened, officials warned there was heavy road traffic in the surrounding area. While the airport was closed local news sources reported that dogs trained to detect bombs raised suspicions over three cars in an airport car park, indicating there could be explosives inside. Airport officials confirmed that all three cars were eventually cleared. Meanwhile, passengers were herded onto the runways, away from the airport buildings, before they were taken to a nearby high school while the search was under way. About 2,000 passengers were cleared out of the airport during the evacuation, Fire Department spokeswoman Deborah Foster told the Associated Press. The incident was brought to officials' attention at about 14:00, and the airport tweeted confirmation that it was evacuating the terminal buildings at 14:35. San Antonio International Airport handles about 260 flights, carrying between 14,000 and 15,000 passengers each day, airport spokesman Rich Johnson said. The spokesman said incoming planes landed they were directed away from the airport buildings. Other planes were also asked to wait on runways, the spokesman said.", "summary": "The international airport in San Antonio, Texas, has reopened several hours after it evacuated passengers and searched for an alleged bomb threat."}
{"article": "The first of the four separate attacks happened on Monday, with the latest on Saturday afternoon. The offences in Birmingham and Solihull are not linked, but have raised fears about knife crime in the area. David Jamieson, the region's police and crime commissioner, said knife crime was a \"major concern and has been for quite some time\". Timeline of attacks: Mr Jamieson said: \"There has been a growing trend that's particularly prevalent in the warmer weather, The warm weather does bring out more crime, particularly crime that happens on the streets. \"It's desperately worrying. Any increase in any violent crime is worrying. \"The police are there to tackle the violence so people will have the full weight of the law thrown at them.\" Elsewhere, a 19-year-old man was arrested on Saturday in connection with a stabbing at Merry Hill shopping centre in Brierley Hill at about 11:15 BST. A man was injured and taken to hospital for treatment.", "summary": "Four men have died in a week of stabbings in the West Midlands."}
{"article": "Lucas Piazon's calm finish gave the visitors a deserved 1-0 half-time lead. Fulham's Floyd Ayite capitalised on sloppy defending to feed Tom Cairney, who fired in the second. The win lifted Slavisa Jokanovic's side to within six points of the top six, with a game in hand, while City have lost 10 of their past 13 league games. Milan Djuric had arguably the hosts' best chance before the break, but he headed David Cotterill's dangerous cross narrowly over the crossbar. The visitors had time on the ball early on and some neat passing fed Piazon, who delicately lifted the ball past the on-rushing Fabian Giefer for the opener. A poor clearance from Adam Matthews then led to Fulham's second, as Cairney lashed Ayite's pass into the top corner. Fulham, who have now won five of their past seven games in all competitions, could have added to their tally, but Kevin McDonald glanced a corner just over the bar. Boos greeted the half-time and full-time whistles at Ashton Gate, as well as the second goal, with the Robins fans venting their frustration as they watched their side lose for a 13th time in 17 league games. Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson told BBC Radio Bristol: \"I'm obviously angry, hurting and disappointed. \"We didn't have the team energy today. I've got to find a team and a formation that gives us the talent and the energy to go and get close to people. \"I don't think some players did enough, in terms of energy. But we have to go back to the drawing board. \"I understand the fans' frustrations completely. 100%, I'm with them.\" Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic: \"We played a very good game. We won three points, we took a clean sheet and we cut the distance between us and the top teams in the Championship. \"I have to be satisfied with how my team is fighting and how they concentrated after our FA Cup exit a few days ago. \"Lucas Piazon is fighting for every ball. He has been working very hard all season and today he scored a very nice goal.\" Match ends, Bristol City 0, Fulham 2. Second Half ends, Bristol City 0, Fulham 2. Attempt missed. Bobby Reid (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Matty Taylor. Offside, Bristol City. Gary O'Neil tries a through ball, but Bobby Reid is caught offside. Foul by Sone Aluko (Fulham). Scott Golbourne (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Kevin McDonald (Fulham) because of an injury. Hand ball by Matty Taylor (Bristol City). Attempt missed. Kevin McDonald (Fulham) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Stefan Johansen with a cross following a corner. Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Aden Flint. Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Fabian Giefer. Attempt saved. Bobby Reid (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Joe Bryan. Tom Cairney (Fulham) wins", "summary": "Fulham claimed a third Championship win in a row with a comfortable victory at Ashton Gate that left Bristol City just two points above the relegation zone."}
{"article": "Ms Hyslop is to undertake \"an intensive week of activity\" focusing on business, trade, tourism, education and culture. She will meet business leaders in Tokyo and Nagasaki to promote Scotland as a place to invest and do business. The cabinet secretary said Japan was \"a very important international partner for Scotland\". The Scottish government said Japan was one of the top 20 destinations for Scottish exports, and was the seventh largest source of foreign direct investment with Japanese firms employing 6,250 people in Scotland. Ms Hyslop, who previously visited Japan in 2015, will meet senior figures from companies which are already investing in Scotland, such as Mitsubishi, life sciences firm Kyowa Hakko Kirin and medical firm Reprocell. She said: \"Scotland and Japan have much in common - a wealth of expertise, a passion for innovation, a highly educated and skilled workforce, and a desire for increased international collaboration across all sectors. \"There will be much to share and much to discuss during my time there, including providing reassurance that, despite the UK's vote to leave the EU, Scotland remains a progressive, outward-looking internationalist country that is open for business and ripe for investment. \"I'm confident our dialogue will deliver mutual benefits.\"", "summary": "Scottish External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop is to travel to Japan to promote the message that Scotland is \"open for business\"."}
{"article": "Bicycles were wheeled down Whitehall to the Treasury by campaigners calling for increased government spending to protect cyclists and pedestrians. Five people - three cyclists and two pedestrians - died on London's streets in the past week. The Department for Transport said it was committed to reducing the number of deaths and casualties among cyclists. Nine cyclists died in London in 2016. Protesters have also been calling for a reduction in London's air pollution. In front of the Treasury, campaigners laid down their bikes and dropped on to the wet pavement for a minute's silence. Co-founder of campaign group Stop Killing Cyclists Donnachadh McCarthy said: \"We have had enough of the breadcrumbs - we need real spending. \"We have had two tiny superhighways built, but they have been a huge success. \"They are the germs of a revolution which should spread all across London.\" The campaigners want the chancellor to increase ring-fenced infrastructure expenditure on cycling and walking to 10% of the transport budget. Many attending the demonstration also wore gas masks in protest at the worsening air pollution. One sign read: \"We are all canaries in London's toxic air.\" Ben Wales, 32, died after colliding with a tipper truck in North Woolwich Road, Silvertown, east London, on Thursday afternoon. Anita Szucs, 30, died after an apparent hit-and-run on Bounces Road, Enfield, on Monday while architect Karla Roman, 32, was killed in a crash with a coach on Whitechapel High Street, Tower Hamlets, on the same day. A Department for Transport spokesman said: \"Britain has some of the safest roads in the world but we are committed to reducing the number of cyclists killed and seriously injured.\" They said that on top of a THINK! campaign to improve cycle safety they were spending \"\u00c2\u00a3300m on cycling funding in this Parliament\" and more than \u00c2\u00a37bn improving road surfaces.", "summary": "Hundreds of cyclists have staged a \"die-in\" protest in central London to raise concerns about road safety."}
{"article": "10 January 2017 Last updated at 16:08 GMT \"We are now in for a period of direct rule and I really do regret that, I think what the people of Northern Ireland want is stability but that has all been thrown in to very sharp relief,\" said Arlene Foster.", "summary": "Northern Ireland faces a \"brutal\" election following the resignation of Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, the outgoing first minister has said."}
{"article": "Ian Gillies, the new executive member for transport at York council, said the idea was \"a waste of money\". A previous council attempt to cut congestion by banning motorists from using Lendal Bridge across the River Ouse was abandoned last year. Mr Gillies said the city had an air pollution problem but could come up with a solution itself. \"Let's take stock and see if there's anything we can do,\" he said. \"I don't believe bringing somebody in to have a traffic congestion commission is money well spent. \"I think if we can't solve our own problems then it's a bad job.\" The commission was approved by the council's cabinet as recently as February and was due to report in October. It was expected to cost about \u00c2\u00a3135,000. During a trial closure of Lendal Bridge from August 2013 to April 2014 to tackle congestion, general traffic was banned from using the bridge between 10:30 and 17:00. About 47,000 fines totalling more than \u00c2\u00a31.3m were issued but drivers have since been told they can claim refunds.", "summary": "Plans to set up a commission to investigate traffic congestion in York city centre have been shelved."}
{"article": "The three Grade II-listed thatched houses at Silvergate caught fire late on Saturday afternoon. Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service incident commander Simon Mason said crews may remain at the scene for a second night. A National Trust spokeswoman thanked firefighters who \"worked tirelessly\". Residents from two houses have gone to stay with family and friends, while the third family has been re-homed in a holiday cottage, the National Trust said. \"We do not know the cause or full extent of the fire yet but, most importantly, there have been no reports of any injuries and all of the tenants were able to get out of the cottages,\" said the trust's spokeswoman. \"We are enormously grateful to the crews who reached the cottages quickly, worked tirelessly to tackle the fire and have maintained a constant presence.\" About 70 firefighters attended the blaze as it ripped through the roofs of the cottages. \"We expect to be on the scene for the remainder for the day and maybe over the night,\" said Mr Mason. An investigation into the cause of the fire has been launched.", "summary": "Three families lost their homes when fire engulfed a row of National Trust cottages on the Blickling estate in Norfolk."}
{"article": "South Africa's instruction was that the money was for a Diaspora Legacy Programme which should be \"implemented directly\" by Mr Warner, Fifa said. The US says the $10m was a bribe in exchange for Mr Warner supporting South Africa's 2010 World Cup bid. Mr Warner and South African officials have denied any wrong doing. South Africa won the bid ahead of Morocco to become the first African country to host the World Cup. Africa news updates Mr Warner hails from Trinidad and Tobago and was the president of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) and vice-president of Fifa when the decision was made. He was among a string of Fifa officials arrested last week after the US and Switzerland launched separate investigations into corruption in Fifa, the world football governing body. In a statement, Fifa said South Africa's government approved a $10m project in 2007 to \"support the African Diaspora in Caribbean countries as part of the World Cup legacy\". The government, in agreement with the South African Football Association (Safa), asked Fifa to \"process the project's funding by withholding\" $10m from the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the World Cup, the statement added. \"Fifa did not incur any costs as a result of South Africa's request because the funds belonged to the LOC. Both the LOC and Safa adhered to the necessary formalities for the budgetary amendment,\" it said. Martyn Ziegler, chief sports reporter for the Press Association, has tweeted a 2008 letter from Safa to Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke, who has denied involvement in the scandal. The letter, written by then Safa president Molefi Oliphant, requests that the money should be sent to the Diaspora Legacy Programme to be \"administered and implemented directly by the president of Concacaf\". A Fifa spokesman told the BBC in response to the letter that the football governing body wanted to reiterate that Mr Valcke and other members of its senior management were not \"involved in the initiation, approval and implementation of the diaspora project\". The Fifa statement did not comment on another US allegation - that a senior South African official travelled to Paris to hand over cash in $10,000 stacks - in a hotel room, to an unnamed person working for Mr Warner. South Africa's government and Safa have denied any bribes were paid.", "summary": "Fifa says it paid $10m (\u00a36.5m) to a Caribbean football body led by Jack Warner, who is charged by the US with corruption, at South Africa's request."}
{"article": "Scott Coleman, 41, from Liverpool, was caught in 2003 but was freed on bail and failed to reappear. He was finally detained in Amsterdam earlier this year before being extradited. Coleman admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and was jailed for five years. Lord Glennie jailed him for four years for his involvement in the heroin supply and a further year for failing to appear. The judge told him at the High Court in Edinburgh: \"The court cannot turn a blind eye to this flaunting of its authority.\" Coleman is also wanted by the Spanish authorities after he was sentenced in his absence to more than six years imprisonment for a drugs offence there. Defence solicitor advocate Ewen Roy said Coleman made \"a series of dreadful decisions\" some time ago. He said that before he became involved in bringing drugs to Scotland he had no involvement in crime, but was under financial pressure at the time. Coleman acted as a courier in the supply of drugs from Merseyside to the north east of Scotland. A major police operation targeting the large scale illegal trade resulted in the jailing of brothers Derek and Jason McAllister for 12 and 10 years in 2006.", "summary": "A man who went on the run for more than a decade has been jailed for trafficking heroin worth more than \u00a3200,000 into Aberdeen."}
{"article": "Crowd favourite Molinari and England's Willett began the day level on 16 under par, but the Italian hit a round of 65 to edge home in a thrilling finale. Spain's Nacho Elvira finished four shots back on 18 under par, tied for third with England's Chris Paisley. Fellow Englishmen David Horsey, Richard Bland tied for fifth on 15 under. Tommy Fleetwood and Scotland's Scott Jamieson were among five players tied for seventh. Molinari, 33, hit one eagle and five birdies in Sunday's final round to become the first Italian to win his national Open twice since the event became part of the European Tour in 1972. The victory was the Italian's fourth at a European Tour event and a first since the Reale Seguros Open de Espana in 2012. Seven of the European Ryder Cup team, which includes Willett, were competing in Monza as they prepare to take on the United States at Hazeltine in Minnesota from 30 September to 2 October. We've launched a new BBC Sport newsletter, bringing all the best stories, features and video right to your inbox. You can sign up here.", "summary": "Francesco Molinari carded a six-under-par final round to beat Masters champion Danny Willett to the Italian Open title by a single shot in Monza."}
{"article": "The Games were first held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930, when 11 countries sent a total of 400 athletes to take part. In Glasgow 2014 there will be more than 4,500 athletes from 71 nations competing in 17 sports over 11 days. Scotland has previously hosted the event twice, in 1970 and 1986, both in Edinburgh. This will be the first time Glasgow is the host city. Comments: Will you be watching the Commonwealth Games? Sporting superstars such as Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and Tom Daley are all competing in what is being billed as the biggest and best Commonwealth Games yet. The Commonwealth is a collection of countries that are linked in some way to Great Britain, all apart from one - Mozambique. Many years ago Britain used to control lots of countries as part of something called the British Empire. Over the years the Empire has disappeared as countries have taken charge of themselves, and has reformed and changed to become the Commonwealth. All 53 members have signed up to a set of values including democracy, gender equality and international peace and security. During the opening ceremony the Games will be officially opened by the Queen, who is the head of the Commonwealth. Africa Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, The Gambia, Uganda, Zambia Americas Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Falkland Islands, Guyana, St. Helena Asia Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka Caribbean Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands Europe Cyprus, England, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Malta, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales Oceania Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu List taken from Glasgow 2014 official website", "summary": "The Commonwealth Games take place every four years, with the 2014 event being held in Glasgow, Scotland."}
{"article": "The painting, which had been on loan at The National Gallery for 30 years, was at risk of being sold abroad. \"It's one of the quintessential images of 19th century British art and it's worth every penny,\" Tate Britain's Director Nicholas Serota told the BBC. The work will be shown at Tate Britain until the end of the year before travelling around the UK. \"This is the one of Constable's most important paintings,\" Sir Nicholas told the BBC's Will Gompertz. \"He regarded it as one of his masterpieces and always wanted it to be in the national collection.\" Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows was acquired for \u00a323.1m, but could have sold for as much as \u00a340m at auction. By Will GompertzArts editor \u00a323.1m might be a record for a Constable but it's worth every penny: a bargain compared to what's being paid for some second rate modern art. It is arguably the most accomplished work by one of the finest, most exciting painters of the Romantic period. Painted shortly after his wife's death, the \"iconic\" image was secured through major grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Art Fund, The Manton Foundation and Tate Members. Sold by the children of the late Lord Ashton of Hyde, the work was at risk of going abroad had the Tate not been able to put the money together. \"I know there was a major American museum that asked for first refusal,\" said Sir Nicholas. The acquisition was part of a partnership between five national and regional galleries: Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales; the National Galleries of Scotland; Colchester and Ipswich Museums; Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum; and Tate Britain. The partnership will enable the work to go on \"almost constant\" view across the UK. Jenny Abramsky, from the Heritage Lottery Fund, said they were \"proud\" to be a major funder of the masterpiece with a \u00a315m investment. \"It is unimaginable that this particular painting might have ended up anywhere other than in a UK public collection,\" she said. Constable's The Lock became one of the most expensive British paintings ever sold when it fetched \u00a322.4m at auction in July 2012. Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows is one of a series of monumental six-foot canvases painted by the artist, a scale he reserved for his finest compositions.", "summary": "John Constable's 1831 masterpiece Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows has been bought by the Tate for \u00a323.1m."}
{"article": "The fire at Shorrocks Hill Country Club in Lifeboat Road, Formby, was discovered at about 05:40 BST. A joint investigation with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service is under way into the cause of the blaze, Merseyside Police said. The dead man is believed to be Andrew Coogan, although formal identification has yet to take place. Firefighters said he was found with the horses in a stable which destroyed in the blaze.", "summary": "A man's body has been found by firefighters tackling a blaze that killed a number of horses."}
{"article": "The Colorado Rapids striker has had surgery on his leg after he was taken off on a stretcher in the Dublin game. \"Thanks to plastic surgeons at the Mater Hospital, leg looks brand new,\" said the 32-year-old on Twitter. Doyle, Daryl Murphy, Robbie Keane and Jon Walters will all miss Tuesday's game against Slovakia in Dublin. Former Wolves and Reading striker Doyle looked in danger of missing out on Euro 2016 as he was left writhing on the ground in Friday's game after making a block tackle. However, the striker allayed those fears on Saturday morning, saying he aimed to be \"back jogging in a few weeks\" after earlier tweeting a picture of his leg. Keane was ruled out of Friday's win over the Swiss and manager Martin O'Neill said after the game that the squad captain is now \"a wee bit concerned about the injury\". \"It's something he thought was a kick for a start, he thought it would clear up in a couple of days,\" said the Republic boss. \"He will miss Tuesday's game definitely now. I am hoping that's not a major concern at the moment and I genuinely don't think it is, so I don't want to start a bit of scaremongering.\" Stoke striker Walters will again miss Tuesday's game as he continues to be bothered by a hamstring injury while Daryl Murphy, who replaced Doyle on Friday, has returned to his club Ipswich Town because of a calf strain. With Doyle's injury not as serious as first feared, O'Neill was reasonably content with a night's work which saw him running the rule over a number of fringe players. With Shane Duffy impressing in central defence, Shane Long hit the woodwork although the visitors missed late chances with Republic keeper Darren Randolph saving a deflected Granit Xhaka shot. \"We probably lacked a little bit of cohesion, but it was nice to keep the momentum going against what I thought was a very fine Swiss side,\" said O'Neill.", "summary": "Republic of Ireland striker Kevin Doyle said there was \"no major damage\" after suffering a deep leg gash in Friday's 1-0 win over Switzerland."}
{"article": "Between 80 to 100 jobs will be eliminated at the lender's Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, India and Japan offices, according to media reports. The reductions come as the lender looks to refocus its business following a decline in the number of deals that used to earn big fees for the firm. Macquarie was not reachable for comment. Its chief executive, Nicholas Moore, has been shifting the firm towards more stable sources of revenue such as lending and fund management. Macquarie is Australia's largest investment bank, but has struggled with increased competition in Asia for both merger and acquisitions, as well as underwriting business. There have also been a reduced number of deals due to the weak global economy. Macquarie's shares have risen by about 33% this year.", "summary": "Australia's Macquarie Group is reportedly planning to cut nearly half of its investment banking jobs in Asia."}
{"article": "The attorney general's office says the remains of 129 bodies have been recovered from the graves. None of the remains have been linked to the students who vanished in Iguala. The information was released after a freedom of information request by the Associated Press. The majority of the bodies are male, but the remains of some 20 women were also found. The unmarked graves were discovered during the huge investigation into the disappearance of the 43 students. The number of mass graves found from October to May could be higher because the information given to AP only covers instances in which specialists became involved. The students, from a teachers' college in Guerrero, had travelled to Iguala and, as part of a protest, commandeered a number of buses. The government says the 43 were intercepted by police and handed to members of a drugs gang who killed them and incinerated their bodies. Gang members confessed to killing the students and burning their bodies after they were mistakenly told they belonged to a rival gang. The badly burnt remains of one student have been found at a rubbish dump, but many families of the remaining 42 refuse to believe the students are dead. Correspondents say the case has highlighted the huge number of people who have gone missing in Mexican states where drug violence is widespread.", "summary": "Sixty mass graves have been uncovered in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero during a search for 43 student teachers abducted last September, official documents have revealed."}
{"article": "Real Madrid went top with a 1-0 win at Real Sociedad before being replaced by Atletico Madrid after they beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0. But Barca held their nerve to overcome Betis, who had Heiko Westermann sent off for two bookings, with goals from Ivan Rakitic and Luis Suarez. Each team has two matches remaining. Relive the win that took Barcelona back to the top of the table. Defending champions Barcelona had scored 14 goals in winning their previous two league games. But they found it difficult to break down a Betis side who played with 10 men from the 35th minute after defender Westermann had tripped Rakitic to earn his second caution in the space of eight minutes. The opening goal came five minutes into the second half when a Lionel Messi ball into the penalty area caused confusion between defender German Pezzella and goalkeeper Antonio Adan, and midfielder Rakitic was left with a simple tap-in for his 10th goal of the season. The second goal did not come until nine minutes from time when Messi played through a perfect pass for Suarez to slot home his 54th goal of the season. Barcelona keeper Claudio Bravo came off late on with a calf strain and will have further tests on the injury on Sunday. Barcelona coach Luis Enrique: \"It's a very competitive league and I think the three candidates are strong. No-one will slip up, we depend on ourselves. \"There is less to go (now). I am sure against Espanyol, Camp Nou will be packed to the rafters.\"", "summary": "Barcelona beat 10-man Real Betis 2-0 to regain top spot in La Liga at the end of a day that saw all three title rivals spend time as leaders."}
{"article": "At least 22 staff and patients were killed in the bombing in the city of Kunduz a week ago. The US has said the strike was a mistake and that it was trying to target Taliban insurgents. MSF has called the attack a war crime and called for an international committee to investigate. Those injured in the strike and the families of those killed are eligible for \"condolence payments\" from the US. \"The Department of Defence believes it is important to address the consequences of the tragic incident at the MSF hospital,\" a Pentagon spokesman said. Funds will also be made available to repair the hospital, the Pentagon added. President Obama has apologised to the MSF president and the Afghan leader for the incident. MSF is still trying to trace more than 30 staff and patients who remain unaccounted for.", "summary": "The Pentagon is to pay compensation for those killed and injured in a US strike on a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) hospital in northern Afghanistan."}
{"article": "CBI Wales chair Chris Sutton said the proposed vote in 2017 was creating \"uncertainty\". David Cameron pledged to renegotiate a \"better deal\" for the UK and hold an \"in-out\" referendum by the end of 2017. Chancellor George Osborne said the UK would be \"constructive but resolute\" in talks with EU leaders. Mr Sutton said: \"From a business perspective the EU isn't perfect but I think business sees it as a real positive - it's a single market of 500 million people and I think it will be difficult for jobs and growth for us to step out of that.\" He added that the business organisation would be campaigning to stay within a reformed EU and warned that firms would not like the uncertainly in the two years leading up to the referendum. \"The departure from the EU is not a revolving door; if we get it wrong we can't just come back in again. There would be huge amount of renegotiating of positions in terms of bilateral trade agreements and an impact on our national wealth for us to come out of it.\" BUSINESS REACTION - YES OR NO TO A REFERENDUM? Bethany Sawyer is general manager of Biopharm UK - based in Hendy in Carmarthenshire - which has been supplying leeches for medical uses since 1812. She believes the two years before a referendum will give time for the UK to negotiate a better EU. But for Peter Lewis, managing director of engineering firm IAC in Newport, the referendum would cause stability and be a waste of money. He employs 75 people and is worried a vote to pull out of the EU could be a setback when manufacturing needs a boost. Many multi-national companies including Tata, Airbus, Toyota and Ford operate in Wales and support a number of smaller suppliers. They are responsible for tens of thousands of jobs. Airbus though has said the UK leaving the EU would not result in it relocating. The UK car industry and the manufacturers' organisation, EEF, has expressed concerns about the prospect of leaving the EU. West Wales and the Valleys has received over \u00c2\u00a34bn of European funding with another \u00c2\u00a32bn to come over the next seven years to support economic growth and create jobs. But critics argue that this is nothing compared to the money the UK sends to the EU and so more funds would be available in the event of leaving. The EU is a major trading partner with Wales. Elgan Morgan, of the South Wales Chamber of Commerce, said: \"Trading with EU countries is the first step for many businesses when they are looking to export their goods and services. \"Leaving the EU would complicate relationships between Welsh businesses and their European customers and may discourage businesses from pursing export possibilities altogether. This must be avoided at all costs.\" New Conservative MP for Gower Byron Davies said the referendum was something that they had canvassed on and people agreed with holding it.", "summary": "Plans to hold a referendum on EU membership are unhelpful for businesses in Wales and could lead to reduced investment, warns an industry body."}
{"article": "The Storr, a geological feature of the landscape in Trotternish, Skye, was used for creating scenes in the new movie directed by Steven Spielberg. Tourism body VisitBritain has promoted The Storr in its new campaign called Oh My Giant Britain (OMGB). It also features the film's locations in England. Images of actress Ruby Barnhill, who plays lead character Sophie in the film, at The Storr, Big Ben in London and the Angel of the North near Gateshead have been released on social media. The BFG launches in the US on 1 July and in the UK on 22 July. Skye is a favourite with film-makers and provided backdrops for Stardust, which starred Michelle Pfieffer, big budget sci-fi Prometheus and also Snow White and the Huntsman, Keanu Reeves' film 47 Ronin and the latest film adaption of Macbeth. Last month it emerged that the production team behind The BFG were helped by Highland's Council's small tourism and film unit with its inquiries about locations on Skye.", "summary": "Visits to the Isle of Skye could be boosted by a tourism campaign based on the film adaption of Roald Dahl's story The Big Friendly Giant."}
{"article": "AFC Wimbledon were formed in 2002 by Wimbledon FC supporters dismayed by the Football Association's decision to allow their club to move to Milton Keynes. And the reformed club did not acknowledge the 'Dons' part of their opponents' name in the pre-match programme for Tuesday's League Two game between the two sides. This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser After a tense first half, Jake Reeves struck just after the hour mark before Lyle Taylor added a quick-fire second to record AFC Wimbledon's first league victory over the Dons. The hosts impressed in the first half, but had James Shea to thank on the half hour as he produced a brilliant save to tip away Harvey Barnes' curling effort from the left with Robbie Muirhead lurking. Neal Ardley's side then made the breakthrough on the hour with midfielder Reeves finding the net from close range as Andy Barcham headed Taylor's deep cross into his path. Taylor gave his side a two-goal cushion six minutes later as he latched onto a quick throw from the right before arrowing an unstoppable drive beyond David Martin. The visitors almost reduced the deficit moments later but Shea once again produced a smart reflex save to stop Kieran Agard's effort from creeping in at his near post. Match ends, AFC Wimbledon 2, MK Dons 0. Second Half ends, AFC Wimbledon 2, MK Dons 0. Foul by Tyrone Barnett (AFC Wimbledon). Ben Tilney (MK Dons) wins a free kick on the right wing. Corner, AFC Wimbledon. Conceded by Ben Tilney. Substitution, AFC Wimbledon. Tyrone Barnett replaces Tom Elliott. Stuart O'Keefe (MK Dons) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Attempt missed. Dominic Poleon (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Foul by Jonathan Meades (AFC Wimbledon). Ben Reeves (MK Dons) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, AFC Wimbledon. Conceded by Darren Potter. Corner, AFC Wimbledon. Conceded by George B Williams. George B Williams (MK Dons) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Andy Barcham (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by George B Williams (MK Dons). Attempt missed. Nicky Maynard (MK Dons) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Corner, MK Dons. Conceded by Darius Charles. Attempt blocked. Ben Reeves (MK Dons) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Sean Kelly (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Nicky Maynard (MK Dons). Substitution, MK Dons. Nicky Maynard replaces Ed Upson. Ed Upson (MK Dons) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, AFC Wimbledon. Dominic Poleon replaces Lyle Taylor. Dean Parrett (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Joe Walsh (MK Dons). Foul by Andy Barcham (AFC Wimbledon). Ed Upson (MK Dons) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, AFC Wimbledon. Conceded by Ben Tilney. Attempt missed. Stuart O'Keefe (MK Dons) right footed shot from", "summary": "AFC Wimbledon claimed a historic victory on Tuesday as MK Dons' first visit to Kingsmeadow ended in defeat."}
{"article": "The incident happened at the One Stop Shop in Usk at about 06:00 GMT. A 15-year-old, from Little Mill, is currently in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of robbery. Gwent Police said a 36-year-old man from Blaina and a 42-year-old from Little Mill had been arrested and released on police bail pending further enquiries.", "summary": "Police investigating an armed robbery at a shop in Monmouthshire on Sunday have arrested a teenager and two men."}
{"article": "She wrote more than 60 novels in a career spanning 50 years, her best-known creation being Inspector Wexford, which was turned into a highly successful TV series. Rendell, one of Britain's best-selling contemporary authors, also wrote under the pen-name Barbara Vine. Born in Essex, she is credited with bringing a social and psychological dimension to crime fiction. Publisher Penguin Random House said Rendell, who suffered a stroke in January, died in London on Saturday morning. \"We are devastated by the loss of one of our best-loved authors,\" the publisher said in a statement. Penguin Random House chair, Baroness Gail Rebuck, said Rendell was admired throughout publishing for her \"brilliant body of work\". \"An insightful and elegant observer of society, many of her award-winning thrillers and psychological murder mysteries highlighted the causes she cared so deeply about.\" Rendell's first Wexford book, From Doon with Death, was published in 1964, beginning a series of more than 20 starring Inspector Reginald Wexford, played in the TV series by George Baker. Many of her works were translated into more than 20 languages and adapted for cinema and TV, attracting worldwide sales of 60 million. She was the author of more than 20 standalone novels, whose protagonists were often on the margins of society, and was awarded the Crime Writers' Association Cartier Diamond Dagger for excellence in crime writing. Her final novel, Dark Corners, is due to be published in October. Rendell began her writing career as a reporter on an Essex newspaper. However, she was forced to resign after filing a story about a local sports club dinner that she hadn't attended. Her report failed to mention that the after-dinner speaker had died half-way through the speech. Rendell, whose writing brought her considerable wealth, was made a Labour life peer in 1997 and is reputed to have given generously to charity. She was a vocal campaigner against female genital mutilation. Labour leader Ed Miliband tweeted she would be missed greatly by the party. She was born Ruth Barbara Grasemann in 1930 in South Woodford to a Swedish mother and British father. Rendell married Don Rendell, a journalist, in 1953. They divorced 22 years later but remarried each other within two years. She is survived by their son.", "summary": "Crime writer Ruth Rendell has died aged 85, her publisher says."}
{"article": "Stoneman, 28, has scored 14 centuries in 118 first-class matches, but is yet to receive a call-up for England. \"He's scored a 1,000 runs two years in a row now and people are just starting to mention him.\" Onions told BBC Sport. \"His volume of runs have made him basically selectable. You have to pick him - pure volume of runs.\" Newcastle-born opener Stoneman was named the club's batsman of the year last season, having been one of only five Durham players to feature in every championship game. \"People don't even talk abut him really. He's been on no Lions tours, he hasn't even been involved in any kind of squads,\" 33-year old Onions added. \"It might be quite hard for him to take that.\" But Onions, who has nine Test caps for England, is confident Stoneman will be considered for selection this year, and could put fellow batsmen under pressure. \"I think Mark Stoneman is certainly one of the guys that England will be looking at,\" he added. \"Whether or not [Alex] Hales is under a little bit of pressure - I think he'll go into the start of the season in a couple of months really having to score as many runs as he possibly can.\"", "summary": "Durham bowler Graham Onions says teammate Mark Stoneman has to be picked for international honours based on his \"pure volume of runs\"."}
{"article": "Godden, 24, joined the Fleet from Scunthorpe in 2014 and scored 30 goals in National League South last season. \"I dropped down to Ebbsfleet to rejuvenate and get regular football,\" said Godden, who has joined on a free. \"The main aim was to bounce back and make a name for myself in the Football League and I thank Darren Sarll and Stevenage for this opportunity.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Ebbsfleet striker Matt Godden has become Darren Sarll's first signing as full-time manager of Stevenage."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old joined Nathan Jones' side in the summer after being spotted by chief recruitment officer Mick Harford playing for Truro City. Vassell has scored twice in 23 appearances and the Hatters have taken up the option in his previous deal. \"Over the five months since he's been here he's done really well to impress us and grasp his chance,\" said Jones.", "summary": "Luton Town striker Isaac Vassell has signed a new contract with the League Two side until the summer of 2018."}
{"article": "Blackrock's assessment was that those risks would be \"mostly for Scotland, but also for the remaining UK\". The report comes as an academic's analysis strongly disputed the UK Treasury's rejection of a currency union post-Yes. Voters in Scotland will decide their country's future on 18 September. They will be asked the \"Yes/No\" question: \"Should Scotland be an independent country?\" Blackrock, which is based in New York and manages trillions in financial assets, will be sending out its 12-page assessment to clients next week. It said a currency union between an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK \"looks infeasible\" and would \"bring risks to both countries\". The asset managers believed the \"best of the few choices\" Scotland had would be to launch its own currency. The company said oil and gas were critical to Scotland's finances but fiscal spending based on specific oil revenue projections was \"uncertain and probably unwise\". It reported that banks and insurers would face pressure to move headquarters to a \"stronger fiscal state with a more certain regulatory backdrop\". However, the report added: \"A wholesale exodus of staff and operations would be unlikely, given Scotland's cost advantage over London and other locations.\" Blackrock also said that fears an independent Scotland would become a \"bastion of anti-business sentiment are unfounded, in our view\". It said: \"The Scottish government would likely go out of its way to accommodate the oil industry in particular. Why risk killing the Scottish grouse that lays the golden egg?\" On the issue of renewable energy, Blackrock said both sides had merit in their arguments. It recognised the UK position that at present Scotland received a third of UK subsidies for renewable energy, although it represented less than a tenth of the UK's population. However, it also recognised the pro-independence position that Scotland would no longer need to help fund the UK's nuclear programme. Blackrock's assessment came as Leslie Young, professor of economics at a university in Beijing, claimed the Treasury's currency position did not stand up to scrutiny. He was commissioned by businessman Sir Tom Hunter's new institute to assess the case against a currency union between an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK. Sir Tom is funding academic reports, research and polling in a bid to help people better understand the issues in the referendum, while he says he remains undecided on his vote. Blair McDougall, of the pro-Union Better Together campaign, said that the report by Blackrock was \"a serious piece of work from experts in managing money\". He added: \"The SNP cannot dismiss this as they have every other warning from experts, employers and economists. \"Being part of the UK means lower costs, more jobs and better opportunities for future generations. Losing the pound means losing the strength, stability and security of the UK economy.\" A Scottish government spokesman responded to the Blackrock report by saying: \"The Fiscal Commission Working Group, which comprises economic experts and including two Nobel Laureates, has considered a range of currency options in its detailed report published a year ago, and concluded that it", "summary": "The world's biggest investment fund manager has said Scottish independence would bring \"major uncertainties, costs and risks\"."}
{"article": "\"It's a question of reason,\" he said on French TV. His decision prompted immediate thanks from Mr Macron, who is neck-and-neck for the first round of the election with far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Mr Valls was himself defeated in the race for the Socialist candidacy. But instead of backing the man who won, Beno\u00eet Hamon, the former prime minister announced on Wednesday that backing Mr Macron was the responsible position to take, because of the risk of giving the presidency to the right or far right. \"I don't think you take risks for the Republic. So I will vote for Emmanuel Macron,\" he said. \"France's best interests go beyond the rules of a primary.\" Mr Valls met Socialist MPs on Tuesday night to explain his position, and he has rejected accusations of betraying his own party. Mr Hamon has already accused party heavyweights of stabbing him in the back and said on Wednesday that he was the victim of a weekly soap opera aimed at undermining him. While not the first senior party figure to back Emmanuel Macron, Mr Valls is seen as the biggest name so far. Defence Minister Yves Le Drian and a handful of junior ministers have already given the centrist their support. For months, the spectre of implosion has hovered over the Socialist party, with commentators talking of a fault-line threatening to split the party in two. And for months senior party members have teetered and fallen to Emmanuel Macron, the man some believe betrayed the party by quitting the government and running for president. Now the centrist candidate has claimed one of the biggest scalps of all. A man once seen as Mr Macron's sworn political enemy. But the support of Manuel Valls, a prime minister to France's most unpopular post-war president, may be a mixed blessing for Emmanuel Macron. While he himself served in President Hollande's government, he has worked hard to present himself as an anti-establishment outsider; a fresh face in French politics. Mr Macron served as economy minister in Mr Valls's Socialist government but left to fight for the presidency with his own movement En Marche! (On the move). Opinions polls suggest he will qualify for the second round run-off against Ms Le Pen in May. Beno\u00eet Hamon, seen as a left-wing rebel within the party, has failed to attract mainstream support across the French left and his campaign has been eclipsed by radical left candidate Jean-Luc M\u00e9lenchon, who could beat him into fifth place in the first-round vote on 23 April. Centre-right candidate Fran\u00e7ois Fillon, initially tipped to win the race, has fallen behind the two front-runners because of \"fake job\" allegations surrounding his British-born wife, Penelope. Both have been placed under formal investigation over the claims that she did little work for the hundreds of thousands of euros she received in public funds as parliamentary assistant.", "summary": "France's ex-Prime Minister Manuel Valls has thrown his weight behind the centrist candidate for the presidency, Emmanuel Macron, and not his own Socialist party's candidate."}
{"article": "The Ministry of Justice announced a new formula for calculating compensation payments for those who suffer long-term injuries, which means insurers will have to increase payouts. As a result, Direct Line said profits for 2016 had fallen 30% to \u00a3353m. However, it said it had seen strong growth in home and car insurance. While the changes to compensation calculations affected Direct Line's results for 2016, the company added that it did \"not expect any material residual impact on 2017 profit\" as a result of the reform. When the change to the payout formula was announced, a number of insurance companies said their profits would be hit. The Ministry of Justice said it was reducing what is known as the discount rate from 2.5% to minus 0.75%. The move will result in more money for the victims of accidents, and so increase costs for insurance companies.", "summary": "Insurance company Direct Line has said last week's changes to the way accident victims are compensated has dented pre-tax profits by \u00a3217m."}
{"article": "The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots was rediscovered by publisher Jo Hanks after she found a reference to it in an out-of-print Potter biography. Quentin Blake, best known for his work with Roald Dahl, has illustrated the story, to be published in September. Potter had only completed a single drawing to go with the manuscript. She sent the story to her publisher in 1914, saying it was about \"a well-behaved prime black Kitty cat, who leads rather a double life\". The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots also features an appearance from an \"older, slower\" version of Peter Rabbit. Ms Hanks, a publisher at Penguin Random House Children's, found a reference to Potter's letter to her publisher and the unedited manuscript in the 1970s literary history about the author. Three manuscripts were then found in the Victoria and Albert Museum archive, handwritten in school notebooks - a rough colour sketch of Kitty-in-Boots, a pencil sketch of villain Mr Tod and a dummy book, with some of the manuscript laid out. Potter said in letters, also kept in the archive, that she had wanted to finish the story but \"interruptions began\", including the First World War, her marriage and illness. Ms Hanks said: \"The tale really is the best of Beatrix Potter. \"It has double identities, colourful villains and a number of favourite characters from other tales [including Mr Tod, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, Ribby and Tabitha Twitchit]. \"And, most excitingly, our treasured, mischievous Peter Rabbit makes an appearance - albeit older, slower and portlier!\" Once upon a time there was a serious, well-behaved young black cat. It belonged to a kind old lady who assured me that no other cat could compare with Kitty. She lived in constant fear that Kitty might be stolen - \"I hear there is a shocking fashion for black cat-skin muffs; wherever is Kitty gone to? Kitty! Kitty!\" She called it \"Kitty\", but Kitty called herself \"Miss Catherine St Quintin\". Cheesebox called her \"Q\", and Winkiepeeps called her \"Squintums\". They were very common cats. The old lady would have been shocked had she known of the acquaintance. And she would have been painfully surprised had she ever seen Miss Kitty in a gentleman's Norfolk jacket, and little fur-lined boots. Now most cats love the moonlight and staying out at nights; it was curious how willingly Miss Kitty went to bed. And although the wash-house where she slept - locked in - was always very clean, upon some mornings Kitty was let out with a black chin. And on other mornings her tail seemed thicker, and she scratched. It puzzled me. It was a long time before I guessed there were in fact two black cats! Ms Hanks said Blake \"had to be\" the one to illustrate the newly-discovered story. \"It's a challenging brief to illustrate a manuscript written over 100 years ago by one of the world's most beloved authors, but we knew that Quentin's energy, rebelliousness and humour were in keeping with Beatrix's own artistic sensibilities, and therefore exactly what this fantastic book called out for,\" she added. Blake said: \"It seemed almost", "summary": "A new story written by Beatrix Potter more than 100 years ago, featuring Peter Rabbit, is to be published for the first time."}
{"article": "The 38-year-old seamer took the first five wickets to reduce the visitors to 48-5, before Ben Cox (63) and George Rhodes (59) shared a stand of 94. They were eventually all out for 230, losing their last four wickets for 30. England Test captain Alastair Cook closed on 43, with Tom Westley 58 not out, as Essex reached stumps on 111-1. Masters' seven-wicket haul added up to the second-best bowling figures of his career, bettered only by his 8-10 against Leicestershire at Southend in 2011. Essex fast bowler David Masters told BBC Radio Essex: \"I'm getting a bit older now and can't play as many games, so when I am playing I'm generally fresh. They've looked after me well this year. I've played when they've needed me to play and hopefully I don't disappoint. \"My body takes a bit more of a battering now and it takes me a bit more time to recover. But I still love playing, I love bowling. \"It's quite a docile wicket actually. The shine came off the new-ball and it started to swing and I got the ball in the right areas. That can happen sometimes.\" Worcestershire assistant coach Matt Mason told BBC Hereford & Worcester: \"We probably lacked a bit of application with the bat, particularly early on with some soft dismissals in there. And that last session was probably the poorest we have had as a bowling unit this year, so not an ideal day. \"When you win the toss and bat first you want to post 400, let's be honest. It looked a good surface and if we'd applied ourselves better you could bat and get some good partnerships. \"I wouldn't want to detract anything from Masters' spell. He did what he's done for his whole career - he put the ball on the spot and nagged away. He is very disciplined, but I don't think we were very good in defence.\"", "summary": "David Masters took 7-52 to put Division Two leaders Essex in a strong position against Worcestershire on the opening day at Chelmsford."}
{"article": "Mostly they're sweeping up some legislative fag-ends, but the Tuesday debates on the process of Brexit could provide some significant action, as the Labour Lords (\"the effective wing of the party,\" one peer murmured to me) seek to keep up pressure on the government on two long term issues where they are seen as being vulnerable. And watch out for the publication of the Commons Brexit Committee's latest report, which has, even before publication, produced a damaging squabble between Leave and Remain Committee members. (Incidentally someone asked in comments on my earlier post on this, how the committee members are chosen - they are elected from within each party group.) MPs are back in the Commons on Tuesday 18 April, and peers will return on Monday 24 April. Here's my rundown of the week ahead: The Lords meet at 2.30pm - when questions to ministers will include Labour's Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe raising the display and promotion of alcohol in supermarkets and the danger to the health and well-being of children. The day's main debates are on internal issues. First up, there will be a motion to approve plans for the next Parliamentary year's crop of special select committees to conduct one-off inquiries. The chosen subjects are: the economic, ethical and social implications of advances in artificial intelligence; citizenship and civic engagement; the effects of political polling and digital media on politics, and finally, a post-legislative scrutiny committee on the impact of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. This last one will look at how effective the Act has been in its purposes of conserving biodiversity, promoting open spaces and open-air recreation, and meeting rural needs. Normally this kind of inquiry has been aimed at examining how highly technical measures are playing out, but this one will focus more on how public policy is unfolding. All four committees will be instructed to report by the end of March 2018. After that, peers will vote on a report from their Privileges and Conduct Select Committee recommending some changes to the rules for declarations of interests for peers with \"significant control of a company\". This proposes a number of tweaks to the wording - so financial and non-financial interests would have to be declared if a reasonable member of the public might think a peer would (rather than \"might\") be be influenced by them. Finally peers will have their second committee stage debate on the detail of the Criminal Finances Bill, which deals with terrorist property, creates corporate offences on tax evasion and money laundering. At this stage of debate, peers rarely force issues to a vote, but they will probe the government on issues like creating registers of beneficial ownership of companies in the UK's Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, a wider definition of \"economic crime\" and there's an interesting looking Labour amendment which would create a \"corporate probation order\" under which companies convicted of offences under the Act would be placed under supervision. And another amendment would allow the courts to disqualify directors of companies convicted of offences. Finally, there", "summary": "MPs have already begun their Easter break - but the Lords legislate on."}
{"article": "The protesters made the 12km (7-mile) journey to highlight high levels of bacteria in the bay. They said they were concerned about the health of the athletes taking part in Olympic sailing competitions. Trials for the events are due to start in Rio waters next Saturday. The authorities in Rio initially promised that 80% of the bay would be cleaned up in time for the Games, but they admitted more recently that they would not meet these targets. Only one of eight water treatment plants has been built so far. The Brazilian sailor and Olympic medallist Isabel Swan was one of the organisers of the protest. She competed in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and says the area used for sailing in China had problems with a large algae bloom but this was dealt with two months ahead of the competition. She told the BBC the failure by Rio de Janeiro city and state to meet their commitments made her feel \"very bad\". \"It's important that we can leave a legacy for our children and for Brazilian people,\" she said. \"It was very important to bring the Olympic Games to Rio, but we weren't able to clean the bay. I want to create a movement that will inspire people to defend Guanabara Bay and help the government make a real commitment to cleaning it up. \" Trials for the Olympic sailing competitions due to start next Saturday have been hampered by concerns about the impact on the health of the athletes. A recent investigation by the Associated Press showed that the waterways in Rio to be used in the Olympics are carrying high counts of disease-causing viruses directly linked to human sewage. Sergio Ricardo, an ecologist and founder of the Bahia Viva (Living Bay) movement, which organised the protest, said the pollution which affects the bay is caused by a number of different factors. \"The main challenges are sewage treatment and industrial control. The oil industry is encroaching on the fishermen in the bay. We need public policy for fishing, reforestation and sewage treatment so that the bay can live.\"", "summary": "A flotilla of more than 30 boats and water craft has cruised across Rio de Janeiro's Guanabara Bay to protest against water pollution with a year to go before the 2016 Olympics."}
{"article": "Enda Kenny said that the draft bill would bring certainty to pregnant women and legal clarity to doctors He was speaking after the cabinet reached agreement on the proposed Protection of Life in Pregnancy Bill. It includes the credible threat of suicide as grounds for a termination. The taoiseach told a news conference on Wednesday that the issue had been \"divisive and contentious\" for more than 30 years. By Shane HarrisonBBC Ireland Correspondent Since 1983, when voters put an amendment into the constitution giving the mother and unborn child equal rights to life, doctors and medics have been operating in a grey area as to when a pregnancy can be terminated to save the mother's life as distinct from her health. Their difficulty was compounded by the 1992 Supreme Court ruling that the credible threat of suicide - though extremely rare - was grounds for a termination. The heads of the bill agreed last night should bring some clarity to those issues and should eventually become law given the size of the government's majority. But Enda Kenny knows that several members of his Fine Gael parliamentary party are prepared to lose the whip because of their anti-choice views. For them, in any pregnancy, there are two lives with equal rights at stake and they believe the suicide threat could eventually lead to abortion on demand. That scenario is rejected by the government and pro-choice activists. The right-to-choose campaigners say that 11 women leave the republic every day for British terminations and that situation is unlikely to change. \"This bill restates the general prohibition on abortion in Ireland. The law on abortion in Ireland is not being changed,\" he said. \"We are a compassionate people. This is about women; it is about saving lives, the life of the mother and the life of the unborn. \"Our country will continue to be one of the safest places in the world for childbirth.\" The tanaiste (deputy prime minister), Eamon Gilmore, said there had been been a \"pall of uncertainty\" over the issue. \"Women have a right to know that, if the worst happens, they will be able to have life-saving treatment. For years they have been denied that right,\" he said. Irish Health Minister James Reilly said for two decades governments had failed to deal with the issue. He said the bill would \"put in place a certainty about how to deal with medical emergencies during pregnancy\". The Irish government published the draft legislation on Tuesday night. It allows for terminations when there is a real and substantial threat to the life of the mother, including the threat of suicide. The draft bill states that terminations must be carried out in public obstetric units, except in emergencies, when a single medical practitioner can approve an abortion. In the case of a risk of loss of life from physical illness, two doctors must certify that there is a real and substantial risk to the mother's life. In the case of a risk of suicide, three doctors must jointly sanction an abortion - an obstetrician and a", "summary": "A controversial abortion bill in the Republic of Ireland does not amount to a change in the law, the Irish prime minister has said."}
{"article": "Chris Grayling says the proposed law will see victims kept informed about their case and courts will allow most to provide a personal impact statement. Separate plans will see a victims' information service set up next March and more child witnesses film their evidence before a trial starts. Labour is to outline its own proposals for victims in the coming weeks. At the moment, a victims' code sets out guidance for courts, police and the probation service. The proposed law, which will be subject to a bill in the next Parliament, will enshrine several of its measures into legislation. The code's entitlement for victims to tell the sentencing judge and offender how a crime has impacted their life through a statement is among the measures that will become law. The information service will include a helpline and website and aims to guide victims to support services. Ministers will also consult on plans to pay compensation up front to victims - many have had to wait years in the past - and courts will be modernised to include separate waiting areas for victims and defendants. Publicly-funded lawyers will also be required to have specialist training before working on serious sex offence cases. Mr Grayling said the current legal system could be daunting for victims. \"Victims, especially the most vulnerable, can find it traumatic and difficult to know where to turn to for advice and support,\" he said. \"We are also making it easier for them to find whatever it is they need by establishing one simple source of information and help - be it tracking the progress of their case, applying for compensation, knowing what to expect in court, or understanding the range of support available to them.\" The government is hoping to extend a pilot scheme in three Crown Courts that allows children to be cross-examined before trials, away from court, with their evidence filmed and later shown on video during a trial. Concerns had previously been raised about how children were affected by the court process - with reports of one victim who was cross-examined for 12 days by seven defence barristers. If successful, the scheme will be apply to all child witnesses by the end of 2017 and may also be extended to include vulnerable adult witnesses. The chief executive of the charity Victim Support, Mark Castle, said: \"Children and other vulnerable victims and witnesses should not have to face the trauma of giving evidence in a court building, unless they choose to.\" He added: \"Our witness service team, who work behind the scenes in court, see every day just how distressing it can be... especially for victims of a violent or sexual crime. \"Putting victims' rights in law sends a clear message to police, prosecutors and the courts that addressing the needs of victims is central to their work - it cannot be an optional extra.\" Victims' Commissioner Baroness Newlove welcomed the plans but questioned how they would differ in practice from the existing victims' code. \"A new law cannot be used as a quick fix,\" she said. \"Recently,", "summary": "Crime victims in England and Wales are to be given legal rights for the first time, the justice secretary has said."}
{"article": "The Tangerines needed to win and for Falkirk to drop points to finish second and progress to the semi-final. The Bairns beat Dumbarton 1-0. After Tony Andreu hit the bar for United in the first half, Kudus Oyenuga headed Morton ahead in the second. But Blair Spittal struck from 10 yards to draw the sides level. Fourth-placed Morton, who were earlier forced to bring on Michael Tidser for the injured Ross Forbes, then lost goalkeeper Bryn Halliwell, James McGowan coming on. Substitute Aidan Nesbitt came close for the home side, keeper Cammy Bell denying the on-loan Celtic midfielder with a fine save. The sides will meet twice more in the next six days. The first leg of the play-off quarter-final will be back at Cappielow on Tuesday, with the return at Tannadice on Friday. And the winner will take on Falkirk in the semi-final on 16 and 19 May, with the final against the Premiership's second bottom side played over 25 and 28 May. Match ends, Morton 1, Dundee United 1. Second Half ends, Morton 1, Dundee United 1. Corner, Dundee United. Conceded by Michael Doyle. Attempt blocked. Mark Durnan (Dundee United) header from the left side of the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Aidan Nesbitt (Morton) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Substitution, Dundee United. Alex Nicholls replaces Willo Flood. Attempt missed. Tony Andreu (Dundee United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Ricki Lamie (Morton) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Thomas Mikkelsen (Dundee United). Attempt missed. Scott Allardice (Dundee United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. James McGowan (Morton) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Morton. Aidan Nesbitt replaces Kudus Oyenuga. Attempt missed. Tony Andreu (Dundee United) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Attempt saved. Scott Allardice (Dundee United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Lewis Strapp (Morton) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Stewart Murdoch (Dundee United). Foul by Andy Murdoch (Morton). Willo Flood (Dundee United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Dundee United. Scott Allardice replaces Wato Kuate. Wato Kuate (Dundee United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Kudus Oyenuga (Morton) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Wato Kuate (Dundee United). Corner, Dundee United. Conceded by James McGowan. Attempt saved. Blair Spittal (Dundee United) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Substitution, Dundee United. Charlie Telfer replaces Alistair Coote. Foul by Michael Doyle (Morton). Alistair Coote (Dundee United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Morton. James McGowan replaces Bryn Halliwell because of an injury. (Morton) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Thomas Mikkelsen (Dundee United). Attempt saved. Thomas Mikkelsen (Dundee United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the", "summary": "Morton and Dundee United will meet in the Premiership play-off quarter-final after United missed out on finishing second in the Championship."}
{"article": "The two suicide attacks took place at about midday local time (07:30 GMT) on Wednesday, targeting a police station and intelligence agency offices. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attacks. It is the latest in a string of attacks to challenge the Afghan authorities after the resurgent militant group started its spring offensive early. Condemning the bombings, President Ashraf Ghani said: \"After the killing of [prominent commander] Mullah Salam and the Taliban's defeat on many other fronts, the terrorists are launching such attacks to raise the moral of their fighters.\" Salam was killed in a US air strike on Sunday. The first of Wednesday's attacks began when a suicide car bomber detonated his explosives outside a police station - which is next door to a military training facility - in the west of the city. This was followed by a five-hour gun battle between officers and another attacker. Most of the fatalities reportedly occurred in this attack. Soon afterwards a suicide bomber blew himself up outside Afghanistan's intelligence agency, in eastern Kabul. Officials originally said just three people had died in the attack, but revised the number up later in the day. The attacks came a day after the Taliban killed 12 policemen in an \"insider attack\" in the southern Afghan province of Helmand.", "summary": "Almost simultaneous attacks in Kabul have left at least 16 people dead and 44 injured, the health ministry says."}
{"article": "Genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes, expired vaccines and more recently, the use of larvicide to stop mosquitoes from breeding, have all been blamed. Posts on social media expressing these theories have been widely shared - although rarely by respected scientists. And Brazil's health authorities have been caught off guard, describing the frenzy as a \"real information war\" with a \"complex scenario of actors, interests and worldviews\". What you need to know Travel advice Would it be wrong to eradicate mosquitoes? Now they are pushing back, which experts say is a \"key part\" of managing any outbreak. \"This happens everywhere each time there is an epidemic of some sort\", says Professor Jimmy Whitworth from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. \"At the moment, there is nothing in any of the rumours about insecticides, larvicides, vaccines and GM mosquitoes that seems at all persuasive. The spatial and temporal fit is poor between cases of microcephaly and the use of any of these technologies.\" But the Brazilian authorities were unable to prevent a rumour pointing the finger at the larvicide pyriproxyfen from gaining traction online. The theory grew in popularity after doctors from the Argentine group Physicians in the Crop-Sprayed Villages, which campaigns against GM crops and the use of pesticides, published a report linking the larvicide with microcephaly. The report said the product was first introduced in Brazil's northeast in 2014, a year before the increase in microcephaly, and also claimed the Brazilian Association of Public Health (Abrasco) was aware of this link. The Argentine group argued that Zika has not caused birth defects in other countries and says there are no records of microcephaly in the current Zika epidemic in Colombia. This ignores an increase in microcephaly in French Polynesia after a Zika surge between 2013 and 2014 and also overlooks the fact that the epidemic in Colombia is still recent. Although more than 3,000 pregnant women there have been infected by Zika, only a few of them have given birth. But the Brazilian government was on the back foot. Abrasco was forced to deny it had linked pesticides, larvicides or any other chemical products to the rise in microcephaly. Meanwhile Brazil's Ministry of Health attempted to reassure people by saying pyriproxyfen had been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as well as Brazil's health surveillance agency Anvisa. Even so, two Brazilian states - Rio Grande do Sul in the south and Para in the north - temporarily banned its use in drinking water, saying they wanted to avoid any risks while further studies were carried out. But in the worst-affected state, Pernambuco, the facts do not support the larvicide theory. Some areas where pyriproxyfen is used do not have any cases of microcephaly while the city of Recife, which has most cases, does not use it, officials at the state's centre for disease control said. And doctors say the alterations seen in the babies' CT scans suggest that the lesions were caused by a congenital infection, and not by pesticides, drugs or vaccines. But researchers are looking for a \"third", "summary": "As scientists race for answers about the Zika virus and its links to neurological disorders, rumours are filling the vacuum."}
{"article": "The project to find influential games that deserved to be in the Hall of Fame was begun in February by The Strong - a US museum of play. Tetris, Super Mario Bros, Pac-Man, and World of Warcraft were also chosen to feature in an exhibit of iconic games. Angry Birds and Minecraft were nominated but did not make the final list. The museum invited people to nominate games played on PCs, consoles, hand-held gadgets, phones or in arcades. The winners span three decades of gaming from Pong, first released in 1972, to World of Warcraft which debuted in late 2004. Pong was chosen because it launched the entire games industry, said the museum in a statement, revealing the six entrants in its Hall of Fame. It acknowledged that it was not the first electronic game but was the first to get \"wide-scale public attention\". Other games were chosen for becoming cultural icons (Tetris), making games a mass-market phenomenon (Pac-Man) and changing the way games were made (Doom). World of Warcraft was chosen, said the museum, because of its longevity and the way it has brought millions of players together into one game world. The winners were whittled down from a long list of 15 that was picked by an internal panel of academics, journalists and game experts recruited by The Strong. Their decisions were based on a game's longevity, influence, geographical reach and iconic status. The museum now plans to feature the winning games, the other nominees and many others in a permanent exhibition. The other nine nominees included Legend of Zelda, Space Invaders, the Oregon Trail and Pokemon. Nominees for the 2016 inductees to the hall of fame are now being accepted. Based in Rochester, New York, The Strong was founded in 1968 by Margaret Woodbury Strong a collector of toys, dolls and other play paraphernalia.", "summary": "Pong and Doom have been inducted into the first Video Game Hall of Fame."}
{"article": "Between October and December 65,610 people made full cash withdrawals, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said, a 42% fall from the previous quarter. Rules allow those aged 55 and over to have full access to their pension pots with the first 25% tax free. The FCA collects data from providers covering about 95% of the sector. A total of 127,094 of pensions were accessed for the first time - either partially drawn down as an income or taken totally in cash in the final three months of 2015. This was a 36% decrease from the previous quarter. The figures also showed customers aged 55 to 59 had the highest rate of withdrawals as a percentage of their pension pot. Some 11% of this age group took an income of 10% or more of their pot. A Panorama investigation earlier this week found that some companies are exploiting new pension freedom rules to get access to pension savings. Undercover footage showed one unregulated consultant giving advice and suggesting high risk investments.", "summary": "The appetite for people to take their pension savings as cash waned at the end of the year, according to the City watchdog."}
{"article": "The overtime bill rose by \u00a34.9m over the year with policing of the Nato summit being cited as the reason. Overall, the four Welsh forces spent \u00a316.9m in 2014-15, up from almost \u00a312m in 2013-14. The highest overtime payment was to a Gwent Police speed camera operator who earned \u00a323,024. BBC Radio 5 Live obtained the figures using Freedom of Information requests. Thirty nine forces responded to the request and of those, South Wales Police reported the biggest percentage increase for overtime spending in the last year, from \u00a35.2m in 2013/14 to \u00a38.4m in 2014/15. A force spokesman said 1,500 of its officers were among the 9,500 from across the UK involved in looking after the security of world leaders last September. The extra cost was recovered from the Home Office. The force said further overtime costs were due to special events, such as rugby and football matches, which could also be recovered from event organisers. Meanwhile Gwent Police, which was involved with policing the Nato events at the Celtic Manor, saw its overtime costs increase by 40% to a bill of \u00a32.7m, up from \u00a31.9m. Dyfed-Powys Police saw overtime costs increase by 33% to a total of \u00a32.4m, up \u00a3600,000, and North Wales Police spent an additional \u00a3350,000, a rise of 12%, to \u00a33.2m compared to 2013-14.", "summary": "Nearly \u00a317m was paid out as overtime to police officers and staff across Wales last year."}
{"article": "The Al-Qadi family saw their side go behind to Jamie Devitt's penalty when Tom Parkes was penalised for handball. But Rory Gaffney equalised with a 12-yard volley after away goalkeeper Barry Roche's unconvincing attempts to deal with a Danny Leadbitter cross. And substitute Billy Bodin's close-range header earned victory late on. Rovers go sixth, five points adrift of the top three, while Morecambe are in 17th place, 11 points clear of the relegation zone.", "summary": "Bristol Rovers celebrated their first match under their new Jordanian owners with a victory over Morecambe that takes them up to fifth in League Two."}
{"article": "The Qinghai Tibet plateau is the heart and lungs of Asia. Here, the continent's weather is made and its great rivers are born. The altitude and the cold make it one of the most extreme climates on earth. When I visited, icy winds gusting at 50mph (80km/h) were whipping a sandstorm into Qie Qun Jia's face as he herded his flock of sheep home to safety. The 28-year-old Tibetan nomad has only ever known this life. But climate change is turning the grasslands that once supported his yak herd to desert, and now Qie Qun Jia has only a flock of sheep. \"When I was little the grass grew tall and the mountains were covered with flowers,\" he says. \"Summers were warmer and winters were much colder. But in recent years there've been so many sandstorms, the flowers are disappearing and the grazing gets worse year by year. So our flocks of sheep are shrinking. We can't afford to buy grass to feed them.\" China is both a victim and a perpetrator of climate change. After three-and-a-half decades of headlong industrial growth powered by coal, China is the world's largest polluter, and now it is counting the cost in climate change and environmental damage. In the north and west, it faces desertification. In the south and east, it battles flooding. Its population endures some of the world's most polluted air, soil and water. Since the last global UN climate conference in 2009 when Beijing was unwilling to commit to hard targets on reducing carbon emissions, it has realised that its dependence on fossil fuels has to stop. It has become a climate convert. This about-face is driven not just by the ever more alarming threats from devastating climate change and pollution, but also by opportunity. China believes the world is on the brink of an energy revolution and it sees a chance to dominate, and profit from, the new technologies of a greener century. After putting industrial growth above the environment for so long, the Chinese government now believes sustainable growth can only come from rescuing the environment. Tackling climate change is in the national interest. The Huanghe solar farm on the Qinghai plateau claims to be the biggest of its kind in the world. Nearly four million solar panels tilt up towards a vast blue dome of sky. As I walked between the rows with senior engineer Shen Youguo, tumble weed and sand blew into us and the wind was bitter, but he's excited. It's a big moment to be in solar energy in China. \"What we're doing right now is for the sky to be bluer and the water to be clearer. We want a better future for everybody. So we're committed to being a part of that push,\" he says. The International Energy Agency predicts that solar power will be the world's leading source of electricity by the middle of this century. China wants to dominate renewable technologies like this, and competition between its manufacturers is driving down costs not just in China but globally, as Mr Shen explains.", "summary": "With a hard pledge on peaking carbon emissions and with ever more ambitious targets on installing renewables, China has become one of the countries to watch at this week's Paris conference."}
{"article": "The planned hub, which is still at the consultation stage, will be at the Europa bus centre/Great Victoria Street railway station. The two stations are the busiest in Belfast, with about eight million passengers a year passing through them. It is expected that figure will rise to 13 million in the next 14 years. Translink described the Belfast Hub as a \"transport-led regeneration project\" which will consist of a \"world-class transport interchange and surrounding masterplan development\". The site would cover 20 acres from the stations to the Royal Victoria Hospital. Half of that would be used for an integrated transport hub and the other half would be open to commercial development. Over the past 18 months, Translink has engaged with local stakeholders to help shape the development proposals and said this latest stage \"invites the public to share their views on the proposals\". Launching the public consultation, Translink group chief executive, Chris Conway, said: \"The Belfast Hub will ensure we have the right infrastructure in place to attract more people to use public transport and active travel modes, supporting a key outcome of the draft programme for government. \"Along with other key projects, it will enable a transformation in public transport making a positive impact for everyone in Northern Ireland. \"Identified as one of the NI Executive's flagship projects, this impressive new facility will act as a catalyst for regeneration in one of the special action areas designated in Belfast City Council's city centre and regeneration strategy, providing new jobs, investment opportunities and supporting the growth and prosperity of NI.\" The public can contribute to the consultation in the following ways: The consultation stage is open until 2 December. Translink said a further consultation will take place in 2017 before a planning application is submitted.", "summary": "Translink is consulting the public on proposals for a new transport hub in Belfast city centre."}
{"article": "They are headed for the brand new Aviva stadium on the south side of the River Liffey. In many cities the size of Dublin, an amphitheatre like the Aviva would be the premier sporting venue. But not here. On the other side of the river, the fourth largest stadium in Europe rises high over winding working class streets. Croke Park does not seem a familiar name to the Portuguese visitors. One after another shook their head when asked if they knew of it. That is not really surprising. For most of its history, Croke Park has been Ireland's secret jewel. Its owners, the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), guarded it closely from what it called \"foreign games\", insisting that only gaelic football and hurling should be played there. Its specifications were only very occasionally relaxed - a Muhammad Ali boxing match took place there in 1972. One rule which did remain in place though was that anyone who has any association with the British state was explicitly banned from being a member. American boxers were one thing - police officers from Northern Ireland another. The GAA's resolution was fortified by its collective memory of Bloody Sunday in 1920 when British troops, responding to IRA attacks earlier in the day, fired on crowds gathered at Croke Park to watch a match. Among the 14 killed was the captain of the Tipperary team, Michael Hogan. For many decades afterwards, the idea that a British monarch would one day be welcomed to Croke Park, would have provoked anger within many in the GAA. Now, it has happened, and the mood of the majority of Dubliners is anything but fury. As the Queen smiled with the GAA president alongside the hallowed turf, people outside were similarly relaxed. O'Shea's Pub in nearby Gardiner Street is decorated with the flags of many of the Irish county teams. It's a popular haunt for those seeking a quick pint before or after a big match. On Wednesday, people gathered outside it waiting for the Queen to pass and yet another security cordon to be lifted. One said that she had enjoyed watching the television pictures of the state visit the previous evening. \"She is just like a little old lady - like your granny,\" she said. \"I hope I look as well as she does when I'm her age.\" A few yards away at the barrier, some people were becoming frustrated at waiting for it to be lifted. One fruitlessly argued with a police officer that getting to the bank by half past four qualified as an emergency. The street merchants took advantage of the assembled crowds, showing off their football-related wares. Their most popular item in the last couple of days has been a scarf half blue and half red, sharing the colours of opponents Porto and Braga. It suggests there is not much enmity between these two Portuguese teams. In a city where reconciliation is the theme this week, it seemed appropriate.", "summary": "From a distance, it sounded like the shouts of protesters but turned out to be the songs of some of the thousands of Portuguese football supporters in the city for a European final."}
{"article": "Vinyl records used to be one of the only ways to buy music up until the 1980s but was then overtaken by CDs, MP3s and online streaming. But the latest figures show vinyl is making a comeback with sales reaching an 18-year high in 2014, at 1.29 million. The sales of vinyl albums are also predicted to grow by another 70% this year. The charts company said it was responding to \"the huge surge of interest\" that has seen vinyl sales climb. \"This isn't just about rock acts targeting men in their forties and fifties. I've got a 15-year-old daughter and her friends have all started to collect vinyl,\" said chief executive Martin Talbot. The new weekly vinyl albums and singles charts will be published on the Official Charts Company website. The first official vinyl albums chart was topped by All Time Low's Future Hearts. The US rockers also topped the UK album chart for the first time in the week's charts broadcast on BBC Radio 1 yesterday. Chasing Yesterday by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds is 2015's biggest-selling vinyl album so far. Brit Award-winners Royal Blood and Arctic Monkeys also feature in the top 10 of the year. Bestselling singles include David Bowie's Young Americans and the Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars hit Uptown Funk.", "summary": "The UK's first weekly vinyl chart has been launched by the Official Charts Company as sales of vinyl albums and singles continue to rise."}
{"article": "Second-placed Chelsea closed the gap back to 10 points with a 4-0 thrashing of Birmingham City Ladies. City dominated a scoreless first half against Reading but had to wait until Beattie's second-half header to lead. Houghton's classy late free-kick found the bottom corner to make it 2-0. The victory was well deserved but the visitors restricted City's opportunities in the first period, with Jane Ross going closest when her shot hit the bar. However, Beattie eased any fears of dropping points when she converted Toni Duggan's free-kick soon after the restart, and fellow centre-back Houghton wrapped up victory with two minutes remaining. City have three league matches left, including one against Chelsea. Even if they lose to the London side, City need only two wins to be certain of clinching the league title. Manchester City defender Jennifer Beattie: \"I know the feeling of having won the league and I want that to happen with this club. It's a brilliant club and we want titles, and we want silverware. Hopefully experience will help. \"The best thing is that we're still not happy; we still think we can get better. \"We've scored twice from set pieces but we want to be scoring from open play too. We've got the quality there but it's just about making it happen in the final third.\" Reading defender Molly Bartrip: \"It's difficult to be sat back in your own half, but you come away to teams like Manchester City and you expect that. \"We knew what we had to do to stop them getting through us. We executed it really well, it was just two silly set pieces. \"I think if you look at both games between the two teams, we have matched them both times. It's little mistakes that are costing us the game.\" Match ends, Manchester City Women 2, Reading Ladies 0. Second Half ends, Manchester City Women 2, Reading Ladies 0. Foul by Georgia Stanway (Manchester City Women). Remi Allen (Reading Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Manchester City Women. Georgia Stanway replaces Jill Scott. Goal! Manchester City Women 2, Reading Ladies 0. Stephanie Houghton (Manchester City Women) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner. Jane Ross (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Kirsty McGee (Reading Ladies). Corner, Manchester City Women. Conceded by Rebecca Jane. Foul by Keira Walsh (Manchester City Women). Emma Follis (Reading Ladies) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt blocked. Toni Duggan (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Keira Walsh (Manchester City Women). Lauren Bruton (Reading Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Nikita Parris (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high following a fast break. Foul by Demi Stokes (Manchester City Women). Remi Allen (Reading Ladies) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Demi Stokes (Manchester City Women). Rachel Rowe (Reading Ladies) wins a", "summary": "Jennnifer Beattie and Steph Houghton scored as Manchester City briefly stretched their lead at the top of the Women's Super League to 13 points with a patient victory over winless Reading."}
{"article": "The game turned after 10 minutes as Sarries prop Richard Barrington was sent off for a high tackle. Gareth Steenson converted the resulting penalty and Jack Nowell's try gave Chiefs a 10-3 lead at half-time. Saracens performed admirably after the break and rescued two points when Titi Lamositele was forced over the line and Alex Lozowski converted. Sarries, who can be usurped at the top if Wasps avoid defeat against Leicester on Sunday, lost Marcelo Bosch with a head injury after just five minutes, with Steenson missing a penalty four minutes later. But the game's controversial moment was just seconds away as Brad Barritt initially tackled Geoff Parling high, with Barrington following up with his shoulder into the head of Exeter's former England lock. Under the new interpretation of the high tackle rules Barrington was sent off, with Barritt lucky to avoid any sanction, although he may well be cited after the game. Exeter took advantage almost straight away as Nowell raced into the corner after an impressive one-handed catch from Steenson's perfectly weighted chip. Lozowski - replacing the rested England fly-half Owen Farrell - pulled three points back with a penalty, but Exeter were almost further ahead after Don Armand broke through the line on a 30-metre run, only to be excellently stopped by Chris Wyles and Michael Rhodes. After the break, Saracens upped the tempo and did not look like a team with a one-man disadvantage - Lozowski converting a penalty as Steenson missed a similar chance to restore the lead. Exeter's set-piece failed to function as Saracens piled on the pressure, twice going close to the Chiefs try-line before Steenson got his second penalty with 11 minutes to go. But more Saracens pressure finally told as Lamositele was forced over late on and Lozowski added the extras to secure what, at the start of the game, seemed an improbable draw. Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall: \"The players were incredible with how they coped and dealt with all the situations that arose, and by the end it was a game that we maybe could have won as well. \"I felt Geoff was going to the ground and Richard (Barrington) came in as the adjusting defender, and he made contact. Obviously we hope Geoff's okay. \"Today ended up being a titanic struggle between 15 and 14, but I don't think anyone wants to see those kinds of games. \"I think we need to be sensible, I'm not saying they weren't today, but we've got to be sensible with how we apply this care for players, and that's all.\" Exeter head coach Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon: \"The players are a little annoyed, and so they should be. Especially in the second half we've got to have a little bit of a look at ourselves and say why did we not really feel like we took the game by the scruff of the neck? Why were 14 men more disciplined than us? Why did 14 men drag that game their way? \"You've got to give Saracens a great deal of", "summary": "Fourteen-man Saracens battled to an impressive draw with Exeter to go top of the Premiership."}
{"article": "The former Tottenham and Manchester United forward is one of several to have met officials from the club. Sheringham, 51, had a spell in charge of League Two Stevenage in 2015-16 but was sacked after 33 games. Swindon will start next season in League Two having been relegated last term after winning only 11 of 46 games. Sheringham has been out of management since leaving Stevenage - his first managerial job - in February 2016 after winning just seven of his games as boss. Previous Robins boss Luke Williams left his role soon after the club's relegation was confirmed, having won two of their final 11 league matches with him in charge. Since then, Swindon have had an approach for Mansfield boss Steve Evans turned down, and on 23 May chairman Lee Power said although the process had taken longer than expected they had a three-person shortlist. As part of structural changes at the County Ground, director of football Tim Sherwood's role appears likely to be scrapped. Swindon won just seven of 31 games following former Tottenham and Aston Villa boss Sherwood's arrival in November 2016.", "summary": "Former England striker Teddy Sheringham held talks with Swindon Town on Thursday about the managerial vacancy at the League Two club."}
{"article": "Garff MHK Martyn Perkins said the public are \"sick of dog mess dirtying the streets and popular walks\". A two-week consultation will be launched by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture to gauge public opinion. Currently, owners can be given a fixed penalty fine of \u00c2\u00a350 or taken to court if they don't clean up after their dog. The proposed system will see swabs taken from dogs' mouths and compared to samples taken from faeces. Mr Perkins said he had \"already had lots of feedback from responsible owners who support the move\", adding: \"It is certainly a case of the minority ruining it for the majority.\" He said the issue needs to be dealt with partially because the island's \"outstanding natural landscapes\" have recently been recognised by UNESCO. \"We are very proud of this status and we want to encourage people to take pride in their environment,\" he said. If it is supported, DNA testing could be included in a bill, currently going through Tynwald, which aims to amend the Dogs Act 1990. The bill would mean every dog on the island must be implanted with a microchip, which would see an end to the licensing and duty regime for dogs. Microchipping became a legal requirement in the UK in 2016.", "summary": "DNA testing of dog poo has been backed by a Manx politician who wants it used to tackle fouling on the Isle of Man."}
{"article": "The seven-time Grand Slam champion said Williams was \"the best female player ever\" but against men it would be an \"entirely different story\". Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, responded to McEnroe, asking him to \"respect me and my privacy\". McEnroe, 58, said: \"I've got a solution. Men and women play together.\" \"Then we don't have to guess,\" added the American. \"I'm sure the men would be all for it.\" Dmitry Tursunov - the male player ranked 701 in the world - also said on Tuesday he believes he could beat American Williams, who is due to give birth in autumn. \"I would hope that I would win against Serena,\" he told BBC World Service Sport. The 34-year-old Russian, once ranked as high as 20th in the world, said he did not think McEnroe was \"trying to talk women's tennis down\" but said \"the reality\" was that \"men are stronger in general\". \"Physically I might not be in the best shape of my life but as an overall package I'm much better than my ranking would suggest. She is pregnant, and I'm not. Media playback is not supported on this device Williams, 35, who is the most successful female player of the Open era, confirmed her pregnancy in April, just 12 weeks after winning her record 23rd Grand Slam singles title. \"Dear John, I adore and respect you but please please keep me out of your statements that are not factually based,\" said Williams on Twitter. \"I've never played anyone ranked \"there\" nor do I have time. Respect me and my privacy as I'm trying to have a baby. Good day sir.\" The world number two expects to be back on court as early as January 2018. Tennis matches between men and women have occurred before, mostly notably back in 1973 when Billie Jean King took on fellow American Bobby Riggs. Riggs, the world number one in the 1940s, retired in 1951 and at the age of 55 believed he could beat any of the top female players. King originally declined to play Riggs and Australian Margaret Court - at the time the top female player in the world - stepped in. Riggs won 6-2 6-1. But later that year, the top-ranked women's player King - 26 years younger than Riggs at 29 - took him on in an exhibition match at the Houston Astrodome and won 6-4 6-3 6-3. A third 'battle of the sexes' match took place in 1992 between American former world number one Jimmy Connors, aged 40 at the time, and Czech/American Martina Navratilova, who was 35. The match took place under special rules to make it more competitive - Connors was allowed only one serve per point, and Navratilova was allowed to hit into half the doubles court. Connors won 7-5 6-2.", "summary": "John McEnroe has proposed a men v women contest to prove his claim that Serena Williams would be ranked \"700 in the world\" on the men's circuit."}
{"article": "John Dickson, 27, confronted 20-year-old Carl Gregory in a shopping centre car park in Broadstairs, Kent. During the scuffle, Dickson, who had denied murder, placed Mr Gregory in a choke hold which ultimately caused his death. Dickson was convicted after a trial at Maidstone Crown Court. After the hearing, police said a friend of Mr Gregory's had fallen out with him over a social media post and she asked another man to speak to him about it. He arranged to meet Mr Gregory at the shopping centre and took Dickson with him, and a fight led to Dickson becoming involved and placing Mr Gregory in a choke hold, officers said. Police said Mr Gregory was also kicked while he was on the ground on 4 October last year. Workers leaving nearby shops found his body, but he was declared dead at the scene. The cause of death was later recorded as compression of the neck. Det Sgt Ross Gurden said Dickson, of Northdown Road, Cliftonville, had gone out of his way to confront Mr Gregory. He said: \"I hope this case reinforces the message that the use of violence to resolve issues can result in life-changing consequences. Dickson is a young man who will now serve a considerable length of time behind bars.\" Another defendant, Christopher Pollard, 20, of Brimstone Hill, Meopham, had faced the same charge and was found not guilty. Sentencing was adjourned to Thursday. At the time of his death, relatives described Mr Gregory as a typical 20 year old who enjoyed gaming, modern technology and Pokemon Go. Early reports incorrectly linked his death to the Nintendo mobile game.", "summary": "A man who choked a video game fan to death during a fight over a social media post has been found guilty of murder."}
{"article": "The High Negotiations Committee (HNC) proposed holding six months of negotiations with President Bashar al-Assad, accompanied by a full ceasefire. Mr Assad would then hand over power to a unity government that would run Syria for 18 months and organise elections. Syria's deputy foreign minister later insisted Mr Assad would not step aside. Faisal Mekdad told the BBC that demands that the country's elected leader be removed were \"crazy\" and \"unbelievable\". \"We are saying, let the Syrian people decide their own fate. Their own future without intervention. Don't make preconditions who will rule Syria,\" he said. Mr Assad has consistently refused to step down since the beginning of the war, which has left more than 250,000 people dead, and correspondents say the recent battlefield successes of his forces have only hardened that view. The HNC's \"Vision for Syria\" was unveiled in London by its general co-ordinator, Riyad Hijab, who defected in 2012 while serving as prime minister. He said the plan envisaged three phases: If the document on a transition in Syria had been produced by the political leaders of a victorious army at the gates of Damascus, it could be seen as an enlightened blueprint for the future. But the regime in Damascus will dismiss it, because President Bashar al-Assad seems more secure in the capital than at any other time since the war started. In 2013, when the chemical attack on the city's rebel-held eastern suburbs seemed certain to provoke American air strikes the regime looked shaky and afraid. But the strikes never came, and since then the president and his men have strengthened their positions. Crucially, Russia has intervened directly on the battlefield. President Assad cannot win as things stand, but he cannot lose either. The war gets more complicated every year. Regional superpowers, and the world's most powerful countries have intervened. Dozens of different, and sometimes overlapping rebel groups operate on the battlefields. All have their own agendas. It's a mini world war. No wonder diplomacy fails. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said the plan would test Mr Assad's allies. But Adel al-Jubeir told the BBC he was not optimistic that Russia and Iran were prepared to put the \"necessary pressure\" on the president \"in order to comply with the will of the international community\". Mr Jubeir will discuss the HNC's blueprint with other foreign ministers from the Friend of Syria group of countries that support the opposition. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who is hosting the meeting, wrote in The Times that there \"was still a chance that this vision can be made to work\". \"If the Russians and Americans can together create a ceasefire, then the talks can restart in Geneva with the difference, perhaps, that all sides will by then have seen at least the scaffolding of a post-Assad Syria,\" he added. Moscow and Washington, which backs the opposition and insists Mr Assad must go, have so far failed to reach an agreement on a new cessation of hostilities. After a meeting with President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in China on Monday, Barack Obama", "summary": "The umbrella group representing Syria's political and armed opposition factions has set out a plan for a political transition to end five years of war."}
{"article": "Maenclochog Community Council currently pays about \u00a33,000 a year to maintain the small toilet block in the village. Residents have decided to hold a public vote throughout August on whether they should continue to do so. Nine community councils and groups currently pay for the running costs of public toilets in Pembrokeshire. Thirteen have closed in the county in the past few years as Pembrokeshire council aims to save money. Eifion Evans runs one of the shops in the village. He said: \"It's a good idea because we can find out how many people want to keep the toilets going. \"There was uproar in the village when it was originally suggested they might close.\" The toilets are popular with walkers who visit the nearby Preseli Hills. Councillor Huw George, a member of the council, said its share of council tax \"doesn't allow for the payment of these toilets at the moment\". But he added: \"One possible way forward could be to add \u00a37 or \u00a310 a year to the annual precept.\"", "summary": "People living in a north Pembrokeshire village are being asked to decide on the future of their public toilets."}
{"article": "A number of quad bikes, motorbikes and other equipment were taken during the raids in the west end and Peterculter areas of the city. Police said the incidents happened between Monday 2 January and Thursday 5 January. The arrested men are expected to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.", "summary": "Three men aged 17, 19 and 22 are to appear in court following a series of break-ins and attempted break-ins at garages in Aberdeen."}
{"article": "If that is true - and it is a controversial claim - it fulfils a more than 80-year quest to produce what many have said would be a wonder material. Theory suggests metallic hydrogen could be used to make zero-resistance electrical wiring and super-powerful rocket fuel, among many applications. Ranga Dias and Isaac Silvera are the Harvard researchers behind the work. They report their experiments in this week\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Science Magazine. \"It's the first time solid metallic hydrogen has ever existed on Earth,\" Prof Silvera told the BBC. The pair say the quantity of metallic hydrogen created so far is tiny - an amount less than the cross section of a human hair. But in time, they believe, ways could be found to boost its production. Their laboratory approach - as is common in this field of study - was to squeeze a cell containing a small sample of molecular hydrogen between two synthetic diamonds. In the Science paper, Dias and Silvera say this diamond anvil cell (DAC) achieved pressures up to 495 gigapascals. That is the equivalent of sitting under almost five million Earth atmospheres. The DAC was also chilled down to close to minus 270 Celsius. The intention was to pack the atoms of hydrogen so close together that they formed a crystal lattice and started to share their electrons - behaviour that is exactly that of a metal. Dias and Silvera report that this state became obvious to them when the material in the diamond anvil cell developed a lustrous surface. \"As we turned the pressure up, it went to a transparent molecular solid. And then as the pressure kept going up, it went black, and we think it goes black because it becomes like a semi-conductor and it can absorb light,\" he recalled on the BBC\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Science In Action programme. \"And then we turned the pressure up higher and it started shining. It was very exciting. It's got extremely high reflectance. The reflectance we measured is about 90%. It's about the reflectivity of an aluminium mirror.\" It has to be said, however, that news of the Harvard experiment has already attracted a good degree of scepticism. Other scientists working in the same and related fields have told the BBC that the team's paper is short on the kind of data needed to make a proper assessment of its achievements. \"Complete garbage,\" is how Eugene Gregoryanz from Edinburgh University described the research. \"Like everybody else who works with hydrogen at high pressures, I am appalled by what is being published in Science.\" Such resistance is natural. If what is being claimed pans out, it would represent one of the major physics breakthroughs of recent decades. Metallic hydrogen was first predicted more than 80 years ago, and there has been a race to create it ever since. That is because of the stunning properties that are promised. It has been suggested for example that metallic hydrogen might be metastable; that is - once made under extreme conditions it would maintain its state even when brought back up to ambient pressures and", "summary": "Scientists in the US say they have at last managed to turn hydrogen into a state where it behaves like a metal."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 44-year-old quit her position at Arsenal Ladies in June, having won three trophies in a 16-month reign. \"I think the management of players is different,\" Kerr told BBC Scotland. \"I think women can sometimes be a little bit more difficult than men. \"But I see myself as a football coach, nothing to do with male or female.\" It shouldn't be about gender, it should be about your ability as a coach Capped 59 times for Scotland, Kerr replaces Eddie May, who left to join the youth set-up at Hibernian, and will inherit a side that were runners-up last season but have lost their opening three matches this term. Kerr, who will begin studying for a MSc in Sports Management at the university, was a player-manager at Kilmarnock, Hibernian and Spartans women's teams and had a four-year spell leading Scotland's Under-19s before Arsenal enlisted her. \"It doesn't faze me one bit,\" she said. \"The main focus should be on the team. \"I've always had aspirations of working in the men's game and right now this seems like a really good fit for me. \"The university has great facilities and I'm going to be studying myself.\" In May, Portugal's Helena Costa became the highest-profile female manager of a European men's team when she was named head coach of Clermont Foot in France. Costa quit before taking charge for a single game because she found out players were hired without her consent, saying she had just been a face to attract publicity for the club. Former France captain Corinne Diacre was appointed in her place. Kerr, one of four women in the UK to hold a Uefa Pro-Licence for coaching, begins her new job with a home fixture against Dalbeattie Star on Saturday. And she does not anticipate any difficulties arising from being the first female manager at this level. \"I've been involved in football a long time and, growing up in an era when there weren't that many girls playing football, I've had to combat many things,\" she continued. \"Thankfully I haven't had that much abuse. \"I'm confident enough and completely focused on helping the guys develop as players. It shouldn't be about gender, it should be about your ability as a coach.\" The Lowland League is administered by the Scottish FA and was established last year. This season's winners will compete with the Highland League champions for a play-off with the side finishing bottom of League Two, the bottom tier of the Scottish Professional Football League. Prior to the pyramid structure, teams had to be invited and voted into the league.", "summary": "Shelley Kerr is to take charge of Lowland League club Stirling University, making her the first female manager in Scottish senior football."}
{"article": "The incident happened at a Melbourne police station late on Tuesday. The 18-year-old, who had been asked to attend an interview, stabbed two counter-terrorism officers several times. One of them then shot him. Police would not confirm reports he made threats against PM Tony Abbott. Media reports also said he had been seen with a flag of Islamic State (IS, also known as Isil), the radical Islamist group that controls areas of Iraq and Syria. \"It is true to say there was a flag involved, whether it was Isil or not is not absolutely clear to me but there are some concerns about that issue,\" Commissioner Ken Lay of Victoria Police said. The man, who was named in parliament as Abdul Numan Haider, is of Afghan origin and had been associated with al-Furqan, a radical group, local reports said. Mr Lay said he stabbed the officers as they greeted him. \"One's extended his hand to shake his hand and the response has been he's been stabbed in the arm,\" he said. \"The attacker's then turned on the second police member and stabbed him three or four times in the body and in the head. \"The first wounded member has then shot and killed the young man.\" Both officers required surgery, but were in a stable condition, police said. The 18-year-old was described by Justice Minister Michael Keenan as \"a known terror suspect who was a person of interest to law enforcement and intelligence agencies\". Police said the meeting at the Endeavour Hills police station was prompted by an escalation of activity that had led to concern. Mr Abbott, who is overseas, said the incident showed \"that there are people in our community who are capable of very extreme acts\". The incident came days after police conducted major anti-terror raids in Sydney and Brisbane in response to an alleged plot by IS followers to publicly behead a randomly-selected Australian. One man has been charged with serious terrorism offences following that operation. In recent months, Australian officials have been expressing growing concern over the the impact of Australians fighting with Islamist groups in the Middle East on domestic security. They are concerned both about returnees and those who sympathise with the causes they advocate. In response, the government is introducing new legislation to prevent Australians travelling to conflict zones to join militant groups, and to penalise those who do.", "summary": "A teenager shot dead after he stabbed two police officers was a \"known terror suspect\" whose passport had been cancelled on security grounds, Australian officials say."}
{"article": "Torquay almost took the lead just before half-time when defender Sam Chaney was denied his first goal of the season as he struck a post. That near-miss looked even more important when the deadlock was broken in the 62nd minute as Portuguese midfielder Andrade capitalised on a mistake in the home defence and slotted home his first goal in 11 matches. Torquay had chances to equalise, but David Fitzpatrick curled a free-kick over the crossbar and Brett Williams fired over on the turn. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Torquay United 0, Boreham Wood 1. Second Half ends, Torquay United 0, Boreham Wood 1. Substitution, Boreham Wood. Ben Nunn replaces Bruno Andrade. Femi Ilesanmi (Boreham Wood) is shown the yellow card. Matt Paine (Boreham Wood) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Torquay United. Brett Williams replaces Jamie Reid. Angelo Balanta (Boreham Wood) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Torquay United 0, Boreham Wood 1. Bruno Andrade (Boreham Wood). Substitution, Torquay United. Shaun Harrad replaces Sam Chaney. Substitution, Boreham Wood. Matt Paine replaces Mark Ricketts. Second Half begins Torquay United 0, Boreham Wood 0. First Half ends, Torquay United 0, Boreham Wood 0. Aman Verma (Torquay United) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Boreham Wood. Ricky Shakes replaces Jason Williams. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Bruno Andrade's second-half goal was enough to end Boreham Wood's six-match run without a win as they clinched a 1-0 victory at Torquay."}
{"article": "Bryony Nierop-Reading's home went over the cliff at Happisburgh in Norfolk in the 2013 winter tidal surge. The local council said she could not live in her caravan instead, but the Planning Inspectorate ruled she can stay until other arrangements are made. Ms Nierop-Reading, 71, said it was a \"very, very fair decision\". The former teacher moved to her 1930s bungalow on Beach Road in the erosion-hit village in 2008. As the cliff-face disappeared, all her neighbours moved out two years later after accepting compensation from North Norfolk District Council. Believing she would enjoy another 20 or so years of spectacular sea views, she declined. But a few harsh winters, along with a clear-up of the ageing sea defences on the beach, left her home teetering on the edge within five years. Following the events of the tidal surge in 2013 she moved to her caravan on her adjacent field. However, the council issued an eviction notice saying she could not live in it long-term unless she got planning permission - which was unlikely given its proximity to the sea. The notice was appealed and the Planning Inspectorate has now ruled the council was not wrong to issue it, but it should increase its grace period from six to 12 months to give Ms Nierop-Reading more time to make permanent living arrangements. She now has until the end of next year to vacate. She said the first option was for her daughter and son-in-law, who are tenants in her Witton Heath home three miles inland, to buy it from her, giving her money for another house in Happisburgh. But failing that she said she had \"a number of other options\". Ms Nierop-Reading said she believed common sense had prevailed, but \"only because the inspectorate forced it\". \"I am beginning to come to terms with it all and I can now think about the bungalow and some very happy times we had there,\" she said. Judy Oliver, North Norfolk District Council's cabinet member for legal services, said: \"The planning inspector dismissed the appeal on three of four grounds. \"On the fourth, the period of compliance was extended from six to 12 months. It's important to note that although the enforcement notice has been varied in this way, it has also been upheld. \"We thank the inspector for his decision.\"", "summary": "A woman who lost her bungalow to the sea and faced being evicted from a temporary home on her land has been allowed to stay put for another year."}
{"article": "The man was involved in a short pursuit on the westbound carriageway of the M55 in Blackpool before smashing into a roundabout in Yeadon Way on Wednesday. The man, in his 50s and from Accrington, suffered multiple injuries and died at the scene. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is to launch an investigation. The man had been driving a Renault Captur when he collided with the Ashworth Circle roundabout at about 21:00 GMT. A Lancashire police spokesman said: \"We immediately referred the incident to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, this is standard practice following a death after police contact.\"", "summary": "A man has died after the car he was driving crashed during a police chase in Lancashire."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device And that is why he chose Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford ahead of Leicester midfielder Danny Drinkwater. Hodgson, speaking before Thursday's final friendly against Portugal at Wembley, said his selection was \"tilted towards an offensive approach\". He added: \"It became a question of do I take the extra attacker or midfielder? That's how Rashford came about.\" Hodgson's side begin their Group B campaign in France against Russia on 11 June, before meeting Wales on 16 June and Slovakia on 20 June. Eighteen-year-old Rashford's rapid rise into the England squad, scoring on his debut against Australia last week, was described as \"incredible for his age\" by captain Wayne Rooney. And Hodgson added: \"Rashford's had that fantastic end to the season and it will be very interesting to see in a squad of 23 whether he can bring those qualities at a higher level.\" Hodgson, 68, has been criticised for picking just three recognised central defenders but he is confident England will be solid in defence. \"We believe defending is very much a team job and we can't just rely on a back four and a goalkeeper,\" he said. \"We need great mobility and great running power to defend in that way. With this squad they've got the ability to give us that. \"Often in a tournament the players that get injured or suffer a lack of form are the guys at the cutting edge, the guys who make the difference or score the goals.\" He added he was happy he had so many good players to put on the field. \"Systems win you nothing and football players win you games,\" he said. \"If they perform anything like they're capable of we'll be a tough team to beat.\" Who do you think should start at Euro 2016? Step into Roy Hodgson's shoes and pick your XI - and then share it with your friends using our brand new team selector.", "summary": "Manager Roy Hodgson says his final 23-man England squad for the European Championships is based on attack."}
{"article": "Pedro Luis Angarita Azpurua, president of the Farmatodo chain, and his vice president were accused of pricing \"irregularities\". They were charged under laws aimed at controlling skyrocketing inflation. The arrests come days after President Nicolas Maduro ordered the arrests of the owners of the well-known Dia a Dia supermarket chain. Mr Angarita and his deputy Agustin Antonio Alvarez Costa are accused of understocking shelves and of leaving cash registers unstaffed, thus causing long queues to form outside. Prosecutors said their actions were intended to lead to speculation and rising prices, which would have a \"destabilizing\" effect on the economy. News of the arrest came days after President Maduro ordered the arrest of the owners of the Dia a Dia supermarket chain on similar charges. President of the Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce Jorge Roig said the offences the executives had been detained for were \"completely subjective\". \"We consider it as an attack not only on Farmatodo, but on a specific attack on private industry,\" he said . In late January, thousands of Venezuelans attended an opposition march in Caracas, banging empty pots to highlight what they say is the shortage of many staple foods. Demonstrators also voiced discontent at high inflation, crime and long queues. Many analysts say currency controls that restrict the availability of dollars for imports play a key role in creating a scarcity of many items. But President Maduro is adamant that many businessmen are colluding with the political opposition to oust his government. He has accused four supermarket chains of hoarding goods and smuggling items out of the country. Venezuela - a major oil producer - has been heavily affected by the fall in oil prices on international markets. The economy officially entered recession in December.", "summary": "Venezuela has arrested two top executives of one of the country's largest pharmacy chains."}
{"article": "Western Power Distribution (WPD) said that without expensive investment the grid would struggle to cope with taking any more power. And developers could be asked to pick up \"a large proportion of these costs\". Renewables advisor Regen SW warned charges, totalling up to \u00a34m, may be a barrier to renewable energy schemes. New renewable energy projects in the South West rose from 936 in 2009/10 to 47,423 in 2011/12, said Regen SW. Since 2009, Cornwall Council has approved nearly 50 solar farms covering more than 1,600 acres. WPD said all the solar farms in the pipeline would produce another 250 megawatts (MW) of power and parts of its system \"would be at the limit of the generation they can accommodate\". It pinpointed the Pyworthy and St Tudy areas as being closest to capacity. WPD said in a statement: \"We have seen many large scale photovoltaic (PV) generation applications, as well as a few wind farms across the South West and particularly in Cornwall over the last few years. \"To connect further would therefore require extensive reinforcement of existing or building of new circuits, which can be quite expensive.\" It said costs could be \u00a31m to \u00a34m depending on the size of the changes. Merlin Hyman of Regen SW, which promotes renewable energy in the region, said: \"It is not a secret that the grid's capacity is the biggest constraining factor for the growth of solar energy. \"We are working hard with Western Power Distribution to ensure there is investment in reinforcing networks, otherwise the grid will be a major barrier to some renewable energy projects. \"Investment to create robust local networks will enable more local generation of secure energy rather than relying on uncertain imported fossil fuels.\" He said Regen wanted WPD to increase its plans to spend \u00a33m a year reinforcing the network which \"we don't think is enough\". The Energy Networks Association said: \"Large scale generation projects will benefit from the energy they will sell to consumers and so it is fair that they cover the cost to reinforce the network that their project will profit from.\" Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said there was a growing need in the county to \"manage additions to the grid more carefully\". \"Cornwall is the most extraordinary powerhouse for natural energy and it's very exciting,\" he said. \"But we need 21st century connections to get that energy out of Cornwall and into the rest of the country.\"", "summary": "Renewable energy projects are putting parts of Cornwall's electricity grid under severe strain, according to the region's power firm."}
{"article": "Of the 245 families interviewed, 76% said that their child's illness had had a major impact on finances with two in three parents experiencing a loss of earnings. The survey was carried out by children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent. It wants the government to ensure families get more financial support. For their report, entitled Counting the Costs of Cancer, the charity also sought the views of 90 young people with cancer through an online survey, focus groups and telephone interviews. Parents and young people told the charity that they spent on average \u00a3367 and \u00a3277 respectively on cancer-related expenses every month, and with treatment lasting up to three years, the bills soon mounted up. This added up to a spending of \u00a34,400 for parents and \u00a33,325 for young people each year, the report said. These costs included travel and car parking to get to hospitals and treatment centres, additional clothing for the child as a result of weight loss, food to supplement that available in hospital, and other costs such as telephone calls and accommodation. The report found that of those parents who acquired debt, 41% borrowed \u00a31,000 or more and 27% borrowed more than \u00a32,000. Six per cent of parents surveyed said they had turned to high interest, short-term loans to cope with the additional costs. Ross was 11 months old when he was diagnosed with Bilateral Wilms Tumour, a cancer of the kidney. His mum, Eileen, and dad, Shaun, both gave up work to look after him and their daughter, who was three. \"We took out a loan for \u00a320,000 to make sure we could cover the extra costs of his care,\" says Eileen. \"I stayed with Ross in Yorkhill Hospital for five months. I had to buy food there and buy clothes for him. Meanwhile, Shaun was doing 70-mile round trips to visit us. \"It was a very tough time. We are still paying off the loan and will be until Ross starts secondary school.\" They got no financial help for the first three months, before receiving the Disability Living Allowance and some small grants from charities. Ross is eight years old now. He only has half a kidney and may need a transplant when he is older. Both Eileen and Shaun are back at work but both have changed jobs to suit their circumstances. \"The five months after his diagnosis were very hard. The government should be doing more to help.\" Family finances were also put under pressure by time needed to care for the child with cancer, with three in five respondents saying they had to reduce the number of hours they worked. Some parents were forced to give up work completely to care for their child. CLIC Sargent said it was concerned that government reforms would restrict families' options to financial support through the benefits system. Lorraine Clifton, chief executive of CLIC Sargent said the cost of caring for children with cancer was often unexpected. \"Everyone is suffering in this economic climate but parents of children with cancer are amongst the hardest hit. The extra costs", "summary": "Two-thirds of parents of children with cancer surveyed by a cancer charity say they have been forced to borrow money to make ends meet."}
{"article": "Baraclough, 46, takes over from Jim Magilton, who remains the Irish Football Association's elite performance director. The new under-21 manager moves into the post after leaving his role as assistant to Oldham boss John Sheridan. \"I am looking forward to working with young players in Northern Ireland,\" said Baraclough. \"I will be aiming to help the team be successful in qualifying and also to help develop future senior internationals.\" Baraclough had a 20-year playing career which saw him play for QPR, Notts County and Scunthorpe United. He became Scunthorpe manager in 2010 before moving to Sligo Rovers two years later, where he guided the Irish club to the League of Ireland title plus FAI Cup and Setanta Cup triumphs. After being appointed Motherwell manager, he kept the club in the Scottish Premier League and was then handed the Oldham assistant's role after departing from the SPL outfit. Northern Ireland senior manager Michael O'Neill said Baraclough would be a \"great addition to our international coaching team\". \"We were looking for a candidate with good coaching and management experience and Ian certainly fits the bill given his previous roles as both a manager and assistant manager,\" said O'Neill. Northern Ireland's Under-21s have never progressed to a European Championship Finals and finished last in their previous qualifying group after picking up only two points from 10 matches. Baraclough's Under-21 side have have been drawn with Albania, Estonia, Iceland, Slovakia and Spain in their 2019 UEFA European Championship qualifying group. The Northern Irish begin their campaign against Estonia in Tallinn on 8 June.", "summary": "Former Motherwell and Sligo Rovers boss Ian Baraclough has been appointed the new Northern Ireland Under-21 manager."}
{"article": "The Tees Valley Airshow will take place on 29 August at Durham Tees Valley Airport for the first time since 1989. Organisers said the it had been \"prepared in full compliance\" with Civil Aviation Authority requirements. At least 11 people are thought to have died after a Hawker Hunter jet crashed on to the A27 during an aerial display at Shoreham on Saturday. A statement from Tees Valley Airport said: \"Everyone connected with the airport and the air show is obviously deeply saddened by the weekend's tragic events at Shoreham and expresses their condolences to the victims' families and friends. \"Incidents of this kind are thankfully very rare and safety is, of course, always our primary objective. \"All our procedures have been developed with and approved by the Civil Aviation Authority. \"In addition, all plans for the air show have been prepared in consultation and agreement with the local authorities.\" All aircraft operators taking part in live displays have been required to produce confirmation relating to pilot qualifications, aircraft airworthiness and insurance as required by the CAA, organisers added.", "summary": "A minute's silence will be held at a North East air show in memory of victims of the Shoreham crash."}
{"article": "Russian athletes remain banned from next month's Rio Olympics after claims of a state-sponsored doping programme. No British athletes are on governing body IAAF's list of sanctioned athletes but Warner guarded against complacency. He added GB athletes know \"at all times if they cheat they'll be caught\". Last week's McLaren report revealed that urine samples of Russian competitors were manipulated across the \"vast majority\" of summer and winter Olympic sports from late 2011 to August 2015. Asked whether he could be sure no Britons would be involved in doping, Warner told BBC Radio 5 live: \"I'm very confident, but I'll never say never. \"This is a world in which temptation exists in all sorts of quarters in every walk of life, including in sports. \"So what we can do is be constantly vigilant and lean very heavily on UK Anti-Doping, who are a very good body. \"We work closely with them to ensure our athletes are well educated. They understand at all times that if they cheat there's no hiding place, but also that the watching public deserves clean athletics. \"We're a great standard bearer for this, but I'm not going to be so complacent as ever to say there will never be a problem.\" Britain's double Olympic champion Mo Farah said: \"We (in Great Britain) have very tight rules and I just wish other countries applied them.\" \"All I want to be able to do is run against clean athletes fairly. \"There's no point having one rule for one country and another for another country.\" Farah, who last year said his name was \"being dragged through the mud\" following allegations linking his coach Alberto Salazar with doping, added: \"I do feel bad for the athletes who haven't done anything or who haven't crossed the line. \"It is not a nice thing. Last year you put me through hell and I hadn't done anything.\" On Thursday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld a ban on the Russian Olympic Committee and 68 Russian athletes who had tried to overturn it. The ban was imposed on track and field athletes by governing body the IAAF following allegations of widespread, state-sponsored doping in the country. A handful of Russian athletes could still compete as neutrals at the Rio Games, which start on 5 August, if they can fulfil IAAF criteria to prove they are clean. Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee will hold a second emergency meeting on Sunday to decide its course of action in response to the McLaren report. Some have called for a total ban on Russian competitors in Rio. Britain's 2004 relay gold medallist Darren Campbell has said the decision to ban Russian athletes from Rio 2016 would be the \"rebirth of the Olympics\". Olympic sprint legend Usain Bolt, who will be competing in Rio, added: \"Doping violations in track and field is getting really bad. If you cheat or go or against the rules, this will scare a lot of people.\" Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner admits he could \"never say never\" that British athletes were 100% clean - but stressed Britain remained a \"great standard bearer\" in the battle against doping."}
{"article": "Thomas Cullen, 20, who has Down's syndrome, posted the video having failed to find a job after several months of trying. Since putting the clip on Facebook, his appeal has been viewed more than 28,000 times. His mother Carolyn said she had not expected the video to attract the level of attention and was \"hopeful\" it would help her son. Mrs Cullen, from Thirsk, said: \"I posted it on Facebook just thinking that somebody might see it and think 'Oh, I know somebody [who can help]'. I did not expect the amount of hits and shares that it's had. \"I think people view somebody with a disability as not able to do the job, but it just needs somebody to give a little bit of extra time to them. \"Thomas just needs somebody who is prepared to give him a chance. \"I'm hopeful. I would like him to get a job and to lead a normal life like anybody else.\" According to Mencap less than a fifth of the 1.4m people in the UK with a learning disability are in employment despite at least 65% wanting to work. James Bolton, from the charity, said: \"Unfortunately [Thomas'] story is all too common. \"I think there are all too often negative attitudes from employers and the public about what people with a learning disability can do. Very often it's due to a lack of understanding.\"", "summary": "A disabled man's online appeal for work has been seen by thousands of people."}
{"article": "Jersey made it past the opening round for the first time in their history after coming back from a goal down to beat Salisbury 2-1. Josie Steinson put Salisbury ahead before half-time, but two goals from Fiona Anderson, the second in the final minutes, sealed the win. Meanwhile, Guernsey won 4-1 away at Warminster-based West Wilts.", "summary": "Jersey and Guernsey's women's teams are both through to the second round of the EH Trophy after first-round wins."}
{"article": "The Egyptian, 25, has signed a five-year deal and has been a prime target for manager Jurgen Klopp. At current exchange rates, the fee is short of the club record \u00a335m paid for Andy Carroll in 2011 but matches the sum they spent in 2016 to make Sadio Mane the most expensive African player. Salah almost joined Liverpool from Basle in 2014 before moving to Chelsea. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said Salah has \"the perfect mix of experience and potential\", adding: \"This is a really exciting signing for us. \"I have followed him since he emerged at Basle and he has matured into a really good player. \"His pace is incredible, he gives us more attacking threat and we are already strong in this area. I like that we will make it even more competitive.\" Salah will wear the number 11 shirt, with Roberto Firmino moving to number nine. After only six Premier League starts following his \u00a311m move, Salah had loan spells at Fiorentina and Roma before joining the latter in a permanent move for about \u00a315m last summer. He was a key figure as Roma finished second in Serie A last season, scoring 15 goals in 31 league appearances. Liverpool have already signed Chelsea's 19-year-old striker Dominic Solanke, who was top scorer as England won the Under-20 World Cup and will join on 1 July. That fee will be decided by a tribunal after he rejected a new contract at Stamford Bridge, with the fee expected to be about \u00a33m.", "summary": "Liverpool have completed the 39m euro (\u00a334m) signing of Roma's former Chelsea winger Mohamed Salah."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Portugal captain, 28, was named world player of the year for the first time since 2008 by national coaches, captains and journalists. It is a tremendously emotional moment Germany goalkeeper Nadine Angerer was named best women's player, while former Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes picked up the coach of the year accolade and Germany manager Silvia Neid claimed the women's award. Ronaldo claimed the award with a total of 1,365 points, ahead of Messi (1,205) and Ribery (1,127), with the votes cast by 184 coaches, 184 national captains and 173 members of the global media. Neither Ronaldo or Messi voted for the other in their top three. Cristiano Ronaldo didn't vote for Lionel Messi, and Messi didn't vote for Ronaldo. Find out who voted for whom in a breakdown of the results Ronaldo selected Radamel Falcao for first place, followed by Gareth Bale and Mesut Ozil, while Messi opted for Barcelona team-mates Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Neymar. England manager Roy Hodgson chose Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robin van Persie as his top three, while captain Steven Gerrard picked Ronaldo, Messi and Liverpool team-mate Luis Suarez. Messi, 26, had won the award for the last four years, but Ronaldo had been viewed as the front-runner this time after scoring 66 goals in 56 games in 2013 for club and country. They included a sensational hat-trick for Portugal against Sweden in their World Cup qualifying play-off second leg, which sealed a place in the finals in Brazil. \"First of all, I have to say a great thanks to all of my team-mates with the club and the national team,\" Ronaldo said as he cried during his speech. \"Without all of their efforts, this would not have been possible. I am very happy; it is very difficult to win this award. \"Everybody that has been involved with me on a personal level, I have to thank - my wife, my friends, my son. It is a tremendously emotional moment. All I can say is thank you to everybody that has been involved.\" Angerer, 35, saved two penalties in Germany's 1-0 win over Norway in the 2013 European Championship final and was named player of the match. \"I have to say that I'm a little surprised, but very thankful,\" the Brisbane Roar goalkeeper said. \"You never get a success like this on your own. I have to thank my team-mates and my goalkeeping coach who raised me to a level that I never thought I'd get to.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Heynckes, who retired at the end of the last season after guiding Bayern Munich to a historic treble, said he was \"humbled and happy\" to have won his award. The Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur was awarded to Brazil legend and three-time World Cup winner Pele. \"I promised to my family that I would not cry but I am emotional,\" he said. \"I got so many trophies and prizes but I was jealous of all of those guys who got the Ballon d'Or,", "summary": "Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo beat Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich to win the 2013 Fifa Ballon d'Or."}
{"article": "The Health Protection Agency (HPA) report said a hot tub on show at JTF Warehouse in Stoke-on-Trent was the probable source of an outbreak in 2012. Richard Griffin, 64, and 79-year old William Hammersley, both died and 19 other people caught the disease. The HPA said hot tubs posed a health risk if not regularly maintained. BBC News has not been able to contact JTF Warehouse for a comment following the HPA report. The report said: \"This was a significant outbreak and has raised questions on the acceptability of operating spa pools (also known as whirl pools and hot tubs) in public places where the general population has access. \"Spa Pools are known to pose a risk of Legionella if water systems are not rigorously maintained, properly managed and subject to regular chemical controls. \"Operating spa pools on display in indoor spaces, even if not used for bathing, have been previously shown to be the cause of outbreaks in other countries,\" the report added. Lawyers Irwin Mitchell are taking legal action on behalf of the families of two men who died, as well as 16 other people who caught the disease. They are calling for a public inquiry into the outbreak. Clive Garner from the firm said: \"We hope that now this report has been published those responsible for the store will admit liability for the illness suffered by our clients so that we can help them to access the exact level of care and support they now need. \"We are currently working with medical experts to investigate their longer term condition and prognosis and we hope to conclude their cases as soon as possible so that they can begin to move on with their lives.\"", "summary": "Rules on displaying hot tubs in shops and public places should be reviewed, according to a report into a fatal outbreak of Legionnaires' disease."}
{"article": "She may continue to exercise some functions, but her role will be very limited. Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in has seven days to re-nominate a new deputy first minister following Mr McGuinness' resignation. However, the party is adamant it will not replace him. From the evening of Monday 16 January, the baton passes to Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire. The law says he shall call an election. The usual time period for an Assembly election campaign is six weeks. If Mr Brokenshire moved immediately, then voters in Northern Ireland would be going to the polls in seven weeks' time. However, a previous court case indicated that the Northern Ireland Secretary did not necessarily need to call an Assembly election immediately, but within a reasonable period of time. Mr Brokenshire could use this flexibility to allow for more negotiations. What he cannot do as the law stands is suspend the Stormont Assembly and Executive. That power was used by previous governments on a number of occasions, but it was removed from the statute book as part of the 2006 St Andrew's Agreement. It would require a fresh emergency law to be passed by Westminster for suspension to be used again in the future. During the 2015 crisis over welfare reform and IRA activity, the Northern Ireland Office was adamant that, in the event of a breakdown, it would not try to bring back suspension powers, but allow fresh elections to take place. Government sources indicate that thinking has not changed, even though a potentially polarising campaign might not make the restoration of devolution in spring any easier. Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in say their rift with the DUP is far wider than the latest Renewable Heat Incentive scandal. But whilst the Stormont parties go into election mode, it seems unlikely there will be any progress on either recouping the potential RHI losses, or agreeing an independent investigation into the affair.", "summary": "Once Martin McGuinness' resignation takes effect, under the joint protocols that govern Stormont's power sharing government, First Minister Arlene Foster also loses her office."}
{"article": "Mouloud Tahari, 20, from Sparkhill, Birmingham, appeared at the Old Bailey in March charged with funding terrorism overseas. But West Midlands Police said he would no longer stand trial. His mother, Gerri Tahari, is due to appear before a jury on September 8 charged with the same offence. A spokesman for the force said: \"The case against Mouloud Tahari was discontinued after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service. \"It was decided there was insufficient evidence to for a realistic prospect of conviction.\"", "summary": "A man accused of a terrorism offence relating to the civil war in Syria has been told he will face no further action because of a lack of evidence."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Three years ago that person was Jonjoe, but after his mum persuaded him to go on a Snow-Camp ski course, everything changed. \"I was worried because I felt he just didn't know where he was going,\" said Debby. \"I never dreamed this would come out of that moment.\" I love the way Snow-Camp uses my sport to support young people who wouldn't ever get the chance to get involved in snow sports The thrill of taking part in snow sports often attracts young people but the associated costs can mean it is an experience only available to the privileged and wealthy. UK charity Snow-Camp works in deprived inner-city areas to use young people's interest in the sports to engage them and provide life skills, qualifications and vocational training. \"I was a perfect candidate for it,\" says Jonjoe, who comes from Hackney Wick in London. \"I'd never seen snow before, crazily! And never ever thought I'd put skis on.\" Jonjoe progressed through the charity's programmes and last year was offered a year's paid apprenticeship in the snow sports industry. \"Through the apprenticeship I'm now an internationally-qualified ski coach and working my way up. Just through that one day of saying 'You know what mum, maybe I am going to go...', it's completely changed my life.\" You can watch more of Jonjoe's story on Ski Sunday on Sunday, 19 February, on BBC Two at 17.15 GMT (17.30 in Wales) - here we introduce two more Snow-Camp graduates and explain more about how the programme works... In 2014, Sami had dropped out of school and was often in trouble with the police. He lacked confidence and was facing a future that involved gangs, crime and continued unemployment. \"I was easily influenced and vulnerable to bad decisions. I had an attitude and I wasn't the best with authority,\" he said. Snowboarding has already inspired me to improve my life and I want to use it to have a positive impact on others. \"I didn't know what I wanted to do as I had been through so much and let it drag me to the lowest of the low.\" He turned to the youth club Ladbroke Grove for support who enrolled him on to Snow-Camp's programmes, and over the next year progressed to gain a Snowsport England Level 1 Snowboarding Instructor qualification. \"I never knew I wanted to snowboard for the rest of my life,\" Sami added. \"That's because I didn't want to because it's a sport that people like me don't even consider. \"Snow-Camp has had a big effect on my personal life. I now feel like I can do something valuable and worthwhile with my time. \"My dream is to become a full-time snowboard instructor. Snowboarding has already inspired me to improve my life and I want to use it to have a positive impact on others.\" Like many boys of his age, 13-year-old Hamza didn't enjoy school; he was often getting into trouble and had no aspirations for his future. His family were worried he may", "summary": "How can one skiing lesson change the life of a young person who is failing in school and getting into trouble?"}
{"article": "The second-tier club, located just east of capital city Brussels, narrowly avoided relegation this season. The club's board set a time limit in its search for investment and said King Power \"was the only bidder who made a clear and coherent proposal\". Its directors said the deal \"guarantees the future of the club, both financially and in sporting terms\". OH Leuven were relegated from Belgium's top tier in 2015-16 but said new ownership would provide \"sufficient financial resources to aspire to the earliest possible return\". It added King Power - founded by Leicester chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in 1989 - will fund an expansion of the club's youth system. The acquisition will be formally completed when the company has concluded due diligence. Srivaddhanaprabha is worth an estimated \u00a33.6bn according to Forbes. The 58-year-old bought Leicester in 2010, with the club winning promotion to the top flight four years later and claiming the Premier League title in 2015-16.", "summary": "Leicester City owners King Power International have agreed to purchase OH Leuven, the Belgian club says."}
{"article": "A vote at the East Lothian club failed to rally a two-thirds majority of members behind allowing women to join. The club has been barred from hosting the Open Championship as a result. The first minister said the club had the right to set its own rules, but said the decision was \"wrong\" and \"damaging\". Prime Minister David Cameron has also criticised Muirfield, and backed the decision to bar it from hosting the Open Championship. Mr Cameron told LBC Radio: \"My general rule is that sports clubs should be totally open to both sexes, and it's outdated not to do that, particularly if you think that you're up to hosting important championships.\" A majority of members taking part in the vote at Muirfield backed allowing women to join, but did not achieve the necessary two-thirds of eligible members to push the move through. Golf's governing body, the Royal and Ancient, said it would not stage the Open \"at a venue that does not admit women as members\". Ms Sturgeon told BBC Scotland that she was \"disappointed\" by the \"indefensible\" decision. She said: \"Muirfield is a private club and they're in charge of their own rules and regulations, and I accept that, but this is 2016. \"Scotland has women leaders in every walk of life, in politics, in law, in business and everywhere else. I think this decision is wrong, and I hope there's a way of of looking at it again and overturning it. \"As well as being wrong, it's damaging to Muirfield as a club - I want to see the Open played at Muirfield, it's a fantastic golf course, so this really is a regrettable decision.\" Ms Sturgeon rejected the suggestion that the decision had any wider message about Scottish society. She said: \"The fact that I'm sitting here in the first minister's office says that Scotland is a country that values the contribution of women. \"There are still barriers to women in every walk of life, but women also make progress in Scotland. Scotland is a welcoming place for women to progress in, so I don't want this decision to be seen as as reflection on modern Scotland, it's a reflection of a minority of members at Muirfield.\" Other politicians have also been quick to condemn the decision. Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said the golf club's decision was \"hugely disappointing\". She added: \"I would urge Muirfield Golf Club to think again and find a way to reverse this decision, otherwise it will rightly find itself ostracised from the Scottish golfing community. \"If ever a decision highlighted how much we need to keep up the fight for equality in Scotland this is it.\" Scottish Conservative MSP Rachael Hamilton, who had campaigned for allowing women members ahead of the vote, said it was \"very disappointing\". She said: \"I understand that there are traditions involved here, and the members knew fine well what the consequences of this decision would be. \"But we have to move with the times, and this will be seen widely as a very outdated attitude for a", "summary": "Nicola Sturgeon has called for the \"indefensible\" decision of Muirfield Golf Club to reject women as members to be overturned."}
{"article": "The pair were selected by the Rugby Football League from a number of potential bidders. The new club will retain the Bulls' place in the second-tier Championship division, with a 12-point deduction. However, existing head coach Rohan Smith has left by mutual consent. The 35-year-old Australian was appointed by Bulls in May on a three-year deal after James Lowes stepped down for personal reasons. \"We appreciate all he did for the Bradford Bulls and the support he has given the playing group,\" Lowe said. \"We are focused on bringing in a new proven and experienced coach as soon as possible and the recruitment process is underway.\" Their season begins at Hull KR on Sunday, 5 February. The group came close to taking the Bulls out of administration at the end of 2016, when a bid they made was rubber-stamped by the RFL, only to be rejected by the administrator. Chalmers registered the name Bradford Bulls 2017 at Companies House. RFL director of operations and legal, Karen Moorhouse, said: \"The RFL is confident that the consortium selected to run a new club in Bradford will provide an exciting and stable future for rugby league in the city.\" The first task awaiting Chalmers and Lowe will be to replace Smith and get a squad together to compete in the Championship, and in particular tie down the existing players and staff members to new contracts, after their old deals were made null and void by the liquidation. First-grade players such as Leon Pryce and Omari Caro had said they were committed to staying with the Bradford club, but others - including Kris Welham, Adam O'Brien, James Clare and Alex Mellor - have already signed with other teams. \"We are under no illusion of the enormity of the task that is ahead of us and that it is our job to win the trust of supporters and deliver a club that they are proud of,\" Chalmers said. Lowe added: \"We do not see this as a quick fix and we will work through the immediate issue of offering full-time playing contracts to the team. \"Following that, we will look at bolstering the playing squad as necessary to replace those players who have secured contracts elsewhere.\" In addition to a coaching career in the southern hemisphere, Lowe will be familiar to rugby league fans for his work in establishing Wigan as a major force in rugby league in the late 1980s. His team featured stars such as Ellery Hanley, Joe Lydon and Shaun Edwards, winning a championship and Premiership final and Challenge Cups during his stint - as well as the World Club Challenge against Manly in 1987. Coincidentally, it was at Manly where Lowe and Chalmers worked on the former's return to Australia. Chalmers was a reserve grade player at Manly and Balmain before quitting the game because of injury. He also served as a director at Salford Red Devils. There has been a rugby league presence in the city of Bradford since before the birth of Northern Union in 1895. Two local clubs, Bradford FC", "summary": "Former New Zealand Rugby League chairman Andrew Chalmers and ex-Wigan coach Graham Lowe have been confirmed as the new owners of the Bradford club to replace the liquidated Bulls."}
{"article": "26 July 2016 Last updated at 11:23 BST How on earth are you meant to pass the time? Don't worry - Newsround's got it sorted - sort of.... Check out our top tips to beat boredom in the car!", "summary": "You know the feeling - you get in the car for a long, boring journey, and the battery on your tablet dies."}
{"article": "David Harris, 68, denies three counts of soliciting to murder Hazel Allinson, a former TV scriptwriter for The Bill. He told jurors at the Old Bailey he had become \"besotted\" with a younger woman in a brothel and spent \u00a350,000 on her. When the money ran out he was \"inspired to write a thriller\", to recoup his expenses, the court heard. The prosecution alleged Mr Harris wanted Ms Allinson's money and full ownership of the \u00a3800,000 home they shared in Amberley, West Sussex. Mr Harris told the jury earlier he had offered a man posing as a hitman \u00a3150,000 to kill his wealthy partner as research for his book. Unbeknown to Mr Harris the contact was an undercover policeman. The defendant told the jury: \"I said I wanted my wife killed - which is not true. \"The figure of \u00a3150,000 was mentioned by me, bearing in mind I have no money and I wanted to get this person on side to help me with my story.\" Mr Harris told the jury: \"He said: 'Yeah, for that kind of money, I will go down there now and shoot her.' \"I said: 'Of course not, you cannot do something like that. It has to be planned'.\" The contact said for \u00a3175,000 he would \"do it now\", the court heard. They allegedly discussed scenarios including a potential mugging or carjacking, before Mr Harris returned home to enjoy a fish supper, watching Strictly Come Dancing, with Ms Allinson. Mr Harris said: \"What I needed for my book was a fatal murder.\" He had apparently ruled out any sort of car accident because there was no guarantee that would ensure death. The couple first met in 1989 when they were both working on The Bill. Ms Allinson had saved him from alcohol addiction and he retired through \"ill health\" in 2006, Mr Harris said. Ms Allinson gave him a monthly allowance of between \u00a3300-\u00a3400. He told jurors on Wednesday he still had an \"active libido\" and visited brothels to fulfil his sexual needs. He met his mistress Ugne Cekaviciute in Worthing and said: \"I had become besotted with her. I thought that she was too young and too nice to be in a brothel.\" He took her to expensive restaurants and hotels and spent all the money Ms Allison gave him. Jurors heard he wanted to be with Ms Cekaviciute but was \"very stressed\" about his finances. The trial continues.", "summary": "A man who offered to pay a \"hitman\" \u00a3150,000 to kill his wife, says he had no intention of going through with it and was only researching for his novel."}
{"article": "An extra 260,000 passengers used the airport compared with the same month in 2014, mainly due to an increase in long-haul flights and larger aircraft. In June, Gatwick said it had the busiest year in its history, claiming it proved its case for a second runway. The Airports Commission has since backed a new Heathrow runway instead. Gatwick said demand for long-haul flights to New York, Los Angeles, Cape Verde, Trinidad and Costa Rica had contributed to the increased passenger numbers. It said it had now experienced two-and-a-half years of consecutive month-on-month growth. Gatwick's chief executive Stewart Wingate said the July figures showed his airport remained the best location for the new runway. \"These results put us 10 years ahead of the forecasts used by the Airports Commission to predict future air traffic movements,\" he said. \"Our growth in the last 12 months is actually more than the commission concluded could be added at Gatwick in the first year of a new runway. \"This is further proof of the flaws in the Airports Commission analysis and shows its conclusions are fast unravelling.\" A spokesman for the commission said: \"All forecasts in the Airports Commission final report were subject to extensive analysis and we are confident that they are fit for purpose.\"", "summary": "Gatwick had its busiest July with 4.3 million passengers - a 6.4% increase on last year - the West Sussex airport has said."}
{"article": "The camera and medical equipment firm brought the case against ex-chairman Tsuyoshi Kikukawa and 15 others. A Tokyo court found Kikukawa and five others liable for $529m. The ruling comes comes six years after former chief executive Michael Woodford exposed his colleagues for falsifying accounts to conceal losses of $1.7bn. The scandal was one of the biggest financial frauds in Japan's history, but Kikukawa and two other executives who pleaded guilty never went to jail. Instead, they were given suspended sentences of up to three years. An Olympus spokesman declined to comment, saying the former employees could appeal against the ruling. One of the six men found liable by the court has since died, but his family could still be held responsible for his share of the damages, according to the AFP news agency.", "summary": "Six executives sacked by Japan's Olympus have been ordered to pay more than half a billion dollars in damages after a massive accounting fraud."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Those first seven words, first delivered by Tim Robbins in the Hollywood adaptation of Stephen King's novel The Shawshank Redemption, may originally have referred to Robbins' character's plan to escape from prison. But spoken by former England youth international and Leicester Tigers player Matt Hampson, they have a much more literal meaning. Hampson was a standout prop for the Tigers' development squad, seemingly destined to one day earn full international honours with England. But 10 years ago on Sunday, Hampson, then just a 20-year-old, was left paralysed from the neck down when a scrum collapsed in a training session with the England Under-21 squad. Hampson spent 17 months in Stoke Mandeville Hospital, and now can only breathe with the help of a ventilator. Having seen his burgeoning career cut short, Hampson admitted he questioned why he had become the victim of such a serious freak accident. \"That was the initial thoughts - why me, why me? \"Then I saw other people who had had accidents in different scenarios and they weren't as fortunate as me to have such great support and a great network of friends and family. \"I would see some people in hospital who didn't have one visitor from one week to the next and that's why I count myself very fortunate and I still do.\" Although support from family and friends helped Hampson, he also credits his background as a sportsman for enabling him to cope with his change in circumstance. \"I think the mental strength comes from being a rugby player, from being at Leicester Tigers where it is a tough upbringing,\" added Hampson. \"My family treat me as the same old Matt and still tell me if I am being miserable and tell me to get on with it and keep smiling. \"I have a great network of friends as well who support me and treat me as the same person. I am not different. \"I am just paralysed from the neck down - I am no different to anyone else really.\" Having come to terms with his injuries, the 30-year-old now feels it was fate that led to his accident, and with it, a greater purpose in life through a charity in his name. \"I think it happened for a reason and I said this to my Dad - this will make me a better person. \"I don't think I initially believed that, but I am just starting to now and I do think it has made me a better person. \"I do think about people a lot more and try and help people as much as possible.\" One of those Hampson has helped is Harve Iradukunda. Iradukunda was a Rwandan refugee who was hit by a car and left paralysed while playing football on the street in South Africa. The Matt Hampson Foundation paid for Iradukunda to be flown to a Paris hospital, to be reunited with his mother and brother in France. \"Honestly I don't know what I would have done without the Matt Hampson foundation,\"", "summary": "\"Get busy living, or get busy dying' - I got busy living.\""}
{"article": "The Nasa probe, which flew by the dwarf planet in July, continues to downlink its data, and as it comes in, the scientists get to work on it. The ripples stretch for many hundreds of km. \"It looks more like tree bark or dragon scales than geology,\" observed mission team member Bill McKinnon. \"This'll really take time to figure out; maybe it's some combination of internal tectonic forces and ice sublimation driven by Pluto's faint sunlight,\" the Washington University, St Louis, scientist said in a US space agency release. The best way to look at \"scales\" is to browse the new high-resolution enhanced colour view of Pluto that has been made available (PNG file, 70MB). The features are on the far eastern edge. This super image comes from the Ralph/Multispectral Visual Imaging Camera on New Horizons. It combines blue, red and near infrared (NIR) images. The enhanced view will help decode the various geological and climatological processes that have worked together to produce all the complex surface features seen on Pluto. Alex Parker, a team member from the Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, worked on the Ralph portrait. \"This image consumed the better part of this week for me,\" he tweeted. \"I removed striping noise and deconvolved the images, massively improving sharpness. \"Since the NIR, red and blue images used to make this colour composite are taken separately, they have to be precisely aligned in software. \"The instrument is a TDI (time delay and integration) camera, and has funny spatial distortions. I removed all of these by hand to create the final colour product.\" Also released this week are probably the highest-resolution images seen so far. They come from the Lorri camera and show details down to 270m across. Lorri is a black and white camera, but the imagery released by Nasa has been coloured with Ralph information. The mosaic includes a segment of so-called Sputnik Planum. Incorporating a series of large polygonal features, in previous releases the icy surface has appeared to be ultra-smooth. But in this new higher-resolution view, it is possible to see a more dune-like and pitted texture. New Horizons continues to move deeper into the outer Solar System even as it downlinks its flyby data. It has now gone 90 million km beyond the dwarf, which puts it very nearly five billion km from Earth. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos", "summary": "A great swathe of Pluto that features a strange rippling terrain is perhaps the highlight of the latest image release from the New Horizons mission."}
{"article": "More than 200 pupils at St George's Preparatory School in Jersey were due to have a day at the beach in July. But after hearing a health department warning about skin cancer on the island, headmaster Colin Moore said the school would be organising \"a less exposed alternative event\". Mr Moore said \"the children's health must take priority\". He said the decision was made with \"considerable regret\". \"I'm not suggesting we shouldn't go to the beach... but I think there is a big difference between taking your family to the beach and 210 or 220 children.\" He said the school may \"resurrect\" its visit to the beach in future years if adequate shading is available. The average Jersey temperature in July is 14C to 20C, compared with 11C to 19C in the UK, according to the Met Office. Too much sunshine was also blamed for the closure of an outdoor swimming pool in Cornwall because lifeguards were unable to clearly see the bottom of the pool after the weather helped create an algal bloom.", "summary": "A school's annual beach day has been scrapped over concerns about the dangers of midday sunshine."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Charles Piutau, Stuart McCloskey and Kyle McCall scored tries in Ulster's first-half purple patch, with Kristian Dacey replying for Cardiff Blues. Chris Henry and Louis Ludik added second-half scores while man of the match Ruan Pienaar converted all five. Willis Halaholo and Alex Cuthbert crossed for home consolation tries. Wales captain Sam Warburton was a late withdrawal from the Blues side with a sickness bug, despite recovering from the shoulder injury which kept him out of Wales' win over South Africa. Shingler's early long-distance penalty was the only score of a cagey opening quarter, before Ulster took control with three converted tries in 13 minutes. A snipe from Pienaar set up the attacking position for All-Black Piutau to bag an overlap try after 24 minutes, with opposite number Blaine Scully in the sin-bin for killing the ball at a ruck. Four minutes later giant centre McCloskey cut through on a clever angle from 20 metres out to stroll through some weak Blues defence. Scully's return did not prevent Ulster turning the screw as prop McCall bundled over from close range following Pienaar's charge-down of Lloyd Williams' attempted clearance, Pienaar again converting. The Blues finally roused themselves for hooker Dacey to be driven over with the final move of the first half, making it 21-8 at the break. Media playback is not supported on this device Clinical Ulster The visitors were twice reduced to 14 when Iain Henderson and Luke Marshall were yellow-carded, but a punchless Blues attack could not take advantage. Even with Marshall off, a clinical Ulster bagged the bonus point as Chris Henry crossed, following a break-away led by Pete Browne and Tommy Bowe. Crowd favourite, former Wales fly-half Nicky Robinson, returned to Blues colours in the final quarter and converted a jinking effort by Halaholo with ten minutes left, before putting Cuthbert over and goaling again. But replacement Ludik eased any Ulster nerves by scrambling over from a charge-down to leave the Blues pointless. Cardiff Blues: Blaine Scully; Alex Cuthbert, Rey Lee-Lo, Willis Halaholo, Tom James; Steve Shingler, Lloyd Williams; Gethin Jenkins (capt), Kristian Dacey, Taufa'ao Filise, George Earle, James Down, Josh Turnbull, Ellis Jenkins, Josh Navidi. Replacements: Matthew Rees, Rhys Gill, Scott Andrews, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Macauley Cook, Tomos Williams, Nicky Robinson, Matthew Morgan Ulster: Charles Piutau, Tommy Bowe, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Craig Gilroy, Brett Herron, Ruan Pienaar; Kyle McCall, Rob Herring (capt), Wiehahn Herbst, Pete Browne, Franco van der Merwe, Iain Henderson, Chris Henry, Sean Reidy. Replacements: John Andrew, Andrew Warwick, Rodney Ah You, Kieran Treadwell, Clive Ross, Paul Marshall, Louis Ludik, Darren Cave. Referee: Andrew Brace (SRU) Assistants: Sean Gallagher (IRFU), Aled Evans (WRU) TMO: Charles Samson (SRU)", "summary": "Ulster ended a run of three PRO12 defeats with an emphatic bonus-point win away to Cardiff Blues."}
{"article": "The Disney Pixar film took $73.2m (\u00a354.6m), while The Independence Day sequel took a disappointing $41.6m (\u00a331m). Blake Lively's shark thriller The Shallows did better than expected, taking $16.7m (\u00a312.4m). Filmed in Australia, it came in fourth and only cost $17m (\u00a312.7m) to make. On its opening weekend, Finding Nemo sequel Finding Dory had the most successful launch for an animated film in US box office history, taking $136.2m (\u00a393.3m). It is already the sixth-best selling film of 2016 after ten days with total takings of $285.6m (\u00a3214m). That figure is less than $100m (\u00a374.9m) short of the final total that Finding Nemo made. Will Smith did not return to battle the aliens second time round in the Independence Day sequel but Roland Emmerich was back in the director's chair. Bill Pullman, Vivica Fox and Jeff Goldblum reprised their characters, joined by new cast members Liam Hemsworth and Jessie Usher. It cost $165m (\u00a3123.6m) to make and will need strong international ticket sales if it is to become profitable. It has taken $102m (\u00a376.4m) from 57 different markets since its release. In third place was the Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson action comedy Central Intelligence. It took $18.4m (\u00a313.7m) in its second week and has now topped $69m (\u00a351.7m) in 10 days. Sony distribution chief Rory Bruer said social media buzz helped the film, which is about Lively's character battling for survival in a shark's feeding ground. \"We were able to convey that this is a movie that has you on the edge of your seat and is both fun and scary,\" he said. Meanwhile, Matthew McConaughey's historical drama Free State of Jones took fifth spot. The film, in which McConaughey plays the leader of a rebellion against the Confederacy, took $7.8m (\u00a35.8m), which was below expectations. It cost $50m (\u00a337.4m) to make.", "summary": "Finding Dory has remained at the top of the US box office for a second week, as Independence Day: Resurgence came in second place."}
{"article": "Gary Bennett, 46, of Needwood Road, Bedford, was sentenced at Luton Crown Court to two years in prison. He had pleaded guilty to nine charges of making indecent images of children. Judge Richard Foster told Bennett the children had \"suffered the most horrible abuse for your perverted sexual gratification\". The court heard how Bennett had begun searching for pictures and videos of children being abused in 2004. Over a ten year period, he amassed a collection of more than 15,000 images, including 302 at the most serious level. His barrister, Natalie Goff, had urged the court to suspend the sentence saying Bennett had begun seeing a counsellor. But Judge Foster told Bennett: \"What people like you fail to understand is that this offending has real victims, they are not just pictures on a computer screen.\" He said the defendant had used a sophisticated method to obtain the images, having gained information from another sex offender. Beverley Cripps, prosecuting, said police had gone to Bennett's home on 12 April 2014 and seized computer equipment, CDs, discs and lists of search terms. She said: \"Analysis of the images showed them to be of female children some as young as two. Some of the children involved were visibly upset and crying while being abused.\" She said in his police interview, Bennett admitted having a sexual interest in children since he was 13. Bennett was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders' register for ten years.", "summary": "A paedophile convicted of taking an indecent picture of a child 13 years ago has been jailed for possessing more than 15,000 child abuse images."}
{"article": "Cedric Anderson entered a primary school on Monday in San Bernardino, California, and gunned down estranged spouse Karen Elaine Smith, 53. On Facebook, he referred to the special needs teacher as \"my wonderful little wife\", \"sexy\" and a \"pure spirit\". But some online posts by Anderson, also 53, hinted at a darker side. The couple, who had reportedly been in a relationship for years, wed in January, but were separated within a few weeks. Anderson initially seemed to be a smitten husband, rhapsodising about his bride and proclaiming himself \"blessed\". \"She has no guile or pretense,\" he wrote in one post of Ms Smith. \"She has no ill will toward anyone. (It amazes me!). \"I praise God for such a wonderful Lady!\" But in February Anderson exposed a violent streak as he boasted on Facebook of having \"almost personally attacked 3 Coaches to get my son Jared a scholarship\". \"A father is like a lion. He will kill you for his Blood!\" he wrote. On 12 March, he shared a New York Post video of a man kicking an elderly woman in the face on a bus, entitled: \"Can you hear me now?\" Anderson wrote along with the video: \"Deranged? Yea!\" Ms Smith's mother, Irma Sykes, told ABC News: \"We thought he was a fine person. Until they were married and then he showed the other side of him. \"Which we had never seen before. We were shocked. He began to pick on my daughter and talk down to her. \"And they had dated for four years. And after about three weeks, my husband and I decided, you need to get away from him. \"He is not the kind of person you thought he was.\" In 2013 Anderson was charged with assault and battery, brandishing a weapon and disturbing the peace, but the charges were dismissed a year later. In 1993, he was charged with two misdemeanour counts of battery in Kern Superior Court, the Los Angeles Times reported. However, court records show both charges were dismissed six months later. Somehow, the man who posted a selfie on Facebook a month ago celebrating \"date night!!!\" with his new wife was able to walk into the classroom on Monday morning where she was teaching and gun her down in cold blood with a Smith and Wesson .357 revolver. Without saying a word, he discharged 10 shots and stopped to reload, police said. Two children in the North Park Elementary School special needs class of 15 students were injured in the crossfire, authorities said. Jonathan Martinez, eight, died and a nine-year-old was in hospital in a stable condition.", "summary": "A newlywed who fatally shot his wife and a child before turning the gun on himself at a US school had projected a blissful marriage on social media."}
{"article": "The group sparked outrage in the western city of Wuppertal in 2014, when they approached people in orange vests bearing the words \"Sharia Police\". They demanded that locals stop gambling, listening to music, and drinking alcohol. The group's alleged organiser, Sven Lau, is a well-known Islamist preacher. He is facing separate charges of supporting a terrorist group fighting in Syria. A film of the \"patrol\" appeared on YouTube, prompting condemnation from the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, who said their behaviour was \"harmful to Muslims\". Wuppertal's district court ruled that the seven vigilantes could only have broken the law - which was originally aimed at street movements such as the early Nazi party - if their uniforms were \"suggestively militant or intimidating\", a court spokesman said. In this case, it found that the vests were not threatening, noting that one witness mistook the gang for a stag do. The same court threw out the case last year, but was overruled on appeal by a higher court which felt the ban on uniforms could be applied in this case. Monday's verdict is not yet final and may still be appealed. So-called \"Sharia patrols\" by ultra-conservative Muslim men have been seen in other European cities including London, Copenhagen and Hamburg.", "summary": "A German court has ruled that seven Muslim men who formed a Sharia street patrol did not break laws against political uniforms."}
{"article": "The relationship drama, written and directed by Jolie, opened this year's American Film Institute Film Festival in LA. Hollywood Reporter said it was \"far too long\" and suffered from \"stasis and dramatic flatness\". Variety added that it \"it leaves the heart and mind coolly unstirred\". It summed up the film as \"a gorgeously unhappy 1970s American couple seeking to escape their demons during an extended stay on the Maltese coast\". Screen Daily said it was \"an intimate art-house film for a major studio\" and that it was \"sure to garner attention because of the marquee attraction\" of its stars. It is the first film in which they have starred together since 2005's Mr & Mrs Smith and is Jolie's third film as director, after Unbroken (2014) and In The Land of Blood and Honey (2011). Screen Daily said Jolie's \"commitment to serious themes is undercut by a rigid, overblown style\". \"No matter the type of story she's trying to tell, she often bears down on it so hard that the film doesn't have much room to breathe,\" it added. The Wrap called the film \"a soporific drama that teeters on parody\", adding: \"Angelina Jolie Pitt's reputation as a competent filmmaker won't be entirely undone by her third directorial effort but neither will it be enhanced.\" It said it was \"hard enough watching these two talented actors play blanks who have no chemistry with each other, but the effort seems especially pointless when we learn the root of their problems\". The film is released in the US on 13 November and in the UK on 11 December.", "summary": "Critics have given a lukewarm reception to Angelina Jolie's By The Sea, in which she stars with husband Brad Pitt, calling it a \"vanity project\"."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Defending champions Watson and Henri Kontinen beat second seeds Bruno Soares and Elena Vesnina 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-3. Murray and Martina Hingis overcame Marcelo Demoliner and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-2 7-5. The number one seeds broke the unseeded pair three times in a one-sided opening set before breaking in the 11th game of the second set en route to victory. Media playback is not supported on this device Watson and Kontinen had 14 chances to break their opponents in the opening set of their match, finally converting one in the ninth game of the first set. The second set was a tighter affair. Again, the 2016 champions had several opportunities to break, but wasted them before coming unstuck in the tie-break. However, they took full advantage of their chances in the decider when they broke in the fourth game before going on to secure a second successive appearance in the final.", "summary": "Heather Watson will face fellow Briton Jamie Murray in Sunday's Wimbledon mixed doubles final."}
{"article": "Debutant Jordan Kirkpatrick put Clyde in front after eight minutes but Arbroath turned the game on its head early in the second half. Bobby Linn's penalty levelled 11 minutes after the break, then Richard Little's right-footed effort two minutes later left Clyde stunned. Clyde failed to capitalise on leaders East Fife's 1-1 draw with Queen's Park.", "summary": "Struggling Arbroath came from behind to earn a victory which denied Clyde the opportunity to go top of League Two."}
{"article": "Mr Beshira, 21, was pronounced dead on Kilburn High Road in north-west London at 17:20 GMT on Thursday after being shot in the abdomen. A 22-year-old man was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of murder and remains in custody. Metropolitan Police said they believe Mr Beshira was shot on Palmerston Road and staggered 200 yards. Officers are searching for a man described as slim and white who was wearing jeans and a dark top with his hood up and the lower half of his face covered. Members of the public were already attending to Mr Beshira, who had collapsed outside a cafe, when the emergency services arrived. Witnesses described the area as \"mayhem\" after the shooting with reports of fights breaking out in a crowd. Det Ch Insp Andy Partridge said the gunman was \"loitering in and around Palmerston Road and the Webheath Estate prior to the attack\". He said: \"We know the area was extremely busy at the time of the shooting. \"I am convinced that other members of the public have either seen the incident itself, or have seen the suspect arrive at the scene or flee after the shooting.\"", "summary": "Detectives have identified a man who was shot and killed on a busy street as Yasir Beshira."}
{"article": "DreamHost had argued the DoJ's warrant would have revealed 1.3 million IP addresses. The DoJ has now narrowed the scope of its demand. Disruptj20.org was set up to help arrange a protest at President Trump's inauguration. \"The government has no interest in records relating to the 1.3 million IP addresses that are mentioned in DreamHost's numerous press releases and opposition briefs,\" prosecutors said in the new request. They were focused on the use of the website to plan and carry out a criminal act - a \"riot\" - not the \"lawful activities of peaceful protesters\", they said. The warrant does not now require certain access and error logs, which, DreamHost says, means visitors' IP addresses are \"largely safe\". \"We see this as a huge win for internet privacy, and we absolutely appreciate the DoJ's willingness to look at and reconsider both the scope and the depth of their original request for records,\" DreamHost said in a blog post. However, it still plans to challenge the DoJ on other aspects of its request. Prosecutors signed the original warrant to DreamHost in July, arguing that disruptj20.org had been used to organise \"violent\" protests in Washington DC. DreamHost and privacy advocates argued that amounted to a \"digital dragnet\". In its updated warrant, the DoJ said that the full scope of the original request - criticised by DreamHost in its public statements - had been \"unknown to the government and the court at the time that the warrant was issued\". Data still required by the amended warrant includes files and databases stored by DreamHost. More than 200 people have been charged in relation to rioting at the inauguration.", "summary": "Visitors to an anti-Trump website will probably not have their internet protocol addresses turned over to the Department of Justice, after a legal standoff with a US web company."}
{"article": "Japan called for an end to the raid, summoning the Algerian ambassador to express concern for the lives of the captives and to plead for up-to-date information. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was \"disappointed\" not to have been told about the raid in advance. But while many details of how events at the In Amenas plant have unfolded remain unclear, Algeria's decision to deal with the kidnappers forcefully and unilaterally fits with a deeply-entrenched and uncompromising approach to counter-terrorism. \"I'd be surprised if they'd reacted any other way,\" said Jon Marks, an Algeria analyst and head of the Cross-border Information consultancy. \"From the Algerian point of view the attack\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 was an affront to the prestige of the Algerian military which is a very central part of the Algerian value system.\" The military is still seen as the ultimate arbiter of power in Algeria, and has never been placed fully under civilian control. The army, and the governments it supports, derive much of their legitimacy from largely winning the military battle against Islamist insurgents in the 1990s, during a vicious conflict that left as many as 150,000 people dead. Algerian authorities have expressed some bitterness that they were left to fight this conflict on their own, before most of the rest of the world was confronted with the threat from Islamist militancy. But they also take pride in their counter-terrorism experience, their military suppression of armed groups and their publicly-stated reluctance to negotiate or pay ransoms. \"We say that confronted with terrorism, yesterday as today and tomorrow, there will be no negotiation, no blackmail, no let-up in the fight against terrorism,\" said Algerian Communications Minister Mohamed Said Belaid. \"Those who think we will negotiate with terrorists are delusional.\" The conflict in the 1990s was fought in the north of Algeria. Armed groups have only become more active in Algeria's vast southern desert and neighbouring Sahel states in recent years. They have carried out kidnappings, mainly outside Algeria, and have never launched a major attack on the oil and gas industry that has long been the backbone of Algeria's economy. However, both the alleged organiser of Wednesday's attack, Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar, and the prospect of a drawn-out kidnapping saga, are darkly familiar to the Algerian authorities. \"They know Mokhtar Belmokhtar and his gang very well and they know very well that these are people who are extremely adept at operating in the Sahara regions,\" said Jon Marks, referring to reports that the Algerians intervened when some of the kidnappers and hostages tried to leave the plant. The risk, he said, was that they would take the hostages to a remote part of the desert and then negotiate for ransoms or prisoner exchanges, \"and they used the bluntest of instruments, which was air power, to stop those cars\". \"With the western governments you've got the view which is predominant that they've got a duty of care towards the hostages,\" he added. \"Whereas in the perception of those people running the operation, it was very much, 'you must deal with the terrorists and", "summary": "Algeria's military intervention against kidnappers at a Saharan gas plant apparently came as a surprise to those foreign governments whose citizens were being held hostage."}
{"article": "The Israeli company behind the AirMule has already successfully tested it flying itself without being tethered to the ground for safety reasons. It aims to be able to deliver models to military customers in the next decade. One expert said the drone was impressive but raised safety concerns. Urban Aeronautics has received financial support from the Israeli government for the project, and its chief executive said it could help save lives. \"[It could fly to] anyone out in the field who needs water, food, batteries, supplies, medical equipment and so forth,\" Rafi Yoeli told the BBC. \"Later, it could be used to fetch soldiers that you don't want to leave behind or are wounded. \"There are plenty of situations where you cannot send a helicopter - for example, in the middle of fighting where you want to evacuate people from a street or from a narrow roof. \"Eventually, there could be civilian applications, such as rescue missions in the mountains or flying into disaster areas - for example, nuclear facilities where no person in a helicopter could get in.\" Urban Aeronautics has carried out nearly 200 test flights of the AirMule, including its first untethered trial at the Megiddo airfield in northern Israel on 30 December. The machine, 6.2m (20ft) long and 2.3m (7.5ft) tall, takes off vertically, like a helicopter. The company aims to make it able to fly at a maximum speed of 180km/h (112mph) and as high as 18,000ft (5,500m) once a more powerful turboshaft engine is fitted. Mr Yoeli said his team also needed to upgrade the aircraft's flight control system to make it capable of flying in rain and other bad weather. In addition, he said, further work had to be done before he could say what lifespan it would have. \"When you supply a vehicle to the customer, you need to offer them a guarantee that it will work for 500 hours or 1,000 hours or so many take-offs and landings,\" he said. \"So, we need to develop the knowledge of the lifespan of the components and maybe redesign some of them. \"This will be an expensive aircraft. \"There is nothing out there that has the dimensions of a Humvee [military vehicle] yet can take off vertically with 500kg of supplies and fly for an hour.\" Before the end of 2016, he added, the plan was to demonstrate it could fly itself at low heights over obstructed terrain without the risk of a collision and to carry out the first robotic delivery of a parcel at a destination. A drone expert from Imperial College London said the aircraft could prove groundbreaking, but the engineers would have to prove it did not pose a threat to other aircraft or people living under its flight path. \"The vehicle design and control system is impressive,\" said Dr Ravi Vaidyanathan. \"Evacuation of injured people, delivery of supplies or equipment, and intelligence support could represent the first use of autonomous systems in defence and humanitarian relief operations. \"But a vehicle this size obviously brings very significant safety issues. \"Experiments for large", "summary": "The maker of a drone designed to carry loads of up to 500kg (1,100lb) says it plans to see if it can fly itself between trees and other obstacles before the end of the year."}
{"article": "Earlier this month a WTO dispute panel found the US had dealt with all but one of the instances of illegal subsidies to the aerospace giant. But Airbus maintains the US continues to offer unfair support. The fight is part of a 13-year dispute between the EU and the US over support offered to Boeing and Europe's Airbus. In 2012, the WTO found that state and federal programmes provided Boeing with billions of dollars in illegal subsidies. On 9 June the WTO's dispute panel found most of those issues had been addressed. However, generous tax benefits offered by the state of Washington, where Boeing has a large presence and which are worth an estimated $800m to date, continue. Both sides claimed the panel's June findings as a victory. The WTO has also found that Europe provided billions in illegal subsidies to Airbus.", "summary": "The European Union (EU) has appealed against a recent World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling in favour of the US over its state aid for Boeing."}
{"article": "A charity wants older people to help care for pet chickens in an attempt to tackle loneliness. The idea, by the project Hen Power, has experienced significant success with the scheme in England. What started with a couple of hens in Northumberland has expanded to more than 40 care and residential homes across England and Wales. Similar schemes are also taking place in Canada and Australia. Caring through arts is being backed by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, which is promoting other forms of art among the elderly in care settings including dance, music, creative arts and circus skills. But will bringing chickens into care homes ruffle some feathers? Not according to 80-year-old widow Pat Cain who is originally from Merseyside. She lives alone in sheltered accommodation as part of a wider care home and has been a hen-keeper for four years. \"First of all some shook their heads, they didn't care for it at all. But now it's part of our lives, it would be strange if we didn't step out of our bungalows and care for the hens. \"It's made everyone around me change their lives.\" The project recently received \u00a31m of Big Lottery funding and Hen Power says it is hatching a plan for the scheme to be introduced in Northern Ireland soon.", "summary": "The number of 'hensioners' in Northern Ireland could soon be on the rise."}
{"article": "Prof Gerry Holtham said plans for an advisory group of business leaders and experts were \"probably not sufficient\". He claimed it would be a \"big ask\" for First Minister Carwyn Jones to add Brexit to his list of responsibilities. The economist said a dedicated Brexit ministry would have the staff and resources to undertake the job. Prof Holtham, who previously led an inquiry into Welsh Government funding, said the advisory group was a good idea to help with \"very complicated\" negotiations, claiming both the Welsh and UK governments were \"short on experience and expertise\". But the Cardiff Metropolitan University professor said the panel would not be enough. \"Brexit will influence a lot of different ministries within the Welsh Government,\" he told BBC Wales, naming agriculture and industry as key areas. \"All of these will have to work together and make their input,\" he said. \"The Welsh Government hasn't been great in the past at that kind of cross-departmental co-ordination. \"It may help to have somebody who is responsible for pulling it together and conducting the negotiations.\" New Prime Minister Theresa May has appointed David Davis as secretary of state responsible for Brexit in the UK government, with former Welsh Secretary David Jones as a junior minister working with him. Mr Holtham said the first minister may want to lead the Brexit response from Wales himself, but asked: \"Does he have the staff back-up to actually carry that out? \"If there were a department doing that, there would be civil servants seconded to it and it would have the resources to undertake the job, as well as having a minister responsible for seeing that all the information was brought together and co-ordinated in the right way. \"It's a big ask for the first minister to do that as well as all the other things that he has to do.\" In July, Mr Jones told the BBC's Sunday Politics Wales: \"There can't be a minister for Brexit. \"I have a limited number of ministers I can appoint - I can't appoint somebody just to do that. \"The reality is we can do this anyway... not just me but the cabinet and other parties as well.\" Reacting to Mr Holtham's comments, a Welsh Government spokesman said: \"The first minister is chairing a cabinet sub-committee focused exclusively on Brexit issues, bringing together the departments directly linked to EU business. \"In addition the cabinet secretary for finance and local government will chair an EU advisory group drawing together expertise and sectorial interests from across Wales. \"Throughout this process the Welsh Government will be fighting vigorously for Wales' interests.\"", "summary": "Wales needs a dedicated minister for Brexit to co-ordinate its response to leaving the EU, a former Welsh Government advisor has said."}
{"article": "Colombia said it would not allow any further temporary openings of the border, which Venezuela shut last year. More than 100,000 people went to Colombia last weekend, the second time the border was open in a year. They crossed to buy basic goods that are in short supply in their country because of a severe economic crisis. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered the closure to fight cross-border crime. He said the area had been infiltrated by Colombian paramilitaries and gangs. The UN human rights office called on Venezuela to consider accepting \"humanitarian aid\" to ensure food and medicine supplies were distributed. Colombia's Foreign Minister, Maria Angela Holguin, said a decision had been made to not allow any further temporary reopening of the border. \"Let's work so that the opening, the next opening, is definitive,\" she said after meeting officials from the region neighbouring Venezuela. She added that work needed to be done to make the frontier safer and to prevent criminal activities in the area. Many in Venezuela say they have struggled to feed their families as the country has suffered severe shortages for months. This is a result of the falling price of oil which is Venezuela's prime source of income. Supermarkets have empty shelves and people spend days in queues to buy basic goods. The Venezuelan opposition blames the government for the economic crisis, saying its policies have left businesses unable to import raw materials and essential parts. President Maduro argues that his leftist government is the victim of an economic war. Expressing concern about \"severe shortages\" of basic goods in Venezuela, the UN human rights office also warned about deteriorating human rights and growing violence in the country. The body urged the authorities to ensure the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Venezuela: Economy on the brink?", "summary": "The government in Colombia has called for the permanent opening of its border with Venezuela after crisis-hit Venezuelans flocked to buy basic items."}
{"article": "The defender, 27, was carried off after he was injured in an 85th-minute collision with opponent Theo Hernandez. Barcelona said on Saturday evening that Vidal, signed from Sevilla in 2015, would be out of action for five months. \"Aleix, you'll be back stronger - get well soon,\" wrote team-mate Andre Gomes on Twitter. Vidal had recently established himself as a regular in Luis Enrique's side, scoring in league victories over Las Palmas and Athletic Bilbao since the turn of the year. After suffering his injury, he was taken to hospital in the Basque city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, where Alaves are based, for an operation to reduce the swelling on his ankle. His was one of two serious injuries sustained in La Liga matches on Saturday; Osasuna defender Tano Bonnin broke his leg during the first half of their 3-1 defeat at home by Real Madrid.", "summary": "Barcelona full-back Aleix Vidal will miss the rest of the season after dislocating his right ankle during Saturday's 6-0 La Liga win at Alaves."}
{"article": "Dougie Gair scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot late on after Reece Donaldson had been sent off for conceding the spot-kick. The 2-1 aggregate score also brought to an end East Stirlingshire's 61-year tenure in senior football. Shire will now enter the Lowland League, which Edinburgh won this term. The home side had the better of the opening 45 minutes with Max Wright and Tommy Orr both coming close to giving East Stirling the lead but City coped well, the experienced Joe Mbu at centre-half a rock at the back for the capital club. In the second half City came much more into the game and Mark McConnell forced a fine save from goalkeeper Darren Dolan. With four minutes left the tie took a dramatic turn when the visitors were awarded a penalty. Ross Allum was through on goal when he was brought down by Donaldson, who had successfully appealed against a red card in the first leg. Referee Don Robertson immediately pointed to the spot and issued the Shire defender a straight red card. And Gair, who scored from the spot in last week's draw, hammered the ball down the middle of the goal to spark celebrations among the City fans. And when the full-time whistle was blown, the players and fans rejoiced as they can now look forward to senior football next season. Match ends, East Stirling 0, Edinburgh City 1. Second Half ends, East Stirling 0, Edinburgh City 1. Attempt saved. John MacDonald (Edinburgh City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Foul by Mark McConnell (Edinburgh City). Neil McCabe (East Stirling) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, East Stirling. Conceded by Sean Muhsin. Foul by Ross Allum (Edinburgh City). Lloyd Kinnaird (East Stirling) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Goal! East Stirling 0, Edinburgh City 1. Dougie Gair (Edinburgh City) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the centre of the goal. Penalty Edinburgh City. Ross Allum draws a foul in the penalty area. Reece Donaldson (East Stirling) is shown the red card. Penalty conceded by Reece Donaldson (East Stirling) after a foul in the penalty area. Foul by Ian McFarland (Edinburgh City). Max Wright (East Stirling) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Ross Allum (Edinburgh City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt missed. Mark McConnell (Edinburgh City) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Corner, Edinburgh City. Conceded by Neil McCabe. Corner, Edinburgh City. Conceded by Lloyd Kinnaird. Substitution, Edinburgh City. Sean Muhsin replaces Ross Guthrie. Chris McKee (Edinburgh City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Gavin McMillan (East Stirling). Ian McFarland (Edinburgh City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Ross Fisher (East Stirling). Shaun Harrison (Edinburgh City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Max Wright (East Stirling). Substitution, East Stirling. Aron", "summary": "Edinburgh City became the first club to be promoted to Scottish League Two through the pyramid system after a dramatic win over East Stirlingshire."}
{"article": "Hackers said they had penetrated Hacking Team's internal network and stolen more than 400GB of data. The Italian company said it was working with police to track down the hackers. Widely shared online, the stolen data includes a list of the countries that have bought Hacking Team's main surveillance tool, Da Vinci, and emails suggesting intelligence agencies use it to spy on activists and journalists. The list includes: Lists of passwords and login details for client sites were also revealed. The hackers first published stolen data, including internal files, email messages and software source code, on Hacking Team's own Twitter account, having first changed its name to \"Hacked Team\". Confirmation of the breach came via the Twitter account of Hacking Team engineer Christian Pozzi. \"We are awake. The people responsible for this will be arrested. We are working with the police at the moment,\" he said in one message. Soon after, this and other messages about the breach were removed as Mr Pozzi's Twitter account was deleted. Hacking Team's website is also currently offline. Security expert Graham Cluley said the company had \"no shortage of online enemies around the world\". Its software had been popular with intelligence agencies in many countries, he said, but he questioned how many would continue that relationship given that it had been \"so seriously breached\". Human rights group Reporters Without Borders had named Hacking Team as one of its \"enemies of the internet\" because its software was being used in countries that did not have a \"good record on democracy and human rights\".", "summary": "A company that sells surveillance software has been hit by a data breach."}
{"article": "The combined value of the two firms is likely to be at least $230bn (\u00c2\u00a3150bn) based on Tuesday's share price. AB InBev's brands include Budweiser, Stella Artois and Corona, while SABMiller owns Peroni and Grolsch. If the deal is successful, the merged company would produce one third of the world's beer. AB InBev said it had approached SABMiller's board about a \"combination of the two companies\". However, it added that there was no certainty the approach would lead to an offer or an agreement. Earlier, SABMiller said it had been informed that AB InBev was planning to make a bid, but that it had no details as yet. \"No proposal has yet been received and the board of SABMiller has no further details about the terms of any such proposal,\" the firm said. Shares in SABMiller jumped more than 20% on the news, while AB InBev's shares were 11% higher. \"Let's get this straight, this is a takeover by AB InBev of SABMiller. It's not a merger,\" said Larry Nelson, editor of the industry trade magazine, Brewer's Guardian. Given the size of the deal both parties would be likely to have to sell off parts of their operations to get it past the regulators, and that may mean sacrificing some of their US and Chinese businesses . \"In the US SABMiller has a joint venture with Molson Coors which gives it a 25% share of the market and makes it a clear number two,\" Mr Nelson added. \"But combining with the number one, AB INBev, would give them 75% of the market, which is clearly untenable. But AB InBev would not have gone into this without having some plan of what they want to divest.\" The merged company would be likely to move aggressively into faster growing markets. AB InBev has an eye on the South African markets where SAB Miller dominates in 15 countries, and has a presence in a further 21. A merger would also strengthen its grip on South America and Mexico which are by far its most profitable markets. This deal has long been anticipated but analysts believe AB InBev was held back from making an offer because of high levels of debt built up through a string of other purchases. SABMiller has also been trying to do deals. Last year it made an unsuccessful offer for its smaller rival Heineken in a move that was widely seen as an attempt to ward off a bid from AB InBev.", "summary": "The prospect of a tie-up between the world's two largest brewers is looming after Anheuser-Busch InBev said it had made a takeover move for SABMiller."}
{"article": "In 2014, the president of the Family Division, Sir James Munby, said judges should publish judgements in their most significant cases and certain care cases. But in 2014 and 2015, only 837 of these were published, via the legal website the British and Irish Legal Information Institute (BAILII). There were more than 25,000 care applications in English and Welsh courts during this time, though not all would result in a judgement that could be published. For many years campaigners have described the powerful family courts as secretive and unaccountable. The courts have been responsible for some highly controversial decisions, such as that to return Ellie Butler to her father's care, or the decision to take away Karissa Cox and Richard Carter's baby. Sir James Munby's \"transparency initiative\" has been widely welcomed, especially by the press. He wrote that it should \"bring about an immediate and significant change\". However, the first detailed evaluation carried out by Dr Julie Doughty of Cardiff University and others, including Alice Twaite and Paul Magrath, shows a piecemeal impact. While some judges and certain courts regularly publish judgements, others do so rarely, if at all. In Newcastle during 2014 and 2015 judges frequently sent cases for publication, as did Leeds, Manchester and East London. But no judge in Devon, South East Wales or Wolverhampton published cases during that time. The researchers warn that fewer judgements are being published now than in 2014 and 2015. \"Rather than publication becoming accepted as routine, it appears to be increasingly exceptional,\" they say. Judges have to make sure no family involved in a case can be identified when they publish a judgement. This anonymisation can be a complex process. The researchers found there had been mistakes. One judgement was published with a name left in. Others had details that could identify a family. Judges told the researchers they lacked resources and time to prepare judgements for publication. \"Even judges who are very enthusiastic about the guidance and who are keen on publishing judgements because they feel that they should be open to accountability and scrutiny, even those judges are struggling to find the time and resources to publish those judgements,\" says Dr Doughty. She said it was \"unrealistic\" to expect all care cases to be available for public scrutiny. Although many families are often wary of publication, because they're worried they or their children could be identified, some have found it very useful. Two years ago, we reported a case of a grandmother who wanted to look after her grandson, while the local authority said he should be adopted. The judge decided the boy should stay with his family. We could report it because the judgement had been posted online. The grandmother was pleased the judgement had been made public. \"In our case social services did wrong. Publishing the judgement meant they couldn't do it again,\" she said. \"They've had to be more careful since.\" The Family Rights Group (FRG) is a charity that helps families caught up in the family justice system. It is currently trying to help another grandmother who", "summary": "The much publicised drive to open family courts in England and Wales to public scrutiny has had only limited success, according to the first national evaluation, funded by the Nuffield Foundation."}
{"article": "Mr Piech had criticised his chief executive in an interview with the German news magazine Der Spiegel, but did not specify the issue at stake. Mr Winterkorn has been widely tipped as VW's next chairman. Mr Piech and the Porsche family control 51% of VW. Volkswagen is the biggest car manufacturer in Europe. On 17 April, Volkswagen's five-member governing board gave its backing to Mr Winterkorn. Board member Wolfgang Porsche, a cousin of Mr Piech, said he had given his \"personal opinion\" without clearing his remarks with other family members. Mr Piech, 78, is a former VW chief executive. His wife Ursula has also resigned her seat on the board. In a statement (in German), Volkswagen said that deputy board chairman Berthold Huber would serve as interim chairman. During his eight-year tenure as chief executive, Mr Winterkorn has overhauled VW and made it one of the world's most successful carmakers, industry analysts say. In 2014, VW was the world's second-biggest carmaker by sales, behind Toyota and ahead of GM. Apart from Volkswagen, the group's brands include Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Bentley, Skoda and Seat.", "summary": "The chairman of the carmaker Volkswagen (VW), Ferdinand Piech, has resigned after a power struggle with chief executive Martin Winterkorn."}
{"article": "Jayne Ludlow's side are preparing for home qualifiers with Israel on 15 September and Austria on 20 September. The inclusion of Seattle playmaker Fishlock is significant as she was pondering international retirement. \"We're looking forward to the next campaign, which is really important for us,\" she said. Fishlock hinted she would retire after Wales' failure to reach next summer's Euros but the 29-year old is now targeting another campaign. \"We're really excited,\" said Fishlock. \"We haven't been together for a while now and we always enjoy being together. \"Friendlies are always important. The result is not the main thing - it's about what we get out of it and hopefully we can get good things out of this one. \"The team spirit is good, it's always good. It is fun.\"", "summary": "Jess Fishlock has boosted Wales women ahead of Friday's Republic of Ireland friendly as they warm-up for their UEFA European qualifying campaign."}
{"article": "Offenders forced their way into a house on Bower Street, Carlisle, early on Saturday evening, Cumbria Police said. A 39-year-old man was taken to hospital with a serious head injury. A woman, also 39, had her finger broken. Three men aged 33, 26 and 23 and a 31-year-old woman, all from Carlisle, have been charged with aggravated burglary and are due in court later. The injured man remains in hospital.", "summary": "Four people have been charged in connection with a hammer attack which left a man seriously injured."}
{"article": "The service said it had a shortage of 24 staff - the equivalent of 12 ambulance crews - that could have led to delays for \"less serious calls\". It said support was sought from voluntary and private ambulance crews. The shortage was due to a factors including rostered leave, sickness, vacant shifts and cancelled overtime. John McPoland from the NIAS said the shortage left the service about 20% down on the usual 60 crews it expected to have in place for a Saturday night shift. He added that the staff shortage was an ongoing issue. \"We are experiencing difficulty at the weekend and we have been relying on the voluntary crews and on the private ambulances,\" he said. \"We also rely on our staff coming in and doing overtime. \"We have been dealing with situations like this for quite a while now. \"We're absolutely not happy about it but we will take steps to try to address it.\" He added that the reduced service would mostly be felt by patients \"whose situation is not immediately or potentially life-threatening\".", "summary": "The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) has said it had to operate a reduced level of cover on Saturday night due to a shortage of staff."}
{"article": "Think-tank Reform Scotland said the route had been left with limited potential for expansion. It said the Edinburgh to Tweedbank line had shown thinking was \"too small\" and planning \"too short-term\". The Scottish government said the railway had proved a huge success and expected more investment in future. Reform Scotland released written evidence it had sent to Transport Scotland's rail infrastructure strategy consultation. It has been submitted on its behalf by advisory board member Tom Harris, a former Labour transport minister in the UK government. He makes a range of suggestions including the need for \"bigger thinking\" in the long-term vision for Scotland's railways. Mr Harris singled out the Borders Railway for criticism with the construction of bridges to accommodate only single-track width as an example of limits placed on future expansion. He said: \"We are in danger of missing the bigger picture when it comes to discussing rail in Scotland. \"We talk in very narrow terms about ScotRail and its operation, but what we actually need is an injection of some creative, strategic thinking so that we can give the Scottish people a rail system built for the future and one to be proud of. \" He called for the creation of a Scottish Rail Infrastructure Commission to examine what \"ambitious transformational projects and new railway lines\" were needed to boost the Scottish economy and \"transform our connectivity as a nation\". \"The Borders Railway showed us that there is an appetite for new railways in Scotland, but it also showed us that our thinking is too small and our planning too short-term,\" he said. \"That ship has now sailed, but we must learn the lessons from it, think big, and plan long, and that is why the need for a commission is now critical.\" A Scottish government spokesman said it welcomed Reform Scotland's comments. \"The think-tank has raised issues about structure and vision,\" he said. \"Whilst there will be different views on structures to realise the vision for Scotland's railways it is clear that the ambitions for our railway to be a driver of economic growth and a positive, integral part of our social fabric is an ambition that is shared right across Scotland.\" He said the reopening of the Borders Railway had been a \"cause for celebration\" in the Borders and Midlothian. \"We were always confident that, in time, it would deliver major economic opportunities and attract new investment, so it is pleasing to see strong evidence that visits and spending are up significantly as a direct result of the new railway,\" he said. \"With over 1.2m passenger journeys in its first year alone, additional seats on peak time services and more improvements and initiatives in the pipeline, we look forward to seeing even more investment and interest in the area in the months and years ahead.\"", "summary": "The Scottish government has defended the Borders Railway after claims the infrastructure vision for the project was \"short-sighted\"."}
{"article": "The \u00a325m Rhyl High School, which opened on Wednesday, includes facilities for vocational courses such as a hair and beauty salon and a construction room. It will also provide a base for 45 pupils from the nearby community special school, Ysgol Tir Morfa. Work started on the new complex more than two years ago, built near the old school which will be demolished. It has been funded by Denbighshire council and the Welsh Government. The old school was described as dilapidated by the modernising education team in the council. Head teacher Claire Armitstead said: \"It is amazing. We have worked really hard for the last two years, even longer, probably five years, to try and make it happen. And it felt like it was always just a bit out of our reach. \"But today we've got children sitting in the building that we helped to create. \"I feel like we have done something right for the children of Rhyl and I think our children deserve this. \"We now have a building that is watertight, bright, light and I don't think you realise how important those things are to you until you haven't got it.\"", "summary": "A new secondary school in Denbighshire has officially welcomed the first of its 1,200 pupils."}
{"article": "Animal welfare groups have called for Thomas Chipperfield's show, An Evening with Lions and Tigers, to be banned. Its 10-day run in Welshpool, Powys, starts on Friday. Speaking to BBC Radio Wales' Jason Mohammad programme, Mr Chipperfield said all relevant animal welfare licences are in place and the animals are checked by vets. \"There's no scientific evidence whatsoever to support that claim (of animals suffering),\" he said. \"The amount of studies that have been done with regards to the use of animals in live entertainment and zoos... the results always come back overwhelmingly in favour.\" But animal welfare groups want the show stopped. Adam Roberts, chief executive of the Born Free Foundation, said: \"In the last two years, the big cats in question have been hauled around the whole of the UK and Ireland for the sole purpose of performing outdated circus tricks for paying audiences. \"In 2010, 95% of respondents to the UK government consultation on this issue demanded a ban. \"A promise was made by Westminster in 2012 that a ban would be introduced in England before the end of 2015 and the Welsh assembly has suggested that it would support a ban in Wales.\" However, Mr Chipperfield said his show includes training displays, talks and feeding with hundreds of people buying tickets to see it. \"What we are doing isn't actually a circus. It's animals in a show - it's educational,\" he said. A Welsh government spokesperson said Deputy Minister for Farming and Food, Rebecca Evans, has \"made it clear that she wishes to move to a ban on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses\". The spokesperson added: \"Because the circuses in question tend to operate in England and Wales we believe it is important that the legislation banning the use of wild animals should be on an England and Wales basis. We are pressing the UK government to deliver on the promise to legislate as soon as possible.\"", "summary": "The man behind an animal show featuring performing lions and tigers has denied his animals suffer in captivity."}
{"article": "The city's Lord Provost Sadie Docherty lay a wreath at Dalbeth Cemetery in honour of five Glasgow Auxiliary Fire Service messenger boys. They died at the height of the German bombing on 13 and 14 March 1941. The boys were among 90 youngsters who cycled or ran with potentially lifesaving messages for front-line fire crews during the war. The lord provost laid the wreath in honour of all the messenger boys who died at a Celtic Cross which was erected at the grave of 15-year-old Neil Leitch. He died from bomb injuries sustained while trying to take a communication to Partick Fire Station. The teenager had been injured during an earlier mission when he was blown off his bicycle by a bomb. He defied orders to rest and continued with his duties until he was fatally injured. The lord provost said: \"I am proud to join others to remember the remarkable, and little known, bravery of Neil Leitch and all the other Fire Service volunteer boy cyclists across the country, who put their lives on the line to save others during the Second World War. \"Sadly Neil Leitch along with four others paid the ultimate price that terrible night as our city and its citizens were relentlessly bombed.\" Following his death, Neil Leitch was gazetted by King George VI for his bravery and devotion to duty. His nephew James Leitch, a former Clydebank fireman who now lives in Orkney, attended the service along with family from across the UK. James said: \"I grew up hearing about my uncle Neil and this is something we have always wanted to do. \"These boys were forgotten. To me they deserve recognition. It will be an emotional day.\" The lord provost was joined by George McGrandles, of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the city's senior fire officer. He formed part of a Fire and Rescue Service Guard of Honour in tribute to the youngsters. \"The role of the boy messengers isn't widely known but it was absolutely vital,\" he said. \"They took on an incredibly dangerous role to ensure fire crews could get to where they were needed even when bombs destroyed communications channels. \"It took incredible courage and, in trying to save others, these five youngsters ultimately lost their lives.\"", "summary": "A service has been held in Glasgow to honour young messenger boys who died in air raids during Word War Two."}
{"article": "The Stormont executive has a target of growing external sales by 33% over the next four years and by 80% by 2025. The \"trade accelerator plan\" includes increased grants to visit trade shows. Small and medium sized firms will also get accommodation and travel grants for market development trips to Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said increasing exports was critical to \"transforming Northern Ireland into a globally competitive economy\". The most recent trade figures show that manufacturing exports from Northern Ireland were up by 9.5% in the year ending June 2016. External sales are all those sales made outside Northern Ireland, that is sales to Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland and anywhere else in the world. Exports consist of all sales made outside the United Kingdom. Pharmaceutical firms have performed particularly strongly with exports up by 84% or \u00c2\u00a3527m. However, the number of firms that are exporting has continued to drift downwards and are there now fewer than 1,000 exporting businesses in Northern Ireland. The last executive fell significantly short of it export targets. It aimed to grow manufacturing exports by 20% but growth was less than 6%. Mr Hamilton said: \"I want us to look at existing markets and new ones as huge opportunities for Northern Ireland. \"We are already doing exceptionally well at exporting our goods and services but I believe we can do even better.\"", "summary": "Northern Ireland companies selling to external markets are to be offered more financial support under a scheme announced by the economy minister."}
{"article": "Paramedics were called to The Mitre pub, on Spider Island, in Allenton, at about 15:00 GMT on Sunday. The 24-year-old man was arrested in the early hours of Monday and is in police custody. The teenager remains in a serious condition in hospital. \"We would urge anyone who might have information that could help us to come forward immediately,\" police said.", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a 16-year-old boy was stabbed outside a pub in Derby."}
{"article": "If this form of renewable energy is supported, it could signal the dawn of a new industrial era, worth \u00a315bn to Wales and the UK. Those behind the new manufacturing and energy sector believe it can deliver sustainable, locally-produced electricity for about a hundred years. Alongside this, a wealth of knowledge would build-up that could be exported around the world. The plan would be for the first lagoon in Swansea Bay to be a prototype and the smallest. That would then be followed by lagoons in Cardiff - east of where Cardiff Bay is now - Newport, Bridgwater Bay, Colwyn Bay and west Cumbria, north of Workington. That is Tidal Lagoon Power (TLP's) dream. Former UK Energy Minister Charles Hendry has been gathering evidence for nine months for his inquiry, including visits to all the potential sites and discussions with industry. Now the wait for his conclusions is intensifying. The Swansea Bay lagoon would cost about \u00a31.3bn; the company has promised that half that money would be spent in Wales. So what sorts of Welsh businesses would be involved? The most obvious are civil engineering companies. Monmouthshire construction firm Alun Griffiths Construction is already contracted to work delivering some of the roadways, while Andrew Scott Civil Engineering of Port Talbot is watching keenly. They plan to bid for some of the marine work contracts that would be put to tender if the conclusion of the Hendry review marks the go-ahead. General Electric and Andritz Hydro have between them a \u00a3300m contract for the 16 turbines that would be used in Swansea Bay. The plan is that the final turbine assembly would be carried out locally. Alongside that there will be work for companies involved in fabricated metals, steel casting and forging, and power electronics. The chief executive of TLP Mark Shorrock said: \"We certainly think we'll be creating direct employment of 1,900 in Swansea. That ignores the supply chain. \"As we go through that, we see carpenters, electrical engineers and then there's an awful lot of steel in generators and turbines.\" If the Swansea Bay project gets the go ahead, TLP will then speed up its preparatory work on larger tidal lagoons in Cardiff, Newport and Colwyn Bay. Each site will also need the same skills but on a greater scale. The estimate is that four tidal lagoons in Wales could support 33,500 jobs during the construction and more than 3,000 when they are in operation. They could be worth \u00a31.3bn a year in Gross Value Added (GVA), the measure of just how much a contribution sector or industry makes to the economy. Mr Shorrock said there was the potential for Wales to become the industry base for exporting mass-produced turbines, generators and engineering around the world. Cost of power The other side of the coin is the cost of the electricity generated by tidal lagoons. It has been described by politicians as \"expensive\" referring to the guaranteed price - or strike price - that TLP is asking from the UK government. TLP forecasts that its lagoons would generate power for 120", "summary": "An independent review into tidal lagoon energy in the UK has been completed - and now the UK Government is expected to decide by the end of the year whether the industry has a future, including a crucial first step in Swansea Bay."}
{"article": "Matt Tubbs' sixth goal of the season came from the spot on 70 minutes for Ryan Astles' challenge on Yemi Odubade. Chester, who had beaten Aldershot 8-2 in midweek, were completely overrun by an Eastleigh side who had lost five of their previous seven league matches. Visiting keeper Tony Thompson denied Luke Coulson, Josh Payne and Odubade before Tubbs' deserved winner. The fight to reach the play-offs remains tense, with Eastleigh now only two points behind fifth-placed Braintree, while Chester are only eight points clear of trouble. Chester manager Steve Burr told BBC Radio Merseyside: Media playback is not supported on this device \"There were two things we felt hard done by. We had a goal disallowed in the first half when Ryan Higgins cut the ball back to Ross Hannah. \"And the lads are unhappy with the penalty decision. There was minimal contact. It was harsh, to say the least \"They have a very expensively assembled side with experience, who you could see are used to playing on that pitch and, in the end, it was settled by a penalty \"It was always going to be tough after what has happened this week, then the long journey down. We set off at seven o'clock this morning and you could see one or two tired legs out there. But I don't want to make excuses. We didn't create enough chances.\"", "summary": "Eastleigh secured back-to-back wins for the first time since December as they narrowly defeated Chester."}
{"article": "As violent protests erupted in the capital, Delhi, at the weekend over the horrific gang rape of a 23-year-old student, many Indians were asking this question. It took nearly a week of protests for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to appear on TV pleading for calm and promising to make India safer for women. Many thought it was ironical that India's most powerful woman, Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi, met a group of outraged students only after massive public demonstrations had been widely televised. Many believe that the violence could have been prevented if either Mr Singh or Mrs Gandhi, or even one of the young ministers, had gone to meet the protesters and promised stern action against wrongdoers and reform of India's broken criminal justice system. That was not all. The city police commissioner told a news channel that even men were unsafe in Delhi as \"their pockets were picked\" - a shocking gaffe that appeared to equate rape with pick-pocketing. Federal Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde told another channel that ministers could not be expected to personally meet every group of protestors, \"like political party workers or Maoists\", appearing again to equate ultra-left rebels with angry students, justly upset over the rising tide of crimes against women. Many attribute such attitudes to the sheer hubris of India's ruling class - \"they are our rulers, not representatives\", was an angry refrain during the protests last week - in what many cynics describe as a modern-day \"feudal democracy\". Others argue it points to the increasing disconnect between India's rulers and its people, the perpetuation of what many call a paternalistic ruling class which talks to its citizens rather than listening to them. Many politicians and bureaucrats appear to lack communication skills to engage with a young, increasingly empowered and aspirational citizenry, who are demanding more from their rulers. \"Young India, old politicians,\" as author Gurcharan Das once described this dichotomy. Such alienation bodes ill for the future of the world's largest democracy, some think. Analysts like Pratap Bhanu Mehta argue that it leads to the disengagement of democracy from legitimacy. \"India's citizens vote in large numbers\", he says, \"but if the same citizens were truly engaged in the process of making laws, laws would be seen as legitimate and there would be minimal need for enforcement\". I believe there is one more reason for this anomie: the decline of genuine mass politicians. Time was when India was known for its charismatic, mass-based politicians - Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Jayaprakash Narayan were just some of them - who could easily lead from the front. Today, there are only a handful, two of whom - Mayawati and Mamata Banerjee - are actually women. The reticent prime minister himself has never won an election, and Mrs Gandhi and her son and heir apparent, Rahul Gandhi, hardly speak to the citizens. When he was going around Delhi in 1947 after India's bloody partition, Nehru saw Hindus and Muslims rioting. He jumped out of his car, broke the security cordon, ran into the crowd and stopped the clash.", "summary": "Have India's rulers become disengaged from the people?"}
{"article": "Some 853,000 16- to 24-year-olds were NEET at the end of 2015, down 110,000 on the same quarter of 2014. But the figures also show the numbers were 5,000 higher than in the summer. City and Guilds managing director Kirstie Donnelly said it was \"worrying\" to see the figures \"creep up after months of more positive news\". The Office of National Statistics figures date back to October to December 2001 when 833,000 young people were classified as NEET, some 12.9% of the total age-group. At the end of last year that proportion had fallen to 11.8%. NEET numbers reached from highs of over a million, or more than 16% of the age-group, in 2011, but have fallen consistently since. In England, the government raised the education participation age to 17 in September 2013 and to 18 in September 2015. So young people in England are now expected to stay in full-time education, in an apprenticeship, or in employment with training until they are 18. The UK-wide NEET figures first dropped below the million mark, to 987,000, or 13.5% of the age group in the first quarter of 2014. England-only figures show there were 690,000 NEETs at the end of last year, almost 100,000 fewer than in the last quarter of 2014. This figure is the lowest since 2000 when comparable records began and the number stood at 629,000, says the government. Skills Minister Nick Boles said the figures showed the government was delivering on its commitment to ensure all young people were either earning or learning. \"There is no room for complacency, though, and through our plans to deliver three million new apprenticeships by 2020 and our qualification reforms, we are determined to build on these excellent results,\" said Mr Boles. But campaigners say the figures are still too high \"More than one in every 10 teenagers is currently locked out of a path to the future,\" said Ms Donnelly. And Jenny North, policy and strategy director of Impetus PEF, which funds projects to help the most disadvantaged young people, called for more government action. \"We need to see a clear focus from government on how they will help disadvantaged young people succeed in education, and progress into sustained employment so they can fulfil their potential,\" said Ms North.", "summary": "The number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) is at its lowest for the time of year since 2001, UK-wide figures show."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old, who finished last season on loan at Northampton, has agreed a three-year deal with the Reds. Collins is Crawley's 12th signing of the summer transfer window. \"James wants a new challenge and he comes with a very good goalscoring record in League Two,\" Reds boss Dermot Drummy told the club website. Collins, who has previously had spells at Aston Villa, Swindon and Hibernian, scored 15 goals in 49 appearances last season. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League Two side Crawley Town have signed James Collins after the striker's contract at Shrewsbury Town was cancelled by mutual consent."}
{"article": "He was talking about the retailer's efforts to drive its stores upmarket and \"elevate its retail proposition\". The idea is to give more space over to branded goods and showcase their \"very best products\", even opening gyms in some of the flagship stores. And on Thursday it announced a \"strategic partnership\" with upmarket Japanese sportswear brand Asics, whose products will be stocked in Asics-managed areas of flagship stores from next year. Sports Direct described this as \"an important step in Sports Direct's journey to being recognised as the Selfridges of sport.'\" Well, there was only one way to find out what this was all about - take a visit to its flagship store on London's Oxford Street, which is showcasing the latest approach. As I walked through the door, to be greeted by thumping music, I dredged through my memory for the last time I'd been in a Sports Direct. It was a long time ago, but my memory was of the slightly claustrophobic feel of fighting through a crowded jumble of kit and equipment, and my perception, right or wrong, that this was an environment aimed primarily at men. So the fact that the Oxford Street store felt light and airy with plenty of space between rails was a welcome relief. But let's be honest, I'm not a typical Sports Direct customer. Yes, I exercise regularly, but fashion is not foremost in my mind when I'm struggling through another tortuous workout, and I think of Sports Direct as being more about fashion than \"serious\" sport. Could I be converted? Well, first off, reinforcing my prejudice that this is more of a male environment, the first thing you see as you walk through the door of the Oxford Street store is a display of club strips and a sign proclaiming this is \"The Home of Football\", a reminder that another of Sports Direct's stated aims is to become just that - the home of football. And most of the customers did seem to be male. Of course, a key element of shopping is how the staff treat you. Would I be made to feel welcome? As I wandered aimlessly, an assistant did offer to help me, so a big tick there. What would happen if I tried to buy something. New boxing gloves. Could I get an assistant to advise me? Yes, as it turned out. A smiley young woman confidently explained the point of the different glove weights. OK, once I'd said I would buy them she tried to sell me a special offer on some \"workout make up\" but was quite happy when I said I'd think about it. So how about trying to buy something for my sartorially conservative husband? On the floor below there was no price on the black T-shirt I chose. But another assistant spent a good few minutes checking out the price on the website. Ticks all round for my experience of the staff I came up against, anyway. So then I waylaid shoppers as they left the store to gauge their reactions. Rory Bryant,", "summary": "\"It's clear we have smashed the ball out of the park with our 'Selfridges' of sport concept,\" boasted Sports Direct chief executive Mike Ashley to financial analysts, following the release of the company's latest results."}
{"article": "Dozens of British and Irish people have still not been traced following Saturday's devastating earthquake. The Red Cross had said 90 Britons were missing, but 30 have been located and the UK Foreign Office said it was not aware of any deaths or injuries. The UK's leading aid agencies have announced a joint appeal to raise money to help survivors. More than 4,300 people died and almost 8,000 were injured in the quake. Eighteen of the dead were killed in avalanches on Mount Everest. The RAF C-17 flight, commissioned by the Department for International Development, left RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, carrying more than 1,100 shelter kits. The plane also contains more than 1,700 solar lanterns to help families who have had to sleep outside because their homes have been demolished or through fear of further aftershocks. BBC correspondent Jon Kay said it took ground crew nearly six hours to load the 30 tonnes of emergency supplies. About 15 sombre-faced Gurkhas, who are synonymous with Nepal, were among the troops who had left on the flight, he added. An RAF Hercules aircraft is also expected to leave the UK on Tuesday carrying additional kit. The International Committee of the Red Cross had released a list of 90 missing British and Irish people, but the BBC understands more than 30 have since been accounted for. However, there could still be additional missing Britons not on the Red Cross list. Patchy mobile telephone and email communications have made it difficult to locate people. The Disasters Emergency Committee, comprising the UK's leading aid agencies, has also announced an appeal to raise money to help survivors. The appeal is to launch on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky on Tuesday. A donation line and website has already opened ahead of the broadcasts. The UK government has also promised to match the first \u00a35m of public donations. The government has already given \u00a35m to help people affected by the earthquake. It said it had released \u00a33m to address immediate needs and \u00a32m would be given to the Red Cross. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said \"we would expect there to be several hundred British nationals in Nepal\". \"British embassy staff have helped over 200 British nationals who've presented at the embassy directly,\" he said. The Foreign Office said teams had also been scouring hospitals, hotels and areas popular with tourists looking for Britons that might need help. A spokesman said: \"The situation on the ground is highly challenging. Basic telephone communication and infrastructure are severely disrupted.\" The UK Foreign Office has released an emergency number - +44 (0) 207 008 0000 - for people worried about loved ones who may have been in the area at the time. It advises against all but essential travel to Nepal. Britons in a safe place have been advised to remain there until it is safe to leave, but Britons able to leave Nepal safely have been encouraged to do so. The Department for International Development (DfID) has already deployed a team of more than 60 search and rescue responders", "summary": "An RAF plane carrying UK aid supplies and British army troops, including Gurkha engineers, has left for Nepal."}
{"article": "Aaron Lennon is still missing but Muhamed Besic is nearing a first-team return following nine months out with a serious knee injury. Burnley midfielder Steven Defour is fit, having played only twice in 10 weeks because of various injuries. Johann Berg Gudmundsson has stepped up his recovery from knee ligament damage but might not be risked. Guy Mowbray: \"Everton are hunting a new club record for successive Premier League home wins, against a Burnley side still seeking ANY away win. \"The Clarets have three chances left, with the last (and furthest!) trip to Bournemouth probably their best bet - assuming both are safe from relegation by the season's penultimate weekend. \"With one win in nine since January, it's testament to how well Burnley did earlier in the season that they'll surely be okay by then. \"The FA Cup semi-finals line-up should mean that Everton are sitting pretty for a Europa League place, and whilst a strong finish won't get them in the top four it might prove key to keeping Romelu Lukaku.\" Twitter: @Guymowbray Everton manager Ronald Koeman on his players' ambitions: \"If you ask the players one by one, everyone will mention they like to play Champions League: for every manager, for every player and also the fans. \"Our next step is to play in Europe. It will be difficult but if we finish fifth or sixth it would be perfect as you don't play any qualification games for the Europa League.\" Burnley manager Sean Dyche on Michael Keane's PFA Young Player of the Year nomination: \"It's a great sign for him and he deserves to be in that company. \"We're not shining lights of the Premier League or a superpower, so for other players to see that and say 'hang on a minute, he's been terrific in a smaller side at a smaller club' is good, it's good of his peers to recognise that. \"He's in some very good company, some players who are having absolutely fine seasons, and he's having a very strong season too.\" Since suffering their only home league defeat of the season, against Liverpool in December, the Toffees have won seven league games in a row at Goodison Park. I think Everton's excellent run will continue - and maybe Ross Barkley will deliver the knock-out blow. Prediction: 2-0 Lawro's full predictions v singer Sting Head-to-head Everton Burnley SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.", "summary": "Everton defender Ashley Williams returns from suspension for the visit of Burnley on Saturday."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device With the score 1-1, victory on Saturday would mean Andy Murray could win the best-of-five tie for Great Britain in Sunday's first reverse singles. Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot were originally named to face Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth. Media playback is not supported on this device But captain Leon Smith exercised his right to change the line-up. \"Everyone in the team wants to play, everyone wants to try and help where they can,\" Andy Murray said on Friday. Jamie Murray has reached the last two Grand Slam finals, at Wimbledon and the US Open, with Australian partner John Peers, while Inglot reached the semi-finals in New York with Sweden's Robert Lindstedt. Britain captain Leon Smith had said he would not decide on his line-up until after Friday's play, saying he needed to \"talk to Andy\", but he has now opted for the pairing who secured a four-set victory over Nicolas Mahut and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter-final against France. Murray, the world number three, thrashed Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3 6-0 6-3 in Friday's first singles match against Australia, before Bernard Tomic beat Dan Evans 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 6-7 (5-7) 6-4. Media playback is not supported on this device Australia captain Wally Masur admitted his side were feeling the pressure ahead of the crucial third rubber. \"The locker room is pretty tense because I guess we thought it would be 1-1 and it's come to that situation, where there's so much focus on the doubles,\" he said. \"Everybody knows how pivotal that match will be but we're very happy to be in it.\"", "summary": "Andy Murray will team up with his brother Jamie for Saturday's crucial doubles match against Australia in the Davis Cup semi-final."}
{"article": "Atherton, 28, has won all seven races this season and 13 in a row, a run stretching back to 2015. The world champion had already sealed the 2016 World Cup crown in Canada last month but won in Andorra on Saturday to end the World Cup season unbeaten. She has now won five overall World Cup titles in downhill. Wales' Manon Carpenter completed a British one-two in the overall standings, finishing 560 points behind Atherton. Trek Factory Racing's Atherton won the final race by 6.5 seconds ahead of Australian Tracey Hannah and Myriam Nicole of France. In the men's event, Britain's Danny Hart won his third consecutive World Cup race but finished second in the overall standings behind American Aaron Gwin.", "summary": "Britain's Rachel Atherton completed the first \"perfect season\" in UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Cup history with victory in the season's final race."}
{"article": "But this was no ordinary camping holiday. Instead, the Binks, from Colwyn Bay, Conwy, were on a mission to visit the grave of every Commonwealth serviceman and woman killed in those countries in World War One - all 750,000 of them. \"We wanted to do something to commemorate the centenary of the Great War, something that no-one else would think of doing,\" said Steve, 58, a tour guide who has a lifelong passion for World War One. \"First we thought we'd just go and visit every cemetery on the Western Front, but I thought it sounded a bit like trainspotting - just going in, taking photographs to say we've been and then walking away. \"We wanted to do something more inspirational so I thought, why not stop at every headstone, read it and say thank you to the soldier.\" With just under 2,000 burial grounds dotted all over France and Belgium, the project is a mammoth undertaking. Four years in, Steve and Nancy, 56, have visited 766 cemeteries and have said \"thank you\" 461,012 times. As well as reading every headstone, they also recite the names on the memorials to the missing; those thousands of soldiers whose final resting places are unknown. \"Most people don't quite understand the level of detail and work that's involved,\" said Steve. \"Some of the larger cemeteries took six-and-a-half days just to walk the headstones because I make sure I stop, turn and read each one. \"The huge Memorial to the Missing of the Somme in Thiepval has been our biggest challenge so far. \"The sheer scale of trying to read 72,500 names with your neck stretched back, in an arch, with a cold wind blowing - it was impossible to do it in a week or two. \"We had to keep returning to it over a six month period and keep chipping away, saying thank you to every soldier.\" Nancy, who has multiple sclerosis (MS), is unable to walk every road in every cemetery. \"I like to sit down and read the cemetery register,\" she said. \"I pick out the brothers, I find out the ages of the men and if they were awarded any medals. It's such interesting reading.\" The couple, who split their time between north Wales and the continent, work chronologically - so far they have visited most of the burial grounds that contain casualties from the first three years of the war. \"We still have 450 cemeteries to visit for 1917 - including most of the big Somme burial grounds,\" said Steve. \"That's going to take us at least 18 months to two years. \"Then we have 800-odd cemeteries for 1918 burials and in that final year, the casualties were the highest for the whole war and because by then it was a war of movement, those cemeteries are quite fragmented so the trip will become quite logistically difficult.\" They also keep meticulous records of their trips. \"We have 10 volumes of journals from day one,\" added Steve. \"We write down our thoughts and feelings about the trips, about some of the", "summary": "In 2012 - like many British couples - Steve and Nancy Binks decided to buy a caravan and head off on a tour of France and Belgium."}
{"article": "The note was sent in 1960 to the family of Stan Laurel's childhood friend Margaret Miller, who went on to marry the star's school friend. The signed and dated letter thanks Mrs Miller for her belated Christmas card calendar and talks about his \"many happy memories\" of Tynemouth Pavilion. Newcastle auctioneer Anderson and Garland said the item could create a \"bit of a frenzy\" among bidders. Mrs Miller's daughter, also called Margaret, found the letter in her brother's belongings when she moved house. The 88-year-old from Hexham, said: \"My father and Stan Laurel were at school together in Tynemouth in the 1890s. \"Stan's family lived in North Shields and my father's family knew them quite well. \"My parents were going to the United States on holiday and hoped to meet up with him. \"I don't think they did and I imagine that's why my mother sent the calendar to him because he didn't get to see it.\" Laurel was born in Ulverston and later emigrated to the US where he found fame in Hollywood. Before emigrating, he spent much of his life in the north-east of England, going to school in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, and Tynemouth. Anderson and Garland auctioneer Fred Wyrley-Birch said: \"There is such a lovely story behind this letter, which is likely to add to the value of the piece when it goes under the hammer. \"We expect people interested in Stan Laurel's North East connections, as well as autograph collectors, to be among the bidders. It may well create a bit of a frenzy.\" It goes to auction on Tuesday and is expected to fetch between \u00c2\u00a3300 and \u00c2\u00a3500.", "summary": "A letter from Cumbrian-born comedian Stan Laurel is to be auctioned."}
{"article": "Londonderry's Oxford Bulls was formed in October 2015 but have struggled to find another team to play against. A plea was put out on social media several weeks ago to try to find them some competitors. The team's manager then received a message from West Brom star McClean, which he thought was a \"wind-up\". \"Out of the blue I get a message from the man himself, James McClean, on Facebook,\" Kevin Morrison said. \"To be honest I thought it was one of those fake accounts, that somebody was taking the hand out of me. \"He said: 'I'm playing a match on Tuesday night, I'll be back in Derry at lunchtime on Wednesday - how does that sound?'\" Football strips and runners at the ready, it was still a surprise for Kevin Morrison's son when one of his idols joined them at the city's indoor football centre - and brought a few mates to make up a team. West Brom forward McClean had featured in the Republic's friendly defeat by Iceland just 24 hours earlier. \"My wee boy, Adam, would be a big fan of his. James walked in and Adam was standing at the edge of the pitch,\" Mr Morrison said. \"He pointed at him, then he pointed again and then the jaw opened. He's was kind of star-struck for the rest of the game. \"I think it was a fantastic day, we're going to have some great memories to take away from it.\" All the young footballers have a passion for the sport and the team has been set up with the help of the Foyle Down's Syndrome Trust. It provides a wide range of activities for young people and adults with the condition. Despite McClean's big match experience, Mr Morrison told the BBC that his young side gave the forward a good run for his money. \"He [McLean] had a fantastic attitude and they loved him for it,\" he said. \"The lads had a ball and James was an absolute gentleman, we couldn't believe our luck.\" The team had initially tried to find a squad with similar abilities, but with no success. After this week, the Bulls are now being offered potential tournaments against the likes of Manchester City, Everton and Liverpool. \"You have no idea the offers we've had, it's been crazy,\" Mr Morrison said. \"My phone is nearly melting. I've had hundreds of messages from mainstream football clubs right across the island, right over to England. \"[Northern Ireland winger] Paddy McCourt came down to help in training on Sunday as well, so it has been an amazing week and the boys have really responded to it. \"They've taken to it like ducks to water and I think we could have serious footballers on our hands before long,\" he added.", "summary": "Republic of Ireland footballer James McClean has surprised a team of children with Down's syndrome following a social media appeal."}
{"article": "Lee Devlin, 40, from Whitley Bay, died in hospital after being found with head injuries next to a walkway near the town's Metro station on 12 September. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded not guilty to manslaughter at Newcastle Crown Court. He was bailed to appear before Newcastle Crown Court for trial on 2 March. A 16-year-old girl arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm remains on bail in connection with the death. Two men, an 18-year-old arrested on suspicion of murder, and another, 19, on suspicion of wounding, have been released with no further action, Northumbria Police said.", "summary": "A 16-year-old boy has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of a North Tyneside man."}
{"article": "The country has never had a sitting US president visit before, and understandably there's a sense of enormous pride. For the Americans, this is a golden opportunity to gain some leverage at a time when security threats posed by the Somali Islamist group al-Shabab bind both nations together. From a personal standpoint, it's a time for Mr Obama to build on his legacy here. Without doubt, President Obama is trying to \"recalibrate\" the relationship between America and Kenya after some difficult diplomatic times. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta was up until recently indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for charges relating to a previous election. That proved problematic for the US president, whose envoy warned Mr Kenyatta as he campaigned for the presidency back in 2013 that there would be \"consequences\" as a result of not trying to clear his name first. Months later, Mr Obama delivered a significant snub to Kenya, bypassing the country altogether during his last African tour. It was deeply felt here in Kenya. Ordinary Kenyans saw it as a personal affront, and the diplomatic sidestepping was met with a ratcheting up of anti-Western sentiment by the Kenyan leadership. But the charges against Mr Kenyatta have now been dropped, in part due to the Kenyan government's apparent \"lack of co-operation\" with the court. It would appear that all is forgiven, and the words of warmth have returned. Mr Kenyatta confirmed as much in a pre-visit briefing, when he made it clear his US guest was expected to meet his deputy, William Ruto, who still has charges from the ICC hanging over his head. The imperative of working to defeat terrorism would appear to trump matters of international justice. In diplomatic speak, they call it \"essential contact\". Mr Kenyatta said \"the fight against terror will be central\" to bilateral talks, and pointed out that Kenya had \"been working in very close collaboration with American agencies\" and was expecting to \"strengthen\" ties during the visit. That policy of appeasement is certainly something many security watchers in Kenya have sensed. Peter Alling'o, from the Institute of Security in Nairobi, believes the US is seeking to restore close relations with Kenya, in order to gain a stronger foothold in the region's security apparatus in the face of al-Shabab attacks. It may also help to ensure a few more contracts go America's way. China and its eastern neighbours now player a bigger role in Kenya - not only in building roads and railways but also in the important area of defence procurement. Military vehicles and some weapons have an increasingly Eastern flavour here. Barack Obama visited Kenya as a senator in 2006. His father was a goat-herder-turned-economist from western Kenya. Included in his itinerary were a visit to Wajir, a rural area in north-eastern Kenya hit by a severe drought, and a tour of Kibera, a slum area housing at least 600,000 people. He also took an HIV/Aids test at Kisumu, which had one of Kenya's highest rates of HIV prevalence, to encourage local people to do the same. During", "summary": "Barack Obama may not get quite the rapturous welcome he did when he visited Kenya as a senator back in 2006, but his presence in his ancestral home is something of a coup for the Kenyan leadership, and he is expected to be warmly received."}
{"article": "Last month the BBC revealed there had been 14 claims of bullying at the State Hospital at Carstairs since 2010. The hospital has now said that not all data had been uploaded to its register and the true figure was 29. Carstairs employs 700 staff to care for about 125 patients whose mental health issues make them dangerous or violent. The revised figure means that Scotland's minister for mental health, Jamie Hepburn, was not aware of the true extent of bullying problems at the hospital ahead of its annual review in September, at which the facility's performance was discussed. State Hospital chief executive, Jim Crichton, said: \"The information provided for the annual review was based on summary data which was held at that time.\" Andy Hogg, assistant general secretary of the union POA Scotland, which represents many staff at the State Hospital, said: \"This news does not surprise me. \"The figures are unacceptable and provide sufficient evidence for the State Hospital board to explore this in further detail.\" A spokeswoman for the Scottish government said it had been assured that the State Hospital \"is taking the issue of bullying seriously\". The hospital has been under new management since the departure of the previous chief executive in 2013, following a row over thousands of pounds worth of \"danger money\" which was awarded to board members even though they did not come into contact with patients. Several members of staff recently contacted BBC Scotland to say that those accused of bullying were still in post. The State Hospital said that the 29 complaints related to 24 individuals. Eight members of staff received an official warning over their behaviour. The hospital refused to say whether any staff had been promoted, despite being the subject of complaints. BBC Scotland has also seen the results of the staff survey for 2013, which was completed by 60% of the workforce at the State Hospital. Some 25% of respondents said they had been bullied or harassed by a manager. A similar figure also said they had been bullied or harassed by a colleague. The survey suggested that staff at Carstairs were significantly more likely to report bullying and harassment compared to the rest of the NHS. A report commissioned last year by the chair of the hospital board said bullying was a \"running theme\". Sickness absence rates in some parts of the workforce are also twice as high as the Scottish government target of 5%, a situation which management at Carstairs have acknowledged is unsustainable. A Scottish government spokeswoman said: \"NHS boards, including the State Hospital, must have robust local bullying and harassment policies in place, based on national standards. \"The Scottish government uses a wide range of measures to understand the workplace culture within a health board, including the NHS Scotland staff survey. At its Annual Review last month, the Minister, Jamie Hepburn, was assured that the State Hospital is taking the issue of bullying seriously and is working with staff to make it clear that bullying is not acceptable. \"This government remains clear that we will not", "summary": "The number of bullying claims by staff at Scotland's highest security psychiatric hospital is twice as high as previously reported, it has emerged."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called at 14:50 BST on Tuesday to a river at Aberglaslyn, near Beddgelert. Formal identification is expected to take place later today. Specialist police are supporting the man's family. Ch Insp Mark Armstrong said: \"Our sympathies go out to the family and friends of the person involved.\" He said the operation to recover the body had been complex and involved police, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Aberglaslyn and Ogwen mountain rescue teams and the regional police underwater search teams.", "summary": "A body has been recovered in the search for a canoeist who got into difficulty in Snowdonia, police have said."}
{"article": "Property prices are expected to grow by 5% a year over the next five years, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics). This prediction had edged down in recent months, Rics said. Price rise expectations in London have dropped from an estimate of 9% a year in March to just under 5% now. \"What we are really seeing is some of the very strong upward momentum starting to come off the housing market, as a lack of supply, higher prices, more prudent lending measures and some of the talk from the Bank of England are creating a level of caution among sellers and buyers,\" said Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist at Rics. The Rics survey is one of a number of different surveys that are published about the UK housing market. Earlier this month, the Nationwide Building Society said that there had been signs that activity in the UK housing market was starting to \"moderate\". However, prices have risen in most parts of the country in recent months, with London showing double-digit annual growth in property prices.", "summary": "Surveyors have reduced their expectations for house price growth in the UK, despite a continued shortage of homes for sale."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old is alleged to have sung an offensive song while in a pub in Roseburn Terrace ahead of the Hearts - Hibs derby on 30 March last year. The player is charged under the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act. He made his plea to Edinburgh Sheriff Court by letter. The case was continued until September, with Griffiths due to stand trial in October. It is alleged the former Hibs player, who is also a supporter of the club, sang a song with offensive lyrics which was likely to incite public disorder.", "summary": "Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has pleaded not guilty to accusations he took part in offensive chanting at a pub in Edinburgh last year."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The imposing centre-back did not make his top-flight debut until he was 30, but is now captaining the Premier League leaders in one of the most incredible seasons the Premier League has ever seen. Just over 18 months on from finally making it into England's top division, Morgan talks to BBC East Midlands Today about title dreams, his mum's burgeoning pride and how his journey was nearly over almost as soon as it started. Morgan was released by Notts County as a youngster in 1999 but after a couple of years playing non-league football, he was given a second chance across the River Trent. But the journey was still far from smooth. John Pemberton, then Forest's academy director, remembered having to keep Morgan away from manager Paul Hart when he first joined because he simply wasn't fit enough. \"His socks didn't go up to his knees because his calves were too big, his legs rubbed together and his shirt was skin tight. He was well overweight,\" Pemberton said. \"Paul saw him in the car park and said: 'Who's that lad?' We said he was a trialist and Paul said: 'We don't want any trialists looking like that'. So we hid from the manager - and we actually hid him for about eight months.\" Morgan said: \"Getting released wasn't nice. It was hard to take. But I remained positive and I got a trial at Forest and that was an opportunity to get back into it and that's where it all started.\" Despite an inauspicious beginning, Morgan is quick to thank Hart for the big part he played in getting his career up and running. After heeding the timely fitness advice, Morgan made his debut as a 19-year-old in August 2003 and soon became a first-team regular. \"I came on trial and did well and was kept on for the season,\" Morgan said. \"I wasn't in the best shape possible and had to work hard. There was a lot of conditioning work to get to the point where I needed to be. \"You have to be at a certain fitness level and I needed to put in the work to get to that point. \"I have nothing but good things to say about Paul Hart. He gave me my first professional contract and my debut. It all began with him.\" Hart told BBC Sport: \"When I first saw him he was quite big and I said I am not putting him in our kit until that changes. \"But he worked extremely hard. You always saw a good footballer; he always had the basics. I gave him his debut at left-back and he was excellent. \"Wesley was very aware of his strengths and weaknesses, and when you have that you have a great chance.\" Morgan's move across the East Midlands after 10 years with Forest came as a shock in 2012, but Leicester manager Nigel Pearson was desperate for a dominant centre-back who was both a reliable leader and a steadying influence. He was convinced he", "summary": "Leicester City defender Wes Morgan's rise has been just as remarkable as that of the team he leads."}
{"article": "Officers also began using ground-penetrating radar equipment, which looks for signs of disturbed earth. Met Police said requests to search two other sites had been granted, and has also asked to extend the current search of scrubland by an extra seven days. Madeleine was three when she went missing in Portugal in 2007. British and Portuguese officers have continued a search of 15 acres of cordoned-off scrubland at the Algarve resort. All search efforts on Wednesday have now finished. The day's main search activity took place within two white tents which were erected on the scrubland, and forensic officers wearing blue overalls and face masks were seen walking in and out of them. The BBC understands that the tents were put up over a hole in the ground - possibly a disused well - and officers were seen filling buckets with earth, which were then placed into a wheelbarrow. No radar equipment was used near these tents. Earlier in the day, officers in Metropolitan Police uniforms were driven to a separate part of the cordoned-off area, where they were joined by Portuguese police and local forestry workers with strimmers. A man in plain clothes wheeled the radar equipment onto a section of ground that had earlier been cleared. Officers from the Met and South Wales Police were also working with sniffer dogs and using spades to help sift through the undergrowth. They were being overseen by the Met's Det Ch Insp Andy Redwood, the senior officer investigating the case. The painstaking search of a site in the resort of Praia da Luz has been continuing, with a forensics officer joining the police team on Wednesday. Work seems to have been concentrated in one particular area, with police going back and forth to a section of land at the perimeter of the site. Two tents have been erected here - it is unclear if that is to prevent the media from seeing what is being done or to provide shade. While the police can't be seen from the beach, which is packed with holidaymakers enjoying the Algarve sun, everyone here seems all too aware of the investigation. Christina, a 35-year-old from Bournemouth on holiday with family and friends, said: \"We walked down here last night and it was quite scary seeing so many police around. \"The atmosphere here feels a bit flat because of what's happening. When you're on holiday you don't want to see police around but it's completely understandable.\" Her friend Suzi, 34, said: \"It's a bit of a shame because it's a lovely place and this does seem to have had an effect on the economy and on the people here. \"But if that was your child, you would want everything possible to be done.\" Several people the BBC spoke to had not known, before arriving at the resort, that it was the place where Madeleine McCann was last seen. Josie, 29, from Exeter, on holiday with her partner and one-year-old son, said: \"It brings it home to you, being here - it makes it feel more real. \"We didn't", "summary": "Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have focused their efforts on a patch of land on the third day of a fresh search in Praia da Luz."}
{"article": "Michael McFeat from Perthshire was expelled by the Kyrgyz authorities after comparing the national dish with the private parts of a horse. Speaking to the Sunday Post newspaper, Mr McFeat described how he was helped to escape \"a lynch mob\". He has now been banned from Kyrgyzstan for five years. Mr McFeat told the newspaper he actually believed the traditional Kyrgyz dish - chuchuk sausage - was a horse's penis, but the remark on Facebook angered his local colleagues. He had been working at the Kumtor gold mine, but had to be smuggled away after the incident. When he arrived at Manas Airport in Bishkek, he was arrested by police under race hatred laws. Mr McFeat said: \"The police told me my act could send Kyrgyzstan to war with the UK.\" After appearing in court and making an apology for his remarks, Mr McFeat was put on a flight to Edinburgh. He added: \"I was told there was a 17-page petition demanding I be jailed and the mine went on strike after I left, so they were making an example of me. \"I've always been up for a joke but this was one time I wasn't joking and it's been blown out of proportion.\"", "summary": "A Scottish worker deported from Kyrgyzstan has said police there warned him a joke about a traditional sausage could have led to war with the UK."}
{"article": "The information was given by the UK government in response to a freedom of information request by the Ferret investigative journalism website. It did not disclose who the companies were or where they have applied to extract shale gas. But Scotland's shale reserves are said to be focused in the central belt. The UK government's Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has been offering exclusive rights to exploit onshore oil and gas resources under its 14th licensing round. But a decision on who will be awarded the licences in Scotland, and whether they should be awarded at all, will not be taken until after full powers over fracking are devolved to Holyrood under the Scotland Bill. The Scottish government placed a temporary moratorium on fracking in January while a study was carried out into is potential impact. In its response to the Ferret, the DECC said a total of nine companies had applied for the rights to 19 blocks in Scotland, each covering 100 sq km. But the DECC said it could not name the companies, or say where the blocks were, for commercial confidentiality reasons. Stuart Haszeldine, a professor of geology at the University of Edinburgh, told the Ferret: \"It is very likely most of the applications for shale exploitation by fracking will focus around east Glasgow, north Lanarkshire, the northwest corner of south Lanarkshire, West Lothian, Edinburgh city, southwest and south coastal Fife, Midlothian and the north west of East Lothian.\" These areas were identified in a British Geological Survey (BGS) study of the Midland Valley - which runs across central Scotland - as having the greatest potential for shale extraction. The BGS report suggested there was only a \"modest\" amount of shale oil and gas in place in the area, with its central estimate for shale gas put at 80 trillion cubic feet, and its central estimate for shale oil put at six billion barrels Anti-fracking campaigners have raised concerns about the environmental impart of the controversial technique, which they argue is \"dirty and dangerous\". But supporters accuse environmental groups of scaremongering on the issue, and say shale gas extraction is an important potential energy source that could become a major new industry for Scotland. Find out more....", "summary": "Nine companies have applied for licences to carry out fracking operations beneath 1,900 sq km of land in Scotland, it has been revealed."}
{"article": "Mr Kerry was responding to a major report by the UN which described the impacts of global warming as \"severe, pervasive and irreversible\". He said dramatic and swift action was required to tackle the threats posed by a rapidly changing climate. Our health, homes, food and safety are all likely to be threatened by rising temperatures, the report says. Scientists and officials meeting in Japan say the document is the most comprehensive assessment to date of the impacts of climate change on the world. In a statement, Mr Kerry said: \"Unless we act dramatically and quickly, science tells us our climate and our way of life are literally in jeopardy. Denial of the science is malpractice. \"There are those who say we can't afford to act. But waiting is truly unaffordable. The costs of inaction are catastrophic.\" Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which produced the report, told BBC News: \"Even in rich countries, the impacts of climate change could lead to greater incidents of pockets of poverty, even in rich countries could lead to impoverishment of some particular communities. \"However there is an equity issue, because some of the poorest communities in the poorest countries in the world are going to be the worst hit.\" Some impacts of climate change include a higher risk of flooding and changes to crop yields and water availability. Humans may be able to adapt to some of these changes, but only within limits. An example of an adaptation strategy would be the construction of sea walls and levees to protect against flooding. Another might be introducing more efficient irrigation for farmers in areas where water is scarce. Natural systems are currently bearing the brunt of climatic changes, but a growing impact on humans is feared. Members of the IPCC say it provides overwhelming evidence of the scale of these effects. By Roger HarrabinEnvironment analyst The prognosis on the climate isn't good - but the doctor's changing his bedside manner with the people in charge of the planet's health. The report's chair, Dr Chris Field, is worried that an apocalyptic tone will frighten politicians so much that they'll abandon the Earth to its fate. There is nothing inevitable about the worst impacts on people and nature, Dr Field says. We can cut emissions to reduce the risks of catastrophe and adapt to some changes that will inevitably occur. We have to re-frame climate change as an exciting challenge for the most creative minds. Cutting local air pollution from, say coal, can also reduce carbon emissions that cause warming; creating decent homes for poor people in countries like Bangladesh can improve lives whilst removing them from the path of flood surges. Some will criticise Dr Field for being too upbeat. But many politicians have gone deaf to the old-style warnings. Maybe it's worth a new approach. The report was agreed after almost a week of intense discussions here in Yokohama, which included concerns among some authors about the tone of the evolving document. This is the second of a series from the", "summary": "The costs of inaction on climate change will be \"catastrophic\", according to US Secretary of State John Kerry."}
{"article": "England, France and the US will compete along with Northern Ireland in the event, which runs from 18-23 October. The round-robin games will be at Ballymena Showgrounds, Mourneview Park in Lurgan, Portadown's Shamrock Park and the National Stadium in Belfast. NI are the hosts of the Uefa Women's U19 Championship finals in August 2017. Alfie Wylie, the Irish FA Women's coach said the mini-tournament, the International Women's Cup, was a great opportunity for Northern Ireland's young women to play against some of the best teams in the world. \"The US women's national team are the current world champions and many of the young American girls taking part in next month's tournament will no doubt aspire to play in the full US women's team,\" said Wylie. England and France have qualified for the Uefa Women's Under-19 Championship Finals 11 times, with France winning the overall title on four occasions and England winning it once.", "summary": "Northern Ireland are to host a four-team Women's Under-19 tournament in October as part of preparations for next year's European Championships."}
{"article": "Two men, aged 35 and 49, were detained for breach of the peace while a 23-year-old woman was arrested for obstructing police officers. The incident happened at about 14:00 in Buchanan Street, while a pro-refugee rally was taking place in the same area. A spokesman from Police Scotland: \"All three people were later released.\" He added: \"A report will be prepared for the procurator fiscal.\"", "summary": "Three people have been arrested following a disturbance near a demonstration in Glasgow city centre."}
{"article": "The former England paceman has been suffering from a \"lower back issue\", but is expected to feature in the five-match ODI series beginning next week. Ireland play the Afghans in three T20s in India, staring on Wednesday. \"We're happy with the progress Boyd is making and feel confident that he will still make an impact on this tour,\" said Irish head coach John Bracewell. \"We are lucky that we have cover at present.\" Bracewell added that bowler Tim Murtagh would be available for the ODI series following the birth of his second child. The matches in Greater Noida conclude with an Intercontinental Cup encounter on 28-31 March.", "summary": "Ireland bowler Boyd Rankin has been ruled out of the T20 series against Afghanistan because of a back problem."}
{"article": "The 2009 champions won once, against Bangladesh, and suffered defeats by India, New Zealand and Australia. The team were jeered on their return to Lahore airport, with huge crowds chanting \"Shame! Shame!\" Former fast bowler Waqar said: \"If my leaving makes things better, then I would do it without delay.\" Waqar is in charge as head coach for a second time and his current contract ends in May. He added: \"When there is no cricket at home [because of security concerns in Pakistan] then the foundation will for sure become weak. I place my hands together and beg forgiveness from the nation.\" Captain Shahid Afridi, 36, is expected to announce soon whether he will be retiring from internationals or not.", "summary": "Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis has \"begged forgiveness from the nation\" after the side's group-stage exit from the World Twenty20."}
{"article": "Scotland goes to the polls to elect its local councillors on 4 May. The Lib Dems are putting forward candidates in a record number of wards, aiming to build on recent by-election wins. Party leader Willie Rennie said Lib Dem candidates would \"put people first\", accusing the SNP and Greens of \"putting independence first\". The Lib Dems are looking to bounce back from the 2012 elections, where they lost more than half their council seats in the aftermath of a coalition deal with the Tories at Westminster. The manifesto describes the party as \"intent on winning more seats and playing a major part in Scottish councils\". While campaigns in different council areas will highlight local issues, the manifesto sets out the party's national priorities, including mental health, education and scrapping the council tax. It also underlines the party's backing for a reformed federal UK and \"continued membership of the European Union\", proposing a referendum on the terms of the Brexit deal. At the launch event in Inverkeithing, Mr Rennie said he was confident the party could build on by-election wins and gain seats across Scotland. He said: \"Local Liberal Democrat councillors have an impressive record of action and service for their communities. They work all year round for local people, not just at election time. \"This year's elections present an excellent opportunity to build on our by-election successes across the country with gains from all parties. We are contesting more wards and looking to win more seats on 4 May. \"As the SNP and Greens put independence first, Liberal Democrats will put local people first. Scotland does not need another divisive independence referendum.\"", "summary": "The Scottish Liberal Democrats have launched their national manifesto for May's local authority elections."}
{"article": "Douglas Herridge, 18, hit Colin Payne at the family home in Dartford, Kent, in November. Jurors at Maidstone Crown Court heard Mr Payne intervened in a row over money between the teenager and his mother. Mr Herridge said the 54-year-old grabbed his neck and tried to throttle him, when he struck the blow. Home Office consultant pathologist Dr Richard Chapman said Mr Payne, a former national squash champion, died from a blow of moderate force that damaged a vessel carrying blood from the heart to the brain. Judge Jeremy Carey, presiding, said: \"The word tragedy is probably overused, but this case can truly be described as tragic. \"Colin Payne was on everybody's assessment a fine man, a distinguished amateur sportsman, a good father, and a responsible and decent member of society, and he came to an untimely death in circumstances that really were absolutely devastating.\"", "summary": "A teenager who fatally struck his stepfather with a single punch to the head has been cleared of manslaughter, because he acted in self-defence."}
{"article": "Having started their campaign with a 2-0 win over Hungary on Wednesday, Wales had chances to score in the first half through Natasha Harding and Rachel Rowe. Both teams came close to scoring after the interval, with Rowe's overhead kick going wide. Wales face Republic of Ireland on Monday, 6 March, with a finals day on Wednesday, 8 March. Wales Women's Squad: Claire Skinner (Cyncoed), Laura O'Sullivan (Cardiff City Ladies), Emma Gibbon (Eastern Suburbs FC), Loren Dykes (Bristol City Women), Hannah Miles (Cardiff City Ladies), Hayley Ladd (Bristol City Women), Sophie Ingle (Liverpool), Gemma Evans (Cardiff City Ladies), Shaunna Jenkins (Cardiff City Ladies), Jess Fishlock (Seattle Reign FC - on loan at Melbourne City), Angharad James (Notts County Ladies), Charlie Estcourt (Reading FC Women), Bronwen Thomas (Brighton & Hove Albion Women), Georgia Evans (Bristol City Women), Nadia Lawrence (Yeovil Town Ladies), Helen Ward (Yeovil Town Ladies), Natasha Harding (Liverpool), Rachel Rowe (Reading FC Women), Kayleigh Green (Chieti), Melissa Fletcher (Reading FC Women), Rhiannon Roberts (Doncaster Rovers Belles), Amina Vine (Bristol City Women), Emma Beynon (Swansea City Ladies).", "summary": "Wales Women drew with Czech Republic in their second game of the Cyprus Cup."}
{"article": "He had been out of work since parting company with the Robins in November. Crawley, who were relegated from League One earlier this month, had been without a manager since John Gregory left the West Sussex club on 9 May. \"My job is to put a competitive squad together that will challenge at the right end of the table,\" 45-year-old Yates told the Crawley website. He spent almost five years in charge of Cheltenham and guided them to the League Two play-offs in 2012 and 2013. After successive top-seven finishes and unsuccessful play-off campaigns, Cheltenham finished 17th in League Two in 2013-14. And ex-Kidderminster boss Yates was then sacked late last year, following a run of four successive league defeats that left them 18th. He was the third-longest serving manager in England's top four divisions at the time of his departure from Whaddon Road. \"I have been out of the game for a few months and when this opportunity came up it really excited me,\" he said. \"There's a big challenge ahead but one I am really looking forward to.\" Gregory, 60, parted company with Crawley earlier this month, having spent the past six months recuperating from heart surgery. Dean Saunders was placed in interim charge of the Reds in December, but was unable to save the club from the drop to League Two. The 50-year-old former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker was appointed Chesterfield manager last week. Crawley chief executive Michael Dunford said that Yates stood out among \"some very strong candidates\". He added: \"He has a very deep knowledge of the level we find ourselves at next season and is a first-rate coach. \"The board spoke to several people in the game who have worked with Mark and they were all very positive about his credentials, his knowledge and his enthusiasm.\"", "summary": "Crawley Town have appointed former Cheltenham boss Mark Yates as their new manager on a two-year deal."}
{"article": "LinkedIn is trying to boost the business content it offers to its 300 million users. Lynda, based in California, has made hundreds of videos that teach subscribers everything from coding to business skills. Subscribers pay $375 per year to access the tutorials. Although the company was founded nearly 20 years ago, it has expanded rapidly in the past two years, adding several languages to its video offerings and increasing outside investment. \"The mission of LinkedIn and the mission of lynda.com are highly aligned,\" said LinkedIn chief executive Jeff Weiner in a statement. \"Both companies seek to help professionals be better at what they do.\" Shares in LinkedIn rose more than 1.5% on the New York Stock Exchange after news of the acquisition was released.", "summary": "LinkedIn has bought US online learning business Lynda for $1.5bn (\u00c2\u00a31.1bn), making it the professional networking site's biggest acquisition to date."}
{"article": "The rally is being held to mark the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Islamist militant movement, Hamas. There were also reports of clashes between protesters with Israeli soldiers elsewhere in the West Bank. On Thursday, a Palestinian teenager was shot dead by an Israeli border guard at a checkpoint in Hebron. Israeli police said he had attacked a guard and threatened him with what turned out to be a metal toy pistol. Tensions have been running high in Hebron in the past week following repeated clashes between soldiers and stone-throwing youths. Hebron is home to about 180,000 Palestinians and some 500 Jewish settlers who live in the centre of the city, guarded by Israeli troops. On Thursday, the Palestinian Authority allowed Hamas to organise a rally in the West Bank for the first time since 2007. Some 5,000 people took to the streets of Nablus to celebrate the group's anniversary. Hamas and the rival Fatah faction, which dominates the PA, have made conciliatory gestures towards each other since the end of last month's Israeli offensive on Gaza, which Israel said it launched to stop rocket-fire. \"Hamas steadfastness and victory in Gaza was a big victory for all Palestinian people,\" Amin Makboul, a Fatah leader, said in a speech at Thursday's rally in Nablus. A rift developed between the two groups after Hamas won legislative elections in 2006 and came to power in Gaza a year later. Repeated attempts at reconciliation have so far failed.", "summary": "About 3,000 Palestinians are marching towards an Israeli checkpoint in Hebron, not far from Jewish settlements in the centre of the West Bank city."}
{"article": "It follows a string of high-profile gang rapes in the country. The watch, developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, can be used to alert authorities and family members if the wearer is in danger. The wearer can send a message to the nearest police station or chosen relatives by pressing a button. The GPS system will pinpoint the location. The watch will also feature a built-in camera that can record for up to half an hour. According to the Wall Street Journal blog India Real Time, a prototype watch will be ready by mid-year and will cost between $20 and $50 (\u00c2\u00a313 to \u00c2\u00a332). The government has held initial talks with state-run telecom equipment maker ITI Ltd about manufacturing the watch, it said. The brutal gang rape and murder of a young woman in Delhi in December raised questions about how well the country is protecting women from sexual violence. It led to nationwide protests with campaigners calling for tougher rape laws. This month, a 21-year-old factory worker living in a suburb of Delhi was found dead, allegedly another victim of gang rape. Meanwhile in Goa, a seven-year-old girl was raped in a school toilet. The cases have sparked a search for technologies that can help and Indian trade group Nasscom recently announced a competition for firms to develop apps specifically focused on keeping women safe.", "summary": "The Indian government is working on a GPS watch that it hopes will help in the fight against rape."}
{"article": "He's not only trying to mediate a solution to a visceral feud among America's Gulf Arab allies which threatens US national security interests. He has also been undermined by President Trump, who has publicly taken a side in the dispute and may even have helped to trigger it. At issue are the accusations - levelled by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt - that Doha supports terrorists. They've cut diplomatic and travel ties and issued a sweeping set of demands that Qatar claims are so \"unrealistic\" they're really aimed at forcing it to \"surrender its sovereignty\". Mr Trump has delegated the mess to Mr Tillerson, but that didn't stop the president from castigating Qatar at a White House press conference for having funded terrorism \"at a very high level\". He made the remark shortly after a visit to Saudi Arabia that so fulsomely embraced Riyadh some regional observers believe it emboldened the kingdom to take radical action on long-standing grievances against Doha. \"We felt that we had Trump by our side,\" mused a Saudi security expert, \"so let's finish this little country that's been bugging us for years.\" Qatar has been \"bugging\" its neighbours with its maverick foreign policy. They accuse it of harbouring their opponents and giving them a platform on its Al Jazeera satellite channel, especially political Islamists such as the Muslim Brotherhood, which is viewed as a particular threat by the absolute monarchies. The White House has called the tempest a \"family issue\", but it's not happening in a teapot; with US Mideast military assets spread out among the Gulf States, it can't avoid getting drawn in. America's al-Udeid air base in Qatar is not only the headquarters for the air war against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, but important for its ability to project power into the Indian Ocean. And the feud has thrown a spanner into the works of US Mideast policy, shattering a unified Arab front aimed at countering terrorism and confronting Iran. \"This is not a local regional thing,\" says Hussein Ibish of the Arab Gulf States Institute. \"This is not a game.\" This week Washington was crowded with Gulf foreign ministers making their case, and Mr Tillerson's been in the eye of the storm. His intensive engagement has the backing of the White House, an administration official insisted. \"What gets the attention are the tweets and public statements,\" he said, but on the underlying policy, the \"White House and State Department are on the same page.\" At times, though, it has seemed as if they weren't even reading the same book. Mr Tillerson was reportedly blind-sided and infuriated by President Trump's Rose Garden denunciation of Qatar, delivered just hours after the secretary of state had called for an end to the blockade. His aides were apparently convinced that the true author of Mr Trump's statement was the UAE ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba, a close friend of Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to Mark Perry of the American Conservative. Qatari communications, on the other hand, have been channelled", "summary": "Rex Tillerson is facing his biggest test as secretary of state over the crisis involving the tiny nation of Qatar."}
{"article": "Marilyn Carre was giving evidence at an inquiry investigating claims of abuse in the care system dating back to 1945. The inquiry also heard Ms Carre describe the Haut de la Garenne children's home as a \"barbaric\" place. Ms Carre joined Children's Services in 1977 before becoming a probation officer in 1990. Ms Carre explained how, while serving as a probation officer, she had visited Les Chenes secure school to see a client who had been locked up and was screaming, apparently coming down from heroin. She told the inquiry she reported concerns to her superiors and was told a doctor had been called, but weeks later, the girl told Ms Carre she had been in agony and had not seen a doctor. Ms Carre, whose career took her to most of Jersey's children's homes in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, described Haut de la Garenne as a \"barbaric\" place by today's standards, where violent teenagers were kept with younger children. The former social worker also said Morag Jordan, who worked at the home and was later convicted of abuse, was \"cold as ice\" and added that she used to pin children against walls. The independent inquiry began in 2014 and Chief Minister Ian Gorst has set a deadline of December 2016 for it to conclude its investigations.", "summary": "Concerns over the treatment of children at Jersey's care homes were either covered up or ignored, according to a former social worker."}
{"article": "Needing a point to be crowned French champions for the eighth time, the in-form Kylian Mbappe scored the opener in style. Mbappe, 18, latched on to captain Radamel Falcao's through ball, skipped around the goalkeeper and slotted in. Forward Valere Germain made sure of the win in injury time with a tap-in from close range. The home side had all but secured the title before kick-off, with Paris St-Germain three points behind with just one game to play and a far inferior goal difference. The new champions rarely looked troubled in registering their 11th consecutive league win and subsequently lifting a trophy that has eluded them since the turn of the millennium. The last time Monaco won Ligue 1 they were fielding a team which included the French trio of Fabien Barthez, David Trezeguet and Willy Sagnol. Monaco's success this season is largely down to the reinvigorated Colombian Falcao and the emergence of French teenager Mbappe. Falcao, 31, has put the disappointment of his loan spells with Manchester United and Chelsea, where he scored just five goals in 36 appearances, behind him. The forward will finish top scorer for Monaco this campaign, netting 24 times with four assists. Mbappe has caught the eye of suitors from the top teams in Europe in his breakthrough season. He has scored 15 league goals this season to add to his remarkable performances in the Champions League. Mbappe, voted Ligue 1's young player of the year, scored six in six as Monaco reached the semi-final stage, eventually losing to Juventus over two legs. That defeat did not overshadow their achievements, however, as Monaco brushed aside Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund en route to the semi-finals. Monaco's triumph is all the more impressive given they finished eighth in Ligue 2, France's second division, five years ago, having been in and out of the relegation zone over the course of the 2011-2012 season. The following season they finished top of Ligue 2 and returned to top-flight football. Just two seasons later, they have scored over 104 goals, conceding just 29, on their way to being crowned the best team in France. Four players from that Ligue 2 winning team are in Monaco's current title-winning squad: Goalkeeper Danijel Subasic, defender Andrea Raggi, winger Nabil Dirar and forward Germain. Whether they struggle to hold onto the likes of Mbappe awaits to be seen, but the celebrations, prematurely, had already been put in place before Wednesday's victory. On Wednesday morning, the club announced on Twitter that American rapper 50 Cent would be performing at the players' victory party. A statement on the club's website read: \"The American star will come to celebrate the excellent results of Falcao's team-mates this Sunday in the Palace Square in the Principality.\" Before the party can begin, Monaco will end their season with an away trip to ninth placed Rennes on Saturday. Match ends, Monaco 2, St Etienne 0. Second Half ends, Monaco 2, St Etienne 0. Goal! Monaco 2, St Etienne 0. Val\u00e8re Germain (Monaco) right footed shot from the centre of the", "summary": "Monaco have won the Ligue 1 title for the first time in 17 years after a 2-0 win at home to Saint-Etienne."}
{"article": "The Ghana international, 22, made 51 appearances for Bundesliga side Augsburg before moving to Stamford Bridge on a five-year deal last August. Raman made his Chelsea debut in the Champions League and went on to make 23 appearances for the Blues. His return to Germany reunites him with former Augsburg manager Markus Weinzierl, who took over as Schalke manager in June. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Schalke have signed Chelsea defender Baba Rahman on a season-long loan."}
{"article": "David Cameron is thought to favour a question along these lines for the referendum on the UK's European Union membership. The prime minister is said to believe this would allow those who want Britain to remain in the EU to style themselves as the Yes campaign. \"It is the Bob the Builder philosophy,\" says Matt Qvortrup, professor of applied political science at Coventry University. The referendum question must: \"It is the 'Yes we can' mood that was used by Obama. It is an attempt to be the positive campaign because nobody likes to be seen as negative.\" Maybe the government has learnt lessons from last year's Scottish independence referendum, where the Yes campaign was widely acknowledged to be the more positive one. \"It was all about taking a chance, let's do this. It was about hope and possibility,\" Prof Qvortrup says. Former SNP leader Alex Salmond, who led the Scottish independence campaign, told BBC Newsnight last week: \"You certainly should not fool about with the question. It should be straightforward and honest. But the Yes side is important. \"If you want to embrace a positive vision of staying in Europe you want to be Yes.\" In 1975 when Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson held the last referendum on the UK in Europe, one of his slogans was 'Say No to the No men'. Prof Qvortrup says Wilson ran his campaign as a vote for Yes and characterised No voters as grumpy naysayers like Tony Benn and Enoch Powell. Maybe UKIP leader Nigel Farage will be able to persuade people that his campaign to leave the EU is about a new dawn and a fresh start for the UK, but he will be fighting against the negative implications of a No campaign. In the run-up to last year's Scottish independence referendum both sides agreed that the Electoral Commission should scrutinise the SNP government's preferred \"yes/no\" question: \"Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?\" The elections watchdog tweaked those words and reported that the question should be: \"Should Scotland be an independent country?\" The commission said the question must be presented clearly, simply and neutrally. The Scottish government agreed to changing the question when the commission reported its findings. The question thought to be favoured by Mr Cameron does not use the word \"agree\", which is very common in referendums worldwide, according to Prof Qvortrup. The possible wording is very similar to that used by Mr Wilson in 1975, which was: \"Do you think the UK should stay in the European Community (Common Market)?\" Prof Qvortrup says one advantage of asking: \"Should the UK remain a member of the EU?\" is that the question is short. Voters tend to become more sceptical about a proposition if the question is too long, they suspect they are \"having the wool pulled over their eyes\", he says. According to Prof Qvortrup, there is one lesson the prime minister can learn from Mr Wilson's 1975 campaign that would have a far greater impact on the result than the question. \"If you have a referendum soon", "summary": "\"Should the UK remain a member of the EU?\""}
{"article": "The 28-year-old won in four hours three minutes nine seconds, more than eight minutes faster than Belgium's Pieter Heemeryck, with fellow Briton Mark Buckingham third. In the women's race, Emma Pallant claimed victory from fellow Briton Lucy Charles, finishing in 4:35:15. Switzerland's Daniela Ryf was third. The race in the Canary Islands involved swimming 1.9km, cycling 90km and running a half-marathon (13.1 miles or 21.09km). The Ironman 70.3 event is half the regular Ironman distance. The men's Olympic triathlon - which Brownlee won in 2012 and 2016 - involves a 1.5km swim, a 40km cycle and 10km run.", "summary": "Double Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee marked his debut in long-distance triathlons with victory in an Ironman 70.3 event in Gran Canaria."}
{"article": "Cafodd Paul Davies, yr Aelod Cynulliad Ceidwadol dros Preseli, Sir Benfro, y cyfle i lunio deddf newydd ar awtistiaeth ar \u00f4l iddo ennill pleidlais yn y Senedd fis Mawrth. Pwrpas y ddeddfwriaeth yw cynnig mwy o gefnogaeth i bobl sy'n byw gyda'r cyflwr. Mae'r mesur yn anelu at gyflwyno strategaeth ar gyfer diwallu anghenion plant ac oedolion yng Nghymru, a sicrhau bod cynghorau a byrddau iechyd yn deall ac yn cymryd y camau angenrheidiol er mwyn i blant ac oedolion dderbyn y cymorth sydd ei angen arnynt. Bydd pleidlais ar y Ddeddf Awtistiaeth yng Nghymru yn mynd ger bron aelodau'r cynulliad ddydd Mercher. Mabwysiadodd Cymru strategaeth awtistiaeth yn 2008 ac yn ddiweddar cafodd y strategaeth ei diweddaru i gynnwys targed amser aros penodol. Yr argymhelliad yw na fydd yn rhaid i blant ag awtistiaeth aros mwy na 26 wythnos cyn cael yr apwyntiad arbenigol cyntaf. Mae'r cynllun presennol ond yn para tan 2020. \"Be mae fy mil i'n ei wneud,\" medd Paul Davies, \"yw sicrhau bod y gwasanaethau yma yn fwy parhaol ynghyd \u00e2 gosod sylfaen statudol i'r gwasanaethau.\" Er hynny, mae Steve Thomas, prif weithredwr Cymdeithas Llywodraeth Leol Cymru, wedi dweud wrth raglen Eye on Wales, BBC Radio Wales nad yw'n siwr bod angen deddfwriaeth o'r fath. Meddai: \"A ydy Cymru o dan anfantais i beidio \u00e2 chael Deddf Awtistiaeth fel Lloegr? Dwi ddim yn gwybod i fod yn onest. Mae peth o'r gwaith sy'n digwydd yn y maes yng Nghymru yn arloesol.\" \"Rhaid sicrhau nad yw'r broses o ddeddfu yn amharu ar y gwaith sy'n digwydd ar hyn o bryd.\" Cafodd ymgais flaenorol gan y Ceidwadwyr i gael Llywodraeth Cymru i ymrwymo i ddeddfwriaeth ar awtistiaeth ei threchu yn y Senedd fis Hydref. Ond mae Paul Davies yn hyderus y bydd ei ymgais yn llwyddo: \"Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y mesur yn digwydd. Yr oll dwi'n gofyn ar y funud yw bo fi'n cael amser bant i gyflwyno'r bil - bydd angen ymgynghori yn eang.\" Dywedodd Llywodraeth Cymru ei bod wedi ei hymrwymo i wella cefnogaeth i bobol gydag awtistiaeth wrth i \u00a313m gael ei wario ar Wasanaeth Awtistiaeth Integredig Cenedlaethol yn ystod y pedair blynedd nesaf. Ychwanegodd llefarydd bod yna eisoes \"bolis\u00efau a deddfau i gefnogi pomilag awtistiaeth\" ond y byddid yn cadw golwg ar y sefyllfa a phetai angen byddai deddfwriaeth yn cael ei chyflwyno.", "summary": "Mae gobaith y bydd deddf a fyddai'n cynnig cymorth i bobl sy'n byw gydag awtistiaeth yn cael y gefnogaeth angenrheidiol i ddod yn gyfraith."}
{"article": "Belfast-based UTV says it is in talks which could lead to its TV business in Northern Ireland being sold. If the deal goes through, STV would be the last Channel 3 broadcaster outside ITVplc's control. Like STV, up until now UTV has guarded its independence and identity fiercely. Originally the Channel 3 network was a federation of regional franchisees. Between 1993 and 2004, the regional stations based in England and Wales - including Border TV which serves southern Scotland - gradually consolidated into one company through a series of takeovers and mergers. At the end of the process, the company was named ITVplc. Later ITVplc also acquired Channel Television in the Channel Islands leaving UTV and STV as the only independent companies in the network. Parent company UTV Media - which also owns several radio stations - said this morning it was in talks which could lead to the sale of its television business. It had already been widely reported that ITVplc was the potential buyer. Inevitably, there is bound to be renewed speculation over STV's future independence if UTV comes into ITV's ownership. However industry watchers point out that STV has had to live with this sort of speculation for 20 years and still managed to retain its independence - sometimes against the odds. The relationship between STV and ITVplc would not be directly affected by any takeover of ITV by UTV. Three years ago, STV entered into a new affiliation deal with ITVplc which led to a new, friendly relationship between the two companies. Previously it had become strained after STV started dropping popular network programmes. Ironically, before the current management team took control of STV in 2007, a merger between STV and UTV was on the cards. UTV Media has been hit by the cost of setting up a TV station serving the Irish Republic. It has led the company to issue several warnings that losses at the new station would be greater than originally anticipated.", "summary": "Scottish broadcaster STV could soon be the only independent station left in the Channel 3 TV network."}
{"article": "Turker Bayram's InstaAgent app was pulled from Apple and Google's stores after another developer flagged it was copying users' names and passwords for the photo-sharing service. But although InstaAgent used the logins, Mr Bayram denies saving them. One expert said sending the passwords to an unknown server was still \"highly unorthodox\". InstaAgent had topped the free app charts in several countries, including the UK, before it was blocked. The software promised to let users see who had viewed their Instagram profiles. But on Tuesday, David Layer-Reiss - a German iOS developer - posted a series of tweets that included evidence InstaAgent was \"hacking\" people's details. Mr Bayram failed to explain his actions when he was phoned by the BBC the next day, but later posted a statement online in broken English. In it, he said he had been working on a new way to promote the service. The app had charged people a fee if they wanted to see more than three people who had looked at their pictures. Mr Bayram explained he had been working on a feature that would have unlocked full access for free if device owners let an advert for InstaAgent appear in their feeds, but said he had decided not to activate it. \"It was not a good idea,\" he acknowledged. \"We didn't publish because we learned that Instagram wasn't allowing private APIs [application program interfaces] for third-party applications' usage.\" He added, however, that for reasons he \"couldn't understand\" the code still started posting the ads to some people's accounts. \"It was a terrible experience for us. Because our application has removed both mobile markets,\" he wrote. But he said people who had downloaded the app should not be concerned. \"Nobody's account [was] stolen. Your password [was] never saved [to] unauthorised servers. \"But again and again we apologise... [and in the future] we must read service providers' policies carefully.\" Instagram - which is owned by Facebook - has advised users against using such bolt-on services. \"Anyone who has downloaded this app should delete it and change their password,\" a spokeswoman said. Security consultant Alan Woodward added that he still had concerns. \"Offering users an app to see who has viewed their profile is a classic way of scamming users into installing malware,\" he said. \"For a third-party app to send your password to an external server is at best a way of circumventing the policy of that social media service. At worst it is simply a means of grabbing your password for nefarious purposes. \"The particular way in which this app was sending user credentials to an unknown server seems highly unorthodox.\"", "summary": "The creator of an app that posted spam to peoples' Instagram accounts has said he made \"a terrible mistake\"."}
{"article": "Jason Kenny, 46, has been getting more than 50 messages a day on Twitter from fans of his namesake who has won three gold medals in Rio. The father-of-one, who like the Olympian is originally from Farnworth, said it was an \"absolute pleasure\" to get the cyclist's tweets. \"I reply and say thank you but I am not in Rio\", he told the Bolton News. The Peugeot car sales manager, who lives in Adlington, said it was no trouble for him and \"because he's such a nice guy, they are always very nice messages\". Mr Kenny has gone to considerable efforts in his Twitter biography to differentiate himself from the star. It reads: \"Bolton lad but not an Olympian, that's @jasonkenny107 who's amazing + not Canadian that's @jkenney who's...Canadian. Often confused for both you ain't the first.\" Cyclist Jason Kenny equalled Sir Chris Hoy's British record of winning six Olympic gold medals on a sensational night in Rio on Tuesday. Mr Kenny then woke up to a string of tweets praising the 28-year-old Olympian for his success. He said it has happened for years, starting during the Beijing games, continuing in London and now Rio. \"I usually just re-tweet them or sometimes I reply\", he said. People \"usually apologise\" when they realise their mistake, he said, \"but they don't need to - it's easily done!\" A keen cyclist himself, Mr Kenny remembers getting a \"good luck\" tweet from the Olympian in 2012 when he messaged him about a bike challenge he was completing early one Sunday morning. He said the sportsman \"is doing fantastically\" in his career, adding: \"If he does not become Sir Jason Kenny, then there is something wrong.\"", "summary": "A car salesman has received a flood of congratulatory tweets after he was mistaken for an Olympic gold medallist."}
{"article": "The White House has been quick to note that this is a \"working\" vacation. The president won't be leaving the duties of office totally behind. It's fair to say, however, that Mr Trump will spend more than a little bit of time on the fairways. The White House is coy about how much the president has played golf so far during his time in office, but given that he's visited his golf properties at least 43 times so far, he almost certainly has teed up more at this point in his administration than any past president. So while he's lining up his shots over the next two weeks, will memories of his past six months in office break his concentration? Will an ill-timed twinge of concern turn what would have been a solid drive into a wayward slice or cause a sure-thing birdie putt to lip out of the hole? How many of his apparently unlimited supply of mulligans will he have to use to soothe a troubled mind? The president may comfort himself with thoughts of low unemployment or a booming stock market. He may smile when he recalls the cheering crowds at recent campaign-style rallies or the unexpected coup of the Democratic West Virginia governor joining the Republican Party. But as any vacationing piker knows, when a holiday ends there's twice as much work and a load of problems that have piled up in the meantime. Even if the president sails through his vacation without a care, there are plenty of troubles brewing back in Washington. Here's a look at some of them. Perhaps the single biggest legislative accomplishment of the Trump presidency so far is the law imposing new sanctions on Iran and North Korea and strengthening existing ones on Russia. Given that the president signed the measure with extreme reservations, it's safe to say things aren't going according to plan. Efforts to repeal and replace Barack Obama's signature healthcare reforms were dramatically dynamited by a handful of Republicans and a united Democratic Party in the Senate. An overhaul of the tax law is currently barely a glimmer in legislators' eyes. The proposed modifications to the legal immigration system recently unveiled at the White House have been deemed dead on arrival in Congress, while any kind of infrastructure spending package is going nowhere fast. When the politicians return to Congress in September they will have their hands full with more pressing matters. Hardliners may attempt to prevent the treasury from issuing new government debt - raising the \"debt ceiling\" - without extracting spending cuts. New appropriations bills must be passed to avoid a government shutdown. All this leaves little time for big new legislative efforts to reach fruition before the calendar flips to 2018 and legislators start thinking about their re-election campaigns. View from the tee: The president faces a treacherous par four, with water on both sides and sand around the green. If Mr Trump's domestic agenda creates headaches, the international outlook has the makings of a splitting migraine. North Korea continues to press ahead with its nuclear", "summary": "On Friday Donald Trump jetted off to his resort golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, for a 17-day vacation."}
{"article": "Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust said funding offered by central Norfolk clinical commissioning groups (CCG) does not meet the \"volume of demand\". A trust board meeting was told the CCGs were \"not commissioning sufficient capacity\" in beds or staffing levels. The central Norfolk CCGs said they were still in negotiations. At the meeting Andrew Hopkins, director of finance, said funding arrangements had been agreed with all its CCGs apart from central Norfolk. The meeting heard the plans put forward by central Norfolk CCGs did not provide enough funds for out of area placements, when no beds can be found in the area. There were also issues surrounding staffing levels. In previous years, the trust has been criticised over the need to send patients outside of Norfolk and Suffolk due to a shortage of mental health beds. The BBC revealed that in November last year the cost of sending Norfolk and Suffolk mental patients to other parts of the country almost tripled to \u00c2\u00a3600,000, from an average of \u00c2\u00a3200,000 a month in December 2013 to September 2014. In December, the trust said the number outside the counties had been cut to 24 from a high of 50 earlier in the year. Non-executive director John Brierley said: \"The issue is the commissioners are not commissioning sufficient capacity to the volume of demand.\" If no agreement is made the dispute will go to arbitration where a final decision is made by NHS England and health watchdog Monitor. Trust chief executive Michael Scott said after the meeting: \"We don't think there is adequate funding for mental health. It remains the Cinderella service. \"In some areas such as Suffolk and Great Yarmouth and Waveney we have managed to agree funding. \"Unfortunately across central Norfolk we are unable to agree and we have to go to arbitration.\" A Norfolk CCGs spokesman said: \"CCGs across Norwich, South Norfolk and North Norfolk are still in discussions with the trust regarding the 15/16 contracting year. \"All parties are hopeful of a swift conclusion to current negotiations.\" In February, this year the trust became the first of its kind in England to be put in special measures due to it not providing a \"safe service\".", "summary": "Cash for future mental health provision in Norfolk and Suffolk has \"fallen short\" of what is needed, prompting a dispute with an NHS trust and a funder."}
{"article": "It emerged with the help of Iran during the Israeli occupation of Lebanon in the early 1980s, though its ideological roots stretch back to the Shia Islamic revival in Lebanon in the 1960s and '70s. After Israel withdrew in 2000, Hezbollah resisted pressure to disarm and continued to strengthen its military wing, the Islamic Resistance. In some ways, its capabilities now exceed those of the Lebanese army, its considerable firepower used against Israel in the 2006 war. The group also gradually became a key power broker in Lebanon's political system, and has effectively gained veto power in the cabinet. Hezbollah has been accused of carrying out a string of bombings and plots against Jewish and Israeli targets and is designated a terrorist organisation by Western states, Israel, Gulf Arab countries and the Arab League. Some Lebanese consider Hezbollah a threat to the country's stability, but it is enduringly popular within the Shia community. Hezbollah's precise origins are difficult to pinpoint, but its precursors emerged following the Israeli invasion of South Lebanon in response to attacks by Palestinian militants in 1982, when Shia leaders favouring a militant response broke away from the leading Amal movement. The new organisation, Islamic Amal, received considerable military and organisational support from Iran's Revolutionary Guards based in the Bekaa Valley, and emerged as the most prominent and effective of the Shia militias that would later form Hezbollah. The groups launched attacks on the Israeli military and its ally, the South Lebanon Army (SLA), as well as foreign powers in Lebanon. They are believed to have been behind the bombings of the US embassy and US Marine barracks in 1983, which together left 258 Americans and 58 French servicemen dead, and led Western peacekeeping forces to withdraw. In 1985, Hezbollah officially announced its establishment by publishing an \"open letter\" that identified the US and the Soviet Union as Islam's principal enemies and called for the \"obliteration\" of Israel, which it said was occupying Muslim lands. It also called for the \"adoption of the Islamic system on the basis of free and direct selection of the people, not the basis of forceful imposition\". The 1989 Taif Accord that ended Lebanon's civil war and called for the disarmament of militias prompted Hezbollah to rebrand its military wing as an \"Islamic Resistance\" force dedicated to ending Israel's occupation, allowing it to keep its weapons. After the Syrian military imposed peace on Lebanon in 1990, Hezbollah continued its guerrilla war in South Lebanon, but also began to play an active role in Lebanese politics. In 1992, it successfully participated in national elections for the first time. When Israeli forces finally withdrew in 2000, Hezbollah was credited with pushing them out. The group resisted pressure to disarm and maintained its military presence in the South, claiming as justification the continued Israeli presence in the Shebaa Farms and other disputed areas. In 2006, Hezbollah militants launched a cross-border attack in which eight Israeli soldiers were killed and two others kidnapped, triggering a massive Israeli response. Israeli warplanes bombed Hezbollah strongholds in the South and in", "summary": "Hezbollah - the Party of God - is a Shia Islamist political, military and social organisation that wields considerable power in Lebanon."}
{"article": "Police believe the 49-year-old victim was doused with petrol before she was set alight on Monday. She died in hospital days after being airlifted from the property in Surbiton Road, Newton Heath, with 70% burns. Her brother Stephen Archer, 50, is charged with murder and arson with intent to endanger life. Greater Manchester Police said he would appear before the city's magistrates' court on Monday.", "summary": "A man has been charged with the murder of his sister, who was set on fire in an attack at her Manchester home."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Schalk went down in the box under no contact from Celtic's Erik Sviatchenko, with Liam Boyce converting the spot-kick to earn County a point. Hearts' Jamie Walker was banned for a similar incident on the opening day of the season against Celtic. And Tierney said: \"It should be the same rule for every player.\" Tierney was the player penalised in that match at Tynecastle in August, which Celtic won 2-1. The champions paid a two-point penalty for Schalk's antics on Sunday, and Tierney could barely believe referee Don Robertson awarded a spot-kick as he thinks the incident was even worse than the one involving Walker. \"I knew straight away it was a dive,\" said Tierney, who scored Celtic's opening goal on Sunday. \"It was the same kind of thing with Jamie Walker when we played Hearts in the first game of the season. But this incident was more obvious. \"It's not a nice part of the game, you can expect contact, but you're not going to go down if there's no contact. It's as simple as that. \"If it's striker's prerogative to do that then everyone would be falling about. Whenever you get close to people in games you need to stay on your feet, but if someone gets too close then fair enough. \"I couldn't believe it when the referee gave the penalty, everyone was so surprised. The linesman had a great view and was standing straight in line with it, but obviously not.\" In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Celtic skipper Scott Brown was red carded for a late challenge on Boyce. With Celtic likely to appeal against the red card, Brown will be available for Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers. Boyce said: \"I sort of knew that someone was coming, and I was waiting until the last second to try and get out of the way to buy a free-kick and take the pressure off. Media playback is not supported on this device \"Once I flicked it though I just felt like I'd been hit by a bus, and I looked down and my sock was ripped and my leg is really swollen now. \"I had been hit on the hand and got it sliced a wee bit and there were a few comments then, and just before that I had made a challenge from behind on him. \"These things build up in a game and I think he might have been a wee bit frustrated with the way things went and it has just happened.\"", "summary": "Celtic defender Kieran Tierney reckons Ross County's Alex Schalk should be hit with a two-match ban for diving in Sunday's 2-2 draw in Dingwall."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old winger was named player of the season in his first year at The Valley, which included 13 goals. \"It was a no-brainer for me to sign a new contract,\" Holmes said. \"Hopefully we can get promoted this season.\" Holmes also produced six assists in his 38 appearances after joining on an initial two-year deal from Northampton Town in June 2016.", "summary": "Charlton midfielder Ricky Holmes has signed a new three-year deal with the League One side."}
{"article": "The council will look at proposals to build a new English-medium school to replace those in Gwernyfed and Brecon. It also recommended a new school be built in Builth Wells, replacing the town's existing high school and the one in Llandrindod Wells. If approved, it is hoped the plans will cut costs and tackle the issue of surplus places.", "summary": "Plans to overhaul secondary schools in Powys will be discussed next month."}
{"article": "The whale was beached in the Roughty River in Kenmare, about 3km inland. It was kept alive during the low tide and eventually dragged into some water. The whale was herded down the river by two boats and returned to open water under the supervision of County Kerry based vet Henk Offereins. \"The last sighting was of the whale swimming in a straight line towards the sea,\" Mr Offereins said. \"Fingers crossed it will keep swimming. Great effort from all involved.\"", "summary": "A beached minke whale that was stranded in County Kerry in the Republic of Ireland has been helped back to safety."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old will have an operation in two weeks, which is expected to sideline him for nine months. Brentford have not disclosed the full details of the injury, which was sustained during their victory against QPR on Friday. Macleod was stretchered off in the 87th minute of Brentford's 2-0 win at Loftus Road, having come on as a substitute. The former Scotland Under-21 international was previously ruled out for a year because of various injuries after he joined the Championship club from Rangers in January 2015.", "summary": "Brentford midfielder Lewis Macleod will require reconstructive knee surgery and has been ruled out for the season."}
{"article": "Midfielder Bernard Bulbwa scored the winner in the first half. The win cements Nigeria's place as the successful country in the history of the championship, they now have three more titles than closest rivals Egypt. Nigeria and the other semi-finalists from the tournament - Senegal, Ghana and Mali - have qualified for the Under-20 World Cup . The Flying Eagles had already been placed in Group E with Brazil, North Korea and Hungary for the 30 May to 20 June event in New Zealand. Senegal, Ghana and Mali learned their fate after a draw on Monday, Ghana are in Group B alongside Argentina, Panama and Austria; Senegal will face Qatar, Colombia and Portugal in Group C; Mali will battle it with Mexico, Uruguay and Serbia in Group D.", "summary": "Nigeria won a record seventh African Under-20 Championship title by beating hosts Senegal 1-0 in the final on Sunday in Dakar."}
{"article": "The Labour leader said the \"misery\" that those travelling to London had faced made a \"very good case\" for a change of ownership. Southern passengers have faced delays, cancellations and a reduced timetable amid staff shortages and strikes. The operator is in a dispute with the RMT union over the role of guards. Two days of talks aimed at averting a five-day strike by the union are due to begin later at the conciliation service Acas. Southern has promised to run 60% of its normal timetable if the strike, due to begin on Monday, goes ahead. The company is also facing fresh strike action after the TSSA union said it would be balloting workers in a dispute over ticket office closures. \"I want to see Southern back in public ownership. I don't believe it's fulfilling its obligations under the franchise it was given, \" Mr Corbyn said at a leadership rally in Brighton. He said that it was a \"enormous mistake\" not to take all the train operating franchises back into public ownership after the 2001 collapse of the company then running the network, Railtrack, and he re-stated his commitment to renationalise each train service as its contract expires. At the rally, Mr Corbyn also said the government should have intervened to prevent the financial difficulties at the retailer BHS, which went into administration in April. Earlier, Mr Corbyn said he was disappointed at an attack on him by David Blanchflower, an economist who has resigned from the committee advising the shadow chancellor John McDonnell. Mr Blanchflower said Mr Corbyn had no credible economic policy and was more interested in addressing rallies than leading the party to power. Mr Corbyn said: \"I'm disappointed because he was helping us, we were developing and are continuing to develop a very strong and very credible economic policy which is about dealing with inequality in Britain and the need for investment in Britain by the promotion of a National Investment Bank.\" He spoke to about 500 people outside the rally, standing on top of a fire engine, before addressing 1,000 inside the event. Scores of his fans, many wearing \"Jeremy for Labour\" or \"I love Jeremy\" t-shirts, queued for hours to get a seat at the rally in the Hilton Metropole. Meanwhile Mr Corbyn's challenger for the party leadership, Owen Smith, has promised the \"biggest boost to living standards for a generation\" with a pay rise for five million workers if he becomes the next prime minister. In a speech in Milton Keynes, he committed the party to pushing the minimum wage up to \u00c2\u00a38.25 and forcing employers to give it to all adults on the payroll, not just those over 25 - to be funded by tax increases for the highest-earners in society and businesses. Mr Smith said he was offering a \"clear plan of action\" to combat the \"perfect Tory storm\" of falling wages, diluted workers' rights and social security cuts. He said: \"I am committed to delivering a real living wage for everyone over the age of eighteen - ending the discrimination of", "summary": "Ministers should renationalise the Southern rail service, following weeks of disruption for passengers, Jeremy Corbyn has said."}
{"article": "To protect your email, social networking accounts and the rest of your online life, strong passwords are essential. But setting and remembering it can be as easy as singing your favourite song. Here's our step-by-step guide to how lyrics can help you stay safe online. We'll pick the Foo Fighters, because they're generally great. But it could be anyone you like, or U2. As long as you can remember some of the lyrics to one of their songs. The catchier the better, to make sure you can remember those words. Something from Nothing seems like a good track to go for, fresh from the Foo's new album Sonic Highways. It could be the chorus or the bit you like the most. We've gone for the opening lines: \"Give me the flammable life, I'm cold as a match.\" Sing it, Dave. Take the first letter of each word to make the basis of your password. That gives us GMTFLICAAM. Not bad, but it could someone who knows your music taste possibly guess it? Mix lower and upper case letters to make the password a little harder to guess. You should end up with something like: GmTFLICaam Swapping letters for numbers and symbols can make your password even more difficult to guess. So, a capital G looks a bit like 6, we'll swap F for 4 because four begins with f, L and I both look like 1s so that's an easy swap. The @ signs are a good alternative to the letter a. It probably goes without saying, but ours is just an example and not one you should use. Stay safe! Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube. on YouTube", "summary": "If you needed a reminder that strong passwords are important online, the Russian website showing thousands of live video feeds could be it."}
{"article": "I have been told that this afternoon Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has been briefing Labour MPs alongside one of his top military aides, Lieutenant General Gordon Messenger, the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations) who commanded British forces in Helmand. Mr Fallon is also planning to brief Labour MPs collectively at an open meeting in a couple of weeks' time, followed by another briefing for Tory MPs. And while Downing Street is still insisting that there is no guarantee there will be any vote over military action, that the prime minister will act only if he is absolutely certain of winning that vote, ministers believe the momentum is moving their way. One Cabinet minister told me: \"Yesterday was a game-changer. You could see the middle rank of Labour MPs, particularly the women, nodding along with the PM. Afterwards, he was bouncing. He really thinks the mood has changed.\" And, having spent the morning talking to MPs at Westminster, that minister may be right. So what has changed? As for the numbers, ministers reckon the 30 Conservative opponents of extending military action to Syria can be squeezed down to about 20. They are hopeful of similar numbers of Labour MPs backing them and even more abstaining. The key aim for the Conservative whips is to try get enough mainstream Labour MPs onside for the government's policy rather than relying on old Blairites to stick it to Mr Corbyn. Also crucial will be the role of the eight Democratic Unionist Party MPs. Back in September, the DUP leader at Westminster Nigel Dodds firmly opposed military action in Syria. But I note the way Mr Cameron praised Mr Dodds in the House of Commons yesterday and Tory ministers tell me they are hopeful of winning DUP support. One DUP source said: \"We wait and see: if the PM makes a credible case for what the use of British military force can realistically achieve, we could of course support that.\" As one Cabinet minister told me: \"There is now a confluence of events and stars in our favour. I think we can do this.\" Maybe. But only if Downing Street is absolutely sure they will win.", "summary": "David Cameron has yet to publish his new plan for extending military action to Syria but his team are already making the case in the House of Commons."}
{"article": "The deal sees the Northern Irish rider continue his partnership with the Hawk Racing team for the North West 200, Isle of Man TT and Ulster Grand Prix. The 13-time TT winner and Mountain Course lap record holder will also contest the Southern 100 and the first British Superbike round at Donington. Dunlop, 27, will test the new machine for the first time on Wednesday. That shakedown at the team's Mallory Park base will be followed by further test sessions at Cartegena and Almeria in Spain. The Ballymoney rider won the Superbike and Senior races at last year's Isle of Man TT, setting a new outright lap record of 133.962mph for the circuit in the latter event. He recorded the first-ever sub-17 minute lap of the course in the week's opening Superbike outing on a BMW. Dunlop also set a new absolute lap record of 123.207mph for the Triangle circuit during the Superbike race at the North West 200 in 2016. In addition to his TT successes, he boasts five victories at the North West and six triumphs at the Ulster Grand Prix. \"I was chatting with Steve Hicken, the team manager, for a while, and obviously we've worked together a lot before,\" said Dunlop. \"With the new bike coming out it's been a bit different and we had to gather up exactly what was happening and to see where we were both going to be at this time. \"This is a good team and I know they can take a new bike and get it right. It's going to be interesting this year. I've been helping the team build my own bikes.\" Bennetts Suzuki team manager Hicken added: \"We've known Michael for a long time and always wanted to work with him again this year, so we're really pleased we've been able to put a deal together. \"We've made good progress already with the development of the new GSX-R1000, and we know the potential is there with the bike, especially with a proven winner like Michael on board.\" The Hawk-backed Suzuki outfit will also compete in the British Superbike Championship, with former World Superbike champion Sylvain Guintoli and reigning British Superstock 1000cc champion Taylor Mackenzie their chosen riders.", "summary": "Michael Dunlop will ride the new GSX-R1000 for the Bennetts Suzuki team at this year's international road races."}
{"article": "First of all, there was an apology to customers for the failings of the past. Then there was the announcement of an ethical review. Then a lot of detail about the chief executive's pay and suggestions that the bank may consider blocking future bonus payments that, frankly, were unlikely to be paid out in any case. But it isn't until you get into the guts of the Co-op Bank's annual report and accounts that you understand the true challenges facing the organisation. With tissue-thin capital buffers, there is no room for error. One sentence jumps out. \"The year-end Common Equity Tier 1 ratio of 7.2% is below prior guidance.\" This is the key test of a bank's capital position and, therefore, security - the amount of money it has readily available to absorb shocks. It is just above the level at which the Bank of England could force the Co-op into emergency resolution, taking over assets and enforcing losses on investors which include the Co-op Group. The Co-op Bank says it is confident it can raise the necessary capital to avoid such a situation. The bank is in a position where it is wholly reliant on its investors stumping up the necessary millions of pounds agreed in the refinancing which saw the Co-op Group's stake fall to 30%. Co-op Group - itself facing mammoth losses - is still due to make payments of \u00a3100m by the end of June and \u00a3163m by the end of the year. And that is before the small matter of the \u00a3400m extra fund-raising announced last month that the Co-op still needs to get away. The cost-income ratio at the bank has also flown upwards, from 73.7% in 2012 to 93.6% in 2013. On average, banks like to see a cost-to-income ratio closer to 50%. It is clear that the Co-op Bank is becoming increasingly expensive to run, as the balance sheet contracts and the complexity of unravelling previous problems weighs on costs. Some brutally honest points are made in the accounts. \"The bank does not have a track record in successfully executing large scale changes\"; the board \"needs to be strengthened\"; the split from the Co-op Group is proving more costly than previously thought and cost reductions - including redundancies - may not be achieved. Any failure and that tissue-thin capital buffer could be torn through. The Bank of England will apply its own stress tests to the Co-op in the summer. Given that the Co-op is a bank well used to discovering some pretty unsightly problems when it roots around under the bonnet, it should be prepared for more bad news. Estimating future poor conduct costs is notoriously difficult, as all the High Street banks found during the payment protection insurance scandal. There are some small pinpricks of light. Despite the adverse publicity of a former chairman who didn't appear to know basic information about the bank's balance sheet and then was filmed apparently taking drugs, customers have remained remarkably loyal. The number of current account and business customers are up slightly. Customers still appear", "summary": "The losses were well trailed, but they are still sobering."}
{"article": "Olsson, who played 261 times after joining the Baggies in 2008, would have been out of contract this summer. But the Premier League club have agreed to cancel his deal early so he can return to his homeland in time for the start of their new top-flight season. \"Albion has, and will always be, a huge part of my life,\" said Olsson, 34. \"It's all happened so quickly I've not had chance to say a proper farewell to so many people. I will be back at the first chance to do that. \"I'm really grateful to the club for helping me sort out this transfer,\" said the Swede, who also captained Albion during his near nine years' service to the club. Meanwhile, teenager Kane Wilson has signed his first professional contract at The Hawthorns, the 17-year-old defender having signed a deal which ties him to Albion until the summer of 2019. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "West Bromwich Albion's long-serving defender Jonas Olsson has had his contract cancelled to allow him to move back to Sweden to join Djurgarden IF."}
{"article": "Mr Corbyn was quizzed about his views on drone strikes, tax-raising plans and past campaigning in Northern Ireland. Mrs May defended her social care reforms and was repeatedly asked if she had changed her mind on Brexit. But the leaders did not appear together, as Mrs May declined to take part in a head-to-head encounter. The Labour leader chose to be first up in the Battle for Number 10 show, which was broadcast by Sky News and Channel 4, after winning a coin toss. In a Q&A with the studio audience, a small business owner attacked Mr Corbyn's \"ruthless short-sighted policies\" such as increasing corporation tax and putting VAT on private school fees. \"This country is badly divided between the richest and the poorest,\" the Labour leader replied, asking the man whether he was \"happy\" that children were going to school hungry and being taught in \"supersized\" classes. Mr Corbyn was also pressed on his previous campaigning in Northern Ireland, with an audience member accusing him of attending a commemoration for members of the IRA, an Irish paramilitary group. The Labour leader said he had been seeking a \"dialogue\" in the 1970s and 1980s and that he had marked a minute's silence \"for everyone who died in Northern Ireland\". A lot of people are only just starting to think about the election and they won't have sat through every bit of the TV event last night. What they'll glean, though, from snippets and headlines is a sense of how this campaign has changed, written on the leaders' faces. Jeremy Corbyn, more comfortable, more assured, with better prepared answers. Theresa May, really having to explain herself. And in this last stage the vulnerabilities are exactly where you'd expect. For Mr Corbyn it's on issues like security, his personal views on groups like the IRA. And for Mrs May, it's a Conservative prime minister facing tough questions over public services. He would not be drawn on whether he would order a drone strike against a terrorist plotting overseas to attack the UK. \"I would want to know the circumstances,\" Mr Corbyn said. \"You can't answer a hypothetical question without the evidence.\" He was also asked back-to-back questions on Brexit - one from a Leave voter calling for immigration controls and another from an unhappy Remain supporter. He refused to set a target for migration numbers, saying Labour would act to prevent the undercutting of wages. He then told the Remain supporter Labour had to \"accept the reality of the referendum\". Mr Corbyn, a committed republican, was asked by Jeremy Paxman why abolishing the Monarchy was not in Labour's manifesto. \"It's not in there because we are not going to do it,\" he replied, adding that he had \"a very nice chat with the Queen\". He said he described the death of Osama Bin Laden as a \"tragedy\" because he wanted him to be arrested and put on trial. And he also defended using the term \"friends\" towards the militant Islamist group Hamas, calling it \"inclusive language\" at a meeting where he had been promoting", "summary": "Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn faced questions on Brexit and foreign policy from a live studio audience in a special general election programme."}
{"article": "The Dartmouth College team discovered the insects' communication system and studied females' reactions to the males' songs. They say the call is likely to have evolved from males impersonating hunting bats and startling females. Females' shuddering response appears to allow males to locate a mate. Close examination of females' nervous systems suggested that this shudder evolved from a startle reflex, the researchers say. The findings are published in the journal Current Biology. Lead researcher Prof Hannah ter Hofstede investigated this unusual insect duet after a colleague presented some recordings of the insects' particularly high frequency chirps. \"It struck me as very strange that these crickets would use such high frequencies for mating purposes,\" the scientists said. Other cricket species avoid sounds at these frequencies, which are similar to the sounds that bats make when navigating and hunting. Prof ter Hofstede used playback experiments - playing males' songs through speakers - to test females' reaction to the high, bat-like chirps. \"I expected the females to walk to the speaker, because this is the usual behaviour for female crickets, but they did not do this - [they instead] made a small jerking motion after each male call,\" she explained. \"From many observations of males and females together, I noticed that it was always the male walking to the female when she produced these vibrational signals.\" Further study revealed that the male calls also triggered activity in a nerve cell known to be responsible for triggering escape behaviour in crickets. This, along with careful tracking of the cricket evolutionary tree, led Prof ter Hofstede and her colleagues to conclude that what is now a mating song and dance routine originated from a reflex startled \"jump\". This, the scientists say, is an example of \"how communication systems can change over evolutionary time. \"And that even something as unlikely as a reflex response to a predator can be the origin for a new communication signal.\"", "summary": "Scientists have discovered that the chirps of some crickets could be a cunning way to \"startle\" potential mates into revealing their location."}
{"article": "Knockaert, 25, is on the shortlist alongside Leeds forward Chris Wood and Newcastle striker Dwight Gayle. His father died in November, but he has been in fine form to help them maintain their place in the top two. \"For what happened with my dad this season I know he would be very proud of me if I win,\" he told BBC Sussex. \"I hope I will win it and it would be a great comeback for me from what happened for me this season. \"I didn't expect this when it happened, I was expecting myself to be out for a long time, I mean mentally.\" Knockaert missed only one game following his father's death, while a number of his teammates and manager Chris Hughton travelled to France to support him at the funeral. \"I can just thank the club so much and all my teammates and everything to have helped me like they did,\" he continued. \"I think if I'm here in this position to try to be player of the season in the Championship, it's because of them, I owe them everything. \"Obviously it was tough - I'm not going to lie, it was really tough. \"But I still thought every morning when I woke up, I was just thinking about my dad and thinking I just need to fight for him and that's maybe the reason I'm here.\" Brighton are in action again on Tuesday with a home game against Birmingham City and victory would put them top of the table.", "summary": "Brighton winger Anthony Knockaert says he wants to win the Championship Player of the Year award for his family following the death of his father."}
{"article": "The new line-up posed inside 10 Downing Street on Tuesday, with the PM flanked by Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Chancellor Philip Hammond. For some of the details behind the grinning faces, read the BBC's at-a-glance guide to Mrs May's cabinet. Or take a trip down memory lane below with some of her predecessors' \"school photos\".", "summary": "This is the first official photograph of Prime Minister Theresa May's new cabinet."}
{"article": "The former Sierra Leone tactician was dismissed on Thursday after 15 months in-charge of Amavubi. McKinstry said he was \"surprised and disappointed\" and the reasons \"had not been made fully clear\" to him. McKinstry took over the Rwanda job from Englishman Stephen Constantine who stepped down in March 2015. The Northern Irishman then led Rwanda to the quarter final stage of the 2016 Africa Nations Championship that they hosted. He also led the team to the runner-up spot in the 2015 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. \"The specific reasons behind the decision have not been made fully clear to me given our performance to date, I am therefore both surprised and disappointed by the announcement today, and that myself and the team will not be able to finish what we started,\" he said. The 30-year old coach managed to record 11 wins, two draws and a dozen defeats in the 25 games he was in charge of Rwanda. According to the Rwanda FA, McKinstry was sacked because he did not achieve some of the targets that had been set for him. The FA announced former international Jimmy Mulisa, who had been McKinstry's assistant, as Rwanda's interim coach. Mulisa was a key part of the Amavubi side that featured in the country's first and only Africa Cup of Nations finals in Tunisia in 2004.", "summary": "Northern Ireland-born Johnny McKinstry has expressed his surprise after he was sacked as head coach of Rwanda's national team."}
{"article": "The isle is a mile long (16.km), depending on tides and weather, and separated from the mainland by a (330ft) 100 metre wide channel. It was first spotted by locals as a \"bump\" above the water in April, according to the Island Free Press. Photos taken by a Connecticut tourist have gone viral on Instagram, leading to a boost in curious visitors. Photographer Chad Koczera described encountering the island during his visit to Cape Point. \"My fiancee and I were driving to the point after a storm to collect shells when we spotted an area we couldn't get to by car,\" he said. He described returning for his fifth time to the park, and to visit Cape Point where he had proposed marriage to his then-girlfriend. \"I sent the drone up to check it out and noticed this beautiful island. We didn't get a chance to make it on to the island because of the strong current.\" The island is littered with old shipwrecks and whale bones that poke through its sands, says local historian Danny Couch. Experts say the shores of the Outer Banks are constantly shifting, as sandbars rise above or sink back below the water. Park superintendent Dave Hallac has cautioned visitors against trying to swim or walk across the channel to reach the island. Currents can swiftly carry away a person, while sharks and sting rays have been spotted in the area. Visitors are advised to use a kayak or paddleboard to reach Hatteras Island, as it's been dubbed.", "summary": "A new island has formed off the coast of North Carolina's Cape Hatteras National Seashore."}
{"article": "The Daily Telegraph reported that the star would be dropped after an internal investigation concluded he had attacked a producer on the show. It said director general Tony Hall would explain that such behaviour could not be tolerated at the BBC. Clarkson tweeted a rebuttal of the story on Wednesday morning. \"Just to keep everyone up to date, I haven't heard a thing,\" he wrote, shortly before 10:00 GMT. The BBC also says no final decision had been made on Clarkson's future. \"When we have an outcome, we will announce it,\" said a BBC spokesman. Clarkson was suspended 16 days ago following an alleged \"fracas\" with producer Oisin Tymon. The row was said to have occurred because no hot food was laid on for the presenter following a day's filming in North Yorkshire. An internal investigation began last week, led by Ken MacQuarrie, the director of BBC Scotland. Mr Tymon did not file a formal complaint and it is understood Clarkson reported himself to BBC bosses. The BBC's director of television, Danny Cohen, felt he had no choice but to suspend the presenter pending an investigation. The decision caused an outpouring of support from Top Gear fans, with more than a million people signing an online petition to reinstate him. Whatever the outcome of the BBC's inquiry, the motoring show is expected to continue. It is one of BBC Two's most popular programmes, and overseas sales generate an estimated \u00a350m a year for the corporation's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide. Whether Clarkson's co-presenters James May and Richard Hammond would continue in his absence has yet to be confirmed. All three have their contracts up for renewal this year. Meanwhile Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans, who has been touted as a potential replacement for Clarkson, has ruled himself out of the running. \"Not only is it not true, it's absolute nonsense,\" he told listeners on Wednesday morning. \"From what I've seen on Twitter and various social media, there's a 50/50 split approximately as to whether me being involved in the show is a good idea. \"In TV or radio, if you get a 50/50 love/hate reaction that usually equals massive hit. I used to work for [ratings body] Barb and knock on people's doors and this was the rule of thumb. \"However, I'm in the no camp. So regardless of whether it would be a hit, I'm voting a no for myself on that show, so that's never going happen. \"And that's the end of that.\" Speaking later to reporters outside Radio 2, Evans refused to speculate on who else might replace Clarkson, saying he \"doesn't know if the post is available yet\".", "summary": "Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson says he \"hasn't heard a thing\", after press reports suggested the BBC would sack him on Wednesday."}
{"article": "Alvaro Negredo ended a goal drought which stretched back to the opening day of the season when he put Boro ahead following a neat exchange of passes with Gaston Ramirez. Riyad Mahrez equalised from the penalty spot after Calum Chambers was judged to have handled. Negredo looked to have given Boro the points when he latched on to a long ball from Adam Forshaw and clinically dispatched a low shot past Foxes goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler. But Slimani converted from the spot in the fourth minute of injury-time after Wes Morgan was fouled by Marten de Roon. Relive Leicester v Middlesbrough as it happened Saturday's Premier League reaction There were murmurs of discontent from the home fans at the King Power Stadium, but Leicester's players rolled up their sleeves and fought right to the final whistle. For large parts of the game, the Foxes lacked any kind of zip or purpose about their play. Crucially, though, they kept going and salvaged a valuable point. It came on the back of Tuesday's 2-1 win over Club Brugge, which secured their passage to the knockout stages of the Champions League with a game to spare. Importantly, it ensured Leicester did not slip to a third successive Premier League defeat. \"We showed fantastic character,\" said Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri. \"Lucky is someone who believes in something more.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Negredo, who is on a season-long loan from Valencia, found the net for the first time since Boro's 1-1 draw against Stoke City on 13 August. It was not just the powerful Spaniard's finishing that caught the eye at the King Power Stadium either. Negredo held the ball up, linked up the play and was generally a handful for the Leicester defence. He scored 23 goals in 48 appearances for Manchester City en route to helping them win the Premier League title in 2013-14. This display was reminiscent of those days. Given his side's overall lack of goals this season, Boro boss Aitor Karanka will hope it represents the start of a hot streak for Negredo. While Negredo was back among the goals, Jamie Vardy's struggles to find the net continue. Vardy has not scored for the champions since 10 September - a run of 15 games. His form is in stark contrast to a year ago, when he scored for a record 11th Premier League game in a row. Without Danny Drinkwater, suspended for three matches for elbowing Watford's Valon Behrami, Leicester tried too many high balls, which did not utilise Vardy's strengths. But irrespective of that, Vardy's performance was subdued, as was his body language. He could have few complaints when substituted with 25 minutes left. Media playback is not supported on this device Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri: \"We are fighting for a relegation battle. Now we could be tired but fortunately the character and spirit of the group is good. We knew it was a tough match. Twice fighting back is not easy. \"It was difficult to surprise Middlesbrough, who showed good football to score twice. It's a", "summary": "Islam Slimani's injury-time penalty rescued a point for Leicester as they came from behind twice against Middlesbrough."}
{"article": "The 20-year-old Wales Under-19 international had a recent loan spell at Stevenage, but did not make a first-team appearance. Crowe, who has yet to play for Ipswich, has been signed after Will Norris returned to Cambridge United. Braintree are due to face Kidderminster at home on Tuesday after their weekend game at Torquay was postponed.", "summary": "Ipswich Town goalkeeper Michael Crowe has joined National League side Braintree Town on a one-month loan."}
{"article": "England seamer Jake Ball, Luke Fletcher and James Pattinson all took three wickets as Durham were out for 162. Stuart Poynter provided the only real resistance, scoring 65 off 59 balls before he was bowled by Fletcher. Notts lost 17 overs of their reply to bad light, but seamer Chris Rushworth took two early wickets to help reduce the away side to 96-4 at stumps. Durham, playing their first game since being relegated from Division One and docked 48 points over financial issues, could have been in far worse position had it not been for Poynter's second first-class half-century. The Ireland international struck 12 fours in his innings to put pressure on the Notts attack, with his 52-run last-wicket partnership alongside Rushworth giving his side hope of getting back in contention on day two.", "summary": "Nottinghamshire's bowlers dominated on the first day at the Riverside before Durham fought back with the ball."}
{"article": "The incident happened at about 16:30 BST on Tuesday at a junction in the Moseley area of the city. It was initially reported to police as a serious road collision but enquiries led the West Midlands force to believe the victim, 35, was deliberately targeted and \"left for dead\". A 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. See more stories from Birmingham and the Black Country here Police say the Washwood Heath resident has been released \"under investigation\" while enquiries continue. The injured man has undergone surgery for a serious head injury and his condition is described by police as critical.", "summary": "A man was left critically injured after being intentionally driven at in a Birmingham street, police say."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Smith maintains there was \"no reason\" for Rangers to have to re-enter the league in the lowest tier. \"It'll be a massive motivation for Rangers. It would certainly be a motivation for me,\" said Smith. He also believes the Ibrox board \"have to find a way\" to back manager Mark Warburton to compete in the top flight. With the club mired in debt, Rangers entered administration and then liquidation in 2012 and had to re-enter the Scottish football pyramid in the fourth tier. Smith feels Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic will not be an accurate gauge of how Rangers will fare next season and accepts Celtic are \"the favoured team\". However, the former Rangers boss believes Warburton's men go into the tie in a \"far more optimistic frame of mind than last season\" when Celtic were comfortable winners in the League Cup semi-final. \"Four years ago, the club was at its lowest level ever,\" said Smith. \"We were nearly starting a season, or were five days away from starting a season with only five players, no Rangers manager has ever been in that circumstance before. \"And no Rangers manager has ever been in the circumstance that he [Smith's successor Ally McCoist] was in for the next three years. \"I think it [ill feeling towards Rangers] will always be there. \"There was no necessity for Rangers to be put down into the Third Division and I think that's the thing that will always stay in Scottish football. \"I think there'll be a bitterness in the Rangers ranks that that's happened. \"There's no doubt it was the wrong move in my eyes. Scottish football has been worse off and a lot of the teams who were happy to see Rangers go down have suffered and found themselves relegated or in the process of being relegated. \"So, there will be that bitterness. How can they forget what happened to them there? You can't forget that.\" On the prospect of providing a title challenge in the top flight, Smith said: \"Celtic look as though they're going to get five in a row; it's a big thing. \"That's them closer to getting to the nine or 10 in a row. So, Rangers will have to show a reaction.\"", "summary": "Former Rangers manager Walter Smith believes a sense of bitterness about the way the club was treated remains as they gear up for Premiership football."}
{"article": "They started arriving at Poldhu Cove on Sunday, and National Trust volunteers have been clearing them away as they think it could be dangerous for wildlife. The bottles are sealed closed, but it's thought that some may have leaked. The National Trust said it thinks a container had gone overboard from a ship during stormy weather. Other nearby coves including Gunwalloe, Polurrian and Marazion have also been affected, conservationists said. Members of the public have been told to keep small children and dogs a safe distance away, whilst the clean up continues. Justin Whitehouse, from the National Trust, said: \"The main worry is all that detergent going into our beautiful marine environment, but thankfully most are full.\"", "summary": "Thousands of bright pink plastic detergent bottles have washed up on beaches in Cornwall."}
{"article": "Klinger, 36, has hit three centuries in 10 Championship innings so far this season, averaging 94.83. His side have five Division Two matches left in 2016, but he is likely to miss September's trip to Northamptonshire and the last game, the visit of Sussex. \"We have a baby due in mid-October,\" the Australian told BBC Radio Bristol. \"Once it gets within that four-week period, I can't be here in case the baby comes. I'd struggle to make it with a 24-hour flight back home if she went into labour. I'll leave on the 11th (of September).\"", "summary": "Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger is set to miss their final two County Championship matches of 2016 as his wife is expecting a baby in October."}
{"article": "Steve Williams, the British ambassador to Bulgaria, was appointed on Tuesday and will take up the post in April. Both islands agreed to set up a Brussels office last year, to ensure their interests were represented in the European Union. Mr Williams said he has a lot to learn ahead of taking up his new job. He said: \"I'll be very keen to spend some quality time on the islands to get to know people, to get to know the issues. \"Once the office is up and running properly and I'm established it will be really important to come back regularly.\" Guernsey's Chief Minister Lyndon Trott described the role of the office as \"vital\" in how the Channel Islands \"engage with Brussels and the European Union over the coming years\". The appointment of a deputy director to assist Mr Williams in his new role is expected to be announced shortly.", "summary": "The man chosen to head up the Channel Islands' new Brussels office has admitted he has little first hand knowledge of the islands."}
{"article": "The front-runner in the race to be the Republicans' US presidential candidate addressed supporters in Fountain Hills. Some 50 protesters caused traffic jams as they held up posters with slogans such as \"Dump Trump\". The billionaire's rallies have been marred by a series of recent incidents. A meeting in Chicago a week ago was cancelled after protests. Hundreds of demonstrators had gathered at the University of Illinois and fighting broke out between supporters and protesters in the auditorium where Mr Trump was due to speak. Criticism over violent Trump rallies What Trump says about protesters at his rallies Why are Americans so angry? In the latest disturbance, protesters marched down the highway leading to Fountain Hills. Police made several arrests before the demonstrators dispersed. Some, heavily outnumbered by Trump supporters, made their way to the edge of the rally venue in Fountain Park. Speaking later at a rally in Tucson, Mr Trump described the protesters as \"disgraceful\" and said they were \"representing [Democratic front-runner] Hillary Clinton\". \"They arrested three people and everybody else left... They left!\" Mr Trump told a cheering audience. \"I love our police, but we should do a little bit more of that, you would have a lot less protesters, you would have a lot less agitators.\" Demonstrations also broke out there and the police had to escort out a number of people. In Mr Trump's home city of New York, several hundred protesters gathered outside Trump Tower in Manhattan. Some chanted slogans accusing him of racism, sexism and being anti-gay. The gathering included immigrants' rights activists and socialists. Several protesters carrying \"Vote Trump\" placards were also present, explaining that they wanted to demonstrate their right to support Mr Trump. On 12 March, a man tried to rush Mr Trump as he spoke on stage in Ohio but was prevented from doing so by Secret Service agents. A Trump supporter was also charged with assault after multiple videos showed him punching a protester at a campaign rally in North Carolina. Mr Trump has been accused of creating tension through divisive rhetoric, but he denies using hate speech or playing any part in fostering division. The Arizona rally was the Republican hopeful's second visit to the state in three months. A primary takes place there on 22 March. The winner in Arizona takes all 58 delegates at stake. The billionaire leads the polls in the state. Mr Trump and Mrs Clinton strengthened their leads in a series of primaries last Tuesday.", "summary": "Demonstrators blocked a highway in Arizona as Donald Trump prepared to stage a rally near Phoenix."}
{"article": "Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel said the comments were creating \"a climate of uncertainty\" about the Philippines' intentions. Mr Duterte has announced a \"separation from the US\", its longstanding ally. It follows US criticism of the Philippines' brutal war against drugs. The campaign has caused thousands of extrajudicial killings. Mr Russel said the US was concerned about the loss of life in Mr Duterte's crackdown on the drugs trade. \"I pointed out to secretary [Foreign Minister Perfecto] Yasay that the succession of controversial statements and comments and a real climate of uncertainty about the Philippines' intentions has created consternation in a number of countries, not only in mine,\" Mr Russel said. \"This is not a positive trend. And as I candidly shared with the foreign secretary, your friends are also concerned about the loss of life in connection with the counter-narcotics campaign.\" The US called for clarification after President Duterte addressed an economic forum in China last week, saying: \"I announce my separation from the United States. Both in military, not maybe social, but economics also. America has lost.\" He added: \"I've realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to [President Vladimir] Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world - China, Philippines, and Russia. It's the only way.\" US officials said the remarks were \"at odds\" with the \"close relationship\" shared by the countries. Mr Russel said that although the US welcomed improved ties between the Philippines and China, it should not come at the expense of the US or other nations. \"It's a mistake to think that improved relations between Manila and Beijing somehow come at the expense of the United States. This should be addition and not subtraction,\" he said. Mr Duterte has grown increasingly hostile towards the US since taking office in June. He has said he wants to end joint military exercises with the US and told President Barack Obama he could \"go to hell\" after criticism over his bloody war against drugs.", "summary": "Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's recent statements have caused \"consternation\" in the US and other nations, the most senior US diplomat for Asia said during a visit to Manila."}
{"article": "BHP's half-year profits were $3.24bn (\u00c2\u00a32.6bn), up from $412m a year earlier. Chief executive Andrew MacKenzie said told the BBC the strong results were also helped by improved productivity. Anglo American reported full-year profits of $1.6bn compared with a $5.6bn loss in 2015. BHP's Mr MacKenzie said the results followed a five-year plan to \"improve productivity and redesign our portfolio and operating model\". \"Our steadfast commitment to this plan has positioned us to take full advantage in a period of higher prices,\" he added. The price of some commodities has risen, in part because of increased demand from China. Iron ore has risen by more than 80% and coal by up to 300%. However, Mr MacKenzie said there was another factor at play: \"China's improved a little bit but I would say much of what's going on in terms of the iron ore price is down to less production of iron ore elsewhere and companies like us have been able to fill that gap. \"The Chinese economy is going quite strongly at the moment, partly down to stimulus that was stated probably about three quarters back, and that has really pushed up the premia for high quality iron ore and metallurgical coal and they're our principle products.\" But in its statement, BHP said China's economic growth was expected to moderate in the coming year, with the housing and car markets expected to cool. It also said \"exports may be challenged by the rising threat of protectionism\". BHP's results included a $155m charge relating to the Samarco mining disaster in Brazil, which killed 19 people. \"Providing our support for the long-term recovery of the communities and environment affected by the Samarco tragedy on 5 November 2015 remains a priority for BHP Billiton,\" the company said. \"Substantial progress has been made on community resettlement, community health and environment restoration.\" BHP Billiton's surge back in to the black is primarily thanks to an increase in the price of the things it digs out of the ground - iron ore, coal, and so on. Iron ore has doubled in price over the past year. BHP's results out today say the company benefited to the tune of \u00c2\u00a33.9bn because of higher average commodity prices. Yet the boss, Andrew Mackenzie, was irritated when I pointed this out in a radio interview with him. He told me it's the hard work of him and his workforce that's returned the business to profit (last year was a monumental loss). \"This is a strong set of results we've been working at for the better part of four or five years,\" he told me. Indeed the company has cut costs and sold off various part of the business. \"Much is down to what we've done in improving our safety and productivity\". But it's impossible to get away from the fact that miners' profits are driven by the price of commodities. BHP has got other things to worry about as well. There's a large strike at its Escondida copper mine in Chile. It's still cleaning up after a disaster at its part-owned Samarco", "summary": "Two of the world's biggest mining companies, BHP Billiton and Anglo American, have reported a sharp increase in profits, boosted in part by the rise in commodity prices."}
{"article": "Humberside Police advertised for the \u00c2\u00a3117,078-a-year senior post on its website. The Chief Constable said it was \"vital candidates embraced new technology\". But a marketing expert has said the force should not have used \"the tactic\" for a very \"serious role\" that commands a degree of respect in the community. Emma Pearson-Kendall, director of Fred Marketing, said: \"You would hope in a role this serious people would take it seriously. \"I think it would be better maybe if they were saying this [area] was a great place to live and work and all the opportunities here, focusing on that rather than how the applicant looks.\" Ms Pearson-Kendall said she hoped the selfie was not being used to \"discriminate\" against any potential candidates. \"I wouldn't do it and I probably wouldn't recommend that clients do it,\" she said. Chief Constable Justine Curran said the force had \"invested heavily in new technology in a bid to modernise the way we work\". She said: \"We currently have a vacancy for a Deputy Chief Constable which is a key role within the force and as such it is vital that potential candidates understand the importance of embracing new technology within Humberside Police at the point of applying for the role. \"This is why we have created a recruitment advert that reflects our aims and ambitions as a force by encouraging candidates to get involved from the outset.\"", "summary": "A police force recruiting for a new deputy chief constable has requested applicants submit a \"selfie\" in order to apply for the role."}
{"article": "It took place in three areas in Deeside on Thursday following complaints that men had been held \"virtual captives\" for up to three years. North Wales Police said the conditions they were living in were \"utterly appalling\". The arrested man is local to the area and will be questioned by detectives. Another man will be \"voluntarily interviewed\" at a later date. Thursday's operation is part of a wider operation which aims to tackle serious and organised crime in north Wales, with a specific focus on human exploitation. Det Ch Insp Neil Harrison said: \"As a result of this morning's operation we have safeguarded, or simply put, freed, at least three people who are now being assessed.\" A firearm, stolen property and a \"significant amount of unaccountable cash\" were also recovered and will form part of the investigation. Ch Supt Sasha Hatchett, who oversaw the operation, said: \"It is sometimes a common misconception that modern slavery is an issue for other parts of the world. \"The reality is that human trafficking exists right here on our doorsteps in communities across north Wales.\"", "summary": "Police have arrested a man for human trafficking offences and taken three people to a \"place of safety\" during a joint operation in Flintshire."}
{"article": "Figures from eight health trusts showed 53,024 people visited between 1 and 25 December, but only 29% needed emergency treatment. Other inappropriate visits during the period included patients with colds or excessive alcohol consumption. Health bosses warned that seriously ill patients could be put at risk. Source: Hospital trusts in the north east The figures were released by hospitals including Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary and Freeman Hospital, Sunderland Royal Hospital, University Hospital of North Durham, Darlington Memorial Hospital and Gateshead's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Speaking on behalf of the hospitals, David Evans, chief executive of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: \"Many of the attendances the region's hospitals are seeing are for common winter illnesses such as bad colds, viruses or stomach bugs, which always circulate in the community at this time of year. \"These are best looked after at home with over the counter medication, plenty of fluids, rest and recuperation - they certainly do not need a trip to A&E.\"", "summary": "People requesting treatment for broken finger nails and toothache at A&E departments in the north east has prompted a warning about misuse."}
{"article": "The Scottish government wants at least 95% of patients seen within that time. A total of 25,066 people presented at A&E, with 454 spending more than eight hours to be seen, admitted then transferred or discharged. Separate statistics showed a slight drop in the number of people delayed in hospital longer than necessary. Delayed discharge, or so-called bed blocking, occurs when care packages are not ready or available within the community. In November 2016, a total of 1,509 people were patients clinically ready to leave hospital but could not. That figure was down from 1,576 the previous month. The A&E performance statistics for the first week of January showed 87.9% of patients were seen and subsequently admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. The figure for the same week last year was 88%. The worst performing hospital was Hairmyres in Lanarkshire where 74.6% of patients were seen within the target. At Scotland's largest hospital , the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, the figure was 74.8% - its worst since the hospital opened in April 2015. Responding to the latest figures, Health Secretary Shona Robison said: \"The figures published today show in the first week of January, our A&E departments performed at the same level as last year - despite seeing an increase in demand. \"While there are undoubtedly seasonal pressures on our frontline healthcare services at the moment, the latest available data shows Scotland's hospitals are performing 10 percentage points better than England's and 15 percentage points better than Wales.\" She added: \"It is also encouraging to see a reduction in the number of bed days lost to delayed discharge in November. \"What these figures show is a 5.1% reduction in bed days associated with delayed discharge in 2016 compared with 2015, while the same period in England experienced a 23% increase.\" The Scottish Conservatives said the A&E statistics showed hospitals across the country were \"struggling to cope with current demand\". The party's health spokesman Donald Cameron said: \"The SNP has been in sole charge for almost a decade, and has no-one else to blame for the state of the NHS in Scotland. \"Simply pointing fingers at health systems elsewhere will not cut it. \"Ministers have to explain why there's no improvement in this performance, and what they intend to do about it.\" Scottish Labour's health spokesman, Anas Sarwar, said the 434 patients a day who \"waited longer than the SNP promised won't be satisfied by the SNP pointing to England\". He added: \"It is painfully clear our NHS staff are struggling to cope with demand, but the SNP slashing budgets will just pile on the pressure. \"Shona Robison admits delayed discharge is the biggest issue facing our health service, and the major reason pressure is piled on A&E departments. \"Yet two years on from promising to abolish it, we still see 1,500 delayed patients in a month and as a result A&E patients waiting too long for treatment.\" Alison Johnstone, health spokeswoman for the Scottish Greens, said it was \"a worry\" that NHS management and government ministers did not appear", "summary": "Just under 88% of patients attending accident and emergency departments in Scotland in the first week of 2017 were seen within four hours."}
{"article": "The latest fighting is reported to be in Boni forest, which straddles the border with Somalia. Three police officers are confirmed dead and one seriously injured, according to a statement released by the Kenyan police. Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility. The Daily Nation newspaper reports that some 200 attackers were involved in the fighting. It quotes a local official as saying that an unknown number of villagers are also missing. A local communication mast has been destroyed, making it hard to get accurate information from the area. Al-Shabab has attacked Kenya several times in recent years.", "summary": "Kenyan security forces have been battling suspected al-Shabab militants for more than 10 hours after they staged a dawn attack on a police post near the coastal town of Lamu."}
{"article": "The Labour-run council has issued \u00a31.3m fines since August when traffic was banned from Coppergate and Lendal Bridge during the day. Last week, a traffic adjudicator ruled the roads did not qualify because bus lanes and signage were inadequate. But James Alexander, the leader of City of York Council, said \"the principle of the trial\" had been right. Residents, tourists and businesses had complained about the restrictions from the outset. Councillor Keith Aspden, Liberal Democrat leader, said: \"It was a botched trial from the start which has made congestion worse and damaged local businesses.\" In a statement on Monday night, Mr Alexander said lawyers had confirmed the implementation of the trial in August \"was legal\". He denied its purpose had been to generate revenue, and said it had been aimed at reducing traffic over the bridge and through the city centre. \"It is clear, however, that the trial has been polarising and we need greater consensus amongst residents and businesses over measures to tackle congestion,\" Mr Alexander said. He said he wanted an independently-chaired cross-party commission to look at the data and come up with more consensual suggestions for tackling congestion.", "summary": "Traffic restrictions on York's Lendal Bridge will be lifted on Saturday, the council has confirmed."}
{"article": "Bedene, 26, played in the competition for Slovenia three times before gaining UK citizenship in March. A Davis Cup rule change now prevents players representing a second country. But the British number two has appealed on the grounds his passport application was lodged before the rule changed at the start of 2015. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) said the hearing of the appeal would be adjourned until the next board meeting on 20-21 March, 2016, to \"ensure the rights of all parties are to be considered\". In a statement, the Lawn Tennis Association said it was disappointed with the decision to postpone the hearing. \"We feel it is important to state that we have complied with the process set forth to us and are working hard to achieve a positive outcome,\" the LTA statement read. Media playback is not supported on this device The adjournment means Bedene will be unable to represent Great Britain in next week's Davis Cup final against Belgium and will also be ineligible for next year's first round, set to be held on 4-6 March. The LTA added that it was in \"everyone's best interest\" that a hearing took place \"ideally\" before the first round of the 2016 Davis Cup. \"We continue to fully support Aljaz in his bid for a successful appeal,\" the LTA said. World number 45 Bedene, who has lived in the UK since 2008, said on Twitter: \"Disappointed that the hearing with the ITF was postponed, I will keep my head held high. Hopefully more positive news are coming in March. Thank you everyone in British tennis for your help.\" Jamie Murray, who has been named on the provisional five-man list for Britain's team, said: \"They've obviously had a lot of time since the previous meeting. I guess for him it's pretty frustrating, a lot of time wasted for a lot of people that put a lot of time into it. But hopefully in March he gets the green light.\" British number one Andy Murray - Jamie's younger brother - will lead Britain's bid for a first Davis Cup title since 1936 when Leon Smith's side take on Belgium in Ghent on 27-29 November. The postponement of the hearing means either James Ward or Kyle Edmund will likely take the second singles spot in the team after they were named in the provisional team. Captain Smith does not have to finalise his four-man line-up until a week on Thursday, and is likely to see how Edmund and Ward perform in practice on clay at the Flanders Expo before making a final decision.", "summary": "Aljaz Bedene will not be eligible to represent Great Britain in the Davis Cup final after the sport's governing body adjourned his appeal until March."}
{"article": "Barely a month after the Champions League final signalled the end of the 2016-17 domestic campaign, the focus is already on the coming season as qualifying for Europe's club competitions started this week. Qualifying for the Champions League is already under way and on Thursday 100 clubs from across the continent take their first steps on the long journey towards Europa League qualification. Several British clubs are involved, including Scottish Premiership side Rangers as they return to European action for the first time in six years. How well do you know some of the more obscure clubs involved, as well as those who play for them? Try our quiz to find out. This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser", "summary": "Football is back."}
{"article": "On Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled that the PSNI was wrong to allow the protests to take place in the city. The court found in favour of a resident who claimed the police failed in its legal duty to stop the parades. Loyalists protested for weeks after Belfast City Council opted not to fly the union flag every day of the year. On Thursday, Mr Hamilton said the Supreme Court ruling against police makes for \"uncomfortable reading\", but that he accepted it. \"I apologise to the residents of Short Strand and to anyone else who was inconvenienced by this parade,\" he said. \"The residents had their rights curtailed as a result of us allowing that parade to go forward, so I acknowledge that we have a job to do in some quarters in terms of regaining trust and confidence.\" Mr Hamilton said that the flag protests had presented a challenging period for the police: \"There were many times when we had 80 to 120 protest sites across Northern Ireland.\" He added that he accepted and respected the Supreme Court judgement. \"It is good, actually, after four years of legal debate and a lot of scrutiny around this to have some judicial clarity,\" he said. \"It is uncomfortable reading in parts for us, but it does bring some clarity to us and we will review how we handle un-notified parades in the future in light of this.\" The ruling also identified the importance of police \"operational discretion\", he said. \"This judgement is not saying that every time there is an un-notified parade, the police should stop it. What it means is that the police have the power to stop it. \"So in some ways it's another tactic for us dealing with this very difficult and unresolved issue in Northern Ireland.\"", "summary": "PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton has apologised to residents in the Short Strand area of Belfast over the handling of the union flag protests."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Dutchman was unhappy at what he saw as an overreaction to challenges from his players. \"I don't like coaches from the bench the whole time shouting to referees and linesmen, making a big show about tackles. They were crazy,\" said Koeman. \"According to their bench, the referee should have shown eight red cards.\" Koeman made it clear he was not referring to counterpart Jurgen Klopp, but some members of the Liverpool staff. Liverpool-Everton games have seen 21 red cards in the Premier League era, more than any other fixture. In a game where goals from Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho and Divock Origi took Liverpool third, four yellow cards were shown. \"Maybe one or two tackles were a little too much. From both sides I saw tackles that were maybe more than a yellow,\" added Koeman, whose side missed the chance to go sixth. \"It's all about football, but we don't make a show from the bench like Liverpool. It's football - a hard and fair game. Liverpool boss Klopp did not respond directly to Koeman's comments, but was asked about a challenge by Ross Barkley and Dejan Lovren, where the Everton midfielder made heavy contact with home defender's ankle. \"I'm still a kind of a guest in this country,\" said the German. \"How can I decide what is OK and what is not OK? My opinion is that the players should leave the pitch healthy and fit but not injured. \"It's not my job to judge it. If you saw something - say it. If not be quiet.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Liverpool did suffer the loss of Mane early in the second half, the forward falling awkwardly after trying to win the ball from Leighton Baines. The 24-year-old former Southampton man injured his left leg and is likely to miss the midweek visit of Bournemouth. \"When I saw him in the dressing room, it didn't look like he'll be ready for Wednesday,\" said Klopp. \"Obviously he has pain and it didn't look like it's only a knock or a muscle or something, but we have to wait. \"When I came in I was looking for him immediately and I saw him on the bed. He'd already had treatment, and it didn't look like he felt really comfortable.\"", "summary": "Everton manager Ronald Koeman criticised some members of the Liverpool coaching staff following the Reds' 3-1 win at Anfield on Saturday."}
{"article": "The body of Lorraine McCausland, a mother-of-two, was found beside a stream in Forthriver on 8 March 1987. The 23-year-old had been for a night out and was last seen in a loyalist club at Tyndale. Police believe she was raped in the club before she was \"savagely beaten\" and her body dumped. Det Insp Michelle Griffin said: \"The investigation is being re-opened because, having reviewed the case, police believe there are potential new lines of enquiry. Family hopeful police will secure convictions \"This was a merciless beating of a vulnerable young woman. It has had a profound effect on her family. \"It would also have had a lasting impact on the people who witnessed these events 29 years ago. \"The people involved in this attack are still at large.\" Police said they would be distributing leaflets in the area to highlight the reinvestigation and appealed for people to come forward with information. \"I am appealing to anyone who was in the club on the night of Saturday 7 and the early hours of Sunday 8 March 1987. \"It's a long time ago but I'm sure everyone who was there still carries those memories. They will probably never leave them.\" Det Insp Griffin said Lorraine was a \"popular member\" of the local community. \"She had worked as a stitcher and then in her sister's mobile shop,\" she said. \"Everybody in the area knew Lorraine and liked her for her personality and kindness.\" The officer said some people had been \"reluctant to assist\" the police investigation. \"The shadow of loyalist paramilitarism hangs over this case. I believe people have been reluctant to tell the truth about that night, what they saw and heard, what they know, because they are frightened. \"I understand their fear but I believe there are ways of dealing with this and providing a mechanism to enable people to come forward and tell us what they know about the events of that night so that we can get justice for Lorraine and her family.\" Police said 14 people were arrested during the original investigation but no-one was charged. Detectives conducted 29 searches and took more than 100 witness statements. Lorraine McCausland's son, who was aged just two, when she was killed, was murdered 18 years later in July 2005. Craig McCausland died after being shot in Dhu Varren Park in north Belfast and the killing was blamed on tensions within loyalism by police.", "summary": "Police have re-opened an investigation into the murder of a woman in north Belfast almost 30 years ago."}
{"article": "Don and Maxine Simpson from Bakersfield, California, died four hours apart on adjoining beds, holding hands during some of their final hours. Melissa Sloan said her grandmother died first and when her body was removed from the room, her husband followed. \"All Don wanted was to be with his beautiful wife. He adored my grandmother, loved her to the end of the earth,\" she told KERO-TV. He was 90 and she was 87, and they met at a bowling alley in Bakersfield in 1952, getting married in the same year. When civil engineer Don worked for the US Army, the couple spent some time in Germany, where they adopted twin 18-month-old boys from an orphanage. They returned to Bakersfield, where she worked as a nurse and he owned his own engineering firm. They are survived by one son and five grandchildren.", "summary": "Even in death, a couple married for nearly 62 years were inseparable."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old Welsh taekwondo athlete says she is determined to defend her title in Rio after her bronze medal at the World Grand Final. Jones says she lacked \"grit\" in her latest event, but feels well-placed to succeed in 2016. \"I'm in a better place than I was going into London. I'm definitely going there to get gold,\" she told BBC Wales Sport. \"I'd be devastated with anything less.\" Jones claimed the -57kg category gold at London 2012 when she was still 19 years old. This year she won the World Grand Prix event in Manchester, but was below par in the final event of the year in Mexico. Jones beat Swede Nikita Glasnovic in the third-place fight-off. \"I'm really disappointed in myself with my performance there,\" she added. \"I know I'm a lot better than how I fought, I think it's just been too many competitions. \"I just didn't get up for it the way I had for the other ones. I'm disappointed at myself because I don't think I went for it as much as I should have.\" However, Jones believes that, after a break, she will be ready to begin serious preparations for her Olympic campaign. \"I'm in a great place for Rio,\" she said. \"I've medalled in every Grand Prix and I'm just getting better and better and I'm world number one going into 2016. \"I'm in a great place to become double Olympic champions. I have to keep going and pushing the boundaries and keep getting better and better.\"", "summary": "Jade Jones says she would be \"devastated\" with anything less than a gold medal from the Rio 2016 Olympics."}
{"article": "Gaioz Nigalidze could face a three-year ban if the complaint against him is upheld. The reigning Georgian national champion was playing Armenian Tigran Petrosian in the sixth round at the Dubai Open. Petrosian alerted officials after noticing that his opponent was visiting the bathroom at regular intervals. Nigalidze was apparently using the same cubicle each time for ten minutes or more, arousing his rival's suspicions. When the player emerged from the toilet, officials discovered a smartphone wrapped in toilet tissue and buried in the bin. \"He denied it was his, but it was logged into his Facebook page and there was a chess program running on it, showing his positions,\" the tournament director Yahya Mohamed Saleh told the BBC from Dubai. The first prize up for grabs at the competition was $12,000 (\u00c2\u00a38,000). Gaioz Nigalidze did not respond to an email request for comment. The Georgian Chess Federation called the incident \"very bad,\" but said it was waiting to hear the player's side of the story before passing judgement. \"He is very talented,\" Sofiya Nikoladze told the BBC. \"He's a very nice young man and I would never have thought he could do such a thing,\" she said of the 26 year old, who is ranked 400th in the world. . It is the first case of a grandmaster being referred to the International Chess Federation (FIDE) since it established an Anti-Cheating Commission last year. Describing the problem in chess as \"high-tech doping,\" officials say they have increased their efforts to stamp it out. As computers have become more discreet and more powerful, FIDE has begun deploying metal detectors, blocking devices and carrying out random inspections of players to prevent their use at competitions. In 2008, before smartphones became widespread, an Iranian player was banned from the Dubai Open for taking tips via text message. Today, cheating is relatively rare at the top level but lesser players have been known to hide electronic devices in their socks and shoes, and even inside their ears. As a result, arbiters are now permitted to search competitors. Failure to comply can lead to expulsion. \"The problem [of electronic cheating] has increased in the past three or four years, so we've made special efforts to combat it,\" Yuri Garrett, secretary of the Anti-Cheating Commission explains. He says a poor cheat who manages to consult a computer and then makes too many strong moves will easily be spotted; a more intelligent fraudster who only seeks outside help a few times might evade automatic detection. A formal complaint has been sent to the anti-cheating commission at FIDE, which is now investigating. The commission then refers the case to an ethics committee for a ruling. Should it confirm that Gaioz Nigalidze was using a computer to help his game in Dubai, the Georgian will be penalised with a lengthy ban from chess. That would make the decision to cheat the worst move of his career.", "summary": "A chess grandmaster has been expelled from an international tournament after he was discovered using a smartphone in the toilet to check his moves."}
{"article": "The bill against the practice, which aims to \"cure\" a non-heterosexual person of their sexuality, was voted through unanimously. Under the new law, anyone who tries to \"change, repress or eliminate a person's sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression\" will be fined or even jailed. Professionals will face heftier fines of up to 10,000 euros (\u00c2\u00a38,450/$10,700). They could also be jailed for up to a year, according to Malta Today. The bill also enshrines in law that \"no sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression constitutes a disorder, disease or shortcoming of any sort\". Malta was named the best European country for LGBT rights by advocacy group ILGA-Europe in 2015. Gay conversion therapy has increasingly come under the spotlight in recent years, but remains more popular in the US than in Europe. Its supporters claim it uses standard psycho-therapeutic and counselling techniques so people can change or reduce their \"homosexual tendencies\" of their own free will. But the World Psychiatric Association has denounced the practice as unethical, unscientific and harmful to those who undergo it. Two years ago, NHS England and the Royal College of Psychiatrists - along with 12 other organisations in the UK - signed an agreement which called it \"potentially harmful and unethical\". It has also been banned on minors in several places in the US, including California and Illinois.", "summary": "Malta has become the first European country to ban gay conversion therapy."}
{"article": "Southampton's second 13-mile event was held on Sunday and attracted more than 6,000 runners. Race director Chris Rees said there was \"definitely a demand\" for a 26.2-mile (42km) run at next year's event and one could be formally announced by the autumn. More than 500 people responded to the suggestion on social media, he added. Southampton City Council has said it cannot \"offer any comment at this early stage\", but added it was \"delighted\" by the recent successes of the half marathon. The inaugural Southampton half-marathon was held last April, along a route that passes many of the city's landmarks, including the Bargate, St Mary's Stadium and Itchen Bridge. Organisers said most people who had responded to the suggestion of a full marathon favoured a separate 26-mile route, rather than the idea of running the 13-mile route twice. Mr Rees said: \"This weekend showed how much the city embraces and enjoys running so it would be great to have a marathon in the city - it just has to be done right. \"We've got a couple of ideas and proposals and we want to work with the council, runners and community groups and residents to make sure they are all backing the event.\"", "summary": "Organisers of the Southampton half marathon have said they would like to introduce a full marathon to the city."}
{"article": "Jume Tahir, 74, was reportedly stabbed after he led early morning prayers at the Id Kah mosque on Wednesday. His killing came two days after dozens of people were reportedly killed or injured in clashes with police in Yarkant county, in the same prefecture. The reasons for his death remain unclear. But the BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Beijing says Mr Tahir, who was from Xinjiang's mainly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority, was a vocal and public supporter of Chinese policies in the region. Radio Free Asia quoted an unnamed shopowner near Id Kah as saying he saw a body lying in a pool of blood front of the mosque in the morning and police clearing a huge crowd that had gathered. He was told the body was that of Mr Tahir. A hasty burial was conducted by the late afternoon and the funeral procession was heavily guarded by military and police, according to The Los Angeles Times . Shortly after his death, police sealed off roads in and out of Kashgar and cut internet and text messaging links to other parts of China. Those restrictions have since been lifted. Mr Tahir was appointed imam of the 600-year-old mosque by China's ruling Communist Party. Some say he was deeply unpopular among many Uighurs who disliked the fact that he praised Communist Party policies while preaching in his mosque. He had also echoed the official government line that blamed the rising level of violence in Xinjiang on Uighur separatists and extremists, says our correspondent. On Monday, a knife-wielding gang attacked a police station and government offices triggering clashes that killed \"dozens\" of Uighur and Han Chinese civilians, according to state media outlet Xinhua. But activists disputed this account and said that local Uighurs were protesting against a Chinese crackdown on the observance of Ramadan, which ended on Monday. Reports surfaced earlier this month that some government departments in Xinjiang were banning Muslim staff from fasting during Ramadan, and several university students told the BBC that they were being forced to have meals with professors. There has been an upsurge in Xinjiang-linked violence that authorities have attributed to Uighur separatists. In May at least 31 people were killed when two cars crashed through an Urumqi market and explosives were thrown. In March, a mass stabbing at Kunming railway station killed 29 people. In response Chinese authorities have launched a year-long security campaign which includes increased police and troop presence in key cities and towns in Xinjiang. Scores of people have been arrested, and some sentenced to lengthy jail terms or death.", "summary": "The imam of China's largest mosque - in the city of Kashgar in Xinjiang - has been killed in what appears to be a targeted assassination."}
{"article": "A study, published in the journal Nature, showed that mice spending pregnancy in complete darkness had babies with altered eye development. It indicated tiny quantities of light were needed to control blood vessel growth in the eye. The researchers hope the findings will aid understanding of eye disorders. If you could journey inside a mouse or a person, there would not be enough light to see. However, tiny quantities of light do pass through the body. This effect has already been used to film an infection spreading through the body. Now scientists - at the University of California, San Francisco, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center - believe that body-penetrating light can alter the development of the eye, at least in mice. Normally, a network of blood vessels known as the hyaloid vasculature is formed to help nourish the retina as it is constructed. However, the blood vessels would disrupt sight if they remained, so they are later removed - like scaffolding from a finished building. The researchers said this did not happen when the pregnancy was spent in total darkness. The critical period was around 16 days - which is very late in mouse gestation, but corresponds to the first trimester in people. \"It's not something subtle here, it's a major effect on the way the retina develops that requires light going through the body,\" said Prof Richard Lang, from Cincinnati Children's Hospital. He said it was a \"huge surprise\" that this was happening. The researchers hope their findings may aid understanding of human diseases of the eye, as many are down to blood vessels. Some babies born prematurely develop \"retinopathy of prematurity\", when the blood vessels in the eye grow abnormally resulting in damage to the retina and a loss of vision. Prof Lang said: \"In retinopathy of prematurity there is overgrowth of blood vessels and that's what you see in these mice.\" The researchers showed that light was activating in the mice a protein, melanopsin, which also has a role in regulating the body clock, and is present in people. However, whether the same processes take place in people or other animals is unknown. Prof Robin Ali, from University College London, said it was a \"fascinating study\". He said more research was still needed, but the findings may lead to considerations of light levels during pregnancy and efforts to grow retinas in the laboratory. He said: \"It gives us a whole new aspect to consider in in the development of the retina. \"It illustrates how much we've yet to understand about the eye.\"", "summary": "Light passing through the body and into the womb has an important role in the developing eye, US researchers have discovered."}
{"article": "The families of six of the eight men who drafted the original 13 laws of Association Football were tracked down on behalf of the Football Association. They have travelled from as far away as Washington DC, Chicago and Auckland, as well as Lancashire and London. The event starts a week of celebrations to mark the FA's 150th birthday. The FA said little was known about Ebenezer Morley, Arthur Pember, Charles William Alcock, Francis Maule Campbell, John Forster Alcock, Herbert Thomas Steward, George Twizell Wawn and James Turner, who formed the FA in 1863. Mr Morley, a London solicitor who formed Barnes Football Club in 1862, wrote to popular newspaper Bell's Life suggesting that football should have one set of rules to end disputes about how the game should be played. He said football should follow the example of cricket, whose rules were set by the Marylebone Cricket Club. Mr Morley's letter led to the first meeting between the men at the Freemasons' Tavern in Great Queen Street, where the FA was formed on 26 October 1863. Mr Morley was not represented as his family tree ended upon his death in 1924. However, 16 relatives of six of the other men were expected to attend following a four-month search led by cultural historian Dr Jane Clayton, of the International Football Institute at the University of Central Lancashire. It was also discovered that the family tree of Mr Pember crossed with that of another figure of huge historical and cultural significance, Charles Darwin. In 1925 Mr Pember's great-niece married the evolutionary theorist's grandson, Charles Galton Darwin. Dr Clayton said: \"For the search to have been so successful is incredibly pleasing as, from a historical perspective, we now know a lot more about a number of the men that created the most popular sport in the world 150 years ago.\" Alex Horne, general secretary of the FA, said: \"In terms of historical significance, the eight founding fathers of football should be placed alongside other great pioneers of this nation. \"The game has become a focal point of the lives of nearly every household in England since it was formed, so to now understand more about the history of these men is incredibly important.\"", "summary": "Descendants of the founding fathers of football have attended a ceremony at Wembley Stadium as a blue plaque was unveiled in their honour."}
{"article": "It emerged this week at the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry that Garda\u00ed (Irish police) knew Smyth was a paedophile as far back as 1973. Smyth continued to abuse for more than 20 years, until he was jailed in 1994. Both the main opposition party, Fianna F\u00e1il, and Sinn F\u00e9in have called on the government to take action on the case. Sinn Fein has urged Dublin ministers to set-up an independent judicial review into the HIA revelations. Fianna F\u00e1il's justice spokesperson, Niall Collins, urged the Irish minister for justice and the head of the police to set up a \"mechanism\" to address concerns that state agencies failed to act to protect Smyth's victims. Mr Collins said: \"Along with the rest of the country, I have watched with growing dismay and disgust as further details of Brendan Smyth's abuse has been laid bare in the hearings in Banbridge. \"The absolute priority of the Irish state needs to be his victims and ensuring they get the support that they are entitled to.\" The Fianna F\u00e1il member added \"I have today written to the Garda [police] commissioner and minister for justice and called on them to come forward with a proposed mechanism, at the earliest possible opportunity, to address the concerns of the victims following the revelations that the state appears to have been made aware of the child abuse allegations against Brendan Smyth in 1973 but failed to take action against him until 1994.\" Sinn Fein's justice spokesman, P\u00e1draigh Mac Lochlainn, said \"This is particularly disturbing because it's those that we trust to protect our society and to look after out laws. \"So, it's particularly serious when it's the Garda Sioch\u00e1na and that's why it needs a serious response from government.\" Referring to the HIA inquiry, Mr Mc Lochlainn added: \"It is essential that the Irish government assist and complement, in their response, what is taking place in the North.\" In a statement on Friday evening, a spokesman for the Department of Justice in Dublin said \"The process which is under way in Northern Ireland in relation to historical abuse is ongoing and any conclusions or findings of relevance to this jurisdiction will be studied as and when they are made, taking into account in particular the historical inquiries which have already been carried out in this jurisdiction.\" Meanwhile, a man who was sexually abused as a teenager by Fr Brendan Smyth has said Irish police must be held responsible for the abuse he suffered in the 1970s. Brendan Boland said: \"[Garda\u00ed] are equally as responsible as the Catholic Church because they chose not to prosecute him.\" Belfast-born Smyth was eventually convicted of more than 100 indecent assaults against children, in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.", "summary": "The Irish government is facing calls to respond to revelations that police failed to prosecute the paedophile priest, Brendan Smyth, in the 1970s."}
{"article": "The Frenchman arrived as a relative unknown in England, plucked from Japanese side Nagoya Grampus Eight to become only the third foreign manager to take charge of a Premier League club. After more than two decades at Arsenal, 16 trophies, a new stadium and almost \u00a3700m spent on players, the longest-serving - and most successful - overseas manager this country has known has agreed to stay on. To some, he is responsible for transforming the English game - \"a great visionary\", according to his former defender Martin Keown. To others, including the many Arsenal fans who demonstrated against him, his initial success petered out and he will be judged on a run of 13 years without a league title. So as Wenger now prepares for another season at the Emirates, how does his record stand up? A Premier League and FA Cup double in his first full season, a second double four years later and a team which went an entire season unbeaten - the first half of Wenger's reign hinted at greatness. After his first 10 years at Arsenal, Wenger had amassed three league titles and four FA Cups, putting him on course to rival the trophy hauls of the most successful managers English football has known. But a relatively barren second half of his tenure means Wenger stands third when judging post-war managers by trophies won. He can claim to be the most successful foreign manager in English football's history. But for how long, now that bitter rival Jose Mourinho is back in the winning groove at Manchester United? Up until this season, Arsenal had finished in the top four in every one of Wenger's 20 seasons in charge, a feat no other club had managed during that time. And that partly explains why, during this period, the Gunners' four major competitors (Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United) have had a combined 42 managers. That ability to guarantee Champions League qualification held plenty of sway with the club's board, with all the financial benefits that come with being in Europe's premier cup competition. But at times that consistency has masked a lack of competitiveness in the title race. Wenger's suggestion in 2012, following an FA Cup fifth-round exit at Sunderland, that finishing fourth was as good as a trophy - \"the first trophy is to finish in the top four\" - has come to be viewed as characteristic of a club that can - at the moment - no longer be considered genuine title challengers. Indeed, in 11 of his past 13 seasons, Arsenal were 10 or more points adrift of the champions. Despite getting them into the Champions League with remarkable regularity, the major omission from Wenger's Arsenal CV to date is a European trophy. Although he has won seven of 12 finals as Gunners boss, none have come in European competition. He guided the club to the Champions League final in 2006, when his 10 men were 14 minutes from beating Barcelona before two late goals ended their hopes. And that has been as good as it", "summary": "Arsene Wenger's 21-year reign as Arsenal manager will continue - after he agreed a new two-year contract."}
{"article": "McCarron picked up a hamstring injury in training, while McMahon is struggling with a quad injury which has been slow to respond to treatment. Both are rated extremely doubtful for the first round tie, a repeat of last year's quarter-final, which Tyrone won. Conor Meyler has recovered from a hamstring injury and is set to start. McMahon's injury has kept him out of his last five club games and he is unlikely to feature as the Red Hands begin the defence of their provincial title against the Oak Leafers. \"Cathal McCarron has picked up a hamstring injury which is concerning, because it only happened about a week ago,\" said manager Mickey Harte. \"He has had a good couple of years for us and has a lot of ability in that sector of the field. \"Justin has picked up a lot of niggly injuries throughout his career. He has quad injury at the minute and has had it for four or five weeks. \"He's so versatile and so capable, and it's unfortunate, but we still have a lot of good players in the squad, a lot of versatile players.\"", "summary": "Tyrone look set to be without key defenders Cathal McCarron and Justin McMahon for their Ulster SFC opener against Derry at Celtic Park on 28 May."}
{"article": "The Swansea boxer's chance comes at Bethnal Green's York Hall on Saturday, 24 February. Harris' father Peter was a British champion and Harris, who trains with Gary Lockett, is looking to follow in his footsteps. \"To be fighting for a title in just my 10th fight is huge for me,\" he said. \"I'm determined to become the Commonwealth champion.\" Find out how to get into boxing with our special guide.", "summary": "Welsh boxer Jay Harris will challenge Thomas Essomba for the Commonwealth flyweight title in just his 10th professional fight."}
{"article": "The authority has reduced the frequency of grass cutting to save money. But it has led to complaints from residents, with the overgrowth said to be \"destroying\" people's final resting places. The council said it has brought forward its next scheduled cut in many locations. Councillor Dilwyn Lloyd has received complaints about a park in his ward of Talysarn. He said the long grass posed a risk to the public. Meanwhile, Nerys Owen-Jones recently visited her mother's grave at Coetmor cemetery in Bethesda and was \"deeply saddened\" by what she saw. \"I drove up to my mum who thankfully has my father maintaining her plot, but apart from a few others, it's all overgrown,\" she said. \"There are a few there that I know will never be looked after as there are no children and the wives/husbands are not capable. \"It's so very sad that your last resting place ends up under council cutbacks and the visiting place for families is destroyed.\" She added: \"The grass cutting service needs to be reinstated immediately. It's a disgrace.\" In March Gwynedd council approved a programme of service cuts totalling \u00c2\u00a34.94m. It included an option to reduce the frequency of grass cutting. A council spokesman said: \"It must unfortunately be accepted that less frequent grass cutting will inevitably lead to a deterioration in the tidiness of some areas during certain times of the year. \"However, the very recent spate of growth means that the council has brought forward the next scheduled cut in may locations throughout the county, and this work is being carried out as quickly as possible.\"", "summary": "Gwynedd council has been criticised for not cutting the grass in its cemeteries, play areas and open spaces."}
{"article": "Visitors will be shown updates from authorities, news articles, emergency telephone numbers and other useful information in a single place. The SOS Alerts facility can also be set to trigger mobile notifications to those nearby to affected locations. However, Google is still seeking partners to improve the service. The initiative builds on earlier emergency response efforts from the US firm, including its Person Finder and Crisis Map tools. But this time, rather than requiring users to go to special sections of its site, SOS Alerts attempts to bring key information about incidents directly into two of Google's most used services. When activated, the Maps tool reveals, among other things, areas that should be avoided, which roads have been closed and places users can seek refuge. Data gathered from the firm's crowdsourced Waze mapping platform also makes it possible to see where traffic jams, accidents and other problems have been reported by the public. The level of detail shown within the Search tool depends on whether the person carrying out the query is close to the incident. If nearby, they are presented with links to official alerts, tweets from first responders, and useful short phrases in the local language. Those searching from afar are shown less detail unless they click for more information, but they may also be told how to make donations to charities involved in clean-up operations, if Google believes it to be appropriate. \"In situations of crisis, the need for information is crucial,\" Yossi Matias, the firm's vice-president of engineering, told the BBC. \"People need to know what's going on - anything that may be related to their safety, or any action they should be taking.\" He added that Google had set up a dedicated team to decide which events warranted an SOS Alert, but declined to reveal how many people had been assigned to it. Facebook - which offers a parallel service to let members in the vicinity of a disaster tell friends they are safe - has at times been criticised for activating it under \"inappropriate\" circumstances. Google has joined forces with government bodies, the Red Cross and various weather-forecasting organisations to help provide SOS Alerts in 12 countries. They include local organisations in the US, Japan, the Philippines, Australia and Canada. But it has yet to secure partners in the UK and other European nations. SOS Alerts will still cover events there, but will contain less information as a consequence until information-sharing arrangements are struck. \"In times of crisis, more and more people are turning to online sources of information to find out what to do,\" Omar Abou-Samra from the International Federation of Red Cross told the BBC. \"Designed to be shared in tandem with public alerts, the service provides localised lifesaving information that people can immediately act on to protect themselves and their families.\"", "summary": "Google has begun rounding up information about unfolding natural disasters, terrorism and other crises within its Search and Maps tools."}
{"article": "Retirement is an ever receding distant dream - probably just as well, as the pension is probably more likely to cover a week in Southend rather than a grand world tour. Then there's the always present danger that if your manager isn't replaced by a machine, you may well be. But that's not the whole picture - technology can be the great leveller, a transformational entity that could alter society and the future workplace for the better. So which is it - shiny tech-driven utopia, or something more reminiscent of Bladerunner? To round off a month looking at the future of work, I spoke to several experts who have contributed to technology of business over the past few years and found out if they had changed their view of the future. I'm not sure my vision of the future of work has changed much per se, not in a visible way at least. My hope remains that technology will increasingly afford greater freedom in where, when and how we work. But, I think that the biggest change that is yet to come lies with how companies address the cultural and organisational challenges. These must be overcome, in order for the incredible opportunities that are offered by transformational technologies to be able to take effect. The success of the future of work will come down to one thing. People. It will be the extent to which the people are engaged with the \"purpose\" of their organisation that will dictate the success or failure of that organisation in the future. Engaged employees embrace change, they look for growth and learning in all they do and best of all they unleash the full potential of new technology. They do this by using it to find new ways of working rather than simply making the old ways of working happen a bit quicker. In ten years' time, I hope we will have broken free of many of the physical ties of our current working world. I hope that employees, engaged and empowered with the purpose of their organisation, will use the incredible advances offered by new forms of interaction, like holograms and displays that offer \"high empathy presence\" where more of our body language can be conveyed to enable us to collaborate more effectively wherever we are. It would be foolish to think that any of this would replace the pleasure or efficiency of being there face to face. But ultimately it provides a greater degree of choice and a greater range of people with whom we can connect and collaborate to deliver a better outcome for ourselves and our organisations. To an extent, we should be worried about [being replaced by machines], as being worried should mean that we take the opportunity of the rising power and automation of the machines seriously and seek to use it to ensure a better outcome for our society. But we should never be thinking in terms of humans versus machines, and rather of humans plus machines. Our future has always relied on our ability to use the potential", "summary": "For the workers of today, the future can look bleak."}
{"article": "Aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has imposed new restrictions on airshows in the wake of the disaster - one of the worst of its kind in recent years. The Shoreham Airshow takes place annually at Shoreham Airport in West Sussex and is run by the Royal Air Force Association (RAFA). Some 50 aircraft, including many classic jets, were scheduled to take to the skies for display flights during the two-day event. Among them was a vintage Hawker Hunter jet, flown by pilot Andy Hill. Eyewitnesses say the plane had just begun its flight and was performing a loop when it failed to pull out of the manoeuvre and crashed into traffic on a busy main road, the A27, at about 13:20 BST. Footage captured by spectators at the airshow and nearby motorists showed a large fireball engulf the area. A major incident was declared, with one of the paramedics describing it as a scene of \"utter devastation\". 'Like a bomb exploding' - eyewitness accounts It is not yet clear what caused the crash, but eyewitnesses said the aircraft appeared to come out of the loop manoeuvre \"too low\". Shoreham resident Dave Penwarden, 51, saw the plane explode. \"It just didn't seem to have enough speed to come out of the loop, instead of powering out it dropped too fast and hit the ground.\" Pilot Darren Sharp, who was a spectator at the event, told the BBC he believed the pilot had realised he was in trouble and made a \"brave decision\" to take the plane down away from the airfield where thousands of people were standing. Friend and fellow pilot Neil McCarthy said he believed Mr Hill had \"the experience to roll out of the manoeuvre at the top and not complete it\" if he lacked enough height. \"The height looked high enough to me,\" he said. \"But so many things can go wrong, there can be bird strikes, engine failure, an engine fire, there could be all sorts.\" The Hawker Hunter was a mainstay of the RAF through the 1950s and early 1960s. First flown in 1951, the single-seat plane was used as a fighter, fighter-bomber for reconnaissance and for aerobatics. There was also a two-seat trainer version, which served with many other air forces. Neil McCarthy said the precise type of aircraft was a 1950s Hawker Hunter T7, of which there were \"probably only five flying at the minute\", with Mr Hill one of only about six pilots who could fly it. The RAFA says all air display arrangements, including the pilots and aircraft, must meet rigorous Civil Aviation Authority safety requirements and are regularly reviewed to ensure they provide the highest possible levels of protection. Andy Hill, 51, from Sandon, near Buntingford in Hertfordshire, is a former RAF instructor and British Airways pilot. He is also an experienced aerobatic stunt flyer who has performed at shows up and down the country. Mr Hill was pulled from the burning wreckage, with multiple injuries. He was placed in a medically-induced coma and is now in a critical but stable", "summary": "At least 11 people were killed when a Hawker Hunter jet crashed on to the A27 during a display at the Shoreham Airshow."}
{"article": "The grant will see the Penleaze Wing at Highcliffe Castle, near Christchurch restored and reopened to the public. The work is one of the final stages to repair the whole of the Grade I listed building. The house, owned and run by Christchurch Borough Council was mostly destroyed by a fire in the 1950s. Nerys Watts, from the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: \"These exciting plans mean that the last piece in the conservation jigsaw can be put in place at Lord Stuart de Rothesay's fantasy house.\" Once the work is completed, it is hoped the original furniture, currently held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, will be loaned back. The exterior of the building was restored following a Heritage Lottery Fund grant in 1995. The castle was built in the 1830s by Lord Stuart de Rothesay and was once home to retail magnate Harry Gordon Selfridge, who lived at the castle between 1916 and 1922.", "summary": "Plans to repair a derelict wing at a cliff-top mansion in Dorset have been boosted by \u00a32,829,700 of Heritage Lottery Funding."}
{"article": "The 37-year-old, who set a new lap record of 134.089mph at the Ulster Grand Prix in August, will also race in the British Superstock 1000cc series. The Bingley rider won Superstock races at the North West 200, TT and Ulster GP this year. He was also a double winner in the Superbike class at Dundrod on his BMW. The Yorkshireman finished second in this season's British Superstock 1000cc series. Hutchinson is also set to continue to compete in the Supersport class, in which he has enjoyed substantial success with Keith Flint's Team Traction Control Yamaha outfit in recent years. A hat-trick hero at this year's TT and a four-time winner at this year's Ulster Grand Prix, Hutchinson has set his sights on further improvement next year. He finished second to Michael Dunlop in both the Superbike and Senior TTs in 2016, \"Having now worked together for a season, we know where we need to improve with the obvious goal, to go on now and challenge for the Superbike wins at all of the big three internationals,\" said Hutchinson. \"The BMW S1000RR still has so much potential in Superbike trim on the roads and with another season of British Superstock planned, the aim there will be to go one step better and win the championship next season.\" \"Hutchy did a great job for us this season and whether it was in British championship or the roads, he was always in contentions for wins and podiums and provided both our sponsors and fans with a lot of entertainment,\" added team owner Hector Neill. \"His international hat-trick in the Superstock class and his terrific season in British Superstock proved how well he got on with the Tyco BMW, and to go on and take the world's fastest track lap record at Dundrod was the icing on the cake. \"The goal going forward is to build on that success and I've never hidden the fact that the Senior TT trophy is the one we really want to win in 2017. It's the blue-riband road race on the season's calendar, and along with Hutchy and our dedicated team we will be giving it our very best shot.\"", "summary": "Fourteen-time Isle of Man TT winner Ian Hutchinson is to stay with the Northern Ireland-based Tyco BMW team for the 2017 international road racing season."}
{"article": "The German and Italian tourists and 16 members of a fishing boat's crew were intercepted after leaving the Maldives. One minister said they were sailing to Diego Garcia, a British-controlled atoll that hosts a US military base. One of the tourists said the claims they were going to Diego Garcia were \"absolutely ridiculous\". Giorgio Rosi Belliere, an Italian businessman on board the boat, said they were on a whale watching tour and were not travelling to the atoll, some 750km (470 miles) away. \"We have done nothing wrong,\" he told the Maldives' Minivan News. The Maldives Minister for Defence, Mohammed Zuhair, said the crew had failed to comply with international and local law on leaving the Maldives. The Haveeru Online news site said the crew had not brought their passports, even though they were in international waters. There are conflicting reports as to whether those on board were arrested. Minivan News said they had all now been barred from leaving the Maldives. Diego Garcia is a highly-guarded military base once used for bombing raids on Iraq and Afghanistan. In January, a former senior official in the George W Bush administration said the US government carried out interrogations of terror suspects at the base.", "summary": "The Maldives military says it stopped seven tourists it claims were sailing to a highly-guarded US military base in the Indian Ocean."}
{"article": "Bigamist Pierre Legris is accused of killing Rui Li, 44, who was found dead in Bournemouth, Dorset, on 30 May. Her daughter Lu Yao, 19, told police her mother was concerned she might be pushed off a mountain during one of the couple's regular climbing trips. French national Mr Legris, 61, denies murdering his wife. The prosecution alleges Rui Li, a Chinese national who moved to the UK in 2003, was bludgeoned to death by Legris as part of a conspiracy that also involved his other wife Irene Smith and son Jonathan Legris. Winchester Crown Court heard interviews between Lu Yao and police in which she said her mother and Pierre Legris, also known as Alain Baron, often went climbing and hiking, including on trips abroad. Lu Yao, a daughter from a previous marriage, told police her mother had given her a will, which said: \"If Pierre kills me you get all the money and you get all the property.\" She told her it was a worse case scenario, Lu Yao said. The prosecution alleges Mr Legris killed Ms Li because his finances had become \"desperate\" and he wanted to cash in on his wife's \u00c2\u00a3300,000 life insurance policy. The court heard Lu Yao told officers she had tried to phone and text her mother in the days after she had reported her missing. But instead she was sent a text from Rui Li's phone by Legris, who said he had found it at a property she owned in Wolverton Road, Bournemouth. He had explained her disappearance by saying she was working, the jury heard. Rui Li's body was found in the boot of a car in Verwood Crescent, a week after she went missing. Irene Smith and Jonathan Legris deny conspiracy to murder. Jonathan Legris also denies assisting an offender and Ms Smith denies perverting the course of justice. Before the start of the trial, Pierre Legris pleaded guilty to an offence of bigamy by marrying Ms Li in 2007 when he had been married to Ms Smith since 1987. The court has previously heard Ms Li ran a massage service, which \"on occasion\" provided \"sexual services\". The defence's case is that a disgruntled customer may have followed Rui Li home and murdered her.", "summary": "A nurse who was allegedly murdered for her life insurance policy gave her daughter a will in case she was killed, a court has heard."}
{"article": "It's letting you search for every public tweet since its creation in 2006, roughly half a trillion posts. On the one hand, it could be seen as a helpful and extensive tool for information. On the other, it could flag up any user who may have forgotten about a potentially embarrassing post from their distant past. In theory, it means anyone can look back at your FULL tweet history. If you so wished, you could go back to the beginning of your timeline and see just how mundane - or thrilling - your early tweets were. Perhaps more interestingly, you can search through your friends entire history, as long as they were posting publicly. In a blog post which explains the complexities of its update, Twitter's said the new search service has been several years in the making. Before, the search would give you a limited amount of results, with a focus on an individual's recent history or the recent appearance of a hashtag. The advanced search has been expanded, offering you the chance to look back through a specific time period, with specific words or for a specific user. If, for example, you search for a hashtag it will eventually start giving you the results it thinks are most relevant from its entire history in the 'top' tab, instead of the 'all' tab next to it. You can now search for the earliest times a certain phrase or word was mentioned on Twitter. The same goes for tracking a certain hashtag. For example, did you know that Chris Messina, a former Google executive, was the first person to start using hashtags on Twitter back in 2007? He's also the first person to have ever posted #justsayin. The first time the word 'totes' was used on Twitter was in 2006, four years before it came to prominence in TOWIE. Because of the size of the database, it takes an effort to go through every mention of One Direction, Katy Perry or Rihanna. It's handy though for uber fans wanting to know exactly when and where their idols were in their early days. For some, the prospect of a boss or parents looking back through your entire history with relative ease may fill some people with dread. However, the tools were already in place to delete past tweets through Twitter itself and third party sites. Twitter allows you to request your full Twitter history in which you can search for anything you don't want to be seen publicly anymore. The new search will be rolled out to all users in the coming days. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Twitter's rolling out a feature which could instil fear into your social media hearts."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Three years on they are about to compete in this year's Olympic Games. They are two of the 10 athletes who are refugees that have been selected for the Team of Refugee Olympic Athletes (ROA) by the International Olympic Committee in recognition of the worldwide refugee crisis. In the first of a series of portraits, we bring you their story.", "summary": "Popole Misenga and Yolande Mabika, two judoka from the Democratic Republic of Congo, sought asylum in Brazil during the 2013 World Judo Championships in Rio."}
{"article": "Twenty others were also affected after a hot tub on display at JTF warehouse in Stoke-on-Trent exposed people to harmful levels of Legionella bacteria. Richard Griffin, Harry Cadman, 71, from Stoke-on-Trent and William Hammersley, 79, Chesterton died in 2012. JTF will be sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on Monday. It admitted failing to ensure the safety of employees and customers under the Health and Safety at Work Act. More updates on this story Not guilty verdicts on two corporate manslaughter charges were accept by the judge at Stafford Crown Court and three other health and safety charges were allowed to lie on file. A report by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in 2012 said the hot tub was the probable source of the \"significant\" outbreak. In 2015, it emerged that more than \u00a3200,000 has been awarded to families after the deaths. Mr Griffin, 64, contracted the disease while delivering meat to a caf\u00e9 in the warehouse in Fenton. He initially suffered headaches and hallucinations and later lost consciousness at his home in Clayton. He died in hospital from multiple organ failure. His family said he had never taken a day off sick in 30 years.", "summary": "A firm has admitted a health and safety breach after an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in a hot tub caused the deaths of three men."}
{"article": "The University of East Anglia undergraduate had followed a link to the page from the \"course materials\" for a politics module. It has since removed the link, but said \"legitimate academic study\" was key to countering extremist causes. Police confirmed they spoke to the third-year, but took no further action. \"Officers were satisfied this was not a deliberate act and words of advice were given,\" a spokesman added. The Clash of Fundamentalisms course, which \"examines the clash between competing ideologies of neoliberalism and Islamism\", is available to a maximum of 18 students in the autumn semester. UEA's student newspaper Concrete quoted a \"shocked\" student on the course, who said: \"People need to be allowed to learn about this stuff in order to know they disagree with it.\" In September, a postgraduate student in counter-terrorism received an apology from Staffordshire University after concerns were raised when he was seen reading a book called Terrorism Studies.", "summary": "A student has been questioned by police after accessing an \"extremist\" website found on his course's reading list, it has emerged."}
{"article": "The two-year-old fell from the window at Munchkins Nursery in Shard End, Birmingham, in September 2013. A council spokesman said he was lucky not to have been seriously hurt. The nursery, which has since closed, was charged with health and safety offences by the city council. Owner Suzanne Holmes was fined \u00a32,500 and ordered to pay costs of \u00a314,500. Munchkins had been registered with Ofsted but its licence was suspended shortly after the fall. Councillor Barbara Dring, chair of the licensing and public protection committee, said: \"This little boy is incredibly lucky not to have suffered more serious injuries after falling from a first floor window. \"This awful accident could have been prevented had some inexpensive window restrictors been fitted, or the windows closed in the room.\" Ms Holmes, 62, of Solihull, admitted a charge of failing to discharge her duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.", "summary": "A nursery owner has been ordered to pay \u00a316,500 after a toddler fell from a first-floor window,"}
{"article": "Steel workers at Port Talbot have expressed concerns over the agreement between the company and unions to accept a less generous pension in return for future investment on site. Unions will not make a recommendation to their members on whether to accept or reject the proposal. Tata is consulting staff on moving to the new scheme, calling it essential. It has launched a series of \"roadshows\" for staff to explain what moving from the current final salary pensions will mean for them. The new defined contribution scheme will see 10% paid in by the business and 6% by the employees. Although this is not as generous as current provisions, experts say it is better than many other company schemes. The unions believe the company is responsible for explaining to workers why it thinks the changes are necessary. They say they will not ballot members until Tata has explained all the details. Tata has made it clear the changes are required in order for it to commit to a new package at Port Talbot, including investing \u00c2\u00a31bn over 10 years. There is also a guarantee to keep operating two blast furnaces at the site for five years and to try to avoid compulsory redundancies over the same period. Any extra investment from Tata is also linked to improved productivity and savings at Port Talbot. It is understood many workers are angry the pension proposals are back on the table after Tata was forced to back down from similar plans 18 months ago when unions threatened strike action. There has also been criticism over a lack of detailed information from the company. Steel worker David Edwards, who has worked at the Port Talbot plant for 11 years, said the general mood among workers was \"pretty depressing\". \"The more we seem to be hearing, the more fine print then, it doesn't seem to be as good a deal as it originally sounded like,\" he said. \"The pensions have already been attacked, people have been pushed from working from 60 until 65... now they're coming for the pension again. \"It just seems to be one thing after the other.\" He added: \"People are worried for their future.\" Aberavon councillor Tony Taylor said some workers felt \"railroaded\" by the deal. But he added: \"I think this is the only game in town to be honest and it's given a lifeline of five, seven, 10 years. \"At least it's giving secure long-term jobs and it's going to be a stable industry for that time.\" The steelworkers union, Community, has said there is no better deal on the table from the company. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies called on the first minister to work with Tata and unions and use his influence to help sell the deal to the workforce. Mr Davies said: \"Given that the first minister last week gave his unequivocal backing for the Tata deal in the Assembly chamber, it is now incumbent on him to work with the company and the unions to help sell the deal to the workforce.\"", "summary": "A deal to change Tata's pension scheme has proved harder to sell to staff than was expected, BBC Wales understands."}
{"article": "The Californian rock band were performing when four Islamist militants stormed the Bataclan concert hall on 13 November, killing 89 fans there. The Bataclan has been closed since the attack and the band are playing at the city's Olympia Theatre. The raid on the concert was one of seven co-ordinated attacks across Paris, killing 130 people. Band frontman Jesse Hughes said earlier that, despite the massacre, he had not changed his pro-gun views. In an interview with French news TV news channel iTELE on Monday, Hughes spoke of the \"overwhelming\" support the band had received. \"There's been just such an outpouring of support for us and love for us. It's overwhelming,\" he told presenter Laurence Ferrari. \"I just don't want to let anyone down.\" Crowds of mourners left tributes and messages, including poems, flowers and photos of the victims at the Bataclan and various sites that were targeted across the French capital. Bands, including U2, cancelled their gigs following the attacks as a mark of respect. Ferrari went on to ask if the trauma Hughes and others experienced had changed his views on gun control, Hughes, who has previously declared his support for the right to bear arms in the US, said he believed everyone should be armed. \"I think the only way that my mind has been changed is that maybe until nobody has guns everybody has to have them. \"Because I don't ever want to see anything like this ever happen again and I want everyone to have the best chance to live and I saw people die that maybe could have lived,'' he said. \"I wish I knew for sure if they could have had a better chance because there were some real angels, real wonderful people in that show that aren't alive today and I really wish they were.'' Concert-goers were trapped in the venue before police stormed the building, shooting one gunman dead. Eagles of Death Metal band members were unhurt but a Briton selling merchandise at the gig, was among those killed. In total, 130 people died and 350 were wounded in the attacks that took place across Paris. The band were playing in the French capital as part of a European tour but cut the tour short and returned to the US. Speaking about Tuesday's concert, Hughes told Itele: \"I think that's what we really need to do is just have fun together so that we can put some of this... behind us and really leave it there so it doesn't follow us around for the rest of our lives.\"", "summary": "Eagles of Death Metal have appeared on stage in Paris to \"resume their gig\" three months being attacked there."}
{"article": "7 June 2016 Last updated at 19:29 BST Firefighters pumped water out of several properties in Penicuik and the council said work was ongoing to clear water at Mauricewood Primary School in the town. The Met Office has issued a yellow 'be aware' weather warning covering a band up the middle of Scotland from the Borders to the Highlands.", "summary": "Heavy rain has caused travel problems, flooding a number of routes in the Scottish Borders."}
{"article": "Tom Alexander, who will leave the chief executive role on 31 August, said he wished \"to pursue other interests\". He will be replaced by Olaf Swantee, who is currently executive vice president at France Telecom. Everything Everywhere is a joint venture between Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom. It started operations in May 2010 when the two companies merged their UK operations. Telecoms analysts have questioned whether the merger has been carried out as smoothly as had been intended. Mr Alexander was Everything Everywhere's first chief executive. He had previously held the same position at Orange UK from 2008. \"It's been my privilege to serve Everything Everywhere these past twelve months, and Orange before that,\" he said. \"Olaf will be an excellent chief executive and leader for Everything Everywhere moving forward.\" Mr Alexander will continue in an advisory role at the company until the end of the year. Mr Swantee is already on the board of Everything Everywhere. Prior to joining France Telecom, he worked for computer maker HP. Everything Everywhere is the UK's largest mobile phone network operator, with about 28 million customers across the Orange and T-Mobile brands. It has 16,000 employees and 700 stores. Its number of new contract customers slowed in the first quarter of 2011.", "summary": "The boss of Everything Everywhere, the parent group of UK mobile phone networks Orange and T-Mobile, is standing down for \"personal reasons\"."}
{"article": "He is also a firm believer in the Northern Powerhouse and close relations with China. Both have found themselves under scrutiny since Theresa May became Prime Minister. Lord O'Neill was very much a George Osborne hire. The former chancellor was delighted when he agreed to join the Treasury team. His departure sees the dismantling of another part of the Cameron-Osborne legacy. I doubt Lord O'Neill felt all that comfortable in a May led administration, evidenced by his decision to quit the Conservative whip in the Lords and become a cross bencher. And the Prime Minister has been clear - this is a new chapter in Conservative politics and Lord O'Neill, as anyone who has met him will attest, is not a natural Tory. The fit just wasn't comfortable - particularly when it came to non-Treasury issues like the re-introduction of grammar schools, a policy that Lord O'Neill does not back. Turning to the resignation, I am told that Lord O'Neill was particularly perturbed about the handling of the China issue. At Goldman Sachs, he coined the term BRICS (standing for Brazil, Russia, India, China) to focus minds on where he believed the main drivers of growth would come from in the 21st century. His 30 years in banking certainly made him an expert on China which he travelled to regularly. It wasn't that he was necessarily a supporter of the Hinkley C project. He just felt the way it was handled damaged relationships with this most sensitive of countries. There were reports before the summer that Lord O'Neill was considering his position. But it appears that after a meeting with Nick Timothy, Theresa May's chief of staff, he was reassured enough to remain until at least the completion of the Antimicrobial Resistance Review he was initially brought in to complete for the government. With that issue - and Lord O'Neill's reports - now in the hands of the United Nations, this was a more comfortable departure point. And the government, as Lord O'Neill says in his resignation letter, has at least made some commitments to the continuation of the \"golden relationship\" with China and to the promotion of economic regeneration in the north of England, whatever it might ultimately be called. For Lord O'Neill, there will be plenty of organisations on the phone, looking for a little of his expertise. He might even receive a call from Mr Osborne, who has launched a business-funded think tank to support economic regeneration in the north of England.", "summary": "The former Goldman Sachs banker Jim O'Neill is passionate about a lot of things - Man Utd being one of them."}
{"article": "The game at Grace Road was due to get under way at 18:30 BST. But umpires Russell Evans and Rob Bailey ruled the ground was unfit for play after a late-morning inspection. The two clubs were also hit by the weather on Wednesday when their One-Day Cup match at New Road was rained off. A statement on the club website said: \"Aylestone was affected by flash flooding on Tuesday and the Fischer County Ground resembled a lake with the water subsequently gathering in the far corner of the ground. \"Further rain has fallen either side of that particular deluge and although the club brought in heaters to try to dry everywhere out, conditions remain sodden and unfit.\" Worcestershire will have Moeen Ali available for Saturday afternoon's home T20 Blast game against Nottinghamshire, for whom fellow England Test player Alex Hales is scheduled to appear. \"It's good when you've got England players playing,\" said Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes. \"It is a big bonus having Mo available. \"It is a sensible thing to do by the ECB. They want our Blast tournament to have good exposure and become a really good domestic tournament. \"Just as in the Caribbean Premier League, Big Bash and IPL, a lot of the home international players play in those tournaments.\" Worcestershire will give fitness tests to skipper Daryl Mitchell and paceman Matt Henry, who have both been sidelined with rib injuries.", "summary": "Friday's T20 Blast match between Leicestershire and Worcestershire was called off almost seven hours before the scheduled start after heavy rain left the outfield \"resembling a lake\"."}
{"article": "The blast occurred on Monday evening at the plant in Zhangzhou. State news agency Xinhua reported one injury. The plant produces paraxylene (PX), a flammable chemical used in polyester and plastics manufacturing. The location of PX plants in China has sparked protests from residents, including violent demonstrations last year in Guangdong province. Many residents fear pollution from the plants is hazardous to health. The South China Morning Post reported that this was the second blast at the plant in two years. The plant in Zhangzhou is operated by Dragon Aromatics, one of the largest independent PX producers in China. It has not yet commented. China Central Television (CCTV) carried footage of the fire, with flames shooting into the air, but provided few details. Xinhua said the blast occurred at about 19:00 local time (11:00 GMT) in a pumping station. Facts: Paraxylene (PX) Basic raw material which when refined is used to make polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polyesters The fibres and films produced are used to make water bottles, other containers, fabrics including clothing and curtains, and x-ray and photographic film Can cause dizziness and nausea if inhaled or ingested. If skin is contacted, it should be rinsed and then washed with soap and water. Can cause issues with the central nervous system The Zhangzhou fire department said about 430 fire-fighters were at the scene. The Post quoted one resident who lives across the harbour from the plant, about 10km (six miles) away, who said his flat shook with the explosion. Lin Chen told the paper: \"I heard a loud bang at home. Everyone in my county saw it. The plant was burning. We can still see it. But I don't smell anything weird now. I think it's because we're upwind.\" Protests remain rare in China, where it is illegal to demonstrate without a permit, but environmental campaigns are growing in number. In recent years paraxylene has become a focus of such protests, forcing the delay or cancellation of plants, much to the dismay of the national government, correspondents say. A protest about a PX plant in Maoming, in southern Guangdong province, turned violent last April, with tear gas fired and several demonstrators injured.", "summary": "An explosion has ripped through a chemical plant in south-eastern China's Fujian province, sparking a major fire."}
{"article": "The new option is called UberWav and will be available, the company says, \"at the push of a button\" at the same cost as cheaper UberX fares. Recently, Brighton councillors considering whether to grant Uber a licence questioned options for wheelchair users. Accessibility charities were involved in the new service's development. Scope, Whizz-Kidz and Transport for All are supporting the launch of UberWav, and Uber says it is investing more than \u00c2\u00a31m over the first 18 months to establish the product. The vehicles will be equipped with a rear-entry ramp, winch and restraints, allowing wheelchair users to travel with one additional passenger. An Uber spokesman said the company was initially providing 55 vehicles in the new fleet but planned to expand this to more than 100 \"in the coming months\". He added Uber expected wait times of \"around 25 minutes\" in Zones 1-2 and \"40 minutes\" in Zones 3-4 during the first few weeks. \"We're proud to be making one of the biggest ever investments in accessible private hire in London and will be working hard to keep waiting times as low as possible as the service expands,\" said Tom Elvidge, Uber's general manager in London. The service is \"a step in the right direction\" according to Ruth Owen, chief executive of Whizz-Kidz. \"This new initiative will give disabled people in London a much-needed additional option for planning their travel across the capital,\" she added. In the past, Uber has faced criticism for not offering wheelchair accessible vehicles in more cities. Recently, the company settled a court case in California after its drivers were accused of turning away passengers with guide dogs. London is currently the only UK location in which UberWav has been made available. \"London [black] cabs have always been easier to access because of their big doors and the space where seats flap up at the back,\" said Prof Tony Travers, at the London School of Economics. \"I think Uber in London were under more pressure because their main competitors had an advantage,\" he told the BBC. But Uber may soon be met with added scrutiny from London's newly elected Mayor. Sadiq Khan focused on public transport issues during his campaign - and dealt with the issue of Uber during an LBC radio phone-in. Mr Khan told a black-cab driver he felt it had been a \"mistake\" that Transport for London (TfL) had allowed Uber taxis \"to come on stream\". A rival, Karhoo, also launched in London this week. The app allows travellers to compare and book licensed taxis and private hire vehicles - from black cabs to executive cars. Karhoo has said it will give users access to more than 30,000 vehicles in London. Passengers will be able to make multiple bookings and be given a final price at the time of booking. Unlike Uber, there will also be no surge pricing during peak periods. \"Karhoo gives passengers more choice and transparency when booking a cab and, with our ever-growing network of local operators, Karhoo will make it easier to book a ride outside central London than ever", "summary": "Uber has launched a fleet of wheelchair-accessible vehicles that can be requested via the app."}
{"article": "First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is attending the annual wreath laying and Remembrance Sunday service at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh. Military chiefs, emergency services and regimental associations also took part in the event, organised by veterans' charity Legion Scotland. A two-minutes silence took place across the UK at 11:00 GMT. Wreath laying was held at the Stone of Remembrance outside the City Chambers on the Royal Mile in the Scottish capital. Ms Sturgeon said: \"Remembrance Sunday is an opportunity for all of Scotland to join with others right across the world and commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice in conflicts during the last century and more recently.\" Also attending the service in Edinburgh was Scotland Office Minister Andrew Dunlop and president of Legion Scotland, Sir Alistair Irwin. Mr Dunlop said: \"It is so important that we remember the servicemen and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can live freely, and to stand together on Remembrance Sunday to honour them.\" Kevin Gray, Legion Scotland's chief executive officer, said: \"Sadly as time moves on the memories become more and more inherited, so now more than ever is the time to ensure we take time to pause, reflect and remember.\" In Glasgow, Legion Scotland representatives, serving military, clergy and civic leaders observed a two-minute silence at the cenotaph in George Square. Lord Provost Sadie Docherty was joined at the event by Deputy First Minister John Swinney, Baroness Annabel Goldie, Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service assistant chief officer Lewis Ramsay. Aberdeen marked Remembrance Sunday with a ceremony in front of the city's war memorial on Schoolhill, with serving forces, reserves, veterans and cadets in attendance. Lord Provost George Adam led the laying of wreaths before a church service at the Kirk of St Nicholas Uniting.", "summary": "Events to remember servicemen and women who died in conflict are taking place across Scotland."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Rose, 36, held a two-shot lead with five holes to go but lost when Garcia birdied the first extra hole on Sunday. He had a one-shot lead on the 17th but made bogey and both parred the last. \"I feel it is a tournament I can still do well in, said Rose. \"It's a course you can get to know and be competitive here for a long, long time.\" Rose, who has finished tied second, 10th and second in his last three Masters, was referring to 57-year-old American Fred Couples, winner of the Green Jacket in 1992, who has had six top-20 finishes in his last seven appearances. \"I see myself having many more chances to come,\" the world number 14 told BBC Sport. Rose claimed his only major win at the US Open in 2013 but was in the clubhouse at Merion as contender Phil Mickelson finished his round. At Augusta, where he has now finished in the top 10 on five occasions, he was alongside Garcia in the final pairing as the pair wrestled to land the first major of the season. Rose fought back after Garcia had taken a three-shot lead early on and appeared to have control with five to play, only for the Spaniard to follow birdie on 14 with what was his first eagle at Augusta in 452 holes, ending a wait dating back to 2011. Both men missed putts for birdie when at nine under par on 18 before Garcia landed his first major in the play-off. \"I felt in control all day,\" added Rose. \"Sometimes the rub of the green is for you and sometimes it isn't. I hit a really good putt on 18 in regulation and thought it was going in. \"I am really happy for Sergio. I would love to be wearing the Green Jacket but if it wasn't me I am glad it is him. \"We have been friends for a long time and playing golf against each other since we were 14 years old. We will get up and he will be happy for a month and then golf will take over, I will be unhappy for a month and golf will take over for me.\"", "summary": "Masters runner-up Justin Rose believes he will have \"many more chances\" to win at Augusta National in the wake of his play-off defeat by Sergio Garcia."}
{"article": "Cook, 31, said he has \"questions\" over his role after England went 3-0 down after the fourth Test to lose the five-match series against India. Despite suffering five defeats in the last seven Test matches, Stokes told BBC Sport: \"As a leader he's been brilliant and he still will be. \"He doesn't want anything except success for the team.\" Stokes, who has played all of his 31 Tests under Cook, added: \"Over the last two years, he's been absolutely fantastic. \"He has been part of the driving force of getting us to be the team we are today. Albeit we're 3-0 down, we've made huge strides since Australia (in 2013-14). \"Whatever happens, I'll have a lot of respect for him and whatever decision he makes - but I hope he sticks with what he's doing, because I think he's doing a great job.\" Cook, who turns 32 on Christmas Day, took over as captain from Andrew Strauss in 2012 and has led England in a record 58 Tests. He presided over the Ashes series wins of 2013 and 2015, but came under intense pressure after the whitewash in Australia in 2013-14 and the following summer when England suffered defeats by Sri Lanka at Headingley and India at Lord's. After the latest loss, Cook said batsman Joe Root is \"ready\" to take over as captain, but the left-handed opener will discuss his role with now director of cricket Strauss. Coach Trevor Bayliss said the speculation was a \"pain in the backside\".", "summary": "All-rounder Ben Stokes hopes Alastair Cook stays on as England captain because he is doing \"a great job\"."}
{"article": "Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt made the request following the revelation by the Detail website. It found a report, compiled last May, listed more than 20 ways Brexit could damage Northern Ireland's economy. It was compiled by officials in the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister. It was not released under Freedom of Information until after the EU referendum was held a year later. The Speaker, Robin Newton, undertook to examine the matter, but he said another assertion by Mr Nesbitt - that not releasing the report was a breach of the ministerial code - was not a matter for him. Alliance Leader David Ford confirmed that neither he or his colleague Stephen Farry were consulted over the executive report on the impact of Brexit when they were ministers in the former Executive. Mr Ford said that if the paper had been made public \"perhaps it would have changed some minds in the lead-up to the EU referendum\". Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Ulster, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said that agreement was required between the two parties at Stormont Castle before a document of this nature could be published. He said that Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in had publicly identified the many challenges listed in the Stormont paper. Mr McGuinness claimed the revelation of the paper was a \"non story\" as the arguments had been made and the Remain camp had won the day within Northern Ireland, even though the UK-wide decision was in favour of Brexit. In Northern Ireland, the majority of voters (56%) voted for the UK to stay in the EU in last week's referendum. But overall, the UK voted to give up its EU membership by 52% to 48%.", "summary": "The Stormont speaker has been asked to examine Hansard to see if the assembly was misled by ministers over the absence of Brexit contingency planning."}
{"article": "That was the question posed in a recent Wall Street Journal column. Meanwhile, an article in Forbes magazine describes another non-mainstream figure still in the running for the White House, the Democrat Bernie Sanders, as not having the \"first inkling of what [trade] is and why we do it\". Let's put aside the question of how likely it is that either will become the 45th president. The fact that both have raised the issue of trade in rather striking terms is still a sign of something wider going on in US politics. Both have expressed profound concerns about the impact of international trade on the US economy and workers. As the quotes above show, both have caused alarm or scorn among enthusiasts for trade liberalisation. Both would represent a marked departure from decades of US trade policy which has, with some diversions on the way, followed this path. For Mr Trump, much of the focus is specifically on China: \"Since China joined the WTO [World Trade Organization in 2001] Americans have witnessed the closure of more than 50,000 factories and the loss of tens of millions of jobs. It was not a good deal for America then and it's a bad deal now.\" He told the New York Times that he would favour a 45% tariff on imports from China, although he has subsequently said the proposal is a threat to get China to \"behave\". He wants to put \"an end to China's illegal export subsidies and lax labour and environmental standards. No more sweatshops or pollution havens stealing jobs from American workers\". Mr Sanders is not so far away. A release on his campaign website after a speech in Pennsylvania says: \"The North American Free Trade Agreement [Nafta, which involves the US, Canada and Mexico] cost 850,000 good-paying jobs in the United States, including 26,300 in Pennsylvania. Normalized trade relations with China [following China's accession to the WTO] led to the loss of 3.2 million jobs including 122,600 in Pennsylvania.\" Both are also exercised about the trade deficit - the fact that America buys more foreign goods than it sells abroad. They see that as a result of unfair trade agreements and as evidence that the US is losing out - \"they are killing us on trade\" is a phrase that Mr Trump has often used. That idea is in stark contrast with the view of mainstream economics that trade liberalisation is beneficial for all countries that do it. By removing barriers that raise the cost of imported goods, countries can specialise in producing what they do best, and consumers and businesses can buy goods more cheaply. That idea, and a desire to avoid a repeat of the Great Depression (which was aggravated though not caused by trade restrictions), is behind the gradual removal of trade barriers since World War Two. There has been a more or less global effort to do this under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (Gatt) and, from 1995, the WTO. There have also been many smaller scale moves between groups of countries, including what", "summary": "Would Donald Trump \"wreak havoc on world trade\" if he became US president?"}
{"article": "Christina Edkins, 16, was killed by Phillip Simelane, 23, on a rush-hour bus in Birmingham in March 2013. An inquiry found that medical staff, police and the prison service missed chances to get him treatment he needed. It said his mother's repeated requests to GPs and social workers to get him treatment were ignored. The family of Simelane said in a statement: \"The mother's cry was not heard or taken into consideration until innocent lives were impacted upon. \"Having read the heart-touching report, we wonder if it will change anything in the future or is it just a paper exercise meant to put our hearts at peace for little while?\" Simelane, from Walsall, had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He admitted manslaughter last October. He was detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act by a judge at Birmingham Crown Court. The inquiry found that Simelane's mental health problems were first identified 11 years ago, when he was at school. He was involved in several violent incidents including assaulting a police officer and threatening his mother with a knife, for which he was sent to prison in July 2012. The review into Christina's death was commissioned by Birmingham Cross City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), on behalf of all agencies that had dealt with him. Dr Alison Reed, chair of the review panel, said: \"The attack on Christina was random and unprovoked and therefore it could not have been predicted. \"However, it is the conclusion of the panel that as Christina's death was directly related to [Simelane's] mental illness, it could have been prevented if his mental health needs had been identified and met.\" The report made 51 recommendations calling for the improved sharing of mental health information between agencies including the NHS, the police and the prison service. April 2007: Reprimanded by police at the age of 16 after being found in possession of a lock knife. March 2009: Given a police caution after pushing his younger brother into a wall. May 2012: Arrested for criminal damage after breaking into his mother's house and throwing an electric fire at her. May 2012: Holds a knife to his mother's stomach after accusing her of trying to kill him. July 2012: Jailed for 101 days after being convicted of assault and battery in the attack against his mother. October 2012: Seven days after being released from prison, he is convicted of trying to steal a car and possession of cocaine and breach of licence. Spends 59 days inside HMP Birmingham. December 2012: Released from Birmingham Prison and lives rough on the city's streets. March 2013: He fatally stabs Christina Edkins on the bus in Hagley Road. Source: Birmingham CrossCity CCG report Christina had been travelling to Leasowes High School in Halesowen on the number nine bus, two weeks after her 16th birthday, when she was attacked. In a statement, Christina's family said they hoped many recommendations in Dr Reed's report would be implemented so that \"no other family has to experience the heartache of such a meaningless and avoidable death of a loved one\". Her", "summary": "The death of a teenager stabbed on her way to school could have been prevented if her killer had been given mental health treatment, a report has found."}
{"article": "In a statement, Pyongyang warned that South Korea's ultimatum would \"lead to no good results\". On Thursday, Seoul gave the North 24 hours to agree to talks on the Kaesong Industrial Complex, warning of \"grave measures\" if its offer was ignored. South Korea's president later held a meeting with top officials to discuss next steps, Yonhap reported. The stoppage was taking a heavy toll on South Korean firms, the agency quoted her as saying. A statement from the Unification Ministry was expected shortly, a separate report said. North-South tensions are high following Pyongyang's nuclear test in February and the subsequent imposition of expanded UN sanctions. The Kaesong complex, launched in 2003 as a sign of North-South co-operation, is located just inside North Korea. It is the biggest contributor to inter-Korean trade and provides the North with much-needed hard currency. Q&A: Kaesong Industrial Complex Analysis: The North Korea threat Missile defences in the region Picking apart the bluster But Pyongyang blocked South Korean access to the site and pulled out its 53,000 workers earlier this month, amid a series of threats and strong rhetoric from the communist state. \"Pyongyang will be the first to take tough action if the South insists on worsening the situation at the border town,\" North Korea's National Defense Commission said in a statement. \"The kind of ultimatum made by the South the day before will only lead to no good results\". The remaining 175 South Koreans still in the complex are believed to be running out of food and medicines, because the North has refused to allow fresh supplies from the South into the industrial park. The South Korean government has refused to spell out what measures it may take, but there is speculation that it may be considering pulling out its remaining citizens, the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Seoul reports. But that would leave South Korean assets open to seizure by the North Korean authorities, as happened before at a moth-balled tourism site run by the two countries, our correspondent adds. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was aware of the South's call for talks, and \"sincerely [hoped] the operation of the complex [could] return to normal as soon as possible through dialogue,\" a UN spokesman said on Thursday.", "summary": "North Korea has rejected Seoul's call for talks on resuming operations at a joint industrial zone."}
{"article": "13 November 2015 Last updated at 00:05 GMT Released in 1996, the browser plug-in enabled animations, interactivity and streaming video on what was a largely static web. But the software has been plagued by security problems, and has been criticised for affecting computer performance and battery life. Now many experts say the media plug-in's days are numbered. Watch the video to find out more.", "summary": "A few years ago, it was difficult to browse the web without coming across a site using Flash."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old from High Wycombe is chasing his first European Tour victory and a \u00a3640,380 winner's cheque. Hatton's nearest challenger is compatriot Ross Fisher who is three shots back on 14 under par. \"This round is clearly the best round I've ever had,\" he said. \"I've never actually got to double digits under par before, so I'm very pleased with that. \"The goal now is to get a win. But then it's been a really consistent year, and it would be nice to have a good finish.\" Hatton's 10-under 62 at the Old Course - his lowest score on the European Tour - is matched by six other players, including fellow Britons Paul Casey and Tommy Fleetwood. Sweden's Joakim Lagergren and South Africa's Richard Sterne are four strokes behind on 13 under. Danny Willett and Lee Westwood - part of Europe's defeated Ryder Cup team in Hazeltine last weekend - are well off the pace on six and 10 over respectively. However Spaniard Rafael Cabrera-Bello, who took two and a half points from his three matches against the Americans, is better placed on eight under.", "summary": "England's Tyrrell Hatton will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Dunhill Links Championship after he equalled the St Andrews Old Course record with a 10-under-par 62."}
{"article": "Cuala earned a 3-19 to 1-16 victory over Kilkenny club O'Loughlin Gaels at Portlaoise to lift the provincial title for the first time. Con O'Callaghan, Colm Cronin and Mark Schutte hit Cuala's goals with free-taker David Treacy finishing with 0-11. Danny Loughnane scored O'Loughlin Gael's second-half goal. Cuala, who landed their first Dublin title in 2015, will be favourites in the All-Ireland semi-final against the Derry club on 4 February. Slaughtneil clinched their first Ulster title in October after defeating 2012 All-Ireland champions Loughgiel 2-14 to 1-13 in the decider.", "summary": "Dublin side Cuala will be Slaughtneil's opponents in the All-Ireland Club Hurling semi-finals in February after they won the Leinster title on Sunday."}
{"article": "The visitors had slumped to 69-4 in reply to Gloucestershire's 383 all out at Cheltenham, before Cox and George Rhodes (52) shared a stand of 141. Cox eventually nicked medium-pacer Kieran Noema-Barnett (4-31) behind and Worcestershire declared on 300-9. The hosts batted out eight overs to close on 20-0, leading by 103. In the morning session Gloucestershire added 40 to their overnight first-innings score of 343-8, with Jack Taylor last man out for 143. Gloucestershire captain Phil Mustard told BBC Radio Bristol: \"Our bowling at the start of Worcestershire's innings was fantastic. There was enough in the wicket for the seamers and they used the new ball really well. \"As in our innings, after 35 overs, the ball went a bit soft and didn't do as much. That was always going to be the case, but the boys stuck to their guns and tried to hit the right areas. \"Hats off to Kieran Noema-Barnett for his four wickets. I love having a bowler like him in my team. He swings it, nips it around a bit and can tie up an end for you.\" Worcestershire centurion Ben Cox told BBC Hereford & Worcester: \"It was good fun. I enjoy those situations when you go into bat with the team struggling a bit. It seems to bring out the best in me and makes me give than 10 per cent more. \"It wasn't too pretty to start with because it was one of those pitches where it was hard to get your timing in the first 30 balls or so. \"But it's a monkey off my back because it is two years since my last hundred and I have been working really hard at spending more time at the crease.\"", "summary": "A career-best 124 from wicketkeeper Ben Cox helped Worcestershire recover from a precarious position on day two against Gloucestershire."}
{"article": "The 40-year-old was found to have made 86 accumulator-style bets between 2006 and 2016, on which he lost \u00a32,995. Burden was also fined \u00a35,000, with his ban to be activated if any more breaches occur before 1 January 2018. Governing body the WPBSA was satisfied he did not \"influence match outcomes or engage in any corrupt activity\". Chairman of the WPBSA (World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association) Jason Ferguson said: \"It is a key part of any sports integrity strategy that players cannot bet on their sport. \"Alfie Burden put his career at risk by so doing and it is only through his full admissions and his cooperation with the disciplinary committee that he has avoided a career-ending suspension.\" Burden turned professional in 1994 - earning \u00a3392,258 during his career - and had his best ranking tournament performances last season when he reached the quarter-finals of the China Open and European Masters.", "summary": "Snooker player Alfie Burden has been given a six-month ban - suspended for a year - for placing bets totalling \u00a325,000 on matches including his own."}
{"article": "Taking comfort from the fact that, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the UK leads the world for care of people in the final weeks of their life is perhaps a more appropriate reaction. The UK topped the table when the EIU last carried out this exercise in 2010. But the number of countries included has been doubled to 80 in this latest survey, commissioned by the Lien Foundation of Singapore. So for the UK to again lead the pack, including all other wealthy nations, is significant. In essence, the UK scores so highly for the care of patients nearing the end of their life because the NHS is such a well-integrated service. Health professionals, ranging from hospital doctors to GPs and community nurses, generally work together effectively to ensure patients receive the end of life care they might expect. This includes pain management through palliative care. This is not the case in many international healthcare systems. The report praises the UK for having a comprehensive strategy with the NHS working alongside the hospice movement and charities such as Marie Curie and Macmillan. Ensuring that people get to live out their final days in a place of their choice is an area where there has been progress in recent years. Its interesting that both the report authors and other experts in the field have gone out of their way to stress there is still plenty of scope to do better. The Health Ombudsman in England recently highlighted cases where people were badly let down and experienced death without dignity. Future demand, the report says, is likely to be higher as people live longer and the burden of cancer, dementia and diabetes increases. While noting the report's findings are \"very encouraging\", the Health Minister Ben Gummer said the Government was determined to go even further to ensure patients and families were involved in decisions about care. The crossbench peer Baroness Finlay has introduced a Palliative Care Bill which will be debated in Parliament this month. The aim she says is to guarantee all patients equal access to services around the clock and regardless of geography. But she acknowledges that, helped by each of the UK's health administrations having a strategy, there has been improvement. \"We are vastly better than we were - patients are rating good services very highly though the problem is gaps in provision at ground level,\" she says. The hospice movement, she told the Today programme is \"setting a gold standard and leading the world\". Its important to give praise where praise is due. In this sensitive area, its easy to assume from anecdotal reports that the NHS could do a lot better. So to score more highly than Australia and New Zealand, as well as Germany, France and the US is highly commendable. Richer nations inevitably lead the pack with the Philippines, Bangladesh and Iraq propping up the table. Affordability of care, with a taxpayer funded health service, is predictably a lot more bearable for British patients than in other economies. The NHS, the hospices and a range of", "summary": "Celebration is probably the wrong word even though the UK tops an important international league table for one aspect of health care."}
{"article": "But in a separate poll, the town where officials plan to carry out a scientific trial, voted to reject the proposal. The planned release is being seen as an important test for the technology's acceptance in the US. Florida has reported more than 1,100 cases of Zika this year. British biotech firm Oxitec plans to evaluate the effectiveness of their engineered mosquitoes for combating the virus. They want to release male insects across a 17-hectare region of Key Haven, a small suburb located on an island on Florida's southern tip. Zika is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The idea is that Oxitec's male mosquitoes (which do not bite) mate with wild females, but genetic modification ensures that any offspring do not survive until adulthood. Successive releases across the neighbourhood should cause Aedes aegypti populations to crash. The non-binding poll in Monroe County, which covers the Florida Keys and a large part of the Everglades National Park, asked: \"Are you in favour of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District conducting an effectiveness trial in Monroe County, Florida, using genetically modified mosquitoes to suppress an invasive mosquito that carries mosquito-borne diseases?\" Voters in Key Haven were asked specifically about the release of GM mosquitoes in their town. About 58% of voters across Monroe County favoured the trial. But in Key Haven, some 65% opposed the release. Now, the results of the November 8 poll will be put to board members in charge of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District. They will use the results to decide whether to proceed with the scientific trial at a meeting on 19 November. Dr Derric Nimmo, who has been leading Oxitec's proposed trial in Key Haven, told BBC News: \"Key Haven was chosen about four years ago, based on the fact that it's surrounded by water and it's an almost perfect scientific site where you have a control area where you don't do any releases, an area where you can do releases, and a buffer zone in between. \"You don't want wild female mosquitoes coming into the area, because they will affect the quality of the results.\" Oxitec has previously conducted five trials in three different countries - the Cayman Islands, Panama and Brazil, where Dr Nimmo says, the company achieves reductions in mosquito populations of 90% or more. Aedes aegypti is an urban mosquito that can breed in bodies of standing water as small as a bottle cap. Its larvae can find refuge indoors, beyond the reach of insecticide spraying programmes. But a proportion of local residents wanted the trial cancelled; they have been concerned about potential unanticipated consequences of releasing lab insects into the wild. Mila de Mier, a Florida realtor who has founded an opposition group called Never Again, told BBC News: \"This technology is treated as an animal drug, but we believe it should be treated as a human drug.\" She added her concern that \"when you reduce the population of Aedes aegypti, another aggressive mosquito species could come in and become established - like the Asian tiger mosquito\". But Dr Nimmo stressed:", "summary": "Voters across one Florida county have signalled their approval for releasing genetically modified mosquitoes in a bid to fight Zika virus."}
{"article": "Australian radio presenter Kyle Sandilands said to the actress: \"I told everyone you were clapping like that because you had the rings on and you didn't want to damage the rings.\" \"You are so right Kyle,\" she replied. \"It was really difficult because I had a huge ring on which was not my own, but was absolutely gorgeous and I was terrified of damaging it.\" Oscars 2017: Full coverage Speaking on the KIIS1065 radio station, Kidman sounded relieved the truth was finally out, after much social media speculation about her apparent inability to applaud properly. \"It's so true, I'm so glad you clarified that,\" said Kidman. \"It was really awkward and I was like gosh, I want to clap. I don't want to not be clapping, which is worse, right - 'why isn't Nicole clapping?'\" She laughed when Sandilands joked: \"They're putting it on the big screen at Sea World with an [sea lion sound] 'urgh, urgh, urgh' thing - it's just not fair!\" Kidman was nominated for best supporting actress for her role in Lion, but lost out to Viola Davis. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Nicole Kidman has finally revealed why she appeared to be clapping like a seal at this year's Oscars ceremony."}
{"article": "It sparked a major police operation in the town last week before the man was eventually traced in Scunthorpe. The public was warned not to approach the missing Midpark hospital patient and children kept in some schools. NHS Dumfries and Galloway said it would be looking at the circumstances of the incident and aim to \"minimise the likelihood\" of it being repeated. A statement from the health board confirmed it would be looking into how the patient had been able to abscond. \"NHS Dumfries and Galloway have well established processes for undertaking reviews of incidents that occur,\" it said. \"As per these guidelines, a review of the event will be undertaken.\" However, it said that there had been no immediate changes to operations at the unit. \"NHS Dumfries and Galloway have well established standard operating procedures in place that are regularly reviewed in line with national legislation,\" said the statement. \"However, no known changes have been made to the procedures following the event.\" The health board added that it would make every effort to avoid any similar incidents. \"NHS Dumfries and Galloway can give assurance that standard operating procedures are in place and regularly reviewed to comply with national legislation around the treatment offered to patients, while maintaining a person-centred approach,\" concluded the statement. \"The procedures will aim to minimise the likelihood of such an incident re-occurring.\"", "summary": "A health board is to carry out a review after a patient absconded from a Dumfries mental health unit."}
{"article": "William Smith wrote the account of the Siege of Ladysmith from 1899 to 1900. Philip Smith, from Mallams the Auctioneers, called it an \"amazing document\" that \"takes you right through the emotions\". The collection, including photos, a knife and a tin of uneaten chocolates, was bought by a phone bidder. Smith's granddaughter, from Sutton Courtney, Oxfordshire, called it an \"important collection that doesn't deserve to live in a box in my attic\". Cathy, who did not want her full name to be used, said: \"I've been carrying this stuff around in boxes since my mother died 25 years ago. \"I occasionally look at them as I move house and I thought these are very precious.\" Smith was a farrier sergeant in the 5th Royal Lancers. He took part in the siege at Natal, a former British colony in South Africa. On 7 November 1899 he wrote: \"Yesterday evening the Manchesters lost a lot of men. \"I went up on the hill this afternoon its was a awful sight, English and Boer's laying about in little heaps, one place only about 30 yards square 42 Boers lay slaughtered by scrapnel [sic].\" The last entry was written on the final day of the siege on 28 February 1900. He wrote: \"At last we have been watching the Boers in full retreat all this afternoon thousands & thousands of them for 4 solid hours, one continual stream of wagons, they are a bit too far out for our Naval Guns too [sic] reach them and our horses and men are too weak to go after them. \"If we only had a Brigade each of Cavalry and artillery fit we could give a good parting gift.\" Speaking about her grandfather, Cathy said: \"He was a man of his time but actually was very forward thinking and very practical. \"One of the wonderful things about the letters is the tone that he uses to his father.\" Smith survived the war and later took over his father's china and glass repairing business in Marylebone. He died in 1939 aged 70. Philip Smith, from Mallams the Auctioneers, called the letter an \"amazing document of the last year's of Queen Victoria's reign\". \"Some of the descriptions of fighting these Boers is extraordinary and takes you right through the emotions,\" he said.", "summary": "A 42-page letter written by a British sergeant to his father during the Second Boer War has been sold in an Oxfordshire auction for \u00a31,500."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old spent the latter half of last season on loan at McDiarmid Park from Coventry City. He signed for Hearts after being released by the English League One outfit but made only nine appearances for Saints' Premiership rivals. The former Berwick Rangers, Dundee United and Peterborough United winger has signed an 18-month contract. Swanson had been released by Hearts on Monday and was signed by Saints as a replacement for Michael O'Halloran, who had been sold to Rangers the same day. He made 12 appearances in his previous spell with the Perth club, scoring twice.", "summary": "Winger Danny Swanson has returned to St Johnstone after a frustrating five months with Hearts."}
{"article": "Councillor Emlyn Dole's wife, Gwenda Owen, received permission to partially convert stone barns at Capel Ifan Farm in Pontyberem last year. But an investigation by planning officers found \"substantial demolition of the original building\". Planning committee members will visit the site before making a decision. A report put before the committee on Thursday also said the proposal has changed from being \"a conversion of an existing barn\" to a \"new building development for business and holiday purposes\". The new structure may have to be removed if retrospective planning permission is refused.", "summary": "A renovated barn belonging to Carmarthenshire council's leader could be removed after being modified beyond planning permission."}
{"article": "In a detailed handwritten account she described a violent physical assault at a car dealership in the city. Police served Dominick with the order in late March, instructing him to stay away from her home and surrender any guns. He said he didn't have any. Without a warrant they couldn't search the house, so they left. A week later he broke into Hursey's home while her children slept and shot her and her boyfriend dead as they lay in bed. \"I fear for my life and that Dominick will try to kill me,\" Hursey had written in her petition to the court back in February, adding: \"He has several guns.\" More than 50 women in the US every month are killed by former partners, and the presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation makes it five times more likely that a woman will be killed, according to data compiled by gun safety group Everytown. The latest high-profile case came on Monday, when Cedric Anderson shot dead his estranged wife and an eight-year-old child at a San Bernardino school. According to police, Anderson had a history of domestic violence. In case after case of multiple-victim shooters, police have found previous accusations or convictions of abuse. Orlando nightclub shooter Omar Mateen, Dallas police killer Micah Johnson and Planned Parenthood gunman Robert Dear are just three in a long list. But the vast majority of cases don't make national headlines, and legislation designed to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers has major flaws that are putting lives at risk. A domestic violence conviction or restraining order will turn up on a federal background check and prevent a gun sale, but there are no federal laws requiring convicts to surrender guns they already own. Only 30 states require confiscation in the event of a protection order, according to a recent report by the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, and application of the law varies wildly. An Everytown study of cases in Rhode Island between 2012 and 2014 showed that only 5% of people issued with a protection order were ordered to surrender their guns. In cases where there was a written record of a firearm threat, that figure rose to just 13%. In Baltimore, police ran a check to see if Dominick Hursey owned any weapons but it didn't pick up a handgun he had purchased in Pennsylvania. The kind of national gun registry which would have alerted the Baltimore officers to the purchase is fiercely resisted by gun rights activists. In March of last year, in Maryland, science teacher Gladys Tordil obtained a domestic violence protection order against her husband Eulalio. He was instructed to surrender his guns and he handed over at least 10, but he kept one, which he'd bought in Nevada. Weeks later he used it to shoot 62-year-old Tordil dead outside her school, in front of one of her daughters. The following day he shot four more people, killing two. Of the 30 states that have some law authorising the confiscation of guns following a", "summary": "In late February in Baltimore, 36-year-old Chinika Hursey petitioned a court for a domestic violence protection order against her estranged husband, Dominick."}
{"article": "Wales lock Jake Ball is also back along with Scotland back-rower John Barclay. It is only the second time this season for Davies to partner Williams in Scarlets' midfield. Former Wales and Scarlets scrum-half Mike Phillips returns to west Wales with Sale, as does lock Jonathan Mills. The Sharks make three changes with a first start of the season for full-back Mike Haley, and Dan Mugford coming in at fly-half and Ross Harrison at prop. Sale lie seventh in the English Premiership with two wins in six games while Scarlets are also seventh in the Pro12 with three wins in their six matches. Holders Saracens travel to deposed champions Toulon earlier in the day in the same group. Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac: \"What is clear is we're in a very tough pool, but having said that, the majority of them are pretty tough. \"I think it's a good thing from a players' point of view, if I was a player out there I'd want to pit myself against some of the best. \"We'll be going out giving it everything we've got to get a result. \"We'll worry about the other games when they come along. The home games are must wins if you want to get out of the pool.\" Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond: \" We're probably two or three points behind where I thought we would be at the break. \"We worked hard for the whole of last year to qualify and it is a fantastic group I think. We are up and down at a team at the minute and we need to get some consistency. \"I think I've been there five times as a player and coach and lost five times, it is a difficult place to go as they are a massive club. \"It will be a big test for us as I think we're about equal as teams.\" Scarlets: Liam Williams; DTH van der Merwe, Jonathan Davies, Scott Williams, Steff Evans; Rhys Patchell, Gareth Davies; Wyn Jones, Ken Owens (capt), Samson Lee, Jake Ball, David Bulbring, Aaron Shingler, James Davies, John Barclay. Replacements: Ryan Elias, Luke Garrett, Werner Kruger, Lewis Rawlins, Will Boyde, Jonathan Evans, Dan Jones, Hadleigh Parkes. Sale Sharks: Mike Haley; Byron McGuigan, Will Addison, Sam James, Paolo Odogwu; Dan Mugford, Mike Phillips; Ross Harrison, Neil Briggs, Brian Mujati, Bryn Evans, Jonathan Mills, Cameron Neild, David Seymour, Josh Beaumont (capt). Replacements: James Flynn, Halani Aulika, Andrei Ostrikov, Magnus Lund, Tom Curry, James Mitchell, Sam Bedlow, Nev Edwards. Referee: Romain Poite (France) Assistant referees: Pierre Brousset (France), Mathieu Noirot (France) TMO: Eric Gauzins (France) Citing commissioner: Peter Ferguson (Ireland) For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "Jonathan Davies returns to partner fellow Wales international Scott Williams in Scarlets' midfield in their European Champions Cup Pool 3 opener against Sale."}
{"article": "The new contract for the 25-year-old represented \"a landmark day\" for Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria. The value of the deal makes it a record, although the \u00a3187m ($292m) 10-year contract signed by Detroit's Miguel Cabrera is worth more annually. Stanton has hit a total of 154 home runs in five Major League seasons. The American outfielder missed the final 17 games of last season after being struck in the face by a pitch but still hit 37 home runs in 2014, the most in the National League. \"I'm happy for the city, I'm happy for him and I'm thrilled for baseball,\" added Loria, who said the deal includes a no-trade clause and allows Stanton to opt out after six years. \"Besides being a terrific athlete, he's a first-class young man. I've loved watching him play, but I love this kid. He's just a special young man.\"", "summary": "Giancarlo Stanton has agreed the most expensive ever deal in United States sport by signing a \u00a3208m ($325m) 13-year contract with Miami Marlins."}
{"article": "When we flick the light switch or kettle, ancient plant and animal material, that formed hundreds of millions of years ago, are consumed in an instant. The ancient geological past is powering the present, but for how much longer? How ironic that our modern world is so hopelessly wedded to a substance that began life tens of millions of years ago. And yet it is the liberation of that fossil solar energy tens of millions of years later that transformed the planet and redefined us as a species. It is that transformation that I'm fascinated by and why I wanted to make this three-part series about our addiction to crude and to help me answer a fundamental question. When did planet Earth become Planet Oil? It's a series that's also been a personal journey. My childhood and teenage years were spent oblivious to the stunning advances in petroleum science and technology that evolved furiously to exploit the buried bonanza off our shores. I was born in November 1964. A huge gas field had been discovered off the coast of Holland a few years earlier and geologists soon worked out that the very same hydrocarbon-bearing rocks ran all the way to the British coast. By December 1964, the race was on to find oil and gas in the British sector of the North Sea. The well drilled that winter was dry. But the following year, the Sea Gem drilling platform hit pay dirt, or rather natural gas. The euphoria was short lived after disaster struck on Boxing Day 1965, with 14 men losing their lives. It was an inauspicious start of what would become an engineering revolution that turned the UK's energy fortunes around. By the time I was starting primary school, attention had shifted to the deeper waters northeast of Aberdeen and the first oil fields had been found - Brent and Forties - so-called \"giant\" fields that rivalled those of the Middle East. My school days were punctuated by evening news footage of the latest platform being dragged out of yards and off to the wilds of the North Sea. As a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed 20-year-old geology student, my subject always seemed to be in the news. During the early 80s, Margaret Thatcher was at war with coal, or rather Britain's miners. Thatcher had vowed the UK's coal supply would never again be held to ransom by the National Union of Mineworkers and I remember at the time, it was like watching a fight to the death. British governments had been here before, during the 1970s, but this time the balance of power had shifted. Britain was no longer dependent on British Coal or the workers who mined it. Thatcher's pledge to build more oil and gas-fired power stations helped put an end to both the strike and many of the mines that had fed the UK's insatiable appetite for coal for more than a century. And the prime minister's promise was made in the knowledge Britain was for the first time in decades, energy secure - because the UK now", "summary": "The truth is that most people have no inkling of the world that lies beneath their feet, or where the bulk of their current energy fix comes from."}
{"article": "\"The intelligence of her dancing burns even brighter,\" wrote the Guardian's Judith Mackrell in a four-star review. \"The flair and virtuosity of her dancing stops you in your tracks,\" agreed the Standard's Sarah Frater. The French star is appearing in 6000 Miles Away at London's Sadler's Wells. Running until 9 July, the evening sees her perform a duet with Nicolas Le Riche, before dancing solo in a piece choreographed by Sweden's Mats Ek. According to the Arts desk, the result proved her to be \"as swift as mercury, as exact as a feather, as light as the sun and as eternal in intelligent beauty as Nefertiti\". \"This great ballerina of our era is both inexplicable and unbelievable, in physique and in temperament,\" continued Ismene Brown. Formerly with the Paris Opera Ballet and the Royal Ballet in London, Guillem now devotes her energies to contemporary dance. The title of her show refers to Japan, with proceeds from Thursday's performance going to the Japan Tsunami Appeal managed by the British Red Cross.", "summary": "Sylvie Guillem's latest appearance on the London stage has been applauded by the critics, one of whom said the 46-year-old was \"still one of the most astonishing dancers on stage today\"."}
{"article": "Public Health Wales said the Hi-Tide bar in Porthcawl remains open after the outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting. The outbreak has now been declared over. A bar spokesman said: \"We are confident that we provided, and will continue to provide, the very highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene.\" \"We would like to wish all those affected a full and speedy recovery,\" the spokesman added.", "summary": "Fifty-six people who fell ill after attending functions at a bar in Bridgend county had the norovirus, it has been confirmed."}
{"article": "England's Charley Hull, Georgia Hall, Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Mel Reid and Florentyna Parker all qualified automatically for the 12-strong team. Six-time Solheim Cup veteran Paula Creamer, who sunk the winning putt for the Americans two years ago, was not selected as a wildcard by Juli Inkster. The event takes place at the Des Moines Country Club in Iowa on 18-20 August. The United States lead 9-5 after winning 14\u00bd-13\u00bd in Germany, although Europe won for the first time on US soil in 2013. Europe captain Annika Sorenstam had four wildcard choices and picked fellow Swedes Anna Nordqvist and Madelene Sagstrom, along with Germany's Caroline Masson and Emily Pedersen of Denmark. Sagstrom and Pedersen are both rookies, while Masson secured her place with a tie for third in the British Open. Austin Ernst and Angel Yin were the wildcard choices picked by United States captain Inkster, meaning Creamer - the 2010 US Women's Open champion - has missed out. Creamer, 31, has fallen out of the world's top 100 in recent months, leading to Ernst, whose only LPGA tour win came in the 2014 Portland Classic, and 18-year-old Yin being preferred. Europe: Charley Hull, Georgia Hall, Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Mel Reid, Florentyna Parker, Carlota Ciganda, Karine Icher, Suzann Pettersen. Wildcards: Anna Nordqvist, Caroline Masson, Emily Pederson, Magdalene Sagstrom. USA: Lexi Thompson, Stacy Lewis, Gerina Piller, Cristie Kerr, Jessica Korda, Danielle Kang, Michelle Wie, Brittany Lang, Brittany Lincicome, Lizette Salas. Captain's Picks: Austin Ernst, Angel Yin. Find out how to get into golf with our special guide.", "summary": "Europe and the United States have confirmed their teams for the upcoming Solheim Cup in Iowa."}
{"article": "The female swan had a netted bag, used to hold footballs, wrapped around her head and wings at Wyken Slough nature reserve in Coventry. She remains at Wychbold Swan Rescue, near Droitwich, Worcestershire, following Saturday's rescue. The RSPCA said fishing line and hooks were also \"dangerous hazards\". The swan, which had been seen struggling to keep her head above water, sustained damage to one of her wings and remained under observation on Friday. RSPCA inspector Helen Smith said the swan was \"in complete shock\" when she was rescued by members of the West Midlands Fire Service. \"She could have been struggling to free herself for some time and was clearly exhausted,\" she said. \"The netting... was so tightly wrapped around her body she was in real danger of drowning.\" The RSPCA inspector reminded members of the public about dangers to wildlife and wild birds. She said: \"Netting, litter and fishing line and hooks are dangerous hazards to wildlife and I urge people to think of the consequences before they casually discard such items.\"", "summary": "A warning has been issued about the dangers of discarded netting and litter after the rescue of a swan which was in danger of drowning."}
{"article": "It was played by band leader Wallace Hartley, who died along with 1,517 others as the ship went down. It had a guide price of \u00a3300,000. The BBC's Duncan Kennedy said the buyer was believed to be British. Auctioneer Alan Aldridge said the violin was the \"rarest and most iconic\" piece of Titanic memorabilia. Many of the other items up for sale, such as photographs, newspapers and crockery, were sold for between \u00a310 and a few hundred pounds. By Duncan KennedyBBC News What would Wallace Hartley have made of it all? Well, the modest, jobbing, musician from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, would probably not have believed it. His violin, given to him by his fiancee, Maria, as an engagement present, going at auction for \u00a3900,000 (just over \u00a31m when you add in buyers premium and VAT). He'd only just got off the RMS Mauretania when his agent asked him if he wanted to go straight onto another voyage, the Titanic. Hartley agreed, a move that would cost him his life but also create a legend. There were gasps at the auction when the bidding passed half a million pounds. But it kept climbing, the bidders in the room soon over taken by the serious money on the phones. Any suggestion the violin wasn't authentic, as some have claimed, was swept away in a torrent of successively higher bids. In the end, it beat the old world record for a single Titanic item four times over. Played by a man who personifies a bygone era of high morals and values, it's more than just a violin, it's an instrument of history. Mr Aldridge set the bidding at \u00a350 for the violin, which was lot 230 of 251, so \"two of his friends could bid\" - but after just a couple of minutes it had passed \u00a3100,000. It eventually sold for \u00a3900,000 after fierce bidding between two telephone bidders. Hartley has become part of the ship's legend after leading his fellow musicians in playing as the vessel sank. They are famously said to have played the hymn Nearer My God To Thee. It had taken seven years for the Devizes auction house, Henry Aldridge & Son, to authenticate the instrument. Several experts were used, including forensic scientists who said the wood still contained salt deposits from the sea water. Some people still doubt whether the violin is the genuine article, however, and believe it could not have survived being submerged in the sea. But it is claimed the violin survived in a leather case strapped to Mr Harley's body who was found wearing his cork and linen lifejacket. A diary entry by his fiancee, Maria Robinson, said it was saved from the water and returned to her. Following her death in 1939, the violin was given to her local Salvation Army citadel and was later passed on to the current anonymous owner's mother in the early 1940s. The auction house said it had attracted interest from collectors all over the world and added that more than 315,000 people viewed it during a three-month exhibition", "summary": "The violin that was apparently played to calm passengers on the Titanic as it sank was sold for \u00a3900,000 in just 10 minutes at auction in Wiltshire."}
{"article": "UK researchers found that if the trees grew at an angle, they produced a special kind of wood that resulted in the higher sugar content. Willow, a short rotation coppice crop, is widely grown as a source for the biofuel and biomass industries. The findings appear in the Biotechnology for Biofuels journal. \"It would drastically reduce [the environmental impact of biofuels] because you would not need such a severe pre-treatment in the conversion process, which is currently one of the highest energy consumption steps in the process of converting woody biomass to biofuels,\" explained co-author Michael Ray, a researcher at Imperial College London. Energy intensive pre-treatment processes are used to soften the wood before it goes through an enzymatic stage to break down the woody matter in order to produce biofuel. \"Our feeling is that these varieties that we know yield more sugar will need a much less severe pre-treatment process,\" Dr Ray told BBC News. \"Ultimately, we will work towards producing varieties that actually will not need any pre-treatment at all and will be able to dissolve them in enzymes without undergoing any pre-treatment processes.\" He added that the findings could also improve the environmental performance of biofuels by increasing sugar yields, making the whole process more productive and cost effective. \"What we are really working towards here is sustainability, reducing the energy inputs and improving the energy and carbon balances, and reducing the competition for land that you could use for food production,\" he said. Wind in the willows Dr Ray and his colleague Dr Nicholas Brereton said the latest work built on previous work involving a wider study on willow varieties at the national collection at Rothamsted Research, which is the longest running agricultural research station in the world. \"We found in that study that certain varieties released more sugar than others, and in that same study we discovered that it had nothing to do with the total amount of sugars that were there, so we knew that it had to be something else that was causing the differences that we were seeing,\" Dr Ray recalled. \"The phenomenon we are investigating is a natural phenomenon that is observed in most trees. You get a special type of wood (known as reaction wood) laid down in response to environmental stimuli, such as tipping or wind, which induces these special woods to be formed.\" \"We found that the trees we tipped, compared with control trees that were not tipped, the different genotypes responded differently. Some of them did not release any additional sugar, even if you tipped them. Yet in others, there were very big differences.\" Reaction wood has a different cellular characteristic to normal wood and is formed when branches or stems have been disturbed and the tree attempts to return to its original position. It is also known as tension wood in deciduous trees and compression wood in conifers. Working alongside colleagues from the University of Highlands and Islands, Scotland, the pair found the same results in the environment as well, allowing them to conclude that it was the", "summary": "Scientists have identified willow trees that yield five times as much sugar as ordinary varieties, \"drastically reducing\" the impact of biofuels."}
{"article": "Shamas Ali, 47, forced the youngster to massage him and touch his legs before carrying out sex acts. Ali had denied the indecency offence committed at houses in Dunfermline but was found guilty by a majority verdict at the High Court in Edinburgh. He was found guilty of abusing the girl when she was aged between seven and 11, up to August 2003. The victim, now aged 22, gave evidence against Ali, who is from Dunfermline. Defence solicitor advocate John Scott QC asked that Ali's bail be continued after the verdict. He said Ali had no criminal record of any significance and no breaches of bail. Mr Scott said: \"Whilst a custodial sentence is all but inevitable, there is no reason to think he would fail to comply with bail conditions.\" The judge told Ali: \"You have been convicted of a serious sexual offence.\" Lady Wise said she was prepared to continue his bail while a background report was prepared ahead of sentencing next month. But she told Ali: \"You should not be under any illusion that says anything about the ultimate disposal.\" Ali was placed on the sex offenders' register.", "summary": "A Fife businessman is facing a jail sentence after being convicted of abusing a primary school girl."}
{"article": "Williams met the Olympic qualifying time winning the IFAM title in Belgium in May but failed to gain automatic selection at the British Championships. Sebastian Rodger won the British title with Jack Green second and subsequently both secured selection in Birmingham. Williams, 32, ran at the 2012 Olympics and won European gold the same year. \"Rhys was only eligible for selection in round four of selection, and to be successful in this round the selection panel would need to believe he would win a medal in Rio or at a future Olympic Games and/or there were exceptional circumstances surrounding his potential selection/qualification,\" a British Athletics statement read before the appeal. \"Unfortunately it was felt that Rhys did not fit into either of these categories and was therefore not selected.\" Williams, who received a four-month ban for doping in 2014, ran just under British Athletics' Olympic A standard, winning his Belgium meet in May in a time of 49.22 seconds. The British Olympic qualifying time for the 400m hurdles was 49.40 seconds. Williams believed he should be eligible but British Athletics have rejected his appeal. Seren Bundy-Davies, who helped Great Britain win 4x400m European gold on the weekend, is the only Welsh track and field athlete named in Great Britain's team for Rio 2016 meaning Wales will have just one track and field athlete at an Olympic Games for the first time since the 1952 Helsinki Games.", "summary": "Welsh 400m hurdler Rhys Williams has failed in his appeal against his omission from Team GB's athletics squad for the Rio Olympics next month."}
{"article": "Deborah O'Hara underwent an operation to remove a 8.7in (22cm) tumour at Coventry's University Hospital in 2015. A clip was inadvertently placed on one of her arteries which led to a lack of blood to vital organs. She died two days later. Deputy coroner Emma Witting recorded a verdict of death by misadventure and said it was a \"tragic loss\". At the inquest in Coventry, surgeon Anthony Blacker told the hearing it was a complicated operation over six hours and when the tumour was removed Mrs O'Hara lost five litres of blood. In a bid to save her life, four clamps were placed on her arteries, but the move cut off the blood supply to her bowel and she died. Bosses apologised after her family learnt about the mistake from the BBC. Widower Andy O'Hara said there was a degree of justice in getting the cause of death recognised saying it was \"another bit of closure, but there's still a lot of unanswered questions\". \"I'm gutted for my family because we've lost a lovely wife, brilliant mum,\" he said. University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust previously apologised to Mrs O'Hara's family after failing to tell them about the error. An internal investigation has been carried out. It is understood the hospital will pay compensation.", "summary": "An inquest into the death of a mother-of-three after an error during surgery has recorded a verdict of misadventure."}
{"article": "Baby Max Naman died at the scene of the crash in Finistere on 7 June. His father, Lawrence Naman, 37, of Mile End, died the next day in hospital. Opening inquests into the deaths coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray said Mr Naman's wife remained in hospital. The hearing, in Chelmsford, was adjourned to a date to be confirmed. The court heard how Mr Naman had been driving the car with his wife - who was not named in the hearing - by his side and baby Max was in the back when their vehicle collided with a lorry. Mr Naman was taken to Brest Hospital where he later died. A post mortem examination found he died of skull trauma. Mrs Beasley-Murray said the deaths were a \"tragic loss\" and were currently subject to a criminal investigation in France. It is understood the inquest will resume once the police investigation has been completed.", "summary": "A father and his nine-month-old son from east London died in a road crash during a family holiday in Brittany, France, an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "Led by Durham Wildlife Trust, the scheme will see a preservation plan drawn up for the River Skerne. It will include initiatives to protect natural habitats as well as industrial and agricultural sites. If successful, organisers say a further \u00a32.6m from the Heritage Lottery Fund will be unlocked as well as \u00a3500,000 from other sources. The project, called the Bright Water Landscape partnership, covers 200sq km (77sq miles) and focuses on the River Skerne from Hurworth Burn reservoir in East Durham to South Park in Darlington.", "summary": "A project to conserve a North East river catchment area has been awarded \u00a3223,000 of Lottery funding."}
{"article": "Court officials carrying out an eviction order on Tuesday discovered the bodies of an 11-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl. Police did not name the woman but said the bodies were wrapped in the same plastic bag. Two of the woman's other children, aged 11 and 17, were found at a neighbour's home and placed in protective custody. A post-mortem examination has been scheduled to determine how the children died. Police Chief James Craig called it a \"terrible find\". Tori Childs, a neighbour, told the Associated Press that she hadn't seen the two dead children for about a year. Neighbours said the 36-year-old mother was behind on her rent on her three-bedroom apartment and was \"going through some things\".", "summary": "A Detroit mother has been arrested after officials found two of her children dead inside her freezer."}
{"article": "The 52-year-old spent time at seven clubs during his career including Chelsea, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough. Bolton have already been relegated from the Championship with Jimmy Phillips currently interim manager, assisted by former Sunderland boss Peter Reid. Chairman Ken Anderson has revealed they have a shortlist of three of who they want to become their new manager.", "summary": "Bolton Wanderers have appointed former Republic of Ireland international Andy Townsend in a consultancy role."}
{"article": "The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) said the figure had fallen to 351 from 366 in 2004/05. In the same period, the number of registered patients rose by more than 125,000 to 1.92 million - an average increase per surgery of more than 500. The RCGP said Northern Ireland had the lowest number of GPs per patient in the UK; a shortfall equating to 234 GPs. RCGP chairman Dr John O'Kelly said: \"With growing numbers of patients, and fewer GP surgeries, general practice is creaking at the seams. \"But this pressure and the danger it poses to our patients has not yet been adequately recognised by decision makers. \"Whilst other countries in the UK are being promised increased resources to cope with increasing patient demand, in NI - where our patients already have fewer GPs per head - general practice has largely been ignored.\" Northern Ireland has been allocated about \u00c2\u00a341m in additional public spending next year. This is Stormont's share of the extra \u00c2\u00a32bn allocated to the UK health service by Chancellor George Osborne in his Autumn Statement. However, the Northern Ireland Executive is not obliged to spend the extra money on health. Dr O'Kelly said the money should be used to invest in stronger local GP services. \"To gain parity with other UK nations, we urgently need a package of measures to encourage more young doctors to enter the GP workforce, retain and support current GPs, and make it easier for those who have left the workforce to come back,\" he said.", "summary": "The number of GP surgeries in Northern Ireland at its lowest since 1991, a group of doctors has said."}
{"article": "His salary included a \u00a3596,000 bonus, in addition to pension benefits, the company has disclosed. In its annual report, Marks and Spencer said that because the business met its profit target, it paid bonuses across the company. The High Street retail giant recently reported its first rise in annual profits in four years. Last year, Mr Bolland and his executive team had to forgo bonuses, after the company's consistent drop in profits. The chairman, Robert Swannell, said in the firm's annual report: \"This year, we have seen outstanding performance in some areas of the business, but performance below our expectations in others.\" He said the food business had an outstanding year, while the company's international business performance was disappointing. Steve Rowe, the executive director of the company's food division, earned a \u00a3653,000 bonus for the year, with a total package of \u00a31.4m.", "summary": "Marks and Spencer chief executive Marc Bolland earned more than \u00a32m in the last fiscal year."}
{"article": "The prime minister told LBC Radio her party had come a long way on issues such as gay marriage, while her own attitudes had changed over the years. There would be no \"going back\", and the Tories would continue to defend LGBT rights and extend them where possible. The DUP is opposed to equal marriage and same-sex couples adopting children. Some Conservatives have expressed reservations about their party's parliamentary deal with the DUP - which will allow Mrs May to govern and pass key legislation after she failed to win an overall majority at the election. Mrs May, who is holding a reception later to mark the 50th anniversary of legislation decriminalising homosexuality, said she did not agree with the DUP on a number of social issues but the alliance would not affect existing equality or discrimination laws or stop the Conservatives from seeking to advance them. In the LBC interview, Mrs May - whose father was a vicar - spoke of the impression left on her after attending a same-sex marriage in her Maidenhead constituency, witnessing a couple tie the knot who would otherwise have had to travel to South Africa to get married. \"It is seeing people having, you know, their lives changed and... being able to take a different approach to their lives because of the government passing legislation like that that I think has been so important,\" she said. \"I think if you look at what has happened over the years, you will see a change that's taken place in the Conservative Party and in individuals. \"I'll be honest, my attitude on a number of issues has changed over the years as well.\" As an opposition MP, Mrs May voted against reducing the age of consent for gay people, the repeal of Section 28 and civil partnerships, but as home secretary and minister for women and equalities she played a key role in steering the legalisation of same-sex marriage through Parliament. While she understood people's concerns about the DUP's stance on several issues, she said, she had a duty to form a stable government and there were many areas of agreement such as counter-terrorism and the future of the Union. \"The Conservative Party has not gone back,\" she said. \"We will continue to push forward, to enhance LGBT rights and we are pleased with what we have been able to do so far, but want to do more. \"And that will not be changed by our relationship with the DUP.\" Asked whether she would now support Anglican vicars being able to bless same-sex marriages in church, Mrs May said this was a matter for the Church of England. But she added: \"The Church of England has itself come a distance in terms of looking at these issues. And obviously they will want to reflect as attitudes more generally change, as society changes.\" In an article for Pink News, Mrs May said that while it remained a matter for the devolved government in Northern Ireland, she would supported legalising equal marriage, believing that LGBT people should have the same", "summary": "The Conservatives will not retreat in their support for gay rights because of their pact with the Democratic Unionists, Theresa May has insisted."}
{"article": "In a brief but frank interview with foreign affairs reporter Christiane Amanpour at the Women for Women International event in New York City on Tuesday, Mrs Clinton said that she has conducted an \"excruciating analysis\" of her failed presidential campaign as part of a book she is writing. What has she learned? While admitting that she made mistakes and that her campaign had \"challenges\", \"problems\" and \"shortfalls\", she pointed the finger at two men - FBI Director James Comey and Russian President Vladimir Putin - as the proximate cause of her defeat. \"I was on the way to winning until the combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28 and Russian Wikileaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me but got scared off,\" she said. \"The evidence for that intervening event is, I think, compelling.\" Mrs Clinton also noted that as the first woman to run for president as a major party candidate, misogyny may have also been a factor in her loss. \"It is real,\" Mrs Clinton said of discrimination against women. \"It is very much a part of the landscape politically, socially and economically.\" She said her election would have been \"a really big deal\" for women's rights, sending a message around the world. At one point, Amanpour joked that the president would likely take to social media to respond to the former candidate's remarks . \"If he wants to tweet about me then I am happy to be the diversion because we have lot of things to worry about,\" Mrs Clinton said. By that evening, Mr Trump indeed offered his Twitter response, again saying the Russia allegations were a Democratic attempt to avoid blame for their defeat. Other opponents of the former secretary of state will be quick to point out that explaining away her campaign missteps as mere challenges, problems and shortfalls gives short shrift to strategic lapses that left her vulnerable to Mr Trump's economic populism, allowing him to prevail in the decisive Rust Belt states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. Mrs Clinton's apparent response, however, is that she had to defend Mr Obama's presidential accomplishments and sell her pragmatic approach as the way to improve American lives. \"That was not as exciting as saying throw it all out and start over again, but it's how you make change in America - and lasting change that would improve people's lives,\" she said. When it came to foreign policy, Mrs Clinton shared some thoughts on the \"wicked problems\" currently confronting Mr Trump. She said the effort to end North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes requires a regional effort, with US positions presented in critical negotiations and \"not just thrown off in a tweet some morning\". She also said she supported the recent US missile strike to punish the Syrian government for its use of chemical weapons, although she says she is not convinced it has made much of a difference. \"If all it was was a one-off effort,\" she said, \"it's not going to have much of a lasting", "summary": "The election may be over, with Donald Trump's presidency more than 100 days old, but Hillary Clinton isn't ready to let go."}
{"article": "Deiseane Santiago, 22, became pregnant in January while visiting her fianc\u00e9 in Kegworth on a five-month visa. Her attempt for a UK visa extension was initially denied and the Home Office said she would have to return. However, the Home Office said it was now reconsidering her case. On Thursday morning, Miss Santiago was told she was no longer at immediate risk of deportation. A Home Office statement said: \"We are in contact with Ms Santiago and are reconsidering her case.\" A friend of the couple, Susan Cooke, said: \"It is a great relief that 'Daisy' is no longer at risk of the Home Office turning up on Friday to remove her. \"However, we are not out of the woods yet. But for the first time this week, things are looking hopeful. This could actually turn into a success story with a healthy baby being born in the UK.\" Miss Santiago's fianc\u00e9, Simon Ellis, said he feels \"scared and trapped\". \"All I want is a safe birth for my baby,\" he said. \"I don't want a chance for that baby to catch microcephaly and I don't think I should have to take that chance.\" Miss Santiago said: \"I'm feeling a lot of stress. I'm depressed, I can't eat. \"If it wasn't about this virus Zika and advice of doctors and my mum telling me that I shouldn't go home, I would be home.\" Earlier, supporting an application to extend her visa, her GP cited Public Health England advice over pregnant women travelling to Zika hotspots. Miss Santiago, from S\u00e3o Paulo, met Mr Ellis online three and a half years ago. She travelled to Kegworth to visit him in November and the couple got engaged about six weeks ago. The couple changed her return flight to November - after the baby's due date - and applied to have her visa extended until then. On Monday, Miss Santiago - now 25 weeks pregnant - was told her application was refused, and that she could be arrested and deported within days. A letter from the Home Office acknowledged the GP's advice that pregnant women should avoid travel to countries \"with active transmission of the Zika virus\", but stated advice \"is in respect of British nationals travelling to affected countries\".", "summary": "A pregnant Brazilian woman advised not to return to the country amid Zika virus fears is to have her UK deportation case reviewed."}
{"article": "Several years on from their initial meeting, though, the venue has seen the opening of The Nap, a comedy thriller that stars '71 and Unbroken actor Jack O'Connell as Dylan Spokes, a local lad on the verge of winning the World Championships and losing everything he's worked for. What changed in-between to alter Bean's perspective was the same thing that changed the way many saw the game - match-fixing. In 2013, the former world number five Stephen Lee was found guilty of seven charges in what officials called \"the worst case of snooker corruption we've seen\". That, and other cases involving the likes of John Higgins and Joe Jogia, gave Bean the impetus to create the story and the characters he had been looking for. \"I couldn't think how we could have a play about snooker for a couple of years, but then there were a few match-fixing scandals and I came up with the idea that if the plot was driven by a scandal, that would give us the opportunity to have a professional snooker player in the cast. \"So Dylan would have to play a match against a snooker player who has got no lines and if the audience knows that Jack is meant to be 'tanking' the frame, then that would fit the plot and we'd still have a game of snooker in the play. \"Richard was happy with that and so I went away and wrote it.\" He says Wilson's idea was to \"marry two audiences\" that use the Crucible - snooker fans and theatregoers - and \"get a few more blokes into the theatre\". Even after he had agreed to write it though, Bean said he still was not convinced. \"I said it was a brilliant marketing idea, but a rubbish idea for a play because actors can't play snooker. \"It's one of the most technical sports there is. \"We all play it badly and we all think it looks quite easy and then you find yourself with a cue in your hand on a full-size table and it's utterly daunting.\" He says the writing process involved him joining a snooker club and playing on a regular basis, to get an insight into how hard the game is. \"In the afternoons, I would go down to the club and hire a table and play a few frames against myself, to study the art of angles. \"In the play, there's an invention called a sighting ball - a white ball covered in colour polka dots. \"I came up with that while playing. It helps you learn where to hit the target ball to pot it. \"It allowed me to get into the game in a technical way.\" The play did not just require him to get to grips with the sport though, but also with the city that has been the home of the World Championships for four decades - Sheffield. \"I was fortunate that an actor I have worked with several times - Robert Hudson - is Sheffield born and bred. \"He was born down the Eccy", "summary": "When Sheffield Crucible associate director Richard Wilson approached playwright Richard Bean with the idea of putting on a play there about snooker, the sport that has made the venue internationally famous, he was against the idea, as \"actors can't play snooker\"."}
{"article": "The data has been released on the internet for use by the global scientific community. The ash tree genome map is the latest advance in fighting Chalara, which causes ash dieback. According to new figures, ash dieback is spreading rapidly in Britain and has been found in more than 200 woods. Evidence from continental Europe suggests that as many as 90% of ash trees could eventually die from the infection. Scientists are searching for genetic clues to why some trees appear to be able to survive. A team at Queen Mary University of London, has mapped the genome of a native ash tree for the first time, as part of the research. The tree came from a wood in Gloucestershire owned by the Earth Trust. Dr Richard Buggs of Queen Mary University of London, said it was a big leap forward. He told the BBC: \"This is the best available sequence for ash - and it is therefore a very good reference for anyone working on anything to do with ash trees.\" In June, the DNA sequence of a Danish ash tree with resistance to the disease was revealed by a team at the Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL) , the John Innes Centre and the Genome Analysis Centre in Norwich. They have also sequenced the DNA of the fungus. An online game, Fraxinus, which the public can use to help scientists improve their data analysis, has been launched by the Norwich team. It has been played by nearly 20,000 people from more than 100 countries. The long-term goal is to map the genes that give a minority of ash trees resistance to the pathogen. \"The genome sequencing work is really increasing the number of genetic variants we've identified, which will help us to associate sources of variation in the tree with the genetics,\" said Dr Dan MacLean of TSL. Ash dieback was first discovered in the UK in February 2012 in an import of nursery stock. In the autumn, a small number of cases were discovered in ash trees in established woodland in Norfolk and Suffolk. Forests in the south and east are among the worst affected, and the disease has now spread to woodland and nurseries across the UK, according to the Forestry Commission. More details of the ash genome sequencing work and an interview with Dr Richard Buggs can be heard at 1100 BST on BBC Radio 4 on Friday, 27 September. Ashes to Ashes is presented by Professor Adam Hart and produced by Ania Lichtarowicz.", "summary": "UK scientists have mapped the genome of the British ash tree, in research to find a way to protect woodlands from a deadly fungus."}
{"article": "The trade body that represents the sector published research suggesting more than 10,700 jobs were directly supported self-catering tourism. A further 4,500 jobs are indirectly supported by the money flowing through the sector, it claimed. The research covers nearly 17,000 premises. They have been classified as self-catering properties by business rate assessors. That does not include homes for rent through websites such as Airbnb. The findings follow economic research into the impact of golf tourism in Scotland, which was published this week and which found there was nearly as much value from that, at \u00a3286m. The VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise study found growth of 30% in value between 2008 and 2016, with 4,700 jobs thought to be supported by golf tourism. The self-catering research has been carried out by the Frontline economics consultancy for the Association of Scotland's Self-Caterers. It drew on data from 2015 and 2016, including visitor surveys, assessors' statistics on non-domestic rates, and online surveys of both visitors and property owners. It concluded that 23% of visitors to Scotland rented a self-catering property for at least part of their visit. Of those, 32% came from England, with the north-west being the largest regional contributor and London the smallest. Scots renting self-catering properties in Scotland accounted for 30% of the total, while the other 27 EU nations represented only 4%. Most groups were made up only of adults, with children included in 30% of rentals. The average spend on accommodation was reckoned to be \u00a3643 per group, totalling \u00a3313m. They spent, on average, \u00a3245 on travel to and from the property. While the total spend was reckoned to be close to \u00a3800m, the value added to the economy in 2016 was put at \u00a3293m. Of that, \u00a379m was in the Highlands, including Moray, supporting 4,100 jobs, directly and indirectly. Edinburgh and the Lothians saw almost \u00a350m of economic benefit over a year. Meanwhile, the golf tourism research estimated that overseas golf visitors spent an average \u00a3338 per night during a trip to Scotland last year - more than four times the daily spend of the average overseas visitor. Almost half of golf visitors staying at least one night in Scotland were from overseas, with the average being more than 10 days. The North American market represents 30% of the total, with 14% from the rest of Europe. Most overseas golfing visitors had visited Scotland before, and one in eight golfing visitors was female. Those women tended to be better golfers, with lower handicaps. Danny Cusick of Scottish Enterprise, which co-funded the research, said Scottish golf has \"tremendous international appeal, so it comes as no surprise that the value of this important tourism sector has grown enormously in recent years. \"But we mustn't rest on our laurels; we want ambitious Scottish golf tourism companies to capitalise on this upward trend and consider how best they can develop and scale their business to meet the growing domestic and international demand.\"", "summary": "Visitors who rent self-catering properties are thought to be worth almost \u00a3300m to the Scottish economy, according to new economic research."}
{"article": "The FTSE 100 rose 102.3 points, or 1.7%, to 6,156.32. Rising prices of metals lifted mining shares, and Anglo American climbed 3.6%. The biggest riser on the index was Coca-Cola HBC, which was 6.5% higher after Citigroup upgraded its rating on the stock to \"buy\". In the FTSE 250, shares in bookmaker Ladbrokes jumped 6.5%. The Competition and Markets Authority said Ladbrokes and Gala Coral might have to sell about 350 to 400 shops for their planned merger to be \"conditionally cleared\", but the figure was lower than expected. On the currency markets, the pound fell 0.64% against the dollar to $1.4518, and dropped 0.68% against the euro to \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.2952.", "summary": "(Close): The London market rose more than 1%, recovering most of the ground lost on Thursday."}
{"article": "Analysts say the primaries are a good indicator of who may win the presidential elections later this year. With 93% of the votes counted, governing coalition candidate Daniel Scioli had a 14-point lead over his conservative rival, Mauricio Macri. The first round of the presidential election will be held on 25 October. President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who has been in power since December 2007, will not be able to stand again as the constitution limits presidents to two terms in office. She was preceded in office by her late husband, Nestor Kirchner. Their combined 12 years in office have been dubbed \"the Kirchner era\" and opposition candidates have been campaigning on a promise of change. Mr Scioli, who is currently governor of Buenos Aires province, is the only candidate for the governing Front for Victory coalition. His main rival is Buenos Aires mayor Mauricio Macri of the conservative Cambiemos (Let's Change) coalition. With 93% of the votes counted, Mr Macri had won 24.4% compared to Mr Scioli's 38.3%. Third was Sergio Massa, a congressman who broke away from the Front for Victory coalition to form his United for a New Alternative party. Voting in the primaries is compulsory and is not restricted to party members but open to all those eligible to cast their ballot in the presidential polls. Whoever wins is therefore seen as a favourite for the presidential polls on 25 October. The primaries were introduced in 2009 to cut down on the number of candidates running in the presidential elections with contenders having to win a minimum of 1.5% to be eligible to stand in the first round on 25 October. If no candidate wins 45% of the vote or 40% with a 10-point margin over the second-placed person, a second round will be held on 24 November. Whoever wins will need to tackle a high inflation rate, which independent analysts estimate at 30%. Mr Macri is campaigning on a promise to quickly free the markets from restraints introduced by President Fernandez while Mr Scioli advocates gradual change.", "summary": "The presidential candidate for Argentina's governing coalition has won a comfortable majority in primary elections held on Sunday."}
{"article": "Simon Dobbin, from Suffolk, was left brain damaged after the assault in Southend, Essex, in March 2015. Three of the 12 men sentenced at Basildon Crown Court were jailed for five years for violent disorder. Mr Dobbin's wife told the court her husband had been given a life sentence through the group's actions. He spent a year in hospital as a result of the attack which happened after his team, Cambridge United, played at Southend United's ground Roots Hall. Mr Dobbin was in court for sentencing - the first time he had come face-to-face with his attackers - but had to leave when he became upset. Det Ch Insp Martin Pasmore, who led the investigation into the attack, said the men were like a \"pack of animals\". He said: \"These are individuals that are mainly spending their time in pubs and drinking and looking for the opportunity to have fights with other so-called football fans/hooligans.\" The detective also said accusations that Mr Dobbin had been ejected from the stadium on the day he was attacked were \"absolute nonsense\". \"Let me be clear, Simon Dobbin is a thoroughly decent man,\" he added. \"He was not involved in any form of disturbance and was not ejected from the match or any other establishment. \"He is an entirely innocent victim of an unprovoked savage attack which left him with a permanent and devastating brain injury.\" In a victim impact statement, wife Nicole Dobbin said she \"hates what these violent thugs have done to us\". The offence of committing violent disorder carries a maximum term of five years in prison. The shortest sentence - 16 months - was given to Rhys Pullen, who pleaded guilty to the charge earlier in proceedings. Eight men were found guilty of violent disorder. They were sentenced to the following: Three men were jailed for conspiracy to commit violent disorder: All of the men were given a 10-year football banning order. Ian Young, 41, of Brightwell Avenue, Westcliff was found guilty of assisting an offender by hiding the group while police were conducting a search. He will be sentenced next month.", "summary": "A group of football hooligans described as \"a pack of animals\" has been jailed over an attack which left a football fan unable to walk or speak."}
{"article": "Oliseh, 41, had been in the job for only eight months. Nigeria have installed Samson Siasia to oversee next month's crucial 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Group G leaders Egypt. \"Your contractual violations and the interest of the nation necessitates that I tender my resignation,\" he wrote to the Nigeria Football Federation. \"So little help is being rendered me in getting the players to give their best and very vital conditions and advantages to the team play are also being sacrificed... my several e-mails and others seeking your aid to effectively carry out my duties were ignored.\" The NFF technical director Shaibu Amodu, who has managed the national team on four occasions, is widely expected to take charge of the team on a temporary basis. Former Nigeria captain Oliseh endured a turbulent reign as Nigeria boss after succeeding Stephen Keshi in July 2015. Some high-profile players have retired, including goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama - Nigeria's most-capped player, who quit after he was replaced as captain. Two weeks later striker Emmanuel Emenike also announced his retirement from international football. In early February, a frustrated Oliseh posted an eight-minute video rant on his own website to hit back at what he called the \"insanity\" of his critics. He had come under pressure after Nigeria failed to get past the group stages of the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Rwanda. The coach later apologised to the NFF for his outburst aimed at the Nigerian media as well as some of his former international team-mates. Oliseh had also gone public with the money problems affecting his team during the continental tournament in Rwanda, to the embarrassment of his employers. Nigeria face seven-time African champions Egypt in back-to-back 2017 Nations Cup qualifiers next month. They are two points behind group leaders Egypt after two rounds of matches with only group winners guaranteed automatic qualification to the tournament in Gabon.", "summary": "Sunday Oliseh has resigned as coach of Nigeria citing contract violations, unpaid wages and lack of support."}
{"article": "Daniel Jones, 59, from Enfield, is currently serving a prison sentence for his role in the infamous \u00a325m jewellery heist of 2015. He has now admitted being involved in an attempt to break into a safe in Chatila jewellers in Old Bond Street, Mayfair, in August 2010. Two other men have pleaded not guilty. Terry Perkins, 68, of Enfield, has denied making off with goods worth more than a million US dollars from a jewellers between 27 and 31 August 2010. Charles Matthews, 54, from Virginia Water, Surrey, denies one count of handling stolen goods. They are both due to stand trial on 27 February at Southwark Crown Court.", "summary": "One of the ringleaders behind the Hatton Garden raid has admitted trying to steal \u00a31m of gems from a London jewellers five years earlier."}
{"article": "Zafreen Khadam, 32, is alleged to have posted links to execution videos and guides for would-be terrorists on Twitter and Whatsapp under names such as 'PrincessKuffar'. Prosecutors say the posts \"glorified\" IS and \"encouraged terrorism\". Miss Khadam, of Vincent Road, Sheffield, denies the charges. Simon Davis, prosecuting, told Sheffield Crown Court she described Kuwaiti-born Mohammed Emwazi - nicknamed \"Jihadi John\" - as \"kind of scary\" but said she \"would marry him\". In another message, he said, Miss Khadam declared she wanted \"to live the IS life\" and \"supports IS and supports the mujahideen\". \"The prosecution case is that this defendant was disseminating terrorist information or propaganda, or spreading the word,\" Mr Davis said. \"Our case is that her intention was to encourage people to commit, prepare or instigate acts of terror.\" Jurors heard Miss Khadam shared the links using 14 different accounts, after several were closed down by Twitter. The description for one Twitter profile shown to the jury, 'PrincessISback6', read: \"Love Nuttella and kittens. I hate coconuts more than kufr. Used to date but then I found Allah. Pro Jihadi John's left hand\". Among the links shared were videos of Kurdish fighters being executed, seven issues of \"terrorist publication\" Dabiq and a speech entitled 'What is Terrorism?', the court heard. The jury heard Miss Khadam had confirmed in interview that links to the magazines were posted by her. Mr Davis said Miss Khadam had also provided a link to a document called Jihadi John and the Right to be Violent, and another which gave tips on how to hide from the authorities. He said: \"This is effectively a guide for a would-be terrorist to evade detection from the law enforcement agencies, and she favourited that.\" Miss Khadam denies ten charges of disseminating terrorist publications between February and March 2015. The trial continues.", "summary": "An alleged Islamist sympathiser accused of sharing so-called Islamic State propaganda online said she would marry \"Jihadi John\", a court has heard."}
{"article": "The decision comes after a report by the UN cultural agency Unesco said the area \"should be off-limits to commercial logging in its entirety\". The Tasmanian Wilderness covers about a fifth of the island and is one of the world's last big temperate forests. Conservation groups have welcomed the Unesco report and the logging decision. In 2014 the Australian government asked the agency to revoke the special status of the forest to open up parts of it to logging in order to boost the island's economy, where unemployment is above the national average. But the move - by the government of former PM Tony Abbott - attracted much opposition from environmental groups. The Unesco report released on Saturday said the organisation \"does not consider a World Heritage property recognised for its outstanding cultural and natural values the place to experiment with commercial logging of any kind\". The Tasmanian Wilderness is home to ancient forests, some of the tallest flowering plants in the world and is a stronghold for several animals that are either extinct or threatened on Australia's mainland. Both the Australian federal and the Tasmanian state government have said they will abide by that recommendation.", "summary": "The Australian and Tasmanian authorities are abandoning their bid to have logging permitted in the Tasmanian Wilderness, a World Heritage site."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 42-year-old, who passed the mark of Cape Horn on Christmas Day after 48 days at sea, is behind only race leader Armel Le Cleac'h. The Welshman is aiming to become the first Briton to win the race. Thomson had led for the majority of the race but was overtaken by Le Cleac'h when he suffered a damaged foil. The leaders are now well up their South Atlantic ascent and, after rounding Cape Horn, the skippers begin their journey north back across the Atlantic towards the finish port at Les Sables-d'Olonne. Media playback is not supported on this device Thomson regained the lead in the round-the-world race north of the Kerguelen Islands in the Indian Ocean on 30 November, but has since lost ground. He broke two race records prior to being overtaken, as he reached the Cape of Good Hope in record time. The Vendee Globe takes place every four years. Since the first race in 1989, only 71 of 138 starters have completed the voyage, which is known for being one of the most gruelling sporting challenges in the world. Find out how to get into sailing with our special guide.", "summary": "Alex Thomson is attempting to overturn a deficit of about 140 miles in the Vendee Globe Trophy, with the leaders now past the halfway point of the race."}
{"article": "NVA has concluded missives with the Catholic Church for St Peter's Seminary in Cardross, Argyll and Bute. The A-listed building was designed and built in the 1960s as a training college for priests but it has not been used since the 1980s and is now a ruin. NVA aims to restore part of the seminary and use it as an art space. Its plan would stabilise the structure and gradually restore some interior spaces for cultural and educational use. The charity has already received \u00a3100,000 from Creative Scotland's National Lottery Fund towards the project. It still needs to raise \u00a32m by 2013 to take its proposals forward. St Peter's Seminary was designed by Glasgow architects Gillespie, Kidd and Coia. The Roman Catholic seminary, which belonged to the Archdiocese of Glasgow, was completed and consecrated in 1966. The distinctive zig-zag design and concrete appearance soon brought architectural recognition to the site. However, as numbers entering the religious life fell and with high maintenance costs, the decision was taken to close the college. In 1980 the seminary was deconsecrated and fell into a state of disrepair. The building was Category A listed by Historic Scotland in 1992. The World Monuments Fund, which works to preserve endangered cultural landmarks, added St Peter's College to its register in June 2007.", "summary": "A public arts charity aims to raise \u00a310m over the next two years to help save a building considered one of Scotland's great modernist structures."}
{"article": "Robert Sadler, 59, died at his home in Llanrumney Avenue, Llanrumney, on 10 January this year. Emma Saddler, 27, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court via video link on Wednesday. She was initially arrested on suspicion of murder and detained under the Mental Health Act. She was transferred to a clinic in Brighton which specialises in mental illness. The court heard she was re-arrested on Tuesday and charged at Brighton Magistrates' Court, before her case was sent to Cardiff Crown Court. She appeared via video link from Brighton Magistrates' Court and was remanded to a hospital until her next court appearance on 12 January 2017.", "summary": "A woman has appeared in court charged with murder and arson after her father died following a house fire in Cardiff."}
{"article": "Significant growth in sales of seafood and whisky helped exports increase \u00a3421m (8%) in 2016. Exports to EU countries were worth \u00a32.3bn, up \u00a3133m, which the Scottish government said underlined the importance of European markets. Whisky exports were worth \u00a34bn, up \u00a3153m (4%) from 2015, while fish and seafood sales were up \u00a3156M to \u00a3759m. Rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing said: \"Since this government came into office, the value of food exports has more than doubled. Food and drink is now one of the standout success stories in our economy, increasing growth and supporting jobs across the country. \"Our produce has an excellent reputation around the world and it's clear the industry is going from strength to strength. The increased collaboration between industry and public sector and the Food and Drink Export Plan are helping this by identifying opportunities to support businesses and breaking down the barriers to trade. \"These figures show the importance of retaining access to the vital European markets, which are currently worth \u00a32.3bn to the sector, and represent our largest export market. \"We shouldn't have to face the choice between remaining as part of the UK and the EU single market. The pursuit of a hard Brexit is a major threat to this success and these figures show why we must work to protect Scotland's place in Europe. \"Scotland's food and drink sector is in fantastic health, and next week's strategy launch will outline how we plan to support the industry to build upon this success and further grow the sector to 2030.\" James Withers, chief executive of Scotland Food & Drink, said the latest export figures were \"fantastic news\" and a new high for Scottish food and drink\". He said: \"This industry is Scotland's fastest-growing major sector. Yet we have huge ambitions to grow further. \"We are clear we want to internationalise our food industry, following in the footsteps of our greatest export, Scotch whisky. We have now doubled food exports since 2007, transforming the level of trade in growing markets like Asia. \"That is crucial to extend our footprint beyond just Europe, which is still the destination for over 70% of our food exports. \"The game-changer has been developing a national brand for Scottish produce in export markets, with industry and government working hand in hand to invest in overseas trade experts and activity. If we now further deepen that work, this success story has much further to go.\" David Williamson of the Scotch Whisky Association said it was clear the Scottish food and drink was \"leading in the way\" in terms of the country's economic and export performance. He added: \"Scotch Whisky continues to be the most significant part of this success, with overseas shipments making up around three-quarters of total food and drink exports. \"But we need support from governments as we deal with the challenges and opportunities ahead, including Brexit.\"", "summary": "Food and drink exports from Scotland rose to a record \u00a35.5bn last year, government figures show."}
{"article": "Ann Khoshbin, owner of Rose Garden Day Nursery in Uplands, is to be awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to education. She set up her business after being unable to find suitable childcare for her own children. She said: \"It's lovely, I'm pleased and humbled really. She said of receiving the letter informing her of the honour: \"It was such a surprise, I just cried, I couldn't believe it. \"I don't do the work to have a medal. I do it because I absolutely love it. It's a family business.\" Mrs Khoshbin also provides work placements for college students and gives talks to students. Unlike other honours, the BEM is not awarded by the Queen or Prince of Wales but by Lord-Lieutenants, who are the representatives of the Crown for each county in the UK. Other recipients of BEMs from south-west Wales are: Also recognised in the birthday honours list is Swansea councillor Peter Black who will be appointed CBE for services to politics and public life in Wales. Mr Black was a Liberal Democrat AM between 1999 and 2016 and has represented the Cwmbwrla ward as a councillor since 1984. British honours are awarded on merit, for exceptional achievement or service. All of the recipients will be invited to a Buckingham Palace garden party to celebrate their achievements.", "summary": "The owner of a Swansea nursery has said she is \"pleased and humbled\" to be recognised in the Queen's birthday honours list."}
{"article": "His family have described the 48-year-old as a \"wonderful dad and husband, a loving son, brother and uncle\", and a chapel service was held in the House of Commons. Prime Minister Theresa May said the PC, who was married with a five-year-old daughter, \"was every inch a hero\". The Metropolitan Police Force called him \"a fantastic member of staff\". A minute's silence was held at 09:33 GMT in the Palace of Westminster and at New Scotland Yard. The Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin led the prayer and vigil service at the House of Commons Chapel of St Mary Undercroft. Offering prayers \"for Keith, our brother and all others affected\", the Rev Hudson-Wilkin urged dozens of attendees \"to show mercy in the face of the hatred shown in the Westminster terror attack.\" A statement released by PC Palmer's family went on to say he was \"a long-time supporter of Charlton Athletic. Dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous. A friend to everyone who knew him. \"He will be deeply missed. We love him so much. His friends and family are shocked and devastated by his loss.\" Charlton Athletic responded to the news by putting a football scarf on PC Palmer's season ticket seat at the Valley stadium and said it would remain there until the next home game on 4 April. There are also plans to commemorate his life at the game itself. \"Keith was a familiar face at The Valley to many supporters and sat in his same East Stand seat for many years,\" the club said. \"He was a true hero who will be greatly missed by all the Charlton family and everyone at the club would like to offer their sincere condolences to his family and friends at this extremely difficult time\". PC Palmer joined the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command in April last year after serving in the Territorial Support Group (TSG) based in Catford but working across London. He had previously been based in Bromley borough between 2002 and 2009. PC James Aitkenhead, who worked alongside Keith in the TSG, said: \"Keith was a genuinely nice person; nobody had a bad word to say about him. When I heard what had happened I knew it would be him because that's just the sort of guy he was, to step straight in when others might step back. \"He had a great work ethic, he worked on our warrants' car for years, getting up at 04:00 to serve warrants and arresting wanted offenders. He was always so positive, always staying late after everyone else and getting in early. \"In his personal life he was a massive Charlton Athletic fan and had a season ticket. \"We will miss him so much.\" PC Palmer was nominated in 2015 for best thief taker in the Commissioner's Excellence Awards, having made more than 150 arrests in 12 months. Insp Mark Turner said he was \"a solid, reliable member of the team - he came in and just got the job done, quietly and efficiently\". \"He was a fantastic member", "summary": "Tributes have been paid to Keith Palmer, the police officer killed in Wednesday's attack in Westminster."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Vettel dominated in soaking conditions that delayed the start of the final session by nearly an hour. The world champion was 0.623 seconds quicker than Rosberg, with Alonso a further 0.437secs adrift. Media playback is not supported on this device Red Bull's Mark Webber starts his final F1 race fourth ahead of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Lotus's Romain Grosjean. Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne qualified seventh and eighth with Ferrari's Felipe Massa ninth ahead of Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg. Qualifying was wet throughout but a heavy downpour just after the second knock-out session forced organisers to delay the start of the top 10 shoot-out because of standing water on the track. The second session had ended with a high-speed crash by McLaren's Sergio Perez, who lost control after running wide on to kerbs on the exit of Turn Five. After a series of 10-minute delays, the drivers all ventured out on 'extreme' wet tyres to set 'banker' laps before coming in to change tyres when it became apparent conditions were suitable for 'intermediates'. They have a lower tread depth, but give drivers more speed if there is not a lot of standing water on the track. Grosjean gambled on not even doing a lap on the 'extreme' tyres and the decision initially paid off when he went fastest on his first flying lap while his rivals were getting up to speed. However, it meant the other drivers had the benefit of a drier track when they set their times on fresh tyres and Grosjean tumbled down the order. First Webber beat him by just 0.15secs before Vettel crossed the line shortly afterwards following a scintillating lap in his team-mate's wheel tracks that put him 1.144secs clear of the Australian. Media playback is not supported on this device Rosberg then grabbed second place, pipping Hamilton just behind him by 0.122secs before Alonso beat both. With the edge taken off the tyres, most could not improve on their second flying laps. Only Grosjean, Webber and Rosberg managed faster times, and just Rosberg gained a position, leapfrogging Alonso to join Vettel on the front row. \"We got out and I was surprised how much of the water had gone,\" said Vettel. \"I went to the intermediates and got a good lap straight away. It's great in these conditions to get it all right.\" Alonso said he felt he could have beaten Rosberg to second place. \"I have mixed feelings, to be honest,\" said Alonso. \"I am happy to be so high up on the grid finally because we normally start between seventh and 10th in the last few grands prix, which is not ideal. \"But I'm not totally happy with my lap. I went off at Turn Four, I was very late and missed the corner, it was very slippery. I exited eight tenths behind. [My pace] was not enough for pole position but it was enough for second place.\" Scot Paul Di Resta qualified 12th in what may be his last race for Force India,", "summary": "Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel beat Mercedes' Nico Rosberg and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso to pole position at the Brazilian Grand Prix."}
{"article": "Paul Martin, 37, from Stroud, died when his trail bike was hit by a train at Frampton level crossing in May 2014. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report also found signs did not explain trail bike riders were prohibited from using the crossing. The RAIB has recommended Network Rail improves the \"content\" of its signs. Mr Martin was the last of three trail bike riders to reach the level crossing along a track, near the village of Sapperton on 11 May. Despite signs warning \"vehicle users\" to use a telephone at the crossing to find out if it was safe to cross, none of the riders had. According to the RAIB report, the signs had failed to \"grab their attention sufficiently\" and the bikers had \"believed\" they could cross safely by \"looking for trains\". \"The riders did not know that a curve in the railway meant that they could not rely on seeing an approaching train early enough to decide whether it was safe to cross,\" the report stated. As the Swindon-to-Gloucester passenger train approached the crossing, a warning horn was sounded but the report said it was \"likely\" the bikers did not hear it because of their \"full-face crash helmets\" and \"noisy\" trail bike engines. Although the RAIB found there was \"no requirement\" for signs to include references to trail bike riders, it has recommended that \"content and positioning\" of signs be improved. It has also recommended that Network Rail \"seek a better understanding of actual (not only permitted) use of level crossings\" and raise awareness of where people are \"not permitted\" to take vehicles onto level crossings.", "summary": "A man killed at a level crossing in Gloucestershire may not have heard the train's horn because he was wearing a crash helmet, a report has found."}
{"article": "Christopher O'Neill, 25, was first charged with causing grievous bodily harm to C\u00e1r\u00e1gh Walsh in February 2014. However, within hours of Mr O'Neill appearing in court, C\u00e1r\u00e1gh died. Mr O'Neill, from Whiterock Road, was then charged with manslaughter, but in July, a senior prosecutor ordered a new post mortem report. A preliminary enquiry committing Mr O'Neill to the Crown Court to stand trial for his daughter's murder, has been adjourned because of a defence application. A defence solicitor said he had only received \"voluminous papers\" in the last few days, including what he described as \"quite complex\" medical evidence and asked the deputy district judge to adjourn the case for two weeks. A prosecuting lawyer said she had no objection and releasing Mr O'Neill on continuing bail, the judge told him to come back on 11 September.", "summary": "A Belfast man has been charged with murdering his three-month-old daughter on 7 February 2014."}
{"article": "In recent weeks, there has been an upsurge in campaigning comments on popular microblog Sina Weibo, where users are encouraging victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and rape to make their voices heard. Rape can be taboo in China and victims are often afraid to come forward. Domestic violence can also be stigmatised, and China only passed its first domestic violence law in December 2015. Moreover, women's rights activists in China have sometimes struggled to speak out. In 2015, five prominent activists were arrested, prompting international online campaigns using the #FreeTheFive hashtag. One of the biggest stories dominating social media in recent days has been the alleged rape of a female intern at a Chinese media company. Police in southern Guangzhou say they have arrested a reporter working for the Southern Daily newspaper. Two other interns have said they were sexually harassed by the individual. The #OnlineFeverThatJournalistRapedFemaleIntern hashtag has been trending for the past two days and social media users have been particularly interested in an exclusive interview conducted with the alleged victim by the Women Awakening rights group. Using the pseudonym Little Flower, she said she initially \"didn't realise it was rape\" and had thought of rape as \"a stranger in the street... using violence, a knife to force you\". She added that she didn't think much would come of the case, as she described her alleged attacker as \"well-known\". Weibo users have also been following an incident of alleged domestic violence in northern China. The hashtag #BeatenBecauseBoyfriendSuspectedCheating has been trending after images circulated of Beijing-based user \"YuzuSama\" with black eyes and bruises. After the images gained traction online, YuzuSama said she had been encouraged to go to hospital and to contact the police. Weibo users told her \"not to be afraid\" after she posted from the police station that her boyfriend had been arrested. She told users on 30 June: \"When I saw him, I was still terribly scared.\" Thousands of female users have also been making their voices heard against other, more routine, offences. In the past month, Weibo campaigns including #ShanghaiMetroWolf, #NowAWretchedManOnChengduMetro and #TwoWomenMolestedonMetroLine13 have been trending, after a number of women decided to \"out\" men who had touched them inappropriately on crowded subways. In April, Zhengzhou in eastern China introduced its first women-only bus in an attempt to reduce the number of sexual assaults. The concept of single-sex transport is relatively new to China and sparked debate on social media, with some welcoming the idea, and others asking whether such measures are divisive. \"Not all men are bad, but aren't all men being discriminated against here?\" one asked at the time. First Lady Peng Liyuan is a special envoy for the Advancement of Girls' and Women's Education at Unesco, and has spoken at the United Nations about women finding empowerment through education. Yet there are still challenges within the education system about how sex education should be taught, with social media users saying that attitudes towards sex are outdated. Weibo users reacted angrily in late June to a sex education textbook which described girls who have premarital", "summary": "Chinese women are increasingly taking to social media to speak out against sexual harassment."}
{"article": "Martin John Neeson, from Magowan Park, appeared at Londonderry Magistrates' Court on Tuesday charged with grievous bodily harm (GBH). The assault happened at Magowan Park at about 04:00 BST on 28 August. A 35-year-old man from Ballykelly sustained serious head injuries in the incident and remains in a critical condition in hospital. Mr Neeson is also charged with having a knife with intent to cause GBH. Both offences are alleged to have taken place in the early hours of Sunday morning. The defendant told the court that he \"disagreed with all that\". He was remanded in custody until 5 September for a potential bail application.", "summary": "A 36-year-old man has appeared in court charged with attacking a man in Londonderry."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Chelsea lie two points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal and have played United twice this season. However, United still have to play the Gunners and fellow title-chasers Manchester City again this term. \"Maybe the rules should be adapted for more fairness,\" said Wenger. \"It opens up questions about the dates of this transfer window.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Mata could complete a \u00a337m deal on Friday, joining a United side that are 14 points adrift of the Gunners but who could still have say in the destiny of the title. They travel to Arsenal on 12 February and are yet to welcome City to Old Trafford. \"If you want to respect the fairness for everybody, that should not happen,\" added Wenger. Spaniard Mata's potential deal with United comes after David Moyes's side lost 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, the second time they have played Chelsea in the league this campaign. \"Some teams have already played twice against one opponent and some others not,\" Wenger. \"I can understand completely what Chelsea are doing. They could have sold him last week.\" Last year, Wenger called for clubs to be limited to signing only two new players in the January window. Despite being linked with Schalke's Germany international midfielder Julian Draxler, and losing Theo Walcott to a season-ending injury, Wenger described his chances of adding to Arsenal's squad during the current transfer window as \"very unlikely\". But he added: \"If something exceptional turns up we will do it, but not everyone will strengthen - they buy, but that does not always mean strengthen.\"", "summary": "Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says Juan Mata's proposed move from Chelsea to Manchester United raises questions about the fairness of the January transfer window."}
{"article": "The 41-year-old Oscar-winner was recognised for services to the film industry and to charity in last year's Queen's Birthday Honours. Zeta Jones was accompanied by her husband, US actor Michael Douglas, and their children Dylan and Carys. The former Darling Buds of May star has appeared in such films as Chicago, Traffic and The Mask of Zorro. When the announcement of the award was made last summer, the actress said she was \"absolutely thrilled\". \"As a British subject I feel incredibly proud,\" she continued. \"At the same time it is overwhelming and humbling.\" Her husband Douglas, who was diagnosed with throat cancer last year, announced in January that his tumour is gone and he is beating the disease. Veteran actor Burt Kwouk, best known for his Kato role in the Pink Panther films, received an OBE at Thursday's investiture ceremony. The 80-year-old actor appeared in three James Bond films and was most recently seen in BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine.", "summary": "Welsh actress Catherine Zeta Jones has been made a CBE by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace."}
{"article": "Trustees announced a new partnership deal with Cadw, the Welsh government's historic environment service, resolved \"short-term problems that gave rise to concerns over the future\" of the museum at Caernarfon. Last week, trustees said they had not received funding since February. Culture and Sport Minister John Griffiths said he endorsed the deal. A statement on the RWF Museum website said the partnership with Cadw will \"see the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum funded to provide visitors to Caernarfon Castle with access to the Welsh government accredited museum and to provide an education service for schools\". The museum, which has been based at Caernarfon Castle since the early 1960s, charts the 300-year history of the RWF, dating back to William III. The regiment was one of the three Welsh infantry regiments to be merged in 2006 to form The Royal Welsh, though the name lives on as the infantry are known as 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh (The Royal Welch Fusiliers).", "summary": "The Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum (RWF) has been saved from closure after its funding was secured."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 21-year-old English swimmer was joined on the podium by Scotland's Ross Murdoch, 22, who claimed silver. Peaty, Chris Walker-Hebborn, Siobhan-Marie O'Connor and Fran Halsall then won mixed 4x100m medley relay gold. Halsall, 26, also took a bronze medal in women's 50m butterfly final, with 21-year-old Ben Proud finishing third in the men's event. Media playback is not supported on this device \"There was amazing support in the venue tonight and it's definitely one of the best races I've had,\" said Peaty. \"And to have Ross alongside me is just great.\" The reigning world and European champion set a new championship record of 58.36secs in his final and added: \"That puts me in a great place going into Rio.\"", "summary": "Great Britain's Adam Peaty won gold in the men's 100m breaststroke final at the European Championships in London."}
{"article": "The designation of 23 new Marine Conservation Zones mean that 8,000 square miles of UK waters now have environmental protection. The announcement has been welcomed by conservation and wildlife organisations. However they, along with fishermen's groups, are concerned that there is no management plan. They say it will be difficult to balance competing interests in the reserves. Originally 127 sites were proposed as MCZs. The government has so far committed to designating 50, covering an area the size of Wales. The designation of 23 new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) means that 20% of English waters are now considered protected. The sites range from the Cromer Shoal Chalk Beds in the North Sea, down to Land's End in the South West. The aim is to conserve habitats like coral colonies, geological features such as chalk reefs, and species such as the stalked jellyfish and spiny lobsters. North Sea Fulmar Farnes East Coquet to St Mary's Runswick Bay Holderness Inshore Cromer Shoal Chalk Beds South East The Swale Estuary Dover to Deal Dover to Folkestone Offshore Brighton Offshore Overfalls (SE of the Isle of Wight) Utopia (SW of Selsey Bill) The Needles South West Western Channel Mounts Bay Land's End Newquay and The Gannel Hartland Point to Tintagel Bideford to Foreland Point North-West of Jones Bank Greater Haig Fras Irish Sea West of Walney co-location zone Allonby Bay The Marine Environment Minister, George Eustice, said: \"It's vital that we protect our marine environment to ensure our seas remain healthy, our fishing industry remains prosperous, and future generations can enjoy our beautiful beaches.\" The Wildlife Trusts welcomed the designation of the reserves. Joan Edwards, head of Living Seas at the Trusts, said: \"UK seas have the potential to be full of incredible life and colour but continued destruction has reduced them to a shadow of their former selves. \"We are pleased by this government's commitment to addressing the decimation of our seabed over the past century, and to delivering an ecologically coherent network of marine protected areas. This second step towards the completion of a 'blue belt' in UK seas is crucial in turning the tide on the state of our seas but there's still work to be done.\" However, designation and management are treated as separate processes. So until bylaws or legislation has been put in place, then activities in the reserves will remain largely unchanged. Paul Trebilcock, from the Cornish Fish Producers Association, commented: \"It's madness. A line has been drawn on a map but there is no management plan in place. No-one knows what will and will not be able to continue. \"The majority of fishermen rely on the marine environment being healthy to make a living - they have more interest in keeping it healthy than anybody. To hear the government drawing a line and saying it's all fine doesn't inspire much confidence.\" Sam Davies is chief officer for the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority. Her organisation will work with the Marine Management Organisation to find a way of managing the reserves. She said that the new boundaries didn't mean that", "summary": "The UK government has extended the coastal \"blue belt\" of protected marine areas."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old, who can also play in midfield, scored twice in 33 games after joining Posh from Hartlepool for \u00a3500,000 in September 2014. But he did not figure last season and spent the first half of the campaign with Bradford City, before returning to Pools on loan in February. James has signed with an option to make the move permanent next May. He is Darrell Clarke's third new signing of the summer for Rovers, who have won promotion in the last two seasons, following Plymouth Argyle central defender Peter Hartley and Port Vale winger Byron Moore. \"He's only 21 but already has the benefit of over 150 league games behind him,\" said Clarke. \"They sold him to Peterborough for a \u00a3500,000 fee and he has since been out on loan at Bradford City and back at Hartlepool. \"I thought he was Pools' best player when they came to The Mem last season. I've watched him on a number of occasions in the last few years. He's always impressed me with his work rate and I believe I can get him scoring goals.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Bristol Rovers have signed forward Luke James on a season-long loan from fellow League One side Peterborough United."}
{"article": "Benjamin Herman, 80, of Hook, Hampshire denies four counts of sex abuse against a girl under 13 in the early 1970s. Blackfriars Crown Court heard he drove her in his VW camper van, past security into the palace forecourt. Mr Herman was an equerry to the duke and had an office in the palace. He faces three counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 13 and one count of indecency with a child between January 1972 and January 1974. Edmund Gritt, opening the case for the prosecution, told the jury Mr Herman held the equerry post between 1971 and 1974, managing the duke's official diary and accompanying him on official visits. The abuse is alleged to have taken place at a house in south-west London used by military personnel, where Mr Herman was living at the time. Mr Gritt said the girl was \"lonely and needy for adult attention but was nevertheless unhappy with the sexual attention he gave her\". He told the court that in the 40 years since, she had told friends about what had happened, but first contacted the authorities after revelations about Jimmy Savile emerged. Giving evidence, the woman recalled feeling \"privileged\" when she was driven around the palace forecourt. She told the jury that Mr Herman discussed his relationship with the Royal Family. \"He told me that he often had charge of Prince Edward and Prince Andrew and he played football with them,\" she said. She told the court of four occasions on which Mr Herman allegedly abused her in his home and in a nearby garage. Nerida Harford-Bell, defending, said: \"I'm going to suggest that what you told the jury is all untrue. It may well be a fantasy that you built up about Mr Herman.\" The woman replied: \"Well, it's not a fantasy at all.\" The trial continues.", "summary": "A former personal assistant to the Duke of Edinburgh accused of sexually abusing a young girl took his victim on a visit to Buckingham Palace, a court has heard."}
{"article": "The paper said that during the first five months of this year, 385 people - more than two a day - were killed. The number of black people was disproportionately high among the victims, especially unarmed ones. Official statistics rely on self-reported figures from law enforcement agencies. They suggest about 400 people have been killed each year since 2008. The US has seen a number of controversial cases where unarmed black people have been killed by white police officers. Police are allowed to use deadly force when they fear for their lives or the lives of others, however there is currently no reliable way of tracking police shooting deaths. Instead, the government relies on self-reported figures from the nation's 17,000 law enforcement agencies. The figures exclude killings deemed not to have been justified. The Washington Post says it logged every fatal shooting in 2015 by police in the line of duty using interviews, police reports, local media reports and other sources. It found a homicide rate of almost 2.6 per day so far this year - more than double the average 1.1 deaths per day reported in FBI records over the past decade. \"These shootings are grossly under\u00c2\u00adreported,\" former police chief Jim Bueermann told the newspaper. \"We are never going to reduce the number of police shootings if we don't begin to accurately track this information.\" Among the report's other findings:", "summary": "Data collected by the Washington Post newspaper suggests that the number of people shot by US police is twice as high as official figures claim."}
{"article": "On Friday John Toshack takes his current side, Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca, to Egypt to face Zamalek in the first leg of their African Champions League semi-final. Toshack was a legendary player for Cardiff City, Liverpool and Wales and, as a manager, won a Spanish league title with Real Madrid and led Swansea City from the bottom division to the summit of English football. Now his Moroccan adventure is proving a successful sojourn in what the 67-year-old admits is the autumn of his sporting life. After managing teams in the footballing outposts of Macedonia and Azerbaijan, Toshack is enjoying a new lease of life in Casablanca. \"I've been very fortunate in my career, but this one is something extra really,\" he tells BBC Wales Sport. \"If someone said you would be managing going on 68 I would never have thought so. \"It came out of the blue, it's another country and another continent and things are going really well.\" After taking charge in June 2014, he led Wydad to the Moroccan title in his first campaign and followed that up with the runners-up spot last season to secure African Champions League football. Toshack admits the foray into African football has come as a surprise even for a man of his formidable experience. It has not just been footballing matters either. The Cardiff-born former striker has been left amazed by the vast distances he and his team have had to cover across the continent as they have progressed through the tournament. And Toshack admits if his side were to lift the trophy next month, it would rank right up there with everything he has achieved in his career. But although Friday's game is just the first leg of the semi-final - with the pair meeting again back in Morocco on September 24 - the former Wales boss has also hinted that lack of progress could see him bring the curtain down on his African adventure and perhaps his life in football all together. \"It's been very different and interesting,\" says Toshack. \"We've travelled to Egypt, the Ivory Coast, to Madagascar, to Zambia, in a competition which to win we have to play 16 matches. When we went to Zambia we were away for eight days. \"The (Morocco) Federation is good, we don't have to play for a week after a game, but it does cause problems. \"We are in September and not played a league game yet - we are already three games behind everyone else. \"To be honest, if we can win this, for various reasons it would have to go down as one of the most successful periods of my career. There have just been so many things we have had to adapt to. \"If things go wrong here, like they could easily do, I'm not sure I would have the patience again to turn things around. \"To be honest, we'll see how we do in these semi-finals and then that would be a good time to sit down and take stock.\" Apart from his six years as manager of Wales,", "summary": "The ancient Egyptian port of Alexandria has seen many historic events, and it might be about to witness the final throes of one of Wales' most illustrious sporting careers."}
{"article": "Russia has denied that its military is involved in Ukraine, but Mr Poroshenko said 9,000 of its troops were deployed. Clashes involving tanks took place in two areas west of Donetsk on Wednesday. There was a \"colossal threat\" that large-scale fighting would resume, the president told parliament in Kiev. The outbreak of violence, in the government-held towns of Maryinka and Krasnohorivka, was among the worst in eastern Ukraine since a ceasefire was signed in Minsk in February. International monitors from the OSCE said that in the hours before and during the fighting around Maryinka a large amount of heavy weapons was spotted moving towards the contact line in rebel-controlled areas. Government troops fired shells at rebel-held areas on the outskirts of Donetsk. Ukraine said it had lost five soldiers in the past 24 hours, while the rebels said 15 people including civilians had been killed. The separatists denied Ukrainian claims that they launched a major offensive in violation of a truce. The OSCE said that for more than an hour on Wednesday they had tried to contact separatist leaders to halt the fighting, but they were either \"unavailable or did not wish\" to speak to the monitors. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, however, accused the authorities in Kiev of jeopardising the Minsk agreement, by placing it \"under the constant threat of disruption\" and by refusing to engage in direct dialogue with separatist leaders. The Kremlin has consistently denied sending serving soldiers across the border, although it has acknowledged that \"volunteers\" have joined the rebels. If there is a spike in fighting, like the battle in the town of Maryinka on Wednesday, then both sides know they cannot be seen as the aggressor, because they lose credibility and damage the negotiating position of their allies in either Moscow, or in European capitals. Neither side wants to be seen as responsible for breaking the highly publicised, but so far unsuccessful, Minsk peace agreement. And bargaining power for either side will become ever more crucial because in three weeks the European Union will decide whether to renew sanctions against Russia. Read more from Tom In his annual address to parliament, Mr Poroshenko warned of a \"colossal threat\" from the rising violence. \"Ukraine's military should be ready for a new offensive by the enemy, as well as a full-scale invasion along the entire border with the Russian Federation,\" he said. \"We must be really prepared for this.\" More than 6,400 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine since the conflict began in April 2014 when rebels seized large parts of the two eastern regions, following Russia's annexation of the Crimea peninsula. Mr Poroshenko said Ukraine had 50,000 troops in the east who were able to defend the country. What he described as the Kremlin's \"plan to sow separatism in south-eastern Ukraine\" had failed, he added, and only persisted in areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions because of \"Russian bayonets\".", "summary": "President Petro Poroshenko has told MPs the military must prepare to defend against a possible \"full-scale invasion\" from Russia, amid a surge of violence in eastern Ukraine."}
{"article": "The shadow health secretary warned that some NHS hospitals were planning to double the number of private patients they treat under new freedoms. In a speech to Labour's conference, he said the coalition risked destroying the character of the NHS that David Cameron had promised to protect. Labour has not ruled out all competition to provide NHS services. In the party's 2010 manifesto, it promised patients the right to go private if they were still waiting for an operation at 18 weeks and an \"active role\" for the independent sector in treating NHS patients. By Nick TriggleHealth correspondent, BBC News The role of the private sector in the NHS is a thorny issue. Ever since the health service was created it has bought in expertise from outside when necessary. Today it is estimated about \u00c2\u00a31 in every \u00c2\u00a320 spent on NHS care goes to non-NHS providers. Some of this pays for charities to help in areas such as cancer and mental health care, while some is handed over to private health firms to carry out knee and hip replacements. The last 20 years or so has been marked by a desire by politicians from all sides to use the market to make the NHS more efficient. Labour under Tony Blair expanded this under the patient choice initiative. That allowed patients to choose non-emergency hospital treatment from an approved list of providers, including many from the private sector. This set the wheels in motion for a greater role for private firms in the community sector - one of the issues Andy Burnham is warning about now. Either way, the genie was out of the bottle long ago. But the party believes the scale and pace of \"marketisation\" under the coalition threatens the foundations of the health service. In particular, Mr Burnham said he feared the new freedom for hospitals to earn 49% of their income from private work would \"damage the character and culture\" of the NHS and take it closer to an American model. In his speech, Mr Burnham said: \"We can save the NHS without another structural re-organisation. \"I've never had any objection to involving doctors in commissioning. It's the creation of a full-blown market I can't accept. So I don't need new organisations. I will simply ask those I inherit to work differently. \"Not hospital against hospital or doctor against doctor. But working together, putting patients before profits.\" The shadow health secretary also called for the NHS and local authorities to work closer together to improve care for the elderly and for \"full integration\" of health and social care services to be actively considered. \"If we can find a better solution to paying for care, one day we might be able to replace the cruel \"dementia taxes\" we have at the moment and build a system meeting all of a person's needs - mental, physical, social - rooted in NHS values,\" he added.", "summary": "Andy Burnham has vowed to reverse the \"rapid\" privatisation of NHS hospitals in England if Labour wins power."}
{"article": "Surrey's Ansari, 23, hurt his bowling hand against Lancashire on day two of their County Championship match, hours after receiving a first Test call-up. He was taken to hospital and Surrey later confirmed the injury was an \"open dislocation\", adding that it would be assessed in the coming days. England begin their three-Test series with Pakistan in the UAE on 13 October. They leave in a fortnight's time, arriving in the UAE on 30 September and playing two warm-up games in Sharjah. Before then, Surrey face Gloucestershire in the One-Day Cup final at Lord's on Saturday. \"It didn't look very good. He was in a lot of pain in the dressing room,\" said Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart. \"What should have been a day of celebration for Zafar, we are now hoping he will be OK. The way he was, there must be some doubt. \"He dropped a catch stood at cover point. The ball came out of the sun, he saw it late and it hit him hard on the left thumb. He is not in the greatest shape.\" Left-arm spinner Ansari, who has taken 44 wickets and scored more than 700 runs this season was picked to provide England with a third spin option after Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid. As well as Ansari, Nottinghamshire batsmen Alex Hales and James Taylor were also called up, but Yorkshire pair Gary Ballance and Adam Lyth both missed out.", "summary": "All-rounder Zafar Ansari's hopes of an England Test debut are in doubt after he dislocated his thumb while fielding."}
{"article": "A petrol bomb was thrown at a house at Thornhill Crescent, at about 02:45 BST on Sunday. A man and a woman in the property were not injured. A window was broken at a property at Cloona Manor just before 00:45 BST and a device was thrown at the front door. It caused minor damage. It is unclear if anyone was in that house at the time. A second unexploded petrol bomb was found in the driveway of the house at Cloona Manor. It has been taken away for forensic examination. The police said they were also investigating a report of arson at the same property in Thornhill Crescent at about the same time as the petrol bomb attack. It was reported that a silver Vauxhall Zafira was set alight in the area. No-one is believed to have been injured during the arson attack, but the vehicle was extensively damaged. Ch Insp John Wilson said: \"Enquiries are continuing, but at this stage police are investigating a possible link between an earlier incident that occurred at the Cloona Manor area and the incidents at Thornhill Crescent.\" Speaking about the Cloona Manor attack, Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in MLA Jennifer McCann said: \"Attacks like this can lead to serious injury or death and it's very worrying that anyone targeted this elderly man's home in this way. \"If anyone has information on who was behind this attack, then they should give it to the police immediately.\" SDLP Lisburn councillor Brian Heading said the Cloona Manor attack was \"reckless and dangerous\". \"Anybody who throws petrol bombs at a home is attempting murder. There can be no justification of that,\" he said. \"I'm urging those who carried out the deed to think long and hard and ask themselves what they have achieved and turn themselves into the police.\" Police have appealed for witnesses.", "summary": "Two petrol bombings and an arson attack in Dunmurry near Belfast may be linked, the police have said."}
{"article": "The taxi-app firm said the sackings related to sexual harassment, bullying and issues about poor company culture. Uber has been under fire over its treatment of women staff since a former employee wrote a scathing blog post about her experience. It led to two investigations and the uncovering of 215 complaints about harassment and other allegations. Uber has struggled with a series of controversies in recent months, including a backlash over aggressive corporate tactics and a lawsuit from Google-owner Alphabet over allegedly stolen technology for self-driving cars. Several high-placed executives resigned amid the turbulence, including a former head of engineering, who had failed to disclose harassment complaints at his former employer. Chief executive Travis Kalanick's filmed argument with an Uber driver over falling rates also fuelled criticism, leading him to say that he needed \"leadership help\". Susan Fowler, who wrote the critical blog post about Uber, said the company had ignored her complaints of sexual harassment. Widely shared, the blog prompted Mr Kalanick to launch the investigations. Does Silicon Valley have a sexism problem? Uber's mess reaches beyond sexism - and Silicon Valley Law firm Perkins Coie reviewed 215 claims, which included sexual harassment and discrimination as well as other complaints, an Uber spokeswoman said. The firm recommended no action in 100 of them; 57 remain under review, while others have received warnings or are in training, she said. Some of those fired held senior positions, she said. Discrimination, 54; Sexual harassment, 47; Unprofessional behaviour, 45; Bullying, 33; Other harassment, 19; Retaliation, 13; Physical security 3; Wrongful dismissal 1. Staff fired, 20; Staff put in training, 31; Final warnings, 7; Claims still under review, 57. Uber has also appointed Eric Holder, who served as attorney general under former US president Barack Obama, to investigate the company's broader culture. The findings of that report have been turned over to the board and recommendations are expected to be made public next week. Some changes are already in place. Uber announced the hiring of two women to high profile positions this week. Frances Frei, a Harvard Business School professor, will serve as a senior vice president for leadership and strategy, working with the head of human resources Liane Hornsey. Ms Hornsey is herself relatively new, starting at the company in January. Bozoma Saint John, a former marketing executive at Apple, is also joining Uber as chief brand officer. Uber employs more than 12,000 people globally. About 36% of the workforce is female, according to a diversity report the firm published earlier this year. Women hold about 15% of the technology positions. It goes without saying that this issue doesn't go away with these firings. Uber has major questions still to answer - some of them will hopefully be addressed when more details of the report are made public. Most troubling is why Uber's own internal HR measures weren't thorough or fair enough to see that the actions of 20 employees warranted dismissal. Instead it took a brave former employee - and then an expensive, lengthy investigation - to get to that point. So as well", "summary": "Uber has fired more than 20 people, and is taking other actions against staff, after a harassment investigation."}
{"article": "The defender, who had been battling dementia, made 407 appearances and lifted two trophies for the Tannadice side over 10 years. His wife Amanda has been campaigning for dementia and Alzheimer's awareness, and met with health secretary Alex Neil last month. Alzheimer Scotland joined football clubs and fans in paying tribute to Mr Kopel. Mr Kopel, who was inducted to the Dundee United Hall of Fame in 2011, started his career with Manchester United as a schoolboy in 1964. He made 12 appearances for the Old Trafford side, including a European appearance against Anderlecht, before moving to Blackburn Rovers in 1969. He was signed by United manager Jim McLean on New Year's Day 1972, and became a mainstay at the right-back position in a team which won back to back Scottish League Cup honours in 1979 and 1980, the club's first major trophies. After leaving Tannadice to take up a coaching position with Arbroath in 1982, he returned to United on several occasions to help out with the reserves. A spokesman for the club said: \"Our thoughts are with all of his family and friends at this very sad time. \"An indication of the affection with which he was held by all Arabs is illustrated by the fact that a supporters' club was named in his honour and by the genuinely warm welcome he received at the many functions and events he attended over the years.\" Alzheimer Scotland added: \"Deeply saddened to hear of the death of Frank Kopel. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends.\" Mr Kopel was diagnosed with a mixture of vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease in 2009. His wife Amanda mounted a campaign to raise awareness of the strain on carers looking after people with early-onset dementia, and addressed the Scottish Parliament's public petitions committee. She has called for free personal care for dementia sufferers under 65, and health secretary Alex Neil pledged to bring her concerns to Parliament after meeting the couple at their Kirriemuir home last month.", "summary": "Dundee United football legend Frank Kopel has died aged 65."}
{"article": "Meads, 80, played 55 times for his country, and was voted the greatest ever All Black in a national poll in 1999. The former second row said the diagnosis has been hard on his family, and requested privacy. \"Thank you to everyone for their concern, but for now, it's about me fighting this,\" he said.", "summary": "New Zealand rugby union great Sir Colin Meads has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old sustained the injury during his side's Audi Cup final defeat by Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. \"I think we can pretty much rule him out of August and September,\" said Klopp. \"This is certainly not news we would have wanted.\" He could now miss England's World Cup qualifying games in September. Lallana has played 33 times for England and Gareth Southgate's side face Malta on 1 September and then play Slovakia at Wembley on 4 September. Liverpool suffered their first defeat of the pre-season campaign after losing 5-4 on penalties against Atletico in Munich after it had finished 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes. The Reds will now prepare to face Athletic Bilbao in Dublin in their final friendly match on Saturday before their league campaign begins at Watford on 12 August. Daniel Sturridge also picked up an injury in pre-season - the striker went off with a thigh problem on Tuesday after scoring in their 3-0 win over Bayern Munich. He immediately pulled up and was substituted on 87 minutes, but Klopp said he thought it was \"nothing serious\".", "summary": "Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana is set to miss \"a couple of months\" because of a thigh injury, Reds' manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed."}
{"article": "Cafodd Cymru Fyw air gyda rhai fu'n cyd-oesi gydag e yn Ysgol Ramadeg Dyffryn Aman: Mae cylchgrawn 'Y Twrch Trwyth' o 1967 yn adrodd hanes disgybl oedd yn flaenllaw mewn nifer o weithgareddau yn Ysgol Ramadeg Dyffryn Aman. Roedd Neil Hamilton o 6A yn actio, dadlau ac yn chwarae rhan lawn yng ngweithgareddau'r ysgol. Ond sut ddisgybl oedd yr Aelod Cynulliad ac arweinydd newydd UKIP yng Nghymru? Mae'r actor Dafydd Hywel yn cofio digwyddiad hanesyddol yn 1966, sef blwyddyn Etholiad Cyffredinol: \"Wnes i sefyll ffug etholiad ysgol yn ei erbyn. Roedd y sylwebydd rygbi Alun Wyn Bevan hefyd yn ymgeisydd. Wnes i sefyll dros Plaid Cymru, roedd Alun yn sefyll fel boi'r Blaid Gomiwnyddol. Wnaeth Neil Hamilton sefyll fel Tori wrth gwrs... a wnes i falu fe! Dwy bleidlais gafodd e - ei ffrind e a fe ei hunan!\" Mae'r 'comrade' Alun Wyn Bevan yn cofio'r etholiad hefyd. \"Wnes i sefyll fel aelod o'r Blaid Gomiwnyddol achos doedd neb arall yn fodlon eu cynrychioli nhw! Ddes i'n ail achos bod fi wedi addo rhoi tunnell o lo i bawb fyddai'n pleidleisio drosto fi. \"Felly wythnos diwethaf oedd y tro cyntaf i Neil Hamilton ennill etholiad yng Nghymru, achos y tro ddiwethaf gafodd ei racso gan Dafydd Hywel a fi!\" Cafodd Neil Hamilton ei eni yn y Coed Duon a daeth i Ddyffryn Aman wedi ei dad gael swydd fel rheolwr pwll glo yn Rhydaman. Roedd y sylwebydd chwaraeon, Alun Jenkins yn yr un dosbarth \u00e2'r Aelod Cynulliad ac yn ei gofio'n iawn: \"Am fy mhum mlynedd cynta' yn Aman Valley, o'n i'n eistedd rhwng dau foi enwog dros ben sef Allan Lewis, aeth 'mlaen i hyfforddi t\u00eem Cymru gyda Graham Henry, a Neil Hamilton. \"Fi'n cofio fe achos roedd pawb arall yn normal ac yn ffitio mewn ond ro'dd Neil Hamilton yn dod i'r ysgol mewn deerstalker... wel doeddet ti ddim yn gwneud 'na yn Nyffryn Aman. O't ti'n gallu gweld straight away nad oedd hyn yn normal!\" \"Ond whare t\u00eag, erbyn o't ti'n dod lan i'r chweched dosbarth, ac yn dod yn gyfarwydd \u00e2'r boi, o't ti'n gallu dod 'mlaen 'dag e. Oedd e byth yn un o'r bois, a doedd e ddim yn cymysgu 'da lot o bobl o gwbl. \"Oedd e'n ffrindiau mawr 'da boi o'r Garnant, neu Glanaman o'r enw Roy Davies oedd yn slingyn mawr tal, ac oeddet ti wastad yn gweld y ddou o nhw gyda'i gilydd. \"Oedd hi'n bach o j\u00f4c, achos roedd y rhan fwyaf o bobl eraill yn yr ysgol yn Gymry Cymraeg ond roedd Neil a Roy'n sefyll mas fel rhyw ddau cartoon character.\" Roedd un peth amlwg arall yn sefyll mas i Alun Wyn Bevan: \"Roedd yr acen anhygoel ma' gyda fe... wel, dweud y gwir, dwi ddim hyd yn oed yn meddwl fod neb yn Lloegr yn siarad gyda'r fath acen. \"Oedd e'n swnio fel rhywun oedd wedi bod i Harrow neu Eton. Beth oedd yn rhyfedd amdano oedd bod y diddordeb mowr ma' gyda fe mewn gwleidyddiaeth o oed ifanc iawn, rhyw 14 neu 15 oed, a phan aeth", "summary": "Mae'n un o gymeriadau mwyaf lliwgar y pumed Cynulliad ond wyddoch chi am gefndir Neil Hamilton fel disgybl ysgol yng ngorllewin Cymru?"}
{"article": "The former world number one, 56, last won the tournament in 2014, but earned a 17-9 victory in front of a raucous crowd at Blackpool's Winter Gardens. He faces Peter Wright, who beat Daryl Gurney 17-15, in Sunday's final. \"It's my last day here tomorrow and I'm going out with a bang,\" said Taylor, who is retiring at the end of the year. Englishman Taylor continued his fine form after thrashing Dutch world number one Michael van Gerwen in the quarter-finals on Friday. It was 32-year-old Lewis, also of England, who broke first and took a 3-1 lead, but Taylor came back almost instantly to level the match at 3-3. Despite his superior average going into the second interval, Taylor only led 8-7 with the throw. But in a repeat of the 2013 final, in which Taylor beat Lewis 18-13, the 15-time champion became the more dominant player as the match progressed. With Lewis starting to make more mistakes, Taylor raced away to victory. Taylor told Sky Sports: \"My mindset was keep him under pressure and that he will feel it in the last part of the game. \"I knew he was shattered and I had to take advantage, even though I love him.\" Wright is through to his first final at the World Matchplay and a win over Taylor would be the biggest prize of the 47-year-old Scot's professional career so far. He will be looking to improve on his average of 93 in a heated semi-final against Northern Ireland's Gurney, which included some verbal exchanges between the two players. \"We had a little argy-bargy on stage. I was getting grief from the crowd, he wasn't. Then he said something to me when I walked past,\" Wright told Sky Sports. \"I got over the line anyway and I'm in the final. I'm one game away.\" The World Matchplay is considered the second biggest tournament in the sport, after the World Championship.", "summary": "Phil Taylor produced a brilliant semi-final display to beat Adrian Lewis and stay on course for his 16th World Matchplay title."}
{"article": "The 72-year-old from Ramsgate, Kent, is one of seven people to have been charged with the importation offence, which has been deemed a \"relatively new phenomenon\" by the National Crime Agency. But what is the scale of the problem? More than 100 child sex dolls have been seized in the UK as part of a special operation set up by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Border Force. Investigators believe the dolls, which are made to be as life-like as possible, are being imported by people who have a \"sexual interest\" in children. Advertised as \"adult dolls\" on sites including EBay and Amazon, they are manufactured in the Far East and sent to Britain via courier, fast parcel and other delivery services. Each doll costs around \u00c2\u00a3800, is made of a silicon-like material and weighs as much as a child. The NCA, which set up Operation Shiraz, says paediatricians have assessed the dolls seized to be \"anatomically correct\". Since March 2016, 123 dolls have been seized, destined for 120 importers. Seven people have been charged with importation offences, two of whom, Andrew Dobson and Dean Hall, have been convicted and sentenced. Dobson, 49 and from Crewe, was jailed for two years and eight months. He also admitted possessing indecent images of children. Hall, 42, from Bury St Edmunds, was given a two-year suspended term. He was in also in possession of indecent images. Hazel Stewart, operations manager for the NCA, said: \"The individuals who import this type of article - child sex dolls - have a sexual interest in children and these items are an indication of that.\" She said when people have been questioned by police about the dolls some have claimed they were bought for a \"joke\", others say they for \"companionship\". \"If it was a Marks and Spencer mannequin I wouldn't be stood here,\" she said. Each doll is typically packed in a brown cardboard box. It is unclothed and the head is detached from the body with the feet and hands packaged to avoid damage. It sometimes arrives with a \"pretty pink blanket\". It is not a criminal offence to possess a child doll of this kind; the only offence which people can be charged with is importation of an obscene or indecent article. There is no legislation to stop people manufacturing them. \"Whether they're indecent or obscene is a matter of big debate,\" said Ms Stewart, acknowledging that some will argue allowing people to have such dolls may stop them abusing real children. However, Ms Stewart says there is a \"gap' in the law which needs to be plugged. \"We want to look at the legislation,\" she said. \"Child sex robots are just around the corner.\"", "summary": "David Turner is awaiting sentence after admitting to a court that he imported an obscene child sex doll into the UK."}
{"article": "Mattia de Sciglio conceded the penalty in the 95th minute with a handball, just minutes after team-mate Jose Sosa was sent off for a second yellow card. Medhi Benatia had given Juventus the lead on 30 minutes, before Carlos Bacca equalised two minutes before half-time. Second-placed Roma, who have a game in hand, play Palermo on Sunday. Juventus, who are on track for their sixth successive Scudetto, have won 31 consecutive Serie A home games. The hosts, who lost to Milan in both the league and the Italian Super Cup final earlier in the season, had dominated the early exchanges, with Marko Pjaca and Dybala keeping Gianluigi Donnarumma busy in the Rossoneri's goal. Juve deservedly took the lead when Dani Alves chipped the ball to the adventurous centre-back Benatia who controlled it on his chest and smashed his shot past Donnarumma from close range. Milan hit back against the run of play, as Gerard Deulofeu counter-attacked up the left wing and played in Bacca who poked the ball beyond Gianluigi Buffon to equalise on 43 minutes. The Rossoneri grew into the game in the second half but it was Juventus who had the better of the chances with Sami Khedira, Miralem Pjanic and Pjaca going close. The final moments proved the most exciting as first Sosa saw red in the 93rd minute for a bad tackle on Kwadwo Asamoah. Two minutes later Gonzalo Higuain's bicycle kick was inches wide and he then saw another shot tipped away by Donnarumma. Then came De Sciglio's handball and Dybala kept his nerve to slot his penalty past 18-year-old Donnarumma to spark wild celebrations. Match ends, Juventus 2, Milan 1. Second Half ends, Juventus 2, Milan 1. Goal! Juventus 2, Milan 1. Paulo Dybala (Juventus) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the top left corner. Penalty conceded by Mattia De Sciglio (Milan) with a hand ball in the penalty area. Attempt saved. Gonzalo Higua\u00edn (Juventus) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Dani Alves. Attempt missed. Gonzalo Higua\u00edn (Juventus) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Leonardo Bonucci with a cross. Second yellow card to Jos\u00e9 Sosa (Milan) for a bad foul. Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Jos\u00e9 Sosa (Milan). Substitution, Milan. Leonel Vangioni replaces Lucas Ocampos. Attempt missed. Miralem Pjanic (Juventus) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick. Substitution, Juventus. Moise Kean replaces Marko Pjaca. Jos\u00e9 Sosa (Milan) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Paulo Dybala (Juventus) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jos\u00e9 Sosa (Milan). Sami Khedira (Juventus) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Sami Khedira (Juventus). Andrea Bertolacci (Milan) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Paulo Dybala (Juventus) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Andrea Bertolacci (Milan). Attempt blocked. Jos\u00e9 Sosa (Milan) right", "summary": "Paulo Dybala scored a 97th-minute penalty to give Juventus a dramatic win over AC Milan and extend their lead at the top of Serie A to 11 points."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old has joined the Conference Premier leaders from Northampton on loan until the end of the season. \"He'll come into the squad if his clearance [comes] through\" said player-manager Andy Morrell. Artell has not played since October because of an Achilles injury. Despite his lack of games and with centre-half Martin Riley out with a hamstring injury, Morrell has not ruled out Artell starting should he eligible in time. \"He hasn't played a game for a while but he's a good pro. He knows what to do, where to be on the pitch,\" Morrell added. Another midweek loan signing, striker Dele Adebola is available to make his debut after being granted international clearance. Wrexham will be without midfielder Jay Harris who has been handed a four-match suspension following his red card at Barrow. \"We're going to miss Jay Harris for four games. It was a bit of a foolish thing to do with the state of the game,\" Morrell said. We'll pick a team that we think will go and beat Alfreton - another tough game \"It happens, you've got to deal with it [and] it's a chance for someone else to stake a claim. \"Kev [Kevin Thornton] did great [and] scored a goal [against Barrow] so more than likely he will be involved as will Glen [Little]. \"We'll pick a team that we think will go and beat Alfreton - another tough game.\"", "summary": "Wrexham are hopeful on loan defender David Artell will receive international clearance in time for Saturday's home game against Alfreton Town."}
{"article": "Ben Blakeley, the ex-boyfriend of the pregnant 17-year-old, strangled and buried her in his uncle's grave in Didcot, Oxfordshire, in December 2013. He admitted affray in connection with an incident at Didcot Parkway station on 22 October 2013. Blakeley, 23, from Reading, was given a concurrent eight month sentence at Oxford Crown Court. He was jailed for life in July last year for the murder of Jayden. Jayden was last seen alive on 3 December. Her body was discovered two weeks later on 18 December in a recently disturbed grave at All Saints' Church in Didcot. Blakeley's brother Jake, 18, of Abbotts Road, Didcot, was jailed for three years for perverting the course of justice.", "summary": "A man who is serving life for murdering teenager Jayden Parkinson has been given a further sentence for affray."}
{"article": "The Millers, who were relegated to League One on 1 April, are looking to end a run of 10 successive defeats. Birmingham City could be without striker Clayton Donaldson because of a knee injury. Full-back Josh Dacres-Cogley has an ankle problem while centre-back Michael Morrison remains the only long-term absentee.", "summary": "Rotherham midfielders Lee Frecklington (knee and calf) and Tom Adeyemi (calf) could be fit to return."}
{"article": "Programs such as Adblock Plus, AdFender and Popup Blocker Pro have long claimed to protect consumers from intrusive web ads that slow down our browsers and hoover up personal data. Around 200 million people globally are estimated to use such apps. But for businesses that depend on web advertising, ad blockers could cost an estimated $21.8bn (\u00c2\u00a315bn) in lost revenue a year. While some dispute this figure, most in the industry agree that ad blockers threaten publishers' ability to provide content free at the point of use. Now publishers and advertisers are fighting back; the battle of the blockers is heating up. Free London-based business newspaper CityA.M. is one of several publishers to have tried blocking visitors to its site if they have an ad blocker switched on. The firm, which has been working with the anti-ad block start-up Rezonence, says about a quarter of its readers use ad blockers, but that there has been \"no perceivable drop in traffic\" since it launched the strategy in October 2015. \"We have had a trickle of complaints, but not many,\" digital editor Emma Haslett tells the BBC, adding that the firm had extended the strategy - which was initially aimed at Firefox users - to all internet browser types. Others, like Conde Nast's men's magazine GQ, have tried charging ad blocker-users for access, while US business magazine Forbes is asking users to turn their blockers off in exchange for an \"ad-light\" experience. If readers comply, Forbes says, they will be shown no welcome ad, no video ads inserted between paragraphs, and no ads between posts. If they don't, they will be denied access to the site's content. \"Since we started in December, four million desktop visitors, or over 40% of those asked, have either disabled their blockers or whitelisted Forbes.com, gaining access to content and the ad-light experience,\" says chief product officer Lewis Dvorkin. Whitelisting means telling an ad blocker or security program to treat a certain website as safe. Not everyone is convinced by this approach, however. Johnny Ryan of anti-blocking start-up PageFair believes ad blocking walls are relatively easy to bypass. \"Often publishers simply update their code, forcing the ad blocking community to get working again. It is a coding tug of war,\" he says. Instead, PageFair's technology enables publishers to display \"respectful and unobtrusive ads\" that do not get filtered out by ad blockers. In a variation on the theme, former Mozilla co-founder Brendan Eich has launched a browser called Brave, which replaces the targeted ads on websites with \"clean\" ones that do not record user data or slow down browser speeds. It claims it will be able to pay publishers a higher proportion of ad revenues generated by cutting out middlemen. And it plans to roll out a system that lets web users make micropayments to publishers they like, in exchange for an ad-free experience. Privacy app Ghostery is also adopting a more nuanced approach. It shows consumers which ad-serving technologies a website has switched on, and then offers the choice to block or whitelist those services. According to the", "summary": "When Apple said it was going to allow ad blocking on the iPhone version of its web browser last September, it escalated a conflict that had been building in the digital economy for years."}
{"article": "This may just be it. The team has created Orion, software which integrates Leap Motion into virtual reality environments. While the likes of Oculus and HTC's Vive are experimenting with complex, often clunky controllers for VR - Leap Motion's tech allows for an accurate reconstruction of your entire hand. The software has been released to developers today, and works with existing Leap Motion devices that have already been sold. Leap Motion chief executive Michael Buckwald told the BBC that it was working with all the major VR makers to embed the device within their headsets. For now, however, the device rests within a little mount attached to the front of the headgear. The company hopes the tech will pave the way for innovative new user interfaces, as well as just fun. After much initial excitement a few years back, Leap Motion has failed to capture the imagination of technology users and sales of the $79 device have been modest. Could this be the company's killer app? Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC and on Facebook", "summary": "Leap Motion's precise movement tracking device has long been criticised for being a great idea in need of a practical application."}
{"article": "Amber Rudd argued revealing secret documents at the inquest in Surrey would damage public interest. The inquest will have to decide whether Alexander Perepilichnyy died of natural causes or was unlawfully killed. He collapsed outside his Weybridge home in 2012. Traces of a chemical linked to plant poison were found in his stomach. Claims have been made at pre-inquest hearings that he could have been deliberately killed for helping to uncover a major fraud. The claims have come from financial firms Hermitage Capital Management and Legal & General. Mr Justice Cranston said: \"According to information provided by Mr Perepilichnyy to Swiss prosecutors before his death, Hermitage was used by senior Russian officials to perpetrate a multi-million dollar tax fraud against the Russian Treasury and Hermitage. \"Legal and General's interest is that it issued a substantial life insurance policy to Mr Perepilichnyy shortly before his death. \"Both Hermitage and Legal and General have suggested that Mr Perepilichnyy might have been murdered, possibly by agents of the Russian State.\" Surrey coroner Richard Travers had asked the home secretary and the foreign secretary to produce relevant material, but some of it was sensitive and Mr Travers did not have security clearance to view it, the High Court heard. \"Consequently, he decided that he was not in a position to decide the Secretary of State's application that it not be publicly disclosed and ordered the Secretary of State to make an application for public interest immunity (PII) to the High Court,\" the judge said. He said he had \"no hesitation\" in finding the balance came down in favour of non-disclosure and ruled the Home Secretary was entitled to a PII certificate. There were no cogent reasons for rejecting her view \"that there would be real and significant damage to national security from disclosure\", he added. The ruling means the public, Mr Perepilichnyy's family, and family lawyers without clearance will be denied access to the documents. The judge also said Mr Travers's position was \"untenable\" because he did not have the necessary clearance and a replacement would have to be found. The replacement coroner would need to keep the PII question under review, and consider \"whether a public inquiry is needed\", he added. The inquest opened in 2014, but has been hit by a series of delays. There have been 12 pre-inquest reviews and about 5,000 pages of documents gathered. One hearing heard Mr Perepilichny's death had parallels with the murder of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko. A full hearing is expected to take place in March.", "summary": "Sensitive material will not be disclosed at an inquest into the death of a Russian whistleblower after the home secretary won a High Court order."}
{"article": "He replaces Wang Yang, viewed by many as a leading reformer. Xinhua state news agency did not say what Mr Wang's next job might be. There is no suggestion he has been sacked. Mr Hu, 49, a protege of outgoing President Hu Jintao, was promoted to the politburo last month. Known as \"Little Hu\", the new Guangdong boss is part of the so-called \"sixth generation\" of leaders born in the 1960s and lined up to take charge after the next transition of power in 2022. Mr Hu will be replaced by Wang Jun as party chief in Inner Mongolia, Xinhua said. The reshuffle follows the confirmation of Xi Jinping as national Communist Party leader last month. Wang Yang is also a politburo member, but missed out on promotion to its seven-member Standing Committee this year. Analysts say he could become a vice-premier next year. Mr Wang was considered a rival of the disgraced Bo Xilai, who was sacked this year as Chongqing party secretary. The party secretary post in the manufacturing hub of Guangdong is among the country's most prominent provincial leadership jobs. Guangdong, China's most populous province, is often viewed as a testing-ground for reform. Correspondents say it is not clear what political direction Mr Hu will take.", "summary": "One of the Chinese Communist Party's rising stars, Hu Chunhua, has been appointed party boss in the powerhouse province of Guangdong."}
{"article": "Podiatrist Steve Hardie, who worked for Peterborough Community Services, has appeared before a Health Professions Council fitness to practise hearing. He is also accused of \"rude\" behaviour towards two male patients he believed to be a gay couple. Mr Hardie denies misconduct and denies his fitness to practise was impaired. The hearing was told Mr Hardie treated a high-risk diabetic patient who had an ulcer on his foot in May 2005. But he failed to give him a full assessment and gave him a follow-up appointment that was too far in the future to be \"in keeping with usual practice\", the hearing was told. Mr Hardie later explained his actions to his line manager, Joanna Hood, by saying the patient was an \"effeminate man\", the tribunal at the Health Professions Council in London was told. Vicky Lord, representing the council, said: \"Miss Hood was aware he didn't approve of homosexuality. He had quoted his Christian faith as a reason for his views.\" Mr Hardie is also accused of walking out of a child protection training session in June 2006 because he believed the trainer had \"made passes\" at him, including an incident in which the man smiled at him with \"eyes twinkling\". In a further incident, Mr Hardie has admitted refusing to go into a clinic in February 2007 with a work colleague because of the man's sexual orientation. On another occasion, in June 2009, Hardie asked a colleague to swap a patient, known as Patient D, who was HIV positive. When challenged, he said that \"everyone's beliefs were respected except his, and that Patient D's lifestyle was not in keeping with his beliefs because Patient D was 'you know',\" Miss Lord said. \"He thought that because he was HIV positive he was also gay.\" In a further allegation of misconduct, Hardie is said to have refused to declare to the trust that he was also undertaking private podiatry work in Peterborough.", "summary": "A Christian health worker asked a colleague to treat one of his patients because he believed the man was homosexual, a hearing has been told."}
{"article": "Spaniard Michu top scored for the Swans with 22 goals in his first season after a \u00a32m move from Rayo Vallecano in 2012. However, within two years of helping Swansea finish ninth in the Premier League, he was playing fourth-flight football in Spain after a recurring ankle injury. Michu spent the 2016-17 season with Oviedo and plans to move into coaching. \"The current state of Michu's right ankle makes it very difficult for him to take part in any sport,\" said a spokesman for the player. \"He now finds it impossible to continue his profession as a footballer. After seeking medical advice, he has decided to abandon the sport. He will instead pursue a career in coaching football.\" After starting his career with Oviedo, Michu played for Celta Vigo before joining Rayo Vallecano, and was capped once by Spain in 2013. Signed by Swansea for just \u00a32m, Michu went on to become arguably the biggest bargain in the Premier League as he made a major contribution to Swansea's historic 2012-13 season. He scored twice in the Swans' opening day 5-0 win over QPR at Loftus Road - manager Michael Laudrup's first Premier League game in charge of the Swans. Among the memorable strikes were two late goals in a 2-0 away win over Arsenal in December 2012, and a trademark cool finish in a 2-0 win at Chelsea in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final. Michu also scored as the Swans crushed Bradford 5-0 in the final at Wembley to claim their first major English football trophy. He ended the season with 22 goals as Swansea finished ninth. He was valued at \u00a330m by the club, who had given the player an extended contract in January 2013. At the start of the 2013-14 season, Michu made his debut for Spain as a replacement in a 2-1 win over Belarus. However, the ankle injury which was to blight the remainder of his career meant his second season in south Wales failed to live up to expectations. Early season highlights, like a goal in the 3-0 away win over Valencia in the Europa League, gave way to frustration as he struggled for first-team appearances. Michu played only five times after Christmas 2013 and finished a season in which manager Laudrup departed and was replaced by Garry Monk with six goals in 25 matches. The 1-0 defeat by Hull on 5 April 2014 turned out to be Michu's last game for the Swans. In the summer of 2014 he joined Serie A side Napoli on a season-long loan - but played only six times. He was released by Swansea in November 2015 and spent a season playing fourth-tier football for Langreo in Spain, before agreeing a one-year deal with Oviedo for 2016-17. Michu made 27 appearances in the 2016-17 last season, but scored just once.", "summary": "Michu, the forward who helped Swansea win the League Cup in 2013, has been forced to retire at the age of 31."}
{"article": "There is a two-hour exemption on Friday to allow Muslim prayers and a five-hour window for Christians on Sunday. Volunteers are going door-to-door, looking for people with signs of the disease and reminding others how to stay safe. Dozens of new cases are still being reported in Sierra Leone every week. The three West African countries worst affected by Ebola - Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea - have set a target of having no new cases by the middle of next month. The outbreak has killed more than 10,000 people in the three countries over the past year.", "summary": "The authorities in Sierra Leone are enforcing a three-day lockdown to curb the spread of Ebola, with the entire population ordered to stay at home."}
{"article": "Around 5,000 people were evacuated when the blaze broke out under a pavement in Holborn on 1 April. Since then work has been underway to repair the damage caused to a number of road tunnels. The Strand Underpass will be the first to reopen to traffic. From 12 June buses and taxis will be allowed to use the northbound tunnel of the Kingsway. All the roads affected should be fully reopened within the next few weeks. Workers have been operating in confined spaces to shore up the tunnels with wood and repair the brickwork. London Fire Brigade said investigations were still going on into the exact cause of the fire, which took 36 hours to extinguish. Fire crews were called when smoke was seen coming out of an inspection cover on Kingsway. Firefighters worked day and night to put the fire out and stop it spreading to buildings in the area. Several performances at the Lyceum, Duchess and Aldwych theatres were cancelled and 1,900 customers in the area were left without electricity.", "summary": "A major highway which has been closed since an underground fire in central London will reopen on Wednesday."}
{"article": "But Tommy Refenes has done it from the comfort of his front room in America. When his sister launched a fundraising page to help their diabetic mum buy an alert dog, Tommy took it upon himself to walk some of the largest maps in gaming to help out. His efforts ended with a six-hour stint on Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) as he strolled across Los Santos. Tommy, who is the co-creator of indy game Super Meat Boy, also spent two hours and nine minutes walking across the map of Red Dead Redemption and took four hours and 19 minutes to complete the length of Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. Below the live stream of the fundraiser, the gamer wrote that his mum \"is having a lot of trouble with her Type 1 Diabetes and an alert dog could help her out and improve her health tremendously\". He added: \"The dogs are trained to recognise smells due to high and low blood sugar and alert their owner. \"Mom has lost the ability to do this on her own which could be potentially very dangerous for her. \"After 32 years of having diabetes, it's becoming almost impossible for her to tell when her sugar is going low or high. This is potentially a fatal condition.\" Following Tommy's efforts the fundraiser page had broken the $15,000 (\u00c2\u00a39,307) target by $677 (\u00c2\u00a3420) with 112 days remaining. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Most people associate a charity marathon with months of training ending in a gruelling test of endurance."}
{"article": "The pair collided while attempting to take a catch during Sunday's T20 Blast game with Sussex at Arundel. The match was abandoned after ambulances took them from the field. Australia international Henriques, 28, broke his jaw in three places, while Burns, 24, had cuts around his left eye that required stitches. Surrey announced on Twitter on Monday that the pair were \"in decent shape\". And a further update from the club on Twitter 24 hours later read: \"More good news on the lads - Moises has now been released from hospital and will see a dental specialist tomorrow. He's improving slowly!\" Burns, meanwhile, tweeted his thanks \"to all the medical staff\" who treated the pair and his hope that his club colleague \"keeps progressing well.\" Team-mate Kevin Pietersen, who was in the field at the time of the collision, said the incident deeply affected the team. \"I kept thinking one of the guys will call. Then you think one will stop but then bang, bang. It was absolutely sickening,\" Pietersen told the Daily Telegraph. \"When those guys went down and did not move it hit some of our guys very hard. \"It was the right decision to abandon the match. We had lost two of our players, a lot of players were crying in the dressing room and it is only a game of cricket.\" Director of cricket Alec Stewart also posted a picture on Twitter of Burns smiling in his hospital bed. Henriques, who has played three Tests, six one-day internationals and four T20 games for Australia, joined Surrey in April as an overseas player for their T20 Blast campaign. Surrey-born Burns, a left-handed batsman and occasional wicketkeeper, made his first-class debut for the county in 2012. Surrey's County Championship game with Glamorgan began as scheduled on Monday.", "summary": "Moises Henriques has been released from hospital following the on-field collision with Surrey team-mate Rory Burns that left him with a broken jaw."}
{"article": "Gladstone's Library in Hawarden said it had not been asked for permission. Warden Peter Francis said it gave the impression the library was \"supportive of UKIP and its policies\". UKIP has not apologised and claimed the party was \"closest ideologically\" to the Liberal Party Gladstone joined. Formerly known as St Deiniol's Library, it was founded by the former prime minister whose home and estate were nearby, being renamed in his honour in 2010. The UKIP manifesto for May's assembly election, launched in Newport on Friday, includes a photo on the page outlining local government policy. \"The policies and principles on which UKIP is based are far from the ideals of William Gladstone,\" Mr Francis said. \"Gladstone was an internationalist and profoundly believed that the 'sanctity of life in the hill villages of Afghanistan among the winter snows are as inviolable in the eye of Almighty God as can be your own'. \"That is to say he felt that the unity of human beings throughout the world was vitally important and 'not limited by the shores of this island.'' Mr Francis added the library \"would like to reiterate that it supports no political party but upholds 'liberal values' wherever it sees them. \"To imply Gladstone's support for their cause, as this UKIP photo clearly does, is to devalue the memory and legacy of William Gladstone.\" UKIP candidate Mark Reckless said the photo had been taken from the public highway by a photographer who had given the party permission to use it. A spokesman added: \"UKIP is a party founded on the principles of liberty and in particular self-governance and the protection of personal freedoms and is closest ideologically to the old Liberal Party that Gladstone joined as a Peelite. \"Gladstone was a great orator and believed strongly in holding public meetings, something that UKIP also firmly adheres to, and was a great advocate of preserving the UK's dominion. \"In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a modern day party more closely related to the principles of Gladstonian liberalism than UKIP. \"It's a shame that the people overseeing this great public library do not seem to understand anything about the politics of the great man who founded it.\"", "summary": "A Flintshire library dedicated to 19th Century Liberal Prime Minister William Gladstone has complained to UKIP after the party used a photo of it in its Welsh manifesto."}
{"article": "Kevin Sinfield's boot and a Joel Moon try gave them a 10-0 half-time lead. Kallum Watkins' try early in the second half stretched the Rhinos' lead but four try chances came and went as Hull's attacking play went unrewarded. Zak Hardaker's 70th-minute score sealed the win, before a late consolation from Hull teenager Jordan Abdull. Sinfield ended with 12 points after a typically assured goal-kicking display, but it was his tactical acumen which really made the difference for the Rhinos. The veteran stand-off, who will leave the club to play rugby union at the end of the season, provided a masterclass of how to play in wet conditions as he teamed up with Rob Burrow at half-back. The 34-year-old chose to take any points on offer with long-range penalties, and it proved an astute decision with the game's first try not coming until late in the first half when Moon outjumped Jordan Rankin to regather his own kick and score. Leeds struck again shortly after the break as Ryan Hall switched the play before linking up with Sinfield, who provided a lovely inside pass for Watkins to cross. Hull continued to battle, despite being 16-0 down, and came agonisingly close with Joe Westerman twice guilty of knocking on as the tryline beckoned, a mistake repeated by captain Gareth Ellis. But the match was over as a contest when full-back Hardaker danced his way over - after more superb work from Burrow and Sinfield in the build-up - for a third Rhinos try. Hull scrum-half Abdull showed excellent running ability to dummy his way over late on to ensure his side had something to show for their considerable efforts, but it is Leeds who march on to the last four. Media playback is not supported on this device Hull coach Lee Radford: \"I'd like to apologise to the supporters. I'm unbelievably frustrated that we weren't good enough. \"Every time we gave ourselves an opportunity to get some reward we handed it back to them. \"For whatever reason on the big stage we haven't been able to execute. We've got to try and physically and mentally recharge now - and learn to catch a football.\" Leeds head coach Brian McDermott: \"I have always said he'll (Sinfield) have a significant part to play this year. It's always been a case of rotation and squad management. \"Kevin and Rob [Burrow] managed that game really well. It came down to management of the weather. \"It was always going to be about points on the board. Fortunately we got a try early and they were in chase mode. \"I don't think we were perfect in the second half, I actually think Hull kicked better than us. \"But you've got to defend your tryline which we did and I thought Stevie Ward was again magnificent.\" Hull FC: Rankin; Lineham, Michaels, Yeaman, Talanoa; Pryce, Abdull; Watts, Houghton, Paea, Ellis, Minichiello, Westerman. Replacements: Paleaaesina, Bowden, Thompson, Whiting. Leeds Rhinos: Hardaker; Handley, Watkins, Moon, Hall; Sinfield, Burrow; Leuluai, Aiton, Peacock, S Ward, Keinhorst, Ablett. Replacements: Singleton, R Ward, Yates, Delaney. Att: 9,261", "summary": "Holders Leeds made sure of their place in the last four of the Challenge Cup with a comfortable win over a brave but wasteful Hull FC."}
{"article": "However, publishers have seen significant increases in the numbers of people using their online news sites. Figures compiled for auditors ABC show the Western Mail's circulation dropped below 20,000 for December and January. The South Wales Evening Post remains the most popular printed paper with an average circulation of 27,589. That figure for the second half of 2014 is a drop of 9.8% on the year. The most recent figure for the Western Mail, for January 2015, shows it has a circulation of 19,910 - a fall of 14.2% on the same time last year. It also sold fewer than 20,000 in December 2014 according to the monthly breakdown. There has been rapid growth in the number of people using the publishers' online news sites. Wales Online has doubled its audience in the past year, recording 4,025,111 monthly unique visitors during January 2015.", "summary": "Average newspaper circulations in Wales have continued to fall, according to the latest industry figures."}
{"article": "The work - which began in August 2014 - has now been completed. More specialist contractors were brought in as the work progressed and the budget began to rise. A council spokeswoman told BBC Scotland the last agreed budget was just under \u00a34.3m but that the final bill for the project was still being calculated. She said: \"We can confirm that the restoration of the roof of the Town House, one of Aberdeen's historic civic buildings, is now complete. \"The scaffolding erected on Union Street came down over the weekend as the repairs came to a close. \"In the past two years the project has revealed many ornate and historic features which are unique to the UK. \"As the work progressed the scope was widened to account for additional structural issues which were previously not evident in initial assessments and which led to the schedule and budget being extended. \"This included the exposure of rotten wood in the building's four towers which were found underneath the slates and lead last summer that had to be replaced.\" The spokeswoman added: \"We made a commitment to bring this important civic building back to life and are delighted the project has now come to a close. \"The final cost of the project is still to be confirmed.\"", "summary": "The final bill for repairs to the clock tower at Aberdeen's Town House could end up at more than \u00a34.3m, it has been revealed."}
{"article": "On Wednesday she was endorsed by John Warner, a five-time Virginia senator. She was also backed by the Arizona Republic newspaper, the first time it has supported a Democrat since its founding in 1890. Meanwhile Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, says Monday's debate has led to record fundraising for his campaign. Speaking on Tuesday night at a rally in Melbourne, Florida, Mr Trump said that $18m (\u00c2\u00a313.8m) had been raised in the day since the debate was held. The Trump campaign is planning to increase advertising spending before the election, and is reportedly considering asking the candidate to make his largest personal financial contribution yet towards it. In other campaign developments: Senator Warner represented Virginia in the Senate for five terms between 1979 and 2009. He also served as Secretary of the Navy and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Speaking alongside Tim Kaine, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, Mr Warner said that he was \"distressed\" by Mr Trump's words, and that the Republican nominee does not have respect for the military. This is the first time he has endorsed a Democrat for president. Other Republicans to have supported Mrs Clinton include Larry Pressler, a former governor and senator from South Dakota, and former Minnesota governor Arne Carlson. Wednesday's endorsement by the Arizona Republic's editorial board is the latest from a typically Republican-leaning newspaper. She has already been endorsed by the conservative-leaning newspapers such as the Dallas Morning News, the the Houston Chronicle, and the Cincinnati Enquirer. \"Since The Arizona Republic began publication in 1890, we have never endorsed a Democrat over a Republican for president. Never. This reflects a deep philosophical appreciation for conservative ideals and Republican principles. This year is different. The 2016 Republican candidate is not conservative and he is not qualified,\" the editorial in the Republic, the state's largest, says. Mr Trump has yet to receive the backing of a major publication, with some papers choosing to instead endorse libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. Hillary Clinton is campaigning today in New Hampshire alongside her former rival for the Democratic ticket, Bernie Sanders, who represents the nearby state of Vermont in the US Senate. Donald Trump is campaigning in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. All you need to know about the US election Key issues - where candidates stand Who won the debate? Lay off a woman's size, Trump", "summary": "Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has received another endorsement from a leading Republican, two days after the first presidential debate."}
{"article": "An all-rounder with no forearms, a batsman who rarely leaves his home and the youngster who has had his life transformed by cricket. BBC Kick Off reporter Josef Rindl met the Warwickshire disability cricket team preparing to take on England. \"Boot it,\" shouts 18-year-old Joe Glaze, as a broad smile stretches across his face before what is just his third match for Warwickshire Super9's disability cricket team. After facing Derbyshire, his next could be against England's physical disability team at home in the Midlands on Sunday, 30 July. Glaze was only introduced to the game three months earlier, having attended a cricket festival at his special needs school. He suffers from a rare genetic disorder and is also on the autistic spectrum. Joe's father, Andy, has quickly got involved as an assistant coach and is an avid photographer from the sidelines. \"Sport teaches you life skills,\" Andy told BBC Sport. \"It teaches you teamwork, discipline, but most importantly social skills. It is all ideal for someone like Joe.\" Glaze runs towards his father and screams excitedly: \"10, 10, Dad I'm batting at 10.\" \"Three months ago he couldn't hold a bat,\" Andy recalled. \"Now he's the only batsman I've seen who runs from the clubhouse to the crease.\" Recounting the first time his son picked up the bat, Andy continued: \"We were in a school sports hall and he hit the ball down the length of the hall and through an open corridor - it remains one of my happiest moments in cricket. \"I just had to get involved. For the kids here, (the Super9's) is brilliant.\" For some, the match against Derbyshire represented their last chance to impress ahead of England's visit, with two players in the squad on the fringes of national selection. Charlie Pestridge, the captain, is one of them. He is a batsman, a bowler and against Derbyshire, because nobody else is available, a stand-in wicketkeeper. Pestridge, who has cerebral palsy, said it took him about six months to even find a disability team. \"It's that hidden,\" he said. \"I'm glad I discovered the team. It's great to be able to see people play who wouldn't usually have been given a chance.\" The match, played at the picturesque Alcester and Ragley Cricket Club, has all the hallmarks of the traditional village cricket game; cars parked around the boundary, spectators construct a gazebo and small children hide under the mobile covers. Pestridge, 20, is now on the cusp of the national team, regularly attending a training centre in Northampton. He hopes to earn England selection for next year's tri-series tournament against Australia and South Africa. To do so, Pestridge has to juggle a busy schedule. He studies mathematics at Bath University and featuring for Warwickshire in their Midlands Group game against Derbyshire means an 180-mile round trip. \"Right now I'm not sure whether to prioritise the degree or aim towards representing my country,\" he admitted. \"I'd love to play for England.\" There are three England disability sides, representing the visually impaired, learning and physical disabilities. Both the learning and", "summary": "\"What you gonna do when you get into bat, Joe?\""}
{"article": "The original group of 24 met while studying at Central St Martins college of art and design in London and are now more than halfway through the project, which they hope to continue for 24 years. So that will be 24 sets of 24 images, 576 pictures. Inevitably some of the photographers have moved on and been replaced by new members, but the central ethos continues. This year, the work has been curated by photographer Jillian Edelstein and is on show in Soho Square, London, until 17 March. \"It was an honour to be asked to curate the exhibition, which consists of surprisingly varied images that are well realised,\" said Edelstein. \"It's a striking social commentary, from urban decay to beautifully lit landscapes to portrait to elaborate detail in the environment.\" You can see more of their work on their website.", "summary": "This month sees the release of the latest set of 24 images from a group of photographers who document the first 24 hours of each year."}
{"article": "Parliament speaker Henry Ramos Allup said proposals would be presented in a matter of days - rather than months. A day earlier, President Maduro was given backing by the Supreme Court for a declaration of economic emergency, giving him greater powers. Venezuela is facing a shortage of many staple goods and rampant inflation. Its economy is heavily dependent on oil exports and has suffered substantially in the past year given the sharp fall in crude oil prices in international markets. Energy rationing has been imposed, blamed by government ministers on critically low water levels caused by drought at 18 of the country's hydro-electric dams. The National Assembly speaker and other opposition leaders had previously announced they planned to challenge Mr Maduro in six months' time. But Mr Ramos now says the country cannot afford to wait. \"Nobody doubts now that that six-month timeframe is too long,\" he said. \"It is not we who impose the timing, it is the needs of the country.\" \"In the next few days we will have to present a concrete proposal for the departure of that national disgrace that is the government,\" he told a news conference. Mr Ramos called on President Maduro to revoke the decree on emergency measures. And he also attacked the Supreme Court over the decree, saying if what it \"has done is not a coup, I don't know what to call it\". Most if not all Supreme Court judges have been appointed either by Mr Maduro or his predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez. The court has not ruled against the government since Mr Chavez came to power in 1999. Mr Maduro defended the court's ruling and said the measures were necessary to deal with the crisis. \"This decision was taken by the highest court of the country, in accordance with the constitution,\" said Mr Maduro. His decree was issued on 14 January. It is valid for 60 days and it can be renewed by the president. The government says businessmen linked to the opposition have been hiding basic staples such as flour, sugar and toilet paper as part of a strategy to undermine the economy and oust Mr Maduro's democratically elected government. He was elected in April 2013 to a six-year term, replacing Mr Chavez, who died of cancer after 14 years in office. The Venezuelan constitution says that a referendum to replace the president can be called any time after the first three years of his term, which will be in April 2016. Four million signatures are needed to trigger a recall referendum. The governing Socialist Party suffered a heavy defeat in December's legislative election. It lost control of the National Assembly for the first time in 16 years.", "summary": "The new opposition-controlled National Assembly in Venezuela plans to speed up moves to oust the government of Nicolas Maduro as economic woes deepen."}
{"article": "Everybody sitting in the stands, listening to the radio or watching on television knew they played badly. Was the talk from outside the team the kick up the backside they needed to get their game in order, or did it come from within? We'll probably never know. What we can say is that England won the third Test at The Oval by 239 runs, taking a 2-1 lead in the series in the process, because they got the basics right. The much bigger question is can they repeat it, not only on Friday at Old Trafford, but again and again beyond that? The inconsistency of this England team is something that worries a lot of people, journalists and fans, who follow them. Of their nine home wins before this one at The Oval, they have immediately followed up with a defeat. Not only are the results mixed, but there is also a nagging doubt that the quality of Test cricket that is being played, not only by England, but also their opponents, is poor. I'm talking specifically about batting, the techniques of the players and their approach to Test cricket. It's all very well to go out there and plays a few shots, take the applause of the crowd, then swish at one and get out, but that isn't Test cricket. You can't go after every ball because you think that sooner or later one will have your name on it. Negotiate the delivery that will get you out, navigate your way through the tough times, adjust to the conditions. Not all players can be tarred with the same brush. Alastair Cook grafted in difficult conditions on the first day, Ben Stokes made a flawless century, while South Africa's Dean Elgar was battling alone in the final innings of the match. But, too often, when the going gets tough, three or four wickets can fall at once. England were guilty at Trent Bridge, now South Africa have been culpable in London. So often we see a side capitulate when they are under pressure, particularly when they are batting second and replying to any sort of decent first-innings total. England, for example, have an excellent record batting first in recent home Tests, but a woeful one when they bat second. Batting first, they have won 14 of their past 17 matches, but only four from 14 when batting second. Those statistics are surprising because modern players are so used to having to respond to big totals in limited-overs cricket, of dealing with scoreboard pressure. A huge part of cricket is played in the mind, and it seems that so many are unable to deal with the heat of being behind in a Test. It can also lead to matches being very one-sided, which has been a trend in England for some time now. Whether they are winning or losing, it is usually by a huge margin. It can mean that Test cricket, although providing wonderful moments, does not provide great contests. Are we getting to the stage where we are more likely to", "summary": "Despite the grumbling at the criticism they received following the heavy defeat in the second Test against South Africa, England will have probably admitted in private that what happened at Trent Bridge wasn't good enough."}
{"article": "Anna Lewis, 27, who lives in Fishponds, was last seen leaving Southmead Hospital on 13 April. Avon and Somerset Police said they were increasingly concerned for her welfare and specialist teams were searching in north and central Bristol. Ms Lewis is described as white, about 5ft 5in tall, of slim build, with brown eyes and long dark brown hair. Det Insp Roger Doxsey, who confirmed foul play was not currently suspected in the case, thanked the public for their support and said all potential sightings are being followed up. He said officers are concentrating on remote outdoor areas as Ms Lewis, who tends to wear her hair in a low ponytail, was known to go on camping trips. She often wears jeans or walking trousers, hiking boots and loose jumpers. Ms Lewis was reported missing on Friday by her family, who do not live locally. Det Insp Doxsey said: \"We are supporting Anna's parents and are keeping them fully updated on our inquiry as it progresses. \"We're also working with UWE Bristol and Southmead Hospital to try and find out as much as we can about Anna and her movements in the days before she went missing.\"", "summary": "A trainee nurse who went missing from Bristol has been reportedly seen 10 times since a search for her began."}
{"article": "Nelo Smith, of Fishponds, Bristol was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm over the \"horrific\" assault. Smith, 24, attacked the 36-year-old man in Marshfield Road, Fishponds on 5 December in a dispute over a drug deal. The victim lost part of one hand and suffered severe trauma to his other hand and a leg, spending 16 hours in emergency surgery. Det Sgt Mark Newbury said: \"Smith inflicted severe injuries on the victim, who lost more than three pints of blood before being operated on. \"It was an horrific attack which has left the victim permanently disabled.\" Smith, of Marshfield Road, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday.", "summary": "A machete attacker who left a man permanently disabled has been jailed for 14 years."}
{"article": "The Ralph Lauren outfit was in keeping with the theme of this year's ball, an homage to Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo, and won fashion plaudits from the moment she glided up the stairs. There have been close to 16,000 tweets just about Chopra, which means the country has been tweeting about her pretty much since waking up. ... is it really an advertisement for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet \"clean India\" movement, locally known as Swacch Bharat Abhiyan? Because obviously the dress would be a highly effective cleaning mechanism. This seems to be by far the most popular theory around her dress and what it means. Some people have even tweeted directly to the prime minister, asking him to appoint her as an official \"ambassador\" for the project. The movement has used celebrities including cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan as ambassadors before, so as theories go it isn't too far off! We're just going to let this tweet speak for itself. The verdict in both India and the US is near unanimous - Priyanka Chopra simply won in that dress. Elle Magazine called the dress \"FANCY\", US Magazine declared that \"Priyanka Chopra slayed\" and Time Out New York picked her as one of its 10 best \"favourite looks\" at the Met Gala. In pictures: Met Gala's oddest outfits The press reactions in India have run along similar lines. The Times of India newspaper said that she \"swept away the competition\" while the Deccan Chronicle said she \"looked like a princess\". The sentiment on Twitter was not too far off. Some reports say that this is the world's longest trench coat - and with material like that up for grabs, it's an opportunity too good for any photoshop enthusiast worth his/her salt. It is unclear at time of writing if Guinness World Records have been contacted.", "summary": "The Met Gala usually draws little interest in India, but this year actress Priyanka Chopra's appearance in a vast detective trench coat outfit has inspired jokes, memes and even profound symbolic interpretations."}
{"article": "Users were angry that clicking the cross to dismiss the box meant that they had agreed to the upgrade. Based on \"customer feedback\", Microsoft said that it had added another notification that provided customers with \"an additional opportunity for cancelling the upgrade\". The pop-up design had been described as a \"nasty trick\". Microsoft told the BBC it had modified the pop-up two weeks ago as a result of criticism: \"We've added another notification that confirms the time of the scheduled upgrade and provides the customer an additional opportunity for cancelling or rescheduling the upgrade. \"If the customer wishes to continue with their upgrade at the designated time, they can click 'OK' or close the notifications with no further action needed.\" Senior editor at PC World magazine Brad Chacos, who describes himself as a fan of the Windows 10 operating system, had previously described the use of the cross to mean people had agreed to the upgrade as \"a nasty trick\". He said: \"I don't think that adding more pestering pop-ups improves the situation. At the very least they should add a large, obvious 'No, I don't want this' button.\" Mr Chacos has been a vocal critic of what he described as the \"heavy-handed tactics that Microsoft's been using to force people into the upgrade\". Previously, users had to press the cross to cancel the suggested upgrade, he pointed out, so the latest move is counter-intuitive - \"akin to swapping out the brake and the accelerator in your car\". Users have been sharing with the BBC their own experience of unwanted upgrades, suggesting that the process is difficult to cancel once it has begun. Havard Hughes' experience was typical of many. \"Windows 10 update ran on my PC despite all my efforts to stop it, including dismissing the update several times and frantically trying to abort the installation as it started when I was halfway through writing an important e-mail. \"My attempt to roll it back to Windows 7 resulted in the blue screen of death and a dead PC. I now have to reinstall my home computer from scratch because of this so-called 'free' upgrade. \"As someone who paid for my software and was perfectly happy with my fully functional Windows 7 machine, this has been an absolute disaster.\"", "summary": "Microsoft has u-turned over changes it made to a pop-up encouraging users to upgrade to Windows 10."}
{"article": "Salem, the state capital, hired a herd of 75 goats to munch their way through plants like Armenian blackberry in the city's largest park. But costs came to more than five times the city would have spent on human landscapers, a report found. The goats also ate native plants among the invasive species, the report added. The six-week pilot programme ended last November and there are no plans to renew it, city officials said. Aside from their cost, the goats left behind a \"heavily fertilized area\", the city's public works operations manager Mark Becktel told the Statesman Journal. The park was also said to have a \"barnyard aroma\" due to the goats' presence.", "summary": "Oregon will not be renewing a scheme which uses goats to eat invasive species due to rising costs and complaints over the animals' odour."}
{"article": "25 October 2013 Last updated at 09:08 BST The mummies of an adult and a child were found at an old religious site in the capital Lima. Experts also found other offerings including the remains of guinea pigs and jars with cat designs. They're being described as one of the most important finds in more than 30 years. Check out Ricky's report to find out more about mummies and where else in the world they've been found...", "summary": "Two ancient mummies more than a thousand years old have been found in Peru in South America."}
{"article": "The tourists resumed on 99-3 but slipped to 148-8 as five wickets fell for 15 runs, Junior Dala taking 5-34. Ben Stokes' brisk 27 helped England to 190 all out, setting the hosts a nominal 473 to win, but they were 5-0 after two overs when the rain came. England begin the first Test against South Africa in Durban on Boxing Day. The visitors had dominated the first two days of this opening warm-up game, but Zambia-born seamer Dala accounted for overnight batsmen Joe Root (39) and Gary Ballance (25) who added 50 for the fourth wicket. Keeper Jonny Bairstow was caught behind for a first-ball duck off left-armer Dieter Klein at the other end, before Moeen Ali (20) and Stokes, batting at 10, steadied the ship. However, it was spectacular thunder and lightning which ultimately denied them the opportunity to try to bowl the hosts out and force victory. England's final warm-up before the Tests is another three-day game against South Africa A at Pietermaritzburg, beginning on Sunday.", "summary": "England's warm-up match against a South Africa Invitation XI was abandoned as a draw as heavy storms wrecked the third and final day in Potchefstroom."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old, who has 69 caps for his country and represented the British & Irish Lions, will join Quins next season. Roberts had turned down a deal to return to Cardiff Blues, where he spent six years before moving to France. \"The whole club is ecstatic to have signed a player of Jamie's quality,\" said director of rugby Conor O'Shea. \"He is massively ambitious and, as a role model to all of our players, he will be someone we can all learn from.\" Had Roberts opted to return to Wales, Blues would have had first refusal on Roberts's services under a Welsh Rugby Union agreement with the nation's four regions. Instead the Newport-born player, who has won the Six Nations three times with Wales, including two Grand Slams, will play in the Premiership at the Twickenham Stoop. Wales head coach Warren Gatland said earlier this month that a move to England would not preclude Roberts from selection for Wales. Under the so-called 'Gatland's Law', Wales-based players are likely to be favoured for Test selection over those who choose to play elsewhere. Roberts, who made his international debut in 2008, will also study part-time for a Masters degree in medical science at Cambridge University during his time with Quins. \"Having played in Cardiff and in Paris, moving to London is a chance for me to experience and further develop my career in a different league,\" said Roberts. \"My desire to compete and win at both club and international level remains as strong as ever.\" Roberts will link up with Harlequins in December, after the Rugby World Cup, and has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal which will run until the summer of 2018.", "summary": "Harlequins have agreed a deal to sign Wales centre Jamie Roberts from French Top 14 side Racing Metro."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The home team led 13-0 after 28 minutes thanks to Conor Murray's try and eight points from the boot of Johnny Sexton. But Wales hit back with Taulupe Faletau's try converted by replacement fly-half Rhys Priestland, whose 72nd-minute penalty edged Wales 16-13 ahead. Sexton's third penalty squared things and Priestland's late drop-goal attempt was off target in a breathless finale. With the clock in the red and fans' nerves shredded, both teams strove for the decisive score rather than settle for the draw. But the defences held out and when referee Jerome Garces finally called a halt, there was a collective exhaling of breath around the ground. It means Wales have not won back-to-back games in Ireland since 2000, while the Irish dream of a third consecutive title has not been fatally damaged. But Grand Slams and Triple Crowns will have to wait for another season after a first draw between the two sides in Dublin since 1974. With Ireland having lost Sean O'Brien and Rob Kearney in the week, Wales had to draft Liam Williams in at full-back after Gareth Anscombe's late withdrawal. And within 20 minutes replacement fly-half Priestland was on after Dan Biggar limped off with a foot injury. The Irish dominated the first half hour, with Wales unable to maintain possession and struggling to keep debutant CJ Stander and Tommy O'Donnell in check. Scrum-half Murray was the beneficiary as he dummied over from close range to help establish a 13-0 lead. But Priestland's boot, and Faletau's opportunism after the ball squirted out of an advancing scrum, somehow saw Wales back within three points at the break, and the boots of the fly-halves ensured the game ended level after a nerve-shredding second half. Wales' dominance at the scrum was the cornerstone of their fightback, but Ireland looked more creative behind and with Stander and Jamie Heaslip outstanding in the back row, met Wales' predominantly physical challenge head-on. Jamie Roberts ran straight for Wales and tackled hard and often, while Simon Zebo and Sexton cut lines for Ireland, with one second half break by the fly-half the outstanding moment of the match. Wales face Scotland at home on Saturday, 13 February - a side smarting from their latest Calcutta Cup defeat and who have not won in Cardiff since 2002. On the same day Ireland will take on the misfiring French at Stade de France, having beaten them as recently as last October when they won a World Cup pool match 24-9 in Cardiff. Ireland: Zebo; Trimble, Payne, Henshaw, Earls; Sexton, Murray; McGrath, Best, White, McCarthy, Toner, Stander, O'Donnell, Heaslip. Replacements: D Kearney for Earls (71), Madigan for Sexton (75), S. Cronin for Best (75), Furlong for White (63), Ryan for McCarthy (63), Ruddock for O'Donnell (48). Not Used: J Cronin, Marmion. Wales: L Williams; North, J Davies, Roberts, T James; Biggar, G Davies; Evans, Baldwin, Lee, Charteris, Jones, Warburton, Tipuric, Faletau. Replacements: Priestland for Biggar (21), L Williams for G. Davies (71), Jenkins for Evans (52), Owens for Baldwin (63), Francis", "summary": "Ireland let a 13-point lead slip as Wales fought back for a draw in a compelling Six Nations match in Dublin."}
{"article": "Today, alongside her friend and fellow campaigner Najate Nait Ali, she became the first woman in France to receive a fine for covering her face in public. Ironically it is a punishment she welcomes. After six months campaigning against the new law she now has a platform on which to challenge it. Tomorrow Ms Ahmas and her supporters will appeal against the decision in the Court of Cassation. It will take months, possibly years, to exhaust the legal process here in France, but the path could lead all the way to a challenge in the European Court of Human Rights. Today's ruling carries implications not only for the French government but for other countries in Europe. Belgium, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland have all introduced, or are planning to introduce, similar legislation. Ms Ahmas's parents were not strict Muslims. She put on the niqab for the first time six years ago. She claims she once wore mini-skirts and liked to party before she rediscovered her faith. Her parents are moderates. The point is, she says, there is no-one who is \"forcing\" her to wear it. \"I respect all the French laws but not this one,\" she said. \"My life has become a living hell since April. I have been verbally and physically abused. I no longer have access to public services. Every day I have to fight for my basic rights.\" She is denied access to banks, shops and government offices. Bus drivers have refused to pick her up, she cannot find work. When she leaves home she carries a panic alarm and a pepper spray. \"About a week after the law came into effect, I was peacefully walking down the street with my daughter, when a couple confronted me,\" she said. \"The woman began to insult me, and my religion. This I could not accept. I answered back and her husband punched me in the face. All of this while my daughter was standing beside me.\" Secular France has a complicated relationship with religion. In recent years there has been a long-running debate on how far it is willing to go to accommodate Islam, without undermining the long-standing tradition of separating church and state. The bill that was passed in April had overwhelming cross-party support and was popular in polls across the country. It has proved equally popular in other countries. Those who support the bill say the fundamental part of integrating into Western society is showing your face. And yet what is surprising given the furore that surrounded the implementation of the bill, is that fewer than 100 women have so far been stopped by the police. No-one has yet received the maximum 150-euro fine. There are fewer than 10 cases currently in the courts. Is that because the justice system does not attach as much importance to the bill as the public? \"The police have better things to do than hunt veiled women,\" said Nicolas Comte from the SGP police union. \"Not to mention the damage it can do to police relations in certain communities. \"I think my", "summary": "Hind Ahmas is a French citizen, a 32-year-old divorced mother and a defiant wearer of the full-face veil - the niqab."}
{"article": "Robinson, 33, who was released by relegated Bolton Wanderers at the end of last season, has signed a one-month deal that runs until 26 October. Clark said: \"I'd like to thank the board for allowing me to bring in Paul. \"He is an experienced defender who will enhance our playing squad.\" Already without injured skipper Stephen Carr, who has a career-threatening knee injury, Clark last week lost season-long loan signing Paul Caddis, who is expected to be out until Christmas at the earliest once he has had shoulder surgery. The injuries have left us with just two fit senior defenders And, after losing David Murphy with a torn hamstring midway through the first half of Saturday's 5-0 home defeat by Barnsley, the Blues boss is now also without Pablo Ibanez, who is expected to be out for four weeks after breaking a bone in his foot. \"While I have been impressed with the progress of our young defenders, the injuries have left us with just two fit senior defenders,\" added Clark. \"So the acquisition of Paul was one we needed to make. \"As a senior professional, Paul will give us that added experience which is always useful in this competitive division.\" Former England Under-21 international Robinson began his career with home-town club Watford before being signed by Gary Megson for Albion in 2003. After six years at The Hawthorns, a season-long loan move to Bolton was made permanent in 2010. But Robinson, who is expected to make his Blues debut in Saturday evening's clash with leaders Brighton at the Amex Stadium, has not played since finishing last season out on loan with Leeds United.", "summary": "Birmingham City boss Lee Clark has responded to his side's string of defensive injuries by bringing in former West Bromwich Albion left-back Paul Robinson on a short-term deal."}
{"article": "The original Megaupload file-sharing site proved enormously popular and was thought to have about 50 million users a day at its peak. It was shut down in 2012, following accusations by the US that copyright pirates made heavy use of it. The new service would reinstate the accounts of all former users of the original Megaupload, said Mr Dotcom. Plans for the revived Megaupload were revealed in a series of tweets by the German-born entrepreneur, who now lives in New Zealand. He said it would be formally launched on 20 January - five years to the day since his home was raided by police investigating the \"massive\" amount of pirated material available via Megaupload. Since the raid, Mr Dotcom has waged a lengthy legal battle to fight accusations that he profited from others abusing Megaupload and to recover the assets seized at the time. He is also fighting attempts to extradite him to the US to face trial over his control of Megaupload. The tweets suggest that the new Megaupload service will involve the Bitcoin virtual currency. However, it is not clear whether it is being used as a payment system or as a way to track what people share via the service. It is also not clear how accounts created on the original service will be reinstated. Mr Dotcom wrote that emails would be sent to former users when the service was ready for them to rejoin it. Mr Dotcom has also said the 2017 version will: As well as sending messages about the new service, Mr Dotcom issued an appeal to former Megaupload staff to get in touch to help bring it to life. In the years since the raid, Mr Dotcom has dabbled in New Zealand politics and launched a separate file-sharing and storage service called Mega. He resigned from Mega's board of directors in 2013, and since then the company's other investors have taken control and run it separately.", "summary": "Net entrepreneur Kim Dotcom plans to relaunch the Megaupload web storage system in January 2017."}
{"article": "The former Dr Feelgood guitarist, 67, was given 10 months to live after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but was given the all clear in April. Johnson, who lives in Southend, says he now hopes to fulfil ambitions including playing with Bob Dylan. \"I'm finding it hard to mentally adjust to the idea that I can plan,\" he said. Johnson underwent 11 hours of radical surgery at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge to take out the 3kg tumour. The operation also involved removing his pancreas, parts of his stomach, spleen and small and large intestines. He told BBC Essex: \"You go in and see someone and he says three words that take about three seconds - you've got cancer. \"Bang, your universe has changed, absolutely and irrevocably.\" After being given his terminal diagnosis, Johnson embarked on a farewell tour last year and recorded an album with The Who's Roger Daltrey. But medics found he had a rare and curable form of the cancer when one of his doctor friends started to question why he was still feeling fairly well several months after he had been told he had less than a year to live. Johnson said despite finding it tough to grasp the concept that he could think about the future, he does hope to tour again next year and release more music. \"I was very, very weak when I came out and slowly coming to terms with the idea that the end is not nigh - that I'm not facing the end,\" he said. \"Previously there wasn't a future so I was living in the moment. \"People would ask when I was going to die, have you fulfilled all your ambitions and I would have to say 'yes'. \"But perhaps one thing, I would love to play with Bob Dylan... because I worship him. \"I'm almost fit again and in the new year I will start playing again, doing gigs, and hopefully I'm going to sit down, scratch my head and write some songs and make some records. \"But it's all a bit vague.\" The past four years have been fulfilling professionally. Julien Temple's 2009 documentary Oil City Confidential reminded people of Dr Feelgood's legacy and introduced a new audience to their music. A stint as an actor in the hit US TV series Game of Thrones has also been a highlight for Johnson. \"I went over to Ireland to do the first part of filming and realised, 'man, this is a big, huge production,\" he said. \"There's one guy and his sole gig is to make sure the candles haven't burnt down. \"This is so different from rock 'n' roll - for one thing you get up much earlier in the morning.\"", "summary": "Wilko Johnson says he has found it \"difficult\" coming to terms with still being alive after being told he had terminal cancer."}
{"article": "The body of Leonne Weeks was found in Dinnington, Rotherham, on Monday at about 11:00 GMT. An 18-year-old man is being quizzed over her murder and a woman, 26, is being held on suspicion of assisting an offender. Her family said they were \"devastated at the loss of our beautiful daughter and sister Leonne\". \"She was very much loved and will be missed by all of us,\" they added. For live updates and more across Yorkshire Rebecca Staples, principal of Dinnington High School, of which Leonne was a pupil, said the community was \"reeling\". \"We have extra security at school at the moment because we wanted to be sure ourselves and want parents to be sure that everyone is absolutely safe,\" she added. \"I think there's also a feeling of underlying anger that something like this could have happened in such a close community to one of our own. \"She was a lovely student, a lively student and it's a sad loss.\" A post-mortem examination took place on Wednesday and found she had suffered multiple stab wounds, South Yorkshire Police said. Temporary Det Ch Insp Martin Tate added: \"Leonne's family have had their entire lives turned upside down over the last couple of days and are utterly devastated.\" Police have been granted an extension to the murder suspect's custody as they continue with inquiries. Friends and family posted Facebook appeals for Leonne's whereabouts on Monday morning after she failed to return home. By 18:00, comments hoping she would be found safe had changed to well wishes to the family after \"heartbreaking news\". Patrols have been increased in the area to reassure the community and anyone with information is urged to make contact.", "summary": "A 16-year-old girl found on a path had been stabbed to death, police said."}
{"article": "The victory parade started at Jubilee Square in the city with the team later taking to the stage at Victoria Park. Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri said it was \"unbelievable\" the whole city had seemingly turned up to celebrate. Rock band Kasabian, who formed in Leicester in 1997, also performed for the crowd in the park. Ranieri added: \"I think this [the crowd] is because the team won but also they played with the heart, with the soul and I think the people understand this.\" He later cried \"keep dreaming, don't wake up\", during an on-stage interview to thunderous roars from the approving crowd. The champions were 5,000-1 to win the title at the start of the season. But the Foxes overcame any doubters when they were presented with the trophy after their final home game of the season against Everton on 7 May. Highlights of the club's season, including goals from striker Jamie Vardy and PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez, as well as memorable quotes from Ranieri, were played on the park's big screens during the evening's celebrations. Dave Wade, BBC News Online Cancel Glastonbury. We've already had this summer's best festival. Victoria Park was a sea of blue and white as almost a quarter of a million people came out to see the fantastic Foxes parade their trophy. \"A once in a lifetime experience\" was how people described it to me again and again. \"It's absolutely fantastic - I wouldn't have missed this for the world,\" said Laura Day, there with her family and two young boys. Gulab Mistry said: \"It's been a brilliant day - we'll never see anything like this ever again.\" The thing that struck me most was just how joyous the atmosphere was - everyone was out for a good time. Flags waved furiously and the crowd noise rose to deafening levels as the team arrived on stage. As Vardy's 11 goals in 11 straight games were replayed on the big screen the cheers were as big as when they were actually scored. And then - surprise. Kasabian. Fittingly, the band who have stuck close to their Leicester roots, started their set, saying: \"This one is for the underdogs.\" I'll leave the last words to Lee Jobber, a man who's famous for drumming at the King Power, who summed it up better than I could. \"I'm struggling to hold back the tears,\" he said. \"If this doesn't pull the city together, nothing will.\" Earlier, there was travel disruption across the city, with all park and ride sites shut and road closures brought forward early. Hundreds of train commuters were also seen queuing in the Leicestershire village of Narborough, with CrossCountry forced to apologise due to the \"extremely busy\" network. The city council had warned people to expect disruption and to travel in advance of the parade. Leicester became champions of England for the first time in their 132-year history on 2 May when Tottenham failed to beat Chelsea.", "summary": "More than 240,000 people lined the streets to watch Leicester City parade on open-top buses in celebration of their Premier League title win."}
{"article": "The roof of the house on Bashurst Hill in Itchingfield was spotted alight at 00:30 BST. West Sussex Fire & Rescue sent four engines to fight the blaze and all occupants were accounted for. Sussex Police said the cause of the blaze was unknown but there was nothing to suggest it was deliberate.", "summary": "One person has been taken to hospital after a serious fire gutted a house in West Sussex during the early hours on Saturday."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old is on a season-long loan deal with Sheffield United and both clubs confirmed on Monday he will see out the campaign at Bramall Lane. Ebanks-Landell has scored five goals in 21 games for the League One leaders. \"He has been superb and it's fantastic for us and him he will be here until the end of the campaign,\" Blades boss Chris Wilder told the club website.", "summary": "Wolves defender Ethan Ebanks-Landell has signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract at the Championship club."}
{"article": "Richard Hilary, 66, is accused of committing 15 offences while he was a teacher at the Wavell School in Farnborough. The alleged victims were under the age of 16 at the time. Mr Hilary, of Northend Lane, Droxford, has been bailed to appear before Basingstoke magistrates on 2 May.", "summary": "A man has been charged with sexually attacking girls while he worked at a secondary school in Hampshire in the late 1970s and early 1980s."}
{"article": "The Premier League champions were the last surviving English team in this season's competition. But, despite a spirited second-leg display, a 1-1 draw meant Atletico progressed via a 2-1 aggregate win. \"The whole club, from the supporters to the players to the owners can be immensely proud,\" said Shakespeare. \"We had them rattled with the effort and commitment we showed. It's no discredit to lose to a team of that calibre. \"I've just said to the players that they should want more of this and they've agreed that that's what they want. \"All players want to play at the highest level and the Champions League is the highest level but we have to get back to winning ways in the Premier League now.\" Seeking to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit, Leicester fell further behind to Saul Niguez's header in the first half on Tuesday, meaning they required three goals to progress. The Foxes dominated the second half and gave themselves hope when Jamie Vardy finished from close range on the hour mark. But, despite sending on Leonardo Ulloa for Shinji Okazaki at half-time and leading the shot count 17-2 after the break, they were unable to breach a resolute Atletico defence for a second time. \"In the first half, we played really well but the goal changes the game plan - we knew we had to score three - so I had to make the change,\" Shakespeare told BT Sport. \"In terms of effort, commitment, application - as a group we were tremendous. \"The momentum was with us when Jamie scored but it just wasn't to be.\" Shakespeare was appointed Leicester manager until the end of the season following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri in February. The 53-year-old, previously Ranieri's assistant, oversaw six wins in his first six games to steer the Foxes away from the relegation zone. When asked about his future, he replied: \"It's not in my hands. It's in the club's hands. I've said we'd sit down at the end of the season. I'm more than happy to do that before if it arises but the contract says until the end of the season. \"I've enjoyed it, pitting your wits against one of the best managers in the world, one of the best sides in the world. \"Now is a time to reflect and I'm sure at the end of the season I'll be able to reflect on my own performance as well as the club's.\" Ex-England defender Danny Mills on BBC Radio 5 live: \"Ranieri wasn't on anybody's radar and clearly they went for a big name and it worked. \"There's just part of me that feels a little bit sorry for Craig Shakespeare because the same thing might happen again. \"He almost becomes unemployable because wherever he goes. If he goes in as a number two, the moment you have a bad game [people will think] he's going to want the job and someone's going to get sacked. \"So no-one is going to want to employ him as a number two. Does he get a big job", "summary": "Manager Craig Shakespeare challenged his Leicester team to reach the Champions League again after their quarter-final loss to Atletico Madrid."}
{"article": "Hugh Richard Louis Grosvenor, previously known by the honorary title Earl Grosvenor, has so far kept out of the glare of publicity that once contributed to his father becoming affected by depression. But he attracted headlines after throwing a lavish 21st birthday party for 800 guests - dress code \"black tie and neon\" - which has been estimated at costing \u00a35m. The seventh Duke of Westminster studied countryside management at Newcastle University. He works as an account manager for Bio-bean - a green technology company which recycles waste coffee grounds into advanced biofuels and biochemicals. He was the youngest and wealthiest person to be asked by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to be godparent to Prince George, in 2013. The duke attended a state primary before going to a private day school close to his home in Cheshire, and then Ellesmere College, a boarding school in Shropshire. He becomes the new Duke of Westminster as the eldest male descendant of the late duke. He has two elder sisters - Lady Tamara Grosvenor and Lady Edwina Grosvenor, who is married to historian and television presenter Dan Snow. His younger sister is Lady Viola Grosvenor. His mother Natalia, Duchess of Westminster, is one of the Duke of Cambridge's godparents. Source: Forbes List Along with his title, the duke inherits the family's country seat, Eaton Hall in Cheshire. The Grosvenor family has called the hall their home since the 15th Century. It was there at his 21st birthday party in January 2012 that comedian Michael McIntyre and the hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks provided the entertainment and Prince Harry was among the guests. It was also reported that guests who wanted to give a present were asked to add to his large wine collection. \"The party was simply amazing - a birthday and a party I will never forget. It is the beginning of a new era in my life and I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead,\" the duke told the Chester Chronicle shortly afterwards. In 2013 Vanity Fair described him as \"baby-faced\" and \"absurdly rich\", while the Tatler List once declared: \"Hughie's a Newcastle graduate with his own wine collection who goes wild for girls in neon.\" It added that after inheriting his father's estate he would \"own half of London\".", "summary": "The sudden death of billionaire landowner and philanthropist the Duke of Westminster means his 25-year-old son Hugh has now inherited an estate worth \u00a39bn."}
{"article": "Edmund, 22, won 6-3 3-6 6-2 in a rain-delayed match to set up a last-eight tie against top-seeded Milos Raonic. The Canadian beat Croatia's Borna Coric 6-3 7-6 (7-2) in Florida. At the Rio Open, Britain's Jamie Murray and doubles partner Bruno Soares beat Marcus Daniell and Marcelo Demonliner 6-4 6-2 to reach the semi-finals. They will face Argentines Andres Molteni and Diego Schwartzman next. Meanwhile, British number four Aljaz Bedene lost 7-5 7-5 in the second round of the Open 13 in Marseille to Frenchman Lucas Pouille.", "summary": "British number three Kyle Edmund progressed to the Delray Beach Open quarter-finals with victory over Taiwan's Lu Yen-hsun on Thursday."}
{"article": "At least 114 people died and some 700 were injured in last week's blast. Residents are demanding compensation and firms have seen their assets damaged and production disrupted. Thousands had to evacuate their homes after toxic chemicals were detected in the air following the blasts at the world's tenth-busiest port. Based on official Chinese media reports, bank Credit Suisse estimates the losses could amount to $1-1.5bn (\u00c2\u00a3640-957m). Ratings agency Fitch though warned the bill could be much higher. \"Claims from the blasts are likely to undermine the financial performance of some regional players and those property and casualty insurers with high risk accumulation in the affected areas,\" Fitch said. Local Chinese insurers are expected to bear the brunt of the costs. Investigations into the cause of the blast are still ongoing and the damage is still being assessed. Aside from the actual damage, a number of factories near the blast site have halted operations leading to losses that could also be compensated by insurers. Japanese car maker Toyota said more than half its China production capacity would be affected at least through Wednesday. The company said it had suspended all three production lines at its plant near Tianjin, which can produce 530,000 vehicles a year. The car maker also said it could divert shipments to the ports of Shanghai and Dalian in response to the severe logistical problems resulting from the Tianjin damage. Thousands of imported Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai and Renault cars, parked near the blast site were damaged in the explosion. Operations of electronics company Panasonic, logistics firm Singamas Container Holdings and of US maker of agricultural machinery Deere & Co. have also been disrupted. More on the deadly Tianjin blast: China explosions: Doubts raised over chemical licences Potent chemical mix behind blasts What we know about explosions The questions being asked by Chinese citizens 'Hero' firefighters hailed 'Like the end of the world': Residents' stories", "summary": "Insurance claims after the deadly Tianjin blast could far exceed official estimates, Fitch ratings agency has warned."}
{"article": "New government guidance says written parental permission must be obtained to use students' biometric data. Pupils themselves will also be allowed to refuse to participate. Schools can use fingerprinting or face scanning for recording attendance, checking out library books, paying for lunch or accessing school buildings. Last year the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) estimated that about 30% of secondaries in England were using biometric data. The new advice, which is now being consulted on, will come into effect from September 2013. Schools Minister Nick Gibb said the use of biometrics in schools was a sensitive issue and schools should be in no doubt of their responsibilities. \"I have heard from many angry parents after they have learned that their children's personal data was being used by schools without their knowledge,\" said Mr Gibb. \"The new legislation gives the power back to parents, as it requires parental consent before the information can be collected. \"In the age of the internet, identity and the integrity of biometric data are of increasing importance. Young people need to understand from an early age the sensitivity of such personal data.\" ASCL said schools and colleges had good reason to invest in biometric systems for canteens and libraries. The association said the system prevented fraud, stopped money being lost and meant students eligible for free school meals could take them up without being stigmatised. Brian Lightman, general secretary of ASCL, said: \"It's right that parents give their consent to use biometric data, just as they do for taking photographs. \"When the legislation was first proposed, we were looking at a hugely bureaucratic and costly procedure for getting permission which would have been a nightmare for schools. \"The government listened to concerns and has streamlined the process considerably so that it is as straightforward as seeking consent to take photos or go on school trips. \"This is a sensible way forward that should reassure parents and meet the needs of schools and colleges.\"", "summary": "Schools in England will be banned from taking pupils' fingerprints and using face-recognition technology unless they get permission from parents."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Carl Meyer, Sam Hobbs and Angus O'Brien crossed in a ten-minute first-half purple patch, with O'Brien's boot making it 24-12 at the break. Edinburgh's Nasi Manu and Chris Dean got first-half tries and Viliame Mata's late score made it close. O'Brien's 78th-minute penalty sealed the win to ensure the visitors are only above Zebre and Treviso in the table. Edinburgh's snappy early handling paid off in the 10th minute as number eight Manu took advantage of a huge overlap following a break by wing Mike Allen, Jason Tovey converting against his former team. But O'Brien quickly pulled back a penalty, and converted after Carl Meyer tore through from 30 metres following a comedy steal by hooker Thomas Rhys Thomas from the back of an Edinburgh maul. Prop Hobbs crashed over from close range with O'Brien again converting, but moments later Dean finished off another fluid move from the visitors' back-line. Then O'Brien made it four tries in 10 minutes, setting up the score, finishing it off from Sam Beard's kick through and adding the extras after 27 minutes. It took a further 37 minutes for the next score to arrive, with both head coaches making a string of replacements to try to break the deadlock. Phil Burleigh came close after a Blair Kinghorn break, but giant replacement Mata, an Olympic Gold medallist with Fiji sevens, rumbled over with Duncan Weir's conversion setting up a tense finale. Tyler Morgan's break almost allowed the Dragons to hit back only for Damian Hoyland to pull off a vital interception, before the roles were reversed at the other end as Morgan intercepted from Hoyland. O'Brien sent over the late penalty to earn the Dragons' fourth successive home win in all competitions, leaving an enterprising Edinburgh side to travel home pointless despite sharing the six tries. Dragons flanker Ollie Griffiths was named man of the match. Newport Gwent Dragons: Carl Meyer; Pat Howard, Sam Beard, Jack Dixon, Ashton Hewitt; Angus O'Brien, Tavis Knoyle; Sam Hobbs, Thomas Rhys Thomas, Brok Harris, Nick Crosswell, Matthew Screech, Lewis Evans (capt), Ollie Griffiths, Ed Jackson. Replacements: Rhys Buckley, Phil Price, Lloyd Fairbrother, James Thomas, Nic Cudd, Sarel Pretorius, Geraint Rhys Jones, Tyler Morgan. Edinburgh: Blair Kinghorn; Damien Hoyland, Chris Dean, Phil Burleigh, Michael Allen; Jason Tovey, Sean Kennedy; Jack Cosgrove, Neil Cochrane (capt), Murray McCallum, Fraser McKenzie, Ben Toolis, Magnus Bradbury, Jamie Ritchie, Nasi Manu. Replacements: Stuart McInally, Kyle Whyte, Felipe Arregui, Lewis Carmichael, Viliame Mata, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Duncan Weir, Glenn Bryce. Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU) Assistant referees: Leo Colgan (IRFU), Rhys Thomas (WRU) Citing commissioner: Paul Thomas (WRU) TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)", "summary": "Newport Gwent Dragons held on against Edinburgh to move up to ninth in the table."}
{"article": "Coca-Cola maintained the top-spot, but sales of its sugar-free alternative fell by 6.6%, according to new figures by trade publication Beverage Digest. Diet Pepsi sales fell by more than 5%. Nonetheless, both companies posted a modest increase in overall sales in 2014. Once a common sight on dining tables across the country, fizzy drinks have fallen out of favour in the US over the past decade. Low-calorie alternatives that replace sugar with sweeteners such as aspartame have also declined in popularity, due to concerns about the side-effects of their ingredients. Consequently, sales of healthier alternatives have risen sharply. Bottled water flew off the shelves in 2014, boosting Nestle's sales by 9%. Energy drinks and cold coffees also increased in popularity. \"There has been a tremendous migration to other categories in recent years,\" John Sicher, editor of Beverage Digest, told the BBC. Concerns by some consumers about \"obesity and health and wellness\" have led to greater scrutiny of the ingredients used by big brands, he added. The likes of Coca-Cola and Pepsi are now trying to get \"calorie levels lower with the use of natural sweeteners\". Coke recently released Coca-Cola Life, which is made with stevia sweetener and has 27 calories per 100mL, compared with 42 for regular Coke. The company's overall sales rose last year for the first time since 2000. Despite the decline in fizzy drink sales, the overall refreshment beverage market in the US grew by 2.2% - the strongest rate for several years, according to New York's Beverage Marketing Corporation. The consultancy added that the US drinks business was worth $160bn in 2014.", "summary": "Pepsi outsold Diet Coke last year to become the second most popular carbonated drink in the US, as health-conscious consumers continued to shun products with artificial sweeteners."}
{"article": "At a ceremony held at Stirling Castle - where the museum is located, Prince William officially launched the Thin Red Line Appeal. The fund-raising campaign hopes to secure backing of \u00a34m by 2019 to redevelop the museum. The Prince said that he was \"honoured\" to be the patron of the appeal. On arrival at the ceremony, the prince was met by the Earl of Mar and Kellie, hereditary keeper of Stirling Castle, who presented him with the key to the castle. William was then escorted around the current museum by Col AK Miller, viewing key exhibits including The Thin Red Line painting which depicts the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War in 1854. He spoke with pupils from the Queen Victoria School, whose parents serve in the Armed Forces - asking them about school life, their future ambitions - and also which football team they support. During the visit, William also met Lt Col Alexander Grant, 70, who is in a painting depicting fighting in Aden, now part of Yemen, in 1967. Mr Grant said: \"He seemed to be an extremely interested individual and easy to talk to and quite pleasant to chat with.\" In a speech at the ceremony, Prince William said: \"I am honoured to be patron of the Thin Red Line Appeal, to ensure that the history of one of Scotland's most iconic regiments can be preserved as part of the nation's story here in Stirling.\" Col Miller said: \"We were very fortunate to get Prince William as patron for the Thin Red Line Appeal.\" He added that since the museum lost its Ministry of Defence funding in 2012, it has been entirely self-supporting. The museum recently received news that it is to be supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The prince said he is \"confident\" the \u00a34m target is achievable.", "summary": "Prince William has launched an appeal to secure the future of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Regimental Museum in Stirling."}
{"article": "New Hibernian boss Neil Lennon takes his side to Falkirk, who finished second above the Easter Road side on goal difference last season. Newly-promoted sides Dunfermline and Ayr United are at home to Dumbarton and Raith Rovers, respectively. Falkirk host Hibs again in the New Year fixtures, with Raith Rovers at home to Fife rivals Dunfermline. Scottish Championship fixtures 2016-17 Scottish League One Fixtures 2016-17 Scottish League Two Fixtures 2016-17 6 August Dundee United v Queen of the South Ayr United v Raith Rovers St Mirren v Morton Dunfermline Athletic v Dumbarton Falkirk v Hibernian Ayr United v Dumbarton Dundee United v St Mirren Dunfermline Athletic v Falkirk Hibernian v Raith Rovers Morton v Queen of the South Falkirk v Hibernian St Mirren v Morton Dumbarton v Dundee United Queen of the South v Ayr United Raith Rovers v Dunfermline Athletic All fixtures and kick-off times are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made.", "summary": "Relegated Dundee United open their Championship campaign at home to Queen of the South on 6 August."}
{"article": "The couple took part in ceremonies at Dublin's Glasnevin Cemetery. They paid tribute to Victoria Cross recipients and to the almost 500 people who died in the failed 1916 rebellion against Britain rule. The couple's four-day visit to the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will end later on Friday. It will culminate with an event hosted by the British ambassador in Dublin. The royal couple spoke with Irish politicians on Friday, including Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny and Sinn F\u00e9in leader Gerry Adams. Mr Adams said the prince had commiserated with him over the death of Martin McGuinness, the IRA paramilitary-turned-peacemaker who died in March. The pair \"enjoyed some banter\" about which of them was the oldest, added Mr Adams. On Friday, the prince and the Republic of Ireland's Arts and Heritage Minister Heather Humphreys laid wreaths at the Cross of Sacrifice in Glasnevin Cemetery that honours those killed during the two world wars. The prince also took part in a ceremony unveiling stones remembering the four Irish soldiers who were awarded Victoria Crosses 100 years ago. He toured the republican plot in the cemetery and visited the graves of Michael Collins and \u00c9amon de Valera. After that, he unveiled another wreath at a wall in Glasnevin that remembers all those who died during the Easter Rising in 1916. On Thursday, Prince Charles tried his hand at hurling at Kilkenny Castle. He and the Duchess of Cornwall also enjoyed a demonstration of the ancient Irish sport. Their visit to the Republic of Ireland, which followed a stay in Northern Ireland, was at the request of the British government. They also visited the Curragh Military Camp, where Irish UN peace-keeping soldiers are trained. On Thursday morning, the Royals visited a farmers' market in Kilkenny, and they met some of the thousands of people who had lined the streets there. The couple left Northern Ireland on Wednesday, after Prince Charles opened a garden of remembrance for police officers killed on duty in Northern Ireland. They also visited the Seamus Heaney Homeplace Centre in Bellaghy, where they met members of the poet's family.", "summary": "The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have honoured Irishmen who fought for Britain and all the people who died in the 1916 Easter Rising."}
{"article": "During the Troubles, the army base was situated right beside the GAA ground. The meeting was revealed during the filming of the True North documentary, 'Crossmaglen Field of Dreams'. During the Troubles, a group of local children, brought together by Crossmaglen Rangers, formed what was to become one of the greatest Gaelic football teams in the country. Two of those boys, Ois\u00edn McConville and John McEntee, who graduated through the underage ranks went on to help 'Cross' win its first All-Ireland club championship in 1996. The 1970s saw an increased Army presence in Northern Ireland, and the building of a base in the largely Catholic town was a cause of contention for many residents. The club chose to ignore the Troubles as best it could and became determined to be known for sporting greatness. Ois\u00edn and John recall how they were too busy playing football to get involved in politics. Ois\u00edn said: \"Despite what was going on, we were still determined to be successful on the field.\" \"We were far too busy playing football and getting on with life,\" John said. During filming, Ois\u00edn reveals how he was contacted by a former soldier, who was once stationed at Crossmaglen. The former soldier, who is now involved in reconciliation work, meets Ois\u00edn on the club pitch and they discuss what that time was like for the team and for soldiers. In 2014, Ois\u00edn and John became managers of Cross and began their pursuit of the 2016 All-Ireland Club Championship. The film follows them as they guide the next generation of players to hoped-for victory at Dublin's Croke Park. Since 1996, the team has won 19 county championships, 11 Ulster club trophies and five more all-Ireland finals. The programme focuses on the daily lives of the players and managers, including the squad's oldest member, Paul Hearty. Married with four children, Paul works as a milkman six days a week before football training in the evenings. We also meet Jamie Clarke, a rising star in Gaelic football, who wants to see if there is more to life for him than GAA. He causes shockwaves by leaving the club mid-season to go to New York. Producer Natalie Maynes said: \"For years, Crossmaglen has lived with the reputation of being at the heart of 'bandit country'. \"But with unique access to the town's senior Gaelic football team over a two-year-period, we were able to gain an insight into the untold story of life beyond the label, and to discover how this remarkable frontier community has turned what could have been a siege mentality, into a formula for victory.\" Assistant producer Thomas Niblock said: \"From a sporting point of view, the reward for gaining two years of unrestricted access was a front row seat to the real Crossmaglen Rangers. \"No buff, no polish - instead we witnessed Cross during their most intimate and sacred moments. We were also able to document the humanity and exacting toll on a club in pursuit of sporting excellence.\" True North: Crossmaglen Field of Dreams is on BBC One Northern Ireland at 21:00", "summary": "A former soldier who was stationed in Crossmaglen during the Troubles has met one of the players involved in a GAA team in the south Armagh town."}
{"article": "In his Autumn Statement Philip Hammond said growth predictions had been cut as a result of the Brexit vote. As widely expected, he unveiled a fuel duty freeze and more cash for housing, transport and digital infrastructure. Labour said the government was \"unprepared and ill-equipped\" for Brexit and had \"no vision\". Mr Hammond told MPs the UK's deficit would no longer be cleared by 2020 - with the target instead \"as early as possible\" afterwards. Mr Hammond said the statement - his first major Commons event as chancellor - came exactly five months after a Brexit vote which \"will change the course of Britain's history\", making it \"more urgent than ever\" to tackle long-term economic weaknesses. Presenting the Office for Budget Responsibility's forecasts, he said borrowing would hit \u00a368.2bn this year and \u00a359bn next year, compared with the March forecast of \u00a355.5bn and \u00a338.8bn. The OBR said the referendum result meant potential growth in the current Parliament would be 2.4 percentage points lower than forecast in March. Government finances are forecast to be \u00a3122bn worse off than in the spring. Among the chancellor's announcements were: Mr Hammond said the government would prioritise \"additional high-value investment\" on infrastructure, which would be funded by additional borrowing. He paid tribute to his predecessor George Osborne but said he would now follow three new fiscal rules: to balance the books \"as early as possible in the next Parliament\", for public sector net debt to be falling as a share of GDP by the end of Parliament and for welfare spending to be within a cap. The OBR based its forecasts on the assumption that the UK would leave the EU in April 2019 - two years after the government's deadline for triggering negotiations with Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. It also assumed new trading arrangements would slow import and export growth for a decade and that migration would be restricted. It said the increased borrowing would result from weak tax receipts and lower than expected growth predictions as a result of June's vote to leave the European Union. Based on its assumptions around Brexit - the government has not yet revealed the details of its negotiating plan - it predicted the referendum result would account for an extra \u00a358bn of borrowing. This included a predicted \u00a316bn increase as a result of lower migration and \u00a318.1bn because of lower productivity growth. The OBR said its forecasts for Brexit were \"uncertain\", and they were disputed by Conservative MP John Redwood, who said: \"Their forecast probably is too low, their borrowing forecast is far too high, and we'll get good access to the single market once we're out of the EU.\" The Economists for Brexit group said the OBR had \"assumed a pessimistic outlook for the UK economy outside the EU, based on bad economic policy-making\". At the end of his speech, Mr Hammond revealed the Autumn Statement would be scrapped in future years, saying there was no need for major tax changes to be made twice a year. Instead, he added to laughter from MPs, there would", "summary": "The UK economy is \"resilient\" despite forecasts that government finances will be \u00a3122bn worse off than previously expected by 2020, the chancellor said."}
{"article": "1 June 2017 Last updated at 12:50 BST Although kids aren't able to vote, the decisions made in the election will have a big impact on the lives of all children across the country. But with so many different political parties competing with each other, we're giving you the lowdown on the main ones. Find out all you need to know about the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) in Newsround's 60-second guide.", "summary": "There's a general election coming up on 8 June, when adults will vote to decide who will run the UK."}
{"article": "A white van hit pedestrians on London Bridge at about 22:00 BST on Saturday before three men got out and stabbed people in nearby Borough Market. Seven people died and 48 were injured. The suspects were shot dead by police. Gareth - who did not want to give his surname - told BBC Wales: \"We were fearful for our lives.\" He said: \"We were at dinner in Borough Market last night and we were just about to leave the restaurant and all of a sudden we heard a bang and people were running down the street and then starting to lock themselves in the restaurant across the street. Gareth described \"a lot of chaos, people scared, not knowing what was going on, glasses dropping, screams\" and realised \"something bad was about to happen\". With his fiancee, heavily pregnant friend and her partner, he took a lift upstairs and hid in a toilet cubicle, keeping his foot pressed against the door. \"I looked downstairs and a guy had come in with a big knife that looked like a machete,\" he added. \"We were locked in the bathroom for about an hour. There was screaming outside and smashing glasses. \"We were fearful for our lives. It was a horrendous experience.\" While in the toilet, he called his sister Llinos in Cardiff, who described being \"absolutely terrified, sick, shaking\" and thinking at first it was a joke. But she called South Wales Police and praised their efforts to keep her calm and giving her advice to pass on to her brother until London officers arrived at the scene. Political leaders in Wales have expressed shock and concern at the attack. First Minister Carwyn Jones said: \"This was an appalling, cowardly attack on innocent people simply enjoying a summer evening. \"Our thoughts are with the victims and families and I would like to thank the emergency services for their swift and brave response. I am being kept fully informed and I ask all of us to remain vigilant. \"Wales stands with London again and we will not be cowed, we will not change our way of life, or give into fear and let division win.\" It is the third terror attack in the UK in three months, following the car and knife attack in Westminster in March, which left five people dead, and the Manchester bombing on 22 May, in which 22 people were killed. Most parties have suspended national general election campaigning and the prime minister has chaired a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies tweeted: \"Reports from London are truly horrifying. Speechless at this brutality on our streets.\" Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood said it was a \"another devastating attack\", adding that the party \"extends its condolences to the people affected and the emergency services that work so hard in these difficult circumstance. \"People deserve to live their lives without fear, and we must come together to reject hate. Mark Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, tweeted: \"My thoughts & prayers are with London this morning.", "summary": "A Welsh man caught up in the London terror attack has described how he and his friends had to hide from an attacker in a restaurant toilet."}
{"article": "Police in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, fired tear gas at protesters throwing stones and burning tyres in the streets, witnesses said. Several protesters chanted slogans calling for the government's downfall. Since June, Sudan has seen sporadic protests against government austerity measures, including fuel subsidy cuts. The country's authorities have been trying to cut spending since Sudan lost three-quarters of its oil revenue when South Sudan seceded last year. Demonstrators in Nyala chanted \"No to high prices\" and \"People want to change the regime\", according to witnesses. Bothina Mohmed Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the state of South Darfur, said it was not known how the six deaths had happened, and that an investigation had been launched. Opposition activists and media accused the police of using live ammunition. The protests started on Monday when local students \"rejected the price of transport announced by the government\", Ms Ahmed said, adding that \"other groups\" had joined the protests and attacked government buildings. \"This has been happening on the main roads and in the main market area. There's been some damage to buildings,\" African Union-UN peacekeeping mission spokesman Christopher Cycmanick told AFP. The anti-austerity protests in Sudan began in June among students in Khartoum, but have since spread to other social groups and areas. They had recently dwindled as a result of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began on 20 July. Until this year, Sudan had escaped the unrest characteristic of recent uprisings in Arab countries such as neighbouring Egypt, but correspondents say economic hardship caused by austerity has led to growing dissatisfaction with President Omar al-Bashir.", "summary": "Six people have been killed in violent protests against high transport prices in the Darfur region of western Sudan, local officials say."}
{"article": "Gareth Clubb called for Neil McEvoy's Adjudication Panel for Wales hearing on 2 and 3 March to be delayed. Plaid's spring conference is being held in Newport on 3 and 4 March. The Adjudication Panel for Wales has been asked to comment. Mr Clubb said the clash \"could lead to an erosion in public trust\" in the work of the panel. Mr McEvoy, a Plaid AM for South Wales Central and the party's group leader on Cardiff council, is facing a tribunal over allegations he brought the authority into disrepute in his role as a local councillor. BBC Wales reported in January that the case, referred to the tribunal by the Ombudsman, apparently relates to whether a comment was made to a council officer in a threatening way. In a letter to the panel, Mr Clubb said the Fairwater councillor \"will be speaking at the conference and we would not wish his speech to be disturbed either by his appearance at a panel or by his having to prepare for an imminent hearing\". He said the case \"could have been heard at almost any point in November through February on a date that would not have conflicted with a critical date in the political calendar\". Mr Clubb, who has served as Plaid's chief executive since last September, said timetabling the hearing for the day of the conference gave the \"appearance of political interference, even if the date clash is entirely coincidental. \"I fear that scheduling Mr McEvoy's case to coincide with our spring conference fails this test and could lead to an erosion in public trust in the work of the panel.\" In the letter Mr Clubb suggests it could be seen \"that the panel is trying to unfairly prevent [Mr McEvoy's] appearance at conference\". He said an \"impartial decision\" would rightly determine that the \"proposed date is manifestly unfair to Mr McEvoy\". Mr Clubb, who said the dates of the conference had been public knowledge since November, called for the hearing date to be changed so it avoided the conference and the \"formal local election period\". Council elections take place on 4 May.", "summary": "The scheduling of a tribunal into the behaviour of a Plaid Cymru AM at the same time as his party's conference gives the appearance of political interference, the party's chief executive has said."}
{"article": "It's famed for its pubs, wine bars, restaurants, independent shops and craft outlets - a welcome exception to the rule that every single high street has to look much the same as every other one, complete with the predictable array of coffee shop logos, supermarket chains and the rest of the familiar 'multiples', from Land's End to John O' Groats. But Moseley Village may soon be in Moseley no longer. Under the new constituency ward boundaries proposed by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, it would become part of Balsall Heath. The centre of Erdington, including the station that bears its name, would no longer be in Erdington at all, but in Stockland Green. Hall Green School would be in Tyseley, and time-honoured names like Longbridge, Druids Heath and even the Jewellery Quarter would disappear altogether. Edgbaston's famous cricket stadium would no longer be in Edgbaston. It's proof yet again that there's nothing quite like a review of local boundaries for whipping-up a storm. Remember how passionately the late lamented Lord Bilston (formerly the Labour MP Dennis Turner) fought against the removal from the constituency roll-call of the Black Country town from which he took his title? Now the veteran local Labour activist Steve Gove-Humphries is taking up the cudgels against 'the bureaucrats' who he clearly believes plan to drive a constitutional coach and horse through communal loyalties: And while we're linking to websites, the Local Government Boundary Commission has one of its own. It's open for a public consultation over these draft proposals until Monday 8 February 2016. I predict they will be inundated. It all stems from the Kerslake Review, published just over a year ago, in which the former head of the civil service Lord (Bob) Kerslake addressed the well-documented, and sometimes catastrophic, failings of Birmingham City Council throughout successive administrations. Among his recommendations was that the number of councillors should be reduced from 120 to 101 and that annual elections for one third of the council seats should be replaced by all-up contests every four years. This, he concluded, would facilitate greater stability and longer-term planning. The Boundary Commission's proposals are by far the most controversial result of his report. The present 40 wards, with three councillors each, would be replaced by 77 wards of which 53 would have one councillor each and 24 larger ones would each have two. The commission says it would mean greater equality for voters. Each councillor would represent on average 7,215 voters and the present glaring disparities between larger and smaller wards would be ironed-out. Where possible, the commission say they have tried to create single member wards. But they found some communities which were impossible to divide. Birmingham's two main parties are both unimpressed. The city's Labour MPs say the proposals are a distraction from the project to improve the council's performance and should be scrapped. And the council's Opposition Conservative Group Leader, councillor Rob Alden told the Birmingham Mail: \"It is very disappointing that the commission has decided to break up historic communities like Erdington, Hall Green and Northfield", "summary": "Let's start in Moseley Village - \"Britain's best place to live in\", according last year's survey by The Sunday Times."}
{"article": "Jamie Johnstone, 21, from Cranhill, died after being found with serious injuries in Balbeggie Street, Sandyhills, on 16 January. Police have confirmed that a 25-year-old man has been arrested and is being detained in connection with the incident. Nico Donnelly has already been charged with the murder of Mr Johnstone. He made no plea or declaration during a private hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday. The 22-year-old, from Cambuslang, was remanded in custody.", "summary": "A second man has been arrested following the death of a man outside a block of flats in Glasgow."}
{"article": "John Rosa, president of the Citadel college, said he found the images \"offensive and disturbing\". The cadets wore the hoods and all-white clothing as part of a Christmas skit. The Citadel Minority Alumni Association shared one of the photos on its Facebook page, calling it a \"disgrace\". In it, seven cadets are seen wearing the pillowcases. Another cadet is also seen with them. Founded in the aftermath of the US Civil War, the KKK is notorious for targeting black people with lynchings and cross burnings. \"These images are not consistent with our core values of honour, duty and respect,\" said Mr Rosa in a statement. An investigation is underway. The alumni group said it was pleased at the South Carolina college's response but added more needed to be done \"to address the culture that continues to house recurring prejudices against minority cadets\". A previous incident in 1986 saw five cadets dressed in KKK robes drag a burning cross to a black cadet's room, the Washington Post reported.", "summary": "A top US military college says it has suspended eight cadets seen in photos wearing pillowcases resembling hoods worn by the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan."}
{"article": "The figure, based on the American toy GI Joe, was first hit shelves in 1966 and quickly became a must-have. Palitoy, based in Coalville, Leicestershire made its own British version with beards, gripping hands and \"lifelike hair\". Fans and collectors met on the \"sacred ground\" of the former factory, now a conference centre, for AMCom16. The action figure - never called a doll for fear of alienating boys - was hugely popular in the 1960s and 70s but then lost out to Star Wars. Meanwhile, Palitoy shifted manufacturing of all its products abroad and by the mid 1980s had ceased trading. Bob Brechin was the firm's chief designer and modelled Action Man's famous grip on his own hand. He said: \"[Collectors] don't grow up do they?... They are reliving their childhood really. It's great that they do because it keeps it alive.\" Organiser Alan Dawson said it was a nostalgic event and many people had brought their children to show what their own childhood was like. \"The genius was calling it Action Man because it opened up the door for non military - the football player, the Olympic athlete, the rock climber, the Arctic explorer. Parents who didn't approve of war toys would still let their children play with them. \"It's become part of the DNA of that generation, those generations between 1966 and 1984.\"", "summary": "Fans of Action Man have gathered at the spiritual home of the popular toy to celebrate his 50th birthday."}
{"article": "Protesters in the towns of Rohtak and Jind set fire to police vehicles, public buildings and buses. The demonstrators are mostly from the Jat community who are unhappy about India's caste quota system. They say it puts them at a disadvantage in government jobs and at state-run educational institutes. The Jats are currently listed as upper caste but the demonstrators want job quotas similar to those granted to lower castes. Protesters again went on the rampage on Saturday despite a curfew and the deployment of the army which is reported to have opened fire on them in the Rohtak and Jhajjar districts. Demonstrations by Jats were also reported to have taken place in Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Overland transport links to Haryana have been brought to a halt by the protests. The government of Haryana has meanwhile been urged by the central government to initiate talks with Jat leaders, NDTV reported. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has already said that the government is ready to agree to the demands of the protesters \"within the ambit of the constitution\". Mr Khattar has urged the protesters to desist and appealed to the government to provide more troops in order to restore order. Opposition parties have called for Mr Khattar's government to be sacked by the central government and for presidential rule to be imposed on the state. On Friday protesters in Rohtak hurled rocks at security forces, while blocking traffic, attacking vehicles and attempting to set the finance minister's home on fire.", "summary": "At least five people have been killed in a second day of violence related to caste rights in the northern Indian state of Haryana, police say."}
{"article": "Set a target of 218 off 34 overs, Jack Taylor's 34 off 17 balls and Geraint Jones's unbeaten 39 saw them to 218-6 with an over to spare. Michael Klinger, dropped on nought, was the pick of the batsman with a fine 87. Earlier, Hampshire's Jimmy Adams was run out for 97 and Will Smith hit 50 off 25 balls in the visitors' 217-7. After four inspections because of overnight rain, play finally got under way at 13:45 BST - a delay of more than three hours. Having been asked to bat, Hampshire slumped to 1-2 with Michael Carberry dismissed for a three-ball duck while Adam Wheater joined him in the pavilion shortly after. As the early-morning gloom was replaced by mid-afternoon sunshine, Hampshire's batting improved, led by Adams - who was celebrating his 100th List-A appearance for the south coast side. But his 99-ball innings, which included six fours and two sixes, came to an end three runs short of a deserved century when he was run out by James Fuller while attempting to come back for a second. Media playback is not supported on this device In the chase, Gloucestershire were thankful for a dropped catch from Adams with Klinger yet to score, but at the halfway stage of their innings they were 81-3 with Chris Dent, Gareth Roderick and Hamish Marshall the men to fall. Klinger looked to be taking the hosts to victory as he upped the run-rate, but was eventually caught by Adams to leave Gloucestershire 163-5 - still needing 55 off 33 balls. However, two big overs of 19 and 17 runs gave Gloucestershire hope before Taylor gave his wicket away with 11 required. But Jones smashed a six to take his side to victory, with Gloucestershire now facing an away trip to either Yorkshire or Essex.", "summary": "Gloucestershire sealed a place in the semi-final of the One-Day Cup after winning a thrilling rain-reduced match against Hampshire in Bristol."}
{"article": "If he wins the support of voters he will be the first elected UK Independence Party MP in the Commons. The maverick Eurosceptic backbencher said he did not believe Prime Minister David Cameron was \"serious about the change we need\" in Europe. The PM described his defection as \"regrettable\" and \"counterproductive\". Mr Carswell said the decision to jump ship from the Conservatives had given him \"sleepless nights\" but he wanted to see \"fundamental change in British politics\" and UKIP - a party he believed belonged to its members rather than a \"little clique\" of political insiders - could deliver it. \"This hasn't been an easy decision. I have been a member of the Conservative Party all my adult life. It's full of wonderful people who want the best for Britain. \"My local Conservative Association in Clacton is thriving. It brims with those I'm honoured to call my friends. \"The problem is that many of those at the top of the Conservative Party are simply not on our side. They aren't serious about the change that Britain so desperately needs. \"Of course they talk the talk before elections. They say what they feel they must say to get our support... but on so many issues - on modernising our politics, on the recall of MPs, on controlling our borders on less government, on bank reform, on cutting public debt, on an EU referendum - they never actually make it happen.\" He said only UKIP could \"shake up that cosy little clique called Westminster\". On Mr Cameron's pledge of an in/out EU referendum in 2017, after renegotiating powers back from Brussels, he said the prime minister's advisers had \"made it clear that they're looking to cut a deal that gives them just enough to persuade enough voters to vote to stay in\". He added: \"Once I realised that, my position in the Conservative Party became untenable.\" Mr Cameron - who was not warned by Mr Carswell about his plan to defect - said: \"It's obviously deeply regrettable when things happen like this, when people behave in this way. \"But it's also, in my view, counterproductive. If you want a referendum on Britain's future in the EU - whether we should stay or go - the only way to get that is to have a Conservative government after the next election. \"And that is what until very recently Douglas Carswell himself was saying.\" Speaking exclusively to BBC political editor Nick Robinson in Glasgow, the prime minister said the by-election in Clacton would be held \"as soon as possible\" and he \"wants to make sure there's a very strong Conservative campaign in that seat\". \"I want to go early to Clacton for this reason: people in Clacton voted not just for Douglas Carswell, they voted for a Conservative government, for a Conservative member of Parliament,\" he added. Analysis by Brian Wheeler and Iain Watson Douglas Carswell's announcement took Westminster by complete surprise. UKIP had told everyone they were about to unveil a major new celebrity donor. No-one expected a Conservative defector to be unveiled instead. The", "summary": "Tory Douglas Carswell has defected to UKIP and quit as MP for Clacton, saying he will contest the subsequent by-election for Nigel Farage's party."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The previous highest chase by England at Lord's is 282-3 against New Zealand in 2004, meaning Alastair Cook's men are likely to face a record target. Asad Shafiq (49) and Sarfraz Ahmed (45) batted Pakistan into a strong position. England bowled well - Chris Woakes taking another five-wicket haul - but dropped two catches late in the day. Stuart Broad spilled a difficult chance to dismiss Yasir Shah (30 not out) at mid-off and then wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow dropped what was more of a regulation catch to end a punchy innings from strokemaker Sarfraz. They may also rue the moment Younus Khan, who put on 69 with Shafiq for the fifth wicket, had a leg-before dismissal reversed following a review with the score at 75-4 and Pakistan's lead just 142. Media playback is not supported on this device Woakes was head and shoulders above the rest of his team-mates with the ball. The Warwickshire all-rounder started the day hoping to push England closer to Pakistan's first innings total of 339 all out. However, he was let down by his batting partners as England's last three wickets fell for 19 runs - leaving Woakes unbeaten on a well-constructed 35. He then shone with the ball, recording what are currently the second-best match figures (11-101) by an England bowler this decade. His expert line and length, which is delivered at a livelier pace than when he made his debut in 2013, saw him snare opener Shan Masood via a catch at first slip and helped him to pin Azhar Ali in front. He returned later in the day to bowl the obdurate Asad Shafiq for 49 and have both Sarfraz and Wahab Riaz caught behind with an outswinger and attempted bouncer respectively. England's batsman were bamboozled by the leg-spin of Yasir Shah in their first innings, with Steven Finn becoming the 30-year-old's sixth victim on a frenetic third morning. The odd delivery is beginning to stay low, while Woakes showed the benefit of a lively line and length on a sporting surface. History is also stacked against Alastair Cook's side. Their highest chase at Lord's is the 282-3 they scored against New Zealand in 2004, with the ground's highest successful fourth-innings total being the 344-1 hit by West Indies in 1984. Test Match Special's Geoffrey Boycott: \"You'd like to think England can do this. It comes down to how they play the leg-spinner (Yasir). \"The seamers will be decent like ours, but when the shine goes it's not easy. So they'll do their bit. \"But we come to the wrist spinner - if England play as poorly as the first innings, then it's bye bye. You want England to play better, but they need Alastair Cook to hang around.\" Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur on Sky Sports: \"A lead of 300 would be very nice tomorrow. \"Misbah's innings in the first pleased me, Asad Shafiq has been amazing at number six, but I'm disappointed that none of our batsmen pushed on today. \"Misbah is a statesman, a", "summary": "England face a difficult run chase against Pakistan after the tourists ended the third day of the first Test with a lead of 281."}
{"article": "Raja Ali's car was rammed and then blocked in at the side by two vehicles in Dagenham on 25 September 2016. The 33-year-old was then chased and stabbed. Abubakar Bana, from Hornchurch, Essex, and Jordon Archambie, 20, of Stratford, east London, were convicted following a trial at the Old Bailey. Daniel Welch, 34, of Winstead Gardens, Dagenham, and Zakar Yunas, 22, of Rokeby Steret, Stratford, were found guilty of violent disorder. Mussa Jalo, 21, from Norfolk Road, Dagenham, had pleaded guilty to violent disorder at the start of the trial, along with Bana, of Station Lane, and Archambie, of Hesketh Road. Jurors in the trial heard that Mr Ali was sat in his car along with two friends waiting for what they thought was a drugs deal. A Mitsubishi Shogun 4x4 then rammed into Mr Ali's car, shunting it forward, while a red Renault Megane pulled up alongside and the occupants got out armed with weapons. Mr Ali and two other men ran away but they were chased and the 33-year-old was stabbed to death in Braintree Road. Det Ch Insp Dave Whellams called it a \"pre-planned and orchestrated murder\". \"Regardless of what Raja's intentions were that night, when he arranged to meet these men he should not have lost his life. \"I hope Raja's grieving family are able to move forward knowing his attackers have now been brought to justice.\" All will be sentenced on 3 July.", "summary": "Two men have been found guilty of the manslaughter of a drug dealer who was stabbed to death after being ambushed by a rival gang."}
{"article": "Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard that 67 videos were found on Mark Ross's laptop following a police raid at a house in Creel Court, St Abbs. They predominantly featured boys aged between eight and 12. Ross, 49, from Gateshead, admitted possession of indecent \"pseudo photographs\" of children between November 2010 and December 2013. Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said the videos had been found after police received information that someone had been accessing images of child abuse through the internet. The court was told that Ross was a full-time carer for his mother and his lawyer Ross Dow added that his client had been fully co-operative with the police. Sheriff Peter Paterson said: \"These are not victimless crimes. \"But I do detect a significant degree of shame about your involvement.\" Ross was also given a three-year community pay back order involving work with a Northumberland sex offenders programme.", "summary": "A man found with extreme pornography on his computer has been placed on the sex offenders register for three years."}
{"article": "The hosts, who were knocked out of the FA Cup by League One side Rochdale on Saturday, fell behind in the 14th minute when winger Ben McKenna made a penetrating run down the right flank and produced a neat finish. Barrow, having been watched by a crowd of 4,414 at Holker Street for the cup tie, were looking to improve on sixth place in the National League table, and went close to an equaliser before half-time when an acrobatic effort by defender Moussa Diarra hit the crossbar. Southport could have extended their lead in the second half, but Andrai Jones' close-range effort was saved by Jonathan Flatt as the visitors held out to secure a crucial three points in their battle to pull clear of the relegation fight. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Barrow 0, Southport 1. Second Half ends, Barrow 0, Southport 1. Substitution, Southport. Jake Wright replaces Delial Brewster. Substitution, Barrow. Lindon Meikle replaces Jordan Williams. Substitution, Barrow. Ross Hannah replaces Richard Bennett. Substitution, Barrow. Andy Haworth replaces Dan Rowe. Second Half begins Barrow 0, Southport 1. Jordan Williams (Barrow) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. First Half ends, Barrow 0, Southport 1. Goal! Barrow 0, Southport 1. Ben McKenna (Southport). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Barrow suffered a narrow home defeat by Southport on their return to National League action."}
{"article": "The minister and farming representatives met Liz Truss, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in London. \"I was adamant that action is needed now and that the intervention price must be raised,\" said Mrs O'Neill. Farmers have warned they will go out of business if they do not receive higher prices for milk. They have held protests at supermarkets to show their frustration that they are currently paid less than the cost of production. Mrs O'Neill added: \"I and farming industry representatives from Northern Ireland were also adamant that pursuing opportunities in opening new markets tomorrow will not address the crisis our farmers are facing today.\" The minister and the representatives were joined at the meeting by their counterparts from Scotland, Wales and the UK's farming unions. The meeting was called to address a number of issues facing the farming industry, especially the dairy sector. \"It is clear that European support for our farmers is vital right now,\" said Mrs O'Neill. \"The dairy sector in Northern Ireland, which is heavily reliant on exports, has been hit hard by adverse exchange rates and poor market conditions. \"Farm gate milk prices are now below the cost of production. Assistance is required. Our circumstances are unique and extreme. \"While it is good that my counterparts in Wales and Scotland are committed to influencing Liz Truss to act speedily, I am clear that raising the intervention price threshold is the key lever to effect positive change in the short term.\" The minister intends to ask the EU Commissioner Phil Hogan to raise the intervention threshold price when she meets him in September. She will also attend the specially-convened Agriculture Council in Brussels on 7 September. Environment Secretary Ms Truss said: \"I recognise the seriousness of the current situation for the dairy industry and for farming as a whole. \"Our hard working farmers and the \u00c2\u00a3100bn food and farming industry are vital for our economy and our countryside. \"I want to see this situation taken seriously by the EU who have the means to help farmers manage this volatility and build resilience.\" Earlier, Mrs O'Neill said: \"The Northern Ireland dairy farming industry is probably in the worst condition it has ever been.\" Ulster Farmers Union president Ian Marshall also attended the meeting. He said a united front would help influence the European Commissioner Paul Hogan in attempts to get Brussels to intervene and support the price of milk \"When the unions went out and spoke to Phil Hogan a number of months ago, certainly Northern Ireland was a lone voice,\" he said. \"The landscape has changed now in that other member states are certainly applying pressure to the commissioner and we have no doubt that he's coming under immense pressure to revisit the discussion on intervention.\"", "summary": "Agriculture Minister Michelle O'Neill has urged the European Union to act swiftly to support farmers."}
{"article": "Financial Fraud Action UK (FFA UK) said there had been a particular rise in the scam in the last few weeks. Several small or medium-sized companies in the UK have lost sums of between \u00c2\u00a310,000 and \u00c2\u00a320,000 as a result. Typically, staff in a firm's finance department receive an email, which they believe is from a senior manager. The fraudsters use special software to make the message appear genuine. The emails request that urgent payments are made outside normal procedures, often for a pressing reason, such as the need to secure a contract. The scam has been dubbed \"whaling\" fraud, as it targets the so-called big fish of business. When the money is transferred, it goes into an account set up by the fraudsters. \"While an urgent request from the boss might naturally prompt a swift response, it should in fact be a warning sign of a potential scam,\" said Katy Worobec, director of FFA UK. Staff are being advised to:", "summary": "Office staff are being warned about fake emails that appear to come from one of their bosses, telling them to transfer money."}
{"article": "With the game in extra time and Yeovil leading 1-0, midfielder Dolan launched his huge effort over goalkeeper Neil Etheridge to help the Glovers through. Earlier, Saddlers forward Amadou Bakayoko scored an own goal trying to stop Kevin Dawson's header. Bakayoko hit the crossbar later on as Walsall pressed for a goal. Match ends, Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 2. Second Half Extra Time ends, Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 2. Attempt missed. Kieron Morris (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Joe Edwards (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Tahvon Campbell (Yeovil Town). Attempt missed. Simeon Jackson (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Substitution, Yeovil Town. Omar Sowunmi replaces Tom Eaves. Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Rico Henry (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town). Attempt saved. Tahvon Campbell (Yeovil Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt missed. Kieron Morris (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Matthew Dolan (Yeovil Town) is shown the yellow card for excessive celebration. Goal! Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 2. Matthew Dolan (Yeovil Town) left footed shot from more than 35 yards to the top left corner. Joe Edwards (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Tahvon Campbell (Yeovil Town). Jason McCarthy (Walsall) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town). Joe Edwards (Walsall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Joe Edwards (Walsall). Tahvon Campbell (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Second Half Extra Time begins Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 1. First Half Extra Time ends, Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 1. Amadou Bakayoko (Walsall) hits the bar with a left footed shot from the centre of the box. Goal! Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 1. Tahvon Campbell (Yeovil Town) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Ryan Hedges with a cross following a set piece situation. Joe Lea (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Matt Preston (Walsall). Substitution, Yeovil Town. Tahvon Campbell replaces Otis Khan. Attempt blocked. Amadou Bakayoko (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Joe Edwards (Walsall) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town). Attempt missed. Rico Henry (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Foul by Liam Kinsella (Walsall). Ryan Hedges (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. Otis Khan (Yeovil Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Foul by Liam Kinsella (Walsall). Kevin Dawson (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. First Half Extra Time begins Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 0. Second Half ends, Walsall 0, Yeovil Town 0. Corner, Yeovil Town. Conceded by Neil Etheridge.", "summary": "Yeovil Town's Matthew Dolan scored a goal from inside his own half as the League Two side reached the EFL Cup second round with a win a Walsall."}
{"article": "The visitors had taken a first-half lead through Harrison Dunk and looked set to add to their five successive League Two wins until Palmer's late intervention. There was little between the two teams in the opening 20 minutes, although the visitors' Luke Berry saw his ninth-minute cross-cum-shot go across the face of the goal with nobody on hand to apply the final touch before the ball ran narrowly wide of the far post. The deadlock was broken on 21 minutes when full-back Myles Judd blocked a Berry shot in the penalty area and the ball fell to the unmarked Dunk, who had the simplest of chances to tuck the ball into the net. From that point on the well-organised visitors were seldom asked any serious questions by their lacklustre hosts. Uche Ikpeazu almost doubled the visitors advantage when his effort brought a good save from home keeper Alex Cisak. The O's shot-stopper was also called into action diving at full stretch to keep out a firm drive by substitute Max Clark. But Palmer was to have the last word as Cambridge failed to clear the danger and Michael Collins played in the striker, whose shot took a deflection before squeezing under U's keeper Will Norris to give the hosts an unlikely point. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Leyton Orient 1, Cambridge United 1. Second Half ends, Leyton Orient 1, Cambridge United 1. Foul by Josh Koroma (Leyton Orient). Luke Berry (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Cambridge United. Joe Pigott replaces Uche Ikpeazu. Goal! Leyton Orient 1, Cambridge United 1. Ollie Palmer (Leyton Orient) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Paul McCallum. Michael Collins (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Uche Ikpeazu (Cambridge United). Substitution, Cambridge United. Ben Williamson replaces Harrison Dunk. Corner, Cambridge United. Conceded by Alex Cisak. Paul McCallum (Leyton Orient) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Paul McCallum (Leyton Orient). Leon Legge (Cambridge United) wins a free kick on the left wing. Corner, Cambridge United. Conceded by Tom Parkes. Attempt missed. Josh Koroma (Leyton Orient) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Corner, Cambridge United. Conceded by Gavin Massey. Attempt missed. Gavin Massey (Leyton Orient) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Corner, Leyton Orient. Conceded by Mark Roberts. Attempt blocked. Paul McCallum (Leyton Orient) header from very close range is blocked. Josh Koroma (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Brad Halliday (Cambridge United). Brad Halliday (Cambridge United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Myles Judd (Leyton Orient) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Myles Judd (Leyton Orient). Harrison Dunk (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Harrison Dunk (Cambridge United) hits the bar with a header from the centre of the box. Foul by Ollie Palmer (Leyton Orient). Mark Roberts", "summary": "Substitute Ollie Palmer salvaged a point for Leyton Orient in stoppage time as they drew with Cambridge United at Brisbane Road."}
{"article": "Others are sheltering from the hot midday sunshine, sitting under the thatched roof of a mud hut near the lake. This quiet fishing village has been here for longer than any of its inhabitants have been alive. Nobody seems to know when it was first established. Its future, though, is much more uncertain, because oil has been discovered under Lake Albert, the large body of water that straddles the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Exploration work has already taken place, and full scale drilling is due to start within months. \"Things don't look so good for us, the fishing community,\" says Gideon Kaiza, one of the fishermen. \"There's a man who came here and told us they'll be relocating us to another place because of the oil business.\" \"They want only a few people to stay,\" he says. The men do not know exactly who told them to leave, but insist they and their families do not want to go. Initially they did not think they would have to, as one oil firm, Heritage Oil & Gas, built a brand new school at the far end of the village. \"We knew that whoever had a house here would be given money if the government chose to relocate them, so that they start a new, better life with their families,\" says Mr Kaiza. \"In Buliisa, when the exploration started, everyone got paid,\" he adds. \"But here, there's been nothing, and yet we fear we're going to be evicted.\" As he speaks, cows and goats lie around under the shade of a huge tree in the centre of the village. Children, dressed mainly in old clothes full of holes, sit by the water's edge. An hour and a half's walk away, up a steep hill and then along an uneven dirt road, is the nearest small town, Weragaza. The sound from a film being shown in the local video hall can be heard on the main street. Some boys are playing pool on a table, under a rickety looking canopy made of palm leaves. In the town's bar, the elected chairman of the district, Omuhereza Rwemera Mazirane, says no-one will be forced from their homes. \"The land belongs to the people,\" he says. \"Anything which will be done, will be done amicably; we shall be sitting around the table.\" \"They cannot be moved without compensation.\" Weragaza is surrounded by forest, which is home to monkeys and baboons. Some of the nearby land is used to grow crops. Mr Mazirane says the townspeople should be making more use of that to increase their incomes once the oil drilling starts. \"We are always encouraging our people to plant more crops, to produce more animals for future consumption by the people who are going to work in the oil industry.\" He seems less convinced there will be lots of jobs available in the oil companies themselves, although he says a handful of people he knows already have jobs guarding oil sites. A three-hour drive away in Hoima, there is a much greater sense", "summary": "As the water of Lake Albert laps at the shore of Bugoma village, some fishermen are fixing their nets."}
{"article": "I've downloaded an episode of David Attenborough's Frozen Planet in about a minute and viewed YouTube videos in the middle of London without a hint of buffering. I've even tested a live broadcast using nothing but a laptop connected to a mobile phone network. All of this has been thanks to 4G - a technology which is already being rolled out in many parts of the world but won't be widely available in the UK until 2013 at the earliest. Two big 4G trials are underway at the moment. In London, O2 has launched a test network covering various parts of the centre of town, and soon out to Canary Wharf and the Docklands. In Cornwall, BT and Everything Everywhere - formerly known as Orange and T-Mobile - have begun testing 4G under very different conditions. The aim there is to work out whether part of the spectrum which is being auctioned late next year will provide a mobile broadband alternative for people who struggle to get a decent service down a fixed line. Now I can already hear the purists shouting that neither of these trials are \"real 4G\". \u00c2 They will point to the standards set out by the International Telecoms Union for the next generation of mobile networks and claim they do not match up. But I think most people will be more concerned to know what the new services promise - and how soon they will arrive. In London the O2 trial involves dongles plugged into a computer - there are no 4G handsets available yet. I've tested the network in Soho, where I got speeds of around 35Mbps, and at the O2 in East London, where, surprise surprise, I got something much faster - up to 90Mbps. So far, these speeds look impressive, although you have to bear in mind that once the new networks are clogged up with thousands of users, they are bound to slow down. But compared with 3G coverage, which is still annoyingly patchy - as I waited for a train in West London this morning I noticed that my phone was only getting a slow EDGE connection - the 4G revolution promises to make a big difference. When it finally arrives, that is. Amid infighting amongst the various mobile operators, the 4G spectrum auction has been delayed until the end of next year. The networks say that's not a problem because the analogue TV spectrum which will be a key part of the sale won't be free until 2013 in any case. But as other countries from Sweden, to Germany to the United States, move ahead more rapidly with rolling out the new technology, there's mounting concern that the UK could be left behind. One company making that case forcefully is eBay. The auction site says the UK is ahead of the pack in terms of mobile use, but falling behind in terms of infrastructure. Sitting in Soho Square - with a good 4G signal and very patchy 3G coverage - Angus McCarey from eBay told me: \"The UK leads Europe in", "summary": "Over the last week, I've had a taste of our mobile future."}
{"article": "The image, a parody of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, was found on Hanover Place near the city's harbour. Girl with a Pierced Eardrum incorporates an alarm box as the model's earring. On Tuesday, the work was found with dark paint thrown across the bottom of the woman's face. Banksy's last work in the city was Mobile Lovers, which appeared in a doorway in Clement Street in April. A row broke out over who owned it, with Bristol City Council arguing the work was on its land. However, Banksy wrote to Broad Plain Boys' Club saying it was theirs and the club sold it to a private collector for \u00c2\u00a3403,000. But the anonymous graffiti artist's new mural is not the first to have been vandalised in his home town. In 2009, red paint was thrown over Mild Mild West on Stokes Croft prompting calls for the piece - one of Banksy's most famous - to be protected with a clear plastic covering. And months later the Hanging Man, at the bottom of Park Street, was damaged with blue paint. Both pieces were successfully restored. But one work that could not be saved was painted close to the Bristol Royal Infirmary. The image, featuring a police sniper about to be surprised by a boy bursting a paper bag, was painted over after black paint destroyed the image.", "summary": "A new mural by street artist Banksy in Bristol has been vandalised less than 24 hours after the work appeared."}
{"article": "The move was announced after an urgent meeting of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council in Kiev. It follows weeks of unofficial action by war veterans and activists, who have been blocking roads and rail lines. The blockade is hugely damaging to industry in the rebel-held east - but also to the wider Ukrainian economy. On Wednesday, the council said it decided to act because of a \"sharp escalation of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the seizure of Ukrainian businesses\" by the rebels in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. It said the decision would remain in force until the separatists handed back control of the businesses and also complied with the 2015 peace agreements signed in Minsk. War veterans, activists and some lawmakers had for weeks demanded that all transport links with the rebels be cut, describing any business activity with the east as \"trade in blood\". The veterans had also repeatedly clashed with police sent to dismantle makeshift blockade points. The unofficial blockade has cut off vital links between industrial plants on either side of the conflict's frontline. As a result, operations at several steel and coal plants on the separatist side have been suspended. The blockade also puts at risk Ukraine's energy supply. Ukraine is dependent on anthracite from the rebel-held areas, while Donetsk and Luhansk need coke produced in Ukraine's government-controlled regions. Earlier this week, rebel leaders announced that they started shipping coal to Russia. More than 10,000 people have died since the Russian-backed rebels seized parts of the Donetsk and the Luhansk region in April 2014, triggering clashes with Ukrainian forces. In March 2014, Russia annexed Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula.", "summary": "Ukraine has halted the movement of all goods in and out of areas seized by pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country."}
{"article": "Soldiers had also killed a man who featured in Boko Haram's propaganda videos pretending to be the group's leader Abubakar Shekau, it added. Last year, the military said that Shekau may have been killed, without providing any proof. Boko Haram has suffered heavy losses in recent weeks in battles in its stronghold of north-eastern Nigeria. The military said that 135 Boko Haram members surrendered with their weapons in Biu, Borno state, on Tuesday - and that 133 others surrendered elsewhere in north-eastern Nigeria. The BBC's Will Ross in Lagos says that the claims are impossible to verify. However, if they are true, it could be a major turning point for the army's campaign against Boko Haram militants, our correspondent adds. General Chris Olukolade of the Nigerian military said that a man named Mohammed Bashir was among those killed in the latest offensive against Boko Haram last week. Bashir \"had been acting or posing in videos as the deceased Abubakar Shekau, the eccentric character known as leader of the group\", he said. Gen Olukolade did not give further details. In a statement in August 2013, the military said intelligence reports indicated that Shekau \"may have died\" in a shoot-out with government forces at a Boko Haram camp in the vast Sambisa Forest, along Nigeria's border with Cameroon, about two months earlier. But Nigerian journalist Ahmad Salkida, who has good contacts in Boko Haram, says on on his Twitter account that he has it \"on authority that Shekau is well and alive\". He said he met Shekau during a failed attempt to negotiate the release of 200 schoolgirls who were abducted by Boko Haram in April. Who are Boko Haram? Who are Boko Haram? Profile: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau Since the abduction, which caused international outrage, a man purporting to be Shekau has appeared in videos, taunting the military and declaring the establishment of a caliphate in areas controlled by Boko Haram. Speaking at the United Nations Security Council meeting, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan urged the council to find more ways to combat the militant threat. \"Evidence has shown that Boko Haram is sourced largely from outside our country,\" he said. \"Only by united action and firm resolve can we check this urgent threat to humanity and also build the enduring structures that will resist their re-emergence.\" \"Boko Haram\" means \"Western education is forbidden\" in Arabic, and the group frequently attacks schools and colleges, which it sees as a symbol of Western culture. The New York-based Human Rights Watch says more than 2,000 civilians have been killed in the region this year.", "summary": "More than 260 Islamist militants have surrendered in north-eastern Nigeria, the military has said."}
{"article": "Nicholas Woods, 41, and Tim Clark, 50, both of Lincoln Close, Erith, were also charged with false imprisonment and actual bodily harm. They will appear in custody at Bromley Magistrates' Court on Monday. Police found a second man at the scene with head injuries, who remains in hospital in a stable condition.", "summary": "Two men have been charged with murder after a 34-year-old man was stabbed to death in south-east London on Tuesday."}
{"article": "Loughborough's Ama Agbeze captains the side in the Championship section of the tournament between 12 and 15 May. The Roses, who plan to go full-time from June this year, will face Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. Gibraltar, Ireland, Israel, Malta, Switzerland, as well as teams from Grenada and USA, will compete in the competition's Challenge section. England Roses: Helen Housby, Ella Clarke, Kadeen Corbin, Ellie Cardwell, Laura Malcolm (VC), Sophia Candappa, Hannah Joseph, Natalie Haythornthwaite, Jodie Gibson, Ama Agbeze (C), Sam Cook, Leah Kennedy. Reserves: Eboni Beckford Chambers, Rebekah Airey, George Fisher, Gabrielle Marshall, Jess Shaw, Sara Bayman.", "summary": "England have named a 12-strong squad for the Netball Europe competition in Newcastle next month."}
{"article": "Euan Walker also let a yacht float out into the North Sea. He pleaded guilty to wilful fire-raising, wilful fire-raising to danger of life, and reckless behaviour between 16 and 20 March in Musselburgh. The 29-year-old was jailed for 20 months when he appeared for sentence at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. The court heard the most serious incident happened in a car park in Musselburgh's Mall Avenue. Damien Witowski returned to his Fiat Camper van at about 20:00 on 20 March and went to sleep. At about 00:05, another motorist driving past saw the van on fire and phoned the fire service. The blaze was extinguished and it was found that Mr Witowski \"had actually slept throughout the incident\". Defence advocate, Lily Prais, told Sheriff Fiona Tait her client had turned to alcohol and drugs after separating from his girlfriend. He had struggled to come to terms with his behaviour, she said, which was entirely out of character. He had shown genuine remorse and had been completely unaware there had been anyone in the camper van. Walker, she said, had never been in trouble before and was now living with his family in Edinburgh, who were very supportive. Sheriff Tait told Walker that given the nature of the charges and, in particular the charge involving the camper van in which Mr Witowski had \"fortunately escaped\", a custodial sentence was inevitable.", "summary": "A man has been jailed for setting fire to six cars in East Lothian, including a camper van in which a man was sleeping."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old right-back had just over 12 months left on his previous deal which he signed on arriving from Aston Villa for a reported initial \u00a31m in June 2015. He has appeared in 28 of Burnley's 30 league matches this season. \"I had a year left, but when the club and the manager approached me about a new deal it was a no-brainer,\" he said.", "summary": "Burnley defender Matt Lowton has extended his contract at Turf Moor to the end of the 2019-20 season."}
{"article": "Last week, Marriott appeared to have outbid Anbang with a $13.6bn offer that gained support from Starwood's board. In a statement, Starwood's board said the new offer was likely to lead to a \"superior proposal\". The board, though, has not changed its recommendation in favour of a merger with Marriott. Starwood owns several hotel brands, including Sheraton, Westin and St Regis. Under the terms of its agreement with Marriott, Starwood's board can discuss and provide information to bidders that make superior bids. But under its latest merger agreement with Marriott, Starwood would have to pay a breakup fee to Marriott of $450m if it decided to accept another offer. Anbang, whose consortium includes private equity firms JC Flowers & Co and Primavera Capital, has been making a push into the US market over the last several year. It bought the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York in 2014. Starwood shares rose 2% on Monday to $83.75 on the higher Anbang offer.", "summary": "Chinese insurance firm Anbang has raised its offer for Starwood Hotels to $14bn (\u00a39.8bn), extending a bidding war with Marriott for the group."}
{"article": "It will mean changes to the way calls are prioritised to concentrate on \"immediately life-threatening\" cases such as cardiac arrest. The ambulance service has struggled to meet its target to respond to 75% of category A calls within eight minutes. Under the new system, some call-outs, including certain types of chest pains or head injuries, will be downgraded. This will give ambulance crews longer to attend. The ambulance service said current figures showed they managed to get to 67.5% of Category A calls within 8 minutes. They said the changes would mean highly-trained call handlers targeting the right response for each patient. The new system will start at the end of this year and be reviewed after a year. Patients with immediately life-threatening conditions, such as cardiac arrest, or who have been involved in serious road traffic incidents, will be prioritised and receive the fastest response. In less urgent cases, call handlers may spend more time with patients to better understand their health needs and ensure they send the most appropriate resource for their condition. The move follows similar changes in Wales and parts of England which have proved to be highly successful - leading to faster response times for critically-ill patients. The Scottish Ambulance Service said the new response model had been developed following the most extensive clinically-evidenced review of its type ever undertaken in the UK - with nearly half a million calls examined. It is the first major change to the time-based targets system since 1974. Pauline Howie, the service's chief executive, said: \"The new model will allow us to respond faster to more patients with time-critical, immediately life-threatening conditions. In other situations, we will safely and more effectively identify and send the right resource first time for patients, resulting in better overall clinical outcomes. \"The focus on time-based targets for ambulance responses has changed little in around 40 years and does not take account of the advances made in clinical development of pre-hospital care.\" Scotland's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, said: \"The Scottish Ambulance Service has undertaken a rigorous review of its clinical data, involving a full year of actual patient outcome data being analysed. \"What the analysis showed was that the current coding system does not always accurately identify some patients' conditions as immediately life-threatening. And that other codes were getting an eight-minute response, although the patient's condition had no time-critical response requirement. \"I am persuaded by the extensive clinical evidence that the Scottish Ambulance Service has put forward and know that patient safety is at the heart of these changes.\" She added: \"We will keep this pilot under close review over the next 12 months to ensure that we are seeing the improvements to patient safety and patient outcomes that are expected.\" Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: \"I am pleased that this new clinical response model is based on evidence, unlike the eight-minute standard response time which was a pragmatic target set in 1974. \"The quality of patient care, before a person even reaches hospital, has improved dramatically", "summary": "A new response system for 999 calls is to be piloted by the Scottish Ambulance Service."}
{"article": "Under the Wales Bill, currently going through Parliament, Welsh ministers could vary income tax by up to 10p in the pound, subject to a referendum. Mr Jones said that \"on balance\" a referendum would still be needed. But opposition parties suggested extra powers being offered to other parts of the UK could make a poll unnecessary. Assembly party leaders were giving evidence to the Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, meeting in Cardiff Bay, which is holding an inquiry into the future of devolution. Mr Jones said: \"Is there a need to have a referendum specifically on income tax devolution in Wales? \"I think on balance I would say referendums still need to be held but given the pace of change elsewhere in Scotland...I am very wary of any suggestion, leaving aside what I've said on income tax, that every change in Wales needs to be approved by a referendum.\" Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood said AMs should decide on income tax, if English regions were to gain tax powers without referendums. \"Given that there will be some tax powers offered, in all likelihood, to some of the English regions now, without the need for a referendum, we would argue that that changes the picture for Wales,\" she said. \"Tax powers should be able to be triggered by the representatives of the people of Wales via this institution.\" Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams also questioned the need for a poll, if parties put the issue of devolving income tax powers to Wales in their general election manifestos. \"I really wonder whether that's necessary, especially if all political parties had it in their manifestos in May and people were elected on the basis of that,\" she said. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said he was \"open-minded\" about the need for a referendum, but noted that a specific question on income tax was included in Scotland's 1997 referendum which has not been put to voters in Wales.", "summary": "A referendum still needs to be held before income tax powers are devolved to Wales, First Minister Carwyn Jones has told MPs."}
{"article": "In a post on his Facebook profile Mr Zuckerberg said he hoped to announce measures to tackle fake stories \"soon\". He said this work \"often takes longer than we'd like in order to confirm changes we make won't introduce unintended side effects or bias\". And he said that more than 99% of content on Facebook \"is authentic\". \"Only a very small amount is fake news and hoaxes. The hoaxes that do exist are not limited to one partisan view, or even to politics,\" he added. He said that made it extremely unlikely hoaxes \"changed the outcome of the election in one direction or the other\". Mr Zuckerberg continued: \"That said, we don't want any hoaxes on Facebook. Our goal is to show people the content they will find most meaningful, and people want accurate news. \"We have already launched work enabling our community to flag hoaxes and fake news, and there is more we can do here. We have made progress, and we will continue to work on this to improve further.\" Some data has shown that fake stories were being far more widely shared on the platform than follow-up stories debunking the claims. For an increasing number of people, particularly Americans, Facebook is becoming the primary source of news coverage. The site's News Feed is specifically designed to show users content it thinks will be of most interest, creating what some describe as a \"filter bubble\" that reinforces a person's view without injecting differences in opinion. Earlier this year, Facebook was accused of being anti-Trump after it was alleged its human moderators were favouring liberal stories appearing in people's \"trending stories\" box. While denying that claim, the site did sack its human team, instead relying solely on an algorithm to determine which stories were shown to be most popular. Mr Zuckerberg said any new changes to the way hoaxes and fake news were flagged up had to be taken with caution. \"This is an area where I believe we must proceed very carefully though,\" he said. \"Identifying the 'truth' is complicated. While some hoaxes can be completely debunked, a greater amount of content, including from mainstream sources, often gets the basic idea right but some details wrong or omitted. \"An even greater volume of stories express an opinion that many will disagree with and flag as incorrect even when factual. \"I am confident we can find ways for our community to tell us what content is most meaningful, but I believe we must be extremely cautious about becoming arbiters of truth ourselves.\"", "summary": "Mark Zuckerberg has said Facebook will do more to tackle fake news, and again denied it had in any way aided Donald Trump's presidential election victory."}
{"article": "\"Is it always sunny here?\" asked The Van T's from the stage during a pause between songs. The reply from the audience inside the big top to the Glasgow band's question was wry laughter. Outside the sun was blazing, as it had done the previous day, but at the back of the tent were muddy puddles. The marshy patch was a reminder of the heavy rain and gale-force winds that battered the north-west Highlands only a few days earlier. But this year's Loopallu, a two-day festival in the picturesque town that every year is officially opened by Ullapool and District Pipe Band, was blessed with some cracking weather. Colourful wellies, today's must-have festival footwear, looked as out of place in the sunshine as the t-shirts and sunburns did on Friday's last day of September and Saturday's first of October. Back in the big top, young guitar band The Van T's powered through the rest of their set. On the very same stage the night before, Feeder, who were probably writing chart hits before The Van T's were even born, closed Friday's first day of Loopallu. Earlier that day had seen performances by acts such as Lional, Manran and Fatherson. Feeder packed out the big top late on Friday night. Even the much avoided soggy corner of the tent had music fans jumping up and down on it as they belted out Buck Rogers. It was a chilly night for those under canvas in the festival campsite, with the clear sky dropping temperatures to close to zero. Going to the toilet in the middle night also came with an unusual, and slightly hazardous distraction. With Ullapool's low light pollution, the stars glittered brightly in the clear sky and it was hard not to look straight up to gawp. However, this meant not paying attention to the maze of trip wire-like tent guy ropes. Saturday dawned with a yet another cloud-less blue sky. It was mirrored in the milk pond still waters of nearby Loch Broom. Little groups of festival-goers gathered on the loch's pebbled shore to drink coffee or tea and to skim stones across the loch's waters. Everyone paused to watch the arrival of the Stornoway to Ullapool ferry the MV Loch Seaforth. From the other end of the beach came two locals. The men harvested mussels from among long strips of kelp washed up on the shore. The shellfish they gathered in a bucket were in shells the size of their fists. Gradually, the nearby festival site started coming to life. The Van T's were among the first acts up and they were later followed by the Little Mammoths. During their set, the Little Mammoths paid tribute to Gord Downie, the lead singer of Canadian band The Tragically Hip. The band recently finished a farewell tour of Canada after rock musician and writer Downie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Back outside in the sunshine, folk did a double take as a pirate walked among them. The man in the frock coat and tricorn hat was Mark Radcliffe, the BBC Six", "summary": "The Loopallu music festival was held at the weekend in Ullapool, bringing together well-known acts, newcomers and several thousand music fans."}
{"article": "The UN Office on Drugs and Crime said land used for opium had risen by 17% this year, from nearly 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) to 51,000 hectares. Burma is the second largest opium grower in the world after Afghanistan. Almost all of the opium it produces is grown in Shan and Kachin states, which have seen longstanding conflict between the military and ethnic rebel groups. Citing figures from the Burmese government, the report said almost 24,000 hectares of poppy fields had been eradicated in 2012 - about four times the figure in 2011. Gary Lewis, UNODC representative in South East Asia, said the situation on the ground was \"very complex\". In areas where opium was grown, there was ''a toxic combination of guns, money and drugs'', he said. The army and rebel fighters often profit from allowing the trade to continue. Farmers, meanwhile, say the instability means they have little choice but to continue growing the lucrative poppy plant - which is used to make heroin. Burma accounts for 25% of opium grown in the world, while Laos accounts for 3%, said the report, entitled the South East Asia Opium Survey 2012. In Laos, land used to grow opium increased almost four-fold between 2007 and 2012 to 6,300 hectares. The recent rise contrasts with the situation from 1998 to 2006, when both Burma and Laos saw big drops - with an 83% reduction in the case of Burma. Most of Burma's opium is refined into heroin - about half goes to meet the growing market in China, with the rest being sold across South East Asia. Part of the reason for the sustained growth in the cultivation of this crop is the demand for heroin in Asia, said the report. But the good news, in the case of Burma, was that there was now ''momentum to find the solution'', Mr Lewis said. There is support from President Thein Sein's government, which has embarked on a series of reforms. Ceasefires and political opening up also meant that international organisations such as the UN now have better access to the areas. The Golden Triangle - where Burma, Thailand and Laos meet - has been notorious for opium and drug smuggling for decades.", "summary": "Opium growing has increased in Burma for a sixth year running despite eradication efforts, a UN report says."}
{"article": "Chris Kenny, the county's director of public health, warned that a batch of the drug being circulated was three times stronger than normal. He said the six who died were part of a drug rehabilitation programme. Potential users as well as hospitals, pharmacies and GPs have all been alerted about the risk. Mr Kenny said all of those who died within the past week had been on the \"road to recovery\" as part of the Crime Reduction Initiatives (CRI) programme. He said: \"We're aware there's some heroin circulating in the community that's two or three times the purity. \"What's happened is [CRI] service users have obviously been taking this and have inadvertently taken a level that is dangerous to them and in six cases they have died. \"We're treating it as a public health emergency.\" Mr Kenny confirmed that Nottinghamshire Police was investigating the deaths and the CRI has begun an internal inquiry. Drug users, their friends and families, can call a 24-hour hotline on 0115 896 0798 for advice about the drug.", "summary": "A \"public health emergency\" has been declared in Nottinghamshire after six people died in the county within a week after taking unusually pure heroin."}
{"article": "It has also announced a 5.5bn Australian dollar ($4.4bn; \u00c2\u00a32.8bn) capital-raising effort which will involve the selling of new shares. NAB wants to demerge and float its troubled British bank, Clydesdale, and shore up its balance sheet. The lender is one of the country's big four and the largest by assets. NAB's preferred cash profit measure for the period, excluding some accounting items, met forecasts and came to $A3.32bn. Its half-year net profit came in at $A3.44bn, up 20.4%. The cash profit number strips out some one-off accounting items and is the bank's preferred measure of performance. NAB's capital-raising announcement has been reported by some of Australia's media as being the largest in the country's corporate history. The bank also announced Australia's former treasury secretary Ken Henry would take over as its chairman, replacing the long-serving Michael Chaney in December. The lender's shares will be suspended from trade on the Australian stock exchange as its book-building activities commence. NAB is the last of the country's big banks to report this week, together with Commonwealth Bank of Australia, ANZ and Westpac. Other results were mixed, with lenders missing and beating expectations. The so-called big four are regarded as highly profitable, however, the latest results have concerned investors, with many analysts referring to a so-called new era that could see Australian banks fail to return any more record profits. The big four lenders came out of the global financial crisis relatively unscathed, but are now facing tighter regulatory controls. In a report published last year, Australian banks were told they needed to hold more capital to be able to survive future financial crises. The Financial System Inquiry report singled out bank competition, increased capital levels and inefficient taxes for reform. NAB's capital-raising effort is largely viewed as an attempt to get ahead of Australian regulators by further boosting its capital ratios. \"The chairman of APRA (Australian Prudential Regulation Authority) signalled that it would move sooner rather than later in requiring banks to hold more capital,\" said Shane Oliver, who is the head of investment strategy and chief economist with AMP Capital. \"But all the banks have had solid profit growth in recent years, partly helped by low rates and the housing recovery,\" Mr Oliver told the BBC. \"Clearly it can't be sustained at this rate going forward but I don't see a collapse in profits.\"", "summary": "One of Australia's biggest lenders, National Australia Bank (NAB), has posted a 5.4% rise in cash profit year-on-year for the six months to March."}
{"article": "The teenager was last seen at about 20:45 BST leaving an address in Railway Street in Nelson, Lancashire. Lancashire Police thanked the public for their help and said the girl had been found in Furness, Cumbria at about 20:50. Two men, aged 47 and 22, both from Nelson, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of child abduction.", "summary": "A 13-year-old girl who had been missing from her hometown since Sunday has been found safe and well."}
{"article": "The Huntsman spider was spotted by staff at a manufacturing firm in Dumbarton on Friday. They called in the Scottish SPCA amid concerns that it could be poisonous. The animal charity contacted an arachnid specialist who helped identify the spider, which can give a painful bite. The Huntsman is being cared for while a suitable home is sought. Scottish SPCA Animal Rescue Officer Emma Bonner, who dealt with the incident, said: \"We were called to a manufacturing business on Stirling Road, Dumbarton, on Friday morning after we received reports of a large spider. \"When I arrived one of the employees had managed to get the spider inside a clear bag within a container. We didn't know if it was venomous.\" The spider was passed to Scottish SPCA Ch Insp Fiona Henderson who contacted a specialist. Ch Insp Henderson said: \"An arachnid expert identified it as a Huntsman spider. We believe that due to a yellow stripe on its abdomen that the spider is female. \"It would be hard to say where it is from exactly due to the fact it arrived here in a shipping container. \"It must be a tough little spider as it has done well to survive living in a cold container for so long before arriving in Scotland.\" Ch Insp Henderson added: \"Because it's a Huntsman it's not native to this country so we can't release the spider anywhere in Scotland. \"If there are any bacteria or bugs that the spider is carrying that we are not aware of then it could introduce those to other species. \"The spider appears in good condition and is already an adult so we are going to try to find a specialist home for it.\"", "summary": "A giant spider common in Australia, Africa and Asia, has been found inside a shipping container in Scotland."}
{"article": "Clinic26 will provide sexual health services and emotional support to men of all ages at the Ambrose Centre at the Royal London Hospital. On average, 12,000 men are raped and 72,000 are sexually abused each year, Home Office statistics show. The clinic has been set up in partnership with Survivors UK. One sexual abuse victim said he was thrilled when he heard the clinic was opening. Jay - not his real name - said he was sexually assaulted by a nurse when he had a routine health screening in 2013. \"I was hugely distressed by it (the assault). It took me nine months to go back for another screening,\" he said. Initially, the health trust did not take action against the nurse, but it eventually reinvestigated before another victim came forward. The nurse was found guilty and was jailed for two years. Jay said he wanted to go to a place \"where people knew\" he'd been sexually assaulted and he didn't have to disclose it to see the reaction. Andy Williams, consultant physician at The Royal London Hospital, said: \"We need to break the taboo that allows men to suffer in silence and this clinic is the beginning of what we hope will be a valued support resource for men in east London.\" Alan Robertson, Independent Sexual Violence Advisor at Survivors UK, said: \"Going to a sexual health clinic can be a daunting prospect for anyone, but especially so for someone who has experienced trauma or an abuse of power.\" The clinic will run on the afternoon of the last Monday of each month.", "summary": "Support groups have set up what they say is the first UK clinic to offer support for male sexual abuse victims."}
{"article": "Children's services in the city have consistently been rated \"inadequate\" by Ofsted. Lord Warner was appointed as an independent commissioner last year to oversee attempted improvements. On Monday the council's cabinet approved plans that will see an extra \u00c2\u00a394m spent over three years. It includes \u00c2\u00a327.5m already announced for the 2015-16 financial year. New IT and upgrades to existing systems are also to be introduced, including mobile devices for all social workers. Under the plans, the number of front-line social worker posts will increase from 511 to almost 600 by March 2017. The authority has struggled to recruit enough social workers over recent years, particularly those with substantial experience. Councillor Brigid Jones, in charge of children's services, said the authority had previously relied on \"emergency measures\" to tackle staff shortages and the latest plan allowed it to approach the matter more \"more strategically\". \"The biggest thing we need to get right is the recruitment. It's about getting the right staff here and keeping them,\" she said. Lord Warner is expected to publish his own report into the state of children's services in Birmingham next month.", "summary": "Extra social workers and new IT systems are to be introduced in a bid to improve children's social care in Birmingham."}
{"article": "Bayley, who had pleaded guilty, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum jail term of 35 years. Ms Meagher, originally from County Louth, was attacked in Melbourne last September as she walked home. The judge described Bayley as a \"recidivist sex offender\". Bayley was on parole for previous rape convictions when he attacked Ms Meagher. The case has led to criticism of the parole system in Australia's Victoria state. In an earlier hearing, the court was told that Bayley had a history of violent sex attacks. Judge Geoffrey Nettle said Bayley's rape of Ms Meagher was \"savage and degrading\". \"This is a recidivist, violent sex offender who intended to kill and this killing is amongst the worst of its kind,\" he said. However, he said that Bayley's guilty plea had to be taken into consideration in the sentence. \"As bad as your crimes are, you will have the opportunity in jail to strive for rehabilitation and I propose to set a non-parole period as an incentive for you to try.\" In a statement, Ms Meagher's family said: \"This despicable crime against Gillian has happened and it has taken nine months to get resolved and to get justice.\" \"The police and prosecutors have ensured that justice has been done and we as a family want to thank them for this.\" Ms Meagher's husband, Tom, said in a statement last week that his life would \"never be normal again\". \"I miss her insight, fun and wit, her huge smile and infectious personality,\" he said. Ms Meagher, who was originally from Drogheda, moved to Australia from Ireland in 2009 with her husband. She worked for ABC Radio but went missing during a night out with colleagues. Her body was discovered six days later buried on the outskirts of the city. News of her death prompted thousands to take part in a rally against violence against women.", "summary": "Australian Adrian Bayley has been jailed for the rape and murder of Irish woman Jill Meagher."}
{"article": "The device was discovered last week, southeast of Tucson, Arizona, when agents spotted a group of men scattering as they approached. A closer look turned up two bundles of cannabis weighing a combined 47lb (21kg), which had yet to be launched. The catapult was dismantled on the Mexican side. No arrests were made. About 650 miles of the 1,100-mile (1,770km) border is covered by some sort of wall or fence. Donald Trump has committed himself to building more walls, but drug traffickers have in recent years turned to increasingly creative means of getting their product over, including drones, car ramps, and air cannons. Traffickers have also made extensive use of tunnels under the border. In March, authorities uncovered a 380m tunnel that ran from a restaurant in Mexico to a house in California.", "summary": "US border patrol agents have found a medieval-style catapult mounted on the border wall with Mexico, designed to launch bundles of drugs into the US."}
{"article": "The malnourished mother and her youngster were found traumatised and hugging one another when they were saved by International Animal Rescue. Frightened locals reportedly hurled rocks at them and tried to tie them up. Rescuers say the mother, who was extremely thin, had sustained wounds to the skin. Primates escaping forest fires in Indonesia often head to villages in search of food, but many locals view them as pests - resulting in an increase in human-animal conflict. The International Animal Rescue (IAR) team said that the two primates were rescued just in time. They say that the mother had just enough milk to nourish the baby. She was also injured by a rope that had been tied around her wrist. The rescue team anesthetised both animals in West Kalimantan province last month so that they could be safely released after medical tests to a protected area of forest for monitoring. Many apes have been forced to flee their forest homes to escape thousands of forest fires that have engulfed the country this year. Many of the fires were illegally started for land clearance purposes and have raged out of control in the dry weather conditions. The UK-based IAR says that it has carried out more than 12 operations over the last two months to save orangutans that have strayed from their natural habitats. Many Indonesian forests have for months been shrouded in thick haze caused by the fires, which in turn has contaminated air across neighbouring countries in south-east Asia.", "summary": "A rare Borneo orangutan and her baby have been rescued from an attack by angry villagers in Indonesia as they were escaping rampant wildfires."}
{"article": "Yemeni officials said soldiers were ambushed by al-Qaeda insurgents, while so-called Islamic State's (IS) Yemen branch said it carried out the attack. At least 12 soldiers and 15 militants were killed in a gun-battle and suicide bombing near Shibam in Hadramawt province, reports say. Yemen has for months been mired in a war compounded by militant attacks. Large parts of Hadramawt, Yemen's biggest province, are under the control of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Yemeni security officials said masked men opened fire on pro-government troops and detonated a suicide car bomb at a checkpoint on Friday morning. Fighting is reported to have gone on for hours afterwards. Yemeni officials said AQAP had carried out the attack. However, IS' wing in Yemen - a rival of al-Qaeda - said it was behind the assault, which it said had killed 50 troops. IS has carried out a string of bombings and attacks since the group emerged in Yemen in late 2014. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting Houthi rebels and its allies in Yemen since the government was forced into exile in March by a Houthi rebellion. Since then, the fighting has left at least 5,700 people dead, about half of them civilians, the UN says.", "summary": "Dozens of troops and militants have been killed in clashes in eastern Yemen, Yemeni security sources say."}
{"article": "The cooking competition lost more than half its viewers, falling from highs of seven million to less than three million viewers on New Year's Day. Channel 4 axed the UK version of The Taste last year after just one series. Other shows cancelled by ABC include Forever, supernatural drama Resurrection and new sitcom Cristela. Industry website Deadline had warned earlier this year that the future of The Taste was \"up in the air\". Starring alongside Lawson were chefs Anthony Bourdain, Ludo Lefebvre and Marcus Samuelsson. The show saw cooks trying to impress the experts with spoonfuls of food. Lawson's UK TV cookery career remains intact however - BBC Two recently confirmed she would return for new series Simply Nigella later this year, her first on the channel since 2012's Nigellissima. Marvel's Agents of Shield, which airs on Channel 4 in the UK, has been renewed for a third season, while Agent Carter - starring British actress Hayley Atwell - will return for a second. Other hit shows including Grey's Anatomy, Nashville, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder have all been renewed for another season, according to Variety. ABC has also re-commissioned Castle, fairytale drama Once Upon A Time, American Crime and Secrets and Lies. Casualties include Forever - starring Welsh actor Ioan Gruffud as a medical examiner trying to solve the mystery of his own immortality - which only survived one season after ratings dipped from 12 million to just under 7 million for its most recent episode. The network's cull makes way for six new dramas and three recently ordered comedies, which include a revival of The Muppets and new thriller The Catch, from Grey's Anatomy and Scandal showrunner Shonda Rhimes. Also commissioned were Biblical saga Of Kings and Prophets, Quantico - from Gossip Girl producer Josh Safran - and 80s crime drama Wicked City. Modern Family, The Goldbergs, Fresh Off the Boat and The Middle are among the comedies returning for new series, along with reality series The Bachelor and Dancing With the Stars.", "summary": "Nigella Lawson's US cookery show The Taste has been axed by TV network ABC after two series, following a dramatic ratings slump."}
{"article": "Pershore Town Council has recommended naming a road on an estate to be built opposite the town's high school after Clive Corbett, who has been headteacher since 2002. The council also wants to name other estate roads after previous heads. Councillor Charles Tucker said: \"We try to have a historical or geographical link when we name new roads.\" Mr Corbett said: \"I'm delighted, but above all it's a great honour for the school and I hope it reflects its importance to the local community.\" He is the fifth headteacher at the school, which was founded in 1932. The planned road names will have to be approved at a meeting of the town council later this month.", "summary": "A road on a new estate in Worcestershire could be named after the headteacher at the local school."}
{"article": "The club wants to develop the former Twelve Oaks Golf Club in Highworth into a training ground and offices. The Robins' chairman, Lee Power said: \"Nigel Eady left a significant sum of money in his will to be invested for the benefit of STFC and the community.\" Currently the club leases its stadium from Swindon Borough Council. Nigel Eady was a lifelong supporter of Swindon Town and bequeathed the undisclosed sum from his will. DBS Consulting is involved in the project and the ongoing talks between the trust and football club. Managing director, Les Durrant, said: \"Discussions have been going on between the Nigel Eady Trust and Swindon Town because the trust want to invest in it, not just for the football club but also for the wider community. \"The discussions have been around the trust taking ownership of the site and the facilities being developed for the football club to be used.\" The former golf club was bought by Mr Power a year go but as yet it has no planning permission. The hope is to create a new gym, treatment rooms, lecture rooms, grass training pitches and a floodlit 4G artificial surface pitch. On Wednesday evening, the club met the town councillors to talk through the project. Mr Power added: \"We are working closely with the Nigel Eady Trust and the local community. \"We will be developing our proposals in greater detail after further consultation with local people and clubs/organisations over the next few weeks. \"We want this new training centre and pitch facilities to be of benefit to the local clubs as well as Swindon Town.\" The aim is to develop the site over the 24 months.", "summary": "Swindon Town FC hopes to develop new training facilities with the help of money from a trust set up by a former supporter."}
{"article": "Laura Jayne Stuart, 33, was wounded in the incident near Love Lane and High Street at around 04:00 BST on Saturday and died on Sunday. Jason Cooper, 27, who is from the town, has been charged in connection with the incident. He appeared before Mold Crown Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody. A post mortem examination revealed the mother-of-two died as a result of stab wounds. Senior investigating officer Det Ch Insp Neil Harrison said: \"The weapon used remains outstanding despite a comprehensive search by specialist officers. \"From initial inquiries we believe a kitchen knife with a 5in blade was used and then disposed of. \"We are therefore asking anyone in the immediate area of Love Lane Denbigh and en-route to, and around, Denbigh Castle to check any outbuildings, gardens, and bins for any trace of the knife and to contact police immediately if one is found but to leave it for officers to recover.\"", "summary": "People in Denbigh have been asked to search their outbuildings, gardens and bins for a kitchen knife used in a fatal stabbing."}
{"article": "Jeroen Blom, a researcher at Glasgow School of Art's Highlands and Islands Creative Campus, brought the team of three artisans together. They are Karen Collins, from Rafford, and Scott Gleed, of Relugas, both in Moray, and Roger Milton, from Auldearn in the Highlands. They are working with three people who use prosthetic limbs. Among the materials being used to make what are known as greaves is wood, while the skills involved include weaving. Mr Blom said: \"Through this project three lower limb amputees have been able to have a full involvement in the creation of something very personal and unique to them and in so doing had a much greater sense of involvement and ownership.\" \"For the artisans, meanwhile, this has been an opportunity to apply and showcase their skills in a new area and to create very special partnerships with their collaborators in the co-design process. \"The aesthetics of the resulting greaves reflect the identity of the amputee as well as the artisanal process.\" One of the amputees, Caitlin McMullan, said discussions about her use of a prosthetic limb influenced the design work. She said: \"We spoke a bit about my experience of being an amputee, and my experience of before my amputation. \"It was good to think about the design of that, and talk about how I think the design is disability-awareness as well.\" She added: \"I like having choice, I like changing what my prosthesis would look like. \"I don't like to cover it up. I don't really see the point in trying to hide it. That's what I like about this project. It's making something really nice out of a prosthesis.\" Chema Perez, who along with Carol Sloan is another of the amputees, worked with craftsman Mr Milton on a wooden greave. Mr Perez said: \"The idea Roger had about having a piece of wood which is not really nice and shiny but something that has some marks of imperfection that tells you a story, was something that I was looking for. \"Something that reflects my experience to make it more personal.\" The art school's Highlands and Islands campus is in Forres in Moray. Students and researchers use it as a base for studies in the Highlands and Islands.", "summary": "Craftspeople have been working with amputees who use artificial lower limbs to create more personalised prosthesis."}
{"article": "They told the BBC they went to the embassy as there was no security for them in the capital city Bujumbura. Social media has been blocked, radio stations closed and protests banned. People have been protesting since Sunday over President Pierre Nkurunziza's decision to stand for re-election in June. African news at it happens: 1 May 2015 The government closed the university on Thursday citing \"insecurity\". Earlier on Thursday several hundred students tried to organise a march into the centre of Bujumbura. They wanted to stop the president from officially presenting his nomination papers to the electoral commission. The students told the BBC's Maud Jullien that the US embassy was the only place they felt safe and that they feared security forces were pursuing them. She estimates around 500 students are outside the embassy. The US has not reacted to their presence. Senior US diplomat Tom Malinowski met Mr Nkurunziza on Thursday, and afterwards said he had warned that the situation in Burundi was \"dangerous\". \"Some of the measures that have been taken... to shut down social media, to suspend radio stations not only are wrong as a matter of principle but very counter-productive,\" he told journalists. Rupert Colville from the UN human rights office also said on Friday that he was \"deeply concerned\" about the authorities' curtailing people's freedom of speech. At least seven people have died amid the biggest protests Burundi has seen since the civil war ended in 2005. In a Labour Day radio broadcast Mr Nkurunziza, a former rebel leader, warned of \"severe sanctions\" against protesters who are found to be behind an \"insurrectional movement\". President Nkurunziza said there would be a judicial inquiry into the protests. Under the constitution, presidents can only be elected to two terms in office but Mr Nkurunziza's allies say his first term does not count as he was appointed by parliament. Burundi's senate has announced that the constitutional court will examine the legality of the bid. Mr Nkurunziza has been in power since 2005, when a 12-year civil war officially ended. More than 300,000 people died in the conflict between the minority Tutsi-dominated army and mainly Hutu rebel groups, such as Mr Nkurunziza's CNDD-FDD.", "summary": "Hundreds of students in Burundi have spent the night in front of the US embassy after their university was closed amid anti-government protests."}
{"article": "Fjelde, 22, recently left Byrne in his native Norway and his move is subject to international clearance. Scottish forward Loy, 28, was previously loaned to St Mirren by Rangers in 2010. The Buddies - bottom of the Scottish Championship - visit Dunfermline Athletic on Saturday. Former Viking Stavanger player Fjelde told St Mirren's website: \"It's a big challenge ahead but I'm looking forward to it and hopefully together we can stay up. It's always been my dream to play in the UK.\" And ex-Falkirk forward Loy, who has 58 career goals, said: \"I've played in this division for two years and did very well in it so I'm not sure it's a case of having anything to prove. I want to score goals and I want to help keep the club up.\"", "summary": "St Mirren have signed midfielder Pal Fjelde and striker Rory Loy until the end of the season, with the latter joining on loan from Dundee."}
{"article": "This may suggest would-be adult apprentices are being put off by having to borrow to fund their courses, says an education charity. Official targets are for 25,000 people this year to borrow about \u00c2\u00a34,000 for higher and advanced apprenticeships. The government says numbers may pick up later in the year. It points out that not all apprenticeships start at the beginning of the academic year. Until this year apprentices have not had to contribute to the costs of their training - but from September 2013 some 25,000 over-24s on advanced or higher level apprenticeships have been expected to take out a loan to be paid back once they are earning. A further 50,000 adults are expected to have their training costs paid by their employers. Trainees under 24 still do not have to pay. Figures published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on Thursday show that in the first quarter of 2013-14 only 404 people had applied for the loans. NIACE says a second set of official figures, published on Thursday show that by contrast some 197,000 people were enrolled on higher and advanced level apprenticeships in 2012-13. NIACE is concerned that the low uptake of the loans may indicate that would-be trainees are being deterred by being required to part-fund their courses. The charity's chief executive David Hughes said: \"We have continually voiced our concerns about the impact loans for apprenticeships would have. \"However as today's figures show, that impact has been even more severe than anyone first feared.\" He called on the government to take \"urgent action\", including writing off some loans and subsidising under-represented groups on higher and advanced level apprenticeships. A spokeswoman for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills said: \"Application numbers indicate that employers and learners are not engaging with loans in apprenticeships. We are keeping a close watch on the data and the implications for the apprenticeship programme.\"", "summary": "Only 404 people have applied for loans for adult apprenticeships in the three months since September, official data suggests."}
{"article": "Patients will be transferred from air ambulances to a lift and then a land ambulance, which will take them for treatment at Queen's Medical Centre. The \u00a33m helipad will reduce transfer time from around 20 minutes to two to three minutes, Nottinghamshire University Hospitals NHS Trust said. A ground-level helipad would have been preferable but not possible, it said. Helicopters currently land at a helipad at Highfields Park a mile away and are then transferred by road ambulance. Under the plans approved by the city council earlier, patients will reach the East Midlands Major Trauma Centre on the QMC site within three minutes via a dedicated ambulance which will travel along the hospital's own service road. \"We're the biggest major trauma centre in the UK. We see an awful lot of patients,\" clinical lead Adam Brooks said. \"Our results are excellent but by minimising that time we can further improve the care we deliver.\" The Air Ambulance Association's advice is that helipads should be at ground level but Mr Brooks said the layout of the QMC did not make that possible. The County Air Ambulance Trust, which is giving \u00a3250,000 to the project, said every possible solution had been investigated. \"It's not the best solution but it's the only solution at the QMC,\" chief executive Robert Bertram said. A fundraising campaign is underway to raise a total of \u00a33m needed for the helipad. The six-storey car park for more than 650 vehicles will be for staff and visitors and will cost the trust \u00a31.5m. It is set to open in the Spring.", "summary": "A plan for a helipad on top of a new multi-storey car park at a Nottingham hospital has been approved."}
{"article": "Alun Ffred Jones said Natural Resources Wales (NRW) had offered confusing advice and was sometimes seen as being \"too close\" to the Welsh government. Mr Jones has outlined his concerns in a letter to NRW, following an inquiry. But NRW said it was \"clear\" about its purpose and insisted it was already dealing with many of the points raised. The body was formed in 2013 by merging the Countryside Council for Wales, the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission. In his letter, Mr Jones wrote: \"NRW does not appear to be clear about its purpose as an organisation... many of the more specific issues raised... stem from the confusion that exists within NRW about its purpose and the apparent lack of awareness at the top of NRW of how it is perceived on the ground by key stakeholders and staff.\" The letter states some councils were confused on occasions when NRW stated it had no objection to a planning development, but then listed \"serious concerns\" about its impact. Mr Jones added some organisations raised concerns the environment body was too close to Welsh ministers, particularly in relation to the controversial \u00c2\u00a3325m Circuit of Wales race-track project planned in Blaenau Gwent. NRW chief executive Emyr Roberts said creating NRW had been \"uniquely complex\" and \"nothing like this has ever been attempted before anywhere in the world\". \"We are clear about our purpose and working with staff and stakeholders around this new concept of managing our natural resources in a more joined up way,\" he said. \"We are already taking action on many of the points raised and, against a backdrop of significant change, I'm very proud of the fantastic work our staff have continued to do for the people, environment and economy of Wales,\" Dr Roberts added. A staff survey published in April found only 14% of workers at NRW felt the merger that led to its creation was well managed and one in five thought the organisation was well managed. Just over half of its 2,000 staff took part in the survey.", "summary": "Wales' environment body is not clear of its own purpose, the chair of the assembly's environment committee has claimed."}
{"article": "A spokesman for the Exeter and Greater Devon District Coroner's office confirmed there would be no inquest into the death of Gareth Jenkins, 25. Lt Jenkins, from Colwyn Bay, Conwy, collapsed at the Commando Training Centre, Lympstone, Devon, while on a 30-mile (48km) march in May. The former Eirias High School pupil played for Colwyn Bay Rugby Club.", "summary": "A Royal Marines trainee who collapsed on a training exercise on Dartmoor died of natural causes."}
{"article": "The two senior members of staff in the university's marketing and student recruitment department were dismissed last December. They had previously expressed concerns at plans to restructure the department. The university said it was trying to resolve the matter with the pair and was disappointed at the strike. The dispute is over the sacking of two staff, Helen Ghaly and Sam Bowker, a union official. \"No institution should be allowed to ride roughshod over agreed procedures and violate its employees' rights in this way,\" says UCU regional official Martyn Moss. The UCU believes the pair may have been targeted as a result of their role in the union and has also lodged an unemployment tribunal complaint on their behalf. The union says some 75% of the staff who took part in the ballot voted in favour of the strike. In a statement, a University of Salford spokesman said: \"We have been trying to resolve this dispute with the individuals concerned and are therefore disappointed that a day of strike action has been called. \"We expect all student lectures to run as normal on Thursday. \"We hope that a resolution can be found but, as this is an ongoing legal matter, we are unable to comment further.\"", "summary": "Staff at the University of Salford are expected to strike on Thursday in support of two sacked colleagues."}
{"article": "Officers were called to a property in Fore Street, Chudleigh, on Monday evening. The injured 20-year-old, who was taken to Plymouth's Derriford Hospital after the assault, has since been discharged. Devon and Cornwall Police said a 25-year-old man has been arrested and believe the assault was an \"isolated incident\".", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after another man was found with stab wounds in a Devon town."}
{"article": "A Lewisham Council cabinet meeting, which was set to confirm a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the land, has been postponed until February. The Lions have played in Lewisham since 1910 and at The Den since 1993. \"I can't rule out relocation in the event the CPO went through,\" Kavanagh told BBC Radio 5 live. Lewisham Council aims to regenerate the land around Millwall's ground in conjunction with property developer Renewal as part of the 'New Bermondsey' scheme, which proposes to create 2,400 homes, community facilities and a new overground station near the stadium. Kavanagh says Millwall \"actively\" support regeneration of the area, but the League One club want to be involved in any scheme as the current CPO would affect the future of their academy and the Millwall Community Trust (MCT). \"We are calling for regeneration and development but we don't want to feel we are not important in this,\" Kavanagh added. \"If we are treated in such a manner that this CPO goes through and we are not at the heart of the proposed redevelopment, then we have to consider what we do. \"I have to look at every single angle to make sure the commercial viability and the long-term future of the club, and its community trust, is well served where we live.\" Lions supporters have been vocal in their opposition to the CPO, with an online petition against the proposals gathering more than 27,000 signatures. Tim Farron MP has been among the politicians to speak out about the plans, with the leader of the Liberal Democrats saying it would be \"heartbreaking\" for Millwall fans and the local community if the club were forced to move. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also \"wholeheartedly supports\" Millwall remaining in Lewisham. On Monday, Kavanagh wrote to the council seeking talks about the \"critical issues\" surrounding the CPO, which the council said were a factor in the postponement of Wednesday's meeting. \"There has been an ongoing exchange of correspondence between the council and Millwall FC over the last few weeks,\" a statement from Lewisham Council said. \"A little more time is needed to complete this, and so the mayor and cabinet is not in a position to reconsider the decision. \"We are asking Millwall to provide outstanding information by 23 January as we intend to reconsider and make the decision in February.\" The council has previously stated it is \"very supportive\" of Millwall and that its ability to operate at The Den \"must and will be protected\".", "summary": "Millwall would have to consider a move away from London if land around The Den is sold to developers, according to chief executive Steve Kavanagh."}
{"article": "Wiltshire Police said there had been an increase in the number of the patterns appearing in fields in the county. A spokesman said creating a crop circle was criminal damage and an offence. Damage caused means a loss in revenue to the farmer and landowner. Wiltshire remains one of the hotspots for the formations, which appear every summer in the English countryside. Wheat farmer Tim Carson said his land at Alton Barnes near Marlborough was first used for a crop circle 27 years ago. For a time he would charge visitors to see them. He said: \"At the time it was the first one that had ever occurred anywhere in the world. Little did we know we would get hundreds more after that. \"It was a one-off but the press seemed to go for it, and people just started turning up. Thousands of people came into that formation.\" However, he is now trying to discourage crop circle enthusiasts using his land as it creates harvesting problems. The farmer, who currently has a crop circle in one of his fields, estimates a loss of about \u00c2\u00a3120,000 in lost or damaged crops. Mr Carson said: \"This is quite a small formation compared to some of the ones that we've had in the past. \"The wheat is completely flat on the floor now, it's unlikely we'll be able to get the combine low enough to harvest it.\"", "summary": "Farmers have been urged to report crop circles made on their land to police after a recent spate of them."}
{"article": "In an exclusive interview with the BBC, the British corporate investigator who became embroiled in GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) China corruption scandal tells me his story is \"a cautionary tale which many people can learn from\". The risks of doing business in China, he says, are \"on the same scale as the opportunities\", and governments, including the British government, \"have not been doing a very thorough job of making business understand the risks\". \"Absolutely any company going to China could be the next party to suffer our fate if they fail to understand this,\" he says. The fate suffered by Peter Humphrey and his wife Yu Yingzeng was to spend two years in squalid and crowded jail cells, to be denied urgent medical attention and to be separated from each other and from their son. The corporate investigator says it was both a shattering experience and a miscarriage of justice. \"None of our staff did anything illegal,\" he told me. \"We engaged third parties to help us with some parts of our work. We always instructed them to follow legal means but had no control over the methods they used.\" So why the prosecution and the prison term? \"It doesn't stack up at all when you analyse our case and the GSK case on the basis of the information you have. It doesn't stack up at all.\" The couple were corporate investigators who became embroiled in a Chinese police investigation of corruption at GSK. The British pharmaceuticals giant had bribed Chinese doctors and hospitals to buy its medicines. Mr Humphrey and his wife were in no way implicated in that corruption, but had been hired by the company to investigate the source of a secretly filmed sex video of GSK's top boss in China and of whistleblower emails sent to company headquarters in London. \"I believe we were collateral damage in a wider dispute between a company and the authorities which led to us being dragged in,\" he said. Even now, Peter Humphrey is reluctant to discuss the details of the GSK case or of his relationship with his former client. Asked why, he tells me: \"It's not impossible that we may sue some of these parties or through other means try to seek redress.\" He says he watched the TV coverage of the GSK trial from his Shanghai prison cell. The company was found guilty of systematic bribery and fined \u00c2\u00a3300m. He was shocked by the contrast between his punishment and theirs. \"Suspended jail sentences for three or four of the main culprits when I and my wife had been sentenced to years in prison,\" he says. \"Someone asked me recently why someone like Mark Reilly (GSK China's boss) could be set free and we were in jail. I think it's very simple, we don't have half a billion dollars. That story was about money from the beginning. Money got them into trouble and money got him out.\" The events which led to these trials took place in the early part of 2013 when China's new President Xi Jinping had just declared nationwide", "summary": "It's exactly two years since the door of Peter Humphrey's Shanghai bedroom was kicked in by police and he disappeared into a prison nightmare which ended only three weeks ago with his deportation from China."}
{"article": "Speaker Mitchel McLaughlin said Gregory Campbell had been \"blatantly disrespectful\" after he yawned loudly twice when Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in member Caitriona Ruane had been speaking in Irish. It happened last Monday. Mr Campbell was barred from speaking on Monday and Tuesday. \"It can be tiring listening to Sinn Fein abusing the Irish language,\" said Mr Campbell. \"Has Caitriona Ruane nothing else better to do with her time than complain? \"Does this mean every time you blow your nose someone is going to say that's inappropriate nose blowing? \"This is ludicrous. It's nonsensical. \"If I was feeling somewhat tired I would yawn in Westminster too. \"Some people yawn quietly, some yawn loudly.\" Last November, Mr Campbell was barred from addressing the Northern Ireland Assembly for a day for failing to apologise for an Irish language parody. A row developed after he began his address to the assembly with: \"Curry my yoghurt can coca coalyer\".", "summary": "DUP MLA Gregory Campbell has defended his actions after being barred by the assembly speaker over what has been described as \"schoolboy behaviour\"."}
{"article": "The key element is the goal to limit global warming to below 2C by moving to zero carbon emissions by 2050. The UN meeting in December is \"the last chance\" to avert dangerous climate change, according to the Earth League. Scientific evidence shows this can be achieved, but only with bold action now, says an alliance of climate researchers from 17 institutions. The statement involves eight calls for action: Chair of the Earth League, Johan Rockstrom, of the Stockholm Resilience Centre in Sweden, said the statement set out the scientific stance on what needed to happen at the Paris talks. \"Six years after the failure at Copenhagen, the world now has a second chance to agree upon a safe pathway towards a future that does not undermine human well-being in the world.\" He said the statement summarised what the group of scientists believe has to happen at the Paris talks to avoid the risk of severe climate change linked with sea-level rise, heat waves, droughts and floods. \"The window is still open but just barely,\" he said. \"There is still an opportunity to transition into a safe, reasonably stable climate future.\" He added: \"The statement says very clearly that 2 degrees is the absolute upper limit that the world should aim for.\" The Earth League includes 17 scientific research institutions around the world, including two in the UK. Professor Sir Brian Hoskins of the Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College, London, said to achieve the goal, global carbon emissions would need to peak around 2020 and fall very rapidly to near zero by around 2050. He said rich countries would have to take the lead on this and help the less developed world. \"We're all in this together - we share one planet, we share one atmosphere, we share one climate system.\" The statement was released to coincide with Earth Day, an annual event to demonstrate support for environmental protection. WWF-UK said governments around the world must agree a fair deal at Paris, but should take action beyond this. Head of climate and energy policy, Emma Pinchbeck, said: \"The next UK Government must reaffirm our leadership on this key international issue, and commit to decarbonising policy in line with the science. \"When it comes to government action on climate change, we will benefit from ambition and will regret inaction.\"", "summary": "Scientists are calling on world leaders to sign up to an eight-point plan of action at landmark talks in Paris."}
{"article": "The 49-year-old, a former international player, will take up his role in early January on a four-year contract. Wong is currently women's singles coach to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM). He has previously worked with world number one Lee Chong Wei and his wife, Wong Mew Choo, the two-time Commonwealth Games silver medallist. He has also worked for the last three years with world junior champion Goh Jin Wei, and bringing through Scotland's brightest youngsters will be a big part of his remit. Badminton Scotland's chief executive Anne Smillie said: \"It has been a long process but it was crucial that we took our time and found the right person, someone with the credentials and capability to develop our youngsters into fully-fledged internationals. \"In Tat Meng we believe we have found the person to do that. We have been fortunate in recent years to produce Olympic squad members and World, European and Commonwealth medallists and we want to continue that success story over the next four years and beyond.\"", "summary": "Badminton Scotland has appointed Malaysian Tat Meng Wong as the organisation's new head coach."}
{"article": "The company said it was looking into the matter, which could be caused by wireless interference, and suggested gamers sat closer to the console. It comes after some players complained about their screens containing dead pixels that created black squares. The console has received largely positive reviews and is selling well. Reports about problems with the controllers, known as Joy-Con, have been around since before the launch of the console, among those who had pre-release review units. It seems to affect play when the console is connected to the TV and the controllers are being used wirelessly. On its support page, Nintendo advised users to make sure that the Switch console was placed \"out in the open\" and not behind a TV, in or under a metal object or near an aquarium. It also advised users to make sure the console had the latest software update and to \"try to decrease the distance\" between the Joy-Con and the console. The problem seems to be worse in the left-hand controller and some, including games writer Jeff Gerstmann, report it is affected by how close users sit to the TV. A video posted on YouTube suggested that while the right-hand Joy-Con had a dedicated antenna, the left-hand one was harder to find. \"The antenna is printed directly on the controller's circuit board; it's not a separate unit inside the device. Second, the antenna is located beneath the controller's shoulder button and next to the housing for the controller's joystick,\" said gaming website Polygon. \"All of that could block or weaken the Bluetooth signal,\" it added. A straw poll on the social media platform Reddit suggested that 20% of respondents (out of a total of 6,300) had experienced some kind of issue with their Switch console. Piers Harding-Rolls, an analyst at research firm IHS Markit said: \"Obviously, if this does occur when gaming it can be frustrating, but generally I don't think this is impacting people's enjoyment of the platform too heavily.\" \"What is perhaps making it worse is that the right Joy-Con has better connectivity which is highlighting the left's relative weakness. \"If this is a design issue, I expect Nintendo to look closely at adjusting the lay-out of the antenna in the left Joy-Con to help solve the issue, as the fix would appear relatively straightforward.\"", "summary": "Nintendo is facing more complaints about its new console, Switch, this time about the controllers failing to connect."}
{"article": "Donald Trump Jr denied issuing inconsistent statements about last year's meeting. He also suggested it was normal practice to receive information about a political opponent. US officials are investigating alleged Russian meddling in the US election. The president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and then-campaign head, Paul J Manafort, were also at the meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya. Mr Trump Jr insists she provided \"no meaningful information\" on Mrs Clinton, his father's rival for the presidency. On Monday he tweeted sarcastically: \"Obviously I'm the first person on a campaign to ever take a meeting to hear info about an opponent.\" He then tweeted: \"No inconsistency in statements... In response to further Q's [questions] I simply provided more details.\" And he linked to a piece in the New York Post headlined \"The Times' expos\u00c3\u00a9' on Donald Trump Jr is a big yawn\". Later, Mr Trump Jr tweeted: \"Happy to work with the committee to pass on what I know\", after a Republican member of the Senate Intelligence Committee said it should interview him. The White House says there was nothing inappropriate about Mr Trump Jr's meeting with the Russian lawyer. It 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 members of President Trump's inner circle. After the New York Times first reported the meeting on Saturday, Mr Trump Jr released a statement which confirmed that it had taken place but did not mention whether it was related to the presidential campaign. However, another Times report, on Sunday, said Mr Trump Jr had agreed to the meeting after being offered information that would potentially prove detrimental to Mrs Clinton. The paper cited three White House advisers briefed on the meeting, and two others with knowledge of it, as its sources. Mr Trump Jr said that an acquaintance he had known from the 2013 Miss Universe pageant had set up the meeting. The Washington Post said that figure was music publicist Rob Goldstone, who has links to the Russian music industry. In a statement on Sunday, Mr Trump Jr said he had been asked 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.\" Mr Trump Jr's statement continues: \"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. \"She then changed subjects and began discussing the adoption of Russian children and mentioned the Magnitsky Act. \"It became clear to me that this was the true agenda all along and that the claims of potentially helpful information were a pretext for the meeting.\" Ms", "summary": "President Donald Trump's son has hit back at US media reports of his meeting with a Russian lawyer who said she had damaging material about Hillary Clinton."}
{"article": "The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm), held every two years, will focus on climate change, with talks on security issues also expected. UK Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to set up a Commonwealth unit to target the \"scourge\" of extremism. The group of nations has a vital role to play in tackling terrorism, he said, and pledged \u00c2\u00a35m to help fund the unit. Security was high around the Queen as she arrived with the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. Opening the conference, the Queen said she was enormously proud of what the Commonwealth had achieved and \"all of it within my lifetime\". She said Commonwealth nations would continue to be called on to demonstrate leadership in global issues. Counter-terrorism is top of Mr Cameron's agenda for the meeting in the Maltese capital, Valletta. It comes after he addressed MPs in the UK to state his case for military air strikes in Syria to tackle so-called Islamic State. Mr Cameron said of the Commonwealth unit: \"The Commonwealth has a vital role to play in broadening international efforts to counter extremism. \"Its civil society and education networks make it particularly well placed to complement international efforts to build counter narratives to this poisonous extremist ideology. \"This is the struggle of our generation, but by working together we will defeat this extremism scourge that is a threat to us all.\" Mr Cameron has pledged \u00c2\u00a31m funding annually, for five years, to help set up the unit, with another \u00c2\u00a3200,000 going on expanding a European counter-radicalisation youth programme to include the Commonwealth. French President Francois Hollande is due to arrive in Malta on Friday and will attend meetings on climate change ahead of a summit on the issue in Paris on Monday. By Nicholas Witchell, royal correspondent, BBC News It is an association of 53 independent nations, disparaged sometimes as little more than a talking shop, but between them the countries of the Commonwealth represent nearly one-third of the world's population. As its heads of government gather in Malta, there are pressing matters to consider. Countering violent extremism is a priority; so too is climate change, the effects of which are a particular threat to low-lying territories in the Pacific. And a few days short of the Paris conference on global warming, French President Francois Hollande is breaking off from his domestic security challenges to address Commonwealth leaders on the need for decisive action on global warming. The conference will be formally opened by the Queen in her capacity as Head of the Commonwealth: no-one has been to more of these gatherings than she has but, since by the time of the next meeting she'll be 91, it is thought this might be the last Commonwealth conference she'll attend. The Queen will later host a reception for new Commonwealth leaders. The event will feature more than 360 artists and performers, including the Maltese Philharmonic Orchestra and tenor Joseph Calleja. The Royals are on a three-day tour of Malta, where the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh lived at", "summary": "The Queen has opened a two-day summit of leaders of the 53 Commonwealth nations in Malta."}
{"article": "Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said it would be \"ready as soon as we receive a list of the opposition delegation\". The warring parties and the world powers backing them have to agree on which rebel groups will be designated as \"terrorists\" and not represented. The UN hopes to convene the talks in Geneva towards the end of January. More than 250,000 people have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011. More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes. \"Syria is ready to participate in the Syrian-Syrian Dialogue in Geneva without any foreign interference,\" Mr Muallem told reporters in Beijing on Thursday following a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. \"We hope that this dialogue will be successful to help us in having a national unity government,\" he added. Mr Wang said the Chinese and Syrian governments had agreed on three principles that \"should be upheld throughout the whole peace process\". \"We should stick to the peaceful resolution of Syrian issue, the people of Syria should decide the future and fate of Syria, and the UN plays a key role in negotiations,\" he added. On Friday, the UN Security Council unanimously backed a resolution endorsing a road map for the peace process, including negotiations, a ceasefire and elections. But the resolution avoided contentious issues, including who could represent the opposition at the peace talks and the fate of Mr Assad. Mr Wang declined to answer directly when asked if Mr Assad should remain in power. \"China's position is very clear. We believe Syria's future, its national system, including its leadership, should be decided and set by the people of Syria.\" The United States, which supports the Syrian opposition, wants a negotiated settlement based on the 2012 Geneva Communique, which calls for the formation of a transitional governing body. It says President Bashar al-Assad must go. Russia, which launched an air campaign against Mr Assad's opponents in September, also calls for the implementation of the Geneva Communique. But it says Mr Assad's future is for the Syrian people, not external powers, to decide. Most of Syria's political and armed opposition factions now agree on the need for a managed transition but they demand that the president leave at the start of it. Bashar al-Assad says peace talks cannot begin until \"terrorism\" is eliminated and that his departure is out of the question before elections are held. On Tuesday, the head of the UN's Geneva office said special envoy Staffan de Mistura expected to convene the talks \"some time towards the end of January\". \"Almost everybody wants these talks to be successful, so that we can finally get a political solution to this really unacceptable problem,\" Michael Moller said. In a separate development in Syria on Thursday, activists said the jihadist group Islamic State had seized an area previously held by government forces in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said at least 26 soldiers were killed in fighting for the industrial district.", "summary": "Syria's government is prepared to take part in UN-brokered peace talks aimed at finding a political solution to the four-year conflict in the country."}
{"article": "Defending champions India topped Group B following wins over South Africa and Pakistan, who beat England on Wednesday to reach the final. India also thrashed Bangladesh by 240 runs in a warm-up game last month. \"A lot of teams have surprised the opposition and we're not taking anything for granted,\" said Kohli. \"There are no guarantees in this sport. We're not going to go according to past results and what we've done in the past tournaments. \"We will use whatever momentum we've gained in this tournament to execute what we want to. \"Going into a big game like this, we're going to treat it as how we treated the last game. Our mindset does not differ.\" Bangladesh, who finished runners-up to England in Group A thanks to an impressive five-wicket win over New Zealand, are appearing in their first semi-final in a global competition. In 2015 they recorded their first ODI series win against India. \"Bangladesh have taken huge strides,\" said Kohli. \"They are a very dangerous side on their day and everyone realises that. \"They have cricketers who are skilled, who are committed to play for Bangladesh and play with a lot of passion.\" India opening batsman Rohit Sharma was limping during India's final practice, but Kohli hinted that they would name the same team that beat South Africa on Sunday, with spinner Ravichandran Ashwin keeping his place ahead of pace bowler Umesh Yadav. If selected, 35-year-old all-rounder Yuvraj Singh will make his 300th ODI appearance. \"His contribution to cricket has been outstanding,\" said Kohli. \"He's been a total match-winner for India, won so many big tournaments in big cities, and this is just a testimony to the kind of talent he possesses.\" Bangladesh were beaten by India in the 2015 World Cup quarter-finals, and were eliminated from last year's World Twenty20 when, with two runs required from three balls, they lost three wickets. \"Obviously we have been disappointed, especially in the T20 World Cup when we couldn't go through,\" said Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe Mortaza, who was captain for both matches. \"It happens sometimes in cricket, but we forget it. \"We can't just think what happened in the last two matches [because] coming into the ground it will put some more pressure on to us. \"We're playing the first time in our life in a semi-final, so that is a fact, but India have got more pressure than us because the huge population is there and people love cricket in India a lot.\"", "summary": "Captain Virat Kohli says India are wary of Bangladesh's threat in Thursday's Champions Trophy semi-final at Edgbaston."}
{"article": "The trial in an undisclosed location in southern Wales could begin this year. Scotland recently listed beavers as a protected species there following a successful reintroduction. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said it would have to consider the impact on existing wildlife and land use. The Welsh Beaver Project first submitted an application over a year ago to NRW and said, following this subsequent submission, a public consultation would be held. The group has been working towards this for years, and has previously identified the River Rheidiol in Ceredigion as a preferred location to reintroduce them. In the 10th century, Hywel Dda, who was king of much of Wales, wrote in his laws that beaver skins were royal privileges, and were valued at 60 pence, or the worth of a \"best horse\", about \u00c2\u00a35,000 in today's money. The historian Gerald of Wales noted in the 12th Century there were beavers on the River Teifi at Cilgarran in Cardiganshire (now in modern-day Pembrokeshire). Oral history refers to beavers at Nant Francon in Snowdonia, north Wales, in the latter part of the 17th Century. The species is believed to have become extinct in Wales around 400 years ago, after it was hunted for its pelt and scent glands. European beavers, which would be introduced, are the same as those which once lived in Wales, as there is only one species of beaver native to Europe. Source: Welsh Beaver Project The five-year Scottish Beaver Trial saw a group placed in the Knapdale Forest, Argyll, while another emerged on the River Tay from illegal releases into the wild. In England, a male and female have been released on the River Otter in Devon to boost the genetic diversity of a group already in existence, the country's only wild beaver population. Alice Leow-Dyke, Welsh Beaver Project officer for the Wildlife Trusts Wales, said: \"The evidence coming from Britain and Europe is they can be beneficial for ecology, helping with reducing flooding and filtering water, and have important consequences for the landscape.\" She added beavers could help with habitat restoration, bringing light into overgrown areas and allowing other nature to thrive. \"With the beaver you're not looking at a single species, it can have such a wider benefit helping the ecosystem. Because we've had such a detrimental effect on the landscape for so long, this can help,\" she said. Farmers and anglers have raised concerns the animals can damage the landscape and fish migration routes, and have called for conservation efforts to be focused on existing wildlife. Ms Leow-Dyke said the scheme would have a net benefit, as well as providing an \"enjoyment factor\" of seeing the animals or the tell-tale signs of their presence, which could encourage children to engage with the natural world. Liz Halliwell, Natural Resources Wales mammal ecologist, said beavers were once native wildlife and could create rich and varied habitats which make the environment \"stronger and healthier\". However, she added: \"Our assessment of any application for a licence would need to carefully consider the effects of a reintroduction on existing wildlife and land use.\"", "summary": "Plans to reintroduce beavers to Wales after an absence of centuries are moving ahead after wildlife experts submitted an application to release 10 of the creatures into the wild."}
{"article": "The Institute for Economics and Peace published its Global Peace Index on Thursday for the 11th year running. Researchers said conflict costs had an enormous impact on economies worldwide. They called for more money to be spent on peace building. Their report found that the world became 0.28% more peaceful over the past year. This was driven by a drop in state-sponsored violence, including torture and extrajudicial killings, and a decrease in the murder rate. The delayed effect of the US and UK withdrawing troops from Afghanistan also made itself felt in the research. But the overall trend was not borne out inside the US, where an increase in murders and a higher level of perceived crime pushed peacefulness down. And while terrorism levels jumped in Europe, it remained the most peaceful region on the planet. The number of countries seeing a record number of deaths from terrorism rose to 23. Among those were Denmark, Sweden, France and Turkey. Researchers found that 60% of countries now have a higher rate of terrorism than they did 10 years ago. The research did not cover the time period of the attack on Manchester in the UK last month. Increased support for populism in Europe corresponded with a deterioration in peacefulness levels, the report suggested, as wealth inequality rises, media freedoms decrease and people's acceptance of the rights of others diminishes. In Colombia, the ceasefire between the Farc armed group and the government was reflected in improved scores, notably in the number of deaths from internal conflict, but the country's peacefulness score was held back by ongoing activity by a smaller armed group, the ELN. Researchers used a multifaceted index of peace indicators - they measured the homicide rate, the ease of access to weapons, the impact of terrorism and the number of armed services personnel in the population, among other things. Syria is the least peaceful country in the world for the fifth year running. Before the outbreak of civil war there, it was the 65th least peaceful. Its fall has been the starkest of the past decade. The other four most violent countries are Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, and Yemen. The combined Middle East and North Africa was the least peaceful region in the world. Iceland remained the most peaceful country in the world, a spot it has occupied since 2008. The other four most peaceful countries are New Zealand, Portugal, Austria, and Denmark.", "summary": "Levels of peace around the world have improved slightly for the first time since the Syrian war began, but harmony has decreased in the US and terrorism records have increased, a Sydney-based think-tank has found."}
{"article": "Bethan Rhys Roberts hosts Ask the Leader on BBC One Wales at 19:00 BST on Friday. Carwyn Jones is a former barrister and Bridgend councillor who was elected to the assembly in 1999 and has been a Cabinet minister since 2000. He is front and centre of an almost presidential election campaign by Welsh Labour, focusing on his six-and-a-half-year record in charge as first minister. Opinion polls suggest the public rate Mr Jones more highly than his rivals, although the Conservatives are trying to drag him down by association with Labour's left-wing UK leader Jeremy Corbyn. Former First Minister Rhodri Morgan paid tribute to Carwyn Jones as \"the ideal person to have during a crisis\", citing his handling of the 2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak while he was agriculture minister. Labour sees the present steel crisis as giving Mr Jones an opportunity to portray himself as a national leader, standing up to the forces of global capitalism and a Tory government at Westminster. But the opposition script says that if voters are not happy with the state of public services in Wales, they should blame the party which has been running the country for nearly 20 years. Monday 11 April - Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies in Swansea Tuesday 12 April - UKIP Wales leader Nathan Gill in Swansea Wednesday 13 April - Welsh Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams in Aberystwyth Thursday 14 April - Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood in Aberystwyth Ask the Leader can be seen on BBC One Wales at 19:00 BST on Friday and on the BBC iPlayer. You can also follow the programme via social media - @walespolitics", "summary": "Welsh Labour leader Carwyn Jones faces questions from an audience in Llangollen in the last in a daily series of live TV election specials."}
{"article": "Faye Burdett, aged two, from Maidstone, Kent died on Valentine's Day after fighting the infection for 11 days. Her family said they were enduring \"a pain you cannot describe\" after the toddler contracted meningitis B. Their photographs of Faye, including one of her in hospital, have been widely shared on social media. The most widely shared image shows her covered in a rash from the infection lying in her hospital bed. More than 331,000 people have signed a petition calling for the NHS vaccination programme to be widened to all children. A vaccine to protect against meningitis B became available on the NHS for babies in September but parents who want to have older children vaccinated must pay privately. \"We campaign for change in her memory,\" said Faye's mother, Jenny. \"Faye was taken to A&E with a rash on her forehead. She was then transferred by South Thames Retrieval Service to Evelina Children's Hospital, where her heart stopped in the ambulance. \"They revived her and spent hours working on stabilising her. \"We were given a 1% survival chance but she proved them wrong and carried on fighting. \"After a few days she seemed to have turned a corner, but the sepsis started to affect her more.\" It was then that doctors presented the family with an option of amputation. \"The extent of removal was massive, full leg amputation and one arm and plastic surgery,\" Jenny said. \"We had to make the decision, a massive operation and she may die or we let her go peacefully on her own accord. \"We decided the latter and then watched our little girl slip away.\" Charlene Reed, who set up a JustGiving page in memory of Faye, to raise money for the Evelina hospice, said Faye's mother shared the picture to raise awareness. \"It's not nice, but it is reality. It's what this disease did to Faye which made her sadly lose her life on Sunday,\" she said. Sue Davie, chief executive of Meningitis Now, said: \"Although the introduction of the Men B vaccine on the childhood immunisation scheme for young babies was a momentous achievement, saving thousands of lives, there are still so many, like Faye, left unprotected. \"We continue to campaign to see the Men B vaccine rolled out, particularly to at-risk groups, to insure a future where no-one in the UK loses their life to meningitis.\" A Department of Health spokesman said: \"When any new immunisation programme is introduced, there has to be a date to determine eligibility. A decision based on the best independent clinical recommendation to ensure we can protect those children most at risk of Men B. \"When our nationwide Men B vaccination programme was introduced last year, England became the first country to protect our babies from this devastating disease.\"", "summary": "A mother has shared an image of her daughter before her death from meningitis to back a campaign for vaccines to be given to all children."}
{"article": "Defcad, as the firm will be known, has already been dubbed the Pirate Bay of 3D printing. The site will become a \"search engine for 3D printing,\" according to its founders. But its flouting of copyright is likely to face legal challenges. The firm is the brainchild of Cody Wilson, law student and self-styled crypto-anarchist. Last year he set up Defense Distributed, a project aiming to print gun parts. The project provoked controversy with 3D printing firm MakerBot pulling gun part blueprints from its website in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings and 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys refusing permission for its machines to be used by the company. It is also facing legal challenges to shut the site down. Despite the set-backs, it released a video this month demonstrating an AR-15 with a 3D printed part firing more than 600 rounds. Meanwhile its blueprints at non-profit Defcad.org have seen 400,000 downloads since the site was launched, according to founder Cody Wilson. Announcing the new for-profit Defcad.com at the South by South West conference in Texas, Mr Wilson said it was an obvious next step for the wiki weapon project. \"Help us turn Defcad into the world's first unblockable, open-source search engine for 3D printable parts,\" says Mr Wilson in the video posted on the website looking for funding. In the video, Mr Wilson said the revolution which many predict 3D printing will bring about will only happen if it can be freed from corporate ties. The blueprints available on the site will be for \"important stuff\", he said. \"Not trinkets, not garden gnomes but the things institutions and industries have an interest in keeping from us; access, medical devices, drugs, goods, guns.\" \"Supplying consumers with blueprints to print products designed by third parties is a business model fraught with risk,\" said Lorna Caddy of law firm Taylor Wessing. \"Many of those products will be protected by intellectual property rights, such as design law. Owners of those rights could assert them in the courts to prevent their designs being further distributed and to seek financial compensation,\" she added.", "summary": "The company that developed 3D printed gun parts has announced plans to launch a new firm, dedicated to copyright-free blueprints for a range of 3D printable objects."}
{"article": "Lord Janner died at the end of last year, shortly after a judge had ruled that the he was not fit to stand trial for alleged child sex offences. But a leading lawyer has told the BBC he sees \"a danger\" that the inquiry into Lord Janner's case may contravene the principles of a fair trial. As part of her wider inquiry, Dame Lowell, who served as a judge in her native New Zealand, will investigate the way public bodies handled child sex abuse claims. She will be holding further preliminary hearings this month into allegations of child sexual abuse involving the Anglican Church, Lambeth Council and a number of institutions in Rochdale. The inquiry will consider the prevalence of abuse and the adequacy of child protection policies. At this stage, though, it will not hear from witnesses. Instead, Dame Lowell has designated 17 complainants in the case as core participants, giving them access to relevant evidence and the opportunity to make opening and closing statements. Core participants will be able to ask for particular questions to be put to witnesses by the inquiry panel but they will not be allowed to question the witnesses directly. In setting out the scope of the investigation, Dame Lowell says she will consider whether or not the allegations against Lord Janner are \"well-founded\". It is only if particular allegations meet this test that she will go on to consider whether the various authorities concerned had failed in their responsibilities. This suggests that she intends to hold what amounts to a trial without a defendant. Last April, her team said: \"If the evidence permits findings of fact to be reached concerning the allegations against Lord Janner, the inquiry will record and publish these findings.\" If Lord Janner's criminal trial had gone ahead, prosecutors would have had to prove the allegations against him beyond reasonable doubt. However, it is thought that the Goddard inquiry will regard the allegations as well-founded if they can be proved on the balance of probabilities - the lesser standard of proof required in civil claims. Another question for the inquiry is whether witnesses who claim they were abused by Lord Janner should be cross-examined, as they would have been at a criminal trial. Unless lawyers for the various core participants are willing to challenge the evidence given by individual witnesses, Dame Lowell may have to consider appointing independent lawyers for the purpose. That's because the inquiry's findings may have a bearing on civil claims being made against the estate of Lord Janner and against the various public bodies that are accused of failing in their safeguarding duties. Prof Sir Ian Kennedy QC, who chaired the public inquiry into child deaths at Bristol Royal Infirmary which reported in 2001, said there was a danger that Lord Janner's case would become something like a trial. In an interview for BBC Radio 4's Law in Action he said: \"The difficulty is that it can't really be a trial, as we would recognise it, because the person who is centre stage is no longer there. \"And", "summary": "Dame Lowell Goddard's independent inquiry into child sexual abuse has begun hearing legal submissions about the scope of her investigations into the late Labour peer Lord Janner."}
{"article": "26 September 2016 Last updated at 14:43 BST She's come back from the Paralympics in Rio with four medals, including gold in the 400m, a silver in the 4x100m relay - and not to mention her gold medal and new world record in the 500m cycling time trial! Winning a gold medal in the sprinting and again in the cycling, Kadeena is the first British Paralympian to top the podium in two different sports since 1984. So plenty of reasons for her to be pleased and what better way to celebrate winning gold than with a little bit of a dance? Kadeena shows Newsround's Naz how to celebrate like a pro.", "summary": "Kadeena Cox is no stranger to celebrating on the podium, the 25-year-old from Leeds has enjoyed a lot of success in her career."}
{"article": "The building has been closed for two years after it was declared unsafe. The film's producers want to use the main entrance for around six weeks as a location when filming begins in July. Campaigners have arranged for engineers to survey some of the damage around it but hope work could enable the foyer and main hall to stay open. Ian Hill, the director of Save The Coal Exchange, said any remedial works would allow the building's front entrance, foyer and main hall to continue to be used once The Crow has finished filming. \"We are taking the opportunity to make sure that when the door opens, it stays open,\" he said. \"The Crow will be on site for around six weeks. When they leave, we hope to be able to keep the front door open, and give the public access to the foyer and main hall.\" The fee paid by the film's producers should cover the cost of making the entrance safe. The Crow will be shot on location in south Wales, and at the Pinewood Wales studios in Cardiff. The owners of the Coal Exchange went into liquidation last year, with around \u00a35m currently owed to Cardiff Council and two banks. The building is considered to be one of the capital's most significant historical landmarks, and was the place where the first ever \u00a31m cheque was signed. In recent years it had been used as a concert venue and office space until its closure in 2013. Discussions have already begun with the hope of transferring the ownership of the Coal Exchange to the charity which is campaigning to save the building. It plans to raise around \u00a315m to fund the restoration of the building over the next three to four years, if the initial works are successful in partially reopening the venue. THE COAL EXCHANGE - TIMELINE Actor Jack Huston is widely reported to be in talks to take on the lead role in The Crow, which will be filmed at Pinewood studios on the outskirts of Cardiff. It will be the first multi-million pound A-list film to get made at the new facilities. The original 1990s film starred Brandon Lee, who died on set after being accidentally shot.", "summary": "The Hollywood remake of The Crow, which will be filmed in south Wales this summer, could help reopen Cardiff's historic Coal Exchange."}
{"article": "The superb Jonathan Sexton kicked Ireland into a 6-0 lead before Handre Pollard replied before the break. Rhys Ruddock's try straight after half-time helped increase Ireland's lead to 13-3 before Marcell Coetzee's score cut the margin to three points. However, two more Sexton penalties and Tommy Bowe's try put the game out of sight before JP Pietersen's late score. The Springboks went into the game hot favourites after beating New Zealand a month ago but found themselves unable to match Ireland's remarkable resolve. Ruddock was a late inclusion in the Ireland team after original selection Chris Henry was ruled out by illness. Ireland had heroes all their pitch with prop Jack McGrath brave in the scrum and at the breakdown but there was no doubting that Sexton was deserving of his man-of-the-match honour. The Irish fly-half conclusively won his duel with emerging Springboks fly-half Handre Pollard as the home side effectively targeted both South Africa half-backs. Springboks scrum-half Francois Hougaard endured a nightmare evening as South Africa's backs moves were largely confined to runs from lively full-back Willie le Roux. Joe Schmidt's players also showed a ruthlessness in the closing 15 minutes after replacement hooker's Adriaan Strauss's sin-binning was followed by Bowe's match-clinching try. With Sexton orchestrating, the Irish effectively mixed a kicking and running game in the early stages and the fly-half kicked the opening points in the eighth minute after McGrath had out-duelled Jannie du Plessis in a scrum. Ireland, minus regular hooker Rory Best, struggled in a couple of early line-outs and had an escape in the 13th minute as Hougaard's fumble at the base of a ruck just short of the line allowed McGrath to hack to safety. Sexton's 24th-minute penalty increased Ireland's lead before the home scrum began to creak for the first time. Media playback is not supported on this device South Africa's scrum dominance forced two kickable penalties in three minutes but their decision to chase tries from line-outs backfired on both occasions as the Irish defence held firm. Pollard finally opened South Africa's account before the break to cut the margin to three and the visitors must have remained confident as they trudged into the dressing-rooms. However, they were rocked within two minutes of the restart by Ruddock's crucial try. Young Irish centre Robbie Henshaw's superb kick had forced Le Roux to concede a line-out deep in Springboks territory and Ruddock burst through to score after Devin Toner had soared to win Sean Cronin's throw. Sexton's conversion increased Ireland's lead to 13-3 but there was still some 36 minutes of action left. The visitors looked right back in the contest on 57 minutes as Coetzee barged his way over after the option of turning down an easy three points finally bore fruit. Pollard's conversion cut the margin to three but crucially Ireland doubled their advantage within six minutes as Sexton punished Duane Vermeulen's high tackle on Jamie Heaslip. Bakkies Botha was introduced width 15 minutes remaining but the South Africans were then handed a hammer blow as replacement hooker Strauss was yellow carded for", "summary": "Under-strength Ireland produced a display of discipline and invention to stun the in-form Springboks in Dublin."}
{"article": "Figures obtained by the BBC through the Freedom of Information Act show the stun guns were used 34 times in 2010 and 65 times last year. Human rights groups say they were being used too readily. Devon and Cornwall police said the rise could be linked to the increased number of officers now trained to use Tasers. Of the force's 3,200 officers, 480 are trained to use Tasers, up from 150 before 2009 and spending on the weapon rose from \u00c2\u00a333,470 in 2009 to \u00c2\u00a3101,379 last year, according to an FoI request . Nineteen of the 34 people that were shot with a Taser in 2010 were charged with an offence, and 37 of the 65 shot in 2011 were charged. Eulette Ewart, from the human rights group Amnesty International, said Tasers should only be used in \"limited circumstances \" where there was a \"serious threat to life or serious injury\". She said: \"Given the increase, one must question whether the incidents in 2011 merited the need for a Taser to be drawn as opposed to 2010 when it was only drawn 34 times. \"We are not against Tasers but they are very dangerous and so they need to be used in a very limited set of circumstances.\" The force's criteria for using Tasers states that they can be used if officers get permission from a senior officer and \"in the course of their duty, may have to protect the public, themselves and /or the subject(s) at incidents of violence or threats of violence of such severity that they will need to use force\". Nigel Rabbits, chairman of the Devon and Cornwall branch of the Police Federation, the officers' staff association, wants most frontline officers to have Tasers. He said: \"In Devon and Cornwall, it has been recognised that Tasers are a really useful safety measure for officers and the public. \"They are really safe. Most people recover really quickly from a Taser and walk away.\"", "summary": "The number of times police have used Tasers in Devon and Cornwall has nearly doubled over a two-year period."}
{"article": "Created by the Marylebone Cricket Club and the BBC in memory of commentator Martin-Jenkins, the awards recognise exceptional sportsmanship. Madsen was recognised for walking of his own accord in a County Championship match against Yorkshire this summer. Alton county cricket under-13 girls' team took the Youth Award. The joint MCC and BBC judging panel were impressed by their story of lending players to field for an opposition side in a league fixture this summer. Madsen's display of sportsmanship came when batting for Derbyshire against Yorkshire on 18 July. He feathered a ball from bowler Steve Patterson to the wicket-keeper and though umpire Jeff Evans gave the Derbyshire captain not out, Madsen opted to walk back to the pavilion, later stating that it was a matter of principle. Madsen went on to score 141 in the second innings, but Derbyshire still lost by an innings and 113 runs. MCC president and lifelong friend of Martin-Jenkins Mike Griffith said: \"MCC is passionate about its role as Guardian of the Laws and Spirit of Cricket, and it is instances like Wayne Madsen walking when his Derbyshire side was in real trouble against Yorkshire, which set an example for everyone in the game to follow and must be encouraged.\" BBC cricket correspondent and Test Match Special commentator Jonathan Agnew added: \"During a summer in which the spirit of the game was widely debated, Wayne Madsen gave a wonderful example of what many in the game still hold dear. \"Too often we are treated to negative instances, so how nice it is to celebrate and reward such a genuine act of good sportsmanship.\" Meanwhile, City Academy in Bristol are the first beneficiary of the award's school's prize. They have awarded a \u00a32,000 grant, which will be used by City Academy to support the enhancement of their cricket performance programme. Martin-Jenkins died of cancer at the start of January at the age of 67. He joined the BBC in 1970 and succeeded Brian Johnston as the BBC's cricket correspondent three years later, holding the post until 1991, with a break between 1981 and 1984. Read more about the Spirit of Cricket on the MCC website.", "summary": "Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen has been awarded the inaugural Christopher Martin-Jenkins Spirit of Cricket Elite Award."}
{"article": "Palm-sized fidget spinners have become the latest \"must-have\" for children. But while some schools have banned the toys as a distraction, Castle Gardens Primary School in Newtownards, County Down, has taken a different approach. The toys are being used as a teaching aid in some maths and English lessons. Primary four teacher Heather Hutchinson is behind the idea. \"These crazes come into school and you either go with them or they're a complete annoyance,\" she said. \"The children wanted to know whose spinner was going to spin the longest, so I saw an opportunity for a maths investigation.\" \"They timed each other's spin, recorded it on a table and then put it on to a graph.\" \"It was an opportunity for something a bit different with their learning.\" There are strict rules on when the spinners can be used in Ms Hutchinson's class, however. She collects them at the start of the school day and only hands them out for certain lessons. Her pupils have also honed their English skills by holding debates on whether they should be allowed in school and writing up their opinions. Despite all of the children owning fidget spinners, they are divided on their role in school. Eight-year-old Zach thinks they are a good idea. \"If you don't have neat writing you can spin them to help your finger muscles,\" he said. But his classmate Anna disagrees. \"I don't think they should be allowed in class, as they distract the teacher and if you were asked a question you wouldn't know what to do as you'd be sitting fidgeting,\" she said. Fidget spinners were originally developed as a way for children with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism to relieve stress. When it is placed between the thumb and a finger, the child can give it a quick flick to trigger a spin. There are many different types but the most popular is a small, three-pronged one with rounded ends. There are many different types but the most popular is a small, three-pronged one with rounded ends. There have been safety concerns, however, about ones with sharp edges or spikes. Castle Gardens principal John Gray said his staff checked which fidget spinners children are bringing into school. \"It is using a degree of common sense,\" he said. \"Ones that are appropriate and safe will be used and if they're not, the children wouldn't be allowed to have them and they'll be returned to the parents at the end of the day.\" But he does think the devices have their place in the classroom if used well. \"If the children are engaged and enthusiastic about something, the quality of learning will be higher,\" he said. \"We wouldn't use them for every lesson. \"It would be the occasional opportunity to use them in a numeracy or literacy lesson to engage the children in activities they would be doing anyway. \"For example, they would be doing graph work so we're using something to record real data they've taken themselves. \"They then plot the graphs, but because they're recording something", "summary": "They are the new craze sweeping school playgrounds."}
{"article": "The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said the slowdown last month was fuelled in part by uncertainty over the EU referendum. It also cited the higher stamp duty in place on investment property purchases. New buyer inquiries fell significantly across Scotland, with 21% more surveyors reporting a fall in interest. This was the sharpest decline since 2012. There was also a further fall in the supply of properties coming on to the Scottish housing market, and a decline in sales for a second consecutive month. Survey contributors said they expected that trend to continue, with 9% more respondents anticipating a further drop in sales over the next three months. The same trend was projected across the UK, with 12% more contributors expecting transactions to fall over the next 12 months - the weakest reading in four years. Rics chief economist Simon Rubinsohn said: \"Big events such as elections typically do unsettle markets so it is no surprise that the EU referendum has been associated with a downturn in activity. \"However, even without the build-up to the vote and subsequent decision in favour of Brexit, it is likely that the housing numbers would have slowed during the second quarter of the year following the rush in many parts of the country from buy-to-let investors to secure purchases ahead of the tax changes. \"Rics data does suggest that the softer tone to the market will persist over the coming months but the critical influence looking further is how the economy performs in the wake of the uncertainty triggered by the vote to leave. \"Respondents to the survey are understandably cautious, but with interest rates heading lower and sterling significantly so, it remains to be seen whether the concerns about a possible stalling in both corporate investment and recruitment are justified.\"", "summary": "House prices across Scotland have continued to rise despite a marked drop in housing market activity, according to a report."}
{"article": "NUS lawyers have written to Business Secretary Sajid Javid, demanding he properly considers the equality impact of the move. Plans to scrap grants were announced by Chancellor George Osborne in his budget in July. The government said it would respond to the letter in due course. Currently, students whose family income is below \u00a325,000 are eligible for full grants worth up to \u00a33,387 plus a loan of \u00a34,047 if they live away from home outside London. Partial grants on a sliding scale are available for students whose family income is below \u00a360,000. The government wants to replace the grants with loans for new students from next year. In its judicial review pre-action letter, the NUS identifies \"a serious and unlawful failure\" in the government to discharge a duty set out in the 2010 Equality Act to consider the impact of the policy on the poorest students. \"The abolition of maintenance grants will cause a very significant increase in debt for the poorest students; from \u00a340,500 to around \u00a353,000 at a time when the impacts of the 2012 recent reforms remain to be properly analysed and understood,\" says the letter. NUS President Megan Dunn called the government's plan \"reckless\", citing \"strong evidence\" the change would mean higher education \"becomes less accessible to minority groups\". She added: \"We know the huge damage that this change will have if it is allowed to happen. It is obvious that the government is attempting to rush through these changes with no consideration on future generations of students.\" Salima Budhani of legal firm Bindmans said the NUS was calling upon the secretary of state \"to halt plans to abolish maintenance grants and to gather information to enable him to properly consider the complex equality considerations at stake. \"An open minded reconsideration of the policy should then take place.\" A spokeswoman for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills said students would not have to pay back anything until their earnings rose above \u00a321,000. The maintenance loan for all students would also rise from next year to \u00a38,200 for students living away from home outside London: \"the highest amount of support ever provided\", the spokeswoman added.", "summary": "The National Union of Students (NUS) has taken the first step in legal action over government plans to scrap maintenance grants in England."}
{"article": "Cuts in benefits and tax credits since the financial crisis are further reasons cited by the GLA (Greater London Authority) Economics study. It finds 60% of women with children, who are eligible to work, have a job in London. That compares with just under 70% across the country, the report says. The Mayor of London's office said it was \"working to increase the number of flexible and good quality paid jobs for women\". Since 2008, part-time jobs in the capital have increased by nearly a quarter - to 1.6 million - compared to a 9% increase in the UK. However, women are not getting the same access to work as elsewhere, the Part-time employment in London report said. It said the costs of transport and childcare are barriers to women returning to work, with childcare costs in London 28% higher than the British average, according to the Daycare Trust. Because 34% of people use public transport in London, both the time it takes to travel and the price of fares reduce the incentive to get part-time work, GLA Economics said. \"The costs of travelling to work are likely to be higher in London than elsewhere in the UK,\" it says. \"The choice of whether to work part-time needs to factor in higher opportunity costs for working as compared to those working full-time. \"Longer journey times mean subtracting time from other important activities such as childcare, and because this is more expensive in London, it may well not pay for some to take a part-time job.\" But another major factor is that the tax and benefit system does not compensate for London's higher cost of living, according to the report. It says the coalition government's abolition of the In Work Credit allowance removed one way of giving eligible Londoners a premium to offset higher living costs. \"Other changes to the welfare system, affecting couples with children in particular, have occurred and are likely to continue to occur in the future (e.g. Universal Credit). \"If these policy changes do not take into account London's circumstances, the relative disincentive to take work in London (as compared to the rest of the country) could remain or become higher still.\" Karen Buck, Labour MP for Westminster North, said the high cost of living in the capital had been exacerbated by low pay. Recent research by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) suggested in six boroughs - Bexley, Newham, Merton, Harrow, Redbridge and Waltham Forest - the majority of female part-time workers earn less than the London living wage of \u00c2\u00a38.80 an hour. \"London needs a better deal on childcare, improvements in the minimum wage and faster progress towards the Living Wage,\" Ms Buck said. A Mayor of London spokesman said: \"The Mayor is looking at ways to work with employers to improve and increase the number of flexible and good quality paid jobs for women, particularly those with childcare responsibilities. \"He has introduced a part-time Travelcard with Transport for London and plans to commission employment programmes focused on supporting parents who are out of work or in low", "summary": "Women are finding it harder to work in London than the rest of the country because of the costs of transport and childcare, according to a report."}
{"article": "The submarine, one of the Russian navy's most advanced vessels, sank in the Barents Sea on 12 August, 2000 with the loss of all 118 people on board. An explosion of fuel from an old torpedo caused the disaster. Moscow's response to one of the greatest disasters in Russian naval history was widely criticised. Relatives and members of Russia's northern fleet are due to cast wreaths into the sea on Thursday in memory of the crew. Flags are being flown at half-mast at the headquarters of all Russia's naval fleets, and a ceremony and minute's silence was being held at Moscow's Central Army Museum. The initial response to the disaster in 2000 was shambolic, says the BBC's Richard Galpin. After radio contact was lost there was a still unexplained delay before a search and rescue mission was launched. Although the submarine was lying just 100m below the surface of the sea, attempts to locate it and reach it repeatedly failed. It was days before the authorities informed relatives that something was wrong and the then President, Vladimir Putin, initially remained on holiday. Russia eventually accepted international assistance, but when Norwegian divers opened the Kursk's hatch 10 days later they found the boat flooded and everyone dead. Many had died within seconds of the initial explosion, but others survived for several hours, a report found. Russian officials originally suggested the submarine may have collided with a foreign ship or with a stray mine. But it emerged that an explosion was caused by fuel that had leaked from a torpedo. This started a fire, which subsequently caused all ammunition on board to detonate. The boat was raised and the bodies recovered in 2001.", "summary": "Ceremonies are being held in Russia and on board its naval vessels to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Kursk nuclear submarine disaster."}
{"article": "Pamela Shimwell-Mayo, receives an MBE for services to Parkinson's and said she was \"incredibly emotional\". Financial expert Tim Cullen, 70, also receives an MBE for services to International Financial Management. Meanwhile, Judy Arnold, 67, has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to Cruse Bereavement Care. Mrs Shimwell-Mayo, whose late husband suffered with the disease for 30 years, has campaigned to raise awareness since 1989. The Isle of Man Parkinson's Disease Society Chairman said: \"I am in shock. My husband Derek and my mother would have been so proud. \"I can't wait to tell my daughters the news.\" Mr Cullen conceived and established the Small Countries' Financial Management Centre (SCFMC) in 2009. The initiative helps equip government officials from smaller developing countries with skills in financial regulation, public sector management, leadership and negotiation. The 70-year-old, who spent 21 years with the World Bank, said: \"It has been enormously satisfying and we have achieved remarkable things on a shoestring budget. \"I am absolutely delighted to be honoured, this programme has made a real difference.\" Since its formation the SCFMC has helped more than 100 people from about 30 countries. Mrs Arnold founded Cruse Bereavement Care in a friend's front room and has gone on to help hundreds of people. She said: \"It is wonderful and completely out of the blue. This is testament to the organisation itself and all the people we have helped.\"", "summary": "A founder member of the Isle of Man's Parkinson's Disease Society is one of three Manx residents recognised in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours list."}
{"article": "Scientists were able to locate the hotspots by matching the DNA fingerprint of seized ivory to DNA profiles from the dung of elephants living throughout the continent. Around 50,000 elephants are thought to be poached each year. The worst area for poaching was identified as Tanzania and nearby parts of Mozambique. The Tridom, which spans parts of Gabon, the Republic of Congo and Cameroon, was also highlighted. The researchers say the data, published in Science, may increase international pressure to stop the killing. This week, the US government hopes to send out a message against the illicit sale of elephant ivory by destroying one tonne of elephant ivory in New York's Times Square. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) banned the international trade in ivory in 1989, but a black market trade continues to thrive. Ivory is used for trinkets, souvenirs and also in traditional medicines. With an estimated population of less than half a million, the ongoing African poaching problem is rapidly driving the animal towards extinction, according to some conservationists. International efforts to try to stop the ivory pipeline focus on points of sale and tightening up controls at potential shipping routes. But, Dr Samuel Wasser, a conservation biologist from the University of Washington and lead researcher on the Science paper, thinks other measures might be more effective. \"The source populations are where it all starts, and to be able to focus on the source populations, especially the major source populations, is very very effective at trying to target these killings,\" Dr Wasser told the BBC's Science in Action programme. In an effort to identify where illegal ivory was originating from, Dr Wasser and his team turned to genetic analysis. Elephants live in social groups, or herds. Animals living in one location are more genetically related to one another than they are to animals living elsewhere. So, by analysing the DNA sequence - particularly those stretches that reveal relatedness - from animals living across Africa, the researchers could build a geographical map of elephant genetic diversity. Elephants are large, wary and not easy to sample directly, but their dung provides an abundant source of the essential elephant blueprint; that tell-tale DNA. An analysis of dung samples from 1,500 individuals, each from a separate family group and living in different locations across Africa, resulted in a detailed DNA geographical map. As Dr Wasser explained, this allows them to pinpoint the source of illegal ivory: \"We are very accurate. \"Most importantly, areas are further apart than 300km so that, combined with knowing the natural history of the area - what parks are there and where the elephants live - it means you can get it to the precise park.\" Essential groundwork done, they were poised to analyse ivory to pinpoint its source, and there was no shortage of material to analyse. The team focussed on 28 seizures made between 1996 and 2014. \"We analyse large animal seizures that are over half a tonne in weight, and that's important because these large seizures represent about", "summary": "Most illegally poached African elephant ivory can be traced back to just two areas of Africa, research shows."}
{"article": "The visitors were closing in on three points thanks to Christian Nade's first-half penalty and a fine finish from Robert Thomson. But Martin Boyle's late effort - after Daniel Harvie scored an own goal and James Keatings had a penalty saved - earned Hibs a point. A mistake from goalkeeper Alan Martin handed Boyle the equaliser. It meant two lost points for Dumbarton, who fall behind Raith Rovers, into eighth spot after the Kirkcaldy side's win over Dundee United. Dumbarton looked extremely well organised at the back in the first half, with space for the Hibs strikers at a premium. And the visitors were awarded the chance to take a shock first-half lead when Marvin Bartley needlessly bundled Andy Stirling to the ground just inside the home team's 18-yard box. Former Hearts striker Christian Nade made no mistake in despatching the ball beyond goalkeeper Ofir Marciano. When the home side equalised through a Harvie own goal, few inside the ground would have expected anything else other than Hibs going on to secure a victory. However, Thomson restored the visitors' lead with a stunning shot from 22 yards out to give the travelling support hope their team could secure their first win at Easter Road in more than 30 years. Martin, on loan from Hamilton Academical, had an afternoon he is likely to remember for a long long time. He kept Hibs at bay with stunning saves from Keatings and Brian Graham. None better than the penalty stop from Keatings that denied Hibs an equaliser after they laid siege on the visitors' goal. However, only he knows what he was thinking about when he dropped the ball on the edge of his box, allowing Boyle to nod the ball into the empty net to salvage a point. If, or indeed when, Neil Lennon manages to get his Hibs side over the line and secure their place back at Scottish football's top table, he will have plenty to think about regarding who he should retain on the playing staff. With 10 draws in the league this season, the Easter Road side are far from the finished article and the inconsistency shown at times by many of his squad could lead them towards the exit door in the summer. With two huge games coming up in the next 10 days against their closest challengers, Falkirk and Greenock Morton, the league title could all but be in the bag. However, any slip ups and those two, under two of the shrewdest managers around, Peter Houston and Jim Duffy, will look to pounce. Hibernian head coach Neil Lennon: \"I'm frustrated as we deserved to win the game. Ridiculous goals we are giving away. \"Our attitude towards the game in the first half wasn't good enough. \"This team has to be more consistent. I'm not scratching my head because I see it so often now. \"We are at home, but the malaise sets in and they are not learning. \"If they think they are going to get to the Premiership playing like that, they won't - and, if", "summary": "Championship leaders Hibernian twice came from behind to salvage a draw at home to Dumbarton."}
{"article": "Jones, who led by three strokes heading into Sunday, dropped three shots in his first two holes and triple-bogeyed the ninth but rallied to end eight under. American Spieth, who missed an eagle putt on the last to force a play-off, carded a 71 to finish joint second. He was joined on seven under by Scott, who shot a superb six-under 65. The round of the day, though, came from another Australian, Rod Pampling, who made a 60-foot eagle putt on the 18th green for a course record 10-under 61 to earn him a fourth-place finish on six-under. This bettered the 63 Spieth carded in the final round to win the title last year. Despite the leader's poor start and two birdies of his own on the front nine, 22-year-old Spieth was unable to capitalise before Jones' two birdies on the back nine gave him the win. \"That was very stressful, it wasn't comfortable out there for me,\" said Jones, whose victory earns him a place in next July's Open Championship at Royal Troon. \"I've watched the Australian Open for many years and just to have my name on that trophy is something I'll never forget.\" Joining Jones at next year's 145th British Open Championship will be fellow Australians Pampling and Nick Cullen. Cullen shot a 68 in his final round to share fifth place and earn the third qualifying place. England's Lee Westwood carded his best round of the tournament - a two-under 69 - to finish tied for 18th on two under, while a 76 from Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke left him joint 30th on four over.", "summary": "Matt Jones held off a challenge from world number one Jordan Spieth and fellow Australian Adam Scott to win the Australian Open by a shot."}
{"article": "Mladen Grujicic, who acknowledges the killings took place, won 54.4% of the vote, triggering alarm and calls for a recount among the Muslim population. Srebrenica was a Muslim-majority town before the war, but is now 55% Serb and 45% Bosniak (Muslim). The July 1995 slaughter has been deemed genocide by two international courts. Speaking to AFP before the vote, Mr Grujicic said \"the crime against the Muslims took place\" but like most Serbs refused to recognise it as genocide, saying: \"I leave (it to) competent institutions to qualify it.\" Outgoing Muslim mayor Camil Durakovic refused to concede defeat, crying foul and pledging to lodge a complaint. But Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said their candidate won, adding that chemistry teacher Mr Grujicic would lead a politics of \"reality in Srebrenica\" and would respect everyone, Beta news agency reported. Hatidza Mehmedovic, who lost her husband and two sons and heads a survivors' organisation, said Mr Grujicic \"could not run\" the town \"because his idols are war criminals such as Radovan Karadzic\", the Serbs' political leader during Bosnia's brutal 1992-1995 civil war who is serving a 40-year jail term. \"I do not fear for myself. They killed me a long time ago with my sons,\" she added. \"But I do fear for the young ones who have children and who are trying to rebuild something in Srebrenica, first of all trust.\"", "summary": "A man accused of not recognising the murders of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica as genocide has been elected the town's first Serb mayor since 1999."}
{"article": "A large wooden structure at Venture in Caia Park was destroyed by the blaze, which broke out at about 03:30 GMT on Wednesday. The main building was not affected and was operating as normal. North Wales Police and North Wales Fire Service are jointly investigating but the cause is unknown.", "summary": "An investigation has been launched following a fire in the grounds of a youth centre in Wrexham."}
{"article": "Gerard Coyne, who is challenging Len McCluskey for the leadership of Unite, said his rival was \"seeing plots all over the place\". He said Unite should not be focusing on \"the extreme politics of the left\". Mr McCluskey claims a \"cabal\" of MPs are treating the leadership contest as a \"proxy war\" against Mr Corbyn. But speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Coyne, the union's West Midlands secretary, said: \"Len is seeing plots all over the place and actually it is only him that has lost the plot in this election. \"He is rattled, he can see it slipping away from him, and he is lashing out with allegations about involvement in this campaign.\" The battle for control of Unite, Labour's biggest donor, has become increasingly bitter, with insults and accusations traded between Mr McCluskey and Mr Coyne. Fujitsu rep Ian Allinson completes the three-way line-up, and voting ends on 19 April. Mr McCluskey is a key ally of Mr Corbyn, and has suggested the Labour leader should be given 15 months to turn around his party's performance in the polls. Mr Coyne said he would offer no such \"shelf life\", but added that he had not supported Mr Corbyn's bid for the leadership, saying: \"I would prefer the Labour Party to be able to form the next government.\" On Sunday Mr McCluskey told the Observer Mr Coyne's campaign was being \"run by a cabal of West Midlands MPs who are trying to abuse Unite's democracy by fighting a proxy war against Corbyn\". He has also labelled his rival a \"puppet\" for the media and the \"right wing of the Labour Party\". Mr Allinson, who calls himself the \"grassroots socialist\" candidate, said the resources being spent on Mr McCluskey and Mr Coyne's campaigns should instead be spent on fighting for Unite members' jobs.", "summary": "The man hoping to unseat the leader of the UK's largest trade union has dismissed claims he is part of a plot to undermine Jeremy Corbyn."}
{"article": "Businessman John Adams renamed Palleg golf club in Swansea the Celtic Minor to attract more members. But a spokesman for Celtic Manor warned they will fight \"any attempt to take unfair advantage of their reputation\". Celtic Minor said \"there wasn't any issue\" with the name change. Club manager Melanie Eaton said the name change \"works in their favour.\" She added: \"You put Celtic Manor into Google and there's the Celtic Minor popping up underneath it so there are advantages of having a similar name. \"The club had been established a long time and initially the members didn't want a name change. But the response we get from most of them is brilliant. \"The club was relatively run down when it was bought out and the new owner has spent a lot of money.\" The Celtic Minor golf course is 53 miles (85 km) away from the Celtic Manor, which is owned by billionaire Sir Terry Matthews. A Celtic Manor Resort spokesman said: \"The Celtic Manor Resort would like to make it clear that Celtic Minor Golf Club has no affiliation with the Celtic Manor Resort or its three championship golf courses. \"Celtic Manor is a registered trade mark of Celtic Manor Resort Limited (UK) and we reserve all our rights to protect our name from any attempts to take unfair advantage of our reputation or to exploit our goodwill in these services.\"", "summary": "Bosses of the Celtic Manor, which hosted the Ryder Cup and the Nato summit, are threatening legal action against a village club changing its name to Celtic Minor."}
{"article": "The council said a decision would be made on the Princes Jetty location on Princes Parade after a feasibility study later this year. Plans for a terminal in the Cunard Building were scrapped in 2014, because of an estimated cost of up to \u00c2\u00a315m. The city last hosted regular transatlantic crossings in 1968. An existing terminal at Princes Parade is estimated to have generated \u00c2\u00a37m for the Liverpool economy last year, the council said. Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said: \"The temporary cruise liner building has been a tremendous success and served us well, but a city of Liverpool's standing and ambition needs a permanent building if we are to continue the growth we've seen in recent years.\" He added the cost of any development at Princes Jetty would be offset by the passengers' economic impact. But he stressed there was \"lots of work to do before we can give any scheme the green light\". A council spokesman said there had been \"a doubling in the number of vessels visiting Liverpool\" - from 31 to 61 - since they were able to turn around in the city's waters in 2012. \"Passenger numbers are up from 38,656 four years ago to an expected 86,365 this year.\" The council has commissioned a study \"into the design and cost of constructing a terminal capable of handling 3,600 embarking and disembarking passengers with baggage - twice as many as the existing facility\", he added. Cunard director Angus Struthers said it would examine if it could \"incorporate Liverpool into Queen Mary 2's iconic transatlantic crossings\" if the terminal plans are approved. Liverpool hosted the headquarters of Cunard from its launch in 1840 until the 1960s, when it moved to Southampton. A final decision is expected to be taken later this year.", "summary": "Liverpool has identified the preferred site of a proposed permanent cruise terminal that could see transatlantic crossings return to the city."}
{"article": "Operations are due to resume early next week after a meeting between NHS bosses and other partners on Thursday night. Data suggested death rates there were double that of other centres, but experts have questioned their accuracy. However, the Department of Health (DoH) said the NHS was right to investigate safety at the unit. A spokesperson said: \"We support NHS England and the trust in their decision to suspend surgery last week on the basis that there were serious concerns that needed to be investigated. \"If the trust and the regulators are content that these concerns can now be explained or addressed then we would support a joint decision to resume surgery.\" Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said work would be done over the weekend to give \"sufficient assurance\" the unit is safe to reopen, early next week. Doctors and other medical experts said the data on death rates had not been verified and was not fit to base a decision to close the unit on. Mortality data and staffing are just two of the concerns being looked at as part of a review into why children's cardiac surgery at Leeds General Infirmary was suspended last Thursday. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, NHS England and the Care Quality Commission have all been involved. The indication is that if the trust can provide strong assurances that heart surgery is safe, then the unit could reopen early next week. But discussions will continue over the weekend as part of the review, which is expected to last three weeks. If the unit does reopen, Leeds General Infirmary will have to reassure patients and families that safety of care is paramount. The NHS can ill afford another scandal after Mid Staffs. Yet Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will probably have the last say on the future of children's heart services, at Leeds and elsewhere. A separate independent review is set to report to him on the whole restructuring of children's heart services in England. But, Sir Bruce Keogh, the medical director of NHS England, said the figures were among a \"constellation of reasons\" the decision was made. He has been backed by health secretary Jeremy Hunt. A senior Westminster source has told the BBC that \"as far as the secretary of state is concerned, Sir Bruce Keogh was right to ask questions about the safety of heart surgery at the unit\". Parents had criticised the timing of the suspension of surgery at the unit, which came 24 hours after a High Court judge ruled that a decision-making process to close it as part of an England-wide reorganisation of services was \"legally flawed\". Stuart Andrew, the Conservative MP for Pudsey, called for \"some really serious investigating\" into the decision to suspend surgery. Mr Andrew claimed a review of the mortality figures showed \"Leeds is within the average and is a safe unit to use\". He said recent events raised questions about the NHS decision to close the Leeds unit for good and concentrate children's heart surgery in fewer centres. \"We are losing faith in that review process,\" said", "summary": "Children's heart surgery is set to restart at Leeds General Infirmary, a week after it was claimed data showed higher-than-usual death rates there."}
{"article": "Dean Carl Evans, 22, from Reading, died on 21 July during fighting in the city of Manbij, Kurdish reports suggest. His father, John, posted a statement on social media confirming the death and added: \"He was loved and will be missed by all his family and friends\". The Foreign Office is looking into reports of the death - the second involving a Briton fighting against IS. In a second post, Mr Evans, who lives in Oxford, said: \"I would like to say a massive big thank you to all my friends and family who sent their condolence for the loss of my son. \"He would have been very proud and would have regarded you all as his brothers and sisters, thank you again.\" Mr Evans was one of many foreign volunteers who joined the People's Defence Units (YPG) - the Kurdish military force fighting in northern Syria. Dean Carl Evans has become the second British man to die in the fight against IS with the Kurds in Syria. The first UK casualty, Erik 'Kosta' Scurfield, died during fighting to take back the strategic Til Hamis town in the Hasakah province in north-eastern Syria. Mr Evans died fighting for another strategic town, called Manbij, in north-western Syria. Kurdish YPG units were among forces which started an attack on Manbij, which has become the new epicentre of the fight against the IS Group in Syria, in April this year. Capturing Manbij from IS would cut the corridor between the town and the group's de-facto capital city, Raqqa, in central Syria. A UK-based pro-Kurdish activist, Mark Campbell, told the BBC Mr Evans had travelled to Syria in 2015 and again in March this year. He said his contacts near Manbij told him Mr Evans had been fighting on the frontline and sheltering behind a wall when he was fatally struck by a bullet. In a statement, the YPG described Mr Evans as a \"man with the noblest of intentions who planted a seed of love into the hearts of [his] friends and all the peoples of Rojava [Western Kurdistan]\". Jac Holmes, an IT worker who left the UK to join the fight against IS, posted a tribute to Mr Evans online. He said the pair had met twice, and described Mr Evans as a \"great man\" who had \"moulded himself\" into a soldier during his time in the Middle East. A number of well-wishers replied to John Evans' post on social media announcing his son's death. One user said: \"Feel for you soldier. Sorry to hear your sad news John. My thoughts go to you and your family. RIP young man.\" Another added: \"So so sorry to hear your sad news John. Keep strong and remember we're all here if you need someone to talk to.\" A statement from the Foreign Office said: \"As all UK consular services [in Syria] are suspended, it is extremely difficult to confirm the status and whereabouts of British nationals in Syria.\" It said it had advised for some time against all travel to Syria. \"Anyone who does travel to", "summary": "A British man has reportedly died fighting with Kurdish forces against so-called Islamic State in Syria."}
{"article": "One officer was killed and 10 people injured as police and occupiers confronted each other. Locals occupied the mine and refused to leave until the miners paid them a \"tribute\". They allege that the mine lies on their ancestral lands and they should be compensated by those exploiting it. There are conflicting reports as to how police Sergeant Jose Luis Quispe died. A lawyer for the miners said he was pushed over a precipice by the squatters. But one of the squatters said the officer fell as he was fleeing the clashes. Other witnesses said Sgt Quispe lost his balance after the protesters threw an explosive device in his direction. Interior Minister Carlos Romero said his death would be investigated and those responsible would be punished harshly. One of the occupiers told local radio that the violence was triggered when more than 200 officers were sent to evict them. He warned that if the officers were not recalled, locals would block roads. He said that the miners had tried to convince locals of the benefits their work would bring to the community. But he insisted that locals wanted compensation from the mining co-operative. The government on Tuesday welcomed the release by the occupiers of four police officers they had been holding hostage since Monday.", "summary": "Police in Bolivia have clashed with protesters they were trying to evict from a gold mine 200km (125 miles) north-west of the city of La Paz."}
{"article": "There have now been a total of 102 arrests since the match between Hibernian and Rangers at Hampden Park. Fans spilled onto the pitch after the final, which Hibernian won 3-2. The latest men arrested are aged 17, 18, 22, 32 and two men aged 23. Police Scotland confirmed a report would be submitted to the procurator fiscal. A dedicated email address has been set up for anyone with information. They can also contact Greater Glasgow CID on 0141 532 5457 or provide information anonymously via Crimestoppers.", "summary": "A further six men have been arrested in connection with violence and disorder at the Scottish Cup Final in May."}
{"article": "The artist was arrested at Shannon Airport in November 2014 when she was taken off a flight from New York after an alleged air rage incident. As she was being detained, O'Riordan told officers that she was an \"icon\" and the \"Queen of Limerick\". Last December, she admitted three assaults and obstructing an officer. She was diagnosed as suffering bipolar disorder after the incident. Medical reports given to the court showed she had been suffering mania and was mentally ill when it happened. At Ennis District Court in County Clare on Wednesday, a judge said it would be unfair to impose a criminal conviction on O'Riordan. He accepted O'Riordan has no memory of the incident and had a \"very severe medical illness which completely inhibited her judgment\". \"Let me be utterly clear that the defendant is not being treated any differently than anyone else,\" he said. The judge asked for the money to be paid to a charity that helps prisoners ahead of their release from jail. Originally from County Limerick, O'Riordan became a multi award-winning musician after first singing with the Cranberries when she was just 18. The band went on to become one of the biggest of the 1990s, selling tens of millions of records. Leaving the courthouse, O'Riordan said she was feeling \"very positive about this coming year\". She added: \"I have a couple of albums coming out and I'm going to go back to work.\"", "summary": "Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan has been ordered to give 6,000 euros (\u00a34,690) to charity after head-butting an Irish police officer."}
{"article": "From September, NHS staff and council workers will be among those required to have language skills equivalent to GCSE grade C or above. Managers will have to test employees can \"communicate effectively with the public\". Cabinet minister Matt Hancock said it was to help control immigration. The new rules, which will form part of the government's immigration bill, will mean every public sector worker in a \"customer-facing\" role will have to be able to speak at least school-leaver levels of English. It will include police officers, social workers, teaching staff and assistants and council employees. The government wants the policy to be rolled out across England, Scotland and Wales and said it would be working with the Scottish and Welsh governments on the details of the plans. Each organisation will have to decide how to test their staff based on guidance in a code of practice, which the government will produce after a consultation starting in the autumn. Existing employees who are not fluent enough may be given time to improve. Doctors working in the UK are already required to have a much higher level of English and are tested by the General Medical Council. The risk of a healthcare professional not being fluent was highlighted by a mistake made by Dr Daniel Ubani, a German doctor who gave a lethal dose of a painkiller to patient David Gray in 2008. At the time, as a European citizen, he was able to register to work in the UK without passing a language test but rules were changed in June last year. Mr Hancock said: \"We are controlling immigration for the benefit of all hard-working people. \"We have already introduced tough new language requirements for migrants, now we will introduce new legislation in the forthcoming immigration bill to deliver the commitment made by the prime minister to go further.\"", "summary": "People who do not speak fluent English will be barred from public sector jobs which involve working directly with the public, the government has said."}
{"article": "The line-up includes Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter and is best viewed from southern parts of the northern hemisphere. In Northern Ireland, astronomers say all five planets should come into view simultaneously by about 24 January. The Irish Astronomical Association said it will be a \"sight not to be missed\". However, successful planet spotting will depend on local weather conditions and the amount of cloud in the sky. Terry Moseley, a former president of the Irish Astronomical Association, said Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter are the only five planets that are ever visible from Earth with the naked eye, but it is rare to see all of them at once. He said that in the UK, the alignment would be visible in southern parts of England first and should come into view in Northern Ireland a few days later, as it lies further north. Mr Moseley added that four of the planets can be seen from Northern Ireland at the moment on clear nights, but added that \"elusive little Mercury\" is always the hardest to see because it is closest to the horizon. \"Mercury will be easiest to see from about 28 January to 2 February, but you should start looking from about 24 January in case the skies are cloudy later,\" Mr Moseley advised skywatchers. \"You should start looking from about 45 minutes before sunrise, and you'll need a good clear horizon to the south east,\" he added. \"Venus will be by far the brightest, a brilliant beacon above the south east horizon. Look about a hand-span to the left of Venus, and slightly below it, to try to spot Mercury, which will be much fainter, and not easy to find in the twilight glow.\" The director of Armagh Observatory, Mark Bailey, said the last time such a view was visible was January 2005. He will be talking to schoolchildren in Tandragee library, County Armagh, on Thursday, explaining what to look out for. Skywatchers will have to distinguish the row of planets from some very bright stars. Mr Bailey said that one of the brightest stars in the sky - Arcturus - will also form part of the alignment view, along with another star, Spica, more or less vertically below it. Observatory staff have produced images showing the alignment on the morning of Friday 22, January, shortly before Mercury is expected to come into view. Mr Moseley added: \"The group will be joined by the waning crescent moon from 1 February onwards, making an even more glorious sight.\" The pre-dawn sky show is best viewed from high ground, in places were there is little light pollution. \"You need a good, dark view towards the southern horizon,\" Mr Bailey said. He suggested locations such as Divis mountain in Belfast; the Sperrins in counties Londonderry and Tyrone and Slieve Beagh near the border with County Monaghan. The alignment will be visible from some areas until 20 February, but both local astronomers advised that the window will be much shorter in Northern Ireland as Mercury will disappear from view several days earlier.", "summary": "Skywatchers are about to get a rare chance to see five planets align in the night sky in a celestial show that has not been seen for more than a decade."}
{"article": "The host country beat South Africa by just two wickets at the match in Bristol. England will now face either Australia or India at Sunday's final at Lords Cricket Ground in London. Hopes will be high for England, who have only lost one match this competition and topped their table in the group stages.", "summary": "England have made it through to the final of the Women's Cricket World Cup."}
{"article": "The 18 sketches are by artist Donald McGill who produced more than 12,000 original artworks for the postcard industry between 1904 and 1962. Along with a pun-filled caption, the pencil sketches include stamped approval by the censorship board. They sold for between \u00a355 and \u00a3220 and fetched about \u00a31,200 in total, auctioneers Moore Allen said. Described as the \"king of the saucy postcard\", McGill produced thousands of artworks and an estimated 200 million postcards were printed and sold. Often with a double, risqu\u00e9 meaning, one of his sketches shows a buxom blonde flashing her bloomers as she waters a flowerbed with a passing man saying: \"I like her display of pinks, Fred!\" Another features a red-faced policeman telling a curvy blonde driver with a broken taillight: \"You've got no light behind, so I'm afraid I'll have to pinch you.\" But in the 1950s, McGill fell foul of a crackdown on the saucy postcard industry and was prosecuted and fined under the 1857 Obscene Publications Act. Many postcards were destroyed by their owners during the government crackdown.", "summary": "Original bawdy sketches the basis of thousands of \"saucy seaside\" postcards have been auctioned in Gloucestershire."}
{"article": "Creditors fear they will not be paid, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder said, adding the city is \"basically broke\". Court papers filed on Thursday night listed 100,000 entities as creditors to the city. But unions have described the bankruptcy filing as a power grab. Detroit, once a symbol of US industrial power, has faced decades of decline. It is seeking protection from creditors who include public-sector workers and their pension funds. Detroit's problems stem from declining industry. Public services are nearing collapse and about 70,000 properties lie abandoned. Mayor Dave Bing has vowed that public services will keep running and wages for public workers will be paid. Mr Snyder said in a televised statement on Friday morning: \"Currently those creditors have a situation where they don't know what they'll get paid, and whether they'll get paid at all.\" \"The growth of Detroit is critically important for all of us,\" he said. \"Let's Detroit on the path to being a great city again.\" By Jonny DymondWashington correspondent Detroit's fall is complete. It is a depressing, if inevitable, end to a grotesque saga of decline, corruption and mismanagement. The irony is that the bankruptcy comes just as the private sector is picking up in Motor City. There is a buzz downtown, with commercial and residential occupancy at record levels. But public services are in a state of near collapse. Around 70,000 properties lie abandoned. Great swathes of the city need to be written off. For some, the announcement will come as some kind of relief. When I was last there business leaders told me that some kind of decision had to be taken about the city's future - that agonising limbo was unsustainable. The problem now is not just image. Bankruptcy looks bad. But Detroit is already a poster child for urban failure. Nor is it just about being locked out of capital markets - few would lend to the city anyway. But bankruptcy could take years to sort out, when Detroit's real world problems need urgent remedies. In pictures: Detroit bankruptcy \"Today is a major step to getting on that path,\" the governor added. On Thursday, Michigan state-appointed emergency manager Kevyn Orr asked a federal judge to place the city into bankruptcy protection. If it is approved, he would be allowed to liquidate city assets to satisfy creditors and pensions. Detroit - known as Motor City for its once-thriving automobile industry - stopped unsecured-debt payments last month to keep the city running, as Mr Orr negotiated with creditors. He proposed a deal last month in which creditors would accept 10 cents for every dollar they were owed. But two pension funds representing retired city workers resisted the plan. Thursday's bankruptcy filing comes days ahead of a hearing that would have tried to stop the city from making such a move. Mr Orr suggested at the time there was a 50-50 chance of the city needing to file for bankruptcy. He also said the city's long-term debt could be as high as $20bn. At a press briefing on Thursday, Mr Orr said filing for bankruptcy", "summary": "Detroit may be gearing up for a battle with creditors the day after it became the largest US city ever to file for bankruptcy, with $18bn (\u00a312bn) of debt."}
{"article": "The shooting of Philando Castile last year made international headlines after his girlfriend broadcast the aftermath live on Facebook. A civil lawsuit for wrongful death has concluded with the news that Valerie Castile, his mother, will receive the money from the city of St Anthony. The Hispanic police officer who shot him was acquitted of manslaughter. Mr Castile, a 32-year-old school cafeteria worker, was stopped by police last July and the encounter began cordially. Police officer Jeronimo Yanez informed him his brake light was out and asked for his insurance and licence. But when Mr Castile politely told the officer about the gun he was legally carrying, things became tense and seconds later the officer opened fire, after shouting \"Don't reach for it!\" Last week, the family of a black man shot in Ferguson, Missouri, reached a $1.5m settlement over his death, which sparked riots and a national debate about police use of lethal force against African Americans.", "summary": "The family of a black driver killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in Minnesota will receive $3m (\u00c2\u00a32.4m)."}
{"article": "A Russian defence ministry statement said the Turkish vessel approached to 600m (1,800ft) before turning away in response to Russian small arms fire. The Turkish military attache in Moscow has been summoned to the foreign ministry over the incident. Relations remain tense over Turkey's shooting down of a Russian bomber. The Russian SU-24 bomber was shot down by two Turkish F-16s in the Turkish border-Syria area on 24 November. Turkey maintained the plane crossed into its airspace, although Russia disputes this. And last week, Turkey complained over what it said was a sailor on a Russian naval ship brandishing a missile launcher as the vessel passed through Istanbul. Russia rejected the criticism saying the crew had a \"legal right\" to protect the ship. 24 November - A Turkish F-16 fighter jet shoots down a Russian Su-24 attack aircraft, allegedly because it violated Turkish airspace. Russia denies the claim and insists the aircraft had been in Syrian airspace. A Russian pilot is killed parachuting from the jet, and a Russian marine is killed in a subsequent rescue mission. 28 November - With Turkey refusing to apologise over the incident, Russia announces a package of economic sanctions against Turkey, including restrictions on imports and travel 6 December - Turkey condemns Russian \"provocation\" after Turkish media publish showing a Russian serviceman holding a rocket launcher aboard a warship passing through the Bosphorus. 13 December - Russia fires \"warning shots\" at a Turkish fishing vessel that it says was approaching its warship in the Aegean Sea. Presidential war of words Impact on Russian-Turkish relations Turkey downs Russian fighter jet - what we know In the latest incident, Russia's defence ministry said its frigate Smetlivy was anchored just off the Greek island of Lemnos on Sunday morning when it spotted the Turkish fishing boat heading towards it some 1,000m (3,000ft) away. \"Despite numerous attempts by the crew of the Smetlivy, the crew of the Turkish fishing boat did not make radio contact and did not respond to visual signals by semaphore or warning flares,\" the ministry said in a statement. To prevent a collision, \"small arms were fired in the direction of the Turkish vessel from a range that is not lethal\". The ministry said that \"immediately after that the Turkish vessel drastically changed course\" and passed within half a kilometre of the Smetlivy, still making no contact with the Russian crew. Russia's deputy defence minister has summoned a Turkish military attache, the statement said. Turkey has not yet given its response to the incident. Russian military vessels are involved in Russia's intervention against rebels in Syria. President Vladimir Putin described as a \"stab in the back\" Turkey's downing of the Russian bomber and has imposed economic sanctions. Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned on Friday that Ankara's patience with Russia was \"not unlimited\", and accused Moscow of using \"every opportunity\" to punish Turkey for the downing of the plane.", "summary": "Russia says one of its warships fired warning shots at a Turkish fishing vessel in the Aegean Sea to avoid a collision."}
{"article": "The experienced 26-year-old front-man is expected to go straight into the Alex squad for Tuesday night's home date with Peterborough United. Haynes' arrival follows the signing of fellow forward Febian Brandy from Championship side Rotherham for a further month's loan extension. The Alex have the joint-worst scoring record in League One. Saturday's late winner at Walsall was only their 11th goal in 13 matches this season, in stark contrast to their defensive record. Their goals-against total of 30 is the worst in the Football League. Former Ipswich Town, Millwall, Bristol City, Barnsley, Charlton Athletic and Hibernian striker Haynes has made two Notts appearances this season, having had his pre-season disrupted because of injury.", "summary": "League One bottom club Crewe Alexandra have signed Notts County striker Danny Haynes on a month's emergency loan."}
{"article": "Students from Kent School in Maryland launched The Oyster with a time capsule onboard off the New Jersey coast on 13 June and tracked it across the ocean. Robert Morgan from Tenby found the boat in Swanlake bay, near Manorbier, while collecting rubbish from the beach. Kent School said they were \"thrilled\" the boat had reached Wales. The outside of the vessel contained a message in English and Spanish asking whoever found it to deliver it to the local \"middle school\" - or pupils aged 12-14 - who they said would find a list of email addresses and other items inside, and asking them to contact the school. In a message to BBC Wales, the school said: \"We are thrilled that The Osprey made landfall in Pembrokshire. It was launched on June 13. \"We look forward to interacting with students who may have a chance to view the contents of our time capsule.\" Mr Morgan said he had been unable to remove the vessel from the beach himself as it was very heavy and he did not have transport, but he reported it on social media and it has now been taken to Greenhill Secondary School in Tenby. Matthew Davies, deputy head, told BBC News: \"We had a message yesterday which came through from a member of staff who also works for the local lifeboat. \"He went to pick [the vessel] up and has brought it into school.\" The boat featured in a Year 8 assembly first thing in the morning and is now waiting to be opened. \"Our excitement was at fever pitch. We're going to wait for our head teacher to make contact with the school in the US and then hopefully do a live weblink with them and open it up.\" Mr Davies added he hoped the boat's arrival would see the start of a link with Kent School. Asked about the possible contents of the capsule, he said: \"I'd have to leave that to the children. If we were sending them one out we'd maybe send one which was representative of our community and our school. But I'd guess maybe an American flag and a state flag.\"", "summary": "An unmanned boat sent by a school in the USA has washed up on the Pembrokeshire coast three months after it set sail."}
{"article": "Winger Ashley Young and debutant defender Reece James, 20, also scored two goals each after striker Danny Welbeck had opened the scoring. Van Gaal, made United's longest-serving player, midfielder Darren Fletcher, captain for the pre-season friendly, the first of four games on the club's US tour. The Dutchman, who led the Netherlands to the semi-finals of the 2014 Fifa World Cup, saw another debutant, Ander Herrera, dictate proceedings in midfield with a good range of short and long passes delivered crisply and accurately. Van Gaal marked his arrival at the Pasadena Rose Bowl with some almost magisterial waving to United supporters as the team coach approached the stadium which hosted the 1994 World Cup final. It was nothing like the tentative manner with which Moyes had approached the same task 12 months earlier. The change could be seen in Van Gaal's first starting line-up. Only two players survived from the team Moyes saw beaten 1-0 by Singha All Stars in Thailand a year ago - defender Jonny Evans and Welbeck. There was also a new 3-4-1-2 formation, with debutant Luke Shaw - a \u00a327m buy from Southampton this summer - and Antonio Valencia operating as wing-backs either side of a three-man central defence and Juan Mata in an advanced midfield role. Van Gaal used the same tactic to steer Netherlands to third place in Brazil. There were few signs of emotion from the 62-year-old when striker Welbeck put his side in front with a first-time finish from 20 yards. Welbeck had been one of the players he had been urging to \"look at the ball\" during shooting practice in Tuesday's training session. But even after the England man had drilled home the loose ball once Mata had been fouled, Van Gaal restricted himself to a raised right fist as he rose to acknowledge the first goal of his reign. Overlooked for the captaincy after Fletcher was handed the armband, Rooney doubled the visitors' lead from the penalty spot three minutes before the break. By the time he strode purposefully down the tunnel at half-time, Van Gaal had seen his team score again, Rooney profiting from Tommy Meyer's abysmal defending, and he had also been in animated discussion with the fourth official over an incident that had evidently angered him. Bacup-born left-back James, who was on loan at Carlisle last season, reacted joyously to both his goals and, as Galaxy's defence fell apart, Young scored twice in as many minutes at the end. In changing his entire team during the interval, apart from midfielders Fletcher and Herrera, Van Gaal made good his promise to look at everyone before deciding who needs to be kept and who will be released. United's next friendly will be against Roma in Denver on Saturday. LA Galaxy (4-1-3-2) Penedo; Gargan, Meyer, Leonardo, DLG; Ishizaki, Sarvas, Juninho, Husidic; R Keane, Zardes Manchester United (3-4-1-2) De Gea; Smalling, Jones, Evans; Valencia, Fletcher, Herrera, Shaw; Mata; Rooney, Welbeck. Second-half - (5-3-2) Lindegaard; Rafael, M Keane, Fletcher, Blackett, James; Herrera, Cleverley, Kagawa; Young, Nani.", "summary": "Manchester United's new manager Louis van Gaal made a winning start as Wayne Rooney scored twice in a 7-0 defeat of LA Galaxy in front of a crowd of 86,432 at the Rose Bowl in California."}
{"article": "The \u00a3300m re-signalling project affected Cardiff and Valley line services and mainline travel between Newport and Bridgend from Christmas Eve until 2 January. Passengers experienced \"severe delays\" and cancellations from Thursday after engineering works over ran. Network Rail said the lines have now been handed back to rail operators. The project also saw a new platform eight open at Cardiff Central station on Monday - which will allow more trains to arrive at the station at any one time. It has been designed to ease congestion and will be used by passengers travelling on lines to Penarth, Barry Island and destinations in the Vale of Glamorgan. The positive effects were already being felt by commuters on Tuesday. Peter Clarke, who lives near Reading but stays in south Wales during the week while working in Cardiff, even missed work over the festive period as he was worried about the effects of rail alterations. The works on top of weekday train delays meant he \"couldn't face it\" and he lost wages. He described the situation frustrated passengers faced before platform eight opened - sitting on a static train waiting for a platform to become free. Mr Clarke said: \"If I'm staying in a hotel in the valleys, it is not too bad to Queen Street. But then to central, a three or four minute journey can take 15 to 20 minutes, just sat between the stations. \"It is so frustrating, it is quicker to get off at Queen Street and walk.\" He said the situation is exacerbated if a train is late, with trains then queuing to get on to one of the few available platforms. But with platform eight open, allowing more to arrive at central at the same time, he said he had a \"good experience\" on Tuesday. Jacob Hewlett, 24, has been left frustrated by late trains, but believes the situation will now improve. He said: \"I travel on the Ebbw Valley line and there are always plenty of delays - 20 or 30 minutes into Cardiff. \"It is just really annoying when you have another 10 or 15 minutes on top of that after a hard day's work. An extra line should make my trip to work an awful lot easier.\" Ryan Smith is also confident the work will improve train speeds, but wants to see more work done nearer his home. The line to Treherbert turns to a single track north of Porth, which means only one train can travel on it at a time. He wants to see another put in to speed up the service near the end of the line. For Louis Curtis from Penarth, securing investment to improve the front of the station is just as important as improvements inside. He described the entrance as \"a bit grotty\", adding: \"Before you had the bus station outside, which wasn't that nice. \"Now, it's been knocked down and work is going on, it doesn't give a good impression of the city. \"Hopefully it will be better when everything is done, but there should be more green spaces.\"", "summary": "Work to upgrade the rail lines in south Wales has been completed over the festive period, Network Rail has said."}
{"article": "McGuigan was among five players who quit the Tyrone squad shortly before this year's championship after feeling they were not getting enough game time. Last week, manager Harte said that those players had been \"a bit of a drain on the energy of the group\". McGuigan tweeted on Monday that Harte's comments had made his \"blood boil\". The Ardboe man, who was drafted into the Tyrone squad in early 2014, added that Harte was \"great at destroying a player's confidence\". \"It has annoyed me since and that's why I am posting this now because I am not going to sit about and say nothing,\" added McGuigan, who insisted he had given his all at Tyrone training every week. \"Even when I didn't get on, I never sat with a face on me nor did I huff and any Tyrone player could tell you that. \"Mickey Harte you are a great man and what you have done for Tyrone GAA is unbelievable. \"But do you know what else you're great at? Destroying a player's confidence!\" McGuigan, brother of former All-Star forward Brian McGuigan and another ex-Red Hand man Tommy, opted out of the Tyrone panel after the team's relegation from Division 1 of the League, along with Paddy McNeice, Dwayne Quinn, Emmet McKenna and PJ Lavery. Harte drafted in a number of replacements and the Red Hands regrouped from an early Ulster Championship exit against Donegal to go as far as the All-Ireland semi-finals where they suffered a narrow and controversial defeat by Kerry. Speaking last week, Harte spoke of his regard for players who \"bide their time and have the patience. \"They are probably the people who will serve you best in the long run anyway. \"The people who feel they're not getting as much game time as they want, they tend to be a bit of a drain on the energy of the group.\" In his Twitter comments on Monday, McGuigan identified himself as one of the players Harte was referring to. \"Yes I was one of them. He (Harte) went on to say that they were a drain on the energy within the panel. \"He also stated that men should just hang around and when their chances comes, then they should take it. \"I hung on and hung on fully fit and injury free all year. \"Did all the pre-season training from November and and through the cold winter nights. \"To sit there seeing the same men, week in and week out get their chance and see a player come back into the squad one week before the last league game of 2015 and get on before me just made my decision a whole lot easier.\" McGuigan is thought to have been referring to Joe McMahon who was excused from duty for the majority of the League as he attempted to regain fitness following injury before returning to the squad.", "summary": "Former Tyrone panellist Shay McGuigan has responded angrily to comments from Mickey Harte about players who left the Red Hand football squad last summer."}
{"article": "More than 100 firefighters were sent to tackle the fire at EMR in Saltley, West Midlands Fire Service said. Power supplies to 4,000 homes were cut off at 19:45 BST because the site of the fire is underneath pylons. Emergency services were alerted at about 14:00 BST. Residents were advised told to keep doors and windows shut. National Grid staff is also at the scene because of concerns about a gas main next to a nearby canal. The fire service said it believed the blaze started accidentally. A spokesman for Western Power Distribution, which supplies power in the area, told BBC News initial fears that 40,000 homes could be affected were allayed after it temporarily re-routed power around the network. More updates on this and other stories in Birmingham and the Black Country Properties in the Nechells and Saltley area were affected, but by 20:50 BST, only five properties were left without power, the spokesman said. There are now 10 fire engines at the scene in Clarel Avenue. Seventeen were needed at the fire's peak. BBC WM producer Kevin Pashby tweeted video of smoke billowing into the sky. West Midlands Fire Service tweeted: \"The guys and girls are working really hard to stop this spreading. In dangerous conditions, lots of pops and bangs.\" The fire service urged people to stop calling after receiving more than 100 999 calls. Staff from the Environment Agency, which regulates the site, are at the scene because of initial concerns over pollution. Neil Johnston, West Midlands Fire Service station commander, said he expected crews to remain at the scene for several days because of the severity of the fire. From the scene: BBC Midlands Today's Elizabeth Glinka: There are huge flames and plumes of black smoke coming from the fire with more fire engines arriving at the scene every few minutes. I believe there are over 100 firefighters here now along with other emergency crews and Network Rail as there are two rail lines nearby. I've seen a train approach very, very slowly as it has gone through the smoke, although we believe services are managing to get through. Public Health England has also been called to the scene. There are no reports of injuries.", "summary": "Up to 800 tonnes of metal and plastic is ablaze at a recycling plant in Birmingham with huge plumes of smoke visible across the city."}
{"article": "Mohammed Allan, an alleged activist for the Islamic Jihad militant group, was on a respirator and was being given fluids, an Israeli hospital said. His case is being seen as a test of a recent Israeli law authorising the force-feeding of hunger strikers. Israeli doctors are challenging the law, which they say is unethical. The Israeli Medical Association has described force-feeding as tantamount to torture and a violation of a patient's rights. It has urged doctors to refuse orders to perform the procedure. Supporters of the law say force-feeding is necessary to save prisoners from death, and to discourage them from using hunger strikes as a tactic to end - or draw attention - to their detention. It is not yet known if Mr Allan will be subjected to the controversial procedure, in which doctors forcibly insert a tube into the empty stomach. The decision could depend on his medical condition. A statement from the Barzilai hospital, where Mr Allan is being treated, said his condition had deteriorated on Friday morning but remained stable. \"The treatment is being administered according the ethics committee guidelines and includes respiration and intravenous fluids and saline,\" a hospital statement said. Jamil al-Khatib, a lawyer for Mr Allan, told the AFP news agency that he had heard his client had gone into a coma and that Israeli authorities were planning to force-feed him. However, an Arab-Israeli MP, Osama Saadi, told the Associated Press news agency that Mr Allan was not being force-fed and was not in coma. Mr Allan has been held without charge since November.", "summary": "A Palestinian held without charge by Israel has lost consciousness after nearly two months on hunger strike in protest at his detention."}
{"article": "Researchers say the 1,000-year-old object with a swastika on its stomach is made from a rare form of iron with a high content of nickel. They believe it is part of the Chinga meteorite, which crashed about 15,000 years ago. The findings appear in the Journal, Meteoritics and Planetary Science. The 24cm (9-inch) tall statue is 10kg (22lb) and is called the Iron Man. The story of this priceless object owes more perhaps to an Indiana Jones film script than sober scientific research. It was discovered in Tibet in 1938 by German scientist Ernst Schafer. His expedition was supported by the Nazis, in particular by Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS. Himmler was said to believe the Aryan race originated in Tibet and was keen to recover objects from the area. Brought back to Germany, the statue became part of a private collection and disappeared from view until 2007. A new owner then sought scientific advice on the origins. He turned to Dr Elmar Buchner from the University of Stuttgart. \"I was absolutely sure it was a meteorite when I saw it first, even at 10 metres\" said Dr Buchner. He said that the clue was in small, thumb like impressions caused by the melting of the surface. Further analysis showed that it was a rare ataxite class, a type of meteorite not often found on Earth. \"It is rich in nickel, it is rich in cobalt. Less than 0.1% of all meteorites and less than 1% of iron meteorites are ataxites, so it is the rarest type of meteorites you can find.\" Meteorites have been seen as a sign of divine activity across many cultures since the dawn of time. Knives and jewellery were made from iron meteorites by ancient Inuit. But tracing their exact origins is often extremely difficult. The German and Austrian scientists who worked on the Iron Man with Dr Buchner were surprised to be able to trace the statue to a specific event in meteorite history. The researchers believe it was carved from a piece of the Chinga meteorite that fell in the border region of eastern Siberia and Mongolia about 15,000 years ago. The debris from the crash was only discovered in 1913 by gold prospectors, but the individual fragment from which the statue was carved was collected many centuries before. \"We were quite astonished by the results,\" said Dr Buchner. \"OK, it's a meteorite but what amazed me was that we could also say it was from Chinga, that we could find the provenance, that was really astonishing for me.\" The statue is believed to portray the god Vaisravana. The researchers think it belongs to the pre-Buddhist Bon culture that existed in Asia about 1,000 years ago. \"If we are right that it was made in the Bon culture in the 11th Century, it is absolutely priceless and absolutely unique worldwide,\" observed Dr Buchner. Neither the person who carved it or the Nazis had any idea it was made from such a rare substance, he said. In keeping with the Hollywood element in the", "summary": "An ancient statue that was recovered by a Nazi expedition in the 1930s was originally carved from a highly valuable meteorite."}
{"article": "Darren Machon, 39, of Maesteg, had denied burgling a house in Park Street, Bridgend, in February. But a witness spotted his \"distinctive\" boxer shorts after she saw him bent over while rummaging through cupboards, a statement from South Wales Police said. He was jailed for 34 months on Tuesday after a trial at Cardiff Crown Court. Machon was arrested for the burglary while he was in police custody for a separate offence, the police statement said. As he was getting changed in his cell, an officer noticed his underwear, which had pictures of hot dogs and doughnuts, matched those described by the witness of a burglary earlier that day. Det Con Darren Bowen said: \"The witness in this case and also the officer who recognised the underpants also deserve credit as it was their vigilance and attention to detail which no doubt ensured that Darren Machon was linked to the burglary. \"He is a prolific criminal who will spend a number of years behind bars where he belongs - no doubt he'll spend a few of those years thinking about how he should have put his lucky pants on that day.\" Machon was also convicted of dangerous driving and disqualified from driving for 41 months.", "summary": "A burglar has been jailed after his \"novelty\" underwear was held up in court and used as evidence against him."}
{"article": "Almost 800 people were diagnosed with flu-like symptoms by GPs in the two weeks over Christmas and there have been 195 hospital cases this winter. This included 25 people in intensive care, while there were 10 outbreaks at hospital wards and care homes. Pregnant women and those with long-term health conditions are most at risk. Public Heath Wales (PHW) said the flu strain currently circulating could be particularly serious for older people, but the number of young adults and teenagers visiting GPs with symptoms had also increased. Dr Richard Roberts, head of the Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme at PHW, said: \"We expect the flu virus to circulate at increased levels in Wales for six to eight weeks, with lower levels even longer, so it is important to ensure that remaining eligible people are vaccinated as quickly as possible to help protect them for the rest of this season.\" The jab is available from GPs and some pharmacies and is free for those most at risk, including children. Health and social care workers should also have the vaccination and get can get it through their employers. Flu is a respiratory illness caused by a virus that affects the lungs and airways and can spread very easily. Symptoms, which usually last about a week, usually develop very fast and include a high temperature and often include a headache, aching muscles, extreme tiredness and a cough. Most people with flu symptoms do not need to see a doctor, and PHW advised people to drink plenty of fluids and take ibuprofen or paracetamol to relieve symptoms.", "summary": "Vulnerable people have been urged to have the flu jab as the number of people admitted to hospital with the virus in Wales continues to rise."}
{"article": "The Red Hands trailed by nine points at one stage to a Derry side which led 2-4 to 1-5 at the break, with goals from Benny Heron and Ryan Bell. Patrick Quinn scored Tyrone's goal while Bell added a penalty before Derry's Emmet McGuckin was sent-off. Tyrone piled on the points but Mark Craig's goal put Derry in front before two Connor McAliskey frees won it. Derry were unable to halt the determined holders, who had a star performer in midfielder Richie Donnelly. Media playback is not supported on this device Heron was the first to find the net and points from Mark Craig, Bell and Mark Lynch eased the hosts further ahead, with the Red Hands losing centre back Justin McMahon to a black card. Bell smashed home a penalty in the 23rd minute, but Tyrone hit back with a Quinn goal on the half-hour. McAliskey and Johnny Munroe tagged on points, and at the break Derry led by two points. Sean Cavanagh came off the bench to score a point before a Mark Bradley free gave Tyrone the lead. Derry were awarded a second penalty in the 50th minute, which Bell again converted. However, the loss of McGuckin to a second yellow card was an increasing problem for Damian Barton's side, and Tyrone struck a series of scores through Peter Harte, Richie Donnelly and David Mulgrew. Derry's fourth goal came from Craig five minutes from the end, but the visitors responded with a couple of McAliskey frees to win by the narrowest of margins. Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup results Saturday 9 January Section C Cavan 3-14 0-9 Ulster University Sunday 10 January Section A Derry 4-6 1-16 Tyrone Section B Donegal 0-8 2-6 St Mary's College Down 0-8 0-14 Fermanagh Section C Monaghan 2-9 0-16 Armagh", "summary": "Tyrone fought back to clinch a 1-16 to 4-6 victory over Derry in a dramatic Dr McKenna Cup encounter at Owenbeg."}
{"article": "Beerens, 28, netted twice against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday to add to a stunning strike in the previous home game against Bristol City. \"I'm happy for myself,\" the Dutchman told BBC Radio Berkshire. \"I know I can score more goals than I have so far, but as a team we're working on picking up more points.\" Beerens, an August arrival from Hertha Berlin, has missed just the one Championship match for the Royals this campaign and knows maintaining momentum will be key. \"I'm happy I'm the one on the scoresheet for now,\" he added. \"But we stick together as a team to get the job done. \"We travel to Leeds on Tuesday and that's going to be tough, but we have to keep going and we know if we do that, we can get a good result.\"", "summary": "Winger Roy Beerens says he is thrilled to be weighing in with goals as Reading look to keep hold of their position in the Championship top six."}
{"article": "Confirmation that terms had been agreed with O'Neill followed a board meeting of the Irish Football Association. The 42-year-old, who recently resigned as Shamrock Rovers manager, will occupy the role for an initial period of two years, beginning on 1 February 2012. He will be in charge for a friendly against Norway on 29 February, followed by games with the Netherlands and Finland, before World Cup qualifying. Two other candidates were interviewed for the job, former Ipswich Town and Queens Park Rangers boss Jim Magilton and ex-Hull City, Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic manager Iain Dowie. O'Neill won 33 caps for Northern Ireland during his playing career, scoring seven goals, and played club football for Newcastle United, Dundee United and Hibernian. He entered management as assistant at Cowdenbeath before becoming manager of Scottish side Brechin City. He became Shamrock Rovers manager in 2008 and guided the club to successive League of Ireland titles in 2010 and 2011. He made history by becoming the first manager of a League of Ireland team to reach the group stages of the Europa League following a play-off victory over Partizan Belgrade. O'Neill left the club following their final Europa League game against Tottneham Hotspur earlier this month. \"I am honoured to be chosen to manage my country,\" said O'Neill. \"I'm a proud Northern Irishman who was fortunate enough to win 33 senior caps and it was always an ambition to manage my country. \"To be entrusted with the role early in my managerial career is quite humbling but I am confident that we can make progress. \"Northern Ireland has a strong football tradition but one that needs to be refreshed with some more contemporary success. \"That is my primary objective - to restore a sense of belief and pride in what it means to represent Northern Ireland so that our players will want only to play for their country - that is how it should be. \"There is a huge amount of work to be done but with the right direction and the necessary passion good progress can be made. \"The board and the chief executive have a clear plan for the future and have given me responsibility to set about the task of renewal within the context of a long-term plan. \"At the same time, in the interests of everyone involved, most particularly our supporters, my job is to work with the players to sustain a competitive performance throughout the qualifying phase of the 2014 World Cup finals.\" Northern Ireland have been drawn against Portugal, Russia, Azerbaijan, Israel and Luxembourg for the World Cup qualifiers, which begin in September. Patrick Nelson, chief executive of the Irish FA, said O'Neill was \"the stand out choice from an excellent field\". \"The selection panel was very impressed with his thoughts and plans over the coming years.\" Nigel Worthington, after his side's poor Euro 2012 qualification campaign in October, told BBC Sport: \"The toughest thing for any Northern Ireland manager is the lack of numbers that you've got to pick and choose from. \"The one thing I experienced is", "summary": "Michael O'Neill has been appointed as the new manager of Northern Ireland."}
{"article": "She is 22 years old and Um Ahmad is not her real name, but nobody likes to give their real name in Syria these days. Wearing a veil under her pink coat, she lights a cigarette and recalls the first days of the movement. \"I used to go door-to-door knocking on women's houses to encourage them to take to the street,\" she said. Though Um Ahmad presents herself as a member of the conservative Islamist Salafi movement, she and her fellow protesters were not calling for a state ruled by Sharia law. \"We were going out for our call for freedom, democracy and a civil state,\" she explained. Um Ahmad has been detained before and is now in hiding after joining Free Syrian Army (FSA). \"The only way forward is to fight this regime with weapons,\" she said. She joined the ranks of the Ghouta Revolutionaries brigade, part of the Damascus suburb's military council, helping with logistics. \"I joined the Ghouta Revolutionaries because this brigade doesn't have a conservative Islamic name, not like the rest of the brigades across the country,\" she explained. The eastern suburbs of Damascus, known as Eastern Ghouta, have always been seen as the conservative part of the city. In most parts it is hard to find a woman who is not veiled. That is especially true in Douma, a town that has around 800,000 inhabitants. Douma was the first area in the suburbs to witness anti-Assad demonstrations back in March in 2011, only one week after protests were broken up by the authorities in the flashpoint town of Daraa. On 24 March, the people who demonstrated in Douma were not only townspeople but young students of different religious and social backgrounds from across the country. They met at the university dormitory and went out to protest together. But now the scene is very different. \"There are various FSA brigades in Douma and most of the time they don't coordinate with each other,\" Um Ahmad said. \"The one that is most powerful and more organised is Liwaa al-Islam. They are the ones with the biggest funding and more weapons\". Liwaa al-Islam is a conservative group applying Islamic Sharia. And this is what many in Syria - including many in the the opposition - do not want to see. \"They have set up a Sharia court and they prosecute whoever they suspect as an agent of the regime or amongst the security themselves. In most cases they are killed,\" Um Ahmad said. Liwaa al-Islam is getting most of its funding from Saudi Arabia, mostly from Syrians living in the kingdom. They are also reported to have weapons which they have taken from regime forces. Abdulwahed, who is close to the group, recently joined the FSA after his home was destroyed by government shelling. \"We have got nothing else to lose, we have to fight and we only have hope in God to help us topple this regime.\" When asked about Islamic law being implemented, he did not see a problem in that. \"They now have judges who are looking", "summary": "Um Ahmad was the first woman to join the protests in Douma, a town on the eastern outskirts of Damascus."}
{"article": "Razwan Faraz, former deputy head teacher at Nansen Primary, also, on one occasion, had girls sitting at the back and boys at the front, it was claimed. Mr Faraz and four other senior staff deny unacceptable professional conduct. The school was investigated amid claims of a Muslim hardliners' plot to control several schools. The National College for Teaching and Leadership hearing, in Coventry, heard from former staff member Hilary Thompson, who resigned in May 2013 because of \"ongoing exclusion, isolation, lies and bullying.\" The hearing was told her resignation followed periods of absence for sickness and came after a leadership restructure at Park View Educational Trust. The trust ran Park View Academy, Nansen Primary and Golden Hillock Primary. In her witness statement, Mrs Thompson said the Islamic assemblies were held without consultation with the head teacher at the time or parents. On one occasion the children were segregated and appeared to be chanting \"Islamic prayer\". Some of the assemblies, she said, were lead by Monzoor \"Moz\" Hussain, former head teacher at Park View Academy. Some witnesses have been granted anonymity when giving evidence in the hearing. A senior teacher at Park View, known as \"Witness A\", told the hearing she was aware of flyers being distributed saying things such as women should obey their husbands in marriage. She said prefects were acting as monitors and reporting back to some teachers when boys and girls were getting too close. Where dating was evident, some children were segregated and kept in silence. The tribunal was also told that in her witness statement she told of hearing both pupils and staff use anti-Semitic language. She said it went on unchallenged and \"racist and homophobic comments were an on-going problem\" at Park View Academy. Staff before the tribunal are accused of unprofessional conduct, by agreeing to the inclusion of an undue amount of religious influence in the education of pupils along with. They are: In a separate hearing, in Birmingham, teacher Johirul Islam had an accusation of bringing undue religious influence into lessons dismissed. Another hearing, in Solihull, against Inamulhuq Anwar and Akeel Ahmed has finished. The panel has adjourned to consider its conclusion, which will be delivered at a later date. Ten teachers in total face hearings.", "summary": "Islamic assemblies were held without consultation at a Birmingham school involved in the \"Trojan Horse\" affair, a misconduct panel has heard."}
{"article": "Jonathan Moyo, minister of tertiary education, told reporters it was a fitting tribute to the 93-year-old president's \"commitment to education and his exemplary leadership\". It is unclear where the money will come from in a country where unemployment and poverty is endemic. Economic output has halved since 2000. Last year, more than four million Zimbabweans were in need of food aid due to drought. The country was once known as the breadbasket of southern Africa. Despite this, the cabinet has agreed to spend $800m building the new university in Mazowe, 35km (20 miles) outside the capital Harare. Another $200m has been set aside for an endowment fund for research and innovation at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe University, which will focus on science and technology, Mr Moyo said. He would not be drawn on where the funds were coming from. Africa Live - read more on this and other stories The announcement of the new university was met with derision from opposition parties, which hope to end Mr Mugabe's 37-year reign at next year's general elections. \"This is populism that defies logic,\" said Obert Gutu, a spokesman for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). \"It is meant to stroke Mugabe's ego because we know this government is broke.\" Zimbabwe already struggles to pay for education - as well as public services and infrastructure like roads and hospitals - spending 90% of the country's annual budget on wages. The MDC says the money would be better spent on Zimbabwe's existing universities, where students face crumbling infrastructure and a lack of accommodation. According to state media, Mr Mugabe has seven earned degrees and 11 honorary degrees. He is a trained teacher and after coming to power in 1980, his government massively increased the provision of state education to the previously disadvantaged black majority. Zimbabwe recently had the highest literacy rate in Africa, at 90% of the population. Mr Mugabe's wife Grace was awarded a controversial PhD from the University of Zimbabwe in 2014.", "summary": "Zimbabwe is to build a $1bn (\u00c2\u00a3770m) university dedicated to the man accused of leading his country to the brink of economic collapse, Robert Mugabe."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Ryan Farquhar took victory in the Open race, run on Friday night, the classic race and the Moto 450 outing. William produced a dominant ride in the main event of the meeting, taking the chequered flag by 28 seconds from runner-up Jamie Hamilton. Mullingar's Derek McGee was third on the Wilson Craig 600cc Honda. Earlier, William followed up his double win in the 600cc category at Cookstown by winning the Supersport class from McGee and Hamilton in difficult conditions. Weather conditions were better on Friday evening when Farquhar won a thrilling Open race by 0.4 seconds from Tyco BMW pilot Dunlop. Early leader Hamilton, from Ballyclare, completed the podium positions. McGee took the flag in the Supertwins class, seeing off the challenge of Hamilton. Jeremy McWilliams, making his debut over the 5.3-mile circuit, was third in the Classic race.", "summary": "William Dunlop clinched a double success at the Tandragee 100 meeting, winning the feature Superbike race and the Supersport 600cc event."}
{"article": "Armagh finished with 13 men themselves after the second-half dismissals of Aaron Findon and Brendan Donaghy. David Givney and Joshua Hayes received first-half straight red cards as Niall McDermott and Chris Conroy goals helped Cavan lead 2-6 to 0-3 at the break. Killian Brady was sent off late on as Armagh's 16 wides helped Cavan hang on. In addition to the five red cards, referee Barry Cassidy also handed out four yellow and two black cards as the two teams served up another bad-tempered clash following the pre-match brawl which overshadowed their Ulster Championship game in 2014. Sunday's game was the first of three meetings between the teams in 2016, with a league contest to be followed by an Ulster SFC tie in May. Givney, on his return to Breffni colours after opting out last year, received a straight red card in the sixth minute after the referee ruled that he had elbowed Michael Murray. McDermott nailed the opening goal a minute later and Conroy buried a second in the 18th minute, before Hayes was sent-off for an off-the-ball foul in the build-up. Armagh kicked 16 wides, eight in each half, but were particularly poor in the opening half when they failed to score for 26 minutes and also lost full-forward Andrew Murnin to a black card. The Orchard men improved in the second half with Gavin McParland, Stefan Campbell and Ethan Rafferty on target. They got the deficit back to five points with 13-man Cavan visibly tiring. However the pendulum swung again when Findon and Donaghy were sent off by referee Cassidy. Charlie Vernon's black card challenge on Ciaran Brady sparked an ugly fracas and when tempers calmed down, Findon went for two yellows and sub Donaghy was given a straight red for wrestling with Tom Hayes on the ground. Cavan recovered their composure and soaked up the pressure with 12 men behind the ball. Killian Brady became the fifth player to see red in the last minute. Also in Section C, late goals from Derry forward Cailean O'Boyle and Mayo man Evan Regan sealed a deserved 2-16 to 1-9 win for Ulster University over an under-strength Monaghan side. Two points from debutant Barry McGinn helped the Ulster champions lead 0-3 to 0-2 but O'Boyle, Conan Grugan, Stephen Sheridan and Donegal star Ryan McHugh were on target as the Jordanstown outfit fought back to move 0-8 to 0-4 ahead by half-time. A McGinn goal cut Ulster University's advantage to 0-9 to 1-5 midway through the second half but the college side dominated the closing stages as the O'Boyle and Regan goals sealed their emphatic success. Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup results Section A Derry 4-16 2-12 Antrim Tyrone 3-17 0-11 Queen's Section B Donegal 1-11 0-11 Down Fermanagh P-P St Mary's College Section C Armagh 0-11 2-08 Cavan Monaghan 1-09 2-16 Ulster University", "summary": "Cavan had three players sent off yet still earned a 2-8 to 0-11 win over Armagh in a fiesty Dr McKenna Cup opener at Crossmaglen."}
{"article": "NI First Minister Arlene Foster said she was shocked and deeply saddened to hear of Mr Hunter's death. He was well-known to the public as a television and radio reporter with the BBC in Northern Ireland. He later was appointed as director of media and public relations with the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Mr Hunter, 64, had also served in a senior role in the BBC Northern Ireland press office. In a statement, the Hunter family said they were \"absolutely devastated at the loss of a loving husband, father and grandfather\". Mrs Foster said Mr Hunter was \"held in the highest regard by all who knew him\". \"As a highly respected journalist for many years, Austin's professionalism and exemplary journalistic skills put him at the forefront of his profession,\" she said. \"Austin was a man of deep integrity and objectivity who was respected by all who knew him or came in contact with him.\" Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness described him as a \"very good journalist and nice man\". \"Austin was a man with a wide range of communication and interpersonal skills and made a considerable contribution to the media and public relations industry here for over 40 years,\" he said. Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt, who worked as a journalist with the BBC and UTV, said Mr Hunter was a \"great journalist\" and \"superb human being\". Mr Nesbitt said Mr Hunter had been \"very encouraging\" when he began his career at the BBC. Peter Johnston, director of BBC Northern Ireland, said Mr Hunter was \"a true professional\". \"He demonstrated his great skill as a journalist on the frontline of reporting of some of the toughest times in Northern Ireland and throughout his BBC career he also gave generously of his time and knowledge to encourage others,\" he said. Former colleagues of Mr Hunter at BBC Northern Ireland and across the media have also paid tribute. Kathleen Carragher, Head of BBC News NI, said her former colleague was \"passionate about Northern Ireland, the people and the politics and it informed all his work\". \"He helped many young journalists in Northern Ireland develop their careers and he will be deeply missed by all who knew him.\" Former Controller BBC Northern Ireland Anna Carragher said Mr Hunter was \"a very sensitive man who was also fantastic fun to work with\". Andrew Colman, former head of news and current affairs at BBC NI, said Mr Hunter had reported on \"many of the most difficult and challenging circumstances\" of the Troubles \"with great compassion and integrity and won the respect of all\". Former head of news and current affairs and chief editorial adviser BBC NI, Keith Baker, said Mr Hunter was \"always calm and measured and was trusted by audiences and by those he had to work with on stories, particularly those who were recently bereaved\". \"He will be remembered for his honesty, for being a great colleague and mentor and for that impish sense of mischief that was never far away.\" News Letter editor Alistair Bushe said Mr Hunter's leadership skills had helped \"lead it", "summary": "The former BBC journalist and News Letter editor Austin Hunter has been killed in a traffic accident in Bahrain."}
{"article": "Members of the University and College Union are staging a one-day strike with a further walk-out planned at the Oxford regional centre on 2 December. The university council met on Tuesday to agree the restructuring plans. The centres set to shut are in Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Gateshead, Leeds, London and Oxford. Staff in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Milton Keynes, Manchester and Nottingham are also joining the strike. The union said the student support centre closures would put 502 jobs at risk. The OU wants to centralise its support centres in three locations: Manchester, Nottingham and Milton Keynes. Union branch president for the university, Pauline Collins, said: \"Nobody wants to take strike action, but we have now been left with no alternative. The university needs to listen to our concerns and abandon these damaging proposals.\" Peter Horrocks, vice-chancellor of The Open University, said the decision meant \"much-needed improvements\" could be made to student support services, which had not been possible across smaller, dispersed offices. \"Our priority now is to maintain and improve services for our hard-working students while supporting our staff as we start to implement these changes,\" he said.", "summary": "Open University (OU) staff have gone on strike after the institution said it would press ahead with plans to close seven regional centres."}
{"article": "Rousey beat Tate in 2012 and 2013 but lost her bantamweight title and unbeaten record when she was knocked out by Holly Holm last year. \"She's never been hit like that in a fight,\" Tate, 29, told BBC World Service reporter Ade Adedoyin. \"That head kick was brutal. I don't know if she'll come back the same.\" Tate beat Holm in Las Vegas last weekend to become champion and is keen to avenge her double loss to fellow American Rousey. However, she claims Rousey does not appear too focused on a return to the octagon. \"She is doing movies, she seems to have a career path in other areas,\" said Tate. \"She's obviously in love with [fellow UFC fighter] Travis Browne. She wants to have his kids. It seems like her mind is in so many other places than fighting.\" Tate also says Rousey's reputation has been damaged. \"Ronda has had everything work out perfectly in her career so far,\" said Tate. \"Her whole plan was to retire undefeated. Now that is scratched, so her legacy is tarnished in a sort of way. I would say in a big way, actually.\" Tate submitted Holm in the fifth round of their contest in UFC 196, rendering her compatriot unconscious with a choke hold. \"I'm trying to let it sink in, I'm trying to be in the moment and enjoy this because I worked very hard on this for a long time,\" said Tate. \"It's a very good feeling to have that sense of accomplishment. \"At the same time, there's so much to take in, so much emotion and so much to process, I don't think I've fully processed it yet.\" \"She chose to step up, to take the risk,\" said Tate. \"This time it didn't pay off the way she wanted it to. \"But it's more admirable in my mind for her to be that kind of a champion and that kind of a woman than it is to be the person who runs from a challenge. \"She wanted to take on the next biggest challenge, which was myself. She went out on her shield like a warrior. She just has all my respect.\" The new champion said: \"At some point. I think it's maybe returning the favour because she stepped up for me and took that risk. When you respect someone as much as Holly, how could I tell her 'no'? \"I'm just more confident after this fight. It's just done something different for me and I think I would win before the fifth round. \"I really feel super confident now. I took her best shot. I took her down and I feel like she crumbled under that pressure. \"If she wants to do it again at some point, I'm sure we could do that, but I'm confident I will win again. Faster.\" \"I'm not a fan of fighters who just win, I'm a fan of fighters that push through adversity or carry themselves in a way that I feel is more humble,\" adds Tate. \"I admire humble champions because that's when", "summary": "New UFC champion Miesha Tate says she wants to face Ronda Rousey for a third time but doubts whether her nemesis will be the same fighter."}
{"article": "The boy stabbed Vincent Uzomah, 50, in a classroom at Dixons Kings Academy, Bradford, on 11 June. There was \"clear evidence\" he attacked Mr Uzomah because he was black, the city's crown court heard. He was handed an 11-year extended sentence, which includes six years' detention and five years on licence. The boy, who admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent but denied attempted murder, was told he could serve half of the six years in custody. He racially abused Mr Uzomah before stabbing him in the stomach with a kitchen knife he had brought to school, the court heard. Jonathan Sharp, prosecuting, said the boy had discussed the attack with a friend beforehand, and later made \"sick\" boasts about his actions on Facebook. About 20 minutes after the attack, the boy, who was not arrested until six hours later, posted a status update containing the line \"I stick a blade straight in his tummy\". The post received 69 \"likes\", something the judge described as \"an appalling reflection of a small microcosm of our society\". Mr Sharp told the court the boy had taken a dislike to Mr Uzomah in the seven weeks he had worked at the school. \"The defendant disliked him, claiming he couldn't teach, and freely referred to him by the epithet beginning with the letter n, including saying it in anger just before he attacked him,\" he said. He said the boy attacked Mr Uzomah after a row over his mobile phone. The teenager was described by witnesses as \"getting angry, red in the face\", Mr Sharp said. \"He approached Mr Uzomah and reached into his pocket, but at that point he took out the knife and stabbed Mr Uzomah in the stomach. \"Mr Uzomah thought he was going to die.\" Sentencing the boy, who cannot be named because of his age, Judge Durham Hall QC described him as \"out of control\" and a bully who \"could not tolerate being told off\". Speaking outside court, Mr Uzomah said: \"As a Christian, I have forgiven this boy who has inflicted this trauma and pain on to me and my family. \"It was, however, important for the law to run its course and for a strong message to be sent out, especially to kids of similar tendencies, that violence is never acceptable. \"Our prayer for him is that he will make use of the opportunities and support that will be provided to him, to become a changed person who will make a positive contribution to society.\" Det Supt Simon Atkinson, from West Yorkshire Police, said: \"This was a shocking and very serious attack on a man doing a job he loved, and he was lucky that the consequences were not more serious. \"His attacker showed no concern by fleeing the scene...he worryingly showed a further lack of remorse towards his victim by boasting about it on social media.\" Outside court, Mr Sharp said it was \"truly remarkable\" that Mr Uzomah had forgiven his attacker. He said: \"The victim has suffered serious physical and psychological injuries, has had to put his", "summary": "A 14-year-old boy who stabbed a supply teacher before bragging about the racially-motivated attack on Facebook has been handed an 11-year sentence."}
{"article": "The spacecraft is aiming to make a dump-down on the planet\u2019s Meridiani Plain a week on Wednesday. US researchers have suggested sand particles could soon start lifting into the atmosphere - something they do on a regular, seasonal basis. But the European Space Agency says it is unconcerned. Indeed, some scientists are even excited at the prospect. \u201cWe always knew we could arrive in a dust storm and Schiaparelli was designed with that possibility in mind,\u201d said Esa project scientist, Jorge Vago. \u201cAnd from the point of view of getting data on the electrification of dusty atmospheres, it could be very nice,\u201d he told BBC News. Schiaparelli is carrying to Mars the first ever instrument dedicated to this purpose. The US space agency put out a release last week that raised the idea of an imminent storm, noting it could eventually evolve into the type that envelops the whole globe. In truth, it is unlikely to get that big for many weeks - if at all. But, irrespective of timescales, European engineers insist they are prepared. A lot of dust in the Martian air would increase abrasion on Schiaparelli\u2019s entry heatshield and on the big parachute it will use to slow the fall to Meridiani. All this has been tested in advance on Earth. Likewise with any associated strong winds - the plain is wide enough and flat enough to accommodate an off-centre landing. \u201cThe only thing it could affect is the images we take on descent,\u201d explained flight director Michel Denis. \u201cIf it\u2019s too dusty we might not be able to see the surface so well.\u201d Schiaparelli is a 600kg demonstrator - a trial of procedures and technologies needed to land on the Red Planet. Europe\u2019s only previous attempt to land on Mars was short-lived. Its 2003 Beagle-2 effort failed to deploy properly after touching down, subsequent satellite pictures revealed. Schiaparelli will hope to fare better, albeit with a planned surface operation of only a few days. The probe is part of Esa\u2019s ExoMars programme to explore the Red Planet and search for signs of past or present life. The other parts of the project include Schiaparelli\u2019s \u201cmothership\u201d, called the Trace Gas Orbiter. Once this satellite has dropped off the Italian-built entry module, it will remotely investigate Mars\u2019 atmosphere and geology. The final part of ExoMars is a UK-assembled robot rover, to be delivered to the planet\u2019s surface in 2021. Key elements of Schiaparelli will be replicated in the platform that places the six-wheeled vehicle on the ground. This includes all the algorithms for guidance, navigation and control (GNC), as well as the doppler radar which determines the distance to the ground. \"With the GNC and the radar, we will be carrying over the \u2018brains\u2019 of the Schiaparelli, if you like,\u201d explained Vincenzo Georgio from aerospace prime contractor Thales Alenia Space. Schiaparelli and Beagle-2 have little in common. For one thing they use very different technology to make the final approach. Beagle relied on bouncing airbags to cushion its moment of impact; Schiaparelli will use retro-rockets to bring it to a", "summary": "The European Schiaparelli probe may have to contend with relatively dusty conditions when it arrives at Mars."}
{"article": "The midfielder fired in off the bar within seconds of coming on after latching onto Adam Armstrong's header. Bradford, whose outside hopes of automatic League One promotion have now all but gone, went close through Josh Cullen and Jamie Proctor. Their miserable night was completed when substitute Steven Davies was sent off for an off-the-ball incident. The Bantams have dropped to fifth but stay in the play-off spots, while Coventry are 11th, six points shy of the top six, after their second win in four days. Sky Blues boss Tony Mowbray told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire: \"Andy Rose is a good player. He has a great future at this club. I had a long chat with him before the game, as he was the only change from the weekend. \"He is a fantastic athlete. He is 6ft 2ins, he can head it, he can run, he can spray long passes. His time is going to come. \"The goals had dried up and we were losing matches, but I have always been proud of my players. I have never had to question their desire.\"", "summary": "Substitute Andy Rose scored with his first touch as Coventry City edged to victory over 10-man Bradford City."}
{"article": "Earps, 22, missed just one game in two seasons at Bristol and has previously played for Doncaster Belles, Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City. She joins Reading ahead of their first WSL 1 campaign following their promotion from WSL 2 last season. \"The club has a lot of ambition and a great work ethic, it's a really exciting opportunity for me,\" she said.", "summary": "Reading women have signed former Bristol Academy and England Under-23 goalkeeper Mary Earps."}
{"article": "Asking prices in the capital for these top-of-the-ladder properties fell by 8.7% over the past year, according to search site Rightmove. House prices grew much faster in eastern England and the West Midlands than in London, according to Zoopla. London's annual house price growth for 2016 (3.7%) was below the UK average of 4.5% for the first time since 2008, the Nationwide Building Society says. So has the London bubble burst? Are bargains to be had? Well, these things are relative. One new development in Radstock Street in Battersea will see eight large apartments go on the market in February for \u00a33.65m each. For most people around the UK, that is an eye-watering price for a three-bedroom property. Yet, the developers say these homes will be attractive to downsizers - people aged in their 50s and 60s already owning a home in central London. The idea of downsizing to a \u00a33m-plus home might make those eyes water a little more, but Louisa Brodie, head of search at Banda Property, says these apartments are \"realistically priced\". \"They have car parking, a porter, and are brand new. Properties like this are rare to find, and areas like this have a unique selling point,\" she says. \"London is still one of the most desirable places to live, anywhere.\" This is surely a sign that London property has been decoupled from the rest of the country for many years. Despite the drop in activity in London, the average house price in the capital is still \u00a3474,000, more than double the typical price of \u00a3217,000 in the UK as a whole, according to the latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The slowdown in central London is the result of the most significant change in the housing market in 2016 - a stamp duty surcharge on buy-to-let and second homes. Since April, anyone buying a home that is not their main residence has had to pay a 3% stamp duty surcharge. This meant that, for second homes or buy-to-let properties, the rate for properties priced at more than \u00a31.5m reaches 15%. The surcharge led to a burst of activity in March followed by a steep drop in transactions in April - a \"hangover\" that still persists, according to Simon Rubinsohn, chief economist at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics). In Scotland, the equivalent tax - the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) - was also up-rated. The new surcharge, alongside a rise in normal stamp duty costs for \u00a31m-plus homes since 2014, had a bigger impact on the market than the Brexit vote in June, according to experts. Ray Boulger, of John Charcol mortgage brokers, says it led to many at the expensive end of the market choosing to extend their homes rather than move. This made it more difficult to create chains lower down the market. Ed Stansfield, chief property economist at Capital Economics, says the housing market recovered \"remarkably quickly\" after cooling immediately after the UK's vote to leave the EU. He says a \"degree of nerves\" surrounding the economy and", "summary": "Buyers of a four-bedroom family home in London need deep pockets - but perhaps not as cavernous as a year ago."}
{"article": "The company, which is aimed at 16-24 year-olds in particular, said its main womenswear range of dresses and jackets, as well as its new menswear website, also saw strong sales. Pre-tax profits jumped 129% to \u00c2\u00a314.3m in the six months to August. It also benefited from successful marketing campaigns, especially on social media. \"We have... stepped up our activity on social media on Facebook Live and on Snapchat and a content drive on Instagram has helped us pass the two-million follower mark in the UK,\" the company said in its statement. This has been a large part of the company's success, analysts said. While it is still much smaller than rival Asos, Boohoo has been particularly savvy about \"communicating with its core 16-24 year-old customers,\" said retail analyst Kate Ormrod from research firm Verdict. It uses bloggers and \"influencers\" to showcase its designs. \"As the customers mature, keeping them interested will be a challenge,\" Ms Ormrod added. Asos has 12 million active customers, while Boohoo, which started in 2006, now has 4.5 million active shoppers. The fashion industry as a whole as been trying to attract the lucrative plus-size customers, said Ms Ormrod, and that's something that Boohoo has done well. \"They haven't always been offered the most fashionable styles and it's a strongly growing market.\" The joint chief executives, Mahmud Kamani and Carole Kane, said there was \"robust growth across all regions and continued momentum in new customer growth\". Revenue rose 38% in the UK, 41% in Europe and 93% in the US. It plans to introduce a new range of children's clothing, as well as a small maternity range.", "summary": "Strong sales of plus-size and petite clothes have helped boost profit at online fashion retailer Boohoo."}
{"article": "The Kilkenny fighter floored Richards twice before another standing count for the Swede quickly ended the contest. O'Neill, 30, will now take on top seed Abdulkadir Abdullayev from Azerbaijan for a place in the semi-finals. The top three men will earn a place for their country in their division at the Rio Games this summer. David Oliver Joyce had a unanimous points victory over Otar Eranosyan from Georgia in the lightweight division. But world bronze medallist Michael O'Reilly, the number one seed in the middleweight class, lost to Ilari Kijala of Finland in a unanimous points decision.", "summary": "Ireland's Darren O'Neill stopped Gabriel Richards in the first round at the European Olympic Qualifying event in Samsun, Turkey, on Tuesday."}
{"article": "John Cryan told them the bank had become the object of \"hefty speculation\" and that \"new rumours\" were causing the share price to fall. He said the bank's reserves and profits underlined its strength. The shares had fallen again on Friday, but closed 6.4% up on rumours that a huge US fine could be reduced. In his letter, Mr Cryan pointed out that Deutsche had \u20ac215bn in reserves and made \u20ac1bn in profits for the last six month. At no point in the last 20 years had Deutsche been as strong as it is now, Mr Cryan insisted. \"The release of the memo... seems to have taken the edge off of the German company's dramatic\" share price decline, said SpreadEx analyst Connor Campbell. At the start of trading on Friday, Deutsche's share fell 9%. That followed a big fall overnight in the bank's Wall Street-listed shares, a drop sparked by reports that some hedge funds had withdrawn money from the bank. Deutsche Bank is under the most pressure of any bank since the financial crisis. Investors are increasingly worried about the financial health of the bank, which faces a $14bn fine in the US for mis-selling mortgage-backed bonds before the financial crisis of 2008. The bank's shares have been falling steadily from a recent high of \u20ac27.80 last November. But at their peak in May 2007, before the start of the banking crisis, the shares were valued at almost \u20ac100. Earlier on Friday, the chairman of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, said the penalty was excessive. \"The $14bn are going to the American authorities. I don't begrudge the American authorities that money, but it is money that has to be paid by European account holders and investors. The fine is too high,\" he said. However, Deutsche's shares closed up 6.4% on Friday, following unconfirmed reports that the bank was close to agreeing a reduction in the fine with the US Department of Justice. What's the risk at Deutsche Bank? What led to Deutsche Bank's woes? What are Deutsche Bank's options? Deutsche Bank threat has grown US seeks $14bn from Deutsche Bank Deutsche's woes hit bank shares across Europe. German rival Commerzbank was down about 6%, while the shares in UK, Swiss, French and Italian banks also suffered. In Italy, Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan told La Stampa newspaper that it was in everyone's interest \"to look for solutions that must then be carefully handled\". But the German government's position is not clear. Although a newspaper report earlier this week suggested the German government had made some provisional plans to rescue Deutsche, this would be politically unpopular. Eckhardt Rehberg, parliamentary budget spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative CDU party, told Reuters: \"At the present time, I would rule out any capital help. That would not be the right way to go.\" Mr Dijsselbloem ruled out a government bailout should the bank face bankruptcy. \"We have set ourselves the rule that a bank needs to solve its own problem and if necessary the buck stops with the investors, the share holders,", "summary": "The chief executive of troubled Deutsche Bank has emailed the 100,000 staff to reassure them that the German giant's finances are strong."}
{"article": "Paul Hurst's side lifted themselves six points clear of fourth-bottom Port Vale, who have two games left but a goal difference 11 inferior to Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury started brightly with an inviting cross from Joe Riley drifting just wide before Stefan Payne's low shot was turned wide by goalkeeper Christian Walton. Will Atkinson's header was comfortably gathered by home goalkeeper Jayson Leutwiler as Southend started to carry more of a threat and then Ryan Leonard's shot was deflected narrowly wide by Brown. Nile Ranger went close twice at the start of the second half for Southend, who remain a point outside the play-off places, and then Simon Cox saw a shot pushed away by Leutwiler. Shrewsbury, up to 18th in the table, grabbed the winner in the 64th minute when left back Brown headed in a corner from Shaun Whalley to spark jubilant scenes at the final whistle at the Greenhous Meadow. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Shrewsbury Town 1, Southend United 0. Second Half ends, Shrewsbury Town 1, Southend United 0. Attempt saved. Jason Demetriou (Southend United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Corner, Shrewsbury Town. Conceded by John White. Corner, Shrewsbury Town. Conceded by John White. Foul by Jermaine McGlashan (Southend United). Aristote Nsiala (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Jayson Leutwiler (Shrewsbury Town) is shown the yellow card. Corner, Southend United. Conceded by Junior Brown. Attempt blocked. Bryn Morris (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Theo Robinson (Southend United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Substitution, Shrewsbury Town. Gary Deegan replaces Ryan Yates. Substitution, Shrewsbury Town. Stephen Humphrys replaces Alex Rodman. Corner, Southend United. Conceded by Mat Sadler. Jason Demetriou (Southend United) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Junior Brown (Shrewsbury Town). Foul by Marc-Antoine Fortun\u00e9 (Southend United). Junior Brown (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Southend United. Marc-Antoine Fortun\u00e9 replaces Michael Timlin. Substitution, Southend United. Theo Robinson replaces Nile Ranger. Attempt missed. Jermaine McGlashan (Southend United) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Corner, Southend United. Conceded by Junior Brown. Substitution, Southend United. Jermaine McGlashan replaces Stephen McLaughlin. Goal! Shrewsbury Town 1, Southend United 0. Junior Brown (Shrewsbury Town) header from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Shaun Whalley with a cross following a corner. Corner, Shrewsbury Town. Conceded by John White. Nile Ranger (Southend United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Bryn Morris (Shrewsbury Town). Attempt missed. Michael Timlin (Southend United) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Nile Ranger (Southend United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Mat Sadler (Shrewsbury Town). Attempt saved. Simon Cox (Southend United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by", "summary": "Junior Brown headed the winner as Shrewsbury moved to the brink of League One safety with a victory over Southend."}
{"article": "Tentative research published earlier this week suggested repeated headers during a player's career may be linked to long-term brain damage. The research examined the brains of six players renowned for heading the ball - all of whom later developed dementia. The Football Association has said it will look at the area more closely, but is yet to announce its own study. European football's governing body Uefa says the project, which will begin on Friday, \"aims to help establish the risk posed to young players during matches and training sessions\". One Premier League club will be involved in the study. The FA says it is committed to supporting research into degenerative brain disease among former players, but authorities in English football have been criticised over a perceived reluctance to confront the issue. Speaking in April, the FA's medical chief Dr Ian Beasley said the organisation wanted Fifa to investigate. He said it would be \"taking some research questions to Fifa imminently\" after it was revealed three members of England's 1966 World Cup squad - Martin Peters, Nobby Stiles and Ray Wilson - had Alzheimer's. Ian St John, who played for Liverpool between 1961-71, says six of his teammates - from a group of about 16 players - now have Alzheimer's. \"I don't know why the FA and the PFA have covered this up for years,\" he said on the Victoria Derbyshire programme. \"I talked about it to the PFA a couple of years ago, and their answer was: 'Well, women get dementia, so therefore it's not an industrial injury'. Which is a load of nonsense isn't it?\" Former England and West Brom striker Jeff Astle, died aged 59 suffering from early onset dementia. The inquest into his death in 2002 found that repeatedly heading heavy leather footballs had contributed to trauma to his brain. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, his daughter Dawn Astle said: \"At the coroner's inquest, football tried to sweep his death under a carpet. They didn't want to know, they didn't want to think that football could be a killer and sadly, it is. It can be.\" By the end he \"didn't even know he'd ever been a footballer\", she said, before adding: \"Everything football ever gave him, football had taken away.\" Uefa's project follows similar initiatives in other sports. In September, American football's National Football League (NFL) announced it would spend $100m (\u00a380m) on medical and engineering research to increase protection for players, after agreeing a $1bn (\u00a3800m) settlement to compensate ex-players who had suffered brain injuries. That figure was agreed in April following a lawsuit by 5,000 former players who successfully claimed the NFL hid the dangers of repeated head trauma. A UK RugbyHealth study is already examining the long-term health effects of playing rugby, including the effects of suffering frequent concussion. That followed a World Rugby research project, which published findings of a potential link between frequent concussion and brain damage in 2015. However, its lead researcher said it was \"difficult\" to draw robust conclusions, adding \"further research was required\". Researchers from University College London and", "summary": "Uefa has commissioned a research project that will examine the links between dementia and playing football."}
{"article": "His name is most closely associated with nationalist Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser in the 1960s. Mr Heikal was the editor of Egypt's state-owned newspaper, Al-Ahram, during that time, articulating the Nasserist ideology of \"Arab socialism\". He also served as information minister and briefly as foreign minister. Following Nasser's death in 1970, Mr Heikal was sidelined by his successor Anwar al-Sadat. And in 1981 he was jailed along with hundreds of government critics. He was released by Hosni Mubarak after Sadat's assassination by Islamist militants later that year, but was kept at arm's length by the president throughout his 29 years in office. But Mr Heikal remained for decades one of the most authoritative commentators on Egypt and the Arab world - as well as a historian of the tumultuous events of the Nasser area. Announcing Mr Heikal's death on Wednesday, Al-Ahram said he been ill for three weeks, and had suffered fluid on the lungs and kidney failure. President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi paid tribute to Mr Heikal, calling him a \"journalistic icon\", while the cabinet said he had \"massively participated in enriching intellectual life with his books, articles, political and historical studies\", Egypt's ON TV Live reported.", "summary": "One of the most famous and influential journalists in the Arab world, the Egyptian Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, has died in Cairo at the age of 92."}
{"article": "Neil Davidson, 28, of no fixed address, was remanded in custody after he appeared in court on Monday. He is charged with importing and possessing cocaine and heroin with intent to supply. Mr Davidson was arrested in a car at West Bank Road in the city's docks area on Friday evening. The court in Belfast heard that cocaine worth \u00a3960,000, heroin worth \u00a3500,000 and cannabis worth \u00a32,000 was seized. A detective said he believed Mr Davidson was a member of an organised crime gang based in Dublin with connections to Northern Ireland and Holland. Opposing bail, he said he was concerned that Mr Davidson would abscond, commit further offences or that there could be a threat to his personal well being. The detective said he believed Mr Davidson did not act alone, however, he refused to identify others involved. A defence lawyer told the court that Mr Davidson had serious health problems. He does not have a criminal record. Bail was refused and he was remanded in custody until 24 October.", "summary": "Police believe a man arrested over a \u00a31.5m drugs haul belongs to a Dublin crime gang with links to Northern Ireland and Holland, a court has heard."}
{"article": "The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) used a confiscation order to seize John Dawes' assets after he was convicted of drug dealing and money laundering. Helen Dawes maintained she was innocent of any wrong-doing and that her role was simply to run the household. But the judge disagreed and said she was \"shutting her eyes\" to the obvious. The CPS launched the High Court action to seize Dawes' assets after he was jailed in 2005 for 24 years. But his wife fought the confiscation order claiming she was not party to her husband's activities and that she had a 50% stake in the home, valued at \u00a3177,486. She claimed her role was simply to look after the house, their son and do the cooking while Dawes ran the finances. But on Tuesday, Mr Justice Collins said: \"Mrs Dawes turned a blind eye to what was going on, not because she necessarily did not want to know, but because she took the view that her part was merely to run the home, look after her child and provide for her husband.\" He added: \"It seems to me she has been shutting her eyes to what should have been obvious.\" Dawes was estimated to have earned \u00a38,283,161 between 1997 and 2003 from drug crime and he was ordered in September 2008 to pay back \u00a3355,000. The court heard Mrs Dawes and her husband had several bank accounts with significant sums of cash passing through. The amount of money involved was far in excess of what the couple legitimately earned. Mrs Dawes has since moved in with her elderly father. Mr Justice Collins said there was no reason why their son, who is in full time education, could not find somewhere else to live now he is over 18. Dawes lost an appeal against his conviction in 2007 but maintains his innocence.", "summary": "The wife of a jailed Nottinghamshire drugs baron will lose the family home after a High Court judge ruled she turned a blind eye to his activities."}
{"article": "But \"glitch\", when it involves payments to individuals and businesses likely to total many millions of pounds, does not do the issue justice. RBS needs another technical malfunction leaving hundreds of thousands of customers without a proper understanding of their bank balance like it needs another chief executive called Fred Goodwin. That is, not at all. RBS insists the problem, which involves RBS itself as well as NatWest, Ulster Bank and Coutts (banks RBS owns), will be resolved by Saturday. Which appears a relatively relaxed timetable, to put it mildly. Andrew Tyrie, the chairman of the Treasury select committee, described the four-day delay as \"unacceptable\". \"Restoration of payments should be a top priority,\" he said. \"It is crucial for those in the greatest financial need and also those who find it difficult to go to a branch. \"These failures should concern both the conduct and prudential regulators.\" The regulators, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), will certainly be taking a close interest. In November last year, RBS faced the biggest fine in retail banking history when the FCA and the PRA hit the bank with a \u00a356m bill. It was punishment for a major computer meltdown two years earlier - again described as a \"glitch\" - which affected 6.5 million customers. Similar to today, in that case payments were not processed, meaning that wages were not paid and bills were left outstanding. Individuals and businesses were affected. At its most basic, customers did not know how much money they had and were locked out of their accounts. On top of the fine, RBS had to pay more than \u00a370m in compensation. Admittedly, today's problem is not of the same magnitude, and the affected 600,000 payments should been seen in the context of the 20 million transactions a day processed by RBS. But after the major failure of 2012, which dragged on for weeks, again RBS has revealed that its technological processes lack essential robustness. It has long been a problem across banking - archaic computer systems bolted together through a series of mergers and acquisitions which are out-of-date and too complicated to run. A senior executive at RBS once described the bank's computer systems as resembling \"15 different types of spaghetti\". It has been an under-resourced area for far too long, out of the public glare and too easily dismissed as a problem to be fixed \"tomorrow\". Well, tomorrow came and went a long time ago, and RBS now insists that it is giving its technology the attention and the resources it deserves. But with the government looking to start selling its 80% stake in RBS, the bank will need to reassure investors that it can service the, frankly, pretty simple banking needs of its customers without a \"glitch\".", "summary": "The word seems almost benign - a \"glitch\" affecting computer systems at the Royal Bank of Scotland."}
{"article": "Glasgow City Council confirmed Harry Clarke had been suspended following evidence at the ongoing inquiry into the tragedy, which killed six people. The inquiry has heard Mr Clarke, 58, previously fainted while working as a bus driver but failed to disclose the incident when he joined the council. It has also heard a claim Mr Clarke \"lied through his teeth\" to doctors. A spokesman for the council confirmed that it had suspended Mr Clarke on a precautionary basis pending a full disciplinary investigation. He added: \"A number of allegations have been made during the enquiry in regard to Mr Clarke's conduct before and at the point where he commenced employment with the council. \"These allegations have yet to be put to Mr Clarke and he has not yet had the opportunity of responding to them. The internal investigation will therefore take place at the conclusion of the fatal accident inquiry\". The fatal accident inquiry (FAI) at Glasgow Sheriff Court has previously heard evidence that Mr Clarke had suffered episodes of dizziness and fainting for decades before the fatal crash on 22 December, when several witnesses reported seeing him slumped behind the wheel on the bin lorry as it went out of control in the city centre. But he failed to disclose his health history to the DVLA and on job application forms, and was said to have continued to deny any history of blackouts even after the bin lorry crash. In April 2010 - shortly before he joined the council - Mr Clarke fainted on a stationary bus while working as a driver for First Bus. The FAI has heard claims that Mr Clarke was \"on his last legs\" at the bus firm following repeated sick days prior to his blackout. Paramedics examined him on the bus and he refused to accompany them to hospital, instead returning to the depot where he informed his managers about the blackout. He visited Baillieston Health Centre and told his GP, Dr Gerard McKaig, that he fainted \"at work, in canteen, hot environment, no warning signs\". Later, he visited a second GP, Dr John Langan, and repeated his claim that he fainted in the work canteen but then told him he had felt light-headed beforehand. However, two letters from First's medical officer Dr Kenneth Lyons indicated that Mr Clarke fainted on a stationary bus. DVLA guidelines to GPs state that people who have fainted may be fit to return to the wheel if there was provocational factors, such as a hot environment, prodromal features such as light headedness, and if a faint \"is unlikely to occur while sitting or lying\". Dr Langan later wrote to First Bus diagnosing the blackout as a \"simple\" faint which did not require Mr Clarke to give up driving. The GP said he would have looked at Mr Clarke's medical history over the past five years before making his diagnosis. He said \"nothing jumped out at me at the time\" to merit diagnosing a more serious condition. During Thursday's evidence, Ronald Conway, the solicitor advocate acting for the family of bin", "summary": "The driver who was behind the wheel of the bin lorry that crashed in Glasgow has been suspended by his employer."}
{"article": "Steven Jackson was jailed for a minimum of 26 years for battering and stabbing Kimberley MacKenzie in Montrose before cutting up her body in a bathtub. The 40-year-old's legal team has now lodged a notice to appeal against the conviction and sentence. The appeal is expected to call before appeal judges in Edinburgh this year. During sentencing at the High Court in Livingston in January, judge Lady Rae said: \"The killing appears to have been a wholly motiveless and brutal murder of a defenceless woman.\" A trial heard that Ms MacKenzie, 37, sustained at least 11 blows to the head and was stabbed more than 40 times during the attack in a flat in the Angus town in October 2015. Jackson disposed of Ms MacKenzie's body parts in bins around Montrose with Michelle Higgins, 29, who was jailed for eight years for attempting to pervert the course of justice.", "summary": "A man jailed for life for murdering and dismembering a mother-of-three has launched a bid to quash his conviction."}
{"article": "EY says a \"long period of low inflation\" means average earnings could rise faster than the cost of living as early as this month. It believes low inflation and a strong pound will keep an interest rate rise on hold until the end of 2015. The auditor also thinks the UK economy will see \"decent but unspectacular\" growth of 2.9% this year. Most of that growth will continue to be driven by consumer spending, according to the firm's forecasting group, the EY ITEM Club. It adds that spending power will be helped by average wage increases of 1.7% this year, overtaking its 1.6% average inflation forecast for 2014. Its latest report reads: \"We expect wage growth to overtake CPI inflation as early as April.\" \"Until now the recovery has been financed by a fall in the amount households save, but it appears to be moving to a firmer footing,\" said Peter Spencer, the club's chief economic advisor. \"The consumer upturn will be given a boost from real wages and rising employment, while investment is finally kicking in.\" Falling petrol, energy and food prices, driven low by a strong pound, will help keep the cost of living down for a sustained period, Mr Spencer added. \"We are set for a long period of low inflation as pressures from commodity prices... remain largely absent.\" With inflation under control and a stronger pound, the club predicts the Bank of England will keep interest rates on hold at 0.5% until the third quarter of 2015, at which point rates will rise very gradually. The EY ITEM Club also suggests the recent resurgence in the UK housing market will be dampened by tighter mortgage lending criteria, due to take effect from 26 April. It says the new Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules, which impose stricter checks on whether borrowers can repay home loans, are \"crucial to keeping the lid on the market\", particularly in London. As a result, the report predicts prices will rise by 7.4% this year and 7.2% next year, slowing further to 4.2% in 2016 as the government's Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme ends. \"The FCA will assume crucial importance to ensure... affordability is scrupulously checked,\" said Mr Spencer. \"If these controls are rigorously applied this will eventually constrain London prices, and head off problems when interest rates rise.\" Meanwhile, the growing demand for labour should push up wages and could also see the UK overtake Germany as the country with the highest employment in the G7 group of leading economies, the group claims. It predicts the UK unemployment rate, currently at 7.2%, will fall to 6.5% by the end of the year and 6% by the end of 2015. The EY ITEM Club, also expects business investment to grow by 9.1% this year in another boost to productivity and wages.", "summary": "Wages are set to rise by more than inflation for the first time in almost six years, says an economic forecaster."}
{"article": "Cummings grabbed the only goal from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute after Grant Holt had been pulled down in the box by Gregor Buchanan. Goalkeeper Alan Martin produced a smart save to prevent Andrew Shinnie doubling the lead. Holt and Cummings also threatened as the Sons did little at the other end. A third clean sheet made it five wins from five for leaders Hibs. Match ends, Dumbarton 0, Hibernian 1. Second Half ends, Dumbarton 0, Hibernian 1. Daniel Harvie (Dumbarton) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Grant Holt (Hibernian). Grant Holt (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Craig Pettigrew (Dumbarton). Attempt missed. Darren Barr (Dumbarton) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Robert Thomson (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Darren McGregor (Hibernian). Attempt missed. Dylan McGeouch (Hibernian) right footed shot from long range on the left is close, but misses to the right following a corner. Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Craig Pettigrew. Substitution, Hibernian. Jordan Forster replaces Andrew Shinnie. Foul by Paul Hanlon (Hibernian). Robert Thomson (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Dumbarton. Donald McCallum replaces Grant Gallagher. Substitution, Dumbarton. Mark Docherty replaces David Smith. Foul by Darren McGregor (Hibernian). Robert Thomson (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Robert Thomson (Dumbarton) left footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Hand ball by Josh Todd (Dumbarton). Corner, Dumbarton. Conceded by Darren McGregor. Foul by Brian Graham (Hibernian). Gregor Buchanan (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Andrew Shinnie (Hibernian) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Attempt saved. Brian Graham (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Substitution, Dumbarton. Garry Fleming replaces Ryan Stevenson. Attempt blocked. Paul Hanlon (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. John McGinn (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Joseph Thomson (Dumbarton). Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Joseph Thomson. Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Josh Todd. Attempt saved. Brian Graham (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Foul by Grant Holt (Hibernian). Josh Todd (Dumbarton) wins a free kick on the left wing. Andrew Shinnie (Hibernian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Craig Pettigrew (Dumbarton) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Andrew Shinnie (Hibernian). Attempt missed. Andrew Shinnie (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Substitution, Hibernian. Brian Graham replaces Jason Cummings. Substitution, Hibernian. Dylan McGeouch replaces Marvin Bartley.", "summary": "Hibernian extended their perfect start in the Scottish Championship as a Jason Cummings goal proved enough to beat Dumbarton."}
{"article": "Amina Al-Jeffery, 21, had complained her father locked her up in a Jeddah flat, which he has disputed. But the High Court was told on Friday that a face-to-face meeting with Ms Al-Jeffery's solicitor had not happened due to passport delays. The case has now been adjourned until February. In August, Mr Justice Holman said her father had to \"permit and facilitate\" his daughter's return to England or Wales by 11 September, but she has not returned. A further hearing was told that restrictions on Miss Al-Jeffery had been eased. But the judge said he wanted to hear the outcome of a meeting with the woman's solicitor Anne-Marie Hutchinson to resolve the issue \"once and for all\". However, the High Court was told that meeting has still not taken place as Irish national Ms Hutchinson required a new passport to accommodate travel visas. The court was told there was a backlog in passport applications following June's vote to leave the EU. \"There you have it. The reach of Brexit has even impacted on progress in this case. Who would have foreseen it?\" said the judge.", "summary": "A post-Brexit vote surge in Irish passport applications has hit the case of a Swansea woman claiming to be held in Saudi Arabia against her will."}
{"article": "The plans include electrification of the Midland Main Line between Bedford and Sheffield. Other rail improvements have been unveiled for the Manchester area, south Wales and East Coast Main Line. Prime Minister David Cameron called it the \"biggest modernisation of our railways since the Victorian era\". During a visit to Birmingham to announce the railway investment, the PM said it would lead to the electrification of an extra 850 miles of track. He said: \"This investment will mean faster journeys, more seats, better access to stations, greater freight links and a truly world-class rail network.\" Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who joined the PM on the visit, said the plans would help \"close the north south divide\". It includes \u00a35.2bn for the completion of current schemes, such as Crossrail and Thameslink and \u00a34.2bn for new projects. These include: Building work on the rail projects will not start until at least 2014, as the announcement covers the period 2014 to 2019. The government said it would be funded \"in part from fare rises already announced in 2010 and also from the substantial efficiency savings which projects like electrification will have on the long-term operating costs of the railways\". In January this year, passengers faced average increases of RPI inflation plus 1% on regulated fares, which are set to rise by RPI plus 3% in January 2013 and 14. Transport Secretary Justine Greening told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the government had a long-term plan to make the rail industry work more efficiently and stop the above-inflation fare rises. \"We've got to get the money from somewhere so, for the time being, the passengers are paying,\" she said. \"We all know that diesel is massively expensive so if we can move over to electric trains, not only are they greener, they're also cheaper and also they are lighter too, so what that means is that when they are on the track they don't damage it so much, so maintenance costs go down too,\" she added. Regarding access to the rail network, she later told Parliament she was initially making \u00a320m available for Network Rail to invite bids for new stations. Shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle said: \"We welcome this investment, it was actually first announced under the last Labour government... but this won't help jobs and growth now, as there's not going to be a penny spent until after 2014.\" By Richard WestcottBBC transport correspondent A lot of electric railway lines and new track can be bought for \u00a39.4bn but how does the money break down and what difference could it make? Oh, and who pays for it? Well, for starters, \u00a35.2bn will go to either continue or finish off projects that have been under way for some years. But the rest is new and it will mean faster journey times, more seats and spruced up stations, with many regions in England and Wales benefiting, especially across the north of England. The trick will be to fund all of this whizzy new kit without ticket prices going through the roof. We already know season", "summary": "A \u00a39.4bn package of investment in the railways in England and Wales, including \u00a34.2bn of new schemes, has been unveiled by the government."}
{"article": "The legislation is essential for the implementation of an EU-Turkey deal aimed at easing the uncontrolled mass movement of people into Europe. On Monday, Turkey is due to receive its first migrants returned from Greece. But there are warnings of a lack of preparation on both sides, while aid agencies are concerned migrants may be mistreated in Turkey. Greece had to amend its laws for the deal to be possible and the bill was passed by 169 members of the 300-seat parliament. Last year, more than one million migrants and refugees arrived in the EU by boat from Turkey to Greece, and Athens has struggled to cope. Tens of thousands have been stranded in Greece after northern counties closed their borders. Under the EU-Turkey deal, migrants arriving illegally in Greece are expected to be sent back to Turkey from 4 April if they do not apply for asylum or if their claim is rejected. In return, Turkey will receive aid and political concessions. Two days before the first migrants are due back here in Turkey there is little sign of any preparation. A field near the western town of Dikili has reportedly been earmarked for a registration centre but it remains empty. Residents here have called a protest on Saturday against planned refugee camps. Local officials are trying to calm tempers by suggesting those sent back here would only stay temporarily in Dikili before being sent to other areas of Turkey. Meanwhile, boats are still attempting to cross - 160 migrants were caught by the Turkish coastguard near Dikili on Friday. Many more actually reached the Greek island of Lesbos. The UN has called on Turkey and Greece to ensure safeguards are in place before returns begin, warning of \"serious gaps\" on both sides. A report from Amnesty International says Turkey has been illegally forcing thousands of refugees back to Syria. \"In their desperation to seal their borders, EU leaders have wilfully ignored the simplest of facts: Turkey is not a safe country for Syrian refugees and is getting less safe by the day,\" said John Dalhuisen of the group. Turkey is yet to respond to the Amnesty report but has denied sending back any refugees against their will. The country has taken in 2.7 million Syrian refugees since the civil war began five years ago. Many live in camps near the border between the two countries. The Turkey-EU statement in full Meanwhile on the Greek island of Chios migrants broke out of a detention centre in protest against their planned deportation under the EU-Turkey plan. Eight people were hospitalised on Thursday in a brawl between migrants at the port of Piraeus near Athens, where thousands are living in dire conditions. Most of the migrants there are from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and for weeks they have slept in tents or blankets out in the open with poor sanitation and little food. A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This", "summary": "The Greek parliament has passed a law allowing migrants arriving in the country to be returned to Turkey."}
{"article": "Matthew Sanchez was reassigned after the incident in New Mexico on 23 June, but quit on Tuesday after a recording of the call was released. He was dealing with a friend of Jaydon Chavez-Silver, 17, who had been shot in a drive-by shooting in Albuquerque. Officials said an ambulance was sent to the scene but Chavez-Silver later died. In the recording the panicked caller, 17-year-old Esperanza Quintero, is heard swearing at Sanchez after he repeatedly asks whether Chavez-Silver is breathing. During the call, Mr Sanchez asks the young woman if Chavez-Silver is breathing, to which she replies: \"Barely!\" She is then heard encouraging her friend before Mr Sanchez asks the same question again. An exasperated Ms Quintero responds using an expletive to which Mr Sanchez says: \"OK, you know what ma'am? You can deal with it yourself. I am not going to deal with this, OK?\" From the tape it appears that Mr Sanchez hangs up as the caller says: \"No, my friend is dying\". Earlier this week, Ms Quintero told the local KOAT-TV network: \"It was his job. I don't understand why he would have hung up.\" A statement released on Tuesday evening from the office of Albuquerque's chief administrative officer said Mr Sanchez has resigned from the local fire department. He had worked there for 10 years, originally as a firefighter. He had been assigned to the emergency dispatch centre for nearly three and a half years, officials said. Albuquerque police have made no arrests over Chavez-Silver's death and have not named any suspects.", "summary": "A 911 dispatcher in the US has resigned after telling a frantic caller who was trying to save the life of a shooting victim to \"deal with it yourself\"."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old had been scheduled to play Louisa Chirico of the United States in round three on Wednesday, but pulled out during the warm-ups. Belarusian Azarenka said she will have medical tests before deciding whether to play in Rome before the French Open, which starts on 22 May. Her departure means the top five seeds are out of the Spanish tournament. Agnieszka Radwanska, Angelique Kerber and Garbine Muguruza exited in previous rounds while fifth seed Petra Kvitova lost 6-3 6-4 to Australia's Daria Gavrilova on Wednesday. Azarenka, who had recently won titles at Indian Wells and Miami, said she \"tweaked'' her back during her opening Madrid match against Laura Robson and that the pain persisted during her second round victory over Alize Cornet. She follows world number world 13 Lucie Safarova - who had to withdraw earlier in the week with food poisoning - and British number one Johanna Konta who retired in the first round with a respiratory illness. The men's event also lost Roger Federer - the world number three another player out with a back injury. Never want to miss the latest tennis news? You can now add this sport and all the other sports and teams you follow to your personalised My Sport home.", "summary": "Fourth seed Victoria Azarenka has joined the list of Madrid Open withdrawals with a back injury."}
{"article": "Passengers arrived safely at their destination after the 31 August incident, in which an A321S plane was used instead of a A321H. The A321S has less safety and medical equipment on board than the A321H. American Airlines is investigating the plane mix-up with the Federal Aviation Administration. \"Whether the plane was going to make it there was never a question,\" company spokesman Casey Norton told the BBC. Mr Norton said the two planes are equipped with the same engine, fuel tanks, range and basic safety features. The A321H plane, because it is used for long flights, comes with more medical supplies and safety features like fire suppression. \"We're reviewing our procedures and looking at everyone involved,\" Mr Norton said. The airline has revised its software to properly identify the correct aircraft are operating the correct routes, he said. He said the A321S plane flies over water regularly for many missions but is not extended-range twin-engine operational performance standards (ETOPS)-certified, which the airline requires for flights to Hawaii. The A321S plane comes with four slide-rafts and a portable raft, along with life jackets and seat cushions that can be used as flotation devices, the same as the A321H, Mr Norton said.", "summary": "A plane not certified to travel for long distances over water was used to fly from Los Angeles to Hawaii last month, American Airlines has confirmed."}
{"article": "Lt Donald Mackintosh, who served with the Seaforth Highlanders, died in the Battle of Arras in 1917. His actions led to the posthumous award of a Victoria Cross. Arras was fought from 9 April to 16 May 1917 and marked the beginning of the spring offensive on the Western Front. An unusually high number of Scottish soldiers took part in the battle and 18,000 of them were killed. The official citation marking Donald Mackintosh's VC reads: \"For most conspicuous bravery and resolution in the face of intense machine gun fire. \"During the initial advance he was shot through the right leg, but though crippled he continued to lead his men and captured the trench. \"In the captured trench Lt. Mackintosh collected men of another company who had lost their leader, and drove back a counterattack. \"He was again wounded, and although unable to stand, he continued, nevertheless, to control the situation. \"With only fifteen men left, he ordered his party to be ready to advance to the final objective, and with great difficulty got out of the trench and encouraged his men to advance. \"He was again wounded and fell. \"The gallantry and devotion to duty of this officer were beyond all praise.\" Lt Mackintosh was just 21 when he was killed. British artillery had attacked German lines with heavy shells in preparation for the advance at Arras. But many German machine-gun positions remained intact. British units, including The Seaforths, suffered massive losses as they attacked. In many cases, more junior officers like Mackintosh were expected to rally soldiers whose company commanders had already fallen. By the time the Battle of Arras ended, the Allies had suffered 159,000 casualties, 46,000 of them Scots.", "summary": "A memorial stone has been laid in Glasgow to honour a World War One officer who led a successful advance while so badly wounded he could not stand."}
{"article": "In a joint bid, Metropoulos & Co and Apollo Global Management are paying $410m (\u00c2\u00a3275m) for the bankrupt company. The offer had originally been planned to set the floor for an auction, which Hostess boss Greg Rayburn had predicted would be \"wild and woolly\". In fact, a court filing showed that no other offers were submitted. The deal, which also includes Suzy Q's and Cup Cakes, is expected to be approved by a bankruptcy court on 19 March. Hostess Brands started winding down its companies last year, after being hit by rising food prices and a bakery strike. An auction for Hostess's bread brand, Wonder, has also been cancelled, with a view to selling it directly to Flowers Foods, which makes Tastykakes and Nature's Own bread.", "summary": "Hostess Brands is selling its cake bakery business, which includes Twinkies cakes, to two private equity companies."}
{"article": "The five were a 16-year-old girl, who died in Great Victoria Street on Monday, and four men who died in different parts of the city. Police did not confirm which three cases are suspected to be drugs-related but no single, common drug is involved. Earlier, a senior officer said all five deaths may have involved drugs. But a Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) spokeswoman later clarified that detectives suspect drug misuse may have been a factor in only three of the deaths. Post-mortem examinations are being carried out and toxicology reports have been ordered. The first of the five sudden deaths took place in Verner Street in Belfast city centre on Friday, 31 March. The other four people, including the teenaged girl, all died on Monday: Police said that number of deaths in such a short time frame was unusual, but that they were not linking any of them at present. Ch Supt Tim Mairs said: \"Investigations are at an early stage, but I would like to take the opportunity to reinforce the dangers posed by taking any illegal drugs or any medication that is not prescribed for you. \"Drugs misuse can affect anyone and we recognise that many vulnerable people are being exploited for the financial gain of those higher up the supply chain.\" He added: \"The number of deaths in Northern Ireland connected to drug use is on the increase and this is a concern. \"Sadly, these are all preventable. In fact, more people are dying from misuse of opioid drugs in Northern Ireland than in road fatalities, which is a very stark reality.\"", "summary": "Five sudden deaths in greater Belfast over the past few days are being investigated, with police saying three of the cases may have involved drugs."}
{"article": "Last week the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) issued an alert flagging \"concerns relating to air operator certification procedures\". As a result, Thai airlines have had to cancel flights, and refund or modify thousands of air tickets. Thai officials have since submitted plans to tackle the ICAO's concerns. An audit in January by the ICAO, a division of the United Nations, found that Thailand's aviation authority had a shortage of technical officers and problems with the certification for the transportation of hazardous goods. Last week the ICAO issued an alert which triggered increased physical inspections of aircraft operated by Thai airlines serving existing routes to countries such as Australia and Singapore, a regional air hub, as well as a ban on airlines expanding their services. This led to Thailand's carriers being prevented from adding any new flights or modifying their schedules. The ICAO had last assessed Thailand's aviation sector a decade ago. Its spokesperson Anthony Philbin told the BBC that they \"continue to work with Thailand's civil aviation authority on resolving the issues in question.\" \"An ICAO audit does not review the levels of operational aviation safety in a state, or in the airlines or airports,\" he said. \"Rather our audits continuously monitor the capability of state civil aviation authorities to adequately resource and manage aviation safety oversight responsibilities in their jurisdictions.\" Thai officials are now in talks with Japan to temporarily lift the ban on new flights. About 100 charter flights to Japan have been cancelled. The ban comes at a particularly difficult time for the Thai aviation sector, which has already been struggling with lower tourist numbers, following political protests in the country last year. And the flight disruptions take place just ahead of Thailand's peak travel season and traditional new year celebrations of Songkran. The nation's flag carrier Thai Airways, is already undergoing a major restructuring after posting an annual loss for the past two years. But it is budget airlines that have been hardest hit by both the lower passenger traffic and the ban on new routes. Low cost carriers Thai AirAsiaX, Orient Thai Airlines and charter airline operators Asia Atlantic Airlines and Sky View have all been affected. \"While it might seem that Thai Airways might be worst hit, that might actually not be true, since the national carrier is in consolidation mode,\" Shashank Nigam, chief executive at consultancy SimpliFlying said. \"Fast-growing Thai budget airlines like Nok Air, AirAsia and Nok-Scoot will feel the biggest impact, since their plans to grow may be hit hard as they hold Thai licences as well.\" Thai Transport Minister Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong told reporters this week that Thailand had struggled for a decade to comply with ICAO standards. Mr Prajin told Reuters he hoped the issue would be resolved within eight months.", "summary": "Thailand's aviation sector is under scrutiny after an international safety audit led to a ban on new flights to China, Japan and South Korea."}
{"article": "The firm says it will use a two-stage recruitment challenge, to be found on the Gorillaz mixed reality app, as an \"innovative recruitment tool\". The first part involves virtually assembling the Jaguar I-PACE Concept, an all-electric five-seater sports car. The second part involves a series of code breaking puzzles. \"As the automotive industry transforms over the next decade, fuelled by software innovation, we have to attract the best talent and that requires a radical rethink of how we recruit,\" said Alex Heslop, head of electrical engineering at the car firm. \"Here we've found an engaging way to recruit a diverse talent pool in software systems, cyber systems, app development and graphics performance. It will be the first of its kind.\" Gorrilaz female guitarist, Noodle, is already Jaguar's Formula E Racing's ambassador. The firm said it would hire 1,000 electronic and software engineers and 4,000 workers across other sectors, including manufacturing. Most of the jobs will be based in the UK, with recruitment taking place over the coming year. The firm has five sites in the West Midlands, and one on Merseyside. The carmaker, which is owned by India's Tata Motors, employs more than 40,000 people globally, The company will build the I-PACE, in Austria. But it has indicated it would like to make such models in the UK if conditions such as support from government are met. Jaguar Land Rover has indicated half of all new models will be available in an electric version by the end of the decade, necessitating new skills among its staff.", "summary": "Carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has teamed up with virtual band Gorillaz to find 5,000 staff to enhance its expertise in autonomous and electric technology."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old signed a new contract with the Championship club in February, keeping him at the Madejski Stadium until 2018. But the new deal includes a release clause of \u00a31.2m for Gunter, who helped Wales reach the Euro 2016 semi-finals. Hull's interest is believed to be on hold as they search for a new manager following the departure of Steve Bruce. Injuries have left the club with only 13 fit players, and they said they would look to strengthen the squad in the \"coming weeks\". Right-back Moses Odubajo is one of several important players currently injured, and Gunter is regarded as a potential replacement. The former Cardiff City and Tottenham defender played in all six of Wales' games at Euro 2016 as they reached their first semi-final at a major tournament. The progress of Chris Coleman's side in France meant Gunter was forced to miss his brother Marc's wedding.", "summary": "Newly promoted Premier League side Hull City are interested in signing Reading and Wales defender Chris Gunter."}
{"article": "It's because you're not just downloading the content you want - which may be a small amount of data - but the data-heavy adverts and all the tracking technology that surrounds them. And it's costing mobile users, who are charged for that traffic to their phones, a lot of money. That, at least, is the allegation in an advert placed in the Financial Times this morning by an Israeli firm called Shine. Under the stark headline: \"Fact: mobile ads consume a substantial amount of the data mobile consumers pay for and it's getting worse\", it argues that we are all helping to subsidise advertisers. It goes on to call on the GSMA, the trade association for the mobile industry, to back a move to \"zero rate\" ads, meaning consumers would not be charged for that data. Shine is a business which is trying to sell ad-blocking software to mobile networks, so it is not a neutral observer. \"We believe that consumers should not be subsidising billion dollar ad tech businesses,\" Shine's Roi Carthy tells me. \"We hope the GSMA and its membership see the importance of protecting consumers and act on the matter swiftly.\" The GSMA says that it cannot comment on commercial negotiations involving operators but says it supports \"initiatives that provide consumers with more transparency and control over the privacy of their personal data\". Ad-blocking has grown increasingly popular, with plenty of tools now available to improve your browsing experience. A recent survey showed nearly 200 million people were using blockers - that's still a small proportion of the global web audience but 12 million of them are in the UK, which indicates that the British are particularly hostile to adverts. Up until now, it has been much harder to block adverts on mobile phones, but this week Apple is expected to release its latest mobile operating system which will allow ad-blocking tools in its Safari browser. That should give a big boost to businesses which will be marketing their ad-blocking services to iPhone users, and even to Shine, which is trying to persuade mobile operators to install its technology at the network level. This sounds like a great consumer cause - until you remember that the entire business model of many of the web businesses we use most is dependent on advertising. When you check the weather forecast online, watch a music video or chat about recipes on a cookery forum, the chances are that you get those services free in exchange for having those annoying adverts. No wonder there is something akin to panic in the online advertising industry, especially among businesses which are just getting their mobile ad strategies off the ground. What makes it worse for them is that Facebook, which has made a very successful transition to mobile, won't see its ads blocked because it controls its app platform. That means that everyone else could soon be shutting up shop as their ad revenues evaporate. But perhaps we should take the warnings of the catastrophic impact of ad-blocking with a pinch of salt. The advertising", "summary": "Ever wondered why it takes an age for some web pages to load on your mobile phone, even when you have a good signal?"}
{"article": "But racist advertising has form, and not just in China. The scene: a young Chinese woman is doing her laundry. In walks a black man, with some paint stains on his face. They look at each other suggestively. She puts a tab of detergent into his mouth.... ...and then shoves him into the washing machine. Hey presto! He emerges a fair-skinned Chinese man. The lady doing laundry is apparently delighted by this development. It has appalled many on Facebook and other forums over the last 24 hours. But the ad itself is about a month old, having appeared on television and been shown at cinemas in China. At that time it didn't cause much of a furore with cinema-goers. But then it was shared by US expat Christopher Powell, a musician with the Guiyang Symphony Orchestra, and by DJ Spencer Tarring. Although the story was not covered widely by Chinese media, there were hundreds of comments on Chinese social media, with some calling the advert \"awkward\". One user, @YY_CodingBear, said: \"My lord. Do Chinese marketing people not have any racial education?\" However, another user said they did not see any problem with the advert. \"I don't know much about the advertisement,\" the owner of Qiaobi laundry detergent, who identified himself as Mr Xia, told BBC Chinese's Grace Tsoi. He said he did not realise it was racist until it was pointed out to him: \"To be honest, I didn't really pay that much attention to the advertisement.\" It mirrors an Italian advert for detergent, equally fraught with ethical issues, that does just the opposite - by washing a white man to black to advertise \"coloured\" laundry powder. The Darlie brand of toothpaste is called \"black man toothpaste\" in China. Darlie toothpaste used to be known as \"Darkie\" toothpaste, until it was rebranded. The significance of the name change was lost on many, analysts say. And recently in Hong Kong, an insurance advert showed a man dressed up like a Filipina domestic helper, with a blacked up face. It did not amuse Hong Kong audiences. A few years ago a well-known Chinese beer brand, Harbin, invited basketball star Shaquille O'Neal to endorse the beverage, presumably to expand into the global market. The US NBA competition is massive in China, and stars like Kobe Bryant are hugely popular, so it shouldn't have been a controversial move. But on Tianya, one of China's most popular forums, some netizens weren't happy, with some posting overtly racist and discriminatory comments. Certain posts called for a boycott because it was endorsed by \"a black man\". Some of the comments touched upon Aids and described Africans as orangutans. However, experts say, that does not mean that Chinese think of themselves as the most superior, with some saying Caucasians enjoy a higher status in certain quarters. There is a history of cultural bias against people of dark skin. Barry Sautman, a political scientist at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, believes it shows the particular problems China has dealing with portrayals of race. \"It is not a question", "summary": "A Chinese laundry detergent advertisement is causing widespread outrage online and is being dubbed the most racist commercial to be screened."}
{"article": "Mr Berlusconi's Forza Italia won 16 of 22 cities with the anti-immigration Northern League and another party. The results were a setback for Matteo Renzi, the former centre-left prime minister seeking to return to power as head of the Democratic Party (PD). \"It could have gone better,\" he admitted in a social media post. The PD currently heads a coalition led by Paolo Gentiloni, who took over after Mr Renzi lost a referendum on electoral reform in December 2016. The biggest defeats for the PD were in party strongholds such as Genoa, La Spezia and L'Aquila. The centre-right also won in other provincial capitals including Monza, Piacenza and Pistoia. Mr Berlusconi, 80, will now set his sights on the next general election, which is due in 2018 but may take place earlier. Silvio Berlusconi may hope that 80 is the new 40. The gains made by his Forza Italia party in local elections allow him to claim the start of yet another political comeback. \"From these results the centre-right can set on a path to go back to ruling the country,\" he said in a statement. But there is a major road-block in the way of his return for a fourth time as prime minister: he is currently banned from holding political office. The ban, imposed following a 2013 conviction for tax fraud, doesn't expire until 2019. Unless he wins an early appeal at the European Court of Human Rights, Mr Berlusconi won't be able to run in Italy's 2018 general election. Mr Berlusconi founded Forza Italia in 1993 and became prime minister the following year, with the Northern League as part of his coalition government. Out of office in 1994, he then returned for a five-year period in 2001 and again in 2008 for three more years. His political career has been overshadowed by his legal battles, which culminated in a community service sentence for tax fraud. While Forza Italia's election advances were dramatic, commentators pointed to the low turnout of 46% and the first-past-the-post system in local elections. National polls are based on proportional representation. The ex-prime minister said he would now seek a moderate, liberal coalition drawn from Christian roots. However, one of the parties in his alliance is the far-right Brothers of Italy. Beppe Grillo's Five Star party fared poorly in the two-round vote, a year after it won control of Rome and Turin. Mr Grillo put a brave face on the result, pointing to victories in eight mayor races.", "summary": "Italy's centre-right ex-prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is celebrating local election success in an alliance with two right-wing parties."}
{"article": "Russia's military said it had released 63 captured Ukrainian soldiers in exchange for the paratroopers. Pro-Russian rebels have made gains against Ukrainian troops in recent days in Donetsk and Luhansk in the east. The conflict in the east erupted in April following Russia's annexation of Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula. Some 2,600 people have died in fighting so far. Major-General Alexei Ragozin, the deputy commander of Russia's paratroop forces, told the RIA news agency that negotiations had been \"very difficult\". \"The talks were not easy, but common sense prevailed and everything turned out well\" he said. However, he criticised the length of the soldiers' detention. \"I find it unacceptable that the Ukrainian side kept our soldiers for so many days\" he said. \"Our lads are upset about everything that happened. They will all receive the necessary psychological and other kinds of help\" he added. Ukraine released video interviews with the captured Russian soldiers last week. It says the soldiers were captured 20km from the border with Russia. Russia claimed that the soldiers had crossed in Ukraine \"by accident\" after inadvertently crossing an unmarked section of the border. Russia has repeatedly denied Ukrainian and Western accusations that it is supporting the rebels. The 63 Ukrainian soldiers released were said to have entered Russia to escape the upsurge in fighting last week.", "summary": "Ten Russian paratroopers captured inside Ukraine a week ago have returned home following a troop exchange, Russian media report."}
{"article": "Voters will go to the polls again after Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu abandoned efforts to form a coalition government. Mr Davutoglu's AK Party lost its 12-year majority rule in Turkey in elections in June largely because of the success of the pro-Kurdish HDP. Coalition talks with the nationalist MHP and main opposition CHP failed. The political uncertainty comes amid rising violence in Turkey and neighbouring Iraq and Syria. President Erdogan will ask Prime Minister Davutoglu early next week to form a temporary power-sharing government, senior officials said. The Republican People's Party (CHP), which came second in June's vote, had asked for a mandate to try to form a new government. But the president instead opted for a \"re-run\" of the elections. Mr Erdogan, who founded the AK Party in 2001, previously denied allegations that he had undermined the coalition talks in order to force a new vote. June's result appeared to block his plans to boost the powers of the presidency in Turkey. The AKP secured 41% at the polls the last time around and had to seek support from a rival party to form a coalition government. But it failed to find agreement with both the CHP and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). An uneasy two-year ceasefire with the PKK fell apart last month, after a suicide bomb blamed on IS killed 32 young activists in the largely Kurdish city of Suruc, close to the Syrian border. In recent weeks Turkish forces have carried out attacks on militants from the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria and have bombed Kurdish PKK camps mainly in northern Iraq.", "summary": "President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Turkey will hold snap elections, expected on 1 November."}
{"article": "The airport said it represented a growth of 7.5% year-on-year. The rise in passengers is connected to increasing capacity and frequency on existing routes, as well as new long haul services starting. Ken O'Toole, the airport's managing director, called it a \"magnificent achievement\". He said: \"It's a historic milestone for Manchester Airport and UK aviation, as well as a huge boost for the economy and the north of England.\" The figure beats the previous 12-month record set in July 2006 of 22.26m.", "summary": "Manchester Airport has broken its all-time yearly passenger record, with more than 22.32m people flying from the site over the last 12 months."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old beat Thailand's Tawin Hanprab 6-4 in the final. Luisito Pie of the Dominican Republic and South Korea's Kim Tae-hun won the bronze medals. Kim So-hui won gold in the women's -49kg final. The South Korean defeated Tijana Bogdanovic of Serbia 7-6 in a thrilling contest. Patimat Abakarova of Azerbaijan and Thailand's Panipak Wongpattanakit took the bronze medals.", "summary": "Zhao Shuai won China's 19th gold medal of the Rio Games by taking the men's -58kg Olympic taekwondo title on Wednesday."}
{"article": "Most of the churches affected had predominantly African-American congregations. \"We believe that this fire-setting activity is meant to send a message,\" said John Ham of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The most recent fire broke out early on Thursday morning. \"It was really disheartening to see what you worked so hard for brought down in a matter of minutes,\" said Pastor David Triggs of the United Believers in Christ Church, which was heavily damaged on 17 October. The fires have all been set at the front or side doors of buildings, usually without causing serious structural damage. This was not the case for Pastor Triggs, who said his church's building is likely unsalvageable. That leaves his roughly 70 active congregants without a house of worship. He is holding services on the lawn this coming Sunday while trying to determine next steps. \"We're kind of at a cross road,\" he said. \"I have no doubt that God is going to provide for us.\"", "summary": "Police in the US state of Missouri are searching for arsonist who set fire to seven churches in the St Louis area in the past two weeks."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Frenchman, 35, opted to extend his contract with the Royals in February until June 2018, having joined from Bournemouth in January 2016. \"It's a decision I took with my family, who I've been away from now for 13 years,\" he told BBC Radio Berkshire. \"We just think it's a good time for me to get back home and start a new life. I'm building a house in France.\" Kermorgant, who also played for Leicester and Charlton, has scored 10 goals for Reading so far this season as they bid to secure a Championship play-off place. He will hope to play a key role when Jaap Stam's side face fellow promotion contenders Leeds at home on Saturday. \"I think it will be a big game,\" Kermorgant said. \"There's every chance we could meet again in May if we both stay in our current positions. \"It will be a good test for us to see where we can be. We want to finish as high as we can and we've been third in the league for a long time. \"If we can beat Leeds, that will take us to fourth and maybe we can push for more.\"", "summary": "Reading striker Yann Kermorgant has confirmed he will retire at the end of the 2017-18 season."}
{"article": "Shiralee Duncan, 37, was involved in a two-car collision at the A90 Charleston flyover at about 12:50 on Thursday. The Dundee resident was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary but died a short time later. Police have appealed to anyone with information about the crash to contact them.", "summary": "A woman who died from her injuries after a crash on the outskirts of Aberdeen has been named."}
{"article": "Tucked away on a remote slope of the Othrys mountain, Anavra had no paved roads, and its farming and agricultural methods had hardly changed in centuries. The nearest school was in the Greek city of Lamia - a six hour mule ride away - forcing all children above a certain age to leave their hometown. Things are very different now. Anavra is famous for being one of the most prosperous farming villages in all of southern Europe, with an average household income of \u00e2\u201a\u00ac70,000. In stark contrast to the rest of Greece, no-one in the village is unemployed. \"Most of the villagers will be voting 'yes' on Sunday,\" Dimitris tells me over lunch in Anavra's cosy taverna - and it's not hard to see why. Walk around Anavra today, and you will encounter a modern school, a library, a gym, football and basketball pitches, a handful of cafes, a resplendent church, and even a museum. The roads are paved, and most Anavrans drive pick-up trucks, not donkeys. Residents also enjoy satellite TV and high-speed internet, and as Dimitris is keen to emphasise, \"young people stay here\". Much of this is a direct result of Greece's EU membership - alongside Dimitris' astonishing enterprise. In the early '90s, after 35 years of working at an electrical firm in Athens, Dimitris returned to Anavra, intent on reforming its ailing and rustic economy. After successfully running for mayor, his first move was to travel to Brussels, where he met with every EU official who would talk to him, and gathered information on all the available subsidies for rural communities. Upon his return to Anavra, Dimitris bypassed the local bureaucracy and applied for funding from the European schemes he'd learnt of through the relevant ministries in Athens. This, he admits, was \"not very Greek\". He quickly realised that many EU development programmes were environmentally focused, and in order to qualify, he encouraged Anavra's farmers to go organic, and to embrace clean energy sources. An EU-subsidised wind farm followed, as well as EU-subsidised roads, stables, telephone lines and even an environmental park. Anavra's 30,000 cows, goats and pigs used to roam freely in the village, causing hygiene and health problems, but once modern farming techniques were introduced, the quality of the village's livestock and produce quickly improved, as did the price their wares were able to fetch. Teachers came to live in Anavra, and a doctor arrived soon after. \"If we weren't in the EU, this could not have happened,\" Dimitris says, gesturing towards the small, but well-built, village square. \"The European project has been a blessing for us.\" But while Europe was the driving force of Anavra's extraordinary ascent, Greece's much lambasted bureaucracy threatens to bring it down to earth. In 2011, reforms pushed through as part of former prime minister George Papandreou's 'Kallikratis Plan' condensed the number of municipalities in Greece from over 1,000 to just 325. Anavra, which had been self-governing, suddenly found itself under the care of the relatively vast Almyros municipality. Its headquarters are an hour's drive away. The new municipality of 43", "summary": "In the 1960s, when Dimitris Tsoukalas was a teenager, mules were the only form of transport available in his village."}
{"article": "Previously, only larger, Jupiter-like giants have been studied in this way. Working with three space telescopes, astronomers deduced the presence of water by measuring the colours of light the planet absorbed when it passed in front of its star. The find appears in the journal Nature. It was made by a team of researchers led from the University of Maryland, US. The planet, designated HAT P-11b, orbits a sun in the constellation Cygnus some 124 light-years - about a quadrillion kilometres - from Earth. It is roughly four times the width of our home world. The scientists studied the planet's atmosphere with the aid of the US space agency's Hubble, Spitzer and Kepler telescopes. Their observations were also greatly assisted by there being no clouds on HAT P-11b, which would otherwise have frustrated their attempts to probe its gaseous envelope. The team determined that the far-off world's atmosphere contained about 90% hydrogen, but also significant quantities of water vapour as well. Commenting on the findings, Dr Eliza Kempton from Grinnell College, Iowa, said the Maryland group had taken another important step in the study of exoplanets - planets beyond our Solar System. \"Astronomers have detected water vapour in the atmospheres of larger planets - planets that are closer in size to Jupiter. But you can imagine that eventually we want to be able to detect molecules in the atmospheres of even smaller planets. \"We'd like to be able to look at an Earth-sized planet and measure its gaseous composition. So this is a step on the ladder; we're stepping down the ladder towards smaller and smaller planets,\" she told this week's Science In Action programme on the BBC World Service. Water has obvious implications for life, although HAT P-11b is too close to its star - and therefore too hot - to be habitable. But in the future study of Earth-sized exoplanets, the presence of water will be an important consideration as scientists search for biology elsewhere in our galaxy.", "summary": "A cloud-free atmosphere has allowed scientists to pick out signs of water vapour on a distant planet the size of Neptune: the smallest \"exoplanet\" ever to reveal its chemical composition."}
{"article": "The image of Ken Farlow, 95, staring through a fence at Gloucestershire Airport came to the attention of bosses after it was shared by his daughter. They invited him to Royal Air Force Coningsby and the Royal International Air Tattoo after hearing his story. And on Saturday, he was treated to a flight in a two-man trainer aircraft. Gloucestershire Airport's Darren Lewington said: \"The original story broke a week or so ago, but the icing on the cake on Saturday was that Ken got to take to the skies himself at our charity open day.\" The operations director said Mr Farlow - who has bowel cancer - flew in a two-seat Citabria aircraft with James Peplow, the owner of a specialist flying school based at the airport. \"He also got to see his beloved Spitfire again,\" Mr Lewington added. \"We're delighted we've been able to rekindle all those memories, and that the family have something positive to look back on when the inevitable time comes.\" Mr Farlow's daughter Helen Nock, who took the original photo of him, said: \"I still can't believe he flew. And I'm still getting my head around that this has gone round the world from one simple photograph.\" She said her father, who lives in Painswick, Gloucestershire, was a chartered electrical engineer in the war and spent time in Syria and Palestine working on Spitfires and Hurricanes.", "summary": "A terminally-ill former World War Two spitfire engineer has taken to the skies after a poignant photo of him became an unlikely internet hit."}
{"article": "The deal will take legal force when it is ratified by 55 signatories producing 55% of global emissions. Ratification by China and the US bumps the total to 40% of emissions. It will just need the EU and a couple of other major polluters to cross the threshold. Other nations will still tussle over their own ratification, but this sets clear ambition, and the US-China deal will put pressure on G20 nations over the weekend to move faster with their pledge to phase out subsidies to fossil fuels. President Obama is in China at the end of a legacy tour, in which he has visited Nevada and Hawaii to warn of climate disruption. Over recent years he has persuaded the reluctant Chinese that they need to accept their own climate commitments in order to buy him political space for America\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pledges. Both nations have set widely differing targets reflecting their different stages of economic development. The USA says it intends to reduce emissions by 26-28% below its 2005 level in 2025, trying hard for the upper limit. China has promised to stop the upward path of its emissions by 2030, although it will far exceed that goal. But even if enough other players step forward to make the Paris deal law, huge challenges lie ahead. The current pledged emissions cuts are still projected to bring 2.7C or more of warming \u00e2\u20ac\u201c well above the aspirational 1.5C heating that the UN accepts should really be the limit. And that is supposing that nations keep their promises on emissions cuts. In the UK the Labour Party has urged Theresa May to ratify the Paris deal immediately. The US-China deal will also put pressure on G20 nations over the weekend to move faster with their pledge to phase out subsidies to fossil fuels. Follow Roger on Twitter @rharrabin", "summary": "The joint commitment from the world\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s super-polluters, announced on Saturday, is a big step towards turning the Paris climate agreement into reality."}
{"article": "David was one of 60 cuckoos fitted with trackers by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) from 2011 and has made return trips from Africa since. But his tracker fell silent a few months ago. A team on BBC Radio Wales' Country Focus is now trying to lure David into the Tregaron woods using a fake female. Presenter Gilbert John said: \"We're hoping to find out whether the lack of a signal for David shows that he is dead, or simply his equipment [is dead].\" The BTO tracking project was set up to discover why half the UK's cuckoos have been lost in the last 20 years. Since 2011, many of the birds have died or their transmitters have failed, with David one of the remaining six that make the migration from the Congo rainforest, where they winter, to Wales. In previous years, he has returned to the UK between 28 April and the 14 May and experts expected him to be on the move from his wintering location, if not back on his breeding grounds, by now. The BTO has set up a mist net, a plastic cuckoo and the accompanying recording of a female in woods in Tregaron. \"The hope is to entice David if he's within earshot. [Although], I have to admit, she's not a very attractive cuckoo,\" said John. Kelvin Jones, Welsh development officer at the British Trust for Ornithology, said a lot of people think the newer satellite technology would eliminate the need for the more traditional \"ringing\" system. \"But without the ringing system - that is catching the birds and handling the birds - we cannot use the new technology,\" he said. Mr Jones said the tracking project had started to unravel the mystery of cuckoo movements.", "summary": "Conservationists are searching for a missing cuckoo called David who usually returns to his Ceredigion breeding grounds."}
{"article": "When Ogrizovic kept goal for City in their 1987 FA Cup final win over Tottenham, they were restricted to the regulated allocation of 25,000 tickets. But on Sunday there will be close to 43,000 City fans heading for Wembley. \"It's a special day for all of us, the fans particularly,\" he told BBC Sport. \"This is a one-club city. You don't bring 40,000 to a cup final if there's not a good fan base, if there's not a real interest in the club.\" City goalkeeping coach Ogrizovic, 59, will have the honour of leading the team out against Oxford. And City's travelling support will be one of the biggest-ever followings for a club game at Wembley, bettered only by the 44,000 allocation given to winners Southampton against Carlisle United in the 2010 final. It is all the more impressive given the struggles the Sky Blues have gone through in recent seasons. Even if they win on Sunday, they could soon be adding their name to the list of teams to reach a Wembley final and be relegated in the same season as they are bottom of League One, and 11 points from safety. Despite the pre-Wembley boost of two home wins in four days, the prospect of going down to English football's fourth tier for the first time since 1959 remains their likely fate. Although Premier League relegation in 2001 after 34 years in the top flight marked the start of Coventry City's decline, the club has fallen further since the 2007 takeover by current owners Sisu, a London-based hedge fund. After going down to League One in 2012, Sisu became involved in an ongoing off-field rent row with the city council, who were then part-owners of the Ricoh Arena. It led to the Sky Blues spending a season playing home games in Northampton, before returning to the city to discover that Premiership rugby union club Wasps had been invited to buy the stadium - and become their new landlords. The fans' inevitable frustration at the handling of affairs on and off the field has often boiled over into massed protest, which has been the backdrop to the current season. \"It's unfortunate what's happened,\" Ogrizovic told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire. \"There are so many reasons and factors, I wouldn't know where to start. \"But, at some stage, this club will turn around and let's just hope Sunday is the start. This is a competition that's got its critics but, when you get into the later rounds, it's one that everyone wants to win. \"There's a lot going from Oxford too. There'll be nearly 80,000 there. They can't all be wrong. \"We're not covering up the cracks. It's been a disappointing season, there's no getting away from it. But that will be forgotten on Sunday. The fans have talked about it for ages. I've never been to the new Wembley before and it looks a bit special. Let's go down there and try to put a few smiles on faces. \"You find out about players in big competitions. How will the team react", "summary": "Coventry City legend Steve Ogrizovic says the size of their travelling army of supporters for Sunday's EFL Trophy final against Oxford United sums up the \"special\" spirit of the Sky Blues."}
{"article": "Sunni Muslim, Tanveer Ahmed, 32, from Bradford in Yorkshire, stabbed 40-year-old Asad Shah outside his store in Glasgow's Shawlands area on 24 March. Mr Shah was an Ahmadi - a minority sect not recognised by all Muslims. Ahmed admitted the murder and said the victim had disrespected Islam by falsely claiming to be a prophet. Why was Asad Shah murdered? In July, Ahmed pleaded guilty to the religiously-motivated murder at a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow. Last month, he was given a mandatory life term and told he must serve a minimum of 27 years before he can apply for parole. Jailing him, judge Lady Rae told Ahmed: \"This was a barbaric, premeditated and wholly unjustified killing of a much-loved man who was a pillar of the local community. \"He was described as a peaceful and peace-loving man and family man who went out of his way to show respect for those of any faith.\" The judge branded the attack as \"an appalling display of merciless violence\". It has now emerged that lawyers for Ahmed have lodged an appeal against his sentence. The court previously heard that Mr Shah was an Ahmadi, who differ from the majority of Muslims, including Sunni Muslims, in that they believe the Prophet Muhammad was not the final prophet. The majority of Muslims believe Muhammad was the final prophet and say any other view is inconsistent with Islamic belief. Ahmed, a Sunni, claimed that he had killed Mr Shah because he had posted videos online in which the shopkeeper had \"disrespected\" Islam by claiming to be a prophet. Ahmed watched a clip featuring Mr Shah on his mobile phone as he travelled to Glasgow on the day of the murder and was heard in a phone message to say \"listen to this guy, something needs to be done, it needs nipped in the bud\". When he arrived at the shop, Ahmed said he warned Mr Shah that he was there to kill him and asked him to stop claiming to be a prophet. CCTV footage of the attack showed Ahmed pulling a knife out and moving behind the counter and stabbing Mr Shah repeatedly. The shopkeeper managed to get outside, but was stabbed again and then stamped on and kicked in a frenzied attack as he lay dying in the street. Mr Shah's brother Athar Shah tried to intervene, but was unable to fend off Ahmed. As Mr Shah lay dying on the ground, Ahmed walked calmly to a bus shelter where police found him a short time later. After being arrested, Ahmed released a statement through his lawyer saying he had killed Mr Shah as he had falsely claimed to be a prophet.", "summary": "A man who was jailed for life for murdering a shopkeeper who he claimed had \"disrespected\" Islam is to appeal against his minimum 27-year jail term."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old, who was videoed while in his native Ivory Coast, apologised after pictures of him were published in a national newspaper. The Premier League club said the player's action were not \"appropriate\" and he had been \"reminded\" of his role model responsibilities. Tiote said: \"I deeply regret my actions and I am sorry for any offence caused.\" He added: \"I realise that as a professional footballer, I have a responsibility to many people, including the club and its supporters and it is important for me to set a good example to others with my behaviour on and off the pitch.\" A statement from the club said: \"Newcastle United has been made aware of a video of Cheick Tiote driving while holding a bottle of alcohol, which is understood to have been filmed in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. \"Clearly his actions were not appropriate. The club have spoken privately with Cheick and reminded him of his significant responsibilities as a representative of Newcastle United and a role model.\" The player signed a new six-and-a-half-year deal at Newcastle in February 2011.", "summary": "Newcastle United midfielder Cheick Tiote has been filmed driving while holding an open bottle of champagne."}
{"article": "Buildings already constructed at the Beechwood site include the new \u00a360m Inverness College UHI. The college should be ready to open its doors to its first students this autumn. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), which is leading the project, hopes to attract science, technology and other types of businesses to the site. Mr Swinney said: \"This is an outstanding facility which I believe will be a leading resource for enterprise and innovation, not only of benefit to the region, but to the entire country. \"The teamwork of everyone involved has helped make Inverness Campus a reality and I am sure this will continue in the years ahead.\"", "summary": "The new \u00a3100m Inverness Campus has been officially opened by Deputy First Minister John Swinney."}
{"article": "Arriving at 01:00 (22:00 GMT Wednesday) in cars, they fired on a traffic police checkpoint before attacking a media building and a school. An Islamist group said it had launched a suicide attack to avenge attacks by security forces on Muslim women. Chechnya's Moscow-backed president said the situation was under control. Ramzan Kadyrov said none of the attackers had escaped. The controversial Chechen strongman has suppressed rebel activity in Chechnya since Russia ousted the separatist government there at the beginning of the century. The attack was a rare breach of the heavy security which surrounds Grozny. Russian President Vladimir Putin said from Moscow he was confident Chechen security forces could handle the militants by themselves. This is the most serious violence in Grozny for some time and will be another worry for President Putin, amid a serious downturn in the Russian economy, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford reports from Moscow. Mr Putin prides himself on bringing stability to Chechnya after two bloody, separatist wars there since the break-up of the Soviet Union, our correspondent adds. Three traffic policemen were killed as they tried to stop the gunmen's cars, Mr Kadyrov said. Nine militants died in the subsequent fighting, the Chechen leader said. According to the Russian government, a further four people died and 21 were injured during the fighting. Inhabitants of the city woke to the sight of smoke rising from the gutted shell of the publishing house, where both Chechen and federal Russian media had offices. Covered stalls at a market were also burned in the fighting. There were no reports of any children being inside the school when the rebels seized it. Mobile phone videos posted during the night attested to the ferocity of the fighting. An Associated Press reporter saw the publishing house in flames and heard the continuing sound of gunfire before dawn. The same reporter also saw the body of someone in civilian clothing in the street near the building. \"Not one bandit managed to get out,\" Mr Kadyrov later announced. \"I directly ran the operation myself.\" In a grainy video posted on YouTube, a gunman said he and a group of others had attacked the city in a \"revenge operation\" to avenge Muslim women harassed by the security forces. He said the attack had been carried out on the instructions of Chechen rebel figure Aslan Byutukayev, an associate of Doku Umarov, the rebel leader believed to have been killed earlier this year. The attack on Grozny came hours before President Putin gave his annual state of the nation address at the Kremlin. Dmitry Trenin, who heads the Carnegie Moscow Center, wrote in a Twitter post that the night attack in Grozny looked \"senseless except as an attempt to embarrass Putin hours before his annual address\".", "summary": "Rebel gunmen have shot their way into the heavily fortified Chechen capital, Grozny, in a night-time attack which left as many as 16 people dead."}
{"article": "The London team has only once before turned a profit in the 10 years since it was acquired by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. The club said a new TV broadcasting deal, as well as the sale of players such as Juan Mata, had boosted profits. Chelsea are currently unbeaten at the top of the Premier League. They also top their Champions League group. In 2012, Chelsea reported a profit of \u00a31.4m, its first under Mr Abramovich. The club then made a loss in 2013. This year's profits mean the club satisfies the Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules imposed by Uefa, European football's governing body. Under FFP, clubs need to balance football-related expenditure - transfers and wages - with television and ticket income, plus revenues raised by their commercial departments. Money spent on stadiums, training facilities, youth development or community projects is exempt. Bruce Buck, Chelsea's chairman, said the club's focus was first and foremost on the team's performance. \"By reaching the Champions League semi-final and maintaining a challenge in the Premier League until the final week of the season we demonstrated that, while improving our financial figures, we remained competitive in football's toughest club competitions,\" he said.", "summary": "Chelsea Football Club has reported a record profit of \u00a318.4m ($29m) for the year to June 2014 - despite last season's lack of silverware."}
{"article": "But their decision to take up rowing - and winning Olympic gold at their first attempt - has sealed their place in British sporting history. Glover, 26, and Stanning, 27, took victory in the women's pair at Eton Dorney on Wednesday to win the first gold medal for Britain at London 2012. More remarkably, they become the first British female rowers to achieve the feat since the sport was added to the Olympics in 1976. Born in Truro, Glover was a cross-country runner and hockey player, competing internationally, before burying her head in books and gaining a teaching qualification. It wasn't until she heard about Sporting Giants, a scheme to find the Olympians of the future, in 2008 that she stepped into a boat and picked up an oar for the first time. From there, she was chosen for the Great Britain's rowing talent programme, two years after Stanning joined the same initiative, and two years later the dream team was formed. Stanning, who was born in Yeovil, took a different route, taking up rowing at 19 after her friends suggested she try it because she was tall. Two years later she was on the rowing talent programme but switched her focus to the army, where she was commissioned in 2008. Four years ago, she decided to focus on rowing, taking a break from the Royal Artillery, and heading back to the water. There she teamed up with Glover and started on the road to London. The pair narrowly missed out on gold to New Zealand at last year's World Championships, but that defeat was their last as they upped the stroke rate in 2012 to remain unbeaten in all three World Cups. They were barely mentioned in the build-up to London as three-time Olympic silver medallist Katherine Grainger and her chase for that elusive gold dominated the headlines along with the men's four - Britain's flagship boat - which has won gold in the last three Olympics. But an Olympic record in the first race of the regatta sparked interest - and their performance in the final in front of a partisan home crowd - was the perfect way to end what could be their last race together. Before the regatta, Stanning said she would return to the army, with a posting in Afghanistan a possibility. Regardless of whether she sticks to her decision or decides to add to her medal collection, their achievement will forever be engraved on London 2012 - because everyone remembers the first.", "summary": "Four years ago, Helen Glover was an aspiring hockey player and Heather Stanning was embarking on a career in the army."}
{"article": "No longer able to influence the policies and laws of their country, these former members of the House of Commons now have to find something else to occupy their time. But what's it like after losing your parliamentary seat? What are the personal and professional implications of being voted out of public office? Former Labour MP for Watford Claire Ward told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there was a sense of bereavement at losing her seat in 2010 after 13 years in Westminster. \"Being an MP is very much a way of life,\" she says. \"It's all-consuming, there's no escape from it, no matter what time of the day, where you are, any time of the year. \"From that point of view, you recognise that it's going to be a huge change, not just to your working life but to every aspect of it. \"Something that you feel very strongly about, and is part of you, to lose in that way is very much like a bereavement.\" Ms Ward is now chairman of Pharmacy Voice, the trade association for community pharmacies. She talks of those failed parliamentary candidates who can't help but wonder whether certain people they see on their constituency's streets, who pledged support, actually voted for them. She also talks of the \"heartbreaking\" act of having to give redundancy notices to staff members, whose fortunes are intertwined with that of their boss's. After finding out that all that knocking on doors, distributing leaflets and promising policies did not generate enough boxes being ticked next to their name, any newly-unemployed former public servant can find a sympathetic ear through the Association of Former Members of Parliament. Among several activities it organises is an outreach programme for former MPs to speak at universities, academies, schools and voluntary groups, helping to keep them busy - and, surely for some, keep their profile up in the local community should they fancy another go come the next by-election. Financially, there is help available for those ex-MPs going through this drastic change of fortune. According to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, the expenses watchdog, departing MPs are entitled to a resettlement allowance, equivalent to a month's salary for each year of service, capped at 6 months, or \u00c2\u00a333,500. They are also able to claim a winding up allowance of up to \u00c2\u00a357,000 for former London MPs, and up to \u00c2\u00a353,000 for those who represented a constituency outside of the capital. This is for such costs as terminating staff contracts, ending leases on offices, and furniture removals. This allowance is open to all MPs and is not related to length of service. Andy Reed was Labour MP for Loughborough from 1997 to 2010, and is now programme director of the international sports management MBA at Loughborough University. He says it was particularly \"brutal\" losing his seat because politics is \"a way of life, not a job\". \"You literally walk home from the town hall at four or five o'clock in the morning unemployed, and virtually everything that you knew, your emails, is shut down, locked out. \"You're", "summary": "As the dust settles after the general election, many men and women who once trod the corridors of power as Members of Parliament are facing up to life after defeat."}
{"article": "A report published last month found at least 1,400 children were abused in the South Yorkshire town from 1997 to 2013. Barnardo's Scotland said child sexual exploitation was a \"severe problem\". It has urged government and child protection agencies not to be complacent. The charity said Rotherham should be \"a wake-up call for Scotland\". The Scottish government said it was committed to protecting children and young people's wellbeing. Revelations of child abuse on a massive scale in the English town were revealed in the Jay Report. Now Barnardo's Scotland has published 15 lessons it said must be learned by those involved in protecting children and young people in Scotland. The charity said child sex exploitation (CSE) \"is happening across Scotland\", with two large-scale police operations to identify victims and target perpetrators, one of which, Operation Dash, was ongoing. Barnardo's called for recognition, at every level, that sex between an adult and a child under 16 was always wrong and that it was not the child's responsibility to say 'No'. Martin Crewe, director of Barnardo's Scotland, said: \"We know child sexual exploitation is happening across Scotland. \"We know how devastating it can be. We know charities and support agencies are aware of the problem and are working to put the necessary infrastructure in place to tackle child sexual exploitation. \"But as part of this process, we all need to heed the warning and learn the lessons from Rotherham if we are to be certain that we are all doing our best to protect children from this horrific form of abuse in Scotland.\" He added: \"If there is one fundamental lesson from Rotherham it is that we cannot be complacent about child sexual exploitation in Scotland.\" Police Scotland said keeping children safe, particularly those who are vulnerable, was top of its list of priorities. As part of Operation Dash, 22 people have been reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in relation to a range of crimes. Det Ch Supt Lesley Boal said: \"CSE is a complex challenging and sensitive area of policing. \"Police Scotland works nationally to support the Scottish government's action plan on CSE and we have developed an action plan to compliment this. \"In addition at a local level we have created 14 divisional public protection units that work in partnership with local authorities and health through child protection committees to tackle all forms of child abuse including CSE. \"Within Police Scotland we have a number of specialist units including the National Rape Task Force, the National Human Trafficking Unit and the National Domestic Abuse Task Force that focus on serious sexual crimes.\" The Scottish government published updated child protection guidance in May this year. A spokeswoman said: \"Child sexual exploitation is an abhorrent crime and can have devastating impact on victims and their families. \"We established an expert working group to specifically examine child sexual exploitation and this work contributed to our updated guidance. We also work closely with the experts at the Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children (CELCIS) to shape policies and practices to ensure", "summary": "Lessons must be learned in Scotland from the Rotherham child abuse scandal, according to a children's charity."}
{"article": "Pleidleisiodd yr Arglwyddi 222 i 222 ar welliant gan y blaid Lafur i Fesur Cymru fyddai'n trosglwyddo cyfrifoldeb dros y berthynas ddiwydiannol mewn gwasanaethau cyhoeddus Cymreig o Lundain i Gaerdydd. Yn unol \u00e2'r drefn pan mae pleidlais yn gyfartal, nid yw'r gwelliant yn cael ei basio. Byddai colli'r bleidlais wedi golygu y byddai oedi cyn i'r Mesur ddod yn gyfraith am y byddai aelodau seneddol wedi derbyn cais i'w wyrdroi. Dywedodd llefarydd y blaid Lafur, y Farwnes Morgan o Drelai ei bod wedi ei siomi'n fawr gyda'r canlyniad. Byddai'r gwelliant wedi galluogi Llywodraeth Cymru i gael gwared ar rannau o'r Deddf Undeb Masnach sydd wedi bod yn ddadleuol. Mae disgwyl i aelodau'r Cynulliad ym Mae Caerdydd roi eu s\u00eal bendith i Fesur Cymru ddydd Mawrth nesaf.", "summary": "Fe wnaeth llywodraeth y DU osgoi colli pleidlais o drwch blewyn yn Nh\u0177'r Arglwyddi nos Fawrth dros welliant i Fesur Cymru."}
{"article": "Opposition MPs physically tried to stop the vote in a legislative committee by jostling around the chairman and trying to snatch his paperwork and microphone. The committee's vote clears the way for the bill to go to the upper house of parliament for final approval. The opposition says it will continue to try to delay the vote. The bill would allow Japan to defend its allies overseas even when it is not under attack. The bill is not widely supported by the country at large. Thousands of protesters rallied outside the parliament in Tokyo as the committee debate was under way. Opposition lawmakers tried to physically prevent the debate from taking place. In rare heated scenes, jostling members of the upper house surrounded the chairman of the security committee, Yoshitada Konoike, as he opened the debate on Wednesday and again on Thursday morning as the vote was taking place. The opposition had also tabled a no-confidence vote against Mr Konoike. Wednesday night's session was abandoned in the early hours of Thursday after opposition lawmakers blocked entry to a room where Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other ministers were waiting to discuss the bill. The bill has already been approved by the government-dominated lower house. It is expected to be passed in the upper house because the ruling coalition has a majority there - this was why opponents were keen to prevent the committee from approving the legislation. It is thought Mr Abe's government wants to pass the bills before the country goes into a five-day holiday on Saturday, which could provide an opportunity for even bigger protests. If the upper house does not pass the bills within 60 days, they will have to be returned the lower house. It is a step Mr Abe is thought to be willing to take. His Liberal Democratic Party-led bloc has a two-thirds majority in the lower chamber, the House of Representatives. Despite his majorities in both houses, the controversial bills, and Mr Abe's determination to push them through despite vocal opposition, appear to have damaged his popularity. Polls have consistently shown a majority of the public are opposed to the changes, and relatively few strongly support them. Japan's post-World War Two constitution bars it from using force to resolve conflicts except in cases of self-defence. Mr Abe's government has pushed for security legislation that would allow Japan's military to mobilise overseas when these three conditions are met: What's behind Japan's military shift? The government says Japan needs to pass the bills, which are welcomed by the US, to ensure regional peace and security in the face of rising Chinese assertiveness. It also says they will allow the country to participate more widely in global peacekeeping missions. But opponents say the legislation violates Japan's post-war pacifist constitution, and could lead to it being dragged into US-led conflicts. Despite the likelihood of eventual defeat, opposition to the bills has been credited with helping reverse decades of youth disengagement from politics in Japan. Students in particular, have been closely involved in leading protests once dominated by trade unionists", "summary": "A controversial bill to expand the role of Japan's armed forces has cleared another hurdle in parliament, but sparked scuffles among lawmakers."}
{"article": "The 33-year-old, who made 27 Premier League appearances for the Canaries in 2015-16, has signed a two-year deal. The former Middlesbrough and West Ham United man, who began his career at Portsmouth, has won promotion from the Championship with four different clubs. \"Gary is a really good signing for us, who adds everything we need to our midfield,\" head coach Lee Johnson said. \"He may have just turned 33, but he's still fully mobile and very fit. He's a really good decision maker who can be a coach's eyes and ears on the pitch.\" O'Neil helped QPR to promotion via the play-offs before his move to Norwich in 2014 and has played more than 200 top-flight games. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Bristol City have signed midfielder Gary O'Neil on a free transfer from recently relegated Norwich City."}
{"article": "Markandey Katju said a high court judge was promoted after pressure from an ally of the former Congress government. He also said some senior judges had made \"improper compromises\" in allowing the judge to continue in office. A regional party protested in the parliament against \"political interference in judicial appointments\". The Congress-led government was in power for 10 years before losing the May general election to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The ally that Mr Katju has alluded to was the ruling party in Tamil Nadu state. Writing in The Times of India newspaper, Mr Katju said a judge of the Madras high court in Tamil Nadu was promoted and given an extension to continue in office despite \"several allegations of corruption\" after pressure from an ally of the then-ruling Congress party. Mr Katju, who is now the chairman of the Press Council of India, also told the NDTV news channel that three former chief justices of the Supreme Court made \"improper compromises\" in allowing the unnamed judge to continue in office. When asked by the channel why he had waited for 10 years to make his allegations public, he said: \"Concentrate on whether what I'm saying is correct or not. How does it matter if I spoke now?\" Mr Katju then left the interview. MPs belonging to Tamil Nadu's AIADMK party waved copies of the the newspaper carrying Mr Kaju's article and demanded a discussion in the upper house of the parliament. \"If you have an issue to raise, raise it through appropriate procedure. This is not the way. You are disrupting listed business,\" chairman of the upper house Hamid Ansari said. The Congress party has denied the allegations and questioned their timing. \"Mr Katju wishes to remain in news. If there was any such thing then he should have spoken that time. Why he is speaking now,\" Congress leader Rashid Alvi said. There has been rising public demand for greater transparency on the part of judges after allegations of corruptions against some judges over the last few years.", "summary": "There has been uproar in the Indian parliament over a former Supreme Court judge's allegations of corruption in the judiciary."}
{"article": "Writing in the journal Science, they said this could lead to a gap of 10 years before the next epidemic. The Imperial College London team created a model using data from the current outbreak in Latin America. But a Zika expert said predicting anything with any degree of certainty was impossible. The scientists, from the Medical Research Council Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling at Imperial, calculated that the epidemic, which began in Brazil in 2015, would burn itself out within three years. Because the virus is unable to infect the same person twice, as more and more people become infected, reaching a level called \"herd immunity\", infection levels fall and the epidemic dies out. Until there was a new generation who had not been exposed to Zika virus, there would be a long period with few new cases, the researchers said. They said this mirrored the pattern of other epidemics, such as chikungunia - a virus similar to Zika. Earlier this year, the World Health Organization declared the Zika virus a global public health emergency because of the risk to newborn children. Although Zika infection is largely mild, with most people having no symptoms, it is known to cause microcephaly - babies born with undersized heads. In severe cases, children can die and babies who survive can face intellectual disability and developmental delays. The Olympic Games are going ahead in Rio, Brazil, in August, despite recent concerns from leading scientists that holding the event is \"unethical\". The research paper said the current outbreak was not \"containable\" and targeting the Aedes aegypti mosquito carrying the virus would have limited impact. Prof Neil Ferguson, lead author of the research, said that any efforts to slow the spread of the virus could actually prolong the current epidemic. \"Slowing transmission between people means the population will take longer to reach the level of herd immunity needed for transmission to stop. \"It might also mean that the window between epidemics could actually get shorter.\" However, Prof Ferguson said there were still many unanswered questions about Zika which could affect predictions. The virus could become endemic in Latin America which would result in smaller, frequent outbreaks, for example, and he said no-one yet understood why Latin America was particularly affected. \"One possibility is climate may have in some way aided spread of the virus, as spread coincided with an El Nino event,\" he said. \"Genetic mutation of the virus might also have played a role, although early data currently give limited support for this hypothesis.\" He added that previous exposure to Dengue fever might heighten the Zika infection in a person, as recent studies had suggested. But Jonathan Ball, professor of molecular virology at the University of Nottingham, said although the paper was interesting, there were still a lot of gaps in the data. \"In truth, there are so many really important scientific unknowns surrounding Zika that it is impossible to predict what will happen with any degree of certainty. \"Key questions that remain unanswered include how many people have been infected, the duration that people are", "summary": "The current Zika epidemic is likely to end within three years because there will be too few people left to infect, a team of scientists is predicting."}
{"article": "Mr Rouhani ordered a review of all 3,000 jobs on offer, and a rethink if they were found to be biased to men. Some departments, such as the Judiciary Organisation of Military Forces, which is controlled by hardliners, are open almost exclusively to men. Mr Rouhani has a track record of speaking out on women's rights. He has appointed a number of women to prominent posts - including Masoumeh Ebtekar as vice-president and head of the Environmental Protection Organisation, and Marzieh Afkham, who was foreign ministry spokesperson, before being appointed ambassador to Malaysia last year. Ms Afkham was the first woman to be made a foreign envoy. After Iran's parliamentary elections in May, Mr Rouhani hailed the record number of women who won seats. But civil society groups say he could have done much more to tackle the overall problem of female unemployment. Iranian women have made big progress in education in the decades since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and now make up 60% of all university graduates. However, they are still significantly under-represented in the workplace. The most recent figures from the Iranian National Statistics Organisation in 2013 revealed that just 12.4% cent of Iranian women were in active employment. Young Iranian women are five times more likely to be unemployed than young men, and twice as many women than men have lost their jobs as a result of the economic downturn caused by international sanctions. Women face the double challenge of deeply entrenched conservative values plus discrimination enshrined in a legal system, which disadvantages them in many areas including marriage, maternity provisions, custody rights, and even the right to travel. In the past 12 months a number of high-profile scandals have highlighted the very real problems many women face in their everyday working lives. In September 2015 the captain of the Iranian women's football team, Niloufar Ardalan, was reportedly unable to take part in a key international match because her husband had refused to give her permission to leave the country. And in February secret recordings of a senior manager at the state broadcaster making suggestive phone calls to a junior, female employee put the spotlight on sexual harassment in the workplace. President Rouhani's championing of women's rights has sometimes put him at odds with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, and the conservative establishment, which favours a more traditional and restricted role for women, with the emphasis on motherhood and home. The government has invested in job creation schemes in recent years, but critics say much of the money has been channelled into male-dominated sectors of the workforce, resulting in even greater shortages of jobs for women.", "summary": "Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has postponed the annual civil service entry exam because of concerns it discriminates against women."}
{"article": "Two men made off with a trolley full of alcohol from the supermarket in Annan at about 13:40 on Thursday. About 40 minutes later a man matching the description of one of the thieves in the earlier incident struck at the Lockerbie Road store in Dumfries. PC Carolyne Crozier said there were \"clear similarities\" between the thefts and asked witnesses to come forward. Spirits worth more than \u00c2\u00a3500 were taken in the first incident. One of the men involved was in his late 40s, of medium build with dark hair with grey starting to show. He was about 5ft 8in tall and was wearing a navy polo shirt with stripes across the front and jeans. The second man was in his late 20s or early 30s, of slim build, quite tall with short, dark hair and was wearing Adidas three-stripe tracksuit bottoms and a hooded top. In the Dumfries incident, a man was seen putting alcohol straight into a carrier bag. When stock was checked, it was found 10 bottles of vodka worth more than \u00c2\u00a3400 had been taken. The suspect was described as being tall and wearing Adidas striped tracksuit bottoms and an Adidas hooded top. In a separate incident on the same day cashmere jumpers worth more than \u00c2\u00a3600 were taken from The Canny Scots Shop at the Gretna Service Area between 10:00 and 12:30. PC Crozier said: \"There are clear similarities between the two Tesco thefts, right down to the description of one of the suspects. \"We are keeping an open mind as to whether or not the cashmere theft is linked.\"", "summary": "Vodka and other spirits worth hundreds of pounds have been stolen from two Tesco stores in southern Scotland."}
{"article": "The last two successful squads were happy to profit from their hosts' misfortune at crucial moments. A celebrated error from the great David Campese got the 1989 vintage over the line in the decisive third Test in Australia. The Lions have faced Australia in Brisbane on eight occasions and have won all of them. Tom and Ben Youngs were the first brothers to play for the Lions in a Test match since Gavin and Scott Hastings in 1989. Prop Alex Corbisiero gained more metres (30) in the first half than all of Australia's forwards combined (26). Source: OptaJonny In 1997 the Springboks scored three tries to none and battered the Lions for long periods in the second Test in Durban. But they couldn't land a single shot at goal, allowing Jeremy Guscott to steal the glory instead. If the class of 2013 go on to add their names to the legends, no-one will give a hoot that they could - and perhaps should - have lost this first, utterly compelling, Test in Brisbane. If their victory owed as much to the inadequacy of their hosts in one critical department as their own efforts, so be it. Any Lions Test victory is to be cherished. They have only won two of the last nine, after all. If this one helps to strengthen the brand, and perhaps goes some way towards ensuring its future, no-one will be complaining. Here was an occasion that lived up to the hype in spectacular fashion, with the 25,000 Lions fans in an enthralled capacity crowd playing a full and vociferous part. If the brutality of the collisions wasn't quite on the scale of the second Test in South Africa four years ago, it wasn't far off. Lions coach Warren Gatland described it as a \"bit like a sparring match, both teams finding out about each other\". In which case heaven help the players when we get to the championship rounds. As in Pretoria, the Lions led for long periods before being pegged back towards the end. Again, the outcome was decided by the last kick of the game, only this time Kurtley Beale could not do what Morne Steyn did and break Lions' hearts, twice missing penalty chances to land the killer blow. And again, the body count was huge. But it was Australia, rather than the Lions, who lost four players to injury and ended with others playing out of position. While Gatland was adamant the Lions deserved victory, ultimately they got out of jail. They found themselves on the wrong side of referee Chris Pollock at the start and end of the match, and so nearly paid for it. Were it not for James O'Connor and Beale, who between them missed five kicks, and 14 points, the Wallabies could have won despite enjoying less possession and territory, and conceding 14 turnovers to the Lions' three. The hosts were clinical, scoring two tries from three line breaks, both finished in style by Israel Folau on a highly promising Test debut. But the Lions' wings were no slouches", "summary": "No-one said a Lions Test series victory has to be a thing of beauty, or a clear demonstration of superiority."}
{"article": "Sussex Police has told relatives of 11 men who died they are investigating an incident at the Southport Airshow in 2014 in which a vintage jet is believed to have flown too low. At the Shoreham event in August, a Hawker Hunter jet crashed. Pilot Andy Hill was thrown free from the aircraft. The 11 died at the scene. Det Ch Insp Paul Rymarz said the force was aware of an incident at the Southport Airshow in September 2014. \"This incident forms a line of inquiry in our wider investigation. \"All the families are aware of our interest in this incident,\" he said. Analysis: Richard Westcott, BBC transport correspondent I've just been speaking to the man who was commentating at the Southport airshow on the day that this happened. George Bacon is an expert from the British Air Display Association, so he knows his stuff. He told me that the plane was flying too low and very slightly over the crowd line, which is not allowed, and the display was stopped. But George also says there was never any immediate danger, that it was never \"life threatening\". He described it as an \"occurrence\", not an \"incident\" (less serious in effect), saying Andy Hill was always in control of the aircraft. And he stressed the point that this kind of transgression can happen to any pilot and for all sorts of reasons - sun in the eyes, moving to avoid a bird or another aircraft, a strong wind. \"Even the Red Arrows can misjudge the strength of the wind\", he told me. He wanted to make the point that display pilots are not risk-takers. A spokesman for the CAA said it was aware of an incident in 2014, and had been informed of the Sussex Police investigation. At the time, he said, the CAA took appropriate action in conjunction with the show's organisers. \"The CAA continues to support the police and AAIB with their investigations,\" he said. Mr Hill was interviewed by police in December. No arrests have been made. BBC South East correspondent Mark Norman said the parameters of the \"very wide-ranging, complex ongoing investigation\" had yet to be revealed. At Shoreham, the vintage jet, which had been performing aerobatics, crashed on the A27 dual carriageway. Footage captured by witnesses showed a large fireball engulf the area around the crash site.", "summary": "The pilot flying a jet which crashed at the Shoreham airshow was involved in an incident at a different airshow a year before, it has emerged."}
{"article": "Ben, from Sheffield, was 21 months old when he disappeared on 24 July 1991. Detectives said they would be \"lifting all the earth\" at the second site, 750m from where he was last seen and close to where the dig started last month. They are investigating claims Ben may have been accidentally run over by a digger driver 25 years ago. Officers are working on the theory that Konstantinos Barkas, who died of cancer in 2015, might be responsible for Ben's death. Ben vanished from a farmhouse, which his grandfather was renovating, in the village of Iraklis. Continued searches near the farmhouse were drawing to a close and the rest of the team will be focusing their efforts on the second site, police said. Det Insp Jon Cousins said there was compacted material deposited over the last 30 years and the team \"will remove this layer in the same [way] they excavated the first site\". Mr Cousins said: \"I have made a decision that we're extending our stay here. \"We are going to be doing this to give me the confidence that I've done everything I can. \"The team are 100% behind this. And every single one of them, including the volunteers, are adamant that they are staying for this period of time. It's got to be done.\" The team would remain on site for \"at least two or three days\", he said. A team of 19 South Yorkshire Police officers, forensic specialists and an archaeologist have been excavating the area for nearly two weeks as a result of a television appeal in May, which brought the theory about Mr Barkas to the attention of the force.", "summary": "Police searching for missing toddler Ben Needham on the Greek island of Kos have said they are extending their stay to continue exploring a second site."}
{"article": "Hundreds of angry fans walked out and got a refund before the singer finally appeared at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre at 23:15. \"One new mum with a babysitter just gave up,\" tweeted one fan at 23:00. Madonna later said she was \"hardly ever late\" and joked: \"It's you people that get here early that's the problem\". \"Stay home, do your hair and makeup, have a tequila. \"Just come late and I won't have to come early. We've got three more shows and we want to fix the problem.\" Later, on Instagram, the star explained the delay, saying: \"[I] wanted to be perfect for you!\" - but concertgoers were furious. \"How do we get money back after waiting two hrs for Madonna?\" an upset fan wrote on the Facebook page for ticket agency Ticketek. \"Just disgusting. Traveled (sic) 3.5 hrs for what?\" \"It was an absolute joke and definitely not worth the $300+ per ticket,\" said another. The venue is 12 miles from the centre of Brisbane and the last train back to the city leaves shortly after midnight. Hundreds of fans were left queuing for taxis after the concert concluded at 01:30. \"Going on so late means missing the last train home and stranded until sunrise,\" wrote Louise Mac on Twitter, in a message directed at Madonna. \"Care about your fans?\" \"By 2am no trains, no buses, very few taxis or Uber. Without your own car you would be stranded!\" added Alison Hale. Nathanael Cooper, reviewing the show for the Brisbane Times, took aim at the pop star. \"There is something breathtakingly arrogant about an artist taking to the stage late,\" he wrote. \"It was tiresome, annoying and meant that a show that could have been done by 11pm finished well after 1am.\" Australia's Associated Press reported that the \"increasingly frustrated\" crowd had \"resorted to Mexican waves and chanting\" but was \"eating from the palm of [Madonna's] hand from the moment she appeared on stage in a metal cage.\" Promoter Live Nation said the star was originally due on stage at 21:00, but it had warned fans of a possible late finish. It also warned in a statement that Madonna's second Brisbane show, on Thursday, could also be affected. \"Following a late start last night, fans should note, the timing for tonight's performance may also be delayed. We encourage concert goers to keep this in consideration when making arrangements to get home safely.\" It is not the first time Madonna has shown up late on her current Rebel Heart tour. After a delay caused her show to over-run at Glasgow's SSE Hydro Arena last December, the venue cut the power, prompting the singer to perform the end of her set without sound or lighting. And a spin-off show, called Tears of a Clown, began three hours late in Melbourne last week. During that show, she appeared to wipe away tears as she discussed the custody battle over her 15-year-old son, Rocco. The teenager left her world tour last year and moved in with his father, Guy Ritchie, in London. Madonna says the", "summary": "Pop star Madonna has been labelled \"breathtakingly arrogant\" after coming on stage over two hours late in Brisbane, Australia."}
{"article": "Shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran has written to the UK government offering support for early legislation. The Scottish government has already called for action before Westminster breaks for the general election. Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael has said officials are looking at the options. These are likely to include a section 30 order which is much less complicated than an act of parliament. In a letter to the Scottish secretary, Ms Curran said: \"I am writing to offer our support for a Section 30 order to devolve the franchise to the Scottish Parliament immediately if it is brought forward by the government. \"This will ensure that there is enough time for the Scottish Parliament to make the changes necessary to ensure 16 and 17-year-olds are able to vote in 2016.\" The Smith Commission on further devolution called for the UK to \"devolve the relevant powers in sufficient time\" for that election. Its recommendations were agreed by all five political parties in the Scottish Parliament. The independence referendum was the first national vote in which 16 and 17-year-olds were able to take part. The chief counting officer for the referendum, Mary Pitcaithly, chairs the board that oversees election management in Scotland. She said: \"If changes of this significance are going to be made, the earlier that election professionals know about this the better, so that appropriate preparations can be made to minimise any risks\". Mr Carmichael discussed the issue with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last week. Ahead of that meeting he said he saw \"no reason\" why votes at 16 could not be in place for the 2016 vote. Labour also wants him to consider which other powers might be suitable for fast-track devolution. Ms Curran said: \"Many of the Smith Commission proposals will require primary legislation, and Labour will introduce a Scotland Act in our first Queen's Speech. \"However, it is right that we should assess which powers could be passed more quickly and where the Labour Party could offer its support.\" The Scottish government has specifically called for early control of air passenger duty and disability living allowance. But the Scottish secretary has described votes at 16 as an \"exception\" to the general principle that further devolution \"will proceed as a package\". Mr Carmichael was asked about when tax powers would be devolved at a Holyrood committee last week. He said: \"With the budgetary consequences that come with that, there is probably a greater interest in ensuring that you get the whole thing as a package rather than taking it in dribs and drabs.\"", "summary": "Labour wants the immediate transfer of election powers to Holyrood to allow MSPs to give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote in 2016."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old replaces injured Ospreys forward James King. Shingler, who has eight caps, will join the Wales squad after Scarlets' Pro12 final against Munster on Saturday. \"We've got a young squad, but we're not treating this as a development tour. We're going to the southern hemisphere to win two Tests,\" said Robin McBryde, Wales' head coach for the tour. \"So the selection has to reflect a balance between potential and performance, and the new players will have to reach the high levels of expectation we have of them.\" Shingler's call-up comes a day after uncapped Exeter full-back Phil Dollman was summoned as a replacement for Rhun Williams.", "summary": "Wales have called up Scarlets back rower Aaron Shingler for Test matches against Tonga and Samoa in June."}
{"article": "In January, several major US newspapers took a swipe at him in separate editorials. \"President Rafael Correa of Ecuador is leading a relentless campaign against free speech,\" said The New York Times. The Washington Post said the president ought to be known for \"the most comprehensive and ruthless assault on free media under way in the Western Hemisphere\". According to various international rights organisations, 2011 was a bad year for freedom of speech in Ecuador, and 2012 does not bode well. Following a change to the current electoral law, which comes into effect on 4 February, journalists will face restrictions when reporting on the forthcoming campaign for the 2013 presidential election. The new article prohibits media from \"either directly or indirectly promoting any given candidate, proposal, options, electoral preferences or political thesis, through articles, specials or any other form of message\". Several Ecuadorean journalists have said the new regulations amount to censorship. \"It is clear that this is an affront to basic rights,\" said Ecuadorean media freedom organisation Fundamedios. But President Correa is adamant that the new legislation is vital. \"Media cannot be political actors,\" he said during one of his weekly TV and radio broadcasts. \"We have to put an end to the illegitimate, immoral political power that certain media have. All they do every day is a political campaign against the government.\" Mr Correa has not yet said whether he will run in the election, currently scheduled for January 2013. With approval ratings close to 80%, according to a polling firm favoured by the government, he seemingly has the largest support base among potential candidates. Mr Correa, who is popular in Ecuador thanks to his social programmes that support, among others, the poor and the disabled, has often said media are his \"greatest enemy\" and a major obstacle in implementing reforms. In Ecuador, private media have traditionally served the interests of their owners - powerful groups with strong economic interests. Mr Correa says those elites do not want wealth to be fairly distributed across the country. Under Mr Correa's leadership, the government has brought in laws to limit media concentration. In 2008 a number of media outlets, including two TV stations, were seized from bankers on the grounds of corruption. The government went from controlling only one radio station to running a large network of media, which have the obligation of broadcasting the president's weekly radio and TV shows. Although the growth of public media is important, the current landscape is far from balanced, according to investigative journalist Juan Carlos Calderon. \"The president has decided to demonise private media, even if it is a legitimate activity, regulated by the constitution,\" Mr Calderon says. \"The president has created this polarisation. We journalists are the meat in the sandwich.\" Mr Calderon is facing a libel trial following the 2010 publication of a book, Big Brother (El Gran Hermano), which detailed government contracts that benefited the president's older brother, Fabricio. President Correa, who denied knowledge of the contracts and had them cancelled when they came to light, filed a $10m (\u00c2\u00a36.4m) lawsuit against", "summary": "Rafael Correa has been Ecuador's president since 2007 but it is probably fair to say he has never had as much international attention as in recent weeks."}
{"article": "The High Commissioner of India laid a wreath of marigolds at the Arch of Remembrance in Leicester. Meanwhile, the British High Commissioner did the same at a ceremony at the India Gate in New Delhi. Hundreds of people attended the events in memory of the 1,174 Indian Labour Corps men who supplied the army with weapons, food and built barracks. Updates on this story and more from the East Midlands The commemorative events were part of The Unremembered project to honour the courage and sacrifice of labourers in World War One. In Leicester, about 300 school children and dignitaries including the city and Lord mayors held up the names of the men and tied messages to the fallen during the ceremony. Teacher Mrs Hobson, of Moat Community College, said: \"This event is important because it's about our shared heritage... and it allows us to link our students to their Indian heritage.\" Squadron Leader Rana Chhina said Indians in Leicester \"should be proud\" of the connection because it \"helps strengthen the bond\" between the UK and India. British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens designed both war memorials in the 1920s. The workers' names are engraved on the India Gate, which was built in 1931 and took about 10 years to complete. Work began on the Arch of Remembrance, in Victoria Park, which is half the size of the gate, in 1923 and was finished in 1925. In 2015, all 44 of Sir Edwin's World War One memorials in England became listed by Historic England.", "summary": "War memorials in the UK and India have been twinned to remember Indian workers who died in World War One."}
{"article": "You can be excused for thinking Wimbledon is nearing its nail-biting end with the finals in sight, but in reality, it's only just getting started. The world's best wheelchair tennis players are about to take to the court and the British players have titles to defend. Here's the lowdown on the latest championship at SW19. Wheelchair tennis is for men and women who are disabled below the waist and use wheelchairs to compete in the singles and doubles championship. The size of the courts, balls and rackets are the same, but the ball can bounce twice before you hit it and the wheelchairs are bespoke. British number one, Lucy Shuker says: \"The wheels are cambered out at about 22 degrees, they have wheels at the front and back so it means, in theory, you shouldn't tip out backwards. I've got straps around my waist and knee guards which lock me in place.\" Geraint Richards, performance director of GB Wheelchair Tennis says the players \"literally zoom around the court\". He says: \"Gustavo Fernandez, the reigning Australian Open champion, will actually fall out of his chair and still win that point. The audience will be amazed.\" It might seem odd, but the wheelchairs do take to the perfectly manicured courts. \"It's hard work,\" Shuker says. \"The bounces aren't necessarily true and where you think you're going to take a ball at shoulder height it's probably going to bounce a lot lower. \"There's a definite drag on grass and you have to continually keep pushing otherwise the chair will stop.\" But she reveals drop-shots work well as your opponent probably wont get there in time. You bet we are. British players are currently Paralympic, grand slam-winning, world-rank topping, Wimbledon champions in both the singles and doubles. Here are three names to look out for: Reid, 25, is the defending Wimbledon singles and doubles champion. He won Paralympic gold in the singles at Rio and silver in the doubles with fellow Brit Alfie Hewitt. In 2007, aged 15, Reid became Britain's youngest men's Singles National Champion and in 2016 he won his first grand slam singles title at the Australian Open, followed by Wimbledon. Reid is from a tennis family. Aged six he contracted Transverse Myelitis a neurological condition in which the spinal cord is inflamed and damages nerve fibres. Hewett, 19, started playing in 2005 and was ranked world number one junior between 2013 and 2015. He made his Paralympic debut at Rio and took silver in the men's doubles with Gordon Reid. He also claimed silver in the singles after Reid defeated him in an all-British final. Shuker turned to wheelchair tennis after a motorbike accident in 2001 paralysed her from the chest down. She hadn't even been discharged from hospital before she tried the game. Having previously played badminton she went on to represent Great Britain at the Beijing, London and Rio Paralympics and was the first Brit to contest all four major Grand Slams. She says \"when I first started everyone said I was too disabled\" but she focused on developing a", "summary": "All photographs are copyrighted."}
{"article": "Colin Campbell, 56, has primary progressive MS and told BBC Scotland last month that his health had rapidly deteriorated over the last two years. He has now said he may not attend the Swiss clinic after another MS patient encouraged him to press for more help. NHS Highland said support was tailored to individual patients' needs. Assisted suicide is unlawful in Scotland. A move to change the law was defeated in a vote in the Scottish Parliament in 2015. Mr Campbell, who is booked to go to a clinic in Basel next month, was first diagnosed with MS when he was 34, but had previously suspected he had a health condition because of a deterioration in his ability to play sports. He told the BBC: \"How people should be looking at this is 'Colin is worn out with having had this incredible progressive illness'. \"'His death will give him release.'\" Mr Campbell uses a walking frame to move around his flat and a wheelchair when travelling outside his home. He formerly worked in IT, still has use of his hands and plays the guitar. However, he fears he will reach a point where he can no longer use his hands and will be unable to feed himself. Since expressing his intention to end his life, Mr Campbell has been contacted by fellow MS patient Rona Tynan. She has offered to help him seek appropriate help to improve his quality of life. She said: \"It was extremely important that I made contact with Colin and I'm so glad I saw him on the television. \"What alarmed me about Colin was, I felt he was more able than myself. \"I was very, very concerned that he'd made his decision when it was maybe horrible weather. The winters are long when you've got MS.\" Among the practical measures Ms Tynan has helped Mr Campbell with has been a test drive on a mobility scooter. It is one of the things he said had prompted him to look again at his plans. He said: \"This has given me some kind of optimism which I definitely didn't have - so I owe that to Rona. \"There are a lot of people that are forgotten who need a lot of help and are unaware that there is help. \"That's when people like me think they're off to Switzerland.\" A spokesman for NHS Highland said: \"After diagnosis the support provided to our patients is tailored to suit their individual needs and is very much driven by them. \"Once MS is confirmed, each patient is contacted by one of our MS specialist nurses who goes through options and details the wider support that is available to them in the community.\"", "summary": "An Inverness man who planned to end his own life in a clinic in Switzerland has called for greater support for people with multiple sclerosis."}
{"article": "Flt Lt Jon Egging, 33, from Rutland, died when his Hawk T1 aircraft - Red 4 - crashed after a display at Bournemouth Air Show in August 2011. A new display will open at the Bournemouth Aviation Museum which includes a model Red Arrow Hawk T1A. It will also include a collection box for the Jon Egging Trust, a charity set up in the pilot's memory. Museum trustee David Shore said: \"After running a Red Arrows day last August and the level of interest it generated, we decided we wanted to do something in Flt Lt Egging's memory. \"We had discussions with a model maker at last year's Bournemouth Air Show about creating a display for us. \"The display will have information on both Flt Lt Egging and the history of the Red Arrows with a collection box for any donations to the Jon Egging Trust.\" The trust helps young people with vocational and academic qualifications. Its Blue Skies Programme pairs students with role models from aviation, engineering and science. Bournemouth Aviation Museum's display is the latest tribute in the town to Flt Lt Egging. In August 2012, a sculpture on Bournemouth's East Overcliff was unveiled featuring three glass Red Arrows planes and stainless steel contrails to coincide with the first Bournemouth Air Show since the crash.", "summary": "A new memorial will be unveiled later in honour of a Red Arrows pilot killed in a crash during an air show."}
{"article": "A first-half David McAllister own goal was all that separated the sides in a tight affair at Mourneview Park. Coleraine hammered Glentoran 4-1 at the Showgrounds with James McLaughlin scoring twice. David Jeffrey's Ballymena United ran out easy 4-1 winners away to Carrick Rangers to move into the top half of the table. Relive the action from Friday's Premiership matches Despite suffering their first defeat of the season, Ards are still tied on points at the top of the table. There were few clear chances in the game, with defences on top before McAllister nodded past keeper Aaron Hogg and into his own net after 17 minutes of play. Crusaders and Linfield can overtake the joint leaders if they win their respective games on Saturday. The Bannsiders put four goals past Glentoran, who continued their disappointing start to the league campaign. Coleraine took the lead after eight minutes when referee Mervyn Smith pointed to the penalty spot when Elliott Morris was adjudged to have brought down James McLaughlin despite getting a strong palm on the ball. Neil McCafferty made no mistake from the spot by slotting past Morris, although the Glentoran keeper may feel aggrieved that he wasn't ready to face the kick. Three goals in nine minutes assured Coleraine of the points. Darren McCauley tucked home after being played through by Rodney Brown, before McLaughlin drove the ball home from the edge of the penalty area three minutes later. McLaughlin grabbed his second just after the hour mark to wrap up the victory, before Jonathan Smith fired home after some good work from Nacho Novo to give Glentoran a consolation goal. Defeat for Glentoran means that the East Belfast side slip into the bottom half of the table, while Coleraine's first victory of the season carries Oran Kearney's side up to eighth. Ballymena responded from last weekend's defeat by Ards in perfect style, putting four goals past Carrick Rangers. Allan Jenkins opened the scoring, slamming home from a corner after just three minutes. Cathair Friel doubled Ballymena's advantage on 22 minutes by heading in from a Tony Kane free-kick. Carrick Rangers were provided with a glimmer of hope when Alan Blayney picked up a back-pass and Gareth McKeown's free-kick rebounded off the United wall for Nathan Hanley to make no mistake from the rebound. Jonny McMurray scored Ballymena's goal of the evening, letting fire with a fine 30-yard strike which flew over Simon Steele in the Carrick goal. Ballymena completed the rout when former Carrick player Conor McCloskey slotted home just after the hour mark.", "summary": "Glenavon beat Ards 1-0 to join the newly promoted Co Down side at the Premiership summit."}
{"article": "Giants, who have failed to win any of their past eight league matches, were undone by Luke Waterworth's 76th-minute try in a topsy-turvy match. Shaun Robinson, Rhodri Lloyd, Connor Dwyer and Mike Butt also crossed for the part-time Lions, who have only won two league matches in 2017. Aaron Murphy and Sam Wood were among those to cross for Giants. Darnell McIntosh and Ollie Roberts also went over for the hosts, but the final whistle was met by boos from the home fans. Huddersfield were the second top-flight club to lose to Championship opponents in round five, following Hull KR's win over Leigh on Saturday. Elsewhere in the Challenge Cup on Sunday, Super League side Salford overcame Toronto Wolfpack 29-22. Dewsbury, Featherstone, Halifax and Barrow also won to book their places in Tuesday's sixth-round draw, which will be broadcast live on the BBC News Channel (18:30 BST). Swinton head coach John Duffy revealed after the game that his side only had 15 fit players on Saturday, before giving debuts to on-loan Wigan pair Josh Woods and Caine Barnes and out-of-contract Liam Carberry. \"It was a massive achievement for the club but everything goes on the players and the medical staff today - nothing to do with the coaching staff,\" said Duffy. \"I'd like to thank our medical staff for doing a great job over the last couple of weeks. They have turned it around for us and the boys really dug deep.\" Giants had gone into the break 18-16 ahead, after Murphy went over down the left, Wood cut inside to score and McIntosh finished a grubber kick. However, Rick Stone's side, without around 10 first-teamers, have only won twice all season in the top flight and cracks began to show as Dwyer's score helped put the visitors ahead for the second time in the match, having led 10-6 at one point during the first half. Giants were back in front when the ball was spread right to Roberts and he found a gap to score, before Waterworth crossed over to send the second-tier side through to the sixth round. Stone said: \"The Championship is full of hardened pros who have been around the block and know know to win games, and we saw a bit of that today. \"There's no denying that is a massive blow for us and everyone is very disappointed - you can feel it. \"There were a few senior players out today and a few long-term injuries and those with niggles, but we had a good enough team out to win but we didn't.\" Huddersfield: McIntosh; Simpson, S Wood, Mellor, Murphy; Gaskell, Farrell; Rapira, Leeming, Mason, Smith, Roberts, Dickinson. Replacements: Wakeman, Ikahihifo, English, O'Brien. Swinton: White; Robinson, Hankinson, Lloyd, Butt; Woods, Atkin; Bracek, Waterworth, Lever, Dwyer, Jones, Austin. Replacements: Gore, Bate, Barnes, Carberry. Referee: Scott Mikalauskas", "summary": "Championship side Swinton knocked Super League strugglers Huddersfield Giants out of the Challenge Cup fifth round."}
{"article": "The job cuts - to its employee base of around 94,000 people - comprise part of its $4bn reduction in operating costs. Shell also said it was cutting investment by $7bn to about $30bn this year, down 20% from 2014. The firm announced profits of $3.4bn in the three months to 30 June, a 35% decrease compared with last year. Shell said that it was \"planning for a prolonged downturn\" in oil prices. The price of oil is currently about $53 a barrel, sharply down from about $110 a barrel a year ago. Chief executive Ben van Beurden said: \"We have to be resilient in a world where oil prices remain low for some time, whilst keeping an eye on recovery. \"We're taking a prudent approach, pulling on powerful financial levers to manage through this downturn, always making sure we have the capacity to pay attractive dividends for shareholders.\" It also announced that it was selling a 33% stake in its Japanese business, Showa, to petrochemical group Idemitsu for about $1.4bn. Shell said it had seen $20bn of asset sales in 2014 and 2015, and it expected to see $30bn in sales between 2016 and 2018. \"Today's oil price downturn could last for several years, and Shell's planning assumptions reflect today's market realities,\" the company said. \"The company has to be resilient in today's oil price environment, even though we see the potential for a return to a $70-$90 oil price band in the medium term.\" In April, Shell announced that it was buying gas giant BG - the UK's third-largest energy company - for \u00c2\u00a347bn. In its latest announcement of job losses, Shell said its deal with BG \"should enhance our free cash flow\" and be \"a springboard to change Shell into a simpler and more profitable company\". It added that it planned to reduce costs further in 2016.", "summary": "Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has announced it is to shed 6,500 jobs as part of cost-cutting plans as it seeks to counter falling oil prices."}
{"article": "Coetzer leads the Scots for the first time at the Grange on Friday. \"We want to try to take down one of the top sides and we are very capable of doing that,\" said Coetzer. \"The guys have been preparing well for the last number of years now and things are starting to come together. They have moulded into the squad very well.\" Pakistan begin their preparation for the ICC Champions Trophy by facing the Scots on Friday and Sunday. Spinner Saeed Ajmal will feature for the tourists but all-rounder Shahid Afridi misses out. \"There is a bit in it for both sides here,\" said Coetzer. \"They are preparing for their tournament and it is nice for the Scottish public to see a team of this calibre coming to the Grange.\" And the 29-year-old Northants batsmen expects the first meeting to be \"a whirlwind\" after Coetzer made his international bow against Pakistan 10 years ago. He explained: \"I always hoped that somewhere along the line I might be able to do the job [of captain]. \"I'm looking forward to the challenges. It's a very proud day. \"I am going to do what is best for the team at all times. Hopefully that can lead to some good results. Effectively, it is a new era and it is exciting times.\" Pakistan are in the same section as India, South Africa and West Indies in next month's Champions Trophy, with Dav Whatmore's side playing their group matches at the Oval and Edgbaston. And captain Misbah-ul-Haq has warned his team-mates not to underestimate Scotland. \"We have an important period coming up with the Champions Trophy,\" he said. \"There are different conditions over here in the UK, different weather, and we need to get used to that. \"We haven't played against Scotland for a long time but in their home conditions, any side can be really tough. So we can't take them lightly.\" Follow Phil Goodlad on Twitter.", "summary": "New captain Kyle Coetzer believes this week's two one-day internationals against Pakistan are the beginning of a \"new era\" for Scotland."}
{"article": "Tipu Sultan, 32, a father-of-two, was shot at close range outside Herbs n Spice Kitchen, Lake Avenue, South Shields, on 7 April. Northumbria Police confirmed it had arrested two men aged 47 and 24, and a woman, 27, on suspicion of murder. A 44-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. A reconstruction of the killing was broadcast on the BBC's Crimewatch programme, which police said resulted in a number of fresh leads.", "summary": "Four people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a man who was shot dead outside a takeaway."}
{"article": "The letter, written at the end of the 1916 Easter Rising, had a guide price of 1-1.5m euros. It was the last official letter Pearse wrote, three days before his execution by firing squad on 3 May 1916. Pearse wrote it from his prison cell to rebels still fighting in the Four Courts in Dublin. It reads: \"In order to prevent further slaughter of the civil population and in the hope of saving the lives of our followers, the members of the Provisional Government present at headquarters have decided on an unconditional surrender, and commandants or officers commanding districts will order their commands to lay down arms. PH Pearse, Dublin, 30th April 1916.\" The details of the item on the James Adam's auction house website quotes historian Diarmaid Ferriter: \"Behind the single sentence of the communication lie many layers. \"It was the last official letter Pearse wrote, three days before his execution by firing squad on the morning of May 3rd 1916 and is therefore a vital part of the archive of the newly declared republic in 1916. \"It marked the end of the 1916 rebellion and underlined the role of both the rebel leaders and the British forces in bringing the fighting to a conclusion. \"It is also a reminder of some of the difficulties associated with the rebels military strategy in 1916, especially communications, but also the success in securing certain positions in the midst of urban warfare.\" Although the identity of the seller has not been revealed, he has been described by the auctioneers as non-Irish and living outside the country. In a statement, Stuart Cole, a director at Adam's, said: \"On this occasion, the reserve was not met. \"The owner, based overseas, has requested that Adam's apply for an export licence tomorrow (Thursday) to formally notify the [Irish] government that the document will be leaving Ireland and for the process to be expedited. \"The owner was saddened that the government refused to bid for the document but now feels relieved of his obligations to keep the document in Ireland.\"", "summary": "A letter of surrender written by Irish rebel Patrick Pearse has been withdrawn from auction in Dublin after bidding stalled at 770,000 euros (\u00c2\u00a3650,000)."}
{"article": "The decade-long research led by staff from Chester Zoo and Natural Resources Wales has observed behaviour never seen in the UK before. The researchers studied a group of hazel dormice in Denbighshire as part of the project. It found some dormice breed before they are one year old. The research also established that some produce two litters in a year, which was known behaviour in continental European mice but had never been observed in the UK before. The study is the longest and largest of its kind in the UK. Chester Zoo's biodiversity officer Sarah Bird said: \"Promiscuity in females had never been recorded before; and it will increase genetic diversity within litters, helping population survival. \"Equally important are the other breeding behaviours we have seen. \"It is likely that those years when females breed twice, and the young of the year also breed, is when populations can really increase. \"These behaviours are likely to be critical for healthy sustainable dormouse populations in the UK.\" Hazel dormice are protected under European law. The numbers of dormice and the range of the species have both been in decline since recording of the animals and their habitat began in 1990. However the Denbighshire site at Bontuchel, near Ruthin, showed a large, stable population of dormice. \"Our survey site in north Wales is on the very north western edge of their European range and, from the very start, we've been surprised by how many hazel dormice are there,\" Ms Bird explained. \"That's why it's a very important project and a very important site for study, to understand why this woodland is so good for dormice.\"", "summary": "Female dormice which have offspring with more than one father in the same litter can help ensure their survival, a 10-year study has found."}
{"article": "No new date has yet been set for the game to be played.", "summary": "Saturday's Women's Super League 1 game between Doncaster Rovers Belles and Arsenal Ladies has been postponed because of a waterlogged pitch."}
{"article": "The couple wore yellow scarves and garlands at the 200-year-old Hindu temple in Bahrain's capital Manama. Prince Charles earlier held talks with the country's long-time Prime Minister, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa. The royal couple have also visited the United Arab Emirates and Oman during the seven-day trip. The Bahrain visit marks 200 years of formal relations between the two countries, dating from a treaty of friendship signed in 1816. The UK maintains strong military ties to Bahrain, where it has run its permanent naval base HMS Juffair for more than a year. Prince Charles paid the base a visit to open a welfare block and inspect HMS Middleton. But the trip comes amid concerns of continued human rights abuses in Bahrain. Prince Charles has faced calls to raise concerns over how Bahrain's security forces have dealt with a string of mass protests in the country. He began the day visiting Sheikh Khalifa, who has been in office since 1971, on the Bahraini ruler's custom-built private island. The Middle East tour, which was organised by the UK government, aims to boost partnerships in the region in a range of areas, including wildlife conservation and women in leadership. During the day, Camilla visited St Christopher's School, a British-style school with 2,200 pupils, speaking to the students about their literacy and music lessons. She later met a group of young businesswomen known as the Supreme Council for Women, which is chaired by Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the first wife of Bahrain's King Hamad. The council, which was set up in 2001 to advise the government on women's issues, consists of a group of 16 women from a \"wide range of backgrounds and experiences\". The royal couple later unveiled two new stamps, to commemorate two centuries of diplomatic ties between the UK and Bahrain, at the Post Office Museum. Prince Charles also visited the Al-Fateh Grand Mosque, the largest in the country, where he signed the visitors' book and was given a tour.", "summary": "The Prince of Wales has met Bahrain's prime minister before visiting a temple with the Duchess of Cornwall on their final day of touring the Middle East."}
{"article": "On Saturday, the 36-year-old will take his place in the dugout at Woodhorn Lane - home of Northern League Division One side Ashington AFC - in the FA Cup extra preliminary round as he continues his new career as a football manager. When England's cricketers wrapped up a 2-1 series win a decade ago they were given a rapturous reception by tens of thousands of fans in Trafalgar Square at the end of a victory bus parade. A Downing Street reception followed but there will be no fanfare for Harmison and his Ashington players if they see off Bradford-based Albion Sports at the start of the long road to Wembley. The ninth-tier club, whose average league gate last season was 222, will still be another five victories from the first-round proper. \"If someone had told me in 2005 that I'd be manager of Ashington in the FA Cup 10 years later I wouldn't have laughed at them,\" Harmison, who took 17 wickets during the epic five-match series a decade ago, told BBC Sport. \"It's my hometown club. I played for them before I became a professional cricketer. My dad, Jimmy, played for them, and my brother, James, plays for them now. \"Even when I was playing cricket for England I used to train with Ashington to help build up my fitness ahead of tours to Australia, West Indies and South Africa. \"I love being a football manager. It's a great challenge and I like being around non-league players for their enthusiasm. I can't wait for the FA Cup.\" Harmison has been put in charge of a team from a town that produced England international Jackie Milburn, as well as the World Cup-winning Charlton brothers, Bobby and Jack. The club from the former mining town in Northumberland, situated 15 miles north of Newcastle, are nicknamed the Colliers and were elected to the Football League in 1921 before being voted out just eight years later. Between 1909 and 2008 they played their home games at Portland Park before moving to their current \u00a31.2m Woodhorn Road base, where a 250-seater stand is due to open in October. \"Ashington's a tough place, a mining community,\" chairman and local MP Ian Lavery told BBC Sport. \"I've heard people say that appointing Steve was a publicity stunt, but why would it be? We're ambitious and Steve is a sports star.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Sixty-three Test matches, 226 Test wickets, 58 one-day internationals, two Twenty20 internationals... Harmison's England statistics make impressive reading. But the former bowler was playing football for Ashington before he was offered his first professional contract at Durham in 1996. \"Football has always been a huge part of my life,\" added the lifelong Newcastle fan, who was appointed Ashington boss on 8 February, along with coaches Ian Skinner and Lee Anderson. \"I saw the club was looking for a new manager and decided to put my name forward.\" Ashington's hierarchy were so impressed with Harmison during his interview that they offered him the job on the same day. \"We had 10", "summary": "Ten years ago Steve Harmison was giving Australia's batsmen sleepless nights, unleashing 90mph deliveries during an unforgettable summer of cricket which saw England regain the Ashes."}
{"article": "The film, directed by Ridley Scott, took \u00a33.9m at cinemas this weekend. In second place, Emily Blunt's drug crime drama Sicario opened with takings of \u00a31.6m, while The Walk was another new entry in third with \u00a3795,000. But Emma Watson and Ethan Hawke's new thriller Regression could only open in ninth place with takings of \u00a3215,000. In the film, Watson plays a young woman who has been the victim of demonic abuse as Hawke is a police officer trying to uncover the truth. It was screened at 270 cinemas over the weekend, according to Screen Daily, compared with 434 for Sicario. Sicario has also received much better reviews, with Emily Blunt playing the lead role of an FBI agent who joins an elite force to combat a drugs warlords on the US-Mexico border.", "summary": "Space epic The Martian, in which Matt Damon plays an astronaut stranded on Mars, was the top film at UK box offices for a second week."}
{"article": "The Fochabers Fish Bar will now go up against nine other regional winners for the UK award in the Seafish-run 2017 National Fish and Chip Awards. Fochabers Fish Bar owner Darren Boothroyd said: \"We're completely over the moon to have made it to the top 10, it's a real testament to all the hard work we've put into the business.\" The overall winner will be announced in January.", "summary": "A Moray fish and chip shop has been named the best in Scotland."}
{"article": "Clydesdale Bank's Scottish \u00a35 note was the first fully polymer banknote to enter circulation in Great Britain. The International Bank Note Society has nominated the fivers, made from a polymer substrate, for the award alongside banknotes from countries including New Zealand and China. They are the only UK note on the shortlist. Clydesdale chief executive David Duffy said: \"We are proud that our polymer \u00a35 note has been nominated. \"We take our responsibility as an issuer of banknotes seriously.\" Two million of the \u00a35 notes are currently in circulation. The bank introduces around \u00a3400m of new notes every year. A new polymer \u00a310 note, featuring Robert Burns, will start to be made later in 2016 and is expected to enter circulation in 2017. More than 20 countries around the world have adopted polymer notes. The Bank of England is to begin issuing them later this year. In 1999, Northern Bank of Northern Ireland issued a polymer \u00a35 commemorative note celebrating the year 2000.", "summary": "Britain's first fully polymer \u00a35 note is in the running for the International Banknote of the Year award."}
{"article": "Launching a consultation on policies for the campaign, she said Labour had \"wasted\" 16 years of devolution. But she would not say what price she would demand to share power with Labour, as Plaid did from 2007 to 2011. Welsh Labour said the \"tired attacks\" were a \"poor excuse for a campaign\". Speaking in Cardiff, Ms Wood said the four years of a Labour-Plaid coalition government were \"a small beacon of hope in terms of a longer period of wasted opportunity\". Plaid wanted to be in charge of health and education \"in particular\", she said. The party's education spokesman Simon Thomas said: \"I don't think we will see any real change in Welsh politics until the hands of the Labour Party are off health and education.\" Plaid Cymru is currently the third largest party in Cardiff Bay, with 11 of the 60 seats. Ms Wood has already ruled out a deal with the Conservatives after the elections. However, on the subject of coalitions, she said on Monday that people were \"bored with that kind of conversation\". Ms Wood added that her party would be concentrating on their own policies \"rather than constantly obsessing with which party will do deals with which party\". A Welsh Labour spokesman said Ms Wood's comments were \"completely out of step with people's own experiences\". \"Only Welsh Labour will take on the Tories,\" the spokesman added. \"It is telling that Plaid Cymru yet again seem unable or unwilling to take on the party that has slashed Wales' funding and attacked our most vulnerable communities. \"Wales won't forget that Plaid Cymru have tried before to get the Tories into power in the assembly,\" referring to talks in 2007 about a so-called \"rainbow coalition\" deal which would have excluded Labour from government. For the Conservatives, Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb called on the opposition parties to \"think the unthinkable and look at the options that provide this country with an alternative to the Labour Party\". When asked how realistic it was for Ms Wood to work with Welsh Tory Leader Andrew RT Davies to make this happen, he told BBC Radio Wales it would be \"difficult, challenging but I would never say it's impossible\".", "summary": "Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood has said her party wants to deprive Labour of control of health and education policy after the 2016 assembly election."}
{"article": "Charlotte Caldwell has campaigned and raised funds for her five-year-old son, Billy, who has severe epilepsy. When he was just six-months-old, Ms Caldwell was told by a doctor at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children that he would not survive. She refused to give up hope and took him to Chicago for life-saving treatment. She raised hundreds of thousands of pounds and when the money ran out, she asked Health Minister Michael McGimpsey to fund similar care at a private facility in Oxford. They left Chicago but when they got to Oxford, the minister appeared to do a U-turn and the funding stopped. While Ms Caldwell challenged the turnaround, she borrowed \u00c2\u00a330,000 from the bank and from family members to continue the treatment. Now the Department has changed its mind again and has agreed to send Billy back to Oxford. Ms Caldwell feels the minister should refund the money already spent. \"I feel that he has a responsibility to Billy, and at least let us be able to pay back to the bank and to my family the money that was borrowed,\" she said. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has supported the family. \"I would hope that both he and others who will be responding to this request will be compassionate and will recognise that this family has been through a very difficult ordeal over many years,\" he said. \"The reality is that the child has recorded enormous progress.\" Mr McGimpsey declined to be interviewed, saying he could not comment on patient care plans because of confidentiality. Ms Caldwell said: \"I'm completely puzzled and bewildered why we have had to go through this because it's Billy's life at the end of the day and we're just trying to give him the best possible start in life.\"", "summary": "The mother of a Castlederg boy is asking the Department of Health to refund money she spent funding his health care in England."}
{"article": "Protests in southern Nepal against a newly adopted constitution have seen hundreds of supply trucks from India stuck at the border. Many Nepalese, however, have accused India of blocking supplies to show its disapproval of the document. Fuel is now being rationed in Nepal. Deepak Baral, an NOC spokesperson, told BBC Nepali that the state-owned fuel supplier was \"exploring the possibility\" of flying in fuel from a \"neighbouring country\". As well as India, Nepal is also bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north. Public anger towards India has been growing in Nepal. KP Oli, a senior lawmaker tipped to be the next prime minister, has accused India of breaking international law by imposing a blockade. He denied protesters were blocking roads. New Delhi has denied the accusations and urged Nepal to defuse tensions over the constitution in its southern plains. Clashes between police and protesters have seen more than 40 people killed in recent weeks. Some minority ethnic groups are unhappy with the new constitution, which creates a federal system they fear will see them under represented in parliament.", "summary": "The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) is considering flying in fuel to the landlocked nation as it continues to face a crippling shortage of petroleum products."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old English midfielder looked to be on his way to Pittodrie in January 2016, but the deal fell through as the clubs fell out over a fee. But he signed a pre-contract in March to join the Dons on a three-year deal. \"I always wanted to come here and I'm just delighted it has eventually been done,\" he told the Dons website. \"What's happened in the past has happened in the past, but it's been a long wait.\" Tansey had returned to the Caledonian Stadium for a second spell at the club after leaving Stevenage in 2014. He scored nine goals in 44 appearances this season but was unable to prevent Caley Thistle being relegated. Tansey becomes the latest Caley Thistle player to have ended up at the other end of the A96. Dons striker Adam Rooney and midfielders Jonny Hayes and Graeme Shinnie all moved to the Granite City having previously played for Inverness. \"I always had it in my mind to come here because of the set-up and from what the lads I know have said about the place,\" added Tansey. \"It spoke volumes about the place. \"It was pretty much a no-brainer to come here. \"I've spoken to a few of the boys here - Graeme Shinnie, Jonny Hayes, Miles Storey, Adam Rooney and I've played against them over the years. \"They're all great lads and top players and it is exciting to play with players like that. \"That's what you want to do. It brings you on as a player and puts pressure on you to deliver for them as well as yourself.\"", "summary": "Greg Tansey is relieved to have ended his long wait to sign for Aberdeen after leaving relegated Inverness Caledonian Thistle."}
{"article": "According to media reports, the 29-year-old was pictured with laughing gas canisters while partying in London on the same night Villa were relegated. Agbonlahor was already on the sidelines after being told he was not fit enough. Villa were relegated from the Premier League after losing 1-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday. They are bottom of the table after collecting just 16 points from 34 games. The West Midlands outfit are also without a manager following the sacking of Frenchman Remi Garde and have been hit by two key resignations. Former Football Association chairman David Bernstein and Lord King, a former Governor of the Bank of England, both quit the board on Monday.", "summary": "Aston Villa have suspended striker Gabby Agbonlahor and will conduct an investigation following allegations concerning his conduct."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old former Namibia captain has made 113 appearances since joining Sarries in 2009 and helped the club win two Premiership titles. Burger, who won 41 caps and appeared at the 2015 World Cup, will return to Namibia to become a farmer. \"It is sad that it's coming to an end but playing rugby is something that I have really loved doing,\" he said. \"Growing up I wanted to be a professional rugby player and I have been fortunate to live that dream.\" Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall described Burger, who leaves just two weeks before the Champions Cup final and the start of Sarries' Premiership play-off campaign, as \"an amazing player and person\". \"He set a phenomenal example on the field with his bravery and the way that he gave everything he could in every game,\" McCall told the club website. \"He will always be remembered as one of the true greats of Saracens.\"", "summary": "Saracens back row Jacques Burger will retire from rugby after Sunday's Premiership game against Newcastle."}
{"article": "Humberside Police said Daniel Hatfield, 52 and Matthew Higgins, 49, died \"after suffering significant multiple injuries\". Their bodies were found at a house on May Street on Friday. Two women, aged 27 and 36, and a 38-year-old man are being held in police custody. Det Supt Matt Hutchinson said police were keen to find out more about the movements of the two men in the week before their deaths. \"We also want to speak to people who know anything about the murder or have information about people attending or leaving May Street in the week prior to the men being discovered,\" he said. \"It is important to re-iterate that these murders are being treated as an isolated incident, however high visibility patrols will continue in the area to provide additional reassure to the local community.\"", "summary": "Three people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the bodies of two men were found in the garden of a house in Hull."}
{"article": "In Swansea, the party added one seat to hold 48 out of 72 seats, while Plaid Cymru made inroads picking up seven new seats in neighbouring NPT. Pembrokeshire remains in the hands of independents, while Carmarthenshire has no party in overall control. Swansea council leader Rob Stewart said Labour's success in the city was because it had offered hope. \"We came into this election on a very positive manifesto, offering people hope, aspiration, a better city, a better life,\" he said. \"We'd just delivered the City Deal for Swansea, the city centre is being rejuvenated, we're after the Tidal Lagoon - we're hoping to land that very shortly, and we're bidding to be the city of culture in 2021. \"We've demonstrated we can deliver for the people of Swansea and we're standing on an even more ambitious programme for the next five years.\" In Swansea, independents took nine seats, Conservatives eight and Liberal Democrats seven. Meanwhile in Neath Port Talbot, Plaid Cymru made inroads picking up seven new seats. In Pembrokeshire, former deputy council leader Rob Lewis lost his seat in Martletwy to Di Clements of the Conservatives. Independent candidates won 34 seats in the county, Conservative had 12, Labour seven, Plaid Cymru six and the Lib Democrats gained just one. In Carmarthenshire, Plaid Cymru won the most seats with 36, while Labour gained 22 and the independents 16.", "summary": "Labour has increased its majority in Swansea and held on to control of Neath Port Talbot council."}
{"article": "30 March 2017 Last updated at 22:18 BST But amateur artist Emanuel Santos, who works at Madeira airport where the bust was unveiled, says he feels hurt by the criticism his work has received.", "summary": "A bronze bust of Cristiano Ronaldo has made headlines around the world for its lack of resemblance to the Real Madrid star."}
{"article": "He has been recalled by Cricket Australia for treatment on a foot injury suffered while bowling during the County Championship loss to Sussex. The county hope New Zealand's Mitchell Santner, who is playing in the T20 Blast, can be his overseas replacement. Hastings, 31, has taken 16 wickets at 34.38 and scored 139 runs at 23.16 in his six Championship games this summer. On Friday, he hit the second fastest Twenty20 half-century in Worcestershire's history off 19 balls against Birmingham Bears. Director of cricket Steve Rhodes told BBC Hereford & Worcester: \"Cricket Australia have asked for him to go back home. \"We thoroughly understand that - they want John Hastings back fit and want to monitor his rehab, so we'll take it on the chin. \"We'll certainly look at alternatives. In the past we've brought in Miguel Cummins, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel but the West Indies are here this year. \"So we've just got the find the right one because we're desperate to go up.\" Worcestershire are currently second in Division Two of the County Championship, 17 points clear of both Sussex and Kent, who have a game in hand.", "summary": "Worcestershire will be without Australia all-rounder John Hastings for the remainder of the 2017 season."}
{"article": "Anthony Jackel, of Port Talbot, also known as 'Betty', is a veteran of Wales campaigns. The 70-year-old Swansea City fan has bought a train ticket which allows him to follow the team throughout the championships. He said: \"[This way] I can do what I want, I can go where I want\". Of course, the Foreign Office and the Football Supporters' Federation would heavily discourage his travel arrangements - and with good reason. But he refuses to be put off. He got the bus to London and the Eurotunnel to Paris before sleeping outside Paris' Gare du Nord station. Mr Jackel then caught the train to Bordeaux, where I first met him outside the Grande Theatre on Friday. He was instantly conspicuous. He had the look of a well-weathered man and he wore an equally travelled shirt emblazoned with the Welsh flag over his fleece. It attracted fans who stopped in the street and shook his hand, complimenting it. \"The last two nights I've slept on the tramlines,\" he told me. \"On one of the big benches. Lovely. \"They've got all the mod cons, a portable toilet where I can go to the toilet, wash my hands and brush my teeth, and I'm up then. \"I have an early morning call: the nightclub shuts at five o'clock [am] and they wake me up.\" I asked Mr Jackel why he travelled in a way many people would think was very dangerous. He said he would rather do it his way than be \"herded\" around on an organised tourist trip. \"I can do what I want, I can go where I want and I can go home when I want to, I'm not stressed out if I don't get back to my hotel. \"If I'm tired I just go on the first bench or the next place.\" He told me he had \"followed Swansea all over the world\" and had watched Wales since 1962. \"Over the years we have been so near but [also] so far,\" he said. The die-hard Swans fan said that, while there are often clashes between rival supporters back home, they had to remain \"together\" in France. \"We are Welsh out here, we're Welsh, I don't care a monkey's...while we're here we are showing people we can behave.\" I asked how excited he was that Wales had made a major finals for the first time in 58 years and he said: \"You should have seen my flag, it was too big to carry.\" He said he had encouraged younger supporters to come out and support the team. \"I said: 'What if we did win it? What if we did a Leicester [who recently won the English Premier League]? What if we did a Greece [who won Euro 2004]?'\" Mr Jackel pulled a bag on wheels and when I asked him what he had inside I was surprised to find a collection of brand-new Wales soft toys, and trinkets which he said he handed out when people were \"nice\" to him. He spoke about football trips to Romania, Spain and numerous other", "summary": "While Wales football fans enjoy the hospitality of France for Euro 2016, one will be sleeping rough."}
{"article": "Federal prosecutors announced the charges as they listed a catalogue of alleged abuses. The Justice Department has been scrutinising Baltimore police after accusing it last August of systemic racism and abusing power. The officers \"arrogantly\" ignored clear directives, a police official said. Police Commissioner Kevin Davis condemned the officers at a news conference. \"These officers are 1930s-style gangsters,\" Mr Davis said. \"They betrayed the trust we're trying to build with our community at a very sensitive time in our history.\" The seven officers are: Momodu Gondo, Evodio Hendrix, Daniel Hersl, Sergeant Wayne Jenkins, Jemell Rayam, Marcus Taylor and Maurice Ward. Mr Gondo is also charged with participating in a drug conspiracy. All of the men were arrested, suspended without pay and jailed, pending detention hearings on Thursday. Federal prosecutors said the men began their criminal enterprise in 2015, after the city erupted into protest over the death of a young black man, Freddie Gray, while he was in police custody. The Justice Department later opened a \"pattern and practice\" investigation into the police force, finding that the department routinely discriminated against black people and used excessive force. Federal agents by then had spent months following officers on the Gun Trace Task Force, which was formed to crack down on violent crime by tracking illegal guns on the streets. Prosecutors accuse the men of committing robberies and filing false reports to conceal their crimes. In one instance, four of the officers arrested a man during a traffic stop and confiscated drugs as well as $21,500 (\u00c2\u00a317,516). The officers only submitted $15,000 as evidence, and then later went to the man's home and stole $200,000 and a $4,000 watch from a safe deposit box. In another incident, three of the officers stopped a man on the street, searched his car without a warrant and later took $1,500 he had earned working as a maintenance supervisor at a nursing home. The charges were announced a day after US Attorney General Jeff Sessions suggested that he might ease federal scrutiny of law enforcement across the country as it could undermine their policing ability. Baltimore was one of dozens of US cities to face a federal civil rights probe under the Obama administration. The city and the Justice Department had reached a court-enforceable consent decree in January requiring police to make sweeping changes to its practices. Mr Obama made police reform a priority in the wake of mounting racial tension and high-profile police shootings across the country. Baltimore police union president Gene Ryan said he was \"disturbed\" by the recent charges. DeRay Mckesson, a local Black Lives Matter activist, said the charges were disturbing but signalled reform. \"It is promising to see the beginning of accountability being applied to the Baltimore Police Department,\" he said. \"The indictments confirm what activists and community members have been saying for decades.\"", "summary": "Seven Baltimore police officers have been charged with robbery, extortion, falsely detaining people and faking reports to cover it up."}
{"article": "He was speaking in the first leaders' debate of the Irish general election. He was responding to Fianna F\u00e1il's Miche\u00e1l Martin who said he would not form a coalition with Sinn F\u00e9in as he does not trust them on security. He said: \"Politicians here could learn a lesson from the unionists, who have more reason to distrust Sinn F\u00e9in.\" Mr Adams referred to past and present leaders of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), who have led a power-sharing government with Sinn F\u00e9in in Northern Ireland since 2007. \"Ian Paisley can go into government with Martin McGuinness, and Peter Robinson can go into government, and Arlene Foster can go into government with Martin McGuinness,\" Mr Adams said. The Sinn F\u00e9in leader was challenged by one of the debate moderators, Pat Kenny, that the D'Hondt system forces the parties in Northern Ireland together. The D'Hondt system is a type of proportional representation used to allocate seats and ministerial posts. Mr Adams said it was the citizens of Northern Ireland make the decisions about who goes into government by them giving a mandate. Taoiseach Enda Kenny was asked whether the bookmakers' predicted outcome, a Fine Gael/Fianna F\u00e1il coalition, was the most likely outcome. He replied that voters have a choice between \"the party that wrecked the country, or two parties with different perspectives who have worked together to set the country on the path to recovery\". He said Fine Gael/Labour will provide stability. When the debate moved to the Irish economy, Labour leader Joan Burton accused Sinn F\u00e9in of \"fuzzy economics\" which would kill jobs. The Irish deputy prime minister said she is mystified by Sinn F\u00e9in's plans to cut the Universal Social Charge (USC), claiming it would reduce tax only for people earning less than \u20ac20,000 (\u00a315,515). USC is a tax that was introduced in December 2010 as a temporary measure by the late finance minister, Brian Lenihan. It was applicable to all gross incomes over \u20ac4,004 (\u00a33,106) Still on the issue of taxation, Mr Kenny said Sinn F\u00e9in would impose a 65% marginal tax rate and \"wreck the economy\". Meanwhile, Fianna F\u00e1il leader Miche\u00e1l Martin claimed Fine Gael would bring in US-style tax rates and run down public services. Ms Burton said low and middle income families need to \"see the back of the USC\", which Fianna F\u00e1il brought in. Analysis - Colletta Smith Amidst the shouts and accusations in the first leaders debate of this Irish election, the Sinn F\u00e9in leader gave some high praise to an unlikely party. Mr Adam's praise for the leadership of the DUP comes days after Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster told the BBC's Spotlight programme of the personal difficulty she found in working with Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. Mr McGuinness spoke at the funeral of the man that Mrs Foster believes tried to kill her father. She concluded her comments by saying that she would work with the deputy first minister because \"the past is the past\". Fianna F\u00e1il leader Miche\u00e1l Martin has been keen to distance his party from the possibility of a", "summary": "Sinn F\u00e9in leader Gerry Adams has told his political rivals in the Republic of Ireland they could \"learn a lesson\" from unionists in Northern Ireland."}
{"article": "But the mother-of-four, who received a devastating cancer diagnosis earlier this year, is actively preparing her young family for her death. She is mother to Caileb, 13, Noah, nine, Brooke, eight, and Jesse, 15 months. Mrs Lennox, from Cullybackey, County Antrim, has been thinking of creative ways for her children to feel close to her, long after she is gone. She has made memory boxes for each of them and kept a journal for them to pore over. Mrs Lennox was 34 and pregnant with her youngest child when she was told she had breast cancer. Initial worries centred around the wellbeing of her unborn baby, who was born by emergency C-section at 30 weeks. \"He was a little sleeping beauty after all of my chemotherapy,\" she said. \"He was safe because I had a reduced dose of the treatment, but it was decided that he had to come out early. \"Little Jesse was 3lb when he was born and his lungs were underdeveloped, but he fought to full health. \"I completed my treatment and life returned to pretty much normal.\" But after fighting off the disease once, it was to return in January this year. The cancer has now spread to Mrs Lennox's lungs, and her prognosis is not good. \"I am preparing to die,\" she told BBC News NI. \"It may sound morbid and I try not to make things too sad, but I believe it's important that the children know I won't be around forever. \"During my first round of treatment, I explained to them that I was sick and had to take medicine, but when it returned I knew I had to be more honest about the future. \"I've always been the type of mother who wants to protect her kids and to hide them from anything too upsetting. \"But now they know I won't be around to see them grown up and that I'm not going to get better. \"Obviously I was devastated when I got the news - it's not something any mother would want, but life can be taken away from you by cancer at any age. \"I don't have long left, but the kids get to go through some of the sadness they have ahead with me there to comfort them.\" As well as the memory boxes and leaving each child advice for the future, Mrs Lennox has been planning her funeral. \"I've sorted the grave, chosen my own coffin, written my eulogy and chosen the readings and hymns,\" she said. \"It's a strange experience, but my husband Alistair, 42, will have the four kids to look after when I'm gone, he doesn't need the stress of organising the funeral too.\" Mrs Lennox said she will make her final preparations in the coming days and then put it all to the side in order to spend the time she has left with her family. \"Christmas is my favourite time of year, so although I may not be there this year, we are going to make decorations together to hang around the house,\" she said.", "summary": "Organising her own funeral is not something that 36-year-old Laura Lennox ever thought she would have to do."}
{"article": "NHS England is spending \u00a340m on doctors and other specialist mental health workers as part of its drive to help 30,000 more women by 2021. At present, more than half of the country provides only basic services. One in five women experiences severe depression or in some cases psychosis around the time of childbirth. The funding will pay for more nurses and psychiatrists to provide specialist care for women in their homes and in maternity units, by giving advice on medication and lifestyle, counselling them and helping to minimise the risks to mother and baby if they become ill. The money will also go towards providing buddying and telephone support from mothers who have had similar issues. Some of the 20 areas to receive a share of the \u00a340m include Bristol, Birmingham and Northumberland. NHS England says another \u00a320m will be shared out in 2017. The childbirth charity NCT said the funding was welcome but there was still a long way to go to help all of the 140,000 women every year in the UK who suffer from mental health problems when they are pregnant or during the year after they give birth - known as the perinatal period. Elizabeth Duff, NCT senior policy adviser, said their research found that only 3% of NHS local commissioning groups had a perinatal mental health strategy. \"We're particularly pleased to see plans to enable mothers who have experienced similar issues to help others. \"Peer support can be a really powerful way to further break the stigma around perinatal mental health.\" Natalie Ellis, from Sheffield, began to hate everything about herself soon after her son Finn, now seven years old, was born. She had suffered from depression before - but this was different. A news story about pornographic images being taken of young children being abused had really upset her and she found she could not get the abuse out of her head. She began to have other, more troubling thoughts - she started wondering if she could be capable of abusing her own son. These intrusive thoughts would not go away, torturing her for nearly a year, and because she was too scared to tell anyone about them she spiralled into a terrible depression. She admits: \"I had a deep hate for myself. I thought I'd rather be dead than hurt Finn. \"I thought I was a monster.\" When she went back to work, she found the courage to look up her feelings on the internet and discovered that they were a recognised symptom of post-natal illness. The relief she felt was huge - \"I broke down, ran out of the office and sobbed.\" Her GP set up counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy and she went on to anti-depressants, but she says it was the online support which really helped turn her life around. \"The women on the PNI forum saved my life, because no-one judged me,\" she says. \"They were a massive support network.\" NHS England is also announcing that anyone who walks through the doors of A&E in a mental health crisis should", "summary": "Twenty areas across England are to receive funding to provide more support for pregnant women and new mothers with severe mental health problems."}
{"article": "Chinese finance minister Lou Jiwei said the country could tackle the pressures it is currently facing. Separately, Bank of England governor Mark Carney said he was concerned by moves by some central banks to use negative rates to try to boost growth. The G20 includes finance ministers from the world's biggest economies. Based on gross domestic product, the G20 covers 86% of the world's economy, accounts for two-thirds of the world's population and 75% of global trade. China's economy, the second-biggest in the world, is growing at the slowest rate in 25 years as it attempts to move from an export-led nation to one led by consumption and services. The slowdown in China's economy has created considerable uncertainty in financial markets and has led to sharp falls in commodity prices. The head of the People's Bank of China, Zhou Xiaochuan, said China's reform direction was clear and unchanged but that the country's pace of reform would vary. \"China will strike a balance between growth, restructuring and risk management,\" Mr Zhou said. \"While the reform direction is clear... the pace will vary, but the reform will be set to continue and the direction is not changed.\" However, the head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, said China faced an \"overwhelming\" agenda of structural reforms. Analysts said most of Mr Zhou's comments were designed to ease global worries over the way Beijing handles its currency as well as the continuing worries about the volatility of China's stock market. There are concerns China will allow the yuan to weaken to boost its exports and drive its economy. Regarding the the G20's discussions on global exchange rates, Mr Zhou said he would need to wait to see how the group would discuss it. \"China has always opposed competitive currency devaluations as a way to boost export competitiveness,\" he said. Also speaking in Shanghai on Friday, the Bank of England's governor Mark Carney said he was concerned by moves by some central banks to cut interest rates to below zero in order to boost growth. He said it could see the development of a \"beggar-thy-neighbour\" landscape - whereby attempts to boost a country's economy hurts other economies. Mr Carney said about a quarter of global output was coming from economies where interest rates were \"literally through the floor\". \"It is critical that stimulus measures are structured to boost domestic demand, particularly from sectors of the economy with healthy balance sheets,\" he said. \"There are limits to the extent to which negative rates can achieve this.\" He also said that governments needed to step up the pace of economic reforms. \"Global growth has disappointed because the innovation and ambition of global monetary policy has not been matched by structural measures,'' Mr Carney said. \"In most advanced economies, difficult structural reforms have been deferred.\" Figures released on Thursday confirmed that the UK economy grew by 2.2% last year. That was the slowest annual pace since 2012, although the UK remains one of the fastest growing developed economies. Earlier this week, the IMF said the global economy had weakened", "summary": "China has sought to assure global finance ministers about the state of its slowing economy, as the G20 meeting gets under way in Shanghai."}
{"article": "Little and Broad Haven RNLI lifeboat crew and a coastguard rescue team were called after the owner reported him going over a cliff in the Goultrop area. The spaniel, called George, was found stuck on a ledge about 40ft (12m) up from the beach on Sunday. He was lowered down to the lifeboat before being reunited with his owner.", "summary": "A dog was rescued by lifeboat volunteers after becoming stuck on a cliff in Pembrokeshire."}
{"article": "The party said pupils from well-off backgrounds were seven times more likely to get three Higher A grades than those from poorer homes. Tory leader Ruth Davidson revealed the statistics as she challenged Nicola Sturgeon on the issue at Holyrood. Ms Sturgeon said there had been some progress in closing the gap. She said 40% of pupils from the 20% most deprived areas getting at least one higher, up from 23% in 2007. And the first minister said 300 primary schools across the country were already benefiting from support through a \u00c2\u00a3100m attainment fund. But she acknowledged: \"I am not standing here, I never have stood here and said that there's not more work to do. \"But we are seeing in many respects evidence of the attainment gap narrowing.\" The Conservatives said the figures released to them under freedom of information legislation showed that, of S5 pupils who sat Higher exams last year, 21.13% of the most privileged achieved three As, up from 20.31% in 2013. But in the poorest fifth, just 2.99% got three As, compared to 2.90% the year before. The Conservatives said that meant the attainment gap increased by almost 1% between 2013 and 2014, despite SNP pledges to close it. The statistics showed that in four council areas - Argyll and Bute, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian and Midlothian - not a single pupil from the most-deprived areas attained three As in their Highers. Ms Davidson also cited a report by the Commission for School Reform which earlier this week questioned the Scottish government's ability to close the gap. The commission, chaired by educationalist Keir Bloomer, said that while few would disagree with ministers' desire to tackle the issue, their policy priorities were \"exceptionally ambitious\" and the timescale \"may well be unrealistic\". Ms Davidson said: \"We knew that the SNP government was not closing the attainment gap but now from these figures we know that that gap between the richest and poorest students is actually getting wider. \"The first minister has said that she wants to be judged on her record. In education, her record is one of failure and the experts say that her plans won't fix it. \"How bad do things have to get before we see the action we need?\" Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie criticised the government's plans for standardised testing. He said: \"The first minister told me she was against league tables but she has told journalists that she is not going to stop them putting primary schools into league tables. \"If she doesn't want them, why is she going ahead and taking all the steps to make them happen?\" Ms Sturgeon responded: \"I stand by what I said. I have no interest in crude league tables that offer no meaning to parents, nor do I have any interest in a system that would encourage teaching to the test. \"But I do think it is incumbent on me as first minister to make sure that children's progress is being assessed in a way that better informs the judgements teachers make about their performance.\"", "summary": "The attainment gap between pupils from the wealthiest and least well off backgrounds has widened, according to the Scottish Conservatives."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Well 68-year-old Paul Mounsey is living proof that you are never too old for it. \"My category is 45 plus...so I'm racing against guys 20 years younger than me,\" says Paul who started riding just five years ago aged 65. \"I saw the BMX and I thought 'I'd like to give that a go at this' and here we are!\" Find out how you can get into BMX, no matter how old or young you are, by visiting our cycling activity guide.", "summary": "BMX racing is a young man's game, right?"}
{"article": "The 42-year-old Tasmanian has spent two years as assistant coach and lead batting coach for Cricket Australia. Di Venuto was with Sussex and Derbyshire before moving to Durham, where he twice won the county title. But he is scheduled to return to England in time for the new season in April on an initial three-year deal. Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart said: \"Following the departure of Graham Ford it was vitally important that we found another high quality coach with a great work ethic and excellent knowledge of the English county game. \"Michael is a good people person. His 12 years of county experience will be invaluable. He is highly regarded within the Australian set-up for his ability to work with and get the best out of players. \"Being able to appoint a coach from a top quality international team can only serve to benefit the club and I would like to thank Cricket Australia for their professional dealings.\"", "summary": "Surrey have appointed former Australia one-day international batsman Michael di Venuto as their new head coach to replace Graham Ford."}
{"article": "The 37-year-old had a five-year wait between his first two Test appearances but has been a regular opener alongside David Warner since 2013. \"I've been fortunate to have this second go at it and have loved every moment of it,\" he told Fox Sports. \"But time calls on everyone and I think it's nearly up for me.\" Rogers, who has had spells with Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Middlesex and Northants in the County Championship, added: \"I think to go out in the Ashes and in England where I've played a lot of cricket is pretty fitting.\" In his 20 Tests for Australia, Rogers has scored 1535 runs, including four hundreds, at an average of 39.", "summary": "Australia batsman Chris Rogers says he plans to retire from international cricket after this summer's Ashes in England."}
{"article": "The government agency has announced plans to test wireless power-transfer tech that it hopes to build under the country's motorways and major A roads. It has already completed a feasibility study and is now asking companies to tender bids to host off-road trials. But one expert questioned whether such a scheme would be cost effective. Charge-as-you-drive technologies have already been pioneered elsewhere. In 2013, the South Korean town of Gumi switched on a 12km (7.5 miles) route that allows buses with compatible equipment to be charged as they drive over it. It works by a process called Shaped Magnetic Field In Resonance. Electric cables buried under the road are used to generate electromagnetic fields, which are picked up by a coil inside the device and converted into electricity. Last year, Milton Keynes also began use of a more limited scheme, which involves buses being wirelessly recharged via plates installed into road. In this case, however, the vehicles have to stop for several minutes at a time to receive the power boost. \"What has been committed to is that by 2016 or 2017 we will hold off-road trials - in other words not on a public road,\" Stuart Thompson, a spokesman for Highways England, told the BBC. \"It's still very early days. Where exactly the trials will be has yet to be determined.\" Highway England says full details will be publicised once a contractor has been appointed. It aims to run the experiments for about 18 months before deciding whether to commit itself to an on-road trial. \"The potential to recharge low emission vehicles on the move offers exciting possibilities,\" commented Transport Minister Andrew Jones. \"As this study shows, we continue to explore options on how to improve journeys and make low-emission vehicles accessible to families and businesses.\" However, the director of Cardiff Business School's Electric Vehicle Centre of Excellence remains sceptical. \"It makes sense to try it out, and the technology does obviously work,\" commented Dr Paul Nieuwenhuis. \"But it sounds very ambitious to me. Cost will be the biggest issue and I'm not totally convinced it's worth it. \"Battery technology is increasing - if you look at what Tesla has achieved in recent years, it keeps adding more [travel] range to battery technology roughly every six months. So, it's not clear there's even a need for this.\" Even if the plan ultimately comes to naught, Highways England is also committed to installing plug-in charging points every 20 miles (32.1km) on its motorway network over the \"longer-term\".", "summary": "Motorists will be able to recharge their cars as they drive if a scheme being proposed by Highways England comes to fruition."}
{"article": "The Hammers have had one bid rejected for the 25-year-old, but manager Slaven Bilic is hopeful of concluding a transfer. Carvalho was part of Portugal's triumphant Euro 2016 squad and also featured in their third-place finish at the Confederations Cup this summer. He has scored one goal in 37 international appearances. Bilic signed forwards Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez, for \u00a320m and \u00a316m respectively, and goalkeeper Joe Hart on loan this summer. However, a side containing Hart and Hernandez lost 4-0 at Manchester United in their Premier League opener on Sunday. Sofiane Feghouli has joined Galatasaray for a reported \u00a34m, after a season at the Hammers. The Algerian winger scored four goals in 27 appearances, after joining from Valencia in June 2016.", "summary": "West Ham are closing in on the signing of Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho for an expected \u00a330m."}
{"article": "At this week's European Council, David Cameron will call for \"greater co-operation\" and a halt to the traffic in \"guns from the western Balkans\". Mr Cameron will also propose a \"new EU-wide ban on all high-powered semi-automatic weapons\". The EU's response to the Paris attacks will be discussed at the meeting, which begins on Thursday in Brussels. Number 10 said that alongside a ban, measures would include greater sharing of ballistics data, a plan to improve intelligence about firearms in the western Balkans, action to take firearms out of circulation and a \"clear implementation\" plan for all member states. Mr Cameron said the \"horrific terrorist atrocities\" in Paris showed the scale of the threat facing Europe. \"A terrorist threat in one country is a danger to all of us, so I believe there is more we must do together to tackle the terrorist threat posed by Daesh,\" Mr Cameron said. \"We need to ensure that terrorists do not have the weapons with which they can wreak such tragedy.\" Mr Cameron will also call for greater efforts to undermine online radicalisation and the ideology of so-called Islamic State, referred to by the government as Daesh. Nils Duquet, a researcher at the Flemish Peace Institute in Brussels, said in an article for the BBC that in several recent attacks, including in Paris, there was a connection between the guns used and Belgium. He said an increase of heavy firearms on the illegal market in Belgium was mainly linked to smuggling from the Balkans. Hundreds of thousands of military weapons stayed in the hands of citizens after the Balkan wars of the 1990s, he said. A semi-automatic firearm is self-loading, firing a single round each time its trigger is pulled. A total of 130 people died and hundreds were wounded in the 13 November Paris attacks, when gunmen and suicide bombers attacked a concert hall, a stadium, restaurants and bars almost simultaneously.", "summary": "The EU should crack down on the illegal gun trade, the prime minister will urge in the wake of the Paris attacks."}
{"article": "New Zealand-born Dale McIntosh, 47, of Pontypridd, admitted threatening behaviour at Llandudno Magistrates' Court. The court heard he threw punches after being subjected to a \"torrent of derogatory terms\" while he was drinking in Rhyl on 4 February. McIntosh apologised for his behaviour. Diane Williams, prosecuting, said police outside a pub saw an \"agitated\" Merthyr RFC coach taking off his jacket before he cornered a man and allegedly struck him numerous times. The former Cardiff Blues and Pontypridd RFC coach was arrested and told police he reacted after being taunted by a group. Graham Parry, defending McIntosh, said it was a \"very unfortunate incident\" and his client was subject to a \"considerable amount of very unpleasant provocation\". McIntosh apologised to the court for his actions, saying: \"I'm not here to question it or make excuses for myself. I used physical force, I am a professional person and role model in my community. \"I extend my sincere apologies especially to the three arresting officers. Hopefully I will learn from this experience.\"", "summary": "A former Wales rugby player-turned coach has been fined \u00c2\u00a3350 for making threats after he retaliated to racist taunts while out in Denbighshire."}
{"article": "Now key players are meeting here for what has been widely called \"one of the last chances\" to stop a widening trail of destruction and death, which threaten the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The run-up to another Minsk meeting has been marked by an East-West war of words and an intensifying war on the ground. Pro-Russian separatists have been pushing deeper into government-held ground in eastern Ukraine to try to secure a stronger foothold in advance of any possible ceasefire. When leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine sit down in the Belarusian capital, they are hoping to build on the first Minsk protocol agreed last September - even if it failed to force either side to cease fire or help Ukraine re-establish control of its territory. But much more than the future of Ukraine is at risk in this high stakes diplomacy. \"Europe is heavily engaged in this,\" former Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt told me during last weekend's Munich Security Forum. \"If this is tolerated here, it opens up a Pandora's box - be that in the Balkans, in Central Asia, or somewhere else in the Russian periphery that would even more fundamentally endanger Europe's security.\" But Russia also sees, in the tensions over Ukraine, a threat to its strategic core. For Moscow, Europe's intervention amounts to unwarranted aggression in its backyard. On the brink of an even greater escalation in the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War, Western leaders are deploying all means and measures in their diplomats' toolkit. American officials warn they are weighing up the despatch of lethal \"defensive weapons\" to help Ukrainian troops defend themselves against pro-Russian forces. The EU has put on hold for a week a raft of newly approved sanctions against Russia and the rebels, including asset freezes and visa bans, to give this last ditch effort a \"maximum chance of success\". Outlines of a possible agreement include a 30 to 45 mile demilitarised zone between Ukrainian-controlled areas and what are now self-proclaimed People's Republics in Donetsk and Luhansk. But the ceasefire line drawn last September no longer corresponds to the new map carved in the bloody battles of recent months. Pro-Russian rebels are defiantly digging in on the ground. Vladimir Putin has also staked out a similar position during the flurry of negotiations in recent days including five hours of talks on Friday when Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Francois Hollande suddenly flew to Moscow to meet him. At the Munich Forum, some European officials spoke of \"Minsk plus\" with palpable unease. \"This is, of course, a very tricky question,\" Norway's Foreign Minister Borge Brende explained to me. \"Since 5 September there has been an escalation and we have to be realistic and go a bit further to accommodate Russian and pro-Russian supporters.\" Despite a mantra repeated at every turn that \"Europe's borders are inviolate,\" many observers expect the very best that can be achieved is a \"freezing\" of current hostilities. Even that will be difficult. Details of a draft Minsk deal include the withdrawal of military equipment and illegal armed", "summary": "It is five months since Minsk gave its name to a peace deal for Ukraine."}
{"article": "The poisoning occurred in the village of Dharmasati Gandaman, 80km (50 miles) north of the state capital, Patna. The free Mid-Day Meal Scheme aims to tackle hunger and boost attendance in schools, but suffers from poor hygiene. Angry parents joined protests against the deaths, setting at least four police vehicles on fire. An inquiry has begun and 200,000 rupees ($3,370) in compensation offered to the families of each of the dead. Twenty-eight sick children were taken to hospitals in the nearby town of Chhapra after the incident and later were moved to Patna. A total of 47 students of the primary school fell sick on Tuesday after eating the free lunch. There are fears the number of dead could rise as some of the children, all below the age of 12, are critically ill. The father of one sick child, Raja Yadav, said his son had been vomiting after returning from school and had to be rushed to hospital. By Soutik BiswasIndia correspondent In a country where nearly half of the children are undernourished and struggle to go to school, the school meal programme is a weapon to tackle hunger and illiteracy Economists believe the programme bolsters primary school enrolment and attendance, eliminates hunger, enables children from diverse class and caste backgrounds to share a meal together and bury social prejudices, and provides children with hygiene and nutritional education. There is enough evidence to prove, they say, that the programme, by and large, has been a success. That's precisely why the deaths of more than 20 school children after consuming contaminated free meals in Bihar state is shocking. The state education minister, PK Shahi, told the BBC a preliminary investigation indicated that the food was contaminated with traces of phosphorous. \"The doctors who have attended are of the tentative opinion that the smell coming out of the bodies of the children suggests that the food contained organo-phosphorus, which is a poisonous substance,\" he said. \"Now the investigators have to find out whether organo-phosphorus was accidental or there was some deliberate mischief.\" Earlier, doctors treating the patients had said \"food poisoning\" was the cause of the deaths. \"We suspect it to be poisoning caused by insecticides in vegetable or rice,\" Amarjeet Sinha, a senior education official, told the BBC. A doctor treating the children at a hospital in Patna said contaminated vegetable oil could have led to the poisoning. Patna-based journalist Amarnath Tewary says villagers told local reporters that similar cases of food poisoning after having Mid-Day Meals had taken place in the area previously. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar called an emergency meeting and ordered a team of forensic experts to the school, which is in Saran district. Bihar is one of India's poorest and most populous states. The Mid-Day Meal is the world's largest school feeding programme, reaching 120 million children in 1.2 million schools across the country, according to the government. Mr Shahi acknowledged \"that food is not being checked before it is being served\". He added that \"the scale at which the operation is being carried out, serving food", "summary": "At least 22 children have died and dozens more have fallen ill after eating lunch at a school in the eastern Indian state of Bihar."}
{"article": "The Super Eagles have been without a permanent coach since Sunday Oliseh quit the post in February. The Nigerian Football Federation is hoping to be able to draw up a shortlist of candidates by Friday. \"We encourage applications from all highly-qualified persons, whether they be Nigerians or expatriates,\" it said. \"Applications are welcome until Wednesday, and the Technical and Development Committee will meet on Friday to look through all applications and release a shortlist.\" Caretaker manager Salisu Yusuf guided Nigeria to victories over Mali and Luxembourg in two friendly matches in May, but the NFF president Amaju Pinnick has publicly declared his intention to appoint a foreign manager for the country instead. Nigeria were rocked by Oliseh's exit, brought about by a dispute over contract violations, and they had to play two crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Egypt in March under the temporary charge of Under-23 coach Samson Siasia. The three-time African champions were eliminated from the competition and will not feature at next year's finals in Gabon. Opinions are sharply divided about what direction the NFF should follow after the country's failure to qualify for the 2015 and 2017 Nations Cup tournaments under local managers. Nigeria have been drawn in the same African 2018 World Cup qualifying group B as former champions Cameroon, Algeria and Zambia. The group includes three of the five African countries who went to the last World Cup in Brazil and they will be battling for a single place at the tournament in Russia. Algeria and Nigeria both got past the group phase in 2014 and were eliminated in the round of 16 while Cameroon, hampered before arriving in Brazil by a player strike over money, lost all three games and conceded nine goals.", "summary": "Nigeria have started the process of finding a new manager of the national team, according to the country's football federation."}
{"article": "Five people, including three children, were taken to Glan Clwyd Hospital after suffering smoke inhalation. The fire, at the home in Ffynnongroew Road, started at about 09:15 BST after one of the children switched on the cooker, which had pans left on it. The family left the house when the smoke alarm went off. The kitchen was badly damaged by smoke from the blaze which was extinguished before fire crews arrived. The family was taken to the Bodelwyddan hospital as a precaution. Jane Honey, deputy head of community safety for the fire service, said: \"This highlights the importance of having a working smoke alarm and not to leave combustible items on the hob.\"", "summary": "A family was taken to hospital after a child turned on a cooker setting a pan of oil on fire at a house in Rhyl, North Wales fire service has said."}
{"article": "But amid the chaos and terror, the city's university has remained open throughout most of this time. This has raised questions about whether it has been kept open to provide a facade of normality, or whether it has been used as a technical facility to develop weapons, including for chemical warfare. But there are clandestine networks of Mosul students and academics who have wanted the rest of the world to know what happens in a university under IS control and in the deteriorating conditions of their city. They have been helped by the New York-based Scholar Rescue Fund, part of the Institute of International Education, which once rescued academics in Europe from the Nazis. On condition of anonymity, they describe a city of violence and fear, with public executions, vice police patrols, persecution, air raids, worsening shortages and bans on communication. Day-to-day life overlaps with horrific displays of control. In one account, someone coming home from a shopping trip in Mosul was stopped by IS members and forced, along with other passers-by, to witness the \"horrifying and disturbing\" spectacle of a public beheading. There is also danger from coalition air raids, with 32 air strikes in or around Mosul last week. \"Life under Isil [another name for IS] has one meaning - absolute fear,\" according to one Mosul source. There is a culture of spying, betrayal, blackmail, regular \"humiliations\" and deadly consequences. \"It is extremely easy for them to kill anyone. Their courts can come to a judgement in a few minutes and the execution will take place immediately.\" \"Some students worked with them and started spying on us,\" said sources who saw the University of Mosul being taken over by IS in June 2014. Subjects such as literature and philosophy were suspended and anything seen as symbolising opposition to their religious ideology was attacked. \"They burned the books in the central library, then they demolished the archaeological sites.\" \"Right from the beginning, Isis [another name for IS] thought that any book that doesn't advance Islam is meaningless and worthless.\" Any academics with links to the west or loyal to the Iraqi government \"all lost their lives\". The university switched to subjects promoting the new regime's war effort, with foreign fighters using some of the buildings for accommodation. Physical sciences became a priority and the IS regime encouraged training in medicine, pharmacy, nursing and dentistry, filling gaps left by doctors who had fled the city. Languages have been encouraged - both as a way of working with foreign fighters and supporting propaganda efforts. Even sports and exercise were re-invented as a form of jihadist training, with military-style lessons. Mosul is a city under siege, with Kurdish Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army closing in. Sources say the response of IS has been to exert an increasingly aggressive control over communication and movement. \"They are placing more and more strict rules on internet access. They are knocking door to door, surveying each house, and asking to copy documents and ID cards to see how these belong to internet accounts. \"So whenever they spot", "summary": "Almost exactly two years ago, Iraq's second biggest city, Mosul, was overrun by the forces of so-called Islamic State (IS)."}
{"article": "Ben Carson takes a narrow lead in in a New York Times/CBS News poll, ousting the New York businessman who has led the pack for nearly four months. The news comes on the eve of the third TV debate for Republican contenders. The next-ranked candidates are Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush and Carly Fiorina but they are a long way behind. The conservative Mr Carson, who has expressed extreme views on a range of issues, has 26% of Republican primary voter support, according to the telephone poll of 575 voters. His lead of 4% over Mr Trump is well within the 6% margin of error. Florida Senator Mr Rubio has 8% support and the rest closely follow behind him. Mr Trump has turned his fire to Mr Carson in recent days, attacking him as \"low energy\" and questioning his Seventh Day Adventist faith. The two will meet on the stage at Boulder, Colorado, at the Republican debate on Wednesday. Primary voting begins in February in Iowa, where Mr Carson also leads the polls. The 64-year-old was criticised this week for comparing abortion to slavery. The retired doctor has said President Barack Obama's healthcare reform was \"the worst thing\" since slavery and that the US government is acting like Nazi Germany. He asserted that being gay is a choice, Muslims aren't qualified to seek the US presidency, the Holocaust could have been prevented if persecuted Europeans owned more guns and - just a few days ago - that the US government should cut off funding to universities that are found to exhibit \"extreme political bias\". Mr Carson's comments on abortion have set off yet another cycle of outrage from the left - a reaction that he will likely wear as a badge of honour. Read Anthony Zurcher's feature in full", "summary": "A retired neurosurgeon has knocked Donald Trump off top spot in the Republican presidential campaign."}
{"article": "Wasps' win over Leinster saw them snatch first place in the group, leaving Toulon to qualify as one of three runners-up. Steffon Armitage and Bryan Habana went over for the French side either side of half-time at the Rec. Anthony Watson scored Bath's only try, as George Ford kicked three penalties. The Premiership side's hopes of progressing out of the pool were over last weekend after their 25-11 defeat by Leinster. Mike Ford's team exit the competition with two wins from six games and finish third in the table. Toulon went into the final pool game on top of the group by one point, after their last-gasp victory over Wasps last weekend. But the Premiership side ran in seven tries against bottom side Leinster on Saturday, and they went through as group winners because of their head-to-head record against Toulon. Bath had nothing to play for in Saturday's game, but they were looking to kick-start their season, after winning only three from eight in the league. They fell behind to two James O'Connor kicks, before fly-half and captain Ford got the hosts off the mark with the boot. Toulon extended their lead when England exile Armitage, whom Bath had tried to sign last year prior to the World Cup, was left unmarked and he powered over. The hosts got off to the perfect start in the second half when Watson touched down after a sublime passing move from Horacio Agulla and Kyle Eastmond. Ford missed the conversion before landing a penalty to give Bath a narrow 14-11 lead, but it did not last. Scotland flanker David Denton gave the ball away to South Africa wing Habana and he sprinted over to score an easy try for Toulon. Full-back O'Connor missed the conversion but he went on to slot his third kick, as the three-time champions booked their place in the knockout stages. Bath: Anthony Watson; Semesa Rokoduguni, Jonathan Joseph, Kyle Eastmond, Horacio Agulla, George Ford (c), Chris Cook; Nick Auterac, Ross Batty, Henry Thomas; Charlie Ewels, Dominic Day; David Denton, Guy Mercer, Leroy Houston. Replacements: Tom Dunn, Nathan Catt, David Wilson, Tom Ellis, Matt Garvey, Alafoti Faosiliva, Rhys Priestland, Ollie Devoto. Toulon: James O'Connor; Josua Tuisova, Maxime Mermoz, Ma'a Nonu, Bryan Habana; Quade Cooper, Sebastien Tillous-Borde; Florian Fresia, Guilhem Guirado, Levan Chilachava; Jocelino Suta (c), Samu Manoa; Juan Smith, Steffon Armitage, Duane Vermeulen. Replacements: Jean-Charles Orioli, Xavier Chiocci, Manasa Saulo, Mamuka Gorgodze, Romain Taofifenua, Mathieu Bastareaud, Eric Escande, Thibault Lassale. Ref: John Lacey (Ireland). For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "Reigning champions Toulon beat Bath to reach the Champions Cup quarter-finals, but missed out on top spot in Pool Five."}
{"article": "The details are contained in an official analysis of the budget by the Department for Social Development (DSD). The analysis suggests the average loss per household will be \u00a3918 per year. Tax credits are effectively a means-tested benefit paid to people on lower incomes. They are paid to two main groups: unemployed people with children and low paid working people who may or may not have children. The changes to tax credits in the July budget included lowering the threshold at which payments start to reduce. Currently tax credits payments start to reduce, or taper, once a family income reaches \u00a36,420. From April 2016 the threshold at which payments taper will be \u00a33,850. There are currently 109,000 claimants in Northern Ireland who are earning above the \u00a36,420 threshold and have a 'tapered' tax credit award. Once the threshold is reduced to \u00a33,850, these claimants will have their tax credit award tapered further. An additional 12,000 claimants will also become subject to the taper once the threshold is reduced to \u00a33,850. The DSD analysis also looks at other welfare changes announced in the budget, including the freeze in most working age benefits up to 2020. Using an assumption that welfare reforms will ultimately be introduced in Northern Ireland, it estimates that the July budget will take \u00a3206m off the welfare bill in 2016/17, rising to \u00a3361m in 2019/20. The DSD analysis does not factor in the impact of the National Living Wage or increased personal tax thresholds on household budgets.", "summary": "More than 120,000 households in Northern Ireland will have their tax credit payments reduced as a result of the July budget."}
{"article": "Barrow Council was considering David Gill's fitness to hold a licence after his conviction in November for allowing potentially invasive sacred ibis to fly out of South Lakes Wild Animal Park. It concluded that the offences were inadequate to justify closing the zoo. However, councillors could refer back to the warning if they have to consider his suitability on another occasion. Mr Gill, who has not commented, was convicted of three offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and fined \u00c2\u00a32,000 in November. The birds, which are native to Africa, are on a list of species the authorities do not want settled in the UK as they can cause significant damage to other species. Barrow Council's licensing regulatory committee said that Mr Gill had given assurances that procedures were now in place to prevent any future escape occurring. The council has still has to decide whether to bring any health and safety prosecution over the death of keeper Sarah McClay, who was mauled by a tiger at the same venue in May 2013. She suffered puncture wounds to her head and neck when the animal got through an open door to a corridor she was working in.", "summary": "The owner of an animal park in Cumbria has been served with a warning over the escape of a \"threatening\" bird."}
{"article": "The images were posted to social media by the family of the 69-year-old victim, Bilquis Choudry, in a bid to trace those responsible. Writing on Facebook, Fayyaz Rahman said the men forced their way into his mother-in-law's home in Giffnock, near Glasgow, on Monday. Police said their inquiries into the robbery were ongoing. Mrs Choudry was alone in her home in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, when she heard the sliding doors of her lounge open. Three men, one of whom was carrying what looked like a screwdriver, then appeared in her lounge and demanded cash and jewellery. She said: \"I was talking on the phone to my friend and suddenly the line went dead. They had cut the phone line. I went to the other room and three men burst in. \"They told me to sit down and were asking, 'Where's your gold? Where's your passwords? Where's your money?\"' The raiders made off with jewellery and cash which had been collected for a charity when they were told Mr Choudry's son was coming home. In his social media post Mr Rahman, who is Mrs Choudry's son-in-law, urged people to help police identify the men he described as \"scumbags\" who robbed their victim at knifepoint. He wrote: \"They forced open the patio door when she was on her own, cut the phone line, turned the whole house upside down, took a sizeable amount of cash, house keys, other valuables [and then] ripped off and took away a CCTV DVR (later recovered from a neighbour's garden).\" He went on to describe how a \"cousin and a nephew\" disturbed the raiders who broke into the Rouken Glen Road home. Mr Rahman said they confronted and chased the men along the road, where they managed to take the photographs. They showed two people attempting to get into a dark grey Volvo car. Their faces are covered with only their eyes visible. One is wearing a blue coat, with the hood pulled over their head and scarf wrapped round their face. The second is dressed in black, with a baseball cap and a scarf pulled up high on his face. Mr Rahman's post said: \"Anyone with information is requested to call Giffnock police, Glasgow, please share it as well, someone must know these people.\" In an earlier statement, Police Scotland said three masked men broken into the woman's home at around 17:30 on Monday. A fourth man was waiting in the car. Det Con Craig Faskin described it as an \"extremely frightening ordeal\" for the woman, who was not injured but left \"extremely shaken\".", "summary": "Masked raiders who threatened a pensioner in her own home were pictured as they made their getaway."}
{"article": "Wreaths placed at the memorial in Crediton, Devon, including one for L/Cpl Jamie Fleming, 21, were left scorched by the fire. Two teenagers - a boy and a girl - were seen running away from the scene towards a park early on Monday morning. L/Cpl Fleming's father said he \"could not come to terms\" with the attack. Among the wreaths was a family tribute to the soldier, who died in a motorcycle crash earlier this year after serving in Afghanistan. His father Stewart, from Crediton, told BBC News: \"As a family we were very angry at the wanton vandalism. \"We are still raw over Jamie's death. \"I am lost for words.\" Insp Jane Alford Mole, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said: \"The wreaths suffered burn damage and there are a number of scorch marks on the war memorial. \"This is a sickening act of mindless vandalism and we are desperate to identify those responsible.\" The two suspects are described as aged about 14 to 15 years old and were both wearing hooded tops. Local resident Gillian Ponsford, whose two young grandsons laid a wreath at the memorial which bears the names of their great, great uncles, said she was \"horrified\". She said that wreath had been one of those burnt and described the vandalism as \"unbelievable\" and \"a sad day for Crediton\".", "summary": "A war memorial in Devon has been burnt in a \"sickening act of mindless vandalism\", police say."}
{"article": "Speaking from Canada, his wife Ensaf Haidar told the BBC she feared his punishment would start again on Friday. Badawi was arrested in 2012 for \"insulting Islam through electronic channels\". Saudi authorities sent his case for review amidst global protests, after the first round of lashes in January. For four years Badawi ran the Liberal Saudi Network, which encouraged online debate on religious and political issues. Ms Haidar said she had held high hopes that her husband was about to be released, but he remained less optimistic. When they last spoke three days ago he told her not to expect him home in the near future. She called on the countries and rights groups that had campaigned for her husband's release to mobilise once more. Badawi received his first 50 lashes in January, but subsequent floggings have been postponed. A shaky video taken on a mobile phone showed Badawi being lashed by a member of the security forces. The footage prompted international protests which were repeated every Friday, the scheduled day for the beatings. In March, the kingdom expressed \"surprise and dismay\" at international criticism over the punishment. At the time, the foreign ministry issued a statement saying it rejected interference in its internal affairs. It is not clear why Badawi has not yet endured a second round though a medical report found he was not fit for the punishment. Saudi Arabia enforces a strict version of Islamic law and does not tolerate political dissent. It has some of the highest social media usage rates in the region, and has cracked down on domestic online criticism.", "summary": "Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court has upheld the sentence of 1,000 lashes and 10 years of imprisonment on blogger Raif Badawi, despite a foreign outcry."}
{"article": "Cardiff council has issued travel advice to drivers, with roads shutting from 06:30 BST and reopening at about 12:30. East Tyndall Street, Lloyd George Avenue and Bute Place are among those being closed for the triathlon. Drivers heading to the Extreme Sailing event before midday have been advised to follow signposted routes to the bay. The council said the best route to get to the sailing would be the A4232, exiting at the junction for Mermaid Quay and the central link road. A cycle diversion is also in place around Britannia Park, between Cardiff Bay and the barrage. Roads closed during the triathlon:", "summary": "Road closures have been announced ahead of Cardiff Bay's triathlon and sailing events on Sunday."}
{"article": "The whale, which is about 10m (33ft) in length, was washed up at Shingle Street, near Hollesley shortly after 15:00 BST on Sunday. The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) said it was a juvenile fin whale and that a post-mortem examination would be carried out on Tuesday. Suffolk Police warned people to stay clear of the carcass, which has been tied down. What do you do with a dead whale? Find out more about whales with BBC Nature Rob Deaville, manager of the cetacean stranding investigation programme for ZSL, said fin whales were a \"fairly unusual species to be found beached in the UK\". He said that last year, out of 600 strandings in the country, only about five would have been fin whales. \"Looking at photos, it does look a little bit on the thin side, so starvation may be a factor but we have an open mind,\" he said. Andrew Capell, of HM Coastguard Search and Rescue, said: \"We answered the call and we originally thought it would be a porpoise, because we tend to get them quite a bit. \"But we arrived on the beach to find this rather handsome animal. \"There are a few grazes on it where it has been on the shingle, but there is no other wounds or injuries. \"There's a lot of interest today as it is not the sort of thing you see in Suffolk.\" A crew from Aldeburgh Lifeboat station was also called to Shingle Street. Coxswain Steven Saint said: \"Unfortunately it had already died when the crew were there - but there were reports it had been in the water a short time before.\" Another whale died after being stranded at a beach in Bridlington, east Yorkshire, on Sunday.", "summary": "A whale has died after beaching on a shingle bank off the Suffolk coast."}
{"article": "The overnight shoot-out between two sets of police began when each side believed the other to be criminals. It happened near Kiev and has been described as a \"heartbreaking tragedy\". The gunfight began when a burglar alarm went off by chance in the house next door to one being staked out by two undercover policemen. A separate unit then arrived to investigate the alarm, in the small town of Knyazhychi, and detained the pair, mistaking them for robbers. But the back-up unit for the two men apparently feared they had been confronted by the thieves and tried to rescue them. Interior ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said those suspected of being the real burglars - who were nearby - heard the gun battle and fled in two vehicles. The three were arrested soon afterwards with firearms in the capital, Kiev, the Kyiv Post reported, and it is expected they will be charged with numerous criminal offences. The former chief of national police Khatia Dekanoidze described the shooting as a \"heartbreaking tragedy\", the paper reported.", "summary": "Five police officers in Ukraine have been killed by friendly fire during a botched operation to arrest robbers, an interior ministry official has said."}
{"article": "The operation is ongoing, an interior ministry spokesman told AP news agency. Tunisia has declared a state of emergency after 38 tourists were killed in an attack by an Islamist gunman in the beach resort of Sousse on 26 June. Thousands of British tourists have left the country after a new travel alert from the UK foreign office. It said that another terror attack in the country was \"highly likely\" and urged Britons to leave. Other countries like Germany and France, however, have not followed suit. France, which accounts for the largest number of tourists in Tunisia, says its nationals should be \"particularly vigilant\" but has stopped short of telling them to leave. Germany said it was sending a team to assess the security situation in Tunisia in the next few days. Source: Tunisian national institute of statistics Officials have not suggested there is a link between the mountain operation and the June attack. The army has been trying to dislodge militant groups from the mountains near the border with Algeria for several years. Military helicopters have been pursuing other suspects as part of the operation being led by the Tunisian army and national guard, an unnamed security source told Reuters news agency. It is not clear which group the militants killed in the operation belong to. The Sousse gunman has been identified as student Seifeddine Rezgui, who authorities say had trained in Libya. Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid told the BBC that Rezgui had probably trained with the Ansar al-Sharia group, though Islamic State (IS) earlier said it was behind the attack. Live news updates from Africa", "summary": "Tunisian security forces have killed five suspected Islamist militants in the mountains near the central town of Gafsa, officials say."}
{"article": "BHS ran 16 Scottish branches, employing more than 520 staff, when it went into administration in April. Before Sunday, 15 had already closed, leaving only one store operating at St Enoch shopping centre in Glasgow. The branch employed more than 50 staff at the time of the store chain's collapse. The retail giant traded for almost 90 years on the British high street before going into administration. Attempts to find a buyer were unsuccessful and BHS was wound up in June with the loss of 11,000 UK jobs. MPS have been scathing about the collapse of BHS and the way in which it was run by Sir Philip Green. In a report, they claimed his failure to resolve BHS's \u00c2\u00a3571m pension deficit was a major factor in the firm's demise. Sir Philip promised MPs in June that he would sort out the pensions \"mess\".", "summary": "The last BHS store in Scotland has closed its doors for the final time, following the collapse of the high street retailer earlier this year."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old actress was in the Prestbury house with a female friend when thieves broke in on Tuesday night. They locked the pair in a room while they stole jewellery and a mobile phone before escaping, police said. Ms Flanagan's spokesman said she was \"very shaken but unharmed\". Police said they were investigating. Earlier in the day, the actress had posted a message on social networking site Twitter to say she was looking forward to her boyfriend, Manchester City footballer Scott Sinclair, returning home. Ms Flanagan played Coronation Street's Rosie Webster and also appeared on ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! after leaving the soap last year.", "summary": "Burglars confronted former Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan during a break-in at her Cheshire home."}
{"article": "The MoD said the partnership could mean more intelligence is shared about the latest cyber threats. Defence companies face cyber-attacks almost daily, often from countries seeking to steal sensitive information about new technology and weapons. Officials say they hope the plan will serve as a model for other sectors. The new Defence Cyber Protection Partnership - a joint effort between the UK government and nine large defence companies - is designed to improve the industry's collective defences against cyber-attacks. It will also work to establish higher standards of security for smaller companies in the supply chain. Cyber-attacks are one of the top four threats to UK national security alongside international terrorism, according to the government's National Security Strategy. Earlier this month, UK intelligence service GCHQ said Britain was seeing about 70 sophisticated cyber-espionage operations a month against government or industry networks - some 15 of which were against the defence industry. GCHQ director Sir Iain Lobban said business secrets were being stolen on an \"industrial scale\" and in some cases foreign hackers had penetrated firms for up to two years. In 2010 the British government designated the protection of computer networks as one of the country's most important national security priorities. It pledged \u00c2\u00a3650m of new investment over the next four years to continue tackling the problem as part of its National Cyber Security Programme. In March, the government launched the Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership to help businesses and government share information on cyber threats, including a secure web portal to allow information to be shared in real-time.", "summary": "The UK's defences against cyber attacks are to be strengthened under new plans that will see the Ministry of Defence working with its biggest contractors."}
{"article": "A joint team from the Pentagon, US Geological Service and USAID has calculated Afghanistan's mineral deposits are worth at least $900bn. Geological surveys discovered large quantities of iron and copper as well as valuable deposits of lithium. But questions are being asked about the timing of the release of information. The details of a US Geological Service survey of the country were released in 2007. The US assessment of the worth of the deposits was completed in December last year. The trillion dollar calculation was reported in the New York Times on 14 June. The BBC's Jill McGivering says that at a time of growing despair about Afghanistan and its government, the portrayal of the country as a potential goldmine could help to bolster international resolve and paint the country as a prize worth fighting for. Lithium is an increasingly vital resource, used in batteries for everything from mobile phones to laptops and key to the future of the electric car. Bolivia boasts the largest reserves. Afghanistan also has significant reserves of niobium, a key ingredient in hardened steel. Ministry of mines spokesman Jawad Omar said he could not confirm the exact value of Afghanistan's mineral wealth but had no doubt it would have a very big impact on the country's development. If exploited, Afghanistan would become self-sufficient, he said, and no longer need foreign aid. President Hamid Karzai's spokesman, Waheed Omar, was quoted by news agency AP as saying: \"The result of the survey ... has shown that Afghanistan has mineral resources worth $1 trillion. \"This is not an overall survey of all minerals in Afghanistan. Whatever has been found in this survey is worth $1tr.\" The findings were made by the US Geological Survey under contract to the Afghan government, he said. The New York Times cited an internal Pentagon memo which said Afghanistan could become \"the Saudi Arabia of lithium\". There are already plans to exploit mineral wealth in Afghanistan with Chinese backing for a copper mine at Aynak in Logar province. It sounds like welcome news for a country which desperately needs development, our correspondent says. But the discovery of mineral wealth will not provide an overnight solution. It would take years to build a large-scale mining industry and unless there is peace, it will be hard for investors to guarantee security, our correspondent says. With so much more to fight for, it may also make a peace deal harder to forge. If Afghanistan's strategic value suddenly increases, so too might the battle for influence between regional giants India and China, and of course the United States, our correspondent adds. Exploiting the mineral wealth will not be easy, says Stephanie Sanok, senior research fellow in the International Security Programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. \"I can't think of any examples where you can extract the kind of minerals we are talking about in Afghanistan in the middle of a major military campaign. \"They not only don't have the infrastructure - road, rail and water - but they don't have basic laws and regulations that will", "summary": "Afghanistan may have more than a trillion dollars worth of untapped mineral deposits, a spokesman for the ministry of mines has suggested."}
{"article": "Researchers from the E\u00f6tv\u00f6s Lor\u00e1nd University in Hungary have found that dogs can recognise certain words and even tell the difference between how the words are being said. They found that the animals can tell if the words are positive like or negative and can understand the tone of voice used to say them. They trained a group of dogs to lie really still in an MRI scanner, which is a bit like an x-ray for your brain. It told scientists how the dog reacted to different things by measuring which part of their brain was used in response the test. The scientists played the dogs recordings of words said in a happy or a normal tone of voice to see how they would react. By looking at the MRI scans the scientists found that the dogs recognised certain words, and could tell the difference between how the words were being said, in the same way that humans do. When the dog was played a recording of a positive message said in a happy voice the scans showed the dogs processed that information in the part of the brain that deals with rewards and happy feelings. One of the researchers Attila Andics explained that: \"This shows\u2026 that dogs not only separate what we say from how we say it, but also that they can combine the two for a correct interpretation of what those words really meant.\"", "summary": "Ever wondered if your dog can REALLY understand what you are saying?"}
{"article": "On Sunday, BBC 6 Music DJ Mark Radcliffe explores the history of the football chant to find out what makes a hit in the stands. Before the programme goes live, we want to test your chant knowledge. Listen to these seven terrace chants and work out which club's fans are singing them. You can listen to 'From Doris to Depeche: The football fans' songbook' on BBC Radio 5 live from 19:30 BST.", "summary": "From Blue Moon to You'll Never Walk Alone, almost every team have their own song - but do you recognise some of the lesser-known chants?"}
{"article": "Official figures show councils reported 936,090 cases of fly-tipping in 2015-16, costing almost \u00a350m to clear up. Campaigners say financial pressure on local authorities had resulted in waste collection services being cut. One council alone handled more than 70,000 cases of fly-tipping. The number of incidents in Enfield was equivalent to 216 for every 1,000 residents. It means it cost \u00a38.24 per person in clearance costs alone. How do you stop fly-tipping? 'It fell off the back of the van' and other excuses Samantha Harding, litter programme director at the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said: \"Financial pressure on local councils has caused some local collection services to be cut and it seems that people have taken this as a licence to dump their waste illegally. \"There needs to be a review of England's struggling waste management systems, with a new ambitious programme to haul them into the 21st Century. \"We cannot afford to waste our valuable resources in this way.\" About half of the rubbish illegally tipped was found on highways. And about a third of all incidents were classed as a \"small van load\" worth of waste. The figures do not yet include new powers councils were given in May 2016 to hand out on-the-spot fines of up to \u00a3400. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs figures show fly-tipping incidents had fallen from more than 1.28 million in 2007-08 to about 711,500 cases in 2012-13 before starting to rise again. Country Land and Business Association president Ross Murray said: \"These figures do not tell the full story of this disgraceful behaviour, which blights our beautiful countryside. \"Local authorities tend not to get involved with clearing incidences of fly-tipped waste from private land, leaving the landowner to clean up and foot the bill.\" The association has called for the enforcement of stronger penalties, ensuring powers to use fixed penalty notices and seize vehicles are used and reducing council fees to legally dispose of waste. Councillor Judith Blake, an environment spokeswoman for the Local Government Association said: \"This is money that would be better spent on vital front line services. \"Litter and fly-tipping is environmental vandalism - it's unpleasant, unnecessary and unacceptable.\" A Defra spokeswoman said new powers and advances in technology had made it easier for local authorities to clamp down on waste crime. She said 98% of fly-tipping prosecutions resulted in a conviction - a \"clear warning\" to anyone involved in \"serious waste crime\". \"Fly-tipping blights communities and the local environment, which is why we are committed to tackling this anti-social behaviour so everyone can enjoy a cleaner, healthier neighbourhoods and countryside,\" she added.", "summary": "Fly-tipping was reported almost 107 times every hour across England, as the number of incidents rose for the third year in a row."}
{"article": "The city council confirmed that the 10 primaries affected will remain closed for the rest of the week. Contingency plans are being put in place for the five high schools with pupils being phased back to the classroom from Wednesday onwards. All the schools in question were constructed under the same public private partnership contract. They were built by Miller Construction, which was acquired by Galliford Try in 2014. It has been confirmed that Gracemount and Craigmount high schools, plus Oxgangs and St Peter's primary schools, will need urgent repairs before opening their doors once more. Every Scottish council has either carried out or is going to carry out surveys of school buildings that could be affected. Edinburgh Council hoped that all primary and special needs pupils would be able to return by the start of next week. However, the 7,000 youngsters affected on Monday will remain off school on Tuesday. Officials said that \"significant work\" had been undertaken to ensure that 2,000 S4, S5 and S6 pupils would be accommodated as soon as possible. Alternative arrangements will need to be worked out for all S1 to S3 pupils. Edinburgh University, the Scottish Parliament, community groups, venues and private sector companies have all offered help. The local authority confirmed that structural surveys would continue to be carried out this week. The closure of the schools, which are about 10 years old, was prompted after workers repairing serious structural issues at one city primary found \"further serious defects\" with the building on Friday. Edinburgh Schools Partnership (ESP), which operates the schools, could not provide safety assurances and that is why the 17 schools remained closed after the holidays. Lindsay Cairns' daughter is in primary one at Oxgangs Primary School. She said: \"I don't know if I'm going to have to have time off next week to look after her. \"I've spoken to my manager. We have to wait and see what the council are going to come back with. \"I'd like to think there's going to be an update and a contingency plan put in place but to me I'd rather have had that contingency plan before now.\" Rachel Bhandari's son is nine years old and has cerebral palsy. His special school is closed until further notice. She and her husband have spent the weekend trying to organise childcare as they both work. Ms Bhandari said: \"It presents us with a really big difficulty really. We were expecting the school to be open. \"We were told earlier in the week that it was going to be open and then just to find out on Friday that it's not is a nightmare.\" The problems were first uncovered in January when a wall at Oxgangs Primary collapsed during high winds. Three other schools were later closed after inspections revealed problems with the way walls had been built. Amy, 16, a pupil at Firrhill High School, told BBC Scotland: \"It's quite disruptive because we need to finish the coursework and we need to do unit assessments, and they were meant to be happening this week but", "summary": "Urgent work will be required on several of the 17 Edinburgh schools which were closed due to safety fears."}
{"article": "The assailants, riding in two vehicles, opened fire on a security convoy on the main ring road in the Nasr City area. No group has yet said it was behind the attack, which occurred on Monday night. However, jihadist militants have killed hundreds of police and soldiers since the military overthrew Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. Last month, President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi declared a state of emergency after at least 45 people were killed in suicide bomb attacks on two Coptic Christian churches in Tanta and Alexandria. So-called Islamic State said a local affiliate had carried out the bombings. Hours before Monday's attack, the UN high commissioner for human rights questioned the measures being taken by Egypt's government to combat jihadism. Zeid Raad Al Hussein condemned April's church bombings, but told a news conference in Geneva that the \"state of emergency, the massive number of detentions, reports of torture and continued arbitrary arrests - all of this we believe facilitates radicalisation in prisons\", according to Reuters news agency. \"And abetted by the crackdown on civil society through travel bans, freezing orders, anti-protest laws, this is in our opinion is not the way to fight terror,\" he added. \"National security yes, must be a priority for every country, but again not at the expense of human rights.\" Human rights activists say more than 1,000 people, most of them Morsi supporters, have been killed and tens of thousands arrested in the crackdown.", "summary": "Suspected militants have killed three police officers and wounded five others in an attack in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, the interior ministry says."}
{"article": "The Bears face must-win games in their final group matches in the T20 Blast and One-Day Cup to keep alive hopes of making the quarter-finals in both. \"There's no reason why it should be inconsistent, we know what we're meant to be doing,\" Brown, 46, told BBC WM. \"Under pressure, we're failing to deliver what we're supposed to.\" Warwickshire's four-wicket defeat by Durham, who chased down 293 to win, leaves the third-placed Bears needing to beat current leaders Yorkshire on Monday to stay in the hunt for the last eight. Before then, they go to Old Trafford on Friday knowing victory over Lancashire in their last T20 Blast game is vital to their chances of making the knockout stages. Brown is confident the high-stakes nature of the next two matches will bring out the best in his side. \"We are a decent side - we're struggling a the moment as we're struggling to get the same team out on the park twice,\" Brown said. \"The guys who come in should be proficient at executing under pressure - that's what we haven't done and that's what we need to do in these two games. \"We know we've got to win them and it's exciting to be part of.\" All-rounder Keith Barker is set to return after injury at Old Trafford, while former England batsman Jonathan Trott could make a comeback against Yorkshire following a back problem.", "summary": "Warwickshire director of cricket Dougie Brown admits he cannot explain why his side's white-ball cricket has been inconsistent this season."}
{"article": "Matthew Daley, 34, of Worthing, is being held on suspicion of murdering Don Lock, 79, and police have until midnight to charge or release him. Mr Lock died from stab wounds after a suspected road-rage confrontation near Findon, which Sussex Police described as an \"unprovoked attack\". On Saturday a knife was recovered and sent for tests. His family gave an emotional news conference on the same day to pay tribute to the man they described as \"gentle, kind and loving\". Mr Lock's son, Andrew, said the family had been \"incredibly overwhelmed\" by messages of support and they were \"deeply grateful\" to the people who had tried to treat Mr Lock at the side of the road. The great-grandfather had recently celebrated his 55th wedding anniversary with his wife Maureen and had also been given the all-clear from cancer. He was attacked after getting out of his car following a crash with another vehicle on the A24 on Thursday evening. Paramedics were called but he died at the scene. On Saturday Det Ch Insp Paul Rymarz said Mr Lock was the victim of a \"violent, unprovoked attack that he had no chance to defend himself against\". He described the investigation as a \"fast moving operation\" and renewed his appeal for anyone with further information to contact the police.", "summary": "Detectives are continuing to question a man about a fatal stabbing after a car crash in West Sussex."}
{"article": "But the inquiry into the attack on the Pulse gay night club, in which 49 people were killed, is being treated as a terrorist investigation, he added. The FBI's director said the gunman was radicalised through the internet. Meanwhile Donald Trump said he would suspend immigration from certain areas of the world to the US. The presumptive Republican presidential candidate also renewed his call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country. The US authorities say gunman Omar Mateen pledged allegiance to IS shortly before the attack in Florida. However, the extent of any links to IS remains unclear. Speaking in Washington, Mr Obama said: \"It does appear that at the last minute he [gunman Omar Mateen] announced allegiance to Isil [IS]. \"But there is no evidence so far that he was in fact directed. \"This is certainly an example of the kind of home-grown extremism that all of us have been concerned about for a very long time.\" How attacks unfolded Who was Omar Mateen? Police deny false claims of 'multiple gunmen' Orlando shooting: Special report The deadliest mass shooting in recent US history ended when police shot Mateen dead. The attack also left 53 people injured. Orlando Regional Medical Centre said on Monday that a number of the victims being treated there remained critically ill, and five patients were in a grave condition. Responding to the Orlando shootings, Mr Trump reiterated his proposal to ban foreign Muslims from entering the US. \"We cannot continue to allow thousands upon thousands of people to pour into our country, many of whom have the same thought process as this savage killer.\" Mr Trump said: \"When I'm elected I will suspend immigration from areas of the world where there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or our allies.\" He also spoke out against any move to increase gun controls, saying he would be \"always defending\" the Second Amendment which protects \"the right of the people to keep and bear arms\". 3.3 million AR-15s in the US in 2012 (estimated) 45 rounds per minute 26 people killed by AR-15 in Sandy Hook in 2012 0 days' wait needed to obtain one in Florida Meanwhile presumptive Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton promised to make stopping \"lone wolf\" attacks a top priority. Mrs Clinton called for action to stop militants getting hold of assault rifles, saying weapons of war had no place on America's streets. FBI Director James Comey told reporters in Washington that there were \"strong indications of radicalisation and of potential inspiration by foreign terrorist organisations\". \"We're highly confident this killer was radicalised at least in some part through the internet,\" he said. In phone calls to the authorities from the nightclub, Mateen said he was carrying out the attack for IS but he also pledged allegiance to a suicide bomber for the al-Nusra Front group in Syria, and to the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombing, none of whom is linked to IS. \"We see no indication that this was a plot directed from outside the United States, and", "summary": "There is no clear evidence that the Orlando gunman was directed by the so-called Islamic State group (IS), US President Barack Obama has said."}
{"article": "When Shatner asked if Cmdr Hadfield was tweeting from space, the astronaut replied: \"Yes, Standard Orbit, Captain. And we're detecting signs of life on the surface\". The message presumably refers to earth. Cmdr Hadfield arrived at the International Space Station on 21 December for a five-month mission. The exchange, which astronaut Buzz Aldrin also participated in, delighted Star Trek fans. Space and science blogger Jason Major tweeted: \"Looks like @WilliamShatner has opened a hailing frequency to the #ISS and @Cmdr-Hadfield answered! #cool\", in reaction to the Twitter exchange. Cmdr Hadfield has been tweeting images of earth, including photographs of snow-covered rice fields in Japan and the coast of Italy. The Canadian Space Agency has offered to arrange a live tweeting session between the actor and the astronaut.", "summary": "Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has exchanged tweets from space with William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk in Star Trek."}
{"article": "The 20-year-old joins on a four-and-a-half-year deal, and Benfica could receive \u00a36m more if he is sold on. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said the deal for the Portugal international was completed despite rival interest from \"numerous European clubs\". Earlier in January, PSG signed 23-year-old Germany forward Julian Draxler from Wolfsburg for a reported 42m euros (\u00a335.5m). Guedes said he hoped \"to become as popular\" as countryman Pauleta, the prolific striker who scored 109 goals for PSG between 2003 and 2008. French champions PSG are currently third in the Ligue 1 table, three points behind leaders Monaco. Guedes has played 68 times for Benfica, scoring 11 goals and providing 16 assists. He made his professional debut with the club's reserve team, who play in Portugal's second tier, at the age of 17. He has made two appearances for Portugal, but was not part of their Euro 2016-winning squad.", "summary": "Paris St-Germain have signed Benfica winger Goncalo Guedes for \u00a325.5m."}
{"article": "Pupils at Pingle School, Swadlincote, were asked to send naked images to the messaging site ooVoo. Derbyshire Police said it was \"investigating the sharing of indecent images\" via text message, social media, or tablet and phone apps. The force said it was unclear who made the requests. The school said warnings were sent to parents and other schools. Simon Waller, assistant head at the school, said: \"It came to light after one of our mentors had seen a text message and was quite suspicious. \"It started off quite low key but the more we dug, we uncovered quite a big problem. \"We've got a really rigid e-safety programme. Clearly some of the messages aren't getting through, so we have got extra measures in place.\" He said police officers were coming in to deliver assemblies on online safety to all year groups. Pupils are aged from 11 to 18 years old. A Derbyshire Police spokesperson said the investigation was in an early stage and it was not yet known whether requests were sent by a lone online predator. Police have urged parents to be vigilant and monitor their child's online activity. A spokesman for ooVoo said the issue was a problem for the social media industry and the site aimed to provide users with a \"safe and private experience\". He said: \"We take these issues very seriously and have a chief privacy officer who roots out and deletes any accounts which may place children or any ooVoo users at risk. \"The reported behaviours are offensive, illegal and when identified as such will be immediately reported to the proper authorities.\"", "summary": "Police are investigating after pupils at a Derbyshire school were encouraged to post explicit images online."}
{"article": "But did he get what he wanted? Here we look at the draft reform proposals drawn up by European Council President Donald Tusk at the start of February, the final text agreed on Friday and what Mr Cameron originally promised. What Cameron wanted: Allowing Britain to opt out from the EU's founding ambition to forge an \"ever closer union\" of the peoples of Europe so it will not be drawn into further political integration in a \"formal, legally binding and irreversible way\". Giving greater powers to national parliaments to block EU legislation. What the draft deal said: \"The references to an ever closer union among the peoples are... compatible with different paths of integration being available for different member states and do not compel all member states to aim for a common destination. \"It is recognised that the United Kingdom... is not committed to further political integration into the European Union. \"Where reasoned opinions on the non-compliance of a draft union legislative act with the principle of subsidiarity, sent within 12 weeks from the transmission of that draft, represent more than 55% of the votes allocated to the national parliaments, the council presidency will include the item on the agenda of the council for a comprehensive discussion.\" What the final deal said: \"It is recognised that the United Kingdom, in the light of the specific situation it has under the Treaties, is not committed to further political integration into the European Union. The substance of this will be incorporated into the Treaties at the time of their next revision in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Treaties and the respective constitutional requirements of the Member States, so as to make it clear that the references to ever closer union do not apply to the United Kingdom.\" Assessment: Mr Cameron has secured a commitment to exempt Britain from \"ever closer union\" to be written into the treaties. He has also negotiated the inclusion of a \"red-card\" mechanism, a new power. If 55% of national parliaments agree, they could effectively block or veto a commission proposal. The question is how likely is this \"red card\" system to be used. A much weaker \"yellow card\" was only used twice. The red-card mechanism depends crucially on building alliances. The sceptics say it does not come close to winning the UK back control of its own affairs - and Mr Cameron is set to announce further measures which he claims will put the sovereignty of the Westminster Parliament \"beyond doubt\". Some key areas also appear to be have been dropped along the way. There will be no repatriation of EU social and employment law, which was a 2010 manifesto commitment. There will be no changes to the working-hours directive. What Cameron wanted: The Conservative manifesto said: \"We will insist that EU migrants who want to claim tax credits and child benefit must live here and contribute to our country for a minimum of four years.\" It also proposed a \"new residency requirement for social housing, so that EU migrants cannot even be considered for a council", "summary": "David Cameron is campaigning for Britain to remain in the EU after securing a deal he claims will give the country \"special status\" in the 28 nation bloc."}
{"article": "The injured man went to hospital Friday evening and is in a critical but stable condition following surgery, a force spokesman said. Officers said 15 minutes earlier police received \"numerous calls\" to Malvern Hill Road, Nechells, where the stabbing was believed to have happened. Two men aged 20 are being questioned on suspicion of violent disorder. Det Sgt Adam Hicklin said: \"We know this was a targeted stabbing but at the moment we're not clear on the motive behind the attack.\"", "summary": "A 19-year-old man was stabbed in the chest during a brawl involving up to 30 men in Birmingham, say police."}
{"article": "Staff at Inverness-based Lifescan Scotland were informed of the development by management on Tuesday. It comes after parent company Johnson and Johnson announced it was reviewing its strategic options. LifeScan makes products for the treatment of diabetes and currently employs 1,100 people in the Highland capital. The products include meters and software to let people self-monitor their blood glucose levels. Johnson and Johnson reported slower than expected sales to the financial markets on Tuesday and said they were looking to sell or find partners or other options for Lifescan. Last summer Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) invested \u00c2\u00a31.8m in Lifescan to support 600 existing jobs.", "summary": "Up to 80 jobs are under threat at one of Scotland's largest life sciences companies."}
{"article": "Matthew Gordon said he never \"cut corners\" when it came to maintenance and spent more than \u00c2\u00a36,000 in a year on repairs to the truck. He told Bristol Crown Court if the lorry had been unsafe he \"would have done something about it\". Mr Gordon, 30, of Dauntsey, Wiltshire, denies 14 charges against him. Mr Gordon, the owner of Grittenham Haulage, is defending himself following the crash on Lansdown Lane on 9 February last year. Mitzi Steady, four, Robert Parker, 59, Philip Allen, 52, and Stephen Vaughan, 34, died in the crash in 2015. The lorry hit several pedestrians, including Mitzi, from Bath, and a car containing Mr Allen and Mr Vaughan, both from Swansea, and Mr Parker, from Cwmbran, south Wales. Driver Phillip Potter, 20, also of Dauntsey, denies causing the deaths by dangerous and careless driving. He is also charged with causing serious injuries to Karla Brennan and Margaret Rogers - Mitzi's grandmother - by dangerous driving. He denies a total of 10 charges against him. Peter Wood, 55, from Brinkworth, Wiltshire, a mechanic who carried out safety checks on the truck, denies four charges against him. The trial continues.", "summary": "The owner of a lorry that crashed on a steep hill in Bath killing four people has told a jury he did not think the vehicle was unsafe that day."}
{"article": "16 May 2016 Last updated at 08:42 BST Merafield Bridge in Plympton was detonated overnight on Saturday, as part of a \u00c2\u00a36.4m project to replace the structure. The bridge, built in 1969, was damaged by alkali silica reaction, more commonly known as \"concrete cancer\". Video: Highways England", "summary": "Footage has been released showing the demolition of a bridge over the A38 in Devon."}
{"article": "A single parrot bone was discovered in the Baikal region and dates to between 16 and 18 million years ago. It suggests that the birds, which today mainly inhabit tropical and sub-tropical regions, may once have been widespread in Eurasia. It is also the first time a fossil parrot has been found in Asia. The research is published in the journal Biology Letters. The study's author Dr Nikita Zelenkov, from the Borissiak Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, said he was surprised by the discovery. \"No-one before has ever found evidence of their presence in Siberia,\" he said. The researchers discovered the ancient parrot's remains at Tagay Bay in the east of Siberia. \"We were excavating all kinds of animals there, and mostly they were rodents, rhinos, cats, hippos and others,\" said Dr Zelenkov. \"But this locality is also interesting because it preserves a rich community of fossil birds. But no exotic birds have been found there before.\" Dr Zelenkov discovered part of a bone called a tarsometatarsus, which is found in the lower leg of birds. After comparing it with other species, he discovered that it belonged to a small parrot. \"Unfortunately, this find is not good enough to reconstruct the appearance or lifestyle of this parrot, but we can see that it was rather similar to modern ones. So it was likely a very modern-looking small bird, around the size of a budgerigar.\" It shares features with another earlier fossil parrot bone in Germany, reported in a study published in 2010, belonging to a species called Mogontiacopsitta miocaena. Migration routes Commenting on the research, Dr David Waterhouse, senior curator of natural history at Norfolk Museums Service, said: \"What's interesting about this is how far north the bird is and how far east it is.\" However, he said it was not completely unexpected to find a parrot in Siberia. \"Even though today we associate parrots with tropical and sub-tropical environments, you can get parrots in the Himalayas,\" he said. \"So they can deal with those climates - and during the Miocene period it was even warmer than it is now. So when you put it together it is not surprising.\" He added that the discovery could change our understanding of how early parrots spread around the world and moved into the Americas. Previous theories suggested they may have flown from Africa into the Americas, but this find suggests another route. \"This paper suggests - and it is only a suggestion but it is an interesting one - that we have parrots in Asia and the easiest possible route from Asia to North America is across what's now the Bering Strait, across from Russia into Canada and Alaska,\" said Dr Waterhouse. He added: \"They've found something that even if it doesn't give us all the answers, it does raise more questions and starts us thinking about new hypotheses - and that's the kind of science that I like.\" Follow Rebecca on Twitter: @BBCMorelle", "summary": "A parrot fossil has been unearthed in Siberia - the furthest north one of these birds has ever been found, a study reports."}
{"article": "Free-to-use cash machines, banks on wheels and the use of local Post Office branches could all be solutions. The move expands a former voluntary agreement to assist vulnerable customers when towns and villages become bank-free. But there will be no punishment if banks fail to provide alternatives. Banks, the government and consumer groups have signed up to the new protocol, which will be reviewed independently in a year. Business Secretary Vince Cable said that banks had a duty to ensure that vulnerable customers, small businesses and those in rural communities should have access to counter services to conduct their financial affairs. However, many residents of towns and villages have found that they have to travel to the nearest major conurbation in order to get to a bank branch. Banks should now consider the proximity of alternative branches before a closure - although proximity can be very different, depending on the mobility of customers, ranging from young car drivers to older people reliant on public transport. The age profile of the branch's customers will be part of the review. Individual banking institutions should come to arrangements with the Post Office to allow counter services for current account customers, the government has said. A system that allows customers to compare the suitability of current accounts from different banks is also being unveiled. Comparison website Gocompare.com will run a government-backed system that allows customers of five banks to download their last 12 months of statements to judge whether they could get a better deal elsewhere. \"The initiative will allow people to compare accounts based on their needs and could help them save money if they switch,\" said Richard Lloyd, executive director at consumer group Which?. \"However, it will only be a success if the banks play their part in making people aware of the service and the benefits of switching, and if it is rolled out across all current account providers.\" Initially, it will only be available to customers of Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, RBS and Santander. Only 6% of current account customers switched provider in 2014, despite the system becoming quicker and easier.", "summary": "Banks must investigate alternative arrangements for customers before closing the last bank in town, under a new agreement."}
{"article": "The depth of mistrust between the two was highlighted in the interview given by Hank Paulson, the former US treasury secretary, for my recent BBC Two documentary, How China Fooled The World. The excerpts I am about to quote never made it into the film, because they weren't relevant to it. But they give a fascinating understanding of the complex relationship between Washington and Moscow. Mr Paulson was talking about the financial crisis of the autumn of 2008, and in particular the devastation being wreaked on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two huge underwriters of American mortgages - huge financial institutions that had a funny status at the time of being seen by investors to be the liability of the US government, which in legal reality were not exactly that. Here is Mr Paulson on the unfolding drama: \"When Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac started to become unglued, and you know there were $5.4tn of securities relating to Fannie and Freddie, $1.7tn outside of the US. The Chinese were the biggest external investor holding Fannie and Freddie securities, so the Chinese were very, very concerned.\" Or to put it another way, the Chinese government owned $1.7tn of mortgage-backed bonds issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and it was deeply concerned it would incur huge losses on these bonds. Mr Paulson: \"I was talking to them [Chinese ministers and officials] regularly because I didn't want them to dump the securities on the market and precipitate a bigger crisis. \"And so when I went to Congress and asked for these emergency powers [to stabilise Fannie and Freddie], and I was getting the living daylights beaten out of me by our Congress publicly, I needed to call the Chinese regularly to explain to the Central Bank, 'listen this is our political system, this is political theatre, we will get this done'. And I didn't have quite that much certainty myself but I sure did everything I could to reassure them.\" In other words, China had lent so much to the US that Mr Paulson needed to do his best to persuade its government and central bank that China's investment in all this US debt would not be impaired. Now this is where we enter the territory of a geopolitical thriller. Mr Paulson: \"Here I'm not going to name the senior person, but I was meeting with someone\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 This person told me that the Chinese had received a message from the Russians which was, 'Hey let's join together and sell Fannie and Freddie securities on the market.' The Chinese weren't going to do that but again, it just, it just drove home to me how vulnerable I felt until we had put Fannie and Freddie into conservatorship [the rescue plan for them, that was eventually put in place].\" For me this is pretty jaw-dropping stuff - the Chinese told Hank Paulson that the Russians were suggesting a joint pact with China to drive down the price of the debt of Fannie and Freddie, and maximize the turmoil on Wall Street - presumably with a", "summary": "There is a cynicism in the relationship between Russia and the US, being played out in the Crimean crisis, which is deep, rooted in history and shows that the triumph of capitalism over communism wasn't the end of the power game between these two nations."}
{"article": "The star, whose third album 25 was the biggest-seller of 2015, was overlooked by the awards, which are voted for by her fellow composers and songwriters. Instead, Ed Sheeran, Jess Glynne and James Bay made the shortlist. And, following the row over diversity at the Brits, Roots Manuva and Skepta were listed for best contemporary song. Broadcaster Paul Gambaccini, who has hosted the ceremony since 1987, says grime and UK hip-hop had been recognised because of the way the awards were set up. \"This is what the Ivor judges do - they do deep listening, so the type of song that may not make it to The Brits has a chance here,\" he told the BBC. The full list of nominees is as follows: Best song musically and lyrically Best contemporary song Most performed work Best album Best film score Best television soundtrack The Ivor Novellos are highly prized by musicians because they are voted for by their peers. \"It's really nice that it's celebrating the graft,\" said Jack Patterson, from dance act Clean Bandit, who is nominated this year for co-writing Jess Glynne's number one hit Hold My Hand. \"It's about the stuff that you don't see - [working] in these grotty rooms for hours and hours with scraps of paper and gigabytes of discarded voice notes.\" \"Music awards are funny things - but these ones seem to be actually controlled by writers and the writing community,\" added The Villagers' Conor O'Brien, nominated for best album. \"Which feels good because writing can be a strange, solitary existence. So it can be nice to peek your head above the parapet and say 'hello.'\" Although Adele did not receive a nomination at the awards' launch, she could still pick up a prize when the ceremony takes place on 19 May in London, as there are special awards for \"outstanding song collection\" and \"songwriter of the year\", decided by a panel from the British Academy of Songwriters Composers and Authors. The singer won the latter prize in 2011, in recognition of her breakthrough album, 21, while Rolling In The Deep won most performed work (recognising the song broadcast the most often on UK radio) at the same ceremony. \"All this means is that she was not nominated in the five categories in which there were judges,\" said Gambaccini. \"It does not mean that she hasn't won anything that was in the gift of the academy.\"", "summary": "Adele has failed to win any nominations at the prestigious Ivor Novello Awards, which recognise achievement in songwriting."}
{"article": "In a video published on 2 September, which has been confirmed as authentic by the US authorities, Mr Sotloff was shown dressed in an orange smock, his hands tied behind his back, kneeling in front of a masked figure holding a knife. He was then beheaded. IS had threatened to kill Mr Sotloff at the end of a video released last month showing fellow American journalist James Foley being murdered. US President Barack Obama denounced Mr Sotloff's murder as \"a horrific act of violence\" and insisted that the he would not be intimidated by IS. \"Whatever these murderers think they will achieve by killing innocent Americans like Steven, they have already failed,\" he said. Mr Sotloff, 31, was abducted in northern Syria a year ago. He is thought to have been kidnapped near the city of Aleppo, and to have been held in the IS stronghold of Raqqa. Reports suggest his family initially did not publicly confirm his abduction because of official advice that no publicity would improve his chances of release. The freelance journalist wrote for several publications, including Time magazine, Foreign Policy, the Christian Science Monitor and World Affairs Journal. He reported from countries including Egypt, Libya and Syria. On his Twitter account, which has been inactive since 3 August 2013, Mr Sotloff described himself as a \"stand-up philosopher from Miami\". He tweeted about current affairs in Syria, Libya, Egypt and Turkey - but also about his love for the Miami Heat basketball team. Mr Sotloff was Jewish and held dual US-Israeli citizenship. His mother Shirley is the daughter of Holocaust survivors, and he attended a Jewish school in Miami. He later studied journalism at the University of Central Florida, where he also wrote for the student magazine. Mr Sotloff developed a profound interest in and affection for the Middle East and its culture, travelling to Yemen to study Arabic. According to an unnamed former hostage, Mr Sotloff hid his Jewish identity from his captors and even managed to fast on the Day of Atonement - the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Speaking to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronot, the unnamed former hostage said that Mr Sotloff \"...told [his captors] that he was sick and didn't want to eat, even though they served us eggs that day\". Laura Kasinof of the New York Times tweeted: \"Sotloff was brave and loved the Middle East and its people. Always hung out with Yemenis more than foreigners.\" His friend Emerson Lotzia told the student magazine that journalism was \"what he loved to do\". \"Steve said it was scary over there. It was dangerous. It wasn't safe to be over there. He knew it. He kept going back,\" he said. His articles also revealed his determination to report from the field, despite the potential risks. In a 2013 report from Egypt, Mr Sotloff described his visit to a Muslim Brotherhood protest camp, despite his Egyptian friend's warning that he would be in danger there. \"After an hour of fruitless conversation over endless glasses of sweet tea, I rose, shook Ahmad's hand, and headed", "summary": "Steven Sotloff is the second American journalist the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) has killed."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Goals from Liam Polworth and Ross Draper in the space of five minutes put Caley 2-0 ahead at half-time. A fabulous Miles Storey volley early in the second half sealed a first win in eight games and lifted Thistle to within four points of County in sixth. County, who were due to parade the League Cup around Dingwall afterwards, spurned a handful of chances. It was a horrible end to a fabulous week for the hosts, who had recovered from their Hampden heroics to salvage a point at St Johnstone on Wednesday. Media playback is not supported on this device But this proved a match too far after a hectic recent schedule in front of a crowd of just under 6,000. Alex Schalk, who scored the winner against Hibs at Hampden, nearly gave Ross the perfect start, but his diving header from Richard Foster's cross was well saved by Owain Fon Williams. Andrew Davies, who directed a header wide, Jackson Irvine - flicking the ball past Fon Williams but clipping the outside of the post - and Liam Boyce with a header all missed further chances for County. Storey and Carl Tremarco, with a thunderous volley that cracked off the bar, might have scored for Caley before they broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute. Marcus Fraser lost possession with County lacking numbers at the back and Storey broke away, found Polworth on the edge of the box and he confidently picked his spot across Woods. They swiftly doubled their lead when Draper capitalised on space in the area and coolly slotted past the onrushing Woods. Thistle have struggled for goals of late, but three minutes after the resumption, Storey fired a stunning dipping volley past Woods from the edge of the area to send the visiting fans wild. Caley were then able to try and pick off their hosts and Josh Meekings came close to connecting at the back post. Polworth also clipped the bar from distance as a well-executed tactical plan brought a comfortable win.", "summary": "A clinical Inverness Caley Thistle spoiled Ross County's celebrations with a fifth straight derby win at Dingwall."}
{"article": "The staff at Brickkiln Waste Limited on Heather Road were told on Friday that the company was going into administration. It is understood Brickkiln has been involved in a dispute with Derry City and Strabane District Council over payment for contracts. Brickkiln recently had its licence temporarily suspended by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. This was because of breaches at its waste site in Maydown. In a statement, Derry City and Strabane District Council said that following the Northern Ireland Environment Agency's (NIEA) suspension of the company's waste acceptance services on 10 July, it had been working closely with Brickkiln, the NIEA and other councils to \"assist in resolving ongoing waste processing issues\". \"Prior to this cessation of service, council was forced to suspend payment to the company as Brickkiln had failed to fulfil contractual obligations as set down in contract specification,\" the statement added. \"Where invoices have been received by council demonstrating that the company has met their agreed terms, these invoices have been paid in full. \"Council is legally obliged to adhere to all legislation in terms of the appropriate management of waste and is committed to working with the company, the NIEA, and other councils to resolve the matter.\" Earlier this month, 10 appliances and almost 50 firefighters were involved in tackling a fire at the Heather Road site.", "summary": "Fifty workers at a Londonderry waste firm have lost their jobs."}
{"article": "The 31-year-old South Africa international was found guilty of tip-tackling scrum-half Charlie Mulchrone in the first half of his side's win over Harlequins last Saturday. The Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel said they were \"satisfied\" that the initial decision was correct. He will be able to make his first-team return against Saracens on 26 March.", "summary": "Bath flanker Francois Louw will serve a two-week ban after his appeal against the decision was dismissed."}
{"article": "Luther Burrell replaces Farrell at inside centre, while Marland Yarde is picked on the wing ahead of Jack Nowell, who is named as a replacement. Ex-captain Chris Robshaw is back on the blind-side after missing the Wales win. Coach Eddie Jones has opted to start with the same pack which began the final Six Nations game against France. England secured the Grand Slam with a 31-21 victory in Paris, but they have never won a Test series in Australia, winning just three of 17 Tests down under. \"It's important we get off to a positive start and we'll arrive ready to play physical and aggressive rugby,\" said Jones. \"We have a young squad with an average age of 24, so we are still developing and improving. It'll be a great challenge for us.\" Captain Dylan Hartley was more bullish, however. \"If we don't expect to win, I don't see the point in even boarding the plane,\" the 30-year-old told BBC Sport. \"We expect to win, we believe we can win, we are here to win.\" England fly-half Ford, 23, missed six out of seven kicks at goal during the 27-13 warm-up victory over Wales. That performance, combined with Farrell's brilliant form for title-winning Saracens, seems to have influenced the coach's decision. There had been suggestions Maro Itoje might move from lock to blind-side flanker in place of Robshaw, who missed the Wales game to attend his brother's wedding, with Joe Launchbury coming into the second row. Media playback is not supported on this device However, Wasps lock Launchbury - man of the match against Wales - has to settle for a place on the bench alongside Northampton second row Courtney Lawes. Alex Goode, the newly-crowned Aviva Premiership player of the season, has been left out of the 23, while full-back Mike Brown is poised to win his 50th cap. Australia have named three debutants - centre Samu Kerevi, lock Rory Arnold and winger Dane Haylett-Petty - as they bulk up their side. BBC Radio 5 live rugby reporter Chris Jones: Jones has long-spoken about the first Test as a physical battle - and the selection of Burrell in the midfield certainly supports that view. With Jones keen for a ball carrier at number 12, Ford was always likely to be the one to make way, especially with Farrell in the form of his career. Nowell's relegation to the bench is a shock, though. Jones says the Exeter man is \"not quite sharp\" while Yarde is \"in a purple patch\". With two locks on the bench - Launchbury and Lawes - Itoje is likely to move to the flank in the second half. It may be a three-Test series, but the message from the England camp here in Brisbane is that Saturday's game is a \"must-win\". England: 15. Mike Brown; 14. Anthony Watson, 13. Jonathan Joseph, 12. Luther Burrell, 11. Marland Yarde; 10. Owen Farrell, 9. Ben Youngs; 1. Mako Vunipola, 2. Dylan Hartley, 3. Dan Cole, 4. Maro Itoje, 5. George Kruis, 6. Chris Robshaw, 7. James Haskell, 8. Billy Vunipola. Replacements:", "summary": "Owen Farrell will start at fly-half for England in Saturday's first Test against Australia in Brisbane with George Ford dropping to the bench."}
{"article": "The Department for International Development (DfID) said last month the secretariat in London was \"under performing\" and needed \"urgent reform\". Senior diplomatic and political sources - speaking to the BBC off the record - have accused the secretary-general, Lady Scotland, of \"poor leadership\". But her spokesman said she had backing from all 52 Commonwealth countries that had elected her. He added that the Labour peer had also launched a programme to modernise the Commonwealth Secretariat. Tim Hitchens, a senior Foreign Office official and former ambassador to Japan, has been put in charge of a team preparing for the Commonwealth summit in London next year. Mr Hitchens, a former assistant private secretary to the Queen, will be based in the Cabinet Office and will report directly to the prime minister. Sir Simon Gass, a very senior official who retired from the Foreign Office last year, has been made acting chief operating officer at the Commonwealth Secretariat. He was appointed at the suggestion of the Foreign Office which is funding his salary. He is working directly with Lady Scotland at the secretariat's headquarters at Marlborough House in London. The appointments are being seen in Whitehall as an attempt by the government to shore up a troubled organisation at a crucial time. Ministers are keen to ensure that a meeting of Commonwealth trade ministers in London in March is a success and shows how Britain after Brexit can do more trade with countries outside the European Union. They also want to guarantee that the secretariat is capable of organising the heads of government summit next year that will be hosted by the Queen, who is head of the Commonwealth. Senior ministers will meet next week to discuss the agenda for the summit for the first time. Last week, Theresa May spoke of the \"unique and proud global relationships\" the UK has through the Commonwealth. The secretariat helps run the group of 52 mostly former British colonies that make up the Commonwealth and that are home to some 2.3 billion people, more than a quarter of the world's population. In a highly critical report in December, DfID threatened to withdraw its funding from the organisation unless it improved its performance. \"The Commonwealth Secretariat continues to under perform,\" the multilateral aid review concluded. \"Improvement is essential if DfID is to continue to fund the organisation's Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation.\" This is worth about \u00c2\u00a320m per year. The report added that the secretariat needed particularly to focus on improving \"transparency, results measurement, human resource management, risk management, financial management, and budget discipline\". The secretariat said the review related to the period before Lady Scotland took up the post of secretary-general last April. Since then, the peer - who was attorney general in Gordon Brown's government - has faced much criticism. She has been accused of financial extravagance over the refurbishment of her official residence and attacked for appointing political allies to key posts in the secretariat. She has always denied the accusations of wasteful spending and insisted no procurement rules were broken. Her allies have also claimed", "summary": "The government has drafted in senior officials to support the Commonwealth amid concerns over the way it is being run, the BBC has learned."}
{"article": "The research used a miniscule gene transport system to deliver a poison directly into cancerous cells. It is hoped the new technique could overcome the side effects of treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Using a Designer Biomimetic Vector (DBV), Dr Helen McCarthy, from Queen's School of Pharmacy, packaged a gene into a nanoparticle 400 times smaller than the width of a human hair, allowing it to be delivered straight into breast cancer cells in the laboratory. This meant that gene (iNOS), which specifically targets breast cancer cells using DBV, would force the cells to produce poisonous nitric oxide. This would either kill the cells outright or make them more vulnerable to being destroyed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Improve As this approach leaves normal healthy breast cells unaffected, this would overcome many of the toxic side effects of current treatments. Further investigation is needed but the technique could be trialled in patients in as little as five years. Dr McCarthy's next step is to turn the nanoparticles into a dried powder that could be easily transported and reconstituted before being given to patients. Dr McCarthy said: \"A major stumbling block to using gene therapy in the past has been the lack of an effective delivery system. \"Combining the DBV with the iNOS gene has proved successful in killing breast cancer cells in the laboratory. \"In the long term, I see this being used to treat people with metastatic breast cancer that has spread to the bones.\" Dr McCarthy, said patients would receive the targeted treatment 24-hours ahead of chemotherapy. \"The treatment would kill the breast cancer cells as well as improving the radiation or chemotherapy,\" she said.", "summary": "Scientists at Queen's University in Belfast have discovered a new way of causing breast cancer cells to self destruct."}
{"article": "A witness said the victim, named locally as Aqib Mazhar, was stabbed in the back after being targeted by a gang armed with bricks and poles. The victim, who was in his 20s, was attacked in Russell Road, Forest Fields, on Wednesday evening. Nottinghamshire Police said he died in hospital and have appealed for anyone with information to contact them. The Jamia Masjid Sultania mosque in Sneinton wrote in a tribute on its Facebook page: \"Our prayers go out to Aqib Mazhar from Forest Fields who passed away last night after being attacked on Russell Road with a knife. \"May Allah swt make it easy on his family during this difficult time.\" The witness said there were several young men in three cars, which all stopped in the street. \"They were throwing bricks, they had poles,\" she said. She dialled 999 at about 20:35 BST and went to try to help. \"As I turned him onto his side all the blood just [went] all over the pavement,\" she said. A 23-year-old man was arrested late Thursday afternoon. A 21-year-old man was also arrested later that day and an 18-year-old was arrested on Friday morning. Police said more than 80 officers were involved in the murder investigation.", "summary": "Three men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was fatally stabbed in a Nottingham street."}
{"article": "The Football Association's independent regulatory commission partially upheld an appeal lodged by Chelsea on Tuesday. Matic, 26, was sent off in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Burnley after reacting to a high tackle from Ashley Barnes. In a statement, Chelsea said they were \"extremely disappointed and frustrated\" that Matic must still serve a ban. Matic will miss the League Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley and next week's league match at West Ham United, on Wednesday 4 March. A statement on Chelsea's website, published under the headline 'Chelsea FC appalled with the FA's decision on Matic', said the board was unhappy that the commission decided against reducing the ban by the \"maximum extent permitted under FA rules\". The commission could have reduced the ban to one game, but could not overturn the red card. The Chelsea statement added: \"There has been universal condemnation of the reckless challenge made by Ashley Barnes on Matic and it is the club's view that he has been unjustly punished with a two-match ban for his reaction to a career-threatening tackle.\" The Serbia midfielder pushed Barnes to the ground after the Clarets forward caught him on the shin. Blues boss Jose Mourinho defended Matic's reaction and described the tackle from Barnes as \"criminal\", while Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer said the challenge was \"horrific\" and \"dangerous\". However, Burnley manager Sean Dyche said that while slow-motion replays made the incident look \"ugly\", the challenge was merely a \"coming together at an unusual angle\". Roger Burden, chairman of the FA's regulatory commission, said the panel had \"rejected the mitigation advanced by Nemanja Matic in respect of the provocation and tackle he received which led to his act of violent conduct\". He added: \"The violent response of Mr Matic to the nature of the tackle cannot be condoned and does not vindicate his subsequent actions. \"The members of the commission did, however, accept the mitigation in respect of the level of force used by Mr Matic and the nature of the contact he made with Mr Barnes.\" Chelsea's statement added that they would await the FA's written reasons before commenting further, and said \"referees and the football authorities must do more to protect players at all levels of the game from dangerous challenges\".", "summary": "Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic's violent conduct ban has been reduced from three games to two, but he will still miss Sunday's League Cup final."}
{"article": "24 July 2017 Last updated at 14:56 BST He's been racing sharks... Yes, you read that right. Michael Phelps had a special shark suit to help him compete against the ocean predator. And don't worry - he actually wasn't in the water with them, it was done with special effects. Watch this to see who was the fastest... Pictures courtesy of Discovery", "summary": "Olympic superhero Michael Phelps is one of the fastest swimmers on Earth, but he's been taking up a pretty weird challenge."}
{"article": "The Shire belied their status as basement battlers and kept Jim Chapman's men at bay in the first half. Ryan McStay cleared Ross Fisher's header off the line, while Thomas Orr got on the end of a pinpoint cross, but headed just over the bar. Despite Shire's bright start to the second half, Annan led when Todd flicked home Ben Jago's long shot.", "summary": "Annan Athletic had to work hard for a gritty 1-0 win at East Stirlingshire with Josh Todd bagging the only goal."}
{"article": "Adam Morgan finished off a searing counter-attack to punish the hosts after 28 minutes, scoring only their second league goal in five games. Moors had a golden opportunity to equalise moments after the break but Oladapo Afolayan's penalty was well saved by Sam Johnson after Matty Brown was adjudged to have fouled the striker in the box. The defeat sees Solihull sink to the bottom of the fledgling National League table, having only picked up one point from their first four games. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Solihull Moors 0, FC Halifax Town 1. Second Half ends, Solihull Moors 0, FC Halifax Town 1. Jordan Cullinane-Liburd (Solihull Moors) is shown the yellow card. Matthew Kosylo (FC Halifax Town) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Solihull Moors. Jack Edwards replaces Luke Benbow. Substitution, Solihull Moors. Paul Green replaces Shepherd Murombedzi. Scott McManus (FC Halifax Town) is shown the yellow card. Kristian Green (Solihull Moors) is shown the yellow card. Luke Benbow (Solihull Moors) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, FC Halifax Town. Bohan Dixon replaces Adam Morgan. Substitution, Solihull Moors. Luke Benbow replaces Tristan Dunkley. Substitution, FC Halifax Town. Dion Charles replaces Josh MacDonald. Second Half begins Solihull Moors 0, FC Halifax Town 1. First Half ends, Solihull Moors 0, FC Halifax Town 1. Substitution, FC Halifax Town. Scott McManus replaces Martin Riley. Tristan Dunkley (Solihull Moors) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Solihull Moors 0, FC Halifax Town 1. Adam Morgan (FC Halifax Town). Shepherd Murombedzi (Solihull Moors) is shown the yellow card. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "FC Halifax claimed their first win of the season by beating Solihull."}
{"article": "The Change Britain campaign is being led by Mr Johnson's former Vote Leave colleague, Labour's Gisela Stuart. The group's main aim is to ensure that PM Theresa May's delivers on her promise that \"Brexit means Brexit\". Mr Johnson said the group would make sure that the UK gained control over \"laws, borders, money and trade\". His comments came as former cabinet minister John Whittingdale urged Mrs May to speed up the formal process of breaking away from Brussels, rather than waiting until next year to trigger Article 50 - after which both the UK and EU will have two years to negotiate the terms of the split, with any extension having to be agreed by all 28 EU members. In a recorded a video message, in which he declared his support for the campaign, Mr Johnson said: \"On June 23 the people of this country voted to leave the European Union and they voted for change. \"They did so by a clear majority. But there were many people who also voted for Remain. \"So it's absolutely vital that we work together, Leavers and Remainers, as we seize the opportunities that this country now has to forge a positive and exciting new relationship, not just with the European Union, but also with the rest of the world; changing Britain and making it global again. \"Now more than ever we need to show the British people that, as politicians, we are listening to what they have to say. \"Brexit means Brexit and that means delivering on their instructions and restoring UK control over our laws, borders, money and trade.\" Ms Stuart said the EU referendum meant the country would undergo \"the biggest change in 40 years in our diplomatic, trade and economic relationships\". \"It also creates a unique opportunity to review our democratic and constitutional arrangements,\" she said. \"The referendum also marked a more profound political change than a change of occupancy in Downing Street. It has forced us to acknowledge that people in large sections of the UK have lost faith in political parties and the Westminster elite. \"While millions in this country enjoy unprecedented prosperity and freedoms, many millions more feel despair at their sense of exclusion and diminishing prospects.\" Meanwhile, Mr Whittingdale, the former culture secretary, urged Mrs May to push ahead with triggering Article 50, which begins the formal two-year process of leaving the EU. \"Article 50 is the beginning of the process rather than the end,\" he told the Daily Telegraph. \"We do need to get the formal process under way. I don't say that it has to happen tomorrow but I would like it to happen pretty soon, and by that I mean weeks, not months.\" And Labour leadership hopeful Owen Smith said he would consider applying to rejoin the EU if he became prime minister after UK had already left.", "summary": "Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has thrown his support behind a new cross-party campaign aimed at ensuring the UK leaves the European Union."}
{"article": "Between 13 and 15 tonnes spilled into the sea from the Brent Bravo, 116 miles north east of Lerwick, in May 2013. Senior management from Shell were at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where the company admitted the release of fuel. Sheriff Kenneth Stewart fined the company \u00c2\u00a36,650, reduced from the maximum possible due to the early stage of the guilty plea. A Shell UK spokeswoman said: \"We regret that the release occurred - no spill is acceptable. \"We have since carried out a thorough investigation into the incident and have shared the lessons learned across the business.\"", "summary": "Oil giant Shell has been fined thousands of pounds after a diesel leak on board a North Sea platform."}
{"article": "It's in a church hall and you can put 50p in a Tupperware box for a cup of tea and a biscuit, then sit on the sort of chairs they always have in church halls and judge how the candidates behind the trestle tables measure up. The town, the oldest recorded in Britain, is a dot of Lib Dem yellow in a sea of Conservative blue. The Lib Dems had a majority of just over 6,000 in 2010. The well-liked Lib Dem MP, Sir Bob Russell, has been here since 1997, and was a councillor for 20 years before that - a local fixture. Before that it was always Conservative, and it is the sort of seat the Conservatives have to win to have a chance of forming a majority government. In the hall, the very traditional format allows voters to ask a very contemporary question, central to this election and to the Lib Dem fortunes: can voters accept their makeover in the last five years, from party of protest to party of power? One man in the front row, with a long white beard, asks how any politicians can be trusted - it is not just tuition fees he says, there is also the bedroom tax. He tells me he voted Lib Dem last time because they weren't Labour or Conservative, but now they have blown it and he is very disillusioned. Another lady who tells me she is gravely disappointed, later turns out to be a leading light in the local Green party. She always voted for them in local elections, but for Lib Dems in General Elections - a tactical vote aimed at keeping the Tories out. But after the coalition deal she decided there was no point in doing that again, and so has joined the party of her real choice. Now, random interviews with the public are not scientific. Sir Bob is clearly very popular and there are lots of people who will vote for him on his local record. There are people who will vote for him to keep the other lot out. And there are people who think that going into coalition was the right thing to do, and it has been a success. But let's face it: for years the Lib Dems were a leftish opposition party - picking up votes from people fed up with the Iraq War and Tony Blair and then Gordon Brown. So for Nick Clegg, power has been a bargain with loss. Just as Prince Hal assuming the throne decisively disowned the irresponsible companions of youthful indiscretion - Falstaff and the rest - so Nick Clegg had to make sacrifices. Unfortunately for him, his choices meant abandoning not a fat old man - but many voters who didn't feel in sympathy with the new nostrums of a party of government. It is hard to win back their sympathies. But losing votes is not the same as losing power. Although there is rightly a lot of focus on the SNP it is still more likely that the Lib Dems would", "summary": "The hustings in Colchester has a comfortably old fashioned feel to it."}
{"article": "In its Cost of a Child in 2017 report, the charity says the cost of raising a child to the age of 18 for a two-parent family, excluding housing, childcare and council tax has risen to \u00c2\u00a375,436. A couple earning the National Living Wage falls 13% short of that, it said. Costs are up 4% compared with 2016. The figures for 2017 reflect rising prices - especially of public and private transport - but it is cuts to some welfare benefits and the failure to up-rate others that is causing the pinch to be so severe for low income families, the report says. \"For the first time in post-war history, these cost increases are not being matched by increases in support given to families from the state,\" said report author Donald Hirsch, Director of the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University. He predicted the problem would become steadily worse. Two parents earning the National Living Wage of \u00c2\u00a37.50 an hour would fall 13% short of the income needed to provide a child with a \"no-frills living standard\", says the CPAG. The total includes food, clothing, heating as well as buying birthday presents and a week's self-catering holiday in the UK the charity said. A lone parent working full-time on the National Living Wage would fall short by 18%, according to the report. \"Families unable to cover their costs on benefits must either undergo serious hardship, fall back on the help of their families or go into debt,\" the report concludes. Child benefit and child tax credit rates have not increased since 2015 and other cuts to welfare, including the benefit cap and the limiting of child tax credit entitlement to two children per family, are affecting the income of some families. The CPAG provides an annual assessment of the cost of raising a child based on the \"minimum income standard\" or a very basic level of provision. This is determined through in-depth discussions with members of the public, asking them what it is essential for a child to have. However the charity says that \"years of austerity have reduced public expectations of what constitutes essential spending.\"", "summary": "Higher inflation and a freeze on state benefits mean low-income parents cannot meet the basic costs of raising a child, according to the Child Poverty Action Group."}
{"article": "Richard O'Dwyer travelled to the US voluntarily after spending more than two years challenging whether he should be extradited to face charges. The US authorities claimed the 24-year-old's TVShack website hosted links to pirated films and TV programmes. Mr O'Dwyer, from Sheffield, is expected to return to the UK later. He signed a deferred prosecution agreement, in which he said he would not break any US laws. If he complies with the agreement, the case will be dropped. Mr O'Dwyer attended the New York Southern District federal court with his mother, girlfriend and UK and US lawyers. After the court appearance, he told the BBC: \"I'm happy it's finally over. I still maintain I never thought I was committing a crime. \"I'm glad the US has decided to drop the case. It's a pity the UK wasn't able to resolve this.\" He added: \"I'm looking forward to getting back to university and see all my friends.\" Mr O'Dwyer's barrister Ben Cooper said in a statement: \"So far as we know this is a first in extradition cases - and a sensible solution for UK defendants faced with an ever-growing extra-territorial reach of US prosecutions.\" Mr O'Dwyer's mother Julia, who campaigned tirelessly to stop her son being extradited, said: \"We are very pleased and relieved to have been able to resolve this matter. \"We would like to thank the prosecutors who have been willing to engage in dialogue and recognise that this conduct did not merit the extradition, incarceration and criminalisation of my son. \"This matter could have been dealt with over two years ago without the threat of extradition, which in my view is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.\" Earlier this year Home Secretary Theresa May approved Mr O'Dwyer's extradition, which he appealed against. On 28 November a deal was struck at the High Court in London to avoid him being extradited and led to him signing the three-page deferred prosecution agreement. The Sheffield Hallam university student could have faced jail if convicted of the allegations, which were brought following a crackdown by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The agency claimed the TVShack.net website earned more than $230,000 (\u00a3147,000) in advertising revenue before US authorities obtained a warrant and seized the domain name in June 2010. Mr O'Dwyer's extradition application from earlier this year is expected to return to the High Court so it can formally be disposed of. A spokesperson for Mr O'Dwyer said the \u00a320,000 he has been ordered to pay will be used to repay victims whose copyrights were infringed by TVShack. Mr O'Dwyer will have no criminal record and will not be subjected to any travel restrictions as a result of the court case.", "summary": "A student ordered to pay \u00a320,000 by a New York judge after US authorities said he broke copyright laws says he is \"happy it's finally over\"."}
{"article": "A number of houses were evacuated after the device was discovered on Ainsworth Avenue off the Shankill Road. The security alert has now ended. Police have appealed for information about the incident. Democratic Unionist Party MLA William Humphrey said those behind the device had been \"utterly reckless\". \"This criminal act of madness will be condemned by all right-thinking people,\" he added.", "summary": "Police have said a suspicious object found in west Belfast was a \"crude but viable\" bomb."}
{"article": "14 July 2016 Last updated at 08:26 BST Deep underground the biggest building project in Europe is taking place, to make a brand new underground railway line. The project to build this new trainline for London started in 2009, with lots of digging. Builders even unearthed skeletons dating back to Roman times, roman coins and roads, a tudor mansion, and a plague pit. Seven new stations are expected to open in 2018, with 200 million passengers set to use the new line every year. CBBC's super scientific reporter Fran Scott has gone 'under' the scenes to find out what goes into this massive build.", "summary": "Something BIG is happening beneath the streets of London."}
{"article": "In his speech to the Conservative Party Conference, Mr Cameron promised to open these religious schools to inspection. He said there was no problem with children learning about their faith in supplementary schools, but minds must be broadened, not \"filled with poison\". The Muslim Council of Britain said it had concerns about the plans. Speaking in Manchester, Mr Cameron told delegates: \"Did you know, in our country, there are some children who spend several hours each day at a madrassa? \"Let me be clear: there is nothing wrong with children learning about their faith, whether it's at madrassas, Sunday schools or Jewish yeshivas. \"But in some madrassas, we've got children being taught that they shouldn't mix with people of other religions; being beaten; swallowing conspiracy theories about Jewish people. \"These children should be having their minds opened, their horizons broadened, not having their heads filled with poison and their hearts filled with hate. \"So I can announce this today: if an institution is teaching children intensively, then whatever its religion, we will, like any other school, make it register so it can be inspected. \"And be in no doubt: if you are teaching intolerance, we will shut you down.\" It's only a year since plans for a voluntary code of conduct for madrassas were shelved by the Department for Education. Now, the government is going considerably further, with plans to consult then legislate to require supplementary religious schools to register and face what is being described as a \"light touch\" inspection regime. While any law would be broadly framed to include all religions, the thresholds of numbers of children and hours per week are likely to be set at a level that would exclude conventional Sunday schools as well as home education. This is about what is being described privately as the \"hard edge\" of some religious instruction that crosses firmly into the territory of inciting hatred or intolerance. There will be no tolerance of corporal punishment, but no prescription of what or how religious beliefs can be taught. Of course, the reality of trying to define that in law will prove complex and highly contentious. Ofsted may be less than keen to take on the additional role of trying to enforce sanctions, which could include plans to change through to closure. The prime minister said extremist religious supplementary schools were part of a wider problem of segregation within some communities, adding extreme madrassas \"incubate these divisions\". In a statement, the Muslim Council of Britain said: \"We are concerned at the Prime Minister's targeting of the supplementary schools. \"It is neither Islamic, nor prevalent in madrassas to be isolationist or to preach hate of other faiths. \"We would hope that these serious allegations can be substantiated and the evidence brought forward, so that appropriate action can be taken.\" Downing Street said that the new inspection regime would apply to religious institutions offering eight or more hours of study a week to children in England. This could include Christian Sunday schools and Jewish yeshivas, but is more likely to cover up to 2,000", "summary": "Religious supplementary schools in England that teach children intolerance will be investigated and closed down, Prime Minister David Cameron has said."}
{"article": "\"We discovered this two hours ago. I have to stop,\" the former Giro d'Italia winner, 37, told a shocked news conference on Monday. Basso was set to be one of Alberto Contador's key lieutenants in the mountains over the next two weeks. He caught his groin in a crash on stage five and the cancer was discovered in a check-up on the race's first rest day. Tinkoff-Saxo team-mate Contador was in tears as he sat next to Basso during his announcement. Basso, who will travel to Italy to undergo surgery as soon as possible, twice finished on the podium during Lance Armstrong's long reign at the Tour and many, including Armstrong, expected him to follow the American on to the top step when he retired in 2005. But Basso got caught up in the Spanish Operation Puerto doping scandal and eventually admitted to the intention to cheat. He was given a two-year ban in 2007. The Italian climber, who owns a blueberry farm in Lombardy, has claimed five top-10 finishes in Grand Tours since his return to the sport, including a Giro win in 2010. He is also one of the friendliest and more relaxed members of the professional peloton so this news will be greeted with considerable dismay. His diagnosis will also increase the focus on Armstrong's arrival in France next week to ride two stages of the Tour with ex-England footballer Geoff Thomas - a day ahead of the race - to raise money for a cancer charity. Armstrong recovered from life-threatening testicular cancer earlier in his career to win the seven Tour titles he was eventually stripped of for his doping activities. Armstrong tweeted on Monday that he wished Basso \"the very best\".", "summary": "Italian rider Ivan Basso has withdrawn from the Tour de France after revealing he has testicular cancer."}
{"article": "A judge is deciding if there is enough evidence for the case against Seamus Daly, 45, from Jonesborough, County Armagh, to go to a crown court trial. Mr Daly, originally from the Republic of Ireland, was arrested in April 2014. The Omagh bomb was the biggest single atrocity in the history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. It happened just four months after the Good Friday Agreement was signed. The death toll included nine children and three generations of one family, but no-one has been convicted in a criminal court of carrying out the attack. The hearing at Omagh Magistrates' Court is expected to last for two days. Along with the murder charges, Mr Daly faces charges of causing the explosion and possessing the bomb, and two charges relating to another dissident republican bomb plot in Lisburn, County Antrim, in April 1998. Previously, all of Mr Daly's magistrates' court hearings in Omagh have been via videolink from prison. He was brought to court in a prison van on Thursday and was led inside handcuffed to a security officer. Some relatives of those who were killed in the attack were in the court. Mr Daly sat a few feet from the victims' relatives who have followed every stage of the long legal process. After his arrest Mr Daly gave police a statement denying any involvement in the Omagh bombing or Lisburn plot. His lawyers have argued that the case against him is weak and much of the evidence has been discredited.", "summary": "A man accused of murdering 29 people in the Real IRA bomb attack in Omagh in 1998 has appeared in court in the County Tyrone town for the first time."}
{"article": "The foreign ministry said the remarks by Maud de Boer-Buquicchio were \"inappropriate\" and \"regrettable\". But the special rapporteur on child prostitution said she had referred to estimates in open sources to highlight a phenomenon that had to be tackled. Compensated dating sees men offering girls money or gifts for companionship. The US state department warned last year that the practice, known as \"enjo kosai\" in Japanese, \"continues to facilitate the prostitution of Japanese children\". At the end of a visit to Japan on 26 October, Ms de Boer-Buquicchio said that she had discovered \"the multiple forms in which the sexual exploitation of children develops and manifests itself\" in the country. \"I'm referring in particular to this phenomenon of 'enjo kosai,' which is a trend amongst school girls. Some 13% of the school girls in Japan are involved in that kind of activity,\" she was quoted as telling a news conference by the Japanese foreign ministry. The ministry asked the UN to give the source for the statistic, and on 2 November Ms de Boer-Buquicchio issued a clarification which said that she had \"received no official statistic\" on the scope of compensated dating. \"However, many of my interlocutors referred to it as a worrying trend which can easily lead to sexual exploitation of the minors involved in this lucrative business,\" she added. \"In the press conference, I made reference to estimates I had seen in open sources to highlight a phenomenon that must be urgently tackled.\" But on Monday, the ministry demanded a retraction, complaining that it was \"unacceptable\" that the UN expert had cited \"unreliable information\" without a source.", "summary": "Japan's government wants a UN expert to retract a claim that 13% of Japanese schoolgirls engage in \"compensated dating\", which can involve sex."}
{"article": "Images purporting to show an unnamed US warship were shown on television. Iran's navy commander praised the operation for getting so close to a warship \"to get such accurate footage of the combat units of foreign forces\". The US said an Iranian drone had flown over one of its carriers recently, but did not say if it was this incident. It had not posed a risk to the USS Harry S Truman, but the move was \"abnormal and unprofessional\", Reuters news agency quoted a US navy spokeswoman as saying. Nicole Schwegman said that incident had occurred on 12 January, which is the same day Iran briefly detained 10 US sailors who had entered Iranian territorial waters by mistake. The report by Iran's state Irinn news channel did not say when the surveillance drone had made its flight except to say it was on the third day of a naval exercise. The Associated Press news agency said this suggested it had happened on Friday, as Iran's naval drill began earlier this week. An Iranian light submarine also closely participated in the surveillance operation, Iran's state-run Irna news agency reported. Adm Habibollah Sayyari, Iran's navy chief, told state TV it was a sign of the \"bravery, experience and the scientific capabilities of our drone operators\". International sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme were lifted this month, somewhat easing its relations with the West. But within a few days, the US had imposed new sanctions related to Iran's ballistic missile programme. Iran said the sanctions, which prevent 11 entities and individuals linked to the programme from using the US banking system, had \"no legal or moral legitimacy\".", "summary": "Iran flew an unarmed drone over a US aircraft carrier and took \"precise\" photographs during a naval drill in the Gulf, its state broadcaster said."}
{"article": "Just hours before its day in court - in the town of Riverside, California - the most unexpected twist yet: the trial had been postponed, perhaps indefinitely. The FBI said it had, \"this past weekend\", been shown a way to unlock the iPhone used by San Bernardino gunman Rizwan Farook. The FBI has until 5 April to let the court know how it gets on. If the method doesn't work, and the phone is still locked, we'll probably return to Riverside for the hearing. If it is successful - then, well, who knows what will happen? Uncharted waters. The case, already the most fascinating tech legal tussle for years, enters murky territory. And here's why. Let's say, for arguments sake, that the FBI does indeed have a new, credible method of getting into the iPhone. Where on Earth did it come from? Apple's bewilderment is understandable given that, right up until the final hour, the FBI had insisted it had exhausted every possible route. It told Congress as much. In a hearing earlier this month, FBI director James Comey stood firm as Congressman Darrell Issa gave him a dramatic dressing down for not pursuing a technique known as mirroring - essentially, and I'm simplifying here, duplicating the phone so repeated attempts can be made to unlock it without disturbing the original. Mr Comey said he'd look into it - though that was 20 days ago. Also during that congressional hearing, Mr Issa pressed Mr Comey on whether he had asked the National Security Agency (NSA) for its help. In response, Mr Comey, making reference to the particular model of iPhone and the software contained on it, said: \"We have engaged all parts of the US government to see does anybody have a way, short of asking Apple to do it, with a 5C running iOS 9 - to do this, and we do not.\" Had Tuesday's hearing gone ahead, we were expecting to hear the witness testimony of Stacey Perino, an FBI electronics engineer, and Christopher Pluhar, a computer forensics professor from California State University. Both were due to underline that Apple, and only Apple, would be able to break into the phone. Prof Pluhar, who is a supervisory agent for the FBI, had in the past said he had been \"unable to identify any other methods feasible for gaining access to the currently inaccessible data stored within the subject device\". But we're being told to put all that aside for a moment because the FBI has said it is \"cautiously optimistic\" a new method suggested by an as-yet unknown \"outside party\" could solve all its problems, allowing investigators access to the iPhone without Apple's help. Apple's legal team has said it has no idea what that vulnerability could be - but it, of course, didn't rule out the possibility it existed. After all, it's software - and no piece of software ever written has even been watertight. Every time you update your phone, computer, tablet, it's often to plug a few new security holes. So if, come 5 April, the FBI", "summary": "You could forgive Apple's legal team for coming across a little exasperated on Monday evening."}
{"article": "The 7m-long, 6.1-tonne platform went into orbit on a Proton M rocket, despatched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan. The I5s - there will be four in total - make up Inmarsat's next-generation constellation called Global Xpress. And with an investment of \u00c2\u00a31bn ($1.5bn), they represent the single biggest commercial space project in Britain right now. The I5-F2 was released into its super-synchronous transfer orbit at 04:02 GMT on Monday, following a mammoth 15-and-a-half-hour journey aboard the Proton and its Breeze upper-stage. Currently, this orbit takes the satellite out to a distance of 65,000km from the Earth. Over the coming days, the platform must use its own propulsion system to circularise this path and bring itself into a \"stationary\" position some 36,000km above the equator. Engineers will then drift the I5-F2 to its operational station at 55 degrees West to serve customers in the Americas and Atlantic region. \"We couldn't be happier right now,\" said Ruy Pinto, the chief operations officer at Inmarsat. \"We have acquired the satellite successfully, we have checked all the sub-systems, and we have just completed the first big re-orientation manoeuvre. \"Our first orbit-raising burn will be conducted on Wednesday. We'll have seven in total and then we'll fully deploy all the solar panels,\" he told BBC News. Inmarsat is a dominant force in the so-called Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) market. Its principal customer base is the shipping sector, but the company also caters for any groups that need connectivity away from a fixed line. These include oil and gas installations, armed forces, aid agencies and NGOs in disaster areas, and TV news crews reporting from trouble zones. Customers can use Inmarsat services to make phone calls, to transfer audio-visual material or simple data. The company's fastest growing sector currently is aviation, and the GX constellation is looking to boost that trend still further. Inmarsat made worldwide news last year when its equipment aboard the lost Malaysia Airlines MH370 jet was able to direct investigators to a search zone in the Indian Ocean. The London-based operator has subsequently proposed a free basic tracking service for all long-haul flights. Global Xpress sees the company take its first, firm step into Ka frequencies to deliver communications. Traditionally, its spacecraft have worked in the L-band, but this is becoming saturated. Inmarsat says there is more opportunity to grow its business in Ka. The higher frequency allows faster throughput connections, giving the I5s broadband speeds that are 100 times faster than the company's fourth generation (I4) satellites. Inmarsat's continued use of the Russian-built Proton is a show of faith in a rocket that has experienced a number of failures in recent years. The rocket, which is marketed by US-based International Launch Services (ILS), was used to loft the I5-F1 in December 2013 and will be used again to send up the I5-F3, most probably in the second quarter on this year. Mr Pinto said it was important for satellite operators that they had a choice of launch vehicles available to them, to open up schedules and keep prices low. \"ILS is gradually coming back", "summary": "The UK satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat has launched the second of its I5 series of spacecraft."}
{"article": "A reduced service ran between Chester and Llandudno Junction with buses supplementing services. Buses replaced trains between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog. There was also a warning that services between Llandudno Junction and Holyhead could have been affected by the work.", "summary": "Services have resumed on the north Wales coast main line and Blaenau Ffestiniog branch line after earlier disruption on Monday when engineering work overran."}
{"article": "Goals in either half from Jackson Irvine and Brian Graham earned them all three points. Motherwell's late response began with Stephen Pearson's fierce strike. But Scott Fox saved from James McFadden and brilliantly kept out a Keith Lasley drive to frustrate Motherwell. It was a pulsating finish to a game that only sparked into life when Irvine fired in the opening goal. The Australian was only drafted into the starting line-up minutes before the match because of an injury in the warm-up to Martin Woods. And he made a great case for his inclusion when he deftly controlled a deep corner before lashing the ball past Connor Ripley, despite the best efforts of Kieran Kennedy on the line. Fox saved well from a Louis Moult header and Chris Cadden as Motherwell tried to mount a swift response, but County regained the ascendancy at the start of the second half. Playing principally on the counter-attack, they went close on a number of occasions, with Michael Gardyne having a header cleared off the line and passing up another great chance with a low drive that was blocked. They got the second goal their play deserved when Graham slotted past Ripley as the Motherwell defence failed to deal with a Stewart Murdoch cross. That looked like game over until Pearson's late strike - the midfielder blasting past Fox from 12 yards. But the keeper was sharply off his line to prevent McFadden's lob beating him and he sprung to his right to deny Lasley a spectacular equaliser. The result leaves Motherwell just a point above the relegation play-off spot and County in good spirits ahead of next weekend's League Cup semi-final against Celtic.", "summary": "Ross County survived a late onslaught from Motherwell for their first league win of 2016, moving them up to fourth in the Premiership."}
{"article": "There's never a good time to talk politics, but democracy starts early in the state of Iowa. By 7:30 am, as the morning fog was still lifting and the sun was starting to appear, the meeting room in the Iowa Falls Fire department was already at full capacity. A few hundred people had travelled from across the state to attend a town hall meeting, filling every chair and corner, and spilling into the hallway. Town halls are traditionally a forum for constituents to discuss their concerns with elected officials, face to face. But in the Trump era, they've taken on a new purpose - with many aggrieved voters seeing them as a way to put pressure on President Trump, by ensuring their members of Congress hold him to account. Republican officials across the country have found themselves on the receiving end of questions and demands from voters. Many, but not all, of those attending are Democrats, some from progressive groups who are organising around these events to ensure people show up. But others are simply frustrated residents, who want their voices heard. All are represented by Senator Chuck Grassley. The vast majority of the crowd at the fire station was older, in their fifties or above. Some of them came with handwritten protest signs, others clutched pieces of paper with their questions written on them. \"I'm new at this,\" a woman named Ingrid told me. She said Trump's victory made her angry. \"I felt I had to come. I'm hoping our voices get larger and that we can make sure Republicans don't just vote along party lines and listen to their constituents.\" And listen is exactly what Senator Grassley did, even if some felt he didn't quite answer all of their concerns. As the seven-term senator entered the room, he began by asking the group which topics they'd like to cover. As hands flew in the air, and people jostled for his attention, a range of topics were raised - everything from Russia to guns, healthcare to education. Senator Grassley wrote the questions down in a small notebook, promising to answer them in the order they were asked. A large majority of questions were about President Obama's healthcare law - the Affordable Care Act. The questions on this were impassioned, as people talked of their personal experiences of Obamacare, and their fears they could lose coverage under a Trump presidency. One elderly man attended on behalf of a friend whose son was seriously ill. He told the senator of how \"his parents will probably have to face bankruptcy just as they face retirement\". Other testimonies reflected the extent people here rely on government subsidised health insurance. \"I'm on Obamacare, if it wasn't for Obamacare we wouldn't be able to afford insurance,\" said Chris Petersen, an insulin dependent diabetic who runs a farm more than an hour away. \"I got a present for you,\" he told the senator, as he held up a box of Tums, a medicine used to relieve heartburn, \"you're going to need them in the next few years.\" When", "summary": "Republican politicians are returning to their home districts to a barrage of criticism, as many constituents demand to know how they'll hold President Trump to account."}
{"article": "The announcement came as the London venue unveiled its new programme which includes plays starring Ralph Fiennes, Andrew Garfield and Tamsin Greig. NT boss Rufus Norris said Sunday performances would stop because they were \"always the last performances to sell\". The last Sunday show will be Damon Albarn's musical Wonder.land in April. Sunday performances in the Olivier and Lyttelton theatres began in 2008 and took place about 35 weeks a year. Norris said the decision to stop them was taken after the theatre \"looked very carefully at the evidence over the last few years\". Giving more detail, executive director Lisa Burger said: \"The fact is that there aren't as many audiences coming to Sunday performances. \"Given the tight financial situation that we are in we decided that was one of the things we had to give up.\" The NT building on the South Bank will, however, remain open to the public on Sundays over the summer. Among the plays coming up at the National's Olivier theatre is Twelfth Night in February 2017 - with Tamsin Greig turning the traditionally male role of Malvolio into Malvolia. \"That play is about lots of gender confusion anyway,\" Norris said. There will be more Shakespeare in early 2018 when Ralph Fiennes will star in Antony and Cleopatra. The role of Cleopatra is yet to be cast. Other highlights include: Norris described the blend of re-imagined popular classics, new plays and musical pieces as \"hopefully a broad programme which will underline our commitment that we believe that theatre is for everyone\".", "summary": "The National Theatre has decided to axe Sunday performances due to its \"tight financial situation\"."}
{"article": "Captain Doug Beattie was awarded the Military Cross for bravery. This was while serving with the Royal Irish Regiment (RIR) in Afghanistan. He said the government was failing to implement the Military Covenant, a promise to look after members of the armed forces and their families. Speaking in a BBC NI Spotlight programme to be broadcast on Tuesday night, he said military veterans in Northern Ireland do not receive the same kind of priority treatment as those in other parts of the UK. \"I have missed the birth of children, I have missed the death of family members, all for the service of my country, and now I feel completely let down,\" he said. \"It's simple, we want equality, we want parity. If I'm willing to sacrifice my life for my country in exactly the same way as somebody from England, Scotland and Wales, then I want recognition for that.\" The Covenant was enshrined in law in 2011 and states that the nation has a \"moral obligation\" to members of the army, navy and airforce and their families. It pledges support for military veterans and their families, and says those with serious physical and mental injuries should be given special consideration in some cases. In England and the rest of Great Britain, that means veterans are entitled to some form of priority medical treatment. But that does not happen in Northern Ireland. The number of veterans in Northern Ireland is huge. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) claims there could be up to 120,000, including more than 60,000 who served with the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) and home service battalions of the RIR. Critics, and even the MoD, agree that the greatest shortfall in treatment in Northern Ireland is for those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. One of those suffering from PTSD is Nikki Cunningham, a 27-year-old former army medic who completed two tours of duty in Afghanistan before being medically discharged last year. She has told Spotlight she is angry at the way she was treated, and remains haunted by her experiences in Afghanistan. \"It never leaves you,\" she said. \"The smell of burnt flesh never leaves your senses, it's always there. \"You go to sleep, close your eyes, the images are there, you wake up, they are there. The slightest little noise triggers the thought, an image, an incident, and you're back to where you were, back on tour. \"The army broke me, and I haven't really found that I've had the sufficient help that I needed.\" Robert McCartney is a former member of the RIR who served in the Falklands and Kenya as well as Northern Ireland. He was diagnosed with PTSD shortly after leaving the army and now runs a charity called Beyond the Battlefield, based in Newtownards, County Down. It helps veterans who need medical treatment and provides assistance with a range of other issues. \"I actually believe that the paramilitaries and the prisoners groups and everyone else who was part of this conflict in Northern Ireland are being treated better by their people than", "summary": "A highly decorated soldier has accused the government of abandoning Northern Ireland military veterans who need help for serious physical and mental injuries."}
{"article": "Garcia, who died in 1995, will be inducted posthumously alongside lyricist Robert Hunter for their work in the legendary psychedelic group. They will be joined by country artists Toby Keith and Bobby Braddock and blues pioneer Willie Dixon. The ceremony will take place on 18 June in New York. Songwriters Hall of Fame president Linda Moran said: \"Each one of these brilliant music creators have written instantly recognisable classics, songs that are both of their time and timeless.\" Cyndi Lauper became a household name by covering Robert Hazard's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun in the 1980s - but she has also had hits of her own and won a Tony Award in 2013 for best score for the hit Broadway musical Kinky Boots. Linda Perry was a member of 4 Non Blondes and has written hits for stars including Pink, Gwen Stefani and Alicia Keys. One of her biggest successes was Beautiful, which was a worldwide hit for Christina Aguilera. Toby Keith has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, while Braddock is a songwriter who has had a career of more than 40 years and is the only living person to have written number one country hits in five consecutive decades. His songs have become country music standards, including DIVORCE, recorded by Tammy Wynette. Willie Dixon, who died in 1992, was one of the most prolific songwriters of all time, he has been called \"the poet laureate of the blues\". His most famous compositions include Hoochie Coochie Man, I Just Want to Make Love to You and You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover. Dixon's songs have been recorded by artists including Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. The songwriters were chosen from a list that also included Tom Petty, Vince Gill, Elvis Costello and Kenneth Babyface Edmonds. Linda Moran said: \"Our 2015 line-up of inductees represents the rich diversity of American musical styles - rock, country, blues and pop - that have captivated the world over the past six decades.\"", "summary": "Cyndi Lauper, Linda Perry and the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia are to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame."}
{"article": "Cook made only a single as England lost to Sri Lanka by 90 runs to trail 4-2 with one match remaining on Tuesday. Asked if he expected to be captain when England travel down under next month, first of all for a tri-series against Australia and India, he said: \"Yes. \"It's tough at the moment. I'm a better player than I'm showing at the moment, and I've just got to keep going.\" The skipper has now scored 499 runs at an average of 24.95 - with only one half century - in his last 21 ODIs, during which time England have won only eight matches. \"Not scoring the runs I'd like is not a great place to be as a captain,\" said Cook, who has scored five ODI centuries in 91 one-day international appearances. Four of those hundreds have been as skipper, but the most recent came against West Indies in June 2012. \"You want to lead from the front, and when it's not happening for you it is incredibly frustrating,\" he said. Cook's difficult day began when he dropped key Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara on 41 and the left-hander went on to make 112. \"Days like these don't make the job any easier,\" he said. \"It's probably a good job I'm off a lot of social media and in the middle of Sri Lanka at the moment where the internet is not so great.\" Meanwhile, England coach Peter Moores said the situation would be assessed after the completion of the Sri Lanka series. \"It would be wrong of me as a selector and coach not to review things at the end of this series,\" Moores told Sky Sports. \"Alastair's in a tough patch at the moment but he's working extremely hard to get out of that.\" After Tuesday's final match in Colombo, England have only four guaranteed matches in the triangular series against Australia and India next month before their World Cup campaign begins against co-hosts Australia on 14 February. Moores also defended Eoin Morgan, who was out first ball in Pallekele on Saturday and has made only one fifty in his last 18 ODI innings. \"I think Morgan's playing well. He got a beauty today. He plays a style of cricket that aggressive and can win matches,\" he said. \"Australia is a place where he has performed well in the past. \"We'll try and pick a 15 for the tri-series that will be the team for the World Cup. You want your side settled by the time you get to that stage.\"", "summary": "Alastair Cook has vowed to remain England one-day captain despite losing a fourth successive one-day series."}
{"article": "His comments come as the Tibetan exile movement meets at its headquarters in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala to discuss its future strategy. There is growing concern over the number of Tibetans self-immolating or setting themselves on fire. Activists say 51 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009. The Tibet issue: Two views Inside Tibet The Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile are under increasing pressure - not just from Beijing but now also from their followers who are divided over how to continue their struggle against Chinese rule. Some of those gathering in Dharamsala this week want a more assertive policy, including more open backing of Tibetans setting themselves on fire, while others say this tactic is against Buddhist teachings and want another approach. The Dalai lama has steered a middle course. In a BBC interview, he said the immolations were a symptom of China's repressive rule in Tibet and called on its new leadership to accept the need for change. \"The new leadership must use common sense and a more holistic view to serve long term-interest. There is no other way. \"Just using force, censorship and to remain a closed society is almost like suicide. Judging that way, I feel there is possibility or a real chance to change.\" Beijing says Tibet is an integral part of China and accuses the Dalai Lama of trying to break the Himalayan region away. The Dalai Lama says he only wants greater autonomy. But, he said, it was getting harder to reach an agreement because of an increasing divide between ethnic Tibetans and the Han Chinese who have been encouraged to move there by Beijing.", "summary": "The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, says he hopes for a new Chinese approach to Tibet with the expected change in its leadership next month."}
{"article": "Mark Jones, 45, of Cwmbran, denies murdering Amelia Jones in Pontnewydd in November, 2012. His daughter Sarah Jones was asked by the defence barrister, Roger Thomas QC, about a trip to the doctors with Amelia on 7 November 2012. She admitted \"exaggerating\" about the doctor's diagnosis. Mr Thomas asked her what the diagnosis was and Ms Jones told the court: \"She had a cold\". The court was told that she had previously said, in a text message: \"They want to check her, and they might keep her in overnight\". Mr Thomas suggested those two accounts differed from each other. Sarah Jones replied \"Don't you over-exaggerate with stuff sometimes\". Mr Thomas asked, \"So you do exaggerate?\" Ms Jones then replied: \"Yes\". Ms Jones, 26, told Newport Crown Court on Tuesday she found Amelia in tears after leaving her in Mr Jones's care in a car during a shopping trip, days before her death. The defendant's barrister quizzed Ms Jones as to why she gave uncertain answers in a police interview about whether she actually went shopping on that day. She said from the stand: \"I had all my other children taken off me, I had been arrested for murder; I wasn't in the right frame of mind.\" Ms Jones was later released and her children were returned to her, the court heard. But Mr Thomas said the incident relating to Amelia being upset in Mr Jones's care \"didn't happen at all like this\". He said \"Amelia was left alone in the house with Mark\", and not in a car, as she had suggested. The QC accused Ms Jones of \"not being entirely fair and truthful\" about her recollection, adding: \"The incident you have described yesterday did not occur\". \"It did occur\", she replied. Prosecuting counsel, Paul Lewis, asked Ms Jones if she had \"ever laid a finger on Amelia, so as to harm her\". She replied: \"No, not at all\". Ms Jones told the court she now has another child with Amelia's father, Ian Skillern, who was born in 2013. The pair are no longer in a relationship. During earlier evidence, Ms Jones claimed her father said Amelia had been \"a nightmare\" when he babysat the night before the baby received her fatal injuries. Mr Jones insists he dropped Amelia accidentally on the two separate evenings while babysitting on his own. The case continues.", "summary": "The mother of a baby girl allegedly murdered by her own grandfather has admitted she \"exaggerates\", a court has heard."}
{"article": "The bank announced the closures as part of a \"strategic review\". It said the move was a result of falling customer demand, and because of overlaps with other nearby branches. Seven are in Aberdeen and the north east, four in Tayside, and three in the Highlands. Two are in Edinburgh, two in central Scotland, two in west Scotland and one in Lothian, Glasgow and Forth. The full list is: A Bank of Scotland spokesperson said: \"In 2014 Lloyds Banking Group announced a three-year strategy, which included a programme of planned branch closures. \"As part of this strategic review, we can confirm today that Bank of Scotland will be closing 23 branches. \"In most cases, this is as a result of falling customer demand while in others it is because of overlaps with other nearby branches. \"Branches will continue to play an important role in our multi-channel customer offering. \"Bank of Scotland is committed to maintaining a local presence and we expect to continue to have the largest branch network in Scotland.\"", "summary": "The Bank of Scotland has announced it is to close 23 branches in Scotland."}
{"article": "The small pieces of plastic commonly found in toothpaste, exfoliating body scrubs and other household products and are thought to damage the environment. Environmentalists fear they are building up in oceans and potentially entering the food chain. A consultation on how a ban would work will start later this year, Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom has announced. A number of cosmetic companies have made voluntary commitments to phase out the use of microbeads by 2020. Products that contain the tiny bits of plastic won't necessarily say \"microbeads\" in the list of ingredients. Instead, look for the words polyethylene, polypropylene and polymethylmethacrylate - the chemical names for plastics. Nylon may also be listed as well as the abbreviations PET, PTFE and PMMA. There are several websites listing products that do and do not include plastic such as Beat the Microbead. It also has a free app where you can check products by scanning the barcode with your smartphone camera. Many cosmetics brands include information on their websites. Johnson & Johnson which produces face scrubs under the brands Neutrogena and Clean & Clear has committed to phasing out microbeads by the end of 2017. Proctor and Gamble which owns Crest toothpaste, Gillette and Olay, has also promised to stop using them by next year. Read more: Why are microbeads controversial? The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee last month said the government needed to step in to protect the environment as soon as is practicable, after it was revealed a single shower can result in 100,000 plastic particles entering the ocean. Mrs Leadsom said: \"Most people would be dismayed to know the face scrub or toothpaste they use was causing irreversible damage to the environment, with billions of indigestible plastic pieces poisoning sea creatures. \"Adding plastic to products like face washes and body scrubs is wholly unnecessary when harmless alternatives can be used.\" She said it was the \"next step in tackling microplastics in our seas\" following the introduction of the 5p plastic bag charge, which was introduced in England in October. Professor Richard Thompson, a marine biologist from Plymouth University, welcomed the decision. He said: \"Over 680 tonnes of mircrobeads are used in the UK alone every year. That's substantially more than all of the litter we pick up on our beaches in voluntary beach cleans each year, so it's not a trivial quantity. \"The sooner we can make progress with avoidable, unnecessary emissions, because it's not clear to me at all why we need to cleanse ourselves by rubbing our skin with millions of small, plastic particles. What's the societal benefit there?\" The environment committee's report suggested microplastic pollution could be more damaging to the environment than larger pieces of plastic because its size makes it more likely to be eaten by wildlife and then potentially enter the food chain. As an example, it said a plate of six oysters can contain up to 50 particles of plastic. More than 280 marine species have been found to ingest microplastics, but the committee said much more research was needed into plastic pollution because there", "summary": "The UK government has announced plans to ban microbeads used in cosmetics and cleaning products by 2017."}
{"article": "He faced criticism online after comparing costume designer Jenny Beavan to a \"bag lady\" when she picked up her Bafta for Mad Max: Fury Road. The presenter later insisted Beavan was a \"dear friend\" and had \"got\" the joke. Fry said he has not \"slammed the door\" on Twitter but said the site had become a \"stalking ground for the sanctimoniously self-righteous\". Writing on his official website, he said people needed to \"grieve\" for what Twitter had become, writing: \"I like to believe I haven't slammed the door, much less stalked off in a huff throwing my toys out of the pram as I go or however one should phrase it. \"It's quite simple really: the room had started to smell. Really quite bad.\" Fry has been presenting the Bafta film awards for 11 years and audiences have become used to his cutting wit, often involving quips about many of the stars involved. Beavan, who won the Bafta for Best Costume Design for Mad Max: Fury Road, came onto the stage at London's Royal Opera House wearing a black leather jacket, white t-shirt and dark trousers. Following her acceptance speech and once she had left the stage, Fry said: \"Only one of the great cinematic costume designers would come to the awards dressed like a bag lady.\" But he posted a picture of the pair at a party later in the night to show his comment had not been taken badly, captioning it: \"Jenny Baglady Beavan and Stephen Outrageous Misogynist Swine Fry at the after party.\" Fry followed that up by saying in an expletive-ridden tweet that his critics were \"tragic people\". His latest comment continued: \"A stalking ground for the sanctimoniously self-righteous who love to second-guess, to leap to conclusions and be offended - worse, to be offended on behalf of others they do not even know. \"It's as nasty and unwholesome a characteristic as can be imagined. It doesn't matter whether they think they're defending women, men, transgender people, Muslims, humanists \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 the ghastliness is absolutely the same.\" He said \"the tipping point had been reached\" but added: \"I don't feel anything today other than massive relief, like a boulder rolling off my chest. I am free, free at last.\" The former QI host had more than 12 million followers on Twitter at the time he left the site. Glamour editor Jo Elvin was among those who criticised Fry for his \"uncool\" comments, saying she was glad Beavan \"wore what she wanted\". Comedian Tiernan Douieb described Fry as looking like he was dressed like \"an unused Subbuteto (sic) table\". Showbiz journalist Beth Neil wrote: \"Stephen Fry's 'dressed as a bag lady' joke about the winner of costume design was horrid. True colours, there.\" Fry received support from Twitter users however, including several celebrities. Radio 1 Scott Mills DJ wrote: \"I thought Stephen Fry was an excellent host tonight. Dealing with the biggest stars in the world is scary. I find this. He is a natural.\" Comedian Matt Lucas joked: \"Stephen Fry Didn't you get the memo? No-one is allowed to", "summary": "Bafta show host Stephen Fry has confirmed he has left Twitter declaring \"the fun is over\"."}
{"article": "Strauss, the England and Wales Cricket Board's director of cricket, told Pietersen in May that he would not be considered for an international recall. \"I think that clarity has helped,\" Strauss said. England won the Ashes 3-2 but trail 2-0 in the one-day series before Tuesday's third ODI at Old Trafford (14:00 BST). Pietersen, 35, who was initially sacked after the 5-0 whitewash in the 2013-14 Ashes series, remains England's record run-scorer in all formats. But Strauss believes the team has \"moved on\". He added: \"The danger at that time was that particular issue would overshadow everything that happened on the pitch over the course of the summer. \"What I was trying to do was provide clarity going forward so everyone knew where they stood. \"I think the team has moved on and the team is in a pretty good place. Some of those young guys have established themselves and that's what we will be focusing on taking England forward.\" England have called up wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow after deciding to rest Jos Buttler for the remaining three games of the ODI series. Meanwhile, Australia could be forced into three changes after all-rounder Shane Watson, batsman David Warner and bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile were all ruled out of the rest of the series through injury. County cricket trio John Hastings of Durham, Yorkshire's Aaron Finch and Gloucestershire's Peter Handscomb have replaced them.", "summary": "England are benefiting from the decision to exclude former batsman Kevin Pietersen from selection, says English cricket chief Andrew Strauss."}
{"article": "Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr's brother said he was found guilty of seeking \"foreign meddling\" in the kingdom, \"disobeying\" its rulers and taking up arms against the security forces. The cleric was a vocal supporter of the mass anti-government protests that erupted in Eastern Province in 2011. His arrest two years ago, during which he was shot, triggered days of unrest. Oil-rich Eastern Province is home to a Shia majority that has long complained of marginalisation at the hands of the Sunni royal family. Protests began there in February 2011 after the start of the pro-democracy uprising in neighbouring Bahrain, which has a Shia majority and a Sunni royal family. The Saudi authorities deny discriminating against Shia and blame Iran for stirring up discontent. Sheikh Nimr's brother Mohammed said on Twitter that he had been sentenced to death by Riyadh's Specialised Criminal Court, which tries terrorism cases, on Wednesday morning. A statement by the cleric's family described the verdict as \"discretionary\", saying the judge had the option of imposing a lighter sentence, according to the Associated Press. It also warned that the trial had been \"political\" and had set a \"dangerous precedent for decades to come\". When Sheikh Nimr, who holds the rank of ayatollah, went on trial in March 2013 prosecutors called for his execution by \"crucifixion\", a punishment which in Saudi Arabia involves beheading followed by public display of the decapitated body. Human rights groups expressed concern at the time that he would not receive a fair trial. They also said he had still not been given access to adequate medical care for the gunshot wounds he received during his arrest in July 2012, something denied by the authorities. Police shot Sheikh Nimr in the leg four times in disputed circumstances as they detained him after a car chase in Eastern Province's Qatif district. Officials said he rammed a security forces vehicle, leading to a gun battle. However, his family disputed the allegation that he resisted arrest and insisted that he did not own a weapon. The cleric was held for eight months before being charged and reportedly spent the first four in an isolation cell at a prison hospital in Riyadh. Activists and relatives say Sheikh Nimr, who has a wide following among Shia in Eastern Province and other states, supported only peaceful protests and eschewed all violent opposition to the government. In 2011, he told the BBC that he supported \"the roar of the word against authorities rather than weapons... the weapon of the word is stronger than bullets, because authorities will profit from a battle of weapons\". His arrest prompted days of protests in which three people were killed. Human Rights Watch said more than 1,040 people had been arrested at Shia protests between February 2011 and August 2014. At least 240 are still believed to be in detention. \"I think the message that Saudis are saying is: 'We will arrest anybody. We don't care how high profile they are... nobody is above this. We don't have any tolerance. We don't have any flexibility,'\" HRW Middle East researcher", "summary": "A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced the Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr to death, his family says."}
{"article": "King, known for his hits Lucille, Sweet Black Angel and Rock Me Baby, died in his sleep in Las Vegas. Born in Mississippi, King began performing in the 1940s and was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was recently taken to hospital with a diabetes-related illness. Rolling Stone magazine once ranked BB King in third place in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, just below Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman. A former farmhand, King was awarded his 15th Grammy award in 2009 for his album One Kind Favor. Even until recently, King performed in at least 100 concerts a year.", "summary": "The 'King of the Blues' guitarist and singer, BB King, has died aged 89, his lawyer says."}
{"article": "But this was the nocturnal hum of the midshipman fish; a courtship call, and the source of a biological secret scientists have now solved. Researchers brought the fish into their lab to work out why they sang at night. The US team's findings are published in the journal Current Biology. The researchers found the singing was controlled by a hormone that helps humans to sleep - melatonin. And looking more closely at how melatonin acts on receptors in different parts of the fish's brain could help explain why it is such a powerful \"chemical clock\" with a role in the timing of sleep-wake cycles, reproduction and birdsong. Prof Andrew Bass, who led the research, said his curiosity about midshipman fish had been piqued by a paper written in 1924 by an academic called Charles Greene, which described how the male fish would hum at night. \"Greene referred to midshipman as the California singing fish,\" said Prof Bass. \"We discovered that females are also sonic, but it's only territorial males that build nests and produce the hum to attract females to [those] nests.\" To find out if the humming was controlled by an internal clock, or circadian rhythm, the team first kept a group of midshipman fish in constant light. This almost completely suppressed their humming. \"But when [we gave the fish] a melatonin substitute,\" said Prof Bass, \"they continued to hum, though at random times of day without a rhythm. \"Melatonin essentially acted as a 'go' signal for the midshipman's nocturnal calling.\" Limiting their foghorn-like serenade to the night time probably benefits the fish; a nocturnal chorus might be timed for when females are most receptive, or when their predators are less likely to hear. But the study also suggests a broad and fundamental role for melatonin throughout the vertebrate kingdom - finding a fish with a behaviour so intrinsically linked to their body clock suggests this brain circuitry evolved in our most primitive, aquatic ancestors. Dr Ni Feng, from Yale University, who was also involved in the study, said: \"Melatonin is the same supplement that humans might take to fall asleep easier and get over jetlag faster. \"But in the nocturnal fish, like the midshipman, it serves to wake them up and pave the way for their nocturnal courtship song performance. \"[So] our study shows that singing fish can be a useful model for studying hormones and reproductive-related vocal communication behaviours shared by many vertebrate species.\"", "summary": "When California houseboat residents heard their low, submarine hum in the 1980s, they thought it might be coming from noisy sewage pumps, military experiments or even extraterrestrials."}
{"article": "Revenue for the first quarter dropped 64% to 14.8bn Taiwanese dollars ($456m; \u00c2\u00a3315m), while the net loss was 2.6bn Taiwanese dollars, compared with a profit the year before. The firm has been struggling to compete with the likes of Apple and Samsung. It is pinning hopes on its new HTC 10 phone to revive fortunes as well as its virtual reality headset Vive. \"The media and consumer buzz around HTC, including for the keenly-awaited launches of the flagship smartphone and Vive virtual reality system, clearly demonstrate our leadership in innovation and have provided a great boost to the HTC brand,\" said Cher Wang, chairwoman and chief executive of HTC in a statement. Chief financial officer Chialin Chang added the company was hoping that the smartphone business would break even in the third quarter. The HTC 10, which comes with an \"ultraselfie\" front camera designed to reduce the risk of blurry shots, and the Vive headset were both only launched in April and so are not reflected in this current quarter. The success of those two products will dictate the success of the company, said analyst Ben Wood from CCS Insight. \"The next quarter will be critical because we'll start to see the effect of Vive and the HTC 10 phone. The company has really got to work hard to show signs of progress,\" he said. \"The combination of Apple's incredible success and Samsung's determination to outspend all its rivals on marketing puts HTC in a precarious position.\" Five years ago, HTC was the world's fourth bestselling smartphone maker with a market share of about 9%. But in 2015, it fell to 17th place with a share of about 1%, according to research firm IDC.", "summary": "A sharp plunge in sales has pushed the Taiwanese phonemaker HTC into a loss for the three months to March."}
{"article": "The Shakespeare Schools Festival - an initiative which inspires schoolchildren to perform abridged versions of the playwright's famous work. From small beginnings, the initiative has grown into the UK's largest youth drama festival. And as the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death is marked on 23 April, we take a look back at its inception. \"It all started with the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989,\" co-founder Chris Grace explained. As S4C's co-founder and director of animation, he had already made a name for himself kickstarting the Welsh animation industry with SuperTed and Fireman Sam. But as eastern Europe opened up, he was inspired by innovative Soviet techniques which used models, drawings and oil on glass. \"I knew there was a Soviet tradition of animation which was totally different to Disney and it opened my eyes to new ways of making content accessible,\" he said. \"I saw that Shakespeare could be a bridge between east and west; between Soviet tradition and western tradition.\" Working in Moscow, he helped to create 12 half-hour abridged versions of Shakespeare's plays - not an easy task when trying to maintain the original dialogue - with each one costing \u00a3500,000 to make. It was a turbulent time, with production surviving two attempted presidential coups - against Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991 and Boris Yeltsin in 1993. On one occasion, filming had to be stopped as tanks rumbled by outside, shaking the studio. On another, the studio came under fire from rebels, with bullet holes peppering the walls. \"It was very exciting on one level because it was a new Europe,\" he said. \"But it was also fearful. You didn't know the price of bread let alone what the cost of production was. \"Despite this, we established a really strong production and international friendship between Wales and Russia.\" The 12 films, known as S4C's Shakespeare: The Animated Tales, were created in Welsh and English. Initially launched at the Royal Academy in London and City Hall in Cardiff, they went on to be released in 70 countries and won three Emmy awards. By the late-1990s, the films had a \"huge up-take\" in schools, introducing pupils to Shakespeare \"for the very first time\". \"Everybody wants something new, especially critics, and animation had never been seen in this way before,\" Mr Grace said. \"Part one was making Shakespeare accessible through a contemporary medium and part two was to take those films being used by schools and make Shakespeare accessible to young people through performance. \"I thought, 'if they're watching them, why can they not perform them?'\" And so, in 2000, the festival was officially launched. Living in Pembrokeshire, he arranged for eight schools to perform at the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven. Each performed a half-hour play to sell-out audiences over two nights. \"It's not often we get things first in Pembrokeshire, so being the venue for a national debut felt like a major honour. \"Our director was a bit individual, not to mention notorious in my family for constantly giving me detentions, and she decided to set a Japanese theme around", "summary": "What links William Shakespeare, the fall of the Berlin Wall, coups in Soviet Russia and eight schools in west Wales?"}
{"article": "Rockstar's controversial game - where players commit crime in the fictional city of Los Santos - was presented with the Game of the Year gong at a ceremony in central London. Sony's The Last of Us also scooped two awards. Ken Levine - the man behind Bioshock and System Shock 2 - was honoured with a lifetime achievement award. The Golden Joysticks are the largest publicly-voted video game awards in the world, with this year more than 10 million people casting a vote. The Lifetime Achievement is a new addition to the ceremony. Mr Levine has been a high profile figure in the industry ever since he worked with designer Doug Church, on the first-person shooter, Thief: The Dark Project, credited with being one of the first titles to introduce the concept of stealth into video games. \"The great thing about the still-maturing nature of video games is you get to be inspired by the work of novices and veterans alike,\" he said. \"We're all figuring out day by day exactly what the medium is capable of.\" Now in its 31st year, the awards were first given out back in 1983, with the first Game of the Year award going to Jet Pac on the ZX Spectrum. Andy Robinson, editor of Computer and Videogames, said that three decades on, the awards still \"represent the voice of gamers worldwide\". \"We've revamped the categories to reflect the diversity of modern gaming and also added the inaugural Lifetime Achievement award, which has made this year's ceremony the most thrilling for us yet,\" he said. The Golden Joysticks are not the only big awards for the video games industry. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts hands out its Video Game Baftas in the spring each year, although the majority of their awards are selected by a panel of experts, rather than a public vote. Grand Theft Auto 5, released last month, quickly became the fastest selling entertainment product ever, taking just three days to generate $1bn (\u00c2\u00a3620m) in revenue.", "summary": "The adult-themed crime game, Grand Theft Auto 5, has won the top prize at the Golden Joystick awards."}
{"article": "Sailor Victor Magnus captured the scene when a ship carrying explosives caught fire in Halifax, Canada, resulting in the deaths of 2,000 people. The explosion, on Thursday 6 December 1917, almost wiped out the town. Mr Magnus's daughter, Anne Foreman from Cornwall, is to take the pictures to the Imperial War Museum in London. It was 09:04 (GMT) when Halifax suffered the world's greatest man-made explosion at the time, when the two ships involved in the war effort collided. Standing on the shoreline was Royal Navy Lt Victor Magnus. The French ship SS Mont Blanc, which was loaded with wartime explosives, collided with the Norwegian vessel SS Imo. The cataclysmic explosion occurred after a fire broke out on SS Mont Blanc, all of which was caught on camera by Mr Magnus. SS Mont Blanc was described as a huge 'floating bomb' because of her formidable cargo. There were more than 2,000 tonnes of picric acid, 200 tonnes of TNT, 56 tonnes of gun cotton and 223 tonnes of motor fuel on board. Records show the ship exploded and disintegrated in seconds. Altogether 3.8 sq km (1.5 sq miles) of Halifax was flattened and more than 1,900 people perished. Avid photographer Mr Magnus managed to capture plumes of smoke and a town littered with ash in his photographs. After the war Mr Magnus had three children. His daughter, Anne Foreman from Hayle, Cornwall, decided to share her father's photographs during the anniversary of the outbreak of World War One. She said: \"This has brought him to life again. It's amazing, it brings tears to my eyes. Ms Foreman, aged 89, said her father was on watch during the morning of the explosion when he took the pictures. \"The blast absolutely blew Halifax town into oblivion, the whole of the harbour and the town was devastated. \"The thing that struck me most was a cannon that was blown three miles in land. Ms Foreman said her father was \"a kind and lovely man with a great sense of humour\". \"There are so many things I've found out about him and his experiences from these photographs. I'm so happy he's been brought back to the forefront of our minds,\" she said.", "summary": "Unseen pictures from World War One have been released showing what was then the world's largest explosion."}
{"article": "They will meet on Monday afternoon to decide their response. The boss of the bank has described this plan as getting \"several holes in one in a row\". Golfers will know how hard that is and the wind of political risk has just picked up. If they do decide the plan is now too risky then the government may have no choice but to nationalise the bank. That would trigger a so-called \"bail in\" which means people who lent the bank money would have to write it off. Unfortunately, 65% of those creditors are ordinary retail investors so the damage would be widespread and politically toxic. There is another option. The Italian government could decide to simply break the rules and nationalise the bank without hitting small investors. That might be politically expedient but would be bitterly opposed in Germany and would set back immeasurably the project of banking union (separating the financial risk of banks from their governments - a move that came in response to the eurozone crisis of 2012). The money comes directly out of some small investors' pockets or it comes out of every citizen's taxes. The latter would be seen across Europe as a massive defeat in the battle to make sure taxpayers are not the first port of call when a bank fails. The fate of Europe's oldest and weakest bank has ramifications not just for Italy but for the entire European banking reform project.", "summary": "Although the share price of Europe's oldest bank Monte dei Paschi is little changed this morning, that may not last if the consortium of investors planning a \u00e2\u201a\u00ac5bn cash injection abandon their rescue attempt amid the political vacuum opened up by Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's departure."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The top two were tied on a clearance of 4.85m, but European champion Stefanidi won by having fewer failed jumps. Bradshaw, 24, set a season's best of 4.70m, with New Zealand's Eliza McCartney taking bronze with 4.80m. Cuba's world champion Yarisley Silva managed only joint seventh with 4.60m, 31cm short of her personal best. \"I am fifth at the Olympic Games and I am really happy with that. It was a step up from the last Olympics I was at in London,\" said Bradshaw, who was joint sixth four years ago with 4.45m. \"I am an ultimate competitor so I am always going to be disappointed whatever happens. I felt I jumped the best of my season and I was so close to 4.80m. \"I am just a little bit too inconsistent to mix it with the top girls in the world at the moment. I just need a year where I don't have an injury.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Defending champion Jennifer Suhr, the only athlete to clear five metres this season, was joint seventh and said she was suffering with an illness. \"I feel horrible,'' Suhr said. \"I'm actually getting concerned. It's going on day 10 and I feel worse today. \"They think it's respiratory and now in the lungs. This morning I was coughing up blood. It's getting scary. \"I just want to get out of here and go home and figure it out.\" Find out how to get into athletics with our special guide. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Greece's Ekaterini Stefanidi won women's pole vault gold, narrowly beating USA's Sandi Morris into silver as Britain's Holly Bradshaw was fifth."}
{"article": "Japan administers the uninhabited Senkaku islands, which China also claims under the name Diaoyu islands. Russian naval ships were also spotted in the area at the same time, Japanese local media said. In 2012, relations between Japan and China deteriorated after Japan bought the islands from a private owner. The islands are important because they are close to key shipping lanes, offer rich fishing grounds and lie near potential oil and gas reserves. Reacting to the incident, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga expressed \"serious concern\" at a news conference, saying it would escalate tensions. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has told his government to work closely with the US and other countries to deal with this, Mr Suga said. How uninhabited islands soured China-Japan ties \"Around 00:50 am (15:30 GMT Wednesday), a Chinese naval vessel entered our nation's contiguous waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands,\" the Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement. Japan's Vice-Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki summoned China's ambassador Cheng Yonghua to lodge a protest. Mr Saiki told the ambassador that the Senkakus are an inherent part of Japan's territory, in terms of history and international law, NHK reported. He demanded the vessel swiftly move away from the area. Local media reported the vessel left the area around 03:10 local time. Mr Cheng said the Chinese frigate was allowed to sail in those waters, said Kyodo news agency citing an unnamed source. Three Russian military vessels were also seen in the waters around the disputed islands, according to Jiji Press, entering around 21:50 on Wednesday and leaving around 03:05 on Thursday.", "summary": "Japan has lodged a protest with the Chinese ambassador in Tokyo, after a Chinese ship sailed close to contested islands in the East China Sea."}
{"article": "Ms Boyd, who was elected to represent Castle ward in 2012, became the first woman to lead Stirling Council. She is currently the youngest council leader in Scotland and one of only four women. She said her decision not to seek re-election was not easy but that it was time to address \"personal priorities.\" She said: \"I am incredibly proud of what Labour-led Stirling Council has achieved over the last five years and I will continue to devote my energy to securing a City Deal for Stirling and the wider region. \"The reason I am not seeking re-election is very straightforward. I made a full time commitment to the role of leading Stirling Council for the past five years and it's now time for me to address some personal priorities. \"The welfare of my young family has always come first and at this time the means of achieving that is the continuing development of my legal career.\" She added: \"I will miss my role in local government and working with councillors from across the political spectrum as well as council staff who are dedicated to delivering the best public services in very challenging times.\"", "summary": "The Labour leader of Stirling Council, Johanna Boyd, has announced that she will not be standing in next year's local government elections."}
{"article": "SeaEnergy issued a statement to the stock exchange to say it is making losses, and trying to sell its assets. It warned that if it cannot find a deal, it may not be able to keep trading beyond May. The share price fell more than half following the news, but ended Friday 45% down on the day. It had already fallen more than 90% in a year - from 30p a year ago to 2.24p at the start of Friday trading. SeaEnergy was transformed from the oil explorer Ramco, and sought to find a niche in offshore renewable energy. After being forced to change tack due to a lack of funding for its ambitious wind farm plans, the Westhill-based company has been selling specialist software and specialist shipping technology to the oil and gas industry. It has also been seeking to diversify into other sectors. In a trading update, SeaEnergy said progress towards profitability was good until the oil price started falling, in late 2014. Clients cancelled or postponed orders. There were signs of improvement towards the end of last year, as budgets for 2016 were finalised. \"But trading conditions deteriorated further,\" it has reported. Costs have been cut, and Sea Energy has given up its ship management role. \"The loan facilities announced in November 2015, which were intended to bridge the gap to improved trading conditions, have proved to be insufficient and the company's cash position is becoming constrained,\" the company said in its statement. \"Any short term improvement in performance would require a rapid upturn in the oil and gas market.\"", "summary": "An Aberdeen firm which supplies specialist services to the oil and gas industry has warned that it is running out of cash."}
{"article": "Norburn's sweet strike from outside the area gave Gulls goalkeeper Brendan Moore no chance as the ball flew into the top corner with 24 minutes on the clock. Chris Holroyd confirmed victory on 65 minutes with a second memorable goal as his fierce strike went in off the crossbar. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Macclesfield Town 2, Torquay United 0. Second Half ends, Macclesfield Town 2, Torquay United 0. Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Paul Lewis replaces Jack Mackreth. Courtney Richards (Torquay United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Neill Byrne replaces John McCombe. Corner, Macclesfield Town. Substitution, Torquay United. Jamie Reid replaces Brett Williams. Goal! Macclesfield Town 2, Torquay United 0. Chris Holroyd (Macclesfield Town). Substitution, Torquay United. Sam Chaney replaces Damon Lathrope. Corner, Macclesfield Town. Corner, Macclesfield Town. Corner, Macclesfield Town. Brett Williams (Torquay United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Second Half begins Macclesfield Town 1, Torquay United 0. First Half ends, Macclesfield Town 1, Torquay United 0. Goal! Macclesfield Town 1, Torquay United 0. Ollie Norburn (Macclesfield Town). Corner, Macclesfield Town. Corner, Macclesfield Town. Corner, Macclesfield Town. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Ollie Norburn marked his Macclesfield debut with a stunning volley as Torquay were beaten 2-0 at Moss Lane."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old has spent the summer on trial in the Championship club's development system. Phillips was released by Liverpool in May after 10 years at the Anfield club, having joined as a nine-year-old from Blackburn. \"It's a great move for me and a great opportunity to come to a club like Norwich,\" said Phillips. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Norwich City have signed former Liverpool youngster Adam Phillips on an initial two-year contract."}
{"article": "Robinson was left upset by a number of refereeing decisions as his side conceded twice in the final three minutes to draw 3-3 at home to Bristol Rovers in League One on Tuesday. \"Maybe we need to cheat a little bit more, go down, scream, maybe we need to do that,\" he told BBC Three Counties. \"Honesty in the way we're doing things doesn't seem to be getting the right rewards.\" After relegation from the Championship, MK Dons have won just four times in League One this season and have not recorded a home victory in 12 league games - a record that stretches back to March. \"Stay on your feet, be disciplined, but you've seen tonight that's clearly not the case,\" added Robinson, who has been in charge of the club since May 2010. \"If you stay on your feet you don't get the foul. Ultimately you lose the football and you get countered on or you get kicked in your own area by a centre forward who finds himself two yards out tapping it in.\"", "summary": "Manager Karl Robinson says MK Dons may have to \"cheat more\" to win matches."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Ospreys scrum-half, 26, went down in agony after his leg was caught in a ruck against Italy and he was taken off the pitch on a stretcher. Webb has had surgery on his damaged foot but the injury was so serious he will also miss the 2016 Six Nations. \"It hit me straight away, I was an emotional wreck as soon as it happened to a couple of days after,\" Webb said. \"I still think to myself now: 'How am I here and the boys are playing?' But I'm back driving, back in the gym now. \"The amount of pain I was in I knew straight away that my World Cup was over. \"I'd worked so hard over the last two years, with my goal getting that number nine shirt and obviously another one was playing in the World Cup in this country. \"Seeing that go out the window by one freak accident, I was pretty heart-broken.\" Wales' opening wins over Uruguay and England have put them in a strong position to reach the quarter-finals - and Webb says he has been cheered by those victories. Last season's Pro12 player of the year has now set himself the target of selection for the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. \"I've picked myself up slowly seeing the boys win like they have done and playing well - it's just looking forward now. \"My long-term goal is British Lions - that's everybody's dream - but I need to set some shorter goals so I'll do them in a couple of weeks maybe.\" Webb was back among his Wales team-mates on Wednesday as he and fellow injury absentee Leigh Halfpenny - the full-back ruled out of the World Cup and Six Nations with a knee injury suffered in the same game - presented the match jerseys for Thursday's game against Fiji. \"It was obviously a special occasion,\" Webb added. \"I gave a bit of a speech, which was nerve-wracking, but it was very good, I enjoyed it - I was more nervous presenting the shirts than playing. \"Dan Lydiate and Toby [Taulupe Faletau] are winning their 50th caps so it was a pleasure to present them with their jerseys as well.\"", "summary": "Rhys Webb says he knew his World Cup was over the moment he was injured in Wales' final warm-up match."}
{"article": "Twin B and Yasmin Evans announced on 1Xtra that the R&B singer, who's influenced the likes of Alicia Keys and Rihanna, will be playing at 1Xtra Live. It's the seventh year the flagship gigs have taken place and this year it's all happening in Birmingham. Mistajam and DJ Target will be hosting shows live from the National Indoor Arena (NIA) on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra on 15 November. Mary J Blige has won multiple Grammy awards, was ranked ninth in music channel VH1's list of the 100 greatest women in music (Madonna was number one, if you're wondering) and has sold millions of records around the world. Next month we'll get to hear some of her most famous songs live, including No More Drama, Family Affair, Real Love and I'm Going Down. She joins a 1Xtra Live line-up that already includes Rick Ross, who'll be performing his first ever live show for the BBC. Jess Glynne, Fuse ODG and Lethal Bizzle will also be on stage. George Ergatoudis, Head of Music, Radio 1 and 1Xtra, said: \"There are not many events in the world that can boast having both Mary J Blige and Rick Ross. \"For 1Xtra Live we've pulled together a bill featuring 1Xtra favourites from both the UK and abroad - Birmingham is in for an amazing night of live music.\" Joining the stars at the NIA will be 1Xtra DJs like Trevor Nelson, Charlie Sloth and Sarah Jane Crawford. There are 10,000 tickets available for the show. Tickets will go on sale on a first come first serve basis at 18:00 BST on Thursday 23 October. They'll cost \u00c2\u00a310 each plus handling fees and you have to be 16 or over to attend. Full terms and conditions are available on the 1Xtra website. If you can't make it to the Midlands, the show will be available to watch on the Red Button and will be streamed on the 1Xtra website. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Sigma, Fuse ODG, Tinashe and now Mary J Blige."}
{"article": "The Planning Inspectorate has backed the council's decision to demand the property near Crymych is demolished. Owner's Charlie Hague and Megan Williams argued that the straw-walled house had low impact on the environment. But inspectors said that did not change rules on building in rural areas. \"There is a lack of proper justification for the benefits of the low-impact development in this case for this matter to be given sufficient weight and to outweigh the policies which seek to control development in the countryside,\" ruled the planning inspector, Iwan Lloyd. The owners had been living in a caravan for four years, before moving into the new home just before their son Eli was born. Sculptor Mr Hague spent more than a year creating the single-storey dwelling from local materials. The couple were helped by friends and relatives at the neighbouring Lammas eco village. But Pembrokeshire council began enforcement proceedings earlier this year, after ruling it was an unauthorised dwelling built in open countryside. Deputy council leader Rob Lewis said he welcomed the planning inspector's decision. \"Planning is a rigorous process with clear guidelines and if it is to be enforced fairly must also be upheld by everyone,\" he said. The enforcement notice gives the couple two months to demolish the property. However, the council will now consider a retrospective planning application for the house. \"It will be considered on its merits,\" said Mr Lewis.", "summary": "A Pembrokeshire couple who built a 'hobbit-style' eco home without planning consent have lost a demolition appeal."}
{"article": "A 21-year-old man required hospital treatment after the attack near the Stag Bar on Weavers Close on Thursday 22 December. Police Scotland has released images of a man they wish to trace in connection with the incident. They have asked him or anyone who might know him to come forward to assist with their inquiries. He has been described as a black male, aged between 25 and 35 years old with short, dark hair, dark facial hair or a beard. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a two-tone hooded anorak, dark trousers and dark footwear. He was seen in the vicinity of the incident and also subsequently in the Townhouse Hotel. It is believed that he may have links to the Liverpool or Manchester area.", "summary": "Police have released CCTV images as part of investigations into an assault outside an Arbroath bar last year."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Swiss, 79, is appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after he was barred for a \"disloyal payment\" to suspended Uefa leader Michel Platini. Both men deny any wrongdoing. Speaking on the eve of Friday's vote to elect his successor as head of football's world governing body, Blatter said: \"Enough is enough. I will always be a president.\" Fifa's 207 member nations will choose a new president in Zurich, Switzerland. In charge since 1998, Blatter had already announced he was quitting amid a corruption crisis. Five candidates want to replace him - Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, Gianni Infantino, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, Tokyo Sexwale and Jerome Champagne. Media playback is not supported on this device Blatter, under criminal investigation by Swiss authorities for corruption, told the New York Times he had been treated like \"the last of the gangsters in the world\" and said his ban was \"not logical\". Blatter has not backed any of the candidates and said he will monitor the election in private. Asked about the legacy of his 18-year tenure, Blatter claimed he will be remembered for making football loved across the world. He pointed to the Paris attacks in November, in which bombs were let off outside the Stade de France as part of a co-ordinated attack across the French capital which killed 130 people and left more than 100 injured. Blatter referred to the two explosions being \"only outside the stadium\" and added: \"So far, all these outlaw groups, they have never attacked football because they know and they feel that football is for everybody. \"And no footballers have been killed while playing. I think football is something that puts people together that gives them hope.\" Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Outgoing Fifa president Sepp Blatter says he will not return to football - even if his six-year ban is overturned."}
{"article": "The pontiff called for reconciliation as he addressed the Friendship Stadium in Cotonou, Benin's main city in the heartland of the Voodoo religion. The 84-year-old handed over a document showing how doctrine in the Roman Catholic church could heal rifts. The liturgy was delivered in at least 10 African languages and also broadcast in St Peter's Square, Vatican City. Many in the crowd dressed in colourful robes emblazoned with the Pope's image, and some of those who had not made it inside, kneeled and prayed in the car park. The Pontiff urged them \"to be attentive to the cry of the poor, the weak and the outcast\" as well as \"those affected by Aids or other illnesses\". His spiritual vision for Africa - contained in a formal treatise - has been called a \"papal road map\" for the continent. It applies doctrines like turning the other cheek and forgiveness to try to address the conflicts in Africa, such as those fuelled by ethnic divisions. By Virgile AhissouBBC Afrique, Cotonou Voodoo is recognised as an official religion in Benin, followed by some 40% of the population. People across West Africa, especially Togo, Ghana and Nigeria hold similar beliefs. Voodoo has none of the negative connotations it has in the West and many of those who are officially Christian or Muslim also incorporate some Voodoo elements into their beliefs, especially in times of crisis. But Voodoo is more than a belief system, it is a complete way of life, including culture, philosophy, language, art, dance, music and medicine. Voodoo priests ask the gods to intervene on behalf of ordinary people but local adherents stress that they have nothing to do with sorcery or black magic. People here do not stick needles into dolls to cause misfortune to their enemies, as you see in some Western films. It also calls for good governance and the abolition of the death penalty, and condemns abuse of women and children. The document was drawn up two years ago at a meeting in Rome by Catholic bishops from all over Africa. Witchcraft warning On Saturday, the second day of his visit to Benin, the Pope travelled to the city of Ouidah where he called for respect for traditional beliefs but also issued a warning against witchcraft. Voodoo is widely practised in Benin, where it has none of the negative connotations often associated with it in Western countries. The Pope's first public engagement on Friday was at the presidential palace in Cotonou, where he again issued an appeal for reconciliation in front of politicians, diplomats and Church figures. The rise of Catholicism in Africa is in sharp contrast to Europe, which has seen a steep fall in the number of active faithful.", "summary": "Pope Benedict has said an open-air Mass for tens of thousands of people as he wrapped up his three-day African tour."}
{"article": "American Salazar, who coaches Farah in the United States, denies allegations made in a BBC investigation that he has practised doping techniques. Britain's Farah, 32, has been advised to distance himself from Salazar and his US-based Nike Oregon Project (NOP). There is no suggestion that Farah himself has been involved in doping. A BBC Panorama investigation alleged Salazar, who became Farah's coach in 2011, violated anti-doping rules and doped US runner Galen Rupp in 2002 when the athlete was 16 years old. \"I will document and present the facts as quickly as I can so that Galen and Mo can focus on doing what they love and have worked so hard to achieve,\" Salazar told The Guardian in a statement. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I have said all along that I believe in a clean sport, hard work and I deny all allegations of doping.\" Rupp, who was second to Farah in the 10,000m at the 2012 Olympics and holds the US 10,000m record, also denies allegations of wrongdoing. British Olympic Association chairman Lord Coe, who is running for the role of president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, has defended the reputation of Salazar and believes he will mount a \"robust\" defence. UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner confirmed the governing body would scour Farah's records to ensure their star distance runner is clean but said the process will take \"weeks rather than months\" to complete. The US Anti-Doping Agency has not confirmed whether it is investigating the claims against Salazar, but the World Anti-Doping Agency president, Sir Craig Reedie, has said the situation should be investigated. Salazar, Rupp and Farah's agent, Ricky Simms, were made aware of the BBC's allegations a month ago. Meanwhile, a former coach with the NOP has told Runners World he is \"not surprised\" by the allegations of misuse of prescription drugs. John Cook, who was recruited by Salazar in 2003 but left the NOP in 2005, said it was easy to get a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for something like an inhaler. \"If I take you and run your ass up and down the stairs five or six or seven times, then take you into the doctor, you're going to be asthmatic and fail the test and you're going to be allowed to take an inhaler,\" he said. \"Don't get me wrong, some of these drugs make life better for certain groups. But if you're a healthy person, why the hell would you need an inhaler? I was somewhat concerned about that.\" He also derided the effectiveness of current drug-testing programmes. \"I think it's pretty obvious that drug-testing can be circumvented in pretty much every corner,\" said the 73-year-old American. Cook also said his view of athletics had been tainted by what he knows and has seen. \"I follow the sport without particularly much fervour or excitement because I know too much,\" he said. \"When I was na\u00efve, I liked it a lot more. I've been turned off pretty much.\"", "summary": "Mo Farah's coach Alberto Salazar says he will show his accusers are \"knowingly making false statements\" as he continues to deny doping claims."}
{"article": "At Edgbaston on Saturday, England will seek to make it three wins out of three in Group B, hosting Australia, who need to win having had two games washed out. Roy has made only 27 runs in his last five innings for England but Morgan told BBC Sport: \"We believe in him. \"He has been a huge part of our team and we are a very strong side when Jason Roy is firing.\" South Africa-born Surrey batsman Roy, 26, made his one-day international debut in May 2015 and has played in 45 matches, scoring 1,458 runs at an average of 34. He made two hundreds in three matches against Sri Lanka last year - his highest ODI score of 162 taking only 118 balls - but having made three successive half-centuries in India in January, he has reached 50 only once in his last 10 innings. Morgan, one of four England batsmen to pass 50 in the tournament thus far, said he would not be telling Roy to curb his naturally attacking instincts at Edgbaston. \"I don't think anyone uses the phrase 'knuckle down' in white ball cricket anymore, I definitely won't be telling Jason Roy to knuckle down,\" he told BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew. \"Everybody is in a bit of nick and the fact that one guy isn't and we're still winning games says a lot about this team.\" England, twice beaten finalists in the competition, most recently against India in a rain-reduced match at Edgbaston four years ago, have won 10 of their last 11 one-day internationals, their only defeat coming in a dead rubber with South Africa at Lord's last month. \"Everybody seems to be firing, it's the type of performances you need for guys to rub off on each other because even if you're in form sometimes you won't come off but you know someone else has your back in the group,\" Morgan said. Having already secured qualification for the semi-finals, the skipper spoke of a potential 100% record in the group stages: \"It'd be a huge confidence-booster. If we're trying to win global tournaments we need to beat sides like Australia. It's a great challenge and one we're really looking forward to.\" Find out how to get into cricket with our inclusive guide. Australia have won the tournament twice in addition to four of the last five World Cups and skipper Steve Smith says Saturday's match is a must-win encounter for his side. \"That usually does bring out the best of the Australian team in big tournaments, but England have improved and we're certainly going to have to be at our best to beat them,\" he said. The Australia batsmen have faced only 25 overs in the first two matches, both curtailed by rain, and Smith said: \"It's not ideal we haven't got through a full fixture yet but we can't control the weather. For us it's just about treating it as a quarter-final and playing the way we know we are capable of.\" Asked about the pay dispute with Cricket Australia that continues at home,", "summary": "England captain Eoin Morgan says \"runs are just round the corner\" for opener Jason Roy in the Champions Trophy."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The result means Liverpool will top the table at Christmas - ahead of the Gunners on goal difference - as two teams with title pretensions of their own produced a spectacle almost devoid of entertainment and quality. Frank Lampard came closest to breaking the deadlock when he hit the woodwork in the first half, while Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud wasted two good opportunities late on to claim the win that would have seen the Gunners leapfrog Liverpool. \"Credit has to go to Blues boss Jose Mourinho for getting his tactics spot on. Chelsea crowded the midfield, had a solid defence and looked dangerous on the counter-attack. Mourinho came for a point and got one.\" How Mourinho's tactics keep Chelsea in title race Instead, referee Mike Dean's final whistle produced a chorus of boos and chants of \"boring boring Chelsea\" from Arsenal fans frustrated at their team's failure to lay a glove on Jose Mourinho's team. There were some moments to debate in a match that was a niggly, messy affair played out in dreadful conditions, although arguably the biggest news of the night came further up the Seven Sisters Road where Tottenham named Tim Sherwood as Andre Villas-Boas's full-time successor. John Mikel Obi could easily have seen a red card for a shocking first-half challenge on Mikel Arteta that went unpunished by referee Dean and Arsenal were convinced they should have had a penalty when Theo Walcott tumbled after Willian stepped on his foot just before the interval. An undistinguished first half finally burst into life when Lampard found space on the end of Eden Hazard's clever flicked pass but saw his powerful effort bounce off the underside of the bar to safety. The second half, if it was actually possible, opened in even more scrappy fashion and Arteta was the victim of another poor challenge from Ramires, which finally persuaded Dean to show Chelsea's midfielder a yellow card. Mourinho made his first change with 17 minutes left, somewhat surprisingly choosing to replace Hazard with Andre Schurrle, who was soon followed into the action by Oscar, on for fellow Brazilian Willian. Jose Mourinho is now unbeaten against Arsenal in all 10 competitive matches as Chelsea manager (all against Wenger), winning five, with five draws. As a tortuous evening entered its final 10 minutes, Arsenal finally created a chance when Aaron Ramsey found Giroud with time and space but he sent a hopeless angled finish into the side-netting. The France striker was then played in again at the near post by Kieran Gibbs but he was blocked by a combination of Chelsea keeper Petr Cech and his defenders. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger declined to make any changes when the game appeared to be crying out for the invention of Spanish playmaker Santi Cazorla - resulting in a draw that was unfulfilling for both teams. Match ends, Arsenal 0, Chelsea 0. Second Half ends, Arsenal 0, Chelsea 0. Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Tomas Rosicky. Attempt blocked. David Luiz (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box", "summary": "Arsenal failed to reclaim top spot in the Premier League as they played out a dreadful stalemate with Chelsea at Emirates Stadium."}
{"article": "9 February 2016 Last updated at 09:39 GMT One in five children will experience mental health problems before they are 11 - but only a third of schools have an on-site counsellor, suggests research by the charity Place2Be and National Association of Head Teachers. Children at Highfields Primary School have regular counsellors, one of them, Mandy, seems to be making a difference.", "summary": "If left untreated, young children's mental health problems could spiral in adulthood, warns a report."}
{"article": "Rayo Vallecano accepted a \u00a32m bid for the 26-year-old and the Premier League club will seal a third summer signing, subject to international clearance. Michu has passed a medical and agreed personal terms to become new Swansea boss Michael Laudrup's third signing. Laudrup said: \"We're talking about a player who scored 16 goals in a small team in the Spanish league.\" Michu said: \"I really wanted to come to Swansea because of the coach, the style of play and the Premier League. I had other offers. \"I've always followed the Premier League from Spain and I watched a lot of Swansea games last season. They played good football and I liked their style.\" He will join fellow new signings defender Chico Flores and midfielder Jonathan de Guzman on Swansea's three-match pre-season tour to the United States on Sunday following Saturday's friendly at Welsh Premier Port Talbot Town. Unlike De Guzman and Flores, Michu has not previously worked with Laudrup but he said: \"I also know how Michael Laudrup's teams play, so I'm looking forward to being part of that. \"The coach was fundamental to me joining Swansea. I remember watching him as a player - he was a machine.\" The former Celta Vigo playmaker scored 15 goals in 37 games in his only season for Vallecano in La Liga last term. Vallecano's La Liga rivals Sevilla were also believed to be interested in signing Michu while he had also been linked with Swansea's Premier League rivals Manchester United, Fulham, Stoke City, Liverpool, Southampton, Wigan and West Bromwich Albion. Michu, an attacking midfielder, is seen as an ideal replacement for Gylfi Sigurdsson who, after an impressive loan spell at the Liberty Stadium last season, has joined Tottenham Hotspur from Hoffenheim. \"I am happy that the player wanted to come here because I was here,\" said Laudrup. \"I have never worked with him and I haven't paid him! \"He has had a press conference in Madrid to say goodbye to Rayo Vallecano and he should join us for the tour to the USA.\"", "summary": "Swansea City have completed the deal to sign Michu as the Spanish midfielder has agreed a three-year contract."}
{"article": "The 20-year-old's four-month loan with the League One Shrews ends in January. \"Why change the environment? Why does he need to go and play in the Championship?\" Pardew told BBC Sport. \"I'd be quite happy for him to stay where he is - the manager's done a super job with him.\" Kaikai has netted five times in 12 league games for Town so far and it is the competitive nature of life in League One that Pardew wants the player to carry on experiencing. \"He's liked playing for the Under-21s, but there's no league table and at that level (at Shrewsbury) it's life and death,\" he said. \"For Sullay to deliver there is great news for us - I'm very pleased and if I don't call him back, hopefully he can stay there.\"", "summary": "Shrewsbury Town manager Micky Mellon is doing a \"super job\" with striker Sullay Kaikai and he is better off there than at a Championship club, says Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Phelan, 53, was promoted from assistant boss to caretaker manager when Steve Bruce resigned in July. Despite a threadbare squad, he has a 100% Premier League record with wins over Leicester and Swansea. \"He can handle the situation at Hull and the players are playing for him,\" Neville told BBC's Match of the Day. Phelan chose not to make a substitution last week and only made one in the 2-0 victory against Swansea, bringing on Shaun Maloney, who scored the opening goal. Hull are yet to make their first signing of the summer transfer window, despite the departure of several members of last season's promotion-winning squad and a long injury list. Phelan worked under Sir Alex Ferguson for 12 years, having served as a first-team coach from 2001 and assistant manager from 2008-2013. Neville said that experience means he is equipped to deal with the pressure at Hull. If you talk about someone who deserves the opportunity then it's Mick Phelan \"He's done an incredible job so far,\" added Neville, who was part of the United squad when Phelan was on the coaching staff. \"Mick's galvanised that team spirit. They've had a horrendous pre-season. They've got no squad and he's had kids on the bench. \"If you talk about someone who deserves the opportunity then it's Mick Phelan.\" Hull's win over Swansea, which took them third in the table, was sealed by an injury-time goal from Abel Hernandez. The away fans at the Liberty Stadium chanted 'we want Phelan in' but he knows he must continue to win matches if he is to get the job on a full-time basis. He said: \"It was nice to hear them singing that - it's better than hearing them singing 'we want Phelan out'. \"I think everyone knows we have decisions to make on my future, the future of the staff and the ownership.\"", "summary": "Hull City should give Mike Phelan the manager's job on a full-time basis, former England defender Phil Neville told BBC's Match of the Day."}
{"article": "Whitechapel Bell Foundry, which opened in 1570, is in the Guinness Book of World Records as Britain's oldest manufacturing company. The company's owner Alan Hughes said he hoped to have found a buyer by the time he retires in May. The Grade II-listed building in Whitechapel, where it has been based since 1738, has already been sold. The foundry has made numerous famous bells including the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia which summoned the city's residents to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and became a symbol for campaigners wanting to abolish slavery. The foundry also cast the bells for Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral and numerous other cathedrals across the country. Mr Hughes' grandfather bought the business in 1904. \"We have made this decision with a heavy heart, but in response to the changing realities of running a business of this kind,\" he told local community website Spitalfields Life. \"The Bell Foundry in Whitechapel has changed hands many times, but it has always been a family business. \"My own family has owned the foundry since 1904, but other families have run the firm throughout its history. \"The business has been at its present site for more than 250 years so it is probably about time it moved once again. \"We hope that this move will provide an opportunity for the business to move forward in a new direction.\" Mr Hughes said the firm could no longer afford the upkeep of its Whitechapel building and recently had to spend \u00c2\u00a320,000 to repair a leak in the roof.", "summary": "A foundry which opened in Queen Elizabeth I's era and made Big Ben is up for sale."}
{"article": "It has been billed as the biggest edition of the event ever, with more tickets sold than in all of the eight previous championships combined. But who are the big names, when are the big races and how can you keep across the action? Here is everything you need to know. Media playback is not supported on this device The championships opened on Friday evening and run until Sunday, 23 July. There are evening sessions every day, as well as morning sessions from Saturday 15 to Tuesday 18 July and on the final Saturday and Sunday. They do, but they have to share. The recent Anniversary Games, the World Para-athletics Championships and the World Athletics Championships, which run from 4 to 13 August, are all being held at the venue this summer. West Ham's first three Premier League games of the 2017-18 season will be played away from home to accommodate the athletics. As of 6 July there had been 230,000 tickets sold, making it the most well attended World Para-athletics Championships in history. There are still tickets remaining should you decide to go. BBC Radio 5 live will be bringing you commentary throughout the 10 days, as will BBC World Service, and there will be live updates on the BBC Sport website and app. You can also watch the action on Channel 4. A total of 1,074 athletes are competing from 91 nations, with 213 medal events. Great Britain have a 49-strong team. Jonnie Peacock, the 100m sprint star who won gold at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics, came to London in search of a second world title, and got it on Sunday. Hannah Cockroft won three gold medals at Rio 2016 and arrived at the championships with 12 Paralympic and World titles to her name - a total she has added to with 100m and 800m golds, with the 400m still to come Aled Davies and Jo Butterfield dominated the shot put and club throw respectively in Rio and were expected to do the same again. Davies defended his F42 discus world title on Sunday. Kadeena Cox made a name for herself in Brazil by winning gold on the cycling track and athletics track. She began in London with a bronze in the T38 200m, and was hoping to add a 400m world title to her accomplishments. Richard Whitehead, Hollie Arnold and Sophie Hahn all replicated the gold-winning success in Rio as early as day two at these championships, while Georgie Hermitage and Paul Blake had hopes of following suit. Ten-time Paralympic medallist David Weir was never considered for selection after he withdrew from British Athletics earlier this year because of a fallout with coach Jenni Banks. He has subsequently retired from track racing to focus on long-distance road racing and made his last competitive appearance last week at the London Anniversary Games. The absence of Libby Clegg should also be mentioned. Clegg won two sprint golds at Rio 2016 but had to pull out of this summer's event through injury. Media playback is not supported on this device The", "summary": "London Stadium has come alive as the World Para-athletics Championships takes place at the home of the 2012 Paralympic Games."}
{"article": "Julie Parkin, 39, was found dead at an address in Kirkwall Close, Hylton Castle, Sunderland, on Tuesday. She taught at West Boldon Primary School. Head teacher Joanne Weightman said Mrs Parkin was \"highly respected\" and the school was \"deeply shocked\". A 35-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is being held in police custody. Ms Weightman said: \"We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic news. \"Mrs Parkin was a highly valued and respected member of staff who was popular with both pupils and colleagues. \"We are working with the local authority to offer support to students and staff and will co-operate fully with any police investigation.\"", "summary": "A primary school head teacher has spoken of her shock after a teacher at her school was found stabbed to death."}
{"article": "It follows media speculation that the Scottish Secretary could be a potential successor to Nick Clegg. Opinion polls have suggested the Lib Dems are set to lose many seats across the UK and Scotland in May's general election. Mr Carmichael's Orkney and Shetland seat is considered to be one of the party's safest. This has led to him being named in some quarters as a possible future leadership contender. But when asked whether he would like to lead the party, Mr Carmichael said: \"No. There's no vacancy and I have the constituency that is furthest away from London. \"I have got a family that still includes school age children. And the commitment that it takes to be party leader in modern politics is enormous. \"My family already miss out on a lot just by virtue of the fact that I'm an MP and I'm a minister and I'm away from home every week . \"At least I feel that they miss out on a lot, they might feel differently.\" Mr Carmichael did not rule out continuing to have a role at the Scotland Office if the Lib Dems were in coalition after May. He said: \"Who has a job anywhere is for the prime minister and deputy prime minister, and that is well above my pay grade. I have loved every second of being a minister but I've loved every second of being an MP.\"", "summary": "Alistair Carmichael has appeared to have ruled out a future bid for leadership of the Liberal Democrats."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Perry, in his first Triple Crown final at the age of 42, led 4-1 but missed a straightforward red for a 5-1 lead. O'Sullivan won seven frames in a row to move 8-4 ahead before Perry, helped by breaks of 117 and 92, fought back. But O'Sullivan, 41, sealed victory to defend his title and move ahead of Stephen Hendry's six Masters wins. Victory means O'Sullivan claimed the newly named Paul Hunter trophy - in honour of the three-time champion who died of cancer aged 27 in 2006 - as well as the \u00a3200,000 winners' prize money. It also ensured the world number 13 ended a run of three defeats in finals this season and defended the title he won last year by thrashing Barry Hawkins 10-1. \"Joe played a brilliant tournament, a really good match and he should've beaten me. I got lucky - I stole it,\" said O'Sullivan. \"Joe will come again and he is a tough competitor. I'm just relieved to have got over the line. The fans have been unbelievable and I really enjoyed this week.\" On winning seven Masters title, O'Sullivan added: \"It is great to get some records, I still have the World Championship one to get. \"When I was younger I was just happy to win one, so to win seven, someone up there is looking after me.\" 'The Rocket' had to deal with a virus in his first-round final-frame victory over Liang Wenbo and needed to repair a broken cue tip in the semi-final against Marco Fu, which he said was the \"best match he has ever won\". In the final, O'Sullivan seemed unsettled by noise coming from a backstage table early on, but pulled himself together to level the match 4-4 at the interval. He claimed a 32-minute ninth frame to move into the lead for the first time, and then knocked in breaks of 85 and 68 to take control. At 8-6 and with Perry fighting back, O'Sullivan made his first century of the match - a break of 112 - and 859th of his career. The Englishman then held his nerve to win a 20-minute tactical frame and claim his 17th Triple Crown title. Along with seven Masters - the first of which he won in 1995 - he has also claimed five World and five UK Championship crowns, and is now just one behind Hendry's record of 18. Media playback is not supported on this device Perry has only won one ranking title - the 2015 Players Championship - but seemed to take to the occasion well, with breaks of 72, 74 and 115 giving him a surprise lead. But rattling the final red in the jaws of the pocket when presented with the opportunity to go 5-1 up seemed to dent his confidence. Fair play to Ronnie, even when he is not at his best he is still amazing Although he rallied by clawing back three frames late on, O'Sullivan's substantial advantage was too great to overturn. \"I've proved a lot,", "summary": "Ronnie O'Sullivan won a record seventh Masters title by coming from behind to beat Joe Perry 10-7 in the final at London's Alexandra Palace."}
{"article": "There was little corporate news about to excite the market, but in the FTSE 250, shares in laundry services group Berendsen jumped 11% after it looked set to be taken over. France's Elis said it had reached an agreement in principle with the UK firm on key terms of a \u00c2\u00a32.2bn offer. Shares in Flybe rose 1.5% despite the airline reporting a \u00c2\u00a320m loss. The regional carrier has suffered after previous expansion plans proved too ambitious, but the company said the current year was going well. On the currency markets, the pound slipped 0.14% against the dollar to $1.2943, but edged up 0.2% against the euro to 1.1535 euros.", "summary": "The London market edged lower, with the FTSE 100 index down 28.64 points to 7,449.98 at the close."}
{"article": "A specialist unit at Bangor University has refined ways of isolating active ingredients in the natural resin. The expertise in analysing the substance is now being used by the Swansea-based Compton Group to develop commercial uses for the substance. Frankincense was one of the gifts given to the infant Jesus by the Wise Men, according to the Bible story. The tale of the magi's search for the child is celebrated by Christians on Epiphany - the 12th day of Christmas, which falls on 6 January. Frankincense resin is used as incense in religious ceremonies and has been used in traditional medicinal remedies for thousands of years. It comes from the sap of Boswellia trees in parts of Asia and Africa, in particular Somalia, Ethiopia and Oman. More recent research at Cardiff University into the properties of frankincense has suggested it has anti-inflammatory properties. Dr Ahmed Ali, a research consultant for the Compton Group, said work at Bangor University's school of chemistry and its Bio-Composites Centre should help develop new commercial uses and applications for the resin. \"Previous research has established that frankincense could help people with arthritis. It is hoped that not only will pain be relieved, but also further damage to ligaments and bones will be prevented,\" he said. \"I've been investigating frankincense for over ten years and am delighted that developments are moving apace.\" Dr Ali said discussions are well under way with collaborators in the United States to establish new markets for products based on the frankincense research, with patents already lodged in Europe, China and the US.", "summary": "Scientists at a Welsh university hope to help turn frankincense into the next new \"super-ingredient\"."}
{"article": "Others of you might have read some of my stories or observations before, but it's the first time I'm writing as the BBC's political editor. Welcome. I couldn't have a better predecessor than my excellent colleague Nick Robinson, who'll soon bring his incredible insight and wit to the Today programme on Radio 4. But you and I could hardly be starting out here at a more interesting moment in British politics. Over the coming years, I'll try to unpick what's going on, try to capture the essence of what's being said in public, but also what's being discussed in private, and what that might mean for us all. This is an amazing moment, in part because pundits and politicians can't be sure of very much. The rule book is looking a bit tattered around the edges. The reliability of the polls took a hammering in May when the strong and widely held expectation that no one party could win the general election outright turned out to be totally misplaced. The SNP were on the losing side not even 12 months ago in the vote on Scottish independence, but far from defeat damaging them as you might have assumed, historic victory followed in May, as it became the third biggest party in the House of Commons. Now the Conservatives are trying to redraw their rules, casting themselves as the party of the low paid. And it seems the assumptions are about to be broken again. Not for Labour a leader who conforms to the rules it helped design - someone who talks Westminster's language, has doggedly built a career based on party loyalty, and aspires to wide appeal - but a man, Jeremy Corbyn, who has made a life out of being an insurgent in his own party, defying the leadership, and who many of his MP colleagues hardly even know. The political story of the summer has, without question, been how this relatively obscure London MP has packed out clammy meeting halls around the country, exciting thousands upon thousands of people, making himself the most likely candidate to face David Cameron across the despatch box as the leader of Her Majesty's Opposition. But, hold on. Big crowds don't make it a done deal. The actual rules of this contest, not just the excitement of upending political rules, are worth paying attention to. It's hard to find anyone in the Labour Party now who thinks that Mr Corbyn won't win the first round of votes. But that's not it. Unless he gets over 50% of the votes in that first round - far less certain - the rules dictate that whoever is in fourth place drops out and the second preferences of their backers are reallocated to the other candidates. If there is still no winner, the third-placed candidate is then eliminated with their second preferences similarly reallocated. The candidate who has accumulated the most votes through the different rounds then wins. This matters so much because crucially, given how far to the left most of Mr Corbyn's positions are compared with the", "summary": "If you're reading this page for the first time then we have something in common - this is a first for me too."}
{"article": "The hospital said additional beds had been opened to relieve the pressure on the A&E department. A spokesperson for Belfast Trust said the situation was brought under control just before midnight on Wednesday. The RVH said anyone attending A&E could still expect to wait longer than normal. Earlier on Wednesday evening, ambulances were diverted to the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald for several hours, but they are now returning to the RVH. The hospital said some patients may still be transferred to other sites. A spokesperson for the Belfast Trust said \"everything that could be done, had being done\". She described it as a \"very unusual situation\".", "summary": "The Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) in Belfast has called in extra staff to deal with an unusually high volume of patients."}
{"article": "Police tried to arrest opposition MP Albin Kurti, who has led a series of protests in parliament against agreements made with Serbia. Mr Kurti was reportedly not at home when masked police entered his flat in the capital Pristina on Wednesday. Another opposition MP, Donika Kadaj-Bujupi, was arrested for letting off tear gas in parliament. Scores of opposition supporters gathered in front of the government headquarters in downtown Pristina for a second day, throwing stones and paint at the building. Police arrested at least 13 protesters, the AFP news agency reported. A grenade also went off outside the constitutional court in Pristina as the raid on Mr Kurti's flat took place. But there was no confirmation that the explosion, described by police as \"controlled\", was connected. For weeks, Mr Kurti, a former leader of the Self-Determination Party, has spearheaded opposition to a deal with Serbia, mediated by the EU in August, that hands greater autonomy to Kosovo's ethnic Serb minority. The opposition also objects to a border demarcation deal with Montenegro that it says hands Kosovan territory to its neighbour. Police spokesperson Baki Kelani told reporters on Wednesday that they were \"acting upon four detention warrants from the public prosecutor for four MPs\". He said one - Ms Kadaj-Bujupi - had been detained \"while we are still looking for three others\". Kosovo, which has an ethnic Albanian majority, declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but has never been recognised by the Belgrade government. The split came a decade after a conflict between Serb forces and Kosovan Albanian rebels. A Nato bombing campaign against Belgrade in effect forced Serbia to cede the state. The constitutional court in Pristina last week suspended for two months the government's deal providing greater power to Serb-run municipalities pending a review. But the opposition sees the court as too close to the government. Seven people, most of them police, were hurt during protests outside the Kosovo parliament on Tuesday. Petrol bombs and stones were thrown outside the building as pepper spray and tear gas were sprayed inside the chamber. The violence broke out as King Abdullah of Jordan was on a visit to Kosovo.", "summary": "Kosovo police have used tear gas to disperse protesters objecting to arrest warrants issued for opposition MPs."}
{"article": "22 March 2016 Last updated at 00:22 GMT The project was the idea of a BBC Learning employee and was carried out by Kitronik - an electronics kit-maker - which is another partner in the computer education project. The animations were coded using Touch Develop software and involved passing data from one Micro Bit to another in order to produce a maximum frame rate of 12 frames per second. Read more", "summary": "One thousand and nine Micro Bit mini-computers have been linked together to create a large screen that can display messages and graphics."}
{"article": "The whales were spotted along a stretch of beach on Monday evening. Locals together with teachers and students of a local college tried to float the whales back out to sea, but they kept returning to the shore. The last time such an incident occurred in Tuticorin, was in 1973 when 147 whales died. \"At least 45 whales are dead and about 36 others which were rescued and pushed back into the sea are still in the vicinity of the shore,'' Dr Patterson Edward, director of the Tuticorin-based Sugandhi Devadasan Marine Research Institute, told BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi. Whale expert Kumaran Sathasivam said it is \"very difficult\" to rescue stranded whales because they all need to be pushed into the sea at the same time. \"Otherwise, they will return to be with the whale that is in distress. The whales emanate a sound that is not audible to human beings and that makes them return to the shore,\" he said. \"Also, because of their weight they are not able to get back into the water and their bodies gets overheated, and they die on the shore. You need to constantly pour water on them because their bodies are covered in a layer of fat.\" He said it was hard to know if the whales that had been pushed back would survive because there was a strong possibility that they would be too exhausted to swim out to sea.", "summary": "At least 45 whales have died in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu after more than 80 of the animals were stranded on the shore at Tuticorin."}
{"article": "Gwen Smith, 64, said she went up to Mary Logie's flat in Leven, Fife, after hearing the noises. She told a court that the woman accused of the murder, Sandra Weir, had answered the door of Ms Logie's flat. Ms Weir denies murder and has lodged a special defence of alibi claiming she was elsewhere in Leven at the time. Ms Smith told the High Court in Edinburgh that she lived directly downstairs from the pensioner and went upstairs to see what was going on after hearing \"hammering\" noises. On the third day of the trial, Ms Smith said she had then come across a \"horrible situation.\" She told prosecution lawyer Alex Prentice QC: \"Sandra says to me 'she's fell and there's blood everywhere.' \"I said 'it's alright calm down I will go and see' and then I opened the door and there's Mary.\" Ms Smith said that Ms Logie was lying on the floor of her living room. When Mr Prentice asked her if she saw an item lying nearby, Ms Smith replied: \"A rolling pin on the couch.\" Ms Weir denies eight charges, including murder. The trial also heard from a man who told the court he had sold Ms Weir drugs on a number of occasions. Before giving evidence, Mr Prentice told Aaron Robertson, 44, that if any of his answers implicated him, he guaranteed him immunity from prosecution. Mr Robertson said Ms Weir was visually impaired and would come to his home with a guide dog to buy drugs. He said he gave her heroin four or five times in January, charging \u00c2\u00a370 for a 16th of an ounce. He said Ms Weir had built up a debt of \u00c2\u00a3320, which was paid off on 14 January. The trial at the High Court in Edinburgh continues.", "summary": "The neighbour of an 82-year-old woman allegedly beaten to death with a rolling pin has told how she heard \"loud bangs\" coming from the flat."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Many women's races take place on open roads, with marshals marking the front and back of the field. Storey told BBC Sport: \"You have to keep your wits about you. \"You should be on closed roads. That's one of the things I'd like to see change for women in the UK.\" Know someone who volunteers in sport and deserves recognition for their efforts? Give them the chance to shine by nominating them. She added: \"For me I've sort of moved away from racing some of the UK races because they aren't on closed roads and I'm not prepared to risk my life. \"You know we have a racing code of how to stay safe, but then ultimately, you should be racing on closed roads.\" In addition to improving safety, Storey said racing on closed roads with camera bikes would help to develop the profile of women's cycling. \"Then we get the opportunity to build the event into something bigger and be able to get more than just static cameras,\" added the 38-year-old. \"It's a really frustrating time. Although it's fairly even on the track, when you get to the road, there's massive disparity between the men and women. \"The majority of women's racing you just have to follow on Twitter, and that's even true at World Tour level, it's very restricted.\" Storey, 38, narrowly missed out on selection for Great Britain's Olympic team pursuit trio for London 2012, and won the national road race series the same year. She said racing on open roads does not prepare riders for the realities of a professional career, citing \"bigger security, motorbikes, that sort of thing\".", "summary": "Paralympic cycling champion Dame Sarah Storey wants more women's races in the UK to take place on closed roads and is \"not prepared to risk my life\" racing alongside traffic on open roads."}
{"article": "Johnson returns to the fold having become a father, after his girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl. Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson will give captain Gary O'Neil chance to prove his fitness, after he tweaked his knee in Saturday's defeat by Brentford. Johnson also said he could make changes after the loss, but confirmed there are no other major doubts. Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson told BBC Radio Bristol: \"We have got to make sure that our big players turn up and put in good performances. \"They [Preston] have flaws and weaknesses like all clubs in the Championship and we can only exploit them if we are at it. \"We have to make sure that everything we do is positive and on the front foot. We have to be the best team on the day.\"", "summary": "Preston North End have Daniel Johnson and Simon Makienok back after missing Saturday's draw with Nottingham Forest."}
{"article": "The League One side beat Championship club Charlton in the last round. \"We'll be going into every game to win, but we've got to be realistic as well,\" Wright told BBC Essex. \"Both sides are flying at the top of the Premier League, they're aiming for the top four and maybe even the title.\" Fourth-placed Spurs and second-placed Leicester drew 2-2 at White Hart Lane on Sunday, and the winners of the replay will travel to Colchester at the end of this month. \"We need to make sure we don't get overawed by the occasion and give a real good account of ourselves, because it is the FA Cup and you never know,\" added Wright, who became the club's assistant manager when Kevin Keen was appointed as U's boss last month. \"They'll be coming to our place and the pressure will be all on either team that gets through. \"We can set ourselves up and really enjoy the occasion and hopefully cause them a number of problems.\"", "summary": "Colchester United assistant manager David Wright says the club must be realistic about their chances of overcoming Tottenham or Leicester City in the fourth round of the FA Cup."}
{"article": "Two men, a woman and a teenage boy suffered burns to the face, hands, neck and arms in the incident in Severn Side, Stourport-on-Severn at 07:30 BST. The 17-year-old had significant burns to his hands and face and was airlifted to hospital for specialised treatment. A man in his 60s, a woman in her 60s and another man in his 20s were taken to Worcester Royal Hospital. West Midlands Ambulance Service said paramedics were called to reports of an explosion near to the Angel Inn. The man in his 60s sustained superficial flash burns to his face as well as a neck injury. The woman had partial burns to her hands whilst the man in his 20s had sustained superficial burns to his arms and neck, the ambulance service said.", "summary": "Four people have been injured in a suspected gas explosion onboard a boat in Worcestershire."}
{"article": "Taylor, 30, started his career with the Latics, making 254 league appearances before joining Millwall in May 2012. Former Bolton winger Obedayi, 27, scored two goals in 25 appearances for the Scottish Championship side. He has also played under Oldham boss John Sheridan, having served under him at Chesterfield and Plymouth Argyle. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "Oldham have re-signed Bolton winger Chris Taylor on loan until the end of the season and brought in Tope Obedayi after his release by Dundee United."}
{"article": "The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) are set to take over the Dragons as well as their Rodney Parade ground, but the deal will not be completed until 1 July. 75% of Newport RFC shareholders must still ratify the deal which chairman Martyn Hazell called for them to back. \"Until something gets sorted above, we've got to get on with our jobs,\" Evans told BBC Radio Wales. He continued: \"The future for Dragons rugby is positive and as players we've got to make sure it happens on the field and whatever goes on off the field is down to the bigwigs. \"Whatever goes on at the top, hopefully it moves in the right direction and we get a positive future.\" Evans made his 200th appearance for the region in their 17-27 Pro12 defeat by Ulster and is proud of his record. \"They all merge into one and it's something I'm proud of. Running out [against Ulster] was really emotional,\" he said. \"It's nice to be able to come out in the last game of the season at Rodney Parade which I was really looking forward to. \"I felt good going into this game and unfortunately it didn't quite go our way and I thought the performance was there. \"We want to play attacking and attractive rugby and get some wins.\"", "summary": "Newport Gwent Dragons captain Lewis Evans says their players are uncertain about the future of the region."}
{"article": "Souness, who won 54 caps for his country, said the current squad is not up to the standard of his day. \"Going back to my generation we had players in all the big teams in England and winning trophies in England,\" Souness told BBC Sportsound. \"We now have a group that's maybe short of that level.\" Scotland lost both games in their Euro 2016 qualifying September double header to Georgia and world champions Germany, which leaves them sitting in fourth place Group D. \"I think the manager deserves great credit for what he's doing with a limited group of players,\" said Souness. \"I don't want to be harsh on the players because I know when you're a Scotland player you go out and give it your lot. \"The manager deserves great credit for gelling them and getting the very most from a group that are limited. That's all you can do as a manager. \"He's got what he's got and he's doing a very good job of it as far as I'm concerned.\" Scotland's final two qualifiers next month see them host Poland at Hampden before travelling to face Gibraltar. The best they can place in the group now is third place which would secure a spot in a two-legged play-off. However, it is not entirely in their own hands, with a number of permutations needed in other games in the group involving Germany, Poland and the Republic of Ireland. Souness admitted: \"It's never great if you're relying on other people.\"", "summary": "Gordon Strachan is doing as best as he can with the talent at his disposal, according to former Scotland captain Graeme Souness."}
{"article": "The man hid himself in the rear wheel compartment of the plane which landed at Heathrow Airport on Sunday. He was taken into police custody in London but later released without charge. He had bruises and hypothermia from outside temperatures as low as -41C, Austrian media reported. He survived because the plane flew at a low altitude to avoid stormy weather. The man apparently got under a fence at Schwechat airport in Vienna and climbed into the undercarriage of the first plane he saw without knowing its destination. The plane belonged to a sheikh from the United Arab Emirates and had been standing empty on the tarmac at Schwechat airport since Thursday. It flew without passengers to Heathrow, where the Romanian was picked up by police and arrested for stowing away. He could have been charged or fined or given a fixed penalty, the Metropolitan Police told the BBC. But he was cautioned and freed with no further action being taken, PA news agency reported. The man could also have been handed to the UK Border Agency. But it is understood that there is no immigration issue and that the agency will not seek to deport him, according to PA. As Romania is part of the EU, the man is free to enter the UK. A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the stowaway was \"very lucky\" to be alive. \"If they don't find the right part to stow away, they can be crushed when the undercarriage comes up,\" he said. He added: \"Because of the altitude and temperatures during the flight, there is a severe risk to them through exposure and lack of oxygen. \"If that doesn't kill them, then they could be unconscious when the aircraft descends, and that can mean that when the undercarriage opens again, they will fall out.\" According to Austrian media reports, the man just wanted to get out of Vienna and look for work. Romania is a member of the European Union, so Romanians can travel to the UK for holidays. However, controls on Romanians working in Britain remain in place.", "summary": "A 20-year-old Romanian man had a lucky escape after stowing away on a plane flying from Vienna to London."}
{"article": "When anti-Muslim riots erupted in Gujarat state in 2002 after a train fire killed 60 Hindu pilgrims, Kallat responded with an installation of a \"skeleton auto-rickshaw\", evoking the haunting images of burning vehicles during the violence. A recent show in Delhi by the 42-year-old artist has similarly mirrored India's current political and social anxieties. With collections in many prestigious museums across the world and as curator of India's Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2014, Kallat is an significant artist with something sharp to say. His latest show has rightfully generated much conversation. Curated by art historian and curator Catherine David, the show, Here After Here, includes over 100 significant drawings and paintings, photography, video and sculptural installations produced by Kallat from 1992 to the present. \"I've drawn the title from an earlier video work of mine titled 'Infinitum (here after here). I think it conflates space and time in a way that some of my work does,\" Kallat told the BBC. Kallat's exhibits span global and national historical events and concerns, and also deal with tropes like the vastness of the universe and the minutiae of urban life and family links. \"Besides sharing 25 years of my work with a wide audience, at a personal level it is an opportunity to look back at what I've done, to understand what I might do in the future\", he says. \"Kallat is an original artist whose works are powerful statements that are intellectually stimulating and socially engaging,\" says documentarian and arts writer Ina Puri. Hailing from a middle class southern Indian family from Kerala, Kallat took to art as a student at Mumbai's JJ School of Arts. Not surprisingly, ruminations on urban landscapes, of which Mumbai, the city Kallat was born and lives and works, form a recurring backdrop to his work. Take Cry of the Gland (2009) which reflects Kallat's fish eye view of the city's people. It's a collection of enlarged photographs of shirt pockets of men bulging with the weight of ballpoint pens, leaking pens, mobile phones, spectacle cases and beedi, the traditional hand-rolled Indian cigarettes. The images evoke the untold stories of the working class and their jobs in a cramped city. In Kallat's world the quotidian demands introspection. His choice of materials may seem unusual but only help to highlight the ideas and emotions he is trying to evoke in the viewer with his artworks. Cenotaph (A Deed of Transfer) is a series of photographs that shift planes offering differing dimensions to the images of old Mumbai streets, broken pavements, shacks, and objects, including stickers in bubble gum wrappers or the ubiquitous Hindu gods and goddesses. Also poignant are his installations called Death of Distance (2007). The installation of large metallic Indian coin is a sharp commentary on the contradictions in a country where poverty and technology coexist. The installation includes two news reports that explain this glaring divide. One is on a new telephone scheme that promises mobile calls to bridge distances between people for the price of one rupee. The other news report is about the suicide of a", "summary": "When a poor Indian girl took her life because her mother did not have a rupee (15 cents) to buy her food, Jitish Kallat, one of India's most important contemporary artists, could not but be stirred to produce art to reflect the tragedy of human life."}
{"article": "The local Indomitable Lions are away to Sao Tome and Principe on Saturday in the first leg of the latest round of qualifiers for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) - a tournament which is contested by footballers playing in their own domestic league. Song has called up 20 players for the two-legged tie. People should stop thinking that cheating death means I no longer have a normal life \"Initially I had no idea about Sao Tome and Principe, but I have done my homework to know their playing style,\" Song told BBC Sport. \"I have prepared my team to help them give their best performance and put our opponents in difficulty\". Song resumed his coaching job just months after suffering the brain aneurysm which almost claimed his life. The legendary defender took ill in October 2016 and was hospitalised in Yaound\u00e9 where his condition stabilised before he was taken to Paris. He returned home in April and after some months, resumed duty as head coach of the local based squad. He insists he has recovered and says he is fit enough to resume his coaching duties. \"My situation today is ok, I can say I am 80 percent fit already,\" said Song. \"People should stop thinking that cheating death means I no longer have a normal life. \"I feel good and with my staff we are working for better results,\" he added. As he now embarks on the weekend's CHAN qualifier, he does admit to being a novice in the coaching arena. \"It is my first time, but I have worked hard with my assistant coaches and we will try our best. \"We have confidence our players will put up their best performance\" Song said. Song played 137 times for his country and had spells with English clubs Liverpool and West Ham. Before taking up his present role, Song signed up as the national coach of Chad in 2015 but his stay was short-lived.", "summary": "Former Cameroon captain, Rigobert Song, who suffered a brain aneurysm ten months ago, is preparing for his first coaching mission with the home-based national Cameroon side."}
{"article": "The Victorian-era vessel became part of nautical folklore after it vanished in the mid-19th Century. Its captain, Sir John Franklin, had been searching for the fabled Northwest Passage. Experts on Thursday confirmed that the wreck, discovered last month, was indeed the celebrated Royal Navy vessel. \"It is in astonishing condition,'' said search team member John Geiger, president of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. \"We're over the moon.\" The ship set sail from England in 1845 under Sir John's command. He was accompanied by a second ship, HMS Terror, captained by Francis Crozier. Alongside Sir John were 128 officers, all of them aiming to find the elusive sea route linking the Atlantic to the Pacific via the Arctic seas off northern Canada. The two vessels were last seen in the summer of that year bypassing whaling boats in Baffin Bay, off the coast of Greenland. But soon afterwards, the ships vanished. Inuit hunters told tales of starving white men who had been seen in the freezing wilderness over the following months and years. Historians speculated that the ships had become trapped in the vast ice floes of the Canadian Arctic. But until Thursday the exact fate of HMS Erebus had not been known. The ship was discovered after the Canadian government ploughed millions of pounds into an extensive search operation. It was found under just 11 metres of water near King William Island, 2,000km (1,200 miles) north-west of Toronto. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper even participated in the search himself, such was his determination to resolve the mystery. HMS Terror has still not been discovered. Canada has been attempting to assert sovereignty over the Northwest Passage in recent years, claiming the area as its own. However the US government and others say it is international territory.", "summary": "A shipwreck uncovered beneath the icy wastes of northern Canada has been identified as long-lost HMS Erebus."}
{"article": "From the start of the season until 1 October, domestic players accounted for just 50.78% of Scottish Premiership playing time, State of the Game found. That is a fall from last season's figure of 55.66%. In contrast, English players accounted for 19.18% of minutes compared with 16.62% last term. State of the Game analysed the total minutes played by each nationality in the Scottish Premiership and English Premier League and Championship to 1 October this season and in 2013-14. Champions Celtic played nine Scottish players in the period covered by the study, while St Johnstone used a league-high 17. The Perth side were followed by Dundee (16), Hamilton Academical and Partick Thistle. Inverness Caledonian Thistle used the fewest number of Scottish players (five). Meanwhile, levels of Welsh and Northern Irish game time in the Scottish Premiership have remained similar to last season. The Welsh went from 1.09% to 0.92% while their Northern Irish counterparts rose from 4.95% to 5.03%. France and Nigeria have fallen out of the top 10 nations in the Scottish Premiership, with Poland and Germany replacing them. In England's Premier League a total of 18 Scottish players were used in the first six matches compared with 15 last term. This made up 4.87% of the Premier League - up from last season's 3.22%. That leaves Scotland fourth on the list in the English top flight, behind England, France and Spain. Promoted Burnley and Hull City each used three Scots while Stoke City, Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace used two. Scottish players also spent time on the pitch for Manchester United, Aston Villa, Everton and QPR. Scottish players had more minutes on the pitch in the Premier League than the Republic of Ireland (4.22%), Wales (2.45%) and Northern Ireland (1.53%). The percentage of minutes played by Scottish players in England's Championship was almost unchanged, from 9.53% to 9.52%.", "summary": "Scottish players have seen a fall in the number of minutes on the pitch in the Scottish Premiership this season, according to a BBC Sport study."}
{"article": "The 28 prefabricated homes will provide emergency housing for people who would otherwise be forced to stay in bed and breakfast accommodation. Reading Borough Council said it had about 120 families staying in guest houses at the end of 2016. Work begins in Lowfield Road on Tuesday with the first residents due to arrive in the autumn. The development, on the site of a former mobile home park, will consist of seven timber-clad blocks of four units, two storeys high, a children's play area, car parking and bike sheds. Each unit will have two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen-diner and a living room. The 28 homes are intended to house homeless families while they are waiting for authority-owned or housing association accommodation to become available. Legally councils can house families in temporary accommodation for a maximum of six weeks. The council said the stock of affordable housing in Reading had reduced because of high land prices and rents, as well as right-to-buy sales. Housing councillor Richard Davies said: \"Reading, along with many other towns and cities in the region, has seen an increase in the number of families requiring emergency housing. \"This has resulted in the council being forced to use bed and breakfast accommodation which is unsuitable and disruptive for homeless families.\"", "summary": "Work is to begin on a temporary housing scheme for homeless families in Reading."}
{"article": "A motion supporting the name change was passed at a meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council on Thursday. The council will now write to the environment minister to seek clarification on how to go about the change. All previous attempts to change the name have failed. The London prefix was added to Derry when the city was granted a Royal Charter by King James I in 1613. In 1984, the name of the nationalist-controlled council was changed from Londonderry to Derry City Council, but the city itself continues to be officially known as Londonderry. The issue was addressed in the High Court in 2007 when the judge ruled that only legislation or Royal prerogative could change the city's name. On Thursday, Sinn F\u00e9in councillor Eric McGinley brought the motion to the council. \"In the previous Derry City Council there was a clear policy to change the official name of the city back to Derry. \"Unfortunately that proposal was defeated by the DUP and SDLP so we're simply revisiting the issue and yesterday's decision now seeks again to change the official name.\" Mr McGinley added that the proposal was not about airbrushing London from the history of the city. \"We have a clear view that the city needs a clear brand, one single name, one single identity would help promote the city around the world.\" DUP councillor David Ramsey said the motion was simply another attempt to stir up tensions. \"If republican and nationalists politicians in the city are serious about equality and a shared future we should be celebrating our connection with London. \"We should also be celebrating our diversity of our British and Irish cultures and history which includes the historical name Londonderry after the stonemasons who built the city. \"It creates sectarian tension and how does this reflect upon the nationalist republican goal to achieve a shared future?\" DUP Foyle MLA Gary Middleton condemned the proposal and claimed Sinn F\u00e9in had introduced it to distract from their \"illogical position on welfare which is taking \u00a32m per week away from frontline services\". He said the matter had already been ruled upon by the courts. \"In 2007, Mr Justice Weatherup ruled that the city charter could only be changed by prerogative or legislation,\" he added. \"The council is irrelevant to the name of the city. \"Therefore no matter how much Sinn F\u00e9in want to change the name of the city, they know that they cannot.\" Ulster Unionist councillor William McCandless said the \"official name of the city is Londonderry\". He said it was a name that \"unites the two communities - London for the British tradition and Derry for the Irish tradition\". \"Indeed many unionists are quite prepared to use 'Derry' as a shorthand term in everyday speech, but they are in no doubt that for official purposes the full name of the city is Londonderry,\" he added.", "summary": "A proposal by Sinn F\u00e9in to change the official name of Londonderry to Derry has been described as \"sectarian\" by unionists."}
{"article": "The RSPB said a male hen harrier vanished from a Forest of Bowland nest three weeks ago, with males at two others not seen for a week. Male hen harriers disappearing while part of an active nesting attempt is \"exceptionally unusual\", the charity added. Police are investigating. The reward is for any information which leads to a successful conviction. The hen harrier is listed as a red status species, meaning that it is threatened and that populations have suffered a severe decline in numbers. In the absence of males to hunt for food, females at two of the nests were forced to abandon their eggs, the charity said. Last year there were only two breeding pairs in the Forest of Bowland. Martin Harper, from the RSPB, said: \"Hen harriers are hanging on by a thread in England and the disappearances of the past few weeks have made a desperate situation even worse. \"We don't know what has happened to these three birds, but we will find out and we will save our hen harriers. This is an awful setback, but it will not stop us.\" Source: BBC Nature", "summary": "A \u00a310,000 reward has been offered after three rare birds of prey disappeared in Lancashire."}
{"article": "The last school in the borough to teach A-levels, Halewood Academy, announced last year that it could no longer afford to offer the qualifications. It prompted complaints from parents in a borough that already had among the UK's lowest rates of university entry. The plans would see the building of a new dedicated centre for A-levels. A delegation from Knowsley Council has held meetings with the Department for Education, the Education Funding Agency and local MPs. The councillor responsible for education, Joan Lilly, was \"very hopeful\" about plans for building a new A-level centre in the borough, with a final decision expected in May. The loss of A-levels in an entire local authority became a high-profile issue, with claims that it showed social mobility was going into reverse. Since A-levels were introduced in the 1950s, it was unprecedented for a borough not to be able to offer the qualifications. It means that teenagers from the borough, wanting to take A-levels, have to try to get places in schools in other authorities. It also raised questions about how schools were organised locally - as the council had no control over an academy being able to decide to stop teaching A-levels, even though it ended all A-level provision in the borough. The decision to allow the closure was then approved by central government. Halewood Academy's decision also highlighted problems with funding - as the academy said that it was not financially viable to deliver A-levels, once its sixth form had fallen below a \"break-even\" point of 155 students. Vanessa Pointon, part of a parents' campaign against shutting down the sixth form, had said: \"This is letting down the children of this community. There are people who want to go to university, lots of kids who want to do well.\" Joan Lilly, the council's cabinet member for children's services, said there seemed to be confidence in plans for a new place to study A-levels. \"The council has been working hard to raise standards in all our secondary schools, and with the establishment of the Knowsley Education Commission the Department for Education seems confident that these efforts will begin to have an impact in the near future. \"It is only right, then, that we work together to ensure that pupils have a top-quality centre in which to study A Levels here in the borough - and that is what we are very hopeful that we will achieve.\"", "summary": "Knowsley is planning to offer its young people A-levels again, with government and local representatives holding meetings over a new A-level centre."}
{"article": "The Cumbrians have gone 11 League Two games without defeat since the start of the campaign - a club record - and are up to third in the table. Carlisle's early pressure failed to yield too many clear-cut chances although Michael Raynes was inches off sliding home a Jason Kennedy flick-on after Danny Grainger swung over a corner from the right. The home side were second best for periods before half-time, but improved after the break and Raynes forced Sam Walker to tip his close-range header on to the crossbar. Raynes was involved again when Kennedy gave Carlisle the lead in the 50th minute, the defender heading Nicky Adams' corner back across the face of goal for Kennedy to force home. Colchester missed a great chance to level the scores in the 66th minute when Sammie Szmodics found himself one-on-one with Gillespie but lifted the ball over the goalkeeper and over the bar from eight yards. Szmodics then had a diving header cleared off the line, but substitute Ibehre relieved the tension in the 79th minute when his header from Grainger's corner on the left slipped through Walker's hands and into the net. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Carlisle United 2, Colchester United 0. Second Half ends, Carlisle United 2, Colchester United 0. Glen Kamara (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Charlie Wyke (Carlisle United). Attempt blocked. Dion Sembie-Ferris (Colchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Substitution, Carlisle United. Jamie Devitt replaces Michael Jones. Attempt missed. Craig Slater (Colchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Attempt missed. Denny Johnstone (Colchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Substitution, Colchester United. Glen Kamara replaces Sammie Szmodics. Foul by Reggie Lambe (Carlisle United). Lewis Kinsella (Colchester United) wins a free kick on the left wing. Attempt missed. Jabo Ibehre (Carlisle United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Attempt saved. Jabo Ibehre (Carlisle United) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Hand ball by Jabo Ibehre (Carlisle United). Corner, Colchester United. Conceded by Reggie Lambe. Goal! Carlisle United 2, Colchester United 0. Jabo Ibehre (Carlisle United) header from very close range to the top left corner. Assisted by Danny Grainger with a cross following a corner. Corner, Carlisle United. Conceded by Tom Eastman. Substitution, Colchester United. Chris Porter replaces Drey Wright. Corner, Colchester United. Conceded by Jabo Ibehre. Attempt blocked. Sammie Szmodics (Colchester United) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Corner, Colchester United. Conceded by Michael Raynes. Substitution, Carlisle United. Jabo Ibehre replaces Shaun Miller. Attempt missed. Craig Slater (Colchester United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Corner, Colchester United. Conceded by Michael Jones. Corner, Colchester United. Conceded by Michael Jones. Attempt blocked. Drey Wright (Colchester United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Corner, Colchester United. Conceded", "summary": "Second-half goals from Jason Kennedy and Jabo Ibehre helped Carlisle beat Colchester 2-0 and extend their unbeaten start to the season."}
{"article": "Seven-year-old Lily-Grace Hooper was told she could not use her cane at Hambrook Primary School in Winterbourne Down near Bristol. Her mother Kristy Hooper said she was \"devastated\" when she was told of the decision last Thursday. The school stressed the measure was a temporary one while the situation was discussed with the family. Ms Hooper, who first spoke to the Bristol Post, said her daughter suffered from severe sight impairment after she suffered a stroke at four days old. She had been using the lightweight cane in school since April without issue, her mother added. \"When I picked her up on Thursday her teacher said... Lily-Grace could no longer bring her cane into school. I was quite shocked,\" Ms Hooper said. \"Lily-Grace is quite sad because she likes to use her cane because of the independence it gives her.\" Head teacher Jo Dent said: \"The pupil has not been banned from bringing in their cane, we have simply asked them to not use it around school as a temporary measure until we have the chance to meet with the parent and discuss the situation. \"It was initially hoped we would have this resolved within a day or two. \"The school's mobility officer raised health and safety issues around the new cane following a recent risk assessment. \"We have to consider all of our pupils, so it is important that we have an opportunity to discuss the situation before we make any decisions. \"We are very keen to resolve this issue as soon as possible and have been actively seeking to engage with the parent to bring this to an agreeable conclusion.\" Geoff Cox, from the Health and Safety Executive, said there was nothing in HSE regulations that would stop a child \"from using a walking stick in school\". He said it was up to those involved to work out \"sensible\" arrangements. \"I hope common sense prevails here,\" he said.", "summary": "A blind schoolgirl has been asked to stop using her white cane in school due to health and safety concerns."}
{"article": "John Martin, 48, denies murdering Russian pianist Natalia Strelchenko, 38, at their Manchester home on their second wedding anniversary last August. Manchester Crown Court heard he took the diazepam believing it to be his prescribed anti-depressant medication. He said \"everything is very blurry\". It is alleged the double bass player strangled and beat Ms Strelchenko, who was also known by the surname Strelle, in a loss of temper at their home in Newton Heath on 30 August. Giving evidence, Mr Martin, also known as Jon Skogsbakken, said he had been suffering with depression and that he had unwittingly taken unmarked diazepam tablets for around six weeks. He said he \"guessed\" they had been prescribed to his wife. Mr Martin told the jury he had suffered with depression since 2005 and his GP would prescribe him Escitalopram. He told the court that taking the diazepam was \"the biggest mistake of my life\". Mr Martin said: \"I would never have taken the two together, absolutely not\", if he was aware the tablets could have a \"paradoxical and aggressive response\" and when taken with alcohol it could increase the effects. The court heard following an argument with Ms Strelchenko, he drank four cans of cider at their home before going to the working men's club where he had another pint of cider and then returned home. He said: \"I just sat down on the floor and poured myself a glass of wine. I started to drink it. Natalia was angry because I was drinking wine and she tried to take it away from me. \"Everything is very blurry for me. I can't recall anything after that point. \"I still love her very much. I would never wish to do such terrible things to her. I recall virtually nothing.\" Mr Denney QC said: \"Do you accept that on evidence you killed Natalia?\" Mr Martin replied: \"Well according to what the witnesses described...I perfectly understand that I must be the man behind it.\" Mr Martin, who had worked for the computer firm IBM in his home country of Norway, met Ms Strelchenko in 2007. She had performed piano recitals at New York's Carnegie Hall and London's Wigmore Hall. The trial continues.", "summary": "A musician accused of murdering his wife has told a court \"I perfectly understand that I must be behind it\" but recalls \"virtually nothing\" after taking diazepam and alcohol."}
{"article": "Robin Clark, 44, was shot in the leg in the car park at Shenfield station on 24 January, by a gunman in a balaclava. He spent several weeks in hospital but has since returned to his job at RP Martin in London. British Transport Police says a man from Essex has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. He has been released on bail pending further inquiries.", "summary": "Police investigating the shooting of a city trader at a station in Essex have arrested a 51-year-old man."}
{"article": "It wasn't so much \"here's a rabbit from the hat\" but more: \"look over there - a squirrel!\" So, with some nasty new forecasts, and without big changes in the near-term tax and spending totals, George Osborne opted to look busy - taking from bigger business and particularly the soft drink firms that put sugar into their fizz, while giving to smaller business, savers and higher rate income tax payers. He got busy at a very local level, even finding \u00a35m from banker fines to build a leisure centre in Helensburgh. He halved tolls on the Severn Bridge and he's upgrading trunk roads across northern England (which ought to be very welcome to Scottish hauliers). Meanwhile, as the Chancellor was flunking some of his own fiscal tests, this Budget flunked a test that others had set him - to simplify the UK's horribly complex taxation system. By the time we find out if the claims of getting to a fiscal surplus, using 2020 vision, we'll surely have long forgotten the Budget of 16 March 2016. While Mr Osborne sounds confident about getting to a \u00a310bn surplus, the forecasts on which he is basing that have widely divergent possible outcomes. He is going with the central one. But if you look at the forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility, it has a 'fan diagram' showing the wide range of possible growth outcomes. The variation is not only for 2020, but for 2016 - ranging between growth of a sizzling 3.8% and contraction of a dismal 0.2%. So as forecasts are near certain to be wrong, how instead might this Budget be remembered? Perhaps for something that George Osborne only briefly mentioned - productivity. It's turned out disappointingly again. And that's knocked back the growth estimates for the economy, as well as for pay, for tax revenue, and for company profits over the rest of the decade. Britain's not alone in that. But keeping company with the USA on such numbers is not that reassuring. While George Osborne didn't say much about productivity, the Office for Budget Responsibility did. It was OBR numbers that forced the Chancellor into that fancy financial footwork. With its forecast last November, the OBR had taken healthy signs of productivity growth from the middle two quarters of last year, and projected them forward. However, the fourth quarter pushed productivity backwards by 1.2%, eliminating the progress made in the previous six months. Having assumed 1.4% growth over three quarters, it ended up with nothing. Duly chastened, the OBR turned more pessimistic this month, and reckons productivity will continue to drag. Back in 2010, when it was set up, the independent forecaster expected productivity to grow by 22% over the course of this decade. It now thinks that will be more like 14.5%. The US Congressional Budget Office, equivalent to the OBR, has revised forecasts down to a slightly greater extent. And as that is the main, long-term driver of real pay, it means Britain's standard of living will improve from the recession, but at only two thirds of the", "summary": "This was a Budget with a message about the next generation, and a massage of difficult underlying figures."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old won with a total of 16.041, as USA's Danell Leyva claimed silver and Russia's David Belyavskiy took bronze. World champion You Hao finished eighth, as China left the Rio gymnastics competition without a title. It was the first time they have not won gold in the sport since 1980. China boycotted the Moscow Games that year. Verniaiev missed out on the all-around title by just 0.101 points after hopping forward when dismounting the high bar. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox. Find out how to get into gymnastics with our special guide.", "summary": "Ukraine's Oleg Verniaiev won Olympic gold on the parallel bars in Rio after narrowly missing out on the all-around title."}
{"article": "Bolton Wanderers legend Nat Lofthouse was absent from a plaque listing every England player's debut. The FA was alerted by a Bolton fan shocked to see the \"Lion of Vienna\" missing from a pride of England stars. Les Medley, who was a star of the \"push and run\" Tottenham team of the early 50s, was also missed out. The FA has apologised to the families of both players. \"We appreciate this matter being brought to our attention and, following an investigation, have ascertained that it was due to a formatting error,\" said a spokesman. \"The panel is in the process of being taken down and will be replaced imminently\" The omission of England's sixth highest scorer, who netted 30 goals in 33 games, was spotted in the week when Wayne Rooney scored his 50th goal for England to break Sir Bobby Charlton's record. Bolton's club historian Simon Marland said: \"How can you miss a guy a who scored 30 goals in 33 games?\" \"Anyone can make a mistake but on the positive side it's probably got people talking about Nat.\" Lofthouse earned the nickname \"The Lion of Vienna\" because of his winning goal for England in 1952 against Austria following a run from the halfway line.", "summary": "The Football Association has apologised for its own-goal in omitting one of England's most prolific scorers from a roll of honour at Wembley Stadium."}
{"article": "Scientists and celebrities were among those who turned out for the first March for Science, part of a string of events across the UK and the world. Organisers said the growth of fake news and misinformation made it crucial to highlight science's \"vital role\". It took place on Earth Day, which promotes environmental protection. Supporters gathered outside the Science Museum in Kensington, bearing placards on which double helices and chemical symbols sat alongside political slogans. Thousands then marched to Parliament Square passing institutions such as the Royal Society. Many of them were protesting against what they see as a trend among politicians for discrediting scientific research. Concerns that rhetoric threatens to override research flared in the UK last summer when former cabinet minister Michael Gove claimed during the EU referendum campaign that the public had \"had enough of experts\". In the US, President Donald Trump has previously called climate change a \"hoax\", raising concern in the scientific community there that the public were beginning to doubt the facts provided as scientific evidence. Organisers said the events were also a celebration of science and a call to support and safeguard the scientific community. Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi and comedian Robin Ince were among those who joined activists in London. Mr Ince, who hosts the scientific podcast The Infinite Monkey Cage, said: \"I think there are many reasons people are out here. \"I think we're worried about the fact there seems to be a reigniting of parochialism in politics... \"I think the idea of deriding experts, the idea of deriding people that spend their entire life researching and experimenting, is a return to charlatanism if we start doing that.\" The Commons Science and Technology Committee this month stressed the importance of allowing scientists and experts to come to the UK following Brexit. It followed a host of warnings from influential figures in the scientific community that divorce from the continent could have a crippling impact on research and provoke an exodus of talent. In March, Nobel Prize winning scientist Sir Paul Nurse said: \"I don't think there's anything in Brexit that helps universities, either in teaching or research, but we are where we are... we have to make the best of it.\" Parallel marches were hosted across the UK, including in Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff and Edinburgh. A government spokesman said: \"As we prepare to exit the EU we will maximise our potential by building on our achievements so we remain a leading destination for the brightest and best minds at all stages of their careers.\"", "summary": "Thousands of people have gathered in London to join a celebration of science amid fears research is under threat from a \"post-truth\" age and Brexit."}
{"article": "The Burnley-born goalkeeper, who has signed a two-year contract, has played for Scotland Under-21s and now hopes to impress head coach Gordon Strachan. \"He'll watch a lot more matches up here,\" said the 21-year-old. \"So there's a good chance, if something happens with the first-team lads, I might get a chance.\" Fulton revealed that the current Celtic manager helped his early development while he was Liverpool boss. \"When Brendan Rodgers was there, I was training with the first team day in, day out,\" said the goalkeeper, whose father is from Paisley. \"I got to see a lot of him. He's a really good guy. \"He would give me a lot of pointers and tips where to go. I have full respect for him.\" Fulton admits he realised three years ago that breaking into the first team at Anfield was going to be beyond him at this stage of his career, and says it was not difficult to leave the English Premier League club. \"It's tough to get in the team there,\" he said. \"I'm at that age now where I need to start playing first-team football and be challenged at the same time. \"I was going out on loan to try to get that experience. I think the best thing for me is to move on and get playing. \"This is a good challenge for me. I think it's what I need. \"It's a good stepping stone, it's a good club to be at and it's a good league to be in, so I think it was a no brainer for me.\" Fulton played 13 times in a six-month spell with Portsmouth in League Two then made 29 appearances last season for Chesterfield as they finished bottom of League One. He does not regret joining a side battling in vain against relegation, saying it will stand him in good stead as he looks to help perennial bottom-six outfit Accies avoid the same fate. \"That was good for me because I gained a lot of experience from that,\" he added. \"It was a challenge for me. You have to slug it out at some stage, so it is great to have it under my belt.\"", "summary": "Ryan Fulton is hoping his switch from Liverpool to Hamilton Academical will eventually pay dividends with a full international call-up for Scotland."}
{"article": "Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, is charged with murder, attempted murder, possession of a weapon and intimidation. During his brief appearance, he shouted slogans such as: \"You call it terrorism. I call it patriotism.\" He could also be heard shouting \"Death to the enemies of America\". \"Leave this country if you hate our freedom - death to antifa,\" he said, using a common abbreviation for the anti-fascist movement. He did not enter a plea to the charges and is due to appear in court again on 7 June. President Donald Trump has tweeted that last week's attack was \"unacceptable\". Portland's mayor is meanwhile trying to ban a forthcoming right-wing rally in the West Coast city. The attack unfolded on Friday afternoon after the suspect began spewing \"hate speech\" towards two young women on a train, police said. Taliesin Namkai-Meche, 23, and Ricky Best, 53, intervened and were fatally stabbed at the Hollywood Transit Center train station, said investigators. Another man, Micah David-Cole Fletcher, was slashed in the neck and is recovering. He was in court on Tuesday to see Jeremy Joseph Christian's appearance. Destinee Mangum, 16, said she had been with a friend wearing a hijab on the first night of Ramadan - Islam's holiest month - when the suspect targeted them. \"He told us to go back to Saudi Arabia, and he told us we shouldn't be here, to get out of his country,\" she told KPTV-TV. \"He was just telling us that we basically weren't anything and that we should kill ourselves.\" The mother of Namkai-Meche, Asha Deliverance, took to Facebook to write an open letter to President Donald Trump, urging him to \"take action\". \"Your words and actions are meaningful, here in America and throughout the world,\" she wrote. \"Please encourage all Americans to protect and watch out for one another. Please condemn any acts of violence, which result directly from hate speech & hate groups. \"I am praying you will use your leadership to do so.\" Detectives say they are investigating Mr Christian's background of extremist ideology. At a \"Free Speech\" rally in Portland on 29 April, police confiscated a baseball bat he had allegedly been using to threaten liberal protesters. Mr Christian was later filmed performing a Nazi salute, and shouting racial epithets while wearing an American flag as a cape. On his Facebook page he has praised Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and posted a death threat against Hillary Clinton. And he wrote: \"If Donald Trump is the Next Hitler then I am joining his SS\". Mr Christian has also voiced support for Senator Bernie Sanders, the Wall Street-bashing, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate. According to the Oregonian newspaper, Mr Christian pleaded guilty in 2002 to robbing and kidnapping the owner of a store. In 2010 he was charged with theft and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Mayor Ted Wheeler said he welcomed the president's tweet on Monday condemning the attack. But he urged the federal government to revoke a permit for a \"Trump Free Speech Rally\" scheduled for this weekend in Portland. He said", "summary": "A suspect accused of fatally stabbing two people on a train in Oregon, after they intervened in his alleged anti-Muslim rant, has appeared in court."}
{"article": "The UK oil giant has said that fraud and false compensation payments are behind the escalating costs it faces. But Judge Carl Barbier ruled that there was no \"credible evidence of fraud\" or that the compensation process was tainted by conflicts of interest. BP said it continued to believe that the compensation system was being abused. Former FBI director Louis Freeh is investigating allegations of misconduct in the claims program. The oil company insists that the payouts should be suspended while Mr Freeh carries out his probe. In an emailed statement to Bloomberg on Wednesday, BP said: \"As we await the completion of this broad investigation [by Mr Freeh], we continue to believe a temporary pause in payments is warranted. \"BP is reviewing its options with respect to the district court's decision today.\" The Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion killed 11 workers and released an estimated four million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. BP set up a compensation fund, initially estimating the cost of the settlement at $7.8bn (\u00a35.03bn). The company has since raised the estimate to $9.6bn.", "summary": "BP has lost a second attempt to suspend compensation payments over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil rig disaster."}
{"article": "19 April 2017 Last updated at 17:30 BST Maureen Leathley was a prima ballerina who toured the country with operatic companies. Ms Leathley said the movement and the music takes her \"to another world\".", "summary": "A 91-year-old woman from Hull is still dancing - 79 years after she began ballet classes."}
{"article": "Here we highlight some of the stories that readers enjoyed the most during the course of the year. No year could pass without a major product launch and this year's most read was the announcement in September that Apple was entering the crowded wearable market with a smart watch of its own. Every year could be described as the year of the hack but 2014 saw some pretty significant ones, not least the Heartbleed bug which put security experts into a tailspin in April. Meanwhile one of the most read stories of the year was also one of our last (of the year, not ever I hope). Prof Stephen Hawking's assessment of artificial intelligence offers a tantalising glimpse into what we might be reading more about next year - the endless rise of the intelligent machine. January: 'Super-rare' Nintendo games hits eBay Fans of old video games were queuing up to get their hands on a copy of Nintendo World Championships, one of only 116 copies made as part of a special event in 1990. A first bid of $4,999 (\u00c2\u00a33,000) set the tone for the eBay auction. Even though the cartridge was in poor condition, its rarity - designed for a competition and never put on general sale - meant it would be something of a holy grail for keen collectors, according to gaming experts. The game eventually sold to a bidder for over $99,0000 - although the winning bidder later backed out. February: Flappy Bird creator removes game from app stores The game theme continued into February when everyone was talking about the new gaming sensation - Flappy Bird. Seen as a natural successor to Angry Birds, it proved short-lived when its Vietnamese creator Dong Nguyen announced that he was removing the game from online stores. Many questioned whether the real reason was because he may have faced legal action from Nintendo as the main characters resembled those in Super Mario Bros. By the time it was withdrawn the game had been downloaded more than 50 million times, making it the most popular game of the year. For those who had it installed on their phones, it put an immediate premium on the device with people selling handsets on eBay for $1,000 until the online auction site put an end to such trades. March: Thousands make #nomakeupselfie donation error Before the ice bucket challenge took hold this summer, another charity-raising craze hit social media in the spring - taking a self portrait wearing no make-up. Once the picture was posted on social media, users were asked to donate to Cancer Research UK. But unfortunately not all of the funds raised by the stunt went to the intended cause. The BBC discovered that thousands of pounds were accidentally donated to Unicef instead of Cancer Research UK, as people sent money by texting DONATE rather than BEAT. Unicef told the BBC that over \u00c2\u00a318,000 had been identified as being accidentally pledged to it and that it was working with Cancer Research to transfer the money. April: Heartbleed Bug: Tech firms urge password", "summary": "Privacy, bugs and naked selfies - just part of a day's work for the BBC technology team in 2014."}
{"article": "The academy said that nations were measuring their wealth by GDP (Gross Domestic Product), taking no account of the harm caused by business practises. It urged countries to act as stewards of God's creation. The statements are likely to influence the Pope's coming Encyclical on climate change. An Cambridge Economics professor, Partha Dasgupta, told the academy's climate conference in the Vatican: \"GDP is a disgraceful index because it does not count depreciation of our assets - including damage to Mother Nature, the most fundamental asset we have.\" Cardinal Peter Turkson, who helped write the coming Encyclical - an official statement - said: \"For humans to degrade the integrity of the Earth by constant changes in its climate; by stripping its natural forests; to contaminate Earth's water, land and air with poisonous substances - all of these are sins. \"There is an all-embracing imperative to protect our garden, our hope. We must move away from our unthinking infatuation with GDP.\" The academy heard speech after speech urging the moral case for protecting the climate for future generations. Meanwhile, a small group funded by a US climate contrarian body in Chicago has been in Rome rallying against the Vatican's climate drive. One of the participants, Christopher Monckton, said the Pope \"should listen to both sides of the scientific argument... not only people of one, narrow, poisonous political and scientific viewpoint\". Inside the conference itself, the astronomer Lord Rees, former President of the UK's Royal Society, was putting just such a balanced view. He acknowledged uncertainties over climate science, especially over how water vapour and clouds would react to warming. He said some people were willing to bet on a low level of warming, mitigated later in the century by new technologies more affordable in a richer economy. But, he said, the risks of triggering an irreversible catastrophe lasting thousands of years was too great. \"It would be shameful if our inheritance was a depleted and hazardous world,\" he said. The Church is hoping to make an impact in a year of key UN meetings on Sustainable Development Goals, development finance and climate. The Encyclical is expected to describe action to cut emissions as \"a moral and religious imperative, highlighting the intrinsic connection between respect for the environment and respect for people - especially the poor, children, and future generations\". The Pope is hoping to build agreement among all religions on the moral obligation to protect the environment. Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, who heads the Academy, said the Encyclical would not be the highest level of proclamation from the Pope, which is reserved for issues of Faith. But he said it was important for all the world's 1.2 billion Catholics to take it seriously. If any Catholic wanted to ignore it they would need \"very good reasons - based not on personal or political opinion, but on science\". For some Catholics, this may prove an unwelcome Papal intervention into a highly politicised subject. But the aid agency Cafod said its poll with YouGov showed the vast majority (70%) of Catholics say their community will heed", "summary": "The Vatican Science Academy has challenged politicians to end their \"infatuation\" with a form of economic growth that is ruining the Earth."}
{"article": "Buchanan, 25, came through the Quins academy set-up to make his debut against Leicester in 2010, and has since made 116 appearances. He toured Argentina with England in 2013, but did not play a Test match. \"Rob has made significant strides this season in nailing down the starting hooker position,\" director of rugby John Kingston said. \"His love of the club is there for all to see and he will play a significant role in the quest for more silverware over the coming years.\" The front-rower joins Charlie Mulchrone, Ross Chisholm and Dave Ward in agreeing extended deals with the club. Quins' academy side has brought through a strong contingent of first-team and international players, with Buchanan, recent England and British & Irish Lions call-up Kyle Sinckler, George Lowe and Joe Marchant all adding depth to the squad. \"I have been with this club since I was 16 and it was an easy decision to extend my time,\" Buchanan said. \"To be able to work under the guidance of Adam Jones and Graham Rowntree for the coming seasons is incredibly exciting for me, and I am grateful to John Kingston for the opportunity to continue my career here at Harlequins.\"", "summary": "Hooker Rob Buchanan has extended his contract with Harlequins, although terms are undisclosed."}
{"article": "A hexacopter hovers 40m or more above the ocean, kitted out with a high-resolution camera to record valuable images of these huge beasts. Researchers can use these pictures to count the whales, but also to study their health and their behaviour. This will allow a thorough survey of the gray whales living off California. \"We can't put a gray whale on a scale, but we can use aerial images to analyze their body condition - basically, how fat or skinny they are,\" said John Durban, a marine mammal biologist at Noaa Fisheries. Gray whales reach up to 15m in length and can live for more than 50 years. The amount of fat that they carry is crucial - especially for a mother nursing a calf. This is because the beasts don't eat during the long months they spend migrating. So they need a healthy stock of blubber if they are to reach their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic. Studying the animals from the air allows Dr Durban and his colleagues to compare their size, between different animals but also over time. \"By studying the body condition of females, we hope to connect the dots between conditions in the Arctic one year and calf production the next,\" he explained. \"Ultimately, we're trying to understand how environmental conditions affect the reproductive success of the population.\" These whale were hunted nearly to extinction but after legal protection was introduced in the second half of the 20th Century, they recovered. In 1994, the Pacific population of gray whales officially came off the US endangered species list. This makes them a valuable subject for research - since most other large whales are still threatened or endangered, there are very few opportunities to see how larger populations interact with each other and their environment. \"With gray whales, we're just beginning to understand what a recovered population of large whales looks like,\" said Dr Durban. The team has also used drones to look at killer whales off the coast of British Columbia, in Canada. The height of the hexacopter is a key concern, because whales and other marine species are sensitive to disturbances in their environment. So the contraption is fitted with a precise altimeter to monitor how high it is. That helps with analysing the pictures, but also means it can keep a safe distance. The researchers keep their drone at least 40m above the water, and flying at that height requires a special research permit. For amateur drone or wildlife enthusiasts, regulations require a minimum distance of at least 300m.", "summary": "Instead of standing on the shore with binoculars, scientists are turning to drones to monitor wild populations of whales off the US coast."}
{"article": "The cobbles were replaced with stone paving slabs to stop people with buggies and prams and those in wheelchairs having to use the road. But some villagers say the blue lias stone used \"looks like concrete\" and should be replaced. Somerset County Council said it was listening to concerns before making a further decision. It said it would be prepared to replace the blue lias with Brecon grey slabs - which are used elsewhere in Dunster - if acceptable, but added it \"would not be cheap\". The work, on West Street, was part of a \u00a3400,000 highways improvement scheme, which also included upgrades to traffic signals and resurfacing work. Councillor Harvey Siggs, who is responsible for highways, said the majority of the work \"had been very successful\". \"However, the choice of paving slabs used in West Street has been the subject of some concern.\" he said. Dunster was part of the Luttrell family estate until 1951, when it was sold. After the sale, Somerset County Council's highways department took responsibility for the roads but not the pavements. It previously said it would only adopt the pavement if a smooth surface was laid. The cobbles had fallen into a state of disrepair and people had been falling and injuring themselves. The Dunster Working Group wanted to re-lay them, but was worried about being sued if anyone fell. The village attracts thousands of visitors a year because of its 1,000-year-old castle and features including the medieval cobbled streets. The Dunster Working group includes representatives from Somerset County Council, the local parish council, the National Trust and the Exmoor National Park Authority.", "summary": "Re-laying a pavement in Dunster, Somerset, where cobble stones were removed, could cost \u00a360,000."}
{"article": "Boudicca Scherazade, 47, allegedly became obsessed with Laurence Roche after spotting him on his furniture stall in Wimbledon, London. She sent photos of underwear and messages saying she was in love with him, and followed him around markets, it was claimed. Ms Scherazade denies stalking. St Albans magistrates were told how Ms Scherazade, from Middlesex, obtained Mr Roche's contact details from business cards left on his stall. Her stalking campaign started after she gave him a bunch of flowers in 2013 and it continued until May 2016, it was said. Prosecutor Clinton Hadgill read samples of the messages allegedly sent. One included a photo of a pair of knickers on a rug with the caption \"I've taken them off just for you\". In other messages, she is said to have told him: \"I need your love so bad, can't live without you...\" It was claimed Ms Scherazade followed Mr Roche, who had a partner and child, to various markets and car boot sales, \"continually\" walked past his stalls, took photos of him and \"caused him embarrassment\" by shouting at him. In the TV series Storage Hunters, Ms Scherazade, of Garrick Villa, Hampton, travelled the country with other dealers hoping to find a bargain. She appeared in the show in 2015. She pleaded not guilty to a charge of stalking without fear, alarm or distress. The case continues.", "summary": "One of the stars of reality TV series Storage Hunters stalked a market trader for three years and bombarded him with explicit messages, a court heard."}
{"article": "Luckily, Nikos Giannopoulos knew exactly what that something would be when he walked into the Oval Office: a fan. And thanks to that one, rather unusual object, the photo of the special education teacher, the US president and the first lady has gone viral. The 29-year-old had travelled to Washington from his home after being named Rhode Island Teacher of the Year. Along with teachers from every state, he was invited to the White House to meet Donald Trump - and he made very specific decisions about what to wear. In a Facebook post, he revealed he wore a rainbow pin, in \"gratitude to the LGBTQ community\", a blue jacket and black fan to \"celebrate the joy and freedom of gender nonconformity\", and an anchor necklace in honour of the Rhode Island. It was the fan - which belonged to Mr Giannopoulos's partner - which really stole the show. He told NPR that, despite the president's immediate appreciation for the fan, which he praised as \"stylish\", Mr Giannopoulos was told by White House staff to put it away for the official picture. But he decided to quietly keep it by his side until it was time for the photo. \"I just asked the president, 'Do you mind if I use the fan for the photo?' He said, 'Absolutely go for it.' So I popped my fan and did my pose.\" The result? A viral photo which has been \"liked\" thousands of times.", "summary": "It takes a certain something to steal the limelight when standing next to the world's most powerful man."}
{"article": "Scarr, 22, who starred in Stourbridge's run to this season's FA Cup third round, has signed on a two-and-a-half year contract, for an undisclosed fee. He becomes the sixth signing made by Blues in the January transfer window. On top of the pre-arranged completion of striker Lukas Jutkiewicz's move from Burnley, new boss Gianfranco Zola has now made five more signings. As well as bringing back Craig Gardner from West Bromwich Albion, he last week signed Middlesbrough full-back Emilio Nsue, Cheick Keita from Italian Serie B club Virtus Entella, and winger Kerim Frei from Turkish side Besiktas. Stourbridge boss Gary Hackett said: \"We have agreed terms with Birmingham. We have accepted we won't have Dan with us moving forward and good luck to him. He deserves the opportunity.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "Championship side Birmingham City have signed defender Dan Scarr from non-league neighbours Stourbridge."}
{"article": "Carwyn Jones dropped in on EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier today before issuing a joint statement with Nicola Sturgeon condemning the \"naked power grab\" of the legislation. That statement prompted UKIP to accuse Mr Jones of \"crossing the road to pick a fight\". Both first ministers say they won't recommend the Bill in its current form gets the legislative consent of AMs and MSPs. Not for the first time the Welsh first minister is warning of a \"constitutional crisis\". And not for the first time in recent weeks he has put Theresa May's government on the back foot. The first ministers' \"power-grab\" is what the UK government sees as an essential way of ensuring Welsh farmers (among others) can continue to trade after Brexit before UK-wide frameworks are decided. The UK government has put together a factsheet on the Bill and devolution that puts its side of the argument. Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said: \"I have got to look Welsh farmers in the eye and tell them yes they will be able to have the opportunity to continue to sell their Welsh lambs in France, and across Europe. \"But in order to get to that position we need this framework in place. That is fundamental to the trade arrangements.\" Discuss. In other news, Wales's youngest MP has delivered his maiden speech. Ben Lake, 24, gave a traditional speech that included a generous tribute to his Liberal Democrat predecessor Mark Williams: \"He gained the respect of this House, and the affection of the constituency, thanks to over 12 years of tireless service,\" said Mr Lake. \"Thousands of people from across the county have benefited from his advice and assistance, and I hope to continue with his good work. I wish him, and his family, the very best for the future.\" As is traditional, he spoke of the delights of his constituency. \"We can also justifiably claim to be the capital of Welsh culture,\" he said. \"In addition to housing the National Library and two universities, Ceredigion has two thriving publishing houses in Talybont and Llandysul, and the recently restored castle at Cardigan played host to the first national Eisteddfod in 1176.\" He also praised \"the emphatic landscape and the famous quick-witted humour of the Cardi\" but also noted Ceredigion's challenges. \"Several of my predecessors in this House have pointed to the tragic irony that Ceredigion bestows upon its youth an unrivalled education, but offers them a paucity of job opportunities and affordable housing. \"For decades, our county has lost the potential and the vitality of its youth. Around half her young people leave the county by the time they reach 25 years of age.\" His speech was relatively uncontroversial, although Bridgend Labour MP Madeleine Moon picked him up on one point. \"I take exception a little bit,\" she said, \"to his suggestion that Ceredigion is the finest place in Wales to go on holiday. Porthcawl is obviously a great seaside town but what I would say I hope his speech has inspired those who are listening to think of Wales as their holiday", "summary": "There's no disguising the frustration in UK government circles over the reaction from Cardiff to its \"great repeal Bill\" - formally known as the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old only made four appearances in the County Championship for Hampshire in 2014. \"It's been a sad decision to make, but I think it's in the best interests of my cricket to go elsewhere and to start a fresh chapter in my career,\" Balcombe told BBC Radio Solent. \"Coming up to 30, I need to play and I wasn't getting the opportunity.\" London-born Balcombe came through Surrey's academy but joined Hampshire after impressing for Durham MCCU, making his debut in 2006. After a loan spell at Kent in 2011, where he took 33 wickets in five Championship matches, Balcombe took 59 first-class wickets for Hampshire in 2012. However, he has been unable to replicate that form since then and this year he took five wickets in Division Two at an average of 48.80. \"It's sad to leave the club that gave me my first chance in professional cricket and I've had some wonderful memories,\" he said. \"It's a wonderful club to have been a part of and I'm very proud to have been part of such an ambitious club. I had the opportunity to sign an extension but I want to broaden my horizons and Surrey have given me that opportunity. \"It was a hard decision to make because of what the club have given me but I had to make a selfish decision. It's a fresh challenge, they pushed hard to get me and it's an exciting move.\"", "summary": "Surrey have signed fast bowler David Balcombe from Division Two champions Hampshire on a two-year contract."}
{"article": "The Swans are bottom of the Premier League having won just twice all season and face Sunderland on Saturday. \"We haven't gone into individuals sort of money but they are fully committed to make some signings to give everybody a lift to go forward,\" he said. \"We need some players in to give everybody a lift.\" American owners Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan bought a controlling stake of 68% of shares in the club in July. Manager Bob Bradley's job could be on the line after he was made bookies' favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked but Jenkins says the club is focused on avoiding relegation. \"We don't control every story that goes out in the press. The recent story about Bob Bradley, I don't know where that came from,\" he continued. \"Our main aim is to make sure we get things right over the next three games and have a few discussions over the next few weeks to make sure we strengthen the team in January. \"We are fully committed to try and make sure we compete and stay in the Premier League every year.\" Jenkins has said he takes responsibility for the club's slump, which has left them bottom of the Premier League. Fans have turned on Jenkins and the board, accusing them of greed after selling most of their shares in July's American takeover.", "summary": "Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins has agreed with the club's American owners that money will be available for transfers as they fight relegation."}
{"article": "Abba Moro dismissed the attack as \"desperate\" and \"isolated\". \"The security agencies of Nigeria have been able to push the Boko Haram sect from their major strongholds,\" he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme. Nigeria has declared an emergency in three states after thousands of deaths in militant attacks in recent years. Boko Haram is fighting to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north. By Will RossBBC News, Lagos If this was Boko Haram, it might appear baffling. Many churches have been bombed but why would a group that wants to impose Islamic law across Nigeria open fire on worshippers at a mosque? In fact this would not be the first time Boko Haram has targeted a mosque - Muslim clerics have also been killed because of their views. The gunmen may have known that amongst the worshippers were members of the vigilante groups that have sprung up to help the army defend the population. Three months ago the military campaign was launched. But the Islamist militants have not been defeated - over the past month more than 160 people have been killed in attacks on boarding schools, army and police bases as well as a Christian-dominated area of Kano City. Other attacks go unreported. So what is the way forward? One Borno state official suggests the only solution is to deploy more vigilante groups. The mosque attack happened during dawn prayers on Sunday, although news only emerged on Monday, as communications have been disrupted by the state of emergency. It took place in the town of Konduga, 35km (22 miles) from the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, where Boko Haram was established in 2002, launching its first attack seven years later. Twelve further civilians were killed at Ngom village, closer to Maiduguri, reports say. Boko Haram has not commented on the mosque attack but news of it came as a video emerged of the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, saying his followers had carried out recent attacks including some that targeted the police and the military. He said this showed that the army's claims to have inflicted heavy losses on the group were \"lies\". It is not clear why the mosque was targeted - one explanation is that members of a local vigilante group may have been praying there. Several such groups have been set up since the emergency was declared in Borno and two neighbouring states in May. Boko Haram frequently attacks churches but it has also occasionally targeted mosques and preachers disagree with their views. The attackers wore military uniforms, officials say, which they may have taken during recent attacks on a barracks. Following a lull immediately after the emergency was declared, there has been a recent spate of attacks, blamed on Boko Haram, which have left some 160 people dead. But Mr Moro said these were the \"desperate antics\" of a group trying to show it was still relevant. Thousands of extra soldiers have been sent to the region since the state of emergency was announced. The military cut mobile phone networks when they imposed the state", "summary": "Nigeria's interior minister has said the army is making progress in the war against Boko Haram militants, despite the killing of 44 people in a mosque."}
{"article": "But the World Health Organization says all the cases can be traced to the south-east of Guinea, where the outbreak began, and it should not be considered an epidemic. BBC correspondents in the region explain the effects of the outbreak of the virus, which kills between 25% and 90% of its victims. The traditional handshake is no longer a part of salutations in Guinea as people are now really terrified of being infected with Ebola. An infected person, who may not show symptoms for up to 21 days, can pass on the disease through direct contact. \"I no longer go out of the house just so that I do not have cause to shake people's hands,\" Mohamed Barry, a 65-year-old retired civil servant, said. The outbreak originated in the southern Forest Region where Geuckedou is thought to be the hardest hit town with more than half of the cases of infection and deaths. Bats, a local delicacy in the south, are thought be carriers of the virus. Their sale and consumption has been banned by the health ministry along with other bushmeat. Many health workers - including at least three doctors - were amongst the first victims. \"Most doctors at first treated the infected patients for malaria - hence medical staff treating these patients also got infected,\" Dr Sakoba Keita, from the health ministry, said. The capital, Conakry, is the latest place to be hit, with one reported death - but it is here that the situation is most worrying as two million people live in in the city. The disease has no known cure and no vaccine, so the main advice to people from health officials is to keep one's environment clean and wash hands regularly. All homes now have bowls or buckets filled with disinfectant at their entrance for both inhabitants and visitors to wash their hands. The outbreak is also affecting business. Senegal, for example, has closed its land borders with Guinea until further notice, and hundreds of people and their merchandise are stranded in vehicles on the Guinean side. \"Our goods are about to perish,\" one businessman told a local radio station on Tuesday. The border is one of Guinea's busiest when it comes to cross-border trade - it shares borders with six countries in total. Some flights have been affected as well: Air Mauritania has refused to fly Guinean passengers in transit in Dakar to Conakry on the grounds of the Ebola outbreak. The large number of international medical experts from across the world who are now on the ground are giving people some assurance that the disease will be contained. But funeral corteges are also getting smaller and smaller as a result of a fear of infection by someone who has had contact with a corpse. \"I don't go to any funeral now whether it is an Ebola-related death or not or whether it is my relation that has died or not,\" says schoolteacher Mariam Mansare. When fears about Ebola first started last week, people dismissed it as a way for health officials to solicit funds", "summary": "An Ebola outbreak which is so far suspected of killing at least 83 people in Guinea has spread to Liberia, sparking concerns it could spread further afield in West Africa."}
{"article": "Bell-Drummond (80 not out) and Denly (78) shared an opening stand of 131 after being set 234 to win. Alex Blake smashed two sixes in his 34 not out as Kent reached 236-5. Earlier, Michael Carberry made 61 as he shared a first-wicket partnership of 80 with Jimmy Adams (47), but Hampshire collapsed to 233 all out. Kent's slow left-armer Fabian Cowdrey, who only had five domestic one-day wickets before the match, helped to bring about the demise of Hampshire's innings with career-best figures of 3-32. Bell-Drummond then missed out on surpassing his limited overs best of 83, after Blake took the attack to the bowlers and scored the majority of the runs in their half-century stand. Kent captain Sam Northeast: \"If we can get the first powerplay right, do things better up top than we did today, then we can be a proper side in this format. The guys did so well to drag us back into things. \"The run chase went fairly smoothly thanks to Danny [Bell-Drummond], who again showed how his one-day game is maturing when opening up alongside an experienced campaigner like Joe [Denly]. \"Those two laid the foundations and made life pretty comfortable for the rest of us.\"", "summary": "Kent openers Daniel Bell-Drummond and Joe Denly both hit half-centuries to lead their side to a five-wicket win over Hampshire in the One-Day Cup."}
{"article": "Both Glasgow and Edinburgh said flights were back to schedule by 19:00. A technical issue had caused delays to flights through all of Scotland's main airports. Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Prestwick airports were affected by the incident at the Scottish Air Traffic Control centre at Prestwick. Air traffic controllers Nats said there had been interference with some radio frequencies used to talk to aircraft. The organisation has apologised to passengers and said it was also doing everything it could to safeguard the evening rush hour. Nats said the faulty piece of equipment had now been removed from service. All flights at Edinburgh Airport were delayed while three Glasgow Airport flights were cancelled - one to Gatwick and two to Amsterdam - and delays were expected throughout the day. There were also a small number of delays on southbound flights from Aberdeen Airport. Nats spokesman Paul Haskins told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: \"We've had a technical problem overnight with interference with some of our radio frequencies which we use to speak to aircraft. \"It only affects some parts of Scottish airspace and flights from and to some Scottish airports but there may be delays as a result this morning. \"We have identified the cause and isolated the problem and the situation is now improving.\" Transport minister Derek Mackay said: \"There was a technical issue that has been rectified and addressed, however there are knock-on consequences to the airlines. \"People should check with their airlines and the airports to ensure that their flights are running.\"", "summary": "Scotland's busiest airports have returned to normal after a day of disruption caused by an air traffic control failure."}
{"article": "The UK agency said it lost 32,000 pages of data and 81 audio tapes linked to a bribery probe into BAE's al-Yamamah deal with Saudi Arabia. The investigation into the huge arms deal was discontinued in 2006 after intervention from then-Prime Minister Tony Blair. The SFO said the lost material comprised 3% of data about the deal. It said it lost the items when it returned more material than intended to a source in the investigation. The data loss took place between May and October 2012 and was discovered in May this year. The SFO said it had contacted the 59 suppliers of data for the investigation to inform them of the situation. \"Any loss of data is a serious matter and the SFO has taken action to ensure no further material can be wrongly sent out,\" the agency said in a statement. It continued: \"The SFO has a duty to return material to those who supplied it, upon request, after the close of an investigation. \"In this instance the party requesting the return was sent additional material which had in fact been obtained from other sources.\" Peter Mason, former director of security at the Palace of Westminster, has conducted a review and made some recommendations, including raising the profile of data handling as a key risk in the SFO's business. A former civil servant, Alan Woods, is also conducting a wider-ranging review of SFO processes. The al-Yamaha deal involved the sale of tens of billions of pounds worth of arms by BAE Systems to Saudi Arabia, beginning in the 1980s and ending in 2006 with the sale of 72 Typhoon fighter jets. Allegations of corruption and bribery led to an SFO investigation in 2004, but it was closed in 2006 on grounds of public interest, amid concerns that relations with Saudi Arabia were being harmed. The firm paid $450m (\u00c2\u00a3289m) in fines in the UK and US three years ago to end other corruption investigations in both countries. It pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiring to make false statements to the US government, including on deals in Saudi Arabia, and in the UK on one charge of breach of duty regarding payments made in Tanzania. Speaking about the data loss, a BAE spokesman said: \"Ultimately, this is a matter for the SFO and as far as BAE Systems is concerned, it is now closed.\" Labour MP Emily Thornberry, shadow attorney general, said the incident \"raises more questions than it answers\" and asked what the government was doing to \"ensure that this never happens again\".", "summary": "The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) says it has lost thousands of documents relating to a probe into BAE Systems."}
{"article": "Jose Ortiz was on board the 5-1 second favourite - trained by Todd Pletcher - to emulate brother Irad Ortiz Jr, who won the same race last year on Creator. Tapwrit's late charge overhauled Irish War Cry in the closing stages to win by two lengths in New York, with one-eyed horse Patch, a 13-1 shot, in third. The Triple Crown includes the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. It is Pletcher's third victory in the race and his second of the Triple Crown this season, after winning the Derby with Always Dreaming.", "summary": "Tapwrit won the Belmont Stakes ahead of 3-1 favourite Irish War Cry in the final leg of the US Triple Crown."}
{"article": "Border policing command deputy director Tom Dowdall said a fresh intelligence-gathering campaign was being launched. He said the threat around Essex, Kent and Sussex from migrants reaching the UK in small boats needed attention. MPs have raised concerns about a lack of Border Force boats to patrol the coast. The Home Affairs Select Committee said only three boats were available to patrol 7,000 miles of shoreline. The Home Office said it made use of radar and aerial surveillance and has ordered eight more boats. In the latest incident, Sussex Police arrested five men at Winchelsea after a group arrived on a dinghy. Police said the group, all from Iran, were held on suspicion of gaining illegal entry to the UK on Sunday and are now being dealt with by the Home Office. Mr Dowdall said: \"We will, with Border Force, be re-launching a community-intelligence gathering over the course of this summer. \"What we ask people to look out for is what out there did they consider to be abnormal. \"We certainly think that the threat that's posed in the south coast... requires some more focused attention with the local communities, which we think will be very helpful to us.\"", "summary": "Community intelligence is needed to tackle the migrant boat threat along the south coast, a National Crime Agency (NCA) chief has said."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old victim became aware that a man was inside the property in Pier Place at about 12:15 on Friday. A struggle between the pair resulted in the woman suffering a dislocated elbow and a minor injury to her face. She fled and got help from a neighbour who contacted police. The suspect was thin, about 6ft and wore a tracksuit. He also spoke with a local accent. Police are conducting local enquiries to trace the man and asked anyone who can help identify him to come forward. Det Sgt Mike Leask said: \"The victim sustained painful injuries to her arm and face, which required medical attention and left her incredibly shaken.\"", "summary": "A woman has been injured by an intruder during a break-in at her Edinburgh home."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 12 goals scored at the Westfalenstadion on Tuesday surpassed Monaco's 8-3 win over Deportivo La Coruna in 2003. There were seven goals in 22 first-half minutes, and Marco Reus scored twice on his return from six months out. Polish champions Legia became the first side to score four goals in a Champions League match and lose. Dortmund captain Marco Reus celebrated his return after six months out with goals in the 32nd and 52nd minutes, while his shot was deflected by Legia's Jakub Rzezniczak into his own net in the 92nd minute. \"I was just happy to be there from the start,\" said Reus, who missed the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016 because of injury. \"It is how you imagine your perfect comeback. I waited a long time for this and so it is even sweeter. The ball will be signed by everyone and will go on the shelf.\" Match ends, Borussia Dortmund 8, Legia Warsaw 4. Second Half ends, Borussia Dortmund 8, Legia Warsaw 4. Own Goal by Jakub Rzezniczak, Legia Warsaw. Borussia Dortmund 8, Legia Warsaw 4. Attempt missed. Michal Kucharczyk (Legia Warsaw) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Jakub Rzezniczak. Offside, Legia Warsaw. Tomasz Jodlowiec tries a through ball, but Michal Kucharczyk is caught offside. Attempt blocked. Andr\u00e9 Sch\u00fcrrle (Borussia Dortmund) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Marco Reus. Corner, Borussia Dortmund. Conceded by Radoslaw Cierzniak. Attempt saved. Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Gonzalo Castro. Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Jakub Rzezniczak (Legia Warsaw). Matthias Ginter (Borussia Dortmund) is shown the yellow card. Foul by Matthias Ginter (Borussia Dortmund). Miroslav Radovic (Legia Warsaw) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Gonzalo Castro. Offside, Legia Warsaw. Michal Kucharczyk tries a through ball, but Nemanja Nikolic is caught offside. Goal! Borussia Dortmund 7, Legia Warsaw 4. Nemanja Nikolic (Legia Warsaw) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Miroslav Radovic. Foul by Erik Durm (Borussia Dortmund). Bartosz Bereszynski (Legia Warsaw) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Goal! Borussia Dortmund 7, Legia Warsaw 3. Felix Passlack (Borussia Dortmund) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner following a fast break. Attempt saved. Andr\u00e9 Sch\u00fcrrle (Borussia Dortmund) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Christian Pulisic. Foul by Felix Passlack (Borussia Dortmund). Jakub Rzezniczak (Legia Warsaw) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Matthias Ginter (Borussia Dortmund). Miroslav Radovic (Legia Warsaw) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt saved. Nemanja Nikolic (Legia Warsaw) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved", "summary": "Borussia Dortmund beat Legia Warsaw 8-4 in the highest-scoring Champions League game in history."}
{"article": "Jaguar Land Rover has discontinued the famous off-road vehicle, which has been exported across the world. More than two million have been made since the original Land Rover Series began production in Solihull in 1948. Plans to bring in stricter measures for new car emissions by 2020 meant there were \"certain conditions the Defender just won't meet\", the company said. Defenders of the rich and famous The last Defender: Is Land Rover's off-road heyday over? More on the Defender and updates from Birmingham and Black Country A \"big turnout\" of \"cheering workers and media everywhere\" accompanied the completion of the last Defender at about 10:00 GMT, said BBC Midlands Today's transport correspondent Peter Plisner. \"It's the death of an icon,\" said Simon Collins, Warwickshire and West Midlands Land Rover Club secretary. There were cheers and sadness this morning as we witnessed the last Defender roll off the production line after almost 70 years; the longest-running production car in the world. We heard about a family in which three generations had worked on the Defender and the Series of models before it. Some workers also chose today to retire rather than transfer to other parts of the plant. All 700 employees who worked on the Defender were invited to a farewell event to the iconic model. Land Rover also brought in some of the vehicles from the past. It was quite a send-off. Motoring journalist Quentin Willson said the Defender would live on. \"With some 70% of Land Rovers ever built still around we will still be able to cuddle them and see them on the road. And while we can shed a tear, there are still lots and lots of Land Rovers,\" he said. A replacement model for the Defender is being developed, said the manufacturer.", "summary": "The last Land Rover Defender has rolled off the production line amid cheers, ending 67 years of the 4x4 being made."}
{"article": "The match had been set for 24 January at Seaview but now a new venue and date will be arranged by organisers. Linfield lodged an appeal against the County Antrim FA's decision to play the final at Crusaders' Shore Road venue. The match gives David Healy the chance of a first trophy since taking over as Linfield manager in October 2015. Under Northern Ireland's record goalscorer, the Blues have lost in Irish Cup and Shield finals and also finished runners-up in the Irish Premiership last season. The most likely date for this season's Shield decider is Tuesday, 7 February and the choice of venue appears to be between the Oval in Belfast or the Showgrounds at Ballymena. Meanwhile, Glenavon have confirmed that they have signed defender/midfielder Aaron Canning from Championship club Loughgall until the end of the season.", "summary": "The County Antrim Shield final is to be held at a neutral venue after Linfield challenged a decision to stage it at the ground of opponents Crusaders."}
{"article": "The Irish twice took the lead through Sean Murray and Alan Sothern before being pegged back by Pakistan. Almost constant Pakistan pressure was rewarded when Abu Mahmood levelled from a penalty corner to make it 2-2. Ireland counter-attacked in the 57th minute for O'Donoghue to score the decisive goal from another set-piece. Earlier, Murray converted a brilliant opener in the 11th minute when he connected with John Jackson's cross and sent a first-time shot into the roof of the net. Aleem Muhammed Bilal equalised from the penalty-spot in the 17th minute and within 60 seconds of the start of the second half, Alan Sothern made it 2-1 with a first-time deflection. Mahmood equalised with 14 minutes remaining before O'Donoghue's late winner. The sides drew 2-2 in Thursday's opening game and will meet again on Sunday (14:00 BST) as the Irish continue their preparations for the World League semi-finals in Johannesburg. Next month's South African tournament doubles up as the main qualifying tournament for next year's World Cup. Later this month, Ireland will play against Germany, Spain and Austria at the Hamburg Masters which takes place from 22-25 June.", "summary": "A late goal by Shane O'Donoghue sealed a 3-2 win for Ireland men's hockey team over Pakistan in the second game of the three-match series at Lisnagarvey."}
{"article": "About 10 \"non-sponsored sleepovers\" have been logged across the world by the Swedish furniture giant this year. In the past, people have hidden themselves in stores in the US, Canada, UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Japan, Australia and Poland. Most recently, two 14-year-old girls were caught after spending the night at the branch in Jonkoping in Sweden. The craze appears to have been started by two Belgian YouTubers in August. Their video, which has had 1.7 million views, documents their exploits - including jumping on beds - after they hid in a wardrobe for three hours to avoid detection. Unlike the 14-year-old girls, however, they were not caught and walked out after spending another few hours in the wardrobes waiting for the store to open. Ikea has decided not to formally charge the Jonkoping teenagers because of their young age, but two girls who were caught in Malmo, Sweden, in October were not so lucky. According to Sydsvenskan, the 15-year-olds had been too scared of setting off the alarm to leave the cupboards they were hiding in, and were reported to police for trespassing when they were discovered in the morning. An Ikea UK spokesperson told the BBC: \"We appreciate that people are interested in Ikea and want to create fun experiences. However, the safety and security of our co-workers and customers is our highest priority and that's why we do not allow sleepovers in our stores.\" A Swedish spokesman added: \"Maybe needless to say that the fun in it is overrated. A long night of sitting still, only to then risk getting into trouble with the law.\" Ikea owns and operates nearly 400 stores in almost 50 nations.", "summary": "Ikea is urging teenagers to stop creeping into its stores and having illegal sleepovers."}
{"article": "Captain Jerry Kyd hailed a \"truly seminal moment for Scotland\" as he took command of the future flagship at Rosyth Dockyard in Fife. The 65,000 tonne ship will be based at Portsmouth Naval Base HMS Queen Elizabeth is one of the largest surface warships ever constructed for the UK. A second carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, is still under construction in Rosyth. Captain Kyd said the Queen Elizabeth will be tasked with \"protecting British maritime power around the world wherever the government needs it\". He said maritime warfare has \"changed very little\" since the Battle of Jutland, 100 years ago next week, when Royal Navy battle cruisers set out to enforce a British blockade during the First World War. But the Queen Elizabeth will be equipped to deal with future threats, including unmanned aircraft, robotics and cyber attacks. He added: \"As a naval officer I always want more ships and more aircraft carriers, but I can't see in the foreseeable future two more ships of this scale being built in the United Kingdom\".", "summary": "The new commanding officer of HMS Queen Elizabeth has taken control of what he expects to be one of the last major aircraft carriers built in the UK."}
{"article": "A court hearing to decide how long Ciar\u00e1n Maxwell will serve in prison is under way at the Old Bailey. In February, Maxwell, 31, admitted a number of offences, including bomb-making and storing stolen military weapons. The County Antrim man also pleaded guilty to drugs and fraud charges. The hearing is expected to take up to three days. Maxwell is not in court, but is appearing via video link from Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes. According to the charge details, he had a stash of explosives in 12 purpose-built hides in England and Northern Ireland. DNA evidence found at one of the County Antrim hides led to Maxwell's arrest. On Wednesday, the court heard that Maxwell told police he had taken a member of the Continuity IRA to a hide where he had stashed pipe bombs in Northern Ireland. The court was told the man he took to the hide was Niall Lehd, convicted in 2014 of possession of an explosive substance with intent to endanger life. Maxwell, who is originally from Larne, had handwritten \"to-do lists\" mentioning \"targets, dummy runs and recces\" and a number of towns in Northern Ireland. The exact details were redacted by the court, but the targets included a Territorial Army centre and substations. There was also reference to a loyalist group, the need to notify news agencies and the words \"test pipe bomb and car bomb\". In one of his hides, Maxwell placed a modified booby-trapped torch which, when armed, would explode if turned on. Maxwell lived in Exminster, County Devon, and was based with 40 Commando in Taunton, Somerset. He never served in Northern Ireland. He was arrested last August and a search near Exeter found hides with a range of explosive substances, as well as ammunition, weapons and tools for making bombs. Along with the 14 pipe bombs, the court heard Maxwell also stashed: On Wednesday, prosecutor Richard Whittam QC told the court: \"Across 14 of the locations involved in the investigation, Mr Maxwell had in his possession, or had constructed, 14 pipe bombs... four have been deployed in Northern Ireland. \"It is our case that some of the items inevitably must have been taken from the UK to Northern Ireland by this defendant.\" He added: \"It may be that, when travelling between England and the UK, bearing in mind the identity cards he would have had, and his position, his passage would have been easier than others to take items with him.\" The court heard dissident republicans have carried out more than 160 terrorist attacks since 2010, including the deployment of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) such as pipe bombs. Mr Whittam said: \"Whilst attacks are mainly directed at members of the police, military and prison service, the nature of the attacks leaves members of the public at risk.\" The court heard that Maxwell \"appeared shocked\" when he was arrested. After his arrest, drugs were found in locker at the camp, including herbal cannabis, cannabis resin, and hallucinogenic drugs DMT and LSD. In March 2016, police said bomb-making parts had been found in barrels", "summary": "A Royal Marine with links to dissident republicanism made 14 pipe bombs - four of which were used in Northern Ireland, a court has heard."}
{"article": "In the latest attack on their home, a number of rocks were thrown through the windows. The woman has said she \"can't stop her tears from pouring\" and is worried about her children's safety. The police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward. The woman, who we are calling Amina, is due to give birth next month. She said she has been unable to sleep or eat since the attack and is worried about the impact that it might have on her unborn baby. Amina, her husband and children, moved into a hostel following the attack. \"We were out and when we came back, we found the police waiting for us and they told us that someone had broken the windows of the house,\" she said. \"There was glass everywhere. downstairs and upstairs. \"I just sat on the couch, I couldn't say anything.\" In April, the couple had the windows of their car broken and have also previously had eggs thrown at their house and rubbish thrown into their yard. \"I had nightmares thinking that someone was after us and they wanted to hurt my family,\" she said. \"It's my responsibility to look after my kids and to keep them in a safe place, it's my responsibility to protect them.\" Amina and her family are refugees and have been living in Northern Ireland for about two years. She said the incident had had a huge impact on her children. While Amina's daughter is too young to understand what has happened, she said her son had been upset by seeing the glass and seeing his mother crying. \"I tried to explain to my son as simply as I can. I told him there are some bad people in the world and they do bad things,\" she said. \"I want him to understand what is going on, it's important for him to know.\" Amina said she had to try and explain to her son what a race hate crime was. \"I'm sure this will not be the last time he's going to experience this,\" she said. \"We have to be honest and rational. We are not from here and there are people who don't like foreign people living around them. \"I want him to understand this as soon as possible, so he can be ready for what might happen in the future.\" The police have appealed for information.", "summary": "A pregnant Sudanese woman and her two young children, aged seven and one, have had to leave their home in east Belfast following a racially-motivated hate crime."}
{"article": "Now Swansea's St Helen's ground is to be honoured with a blue plaque by Swansea council. It will mark the venue's contribution to sport since it first opened in 1873. As the home of Swansea RFC, it saw famous wins against touring international teams, but it is probably as a cricket ground that St Helen's helped to make the most history. On 31 August 1968, legendary West Indies cricketer Sir Garfield \"Gary\" Sobers became the first player to strike six sixes in an over, off the experimental left-arm spin of Glamorgan's Malcolm Nash. In 2006, the history-making ball was sold at auctioneers Christie's for \u00c2\u00a326,400, despite some doubt over whether it was definitely the right one. According to Swansea historian Prof Peter Stead, the entire episode has become cloaked in local myth and legend. \"In its heyday St Helen's could hold more than 50,000 people, but if everyone in Swansea who claims to have been there when Gary Sobers hit six sixes is telling the truth, then there would have been well over 100,000 in there that day,\" he said. \"As for the ball? Well I know at least two dozen people who swear blind they have the real one. \"I wasn't there unfortunately, but I have seen some wonderful cricket and rugby at St Helen's over the years - from exquisite centuries by Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards, to the famous victory over the Wallabies.\" However, Prof Stead maintains that there is at least one six-hitting record at St Helen's which Sir Sobers cannot claim. \"As another St Helen's legend has it, during one match a six was hit out of the ground and on to a passing coal train on the heart of Wales line which used to run past the ground,\" he said. \"That's reputed to have ended up in Shrewsbury, so it's comfortably bigger than anything Gary Sobers managed.\" Nowadays, barring the occasional visit, both the Ospreys and Glamorgan have moved on and international rugby matches are just a distant memory. The famous east stand, which provided iconic cloisters over part of Oystermouth Road, was demolished in 2005 leaving St Helen's with a capacity of just 4,500. But had it not been for World War Two, the story could have been very different. Damage caused by the Swansea blitz meant the council's plans to transform St Helen's into a super-stadium holding more 70,000 did not come to fruition. \"The war put pay to some of the grander schemes for St Helen's, but I do think Swansea should have fought harder to keep at least some top-level sport there,\" Prof Stead said. \"Cricket, and of course rugby, are in the DNA of Swansea's Welsh-speaking hinterland, and for over a century St Helen's acted as a hub to nurture that local culture.\" St Helen's blue plaque will be installed close to the clubhouse steps leading to the main pavilion and will be unveiled by the start of October. Others to be recognised under the blue plaque scheme include Dylan Thomas, Bletchley Park code breaker Vernon Watkins, singer Pete Ham and", "summary": "It has hosted rugby and cricket internationals and witnessed one of sport's most incredible feats."}
{"article": "Some officers were sent an instruction not to wear the charity badge following the death of PC Dave Phillips on Monday, the federation's chairman said. PC Phillips died after being struck by a truck in Wallasey, Merseyside. A Met spokesman said the badge was not on the approved list but supervisors could allow it at their discretion. The grey Union Jack badge with a thin blue line running through it is produced by the Care of Police Survivors charity. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, said he personally did not have an issue with officers wearing it, the Sunday Express reported. \"The Metropolitan Police Service has a dress-code policy to clarify the dress standard expected from all staff, whether they are wearing uniform or plain clothes,\" a force spokesman said. The approved badges that Met officers can wear include the Police Memorial Day badge, the Royal British Legion's Remembrance Day poppy and the Help for Heroes badge or wristband. The police spokesman said there was some flexibility, however, as supervisors also had it within their power to permit other badges to be worn at their discretion because different causes emerged at different times. John Tully, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation that represents rank and file officers, called for a \"common-sense\" approach. He told the BBC he was made aware on Tuesday of \"an instruction that was cascaded down from senior officers\" reiterating the Met Police's uniform regulations, but he did not think it should be enforced on this occasion. He said: \"I felt the circumstances were such that common sense should allow this badge to be worn. It was in the context of police attending the memorial service for PC Keith Blakelock and having lost another colleague who died in service earlier this week. \"Morale is pretty low at the moment, and this has the dual purpose of raising money for charity and for paying tribute to fallen colleagues.\" Mr Tully said it was unclear who had authorised the instructions to be sent out to officers recently and said the federation had not had sight of the exact wording, but posts had appeared on social media from Met officers using pen names complaining they had been instructed not to wear the Union badge. He said the death of PC Phillips was devastating and had a profound impact on police officers across the country. \"This death is more unusual because he died while directly serving the public. I think that is why there has been a strong reaction to this. The charity has raised more than \u00a3140,000 for his family and it's still rising,\" he said. The badge sold out online on the charity's website earlier.", "summary": "Met Police have been asked \"not to wear a Union badge\" in tribute to fallen colleagues because it breaches uniform policy, the police federation said."}
{"article": "Jose Cuervo has taken control of the brand as part of a deal with Diageo. Diageo's Colin O'Brien said while the sale represented a \"change\", they were \"confident\" that Jose Cuervo would \"nurture\" Bushmills in the future. Jose Cuervo is owned by the Mexico-based Beckmann family. Their distribution firm, Proximo, controls a number of premium whiskey and rum brands. The chief executive of Jose Cuervo, Juan Domingo Beckmann, described the acquisition as the \"most important purchase made by Cuervo in its entire history\". \"Like Bushmills Irish Whiskey, Jose Cuervo is built on a very strong tradition of quality and craftsmanship that dates back over 250 years, so we understand the importance of nurturing and protecting the heritage and quality of a brand and are strongly committed to doing exactly that with Bushmills,\" he said. \"Bushmills Irish Whiskey will be in very safe hands.\" Mr Beckmann added that no jobs would be lost at Bushmills as a result of the acquisition. Mr O'Brien said Bushmills Irish Whiskey was a brand built on \"great history, heritage and passionate people\" and had been a \"cherished part of the Diageo family\" for more than nine years. \"During this time we have invested over \u00c2\u00a380m to build capacity, infrastructure and maturing inventory at the distillery, which has supported the continued growth of the brand,\" he said. Irish whiskey has been a growth category in the United States in recent years. Growth was initially sparked by a big investment made by Pernod Ricard in the marketing of its Jameson brand. In 2011, the US-based maker of Jim Beam whiskey bought the Cooley distillery in County Louth for $95m (\u00c2\u00a359.45m). Bushmills Distillery claims to be the oldest licensed distillery in the world. Distillation has taken place there since at least the 17th century. It has not been locally-owned for many years. Prior to being bought by Diageo in 2005 it was owned by Pernod Ricard.", "summary": "Bushmills whiskey has been acquired by the world's biggest tequila producer."}
{"article": "The Manchester Camerata was named best ensemble at the Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) Music Awards on Tuesday. That was partly thanks to its successful Hacienda Classical gigs, where it covers acid house anthems. The judges said the orchestra had \"blazed a brilliant trail for what a 21st Century orchestra can do\". The Manchester Camerata played to 150,000 people in 2016 - up from 50,000 the previous year. Much of that was a result of Hacienda Classical, named after the legendary Manchester nightclub, which was created with former New Order bassist Peter Hook and veteran Hacienda DJs Mike Pickering and Graeme Park. It has attracted ravers to arenas and concert halls including the Royal Albert Hall - and will open the Pyramid Stage at this year's Glastonbury Festival. The Manchester Camerata has also been praised for branching out in other ways - from playing film soundtracks live, performing in rock venues and accompanying pianist Martha Argerich on tour, to working in care homes and schools. The orchestra has \"boldly re-invented itself\" in recent years and \"made itself an indispensable cultural asset\" in the north-west of England, according to the RPS judges. \"Through its exuberant Hacienda Classical events it has brought an entirely new audience to its concerts - and, more importantly, wooed them back again and again,\" the jury said. \"It has also done pioneering work in the crucial fields of education, health and wellbeing and community engagement.\" The first Hacienda Classical gigs were staged at Manchester's Bridgewater Hall last February - and Camerata chief executive Bob Riley says the atmosphere was unlike anything its musicians had experienced before. \"It was rammed full. They were just screaming in anticipation and joy,\" he recalls. \"So when you walked in there it was less of an audio experience and more of a physical one. \"You could actually feel what it was like for 2,500 people to be screaming in a concert hall. Then when the orchestra came on, it notched up several levels and you could see the looks on the orchestra's faces. It was really, 'Wow, what's happening here?'\" The reinvention dates back three years, when the orchestra decided to rethink its role in the face of dwindling audiences. \"Many of us sat down and questioned, why are we doing this? In a world that is rapidly changing, how do we adapt to it?\" Mr Riley says. \"A lot of it was very simple - [we thought] we are struggling to get people into a concert hall. Where are they? Let's go to them.\" The orchestra still performs traditional classical concerts, and Mr Riley says it still plays \"a lot of Mozart and Beethoven\" - just not as much as it used to. \"What we've stopped are a series of concerts for the sake of giving a series of concerts. The difficult side of this is we have a very limited resource, so we've had to play less Mozart and Beethoven in large concert venues. \"We've had to reallocate that resource into projects that are going to bring something that takes us to a", "summary": "An orchestra that has tripled its audience by playing less Beethoven and Mozart and more New Order and 808 State has won a major classical music award."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Story of the match: Gotze demonstrated perfect technique and commendable calm to chest down Andre Schurrle's pass and sweep in a left-foot finish with the prospect of a penalty shootout only seven minutes away. Argentina, with skipper Lionel Messi looking subdued despite flashes of his talent, could not respond and Germany claimed their first World Cup since they beat the same opponents in Rome 24 years ago. The success means Joachim Low's side have become the first European team to win the trophy in South America. Gonzalo Higuain wasted Argentina's best chance in the first half while Germany defender Benedikt Howedes hit the post with a header seconds before half-time. Germany had to regroup after losing key midfielder Sami Khedira to injury in the warm-up - and his replacement Christoph Kramer to a blow to the head before half-time - but they shrugged off these setbacks to write another triumphant chapter in their sporting history. Argentina's fans were the vast majority of a crowd that created a vibrant atmosphere inside the Maracana - although Germany were well represented and had the support of many yellow-clad Brazil supporters who still turned up despite seeing their hopes of watching the hosts in the World Cup final dashed by that stunning semi-final beating at the hands of Germany. German supporters stayed in their places more than an hour after the final whistle as the victorious side indulged in lengthy celebrations of a win that vindicated the rebuilding plan put in place when they suffered the humiliation of going out of Euro 2004 at the group stage, which resulted in then coach Rudi Voller's resignation. Germany had reached the semi-finals of the previous two World Cups but have now managed the crowning achievement for coach Low, who not only brought the trophy back to Germany, but also ended Europe's grim record in this tournament on South American soil. Argentina failed to have a shot on target in the entire game and four-time world player of the year Messi looked an increasingly jaded figure as the game went on. The Barcelona star never stopped striving to carry his team over the line in the manner achieved by his great predecessor Diego Maradona, who inspired them to their last World Cup when they beat Germany in Mexico City in 1986. For Germany this completes the transition for a group of emerging players such as Golden Glove winner Manuel Neuer, midfield man Mesut Ozil, defender Mats Hummels, captain Philipp Lahm, Thomas Muller, Toni Kroos and even the injured Khedira. After destroying hosts Brazil 7-1 in Tuesday's semi-final in Belo Horizonte, this was a game that required different qualities such as resilience and concentration - but Germany were never found wanting and their ecstatic celebrations at the end were in contrast to the tears of the Argentines. And ominously, 22-year-old match-winner Gotze symbolises the next generation of Germany players that coach Low declared would dominate for years to come when he addressed the media 24 hours before this final. For now, though,", "summary": "Germany were crowned world champions for the fourth time as Mario Gotze's extra-time winner beat Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final."}
{"article": "The Nato force integration unit in Lithuania is one of six new centres also located in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Romania. Relations between Russia and the West have soured over the Ukraine conflict. Mr Stoltenberg described the new unit as a \"big step forward toward greater solidarity... greater readiness\". He joined Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite for the opening ceremony in Vilnius on Thursday. President Grybauskaite welcomed the new units in the region, saying they would ensure the \"quick and effective\" movement of troops. The six so-called Nato force integration units (NFIU) are intended to enable the speedy deployment of Nato's rapid reaction forces at a time of crisis, reports the BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus. Typically they will be some 45-50 strong made up of local and international military personnel, our correspondents adds. They will make practical arrangements for deployments - such as identifying fuel supplies and suitable bases. The aim is to have all six units fully capable by Nato's Warsaw summit in the autumn of 2017. Poland joined Nato in 1999, then in 2004 Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania also joined. All six were formerly in the communist bloc. They became EU members in 2004. Both bodies accuse Russia of directly helping separatists in eastern Ukraine with regular troops and heavy weapons. Russia denies the claims.", "summary": "Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has inaugurated one of the alliance's new command units opening in Eastern Europe amid tensions with Russia."}
{"article": "Coulson was convicted on Tuesday of conspiracy to hack phones. Goodman had already pleaded guilty in 2006. But jurors could not decide on charges against the pair of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. The judge criticised David Cameron for commenting on the case while the jury was still deliberating. Meanwhile, the BBC has learned that one of the phone hacking victims was Carole Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge's mother. On Tuesday the prime minister apologised for employing Coulson as his communications chief but that he had done so \"on the basis of undertakings I was given by him about phone hacking and those turned out not to be the case.\" Coulson's lawyer criticised Mr Cameron's \"ill-advised and premature intervention\" in the case - a move described as \"unwise\" by former lord chancellor Ken Clarke. The judge commented: \"I consider that what has happened is unsatisfactory so far as justice and the rule of law are concerned.\" Discharging the jury at the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Saunders said a decision on any retrial would be made on Monday. Five people have pleaded guilty in the case, while former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and her husband Charlie were among the remaining defendants cleared on Tuesday. Mr Cameron faced criticism from Labour leader Ed Miliband at Prime Minister's Questions for his decision to take Coulson with him into Downing Street. Labour wants an investigation into why Coulson did not receive the highest level of security vetting when he joined the No. 10 operation. But Mr Cameron insisted it had been the civil service's role to vet the appointment and that he had been exonerated by a public inquiry following the hacking scandal. \"Every single one of these issues was dealt with exhaustively by the Leveson Inquiry,\" the prime minster told MPs. \"He looked into all of these questions about the warnings I was given and the response I gave and he made no criticism of my conduct.\" The BBC's Robert Peston said that, if there was to be an investigation, it would be head of the civil service, Sir Jeremy Heywood, facing embarrassment over the failure to vet Coulson. However, Mr Miliband listed a string of allegations about the PM's role, insisting: \"When it came to Andy Coulson, you just didn't want to know the evidence. \"This is about your character, your judgement and the warnings you ignored.\" Mr Cameron appointed Coulson as his official spokesman after becoming prime minister in 2010, only for the former News of the World editor to resign in 2011 amid growing allegations about phone hacking at the paper. The prime minister had become \"the first ever occupant of his office who brought a criminal into the heart of Downing Street\", Mr Miliband added. Phone-hacking verdicts in full: Clive Goodman - the News of the World's former royal editor - and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire have already served jail terms. In 2007 they were convicted after hacking the phones of members of the royal household. Royals, celebrities and victims of crime had their phones hacked by", "summary": "A jury has failed to reach verdicts on two outstanding charges against former News of the World editor Andy Coulson and journalist Clive Goodman."}
{"article": "The 18-year-old scored twice in 15 appearances, mostly from the bench, last season, including the goal that relegated rivals Dundee United. He spent the first half of the campaign on loan at Raith Rovers, netting once. \"We are looking forward to the continuation of his development over the next three years,\" manager Paul Hartley told the club website.", "summary": "Dundee striker Craig Wighton has signed a new three-year contract, keeping him at Dens Park until the summer of 2019."}
{"article": "Jon Goddard and Sean Murray had good early chances for the Robins before Murray's deflected shot gave them a deserved lead shortly before half-time. Lloyd Jones made it two soon after the break as he converted Michael Doughty's flick-on from a corner. Goddard sealed the win, thumping home Yaser Kasim's pass from eight yards. The win was only Swindon's fifth in League One this season and first in five games in all competitions, while Charlton lost for the first time in seven and conceded more than two goals for the first time this term. Sherwood was brought in by Swindon on Thursday to support head coach Luke Williams in a move described by the club's chairman Lee Power as \"one of the biggest appointments the club has ever made.\" Match ends, Swindon Town 3, Charlton Athletic 0. Second Half ends, Swindon Town 3, Charlton Athletic 0. Attempt missed. Anton Rodgers (Swindon Town) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick. John Goddard (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Patrick Bauer (Charlton Athletic). Substitution, Swindon Town. Ellis Iandolo replaces Michael Doughty. Goal! Swindon Town 3, Charlton Athletic 0. John Goddard (Swindon Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Yaser Kasim. Foul by Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill (Swindon Town). Chris Solly (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing. Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Adam Chicksen replaces Johnnie Jackson. Attempt saved. Nathan Delfouneso (Swindon Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Corner, Charlton Athletic. Conceded by Raphael Rossi Branco. Johnnie Jackson (Charlton Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Darnell Furlong (Swindon Town) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Johnnie Jackson (Charlton Athletic). Chris Solly (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by John Goddard (Swindon Town). Delay in match Yaser Kasim (Swindon Town) because of an injury. Attempt saved. Sean Murray (Swindon Town) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Attempt blocked. Michael Doughty (Swindon Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Yaser Kasim (Swindon Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by Nathan Delfouneso (Swindon Town). Jason Pearce (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing. Substitution, Swindon Town. Nathan Delfouneso replaces Luke Norris because of an injury. Substitution, Swindon Town. Anton Rodgers replaces Conor Thomas. Attempt blocked. Yaser Kasim (Swindon Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Yaser Kasim (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Andrew Crofts (Charlton Athletic). Corner, Charlton Athletic. Conceded by Luke Norris. Corner, Charlton Athletic. Conceded by Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill. Michael Doughty (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Johnnie Jackson (Charlton Athletic). Attempt saved. Nicky Ajose (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from", "summary": "Tim Sherwood's reign as Swindon Town's director of football began with an impressive victory over mid-table Charlton Athletic."}
{"article": "But Leicester's squad of freebies and unknown imports have shocked the football world with their Premier League triumph, becoming household names and fully fledged international stars along the way. These are the stories of the 14 key players from a team that cost less than \u00a330m. Schmeichel started his career as a Manchester City trainee. He made his senior debut on loan at Darlington in 2006 and was also loaned to Bury and Falkirk before making his debut for the Blues. He played just three games for City in the whole of 2008 and was so far down the pecking order in January 2009 his agent enlisted the help of BBC Sport's Chris Bevan to get him a move, via our BBC transfer deadline day live text commentary. Schmeichel issued a statement expressing his \"great disappointment\" when Leeds accepted Leicester's offer for him in June 2011. We don't think he regrets that now... Manchester United academy product Simpson was sent out on loan to Belgian side Royal Antwerp and Sunderland, where he won the Championship title in 2007, plus he had spells at Ipswich Town and Blackburn Rovers. He eventually made his Premier League and European debut at Old Trafford before he joined Newcastle United in 2010. He helped the Magpies win promotion back to the Premier League and also won promotion via the play-offs after his move to QPR. In 2014 he signed for Leicester and is now a Premier League champion. He was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend last May - a conviction he is appealing against. The 30-year-old had been persuaded to join the Foxes by then manager Nigel Pearson, who was sacked in June. Fuchs said he was lying on a beach in Antigua when he was told Pearson had been sacked. \"I'd spoken to a coach, he'd convinced me to go there, and I will never have one training session with him. It was very weird.\" Fuchs has 46,000 followers on Twitter, whom he entertains with his dressing room insights and games such as Russian egg roulette with team-mate Jamie Vardy. The Jamaica international was released by Notts County in 2000 and signed for Dunkirk FC in the Midland Football Alliance, while enrolling on a course to become an accountant, before Nottingham Forest spotted him. Leicester signed Morgan for about \u00a31m in January 2012. He had already made 379 appearances for Forest, including 123 in League One. Media playback is not supported on this device Morgan owns a chain of tattoo parlours in Leicester, with former youth team-mate Scott Tynan. Their regular clients include team-mates Jeffrey Schlupp and Fuchs. But Morgan's talents do not extend to the actual tattooing. He said: \"I tried it once on pigskin. It was a terrible effort. I was just trying to draw a smiley face but it looked more like a letter C.\" Claudio Ranieri first brought Huth to England from Germany in 2001, signing him for Chelsea where he won two Premier League titles. He moved to Middlesbrough for \u00a36m in 2006 but was relegated to the Championship two years", "summary": "They were a team of cast-offs and bargain buys written off before the season had started, led by a manager who had been sacked in five of his previous jobs."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 21-year-old clocked the fastest times of both the first and second runs and claimed gold by 1.64 seconds. Wendy Holdener, of Switzerland, was second and Sweden's Frida Hansdotter finished third. Great Britain's Alexandra Tilley came in 25th as she finished 5.45 behind the winner in St Moritz on Saturday. Shiffrin's third win in the slalom equalled the record of German Christl Cranz, who completed her treble in 1939.", "summary": "American Mikaela Shiffrin won a record-equalling third consecutive world slalom gold with a dominant victory at the Alpine World Ski Championships."}
{"article": "Cannon Hill Park will host The 2015 Sousse and Bardo Memorial. Thirty Britons were among 38 tourists killed by a gunman at Port El Kantaoui in an attack on 26 June. A UK tourist was one of 22 killed in a separate attack at a museum in Tunis in March. The memorial is planned to open in 2018. See more stories from across the Birmingham and Black Country areas here The park was chosen following consultation with the victims' families. It was selected due to its central location, as well as the balance between \"seclusion and tranquillity\" and \"being a place of public prominence\", the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said. FCO Minister for North Africa Tobias Ellwood said it will be a \"place of remembrance for the families of those who lost their lives\". West Midlands victims include Charles Patrick Evans, 78, his son Adrian Evans, 49, and grandson Joel Richards, 19, who were killed in Sousse and Sally Adey, 57, of Shropshire, who died in the museum attack. Councillor Lisa Trickett, cabinet member for environment at Birmingham City Council, said: \"We are honoured that the families of the victims of this terrible massacre have chosen it as the place for their memorial. \"I hope that it will in some small way help the families directly affected, whilst also providing a space for everyone to remember, commemorate and reflect.\" The Foreign Office is now inviting expressions of interest to design the memorial, which will be located on an oval-shaped site with views of the boating lake. A shortlist will be announced at a later date.", "summary": "A memorial dedicated to British tourists killed in two terrorist attacks in Tunisia in 2015 will be erected in a Birmingham park."}
{"article": "The Mystery Plays were first performed in York in the 14th Century and traditionally involve just one professional actor. The plays will return to the Minster in June 2016. More than 28,000 people attended its last productions in 2000. The 800-year-old gothic cathedral will host a month-long staging of the plays. The Very Reverend Vivienne Faull, Dean of York Minster, said: \"After a gap of 16 years it is a great pleasure and enormously exciting to confirm the staging of this second, landmark production of the Mystery Plays at York Minster.\" In 2014 the plays were staged on wagons travelling around the city's streets. The plays are described as telling the story of the world from the beginning of all things to the end of all things. The performances traditionally take place on the feast day of Corpus Christi, which can fall in either May or June. Nicola Corp, who has worked on projects for the BBC and Capital Radio, has been appointed to produce the event.", "summary": "A centuries-old series of plays performed by amateur actors is set to return to York Minster for the first time in 16 years."}
{"article": "Rapper Professor Green, cricketer Freddie Flintoff, comedian Ruby Wax and others say admitting their problems for the first time made them realise they were not alone. But for many, asking for help can be much harder. \"We didn't really know what we were being sent to,\" Dan Farnworth, a paramedic in the north-west, says. \"The next thing I knew, a child was just placed into my arms.\" It was 2015, and Dan had just been sent to a 999 call that would change his life. \"When we arrived we knocked on the front door, but we couldn't get in. We didn't know what had happened inside,\" the 31-year-old told the Victoria Derbyshire programme. It quickly became apparent the call involved the murder of a young child. \"All of a sudden this little girl was just placed in my arms,\" Dan, a father-of-four, says. \"I just remember looking at her. I remember thinking she looked like one of my own children. She had the same colour hair as one of my children. \"I just felt like I froze. It was scary. It is the worst thing I have ever seen in 12 years of doing this job.\" That night, the horror of what Dan had witnessed began to dawn on him. He finished his shift early and went home, but couldn't sleep. He soon realised something more serious was wrong. \"I started having nightmares and flashbacks,\" he says. \"My mind started filling in the gaps, seeing things happen that I hadn't actually seen. \"It was awful. I had flashbacks during the day and I was becoming like a recluse and not talking to people at work.\" In the days and weeks that followed, Dan says he became \"a different person\". \"I realised something was wrong but didn't know where to turn. It was like I was in a deep dark hole, I was scared and drinking and smoking more heavily.\" Dan says he was struggling to deal with his mental health problems, but feared being honest with his employers might have seen him lose his job. He had always wanted to work in the emergency services. Starting in the ambulance control room answering 999 calls, he then spent time dispatching the air ambulance, before finally applying for a job as an emergency medical technician. He had been on the road since 2010. \"I was actually scared that by opening up and talking about what was going on, someone would turn round and say 'this job isn't for you'.\" Eventually Dan reached out to his friend and fellow paramedic Rich Morton. Dan says he typed out a text message, telling Rich what had been going on. However, he deleted it before he could send it. He re-wrote the message, but again deleted it. He wrote the message for a third time, and this time pressed send. Dan was so scared of what his friend would say that he hid his mobile phone under a pillow. \"He texted me straight back, saying 'put the kettle on, I'm coming over',\" he says now. \"That text message", "summary": "A national campaign, led by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, has released a film featuring celebrities talking about how they faced their own mental health problems."}
{"article": "Launched in February, the Hitomi X-ray satellite began tumbling out of control in March when contact was finally lost. Just before its demise, scientists managed to extract data measuring X-ray activity in the Perseus galaxy cluster. Published in Nature, data revealed the movement of gas between galaxy clusters was not as turbulent as expected. Hitomi, which translates as the pupil of the eye in Japanese, was meant to spend years studying the formation of galaxy clusters and the warping of space and time around black holes. It cost more than a quarter of a billion dollars - the research was an international collaboration involving the American space agency Nasa, and teams in Japan and many other countries, including one at Cambridge University in the UK. Scientists studying the data found that the hot gases between galaxies within the Perseus cluster was travelling at a slower speed - at 540,000 km/h (340,000 mph) - and in a less turbulent way than many expected. Measuring the turbulence and movement of such gas is important because the size of galaxy clusters is a useful tool for measuring \"the parameters of cosmology and the growth of structure in the universe\", researchers say. The gases in galaxy clusters are thought to be particularly hot and dense with a lot of dark matter and a supermassive black hole at the centre of it all. The interaction between all the various gases was thought to be very chaotic so Hitomi's observations appear to have defied predictions. \"The gas is relatively stable and isn't getting pushed around as much as we thought,\" said Brian McNamara, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, who was part of the research team. \"Hitomi's Perseus observation tells us that we can probably weigh distant galaxy clusters to greater accuracy than we can weigh our own Milky Way galaxy.\" Hitomi was lost thanks to a sensor incorrectly detecting a roll in the spacecraft. In trying to correct it, on-board systems sent the craft into a spin until finally the solar panels that powered it are thought to have broken off. The next time a similar satellite will be launched is in 2028 by the European Space Agency.", "summary": "A doomed Japanese satellite managed to capture a view of a galaxy cluster 250 million light years away just before it died, scientists have revealed."}
{"article": "The attack took place near the city's 14th Century Grand Mosque, a symbol of the city, reports said. The governor of Bursa said the attacker was a suspected female suicide bomber. Turkey has been hit by a wave of suicide bombings blamed on both Islamist and Kurdish militants. Earlier reports said one person had been killed in the blast. However, Reuters news agency later quoted Turkey's health minister as saying 13 people had been wounded, none seriously. No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing. On Tuesday the US warned of \"credible indications\" of terrorist threats at tourist areas in the country. How dangerous is Turkey's unrest? Tears and destruction amid PKK crackdown Turkey in midst of hideous vortex", "summary": "A suicide bomber has struck in the western Turkish city of Bursa, injuring 13 people, officials say."}
{"article": "BAE Systems blamed the closure plan for the former Vickers plant in Scotswood on fewer Ministry of Defence orders. Now neighbouring defence and construction giant Reece Group has signed a deal with BAE to take on the factory for an undisclosed sum. Reece plans to transfer work from existing sites into Scotswood. Reece already employs about 500 people and hopes to expand the workforce at its new premises over time. The Group includes Pearson Engineering, which designs and manufactures a range of military equipment for customers, including BAE Systems. It also produces equipment for oil and gas fields. Chairman John Reece said: \"This landmark site will be fully used as a manufacturing facility. We have also acquired plant and machinery no longer required by BAE Systems which will be used to support our activities in the oil and gas, and the subsea markets. \"We believe that engineering and manufacturing still has a valid and prosperous future in the North East. \"We place great emphasis on research and development and our investment in Scotswood will include the establishment of the Reece Innovation Centre, whose focus will be to design the group's next generation of innovative engineering products.\"", "summary": "A former tank factory in Newcastle, which closed last year with the loss of 300 jobs, has been bought by a rival engineering firm."}
{"article": "The drone - dubbed Aquila - flew for one hour and 46 minutes in Arizona. On Aquila's maiden voyage last summer, the autopilot system was confused by heavy wind and crash-landed. This time, the drone flew at an altitude of 3,000ft, a long way from Facebook's intended 60,000ft goal. The social network has ambitious plans for its drone fleet and eventually wants to have them communicating with each other via lasers and staying in the air for months at a time. The test - which took place in May but is only now being made public - went \"perfectly\", according to a blog post detailing the flight. Facebook had initially heralded its June 2016 test a success but later admitted the drone had crashed on landing. The crash was only revealed when it emerged that it had been investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. This time, the engineering team added \"spoilers\" to the wings to increase drag and reduce lift during landing. They also modified the autopilot software and applied a smoother finish to the craft. The team filmed the landing and included the video in the blog post. Director of aeronautical platforms Martin Luis Gomez said the drone had suffered \"a few minor, easily repairable dings\". Aquila - which has a wingspan of a Boeing 737 - is part of Facebook's ambitious plans to connect the world to the internet. This week, it announced that it has two billion users, more than a quarter of the world's population.", "summary": "Facebook has completed a second test of a solar-powered drone designed to bring internet access to remote parts of the world."}
{"article": "Finance Secretary Derek Mackay has announced a 12.5% cap on increases to rates for hotels, pubs and restaurants as part of an ongoing revaluation. Representatives of tourism and hospitality groups met Mr Mackay to urge a more permanent solution. And Green MSP Andy Wightman echoed the call while attempting to block a rates order at a Holyrood committee. Mr Mackay told Holyrood's local government committee that he was \"open-minded to look at how we can improve\" the rates system. A Scottish government review of the rates system led by former RBS Scotland chairman Ken Barclay is due to report in the summer. Mr Wightman put forward a motion to annul the piece of secondary legislation which approves the poundage rate for business rates in Scotland, arguing that this was \"the only means of scrutinising the decision of ministers\". He said: \"I want parliament to be given the opportunity for much more fundamental examination of the non-domestic rating regime. \"There are much, much more fundamental questions of tax design to consider that go well beyond the Barclay review terms of reference and, indeed, bring into question the very existence of the non-domestic rating regime.\" Mr Mackay said the move to annul put at risk about \u00c2\u00a32.6bn for local government services ahead of the final vote on the budget on Thursday. He said such a move would be \"reckless\", describing it as an \"11th hour bid\" to review a poundage rate which matches that in the rest of the UK and which has won political consensus. He said: \"I have not and do not object to the scrutiny. I could have answered questions on this when I've appeared at this committee or the finance committee or any other place in relation to the budget. \"This is the same process that has been used for years. I'm open-minded to look at how we can improve it.\" After Conservative MSPs indicated they were not minded to support the motion to annul, leaving it with no chance of passing, Mr Wightman decided to withdraw it. On Tuesday, Mr Mackay announced rates relief for hospitality businesses which have been disproportionately affected by the ongoing business rates revaluation. This has been welcomed by tourism groups, but a series of groups have since met with the finance secretary calling for a more permanent solution. The Scottish Tourism Alliance, the British Hospitality Association and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association met Mr Mackay and Business Secretary Keith Brown on Thursday to seek \"further clarity\" about the relief scheme. A statement for the group welcomed the \"pragmatic\" capping system, but said \"concern remains around the need for a more permanent solution and for a fundamental review of the way that hospitality businesses are rated and assessed. They added: \"Today's meeting marked an important step forward in establishing what will be a more continuous dialogue between trade associations and Scottish government during the next 12 months on the business rates issue and to inform, influence and shape more enabling and competitive policies for Scotland's tourism industry.\"", "summary": "The Scottish government has been urged to undertake a \"fundamental review\" of the business rates system."}
{"article": "The NHS is standing firm and says it has no responsibility to provide the treatment, known as Prep. It says the onus should fall on local authorities instead. Charities have called the decision \"shameful\", and warned that lives would suffer as a result. Prep (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a daily pill that can considerably lower a person's chances of catching HIV. If taken correctly, it is almost entirely effective in preventing HIV. NHS England has promised \u00c2\u00a32m in funding to treat about 500 people with Prep over the next two years. But after considering representations from stakeholders, it still does not believe it should be the body responsible for offering the drug. A statement on the NHS England website said: \"'As set out in the Local Authorities (Public Health Functions and Entry to Premises by Local Healthwatch Representatives) Regulations 2013, local authorities are the responsible commissioner for HIV prevention services.\" Ian Green, chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: \"Today is a shameful day for HIV prevention. \"This country used to lead the way in the fight against the HIV epidemic, but today, our national health service has washed its hands of one of the most stunning breakthroughs we've seen - a pill which, if taken correctly, is almost 100% effective in preventing HIV. \"A pill which is already available in America, Canada, France, Kenya and soon to be Australia. \"How did it come to this? It defies belief that, after 18 months of false hope, delays and u-turns in the battle to see Prep made available on the NHS to people at high risk of HIV, today we are in a worse position than when we started.\" He said repercussions for those at high risk of HIV infection could be dire. \"It's not right that people who know themselves to be at high risk of HIV have to buy Prep themselves from the internet at considerable personal expense. Currently, only those who can afford it are able to access this life-changing treatment.\" The NHS in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have not yet made a decision on Prep. Follow Michelle on Twitter", "summary": "NHS England has reiterated it will not fund a \"game-changer\" drug treatment that can prevent HIV, angering HIV charities which had been campaigning to reverse the decision."}
{"article": "The United Nations children's agency warns of the long-term cost of political violence, particularly in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. In south Sudan, Unicef says almost three-quarters of primary-school-age children are missing out on education. Unicef's Josephine Bourne says this threatens the \"stability of families, communities and economies\". In conflict zones in 22 countries, about one in five school-age children is missing out on education, says Unicef. There have been warnings that without any chance of school, young people will be condemned to a cycle of poor employment, poverty and risk of exploitation and recruitment into violence. Among the worst-affected countries is Chad, where about half of children are unable to get to school, with girls particularly likely to miss out. Highlighting the global scale of the challenge, Unicef brought an education campaigner to Chad who was herself a refugee from the civil war in Syria. Muzoon Almellehan, 19, visited education projects in Chad trying to support families who had fled from violence by Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria. Among child refugees arriving in Chad from Nigeria, Unicef says 90% have never been in school. \"Meeting children in Chad who had fled Boko Haram reminded me of my own experiences in Syria,\" said Ms Almellehan. \"Education gave me the strength to carry on. \"I wouldn't be here without it. \"Conflict can take away your friends, your family, your livelihood, your home. \"It can try to strip you of your dignity, identity, pride and hope. \"But it can never take away your knowledge.\" In Chad, Ms Almellehan met a Nigerian girl who had been abducted by Boko Haram and then \"drugged, exploited and abused\" for three years before escaping. The Islamist militant group is still holding about 195 of the schoolgirls abducted three years ago from Chibok in north-eastern Nigeria. One of the schoolgirls who escaped, speaking last month, called on the international community not to forget those still in captivity. The Chibok student, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: \"These girls are human beings, not something that we can forget about.\" But Unicef has warned its work in supporting education is struggling with inadequate funding. The UN agency says in Chad it has only 40% of the budget needed for this year's education work. Conflict and violence have been significant barriers to the goal of providing a primary school place for all children. There have also warnings about inequality within developing countries - where wealthy families have access to education, but poor, rural families are excluded. The international community set targets for universal primary education by first 2000 and then 2015, which, despite some progress being made, were both missed. The current target, part of the sustainable development goals, aims for this to be fully achieved by 2030. Although Unesco, the UN agency that monitors global access to education, warned last autumn that, on current trends, the target was already unlikely to be achieved.", "summary": "Warfare and conflict are preventing 25 million young people from getting any access to school, says Unicef."}
{"article": "Almost \u00a310m was spent on improvements inside and outside of the building. Work began in 2010 and changes include a new visitor centre, disabled access and a patio cafe. The facade has been given a facelift, and the roof and clock have been repaired. The building is due to open to the public on 10 June. Mayor Kevin Campbell said the completion marked a fantastic day for tourism and for the city. \"I think the public, when they get in on 10 June, will think it's absolutely fantastic,\" he said. \"It still holds its mystique and its character going back over 150 years but at the same time it has been modernised. \"Between the walls and the peace bridge the Guildhall is the last piece in the puzzle for the city.\" Other changes include the mayor's office becoming a tourist point for visitors to get information on where to go in the city. The room previously used as the council chamber will now host a \"touch screen\" museum telling the story of the city, including its 400-year-old walls and the plantation.", "summary": "A major refurbishment of Londonderry's Guildhall has been completed and the building is due to be officially handed over to the council on Thursday."}
{"article": "The shutdown of the Atol-protected firm affects cruise lines Swan Hellenic and Voyages of Discovery, and has resulted in nearly 150 people losing their jobs. The Civil Aviation Authority will help to repatriate the 400 people who are currently abroad, but future bookings for 13,000 others have been cancelled. All holidaymakers will receive refunds. Administrators Grant Thornton will manage the affairs of All Leisure Holidays, along with three other travel companies based at a site in Market Harborough. A total of 250 people worked there, with 50 employed by All Leisure Holidays. All 50 have been made redundant along with virtually all of the company's 100 maritime staff. The other 200 workers at the Market Harborough site have kept their jobs after the other firms were sold to a subsidiary of Canadian tour operator G Adventures. Grant Thornton's Eddie Williams said: \"Whilst I am extremely pleased to have concluded a sale of the business which safeguards the holidays and bookings for over 13,500 tours and passengers and preserves 200 jobs, I am very disappointed that we have no alternative other than to close the remaining ALH operations. \"The cruise operations have been significantly loss-making over a number of years and the ongoing cost of funding these operations by the tours operations has created significant cash issues for the entire group, which has ultimately led to the administration of all businesses.\" Andy Cohen, head of Atol at the CAA, said: \"We understand this will be concerning news for anyone who has booked to travel with the company. \"However, the Atol scheme exists for exactly this kind of situation and we are making immediate arrangements so all Atol-protected customers can claim full refunds as quickly as possible.\"", "summary": "Cruise company All Leisure Holidays has stopped trading with immediate effect and called in administrators, leaving hundreds of holidaymakers stranded."}
{"article": "Glencoe, Loch Ness and Loch Lomond have been ranked among the top 10 best views in the UK. The highest place went to Snowdon in Wales, followed by the Three Sisters at Glencoe. Stonehenge in Wiltshire came out third, but we asked for your favourite views from around Scotland. Here we've collected some of the very best of the pictures you've sent us.", "summary": "If you submit an image, you do so in accordance with the BBC's terms and conditions."}
{"article": "Southampton's Graziano Pelle scored the only goal of the match, which Italy dominated from start to finish. Scotland offered little as an attacking force and struggled to keep possession on an unforgiving surface in Malta. The Italians adapted to that much better as they continued their preparations for Euro 2016. While Antonio Conte's side would have been expected to control the game - played in Malta because the Italians are holding a week-long training camp there ahead of Euro 2016 - the ease with which they brushed their Scottish counterparts aside should be of concern to Gordon Strachan. Pelle's goal was scant reward for their dominance but highlighted the Italians' superior quality. Daniele De Rossi sliced through the Scots team with a typically precise pass for Eder and when the ball broke off the striker to Pelle, he curled a shot inside the left-hand post of David Marshall from 19 yards. It was a deadly strike and Scotland were fortunate Italy had failed to capitalise on a string of earlier chances to bury their opponents. Indeed, Marshall was scarcely called into action after an excellent double-save as early as the seventh minute. Having pushed away an Antonio Candreva free-kick, which bounced nastily in front of him, he reacted brilliantly to keep out Emanuele Giaccherini's close-range rebound. Giaccherini was the main culprit in terms of passing up chances as he skied one shot when picked out unmarked 12 yards out and then stabbed wide after getting on the end of another pinpoint De Rossi pass. Incredibly, the Scots failed to hit the target over the entire 90 minutes, but could have had an ill-deserved equaliser with 12 minutes remaining. A slack clearance from Federico Bernardeschi fell kindly for Steven Naismith and although he was able to find Matt Ritchie, the Bournemouth forward could not wrap his left foot around the ball sufficiently and only managed to hit the side-netting. Strachan had been certain before the match his players would be motivated to play a team of Italy's quality, but for the most part the gulf in class made for a tough learning experience for Scotland. Match ends, Italy 1, Scotland 0. Second Half ends, Italy 1, Scotland 0. Giorgio Chiellini (Italy) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Oliver Burke (Scotland). Foul by Simone Zaza (Italy). Christophe Berra (Scotland) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Simone Zaza (Italy). Charlie Mulgrew (Scotland) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Simone Zaza (Italy). Charlie Mulgrew (Scotland) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Scotland. Craig Bryson replaces James McArthur. Substitution, Italy. Giacomo Bonaventura replaces Emanuele Giaccherini. Foul by Simone Zaza (Italy). Grant Hanley (Scotland) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Matt Ritchie (Scotland) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Steven Naismith. Simone Zaza (Italy) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Charlie Mulgrew (Scotland). Andrea Barzagli (Italy) wins a free kick in the defensive", "summary": "Scotland were comfortably beaten by Italy, with the only saving grace that the margin of defeat could have been greater."}
{"article": "The Plymouth towers will have cladding removed after it emerged it was made of similar material to Grenfell Tower. It was expected to be removed within days, but authorities now say it won't be taken down until at least November. Plymouth Community Homes says additional safety precautions are in place to ensure its residents' safety. More on tower block cladding delay and other Devon and Cornwall stories Chloe Brewster, 22, fled her flat in the Mount Wise Tower estate with her baby after a fire broke out in one of the blocks earlier this year. \"It's absolutely horrifying to think that it's going to be at least to the end of the year that they're going to remove the cladding,\" she said. \"There is a highly likely chance of a fire happening between now and the end of the year. \"At the end of the day they're not the ones that are having nightmares about burning to death with a baby in a tower block.\" Plymouth Community Homes said it would not follow Camden Council's decision to evacuate residents, because the Mount Wise towers have additional fires safety measures and precautions in place. CEO John Clark said last week that the cladding would be removed \"over the next couple of days\". But in a letter to residents on Tuesday the housing authority said specialist consultants had identified a target date for the removal of the panels by the end of November. Labour MP Luke Pollard has also claimed that some people living in high-rise flats are being refused insurance renewals.", "summary": "A young mother says she has nightmares about \"burning to death\" with her baby after work on three tower blocks was delayed."}
{"article": "Cyril Banks, 91, had \u00a39,000 stolen from him by fraudsters who pretended to be from the Met Police, officers said. The Herts and Essex Observer set up a fundraising page after Mr Banks, from Bishop's Stortford, was interviewed on BBC Three Counties Radio. Mr Banks said he had been \"overwhelmed\" by the generosity. \"It's unbelievable. I didn't realise people would offer so much,\" he said. Read more on this story and other Hertfordshire news So far, \u00a312,034 has been raised by 455 people since the page was created on Thursday afternoon. Hertfordshire Police said an investigation into Mr Banks' case was ongoing. Mr Banks' friend Annie Riley said she had been \"appalled\" by the people who had persuaded him to withdraw \u00a39,000 from his bank account. \"I don't know how they sleep at night,\" she said. \"Cyril's such an amazing and giving man, he's always collecting for charity. \"At least by talking about what happened to him, we might have stopped someone else from falling victim to the scammers.\" Paul Winspear, editor of the Herts and Essex Observer, said the response to the fundraising page had been \"amazing\". He said: \"We had a lot of comments on our Facebook page about what happened to Cyril and people were asking how they could help him, so we set a page up. \"We hit the \u00a39,000 target within about six hours.\" Mr Banks said he had even been offered \u00a340 by a young man who overheard him telling a friend what had happened. \"It's wonderful to see such kindness and generosity,\" he said. Mr Banks said he would give any money over the \u00a39,000 he had lost to charities he supported. \"If I can help other people out of this and give back what they've given to me, I would feel I am repaying their generosity\".", "summary": "An online fundraising campaign to help a World War Two veteran, who was defrauded out of his life savings, has raised \u00a312,000 in less than 24 hours."}
{"article": "Taiwan's Tingyi - which operates the instant noodle and beverage Master Kong brand in China - struck the deal with PepsiCo earlier this month. A worker taking part in the action told the BBC staff were \"taking leave together\" to defend their legal rights. A spokeswoman from PepsiCo said that their contracts would be honoured. In a brief statement, a Pepsi spokeswoman in Beijing said: \"PepsiCo is a responsible employer. We have high commitments on our staffers' rights.\" \"We are holding positive communications with our employees.\" Tingyi struck a deal with Pepsi on 4 November to buy out PepsiCo China's bottling division. Media reports in China suggest that the deal has aroused widespread discontent, and workers from five factories in Chongqing, Chengdu, Fuzhou, Lanzhou and Nanchang have decided to walk out. There are a total of 24 bottling factories in China run by PepsiCo, which employ some 20,000 workers. PepsiCo China did not say how many workers were taking industrial action, but a Sina Weibo page said to be put up by workers from the southern city of Fuzhou said 1,100 people there had taken leave to join the protest. An operator for another page on Sina Weibo - China's equivalent of Twitter - which claims to be representing workers in the central Chengdu factory told the BBC that some 500 staff members were \"on leave\", equivalent to half of the factory's workforce. Chinese newspaper the Economic Observer reported that under the tie-up PepsiCo workers' contracts will be terminated and they will have to negotiate new terms with the joint venture. Many of the protesters believe this will be disadvantageous to them, according to the report. But the PepsiCo China statement said: \"Our deal with Master Kong is yet to receive government approval. Once it is approved, labour contracts that belong to the bottling cluster will still be honoured.\" The Chengdu PepsiCo factory worker told the BBC via Sina Weibo that the protesters were defending their legal rights. \"To us, Pepsi is not just a job that we keep in order to feed our family, it is a career that we all work hard to pursue.\"", "summary": "Workers from at least five PepsiCo bottling factories in China are taking part in protests against a takeover deal."}
{"article": "Political scientist Alexander Dugin is an extreme Russian nationalist closely associated with the Ukraine conflict. The US said it was cutting business ties and freezing the assets of him and others who had destabilised the situation in the east of the country. A ceasefire, albeit not fully observed, has been in place for a month. Russia said it found the new wave of sanctions \"difficult to understand\". \"We categorically do not see any link between what has recently been happening in south-eastern Ukraine and these sorts of actions,\" Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the news agency Interfax. President Barack Obama and European leaders have used sanctions as its main form of retaliation for Russia's annexation of Crimea and backing of separatists groups in eastern Ukraine. \"If Russia continues to support destabilising activity in Ukraine and violate the Minsk agreements and implementation plan, the already substantial costs it faces will continue to rise,\" said Adam Szubin of the US treasury department. Among those targeted for sanctions is former prime minister Mykola Azarov and two other top Ukrainian officials in former President Viktor Yanukovych's inner circle, for \"misappropriation of Ukrainian state assets\". Also included are five officials in the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk's people's republics and the leaders of Eurasian Youth Union, including Alexander Dugin. Mr Dugin, a prominent Russian ultra-nationalist philosopher, has called on President Vladimir Putin to intervene militarily in eastern Ukraine \"to save Russia's moral authority\". The US says the Eurasian Youth Union has \"recruited individuals with military and combat experience to fight on behalf of the self-proclaimed DPR and has stated that it has a covert presence in Ukraine\". A Russian bank operating in Crimea, now the largest banking network in the region, has also seen its assets blocked by the US. In a separate development, the US is preparing to send more non-lethal aid to Ukraine, including unarmed drones, an unnamed official told US media on Wednesday.", "summary": "The United States has imposed sanctions on 14 Ukrainian separatists and Russians, including an idealogue who has heavily influenced the Kremlin."}
{"article": "They were discovered near the border and have been evacuated by helicopter to receive medical treatment. Fighting between rival forces in July left hundreds of people dead less than a year after a peace deal was signed. Mr Machar, who had joined a unity government, fled - and was also aided by the UN in DR Congo a few weeks ago. South Sudan has suffered more than two years of civil war since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011. Political differences between Mr Machar and President Salva Kiir ignited a civil war in December 2013 - and they only agreed to settle their differences under intense international pressure, signing a peace deal in August 2015. Mr Machar returned to Juba in April but battles then broke out between his bodyguards and presidential guards in South Sudan's capital, Juba, in July. Mr Machar fled Juba in the wake of the July clashes and was later dismissed as vice-president. After receiving medical treatment in DR Congo in August, he was flown to Sudan's capital, Khartoum, where he remains after being discharged from hospital. His soldiers, who had crossed into DR Congo, were found in an area around the Garamba National Park by UN peacekeepers, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. He said they had suffered mostly from walking in difficult terrain and having no access to food. Many were in critical condition and were helped \"on purely humanitarian grounds so that they can receive urgent medical assistance\", Mr Dujarric said. An internal Congolese army report, seen by the Reuters news agency on Wednesday, said 500 fighters were evacuated to Goma in the middle of August - a mission that involved three flights a day over three days. More on South Sudan's crisis: Following UN pressure last week, President Kiir has now agreed to the deployment of a 4,000-strong regional protection force for Juba which would have a more robust mandate than the 12,000 UN soldiers already in the country, however the mandate and size of the force still have to be agreed. This was a key request of Mr Machar, who said he wanted a neutral force to guarantee his safety. But US officials are now saying that they do not believe Mr Machar should return to his post. \"Given all that has happened, we do not believe it would be wise for Machar to return to his previous position in Juba,\" US special envoy Donald Booth told a congressional subcommittee on Wednesday. \"But this cannot become a justification for President Kiir to monopolise power and stifle dissenting political voices,\" Reuters quoted him as saying. Meanwhile, the UK is to send an extra 100 troops to South Sudan, joining the 300 already serving in the UN peacekeeping force there.", "summary": "More than 100 fighters loyal to South Sudan's sacked vice-president have been found \"in extremely bad shape\" by the UN in the Democratic Republic of Congo."}
{"article": "Kostadin Kostov told Exeter Crown Court he was not angry when Gergana Prodanova started a relationship with fellow Bulgarian Tihomir Todorov. Mr Kostov is accused of dragging his ex-partner's body through Exeter city centre in a suitcase in August 2016. The 43-year-old, of Mount Pleasant Road, Exeter, has said he has no idea what happened to Ms Prodanova. Ms Prodanova left Mr Kostov and their three children in Bulgaria when she moved to Exeter in December 2015. Mr Kostov followed three months later, by which time she was working at the Great Western Hotel and was in a relationship with Mr Todorov. He said he is not the man seen on CCTV trailing a heavy-wheeled suitcase towards the railway line on the morning of 7 August and returning a few minutes later without it. He told the court: \"I felt, with Gergana, it was over and done with. I accepted her relationship with Mr Todorov.\" The trial continues.", "summary": "A cleaner who denies murdering his ex-girlfriend said he was not jealous when she left him for another man."}
{"article": "Dywedodd Michael Carrick ei fod yn derbyn y byddai wedi derbyn llawer o arian, ond amddiffynnodd hyn gan ddweud ei fod yn adlewyrchiad o saith mlynedd o waith di-d\u00e2l. Mae cyfarwyddwyr y cynllun eisiau cyfarfod ag Ysgrifennydd yr Economi, Ken Skates cyn gynted \u00e2 phosib, gan fynnu ei fod yn \"brosiect rhy bwysig i gerdded i ffwrdd oddi wrtho\". Maen nhw'n dweud hefyd y gall y cynllun weithio ar y cyd \u00e2 bwriad Llywodraeth Cymru o adeiladu parc busnes gwerth \u00a3100m ger Glyn Ebwy. Fe wnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru wrthod gwarantu \u00a3210m ar gyfer y cynllun yr wythnos diwethaf oherwydd y risg i'r trethdalwr. Dywedodd Mr Carrick: \"Rwy'n meddwl bod yna fwriad pendant i wneud hyn. Rwy'n meddwl ein bod ni oll angen rhoi swm enfawr o egni ac arian i wneud i hyn weithio. \"Byddwn ni eisiau datrysiad sy'n galluogi i gannoedd o filoedd o bunnau o arian preifat i symud i'r cymoedd.\" Dywedodd Mr Skates yr wythnos diwethaf y byddai'r gost o warantu'r cynllun yn rhy uchel, ac y byddai'n effeithio'n uniongyrchol ar gynlluniau gwariant eraill y llywodraeth. Ond mynnodd Mr Carrick mai'r rheswm y cafodd y cais am warant ei wrthod oedd am nad oedd y llywodraeth eisiau'r arian ar eu llyfrau nhw, a bod \"datrysiad\" i hyn. Does dim sylw wedi bod ar y mater gan Lywodraeth Cymru.", "summary": "Mae'r prif gyfranddaliwr y tu \u00f4l i gynllun Cylchffordd Cymru wedi dweud wrth BBC Cymru y byddai wedi derbyn \u00a31.7m pe byddai'r prosiect wedi'i gwblhau."}
{"article": "Deyika Nzeribe, 50, was a former chair of the party's Manchester branch and had stood at several local elections. His campaign manager Astrid Johnson said party members were in \"total shock\" after losing a great friend and colleague. The father-of-three and long-time green community activist, from Hulme, launched his campaign in October.", "summary": "The Green Party's candidate for May's mayoral elections for Greater Manchester has died of a heart attack."}
{"article": "The other team members - Kate French, Joe Choong and Jamie Cooke - will be making their Olympic debuts. Modern pentathlon is made up of five disciplines: swimming, horse riding, fencing, shooting and running. Find out how to get into modern pentathlon with our special guide. Murray said it was her goal to become the first British female pentathlete to win medals at two Olympic Games. \"The Olympic Games means everything to me. Having competed at London I now know what it's all about, I know what it's like to compete at the Games and I feel like I know what it takes to get on the podium again,\" she said.", "summary": "Olympic silver medallist Samantha Murray has been selected in Great Britain's four-person modern pentathlon squad for this summer's Rio Olympics."}
{"article": "Curtis Bateson's second goal of the season got the visitors off to a dream start after eight minutes. The 21-year-old took the ball around goalkeeper Magnus Norman and slotted home shortly after Ryan Fallowfield struck a post as the visitors seized early control. Rory McKeown levelled things up six minutes into the second half by tapping in Ben McKenna's low cross, before North Ferriby took complete control. Connor Oliver put the visitors back in front with a spectacular strike from 25 yards in the 69th minute. Ryan Kendall made it 3-1 with five minutes remaining and Reece Thompson added further gloss to the scoreline in the 89th minute. Declan Weeks netted a consolation for the hosts in stoppage time, but the game was long over. Report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Southport 2, North Ferriby United 4. Second Half ends, Southport 2, North Ferriby United 4. Goal! Southport 2, North Ferriby United 4. Declan Weeks (Southport). Goal! Southport 1, North Ferriby United 4. Reece Thompson (North Ferriby United). Ryan Kendall (North Ferriby United) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Southport 1, North Ferriby United 3. Ryan Kendall (North Ferriby United). Substitution, Southport. Declan Weeks replaces Rory McKeown. Jake Wright (Southport) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, North Ferriby United. Ryan Kendall replaces Danny Emerton. Goal! Southport 1, North Ferriby United 2. Connor Oliver (North Ferriby United). Goal! Southport 1, North Ferriby United 1. Rory McKeown (Southport). Second Half begins Southport 0, North Ferriby United 1. Substitution, North Ferriby United. Sam Cosgrove replaces Matthew Templeton. First Half ends, Southport 0, North Ferriby United 1. Substitution, North Ferriby United. Ross Armstrong replaces Ryan Fallowfield. Goal! Southport 0, North Ferriby United 1. Curtis Bateson (North Ferriby United). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Second-bottom North Ferriby crushed Southport at the Merseyrail Community Stadium."}
{"article": "The end of the month of fasting is marked by Eid al-Fitr, which means the \"festival of the breaking of the fast\", which continues over several days. The first day of Eid starts in the UK this Friday, beginning with morning prayers, followed by feasting and celebrations with family and friends. Ramadan is also a time for charitable deeds, which for some Muslims in the US this year has meant helping raise funds to rebuild black churches in the American South that have been devastated by fire. Imam Zaid Shakir, an Islamic scholar at California's Zaytuna College, explained why on one of the fundraising pages. He wrote that the US Muslim community understood \"the climate of racially inspired hate and bigotry that is being reignited in this country. \"We want to let our African American brothers and sisters know that we stand in solidarity with them during this dark hour.\" However, that sense of some communities dividing increasingly along ethnic or religious lines is one that has also been felt in parts of Europe and the UK, not least as the self-styled Islamic State (IS) and other extreme Islamist groups continue to dominate the headlines, exacerbating concerns among non-Muslims over what Islam means for some of its younger followers today. Some Islamic clerics around the world have used Ramadan as a chance to reflect publicly on how to reform the religious discourse within Islam to keep up with the challenges of 21st Century life, and to oppose extremism. In Egypt and elsewhere, some Islamic scholars have discussed ways to renew the interpretation of the Koran, while in the United Arab Emirates, a popular American scholar of Islam warned that renewal was needed within Islam. Others stressed the necessity for a greater emphasis on tolerance of difference, mercy and mutual respect. Those efforts to discuss religious reform to a faith followed by around 1.6 billion people, or a quarter of the world's population, are aimed in part at ensuring that extreme interpretations of Islamic tradition do not gain a greater following. Militant violence has escalated in the Middle East and elsewhere with the spread of IS. Slick online propaganda appeals to some Muslims in Europe - and to rather more young people in countries such as Tunisia or Saudi Arabia - some of whom are attracted to its austere interpretation and claim to be the \"real\" Islam. In January, the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi called for a revolution in Islam, saying that outdated interpretations had made the Muslim world a source of destruction. However, others do not want a revolution within Islam but reinterpretations, or gentler reforms. Speaking in Abu Dhabi, American scholar Sheikh Hamza Yusuf urged a return to the core tenet of mercy in Islam, describing the religion as a house that had been neglected and was in need of renovation. \"The water taps aren't working, the plumbing's not working. The house is in disarray,\" he told the Associated Press. \"You don't destroy it, you don't set it aside. You renovate it.\" He said Muslims should not oppose even strong reforms,", "summary": "During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Muslims reflect on their faith as they conduct their daily fast from dawn until dusk in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which marks the anniversary of the revelation of the Islamic holy book, the Koran."}
{"article": "The UK voted to leave the EU in a historic referendum on Friday, sending shockwaves across global markets. India's Sensex fell by 3.4% to 26,022.60 points soon after the outcome of the vote became clear. But Mr Jaitley said that India's market fundamentals are strong enough \"to smooth this volatility\". The minister acknowledged however, that \"Brexit\" would cause financial uncertainties for India and other markets around the world. \"As I have often said, in this globalised world, volatility and uncertainty are the new norms. This verdict will, obviously, further contribute to such volatility not least because its full implications for the UK, Europe and the rest of the world are still uncertain,\" he wrote on his Facebook page. But he added that India was \"well prepared\" to deal with \"the short and medium term consequences of Brexit\". \"The government and the Reserve Bank of India as well as other regulators are well prepared, and working closely together, to deal with any short term volatility,\" he said. He added that \"our aim will be to smooth this volatility\" and minimise the \"impact on the economy in the short term\". Mr Jaitley also said India can emerge as a \"safe haven\" for investors in these \"turbulent times\". \"India stands out both in terms of stability and of growth,\" he said. Meanwhile, India's central bank chief, Raghuram Rajan, has said that India is capable of mitigating the \"shock\" of Brexit. \"If we can manage properly it will be a non-event. A larger question is to find places where we can put money going forward,\" he said. Indian company Tata Sons, which operates 19 companies in the UK, said it was \"committed to delivering long term value for all its stakeholders\" \"Each company continuously reviews its strategy and operations in the light of developments, and will continue to do so. Access to markets and to a skilled workforce will remain important considerations,\" a spokesperson of the group said.", "summary": "Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said India is \"well prepared\" to deal with any volatility arising from the UK's decision to leave the European Union."}
{"article": "\"Using horse-driven carriages only for joyrides solely for human pleasure is an avoidable activity,\" the order said. The court agreed with animal rights groups that the practice was cruel. Reports say that around 700 families depend on Victoria carriages for their livelihood. Monday's court order came on a petition filed by animals rights groups which said the horses were often malnourished, denied adequate rest and care. The Bombay high court in the city of Mumbai ordered that all stables where these horses are kept must be closed down and directed the authorities to come up with a scheme to rehabilitate those involved in the trade. Styled on open carriages used during Queen Victoria's times, these horse-drawn carriages have been seen on Mumbai's streets since British times and a ride on them has been one of Mumbai's most-popular tourist attractions for decades. The drivers of these carriages say that \"Victorias are a key part of Mumbai's cultural image\" and some of them say they are sceptical about the government's rehabilitation plans. Usmaan, who is 60, has been working with a horse-drawn carriage since he was 12, says it is going to be difficult for him to adapt to a new job and that he feels like his \"hands have been cut off\". The court has also ordered that all horses should be rehabilitated at a care centre. \"The government shall also formulate a rehabilitation scheme for the horses. If any reputed animal welfare organisation comes forward to take care of these horses, then the state government is free to consider the same\" the Hindustan Times quotes the court as saying.", "summary": "A court in India has ruled that Mumbai's famous horse-drawn carriages, popularly known as \"Victorias\", are \"illegal\" and must go off the city streets in a year."}
{"article": "The CPS said there was \"insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of a conviction against the arresting officers\". One officer, Paul White, will face trial for perjury over the evidence he gave at Mr Rigg's inquest. Mr Rigg died at Brixton police station in 2008. The inquest into his death in 2012 found police used \"unsuitable\" force when they arrested Mr Rigg. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police Service said it \"welcomes today's decision\" and \"would again like to emphasis its sympathy to Mr Rigg's family\". But Marcia Rigg, Sean Rigg's sister, said she \"had hoped for an opportunity to get justice\". The family's solicitor Daniel Machover said the family would \"urgently consider reviewing\" the decision under the Victims' Right of Review scheme. \"There are some serious concerns about the legal basis of the CPS decision today,\" he said.", "summary": "The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said it will not prosecute five police officers over the death in custody of Sean Rigg in 2008."}
{"article": "Before his latest trial, in Germany, he was famously deported from the US to Israel in 1986 to face allegations that he had served as a camp guard nicknamed Ivan the Terrible at Treblinka. He was convicted and sentenced to death. But he was reprieved a few years later after new evidence appeared. But back in America, decades later, an immigration judge ruled there was enough evidence to prove he had been a guard at other Nazi camps, and he was sent abroad for trial again in 2009. The Munich case, in which he was given a five-year jail sentence, is expected to be Germany's last big war crimes trial. Born Ivan Demjanjuk on 3 April 1920 in the Ukrainian village of Dubovi Makharintsi, he was raised under Soviet rule. A burly man, he worked as a tractor and lorry driver on a Ukrainian collective farm. Little can be said with certainty about Mr Demjanjuk's activities during World War II. He joined the Red Army like millions of others, and was serving in eastern Crimea in 1942 when he was captured by the Germans. At least three million Soviet soldiers are believed by historians to have died in German prison camps, many of them left to starve. \"I would have given my soul for a loaf of bread,\" Mr Demjanjuk said later in court. At his trial in Israel, he testified that he had been held at a camp in Chelmno, Poland, until 1944 before being moved to another camp in Austria where he joined a Nazi-backed unit of Russian soldiers fighting communist rule. But according to German prosecutors, between March and September 1943, he was in fact involved in the murders of tens of thousands of Jews at the Nazis' Sobibor death camp in Poland. They said they had obtained hundreds of documents and a number of prosecution witnesses. \"For the first time we have even found lists of names of the people who Demjanjuk personally led into the gas chambers,\" said Kurt Schrimm, head of the special office investigating Nazi crimes. After the war, Demjanjuk lived in southern Germany, working as a driver for various international refugee organisations, according to Germany's Spiegel magazine. In 1952, he emigrated to the US with his wife and child, eventually settling in Cleveland, where he worked as an engine mechanic at a car plant. He was naturalised as a US citizen but his citizenship was temporarily removed after a US judge ruled in 1981 that he had lied in his citizenship application about his wartime activities. Israeli prosecutors requested his extradition in 1983. They believed Mr Demjanjuk was Ivan the Terrible - one of the most infamous guards at Treblinka. Ivan had helped operate the gas chambers and personally murdered hundreds of prisoners, hacking many of his naked victims to death with a sword, according to witnesses. A US court rejected his appeal against deportation in 1985. The court dismissed doubts cast over the authenticity of an ID card, which the defence said was a forgery. The card showed that Mr Demjanjuk belonged to", "summary": "John Demjanjuk, an elderly former Ohio car worker who was born in Ukraine, was finally convicted of Nazi war crimes after decades of fighting attempts to bring him to justice."}
{"article": "Iron ore delivered into China fell 8.3% on Monday after Beijing reported weak export data over the weekend. China is one of the biggest consumers of the commodity and there are concerns a slowdown in its economy may hurt demand and impact miners' profits. Shares of BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Glencore Xstrata all fell. Rio Tinto shares ended the day down by 5.7%, while BHP Billiton fell more than 4% on the Australian Securities Exchange. Fortescue Metals tumbled nearly 10% in Sydney on Monday. Mining stocks listed in London were also hurt, with Anglo American, Antofagasta and Glencore Xstrata all down by more than 2%. Recent demand for minerals like iron ore and copper has been driven in part by China's export boom, as well as government-led infrastructure spending. That has seen miners become increasingly dependent on China for growth. However, over the weekend, China reported a surprise 18.1% fall in exports for February, compared to the same month last year. A fall in China's steel futures also hurt mining shares because iron ore is a key ingredient in steel manufacture. Fears of slowing demand from China have added to slides in other commodity prices, like that of copper, which has dropped to its lowest level in more than seven months. China is the biggest buyer of the metal, which is used in electronics production and other manufacturing industries. \"Any poor news from China is always going to hit short-term market sentiment, especially in the mining sector, and fears of slower growth will hit base metals,\" said Steven Mayne, director at IPR Capital.", "summary": "Shares in some of the world's biggest mining companies have been hit by a slump in the price of iron ore, amid fears of a slowdown in China's economy."}
{"article": "The measures agreed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) will overhaul the sport's governance, competitions and finances. A new revenue-sharing agreement will give the lion's share of money to the 'Big Three' nations. Associate members, including Ireland and Scotland, will also now have the chance to play Test cricket. Under the changes, the World Test Championship idea has been scrapped and the Champions Trophy will return in 2017. India board president Narainswamy Srinivasan will become ICC chairman for two years from July. The changes, which still need to be formally adopted by the ICC council, will see the formation of a new executive committee of five members, with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Cricket Australia (CA) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) all guaranteed a place. The ICC's executive board - a panel on which all 10 Test-playing nations sit - currently agrees all major decisions. Among the other key principles are the scrapping of the planned World Test Championship and the introduction of a new two-tier system that will give ICC associate members the chance to play Test cricket with the introduction of play-offs against the lowest-ranked Test nation. 1. South Africa 2. India 3. Australia 4. England 5. Pakistan 6. Sri Lanka 7. West Indies 8. New Zealand 9. Zimbabwe 10. Bangladesh The six leading associate members - Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and the United Arab Emirates - currently have one-day international status, but are not able to play Test matches. And the ICC's 10 full members - Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe - will no longer be obliged to play each other regularly after the Future Tours Programme was scrapped in favour of bilateral agreements between nations to cover Test series between 2015 and 2023. England Cricket Board boss Giles Clarke is adamant changes are necessary and says all countries will profit financially if England, India and Australia are given more power to negotiate broadcasting and marketing deals on behalf of the ICC. \"All countries earn more through this proposal,\" said Clarke. \"No member would earn less and, if our predictions are correct, most will earn an awful lot more. How can that be bad for cricket?\" Eight of the 10 full members voted in favour at the ICC meeting in Singapore, with Pakistan and Sri Lanka choosing to abstain. The former chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Arif Abassi, has warned that the measures could create deep divisions in the world game, and targeted India for criticism. Abassi told Lee James on BBC Sports World: \"I can't reconcile myself with what India are doing, We can't have this bulldozing from India. \"The ICC is like a company and a company needs level playing fields. This is being done at the expense of equality. This will lead to division and polarisation in the game. \"The money that comes into the game is not because of India, it's because of the overall picture of Test cricket. I cannot endorse this", "summary": "England, Australia and India will be given more control of cricket after a vote by the sport's governing body."}
{"article": "Howard, who can play on the wing or in the centre, joined Saints from Western Province in April 2015. The 24-year-old played for the Stormers in Super Rugby and also had a spell with Munster last season. \"I am really looking forward to returning to play in the Pro12,\" said Howard, who won the Junior World Championship with South Africa in 2012. \"I am sure that there are good times ahead with a young and exciting squad being assembled and I am looking forward to making the move to Wales.\" Dragons head coach Kingsley Jones said the region had been monitoring Howard's progress for 18 months. \"He is a dangerous attacking player with both strength and pace, and his physical nature of playing will add to our youthful backline,\" Jones said.", "summary": "Northampton's South African utility back Pat Howard will join Newport Gwent Dragons for the 2016-17 season."}
{"article": "Reports say riot police were involved in a tense stand-off with protesters, but later retreated. Protesters rallied after Nasser Zefzafi was arrested on Monday charged with threatening national security. Mr Zefzafi has organised months of protests against unemployment and corruption. Morocco has been gripped by demonstration since the death of a fishmonger in Al-Hoceima in October. According to AFP news agency, protesters chanting \"We are all Zefzafi\" filled streets in Al-Hoceima on Tuesday evening and riot police were deployed in a square to stop their advance. A stand-off ensued but police eventually backed down without incident. Marches have also taken place in Casablanca and in the capital, Rabat, AFP reports. The mass protests were triggered last October by the death of fishmonger Mouhcine Fikri, who was crushed to death by a rubbish truck as he tried to rescue his stock that had been confiscated by the police. Thousands of protesters took to the streets accusing the authorities of corruption, abuse and injustice. His death drew parallels to that of a Tunisian fruit seller in 2010 which helped spark the Arab Spring uprisings.", "summary": "Thousands of people have demonstrated in the northern Moroccan city of Al-Hoceima, demanding the release of a well-known activist."}
{"article": "Research by MigrationWatch, which campaigns for tighter immigration controls, looked at employment status, wages and benefit claims. Migrants from the US, Australia and South Africa were found to earn much more than the UK-born population. By contrast, people from Pakistan and Bangladesh tended to earn much less, the research suggested. The study used data from the official Labour Force Survey of 100,000 people. It suggests: It also suggests that more migrants than UK-born people claim housing benefit, tax credits and child benefit. However, claims for Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance differ little between migrants and UK-born people. Migrant claims were noticeably lower for sickness and disability benefits and carers' allowances, the study suggests. MigrationWatch chairman, Lord Green of Deddington, said the analysis showed that the argument that all immigration to the UK was beneficial could not possibly be right. He said any sensible policy should take account of the real differences in economic characteristics between migrants from different parts of the world. \"If immigration policy has been intended to attract only 'the brightest and the best' it has clearly failed, with a very large number of migrants earning less or claiming more than the British-born,\" he added. \"The clear message of this research is that immigration can be reduced substantially while permitting entry to those migrants that our economy really needs.\" The effect migrants have on a host economy depends on their skills, those of workers in the host country and other factors including rules relating to employment and wages. British research tends to indicate that migrants have two impacts. Medium and high-paid workers gain, partly because they benefit from the cheaper services of the low-paid migrant workers. But the lowest paid resident workers can lose out in competition at the bottom. Further data suggests that immigration from outside the EU could lead to more unemployment of UK workers during a recession - but these effects can change over time if migration leads to greater employment, productivity and business opportunities. A recent study found the biggest losers could be existing migrants who find themselves in competition with newly arrived workers who have similar skills at a lower price. Source: Oxford University's Migration Observatory Neil Carberry, of business lobby group the CBI, said the evidence clearly showed the \"vast majority\" of migrants came to the UK to study or work, not to claim benefits. The government was right to pursue a managed immigration policy, he told the BBC, but warned a one-size-fits-all approach that did not recognise different types of migration should be resisted and making assumptions based on migrants' home countries added little to the debate. Don Flynn, director of charity Migrants' Rights Network, said the analysis appeared to be spun to suggest that migrants were more likely to receive benefits than UK-born people, and some migrants were poor performers. But, he said, the overall position remained that migrants performed better than their cost to the taxpayer, and there was nothing in the study to challenge that. He added the government should focus on making sure often highly-qualified migrants were employed in", "summary": "Employment levels, wages and benefits vary widely between different groups of migrants in the UK, analysis suggests."}
{"article": "Sir Charlie Mayfield said a Brexit would also hit consumer confidence and spending for as long as five years. Leave campaigners have previously said that the UK economy would thrive outside the EU. John Lewis was not taking sides in the EU referendum debate, Sir Charlie added. He said that the UK economy would be stronger if Britain decided to remain in the union. \"As a businessman and looking at the economic issues, I do think that the economy will remain stronger if we remain in the European Union and that does matter. It matters to things like jobs, wages and public services because they do depend on how the economy is performing,\" he told BBC Radio 4's World at One. As well as the department store chain, John Lewis also owns Waitrose supermarkets. Sir Charlie said there were already signs of declining consumer confidence ahead of the 23 June vote. \"From conversations I've had with a number of the banks, we're seeing activity slowing in the build-up to the referendum, so I do think that it's the case that this is beginning to have an impact on the economy,\" he said. \"We're not taking sides in the debate. It is up to people to decide. But equally we have been asked to decide by our partners - that's 90,000 people who work in our business - what this means for their business because understandably they're interested.\" John Lewis has told staff that a vote to leave the EU would have an \"adverse impact\" on consumer confidence and activity. \"It's very, very hard to say how long that would last, but we estimate it could be for a period of maybe five years,\" Sir Charlie said. \"For example, you have things like a weaker currency. It will probably mean that prices rise. If there is less investment - which seems possible - then that could have an impact on jobs.\" However, Vote Leave campaigners have previously said the UK economy would be \"turbocharged\" outside the EU, with the UK able to form new trade deals with countries outside Europe. Campaigners argue that the EU sells far more into the UK than the UK sells in the EU, so it would be in the interests of other EU countries to strike a free-trade agreement with the UK after a Brexit. In March John Lewis and Waitrose staff were told their annual bonuses would be cut for the third consecutive year to 10% of their annual salary. Higher pension charges and lower property profits resulted in a fall in pre-tax profits before exceptional items from \u00c2\u00a3343m to to \u00c2\u00a3305.5m for the year to 30 January. Sir Charlie is also chairman of the British Retail Consortium. It issued a report in February warning that up to 900,000 jobs could be lost from the retail sector, along with the the closure of thousands of shops, over the next decade. The report blamed rising costs due to the introduction of the National Living Wage and the new apprenticeship levy for the job losses. UK retail sales rose", "summary": "Leaving the European Union would probably lead to higher prices in UK shops, the John Lewis chairman has said."}
{"article": "And far from the mood since the general election easing on the matter of \"sound money\", the word among senior figures in the department is that now is the time \"to hold our nerve\". Sources close to the chancellor point out that plans to balance the books - meaning that the government only spends as much as it receives in revenues, mostly in taxes - have already been delayed three times since 2010. The present target is for the deficit - that difference between government income and expenditure - to be eliminated by 2025. Philip Hammond wants to maintain that plan. He sticks to a pretty well-known script when asked about increasing public spending. Government wealth, he says, comes from three main areas. The first is taxes - which, it is pointed out, the chancellor tried to increase in March, only for plans to raise national insurance contributions to be abandoned when it was revealed that it breached the Conservatives' 2015 manifesto pledge not to increase income tax, national insurance or VAT. Is increasing taxes any more palatable now? Second, borrowing - which the chancellor makes clear means increasing the amount of money that needs to be paid back by future generations. And, finally, an increase in the ability of the economy to create wealth - called productivity. It is this last area that is the most important and, conversely, the least open to direct government intervention. The Treasury - as much as it might want to - cannot simply demand that the private and public sector becomes more efficient at delivering goods and services. It takes time, money and training in skills - none of which the UK has a particularly proud tradition in. And anything that is done by the government - such as increasing investment in infrastructure projects like digital broadband or new railway links - takes a long time to feed through to stronger wealth creation, higher economic growth and higher government tax receipts. It is in within such classically \"Treasury\" parameters that Mr Hammond would like to see the present debate on increasing public spending considered. Today, pressure is growing from Cabinet ministers such as Boris Johnson and Michael Gove for the government to relax its approach to the public sector pay cap, as my colleague Iain Watson reports. The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that every 1% increase in public sector pay would cost between \u00a31.5 and \u00a32bn a year. A pay rise for more than five million public sector workers who have seen their real incomes squeezed in the majority of years since the financial crisis is not cost-free. And private sector workers on average still earn 3% to 4% less than public sector workers - although their wages are now rising more rapidly and the gap is closing. Two of the major pay review bodies - for the NHS and for schools - have reported increasing problems of recruitment and retention in their sectors. That warning is likely to be repeated by the schools review body when it reports later this month. Last July,", "summary": "The Treasury jealously guards its role as keeper of the public purse."}
{"article": "Saturday Premiership Inverness CT 2-1 Hamilton Academical Celtic 4-1 St Johnstone Kilmarnock 0-1 Dundee Motherwell 0-1 Ross County Championship Dumbarton 0-1 Falkirk Greenock Morton 1-1 Dundee United Hibernian 1-1 St Mirren Queen of the South 0-1 Dunfermline Athletic Raith Rovers 2-1 Ayr United Sunday's Premiership previews Partick Thistle v Rangers (12:15) Hearts v Aberdeen (15:00)", "summary": "Match reports from Saturday's Scottish Premiership and Championship games."}
{"article": "The government wants to appeal to expat Turks because they can vote in a key upcoming poll. The referendum is on transferring sweeping powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Mr Erdogan accused the Netherlands and Germany of \"Nazism\" in a furious outburst - and the Turkish press has echoed his anger. But elsewhere in Europe, the focus is on how the tension will impact on Turkey's fraught relationship with Europe. The pro-government newspapers Star, Yeni Safak and Aksam, the centre-right Haber Turk, and the centrist publication Milliyet all quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warning that the Netherlands \"will pay the price\" for banning the rallies. The papers particularly lashed out at the Dutch authorities for using police to block Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya's access to the Turkish consulate in Rotterdam, and then using force against Turkish protesters. Star carried a picture of a Dutch police dog attacking a protester under the headline \"Wilders' dogs\" - referring to Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders. Yeni Safak published the same picture with the headline \"Racist dogs\", while Aksam carried \"Nazi dogs\". Centre-right Hurriyet published the headline \"Brutality\". The opposition tabloid Sozcu also criticised the Dutch, publishing a huge picture of the dog attack and the question \"What kind of barbarism is that?\" Pro-government Sabah blasted the Netherlands, saying the country had \"suspended freedoms\" and \"attacked with dogs\". Pro-government Karar's biggest headline noted that \"Holland has united Turkey\", adding that the government and the opposition have become \"one voice\" against Holland's \"scandalous conduct\" and \"police vandalism\". Dutch reports suggest the Netherlands has also been united by the controversy. Algemeen Dagblad's report says Prime Minister Mark Rutte had refused for years to be provoked by the government in Ankara. But as the election approached, it was the final straw. And his stance has united Dutch politics: \"Such a degree of unity we have not seen during this election campaign,\" it says. The Telegraaf features a picture of a Dutch policeman with a dog tackling a demonstrator under the headline \"We're in charge here!\" NRC has an interview with the prime minister, who complains the crisis has affected his ability to campaign in Wednesday's elections. The paper calls it the biggest diplomatic row of his premiership. Asked if he will apologise to Turkey, he says it was President Erdogan who likened the Netherlands to Nazi Germany, and so \"he should apologise to us.\" German broadsheet Die Welt ran with the headline: \"Erdogan has misunderstood something in international law\". \"Erdogan's government believes that it can apply its own authoritarian rules in foreign relations. But are consulates really the territory of a foreign state? The rules of diplomatic relations are clear,\" it states. Tagesspiegel, a popular broadsheet daily, wrote of \"a deep crack through the Netherlands\". \"The relationship between the EU and Turkey is plunging into its deepest crisis,\" it wrote. \"It seems that over the weekend new Turkish heroes were born, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan's supporters can push forward.\" Austrian broadsheet Wiener Zeitung ran the line that the Dutch prime minister \"will not apologise to Erdogan\" and \"considers", "summary": "Turkish newspapers are fuming at a diplomatic snub after the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria blocked the Turkish government's attempts to hold rallies in those countries."}
{"article": "Three bodies were found in streets nearby. A threatening message was left next to boxes, warning what were described as \"traitors\" and \"blackmailers\". Guerrero state, home to the seaside resort of Acapulco, has been plagued by years of drug-related violence. The latest gruesome incident created havoc around Chilpancingo. The body parts were discovered at around 03:00 local time (08:00 GMT) on Sunday morning. Police have not yet identified the victims. The gang has identified itself as Los Jefes, or The Bosses. Some of Mexico's most notorious gangs have been fighting for control of drug routes along the country's Pacific coast. Smaller criminal groups are also known to operate in Guerrero state, kidnapping for ransom and extorting farmers and shop owners. In 2014, 43 students disappeared in Guerrero, in a high-profile case that highlighted the involvement of local authorities and police with organised crime. Tens of thousands of people have died in drug-related violence in Mexico in the past decade.", "summary": "A criminal gang in Mexico has dropped three iceboxes with a severed head in each one near a government building in Chilpancingo, the capital of the western state of Guerrero."}
{"article": "18 March 2017 Last updated at 17:34 GMT She made the remark during her speech to her party's conference meeting in Aberdeen. Ms Sturgeon told more than 2,000 delegates: \"She has time to think again and I hope she does. If her concern is timing then - within reason - I am happy to have that discussion. \"But let the prime minister be in no doubt. The will of our parliament must and will prevail.\"", "summary": "Scotland's First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon says Theresa May could re-think her approach to the timing of a second Scottish independence referendum."}
{"article": "Prof Graham Upton, who was vice chancellor at Oxford Brookes University and Cumbria University, will take up the role from Monday. His predecessor Prof Michael Scott formally leaves in March, but departed on 1 January to do research. Glyndwr has had an operational and academic restructure in recent months. Last June, the university was suspended from recruiting overseas students after a Home Office investigation into alleged visa fraud. Its right to sponsor foreign students was reinstated in November.", "summary": "Glyndwr University has appointed an interim vice-chancellor three weeks after his predecessor left the role."}
{"article": "Four charities withdrew as official partners from the Kiltwalk earlier this year and its chief executive stepped down a few weeks later. The Kiltwalk stages sponsored walks across Scotland to raise money for leading children's charities. Its 2013 accounts showed more was spent on costs than went to charity. There is no suggestions regulations were broken. Kiltwalk chairman Michael Ure said it had incurred additional costs because of a \"re-structuring\". Mr Ure and the rest of the trustees have now stood down. The Kiltwalk said a new board would oversee the continued development of the charity. The group has also attracted support from one of Scotland's richest men, the entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter, whose foundation has committed long-term funding. Mr Hunter said: \"The Kiltwalk is a fantastic concept for raising much-needed funds for Scotland's children's charities and has our absolute support. \"We intend over the next couple of months to redefine and improve the model, building on the foundations already in place, to maximise returns for charities and turbo-charge Scotland's Kiltwalkers for 2016.\" The Kiltwalk was set up in 2011 with the aim of bringing Scotland's leading children's charities together for a series of sponsored walks. It grew from 800 walkers that year to more than 12,000 across the country in 2014. However, earlier this year four charities - CLIC Sargent, Cash for Kids, Aberlour and Edinburgh's Sick Kids Friends Foundation - withdrew as official partners. CLIC Sargent and Aberlour indicated to BBC Scotland that they had concerns over the amount of money reaching them from the Kiltwalk. The most recent set of accounts for the Kiltwalk showed that from an income of just over \u00c2\u00a31.6m, \u00c2\u00a3780,000 had been spent on running costs - more than the \u00c2\u00a3776,000 which went to charity.", "summary": "A Scottish charity has replaced its entire board of trustees following concerns over the amount of money it was giving to charitable causes."}
{"article": "It has already reduced administrative staff from 23 to 18 and employs 63 musicians. The orchestra said it is negotiating with musicians to get rid of what it calls \"restrictive practices\". The orchestra assured MLAs it is trying to become less Belfast-centred. Sir George Bain, the executive chairman, told the committee it could send smaller groups of musicians out to towns that could not accommodate the full orchestra. He also added that musicians were paid full salaries even when not giving performances, but their contracts mean they could not be used for other projects, without extra payment. Earlier this month, Sir George revealed the orchestra would be forced to close by the end of the year unless it received \u00a3500,000 in emergency funding. Sir George Bain's warning came as he revealed the details behind a rescue plea to Belfast City Council that could mean a name change for the orchestra. It costs about \u00a34.5m a year to run the Ulster Orchestra. It said it had lost 28% of funding from public sources - the equivalent of \u00a31m - in the past four years. In a bid to survive, it has asked Belfast City Council to back a rescue plan that includes a \u00a3500,000 funding guarantee to keep it solvent until March next year when it would be restructured. It is also asking for the free use for the next five years of the Ulster Hall, which costs about \u00a3160,000 a year. According to Sir George, the orchestra could end up changing its name to something like the Belfast Symphony if the rescue plan was accepted. If the money is not forthcoming, the orchestra is warning it could go into administration before Christmas and close not long afterwards. It is the only full-time professional orchestra in Northern Ireland, and plays the majority of its concerts in Belfast's Ulster Hall and the Waterfront Hall. The BBC gives financial support of \u00a3639,000 a year to the orchestra. Belfast City Council has yet to respond to the orchestra's request for additional funding.", "summary": "The Ulster Orchestra has told Stormont's culture committee it cannot cut more staff to save money, while it tackles a \u00a3500,000 gap in funding."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old scored with a header after 72 seconds before Marco Asensio chipped in a brilliant finish for 2-0. Bale rounded Sociedad keeper Geronimo Rulli to score again in the final minute for last season's runners-up. Sociedad fans applauded throughout the ninth minute as a tribute to their former striker Dalian Atkinson, who died on Monday. Atkinson wore the number nine shirt when he played for the club during the 1990-91 season. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid - who finished third in May - started their season with a 1-1 draw at home to promoted Alaves. The hosts looked to have won it with an injury-time penalty from debutant Kevin Gameiro, after Fernando Torres had been pulled down in the area. However, the visitors, who had previously shown little ambition, gained a point thanks to Manu Garcia's fine strike in the final seconds. There were unpleasant scenes during Sporting Gijon's home game against Athletic Bilbao. The referee had to halt the match briefly because of racist chants being aimed at visitors' forward Inaki Williams by some home fans. Sporting won the match 2-1. Match ends, Real Sociedad 0, Real Madrid 3. Second Half ends, Real Sociedad 0, Real Madrid 3. Goal! Real Sociedad 0, Real Madrid 3. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by James Rodr\u00edguez. Isco (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by David Zurutuza (Real Sociedad). Attempt saved. James Rodr\u00edguez (Real Madrid) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lucas V\u00e1zquez. Attempt missed. Mateo Kovacic (Real Madrid) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Casemiro. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) because of an injury. Yuri (Real Sociedad) is shown the yellow card. Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) is shown the yellow card. Casemiro (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Willian Jos\u00e9 (Real Sociedad). Attempt blocked. Xabi Prieto (Real Sociedad) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by I\u00f1igo Mart\u00ednez. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Kiko Casilla (Real Madrid) because of an injury. Corner, Real Sociedad. Conceded by Marcelo. Attempt blocked. Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Xabi Prieto. Corner, Real Madrid. Conceded by I\u00f1igo Mart\u00ednez. Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad). Substitution, Real Sociedad. Carlos Vela replaces Mikel Gonz\u00e1lez. Attempt missed. Xabi Prieto (Real Sociedad) header from a difficult angle on the left is high and wide to the left. Assisted by David Zurutuza with a cross following a corner. Corner, Real Sociedad. Conceded by Daniel Carvajal. Attempt blocked. Yuri (Real Sociedad) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Markel Bergara. Substitution, Real Madrid. James Rodr\u00edguez replaces", "summary": "Wales forward Gareth Bale scored twice as Real Madrid opened their La Liga season with a win at Real Sociedad."}
{"article": "Fees are rising to a maximum of \u00c2\u00a39000 across the UK but in Scotland, pupils who have lived there for at least three years do not have to pay fees. This is also the case for EU students, as EU law does not allow discrimination against those from other member states. Irish passport holders in Northern Ireland count as EU students. Until now it was understood that students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland had to pay the higher fees in Scotland. But the BBC has been told that those who have Irish passports are exempt. An investigation by BBC Northern Ireland has found that some pupils in Belfast are applying for Irish passports in order to get free tuition in Scotland. A Scottish government spokesman confirmed that nationality not residence was the key when it came to defining an EU student, and that anyone with an Irish passport living in the UK could apply for free tuition. Students in Northern Ireland have dual nationality and can opt for Irish passports. Cathy Moore, chair of the Careers Teachers' Association, said: \"The Scottish Parliament has said if you have an Irish passport and live in Northern Ireland and provide that, (Irish passport) you are eligible to have the fees paid.\" There is a degree of confusion about how widely this measure applies. It is understood some Scottish universities have told students they will be classed as UK nationals and have to pay fees. Northern Ireland born, Richard Beggs graduated from Dundee University in 2004. He tried and failed to avail of the alleged exemption: \"I knew I was able to get an Irish passport and I thought I would be able to study for free but that wasn't the case. \"They told me because I didn't have an address in the Republic of Ireland over the last three years that I wasn't eligible.\" Scottish Education Secretary Michael Russell said universities would have the final word but urged Northern Ireland students to be cautious. \"The purpose of the regulations is to guarantee Scottish students free access. It is not to find ways around for other people. Because of European law, people coming from other jurisdictions do get the same treatment as Scottish students but those in the rest of the UK don't,\" he said. Mr Russell agreed the situation was \"fluid\". The DUP East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell said he had raised the issue with Angus Robertson, the SNP leader in Westminster. \"Northern Ireland's citizenship issue is unique to that of the rest of the United Kingdom in that someone living in Belfast can hold both a British passport and an Irish passport. They can officially be an Irish citizen and a British citizen,\" he said. \"With such a unique situation, the Scottish executive should take an equally unique approach to Northern Ireland students. \"Rather than only those who are happy to have an Irish passport gaining free university places, the Scottish executive should remove all fees for students from Northern Ireland. \"This would restore fairness in that those who wouldn't be comfortable being", "summary": "A Scottish government spokesman has confirmed that sixth form pupils in the UK who hold Irish passports qualify for free university tuition in Scotland."}
{"article": "When he talks about the Steamship Tahoe, he calls it simply The Queen. The Queen sailed across Lake Tahoe, a breathtaking lake that straddles the border between California and Nevada, and is nestled high up in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. There are few places on earth as beautiful. The steamer carried people, cargo and mail, and its passengers loved the ship's elegance, beauty and comfort. But nothing can stop the march of technology, and so once a road around the lake was built in the 1930s, demand for the SS Tahoe all but disappeared. The company that owned it lost its contract to deliver the mail, and the once-proud ship fell into a sorry state of disrepair. In came William Seth Bliss - the son of Duane Leroy Bliss, a local business tycoon - with a bright idea. He would intentionally scuttle the ship, sinking it into the lake at a depth that meant glass-bottomed boats could sail over it and get a great view. He hoped it would become a tourist attraction. However, Bliss miscalculated. When SS Tahoe hit the bed of Lake Tahoe on a fateful day in 1940, it slipped down a slope - and kept going. When it finally rested, it was 150m (490ft) underwater. Due to the lake's high altitude - almost 2,000m above sea level - diving to that depth is incredibly difficult. A team managed it in 2002, breaking a world record for high-altitude diving in the process. And that's why I found myself on the banks of Lake Tahoe with the team from OpenROV. OpenROV began, like many great ideas, as a crowdfunded Kickstarter project. Its aim was to create what is essentially an underwater drone capable of plunging into water and filming whatever it can see. Its task today was to reach the depths of Lake Tahoe and get up close to the SS Tahoe for an extended tour of the ship the likes of which nobody had enjoyed for more than 70 years. They used a drone that costs $899 (\u00c2\u00a3685). It's dramatically cheaper than anything else capable of such a voyage, and the team hopes its work will see thousands of explorers take to the water to look closely at places that may be right under our noses but are so rarely seen. Later this year, a $1,499 model, named Trident, will go on sale. It will be able to plunge to depths of 100m and travel at the speed of an Olympic swimmer. As the SS Tahoe lies deeper than 100m, the team made several modifications for this one-off job. They dropped a long tether into the water to enable the drone to be controlled remotely at such depths. A team in a rubber dinghy on the surface transmitted data to mission control in a summerhouse commandeered by the team. From here, using a PlayStation controller, the drone was navigated down to the ship. Watching online were some of OpenROV's community of enthusiasts - some of whom backed the original Kickstarter to get the project off the ground (or", "summary": "John Foster, an archaeologist, talks about boats in that charming way all nautical lovers do - as if the vessels were supermodels."}
{"article": "The historic playhouse, which opened on 30 May 1766, is the oldest continuously working theatre in the English speaking world. As part of the anniversary celebrations an 18th Century \"thunder run\", which recreates the sound of thunder above the auditorium, was recently restored. It will be used for the first time since 1942 in a production of King Lear next month. Some of the UK's most famous and best-loved actors learned their trade at the Bristol Old Vic. Graduates of the famous Bristol Old Vic Theatre School include Sir Patrick Stewart, Jeremy Irons, Miranda Richardson, Daniel Day Lewis, Patricia Routledge, Tim Pigott-Smith, Pete Postlethwaite, Mark Strong, Brian Blessed, Olivia Colman, Gene Wilder, Amanda Redman and Naomie Harris. Bristol Old Vic features a Grade I listed auditorium which has recently been restored. Although not a student at the theatre, Peter O'Toole began his stage career there, and described it as \"the loveliest theatre in the world\". Daniel Day Lewis called it \"The most beautiful theatre in England\". The old playhouse is reputedly haunted. People have reported seeing the ghost of Sarah M'Cready, the theatre manager who worked there 180 years ago, although some say it is in fact the spirit of 18th Century actress Sarah Siddons. The spirit of a former scenery painter called Richard, who died in an accident in the 1950s, is also said to sometimes move objects around. The theatre was originally built without Royal patent and was therefore technically illegal, so it had to disguise plays as musical concerts and hide its entrance from public sight. It finally got a royal patent in 1778 when it became the Theatre Royal. It became the Bristol Old Vic in 1946 when a company of actors from London's Old Vic was sent there to perform. To mark the 250th anniversary plays from each of the four centuries it has been in existence have been, or will be, performed. The original theatre was founded in 1766 by 50 men and women, who each paid \u00a350 in return for a \"silver ticket\", which granted the bearer the right to watch every performance in the theatre, forever. Investors included local councillors, two future MPs and at least three Quakers. To mark the 250th anniversary new silver tickets have been minted. Each one has been sold for \u00a350,000 to help raise funds for the theatre's redevelopment. The theatre has survived for two and a half centuries despite coming near to closure on several occasions. During World War Two much of ancient Bristol was destroyed, but the theatre sustained only slight damage. It fell into disrepair and in 1942 it was sold after a series of failed attempts to revive it. The new buyers planned to turn it into a banana ripening warehouse, but an appeal was launched to save the theatre and it reopened in 1943.", "summary": "Bristol Old Vic theatre is marking its 250th anniversary."}
{"article": "The crash has closed the A76 Dumfries to Kilmarnock Road at Sanquhar in south west Scotland. A major clean-up operation is under way and police say the route is expected to be closed for most of the day. Lengthy diversions are in operation and motorists are being urged to avoid the area. The driver was not hurt. The glue container burst when the lorry jack-knifed on the road at 05:30, police said. The incident happened in the town centre and diversions are in place around the affected area in Sanquhar. Traffic is able to rejoin the A76 either side of the town but the re-routing has caused difficulties for large, industrial vehicles. A Dumfries and Galloway police spokesman said: \"The glue container on the lorry has burst and glue spilling is affecting the road surface. \"Road diversions are being put in place. However, motorists are asked to avoid the area if possible.\" A member of police control staff said the road closure is expected to be in place for several hours.", "summary": "A road has been closed after a lorry carrying glue jack-knifed, spilling its load over the carriageway."}
{"article": "A Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) report found that 47% of members would vote \"yes\" and stay in, and around 41% would vote to leave. There were geographical differences - about 60% in Scotland would vote \"yes\". But a clear majority of firms felt they did not have access to unbiased information. A slim majority of firms - 50.5% of FSB members - said the UK's existing EU membership was good for the economy as a whole. However, only 34.9% thought it was good for their individual businesses. Business owner Herbert Eppel, who runs a technical translation business, was firmly in favour of the UK staying in the EU. \"Leaving would have a significant impact [on businesses],\" he told the BBC. \"It would lead to additional bureaucracy, time, cost, effort and hassle. Everything is working pretty smoothly at the moment.\" He added that withdrawal would affect firms that directly import and export goods to the EU, and also peripheral UK businesses that rely on those firms. But Kelly Morris of Balgonie Castle Enterprises, an events firm, said business would be easier if the UK voted to leave. \"We see the hindrance of EU regulations... the red tape and bureaucracy,\" she said. \"Now they're talking about having to have low-powered vacuum cleaners. That's ridiculous.\" She added that the UK does not seem to get \"value for money\" from its contribution to the EU budget. Less than half of firms said they felt they had a full grasp about the possible effects on business and the UK economy of a Brexit, and said there was \"a need for clear unbiased information\" from the media. There were fairly large geographical variations in opinion on which would be the best way to vote. Almost 60% of firms in Scotland would vote \"yes\", and firms in Wales and Northern Ireland were also more likely to agree that there is a benefit from EU membership than those in England. There were also significant regional variations in England. Firms in London and the North East would be more likely to vote \"yes\" than firms in the East Midlands, for example. In general, firms which relied on EU imports and exports were far more in favour of a \"yes\" vote, while companies which did not rely on trade were less likely to see the EU as beneficial. The possible effect of a \"Brexit\" on trade has been a concern for some analysts, too. In June ratings agency Moody's said that a withdrawal from the EU \"would worsen the UK's trade position and, through that, medium-term growth.\" Investment would be negatively affected, and there would be \"a hollowing-out of export sector employment and capital\" in the short term, it said. But some analysts say the threat to trade is overblown. Vicky Redwood, chief UK economist for Capital Economics, told the BBC: \"There is a very good chance of a free trade agreement being formed to maintain a good flow of trade.\" If the UK were outside of the EU, it could press ahead with free trade agreements with other countries without", "summary": "Small UK firms are split over whether to stay in the European Union or not, according to a survey of thousands of businesses."}
{"article": "The country's consumer watchdog has taken Apple to court for false advertising because the tablet computer does not work on Australia's 4G network. Apple's lawyers said they were willing to publish a clarification. However the company does not accept that it misled customers. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said on Tuesday: \"Apple's recent promotion of the new 'iPad with wi-fi + 4G' is misleading because it represents to Australian consumers that the product can, with a sim card, connect to a 4G mobile data network in Australia, when this is not the case.\" The watchdog then lodged a complaint at the Federal Court in Melbourne. At a preliminary hearing, Apple lawyer Paul Anastassiou said Apple had never claimed the device would work fully on the current 4G network operated by Telstra. Apple says the new iPad works on what is globally accepted to be a 4G network. The matter will go to a full trial on 2 May. The Apple iPad's third version went on sale earlier this month, with Australia the first country where it was available. Shoppers lined up by the hundreds at Apple stores on opening day and the company said it had been its strongest iPad launch to date. The ACCC said it was seeking an injunction on sales as well as a financial penalty against Apple, corrective advertising and refunds to consumers. On its website, Apple does state that 4G LTE is only supported on selected networks in the US and Canada.", "summary": "US technology firm Apple has offered to refund Australian customers who felt misled about the 4G capabilities of the new iPad."}
{"article": "Ms Suu Kyi will start the four-day visit next Wednesday, her National League for Democracy (NLD) party said. An NLD spokesman said she would meet China's president, Xi Jinping, and premier, Li Keqiang. Relations between the countries have cooled in recent years, partly because of violence near their mutual border. Myanmar has been fighting rebels in its eastern Kokang region, which borders China's Yunnan province. At least five people in Yunnan died in March when an aircraft from Myanmar, also known as Burma, dropped a bomb on a sugar cane field. China sent patrols to the border in response. While Myanmar's military junta was under Western sanctions, and Ms Suu Kyi was under house arrest, China remained a loyal ally. But since reforms were introduced in 2011, the government of President Thein Sein has allied itself closely with the United States, although China continues to help develop major infrastructure projects in Myanmar. As head of the NLD, Ms Suu Kyi is expected to play a key role in Myanmar's presidential elections this November, although she is unlikely to be able to stand for president. She is fighting to overturn a clause in the constitution that currently blocks her from standing as a candidate. Inviting Ms Suu Kyi is an acknowledgement by the Chinese that, after the Burmese general election later this year, she's likely to be a political force they can no longer ignore. The trip will also pose a moral dilemma for the Burmese opposition leader. Just like Ms Suu Kyi two decades ago, Chinese writer Liu Xiabo has been detained for his pro-democracy activities - and then, like her, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Will Ms Suu Kyi say anything while in China about her fellow Nobel laureate? Or will she choose to remain silent to avoid embarrassing her hosts?", "summary": "Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's opposition leader, will visit China for the first time next week at a time of tension between the two countries."}
{"article": "The O's lost 5-0 at Accrington on Tuesday, six days before a winding-up petition is due to be heard. \"It was a very hurtful night - certainly my lowest night in football,\" Webb, 33, told BBC London. \"I'm trying to take on a lot, carry a lot of things on my shoulders. It's hard.\" Newport's win at Morecambe on Tuesday saw Webb's side go bottom of the fourth tier for the first time this season. Orient have lost five of their last six games and are seven points from safety with nine matches remaining. Webb, who is in his first management job, added: \"I'm trying to reassure players about winding-up orders, and reassure myself really because I haven't got a clue what's going on either. \"The whole thing's testing, but really all we should be worrying about is setting the team up to try and win a football game. \"Unfortunately, your heart sinks when it goes to 2-0 because then it really is game over when you're down the bottom.\" Orient will present a \"funding plan\" at the High Court to stave off Monday's winding-up petition, according to the English Football League. The club met with EFL officials and said they would be able to clear the debt, believed to be around \u00a3250,000, owed to HM Revenue and Customs. \"We were advised that a funding plan is in place to clear the petition debt and to complete their remaining nine league fixtures,\" an EFL statement said. \"We remain in regular dialogue with the club and, as the competition organiser, the EFL will continue to offer whatever practical assistance is available to us as the club continues to navigate itself away from their current position. \"The issue of the ownership of the club is not a matter for the EFL, as long as our regulations are met and any sale of the club is a matter for its shareholders, at this stage.\" President Francesco Becchetti said last month he would consider selling Orient, but it is understood a number of potential offers have not been considered sufficiently financially attractive.", "summary": "Leyton Orient manager Danny Webb says the club's off-field problems are weighing on him heavily after they slipped to the bottom of League Two."}
{"article": "First, he used a prehistoric technology: he lit a wood fire. But Prof Nordhaus also had a piece of hi-tech equipment with him - a Minolta light meter. He burned 20lb (9kg) of wood, kept track of how long it burned for and carefully recorded the dim, flickering firelight with his meter. Next, he bought a Roman oil lamp, fitted it with a wick, and filled it with cold-pressed sesame oil. He lit the lamp and watched the oil burn down, again using the light meter to measure its soft, even glow. Bill Nordhaus's open wood fire had burned for just three hours on 9kg of wood. But a mere eggcup of oil burned all day, and more brightly and controllably. Why did he do this? He wanted to understand the economic significance of the light bulb. But Prof Nordhaus also wanted to illuminate a difficult issue for economists: how to keep track of inflation, the changing cost of goods and services. 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy highlights the inventions, ideas and innovations that helped create the economic world. It is broadcast on the BBC World Service. You can find more information about the programme's sources and listen online or subscribe to the programme podcast. To see why this is difficult, consider the price of travelling from - say - Lisbon in Portugal to Luanda in Angola. When that journey was first made, by Portuguese explorers, it would have been an epic expedition, possibly taking months. Later, by steam ship, it would have taken a few days; then, by plane, a few hours. An economic historian could start by tracking the price of passage on the ship, but once an air route has opened up, which price do you look at? Maybe you simply switch to the airline ticket price once more people start flying than sailing. But flying is a different service - faster, more convenient. If more travellers are willing to pay twice as much to fly, it hardly makes sense for inflation statistics to record that the cost of the journey has suddenly doubled. It was to raise this question over the way we measure inflation that Bill Nordhaus started fooling around with wood fires, oil lamps and light meters. He wanted to unbundle the cost of a single quality that humans have cared deeply about since time immemorial, using the state-of-the-art technology of different ages: illumination. Light is measured in lumens, or lumen-hours. A candle gives off 13 lumens while it burns. A typical modern light bulb is almost 100 times brighter than that. Imagine gathering and chopping wood 10 hours a day for six days. Those 60 hours of work would produce 1,000 lumen hours of light. That is the equivalent of one modern light bulb shining for just 54 minutes, although what you would actually get is many more hours of dim, flickering light instead. Of course, light is not the only reason to burn fires: they also help keep you warm, cook your food and scare off wild animals. If you just needed", "summary": "Back in the mid-1990s, an economist called William Nordhaus conducted a series of simple experiments with light."}
{"article": "The 34-year-old trailed 1-0 and 2-1 and despite going in level at 2-2 at the mid-session interval after two 50-plus breaks, he was not happy. \"There was lot riding on it and it took me a little longer than I anticipated to settle down. \"Even though I made a good break to go 1-1, I just never felt I had completely settled,\" said the world number 24. The Londoner produced a magnificent 131 in the fifth frame and added two more to make it four in a row and leave him needing just one for victory at the York Barbican. Northern Ireland's Swail, the world number 58, pulled one back, but Gould's fourth half-century of the match secured a quarter-final meeting with David Grace. Gould, who had never previously been beyond the second round of the UK Championship, added: \"I was pleased to come out at 2-2 after the interval. And I said to myself it was the time to step up. \"The 131 was the first frame after the interval and that gave me the impetus to carry on. \"I got in to a rhythm and a stride and when I get I am quite hard to stop. It was important for me to stamp my authority on the match.\" Leeds potter Grace, who is ranked 81 in the world, beat former world champion Peter Ebdon in the fourth round.", "summary": "Martin Gould said he felt the pressure in the early stages of his 6-3 last-16 UK Championship win over Joe Swail."}
{"article": "Mr Flynn reportedly discussed sanctions with a Russian official in the weeks before Mr Trump took office. He denied talking about this issue but later said he could not be certain. Any discussion of sanctions could have violated laws against private citizens engaging in foreign policy. Stephen Miller, President Donald Trump's top policy adviser, declined to say when asked in a number of interviews whether Mr Trump backed Mr Flynn. Mr Miller said it was not his place to comment on the \"sensitive matter\" concerning Mr Flynn, who was an early supporter of Mr Trump but whose position in the administration is thought to be under scrutiny. Mr Flynn spoke with Russia's ambassador, Sergei Kislyak, by phone in December. Both Mr Flynn and US Vice-President Mike Pence denied that the two men discussed US sanctions imposed over Russia's actions in Ukraine and alleged hacking of the US Democratic Party. But nine current and former officials later told the Washington Post that the issue had been discussed. A spokesman subsequently told reporters that Mr Flynn \"couldn't be certain\" he had not discussed the sanctions. Mr Trump, who spent the weekend at his club in Florida, Mar-a-Lago, has not commented on the controversy. Mr Flynn is understood to have also been at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend. Mr Trump is said to be troubled by the situation and uncertain as to whether he will ask Mr Flynn to step down, the AP reported, citing administration officials. Several other White House officials, as well as Mr Miller, declined over the weekend to comment on the situation.", "summary": "A top White House official declined in several interviews over the weekend to defend national security adviser Michael Flynn, amid controversy over his alleged contacts with Russia."}
{"article": "The government and private operators run TV and radio stations and outlets from American Samoa are readily available. By June 2015, there were nearly 27,000 internet users (InternetLiveStats.com). Internet cafes are widely used.", "summary": "Press freedom is \"generally respected\", according to US-based Freedom House."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device A dominant performance from the pack enabled England to hit back after Alison Miller gave Ireland a 7-0 lead. Tries from Rochelle Clark, Kat Merchant, Kay Wilson and Marlie Packer (two) secured victory. England, who lost the three previous finals to New Zealand, will play Canada, with whom they drew 13-13 in the pool stage, in the final. Canada withstood late pressure to beat hosts France 18-16 in the other semi-final. Ireland were out-gunned by England's all-round superiority, led by a bruising scrummaging performance. However, after a previous best finish of seventh in a World Cup, they will look back with satisfaction at reaching the semi-finals for the first time. Their pool win over New Zealand - the defending champions - was the biggest shock in the history of the competition, but it is possible it left them too drained to once again hit the same heights in order to see off England at Stade Jean-Bouin. For the first 20 minutes the Irish were on top and they took the lead as winger Miller found herself at the bottom of the heap after Ireland's pack had driven a maul over from a line-out. Full-back Niamh Briggs, who had an outstanding tournament, landed the tricky conversion to make it 7-0 with 15 minutes played, and England were looking rattled as the Irish disrupted their line-out and used the choke tackle to force a steady stream of turnovers. England finally opened their account with a similar score to Ireland's as prop Clark burrowed over after a driving maul, and the Red Roses assumed control in the final 10 minutes of the half. Emily Scarratt was at the heart of the action, a couple of damaging runs opening up the Irish defence and a couple of accurate penalty kicks atoning for her earlier missed conversion. In between the outside centre's two penalties, she also converted England's second try after her 50m break set up the position for winger Merchant to finish in style. England were suddenly in total control and Ireland, 18-7 down at the break, needed to start the second half strongly if they were to reach a maiden final. Instead it was all England after the restart and, with their pack increasingly dominant in the scrum, the Red Roses first battered the Irish into submission up front and then exploited the space out wide to romp away. Scarratt extended the lead with her third penalty and Wilson added a third try just before the hour mark. England took off a number of players to rest them for the final, including captain and fly-half Katy Mclean, and replacement flanker Packer seized her chance to score a rapid brace of tries, both converted by replacement 10 Ceri Large. England: Waterman; Merchant, Scarratt, Burford, Wilson; Mclean (capt), Mason; Clark, Fleetwood, Hemming, Taylor, McGilchrist, Matthews, Alphonsi, Hunter. Replacements: Croker (for Fleetwood, 63 mins), Essex (for Clark, 63, Clark for Hemming, 69), Allan (for Scarratt, 68), Keates (for Taylor, 63), Large (for McLean, 68), Packer (for Alphonsi, 63), Hunt (for", "summary": "England reached the Women's Rugby World Cup final for the fourth time in a row as they outclassed Ireland in Paris."}
{"article": "Walter Powley suffered serious burns following a fall at the Western Park View home in Hinckley Road, Leicester, in May 2012. An investigation into his death found the radiator pipes and valves at the home were not covered. It also found the owner was aware that Mr Powley was at risk of falls. During a hearing at Leicester Crown Court, Western Park Leicester, based in Queen Street, Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to safety breaches. The firm was also ordered to pay \u00a335,000 in costs. In a statement, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said Mr Powley had been admitted to the home four days before being injured. It said he fell in his room and suffered serious burns to his right leg from the radiator pipe and valves, and superficial burns to both legs. He died in hospital eight days later. Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Dr Richenda Dixon said: \"This was a foreseeable and preventable fatal incident. \"The scalding or burning risks from the pipes were long-standing and could have caused injury to any resident,\" he said. In a statement on behalf of Mr Powley's family, his son Colin said: \"We are still devastated, not only by our dad's death, but also how it came about. \"The fact that he died from injuries sustained as a result of, in our view, inadequate care in a place where he was supposedly safer than at home, is heart-breaking.\"", "summary": "A care home has been fined \u00a3100,000 after an 85-year-old resident died after becoming trapped between a wardrobe and a radiator."}
{"article": "Vehicle examiner Philip Balderstone said he could reach the brake with his foot - but only by hand when he was standing without a seatbelt on. The fatal accident inquiry (FAI) has heard two crewmen on board during the crash were seated with their belts on. The inquiry is examining the lorry, its route and driver Harry Clarke's health. Mr Balderstone was giving evidence on the third day of the FAI, which is being overseen by Sheriff John Beckett QC at Glasgow Sheriff Court. The vehicle examination consultant, who works for the Transport Research Laboratory, was asked to produce a report on the bin lorry following the crash on 22 December last year. The court has already heard that the front driver section of the lorry cab and the rear crew section was separated by a metal bar. Mr Balderstone's report noted that the vehicle had an emergency stop button for its rear machinery. This, however, was not connected to the chassis or drive of the lorry, meaning it could not stop the vehicle. The court was then shown a picture of Mr Balderstone in the vehicle cab, trying to reach the parking brake control from the rear crew section. Mr Balderstone confirmed that he was able to reach the brake lever from the rear area and apply it \"reasonably easily\". The court has previously heard that the two rear-seated crewmen on the day of the crash, Matthew Telford and Henry Toal, made no attempt to apply the brake and believed they could not reach it. Mr Balderstone said he is 5ft 8in tall and could reach the parking brake \"comfortably\". Solicitor General Lesley Thomson, Scotland's second most senior law officer, who is leading the FAI, then asked if someone who was 5ft 3in tall could reach the brake - this is the height that Mr Telford gave for himself during evidence on Wednesday. Mr Balderstone said it would be more difficult, but could not say for sure if it would be possible. The court heard that his report recorded the brake as being 0.71m from the top of the metal bar separating the front and rear sections of the lorry cab. Mr Balderstone said it would be easier to reach the brake by going under the barrier, but this would be less safe. The witness also said he tried to reach the brake lever while seated, with a belt on and this would only be possible from one seat, to the left of the driver. He said he could \"just\" reach the brake lever at \"fingertip stretch\" after several tries while sitting with the belt on. Mr Balderstone agreed that the possibility of reaching the brake lever with a seatbelt on, while the vehicle was moving, was \"remote\". The witness agreed that in order to reach the brake comfortably, and operate it with their hands, a passenger would need to remove their seatbelt. He agreed that anyone doing this would need some training or knowledge of the brake lever in order to use it. The court previously heard that Mr Telford", "summary": "An expert witness has told the inquiry into the Glasgow bin lorry crash, which killed six people, that he could reach the handbrake from the rear crew seats."}
{"article": "Craig Douglas and Dylan Rigby, who are both from Essex, are charged with promoting a lottery and advertising unlawful gambling. Mr Douglas makes gaming videos on YouTube under the pseudonym Nepenthez. He is also charged with inviting children to gamble. The two men appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court. The case has been adjourned until 14 October. The Gambling Commission, which brought the prosecution, has been looking into the rise of video game gambling. It is warning parents that children can be drawn into betting with so-called skins - virtual goods such as weapons or clothes that are a feature of many popular games. It has been estimated that the global market in betting on video games is worth as much as \u00c2\u00a34bn.", "summary": "Two men have appeared in court charged with offences under the Gambling Act in what is believed to be the first prosecution involving betting on video games."}
{"article": "The Welsh Corner - Y Gornel Gymraeg - offers a one-stop shop for anyone searching for Welsh content on Parliament.co.uk. The section, under the Get Involved heading, includes details of the Welsh Affairs select committee's work, which is now available in Welsh. Services and publications can also be accessed there. David Clark, head of outreach and engagement for UK Parliament, said: \"\"Having all our Welsh services in one place is a fantastic opportunity for the UK Parliament to further engage with and reach out to the growing Welsh language community. \"Investing in services, such as our Welsh language enquiry service, is a priority for us and demonstrates our commitment to outreach across the UK.\"", "summary": "All the UK Parliament's online Welsh-language services have been brought together in one place on its website."}
{"article": "Gerard Donnelly was a homeless man living in Dublin's Phoenix Park. His body was found on fire in the park in the early hours of 29 November 2013. Ciaran Moran, 29, of Camden Hall, Camden Street in the city, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Donnelly. Opening the case for the prosecution, senior counsel said there would be disturbing evidence. Mr Donnelly died from catastrophic head injuries caused by a blunt instrument and was pronounced dead at the scene. An aerosol can was found on his body. The jury heard a number of items were found at the scene including a lump hammer, a metal pincer tool and a propane canister with a blow torch attached. \"Considerable funds\" The court was told both Mr Donnelly and Mr Moran were homeless. Mr Donnelly was living in a hostel. The court heard there would also be evidence from CCTV and civilian witnesses that the accused had been in possession of a number of items. They include a gas canister, a hammer and other items consistent with those found at the scene. The jury would also hear evidence that prior to the death, the accused man was aware that Mr Donnelly was a man of \"considerable funds\". The court was told a member of the police had come across Mr Donnelly a month before his death and found he had \u00a36,200 (\u20ac8,500) in cash and a deposit book showing \u00a3103,000 (\u20ac140,000). Prosecution counsel said the jury would also hear that the accused man made certain significant admissions in relation to Mr Donnelly's death.", "summary": "A murder trial in Dublin has heard that a homeless man who was allegedly beaten to death with a hammer had a building society account with \u00a3103,000 pounds (\u20ac140,000)."}
{"article": "Ex-Bayern Munich player Dante has helped Nice climb to the summit at the midway point of the season. They are two points clear of nearest rivals Monaco and five ahead of champions Paris St-Germain. \"Anything can happen. We need to concentrate 100%. We have a chance,\" said Dante in an interview with BBC World Service's World Football. Lucien Favre's side have lost just one of their first 19 league games and entertain struggling Metz on Sunday. \"When I wake up I only think to win every game because this season we can make some big dreams come true,\" added Dante, who joined Nice from Wolfsburg in August. Former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has scored eight goals in nine league games for Nice since joining from Liverpool in August. Dante said: \"Mario is world class. He is so important here and a very good guy. \"Everybody says he is bad boy. Maybe in the last group he made some mistakes but I speak to him and he only wants to play football now.\" Listen to World Football's full interview with Dante.", "summary": "Nice can \"make dreams come true\" by winning Ligue 1 for the first time since 1959, defender Dante says."}
{"article": "Romelu Lukaku has joined Manchester United for \u00a375m, Arsenal have snapped up France forward Alexandre Lacazette for a club-record \u00a346.5m, while Everton have already topped the \u00a3100m mark for money spent. But how much are those stars on the move really worth? And what fees will others linked with big-money transfers command? The CIES Football Observatory has calculated the value of the world's top players using variables such as performance, international status, contract, age and position. Test your transfer acumen with our quiz and find out who is worth what this transfer window according to CIES. No cheating - you can check out the entire CIES Football Observatory list here. This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser", "summary": "We're less than a fortnight into the summer transfer window, but Europe's top clubs are already flexing their financial muscle."}
{"article": "You've tried on a pair of jeans, quite liked them, but won't commit until you've visited three or four other shops. You then return to the first place and buy those jeans, having wasted the best part of an hour. Palermo owner Maurizio Zamparini is that shopper and Beppe Iachini is that pair of jeans, having been re-hired on Monday, just three months after getting the boot. Between 10 November and 15 February, the struggling Sicilian Serie A side brought in four other bosses before realising Iachini was their man all along. \"I return to Palermo with great enthusiasm for the good of the club, the team and the fans,\" said the returning coach. Zamparini asked Palermo fans for forgiveness for \"this month of chaos\", adding that this had been because of his \"wrong evaluation and misunderstanding\" of Iachini. Nowhere did the owner promise to give that trigger finger a rest though. Palermo have failed to win any of their last four league matches and are 15th in Serie A, with 26 points from 25 games, four points clear of the drop zone. Sacking and re-hiring managers in a single season is not unusual in Italy. During the 2013-14 Serie A campaign, Catania ditched Rolando Maran who then returned, only to be sacked again. Meanwhile, in the same season, Livorno dismissed Davide Nicola - the coach who led them to promotion the previous season. Replacements Domenico Di Carlo and Attilio Perotti failed to make an impression, so Nicola was asked back again.", "summary": "We've all been there."}
{"article": "The probe, led by Lord MacLean, looked into care at Dunbartonshire's Vale of Leven Hospital between 2007 and 2008. Of the 143 patients with C. diff, it was a contributory factor in 34 deaths. Lord MacLean said NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) had \"badly let down\" patients. The health board apologised unreservedly for a \"terrible failure\". The judge said: \"The inquiry has discovered serious personal and systemic failures. \"Patients at the Vale of Leven Hospital were badly let down by people at different levels of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde who were supposed to care for them.\" He added: \"There were failures by individuals but the overall responsibility has to rest with the health board.\" Lord MacLean said \"systems were simply not adequate to tackle effectively a healthcare associated infection\" like C. diff. He added: \"The major lesson to be learned is that what happened at Vale of Leven Hospital to cause such personal suffering should never be allowed to happen again.\" Lord MacLean also expressed his view that the figure of 34 deaths was probably an underestimate as medical records were not available for all of the patients during the period in question. He cited poor facilities, such as a lack of wash hand basins and a lack of commodes, as well as issues with the fabric of the building as evidence of poor management. The judge said that prolonged uncertainty over the future of the Vale of Leven hospital contributed to poor morale and recruitment. Poor leadership among NHS GGC managers, the judge said, contributed to substandard nursing care and deficiencies in medical staffing. He said inexperienced junior doctors had too much responsibility and consultants were stretched. Lord MacLean also said antibiotics were prescribed in cases where it was inappropriate. His report identified a number of failings: There are 75 recommendations in his report, including recommendations on infection prevention and control, nursing and medical care, antibiotic prescribing, communication with patients and relatives, and death certification. Lord MacLean added: \"An effective inspection regime, I am convinced, would have been able to identify the dysfunctional nature of infection prevention and control at the hospital. \"There must be an effective line of reporting, accountability and assurance. \"This was lacking for the Vale of Leven Hospital. In addition, repeated warnings over a number of years about the importance of prudent antibiotic prescribing had no impact.\" C. diff Inquiry C. diff is a bacteria which lives harmlessly in the gut of 10% to 15% of adults. It causes diarrhoea when the delicate balance of gut flora is disturbed, often following a course of antibiotics. It is easily spread via airborne spores. The inquiry into the C. diff outbreak at vale of Leven was delayed five times. The eventual cost of the inquiry is estimated to be just under \u00c2\u00a310m. Lord MacLean acknowledged that improvements had been made since the C. diff outbreak. He said: \"NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde did introduce more effective reporting systems for CDI (C. diff) after June 2008 but the message should be reinforced that systems must ensure that important", "summary": "Scotland's largest health board has been heavily criticised by an inquiry into the country's worst Clostridium difficile (C. diff) outbreak."}
{"article": "John Pat Cunningham was killed in Benburb, County Tyrone, on 15 June 1974. The case has been reopened by the PSNI's Legacy Investigation Branch and a murder investigation has begun. The suspect has been brought to Northern Ireland and is being questioned at Antrim PSNI station.", "summary": "Police investigating the murder of a 27-year-old man shot dead by soldiers more than 40 years ago have arrested a 73-year-old man in England."}
{"article": "The Education and Adoption Bill addresses the problem of underperforming \"coasting\" schools, but allows less challenge or consultation. Labour peers wanted more consultation for parents and said academy status was not the only way to improve schools. \"It seems no opposition is to be tolerated,\" said Labour's Lord Watson. But the government survived an opposition amendment when the result was tied at 219 votes on both sides, another amendment was defeated by a margin of 14 votes. Education Minister Lord Nash said the government's plans were manifesto commitments and weak schools needed urgent improvements without excessive procedural delays. Last week, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan introduced her own amendment to the plans so that failing academies would also come under scrutiny, with the expectation that they would be taken over by another academy chain. Prime Minister David Cameron has said that local authorities running schools should become a \"thing of the past\". Shadow education minister Lord Watson said there was no evidence to show academies were inherently better than local authority schools. And he warned an excess of \"political dogma\" was behind the push for academies and excluding the views of parents would create \"mistrust and resentment\". Baroness Pinnock, from the Liberal Democrats, said the government should not \"dictate\" to parents about changes to their local schools. But Conservative peer Lord True questioned why the process of improving schools should be held up by those who had previously been responsible when schools were struggling. Lord Harris, Conservative peer and academy sponsor, said that too often there had been delays in tackling failing schools - and that much progress could be achieved quickly if the government allowed academy chains to intervene. Ahead of the debate, Mrs Morgan had written that peers had to choose between \"improving the life chances of children neglected for decades and giving in to the vested interests that oppose reform\". The education secretary said the plans would ensure \"all children receive the standard of education they deserve\" - and the opposition amendments would preserve \"the loopholes exploited by campaigners\" against academies. After the opposition amendments were defeated, a Department for Education spokesman said: \"We are pleased the Lords have decided to put the interests of children ahead of all others in tonight's votes on the Education and Adoption Bill. \"The bill is central to our commitment to delivering educational excellence in every part of the country. \"It seeks to improve the life chances of every child by giving our best school leaders the freedom to transform failing schools and introducing new measures to allow us to properly tackle coasting schools.\" But an alliance of education organisations, including the National Governors' Association, the Catholic Education Service and teachers and head teachers' unions, said they were \"disappointed\" by the outcome. \"The government is wrong is wrong to say there is only one pathway to school improvement. Becoming an academy does not guarantee the higher standards of education for children that they say it does,\" says a statement from the education group. \"The government is wrong to portray the many voices of parents", "summary": "The government has survived a challenge in the House of Lords to its plan to fast-track more local authority schools in England to become academies."}
{"article": "Tui, owner of Thomson and First Choice, was fined 48 times during 2015 and 2016 by the travel association Abta. The breaches included inaccurate advertising and sending holidaymakers to resorts where significant building work was being carried out. Tui said it was committed to resolving any issue a customer experiences. The figures, compiled from industry data by You & Yours on Radio 4, show Tui's most recent fine of \u00a31,500 was imposed in December 2016 for cancelling a customer's travel arrangements after the holiday had already been paid for in full. Many of the other fines were for failing to respond quickly enough to correspondence. However, three of them were for not telling customers about significant building works at their resorts before they went on holiday. Abta's code of conduct states customers should be told about building work in advance, or offered alternative travel arrangements or a full refund if the alternative would constitute a significant alteration to their holiday. Despite being fined, Tui has continued to send some holidaymakers to building sites without warning. In November 2016, Keith Parkins from Guildford in Surrey went to Tenerife with Tui's company Thomson. He arrived to find significant construction work underway at his hotel. \"The arrival was, to put it bluntly, a shock,\" he said. \"Coming down the hill, the first thing you could see was the long sun terrace, digger, bulldozer, piles of rubble, workmen, wheelbarrows, you name it. Inside, most of the hotel was taped off. The very first morning, I was woken up after 07:00 by the horrendous racket of pneumatic drills. It was just unbelievable.\" Thomson has offered Mr Parkins a \u00a3250 refund or a \u00a3345 travel voucher. He thinks it is insufficient, as he paid \u00a31,762 for his holiday and is not keen on travelling with the company again. Other firms fined for breaches of the Abta code include Tui's biggest rival, Thomas Cook. It was fined on 24 occasions during 2015 and 2016, often for failing to deal with customer's complaints or for not paying arbitration awards on time. In total, it was charged \u00a310,750. Tui was fined a total of \u00a338,500 over the same period. \"You really need to look at the percentage of problems you are seeing in terms of the total number of people they take away,\" said Sean Tipton from Abta. \"If it is just a one-off problem, obviously that's not good enough for you as the holidaymaker, but it doesn't necessarily represent a systemic problem with the company.\" In a statement, Tui said the vast majority of its customers have a \"great holiday\", adding: \"We are sorry to hear if a holiday falls short of expectations or is impacted by circumstances, which are sometimes beyond our control. We remain committed to resolving any issue a customer experiences.\" Thomas Cook said: \"We aim for zero breaches of the Abta code and we continue to improve the business and put our customer at the heart of everything we do.\" \"We would like to see no breaches of the code as well,\" said Abta's Sean Tipton.", "summary": "The UK's biggest tour operator has been repeatedly fined for failing to stick to the travel industry's own code of conduct."}
{"article": "The proposal formed part of a public consultation by Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) into a shake-up of health services in the county. The plans have been criticised by opponents as \"perverse logic\". CCG chief officer Tim Goodson said all the responses to the consultation would be considered. Read more on this and other stories from across the south of England The consultation took into account 18,500 questionnaires, 2,000 people at drop-in sessions, 1,000 people interviewed over the phone and some paid focus groups. The most contentious element - to create a single special care baby unit (SCBU) covering the whole county for premature babies - was rejected by two-thirds of people. More than 25,000 people have already signed petitions against the closure of Kingfisher children's ward at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester. Another proposal to offer planned care from a single hospital and emergency care at another was supported by half the respondents but people were split over whether the A&E should be at Bournemouth or at Poole. Councillor Alan Gordon of Crossways parish, near Dorchester, said: \"This is part of a long succession of financial cuts to the health service and it's about time these cuts were reversed. This is perverse logic and what we should be thinking about is funding the health service properly.\" CCG chief officer Tim Goodson said: \"We want to consider all the responses we've had and the strength of feeling by members of the public, not just on the paediatrics and SCBU issue but some of the community issues and around the acute care stuff.\" A final decision on the proposals will be made later this year.", "summary": "Plans to cut children's hospital services in Dorchester and create a premature baby unit in east Dorset have been met with strong opposition."}
{"article": "The economy added 242,000 jobs in February, better than the expected 190,000, but earnings growth slowed. The Dow Jones finished up 62.87 points at 17,006.77 while the broader S&P 500 put on 6.59 points closing the day at 1,999.99. The Nasdaq index rose 9.60 points to 4,717.02. Although the key non-farm payrolls grew, average hourly wages fell by 0.1% after a strong 0.5% increase in January. The surprise fall seems to indicate that U.S. inflation remains muted, according to analysts. Policymakers at the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, will be keeping a close eye on inflation to inform their decision as to when to raise interest rates. \"The wage number might be the silver lining, if you will, against a more hawkish Fed over the next few months,\" said Mohannad Aama, managing director of Beam Capital Management LLC in New York. \"Because the Fed has been really focused on inflation.\"", "summary": "(Close): Stocks on Wall Street rose to their highest levels since early January on Friday, following better than expected US jobs figures."}
{"article": "The economy grew at an annualised pace of 2.1% in the fourth quarter of the year, the Commerce Department said, up from an earlier estimate of 1.9%. But the data had little impact on shares, with the Dow Jones up 20.23 points, or 0.1%, at 20,679.55. The S&P 500 edged up 2.17 points to 2,363.30 while the Nasdaq added 5.63 points to 5,903.18. The biggest faller in the Nasdaq was sportswear maker Lululemon Athletica, which plunged by nearly a quarter after it warned that sales were likely to fall. The company said it expected same-store sales to fall in the first quarter of the year, the first decline since 2009. Shares in ConocoPhillips jumped nearly 6% after the energy company announced it was selling oil sands and western Canadian natural gas assets to Cenovus Energy for 17.7 billion Canadian dollars ($13.3bn; \u00c2\u00a310.6bn). ConocoPhillips is not the first oil major to scale back its operations in the region, with both Royal Dutch Shell and Marathon Oil also having sold oil sands assets. The high costs of extraction have made it hard for companies to make profits with oil prices remaining low.", "summary": "US stocks remained unmoved in early trade, despite an upward revision to the growth rate at the end of 2016."}
{"article": "Sheffield Wednesday's Chris Kirkland, 31, required treatment after being struck in the face during Friday's game against Leeds United at Hillsborough. Leeds fan Aaron Cawley, 21, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, pleaded guilty at Sheffield Magistrates' Court to assault and entering the field. He was given a 16-week jail sentence and a six-year football banning order. Leeds United said the club intended to ban him from its Elland Road stadium for life. Kirkland, who has played once for England, was shoved in the face and fell to the ground moments after conceding an equaliser in the 76th minute of the match at Hillsborough, which finished in a 1-1 draw. The court was told that Kirkland made a victim impact statement which said: \"I feel shocked, upset and angry. \"I think the man is a thug and should be caught and put in jail. Anyone who supports what he's done is just as bad.\" The court heard Cawley had been drinking heavily and had already breached two previous banning orders. Prosecutor Paul Macauley said Cawley told police he had drunk a number of cans of lager and three-quarters of a litre of vodka before arriving in Sheffield and then had a further seven to 10 pints of cider. Mr Macauley said he was \"so drunk\" he did not remember what happened, and only realised after seeing the footage. District Judge Redhouse heard that Cawley emailed the police to say sorry and also emailed Sky Sports, which broadcast the match, in the hope his apology would be passed on to the two clubs and Kirkland. A spokesman for Leeds United said: \"We are pleased to see the matter dealt with by the courts so quickly. \"The club will also ban the individual for life from Elland Road when this banning order expires. \"While we are pleased to see justice brought so quickly, our one disappointment is that we feel the sentence could, and should, have been considerably longer.\" Writing on Twitter, Angela Smith, the Labour MP for Penistone and Stockbridge, also criticised the sentence. The MP, a Sheffield Wednesday fan, wrote: \"16wks prison sentence for assaulting a goalkeeper & breaching a banning order? I am quite frankly astonished! #justicenotdone.\"", "summary": "A man has been jailed for running on to the pitch and attacking a goalkeeper during a Championship football match."}
{"article": "Thanks, in part, to a new era of machine learning, computer are already starting to assimilate information from raw data in the same way as the human infant learns from the world around her. It means we are getting machines that can, for example, teach themselves how to play computer games and get incredibly good at them (work ongoing at Google's DeepMind) and devices that can start to communicate in human-like speech, such as voice assistants on smartphones. Computers are beginning to understand the world outside of bits and bytes. Fei-Fei Li has spent the last 15 years teaching computers how to see. First as a PhD student and latterly as director of the computer vision lab at Stanford University, she has pursued the painstakingly difficult goal with an aim of ultimately creating the electronic eyes for robots and machines to see and, more importantly, understand their environment. Half of all human brainpower goes into visual processing even though it is something we all do without apparent effort. \"No one tells a child how to see, especially in the early years. They learn this through real-world experiences and examples,\" said Ms Li in a talk at the 2015 Technology, Entertainment and Design (Ted) conference. \"If you consider a child's eyes as a pair of biological cameras, they take one picture about every 200 milliseconds, the average time an eye movement is made. So by age three, a child would have seen hundreds of millions of pictures of the real world. That's a lot of training examples,\" she added. She decided to teach computers in a similar way. \"Instead of focusing solely on better and better algorithms, my insight was to give the algorithms the kind of training data that a child is given through experiences in both quantity and quality.\" Back in 2007, Ms Li and a colleague set about the mammoth task of sorting and labelling a billion diverse and random images from the internet to offer examples of the real world for the computer - the theory being that if the machine saw enough pictures of something, a cat for example, it would be able to recognise it in real life. They used crowdsourcing platforms such as Amazon's Mechanical Turk, calling on 50,000 workers from 167 countries to help label millions of random images of cats, planes and people. Eventually they built ImageNet - a database of 15 million images across 22,000 classes of objects organised by everyday English words. It has become an invaluable resource used across the world by research scientists attempting to give computers vision. Each year Stanford runs a competition, inviting the likes of Google, Microsoft and Chinese tech giant Baidu to test how well their systems can perform using ImageNet. In the last few years they have got remarkably good at recognising images - with around a 5% error rate. To teach the computer to recognise images, Ms Li and her team used neural networks, computer programs assembled from artificial brain cells that learn and behave in a remarkably similar way to human brains. A", "summary": "By 2050 some experts believe that machines will have reached human level intelligence."}
{"article": "Reports say at least 16 suspected militants were killed in the strikes. They come days after a militant attack on Karachi airport - 39 people were killed, including the 10 attackers. Washington agreed to suspend its drones programme in December to allow Islamabad to pursue peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban (TTP). But pressure has been mounting on the Pakistani authorities to launch a ground offensive in North Waziristan amid a breakdown in peace talks. The two drone strikes took place within hours of each other, striking a compound in a village near Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan. The first attack, carried out late on Wednesday night, is said to have killed four ethnic Uzbek militants and two Punjabi Taliban. The second attack on Thursday morning targeted another 10 suspected militants. On Wednesday, Uzbek militants of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) claimed to have carried out the attack on the airport, saying it was in retaliation for Pakistani military air strikes last month. The group, which is highly-trained and has bases in North Waziristan, has previously carried out large-scale co-ordinated attacks with al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in Pakistan. Washington uses unmanned drones to carry out strikes on Taliban and al-Qaeda targets in Pakistan's border region with Afghanistan. However, US strikes have not taken place since 25 December 2013 in response to calls by Pakistan to halt strikes and enable peace negotiations. Pakistan carried out air strikes this week as well, saying its forces had killed at least 15 militants in the north-west Khyber region on Tuesday. Who are the Pakistani Taliban? \u2022With its roots in the Afghan Taliban, the Pakistani Tehreek-e-Taliban movement came to the fore in 2007 by unleashing a wave of violence \u2022Its leaders have traditionally been based in Pakistan's tribal areas but it is really a loose affiliation of militant groups, some based in areas like Punjab and even Karachi \u2022The various Taliban groups have different attitudes to talks with the government - some analysts say this has led to divisions in the movement \u2022Collectively they are responsible for the deaths of thousands of Pakistanis and have also co-ordinated assaults on numerous security targets \u2022Two former TTP leaders, Baitullah Mehsud and Hakimullah Mehsud, as well as many senior commanders have been killed in US drone strikes \u2022It is unclear if current leader Maulana Fazlullah, who comes from outside the tribal belt, is even in Pakistan, but he has a reputation for ruthlessness Who are the Taliban? Pakistan's 'fanatical' Uzbek militants", "summary": "The US has resumed its drones programme in Pakistan, with two strikes on militant strongholds in the North Waziristan tribal region overnight."}
{"article": "By the end of the day, the Dow Jones index fell 59.44 points or 0.29% to 20,591.86, while the S&P 500 was down 8.85 points or 0.38% at 2,344.93. The tech-focused Nasdaq index dropped 30.61 points or 0.52% to 5,836.16. Financial stocks did particularly badly ahead of results from Wells Fargo, Citigroup and JPMorgan on Thursday. The S&P 500 financials index slipped 0.9%, with Wells and Citi losing 1.92% and 0.88% respectively. JP Morgan gained 0.33%. Shares in United Airlines continued to tumble as boss Oscar Munoz said he would not step down over the forcible removal of a passenger from a flight. The stock ended 1.10% lower after losing 1% yesterday.", "summary": "Wall Street shares closed lower on Wednesday amid continuing concern at geopolitical tensions over Syria and North Korea."}
{"article": "Just 82.9% of patients at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow were dealt within four hours. This was an improvement on the previous week's figure of 77.2%, a record low for the \u00a3842m 'super' hospital, which opened in April. Across Scotland the average figure was 93.5% dealt within four hours. The government target is for 95% to be seen and either admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. In the week ending 11 October, the hospital, formerly known as the South Glasgow University Hospital, saw 1,704 accident and emergency patients and 291 fell outside the four-hour target. Twenty patients were not dealt with within eight hours. In June, the Scottish government announced that a team of experts would be sent in to help staff improve A&E waiting times at the site. Performance rose markedly as a result, with the hospital hitting a rate of more than 90% from the end of July until the end of September. Hospital director Anne Harkness said the figures were \"particularly disappointing\" and she was \"fully committed\" to putting in place a number of immediate steps to improve the situation. A statement from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: \"As we confirmed last week, a number of immediate steps to improve unscheduled care performance have been put in place. \"The figures published today for the week ending October 11 show a 6% improvement in performance compared to the previous week, however our own management data shows that there has been a further improvement in our performance which will be reported in next week's national statistics. \"We are working hard with our clinical and management teams on the ground to see us return to a consistent improvement in performance.\" Other A&E units which were well below the government's four-hour target included Forth Valley Royal Hospital (87.8%) and Wishaw General (85%), which also had 57 people waiting more than eight hours and 13 in excess of 12 hours. Health Secretary Shona Robison highlighted funding of \u00a310.7m for health boards during winter, as well as \u00a3100m to tackle delayed discharge. She said: \"We are continuing to work closely with health boards as they prepare for winter. This includes issuing winter guidance to health boards almost two months earlier than last year, to ensure they build in optimum levels of resilience capacity in preparation for winter. \"We want to see long-term, sustainable change put in place in order to maintain the improvement in performance on last year, both during peaks and troughs of demand and working towards achieving what are rightly demanding targets.\" The government's record on emergency waiting times was criticised by Liberal Democrat health spokesman Jim Hume. He said: \"It is worrying that this key A&E target continues to be missed, despite repeated assurances and announcements from the Scottish government and the best efforts of hard-working NHS staff.\"", "summary": "Accident and Emergency waiting times at Scotland's newest hospital improved last week but were still below all other casualty units, new figures show."}
{"article": "Instead of giving consent to cookies on every website they visit, users would be able to set general preferences. The European Commission said the plans, which would also remove banners for non-intrusive cookies, would help to tackle an \"overload\" of such requests. But experts warned the plans could harm advert-funded media, as well as platforms such as Facebook and Google. Cookies are small files that download on to a user's device and enable tracking, sometimes to power advertising. Since 2012, EU rules have required websites to tell users what cookies are being placed on their machine. Typically, this meant a pop-up window seeking consent. European Commission vice-president, Andrus Ansip, said it was now proposing simpler rules, \"so that internet users do not have to click on a banner every time they visit a website\". \"This way, people will be more in control of their settings,\" he said. Under the plans, websites could read the cookie preferences set in users' browsers. Also, banners would be scrapped for cookies that do not invade users' privacy, such as those remembering shopping cart history or counting website hits. Last year, many internet companies called for the EU to scrap the so-called \"cookie law\", introduced in 2012. However, the latest proposals could end up damaging online services and frustrate web users, according to a senior executive at a trade body that represents many of the world's biggest internet firms. \"The banners are certainly annoying. The question is whether they come up with something that's better or worse,\" said James Waterworth, vice-president of the Computer and Communications Industry Association. He warned the proposals could harm a range of companies, from Facebook through to newspapers, if many users opted against allowing all but the least intrusive cookies. \"If this is done wrong and it's much harder to obtain permission, then it could have a serious impact on ad-funded services,\" he told the BBC. Under the proposals, users could set a preference in their browser for the level of cookies to which they consent. But they might also need to do this in every app and on every device they log in to, advertising companies have warned. \"People who thought cookie banners were annoying, will be disappointed to hear that things won't get better,\" said Townsend Feehan, chief executive of Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe. The commission's proposals on privacy rules for electronic communications cover a range of areas, including: The European Commission hopes to introduce the changes by May 2018, although experts warned that would be a tight timeline. It comes less than a year after the EU introduced the Privacy Shield, which also set rules for tech companies on data protection and privacy.", "summary": "Plans to cut down on the \"annoying\" cookie banners that web users face have been released by the European Union."}
{"article": "The Beeching report of 1963 led to 189 stations in Wales being earmarked for closure, with lines and tracks ripped-up the length and breadth of the country in the decade to follow. But despite the report some Welsh lines have stubbornly refused to fade away. In fact, 32 stations have re-opened, and on Tuesday it was announced Newport could be in line for a new station. The Beeching report, officially titled The Reshaping of British Railways, set out with one aim - to cut the mounting debts of the nationalised British Rail. Chemical company boss Dr Richard Beeching was given the job, despite famously telling the Daily Mirror newspaper: \"I have no experience of railways, except as a passenger. So I am not a practical railwayman. But I am a very practical man.\" He took what many saw as a simple accounting view of the branch lines that criss-crossed the country. If they could not turn a profit, and were not carrying sufficient passengers, then the axe should fall. To go in Wales, the Carmarthen-Aberystwyth line, the Bangor-Amlwch service, branch service to Caernarfon, the end of the Ruabon to Barmouth line, Abercynon to Aberdare, Porth to Maerdy, Barry to Bridgend - the list went on, and on. The closure list was already on top of another 166 Welsh stations and halt-stops put forward prior to the Beeching cuts. In the words of one BBC news broadcaster of the day: \"There's never been a Doomsday book of British railways like this. \"More than 2,000 stations will be closed. Wholesale shut down of passenger services will leave huge areas of the country to the buses. Every part of the country is affected. \"In Wales too, they are drastically reduced. Many of the country services are doomed, leaving only three main links east and west.\" But while the axe did begin to fall - and fall swiftly in Wales, some stations and lines found themselves saved from the chop. Lines like the Conwy Valley found themselves in favour of then Prime Minister Harold Wilson, who had enthused about the \"white heat of technology\" rebuilding Britain. \"The situation at the time was that they were building a new power station at Trawsfynydd,\" explained Larry Davies, Arriva Trains Wales' community manager on the line today. \"Although there were a lot of local protest from people as one would expect, I think the traffic that came from the power station saved the Conwy Valley line.\" The nuclear power station is now decommissioned, and the last flask of empty nuclear fuel rods travelled on the lines in 1995. But because of the investment on the line in the 60s, it remains thriving. \"It's a lifeline for this community, and a good connection and amazing benefit to the tourism and economy of the area, with our links with the Ffestiniog Railway and a lot of people doing the round-trip of Snowdonia,\" added Mr Davies. But it was a different story in north-east Wales - where the service on the Ruabon to Barmouth line came to a halt in January 1965", "summary": "It is 50 years since the biggest shake-up of the rail network ever announced in Britain was published."}
{"article": "Detectives say significant efforts were made to conceal the body, which was discovered on Tuesday night. Alice's family have been informed. Formal identification is yet to take place and a post-mortem examination is due to be held later, police said. Convicted murderer Arnis Zalkalns, 41, from Latvia, remains the prime suspect. He was filmed cycling along the Grand Union Canal 15 minutes after Alice had walked along it, on 28 August. It is the last known sighting of the 14-year-old. The body was found in the nearby River Brent. Mr Zalkalns has been missing from his Ealing home since 3 September. Speaking outside Scotland Yard earlier, Commander Graham McNulty said: \"We are unable to make a formal identification at this stage, but clearly this news is devastating for everyone involved in the search for Alice. \"At this time my thoughts are with Alice's family and friends.\" He urged anyone with information to come forward, saying it was not too late. \"I would like to thank the local community of Ealing who have shown huge support and patience during the course of our investigation. This discovery will have a significant impact throughout the borough,\" Cdr McNulty said. \"You only need to walk around the surrounding streets to see the effect that Alice's disappearance has had on the whole community.\" Lauren Turner, BBC News Two women, dressed in black save for the yellow ribbon that has served as a symbol of hope for Alice Gross, walk down Hanwell's Greenford Avenue as they carry out a sombre task. One has tears in her eyes as she methodically rips the pieces of paper from lampposts and trees - the missing posters bearing Alice's image. For this community, which rallied together in the wake of the teenager's disappearance, the discovery of a body in the River Brent has cast the darkest shadow. In a local supermarket, the talk has been about the sadness everyone feels at the latest development. The shopkeeper said: \"I feel very very sad. Especially for her mum. \"I am a mother too - I have a 14-year-old boy. I really feel for her.\" Grief in Hanwell as body found Cdr McNulty read the statement out at 06:30 BST. BBC News reporter Jon Brain, who was at Scotland Yard, said: \"The body hasn't been identified yet but you can be rest assured that detectives would not be holding a press conference at this time of day if they weren't absolutely convinced that it is Alice's body.\" He added detectives' main priority now is to find Mr Zalkalns and to ask him about his movements on that day and what he knows about Alice's disappearance and possible murder. The family's local MP, Stephen Pound, who lives near to the family in Hanwell, said there was an \"an incredible sense of sadness\" He said there was also \"anger that we're dealing with a pretty cold, cunning predator here - someone who has concealed a body in a particularly effective way. \"This is a pretty horrific business but now - our thoughts have to be with the", "summary": "The disappearance of teenager Alice Gross is now being treated by police as a murder inquiry after a body was found in a west London river."}
{"article": "The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BPA), the group behind the clock, said the standing still is \"not good news\". The minute hand on the Doomsday Clock is a metaphor for how vulnerable the world is to catastrophe. \"It remains the closest it has been over the past 20 years,\" said Rachel Bronson, BPA's executive director. In addition to nuclear arms and climate change, the group also cited growing cyber threats and an uptick in terrorist attacks in their decision to keep clock unchanged. Lawrence Krauss, chairman of the BPA's Board of Sponsors said that the Iran nuclear agreement and the Paris climate accord were good news, but said it remained unclear if the Paris agreement would actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He also noted increased tensions between the US and Russia as a sore point. Last year, the scientists moved the clock up from five-minutes-to-midnight, noting the threat of climate change, the modernisation of nuclear weapons as well as large nuclear arsenals. At the time, they said the threats were \"extraordinary and undeniable threats to the continued existence of humanity\". The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was founded at the University of Chicago in 1945 by a group of scientists who helped develop the first atomic weapons. Their metaphorical clock was created two years later. Today, the group includes physicists and environmental scientists from around the world, who decide whether to adjust the clock in consultation with the group's Board of Sponsors - which includes 17 Nobel laureates. The closest the clock has come to midnight was in 1953, when it was moved to two minutes from the apocalyptic midnight, following hydrogen bomb tests by the US and Russia.", "summary": "The so-called Doomsday Clock will remain set at three-minutes-to-midnight amid global perils such as climate change and nuclear proliferation."}
{"article": "Algerian TV broadcast footage of Mr Bouteflika's meeting with the prime minister and head of the armed forces a day earlier in the French capital. He was seen in a black dressing gown, talking, drinking from a coffee cup, and eating a pastry. Mr Bouteflika's absence has fuelled speculation about his condition. In the footage broadcast on Wednesday, the 76-year-old leader was seen during a meeting at the National Residence of Invalids, a complex built for war veterans that includes a hospital. Mr Bouteflika was taken there after being treated in Val de Grace military hospital. He looked frail, talking and smiling occasionally and moving his right hand. Algerian state media said he talked with Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal and Chief of Staff Ahmed Gaid Salah for two hours, covering the draft budget and other government business that needed to be approved by the cabinet. Mr Bouteflika gave \"detailed instructions\" over the supply of goods ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, which begins in July, APS news agency reported. It also issued a health bulletin saying that the president had suffered a transient ischaemic attack on 27 April that had \"not affected his vital functions\". It said doctors had \"recommended that he observe a period of convalescence and functional rehabilitation to consolidate his recovery\". Mr Bouteflika has been in power since 1999. His latest health problems are widely seen to have ended his chances of running for another term in presidential elections next year.", "summary": "Images of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika have been shown for the first time since he went to Paris to be treated for a mini-stroke in April."}
{"article": "In September, the average homeowner - excluding first-time buyers - spent 17.7% of his or her monthly income on mortgage repayments, the CML said. Eight years ago, when interest rates were much higher, they spent 23.7% of their income on repayments. The CML said the figures represented a historic low, and should help more people to buy their own home. First-time buyers are spending 17.8% of their income servicing their mortgages, compared with 24.7% in November 2007, a recent high. The proportion of household income being spent on repayments would have been even higher in the 1970s and 80s, when interest rates were as high as 17% a year, the CML said. The improvement in affordability follows the Bank of England's decision to cut base rates to 0.25% in August, which resulted in many lenders cutting mortgage rates further. Two-year fixed rates are now available for as little as 0.99%. \"Mortgage affordability reached an historic low in September, for both first-time buyers and home movers, which partly reflects the re-pricing of mortgages following August's base rate cut,\" said Paul Smee, the director general of the CML. \"This should help turn strong appetite for home-ownership into a reality as we approach the closing months of the year.\" The days of the ultra-cheap mortgage could be numbered. Banks and building societies are keen for us to celebrate the fact that loans for homes have never been more affordable. But Donald Trump's victory may mark a turning point for the lowest fixed rate offers. The price of fixed rates depends on the deals which lenders can negotiate in the City, called swap rates. And swap rates - which were already creeping up - have leapt since Trump's triumph. It's part of a dramatic shift in expectations about interest rates, if the President-elect delivers on his promise to double the growth rate of the US economy. People are predicting much higher US rates in the long run, with a knock-on effect across the world. Mortgage experts here are talking about increases of around 0.25% in five- and 10-year fixed rates over the next few days, with more rises to follow. However, rising house prices mean the total value of loans has risen dramatically over the last few years. Separate figures from the Office for National Statistics, released on Tuesday, said the average UK house price rose by 7.7% in the year to September, unchanged from the previous month. Where can I afford to live?", "summary": "Mortgages are now more affordable than they have ever been, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML)."}
{"article": "Four years ago, Professor Anthony King criticised the BBC at a UK level for ignoring political developments in Wales and Scotland. But in a Royal Television Society Wales lecture he said there had been \"an enormous change\" in how the BBC now reported on devolved nations. However, he said more could be done to compare policies across the UK. Delivering his speech at the RTS Wales annual lecture, Prof King said he believed that while mistakes still happen - it was much less common. \"I think there has been enormous change,\" he said. \"I live in the east of England, I look out for the failure of the BBC to mention what is going on in Wales, what's going on in Scotland and to give the impression that everything that affects England affects everybody else in the UK. \"They make many fewer mistakes than they used to.\" His comments are in stark contrast to a review he carried out for the BBC Trust in 2008. In that report, the professor of government at Essex University, stated that the BBC was \"not reporting the new UK with the range, clarity and richness that might reasonably be expected\". Speaking in Cardiff on Thursday evening, he said the task now at hand for the BBC was to show more clearly just how devolution impacted on everyday policies across the UK. \"If the NHS is run differently in Wales than the way it is run in England, I want to know why it is run differently, how it is run differently, and what difference that makes to the people of Wales,\" he said. \"I think it is still the case that the English don't quite take on board the reality of devolution. \"They know about it as a concept, but they don't really know what its meaning is on the ground, and they don't know that things are going on very differently in different parts of the country, with very different outcomes.\"", "summary": "The BBC's coverage of Welsh devolution has significantly improved on UK-wide programmes, says a leading academic."}
{"article": "Centuries from Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell secured a draw in the fourth Test in Nagpur and a 2-1 win in the series. Cook said the 2010-11 Ashes victory, England's first down under in 24 years, \"meant a huge amount\", but he added: \"I think this is on a par with it. Media playback is not supported on this device \"In that dressing room, knowing what we had achieved, it was a special place and will live long in my memory.\" England's success was all the more impressive given their terrible start to the series. A nine-wicket thrashing in the opening Test led to gloomy forecasts of a 4-0 series whitewash. \"Of course there was doubt,\" said Cook, 27, who was named man of the series after scoring three hundreds and 562 runs in the four-match series. \"There is always doubt, especially halfway through day two [of the first Test] when we were getting rolled. \"I was surprised at the level we managed to achieve so soon after Ahmedabad. I was talking [there] about playing to our potential, but I was surprised we managed to do it straight away and put all those doubts to bed and prove it to ourselves.\" He added: \"We didn't handle the Ahmedabad wicket well but the others were all very different and we adapted well. The bowlers have been brilliant and our batters have contributed big runs. \"There were handshakes, hugs, embraces and slaps on the back all around in the England dressing room. They have worked so hard in this series. What odds were there on us witnessing that? It's quite remarkable. They have done it the hard way, through outstanding leadership on and off the pitch.\" \"Everyone in the squad can be very proud, especially after Ahmedabad and that heavy defeat. The guys who played a couple of games all made a difference and the amount of effort the guys have put in for me, I can't ask any more. One of the \"guys\" who was drafted into the side was Monty Panesar, and the Sussex-man took 17 wickets in the final three Tests as he dovetailed to devastating effect with fellow spinner Graeme Swann. \"Clearly we got it wrong in Ahmedabad in not playing Monty, but when we put it right he has been outstanding,\" Cook admitted. \"What was it, 50 overs for 80 yesterday? He's a captain's dream. You just throw him the ball and you know he's going to be there or thereabouts.\" James Anderson, who was awarded the man of the match award after taking 4-81 in India's first innings, was described as the difference between the two sides by India captain Mahendra Dhoni. The 30-year-old fast bowler took 12 wickets in the series and played a key part in England's success, alongside the spinners who normally prosper on the sub-continent. 1984-85: India 1-2 England (5 Tests) 1992-93: India 3-0 England (3 Tests) 2001-02: India 1-0 England (3 Tests) 2005-06: India 1-1 England (3 Tests) 2008-09: India 1-0 England (2 Tests) 2012: India 1-2 England (4 Tests) India v England", "summary": "England captain Alastair Cook says he thinks the first series win in India in 27 years is \"on a par with the Ashes\"."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The winger, 22, was dismissed after appearing to react to Stephen Mitchell's award of a foul throw. Cathro had said after the game he would review the incident. \"We see and Sam accepts he has been foolish, acted stupidly inside his own frustrations, and has since apologised to his team-mates,\" Cathro said. Immediately after the match Cathro appeared to back his player but the Tynecastle outfit decided not to appeal against the red card shown to Nicholson. And the head coach now accepts his player was guilty of a \"stupid, rash action\" that made the game more difficult for the Hearts players left on the pitch. \"He has apologised to myself for that,\" Cathro added. \"That situation is completely unacceptable to me because it impacts on the strength of the team. \"That is the responsibility of every player: to make sure they are always adding to the strength of the team and never getting caught in any frustration or moments that lead to us being weaker. That is something we will deal with privately.\" Nicholson is banned for the visit of Dundee on Saturday and the trip to Kilmarnock. And Cathro hopes that the player is now able to put the incident behind him. \"I would also like to add that Sam is a young, talented Scottish player who in this case has been guilty of a foolish, stupid action, but I don't consider he is guilty of any more than that,\" he added. \"Now, that's bad enough as it is and I would say it's completely unacceptable to himself, to me, to the team, and to the club. However I urge us to not push that any further than what it is.\" Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Hearts head coach Ian Cathro admits Sam Nicholson was \"foolish\" to spit in the direction of an assistant referee in the defeat at St Johnstone."}
{"article": "But the 31-year-old was disappointed with his time of 51.90 seconds ahead of the British Championships in Birmingham on 3-5 July. Williams is continuing his comeback from a four-month ban for failing a drugs test in July 2014. \"I didn't expect to run so slow today... but with a few tweaks I should run a bit quicker next week,\" he said. \"I'm expecting to run under 50 seconds but it's no good me talking about it, but I've trained hard and I can only do what I can do.\" Williams is bidding for a place in the Great Britain team for August's World Championships in Beijing. But he would have to finish in the top two in the British Championships to be selected and also needs to meet the qualifying time of 49.50sec at an event before Beijing. Williams only returned to competitive action in May after his ban, which he served after UK Anti-Doping found that he and fellow Welshman Gareth Warburton had inadvertently taken a contaminated food supplement. Elsewhere at the Cardiff Athletics Stadium, 17-year-old Hannah Brier claimed her first senior women's 100m title in a wind-assisted 11.40sec - just outside the national record of 11.39 sec and all-comers record of 11.27sec. \"I just wanted to concentrate on my start as I've been chasing times a lot and that's not very good,\" Brier said. \"I'd forgotten that I had to concentrate on my start and I was really happy with that - 11.40 was up there with some of the fastest times I've run this season.\" Brier, who added the 200m title on Sunday in 23.62sec, now hopes to be selected for the World Youth Championships, which begin in Colombia on 15 July. \"I've run the qualifying standards quite comfortably, so it's just whether the selection panel now think I'm worthy enough of going out there,\" she added. Sam Gordon took the men's 100m title in 10.36sec, with defending champion Dewi Hammond having to withdraw after picking up an injury when winning his heat. Navid Childs won the triple jump with 14.68m, while Sian Swanson retained her women's triple jump title with 11.06m. Olly Sheppard was the 3000m champion in 10min 47.52sec, with Vicki Cronin running a personal best of 11.56.23 in the women's event. Brett Morse successfully defended his discus title with a throw of 58.69m, as did Awen Rosser in the women's event with 39.54m. There was also success for Cardiff-based pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw, returning to action after 16 months out injured, whose 4.50m led the field and also achieved the mark necessary to qualify for the World Championships.", "summary": "Rhys Williams successfully defended his 400m hurdles title at the Welsh Championships in Cardiff on Saturday."}
{"article": "Henry, a replacement for Zach Clough 10 minutes earlier, struck from 18 yards in the third of six minutes of added time with a shot that looked to deflect off Iron defender Murray Wallace. Bolton's win took them into the automatic promotion places while Scunthorpe, top at the start of the day, slipped to third after Sheffield United's 1-0 win over Northampton earlier in the afternoon. Until Henry's intervention Neal Bishop's fourth goal of the season appeared to have earned Graham Alexander's side a deserved draw. Bolton, watched by the Macron Stadium's second biggest attendance of the season - 17,062 - led 1-0 at half-time. Josh Vela's half volley from the edge of the area after 17 minutes was his eighth goal of the campaign. Scunthorpe had a goal disallowed for offside but Clough wasted a good opportunity to double Wanderers' advantage and felt he should have had a penalty after Jordan Clarke's challenge. Scunthorpe were much the better side after the break and they deservedly drew level when Bolton failed to clear a 62nd-minute corner and Bishop swivelled on the loose ball to rifle home from 10 yards. But their endeavours drew a blank courtesy of Henry's hammer blow. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Bolton Wanderers 2, Scunthorpe United 1. Second Half ends, Bolton Wanderers 2, Scunthorpe United 1. Kevin van Veen (Scunthorpe United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Kevin van Veen (Scunthorpe United). Zach Clough (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Stephen Dawson (Scunthorpe United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Gary Madine (Bolton Wanderers). Attempt saved. James Henry (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Goal! Bolton Wanderers 2, Scunthorpe United 1. James Henry (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Substitution, Scunthorpe United. Tom Hopper replaces Paddy Madden. Attempt missed. Sam Mantom (Scunthorpe United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Attempt missed. Jay Spearing (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick. Sam Mantom (Scunthorpe United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Sam Mantom (Scunthorpe United). Tom Thorpe (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Sam Mantom (Scunthorpe United). Derik (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick on the left wing. Attempt missed. Tom Thorpe (Bolton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right following a corner. Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Stephen Dawson. Foul by Charlie Goode (Scunthorpe United). Gary Madine (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Gary Madine (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from the right side of the box is just a bit too high. Attempt blocked. Tom Thorpe (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Stephen Dawson (Scunthorpe United) wins a", "summary": "Substitute James Henry's injury time winner earned Bolton a dramatic victory over former leaders Scunthorpe."}
{"article": "6 January 2017 Last updated at 07:14 GMT Louis Nethercott, 27, from Wiltshire, was medically discharged from 42 Commando in Bickleigh, Devon, last year after struggling to cope with seeing his colleagues killed in Afghanistan. Alongside another former Marine, Anthony Lambert, the pair are back in the UK after completing a gruelling trek across Borneo. Louis, who grew up in Bristol, has four more islands to go - Papua New Guinea, Madagascar, Greenland and Baffin.", "summary": "A former Royal Marine who's recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder has completed the first stage of a challenge to cross the world's five largest islands unaided."}
{"article": "He was speaking after a court judgement in the case of Poppi Worthington. On Tuesday a family court judge ruled Paul Worthington carried out a \"penetrative\" attack on his daughter. Home Office minister Karen Bradley said no action could be considered until after a second inquest had taken place. Mr Worthington, 48, who denies any wrongdoing, cannot face criminal action unless new evidence emerges. Read more on this and other stories on our Local Live page. Sir Simon said the authorities must now \"look again\" following the ruling by High Court family judge Mr Justice Peter Jackson, which was made on the balance of probabilities. The former Liberal Democrat MP told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the \"very fact\" the judge had made the findings public \"must give cause for the authorities who deal with criminal matters to look again at the evidence\". Sir Simon said \"justice demands\" the original decisions in the criminal investigation be reviewed and he called for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to reopen the case. He said: \"I'm sure they will review the case, I'm sure that is the right thing that should happen. \"If the justice system is about not just justice for the deceased but to make sure that the welfare of the children who are still alive is best looked after, then it must be in the interests of justice that there is a review now as to whether there was any criminal liability for anything that led to the death of this poor little child.\" The BBC's legal affairs correspondent Clive Coleman There are some important legal distinctions involved in this tragic case. Mr Justice Peter Jackson made his finding that Paul Worthington assaulted his daughter on the civil standard of proof. That standard is \"the balance of probabilities\", in other words that it is more likely than not Paul Worthington carried out the assault. A finding in a civil court to this standard falls far short of a finding of guilt in a criminal case and should never be confused with it. The Crown Prosecution will charge a suspect with a crime and bring a case to court if there is a \"realistic prospect\" of a criminal conviction. That is similar to a \"balance of probabilities\" test in that it also means the CPS regard the evidence as making it \"more likely than not\" there will be a conviction. So, based on Mr Justice Jackson's finding, why should a criminal case not be brought? There is further important and subtle distinction. The CPS must consider whether there is a realistic prospect of a jury convicting on the higher criminal standard of proof, i.e. beyond a reasonable doubt or satisfied so that they are sure. Applying that test to the evidence, the CPS decided there was not a realistic prospect of a conviction. Following the Family Court proceedings there will be a second inquest into Poppi's death. If new evidence comes to light, the CPS will reconsider its decision. Poppi collapsed with serious injuries at her home in Barrow, Cumbria, in December 2012", "summary": "A criminal investigation into a father found to have sexually assaulted his 13-month-old daughter shortly before her sudden death must be reopened, ex-justice minister Sir Simon Hughes says."}
{"article": "The two girls were \"touched inappropriately\" during a visit to the attraction, in Windsor, Berkshire, on 11 August, police said. The man, in his 20s from Bracknell, had been bailed to a specified date but has since been released without charge. Thames Valley Police have released an e-fit of the offender. The assaults happened between 12:15 BST and 12:30 at Castaway Camp in the Pirate Shores area of the attraction, the force said. Det Insp Penny Mackenzie said she believed the offender travelled to Legoland on the day of the offence with others - either family or friends. \"We are working closely with Legoland Windsor to progress this investigation and this includes a review of the CCTV. \"About 14,200 people attended the theme park that day so this will be a painstaking process and one that needs to be carried out thoroughly and carefully. \"If you recognise the face of the man in the E-Fit or the description given, please contact police immediately\", she added.", "summary": "A man arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting two six-year-olds at the Legoland theme park, has been released without charge."}
{"article": "Solomon Dacres beat Marin Mindoljevic at York Hall in London after the aggregate score was tied at 5-5. Lionhearts trailed 3-2 from the first leg in Paris. Will Cawley won the second-leg opener and victories followed for Calum French and Andras Vadasz before the French fought back to force the decider.", "summary": "The British Lionhearts won a dramatic tie-breaker to defeat France Fighting Roosters and reach the World Series Boxing semi-finals."}
{"article": "The positions are in its claims department and represent around one third of its local workforce. A statement said: \"Today we have briefed employees in our Belfast office on changes to our claims function. \"We will be closing our claims function in Belfast by the end of April 2015.\" Aviva said the work will move to locations in England. \"These changes have not been taken lightly, and we will work closely with those affected to provide as much support as possible,\" they added. \"Other Aviva teams based in Belfast are not impacted.\"", "summary": "The insurance group Aviva is to axe around 30 jobs at its office in Belfast, a company spokesman has told the BBC."}
{"article": "Chilton, 24, drove for two seasons in F1 with Marussia before losing his seat in 2015 after the team was re-branded as Manor Marussia. He competed in Le Mans 24 Hours in 2015 and last season raced in America's Indy Lights series, winning once. Chilton said: \"In the last three years I haven't had a car that can get a podium. This year I have no excuses.\" New Zealander Scott Dixon won last year's IndyCar drivers' championship with Chip Ganassi. Chilton, who will drive a Chevrolet, will become the fourth British driver in the last 24 years, after Nigel Mansell, Mark Blundell and Justin Wilson, to join IndyCar full-time after competing in F1 in the same capacity. Wilson died at the age of 37 after being struck by flying debris and suffering a serious head injury in an IndyCar race in Pennsylvania last August. Chilton made 35 starts in F1 across the 2013 and 2014 seasons and set a new driver's record of 25 consecutive finishes, with 19 of them coming in his first season.", "summary": "Former British Formula 1 driver Max Chilton will join Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2016 IndyCar season."}
{"article": "The fire on 1 January destroyed the nursery and infant classrooms at Coed Eva Primary School. Seven people from the area have been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and are currently on bail. Crimestoppers has put up the reward as it is believed that there are local people who hold vital information. Ian Johnston, Crimestoppers' ambassador for Wales, said: \"This arson attack has hit a local community extremely hard with over 200 pupils directly affected by the destruction of their school building.\" The reward will only qualify if information passed to Crimestoppers leads directly to an arrest and conviction.", "summary": "A reward of up to \u00a35,000 is being offered for information following an arson attack on a Torfaen school."}
{"article": "That's the aim of a unique clinical trial in Sweden that aims to intervene in the lives of potential abusers. And it's a trial that raises ethical and legal questions about whether societies can come up with therapies for the most dangerous offenders before they have broken the law. The trial at the Karolinska Institute, one of the world's leading medical universities, will recruit up to 60 potential sex offenders before they have broken the law. The team, led by Dr Christoffer Rahm, will then investigate whether they can use a medicine to reduce the risk of the individual committing child abuse. \"Up until now most of the attention has been on how to deal with perpetrators [once detected] by the police or by the authorities, but by this stage children have already been harmed,\" says Dr Rahm. \"I want to shift focus and explore methods of preventing child sex abuse from happening in the first place.\" Drug treatments for sex offenders, popularly known as chemical castration, aren't new. There are a string of countries where men can have medication imposed upon them to crush their sex drive. But nobody knows whether such treatments can be used to prevent abuse in the first place. And that's where Dr Rahm's programme, which is seeking crowdfunding support, seeks to come in. Over the course of two years, the 60 volunteers will be split into two groups. One will receive a drug that is known to rapidly and dramatically reduce levels of testosterone. The other will receive a placebo. Neither the researcher team nor the volunteers will know who is getting the medicine. This convoluted approach is the gold standard for clinical trials because nobody knows who is taking what until the end, meaning no-one can game the results and conclusions can't be prejudiced by assumptions. So, in theory, the researchers could come closer to establishing which types of offenders genuinely benefit in the long-term from having chemical castration-style drugs as part of therapy. So how exactly are they recruiting these volunteers and how will they measure success? Here in the UK, seven prisons give anti-libidinal drugs to paedophiles as part of a wider package designed to address offending. But forensic psychiatrist Professor Donald Grubin of the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, a government consultant, says anyone on the cusp of offending is in a different situation altogether. \"The problem has been getting psychiatrists on board to treat [potential offenders],\" he says. \"If you go to a GP, they will struggle to find someone to refer you on to.\" One British organisation that offers therapeutic help to \"non-offending\" paedophiles has recently received the backing of Paul Jones whose five-year-old daughter April was murdered by a man who had previously downloaded abuse images. In Sweden, things are different. The Karolinksa Institute operates a national helpline for potential offenders called Preventell. It will introduce volunteers to the clinical trial. Once inside the trial, the treatment group will receive a drug called Degarelix which, says Dr Rahm, leaves 97% of men who receive it with no detectable testosterone", "summary": "Can you stop a paedophile before they've abused a child?"}
{"article": "The ruling by a US district judge is the latest twist in a long-running legal battle going back to 2013. Costco, which is to appeal against the decision, argues that \"Tiffany\" is now a generic term for the rings. But it has now been told it must call them \"Tiffany-style\" instead. The dispute centres on the sale of solitaire-style rings, comprising a diamond mounted on a single band with six prongs. Costco, which had sold 2,500 of them, put them on display with the label \"Tiffany\", although they were not in fact made by the jeweller. An earlier court ruling in October 2016 ordered Costco to pay $5.5m in compensatory damages and $8.25m in punitive damages. But in a further court decision on Monday, the compensation was increased to $11.1m, while the amount of punitive damages still stands. Kate Swaine, a partner at law firm Gowling WLG, said: \"This damages award may seem excessive given that only 2,500 products were sold, but if it can be argued that an infringement is blatant and where it relates to such a well-known brand, the claimant is entitled to seek punitive damages. \"Brand owners will welcome this decision as an indication of the risk that third parties run in trying to make associations with famous brands.\" The cheapest engagement ring on Tiffany's US website currently costs $12,000 (\u00c2\u00a39,300) while customers can buy one from Costco's website for only $380 (\u00c2\u00a3295).", "summary": "US wholesaler Costco is facing a $19.4m (\u00c2\u00a315m) bill for damages after jewellery chain Tiffany sued it for infringing its trademark by selling \"Tiffany\" engagement rings."}
{"article": "The chairman of the House intelligence committee, Devin Nunes, told reporters that Paul Manafort had voluntarily offered to speak to the panel. Mr Nunes also contradicted Mr Trump's claim that Barack Obama had wiretapped him before the US elections. \"There was no wiretapping at Trump Tower, that didn't happen,\" he said. However, Mr Nunes said he was concerned that the names of members of Mr Trump's transition team were \"unmasked\" during the surveillance of foreign individuals. Earlier this week, AP news agency reported that Mr Manafort had worked for a Russian billionaire to assist Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mr Manafort has insisted that he never worked for Russian interests. He had worked as Mr Trump's unpaid campaign chairman from March until August last year. He resigned after AP revealed that he had co-ordinated a secret Washington lobbying operation on behalf of Ukraine's ruling pro-Russian political party until 2014. The Trump administration has denied any collusion with Moscow, while Russia has always denied attempting to influence the US presidential election. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Mr Nunes said that he had invited FBI director James Comey and National Security Agency (NSA) chief Adm Mike Rogers to provide further testimony at a closed intelligence committee session. On Monday, Mr Comey told an open hearing that the FBI was investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, and said he saw no evidence that Mr Trump had been wiretapped by the Obama administration. Mr Nunes said there were questions that Mr Comey and Adm Rogers \"could not answer in a public setting\", so he was asking them to return for a closed session. However, Democrats have criticised Mr Nunes after he delayed a planned open hearing with ex Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA director John Brennan, and ex deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. The top Democrat on the committee, Adam Schiff, said that was an attempt to \"choke off\" information to the public.", "summary": "US President Donald Trump's ex-campaign chief has agreed to be interviewed by a panel investigating alleged links between the Trump team and Russia."}
{"article": "Michal Konrad Herba, 36, appeared in court for an extradition hearing following his arrest in Tividale, West Midlands, on Wednesday. He is the brother of Lukasz Pawel Herba who is being held by Italian police over the alleged kidnap in Milan. Michal Herba denies involvement. The case was adjourned until 25 September. Prosecutor Florence Iveson told the court that he was suspected of kidnapping and unlawfully detaining Ms Ayling in a \"joint enterprise\" with his brother and other \"unidentified persons\". The 20-year-old model was allegedly drugged and a ransom of \u00e2\u201a\u00ac300,000 (\u00c2\u00a3270,000) was demanded, the court heard. Defence lawyer Katherine Newbey said \"no evidence had been served in the case\" and her client \"denies involvement\". Mr Herba did not consent to extradition, meaning that a full hearing will have to take place. Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram remanded the suspect in custody, saying he was satisfied there were \"substantial grounds\" to believe he would fail to surrender if he was released. Mr Herba is due to appear in the same court by video link for a bail application on 23 August. A full extradition hearing has been scheduled for 25 September. Ms Ayling, from Coulsdon, south London, arrived in Milan on 10 July for a photo shoot. Italian police say she was attacked by two men, drugged with ketamine and abducted, apparently to be sold in an online auction. She is believed to have been transported in a bag to an isolated village near Turin, Italy, but was released on 17 July. Ms Ayling's lawyer Francesco Pesce has said she was told she would be sold in the Middle East \"for sex\". Speaking after the alleged abduction, Ms Ayling said she feared for her life throughout the \"terrifying experience\". \"I'm incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release,\" she said. Italian police documents claim that suspect Lukasz Herba said he had got involved in order to raise money for cancer treatment. The Polish national, who lives in Oldbury in the West Midlands, told investigators he drove her to the British consulate in Milan and released her before the sale went ahead.", "summary": "The brother of the alleged captor of British model Chloe Ayling is to fight extradition to Italy, Westminster Magistrates' Court has heard."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old, who can also play in defence, made 56 league appearances for the Spireites. He has signed too late to feature in Saturday's home game against Walsall. Boss Kenny Jackett told the club website: \"We have brought in a bright and energetic young player. He has a very good left-foot and adds versatility to our squad.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Portsmouth have signed Chesterfield midfielder Dion Donohue for an undisclosed fee on a two-year deal."}
{"article": "An increase led to 1% of benefits being unpaid during the year, Department for Work and Pensions figures reveal. A year ago, a committee of MPs told the government that delayed benefits meant families were going hungry. The government said it was providing more help to claimants to provide accurate information. Nearly 65% of underpaid benefits - the equivalent to about \u00a31bn a year - was the result of inaccurate information from claimants, it said. People on Employment and Support Allowance - a benefit for those who are unable to work owing to illness or disability - were underpaid the most, with underpayments totalling \u00a3350m during the year. The most common cause was the result of errors by claimants in recording the amount of income that they received - particularly in other benefits. \"We are committed to ensuring people receive the benefits they are entitled to. Our frontline staff discuss all the support that is available with claimants and we work closely with charities and other organisation to keep people informed of their entitlements,\" said a spokesman for the DWP. \"We have extensive guidance on Gov.uk and advisers available over the phone and in person to help people through the claiming process. We are also simplifying the system with the introduction of Universal Credit.\" But David Samson, the welfare benefits project manager at the Turn2us charity, said that this support was not always easy to get. \"People are finding it harder and harder to access face-to-face help with completing these forms, which is why this problem goes unnoticed. This is a particular concern for people living with a mental health problem or who have learning difficulty who may need the extra support when completing them. \"Many find the forms complicated and lengthy and assessing your average income level can be especially tricky. \"We have seen a huge increase in people using our benefits calculator to work out how their income could impact on their entitlements.\" The latest figures showed the biggest rise in benefit underpayments was in Pension Credit, a top-up to the state pension for low-income pensioners. With this benefit, the DWP admitted that the biggest cause was official error. A year ago, the work and pensions select committee said that, while many parts of the welfare system worked well, underpayments needed a higher priority. Benefit problems \"often led claimants to face difficult decisions over whether to pay their rent or provide essentials such as food, gas and electricity for their household\", it concluded, with many becoming reliant on food banks as a result of underpaid benefits. Overpayments of benefits totalled \u00a33.3bn, the equivalent of 1.9% of benefit payments, the DWP figures show.", "summary": "A total of \u00a31.7bn in benefits was not paid to those entitled to the money in 2015-16 owing to fraud and error, a new record rate of underpayment."}
{"article": "Sands Cymru, Drugaid Cymru and Dash, are launching an initiative on Wednesday to tackle the problem. Sands Cymru chief executive Ifor Glyn said: \"This is not a problem that's going to go away anytime soon.\" Public Health Wales has previously noted a \"substantial escalation\" in use since 2010. Sands said the blanket ban on legal highs, also known as new psychoactive substances (NPS) proposed by the Westminster government was not going to halt the spread. Concerns about the substances include people not knowing what they contain, a lack of understanding about their effects and how strong they are. Thaker Hafid, a father-of-three from Cardiff, died in February after taking a legal high that was five times stronger than heroin. The project, being launched in Neath, Neath Port Talbot, will offer briefings across Wales with the aim of reaching more than 8,000 people by Christmas. Public Health Wales has also warned about a potentially dangerous legal high currently in circulation. A man was taken to hospital in north Wales on 15 June after taking MMB-CHMINACA (MDMD-CHMICA) which has been associated with six deaths across Europe since September 2014.", "summary": "A campaign to tackle the use of so-called legal highs is beginning following concerns about increased use."}
{"article": "", "summary": "Gallipoli centenary ceremonies are being held in the UK, Australia, Turkey and New Zealand to mark the beginning of the eight-month campaign on the Gallipoli peninsula, 100 years ago."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old moved to Plainmoor in February and the club's current five-game unbeaten run has coincided with the five games that Racchi has started. \"He's got a great attitude, he wants to win, he wants everything badly because he's not been playing regularly for a few years,\" Nicholson told BBC Devon. \"He feels like he's got a point to prove and a career to save.\" Racchi was released by National League North side Tamworth in December, having begun the season at Halifax. Torquay are still three points from safety with a game on hand after a 0-0 draw with high-flying Braintree on Tuesday. \"He's been solid since he came here,\" added player-manager Nicholson, who has not featured in a league game since the Gulls' recent good form began. \"He's got a calming influence on the ball, that was one reason why I felt the time was right for me to come out of the team because I always like to see that as part of what I bring. \"Well Danny does that from the middle of the pitch now, so I can have dynamic full-backs now in the two that we've got and it's made a real difference.\"", "summary": "Torquay United midfielder Danny Racchi is \"playing to save his career\", says Gulls manager Kevin Nicholson."}
{"article": "The first minister's spokesman said \"differences remain\". The two leaders agreed to hold further talks. The meeting came after Labour AMs voted against a Plaid Cymru assembly motion to support \"full membership\" of the EU's single market. Labour had sided with UKIP and the Tories in the vote on Wednesday night. Plaid said the move by Labour amounted to support for a so-called \"hard Brexit\". But Mr Jones said he had consistently called for the UK to retain \"access\" to the market since the referendum result. The two parties are already involved in discussions over the budget, powers for the assembly and legislation - part of a deal allowing Labour to regain power after May's election. But there have been angry exchanges between their parties since Wales voted to Leave, with Plaid accusing the first minister of changing his position on what should happen next. The single market is Europe's tariff-free trading area. Mr Jones and Ms Wood campaigned side-by-side for a Remain vote in June's referendum. The first minister's spokesman said: \"Differences remain between the two leaders and their respective parties, but both have agreed to discuss further the challenges Wales faces.\"", "summary": "Carwyn Jones met Leanne Wood to discuss Brexit on Thursday, after their parties clashed over the Welsh Government's response to the EU referendum."}
{"article": "Voges has missed more than two months with a calf injury while Robson has recovered from a hamstring problem. However, fellow batsman Nick Gubbins will not return from a hamstring problem until early September. Bowler James Fuller, who has not played since May, will miss the rest of the 2017 season following elbow surgery. The 27-year-old, who featured for England Lions last winter, last appeared for his county in the One-Day Cup defeat by Kent in May. Ryan Higgins' shoulder injury picked up while fielding against Glamorgan on Friday will rule him out for three weeks. Paul Stirling, whose calf problem has restricted him to T20 cricket, is set to be available for the Championship match at The Oval, as reigning champions Middlesex look to move clear of the two relegation places in Division One.", "summary": "Adam Voges and Sam Robson have both been declared fit for Middlesex's County Championship match with Surrey, which starts on 28 August."}
{"article": "The DSS agency says the raids were carried out in recent days and several judges were arrested. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) accused the authorities of carrying out a \"Gestapo-style\" operation, demanding the release of those arrested. President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to tackle widespread corruption. Buhari's first year: Five ways Nigeria has changed In a statement, the DSS said: \"The searches have uncovered huge raw cash of various denominations, local and foreign currencies, with real estate worth several millions of naira and documents affirming unholy acts by these judges. \"We have been monitoring the expensive and luxurious lifestyle of some of the judges as well as complaints from the concerned public over judgment obtained fraudulently and on the basis (of) amounts of money paid.\" The statement said the judges were from the supreme, appeal and high courts. The names of the suspects have not been released. Reacting to the raids, the NBA called on President Buhari to \"immediately caution all the state security agencies and to respect the rule of law\". NBA head Abubakar Mahmoud told reporters: \"We are not under military rule and we cannot accept this unholy event and Gestapo-style operation.\" Since taking office last year, Mr Buhari has vowed to tackle the rampant official corruption, which has stunted economic growth across the country, the BBC's Martin Patience in Nigeria says. As part of that campaign a number of former senior officials have been charged. But their cases have largely stalled in the courts. Widespread corruption within the legal system makes it extremely difficult to convict powerful individuals, our correspondent adds.", "summary": "Nigeria's security agency says it has seized $800,000 (\u00c2\u00a3645,200) in cash in raids targeting senior judges suspected of corruption."}
{"article": "The win took Warriors 12 points clear of bottom club Bristol, who will be relegated back to the Championship if they lose to leaders Wasps on Sunday. Bath led 10-6 at half-time, helped by winger Matt Banahan's try. But Josh Adams and Wynand Olivier both crossed for the hosts and ex-Bath lock Will Spencer completed victory. George Ford kicked a late penalty to earn fifth-placed Bath a losing bonus point, but with two games left to play they are four points behind Leicester, who hammered Newcastle at Welford Road. Warriors were good value for their fifth home league win of the season, with their excellent record at Sixways likely to be enough to keep them in the top flight. Bath had appeared set for their first Premiership away win since 30 October when, against the run of play, Jonathan Joseph fed Banahan for the only try of the first period. However, two penalties from Ryan Mills - the second a huge kick from well inside his own half - kept the hosts in touch at the halfway point. England's Ben Te'o and fellow centre Jackson Willison superbly created Adams' try and replacement Olivier put Worcester in front for the first time, before Spencer rounded off a long spell of Worcester pressure by touching down against his old club. Worcester director of rugby Gary Gold: \"Bristol have got two home games out of three left, so under no circumstances am I going to sit here and say we are safe. They beat Bath at home and ran Exeter close at Sandy Park. \"If we are able to get through this fight, then I will definitely look to chat to the club to see what the plans are for next season. \"I am elated and very proud of the guys. They stuck in for the full 80 minutes against a quality Bath team.\" Bath director of rugby Todd Blackadder: \"It is so disappointing. We are up and down, up and down. \"Our (defensive) exits were really poor. We just gifted the ball back to Worcester, who played really well, and in the second half, unforced errors killed us. \"We knew what was at stake today, which makes it even more disappointing, but we are not going to give up hope. There is still too much to play for and a lot can happen.\" Worcester: Pennell; Humphreys, Willison, Te'o, Adams; Mills, Hougaard; Bower, Taufete'e, Alo, O'Callaghan (capt), Spencer, Vui, Lewis, Mama. Replacements: Singleton, Grant, Milasinovich, Potgieter, Fa'osiliva, Baldwin, Lamb, Olivier. Bath: Watson; Rokoduguni, Joseph, Tapuai, Banahan; Ford (co-capt), Fotuali'i; Catt, Batty, Palma-Newport, Ewels, Stooke, Ellis, Louw (co-capt), Faletau. Replacements: Charles, Obano, Knight, Denton, Z Mercer, Cook, Priestland, T Homer. For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "Worcester Warriors defeated Bath at Sixways to almost guarantee their Premiership survival and dent the visitors' hopes of a top-four finish."}
{"article": "The news continued the club's dismal week after Tuesday's confirmation that their 12-point Premiership deduction would remain following a failed appeal. A day later, Portadown conceded two late goals to lose 4-3 against Crusaders in the League Cup. \"I believe the time is right to step away - I've done all I can to move the club forward,\" said McGibbon. After serving an interim boss following long-serving Ronnie McFall's resignation in early March, former Manchester United defender McGibbon was appointed manager in late April. However, six weeks later Portadown were handed a 12-point deduction for this season's Premiership after an Irish FA disciplinary committee ruled that they had paid player Peter McMahon even though he had been registered on amateur forms. Portadown were already facing a transfer embargo in addition to being fined \u00a35,000 because of a further registration breach involving Gary Twigg. The Shamrock Park club were handed a total ban from all football related activity in late July for a failure to pay the \u00a35,000 fine and their first scheduled league game of the season against Coleraine on 6 August was postponed. Portadown appealed against both penalties but their pleas were rejected by an Irish FA appeal panel last Tuesday. \"As a former player both at youth team and first team level, I am devastated to see the current state of the club,\" added McGibbon. \"Recent events have had a demoralising effect on players, management and supporters alike. \"Despite player restrictions and ongoing administrative issues, I have been working hard with Vinny, the players and the rest of the management staff to improve fortunes on the pitch. \"However, I have found that my roles and responsibilities have been taken up more as a general manager than from a first team management perspective. \"Vinny and the rest of the backroom team have been terrific in helping with training whilst I have prioritised and dealt with other issues.\"", "summary": "Crisis club Portadown are looking for a new manager after Pat McGibbon resigned on Friday evening."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old former Denmark Under-20 international has made seven appearances since joining the Potters from FC Midtjylland in 2015. This season he has been behind Lee Grant and Shay Given in the Potters' pecking order and only played twice in the EFL Trophy. Haugaard will provide extra cover following Adam Bogdan's knee injury. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "Wigan Athletic have signed Stoke City goalkeeper Jakob Haugaard on loan for the rest of the season."}
{"article": "An average 8.1 million people tuned in to watch the TV talent search as it was broadcast, compared with an average 4.5 million who watched The Voice. Viewing peaked at 9.6 million on ITV as 13-year-old Beau Dermott wowed the judges with her singing. Some 6.1 million saw Kevin Simm crowned the winner of the BBC's singing show. Despite winning the ratings battle on Saturday, the Britain's Got Talent opener received the lowest viewing figures of any launch show since its very first episode in 2007 when 4.9 million people tuned in. Last year 10.1 million watched the launch, down from a high of 11.1 million in 2014. Saturday's episode saw Dermott secure a standing ovation and the first Golden Buzzer from the judges - which gives her an automatic place in the live shows - following her rendition of Defying Gravity from the musical Wicked. After a slight fall in viewership for the following acts, audiences peaked again as 9.5 million watched Moldovan Alexandr Magala's sword swallowing act. The judges and crowd screamed and covered their eyes as the 26-year-old slid upside-down a pole with the sword lodged in his mouth, coming to a stop an inch above the ground. \"I actually thought you were going to die,\" Simon Cowell admitted after the act was put through to the next round of the competition. According to overnight figures, around 40% of all TV audiences were watching Britain's Got Talent between 19:00 BST and 20:20 BST. When the programme finished, two million viewers switched over to The Voice for its final 40 minutes and to see the winner announced. Simm, who was previously in the pop group Liberty X, beat runner-up Jolan to be crowned the last winner of the singing contest on BBC One before the show moves to ITV. Although audience figures for the latest series of The Voice had started strongly with an average 7.9 million viewers, ratings steadily declined in past weeks with 4.5 million tuning into the semi-final last week. The finale drew its lowest ever ratings, down from 6.3 million viewers who tuned in to watch it last year, and 6.6 million in 2014.", "summary": "The return of Britain's Got Talent was a ratings winner for ITV, scoring almost double the viewers as the final of The Voice on BBC One."}
{"article": "Waitrose said like-for-like sales rose 2.8% in the five weeks to 3 January, compared with last year. House of Fraser, which has 59 shops across the UK and Ireland, said like-for-like sales jumped 8% for the six weeks to 3 January, versus last year. Sales in the week before Christmas were the 165-year old firm's best ever. Both retailers' saw a sharp increase in online sales compared to last year, with Waitrose reporting a 26.3% rise in online grocery sales, and House of Fraser seeing a 31.2% jump. Waitrose, which has 334 shops, is owned by John Lewis, which reported strong festive trading figures on Monday. \"As a business owned by the people who work here, we can take the long-term view and our Christmas results show the effectiveness of our strategy of investing in good value, in making our shops attractive destinations and in building our online business,\" said managing director Mark Price. House of Fraser's chief executive John King said he was \"delighted\" with the chain's Christmas trading period. The firm said it planned to continue to invest in its online offering this year, as well as refurbishing more stores. \"Given this further investment, we believe that we are well placed to continue to grow in 2015,\" added Mr King. Last year, the privately held firm sold a majority stake in its business to Chinese conglomerate Sanpower, giving it an 89% share in the company.", "summary": "Upmarket supermarket chain Waitrose and department store chain House of Fraser have both reported strong sales over the key Christmas trading period."}
{"article": "21 October 2016 Last updated at 19:29 BST The EU was \"not capable\" of signing a trade agreement with Canada she said after the collapse of talks on a wide-ranging deal. Negotiations have dragged on for seven years, but in the end a Belgian region - population 3.6 million - blocked an accord which stands to affect hundreds of millions of people.", "summary": "Canadian Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland was choking back tears as reporters cornered her in Brussels."}
{"article": "Sadiq Khan said the online firm had refused to take down the knife videos that were first reported in December. Mr Khan said the videos, showing recognisable London locations, \"were a shocking example of the glamorisation of gang culture\". YouTube said it could not comment on individual cases but said it was in contact with the police on this issue. The videos, which have been viewed more than 356,000 times, shows gangs threatening rivals with a \"Rambo knife\" while others make shooting hand signals to a soundtrack of violent rap. A YouTube spokesperson said the site prohibits videos \"that are abusive or that promote violence.\" \"We work closely with organisations like the Metropolitan police to understand local context and specifically, so that we can understand where artistic expression escalates into real threats.\" Gun and knife crime in the capital have increased by 42% and 24% over the last year, according to recent police figures. Sadiq Khan said: \"Social media and the internet can be used to inflame tensions and escalate violence quicker than ever before. \"Internet giants have policies in place around violent content, but they do not go far enough.\" Claire Hubberstey, CEO of Safer London, said: \"There are some highly dangerous, widely viewed films online that pose a serious threat to young people, both glorifying violence and intimidation and posing a significant risk to those who appear in them.\" Youtube said it was committed to continuing and improving its work on this issue and making the site \"a hostile space for those who seek to do harm.\"", "summary": "Four \"violent videos\" posted on YouTube have not been removed despite requests from police, the Mayor of London says."}
{"article": "Today, fossil fuel power stations are usually built with towers that emit vapour as well as greenhouse gases into the air. Special Report: The Technology of Business Make-It-Yourself: The rise of the micro-manufacturers Could high-end camping gear save lives around the world? Could renting Fido make you rich? The maps transforming how we interact with the world Is 'mind control' now a reality? But what if a new kind of power station could create electricity without belching harmful gases into the air? Despite the development of renewable technologies, fossil fuels are still used to generate the overwhelming majority of the world's power, and it is likely they will continue to do so for many years. In the US, about 70% of the country's electricity comes from burning fossil fuels. Other major economies, such as China, are even more dependent. But now Net Power, based in the US state of North Carolina, believes it can redesign the power plant so it can still run on coal or natural gas, but without releasing harmful fumes. Rodney Allam, chief technologist at 8 Rivers Capital, which owns Net Power, says: \"The perception has been that to avoid emissions of [carbon dioxide] CO2, we have to get rid of fossil fuels. \"But unfortunately, fossil fuels represent over 70% of the fuel that's consumed in the world and the idea that you can get rid of that in any meaningful sense is a pipe dream.\" The Net Power system is different from currently operating power plants because carbon dioxide, normally produced as waste when making electricity, would become a key ingredient when burning the fuel. A brief history of climate change Carbon dioxide would be put into the Net Power combustor at a very high temperature and pressure along with the fuel, such as natural gas or coal, and oxygen. Using the carbon dioxide as a so-called working fluid - used to make the turbine function - it would pass through the system in a loop, to be recycled and used again. Mr Allam says: \"I've developed a system where we can actually make use of the impurity itself to try and assist the removal of that impurity from the power system.\" In addition, Net Power believes its technology would be cheaper to operate than current power stations. Mr Allam says: \"It was my ambition to create a cycle which would be cheaper - or at least as cheap - as existing technology without CO2 capture, and yet go for 100% CO2 capture.\" The system is geared to enable a process called carbon capture and storage (CCS), which would see the excess carbon dioxide from the fuel combustion funnelled into a pipeline or a tanker instead of being released into the air. Mr Allam says that because the whole cycle happens at a high pressure of about 320 atmospheres, the gas emerges with a pressure and level of purity that is \"capture ready\" - or ideal for storage. This is different from the carbon dioxide produced by other kinds of power plants, which is mixed with gases such", "summary": "Could the smoke stack of a power station soon be a thing of the past?"}
{"article": "The Under-20 boss replaces Gareth Southgate, who will look after the senior team for their next four matches after the departure of Sam Allardyce. A point in Kazakhstan on 6 October will be enough for the Under-21s to secure a spot in next year's finals in Poland. Their final group match is at home to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Boothroyd's assistant coach Paul Williams will take charge of the Under-20s on an interim basis. Boothroyd has coached the England Under-20 side since 2014. Media playback is not supported on this device Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Former Watford and Coventry manager Aidy Boothroyd will take charge of the England Under-21 team for their final two Euro 2017 qualifiers."}
{"article": "Concerns about plagiarism in a 2013 law module should have triggered a formal process, says the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Instead academics reduced students' marks for \"poor academic performance\". The university says this was more appropriate as the problem was poor referencing rather than plagiarism. The QAA review found that academics at the university initially raised concerns about some five essays, or 10% of the number submitted, which had the fault of \"quoting directly from a source and failing to insert quotation marks around the quoted passages\". The university later referred to these sections as having been \"lifted\". However, the university's own inquiry found that the students, then at the start of their first year, had not yet been subject to rigorous training on avoiding plagiarism and had not committed any deliberate action to deceive. So instead of moving to its formal plagiarism procedure it \"determined upon a mark reduction for over-reliance on 'one or two articles' and a subsequent interview with the students to explain\", says the review. The university told the QAA team that having first entertained the possibility that the students in question had plagiarised, it then discounted the possibility. \"It did not judge it to be plagiarism as defined in the university's regulations.\" It was \"deemed not sufficiently serious in nature for it to be recorded on the students' records\". However, the watchdog concludes that the reference to the students' lack of training and the view that it was not done to deceive appear to be mitigations of plagiarism rather than rejections of the possibility of plagiarised work. \"The evidence appears to show that the level of 'suspicion' involved in the work in question met the criteria that should have triggered formal procedure.\" The review finds that the university had substituted its investigation and imposition of penalties for due process, \"and thus was in breach of university regulations on academic misconduct\". Any reforms to the university's regulations should avoid allowing course teams to make decisions in isolation which would risk \"a less consistent approach to its management of academic misconduct\", recommends the review. In a statement, the university said it took the matter of academic misconduct \"extremely seriously\". \"In noting the review team's various recommendations, we welcome the conclusion that our procedures for academic misconduct are fit for purpose and conform to the expectations of the UK Quality Code; and that we are taking positive steps to educate and help our students to avoid plagiarism. \"The university has completed a full review of its procedures, and will shortly be submitting an action plan to QAA detailing how we are addressing the recommendations.\"", "summary": "The University of Buckingham breached its own regulations in an investigation into possible plagiarism, an independent inquiry has found."}
{"article": "As well as outlawing driving while under the influence of illegal drugs, new legislation will include some prescription medicines. But prescribed doses do not exceed the limits for legal drugs, so most patients should still be safe to drive. Those who are unsure are advised to seek the advice of a pharmacist. The new law, to be introduced 2 March 2015 in England and Wales, aims to catch those who put the lives of others at risk while driving under the influence of drugs. It sets very low levels for eight well known illegal drugs, including cannabis and cocaine, but also includes eight prescription drugs, where the levels have been set much higher. Most of them, including Temazepan and Diazepam, are used for treating conditions such as anxiety. But the list also includes methadone, a heroin substitute and pain medication, and morphine, a powerful opiate also used for pain relief. Robert Goodwill MP, Road Safety Minister, says as long as they stay within prescribed levels, most people will still be able to get behind the wheel of a car. \"If you are taking your medicine as directed and your driving is not impaired, then you are not breaking the law and there is no need to worry,\" he said. \"We advise anyone who is unsure about the effects of their medication or how the new legislation may affect them, to seek the advice of their doctor or pharmacist. \"There will also be a medical defence if a driver has been taking medication as directed and is found to be over the limit but not impaired. \"Drivers who are taking prescribed medication at high doses [are advised] to carry evidence with them, such as prescriptions slips, when driving in order to minimise any inconvenience should they be asked to take a test by the police.\" Prof David Taylor, a spokesman for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and a member of the Department for Transport advisory panel on drug-driving said \"Don't stop taking your medicines, prescribed or otherwise, if you are worried about this new law. \"Instead, talk to your doctor or pharmacist for information about how your medicines might affect your ability to drive. \"They'll be happy to give you the advice you need to stay safe.\" Ed Morrow, campaigns officer for road safety charity Brake said the organisation strongly welcomed the new drug-diving law. \"This much-needed progressive move by government will make it much easier for police to deal with illegal drug-drivers,\" he said. \"We are confident that the necessary measures are in place to ensure drivers who take prescription medication are not unfairly penalised. \"However, many prescription medications can have a negative effect on your ability to drive safely, and there is a worrying lack of awareness of this among the public.\"", "summary": "People who have been prescribed powerful anxiety or pain relief drugs are being warned about a new drug-driving law."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device A statement from F1's governing body the FIA said the man gained \"unauthorised access\" to the circuit. The FIA said: \"We are awaiting a full report from the clerk of the course in order to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident.\" Race winner Sebastian Vettel said: \"Fortunately nothing happened to us or him. It's not what you want to see.\" It is the second time this year someone has gained access to a track during a grand prix weekend, with a spectator running across the circuit during practice at the Chinese Grand Prix in April. Media playback is not supported on this device It is also the third time in recent history that a track invader has disrupted a grand prix. In 2003, a man wearing a kilt ran across the track during the British Grand Prix. And a disaffected former Mercedes employee invaded the track during the 2000 race in Germany. Vettel, who drives for Ferrari, made a joke about this incident, which has been reported to involve an English tourist. \"When I was watching F1 there was a scene in Hockenheim and then a couple of years later in Silverstone,\" he said. \"This guy was fairly boring. He could have dressed a little funny or something. \"Now we are joking about it, but it is fairly serious.\" Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, who finished second, added: \"He was on his phone taking pictures, probably for Instagram or something. \"I hope he got some more followers because it's got to be worth a night in prison.\"", "summary": "A 27-year-old man who invaded the Formula 1 track during the Singapore Grand Prix has been arrested."}
{"article": "Aldershot nearly led before the break when Rhys Browne set up Lafayette but Marek Rodak saved and Charlie Walker failed to score on the rebound. The visitors kept pressuring as Jake Gallagher and Jim Stevenson forced Rodak into further saves. Victory for the Shots was sealed when Rodak brought down Lafayette and he scored from the spot on 76 minutes. Aldershot Town boss Barry Smith told BBC Surrey: Media playback is not supported on this device \"You know it was a very scrappy game and Welling gave us a lot of problems in the first-half. \"I thought at half time we upped our levels and we caused them problems in the second half and I think we deserved to win the game. \"I've got confidence in the strikers and confidence in players who can score and it was a matter of time. Their keeper made some terrific saves, but you've got to keep believing like we've done this season.\"", "summary": "Ross Lafayette scored a second-half penalty to seal all three points for Aldershot Town as they beat Welling."}
{"article": "Other highlights include a stage version of Hancock's Half Hour and the Berliner Ensemble's Waiting for Godot. The annual event in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, is now in its fourth year. It boasts performances in multiple locations, including the school where Beckett was a pupil in the early 1920s. The lights will be turned out for All That Fall, in a staging by former Royal Court artistic director Max Stafford-Clark. He said: \"I was asked for my vision for the play and my response was that there is absolutely no vision at all - the whole play takes place in the dark.\" The drama, co-produced with the Out of Joint Theatre Company, will star Irish actress Rosaleen Linehan. \"It will be as dark as we can make it, the audience won't be invited to see anything,\" Stafford-Clark told the BBC. \"It will be a bit spooky I imagine but that's the effect that Beckett wanted.\" All That Fall was previously staged in London in 2012 with a cast including Dame Eileen Atkins and Michael Gambon. The radio play, first broadcast in 1957, tells of an elderly woman's journey to a railway station to meet her blind husband. The Hancock play is based on several \"lost\" radio scripts - by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson - which were revived on Radio 4 last year. \"Hancock is the perfect Beckett character. He is the small man shaking his fist as a universe that doesn't care,\" said Drop The Dead Donkey star Neil Pearson, who will direct the show. \"I think we are habitually rather too po-faced about Beckett. He's a funny writer. I don't know whether he knew of Hancock but I'm pretty sure he would have approved of the uncaring way the world treats him.\" Theatre director Sophie Hunter - who recently married Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch - is putting on Benjamin Britten's Phaedra - the composer's final work - inside the ruined Necarne Castle. She said her concept was to create \"an intimate experience in an epic space\". \"At the heart of it is the story of a woman who has taken in poison and is dying over 15 minutes - the music mimics the effect of the poison that is coursing through her veins.\" The Enniskillen International Beckett Festival, Happy Days, will take place over two long weekends, between 23 July and 3 August 2015. The full line-up is on the Happy Days website.", "summary": "A play performed in complete darkness is among this year's line up for a summer festival celebrating writer Samuel Beckett."}
{"article": "Tuilagi missed the 19-18 Premiership win at Gloucester with a \"hamstring tweak\" just a fortnight after returning from a long-term groin injury. He is unlikely to return until Tigers' trip to Newcastle on 12 February. \"Results normally polarise decision making,\" Cockerill said. \"It depends on how England go up at Murrayfield against Scotland next weekend really. They might not need him. \"If they don't get the result up there, then they might want him back sooner, rather than later.\" Tuilagi was just three games into his comeback after 15 months out of the game - but new England head coach Eddie Jones is keen to bring back the 24-year-old, who has not played Test rugby since June 2014. \"He probably won't play next week [the Tigers' Premiership game against Sale] and will probably come into it for Newcastle the week after,\" Cockerill told BBC Radio Leicester. \"If he is playing and back fit, then it is up to Eddie. Manu's groin is great. Now it is a case of keeping the rest of his body intact as well. \"Fifteen months out of the game is a long time. We are trying to manage that and integrate him back in as sensibly as possible. \"His hamstring was a bit tight after the Stade Francais game last weekend. He had it scanned on Monday and there was the tiniest of strains there. It is nothing serious.\"", "summary": "Leicester Tigers boss Richard Cockerill says that England centre Manu Tuilagi's latest injury is \"nothing serious\" - and that he could still figure in this year's Six Nations."}
{"article": "Police are deployed near Tahrir Square, the symbolic centre of the uprising. Thousands of homes have been raided, as the authorities look for people who might be planning protests against President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. Local and international human rights activists say the situation in the country has never been worse. Mr Sisi led the military's overthrow of Mubarak's Islamist successor, Mohammed Morsi, in 2013 following mass protests. Since then, more than 1,000 people have been killed and 40,000 are believed to have been jailed in a sweeping crackdown on dissent. Most of them have been supporters of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, but secular activists have also been prosecuted for breaking an anti-protest law. There is little trace of the revolution that swept an autocrat from power five years ago, and Egypt's latest strongman is keen to keep it that way, reports the BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo. Mr Sisi, a retired field marshal who was elected president in 2014, has vowed that there will be a firm response to any unrest on the anniversary. \"The security and stability of nations are not to be toyed with,\" he said in a speech over the weekend at a ceremony marking Police Day, which also falls on Monday. Our correspondent says protests are already virtually banned. And in recent days police have raided about 5,000 homes in central Cairo, looking for anyone who might be planning to take to the streets. The faces of Egypt's revolution - where are they now? Egypt's 18-day revolution Spotlight on human rights in Egypt Some activists have been arrested, others driven into hiding. Many icons of the revolution are already behind bars, our correspondent adds. An interior ministry official told the AFP news agency that the raids were not aimed at \"squeezing the youths but avoiding chaos and infiltration of rioters among them\". The Muslim Brotherhood has called for protests on Monday. But one leading activist told the BBC that he and many others would be staying home, rather than trying to return to Tahrir Square. \"People who protest are going to pay with their lives for, or be sentenced to over 20 years in jail,\" he said. \"The price is too high.\" Amnesty International warned on Sunday that Egypt was now \"mired in a human rights crisis of huge proportions\", as the country \"reverts back to a police state\". \"Peaceful protesters, politicians and journalists have borne the brunt of a ruthless campaign against legitimate dissent by the government and state security forces,\" said Said Boumedouha, the group's deputy Middle East and North Africa director. \"Tens of thousands have been arrested and the country's prisons are now overflowing, with widespread reports of torture and hundreds held without charge or trial,\" Mr Boumedouha added", "summary": "Security has been stepped up in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on the fifth anniversary of the start of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak."}
{"article": "They were allegedly subject to sexual abuse and forced to beg on the streets. The owner, Rosa del Carmen Verduzco, and eight employees at the House of the Big Family have been arrested. Correspondents say it is one of Mexico's worst incidents of alleged child abuse at a children's institution in many years. The government said the building was home to 278 boys, 174 girls and six infants under the age of three. Also rescued were 138 adults aged up to 40, the government said. Reports say the residents were forced to live in terrible conditions. \"I'm in utter dismay because we weren't expecting the conditions we found at the group home,\" Michoacan Governor Salvador Jara said. The House of the Big Family has been operating for 40 years and was known locally as Mama Rosa's Home. The authorities began to investigate the home after parents complained that they were denied access to their children. One woman, who grew up at the home herself, gave birth to two children who were registered in the name of Ms Verduzco. When the mother left the home, aged 31, she was not allowed to take her children with her, investigators said. Mr Jara said the raid came after an official complaint was filed by the parents of five children who said they were being held at the home against their will. He said the complaint was filed more than a year ago, but did not specify why the authorities had not acted sooner. Local media had reported on allegations made against the home as far back as 2010. By Will Grant, BBC Mundo, Mexico City Mexicans are waking up to the news with a sense of shock and disbelief - mainly at the sheer scale of the alleged abuse at Casa Mama Rosa. The list of accusations is long and serious: almost 500 children held against their will and sent into the streets to beg, their parents prevented fromt them, sexual and psychological abuse at what is a well-known and often praised children's home. As such, this certainly stands out from other stories of abuse in Mexican institutions and has sparked some uncomfortable questions. How long were the authorities aware of the accusations before they acted? Were corrupt officials involved in keeping those accusations silent? Meanwhile Rosa Verduzco herself is under arrest and facing a range of charges including sexual abuse and mistreatment of children. But over the 40 years she has been running the home, she has gained some influential and high-profile supporters, among them the renowned Mexican writer Enrique Krauze, who took to Twitter to defend her record. An article in newspaper El Universal said six families had alleged that Ms Verduzco refused to hand over their children to them. One mother told Universal reporters that she had taken her son to the home after a social worker had recommended it as a place for her child to get treatment for hyperactivity. The mother, Martha Ines Lopez Ramirez, said she was only allowed to see her son once every four months and only", "summary": "Mexican police have rescued more than 450 children they believe were abused at a children's home in Zamora in the western state of Michoacan."}
{"article": "Wenger, 67, has been criticised by some fans after Arsenal slipped to sixth in the Premier League following four defeats in their past five games. A 10-2 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League added to the pressure and Wenger says he will make a decision on his future \"very soon\". \"He's a great man in my opinion,\" said Iwobi, 20. \"I'd like him to stay.\" Wenger's contract expires at the end of the season but he has been offered a new two-year deal. \"He's always helped me and developed me as player,\" Iwobi told the BBC's World Football programme. \"I don't think it's fair the way everybody criticises him. It's very unfair considering what he's done. \"He's always achieved fourth place, been in the Champions League and been up there with the title contenders.\" Contract negotiations with two of Arsenal's star names, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, have been put on hold until the summer, and Iwobi hopes an agreement can be reached over their futures. \"As you can see from stats, goals and chances they create they are key players in our team,\" he said. \"Everything offensively almost goes through them. Even though we have other players they are world-class players. \"For the club it'd be great for them to stay, but at the end of the day it's their decisions.\"", "summary": "Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi wants Arsene Wenger to remain as manager and says criticism of the Frenchman is \"unfair\"."}
{"article": "Leading Seaman Timothy Andrew MacColl, 27, from Gosport in Hampshire, was last seen getting into a taxi at 02:00 local time on Sunday after a night out. The ship had arrived in Dubai on Saturday and left on Thursday. The family of the father-of-two, who is originally from Killin, Stirlingshire, said they were \"completely at a loss and going crazy with worry\". Leading Seaman MacColl, known as Timmy to family and friends, was last seen by a shipmate getting into a taxi alone. He had just left the Rock Bottom Cafe at the Regent Palace Hotel, in the Bur Dubai area, which is about a 15-minute drive from Port Rashid where his ship was docked. His wife Rachel, who is expecting the couple's third child in October, said there had been no sightings of her husband and that checks with hospitals, prisons, police stations and mortuaries had so far found no record of him. \"I last spoke with Timmy at midday on Saturday and he was in really good spirits and looking forward to speaking with the children on Skype on Sunday,\" she said. That call never happened, she said, adding that it was \"completely out of character\" for him not to contact his family. \"We are appealing to the people of Dubai and reaching out to the large expat community to help us find Timmy and raise awareness in that area,\" she said. \"Wherever Timmy is, I know that he wants to be found, he will want us to find him, we need people to help us do that.\" The couple's two children are aged six and four. Leading Seaman MacColl is described as white, 5ft 8ins tall, of medium build, with short brown hair cropped with a flicked fringe, and speaks with a broad Scottish accent. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a red MotoGP T-shirt, dark-coloured long shorts and white trainers. A spokesman for the Royal Navy said the service was working with local authorities and British Foreign Office staff to try to find the missing sailor, and providing support to his family, he said. \"Everything is being done to ensure that he is located safely,\" the navy spokesman said.", "summary": "A British sailor has gone missing in Dubai while his ship, HMS Westminster, was docked, the Royal Navy has said."}
{"article": "The Grade-I listed landmark, which has been owned by the council since 2010, needs \"essential\" strengthening work to be carried out on its steel structure. A council report says a continuing \u00a36m steel renovation project has cost extra money, but the loan will be recouped from the income of leisure assets. Councillors will consider the proposal on 20 July. Deputy leader of Blackpool Council Gillian Campbell said the tower was \"a vital asset to town\" which the council was \"committed to keep in a good condition\". \"Our acquisition of the tower was all about making sure it is looked after for many years to come and this work will make sure that continues to be the case,\" she added. The seafront tower opened in 1894 and its design is inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris.", "summary": "Councillors in Blackpool are to be asked to approve borrowing of \u00a31.8m to repair the resort's tower."}
{"article": "An early Conor McAleny double and Josh Ruffels' second-half header did the damage and lifted the U's to ninth. Despite early pressure from the hosts, the U's took the lead after five minutes when McAleny fired in from the edge of the box. The winger, on loan from Everton, then doubled the lead, cutting in from the left and curling into the far corner. Neither side could muster another shot on target during a frustrating first half for the hosts. Steve Morison was put clean through on the hour mark but fired straight at Simon Eastwood, and Oxford sealed victory when Ruffels nodded in Chris Maguire's 70th-minute corner at the far post. Millwall are one point above seventh-placed Southend. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Millwall 0, Oxford United 3. Second Half ends, Millwall 0, Oxford United 3. Attempt missed. Lee Gregory (Millwall) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt missed. Ben Thompson (Millwall) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Substitution, Oxford United. Robert Hall replaces Marvin Johnson. Substitution, Oxford United. Kane Hemmings replaces Chris Maguire. Attempt missed. Steve Morison (Millwall) header from a difficult angle on the right is close, but misses to the right. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Substitution, Millwall. David Worrall replaces Aiden O'Brien. Substitution, Oxford United. Joe Rothwell replaces Canice Carroll because of an injury. Delay in match Canice Carroll (Oxford United) because of an injury. Attempt missed. Steve Morison (Millwall) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Goal! Millwall 0, Oxford United 3. Josh Ruffels (Oxford United) header from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Chris Maguire with a cross following a corner. Corner, Oxford United. Conceded by Shaun Williams. Foul by Byron Webster (Millwall). Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Joe Skarz. Foul by Jed Wallace (Millwall). Curtis Nelson (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Steve Morison (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Curtis Nelson (Oxford United). Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Joe Skarz. Corner, Oxford United. Conceded by Jordan Archer. Attempt saved. Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Foul by Ben Thompson (Millwall). Conor McAleny (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt saved. Aiden O'Brien (Millwall) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by Aiden O'Brien (Millwall). Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Jed Wallace (Millwall) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Charlie Raglan (Oxford United). Ben Thompson (Millwall) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Marvin Johnson (Oxford United). Jake Cooper (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Marvin Johnson (Oxford United). Attempt missed.", "summary": "Millwall slipped to a disappointing defeat at home to Oxford but remain in the League One play-off places."}
{"article": "His inclusion in the England Lions squad for the January tour of South Africa is great news, coming on the back of what have perhaps been England's most difficult few weeks of the entire period. Trott has fought very hard to get into this position. When he first left Australia with what were later clarified as anxiety issues, many thought that his England career was over. When his first attempt at a comeback was aborted in April, I was told by someone close to the Warwickshire batsman that the next step would be a quiet return playing some club cricket in South Africa. The right-hander will play in the country of his birth, but on merit after receiving recognition from the selectors as a result of a very strong second part of the summer that saw him accumulate 628 first-class runs and average 54.22 as Warwickshire reached the final of the One-Day Cup. Because of his South African roots and the decision for Trott to only be on tour for one three-day warm-up match and two first-class four-day games against South Africa A, this trip should not hold many difficulties for him. He will also have the help of Andy Flower, who was in charge of England in Australia and will be working with the Lions in South Africa. The experience in Australia will have taught Flower how to spot any problems that Trott may encounter, while I am sure the Zimbabwean will make it absolutely clear that the player must report any concerns he has. Having taken the incredibly difficult decision to go public with his problems on leaving Australia, Trott no longer has to operate in secret, or fear embarrassment. Similarly, Flower knows he can keep a close eye on Trott without the worry of over-imposing himself. Through all of this, representing England again will be on Trott's mind. Since he last played international cricket, Alastair Cook's side have moved on, with younger players like Gary Ballance and Joe Root doing very well, but there is still room for the 33-year-old's experience, especially with 17 Test matches scheduled over the next year or so. In cricketing terms, the selectors may want to see Trott deal with some hostile fast bowling before they consider bringing him back, especially as it was an onslaught from Mitchell Johnson that exposed his anxiety issues to those watching from a distance. There is also the question of where Trott would fit in to the current Test side, but that simply adds an extra layer of intrigue to this Lions tour. Trott's old spot of number three has been filled very successfully by Ballance, while Ian Bell and Root both played well at numbers four and five. However, Trott has long been talked of as a potential opener and there is a place at the top order available alongside Alastair Cook. In seven Test matches over the summer, Sam Robson failed to make that place his own and the Middlesex man is battling with Yorkshire pair Adam Lyth and Alex Lees, as all three join Trott", "summary": "It is almost a year since Jonathan Trott left England's tour of Australia, 12 months that have been incredibly turbulent on and off the pitch for the national side."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 20-year-old won bronze in the 3m springboard final in Kazan. It was his second medal of the week after bronze in the 3m synchronised springboard with Chris Mears. Laugher, who scored 528.9, led after the second of six rounds but was overtaken by defending champion He Chao of China (555.05) and Russia's Olympic gold medallist Ilya Zakharov (547.6). Laugher said: \"It was brilliant and one of the most fun finals I've been in in my life because everyone was pushing each other to new levels. \"Today just gives me more confidence. I'm still young, the guys who have beaten me are much older than I am so hopefully I'll become a better diver and competitor.\" Tom Daley is the only other Briton to win an individual world diving medal - claiming gold at the age of 15 at Rome 2009. Laugher's success was British third diving medal in the Russia event, with Daley and Rebecca Gallantree combining to secure team gold on Wednesday. Leeds-based Laugher, a two-time Commonwealth champion, has had a good season, also winning the overall World Series title following three impressive victories.", "summary": "Jack Laugher has become only the second British diver to ever win an individual World Championships medal."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device United won 13 Premier League titles under Ferguson, but Mourinho says it is now impossible to be so dominant. Asked if he could return the club to its former greatness, the Portuguese said: \"Forget it. \"Don't try to go 10, 20 years ago because it is not possible any more.\" In a wide-ranging interview with Gary Lineker for the Premier League Show, Mourinho also said: Watch the full Premier League Show on iPlayer. Mourinho, 54, signed a three-year contract last May to replace Louis van Gaal, who was sacked despite winning the FA Cup. The Red Devils have finished seventh, fourth and fifth in the three full seasons since Ferguson's retirement, and have been in sixth place since 6 November. Mourinho does not believe a return to winning the Premier League every year is close, but does not want the season to peter out after winning the EFL Cup last month. \"We are not ready to be Manchester United,\" he said. \"We are not ready to be a dominant force. We are not ready to try and win everything. \"Because of the nature of the club, and of myself, we are ready to fight for every game, every point. But there is a space between the general ambition of such a giant club and what we are in reality.\" Mourinho said United - who beat Premier League champions Leicester City in the Community Shield in August - had won \"one and a half\" trophies this season. \"Many other teams in England are going to finish the season without a trophy,\" he said. \"But we have to fight for the top four, we have to fight for the Champions League. The cup is not enough to say that the season is over.\" Since Mourinho took charge, United have spent an estimated \u00a3150m on midfielders Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan and defender Eric Bailly, and brought in striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic for free. But the Portuguese said the club's previous transfer dealings caused him concern. He named three forwards - PSG's Angel di Maria, Bayer Leverkusen's Javier Hernandez and Arsenal's Danny Welbeck - as players he would not have sold. \"I found a sad club,\" he said. \"Manchester United sold players that I would never sell, bought players that I would never buy.\" Mourinho would not name the players he would not have signed, but in January he allowed midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin and forward Memphis Depay to leave for Everton and Lyon respectively. He has largely frozen out former Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger and has handed just seven league starts to left-back Luke Shaw, who cost \u00a327m from Southampton in 2014. Mourinho said he was not worried about attracting players if United fail to qualify for the Champions League, pointing to last summer as proof the club can still sign the best players. \"Manchester United is very powerful, it doesn't need to be in the Champions League to attract the best players,\" he said. \"Zlatan could still be in Paris. Mkhitaryan could be at Borussia Dortmund. Pogba", "summary": "Manchester United \"are not ready to be a dominant force\" and fans should forget about a return to the days of Sir Alex Ferguson, manager Jose Mourinho has told BBC Sport."}
{"article": "Last year, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was booed by fans at the opening match of the Confederations Cup - a curtain-raiser for the World Cup. In an interview with DPA news agency, Fifa head Sepp Blatter expressed concern about social unrest in Brazil. He said he hoped the event would play a part in calming down the protests. Protesters took to the streets of many Brazilian cities shortly before the Confederations Cup in June 2013. They denounced corruption and the perceived high cost of preparations for the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, which will be hosted by Rio de Janeiro. Several of the 12 stadiums that will be used in the World Cup are still under construction. Among the venues still being built is the Arena Corinthians, in Sao Paulo, where the opening match between Brazil and Croatia is due to be played on 12 June. Mr Blatter, however, played down concerns that the stadiums will not be finished in time for the event. \"Everything with the stadiums will work out. This is not my first World Cup. In the end, all the stadiums will be ready,\" Mr Blatter told DPA. Mr Blatter did not elaborate on his decision to scrap the speeches from the opening ceremony. But last year he came out in the support of Ms Rousseff when she was booed by football fans as she opened the Confederations Cup in Brasilia. \"Friends of Brazilian football, where is the respect and the fair play, please?\" intervened Mr Blatter, who then became the target of the protests at the Brazilian capital's brand-new National Stadium. He told DPA that the World Cup may have a positive impact: \"We hope that the World Cup will play a part in calming down the social unrest that we experienced during the Confederations Cup\". It is not clear whether the Brazilian government was involved in the decision to remove Ms Rousseff's speech from the opening ceremony. Mr Blatter also said that \"the human rights situation\" will be taken into account when Fifa awards the rights to host World Cups in the future. The awarding process was criticised when Fifa announced that the 2018 and 2022 World Cups would be hosted by Russia and Qatar respectively.", "summary": "Football's world governing body, Fifa, has announced that there will be no speeches at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in June."}
{"article": "What would \"out\" look like? For those who back Britain remaining in the EU, the answer is pretty bleak. If the UK wanted to trade with Europe, the country would still have to be bound by the rules of the EU which would be set - if Britain left - with little regard to this country's opinion. We would not, those pro-the-EU argue, have a seat at the decision-making table. In fact, we would be particularly weak because the remaining EU member states might very well want to teach Britain \"a lesson\" that being out of the union is not a free hit. The chief executive of JCB, Graeme Macdonald, does not agree. In an interview in The Guardian this morning he says that the UK is far too important a trading nation to be simply pushed to one side. As an example, he points out that Britain is Germany's fourth largest market for car exports. Mr Macdonald also argues that being in the EU is not some form of free trade panacea. \"It's easier selling to North America than to Europe sometimes,\" he says. The chairman of JCB is Lord Bamford, the Conservative peer and major donor to the party. In an interview with BBC Midlands, Lord Bamford says: \"We are the fifth or sixth largest economy in the world. We could exist on our own - peacefully and sensibly.\" This is a key part of the \"nothing to fear\" argument about the EU and I suspect it will be a strong theme for those who do not reject EU exit out of hand. Interestingly, the \"nothing to fear\" formulation has been deployed in the past by two figures who will have considerable sway on the issue within government. One is Sajid Javid, the new business secretary. And the other is Jim O'Neill, the former chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, who was announced last week as the new commercial secretary to the Treasury, a job with a particular focus on developing economic growth outside London and the South East of England. Mr O'Neill is also the man who coined the term \"Brics\" (Brazil, Russia, India and China) which he believes will form the powerhouses of the 21st Century global economy. Here he is interviewed in The Telegraph in 2013: \"We should not be scared of it [leaving the EU] and exploring a world without it. The opportunities that are arising from the dramatically changing world are huge and I don't think quite a lot of people in our area [the City], never mind people in Brussels, are that interested or understand it,\" he said. At lunch with the chief executive of a FTSE 30 company before Christmas, I asked whether he would rather Britain was in or out of the EU. He argued that it was better that Britain stayed in. But he also pointed out that if the UK did leave the EU, the company would still retain its headquarters in London. Why? Because, he argued, the capital is the world leader in global finance and enjoys a regulatory", "summary": "A large part of the vitally important debate about Britain's future in or out of the European Union will be based around a simple question which raises a whole host of complicated answers."}
{"article": "The singer, whose hits include You're Still the One and That Don't Impress Me Much, will be a special guest at the event on 10 September. \"I can't wait,\" she told breakfast show host Chris Evans. \"It's been a long time. I'm so excited about it.\" Take That top the bill, with Blondie and Rick Astley also playing. Tickets go on sale this Thursday, 8 June. Full details of how to apply are on the Radio 2 website. Shania Twain's appearance will be her only UK concert date of 2017, and marks the 20th anniversary of her breakthrough album, Come on Over. \"I'll play a couple of new songs but I will definitely stick primarily to the hits,\" she said, adding that she wouldn't \"wear my top hat\" - a reference to her costume in the video for Man! I Feel Like A Woman. The star spent several years out of the limelight after losing her voice to dysphonia, a condition often associated with psychological trauma. Her illness followed her divorce from record producer Robert John \"Mutt\" Lange after he allegedly had an affair with her best friend. However, Twain subsequently attributed the condition to contracting Lyme disease. Either way, she was unable to sing for several years, requiring extensive physical therapy before she returned to the stage for a Las Vegas residency in 2012. She is due to release a new album, her first since 2002's Up!, later this year. Take That headline the festival for a second time, having previously stepped in to replace Lionel Richie, who fell ill days before the event in 2011. \"Do you remember in 2011, when you called me?\" frontman Gary Barlow asked Chris Evans, as he recalled the show. \"I think I was at New York Airport and you said, 'Our headliner's let us down, can you come and do it?' \"So I know what this festival's like, brilliant crowds, brilliant atmosphere. So when we were asked by Radio 2, what do you think we were going to say? Yes is the answer, and we cannot wait to be there.\" Other acts on the bill include Stereophonics, Seth Lakeman, Emeli Sande and newcomers Wildwood Kin. Blondie's Debbie Harry said she was looking forward to \"bringing everyone together for a huge celebration\". And James Blunt, speaking to Radio 2 \"in my dressing gown\" from Ibiza, looked forward to playing the Radio 2 festival again, after saying he had the time of his life in previous years. Last year's event was headlined by Elton John, and included an affectionate tribute to Radio 2 stalwart Sir Terry Wogan. The festival, established in 2011, is partnered with Radio 3's Proms In The Park, which takes place the preceding day. That event will be headlined by The Kinks' frontman Ray Davies, with further performances from Bryn Terfel, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Steps and the cast of Five Guys Named Moe. The evening culminates in a live screening of the Last Night of the Proms, direct from London's Royal Albert Hall. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at", "summary": "Country star Shania Twain will play live in the UK for the first time in 13 years at BBC Radio 2's \"festival in a day\" in Hyde Park."}
{"article": "Bertie Acheson, who was 72, died after a confrontation with the intruder at his home in Glenmore Gardens, Coleraine, in April 2012. Paul James Manolito Toland, originally of The Cedars, Antrim, had pleaded guilty to Mr Acheson's manslaughter. After his release he must serve a further four and half years on licence. Toland, a father of four, has 18 previous convictions for burglary. He was confronted by his victim after he broke into the couple's home to steal money. There was a struggle and Mr Acheson, who cared for his disabled wife Sheila, suffered a heart attack and died on his kitchen floor. Speaking after the sentencing, the senior investigating officer in the case said the Acheson family had been left \"devastated\" by his loss, particularly his widow. Det Ch Insp Ian Harrison said the fact that Toland was sentenced on what would have been Mr Acheson's 75th birthday had a \"double impact\" on the pensioner's loved ones. \"A person who I deem to be dangerous has now been taken off the streets and people can now feel safe in their homes,\" the officer said. \"Paul Toland was a predator. He preyed on the vulnerable and elderly and equally infirm couple who had been married for 44 years. His actions resulted in the death of Bertie Acheson, for just over \u00c2\u00a3300.\" An earlier court hearing was told that the couple were woken up by the sound of breaking glass in the early hours of 20 April 2012. Mr Acheson went to investigate. His widow later told police she overheard a verbal altercation between her husband and an intruder, during which money was demanded. Mrs Acheson claimed she also heard the sound of a scuffle and gasping for breath. She managed to raise the alarm, but when ambulance personnel and police arrived at the scene, her husband was already dead. Toland had originally been charged with Mr Acheson's murder, but at a court hearing in October, a defence lawyer asked that his client be re-arraigned. Toland told Belfast Crown Court that he was not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter. He also admitted the robbery of Mrs Acheson, who had \u00c2\u00a3335 stolen from her purse during the burglary. Det Ch Insp Harrison paid tribute to the courage and resilience of the pensioner's family throughout the \"long and protracted inquiry\". The officer said that Toland had been in the couple's house the previous month to repair a vacuum cleaner and had been paid in cash. \"We believe that Toland's greed brought him back to the house in the expectation that he could break in and steal whatever cash he could get his hands on,\" Det Ch Insp Harrison added. He appealed to the public not to store cash at home saying they were exposing themselves to \"unnecessary risk\". \"In memory of Bertie Acheson, and to avoid the pain still being suffered by his family, please do not keep large amounts of money at home,\" the officer said.", "summary": "A man has been jailed for four and a half years for killing a pensioner during a botched burglary at an elderly couple's home in County Londonderry."}
{"article": "Mourners stopped in ones and twos by the building on the Rue Nicolas-Appert, where a plaque was unveiled on Tuesday. Seventeen people died in January last year when gunmen targeted the magazine and a Jewish supermarket. No official events are planned for Thursday, although President Francois Hollande is due to address the police. Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right opposition party Front National, is also expected to speak at some point during the day. Charlie Hebdo lives on but 'in darkness' Paris attacks January 2015: Who were the victims? Three days of terror - how events unfolded How the world was changed by the slogan 'Je Suis Charlie' As well as the memorial at the magazine's former office, a second plaque was installed where a police officer was shot, and a third at the Jewish supermarket. On Saturday, a fourth plaque will be unveiled in the southern suburb of Montrouge, where one of the gunmen shot a policewoman. The commemorations will culminate in a public event on Sunday in the Place de la Republique, where Parisians gathered in the wake of the attacks. A 35ft (10m) oak \"remembrance tree\" will be planted in the square and veteran French musician Johnny Hallyday will perform Un Dimanche de Janvier (One January Sunday), a song recalling the vast march in Paris that followed the attacks. Amid the commemorations, Charlie Hebdo has once again courted controversy with the cover of its special anniversary edition. It depicts God, bloodied and carrying a gun under the headline \"One year on: The assassin still at large\".", "summary": "Parisians have laid flowers and lit candles at the former office of Charlie Hebdo ahead of the anniversary on Thursday of the attack on the magazine."}
{"article": "Earlier this week, the administration certified to Congress - as it must every 90 days - that Iran was abiding by the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the formal name given to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. But the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, later underlined that his country's policy towards Iran was under full-scale review. And in a message that will be heard loud and clear in Tehran, he castigated Iran's \"alarming and ongoing provocations\" and described the country as \"the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism\". There was a broader warning, too. \"An unchecked Iran,\" he said, \"has the potential to travel the same path as North Korea\". So is the Trump administration behaving inconsistently? Well, probably not. Certifying that Iran is upholding its end of the bargain does not preclude a fundamental US policy review - one that would be normal for any incoming administration, and, given the personnel surrounding US President Donald Trump, is likely to be far from sympathetic to Tehran. The Iran deal of course was famously characterised by then candidate Mr Trump as one of the worst deals ever negotiated. For now it is still there and for all we know it may have considerable life in it yet. The problem for US policy is to grapple with three aspects of Iran and its behaviour. Firstly, there is the nuclear issue, and whatever the controversy surrounding the nuclear deal, it does impose constraints on Tehran's nuclear programme in return for tangible economic benefits. Iran at the moment is not \"unchecked\", to use the term mentioned by Mr Tillerson. Many western experts back the deal even if they have little enthusiasm for it. Even senior security figures in Israel - who opposed the Obama administration's negotiation of the agreement - have tacitly accepted that it does provide a framework to manage the problem. Reports suggest that even the Saudis - also long-time opponents of the agreement - have counselled Mr Trump not to abandon it. Of course it will not last for ever. And one of the strongest arguments of the deal's critics has always been: What will happen 15 years after the implementation of the deal, when some of the key provisions restricting Iran's nuclear activities expire? One hope was that it would provide a platform for improved relations between Washington and Tehran. Well that has not proved to be the case. Tensions are rising in the Gulf; the wider chaos in the region which finds Washington and Tehran almost always on different sides has seen to that. Indeed Mr Tillerson's tough rhetoric may inevitably influence the ongoing presidential election campaign in Iran - and not in a positive way, at least as far as western interests are concerned. The hope that by the end of the JCPOA's term, Washington will be dealing with a different Tehran, seems as fanciful as ever. Beyond the nuclear issue and bilateral relations there is the thorniest problem of all, Iran's regional role. Iran is now a crucial player, from Syria to Lebanon;", "summary": "Once again rhetoric and reality in the Trump administration appear to be at odds with each other."}
{"article": "The drugs, worth an estimated \u00a3831,000, were found in a factory near Bridgend's main custody suite in November. Christopher Bennett, 61, of Port Talbot, Dale Hart, 53, of Pencoed, and Michael Smart, 37, of Pencoed were bailed until 29 April. They will appear at Cardiff Crown Court. Mr Smart also faces a second charge of possessing cocaine.", "summary": "Three men appeared in court jointly charged with producing 692 cannabis plants - yards from South Wales Police's headquarters."}
{"article": "The My Dentist practice in Dolgellau will close on 31 March and the town's other practice is private. A spokesman for the NHS practice said it had been unable to recruit a permanent dentist in the last two years The deputy mayor of Dolgellau, Delwyn Evans, told BBC Radio Cymru's Post Cyntaf programme more needed to be done to get dentists into rural areas. My Dentist clinical director Steve Williams said: \"There is a shortage of dentists in parts of rural Wales where long-term unfilled vacancies persist over a significant period of time. \"We have tried unsuccessfully to recruit a dentist for the last two years and, regretfully, can no longer provide services at the Mervinian House Family Dental Practice.\" A spokesman for Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board said it intended to re-commission dental services in the area as soon as possible. \"However, there is likely to be a gap between the date of termination of the existing services and the completion of the tender exercise and the re-establishment of new services,\" he said. \"We are therefore making arrangements for the provision of dental services on a cover basis until a permanent solution can be put in place. \"This will include exploring options for short-term support from the other nearest practices, as well as a dental out-of-hours clinic to operate from Dolgellau Community Hospital for patients requiring urgent unscheduled care.\" A Welsh Government spokesman said: \"When a dentist decides to reduce or end their NHS commitment, the associated funding remains with the health board to re-commission the service. \"Betsi Cadwaladr UHB has invited applications from dental contractors to help ensure there are NHS services available in the area. \"We expect the health board to continue to review and improve access to NHS primary care dental services through the targets set within its 2016-17 Operational Plan.\"", "summary": "Nearly 4,500 patients will lose their only NHS dentist in a Gwynedd town from the end of the month."}
{"article": "Earlier this year we asked where the centre spots of various cities around England were - these being the points distances on road signs are measured to. Google identifies the centre spot of Newcastle as being in a cafeteria in the King George VI building at Newcastle University, while the city council believed it might be Grey's Monument. Philip James, a senior lecturer in geographical information science (GIS) at the university, has been doing some investigating, and the answer is fairly simple - it depends who you ask. \"Different providers give different answers depending upon what method they are using,\" said Mr James, who specialises in mapping people's use of places through their online activity, such as where they tweet from. Facebook marks the centre point as being near Exhibition Park in the Town Moor, Michelin next to the Haymarket Metro station and the Ordnance Survey places it close to the Manors Metro station. Twitter marks it as being on Nuns Moor in the north-west of the city while Open StreetMap places the centre point near Kenton in the north of Newcastle. Why such a division of opinion? \"The Newcastle administrative area is not a simple shape so determining the centre is not easy,\" said Mr James. \"One method is to draw a boundary box around it then use the centre of that rectangle as your centre point. \"Of course that will give you a different centre to the methods others might use.\" One answer that is probably as good as any other is to take the mean of all these various sources and see where that leads, which is what Mr James did. This approach shows the centre point as being outside the front of the Civic Centre. But if you ask people where they think it should be, which we did, they invariably gave the same answer as the council - Grey's Monument at the top of Grainger Street. Comments varied from \"it's the biggest thing and can be seen from anywhere\" to \"it's where the shops are\". And even Mr James said he would consider that the centre in any meaningful way. \"It's the point most people know and where they arrange to meet,\" he said. Ultimately, does knowing the centre point even matter? \"I don't think it causes us any real issues in a practical sense,\" Mr James said. \"Most people will know where they are going, either from knowledge of the area or by searching for actual addresses, I can't really see any scenarios where knowing the absolute centre of Newcastle is very important. It's just an interesting question though. \"A lot of arbitrary decisions will have been made in the past, probably for good reasons at the time, and they will simply still be used today to determine things like distances for road signs and city centre spots.\"", "summary": "An academic at Newcastle University has been taking a closer look at a question we posed a short while ago - where exactly is the centre point of Newcastle?"}
{"article": "Mucky Boots Nature Kindergarten will be based at Kirkton of Maryculter woods. It will have space for 15 children between the ages of three and five. Manager Dawn Ewan told the BBC Scotland website there were many benefits and explained: \"It is a massive woodland and children are generally happier to be outside.\" There have been outdoor nurseries across Scotland - including in Glasgow, Fife and Perthshire - for many years, but Mucky Boots is understood to be the first such venture in that part of Scotland. The idea originated in Scandinavia several decades ago. Mrs Ewan, a mother-of-two in her 30s, said: \"My background is teaching. This outdoor nursery has been a pipedream for about 15 years and then we found this woodland. \"We have visited various ones in Scotland and were really impressed.\" On the benefits of an outdoor nursery for children, she said: \"We are looking to build up their confidence, and that's the feedback we've had from the pilot sessions. \"It increases their resilience, they are able to problem solve better, and it's good for emotional development and physical health too. \"Children will have freedom to explore, with a true connection to the natural world. \"They will be more ready for school.\" Climbing hills and using open fires are among the type of activities at the nursery. There will be three staff for the 15 children due to what Mrs Ewan accepted was a \"higher-risk environment\". She said: \"We want to do this right - it needs to be good quality.\" For adverse weather situations, there is a teepee and sheltered areas, and they also have use of a Scout hut for extreme weather situations. Mrs Ewan added: \"We have only used the indoor space twice in two years. \"As the saying goes, there's no such thing as bad weather, but inappropriate clothes. That's our motto.\" She said the nursery had registered with the Care Inspectorate and would work with Aberdeenshire Council.", "summary": "A fully outdoor nursery, believed to be the first in Aberdeenshire, is due to open in April after a successful two-year pilot."}
{"article": "It follows a refusal by ministers to underwrite the Ebbw Vale project. The Heads of The Valleys Development Company said it has put forward two alternative options with revised commercial terms for its backers Aviva and two local councils. Ministers were asked to provide a 100% guarantee but rejected it as too risky. The Heads of The Valleys Development Company, behind the project, said it had put forward two alternative options with revised commercial terms. \"These alternative arrangements will reflect a more balanced financial support package for both the public and private investment parties,\" said chief executive Michael Carrick, who added private financiers would take a share of the risk. So a guarantee by Welsh Government could be less than 80% of the project compared to the 100% that was rejected on Wednesday. He said no public money would be tied up underwriting the circuit while it was being built. In the worst scenario afterwards, the Welsh Government would own the land and the assets. Mr Carrick said the deal was already there with leases, construction contracts and guarantee agreements \"ready to go\". \"This is a small nuance on an existing deal that we can look to put in place relatively quickly,\" he told BBC Wales. \"There are challenges around internal and government approvals to a structure like this - it's not something we can do imminently. We're not looking months but four, five or six weeks to be able to do this.\" The race track and related developments aims to eventually create 6,000 jobs. On Wednesday, Economy Minister Edwina Hart said there was a \"significant question around the viability of the project\" and an \"unacceptable risk\" to the government underwriting the entire project. Mrs Hart said she had \"reluctantly come to the conclusion\" not to proceed with the guarantee after legal advice. The Welsh Government has already in effect spent around \u00a39m in supporting the development, which Mrs Hart said had not been wasted, and included feasibility studies. The minister said she \"did not want to close the door to it all, just close the door on this stage of it\". The stumbling block came when ministers were asked to underwrite the whole of the private sector investment. First Minister Carwyn Jones said the problem emerged in the \"last few days\" and they could not take on board an enormous risk to taxpayers. \"It would mean effectively a bill of \u00a3100 for every man, woman and child if things went wrong,\" he told BBC Wales. \"Any rational government is going to ensure there is not an unacceptable risk to the people of Wales.\" All sides seem to still want to make this happen, as part of regenerating the area. Earlier in the day, Circuit of Wales said it would continue working with Welsh Government, local authorities and Aviva investors to take the project forward in a way that is acceptable to all sides. Blaenau Gwent Nick Smith MP said there had been major difficulties since the project was first unveiled past four and a half years ago but he still hoped", "summary": "The team behind the \u00a3357m Circuit of Wales has said it hopes to have a new deal agreed to allow the project to go ahead within six to eight weeks."}
{"article": "Like-for-like cycle sales fell 4% in the three months to 1 July, which chief executive Jill McDonald blamed on poor weather and the timing of Easter. Halfords hopes that new bike ranges designed with Sir Bradley Wiggins and Laura Trott, who are both competing in the Rio Olympics, will boost demand. In the year to March, bike sales at Halfords had fallen by 0.9%. Halfords said that sales of premium bikes, which are priced between \u00c2\u00a3500 and \u00c2\u00a35,000 and include the Pinarello model ridden by Team Sky, performed well over the first quarter. However, wet weather and the timing of Easter affected sales of mainstream models and accessories. Overall, Halford's like-for-like sales fell 0.6%. Its retail division gained from strong demand in car maintenance and for child safety seats, but declining sales of sat navs dragged revenues at its car enhancement sector down 4.2%. Halfords said in June that it expected the weak pound to knock \u00c2\u00a33m off its profits. Following the steep fall in sterling against the dollar since Britain voted to leave the European Union, the company said it may have further small impact in the financial year. Commenting on Brexit, Ms McDonald said: \"While the recent decision to leave the EU does create uncertainty, we are well-positioned as a business and focused on delivering sustainable long-term growth.\"", "summary": "Halfords is hoping for an Olympics bounce to stem a slide in bike sales, which have continued to fall."}
{"article": "Seven of the group at Pembroke Comprehensive School fell unwell at about 14:00 BST. Police believe they experienced a poor reaction to the substance they had taken. Some were treated at the scene while others were taken to Withybush hospital in Haverfordwest as a precaution. None are believed to be in a life-threatening condition. A Pembrokeshire council spokesman said parents have been informed. A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: \"At approximately 14:07 this afternoon, the ambulance service informed Dyfed-Powys Police of an incident they were dealing with at Pembroke Comprehensive School, where a group of pupils had become unwell. \"Officers attended the scene and established that a number of pupils were affected - some were treated at the scene and released, but others were conveyed to A&E in Withybush as a precaution.\" The spokesperson said air ambulance also attended the school as a precaution and none of the pupils are believed to be in a life-threatening condition. \"Enquiries have commenced into the circumstances, but early indications are that the group may have reacted to a type of legal high.\" Ambulance staff confirmed that they had sent four emergency ambulances to the school and an ambulance officer. \"Though the cause is yet to be confirmed, it is believed the pupils may have reacted to an unknown substance,\" added a spokesperson for the Welsh Ambulance Service.", "summary": "A group of pupils have been treated at a Pembrokeshire school after experimenting with a 'legal high'."}
{"article": "Following Canadian research linking the vitamin with a small rise in cancer, the study in the Lancet journal looked at data from 50,000 people. It found no significant differences in those taking folic acid. Taken in early pregnancy, it reduces the chances of certain birth defects and there have been calls to add it to food in the UK. Many countries, including the US and Canada, South Africa and Australia, already add folate - also called folic acid or Vitamin B9 - to all flour. It is proven to reduce the number of babies born with \"neural tube defects\" such as spina bifida. One of the original reasons behind this more cautious approach in western Europe was the risk that folic acid supplementation could disguise anaemia symptoms in a small number of older people. However, another more pressing concern was prompted by the 2007 study that found the incidence of colorectal cancer, which had been falling in the US and Canada, rose temporarily just after the vitamin was automatically added to flour. One theory suggested that folate had boosted the growth of tiny, as-yet undetected cancers or pre-cancers, allowing them to be diagnosed earlier and giving the impression that cancer rates had increased. The Lancet study compared cancer rates over a five-year period in 50,000 people from several countries, some taking a folic acid supplement and some a placebo. The doses of folate tended to be much higher than those proposed for mandatory fortification of flour, but a slight increase in cancer incidence recorded in this group did not reach statistical significance, meaning it could be the product of chance alone. One of the report authors, Dr Robert Clarke, from the Clinical Trial Service Unit at the University of Oxford, said that the findings were \"reassuring\". \"If there was a substantial effect, we would expect to have seen it by now,\" he added. He said that while the doses proposed for mandatory fortification of flour were much lower than those in the study, a small proportion of people were known to combine this with extra supplements. He said: \"If there is any caution now, this is the group of people involved.\" New restrictions on the availability of high-dose supplements are one possible solution. The UK's chief medical officers have already recommended that folate be added to flour, and the decision now rests with government ministers. A Department of Health spokesman said: \"This is a complicated issue, with a balance of risks and benefits which ministers need to consider very carefully. We already advise women thinking of starting a family and pregnant women to take folic acid supplements.\" The British Dietetic Association says that fortification would be a \"simple way\" to increase folic acid intake across the population. Spokesman Dr Sarah Schenker said that while there was still some caution over anaemia in the elderly, overall the benefits would outweigh the risks. She said: \"It can certainly be recommended to pregnant women and those who may become pregnant. \"Fortification may well be a good idea because our health messages about healthy eating aren't", "summary": "Worries that taking extra folic acid might increase the risk of cancer have been played down by a major study."}
{"article": "The international charity says nine out of 10 schools have been destroyed in the worst-affected districts. Almost 24,000 classrooms were damaged or destroyed in the disaster that hit the country 12 days ago, it adds. Unicef is attempting to set up temporary learning spaces for children. Currently, all schools are closed in Nepal, although many of those still standing are being used as emergency shelters. They are due to reopen on Friday, 15 May. As the humanitarian and clear-up efforts continue, the charity says there is a desperate need to set up alternative learning spaces for children, not just for education but for their safety as well. Unicef spokesman in Kathmandu Kent Page told the BBC: \"We know that children need to go to school not only to learn, but schools are places of protection for children who have been through the trauma of an earthquake. \"It protects them from exploitation and abuse because everybody knows what they are doing and where they are. \"Unicef has already set up 30 child-friendly spaces in temporary camps and settlements in Kathmandu. \"These are places where in children can play and learn and sing and dance in a protected environment.\" Mr Kent said he had visited children in the settlements in the past few days, and all those he had asked whether they wanted to return to school had said they did. \"They want to be in school, they want to be learning, they want to get back to normal as much as their parents do,\" he said. Unicef's representative in Nepal, Tomoo Hozumi, said temporary learning places needed to be provided as soon as possible to avoid a massive school drop-out. He said: \"Almost one million children who were enrolled in school before the earthquake could now find they have no school building to return to. \"There is a desperate need to set up alternative learning spaces, assess and repair buildings, and mount a public awareness campaign encouraging families to send their children back to school and pre-school. \"Prolonged interruption to education can be devastating for children's development and future prospects,\" he added. In Nepal, children aged between five and nine are given free education between 09:30 and 15:00 daily. There has been a large increase in the number of children enrolled in school in Nepal in the past three decades. In 1990, 64% of children attended school. This had risen to 95% of children by this year, Unicef said.", "summary": "Nearly a million children in Nepal will not be able to return to school in the wake of last month's earthquake unless urgent action is taken, says Unicef."}
{"article": "About 50 weddings due to take place after 10 April at Manor Barn in Buriton have been cancelled. Owner Bob Camping said he was \"so very sorry\". His other firm The Village Inn/Goosebumps Weddings Ltd is currently in receivership. One affected couple described it as a \"nightmare\". Mr Camping has vowed to sell his home and the business \"and pay people back immediately\". Nicholas Pettit and Gemma Brown were due to marry at the barn in September and said they had been left \"devastated\" by the news. \"We are now having to come to terms with not having our wedding where we initially wanted and being \u00a32,000 out of pocket,\" Mr Pettit added. Mr Camping said other weddings due to take place before 10 April, including that of Jade Nias and Kyle Hillman, would be honoured. But Miss Nias and Mr Hillman said they had now chosen another venue. Mr Hillman said he had worked \"countless hours of overtime\" to pay the \u00a32,000 deposit for Manor Barn, adding: \"It just feels like that time has been wasted.\" Claire Moulder and Jason Ledwith are due to marry at the venue in March and said uncertainty surrounding the venue had caused them \"great stress, worry and sleepless nights, and is a sheer nightmare\". Manor Barn's licence is also being reviewed by East Hampshire District Council over noise complaints. One of the proposed conditions at the venue in Buriton is for a \"sound limiting device\" to be installed, the council said. Mr Camping said this would cost \u00a3500,000, which he added was unaffordable and unrealistic.", "summary": "Dozens of couples have had their weddings at a luxury Hampshire venue cancelled with the owner admitting the company is \"in trouble\"."}
{"article": "The European Tour's 'links swing' of seaside golf begins with the Irishman's home open at Portstewart. After this week's Irish Open, it is the Scottish Open at Dundonald before The Open itself at Royal Birkdale. Three consecutive weeks of golf in its most traditional form, which demands shot-making skills, imagination, power and touch. Over the years, Harrington has been blessed with all these attributes and this forthcoming spell concludes at the venue where he won the second of his two Opens, a place where he played the golf of his life. Now 45, this most articulate of golfing ambassadors is one of the senior figures on tour, blessed with rare intelligence and perspective. He thinks golf is harder than ever for the younger generation because of the depth of talent around these days. But he still believes Rory McIlroy, whose charitable foundation backs this week's Irish Open, can win up to 10 majors. And for someone who has practised tirelessly his entire career, Harrington says he will return to Birkdale later this month feeling a sense of contentment, happy for the memories of 2008 to come flooding back. Indeed, he has already returned to the Southport course with his club sponsors to help reignite thoughts of what was a remarkable title defence after initially winning it at Carnoustie in 2007. \"Content is the word. I come back here and I know that I've done it,\" Harrington told BBC Sport over a cup of tea in Birkdale's distinctive art-deco clubhouse. \"When I come back for The Open I have to make sure I take time to take a deep breath and look round and enjoy everything. I'm not saying I'm retired now but anything I do now in the game of golf will be a bonus. \"I'm on the ultimate busman's holiday at this stage and I intend to embrace that.\" It was a different story in 2008, when it took generous assistance from rival Phil Mickelson to help Harrington be fit enough to tee up for his title defence. The Irishman injured his wrist practising at home the weekend before The Open. \"I was doing some speed work, hitting an impact bag one-handed,\" Harrington told me. \"I'd just hit a golf ball at 177mph one-handed and then hit into the bag and tweaked something in my wrist. \"I couldn't swing the golf club Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday without some pain. I was getting physio all day, every day, and in the evening I was going over to Phil Mickelson's hotel. \"He had one of these laser-like treatment machines and I was leaving no stone unturned. \"We'd have this 45-minute chat every night as I sat there lasering my wrist in his hotel. It was a small room too,\" Harrington added, with his infectious giggle. \"Phil is that type of guy. He's got a good sense of the game. He wants to beat the hell out of you on the golf course but he'd like you to be playing your best while he's doing it.\" Despite his lack of practice, Harrington was able", "summary": "Three-time major champion Padraig Harrington will be relishing the prospect of this phase of the golf season probably more than any of the other top stars in the game."}
{"article": "The seven-time Tour de France winner was charged last month with using performance-enhancing drugs, and had until Saturday to contest or accept sanctions. However, that deadline has now been extended by 30 days. Armstrong, who could lose his Tour titles and faces a lifetime ban, denies the charges. \"This extension will allow the court sufficient time to evaluate Mr Armstrong's amended complaint,\" read a statement from Tim Herman, counsel to Armstrong. The 40-year-old's initial 80-page complaint was thrown out on Monday, but he has submitted a shorter, 25-page suit asking a federal judge in Austin to prevent the case from going forward. Three of the six men named in the doping conspiracy case were given lifetime bans on Tuesday. Doctors Luis Garcia del Moral and Michele Ferrari, plus trainer Jose \"Pepe\" Marti, from the rider's US Postal Service team failed to answer charges before the USADA's deadline and were promptly banned. Armstrong's latest lawsuit argues: US District Judge Sam Sparks said the original lawsuit seemed more of an attempt to win over public opinion than to focus on legal argument. \"This court is not inclined to indulge Armstrong's desire for publicity \u2026 by sifting through 80 mostly unnecessary pages [for] factual material relevant to his claims,\" Sparks wrote on Monday. USADA charged Armstrong with doping last month and claimed 10 of his former team-mates will testify against him. Armstrong, who dominated the Tour de France between 1999 and 2005, has never tested positive and says he has taken more than 500 drug tests in his career. In his original submission, he accused USADA, its chief executive Travis Tygart and FBI agent Jeff Novitzky of waging a personal vendetta. Armstrong has already urged USADA's review board to dismiss allegations brought against him, claiming they are \"stale allegations disproved long ago and short on evidence\". His legal team argue their client is unable to mount a legitimate defence until he is able to see the evidence against him, although USADA has said it is withholding witnesses' identities to protect them from intimidation. Armstrong, who survived testicular cancer prior to his record-breaking Tour wins, retired after the 2005 race, but made a comeback in 2009. He retired for a second time in February 2011, taking up the triathlon.", "summary": "Lance Armstrong's deadline to appeal against charges from the United States Anti-Doping Agency has been extended."}
{"article": "It said the scale of footpath erosion was \"threatening Snowdonia's fragile nature\". The number of walkers climbing Snowdon has doubled since 2007 and more than four million people visited Snowdonia last year. But the trust said grass species move in when pathways are eroded, strangling some plants. Rhys Thomas, National Trust ranger for Snowdonia, said: \"I've been building and rebuilding paths in the area for eight years. \"It's tiring, time-consuming and back-breaking work - involving hundreds of hours of volunteer time which requires shifting tonnes of stone by hand, vehicle and helicopter. \"But it's vital if we want to protect the delicate upland habitats that make Snowdonia a special place for wildlife.\" Plants which could be at risk include purple saxifrage, moss campion and roseroot. It is also home to the endangered Snowdon beetle - which in the UK are only found in Snowdonia. The trust is trying to raise \u00c2\u00a3250,000 to repair two-and-a-half miles of path. It comes as concerns grow over the amount of litter being left on Snowdon, with some calling for a walker's charge to be introduced. The appeal is supported by Hollywood actor Matthew Rhys, National Trust Wales's Snowdonia Ambassador. Mr Rhys, who is from Cardiff, but has strong family connections to the national park, said he had seen the \"trail of destruction left by the eroded paths\" during visits to the area. \"There's a delicate balance to be struck between man and nature,\" he added. National Trust Wales looks after almost 58,000 acres of mountain and farmland across the Snowdonia National Park.", "summary": "Snowdonia's pathways need to be preserved or plants and wildlife will be lost, National Trust Wales has said."}
{"article": "Beginning in July, Oregon residents who do not identify as male or female can mark X for sex on driver's licences, learner's permits and state IDs. The state's Transportation Commission approved the new rule, which was hailed by LGBTQ rights groups. The shift comes a year after an Oregon judge ruled a retired Army veteran could legally identify as non-binary. The June 2016 landmark decision allowed Jamie Shupe to change her gender to non-binary, which refers to gender identities that do not fall into the binary categories of male and female. It was believed to be the first decision of its kind in the US. That decision prompted Oregon officials to examine how they could recognise a third gender in its computer systems and affect the state's gender laws. The state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), which held public hearings to debate the issue, said they received little opposition to the policy change, according to the Oregonian newspaper. \"I very much plan to head to the nearest DMV and ask for that ID to be corrected on July 3rd,\" Jamie Shupe said after Thursday's decision. \"And then I'll no doubt stand out front of the building, or sit in the car and cry.\" About 20,000 Oregonians identify as transgender, according to The Williams Institute at the University of California-Los Angeles. Oregon is the only US state to allow an unspecified gender, but other countries including Germany, India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand also allow a third gender option. The Canadian province of Ontario also implemented the X option earlier this year. California is also considering a similar policy change. The state senate in May passed a bill to add a third gender option to official state documents, including birth certificates, sending the measure to the state assembly. Commissioner Sean O'Hollaren told the Oregonian the decision was the \"right thing to do\". \"I hope those who will use X as an identifier will feel an element of comfort moving forward,\" he said. \"It's something we're not only doing because legally our hand is forced. It's something we should do because it's the right thing to do.\" Gender identity has become a major flashpoint across the US in places like North Carolina, which passed a bill forcing students to use toilets according to the sex listed on their birth certificates. The state passed a bill easing some of those restrictions in March, but Texas is considering a similar measure. US President Donald Trump in February also rescinded his predecessor's guidance to US public schools that allowed transgender students to use toilets matching their gender identity.", "summary": "Oregon has become the first US state to include a third gender option on state-issued identification cards."}
{"article": "Family and friends of a young couple had hired the boat for an engagement party and were sailing north of Cairo hit was hit, according to eyewitnesses. An Interior Ministry statement said 15 bodies had been found and six people were still missing. The captain of the cargo boat has been arrested. Five people were rescued, but at least two children died. It is not clear if the couple thought to be celebrating their engagement were among the dead, said AFP news agency. Traffic had been heavy along the Nile, where many Egyptians had been celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan.", "summary": "At least 15 people have been killed in a crash between a cargo vessel and a passenger boat on Egypt's River Nile."}
{"article": "Rio the red kite was found near Leitrim, County Down, with an infection in her foot. It meant the bird could not flex her talons, which affected her ability to feed. She became weak and unable to fly. She was reintroduced to the wild after being treated by a vet. Rio was one of 80 red kites introduced to Northern Ireland and has raised five chicks. She is important to the programme because she has bred consistently since her release. The red kite has been under pressure in south Down since its reintroduction in the years between 2008 and 2010. Three birds have been shot, a further 12 have been poisoned and 12 more have been found dead with no clear cause. There are just 12 breeding pairs, well short of the 50 pairs experts say are required for a sustainable population. Claire Barnett is a senior conservation officer with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). She said they have tried hard to get the message across that the birds do not pose a threat to livestock - especially lambs. \"The bird actually has small, weak feet so there's no way they're going to be able to pick up anything bigger than a small rabbit. \"Their main diet is made up is things like mice and worms and rats and road kill,\" Ms Barnett said. There is some good news though - the breeding pairs have produced 71 chicks and RSPB staff said there is evidence that the birds have begun to spread out. They are asking the public to send them details of any sightings. Red kites are quite distinctive. They have a five and a half foot wingspan and a deeply forked tail.", "summary": "A key member of a breeding programme, designed to reintroduce an impressive bird of prey in Northern Ireland, has been returned to the wild after being found injured in a field."}
{"article": "Military sources told Toronto's Globe and Mail newspaper the soldier was a member of Joint Task Force 2, and made the shot from a high-rise building. It took the bullet almost 10 seconds to hit its target, it reports. The Canadian Special Operations Command confirmed to the BBC the sniper \"hit a target\" from that distance. The shot, which sources tell the paper was filmed, is thought to be a record for the longest confirmed kill. The sniper worked in tandem with an observer, who helps to spot targets, and used a standard Canadian military issued McMillan TAC-50 rifle. \"The shot in question actually disrupted a Daesh [so-called Islamic State] attack on Iraqi security forces,\" a military source told the paper. \"Instead of dropping a bomb that could potentially kill civilians in the area, it is a very precise application of force and because it was so far away, the bad guys didn't have a clue what was happening.\" The source described the difficultly of the shot, which required the shooter to account for wind, ballistics, and even the Earth's curvature. Military experts believe the successful shot may have set a record. The previous record was held by British sniper, Craig Harrison, who shot and killed a Taliban attacker from 2,475 metres in 2009 using an L115A3 long range rifle. The government of Canada's Liberal Party Prime Minister Justin Trudeau halted air strikes against the so-called Islamic State in 2016. But at the same time, Mr Trudeau announced plans to treble the number of special forces on the ground, as well as increase the number of Canadian Armed Forces members who are tasked with training and assisting local forces.", "summary": "A sniper in the Canadian special forces shot and killed an Islamic State (IS) fighter from a distance of 2.1 miles (3,540m) in Iraq last month."}
{"article": "Damien Reeves broke the deadlock by finishing via the crossbar from James Lawrie's cross before Josh Ginnelley doubled the lead after a 50-yard run. Jake Moult ended the game as a contest, converting a penalty after the lively Lawrie was fouled by Omar Beckles. And Jordan Sinnott completed the Shots' miserable afternoon, scoring after good work from Ginnelly. Media playback is not supported on this device Aldershot Town boss Barry Smith told BBC Surrey: \"We didn't defend properly and their front four caused us so many problems. \"It was down to us not defending properly for the first goal. It comes from a centre-back not being dominate and we couldn't get a grip in the game. \"We lost battles all over the park today. Once you cross that white line it is down to the players to make sure they are doing the jobs that they've been asked.\"", "summary": "Altrincham moved out of the National League relegation zone with an impressive victory over Aldershot."}
{"article": "It will cover a 14.7km (nine-mile) stretch of the A6 from Randalstown in County Antrim and Castledawson in County Londonderry, either side of the Toome bypass. Upgrading the stretches of road to dual carriageways is expected to cost \u00c2\u00a3160m. Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard said the work would \"strengthen the links between Belfast and Derry\". He added that it would help to address an \"infrastructure deficit\" west of the River Bann. The route will replace the existing road from Castledawson to the M22 motorway to Belfast, which sees lengthy tailbacks during peak hours on a daily basis. \"Road users and the local community will directly benefit from this new all-purpose dual carriageway as it will reduce journey times and improve road safety,\" he added. \"I am determined to contribute towards economy growth in a regionally-balanced way, and I believe it is vital that infrastructure projects such as this are prioritised.\" On occasions during the morning rush-hour on the current route, traffic grinds to a complete standstill, resulting in traffic jams stretching for miles. The scenario is reversed during evening rush-hour as commuters return to the north-west from the direction of the M22 motorway. Earlier this year, Northern Ireland's roads authority said the proposed route would affect about 120 landowners. The Department for Infrastructure said ground investigation work has begun and archaeological investigations along the route will start this week. Construction is expected to begin in October. Mr Hazzard added the project was \"welcome news\" for the construction industry.", "summary": "Four years of roadworks are to begin on the main road between Belfast and Londonderry road this autumn."}
{"article": "Bethan Rhys Roberts hosts Ask the Leader on BBC One Wales at 19:00 BST on Thursday. Leanne Wood was the outsider who broke the Plaid Cymru mould when she won the party's leadership election in 2012 to succeed Ieuan Wyn Jones. She is Plaid's first female leader, the first to be a non-fluent Welsh speaker and the first from outside the party's heartlands in north and west Wales. Quite simply, she embodies the kind of person Plaid needs to win over if it is ever to become Wales' largest party. Born and raised in the Rhondda Valleys - where she still lives - her political awakening came during the miners' strikes of the 1980s. But, unlike many of her peers, Ms Wood turned to Plaid Cymru rather than Labour. The former probation officer and lecturer in social work was hired as a researcher by MEP Jill Evans. In 2003, Ms Wood realised her own political ambitions as she entered the Welsh Assembly as a regional AM for South Wales Central. Nine years later, the staunch republican - considered to be on the left of her party - was elected leader after promoting her economic vision for an independent Wales. Ms Wood says her focus as Plaid leader has always been on May's Welsh Assembly election, but the 2015 general election debates put her in the spotlight. Previous Plaid leaders could only dream of the media coverage she enjoyed, but a high public profile did not translate to any increase in seats at Westminster. Party officials and members say the public like Leanne Wood and respond to her on the doorstep. But questions remain as to whether they want her to lead the country. Friday 15 April - Welsh Labour leader Carwyn Jones in Llangollen Monday 11 April - Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies in Swansea Tuesday 12 April - UKIP Wales leader Nathan Gill in Swansea Wednesday 13 April - Welsh Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams in Aberystwyth Ask the Leader can be seen on BBC One Wales at 19:00 BST each day and on the BBC iPlayer. You can also follow the programmes on Twitter - @walespolitics", "summary": "Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood faces questions from an audience in Aberystwyth in the fourth of a daily series of live TV election specials."}
{"article": "The firearms were found packed in individual boxes aboard a Dutch-registered truck that arrived on a ferry in the port city. Although customs rules were not broken, the Turkish driver did not have licences for the weapons, police said. Controls at Italian ports have been stepped up in the wake of the 13 November Paris terror attacks. EU interior ministers meeting in Brussels last week agreed to tighten security and share more information about the gun trade to prevent trafficking of illegal weapons. It came after attackers with automatic rifles and suicide belts killed 130 people at a number of sites in Paris. Some of the attackers had lived in Belgium. The 781 weapons seized in Trieste on Tuesday were pump-action Winchester SXP shotguns, according to a police statement (in Italian). Prosecutors are investigating possible charges. The Turkish manufacturer of the weapons was cited for breaching national security regulations, Ansa news agency reported. Belgium has historically been a European hot spot for the arms trade - legal and illegal - due to its relatively liberal domestic gun legislation. Even though Belgian legislation is now stricter and more solid, the country has retained this reputation.", "summary": "Italian police in the northern city of Trieste have seized nearly 800 shotguns en route from Turkey to Belgium."}
{"article": "SPF chairwoman Andrea MacDonald said it was \"deeply worrying\" that no armed officers were dispatched. The attacker in Thursday's incident injured two people before inflicting fatal injuries on himself. Police Scotland has insisted that the incident did not require the presence of armed officers. One of the victims of the attack was reported to be in a stable condition in hospital with injuries to his shoulder and arm. The other victim, a community warden, was allowed home after treatment. Ms MacDonald said: \"Had the assailant been intent on harming large numbers of the public, he could have done so with impunity and the police would have been largely powerless to stop him. \"Whilst not detracting in any way from the courage of the police officers who attended, the fact no armed officers were dispatched to a man attacking others with knives and an axe should be deeply worrying. \"Glasgow is a city with an almost permanent armed police presence but they were not dispatched and they did not attend.\" She added: \"This lays bare the myth that the service adequately risk-assesses incidents prior to deploying resources and that as a service we are capable of protecting the public from spontaneous incidents of extreme violence.\" The SPF annual conference - last month - heard calls for all officers to carry Tasers and for there to be an increase in the number of armed officers. Police Scotland has rejected these calls and stressed the value of retaining a largely unarmed police service. Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson said: \"Police Scotland, along with the rest of the UK, prides itself in being an unarmed service with access to specialist firearms support whenever required. \"Yesterday's incident in Glasgow city centre was a dynamic and fast-moving incident. Local officers responded rapidly and contained and dealt with it quickly. \"This was not a random attack. It was planned and targeted, and armed officers were not required to attend on this occasion.\" Detectives have appealed for information about what they said was a \"targeted\" and pre-planned attack. The incident has been referred to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC).", "summary": "The Scottish Police Federation (SPF) has said a violent incident in Glasgow raised questions about whether officers can protect the public."}
{"article": "The national chain, based in Langholm, is accused of committing the offence on two occasions in 2014. A trial began at Dumfries Sheriff Court last month but reporting restrictions prevented publicity. Lawyers for the company argued it could have affected witnesses and voiced concerns about the business impact but the ban has now been overturned. The alleged offences, brought under the Textile Products Regulations 2012, are said to have taken place at the company's store in Church Place, Dumfries, one of 265 high street shops. When the trial began at Dumfries Sheriff Court on 15 September, Susan Duff QC, for the accused, argued against an application on behalf of the BBC and ITV Border to revoke the ban, arguing that publicity could affect the evidence of witnesses who are yet to come to court. She also said: \"The accused has a legitimate concern about its business and employees. \"Now is the busiest time of year for the purchase of cashmere.\" She said reporting that scarves were not 100% cashmere could be \"prejudicial to the legitimate interests\" of the firm. But Ronnie Clancy QC, for the BBC, argued that this being \"the busiest time of year for Christmas orders\" was simply a reputational issue, not covered by the Contempt of Court Act under which the ban was made. Sheriff George Jamieson agreed to revoke the interim order he had previously made, and allowed the case to be reported. Previously, Alison Irving, 52, a trading standards officer at Dumfries and Galloway Council, told the court she had test purchased a blue tartan scarf in February 2014 and a red one four months later. Both scarves were reduced to \u00c2\u00a330 from \u00c2\u00a360 and were labelled as 100% Lochmere cashmere, the court heard. Ms Irving later cut the scarves into pieces, bagged and sealed them and sent them off to be analysed at two different test labs - SGS UK and Intertek UK. It emerged that she was acting on information from the Cashmere and Camelhair Manufacturers Institute (CCMI). On receiving reports back from the test labs, Ms Irving said she sent a letter in August 2014 cautioning EWM. She said she notified the business that one scarf had been found to contain 84.4% cashmere, while the other was found to have 61.6% cashmere, with the remainder made up of other wool fibres. Under cross-examination from Ms Duff, the witness said it was \"odd\" that the results received back from each of the labs had been different from each other. \"They were different from each other but neither said they were 100%,\" she said. The witness confirmed that after sending EWM a sample, the company sent back results from another test lab showing that both scarves were found to be 100% cashmere. Ms Duff also challenged the evidence of a textile analyst Liqin Zhang who gave evidence saying she identified wool and yak in the scarf samples. Ms Duff told Ms Zhang that EWM had sent a DNA tested 100% cashmere sample for her to analyse in August 2016. The lawyer said the fabric had been", "summary": "Edinburgh Woollen Mill has denied a charge of mislabelling scarves as 100% cashmere in a store in Dumfries."}
{"article": "Angus Laughland, who did not know the girl, exchanged text messages with her after getting hold of her number by chance through a third party. Perth Sheriff Court heard that Laughland's messages to the girl became sexually explicit. The 62-year-old was jailed for 220 days after admitting the offence. The court was told that one of the first texts received by the girl read: \"I'm not a person as such, just call me cyber buddy.\" Shortly after Laughland started sending the messages, he guessed the girl was around \"13 or 14\" and she confirmed that she was. The court was told the messages became sexually explicit, with one making reference to the girl's private parts. On 11 October Laughland sent a message saying he taught guitar and that he wanted to meet the girl to give her a guitar as a gift. The meeting took place the following day. When the girl got home, her mother asked her about the guitar and they discussed the issue with the girl's grandmother. The teenager's family then contacted the police, Laughland admitted sending explicit texts to a 13-year-old girl between 16 September and 12 October 2014. Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, said: \"It started as a grave error of judgement. \"It developed so far beyond that, that it's very difficult for us to really describe how he got himself into that situation.\" Sheriff Fiona Tait said: \"We ought not to lose sight of what this offence was. \"He described sexual intercourse in detail and also met the child. The difficulty he faces is the gravity of the offence. \"He met the child and gave her the guitar. That shows precisely how vulnerable she was.\"", "summary": "A Blairgowrie music teacher who groomed a 13-year-old girl and met her after promising to give her a guitar has been jailed."}
{"article": "Mr Trump called it a \"very precarious\" issue for the party and said that Mr Cruz's nomination could be challenged in court. Mr Cruz was born in Calgary to an American mother and a Cuban father. Most legal experts believe Mr Cruz meets the requirements to be president. The Cruz campaign responded by saying Mr Trump had \"jumped the shark\" - a pop culture reference to when a TV show or fad has overreached and fallen into decline. The Texas senator is performing well in polling in the early voting state of Iowa. While Mr Trump leads most polls, several surveys show Mr Cruz is the top choice of likely Republican voters. Much of Mr Trump's support comes from independents, disillusioned Democrats and people who have never voted before. Some analysts are predicting that Mr Cruz will win because of how the voting process is structured in Iowa. The caucus format requires more time and dedication from voters than a typical US primary election. Before Mr Trump became a presidential candidate, the New York businessman had repeatedly questioned President Barack Obama's citizenship. Mr Obama was born in Hawaii to an American mother and a Kenyan father. Authorities in Hawaii and Mr Obama both provided detailed birth records after some conservatives such as Mr Trump questioned where he was born. Mr Obama's allies have said the \"birther\" movement was a racist effort to discredit the county's first black president.", "summary": "Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has questioned whether rival candidate Ted Cruz is eligible to become his party's nominee because he was born in Canada."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 28 January 2015 Last updated at 07:43 GMT But apart from sounding impressive - the train in this clip has a really important job. It's used to clear away old 'ballast', the rocks and stone that support the train tracks, and replace it with new stuff. It's travelling overnight between Norwich and London at the moment to make sure the train line is in good shape. You can see it in action above.", "summary": "At half a mile long, it's Britain's longest ever train - and can be found travelling through the night with a small army of workers onboard."}
{"article": "The uncapped duo will start Saturday's Six Nations match at Twickenham. \"They don't lack for enthusiasm and they are both incredibly excited about the stage they're going to be playing on,\" said the Ireland head coach. Schmidt said it was a \"tight decision\" whether to name McCloskey or his Ulster team-mate Luke Marshall at centre. Both have impressed at provincial level this season, forming a dynamic midfield partnership for Les Kiss' side. \"Luke has been robust and had a really good season, but Stu spent last week training at 12 with us and we felt he might be a little bit more comfortable in there,\" said Schmidt. \"He has some important elements in his game which we want to get the most out of and it's a great opportunity for him to express himself. \"It's also a responsibility to make sure that we are as watertight as we can be in what will be a tough area to defend. \"The bottom line is we have confidence in Stu and Robbie (Henshaw) in there.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Schmidt is also excited by the prospect of Leinster flanker Josh van der Flier making his debut, with Connacht's second row Ultan Dillane also expected to earn his first cap off the bench. \"We are all excited by something new,\" said Schmidt. \"Josh has an opportunity to go and really capture that seven jersey in what will be a really tough test for him. \"This is a step up that they haven't been to before and you never know how quick it's going to be, how physical it's going to be. \"That's always a challenge for players coming in for the first time and these guys have been rewarded with the opportunity.\"", "summary": "Ireland coach Joe Schmidt says he has gone with \"form and balance\" in picking debutants Stuart McCloskey and Josh van der Flier to play against England."}
{"article": "With its well-preserved historic buildings and a typical south Florida small-town atmosphere, Krome Avenue is one of the most important landmarks in the city of Homestead. The clean and peaceful street bears no resemblance to the way it looked on 25 August 1992, a few hours after Hurricane Andrew - a powerful category five storm - made landfall. Striking in the dead of night, the storm wrought unprecedented havoc on the area. At the time, Andrew was considered the most costly tropical Atlantic cyclone in US history. With damages amounting to $25bn (\u00a315.8bn), it left up to 250,000 people homeless and claimed 26 lives, according to the US National Hurricane Center. Twenty years on, BBC Mundo's Jaime Gonzalez and Thomas Sparrow return to Homestead to find out how residents remember that day, and how have they recovered from the ordeal. Andrew was devastating. Ten thousand people left in the first 30 days. My house was 50% destroyed and my business took a good hit too. I remember the morning I [found] looters in my warehouse. They were walking out with the generator and some other tools and things. Martial law was imposed. Everybody was carrying a gun. The military was brought in and there was a curfew. You were not allowed out after dark, and if you were you were arrested. For the first three months we did nothing but go from house to house, supporting friends to get back some quality of life, getting water out of their homes and ripping up the carpets. I think Homestead should be remembered for its tenacity, its willingness to hang on and fight to get back on its feet. We are now much better prepared for hurricanes. After Andrew, the construction standards changed tremendously. We now have one of the most stringent building codes in the country. Everybody will tell you that a hurricane sounds like a train hurtling towards you and you feel like it is going to hit at any moment. And that's how it sounded to me. I had four grandchildren with me at the time and I just kept telling them that everything was going to be all right. At the time, I was part of the city council, which was turned into the main communication centre. The most important thing was answering questions: Where can I get fuel? Where can I get ice? Ice was the most precious thing those days! Later we had one of the biggest outdoor barbecues ever to cook our food. We already knew we wouldn't get electricity back for a while. It was like being on an island full of trash. There were piles at the roadside and it was weeks before it was cleared up. The city manager said that it could take up to two years to recover. Can you imagine? That's how dumb we were! We thought that all will be over in two years. That thought really made us feel good. It was really a good 10 years. There was so much to do. My brother came over the day", "summary": "Twenty years after Hurricane Andrew, residents of Homestead, Florida, recall the storm that changed their life."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 19 November 2013 Last updated at 14:24 GMT Engineers have used a tunnelling machine called Phyllis to dig through 6.8km (4.2m) of earth from Royal Oak in west London to Farringdon on the edge of the City. BBC London's Chris Rogers took a look around the tunnel and spoke to the project manager of Western Tunnels, Andrew Alder.", "summary": "Crossrail has completed its first train tunnel 18 months after work began."}
{"article": "The Home Affairs Committee said ministers were not working properly with their own expert drug advisers. The MPs also said past governments' spending on education about the dangers of so-called legal highs had been \"shockingly inadequate to date\". Policing minister Mike Penning said the government would consider the committee's criticism. New psychoactive substances (NPS) are products chemically designed to mimic drugs that are already banned. Some 67 deaths in England and Wales last year were linked to their use. The substances have been typically known as \"legal highs\", but in most cases they had only remained lawful because there had been no scientific testing and advice leading to a ban. One hundred new NPS products were identified across the EU last year and legislation going through Parliament will create a blanket ban on all of them and their successors. These measures, based on a law from Ireland, will replace the current system of banning substances one at a time. But the MPs said that the Psychoactive Substances Bill was being rushed amid a lack of clarity over whether it could actually work. The committee also said it opposed plans to ban \"poppers\", a substance often used recreationally and referred to as a \"party drug\". Poppers, the name given to a group of chemicals called alkyl nitrites, are normally sniffed from a bottle producing a short head-rush. The Home Office has said they will be covered by the new laws. But the committee referred to the conclusion of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) that the misuse of poppers was \"not seen to be capable of having harmful effects sufficient to constitute a societal problem\". Keith Vaz, the committee's chairman, said: \"Britain uses more psychoactive substances than any other country in Europe and is at risk of being overwhelmed by the sheer scale of this problem. \"Legislating on this issue is the right thing to do, however doing so at speed without any consultation may be counter-productive. \"The concerns expressed have been dealt with in a piecemeal manner and there has been unsatisfactory communication with the Advisory Council [on the Misuse of Drugs], the very body that the ministers should rely on for advice.\" The MPs said there had been no clarity on the relative harm of different types of NPS - and therefore what kind of sentences courts should impose on future offenders. And they also attacked ministers for failing to do enough to warn young people of the dangers of the substances. \"Successive governments' spending on education on the dangers of NPS has been shockingly inadequate to date,\" said the report. \"Action must be taken now, to educate young people about NPS, through stronger and wider public information campaigns. \"There is substantial evidence that the market for NPS is already moving online, which, due to the anonymity that the internet can provide, is a challenge for prosecuting authorities to monitor and control.\" Mr Penning said: \"The landmark Psychoactive Substances Bill will fundamentally change the way we tackle new psychoactive substances - and put an end to the game", "summary": "Legislation to ban new psychoactive substances in the UK is being rushed, MPs have warned."}
{"article": "However, Health Minister Michelle O'Neill said no such plan was being considered. Charles and Elma Hamilton's son, Ian, took his own life in 2013. He was 38 and a father of two children. He had suffered from mental health problems for many years. An inquest heard that 24 hours before his death, Ian had been to three hospitals in two different health trusts. Ian was first diagnosed with depression in 1998. He was deeply troubled and had problems with alcohol and drug addiction. However, his post-mortem showed no sign of substance abuse. His parents said the establishment of a single trust to deal with people with psychiatric conditions could help other people in the future. The couple believe a single system would help ensure that a patient's notes, capturing their full history, would be accessible to all medics, no matter where they showed up for help. Charles Hamilton said part of the problem for Ian was that he moved between health trusts. \"I think if they had a single mental health trust, where everything was collated together, all the information concerning the people presenting with mental health problems would be there there at the push of a button,\" he said. \"That way, professionals can access the patient's history and there are no delays in getting that patient treatment.\" Elma Hamilton said Ian's final hours were very distressing. \"He went to three hospitals in two trusts inside 24 hours, trying to get help, pleading with people trying to get his point across,\" she said. \"He was frustrated and hopeless - he just couldn't get the answers he needed. In one hospital, he was waiting 10 hours to see someone from a mental health team. \"In a different hospital, he self-harmed. He was tired having to go through the same story so many times to different people.\" His story highlights how, too often, there is a lack of joined up thinking between mental health services and how sometimes an emergency department is not the best place to treat those with a serious psychological disorder. Their call for a single service across the trust is one of eight recommendations that was made in a recent report into mental health in Northern Ireland by the former Chief Executive of England NHS Lord Nigel Crisp . \"I think it is an argument - there is also an argument in keeping mental and physical health closely aligned,\" he said. \"I also understand in Northern Ireland there are lots of issues about people wanting local services and local control but even if you kept five trusts you could still run it as a single service, still have a single leader, the same standards. \"You could still have the facilities in five different places but run it across the entire system.\" The family do not blame the northern or the south eastern health trusts but they are appealing to them to act on the findings of their son's inquest. Elma added: \"We don't want a stigma - depression is a health condition. \"But they need somewhere to go to feel", "summary": "The family of a man who took his own life have called for the establishment of a single mental health trust in Northern Ireland."}
{"article": "John Ashton, professor of banking at Bangor University, studied 17 years of bank account data to examine the costs faced by customers. He told the BBC that it was well documented that overdrafts were an expensive form of borrowing. What was overlooked was the \"cost\" of keeping large deposits in an account. By doing so, customers were missing out on much higher levels of interest that would be paid in a better home for their savings. \"It is a surprise how large these amounts can be [in current accounts] - many thousands of pounds,\" he said. It might be possible to manage a current account to make the most of the system but, for many, the best way to get value for money is by switching to another current account altogether. Bank customers could save \u00a370 a year on average by switching their account to another provider, an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) concluded. Why? The CMA explains: \"We looked at the average charges for a customer who was \u00a3500 in credit and had a number of foreign exchange transactions in a year, and tried to work it out, if they switched to a different type of account, and we found that, if they switched to a reward account under which they received cashback rewards and interest on their credit balances, they would make the \u00a370 saving.\" For those who go into the red, the savings made by switching would be even greater, the CMA suggested. The average overdraft user could save \u00a3140 a year. Heavy overdraft users could save \u00a3260. Switching is relatively simple. It is a seven-day process and all existing regular payments, incoming and outgoing, are automatically diverted to the new account. Customers, for the most part, remain unmoved despite the simplicity of the system. Last year, 1.03 million current accounts were switched last year, compared with 1.15 million the previous year. That is a fraction of the 68 million active current accounts in the UK. Commentators suggest, despite a big advertising campaign, customers do not swap owing to a lack of trust in banks to ensure direct debits are automatically switched to the new account. They also say that the complexity of these accounts and the lack of a clear \"price\" make it enormously difficult to decide between the options. There are 269 different current account options to choose from for UK consumers, according to financial information service Moneyfacts. One of the High Street giants - Barclays - has 69 different options on its own, although they are not all available to everyone. Customers who do attempt to find a better deal are met by a blizzard of numbers when comparing the charges levied by each account. For overdrafts, there may be authorised overdraft fees, overdraft arrangement fees, overdraft review fees, as well as the same again for going into the red without prior authorisation from the bank. To add an extra layer of complexity, the cost of an overdraft is not always clear from the interest charged. For example, two banks charge 15.9% interest", "summary": "The most affordable way of holding a bank current account, an academic has concluded, is to keep small sums in it but to never go overdrawn."}
{"article": "In a letter to the PM, the group of 27 charities - including Oxfam and Amnesty International - say the UK should take a \"proportionate\" share of refugees. They praise the commitment to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees over five years but say more needs to be done. A government spokesman said the UK has a \"long and proud history of offering sanctuary\" to those in genuine need. The letter, coordinated by the British Refugee Council, asks Mr Cameron to show a \"new resolve\" to deal with the crisis, which saw nearly 4,000 people drown last year and hundreds of thousands more face danger and hardship while fleeing violence. The group, which also includes the International Rescue Committee, Liberty and ActionAid, wrote: \"Last year's announcement that the UK will resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees over five years was a welcome first step, but given the numbers of people searching for safety across the globe, this response is clearly inadequate: it is too slow, too low and too narrow. \"The UK can and should be doing much more to ensure that refugees are not compelled to take life-threatening journeys or forced into smugglers' hands.\" They endorse principles set out by 350 former judges and lawyers in October which include taking a fair share of refugees and establishing safe and legal routes to the UK for those seeking protection. Refugee Council chief executive Maurice Wren said: \"There are no easy answers to a humanitarian crisis of this magnitude. \"However, the solution must not be to spend another year impassively watching on while desperate people drown or are forced to endure a march of misery across the continent as they try to find a safe haven or to be reunited with their loved ones. \"This year the prime minister must open his heart and show true statesmanship by welcoming far more refugees to the UK, enabling them to travel here safely and legally to live lives free from violence, tyranny and oppression.\" The government spokesman said: \"The United Kingdom has a long and proud history of offering sanctuary to those who genuinely need our protection, with each claim for asylum judged on its individual merits. \"The terrible images we have seen in the last year have moved us all, strengthening our resolve to help prevent more people suffering such a fate. \"That is why we are resettling people directly from the countries neighbouring Syria, to which so many refugees have fled, and we have already met our target of welcoming 1,000 of the most vulnerable before Christmas.\" He said the government was also providing \"life-saving aid to those most in need\", both in and around Syria and in Europe, and working with other countries to \"ensure systems are in place which properly address unfounded claims for asylum\".", "summary": "David Cameron's response to the refugee crisis is \"clearly inadequate\", leading aid and refugee agencies claim."}
{"article": "Christine Lagarde said she had \"not seen anything that's positive\" about Brexit and warned that it could \"lead to a technical recession\". She echoed similar comments made on Thursday by Bank of England governor Mark Carney. Vote Leave said the IMF had been wrong in the past and was \"wrong now\". The IMF said in a report on the UK economy that a leave vote could have a \"negative and substantial effect\". It has previously said that such an outcome could lead to \"severe regional and global damage\". The Fund said a Brexit vote would result in a \"protracted period of heightened uncertainty\" and could result in a sharp rise in interest rates, cause volatility on financial markets and damage London's status as a global financial centre. Ms Lagarde said the IMF had a duty to assess the risks of Brexit. It has a mandate to oversee the international monetary and financial system. The Fund is expected to publish detailed estimates of the economic impact of a vote to leave the EU in the week before the 23 June referendum, the timing of which has been criticised by leave campaigners. It was not just a domestic issue but an international one as well, Ms Lagarde told a briefing at the Treasury attended by the Chancellor, George Osborne. EU referendum issues guide: Explore the arguments The UK's EU vote: All you need to know EU referendum campaign latest \"I don't think that in the last six months I have visited a country anywhere in the world where I have not been asked 'what will be the economic consequences of Brexit?\" she said. How trade and the UK's economy are affected by membership of the EU. Asked if the Treasury had had any input into the IMF's conclusions, Ms Lagarde responded: \"Heck no! If you are suggesting that, you don't know the IMF.\" Priti Patel MP, who is backing the leave campaign, said the IMF was \"wrong then and they are wrong now. It appears the Chancellor is cashing in favours to Ms Lagarde in order to encourage the IMF to bully the British people.\" Lord Lamont, a former chancellor, said: \"This daily avalanche of institutional propaganda is becoming ludicrous and pitiful. Important institutions are being politicised and used to make blood-curdling forecasts. \"There are plenty of respected individual economists, plenty of respected professional investors, and plenty of entrepreneurs who take a very different view from Christine Lagarde and who have probably been better at foreseeing the future than the IMF.\" Britain Stronger in Europe chairman Lord Rose said: \"This is yet another economic expert that agrees Britain is stronger in Europe, adding to the comments of the Bank of England.\" Former Treasury minister Lord Myners, who backs staying in the EU, added: \"Every major independent economic institution, from the Bank of England to the IMF, has made it clear that leaving the EU would damage the UK economy. This is yet more evidence that leaving is a risk we cannot afford to take.\" The Fund said it expected UK growth to fall below", "summary": "The International Monetary Fund chief has said a vote by the UK to leave the European Union would have \"pretty bad, to very, very bad\" consequences."}
{"article": "American forces entered the camp on 11 April 1945, bringing an end to the ordeal of 21,000 prisoners being held there by Nazi troops. Former inmates and war veterans returned to the site, near the German city of Weimar to mark the anniversary. It was the first major camp to be liberated by the Americans at the end of World War II. Survivor Henry Oster said his memories of Buchenwald would last \"forever\". \"When someone asks how Buchenwald was, you immediately see the dead bodies again,\" he told AP. More than 250,000 men, women and children were held at Buchenwald from its opening in 1937 until its closure eight years later. About 56,000 people, including Jews, Roma and Soviet prisoners, died within its walls. Crowds laid flowers at a memorial for the victims on Saturday and held a minute's silence at 15:15 - the time US troops entered the site. Mr Oster, 86, recalled the day the soldiers arrived to free prisoners. \"We had no idea the Allies were in Europe. When we heard noises at about 15:30, we looked out of the window, which took a great effort,\" he said. \"One of my friends said with a weak voice, 'I think we are getting liberated'. We thought he had lost his sense of reality like so many people there.\" Mr Oster, a German Jew from Cologne, was taken to an orphanage in France and emigrated to the United States in 1946. Former army medic James Anderson, 91, also attended the commemoration ceremony. \"The devastation was so tremendous,\" he said. \"The prisoners were so glad to see us, they would hug us and everything.''", "summary": "Survivors have returned to the Buchenwald concentration camp 70 years after it was liberated by US soldiers."}
{"article": "The move was confirmed after JTI Gallaher turned down the plan to save about 500 of those jobs. Unite had proposed turning the factory into a centre of excellence for pouch tobacco and cigar production, meaning about 370 redundancies. JTI Gallaher employs about 870 staff, but will shut down completely by 2017. The union had said the redundancies would be voluntary, under its proposal. Unite balloted its members last year, and they voted to support the plan. On Wednesday, Unite regional secretary Jimmy Kelly said he was angry at the rejection of their plan. He described the decision to close the factory as \"an extreme case of social dumping where employers seek to minimise costs through chasing lower cost alternatives\". \"The choice to close JTI's plant at Ballymena but leave production in Trier, Germany, reflects the fact that social protections for workers in Northern Ireland, and the UK as a whole, are substantially weaker than in Germany,\" he said. \"It boils down to the fact that it is much cheaper for the company to make a UK worker redundant than a German one.\" Mr Kelly called for immediate action from political leaders to put in place increased protection for UK workers and said Unite would now focus on securing compensation for its members at the Ballymena factory. North Antrim MP Ian Paisley said it was disappointing that the closure of the factory had been confirmed. He said he had continued to lobby the UK government to reconsider the introduction of plain-packaging and delay the European Union's Tobacco Products Directive. However, he said \"the die has been cast and the tentacles of european bureaucracy have reached in and stripped this factory bare\". He said it was now the responsibility of the relevant government departments to reskill the workers. In a statement, JTI Gallaher said it was working in a challenging regulatory and operating environment and that it had \"fought very hard\" against plain packaging proposals in the UK, the EU's Tobacco Products Directive 2 (TPD2) as well as the trade in smuggled cigarettes. It said its business must \"prepare for the negative consequences of these\". The firm added that around 80% of cigarette production at its factory in Ballymena was for the UK and the Republic of Ireland and that from 2009 to 2014, cigarette production there had declined by 27%. \"These declines will be exacerbated by the implementation of TPD2 which bans small packs - 81% of our current pack formats will be prohibited, which means that 40% of the overall production at Lisnafillan will be affected,\" it said. The factory has been a major employer in Ballymena, but in October, the firm began consultations on proposals to close its facilities in Northern Ireland and Belgium, with production possibly moving to Poland and Romania. The firm said at that time its restructuring would be phased in, with factory closures completed between 2016 and 2018. When Unite first unveiled its alternative plan in November, it warned it would mean \"significant concessions in terms and conditions\", as well as the large-scale redundancies. However, it", "summary": "A trade union proposal aimed at saving jobs at a tobacco factory in Ballymena, County Antrim, has been rejected."}
{"article": "Anglesey council's contract for 17 toilets ends in 2017 and they face being scrapped due to budget cuts. A letter has been sent to councils to see if there is interest in taking them over from 1 April. Councillor John Roberts said: \"We don't want to reach a situation where we'll have to close toilets and sincerely hope that we can find a solution.\"", "summary": "Public toilets on Anglesey are being offered to town and community councils in a bid to stop them being closed."}
{"article": "The men, one of whom was carrying a suspected firearm and another a knife, forced their way into a house in Burneys Mews about 02:25 GMT on Sunday. The gang threatened the occupants before leaving. Nothing was taken during the incident. Although those in the house were not injured, they were left shaken by their ordeal. Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.", "summary": "A number of people have been threatened by a gang during an aggravated burglary in Newtownabbey, County Antrim."}
{"article": "29 June 2016 Last updated at 02:24 BST Well, the BBC has been around the region looking for people who are living the dream, and fulfilling their career ambitions. This week, we find out how Australian actor Eamon Flack landed his dream job as artistic director of Sydney's Belvoir theatre company. Produced by the BBC's Katie Beck. All stills by Brett Boardman.", "summary": "Most of us work to make money - and if it happens to be by doing something we love, we're considered lucky."}
{"article": "He doesn't do Facebook. He doesn't do Twitter. More than that, the 41-year-old Brummie, reared from the school of hard knocks, believes in serving a proper apprenticeship as a manager - just as he did as in his 20 years as a player, at almost every level of the professional game. The boyhood Birmingham City fan released as a teenager by his favourite team played in non-league for Telford United and Kidderminster Harriers. He then found his way back into the professional game with Crewe Alexandra, Bristol Rovers, QPR, Rushden & Diamonds and Millwall. And, before he became manager of National League new boys Solihull Moors, he helped to cut his teeth in women's football, coaching Birmingham City Ladies. But it is as manager of Solihull, where he has worked for the past five years without a contract, that he has done most to enhance his growing reputation - and all at a time when Telford and Kidderminster have gone in the opposite direction. So much so that when the Moors went up in April, it was actually the Harriers they swapped places with, in the process becoming the top non-league side in the Midlands. \"Why,\" asks Bignot, \"do these things happen? Why did the fates decide that we go up at the expense of Kiddy? I wanted to manage Kiddy, I could have managed Telford. Instead, I'm at Solihull.\" Although he retains an interest in Blues Ladies, purely on the coaching side, it is as manager of the Moors that Bignot is currently most preoccupied as he prepares for life in the fifth tier of English football after winning the National League North title last season. Solihull were the first of the National League's four newly-promoted clubs to go up last season, following a highly satisfactory campaign in which the Moors won 25 of their 42 league games, to go up by nine points. A successful conclusion to his fifth season in charge. But it was not always like that at Damson Park, the home of the club created in 2007 by the merger of two under-achieving non-league local rivals Solihull Borough and Moor Green. Having taken over following the death of long-serving boss Bob Faulkner and the departure of his assistant Micky Moore to Mansfield, Bignot's managerial career did not start well. \"I didn't know the level,\" he said. \"I didn't know the players. I lost my first seven games and I was suspended for five of them.\" The Moors turned it around to avoid relegation. But worse was to come off the field the following season when the financially-challenged club were close to going under. \"We nearly folded,\" he winces. \"It never got reported. That's how tightknit we had the dressing room. \"There's a reason why two clubs merged and it wasn't because they were doing well. I remember the chairman saying we had a \u00a330,000 deficit and that we might struggle to reach the end of season. \"A friend of the club, Ian Atkins [the former Birmingham City and Everton midfielder] introduced us to Mike Turl, who we", "summary": "Solihull Moors manager Marcus Bignot is old school."}
{"article": "Scientists using Europe's Cryosat radar spacecraft are now routinely mapping variations in height on a fine scale, both in time and in area. The UK-led team's analysis shows that Greenland is shedding ice to the ocean. Their preliminary assessment is very close to that produced from gravity satellites, which currently see losses of over 250bn tonnes of ice each year. But while the headline numbers may be similar, Cryosat brings important additional detail to the picture. It allows the team to study changes across the entire ice sheet at fine resolution, meaning the scientists are able to monitor the behaviour of individual glaciers. Cryosat is also helping them to track seasonal variations in the elevation of the ice sheet, which will permit the researchers to investigate how the ice sheet changes from year to year. \"These results allow us to identify key glaciers which, in the last few years, are showing signs of rapid change,\" said Dr Malcolm McMillan from the NERC Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM) at Leeds University. The new study updates a previous assessment by the Alfred Wegener Institute, and complements existing measurements made by the US space agency's GRACE gravity satellites. These are spacecraft that can essentially \"weigh\" the ice sheet from orbit. Dr McMillan and colleagues are presenting their work this week in San Francisco at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, the largest annual gathering of Earth scientists. Researchers have previously used space- and plane-borne laser altimeters to produce the kind of maps now coming from Cryosat. But their data was often very sparse, making it difficult to achieve a comprehensive and up-to-date picture. The earlier radar missions, too, struggled to get to grips with Greenland. In part, this was because their measurement footprints were too large to really see even the biggest glaciers, but also because they were sometimes frustrated by surface conditions. \"Radar altimeters bounce their signals off a horizon that is below the top of the snow, where the ice becomes compacted,\" explained Leeds co-worker Prof Andy Shepherd. \"But if there is a big melt, as we saw in the middle of Greenland in 2012, the snowpack conditions change and this scattering horizon is re-set, making it appear as if the ice sheet has gained one to two metres in height. \"With these new results, we have been able to correct for this, and that allows us to confidently map changes in elevation.\" The CPOM study means Cryosat has now produced a \"report card\" on all three of the polar ice domains it was tasked by the European Space Agency to investigate. A similar assessment has been done for Antarctica, and the spacecraft is also now consistently monitoring the thickness of Arctic sea-ice, its primary mission goal. In addition, as a secondary objective, the Esa spacecraft's radar has managed to make the most precise map of the shape of the global ocean floor. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos", "summary": "It is one of the clearest views we have yet had of the recent changes occurring across Greenland's ice sheet."}
{"article": "Sixty-one percent of nearly 3,000 responses agreed to a change of name, with nearly three-quarters backing Welsh Parliament as the best option. A law to change the name is expected to pass before the 2021 election. Presiding Officer Elin Jones hoped people would \"more fully understand the powers of the assembly and the role it plays in their lives\". But Neil Hamilton, UKIP AM, expressed concerns over potential costs. The assembly was given the power to rename itself under the 2017 Wales Act. Assembly members had unanimously backed the idea last July after which it was put out to public consultation. Publishing the responses on Tuesday, Ms Jones said: \"Our role today is as a full parliamentary body, with the power to pass laws and agree taxes, and we must continue to work hard to inspire the confidence, trust and pride in the people we serve.\" Speaking to BBC Wales, Ms Jones said the Welsh Parliament name will \"reflect directly the will of the people of Wales in giving us the mandate to have the powers to create legislation on their behalf\". \"We are a parliament in all but name,\" she said. Sixty percent of people responding to the consultation said they did not agree that the role of the assembly was well understood. Just over a fifth of respondents - 22.6% - who responded to the survey said they strongly disagreed or disagreed with the assembly's name changing. Legislation on assembly reforms - including the change of name - will be published by the Assembly Commission in 2018. They will include rules on disqualification of assembly members and the design of the committee system. The commission proposes that assembly members will in future be known as Welsh Parliament Members (WPMs), in keeping with the current title of Assembly Members. The option was the second least-favoured option according to a summary of the survey conducted for the consultation - with 11.1% of respondents preferring it over other suggestions. Member of the Welsh Parliament was preferred by 30% while 28.4% liked Member of the Senedd. Tory AM Suzy Davies, Assembly Commissioner with responsibility for budget and governance, said the assembly would not \"waste resources by rushing to make the change\", noting that some people responding to the consultation were worried about the cost. She said until legislation is passed the institution will continue to be known by its current name in order to avoid confusion and to minimise cost. There have long been calls to call the assembly a Welsh Parliament, with Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies having made the suggestion in 2012. On Tuesday, Mr Davies said: \"The assembly has clearly evolved into a parliament, and it's only right that this is now reflected in its name.\" First Minister Carwyn Jones said: \"The name Welsh Parliament / Senedd Wales will help to enhance understanding of the assembly and reflect its status as a national parliament, on a par with the other legislatures in the UK.\" Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood also welcomed the name change, saying the assembly's stature and confidence", "summary": "The National Assembly for Wales is set to be renamed the Welsh Parliament after it was backed in a consultation."}
{"article": "Hampshire can still qualify for the quarter-finals if results go their way in Wednesday's last group games. Bailey struck an unbeaten 145 against Surrey on Sunday but in a losing cause. \"I don't think we've played a great game of one-day cricket yet, but we're breaking some records and the tide should turn at some stage,\" he said. Bailey and Kyle Abbott (56) set a Hampshire List A record partnership for the eighth wicket of 152 against any county in the defeat by Surrey. The game before, James Vince hit a county record 178 against Glamorgan, also in a losing cause. If Hampshire beat Sussex at home and Surrey lose to Gloucestershire, they could finish in the top three of the South Group. \"I'm not sure we deserve to qualify,\" Bailey admitted to BBC Radio Solent. \"But, that's the nature of the South Group where everyone seems to beat everyone. \"If we don't make it, we'll rue games like the one against Glamorgan (who chased 333 with a ball to spare). \"But if we play well against Sussex, you never know.\"", "summary": "Hampshire captain George Bailey is unsure if his side deserve to qualify for the knockout stages of the One-Day Cup after inconsistent results."}
{"article": "A report published by the organisation said there were 116 deaths worldwide in 2014, including 29 in Brazil, 25 in Colombia and 15 in the Philippines. Activists also faced abduction and other threats if they interfered in corporate or state interests, it added. Last year saw a spike in killings related to hydropower programs. Fourteen people died defending their land and rivers against dam projects. Global Witness named Honduras as the most dangerous country for environmental activists, because of \"regressive laws\" and a climate of \"near total impunity\". It has the highest number of killings per capita, with 111 deaths recorded since 2002. Members of indigenous groups were increasingly involved in the \"scramble for land and natural resources\" and accounted for 40% of all deaths last year, it said. In September four Peruvian tribal leaders were murdered on their way to a meeting to discuss ways to stop illegal logging. Berta Caceres, an indigenous Lenca woman, told the report's authors that she had received numerous death threats because of her opposition to a dam that would force her community off their ancestral land. She claims she has been forced to live a \"fugitive existence\". Activists are often portrayed as enemies of the state, with some countries using anti-terror legislation to target them. The campaign group urged governments and the international community to monitor, investigate and punish those behind what it called a hidden crisis.", "summary": "Killings of environmental activists have risen by 20% in the last year, according to campaign group Global Witness."}
{"article": "Investigators believe the fire in Nauen, west of Berlin, was started deliberately. No-one was injured. Far-right protesters have demonstrated against asylum seekers in the area. German Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier condemned violent protests at an asylum shelter in the eastern town of Heidenau, near Dresden, at the weekend. Dozens of police officers were injured in the clashes. Mrs Merkel has described the behaviour of far-right activists in Heidenau as \"abhorrent\" and \"shameful\" and said she would be visiting the town on Wednesday. Correspondents say most Germans have been welcoming to asylum seekers, but a small minority has been vocal in its opposition. Also on Tuesday, the headquarters of the Social Democrat Party (SPD) in Berlin were evacuated after a bomb threat. It is not clear who was behind the threat and a search of the building found nothing suspicious. Officials in the party say it has received many threats from right-wing extremists after party chairman and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel visited Heidenau on Monday. Germany expects up to 800,000 people to seek asylum by the end of 2015. The government confirmed on Tuesday that it had decided to consider asylum cases from the majority of Syrian applicants, regardless of how they entered Europe. It announced on Twitter (in German) that it was suspending the EU's Dublin regulation, under which asylum seekers must make their applications in the first member state they reach. The blaze in Nauen gutted the gymnasium - part of a vocational school - in the early hours of Tuesday. The building, about 15km (nine miles) west of Berlin, was due to house about 130 people applying for asylum in Germany, reports say. Dietmar Woidke, state premier for Brandenburg where Nauen is located, said actions against asylum seekers were \"shameful and unworthy of Germany\". Another planned shelter was burned down in the south-western town of Weissach im Tal on Monday. Police are again investigating the possibility it could have been started deliberately. \"Refugees welcome!\" exclaims the front page of the Bild newspaper this morning. It speaks for the majority of Germans who are horrified by yet another attack on accommodation intended for asylum seekers. The number of such attacks has risen sharply this year, although they are still relatively low at around 200. Following violent demonstrations outside a shelter in the eastern town of Heidenau over the weekend, many here are at pains to emphasise that a small minority are responsible. Across the political spectrum MPs and ministers have condemned xenophobia. But, in a country still painfully conscious of its World War Two history, there is shame too. In the words of Norbert Lammert, the president of the Bundestag, the violence is \"an embarrassment for our country\". Security was increased at the newly-opened centre in Heidenau at the weekend after two nights of protests. Police had to use tear gas and pepper spray in the early hours of Saturday morning to lift a blockade of the shelter. Hundreds of people hurled bottles and stones at police, injuring 31 officers. Left-wing activists staging counter-demonstrations also clashed with the right-wing protesters.", "summary": "Police in Germany say a school sports hall intended as a temporary shelter for asylum seekers has burned down in a suspected arson attack."}
{"article": "Officials say Scott Stockert - who is from the state of North Dakota - was planning to snatch one of the dogs, either Bo or Sunny. Police in Washington DC found weapons in Mr Stockert's vehicle, including a shotgun, a rifle and a machete. Agents say he made several outlandish claims during his arrest, including that he intended to run for president. He also said he was the son of former President John F Kennedy and actress Marilyn Monroe, according to court documents. Mr Stockert has been charged with violating the District of Columbia's gun laws. The First Family acquired Bo in 2009, with Sunny, referred to by the family as Bo's \"little sister\", following in 2013.", "summary": "US police have arrested a man who allegedly plotted to kidnap one of President Obama's two pet dogs."}
{"article": "The report was commissioned after passenger concerns over the vessel. Naval architects Houlder found it \"well suited to operating in the English Channel\", but \"teething problems are expected with any new vessel\". It also suggested changes to improve the ride, the handling and berthing performance of the ferry. The States of Jersey and Guernsey have welcomed the report's findings. Houlder was commissioned to carry out an investigation by Condor Ferries and the States of Guernsey and Jersey. It followed concerns raised by passengers about the vessel, which started serving the Channel Islands to Poole route in March. Report's conclusions Report's recommendations Problems in its first two weeks led to the company issuing a public apology in April and further issues, including with its loading ramp, led to the review in May. Captain Fran Collins, executive director of operations for Condor Ferries, said: \"Condor Liberation is a superb ship and, whilst we recognise that there are still opportunities to improve, we are delighted to have her as part of our fleet. \"This independent verification of her safety, suitability and performance is obviously very welcome. \"We accept all of the report's findings and will implement its recommendations.\" Deputy Kevin Stewart, chairman of Guernsey's External Transport Group, said it was extremely pleased the report had \"categorically confirmed the safety and suitability of the Condor Liberation for operation between the UK and the Channel Islands\". Senator Lyndon Farnham, Jersey's Economic Development Minister, said he hoped passengers were \"reassured by the report's findings\".", "summary": "A report into the safety and suitability of the Condor Liberation ferry has ruled there are \"no concerns\" about its stability."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 29 July 2015 Last updated at 02:23 BST Now he finds himself with a death sentence after having been in prison for almost four years. BBC News charts the rise and fall of Colonel Gaddafi's favourite son. Video by: Mohamed Madi", "summary": "Not too long ago, playboy Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was heir-apparent to an oil-rich dictatorship."}
{"article": "India lost no time in sending aircraft to Kathmandu carrying disaster response forces, medical teams, food, medicines and rescue equipment. China promptly flew in rescue teams, sniffer dogs, medical equipment, tents, blankets and generators. Leaders of both the countries - Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping - were also quick to convey their condolences. \"For many people of our country, Nepalis are our own people,\" said Mr Modi in his monthly radio show on Sunday. The competition for influence in Nepal between the Asian giants is not new, but it appears to have escalated in recent years. Nepal's ties with India run deep and are often, according to many, schizophrenic. Many in Nepal - including the Maoists - have criticised its \"semi-colonial\" relationship with India, spoken about Indian \"expansionism\" and pointed to how their impoverished country had become India's \"bonded market\". Indian traders have controlled much of the lucrative parts of Nepal's economy. Asymmetrical water sharing treaties, many argue, have allowed downstream irrigation benefits for India. Nepalese opposition parties, playing the nationalist card, have sometimes thrived on anti-India rhetoric; and Maoists have derided other mainstream parties as India's brokers. On the other hand, Delhi is geographically, linguistically and culturally much closer to Nepal than China. The anti-India rhetoric softens when political parties come to power. \"India has been a political player in Nepal as much as any Nepali political party,\" says Michael Hutt, professor of Nepali and Himalayan studies at the University of London. Nepalese citizens continue to serve in the Gurkha regiment in Indian army; and Nepalese soldiers are trained in India. India also remains a main supplier of weapons to the Himalayan state. The fact that the two countries share an open border means that India's core interest in Nepal is security, writes Prashant Jha, in Battles of the New Republic: A Contemporary History of Nepal, an incisive account of its chequered recent history. \"Delhi needs a friendly regime in Kathmandu to prevent China from gaining space at its expense.\" So it is no surprise that India has rushed relief to its quake-ravaged neighbour. \"Nepal is central to India. Nepal has a special place in Indian thinking. It cannot be compared to China. India's response to the earthquake would have been strong and one of a kind, anyway,\" says Harsh V Pant, professor of international relations at London's Kings College. Yet, things may not be as simple. China's influence in the region appears to be growing rapidly. Last year China overtook India as Nepal's biggest foreign investor, investing heavily, among other things, in roads, power plants, transport and infrastructure. Trade between the two countries is on an upswing. Beijing has not minced words in telling Kathmandu that it needs to tamp down on pro-Tibet activists on its soil. A 2013 Human Rights Watch report said Nepal \"forcibly\" returns to China many Tibetans arrested at the border in contravention of rules. One report said Taiwan had been asked not to participate in the quake relief effort, although it is not clear whether China had anything to do with it. \"Nepal has also", "summary": "The alacrity with which India and China have reacted to the massive earthquake in Nepal again demonstrates how the two Asian giants continue to vie for influence in the tiny, landlocked Himalayan country."}
{"article": "Crown said in October 18 staff had been held after a police operation believed to target its marketing activities. Among them were three Australians, including Jason O'Connor, a senior executive in charge of attracting Chinese high-rollers. Casino gambling, and promoting gambling abroad, are illegal in mainland China. The cases have been referred to Shanghai's Baoshan District Court, the company said in a brief statement made to the Australian Stock Exchange. The Australian newspaper reported that the court has set a hearing date for 26 June. Crown Resorts, controlled by Australian billionaire James Packer, said that with the matter now before the court it would not be making further comment.", "summary": "Casino operator Crown Resorts says its employees who were detained in China last year have been formally charged with illegally promoting gambling."}
{"article": "As of 2012, Britons must earn more than \u00c2\u00a318,600 before a husband or wife from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) can settle in the UK. Critics claim 15,000 children have been separated from parents because of it. The rule was introduced by the former coalition government to stop foreign spouses becoming reliant on taxpayers. If the government loses, thousands of couples who currently live outside the UK could move to Britain. The minimum income threshold, which also affects people settled in the UK as refugees, rises to \u00c2\u00a322,400 if they have a child who does not have British citizenship - and then by an additional \u00c2\u00a32,400 for each subsequent child. These thresholds replaced a previous, more general requirement to show the Home Office that the incoming partner would not be a drain on public resources and that the couple or family could adequately support themselves. The current rules do not take into account the earnings of the overseas partner - even if they have higher qualifications, or are likely to be employed in higher-paid work than their British spouse. The minimum income threshold does not apply to spouses from within the EEA. In a series of test cases, affected couples argued that the rules breached their right to family life. Two of the claimants, Abdul Majid and Shabana Javed, are British citizens who have partners who are Pakistani nationals. The third claimant is a Lebanese refugee who cannot find suitable work in the UK despite his postgraduate qualifications. He says his similarly-qualified wife has high earning potential and speaks fluent English. The final case concerns another recognised refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo whose wife has been barred from settling. In 2013, the High Court ruled in the couples' favour saying that the rules were \"onerous and unjustified\" - and the judge urged the home secretary to rewrite them. That decision was overturned at the Court of Appeal, leading to the challenge reaching the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court rules against the government, it could lead to the minimum income threshold being lowered or, potentially, require Parliament to reconsider the entire law. When the government introduced the measures, it said they aimed to reduce the burden on taxpayers, promote integration and prevent and tackle abuse of the family migration route. But campaigners say that all they have done is split up couples and families for whom the minimum income threshold is unobtainable. They say that nearly half of the British population earns less than the income barrier, meaning they would be affected if they chose a foreign-born spouse.", "summary": "The Supreme Court is to rule on whether an income barrier stopping thousands of British citizens from bringing a foreign spouse to the UK is lawful."}
{"article": "Their victims were kidnapped from a bar called Heaven not far from the city's main avenue, Paseo de la Reforma. Their bodies were found three months later in a mass grave outside the city, after family members organised large street protests. Prosecutors say they are still questioning dozens of other suspects. The three men who were sentenced were also fined more than $300,000 (\u00c2\u00a3197,500) each. According to the investigation, the crime was a reprisal for the murder of a drug trafficker which occurred a few days before in another bar in Mexico City. Seven young men and five women ranging between 16 and 34 years of age were reported missing in the days after the group went to the bar in May 2013. Surveillance footage showed some of them being led to cars outside the after-hours bar. There was no obvious sign of force on the surveillance footage. The men who took them away were not masked and did not seem to be carrying weapons. There was no trace of the missing people until their bodies were discovered in a grave covered with lime, cement and asbestos on the outskirts of Mexico City. All of them came from the rough Tepito neighbourhood of Mexico City. The case had horrified the people of Mexico City, which at the time had appeared to be less exposed to the overt drug violence affecting other areas of the country.", "summary": "A Mexico City judge has sentenced three men to 520 years in jail each for their roles in the kidnapping and murder of 13 young people two years ago."}
{"article": "Kym Andrew Walter, 25, of Kings Mill Lane in the town, is also charged with possessing a firearm, production of cannabis and abstracting electricity. The incident happened on Springbank Road, in the early hours of Saturday. Mr Walter was remanded in custody at the town's magistrates' court and is due at Leeds Crown Court on 27 October.", "summary": "A 25-year-old man has appeared in court charged with attempted murder after a gun was fired through the window of a house in Huddersfield."}
{"article": "The Dons host the Premiership champions on Friday night before Scotland's top two clubs meet again in the Scottish Cup final on 27 May. \"We want to show we can beat Celtic, because we know we've got the players that can,\" McLean, 25, said. \"I think we are the best team to stop the unbeaten run - and stop the treble.\" Aberdeen were brushed aside by Celtic in November's League Cup final and have lost all three of the sides' previous league encounters this season. \"There is a lot at stake because we want to have momentum going into the final,\" former St Mirren midfielder McLean said. \"That's what it's all about now. \"We've not taken anything from Celtic this season and we're disappointed from that. \"We have done well, but ultimately we've not picked any points up, which is disappointing, no matter how well you do. \"Picking up points against Celtic would be a massive boost for us and it would give us confidence going into the final. \"They've been outstanding, the best team in the league by far this year, so we know it's going to be a tough task, but we've definitely got the ability in the squad to hurt Celtic.\" McLean has scored five goals this season, helping Derek McInnes's side all but secure second spot in the top flight. With three league games remaining, the nine-point advantage and significantly superior goal difference Aberdeen have over third-placed Rangers should ensure they finish as runners-up. \"At the start of the season, a lot of people didn't think it would be the case, but we were always confident with the squad and ability we had,\" added McLean, who has one Scotland cap. \"It's been a real togetherness this season from everybody; the relationship between the fans and players and staff has been excellent. \"We've always been confident that we can be the nearest challengers to Celtic and we've proved that again, and proved most people wrong, I would say. \"And it's just up to us to keep pushing ourselves on and keep being in that position, to keep channelling ourselves to get better.\"", "summary": "Kenny McLean insists Aberdeen can end Celtic's unbeaten domestic run - and derail their bid for a treble."}
{"article": "The Rt Revd Philip North turned down the post following objections to his stance against ordaining women priests. He said he had withdrawn for \"personal reasons\" but added the \"attacks\" against him were \"extremely hard\". The archbishops said the incident had raised concerns within the Church. When he stepped down, Mr North said: \"It is clear that the level of feeling is such that my arrival would be counter-productive in terms of the mission of the Church in South Yorkshire and that my leadership would not be acceptable to many.\" In a joint letter, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu, said the events surrounding the appointment raised questions about the Church's 2014 commitment to the consecration of women bishops. They said: \"The recent events surrounding the nomination of Bishop Philip North as Bishop of Sheffield, including his withdrawal from the process, have understandably raised great concern amongst many in the Church of England. \"The status of the House of Bishops' Declaration, of June 2014 has been questioned by some and its meaning has also been challenged. \"We have therefore written to Sir Philip Mawer, the Independent Reviewer under the Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests, (Resolution of Disputes Procedure Regulations) 2014, to address the concerns that have arisen in the Church following these recent events.\" It asks Sir Philip to examine five areas, including what efforts have been made to educate clergy and the public about the declaration and whether the nomination of Mr North was consistent with its terms. The archbishops also used the letter to call on all those in the Church to \"pray for those with whom they disagree, demonstrate mutual love and overcome those those things which in ourselves we find so divisive\".", "summary": "The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have called for an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the failed appointment of a new Bishop of Sheffield."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The victory means the Irish will face France in Sunday's final at the World League 2 tournament. Wales will also make the final qualifiers in Johannesburg if they beat Scotland in the third place play-off. Gareth Furlong put Wales ahead before Shane O'Donoghue, Ben Walker and Neal Glassey netted for the Irish. Ireland, 10th in the world rankings, were strong favourites to account for the 34th-ranked Welsh but the visitors produced a strong challenge. Furlong's early goal from a penalty corner left Wales ahead after the opening quarter but O'Donoghue and Walker struck in quick succession in the second quarter to give the hosts a half-time lead. Wales had a couple of chances in the third quarter - including a missed penalty corner - before Glassey sealed Ireland's win by netting early in the final quarter. France earned a 2-0 win over the Scots in Saturday's second semi-final.", "summary": "Ireland's men guaranteed themselves a spot at the final World Cup qualifying tournament in the summer by beating Wales 3-1 at Stormont on Saturday."}
{"article": "And the world of Formula 1 is no different - some drivers have consistently excelled while others have had a campaign to forget. A record 21-race season gives us plenty to reflect on as the year draws to a close, so we want you to tell us your top three heroes and villains from the past nine months. Hamilton in Monaco? Rosberg in Singapore? Verstappen, um, everywhere? You decide... We've asked BBC F1 experts to give us their three best and three, well, most disappointing drivers of 2016. We will reveal their views, alongside the collective results of what you all thought, later. Who were the best during 2016? Who were the biggest underachievers during 2016?", "summary": "It's safe to say 2016 been a truly memorable year for a whole host of reasons - some very good, some utterly awful."}
{"article": "The benchmark Nikkei 225 closed down 3% at 16,883.19 points - its worst day since March. The US oil price fell below the symbolic threshold of $50 a barrel for the first time since April 2009. Meanwhile in London, Brent crude fell as low as $53 a barrel. That prompted energy shares to fall. Concerns over Greece's future also weighed on the euro, which slid to a nine-year low against the dollar. Chinese shares recovered earlier losses after a private survey showed the country's services sector grew at its fastest pace in three months in December. The Shanghai Composite ended up closing flat at 3,351.45 after falling as much as 1.3% earlier in the day. In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng index finished down 1% to 23,485.41, following the global trend. In Australia, investors also reacted to falling oil prices and eurozone worries, with the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 closing down 1.57% at 5,364.80 points. Earlier in the day, the index was down as much as 1.9% - one of its biggest falls in more than a month. One company's shares saw a positive reaction to falling oil prices, however, with Qantas, Australia's national airline, seeing its share price at a four-year high during the Tuesday session. Australia's latest trade figures showed the country's deficit widening in November from October to about 950m Australian dollars ($770m). It is the eighth trade deficit in a row. But analysts said investors largely ignored the numbers, which were smaller than expected and due in part to falling prices for resources such as iron ore. Tristan K'Nell, head of trading at Quay Equities, said there were a number of issues worldwide causing uncertainty in equity markets. \"Investors [are] watching closely... US interest rates, growth slowdowns in Europe and the Asia Pacific, political uncertainty in Greece, geopolitical issues between Russia and Ukraine and also the Middle East, and the volatility and crashing prices in crude oil and iron ore,\" he said. In South Korea, the benchmark Kospi closed down 1.74% to 1,882.45 points, with shares in energy firms leading the declines on oil price worries.", "summary": "Japan's stocks led falls across Asia on Tuesday, posting their biggest drop in nearly 10 months, as investors worried about falling oil prices and political turmoil in Greece."}
{"article": "Investors were expected to remain cautious until the Fed announces its decision on Thursday. The Dow Jones rose 140.1 points to 16,739.95, while the S&P 500 added 17.22 points to 1,995.31. The Nasdaq was up 28.72 points at 4,889.24. Figures released on Wednesday showed consumer prices fell 0.1% in August. Prices were up 0.2% from a year earlier, indicating that inflationary pressures within the US economy remain weak. Analysts think the Fed's decision is finely-balanced, as while inflation is weak, the economy is growing and the unemployment rate has fallen to 5.1%. \"You can make a strong case either way for the Fed to begin raising interest rates or waiting,\" Ryan Sweet, a senior economist at Moody's Analytics, told Reuters. \"The prudent risk management approach would argue for them to hold off, but if the Fed was really data dependent there is a very strong case to raise rates on Thursday.\" Among individual stocks, Anheuser-Busch InBev rose 6.8% after it said it had made a takeover approach for rival brewing firm SABMiller. FedEx shares fell 2.8% after the delivery company cut its full-year earnings forecast. The company predicted earnings per share of $10.40-$10.90 for the year to 31 May, down from a previous forecast of $10.60-$11.10.", "summary": "(Close): US markets closed higher as the Federal Reserve begins its two-day meeting which will discuss whether to raise interest rates."}
{"article": "You'd expect such a statement from a player who had played for 11 different clubs in three different countries, but how many players have done that at the age of 23? Meet Jake Jervis, one of Plymouth Argyle's five summer signings, who is preparing for a campaign in League Two having played in Turkey, Scotland and all three tiers of the Football League. \"It's made me a better player to have played in different leagues and different places,\" he tells BBC Sport as he settles into the final week of pre-season at his new club. Jervis began his career as a promising youngster at Birmingham City - he once played against Didier Drogba, David Luiz and Frank Lampard as the Championship club held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup in 2012. After three years of trying to make the Blues first team, he left St Andrew's in January 2013 for Turkey, where he signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with top-flight side Elazigspor. But it was a move that did not go according to plan. Jervis said: \"Teams like Fenerbahce and Galatasaray have a crazy atmosphere and it was definitely something that helped me in terms of my football. \"But after three games, having started so well, I broke my foot.\" The Turkish club stopped paying Jervis, but when he tried to leave they held on to his registration and he could not join another club until January 2014, a period of six months where he was not able to play the game he loves. \"It was the most difficult thing I've had in my life,\" he says. \"I was at Sheffield United and I was going to sign there, and I trained with a few other teams as well, but I couldn't get it through because of international clearance due to the old club. \"I was a handful to be around with my girlfriend and my family because I wasn't happy at all not being able to play football.\" It was eventually sorted out and Jervis signed a six-month deal at Portsmouth, before moving to Ross County that summer, where he linked up with current Argyle boss Derek Adams for the first time. \"He's 23 and he's only at the start of his career, but he's had a lot of experience,\" Adams told BBC Sport. \"We're hopeful of progressing him. He did very well for me at my last club and, although I was only there for a short space of time with him, you could see the potential.\" Jervis signed a one-year deal at Plymouth in June, so is now the time to try and settle with one club? \"You always look to do that,\" he said. \"But it's got to be right and you've got to be able to enjoy it. Hopefully we can settle here and go on and do well.\"", "summary": "\"The good of football, the bad of football, I've seen all of it.\""}
{"article": "Three other members of the family are suspected to have recently died from the virus. The cases were reported in the southern region of Nzerekore, where the outbreak began in December 2013. The Ebola outbreak killed more than 11,300 people - mostly in Guinea and its neighbours Sierra Leone and Liberia. The new cases were reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) hours after it declared the latest Ebola flare-up to be over in Sierra Leone. The WHO has warned that sporadic cases of Ebola are likely to re-emerge as the virus can linger on in body fluids of some survivors. Analysis: Tulip Mazumdar, BBC global health correspondent This is yet another blow in the long lingering fight against Ebola. But it is not unexpected. Guinea was in fact the only one of the three worst affected countries that hadn't had a re-emergence of the virus after the outbreak was officially declared over there on 29 December 2015. Both Sierra Leone and Liberia have reported little clusters of new cases after declaring the outbreaks over. But they've been dealt with quickly. A risk of new flare-ups remains because Ebola can persist in body fluids of some survivors for months after they recover. A very small number of new cases have been linked to sexual transmission. The world is in new territory here - scientists are still learning as the worst Ebola outbreak in history continues to unfold. More than 17,000 Ebola survivors are dealing with a wide range of complications and social stigma. Some scientists say there's a risk the virus may become an ever-present disease in West African society. 11,315 Deaths - probable, confirmed and suspected (Includes one in the US and six in Mali) 4,809 Liberia 3,955 Sierra Leone 2,536 Guinea 8 Nigeria", "summary": "Two new Ebola cases have been confirmed in Guinea, almost three months after it celebrated the end of the outbreak."}
{"article": "Among the gripes is that bin collections are getting less frequent and cause a smelly pile-up. So what options do parents have? Nappy bins are not always free - or available - across the UK. Dorset, for example, recently introduced a \u00a313 charge for an annual supply of nappy sacks, which are available for children up to age three. Councils in Bournemouth and Poole let households of five people or more buy an extra bin for \u00a343. Kalpana Fitzpatrick, a journalist from London, thinks the charges are \"absolutely ridiculous\". She tweeted: \"Why not introduce a tax for dog owners where councils have to have poop bins instead of introducing a nappy tax?\" About eight million nappies are thrown away every day in the UK, according to local authorities, with one baby using enough disposable nappies to fill 40 black sacks a year. Mother-of-three Wendy Richards, who uses reusable cloth nappies, says a nappy bin charge is \"understandable\". \"The average baby goes through a huge amount of nappies,\" she says. \"People don't realise how much landfill waste that is. Someone's got to pay for it.\" Young parents have complained of a \"poo problem\" as the time between bin collections has increased, with some areas in the UK having to wait a whole month. Abi Jones, a PA from Essex who blogs about being mother to two-year-old Alfie, says her family has \"definitely found it more difficult\" since their local council switched to fortnightly bin collections. \"Had Alfie been a newborn - and getting through the amount of disposals newborns do - we would have had to make extra trips to the local refuse centre,\" she says. Anglesey council, which has three-weekly collections, offers parents an extra nappy bin collection. But once a toddler reaches age three the service stops, as by this age the council says most children are potty trained. In Bridgend, the council introduced purple collection bags for nappies and other items, such as incontinence pads, in June after it said smaller households could throw away up to two rubbish bags a fortnight. Councils say the move from weekly rubbish collections saves money and encourages people to recycle more. Local authorities have a target to recycle at least half of all waste by 2020, to meet the European Union's Waste Framework Directive. Councils often make exceptions for large families, disabled children and for people with medical conditions if they need more space for waste. But Carly Dashwood, responding to the charges on Facebook, said they were \"disgusting\" if parents with disabled children had to pay. She writes: \"I have a disabled child and he is in nappies. This is very unfair on people that don't have a choice in the matter.\" It is not compulsory to use nappy bins or sacks, but councils can fine families if their household waste gets out of control. If a bin is so full it is deemed littering, councils can issue fixed penalty notices of about \u00a360 to \u00a380 - or slightly less for early payment - under the Environmental Protection Act. If the offence", "summary": "Parents have raised a stink over \"ridiculous\" plans by some councils in England and Wales to charge them to take away nappies on top of their household waste."}
{"article": "The Czech-born American took charge of an hour-long coaching session at Queen's Club in London. Murray will play France's Nicolas Mahut in his Aegon Championships opener, but rain delays mean the match is unlikely to start before 14:00 BST. Murray and Lendl's morning practice was cut short by the weather and more rain is forecast through the day. Lendl arrived from the United States on Monday evening, having last week agreed a deal to resume his coaching role alongside Murray. The pair split in March 2014 after a successful two-year period that saw Murray win his only Grand Slam titles at the US Open and Wimbledon, as well as Olympic gold. Their practice session on Monday lasted an hour before the rain arrived, with British number seven Alex Ward providing the opposition across the net. Lendl worked in tandem with Jamie Delgado, who joined Murray's coaching set-up earlier this year, with the former world number one directing the drills. Mahut, ranked 51st, should provide a stern test of Murray's grass-court level when the pair meet, the Frenchman having won an ATP title on the surface in the Netherlands on Monday. Murray, a four-time champion at Queen's Club, lost to Mahut in the second round in 2012.", "summary": "Ivan Lendl returned to coaching duties with Andy Murray for the first time in over two years on Tuesday."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old returns from Scotland duty to the Hibs squad as the league-leaders entertain Morton on Wednesday. \"I know it will be a tough game, and the squad do as well,\" McGinn told Hibs' website. \"But we know what the reward is at the end of the season and getting three points will be huge moving forward.\" McGinn was with the Scotland squad for the 1-1 friendly draw with Canada and the 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Slovenia on Sunday night. The meant he missed Hibs' 2-1 triumph over second-placed Falkirk on Saturday that extended their advantage at the top of the Championship table to 10 points, with seven games to play. Despite being disappointed to miss any match for the Easter Road side, McGinn was delighted to be involved with Scotland and is convinced it will benefit Hibs. \"I feel as if it is good for myself and for the club,\" he said. \"I feel as if getting the recognition and going away with Scotland is making me a better player. \"I'm thoroughly looking forward to getting back out in a Hibs jersey now and the game against Morton. \"I didn't play a lot during my time with Scotland, so I am ready to come back in. It will be a tough tie, Morton have been very good this season, but when we're at our best we can take on anybody and hopefully we can show that on Wednesday.\" McGinn, who featured as a sub in Scotland's friendly draw with Canada at Easter Road but was not used in the win over Slovenia, hopes to cement his place in Gordon Strachan's plans for the game against England in June and the remaining qualifiers. \"I was over the moon that we got a massive result (Hibs' win over Falkirk) and then it was even better when Scotland followed it up and got a result on the Sunday against Slovenia,\" he said. \"The ambition of everyone in the Scotland squad is to qualify for the World Cup and I am privileged to be a part of that. \"Looking further down the line it is a huge dream to play at a World Cup. That win against Slovenia keeps us in contention for a play-off spot. There are massive games to come and I hope I'm in contention for those matches and the England game in June.\"", "summary": "Midfielder John McGinn hopes the prospect of securing promotion will ensure Hibernian suffer no slip-ups as they chase the Championship title."}
{"article": "A retired British doctor is hoping to trace the descendants of allied soldiers and nurses portrayed in a celebrated collection of World War One pastels. Doug Jenkinson, 70, became aware of the work of Swiss artist Eugene Burnand while exploring his own family history. From 1917-21 Burnand scoured three French cities finding sitters from over 40 nations. Not only did he seek out decorated officers, but ordinary soldiers, nurses, stretcher bearers and labourers. His portraits hang in the Museum of the Legion of Honour in Paris which is planning a centennial exhibition. A friend of Dr Jenkinson, Shirley Darlington, was so captivated by the images she wrote a book about the artist. \"When you look at the portraits you can see their individual characteristics and their humanity. I think if their relatives knew of these portraits they would be so interested and proud of their ancestors.\" she added. Eugene Burnand's wife, Julia Girardet, would help him look for potential sitters by approaching people in uniform on the Paris Metro. His friend, Louis Gillet, who was an art historian and critic, described the sittings as \"resembling a confessional\", with Burnand sitting knee-to-knee with his subjects at his home. Burnand was quite well known at the time and the French military allowed him to visit barracks, where soldiers would be either recuperating or resting from action on the front line. Australian soldier Robert Hamilton later wrote in his diary about being approached by the artist while he was having breakfast. \"Thought I was a typical Aussie, so more out of curiosity and to break the monotony of sightseeing I went. He treated me well and for two days I was well dug in at his home.\" The great-great granddaughter of French Alpine infantryman Fernand Ruan contacted Dr Jenkinson after finding her relative's picture on his website. The family sent him a photograph of Mr Ruan taken in 1973 (below right). He died seven years later. I tracked down the descendants of one of Eugene Burnand's British sitters, Rear Adm Sir Edward Heaton-Ellis. His great-great niece, Charlotte Chichester, had no idea about the portrait and said that despite his calm air of authority he had a tough life. Rear Adm Heaton-Ellis lost his parents as a small child and was brought up by his grandmother before going to a naval college at 14 and was sent to sea soon afterwards. He was decorated for his bravery and daring as Captain of the Inflexible at the Battle of Jutland. Despite surviving World War One he lost both his sons, one in action and the other to the flu epidemic of 1918. Eugene Burnand's great-granddaughter Francoise Witheridge said the portraits were his way of recognising the sacrifice made by so many different nationalities. \"There were people coming from completely different countries to save France. I think that is what is most moving. \"You see the portrait of the Sikh, the man from Baluchistan, the New Zealander, the Fijian. \"Really it was his way of wanting to remember them all and thank them and the way he drew", "summary": "Portraits courtesy Museum of the Legion of Honour"}
{"article": "The moneyed men were from the town's trawling fleets and made their living working \"at the hardest job in the world\". After about three weeks toiling in the fishing grounds, they would return for just three days on land to spend their hard-earned cash before going back to sea. Their lives and other aspects of the booming Grimsby fishing industry of the 1950s are being marked in an exhibition called Fish, Ships and Rock 'n' Roll. Local history enthusiast Alf Ludlam, 71, said: \"The men would stand out in what almost amounted to a uniform. \"They would wear pale grey or blue suits with lots of pleats in the back of the jackets and baggy trousers.\" Mr Ludlam, a museum volunteer with Grimsby Council, said the suits were a fashion statement but also a way of saying \"look at my money\" because the trawlermen could afford to buy a extravagant quantity of cloth. And the men wore open-necked shirts as \"however cold it was in town, it was never as cold as on a trawler off Iceland,\" he added Mr Ludlam remembers watching the men roaming his home town during the 1950s, a time when \"thanks to fishing Grimsby was making more money than ever\". At its peak in that decade, Mr Ludlam said Grimsby was \"the largest fishing port in the world\". The vibrancy of the fishing trade had a spin-off for the rest of the town until the mid-1970s. It was a great period to grow up in Grimsby, Mr Ludlam said, because \"everything was in the melting pot\". \"Fishing was Grimsby's raison d'etre - no fishing, no Grimsby, \" he added. The heyday for the trade lasted about 20 years but the reliance on fishing proved to be a problem for the town as the trawler fleet contracted during, and after, the two decades of the Cod Wars. Iceland started extending its territorial limit around the island to exclude foreign vessels from the water it claimed as its own. The limit was extended on three occasions between 1958 and 1976, each time forcing British fishing vessels further offshore. The limit was finally extended 200 miles off Iceland. This led to confrontations at sea between the Icelandic coastguard and trawlers from Grimsby and Hull. Several ships were even rammed as trawlers continued to try to fish within the new limit. The neighbouring fishing ports of Grimsby and Hull vied with each other in the size and skill of their trawler fleet, and the quality and quantity of fish landed. Mr Ludlam said the ports had \"always been at daggers drawn\" and their fishing fleets were a source of civic pride. He said the collapse of the trawler industry in Grimsby mirrored the similar economic and social struggle former mining towns experienced after the pits closed. The two industries of fishing and mining were also linked by the level of danger encountered. Mr Ludlam said: \"Fishing was the most dangerous - when you set sail you didn't know if you were going to come back.\" The free exhibition Fish, Ships and", "summary": "It was easy to spot a so-called \"three-day millionaire\" in Grimsby in the 1950s."}
{"article": "The London-wide annual target for new units of affordable housing is 17,000, although councils set their own levels. Only 8,550 such units were built in developments with affordability requirements in 2015-16 - down from 10,962 the previous year. Lewisham was the only borough to meet or exceed all its targets over the past three years. \"House prices are rising six times faster than wages and rents [are] sky high,\" said Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter. He said \"thousands of homeless families in London right now - over 2000 in Hackney alone\" were \"trapped in temporary accommodation because there's nowhere they can afford to live.\" Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, has promised \"thousands of new affordable homes to both buy and rent\". Under the London Plan, the councils' self-set affordable homes targets range from an overall target of 25% in Croydon to 50% in boroughs such as Hackney, Lewisham, Islington and Camden. Councils met only two-thirds of their targets in the last three years, and 16 of the 21 councils that responded to the BBC's Freedom of Information request missed their targets every year. While the number of homes built in developments with affordability requirements between 2013-16 rose, the percentage that were affordable fell from 31.3% to 23.5%. Councils can require large housing projects with more than 10 units to provide affordable housing under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. However, they are not doing so and developers are using viability assessments to argue that to provide affordable housing would make the development non-viable, and thus exempt from housing requirements. Instead, councils are taking payments in kind, with so-called s106 payments (money given to councils to secure planning permission) increasing from \u00a3184m to \u00a3235m between 2014 and 2016. Greenwich alone received more than \u00a371m in s106 payments last year - up from just under \u00a310m in 2013-14. Only a quarter of its new housing was affordable, against a target of 35%. Mayor Sir Steve Bullock, London Councils' executive member for housing, said planning affordable housing \"can be a complex process\". \"For instance, putting pressure on developers to build higher proportions of affordable housing can result in fewer homes in total being built,\" he said. \"Should developers prove that affordable housing requirements will threaten the viability of an entire project due to market conditions, boroughs try to negotiate a compromise that still benefits their local communities.\" One council, Harrow, did not respond to the BBC's request for data.", "summary": "London boroughs are failing to ensure developers provide affordable housing, figures obtained by the BBC show."}
{"article": "The militants targeted villages under government control, and clashed with the army and its militia allies. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said at least 15 of the dead were civilians. The fighting is near a strategically important highway linking Hama city with the Aleppo area further north. The SOHR said at least 27 government troops or militia were killed in the attack, on the villages of Aqareb and al-Mabujeh. Another 10 bodies had yet to be identified. Some of the civilians killed were put to death after being captured by IS, the observatory added. State news agency Sana also reported the attack in Aqareb, saying 20 civilians were killed there, but made no mention of al-Mabujeh. Why is there a war in Syria? IS was now fully in control of Aqareb, SOHR said, adding that the government had sent reinforcements to the area. Hama province is divided three ways between government forces, rebels and IS, with the militants mainly occupying the eastern part.", "summary": "More than 50 people are reported to have been killed in heavy fighting in Syria after so-called Islamic State launched an attack in Hama province."}
{"article": "The Leeds site is home to rugby league side Leeds Rhinos, rugby union side Yorkshire Carnegie and Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Plans include a new South Stand on the rugby ground and a new joint stand overlooking both the rugby pitch and cricket ground. A public consultation over the proposals is due to start in February. The capacity of the cricket ground would increase under the plans with the aim of hosting matches in the 2019 Cricket World Cup and securing future Test matches. Plans were revealed in 2014 for a \u00c2\u00a350m revamp of the cricket ground, which currently holds about 17,000 spectators. The new combined stand proposes about 4,200 seats for cricket and 3,800 facing the rugby pitch. The new South Stand for the rugby stadium has a planned capacity of 7,700 with 2,200 being seated. Gary Hetherington, Leeds Rhinos chief executive, said: \"It will present a major construction challenge and inevitably cause some disruption for all teams during that period. \"Our [rugby] stadium capacity will reduce to just over 13,000 for a period during the 2017 season.\" Funding is to be provided by a combination of public and private sources including Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Leeds Rhinos. Leeds Rhinos also plan to sell sites in Weetwood and Tingley for housing development with the receipts invested in the scheme. Consultation events are planned including a four-day exhibition at the Headingley ground.", "summary": "New proposals for the redevelopment of the Headingley Stadium have been revealed."}
{"article": "The Belfast women alleged they were abused over a three-year period in the late 1990s, when they were teenagers. They claim the case was delayed because prosecutors gave precedence to a separate court case, involving allegations made by M\u00c3\u00a1iria Cahill. The PPS said the decision had been made by the court and not them. The women said they had been \"utterly let down by the criminal justice system\". Both women, who have retained their right to anonymity, released a statement through their solicitor, outlining the background to their case and the delays they faced in bringing the matter to court. The two women said they first reported the alleged abuse to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in January 2010. They said their case was \"constantly adjourned\" and then postponed two days before the trial was due to begin. In November 2012, the women's legal representatives made complaints about the handling of the prosecution case to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS), the Office of Attorney General and the Department of Justice. The solicitor said that shortly after a meeting with police and prosecutors in December 2012, during which there was a \"frank exchange of views\", the two women \"reluctantly withdrew their statements\". The statement issued on behalf of two women said: \"They had lost all faith and trust in the criminal justice system and believed they were being exploited, merely for political point scoring.\" The statement also made reference to appointment of Keir Starmer QC to lead an independent review of three prosecution cases linked to Ms Cahill's allegations. The women questioned the independence of the review and called for clarification on its powers and terms of reference. Five people accused in connection with the cases linked to Ms Cahill's allegations were all acquitted in court. A PPS spokesperson said: \"The Public Prosecution Service has commissioned an independent review of these interlinked cases. \"It is intended that the review will consider all aspects of the cases, which may be unprecedented in complexity as they involve not only multiple complainants but also serious charges relating to sex abuse offences and terrorist-related offences. \"We can confirm that all of the complainants in the cases have been invited to participate in the process and it is our hope that each of the individuals involved will agree to do so. \"The approach will be robust and rigorous and any lessons to be learned from the cases will be addressed openly and transparently.\"", "summary": "Two women who claim they were sexually abused by an alleged IRA man have said they withdrew their statements because of how prosecutors dealt with the case."}
{"article": "Dyfed-Powys Police said its officers made arrests relating to controlled drugs at the dance party near Llanddewi Brefi over the bank holiday weekend. Local people and councillors have called for action to ensure more raves are not held. Organisers of the event had relayed the remote location to people via text and email rather than social media. Police said they became aware of a \"large gathering\" late on Saturday, 28 May but because it was already on a \"a very large scale\" the decision was made not to break up the party. Instead, officers stayed at the event to ensure more people could not enter the site. The police helicopter helped to gather intelligence and evidence and arrests were made. Llanddewi Brefi councillor Rhodri Evans said: \"I have had quite a few people in Llandewi expressing their concerns - people driving through the village at very high speeds and perhaps putting people in danger.\" He added that the area was \"quiet and peaceful\" and villagers wanted to ensure more raves were not held. Officers have urged landowners to be vigilant to people enquiring about their land in the guise of hiring it for apparently acceptable activities such as gymkhanas and scouts and guides events.", "summary": "Police are investigating after about 2,000 people turned up for a three-day illegal rave in Ceredigion."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old left-armer, who replaced the injured Zafar Ansari in the squad, has represented England at Twenty20 and one-day level. England are 3-0 down in the series heading into the fifth and final match of the series. Pace bowler James Anderson has been ruled out though general soreness from England's fourth-Test defeat in Mumbai. After Cyclone Vardah recently passed through Chennai, the ground staff at the MA Chidambaram Stadium have dried the wicket using trays of hot coals. England are likely to opt for a three-spinner attack with Dawson, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid supplemented by Joe Root's part-time off-spin. Hampshire's Dawson took three wickets in England's Twenty20 win over Sri Lanka in July and two in the one-day defeat by Pakistan in Cardiff in September - his only two international appearances. England's leading wicket-taker had been out since August with a shoulder injury before returning to play the second Test of the five-match series in India. \"It's a tough one. He is body sore from the Test match and we don't think he is worth the risk in this situation,\" said England captain Alastair Cook. Anderson has taken just four wickets in his three Tests in the series in India. Cook added: \"If it was 1-1, we would probably take that risk but history over the last six months or so has shown us that, when he has played in these situations, injuries have happened. \"We need to look after him. He has got a big part to play for England cricket over the next 18 months or so. He is disappointed but I think it is the right call.\" Fellow bowler Stuart Broad has missed the past two Tests with a tendon strain in his right foot and a decision on his fitness will be taken after practice on Thursday. \"Broady is fit and has a chance. He bowled at a local ground on Wednesday. It's great to have him back,\" said Cook. England, having drawn the first Test, are 3-0 down in the series going into the final match. Cook, who said he had \"questions\" about his role as England Test captain after the fourth match was lost by an innings and 36 runs, will meet with director of cricket Andrew Strauss in January to discuss his position. \"It's a natural thing that happens with me and Straussy now,\" 31-year-old Cook told BBC Test Match Special. \"Often my future comes up and how we want to move forward. \"This would be no different to any of those other meetings and we are going to have to discuss what is the best thing for English cricket. \"You have to be very careful about decisions that are made in the heat of the moment that have a long-term effect on yourself and the team.\" Cook, who captained England in Bangladesh in 2010 before taking on the role permanently in 2012, has won 24 of his 58 Tests in charge. He has also overseen 21 Test defeats, including a 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia in January 2014 and England's first Test loss", "summary": "Spinner Liam Dawson is set to make his Test debut for England in Friday's dead rubber against India in Chennai."}
{"article": "24 January 2017 Last updated at 07:07 GMT Alice is blind and needs help getting around, so now she has a furry friend to help her out. She is one of the youngest person in England to be given a guide dog and Billy has made a big difference to her life. Check out the video to hear Alice and Billy's story.", "summary": "Meet Alice and her guide dog, Billy."}
{"article": "Three men, two women, and a girl under 18 years of age, were arrested on Thursday evening after police carried out a planned search of a house in Castletown, Navan, County Meath. It followed a report alleging false imprisonment. It is understood those living in the house are from Romania. The men and women appeared in court on Saturday. They were remanded in custody.", "summary": "Five people have appeared in court in Trim on charges of theft."}
{"article": "Safety equipment had allegedly been bypassed on the Tangmere locomotive which meant it passed a signal at danger in Wiltshire earlier this year. The legal proceedings have been brought by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). It said its investigation established a high-speed train had passed over the junction about a minute before. Both West Coast Railway Company and the train driver have been charged under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The driver has been charged over \"alleged intentional misuse of the Train Protection and Warning System equipment\", the ORR said. The firm is facing similar charges, the office said, \"on account of its alleged failure to implement managerial controls, procedures, training and monitoring to prevent staff turning off the TPWS equipment\". Both have been ordered to appear before Swindon magistrates in January. Ian Prosser, HM Chief Inspector of Railways at the ORR, said: \"The safety of staff, volunteers, passengers and members of the public is our absolute priority. \"Britain's railways have a good safety record. However, there have been a number of incidents over the past year involving West Coast Railway Company (WCRC) trains. \"The incident at Wootton Bassett junction, where a WCRC train passed a signal at danger, was caused by alleged intentional misuse of a key safety system. This could have easily led to a catastrophic train collision. \"ORR inspectors are working with the rail industry, in particular the mainline heritage sector, to ensure that lessons are learned, and public safety is not put at risk.\" At the time of the incident, WCRC - which is based in Carnforth, Lancashire - was operating the steam train as a charter service. A spokeswoman said \"safety remains our paramount priority\" and the firm had \"worked hard to ensure that we have learned lessons to enhance our safety performance\". \"At this time we have not received any papers from the ORR in relation to the prosecution and therefore we are unable to comment on the proceedings,\" she added.", "summary": "A steam train driver and their employer have been charged over a near miss in which a locomotive stopped across a busy main line railway junction."}
{"article": "The Independent Schools Council (ISC) says if the government pays \u00a35,550 per place - the cost in the state system - the schools will cover the rest. This is expected to cost up to \u00a380m. Some pupils would be tested for academic ability but the scheme would not just target the brightest children. Chief inspector of schools Sir Michael Wilshaw said the plan was not enough. The proposal, originally seen by the BBC and now confirmed, will be made in the ISC's response to a government consultation on the future of education. The scheme would be open to primary and secondary school-age children. But details about which families would benefit and what form the tests would take are yet to be settled and the scheme could not take place without the government's approval. Currently it costs an average of \u00a330,000 to send a pupil to board and \u00a315,500 for a day school for a year. The plan is designed to meet government demands that - in exchange for its tax-free, charitable status - the private education sector does more for potential pupils whose families cannot afford to pay the fees. This status saves independent schools at least \u00a3150m a year. But Sir Michael said the proposal did not go far enough, adding: \"I think they can do better than that and if I was government I would be asking them to do more as a quid pro quo for their tax privileges.\" There are roughly 600,000 pupils in each year group in England, and private schools educate only 7% of the total school population. Analysis By BBC education correspondent Sean Coughlan If the debate about bringing back grammar schools felt like a blast from the past, then the proposal for state-subsidised places in private schools is another case of \"back to the future\". It would mean reviving something similar to the Assisted Places Scheme, which supported means-tested places in private schools in the 1980s and 1990s. They were not \"free\" places, but taxpayer-funded. Scrapping this scheme was one of the first symbolic acts of the Blair government in 1997. Labour argued that public money should be focused on improving state education for the majority - and not used for life rafts into the private sector for a minority. But now the independent schools are testing the water with the May government. It's an ideological choice as much as a practical one, because the numbers of subsidised places proposed - 10,000 a year - are against a school population of more than 8.5 million in England. The government already has a fight on its hands over grammars. Will it want to be seen as lining up with independent schools and snubbing the state sector? The ISC says independent schools will also help set up new free schools and academies in areas identified as needing extra help by ministers. The government's Schools that Work for Everyone consultation, which set out plans for new grammar schools, included demands on independent schools. It said they must support existing state schools, open new ones or offer funded", "summary": "Private schools will offer to provide up to 10,000 free places a year to low-income families in England."}
{"article": "Exeter suffered a blow on five minutes when, after narrowly failing to connect with a Ryan Harley cross, Robbie Simpson landed awkwardly and was stretchered from the field of play in considerable pain. Blackpool went in front on 19 minutes when Christy Pym spilled Brad Potts' shot and Colin Daniel tapped in the rebound. The away side then went 2-0 in front on 39 minutes when a poor punch by Exeter goalkeeper Pym went straight to Potts, 15 yards out, and he lashed a first-time volley into the back of the net. Exeter pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time and it owed much to the great work and perseverance of Jack Stacey, who got down the right and crossed low for Ollie Watkins to ram the ball in from eight yards. Exeter had plenty of the ball in the second half but found chances hard to come by until, in stoppage time, Reuben Reid stooped to head in Watkins' cross to grab a deserved equaliser for the Grecians. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Exeter City 2, Blackpool 2. Second Half ends, Exeter City 2, Blackpool 2. Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Clark Robertson. Attempt missed. David Wheeler (Exeter City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right following a set piece situation. Joel Grant (Exeter City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Kelvin Mellor (Blackpool). Attempt missed. Clark Robertson (Blackpool) header from the centre of the box is too high following a corner. Corner, Blackpool. Conceded by Jordan Moore-Taylor. Goal! Exeter City 2, Blackpool 2. Reuben Reid (Exeter City) header from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ollie Watkins with a cross. Attempt missed. Reuben Reid (Exeter City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Sam Slocombe. Attempt saved. Reuben Reid (Exeter City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Attempt saved. Reuben Reid (Exeter City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by Joel Grant (Exeter City). Kelvin Mellor (Blackpool) wins a free kick on the left wing. Substitution, Blackpool. Danny Philliskirk replaces Bright Samuel. Substitution, Blackpool. Mark Cullen replaces Jamille Matt. Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Will Aimson. Ian Black (Blackpool) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Ryan Harley (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Ian Black (Blackpool). Substitution, Exeter City. Joel Grant replaces Lloyd James. Substitution, Blackpool. Ian Black replaces Sanmi Odelusi. Jake Taylor (Exeter City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Jake Taylor (Exeter City). Jordan Flores (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Exeter City. Reuben Reid replaces Liam McAlinden. Jordan Flores (Blackpool) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Ollie Watkins (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by", "summary": "Exeter City fought back from two goals down to salvage a point in a draw at home to Blackpool."}
{"article": "He is wounded and dying, writing a moving final letter to his loved ones. But he is not fighting and he is not in a war. Piaras is, in fact, only 11 years old, and he is portraying the last hours of Michael Joseph O'Rahilly, killed while taking part in the 1916 Easter Rising. The drama \"The Death of The O'Rahilly\" is just one of the ways Holy Cross Boys Primary School in Ardoyne in north Belfast is marking the centenary. The school has devised a special 1916-2016 education programme, placing the rising at the centre of their curriculum. They have been teaching special lessons in geography, music, art and English. But it was O'Rahilly's story, and letter, which captivated Piaras. \"It is a myth that he wrote it in his own blood,\" he said. \"But by the time the letter was delivered, he was already dead.\" The school's short drama now has a chance of being performed on the stage of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. They have been shortlisted as one of only six schools across Ireland in a competition run by the famous theatre. Meanwhile, in another classroom, P4 to P7 boys who are members of the school council are updating the 1916 proclamation. Their 'Proclamation for a New Generation' takes the form of Padraig Pearse's famous document, but updates it for the 21st century. It contains hopes for \"a good job and good health care\" and a commitment that \"Ireland will be litter free\". \"It does not matter what gender you are, what colour your skin is, what religion you believe in,\" it reads. \"All children of the nation will be cherished equally. \"Our Irish traditions, language and sport will be passed on to our children and grandchildren.\" The proclamation will be revealed to the whole school at a special assembly in mid-March. Elsewhere, pupils have been learning the names and locations of Ireland's 32 counties in geography, while others have been composing a song on the theme of 1916. But is there a danger the focus on the rising could lead to indoctrination rather than education? It is concern answered by the school's vice-principal Chris Donnelly, who said they take a rounded approach to history. \"What we're about is teaching across the length and breadth of historical issues,\" he said. \"In this school we teach the world wars, and the boys in primary four go to the Northern Ireland war museum every year. \"The principal has taken boys to meet Queen Elizabeth when she came here. \"The Easter Rising was a significant event in Irish history and therefore it does need to be talked about and taught. \"The boys will be aware from the community and what they see around them that it's the 100th anniversary. \"We're using that theme in a forward looking sense with the proclamation for a new generation.\"", "summary": "Piaras Millar sits before me, bloodied and bruised, in the green uniform of a soldier."}
{"article": "He accused the government of failing on its deficit target, debt target and welfare cap - while pledging more taxes, debt and borrowing. \"The verdict could not be clearer - the so-called long-term economic plan has failed,\" he said. Mr Hammond said there were not enough high earners to fund Labour ambitions. Single market access Giving his response to Mr Hammond's first Autumn Statement as chancellor, Mr McDonnell said the government was \"ill-prepared and ill-equipped\" to face Brexit - \"the greatest economic challenge of a generation\". \"The chaotic Tory handling of Brexit threatens the future,\" he told MPs. \"You must now do the right thing for British workers and businesses - you must insist on full, tariff-free access to the single market.... \"If you stand up for British business and jobs in fighting for single market access, you will have our support.\" Turning to the rest of the statement, Mr McDonnell claimed six million people were earning less than the living wage and accused the Conservatives of treating so-called Jams - those who are \"just about managing\" - as being an \"electoral demographic\", adding \"to us they are our friends and the people we represent\". \"If you really want to make a fair tax system as well, you can start by bringing back the 50p rate for the very richest in our country.\" 'Race to the bottom' He said it was regrettable that the chancellor was still going ahead with some of the cuts to Universal Credits, accusing him of \"betraying\" working single parents who he claims are at least \u00c2\u00a32,300 worse off. He called for additional support for the social care budget, stressing: \"We now have 3.9 million people on NHS waiting lists ... Many of those are waiting in pain and they have got no relief today.\" He described the scrapping of tenant and letting fees as \"a victory for Labour campaigning\", but said home ownership was still \"a dream\" for the under 25s because fewer houses had been built under the Conservatives since the 1920s. He said the chancellor was \"continuing a race to the bottom\" on corporation tax, while continuing to cut public services and cut taxes for big businesses. But in response, Mr Hammond said the top 1% of earners contribute 27% of the tax paid. \"Unfortunately, there aren't enough of them to finance all your ambitions.\"", "summary": "Chancellor Philip Hammond's spending plans \"offer no hope for the future\" after six \"wasted\" years, his Labour counterpart John McDonnell has claimed."}
{"article": "There were 11,002 casualties in total, with a 37% increase in women affected and 14% for children. The Afghan government accused the Taliban of targeting civilians, especially women, to spread fear. The UN's human rights chief said such \"brutal and unprincipled attacks\" were forbidden under international law. \"This is happening with almost complete impunity,\" Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said in the report produced by the UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (Unama). \"The perpetrators of the violations... must be held to account.\" Since the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan began after 2011 and the official end of Nato's combat mission in December 2014 , the number of civilian casualties has risen year on year. The report blamed ground fighting in and around populated areas, along with suicide bombings and other attacks in cities for the 3,545 deaths and 7,457 injuries it recorded. This is a 4% increase on last year's figures. Although there were 156 fewer civilian deaths compared to 2014, the number of injuries soared, pushing the overall casualty figure to the highest level since the UN started keeping records in 2009. \"Unprecedented numbers of children were needlessly killed and injured last year,\" Unama's Danielle Bell said in a statement. The Afghan government said the UN's report did not accurately reflect how many civilians were killed in suicide attacks as it only covered \"high-conflict areas\" whereas its statistics covered the whole country. A brother of a man who had gone out to fetch water for his family in Kunduz city on 1 October told the UN: \"He called my mobile and said, 'Hey brother\u2026 I was shot in my stomach\u2026 I don't know who shot me\u2026 my injuries are serious\u2026 I can see pieces of my own intestines on my motorcycle.' \"After that, the line went dead... no-one could reach the site of the incident to take him back because of the fighting. His body remained in the streets for three days, until my relatives could recover it and bury him.\" The Taliban over-ran the northern Afghan city of Kunduz in September and left several weeks later after a counter-attack. Find out more about the Taliban conflict The number of causalities caused by militants fell, but still constituted 62% of the total, Unama said. The government blamed the drop on the fact that civilians in areas of consistent shelling, attacks and harassment by the Taliban had fled their homes. The UN report said anti-government elements were increasingly using tactics to deliberately cause civilian harm and there was an indiscriminate use of pressure-plate-triggered improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The number of casualties inflicted by pro-government forces, including Nato, which continues to provide some military support, rose by 42% compared to 2014. These were mainly attributable to the Afghan security forces during ground engagements and aerial operations. Unama said it continued to document human rights abuses carried out by pro-government armed groups in 2015 which included \"deliberate killings, assaults, extortion, intimidation and theft\".", "summary": "The number of people killed and wounded in conflict in Afghanistan rose in 2015 to the highest level yet recorded, the UN mission in the country says."}
{"article": "Seamer Porter dismissed Richard Levi in the third over of the final morning. Ryan ten Doeschate (4-31) then took 3-17 from nine overs as Adam Rossington and Azharullah fell lbw and David Murphy was caught at mid-on. Essex wrapped up victory after lunch as Graham Napier bowled Ben Sanderson as the visitors were all out for 230. Rory Kleinveldt finished unbeaten on 35, having hit five boundaries, and Richard Gleeson made a career-best 13 but Northants folded against the hosts' pace bowlers. Porter, who has now claimed 22 wickets at 17.18 from his first three Championship matches of 2016, also picked up a career best of 5-46 in the first innings to help Essex maintain their unbeaten start to the season. BBC Radio Northampton's Alex Winter: \"A pretty poor all-round performance from Northamptonshire here. They bowled waywardly on the first day and have been chasing the game since. \"The batting was marginally better in the second innings but nowhere near good enough to get back in the game. \"Essex have put in an efficient display for a huge win and their second victory of the season. Promotion challenge on?\"", "summary": "Jamie Porter's career-best first-class match figures of 8-91 helped Essex ease to an innings and 92-run victory over Northamptonshire at Chelmsford."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Carlos Tuimavave and Fetuli Talanoa tries and a Jake Connor penalty gave Hull a 14-12 half-time lead, Cas' Ben Roberts and Zak Hardaker replying. Connor kicked three more penalties and Roberts crossed again before Hull pulled away when Mahe Fonua and Jamie Shaul scored within two minutes. Greg Minikin's late try set up a tense finish but Hull's defence stood strong. Hull's victory set up a semi-final with Leeds Rhinos, while Wigan Warriors, winners against rivals Warrington on Saturday, face Salford Red Devils. The defeat was only the Tigers' fourth of the season, having won eight successive matches going into the game, with their last loss also coming against Lee Radford's side. The hosts had flown into a 12-0 lead early on when Tuimavave intercepted a pass to run nearly the full length of the pitch before Talanoa muscled off two defenders to cross. But Roberts showed fleet of foot to find a gap and score, while Hardaker touched down Luke Gale's smart kick. Connor's penalty kept Hull in the driving seat, and his kicks kept the score ticking over in the second, as Roberts once more found a gap to get his second try. But Hull took a firm grip on the match thanks to two quickfire tries, and although Minikin barrelled his way through down the right, Cas' handling mistakes throughout the match came back to haunt them. Hull head coach Lee Radford: \"I'm very proud of my players. There were plenty of special efforts and that was needed. \"This is the juicy part of the season, the excitement starts now. \"Leeds will be a tough semi-final. I don't think we've beaten them in nine games so it will be a challenging and tough Yorkshire derby. But these are the exciting game to be involved in.\" Castleford boss Daryl Powell: \"Obviously I'm disappointed because it was a poor performance. We didn't handle the start well but we battled back well and we thought we could resettle at half-time. \"When we got in front, the way we tried to manage the game was crazy with offloads. \"Hull were too good for us but we have an opportunity against these boys again in the season. They have beaten us twice now this season and we have to find a way to knock them off.\" Hull FC: Shaul, Michaels, Fonua, Tuimavave, Talanoa, Kelly, Connor, Taylor, Houghton, Watts, Washbrook, Minichiello, Manu. Replacements: Bowden, Fash, Thompson, Turgut. Castleford: Hardaker, Minikin, Webster, Shenton, Eden, Roberts, Gale, Lynch, McShane, Massey, Sene-Lefao, McMeeken, Milner. Replacements: Millington, Patrick, Larroyer, Foster. Referee: Phil Bentham", "summary": "Defending champions Hull FC defeated Super League leaders Castleford Tigers to reach the Challenge Cup semi-finals."}
{"article": "Donaldson is back in training following a lengthy lay-off with a heel injury which has kept him out for the whole of Gianfranco Zola's 16 games in charge. Wigan have lost Sam Morsy, who starts a two-game ban after being booked for the 10th time this season at Blackburn. They are also waiting form a verdict on the severity of fellow midfielder Shaun MacDonald's knee injury. MacDonald went off early at Ewood Park, but the Latics are hopeful he has not suffered ligament damage. Boss Warren Joyce could be back in the Wigan dug-out having watched from the stand on Saturday after undergoing minor surgery.", "summary": "Birmingham City remain without Clayton Donaldson and Michael Morrison for the visit of Wigan Athletic to St Andrew's."}
{"article": "Only three of the Brazilian club's players survived November's crash, when 71 of 77 people on board died. Top clubs from Brazil and Argentina offered to loan players to Chapocense, who signed 25 new players this season and promoted nine from the youth team. They lifted the Santa Catarina state championship on Sunday for the second straight year, despite losing to Avai. Media playback is not supported on this device Chapecoense were beaten 1-0 in Sunday's final play-off, but their 1-0 victory in the first leg meant their better record over the course of the season was decisive. The club dedicated the win to those who were killed, with new coach Vagner Mancini saying: \"We knew that Chape would have a lot of difficulties because of the rebuilding of the team, but because of the work we reached the title, beating opponents who are rivals and difficult to beat.\" The crash happened on 29 November as the squad travelled to face Colombian side Atletico Nacional in the final of the Copa Sudamericana. Nineteen players and staff died.", "summary": "Chapecoense have won their first title since most of their team were killed in a plane crash."}
{"article": "Simon Hall, 36, was found hanged at Wayland Prison, Norfolk, in 2014. Hall, jailed for killing Joan Albert, 79, claimed his innocence until 2013 when he said he was \"seriously violent\" and there had been \"sexual aspects\" to the murder, the inquest heard. His widow Stephanie said she had believed in Hall's innocence. Read live updates on this story Dr William Long, a senior forensic psychologist with the prison service, told Norfolk Coroner's Court that after he made his confession, Hall \"had changed from resisting his conviction to a man that admitted he was seriously violent\". Meetings at Hollesley Bay Open Prison, where Hall was held before being transferred to Wayland after he took an overdose of his anti-smoking medication on 8 September 2013, he spoke openly about his issues and was under constant supervision. He was considered to be at high risk of suicide and self-harm. Jurors have heard that Hall was also a user of Spice, a substance smoked by some inmates that was recently made illegal under new legislation. Mrs Hall, who had campaigned for Hall to be cleared before his confession, said he was not \"receiving the adequate help and support he needed\". She told the inquest: \"The year after we married I publicly campaigned to clear his name, believing him to be a gross miscarriage of justice victim.\" Mrs Hall told the jury when she first met Hall, he did nothing to suggest he had murdered Mrs Albert. She said she kept in touch with her husband after he confessed to the murder. She said when he was in Hollesley Bay Prison, near Woodbridge, they spoke \"all the time\". By the time he moved to Wayland Prison, near Watton however, contact was \"minimal\". However, she said she had her final phone conversation with her husband, the night before he died. \"The telephone conversation ended with him telling me he loved me and I told him the same back. He certainly didn't seem suicidal,\" she said. Mrs Albert, 79, was murdered at her home in Capel St Mary, near Ipswich, Suffolk, in December 2001. The inquest continues.", "summary": "A killer who spent a decade protesting his innocence before confessing his guilt, was a \"highly disturbed individual\", his widow told an inquest."}
{"article": "The cards, for the Scottish parliamentary election on 5 May, spell Scotland as \"Scotalnd\". The error was not spotted until the official notification started to be delivered to voters in the city. The authority said it accepted the mistake was \"disappointing and embarrassing\". A spokeswoman for the Returning officer said: \"This is a very disappointing, and of course, a very embarrassing proofing error. \"The 175,000 poll cards distributed will not be replaced as this unfortunate spelling mistake in no way invalidates the poll cards.\"", "summary": "Aberdeen City Council has said it did not plan to reprint thousands of polling cards which contain a prominent spelling error."}
{"article": "The 13,000-year-old object is on show as the centrepiece of an exhibition celebrating Ice Age Llandudno. The bone was found at the Great Orme in the 1870s by a retired copper miner who polished pebbles to sell to tourists. Dr Jill Cook of the British Museum said it was \"very special\" to reunite it with other rare items found there. The decorated bone has been in London as part of the British Museum's display of Ice Age art almost continuously since its discovery around 140 years ago. Decorated deer foot bones and perforated animal teeth found at the same site are also being loaned to Llandudno Museum by National Museum Wales. New research by the British Museum has shown that the art and burial items found in Llandudno belonged to people who migrated into Britain 13,000 to 14,000 years ago, during the last Ice Age. They arrived in north Wales with jewellery made from bear, deer and wild cattle teeth in the same style as those found in Belgium and France. But they also had their own distinctive style, shown by the decoration of the horse jaw and the deer foot bones. At this time, the Great Orme was not by the sea but dominated a wide coastal plain. It had views over the coast, hills and distant mountains - an ideal place for people living by hunting and gathering. The skeletons of three adults and a young person were also found in the cave, but few tools, suggesting Kendrick's Cave was a rare example of an Ice Age burial place. The bones and teeth were found by accident by retired copper miner Thomas Kendrick, who used a cave on the Great Orme as a workshop to cut and polish pebbles to sell to tourists as souvenirs. Dr Jill Cook, deputy keeper of prehistory and Europe at the British Museum, said the items were of international significance. \"The decorated horse chin from Kendrick's Cave is a reminder of our deep history,\" she said. \"It is usually on display in the British Museum with Ice Age art from France. Seeing it reunited with the other rare items found on the Great Orme is very special and a great start to Llandudno's plans to develop its museum.\" The exhibition is backed by \u00c2\u00a337,000 from the \u00c2\u00a31.7m Cadw-funded Our Heritage Project aimed at boosting tourism in Gwynedd, Conwy and Snowdonia. The items were previously on show at Llandudno Museum in 2008 and 2010. Museum chair Roy Haley said: \"We are very excited to welcome this rare and internationally important object back to Llandudno. \"Thanks to the support of the Our Heritage project, we have been given the opportunity to display a first-class collection that helps to tell the story of Llandudno - and we hope to see many more visitors as a result.\" Phil Edwards, Conwy council cabinet member for communities, added: \"The objects from Kendrick's Cave offer a unique and fascinating insight into our distant past here in Llandudno.\" Ice Age Llandudno runs at the town's museum until 30 September.", "summary": "A horse's jaw bone, which features what is believed to be the oldest work of art in Wales, has returned to the town where it was found in a cave."}
{"article": "29 March 2016 Last updated at 15:44 BST Peter Brown watched the footage on his computer at home in Cumbria after it was put online by the University of Manchester to show the Dunkirk evacuation - and lighter moments on HMS Whitehall. North West Tonight reporter Stuart Flinders spoke to Mr Brown.", "summary": "A man spotted his father performing cartwheels and tightrope walking on a Royal Navy destroyer in a World War Two archive film."}
{"article": "Thirty years ago, the boy from the Gellideg estate challenged Mexican Lupe Pintor for his WBC Bantamweight belt. Despite defying the odds to dominate the early stages of the fight, he was knocked out in the 12th round, never to regain consciousness again. In a typically hard-fought battle for life, he survived for another two months, but on 4 November 1980, Johnny Owen eventually succumbed to his terrible head injuries. Born to a large Merthyr family, Johnny soon learned to stick up for himself, and started his interest in boxing aged just eight. He was to remain in the amateur sport until he was 20, an unusually long time by modern standards; winning 106 of his 124 bouts. He fought for Wales 17 times, and was victorious on 15 occasions. Yet despite this impressive record, Merthyr boxing writer and professional referee, Winford Jones, says that Johnny's true talent didn't lie in the shorter format of the sport. \"Johnny was a machine. His great skill wasn't his strength - though he never took a backwards step and could punch as hard as anyone of his weight - it was his stamina. \"He could fight for hours, and would wear opponents down by outlasting them. You could see this talent far more in 12 and 15-round professional fights, than you could in the three rounds allowed in amateur boxing.\" His professional career lasted just four years, from 1976 to 1980, but in that time Johnny Owen crammed in 28 fights; winning 25, drawing one and losing two. Though in a sense it is possible to argue that he never lost fair and square. His first defeat came against Spain's Juan Francisco Rodriguez, in a fight for the European belt. In what's now widely regarded by experts to have been a travesty of a home-town decision, the judges awarded Rodriguez a fight which Owen had clearly bossed. His second, and final defeat came in the fatal clash with Pintor, a fight in which he at least held his own, and may have won, were it not for the head injuries which he'd sustained. But at one stage Owen's record read 22-0, winning his first fight against a former Welsh champion, George Sutton. In his sixth fight he again saw off Sutton to claim the Welsh title. By bout nine he had the British belt, beating Paddy Maguire, and in November 1978 he became the Commonwealth champion, stopping Italian-Australian Paul Ferreri. Owen wasted no time in avenging the controversial defeat to Rodriguez in the spring of 1979. Just a year later he convincingly bettered him in a re-match in Ebbw Vale, setting up his World title chance against Pintor. Winford Jones was lucky enough to referee some of those early fights. \"In what I think must have been his fourth or fifth fight, I remember he was taking on an Irish lad, and I had to stop it in the fourth round because Johnny was murdering him. \"It makes you think about what happened a few years later on to Johnny. \"But he was fearless, you", "summary": "In the firmament of Welsh boxing legends, no star has burned so brightly, or for such a tragically short time, as the \"Merthyr Matchstick\", Johnny Owen."}
{"article": "Canon Jeremy Pemberton is a chaplain at Lincoln Hospital and has Permission to Officiate and leads occasional services in Nottinghamshire. Gay marriage became legal in England and Wales last month but the move was not supported by the Church of England. The Bishop of Lincoln said Mr Pemberton had been reminded of this policy. Mr Pemberton, who describes himself as activist for LGBT equality in church and workplace, married his long-term partner on Saturday. Supporters on social media predicted he would be the first of many gay clergy to wed. The Bishop of Lincoln, the Right Reverend Christopher Lowson, said: \"I am aware that a member of the clergy who works in the Diocese of Lincoln has married a partner of the same sex. \"The priest concerned wrote to me in advance to explain his intention and we had a subsequent meeting in which I explained the guidelines of the House of Bishops.\" Commenting on Twitter last night, Mr Pemberton thanked well wishers but said \"Nay-sayers we can talk another time\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6maybe?\"", "summary": "An Anglican hospital chaplain has become what is believed to be the first member of the clergy in Britain to have a gay marriage."}
{"article": "The group, known as Iffley Open House, had previously occupied a former car showroom on Iffley Road, owned by Wadham College, on New Year's Eve. They were asked to leave and then moved into the disused Osney Mill site in February. The university said the former power station was unsafe won a court order to evict the group. Creative Solutions It added that the building was due to be redeveloped by the Said Business School. Some of the squatters said they were offered sleeping space at a local church, but most will now be back on the streets, the group said. Volunteer Miranda Shaw said: \"One good thing is that it has created enough of a stir that there are big conversations happening. \"We will be coming together in the coming weeks to meet churches, councils, the university, service providers and police. There is the intention to find creative solutions.\" Oxford University has always maintained that it is sympathetic to plight of the homeless and has been working towards resolving the situation.", "summary": "Squatters who had taken over a disused power station owned by Oxford University have vacated the building."}
{"article": "The roof of the building on Main Road in Otterbourne, near Eastleigh, collapsed during the blaze, which broke out at about 03:30 GMT. No injuries were reported at the site, which also contains workshops and offices. An investigation is under way. The neighbouring convenience store, which was saved, is due to reopen later. Ty Whitlock, commanding officer at the scene, said: \"When we pulled up we were faced with flames coming out of the roof, coming out of the glass doors and windows and obviously huge amounts of smoke coming from the eaves.\"", "summary": "Up to 40 firefighters have been tackling a large fire which destroyed a garage in Hampshire."}
{"article": "Stenson won his first major on Sunday with a record-low total at Royal Troon. Compatriot Ibrahimovic, 34, is one of sport's most iconic figures and has won trophies in Spain, Italy and France. \"I think I said I needed to win 10 majors to get up to his recognition,\" said Stenson, 40. \"Maybe five will do it. We'll see! One at a time.\" Ibrahimovic recently signed for Manchester United after scoring 50 goals in 51 matches for French champions Paris St-Germain last season. He also won 12 trophies in four seasons with the French club. Stenson has little time to savour his Open win given the fourth major of the year, the USPGA Championship, starts at Baltusrol on 28 July. \"This is huge back home and it has been quite chaotic with all the media, but it's all good and I'm just going to try to recharge,\" he said. The world's top four players - Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson - have all withdrawn from next month's Rio Olympics. They have cited concerns over the Zika virus, which has been linked to defects in newborn babies and also found to cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that leads to temporary paralysis in adults. Stenson, now fifth in the world rankings, said he is looking forward to competing in Rio in what is golf's first appearance at the Olympics for 112 years. \"I'm a huge sporting fan in general and to see an Olympic Games from the inside and participate is going to be huge,\" he told BBC Radio 5 live. \"If I can do myself and my country proud by bringing home a medal, that would be awesome. I've got a Claret Jug now and any Olympic medal would be quite nice to put next to it in the trophy cabinet.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Stenson birdied four of his final five holes at Royal Troon and had 10 in total in a round of 63 to finish three shots clear of American Phil Mickelson. \"I was so zoned in the last five holes I didn't know how many birdies I had made in that round,\" said Stenson. \"I was so focused on getting the job done, it was not until I had that birdie putt at the last that I could let go and realise I've done the achievement of my career. \"It was just an added bonus for that putt to drop and set a new Open record, but it was all about bringing that Claret Jug home to Sweden and be the first Swedish male to win a major championship. \"It's huge and it's going to get better and better with time I'm sure.\"", "summary": "Open champion Henrik Stenson says he may need nine more majors before he can be compared to another Swedish sporting legend - footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic."}
{"article": "Crews were called to the market town's High Street just before 14:30 GMT. A number of people have been evacuated from nearby properties amid concerns the car could be fuelled by Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG). A fire service spokeswoman said: \"We don't get many vehicle fires involving LPG but but it is explosive so we do take precautions.\"", "summary": "Firefighters have been tackling a car blaze in the centre of Skipton."}
{"article": "The Bob Smith Spring Cup meeting at Scarborough was abandoned following the Manx soldier's accident on Sunday. A spokesman for the event said the 25-year-old was taken to Middlesbrough Hospital where he is \"undergoing treatment for his injuries\". He added that he is \"breathing on his own and his condition is improving\". Redmayne won the Junior Manx Grand Prix last year and is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the sport. His crash came after the feature Spring Cup race had been restarted when Northern Ireland's TT star suffering a leg injury. Johnston was also taken to hospital for X-rays following the incident. The organisers were forced to abandon the meeting in North Yorkshire because of a lack of medical cover at the course following the crashes. The feature race will now be held at the Cock of the North Road Races in June.", "summary": "Isle of Man rider Billy Redmayne has suffered serious injuries in a crash at the Oliver's Mount Spring Cup meeting in England."}
{"article": "The work, originally due to start next month, is now planned to begin in September subject to a procurement process. \u00a316.2m has been allocated to Translink for the railway upgrade. Last year, Translink said an hourly service on the route was a \"priority\". The second stage of the upgrade involves major re-signalling between Derry and Coleraine and the introduction of a passing loop.", "summary": "Work on a second major upgrade to the Londonderry-to-Coleraine railway line has been delayed by four months."}
{"article": "It is to the eternal misfortune of his closest competitor, Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, that he plays in the time of the great Argentine otherwise he would surely have claimed the coveted crown more than once. Ronaldo and Messi's Barcelona team-mate Andres Iniesta - a Euro 2012 winner with Spain - were the other contenders and would be fitting and worthy winners in any era. This, however, is not any era - it is the Lionel Messi era. Media playback is not supported on this device Messi's brilliance is backed up by a blizzard of compelling statistics, not least his recent feat of breaking German striker Gerd Mueller's 40-year-old record by ending the calendar year with 91 goals for club and country. The manner in which Messi has individually dominated the game's recent years is only emphasised by the fact that he has effectively made its highest individual honour his personal property. And at the relatively tender age of 25, and with a recently agreed deal to keep him at the Nou Camp until 2018, he has power and talent to add to his unique collection of Ballon d'Or honours. The latest coronation will also give fresh impetus to a debate that now rages with more intensity around Messi. Namely - is he the greatest to have played the game? He can justifiably take his place alongside other legends such as France's Michel Platini, who won three times in succession from 1983. Johann Cruyff won three times between 1971 and 1974 but his sequence was interrupted when Franz Beckenbauer won in 1972. Brazil's Pele and Messi's fellow countryman Diego Maradona are inevitably the other names always factored into the equation when working out who is the greatest - but this is a question that is almost impossible to answer definitively. The argument is shaped by, and in, different generations. The game and players change, which makes the debate even more of an inexact science. And of course, who is to say Pele or Maradona would not have emulated Messi's feat had they been eligible to win the Ballon d'Or? The award was created by France Football magazine in 1956 to honour the finest European player of the previous calendar year - non-Europeans were only eligible from 1997, a time way beyond that of Pele and Maradona. Those who support the cases of Pele and Maradona instantly evoke their impact on the highest stage of all, the World Cup, a place where Messi has yet to deliver the brilliance he does on a weekly basis for Barcelona. Pele's name burst into football's psyche as a 17-year-old when Brazil won the World Cup in Sweden in 1958. Injury curtailed his involvement when Brazil won again four years later and he was effectively kicked out of the tournament as an ageing team faded in England in 1966. And yet it was a sign of his enduring brilliance that he won another World Cup with Brazil in Mexico in 1970 as the outstanding figure in a team still widely regarded as the greatest there has ever", "summary": "Lionel Messi's status as the planet's finest footballer was further cemented as he won Fifa's Ballon d'Or for an unprecedented fourth successive time."}
{"article": "Ex University of Bedfordshire academic Dr Theodora Dallas told jurors a man on assault charges at Luton Crown Court had previously been accused of rape. The trial in July 2011 was halted. Dallas, from Greece, said her grasp of English was sometimes \"not that good\". Three High Court judges sentenced the 34-year-old to six months in prison. She was told that she would serve three months in jail and be on licence for the remainder of the term. The judges refused Dallas permission to appeal to the Supreme Court. Lord Judge said Dallas had \"deliberately disobeyed\" the trial judge's instructions not to search the internet and added: \"The damage to the administration of justice is obvious.\" He said: \"Misuse of the internet by a juror is always a most serious irregularity and an effective custodial sentence is virtually inevitable.\" Her counsel Charles Parry had made a plea to the court to be merciful and impose a suspended sentence, but Lord Judge rejected this. He said there was \"no sufficient basis\" for suspension. She had said earlier in a written statement: \"I had no intention at all to prejudice the jury in any way. I had no intention to disobey what the judge said.\" At a hearing last Thursday, Attorney General Dominic Grieve told Lord Judge, Lady Justice Hallett and Mr Justice Openshaw that Dallas had impeded the administration of justice and was in contempt. But the academic, who has resigned from her post, told the judges: \"I did not understand that I could make no search on the internet. \"I really apologise. I never thought it would cause such disruption.\" Lord Judge said Dallas was guilty of \"contempt of the jury and the jury system... to the criminal standard\". \"In the long run, any system which allows itself to be treated with contempt faces extinction. \"That is a possibility we cannot countenance.\" Dallas came to England from Greece at the age of 19 and was \"a woman of positive good character and we acknowledge her achievements thus far in her relatively young life,\" the judge said. \"She has now put her academic career into jeopardy.\" But nothing had been said in mitigation that convinced the court she should be spared an immediate jail sentence, the judge said. He had \"no doubt\" that Dallas knew \"perfectly well\" the trial judge had directed members of the jury not to seek information from the internet but \"deliberately disobeyed the order\". \"She did not merely risk prejudice to the due administration of justice, but she caused prejudice to it. \"The time of the other members of the jury was wasted and the public was put to additional unnecessary expense.\" Dallas had been a psychology lecturer at the University of Bedfordshire, which has its main campus in Luton. The trial where the contempt was committed involved a man accused of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. A juror had told an usher that Dallas had carried out internet research while they were deliberating their verdict, flouting instructions by the trial judge. Dallas had revealed to jurors the", "summary": "A juror who researched a defendant's past on the internet and shared the information with fellow jury members has been jailed for contempt of court."}
{"article": "Canos gave Brentford the lead after 18 minutes, firing home from the edge of the box from Ryan Woods' pass. It was 2-0 before half-time as Vibe scored his ninth goal in 12 league games with a looped header over City goalkeeper Frank Fielding. The defeat sees the Robins drop to 21st place, a point above the relegation zone, while Brentford move up to 12th. Lee Johnson's side had moved up to 19th place thanks to back-to-back wins over Wigan and Huddersfield, but Burton's 1-0 win over the Terriers and Nottingham Forest's 1-1 draw with Preston saw them lose ground in the battle to beat the drop. Led by the in-form attacking trio of Canos, Vibe and Jota, Dean Smith's Brentford have now won five of their past eight Championship matches. They could have gone ahead after just two minutes when Romaine Sawyers stung Fielding's hands with a swerving 25-yard drive. However, City nearly took the lead themselves, with Aden Flint's close-range header going wide before Daniel Bentley saved well from his own captain Harlee Dean. Brentford took control of the match in an eight-minute spell, with Canos finding the net with an angled drive before Vibe reacted quickest to Konstantin Kerschbaumer's flicked lob to double the home side's lead. Robins striker Bobby Reid struck the side-netting and Matty Taylor drilled wide with the goal gaping late on, but City failed to score for the first time in four games. Brentford manager Dean Smith told BBC Radio London: \"I thought for 70 minutes today we were excellent and played some great football. \"First half we were in complete control and deserved the two goals and should have had more - we had a goal disallowed from a corner when there was nothing wrong with it. \"I saw Bristol City beat Huddersfield. We had to be good and I thought we were.\" Bristol City manager Lee Johnson: \"Second half we created more but we didn't start anywhere near well enough, and that's disappointing. We simply can't start like that and expect to go and win games.\" \"The way we've been playing I just didn't see this coming. It's so frustrating because you know we have quality in the team but we didn't hold the ball upfront, our defenders were too deep and I felt sorry for the lads in the middle. \"Once we retained the ball and changed shape at half time we got better, but by then poor defending had left us with too much too do.\" Match ends, Brentford 2, Bristol City 0. Second Half ends, Brentford 2, Bristol City 0. Offside, Bristol City. Frank Fielding tries a through ball, but Callum O'Dowda is caught offside. Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Rico Henry. Romaine Sawyers (Brentford) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Lee Tomlin (Bristol City). Daniel Bentley (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Matty Taylor (Bristol City). Attempt saved. Bailey Wright (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Corner, Bristol", "summary": "Goals from Sergi Canos and Lasse Vibe helped Brentford end Bristol City's four-game unbeaten streak."}
{"article": "The body of another worker caught up in Friday's fire at Wood Flour Mills, near Macclesfield, was found on Sunday. All four were believed to be working in the upper floors of the mill on Friday when an explosion and fire reduced the four-storey building to rubble. Firefighters have warned it may \"take a long time\" to complete the search. A search team is excavating the 5m x 5m (16ft x 16ft) area where the body - which has not yet been identified - was found. The families of Derek Moore, 62, Dorothy Bailey, 62, Jason Shingler, 38, and William Barks, 51, were all informed when the body was found, and continue to be updated and supported by police officers. Another woman is in hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries. Two other men remain in hospital in a stable condition and another man has been discharged with minor injuries. In a statement, the site owner - Wood Treatment Ltd - said it was \"shocked and saddened\" by the blast in Bosley. The police are conducting a joint investigation with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The site, which manufactures wood flour used for making laminate flooring, was also struck by fires in 2010 and 2012.", "summary": "The search and recovery mission to find three people still missing after an explosion at a Cheshire wood processing plant has entered a fifth day."}
{"article": "Ronan O'Mahony and James Cronin both notched two tries with Tommy O'Donnell and the Scannell brothers Niall and Rory also touching down for Munster. Derick Minnie scored a first-half try for Zebre as Munster led 24-7 at the break with Lloyd Greeff also scoring for the Pro12's bottom club in Parma. The Italian club have lost 16 of their 17 Pro12 matches this season. Ireland hooker Niall Scannell finished off a maul to open Munster's account in the third minute before his fellow international O'Donnell extended the lead on 18 minutes. After wing O'Mahony's first try, Minnie replied for Zebre on the half-hour mark before a Tyler Bleyendaal penalty left Munster 17 points clear at half-time. Munster centre Scannell joined his older brother on the scoreboard with the first try of the second half to ensure his side a bonus point, before O'Mahony secured his brace after Marcello Violi was sin-binned for the hosts. Despite their numerical disadvantage, Zebre reduced the deficit to 12 points through a converted try from South African Greeff with just under 25 minutes to play. But Munster quickly reasserted their authority as prop Cronin marked his comeback from injury with two tries in the final 20 minutes, both converted by Rory Scannell. Zebre: D Berryman; K Van Zyl, T Boni, T Castello, L Greeff; S Bordoli, M Violi; B Postiglioni, O Fabiana, B Le Roux; G Koegelenberg, V Bernabo (capt); M Mbanda, J Meyer, D Minnie. Replacements: S Tobias, A De Marchi, G Roan, J Furno, F Ruzza, C Engelbrecht, M Pratichetti, G Palazzani. Munster: A Conway; D Sweetnam, J Taute, R Scannell, R O'Mahony; T Bleyendaal, D Williams; D Kilcoyne, N Scannell, J Ryan; D O'Callaghan, B Holland (capt); P O'Mahony, T O'Donnell, J O'Donoghue. Replacements: R Marshall, J Cronin, S Archer, D O'Shea, C Oliver, A Lloyd, D Johnston, D Goggin.", "summary": "Munster continued their march towards the Pro12 play-offs as they earned a 50-14 bonus-point away win over Zebre."}
{"article": "After the final with Wycombe in 2015 ended 1-1, the defender smashed home a penalty to help Southend to victory. \"It was my Stuart Pearce moment from Euro 96. He was one of my heroes growing up,\" said the 37-year-old. \"To come back to Southend, the club I'd supported as a boy, and finish it in that way was a dream come true.\" Barrett played 354 games in two spells with the club, the last against Stevenage in the EFL Trophy in November. The former Bristol Rovers and Gillingham defender was a member of the Shrimpers' side that won back-to-back promotions from League Two to the Championship in 2005 and 2006, as well as the promotion in 2015. \"I'd never played at Wembley, I'd played at the Millennium Stadium a couple of times while Wembley was being rebuilt and I worried I'd missed my chance,\" he told BBC Sport. \"But to go to Wembley with Southend (against Wycombe), and the way we won it - Joe Pigott scored with 20 seconds to go to take it to penalties. \"I took a penalty, put my foot through it and smashed it in the roof of the net. To have all my family there, it was the cherry on the cake of my career.\" Barrett admitted he has been contemplating his future for the past 12 months, especially having \"always been a starter\" but finding himself out of the team. \"I still feel I've got more in me and could have carried on but it just felt the right time,\" he said. \"I'm extremely privileged to play over 700 career games, in successful teams and I've got lots of great memories. \"But unfortunately it comes to an end for all of us and this is my time.\" Barrett hopes to take his playing experience into coaching, adding: \"That's where I see my future, maybe management one day. \"I've had a few offers, but I'm just going to weigh my options. I'm completing my Uefa A licence at the moment and hopefully a good opportunity comes up for me.\"", "summary": "Adam Barrett says helping Southend United win promotion via the League Two play-offs was the standout moment of his career, after retiring on Monday."}
{"article": "Det Sgt Craig Warren told a jury at the High Court in Glasgow he was sent to the Glasgow home of Scottish Sun journalist Russell Findlay. He saw a jar on the floor of the hallway and splash marks on a dado rail and wall mirror. William Burns, 56, and Alexander Porter, 48, deny throwing acid in the face of Mr Findlay on 23 December 2015. They also deny a charge of attempted murder in connection with the shooting of a man near an East Dunbartonshire primary school. Det Sgt Warren said he arrived at Mr Findlay's home about an hour after the alleged attack. One of the accused, William Burns, had already been detained and taken away from the scene. The substance he found in the hallway, he told the court, was found to be sulphuric acid. He also described items he found in the driveway of Mr Findlay's home. They were \"what appeared to be two layers of false teeth, a beanie hat, a snood and a knife\". The knife was found near the threshold of the front door. Mr Warren said that his focus then turned to how Mr Burns might have got to the scene, and how he might have got away. He confirmed to the Advocate Depute Richard Goddard that officers searched CCTV footage from the day of the alleged attack, and also preceding days, to try to establish if the accused had carried out a reconnaissance of the area. Footage from cameras in Crow Rd, and next to Jordanhill school on Chamberlain Rd was shown to the jury. On three separate dates, Mr Warren said a Volvo was seen near Mr Findlay's home - including driving away from the crime scene on the day of the alleged attack, two minutes after Mr Burns had been detained. The detective described it in court as \"yellow or gold\". The jury had already heard that Alexander Porter had a gold-coloured Volvo S40 in 2015. On the 28th January Police Scotland executed a search warrant at the home of Alexander Porter, and detained him. During subsequent questioning, the accused replied \"no comment\" to all questions put to him. Under cross-examination by Susan Duff, defence counsel for Mr Porter, Mr Warren said that 16.5 hours of CCTV footage was examined. But neither the registration number or actual colour of the Volvo was identifiable, nor was the number of occupants in the car. Susan Duff also queried the officer's assertion that he knew the Jordanhill area of the city well, pointing out he had called Woodend Drive \"Woodend Road\". During the search of Mr Porter's flat, Mr Warren said 16 items were retrieved from kitchen drawers - none of which was a knife. The case continues.", "summary": "A court has heard traces of sulphuric acid were found at the scene of an alleged attack on a journalist."}
{"article": "In Bucharest some protesters broke through police lines and headed towards government buildings. Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu says the move would ease overcrowding in prisons. His critics say he is trying to release allies convicted of corruption. They also want the proposals to be debated in parliament. Mr Grindeanu's plan is for the measures to be implemented through emergency decrees that bypass parliament and do not require the signature of President Klaus Iohannis. Those who would be due for release include several elected officials and magistrates convicted of corruption. President Iohannis joined protesters in Bucharest on Sunday, saying they were rightly indignant. \"Several political officials who have judicial issues want to change the legislation and weaken the rule of law,\" he said. \"It is unacceptable to modify the law so that the cases of dozens, even hundreds, of politicians, are wiped out.\" President Iohannis was elected in November 2014 and has vowed to stamp out entrenched corruption. However, the chairman of the ruling Social Democrats, Liviu Dragnea, accused the president of \"inciting social disorder and violence\" and said the protest was the start of a coup. A former minister, Mr Dragnea was himself given a suspended prison sentence in 2015 for using bribes and forged ballot papers to influence an impeachment vote in 2012 against then President Traian Basescu.", "summary": "Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of the Romanian capital Bucharest and other cities in protest at government plans to release around 3,000 prisoners."}
{"article": "James Holmes, 27, has admitted the killings, but pleaded not guilty on grounds of insanity. Mr Holmes opened fire during the midnight premiere of a Batman film in Aurora, Colorado, in July 2012. Officials say he was wearing body armour, threw smoke canisters and shot at people trying to escape. If the jury finds him not guilty on grounds of insanity, he will spend the rest of his life in a mental institution for the criminally insane. Otherwise he faces the death penalty. During opening statements on Monday, District Attorney George Brauchler said both mental health evaluators agreed on Mr Holmes' mental state at the time of the attack. \"Both of them said the same thing - that the guy was sane when he tried to murder all those people in the theatre,\" he said. Prosecutors have argued the attack was clearly premeditated, with Mr Holmes planning and amassing weapons for months, as well as elaborately booby-trapping his apartment to kill anyone who tried to enter. His parents wrote a letter to the Denver Post in December calling for his life to the spared. Robert and Arlene Holmes said their son was \"not a monster\", but suffers from severe mental illness. The trial comes after two and a half years of complicated legal questions related to the death penalty and the insanity plea, and after nearly three months of jury selection. The mental health evaluations could be a key factor. Judge Carlos Samour ordered a second mental health exam after prosecutors said the first one was biased. Defence lawyers objected to a second test. At the time of the shooting, Mr Holmes was a graduate student in neuroscience at the University of Colorado in Denver, but was withdrawing from his studies after failing a key exam. When he was arrested, Mr Holmes' hair had been dyed red in an apparent reference to the Joker, a Batman villain. He appeared dazed in his first court appearance, and cameras were banned from further hearings.", "summary": "A Colorado man who shot and killed 12 people in a cinema in 2012 was found sane by two experts immediately following the attack, prosecutors say."}
{"article": "The Welsh government says the idea is \"open for discussion\" but cites the potential cost. It is part of plans to reform Wales's eight Community Health Councils (CHCs). The health minister wants to make membership more diverse but the Conservatives said she has spread confusion. There is currently one community council to shadow each local health board, except in Powys which has two. A 12-member Board of Community Health Councils was also set up in 2004 to advise CHCs and represent their views nationally. Health Minister Lesley Griffiths commissioned a report by Professor Marcus Longley from the University of Glamorgan's Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care. It recommends the next chair of the board should be appointed through the public appointments process for a four year term and suggests giving the chair the title \"patients commissioner\". There are already children's and older people's commissioners appointed in Wales. \"This will place them alongside other key figures in Welsh public life whose role it is to 'speak truth to power' on behalf of important sections of the community whose interests might otherwise be neglected,\" it says. In a consultation document published on Wednesday, the Welsh government says changes could give the board a \"stronger voice\". \"Whether his or her role extends to that of a Patient's Commissioner is open for discussion, not least over the cost, role and the need to change primary legislation,\" it says The consultation says Powys should be served by one CHC, but that its work should be divided between separate committees for the north and south of the county. It also calls on the Board of CHCs to produce a report by June next year suggesting ways to increase the diversity of councils. Ms Griffiths said: \"As local health boards engage with communities on proposals for reconfiguration of health services, it is more important than ever that a broad range of people are involved in the work of CHCs. \"I believe CHCs need to look to involve groups such as the unemployed, mothers with young children, and people with full time jobs. \"They should also look at different ways of working so that people who find it difficult to attend meetings can participate.\" The consultation is open until 14 January. Earlier in the year Ms Griffiths was accused by the Welsh Conservatives of trying to \"gagging\" CHCs in a speech which said they \"cannot be parochial\". In its consultation, the Welsh government says the Board of CHCs should have the ability to \"direct individual community health councils\". For the Conservatives, party health spokesman Darren Millar AM said CHCs should be free to voice the views of local people who are concerned about plans to reconfigure hospital services. \"I urge as many people as possible to take part in this consultation in order to make sure CHCs remain a pivotal part of healthcare in Wales,\" he said.", "summary": "A patients' commissioner should be created as part of a shake-up of health watchdogs, a report by health economists suggests."}
{"article": "The retailer said its policy is for staff to speak in English to customers, irrespective of their native language. It comes after two staff members in Scotland were banned from speaking Polish to each other on their tea break. The store said it was to ensure all its staff and customers \"felt comfortable\". \"It is Lidl UK company policy that staff speak in English to customers, irrespective of their native language,\" the company told the BBC Welsh-language website Cymru Fyw. \"This is for the benefit of all our customers as well as our staff to ensure a comfortable environment where all feel included. \"However, it goes without saying that our staff are able to assist a customer by conversing in their native tongue, if the customer is unable to speak any English.\" The Welsh Language Society (Cymdeithas yr Iaith) said the policy was \"appalling\". Its chairman, Jamie Bevan, added that \"since the Welsh language bill was passed four years ago, it is illegal to stop staff from speaking to customers in Welsh\". Welsh Language Commissioner Meri Huws said she will respond in due course. The Welsh government said: \"The Welsh language has official status in Wales, and there are provisions in the Welsh language measure to protect people's freedom to use the language. \"The Welsh language commissioner has the power to investigate any allegations of this and can produce reports for Welsh ministers to consider.\"", "summary": "Staff at Lidl supermarkets are being stopped from speaking any language other than English in their UK stores - including Welsh."}
{"article": "A number of other people were also held as police raided nine offices and homes in north-eastern Catalonia. The arrests are part of an investigation into rights sales relating to Brazil, police sources say. Rosell was Barca president from 2010 to 2014, when he resigned following a Spanish court's decision to investigate the 2013 signing of Brazilian Neymar. In June 2016, Barcelona paid a fine of 5.5m euros (\u00a34.7m) over the 25-year-old's move from Santos. The club was accused of tax fraud, which it denied. Rosell's wife was among those also arrested on Tuesday. Spanish newspaper El Confidencial reports the arrests are part of a joint operation between the Spanish police and the FBI, related to the United States-led investigation into corruption at Fifa. The investigations into alleged corruption at football's governing body began two years ago, and Swiss authorities raided a Zurich hotel where Fifa delegates were staying for their annual conference. Seven people were arrested in the raid, which was carried out on behalf of the United States Department of Justice. More arrests and indictments on corruption charges followed in subsequent days and scores of Fifa officials and associates have since been arrested in connection with the investigation. In March, Fifa passed on evidence from its internal inquiry to Swiss and US authorities.", "summary": "Former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has been arrested as part of a money-laundering investigation."}
{"article": "More than a week ago around 1,000 members of the Guarani-Kaiowa community occupied ranches in the area. The leader was shot when farmers tried to retake an occupied farm on Saturday. In 2005 the Supreme Court declared that the area where the violence is taking place belonged to the Guarani. Justice Minister Jose Eduardo Cardozo travelled to the region with a high-level delegation, including the director-general of the Federal Police and the president of the government's Indian agency, to try to defuse the growing tension. Federal troops have also been sent there to restore order and police the area. They will remain for a month. The violence started when the Guarani-Kaiowa occupied five ranches on 22 August, taking hostages who were later released. The Guarani-Kaiowa been demanding the return of their ancestral lands which, they say, were stolen by ranchers. Brazil's constitution required the government to map out all indigenous territory and return it for their exclusive use by 1993, but the majority of Guarani lands remains in the hands of the ranchers. Many Guarani are forced to live in overcrowded reserves or in makeshift camps on the roadside where malnutrition, disease and suicide are high.", "summary": "The Brazilian justice minister has condemned the killing of an indigenous leader who was shot during a land protest in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul."}
{"article": "Angella Reid was the first woman and second African-American to serve in the position after a career in hospitality. \"She is no longer employed here at the White House. We left on very good terms and we wish her the very best,\" said spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. It is simply nothing more than the transition of staff, she added. According to the White House Historical Association, the chief usher's role includes overseeing \"construction, maintenance, remodelling, food, as well as the administrative, fiscal and personnel functions\". The Jamaican-born Ms Reid worked closely with the First Family and provided guidance on matters of furnishing, art, and decor, writes the Washington Post. She told the paper she had no comment to make about her departure. She was very close to the Obama family, the newspaper reports. \"It gives me a sense of awe,\" she told CNN in 2016, \"the fact that slaves built this house and I now work in this house as a leader, something out of my wildest dreams.\" Because the chief usher is not a political position, it is not compelled to change at the beginning of a new White House administration. Most stay on the job for at least a decade, and one was in his position for more than 30 years. Ms Reid was only the ninth since the start of the 20th Century, and leaves after six years.", "summary": "The Trump administration has fired the White House chief usher, who is responsible for the management of the building and its staff."}
{"article": "Stanley Rangers RLFC said Evan Hawksworth was injured during a game on Sunday against Batley Boys. The club said: \"It is with the deepest regret that Stanley Rangers announce the tragic passing of their under-14s player Evan Hawksworth. Evan's father, Gary Hawksworth, said: \"Evan passed away playing the game he loved\". Under-14s team coach, Steve Abrahams, informed Evan's team-mates and described him as \"our great friend, team-mate and all-round good guy.\" Mr Hawksworth said: \"He was never without a rugby ball in his hands. \"This was a tragic freak accident and no-one is to blame.\" The club, with the RFL Benevolent Fund, has set up a crowdfunding page to support the family. It said it would continue fundraising whilst celebrating Evan's life. Events will take place at Stanley Rangers' ground on Friday. A message on Evan's Facebook page said: \"It is with sincere regret that today Evan Hawksworth has had his life support machine turned off. \"Words simply cannot portray the injustice of the loss of a charismatic, heart of a lion - tackle anything, be involved with everything, award winning young man\". Castleford Tigers posted on Facebook: \"All our thoughts tonight are with Stanley Rangers U14s. We are saddened to let you know that Evan Hawksworth passed away today after sustaining an injury on Sunday. It was a freak injury playing the game he loved.\"", "summary": "A boy from Wakefield has died after a suffering a head injury in an under-14s rugby league match."}
{"article": "Walsall had to play most of the game a man down after Joe Edwards' 16th-minute sending-off, but Jason McCarthy gave them the lead nine minutes later and Etheridge kept Bolton at bay. Wanderers almost took the lead after 13 minutes but Jamie Proctor's looping header from a Chris Taylor cross clipped the bar. Edwards was shown a straight red card three minutes later for elbowing Taylor as the pair jumped. However, the 10 men of Walsall went in front after 25 minutes as Bolton keeper Mark Howard flapped at Kieron Morris's free-kick, allowing McCarthy to bundle home into an empty net. The away side almost levelled two minutes later but Lewis Buxton's header was cleared off the line by Andreas Makris. And as Bolton turned the screw in the second half, Etheridge made superb saves from two close-range David Wheater headers, a 20-yard Taylor drive and Proctor's 12-yard half-volley. To compound the visitors' misery, substitute Keshi Anderson - booked for entering the field of play prematurely on his introduction - was shown a second yellow for a stoppage-time foul on Scott Laird. Reports supplied by Press Association. Match ends, Walsall 1, Bolton Wanderers 0. Second Half ends, Walsall 1, Bolton Wanderers 0. Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by James O'Connor. Attempt missed. Kieron Morris (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Second yellow card to Keshi Anderson (Bolton Wanderers) for a bad foul. Foul by Keshi Anderson (Bolton Wanderers). Scott Laird (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Sammy Ameobi (Bolton Wanderers) because of an injury. Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Simeon Jackson. Substitution, Walsall. Liam Kinsella replaces Erhun Oztumer. Dean Moxey (Bolton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card. Attempt blocked. Sammy Ameobi (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Mark Beevers (Bolton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Mark Beevers (Bolton Wanderers). Erhun Oztumer (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Dean Moxey replaces Andrew Taylor. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Neil Etheridge (Walsall) because of an injury. Foul by Keshi Anderson (Bolton Wanderers). Neil Etheridge (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Liam Trotter (Bolton Wanderers). Simeon Jackson (Walsall) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Jamie Proctor (Bolton Wanderers). Scott Laird (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Kieron Morris. Neil Etheridge (Walsall) is shown the yellow card. Attempt missed. Zach Clough (Bolton Wanderers) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is just a bit too high. Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Neil Etheridge. Attempt saved. David Wheater (Bolton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Kevin Toner. Attempt saved. Zach Clough (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the", "summary": "Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge's heroics helped 10-man Walsall stun Bolton as they ended Wanderers' unbeaten start to the season with a gutsy victory."}
{"article": "11 July 2017 Last updated at 15:55 BST On the tiny island of Muck in Scotland there's only one school with just 9 pupils! Muck measures just 2.5 miles from east to west and has a population of around 27 people. Whitney went to spend a day at the island school...", "summary": "What's it like to have your whole school in just one class?"}
{"article": "CAIR said Rose Hamid's eviction from the rally in South Carolina sent a \"chilling message to American Muslims\". Ms Hamid was removed after making a silent protest on Friday. Mr Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering the US has been widely condemned. During the rally in the town of Rock Hill, Ms Hamid stood up wearing a T-shirt bearing the words: \"Salam, I come in peace\" - \"Salam\" is the Arabic word for peace. When she stood up, the crowd around her began chanting \"Trump! Trump!\" as they had reportedly been instructed to do in the event of any interruption, reports the BBC's Anthony Zurcher from Rock Hill. Ms Hamid, a 56-year-old flight attendant, was then told by a security officer that she had to leave. She was booed as she was escorted out. CAIR said that as well as apologising to Ms Hamid, Mr Trump should \"make a clear statement that American Muslims are welcome as fellow citizens and as participants in the nation's political process\". Mr Trump has yet to respond. At a Republican presidential forum in nearby Columbia, on Saturday morning, Ohio Governor John Kasich condemned the way the Trump crowd handled the protest. \"We don't need to be shouting and booing and scaring somebody,\" Mr Kasich, who is competing against Mr Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, told the BBC. \"This is not some high-school basketball game. We are all our brother's keeper.\" He added that the next US president must be willing to work with moderate Muslim nations. \"That may not win me the Republican primary, but there's more to life than that,\" he added.", "summary": "The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has urged Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump to apologise to a Muslim protester ejected from one of his rallies."}
{"article": "Paul Drinkhall, Sam Walker and Liam Pitchford all beat higher-ranked players in Kuala Lumpur. The win means England lie joint-third in Group B, alongside Germany but behind Sweden and leaders France. England women maintained their 100% record in the Second Division with a 3-1 win over Canada. Tin-Tin Ho and Kelly Sibley secured the victory, and England will play Serbia in a clash of the Group E joint leaders on Wednesday. England's men, back in the top division in the world for the first time since 1997, finish the group stage against bottom-placed Malaysia on Wednesday. A third-placed finish in the group would ensure qualification for the round of 16. Drinkhall beat Bastian Steger 3-1, while Walker defeated Patrick Franziska. Pitchford lost to Ruwen Filus but saw off Steger 3-1.", "summary": "England's men caused an upset at the World Team Championships in Malaysia by beating second seeds Germany 3-1 in the Championship Division."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device She was beaten by Finland's Enni Rukajarvi, who scored a combined 176.33 from her two best runs out of three. Ormerod, who won her first World Cup competition last month, scored 146.33 in Innsbruck. In the men's competition, Rowan Coultas and Billy Morgan finished fifth and sixth respectively.", "summary": "British snowboarder Katie Ormerod claimed a silver medal as women made their debut at the Air and Style big air competition in Austria."}
{"article": "Samoa were beaten 78-0 by New Zealand at Eden Park following Wales' 24-6 over Tonga there last Friday. \"They're a wounded animal really after their scoreline against the All Blacks,\" McBryde told BBC Wales Sport. \"They were very competitive for the first 20 to 30 minutes of that match before falling away. I'm sure they'll want to set the record straight.\" \"We know they'll be a different opposition on Friday night buoyed on by a home crowd.\" Wales arrived in Apia with just 27 players after Alex Cuthbert withdrew injured, while Kristian Dacey, Tomas Francis, Cory Hill and Gareth Davies joined up with the British and Irish Lions. Despite seeing his squad depleted McBryde is confident his young Welsh side will cope. \"Yes we've lost four to the Lions and unfortunately Alex Cuthbert to injury, but what that does is make everybody realise there's an opportunity to get into that starting team,\" he said. Media playback is not supported on this device \"It's brought us a bit tighter together and everybody realises there's more of an opportunity for them maybe. \"There was a bit of edge in training and boys don't want to miss out on an opportunity and that makes for a very competitive environment and as a result the training was excellent.\" Samoa have a history of inflicting defeat on Wales having won their four of the nine matches between the countries. Wales are visiting for the first time since 1994, when they lost 34-9, and McBryde has warned his young Welsh side to expect a hostile reception. \"They're very welcoming off the pitch but as previous experience has shown once they cross that white line they're a different animal so it's going to be a big challenge for us,\" he said. \"We have to make sure too that we know we're here to play rugby on Friday and get the win. That's the aim, not just enjoy the sun. \"They are difficult conditions in a hostile environment and not many people are giving us a chance so what better way to come out and show what you can do and make the most of the opportunity.\"", "summary": "Coach Robin McBryde expects his Wales side to come up against a wounded Samoa side in Apia on Friday, June 23."}
{"article": "The people have spoken, and delivered a resounding \"not sure\". Unlike last time round, the policies, personalities and Parliamentary arithmetic do not allow for formation of a coalition government. Minority government could be the only answer. Since the end of the Second World War when his late Majesty King George VI asked Clem Attlee to form a government, there have been 18 general elections. Sixteen of these have produced a majority one party government. This tendency for a clear result has us rushing for the constitutional rule book when things are less than clear. In fact, despite Britain's unwritten constitution, the mechanics for forming a minority government are clear and a minority government is not without precedent, especially for voters in Scotland and Wales. Post-war Britain has seen three minority governments. After the inconclusive election of February 1974, Harold Wilson formed a minority Labour government. He had no intention, however, of making this a long term arrangement and in October of the same year, called a second election; where Labour secured a Commons majority of just three seats. The 'indecisive election' of February 1974 led to a minority Labour government under Harold Wilson and another general election in October. Watch: BBC News Timeliner - February 1974 Watch: BBC News Timeliner - October 1974 This tiny majority eventually led to Britain's second minority government. A by-election defeat and defections saw Labour lose its majority on the day Jim Callaghan took over as prime minister in April 1976. A short-lived deal with the Liberals came and went and in 1979, the government fell when Margaret Thatcher (supported by the SNP) tabled and won a \"No Confidence\" vote - ushering in 18 years of Conservative rule. This government, towards its end, would see Britain's third minority administration. In 1992 John Major secured a majority of 21 seats, but defections and by-election defeats saw the government enter minority status by November 1996. At Westminster, minority governments don't appear to have worked that well. Wilson tried it for eight months and went for a majority as soon as he could. The tail-end of the Callaghan and Major governments, cannot, even in the most generous of reviews, be regarded as halcyon days of good governance. However, the devolved assemblies in Scotland and Wales have both seen stable, full-term minority governments. Looking at Scotland, the SNP formed a minority government after the 2007 elections to the Scottish Parliament. Being in a minority, it wasn't able to get everything it wanted onto the Statute Book. Bills to enable a referendum on independence and to introduce a local income tax, were axed when it became clear that they had insufficient parliamentary support. Plans for a minimum price per unit of alcohol were also dropped. However, it went the full term, laws were enacted and all its budgets were passed with the support of the Scottish Conservatives. Alex Salmond went on to take majority control in 2011 and the party's continued electoral success could be the talk of this election. Nor are stable and effective minority governments unknown in Commonwealth countries that", "summary": "It's Friday, 8 May, all the votes are counted and every constituency declared."}
{"article": "It's an event that regularly sees a torrent of corporate deals, and has played a key role as a marketplace for Britain's aerospace and defence firms. It is a showcase for a sector worth \u00c2\u00a355bn a year, the fifth-largest industry in the UK that employs 340,000 people. Indeed, the last show in 2014 saw a record $204bn (\u00c2\u00a3157bn) worth of orders being placed. \"Farnborough is a global shop window for the UK and Europe, for the entire world,\" Shaun Omerod, chief executive of Farnborough International, said ahead of this year's show, which starts on Monday. \"It connects UK small and medium-sized companies - who ordinarily wouldn't get this access - to the global market.\" If Farnborough's own connection with flying starts in 1904 with the Army Balloon Factory and the first flight of an aeroplane in the UK (by the showman Samuel Cody in 1908), then the history of today's air show actually begins in suburban London. In a bid to sell their wares the Society of British Aircraft Constructors (SBAC) organised a one-day exhibition at the annual RAF flying display at Hendon in 1932. It was small by today's standards, with just 35 aircraft on display and only 16 companies taking part; this year there will be some 1,500 exhibitors. After the Second World War the event was initially held at Radlett, moving in 1948 to Farnborough, the home of the Royal Aircraft Establishment - responsible for researching and testing experimental designs. The show has been the stage for many of the high points of post-war aviation, from the wonderful to the whimsical, such as the Saunders Roe A1 flying boat jet fighter. First flown in 1947 at the show it was an heroic but ultimately flawed attempt to marry a long-range fighter with a flying boat. The idea was it wouldn't need to land on aircraft carriers as the Allies fought Japan across the Pacific Ocean, but the end of the war put paid to any use it might have had. The 1949 show saw the truly massive Bristol Brabazon, then the world's biggest airliner. It was designed to conquer the transatlantic air routes for Britain's aircraft industry. Driven by eight propellers it was so big that its construction was delayed while the runway at Bristol's Filton factory was extended so it could take off. Yet despite its size it only carried 100 passengers, and airlines thought it too big and expensive. Only one was ever built. The same event also saw the UK introduce the world's first jet airliner - the DH Comet. The Comet's pressurised cabin meant people could travel in comfort. It was a commercial success at first, yet the design hid a serious weakness. Its square window frames contributed to metal fatigue, which led to a series of fatal crashes within a couple of years. The entire fleet was grounded for four years while the flaws were ironed out and the aircraft strengthened. Later Comet models flew well - indeed the RAF used the Nimrod, a version of the Comet, until 2011 - but they were", "summary": "Farnborough: a small town in southern England; the birthplace of aviation in the UK and home for almost 70 years of arguably the world's most important air show."}
{"article": "Yanic Wildschut went close early on for the Latics when he cut inside and drove a shot against the upright. Billy Clarke failed to make contact with Jamie Proctor's dangerous cross for the visitors after the interval. And Vuckic ensured Wigan would remain second in the table with a composed finish before Wildschut drove wide as he attempted to add a second. Defeat cost play-off hopefuls Bradford their place in the top six, with Yorkshire rivals Barnsley winning at Fleetwood. Media playback is not supported on this device Wigan manager Gary Caldwell told BBC Radio Manchester: \"I think we were always the team on the front foot. They made it difficult for us. \"I thought we kept going and showed great character, great belief in what we were doing, kept passing the ball and got our reward in the end.\"", "summary": "Wigan extended their unbeaten run to 16 games as Haris Vuckic's goal gave them victory over Bradford City."}
{"article": "Their general election manifesto will also pledge to consider, after the allowance rise, increasing the National Insurance threshold to the same level. The \u00a32,000 allowance rise by 2020 would be worth \u00a3400 a year to basic rate taxpayers, the party said. Labour said the Lib Dems should \"come clean\" about how they would fund it. The UK Personal Allowance - the amount you can earn in the UK before having to pay any tax - has risen during the current Parliament from \u00a36,500 to its current level of \u00a310,000. From next April, it is due to rise to \u00a310,500. \"By cutting tax in this Parliament, cutting tax further in the next Parliament, and then moving on to National Insurance, we can make sure that over the course of a decade we shift the balance in the tax system - a generational shift - to help people in work,\" said Lib Dem Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander. Some 26 million working people would enjoy a cut in tax from the Lib Dems' proposed allowance rise, he said. Mr Alexander added: \"We want to make sure we have a tax system that rewards people who work, that rewards people particularly working on low and middle incomes. \"It puts the tax cuts where they are needed most.\" Independent public spending researcher body the Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates such a change would cost \u00a33.5bn. It calculates the Lib Dem proposal would increase the personal allowance by \u00a3890 more than under normal inflationary rises, which would in fact be worth \u00a3178 a year for a basic rate taxpayer by 2020. BBC political correspondent Arif Ansari said the change, if enacted, would effectively mean that anyone on the minimum wage would not pay income tax. \"But the party also has another challenge - how to make sure they win political credit from those who have benefited,\" he said. Cathy Jamieson, Labour's shadow treasury minister, said: \"Nobody will believe a word the Lib Dems say on tax. \"They backed the Tories in giving a huge tax cut to millionaires while breaking their promise not to raise VAT on everybody else.\"", "summary": "A rise in the tax-free personal allowance to \u00a312,500 during the next Parliament is being proposed by the Liberal Democrats."}
{"article": "Work and pensions committee chair Frank Field told news agencies that he was sure Sir Philip \"will be invited\". Sir Philip owned BHS, which went into administration on Monday, for 15 years until selling it for \u00a31 in 2015. The committee will investigate how the collapse of BHS will affect the Pension Protection Fund. The Pensions Protection Fund is funded by a compulsory levy on companies who have defined benefit pensions. It is there to provide compensation for pensioners when companies go bust. The BHS pension scheme has a deficit of \u00a3571m and Sir Philip has offered to make an \u00a380m voluntary contribution. Separately, the Pensions Regulator will investigate whether BHS's former owners sought to avoid their obligations. BHS, which employs about 11,000 people, will continue trading while the administrators seek a buyer for the business. Sir Philip Green: How he took on the High Street 'What we'll miss if BHS closes' BHS: What are the next steps? Pension scheme at heart of BHS woes Simon Jack: Broken promises at BHS? Mr Field said: \"We need as a committee to look at the Pension Protection Fund and how the receipt of pension liabilities of BHS will impact on the increases in the levy that will now be placed on all other eligible employers to finance the scheme. \"We will then need to judge whether the law is strong enough to protect future pensioners' contracts in occupational schemes.\" The administration means members of the pension scheme who are yet to retire will be paid a less generous pension. John Mann, a Labour member of the Treasury select committee, called on Sir Philip to repay \u00a3400m of dividends that he took out of BHS. \"Sir Philip Green and his family have made millions out of BHS and its hardworking staff. He took over a company with a healthy pension pot, yet when he sold BHS a black hole had appeared in its fund,\" he said. \"There is a very simple and honourable solution to this crisis: repay the dividends, live up to the name he has chosen for his new yacht, 'Lionheart', or lose his knighthood.\" Conservative MP Richard Fuller has called on Sir Philip to clarify his involvement in the chain's demise. \"Green and Arcadia need to put out a statement immediately clarifying their position. He has a responsibility, a duty,\" he said. \"Arcadia should be made to make public the documents and correspondence between themselves and Retail Acquisitions so that we can ascertain if the correct due diligence was undertaken in terms of there being enough cash left in the business and to cover the pension liability. If it's found that the correct due diligence was not undertaken, then Sir Philip will face serious consequences.\"", "summary": "Former BHS owner Sir Philip Green is expected to be called to appear before MPs to face questions over the collapse of the retailer into administration."}
{"article": "A spokesman for HM Coastguard said nothing had been found during extensive searches and crews were stood down at 11:30 GMT. The missing man has been named by police as Len King, 74, from Alfriston, East Sussex. A friend reported him missing when he did not return home on Sunday evening. Mr King had set out to sail alone from Brighton to Newhaven. His Sunseeker yacht is believed to have been on autopilot when it drifted back to the marina and crashed into a wall with no-one on board. Three lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter were involved in the search, which began shortly after 22:00 on Sunday. It was hampered by storms overnight but resumed at first light in rough seas. In a statement issued through Sussex Police, Mr King's wife Stephanie said her husband had been sailing since he was at least 20. She said: \"Normally we go together but during the week, if it's calm weather, he may go off by himself.\" Mrs King said he went off just before lunch on Sunday and had been expected home by dinnertime. When she phoned him several times the phone was unable to connect. \"I can't understand what has happened,\" she said. \"He is a very experienced yachtsman. He has all his equipment doubled up and is always careful. That is the way he runs things.\" HM Coastguard said extensive shoreline searches had been carried out around Brighton Marina, between Shoreham and Newhaven and as far out as 2.5 miles off shore. The helicopter had undertaken a search out to mid-Channel. \"Despite these extensive searches, nothing has been found. Unless any new information comes to light, the search has been suspended,\" a spokesman said. Coastguards told BBC reporter Jon Hunt divers would examine the vessel to see if there was any mechanical explanation for what happened. Insp Roy Apps said it remained unclear what had happened to Mr King. He said: \"The search is currently suspended and we are liaising with his family as we investigate the circumstances of his disappearance.\"", "summary": "The search for the skipper of a yacht found abandoned near Brighton Marina has been called off and a missing person inquiry is under way."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The sprint freestyle specialist made her Olympic debut at Beijing 2008 and narrowly missed out on medals at both London 2012 and Rio 2016. She finished just 0.02 seconds off the podium in the 50m freestyle in Rio. \"Stepping away from the pool is quite a scary decision,\" said Halsall, 26. Halsall won three gold and seven silver medals at the Commonwealth Games, having made her international debut at Melbourne in 2006. She was part of the gold medal-winning 4x100m medley relay team at the 2015 World Championships, and also won gold in the 50m backstroke at the 2016 European Aquatics Championships. Halsall's retirement statement in full: Announcing my retirement from swimming is a weird concept to me as I've never seen it as a career or a job. Just as a hobby that I've loved doing and happened to be OK at. However I've done it for over a decade and there are so many people who have committed time, money, wisdom and knowledge into my journey that I will forever be thankful for. Stepping away from the pool is quite a scary decision for someone who's whole adult life to date has revolved around swim, weights, diet, peeing in a pot whilst someone watched, outdoor swim camps (yey) and lots of napping. I am very much looking forward to the next chapter of my life and the normality of eating and drinking what I want, the only time someone watches me pee is when I leave the door open by accident and the dog comes in, and experiencing the mythical bank holidays. I will miss my daily naps and choosing to do sets of backstroke while training outdoors just to get an even tan. It's time to close this chapter of my life and move on to the next. Swimming has taught me so much and given me opportunities that no other career could. So for me this is just a thank you note to everyone who has supported me for being part of a fantastic set of memories.", "summary": "Britain's three-time Olympian Fran Halsall, who won more than 30 medals at world, European and Commonwealth level, has announced her retirement after a 10-year international career."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old had to be helped off the field after an accident during a training session for the second Test against India in Bangalore. Scans revealed a ligament tear in his left ankle, with Philander due to be out for \"at least six to eight weeks\". England's Test series against South Africa starts in Durban on Boxing Day. \"Vernon stepped on Dean Elgar's foot by accident in our warm-up,\" said Proteas batsman AB de Villiers. \"It was a very freakish accident, to be honest. He is very unlucky.\" South Africa have called up paceman Kyle Abbott to replace Philander, who has taken 126 wickets in 32 Tests, for the rest of the four-match series, with the visitors currently trailing 1-0. Philander's injury could mean he misses the first two Tests of England's four-game series in South Africa - the second Test in Cape Town on 2 January quickly following the first. \"The first Test match against England is six weeks away so it will be a tight schedule to get him ready and rehabilitated to make that Test match,\" said South Africa team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee. \"Once he has been assessed back home in Cape Town and a proper programme for physio and rehabilitation has been put into place we will have a clearer understanding.\"", "summary": "South Africa bowler Vernon Philander could miss the start of next month's Test series with England after injuring his ankle in a warm-up football game."}
{"article": "Speaking in Parliament, Mr Javid said he was \"wary of setting a precedent\". Tata is looking to sell its loss-making UK business but the pension deficit is said to be hampering the process. However pension experts warned earlier that the changes could take ministers down a \"dangerous path\". Mr Javid has launched a consultation to consider the financial situation of Tata's UK pension scheme. He said the government was considering the proposals at the request of the trustees of the pension scheme and that any changes would need the approval of the regulator. He stressed that several options were being considered. \"No decision has been made. We are wary of setting a precedent,\" he said. \"This is very much about this scheme and this scheme only, in very unique circumstances.\" How steel workers' pensions could be hit One option under discussion is to base the scheme's annual increase on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation measure, which is usually below the Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure currently used. This is the path favoured by the British Steel Pensions Scheme as they say it would leave most of the pension holders either better off or no worse off, compared with entering the Pension Protection Fund (PPF), which is the likely alternative. The PPF is a pensions lifeboat, funded by companies, designed to protect pensioners if their scheme were to go under. However, steel workers would be worse off under it. The company and the steel trade unions also welcomed the consultation, with the union saying that entering the PPF would be an \"unmitigated disaster\". \"We need to ensure that there are cast iron safeguards in place so this unique situation does not result in employers dodging their pensions responsibilities,\" the union added in a statement. In total the British Steel pension scheme has 130,000 members. The scheme has a deficit of \u00c2\u00a3485m. Earlier, former Lib Dem pensions minister Steve Webb said: \"The government is going down a very dangerous path. \"Everyone has huge sympathy for steel workers and for efforts to protect jobs, but rushed changes to pension rules risk driving a coach and horses through the pension security of hundreds of thousands of workers well beyond the steel industry.\" Meanwhile the pensions expert Tom McPhail from Hargreaves Lansdown said: \"The potential deal on British Steel could rip a hole in one of the most fundamental principles of pension provision. It is well-established that pension benefits, once granted cannot be taken away.\"", "summary": "Proposals to change Tata's pension scheme would be unique to the company and would not be applied more broadly, Business Secretary Sajid Javid has said."}
{"article": "10 June 2016 Last updated at 16:01 BST The airport has been built in St Helena, which is in the South Atlantic Ocean, between Africa and South America. The project has cost 285 million pounds and was due to open in May. A test flight at the airport wasn't able to land because it set ofo the aircraft's warning system for high winds.", "summary": "An airport that was meant to open on a British overseas territory has been delayed because its too windy there."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Magpies were booed off following the 3-1 loss to Bournemouth on Saturday - a third successive league defeat that leaves them 19th in the table. It also increased speculation over head coach Steve McClaren's future. \"If that's a performance from the players to say they are backing the manager, they are in trouble,\" Shearer told BBC's Match of the Day. \"McClaren is in massive trouble, he has to take his fair share of the blame.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Shearer, the Magpies' all-time leading goalscorer, was in temporary charge of the club the last time they were relegated in 2009. \"There is no statement of intent on the pitch from the players, and there are no academy players coming through,\" he added. \"Chief scout Graham Carr holds most of the power when it comes to players coming in and out. There was a \u00a315m striker [Aleksandar Mitrovic] who sat on the bench today.\" Newcastle are currently a point behind 17th-place Sunderland with a game in hand, but they are nine points behind Swansea in 16th, with 10 league games remaining. McClaren admitted after the game that his side were now in a \"four-team league\" battling against relegation along with Sunderland, Norwich and bottom club Aston Villa. He also said their defeat on Saturday was \"going down material\". It is now only one win in their last five games, in which they have conceded 12 goals in losses to Everton, Chelsea, Stoke and Bournemouth. Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown played under McClaren when he was a coach in the England set-up in the early 2000s and questioned his ability to lead a team. \"I think McClaren is an excellent coach but not a manager. He looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights,\" he told BBC's Match of the Day. \"With managers like David Moyes, Brendan Rodgers and Rafael Benitez around, he's in trouble.\"", "summary": "Newcastle are \"a mess from top to bottom\", according to former captain Alan Shearer."}
{"article": "The young cranes hatched \"in secret\" in May - one at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire and two on farmland on the Somerset Levels. Experts said, their existence was kept secret to \"protect the families\". Conservationists at WWT Slimbridge have been working to re-establish a population in the region for six years. But this year is the first time birds from the project have successfully reared chicks. Damon Bridge, of the Great Crane Project, said: \"We're delighted - success has always been about seeing birds raised in the wild take flight. \"To have young on the wing in Somerset and at Slimbridge so early on is really fantastic. \"The cranes are long-lived birds with many breeding attempts ahead of them and we are well on our way to our target of 20 breeding pairs in the South West by 2025.\" All three chicks have been named Peter in memory of Peter Newbery a \"driving force\" behind the project, who died before it finished. Ron and Trish Coombes, who farm on the Somerset Levels, said it had been \"very exciting\" watching the cranes hatch and rear two of the \"three Petes\". They said they were aware the birds were favouring one site but were \"astonished\" when they appeared with two chicks. Cranes were commonplace in parts of the West in the 1600s but became extinct across the UK. A small population has been established in the Norfolk Broads since 1979.", "summary": "Three wild cranes - the first to be bred in the West Country for 400 years - have taken flight."}
{"article": "Domenico Scala announced an eight-part reform process, which includes a limit of three terms of four years for the president and the executive committee. He said: \"A number of issues have their root cause in the fact that people have stayed for far too long.\" Sepp Blatter was Fifa president for 17 years before stepping down in June. The 79-year-old, who will leave Fifa in February 2016, was in power for a total of four terms and was elected for a fifth before resigning. Senior vice-president and executive committee member Issa Hayatou has been in place for 25 years with Spain's Angel Maria Villar Llona also an ex-co member for 17 years. Swiss-Italian Scala was set to be appointed as head of a Fifa taskforce set up to tackle corruption following the start of two ongoing criminal investigations. But after questions over the independence of the reform process, former International Olympic Committee director-general Francois Carrard was assigned with the role. After delivering his proposals, Scala, who has acted independently and wants Carrard's reform panel to adopt his ideas, also said: \"If Fifa does not move, public opinion will not change. He added: \"I made it very clear when Mr Blatter laid down his mandate that it was not only about the change of presidency but that there were certain systemic issues that need to be addressed. \"We need reforms now, we can't wait. Fifa works very well operationally and has not come to a halt. But this is a watershed in terms of role and perception going forward.\" In addition to term limits, he announced plans for: The development comes after Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan said Fifa \"must overcome deep-seated corruption\" as he announced he will stand in the Fifa presidential election. Uefa president Michel Platini has also declared that he wants to stand for Fifa president. Former Fifa executive Chung Mong-joon of South Korea has also indicated that he will run in next year's election, as has Liberian FA president Musa Bility.", "summary": "Fifa's corruption problems are a result of officials staying \"too long\" in key positions, according to the governing body's head of audit and compliance."}
{"article": "Jac Davies died following a blaze at his family home in Alltwen, Neath Port Talbot, in the early hours of July 27. His mother Jenny, 28, escaped the fire with her 11-month-old baby and daughter Kelsey, six, while other son Riley, three, was rescued by a firefighter. An inquest into Jac's death was adjourned last month. South Wales Police have confirmed a woman was arrested and bailed last month in connection with the incident. Police have not named the woman involved but it is understood to be Jac's mother. A spokesman said: \"A 28-year-old woman from the Pontardawe area has been arrested on suspicion of child neglect and is currently on police bail while enquiries continue.\" A pre-inquest into Jac's death will be held on January 25.", "summary": "The mother of a four-year-old boy who died in a house fire has been arrested on suspicion of child neglect."}
{"article": "Daeth sylwadau Derec Llwyd Morgan yn dilyn cadarnhad bod Cronfa Leol yr ynys wedi cyrraedd eu targed o godi \u00a3325,000, a hynny dros chwe mis yn gynt na'r nod a osodwyd. Ychwanegodd prif weithredwr yr Eisteddfod, Elfed Roberts fod \"brwdfrydedd a gwaith caled trigolion M\u00f4n wedi bod yn arbennig\" a'u bod yn ddiolchgar i bawb sydd wedi cyfrannu. Bydd yr \u0175yl yn cael ei chynnal ger Bodedern ym mis Awst ac yn costio tua \u00a33.5m, ac mae disgwyl iddi ddenu dros 150,000 o ymwelwyr i'r ardal. Dywedodd yr Athro Morgan fod yr ymdrechion codi arian, drwy ddigwyddiadau megis gigiau, cyngherddau a nosweithiau llawen, wedi magu cenhedlaeth newydd o bobl fyddai'n parhau i fod yn weithgar. \"Mae ambell ardal sydd yn dal heb godi'r swm a nodwyd iddyn nhw, ond mae rhyw 20 ardal wedi casglu mwy na'r hynny a ofynnwyd,\" meddai wrth BBC Cymru Fyw. \"Mi ddaw 'na beth arian o'r rheiny dros yr wythnosau nesaf, a 'dan ni'n disgwyl y bydd dros \u00a3350,000 wedi'i gasglu erbyn y diwedd. Dim ond 10% o'r arian ar gyfer yr Eisteddfod yw hynny wrth gwrs, ond mae pob ceiniog yn cyfrif. \"Mae gennym ni r\u0175an griw o bobl sydd efo'r arbenigedd yna o ran gallu codi arian at ddigwyddiadau ac elusennau. \"Un o'r pethau dwi'n gobeithio fyddan nhw'n gadael ar \u00f4l fydd gweithlu fydd yn fodlon dod at ei gilydd i drefnu pethau, byddin o bobl ifanc a chanol oed yn codi arian, a gobeithio y byddan nhw'n dal i weithio'n gymdeithasol a diwylliannol ymhell wedi i'r Eisteddfod fod yma.\" Ychwanegodd Elfed Roberts: \"Mae'r Gronfa Leol a'r cyswllt cymunedol a chymdeithasol sy'n deillio o'r gweithgareddau'n rhan greiddiol o waith yr Eisteddfod yn lleol dros gyfnod o bron i ddwy flynedd cyn wythnos yr Eisteddfod, a'r gobaith yw y bydd yn esgor ar ragor o ddigwyddiadau Cymraeg mewn ardal yn y dyfodol ar \u00f4l cynnal yr Eisteddfod. \"Mae gallu a phrofiad pobl M\u00f4n wrth drefnu a chynnal digwyddiadau wedi bod o gymorth arbennig i ni, ac mae wedi bod yn bleser gweld cynifer o weithgareddau'n digwydd yn enw'r Eisteddfod.\"", "summary": "Mae cadeirydd yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol ym M\u00f4n wedi dweud ei fod yn gobeithio y bydd trigolion lleol yn codi mwy o arian na'u targed gwreiddiol ar gyfer y Brifwyl eleni."}
{"article": "Non-league Salford City, part-owned by five former Manchester United players, have already caused a huge upset by beating League Two Notts County 2-0. Following six rounds of qualifying, 32 non-league clubs remain and they are two victories away from a potential meeting with a Premier League club. You can follow all the action on BBC television, radio and online. BBC coverage highlights over the weekend include: The lowest-ranked team left in the competition are Didcot Town, who play in Southern Division One South & West - the eighth tier of English football. They host League Two side Exeter City, who lost at this stage last season to an eighth-tier team, Warrington. Bradford City, who have enjoyed remarkable cup success in recent years and beat Chelsea on their way to reaching the quarter-finals last season, travel to National League side Aldershot Town. Wigan, who won the cup in 2013, visit fellow League One side Bury, while 2008 winners Portsmouth host Macclesfield Town. Media playback is not supported on this device National League North side Worcester City will be hoping for a repeat of last season's heroics when they face League One outfit Sheffield United. At this stage of last year's competition, Worcester produced one of the season's biggest upsets as they won 2-1 at League One side Coventry City. There are six all non-league ties, meaning there will be at least six teams from outside the Football League in the second-round draw. The draw for the second round takes place on Monday, 9 November, with live coverage on BBC Two and the BBC Sport website from 19:00 GMT. The show will come live from London-based Civil Service FC, who played in the first staging of the FA Cup in 1871. Mark Chapman will be joined by former FA Cup winner Garth Crooks, who will help conduct the draw. (15:00 GMT unless stated) Saturday, 7 November AFC Wimbledon v Forest Green Rovers Altrincham v Barnsley Accrington Stanley v York City Barnet v Blackpool Barwell v Welling Burton Albion v Peterborough United Bury v Wigan Athletic Cambridge United v Basingstoke Town Coventry City v Northampton Town Crawley Town v Luton Town Crewe Alexandra v Eastleigh Dagenham & Redbridge v Morecambe Doncaster Rovers v Stalybridge Dover Athletic v Stourbridge Grimsby Town v St Albans City Hartlepool Unitedv Cheltenham Town Leyton Orient v Staines Town Mansfield Town v Oldham Athletic Millwall v AFC Fylde Northwich Victoria v Boreham Wood Plymouth Argyle v Carlisle United Portsmouth v Macclesfield Town Rochdale AFC v Swindon Town Scunthorpe United v Southend United Sheffield United v Worcester City Stevenage v Gillingham Walsall v Fleetwood Town Wealdstone v Colchester United Sunday, 8 November Didcot Town v Exeter City (12:00 GMT) Aldershot Town v Bradford City (14:00 GMT) Brackley Town v Newport County AFC (14:00 GMT) Braintree Town v Oxford United (14:00 GMT) Bristol Rovers v Chesham United (14:00 GMT) Gainsborough Trinity v Shrewsbury Town (14:00 GMT) FC Halifax v Wycombe Wanderers (14:00 GMT) Maidstone United v Yeovil Town (14:00 GMT) Whitehawk v Lincoln City (14:00 GMT) Port Vale v Maidenhead United Monday, 9", "summary": "The 2015-16 FA Cup proper is already under way, with more action to be broadcast across the BBC this weekend."}
{"article": "Charlie Craig, 15, from Derbyshire, was a rider at apprentice level with the GB Cycling Team's Rider Route. The boy's father, Nick Craig, broke the news on Facebook saying the family's world had fallen apart, Cycling Weekly reported. British Cycling's programmes director Andy Harrison said the organisation was \"devastated by the news\". The teenager won the under-16 National Trophy Cyclocross Series in 2016 and was highly thought of in the cycling world. Mr Craig, himself a national cyclocross champion, said on Facebook: \"Our beautiful lovely little boy Charlie went to sleep but never woke up. \"I don't know what else to write just now, but he will be with his little angel niece.\" Many people posted messages on Twitter, including Dame Sarah Storey, winner of 15 Paralympic gold medals, who tweeted: \"Devastated to hear the news about Charlie Craig, what a tragic loss.\" Mr Harrison, from British Cycling, said: \"Charlie was a promising young rider who had his whole life ahead of him. \"Everyone involved with the team is devastated by this news and, naturally, all of our thoughts are with Charlie's family.\" It is not known at this stage how he died.", "summary": "Tributes have been paid to a \"promising young cyclist\" who died in his sleep on Friday."}
{"article": "In the three months to February, sales volumes fell by 1.4%, a sharper slide than the 0.5% decline for the three months to January. That was the biggest three-month fall recorded by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) since March 2010. Fuel prices in February were 18.7% higher than a year earlier. \"February's retail sales figures show fairly strong growth, though the underlying three-month picture shows falling sales as February's figures follow two consecutive months of decline in December and January,\" said ONS statistician Kate Davies. \"The underlying trend suggests that rising petrol prices in particular have had a negative effect on the overall quantity of goods bought over the last three months.\" Petrol cost an average of 120p a litre in February, with diesel 3p more, according to ONS figures. However, the 1.4% rise in retail sales in February was higher than the 0.4% increase expected by economists. News of the month-on-month increase sent the pound higher above $1.25. Paul Hollingsworth at Capital Economics said the figures would give some reassurance that higher inflation had not brought growth in consumer spending to a halt. Inflation as measured by the Consumer Prices Index jumped to 2.3% in February - up from 1.8% in January, the ONS said on Tuesday. However, Howard Archer at IHS Markit said consumers were becoming more cautious as higher inflation squeezed their purchasing power. \"The economy's persistent resilience since last June's Brexit vote has been largely built on consumers keeping on spending,\" he said. \"With consumers now seemingly moderating their spending, the long-anticipated slowdown in the economy looks set to materialise unless other sectors can make significantly increased contributions.\" Fashion retailer Next said on Thursday it was \"extremely cautious\" about trading for the coming year as it reported lower annual profits. Martin Beck, senior economic adviser to the EY ITEM Club, said annual shop price inflation increased from 1.9% in January to 2.8% in February - a 60-month high. \"How the year pans out will depend heavily upon consumers' willingness to draw on savings or take on more debt,\" he said. \"Last year's retail boom looks set to become an increasingly distant memory.\"", "summary": "UK retail sales posted a 1.4% rise in February from the previous month, but there are signs that higher fuel prices have begun to hit shoppers' pockets."}
{"article": "\"Costs have got out of control, we need costs to come right down,\" he told BBC 5 live's Wake Up to Money programme. Lord Browne said companies would have to \"slim down\", warning \"there will be some companies that go to the wall\". The warning from Lord Browne, who led BP for 12 years, comes amid fears the industry is in crisis. A barrel of Brent crude has more than halved in price since its peak of $115 last summer. On Tuesday, the price stood at $57 a barrel. Last month, the chairman of the independent explorers' association Brindex told the BBC the industry was \"close to collapse\". Robin Allan claimed almost no new projects in the North Sea were profitable with oil below $60 a barrel. In recent weeks hundreds of North Sea jobs have been cut by oil firms, including BP and Talisman Sinopec. The chancellor has said he will look at new measures to support the industry in his next Budget in March. Both industry leaders and the Scottish government are calling for taxes to be cut further as a matter of urgency to help the sector deal with falling oil prices and higher costs. Unions have also raised safety concerns over the number of job cuts being made in the industry.", "summary": "Former BP chief executive Lord Browne has warned North Sea oil operators' costs must fall in order for them to compete globally."}
{"article": "There will also be daily reports after each session and contributions from the 5 live F1 team from the second test - as well as a special 5 live season preview show coming from Barcelona on March 3. The 2016 season gets under way on 20 March, with the first race in Melbourne, Australia. Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona - 22-25 February Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona - 1-4 March Ferrari - launched Haas - launched Force India - launched Renault - launched McLaren - launched Mercedes - launched Red Bull - launched Sauber - 1 March Toro Rosso - launched Williams - launched Manor - launched", "summary": "You can follow Formula 1 testing on BBC Sport live, with track updates, expert analysis, social media reaction, debate, voting, the latest pictures and more from Barcelona."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device And at Aintree in 2017 we have plenty to play with: it's half a century - to the day as it happens - since Foinavon's shock success at 100-1; and 40 years have elapsed since Red Rum, the all-time greatest Grand National horse, raised the roof with his historic third win. Gilded as their places in the race's long and colourful heritage undoubtedly are, the events of 20 years ago - 5-9 April 1997 - will have their own unforgettable place. And not just in Aintree history; the dates of the weekend when IRA terrorism delayed the world's most famous horse-race by two days - recalled in BBC 5 live's 'Evacuate Aintree: 20 years on' - still resonate far further afield. Two decades on, I recall that as the sun rose over the blocks of flats in the Fazakerley district of Liverpool which borders Aintree, the 150th Grand National felt to me like, for want of a better expression, a 'standard' Grand National day. Nerves always jangle alongside excitement at Aintree, but I suspect that as four years earlier the infamous false start-drama saw the race declared void, we probably considered that we'd 'had' our major incidents for now. That said, we were entering the closing stages of a general election campaign punctuated by republican terror threats. Only two days earlier, three motorways had been closed by bomb alerts, but the feeling was that as the fixture was a big favourite with visitors from Ireland, we'd be OK. Among the police, however, there was a degree of nervousness as Sir Paul Stephenson, then Assistant Chief Constable of Merseyside, and later head of the Met, told 5 live. \"We'd seen a new development using telephone calls indicating there were devices on motorways and other national infrastructure - I coined the phrase 10-pence [cost of a phone box call] terrorism - and this had become a very serious challenge,\" he said. \"And not only did we have potential terrorist threats, but we had the threats from extreme animal rights people, so the Grand National was not just an iconic event, but a threatened event.\" However, the atmosphere remained relaxed as thousands on the course - including the Princess Royal and soon-to-be cabinet ministers John Prescott and Robin Cook - watched the early races. Barely an hour before the runners, headed by Go Ballistic and Suny Bay, were due to line-up for the feature at 15:45 came the first of the bomb warnings, which ultimately forced the evacuation from the stands and into the surrounding enclosures of 60,000-plus people. I think most of us thought we'd be back in place quickly, but then came the words, live on BBC TV, from Charles Barnett, the MD, which still ring in my ears today. \"There have been two coded bomb warnings received by the police,\" he said, \"and there's no possibility of taking any chances. \"So, I just ask everybody here, including you the BBC, to leave the course and get out onto the public highway, immediately.\" Including you", "summary": "Programme producers love a 'round-figure' anniversary."}
{"article": "It comes after two cabinet ministers stepped down on Tuesday over separate scandals, which means a political reshuffle is likely in 2016. Liberal senator Eric Abetz called for Mr Abbott to make a comeback saying he has \"more to offer public life\". Abbott was unseated by current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in September. \"I'm on the record as saying that I believe Tony Abbott has more to offer public life in Australia,\" Mr Abetz told the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC). \"I hope that he stays in the Parliament and I hope that there will be a place for him, a prominent place for him, in any future ministry should he decide to stay. Another politician calling for Mr Abbott's return was Nationals Senator John Williams, who told the ABC the move would help \"heal the wounds of the past\". Cities minister Jamie Briggs resigned yesterday after a female public servant lodged an official complaint about his behaviour in a Hong Kong bar in September. Mr Briggs said that he had failed to live up to the high standards expected of a government minister. Special Minister for State Mal Brough also stepped aside pending the result of a federal police investigation into alleged his role in the illegal procurement of a rival politician's private diary. Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss, who leads the Nationals, is widely predicted to retire from politics before the next federal election. An announcement on Mr Truss's future would provide the catalyst for Mr Turnbull to reshuffle his frontbench.", "summary": "Supporters of former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott have made calls for him to return to a senior government position."}
{"article": "The Asian Hornet has spread across Europe since being accidentally introduced to France in 2004 in a shipment of pottery from China. The UK's National Bee Unit confirmed one of the hornets had been photographed in Jersey. Beekeeper Bob Hogge said he expected more to arrive on the island. Mr Hogge, from the Jersey Beekeepers' Association, said: \"I think I could put a very safe bet that we will have them here within the next few years. \"They surround us now, they're on the Brittany coast, they're on the Normandy coast - we will get them\", he said. A nest of Asian Hornets found in Alderney in July was destroyed as a precaution against them spreading, the Alderney government said. In Jersey, an amateur insect expert who photographed it at Mount Bingham, Jersey's environment department said. The department said the area had been searched and no further hornet activity detected. People who suspect they have found a hornet should send a photograph to the department if it is safe to do so, a spokesman said. Mr Hogge said the Asian Hornet dismembered honey bees to take back to feed their young and could wipe out entire hives. \"They've got a particularly unpleasant sting, and they are aggressive. If one attacks you and leaves a sting it will leave a scent and others will come and attack you too,\" he added. However, the department stressed the Asian hornet was no more harmful to humans than the European hornet. Identifying an Asian hornet Source: National Bee Unit", "summary": "A hornet which can kill up to 50 bees a day has been spotted in Jersey for the first time, a month after a nest was discovered on a neighbouring island."}
{"article": "Its authors suggested better broadband could help create higher-paid jobs. They have also highlighted the need for adequate provision of training and childcare to help support workers. Highlands and Islands Enterprise, which was involved in commissioning the study, is supporting work to offer superfast broadband in rural areas. The report, Minimum Income Standard for Remote Rural Scotland 2016, has suggested that the level of income required to afford a socially acceptable standard of living and \"to participate in society\" is 10 to 30% more expensive in remote rural Scotland. However, it has also suggested falling energy costs have \"to some extent\" eased \"the burden\" on the cost of living for people living in remote rural areas. Fergus Ewing, Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, said: \"I welcome this latest Minimum Income Standard Report and note the positive impact that lower diesel and petrol prices has had on those who have to travel long distances. \"The Scottish government is already doing much to support rural communities through transport initiatives and Rural Fuel Poverty measures, and we will continue to work with rural communities to identify the best solutions to rural challenges.\" The report was commissioned by HIE, Scottish Enterprise, the Rural and Islands Housing Association Forum and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations.", "summary": "People in remote rural Scotland need up to 30% more income than the rest of the UK to have \"a socially acceptable standard of living,\" says a new report."}
{"article": "Officer William Porter, charged with manslaughter, has said he did not call for a medic for Freddie Gray because he had no reason to do so. A prosecutor said Mr Porter could have easily called for a medic or used a seatbelt in the back of a police van. Gray died a week after sustaining a spinal cord injury in the van. His death sparked protests over police brutality, with the city of Baltimore erupting in rioting, looting and arson on the day of his funeral. Prosecutor Janice Bledsoe said during closing arguments that Mr Porter \"just didn't care enough\" to secure Gray with a seatbelt or call for medical attention. Mr Porter said he checked on Gray during the stops, and he had no signs of injury. He is charged with manslaughter, assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment and could receive up to 25 years in prison. Other officers' saying they do not use seat belts on prisoners is not an excuse, she said. Mr Porter said Gray asked for help getting off of the floor of the van and denied claims that Gray told him he could not breathe. However Mr Porter did say he hear Gray say something about needing an inhaler upon his arrest. He said in 200 arrests involving the van, he has never belted a prisoner because the wagon is \"pretty tight\". \"External facts\" show Mr Porter is telling the truth, his lawyer Joseph Murtha said, according to the Baltimore Sun. Mr Murtha said Gray's death was a \"horrible tragedy\" but that there is no evidence Mr Porter is responsible for it. Concerned about possible unrest after the verdict, Baltimore is opening an emergency operations centre as the trial wraps up. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has said she is sure city officials are prepared for any protests that may arise. Five other Baltimore police officers will go on trial in Gray's death. All have pleaded not guilty. They will be tried separately and prosecutors hope to use Mr Porter as a witness in the other trials.", "summary": "A Baltimore officer on trial over a death in custody has been accused of turning a police van into a coffin on wheels, prosecutors have argued."}
{"article": "Christopher Michael Williams, 51, of Acrefair, died after being struck by a half-tonne power press on 3 December 2012 at Vauxhall Industrial Estate. Mold Crown Court heard the lifting operation was unsafe and Mr Williams was not properly trained in lifting non-standard loads. Morgan Technical Ceramics Ltd had admitted failing to ensure his safety. The court heard a maintenance supervisor was moving the power press on a pallet truck when it toppled over, striking Mr Williams. He died from his injuries at the scene. As well as the fine, the firm must also pay \u00a323,000 in costs.", "summary": "A Wrexham company has been fined \u00a3180,000 after a man was crushed by heavy machinery at a Ruabon factory."}
{"article": "He worked closely with owner Randy Lerner, who put the club up for sale last May but is yet to find a buyer. The resignation of American Fox after 18 months at the Premier League's bottom club follows the departure of sporting director Hendrik Almstadt and three new appointments to the board. Fox said \"it makes sense for me to seek another challenge\" following the changes in the Villa boardroom. Villa are nine points from safety at the foot of the league and Fox and Lerner have been the target of fans' anger over their struggles. Steven Hollis became the club's new chairman in January while former Governor of the Bank of England Lord King and ex-Football Association chairman David Bernstein have become directors at Villa Park. And Gulf War commander General Charles Krulak is now listed as a director on the Companies House website. In a statement Fox said: \"The owner made it very clear last summer that he and I would seek to recruit a board that would put the club in a stronger position in the event that a sale didn't happen. \"As the board has taken shape, however, it has become clear that my role also has changed. While I am supportive of where the board is trying to take the club, it is my feeling that given the changes they are making, it makes sense for me to seek another challenge.\"", "summary": "Aston Villa chief executive Tom Fox has stepped down with immediate effect."}
{"article": "Ovarian Cancer Action said the Scottish Medicines Consortium's decision on olaparib was \"ground-breaking\". The SMC approved the drug after hearing that patients tended to be younger women with family and work commitments. Cancer Research UK said trials have shown that olaparib can extend lives by an average of seven months. Olaparib is already approved for use in England for people who are suffering with cancer for a third time. In Scotland, it will be used by women who have relapsed with cancer for a second time. Katherine Taylor, chief executive of research charity Ovarian Cancer Action, said: \"The SMC's decision to approve the routine use of olaparib is ground-breaking; a huge leap towards more personalised treatment for women facing ovarian cancer because of a genetic mutation.\" The drug targets ovarian cancer in women with a BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene mutation. Last year Angelina Jolie had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed after she was found to be at an increased risk of ovarian cancer due to a \"faulty\" BRCA 1 gene. Ms Taylor warned that women in Scotland would only qualify for olaparib if their BRCA status is known. She said: \"NHS Scotland must continue to make sure that all patients are offered a BRCA test at diagnosis so they can be treated with the best drugs available.\" Gregor McNie, of Cancer Research UK in Scotland, said the charity was also funding clinical trials to asses the potential for olaparib in the treatment of brain tumours and pancreatic cancer. He added: \"Cancer Research UK scientists played a pivotal role in discovering and developing olaparib and it is great news that the drug will now offer new hope to some women in Scotland with advanced disease. \"We look forward to further good news on olaparib in the future, with clinical trials showing it also has potential in other types of cancer.\" Olaparib was approved by the SMC after being considered by its Patient Clinician Engagement (PACE) process which is used for medicines that treat end of life and very rare conditions. Prof Jonathan Fox, chairman of the SMC, said: \"As the first maintenance treatment for ovarian cancer, olaparib is an important development, and we know from the evidence given by patients and clinicians through our PACE process that it will be welcomed.\"", "summary": "Cancer charities have welcomed a decision to approve a new drug for treatment of a rare form of incurable ovarian cancer."}
{"article": "Residents have said overflow channels would stop short of the Surrey town and water could be funnelled towards them. The Environment Agency said Sunbury would see benefits from the \u00c2\u00a3256m River Thames Scheme and risks would not rise. Spokesman David Murphy said the channels were to convey water in a channel instead of on the flood plain. Sunbury resident Kevin Ella said no-one would want to live in the town. \"The houses are not going to be worth any money because people know we're at the end of a flood relief,\" he said. Fellow resident Jeff Dormer added: \"[It is] very likely [the floods] will happen again. There is no future for us here.\" BBC reporter Gareth Furby said nearby Datchet would see flood levels fall by three quarters of a metre and Wraysbury would see flood levels fall by a third of a metre, but Sunbury had no minimum reduction and a maximum benefit of about 15cm, under the scheme. Mr Murphy said the whole scheme would benefit more than 15,000 properties along the Thames. He said: \"The River Thames Scheme includes all communities from Datchet down to Teddington and that includes Sunbury. \"Sunbury will see benefits from the scheme although those benefits will be less than other communities.\" He said there were proposals to develop the scheme to increase the capacity of three weirs and reduce flood levels in Sunbury. \"[But] the amount that we can reduce water levels is limited because of the size of the river as it passes down through Sunbury down to Teddington,\" he stressed. About 1,000 homes in Surrey were flooded during the winter after the Thames reached its highest level in 60 years.", "summary": "Homeowners have raised concerns a flood defence scheme for the River Thames could increase the risk to their properties in Sunbury."}
{"article": "Roedd Trudy Jones yn un o 30 o Brydeinwyr i gael eu lladd gan Seifeddine Rezgui ar draeth yn ardal Sousse yn 2015. Mae cwest i'r marwolaethau yn cael ei gynnal yn Llundain. Dywedodd heddwas fod Ms Jones ymhlith y rhai oedd yn y rhes flaen o bobl oedd yn torheulo pan gafodd ei lladd. Roedd Ms Jones o fewn dyddiau i ddychwelyd adref o'i gwyliau pan gafodd ei lladd gan Rezgui, myfyriwr 23 oed o Tunisia. Fe wnaeth o ladd 38 o bobl ar y traeth ac mewn gwesty cyfagos. Clywodd y cwest fod Ms Jones, mam i bedwar, yn weithiwr gofal oedd yn \"berson oedd yn gofalu am eraill, ac yn rhoi blaenoriaeth i bobl eraill\". Cafodd datganiad ei ddarllen i'r cwest yn dweud fod Trudy Jones \"yn rhoi amser i bawb ac wedi gwneud argraff fawr ar fywydau pobl o'i chwmpas\". Roedd teulu Trudy Jones yn gwylio'r gwrandawiad drwy gyswllt fideo o Gaerdydd. Clywodd y cwest dystiolaeth gan Carol Powell, oedd ar wyliau gyda Ms Jones. Dywedodd ei bod wedi clywed ergydion yn cael eu tanio a bod anhrefn llwyr. Ychwanegodd iddi orfod smalio ei bod wedi marw er mwyn osgoi cael ei saethu. Dywedodd Ms Powell mai hi oedd yr un oedd wedi gorfod adnabod corff Trudy Jones. Mae disgwyl i'r cwest bara am saith wythnos.", "summary": "Mae cwest i farwolaeth dynes o'r Coed Duon, gafodd ei lladd gan derfysgwr Islamaidd ar draeth yn Tunisia, wedi clywed iddi farw o ergyd gwn i'w gwddw a'i brest."}
{"article": "Light-flyweight Yafai, 23, scored a clear points victory over Cameroon's Simplice Fotsala in the round of 32. Welsh lightweight Cordina used classy footwork and counterpunching to beat bustling Filipino Charly Suarez. Okolie, a heavyweight in just his 26th bout, used his jab well to overcome Polish fighter Igor Jakubowski. The 23-year-old Londoner only quit his job at McDonalds after watching Anthony Joshua win super-heavyweight gold at London 2012, and battled obesity as a youth. \"To become a legend, you have to do legendary stuff. This is just part of the journey to be a legend,\" he said. \"If I manage to win, then I deserve it. It's not about scraping a medal or getting lucky. It's about wanting to beat everyone. If I can beat everyone in front of me, I get gold. If I don't, I don't deserve it.\" Light-heavyweight Joshua Buatsi is the only Briton in action on Sunday, taking on Uganda's Kennedy Katende at 17:00 BST.", "summary": "British fighters Galal Yafai, Joe Cordina and Lawrence Okolie progressed in the Olympic boxing competition on the first day of Rio 2016."}
{"article": "The inaugural Nitro Athletics events take place in Melbourne next month, with six teams of 24 athletes taking part in non-traditional events such as middle-distance and hurdles relays. Nine-time Olympic champion Bolt, 30, will captain an 'all-stars' team. \"We need brave, bold ideas that engage fans in events,\" said Coe. \"Athletics is a global sport with a global following, but we need events that bring back the fun, the kids and the crowds and... add a different dimension to the record-setting events like the world championships. \"Nitro Athletics is a great example of what can be done and what needs to be done to revolutionise how we present our sport and how our fans connect with the sport and the athletes.\" Bolt and his team-mates will compete against squads from Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and England - the latter captained by 2008 Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu. The Nitro series will take place at Melbourne's Lakeside Stadium on 4, 9 and 11 February, and will build up to the World Championships in London in August, which is expected to be Bolt's final major competition.", "summary": "A new athletics team event, headlined by Usain Bolt, could \"revolutionise\" the sport, according to World Athletics chief Lord Sebastian Coe."}
{"article": "The suspect, Claudio Giardiello, was arrested in a suburb after fleeing the scene on a motorbike. He was reportedly a defendant in a bankruptcy case. He is believed to have shot dead a co-defendant, his former lawyer and a bankruptcy court judge. Earlier reports of a fourth death were proven wrong. The shooting has prompted scrutiny of security measures. Questions are being asked about how Mr Giardiello managed to smuggle a weapon into a well-guarded building, use it several times and escape. The suspect was arrested by carabinieri officers in Vimercate, about 25km (15 miles) north-east of central Milan, near the town of Monza. Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said the \"presumed assassin\" had been taken to a military police barracks in the Milan area. The sound of gunfire had sparked panic inside the Palace of Justice on Wednesday morning. Hundreds of people poured down stairways towards the exits while police and military police officers searched for the gunman. \"All of a sudden we heard at least three or four shots,\" lawyer Marcello Ilia told the AFP news agency outside the building. \"We tried to find out what was going on. There were suddenly lots of police officers who told us not to leave the room, they shut us in,\" he said. \"After a few minutes we came out. They told us someone in a suit and tie was armed and at large in the court.\" The newspaper La Repubblica, quoting officials and witnesses, said that the gunman had been attending a bankruptcy hearing when a fight broke out inside the third floor courtroom. He pulled out a weapon and shot the lawyer, named as Lorenzo Alberto Claris Appiani, as well as one of his co-defendants, named as Giorgio Erba. According to La Repubblica, Mr Appiani was a former lawyer for Mr Giardiello who was acting as a witness in the case. The gunman then left the courtroom and headed to the office of appeals court judge, Fernando Ciampi, shooting him dead. It is not known if the gunman had any links to the judge. Several media outlets had earlier said that a fourth person had died in the incident of a possible heart attack, after reports of a body found at the building with no obvious injuries. But the reports - based on a statement from the emergency services, according to AFP news agency - have been proven incorrect, with the body in question now believed to have been that of Mr Erba. Another two people were wounded in the shooting and are being treated at a hospital. After hiding inside the Palace of Justice for more than an hour, the gunman fled on a motorbike, according to La Repubblica. Mr Giardiello was described as \"aggressive\" and \"a little paranoid\" by his former lawyer, Valerio Maraniello, in comments quoted by AFP news agency. Visitors to the Palace of Justice have to pass through metal detectors. Lawyers and courthouse employees with official identification are, however, regularly waved through, according to the Associated Press. Ansa reported that one of the metal detectors was broken", "summary": "A gunman has killed three people in a shooting spree at the Palace of Justice in Milan in northern Italy."}
{"article": "The singer is talking and \"expected to make a full recovery\", her lawyer said. Rebecca J Thyne said she had visited Mitchell on 26 June, and the singer was \"happy to be home\". The comments came in papers relating to Mitchell's conservatorship, and follow reports last month that the Big Yellow Taxi singer was unable to speak. David Crosby - who dated Mitchell in 1967 - told The Huffington Post the star faced a long \"struggle\" after being found unconscious in her home on 31 March. \"She took a terrible hit,\" he said. \"She had an aneurysm, and nobody found her for a while. And she's going to have to struggle back from it the way you struggle back from a traumatic brain injury. \"To my knowledge, she is not speaking yet.\" But Mitchell's lawyer has painted a more optimistic picture. \"When I arrived she was seated at her kitchen table feeding herself lunch,\" Thyne wrote. \"She also told me that she receives excellent care from caregivers round-the-clock. It was clear that she was happy to be home and that she has made remarkable progress. \"She has physical therapy each day and is expected to make a full recovery.\" The court filing recommended that Mitchell's longtime friend Leslie Morris, who has been acting as her temporary conservator, be officially appointed her conservator. According to Thyne, Mitchell should be judged to lack the capacity to give informed consent for medical treatment.", "summary": "Joni Mitchell has made \"remarkable progress\" since she suffering a stroke and brain aneurysm in March, according to court documents."}
{"article": "Firefighters were called to the Italian's detached Cheshire house when the explosive set alight his bathroom in the early hours of Saturday morning. Police said it was an accident and have decided not to take any action. The incident happened less than 48 hours before leaders City travel to neighbours Manchester United in a table-topping Premier League clash. Officers confirmed Balotelli, 21, was inside the property in Mottram St Andrew but it is believed he did not set off the firework. PC Shelley Williams, from Cheshire Police, told the Manchester Evening News newspaper: \"At just before 1am on the morning of Saturday 22 October, Cheshire Police were called to a report of a house fire at a residential home on Oak Road, Mottram St Andrew near Macclesfield. \"Police provided assistance to Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service in ensuring residents were accounted for and there was no danger to surrounding properties. \"At this time the cause of the fire is being examined by fire investigators and police. However, it is not thought to be suspicious.\" Four firefighters arrived wearing breathing apparatus and used two hose reel water jets to douse the flames and a large fan was also used to clear smoke from the house. Balotelli has been involved in a number of controversial incidents since joining City in a reported \u00a324m move from Inter Milan in August 2010. He was sent off against Premier League rivals West Brom in November before his manager Roberto Mancini labelled him \"stupid\" for seeing red again in a Europa League game against Dynamo Kiev. Only last week he was embroiled in a spat with Aston Villa fans after netting in City 's 4-1 win against their side. And City officials launched an investigation in March after the Italy international threw a dart towards a youth team player at the club's Carrington training ground.", "summary": "Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli escaped unhurt when a firework was launched inside his home."}
{"article": "Pastor James McConnell, 78, denies two charges relating to a sermon he gave in a church last year. A prosecution lawyer said his words were not \"a slip of the tongue\", while a defence lawyer said he should not be convicted. Judgement was reserved, and the verdict will be given on 5 January. Summing up the prosecution's case, a barrister said Pastor McConnell, of Shore Road, Newtownabbey, was \"not on trial for his beliefs\", but for what he said and using words that were allegedly grossly offensive. \"He intended to use those words, it wasn't a slip of the tongue,\" he told Belfast Magistrates Court. However, a defence barrister called on the court to find Pastor McConnell not guilty. He said he was a man with an unblemished record who should be recognised for his good works in society, not convicted in court. Earlier, Pastor McConnell told the court that he still believed in what he had preached, and did not go into church to \"provoke anyone\". He said he only realised he may have offended anyone when he got a call from BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show. \"I was attacking the theology of Islam. I was not attacking any individual Muslim,\" he told the court. \"I didn't realise that good Muslim people would be hurt. \"I didn't go into the church to provoke anyone. I went into church to present the truth.\" Asked why he refused an informal warning that would have prevented a criminal trial he said: \"If I took it, that would be an insult to the one I love ... that was me gagged for the rest of my life.\" DUP MP Sammy Wilson and Catholic priest Fr Patrick McCafferty appeared as character witnesses for Pastor McConnell. Fr McCafferty said that in spite of their theological differences, the pastor and he shared a Christian love. \"He has no hatred,\" he said. Pastor McConnell is charged with improper use of a public electronic communications network and causing a grossly offensive message to be sent by means of a public electronic communications network. On Tuesday, an application by the evangelical preacher's defence to stop his trial was rejected by the judge.", "summary": "A judge in the trial of an evangelical preacher accused of making \"grossly offensive\" remarks about Islam will deliver his verdict next month."}
{"article": "Wirral Council has said it is looking for investors to develop areas around the Woodside ferry terminal, the town centre and Hamilton Square. It revealed the plan at MIPIM, Europe's largest property expo in Cannes. An earlier scheme was abandoned in October as the authority sought \"more ambitious\" plans. Council leader Phil Davies said there was \"global interest\" in the proposals. \"I can only report that I've never had so much interest in the last year or so from people who want to invest in Wirral, particularly in Birkenhead,\" he said. \"We've had an incredible amount of interest.\" The proposal includes money for outlying areas, with plans to redevelop the Woodside waterfront and build residential accommodation with views over Liverpool also announced.", "summary": "A \u00a31bn plan to regenerate Birkenhead has been unveiled, five months after a previous \u00a330m development plan was scrapped."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old hit three consecutive birdies as he secured a two-shot lead over Japan's Hideki Matsuyama. Americans William McGirt, Jimmy Walker and Ryan Moore are tied in third place with 14 under in Hawaii. World number one Jason Day is in 13th place after a three-under 70, while Scotland's Russell Knox is seven shots off the lead with one round remaining. \"I left a lot our there. That is always a good thing because I can just go work on it and improve,\" Thomas said.", "summary": "American Justin Thomas shot his third-straight 67 to take the lead on day three of the Tournament of Champions."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Seventy-one people, including 19 players and staff, were killed as the Brazilian team travelled to Colombia for the final of the Copa Sudamericana. The club have since signed 22 new players and appointed a new manager. They beat Inter de Lages 2-1 in the state competition they won last season, with goals from Niltinho and Wellington Paulista at the Arena Conda stadium. It was only their second competitive game since the crash. The team drew 0-0 with Joinville in the Primeira Liga - a different competition - on Thursday. Chapecoense were awarded the Copa Sudamericana trophy following the disaster, a move backed by Colombian club Atletico Nacional, who were scheduled to face them in the final. Defenders Neto and Alan Ruschel and goalkeeper Jackson Follmann, who had his leg amputated, were among the six survivors of the crash. They received the trophy and medals alongside families of the victims at Chapecoense's first game since the crash, a friendly on 22 January.", "summary": "Chapecoense have won their first game since most of their team were killed in a plane crash on 29 November."}
{"article": "The Nobel Peace Prize laureate and anti-apartheid campaigner said that he did \"not wish to be kept alive at all costs\", writing in the Washington Post newspaper on his 85th birthday. Mr Tutu came out in favour of assisted dying in 2014, without specifying if he personally wanted to have the choice. He was hospitalised last month for surgery to treat recurring infections. \"I hope I am treated with compassion and allowed to pass on to the next phase of life's journey in the manner of my choice,\" Mr Tutu wrote. \"Regardless of what you might choose for yourself, why should you deny others the right to make this choice? \"For those suffering unbearably and coming to the end of their lives, merely knowing that an assisted death is open to them can provide immeasurable comfort.\" There is no specific legislation in South Africa governing assisted dying. But in a landmark ruling in April 2015, a South African court granted a terminally ill man the right to die, prompting calls for a clarification of the laws in cases of assisted death. The Anglican Church - of which Mr Tutu is a member - is staunchly against assisted dying. This is not the first time Mr Tutu has come out against the church, however. He is an outspoken supporter of gay rights, and has openly criticised conservative Christian attitudes to homosexuality. In 2013, he said would \"refuse to go to a homophobic heaven\" in favour of \"the other place\". At the time, he added: \"I would not worship a God who is homophobic and that is how deeply I feel about this.\" Earlier this year, he blessed his daughter Mpho's marriage with her female partner, despite South African Anglican law on marriage stating that \"holy matrimony is the lifelong and exclusive union between one man and one woman\". The then-Archbishop of Cape Town also controversially supported an amendment to make abortion more readily available in South Africa in the mid-90s, despite some personal reservations. Desmond Tutu: Profile: Archbishop Desmond Tutu Archbishop Tutu in his own words", "summary": "South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu has revealed that he wants to have the option of an assisted death."}
{"article": "One resident said she felt the ground moving beneath her as she ventured into her back garden in Magdalen's Road, Ripon. Fire crews were called to the street at 22:30 GMT on Wednesday, where they found a hole measuring about 20m (66ft) by 10m (33ft). No injuries have been reported, with the area cordoned off. The hole, in the back gardens of two properties, is estimated to be about 9m (30ft) deep. More on this story and other news in North Yorkshire Frances O'Neil, said: \"I was just going to go down the steps that lead to my garden and realised there were no steps and the ground was moving. \"I turned back around, grabbed hold of a metal pole and pulled myself up and back into the house.\" Ben Bramley, who lives in the other affected house, said: \"I was a bit drowsy and my missus gave me a shout to say something was happening in the back garden and it sounded like a little landslip. \"I went outside and it was all dusty, my neighbour was out there in a dressing gown and it was a real mess.\" Structural experts were called in to help survey the scene. Mr Bramley added: \"It's quite traumatic.. it's very close to our back door and the house, as you can imagine, is uninhabitable at the moment. \"The fire brigade and contractors were saying that it's likely to be structurally unsafe for a period of time, so we would need to move out. We might even be officially homeless.\" Ben Cairns, North Yorkshire Fire Service station manager, said: \"The area is well-known for gypsum deposits, so it's not the first time we have encountered this - although this particular sinkhole does appear to be quite large.\" The fire service said the residents of four of the affected homes would not be able to return to their properties any time soon. In 2014, a 100-year-old detached house in an adjoining street was demolished after a 25ft-wide sinkhole opened. The British Geological Survey said Ripon lies in one of the most susceptible areas of the UK for sinkholes because of its \"Permian gypsum deposits\", which can dissolve more quickly than surrounding limestone. Eamon Parkin, a landlord at the nearby Magdalen's pub, said he had noticed a visible change in the area's landscape over the past few years. He said: \"Growing up here, I know that it's a problem in Ripon and these things do happen, but where will it happen next? \"If you look over to where the park is, the land is changing over there. It used to be nice and flat, but now you can see a difference in the structure of the land.\"", "summary": "Seven homes have been evacuated after a large sinkhole opened up behind a row of houses in North Yorkshire."}
{"article": "Time Warner, which owns HBO and CNN, will also advertise on the service. The deal comes as television companies look to capture growing digital audiences and rival tech platforms, such as Facebook, add video content. It boosted shares of both companies, sending Snapchat's stock up almost 2%. Snapchat started in 2011 as a picture-messaging app and now has more than 150 million daily users. It became a publicly traded company earlier this year. The firm has worked with companies, including the BBC, as it broadens the content available. Its shows typically last for three to five minutes. Currently one show airs on Snapchat each day. That number is expected to increase to three by the end of the year, according to the company. Time Warner's contributions will include comedy and scripted drama. The firm has produced many hit films and TV shows including Wonder Woman and Game of Thrones. The two-year partnership is valued at about $100m, according to Reuters.", "summary": "Media giant Time Warner will produce shows for audiences on the social media platform Snapchat as part of a new partnership that the two companies announced on Monday."}
{"article": "Data collected over three years has been used to measure the wellbeing of more than 300,000 people across the UK. On average, people rated their happiness between seven and eight out of 10. But the largest percentage of people rating themselves at nine or 10 was in Mid Sussex (39.3%). That compares with 21.8% in Wolverhampton. Sara Erriadi, 27, from Bilston said: \"I don't have any family here at all so for me personally to be surrounded by people I love would make me happier. \"But for everyone else - if we had a bit more sunshine or more things to do - like a fair - that might make people happier.\" Joyce and Val from Tipton had travelled to Wolverhampton on the tram for a shopping trip. Val said: \"A place is what you make it. If you're a happy person you'll be in a happy place.\" Joyce said: \"I always find the people really friendly in Wolverhampton. \"There's happy people and there's miserable people wherever you go.\" Councillor Garry Wall, leader of Mid Sussex District Council, said: \"Being happy isn't just about where you are; it's also about who you are with and how you live your life. We live in an area surrounded by beautiful countryside, areas of outstanding natural beauty and enjoy a growing local economy but crucially we have strong local communities.\" The ONS found ratings of life satisfaction and happiness were at their lowest, on average, for those aged 45 to 59. Across the UK as a whole people in the Scottish Highlands came out happiest, with 43% saying they were a nine or a 10 on the day they were asked. In Bolsover in Derbyshire, 17.2% rated their happiness between zero and four out of 10. However, it still had far more people at the happiest end of the scale as well, with 37% giving themselves nine or 10 out of 10. Liverpool and Wolverhampton were the only places where average happiness was below seven out of 10, at 6.96 and 6.99 respectively. Despite its low happiness rating, however, Wolverhampton has also emerged as the place where people feel the least anxious, with 58.5% rating themselves at zero or one out of 10 for anxiety. Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Ian Brookfield, said: \"On the one hand they suggest that people in Wolverhampton are less happy, yet by the same measure, there are fewer unhappy people here than in many other areas. Research shows the better you fit into the personality of your area, the happier you are. Take the test to find the best place in Britain for you Read more on happiness from BBC News: Can we make ourselves happier? Why it's hard to measure happiness \"At the same time, the report also shows that people in Wolverhampton have the lowest levels of anxiety anywhere in the UK, which appears to contradict the other findings. And of course, we need to remember this is a fairly small sample size of 1,690 residents over a three-year period. \"Wolverhampton and Black Country folk are, by nature,", "summary": "The largest proportion of happy people in England are living in Mid Sussex, the smallest in Wolverhampton, according to official statistics."}
{"article": "The duration of Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton's absence was a theme for coach Joe Schmidt, while England counterpart Eddie Jones' - sporting a shiner of his own - updated the media on his host of walking wounded. Scotland's Vern Cotter rued the absence of props WP Nel and Alasdair Dickinson, while Wales' Rob Howley is without first-choice forwards Luke Charteris and Taulupe Faletau. Media playback is not supported on this device v Scotland, Edinburgh, Sat, 14:25 GMT, BBC One Henderson & O'Brien in Ireland team Sexton will miss Saturday's meeting with Scotland with a tight calf, but Schmidt raised the prospect that the 63-cap Leinster fly-half could also miss Ireland's second match against Italy on 11 February. \"Realistically, Johnny is an outside chance for Italy. He's probably played about 82 minutes in the last eight test matches,\" said Schmidt. \"In the three Six Nations I have been involved in, Johnny has dominated the number 10 position so we're still hopeful that he can come back in and do that for us.\" Paddy Jackson, who deputised for Sexton in Ireland's autumn Test win over Australia, has been given another chance to stake his claim, while flanker Sean O'Brien is fit again at openside. v France, Twickenham, Sat, 16:50 GMT Daly starts on wing ahead of Nowell Before taking on the England role, Jones had suggested that flanker Chris Robshaw was short of international class. But, with Robshaw out for the tournament with a shoulder injury, Jones admits Maro Itoje, who has been switched to six from the second row, has a tough task to match up to the Harlequin in the opening match against France. \"Itoje has got big shoes to fill,\" said Jones. \"Chris Robshaw has been one of our integral players with his work-rate but Maro has trained well in that position and we believe he can make a really good fist of it. Prop Joe Marler, meanwhile, has claimed that drinking two pints of milk a day is behind his rapid recovery from a leg fracture that was expected to rule him out of the team's first two fixtures. \"Your mum always says milk is really good for you and you don't really believe it until you need it because you've got a broken leg, so I just drank loads of it,\" he said. \"I drank two pints a day and it's something I'll keep doing because it's really tasty.\" Media playback is not supported on this device v Ireland, Edinburgh, Sat, 14:25 GMT, BBC One Strauss in Scotland team to play Ireland Cotter is keen to keep his Scotland players' feet on the ground after winning four out of five of their matches since last year's Six Nations and coming within a point of Australia in their solitary defeat. \"Can we win the whole thing? I think the trap is every year that Scotland get talked up,\" said the New Zealander. \"We are realistic. We know which teams are ranked ahead of us, we know what the rugby hierarchy is at the moment. It's up to us to change", "summary": "As the start of the Six Nations nears, the respective coaches spent as much time talking about who wouldn't feature in the opening weekend as would."}
{"article": "Benedetto Vassallo, 68, from Folkestone in Kent, arrived in the UK with his parents as a young child in 1952. The home secretary attempted to have Vassallo - who retained his Italian citizenship - deported. However, the Court of Appeal ruled he was of \"low risk\" of reoffending and called him a \"home-grown criminal\". Vassallo was convicted of 68 offences, mainly burglary, while living in the UK. During this time he married a British woman and had two children who were also British citizens. In May 2012 he was sentenced to 29 months in prison for a burglary committed at the home of an elderly couple. After this the home secretary decided to make a deportation order against Vassallo on the grounds that it was necessary \"in the interests of public policy or public security\". An immigration tribunal ruled that deporting Vassallo was not justified under European immigration regulations. The Home Office appealed, however, three judges - Lord Justice Richards, Lady Justice Macur and Mr Justice Cranston - agreed he should not be deported.", "summary": "An Italian-born burglar who has lived in the UK for 63 years cannot be deported despite his \"reprehensible\" record, a court has ruled."}
{"article": "According to court documents, Amjid Khan was working at a Morrisons petrol station in Birmingham in 2008 when he punched and kicked Ahmed Mohamud. Mr Mohamud died in 2014 of an illness not related to the incident, and his family continued his legal fight. Morrisons said Mr Khan had been sacked and that it had agreed to pay damages. The court ruled that Morrisons was \"vicariously liable\" for Mr Khan's actions. The attack happened in Small Heath, Birmingham, in March 2008, as Mr Mohamud was on his way to London for a demonstration against the war in Somalia. At the petrol station he asked staff to print some documents he had stored on a USB memory stick. Court documents say he asked this as a \"favour\", and Mr Khan responded by being abusive and using a racial slur. Mr Mohamud was not abusive in return, but the documents say Mr Khan followed him to his car, shouted more abuse, punched him twice in the head then leapt on him and subjected him to a \"brutal attack involving punches and kicks while Mr Mohamud was curled up on the petrol station forecourt\". By BBC legal correspondent Clive Coleman The Supreme Court has sent employers a wake-up call. It has broadened the law which holds employers vicariously liable for the acts of their employees who commit a crime whilst at work. Previously an employer could argue that an employee was acting for entirely personal reasons - lawyers call it being \"on a frolic of their own\" if they committed a crime. It was only in cases where the employment itself involved a risk that a crime could be committed that employers had been held liable - so for instance in cases involving nightclub bouncers or wardens at residential care homes. This ruling makes it easier for customers of a business who are assaulted by staff - or affected by staff who commit any unlawful act whilst on duty - to hold the employer business liable. It is also likely to affect cases involving assaults or harassment by co-workers while at work. In his case for compensation, Mr Mohamud claimed he suffered psychological injuries and a head injury which led to epilepsy. BBC legal correspondent Clive Coleman said the court had to consider two key points - the nature of the job entrusted to Mr Khan, and whether there was a sufficient connection between the role and his wrongful conduct to make it right for the employer to be held responsible. \"The court found that the nature of the job was to be viewed broadly,\" our correspondent said. \"In this case it was Mr Khan's job to attend to customers and respond to their inquiries. His response to Mr Mohamud's inquiry with abuse was inexcusable, but interacting with customers was within the scope of his job.\" In a statement, Morrisons said: \"When this appalling incident happened we were horrified and dismissed Amjid Khan. \"We then offered a settlement option to Mr Mohamud but he and his legal team wanted to progress a case which involved", "summary": "Morrisons supermarket is liable for the actions of a staff member who physically attacked a customer, the Supreme Court has ruled."}
{"article": "The year, of course, was 1996. With England's European Championship campaign ending in penalty defeat, it was tournament debutants the Czech Republic who claimed a place in the hearts of a nation. From 66-1 outsiders at the start to almost upsetting Germany in the final, the Czechs had come so close to completing the perfect underdog story. And it all began at Bamber Bridge. \"I was mowing the pitch when I was called in to take a call from a nearby hotel,\" remembers Russ Rigby, former groundsman, secretary and kitman at the non-league side, who are in FA Cup action this weekend against Kettering Town. \"It was the hotel's manager and he just asked if we would be interested in playing the Czech Republic in a warm-up game for the European Championship.\" Rigby recalled he almost dropped the phone in surprise. After all, it is not every day that a team that has never played higher than the sixth tier of English football gets presented with the opportunity to play an international side. Needless to say the offer was quickly accepted, but why exactly did a team containing emerging talents like Pavel Nedved, Karel Poborsky and Patrik Berger sound out a non-league side from the north west of England for a friendly? \"They were playing Germany in their opening game of Euro '96 at Old Trafford a few days later, so they were based close by,\" adds Rigby. \"Preston North End had been approached initially but didn't want the game for some reason or another, so they passed on my number.\" Dusan Uhrin, the Czech Republic manager, travelled to the Lancashire village to check out the facilities and complete the formalities of arranging the friendly. \"We'd had the pitch relaid. It wasn't perfect but it was all right,\" says Rigby. \"The Czech manager didn't speak any English so we had to go through an interpreter, but he was happy with the surface. \"He warned us, though, that he didn't want a physical game, otherwise he'd take his players off if it got out of hand.\" Back in the Czech Republic, there was plenty of interest in the game. The country's national team was playing in a major tournament for the first time since Czechoslovakia split in 1993 into two independent countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. As a result, television cameras descended on Bamber Bridge's modest 2,200 capacity ground - then called Irongate but renamed Sir Tom Finney Stadium in 2014. \"The game was being broadcast live and all the newspapers were in touch,\" continues Rigby. \"The Czech Republic team was sponsored by one of their local breweries too. One of the stands wasn't really a stand, just a shed really, and this brewery got in touch to say they would bring a bar over. \"So a temporary stand was built which included a bar that served their beers. I still have some of the fancy glasses they brought over.\" The game itself was sold out. Bunting lined the streets while a brass band played as Bamber Bridge's opponents arrived. For a", "summary": "Britpop was big, Spice Mania ruled Britannia and football came home."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Only 12.2 overs were possible in two spells, during which Sri Lanka progressed from 32-0 to 78-1 in pursuit of a notional 362 to win. Kaushal Silva was the sole wicket to fall, lbw to James Anderson, before play was called off at 17:10 BST. A five-match one-day series starts on 21 June, followed by a Twenty20. Dimuth Karunaratne finished unbeaten on 37, while Kusal Mendis made 17 not out, hitting Joe Root for six off the final ball of the match. With both sides taking two points from the draw - Sri Lanka's first in 17 Tests - England lead 10-2 in the inaugural 'Super Series'. There are 12 points available in the limited-overs series. Media playback is not supported on this device For all England's frustration at the weather on Monday, they can take credit for the efficient manner in which they completed a 2-0 series win over an inexperienced Sri Lanka side exposed by early summer conditions. Jonny Bairstow's return of 387 runs was 95 more than the next best batsman and cemented his place in the middle order, while Alex Hales took a sizeable step towards securing the opener's berth by averaging 58. But England's success was founded on the potency of their attack, led brilliantly by James Anderson with 21 wickets at less than 11 apiece. Stuart Broad's haul of 12 wickets was bettered only by Anderson, Chris Woakes produced his Test best with bat and ball after replacing the injured Ben Stokes, and Steven Finn hinted at a welcome return to form at Lord's. England may hold all but one of the nine trophies on offer against countries in bilateral series, but there remain grounds for concern for coach Trevor Bayliss. Their top-order collapses are still to be eradicated - they have lost their first four wickets before reaching 100 five times in the past seven innings. The search for a reliable number three goes on after Nick Compton managed only 51 runs in five innings, and it remains to be seen whether James Vince, who scored only 54 runs at 13.5, will be retained at number five for the Pakistan series later this summer. Despite taking 19 catches - a record for an England wicketkeeper in a three-Test series - Bairstow's glovework has been heavily criticised thanks to three drops and a missed stumping. England captain Alastair Cook: \"It would have been a really good day's cricket. It would have been good to see our guys under some pressure.\" Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews: \"It would have been an interesting chase but the weather interrupted. We wanted to go for it.\" Man of the match and man of the series Jonny Bairstow: \"I felt like I had a few people to prove wrong. This series and in South Africa I think I've done that.\" Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott and Test Match Special: \"Number three, Compton, and Finn's bowling is up for debate. \"If Stokes isn't fit, Finn will survive. If Stokes is fit, Woakes has out-bowled", "summary": "England were denied the chance to press for a series whitewash over Sri Lanka as rain ruined the final day of the third Test at Lord's."}
{"article": "Theresa Villiers made the comments in a speech about legacy issues at Ulster University on Thursday. She defended the government's approach to dealing with the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. She said that it was a 'distortion' to suggest that misconduct by security force members in the past was endemic. Families of people killed by state forces fear the government will use the issue of national security to block the release of information on the killings. When Northern Ireland's latest political agreement, known as the Fresh Start document, was agreed in November one key element remained unresolved - how to deal with the legacy of the Troubles. The secretary of state suggested that, when it comes to the legacy of the troubles, some people are pursuing \"a pernicious counter narrative of the past\". She added: \"It is a version of the Troubles that seeks to displace responsibility from the people who perpetrated acts of terrorism and place the state at the heart of nearly every atrocity and murder that took place.\" Paying tribute to the work of police officers and soldiers, she said: \"I am convinced that in the vast, vast majority of cases they carried out their duties with exemplary professionalism.\" However, she nonetheless admitted that some \"fell below the high standards required of them\". \"Sadly we know that there are some truly shocking instances where they fell drastically short of those standards,\" she said. \"And like the Prime Minister, I will never seek to defend the security forces by defending the indefensible. \"Where there is evidence of wrongdoing it will be pursued. Everyone is subject to the rule of law. \"Yet we need to be mindful of the context in which the security forces were operating. Ms Villiers said that everything will be disclosed to the planned new Historical Investigations Unit. However, she said the government has legitimate concerns about what that unit might then make public - either because it could put lives at risk or compromise the security services' capabilities. \"There are techniques and capabilities available to our security services that, if known, would be of value to terrorists. \"That's not just violent dissidents in Northern Ireland, but also Islamist terrorists who want to attack our whole way of life. \"No responsible government could allow this to happen and we must retain the power to prevent it.\" Last month a senior judge criticised the government's attitude to Troubles inquests, saying they were very low on the Ministry of Defence's list of priorities. But in her address, Ms Villiers denied there was a lack of commitment by the government or the police, insisting that the current system was never designed to cope with such a large number of complex sensitive cases. She said she remained hopeful that a political agreement over legacy issues could be reached but said it was important that the past was seen in context.", "summary": "Northern Ireland's secretary of state has warned that dissident republicans and Islamist militants should not be shown how UK security services work."}
{"article": "The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has proposed a price cap for all households using pre-payment meters. It has also proposed that the regulator, Ofgem, keeps a database of customers that have been on a standard rate for three years. This database will then be opened up so these customers can be targeted directly by other suppliers. The proposals are designed to reform the energy market and increase competition to help consumers save money. The CMA also proposed: They follow an 18-month investigation into the energy market by the CMA which found that, in total, customers may have been paying about \u00a31.7bn a year more than they would in a competitive market. The CMA believes that those households using pre-payment meters, currently numbering four million, need protecting until smart meters are rolled out in 2020. Those using pre-payment meters tend to be the poorer and more vulnerable customers who have difficulty setting up accounts with suppliers. Roger Witcomb, chairman of the CMA's investigation, told the BBC that the price controls would lower bills by \u00a3300m in total, the equivalent of about \u00a390 per household. Analysis: Simon Jack, BBC business editor The customer discontent over energy bills has rumbled on for years. After countless Ofgem probes, the issue of stubbornly high prices was referred to a body with real teeth, the Competition and Markets Authority and this morning, after two years of inquiry, they bared them. The question is, how sharp are they? Inertia costs customers well over \u00a31bn a year - 70% of all customers are on their supplier's standard tariff. If they were to move, the CMA estimates they could save \u00a3300-\u00a3400 a year. Some people find it much harder to switch - those on pre-payment meters or those in debt to their existing suppliers. Here we will see price controls: namely, a transitional price cap for four million customers until 2020. The existence of price controls in a market that was deregulated 20 years ago will be seen by some as evidence of failure of that market. More from Simon: Inertia the big enemy Energy report: A spammers' charter? Should energy prices be regulated? Energy Secretary Amber Rudd said: \"This is a wake-up call to the big six [energy providers]. \"Energy customers should get a fair deal from a market that works for them. That's why we called for the biggest ever investigation into the energy market and won't hesitate to take forward its recommendations.\" Her Labour counterpart Lisa Nandy countered: \"While a safeguard tariff for customers stuck on expensive pre-pay meters is welcome and will protect some households, we will need to go much further to make sure bills are fair and transparent for everybody else too.\" \"We have found that the six largest suppliers have learned to take many of their existing domestic customers - some 70% of whom are on default standard variable tariffs - for granted, not just over prices, but with their service and quality,\" said Mr Witcomb. He said that, if implemented, these proposals would \"shake up the industry\". He added: \"Given the scale", "summary": "Millions of low-income households could see power bills cut after a watchdog's report into the UK's energy sector."}
{"article": "Hollywood star Jackie Chan's son Jaycee and Taiwanese actor Kai Ko were detained on Thursday for suspected drug use. This comes after Gao Hu, a 40-year old mainland actor, became the ninth Chinese celebrity to be arrested for drug-related offences this year. Amid the crackdown, some netizens have suggested the use of marijuana should be legalised because \"it is not the most dangerous substance\". China has kept a tight control on drugs with President Xi Jinping calling for \"forceful measures\" to tackle illegal drug use in June. Dismissing netizens' suggestions, state-run People's Daily gathers experts' opinion and concludes that it will be \"disastrous\" if the substance is legalised. \"In a big country like China, if we legalise marijuana, it will be disastrous for the whole society,\" says a drug rehabilitation worker. Li Wenjun, a drug expert at the People's Public Security University of China, adds that marijuana causes addiction even though it is known as a \"soft drug\". \"Do not simply believe the lie that one will not get addicted by just a simple smoke. Banning drugs is the responsibility of the society and everyone has to fight the war on drugs,\" he tells the paper. A commentary on the daily's website says those who are calling for legalising marijuana are \"ignorant\". \"It is not an issue of freedom of speech or rights. It is about whether society allows anyone to get confused between truth and falsehoods. We should never be reduced to the Sick Man of East Asia again,\" says the commentator, referring to a humiliating description of the Chinese society in the late 19th century following the Opium Wars. Some media outlets note that a few countries have made the use of marijuana legal, but warn against taking similar steps in China. \"Some countries have legalised marijuana, but this should not be the reason for us to blindly follow what they have done,\" says an article in the Beijing Times. Elsewhere, media defend the passengers who abandoned a Shanghai Metro train coach when a Caucasian-looking man passed out. According to the footage from the surveillance camera, panicky passengers rushed to the exit within seconds after the man fainted. The incident happened on 9 August but the video started circulating on social websites in the last two days. Some Chinese papers have noted a Wall Street Journal blog post that says one cannot \"expect to get any help from good Samaritans\" when travelling in China's subway. Defending the passengers, several papers, including the state-run People's Daily, have \"given the other side of the story\". \"It is not true that nobody offered help to the man. According to the Shanghai Metro, some of these passengers reported the incident to the staff immediately,\" the report says, noting that a few helpful passengers offered sweets and even sent the man back to his hotel. Urging the Shanghai Metro to release the full footage, an article in the Beijing News says that it will help \"dispel the misunderstanding\" that \"nobody offered assistance\" to the man. The Global Times' Chinese edition also disagrees that the incident", "summary": "Media and experts dismiss calls to legalise marijuana in China in the wake of the arrest of several celebrities on drugs-related charges."}
{"article": "Australia's anti-terror minister Michael Keenan launched the Radicalisation Awareness Kit on Monday, urging it be shared in schools. But the use of a case study of a girl called Karen - who gets into music and student politics before getting involved in criminal protests - has sparked both concern and humour. The #freeKaren hashtag started trending on Friday, and inspired offshoots #IamKaren and #JeSuisKaren. The publication, Preventing Violent Extremism and Radicalisation, says young people can become violent because of ideologies such as \"environment or economic concerns, or ethnic or separatist causes\". The case study says Karen grew up \"in a loving family\" but when she went to university \"Karen became involved in the alternative music scene, student politics and left-wing activism. In hindsight she thinks this was just 'typical teenage rebellion' that went further than most\". \"One afternoon Karen attended an environmental protest with some of her friends. It was exhilarating, fun and she felt like she was doing the 'right thing' for society.\" It goes on to describe Karen's involvement in violent environmental protests, and how she felt like \"a soldier for the environment\", before describing how she eventually became disillusioned and cut ties with the group. She struggled to \"recover\" from radical activism, but reconnected with family, found a job \"broadly in the environmental field\" and developed a \"more moderate eco-philosophy\". Environmentalists, teachers and social media users were outraged that the publication lumped together environmental protest and violent extremism. The International Association for the Study of Popular Music said it \"strongly objects to the linking of participation in the alternative music scene to radicalisation of any kind\". \"There is no reputable evidence to suggest that listening to certain types of music leads to particular political outcomes for the audience,\" it said in a statement. \"The idea that young people who like certain types of music are problems waiting to happen needs to be challenged, as it has consequences for them.\" The Green Party called on its supporters to tell Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull \"that everyday Australians who care about our incredible natural environment should be congratulated, not demonised\". Minister Michael Keenan said in a statement the first step to preventing young people being radicalised was helping schools to recognise what radicalisation is. \"The potential radicalisation of young Australians to violent extremism, including those in our schools, is something all Australian governments are deeply concerned about,\" Minister Keenan said earlier in the week. \"It is important that anyone who is in danger of becoming radicalised is put on a different path as early as possible before they harm themselves or others.\" The booklet comes amid concerns that Australia is facing an increasing domestic terror threat from people linked to or influenced by militant groups overseas. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Australia's new defence minister said the threat from groups like the so-called Islamic State (IS) was \"very serious\". \"There is absolutely no doubt that there are individuals, leaders in that organisation, who are intent upon disrupting Western democracies,\" Marise Payne said. \"I don't think that the magnitude of the threat", "summary": "A government booklet linking environmental activism and alternative music to violent extremism has been widely ridiculed by Australians."}
{"article": "Dan Lawrence (75) and Adam Wheater's (64) 127-run partnership helped Essex create a platform before they were all out for 295, having resumed on 120-4. Middlesex, also aided by Toby Roland-Jones' 3-81, chose to not enforce the follow on, despite being 212 ahead. Sam Robson hit 77 and Nick Gubbins 64 as the hosts declared on 239-3, and Essex ended 19-0 chasing 452 to win. Given the forecast for rain on the final day, the decision not to put Essex back in to bat again was surprising. However, Robson and Gubbins built on their first-innings centuries to ensure the best chance for victory possible if the weather holds out. After dismissing former England captain Alastair Cook cheaply on day two, Roland-Jones took his third wicket of the match with the 14th ball of the third morning, as Ravi Bopara was caught at third slip, continuing his poor batting form this season. That brought Wheater to the crease, and alongside Lawrence the pair dragged Essex away from a disastrous reply to Middlesex's 507-7 declared, but Wheater was eventually out to a brilliant one-handed tumbling catch by Stevie Eskinazi at square leg to reduce the visitors to 253-6. Ryan ten Doeschate (20) was then trapped plumb lbw by Tim Murtagh, Simon Harmer hit a wide ball to Eskinazi's hands, and Lawrence and Neil Wagner were dismissed by Finn (4-51) as the final four wickets tumbled in nine overs. At a pace of more than six runs an over, Middlesex thundered to a lead of 451, thanks to Robson, Gubbins and fellow first-innings centurion Eskinazi, who hit 62 in 34 balls, going to his fifty with three successive sixes into the Grand Stand off Jamie Porter. Essex faced six overs late in the day and opener Nick Browne survived a scare when Ollie Rayner dropped him at second slip off Roland-Jones when he was on eight. Middlesex head coach Richard Scott told BBC Radio London: \"We decided not to enforce the follow-on because our bowlers had sent down almost 100 overs in their first innings. \"We wanted to give them a session's rest so they could come back again strong and also have the chance of bowling fresh in the morning. \"Our batsmen actually did brilliantly to accelerate the scoring rate and get us a lead of 450 in time for us to have six overs at them before stumps.\" Essex wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Wheater told BBC Radio Essex: \"We tried to slow the scoring rate in their second innings but their top three all played really well. \"With the small boundary on one side it is hard to defend it. \"We just have to bat well on the last day and you never know what can happen.\"", "summary": "Steven Finn took four wickets as Middlesex continued to dominate against Essex on day three at Lord's."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device It is the sixth time Englishman Adams, the number two seed, has lost in round one in 23 visits to Frimley Green. Smith will next face 15th seed Brian Dawson, who came from 2-0 down to beat 2001 Lakeside champion and fellow Yorkshireman John Walton 3-2. Dutch fifth seed Wesley Harms scraped past Japan's Seigo Asada 3-2. Belgian eighth seed Geert de Vos, Latvia's Madars Razma and England's Mark McGeeney - who will play defending champion Scott Mitchell in round two - were the other male players to progress. English duo Deta Hedman and Zoe Jones, seeded three and seven respectively, booked quarter-final spots in the women's draw. The scoreline in the Canadian's favour ended up being a convincing one, but the final result could have been much different had 59-year-old Adams not wasted several chances at doubles to seize the early initiative. In truth, Adams did not play too badly. His scoring was excellent for the most part and he threw a 10-dart leg at the start of the second set. But 40-year-old Smith reeled off five successive legs to clinch victory, the last of them typifying the composure that has become his trademark since his Lakeside debut a year ago, when he reached the semi-finals. Adams needed to break the throw to keep the match alive and left himself on double top after 12 darts. Up stepped Smith to land a nerveless 120 checkout and secure his place in the second round. On this evidence, he will take some stopping. Media playback is not supported on this device Gary Robson is a Lakeside veteran, with 15 World Championship appearances to his name, but this year's 13th seed proved he is a bit of a novice when it comes to using a hoverboard. The 48-year-old from Northumberland crashed into a door while trying out the gadget at his hotel a couple of days before his first-round meeting with Razma. Robson was back to his feet again by Tuesday, but he exited the tournament with a 3-1 defeat by the unseeded Latvian. Martin Adams: \"Jeff could go on and win it. If he carries on playing like that, he's going to be in the mix at the end. From what I've seen, he's played the best darts on that stage so far.\" Jeff Smith: \"If I'm hitting doubles, I can compete with any player in the world and I know that. Martin's a dangerous player. If you give him an inch, he'll take a mile, so you have to finish him off.\" BBC pundit Bobby George on Smith's victory: \"Jeff didn't miss a shot, and he never let Martin in. He can finish, and in this game you can score all you want, but if you don't hit the double you don't win.\" The second round of the men's draw gets under way on Wednesday, with world number one Glen Durrant facing Larry Butler of the USA in the day's early session (13:00 GMT, live on BBC Two). Smith plays Dawson in the late", "summary": "Three-time champion Martin Adams was whitewashed 3-0 by Canada's Jeff Smith in the first round of the BDO World Championships at Lakeside."}
{"article": "A total of 1,454 Carlisle fans travelled the 68 miles to Morecambe, making up 47% of the attendance. \"They were sucking the ball into the net - you could feel it,\" Curle told BBC Cumbria. \"It's phenomenal - the noise you can hear from behind the goal. You can tell there's a unity growing.\" Carlisle came from behind and sealed victory with two goals in two minutes - a 83rd-minute Charlie Wyke penalty followed by a close-range finish from substitute Derek Asamoah. \"The pleasing thing is that at 1-0 down coming off the pitch at half-time, the supporters were with us,\" Curle, 52, continued. \"The supporters stayed with us because they knew there is a level of commitment within the players and within the staff that we want to do well for them and I think that shone through.\" Carlisle sit 11th in League Two, three points below the play-off places, but with games in hand on many of the teams above them. \"I'm very proud to be manager of Carlisle United. I know there's a journey for this club to go on and I'm desperate to be a massive part of it,\" former Manchester City defender Curle added. \"I've said to the players - if we make the play-offs, we go up.\"", "summary": "Carlisle United manager Keith Curle has credited his club's \"phenomenal\" away support for their 2-1 win against Morecambe on Saturday."}
{"article": "30 December 2015 Last updated at 13:37 GMT The storm has also brought heavy rain and gales to Northern Ireland and Scotland, with flood warnings in place across the UK. Hundreds of homes have been evacuated and thousands left without power with many areas fearing the storm will bring more flooding.", "summary": "A large batch of sea foam has washed up on the coastal town of Tramore as Storm Frank moved across the Republic of Ireland."}
{"article": "In a festive season where most of our big retailers did better than expected, M&S stood out, finally shrugging off its clothing sales hoodoo. Clothing sales have been in decline - and often sharp decline - for the past five years, with the exception of one positive quarter two years ago. Over Christmas, however, like-for-like sales were up 2.3%, although the company was quick to point out that 1.5% of that was down to how Christmas fell, which meant there were five extra trading days compared to the relevant period a year earlier. Even so, a 0.8% increase is not to be sneezed at, and is evidence perhaps that the back-to-basics reforms of chief executive Steve Rowe, which include hundreds of job losses at head office and the closure of most of the international stores, is having some effect. M&S beats Christmas sales forecast Tesco hails 'strong progress' One good quarter doesn't make a revival, but a halt to the seemingly inexorable decline will give shareholders encouragement. Retail analysts say Mr Rowe's formula - a concentration on the basics - is a welcome contrast to the recent past, where management introduced eye-catching fashion and made mis-steps online. The real test will be at the next quarterly update, where the calendar is against Mr Rowe - just as he benefited at Christmas, he misses out next time. If he can turn in another positive number on clothing, there will be substance to the M&S revival. Elsewhere, there was good news tempered with caution about the coming year. This was best expressed at the John Lewis Partnership, which reported like for like sales growth of just under 3% at both the department store chain and the grocery business, Waitrose. Profits for the full year are likely to be up, but Sir Charlie Mayfield, the partnership's chairman, took the unusual step of warning staff their bonuses would be smaller than last year. The culprits? The pressure caused by a weaker pound and the need to invest heavily in new products.", "summary": "Marks and Spencer has turned out to be this year's surprise Christmas package."}
{"article": "On-loan Sam Gallagher looked to have won it on his first start for Rovers, heading in Craig Conway's corner. But Naylor met Matty Palmer's left-wing corner to seal a dramatic point. Conway had put Rovers ahead in the first half with a 25-yard drive that flew in off the bar, but Burton levelled with Jackson Irvine's header. A first-ever meeting between the two sides saw Rovers teenage academy product Scott Wharton handed a debut and he made an important early intervention to deflect John Mousinho's header wide. But after Conway took a Danny Graham pass to rifle in the 12th goal of his Rovers career, Burton, who did not include new loan signing John Brayford in their squad, were level just before the break as Mousinho's right-wing cross was met by an unmarked Irvine. Rovers started the second half brightly, only for Hope Akpan to head over a Conway free-kick, before Albion were unlucky when Naylor's long range drive crashed against the crossbar. Gallagher, on loan from Southampton, nodded in at the near post to put Rovers back in front, but Naylor was not to be denied to heap more pressure on Coyle, whose side are bottom of the Championship and the only club in the division still without a league win. Blackburn manager Owen Coyle: \"Having got ourselves ahead twice in the game, we could have seen it out and got the three points we were worthy of. \"We all know it can be a cruel game but, having said that, there were a lot of positives we can take from the game - not least the performance of young Scott Wharton at the back on his debut.\" Rovers striker Sam Gallagher: \"I was on the highest high from scoring my goal and then gutted when they got the equaliser. \"I felt we deserved more, but at least we showed more character than in our other three games and we are off the mark.\" Burton manager Nigel Clough: \"As pleasing as it is to get an 88th-minute equaliser, we are disappointed not to have won the game. \"We looked a real threat from set-plays and we deserved at least a point.\" Match ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, Burton Albion 2. Second Half ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, Burton Albion 2. Foul by Callum Butcher (Burton Albion). Stephen Hendrie (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. Matthew Palmer (Burton Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lucas Akins. Foul by Lloyd Dyer (Burton Albion). Craig Conway (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing. Hamza Choudhury (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers). Lee Williamson (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Liam Feeney (Blackburn Rovers). Goal! Blackburn Rovers 2, Burton Albion 2. Tom Naylor (Burton Albion) header from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Matthew Palmer with a cross following a corner. Corner, Burton Albion. Conceded by Sam Gallagher. Matthew", "summary": "Tom Naylor's late header secured Burton a first away point in the Championship to leave Owen Coyle still searching for a first league win as Blackburn boss."}
{"article": "Turkey accuses the cleric, Fethullah Gulen, of orchestrating last July's failed coup. In a video interview, Mr Woolsey told the Wall Street Journal he was present at a discussion about removal methods beyond the legal extradition process. Mr Flynn disputes Mr Woolsey's account. The meeting took place last September at a New York Hotel. Those present included Mr Flynn, then an adviser on national security to the Trump election campaign, the son-in-law of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, according to the WSJ (paywall). Mr Woolsey, then also advising the Trump campaign, admitted he might not have heard \"some kind of caveat\" because he arrived late for the meeting. But he told the WSJ: \"There was serious discussion of finding some way to move Mr Gulen out of the US to Turkey. \"You might call it brainstorming. But it was brainstorming about a very serious matter that would pretty clearly be a violation of law.\" He went on: \"It was a serious and troubling discussion but it did not, repeat not, in my portion of being in the room, rise to a level of being a specific plan to undertake a felonious act.\" In a later interview with CNN, Mr Woolsey called the meeting \"suspicious\" and \"concerning\", saying: \"I felt I needed to say something to somebody, but was it a clear plot that they were going to seize him? No.\" A spokesman for Mr Flynn, whose consulting company Flynn Intel Group carried out work for the Turkish government, disputed Mr Woolsey's version of events. \"At no time did Gen Flynn discuss any illegal actions, non-judicial physical removal or any other such activities,\" he said. The presence of Mr Gulen in the US has become a major irritant in relations between Washington and Ankara. Turkey has repeatedly called for him to be handed over. Mr Gulen, who has lived in Pennsylvania since 1999, denies involvement in the failed coup. Fethullah Gulen: Powerful but reclusive Turkish cleric Michael Flynn: Former US national security adviser Mr Flynn was forced to step down as national security adviser in mid-February after just a few weeks in post over allegations he discussed sanctions with Russia before Mr Trump took office. Private US citizens are barred from conducting diplomacy. Mr Flynn admitted providing the vice-president with an incomplete account of his conversation with the Russian ambassador.", "summary": "President Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, discussed removing from the US a Muslim cleric wanted by Turkey, according to ex-CIA director James Woolsey."}
{"article": "Ex-PC Colin Hart, 61, from Nelson, Caerphilly county, has been charged with seven counts of indecent assault and one of raping a girl under 16. He has denied the offences, alleged to have happened between 1988 and 1990. Cardiff Crown Court heard he allegedly started assaulting the girl from the age of 12. But Mr Hart claimed she was \"at least 17\" when a sexual relationship began in 1992.", "summary": "The jury in the trial of an ex-police officer accused of raping a schoolgirl has retired to consider its verdict."}
{"article": "The latest has seen the Bolton footballer labelled the \"miracle man\". The 23-year-old collapsed on the pitch during the FA Cup tie against Tottenham at 18:13 GMT on Saturday, but it was not until 19:31 that his heart started working again. He was - according to Bolton's club doctor - \"in effect dead\" during that 78 minutes. But how is this possible? The full details of what happened to him have yet to emerge. But the most likely explanation - and one suggested by those involved in his care - is that while his heart stopped working, it retained some form of life. The cardiac arrest he suffered meant his heart was not contracting and therefore pumping blood around his body. However, even when this happens, some electrical activity can still be taking place within the heart. If this was the case, one of several things could have been happening. The heart could have developed a severely abnormal rhythm, known as either ventricular fibrillation - where it shakes like a jelly - or ventricular tachycardia - where it is out of control. The third explanation is that it has developed pulse-less electrical activity whereby there is an organised rhythm but no heart contractions. In some cases, the state of the activity can interchange between the three. The important thing in such cases is to start CPR quickly. This artificially pumps the blood round the body, buying medics time to work out how to get the heart working properly. Fabrice Muamba may still be in intensive care, but nonetheless not everyone is as lucky as him. About 100,000 people a year in the UK die after having a sudden cardiac arrest. Many of those will have collapsed in places where help is not to hand. It is why in recent years a campaign has been under way to place more defibrillators in community settings. Hundreds have already been placed in train stations, shopping malls and, of course, football grounds. But there are still not enough, according to the Arrhythmia Alliance. Truddie Lobban, the charity's founder, says: \"The problem is that it is still very patchy. There are more than there used to be, but I would like to see them as common as fire extinguishers. \"We need them in schools, outside churches and on every high street. \"You don't have to be an expert to use them. They are automated and explain to the user how they work. \"They can make the difference between life and death.\" Every minute delay in starting CPR reduces the chances of survival by 10%. In this respect, the 23-year-old was lucky. Pitch-side at White Hart Lane were a team of fully-trained and equipped medics. What is more, a cardiologist was in the crowd and was soon by Muamba's side lending help. It meant he received almost immediate attention. But CPR alone is not enough. That only gives someone suffering a cardiac arrest a 5% chance of survival. While he lay stricken on the pitch, the footballer was given oxygen and three shocks using a defibrillator. The aim", "summary": "The more details that emerge about Fabrice Muamba, the more amazing his story becomes."}
{"article": "With most of the 16 nations' squads confirmed, we take a look at who is on their way to the tournament in Gabon, which takes place between 14 January and 5 February. Players whose teams reach the latter stages are certain to miss at least four Premier League matches. Burkina Faso Goalkeepers: Moussa Germain Sanou (Beauvais, France), Herve Koffi (ASEC Mimosas, Ivory Coast), Aboubacar Sawadogo (RC Kadiogo, Burkina Faso) Defenders: Patrick Malo (Smouha, Egypt), Issoufou Dayo (RC Berkane, Morocco), Bakary Kone (Malaga, Spain), Issouf Paro (Santos, South Africa), Steeve Yago (Toulouse, France), Souleymane Kouanda, (ASEC Mimosas, Ivory Coast), Yacouba Coulibaly (RC Bobo, Burkina Faso) Midfielders: Charles Kabore (Krasnodar, Russia), Prejuce Nacoulma (Kayserispor, Turkey), Alain Traore (Kayserispor, Turkey), Bertrand Traore (Ajax, Netherlands), Cyrille Bayala (Sheriff Tiraspol, Moldova), Bakary Sare (Moreirense, Portugal), Blati Toure (Omonia, Cyprus), Adama Guira (Lens, France), Abdoul Razack Traore (Karabuspor, Turkey), Jonathan Zongo (Almeria, Spain) Strikers: Jonathan Pitroipa (Al Nasr/UAE), Aristide Bance (ASEC Mimosas, Ivory Coast), Banou Diawara (Smouha, Egypt) Cameroon Goalkeepers: Fabrice Ondoa (Sevilla, Spain), Jules Goda (AC Ajaccio, France), Georges Mbokwe (Coton Sport de Garoua, Cameroon). Defenders: Ernest Mabouka (MSK Zilina, Slovakia), Nicolas Nkoulou (Lyon, France), Ambroise Oyongo (Montreal Impact, Canada), Mohamed Djeitei (Nastic Tarragone, Spain), Fai Collins (Standard Liege, Belgium), Michael Ngadeu Ngadjui (Slavia Prague, Czech Rep), Adolphe Teikeu (Sochaux, France), Jonathan Ngwem (FC Progresso, Angola). Midfield: Sebastien Siani (Ostende, Belgium), Georges Mandjeck (Metz, France), Arnaud Djoum (Hearts), Franck Boya (Apejes, Cameroon). Forwards: Vincent Aboubakar (Besiktas, Turkey), Benjamin Moukandjo (Lorient, France), Jacques Zoua (Kaiserslautern, Germany), Edgar Salli (Saint-Gall, Switzerland), Karl Toko-Ekambi (Angers, France), Clinton Njie (Marseille, France), Robert Ndip Tambe (Spartak Trnava, Slovakia), Christian Bassogog (Aalborg). Gabon Goalkeepers: Didier Ovono (KV Ostende, Belgium), Yves Stephane Bitseki Moto (CF Mounana, Gabon), Anthony Mfa Mezui (unattached). Defenders: Lloyd Palun (Red Star, France), Andre Biyogho Poko (Kardemir Karabukspor, Turkey), Aaron Appindangoye (Stade Lavallois, France), Franck Perrin Obambou (Stade Mandji, Gabon), Bruno Ecuele Manga (Cardiff City), Yoann Wachter (CS Sedan Ardennes, France), Johann Serge Obiang (ESTAC Troyes, France), Benjamin Ze Ondo (Mosta FC, Malta). Midfielders: Junior Serge Martinsson Ngouali (IF Brommapojkarna, Sweden), Levy Clement Madinda (Nastic Tarragona, Spain), Guelor Kanga Kaku (Etoile Rouge de Belgrade, Serbia), Merlin Tandjigora (Meixian Hakka FC, China), Didier Ibrahim Ndong (Sunderland), Samson Mbingui (Raja Casablanca, Morocco), Mario Rene Junior Lemina (Juventus, Italy). Forwards: Pierre Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Malick Evouna (Tianjin Teda FC, China), Denis Athanase Bouanga (Tours FC, France), Serge Kevyn Aboue Angoue (Uniao Leiria, Portugal), Cedric Ondo Biyoghe (CF Mounana, Gabon). Guinea-Bissau Goalkeepers: Jonas Mendes (Salgueiros, Portugal), Rui Dabo (Cova da Piedade, Portugal), Papa Mass\u00e9 Mbaye Fall (Aguadulce, Spain) Defenders: Emmanuel Mendy (Ceahlaul, Romania), Rudinilson Silva (Lechia Gdansk, Poland), Juary Soares (Mafra, Portugal), Agostinho Soares (Sporting Covilha, Portugal), Mamadu Cand\u00e9 (Tondela, Portugal), Eridson Mendes Umpe\u00e7a (Freamunde, Portugal) Midfielders: Nani Soares (Felgueiras, Portugal), Jose Mendes Lopes Zezinho (Levadiakos, Greece), Bocoundji Ca (Reims, France), Tony Silva Brito (Levadiakos, Greece), Toni Silva (Levadiakos, Greece), Piqueti Djassi Brito (Braga), Idrissa Camara (Avellino, Italy), Jean Paul Mendy (US Quevilly-Rouen, France), Francisco Santos Junior (Stromsgodset, Norway), Lassana Camara Sana (Acad\u00e9mico de Viseu, Portugal) Forwards: Joao Mario Fernandes (Chaves, Portugal),", "summary": "Which Premier League teams will be most affected by their players heading to the Africa Cup of Nations?"}
{"article": "Former finance minister Sammy Wilson had accused Mr Durkan of signalling that Northern Ireland \"is not open for business\". Mr Durkan said each application was judged on its own merits. He said there was a \"lack of objective information about the cumulative environmental impact\" of work at the site in County Fermanagh. Tamboran Resources wanted to drill a 750m deep hole at a quarry at Belcoo, using permitted development rights. Mr Durkan said drilling could have a significant impact on the environment. The company issued a statement saying it was \"deeply concerned\" by the minister's decision. Former environment and finance minister Sammy Wilson criticised Mr Durkan's decision. \"In taking the stance that he has, he's going to deny Northern Ireland the potential to have hundreds of millions of pounds worth of investment in our own indigenous fuel,\" Mr Wilson said. \"He is going to deny Northern Ireland the opportunity for hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs directly in the exploration of shale gas and thousands of jobs in the downstream industries that would result from that, like fertilisers, pharmaceuticals etc.\" He said Mr Durkan's decision was also inconsistent. By John CampbellBBC News NI Economics & Business Editor Tamboran had intended to drill using \"permitted development rights\", which meant the firm would not have needed to apply for planning permission. The minister could only veto this if he assessed that work was likely to have \"a significant environmental impact\". And that is exactly the position he has arrived at. Tamboran will now have to make a full planning application with an accompanying environmental statement, a process that will, conservatively, take months to complete. But it does not mean the borehole will not eventually be drilled. Alternatively, Tamboran may want to try to get a judicial review of the decision, arguing that the minister has not interpreted the planning regulations correctly. \"A number of boreholes going down to 3,000 feet have already been allowed in Northern Ireland without this full planning permission being required,\" he said. \"I think the firm would have a very good case for going for a judicial review.\" In response, Mr Durkan said: \"In this particular instance, the site chosen by Tamboran for their proposed exploratory drilling is the site of a quarry where unauthorised work has been carried out in the past. \"I'm adopting a precautionary approach and am taking into account the lack of objective information about the cumulative environmental impact of that work and work that might take place in the future. \"If the company is as committed to here as Sammy is suggesting, then they'll be prepared to undertake the work required and to provide me with a full environmental statement.\" On Monday night, anti-fracking protesters held an ecumenical service at the gates of the quarry to celebrate the minister's decision. Donal O'Cofaigh from Belcoo Frack Free said the decision could delay the project considerably. \"It's a great relief, the minister has made the right decision,\" he told the BBC. \"This is the first time that we are going to have the opportunity to be consulted", "summary": "Environment Minister Mark H Durkan has defended his decision to block an exploratory borehole for shale gas."}
{"article": "Shaheen Dhada was arrested for criticising the shutdown of Mumbai after the death on Saturday of controversial politician Bal Thackeray. Her friend, Renu Srinivasan, who had \"liked\" the comment was also arrested. The two were later freed on bail. Recently, police have arrested a number of people in cases which campaigners call a breach of freedom of speech. On Tuesday, Ms Dhada spoke to the BBC Hindi service by telephone from the town of Palghar, near Mumbai. \"I'm not angry, I'm not sad, but I'm just shocked. It was just my point of view, I'm shocked that it was my post because of which all this happened,\" she said. Ms Dhada also apologised for the post because, she said, she did not want to \"hurt anyone's sentiments\". Her friend, Renu Srinivasan, apologised too. \"We are apologising just to keep everything in place. We don't want any violence. We want ourselves and our families to be safe,\" she told the CNN-IBN television channel. The women were charged with \"creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes\". They were also charged under the Information Technology Act. After Ms Dhada's comment appeared on Facebook, a mob attacked and vandalised her uncle Abdul Dhada's clinic in Palghar on Sunday. Police said on Tuesday that they had arrested nine people in connection with the attack and were \"looking for some more people\". The death of Bal Thackeray, the Hindu nationalist politician who founded the Shiv Sena party, brought Mumbai to a halt for most of the weekend. In her Facebook comment on Sunday, 21-year-old Shaheen Dhada wrote: \"People like Thackeray are born and die daily and one should not observe a 'bandh' [shutdown] for that.\" The arrests led to outrage in India, with many accusing the government of \"abuse of authority\". Press Council of India Chairman Markandey Katju has written a letter to the Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan criticising the arrests. \"We are living in a democracy, not a fascist dictatorship. In fact, this arrest itself appears to be a criminal act, since... it is a crime to wrongfully arrest or wrongfully confine someone who has committed no crime,\" Mr Katju, a former Supreme Court judge, said. Telecommunications Minister Kapil Sibal said that he was \"deeply saddened\" by the arrests. In recent months, India has been criticised for being \"over-sensitive\" to comment on social media. In October, Ravi Srinivasan, a 46-year-old businessman in the southern Indian city of Pondicherry, was arrested for a tweet criticising Karti Chidambaram, son of Indian Finance Minister P Chidambaram. He was later released on bail. Other cases have also raised concern about freedom of expression. In September, there was outrage when a cartoonist was jailed in Mumbai on charges of sedition for his anti-corruption drawings. The charges were later dropped. In April, the West Bengal government arrested a teacher who had emailed to friends a cartoon that was critical of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He too was later released on bail.", "summary": "An Indian woman who was arrested on Monday over a comment on Facebook has said she was \"shocked\" by the incident."}
{"article": "The High Administrative Court rejected an appeal by the government against a lower court's decision to stop it handing over Tiran and Sanafir. Cheers erupted as the judge delivered the verdict, saying the government had failed to provide evidence that the islands were originally Saudi. The transfer deal, signed last April, sparked rare protests in Egypt. Tiran and Sanafir are located at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba. They are uninhabited apart from Egyptian troops and multi-national peacekeepers. President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said the islands had always belonged to Saudi Arabia and that Riyadh had asked Egypt to station troops there in 1950 to protect them. But Mr Sisi was accused of violating the constitution and \"selling\" the islands in return for a multi-billion dollar aid package announced during a visit to Cairo by King Salman. Saudi Arabia has backed Mr Sisi financially since he led the military's overthrow of his Islamist predecessor, Mohammed Morsi, in 2013. Uproar at the maritime border demarcation accord prompted protests across Egypt at which hundreds people were detained, according to human rights activists. A group of lawyers, including former presidential candidate Khaled Ali, also challenged the agreement at an administrative court. Mr Ali argued that a 1906 maritime treaty between Egypt and the Ottoman Empire stated that the islands were Egyptian. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia was not established until 1932. In June, the court nullified the border accord, ruling that Egyptian sovereignty over the islands held and could not be amended in favour of another state. The government subsequently lodged an appeal with the High Administrative Court. It is part of the State Council, a judicial body that gives legal advice to the government, drafts legislation, and exercises jurisdiction over administrative cases. On Monday, the High Administrative Court said it was the \"unanimous\" decision of its judges that Tiran and Sanafir were sovereign Egyptian territories. Lawyers and activists celebrated and chanted: \"These islands are Egyptian.\" \"This verdict is a victory for Egypt,\" Mr Ali, who was carried out of the court building on the shoulders of his supporters, told Reuters news agency. There was no immediate response from the Egyptian or Saudi governments.", "summary": "A top Egyptian court has upheld a ruling halting a plan to transfer two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia."}
{"article": "In the video, a woman is conversing with her mother as she gets ready to go out. She doesn't admit to going out on a date, but says she is heading out for a theatre festival. However, the mother sees a Tinder message pop up on her daughter's phone and smiles. The date has her \"right swipe\", she says, offering her surprised daughter her stamp of approval. The video, uploaded on 7 May, has been viewed more than 400,000 times. Facebook users have termed this advertisement's portrayal of Tinder - which is largely perceived as a hook-up app - as \"sanskaari\" Tinder (which means \"virtuous\" in Hindi). But there was a lot of scepticism about whether the advertisement reflected the reality in most Indian homes, where dating openly is not the norm. Several joked that Tinder should collaborate with matrimonial websites like Shaadi.com. \"Hook Up to Matchmaking in 30 seconds flat,\" said one user, while another asked: \"Is Tinder the new Indian marriage matrimony??\" \"Did I pull a Rip Van Winkle and sleep through a hundred years of mom evolution?,\" asked one user, while another user commented cheekily: \"Reality- Mom swiping right on daughter's cheek.\" The new advertisement has been seen by some as a way for Tinder to change its positioning. On Facebook, Tinder says its app \"is how everyone today meets new, like-minded people around them - people who become friends, lovers, mentors, acquaintances, partners, movie-buddies or soulmates\". Taru Kapoor, head of Tinder India, says the video shows the \"changing dynamic\" in Indian culture. \"Like every generation, the youth today have adopted strong Indian values while at the same time creating new norms and rejecting the ones that do not fit anymore in a shifting world order,\" she says, in a statement emailed to the BBC. \"A mother catching a glimpse of her daughter's Tinder notification is reflective of the future of dating in India, where youth and parents are open and honest about dating.\" Some users were supportive of idea behind the advert, despite not being completely convinced it reflected reality. \"Refreshing move by Tinder India to reposition itself as a 'parent approved' dating app. Although quite wishful but I hope reality reflects this ad someday soon,\" said a user on Facebook, while another remarked: \"Apt representation of all the people on Tinder with 'No Hookups' on their bio.\" India is currently the largest market in Asia for Tinder - it is where the US-based app launched its first overseas office. It was the most downloaded dating app in India in 2015 and Tinder says the app attracts over 14 million swipes each day in India. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "summary": "In a new advertisement, Tinder suggests that even Indian parents approve of the dating app - but social media users aren't convinced."}
{"article": "Andy Beynon, 52, from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, died on the B4268 between Pentre Meyrick Cross and Llysworney. His wife said he was the \"love of my life\" who dedicated his time to helping children with special needs. The crash involved Mr Beynon's motorbike and a Land Rover Freelander. In a statement, his wife Dawn said: \"Andy lost his life enjoying one of his many pleasures - riding his motorcycle. \"He was out that day giving his free time to teach others how to become a better rider. \"He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother - a family man - with many, many friends. \"He dedicated his time to help others and work tirelessly helping children with exceptional special needs. The children utterly adored him - he just had that 'special gift' to make them smile.\"", "summary": "A motorcyclist killed in a crash in the Vale of Glamorgan on Saturday has been described as \"the love of my life\" by his wife."}
{"article": "Winds reached 36mph and blew trees over at Emirates Golf Club, where play has stopped until Saturday, angering some of the 64 players to finish round two. Former Masters champion Trevor Immelman called the halt \"ridiculous\", while Ryder Cup player Chris Wood said the decision made the event \"one sided\". Tournament director Mike Stewart said the course was \"unsafe and unplayable\". Stewart added: \"We had TV towers that the roofs were blown off. We had balls moving on the greens - blew into a bunker at one stage. Five trees came down.\" There are 65 players, including George Coetzee of South Africa, who leads on nine under, and Spaniard Sergio Garcia, a shot behind, who have nine holes or more left to play of round two. England's Matthew Fitzpatrick (three under par), Danny Willett (one over), Ian Poulter (three under) and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell (four under), are all yet to reach halfway in the second round. Stewart still thinks the tournament will conclude on Sunday as round two will be completed on Saturday with the third round commencing later in the day from a two-tee start. However, a host of early starters on Friday stressed their frustrations as those set to face the gusts later in the afternoon were spared. Spain's Pablo Larrazabal - who ended five over after two rounds - said he was \"very angry\". South African Immelman, who is set to miss the cut at four over par, wrote on social media: \"Suspending play now is ridiculous, half the field played 36 holes in these conditions.\" Martin Kaymer of Germany, who is tied for fifth on four under, said: \"Hard to understand the difference between the morning play and now, therefore even more surprised about the decision.\" Earlier on Friday, 14-time major winner Tiger Woods withdrew from the tournament before the start of round two citing a back spasm. The 41-year-old American, who only returned to action in December after 15 months out following two back operations, was five over after 18 holes.", "summary": "Players have criticised the European Tour's decision to suspend round two of the Dubai Desert Classic in Abu Dhabi."}
{"article": "Wales are third in Group D, four points behind Martin O'Neill's Republic of Ireland, who are top. \"Will a point be good enough? I don't think so,\" Roberts said. \"I will go as far to say that it's a must-win game for us if we are going to have any chance of finishing top of the group.\" The former Leicester City and Watford player added: \"But this group of players are used to big occasions and are used to big games. \"They've dealt with them admirably in the last two and a half years so they will be really looking forward to going to Dublin. \"I do believe we'll win the game on Friday. They will be under strength and we will be at full strength,\" Media playback is not supported on this device Forward Tom Lawrence is so far the only player to have pulled out of Wales' squad. The Republic of Ireland have been hit by injuries with first-choice central defensive pairing Shane Duffy and Ciaran Clark ruled out. Midfielders Harry Arter and Wes Hoolahan are both out injured too while Burnley's Robbie Brady is suspended. But Roberts, who won 15 Wales caps between 1989 and 2001, believes O'Neill's side will be formidable opponents at the Aviva Stadium. \"A point is good enough for them I think,\" Roberts told BBC Radio Wales Sport. \"They've had a great start to the campaign and have won their last three. \"They went to Austria and won 1-0, which probably ended Austria's hopes of qualifying. \"The Republic are a very hard side to beat at home and haven't lost at home since September 2013, a run of nine games. \"They've got a solid side and Martin O'Neill gets his team working extremely hard, gets them very organised offensively and is a magnificent motivator. \"But I do think we've got better quality.\"", "summary": "Former Wales striker Iwan Roberts says Friday's World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin is a \"must-win\" game."}
{"article": "Anthony Maslin and Marite Norris lost their children Mo, Evie and Otis, along with Ms Norris's father Nick Morris, when the flight came down in eastern Ukraine in July 2014. The Perth couple described the birth of Violet May Maslin as an \"amazing gift\". \"Violet's birth is a testament to our belief that love is stronger than hate,\" they said in a statement. \"We still live with pain, but Violet, and the knowledge that all four kids are with us always, brings light to our darkness. \"As Martin Luther King said, 'Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that'.\" Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down as it flew over conflict-hit Ukraine from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Mr Maslin and Ms Norris had stayed in Amsterdam while their children, aged eight, 10 and 12, flew back to Australia with their grandfather. A total of 298 passengers and crew were killed, including 80 children in total. The flight was hit by a Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile. Western officials and Ukraine's government blame Russian-backed rebels for shooting down the plane. But Russian authorities have consistently denied responsibility, instead blaming Ukrainian government forces.", "summary": "An Australian couple whose three children died when Flight MH17 was shot down have a new daughter."}
{"article": "For Taribo West, the former Auxerre, AC Milan and Inter Milan defender, that 3-2 triumph over Argentina in the final is still fresh in his memory. \"The Olympics in 1996 is one of the most fantastic periods in my career,\" West reminisces to BBC Sport. \"We had a team that could match any in the world.\" West says the build-up to the Games, under the guidance of Dutch coach Jo Bonfrere, was ideal despite being beaten by Togo, in Lagos, in their final pre-Olympic friendly before travelling to the USA. \"Before the Olympics, we were well prepared in the USA. We were not distracted by the usual things we encounter back home in Nigeria, where family and friends can come and visit us in camp,\" he remembers. \"We were in a very remote place and we were very focused on the task at hand. Jo Bonfrere's preparation of the team was excellent.\" After their opening 1-0 win over Hungary and a subsequent 2-0 victory over Japan, the West Africans lost 1-0 to Brazil in their final Group D match in Orlando, Florida. With a 2-0 win over Mexico in the quarter-finals, the \"Dream Team\", as the Nigerians were nicknamed back home, collided with the Brazilians once again, in what was an epic semi-final. The 31 July encounter is one that West, renowned for his dreadlocks and robust defending, will never forget. After going 3-1 down in the first half, with Brazil's Flavio Conceicao scoring in the game's very first minute, the Nigerians were in a particularly tough spot. \"We knew that in the first half of that game, we had played very poorly,\" West admitted. \"But the key to our comeback in the second half was our extraordinary determination. \"The voice of the leaders came up in the dressing room. We won that match in the dressing room. \"Fortunately, we had Daniel Amokachi, Sunday Oliseh and Uche Okechukwu. It was a big advantage for us.\" Victor Ikpeba, the AS Monaco striker who was voted as Africa's top player a year later, reduced the tally in the 78th minute. But when Jay-Jay Okocha blew the opportunity to draw level, fluffing a penalty with just minutes left on the clock, the match seemed well and truly over for Nigeria. That feeling, however, was not in the mind of Nwankwo Kanu, the two-time African Footballer of the Year. The former Ajax, Inter and Arsenal striker scored the equaliser in the 90th minute and displayed uncanny presence, agility and finesse to score the winner four minutes into extra-time, sending the Eagles' bench into delirium. After such a dramatic victory against the team of Bebeto, Roberto Carlos and Ronaldo, which had won the World Cup only two years before, West says the Nigerians were certain they had a golden date with destiny, in the final against Argentina, at the Sanford stadium in Athens, Georgia. \"There was something in our spirit that made us realise that we going to win, although we didn't know how,\" West recalls. \"As soon as Argentina got the first goal, we were not", "summary": "On 3 August 1996, Nigeria made history as the first African nation to become Olympic football champions at the Atlanta Games."}
{"article": "An army spokesman said a total of 253 people had been summoned. Fifty-three did not report and 76 were in custody. Conditions for the release appear to include agreeing to avoid political activity and informing the army of travel, a BBC correspondent says. Coup leaders, who took power last week, received royal endorsement on Monday. Thailand's former prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, has been released but remains under some restrictions. The army also says it is releasing a group of \"red-shirt\" protest leaders who support the ousted government. The anti-government protest leader has already been freed. So far, almost all of the 124 people who the army said they had detained and released have kept a very low profile, says the BBC's Jonah Fisher in Bangkok. It remains to be seen whether these \"red-shirt\" leaders - who support the ousted government - do the same, our correspondent adds. The military seized power in Thailand on 22 May, saying it wanted to return stability after months of unrest. The move followed six months of political deadlock as protesters rallied against Ms Yingluck's government. At least 28 people were killed and hundreds injured during the protests. On Monday a royal command approved the coup. But the military's actions in removing an elected government has drawn widespread international criticism. Correspondents say there is also a degree of scepticism about the total number of people in custody provided by the military, with reports of more widespread detentions. Rights groups have expressed alarm over the detentions, as well as the tight restrictions on media. On Monday, there were reports that internet users were briefly unable to access social media site Facebook. The country's information and technology ministry told the BBC there was a gateway problem. Experts have said that the coup is unlikely to heal highly polarised political divisions in the country. The current deadlock dates from 2006, when the military ousted Ms Yingluck's brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, in a coup. Both have strong support in rural and northern areas, propelling them to successive election wins. However, many in the middle class and urban elite, who comprise the heart of the anti-government movement that began in November 2013, oppose them bitterly.", "summary": "Thailand's army says it has now released 124 people, including politicians and activists, who were taken into custody after the coup."}
{"article": "Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue worked with Mendip Cave Rescue to free them from the former stone mines in Box after being called at 02:50 BST. Martin Grass, from Mendip Cave Rescue, who helped rescue the seven, in their late teens and early 20s, said they were \"cold and inadequately equipped\". It comes after another group had to be rescued from the same caves on Sunday. Nobody in either group was injured but the fire service is warning people \"to think twice before visiting the former stone mines\". Mr Grass said: \"With these two most recent rescues, the groups were woefully ill-equipped for what they were trying to do, and they were very lucky that they found a place of relative safety where there was a phone signal.\" After rescuing another group of three men on Sunday evening, the fire service tweeted saying that signs, to help people get out, had been painted over. Darren Nixon, from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue said: \"Fortunately, nobody was injured on these two latest occasions, and the groups were OK to stay where they were until the cave rescue team arrived. \"However, with a bit more planning, and a bit more thought, they could have avoided multiple fire crews and volunteers being mobilised. \"Having fun is fine, but please think twice about your plans and whether you have done everything possible to be safe.\" In July last year, a group of teenage boys had to be rescued from Box mines after getting stuck 100ft underground while paying the smartphone game Pokemon Go, where users search real-life locations for digital creatures.", "summary": "Firefighters have rescued a group of people trapped in a Wiltshire cave for the second time in a week."}
{"article": "Peacock joined Rovers at the start of the season, but was unable to help them avoid relegation to the Championship. The 38-year-old came out of retirement in September, playing his fourth game of the season in Saturday's defeat. \"I always want to be accountable for my actions in life and offered my resignation after the game,\" he said. \"This was turned down which means I can continue my journey with this great club. \"While relegation hurts, it allows the club to stop just trying to change the branches and begin a full root-and-branch overhaul of the rugby department, building rock solid foundations that will enable this club to rise again.\" Hull KR players had criticised the Million Pound Game format in the build-up, with their Super League contracts automatically becoming void as a result of their defeat. \"To be in a dressing room with grown men, wives and children crying is not what sport is about,\" Peacock added. \"To be part of a club with such loyal, passionate support is very humbling and the reaction after such a defeat will stay with me for life.\"", "summary": "Hull KR have rejected head of rugby Jamie Peacock's offer to resign following the club's defeat by Salford in the Million Pound Game."}
{"article": "She ran home. As she came through her gate she noticed some tiles had fallen from the roof. Her son came out, and said: \"There is a body in the kitchen.\" \"What body?\" she replied. But as she walked into her sparse, simple kitchen there was a pile of rubble on the floor, below a large hole in the ceiling. And on top of the rubble, lay the barely-recognisable body of a woman. The woman, whose name Inna never found out, was one of the 298 people killed when the Malaysian Airlines passenger jet MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine a year ago. \"When I think about it, it is like it's real, as though it's happening now\", said Inna. \"The picture is vivid.\" Fighting back the tears, she speaks of how she imagines the \"unbearable pain\" of the woman's family, and her own grief for a stranger, murdered in the sky over her home. In total 39 bodies lay scattered around Inna's village of Rossypnoye, and some were not collected for several days. The local mayor, Oleg Miroshnichenko, says people in the area experienced a deep sense of shock and tragedy that \"resonated with every human soul\". And he says the feelings have not gone away. \"It's an irreversible pain.\" Inna, who wears a silver crucifix around her neck, believes some form of justice awaits those responsible for downing the plane. \"No matter what, the people who did it will be punished,\" she says. Establishing who shot down flight MH17, how they did it, and from where, is the job of a Dutch-led international investigation team, which hopes to publish some of its findings in the new year. As well as forensic work on the wreckage of the aircraft, the Dutch prosecutor leading that investigation, Fred Westerbeke, told the BBC that investigators had been studying \"billions\" of internet pages, and tens of thousands of photos and videos related to the downing of the airliner. He confirmed that his team had spoken to about 140 witnesses, and identified a number of \"persons of interest\", but he said it was too early to identify them as suspects, or release their names or nationalities. What we know MH17 crash: The 298 who perished Dutch reporter: My revealing fragments Special report Getting to the truth behind the downing of the airliner is a Herculean task, given the climate of mistruths and propaganda in eastern Ukraine, linked to the conflict in the region. To counter accusations of bias, Mr Westerbeke said his team had to properly consider all theories and all claims. \"An alternative scenario, whoever brings it out, you have to prove that that could not have been the case\", he said. \"We have to clear out all of the other options.\" A separate investigation, being carried out by the Dutch Safety Board, is expected to publish its full findings in October. Its preliminary report, published last year, found that the plane broke up in mid-air after being hit by \"objects\" that \"pierced the plane at high-velocity\". That analysis is consistent with possible shrapnel", "summary": "On 17 July 2014, 60-year-old Inna Tipunova was with friends in her village, when they heard such a loud boom that they thought they \"were being bombed\"."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old Scot pulled out of a planned performance at the O2 Arena in London on Thursday, as well as Friday's gig at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff. Nutini - whose third album Caustic Love topped the charts earlier this year - postponed two concerts in Glasgow this week on medical advice. Fans with tickets should keep them and look out for the rescheduled dates. A statement announcing the latest postponements said: \"Regrettably Paolo Nutini is suffering with severe tonsillitis and is not well enough to perform.\" It also offered an apology for the \"inconvenience and disappointment\" caused.", "summary": "Chart-topping singer Paolo Nutini has postponed a two more UK arena shows due to \"severe tonsillitis\"."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old, who spent the latter half of last term on loan at the Dons, returned this summer as part of the deal that took Jonny Hayes to Celtic. \"They didn't want to sell me, they weren't interested in that, they wanted to put me back out on loan instead, which was positive to me,\" he said. \"It comes across that they still think I have a chance to break in there.\" Christie signed a four-year deal with Celtic when he joined them from Inverness Caley Thistle in the summer of 2015. He spent the first half of the 2015-16 season on loan at the Highlanders and, following his deal with the Dons last season, is looking forward to spending the whole of the 2017-18 campaign at Pittodrie. And he says he feels no pressure to prove anything to Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers. \"It's more about proving to myself,\" added Christie, who hit seven goals in 15 games for the Dons last season. \"I enjoyed playing and scoring last season. I wouldn't say I have anything to prove but I need to keep my consistency high. \"It's a very big season for me, the onus is on me to step up and continue some good form. If I keep my consistency up over the full season, I'll hopefully be in a better place come next season.\" Aberdeen have finished as league runners-up to Celtic for three years running but the club have lost key players in Hayes, Niall McGinn and Ash Taylor. Manager Derek McInnes chose to remain at Pittodrie after holding talks with Sunderland and he has been busy reshaping his squad with several new signings and the promise of more to come. \"It will be difficult,\" added Christie. \"Everyone thinks Aberdeen might fall away but the mood in the camp, the positivity, we know that we have more than enough strength to replicate last season certainly.\" The Dons kick off their campaign at home to Siroki Brijeg in Europa League qualifying next Thursday. Rangers and St Johnstone lost their first round ties but Christie believes Aberdeen can get the better of their Bosnian opponents over two legs. \"We want to make a big impact in Europe as well,\" he said. \"Everybody in Scotland wants every Scottish team go as far as they can so it is unfortunate to see the others go out.\"", "summary": "Ryan Christie is confident his long-term future lies with Celtic, despite a second loan move to Aberdeen."}
{"article": "The bird was spotted trying to take off by running along the northbound A1(M) in Hertfordshire. As vehicles swerved to avoid the determined swan, officers were called to rescue the bird, which was eventually persuaded to move to a petrol station forecourt. Police drove it to a nearby lake. More on this and other stories from Hertfordshire The intrepid bird chose junction 10 of the A1 near Baldock \"adjacent to the BP petrol station\", to attempt to launch itself into the air last week, a police spokeswoman said. \"PC Paul Warner caught the swan, with assistance from PC Michael Macleod and PC Philip Watts. \"It was put into the back of the police car and driven (apprehensively) by PC Justin Smyth to a lake at Astwick Bury Farm [near Hitchin] where it was released.\"", "summary": "A jay-walking swan was taken into custody by four police officers after trying to use a busy motorway as a runway."}
{"article": "Next time the planet is under threat though the likes of Thor and Captain America could be joined by Spider-Man. A deal has been agreed between Sony Pictures and Marvel that will see Spidey appear in an as-yet-unspecified film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's not clear when that'll be, but Marvel is due to release its latest Captain America venture next year. The deal doesn't mean Sony Pictures will be giving up the film rights to the character though. After his Marvel debut Sony will then release the next instalment of its own \u00c2\u00a32.63 billion Spider-Man franchise. The terms of the contract mean we could see some Marvel Cinematic Universe favourites popping up in those films too. Spider-Man has been part of Marvel's world for more than 50 years and this new deal puts an end to years of speculation as to whether Peter Parker would ever join the other Marvel superheroes on the big screen. \"Spider-Man is one of Marvel's great characters, beloved around the world,\" said Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, which owns Marvel Entertainment. \"We're thrilled to work with Sony Pictures to bring the iconic web-slinger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which opens up fantastic new opportunities for storytelling and franchise building.\" It's not clear who'll play Spider-Man in his first Marvel Cinematic Universe appearance. In a statement Sony does refer to \"the new Spider-Man\", which may mean Andrew Garfield, who has played the character in the last two Sony films, is out. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "In 2012 it took an elite team of superheroes to save earth from an alien army planning to enslave humanity."}
{"article": "At present some hospitals charge for wi-fi and others have no access at all. The move is a recommendation from a government-commissioned report on improving the use of online technology in the health service. The government has set no deadline for the plans but expects the NHS to be \"digital and paperless\" by 2020. Money for the service is being provided from a \u00c2\u00a31bn technology fund. Mr Hunt said: \"Everyone using the NHS expects it to be a world leader in digital healthcare and free wi-fi is an essential part of making that a reality. \"It will give patients and staff the ability to access the services they need as well as freeing up clinical time and reducing overall costs.\" In some hospitals paper charts have already been replaced by mobile clinical systems and tablets, allowing for data to be shared around the building. The Department of Health said greater use of e-prescribing could reduce medication errors by 50%. It also believes the plans will encourage the use of technologies that could help alert doctors and nurses to medical problems and reduce paperwork and errors. Patients could also wear monitors to alert medical staff to issues, such as diabetics who have experienced \"largely avoidable\" hypoglycemic episodes while in hospital. The Department of Health was unable to say what proportion of NHS facilities already provide free wi-fi.", "summary": "Free wi-fi is to be provided in all NHS buildings in a bid to improve services and reduce costs, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said."}
{"article": "The pair has dispensation to compete at London 2012 as host nation players, but have qualified by right for Rio. Drinkhall, 26, and Pitchford, 22, helped England's men win bronze at this year's World Team Championships. \"We are delighted that Team GB have two qualified singles players for the first time in 20 years,\" said GB's table tennis team leader Simon Mills. Drinkhall and Pitchford, who are ranked 60th and 51st in the world respectively, won a combined five medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.", "summary": "Liam Pitchford and Paul Drinkhall have been selected to represent Great Britain at this summer's Rio Olympics."}
{"article": "The Civil Aviation Authority revoked the airline's safety licence in October 2015. The firm contracted other companies until it pulled out in January. Passengers are trying to get their money back on journeys booked before LinksAir stopped providing the service. The Welsh Government called the situation \"wholly unacceptable\". Letters have been sent to creditors by Yorkshire-based insolvency practitioners Redman Nichols Butler - informing them that a meeting is to be held on 1 April in Driffield, East Yorkshire. Stella Flemmings, Redman Nichols Butler practice manager, said: \"The directors of the company have asked us to assist them in putting the company into liquidation and there will be a creditors meeting on 1 April.\" Passenger Alan Hughes from Caernarfon told BBC Wales he lodged a claim with LinksAir to be reimbursed with the \u00c2\u00a3180 cost of two return tickets scheduled for the end of February. He said: \"As private individuals, we go to the end of the queue, don't we. The taxman will take priority. From previous experience, {people have} ended up with nothing. \"I'm disappointed - I don't want to give somebody \u00c2\u00a3180 and not get anything back. \"I'm disappointed also that the Welsh Assembly Government have been very quiet on this issue. I don't know whether or not we have any redress there or not, but I just feel that over 200 people have been badly let down.\" A Welsh Government spokesman said: \"Although this is a matter for Links Air and the administrator to resolve, we are aware that some passengers who had bookings with the company before it stopped operating the Intra Wales Air Service in January, have not received refunds from Links Air. This is wholly unacceptable and we hope the administrator considers these matters as part of the liquidation process.\" A new airline has since been appointed to run the service. The BBC has asked LinksAir for a comment.", "summary": "A former provider of the Anglesey to Cardiff air route is set to go into liquidation, BBC Wales has learned."}
{"article": "Of the 4,150 full-time firefighters across Wales' three fire brigades, only 40 are black and minority ethnic (BME). Five of north Wales' 880 firefighters are BME, in mid and west Wales it is 15 of 1,390 and in south Wales it is 20 of 1,880. BME people make up 4% of Wales' population, according to the latest census. Fire minister Mike Penning said diversity was \"not an optional extra\". \"Firefighters, like police officers and other local emergency services personnel, should reflect the communities they serve and we expect fire and rescue authorities to do much more to improve BME... representation,\" he added. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said the fact just 4.4% of firefighters in England and Wales were BME was \"totally unacceptable\". The figures, released by the Department for Communities and Local Government, show 10 firefighters, all in south Wales said \"don't know\" when asked about their ethnicity. Although there are no statistics for a breakdown of Welsh cities, in places like Greater Manchester, just 2.8% of firefighters are from an ethnic minority compared to 16.2% of the population as a whole. Mick Nicholas, the most senior black member of the FBU, told BBC Radio 5 live the fire service had been \"inconsistent\" at recruiting from non-white communities.", "summary": "Just 0.9% of Wales' firefighters are non-white, official figures have shown."}
{"article": "Scottish actor Capaldi is appearing in his final series as the Doctor. He has said whoever replaces him - whether a man or woman - will be \"wonderful\". Inverness-born Gillan, who played Amy Pond alongside Matt Smith's Doctor, said she would respect whatever decision was made on the role. A man has been chosen as Capaldi's successor, according to newspaper reports. Speaking at the Los Angeles premiere of her latest film, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2, Gillan said: \"It's OK, maybe next time. \"I trust the BBC and their choices and they haven't failed us yet with the Doctor. \"But it would be cool to see a woman in the role one day because a woman could absolutely play that role.\" The BBC said no casting decisions have been made. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, Gillan plays blue-skinned space pirate Nebula.", "summary": "Former Doctor Who companion Karen Gillan has said an actress succeeding Peter Capaldi in the lead role of the long-running TV series \"would be cool\"."}
{"article": "Dean Holdsworth's Sports Shield consortium and Ken Anderson's Inner Circle bought the club from Eddie Davies earlier this month. Trevor Birch and Terry Robinson have also left the club, having helped facilitate the sale. Bolton had a winding-up petition closed at the High Court on Monday after they paid their tax bill. Warburton said the change of ownership and death of former chairman Phil Gartside last month prompted his decision to leave. \"It has been a privilege to serve on the Bolton Wanderers board for more than 25 years,\" Warburton told the club website. \"Eddie's decision to sell his shares, coupled with Phil's sad passing, seemed to mark a watershed and the right time for me to stand aside and resign as a director. \"I would like to wish both Ken Anderson and Dean Holdsworth every success as they strive to forge a successful future for this great football club.\" Bolton, beaten 6-0 by Bristol City on Saturday, are bottom of the Championship and 12 points from safety with eight matches remaining.", "summary": "Bolton Wanderers vice-chairman Brett Warburton has resigned following the recent takeover of the club."}
{"article": "The boy was taken from a home in Velville Court in Newcastle to hospital with serious injuries, on Friday. A 34-year-old man and a woman, aged 30, are currently in police custody and are due to be questioned. Northumbria Police said the baby died on Monday and officers are treating the injuries he had suffered were \"non-accidental\". Det Ch Insp Mark Ord said: \"We are treating the death as a homicide investigation. \"We know this will shock and sadden the local community and I would like to reassure them we are doing everything we can to establish exactly what happened and how the baby came to suffer such fatal injuries. \"This is a very tragic incident and our thoughts are with all those affected by this sad death.\"", "summary": "Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 13-week-old baby died."}
{"article": "US singer Richard Marx said last week that he had intervened to help restrain a disruptive passenger on a Korean Air flight from Hanoi to Seoul. Crew had been \"ill-trained\" and \"ill-equipped\", Marx said. The airlines said it would also review the use of Taser guns on board. \"Korean Air will react more firmly and actively against in-flight violence that threatens the overall safety of the flight,\" it said in a statement. As part of the changes, the airline said it would be providing more training to staff and hiring more male flight attendants, making sure at least one male is on duty in the cabin for each flight, according to Reuters news agency. Marx's wife Daisy Fuentes, who was travelling with the singer, said the staff \"didn't know how to use the taser\" or to secure ropes. Taser is a brand name often used to refer to electric stun guns. \"We have decided to improve our conditions and procedure on using Taser guns to cope with violent acts and disturbances on board in a fast and efficient manner,\" it added, but did not elaborate on how the rules would change. The airline said that under existing rules, stun guns were permitted for use only in \"grave\" situations - where the safety of a flight or the life of passengers and crew were in danger. This meant staff had been \"hesitant\" to use the equipment, the carrier added. Individual airlines have their own policies on what equipment they carry on board to restrain passengers Most carriers contacted by the BBC were unwilling to give details of what kit this included, citing security concerns.", "summary": "Korean Air has said guidelines will be revised for crew to react \"firmly and actively against in-flight violence\", after facing criticism for its handling of an on-board incident."}
{"article": "James Botham - the son of former Cardiff rugby player Liam - is in the Wales Under-18 team to play Scotland in Swansea on Friday. Sir Ian, 60, does not find it strange that his grandson will be wearing red. \"He was born in Cardiff. He always wanted to play for Wales for as long as I can recall,\" said the ex-all-rounder. \"I'm really looking forward to it. I think it will be wonderful, a great occasion for James and one that I think he's very excited about, as are the family. I've got a red shirt with me.\" Botham, who took 383 wickets and scored 5,200 runs in Tests for England, will watch James make his debut on at St Helen's - where he played county cricket against Glamorgan for Somerset. James Botham is one of four players making their debuts for Wales, along with Harri Dobbs, Ben Thomas and Dane Blacker. The match is part of a series which culminates in a game against England Under-18s on 6 April. Sir Ian said he had not been tempted to persuade James to switch allegiance. \"Never, it's nothing to do with me,\" he added. \"I'm grandad, and grandad is going to come down and watch him and support him every game. Whether he's playing or on the bench it doesn't matter - all the family that can get down here will be here. \"And when Wales play England my allegiances would be with my grandson.\"", "summary": "England cricket legend Sir Ian Botham is looking forward to supporting his grandson James when he makes his rugby debut for Wales."}
{"article": "Emily Titterington had not been to the toilet for three months when she suffered a cardiac arrest at home. An inquest heard the condition was so bad that some body parts had been displaced, including her diaphragm. The Coroner for Cornwall concluded the cause of death was \"natural causes contributed by psycho-social factors\". Summing up, Dr Emma Carlyon said it could have been prevented. \"Something went wrong with the patient-parent-professional triangle which meant she did not get the care she needed,\" she said. Paramedics described their \"shock\" at Emily's \"grossly extended abdomen\" when she collapsed at St Austell in February 2013 and said she was \"vomiting faeces\". The inquest was told that Emily, who was home-educated, had a history of constipation that could be linked to her anxiety and mild autism. Her sister Hannah Herbert raised concerns about the impact \"parental anxieties\" had on her, and said she had warned social services \"something terrible might happen\" the year before. Her brother-in-law Brian Herbert told the inquest Emily's decision not to be examined or go to hospital would have been influenced by the fact her parents \"could not cope\" with that. However Emily's GP, Dr Alistair James, said her mother Geraldine Titterington had tried to persuade her to be examined and he found no evidence of safeguarding issues. Consultant paediatrician Dr Paul Davis said \"self-neglect\" played a part in her death but she should have been persuaded to go to hospital. A serious case review by Cornwall Council's Safeguarding Children Board has made several recommendations including that agencies share concerns raised by a family member. Dr Carlyon said she was satisfied \"most of the recommendations have been actioned and embedded\".", "summary": "A 16-year-old died from chronic constipation because either she, or she and her parents, resisted the care she needed, a coroner has said."}
{"article": "29 May 2015 Last updated at 11:20 BST Tapirs are relatives of the horse and rhino and are usually found in South America. This one was born at a zoo in Prague, in the Czech Republic. Once the baby is about two months old, he will lose his stripes and turn brown.", "summary": "This stripy little cutie is a baby tapir that was born on Thursday morning."}
{"article": "Arctic Monkeys won both best group and best album for the third time. Ellie Goulding won best British female, while pop act One Direction were honoured for their global success for the second year running. Kate Moss collected Bowie's prize and read a speech on his behalf urging Scottish voters to reject independence. \"I'm completely delighted to have a Brit for being the best male - but I am, aren't I Kate? Yes. I think it's a great way to end the day. Thank you very, very much and Scotland stay with us,\" were his words - as delivered by Moss. Overnight figures show an average 4.2 million viewers watched the ceremony live on ITV - the lowest audience since at least 1999. Last year's show was watched by 6.5 million viewers. One direction also won best British video, in a public vote. Their win, for the track Best Song Ever, was helped by their 17.8 million-strong Twitter followers. By Mark SavageBBC News entertainment reporter With the honourable exception of David Bowie, what's notable about this year's Brit Awards is the sheer youthfulness of the winners. Almost everyone on the podium was in their 20s, with New Zealand goth-pop singer Lorde a mere 17 (she ties with Joss Stone as the youngest-ever Brit victor). And it's a positive thing. The Brits need to represent the vigorous pop and dance scene, because almost every other ceremony almost exclusively rewards middle-aged men. Ultimately, though, it was the cross-generational appeal of resurgent rock rebels Arctic Monkeys that stole the show. Their comeback began with a headline set at Glastonbury last year, and culminated in tonight's historic third \"double win\". But as frontman Alex Turner humbly noted backstage: \"I don't think the talent of a group of musicians is directly proportional to the size of their trophy cabinet.\" The ceremony at the O2 Arena also featured a host of performances, including from Beyonce and Katy Perry, who put on a colourful, Egyptian-themed show. But Perry lost out to New Zealander Lorde in the race for best international female. Bruno Mars also gave a live performance, just shortly after picking up the prize for best international male. Bowie's prize came at the expense of four much younger hopefuls - Jake Bugg, Tom Odell, John Newman and Mercury Prize winner James Blake. At 67, he is the oldest recipient of a Brit Award in the ceremony's history and the award comes 18 years since his last Brits success. The singer, who released his The Next Day album after a 10-year hiatus, previously won best British male in 1984. But the star, who spends much of his time in New York, did not attend the gala. Noel Gallagher, announcing the award, remarked: \"You maniacs didn't think he'd actually be here? David Bowie's too cool for that.\" The ceremony was wound up with a medley by Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers, who played Daft Punk's Get Lucky, Chic's Good Times and Williams' current feelgood chart hit Happy. Goulding lifted the first prize of the night and said she was \"genuinely", "summary": "Rock legend David Bowie has been named best British male at the Brit Awards in London, although he was not there in person to collect his award."}
{"article": "He was re-elected for a second term by the UN General Assembly, unopposed and unanimously, on 21 June 2011, with effect from 1 January 2012. Mr Ban describes his priorities as mobilising world leaders to deal with climate change, economic upheaval, pandemics and increasing pressures involving food, energy and water. In style, he prefers quiet diplomacy and sees himself as a bridge-builder, aiming to give voice to the world's poorest and most vulnerable people, and to strengthen the UN itself, which was dented when he took office by scandals over the UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq, and corrupt procurement. The South Korean diplomat took over from Kofi Annan at the UN in 2007. At that time he promised to push for peace in the Middle East and Sudan's Darfur region, and he prioritised climate change. The consensus on his first term was largely positive, despite the elusiveness of many of his goals. He wants to be remembered as the UN leader who presided over a global agreement on climate change. Born on 13 June 1944 in Chungju, Mr Ban served as South Korea's minister of foreign affairs and trade immediately before moving to the UN, at the culmination of a 37-year career as a diplomat. That career included the tough, high-wire act of negotiations with North Korea over its development of nuclear weapons. He is married with three children and three grandchildren. In the past, UN leaders have normally served two terms, although Egypt's Boutros Boutros-Ghali was ousted after just one term in 1996 by the United States, which felt he had performed poorly over the Balkan wars. Mr Ban is the second Asian to lead the UN. He has enjoyed broad support, but he has his critics, who point to his low-key style, lack of charisma, and failure to criticise human rights abuses in powerful countries, like China and Russia. At the end of his first term, however, he won praise for his commitment to climate change, nuclear disarmament and women's issues, as well as his strong backing of pro-democracy movements in North Africa and the Middle East. Mr Ban says he first dreamed of becoming a diplomat when as an 18-year-old student in 1962, he met US President John F Kennedy at the White House on an American Red Cross programme. When he was first vying for the top job at the UN, he said of himself: \"I may look soft from the outside, but I have inner strength when it's really necessary.\"", "summary": "Ban Ki-moon is the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations."}
{"article": "The men - all in their 20s - \"forcibly entered\" the flats in Bannockburn Road at about 0200 on Sunday. One of the men was 6ft 3in tall with a muscular build and wearing a dark hooded top. Another also had a dark jumper or hoody on. Police have appealed to anyone with information to contact them. Officers said the assaults were unprovoked.", "summary": "Police are hunting three men who broke into flats providing shelter for the homeless and carried out a series of assaults."}
{"article": "27 May 2016 Last updated at 19:43 BST Here's his Africa news round-up in 90 seconds.", "summary": "Satirist Ikenna Azuike from What's Up Africa is worrying about the tomato shortage in Nigeria, celebrating improved life expectancy and reflecting on presidential breakdowns."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device An investigation began following accusations of bullying and sexism towards top-level cyclists. A report on its findings is due in May. The head of British Cycling, Jonathan Browning, said checks were being added to protect against \"behaviours that are inappropriate\" to individual riders. \"The combination of new leadership team and structure, and the introduction of professional processes will ensure that we deliver on this promise,\" Browning added. British Cycling published a 39-point action plan last month to address the draft findings of the independent review, commissioned in April 2016 by British Cycling alongside UK Sport, which provides elite funding to the organisation. It came after former technical director Shane Sutton, who was was later cleared of eight of nine allegations, was found to have used sexist language towards cyclist Jess Varnish. UK Sport chief executive Liz Nicholl says the independent review has \"identified valuable lessons\" for both British Cycling and other sports it funds. Initially, key findings were meant to have been published in November. But the process has been delayed by legal wrangling, as those criticised have rejected the panel's findings. The process has also been criticised for not seeking a wider range of views. Last month, British Cycling was warned it needed to do more to ease \"concerns\" over the way it is run before it can receive \u00a317m. Grassroots sport funding agency Sport England said it wanted cycling's governing body to \"meet the highest standards of governance\" first. British Cycling will hold an extraordinary general meeting in July in a bid to vote through reforms. Meanwhile, athletes are no longer being charged to lodge an appeal should they wish to contest their removal from the sport's World Class Performance programme. Browning, who was elected chairman in February, is part of an overhaul of the leadership at the governing body, with the new performance director Stephen Park at this week's World Track Cycling Championships in Hong Kong, and new chief executive, Julie Harrington, starting in May. The organisation has also appointed its first 'people director', Michael Chivers.", "summary": "British Cycling has started work on the development of a code of conduct as part of its response to an independent review into the culture of the organisation."}
{"article": "The national average for take-up of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for 12 and 13 year-olds is 86%, but in Cornwall it is 57%. Cancer charities called for the vaccine to be introduced in local schools. Some GPs claimed the figures do not reflect the true picture. NHS England said the data was being reviewed. It also said it was reviewing the delivery system in the South West but that the county's rural nature made a schools-based programme \"more challenging\". The vaccine is offered in schools across most of England, but in Cornwall 12 to 13 year olds must see GPs for the jabs. Robert Music, chief executive of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, said the vaccine would \"have a major impact on reducing incidences of cervical cancer\" in the UK. \"We have been calling for a couple of years now to change how the programme works in Cornwall,\" he said. \"A schools-based programme means you can offer it to kids while they're at school rather than having to take them out to have the vaccine twice.\" The HPV vaccination is offered in two separate injections over a one-year period but up until last year it was three jabs. It protects against two strains of the sexually transmitted infection believed to cause 70% of cervical cancer cases. Uptake in Cornwall has remained well below the national average for the past five years. However, Dr Sarah Gray, GP Specialist in Women's Health, said the way the figures were recorded was misleading: \"What NHS England have counted is the number of jabs in a school year. \"If they don't quite get all three within a year it looks like we've failed,\" she said. She also said Cornwall was doing well at immunising older teenage girls. Louise Blenkinsop from Falmouth, 32, recovered from cervical cancer in 2013 after \"gruelling treatment\" and was left unable to have children. \"It is ridiculous that Cornwall is being overlooked. Provision should be made equal across the country,\" she said. NHS England is responsible for commissioning the vaccine on behalf of Public Health England. A spokesman said: \"Cornwall is a very rural county with a number of factors which make a school based model logistically more challenging to deliver than it would be in many other parts of the country.\" He said the system was being reviewed \"to assess both clinical effectiveness and value for money\" and that checks were being done on last year's data to make sure it was accurate.", "summary": "Girls in Cornwall who are not being vaccinated against cervical cancer are missing a \"life-saving opportunity\", a charity has said."}
{"article": "A spokesman for the New York State court system said the pair had reached an agreement, but did not reveal with which parent the teenager would live. Ritchie's lawyer Peter Bronstein said Rocco would continue to live with his father in London. The dispute arose in December when Rocco ignored a court order to fly back to live with his mother in New York. He has since stayed with his father in the UK capital and enrolled in a school there. Madonna's lawyers have not commented on the settlement. In December, a judge ruled that Rocco should return to his mother. But she decided not to issue a warrant to enforce the order, urging the pair to reach an agreement. New York State Supreme Court Justice Deborah Kaplan said: \"No-one is disrupting his household other than the inability of the parents to reach a resolution. \"If they cannot resolve this matter then eventually the court will.\" Ellen Sigal, Rocco's court-appointed lawyer, said in March that the dispute was causing him stress. \"It's been a very difficult time for him,\" she said in court. \"We hope to put an end to this as soon as possible without exposing him to more litigation, press innuendo, any of that kind of thing.\" Madonna and Ritchie married in 2000 and divorced eight years later. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Madonna and ex-husband Guy Ritchie have settled a court dispute over the custody of their 16-year-old son Rocco."}
{"article": "McDonald, 25, was on the transfer list at Sixfields and has agreed a two-year contract with the Sky Blues. He is Coventry's third signing following relegation from League One, after striker Marc McNulty and midfielder Michael Doyle. \"He is a quick, strong and aggressive centre-half, who can also read the game well,\" boss Mark Robins said. Liverpool-born McDonald started his career at Manchester City's academy before joining the youth set-up at Stoke City. He later went on to Oldham, Colwyn Bay, Nantwich, Hereford United and AFC Telford United, joining Northampton in 2015 and making 37 appearances for the Cobblers. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Coventry City have signed centre-back Rod McDonald from Northampton for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "The top seed claimed the first set 6-3, but the Austrian saved two match points in winning a tie-break 9-7 and then took the decider 6-4. Thiem, who beat Federer on clay last month in Rome, will play for his fourth title of the season on Sunday. He will face either Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro or Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber. Thiem, 22, moved into the world's top 10 for the first time this week and wore down his 34-year-old opponent in a gripping grass-court battle, which also included two rain breaks. Federer, who had tied with Ivan Lendl for the most wins in the open era (1,071) after his second round win against American Taylor Fritz, had missed the French Open last month with a back problem. The defeat will be a blow to Federer as he aims to win a record eighth Wimbledon singles title later this month. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Roger Federer was beaten by French Open semi-finalist Dominic Thiem in the Mercedes Cup semi-finals at Stuttgart."}
{"article": "Thirteen years, in the case of Muhammad Idrees. In 1999, Mr Idrees left his wife and four young sons in Pakistan's port city of Karachi to attend to his sick father in the Indian city of Kanpur. He was born in India, and had moved to Pakistan and become its citizen after he married a cousin in Karachi. His father died soon after he reached Kanpur. In the chaos and grief that followed this personal loss, Mr Idrees overstayed for three days and his visa ran out. So did his luck. When he went to the authorities in Kanpur to seek a visa extension, they suspected him of spying for Pakistan and put him behind the bars. It took 10 years for a court to exonerate him of the charge, fine him 500 rupees ($9.17; \u00a35.68) for overstaying and order his repatriation. Justice delayed is justice denied, and in the case of Mr Idrees, even justice delivered did not turn out to be liberating. For 13 years in all, he has been trying to return home without success. According to India's Ministry of External Affairs, Mr Idrees travelled to India on a Pakistani passport (number G057703), issued in Karachi, on 10 May 1999. To add to his woes, his passport expired in 2003. But Pakistan denies he is a citizen, and believes he has separated from his wife and has been disowned by his family. \"Our interior ministry told us that he's not a Pakistani citizen. To our knowledge he's separated from his wife and his in-laws. They disown him. We have communicated this to Indian authorities,\" Manzoor Ali Memon, spokesperson of Pakistan's High Commission in India, told me. Today, at 40, Muhammad Idrees is a nowhere man, a victim of unkind fate and hostile borders. I met him in Kanpur, a fume-choked industrial city in Uttar Pradesh, on a balmy morning recently to listen to his heart-rending story. Mr Idrees is a frail man with a gaunt face and intense eyes. He's dressed in white shirt and trousers and his only possession, a cloth bag, is slung around his neck. It contains some fraying papers, a comb, a tooth brush, a tube of tooth paste, a towel and some fading family pictures. We walk to the relative solitude of the banks of the Ganges and sit down. Mr Idrees catches his breath, looks into the distance and begins talking in a clear, low voice. He says he spends his waking hours clinging onto memories of time spent with his family back home in Karachi, where he ran a small business selling leather goods. It feels like an eternity, he says. \"I would take my wife and our four children on my motorbike for a drive down the windswept seaside in Karachi. We would laugh and chat. We would stop to have ice creams. Just like any other family.\" This was before his world turned black. It was before, he says, two nations and their strange, intractable ways, conspired to deny him from returning home. \"India should have sorted out my case", "summary": "What price can a man end up paying up for the crime of overstaying in a foreign land for three days?"}
{"article": "Omran Ben Shaaban was kidnapped, shot and tortured by people who many in Misrata believe were supporters of the late dictator. The 22-year-old died in France, where he was receiving medical treatment for his injuries. His body was flown back to Libya, met by hundreds of mourners. In Misrata, protesters called for the government to avenge his death. Mr Shaaban was kidnapped by armed men in July and held for 50 days in the town of Bani Walid, a former Gaddafi stronghold that lies south-east of the capital Tripoli. He was freed last week following the mediation efforts of Mohamed Magarief, Libya's interim leader and president of the ruling General National Congress (GNC). Mr Shaaban arrived in Misrata with torture marks on his body and a bullet wound near his spinal cord, according to reports. He was taken to Paris for treatment, but died on Monday. Hundreds of people gathered at the airport in Misrata to greet his body. His coffin was carried in a procession to a football stadium where funeral prayers were held. Mr Shaaban came to prominence on 20 October last year when he was pictured at the scene as Col Gaddafi was dragged from a drainage pipe where he was hiding in Sirte. The GNC mourned the \"loss of a brave hero\" and has said it will take all necessary measures to bring the perpetrators to justice, according to a statement issued on the official Lana news agency.", "summary": "One of the Libyan rebels credited with capturing ex-leader Muammar Gaddafi last year has been buried in his hometown of Misrata."}
{"article": "Patrick Lawlor, from Darndale in the north of the city, was 24 when he was reported missing on 16 December, 2004. Detectives plan to search lands close to Belcamp House in Coolock from Monday. Preparatory work at the site began on Saturday morning and the operation is expected take up to three weeks. Belcamp House is derelict Georgian mansion and there have been two significant fires at the site over the past 48 hours. However, it is not believed that there is any connection between the fires and the search operation, which is concentrated on lands some distance away from the house. On the day he went missing, Mr Lawlor left his house at about 06:30 local time and drove to a nearby shop to buy cigarettes and phone credit. The red Citroen Saxo he was driving was found a number of days later in a car park on the Forest Road in Swords, behind Dublin Airport. At the time of his disappearance, Mr Lawlor was of thin build and had short black hair. He has green eyes and is 5'10\" in height.", "summary": "Police are to search land in north Dublin as part of the investigation in to the disappearance of a man who has been missing for almost 12 years."}
{"article": "Lady Butler-Sloss has been under pressure to quit from MPs and victims concerned about her family links. Her late brother, Sir Michael Havers, was attorney general in the 1980s. Home Secretary Theresa May said she did not regret appointing the peer, adding that she would \"not hang around\" in naming her successor. Lady Butler-Sloss said she \"did not sufficiently consider\" whether her family links would cause difficulties in the inquiry. Downing Street said it would \"take a few days\" to appoint a new chairman and appeared to indicate that whoever was chosen would not be so closely linked to the establishment. Mrs May told MPs that she believed Lady Butler-Sloss was the \"right person for the job\" despite what she suggested was a lot of \"rumour and innuendo\" about her appointment. \"I do not regret the decision I made. I continue to believe that Elizabeth Butler-Sloss would have done an excellent job as chair of this inquiry,\" she told the Home Affairs select committee. Asked about her successor, Mrs May said she still favoured appointing a single individual to head the over-arching inquiry rather than a panel of experts urged by Labour and some abuse victims. She said she hoped to name a new candidate \"within a reasonable amount of time\" but said whoever was approached would need to \"think carefully\" about the nature of the role. Keith Vaz, chairman of the committee, which is also investigating historical child sex abuse, said the handling of the issue had been \"somewhat shambolic\" and raised issues about Mrs May's judgement. In a statement, Lady Butler-Sloss said she had been \"honoured\" to be asked to chair the inquiry and had hoped to \"make a useful contribution\". But, she added: \"It has become apparent over the last few days, however, that there is a widespread perception, particularly among victim and survivor groups, that I am not the right person to chair the inquiry. \"It has also become clear to me that I did not sufficiently consider whether my background and the fact my brother had been attorney general would cause difficulties. \"This is a victim-orientated inquiry and those who wish to be heard must have confidence that the members of the panel will pay proper regard to their concerns and give appropriate advice to government. \"Having listened to the concerns of victim and survivor groups and the criticisms of MPs and the media, I have come to the conclusion that I should not chair this inquiry and have so informed the Home Secretary.\" The inquiry was set up to examine how state institutions handled their duty of care to protect children from paedophiles. What next? By BBC political correspondent Iain Watson Most public bodies at least claim they appoint people because of what they know, not who they know. But it was Lady Butler-Sloss's family and political connections - not her experience and knowledge - which led to her resignation. There will be no rush to appoint her successor - it could take several days. That's because while her resignation was unfortunate, a second controversial appointment", "summary": "Retired judge Baroness Butler-Sloss has stepped down as head of a probe into child sex abuse saying she was \"not the right person\" for the job."}
{"article": "Prosecutors said he had maintained a \"criminal relationship\" with officials at a construction conglomerate. His lawyer said he was innocent and called the arrest a \"spectacle\". Dozens of politicians and Petrobras executives have been arrested and sentenced after a two-year anti-corruption investigation. The investigation, called the \"Car Wash operations\" has unveiled a massive corruption scheme at Petrobras. In a news conference, prosecutors said Mr Palocci had favoured construction giant Odebrecht while in government. They said he had facilitated contracts with Petrobras and helped the group obtain credit from a state bank in exchange for donations to the governing Workers' Party. Mr Palocci is alleged to have continued to intermediate bribes even after he left office. Last week, police temporarily detained another former finance minister, Guido Mantega, also on charges related to the Car Wash probe. He was released hours later because his wife was about to undergo surgery. Earlier this month a judge ruled that former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva would face trial on corruption charges over the Petrobras scandal. Mr Palocci served as a finance minister under Lula and as chief of staff to his successor, Ms Rousseff, who was impeached last month for manipulating the budget.", "summary": "Former Brazilian Finance Minister Antonio Palocci has been arrested in connection with a long-running inquiry into corruption at oil giant Petrobras."}
{"article": "Detectives were ordered to re-examine thousands of accounts dating back to 1994 in light of the Rotherham scandal. They found no evidence of \"historic, systematic abuse\" but have reopened five unconnected cases, the force said. The review only included reports which are not linked to current investigations. A team of experts looked at reports into 866 individuals to decide if they had been victims of sexual exploitation. In cases where they had, they assessed whether the complaints had been properly investigated at the time. This uncovered further names - a total of almost 7,000 - all of which were followed up. Details of any potential victims were passed on to teams of detectives, who felt five cases warranted reopening. The report concluded: \"There is no evidence to suggest that any large scale systematic child sexual exploitation has been uncovered in Leicestershire\". Police and Crime Commissioner Sir Clive Loader, who ordered the report, known as Operation Sepia, said he was \"reassured\" by its findings. Assistant Chief Constable Roger Bannister said he was satisfied the \"comprehensive\" review would have uncovered any evidence of systematic and organised abuse if it had existed. But, he added, only records from Leicestershire had been examined, and called on victims to come forward if they felt their case had not been adequately investigated.", "summary": "Five separate child sex abuse cases have been reopened by Leicestershire Police after a review of 20 years' worth of reports."}
{"article": "At least 20 roads in the county are closed, as flooding continues to affect parts of Northern Ireland in the wake of Storm Desmond at the weekend. The Rivers Agency said prolonged rainfall meant saturated ground and high water levels in lakes and rivers. Its chief executive, David Porter, said they were monitoring the situation. \"Rivers Agency and the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) in the south are responsible for controlling the lough levels and we are working closely to ensure everything can be done to reduce the levels and therefore the impact of any flooding,\" he said. \"A combination of generation and spilling at the hydroelectric power stations at Cliff and Ballyshannon in Donegal is ongoing to ensure that water can leave the Erne system as quickly as it can flow down to the dams. \"It should, however, be recognised that heavy rain can result in a greater inflow than can possibly be dealt with, even when spilling is in progress.\" He said the River Blackwater, which flows through counties Armagh and Tyrone, was at its \"highest recorded level in 45 years but has now peaked\". In County Armagh, firefighters rescued a man from a van that was trapped in flood water. It happened in the Armagh Road area of Charlemont at about 08:00 GMT on Wednesday. The man was not injured. Some businesses have also been affected by the flooding. Tom Leonard, who is the owner of a marina at Carrybridge, County Fermanagh, said water levels were within \"seven to eight inches\" of what they were in 2009. \"It has left us now today that we are trying to salvage the customers' boats and protect them,\" he said. \"At the moment, after this week then we have to lay off all the lads until after Christmas which annoys me more than anything else. \"They have been with us all summer and now we have to lay them off in the mouth of Christmas because we just don't have a workshop to work in and we have lost all our stock.\"", "summary": "Further flooding in County Fermanagh is possible as heavy rain continues to raise water levels at Upper Lough Erne, the Rivers Agency has warned."}
{"article": "Critics have warned that the abolition of the Scottish Funding Council could pose a threat to academic independence. The concern follows a decision two weeks ago to put the Scottish government's economic agencies under a single national board. It has since become clear that the four boards of directors running the agencies face abolition. Enterprise Minister Keith Brown ordered the review of Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland as well as the Scottish Funding Council. He concluded that a national board should be created to oversee the different agencies and ensure their work was \"aligned\". A Scottish government spokesman said there was no timetable for the changes. He also confirmed that details had to be worked through, including the question of whether a government minister will be chair of the national funding board. The move is the second phase of reform for the economic agencies, which began after the Holyrood election in May. What has since become clearer to those who work for the agencies is that the boards that govern them face abolition some time after the national board is set up. The boards have not been formally notified of this but have been told in private meetings. There is concern within the Scottish Funding Council that the implications for academic freedom have not been thought through. The funding council was set up in 2005 to replace separate boards for higher and further education. It oversees allocations of government grants for universities and colleges. Alastair Sim, chief executive of Universities Scotland, said he would be looking for details of how the new national board would work. He said: \"One particular interest is ensuring that the Scottish Funding Council retains its much valued role as an expert body at arm's length from government, while working collaboratively to help boost Scotland's innovation and productivity.\" Prof Iain Gray, vice-president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the academic institute, said universities were in favour of measures that would improve links with business. But while university research remains one of Scotland's biggest strengths, he said there was a need to explain the Scottish government's strategic approach to innovation in the economy. He said: \"We need to get a clear strategy, and avoid unintended consequences of bringing together organisations with different remits, without thinking things through.\" Scotland spends a lot more per head of population on economic development than the rest of the UK. But is it getting value for that money? Is it really helping drive growth? The lack of data on that seems to have been one of the driving forces behind the review of enterprise agencies. But even some of those close to the heart of the review process have been puzzled as to what the minister, Keith Brown, has been trying to achieve. His conclusion, published in October, was largely supportive of what the agencies have been doing. That's while it identified opportunities to improve co-ordination and alignment, tackling duplication and improving economic data, notably on the requirements of the labour market. The biggest threat the review appeared to pose", "summary": "Concerns have been raised about the centralisation of funding for Scottish universities, BBC Scotland has learned."}
{"article": "But health officials have warned that unless MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccinations continue, a further outbreak cannot be ruled out. There have been no laboratory-confirmed cases linked to the outbreak area since 22 May, Public Health Wales said. One person died and a total of 1,219 measles cases were diagnosed during the outbreak since November. Some 88 people visited a hospital due to the disease while a campaign was launched to boost the uptake of the MMR vaccine. Dr Marion Lyons, director of health protection for Public Health Wales (PHW), said that the end of the outbreak was in \"no small part to unprecedented efforts to vaccinate tens of thousands of people\". \"Without so many vaccinations being given, we know that the outbreak could have continued for many more months,\" said Dr Lyons. But PHW warned that with 30,000 children in the 10 to 18 years age group still unvaccinated across Wales, there was still a possibility of a further outbreak in the future. And the health minister urged parents to get their children vaccinated. Dr Lyons said: \"The only reason this outbreak could happen was because not enough young people in Wales were fully vaccinated with two doses of MMR and there is absolutely no guarantee that this could not happen again.\" Some 75,868 unscheduled vaccinations were given to people around Wales who had not been immunised in a bid to bring the epidemic under control. GP surgeries, hospital and schools held drop-in sessions, with PHW particularly keen to target children and young people who may have missed their scheduled jabs. Health Minister Mark Drakeford said he \"wholeheartedly\" welcomed the end of the outbreak but insisted there was \"still work to do\". \"The young people in the 10 to 18 age group who still have not been vaccinated should make the necessary arrangements at their earliest convenience,\" he added. \"We would not want to see another outbreak. \"I would like to thank the healthcare professionals for their tireless work in organising and staffing the unscheduled vaccinations drop-in sessions and GPs for the contribution of primary care among others.\" Large numbers of children in the 10-18 age group were not given the MMR vaccine as babies, the result of a scare that caused panic among parents. It followed research by Dr Andrew Wakefield in the late 1990s which linked the vaccine with autism and bowel disease. His report, which was published in The Lancet medical journal, was later discredited, with health officials insisting the vaccine was completely safe. PHW said that even though the outbreak was over, a small number of measles cases were seen in Wales every year - in 2011 there were 19 cases - and parents should still ensure their children were fully vaccinated. The first dose of MMR should be given at around 12-13 months of age and the second at around three years and four months of age - but it is never too late to catch up on missed doses, say health officials. PHW advises that anyone born in 1970 or later who has not", "summary": "The measles epidemic centred on the Swansea area has been declared over eight months after it began."}
{"article": "It says the new rule would apply in cases of \"repeated instances of the most serious and deliberate breaches of their licence conditions\". The party claims their pledged action would protect consumer interests. But the current regulator, Ofgem, said it already had the power to remove licences from energy firms in certain circumstances. \"Where firms fail to meet standards there must be tough and decisive action,\" said Caroline Flint, the shadow energy secretary. Labour has already promised to abolish Ofgem, and put a new regulator in place. An Ofgem spokesman said it already had powers to revoke licences in \"specific circumstances, including where companies have failed to comply with particular enforcement orders.\" However, a Labour spokesman said the current rules meant a firm could repeatedly break the law as long as it paid the fines issued by Ofgem. \"That's the kind of regulatory gap we want to address,\" he said. Energy UK, the trade body for the industry, said it already had strong penalties for companies found to be in breach of licence conditions. \"Having a strong set of licence conditions is essential for the protection of consumer rights,\" it said. Labour also revealed figures, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, which it said showed 16 energy companies faced probes into mis-selling, poor customer service and other bad practices. Ms Flint said the figures showed that the current government had \"presided over a broken energy market\". \"On David Cameron's watch, energy bills in Britain have risen twice as fast as inflation, four times faster than wages and faster than almost any other country in the developed world,\" she added. In response, a Conservative spokesman said the government was already taking action to address the issues raised, including forcing energy firms to simplify bills. \"We're carrying out a full, independent inquiry to fix the broken market we inherited,\" he added.", "summary": "Labour says it will give a new regulator power to remove energy firms' licences, if it wins the next election."}
{"article": "Authorities say the man orchestrated clashes with police during a large protest in Seoul on 14 November. Han Sang-gyun, head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions has been in the temple ever since the protest. Monks earlier warned police not to force their way inside, saying it would be a breach of their religious rights. In the early evening, shortly after a deadline passed to give himself up, police sealed off the Jogye Temple in central Seoul and began the operation to arrest Mr Han. Those at the protest in November had a diverse range of grievances, from President Park Geun-hye's business-friendly economic policies, to a decision to force the nation's schools to only use state-approved history textbooks. The rally saw clashes between police using pepper spray and water cannon, and protesters, some of whom were armed with metal pipes and sharpened bamboo sticks. The unforgiving police response prompted a smaller demonstration on Saturday - 14,000 people, rather than the 60,000 estimated at November's rally - to demand an apology from the president. Ms Park had drawn the ire of labour unions and farmers for planning to make it easier to dismiss workers and to cap the salaries of senior employees. However, many of her labour market policies are more popular with the general public, according to polls. The BBC's Stephen Evans in Seoul says there is an increasingly bitter division between South Korea's right of centre government and its left-wing critics, who accuse it of diminishing democracy.", "summary": "Hundreds of police officers have begun an operation to arrest a trade union leader who has taken refuge in a Buddhist temple in Seoul."}
{"article": "McClaren, under pressure with the Magpies 19th in the Premier League, took training as scheduled on Tuesday. The board - minus the ex-England boss - met away from Tyneside on Monday. Newcastle are in danger of a second relegation in seven years after five defeats in six league games, including Saturday's 3-1 loss to Bournemouth. On Monday, managing director Lee Charnley, chief scout Graham Carr and club ambassador Bob Moncur discussed possible ways forward with 10 games of the season remaining. McClaren took over in the summer after leaving Championship side Derby but has only won six of his 28 top-flight matches in charge. Former club owner Sir John Hall claimed the 54-year-old should be sacked, while Alan Shearer, Newcastle's record goalscorer, has described the club as a \"mess from top to bottom.\" The NUFC Fans' Forum - a representative body of supporters' groups - has called for action to be taken in an open letter to the club's hierarchy.", "summary": "Steve McClaren remains in charge of Newcastle United, with a board decision on his St James' Park future expected in the next 48 hours."}
{"article": "The Gulls signed unattached Racchi, 27, and Yeovil Town's Allen, 22, on short-term deals on 1 February. Amos Kabeya, Liam Prynn, Oneil Odofin and Exodus Geohaghon are also released. But Torquay are in talks over new deals for Nathan Blissett, Dan Butler, Angus MacDonald, Courtney Richards, Aman Verma, Toby Ajala, Shaun Harrad, Sam Chaney, Luke Young, and Ben Gerring.", "summary": "Torquay United have announced that midfielders Iffy Allen and Danny Racchi are to leave the National League club."}
{"article": "Terry Bridger, 72, of Harbour Road, Pagham is charged with threatening to kill and possessing a gun with intent to cause fear of violence. He is also charged with common assault and two counts of threatening to damage property. Sussex Police spent two nights at a house in Harbour Road during the stand-off from Sunday to Tuesday. Mr Bridger was remanded in custody by Crawley magistrates to appear at Portsmouth Crown Court on 30 September.", "summary": "A 72-year-old man has been charged with a series of offences after a 40-hour stand-off with police in West Sussex."}
{"article": "The incident happened at a soup kitchen in Montreuil, east of Paris. The man said he was able to dodge the axe but was stabbed in the stomach, according to a prosecutors statement. His condition is not said to be serious. France remains under a state of emergency since last November's attacks claimed by Islamist militants. The victim told investigators the assailants shouted \"Allahu Akbar\", meaning \"God is greatest\", and called him an \"infidel dog\" before running away. He is director at Restos du Coeur, a charity which gives food packages and hot meals to the needy. According to Reuters, the investigation is being carried out by criminal police rather than anti-terrorism units. Since the attacks by so-called Islamic State last year, France has been on high alert. In June, a policeman and his partner were stabbed to death outside of Paris by a man who claimed allegiance to the Islamic State.", "summary": "Police are investigating after a French charity worker said he was attacked with a knife and an axe by a couple who shouted \"Allahu Akbar\"."}
{"article": "Since the militant attack, which killed six policeman and a driver, Pakistan have played most of their 'home' matches in the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan Cricket Board president Shaharyar Khan expects Zimbabwe to play in Lahore and Karachi in mid-May. He added that Zimbabwe will assess security before confirming the matches. Khan said his Zimbabwe counterpart, Wilson Manase, had explained the plans during a meeting of the International Cricket Council in Dubai last week. \"He told me they are coming with their full team, but for a week,\" said Khan. If the tour goes ahead, Zimbabwe will be the first Test-playing nation to return to Pakistan, although Afghanistan and Kenya - neither of whom have Test status - have toured the country since the attack on low-profile series.", "summary": "Pakistan are set to host top-level cricket for the first time since the 2009 gun attack on the Sri Lanka team bus, with Zimbabwe lined up to tour."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 1 June 2015 Last updated at 22:46 BST Notorious crime boss, Reggie Kray, penned the 215 exchanges to Carol Clerk, the ghost writer of his autobiography, while serving a life sentence in prison. Victoria Irvine, a valuer at McTear's Auctioneers, told BBC Scotland the letters were \"fascinating pieces of crime memorabilia\".", "summary": "A collection of letters described as being \"historically important\", which were written by one of the UK's most notorious gangsters, are to go under the hammer in Glasgow."}
{"article": "The blaze at Allenby Barracks in Bovington, Dorset, in July 2016 caused \u00a3400,000 of damage. A court martial heard Capt Rupert Nurich of the Royals Scots Dragoon Guards was taking part in \"improvised gladitorial-style combat\". He was given a severe reprimand. Ten fire appliances were called to deal with the blaze, which took two hours to extinguish. The flare was fired as guests gathered around a swimming pool and one shot through an upper window of the seven-storey residential building, setting fire to a room and corridor. A court martial at Bulford Barricks heard Nurich was experienced in handling pyrotechnics and weapons. The prosecution argued that because he had drunk two glasses of Pimms and six glasses of wine he should not have fired the flare and was negligent because he was close to buildings. The officer's barrister, Robert Morris, said what happened was a \"freak accident\" and the flare had probably veered off course due to a manufacturing fault. \"It was fired in the way you are meant to - away from people and buildings,\" he said. The court said it was concerned that \"high jinks\" involving senior officers had set the tone for the evening. Nurich was also ordered to pay \u00a310,000 to a civilian steward who lost all her personal possessions in the fire and suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and mild depression as a result. On the instructions of the Deputy Judge Advocate, Nurich had earlier been found not guilty of arson. Another Royal Scots Dragoon Guards officer, Lieutenant Tim Carpenter, was found not guilty of arson and not guilty of negligently damaging service property.", "summary": "An army officer has been found guilty of negligently damaging service property after firing a flare at a social event, which set fire to a military barracks."}
{"article": "Taoiseach Enda Kenny was more colourful, calling the treatment of County Louth man Paudie McGahon an intolerable \"kangaroo court\". The carefully considered on-air interviews with Gerry Adams and Raymond McCartney on the distressing case of Mr McGahon were undermined by a tweet from Francie Molloy. The Mid Ulster MP described the Spotlight programme as \"another load of rubbish\". Mr Molloy's subsequent apology and deletion of his tweet doesn't expunge the impression that many republicans would prefer it if victims like Paudie McGahon and Mairia Cahill had obeyed the IRA's initial orders by maintaining their silence. Expect more discussion about the development of some kind of north-south process to examine the cover-up of abuse during the Troubles and the movement of abusers across the border or across the Irish Sea. Fianna Fail's Miche\u00e1l Martin wants \"a cross-border mechanism to at least facilitate other victims to come forward, who might not want to go public\". Rather than being the party in the dock, Sinn F\u00e9in has tried to seize the initiative by advocating an \"all-island process to deal with the issue of providing support mechanisms for all those who were victims of sexual abuse during the conflict\". Miche\u00e1l Martin is dismissive of the Sinn F\u00e9in suggestion, arguing in the D\u00e1il (Irish parliament) that it had been developed by republicans \"just to dilute your culpability\". Northern Ireland's Justice Minister David Ford and his Irish counterpart Frances Fitzgerald are wary of sanctioning any process that might cut across investigations or reviews already under way involving the Garda (Irish police), the Police Ombudsman or the former DPP, Keir Starmer. Mr Kenny is prepared to work with the first and deputy first ministers to consider a process related to the cross-border abuse allegations, however he emphasises that such a process \"has to be independent of the court proceedings\". Whilst we await an outcome to these somewhat convoluted discussions, the public north and south will no doubt make up their own minds about cases like those of Paudie McGahon and Mairia Cahill and their handling by both the IRA and the Sinn F\u00e9in leadership. Although no party would welcome such adverse publicity, Sinn F\u00e9in can take heart from their poll ratings in the key battleground in the Irish Republic. Recent Irish opinion polls have placed the party on anything between 20% and 24%, fighting it out with Enda Kenny's Fine Gael for top spot. When Mr Adams declared at his ard fheis (party conference) last weekend that Sinn F\u00e9in wanted to lead the next Irish government, those poll ratings dictated that his ambition should be taken seriously. If more conventional politicians had to deal with the kind of skeletons rattling around Sinn F\u00e9in and the IRA's cupboards, they would be expected to implode. But Mr Adams and Martin McGuinness have many years' experience of standing their ground against all comers. Perhaps a drip drip of further revelations will eventually dent Sinn F\u00e9in's appeal, but right now it is striking how resilient the party is proving to be.", "summary": "A BBC Spotlight programme has again exposed the underbelly of republicanism, and what Gerry Adams himself describes as the \"inadequate and inappropriate\" way the IRA dealt with allegations of sexual abuse in the past."}
{"article": "Parents will have to show birth certificates to prove eligibility for the new two-weekly scheme on Anglesey. It comes into place in October, when general waste collections - which usually dispose of nappies - switch to every three weeks. A parent said he will struggle and \"not a lot of thought has gone into it\". A council spokesman said there was a separate service for older disabled children. The local authority cited sources, including the NHS, which says 90% of children are dry most days by the age of three. With general waste (black bin) collections switching from two to three weeks, the aim of the new service is to allow parents to dispose of nappies more quickly. \"Evidence collated by our waste management team suggests that most children are potty trained between the ages of two and three,\" the spokesman said. \"It has therefore been agreed to offer this new nappy collection service up until a child's third birthday.\" He said requesting birth certificates will allow the council to gauge how many people were using the scheme - which will only be available from homes and not nurseries or creches. Parents will have to get an application form from council offices and submit it along with a copy of the birth certificate. The council currently recycles 59% of its waste, and said it will gauge the impact of the new scheme over the coming months. Parents of children with medical conditions who are over three can apply to use a separate disposal service. However, Ian Cheney, whose five-year-old daughter Olivia has Down's syndrome, said he just about manages with black bag collections every fortnightly. He said when it changes to every three weeks he will \"not manage\" and said there was confusion over whether he was able to use a separate scheme, as the council suggested. \"For people out there in my position, what do we do?\" he said. \"It is not just disabled children over three who are still in nappies. There a quite a lot of children out there. \"Not a lot of thought has gone into it.\"", "summary": "A council will not offer a used-nappy collection service for children over three, saying most should be potty trained by that age."}
{"article": "Money will be given to other projects, and potentially county football associations, if changes are not made, she told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek. Crouch said: \"I'm not shy to say to the FA 'if you don't reform your governance structures, I will give that money to other bodies that deliver football'.\" She said the governing body receives \u00a330m to \u00a340m of public funding. Earlier this month, former FA chairman David Bernstein said the organisation was \"outdated\" and needed reform. \"We have a massive problem in this country at the centre of English football. I'm talking about an outmoded structure which is not modern enough and not independent enough,\" he said. Asked about his comments, Crouch replied: \"I share David's frustration. That's why we've made it clear that all sports governing bodies have to reform their governance codes. \"The FA is not excluded from that, and if they don't, they won't get public funding. It's as simple as that.\" A report from the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee in 2013 called for reforms in English football - and outlined concerns including financial management as well as the balance of power between the Premier League and the FA. Crouch said there was good work being carried out by association executives but problems revolved around the FA Council, which has 124 elected members. \"If there's no move whatsoever, and at the moment we are seeing nothing from the FA in terms of progress, they are likely to lose some public money or it will go elsewhere in the delivery of football,\" she added. The FA declined to comment, although a source stressed that it is a not-for-profit organisation with government funding ploughed into grassroots football.", "summary": "The FA could lose millions of pounds of funding if it does not reform, says Sports Minister Tracey Crouch."}
{"article": "The force said the new approach would allow local teams to focus on patrols, and issues like anti-social behaviour. A spokesperson confirmed most investigations would be dealt with by a \"default\" team, but said that did not rule out local officers being involved. Critics have raised concerns that fewer officers will be investigating crimes. The changes are part of Leicestershire Police's bid to reduce spending by \u00c2\u00a330m. Under the plans, the force is also reducing the number of local units from 15 to eight and will cut 300 of its 2,200 officer posts over the next two years. Beat officers will now be known as dedicated neighbourhood officers to reflect the changes, which came into effect earlier, bosses said. Half of the 68 officers in the new East County team, which includes Rutland, Melton and Harborough area, will be PCSOs. Shadow policing minister Jack Dromey said the public should be concerned about the changes. He said: \"Because there will be far fewer officers investigating crime - more criminals are going to get away with it.\" Rutland County Council leader Roger Begy said he feared the changes would also lead to longer response times. \"We are a very low crime area [in Rutland] but we want to keep it that way,\" he said. However, Chief Constable Simon Cole said the force was \"putting officers where the problems are\". \"This transformation is the latest in a series of on-going changes in response to reducing budgets and changing public expectation and demand,\" he said. \"This new way of working will allow the teams based in our communities to dedicate their time to working closely with neighbourhoods and partners to resolve issues at a local level.\"", "summary": "Police investigations in Leicestershire are being carried out by a dedicated unit rather than beat officers, as part of changes to working practices."}
{"article": "The attackers entered the Ambassador Hotel on Maka al-Mukarama street after setting off a car bomb at the gates outside, witnesses said. Somalia's state news agency said two MPs were killed in the blast, with another four rescued. The al-Shabab militant group was quick to say it was behind the attack. The BBC's Somali Service reporter Ibrahim Aden in Mogadishu says the explosion is one of the largest to hit the city and the scale of destruction is huge. Somalia's state news agency Sonna said at least 50 people were hurt and that the death toll was likely to rise. It named the dead MPs as Abdullahi Jama Kabaweyne and Mohamoud Mohamed Gure. The head of the city's Amiin ambulance service has told the BBC the main Medina hospital is overcrowded. \"I was the first person to reach scene. The damage was enormous,\" Dr Abdulkadir Andirahman Haji Aden said. \"My brother and his son were among those injured. We are now in Medina hospital and it is overcrowded with wounded people. I have never seen something like this.\" Al-Shabab, which is battling the UN-backed government, was driven from Mogadishu in 2011 but still remains a potent threat and frequently carries out attacks in the city. The government, with the help of African Union forces, is fighting the al-Qaeda-linked group to regain control of the country. Earlier on Wednesday, the government announced it had killed Mohamed Kuno, the al-Shabab militant who led the attack on Garissa University in Kenya in April 2015 that killed 148 people. He was one of 16 al-Shabab militants - four of them senior leaders - killed in an overnight raid on their convoy in Kismayo, a port city in southern Somalia.", "summary": "Gunmen have stormed a hotel in the centre of the Somali capital Mogadishu, with reports of at least 10 dead and 50 wounded."}
{"article": "The marathon runner crossed the line in second place with his arms above his head in solidarity with Oromo activists who are staging protests in Ethiopia. He repeated the gesture later at a press conference, saying his life would be in danger if he returned home. The government has been accused of brutally cracking down on protesters. The country's Information Minister Getachew Reda told the BBC at the time that he had nothing to fear and would be welcomed home as a hero. But speaking after the race, Mr Feyisa said he might be killed if he returned. \"If not kill me, they will put me in prison. I have not decided yet, but maybe I will move to another country.\" His family later said that he wanted to seek asylum in the US. A funding campaign, which has now reached its $150,000 (\u00c2\u00a3113,000) target, was set up to help pay his legal fees and support his family back home in Ethiopia. Mr Feyisa is from Oromia, home to most of Ethiopia's 35 million Oromo people, the country's largest ethnic group. The region has been hit by a wave of anti-government protests since November last year as people complain about social and political marginalisation. US-based rights group Human Rights Watch has said that more than 400 people have been killed by security forces during the demonstrations. The government disputes the figure and has said that it welcomes dialogue and peaceful protests to sort out issues that people may have. The information minister has acknowledged that there have been some killings but has said that in the main the security forces conducted themselves \"in a very professional and responsible manner\". He put the killings down to \"a few bad apples\".", "summary": "Ethiopian Olympian Feyisa Lilesa, who said he wanted to seek asylum after making an anti-government gesture in Rio, has arrived in the US."}
{"article": "The group, which includes Kate and Gerry McCann, says a delay in bringing into law a key part of the Royal Charter agreement is a \"betrayal\". The change was one of the commitments made after the Leveson Inquiry into press standards and was passed by MPs. But three years on, it still needs to be signed off by the culture secretary, who says it is \"under consideration\". One of the regulations would require newspapers to pay libel costs even if they won a case brought against them, should they not have previously offered a low-cost means of resolving the claim. Culture Secretary John Whittingdale has told newspaper editors he questions whether this legal change will be \"positive\" for the newspaper industry. The signatories to an open letter to Prime Minister David Cameron include the McCanns, whose daughter Madeleine went missing in Portugal in 2007, and Christopher Jefferies, who was wrongly arrested during the investigation into the murder of Jo Yeates in Bristol in 2010. Mr McCann says victims of the press feel very let down. \"The prime minister promised us on multiple occasions that we would be at the centre of press regulation reform and clearly that's not the case,\" he said. \"The people at the centre of this are the owners of the major newspapers. \"So, I think, we feel betrayed.\" The letter, which the Guardian has published in full here, raises concerns about the lack of contact with victims when compared with the number of meetings between the prime minister and senior figures from the newspaper industry. It also highlights reports that the second part of the Leveson Inquiry, which was scheduled to take place once the many criminal trials over phone hacking and payments to public officials had taken place, may be shelved. \"Since this is meant to establish how lawbreaking took hold in our press, why the police failed to stop it and who was responsible, we need hardly say why this is of such vital public importance,\" the letter says. Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act was devised to punish newspapers if they forced people to use the libel courts without offering a cheaper alternative. But if Section 40 was signed in to law, it would come in to force only if there was an officially recognised regulator. A new regulator, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), has been set up by the newspapers and has wider powers than previous bodies. It represents most of Britain's main newsbrands except for the Guardian, the Financial Times and the Independent . However it has not yet offered public arbitration, a cheaper alternative to the libel court, to settle disputes. Ipso looks unlikely to ever seek recognition although a rival regulator, Impress, has applied. Impress has about a dozen members so far and more are expected to be announced in the months to come. It made its application for recognition in January and, if it is approved, the new law on libel costs would become active. The papers would then face the possibility of libel actions from the", "summary": "Victims of press intrusion have accused the government of breaking its promise over regulation."}
{"article": "The NSPCC twice referred Charito Cruz to social services at Kingston Council because of Mohammed Asad Niazi's abuse. In December Niazi, 30, was found guilty of bludgeoning Ms Cruz to death with a hammer in 2011 and jailed for 12 years. The council said it was now conducting a \"domestic homicide review\". An Ofsted report said the council had not adequately addressed \"all the areas identified\" in its internal management review, which has never been published but has been seen by BBC London. Duncan Clark, Kingston's director of children and learning, resigned with a \u00c2\u00a3128,000 pay-off the day before the Ofsted report was published. The internal review found on one occasion a social services manager did not think the referral was serious enough to warrant a home visit. On the second occasion in September 2011 the manager did not read the referrals but took the documents home to read. That night, Niazi killed 37-year-old Ms Cruz by hitting her 50 times with a hammer. The council, Mr Clark and two social work managers criticised in the internal review have refused to comment. Kingston Council would only say it was conducting a \"domestic homicide review\" into the case, that new senior managers had been appointed and a \"significant investment\" had been made. A council spokesman said: \"A number of significant actions have been taken in response to the findings of the Ofsted inspection and the improvement notice in order to improve safeguarding arrangements for children. \"The council is implementing the improvement plan and there is good progress on delivering this agenda.\" Kingston's former acting head of social care, Olivia Butler, who ordered the internal investigation into what went wrong, said what she uncovered was \"very poor practice and tantamount to negligence\". According to the internal documents, Ms Cruz first emailed children's charity the NSPCC at the beginning of September 2011 as her relationship was breaking down due to Niazi's abuse. The charity asked Kingston Council to visit her at her home but a social work manager decided emailed advice was sufficient, the report stated. The situation worsened and Ms Cruz contacted the Child Safeguarding department on 23 September saying she was \"shocked and scared\" that her partner was showing their two-year-old daughter pornographic videos and encouraging her to play with cigarettes. A social worker phoned Ms Cruz the same day at which point Ms Cruz revealed Niazi, originally from Pakistan, had attempted suicide with an overdose of painkillers. The department's duty manager on 23 September, failed to ensure the conversation was logged on Kingston Council's computer system. Niazi emailed the NSPCC several times over two days asking for help controlling his emotions after smashing Ms Cruz's phone with the hammer he later murdered her with. On 25 September the police sent the Child Safeguarding department a referral informing them that Ms Cruz had visited them over the weekend, saying she was feeling unsafe and that they had visited Niazi warning him over his behaviour. The NSPCC also contacted Child Safeguarding the next morning with details of their contact with Niazi and asked the", "summary": "Social work managers ignored requests to visit a woman being abused by her partner days before he killed her in front of their toddler, according to leaked documents."}
{"article": "Jason Chung Yai-Ho, from Glasgow, was last seen in his inflatable red kayak off Traigh beach near Arisaig at about 16.30 on Wednesday. He had set off despite an off-duty police officer warning him not to go out because of squally weather. Two lifeboats, coastguard rescue teams and helicopter and police search dog teams have been involved in the search. The helicopter search was stood down on Thursday night but coastal searches from Mallaig to Gortenachullish continued on Friday and Saturday. Mr Chung Yai-Ho is 5ft 8in tall with short dark hair and a beard. He was last seen wearing a black waterproof jacket, black waterproof trousers and a black buoyancy aid. His car, a red 2003 Toyota Corolla, was found parked near to the beach and has been recovered by the police. A Police Scotland spokesman said: \"Over the weekend there will be continued searches co-ordinated by police based in Fort William. \"Local officers will be supported by specialist search teams and dog units. Further assistance will be provided by HM Coastguard and the Lochaber mountain rescue team. \"If anyone has seen Jason or has any information regarding his current whereabouts or movements prior to when he was last seen on Traigh beach, they are urged to contact police on 101.\"", "summary": "Searches are continuing for a kayaker missing in the Highlands for three days."}
{"article": "Muslim Youth Focus Group organised the event to voice concerns about issues such as radicalisation. The event was held as it emerged four teenage girls who were barred from travelling abroad were from the same school attended by three girls already thought to have fled to Syria. All seven attend Bethnal Green Academy in Tower Hamlets. The name of the school was revealed after reporters argued it was in the public interest. The event was aimed at young British Muslims to help create a platform for them to discuss issues such as Islamophobia, Islamic State and the war in Syria. In mid-February, police raised concerns following the disappearance of Kadiza Sultana, 16, Shamima Begum, 15, and Amira Abase, 15, from their homes in east London. Shamima used the passport of her 17-year-old sister to leave the UK, police have said. Young people, police, teachers, faith leaders and Muslims from the world of entertainment gathered at the Muslim Youth Festival to explore views on what it means to be a Muslim today. Role models spoke at the event including music star Naughty Boy, whose real name is Shahid Khan, and has been working with Zayn Malik, who recently announced he was leaving One Direction. Imam, Dr Mohammed Fahim of South Woodford Mosque said: \"Young British Muslims, irrespective of their ethnicities or gender, should feel proud to live in a country like Britain which respects human rights and gives them equal opportunities and permits them to practice their religion without any fear or oppression.\"", "summary": "Hundreds of young British Muslims have attended a festival in London on how to divert people away from extremism."}
{"article": "Almost 1.7m euro (\u00a31.3m) has been paid out by the Erne Trust since 2012. The money was for legal bills and other fees incurred by the Quinn family. The receiver for the assets of various Quinn family members took legal action to have the trust's donors disclosed to him. He suspects it is a \"sham trust\", which is a conduit for assets which have been concealed from him. Declan Taite was appointed receiver in 2012 at the request of IBRC, formerly known as Anglo-Irish Bank. He told the court that it is his job to identify, locate and collect assets. He added that the Quinn's have \"openly admitted\" they put property assets beyond the reach of IBRC and that those assets have \"generated tens of millions of euros\". He said he is trying to \"understand the provenance\" of the money in the trust to determine that it does not originate with the Quinn family. A list of donors including names, addresses and sums donated has now been given to Mr Taite. His barrister said the close family connections includes siblings, however, a barrister for the trust said he was \"not aware\" of a sibling connection. The trust's barrister added that it was \"not surprising\" that Mr Quinn's business acquaintances should support him. Mr Taite's barrister said that having received the list of names there may now be a need to gather further affidavit evidence. The case was adjourned until September.", "summary": "The donors who have effectively been paying Se\u00e1n Quinn's legal bills include business acquaintances and \"close family connections\", the High Court has been told."}
{"article": "The Super Eagles have made an impressive start to their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign. But it has become apparent that the German coach faces a major headache at right fullback. Nigeria has struggled to find a competent rightback since the departure of Chidi Odiah in 2010. Rohr has tried four different players in three matches as he seeks to keep the West Africans at the top of Group B. The Super Eagles boss said: \"We have been trying to find the right balance but the struggle in the rightback position is something we hope to sort out. \"Musa Muhammed played in that position against Tanzania and he was good, but he's not playing at his club in Turkey \u0130stanbul Ba\u015fak\u015fehir. \"We have also played [Wilfred] Ndidi, [Kenneth] Omeruo and Shehu [Abdullahi] but there is no permanent man. \"This is something we have to fix.\" Yisa Sofoluwe and Austin Eguavoen are both famous for providing strong cover in the rightback spot in the 1980s and 1990s before Nduka Ugbade, Mobi Oparaku, Joseph Yobo and Chidi Odiah stepped in. Nigeria have since tried Efe Ambrose, Chibuzor Okonkwo, Ogenyi Onazi, Kenneth Omeruo, Leon Balogun, Musa Muhammed and Sheu Abdullahi without much success. Dutch-born defender Tyronne Ebuehi, 20, was seen as the man to plug the hole but the youngster rejected the chance to play against Algeria in a World Cup qualifier earlier this month, saying he prefers to focus on establishing himself at his Dutch club ADO Den Haag instead. Nigeria's 3-1 over the Desert Foxes on 12 November coupled with an away victory in Zambia last month propelled them to the top of Group B. The three-time African champions host Cameroon in back-to-back fixtures on 28 August 2017 and 2 September 2017.", "summary": "Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has admitted that a problem at rightback could derail the Super Eagles' quest for a place at the 2018 World Cup finals."}
{"article": "The total figure was \u00a38.6m, up from \u00a36.8 million in 2013. KPMG's fraud barometer covers major court cases involving sums of more than \u00a3100,000. There were 13 such cases in 2014, with the majority being committed against financial institutions by bogus customers. In 2013 more than one third of cases coming to Scottish courts involved employees defrauding their own organisations, but the latest figures show that three quarters of total losses suffered were to con artist customers, mostly through mortgage fraud. Cases coming to court in Scotland in 2014 included: Ken Milliken, KPMG head of forensic, Scotland, said: \"Individuals who gave false information to acquire mortgages are now paying the price as banks and then police look to crack down on mortgage fraud. \"The numbers do not mean that mortgage fraud is on the increase but rather that investigation and enforcement activity is on the increase. \"There are still many embezzlers and other con artists within this year's figures, opportunistically preying on the vulnerable or taking advantage of weaknesses in company controls.\" He added: \"Because there will always be people willing to break the law for their own ends, the fight against fraud will never be won.\" \"Companies cannot afford to be complacent. As individuals, we also need to be wary of that opportunity which seems too good to be true. It is that complacency and gullibility that fraudsters thrive on.\"", "summary": "The amount of money lost in high value fraud cases in Scotland increased last year by more than a quarter, according to accountants KPMG."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 29 July 2015 Last updated at 05:00 BST Microsoft is rolling out access to the latest version of its operating system in waves, to make sure everything runs smoothly. The first people will be notified that an update is available on 29 July, while everyone else will have to wait. The BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones was given a crash course in Windows 10 by product manager Ian Moulster. He showed Rory some of the operating system's new features, including its voice controlled assistant Cortana. Find out more about Windows 10", "summary": "The first early adopters will be able to get their hands on Windows 10 from Wednesday."}
{"article": "The dump, which is thought to cover at least half an acre and is several feet thick, is on private land near Owthorpe Road, Cotgrave. Fire crews have been called to the site several times, most recently at the weekend. Nottinghamshire County Council said an Enforcement Notice to clear the site by 1 September had been served. According to people living nearby, much of the waste had been stored in large plastic bundles but these had been opened when fires started. Jonathan Smith, from the council, confirmed they had served the notice in April. He said: \"This activity has been done without planning permission and without the prior knowledge of the county council. \"An enforcement notice requiring the removal of all waste from the site and restoration to its former condition has been served on the landowners and other parties who we believe have an interest in the site.\" If this is not obeyed the council can clear the land and recover costs and the landowner could face court action. Tessa Bunby posted on a Cotgrave Facebook page: \"I'm sure there is a process to these things but the [local authority] being aware since April is mind-boggling\". Resident Drew Willie said: \"You only have to look at it, it is disgusting and it is going to cost a fortune to clean it up. \"There is probably a lot of hazardous waste, the kids are going to come up here and set fire to it again and the fire brigade will have to come and put it out. \"And it is just a waste of resources, all from somebody being irresponsible and dumping stuff here they shouldn't.\"", "summary": "A deadline to clear a \"disgusting\" field of rubbish in Nottinghamshire is close to expiring."}
{"article": "Shunsuke Mutai, the vice-minister of reconstruction, was visiting the town of Iwaizumi to assess the deadly damage caused by Typhoon Lionrock. The storm killed more than 20 people in the region. But he was seen on TV laughingly being piggybacked by a less senior official, so he could keep his feet dry. Mr Mutai, who apparently forgot to take rubber boots with him, later apologised, saying what he did was \"inappropriate\" and that he \"deeply regretted it\". The picture went viral on social media with netizens lambasting the vice-minister and accusing him of not taking his job seriously. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga later criticised Mr Mutai for lacking sensitivity. \"He went there as head of the government investigation team, so naturally he should have brought his rubber boots to begin with. \"I must say he lacked sensitivity to the residents and the region,\" he said.", "summary": "A Japanese senior government official has come under criticism for hitching a ride on a colleague's back to cross a puddle."}
{"article": "The duo both hit their second County Championship tons of the season as they put on 161 runs for the third wicket. Vince took the aggressive role, hitting 19 boundaries to reach his 100 from just 121 balls before Tom Curran (2-71) had him caught behind for 104. George Bailey (61 not out) and Adams put on 129 before Adams was bowled in the last over, leaving Hampshire 361-4. It was a near-perfect innings from left-hander Adams, who hit 19 fours and two sixes, offering no chances until he was dismissed by a full ball - the 262nd he faced - from off-spinner Amar Virdi. Hampshire won the toss but lost Lewis McManus, opening because of Liam Dawson's England Test call-up, for 13 when he was bowled by an inswinging yorker from Sam Curran. Rilee Rossouw, on a terrible run of form, made 28 but edged Tom Curran to second slip, before Vince took centre stage, scoring fluently through the offside, with 76 of his 104 runs coming from fours. Bailey then played a well-judged support role for Adams, getting Hampshire past the new ball before Adams' dismissal with five balls left brought stumps.", "summary": "Jimmy Adams and James Vince struck centuries to put Hampshire in control on day one against Surrey at the Oval."}
{"article": "Two tries from Mark Atkinson and one from Matt Scott helped put them 21-6 ahead, before Simon Labouyrie and Dion Evarard Oulai crossed for the hosts. Billy Twelvetrees' try made it 29-20 at half-time, before Evrard Ourai's second reduced the deficit to just two points. But May's effort and a late try from Tom Savage earned their side the win. Bayonne: Jane; Laveau, Whitelock, Lacroix, Fuster; Meret, Duhalde; Iguiniz, Labouyrie, Choirat, Ducat, Jaulhac, Latimer, Lespinasse, Oulai. Replacements: Leiataua, Bordenave, Taufa, Huete, Saubusse, Duputs, Maillard, Mamao. Gloucester: Hook; Halaifonua, Scott, Atkinson, May; Twelvetrees, Heinz (c); Thomas, Hibbard, Doran-Jones; Savage, Latta, Ludlow, Rowan, Morgan. Replacements: Matu'u, Orr, Afoa, Galarza, Kvesic, Braley, Thorley, Sharples. Referee: Gary Conway (Ireland) Assistant referees: Stuart Gaffikin and Richard Kerr (Both Ireland) For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "England winger Jonny May scored a try on his return after 10 months out with a knee injury to help Gloucester beat Bayonne in their Challenge Cup opener."}
{"article": "Investors remain optimistic that the election win for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's party over the weekend will lead to more stimulus measures. Mr Abe had described the vote as an endorsement of his reform policies and promised new government spending to help the economy. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index closed 0.8% higher at 16,231.43. In China, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index ended the day up 97.63 points at 21,322.37 while the mainland Shanghai Composite closed up 11.31 points at 3,060.69. Australia's benchmark ASX/200 index in Sydney rose 0.7% to close at 5,388.54. With the iron ore price seeing a strong rise overnight, shares in commodity-related companies were among the best performers. Atlas Iron saw an 18% surge while Fortescue gained 6% and BHP Billiton was up just over 3%. In South Korea, the Kospi closed up 0.7% at 2,005.55.", "summary": "Japanese shares rose for a third day in row, leading a positive trend across the Asia Pacific region."}
{"article": "At closing, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 44.98 points, or 0.7%, at 6,371.18. Aerospace firm Rolls-Royce led the downward trend, shedding 4.2% after media reports of an inquiry into the EU's airline maintenance market. However, British Airways owner IAG rose 1.19% on a broker upgrade. Mining giant Glencore began the session as the 100-share index's biggest gainer after it said it had started the sales process for two of its copper mines. Shares in Glencore initially jumped 1.55% on the news that the mines, in Australia and Chile, were up for sale, but at close, they were down 6.2%. Glencore is attempting to reduce $30bn (\u00a319.5bn) of debt created by its 2013 takeover of Xstrata. Against the dollar, the pound was 0.22% higher at $1.5350 and gained 0.19% against the euro to \u20ac1.3500.", "summary": "(Close): London's leading shares dipped in Monday morning trading, indicating that an eight-day run of gains might be coming to an end."}
{"article": "Bahman Daroshafaei, who has dual British and Iranian citizenship, was arrested at his home in Tehran on 3 February on unspecified charges. One friend told the Reuters news agency that his release on Tuesday \"was a surprise to him\". Mr Daroshafaei has been working as a translator since leaving BBC Persian around two years ago. His family said that his passport had been seized after he returned to Iran. Since then, he had been questioned dozens of times by the intelligence ministry about his activities as a journalist, the news website Iranwire reported. A Twitter campaign run by his friends and colleagues, @FreeBahman, posted a photograph of Mr Daroshafaei standing outside Tehran's Evin prison on Tuesday. \"Good news: Bahman has been released on bail,\" said the caption. In November, two prominent journalists were arrested as part of what appeared to be a crackdown on writers, artists and other cultural figures in Iran. Isa Saharkhiz and Ehsun Mazandarani have been accused of acting against national security. The previous month, poets Fatemeh Ekhtesari and Mehdi Mousavi and filmmaker Keywan Karimi were handed lengthy prison terms by a court after being convicted of charges including \"insulting sanctities and propaganda against the state\".", "summary": "A former BBC Persian journalist detained in Iran has been released from prison on bail, his friends say."}
{"article": "Mr Ruck, 59, is currently in a critical but stable condition after suffering head and leg injuries. The incident happened at 19:40 BST on Saturday on New Street, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire. A man from nearby Burry Port has been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by failing to stop at a road traffic collision, police said. Mr Ruck is the author of four books and a columnist for local newspapers. He had been walking when the incident happened and was taken to Swansea's Morriston Hospital for treatment. Dyfed Powys Police has appealed for witnesses to the incident.", "summary": "A 19-year-old man has been arrested over a suspected hit-and-run that left writer Julian Ruck seriously hurt."}
{"article": "The Perth club have finished in the top half of the league in each of the past five campaigns. Saints open their Premiership campaign at home to Aberdeen on Sunday. \"If we were to finish seventh and miss out on the top six I wouldn't see that as a failure for our club,\" Wright told BBC Scotland. \"Probably our fans expectations get higher and higher each season but we don't really put any demands on the players. \"We want to finish top six if we can and we think we know that over the course of the season we can do that, but we certainly don't say at this stage we will finish top six.\" Wright feels the promotion of Rangers, who St Johnstone defeated 3-1 in last season's League Cup, will stiffen competition at the top end of the table. The Saints boss thinks Rangers will add quality to the league and that Mark Warburton's side could put in a title challenge to champions Celtic. \"If you look at the players they have signed, they have improved the squad in depth,\" said the Northern Irishman. \"They have a stronger squad than what they had last season. I think with the squad they have assembled they could mount a challenge.\" Saints beat Aberdeen twice last season with a 5-1 win at Pittodrie and a 3-0 victory the last time the two faced each other in April. Wright says this weekend's match, along with their next few games, means they will have to be at their best from the first whistle. \"We have a difficult start to the season in terms of who we are playing,\" he said. \"We have the top three teams in the opening few weeks. \"First up Aberdeen then Hearts in the Cup, Celtic in two weeks with Motherwell a top six side next Saturday. It's a great start for us playing some of the top teams.\"", "summary": "Manager Tommy Wright says St Johnstone once again have ambitions of a top six spot but realises competition will be fierce this season."}
{"article": "Around 30 Peruvian and Brazilian rally car drivers did exactly that to mark a new stretch of a road that connects their nations. The two countries have historically had their figurative backs to one another with their shared border running through the Amazon rainforest, but are now trying to forge stronger links. Setting off from Nazca, in Peru's coastal desert on 19 January, the drivers traversed the Andes cordillera to Cusco, rising to 4,725m (15,500ft) above sea level. They then descended into the Amazon rainforest of Madre de Dios, the frontier region that borders Brazil and Bolivia. The race over some 2,200km (1,367 miles) involved a brief break to cross a river by ferry as a key bridge is still not finished. Competitors then continued on to Inapari on the border, reached first by Peruvian professional rally car driver Nicolas Fuchs. Vehicle registration problems meant most of the drivers could not cross into Brazil to complete the last 200km or so to Rio Branco, capital of Acre state. Bureaucratic problems aside, the dramatic route was the main challenge. \"The road doesn't just have curves, it has big drops, places where if you make a mistake, you die,\" said Luiz Facco, a Brazilian driver who raced alongside wife and co-driver Cristina, told the BBC in Cusco's main square. Apart from being a symbol of South American integration, the road links will also boost - potentially hugely - trade with Asia. China has already replaced the US as Brazil's number one trading partner. With this road, Brazil will eventually have paved access to five Pacific-facing Peruvian ports. For its part, Peru is strategically sandwiched between two of the world's largest emerging economies - China to the west and Brazil, to the east. \"This road is a dream,\" says Miguel Vega, president of the Peru-Brazil Chamber of Commerce. \"As we say in football, the midfield dominates the game. This road will put Peru in the midfield between Asia and South America.\" But the road is also proving to be an environmentalists' nightmare. \"Asphalting the road itself doesn't do any real harm,\" says Rob Williams, Peru research co-ordinator for the Frankfurt Zoological Society. \"It's the secondary roads which come off the main road in a fishbone pattern which do the damage. These continue to fragment the Amazon until the whole strip along the Interoceanic highway is deforested.\" Widely viewed by scientists as the most bio-diverse corner of the Amazon rainforest, Madre de Dios is bisected by the road. Where the Andes meet the Amazon, the Interoceanic highway passes directly through the town of Quince Mil. In its main square is a statue of an old man panning for gold. \"Everyone knows how to pan for gold here but nowadays miners are coming with heavy machinery and mercury,\" says Quince Mil resident Ozwaldo Escobar. \"They are polluting our water supply, killing the fish and destroying the forest. \"There's little we can do because they bribe the police and the local authorities,\" he alleges. A young man, known just as Renzo, told the BBC he gets weekly visits", "summary": "What better way to celebrate the opening of a road than by racing cars on it?"}
{"article": "Police are urging Prof Wyndham Lathem, 42, and Andrew Warren, 56, to \"do the right thing and turn yourself in\". Arrests warrants were issued after Trenton Cornell-Duranleau, 25, was found dead in Prof Lathem's flat in Chicago on 27 July. \"The victim had several lacerations to the body,\" the police said. Wyndham Lathem is a microbiology professor at Northwestern University in Illinois, who specialises in the bacteria that caused the bubonic plague. Andrew Warren is a senior treasury assistant at Oxford's Somerville College. The police warned that the suspects were believed to be \"armed and dangerous\", and were possibly driving a Hyundai sedan. Chicago Police chief communications officer Anthony Guglielmi said on Twitter the search for the two men \"will only intensify\". End of Twitter post by @AJGuglielmi Mr Cornell-Duranleau, originally from Michigan, worked as a cosmetologist in Chicago. Oxford University issued a statement saying it had been in contact with the police in the UK about Mr Warren and was \"ready to help the US investigating authorities in any way they need\". It added: \"Andrew Warren's colleagues at Somerville College have now all been informed and are shocked to learn of the case. \"Whatever the circumstances, we would urge him to contact the US authorities as soon as possible, in the best interests of everyone concerned.\" A Thames Valley Police spokesman said Mr Warren was reported missing on 25 July after having left the UK the day before.", "summary": "A US-wide hunt has intensified for an American professor and an Oxford University employee suspected of stabbing a man to death in Chicago."}
{"article": "The state's media watchdog said the press had a duty to cover a story about the supposed offshore dealings of opposition politician and recent presidential candidate Guillermo Lasso. The investigation was published in an Argentine newspaper in March. The watchdog and the media companies have accused each other of censorship. Appeals are under way. The ruling was made against newspapers El Comercio, La Hora, Expreso and El Universo, and television channels Televicentro, Teleamazonas and Ecuavisa. The watchdog, known as Supercom, has fined the companies $3,750 (\u00c2\u00a33,000), the equivalent of 10 journalists' basic salaries, it said. Supercom's superintendent Carlos Ochoa called the fines both a punishment and a motivation for improving journalistic practices. Pedro Valverde, a lawyer for El Universo newspaper, told the BBC he will be \"exhausting all administrative and judicial options to annul this absurd sanction\". The report, \"Lasso: the offshore tycoon\", was first published by Argentina's left-wing Pagina 12 newspaper, and was picked up by various other Ecuadorean news outlets ahead of the country's election on 2 April. Local free speech organisation Fundamedios said the government should not be fining the media. \"It is an act of censorship designed to give the government the role of editor of all media, deciding what to publish or not,\" said director Cesar Ricaurte. Supercom acts under the controversial communications law,. Introduced by President Rafael Correa in 2013, the law gives officials the power to sanction media outlets. The recent complaint against the media was filed by an organisation called the Citizen's Observatory for Quality Communications, on 27 March, after President Correa raised a complaint on his television show. The organisation said the various media organisations - some of the country's biggest - had failed to publish or investigate the offshore banking claims, which \"affected the voting rights of Ecuadoreans, since the possible crimes involved someone who aspired to be president\". However, some of the affected media have come forward to say they were bound by contradictory legislation. Mr Valverde referred to the Code of Democracy, which does not allow the media to publish works that might be seen as actively working for or against a candidate during an election period. Representatives of El Comercio newspaper also said the communications law has another clause - article 22 - which states that journalism must be verified, and it could not vouch for the Argentine investigation. Mr Lasso planned to revoke the communications law, had he won the election. The former banker narrowly lost to left-wing candidate Lenin Moreno. President-elect Moreno has also expressed reservations about the law, including after the seven fines were announced. He said he would like to speak to the press directly about it, according to media reports. President Correa has praised his law repeatedly, including in reference to this latest incident.", "summary": "Ecuador has fined seven media companies for not publishing a story that it deemed of public interest."}
{"article": "Gr\u00e9gory Villemin was four when his body was found in the Vologne river. His killer has never been found. All three held by police were described as relatives of the boy's father. The murder has continued to haunt France ever since, but advances in DNA technology have helped police shed further light on the case. It was on 16 October 1984 that Gr\u00e9gory Villemin's body was found and a magistrate opened what became one of the biggest mysteries in French criminal history. Hours before the boy was discovered, his hands and feet tied, his uncle said he had received a phone call from someone claiming to have kidnapped him. The following day, the child's parents received a letter that said: \"Your son is dead, I have been avenged.\" The next month, a cousin of the boy's father, Bernard Laroche, was arrested when his sister-in-law, Muriel Bolle, testified against him. He was released in 1985 when she retracted her statement, but shot dead by Jean-Marie Villemin, the boy's father, weeks later. The father went to jail for Laroche's murder for several years. The boy's mother, Christine Villemin, was also jailed for her son's murder but later cleared. Both were later given compensation by the state for miscarriage of justice. The anonymous phone-calls and poison-pen letters continued over the years, and the case was reopened first in 2000 and then again in 2008 in an attempt to identify the DNA on the letters. Three separate traces of DNA were found but not identified. Little news has been heard in the \"Gr\u00e9gory affair\" since police said in 2013 that DNA tests had brought the investigation no further. That was until about 08:00 (06:00 GMT) on Wednesday, when investigators from Dijon detained a couple in their 70s in the village of Aumontzey, in the Vologne river valley. Sources told French media that they were the father's uncle and aunt. They were placed in police custody on suspicion of complicity in the murder, failing to report a crime or helping a person at risk, according to L'Est R\u00e9publicain website. A third person reported to be the father's half-sister was also being held. A fourth, said to be the victim's grandmother, was taken in as a witness. Her husband was also questioned. Prosecutor Jean-Jacques Bosc said investigators had targeted \"people very close to the heart of this case\" and hoped to provide answers to the questions they had. Local reporters covering the case pointed out that none of those held on Wednesday was suspected of the boy's murder. They also said that Muriel Bolle, who as a teenager had initially blamed the killing on Bernard Laroche, had been asked to provide a DNA sample on Wednesday before later being released.", "summary": "A couple in their 70s and a woman have been detained for questioning by police, 32 years after a crime that horrified France."}
{"article": "Nobel prize-winning geneticist Sir Paul Nurse told BBC Newsnight experts \"are being derided and pushed back\". Mr Gove says he had economists mostly in mind when he said \"people in this country have had enough of experts\". But he admitted some people may have felt \"licensed\" by his remarks to challenge all forms of expertise. Mr Gove made the controversial remarks in an interview with Sky's Faisal Islam three weeks before last year's EU referendum. Michael Gove was justice secretary at the time and a leading figure in the Vote Leave campaign. Critics claimed Mr Gove was whipping up an anti-intellectual mood with parallels to Donald Trump's assault on media and other sources of information. Mr Gove said his remarks were taken out of context because Mr Islam interrupted him before he was able to clarify that he was referring to \"organizations with acronyms who had got things wrong in the past\". He told Newsnight he had failed to express himself more carefully because it was \"a high profile, high intensity, high tension, high nervousness, encounter\". He insisted he did not regret using the word \"expert\" but added: \"One of the things that is occasionally irritating is that people assume that what I was saying was a blanket rejection of facts, evidence, rigour - when in fact what I was trying to do was to say look let's simply not take arguments at face value, just because someone works for a prestigious organisation.\" He conceded that some people may have felt encouraged by his comments to cast doubt on all forms of expertise. \"It may be that there are some people out there who think that that I'm giving them licence to operate in that way. Who's to say?\" He added: \"I would hope that people looking at my career would say whatever that phrase may have encouraged or licensed, actually the man uttering it was someone who believed in more knowledge and more critical thinking - not less.\" But Sir Paul, a former president of Britain's top scientific body, the Royal Society, said even if Mr Gove had meant to cast doubt primarily on economics, he had been \"irresponsible\" not to clarify his remarks. He said the comment \"spilled over into all sorts of other areas where experts have an enormous contribution to make to the proper running of society\". \"The fact that experts have been derided in this way does have an effect in undermining science and scientific evidence.\" Sir Paul said the British public still has high levels of trust in scientists but we are living in a period where \"opinion is on the front foot\". \"Those who are expert, who have the knowledge, who have the intellectual ability to dissect these difficult problems, are being derided and pushed back,\" he said. \"My view about this is that it cannot last for very long, because opinion is not built on firm foundations and it rapidly falls apart. And I think we're seeing that already with, for example, Mr Trump. \"Science is built to last. Opinions are not built to", "summary": "One of the UK's leading scientists says Michael Gove's attack on experts during the EU referendum risked undermining science and scientific evidence."}
{"article": "Hearings, opened days after the 1974 attacks, were not continued after the jailing of six men, whose convictions were later quashed. After the men's release in 1991 the families of those who died began a campaign to get the inquests heard. Coroner Louise Hunt is expected to deliver her decision later. Birmingham pub bombings inquests: What we know A total of 182 people were also injured in the bombings, on 21 November 1974 - then the worst terrorist atrocity on English soil. At 20:17 GMT, a device exploded in a duffel bag in the Mulberry Bush pub in the Rotunda, in the city centre, killing 10 people. Pub bombers 'will not be jailed' Ten minutes later, a second bomb went off in the Tavern in the Town, leaving 11 more dead. The IRA was believed to have carried out the bombings, although responsibility has never been claimed. West Midlands Police said the investigation is still open but there has not been enough evidence for a prosecution. Ms Hunt, the Birmingham and Solihull coroner, has reviewed a huge body of police evidence and heard submissions from the victims' relatives and other interested parties in February. She is expected to deliver her decision at Solihull Council house, during a hearing that is due to start at 10:00 BST. Julie Hambleton, whose 18-year-old sister Maxine died in the attacks, said she was \"cautiously optimistic\" about the inquests resuming.", "summary": "A coroner is due to rule on whether the inquest into the deaths of 21 people in the Birmingham pub bombings will resume."}
{"article": "Aisha told Time her nose and ears had been cut off - with the approval of a Taliban commander - by her abusive husband as punishment for running away. The front cover generated debate over the headline \"What Happens if We Leave Afghanistan\" and over the use of the photo itself. Her surgery was done in California. The Grossman Burn Foundation, which carried out the work, campaigns on the issue of violence against women, as well as doing free plastic surgery work. Foundation surgeon Peter Grossman carried out the reconstruction surgery. Aisha was widely photographed and filmed earlier this week receiving the Enduring Heart award at a benefit ceremony staged by the foundation. She was given the award by California first lady Maria Shriver, the wife of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. \"This is the first Enduring Heart award given to a woman whose heart endures and who shows us all what it means to have love and to be the enduring heart,\" Ms Shriver said. Aisha - whose surname has not been revealed - replied: \"Thank you so much.\" The 18-year-old was reportedly given away by her family in childhood as a \"blood debt\" and was subsequently married to a Taliban fighter. His family abused her and she ran away but was recaptured and mutilated by her husband. Aisha's case has been used in the West to illustrate the fear of what will happen if US, British and other international forces leave prematurely. Some critics questioned the tone of the Time cover arguing that it was using emotional blackmail and gender politics to justify continued US involvement in Afghanistan.", "summary": "The Afghan girl featured on a controversial Time magazine cover in the US has been given a new prosthetic nose."}
{"article": "Taylor beat Van Gerwen in the opening contest, but Lewis then struggled in losing to Van Barneveld, before the Dutch won the pairs. But Taylor's defeat of Van Barneveld forced a decider, in which Lewis beat Van Gerwen 4-1. Victory in Frankfurt gave England their fourth World Cup of Darts crown. After losing both of his matches in the final, world number one Van Gerwen seemed to take exception to Lewis' celebrations on sealing the trophy. \"MVG got the the hump with me because I gave it large, but I said to him that he does that every week, so he has to expect some back,\" said Lewis. Taylor and Lewis, both from Stoke-on-Trent, had earlier defeated Northern Ireland duo Brendan Dolan and Daryl Gurney in the semi-finals. Scotland, represented by world champion Gary Anderson and Robert Thornton, lost in the quarter-finals to Belgium.", "summary": "England pair Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis retained the World Cup, beating the Netherlands' Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld in the final."}
{"article": "Twenty tonnes of pasta covered the A5 near Shotatton, forcing police to close the road between the A483 at Oswestry and the A458 at Shrewsbury. A spokeswoman for West Mercia Police, which attended just after 11:30 BST, said it was not clear how the pasta had ended up on the road. No-one was arrested and no-one was injured. A Highways England spokesman said: \"We sent people there with high pressure hoses to clean it up but it does seem that it got everywhere. \"All of it has needed sucking up and taking away. \"It's been quite a clean-up job.\"", "summary": "A major road in Shropshire was closed after a lorry shed its load of pre-made spaghetti bolognese."}
{"article": "He called Friday's gun attack in Aden an \"act of senseless and diabolical violence\". Reports said the attackers pretended they were visiting their mothers to gain access to the home. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though Yemeni officials have blamed so-called Islamic State. In a statement, the Vatican said two of the nuns killed were Rwandan, one was Indian and one was from Kenya. They were working as nurses at the home and had been serving breakfast to its 80 residents when the attack occurred. All the victims were shot in the head and had been handcuffed, the Associated Press reported, citing the brother of a victim. The nuns were from the Missionaries of Charity congregation, which runs the home and was founded in Calcutta by Mother Teresa. Pope Francis \"prays that this pointless slaughter will awaken consciences, lead to a change of heart, and inspire all parties to lay down their arms and take up the path of dialogue\", Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said. \"He sends the assurance of his prayers for the dead and his spiritual closeness to their families and to all affected from this act of senseless and diabolical violence.\" Missionaries of Charity spokeswoman Sunita Kumar said members were \"absolutely stunned\" by the killings. The nun in charge managed to hide and escaped unharmed. Yemen is engulfed in a brutal civil war between Iran-backed Zaidi Shia Houthi rebels in the north and the Saudi-Arabia backed government in the south. Islamic State and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) have both taken advantage of the war to gain ground in the country. More than 6,000 people have been killed and 2.4 million people displaced in Yemen's war, the UN says. Forces loyal to the government and southern militias regained control of Aden in July, aided by Saudi-led coalition air strikes and troops.", "summary": "Pope Francis has condemned the killing of 16 people, including four Catholic nuns, at an old people's home in Yemen."}
{"article": "It said there was a \"high threat from terrorism\", with stadiums, fan zones and transport hubs possible targets. UK counter-terrorism officers have been \"a key part\" of security planning and a team is in France, police said. Officers will also be stationed at Eurostar terminals and on some cross-Channel trains. It comes after officials in Ukraine arrested a Frenchman apparently inspired by extremist right-wing beliefs to plot a series of attacks. In his car he was carrying two rocket launchers, explosives, detonators, five Kalashnikovs and 5,000 rounds of ammunition, intelligence officials said. The advice from the Foreign Office was updated on Monday, although officials said this was not linked to the Ukrainian arrest. 'Concern' over Euro 2016 terror threat Move 'to shut Paris Euro 2016 fan zone' Commander Dean Haydon, the head of Scotland Yard's anti-terror squad, said they were working with French police and security and intelligence agencies across the world to establish whether there was a threat to the Euros. \"We have seen propaganda, Islamic State (IS) and potential talk of plots against the Euros, but we're working with all those various different agencies to police and make the Euros a safe event and a safe games,\" he said. \"Although the ultimate policing of the event and the planning is for the French, we are all involved in properly trying to understand the threat, if there is one.\" French ambassador to to the UK, Sylvie Bermann, said her country was well-prepared. Last November, 130 people were killed in Paris when gunmen and suicide bombers linked to IS attacked the Bataclan concert hall, restaurants and bars, and the Stade de France. Three explosions occurred outside the Stade de France stadium on the northern fringe of Paris where France were playing Germany in an international football friendly. One bomber and a passer-by were killed. Earlier in the year, two gunmen killed 12 people in an attack on the office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. A further five people were killed when a third attacker took a Jewish supermarket hostage. Matches at Euro 2016, which begins on Friday, will be played across several stadiums including in Bordeaux, Lille and Toulouse. There are also a string of fan zones for thousands of supporters to watch the matches - including several in London. England, Wales and Northern Ireland have all qualified for the tournament, with thousands of fans expected to travel to France for matches. The England Supporters Club told the BBC the warning to fans would not stop one single fan from going to the tournament. Fans had been waiting for two years for the Euros - this threat was not going to stop them, it said. But Gavin Montgomery, from Guildford, Surrey, who has tickets for a match in the knock out phase of the tournament, said he was contemplating not going. \"The threats have ruined it for me. I will not be able to relax in the stadium and I definitely won't be wearing my England shirt as I fear this will attract unnecessary attention,\" he said. Some told the BBC", "summary": "Football fans travelling to France for Euro 2016 should be \"vigilant at all times\" in the face of terrorism threats, the Foreign Office has said."}
{"article": "In one attack, gunmen disguised as soldiers fired on a crowd in a church compound, local MP Peter Biye said. He said he had warned the army that the area was at risk after troops stationed nearby were withdrawn three months ago. The latest attacks come as the army denied that several generals had been found guilty of aiding the militants. Nigerian media reported on Tuesday that 10 generals and five other senior military officers had been tried before a court martial for supplying arms and information to the Islamist militant group. However, a military spokesman called the reports \"falsehoods\". This contradicted Interior Minister Abba Moro who in a BBC interview on Tuesday said it was \"good news\" that the army had identified soldiers who were undermining the fight against the insurgents, and that it sent a strong message to other serving officers. Boko Haram has waged an increasingly bloody insurgency since 2009 in an attempt to create an Islamic state in Nigeria. The BBC's Will Ross in Nigeria says the attacks on six villages over the last few days have been near the Mandara Mountains - a known Boko Haram hideout by the border with Cameroon. Residents who managed to flee Attagara said that their village church first came under attack on Sunday when reportedly 20 people died. Villagers retaliated and some militants were allegedly killed. This seemed to prompt a revenge attack on Tuesday when militants dressed as soldiers pretended they had come to protect the village, Mr Biye said. \"They came in mass in military uniform with about 200 motorcycles\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 they said they came to rescue them [and] they should not run away,\" he told the BBC's Newsday programme. Villagers were urged to come to the church, and people gathered believing it was the military, the MP said. \"They surrounded them - they started shooting them,\" Mr Biye said, adding that the gunmen then burnt many buildings. Those who had fled into nearby hills reported seeing many dead bodies, he said. When troops were based in nearby Chinene village, the area was calm but since their withdrawal three months ago the area had become the insurgents' \"base\", Mr Biye said. Nigeria's government has been facing growing pressure both at home and abroad to do more to tackle the group and bring about the release of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the group in April. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in May 2013 in the three northern states where Boko Haram is most active - Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. Boko Haram retaliated by stepping up its bombing campaign in cities and launching mass attacks on small towns and villages. Correspondents says since the kidnapping of the girls, the attacks have become an almost daily occurrence. Who are Boko Haram? Profile: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau Why Nigeria has not defeated Boko Haram", "summary": "Suspected Boko Haram militants have killed dozens of villagers in fresh attacks in Borno state in north-eastern Nigeria, the BBC has learnt."}
{"article": "If true, it would solve one of aviation history's biggest mysteries. Earhart vanished during a 1937 flight over the Pacific - and her disappearance has been a breeding ground for speculation ever since. A photograph from the 1930s shows a figure that could be her, taken on the then-Japanese Marshall Islands. However, at least one prominent expert has poured cold water on the claim, saying he was \"astounded\" it had taken off. The new material - presented as evidence for an old theory - is a black-and-white photograph found in the vaults of the US National Archives. It shows a group of people standing on a dock. The label on the photograph says it was taken on Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands, presumably by a US spy. The link might seem thin, though, to the legendary pilot who five years before her disappearance had risen to fame as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. The claim is that one seated person with her back to the camera could be Earhart, while another figure on the far left in the photo is said to be Fred Noonan, her navigator on that last flight. On the very right of the picture is a blurry section which, it is claimed, shows Earhart's plane. Ric Gillespie, author of Finding Amelia and executive director of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR), is certainly unconvinced. He told the BBC: \"This photograph has people convinced. I'm astounded by this. I mean, my God! Look at this photograph... Let's use our heads for a moment. It's undated. They think it's from 1937. Okay. If it's from July 1, 1937 then it can't be Amelia, because she hadn't taken off yet. \"If it's from 1935 or 1938 it can't be her.... This photograph has to have been taken within a very narrow window - within a couple of days of when she disappeared.\" He notes that the photograph came from an Office of Naval Intelligence file, saying it was \"very natural\" the US would want a picture of this Japanese naval asset. \"And what does the photo say that it shows? ... Jaluit Atoll - Jaluit Island. It doesn't say 'Amelia Earhart in Japanese custody'! \"If this is a picture of Amelia Earhart in Japanese custody, where are the Japanese? There are no soldiers in this picture. Nobody in uniform,\" he observes. The photograph was released by the US-based History channel ahead of a documentary to run this weekend. If the goal was to drum up attention - and hence audience numbers - it appears to have paid off. A preview of the programme has two experts backing up the claim by looking at the torso measurements of the woman alleged to be Amelia Earhart in the photo, and teeth and hairline of the figure claimed to be Fred Noonan. A far stretch? After all, the heroine has her back to the camera and it's debatable how much of a hairline let alone teeth can really be made out reliably on a faded photograph from", "summary": "A newly-discovered photo suggests legendary US pilot Amelia Earhart might have died in Japanese custody - and not in a plane crash in the Pacific."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The horse, a daughter of Finsceal Beo, was bought at Goffs sales by Dermot Farrington for an unnamed Irish client. It is the highest amount paid for a foal at public auction in Ireland. Frankel was retired in 2012 after winning all 14 of his races, while Finsceal Beo (which means 'Living Legend' in Gaelic) won the 1,000 Guineas in England and Ireland in 2007. The first foal of Frankel to be sold at auction went for \u00a31.15m in London in June. The European record for a foal belongs to My Typhoon, a half-sister to Galileo and Sea The Stars, who sold for 1.8m guineas (\u00a31.89m) at Tattersalls in 2002. Six foals were initially due to go through the sales ring on Thursday, but there were two late withdrawals. Two of the remaining foals went unsold with bidding at 350,000 and 650,000 euros respectively, while another fetched 550,000 euros. Another four Frankel foals will go on sale next week at Tattersalls in Newmarket, just a few miles from where the stallion was born and now stands at stud for a breeding fee of \u00a3125,000 a time.", "summary": "A filly foal of racing legend Frankel has sold for an Irish record of 1.8 million euros (about \u00a31.45m)."}
{"article": "The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said demand for property continued to outpace supply last month. This was despite a rise in the number of homes coming on to the market. The growth of interest in the Scottish property market bucked the trend across the rest of the UK. Demand for homes in the UK fell back for the first time in over a year, which Rics attributed in part to uncertainty over next month's European Union referendum. The latest Rics UK residential market survey found sales remained steady across Scotland last month, with growth in activity expected to continue. A net balance of 36% more respondents predicted an increase in Scottish property sales over the next quarter. More surveyors also said they expected prices to rise over the next three months. Rics in Scotland director Sarah Speirs said: \"We are seeing a welcome increase in properties coming on to the market and we hope this will continue in coming months. \"However, as demand also continues to grow, this supply will not meet market needs and we call on the newly-elected Scottish government to make the increase of housing supply across all tenures a priority.\"", "summary": "Scottish house prices are expected to continue rising over the next few months after climbing in April, according to surveyors."}
{"article": "Earlier, France and Germany complained that the Minsk peace deal for Ukraine was still not being fulfilled. Russia's military interventions, first in Ukraine, then in Syria, were high on the EU summit agenda in Brussels. But Italy and Slovakia want sanctions, that have cost EU exporters billions of euros, eased. The summit focused on the crises in Europe's neighbourhood. The destruction of Aleppo and the exodus of Syrian refugees, migrant pressure from Africa and Ukraine's conflict with Russia were key themes. Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 triggered the first round of sanctions. They have been ratcheted up, targeting Russian arms exporters, banks and individuals - many of them close to President Vladimir Putin - blamed for the pro-Russian insurgency in Ukraine. But this summit will also be remembered for its new language on ties with Ukraine - setting limits to EU support. Other stories: The far-reaching EU-Ukraine Association Agreement was stalled in April when Dutch voters rejected it in a referendum. So the leaders addressed Dutch anxieties with a new, legally binding EU text. \"The Agreement does not confer on Ukraine the status of a candidate country for accession to the Union, nor does it constitute a commitment to confer such status to Ukraine in the future,\" it said. The EU will not offer Ukrainians the right to reside and work in the EU, nor offer EU military assistance. Any such help is a matter for individual governments. The leaders also sought to defuse EU tensions over the many boatloads of migrants still crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa. A plan to relocate 160,000 refugees from overcrowded camps in Italy and Greece has been opposed by Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. Only a fraction of those refugees have been moved. Italy says record numbers of African migrants have reached its shores this year. Nigeria and Eritrea are the top countries of origin. Dire poverty drives many towards Europe. \"It's a structural problem that 80% of the arrivals [in Italy] have no right to asylum, so they cannot be relocated inside the EU,\" German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. The EU sees its controversial March deal with Turkey as a model for similar deals in Africa. One with Niger is the most advanced. A key goal is to break the business model of the people-smuggling gangs who prey on migrants' misery. Since March the migrant influx to Greece has fallen dramatically, but Turkey accuses the EU of blocking its EU ambitions and failing to meet funding pledges. Mrs Merkel voiced solidarity with Turkey as it is hosts 2.7m Syrian refugees - far more than any EU country. She said all the EU leaders \"recognised that even if there are very critical remarks, it is still our close neighbour\". The suffering of Syrian civilians in devastated Aleppo overshadowed the talks. The EU strongly condemned the bombardment by Syrian government forces and Russian warplanes. Mrs Merkel called the bombing of hospitals \"really awful\". \"We don't lack the will to help,\" she said - but she deplored the failure of UN mediation in Syria. As", "summary": "EU leaders have agreed to extend economic sanctions against Russia for six more months."}
{"article": "Dr Tom Frieden, head of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), was testifying before politicians in Washington. He said that data from the cases of two infants in Brazil who died soon after birth indicated the virus had passed from mother to child. However, he said the suspected link was still not definite. There are thought to have been more than 4,000 cases in Brazil alone of babies born with microcephaly - abnormally small brains - and where the transmission of Zika virus from mother to child is suspected of being the cause. Dr Frieden said intensive research was under way to find out much more about the mosquito-borne virus and to develop a vaccine for it, although he warned that that could still be years away. \"We will likely see significant numbers of [Zika] cases in Puerto Rico and other US territories,\" Dr Frieden warned. He said the CDC would issue grants to US states at risk of Zika to better control mosquitoes. Also on Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO), which has called the outbreak a \"global public health emergency\", issued guidance for women on how to protect themselves. It said that until more is known on whether sexual contact can transmit Zika, \"all men and women living in or returning from an area where Zika is present - especially pregnant women and their partners - should be counselled on the potential risks of sexual transmission and ensure safe sexual practices\". \"These include the correct and consistent use of condoms, one of the most effective methods of protection against all sexually transmitted infections,\" the WHO said. The use of contraception is a controversial issue in the region because of the Catholic Church's stance against it. However, the Church has rejected calls from liberal Catholics for a softening of its position on the issue in light of the outbreak. \"Microcephaly has been occurring in Brazil for years. They are taking advantage of this moment to reintroduce the abortion topic,\" Bishop Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, secretary general of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference, told the Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper. The WHO said it was not advocating travel restrictions to the area but advised pregnant women, or those trying to become pregnant, to seek medical advice before travelling to areas where Zika is present. Microcephaly: Why it is not the end of the world What you need to know Key questions answered about the virus and its spread Travel advice Countries affected and what you should do The mosquito behind spread of virus What we know about the insect Abortion dilemma Laws and practices in Catholic Latin America", "summary": "One of the US's most senior public health officials has revealed the \"strongest evidence to date\" of the effect on babies of the Zika virus."}
{"article": "Richard Kemp, who has delivered letters in Kentisbeare, Devon for 25 years, was told by Royal Mail he would be moved to a walking shift in the nearby town of Cullompton. But, the community rallied to save its postie with an online petition that attracted 450 signatures. Royal Mail has confirmed Mr Kemp would be \"staying on his original round\". Click here for live updates on this story Leanne Perkins, the landlady of the Wyndham Arms pub, set up the petition, saying Mr Kemp was a \"huge part of the village\". \"He keeps an eye on people, the older generation of the village, he would be the first one to spot if there's anything not quite right, all of these kind of thing that when you live in a rural place like we do here, is vital,\" she said. \"He knows everybody, everyone knows him.\" In 2014, Royal Mail performed two U-turns over the reinstatement of a postman of 17 years in the village of Lympstone in Devon, following a campaign by local residents. Ms Perkins said the community was \"just ecstatic\" when Royal Mail abandoned its plans, adding there were \"a lot of tears\". Kentisbeare on the edge of the Blackdown Hills only has 320 homes, but its postal round is spread across the countryside. Mr Kemp has declined to comment.", "summary": "A veteran postman who was \"too slow\" to keep his village job has been saved after local outcry."}
{"article": "The singer was diagnosed last year after two tumours - including one the size of a golf ball - were found at the back of his tongue. \"You can imagine to get rid of that with radiation - the inside of my head has been cooked pretty effectively,\" he told the BBC. He added although his voice was fine, it will take a while \"to heal up\". \"I can sing, I can talk - I haven't gone out and done the equivalent of trying to run 100 metres in the same way I used to sing before,\" he told the BBC's Colin Paterson. \"I only finished coming out of treatment two months ago and the doctor said it will take a year to be better. \"We've beaten that by about six months so far, but I'm not going to push things to prove a point.\" Iron Maiden announced in May the band would not be touring or playing any shows until next year when Dickinson will be \"back to full strength\". The singer said since he was given the all clear by doctors, he was now \"looking forward to having a bit of a knees up\" because \"it's a good excuse to celebrate a wonderful thing\". \"I've been through what a load of people go through every day,\" he said. \"There's thousands of people every day in the UK and around the world who have treatment for this kind of thing. In that respect the only thing that's special about it is that I'm quite a well-known person. I've been very fortunate. I've had a really good bounce back.\" Talking about when he was first diagnosed with cancer, Dickinson said the only symptoms he had noticed was a lump in his neck - cause by the second, smaller tumour. \"I went to the doc and he went 'oooh that's a bit weird',\" he said. \"He took a scan of it, had a look, had a poke around, and went 'you have head and neck cancer'. So I went 'that's a bit of a blow' - but you crack on and you get on with it.\" Dickinson was speaking at the Silver Clef Awards in London, where Iron Maiden were honoured for their outstanding contribution to UK music. Other winners at the event - in aid of charity Nordoff Robbins - included Rita Ora, who was named best female, best male Jake Bugg and James Bay who won best newcomer. Arctic Monkeys were also voted best live act of the year, Kasabian won best group, Gladys Knight collected the international award and Duran Duran were honoured with the lifetime achievement award.", "summary": "Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson has said he is healing well since being treated for cancer earlier this year."}
{"article": "This son of a Suffolk trawlerman has ruled Formula 1 for nearly 40 years with a combination of astuteness, cunning, sharp practice and sheer intellectual power arguably unmatched across business and sporting worlds. He has turned what was essentially a minority activity for enthusiasts into the most-watched global sport outside the Olympics and football's World Cup. Along the way, he has made enemies and won admirers - sometimes in the same person - but standing trial on bribery charges in Munich in August presented him with one of his biggest challenges yet. A challenge that could have seen him imprisoned for a decade. In the event, Ecclestone paid a German court \u00a360m to end the trial, in which he was accused of paying a German banker \u00a326m to ensure that a company Ecclestone favoured could buy a stake in F1. Under German law Ecclestone was able to pay to end the trial. His personal wealth is put at $4.2bn by Forbes. In the normal business world, any chief executive who is the subject of such serious criminal charges cannot hope to hold on to his position. But this is not the normal business world and Ecclestone is most certainly not a normal businessman. Any chief executive who has referred to women as \"domestic appliances\" or praised Adolf Hitler for being \"able to get things done\" would have been shown the door with a haste to match the indecency of the remarks. Not Ecclestone, who survived those particular storms - and many more. Why? Probably because of his remarkable achievements, his all-pervading influence in F1 and, since the sport began trading as a commodity, his success in making money for his bosses. That last attribute may yet keep him in a job, now that the criminal bribery case has ended, which was more serious than a related civil case in London's High Court, which has now been dismissed. His boss - CVC chairman Donald McKenzie - has, before now, told the High Court that Ecclestone would have to be sacked if he was convicted of a criminal offence. There is another case pending - and related - in the United States, where financial firm Bluewaters has sued him, claiming it was the highest bidder in the sale of F1 in 2006. Whether any of this is the end of the road for a man of rare influence and notoriety or not, it has been a long one. Ecclestone's journey began in the 1950s, when he was a less-than-successful racer and then a manager of promising British F1 driver Stuart Lewis-Evans. When Lewis-Evans died in a fiery accident in 1958, Ecclestone disappeared off the motor racing radar for the best part of a decade, re-emerging in the late 1960s as the manager of another promising driver, Austrian Jochen Rindt. By then, Ecclestone was already very wealthy, although some way off the billionaire he is today. A former used-car salesman, he has a standard answer to anyone wondering where the money came from: \"Property.\" But many have speculated whether he might have earned the money", "summary": "With Bernie Ecclestone, the myth is so much wrapped up in the man that it is often hard to separate fact from fiction."}
{"article": "US officials described the intercept by the SU-27 jet on Wednesday as \"dangerous and unprofessional\". Russia's defence ministry said the US plane had been approaching Russian territory and the SU-27 pilots had adhered to international rules. Russia is currently carrying out military exercises in the Black Sea. Pentagon spokesman Capt Jeff Davis said the US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft had been conducting routine operations in international airspace when the Russian fighter made the unsafe manoeuvre. \"These actions have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions, and could result in a miscalculation or accident,\" he said. A US defence official quoted by AFP news agency said the Russian plane had flown within 30ft of the P-8A before closing to just 10ft. However, the Russian defence ministry said fighters intercepted the US plane because it was heading towards Russian territory with its transponder signal - which helps others identify it - switched off. \"After the Russian fighters got close to the spy planes for visual confirmation and to determine their wing numbers, the American aircraft changed course sharply and flew away,\" a statement said. \"The Russia pilots acted in strict accordance with international rules for flights.\" Relations between Russia and the West have been strained since the Russian annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014. In April, the US complained that Russian jets had confronted one of its reconnaissance planes over the Baltic Sea in an \"unsafe and unprofessional manner\". In that incident, Russia also said that the US plane had turned off its transponder signal.", "summary": "The Pentagon says a Russian fighter plane flew within about 10ft (3m) of one of its reconnaissance aircraft operating over the Black Sea."}
{"article": "Sean McLauchlan, 25, stabbed 29-year-old Scott Gillies outside a flat in Glasgow on 16 May 2015. A jury unanimously cleared him of murder and assault after hearing that both men were armed with knives and Mr Gillies had already slashed him. There were angry scenes involving the dead man's family following the verdict at the High Court in Livingston. Furious relatives and friends of Mr Gillies, described as a \"gentle giant\", stormed out of the court with one woman shouting: \"This is what you call justice?\" Judge Lord Burns formally acquitted Mr McLachlan, who was led out a back door. The court heard that both men had been at an all-night party in the flat in Benalder Street, Partick, The jury heard that Mr Gillies and his girlfriend Cheryl Dawson had been thrown out just before 08:00 because he had allegedly made offensive comments to the host and her sister. He had earlier shown other guests an open razor and a flick knife which he had taken out with him that evening. The couple kept trying to get back in to the party and clashed aggressively with female guests after kicking the door of the flat three times. The third time, Mr McLachlan went out past the women onto the landing and got involved in a fist fight with Mr Gillies who slashed his top lip. Giving evidence, the accused said he ran back inside and was attending to the wound in the kitchen when he heard the door being kicked in for a fourth time. He told the court: \"I was scared, terrified. Then I heard Scott saying: 'Get Sean out here. He's going to get stabbed...He's getting done.' \"He was talking about me. I was terrified. That's when I turned around and grabbed two knives from the sink.\" He added: \"The minute I stepped out the kitchen I seen Scott Gillies coming up the hall. \"Scott ran towards me. He had a knife in each hand and he struck us on the head. The blood started to run into my eyes and onto my face from my head. \"At that point I was just scared for my own life. I thought I was going to be killed. \"I swung back to try and get him off us. I was swinging my hands to get him away from us.\" The jury was told that during the fight, Mr McLauchlan plunged an eight-inch kitchen knife up to the hilt in Mr Gillies left shoulder. The blade cut a major artery in his lungs, and went into his chest. He died shortly afterwards from massive blood loss. A post-mortem examination found that he had a blood/alcohol count almost six times the drink-drive limit at the time of his death and had taken ecstasy. Following the fatal stabbing, Mr McLaughlin fled the scene and asked a man arriving for work at a nearby building site to phone the police. The trial heard from witnesses who had attended the party. Mikey Gillen, 22, said the victim and accused were drunk and Mr Gillies had stated", "summary": "A man who claimed he acted in self defence after killing a fellow partygoer has been cleared of murder."}
{"article": "But her awkward moment also had a second act. Exelby had been gazing at a pen in her hands, unaware she was live, when a broadcast cut back to her in an Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) studio. She gave an alarmed reaction when she realised the error, but settled quickly to read the next story. A clip of the blooper was widely shared online, with most observers appearing to sympathise with Exelby. She addressed the subject in a tweet. The saga might have ended there, but on Monday night, Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported Exelby had been sidelined from her newsreading duties. It did not quote the ABC, but a spokesperson soon told local media: \"Natasha Exelby is a casual contributor, not a staff member. She has been booked for occasional on-air shifts when needed, and also does other occasional shifts for the ABC News channel.\" Commentators noted the ABC did not directly address whether Exelby had been benched, fuelling a backlash online. Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and actor Russell Crowe were among many who criticised the report. \"Give her a break,\" one of Mr Shorten's senators, Sam Dastyari, told Fairfax Media. \"The idea that someone would be punished for what is a very innocent mishap is extraordinary.\" It was not long before a petition began calling on the ABC to \"reinstate\" Exelby. Other journalists began telling their own embarrassing stories in solidarity, many under the hashtag #PutYourBloopersOut. The Project, a light-hearted news programme on another network, also joined in. On Tuesday, ABC Director of News Gaven Morris denied Exelby had been punished, but said she was not currently scheduled for any news reading shifts. \"Media reports that Natasha has been 'banned', 'barred' or 'fired' are untrue,\" he said. \"While she is not currently doing any on-air shifts, this will be subject to normal performance management. I have spoken to Natasha and conveyed our regret that this has attracted such attention.\" The broadcaster was committed to offering Exelby \"various shifts\" in the future, he said.", "summary": "Caught in a blooper on live television, Australian newsreader Natasha Exelby was always likely to become an internet star."}
{"article": "Friday marks 12 year since 52 people died and hundreds were injured when four suicide bombers attacked the city's transport system in 2005. Sadiq Khan said Londoners \"always pull together\" in light of recent attacks in London Bridge, Westminster and Finsbury Park. A wreath-laying ceremony took place earlier in honour of the victims. \"As well as grieving those we have lost, we also pay tribute to the heroic efforts of our emergency services and transport colleagues on that darkest of days\", Mr Khan said \"Our firefighters, paramedics, police and public transport staff fought to save lives in the most horrific and harrowing of circumstances. \"The way our city stood together in the aftermath of the 7/7 attacks inspired the world. \"When Londoners face adversity, we always pull together.\" Suicide bombers Mohammed Sidique Khan, 30, Shehzad Tanweer, 22, Hasib Hussain, 18, and Jermaine Lindsay, 19, brought horror to London on July 7 2005. Travelling from Luton, they took a train to King's Cross in London, hugged and separated to carry out the atrocities. Within three minutes of 08:50 BST, Tanweer detonated his bomb at Aldgate, Khan set his device off at Edgware Road and Lindsay blew himself up between King's Cross and Russell Square. Hussain detonated his device on a bus at Tavistock Square at 09:47 BST.", "summary": "The victims of the 7 July attacks will \"never be forgotten\", the mayor of London has said."}
{"article": "Di Maria, 28, said if he had not played in his side's 2-1 win over champions Chile in the Copa America he was afraid \"she was going to get mad\". Argentina coach Gerardo Martino said he was unaware of what had happened when picking the Paris St-Germain forward. \"Not all people respond the same in those situations,\" said Martino. Di Maria scored the opening goal before setting up Ever Banega for his side's second as Argentina, without injured captain Lionel Messi, won their opening game in the tournament in the United States. \"I am so happy because I was able to score,\" said the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player. \"It was for my grandmother and my family that are having a difficult time. \"In the morning when I knew what happened I knew that I would score today.\" Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Angel di Maria paid an emotional tribute to his grandmother after scoring for Argentina on the day she died."}
{"article": "Cyber criminals took Stuart Kettell's wedding and corporate videos hostage, along with his own family albums. He did not answer the demand for $1,000 - about \u00c2\u00a3700 - and paid the price with irreplaceable memories lost forever. Mr Kettell's work was backed up on a separate drive so although the attack cost him precious time, his clients' videos were safe. But photographs of his late parents and his children were wiped out. The managing director of Kettell Video Production in Coventry saw the files on his computer \"ghosting\" - being copied elsewhere. He said: \"They were going to white squares with an encryption code at the bottom and and every minute another file was ghosting out. \"I clicked on this help file and at the top it said I had to pay in Bitcoin, and there was no way I could retrieve my files unless I paid this ransom. \"It really shocked me, I couldn't believe it. \"Pictures of my mother and father who have passed away and all the children, all the family portraits [are gone]. \"All the precious memories it started worming its way through.\" He said he felt \"really angry\" and \"had no idea\" why he did not go to the police. \"It's a ransom, you know. If you get someone come to your front door and kidnap your child and demand a ransom - that's a massive police inquiry and this is the same thing - they're taking away precious memories and hard work and I didn't think of going to the police - when I look back I think that's crazy.\" An experiment by BBC Inside Out showed how people's personal details could be stolen when they logged on through a public wi-fi connection. It showed a so-called man-in-the middle attack - using a device that can be bought online for about \u00c2\u00a3100. Volunteers were visibly shocked to see their personal details being hacked in minutes. It took technology expert Madeline Cheah just 10 minutes to log the personal details of a roomful of people. Their usernames and passwords were then revealed to them by presenter Qasa Alom. Tips on how to keep web hackers at bay Police are treating cyber crime as seriously as terrorism, says Det Insp Rob Harris who heads up the new cyber crime unit in the West Midlands. He said: \"Criminals are morphing and actually changing the way they commit criminality and more and more now they are turning to online to scam people out of their money, so of course we are changing with it. \"The government declared [cyber crime] a couple of years ago as a tier one issue for the UK. That puts it up there on the same sort of footing as terrorism.\" Det Insp Harris added: \"This is a global problem. The police aren't going to be able to arrest their way out of this issue. \"It's actually everybody in society playing that little part to make sure they do something to help themselves.\" Dr Siraj Shaikh, a lecturer at Coventry University, is teaching the next generation", "summary": "A videographer has told of how online hackers held him to ransom."}
{"article": "The Shepherd's Bush Green blaze affected five floors of the 18-storey Shepherds Court building, resulting in its evacuation. London Fire Brigade said at least 120 firefighters tackled the blaze, now under control, from 15:45 BST. Hammersmith and Fulham Council tweeted: \"Rest areas and housing are being arranged for those affected\". London Ambulance Service said it treated two patients at the scene, but neither required hospital treatment. One person was treated for smoke inhalation, LFB said. Fire crews are now investigating the cause of the blaze. Ella Zwart, a talent acquisition consultant, who lives on the 15th floor, has told BBC London she was at work when the fire took hold. She does not know yet if she can return to her home tonight, but said she was \"hugely impressed\" with the fire crews who battled the blaze. She said: \"I'm grateful for my support network here in London and happily staying with friends for the time being.\" The fire was under control by 17:32 BST but crews remain at the scene and have been \"damping down\". The blaze damaged around a quarter of a four-room flat on the seventh floor, half of a flat on the eighth floor, around a quarter of a flat on the ninth floor, half of a flat on the tenth floor and a small part of the flat on the eleventh floor, LFB said. Shadwell fire station manager Paul Hobbs said: \"\"The fire spread from the seventh floor via the outside of the building. \"Crews wearing breathing apparatus used jets to extinguish the fire on each floor of the building. They worked quickly in difficult conditions to tackle the fire.\" At the height of the blaze, nearby Shepherd's Bush station was closed and the adjacent West 12 shopping centre evacuated. Shepherd's Bush Green remains closed in both directions, leading to queues in surrounding areas including Holland Road and Uxbridge Road. Wood Lane is also closed southbound from its junction with South Africa Road. Witness Helena Noifield told BBC Radio London: \"Everyone's standing around not knowing where to go. \"It's all pretty horrible really. There's ash everywhere, smoke everywhere... it's like something out of a horror film. It's ghastly.\" An air ambulance and several ambulance crews were on Shepherd's Bush Green. Natasha Wills, assistant director of operations at London Ambulance Service, said: \"We sent multiple resources including ambulance crews, single responders in cars, our hazardous area response team and an incident response officer. \"We treated two patients on scene, but they were not taken to hospital. We remain at the scene.\" Fire crews from Hammersmith, Kensington, Acton, Chiswick, Paddington and Fulham were at the scene. The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.", "summary": "About 50 people will spend the night away from their homes following a blaze in a west London tower block."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Keetels, a member of the victorious 2014 World Cup team, fired low past Maddie Hinch in the fourth quarter after two shots had been blocked. England won several penalty corners, but were frustrated by a resilient Dutch defence. Alex Danson did go close though with a shot saved by keeper Anne Veenendaal. Danson's team-mate Sophie Bray also went agonisingly close to scoring as she failed to convert Zoe Shipperley' low driven pass. Keetels said: \"It was amazing. I'm so happy. The English attacked and defended well. \"We are enjoying the pressure. The crowd is all orange so it feels like an extra player on the field.\" The home nation will play neighbours Belgium in Saturday's final. England will take on Germany for the bronze medal prior to that match. England play Netherlands again, this time in the men's semi-finals on Friday (19:00 BST).", "summary": "England's hopes of defending their EuroHockey title were thwarted at the semi-final stage as Marloes Keetels' strike sent hosts Netherlands through."}
{"article": "The 79-year-old died at Ashworth Hospital, a secure psychiatric unit in Merseyside where he had been detained since 1985. Brady, who was jailed in 1966, buried four of his victims in graves on Saddleworth Moor, Greater Manchester. One victim's brother said Brady's death would not end their \"nightmare\". A Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said Brady had died at 18:03 BST on Monday. Brady, who was born in Glasgow but later moved to Manchester, was jailed at Chester Assizes 51 years ago for the murders of John Kilbride, aged 12, Lesley Ann Downey, 10, and Edward Evans, 17. In 1985 he also admitted to the murders of Pauline Reade, 16, and Keith Bennett, who was 12. The children had been abducted by Brady and his lover Hindley, who died in prison in 2002, between 1963 and 1965. Brady never revealed where Keith's remains were buried. The boy's mother Winnie Johnson, who died in 2012, had repeatedly pleaded for Brady to do so. Brady and Hindley were caught when her brother-in-law David Smith, who was a petty criminal, phoned the police after seeing Brady abuse and strangle Edward Evans. The officers caught Brady and Hindley at home, retrieving Edward's body from the bedroom, along with Brady's library of volumes on perversion and sadism. Martin Bottomley, the head of Greater Manchester Police's cold case unit, said the force would never give up the search for Keith and Brady's death did \"not change that\". He said: \"Our aim, as it always has been, is to find where Keith is buried and give closure to his surviving family members so they can give Keith the proper burial they so desperately want. \"Whilst we are not actively searching Saddleworth Moor, we will act on credible and actionable information that will help lead us to him.\" Brady's lawyer Robin Makin told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was with his client in hospital less than two hours before his death. \"I got a call that he wanted to see me - he was obviously well aware that his death was imminent,\" he said. He described the encounter as \"quite a moving sort of situation\", where the pair discussed Brady's legal affairs and funeral arrangements. He said the whereabouts of the remains of Keith Bennett did not come up in conversation. \"I would be very surprised if he really had information that was useful. \"He did go to the Moors a long time ago and I suspect that if there had been information for him that he could have provided, he would have provided it then.\" Describing coverage of the search for Keith's body as a \"frenzy\", he said: \"I would very much hope that the remains can be found, but unfortunately I haven't got any information that's going to assist.\" Keith's brother Alan runs a website, Searching for Keith, in an ongoing attempt to locate his body. John Kilbride's brother, Terry, told the Sun newspaper: \"It's been years and years of anguish and pain for us and the families of the victims. \"He's dead but we will", "summary": "Moors Murderer Ian Brady, who tortured and killed five children with Myra Hindley in crimes that shocked the nation, has died."}
{"article": "Charlie Clift, 56, was last seen buying outdoor clothing on Tuesday 30 January in Fort William town centre. Highland and Islands Police said they were increasingly concerned about Mr Clift's welfare. Lochaber Insp Andrew Bilton said they were asking hikers to keep an eye out for him. He said: \"Given the lack of contact from Mr Clift and the decline in weather conditions, his family, friends and officers are understandably increasingly concerned for Mr Clift's welfare.\"", "summary": "Police are searching for a man from south Wales who went missing while hiking in Scotland."}
{"article": "Maureen Greaves, a Church Army lay preacher, received the honour in recognition of her services to the community in north Sheffield. She said: \"I couldn't believe the work I do would warrant such an honour.\" Alan Greaves was attacked in 2012 as he walked to his church in Sheffield, dying a few days later. Despite her loss Mrs Greaves said she had been determined to keep her up the charity work among the community. \"Being involved in a murder and a trial, it was good to come back to work, it took my mind off it.\" Mrs Greaves said: I have a strong Christian faith and that enabled me to do it.\" She and her husband set up a food bank for families with limited income in the garage of the couple's home. They then took over a shop to improve distribution to those most in need just weeks before his death. Mr Greaves suffered \"catastrophic\" injuries when he was battered with a pick-axe handle. The retired social worker was walking to St Saviour's Church to play the organ for the service, something he had done for 40 years, when he was attacked. The father-of-four died three days later in hospital from serious head injuries. Jonathan Bowling, 22, was jailed for life after pleading guilty to the murder. Ashley Foster, 22, of Wesley Road, High Green was sentenced to nine years for manslaughter after a jury cleared him of murder.", "summary": "The widow of a church organist beaten to death on Christmas Eve has been appointed MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list."}
{"article": "It said the measure, following UN and Amnesty International recommendations, would keep sex workers safe. It is also promising to end asylum detention, starting with the release of vulnerable female detainees. Deputy leader Amelia Womack said detention was \"inhumane, costly and totally unnecessary\". In England, Wales and Scotland, selling and paying for sex is not against the law but many activities linked to it, such as brothel-keeping, kerb-crawling and soliciting sex in a public place, are outlawed. In 2014, Northern Ireland became the first part of the UK to pass legislation making the purchase of sexual services illegal, following other countries such as Sweden, Norway and Iceland. Amnesty International's support for the decriminalisation of prostitution sparked a fierce debate, and criticism by several women's groups But the Green Party said that \"making sex work illegal only reduces safety\". It said it would also amend sex workers' existing criminal records and have \"zero tolerance of coercion, violence or sexual abuse\". The party launched its women's manifesto outside Yarl's Wood detention centre for female asylum seekers, ahead of a demonstration at the Bedfordshire facility. Other measures included preserving women's healthcare facilities, reinstating sexual health services and ending pay freezes for public sector workers. The party would also roll out a UK-wide strategy to tackle domestic violence, scrap the so-called \"rape clause\" for child benefit claimants and restore legal aid so that victims do not have to face their abusers in court. \"The bold policies we're announcing today show that the Green Party is committed to standing up for everyone, and we are not afraid to speak out about issues other parties would rather shy away from,\" Ms Womack added. Her party, meanwhile, has accepted an invitation to take part in a BBC Election Questions programme on 4 June, in a change from the original scheduling. BBC head of newsgathering Jonathan Munro told the News Watch programme the BBC had reflected on its proposed initial format, announced earlier this month, and decided the \"gap\" between the participation of UKIP and the Greens in the overall schedule was \"too great\". He said that, based on its performance in general, local and European elections since 2010, the Green Party could not have \"equivalence\" with the larger parties. But he said the BBC had listened to those who expressed concerns about its level of representation and come up with a \"good compromise\" which he said he was \"really pleased\" had been accepted by the party.", "summary": "The Green Party of England and Wales says it would decriminalise the sale and purchase of sex as part of its manifesto for women."}
{"article": "Police said 38-year-old Alexander Vinnik was held on a US warrant near the northern city of Thessaloniki. The gang is believed to have used the digital currency to launder at least $4bn (\u00c2\u00a33bn) over several years. Mr Vinnik is said to be the \"brain\" behind the illegal operations. He has so far made no public comments. Laptops, mobile phones, credit cards and tapes were found in the hotel room in the tourist resort of Halkidiki, where the suspect was arrested. Local media reports say that Greece will soon begin negotiations with the US about Mr Vinnik's extradition. Bitcoin is a digital currency that operates completely online. Each Bitcoin is basically a computer file which is then stored in a \"digital wallet\" app on a smartphone or computer. Unlike traditional currencies such as the US dollar, Bitcoin has no central bank and is not backed by any government.", "summary": "A Russian national has been arrested in Greece suspected of being member of a gang that has allegedly laundered billions of dollars using Bitcoin."}
{"article": "The RMT union is disputing plans to bring in more driver-only-operated (DOO) trains. Northern said it would run about 40% of its normal timetable if the walkout goes ahead. Southern rail and Merseyrail, which are due to strike on 13 March, have also altered their services. The RMT announced the walkouts in a dispute with rail operators over plans to remove the responsibility of opening and closing train doors from guards. General secretary Mick Cash said the measures would make trains potentially dangerous. Northern, which operates across the north of England, said it expected to run about 980 services \"carrying more than 100,000 customers across many but not all of its routes\". More than 100 trained managers and other colleagues would be taking on some of the conductor duties on the day of the action, the train operator said. Deputy managing director Richard Allan said: \"We have focused our planning efforts on maintaining a train service on our busier routes between 07:00 and 19:00 GMT, and are looking to provide replacement bus services on some routes where trains won't run.\" He said he was disappointed at RMT's decision to take action \"because there is lots of time to talk and agree how we modernise the way we provide customer service\". He added: \"As part of our proposals we are prepared to offer guarantees on jobs and pay to our people.\" RMT described it as a \"scab timetable\" and said it \"comes at the price of passenger safety\". Merseyrail also said it would run a reduced service on Monday with trains running every half hour between 07:00 and 19:00. It also said timetables were likely to change during the walkout. Southern said a number of its train services would not run including those between Clapham and Milton Keynes, London and Brighton.", "summary": "Rail company Northern has released details of a reduced train service in preparation for industrial action planned for Monday."}
{"article": "The director of the BAFTA Cymru award-winning bilingual BBC and S4C crime drama does not think Wales is producing enough behind-the-camera talent. BBC Wales and S4C said they are trying to grow TV's production pool in Wales. Economy Secretary Ken Skates said continuing to help finance film and TV productions was vital. The final episode of the third series of Y Gwyll, the Welsh language version of Hinterland, was broadcast on Sunday night on S4C and the English language show is due to be broadcast on the BBC in the new year. Mr Thomas, creative director of independent TV production company Fiction Factory, which is behind Hinterland, wants the broadcasters and the Welsh Government to create a strategy to nurture producing and directing talent. \"When I started off, I wasn't interested in a career,\" he told BBC Radio Cymru. \"I wanted to say something and challenge people - and I'd like to see the next generation doing the same. \"If we really want to produce and export Welsh work in the future outside of the Hinterland crime genre, we have to nurture voices that look on Wales in a different way. \"I would like to think that the next generation challenge us more. They don't do so at the moment, there doesn't seem to be great talent coming through. \"I'd like to see the Assembly being aware there's a need to work with the BBC, maybe, and S4C and ask the question 'What kind of content do we want and how are we going to make it?'. \"I'd like to think that it's a challenge for all of us to nurture new talent and show that it can be good for the nation that there's different Welsh stuff out there, that can be exported and that is made by youngsters.\" Hinterland and Y Gwyll were mainly filmed in Aberystwyth and surrounding Ceredigion and initially received repayable government support. An S4C spokesman said: \"We are determined to expand the pool of directing and producing talent in Wales and have been developing talent in this sector since S4C began. \"We have two ambitious plans in place to promote new talent in producing, directing and writing, called Labordy and Sinematic.\" BBC Wales said it \"provides opportunities for new talent\" producing programmes such as Pobol y Cwm and Casualty through apprenticeships, work traineeships and work experience. A spokesman added: \"Since the beginning of the apprenticeship scheme in 2012, more than 50 individuals have taken advantage of the scheme and 80% of those have chosen to stay in the field and continue to contribute to the industry.\" Ken Skates said: \"Ultimately, for the long term, it's the availability of skills and the infrastructure that will determine whether or not the creative industries thrive in Wales. \"Where we are right now, we have great technical skills, we have great facilities as well. Between the two, I'm confident that the creative industries have a very strong future.\"", "summary": "Hinterland co-creator Ed Thomas has called on BBC Wales, S4C and the Welsh Government to help inspire more TV producers and directors in Wales."}
{"article": "Lily Catherine Butterfield-Godwin and Abbey Rogers, both 19 and from Lyndhurst, were passengers in the Mazda RX8 and died at the scene in Gosport Lane on 13 December. A third passenger and the driver were also treated in hospital. Police said the driver, 21, from the Southampton area, had not been arrested.", "summary": "A driver has been interviewed under caution after two teenagers died when a car hit a wall in the New Forest."}
{"article": "Bartosz Gloskowski, 23, of West Granton Road, Edinburgh, admitted growing 1,991 plants at the Queens Head Inn in Selkirk between March and October 2014. A court heard how a woman phoned police to report the smell from the property. Sentence was deferred at the High Court in Glasgow until 10 May and Gloskowski was remanded in custody. The court heard how on 8 March 2014 he was stopped by customs as he drove through the Channel Tunnel with two pallets full of scales, lights, vents, fans, chemicals and trays. The items are typically used in the cultivation of cannabis. Customs seized \u00a34,800 worth of Polish Zloty under the Proceeds of Crime Act and allowed Gloskowski and his cargo into the UK. Advocate depute David Taylor, prosecuting, said that he had rented a flat above the disused pub in the Borders town. Police were sent to check out the area after a woman phoned to say she had noticed the smell of cannabis coming from there for a couple of weeks and the smell was growing stronger. She told police she believed that someone was growing cannabis plants. Mr Taylor said: \"When police arrived they could smell cannabis in the street. \"They then saw the accused open the front door of his flat and noticed an overpowering smell of cannabis from within the property.\" A search of the property revealed that, by using the attic space, the flat next door could be accessed. In the second flat there was a wooden panel screwed into the floor which gave access to the disused pub. That flat also contained 50 bags full of stripped plant stalks. When police officers entered through the hatch in the Queens Head Inn they found a large cultivation of cannabis plants. It was clear that the electricity supply had been bypassed. Mr Taylor added: \"It would appear that virtually all of the available floor space within the Queens Head Inn had been given over to an industrial-scale production of cannabis. \"In total 1,991 cannabis plants recovered.\" Gloskowski told police he rented the property for \u00a3500, but refused to answer any other questions. His fingerprints and DNA were found on the inside of four pairs of disposable gloves and bottles of beer and water. Police drug experts said the maximum street value of the cannabis obtained from the plants would be \u00a31.66m.", "summary": "A man caught red-handed at a \u00a31.66m cannabis farm was caught after a passer-by recognised the pungent smell coming from a disused Borders pub."}
{"article": "On Tuesday, Bana Alabed posted the picture on Twitter saying she was \"happy to be alive\". Bana, who tweets in English with the help of her mother, said her family had come under fierce bombardment. Aleppo, once Syria's largest city, has been divided by clashes between government allied and rebel forces. On Monday, government forces captured large swaths of rebel-held territory in the east of the city, following heavy bombing. Meet the seven-year-old tweeting from Aleppo Over the weekend, Bana's mother Fatemah, fearing for her life, had bid farewell to her Twitter followers. But hours later, more tweets emerged saying the family was alive but their home had been destroyed. Fatemah and her family were on the run following heavy bombings. \"We are fighting for our lives. Still with you,\" she said. Fatemah, who studied journalism and politics, has been active on Twitter with her daughter since September and has posted details of daily life in the besieged city. In a conversation with the BBC, she explained that she had taught her daughter English and that Bana's tweets were genuine. \"[Bana] wants the world to hear our voice,\" she said. The family has dealt with constant food shortages, a lack of medical care, and continual bombardments. Fatemah told the BBC bombs are dropped \"without any mercy\". Since the government's advancements in Aleppo over the weekend, some 16,000 civilians have been displaced according to the UN. Aleppo was Syria's commercial and industrial hub before the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in 2011. It has been divided in roughly two for the past four years, with the government controlling the west and rebels the east.", "summary": "A seven-year-old girl who became internationally renowned for tweeting about life in East Aleppo has posted a photo of her destroyed home."}
{"article": "The dog's owners witnessed the incident at Bonna Point, a popular off-leash beach, said Sutherland Shire Council. \"We were pretty traumatised, it was horrific,\" one owner, named only as Nigel, told the Sydney Morning Herald. Authorities have installed warning signs since the attack on Sunday and advised beachgoers and pet owners to avoid the water. \"New South Wales Department of Primary Industries advises people to avoid swimming or surfing when it is dark or during twilight hours,\" the council said in a statement. The American Staffordshire Terrier, named Molly, was fetching a stick at the time and did not resurface, the owners said. \"It was very quick. It just took her under the water,\" Nigel was quoted as saying. The incident was reported to involve a bull shark, but authorities could not confirm the species to the BBC. The incident follows a recent series of shark sightings at nearby beaches this month. On 9 February, a kite surfer was recorded on video riding towards a shark at Brighton Le Sands. A few days later, a shark was spotted 10km (6 miles) inland at Alexandra Canal, near Sydney Airport, while another shark was seen in shallow water in Botany Bay. Two people were killed by sharks in Australia last year - both in Western Australia - according to Sydney's Taronga Zoo.", "summary": "Swimmers have been warned to avoid a Sydney beach after a pet dog was taken by a shark in shallow water."}
{"article": "American businessmen Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan lead a consortium that is in talks to buy a 60% stake. Swansea City Supporters' Trust will retain its full 21.1% holding, but former player Nurse, 78, is worried the club could lose its identity. \"I'm concerned because it's going out of the hands of local people,\" he said. \"I'm not going to say they're not going to advance the club, because we don't know what the future is going to hold. \"But up until now the club has been run by Swansea people.\" Nurse was speaking after being given the freedom of the city in Swansea on Thursday. He played more than 250 games for the club and made 12 appearances for Wales. After retiring as a player Nurse invested in property in the city and emerged as a key character in saving the club from insolvency in 2002. He led the consortium that acquired the the Swans from then-owner Tony Petty. In addition to their financial problems Swansea were struggling in the bottom tier of the Football League, but have since climbed through the divisions and are in their fifth season in the Premier League. Nurse stood aside before the club's meteoric rise. Swansea's success means the value of shares is understood to have increased tenfold since the current board took charge in 2002, with the club now valued at about \u00a3100m. More than 70% of the shares are currently held by supporters and directors from south Wales. Swansea's directors have been impressed by Levien and Kaplan's plans, with chairman Huw Jenkins stating when news of the takeover first broke that additional investment would help the club \"progress both on and off the field\". Levien, the managing general partner of Major League Soccer side DC United, has been in Wales for discussions He and Kaplan, principal of Oaktree Capital investment fund and vice-chairman of NBA franchise Memphis Grizzlies, had initially been negotiating a deal which would have seen them acquire more than 75% of Swansea's shares. That would effectively have given the American consortium complete control, including the power to issue more shares. However, the modified acquisition of 60% will see the trust retain its 21.1% stake and ensure continuity at board level with the retention of Jenkins and vice chairman Leigh Dineen. They hope to complete a deal before the end of the Premier League season. *Martin Morgan resigned from his post as a director of OTH Ltd on 4 April 2016 **Brian Katzen and Jeffrey Crevoiserat own one more share than the Swansea City Supporters' Trust, giving them less than 0.1% more of a share.", "summary": "Mel Nurse, who led the group that helped save Swansea City from bankruptcy in 2002, has concerns over plans for a US takeover of the club."}
{"article": "The production of the Ambassador was, however, suspended in May 2014 due to weak demand and finance issues. But the factory where the car used to be manufactured, just outside Kolkata (Calcutta) in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, is still home to more than 1,000 auto workers who were laid off. They say they have not received their dues from Hindustan Motors, complain that they live in \"inhuman conditions\" and have called for a \"vote boycott\" during the ongoing state assembly elections. The area votes on 30 April. Photographer Ronny Sen meets some of the workers and documents their stories. Sima Rai (left) lives on the factory premises with husband 40-year-old Munshi Rai and their four children. \"We don't have money to do anything. I can't afford to cook on gas anymore so I use a wooden stove now. My husband used to work in the factory and is looking for jobs. No one is giving him any work. \"He is working as a car driver right now. We have no hopes from any political party and we will see to it that the elections don't happen here in our area.\" Birender Singh joined Hindustan Motors in 1986 and worked there until the production was suspended. \"The situation is very difficult here, the factory is shut and there is no production. I am trying to get some work from outside and somehow manage. I have a child who is studying in school. \"We can't sleep inside the house in this scorching summer, so we sleep outside. We haven't received support from anyone for the past two years. We have boycotted the elections this year. It doesn't make any sense to us at all.\" Om Prakash Giri, now 52, joined Hindustan Motors as a welder in 1988 and worked there until production of the Ambassador was suspended. He was paid a monthly salary of 12,000 rupees ($180; \u00c2\u00a3126) on which he would support his six-member family, but now finds it hard to get work. \"All of us have called for a complete boycott of the upcoming state elections. Even people who have left these quarters due to a lack of water and electricity will not vote. We have approached the government so many times and tried everything we could. \"Not even the trade unions or political parties have helped us so far.\" Sharda Devi Sharma's husband Nandalal Sharma was a welder with Hindustan Motors and the sole breadwinner of his family. \"If they don't help us and give us these basic rights to survive, then what's the point of this election? Why should we vote? When the tankers come we have to run like dogs for water. We don't have money to maintain these quarters. We have to travel almost 3km (1.8 miles) to fetch water. \"Even a beggar on the street has a better life than us,\" she said. Nirmal Kumar Ram, who worked at the factory's engine plant, says he has not yet left his job because Hindustan Motors has still not told workers that they were fired. \"I", "summary": "Hindustan Motors was once India's largest car manufacturer, and its iconic Ambassador car, modelled after the British Morris Oxford, was a national icon."}
{"article": "Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is likely to receive the money from the city and county councils, along with Rushcliffe Borough Council. Alan Rhodes, leader of the county council, said the money would be raised from a low-interest loan, which would be repaid by the club at a higher rate. England beat Australia at Trent Bridge in August to regain the Ashes. The city and borough councils have both already agreed to lend \u00a32.7m each with County Hall due to make a decision on a similar figure at a meeting in October. Two years ago the then Conservative-led County Hall came under fire for giving the club \u00a3900,000 towards a scoreboard. At the time, Labour councillor Mr Rhodes described it as \"insensitive\" to be giving money while making cuts to services. Since then, Mr Rhodes has become leader of the council but said this time it was different. \"We are providing that loan via our own lendings,\" he said. \"We are able to borrow money at a very low rate from the banks and we are able therefore to help Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club to be able to upgrade their facilities and they will pay that loan back with interest.\" He added that the council could not take out similar loans to pay for ongoing costs such as care homes. City council deputy leader Graham Chapman said the authority would get a higher rate of interest back on the loan than the current bank rate. \"We are going to get some money, they're going to save some money and we're going to get some very nice stands out of it,\" he said. Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club would not comment before the final loan is agreed but it is understood the money would be used to revamp a stand and some facilities. Work could start this winter.", "summary": "Trent Bridge cricket ground is set for a \u00a38.1m revamp thanks to loans from three councils."}
{"article": "He attended a service near Bayeux with US President Barack Obama, who said the US commitment to liberty was \"written in blood\" on French beaches. The Queen laid a wreath at a ceremony nearby. They will gather at Sword Beach, one of five landing points for Allied troops. The landings were the first stage of the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. By the end of D-Day on 6 June 1944, the Allies had established a foothold in France - an event that would eventually help bring the war to an end. As the sun rose over Normandy shores this morning, a veteran watched, lost in memories, from the deck of HMS Bulwark. The Royal Navy flagship had sailed the English Channel overnight at the head of an international task group of ships. For former Royal Marine Corporal Bill Bryant, 89, the sight of the beaches brought back emotional recollections of the same time exactly 70 years ago, as he prepared to drive his landing craft to the shores - carrying his colleagues to their fate on land, amid a barrage of noise and chaos. The contrast with today could not have been greater as he joined many other veterans on \"Gold\" Beach, amid a festival atmosphere. The sunshine sparkled on the waves, and French families and tourists from across Europe gathered to watch military bands on the main square at Arromanches. This doughty but dwindling band of brothers know this may be the last time they meet on these shores. For the veterans, and those who've come to honour them, the ceremonies at Bayeux cemetery are a poignant but powerful reminder of courage and endurance, as D-Day slowly passes from living memory into history. During his speech at a US war cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer near Bayeux, President Hollande said every man who took part in D-Day was a \"hero\". He said France would never forget what it owed them, nor would it forget its solidarity with the US. Also at Colleville-sur-Mer, President Obama said: \"America's claim - our commitment to liberty, to equality, to freedom, to the inherent dignity of every human being - that claim is written in blood on these beaches, and it will endure for eternity\". Speaking earlier in the city of Caen, President Hollande said: \"This day, which began in chaos and fire, would end in blood and tears, tears and pain, tears and joy at the end of 24 hours that changed the world and forever marked Normandy.\" In nearby Bayeux, the Queen laid a wreath at a remembrance service at Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, where she, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall also met veterans. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall attended a Royal British Legion service at Bayeux Cathedral. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend events in Arromanches, near Gold landing beach where thousands of British troops came ashore on D-Day. In other events: The day's commemorations began at midnight with a vigil at Pegasus Bridge near Ouistreham, marking the first assault of the D-Day invasion when British", "summary": "French President Francois Hollande has led the D-Day 70th anniversary tributes by remembering those who died on a day that \"changed the world\"."}
{"article": "The first minister outlinedt details of new funding for those hit by recent severe weather during a visit to Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. She said more than \u00a312m would be made available to help areas struck by storms and flooding. Businesses whose trade was affected can also apply for an extra \u00a33,000. Hundreds of people were evacuated in Aberdeenshire after the Rivers Dee, Don and Ythan burst their banks in the early hours of Friday. It followed Storm Frank at the end of last month which saw flooding hit Tayside and the Borders. The first minister said the new funding was in addition to \u00a34m announced by Deputy First Minister John Swinney in December. Ms Sturgeon said: \"In the face of devastation Scotland's communities have rallied together and shown real strength. I have met with some local business owners who have made a real difference by offering vital support and once again I am amazed by the determination and dedication of all of our emergency services who are working around the clock to save homes and livelihoods. \"We do not yet have confirmation of consequentials coming from UK Government flood funds - however, now that the picture of those who need support is clearer, the Scottish government is acting now to make sure that the people who need help get it.\" This money is in addition to almost \u00a34m (announced in November) shared between these councils, plus Stirling and South Lanarkshire Have you been affected by the recent floods? You can share your comments by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us via WhatsApp: +44 7525 900971; send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk; Upload your pictures / video here or tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay Scottish Labour welcomed the funding announcement but repeated its call for an urgent review of the country's flood prevention infrastructure. The party's environment spokesperson, Sarah Boyack, said: \"It is vital that those affected receive this money as soon as possible. Families and local businesses can't wait for months for this support to actually arrive. \"Questions also need to be asked about how local authorities are expected to shoulder the burden for flood defences when the SNP plan to slash council budgets across the whole of Scotland.\" The Scottish Conservatives welcomed the new funding. A spokesman added: \"The UK government has made around \u00a39m available through the Barnett Formula, and that alongside today's announcement will be of great assistance.\" NFU Scotland said funding to help the farming community was \"much appreciated\" but that discussions should also now take place on protection for homes and businesses in the future. President Allan Bowie said: \"The damage seen on Scottish farms up and down the country has been extensive and the job of restoring flood banks and clearing up the debris will be costly and time consuming. \"The full picture will not be known until the waters recede but it goes without saying that, for a good number of farmers, the effects will be felt for much longer.\" Water levels on the", "summary": "Every household, business or charity in Scotland directly affected by flood water will get a grant of \u00a31,500, Nicola Sturgeon has announced."}
{"article": "Those gaining A* to C grades in English rose from 68.8% to 73%, Maths rose 1.6% to 66.2% and Science from 61.5% to 64.8%. Overall, the number of pupils achieving A* to C grades increased by 1.5% to 78%. While more boys achieved A* to C grades than last year, girls continued to outperform them by 7.6%. By Maggie TaggartBBC News NI Education Correspondent Northern Ireland boards test pupils in sections or modules. Old-style O levels and, from 1986, GCSEs were offered as linear exams, with a single test at the end of two years study. In 2009, modular style exams were introduced in GCSEs across the curriculum. They split the course of study into sections or \"modules\" and each one is tested throughout the two years. A previous education secretary for England, Michael Gove, decided to change that. He used two arguments: he wanted to reduce the amount of testing pupils had to cope with and he also thought the linear exam would be more \"robust\". Not everyone agrees and some argue that pupils can actually get better results from linear testing. In Northern Ireland, Education Minister John O'Dowd decided not to follow suit and the exams offered by the CCEA, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment, have retained the option of modular exams. Performance by students in Northern Ireland in individual sciences was particularly high, the Joint Council for Qualifications said. The proportion of entries awarded A* to C in Biology sits at 93.3% (91.2% in 2013), in Chemistry 93.6% (93.4% in 2013) and in Physics 95.0% (94.7% % in 2013). The overall improvement comes despite concerns about changes to the style of test taken by English examination boards. In English Language, Northern Ireland improved while in Great Britain the results have worsened. The English-based boards dropped the 'speaking and listening' element of the exam, but it was retained by Northern Ireland. The Joint Council for Qualifications said there were notable performances in Music and modern languages: CCEA director of qualifications Anne Marie Duffy said the results reflected the hard work of students and teachers. \"The performance in core subjects of English and Mathematics will provide strong foundations for learners as they move on to further education, training and employment,\" she said. \"This year there has been a 2.8% points fall in the Northern Ireland Year 12 school population, and we've seen GCSE entries decrease by 3,609. \"Against this backdrop, entries in Business Studies and ICT have risen while sciences and modern languages have maintained their popularity.\" Careers' information can be found at www.nidirect.gov.uk/results or, you can call 0300 200 7820. For those with queries on any issues relating to their exam results, for example appeals, remarks or re-sits, contact your exam centre or the CCEA helpline on 028 9026 1260 or email helpline@ccea.org.uk.", "summary": "GCSE pupils in Northern Ireland have shown improvements in English, Maths and Science."}
{"article": "Kyle Jordan, of Fleetwood, Lancashire, had staked \u00a35 on an accumulator bet in which he not only needed to predict the outcome of six matches, but also for both teams in each to score. When Everton trailed 2-0 against West Bromwich Albion in the final match, the 30-year-old thought the game was up. But the Toffeemen recovered to win 3-2 and complete Mr Jordan's 9,172-1 bet. The oil and gas worker said he could not believe his luck when Everton striker Romelu Lukaku's 84th-minute goal sealed his \u00a345,865 windfall. He said: \"I was watching the game with my mate and my girlfriend and as Everton went 2-0 down, I thought that was it. \"But when the final whistle went we all started jumping around the room.\" The victory was made all the sweeter, he said, because he resisted the option to \"cash out\" on his bet before the final result was in. Had he done so, he would have had to settle for a \u00a34,100 payout. Mr Jordan said he wanted to take his partner and two children on holiday to the United States with some of his winnings.", "summary": "A football fan has won more than \u00a345,000 after Everton's thrilling last-gasp victory at West Brom."}
{"article": "The Foreign Office sought to identify countries that could pose \"similar risks\" as Afghanistan, a senior former diplomat told the Iraq Inquiry. Stephen Pattison said the phrase was dropped after it emerged it had been taken from a magazine article. Mr Pattison told the inquiry the process led to Iraq moving up the political agenda after 9/11. Mr Pattison, who oversaw the Foreign Office's dealings with the United Nations in the run-up to the 2003 invasion said: \"After 9/11, there was obviously considerable concern about areas of the world which might pose a threat. \"There was a phrase that was current at that time which was 'draining the swamp'. \"It was the title of a paper put up by our planning department about how we could address areas of the world which post 9/11 might fit into the same pattern - areas like Afghanistan - which frankly we had not paid enough attention to before 9/11 and which had resulted in an attack on the US. \"The 'draining the swamp' line was a bit about: 'let's look around and see where there might be other places that could pose similar risks'.\" Although the phrase \"encapsulated\" the post 9/11 security approach, he said it was soon dropped \"partly because I think it actually came from a published magazine article\". Panel member Sir Roderic Lyne, a former Ambassador to Russia, asked him whether the phrase \"didn't originally come from Chairman Mao\". He replied: \"I think it originally did but then I think it was taken up by the Economist in the context of the post 9/11 stance. The thought behind it, I think, was the thought which drove the then British government into focusing very hard on Iraq.\" The phrase \"draining the swamp\" is commonly attributed to Chairman Mao - but Dr Yiyi Lu, a Chinese expert at Chatham House, said she did not immediately recognise the phrase and that its meaning seemed \"too vague\". Asked about the decision to go to war, Mr Pattison said the UK was driven by rather \"idealistic\" motives rather than direct concerns about its own security or a decision to alter the balance of power in the region. \"I think Tony Blair's view was always that - the idealists' view that we were doing this to make the world a safer place. We were not doing this because there was a direct threat to the UK; we were doing this because it was in the interests of the international community and because it was in the interests of the international community he expected the international community to step up to the plate and do it.\" The Iraq Inquiry is concluding its latest round of hearings - expected to be the last before it starts the process of compiling its report. Former foreign secretary Jack Straw will give evidence for the third time on Wednesday.", "summary": "The UK drew up a list of countries seen as potential threats after 9/11 in a process known as \"draining the swamp\"."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Marshall is the third player to refuse to stand for the anthem since Colin Kaepernick did so last month in protest at what he sees as racial injustice. \"I feel like this was the right thing to do,\" said Marshall. Broncos beat Carolina 21-20 in a re-run of February's Super Bowl 50. At a pre-season game in August, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kaepernick chose to remain seated while the national anthem was played. He said he would not \"stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour\". Kaepernick's team-mate Eric Reid joined him in not standing during the team's final pre-season game while Seattle Seahawks' cornerback Jeremy Lane stayed seated ahead of a game with Oakland. Marshall, a college team-mate of Kaepernick at Nevada, told NFL.com: \"The message is I'm against social injustice. I'm not against the military or police or America at all. \"I knew what territory it came with, and I decided to do it. I feel like this is the right platform. This is our only platform to really be heard.\" Media playback is not supported on this device The NFL has previously said players are \"encouraged but not required\" to stand during the anthem. The Panthers took a 17-7 lead into the fourth quarter of the first Super Bowl rematch to start a season since 1970, but running back CJ Anderson scored two touchdowns as the Broncos edged ahead. Graham Gano's field goal pulled the Panthers within a point, but he then missed his next attempt from 50 yards with four seconds left as Denver held on. How to follow the 2016 NFL season on BBC TV and RadioNFL 2016: Kaepernick, Brady & Beckham Jr - all you need to know for new season", "summary": "Denver linebacker Brandon Marshall kneeled in protest during the American national anthem prior to the Broncos' victory over the Carolina Panthers in the opening game of the new NFL season."}
{"article": "An assessment of how much each Scottish firm will pay in non-domestic rates is under way, to take effect from April. Tory leader Ruth Davidson has written to Nicola Sturgeon calling for an \"urgent review\" of the process. The first minister has said all businesses will have the chance to appeal the final valuations. And she said that 100,000 small firms would be lifted out of having to pay rates altogether via the small business bonus scheme, claiming Scotland has \"the most competitive business rates regime in the whole UK\". The revaluation of how much firms have to pay is being carried out by independent assessors, funded by local councils. The Scottish Assessors Association has published provisional values, with the finalised figures to be sent out in March before they take effect in the new financial year. The last revaluation in Scotland was carried out in 2010. The Conservatives said they had been \"inundated with letters from businesses across Scotland who are facing huge increases in their rates\", claiming some faced having to pay four times more than they did previously. The Scottish Tourism Alliance has also requested a meeting with Ms Sturgeon to discuss what they called \"crippling\" rates increases, while the Scottish Chambers of Commerce have also raised concerns. Ms Davidson said: \"These shops, hotels and restaurants are vital to our economy, providing much needed jobs in many areas of the country, and we cannot afford to see them simply go out of business. \"That's why I've called on Nicola Sturgeon to listen to the voices of these businesses and the Scottish Tourism Alliance and launch an urgent review into these rate increases. \"The amounts that are being asked for are clearly unsustainable and if immediate action is not taken then we risk seeing a huge amount of damage done to our economy.\" A review group led by former RBS chairman Ken Barclay has been set up to \"enhance and reform\" the business rates system in Scotland, although it will not report back until after the new rates have come into force. Ms Davidson and Ms Sturgeon have clashed over the matter in the Holyrood chamber in recent weeks, with the first minister noting that \"competitive business taxes are important\". She said: \"The final valuations will be issued later this year and all businesses will have the opportunity to appeal if they think that their valuation is wrong. \"We have the most competitive business rates regime in the whole UK, with 100,000 small businesses having been lifted out of business rates altogether. \"We have a tourism sector that, thanks to the good work of those in it, is booming, and the employment level is rising much faster than it is in the rest of the UK. We are also the best-performing part of the UK outside south-east England for inward investment. \"Those are the success stories of the Scottish economy, and we will continue to invest in the success of our economy. We will also protect our public services and those on low incomes.\"", "summary": "The Scottish Conservatives have called for an \"immediate review\" of the business rates revaluation after firms raised concerns about tax increases."}
{"article": "Willard Wigan, whose works are so small they can fit inside the eye of a needle, has dubbed the creation To See or Not to See. Smaller than a full stop in a newspaper and only viewable with a microscope, the piece took four weeks to complete. It is on display at the Light House Media Centre in Wolverhampton. Mr Wigan, who was born in Birmingham, said the work \"took every ounce of my skill and took a lot out of me\". More on the micro-Shakespeare and Warwickshire news \"Shakespeare is the greatest storyteller the world has ever known, and as I'm the world's leading micro-sculptor, I wanted to honour him in the best way I can,\" he said. \"The most difficult aspect was getting his proportions right, but I'm really pleased with the result.\" The artist said he created the micro-Shakespeare from synthetic materials, painted using a floating fibre plucked from the air as a brush. It is surrounded by an 18-carat Elizabethan-style frame with the words \"To see or not to see\" underneath. BBC Shakespeare Festival 2016 There will be 30 microscopic pieces on show including \"Noddy Holder in a Needle\". Shakespeare, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564 and he died there on April 23, 1616.", "summary": "An artist famed for his tiny sculptures has created a microscopic William Shakespeare to mark the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death."}
{"article": "Trainers contributed \u00a398.6m and stud farms \u00a381.2m, while visitors bring in \u00a38.8m to the racecourses. Forest Heath District Council commissioned research company SQW to carry out the study into the impact of the sport on the 'Home of Horseracing'. The SQW report did not try to measure the amount spent by owners and visitors at local shops and on services. The council said the survey, commissioned along with the Newmarket Horsemen's Group (NHG), aimed to \"understand the scale and economic significance\" of the industry. SQW report William Gittus, chairman of the NHG, said: \"It's a global industry and we are keen to attract global investors and to develop planning and economic policy. \"We who work in the industry know it's very valuable to the local economy, but we needed to provide concrete evidence to people who make those policy decisions.\" Councillor James Waters, Conservative leader of the the Council, said: \"We have never before had an independent, fact-based report on exactly what impact the horse racing industry has on Newmarket. \"It looks at the impact of racing up to 25 miles away, so will be a really useful document as we plan future growth in west Suffolk.\" The survey did not attempt to calculate how much visitors or people in the racing industry spent in the town centre. Trainer John Gosden said: \"Obviously the report has been very careful to never have any figures challenged and I think they've underestimated the financial contribution to the region, but they didn't have access to people's private accounts. \"What we have had here in the last 15 years is an incredible investment from the Middle East and Far East.\" Kevin Pearson, from Golding clothing shop and a member of the Newmarket Retailers Association, said: \"The majority of horse owners and training staff do shop locally and this adds to the vibrancy of the high street.\"", "summary": "The horse racing industry is worth \u00a3208m a year to the economy in and around Newmarket, a study has revealed."}
{"article": "It follows a report that an object was thrown into a car at Innisfree Gardens in the town. The incident was reported to police at about 08:15 BST on Wednesday. A number of houses have been evacuated.", "summary": "Army bomb disposal experts have been sent to the scene of an alert in Strabane, County Tyrone."}
{"article": "After the best part of a century of service, the traditional steel \"lattice\" pylon has been updated. The \"T-pylon\" is shorter, standing at about 120ft (36m); the old steel giants are typically 165ft (50m). The National Grid says it will respond to the need to harvest energy from an increasing number of lower-carbon energy sources. The new tower can be shorter yet still capable of operating at 400,000 volts because of the way the cables are held in place. Instead of being attached to three arms, a diamond arrangement is used to carry the cables off in one arm in a much smaller space. Each arm has to carry 60 tonnes. With only eight main structural components plus bolts, it is easier to erect and install - taking a day rather than a week. According to the National Grid, new pylons are needed to respond to the move away from coal and towards other forms of generation such as wind, solar and nuclear. These new low-carbon energy sources come from different geographical locations to the \"traditional ring\" of coal-fired generation in the centre of England. This test line won't be connected to the rest of the grid, it will be used to train staff and contractors. In particular, it will be used for people to practise \"stringing\" the conductors (wires) on to the pylons, as a very different technique is needed. The T-Pylon design was adopted after an international competition held by the National Grid in 2011, won by Danish company Bystrup. The claim is that these pylons will be less obtrusive not just because of their shorter stature, but because the design allows them to \"follow the contours of the land\". According to project manager Alan Large, maintenance will be easier because operators will not have to climb up the tower, they will work from elevated platforms positioned alongside it. Their smooth, impenetrable surface will also make them more difficult to vandalise. It won't replace the 88,000 lattice pylons that currently bestride the UK countryside. It will principally be used in the construction of new power lines in England and Wales. The National Grid is applying to use them to connect the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station to the UK's electricity transmission network. The start of the UK's electricity transmission network began with the building of the first pylon in 1928 near Edinburgh. Follow Claire on Twitter. To some they are a blot on the landscape; to others they have a kind of skeletal beauty. But for a small number of pylon enthusiasts, these giant structures hold a lifelong fascination. Read more: Pylon passion", "summary": "The first new design of an electricity pylon in almost 90 years has been erected at a site in Nottinghamshire."}
{"article": "Twenty-five international artists were sent debris from the Mackintosh library, which was gutted by fire in May 2014. The work they created will be sold at auction to raise money for the Mackintosh Campus Appeal. It is hoped \u00a332m can be raised. Other artists taking part include Grayson Perry, Cornelia Parker, Jenny Saville, David Shrigley and Douglas Gordon as well as The Chapman Brothers and Sir Peter Blake, with seven Turner prize winners among them. Each artist was sent a piece of material specifically chosen for them with a note telling them what it was, where it was from and explaining the concept of the auction. Perry, who has made an urn featuring the words \"Art is dead. Long live Art\", said: \"It's a tragedy. It's the most famous art school building in Britain. \"It's also the masterpiece of Mackintosh. It's a double tragedy. \"I was very excited when I received the box of charcoal. I had an idea almost immediately and the idea of making an urn was an obvious thing to do. \"The idea of memorialising or celebrating the difficulty - honouring the wound. It's something I'm trying to do. Move on and make the most of it. \"I really like the idea of using the charcoal from the fire. I thought it was very clever. It's also fresh - it's not something that has come up before. \"We've all been asked to do T-shirts, knickers and mugs - endless charity rounds. I get about two a week.\" The project, titled Ash To Art, was created by communications agency J. Walter Thompson London in collaboration with The Glasgow School of Art Development Trust. The work will be on display at Christie's in London's King Street from 3-7 March and will be auctioned during the Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale on 8 March. Each of the pieces, covering a range of practices including sculpture, photography, drawing and painting, has been created using remains from the fire, from charred timbers and debris to books and furniture. They include Kapoor's wood fragments in a red perspex box and Gordon's burnt wood cast in bronze. Students had been preparing for their degree shows when flames engulfed the Grade A-listed Charles Rennie Mackintosh building. The blaze caused significant damage to the west wing, including the loss of the celebrated library. An investigation by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service concluded it was caused by flammable gases from a canister of expanding foam. The report said the gases ignited as they came into contact with the hot surface of a projector. So far, the Mackintosh Campus Appeal has raised \u00a318.5m. Prof Tom Inns, director of the Glasgow School of Art, said: \"It has been a pleasure to work with the creative team at J. Walter Thompson London over the last two years on this imaginative initiative that will help in our efforts to raise the \u00a332m required to make our vision a reality.\"", "summary": "Leading artists including Sir Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor and Simon Starling have used material from the fire-damaged Glasgow School of Art to create new work and raise funds."}
{"article": "Burton's Foods, which owns and bakes brands such as Jammie Dodgers and Wagon Wheels, said it was closing its site in Moreton after a business review. The company said it would invest \u00c2\u00a37m at its manufacturing sites in Edinburgh and Llantarnam, South Wales. It also plans to consolidate its Knowlsey multi-site distribution operations in a single location. Burton's Foods intends to phase down production from March before completing the closure later in 2011. Chief executive Ben Clarke said: \"Today's announcements recognise the need to transform our supply chain. \"The proposed job losses are deeply regrettable, but, along with the new \u00c2\u00a325m investment we are making in our UK manufacturing capability, will help deliver sustainable profitable growth for the company in a highly competitive and challenging market.\" Angela Eagle, Labour MP for Wallasey, said it was a \"huge blow to the community\". \"This is the largest private sector employer in the constituency and they have decided to close this plant at a time when the job market is deeply depressed, leaving 342 families struggling after Christmas. \"I will pledge to work during the consultation to persuade them to change this decision.\" She added: \"Over the years we have given endless support to the plant, injecting public money to keep it going and secure those jobs, and it is a devastating blow that they turn around today and do this to Morton.\" Wirral Council leader Councillor Jeff Green said: \"I am incredibly disappointed by this proposal and will be seeking an urgent meeting with Burton's to examine and discuss the reason behind their decision. \"I also wish to investigate whatever opportunities there are to continue to work with the company to secure jobs in Wirral and the future of the site.\" The Unite union's national officer Jennie Formby said: \"Burton's has been part of the Wirral for generations, providing stable employment for families across the community. \"So we will fight with all our power to save this plant because closure is not an option. It will devastate this community.\" Edinburgh MSP David McLetchie has welcomed the announcement of further investment at Burton's Sighthill factory, which has more than 600 permanent and 250 agency staff. Mr McLetchie said: \"This is great news for the Sighthill workers as well as a huge relief, because when Burton's announced this review of its facilities across the UK back in October there was a distinct possibility that Sighthill could be closed or seriously run down.\" Burton's Foods, which makes branded and own-label biscuits and snacks, is the second largest biscuit supplier in the UK. As well as Wagon Wheels and Jammie Dodgers, it also makes Cadbury's chocolate biscuits including the Crunchie, Turkish Delight and Caramel biscuit ranges.", "summary": "A biscuit manufacturer is to close its Wirral factory, with the loss of 342 jobs."}
{"article": "The investigation started after 43 fish were found dead in a reservoir at Woodburn near Carrickfergus, County Antrim. It happened days after 1,000 brown trout were released into the lake. NI Water said it had notified the relevant external agency, DAERA's marine and fisheries division. DAERA said it had become aware of fish dying in a number of lakes stocked by departmental officials. \"It is assessing whether the equipment supplying oxygen to the fish being transported may have been faulty possibly reducing the condition of some of the fish being stocked,\" said a spokesman. The spokesman said brown trout were also susceptible to warm water conditions after a period of settled weather which reduced the level of dissolved oxygen. \"Lakes can stratify and the top layer of water becomes deoxygenated. This can be sufficient to cause natural fish kills.\" Departmental officials have been on site over recent days and had seen fish jumping and being caught at Woodburn. NI Water said there was no evidence of pollution in the reservoir. \"There is no impact from this incident on the final water quality leaving the treatment works,\" it said in a statement. \"NI Water's treatment facilities at the Dorisland water treatment works has numerous on-site water parameter monitors which continually check the quality of raw water entering the works and the quality of water going into the public supply. \"If anything is found that could affect the water quality, the site will automatically shut down and water will be taken from other areas to continue the supply. \"All water quality testing at the Dorisland site has shown satisfactory results.\" The Woodburn reservoirs are close to the site of a controversial drilling operation which was capped and abandoned last year when no oil was found. The DAERA spokesman said a report of dead trees which had been replanted on the site had also been investigated. He said the young saplings were showing \"typical signs of stress such as needle drop due to the recent prolonged dry spell\" \"At this stage we would expect mortality of around 5% and this is consistent with similar sites planted across Northern Ireland during 2017.\"", "summary": "Officials are looking at whether faulty equipment used to transport fish contributed to the deaths of scores of trout found in public angling lakes."}
{"article": "Net profit totalled 101m euros (\u00c2\u00a384.6m) from 32m euros in 2012. Sales topped 1bn euros for the first time with 10 million passengers making the 31 mile journey under the Channel. The company set a 500m euros earnings target for 2015 when it expects to pay tax on its profits for the first time. In its 20 year history Eurotunnel has been laden with debt, placed in bankruptcy protection and restructured, before making its first profit in 2007. Chief executive Jacques Gounon said: \"For the first time in the history of Eurotunnel, we think that the situation of the group is altogether satisfactory.\" The company will increase its dividend by a quarter to 15 euro cents a share. The only part of the group to report a loss was the MyFerryLink, which provides ferry services across the Channel between France and England. It made an operating loss of 22m euros.", "summary": "Eurotunnel, which operates the undersea tunnel between France and England, tripled profits last year on the back of record passenger numbers."}
{"article": "The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) registered \"brief increases\" in hate crime reports following attacks at Westminster, Manchester and London Bridge, but not after Finsbury Park. The incidents were reported to forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. NPCC hate crime lead, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Hamilton, said reports \"quickly subsided within a few days\". There have been four terror attacks in Britain in 2017 - at Westminster Bridge in London on 22 March, Manchester Arena on 22 May, London Bridge on 3 June and at Finsbury Park in London on 19 June. Police recorded 234 hate crime incidents two days after the Westminster attack, 273 reports two days after Manchester and 319 reports two days after London Bridge. Police said in 2016 there were on average 171 hate crimes per day - although this could be higher on weekends, where more hate crimes tended to be reported, or after specific events such as protest marches. In the week after each attack, hate crime reports increased by 12% after Westminster, 50% after Manchester and 34% after London Bridge. By contrast, hate crime reports were 7% lower in the week after the Finsbury Park attack, the NPCC said. Police said race or faith hate crime comprised the vast majority of reports. But the NPCC added that analysis of the data was \"ongoing\" and that year-on-year comparisons should be viewed with caution - last year, for example, hate crime reports increased after the EU referendum vote in June. ACC Hamilton said the figures were nevertheless a \"real concern for the police service and wider society\". He said: \"We know that terrorist attacks and other national and global events have the potential to trigger short-term spikes in hate crime and so we have been carefully monitoring community tensions following recent horrific events. \"As terrorists seek to divide us, it is more important than ever that we continue to stand united in the face of hostility and hatred.\"", "summary": "Hate crime reports surged in the days immediately after three terror attacks in the UK this year, police data shows."}
{"article": "He said he felt like an \"amateur\" when repeatedly overtaken in Canada and in Japan called the engine \"embarrassing\". \"The actions we need to take next year to be competitive [are] quite extreme,\" the two-time champion said. \"For big problems you need big solutions, and I think maybe that helped a bit for the big solutions.\" Media playback is not supported on this device McLaren's season featured a constant stream of reliability problems, grid penalties for using too many engine parts and uncompetitive performances, largely as a result of the fact Honda's engine was by far the worst in the sport. McLaren's best results were a fifth place each for Alonso and team-mate Jenson Button. Alonso, in an exclusive interview for the BBC F1 Review show, admitted that he \"knew they could broadcast\" his message in Japan, when he likened the Honda power-unit to one from the GP2 feeder formula, where engines have a third less power than in F1. But he added: \"A lot of radio messages they didn't broadcast, a lot of in-laps where we were very thankful of the team because it was very difficult. \"Sometimes they change three engines, we were taking one point, two point, close to the points. A lot of positive messages they never broadcast. In Japan, when they broadcast that, probably I knew they could broadcast it.\" Button, who also made some withering remarks about the car's performance over the radio and joined Alonso in waving from the podium in Brazil after both were knocked out in the first part of qualifying, said: \"Most of the stuff I've said has been useful to the team. \"Some is jokey, because I think you have to have a laugh in some situations when it is as tough as it is for us now or else you go crazy. \"Otherwise you get angry and you don't want to get angry with the team because we are all there doing the best we can and we are one team, and I don't want to let them down. \"But sometimes you have to let a bit of emotion out and that's what I've done over the last few races.\" Alonso said that McLaren's performance had made it difficult for him to maintain in 2015 the high standards for which he has become famous in F1. \"I don't think it was the best of me,\" he said. \"I had some good races but here and there not consistent enough.\" He singled out his qualifying lap in Japan, which he said at the time was one of the best of his career, and his race at the US Grand Prix as his personal highlights of his season. \"In Suzuka, one of the best,\" Alonso said. \"In Austin, it was one of the best - for the first 20 laps in the damp conditions, eight or nine of them I was quicker than Lewis (Hamilton), who was leading the race. \"But I could not keep that top level of performance consistently enough. \"Sometimes because of the lack of laps, sometimes because of", "summary": "Fernando Alonso says his criticisms of McLaren's Honda engine over team radio helped focus the company on the need to make drastic changes."}
{"article": "Boom Supersonic expects a prototype of its passenger plane to make its first test flight by the end of 2018. Subsonic and supersonic tests will take place in the US. If the full-size 55-seat plane is then approved, the first passengers could be travelling at supersonic speeds across the Atlantic by 2023. Rolls-Royce warns against 'hard Brexit' Boeing launches new version of 737 jet Airbus unveils upgraded A380 jumbo Blake Scholl, the founder and chief executive of Boom, said at the Paris air show that the design of the XB-1 demonstration plane had passed a performance and safety review ahead of manufacturing. Boom said five unnamed airlines had placed 76 orders for its passenger plane, which resembles Concorde but has a delta wing that sweeps almost to the tip of the nose. It will also ditch the afterburner engine used by the British-French supersonic pioneer that was not only extremely loud but also very thirsty. \"By using a modern turbofan engine like Boeing and Airbus, you can make the aircraft both quieter and significantly more fuel efficient,\" Mr Scholl told the BBC. The company claims that airlines flying its plane will be able to charge similar prices to a business class fare on the lucrative London-New York route of about $5,000 return. Concorde tickets used to cost up to about three times that amount. Time-poor travellers, meanwhile, will jump at the chance of getting to or from those two cities in about half the time a subsonic plane takes, according to Boom. \"Airlines are excited for something new and different to offer their passengers,\" Mr Scholl said. Although Concorde had the backing of both the British and French governments, he said it was not economic because the imperative then was to beat the Soviet Union into the supersonic age, rather than build a practical or affordable plane. \"Being a private company that has to raise investment means we have to have a business case that is profitable for airlines and affordable for customers,\" Mr Scholl said. Although many remain sceptical that Boom can deliver its promises, the company said in March that it had raised the $33m that would allow it to build and fly the demonstration plane. One believer in the project is Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson, who announced late last year that he planned to buy the first 10 passenger jets made by Boom. His Virgin Galactic space travel venture will also provide manufacturing and engineering services, as well as flight test support.", "summary": "Supersonic air travel could be back in little more than five years if a plane that aims to replace Concorde takes to the skies."}
{"article": "It is the SDLP's turn to hold the position and the party nominated the north Belfast councillor last week. The decision was ratified at a full meeting of Belfast City Council on Monday night. Maire Hendron of the Alliance Party has been elected deputy mayor - the first time women have held the two top posts. Ms Mallon, 34, said being chosen as lord mayor was a tremendous honour. \"I want to congratulate M\u00e1irt\u00edn \u00d3 Muilleoir on a fantastic year in office and thank my own party for nominating me to take on such a privileged position,\" she said. \"I have had the privilege of representing the Oldpark area, the place I grew up in, for the last four and a half years. \"The most wonderful part of being a councillor, for me, continues to be the many unsung heroes I get to meet - all those people who through their compassion and selflessness, makes this city the special place that it is.\" She said she wanted to take the lord mayor's role \"out of city hall and into people's lives\". \"I want to connect with those who at times feel invisible in our city. I want to celebrate and showcase our unsung heroes who really are Belfast's first citizens,\" she said. \"Belfast is a city for everyone, where everyone belongs and where we are all the better for having each other.\" Ms Mallon is only the third woman to hold the office of lord mayor of Belfast, following the Ulster Unionist Party's Grace Bannister in 1981 and Naomi Long of the Alliance Party in 2009. With Lydia Patterson of the DUP also serving as high sheriff, it is the first time that all three civic dignitaries in Belfast are women. After her appointment, the city's new deputy lord mayor said she was \"looking forward to the year ahead\". Ms Hendron added: \"During my year in office, I would hope to play my part in building a more inclusive city that is open to all. \"I want to work with all groups from different backgrounds to further improve Belfast's diversity, which is a source of strength for our society.\"", "summary": "The SDLP's Nichola Mallon has become the new lord mayor of Belfast, succeeding Sinn F\u00e9in's M\u00e1irt\u00edn \u00d3 Muilleoir."}
{"article": "The Woodland Trust wants to buy the land at Llennyrch woodland. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has given \u00a350,000 but a further \u00a3750,000 is needed and a campaign will be launched on Tuesday at the National Eisteddfod in Meifod, Powys. The charity said the area has been called a \"Celtic rainforest\" and it wants to improve wildlife on the site. NRW chief executive Dr Emyr Roberts said: \"This is a fantastic opportunity to bring the whole woodland area under conservation management.\" The total cost of the project is \u00a31.5m and the rest of the cost will be met by money left to the Woodland Trust.", "summary": "A conservation charity is trying to raise \u00a3800,000 to purchase 550 acres of land in Snowdonia National Park."}
{"article": "Natural Energy Wyre Ltd said the Duchy of Lancaster has given it an exclusivity deal to create the UK's first tidal energy power station. If approved, it will be built on the Wyre estuary, which belongs to the Queen in her role as Duke of Lancaster. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said it had concerns about how the scheme could affect wildlife. Natural Energy Wyre Ltd said it now needed to find \u00a310m to proceed with a formal planning application. It said the power station would support the government's renewal energy objectives, create thousands of jobs and attract 600,000 visitors to the region, as well as help with flood defences. A barrage, which would span the mouth of the river with six turbines, would take three years to build, the firm said. It will produce renewable energy four times a day, on the turn of the tide, for more than 100 years, Natural Energy Wyre Ltd added. Graeme Chalk, head of project management for the Duchy of Lancaster, said the tidal barrage would \"provide a source of green and affordable energy for many years to come\". Tim Melling, RSPB senior conservation officer, said: \"Climate change is the biggest threat to the natural environment so it's vital we invest more in renewable energy. But tidal barrages are not the right option and this proposed scheme on the Wyre would cause major damage to the estuary. \"A barrage would knock the tidal system out of sync and destroy this prime feeding habitat by reducing the size of the feeding areas and making them available for less time.\"", "summary": "Plans to build a \u00a3200m tidal barrage in Lancashire that will power tens of thousands of homes have been announced."}
{"article": "The suspect, 26 and of no fixed address, was detained by West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit officers after arriving on a flight from Turkey. He is being held in custody in the West Midlands. West Midlands Police said the arrest was pre-planned and there was no threat to the safety of the flight or the airport.", "summary": "A man has been arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of Syria-related terror offences, police have said."}
{"article": "Officers were called to The Islamic Centre in Newton Heath, Manchester, at about 01:20 BST. Two men dressed in black were seen running from the scene, police said. The fire was started just hours after two men ripped CCTV cameras from the Regent Street building's walls, at about 23:30 BST on Friday. Police said the offenders were black men in black clothing with scarves covering their faces. Insp Chris Hadfield, of Greater Manchester Police, said: \"We believe the two incidents are linked and that the theft of the CCTV cameras was meant to help them carry out their arson attack on the minibus without being recorded. \"Fortunately there are several other cameras that capture the rear of The Islamic Centre, where the attack took place. \"We are investigating the possibility that this is a targeted hate crime.\"", "summary": "Arsonists set fire to a minibus belonging to a Muslim community centre in what police say may have been a \"targeted hate crime\"."}
{"article": "Footage shows two men accosting Vuyo Mvoko, from the national broadcaster SABC, who was outside a Johannesburg hospital to report on the arrival of Zambia's president for medical tests. Mr Mvoko later said one of the muggers threatened him with a gun when he did not want to give up his mobile phone. The robbers appear unconcerned by the presence of the camera. Shortly afterwards, Mr Mvoko, who is a contributing editor for the national news channel, tweeted that he was safe and sound and posted a link to a video of the mugging, which has gone viral. Police said the robbers took laptops and mobile phones and that officers were investigating in the incident. \"Hopefully someone will be able to identify them and get them arrested,\" Mr Mvoko told the BBC's Newsday programme. He said it took him a while to realise what was happening as it was less than a minute till he was due to go live near the Milpark Hospital. \"I couldn't understand why they'd walk right in front of the camera because the light is on and they could see that - and our car is branded, so they could see that this is a live broadcast.\" The thieves told him to hand over his phone, which he said was in his hand. \"Because I wasn't giving him the phone, he then called the other one who had a gun, and said: 'Dubula le nja' [Shoot this dog],\" Mr Mvoko told SABC. At this point he said another member of the team screamed at him to hand over the phone, which he did. The BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says Milpark is a relatively quiet area, not normally associated with crime. The SA National Editors' Forum (Sanef) has condemned the mugging. \"Every South African lives with the reality of crime, but to see thugs brazenly ignoring television cameras and robbing media workers in the course of their work, yet again brings home the level of criminality in our society,\" a statement from the forum said. Zambia's President Edgar Lungu, who had collapsed at an event on Sunday, went to South Africa for tests after his doctors found that he needed throat surgery.", "summary": "One of South Africa's best known TV journalists has been mugged on camera as he waited to go on air."}
{"article": "Det Con Anthony Rees-Thompson, 40, was caught by a speed camera doing 35mph in a 30mph zone in Swansea. But the South Wales Police officer from Abercrave, Powys, denied it was him and changed his number plates, Cardiff Crown Court heard. He denied perverting the course of justice but a jury found him guilty. Judge David Wynn Morgan told Rees-Thompson the offence \"strikes at the heart of the criminal justice system\". He said the points system was to punish people who drive badly, and it depended on the honest completion of the relevant forms. He added: \"Yours wasn't a panic reaction - it was a carefully considered and thought out course of action.\" The court heard Rees-Thompson had been driving along Fabian Way on his way to buy tickets for an Ospreys rugby match when he was caught speeding in a car belonging to his stepfather, who was away on holiday. The defendant, who has worked for South Wales Police for 10 years, challenged the fixed penalty notice and was asked to submit photographic proof that it was not the same vehicle. But the court heard he sent in photographs of the silver Vauxhall Corsa with new plates customised with a blue GB sign and the Welsh flag, bought for \u00c2\u00a321 online. The father-of-four then wrote to the speed camera unit saying there had been a technical error or another similar car was using the same registration number. The jury heard the police officer, a father of four, worked in the covert operations management unit at South Wales Police headquarters in Bridgend. But the prosecution argued he forgot that his car was being filmed every day as he drove it into work. The jury was shown pictures of the car with its old number plate before the speeding offence and the new one allegedly fitted by Rees-Thompson. The court was also told that Rees-Thompson pretended to be his stepfather when he wrote to the speed camera unit trying to avoid a fine and three points on his licence. He denied perverting the course of justice during his trial claiming he changed the plates because they were damaged. Rees-Thompson is set to lose his job and will face a \"fast track\" gross misconduct disciplinary hearing following his sentence.", "summary": "A police officer who tried to cheat his way out of a speeding ticket by changing his car number plates, has been jailed for three months."}
{"article": "New Zealanders living in Australia for at least five years can apply if they earn the median wage or more, and pass security, character and health checks. The \"new pathway\" means easier access to citizenship, which allows access to a range of welfare services. The deal follows tensions over the deportation of New Zealand criminals under laws introduced last year. These laws allow Australia to deport any foreigners sentenced to more than 12 months in jail. Prime Minister Key previously said the issue was \"undermining [a] special relationship\". \"We traversed some of the concerns that we continue to have,\" he said in Sydney on Friday. \"We appreciate the work that [Australia has] been doing around ensuring that people can appeal those decisions.\" Meanwhile, Mr Key formally extended the offer to take in some of the 267 asylum seekers awaiting deportation to Australia's offshore detention centre in Nauru. \"All I can simply say is the offer remains on the table,\" Mr Key said. The Australian government is refusing to alter its border security policy, saying it is aimed at stopping the people smuggling trade. The two leaders also said security agencies would increase cooperation and communication surrounding cybercrimes committed by \"state and non-state actors\".", "summary": "The Australian government says up to 70,000 New Zealanders will be eligible for citizenship under a new agreement."}
{"article": "Hawkins held off the challenge of the defending champion, Moses Kipsiro of Uganda, clocking a time of of 60 minutes 22 seconds. Kenya's Joel Kimutai came home in third ahead of England's Chris Thompson. Another Kenyan, Betsy Saina, claimed victory in the women's race with a course record time of 67:20. Hawkins is the first Scot to win the great Scottish Run since 1983, and it rounds off a memorable year which saw him finish ninth in the marathon at the Rio Olympics in the summer. After setting the pace alongside Kipsiro and Kimutai in the early stages, Hawkins broke away on his own and always looked in control as he left the three-time Commonwealth champion Kipsiro trailing in his wake.", "summary": "Scotland's Callum Hawkins claimed victory in the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow, setting a new Scottish half-marathon record in the process."}
{"article": "Councils will decide next week whether to conduct feasibility studies for the radioactive repository. Protesters from all over the country carried banners for 2.5km (1.5miles) through the valley of Ennerdale to lobby against the plans. A petition against the proposals now has more than 17,000 signatures. Unite, which represents staff at the Sellafield plant, gave its backing ahead of a public meeting in Carlisle on Friday. Allerdale and Copeland borough councils and Cumbria County Council are due to vote on 30 January on whether to proceed to \"Stage 4\" of the process that could see the repository built. The proposed facility could be up to four times the size of Sellafield and take 15 years to build.", "summary": "Hundreds of people have taken part in a march against the possibility of building an underground nuclear waste site in Cumbria."}
{"article": "The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (Rura) said it had received complaints from the public of incitement, hatred, revisionism and genocide denial. At least 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus died in the genocide. The BBC has denied that any part of the programme constitutes a \"denial of the genocide against the Tutsi\". On Wednesday, Rwandan MPs approved a resolution calling on the government to ban the BBC and to charge the documentary-makers with genocide denial, which is a crime in the country. Those killed in the genocide are generally believed to be mostly members of the minority ethnic Tutsi group, and Hutus opposed to the mass slaughter. The BBC programme Rwanda, The Untold Story, includes interviews with US-based researchers who say most of those killed may have been Hutus, killed by members of the then-rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which has been in power since 1994. The programme also included interviews with former aides of RPF leader President Paul Kagame, accusing him of plotting to shoot down the presidential plane - the act seen as triggering the slaughter. He has consistently denied previous such accusations. Rura said it had established a commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations it had received about the programme, after which further action may be taken. The cabinet is meeting next week to discuss parliament's recommendations. The BBC broadcasts affected by the suspension are produced by the BBC Great Lakes service, which was initially set up in the aftermath of the genocide as a lifeline service. Its first broadcast - BBC Gahuzamiryango, meaning \"the unifier of families\" - was a 15-minute transmission aimed at bringing together families who had been separated.", "summary": "Rwanda has suspended BBC broadcasts in the Kinyarwanda language with immediate effect because of a film questioning official accounts of the 1994 genocide."}
{"article": "The Rail, Maritime and Transport union says research shows 1970s services were faster than those advertised by Great Western Railways for Intercity trains. The promised London to Cardiff journey time is 113 minutes, compared to 105 minutes under British Rail in 1977. GWR said the union was not comparing like with like. It also said electrification of the track would increase speeds to match some of the 1970 times, and there were more frequent services now that also stopped at more stations. London - Bristol Temple Meads: 90 minutes London - Cardiff: 113 minutes London - Swansea: 164 minutes London - Bristol Temple Meads: 85 minutes London - Cardiff: 105 minutes London - Swansea: 163 minutes Source: RMT RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the report demonstrated the failures of rail privatisation. \"Privatised rail services are not only more overcrowded and expensive they are also slower. \"And of course as well as being publicly owned, British Rail trains were publicly manufactured for far less cost in the UK, as opposed to the new IEP trains which are manufactured in Japan.\" GWR said some of the RMT's facts were incorrect, challenging a claim that the London-Bristol journey time would be slower. \"The fastest Bristol-London journey time, quoted by the RMT, in 1977 was one hour 25 minutes. Following electrification and the new trains, this will be one hour 19 minutes, that's six minutes faster than in 1977. \"In 1977, six trains ran every two hours between Cardiff-London and Bristol-London, compared to 12 trains every two hours following electrification and the introduction of new trains. That's double the number of services. \"The fastest Cardiff-London journey time, quoted by the RMT, in 1977 was one hour 45 minutes. This will be the same with the introduction of electrification and new trains.\" RMT is in dispute with GWR over plans to cut guards and buffet car services. Stuart Cole, professor of transport at the University of South Wales, said there had been one express train in the 1970s which ran direct from Cardiff to London without stopping. \"There was no Bristol Parkway then. They've picked the train which was the fastest as far as I can understand it; one train in the morning which did one hour 41 minutes. Most of them took longer than that. \"It they took the average journey times, that would be much more sensible.\" Calling for a publically-owned railway system, Cardiff Central Labour MP Jo Stevens said privatised rail had been a failure which delivered \"little by way of improvements for passengers in Cardiff but plenty by way of taxpayer subsidies for the directors and shareholders of [Great Western Railway]\".", "summary": "New \u00a34.5m trains running from London to south Wales will be slower than those 40 years ago, a transport union has claimed."}
{"article": "The British Medical Journal claims it has revealed a campaign to derail research into the cancer drug Avastin. The claim has been denied by Novartis, the firm which markets the officially licensed drug, Lucentis, in the UK. Many doctors use Avastin as a cheaper but unlicensed alternative to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD affects around 26,000 people each year in the UK and if left untreated can cause blindness. There is a licensed drug - Lucentis - which costs the NHS around \u00a3740 per dose. Trials have shown that another drug used to treat cancer - Avastin - is also an effective treatment, and is much cheaper, at between \u00a350 and \u00a365 per dose. Some doctors have been prescribing it, but it isn't licensed for this purpose. There is the added confusion of uncertainty over whether doctors could be personally liable if they prescribe an unlicensed drug. Both drugs are owned by the same company, Roche, but Lucentis is marketed by Novartis in the UK. The BMJ now claims it has evidence that clinicians with ties to Novartis urged some primary care trusts to pull out of one trial, and alleges the company tried to derail a second UK trial. BMJ editor-in-chief Dr Fiona Godlee said pharmaceutical companies should not be able to block access to alternative drugs. \"Doctors' leaders also need to sort out the web of misinformation about drug prescribing that has been generated behind closed doors. and is costing the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds a year by scaring doctors from using cheap and effective medicines.\" A spokesman for Novartis denied the allegations. \"We take any allegations seriously and are closely reviewing the content of the article. \"Novartis is committed to improving health outcomes for patients with serious eye disease as demonstrated by our substantial engagement in ophthalmology, including significant research and development efforts in the UK. \"Novartis continuously conducts clinical trials in the UK and other countries. \"Discussions with UK study sites and healthcare professionals occur during all stages of these clinical trials. \"During the feasibility stage these discussions often focus on the capacity and capability to conduct studies in accordance with the highest clinical and ethical standards.\" In November 2014, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists called for Avastin to be made available for treating the condition on the NHS, arguing that switching to the drug could save the NHS \u00a3100m. And in February clinical leaders from 120 clinical commissioning groups called on ministers and NHS England to clarify regulations that make it hard for physicians to prescribe Avastin for wet AMD. Do you have wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD)?You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you would be happy to speak further to a BBC journalist, please include a contact telephone number.", "summary": "A drugs firm has been accused of trying to block access to what some doctors believe is a cheap, safe and effective drug to treat a common eye condition."}
{"article": "Scotland was classed as \"average\" for the first time in a major international study of education. Meanwhile, the Scottish government is carrying out a major review of school governance. So just how are schools and the education system run at the moment? In a nutshell, there is a national school system in Scotland which councils are responsible for delivering. School buildings are the responsibility of councils - they decide how many schools are needed and where they should be built, open or closed, although they have to observe national rules and guidance. The system for closing rural schools was overhauled a few years ago. The government also helps fund some new school buildings through its Schools for the Future programme. Councils also employ teachers and decide how many there should be. However the Scottish government took steps to reverse the long-term decline in teacher numbers across Scotland. This year, teacher numbers were maintained or rose in 20 of Scotland's 32 council areas. The most recent funding deal with local government made it plain that the government expected the ratio of teachers to pupils to be maintained. This happened in all but 12 areas. However, councils are currently responsible for deciding just how much to spend on schools overall - this could be set to change. The government intends to hold a consultation a \"national funding formula\" for schools. It also plans to give \u00c2\u00a3100m straight to head teachers from next year. This all fits into a bigger debate about school governance. The question is over just what powers individual head teachers should have, what powers councils should retain and what powers should be given to planned new regional education boards which will work across council boundaries. The consultation closes on 6 January. Two national agencies also have important responsibilities - the Scottish Qualifications Authority and Education Scotland. The SQA is, by far, the better known to the public. Because of its profile, its staff can sometimes feel they are being blamed by headline writers and critics for things which it cannot reasonably be held to account for. The main role of the SQA is to set exams and mark them. It took the organisation years to recover its public reputation after a debacle in 2000 when thousands of youngsters received the wrong exam results. The SQA is also responsible for some of the paperwork which teachers may find frustrating - but some \"SQA-related workload\" is not actually the direct responsibility of the authority. The unit assessments that currently form mandatory parts of courses, and the Added Value Units candidates some National 5 candidates complete so they can get a lower qualification if they fail the exam, have been cited by critics. But was the issue the assessments and units themselves, or how they were sometimes being used locally? Decisions on how many qualifications youngsters should routinely be allowed to study for have been taken by individual schools and councils. Some concerns about workload came about because S4 students at some schools were being given the opportunity to study for seven or eight", "summary": "The political debate around education has intensified in recent weeks."}
{"article": "Moaza Al Matrooshi, aged 24, gave birth in London after doctors restored her fertility using frozen ovarian tissue removed when she was a young child. An advanced form of IVF using a donor egg as well as the mother's egg and father's sperm has been approved by the UK's fertility regulator. It is to prevent children being born with deadly genetic diseases. BBC Radio 5 live spoke to a father whose 13-year-old son was groomed online and sexually abused. He explains how difficult it was to spot there was a problem until it was too late. He is warning other parents to monitor carefully what their children get up to online, and to \"accept it can happen\". The charity Barnardo's says 297 children out of the 702 it supported in the last six months had been groomed online. The award winning children's novelist Sally Gardner believes we should. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme she \"thinks in pictures\" and that \"there isn't one way to decode language\". The cost of Christmas dinner is at a four year high, with an average dinner and drinks now coming in at \u00a310.71 per person. We spoke to family food bloggers and chefs to find their tips for bringing down the price as low as possible. What family and parenting issues would you like the BBC to cover? Join the conversation - find us on Facebook", "summary": "Here is another chance to catch up on five of the best family and parenting stories from this week."}
{"article": "The company said it wanted to focus development \"on the mobile platforms the vast majority of people use\". Facebook-owned WhatsApp, which is used by a billion people worldwide, will stop working on the named operating systems by December 2016. But it will still work on Blackberry's latest smartphone which runs Android. Most of the operating systems that WhatsApp is dropping support for are legacy operating systems, which are no longer updated or installed on new devices. The exception is Blackberry 10, which was launched in January 2013 and is still being developed by Blackberry. \"We are also planning version 10.3.4 for later this year with even more security improvements,\" the firm said in January 2016. However, the operating system has failed to gain traction with smartphone users and now accounts for less than 1% of the market. There had been speculation that the handset-maker would wind down support for Blackberry 10 after it released a smartphone running Android, and closed its \"Built for Blackberry\" programme for app developers. But the firm has insisted: \"We're not abandoning the loyal customers who have contributed to our success.\" The full list of operating systems WhatsApp will stop supporting is: \"While these mobile devices have been an important part of our story, they don't offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app's features in the future,\" WhatsApp said in a blogpost. \"When we started WhatsApp in 2009... about 70 percent of smartphones sold at the time had operating systems offered by BlackBerry and Nokia.\" The firm said mobile operating systems offered by Google, Apple and Microsoft accounted for 99.5% of sales today.", "summary": "WhatsApp is to end support for a number of operating systems including Blackberry 10, Nokia Symbian S60 and Windows Phone 7.1."}
{"article": "The first wave of the flagship state-funded, but independent schools, some 24, are opening this term. Education Secretary Michael Gove has said profit is not needed in free schools at the moment. But Mr Clegg said the schools would not become \"the preserve of the privileged few\". In his speech in London on Monday, aimed at reassuring Liberal Democrat sceptics, Mr Clegg said he was confident the schools would give \"fairer chances\" to children from the most deprived backgrounds. Some Lib Dems have opposed them amid fears they could be socially divisive. Mr Clegg admitted the schools were seen as controversial by many and came with risks, but also said they would improve standards and integration. \"To anyone worried that, by expanding the mix of providers in our education system, we are inching towards inserting the profit motive into our school system, again, let me reassure you,\" he said. \"Yes to greater diversity; yes to more choice for parents. But no to running schools for profit, not in our state-funded education sector.\" He added that he thought tax payers would not think it was fair for schools to make a profit. Mr Clegg added that free schools \"must not be the preserve of the privileged few - creaming off the best pupils while leaving the rest to fend for themselves, causing problems for and draining resources from other nearby schools\". \"So let me give you my reassurance - I would never tolerate that,\" he said. Mr Clegg also called on free schools to admit at least the same proportion of free school meal pupils as the local average and open up facilities to the local community. By Norman SmithChief political correspondent, BBC News Channel Nick Clegg's speech on free schools is all part of his \"differentiation strategy\" to spell out the differences between his party and the Conservatives. Hence his insistence that free schools mustn't just be for pushy middle class parents, but instead should give priority to poorer and more deprived pupils. Similarly Mr Clegg has demanded that the Coalition rule out allowing profit-making companies to run free schools. The message he wants his party and the electorate to take from all this is that the Lib Dems are not being pushed around by the Tories within the Coalition, and are stamping their own views on key government policies. It follows a similar approach over the NHS reforms, the banks and human rights legislation. Now, in the run up to the Lib Dem conference later this month, we can probably expect to see many more instances of the Lib Dems publicly wrangling with the Tories over policy. But Mr Clegg warned that parents had to \"do their bit too\" to help with their children's schooling. \"The fact is - if you don't take an interest in your child's education, teachers cannot make up the shortfall. \"We currently have the most talented generation of teachers this country has ever seen. But they cannot do everything,\" he said. Mr Gove has denied he was forced to back down by Mr Clegg after reports", "summary": "Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said those running England's free schools will not be able to do so for profit."}
{"article": "The decision was made after animal health investigators were unable to rule out the presence of H5N8 avian flu at a third farm in Wyre. They said a \"pro-active culling\" would take place of birds including pheasants, partridges and ducks. The Food Standards Agency said the disease was not a risk to food safety. Public Health England said the risk to public health from the virus was very low. The first outbreak was discovered last week at a farm in Wyre with 10,000 birds, followed by a second case involving a flock of about 1,000 birds. Defra said the third premises would be cleansed and disinfected, \"further reducing the risk that disease can be spread to other birds\". \"Our investigations will continue and the restrictions already placed on the sites will remain in force until cleansing and disinfection is finished and the investigation is complete,\" a spokesperson said. In January, there have been a number of other outbreaks of the virus, including at farms in Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and in Carmarthenshire.", "summary": "About 63,000 birds are due to be culled at a Lancashire farm to prevent the spread of bird flu, which has already been found at two nearby premises."}
{"article": "The pound hit $1.4693, a rise of more than three cents, or 2.34%, the biggest one-day gain since March 2009. The bounce followed several polls over the weekend that suggested a very tight race, but that the Leave campaign may have lost a little momentum. The FTSE 100 also rose, with shares closing 3% higher on Monday. That is the biggest one-day gain since February. Betfair, a firm that has taken in tens of millions of pounds in referendum-related bets, says the likelihood of a remain vote has risen from 65% on Friday to 72% on Monday. \"The pause in the campaign seems to have lent crucial support to team Remain,\" said Kathleen Brooks, research director at Gain Capital. \"The markets have always been more comfortable with the UK remaining in the European Union.\" The pound had fallen sharply over the course of last week, after polls appeared to indicate the Leave campaign was taking the lead. But figures from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a US markets regulator, suggested a broader change in trading sentiment by Friday. That data indicated that by the end of last week, currency speculators had began to back the pound again by reducing their bets against the currency. That contrasted strongly to the first week of June, during which time traders' bets against the pound had risen to the highest level in three years. However, analysts say there is likely to be more volatility this week. \"Following the large sterling moves over last two days and limited risk premium priced in at this point, sterling now looks more vulnerable to negative surprise from the polls,\" ING strategist Petr Krpata said in a research note. Monday's shift in sentiment has boosted shares in banks and builders, which are seen as more vulnerable to damage if the UK votes to leave the EU. Shares in Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group both rose more than 7%, while Barclays gained more than 6%. Barratt and Taylor Wimpey, two of the UK's largest house builders, also saw their shares jump by nearly 7%. Oil prices rose as well on Monday, with Brent crude trading up more than 2%, and currently hovering around the $50 a barrel mark, at $50.39.", "summary": "The pound has jumped the most against the dollar in seven years, as traders reassessed the likelihood of the UK leaving the European Union."}
{"article": "Marc O'Haire was cleared of John McFarlane's murder but found guilty of culpable homicide by reason of provocation. The pair fought after spending three hours in a \"drinking den\". Mr McFarlane died after receiving a knife wound. Sentencing O'Haire, the judge said he had \"a considerable criminal record\". O'Haire was convicted following a trial at the High Court in Stirling in June. The court heard how O'Haire and Mr McFarlane had been friends for 15 years before the September 2014 incident. They had spent more than three hours in what the advocate depute, Bruce Erroch, described as \"a drinking den\" in a converted garage in the area, which had disco balls, lights, seating and fridges. They went back to O'Haire's flat but he lost his temper with Mr McFarlane after he threatened to drink a bottle of Buckfast O'Haire had been keeping for another occasion. O'Haire head-butted Mr McFarlane and, after a scuffle, ordered him out of his flat. But Mr McFarlane, described as \"very drunk\", grabbed a kitchen knife from O'Haire's draining board. He left the flat but the fight continued outside. O'Haire admitted hitting Mr McFarlane with a dumbbell, causing minor \"hairline\" skull fractures, but during the struggle, Mr McFarlane, sustained a \"massive\" and fatal chest wound from the knife. O'Haire said he saw his friend fall on the grass and realised he was grievously injured, but never saw the knife enter his body and had no idea how the wound was caused. He said he assumed Mr McFarlane had fallen on the blade. At the High Court in Edinburgh, judge Lord Uist told O'Haire - who had five previous convictions for knife possession - that he had no other option but to send him to prison. He added: \"You are now 30 years old and you have a considerable criminal record. \"It is clear that you have had serious problems with alcohol and controlled drugs in the past and you also have a diagnosis of anti-social personality disorder.\" Defence advocate Owen Mullan said his client was sorry about what he had done to Mr McFarlane.", "summary": "A man who caused his friend's death in a drink fuelled fight in Bishopbriggs in East Dunbartonshire has been jailed for 10 and a half years."}
{"article": "People will be brought to shore from a \"shipwreck\" via breeches buoy by members of the South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade in a re-enactment of a rescue on 2 April 1866. A seine-net fishing boat will play the part of the schooner Tenterden which was wrecked during a heavy storm. The event, near the watch House off the South Pier, is part of the brigade's 150th anniversary celebrations. Over the weekend there will also be a special dinner, and a Service of Thanksgiving in St. Hilda's Church on Sunday. A breeches buoy is a lifebuoy with a canvas sling - similar in form to a pair of breeches - attached to a rope and pulley. The rope is fired on to the vessel by a rocket. At the time of the rescue, the brigade had only been in existence for two months, and although there had been three practice drills it was the first time the equipment had been used in a life-or-death situation. Despite the bad weather, all those on board the ship - including the captain's wife and their 18-month-old baby, were winched to safety. The men were taken to a nearby public house, while the woman and child were tended to by local women. South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade is credited to have saved more than 600 lives from shipwreck since it was founded, and has now branched out into search and rescue operations. As part of the anniversary celebrations there will be a series of illustrated talks and open days, and later in the year a major exhibition in South Shields Museum.", "summary": "A sea to land rescue is set to take place on the South Tyneside coast."}
{"article": "A new study tracked 72 koalas living near six wildlife crossings, specially installed by the Queensland government between 2010 and 2013. It was the first study to test the effectiveness of the crossings, which were part of a $20 million retrofit project to help stop roadway deaths of the vulnerable marsupial. \"I was really sceptical about whether the animals would use them,\" says Prof Darryl Jones, a behavioural ecologist at Griffith University in Brisbane who studies the impact of roadways on wildlife. \"I have to admit straight up that I thought koalas were going to be a pretty dumb animal. They spend most of their time stoned on eucalyptus oil.\" \"But that's not the case. This proves they really can innovate,\" he says. \"No koala has ever walked under a road on a ledge ever before in its evolutionary history, and indeed they were doing it within a couple of months.\" \"They were able to learn new tricks far faster than anyone would have thought.\" The study, published in the journal Wildlife Research, used multiple technologies to track individual koalas, including cameras, GPS collars and newly-developed wireless identification chips, which communicated with devices at the entrance and exit of each crossing. \"This is going to be very influential in terms of showing accurately and reliably that the animals do use these structures,\" Prof Jones says. Crossings and wildlife-proof fences were installed at hotspots where there had been continuous incidents of koalas being struck by vehicles. While roadways still pose a threat to koalas, Prof Jones says road deaths have \"almost vanished\" at sites where the crossings have been installed. Koalas are listed as vulnerable in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, and are protected under national environment law. In 2010, the Queensland government released a Koala Population Report, which showed there had been a 68% reduction in the local population of koalas near Brisbane over 10 years. \"This is a terrifying decline,\" Prof Jones says. \"It just can't go on, or else you really are looking at extinction down the track.\" Despite being tree-dwelling creatures, koalas are often moving along the ground in search of new trees, food sources, water and mates. A lot of this movement happens at night and roadways are considered one of the main threats to koalas. To reduce the road toll, the state government began rolling out specialised wildlife fences. While these are effective at containing animals, Prof Jones says they are not a solution. \"It's really important that the animals are still able to move from one place to another,\" he says. \"If they get fenced off in two isolated patches their chances of survival are so much lower.\" Prof Jones and his team were enlisted to help design a cost-effective solution. Rather than build new bridges, they decided to modify existing water culverts, or drainage tunnels, which pass underneath roadways. Elevated ledges were built to help keep the animals dry. To test the effectiveness, the research team caught and tagged koalas on either side of the crossings, in a region stretching from", "summary": "Koalas have quickly learned to use wildlife passageways to cross busy roads in Australia's Queensland state as they move between habitats, writes Myles Gough."}
{"article": "The firm showed off a brief trailer for the action title - which it said would be released in 2015 - to coincide with the E3 games expo in Los Angeles. It also provided more details about how new add-on physical toys called amiibos would interact with games including Super Smash Bros 4. One industry watcher said Zelda should help improve the firm's fortunes. \"It's a very big one for fans,\" Christopher Dring, editor of the video games trade magazine MCV, told the BBC. \"If you look at the games sales figures, Zelda is not as big as Super Mario or Mario Kart, but the difference with Zelda is that many fans will buy the console for that game. \"For people on the fence about buying the Wii U - and there are lots of them - it might tip them over. I just wish it was this year, I worry about the firm's line-up for this Christmas.\" Nintendo swung to a financial loss last year after its new console - which features a touchscreen controller - missed the firm's own sales forecasts. It originally projected that it would sell more than nine million Wii U machines over the year to 31 March 2014. In fact it sold just 2.72 million. \"Nintendo's software line-up has to be one of the best in its history to turn the company around,\" explained Brian Crecente, news editor at the video games news site Polygon. \"Third-party developers like EA, Activision and Ubisoft have retreated from the Wii U because there simply aren't enough consoles on the market to justify the expense. \"Earlier this week, the head of Ubisoft told me that his company has several Wii U titles that are completed but that he won't start selling them until there are more Wii U [consoles] on the market.\" Nintendo is promising that the new open-world fantasy-themed Zelda game will mark a \"clean break with the past\" by letting players travel in the game wherever they want rather than forcing them to follow a set path and complete scenarios in a pre-determined order. Its lead character Link is also putting in appearances in other titles due for release this year. He'll first feature in Hyrule Warriors - a battlefield-set title that unites the swordsman with characters from the Dynasty Warriors series - due for release on 26 September. He will then appear in Super Smash Bros 4 - a fighting game featuring Mario, Sonic and other video game icons - that will launch on the 3DS handheld on 3 October and the Wii U in time for the winter holidays period. Nintendo revealed that players would be able to create characters in the game in their own image or that of a celebrity, and showed off an avatar of the rapper Ice-T as a somewhat incongruous example. Previous versions of Super Smash Bros have been hugely popular, and the Japanese firm is throwing its marketing weight behind the title, allowing the public to try out a test-version at the Nokia Theatre in downtown LA over the course", "summary": "Nintendo has confirmed its first Legend of Zelda video game for the struggling Wii U console."}
{"article": "The Edinburgh-based start-up attracted high-profile investors such as Skyscanner founder Gareth Williams and Macklin Enterprise Partnerships founder Marie Macklin. The investment will help the firm target international markets. Appointedd said its suite of tools allowed small firms to manage their business entirely online. Its online booking software is designed to assist businesses that \"sell time\", such as photographers, salon owners, physiotherapists, personal trainers and consultants. The Scottish Investment Bank was involved in the investment round, which was led by business angel syndicate Equity Gap. Last month Appointedd announced it had been selected as one of 12 integrated software systems in an app platform curated by National Australia Bank. The deal will see Appointedd's software being offered to 700,000 small and medium sized firms across Australia. Appointedd founder and chief executive Leah Hutcheon, who is an ambassador for Women's Enterprise Scotland and Entrepreneurial Scotland, said: \"It has been fantastic to get such a positive reaction from investors at this round. \"We have felt extremely honoured to attract investment from the founder of one of Scotland's unicorn companies and experienced entrepreneurs like Marie Macklin CBE. \"We look forward to using their expertise to help expand our software globally. \"We are already seeing some amazing traction, and it's exciting to be working with partners like National Australia Bank.\" Gareth Williams said: \"It's been a pleasure to watch the Appointedd product hone over time and I'm excited to be involved in the next stage of their growth. \"The software has the potential to be the leader in a huge market and I look forward to watching their international expansion.\"", "summary": "Online booking firm Appointedd is to expand its operations after raising \u00a3595,000 in a funding round."}
{"article": "Homes in Elnor lane, Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, had to be evacuated following reports of the explosion at about 22:30 BST on Wednesday. An army Explosive Ordnance Disposal team attended the address early on Thursday morning. No-one has been reported injured. The man is being held on suspicion of causing an explosion to endanger life. Live updates from the East Midlands High Peak councillor Andrew Fox, who lives nearby, said: \"We heard a large explosion around 10:30pm, we rang the police and reported our concerns.\" Residents in Elnor Lane were asked to leave their homes during the investigation but have since returned. One house remains cordoned off by police. Police and fire investigators are trying to establish the cause of the explosion.", "summary": "A man has been arrested following a \"large explosion\" at a house in a village."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Her team face the Netherlands in Friday's final looking to follow Sean Kerly's side, the champions in Seoul. \"You saw what happened to hockey in the country after that - it really picked up,\" said Richardson-Walsh, part of a team who won bronze at London 2012. \"It picked up after London too, and hopefully the same will happen again.\" Britain's women are chasing their first gold, 28 years after the men beat West Germany 3-1 to win their second and most recent Olympic title, with two goals from Imran Sherwani and one from Kerly. \"I remember my parents getting up to watch the 1988 final, but I was only eight - I was a little too young,\" Richardson-Walsh said. Friday's final, which starts at 21:00 BST, will be the 36-year-old's final game after playing 374 times for Great Britain and England. She will also be playing alongside partner Helen - the pair married in 2013. \"It will be really special to be in a final with her,\" said the captain. \"We have been through ups and downs - some of the best and worst times over the last few years. \"For Helen to come back from back surgery twice, to get over that and play again and reach an Olympic final, it's great.\" Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Great Britain's women can reinvigorate hockey at home if they emulate the 1988 men's side by winning Olympic gold, captain Kate Richardson-Walsh believes."}
{"article": "So when I suggest that new Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns will make history on Sunday, I'm not comparing his task to walking on the moon or finding a cure for the common cold. Mr Cairns will become the first serving cabinet minister to run the London Marathon. Others have run it but either before or after their cabinet career. Indeed, his recent promotion to the cabinet has had a major impact on his training for the 26.2 mile event, where the Vale of Glamorgan MP, the fastest in MP in last year's race, initially hoped to break 3 hours and 30 minutes. \"There's been a bit of a diversion over the last few weeks as well as an injury,\" he admitted. \"So I'm not sure I'll become the champion again of the MPs. And there is serious competition from Dan Jarvis, an ex-para, so I'm getting my excuses in early.\" Mr Cairns is running his 5th marathon for two charities: Breast Cancer Now and The Brain Tumour Charity.", "summary": "We are so fond of the word 'historic' in Welsh politics that it is increasingly used to describe something vaguely interesting that hasn't happened before."}
{"article": "16 April 2016 Last updated at 08:16 BST Gusts of more than 75 miles per hour were recorded and it became very hard for people to see what was going around them. Watch the video to see the sandstorm sweep over the province.", "summary": "A huge sandstorm hit China's Gansu Province on Friday afternoon, filling the skies with dust."}
{"article": "RSPCA officers rescued the animal from a farmer's land in Graig Penllyn near Cowbridge on Wednesday. The charity believes the pup reached the field after swimming up the streams of the River Thaw. After rehabilitation, it is hoped the pup can be released back into the sea in the near future. RSPCA officer Gary Lucas said: \"I've worked for the RSPCA for almost 30 years and this was my first ever seal rescue - and in quite amazing circumstances. \"As the crow flies, this amazing seal pup was almost seven miles from the sea and must have reached Graig Penllyn after travelling up the tiniest of streams possible. \"Thankfully, whilst the pup was a little thin and clearly dehydrated, he seems to be doing okay.\"", "summary": "A dehydrated and underweight seal pup has been found in a field seven miles from the sea in Vale of Glamorgan."}
{"article": "Among them was Roberto Hernandez. In a small, dank apartment in a rundown neighbourhood of Havana, I paid him a visit as he was reunited with his family and fellow government opponents. He said his time in jail had only strengthened his resolve against the Castro government. \"My ideas won't budge,\" said Mr Hernandez. \"If anything, they've hardened a little more. I'm more sure than ever about what I believe.\" Mr Hernandez was jailed for five years, and served two, for taking part in a demonstration with the anti-government Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU). But just as Roberto Hernandez was being released, another dissident was being detained - a graffiti artist called Danilo Maldonado, commonly known as \"El Sexto\", whose work is unrelentingly critical of the Cuban government. On this occasion, the authorities decided he had gone too far: he had mocked the leaders of the revolution. On 25 December 2014, he painted the names Fidel and Raul on two pigs and intended to release them in a plaza in Havana. His idea was that people would try to catch the pigs and the winner could keep them. Whether you see it as a cheap publicity stunt or a valid artistic expression, the event was never likely to be allowed to happen in Cuba. Maldonado was stopped by state security officers before he got to the square and was put in jail, reportedly without trial. The government say \"El Sexto\" is a mercenary in the pay of anti-Castro groups in Washington and Miami. But Amnesty International recently deemed him a prisoner of conscience. \"To jail an artist for painting a name on a pig is ludicrous,\" said Carolina Jimenez, the organisation's Americas Deputy Director for research. Now, there is some expectation that Maldonado might be released soon, after he spent days on hunger strike and US President Barack Obama apparently discussed his case in person with Cuban President Raul Castro earlier this year. No official release date has yet been confirmed. Either way, the Obama administration will hope he is out soon. The arrest of what they consider seemingly harmless young opponents does not bolster their argument that engagement with Cuba is the right approach after decades of hostility. \"They're hoping that the Cubans will begin to ease up on human rights and open up politically. That would enormously helpful,\" says Michael Shifter, of the Inter-American Dialogue organisation in Washington DC. \"It makes it more difficult for Obama to make his case with Congress on the embargo - which is that it should be lifted - when these kind of practices continue and there is really no sign of significant change so far.\" The US broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1959 after Fidel Castro and his brother Raul led a revolution toppling US-backed President Fulgencio Batista. The Castros established a revolutionary socialist state with close ties to the Soviet Union. The following year, the US imposed a trade embargo covering nearly all exports to Cuba. This was expanded by President Kennedy into a full economic embargo that included stringent travel", "summary": "In the days after last December's historic announcement that the US and Cuba were to re-establish diplomatic relations, a number of dissidents were released from Cuban jails as part of the deal."}
{"article": "Waheed Ahmed has been detained along with eight other Britons in Hatay near the Syrian border since Wednesday, 1 April. Footage released on Sunday shows him being put on a coach to Antalya, which is 509 miles west of Hatay. The group of nine from Rochdale included five adults and four children. His father, Rochdale Labour councillor Shakil Ahmed, said he \"wanted his son to come home as soon as possible\". Simon Danczuk, the MP for Rochdale in the last Parliament, has confirmed after speaking to the Foreign Office that Mr Ahmed is being deported back to Britain. In footage released by Reuters, Mr Ahmed is seen leaving a police station in Hatay. He is then filmed getting on a coach to Antalya from where it is believed he will fly to the UK. Greater Manchester Police and the North West Counter Terrorism Unit have launched an investigation to establish why the group apparently tried to enter Syria. All nine would be sent back to the UK \"in due course\", police said. Assistant Chief Constable Ian Wiggett has said that the primary concern was the \"safety and welfare\" of the children, and efforts were being made to ensure a \"full safeguarding strategy\" was in place upon their return. Police have been searching his family home in Rochdale. His father said he had thought his son was on holiday. In a statement Councillor Shakil Ahmed said: \"My son is a good Muslim and his loyalties belong to Britain, so I don't understand what he's doing there. \"If I thought for a second that he was in danger of being radicalised, I would have reported him to the authorities. \"He's studying a degree in politics and sociology at Manchester University and has a good future ahead of him.\"", "summary": "A Labour councillor's son, held in Turkey on suspicion of trying to enter Syria illegally is expected to return to the UK."}
{"article": "Prop Jenkins will set a world record for a front-row forward when he leads Wales against Argentina in Cardiff. The 35-year-old is making his 133rd Test appearance - still 15 behind Richie McCaw's 148 - but McBryde believes he could break the record. \"He's in a good position and I can't think of a reason why he can't,\" said the Wales forwards coach. \"All he has to do is keep himself fit - bearing in mind he's at the age the body is the first thing that breaks down.\" Jenkins is playing his 128th game for Wales and has also made five Test appearances for the British and Irish Lions. It takes him past former New Zealand hooker Keven Mealamu as the most-capped front-row forward and into fourth place in the all-time list which is led by All Blacks legend McCaw. Jenkins has retained the captaincy despite the return of regular skipper Sam Warburton from injury and 14 years after making his debut for Wales. Speaking to Welsh language broadcasters, McBryde praised Jenkins' skill and professionalism. \"His worth has been proven time after time with his defensive work and his fitness across the field,\" he said. \"He understands the wide game better than most of the backs and his greatest strength is what he brings to the team as an experienced voice. \"Over the years he has overcome a lot of injuries and that's a testament to how professional he has been. \"He's kept himself going through those injuries and he's dealt with the many changes there have been in the scrum and he's come through every test that's been asked of him. \"He's been one of the heroes of the national team and hopefully against Argentina we'll see a performance that proves that.\"", "summary": "Wales captain Gethin Jenkins could become rugby's most capped player if he keeps himself fit, says Robin McBryde."}
{"article": "In 2015, a coroner ruled Cpl James Dunsby, L/Cpl Corporal Edward Maher and L/Cpl Craig Roberts died as a result of neglect on the 16-mile march. The report, commissioned by the Ministry of Defence, said failures at multiple levels led to the deaths. The MoD said recommendations in the report were being addressed. The report has been published by the independent watchdog, the Defence Safety Agency, which monitors the MoD on its behalf. It concluded: \"These reserves currently remain vulnerable to a further incident in the future.\" The soldiers had been taking part in a recruitment exercise on what was the hottest day of 2013. The report said the officers in charge did not plan for the weather, and health and safety guidance was inadequate. A combination of \"cultural drift\" and uncertainty about the role of the reserves in general meant that no-one questioned whether the gruelling training was appropriate for part-time soldiers, it said. The report echoed concerns raised in investigations by a coroner and the Health and Safety Executive which, in March 2016, said the MoD would be censured - the highest action the HSE can take. An MoD spokesperson said: \"Our deepest sympathies remain with the families of all three soldiers and, with all the recommendations from this report having been or being addressed, we are committed to doing all we can to ensure such a tragic event cannot happen again.\" Cpl Dunsby, from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, L/Cpl Roberts, from Penrhyn Bay, Conwy, and L/Cpl Maher, of Winchester, Hampshire, had been on course to complete the exercise within the allocated time but were found in three separate locations at different times. An inquest found they died after suffering the effects of hyperthermia - or overheating.", "summary": "A new report into the deaths of three soldiers during an SAS exercise in the Brecon Beacons in 2013 has concluded it could happen again."}
{"article": "21 January 2016 Last updated at 09:36 GMT Aidan McAnespie, 23, was shot dead at Aughnacloy on 21 February 1988. Manslaughter charges brought against a soldier were dropped in 1990. Mr McAnespie's brother, Sean, spoke to BBC News NI's home affairs correspondent Vincent Kearney.", "summary": "A decision not to prosecute a soldier who shot dead a Catholic man at a border checkpoint in County Tyrone nearly 30 years ago could be reversed."}
{"article": "His side's 20-16 victory ended a run of seven consecutive defeats for the Welsh region and seven wins in a row for Connacht. It was only the third home league match of the season for Blues, and Wilson hopes it can lead to improved form. \"Hopefully it's given us a springboard to build some confidence,\" he said. \"I'm relieved after the last seven minutes of that game, but pleased with a big effort form the players to beat the league leaders.\" Wilson believes the lack of home games has been a factor in the Blues' poor start to the Pro12 season. \"It's only our third home game of the season and people forget that and we've had two wins at home and a loss to Glasgow. \"We've talked about building that home record and if we are ever to give ourselves a chance to get where we want to be we have got to be winning at home.\" The Blues' Cardiff Arms Park ground was out of commission during the Rugby World Cup when it was used as a fanzone. It meant the Blues playing five of their opening seven Pro12 matches away from home - and losing all of them. The former Wales Under-20 coach says it is important for his players to bond around the victory. \"I want the boys to have a beer and get that winning feeling back,\" he added. \"Winning pulls the squad together. \"It's not coming to work on a Monday on the back of another loss because that can get negative. \"We can gel from this win - pull together and get close and enjoy it. When you get the win you cherish it and build on it.\"", "summary": "Cardiff Blues' win over Pro12 leaders Connacht can act as a springboard for the rest of the season, according to head coach Danny Wilson."}
{"article": "Asylum seekers from Commonwealth countries are allowed to vote in Thursday's election. And the Northern Ireland Community of Refugees and Asylum Seekers (NICRAS) is urging those among its 600-strong membership, who are eligible to vote, to do just that. The organisation helps refugees and asylum seekers to integrate into Northern Ireland life and lobbies politicians on their behalf. But Justin Kouame, the chair of NICRAS, said that no political parties have reached out to them during the election campaign. \"They don't see it as a priority,\" he said. \"We encourage all our members to vote - the majority of them will have a voting card and it's important that politicians know that. \"The reality is Northern Ireland is changing and the voice of minorities will count. \"Getting a vote from our community can make a big difference - with this election, every vote will count.\" Mr Kouame said politics in Northern Ireland can be \"confusing\" for asylum seekers, and therefore parties should make an effort to engage with them so they can make an \"informed decision\" on who will get their vote. And he believes politicians would also benefit from those discussions. \"It's important for politicians to make contact with those communities,\" he said, \"so they can ask them questions and try to understand the issues they face.\" NICRAS has laid out an election manifesto, listing numerous matters high on the agenda for its members. It wants to see a marked improvement in accommodation standards for refugees asylum seekers, and specialist mental health provision for those who arrive in Northern Ireland having fled persecution in their home county. People should not take a \"cynical\" view of politics ahead of this week's election, the most senior figure in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland has said. It would be easy for people to be \"pessimistic\" about the state of Stormont, Rev Frank Sellar said, with a second poll coming just 10 months after voters last went to the ballot box. But in a letter to Presbyterian ministers and their congregations, he urged them to vote and \"approach [the election] prayerfully\". \"You will be well aware of the spectrum of difficult and complex issues facing individuals and local communities, issues in which government often has responsibilities and a definite role to play,\" Rev Sellar wrote. \"Engaging and participating in the democratic process is, therefore, one of the ways that we may seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which we have been called.\" Rev Sellar said people should use their vote \"in the hope that the people we elect will work with integrity, generosity of spirit and a commitment to the common good\". His comments come after Catholic bishops in Northern Ireland said last week that \"each vote cast, or not cast, potentially influences the values that will shape future law and policy\". Catholics \"have a duty to be hopeful\" and \"work towards creating a society that values all of its people,\" said a letter signed by Archbishop Eamon Martin, the church's leader in Ireland, and four other clerics. They also said that", "summary": "Election candidates should engage with asylum seekers in the final push for votes in the Northern Ireland Assembly election, a support organisation has said."}
{"article": "Arcan Cetin, 20, who had been awaiting trial for the mass shooting in 2016, was found dead in the Snohomish County Jail on Sunday night. He had been charged with five counts of aggravated murder, and could have faced the death penalty if found guilty. Authorities have not yet determined the cause of death. According to investigators, Cetin shot five shoppers at a Macy's department store after first trying to enter through the backdoor of a nearby cinema. The shooting spree at the Cascade shopping mall occurred less than three hours after he had sat down for dinner with his stepfather. Surveillance footage from inside the mall shows the suspect opening fire on four woman and one man as they browsed the store. Police say Cetin was inside the mall for less than one minute before he fled the store, leaving the .22 calibre rifle, which police say had been stolen from Cetin's stepfather, on a counter in the cosmetics department. He was arrested about 30 hours later as he walked near to his apartment in Oak Harbor, Washington, according to local media. Prosecutors said he confessed to the shootings, but that he did not reveal a motive. The victims - Sarai Lara, Shayla Martin, Belinda Galde, Beatrice Dotson, and Wilton Eagan - ranged in ages from 16 to 95 years old. Court records show that one year before the shooting Cetin was ordered by a judge to receive mental health treatment after a violent altercation with family members. After attempting suicide, he was involuntarily committed to a mental hospital. He had been identified by doctors at the time of having a serious risk of self-harm, and had been receiving court-mandated mental health counselling in the months before the shooting. Cetin was born in Turkey, but had lived in the US since the age of six.", "summary": "A man accused of killing five people at a shopping mall in Washington state has been found hanging inside his prison cell, say officials."}
{"article": "A delegation was sent to the remote Wa region in Shan state, which borders China, said the Kyemon Daily newspaper. The military and the United Wa State Army (UWSA) agreed to hold regular meetings and withdraw to positions they occupied before a recent stand-off. The move came as part of a government effort to reach agreements with all the country's ethnic groups. For decades, Burma, also known as Myanmar, has faced rebellions from several minority groups, seeking autonomy. The UWSA is believed to be the largest, with a fighting force numbering as many as 30,000. It reached an agreement once before with the former military regime in 1989, but recently tensions flared after the Burmese military surrounded Wa territory. The UWSA is said to be equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry. China reportedly supplied combat helicopters to the group, a report by UK-based intelligence monitor Jane's Information Group said last May. The Wa region was singled out by the international community for its involvement in huge drug problems in the region. Under intense international pressure, especially from China, the UWSA banned opium cultivation in 2005. Burma is the second largest opium grower in the world after Afghanistan, according to UN reports. Almost all of the opium it produces is grown in Shan and Kachin states. President Thein Sein's government has embarked on a series of reforms to find a solution to the problem, Ceasefires and political opening up mean international organisations such as the UN will have better access to areas that were previously considered no-go areas. Burma signed ceasefire agreements with the Karen and Kachin rebel groups earlier this year.", "summary": "Burma's government and rebels from the ethnic Wa guerrilla group have reached a peace deal, state media has reported."}
{"article": "The nationally televised event, billed as the world's largest short festival, had been running for more than two decades. Tropfest founder John Polson described the situation as a \"disaster\" and said in a statement that he was devastated. He told Fairfax there was a financial discrepancy \"well into six figures\". \"It's terrible for anybody who cares about Australian film and certainly the grassroots, emerging end of Australian film because, right now, our future is up in the air,\" Mr Polson said. \"It's like being in a bad dream. This is 23 years of work. It's a stunning, shocking blow, with really no hint of what was to come.\"", "summary": "Australia's long-running Tropfest film festival has been cancelled less than a month out from its scheduled date due to financial problems."}
{"article": "She was best known for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars series. Stars Wars' creator George Lucas said: \"She was our great and powerful princess. She will be missed by all.\" \"Thank you Carrie Fisher for all that you've given us,\" tweeted the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts. Her fellow Star Wars actor Mark Hamill called the news \"downright heartbreaking,\" adding \"Carrie was one-of-a-kind who belonged to us all - whether she liked it or not\". In New York, fans Eric and Elizabeth McCabe spoke of their shock at the news. \"She's a hero and will always be remembered as such,\" said Elizabeth McCabe. \"We grew up watching Star Wars and actually she looked pretty good in the last movie. We didn't realise that her health was so bad. It's really upsetting,\" added Eric. Carrie Fisher's mother, the actress Debbie Reynolds, wrote on her Facebook page: \"Thank you to everyone who has embraced the gifts and talents of my beloved and amazing daughter. I am grateful for your thoughts and prayers that are now guiding her to her next stop.\" Star Wars co-star Harrison Ford described Fisher as \"brilliant, original, funny and emotionally fearless\". Fisher's ex-husband, singer Paul Simon added: \"Yesterday was a horrible day. Carrie was a special, wonderful girl. It's too soon.\" Writer and actress Sharon Horgan, who cast Fisher as a cantankerous mother-in-law in the hit comedy series Catastrophe also expressed her sorrow at Fisher's death, calling her \"fun, gifted, smart, kind, funny, funny, funny\". Speaking to BBC Breakfast, actor Warwick Davis - who played Wicket the Ewok opposite Fisher in Return of the Jedi - called her \"a funny, warm person... who was very unaffected by fame\". Davis, who was just 12 when he played the role, added Fisher \"had no airs and graces, I never saw her wanting to be treated like a celebrity.\" Fans of the actress have been sharing stories with the BBC about meeting her, including John Moore, who remembers discussing mental health problems which she has admitted suffering. \"She has inspired me by teaching me that just because you're a little broken or a little different you can still be an inspiration and shine like she did. She was honest about her health issues and was just herself. \"She taught me to not feel embarrassed or a lesser person just because you sometimes struggle to get through the day. Her death has hit me hard but it also makes me feel so proud to have been like her, different.\" The fans' princess Fisher had been on tour promoting her latest book, The Princess Diarist, when she was taken ill as her flight back from London neared Los Angeles last Friday. In a statement released on behalf of Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd, spokesman Simon Halls said: \"It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8.55 (16:55 GMT) this morning [Tuesday].\" The daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher made her film debut opposite Warren Beatty", "summary": "The film industry and fans around the world have been paying tribute to the US actress and author Carrie Fisher, who has died aged 60 after a cardiac arrest."}
{"article": "The first attack targeted a police station in the eastern city of Van, killing one police officer and two civilians. Some 73 people were hurt. Hours later, a police station in Elazig was hit, killing at least three police officers and wounding 146 people. Turkish officials blamed the Kurdish militant group, the PKK. The PKK has carried a series of bombings targeting the police in the largely Kurdish south-east since a ceasefire with the government broke down last year. Television footage showed plumes of smoke rising above the destroyed police building in Elazig. The force of the blast blew out nearby cars, uprooted trees and left a large crater outside the building. At least eight people were killed in two attacks on police vehicles in nearby Diyarbakir and Kiziltepe last week. Since last month's failed coup in Turkey, there has been much talk of national unity. But this has not included the pro-Kurdish political party which the Turkish authorities say supports the PKK, reports the BBC's Turkey correspondent Mark Lowen. The pro-Kurdish HDP denies any link to the militants.", "summary": "Two big car bombs have hit police stations in separate cities in Turkey, killing six people and wounding at least 219 others."}
{"article": "Downing, who had only been offered a one-year deal by the Saddlers, made 183 appearances for the club following his release by West Brom in August 2012. The 24-year-old centre-back has also previously been out on loan at Hereford United, Shrewsbury Town and Barnet. \"I've always liked Paul as a player,\" said Dons boss Karl Robinson. The transfer will officially be completed once Downing's existing Walsall deal expires on Thursday. Downing was one of three out-of-contract mainstays from last season's beaten League One play-off semi-finalists to leave the club, having turned down their respective offers. Jason Demetriou signed last week for another League One side Southend, while Romaine Sawyers, remains linked with former Saddlers boss Dean Smith at Championship side Brentford. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "MK Dons have signed defender Paul Downing on a two-year deal after he rejected a new contract offer from League One rivals Walsall."}
{"article": "Almost 90 jobs were at risk after bus operator First Scotland East announced it was withdrawing services in East Lothian. In May 2016, First Group revealed plans to stop bus operations in the area from 14 August 2016. It also proposed closing its depots in North Berwick and Musselburgh. The firm had blamed \"an increasingly competitive market\". An agreement has now been reached which will see East Coast Buses Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lothian Buses Ltd, buy the Musselburgh and North Berwick depots with all staff having the option to be transferred. The buyer has also announced plans to improve services and increase the number of vehicles. Richard Hall, managing director of Lothian Buses, said: \"We are pleased to be in a position to take on and continue providing these vital services and be part of the local economy.\" Paul McGowan, managing director of First Scotland East Ltd, said: \"I'd like to thank all my colleagues in East Lothian for their hard work and loyalty over the years.\" He added: \"We will be fully supporting them as they transfer to their new employer.\"", "summary": "Threatened East Lothian bus services and jobs have been saved as part of a new takeover package from Lothian Buses Ltd."}
{"article": "He has longer to wait. People in Sunderland don't always do as they are told; before the vote on Britain's membership of the European Union, the Nissan chief executive urged people to vote to remain, stressing the advantages to Nissan, the region's biggest employer, of staying in the single market. They ignored him, with just under two-thirds of the Sunderland electorate voting to leave. Paul Watson, Labour and Co-operative leader of the city council since 2008, says people value Nissan's contribution to the local economy - it is the region's largest employer, providing work for 7,000 people - but that Sunderland is used to the vagaries of the world economy having big effects at home. The coal industry here powered the empire, employing hundreds of thousands to work the Durham field in scores of pits. The industry still shapes the local culture; Washington, the new town beside the Nissan plant, remains in reality an amalgamation of about a dozen pit villages, where people still identify with their immediate area rather than the wider north east. When the pits closed in the 1980s - a victim of high costs relative to imported coal and a protracted battle for supremacy between mining unions and the Thatcher government - people learned the hard way that the tide of global commerce can go out quickly. In Washington, they do not bemoan the loss of the pits themselves, as they brought their own horrible legacy of occupational diseases, but they rue the lack of something to replace them. Shipbuilding was Sunderland's other great loss. At one stage the River Wear, which divides the city, could boast that it accounted for one-quarter of the world's new ships. Only 50 years ago it was still an international force, but now there are few signs the industry ever existed. Mr Watson says the real dark days for Sunderland - the 1980s, when the town reeled under the combined closures of pits and shipyards - are now behind it. The economy has been reinvented, with call centres, Nissan and now a burgeoning tech scene picking up the slack. \"The big monolithic industries have gone,\" said Mr Watson, who once worked in a shipyard, \"but other things have come in. It is about having a strategy, and our strategy is simply to make Sunderland prosperous.\" At Sunderland Software City, a tech hub that would not be out of place in London's Silicon Roundabout, part of that vision is coming true. There are special effects firms, web designers and games makers. David Van der Velde, managing director of Consult and Design, a digital agency based in the centre, says people in the North East have a natural inventiveness that lends itself to technology companies. \"Sunderland has always been a place where people make things, people are inventive. We've moved from making things out of steel to making things out of software, but we're still making things\"", "summary": "When Carlos Ghosn made his not-very-veiled threat about the future of the giant Nissan plant in Sunderland last week, he might have thought locals would have quailed and rallied to his cause."}
{"article": "Staff were informed of the development on Friday by chief executive officer Thomas Mayer, a source told BBC Sport. Administrators FRP said there was \"a very limited window of opportunity\" to save the team before the start of the 2017 season in Australia on 26 March. FRP said it was \"assessing options\" and that the process affected Manor's operating company Just Racing Services. Manor Grand Prix Racing, which owns the rights to the team's participation in F1, is not in administration. Team owner Stephen Fitzpatrick said in a note to staff: \"It was imperative that the team finish in 10th place or better in 2016.\" Manor, who finished 11th and last in the championship last season, have been in talks with new investors but so far no deal has been concluded. Administrator Geoff Rowley said: \"The team has made significant progress since the start of 2015, but the position remains that operating a F1 team requires significant ongoing investment. \"The senior management team has worked tirelessly to bring new investment, but regrettably has been unable to do so within the time available. \"Therefore, they have been left with no alternative but to place [Manor Racing] into administration.\" A source said several buyers had been lined up over the past few weeks and two had gone as far as conducting a due diligence process. But none of them provided the funds necessary to buy the team, nor was there any proof they had the money to run it. Fitzpatrick, the boss of the energy company Ovo, decided to put the team into administration on Thursday night. FRP were also appointed the last time the team were in administration over the winter of 2014/15, after they collapsed with debts of \u00a335m. At the time, they were known as Marussia, and were reconstituted under their original name of Manor when Fitzpatrick bought them at the 11th hour just before the 2015 season. Manor, who are based in Banbury in Oxfordshire, suffered a blow at the end of last season when Sauber moved ahead of them into 10th place in the constructors' championship thanks to the ninth place achieved by Felipe Nasr at the penultimate race of the year in Brazil. \"For much of the season we were on track,\" said Fitzpatrick. \"But the dramatic race in Brazil ended our hopes of [finishing 10th] and ultimately brought into doubt the team's ability to race in 2017. \"We made a huge amount of progress on and off track but ultimately it was not enough.\" That cost Manor in the region of \u00a310m in prize money - income they needed to survive into the new season - and the loss of it has made potential drivers and their backers reluctant to commit funds to the team, sources said. Fitzpatrick said at the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi that the loss of income was \"not a deal-breaker\" in the talks he was having with new investors. But there had been no further news from the team until Friday's development.", "summary": "Manor Racing have gone into administration and will collapse without new investment."}
{"article": "The human body is teeming with thousands of species of microbes that affect health. A study showed that transplanting gut bacteria from obese people into mice led to the animals gaining weight, while bacteria from lean people kept them slim. The findings were published in Science. Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine, Missouri, took gut bacteria from pairs of twins - one obese, one thin. The bacteria were then put into mice which had grown up in completely sterile environments and had no gut bacteria of their own. Mice with the obese twin's bacteria became heavier and put on more fat than mice given bacteria from a lean twin - and it was not down to the amount of food being eaten. There were differences in the number and types of bacteria species from the lean and obese twin. Overall it seemed those from a lean twin were better at breaking down fibre into short-chain fatty acids. It meant the body was taking up more energy from the gut, but the chemicals were preventing fatty tissue from building up and increased the amount of energy being burned. One of the researchers, Prof Jeffrey Gordon, told the BBC's Science in Action programme: \"We don't dine alone, we dine with trillions of friends - we have to consider the microbes which live in our gut.\" However, the diet was also important for creating the right conditions for the lean twin's bacteria to flourish. A bacterial obesity therapy seems unlikely to work alongside a a diet of greasy burgers. Think you're all human? You may need to think again. For every cell that makes up the human body there are 10 bacteria living on and in it. This diversity of life is called the microbiome and it is no surprise that it affects our health. There have even been some patients who have had faecal transplants in an attempt to change the nature of their gut bacteria. Patients with C. difficile infections have an imbalance of bacteria which antibiotics sometimes fail to treat. Some medical reports suggest that samples taken from a healthy gut and piped into the patient can cure the infection. How big an impact adjusting the microbiome could have on our lives is still debated, but it is an exciting field of research. Do faecal transplants have a medical role? First census of bugs living on us Keeping both sets of mice in the same cage kept them both lean if they were fed a low-fat, high-fibre diet. Mice are coprophagic, meaning they eat each other's droppings, and the lean twin's bacteria were passed into the mice which started with bacteria that should have made them obese. However, a high-fat, low-fibre diet meant the mice still piled on the pounds. A human obesity treatment is unlikely to use transplants of thousands of species of bacteria from lean people's guts as it carries the risk of also transferring infectious diseases. Instead a search for the exact mix of bacteria which benefit weight - and the right foods to promote their growth", "summary": "Bacteria living in our guts seem to be affecting our waistlines and harnessing them could lead to new ways of shedding the pounds, US research suggests."}
{"article": "For the half year to 30 September, lending was up 14% to \u00c2\u00a314.9bn, and profits rose to \u00c2\u00a3802m However, it said that it expected \"downward pressure\" on its profit margins in its second half and next year due to \"robust\" competition. It added that incoming chief executive Joe Garner will take up his position in the spring. \"This has been our best ever half year of mortgage lending along with a strong inflow of savings and the opening of over a quarter of a million new current accounts,\" said chief executive Graham Beale. \"Mutuals, like Nationwide, are different from the banks... Nationwide is evidence that you can be successful by doing the right thing,\" he added. The building society said in its outlook that healthy employment growth and \"robust demand from investors\" - including buy to let - had driven up prices, especially in London. But it warned that \"such outperformance is unlikely to be sustained over the long term, given that key measures of affordability are already stretched\".", "summary": "Nationwide has reported a record amount of mortgage lending for a six-month period and a 34% rise in profits."}
{"article": "Eddie Jones' side go into the Six Nations match looking to equal New Zealand's world record of 18 straight Test victories. However, Cotter says Scotland have enough attacking threats in their ranks to take the game to England. \"The players are keen when they get their hands on the ball to express themselves at Twickenham,\" said Cotter. \"I think that's a good attitude to have and attitude will determine a big part of the game. \"We know when we defend we'll have to defend resolutely.\" Scotland sit third in the Six Nations table, having registered wins over Ireland and Wales either side of a narrow defeat by France in Paris. The Scots, though, have not beaten England since 2008 and have the unenviable record of not winning at Twickenham since 1983. Hamish Watson replaces the injured John Hardie in Scotland's only change from the win over Wales. England have named the returning Billy Vunipola on the bench for Saturday's match, and Cotter admits the powerful Saracens number eight is just one of many strong options Jones can call upon late in the game. \"They [England] have a formula that is working well for them,\" said Cotter, who will be replaced by Gregor Townsend as head coach at the end of the season. \"They have a bench that is coming on and finishing games off in the last 10 minutes. It's something we're aware of. \"I think they'll comfortably move through the gears as the game goes on and finish in top speed and we've got to stay with them. \"We know more or less what's coming and it's just a matter of withstanding that.\" Jones suggested in the aftermath of England's win over Italy that Scotland would be under increased pressure going into the Calcutta Cup match, with expectations raised among supporters after the wins over Ireland and Wales. \"Coaches have different characters and styles,\" added Cotter. \"That's his and everybody has their own. \"I think Eddie's good fun, he's good company. I like having a chat with him outside of the game and in the game we both like to compete as best we can. \"Our players know they're going to have to give their best performance. During that 80 minutes we'll have to string together a number of excellent plays in attack and defence and to think clearly to get them to start adapting to our play. \"It hasn't been discussed a lot within the team, the Calcutta Cup, Triple Crown, nothing. All that has been discussed is content of the game and getting the content right. That's all this team is doing. Nothing else is being applied or talked about.\"", "summary": "Head coach Vern Cotter insists Scotland are not going to Twickenham to merely try to contain England."}
{"article": "A BBC investigation has uncovered the two men staging \"Botox parties\" in homes and beauty salons for people desperate to banish wrinkles. While they were once registered nurses, both have been ordered to stop practising - making it illegal for them to prescribe medicine. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is investigating the BBC's findings. The appeal of Botox parties is that procedures costing upwards of \u00c2\u00a3400 can be half the price - with the organiser often given a free treatment. Updates on this and more stories from Herefordshire & Worcestershire But clients of one man, Jonathan Henk, who calls himself \"Jonny Botox\", have claimed they were left in severe pain. Mr Henk, 50, describes himself as a nurse of 26 years, but was struck off by the NMC in 2012 for having sex with a mental health patient without her consent. He is now prescribing Botox to people for \u00c2\u00a3200 a time - something that should only be done by registered practitioners. An undercover reporter filmed him at a Botox party at a house in Wolverhampton, where he injected three women. Mr Henk offered to give our reporter as much Botox as required. Wearing gloves and taking the syringe from a flask, he prepared to inject her before she told him she had changed her mind. Diane Roberts, 52, was a patient of Mr Henk's - but she says she was left with severe headaches after being injected with a substance that did not alter her appearance. \"It felt like someone had put an axe in the middle of my head. It was horrible,\" she said. \"I'm concerned as to what was being injected because I thought that Botox had an instant effect.\" Botulinum toxin is a prescription-only medicine meaning it is regulated by legislation. It can only be prescribed by a doctor, dentist or nurse in a specific patient's name - and can only be used for that patient. Once a prescription has been written, the Botox is purchased and dispensed from a pharmacy. It is not illegal for an untrained person to inject Botox - but the Royal College of Surgeons said laws should be tightened to ensure only those with proper training administer it. Health Education England has published two reports with guidelines on the qualifications individuals should have - but no new laws have yet been passed. James Kearsey advertises his services via Facebook on the page Estetica Cosmetics, and also describes himself as a nurse. But in November 2015 he was suspended by the NMC after hiding a conviction for assault from his bosses at Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley. Mr Kearsey agreed to a consultation at his home in Stourbridge, where he told our reporter he was a nurse consultant - \"the same level as a doctor\" - and that he makes thousands of pounds training others. He sterilised her forehead and prepared to inject her before she told him she felt sick and left. When later approached by our reporter as he attended a clinic in Blackpool, Mr Kearsey said \"no comment\" and ran away.", "summary": "Two disgraced nurses are making thousands of pounds a week illegally prescribing Botox to patients."}
{"article": "Poppy is one of more than 45,000 children in the UK for whom being deaf is a part of everyday life. The 14-year-old, who is profoundly deaf, says the yellow Labrador has increased her confidence and helps her sleep at night. She is one of 27 children in the UK to have been given a hearing dog by the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. It was not until Poppy was nine years old that civil engineer Richard and housewife Rebecca noticed small changes in their daughter's behaviour which concerned them. \"She was turning the volume up on the TV,\" said Rebecca. \"When she was in the car she wouldn't hear me when I was talking to her, even though her brothers and sister could hear in the back.\" Concerned, they had Poppy, from Cwmbran, Torfaen, referred to an audiologist who was shocked to discover the schoolgirl was profoundly deaf and could barely hear a thing, but had been covering this up by lip-reading. Despite her acute deafness there was no affect on her schoolwork so the early signs had not been noticed. Rebecca said: \"What we realised when she was diagnosed was that she had become quite proficient in lip reading, which was how she had managed to wing her way through school. No-one had noticed as there was no change in her schoolwork.\" She was diagnosed with the rare disease Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome type 1. Although she was given hearing aids to wear in each ear, she became withdrawn and lacked confidence both socialising and doing little things like going to the shops. She had trouble getting to sleep at night as she could not wear hearing aids, which meant should could not hear anything at all and was constantly on edge about someone coming into her room. Poppy struggled by for three years feeling more and more isolated until her mother found out about hearing dogs, who help deaf people in a similar way to guide dogs. There are 850 deaf people, mostly adults, partnered with dogs in the UK. Because of her profound deafness, Poppy was the first child to be partnered with a hearing dog in Wales. The dog was named Tanni after Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson and one of just 12 given out that year. Source: Hearing Dogs for Deaf People A year on and Poppy says Tanni has changed her life. \"Having her has built my confidence,\" said Poppy. \"She gives me more independence. Before when my mum went out I would be left at home, now I can go with her and go into shops. Before I was very reluctant to go into a shop and pay by myself. I was worried as they wouldn't know I was deaf, but now they can see from Tanni that they need to speak clearly as she wears a special harness when we're out. \"Another good thing is that people ask questions about Tanni and I feel happy talking about her. It has made me more confident answering questions in general. \"I have got a best friend.\"", "summary": "A schoolgirl has become the first child in Wales to be given an official hearing dog."}
{"article": "Cook (65) started strongly alongside opener Nick Browne (60) as the hosts passed a century for the first wicket. Tom Westley hit a fluent 64 before he was bowled by Ben Sanderson (2-79), who earlier had dismissed Browne. Ravi Bopara (57 not out) and Dan Lawrence (44 not out) saw Essex to 335-3 at stumps. Northants also conceded 45 extras, including 28 no-balls.", "summary": "England captain Alastair Cook continued his fine start to the season with a half-century as Essex took control of the first day against Northamptonshire."}
{"article": "16 January 2016 Last updated at 09:12 GMT Many travel great distances in search of a better life in Europe and some end up living in a makeshift camp in Calais in France hoping to make their way to the UK. Now the French government have asked them to leave parts of the camp that are close to a motorway. Watch this report from BBC Reporter Simon Jones.", "summary": "Migrants and refugees have been leaving their homes in places like Syria and Afghanistan, where there is fighting, in big numbers over the last year."}
{"article": "The news comes on the day that the ASA upheld a complaint by Morrisons that three Aldi adverts were misleading. But Morrisons said that despite Wednesday's ruling, Aldi had launched another similar price comparison advert which was just as unfair. Aldi said in response to the new complaint that it believes its new advert fully complies with ASA rules. Morrisons latest complaint is about a price comparison TV advert tied to the Euro 2016 football competition. \"It's clear they haven't changed their ways,\" a Morrisons spokesman said. On Wednesday, the ASA ruled that two Aldi TV adverts and one press ad that claimed consumers could make significant savings were misleading. One TV ad claimed a \u00c2\u00a370 Aldi shop would cost \u00c2\u00a398 at the \"big four\" supermarkets. Morrisons and two members of the public complained the adverts did not make it clear Aldi's own-brand products were being compared with branded products. However Aldi, said comparative advertising was a \"well-established principle\". The German discount supermarket chain said consumers were likely to interpret the comparison as intended - the branded and fresh products from Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons shown versus the Aldi products shown. The ASA said: \"We acknowledged that Aldi stated they had not intended the comparisons to represent a 'typical' weekly shop, but to be a comparison between the pictured products only. \"Nonetheless, we considered that was how consumers would interpret the adverts rather than as a representation of the savings which could be made by switching from a largely branded shop to shopping in Aldi, and therefore assessed them on that basis.\" Aldi's UK and Ireland chief executive Matthew Barnes said it was \"extremely disappointed\" with the \"ambiguous and inconsistent\" decision. \"The use of comparative advertising is a well-established principle and is firmly in the interests of consumers and encourages competition between retailers,\" he said.", "summary": "Supermarket Morrisons is to make a new complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority about discount chain Aldi."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old midfielder signed a two-year deal in 2015 after leaving Derby County. \"It's been a long time coming but it's signed and sealed,\" he said. \"I'm delighted. I just want to play as much as I can and try to get this club as high as they can as well. Hopefully we will stay in the league.\" The Brewers are 18th in the table, four points above the relegation zone.", "summary": "Midfielder Tom Naylor has signed a one-year extension to his Burton Albion contract which will keep him at the Championship side until June 2018."}
{"article": "Chief Muktar Otieno was seized early on Thursday morning on the road to Mandera town, close to the border between Kenya and Somalia. Assistant chief Abdinoor Dakane told the BBC that Mr Otieno was tied to a tree and shot dead by the militants, after locals failed to pay a ransom. Al-Shabab has staged a series of attacks in Kenya in recent years. Kenyan troops are part of the African Union mission battling the Islamist militants in Somalia. Al-Shabab has not yet commented on Mr Otieno's killing. How Garissa has changed Kenya Kenya failings drive al-Shabab recruitment Who are Somalia's al-Shabab? Meanwhile, Kenya has extended an amnesty for al-Shabab militants to hand themselves in by a further 14 days. When making the announcement, Interior Minister Joseph Nkaissery said some people had already taken advantage of the amnesty but declined to say how many. Mr Otieno was abducted happened 10 km (five miles) from the place where al-Shabab gunmen killed 28 people travelling on a bus in Mandera county last November. According to the assistant chief, who witnessed Mr Otieno's abduction, a group of local elders managed to track down the assailants to a town on the Kenyan-Somali border. The group pleaded with the militants to release the chief, but when they failed to pay a ransom of 4m Kenyan shillings ($42,000; \u00c2\u00a328,000), Mr Otieno was shot dead in front of the clan elders, he told the BBC Somali service. Mr Dakane told the BBC that he was now resigning from his position as assistant chief of Arabia ward because he feared for his life. There has been no official comment yet from the Kenyan authorities. The killing comes at a time of heightened tension over security in Kenya, after Islamist al-Shabab fighters killed 148 people, mainly students, during an attack on a university in Garissa earlier this month.", "summary": "Suspected al-Shabab militants have abducted and killed a traditional chief in northern Kenya, a local elder says."}
{"article": "The 49-year-old Portuguese replaces Stuart Gray, who parted company with the Championship side on 11 June after 18 months in charge at Hillsborough. Carvalhal has managed extensively in Portugal and also had a spell in charge of Turkish club Besiktas. \"I firmly believe that this appointment will take our team and our club to the next level,\" said Owls chairman Dejphon Chansiri, who took over in March. BBC Radio Sheffield says Wednesday want Swindon Town boss Mark Cooper to assist Carvalhal, who will be formally unveiled on Thursday and takes over a side that finished 13th in the second tier last season. Wednesday have not been in the top flight since being relegated in 1999-2000 and Chansiri has targeted promotion in the next two seasons. \"It is important for our supporters that they watch their team play attractive, aggressive and entertaining football,\" he added on the club's website. \"Carlos buys in completely to this philosophy and I am confident that his experience, knowledge and ability will herald the start of a successful new era for Sheffield Wednesday.\" Cooper, 46, has been in charge of Swindon for the last two seasons and led them to the League One play-off final last season. Joao Mario, Joao Cunha and Bruno Lage have already been named among Carvalhal's backroom staff.", "summary": "Sheffield Wednesday have named Carlos Carvalhal as the club's new head coach."}
{"article": "Computers were rendered unusable and business ground to a halt during the hack at the Townsend Business Centre earlier this month. Locked screens displayed a sinister message demanding three 'bitcoins' in return for the safety of some files. But the centre's CEO, Maragret McMahon, said they had a \"lucky escape\". \"We refused to pay the money, which we have been told would equal about \u00c2\u00a313,000 and reported the hack to the police,\" Ms McMahon said. Bitcoin is a crypto-currency - a system of digitally created and traded tokens to which value is assigned. Computers have to solve cryptographic problems in order to add blocks to the blockchain - a ledger that records every transaction that has ever occurred with Bitcoin. In return, those computers receive bitcoins in a process known as bitcoin \"mining\". Users have a \"bitcoin address\", to which bitcoins may be sent or from which they may be used. Addresses are stored online in wallets that function like bank accounts. Although most people refer to Bitcoin as a currency, it is worth noting that for regulatory reasons many countries - including the United States - have decided to define it as a commodity instead. \"Thankfully we were able to recover almost all of the information lost and our servers were restored within three days. \"The important thing to note is that we didn't have any specific vulnerabilities, but these criminals are incredibly intelligent. \"They could have been round the corner in Belfast or they could have been in Taiwan - we just don't know.\" The business centre became aware of the hack on Wednesday 5th October and reported it to police who were able to advise what to do next. David Crozier, from Queen's University's Centre for Secure Information Technologies, said these kinds of attacks are \"increasingly common\". \"Cyber criminals often demand to be paid in bitcoin as they believe it is an anonymous means by which they can be paid - but they are wrong,\" he said. \"Lots of people wouldn't think twice about buying physical security for their building such as alarms and heavy gates - but they are leaving themselves exposed to criminals online by not having the correct protection. \"We believe many of these crimes are going unreported and businesses are simply paying up - this is absolutely the wrong thing to do because the hackers will keep coming back for more. \"Our advice is to act just as the Townsend centre did and make the PSNI aware.\" The PSNI have said that an investigation is underway after the ransomware demand. Det Chief Insp Dougie Grant, from the PSNI's Cyber Centre, said: \"We have received a significant number of reports in relation to this type of cyber crime in recent months which is reflective of what is going on nationally and internationally and I would encourage anyone who is a victim to contact police as soon as possible.\"", "summary": "The CEO of a Belfast business centre has issued a stark warning to other businesses after being \"held to ransom\" by cyber criminals."}
{"article": "The Magpies have lost five league games in a row and are only four points above the relegation zone. Crossley told BBC Radio Nottingham: \"If Notts County were without a manager and looking for someone to get them out of it, John would be an automatic choice.\" Sheridan, 52, and Crossley, 47, joined Notts prior to the start of the season. \"I know the chairman is really eager for us to do well,\" added former Nottingham Forest keeper Crossley. \"He has been brilliant with and he still thinks we are the right people to turn it around. We can ask no more from him. He is with us and by us. \"But we're realistic. We have lost five on the bounce and this is a results-based industry. \"We know what we have to do and as far as we are concerned we will do it. But we need more from the players.\" Crossley said the club had \"targets\" and were looking to bring in players in the January transfer window as they look to get through a \"sticky period\". \"Things have to change. We realise that and they will change in January,\" he said. \"There is only way to get through this and that is by everyone working hard every single day and eventually it will turn.\"", "summary": "Assistant manager Mark Crossley says boss John Sheridan has the backing of chairman Ray Trew, despite Notts County slipping to 20th place in League Two."}
{"article": "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described him as \"a great man of the world\", as he led the eulogies. US President Barack Obama said the presence of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at the funeral was a reminder of the \"unfinished business of peace\". Mr Abbas was among dozens of foreign dignitaries attending in Jerusalem. Security was intensified ahead of the ceremony, with several people arrested. Delivering an emotional address, Mr Netanyahu said that while Israel and the world grieved for Mr Peres there was hope in his legacy. \"Shimon lived a life of purpose,\" he told thousands gathered at Jerusalem's Mount Herzl cemetery. \"He soared to incredible heights. He swept so many with his vision and his hope. He was a great man of Israel. \"He was a great man of the world.\" Former US President Bill Clinton, who helped negotiate the Oslo peace accords between Israel and the Palestinians in the 1990s, said he was Israel's \"biggest dreamer\". \"He imagined all the things the rest of us could do. He started life as Israel's brightest student, became its best teacher and ended up its biggest dreamer.'' US President Barack Obama closed the eulogies, comparing Mr Peres to \"some of the other giants of the 20th Century that I've had the honour to meet, like Nelson Mandela and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth\". Mr Peres, he said, believed in equality for Palestinians. \"Even in the face of terrorist attacks, even after repeated disappointments at the negotiation table, he insisted that as human beings Palestinians must be seen as equal in dignity to Jews and must therefore be equal in self determination.\" On Mount Herzl where evergreen trees shaded the dusty walkways from the late-summer sunshine, an extraordinary congregation assembled to say goodbye to Shimon Peres. You could have worked out that it was his funeral from the guest list alone - Prince Charles and Barack Obama, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. It's hard to imagine any other leader being mourned in quite the same way. Israel said goodbye to the last of its founding generation and global diplomacy mourned a lost star, but the children of Shimon Peres grieved a father and spoke of him with elegance and simplicity. And Mr Peres remained in command to the end, choosing his own funeral music. It was a setting of an old prayer he remembered his grandfather singing to him in the pre-war Poland of the 1920s. Elegant and mournful, it played at the end of the old president's long journey, as it had played at the start. Mixed reaction to Peres' legacy in world media Long legacy of Israel's elder statesman Obituary: Shimon Peres, Israeli founding father Before the ceremony began, Mr Abbas was seen shaking hands and speaking briefly with Mr Netanyahu. The last substantial public meeting between the two leaders was in 2010, with peace efforts completely suspended since April 2014. Hamas, the hardline Palestinian group that runs Gaza, condemned Mr Abbas's decision to attend the ceremony. Jordan and Egypt - the only two Arab countries to have", "summary": "World leaders have hailed the vision of the late Israeli leader, Shimon Peres, as he was laid to rest days after his death at the age of 93."}
{"article": "Six people, including the former HBOS bankers, were found guilty of a scam involving fraudulent loans. The bank has been under pressure to pay compensation after it was accused of reacting too slowly to complaints from victims of the scheme. The fraud took place before Lloyds Banking Group took ownership of HBOS. \"Customer cases will be considered afresh in light of all relevant evidence including new evidence that emerged during the trial,\" said a Lloyds statement. \"Since the investigation began in 2010, it was important that the group did not do or say anything that could subsequently prejudice the trial. \"The group deeply regrets that the criminal actions have caused such distress for a number of HBOS business customers.\" Former HBOS manager found guilty of corruption and fraud HBOS: A highly unusual fraud case HBOS fraud: \"They caused me to give birth early\" Ex-HBOS banker \"sold his soul for swag\" The statement explained that Lloyds would appoint an independent third party as part of the review and would agree the individual outcomes with it. It added: \"Lloyds Banking Group will contact all those customers they have identified as potentially affected by the criminal activities and provide redress if appropriate. \"Whilst this should result in all these customers being contacted proactively, any customer who believes they may have been affected can also raise concerns direct with LBG.\" Some of the victims lost their companies, livelihoods and even their homes because of the scam. Paul and Nikki Turner, from Cambridge, tried to report what was going on after their publishing company, Zenith, was run into the ground by the scammers. They said they have had to fight hard for 10 years to have the fraud recognised. Sources close to the investigation say the total value of the fraud may be close to \u00c2\u00a31bn. \"A number of us have already started actions against the bank and that will continue,\" said Joanne Dove, a member of HBOS Reading Action Group, who are former customers of the bank. Ms Dove lost millions through her nappy service firm as a result of the fraud. \"It would have been far better for the bank to admit a fraud had occurred, accept responsibility and then negotiate with the victims rather than appoint a needless third party consultant which will incur more expense, borne by LBG's shareholders and will possibly lead to extensive delays in agreeing compensation.\"", "summary": "Lloyds Banking Group, owner of HBOS, is going to review the cases of customers affected by a fraud involving two ex-employees, who were jailed last week."}
{"article": "The ex-Newcastle and Spurs midfielder failed to secure the backing of five football associations, a requirement for standing in the election to head football's world governing body. \"Unfortunately I will not be able to continue with my Fifa presidential candidacy,\" 47-year-old Ginola said. Current president Blatter, 78, is bidding for a fifth term in office. Dutch football chief Michael van Praag and former world player of the year and Barcelona winger Luis Figo have already named their five backers. The Football Association has declared its support for Asian federation member Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein. Prince Ali has said he has the required support for the vote on 29 May. In order to stand for election, candidates must have also played an active role in football administration in two of the past five years. Ginola's campaign received \u00a3250,000 backing from a leading bookmaker. Among his ideas were for the men's and women's World Cups to be played at the same time. \"Today I have mixed emotions,\" said Ginola. \"There is disappointment, anger but there is also hope. I'm very proud of my campaign and the policies I proposed to reform football. \"If in the coming months and years even one of my ideas is discussed at the highest level then this will be a victory.\"", "summary": "David Ginola has confirmed he will not stand against Sepp Blatter in May's Fifa presidential election."}
{"article": "The 16-year-old was in woodland, between Howitts Lane and Howitts Gardens, in St Neots, at about 17:30 BST, when he came off his bike. He suffered serious injuries to his neck and wind pipe, Cambridgeshire Police said. He was rushed to Addenbrooke's Hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition. Det Con Diane Tomlinson said: \"The young man is in a serious condition in hospital and I would like to speak with anyone who may know why the rope was tied to those trees, or who may have put it there. \"Anyone who uses the area, such as dog walkers, who may have information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, should call police.\"", "summary": "A teenage motorcyclist was seriously injured when he came off his bike after hitting a rope tied between two trees."}
{"article": "London, New York and San Francisco have all announced major drops in the number of reported stolen smartphones since the facilities were added. A kill switch allows an owner of a stolen phone to send a command that blocks it from being accessed or reset until an ID and passcode are entered. Microsoft has yet to add the feature. Apple was first to introduce the measure. It included Activation Lock as an option in its iOS 7 operating system in September 2013. The latest statistics for the two US cities are based on a two-year period running from the start of 2013 to the end of 2014: London presented its numbers slightly differently, comparing the 12 months leading up to October 2013 with the same period the following year. It reported a 40% drop in smartphone thefts and a 38% fall in robberies of smartphones involving violence or the threat of violence. The figures from England's capital also indicate that since Apple introduced its kill switch: The three cities created the Secure Our Smartphones (SOS) initiative in 2013 to pressure smartphone manufacturers and mobile networks to help tackle smartphone thefts, after experiencing spikes in related crime. \"We have made real progress in tackling the smartphone theft epidemic that was affecting many major cities just two years ago,\" said London Mayor Boris Johnson following the latest announcement. San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon added: \"Preventing their own customers from being the target of a violent crime is the coolest technology [the mobile industry] can bring to market.\" The authorities are still pressing for further change. Although Apple made its kill switch the default setting on new iPhones running iOS 8 - meaning users do not need to switch it on, but rather must switch it off if they do not want it - this is not the case for other devices. So, while Google announced in October that its Android Lollipop operating system would introduce an opt-in feature called Factory Reset Protection, it is not currently offered by all handsets running the system. Likewise, Samsung's proprietary Reactivation Lock facility, offered on some of its Galaxy S5 smartphones, must also be turned on manually. The SOS initiative, however, is calling for kill switches to be automatically activated on every mobile device. \"A default solution is imperative because it ensures all device are worthless to thieves,\" a campaign leaders said. Microsoft has promised to incorporate a kill switch into its smartphone version of Windows 10, but has yet to announce when the OS will be released. Smartphone chip maker Qualcomm has also announced a hardware-based kill switch facility, to be called SafeSwitch, that it will offer to manufacturers that use its latest processors. The firm describes this as a \"superior solution\" to others' software-based efforts. But handset-makers have yet to say if they will make the facility available to consumers.", "summary": "The addition of \"kill switch\" anti-theft tools to iPhones and Android handsets appears to be acting as a major deterrent to criminals."}
{"article": "The reigning champions were knocked out after losing 1-0 to Morocco. The Frenchman's decision to resign after 18 months in the job was announced by the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF). The Elephants failed to register a win in Gabon, after draws with Togo and DR Congo and the defeat to the Moroccans. The federation's statement praised Dussuyer's \"professionalism, commitment and human quality\", adding that \"the appropriate measures will be put in place to find his successor\".", "summary": "Michel Dussuyer has stood down as Ivory Coast manager following his team's early elimination at the Africa Cup of Nations."}
{"article": "Taylor, who re-signed on Friday after previously leaving Vale at the end of a short-term deal earlier this term, set up Sam Foley and scored one himself to earn Vale's second straight home win. Louis Dodds netted a consolation for the visitors but there was no way back. Vale remain in the drop zone but are now just two points below Shrewsbury. The hosts, who still have two games in hand on their relegation rivals, scored twice in the space of three minutes as Foley headed in Taylor's corner before the former Newcastle man turned in Kiko's square ball. Former Vale player Dodds' long-range strike was not enough to prevent the visitors losing for a third time in four away games. Match ends, Port Vale 2, Shrewsbury Town 1. Second Half ends, Port Vale 2, Shrewsbury Town 1. Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by Mat Sadler. Nathan Smith (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Aristote Nsiala (Shrewsbury Town). JJ Hooper (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Aristote Nsiala (Shrewsbury Town). Attempt missed. A-Jay Leitch-Smith (Shrewsbury Town) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt missed. Dan Turner (Port Vale) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Substitution, Shrewsbury Town. A-Jay Leitch-Smith replaces Joe Riley. Ryan Taylor (Port Vale) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Ryan Taylor (Port Vale). Louis Dodds (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt saved. Tyler Roberts (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by Sam Kelly (Port Vale). Gary Deegan (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Sam Kelly (Port Vale). Junior Brown (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick on the left wing. Stephen Humphrys (Shrewsbury Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Sam Kelly (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Stephen Humphrys (Shrewsbury Town). Substitution, Port Vale. Sam Kelly replaces Chris Eagles. Foul by Ryan Taylor (Port Vale). Junior Brown (Shrewsbury Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Nathan Smith (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Stephen Humphrys (Shrewsbury Town). Attempt blocked. Tyler Roberts (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is blocked. Corner, Shrewsbury Town. Conceded by Remie Streete. Attempt blocked. Tyler Roberts (Shrewsbury Town) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Corner, Shrewsbury Town. Conceded by Remie Streete. Attempt blocked. Tyler Roberts (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Junior Brown (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Goal! Port Vale 2, Shrewsbury Town 1. Louis Dodds (Shrewsbury Town) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Stephen Humphrys. Corner, Shrewsbury Town. Conceded by William", "summary": "Port Vale boosted their League One survival hopes as a goal and an assist from returning defender Ryan Taylor saw off fellow strugglers Shrewsbury Town."}
{"article": "Hibs were reduced to ten men in the first-half, Marvin Bartley seeing red after kicking out at Bobby Barr. Chances were a rarity in a niggly affair that featured six yellow cards in addition to Bartley's red. Despite dropping points yet again, Hibs go top after Queen of the South's thrashing by Morton. These sides met seven times last season and it appeared that a few feuds had carried over as the first-half was punctuated by niggling challenges and numerous appeals from both sides to referee Steven Finnie. Chances were sparse. Jean-Yves M'voto reacted quickly in the box to deny Grant Holt and Paul Hanlon hit the bar with a diving header from the resultant corner. The talking point of the half came after 38 minutes when Hibs were clearing their lines, Raith conceded a free-kick but Bartley became involved with Barr and kicked out at the Raith player in front of the referee who showed no hesitation in showing a straight red card - Hibs third red in their last four league matches. The half ended with more cards than serious goal chances - Holt, McManus and Thompson all saw in yellow in addition to Bartley's red. Neil Lennon re-jigged the Hibs side after the red card, with an emphasis on the midfielders getting forward quickly to support Holt. Ross Callachan was booked for simulation as he clearly dived seeking a penalty decision as Raith grew frustrated in trying to make their numerical superiority count. Hibs were not prepared to sit back and play for a point. More than once they sent low crosses across the box but could not find the finishing touch. An afternoon that neither manager will view with great fondness, the sense of frustration on the park bled over to the technical area with Gary Locke hoping for more from his side, while Lennon earned a quiet word from referee Finnie. It was a strong performance from Hibs after going down to 10 men and they were not prepared to sit back and play for a point. The Easter Road side were also frustrated by a two penalty claims that the referee waved away. Raith Rovers manager Gary Locke: \"There were a lot of tackles going and a lot of stop-start play, it is hard to get momentum in a game when there are so many fouls. \"The sending-off changed the game and I thought Hibs sat back but were dangerous on the break. \"If we'd just shown a wee bit composure in the final third I thought we could have caused Hibs a lot of problems, which I thought we did early in the game but in the second-half our quality wasn't what it should be.\" Hibernian manager Neil Lennon: \"The referee's performance was frustrating but my team were outstanding. That is the best we have played and was totally the opposite to where we were last week. \"We were on the front foot second-half and our fitness levels were fantastic. It was frustrating not to win the game but we've gone top of the league", "summary": "Hibernian moved top of the Championship despite a draw with Raith Rovers extending their winless run to five matches in all competitions."}
{"article": "More than half of the big commercial satellites that are working up there - the ones that relay our TV, phone calls, and internet traffic - were lofted by Ariane vehicles. But that dominance is now under threat from new launchers that promise to undercut Europe's best on price. America's SpaceX - there's no need to whisper the name - is wooing satellite operators with rides on its Falcon 9, for ticket prices that substantially undercut the Ariane 5. Efforts have been made to push forward with a next-generation European rocket - an Ariane 6 - that could be made much more cheaply. But the concept, which has been studied for the past 18 months, has left most observers flat. More importantly, it has underwhelmed the satellite operators as well, which is why a new concept has now been sprung on the world by Airbus Defence and Space, and Safran - the main players in Ariane production. Andr\u00e9-Hubert Roussel, the head of launchers at Airbus, said they were left with no choice but to react. \"Clearly, there was a strong feedback, which was even given in written form by some commercial operators, that the original design was not fulfilling their needs, in terms of cost, in terms of schedule, and in terms of the risks we would have been taking with what some saw as a kind of disruptive approach, such as a totally new supply chain and a completely new launch pad,\" he told me. Airbus and Safran have actually proposed two new concepts - a \"heavy\" and a \"medium\" -class version of Ariane 6. They call them Ariane 6.1 and Ariane 6.2. The 6.1 would do what Ariane 5 does now - loft the really big telecoms satellites, often two at a time, up to a total payload of 8.5 tonnes. The 6.2 would be used to place spacecraft into what are called Sun-synchronous orbits. These are the low-Earth orbits used by Earth observation missions, and Europe tends to use the Russian Soyuz rocket for this job currently. Ariane 6.2 would replace Soyuz. What is interesting about the new concepts is the degree to which they lean much more heavily on their heritage. \"Our new proposal for Ariane 6 is driven by the desire to serve both institutional and commercial customers at a competitive price,\" explained Mr Roussel. \"This led us quite quickly to the conclusion that we needed, first, a family of launchers with a majority of commonalities, and, second, that this family should leverage the fantastic track record of Ariane 5, and not to introduce disruption that would be very expensive for industry and damage the competence, etc. \"With a family we also get to improve the cadence. In this business, the fixed costs are significant because of the low flight rate. So as soon as you increase the number of launches, you obtain very direct benefits that translate into the price of the launcher.\" Whereas the original Ariane 6 concept would use lower-stages comprising all solid-fuel motors (a big departure from the Ariane 5), the 6.1 and", "summary": "Europe's rocket industry is currently going through something of an epiphany - the realisation that it must adapt, and fast, or simply become irrelevant."}
{"article": "There is growing evidence that wild birds move the disease around the world as they fly thousands of miles to their winter homes. Researchers studied the genetic code of flu viruses in birds from 16 countries infected during the 2014 outbreak. They say bird flu was carried by migrating birds from Asia to Europe and North America via the Arctic. Bird flu is an infectious disease of poultry and wild birds. The strain studied was H5N8, which first appeared in South Korea in early 2014. The virus later spread to Japan, North America and Europe, causing outbreaks at poultry farms between autumn 2014 and spring 2015. \"Bird flu is a major threat to the health and well-being of farmed chickens worldwide,\" said lead researcher Dr Samantha Lycett of the University of Edinburgh. \"Our findings show that with good surveillance, rapid data sharing and collaboration, we can track how infections spread across continents.\" The study suggests that the virus spread along two main migration routes - or flyways - for wild birds: According to international scientists, contact with infected wild birds or materials contaminated with their droppings was the most likely route of transmission. Commenting on the research, Dr Derek Gatherer of the University of Lancaster said H5N8 is the latest in a long line of bird flu outbreaks to cause concern. \"Flyways are the routes that migrating ducks, geese and other wildfowl follow every year from their breeding grounds to their winter retreats,\" he said \"Just as a human airline passenger can spread human flu from continent to continent, each migratory bird that carries bird flu is a potential spread risk to other points along its flyway.\" The study, published in the journal Science, was conducted by the Global Consortium for H5N8 and Related Influenza Viruses. Follow Helen on Twitter @hbriggs.", "summary": "Monitoring birds on their long distance migrations may provide early warning of bird flu outbreaks, say scientists."}
{"article": "It expects net income from continuing operations, excluding goodwill impairment, to increase by about 10% from a previous 7% to 10% target. The firm said its golf business had recovered from a recent slump. Nevertheless, it expects to cut 14% of its TaylorMade-Adidas Golf global workforce by the end of the year. In the third quarter, net income from continuing operations grew 20% to \u00e2\u201a\u00ac337m, while sales grew 13%. The firm reported double-digit sales increases in the US and China, despite an economic slowdown. The company's TaylorMade golf business, which it has said it could consider selling because of the sport's declining popularity, also saw revenues rise 6%, driven by double-digit growth in North America. Adidas said it was continuing to streamline the TaylorMade business and would cut its global staff by 14% by the end of the year, which it said would hit group profitability by a low double-digit million euro amount in the fourth quarter. \"The investments into our brands and a leaner golf organisation will directly fuel next year's top- and bottom-line performance and set us up for sustainable profitability improvements from 2016 onwards,\" chief executive Herbert Hainer said in a statement.", "summary": "German sportswear firm Adidas has raised its outlook for full-year sales and profits after better-than-expected results for the third quarter."}
{"article": "Residents of St George's Park in Telford were \"not safe\", at risk of abuse and occasionally left without medicine and adequate food and drink, the government report found. Some bedrooms had not been cleaned properly for a month, it said. Rotherwood Healthcare apologised in a statement to the Shropshire Star. The Care Quality Commission will inspect the home in six months, but if improvements have not been made it faces losing its licence. The home, which cares for 60 people with dementia and nursing needs, was visited in November. Inspectors found a poorly-run home, with staff so hard-pressed residents were left in their beds for hours. \"People were shouting for help from their bedrooms to get out of bed and we had to seek staff members to provide support for these people on a number of occasions,\" inspectors said. \"One person told us, 'you can't put a time on it but I hope I am up before 11am'.\" They found one resident \"visibly in pain\" waiting days for medicine and others had \"appeared to have lost weight\" and \"showed signs of dehydration\". Some areas of the home were \"visibly dirty\" with a strong smell of urine, the report said. The manager of the home resigned in August, and while a replacement had been found, they were not yet in position, inspectors said. The CQC said if standards had not improved by its next visit, \"we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures to begin the process of preventing the provider from operating this service\". Rotherwood Healthcare said it had appointed a private company to help turn around the home.", "summary": "A care home has been rated \"inadequate\" and put into special measures after inspectors found a string of failures during an unannounced visit."}
{"article": "Pearlman launched the careers of the Backstreet Boys, the best-selling boy band of all time, and NSync, among others. He was jailed for 25 years in 2008 over a massive $300m (\u00c2\u00a3153m) Ponzi fraud scheme. NSync singer Lance Bass tweeted that Pearlman was not the best businessman but that he would not be where he was without his influence. The cause of death has not yet been revealed. Pearlman was inspired by the success of New Kids on the Block and formed his own record label, launching a $3m talent sweep that in 1993 selected five unknowns to be the Backstreet Boys. They went on to sell 130 million records. NSync were also a huge success, selling more than 55 million. Pearlman later managed other boy bands such as LFO, Take 5, Natural and O-Town, and the girl group Innosense, which initially featured Britney Spears. Lance Bass wrote on Twitter: \"Word is that #LouPearlman has passed away. He might not have been a stand up businessman, but I wouldn't be doing what I love today wthout his influence. RIP Lou.\" O-Town's Ashley Parker Angel posted: \"Love him or hate him, Lou gave many of us our start. It's a shame he let greed get in his way.\" Pearlman swindled family, friends, investors and banks by enticing them to put money into two fake companies for 20 years. Prosecutors counted at least 250 individual victims who lost a total of $200m plus 10 financial institutions that lost $100m. The judge at his trial said victims included \"his family, his close friends and people in their 70s and 80s who have lost their life savings\". \"So the sympathy factor doesn't run high with the court,\" the judge said. In a statement, Pearlman had said: \"Since my arrest, I've come to realise the harm that's been done. I'm truly sorry and I apologise for what's happened.\"", "summary": "American boy band mogul Lou Pearlman has died in prison at the age of 62."}
{"article": "Cpl Roger Heal, based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, has been remanded in custody over the allegations. An RAF spokesman said they were unable to supply details of the charges, or Cpl Heal's age and background. Cpl Heal will face a hearing in Colchester on Tuesday. He worked with air cadets, scouts and civilian sports clubs, mainly in the London, Thames Valley, Cheshire and Northumbria areas, from 2001 to 2014. His arrest followed an investigation by a dedicated Royal Air Force Police sexual offences and child abuse investigation team. The Service Police Crime Bureau said anyone with information on crimes of this kind should contact them.", "summary": "An RAF serviceman who worked with children across England is facing charges over possessing and distributing indecent images of children."}
{"article": "Faisal al-Saadoon and Khalaf Mufdhi were detained in Basra and accused of involvement in the deaths of two British soldiers, Staff Sgt Simon Cullingworth and Sapper Luke Allsopp. An Iraqi court later decided there was insufficient evidence to try the men. In 2010, the pair were awarded damages by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for mental suffering. Allegations that the men were mistreated by British soldiers are now being investigated by the UK's Iraq Historic Allegations Team (Ihat). Ihat was set up in 2010 to look at allegations of abuse by the British military against Iraqis between 2003 and 2009. In October, Prime Minister Theresa May said her government would take action over the \"industrial scale\" of claims lodged with Ihat using legal aid funding. It is not known how many troops are being investigated over the treatment of Mr al-Saadoon and Mr Mufdhi. The two men, now both in their 60s, were accused of murdering Staff Sgt Cullingworth and Pte Allsopp. An inquest found that the British soldiers were ambushed by Iraqi militiamen, taken to an Iraqi intelligence base and shot. Mr al-Saadoon and Mr Mufdhi were formally charged in 2006 with murder and war crimes but the charges were later annulled by an Iraqi court on the grounds of insufficient evidence. The pair were eventually awarded \u00c2\u00a336,000 in legal costs and \u00c2\u00a375,000 each in damages by the ECHR for suffering caused by years of living in fear of execution. The criminal claims against British soldiers were brought forward by Public Interest Lawyers (PIL), which closed in August after it was told it would no longer receive legal aid funding.", "summary": "British soldiers are being investigated over allegations of mistreating two Iraqi detainees in 2003."}
{"article": "He told the Observerthe project, which has been years in the planning, would include six galleries and a cafe. \"It's my Saatchi gallery, basically,\" he said. Works by Hirst and others, including Banksy and US artist Jeff Koons, will be exhibited. From 4 April, the Tate Modern will exhibit a Hirst retrospective. Hirst told the Observer his gallery, in Newport Street, Vauxhall, would be \"a place to show my collection of contemporary art\", which reportedly includes more than 2,000 pieces. \"It feels bad having it all in crates. It's basically Bacon and beyond.\" Hirst, who owns five paintings by the late Francis Bacon, added: \"He didn't make many and he's not making any more.\" The gallery - designed by architects Caruso St John - will take up the whole of Newport Street and incorporates the conversion of a terrace of three listed buildings flanked by two new buildings. Hirst's gallery follows in the footsteps of London's Saatchi Gallery, opened in 1985 by art collector Charles Saatchi to display his own collection to the public. Saatchi also sponsored Hirst, who first came to the public's attention with his 1988 Freeze exhibition of his own works and those of his fellow Goldsmiths College students. BBC Arts editor Will Gompertz said Hirst's work as a curator and champion of new art that started with Freeze - from behind-the-scenes support of unknown artists through to collecting and exhibiting - was often overlooked. \"Charles Saatchi didn't make Damien Hirst, Damien Hirst made Charles Saatchi,\" he said. Hirst has previously said that collecting \"is the way the world works, as a human being. \"As you go through life, you just collect\u2026 I always think collections are like a map of a man's life.\" Tate Modern's Hirst retrospective will run from 4 April to 9 September and one of Hirst's most famous pieces -the \u00a350m diamond-encrusted skull entitled For the Love of God, will be on display in the gallery's Turbine Hall from 4 April to 24 June.", "summary": "Damien Hirst's public gallery in south London, which is being developed to display his personal art collection, will open in 2014, the artist has said."}
{"article": "Their studies on survivors in Liberia showed large numbers had developed weakness, memory loss and depressive symptoms in the six months after being discharged from an Ebola unit. Other patients were \"actively suicidal\" or still having hallucinations. More than 17,000 people in West Africa have survived Ebola infection. The evidence, being presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Neurology, is an early glimpse at a much wider study of long-term health problems after Ebola. The initial analysis, on 82 survivors, showed most had had severe neurological problems at the height of the infection, including meningitis, hallucinations or falling into a coma. Six months later, new long-term problems had developed. About two-thirds had body weakness, while regular headaches, depressive symptoms and memory loss were found in half of patients. Two of the patients had been actively suicidal at the time of the assessment. Dr Lauren Bowen, from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, told the BBC: \"It was pretty striking, this is a young population of patients, and we wouldn't expect to have seen these sorts of problems. \"When people had memory loss, it tended to affect their daily living, with some feeling they couldn't return to school or normal jobs, some had terrible sleeping problems. \"Ebola hasn't gone away for these people.\" Infection with Ebola ravages the body. Some of the symptoms could improve with time as the body heals, others may be down to social trauma as many survivors are ostracised from their families and communities. But other symptoms, including eye problems, indicate damage to the brain, which may not heal. Meanwhile, data presented earlier, at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, raised concerns about sexual transmission of the virus in survivors. It indicated 38% of men had tested positive for Ebola in their semen on at least one occasion in the year after recovering. And in the most extreme case, Ebola had been detected 18 months later. Yet most survivors reported being sexually active, with only four in every 100 using a condom.", "summary": "Most people who survive an Ebola infection will have long-lasting health problems, say doctors from the US National Institutes of Health."}
{"article": "Northamptonshire Police tweeted live on Saturday night to show the problems in the county's town centres. During the evening officers dealt with fights, drink-drivers and more than 100 999 calls after midnight. The force said it hoped the tweets \"highlighted the impact on the police\". Using the hashtag #alcoholharm, the force tweeted into the early hours about incidents in towns including Northampton, Daventry and Kettering. Officers dealt with criminal damage, fights in the street, people assaulting nightclub and hotel staff and drink-drivers, including one man who was three times over the alcohol limit. The force said since midnight its control room had received 187 calls, more than 100 of them via 999. It added it dealt with 129 incidents in total, many of them drink-related. After the night officers tweeted: \"#alcoholharm is a social issue we all have a stake in solving. \"Hopefully tonight has highlighted the realities of dealing with drunkenness & the impact on the #police.\"", "summary": "A man dialling 999 to say he had been thrown out of a pub was one of a number of problem calls highlighted by a police force during a live Twitter session about excessive drinking."}
{"article": "PC Neil Doyle, 36, died after he and two colleagues were attacked near the Aloha Club, in Colquitt Street, on a Christmas night out on 19 December. Three men have been accused of murdering Mr Doyle and are due to face trial on 22 June. The match was played between Ormskirk Rugby Club and Merseyside Police's rugby team. They were due to play the fourth Green & Blue game, named after the respective colours of the clubs, on 20 December but the match was postponed following Mr Doyle's death. A post-mortem examination found the cause of Mr Doyle's death was bleeding around the brain. Christopher Spendlove, 30, and Andrew Taylor, 28, pleaded not guilty to murdering the officer and wounding his two colleagues when they appeared in court on 20 March. Timmy Donovan, 30, formerly of Huyton, has been remanded in custody after he was extradited following his arrest in Germany, in January. He is due to enter his pleas on 8 June. Nearly \u00c2\u00a330,000 has been raised for a memorial fund in PC Doyle's name, with donations going towards Merseyside Police Federation Charitable Trust. PC Doyle was based at Eaton Road station in West Derby, Liverpool.", "summary": "A rugby match has been held in honour of an off-duty police officer killed in Liverpool last year."}
{"article": "Thomson scored following a good run and cross by Calum Gallagher and Dumbarton goalkeeper Alan Martin produced a fine double save to deny Jean-Yves M'voto. The Sons doubled their advantage thanks to another fine finish from the 23-year-old forward. Sam Stanton bundled home a third before Dumbarton added a late fourth through Garry Fleming.", "summary": "Robert Thomson scored a first-half brace as Dumbarton secured an impressive victory over Raith Rovers."}
{"article": "It comes three weeks after NatWest closed its premises in the town. Local Conservative MP Edward Leigh said he was disappointed with the news, but warned residents they needed to support local banks and shops, or lose them. A spokesman for HSBC said it had not taken the decision lightly, and understood it was unsettling for the local community. He said: \"Unfortunately, with an increase in the use of online and telephone banking over the past few years the use of the Market Rasen branch has fallen significantly, and we've taken the difficult decision to close it. \"We are working with customers who use the branch to help them understand their options.\" In June, HSBC announced plans to shed 8,000 jobs in the UK to reduce costs. In 2012, Market Rasen was one of 12 towns to share \u00c2\u00a31.2m from the government as part of the Portas Pilot project, which aimed to rejuvenate UK High Streets. In the year that followed the town saw an increase in empty stores. Money from the scheme was used to revamp the market place and erect free parking signs on the outskirts of the town to attract passing trade. But, Lincolnshire County Council ordered the signs be taken down as they did not comply with national requirements. Mr Leigh said although the pilot scheme was a \"valiant effort\", market towns were struggling to compete for business. \"At the end of the day, you can't keep the market place if people can't make a go of their businesses,\" he said.", "summary": "HSBC has announced it is to close its branch in Market Rasen in December due to falling numbers of people using it."}
{"article": "West Somerset Council agreed to merge with neighbouring Taunton Deane Borough Council in September to save money. However, a group of 15 Taunton Deane councillors opposed the merger and launched a legal challenge against the move. But a High Court judge has ruled the challenge as \"premature and academic\". In his ruling Mr Justice Lewis said the Secretary of State \"wishes consultation\" to take place before he makes the final decision on the new council proposal under legislation. Taunton Deane Borough Council leader John Williams said: \"This judgement is a vindication our approach so far. \"It's also a testament to all the hard work and commitment of our officer team who have ensured we have acted properly and correctly at all times.\"", "summary": "A judicial review of the decision to merge two Conservative-run local authorities in Somerset has been rejected in full."}
{"article": "The failure of BHS and tough competition in the clothing market contributed to the poor performance. A report filed with Companies House by Taveta investments showed pre-tax profits for the 12 months to August 27 2016 fell to \u00a336.8m, down from \u00a3172.2m the previous year. Total sales fell 2.5% to \u00a32.02bn. Taveta is the holding company of Arcadia which alongside its biggest brand, Topshop, owns Miss Selfridge, Burton, Evans, Wallis and Dorothy Perkins. Taveta's statement reveals its profits were dented by \u00a3129.2m in one-off charges. These exceptional costs included \u00a326.4m related to the collapse into administration of BHS in April of last year, and the \"subsequent regulatory investigations\", it said. Taveta also made a \u00a321.8m provision for \"onerous\" leases on loss-making stores last year. It said its financial performance was \"below prior year levels\". \"The retail industry continues to experience a period of major change as customers become ever more selective and value conscious and advances in technology open up more diverse, fast-changing and complex sales channels. \"Clothing has also become a less important part of the household budget,\" it added, echoing recent statements made by other High Street fashion chains. Meanwhile, Taveta said Brexit had caused economic uncertainty and the fall in sterling had dented its results. \"The group is looking at initiatives to improve margin to offset the ongoing impact of weaker sterling.\" Market conditions remained \"challenging and very competitive\", with new players entering the market particularly online, it continued. And while UK unemployment was low and consumer credit availability continued to rise \"the slow growth in average earnings impacts the spending power of customers\". The last BHS store closed its doors last year when no buyer could be found for the chain. There was an estimated \u00a3571m hole in the BHS pension covering all future payouts. The potential of taking on such a burden was seen as one of the reasons that BHS failed to find backers or buyers for the business at a whole. In February of this year Sir Philip agreed a \u00a3363m cash settlement with the Pensions Regulator to plug the gap in the BHS pension scheme. The deal means workers will get the same starting pension that they were originally promised.", "summary": "Profits at Sir Philip Green's retail empire, which includes High Street fashion chain Topshop, plummeted by 79% last year."}
{"article": "NFU Scotland has urged a Scottish parliamentary committee to hold an extraordinary session on the issue. The union said it did not believe payouts under the new basic payment scheme would be delivered in the normal December window. The Scottish government said it continued \"to work flat out\" towards starting payments by the end of 2015. The basic payment scheme is the main EU subsidy available to farmers in Scotland, and is allocated by the Scottish government following Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms. NFU Scotland said that \"despite Scottish government statements to the contrary\", it did not believe there was \"any likelihood\" of payments being delivered in December. It now wants Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead to make a public statement on when farmers will receive their payments and what their value will be. The union has also written to the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee, asking it to hold an extraordinary session to establish the anticipated timeline for payments. NFU Scotland president Allan Bowie, said: \"Whilst the cabinet secretary has sought to allay fears that the payment schedule will slip, Scottish government's message has shifted from payments being delivered in 'early December' to 'late December', and we are now convinced that these payments will not be made until 2016. \"We also note with interest that... the Rural Payments Agency gave an unambiguous statement... that it will commence paying the new basic payment scheme in full to farmers in England in December, with the majority receiving payment by the end of that month and the vast majority of payments completed by the end of January. \"Scottish farmers and crofters - and all those who provide goods and services to our sectors - would benefit hugely from a similar clear statement on payment timetables for Scotland to allow them to plan their businesses accordingly.\" Meanwhile, Mr Lochhead announced that farmers and other land managers would begin to receive their share of \u00c2\u00a36.7m of rural development payments from next week. He said the Scottish government's Rural Payment and Inspectorate Division had begun processing more than 5,000 Land Managers Option payments covering 2014. The scheme supports agri-environment and animal health and welfare measures. The vast majority of LMO payments are expected to be paid within two weeks. Mr Lochhead said: \"Today's announcement demonstrates how the Scottish government is delivering for Scotland's farmers as we deal with gargantuan challenge of implementing the biggest CAP reform in a generation. \"We continue to work flat out to be able to begin making basic payments by the end of the year.\"", "summary": "Pressure is mounting on the Scottish government to confirm when EU support payments will be delivered to farmers."}
{"article": "With the game's first attack, Potts found the the bottom corner after Cullen's classy touch and flick. Ollie Watkins was denied by Sam Slocombe before David Wheeler lobbed the keeper to deservedly put Exeter level. Blackpool had numerous chances before Cullen's prodded in Potts' low cross. Paul Tisdale's Exeter side dominated possession throughout and almost forced extra time when Watkins headed over in stoppage time. The Tangerines, who only had around 6,000 supporters at Wembley because of an ongoing boycott by fans in protest against the club's owners, lost skipper Tom Aldred to injury before the break but were not deterred. The margin of victory could have been bigger for Gary Bowyer's men, with substitute Bright Osayi-Samuel shooting wide and Kyle Vassell seeing an effort saved as Exeter left themselves vulnerable to counter-attacks late on. As recently as 2011 Blackpool were in the Premier League, but their drop to the second tier after just one season in the top flight was compounded by successive relegations in the past two seasons. There have been well documented off-field problems too, with the Blackpool Supporters' Trust repeatedly calling for much-maligned owners Owen and Karl Oyston to step aside. One thing the Lancashire club have not lost is their knack of successful play-off campaigns, with this their fifth final victory - more than any other club. It also adds to the trend of teams finishing seventh, the final play-off spot in League Two, going up - as it has now happened in five of the past eight fourth-tier campaigns. More to follow. Match ends, Blackpool 2, Exeter City 1. Second Half ends, Blackpool 2, Exeter City 1. Colin Daniel (Blackpool) is shown the yellow card. Hand ball by Lee Holmes (Exeter City). Attempt missed. Ollie Watkins (Exeter City) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by David Wheeler with a headed pass. Jordan Flores (Blackpool) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Jack Stacey (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jordan Flores (Blackpool). Foul by Jake Taylor (Exeter City). Bright Samuel (Blackpool) wins a free kick on the left wing. Sam Slocombe (Blackpool) is shown the yellow card. Attempt saved. Kyle Vassell (Blackpool) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Bright Samuel. Attempt missed. Bright Samuel (Blackpool) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Brad Potts. Attempt missed. Lee Holmes (Exeter City) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Colin Daniel. Offside, Blackpool. Sam Slocombe tries a through ball, but Kyle Vassell is caught offside. Foul by Jordan Moore-Taylor (Exeter City). Kelvin Mellor (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Will Aimson. Jordan Moore-Taylor (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Will Aimson (Blackpool). Attempt missed. David Wheeler (Exeter City) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted", "summary": "Mark Cullen and Brad Potts starred to help Blackpool return to League One at the first time of asking with victory over Exeter in the play-off final."}
{"article": "He was making a rare public speech as part of mass celebrations involving troops, and military vehicles in Pyongyang to mark the 70th anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party. Thousands of soldiers - many with red banners - marched past him through the city's main square in tight formation. An aircraft flypast forming the number 70 flew over the square. Tanks and missile carriers rolled past the podium where Mr Kim spoke. Parade in pictures At the scene: Steve Evans, BBC News, Pyongyang The parade was truly amazing in its immensity and organisation. It lasted for two hours with countless rows of soldiers and then civilians marching past without break. It felt at times like a meeting of a cult with citizens of North Korea jumping up and down and waving ecstatically at Kim Jong-un. The message was clear from the podium: China stands by North Korea - signalled by Kim Jong-un clutching the hand of a senior Chinese leader - and, secondly, that Mr Kim shows no sign of a softer stance towards the United States. As he put it: \"The party's revolutionary armament means we are ready to fight any kind of war waged by the US imperialists\". If his words were not clear enough, the hardware on parade underlined them - line upon line of trucks with missiles following line upon line of heavy artillery. The changing face of North Korea Strange history of North Korea's Communist Party State television carried the events live, adding an emotional commentary. \"Iron spirit and the united forces of our army and people have enabled us to break through the imperialists' sanctions and isolation, are forcing the enemies to extreme anxiety and fear,\" Mr Kim said. Later, as the parade continued, tens of thousands of civilians, including school-children, danced and waved coloured pom-poms. When it announced plans for the anniversary earlier this year, the government spoke of \"cutting-edge\" weaponry suitable for modern warfare, and the day's event will have been closely watched for any new military hardware indicating the North's military development. No world leaders attended but China, North Korea's closest ally, sent a senior Communist Party official to the anniversary. The North Korean leader began the day by paying respects to his late father and grandfather at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, official media reported. The celebrations continued, after a downpour of rain, with an evening torchlight parade which thousands of Pyongyang citizens have been seen practising for in public squares across the city. A late-night concert featuring the all-female Moranbong Band - North Korea's most popular musical group - was also held, which cost foreigners wanting to attend about $115 (\u00c2\u00a375), the Associated Press news agency reports. North Korea's nuclear programme has long been a cause for alarm in the region. Pyongyang is believed to have conducted three underground nuclear tests and is threatening a fourth, despite international condemnation and sanctions. Last month, it announced it was restarting its main nuclear facility Yongbyon and that it was improving its nuclear weapons \"in quality and quantity\". The North claims", "summary": "North Korea's supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, has said his country could defend itself in any war started by the US."}
{"article": "The posts will be cut over three years during restructuring after the \u00a311bn merger of Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management. The two companies currently have a combined worldwide workforce of approximately 9,000 people. The information is contained in a detailed prospectus published by Standard Life on the deal. Managers said they expected \"natural turnover\" to account for some of the reductions, while other steps will be taken to minimise compulsory redundancies. The merger of Edinburgh-based Standard Life and Aberdeen is aimed at creating cost savings that could add up to \u00a3200m per year. The prospectus for shareholders stated \"there will be a need to maximise operational efficiencies and cost synergies\" to achieve the expected benefits of the merger. It continued: \"At this time it is estimated that the integration and restructuring will result in a phased reduction of approximately 800 roles from the total global headcount of the combined group as at 31 December 2016 of approximately 9,000 over the three-year integration period. \"Synergies will come in part from employee departures arising from natural turnover. \"Other appropriate steps will be taken to minimise the number of compulsory redundancies, including the active management of Standard Life's and Aberdeen's recruitment and vacancies.\" The document reveals that the newly-merged company will be renamed Standard Life Aberdeen plc. Both companies have agreed on a 16-strong board made up of an equal number of Standard Life and Aberdeen directors. Standard Life chairman Sir Gerry Grimstone will be the chairman of the newly-merged company while Aberdeen's chairman Simon Troughton will become deputy chairman. Keith Skeoch, the Standard Life chief executive, and Aberdeen boss Martin Gilbert will become co-chief executives of the new firm. The two companies agreed the terms of the merger, which will create Britain's biggest asset manager, in March. Under the terms of the deal, Aberdeen shareholders would own 33.3% and Standard Life shareholders would own 66.7% of the combined group. A general meeting has been scheduled for June at which shareholders will be asked to approve the merger. If backed, the deal is expected to be closed by mid-August.", "summary": "About 800 jobs are to be cut in a planned merger of two of Scotland's biggest financial companies."}
{"article": "The lab - which is not being named - is run by UK personnel, not the US military, said Colonel Steve Warren. \"Another lot came up positive and that lot had sent samples to the UK and Massachusetts,\" the colonel said, referring to the deadly bacteria. It brings to 68 the number of labs involved in the anthrax scare from the US, including four foreign countries. A number of US military facilities for the past decade have shipped inactivated anthrax samples to labs around the world to help their research into biological warfare. But in recent weeks, it has come to light that some suspect samples were not properly de-activated before being posted. After Tuesday's briefing, Col Warren told the BBC they could not be sure the UK received the live samples but it was sent samples from a larger batch - Lot 5 - in which some of the bacteria was found. Staff members at some of the labs have been treated for anthrax exposure as a precaution, but no-one has fallen ill. In addition to labs around the US, suspect samples were sent to facilities in Australia, Canada, South Korea and the UK. Experts in bio-safety have heavily criticised the lapse and called for improved precautions. Symptoms of anthrax exposure include skin ulcers, nausea, vomiting and fever, and can cause death if untreated. The military has ordered all of its labs that have previously received inactive anthrax samples to test them. In addition it is advising all labs to cease working with these samples until told otherwise. The Pentagon has maintained there is no risk to the general public. What is anthrax? Anthrax bacteria live primarily in inactive spores and are found naturally in the soil, but people can ingest or inhale spores, which can make the anthrax active. Not all will become ill when exposed to anthrax but left untreated, anthrax illness can turn very serious or lead to death. A blood culture test is used to confirm anthrax exposure. Anthrax entered the US national consciousness in 2001, when shortly after the 9/11 attacks, letters containing powdered anthrax arrived at news organisations and the offices of US senators. Twenty-two people were affected and of those, five people died. Sources: FBI Anthrax investigation; CDC, San Francisco Department of Public Health", "summary": "A lab in the UK may have received a sample of live anthrax from the Pentagon in 2007, say US officials."}
{"article": "Figures published by holding company Llandarcy Park (Ospreys) Ltd showed a profit in 2014-15 of \u00a3143,498 before exceptional items and interest charges. Ospreys chief executive Andrew Hore said: \"It just shows what can be achieved and we're really proud.\" The figures reflect increased revenue from ticket sales and improved funding from the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). National Dual Contracts - in which the WRU pays 60% of a player's wage - were introduced during 2014-15, with four Ospreys players signed in that period. It was also the first year funding for the four Welsh regions was increased from \u00a36.7m to \u00a38.7m following the signing of the Rugby Services Agreement (RSA) after protracted negotiations between Pro Rugby Wales and the WRU. The profit compares with a net loss of \u00a3123,560 in the previous financial year. Hore added: \"A lot of the changes undertaken over the last couple of years actually set us up in a very strong manner for the future, such as changing the RSA and the ability to work more into the community and this kind of thing. \"So if we can continue to grow those community links hopefully we can grow revenues in our rugby base as well.\" Ospreys chairman Roger Blyth said: \"These figures are the result of the efforts and hard work behind the scenes, across all departments of the organisation. \"We saw a number of new commercial partnerships launched during this period, while the new RSA came into effect, providing a new system to reward national squad contribution more fairly, something which will clearly prove beneficial to the Ospreys given our historic over-contribution to the national cause.\" Blyth added there was \"cautious optimism\" about the future, but work remained to be done, particularly improving the domestic Pro12 to compete with the threat of powerful leagues in England and France.", "summary": "The Ospreys rugby region has posted a profit for the first time since 2007."}
{"article": "In the Dorfman Theatre there's The Red Lion - Marber's account of modern masculinity laid bare in an old-fashioned football club. The much larger Olivier is home to what he calls a 'fiddled about with' version of George Farquhar's 1707 classic comedy The Beaux' Stratagem. And in the Lyttelton there's a new version of Turgenev's 1870s Russian classic usually known as A Month in the Country but now re-titled Three Days in the Country. No writer has previously filled all three auditoriums on the same night. Only the 225-seat Temporary Theatre has evaded Marber's clutches. \"But it's just the way the scheduling worked out,\" he says. \"No one really planned it this way\". But it's proof that a long fallow period for the playwright has ended. In the mid-1990s he was the hottest young writer in London theatre. There were big hits at the National - and on Broadway - such as Dealer's Choice (1995) and Closer (1997). Closer was made into a film by Mike Nichols starring Julia Roberts and Jude Law. But until this year Marber, now 50, hadn't come up with an entirely new stage-play for a decade. He says the reason was simple. \"I couldn't think of one. I tried and I abandoned various plays. I got half way there sometimes, or a quarter of the way there. But a play is something you have to live with for a very long time. You've got to love the thing and I just didn't manage it.\" The Red Lion is a tragedy about football, which I suggest to him may be a wholly new genre. \"Not if you're an Arsenal fan. But I don't think the play wholly is a tragedy: it has laughs too.\" It's not the first of Marber's works to address the nature of modern masculinity. Many of his characters appear intimate with despair. I ask him if there's a line from The Red Lion back to Turgenev - a profoundly sad story which has gorgeously comic moments too. \"Yes I think it's true that there is a link. There is an underlying tragedy in both plays. But in Three Days, for instance, our brilliant cast gets real comedy out of the situations Turgenev created.\" Critics have praised the way performers such as Mark Gatiss, John Simm and Debra Gillett (who's married to Marber) extract both humour and sadness from his reworked version of the Russian original. \"All these three projects were very different. I loved being back in Farquhar's comic world - it was a play I did as a student and I loved it then. But with Three Days I'm also director: it's a thrill to have the intimacy of working with great actors and to know you can still work on the script in rehearsal.\" We discuss which playwright is most likely to match or even exceed his schedule-domination at the National. I suggest the prolific Richard Bean may one day come snapping at his heals. \"Oh there's any number of writers with more vim and energy than me. I expect someone will", "summary": "Patrick Marber insists it's coincidence that for two consecutive nights this week the National Theatre is a relentless 'Marber-thon'."}
{"article": "Mr Le Roux told a news conference that he felt it was his \"responsibility\", but denied wrongdoing. It is alleged that his daughters were being paid for work while involved in other activities. The Socialist minister has repeatedly insisted that the summer jobs were legitimate. French President Francois Hollande said he had accepted Mr Le Roux's resignation and named Trade Minister Matthias Fekl as his successor. Centre-right presidential candidate Francois Fillon is already under investigation for employing his family. That probe has now been widened to include possible forgery and aggravated fraud, French media report. Investigators are looking at whether Mr Fillon and his wife Penelope forged documents to try to justify the \u20ac700,000 ($755,000; \u00a3610,000) she was given for work as a parliamentary assistant that she is alleged not to have carried out. Now Le Canard Enchaine newspaper - which broke the allegations about the jobs for Mr Fillon's family - has reported that a Lebanese billionaire paid a firm owned by Mr Fillon $50,000 for helping to arrange a meeting in 2015 with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Total's CEO Patrick Pouyanne. Mr Fillon's campaign team told the AFP news agency that \"the suspicions of conflict of interest are totally unfounded\". Initially the favourite to win the presidential election in April and May, Mr Fillon is now running third in the opinion polls. In normal times this would be a monumental embarrassment for the French government. The interior minister has been found employing his two daughters as parliamentary helpers, and paying them a lot of public money. There may not legally be anything wrong with what he did - though the prosecutor will need to check that out thoroughly - but the look of the thing is awful. While still at school, these daughters of the French nomenklatura were able to start very substantial savings accounts. It would be embarrassing - but in fact the Socialist government is worse than a lame duck. It is a duck with both legs snapped at the knee. In the upcoming presidential elections, it has no representative. In a few weeks it will simply disappear. So the resignation of a minister is minor news. Except perhaps for Francois Fillon, who can hope to extract a little comfort from the discomfiture. Mr Le Roux, 51, said he did not want the investigation into the contracts linked to his daughters to \"undermine the work of the government\". \"I've made it a point of honour to respect my title as a deputy, and all the responsibilities that come with it,\" he said, adding: \"I have always been honest in my relationships with others and in all my political actions.\" His daughters began working for him when they were 15 or 16, and between them amassed 24 fixed-term contracts that paid out \u20ac55,000 ($60,000; \u00a348,000). The allegations against Mr Le Roux surfaced in the Quotidien TV programme on Monday, when a reporter approached the minister asking about holiday jobs he had paid his daughters for between 2009 and 2016. Employing family members is common practice in France's National", "summary": "French Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux has resigned over a \"fake jobs\" row involving work he gave his two daughters when they were teenagers."}
{"article": "The actor and children's TV legend joined Weatherfield last year, but is set to move on to star in a stage production of Driving Miss Daisy. The BBC understands he filmed his final scenes last week and will appear on TV screens until April. But it's thought the character could possibly return to the cobbles at a later date. Freddie first appeared on the soap last March, when he turned up at Kylie's beauty salon. He later got a job at Kevin's garage and had a brief romance with Audrey. It is understood Griffiths left of his own accord at the end of a one-year contract. He was best-known to a generation of TV viewers for hosting classic children's programme Play School and Play Away during the 1960s, '70s and '80s. But as an actor he also spent two years with the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared in West End productions of Miss Saigon and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Fans of Corrie will have to wave goodbye to mechanic Freddie Smith soon as Derek Griffiths is leaving the soap."}
{"article": "Taylor, 31, the first Kiwi double centurion against Australia, reached 290 before he was the last man to fall. His score surpassed that of England's Tip Foster, who scored 287 against Australia in Sydney in 1903. New Zealand made 624, their first 600 against Australia, but the hosts added 258-2 to lead by 193 with one day left. Resuming on 235 in Perth, Taylor made the third-highest score by a New Zealand batsman. Brendon McCullum got a triple century against India in Wellington last year. Taylor batted for nine and a half hours, facing 374 balls and hitting 43 boundaries before he was caught at deep square-leg by substitute fielder Jonny Wells. That denied him becoming only the second batsman to score a triple century against Australia, after England's Len Hutton, who made 364 at The Oval in 1938. It was New Zealand's fifth-highest Test team total, the record being set as recently as last year with 690 against Pakistan in Sharjah. Having begun day four on 510-6 at the Waca, New Zealand were soon reduced to 587-9 before last man Trent Boult helped Taylor guide them past 600 and a first-innings lead of 65. Australia lost Joe Burns for a duck in the third over but Steve Smith hit his fourth hundred as captain in only his fifth Test in charge. He shared an unbroken partnership of 212 in 55 overs with Adam Voges (101) who became the sixth centurion of the match. Taylor celebrated both his century and double century on day three by sticking his tongue out in a message to his daughter. He added he was \"undercooked\" going into the first Test, which New Zealand lost, after he was sidelined for six weeks by an injury to his testicles sustained in the nets in Zimbabwe in August. \"I felt I just needed to get back in the groove,\" Taylor said. \"You can either graft it out or go out and play your shots and the latter probably comes more natural to me. \"It's surprising what happens when you hit a couple off the middle, the feet start moving and the confidence comes flooding back.\" Some observers highlighted the fact that Taylor was not congratulated by the Australian players at the end of his innings. Australia opening batsman David Warner took to Twitter to explain that as Taylor was the last player to be dismissed, the home batsmen had to leave the field to prepare for their second innings.", "summary": "New Zealand's Ross Taylor struck the highest Test score by a visiting batsman in Australia as the runs continued to flow in the second Test."}
{"article": "Priority has been given to secondary pupils in fourth, fifth and sixth year who are just three weeks away from sitting key exams. All primary pupils are due to return by next week but uncertainty remains over arrangements for S1-S3 pupils. A total of 17 schools in the city did not reopen after the Easter break. About 7,600 pupils were affected by the closures with five secondaries, ten primaries and two additional support needs schools shut due to concerns over structural issues. All of the schools, which are about 10 years old, were constructed under the same public private partnership contract. The council said on Tuesday evening it hoped to have all pupils back in \"places of education\" by next Tuesday - Monday 18 April is a bank holiday in the city. Senior pupils from four of the high schools, as well as children from two primaries were due to return to classes on Wednesday morning. Some will go back to their own classrooms but others will transfer to alternative schools where they will be taught by their own teachers. The arrangements put in place by the City of Edinburgh Council will see: About 2,300 S1 to S3 pupils still do not know when they will return to class. The council has said it will give further details on that later this week. The problems were first uncovered in January when a wall at Oxgangs Primary collapsed during high winds. Further closures were prompted on Friday after workers repairing serious structural issues at the primary found \"further serious defects\" with the building. The city council has said urgent work would need to be carried out on at least four of the schools: two high schools Gracemount and Craigmount, and two primaries - Oxgangs and St Peter's. The initial problem was discovered with wall ties, which hold the outer and inner walls together, at Oxgangs Primary School. An additional issue on Friday was then found with head ties, which hold the top of the walls to the steel roof frame, at all four schools. Concerns had been raised about the need to accommodate senior pupils who are due to sit exams soon and have coursework and assessments to complete. With about 5,000 pupils facing a third day off school on Wednesday, parents were also continuing to express anger and frustration at the cost and hassle involved in arranging extra childcare. Offers of support to the council to accommodate pupils affected have come from organisations including Hibernian Football Club, the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh University and NHS Lothian.", "summary": "More than 2,000 pupils whose schools in Edinburgh have been closed because of safety concerns are due to return to classrooms later."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old, who has joined Saints on loan until January, was a team-mate of Inverness Caledonian Thistle's Boyce while the pair were at Cliftonville. \"If you look at his career stats in the Irish League, he's scored a lot of goals,\" Wright told his club website. \"He's also a former team-mate of Liam Boyce, who has done well up here.\" Fellow Northern Irishman Wright stressed: \"They are different types of players, but Joe has the potential to do well.\" Gormley had joined Peterborough from Cliftonville last summer, but he has made only seven appearances for the English League One side - one this season after recovering from a knee injury picked up in September. \"He's coming back off a significant injury, but he's fully fit and trained with us this morning,\" added Wright. \"I'm delighted to get a striker in. \"Joe is a player I've known from his time at Cliftonville and we were interested in him back then, but he went to Peterborough.\"", "summary": "St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright hopes Joe Gormley will make as big an impact in Scotland as Liam Boyce after signing the Peterborough United striker."}
{"article": "The Scottish Premiership club parted company with Mark Warburton on Friday. McLeish, who was manager for five years until 2006, insisted there has been no contact with his former club. But the 58-year-old told Sky Sports: \"When you get asked to come to a club like Rangers then its for sure a decision to turn that down.\" McLeish, who was sacked by Egyptian Premier League club Zamalek in May, has emerged as the bookmakers' favourite. And he was a television guest as Rangers, with caretaker Graeme Murty in charge, defeated Greenock Morton 2-1 to reach the Scottish Cup quarter-finals. Asked if he was likely to be the new manager, McLeish replied: \"You never know. It is purely coincidence that I'm here today. \"You called me a couple of weeks ago to come and do this game and I then find there's been some events happening at Ibrox the last couple of days.\" McLeish was also asked if Rangers had been in touch since Warburton departed on Friday. \"No,\" he said. \"Obviously there's a lot of speculation, but at the moment there's nothing I can update you on apart form the fact that I'm here and it looks more than a coincidence, but it is a coincidence.\" McLeish won two Scottish titles as Rangers manager and the Glasgow club also won five knock-out trophies during his tenure - the Scottish Cup twice and League Cup three times. The man who has also managed Motherwell, Hibernian, Scotland, Birmingham City, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Genk hinted that a return to Ibrox would be an attractive prospect. \"I am a Rangers man, so you obviously have to keep that in consideration,\" he added. Rangers chairman Dave King has claimed that the club accepted Warburton's resignation after the manager's representative had talks with Nottingham Forest, while the Englishman denies he resigned. The Glasgow side lie third in the Scottish Premiership, 27 points adrift of city rivals and holders Celtic, and King said Warburton's team had not reached the targets expected of them. Former Rangers players Gordon Smith and Barry and Derek Ferguson have described McLeish as the ideal candidate to take over.", "summary": "Alex McLeish admits he would find it difficult to turn down Rangers should he be asked to become manager at Ibrox for a second time."}
{"article": "Nine members of the gang were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court. This followed the sentencing of six men, including Nosakhere Stephenson - described by police as the mastermind - yesterday. The ring was uncovered by a surveillance operation carried out by West Midlands Police in 2014. Eight guns, including a pump action shotgun and a Mach 10 Machine pistol, were recovered from premises in Great Barr and Handsworth - with one taken from a car in Hockley as it was being handed over to a buyer. Another three men - Darren Mentore, 34, of no fixed address; Clinton Officer, 32, of Wallflower Street, Shepherds Bush, London; and Jamal Shaka Smith, 34, of Ladywood Middleway, Birmingham - await sentencing in January. Joynal Abdin, 26, of Hanover Close, Aston, Birmingham was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to 7 years 3 months in prison. Mohammed Fedar, 27, of Westfield Road, Smethwick: 4 years 4 months Amar Ghalib, 32, of Davey Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham: 4 years 11 months Usman Hussain, 31, of Brays Road, Sheldon, Birmingham: 5 years Ifran Hussain, 25, of Underwood Road, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham: 10 years 10 months Joga Mattu, 31, of Cranbrook Road, Handsworth, Birmingham: 5 years Mohammed Selu Miah, 24, of no fixed address: 13 years Janed Mohammed, 21, of Dibble Road, Smethwick: 4 years 6 months Mohammed Ullah, 19, of Frederick Road, Aston, Birmingham: 5 years Nosakhere Stephenson, 41, of St Michael's Road, Handsworth, Birmingham: 16 years 6 months Sundish Nazran, 32, of Nijon Close, Handsworth, Birmingham: 13 years Rowan Gul, 33, of Reginald Road, Alum Rock, Birmingham: 12 years 3 months Theodore Junior Wiggan, 28, of Scaffle Way, West Bromwich: 10 years Louis McDermott, 36, of no fixed address: 9 years 4 months Fitzroy Ducram, 50, of no fixed address: 7 years 4 months Ch Insp Simon Wallis, from West Midlands Police's serious and organised crime unit, said the convictions were a \"fantastic\" result for a lengthy operation. \"We've put some prolific criminals behind bars who have been responsible for bringing dangerous weapons to our city,\" he said. \"It is no exaggeration to say each and every gun or bullet that we've seized represents a life potentially saved.\"", "summary": "Fifteen members of a Birmingham gun dealing ring have been jailed for selling antique firearms and custom-made bullets to criminals."}
{"article": "European champion Lucie Colebeck, 19, split China's Jia Fangfang and Chen Lingxi to finish second in tumbling. Britain also claimed silver in the double-mini trampoline team event, with Canada taking gold and USA bronze. Kirsty Way, Sapphire Dallard and 2014 individual world silver medallist Nicole Short completed the team. \"It's Kirsty and Sapphire's first World Championships, so I am absolutely made up with the result,\" said Short. A men's tumbling team of Mike Barnes, Elliot Browne and Kristof Willerton finished fourth, with China taking gold.", "summary": "Britain's women took two silvers at the 2015 Trampoline, Tumbling and Double-Mini Trampoline World Championships in Denmark on Saturday."}
{"article": "\"A Little Chaos\" follows Kate Winslet's character Sabine, who is chosen to build one of the main gardens at King Louis XIV's new palace at Versailles. Rickman plays King Louis in the film, which is his second outing as director. The 11th Glasgow Film Festival will consist of 174 events, including 11 world premieres, and is set to run from 18 February to 1 March. It will kick off with US writer and director Noah Baumbach's latest film, \"While We're Young\", starring Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts. Force Majeure, which won the jury prize at Cannes, will be the closing gala.", "summary": "Acting heavyweight Alan Rickman is to attend the Glasgow Film Festival in support of his latest work."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 22-year-old is new manager Antonio Conte's first signing at Stamford Bridge. The fee was not disclosed by Chelsea but is believed to be \u00a333m (40m euros). The forward, who scored 23 goals for Marseille last season, scored in Belgium's last-16 win over Hungary at Euro 2016 and also came on in their quarter-final exit to Wales. \"I am delighted to sign for one of the biggest clubs in Europe,\" said Batshuayi. \"[My Belgium team-mates] Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois have told me many good things about the club, and with Antonio Conte coming in, it's an exciting time to become a Chelsea player.\" Batshuayi signed for Marseille from Standard Liege in 2014 and made his international debut in March 2015 in a 5-0 Euro 2016 qualifying win against Cyprus. Against Hungary, he scored with his first touch after coming on as a substitute, converting a cross from his new club team-mate Eden Hazard.", "summary": "Chelsea have signed Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi from Marseille on a five-year contract."}
{"article": "It follows the release of a report into the disaster which resulted in the death of 96 fans. Kelvin MacKenzie wrote the headline The Truth on the front-page story which ran four days later. Trevor Hicks, of the Hillsborough Families Support Group, said it was \"too little, too late\". In a statement Mr MacKenzie said: \"Today I offer my profuse apologies to the people of Liverpool for that headline. \"I too was totally misled. Twenty-three years ago I was handed a piece of copy from a reputable news agency in Sheffield in which a senior police officer and a senior local MP were making serious allegations against fans in the stadium. \"I had absolutely no reason to believe that these authority figures would lie and deceive over such a disaster. \"As the prime minister has made clear these allegations were wholly untrue and were part of a concerted plot by police officers to discredit the supporters thereby shifting the blame for the tragedy from themselves. \"It has taken more than two decades, 400,000 documents and a two-year inquiry to discover to my horror that it would have been far more accurate had I written the headline The Lies rather than The Truth. \"I published in good faith and I am sorry that it was so wrong.\"", "summary": "The former editor of the Sun has offered \"profuse apologies to the people of Liverpool\" for blaming fans for the Hillsborough tragedy."}
{"article": "We drive up the hills in his pickup truck to see farmers harvest the coffee beans in the vast valley around us. Coffee has been the economic backbone of this region - on the border between the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo - for more than a century. But after years of a commodity-fuelled boom, economies like Brazil are having a hard time adjusting to slower global demand and lower prices. Over the decades, the Lacerda family has known fortune and poverty, with their wealth always oscillating around coffee. Droughts, government policies, global consumption, currency problems - these were blessings and curses that determined the fate of the Lacerdas. But in the past five years, farmers in this region are finding new ways to make their own fortunes, trying to move away from producing cheap commodity beans and instead invest in top quality production. Tarcisio drives me to the top of the hill and lets me in on their secret. The valley is filled with coffee trees - but not all of it produces particularly good coffee. In the past, farmers would collect all beans, put them in bags and ship them abroad, getting whatever prices were listed in the commodity markets. Now Tarcisio and his family are separating the best beans - most of which are from trees 1,500 metres above sea level - and producing their own specialty brands. The rest is sold to the market as cheaper, unprocessed green beans. \"Usually you double your price - going from commodity to specialty,\" he says. \"A bag of commodity coffee is now worth 450 reais ($110; \u00c2\u00a372) - but we can sell specialty at around 900 or 1000 reais ($220 or $240),\" he says. Tarcisio takes me to his neighbour's farm - Forquilha do Rio - which has been winning some of Brazil's top awards for coffee. Their quality has to do with the favourable local conditions - mild temperatures, good sun exposure and high altitude. \"We knew our coffee was good, but we had no idea it was this good,\" says Afonso de Abreu Lacerda (no relation to Tarcisio), in front of a cabinet packed with trophies. \"It wasn't until we started competing in awards, about five years ago, that we learned just how valuable it was,\" he adds. In 2012, when Forquilha do Rio won one of Brazil's top awards, they were able to sell one of their lots for $950 - more than six times the commodity price at the time. They are now exporting their finished brand to China and Japan. The \"specialty revolution\" is partly the brainchild of Tarcisio's son, 26-year-old Jhone. When he was just 15, Jhone dropped out of school and moved into the family property, determined to learn everything about the coffee trade. With each harvest, father and son experimented with different ways of harvesting, drying up and roasting their product. Jhone designed, built and patented a new coffee drying equipment - which is one of the crucial elements of turning commodity beans into gourmet food. He also became a", "summary": "As soon as the sun rises in the Caparao Mountains in southeast Brazil, Tarcisio Lacerda takes me on a tour of his property."}
{"article": "The lyrics are from Vegas, a track on Eminem's upcoming compilation album. He raps: \"So what's it gon' be? Put that away Iggy. You don't wanna blow that rape whistle on me. Scream!\" Azalea also said that she is \"bored of the old men threatening young women as entertainment\". She said that women in the music industry have \"bigger balls\" and \"endure much more harassment\". Of course Eminem is famed for his controversial lyrics. In a freestyle rap to promote his new album he said he would \"punch\" Lana Del Ray. He also referenced the shocking case of an NFL footballer who in September was seen in video footage attacking his wife in a lift. \"I'll punch Lana Del Rey right in the face twice,\" he raps, \"like Ray Rice in broad daylight\". \"The new Eminem rap song is yet another example of a stream of music videos that glamorises and normalises rape, rape culture and violence against women,\" Betiel Barakia, a spokesperson for Object, which tackles issues around women and girls in the media, told Newsbeat. \"It normalises and legitimises forms of behaviour that should be condemned, not celebrated or tolerated. \"Eminem is a global, successful rapper; his target audience are young boys and he, alongside the music industry as a whole, have a responsibility towards their audience.\" Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube.", "summary": "Iggy Azalea tweeted that her younger brother is \"the biggest Eminem fan and now the artist he most admired says he wants to rape me.\""}
{"article": "The Shamrock Park derby ended 2-2 but the IFA ordered that Glenavon forfeit the match with the bottom placed Ports awarded a 3-0 victory. Glenavon believed Elebert had completed a suspension and was eligible to play. The Glenavon board \"unanimously agreed that the club would proceed with an appeal against this decision.\" The Lurgan Blues were also hit with a \u00a3350 fine. Elebert had been suspended for one game from 19 December for five bookings, three of which were picked up during reserve team matches. Glenavon felt Elebert had completed the suspension when he sat out a reserve fixture - but IFA rules dictate that such suspensions apply to the \"more senior team\". The Mourneview Park club said they had checked Elebert's eligibility with the governing body before including him in their team.", "summary": "Glenavon will make an appeal after they were punished by the Irish FA for fielding suspended player David Elebert against Portadown on Boxing Day."}
{"article": "The airline did not operate 331 flights after cancelling 248 on Wednesday. Some passengers have been stranded in European cities after Easter breaks, prompting Easyjet to operate five \"rescue\" flights on Friday. The flights will bring three parties of schoolchildren back to the UK. The additional flights will run from Luton to Paris, Paris to Barcelona, Barcelona to Luton, Gatwick to Madrid, and Marrakech to Gatwick. Easyjet says it will put larger aircraft on routes that have been most affected to allow more passengers to get home. A spokesman said the \"unnecessary\" strike had caused \"considerable and disproportionate disruption for passengers and airlines across Europe\". Rival low-cost airline Ryanair said it had been forced to cancel more than 500 flights over the last two days. \"We again call on the EU [European Union] and French authorities to act now and prevent thousands of travellers being held to ransom by these French [air traffic control] workers,\" the Irish airline said. Johanna Booth, from Liverpool, has been stuck in Barcelona after two Ryanair flights were cancelled due to the industrial action. \"We have a four-month-old baby and his formula milk has ran out and he is not drinking much of the other variety, so I am concerned,\" she told the BBC. \"The support we have received from Ryanair has been minimal.\" Air France said it was operating one-in-four flights to and from Orly airport in Paris, about 40% to and from cities in the rest of France, and 50% of medium-haul flights to and from Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. No long-haul Air France flights were affected on Thursday. Air traffic controllers are planning further industrial action from 16 to 18 April and from 29 April to 2 May 2 - both key holiday periods. Roger Rousseau, head of the SNCTA union that represents French air traffic controllers, said: \"We can assure our passengers that we are doing everything possible to limit the inconvenience of this strike on them.\" Among the issues upsetting members is that the retirement age will be raised from 57 to 59.", "summary": "Easyjet has cancelled hundreds of flights as the second day of strike action by French air traffic controllers took its toll."}
{"article": "An estimated 600 people gathered at Westfield in Shepherd's Bush for the so-called \"die-in\" demonstration. Police said the arrests were made when a breakaway group assaulted security staff and damaged property. The protest was in solidarity with rallies in the US prompted by the death of Eric Garner, a black man who died during an arrest in New York in July. Two peaceful protests were held in west London on Wednesday evening, one inside the Westfield shopping mall and one outside. It is believed those staging the occupation were asked to move outside, a request that was peacefully complied with, Scotland Yard said. But, according to a police statement, a group then tried to gain access to the centre and were arrested on suspicion of public order offences and one man was held on suspicion of assault. The Metropolitan Police said they dealt with the protesters using tactics \"including a containment for the purpose of preventing violence and effecting arrests\". Commanding officer Ch Supt Mark Bird said: \"We will always work with those that wish to demonstrate lawfully - as the majority of protesters did yesterday. \"However, we will not tolerate the small minority that offer violence or commit other criminal acts, such as that witnessed outside Westfield.\" The Met said their inquiries into the incident were continuing. Mr Garner, 43, was stopped on a street in New York on 17 July on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes. Police officers wrestled him to the ground and he complained he could not breathe as he was restrained in an apparent chokehold. He became unresponsive and later died. Thousands of people have taken to the streets in the US in protest over his death and that of Michael Brown, 18, who was killed in Ferguson, Missouri on 9 August. Grand juries in Missouri and New York have decided not to charge the officers involved. West London protesters held signs carrying the same \"Black lives matter\" message as seen in US demonstrations.", "summary": "Police have arrested 76 people who were taking part in a mass protest at a major west London shopping centre."}
{"article": "Real - who have won 29 of those 38 matches - are one short of equalling a best-ever run by a La Liga team. James Rodriguez scored twice as he made a rare start in the absence of the rested Cristiano Ronaldo. Raphael Varne also headed home to put Real firmly in control with the second leg in Seville on 12 January. It is a second leg which now appears a formality amid a hectic schedule that could see Real play 21 times in 11 weeks. Madrid started a second consecutive home game without any of their first-choice front three with Karim Benzema on the substitutes' bench, Ronaldo rested and Gareth Bale sidelined with a long-term ankle injury. Rodriguez had previously said he would consider his future in January after playing a minor role so far this season, but made the most of a rare start by scoring a spectacular long-range opener and adding his second from the penalty spot after Luca Modric was fouled by Mariano. Real Sociedad also took a huge step towards the last eight with Willian Jose, Carlos Vela and Mikel Oyarzabal scoring in a 3-1 win over Villarreal.", "summary": "Real Madrid extended their unbeaten run to 38 games with a 3-0 victory over Sevilla in the first leg of their last-16 Copa del Rey tie at the Bernabeu."}
{"article": "They were seized when the jihadists swept through al-Qaryatain in Homs province, monitoring groups say. Many of the Christians had fled to al-Qaryatain to escape fighting in Aleppo province to the north. Islamic State (IS) has treated Christians harshly in other places under its control. The group follows its own extreme version of Sunni Islam and has previously ordered Christians to convert, pay jizya (a religious levy), or face death. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), at least 230 people were seized by Islamic State (IS) fighters in al-Qaryatain. Some were taken from inside a church, SOHR said. It said IS was hunting down a list of people it suspected of \"collaborating with the regime\". The Assyrian Federation of Sweden, whose members have relatives in the town, said about 100 families were being held. The federation says it has not been able to contact anyone inside the town and the conditions of the captives are not known. The SOHR said \"at least 60\" Christians were among those being held. Earlier this year, dozens of Assyrian Christians were abducted by IS militants in attacks on villages in Hassakeh province in north-east Syria. A local Christian militia said it believed the captives were taken away to a mountain, but their fate since then is unclear. Syria's beleaguered Christians", "summary": "Islamic State militants have abducted dozens of people, many Christian, from a Syrian town captured on Thursday from pro-regime forces, reports say."}
{"article": "Sources suggest the carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and its task force may sail through the English Channel overnight, after leaving the North Sea. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the ships would be \"man-marked every step of the way\" while near UK waters. However, Nato said Russia had the right to operate in international waters. The Russian task force's journey comes amid heightened tension between Russia and Nato. \"We will be watching as part of our steadfast commitment to keep Britain safe,\" Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said. The Ministry of Defence said at about 13:00 BST the task force was \"in the middle of the North Sea heading southwards\". At that stage it was understood to be about 100 miles (160km) off Edinburgh, but the MoD has not provided any further updates. Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan, escorted by the Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, sailed from Portsmouth on Tuesday to track the Kuznetsov group as it headed south from the Norwegian Sea, By Jonathan Marcus, BBC defence and diplomatic correspondent If, as anticipated, the Admiral Kuznetsov and its task force are heading for the eastern Mediterranean, this will be the first ever combat deployment for Russia's only aircraft carrier. A Ministry of Defence spokesman says that the Russian flotilla could pass through the Strait of Dover on Thursday, though it could be significantly delayed if the carrier conducts flight operations or has to stop to refuel. Two of the Russian vessels carry land attack cruise missiles and the carrier has an unknown number of aircraft on board. These will enhance Russia's firepower off Syria but this is, above all, a demonstration of force projection; a signal from Moscow that it can deploy its military might when and where it chooses. Russia's naval battle group: Power play or theatre? Russia already has about 10 ships off Syria, which have fired cruise missiles during Russia's bombardment of what it says are anti-government rebels in Syria. The deployment comes as a \"humanitarian pause\" in attacks on rebel-held eastern Aleppo in Syria begins. The temporary truce is part of a plan to allow civilians and fighters to leave, and Russian and Syrian air strikes have been halted since Tuesday. Russian actions have created alarm in the West and, arriving at her first Brussels summit as UK prime minister, Theresa May said it was important to have a \"united European stance\" against \"Russian aggression\", which included \"sickening atrocities\" in Syria. Downing Street sources said Mrs May had told EU counterparts that Russia's actions had \"undermined the West's efforts\" to provide a political settlement in Syria. The Admiral Kuznetsov is the only carrier in the Russian navy. It can carry more than 50 aircraft and its weapons systems include granit anti-ship cruise missiles. Former Nato secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told BBC Radio 4's World at One that Russian President Vladimir Putin was engaged in \"risky posturing\", and the West needed to respond with tougher sanctions against Russia. \"I'm not an admirer of Vladimir Putin, but he plays a weak hand rather well, because he knows that", "summary": "Two British warships are shadowing an aircraft carrier and other Russian naval ships as they pass the UK on their way to Syria."}
{"article": "Shares of JP Morgan, Citigroup and Wells Fargo reported a mixed bag of second quarter results, putting pressure on share prices. The sentiment spread to other bank stocks, leading to decreases at Bank of America and Morgan Stanley. Gains elsewhere offset the losses, as investors shrugged off weak sales data. The Dow Jones climbed 0.4% to 21,637.74 and the S&P 500 index rose 0.47% to 2,459.29. The Nasdaq gained 0.6% to 6,311.41. US retail sales fell 0.2% from May to June - the second month in a row they have declined, according to US Census data. However, May's decline was revised to a fall of 0.1% from the initial estimate of a 0.3% drop. The sales drop did not appear to hurt retail stocks. Walmart shares were among the market's biggest winners, rising 1.7%. Stocks were also boosted by weak inflation data, which could reduce the possibility of a third increase in interest rates by the Federal Reserve this year. The Labor Department said the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.6% in June from a year earlier, down from a rate of 1.9% in May. The core CPI measure - which ignores food and energy costs - was unchanged at 1.7%. The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones are up 9% so far this year, while the Nasdaq is ahead 16%.", "summary": "US stock indexes closed higher on Friday despite declines in banking shares as investors reacted to the latest round of results in the sector."}
{"article": "The draft legislation seeks to protect sensitive personal data from hacking and government surveillance. EU citizens are entitled to personal privacy and this extends to online communications, the committee argues. A ban on \"backdoors\" into encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram is also being considered. Encryption involves digitally scrambling a communication to protect its contents, and then using a digital key to reassemble the data. End-to-end encryption means the company providing the service does not have access to the key, meaning it cannot \"listen in\" to what is being shared - giving the sender and recipient added confidence in the privacy of their conversation. \"The principle of confidentiality should apply to current and future means of communication, including calls, internet access, instant messaging applications, email, internet phone calls and personal messaging provided through social media,\" said a draft proposal from the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs. The proposal seeks to amend Article Seven of the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights to add online privacy and will require approval by the European Parliament and the European Council before it can be passed into law. During the UK's recent election campaign, the Conservative Party said that tech firms should provide the authorities \"access to information as required\" to help combat online radicalisation, but ministers have also said they do not want to weaken encryption. That has led to some confusion among tech industry leaders as to whether the government wants some kind of \"backdoor\", a way to have end-to-end encryption disabled in specific cases, or some other action. However, cyber-security experts warn that criminals can still find a way to protect their communications, even if end-to-end encryption is banned. \"There are lots of existing techniques law enforcement can use,\" Dr Steven Murdoch, a cyber-security researcher in the department of computer science at University College London told the BBC News website. \"One of them is traffic analysis, which is looking at patterns of communications, eg who is talking to who, when and from what location. \"The other one is hacking - equipment interference in British law - which can happen before data is encrypted and after it's been decrypted, so there are still ways for law enforcement to gain access to information.\" In the Manchester, Westminster and London Bridge terror attacks, the perpetrators were already known to UK security services, Mr Murdoch added. \"They were not stopped because there were either insufficient resources or the resources were not sufficiently prioritised,\" he said. \"The suggestions being considered by the UK government would be worse for computer security. So much of people's lives are now carried out online. We should have privacy online just as we have offline.\"", "summary": "A European Parliament committee wants end-to-end encryption to be enforced on all forms of digital communication to protect European Union (EU) citizens."}
{"article": "The proposals were revealed in a draft improvement plan drawn up in response to Louise Casey's report, which branded the authority \"not fit for purpose\". Other suggestions include using mystery shoppers to test services. The council accepted previous training had been \"a bit stale\" with little buy-in from councillors. The Casey report was commissioned after an earlier inquiry by Professor Alexis Jay revealed that 1,400 children in the Rotherham area were abused by gangs of men, mainly of Pakistani origin, from 1997 to 2013. The improvement plan - which also includes exploring alternative governance models - will be considered by councillors on Friday. Commissioner Stella Manzie, one of five appointed to run the council, said the authority was \"prioritising\" training to ensure councillors were \"well equipped\" to perform their duties and \"understand how to scrutinise performance\". The improvement plan also suggests \"political mentorship\" of cabinet members, the leader of the opposition and leaders of other political groups be introduced by the end of June. She said training for staff would focus on areas including improving customer service, developing leadership and management skills and understanding how to work with politicians. One of the proposals is to introduce report writing training for council officers. Mrs Manzie said: \"We won't be doing all this training all at once, we will prioritise it and make sure that it is spread over time and make sure that everybody who wants and needs it gets that opportunity.\" Prof Jay's report said there had been \"blatant\" collective failures by the council's leadership. Council leader Chris Read: \"We've always had [training] but, to be honest, it's been a bit stale, there's not really been the buy-in from councillors. \"We accept that we have got to take our share of the responsibility in Rotherham and that means we've got to get much better at being councillors so we're doing this quite intensive training programme.\"", "summary": "Councillors and council staff in Rotherham will undergo training and political mentorship as part of a raft of measures to improve performance."}
{"article": "Stevenage goalkeeper Jamie Jones was tested by Rowan Liburd's header and Garry Thompson's strike from 20 yards. Boro's Tom Conlon had a shot over the crossbar before Jason McCarthy missed the target and Liburd had more chances. The winner came from McCarthy's shot rebounding to Luke O'Nien, who slotted home, while Stevenage almost equalised from 10 yards though Dean Parrett. Stevenage remain in 21st, seven points clear of the relegation zone.", "summary": "Wycombe Wanderers secured a narrow win over Stevenage to move up to eighth and sit one point from the play-off places."}
{"article": "\"Powerful women needed,\" ads published in national newspapers say alongside the face of a woman obscured in shadow. Mossad already has a staff that is 40% female, with 24% of them in key senior roles, local media report. Women have been praised as better secret agents by a former Mossad chief. Tamir Pardo said in 2012 that female agents \"have a distinct advantage in secret warfare because of their ability to multitask\" and they \"suppress their ego in order to attain goals,\" according to the Jerusalem Post. \"Contrary to stereotypes, you see that women's abilities are superior to men in terms of understanding the territory, reading situations, spatial awareness. When they're good, they're very good,\" the then-agency chief said. The Mossad website tells would-be female recruits: \"It's not what you've done, it's who you are.\" Have you got what it takes to be a spy? Listen to BBC Radio 4 documentary 'The Mossad' (2010)", "summary": "Israel's shadowy international spy agency, Mossad, is seeking to bolster its ranks with more women, launching its first recruitment drive specifically targeting females."}
{"article": "Coach Eddie Jones announced at the launch of the championship that the 30-year-old will continue in the role. \"I haven't actually told him... shall I say now? I'd like to announce Dylan's the captain,\" Jones said. Hartley, who led England to the Grand Slam last year, was banned for hitting Leinster's Sean O'Brien in December. He caught the Irish flanker high with a swinging arm during Northampton's 37-10 Champions Cup loss and was shown the third red card of his career. The subsequent suspension took the total number of weeks he has been unavailable during his career to 60. Hartley will not have played for nine weeks before England's opening game against France on 4 February at Twickenham. When the captain was asked if he had changed his game in response to his latest sanction, Jones interrupted: \"He's had 60 weeks off mate, he's a world expert.\" The Australian added: \"I think he's ready. He trained well on Tuesday and has still got a couple of days to go. We're pleased to have him back. It's the continuity of the job.\" Hartley, when asked about his suitability for the role, said: \"We did this last year, talking about me. I'm confident, I feel fresh, I feel fit, and focused. \"I'm here on behalf of the team. The challenge is to use this week as best we can to get the preparation right for a huge first game.\" Hartley was dropped from England's 2015 Rugby World Cup squad after he headbutted Saracens' Jamie George, but was recalled by Jones after he replaced Stuart Lancaster. The hooker went on to lead the side to a Six Nations Grand Slam as they embarked on a run of 14 consecutive Test match victories. British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland has refused to be drawn on whether Hartley's disciplinary record will affect his chances of leading this summer's tour to New Zealand. Media playback is not supported on this device Jones attended the launch with a dressing on his face and a black eye, caused by a fall in the bathroom of his hotel. However, the Australian did initially suggest he suffered the injury while attempting the combat sports England players have been practising since October. \"First we had judo and then we had MMA, so we're just going through all the martial arts sports to see what effect they have on the body,\" Jones said. \"My mother always told me I've got to shave and I forgot, so I walked out of the shower to get the shaver and this is what happened.\" Back row James Haskell has been given the all-clear to link up with the squad after recovering from a foot injury that kept him out for six months. The 31-year-old was a key part of England's Grand Slam and unbeaten tour of Australia in 2016. But, having missed the autumn internationals, he faces a battle to oust Tom Wood, who was this week singled out for praise by Jones. Jones said people would \"have to wait and see\" if Haskell would feature", "summary": "Northampton hooker Dylan Hartley has been confirmed as England's captain for the Six Nations - two days after his six-week suspension for striking ended."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old came through the German second-tier side's youth academy, playing in over 200 games for the club. Schindler has signed a three-year contract with the Terriers. \"He is good in the aerial challenge and is a very composed player, who is great at reading the game,\" head coach David Wagner said. \"A big part of our decision to allow Joel Lynch to join Queens Park Rangers was the availability of Christopher. \"I am totally comfortable breaking the club's transfer record to bring him here.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Huddersfield have signed defender Christopher Schindler from TSV 1860 Munich for an undisclosed club-record fee, understood to be around \u00a31.8m."}
{"article": "Esther Lowery, 17, from Holywell, suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a genetic condition which means her body tissue is not strong enough to hold her limbs in place. She calls it an \"invisible illness\" because the symptoms go unseen by others. Esther can walk short distances which has led to her being branded a \"fraud\". But she experiences \"agonising pain\" when her elbows, shoulders and knees pop out of their joints up to six times a week. \"When I go out to museums or go shopping and I know it's going to be a long day, I'll use my wheelchair\", she said. \"But say if it's just walking to the house from the street, I can make it without crutches or a wheelchair, so I think that's what confuses a lot of people when they see me get out of my chair and start walking. \"I remember walking up a couple of steps once, and when some people saw me getting out of my chair they shouted 'it's a miracle!' \"I was really upset because they have no idea how much pain I'm in on a day-to-day basis.\" Esther has made a three-minute documentary to raise awareness about the condition.", "summary": "A teenager from Flintshire has been accused of being a \"fake\" for using a wheelchair to cope with a rare illness."}
{"article": "The officer, Ahmed al-Mreyssi, died after being repeatedly run over during anti-government protests. The court upheld a life sentence given to a second man in the case. Bahrain and its Sunni royal family have been shaken by unrest since pro-democracy protests began in 2011. Most protesters are from the Shia majority. The death sentence was confirmed on Wednesday for Ali al-Taweel, and the sentence to life imprisonment for Ali Shamlo. Lawyers for the two men have said they will appeal against the decision at the court of cassation in a final effort to have the sentences reduced. Bahrain's largest opposition political party Al Wefaq denounced Wednesday's decision and said confessions used as evidence in convicting the two men were extracted by torture. The Gulf island kingdom has been wracked by nearly two years of violence that followed the clearing of an iconic landmark, Pearl Roundabout, in the capital Manama, in February 2011. As violence escalated 35 people, including five police officers, were killed. Hundreds more were hurt and thousands jailed - the vast majority Shia Muslims. Since then, opposition and human rights activists say another 45 people have been killed, a figure which the government disputes. In October last year two policemen died of injuries sustained during clashes with protesters in villages outside Manama. Last December, a Bahraini court commuted to life imprisonment the death sentences of two other protesters convicted of killing two policemen in another incident in 2011.", "summary": "A Bahraini appeals court on Wednesday upheld a death sentence against a protester convicted of murdering a policeman in March 2011."}
{"article": "Official figures have shown a total of 72.4% of red calls were reached within eight minutes in December. It follows a new year-long pilot to test changes to the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust's patient response. In November, nearly 71% of code red calls were responded to compared with the 65% target. The new pilot, implemented in October, measures the results of treatment and patients' overall experience in a bid to make sure they receive the most appropriate care. The Emergency Ambulance Services Committee, which oversees the compilation of the data, said Wales now has the most detailed information on ambulance performance across the UK. The new data, for October to December, showed that out of 69,686 patients taken to hospital or another destination by ambulance, the vast majority - 63,694 - went to A&E. Ambulance crew handed over 58.2% of cases to hospital staff within the target time of 15 minutes, yet 12,233 hours were lost due to delays. Since a new traffic light system for grading calls was introduced, call centre staff have been given more time to determine the nature of the emergency. Of the total number of emergency calls received in December, 1,927 (5.0%) were red - \"immediately life threatening\" - the figures showed. Of those, more than 90% of red calls received a response within 15 minutes, but seven responses took longer than 30 minutes to arrive. Amber calls, deemed serious but not life threatening, do not have a target time but 65% were responded to within 15 minutes and 23 seconds. Emergency response time figures for November cannot be compared to December's as revised changes where introduced on 11 November, meaning a 999 call is now upgraded to a red category if the patient deteriorates. Tracy Myhill, chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, said they were \"committed to learning and improving from this pilot as we move forward\". Deputy health minister Vaughan Gething said it was \"encouraging\" to see \"continuing improvement\". \"The new clinical response model is helping to ensure people get the right care, in the right place, at the right time,\" he said. However, he called for improvements in Powys and Hywel Dda health boards' performances, as both failed to reach the 65% emergency response target. Welsh Liberal Democrats leader Kirsty Williams has criticised the variation in response times across Wales, adding: \"Labour ministers need to address this imbalance quickly.\"", "summary": "New data measuring how effectively ambulance staff in Wales deal with 999 calls has been published for the first time."}
{"article": "UK passport holder Lee Bo, 65 - also known as Paul Lee - is one of five booksellers who have gone missing. All five men worked for a publisher known for books critical of China. Activists fear they have been detained by Chinese officials. The Foreign Office said it was \"deeply concerned\". The disappearances have sparked fury from lawmakers and activists in semi-autonomous Hong Kong, adding to growing unease that freedoms in the city are being eroded, the BBC's Hong Kong correspondent Juliana Liu said. Mr Lee is the latest bookseller to go missing, after raising the alarm about four of his colleagues at publishing house Mighty Current, who disappeared in October. He disappeared last week and was last seen in Hong Kong. A letter faxed to his bookshop, apparently written by Mr Lee, says he travelled to China on his own and is fine. Activists believe the letter is genuine - but was written under duress. However, Mr Lee's wife, Sophie Choi, has withdrawn her request for police to help find him saying he has been in contact. She had previously told the BBC she was \"really afraid\" about his whereabouts. The 'unprecedented' case of the missing Hong Kong bookseller Hong Kong bookstore disappearances shock publishing industry Speaking at a news conference in Beijing alongside his counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Mr Hammond said he had raised concerns about Mr Lee's whereabouts. \"These people have gone missing. A Mr Lee Bo, who is a British passport holder, has gone missing and we have urgently enquired both of the Hong Kong authorities and of the mainland Chinese authorities what if anything they know of his whereabouts,\" he said. Mr Wang told journalists the missing bookseller was \"first and foremost a Chinese citizen\", while the Chinese foreign ministry has said other countries had \"no right to interfere\". But Mr Hammond said that any charges against Mr Lee should be dealt with in Hong Kong, not mainland China. \"Our view is that the Basic Law, the joint declaration, the principle of One Country Two Systems means that in a question of any breach of Hong Kong laws the question must be settled in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong judicial system.\" Mr Lee's disappearance has sparked an outcry in Hong Kong, where some suspect he may have been kidnapped and illegally transported across the border to mainland China - in a process akin to extraordinary rendition. Activists believe he may have been detained because of a book about the private life of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The BBC's correspondent in Beijing, Steve Evans, said the booksellers had been publishing \"pretty scurrilous stuff about mainland Chinese politicians\" which was freely available in Hong Kong, but had been seeping over into mainland China. If they have been snatched by the Chinese authorities, that would represent a breach of the guarantees made by China to Britain when Hong Kong was handed over to China in 1997, he said. \"It matters for Hong Kong, because if there is perceived to be an erosion of the rule of", "summary": "The UK has \"urgently enquired\" for information from Chinese and local officials after a British bookseller disappeared in Hong Kong, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said."}
{"article": "The parties are now in opposition together at Stormont. Since going into opposition after the assembly election in May, the effectiveness of the arrangement between the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP has been constantly questioned. The decision to invite Colum Eatwood to address the UUP conference can be seen as the response to that criticism. Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said there was a lot of joined up work going on between the parties but he and Mr Eastwood were conscious people want to see tangible signs of co-operation. Rather than dwell on what divides them, he said, they were focused on common ground, importantly the fact both want Northern Ireland to work. Mr Eastwood said it was a demonstration of what genuine co-operation looks like - two leaders of parties with different views coming together in the interests of people who deserved better from the current Executive. \"It's the principle of partnership, ingrained in our institutions by the SDLP and UUP and degraded by the current government, that brings us together on issues of common cause where we can make a positive difference to the lives of the people we represent,\" he said. Mr Nesbitt said that while there was a lot of co-operation between the UUP and SDLP behind the scenes, he was conscious that people wanted to see tangible signs of it. \"We will not agree on everything, but rather than dwell on what divides us, I am focused on the common ground, and importantly, the fact that Colum and I both want Northern Ireland to work, which opens huge possibilities for cooperating on the bread and butter issues of the economy, education, housing and the health of all our people,\" he said.", "summary": "An SDLP leader will speak at the Ulster Unionist conference for the first time on Saturday."}
{"article": "The killing of some 8,000 Muslim men and boys in July 1995 by Bosnian Serb troops was the worst massacre in Europe since World War Two. A service to bury 136 newly-identified victims will take place on Saturday, 20 years to the day since the massacre began. Another 6,241 victims have already been identified. A truck carrying the newly-identified remains left a mortuary in Visoko, near Sarajevo, early on Thursday. Relatives of the victims cried as coffins were put on board. Among them was Hafiza Tihic, 60, whose father Ramiz was among the victims. \"I don't know how he was killed, but I remember the moment when he was separated from us,\" she told AFP. \"I entered a bus and he was put to one side. What did they do to him later? Only they would know,\" she said, referring to Bosnian Serb forces. Crowds also lined the streets of Sarajevo as the coffins passed through the Bosnian capital. On Wednesday, Russia - an ally of Serbia - vetoed a draft UN resolution that described the killing as a \"genocide\". Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said adopting it \"would be counter-productive, would lead to greater tension in the region\".", "summary": "The bodies of dozens of victims of the Srebrenica massacre are being taken back to the Bosnian town for burial."}
{"article": "Ross's side started the season with a 4-1 win away to Stranraer in League Cup Group H; Gavin Reilly, Ross Stewart, Lewis Morgan and Gregor Buchanan all scoring after Scott Agnew's opener. That puts them above group favourites Partick Thistle, who lost on penalties to Livingston after a 1-1 draw. \"I really do love my job here,\" Ross told BBC Scotland. \"I was completely content in the job I had before I left and it was the same when I came back from holiday. \"I love the environment I work in, I've got a good relationship with the board, the chairman, I've a bond with my players. I brought players here on the basis of me being here and trying to improve them. \"We created a mood of optimism last season, we want to continue that, we want to take this club to the Premier League. When I do that I might be satisfied then.\" Thistle got off to a good start against Livingston at the Tony Macaroni Arena when Chris Erskine gave them the lead in 14 minutes. Keaghan Jacobs scored a second half equaliser, and goalkeeper Neil Alexander saved three penalties as they earned a bonus point in the shoot-out, winning 3-1. That means St Mirren lead Livingston by one point going into Tuesday's match between the pair. Saints manager Ross is hopeful of signing new players as he targets promotion to the top flight. \"Promotion is the aim, it has to be,\" he said. \"It's not being overly optimistic or arrogant, you have to have a cause and a goal. \"It's still a difficult division, we still have a big club in Dundee United, Falkirk who have competed there or thereabouts for promotion in recent years, and Inverness who have come down. \"I still think we can do with one or two [players], one in the forward area, probably one defensively, and we're working on that. But we have a good squad at present.\" Match ends, Stranraer 1, St. Mirren 4. Second Half ends, Stranraer 1, St. Mirren 4. Attempt saved. Ryan Thomson (Stranraer) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by Rocco Quinn (St. Mirren). Chukwunweike Okoh (Stranraer) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt missed. Conor O'Keefe (St. Mirren) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left misses to the right. Stelios Demetriou (St. Mirren) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Stelios Demetriou (St. Mirren). Daniel Stoney (Stranraer) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Rocco Quinn (St. Mirren) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Rocco Quinn (St. Mirren). Scott Agnew (Stranraer) wins a free kick on the right wing. Attempt blocked. Jamie Hamill (Stranraer) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Rocco Quinn (St. Mirren). Chukwunweike Okoh (Stranraer) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Gary MacKenzie (St. Mirren) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Attempt blocked. Gary MacKenzie (St.", "summary": "St Mirren manager Jack Ross is adamant he is happy at the club despite reported summer interest from Dundee."}
{"article": "Analysts expected the entertainment group's revenues to be $13.2bn (\u00c2\u00a38.5bn), but the total was $100m less. Operating income fell at Disney's theme parks and resorts outside North America because of higher operating costs at Disneyland in Paris and Hong Kong. The Asian park also had fewer visitors in the period. At the same time, chief financial officer Christine McCarthy said the weaker euro had cut revenue at Disneyland Paris by about $100m. Operating profit at its theme parks rose 9% to $922m, with a 4% increase in revenue to $4.1bn. Profits at the company's largest unit, media networks, was up 4% to $2.38bn as cable channels brought in higher fees from TV distributors. The division includes sports channel ESPN, the Disney channels and the ABC broadcast network. Bob Iger, chairman and chief executive, said the company was very pleased with the third quarter results. Overall, net profit rose 11% to a record $2.48bn. \"The strong results across our many diverse lines of business demonstrate the power of our unparalleled brands, franchises and creative content,\" he said. Profits at Disney's movie studio business jumped 15% to $472m, helped by the success of Avengers: Age of Ultron, starring Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr. The Marvel film has taken more than $450m in the US and $940m in foreign markets. Disney bought the studio in 2009 for what is now thought to have been a bargain $4bn. The company's consumer products division recorded the biggest rise in profits for the quarter - up 27% to $348m - as merchandise based on Frozen, the Avengers and Star Wars continued to prove popular. Shares in Disney fell 6.5% to $113.85 in after-hours trading on Tuesday. The stock has risen 29% this year, making it the best performer among the 30-member Dow Jones average. The slide accelerated after chief financial officer Christine McCarthy told analysts on a conference call that Disney had scaled back forecasts for profit growth at its media networks unit. She said the company now expected annual growth in the mid-single digits, rather than high single digits, because of lower revenue from fewer cable subscribers and the impact of foreign exchange rates. ESPN had suffered \"modest\" subscriber losses as some viewers switch to digital platforms, Mr Iger said. Robin Diedrich, an analyst at Edward Jones, said the lowered guidance for the TV unit and the overall revenue miss sparked the share price fall. However, he said that overall Disney had \"a good solid quarter\".", "summary": "Disney posted a 5% increase in revenue for the three months to 27 June - but missed expectations for the first time in eight quarters."}
{"article": "Sandy Hamilton, 35, and Kevin James McKinley, 46, both of Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, were pulled from the water off the Galloway coast on Sunday. BBC Scotland understands that both men were suspected by the authorities of involvement in the illegal puppy trade. Mr Hamilton also faced trial over the deaths of two people in a road crash. He was accused of causing death by dangerous driving after a head-on crash killed 85-year-old Giovanni Coppolaro and his wife Maria, 83, from St Ives, Cambridgeshire, in July 2015. Mr Hamilton and Mr McKinley were reported missing on Saturday evening after failing to return from a boat trip from Port Logan, Wigtownshire. Police confirmed on Sunday that their bodies had been recovered from the Irish Sea. Officers are still trying to determine the circumstances surrounding their deaths. BBC Scotland has learned that both men were known to the authorities in connection with the illegal trade of puppies from the Republic of Ireland. A major route for the trade sees vehicles transporting puppies across the Irish sea by ferry into Scotland. A BBC Panorama investigation into the trade - Britain's Puppy Dealers Exposed - was broadcast last year. The programme obtained footage which showed Sandy Hamilton being stopped in September 2015 on a ferry from Northern Ireland. A concealment of puppies was found in the boot of his car and on that occasion he was allowed to continue on his journey and keep the dogs. The stop was carried out by the Scottish SPCA as part of Operation Delphin. This multi-agency initiative, which includes Stena Line, Police Scotland, Trading Standards and HM Revenue and Customs was set up to tackle the puppy trade business and protect the welfare of puppies and their breeding. It is now believed that Mr Hamilton and Mr McKinley may have been on their way to collect more puppies in a speedboat at the weekend when the fatal accident happened. BBC Scotland understands that Mr Hamilton's body was recovered, along with a substantial amount of cash. Police Scotland would not comment. A Scottish SPCA undercover inspector told the BBC: \"Puppy trafficking has been monitored for some time under Operation Delphin and we have identified a particular route between Scotland and Ireland. \"Operation Delphin has gained success tackling the illegal trade involving puppy trafficking in an attempt to improve animal welfare. \"We have seen the perpetrators develop more elaborate ways to source puppies undetected.\" Mr Hamilton was due to stand trial on the death by dangerous driving charge in July 2017. Mr and Mrs Coppolaro had been travelling in a Jaguar car on the A73 in North Lanarkshire when it was hit by a Volkswagen Golf being driven by Mr Hamilton. He had denied overtaking a lorry on a bend when it was unsafe to do so. Mr Hamilton was also accused of driving without insurance.", "summary": "Two men who died in a speedboat accident off the west coast of Scotland at the weekend were suspected puppy smugglers, it has emerged."}
{"article": "31 October 2015 Last updated at 19:12 GMT A group of dogs got into the spirit of the celebration at Stormont Estate on Saturday afternoon. Claire Graham reported for BBC Newsline.", "summary": "It is common practice for people to get dressed up for Halloween but what about our four-legged friends?"}
{"article": "The 25-year-old has an ankle injury and missed the final Test of the recent series against Pakistan. It has been suggested that bowler Steven Finn would also miss the tour with a foot injury but he has said he still hopes to be involved. Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett, Chris Jordan and Mark Footitt are options to replace Wood in the 17-man squad. James Anderson and Stuart Broad will be England's frontline pace bowlers in the squad, which will be announced on Thursday morning. The tour gets under way on 15 December with a warm-up game against a South African Invitational XI and runs through to 21 February 2016. England will play four Tests, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20s. All-rounder Ben Stokes is understood to have recovered sufficiently from a \"collar bone joint injury\" and should be fit for the tour. The 24-year-old suffered the injury fielding in the final Test of the 2-0 series defeat by Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates this month.", "summary": "England pace bowler Mark Wood looks set to miss this winter's tour of South Africa because of injury."}
{"article": "An estimated 30,000 runners took to the city's streets with both the 10k event and half-marathon taking place on Sunday. Haile Gebrselassie was forced to abandon the defence of his title won in last year's half-marathon event. The Ethiopian pulled up at the roadside with breathing problems 20 minutes after starting. He told the BBC: \"I'm OK now, after I dropped out at 20 minutes I was struggling a bit with the breathing and I'm OK, not too bad actually.\" Last year the 41-year-old set a new world age group record by completing the race in 61 minutes nine seconds. The half-marathon was won by South African Stephen Mokoka with a time of 61 minutes 25 seconds. Kenyan Edna Kiplagat was the first woman to finish, setting a new race record for the women's event in 67 minutes, 57 seconds. Sean Fontana from Victoria Park ACC was first across the finish line in the 10k with a time of 31 minutes, three seconds. Simon Lawson won the wheelchair race with a time of 29 minutes, 10 seconds. After starting from George Square, the half-marathon runners passed through \u00c2\u00adBellahouston and Pollok parks then back to the city centre towards the finish at Glasgow Green. On \"Super Saturday\" more than 3,000 people took part in a number of junior and family races. The run is described as Scotland's biggest mass participation event. Councillor Archie Graham, chairman of Glasgow Life said: \"Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run. \"Whether this was their first time taking part in Scotland's premier celebration of running or the latest of many, the achievement of completing the course will live with them for the rest of their lives.\"", "summary": "Thousands of people have been taking part in the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run in Glasgow."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Potters, who have finished ninth for the past three seasons, were beaten 4-1 by Crystal Palace on Sunday and are bottom of the table after five games. \"We have ambitions this season and if this run continues any longer we won't be able to achieve them,\" Hughes said. \"We need to turn this round very quickly. We haven't got going yet.\" He added: \"We've been ninth in the last three years, and we spoke about being better than that. \"Collectively we need to be better. We can't keep conceding easy goals like the first two.\" Stoke failed to win any of their first six games last season but then won five of their next seven. The former Wales boss was backed by his Palace counterpart Alan Pardew. Some Eagles fans chanted \"you're getting sacked in the morning\" at Hughes, something Pardew felt was unjust. \"This is an experienced manager with very, very good players,\" Pardew said. \"Mark will deal with that. I have no concerns for him because he's terrific. He's having a bit of downtime, but he'll be fine. I have heard those chants against me. I don't think it's right.\"", "summary": "Stoke City boss Mark Hughes says his team's poor start in the Premier League could see them miss out on their pre-season targets."}
{"article": "They were discovered after the Stena Line ferry from Cherbourg to Rosslare docked on Thursday afternoon. The four adults, two teenagers and two children are all safe and well. It is understood they were in what is known as a \"curtain container\" which had come from the French port. Three ambulances attended the scene and all eight were medically assessed and brought to hospital for check-ups but none of them needed further treatment. It is understood there was one family of six and two other adults and most, if not all, said they were Kurdish refugees. They have been brought to Dublin where their claims for asylum will be processed. Earlier this year, authorities at Rosslare Europort discovered 14 people hidden in the back of a lorry, which also arrived from France. All 14 people, including one juvenile, were found inside a refrigerated trailer unit. They did not need medical intervention either.", "summary": "Eight people have been found in a container which arrived on a ferry into Rosslare Europort in County Wexford in the Republic of Ireland."}
{"article": "But he has confirmed that he will not be looking for a return to Motherwell after Ian Baraclough's exit there. \"That might be one of interest to me,\" the 51-year-old told Sky Sports News when asked about the Tannadice job. \"I won't be returning to Motherwell. I had my time there and I loved my time there, but it's not something I will be revisiting.\" McCall, who was Motherwell boss for four years until 2014, thought it would be difficult to match his achievements at Fir Park of reaching the Champions League qualifiers, making a Scottish Cup final and finishing as runners-up to Celtic twice. He stressed that he was concentrating on preparing for next week's European Championship qualifiers with Poland and Gibraltar as part of Scotland manager Gordon Strachan's coaching team. However, of United, who parted with Jackie McNamara this week, he said: \"They are a bigger club in terms of the fanbase and certainly have a bigger budget - third biggest in Scotland, I think. \"They have a good history, been in a couple of cup finals of late, and should be challenging for a European spot.\" Meanwhile, Inverness Caledonian Thistle chairman Kenny Cameron issued a statement in response to a newspaper report suggesting that manager John Hughes was a target for their Scottish Premiership rivals. Hughes himself told BBC Scotland this week that he is enjoying his spell at Caledonian Thistle. However, he has been frustrated by budget restrictions this season as he looked to replace players who have left this summer and it is thought he could be tempted by a move to Tannadice. \"We can confirm that there has been no approach from any club regarding John Hughes,\" said his chairman. \"Since joining the club in late 2013, when Terry Butcher moved on, John's leadership has been inspirational and we are all looking forward to continued success together this season and beyond. \"Speculation like this can often be disruptive, but thankfully at the club we are well used to handling this and everybody remains fully focused on the first local derby game of the season this weekend, which is sure to be an exciting affair.\" United chairman Stephen Thompson revealed on Tuesday that he had already spoken to some out-of-work bosses but did not rule out paying compensation. There had been contact between the club and their former defender, Steven Pressley, but the former Falkirk and Coventry City boss has ruled himself out, saying he wants to find another club in England.", "summary": "Former Rangers manager Stuart McCall has admitted he might be interested in the vacancy at Dundee United."}
{"article": "Mazembe - who won the home leg of their play-off 2-0 last weekend - held off Kabylie's challenge to continue the defence of their crown. There was a big shock in Abidjan as former African Champions League winners, Asec Mimosas, were knocked out by CF Mounana of Gabon. Mimosas went into their home leg needing to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg, but despite fielding a side including the likes of Burkina Faso star Aristide Banc\u00e9, the match ended 0-0 with Mounana going through 2-1 on aggregate. Also on Sunday, Platinum Stars of South Africa squeezed past another Ivorian side AS Tanda to progress 5-4 on penalties after their tie had ended 2-2 on aggregate. The South Africans went into their home leg in Rustenburg trailing 2-0 overall, but fought back to take the tie to spot-kicks and book their place in the group phase. It was much more straightforward for another South African side, SuperSport United, who overwhelmed Liberia's Barrack Young Controllers 5-0 in Pretoria. A hat-trick from Jeremy Brockie helped SuperSport United take the tie 6-1 on aggregate. Sudan's Al Hilal Obeid defeated Ports Authority of the Gambia 3-0 at home to progress 4-1 on aggregate. Confederation Cup fixtures: First leg: Sunday: Second legs: Friday: Saturday: Sunday: Also on Sunday, Nigerian side Rivers United secured a 2-0 home win over Rwanda's Rayon Sports in the only remaining first leg of the play-offs. The match had been delayed due to the commemoration of the Rwanda genocide. On Saturday, nine teams booked their place in the newly expanded group phase of the Confederation Cup, including Mbabane Swallows, whose 4-3 aggregate win over Congolese side AC Leopards made them the first club from Swaziland to reach the group stage. CS Sfaxien of Tunisia became the first side to reach this year's Confederation Cup group phase with a victory over Rail Kadiogo on Friday. The draw for the group phase will be held on will be on 26 April 2017 in Cairo.", "summary": "The African Confederation Cup holders, TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo, booked their place in the group phase of this year's tournament with a 0-0 draw away to JS Kabylie in Algeria on Sunday."}
{"article": "It followed an incident in the town's Barrie Avenue on Tuesday which left a 33-year-old man seriously injured. Morgan McMurtrie, 18, of Dumfries, and two 16-year-olds, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared separately on charges of assault to severe injury, danger of life and attempted murder. No plea was made in each case and all three were released on bail. They will make a further appearance at a later date.", "summary": "Three teenagers have appeared in court in Dumfries charged with attempted murder."}
{"article": "But Sigmar Gabriel also emphasised his wish to return to \"friendly relations\". President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Germany of \"Nazi practices\" because of the cancellation of rallies involving Turkish ministers. He is seeking new constitutional powers in a 16 April referendum. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu repeated the Nazi comparison on a visit to Hamburg aimed at drumming up support among some of the 1.4m Turkish voters who live in Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned the Nazi jibe as \"unacceptable\" and Mr Gabriel echoed her sentiment after a breakfast meeting in Berlin with Mr Cavusoglu. \"The Turkish side said it wanted to be treated equally with respect but I believe both sides have a responsibility and there are lines that must not be crossed and any comparison with Nazi Germany is one of them,\" Mr Gabriel said. But Mr Gabriel was also keen to stress the \"success\" of the two nations' ties, and stressed his intention to avoid lasting damage to them. Turkey is targeting millions of its expatriate voters eligible to cast a ballot in the referendum - including 1.4m in Germany. However, German officials have withdrawn permission for rallies in Gaggenau, Cologne and Frechen. In his remarks, Mr Erdogan suggested such a move was anti-democratic, and made his Nazi comparison on those grounds. In response, Germany has insisted such moves are made by city councils, and were largely based on security concerns. Then on Tuesday evening, Mr Cavusoglu accused German authorities of \"systematic pressure\" on German-based Turks, saying Berlin was intervening in favour of a \"no\" vote in the referendum. He said Germany should not give Turkey \"democracy and human rights lessons\". He was speaking from the balcony of Turkey's consular residence in Hamburg after the building originally scheduled for the rally was closed by authorities. Relations have deteriorated since last July's attempted coup in Turkey. Germany has been critical of the mass arrests and purges that followed - with nearly 100,000 civil servants removed from their posts and academics among the latest. Meanwhile, Turkey has bridled at its perceived lack of support - accusing Germany of foot-dragging in its request for the extradition of people it suspects of being linked to the coup bid. Another contentious subject raised at Wednesday morning's meeting, according to Mr Gabriel, was the fate of Deniz Yucel, a German-Turkish journalist working for Die Welt who has been detained in Turkey for alleged terrorism propaganda. Mr Cavusoglu agreed to give Germany consular access to the reporter, Mr Gabriel said. German-Turkish reporter arrested in Turkey for 'terrorist propaganda' There are irritants that go further back, with Turkey, for instance, accusing Germany of giving a safe haven to Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels, which it deems to be terrorists. Such tensions matter because Germany and Turkey are inextricably linked. Some 3m people of Turkish descent live in Germany - many as a result of Germany's \"guest worker\" (Gastarbeiter) programme in the 1960s and 1970s. Also rocky, in many cases. The Dutch and Austrian governments have also criticised the Turkish government's drive to take its referendum", "summary": "Comparisons with Nazi Germany are \"lines that should not be crossed\", the German foreign minister has warned his Turkish counterpart as they met to try to defuse a bitter row."}
{"article": "In April, the authority launched a search for organisations to run the sites, which include Wales' only working windmill and a Victorian prison. The council said budget cuts had forced it to give up the attractions. Only one organisation has so far expressed interest. Beaumaris courthouse and gaol, and Melin Llynnon and its ancient roundhouses, near Llanddeusant, are currently run by the council's museums and culture service. Anglesey's head of learning, Delyth Molyneux, said: \"Given the significant financial pressures faced and the fact that these sites don't form part of a statutory service, there's a real possibility that they will have to be mothballed or closed altogether if no one else can be found to run them.\" Politicians had expressed concerns the courthouse and gaol could be sold to developers. Beaumaris town councillor Jason Zalot said a sub-committee had been set up to look into running the Beaumaris gaol and courthouse. \"It's a massive undertaking for us. But bear in mind the town council have already taken over the management of the toilets. \"We have proven that we can work hand in the hand with the council.\" Llynnon is currently closed and both Beaumaris courthouse and goal are open on weekends and during upcoming half term holiday. Council leader Ieuan Williams said the council would do its best to support \"interested parties\" in order to ensure a smooth handover \"as the success of these attractions is very important to us\".", "summary": "Some of north Wales' most important heritage sites could close if no-one is found to take them over, Anglesey council has warned."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old follows Wayne Rooney, Raheem Sterling, Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero in winning the award for Europe's best player aged under 21. Rashford and Sanches' club team-mate Kingsley Coman also made the podium. Portugal international Sanches will receive the award at a ceremony in Monte Carlo on Monday. The prize, voted for by journalists across Europe, was established by Italian newspaper Tuttosport in 2003, who revealed this year's winner on their front page. Sanches has played eight games for the German champions this season, having joined in the summer for \u00a327.5m, and has 11 caps for Portugal. At Euro 2016 - then aged 18 - he became the youngest player to feature in a European Championship-winning side and won the Young Player of the Tournament award.", "summary": "Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches has won the European Golden Boy award, beating Manchester United and England striker Marcus Rashford."}
{"article": "The government said any decision should await a report being written by the former bishop of Liverpool James Jones. Andy Burnham, who called for the law, criticised the failure to include it in the Policing and Crime Bill. He said it was wrong Margaret Aspinall had to use compensation for her son's death towards the \"fight for justice\". The shadow home secretary said Ms Aspinall, whose son James died in the 1989 disaster, had to put the \u00c2\u00a31,000 she received in compensation towards legal fees and was then \"living on the breadline\" trying to cover the cost of fighting for justice. The Leigh MP said the 27-year fight Hillsborough families had to endure showed how the odds were stacked against families seeking the truth. It has been revealed South Yorkshire Police spent at least \u00c2\u00a32.1m on legal fees representing its suspended Chief Constable David Crompton during the inquests into the deaths of the 96 fans who were killed. The Labour MP said: \"This Bill was an opportunity to make this country fairer, to even up the scales and tip them in favour of ordinary families and away from the establishment. \"I fear we have failed to do that.\" He said Ms Aspinall, who is chairwoman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, watched the debate from the public gallery, and was \"disappointed\" by the government's refusal to accept equal legal funding in to the Bill. The Policing and Crime Bill gives police stronger powers and hands responsibility for fire and rescue services to elected police and crime commissioners. It creates so-called super complaints which will allow organisations like charities to bring a large-scale complaint against the police and strengthens protections for whistleblowers so identities are protected while investigations are conducted. Home Secretary Theresa May said the Bill would allow police to go \"further and faster\" and \"radically reform\" the complaints and disciplinary systems. However, Mr Burnham said it was a \"mixed bag\" that included improvements but also missed opportunities including the equal legal funding for victims as well as a second Leveson Inquiry into the relationship between police and the press. The Bill will now pass to the House of Lords for further scrutiny. In April, jurors ruled the 96 victims of Hillsborough were unlawfully killed. The Rt Rev James Jones, the former Bishop of Liverpool, led the Hillsborough Independent Panel now acts as the home secretary's adviser on Hillsborough.", "summary": "A decision on a \"Hillsborough Law\" to ensure legal funding for bereaved families at inquests where police are involved has been put on hold."}
{"article": "The 56-year-old was sacked by Chester in April after a run of just one win in 10 put the club in a relegation fight. Southport relieved Andy Bishop of his duties on Saturday with the side lying second from bottom in the table. Ex-Kidderminster boss Burr takes over a side that has picked up four points from their first eight league matches of the season, suffering six defeats.", "summary": "National League side Southport have named former Chester boss Steve Burr as their new manager."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 17 June 2015 Last updated at 20:43 BST Evans was announced as Jeremy Clarkson's replacement on Tuesday. McCarthy, who lives in Mountnessing, told the BBC he hoped the Stig would return in the new format.", "summary": "The \"original Stig\", Essex-based Perry McCarthy, has backed new Top Gear presenter Chris Evans to create \"something special\" when the show returns."}
{"article": "Eilidh Doyle won last month's British indoor title over 400m and knows what it take to succeed on the European stage, having won gold in the 4x400m relay and silver in the 400m in Gothenburg four years ago. Much has changed for the 30-year-old since she last competed at the European Indoor Championships. She's now an Olympic bronze medallist for one. Having decided against competing in Prague in 2015, Doyle opted to include Belgrade in her schedule this year, and she will again compete in both events. \"Indoors is a bit of a no-no for me, I don't really do it very often,\" Doyle told BBC Scotland. \"My last full indoor season was in 2013, but we kind of thought this year that we'd kick off the season early, so it's gone well. \"When I did it in 2013, it paid off pretty well. I had a good indoor season but a really good outdoor season as well, it kind of carried through. And that's what we're sort of thinking this year; get a good indoor but really use it for the outdoor which is the main thing.\" While Doyle is looking at the bigger picture, with the World Championships in London this summer, she is keen to add to her indoor medal haul. \"Championships are always about trying to get a medal; you want to bring something home,\" she said. \"But I think for me because it is indoors and it is 400m, not my preferred event over the hurdles, it's more of a step to the outdoor season. \"Obviously I want to come here and contend and win a medal but if I run a great time and don't make the podium, I'm not going to be too disheartened. Ultimately I just want to have a great performance, but yes it would be great to bring a medal home.\" While the focus is more about performance for Doyle, one of her fellow Scots on the GB team is desperate to win her first senior major medal. Laura Muir is in the form of her life - having already broken three indoor records this season. Her latest impressive feat came two weeks ago in Birmingham as she set a new British mark in the 1,000m - breaking Kelly Holmes' record from 2004. Already in 2017 she'd claimed the European 3,000m and British 5,000m indoor records. Doyle, who like Muir hails from Perthshire, continues to be impressed by her fellow Scot. \"You look at the likes of Laura, she is known throughout Europe and worldwide because of how fast she's ran. \"I think it's great to have Scottish athletes on the map. It's brilliant for the sport and I think it's definitely come from Glasgow 2014. \"There's definitely been a big push in Scottish athletics, there's so many of us that are making teams, winning the British Championships, breaking British records, European records and it's just really, really encouraging.\" While Muir targets medals in both the 1500m and 3,000m in Belgrade, she won't be short of Scottish company in either event. Eilish", "summary": "Six Scots are competing in Belgrade, Serbia for the European Indoor Athletics Championships starting on Friday, and there are high hopes for some."}
{"article": "Ross Underwood, 30, was last seen at HMP Springhill at Grendon Underwood on Sunday during 08:00 BST roll call. Underwood is described as white, well built with green eyes and short cropped hair. Police said the man, who has links to Northamptonshire and Leeds, \"should not be approached directly\". Det Insp Joe Banfield, from Thames Valley Police, said: \"We are keen to speak to anyone who may know the whereabouts of this man and can provide us with information about his movements.\"", "summary": "A convict serving a seven year sentence for robbery has absconded from an open prison in Buckinghamshire \"by unknown means\", police said."}
{"article": "Bridgend County Borough Council apologised following complaints after the new system was introduced on 5 June. But residents said bags of rubbish are still being left on the street by contractor Kier. The council said collections were getting back to normal again. A stream of complaints has continued to appear on social media, with some residents saying rubbish - including bags of nappies - have not been picked up for more than two weeks. Even First Minister Carwyn Jones took to Twitter to complain his collection was late. Gareth Davies, from Brynmenin, said: \"It's absolute chaos. We've had loads of delays - at one point there were ripped up bin bags everywhere in the street. \"We had the last collection yesterday on time but for some reason they didn't pick up all the purple nappy bags so now they are left out on the street.\" Stuart Vaughan, from Newton in Porthcawl, said the situation was \"ridiculous\". \"In my street the collection is supposed to be on Friday. They turned up three days late but only picked up from half the houses. \"The rest of the street had to wait until the following Friday for their collection.\" \"Recycling has been left out on Porthcawl High Street for the past two weekends,\" he added. \"It's absolutely disgusting. It's a resort - the council should be promoting it not leaving rubbish on the street.\" The new scheme aims to recycle almost all rubbish, with different coloured sacks for cardboard, paper, plastics and nappies and caddies for glass and food waste. Homes with fewer than five occupants are limited to throwing out two bags of non-recyclable waste every fortnight. But Mr Davies filmed refuse collectors throwing pre-sorted recycling altogether in the back of a bin lorry at a friend's house in the Broadlands area. He said: \"Why are they asking people to separate their rubbish but then it all gets chucked in together anyway? It's very frustrating.\" A spokesman for Bridgend council said: \"Kier put a number of short-term measures in place to deal with the backlog and help them get up to speed on collections, including bringing in extra staff and vehicles and working across the weekend. \"A few residents questioned why recycling was temporarily collected in some areas using a refuse truck, but Kier had made separate arrangements for this to be re-sorted. \"Despite issues experienced in the first few weeks of the scheme, collections are getting back to normal again. \"The new system is being carefully monitored and evaluated, and further changes will be made over the next few weeks to ensure that it has bedded in properly and is running efficiently.\"", "summary": "Bridgend's new recycling scheme is still in \"absolute chaos\" more than three weeks after it was introduced, residents have claimed."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Hartlepool fighter, celebrating her 21st birthday, secured a 17-15 victory. She told BBC Sport: \"I was only 12 when I walked into a boxing ring, I loved it ever since and now I'm world champion.\" Earlier, Nicola Adams had to settle for flyweight silver after being outpointed 14-10 by China's Ren Cancan. This was Savannah Marshall's second successive world final appearance after taking a silver medal as an 18-year-old at Barbados in 2010. Marshall, who had qualified for the Olympics on Friday, nudged 7-5 ahead at the halfway stage but had to hold on through a tough third round when an excellent uppercut from Vystropova gave her a bloody nose. With Marshall still holding her two-point advantage heading into the final round, Vystropova came on strong again but a neat combination in the dying seconds from the Briton helped edge her to an historic win. \"It hasn't even sunk in that I'm going to the Olympics yet. It's crazy,\" Marshall added. Leeds boxer Adams started slowly in her bout against Cancan, who she had also lost to Ren in the 2010 final in Bridgetown, and trailed by two points after the first round. Although Adams enjoyed increasing success with her right hand in the remaining three rounds, Ren scored consistently to stay ahead. The 29-year-old was unhappy with the judges' verdict and told BBC Sport: \"I thought the scoring was a bit wrong, but that's boxing for you. \" I believe I won it but didn't get the decision.\" Media playback is not supported on this device The Yorkshire fighter is now aiming for revenge at this summer's London Olympics, having secured her place in the Great Britain Olympic squad by reached the semi-finals in Qinhuangdao. \"This hasn't dented my confidence. It's been a great experience and I've had an amazing time,\" added Adams. \"I qualified for the Olympics and that's what I came to do. In London, it'll be on my own turf so the score will be different then. \"I'll be going for gold. I'll get a bit fitter and have a bit more technical ability.\" Women's boxing will feature at the Olympics for the first time at London 2012.", "summary": "British middleweight Savannah Marshall won the gold medal at the Women's World Boxing Championships in China, after defeating Azebaijan's Elena Vystropova in the final in Qinhuangdao."}
{"article": "The RMT revealed it had received a legal challenge just hours before the start of a three-day walkout. Southern said in a statement it was \"considering all possible options to stop the strike and that includes a legal challenge\". Talks aimed at averting the strikes over changes to the role of conductors ended without agreement last week. The RMT said it intended to continue with the planned action but was examining the paperwork. In a message to union members, RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: \"The dispute is not over and the strike action... is definitely on. \"Organise the picket lines and protests and continue to show your determination and solidarity in your fight for justice.\" The strike is due to begin from one minute past midnight on Tuesday, causing fresh travel misery for passengers. In talks last week, the RMT said the train operator had rejected a fresh set of proposals that could have resolved the dispute. But Govia Thameslink CEO Charles Horton said the RMT counter-proposal \"didn't come anywhere near our goals of modernising our train service for the benefit of passengers\". RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: \"RMT can confirm the receipt of a formal legal challenge from Southern Rail in the guards safety dispute. \"It is appalling that rather than sitting down with us at Acas today to seek a resolution the company has chosen to run to the courts under the cloak of the anti-union laws.\" On Sunday, it emerged rail staff had been advised by union bosses to accept the new contracts. The RMT said there was \"no climb down\" but it was their duty to protect staff against mass sackings. A Southern spokesman said: \"On Friday they told their conductor members to accept a deal and then tomorrow they plan to strike against it. \"It is a situation which will leave our passengers baffled and in that context we are presently considering all possible options to stop the strike. \"We have written to the RMT about the validity of the dispute in light of recent developments. \"We await their response and will consider all possible options to stop the strike and that includes a legal challenge.\"", "summary": "Southern is taking legal action to try to stop a series of strikes from Tuesday, the RMT transport union said."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old South Korean speaks no less than six of them - Korean, English, French, Arabic, Mandarin and Japanese. And he says he plans to learn more. With such linguistic skills Mr Lee doesn't have much personal need for translation services, but after friends at university in Seoul started asking him for help with their English homework he was inspired to set up just such a company. Launched in September 2012, his business - Flitto - now has more than five million users around the world, and enjoys revenues of about $2.1m (\u00a31.4m) a year. Unlike most professional translation companies, it doesn't directly employ translators. Instead, Flitto invites members of the public who know more than one language to offer their services via its website and mobile phone app. Today it has one million translators in 170 countries on its books, who offer translations between 17 different languages. They all get paid for each piece of work they do, from which Flitto takes a small percentage. In the first feature of new six-part series called \"The Making of Me\", we look back at key stages in Mr Lee's life and the development of his business. Due to his father's job with a global company, Mr Lee spent most of his childhood living overseas. He was born in Kuwait, where he spent his first four years, before the family then moved to UK. After three years in the UK, the family relocated again, this time to the US, before moving to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia 24 months later. Educated in international schools, he was quick to pick up English, French and Arabic, the first three languages Mr Lee added to his native Korean. \"I met all these different people from different countries,\" he says. \"What I realised is that all human beings are the same you know, but because of the different languages we misunderstand each other.\" After seven years in Saudi Arabia, Mr Lee's family moved back to South Korea where he finished high school, and then went to the country's prestigious Korean University. It was at college that friends of his started to ask him to help them translate their homework into English, which was required as part of their courses. \"So friends would say to me, 'Simon, if you translate this homework into English I'm going to buy you dinner',\" he says. \"And more and more friends were asking me to do that, so I didn't have enough time.\" Realising the business potential of translation services, Mr Lee started getting other multilingual friends to help out, and his idea for setting up a company was born. Flitto was launched in September 2012, but rather than start the business in South Korea, Mr Lee decided to relocate to London. He said he chose to do this for two main reasons - he wanted to temporarily get away from his friends who had well paid jobs in corporate South Korea, and because London is such a multi-cultural city. He says: \"I was starting a business, so I had no money. So what", "summary": "It is fair to say that entrepreneur Simon Lee has a flair for languages."}
{"article": "It has told AMs that almost 40,000 hours were \"lost\" in 2014 because of so-called \"handover delays\". Its report indicates that is up from around 8,000 hours lost in 2008. The ambulance service's chairman also said its \"long-standing and complex problems\" were now being tackled. He was giving evidence to the assembly's health committee, as it began a short inquiry into the performance of the ambulance services in Wales in the light of recent concerns about its performance. Any wait longer than 15 minutes to transfer patients into hospital is logged as a handover delay, often caused when emergency unit beds are full. The ambulance service says the delays not only present \"risks to patients waiting in vehicles\" but are \"arguably a greater risk\" to patients \"in the community\". That is because when crews are tied up outside A&E they are not able to respond to other urgent calls, which can mean no ambulances are available. Research by the BBC also suggests the ambulance service in Wales, during a four-month period last autumn, faced consistently longer delays than anywhere in England or Northern Ireland. Between August and November last year the Welsh Ambulance Service reported the longest \"average handover time\" for 13 weeks of a 16-week period. In 10 weeks out of the 16, the Welsh Ambulance Service also had the longest single delay of any recorded by the 11 ambulance services that provided information. The maximum recorded wait for an ambulance patient in Wales exceeded five hours in three of the weeks. Those delays occurred at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan and Wrexham Maelor Hospital. The report to the assembly's health committee suggests handover delays are contributing to problems the ambulance service is encountering in its response time performance. The most recent statistics published last week showed that only 48.5% of urgent Category A calls received a response within eight minutes in January. The target is 65%. But other factors, the evidence suggests, are at play: Addressing the committee, ambulance service chairman Mick Giannasi listed actions being taken to overcome \"long-standing and complex problems\", including a \"significant\" improvement to industrial relations with staff. \"We absolutely acknowledge that the performance of the emergency ambulance service in Wales is not acceptable, particularly not in terms of its achievement against the eight-minute response times target,\" he said. \"We accept progress is slow, but we passionately believe now that I think our plans will deliver,\" he added. Meanwhile, the author of a review into the ambulance service said improvements were taking longer than she wanted. Prof Siobahn McClelland called for major changes when she published her findings, commissioned by the Welsh government, in 2013. She said some of her recommendations were being introduced in an NHS that was a \"very complex organisation that is sometimes very slow to change\". Before the committee meeting, a Welsh government official commented: \"We expect all patient handovers to be completed in order of clinical priority and in a timely manner. \"Health boards should take responsibility for reducing lengthy patient handover delays. We continue", "summary": "Patients could be at risk because there's been a five-fold increase in delays faced by ambulance crews outside hospitals, according to the Welsh Ambulance Service."}
{"article": "Cambridge Assessment, which owns OCR, hopes for \"millions of questions\", with the best appearing on exam papers in England within the next five years. OCR would check all questions to see they are of the right standard. But there are concerns these \"crowdsourced\" exam questions could give some pupils an unfair advantage. Cambridge Assessment research director Tim Oates told the TES: \"Really interesting questions which - put to children - encourage them to think hard, to integrate things, to understand things and challenge their ideas a bit, are really important. \"We don't think we should necessarily just commission those through asking a limited number of people. \"We want to know what questions teachers ask in the classroom and whether they were good for unlocking that bit of thinking or revealed that misconception.\" Currently, exam papers are drawn up by exam committees made up of teachers with detailed knowledge of each subject. Plans are at an early stage of development and would need to be approved by the exams regulator Ofqual in order to go ahead. However, Mr Oates said: \"I can see within three to five years' time we might be able to start doing some work [with crowdsourced questions] in formal examinations.\" OCR said questions would have to go through technical and tough quality assurance processes before being used in a real exam. The questions submitted by teachers would also be made available to other teachers online through a question bank, so that they could be used in the classroom. School leaders and assessment experts have welcomed the idea of an online question bank for teachers. Malcolm Trobe, interim general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: \"The only potential weakness I can see in the system is, if I'm sending in questions and using the same questions in preparation for the examination, if they then turn up on the exam paper it advantages those youngsters because they're seeing a question they're familiar with. \"You're going to have to find a way of overcoming that.\" But Mr Oates said schools already guessed exam questions and prepared pupils for likely questions using past papers. He said the \"crowdsourcing\" approach would not create unfairness because there would be so many questions in the pool that teachers would have little incentive to drill pupils for any particular question. OCR and Cambridge Assessment are already working on a project to crowdsource questions from computing teachers, which will be available to other teachers to use in classroom-based assessments.", "summary": "Teachers are to be asked to submit challenging GCSE and A-level exam questions by a key exam board, the Times Educational Supplement reports."}
{"article": "Huw Lewis has set out new guidelines for universities who want to train new teachers in future as part of sweeping reform to the system. In a speech in Cardiff, he announced a new two-year postgraduate course and greater subject specialism for primary school teachers. Mr Lewis has already unveiled plans to extend education degrees to four years. He eventually wants all teachers to be educated to masters level. At the moment some universities work together in three teacher training centres in Wales. But Mr Lewis said he had an open mind and universities outside Wales could end up training students. New guidelines to \"transform\" the system follow an independent review in 2015 which found quality had \"deteriorated\". Mr Lewis said it was his last major speaking event as minister \"but the agenda does not stop\" and was \"vital\". \"We will have a new teaching training system which is of such high quality and unquestioned rigour that it gives individuals a reason, in and of itself, for the very best people to get into teaching in the first place,\" he added. Mr Lewis said teachers also wanted more professional support and challenge. He said: \"I have been clear that we must do more to accelerate improvement in initial teacher education provision across Wales. \"This is particularly important as we continue with our programme of radical education reform, focused on driving up standards across the board.\" The 2015 review of teacher training coincided with a wide-ranging report into education in Wales. Work to alter the curriculum is now under way after the government accepted the recommendations made by the Donaldson review, which will see computer programming and IT become as central to classroom teaching as literacy and numeracy. The review recommended having six areas of learning and replacing the key stage system with a more seamless progression through school. It is expected to be rolled out from 2021. Geraint Davies of the NAS/UWT union gave a cautious welcome to the proposals and said he \"fully appreciated the education system of the future will need student teachers of the highest possible calibre\". But he said future Welsh governments must ensure that the profession was an \"attractive proposition for those students\". Conservative Shadow Education Minister Angela Burns said the proposals did not go far enough. She wants a centre for education that will focus solely on initial teacher training and educational research.", "summary": "Wales will have the \"toughest\" and the \"best\" teacher training system in the UK, the education minister has pledged."}
{"article": "The 48-year-old will work under new director of cricket Jimmy Adams and chairman of selectors Courtney Browne, both former Windies internationals. Law had previously coached Sri Lanka and Bangladesh's national sides. \"I am excited at the opportunity to contribute to what I think is an interesting time for West Indies,\" said Law, who takes over on 15 February. \"I think this assignment has come at an important time of my career.\" West Indies had been without a full-time head coach since Phil Simmons was sacked in September. Having also had time in charge of Bangladesh Premier League side Khulna Titans, Law becomes the third Australian to coach the Windies after Bennett King (2004-07) and John Dyson (2007-09). While he only played one Test in 1995 - scoring 54 not out in his only innings - Law appeared in 54 one-day internationals between 1994 and 1999, and was a losing finalist in the 1996 World Cup. As well as captaining Queensland to their first Sheffield Shield win in 1994-95, he was one of the leading batsmen in English county cricket in long stints with Essex and Lancashire, as well as having a brief spell at Derbyshire at the end of his career.", "summary": "West Indies have appointed former Australia batsman Stuart Law as their new coach on a two-year contract."}
{"article": "The company agreed to pay $835m (\u00c2\u00a3602m) - less than the $1.06bn a court in Kansas ordered it to pay in 2013. Dow was hoping the Supreme Court would overturn the ruling, but the death of Justice Scalia left it evenly spilt between conservatives and liberals. A split decision in the Supreme Court reverts to the lower court's ruling. In a statement Dow said it settled because of the \"increased likelihood for unfavourable outcomes\". The company said it still believed the original verdict was \"fundamentally flawed,\" but felt settling was in the best interest of shareholders. Last year, Dow announced plans to merge with competitor DuPont in a $130bn deal.", "summary": "Dow Chemical agreed to settle a class action lawsuit after determining the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia made victory less likely."}
{"article": "Four hundred devices have been purchased, at a cost of \u00c2\u00a31.5m. Body Worn Video Technology, as it's known, is already in place in Derry City and Strabane District. The cameras are clipped on to the top half of an officer's uniform and can provide eight hours of continuous recording. Officers have been trained to tell people when they are being recorded. Supporters of the scheme say the cameras will improve the quality of evidence that police officers can gather. They will be particularly useful in assisting prosecutions in cases of domestic abuse, for example. The roll-out follows on from a pilot scheme in Foyle in 2014-15. Body cameras are routine in other parts of the UK and were first introduced about a decade ago. Studies have found that they dramatically reduced complaints against officers by members of the public, by up to 93% in one case. PSNI Chief Supt Chris Noble said: \"Video evidence puts the victims of crime first. \"The pilot of this technology in Foyle district evidenced how Body Worn Video has the potential to improve the quality of evidence provided by police officers. It also increases the number of offenders brought to justice. \"The introduction of this new technology is the latest example of our commitment to these principles as we continue to work together with the community to keep people safe.\"", "summary": "Police officers in Belfast will wear body cameras while on duty from Wednesday."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old airman, from Dunfermline in Fife, vanished while on a night out with friends in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in September. A bin lorry collected refuse a short time later from the area the RAF Honington gunner was last seen. Suffolk Police said trawling through the landfill site in Milton, near Cambridge, could take up to 10 weeks. Officers will search more than 920 sq m (1,100 sq yd) of waste to a depth of 8m (26ft). LIVE: Updates on this story and other Suffolk news Det Supt Katie Elliott said: \"Teams of specialist, search-trained police officers from both Suffolk and Norfolk will be carrying out the work to find anything that may be linked to the investigation. \"We need to find Corrie and discover what happened to him. While the search may not provide the answers as to what happened, it is something we need to do as our investigation continues.\" Steve Gaskin, a former detective with experience of carrying out large-scale searches during his time with the Metropolitan Police, described this latest operation as a \"mammoth task\". He said officers will need to sift through all the earth that is moved by hand, \"because it's not just Corrie they're looking for\". It would also be \"any other associated evidence\", such as his jacket, or \"anything that may have come out of his pockets\". He said: \"They've also got to make sure any forensic evidence that's accrued is treated and dealt with properly... in case there's a criminal case. \"There's been a lapse of six months [since Corrie Mckeague went missing] and you can imagine what's on a rubbish dump - birds, rodents - so there's a good chance, with the weather and all the conditions, particularly if he's a number of metres down, that there will be an element of decomposition. \"This is a mammoth task and it is analogous, I would say, to looking for a needle in a haystack.\" Mr Mckeague was last seen at about 03:25 BST on 24 September. Police seized a bin lorry in the early stages of the investigation, but no traces of Mr Mckeague were found in the vehicle and the landfill site was not searched at the time. However, its route appeared to coincide with the movements of Mr Mckeague's phone. Mr Mckeague' mother Nicola Urquhart previously told the BBC: \"Common sense suggests that the most likely place Corrie ended up is the landfill site or the incinerator.\" Some 8,000 tonnes of bulk material has been removed from the site to allow officers to safely access the search area. A 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice on 1 March. He has been bailed until 13 April.", "summary": "Detectives investigating the disappearance of Corrie Mckeague have started a search of a landfill site."}
{"article": "UN chief Ban Ki-moon told reporters that he had requested his resignation. It comes a day after Amnesty International alleged that a 12-year-old girl was raped by a UN peacekeeper. The 10,000-strong UN force, deployed last year to help restore order in CAR, has also faced allegations of sexually abusing street children. In June, Mr Ban set up an independent review panel to examine the UN's handling of allegations of sexual exploitation. Earlier, the UN had denied allegations it covered up child abuse by French troops also serving in CAR. BBC Africa Live: News updates \"I cannot put into words how anguished and angered and ashamed I am by recurrent reports over the years of reports of sex abuse and exploitation by UN forces,\" Mr Ban said when he announced the resignation of the Senegalese army general. \"I will not tolerate any action that causes people to replace trust with fear.\" The BBC's UN correspondent Nick Bryant says the UN chief also noted that the problem went beyond one conflict and one person. He is convening a special session of the UN Security Council on Thursday to discuss what he called \"the scourge of sexual exploitation\". Mr Ban will also hold a video-conference call bringing together the force commanders of all the peacekeeping operations around the world to underscore their responsibility to uphold the values of the UN, our correspondent says. The UN mission in CAR is known as Minusca, from its French acronym, and has been headed by Gen Gaye since it took over from a smaller African Union force in September 2014. Unprecedented violence escalated in March 2013 when mainly Muslim rebels seized power and the country descended into ethnic and religious violence, with tens of thousands of people fleeing their homes. This week, Amnesty International also accused UN soldiers of killing a 16-year-old boy and his father during an operation in the capital, Bangui.", "summary": "The UN envoy to Central African Republic (CAR), Babacar Gaye, has been sacked amid multiple allegations of sexual abuse by peacekeepers."}
{"article": "The pair, dressed in Team GB tracksuits and wearing plastic medals, admitted to Sky News they \"blagged\" their way on to the float and joined the celebrations. The float was carrying Britain's gold medal-winning women's hockey team and athletes from the modern pentathlon. The BOA said: \"It didn't spoil anyone's enjoyment of a wonderful event.\" \"We are aware of the matter and are disappointed anyone would want to detract from the athletes' celebration,\" it added. Four hundred athletes took part in the Manchester celebrations with more 150,000 people lining the streets. A second parade is to take place in Trafalgar Square in London from 13:00 BST after which the athletes will visit Buckingham Palace. Greater Manchester Police said it did not provide security for the floats and had received no reports regarding the incident. Manchester City Council is yet to comment. Team GB set an Olympic record in Rio 2016 by winning 67 medals - two more than they managed at London 2012. The Paralympians also beat their previous performance with 147 medals - 27 more than four years ago.", "summary": "Two imposters sneaked on to a float during the celebratory Rio 2016 parade in Manchester, the British Olympic Association (BOA) has confirmed."}
{"article": "Although prostitution is legal in France, soliciting in public and pimping are not. The National Assembly voted 16 months ago to impose a \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1,500 (\u00c2\u00a31,090; $1,600) fine on clients, shifting the criminal burden from prostitutes. The upper house's decision to scrap the fine will now go back to the assembly. Social affairs minister Marisol Touraine said that Monday night's vote was \"absolutely unbelievable and contemptuous towards women\". But Joelle Garriaud-Maylam, a conservative senator, argued that the offence of soliciting was a useful resource for the authorities. \"To help these women, you first of all have to identify them.\" The initial move to shift penalties from prostitutes to their clients followed a Swedish law that made it a crime to buy sex but not to sell it. Supporters argued that the move would help tackle trafficking networks. A Swedish government-commissioned report suggested that the 1999 law had brought about a dramatic fall in the numbers of women working as prostitutes. But the effect of the law is not entirely clear as many prostitutes have moved off the streets and on to the internet. France has an estimated 30,000 sex workers and the interior ministry says most come from eastern Europe, Africa, China and South America. Socialists who backed France's 2013 bill to criminalise paying for sex, rather than soliciting for it, had initially hoped that the trial of former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn might influence the conservative-dominated Senate. Maud Olivier, a Socialist MP, said the trial had shone a light on the truth behind the world of escorts. \"There is no choice; violence is ever present,\" she told Le Monde newspaper. The trial was bruising for Mr Strauss-Kahn, who endured a torrid time facing accusations of aggravated pimping, as several women gave evidence against him before dropping their case. He denied knowing the women were prostitutes. The verdict is expected in June.", "summary": "France's Senate has rejected a planned 2013 law penalising people who pay for sex, and has chosen to maintain the offence of soliciting."}
{"article": "The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill creates police commissioners and changes the balance of power with chief constables. At the heart of the government's proposals is a complete overhaul of the local control of police forces. There are 43 forces for England and Wales and the government says it won't be merging them. Instead, it says it wants to strengthen local democratic control by creating Police and Crime Commissioners for each force. The commissioner will be directly elected and will hold the chief constable to account - meaning they will be able to hire and fire chief constables. According to the legislation, the commissioner's basic duties will be to publish a \"police and crime plan\", set local police and crime objectives and the budget. The commissioner will also set the amount of the \"precept\" that their local electors have to pay, the part of police funding collected through the council tax. The chief constable will appoint all other officers and will \"retain responsibility for the direction and control of the police force\". The police commissioner takes over the responsibilities of the current police authorities - but they will have the additional power of being able to sack a chief constable. Under the current system, chiefs are appointed by the force's police authority in consultation with the Home Office. Each force in England and Wales outside of London will elect a police commissioner in May 2012. The commissioners will be able to hold office for two terms. London is being treated differently because the Metropolitan Police Commissioner is Britain's top police officer with national duties including co-ordinating counter-terrorism. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner is appointed directly by the Home Secretary who has to take the view of the Mayor of London into account. Police Authorities will be scrapped. Instead, they will be replaced by a new body called a policing and crime panel. Police authorities oversee the budget and workings of a force and are comprised of local councillors, magistrates and other independent members. The new panels will scrutinise the work of the commissioner, rather than the chief constable. They will comprise local councillors and other co-opted members. In its original consultation on the future of policing, ministers said they wanted to see the \"police family extended\" by encouraging more people to volunteer to help out. In the 1950s, there were almost 70,000 Special Constables in the UK. Today, there are about 14,000. The government says it wants a \"step change\" in the level of volunteering and is also asking people what they think about a new category called police reservists. The government has not spelled out the role of a reservist, what powers they would have, or how that would differ to the specials. Secondly, ministers suggest that local people could take part in \"joint patrols with the police, looking out for their neighbours\". it's not clear at this stage whether any of thes The other pillar of the proposed reforms is at the opposite end of the policing spectrum and concerns tackling organised crime. The former Labour government created the Serious", "summary": "Home Secretary Theresa May has launched major reforms of policing in in England and Wales."}
{"article": "The effervescent flanker has shone in an Edinburgh side swamped by malaise. And Watson proved one of the stars of Scotland's best Six Nations since 2006. \"If you're a score down in a Test with 15 minutes to go and need to inject something different, a player like him might work for you,\" Smith said. \"Someone a bit more dynamic, with a huge work-rate, hugely athletic and fast, and could probably play in most positions in the backs and make a reasonable fist of it. \"He doesn't fit the mould of a standard back-row. He's not physically massive, but he punches above his weight. \"Every time he gets the ball, he does something interesting and he's very good over the ball. \"It probably goes to your philosophy when you play New Zealand - how are you going to play? Are you going to play all-out attack or are you going to try and stop them from scoring tries? \"Defence is obviously going to be important, but I think we're going to have focus on scoring tries, which I think would probably work in Hamish's favour.\" Former prop Smith, 45, toured with the storied Lions of 1997, starting all three Tests as the visitors overcame then world champions South Africa. He repeated that feat four years later, cementing his status as the first-choice loose-head when Graham Henry's Lions were beaten 2-1 by Australia. Not since Smith in 2001 has Scotland contributed a starting Test Lion and no more than three Scots have been selected for the initial touring party in two decades. Head coach Warren Gatland will name his squad on Wednesday. \"If we got five, I'd be pretty happy,\" Smith told BBC Scotland. \"I think Stuart Hogg's a certainty, he's pencilled in by a lot of people to start the Tests and I think, if he keeps playing the way he has been, there's a good chance that will happen. \"I think Jonny Gray is the sort of player that will develop and really come on in a tour and environment like that. \"Unfortunately, second-row is such a competitive area this year, but I'd certainly have my fingers crossed for him, brother Richie, or both. \"Tommy Seymour's a really good player who week in, week out delivers high-quality performances. \"Finn Russell, again, it's a really, really tough position, but you just hope he might squeeze on and be given the chance to show what he's got. \"Our back-three is as good as any in the championship with Hogg, Seymour and Sean Maitland, who has worked with Gatland before - there's a mutual respect there and he's playing for one of the top sides in Europe, which I think will help him.\" Scotland earned home victories over Ireland, Wales and Italy in this year's Six Nations - the first time they have won three championship fixtures in 11 years. Although Vern Cotter's side were dealt a shellacking by England, Smith, who won 61 international caps, hopes their performances this season can swell the Scottish contingent in Gatland's squad. \"Sometimes it doesn't add up,\"", "summary": "Tom Smith, the last Scot to start a British and Irish Lions Test, believes Hamish Watson could provide key and unique attributes on this year's tour of New Zealand."}
{"article": "Construction on the \u00a365m Bontnewydd road was due to start towards the end of this year. The Welsh Government said it rejected suggestions of \"huge delays\" to the scheme. Orders detailing the project were due to be published in the spring. They are now expected to be made public in August. Arfon AM Sian Gwenllian has said she fears the construction work could be put back by up to a year. \"The orders were supposed to have been published at the beginning of this year, and they haven't been, and it's likely that this scheme will not proceed for at least another 12 months,\" she warned assembly members last week. \"I understand that the problem is a dispute as regards what to do about the bats.\" The six-mile (10km) route will take the new road around the current bottlenecks between Bontnewydd and Caernarfon, linking with the Felinheli bypass. The new road will cross two rivers, and requires seven bridges. A Welsh Government spokesperson said on Tuesday: \"In order to assure everyone that the most appropriate environmental mitigation measures are being implemented, some short additional surveys are having to be undertaken in the next few weeks.\" Officials said they expected construction work to get under way in August or September in 2017. Welsh Government documents had suggested the work should have started by the end of this year. Peter Evans, the protected species officer for Natural Resources Wales, said the route passes close to a special area of conservation. \"There are concerns because this is a migration route for animals like the otter and the lesser horseshoe bat, which are protected species,\" he said. \"We are working with the developers at present to get more information about how bats use the land along the route.\"", "summary": "Work on a major bypass in Gwynedd is facing delays as talks continue over protecting wildlife."}
{"article": "For many, it was a historic and poignant moment - topped off when the president posted a note into the wall, as many worshippers do with prayers and supplications. Others, however, were more interested in just what the note said - and the internet quickly flooded with speculation as to its exact content. And while they are certainly not a true reflection of what was written on the note, they certainly raise a few smiles...", "summary": "Donald Trump has become the first sitting US president to visit the Western Wall, placing his hand on Judaism's holiest prayer site."}
{"article": "Ibrahim Halawa was 17 when he was arrested during a siege at the Al-Fath mosque in Cairo in 2013. He has been accused, along with more than 400 others, of inciting violence, riot and sabotage. He wrote that his incarceration had taught him to find humanity in everyone and disregard revenge. Mr Halawa wrote to his family and said 22 September should have been the day his parents had lived their lives to see. He had intended to study a degree in engineering. Instead he said he was refused proper medical treatment for severe chest pains and had his head forcibly shaved. \"Today while every graduate throws their graduation hat in the sky to come down with the long waiting dream, I don't see the sky,\" he wrote. \"Because I'm enrolled in a different college. \"A college I did not know I had applied for when I chose to fight for freedom. A college that kidnapped me from life to teach me the principles of real life. A college full of lessons. A lot of which I have learned in dark mornings and nights.\" The letter, entitled Graduation Speech, revealed he shares a dormitory cell with 30 others and has a sleeping space just over one foot wide. Mr Halawa told his family he had learned a deep sense of compassion for others during his time in prison and an appreciation of the simple things in life. \"In this college I'm obliged to live with a broad diversity of inmates. From presidential consultants and college professors to illiterate criminals which taught me to seek the real human being behind every social rank,\" he said. \"I have learned that absolutism is an invalid way to judge humans, humanity is all about relativism. \"It is a college where the hardest subject is 'finding the forgiveness', as I must stay as a freedom fighter and never became a revenge hunter. \"Even though after all these years my oppressor is yet not convinced to let me graduate from his prison and go home. While for others it's graduation night out, for me it's graduation lights out.\" The Halawa family and their lawyers KRW Law have attempted to secure a presidential decree for Mr Halawa's freedom. His case is due back in court on 2 October. Ibrahim's sister Somaia said: \"Ibrahim's letter leaves no room for more to be said, however it has been 35 days since the presidential decree of law 140 was submitted for Ibrahim, after three years of campaigning for Ibrahim's freedom this is our biggest hope. \"It is time for the Irish government to increase the level of pressure so that decree is as effective as it should be.\"", "summary": "An Irishman jailed in Egypt has written a letter to his family to mark the date he should have graduated from college in Dublin."}
{"article": "The largest dinosaur on show at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham will be the 23m (75ft) Mamenchisaurus, which will be displayed \"rearing up on its legs\". The massive plant eater would not fit into the hall at full length. In 2011 the museum closed for several days to allow filming for the Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises. The museum will reopen on 30 June for the launch of the exhibition. Curator Adam Smith said: \"The collection will tell the story of how dinosaurs evolved into the birds and will feature some of the biggest dinosaur skeletons in existence.\" The fossils, which arrived on Friday after a 50-day journey, will be erected by a team of six specially-trained technicians. The Mamenchisaurus, a planting-eating sauropod similar to a brontosaurus, was found in Sichuan Province in south west China in the 1970s. Some of the 23 exhibits, including the Gigantorapror, a birdlike dinosaur with a toothless beak, are considered \"national treasures\" in China. The museum and the University of Nottingham have been working with Chinese authorities since 2011 to bring the exhibition to the UK. Once open, the show will run until 29 October.", "summary": "A natural history museum has closed to allow a \"massive\" exhibit of dinosaurs from China to be erected."}
{"article": "With a guide price of \u00c2\u00a3125,000 the sale of Ynys Bach includes the attached Ynys Faelog boathouse - with planning permission to rebuild it. But anyone interested in buying the island has been warned they would not be allowed to live on it. It can be accessed through a pedestrian walkway from St Georges Road in Menai Bridge. Agents Dafydd Hardy said it was an opportunity to buy something unique with fantastic views. \"It would suit a philanthropist with an interest in marine life or maybe an artist would like to sit there painting the Menai Strait,\" said Mr Hardy. \"I'm looking forward to selling it as it's really interesting.\" The lot goes under the hammer on 27 June at 17:30 BST at The Anglesey Arms Hotel, Menai Bridge, Anglesey.", "summary": "An island in the Menai Strait between Gwynedd and Anglesey is set to go under the hammer."}
{"article": "Michael Birch, 44, was one of 23 people injured in the accident in East Mersea near Colchester, on 23 September. His wife Gemma has told the BBC her husband was \"very lucky to be alive\". Six people involved in the crash were taken to hospital with serious injuries. Essex Police would not reveal their current condition. Mr Birch has so far had four operations and his wife said it was \"too early\" to say if he would fully recover, but he was making \"good progress\". He is still being treated at the Royal London Hospital for injuries sustained after being crushed by the steam engine. Mrs Birch described the moment she first saw him with \"pipes and tubes everywhere, it was just horrible\". She was told he was \"really, really poorly\" but doctors were \"doing all they could\". Two weeks after the crash, she said her husband was \"making good progress\". \"They're happy with him at the minute.\" Mr Birch has undergone four procedures to repair his bowel, take fragments of glass out of his body and has had reconstructive surgery on his hand. He is conscious but \"very tired - just taking each day as it comes\", his wife said. He had not really spoken about his injuries, she said, although he was aware of the extent of them. \"I don't think he's ready,\" she added. Asked if her husband would be able to return to his job as a bus driver, she said: \"I don't know that. \"He's quite a determined person so we'll just have to wait and see. \"It's been hard, but we're getting there.\" A fundraising page set up to help Mr Birch's family has so far raised more than \u00c2\u00a31,200. A 51-year-old Great Yarmouth man arrested after the collision on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving was released on police bail.", "summary": "A bus driver who was seriously hurt when a steam engine fell off a lorry into the path of his vehicle remains \"really poorly\", his wife has said."}
{"article": "Research for the British Polling Council followed the widespread failure to predict May's majority Tory win. Surveys did not accurately sample the UK population, and over-represented Labour voters, it says. The BPC has recommended a series of changes, saying pollsters may wish to randomly select participants in future. It says \"probability sampling\" may be a more accurate way of gauging voters' intentions than the current practice of recruiting people in advance to take part on the basis of their likely voting habits. The majority of polls taken during the five-week general election campaign indicated the Conservatives and Labour, led by David Cameron and Ed Miliband respectively, were neck-and-neck. This led to speculation that Labour could be the largest party in a hung parliament and could potentially have to rely on SNP support to govern. However the Conservatives secured an overall majority for the first time since 1992, winning 99 more seats than Labour, their 6.5% margin of victory taking nearly all commentators by surprise. The BPC, which represents the major survey bodies and issued an interim report into the findings in January, says the Tory win was not foreseen due to \"systemic\" errors. The inquiry said unrepresentative sampling was the primary cause for the polling failures. It cited the over-representation of Labour voters and under-representation of Tories, with Conservative voters apparently being harder to reach. There was, it added, an over-reliance on more willing survey respondents and said that too few elderly people being polled could have also played a part. It also said an inaccurate expectation of a hung parliament may have influenced the result of the election itself. The report makes 12 recommendations to the way polls are conducted in future. These include a call for measures to be taken to make sure samples are more representative, and a review into the way in which \"don't know\" voters are allocated in the results. It says BPC members should state clearly which variables were used to weight data and detail the adjustments made in between polls. BPC president John Curtice said the organisation will look to implement the report's recommendations on transparency but cannot compel members to comply with following a specific type of methodology. But he said the BPC will issue a report ahead of the general election in 2020 detailing how companies have changed their sampling and weighting procedures. \"The BPC recognises that simply saying 'well okay, it's all fine, everybody go off and do their own thing' may not be thought of as an adequate response to what happened in 2015,\" Prof Curtice said. Southampton University professor of research methodology Patrick Sturgis, who chaired the research for the BPC, said the report should not be used to \"bash the polls\". He said \"we still think that the polls are really the only show in town for forecasting election results\".", "summary": "Opinion polls before the 2015 election were among the most inaccurate since surveying began more than 70 years ago, an industry-wide review has suggested."}
{"article": "The price of US crude was up 56 cents to $44.67 a barrel, helping to lift shares in oil giant Chevron by 1.9%. The Dow Jones rose 229.09 points to 16,600.05, while the S&P 500 added 25.06 points to 1,978.09. The Nasdaq was up by 54.76 points at 4,860.52. Investors are expected to remain cautious ahead of Thursday's Federal Reserve meeting. Analysts are still split over whether the Fed will decide to raise rates for the first time in nine years. The latest economic data showed that US retail sales rose 0.2% last month, which was slightly below forecasts. So-called core retail sales - which exclude cars, fuel, building materials and food services - were up 0.4% in August. Separate figures showed that US manufacturing output fell by 0.5% in August, the sharpest decline since January 2014. The drop was mostly caused by carmakers cutting back production, with car output down 6.4%, the biggest fall for three years.", "summary": "(Close): US markets closed higher, with energy stocks leading the way following a rise in the price of oil."}
{"article": "The National Records of Scotland (NRS) figures showed an increase of 31,700 (0.6%) people over the year to the end of June 2016. It said the increase was due to migration, with 31,700 more people moving to Scotland than leaving. The number of deaths exceeded births by 800, while other changes resulted in an increase of 800 people. These other changes included variations in the prison population and in the number of armed forces personnel stationed in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate figures for 2016 show: Scotland's population has increased by 6% since 1996 (when it was 5,092,190)", "summary": "Scotland's population continued to increase last year, rising to a record 5,404,700."}
{"article": "Dhanuson Dharmasena, 32, is accused of carrying out the illegal procedure at the Whittington Hospital in north London. The doctor, of Ilford, London, denies the charge in what is the first prosecution of its kind in the UK. A second man, Hasan Mohamed, 41, denies encouraging and abetting the offence. Female genital mutilation, often abbreviated to FGM and also known as female circumcision, involves procedures that include the partial or total removal of the external female genital organs for cultural or other non-medical reasons. It is practised in 29 countries in Africa and some countries in Asia and the Middle East, but is illegal in the UK. Carrying out female genital mutilation carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. The mother-of-two, who cannot be identified, first underwent FGM aged six in Somalia, London's Southwark Crown Court heard. She was 24 and living in Britain when she give birth to her first child in November 2012. The court heard that during labour, her FGM stitches were torn and Dr Dharmasena, a junior registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology, sewed her back up in a procedure that amounted to FGM. The prosecution alleges the doctor did so at Mr Mohamed's \"insistence or encouragement\". Kate Bex, prosecuting, told jurors that FGM was \"very dangerous for a woman's health and psychological well-being\". \"It can lead to severe health problems and, in some cases, to death. FGM causes gynaecological, urological and obstetric problems in women, chronic pain and sexual dysfunction,\" she said. \"It increases the risk of death in childbirth to both mother and baby.\" Jurors heard the woman would have been most exposed to these side-effects when the surgery was first performed when she was six. Dr Dharmasena's stitches would not have carried the same risks, but should not have been sewn at all \"unless medically necessary\", Ms Bex said. The hospital trust launched an investigation into the incident within a few weeks. In a statement, Dr Dharmasena said he had carried out the procedure because he thought the woman wanted him to. He also said Mr Mohamed had urged him to do so. He said: \"At no point in time did I intentionally or deliberately want to cause any harm to the patient. I had obeyed all of the patient's wishes.\" But jurors were told he had changed his justification when he was interviewed by police in August 2013. Ms Bex said: \"It would seem that Dr Dharmasena had familiarised himself with the law and you may feel that he changed tack as a result.\" Ten months after the operation, he raised the possibility that it had been \"medically justified\", she told the court. Dr Dharmasena denies one count of female genital mutilation. Mr Mohamed denies one count of aiding or abetting the procedure, and one count of intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence. The trial continues.", "summary": "A British doctor performed female genital mutilation on a young mother after she gave birth in hospital, a court has heard."}
{"article": "If given the go-ahead, new premises would be built at the police headquarters site in Ripley. Both organisations said the move would enable them to work better together and be more effective. The costs would be met from police capital reserves and from the sale of the old fire service headquarters. \"Two of the current buildings on the site are more than 40-years-old and have increasing maintenance and heating costs,\" said police and crime commissioner Alan Charles. \"We have looked at all the options from repair and refurbishment to new build and it is clear that over the lifetime of the building the new build represents best value for the taxpayer. \"At the same time we are seeking to undertake a collaborative building project with the fire and rescue service, which will reduce costs still further.\" He added: \"Importantly, we are able to fund this from our capital reserves and it will not impact negatively on our current resources for frontline policing.\" Other buildings will remain on the site. The fire service said its share of the costs would be largely met through the sale of its 19th Century building in Littleover. Additional funding would be sought from government transformation grants for \"joint blue light\" schemes.", "summary": "The police and fire service in Derbyshire are considering plans to share headquarters in a bid to improve working practices and save money."}
{"article": "The X-Men star unveiled a plaque at the University of Huddersfield and watched a performance devised by drama students. The site was previously known as the Milton building and is a Victorian former church. The actor was born in nearby Mirfield, and was the university's chancellor for more than 10 years. Sir Patrick said he was \"very proud\" of the honour. The classically trained actor, known for his roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation and the X-Men films is currently on tour alongside fellow actor and friend Sir Ian McKellen in Harold Pinter's play No Man's Land. Other university buildings have been named after local historical figures such as factory reformer Richard Oastler and the Bront\u00c3\u00abs.", "summary": "Actor Sir Patrick Stewart has had a university building housing a drama department named after him."}
{"article": "The 33-year-old will move to Australia after helping Chiefs win the Premiership title for the first time by beating Wasps 23-20. He is expected to have a spell in Japan with an as yet unnamed Top League side before joining Melbourne in January. Parling won 29 England caps and also played three Tests for the British and Irish Lions in Australia in 2013. Find out how to get into rugby union with our special guide. \"I'm excited about the opportunity to test myself in the Southern Hemisphere,\" he said. \"Hopefully I can add value to the Rebels, and help the team continue the great growth and profile of rugby in Victoria.\" Parling began his career with Newcastle Falcons, and also had a six-year spell with Leicester Tigers where he won two Premiership titles, before joining Exeter in 2015. \"Geoff's signing is a strategic recruitment for the club as we look to evolve our squad and program for 2018 and beyond,\" Rebels chief executive Baden Stephenson told the club website. \"Geoff boasts a wealth of international and domestic experience in successful rugby programs so he will contribute to the strong leadership at the club, along with his world class lineout skills and hard running qualities which will complement our squad.\"", "summary": "Exeter Chiefs lock Geoff Parling has signed to play for Super Rugby side Melbourne Rebels for the 2018 season."}
{"article": "The fourth seed lost 10-6 to qualifier Michael Holt on Tuesday, becoming the fifth former champion to lose in the first round at the Crucible this year. But Robertson, who won the UK Championship in December, said: \"The season's been fantastic. \"I played great in the Masters, I played great in the Welsh Open - even at the China Open.\" The 34-year-old added: \"It's probably the best match I've played all season and got beat.\" Robertson beat Liang Wenbo to win the UK Championship and then reached the final of the Welsh Open, losing to Ronnie O'Sullivan. Also this season, the Cambridge-based Australian was edged out by Judd Trump in a classic quarter-final at the Masters, but won the Champion of Champions event. Media playback is not supported on this device Robertson said he had played some of his best snooker leading up to his Crucible defeat, which he put down to a run of misfortune. \"I said coming into the World Championship that it's probably the best season I've had to date,\" the 2010 world champion said. \"I've played really well, but snooker's a funny game. It's very frustrating when you don't always get the right kind of rub - you watch tennis and know if you play better than the other guy, you win. \"But that's the game we play. It can create mini-upsets. I suppose if it was the top four players in the world getting to the semis, it'd be pretty boring.\" Robertson continued: \"Michael played a great match - nothing really went right for me. \"He's got to take credit for taking advantage, because even though he's coming to the table and the balls are all there, he still has to pot them.\" Sign up to My Sport to follow snooker news and reports on the BBC app.", "summary": "Neil Robertson still feels he has had the best season of his career, despite a surprise World Championship exit."}
{"article": "The Ports had their drop out of the top division confirmed on Tuesday night when they lost 3-2 away to Ards. The club had been bottom of the table all season after having 12 points deducted in a disciplinary case. \"The Premiership has lost one of its biggest clubs,\" said Currie who took over as Portadown manager in December. The last time the Ports dropped out of the top division was in 2008 and was the result of an administrative blunder as they were too late in applying for a place in the new Premier League. As well as losing 12 points before this season kicked-off, Portadown's first match of the campaign was awarded to Coleraine without being played as the Ports were suspended for not paying a fine. That fine had been imposed after the County Armagh club was found guilty of making undisclosed payments to players. They were also barred from signing professional payers until June 2017. Then in November the Shamrock Park club lost three more points for including midfielder Robert Garrett in a 3-1 win over Ards when he was suspended. \"The killer for me when I came to the club was not being able to sign pro players in January,\" said manager Currie. \"This club is still attractive to a number of players and we could have brought in four or five top players. \"We will get over it and move on. We will regroup and rebuild again. The club is coming together and there are going to be good times ahead. \"It has been difficult, throwing kids in at 15, 16 years of age and that is not ideal. But we have consistently had a number of players unavailable. \"Next season, we are going to be the big fish in the Championship and will be the cup final for the other teams. \"It is a tough league to win and we have got to get the right characters with the right mentality into the club.\" Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Niall Currie has described the relegation of Portadown from the Premiership as a sad night for Irish League football."}
{"article": "Talks broke up on Thursday after the Democratic Unionist leader Peter Robinson stood aside and his other party ministers, except one, resigned from the executive. The latest crisis followed a police analysis that IRA members were involved in the murder of a former IRA man. Three senior republicans were arrested this week and subsequently released. Mr Cameron said he was \"extremely worried\" about the crisis in the Northern Ireland Executive. \"I don't think it's right for the British government to step in and suspend these institutions. I want to see the politicians of Northern Ireland ... working out how to make these institutions work,\" he said. \"It is unacceptable in any part of our country to have active paramilitary groups. They have to be disbanded, and disbanded on all sides.\" Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has said there are six weeks to resolve the outstanding difficulties in the political process and said Sinn F\u00e9in was up for the job. Speaking at a party away-day at Gormanstown, County Meath, he said the last thing the DUP wanted now was an election. He added that he had it in his power to force a poll, but he would not do so because he wanted the six weeks to see a resolution of all outstanding problems. Who's who Northern Ireland Executive: The ministerial team that runs Northern Ireland's devolved government at Stormont. It is made up of British unionist, Irish nationalist and cross-community elected representatives, set up after an historic power-sharing agreement more than 20 years ago. The largest party in the executive is the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), followed by Sinn F\u00e9in, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and the Alliance Party. DUP and UUP: Unionist parties that want to maintain Northern Ireland's union with Britain Sinn F\u00e9in and SDLP: Nationalist parties aspiring to a united Ireland. Alliance Party: Neutral on the issue of the union. The Irish Republican Army (IRA): The IRA has existed in various forms in Ireland since the early part of the 20th Century but the latest political row concerns the Provisional IRA. The Provisional IRA was the name used by a paramilitary organisation that killed more than 1,700 people during decades of violence in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles, which began in 1969. The IRA declared ceasefires as part of the Northern Ireland peace process and in July 2005 it announced a formal end to its armed campaign. During the Troubles, Sinn F\u00e9in acted as the political wing of the IRA. A fresh round of talks to address the issue of paramilitaries and outstanding issues around welfare and Northern Ireland's budget began on Tuesday. However, they broke down after it was revealed that Sinn F\u00e9in's northern chairman, Bobby Storey, was one of three republicans arrested in connection with the murder of ex-IRA man Kevin McGuigan Snr last month. All three were released unconditionally on Thursday. A fourth person, a 50-year-old woman was also arrested and then released. Following the arrests, DUP leader and First Minister Peter Robinson said his ministers would quit", "summary": "Prime Minister David Cameron has said he expects all the parties to take part when discussions on resolving the crisis within the Northern Ireland power-sharing executive resume next week."}
{"article": "Gen Martin Dempsey said the \"vast majority\" of documents taken by the ex-NSA contractor were military-related. Since last year, news organisations have published dozens of stories based on the leaked intelligence documents. Mr Snowden faces spying charges in the US but has been given asylum in Russia. Gen Dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, told the House armed services committee on Thursday that a mitigation task force had been established to investigate the extent of Mr Snowden's theft and to determine how to overcome it. \"We're working our way through that which we believe he has exfiltrated,\" Gen Dempsey said. \"And we have, I think, a fairly significant amount of knowledge in that regard. \"The vast majority of [the pilfered documents] were related to our military capabilities, operations, tactics, techniques and procedures.\" Gen Dempsey said the \"magnitude of this challenge\" suggested the task force would need to run for about two years. \"I suspect it could cost billions of dollars to overcome the loss of security that has been imposed on us,\" he said. Mr Snowden, a former technical contractor for the National Security Agency who fled from the US in June, faces espionage charges in the US.", "summary": "It will take the US two years and possibly billions of dollars to overcome the harm done by Edward Snowden's intelligence leaks, the top-ranking US military officer has said."}
{"article": "Essex-based E2V created the imaging detectors used on the New Horizons probe in its historic flyby. Chief engineer David Morris said the firm's two detectors would send back both colour and black and white images. He said: \"It will continue taking more images for the next couple of weeks, looking back at Pluto as it recedes.\" One of the images to come back has shown an area of icy mountains on Pluto. \"These were completely unexpected for Pluto, which was why you heard all the 'oohs and ahhs' in the background from NASA. \"It was anticipated it would be icy, it was anticipated that it would be quite smooth with some craters but the formation of what are mountains was quite unexpected.\" He said: \"There was a certain nervousness that it could all have been for nothing. \"Getting the timing right and the image timing right was going to be crucial. It worked. I was excited and, of course, quite relieved. And very proud.\" The team has had a 10-year wait to the see the results of their efforts. Dr Paul Jerram, chief image sensor engineer at E2V, said: \"To see that they have worked after their nine-and-a-half-year journey and have produced images that are way beyond anybody's expectations is amazing.\" Mike Culley, of Southend Planitarium, said: \"Pluto has been this distant tiny little dot and we've now got these incredible pictures. \"It has turned from a blob into a real world.\"", "summary": "An engineer involved in the sensors for the space probe launched to study Pluto has told of the \"nervous\" wait for the first images to come back."}
{"article": "Their new contracts coincide with the duration of Mercedes' own current commitment to F1. In common with the rest of the teams, Mercedes will begin negotiations for beyond 2020 with new owner Liberty Media during this year. Wolff retains his 30% shareholding in the team and Lauda his 10% stake. Team boss Wolff joined Mercedes from Williams in February 2013, and Lauda took up his position in late 2012. The deals conclude a busy winter of off-track activity for Mercedes, who have dominated the sport since the advent of turbo hybrid engines in 2014 with three consecutive world title doubles. Mercedes have signed Valtteri Bottas as Lewis Hamilton's team-mate this season, with the Finn replacing world champion Nico Rosberg, who announced his retirement five days after winning the title last November. Executive director (technical) Paddy Lowe is on gardening leave before his departure from Mercedes and is to join Williams in the coming weeks. Lowe's position as technical boss has been taken by James Allison, who has been given the title technical director, a new role within the team as part of a slight re-alignment of responsibility at the head of the company. Wolff has run the team with Lowe as his right-hand man since the departure of former team principal Ross Brawn at the end of 2013. Dieter Zetsche, the chairman and chief executive officer of Mercedes' parent company Daimler, said: \"In 2013, we restructured the management of the team with the clear goal of improving our performance. \"Since then, however, the results have exceeded our expectations. A key factor in this success has been the combination of Toto's entrepreneurial skills and Niki's experience. \"Their renewed commitment gives our programme important continuity for the next four years.\" F1 has introduced major regulation changes for this season in an attempt to make the cars faster and more dramatic - and to give the sport greater appeal. The cars are wider with bigger tyres and are expected to be between three and five seconds a lap faster than in 2016. Mercedes' new F1 car will be revealed to the public on Thursday, before the start of pre-season testing three days later. The first 2017 car to be unveiled will be that of Swiss team Sauber on Monday, followed by the Renault on Tuesday, Force India on Wednesday and Ferrari, McLaren and Williams on Friday.", "summary": "Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff and non-executive chairman Niki Lauda have signed new deals to stay with the team until the end of 2020."}
{"article": "Mr Clark heads up the new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. He was also appointed President of the Board of Trade before officials realised International Trade Secretary, Liam Fox, should hold the title. Mr Clark lasted just four days in the historic role. Once officials realised the mistake, Mr Fox was formally appointed to the position at a meeting of the Privy Council. A Whitehall source said: \"The appointment was an error. The Privy Council meeting was held very quickly after the reshuffle and the final list of ministerial responsibilities had not been produced. The appointment was therefore corrected at the first opportunity.\" The mistaken appointment was made days three days before Mrs May told Parliament in a written statement that Mr Fox's new department would \"take on the responsibilities of UK Trade and Investment (and) the relevant trade functions of the former Department for Business Innovation and Skills\". The Board of Trade - which is still formally named \"The Committee of Privy Council for Trade and Foreign Plantations\" - was established in the 17th Century by the King as a rival to Parliament to manage British trade, particularly in the American colonial plantations. William Pitt created the job of president in 1786. After the board was folded into the modern-day Department of Trade and Industry in 1970, the historic board has met only once, in 1986, to mark its 200th anniversary. Lord Heseltine chose to be known as President of the Board of Trade when he was appointed to John Major's cabinet in 1992, instead of Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.", "summary": "Cabinet minister Greg Clark was given the wrong job by mistake during the appointment of Theresa May's new government."}
{"article": "The 14-time Grand Slam title winner will therefore miss November's ATP World Tour Finals in London. Nadal, 28, made his announcement after losing 6-2 7-6 (7-4) to Croatian teenager Borna Coric in the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors on Friday. \"I'm not going to Paris and London - I'm not competitive enough,\" the nine-time French Open champion said. \"I am going to have surgery on 3 November.\" Nadal had already qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals event, so the Spaniard's withdrawal means the player ranked ninth in the final ATP Race to London rankings will make it through to the season-ending event at the O2 in Greenwich. Britain's Andy Murray will compete in next week's Paris Masters, which is the final ranking event of the season. The Scot, 27, currently lies in eighth position in the Race to London standings. The Swiss Indoors in Basel was just the third tournament Nadal had played since Wimbledon following a wrist injury, and he revealed earlier this month that he was on a course of antibiotics for his appendix. Coric, 17, showed no fear as he raced into a 5-0 lead against a wayward Nadal and held his nerve to secure a stunning victory. Coric learned his tennis travelling between Zagreb and north London under the guidance of British coach Ryan Jones, although the pair have gone their separate ways in recent days. The Croat goes on to face Belgian David Goffin in the semi-finals, with Ivo Karlovic up against Roger Federer, who beat Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (7-4) 6-2.", "summary": "Rafael Nadal has confirmed he will not play again this season and says he will undergo appendix surgery next month."}
{"article": "Melvyn Marcel was appealing against the decision, made by a judge earlier this year, that burials should be organised for his mum Hilda and his dad Eugenios. However, appeal judges at the Court of Session rejected his argument. Eugenios and Hilda Marcel's bodies were found in a former fishmonger shop in 2002. In February, councillors gained permission from Lord Mullholand to arrange a burial for the couple. Mr Marcel wanted to build a fridge at his Edinburgh home then plans to build a private mausoleum in the grounds of his property. He eventually planed to take his parents' bodies to be buried in the West Bank in the Middle East. The council argued they had a statutory duty to dispose of the bodies. On Friday, Mr Marcel told the court Lord Mulholland's decision was wrong. He told judges Lord Carloway, Lord Brodie and Lady Clark of Calton: \"I'm fighting for justice but nobody's helping me.\" Mrs Marcel died in 1987 from lung cancer whilst her husband passed away from prostate cancer aged 91 in 1994. Their bodies were embalmed and a relative regularly visited them at the shop in Polwarth. Police discovered Mr and Mrs Marcel's bodies during an investigation into alleged fraud at a funeral home in West Lothian. It was claimed that staff at the Broxburn undertakers had been paid to preserve the remains and four employees were sacked. However, none of those who were allegedly involved in the fraud were charged or prosecuted for any offence. Since then the Marcels' bodies have been stored at Edinburgh City Council's mortuary with officials unable to find them a more suitable resting place without the consent of the family. Giving the appeal court's decision, Lord Carloway said that Lord Mulholland's decision was legally correct. He added: \"No valid defence has been established in this action. \"It is the court's decision to adhere to the Lord Ordinary's interlocutor.\"", "summary": "The son of a couple whose bodies have spent almost 15 years in an Edinburgh mortuary has lost a legal bid to stop the council arranging their funerals."}
{"article": "The action will take place on 25 January and 1 February and affect Neath Port Talbot Hospital, Morriston in Swansea and Princess of Wales in Bridgend. Unison said non-emergency surgery was \"likely to be severely disrupted\". The health board said it was fully committed to resolving concerns. Unison said affected members at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board wanted \"pay parity with colleagues doing the same job in other hospitals in Wales\". Earlier this month, 54 staff members voted in favour of taking the industrial action, with two voting no, the turnout for the ballot was 78.9%. Mark Turner, Unison organiser for ABMU, added: \"They are highly skilled technicians of many years training yet are treated as though they have just walked in off the street. \"They are extremely disappointed that after two years of discussions the health board continues to ignore their very reasonable claim in the hope they will go away.\" The health board said all staff were valued and it had been working with the trade union to develop a new job description. The board said the current service needed a workforce with a mixture of skills at different bands. \"We are sorry our continuing discussions with Unison have not been able to resolve our staff's concerns,\" a spokesman added. \"We remain fully committed to continuing our partnership work with Unison to resolve these concerns and have offered to involve ACAS to assist with this issue. \"In the meantime, we would like to reassure patients should strike action go ahead we will be working to ensure any disruption to services are minimal.\" A similar dispute involving X-ray department workers has been resolved.", "summary": "Staff in the sterilisation and disinfection units at some hospitals in south Wales will go on strike for two days over equal pay."}
{"article": "The former Scottish first minister will be in the Belgian capital to collect the first Coppieters Award. A spokesman for Mr Salmond said last week that he would meet Mr Juncker ahead of the awards ceremony. It comes as the Scottish government prepares to publish its proposals for keeping Scotland in the single market after Brexit. Mr Salmond's successor as first minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon met Mr Juncker in Brussels in June. Speaking at the time, Mr Juncker said Scotland had \"won the right to be heard in Brussels\" and that he would listen carefully to what Ms Sturgeon had to say. But he stressed that he would not \"interfere in an inner British process\". The request for a meeting with Mr Juncker was made by Mr Salmond, who will receive the Coppieters Award in recognition of his \"dedication and advocacy for Scotland's right to redefine its political future among a European family of nations\". The Scottish government is exploring potential options for keeping Scotland in the European single market even if the UK as a whole leaves, with its proposals expected to be published next week. The EU has previously said it will only negotiate a deal with the UK government once Article 50 is triggered and the formal process of leaving the EU begins. The UK Chancellor, Philip Hammond, said earlier this month that a special Brexit deal for Scotland was \"not realistic\". He also said he wanted to work closely with the Scottish government and the other devolved administrations in order to \"secure the best possible deal\" for all parts of the UK.", "summary": "Alex Salmond is expected to meet European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels later."}
{"article": "Crews have been tackling the smouldering fires involving 3,000 tonnes of woodchip at South Wales Wood Recycling in Coity since last Monday. Public health officials had advised nearby residents to keep doors and windows closed while the fire was burning. The fire service said it was continuing to liaise with on-site management. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said Natural Resources Wales officials were also monitoring the situation.", "summary": "A blaze at a wood recycling centre in Bridgend has finally been extinguished after burning for nearly a week."}
{"article": "State-owned Chinese insurer PICC Property and Casualty Company is buying the shares. Deutsche announced earlier this year it would sell the stake as part of a plan to bolster its finances. \"As we execute on Deutsche Bank's strategic agenda, now is the right time for us to sell this investment,\" said chief executive John Cryan. In October, the bank said it would be cutting 15,000 jobs and selling various businesses as it looked to stem losses. Deutsche posted a \u00e2\u201a\u00ac6bn (\u00c2\u00a34.4bn) loss for the third quarter.", "summary": "Deutsche Bank has agreed a deal to sell its 20% stake in China's Hua Xia Bank for up to 25.7bn yuan ($4bn)."}
{"article": "It's a move being breathlessly described by some as the US \"giving up the internet\" to the likes of China, Russia and the Middle East. It\u2019s the weekend, so if you\u2019re keen to save yourself several hundred words and get on with whatever you like to do with your free time, then here we go: No, the US hasn\u2019t given away the internet. Don\u2019t be absurd. The long answer, naturally, is more complicated than that - and one mired in mistrust of one of the internet\u2019s key organisations, the detail of which I\u2019ll dig into in a moment. Let\u2019s start with the basics. For starters, while they can take the credit for inventing the underlying technology, the US never \u201chad the internet\u201d to begin with. Nobody did. It\u2019s a, duh, network. Decentralised. That\u2019s what makes it so powerful. But there are bits of internet infrastructure that some people and governments do have control over, and that\u2019s what this row is all about. One of them is the DNS - Domain Name System. This is the system for looking after web addresses. Thanks to the DNS, when you type bbc.com, you\u2019re taken to the correct servers for the BBC website. It saves you the grief of having to remember a string of numbers. That pairing of names and numbers is kept in one great big master file, the land registry of the web. The only organisation that can make changes is Icann, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. As of Saturday 1 October 2016, Icann will no longer be under US government oversight. Instead, it\u2019s now a fully \u201cmulti-stakeholder\u201d non-profit that will take on board the views of companies, experts, academics and, yes, nation states, in how the naming system of the web is run. Here\u2019s a crucial bit: as a user of the internet, you won\u2019t notice any difference whatsoever. And that\u2019s because Icann isn\u2019t a new entity. It\u2019s been doing precisely this job since 1998 before the vast majority of us were even online. The switch ends a transition that has essentially been in the works for around two decades, removing a dominate power the US had by circumstance rather than intention, and one which was causing friction in the international community. Back when there were only a handful of websites, a man named Jon Postel - nicknamed \u201cgod of the internet\u201d - was in control of DNS. His task was assigning the easy-to-remember names to those bothersome numbers. It was a crucial step in accelerating the popularity of the world wide web. When it became clear this was clearly not a job for one man, however godly, a new body was set up to take over the task. They called it the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, IANA. In 1998, control of IANA was given to the newly-formed Icann. It was given the power over internet naming globally. Experts saw Icann as a good blend of interests and expertise. One which they felt would keep the internet as open and useful as possible. One quirk of this set-up, though,", "summary": "A judge in Texas has put the kibosh on a last-minute legal attempt to block the controversial decision for the US to give up control of one of the key systems that powers the internet."}
{"article": "Two adult night herons and two recently fledged juveniles were photographed at a Somerset reserve by Graham Hall. Mr Hall said he photographed the two birds from half a mile away to test his camera and was \"blown away\" when he realised they were night herons. Somerset Wildlife Trust said it showed for the first time in recorded history that night herons have bred in the UK. Black-crowned night herons are rare in the south of England, according to experts, with only around a dozen spotted in Somerset since the 1800s. It is thought the adults either bred at the Somerset Wildlife Trust's Westhay Moor national nature reserve or the nearby Avalon Marshes site. Mr Graham was getting ready to pack up at the reserve when his friend pointed out two birds roosting half a mile away in a tree. \"I thought that would be an interesting shot and a challenge for the camera,\" he added. \"We thought they were bitterns but when I zoomed in - blow me - they weren't bitterns. \"I've never seen a night heron in the wild before and two birds together can only mean one thing.\" Kevin Rylands, RSPB conservationist officer, said: \"They are a native bird and in the past there have been some free-flying night herons around Edinburgh Zoo. \"But they have never bred here before in the wild so this is a first.\" Roger Dickey, from the Somerset Ornithological Society, said it was \"terribly exciting news\". \"Night herons are one of southern England's rarer summer visitors. \"That they have decided to breed here for the first time on record confirms the Avalon Marshes' significance as one of the UK's most important breeding areas.\"", "summary": "A pair of nocturnal herons has bred in the wild in the UK for the first time, conservationists have revealed."}
{"article": "It has launched a plan to update and co-ordinate national tax laws. There was criticism in the UK earlier this year when it emerged that Google, Starbucks and Amazon paid little tax despite having big UK operations. Following that criticism Starbucks agreed to pay more tax. The OECD came up with the plan at the request of the G20 group of leading nations. Finance ministers from the G20 are meeting in Moscow. OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria said: \"International tax rules, many of them dating from the 1920s, ensure that businesses don't pay taxes in two countries - double taxation. By Andrew WalkerBBC World Service Economics correspondent It's a plan to produce a plan. At a time when there's much controversy about corporate tax, the OECD has certainly succeeded in grabbing the headlines. But will it produce any real results? There is significant political support for the idea of a crackdown on tax evasion and avoidance. The British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and several other European finance ministers have been pushing this agenda. In the United States there is political capital to be earned by being tough on multinationals. Nonetheless, the OECD still has to come up with the detailed proposals and then governments have to choose to implement them. Some probably will be co-operative. But the OECD has no power to compel those who are not. \"This is laudable, but unfortunately these rules are now being abused to permit double non-taxation.\" It is calling for greater international co-operation to close gaps that allows income to \"disappear\" for tax purposes. The OECD also said that tax income should reflect the economic activity it generates. That would address some of the criticism aimed at big companies. Earlier this year, Google was fiercely criticised by UK MPs for routing \u00c2\u00a33.2bn of UK sales through Dublin and paying little tax as a result. Starbucks has been questioned for transferring money to a Dutch sister company in royalty payments. And Apple's chief executive Tim Cook was questioned by US lawmakers about the billions of dollars his company keeps in its Irish divisions. The companies point out that these schemes are legal and they have a duty to their shareholders to minimise their tax bills. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was \"delighted\" the OECD had produced the report. \"Taxpayers, governments and businesses all suffer when some companies manipulate the tax system to avoid paying their fair share of taxes,\" he said. The OECD hopes its recommendations will be put into action over the next two years and is working on an international legal structure that would help countries introduce the new rules quickly. \"Multinationals still have not grasped that tax honesty is an integral part of corporate responsibility,\" said Florian Wettstein, professor of business ethics at the University of St. Gallen, based in Switzerland. \"As a result, the public increasingly perceives them as hypocritical and untrustworthy.\" Campaigners say that aggressive tax policies are particularly hard on poorer nations, who need all the tax revenue they can generate. ActionAid tax campaigns manager Chris Jordan said:", "summary": "Existing tax rules need updating as they can be \"abused\" by multinational companies, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old will join the Women's Super League One club following this summer's European Championships, for which Belgium have qualified. The former FC Twente forward has scored four goals in 26 international games. \"Yana was brought to my attention after recently playing against Scotland,\" head coach Willie Kirk told the club website. \"Her style of play suits us and she is a big personality.\"", "summary": "Bristol City Women have signed Belgium striker Yana Daniels from Anderlecht."}
{"article": "The horse got stuck in the mud near the River Windrush, close to Willow Farm in Witney, Oxfordshire, at about 08:47 BST on Saturday. Up to 10 firefighters helped with the rescue operation using specialist animal rescue equipment. Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue said the horse was freed without injury with the assistance of a vet and the owner. For more stories of pets and animals being rescued follow us on Pinterest", "summary": "A horse which was trapped in mud on a riverbank had to be rescued by firefighters."}
{"article": "Sajjad Ahmad, 37, was the driver of a Mercedes which was involved in a collision with a van between Polmont and Linlithgow on Friday evening. His death on Tuesday followed his wife, Saadia, 37, who died at the scene and their nine-year-old daughter, Ayesha, who died in hospital on Saturday. Mark Hansen, 42, the driver of a white Vauxhall van, died at the scene. The Ahmads' two sons remain in hospital. The motorway was closed between Junctions 3 and 4 southbound until 04:00 on Saturday for a police investigation. Sgt Scott Sneddon, of Police Scotland, said: \"Our sincere condolences go to the Ahmad family, who have asked that their privacy be respected at this tragic time. \"Our inquiries continue to establish the full circumstances surrounding this collision, and I'd like to thank the witnesses who have so far come forward. \"Anyone who witnessed the collision, saw either of the vehicles shortly beforehand, or has any information about this and has not yet been in contact is urged to get in touch.\"", "summary": "A fourth person has died following a serious crash on the M9 in West Lothian last week."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old has played 27 Tests for the Black Caps and had a spell with Lancashire this summer. He took 32 Championship wickets for the Red Rose, including 6-66 on his debut against Nottinghamshire. He will be replaced by Pakistan's Mohammad Amir at newly-promoted Essex midway through next summer. Wagner also equalled a world record by taking five wickets in a six-ball first-class over, for Otago against Wellington in 2011.", "summary": "Essex have signed New Zealand fast bowler Neil Wagner for the first half of the 2017 County Championship season and One-Day Cup."}
{"article": "About 850 Arriva drivers at depots in Castleford, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike and Wakefield in West Yorkshire, and Selby in North Yorkshire, are to walk out. The strike is due to start at 03:00 GMT on Monday, said Unite the union. Arriva said it wanted to \"wholeheartedly apologise\" to customers who could be affected by the industrial action. More on this story and others from West Yorkshire Nigel Featham, from Arriva Yorkshire and North East, said: \"We have been working tirelessly over the last year with Unite to bring pay talks to an amicable conclusion. \"But despite our best efforts and multiple offers to increase pay and conditions we have received notification to strike.\" Phil Bown, of Unite, said no further meetings were currently planned between the two sides. \"Strike action is not a step our members take lightly, but after nearly 12 months of circular talks they have become increasingly angry about being strung along by Arriva bosses,\" he added. Limited Arriva bus services could operate during the strike. Yorkshire Tiger services would be unaffected, the company said.", "summary": "Hundreds of bus drivers are set for a 24-hour strike in a row over pay and shifts, a union has announced."}
{"article": "They know this is the most unpredictable election for decades and if the polls are to be believed no party is assured of an overall majority. But what about the non-scientific view - studying the bellwether seats? They're seats which lead or indicate a trend in voting - going Conservative when there is a Tory majority and Labour when it's the largest party, making them a good predictor of the election's outcome. The term comes from the Middle English bellewether and refers to the practice of placing a bell around the neck of a castrated ram (a wether) leading his flock of sheep. So it may be ancient terminology but the bellwether tradition still seems to hold true in Kent and Sussex. In fact during the general election of 1970, the BBC declared that \"Gravesend's 80,000-odd typical electors usually do vote the way Britain votes - they went Conservative in the 1950s, Labour by a whisker in '74 and Labour more generously in 1966\". Gravesend may have changed a lot in the 45 years since the election of 1970 but one thing which has stayed constant is that voters in the constituency generally vote the way the nation votes. Simon Atkinson, from the polling company Ipsos Mori, explains why Gravesend is such a good predictor of election outcomes. He told me: \"Gravesham is just one of those places where it all seems to fit together - it may be the demographics, the people who live there, the way they think or behave kind of matches the population as a whole - so Gravesham, Dartford are some of the really interesting places to watch. \"What happens there may well give us a guide to what's going to happen everywhere else.\" Dartford has reflected the overall result in every general election since 1964 and Gravesham (and its predecessor Gravesend) has voted for the winning party - or the one with the largest share of the vote - in every election since World War One, with just one exception: 2005 - when they voted Conservative but Labour won the election. Sussex boasts several bellwether seats including Hove, which has backed the national winner in every election since 1979 - hitting the headlines during the Labour landslide of 1997. Legend has it that Tony Blair turned to Cherie once Labour had won Hove and said that was the moment he knew he could win the rest of the country. Hove is currently held by the Conservatives but, like several Sussex marginal seats, Labour are determined to win it back - and many voters are still undecided. So when voters go to the polling station tomorrow we will find out if voters in the South East's bellwether seats really can predict the outcome of this most unpredictable election.", "summary": "The polls open in just over 12 hours and the party leaders are all out criss-crossing the country fighting for every last vote."}
{"article": "The UK PM met outgoing US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and four other European leaders in Berlin for talks. Mr Obama urged them to work with his successor Donald Trump on the basis of shared \"core values\". The PM also told Mrs Merkel that the UK's Brexit plans were \"on track\". It came as the Supreme Court confirmed that Scotland and Wales's top legal advisers would be allowed to take part in an appeal hearing brought by the UK government against a ruling that it alone cannot trigger Article 50 - the formal process of leaving the EU - without a vote by MPs. But BBC correspondent Jenny Hill said there were a number of issues on the agenda that took precedence over Brexit, including Syria, Russia's relationship with the West, international terrorism and climate change. In a joint press conference with Chancellor Merkel on Friday, Mrs May said: \"On Syria, looking at Aleppo, we are united in our condemnation of the atrocities that are taking place there. \"We agree on the need to keep up the pressure on Russia, including the possibility of sanctions on those who breach international humanitarian law.\" US President-elect Mr Trump has criticised Nato and has spoken of his hopes of warmer relations between the US and Russia - but on Thursday Mr Obama warned him to stand up to Moscow if it deviated from US values. Mr Obama has been on a farewell trip to Europe at the end of his two terms as US president. On Friday he met German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Mrs May, French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy in Berlin. The White House said Mr Obama had \"affirmed the importance of continued cooperation through multilateral institutions, including Nato\" and \"agreed on the necessity of working collectively to move the transatlantic agenda forward, particularly on bringing stabilisation to the Middle East and North Africa, as well as securing diplomatic resolution to the conflicts in Syria and eastern Ukraine. On Brexit, Mrs May said: \"Our work is on track, we do stand ready to trigger Article 50 by the end of March 2017. \"I want to see this as a smooth process, an orderly process, working towards a solution that is in the interests of both the UK but also in the interests of our European partners too.\" The meeting comes as German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble told the Financial Times the UK may have to continue paying into EU budgets for more than a decade after it leaves the union. He said Britain will \"certainly have to fulfil its commitments\" to the EU until its departure - and possibly after. He added: \"Possibly there will be some commitments that last beyond the exit\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u2030even, in part, to 2030.\"", "summary": "Theresa May has said the US and Europe are \"united\" in condemning atrocities in Syria and has warned Russia of the possibility of more sanctions."}
{"article": "Topal, a 29-year-old Turkey midfielder with Fenerbahce, was driving home with a team-mate after training when the car was attacked. The club condemned the incident as an \"armed terrorist act\". The reason for the attack is unclear, but Fenerbahce's team bus was shot at earlier this year and the driver was wounded in the city of Trabzon. The bus had been driving over a viaduct and a club official was forced to intervene to bring the vehicle to a halt. The club said at the time that the attack represented the \"peak point of hostility\" towards it. Turkey's top-flight Super League was suspended for a week and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seen as a Fenerbahce supporter, called a meeting of the league's 18 club captains. No motive has been established for Tuesday's attack. BBC Turkish reporter Emre Bal said that although there was an intense rivalry between fans of Fenerbahce and another Istanbul club, Galatasaray, Mehmet Topal was a popular player. Former Fenerbahce footballer Kennet Andersson told the BBC that opposing fans regularly threw objects including fireworks at team buses, but the latest violence was different. \"It sounds much worse now and it shouldn't be like that,\" he said. Immediately after the shooting, Topal pulled his car off the road in Istanbul's eastern Sancaktepe district and called for police help. Topal's team-mate Uygar Mert Zeybek was also unhurt. Pictures released by the club showed bullet damage on the passenger side of the widescreen, although the bullet did not appear to have pierced the glass. The club had earlier published pictures on its website of recent signing Robin Van Persie taking part in training. Fenerbahce were knocked out of the qualifying rounds of the Uefa Champions League by Shakhtar Donetsk last week.", "summary": "Turkish footballer Mehmet Topal has escaped unharmed after gunmen fired on his bulletproof car in Istanbul."}
{"article": "Police were first called to St James Boulevard in Newcastle just after midnight due to concerns for a man, 21, and an 18-year-old woman. Her condition is described as potentially life-threatening. An hour later, another couple, both 18, also had to be taken to hospital after becoming ill in the city centre. Northumbria Police said a quantity of drugs, believed to be ecstasy, had been seized and inquiries were ongoing. Det Inst Sally MacDonald said: \"Taking illegal drugs is incredibly dangerous and the fact four people have been taken ill in just one evening is particularly worrying.\"", "summary": "Four people had to be treated in hospital after taking what is thought to be ecstasy."}
{"article": "So far most of the ground troops deployed are there to protect the airbase, but satellite evidence suggests that at least two other Syrian bases are being prepared to receive additional Russian troops. The Russian build-up is being closely monitored - not least by the Israelis, who have been flying intelligence-gathering aircraft off the coast between Cyprus and Lebanon on a regular circuit. Most of the information available to the media comes from images from civil satellites, but of course US military satellites will also be watching developments, seeking any detail that might give a hint of Russian intentions. Imagery analysts will be looking for evidence of weapons stores; of munitions being loaded on to aircraft or for any other signs of jets being prepared for operational sorties. The electromagnetic spectrum will also be monitored from Western bases in Cyprus and from Israel, where the military has no shortage of Russian speakers. Reports suggest that some of the Russian aircraft have already been undertaking familiarisation flights in Syrian airspace. But the question remains - what will Moscow do next? Is this all preliminary to a direct Russian intervention in the fighting? Or is this something else - military theatre on a grand scale to achieve wider diplomatic objectives? What President Vladimir Putin appears to be doing in Syria is to use at least the threat of military force to pursue his wider diplomatic goals. To see what is going on, one must pull back from the close-up images of Russian warplanes on the tarmac and look at the wider diplomatic picture. Russia - isolated and confronting Western sanctions due to its behaviour in Ukraine - is genuinely concerned about the rise of Islamist fundamentalism, which threatens to spread ever closer to Russia's own borders. It wants to see the so-called Islamic State defeated and some order restored in Syria, where it has long maintained a strategic interest. It believes Western policy in the region has been self-serving and wildly naive. Existing regimes have been toppled leaving little more than chaos in their wake. With the UN General Assembly in New York fast approaching, Mr Putin is eager to embark upon a new initiative on the world stage; one that will highlight Russia's distinctive voice, but one that also will underline what he sees as Moscow's irreplaceable role in the international system. So seen in this light, the Russian deployment to Syria may already have achieved much of what Mr Putin is seeking. For a start Russia has demonstrated that it is a strategic player in the region and is prepared to put its military might behind its diplomacy. It has also demonstrated that its support for President Bashar al-Assad, at least for the short- and medium-term, is solid and a factor with which all other actors must contend. On the purely diplomatic front, the US has reopened military talks with Moscow. Mr Putin is due to meet President Barack Obama shortly - an encounter that will have been highly unlikely if Ukraine alone was top of their agenda. Even more significantly, key", "summary": "With some 24 strike- and close-support aircraft and about a dozen attack helicopters on the ground at its new airbase outside Latakia, Russia is poised to be able to make a significant impact on the fighting in Syria if it so wishes."}
{"article": "The performer then forgot to switch his microphone off as he was sick. Ramsey was only a few minutes from the end of his show at Aberdeen Music Hall when he felt sick. The comedian, who was performing in the Granite City as part of a UK-wide tour, had earlier warned his audience that he was unwell. He told fans on his twitter: \"As a lot of you will already know, I had to run off stage last night in Aberdeen and projectile vomit was all over the place. It was beyond grim.\" As well as stand-up, Ramsey starred as Jack Pearson in BBC Two sitcom Hebburn, set near his home town of South Shields in north east England. Ramsey has also appeared on the BBC's Live at the Apollo and is a regular panellist on Channel 4 series Celebrity Juice.", "summary": "Stand-up comedian Chris Ramsey has apologised to his audience in Aberdeen after running off stage during his show to vomit."}
{"article": "Representatives from Highland Council along with Scottish economy secretary Keith Brown and UK minister Andrew Dunlop attended the event. Announced in March last year, the deal involves direct funding and greater borrowing powers. There has been criticism that the funding package will not benefit the wider Highland area. The signing ceremony in Invergordon included an agreement to release \u00a312.25m of funding on three projects. These are the Science Skills Academy STEMD, which is a a network of \"science rooms\" to promote learning in science and engineering, and the University of the Highlands and Islands' School of Health, Social Care and Life Sciences. Also, a land remediation project which aims to make vacant land at Inverness' Longman available to businesses. Other spending planned at a later date includes about \u00a315m to turn Inverness Castle from a criminal and civil courts building into a tourist attraction.", "summary": "The \u00a3315m Inverness City Region Deal has been formally signed off in a ceremony in Invergordon."}
{"article": "Varnish, 25, alleges Shane Sutton told her to \"go have a baby\" after she was dropped from the British team. Rowsell Shand insists the sport's governing body treats the women's and men's endurance squads identically. \"I've always thought, as a track rider, it's very equal,\" the 27-year-old said. \"Compared to the men's team pursuit squad, we definitely get equal treatment.\" Sutton denies making sexist comments and says British Cycling did not renew Varnish's contract because her times had slowed over the past three years. Dani King, who raced alongside Rowsell Shand in the 2012 gold medal-winning pursuit team before switching to road cycling, said she had \"never encountered\" anything sexist. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live's Afternoon Edition, she added: \"Shane's a no-nonsense sort of guy, he tells you how it is, but I never had any of those comments made towards me.\" Team sprint rider Varnish has been been invited to meet the equalities officer of British Cycling to discuss her concerns. Road race world champion Lizzie Armitstead defended Varnish's right to publicly comment about any perceived injustice. \"Any athlete in her position has the right to say what she said,\" said Armitstead, 27. \"She's worked so hard to be in the position she's in and to have that taken away from her, if she feels that it's unjust, then she should speak out about it.\" Armitstead, who won road race silver at London 2012, is now based in Monaco and no longer works with British Cycling on a day-to-day basis. \"I haven't operated within British Cycling for a very long time,\" she said. \"I've had to forge my own path, because I needed to.\" Varnish, a world, European and Commonwealth Games medallist, missed out on qualification for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro after she and Katy Marchant finished fifth at last month's World Championships. She subsequently criticised British Cycling's coaches for their selection policy during the qualifying period, telling BBC Sport she and Marchant \"had been playing catch-up for two years\" because of decisions made \"above us\".", "summary": "Olympic gold medallist Joanna Rowsell Shand says she is \"surprised\" at Jess Varnish's claim British Cycling's technical director made sexist comments to her."}
{"article": "Seven protesters were arrested overnight outside the immigration office where she was being held. Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos, 36, a mother of two US-born children, crossed the southern border from Nogales, Arizona at 10:00 local time. Protesters had tried to block vehicles transporting her, but were unable. On Wednesday night, protesters, who feared her deportation under President Donald Trump's clampdown on immigration, blocked a van believed to be carrying Ms de Rayos. It was one of several vehicles stopped from leaving the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) centre on Wednesday evening. \"Seeing my mom in that van... it was unexplainable. It was really heart-dropping,\" her daughter Jaqueline said during a press conference after the deportation was announced. \"No one should ever go through the pain of having their mom taken away from them, or the pain of packing her suitcase,\" the 14-year-old said through tears. According to US media Ms de Rayos was arrested in 2008 during a raid on her workplace and was convicted of identity theft for possessing false papers. But she was allowed to continue living in Arizona as long as she checked in with her local ICE office in Phoenix every six months, the report adds. Read more on President Trump's immigration order: Banned: An Iraqi family's immigration story Is US heading for constitutional crisis? Is Trump's immigration order legal? It was during this check in on Wednesday that she was taken into custody, just days after Donald Trump signed an executive order broadening the regulations under which some people will be deported. It stipulates that any undocumented immigrants convicted of a criminal offense get priority for deportation. \"We're living in a new era now, an era of war on immigrants,\" Ms de Rayos's lawyer, Ray A Ybarra Maldonado told the New York Times. \"Ms. Garcia, who has a prior felony conviction in Arizona for criminal impersonation, was the subject of a court-issued removal order that became final in July 2013,\" a spokesperson for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement told the BBC. Despite appeals, judges \"held she did not have a legal basis to remain in the US\", Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe said. \"ICE will continue to focus on identifying and removing individuals with felony convictions who have final orders of removal issued by the nation's immigration courts,\" she added in a written statement. Dozens of activists gathered outside the centre in a bid to block vehicles from leaving, many of them chanting \"justice\". Police said seven people had been arrested \"without force\" but that most of the protesters were \"peaceful and exercising their rights properly\". Mr Trump's far-reaching executive orders have also suspended refugee resettlement and blocked individuals from seven majority-Muslim nations from entering the US. The move sparked numerous protests in the US and across the world, as well as several legal challenges, although the American public appears to be evenly split on the issue. The travel ban was eventually halted last week and a US court of appeals is due to issue its ruling on whether the executive order was justified or not in the coming", "summary": "A Mexican woman who had been living in the US since the age of 14 has been deported to Mexico, immigration officials have told the BBC."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old twisted an ankle in the warm-up and damaged a knee during her second-round defeat by American Alison Riske on Court 18. Mladenovic said both players wanted to stop after only two games \"in case something bad happened\". The All England Club said the courts were as \"playable as per normal\". Temperatures have reached 30C at Wimbledon, with around 60 people treated by the St John Ambulance for heat-related symptoms on Thursday. The Met Office is predicting highs of 26C on Friday and 23C on Saturday, but with more cloud cover on both days. Mladenovic blamed the weather for making the courts too dry. She said: \"The colour of the court, the fact that there's no more grass, the fact that the baseline where we are running, it's very slippery. There's no grass. \"You kind of have to run light and be careful, not to push or press too much, too hard, which is strange to play on.\" Mladenovic, who lost 2-6 6-4 6-4, added: \"It's quite unique with your opponent, after two games, you both agree on stopping playing in a Slam. \"I'm just honestly very happy and blessed that I didn't injure myself that much.\" An All England Club statement read: \"The court preparation has been to exactly the same meticulous standard as in previous years. \"Grass is a natural surface and it is usual for the baselines to start to be showing signs of wear and tear four days into the Championships.\"", "summary": "France's 12th seed Kristina Mladenovic complained about a \"damaged\" court at Wimbledon, claiming poor surfaces are the talk of the players' locker room."}
{"article": "Ruth Davidson said people were angry at the SNP for putting \"its own narrow political interests before those of the wider country\". But the SNP said Ms Davidson should be apologising for the \"mess\" her party has created with Brexit. On Friday, Nicola Sturgeon launched a \"new conversation\" on independence. In a speech in Stirling, the first minister urged Scotland to \"control its own destiny\". She said her party's new \"listening exercise\" on the issue would seek the views of voters in Scotland using a survey and meetings across the country. Ms Davidson, in a speech on Saturday to the Scottish Conservative party's convention in Perth, said: \"Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday that she wants to listen to people who voted No in the hope of meeting their concerns. Well let me tell her how many of us feel. \"We do not look back at the referendum on independence with much in the way of nostalgia. It wasn't 'civic' or 'joyous' as the SNP have claimed. \"Instead, we remember the division it caused, we remember the pain felt by many, and we remember the fear that our country was about to be split up. She went on: \"So if the first minister wants to know the feelings of thousands of Scots across the country - I can give it to her right now. \"It is anger at an SNP government which has both broken its word and decided to put its own narrow political interests before those of the wider country. \"And it is frustration that we have a nationalist administration which is acting like a drag on Scotland's progress. \"Instead of a proper government using new and existing powers to drive the country forward, we instead have a nationalist administration dragging Scotland backwards - allowing the lead weight of separatism to threaten our ambitions and hopes.\" The SNP described Ms Davidson's speech as \"arrogant hypocrisy\". A spokesman said: \"It was Ruth Davidson who promised that 'No means we stay' in the EU and she should be apologising for the mess her party has now created with Brexit. \"People in Scotland remember very well the promises that the Tory-led No campaign made in the run up to the 2014 referendum - on shipbuilding, on the EU, on devolution and more - and they have watched as one-by-one these promises and pledges have been broken. \"Scotland faces being dragged out of the EU against our will by an increasingly right-wing, reactionary Tory party.\" He added: \"It is only right that the Scottish government examines all options to protect Scotland's interests and maintain our place in the EU - including the possibility of a second independence referendum.\" Responding to Ms Davidson's comments, Scottish Labour said the Tories were \"more obsessed with independence than the SNP\". A spokesman added: \"Ahead of the Scottish Parliament returning this week Kezia Dugdale outlined plans to use the new powers of the Scottish Parliament to invest in education, stop the cuts to our NHS, create more jobs and ban fracking whilst the other party leaders are still banging on about", "summary": "The Scottish Conservative leader has accused the Scottish government of allowing \"the lead weight of separatism\" to drag Scotland backwards."}
{"article": "Nicky Syratt signed his two dogs over to the centre in Aberdeenshire in June, but became upset when he discovered one had been put to sleep. Police arrived to find him holding the other dog, and with a pair of scissors in his hand. Syratt, 31, from Ellon, admitted threatening or abusive behaviour when he appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. The animal charity said the dog was put to sleep because it had an incurable disease. Depute fiscal Katie Begg told the court that one of the rescue centre employees had been tasked with keeping Syratt informed about the progress of his dogs. She said: \"She did this by telephone and was in regular contact with him. One of the dogs had to be put down due to an incurable illness.\" She said the employee contacted Syratt to let him know and he began to shout and swear at her, stating: \"I'm coming down and nothing will stop me\" and said he threatened to \"do in staff\". Some of the staff were then sent home and the building was locked up as a result of the call. One of the employees returned to her house opposite the rescue centre in Drumoak and saw Syratt arrive at the building later in the day. Ms Begg said: \"She then saw him tying a rope to the rear of his car to the door handle of the locus and he then accelerated forward in an attempt to remove the door.\" After realising he had pulled the door handles off, Syratt then wandered into the building and forced his way into the cattery and kennels. Two police officers who arrived at the scene shortly afterwards found him in a central courtyard with his dog, and holding scissors. Ms Begg added: \"One of the police officers asked the accused if the dog was dangerous, to which he replied, 'No but I am'.\" He later dropped the scissors, as requested. Defence lawyer Chris Maitland said his client denied threatening staff during the phone call. He said Syratt suffered a head injury in a road accident 10 years ago which may have changed his personality. He had a condition called Dissocial Personality Disorder for which there was no cure, he said. The sheriff ordered Syratt to carry 80 hours of unpaid work.", "summary": "A man forced his way into a Scottish SPCA rehoming centre after learning his dog had been put down, a court heard."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Salford, who have also been charged for improper conduct, won the match 26-24. However, after the game, winger Justin Carney and centre Junior S'au were pictured in heated exchanges with fans as they tried to protect their children in the crowd at John Smith's Stadium. A flare was reportedly thrown in the Salford end moments before the trouble. The Red Devils did apologise for the actions of their fans, while owner Marwan Koukash promised to act against the fans involved. An independent tribunal will hear the case, with a hearing date set for either late June or July.", "summary": "Salford Red Devils have been charged by the Rugby Football League for the misconduct of their supporters at Huddersfield Giants on 28 March."}
{"article": "Wood drowned during a boat trip with her husband, TV star Robert Wagner, and actor Christopher Walken. At the time it was ruled to have been an accident. But police reopened their inquiry last year after receiving new evidence. The death certificate now says she died as a result of \"drowning and other undetermined factors\". The amended document, obtained by the Associated Press news agency, also says the circumstances of how she ended up in the water are \"not clearly established\". The certificate was altered earlier this month. Chief of detectives William McSweeney said the decision was made by the coroner's office. He added that detectives still had work to do on the case, but that did not necessarily mean a major development was coming. \"We don't close these cases,\" he said. \"These cases have active periods and more passive periods. We're moving toward the end of an active period.\" Conflicting versions of what happened on the yacht have contributed to the mystery of how the actress died in November 1981. Wood had been partying the night before her death, and the coroner's investigation ruled she had been drinking and may have slipped trying to board the dinghy. Resuming the investigation last November, the sheriff's office said: \"Recently sheriff's homicide investigators were contacted by persons who stated they had additional information about the Natalie Wood Wagner drowning.\" The move came hours after the captain of the boat, Dennis Davern, told NBC News that he lied to police during the initial investigation and that a fight between Wood and Wagner had led to her death. In his book Pieces of My Heart, Wagner acknowledged that there had been a fight with Wood before she had disappeared, but authorities have said Wagner is not a suspect in his wife's death. Wood's body was found floating in a Catalina Island cove off the coast of California. Police reports said she was found wearing a long nightgown, socks, and a jacket. The post-mortem report said Wood had bruises on her body and arms as well as a facial abrasion on her left cheek. Wagner's family said they supported the reopening of the inquiry and trusted the detectives would \"evaluate whether any new information relating to the death of Natalie Wood Wagner is valid, and that it comes from a credible source or sources other than those simply trying to profit from the 30-year anniversary of her tragic death\". As a child, Wood featured in films like Miracle on 34th Street and The Ghost and Mrs Muir. She was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar for her role in Rebel Without a Cause, and for best actress for Splendor in the Grass and Love with the Proper Stranger.", "summary": "Actress Natalie Wood's death certificate has been amended to reflect some of the lingering questions surrounding the star's death in 1981."}
{"article": "Glenn Houston, who was the only original panel member, cited personal reasons for his departure. He remained on the inquiry team last year after the resignation of the chairwoman, Susan O'Brien QC, and panel member Prof Michael Lamb. One survivors' group said it was \"indicative of a crisis\" in the inquiry which is examining allegations of child abuse in residential accommodation. Andi Lavery, spokesman for the survivors' group White Flowers Alba, said victims were rapidly losing confidence in the inquiry's credibility. And Alan Draper, from In Care Abuse Survivors, said survivors were \"at a loss\" to understand what was happening. He told BBC Scotland: \"There is concern that the inquiry is dominated by the legal profession, without any balance from other professional groups who have a detailed knowledge of child abuse and its impact and implications for survivors and their families. \"Survivors are considering withdrawing from this whole process until they are satisfied that survivors are placed at the centre of the inquiry. \"The inquiry is about what happened to them and the failure of the establishment to protect them from harm. This failure is continuing.\" The probe is due to report in late 2019. Mr Houston said a \"change in priorities\" in his working life meant he had applied for positions at the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and the Disclosure and Barring Service. \"I have now been successful in those applications and the appointments have been made,\" he said. \"Lady Smith and I have discussed the potential that at some future time, a perception of conflict of interest may arise between these appointments and my work as a panel member on the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. \"After careful consideration of both the time commitment required to fulfil these new roles and the potential, however small, for perceptions to arise of conflict of interest, I have tendered my resignation to the inquiry.\" Mr Houston added that he had been \"honoured\" to be appointed to the panel. Deputy First Minister John Swinney said he had accepted the resignation of Mr Houston and thanked him for his positive contribution. \"I know this was not an easy decision for him to reach, but he can be very proud of the contribution he has made to the establishment of the Child Abuse Inquiry and to ensuring its continuing progress,\" he said. In July 2016, senior judge Lady Smith was appointed as the new chairwoman of the inquiry following Ms O'Brien's resignation. A successor to Mr Houston will not be appointed to the inquiry so Lady Smith will continue as the sole panel member. The Scottish government said this brought it in line with other public inquiries established in Scotland under the 2005 Inquiries Act. The abuse inquiry has been plagued by problems since it was set up in October 2015. More than \u00c2\u00a33.5m has been spent on it during this period. Prof Lamb resigned in June 2016 claiming the inquiry was \"doomed\". Ms O'Brien stood down days later after being told she faced the sack over \"unacceptable\" comments about child sex abuse victims. The", "summary": "A third senior figure on the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry has resigned."}
{"article": "Archive classics like Morecambe and Wise and Dad's Army helped Radio 4's sister station achieve record listeners of 2.17 million a week - an increase of half a million on the last quarter. 6 Music maintained its record audience with 2.06 million listeners. Radio 2 is the most popular UK station with 15.09 million tuning in weekly. BBC Radio 1 shed more than 700,000 listeners with 9.7 million, down from 10.43 million last quarter. The station said more than half a million of these were older. \"Since Radio 1 has been completely focused on younger audiences - and the most common age of a Radio 1 listener is 21 - it was highly likely some older listeners would move on, like the half a million over-30s that left us this quarter,\" said Radio 1 controller, Ben Cooper. Radio 4 Extra airs comedy and drama from the BBC archive alongside new speech programmes like TED Radio Hour, Comedy Club and Newsjack. Its recent successes include the decision to broadcast hit US podcast Serial at the end of last year. \"Radio 4 Extra was once a hidden gem in the BBC Radio portfolio,\" said director of BBC Radio Helen Boaden. \"These figures show the power of the BBC audio archive. Radio 4 Extra was created to make better use of Radio 4's incredible back catalogue and today's statistics show that brilliantly-made, high quality comedy and drama is timeless.\" When the previous quarter's figures were revealed in February, BBC 6 Music became the first digital-only station to ever reach more than two million listeners. Home to presenters such as Lauren Laverne, Steve Lamacq and Iggy Pop, it has almost tripled in popularity since a campaign to save it from closure in 2010. Listeners for this quarter - between 5 January and 5 April 2015 - showed 2.06 million people tuning in each week, down slightly from 2.08 million last quarter and up from 1.93 million a year ago. The Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Radio 2 is still the UK's most popular programme in the mornings with 9.46 million listeners tuning in every week, compared to 9.6 million last quarter and a record 9.83 million this time last year. The Today Programme on Radio 4 recorded exactly the same amount of listeners as a year ago with 7.06 million per week - back up from last quarter's results of 6.77 million - while Radio 4 averaged 10.89 million listeners a week, a 12.8% share of the audience. Radio 1's breakfast offering with Nick Grimshaw dropped from 5.91 million to 5.5 million listeners a week - with nearly 90% of those down to older listeners going elsewhere. \"I'm pleased that Grimmy is doing what I've asked of him by keeping his young audience happy and scaring off the over-30s,\" added controller Cooper. Radio 2's total share of listening increased from 17.8% last quarter to 18.1%, despite the number of weekly listeners dropping from 15.28 million to 15.09 million. Radio 3 reached an audience of 2.08 million between January and April - back up from 2.03 million", "summary": "BBC Radio 4 Extra has overtaken BBC 6 Music to become the UK's biggest digital-only station, according to the latest audience figures from Rajar."}
{"article": "Andrew Tosh, of Dundee, was so inebriated he did not know which country he was in, Sussex Police said. He was jailed after a flight from Glasgow to Turkey was diverted to Gatwick because of his behaviour in May. He was sentenced to nine months in prison on 16 June at Lewes Crown Court. He had admitted sexual assault, threatening and abusive behaviour, assault and being drunk on an aircraft. The Thomas Cook flight to Dalaman was diverted to Gatwick Airport on 6 May and was delayed at the airport for about two hours. Footage released by Sussex Police shows Tosh being carried off the flight by officers. As he was being taken to police cells he said he did not know which country he was in. Tosh, 34, was jailed for nine months and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years. A spokesman for Thomas Cook Airlines said: \"For the benefit of our customers' and employees' comfort and safety, we have a zero tolerance approach to disruptive behaviour on our flights and fortunately incidents as serious as this are very rare.\" A Sussex Police spokesman said the force was working with airlines, shops and bars at Gatwick Airport to help deal with those who \"have the potential to cause issues\" before they board their plane. Ch Insp Andy Kundert said: \"Drunken behaviour by obnoxious people on flights can include sexual assaults or assaults on cabin crews. Cabin staff can also have to deal with verbal abuse and threats. \"It is also upsetting and can be very frightening for other passengers, especially young children. \"This kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable.\"", "summary": "Footage of a drunken man being arrested on a plane at Gatwick Airport after he sexually assaulted a female member of cabin crew has been released by police."}
{"article": "Substitute Szmodics turned the ball home from close range six minutes from time after good work on the left by Ben Dickenson, moments after Macauley Bonne had seen a goal disallowed for offside following another Dickenson cross. Gerry McDonagh had earlier scored his first EFL goal to give the home side the lead after 20 minutes, thumping the ball in following George Maris' pass from the right. Cambridge also had a goal disallowed when Harrison Dunk fired in following Piero Mingoia's cross 11 minutes before half-time. Colchester's only real opportunity of the first period came in the opening moments when Dickenson could only nod Owen Garvan's cross wide at the far post. John McGreal's side were denied 17 minutes from the end as a superb save from Will Norris kept out George Elokobi, before McDonagh fired narrowly wide at the other end ahead of Szmodics' equaliser. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Cambridge United 1, Colchester United 1. Second Half ends, Cambridge United 1, Colchester United 1. Foul by Scott Wharton (Cambridge United). Macauley Bonne (Colchester United) wins a free kick on the right wing. Attempt missed. Tom Lapslie (Colchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Leon Davies (Cambridge United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Leon Davies (Cambridge United). Brennan Dickenson (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Liam O'Neil (Cambridge United). Drey Wright (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Cambridge United. Medy Elito replaces George Maris. Goal! Cambridge United 1, Colchester United 1. Sammie Szmodics (Colchester United) header from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Brennan Dickenson with a cross. Attempt missed. George Maris (Cambridge United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Substitution, Colchester United. Macauley Bonne replaces Chris Porter. Attempt missed. Scott Wharton (Cambridge United) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left following a set piece situation. Piero Mingoia (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Tom Lapslie (Colchester United). Attempt missed. Gerry McDonagh (Cambridge United) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Corner, Cambridge United. Conceded by Matthew Briggs. Substitution, Colchester United. Sammie Szmodics replaces Sean Murray. Substitution, Cambridge United. Leon Davies replaces Greg Taylor. Attempt saved. Gerry McDonagh (Cambridge United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Attempt saved. George Elokobi (Colchester United) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom left corner. Corner, Colchester United. Conceded by Will Norris. Foul by James Dunne (Cambridge United). Tom Lapslie (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Greg Taylor (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Rekeil Pyke (Colchester United). Attempt saved. Luke Berry (Cambridge United) right footed shot", "summary": "Sammie Szmodics struck a late equaliser to earn Colchester a draw at Cambridge in League Two."}
{"article": "The crackdown has targeted those who take on cases involving free speech, human rights and abuses of power, presenting many of them as motivated by greed and a reckless disregard for social order. A statement from the Ministry of Public Security said suspects included lawyers, social media celebrities and petitioners but that lawyers were the core. It accused a group led by the Beijing-based Fengrui Law Firm, of illegally hiring protesters and swaying court decisions in the name of \"defending justice and public interests.\" It went on to accuse the group of organising more than 40 controversial incidents and severely disrupting public order. It gave an example in which it had allegedly presented a legitimate police shooting at a railway station as a murder conspiracy. Since last Thursday at least six lawyers have been detained and more than 50 taken in for questioning by police in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, according to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. It is not clear how many are still in custody. Some of those questioned had signed a letter asking authorities to release Wang Yu, a human rights lawyer who vanished from her home last week and is now believed to be in detention. Ms Wang worked for the Fengrui law firm. Another Fengrui lawyer, Zhou Shifeng, disappeared the day after one of his clients was released last week. State media have confirmed that six people including Wang Yu and Zhou Shifeng are in criminal detention for \"seriously violating the law\". The People's Daily said Mr Zhou was suspected of serious crimes. It also attacked another employee of the firm, online activist Wu Gan, saying he had exploited his fame and exaggerated sensitive incidents for profit. Mr Wu has been in detention since May and earlier this month was charged with \"inciting subversion\". The People's Daily denounced what it called a \"major criminal organisation\" which \"seriously disturbed social order\". Last year saw reforms designed to make courts less corrupt and less embedded in local politics. There were promises to exclude tainted evidence, torture and coercion. But at the same time, President Xi said the rule of law would be \"a knife whose handle was in the hands of the party and the people\". Any campaign to promote the rule of law which thinks lawyers are part of the problem rather the solution is in trouble. But this is the direction of travel in China. Groups that cannot be co-opted become pariahs. And lawyers who assert a set of values outside the narrowing space allotted to them by the state are no exception. There would be no constitutionalism, judicial independence or separation of powers. And clearly no lawyers or law firms who put their client's interests ahead of those of the party. \"Such an unprecedented nationwide crackdown can only have been sanctioned from within the central government,\" said William Nee, China Researcher at Amnesty International. \"This coordinated attack on lawyers makes a mockery of President Xi Jinping's claims to promote the rule of law.\" Xi Jinping came to power nearly three years ago vowing to tackle", "summary": "Dozens of Chinese lawyers have been detained or interrogated over recent days in what seems to be a co-ordinated roundup."}
{"article": "This includes a \"development bank\" to support small businesses and a promise to bring fast broadband to everyone. Leader Carwyn Jones said it was \"an ambitious plan ... focused on the economy, growth and fairness\". He said the aim was \"to build economic growth and security for everyone in Wales\". \"Over the last few years the Welsh economy has punched above its weight with high profile inward investments coming through Aston Martin and TVR,\" Mr Jones said on Tuesday, launching the manifesto at a college in the south Wales valleys. \"Our manifesto today seeks to build on those firm foundations with big and bold new ideas such as a new development bank for Wales and tax cuts for all small businesses to help boost economic growth even further in the years to come.\" Details: What is in the Welsh Labour manifesto? Mr Jones added: \"Today is about taking our country forward. We ask the people of Wales to join us once again on that journey.\" The focus on the economy comes after he wrote in the Sunday Telegraph there was more he could do to \"whip government into shape\" in how it helps businesses. Welsh Labour was left feeling shocked and bruised by 2015's general election result and the party says it's been in listening mode ever since. It's been all over the country asking people what they want from Labour. The product of that consultation is this manifesto. There are plenty of attractive promises, such as increased free childcare, more apprenticeships and an extension of its school-building programme. But perhaps the more interesting aspect is what's not in the manifesto. While it commits the party to an M4 relief road, it doesn't give a specific route. And there's a promise to cut the number of councils, but we're not told how many there will be. So Labour is keeping its options open on some controversial topics, perhaps with an eye on post-election discussions with other parties.", "summary": "Welsh Labour has launched its assembly election manifesto with a \"plan for prosperity\" the party says will \"get the country moving\"."}
{"article": "The publication by German theologian Martin Luther, called On the Freedom of a Christian, dates back to 1520. This was a year before he was excommunicated by the Pope for criticising the Catholic Church. It includes around 50 notes written in red by Luther himself, indicating changes he wanted for a second edition. The American who made the discovery, James Hirsten, said it gave an important insight into Luther's thinking at the time. The annotated edition was found in The Humanist Library in Selestat, in the north-east of France. Martin Luther launched the Reformation in Germany five centuries ago in response to what he said were excesses and abuses within the Church. But his works, which also included Christian Liberty, To the Christian Nobility and On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, turned him against many of the major teachings of the Catholic Church. After his excommunication by Pope Leo X in January 1521, Luther was declared an outlaw and a heretic by the Roman emperor at that time, Charles V. He later went on to publish a complete translation of the bible into German, which contributed to the spread and development of the German language.", "summary": "A first edition of one of the most important works of the man who inspired the Protestant Reformation has been discovered in a library in France."}
{"article": "It is currently against the constitution but parliament has not yet passed a bill outlawing the practice. Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has joined more than a million others by signing an online petition calling for a comprehensive ban. The UN children's agency, Unicef, estimates that more than 90% of Somali girls undergo FGM. It says that it is mainly performed on four to 11-year-olds and can have a long-lasting impact on the girls' physical and mental health. Somali anti-FGM campaigner Ifrah Ahmed told the BBC that she had persuaded Mr Sharmarke to sign the petition organised by online campaign group Avaaz. She said that it was a significant move as many people in Somalia do not openly speak about the issue. \u2022Clitoridectomy - partial or total removal of the clitoris \u2022Excision - removal of the clitoris and inner labia (lips), with or without the outer labia \u2022Infibulation - cutting, removing and sewing up the genitalia \u2022Any other type of intentional damage to the female genitalia (burning, scraping et cetera) Ms Ahmed, who has experienced FGM herself, thought it would help put pressure on the lawmakers to pass the bill. She has worked with Somalia's Women's Affairs Minister Sahra Samatar in drawing up the draft legislation. Ms Samatar told the BBC's Newsday programme that the prime minister's action was a \"huge boost\" to the efforts to get the law passed. But campaigners acknowledge that it will take more than a law to end the practice. Ms Ahmed said that an education campaign, as well as a willingness to enforce the legislation, will be necessary. She said that it is widely practised in Somalia as people believe it is a religious requirement and girls who have not undergone it are taunted for not being cut.", "summary": "Somalia's prime minister has publicly backed a campaign to ban female genital mutilation (FGM) in his country."}
{"article": "It is the first meeting between the sides in the competition in more than five years. \"Over the next five or six weeks, I fully expect Rangers to have the league wrapped up, so they should be the confident team going into the game. \"For me right now, I would sway towards Rangers,\" Boyd said. The last match between the sides was in last season's League Cup semi-final, with Celtic emerging as 2-0 victors. Rangers appear to be a stronger proposition on the pitch now under manager Mark Warburton. They are on course to seal promotion to Scotland's top flight at the end of the season, leading the Championship table by 12 points. Boyd thinks the togetherness of the Rangers squad could give them the decisive edge over Celtic, who have faltered in recent weeks under Ronny Deila despite continuing to lead the Premiership. \"They've got that close-knit unit,\" said Boyd, who was impressed by the 4-0 win over Dundee. \"If you look at the way they performed on Saturday, it was excellent right from the word go. \"It's going to be close. I'm leaning towards Rangers in terms of the tight-knit group. They know exactly what they are doing. \"With a steady team, there's no chopping and changing. You are going to training all week fully expecting to play, whereas you look at Celtic - with the amount of bodies they've got going into training on a Monday morning expecting to play on a Saturday, they could field three or four teams.\" Former Celtic striker Scott McDonald agrees that Rangers will provide Deila's men with a much sterner challenge than they did in the League Cup semi-final in February 2015. \"Rangers now you feel are much more ready for the challenge than they were 13 months ago,\" McDonald explained. \"Under Warburton, they've come on leaps and bounds and the football they've played at times has been very entertaining.\" The Motherwell frontman believes the return of Scottish football's most famous rivalry is great for the game. \"Without being disrespectful to all the games in the leagues and the derbies, this is the one,\" said McDonald. \"It's rated as one of the best derbies in the world. So to have it back on the map again is fantastic for Scottish football. \"It really needs it within the game. We're hoping for a great spectacle. \"It certainly puts it back on the map. It's a chance for both teams to sort of stamp their authority on next season, psychologically you could say, and see where Rangers are really and if they have narrowed the gap from 13 months ago or not.\"", "summary": "Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd has backed his old side to come out on top against Celtic in next month's Scottish Cup semi-final."}
{"article": "The decision had been based not on an examination of Hamas' actions, but on \"factual imputations derived from the press and the internet\", judges found. The court said the move was technical and was not a reassessment of Hamas' classification as a terrorist group. It said a funding freeze on the group would continue for the time being. Hamas dominates Gaza and fought a 50-day war with Israel earlier this year. Under its charter, the movement is committed to Israel's destruction. Responding to the ruling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas was a \"murderous terrorist organisation\" which should be put back on the list immediately. Israel, the United States and several other nations have designated Hamas a terrorist organisation due to its long record of attacks and its refusal to renounce violence. Hamas, which was founded in 1987, won Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 and reinforced its power in Gaza the following year after ousting its Fatah rivals. Its supporters see it as a legitimate resistance movement against Israel, with whom it has fought for years. In December 2001, the Council of the European Union - representing the governments of member states - adopted a \"common position\" and a regulation to combat terrorism. It established a list of designated entities and people whose funds would be frozen. Hamas' military wing, the Izz al-Din Qassam Brigades, was named on the initial list, and its political wing was added two years later. Hamas contested the decision and on Wednesday the EU's General Court found it had been \"based not on acts examined and confirmed in decisions of competent authorities but on factual imputations derived from the press and the internet\". The court said it was therefore annulling Hamas' designation but would temporarily keep existing measures against the group \"in order to ensure the effectiveness of any possible future freezing of funds\". This would be maintained for three months, or, if an appeal is brought before the European Court of Justice, until it was closed, it added. \"The court stresses that those annulments, on fundamental procedural grounds, do not imply any substantive assessment of the question of the classification of Hamas as a terrorist group within the meaning of the common position.\" Hamas deputy political leader Moussa Abu Marzouk said the decision was \"a correction of a historical mistake\". \"Hamas is a resistance movement and it has a natural right according to all international laws and standards to resist the occupation,\" he told the Reuters news agency. But European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said the EU continued to \"consider Hamas a terrorist organisation\" and would consider its response to the ruling. The Israeli economy minister called the court's decision immoral. \"Israel is strong and can defend itself against its enemies, but those who will suffer from strengthening terrorist groups will be the Europeans themselves,\" Naftali Bennett warned. Hours after the ruling, the European Parliament adopted a compromise resolution supporting \"in principle recognition of Palestinian statehood and the two-state solution\", and calling for peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians to be \"advanced\". The original", "summary": "A top court of the European Union has annulled the bloc's decision to keep the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on a list of terrorist groups."}
{"article": "Carol Black has quit the party exactly nine years after the UUP hailed her election to Banbridge Council as a \"St Valentine's Day massacre\" for the DUP. She branded UUP leader Mike Nesbitt as \"arrogant\" and told the Belfast Telegraph: \"I don't know if he is even a unionist.\" For his part, Mr Nesbitt told reporters he is \"relaxed\" about his party's reaction to his plans, and remains committed to unionists and nationalists working together. An unholy row in a rural church in County Fermanagh is the lead story in the Irish News. The paper says a number of people \"walked out\" of Sunday Mass in protest after a priest accused named individuals of bullying him from the altar. It quotes Fr John Halton apologising \"unreservedly\" for his outburst, and asking for forgiveness from his parishioners. The Irish News also carries a fresh appeal from the family of a man murdered by loyalist paramilitary gang in a Lisburn pub 30 years ago. Bin man Paul Bradley suffered a fractured skull when he was beaten with pool cues and a broken chair in the Tavern Bar in December 1986. His brother and sister tell the paper they hope witnesses who were too frightened to come forward at the time might feel \"safer\" about giving evidence now. Troubles legacy cases continue to feature prominently in all the local papers, with the Daily Mirror and others reporting High Court claims that former Prime Minister Edward Heath was \"involved in the decision-making process surrounding the torture\" of 14 men in Northern Ireland in 1971. The 14 internees, who are known as the Hooded Men, want a a full inquiry into state involvement in the interrogation techniques used against them. The Belfast Telegraph gets Alex Best's verdict on a new documentary on her late ex-husband. The 45-year-old also dismisses claims that she ever suggested \"supernatural\" goings on in her 200-year-old cottage could be the ghost of George Best. The Mirror features a very unusual Valentine's Day present that came as a complete surprise to one Belfast wife. Murals of masked men are nothing new in Northern Ireland, but this one is in the shape of Holywood star Jamie Dornan, in his Fifty Shades Darker pose. The paper says it has \"appeared overnight\" on a shop front in Belfast's North Street.", "summary": "The resignation of an Ulster Unionist Party councillor, in protest at her leader's plan to transfer his second preference vote to the SDLP, makes the front page of both the Belfast Telegraph and the News Letter."}
{"article": "Maylis de Kerangal is the first French author to win the \u00c2\u00a330,000 award, which honours books of any genre that has a central theme of health or medicine. It is the first translated text to win and only the second novel to win in the award's history. Head judge Val McDermid called it \"compelling, original and ambitious\". Described as \"a heart-breaking and gripping story of life-saving medical science\" it follows the story of Simon Limbeau's heart. He heads out on a surfing trip with two friends but they crash their van on the way home and he is left brain dead but with a beating heart. His family then face the tough decision whether to donate his heart. The book depicts the \"24-hour whirlwind of trauma and death, life and hope\" and ends when the heart starts to beat in the body of someone else. This year's Chair of Judges, Val McDermid, announced the winner at a ceremony at the Wellcome Collection in London on Monday. \"Mend the Living is a metaphorical and lyrical exploration of the journey of one heart and two bodies,\" she said. \"Over 24 hours we travel from trauma to hope, discovering both the humane aspect of organ donation and the internal dramas of those affected by it. \"Compelling, original and ambitious, this novel illuminates what it is to be human.\" Mend the Living is de Kerangal's fifth novel. She has won previous awards in France for her novel Birth of a Bridge and her novella Tangente vers l'est. It was translated by Jessica Moore, an award-winning translator, songwriter and poet based in Montreal. The book has already been adapted into a film by French film director Katell Quillevere, which will open in UK cinemas from 28 April. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Mend the Living, a \"heart-breaking\" novel about 24 hours in the life of a heart that is transplanted, has won the Wellcome Book Prize."}
{"article": "He said the Nord Stream pipeline would reduce Russia's dependence on Ukrainian pipelines, which were shut during gas disputes between Moscow and Kiev. \"Technical gas\", needed to build up pressure, was released on Tuesday. It is expected German consumers will begin receiving Russian gas through the new pipeline in a few weeks. The official launch of Nord Stream will be marked with a visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Germany in November. Nord Stream, a twin pipeline, was built at a cost of $12.5bn (\u00c2\u00a37.7bn; 8.8bn euros) and is 1,224km (761 miles) long, running from Vyborg in north-west Russia to Sassnitz in north-east Germany. It should be able to move 55bn cu m of gas a year by 2013, after the completion of the second pipeline. Mr Putin, visiting Vyborg, said Ukraine had been \"taking advantage\", and that relations between the two countries would now become \"more civilised\". At present, 80% of Russia's gas exports to the EU flow through pipelines across Ukrainian soil. Apart from Nord Stream, Russia has been planning another pipeline, South Stream, which will run from southern Russia to Bulgaria under the Black Sea. The project is expected to pipe 63bn cu m of gas to central and southern Europe annually. In another project to pipe ex-Soviet gas westwards, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Austria have agreed to construct a 3,900km pipeline called Nabucco. It is expected to pump up to 31bn cubic metres of gas annually from the Caspian and the Middle East across Turkey and into Europe.", "summary": "Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has pressed the start button to open a pipeline carrying natural gas directly to Germany under the Baltic Sea."}
{"article": "It was sweet revenge for Nigeria whose senior side lost 3-2 to Claude Le Roy's Congo last year in a 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier - a result which ultimately denied the Super Eagles a place at the finals and a chance to defend their title. Nigeria boast a proud Olympics football record, having won gold medals at the Atlanta Games in 1996. They also finished runners-up at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where current Nigeria under-23 coach Samson Siasia (pictured) also coached the 'Dream Team' in China. On Sunday, it was Junior Ajayi who proved to be Siasia's match winner, scoring both goals just after half-time, in front of 35,000 home fans. Le Roy's Congo pulled one back in the 68th minute - but Nigeria held on to seize the first leg advantage in the under-23 level third-round qualifier. The return match is scheduled for early August and the overall winners qualify for an end-of-year tournament in Senegal from which the top three teams out of eight go to Rio. Elsewhere, a late goal blitz helped Egypt overwhelm Uganda 4-0. The Baby Pharaohs led after eight minutes in Alexandria and added three more goals in the last 15 minutes to build a huge first-leg lead. Mahmoud 'Kahraba' Abdel Moneim - bagged a brace and Mohamed Salim and Ramadan Sobhy were also on target. Egyptian TV commentators angered Uganda coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic (pictured) before the match by labelling his team a \"punching bag\". It looked as though Micho might have the last laugh as the east Africans recovered from falling behind to a Salim goal and even came close to levelling soon after half-time. Uganda captain and leading scorer Farouk Miya found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Mosaad Awad, but failed to score. Egypt coach Hossam El-Badry turned the tide back in favour of a country that has played at Olympics football tournaments 11 times by introducing midfielder Ahmed Rafaat midway through the second half. Rafaat set up goals for 'Kahraba' and Sobhy as the Ugandans wilted under relentless pressure. 'Kahraba' completed the rout in stoppage time by rounding goalkeeper Omar Salim and stroking the ball over the line. Adama Niane became the leading scorer in the African qualifying competition, taking his total to four goals by snatching the winner as Mali defeated Gabon 1-0 in Libreville. Niane, who is with French club Nantes, scored 13 minutes from time. Gabon were shock winners of a pre-London Olympics tournament in Morocco four years ago having eliminated Mali en route. Zambia forced a 0-0 draw with Ivory Coast in Abidjan despite having to play much of the second half with 10 men. Defender Boyd Mkandawire was sent off on 62 minutes after being shown a second yellow card, but the Ivorians failed to take advantage of their extra man. South Africa, whose previous Olympics appearance was in Sydney 15 years ago, drew 1-1 with neighbours Zimbabwe at the Rufaro Stadium in Harare on Sunday. Keagan Dolly put South Africa ahead in the 67th minute before hosts Zimbabwe were awarded a penalty seven minutes from", "summary": "Nigeria edged closer towards qualification for the 2016 Rio Olympics with a 2-1 victory over Congo Brazzaville in Port Harcourt."}
{"article": "Mr Munger said that high-frequency trading was \"the functional equivalent of letting a lot of rats into a granary\". The central thesis of Flash Boys, which is published, with an updated final chapter, in paperback this week, is that electronic trading has rigged the market against ordinary investors, particularly in America. Computer algorithms allow high-frequency trading (HFT) firms to \"get ahead\" of institutions investing on behalf of our pension funds and savings schemes. Because HFT firms execute deals in tiny fractions of seconds they are able to \"front run\" human traders who are buying stocks and make a small \"skim\" on the deal by pushing prices up or down. Although each \"skim\" is tiny, the overall effect, according to Mr Lewis, is that billions of dollars are being lost by investors to HFT firms which have inserted themselves into the market. This, Mr Lewis says, is tantamount to rigging the market. When his original book came out last year Entertainment Weekly said: \"If you own stock you need to read Flash Boys - and then call your broker.\" I caught up with Mr Lewis yesterday during his short visit to Britain from his home in California. He told me that what was happening in America was a threat to markets in Europe and Asia. \"It is inserting itself everywhere,\" he said. \"High-frequency traders pay for an advanced look at [market] information so they are in an unfair position. They know the prices before the ordinary investors they are trading against. \"If you can trade at light speed, you can make thousands and thousands of trades in a second. \"It is offensive to me that you have essentially rich traders skimming off of middle class savers. Weaving that unfairness into the financial markets especially at a time when inequality is a problem seems crazy to me.\" Mr Lewis says the major question is how to structure markets for stocks and shares as well as bonds and currencies as computers slowly and inexorably take over from human traders. Martin Wheatley, the head of the markets watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority, has said that high-frequency trading now accounts for 30% of business on the UK equity market. In America it is higher. Mr Lewis says that it is unclear - certainly in the US at least - whether the regulators are going to do anything about what he says is such a major problem. One reason, he argues, is the \"revolving door\" between the Wall Street banks and firms engaged in high-frequency trading and the regulators themselves. A \"cosy club\" has grown up, he says. But, although that may be the case, Mr Lewis actually argues that the story of Flash Boys is one of hope. And that's because the main witness in his book, Brad Katsuyama, a trader at the Royal Bank of Canada, has set up an exchange called IEX which seeks to eliminate \"predatory opportunities created by speed\". Goldman Sachs, for example, has committed to IEX, and is the exchange's biggest source of orders. \"There is a path through the market [to", "summary": "In his seminal work on the role of high-frequency traders in global stock markets, Michael Lewis quotes Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett's right hand man."}
{"article": "There are concerns the report will not be released before the 2015 election. Some MPs have blamed hold-ups on a reluctance to release correspondence between Mr Blair and President Bush. But the ex-Labour prime minister said he was not blocking any documents and publication would allow him \"restate\" the case for the 2003 invasion. The inquiry, which is examining the UK's participation in the military action against Saddam Hussein and its aftermath, began in 2009 and its last public hearings took place in 2011. Although the inquiry team, led by Sir John Chilcot, has never set a target date or deadline for publication, it is generally accepted that the timetable for publication has slipped on several occasions. David Cameron has said he hopes the report will be released before the end of the year. Mr Blair, who appeared in person twice before the inquiry to justify his decision to take the UK to war, said he had an interest in the report being published as quickly as possible. \"It is certainly not me who is holding it up,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. \"The sooner it is published the better, from my perspective, as it allows me to make the arguments.\" In its last update, in November, the inquiry said making progress was dependent on the \"satisfactory completion\" of discussions about the disclosure of private material, including 25 notes from Mr Blair to President Bush and more than 130 records of conversations between either Mr Blair or Gordon Brown and the former US president. Asked about this, Mr Blair said the inquiry has had the documents in its possession \"for a long period of time\". \"Obviously there are whole load of issues to do with confidentiality that have to be resolved - as far as I am concerned the government is resolving them.\" The former Labour leader was asked whether he believed the US government was responsible for the apparent hold-up. \"I do not know what the reason for the delay is because I am not in charge of the inquiry and I am not in charge of the government. All I can tell you is it is not from me and I resent the suggestions that it is. \"I have as much interest as anyone seeing the inquiry publish its findings and to be able to go out and, frankly, restate my case and defend my position.\" The final decision about the publication of UK documents will be taken by Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heyward. MPs have said they may call him to a Commons committee hearing to explain the state of affairs.", "summary": "Tony Blair has said he wants the Iraq Inquiry report to be published as soon as possible and \"resents\" claims he is to blame for its slow progress."}
{"article": "Belle Gibson gained fame in Australia after she claimed to have beaten cancer using natural remedies rather than medical intervention. She launched a successful app and cookbook, but later admitted the diagnosis was made up. Consumer Affairs Victoria is aiming to prosecute Ms Gibson for allegedly breaking Australian consumer law. The regulator said it had conducted an in-depth investigation of Ms Gibson's activities and had applied to Australia's Federal Court for leave to pursue legal action. Ms Gibson's claims to have cured her cancer with Ayurvedic medicine, oxygen therapy and a gluten and refined sugar-free diet propelled her to prominence. She capitalised on her fame with a successful app and a cookbook, both called The Whole Pantry, and promised to deliver a share of the profits to several charities. But the money allegedly never reached the charities and cracks began to appear in Ms Gibson's story. She later admitted to the Australian Women's Weekly magazine that none of her claims was true. Attempting to justify her behaviour, she told the magazine: \"If I don't have an answer, then I will sort of theorise it myself and come up with one. I think that's an easy thing to often revert to if you don't know what the answer is.\" Ms Gibson's publisher, Penguin Australia, has already agreed to pay A$30,000 ($22,200; \u00c2\u00a315,300) to the Victorian Consumer Law Fund as a penalty for releasing The Whole Pantry, which was not fact checked.", "summary": "An Australian blogger and author who faked terminal brain cancer faces legal action over her deception."}
{"article": "Bill Sharp, a Tory councillor at Castle Point Borough Council in Essex, is accused of assaulting activist James Parkin at Hadleigh's former fire station in March. Mr Sharp, 68, of Softwater Lane, Benfleet, appeared before Southend Magistrates to deny the charge. He is due to stand trial next year. The assault is alleged to have taken place on 14 March when Mr Sharp, who was deputy leader of the council at the time, was holding a surgery at the fire station. Mr Parkin was a candidate for the Appleby ward in Castle Point and was also an agent working with Jamie Huntman, UKIP's defeated parliamentary candidate for the Castle Point constituency. Mr Parkin was campaigning outside the fire station. Councillor Sharp, who is a cabinet member at the Conservative-run council, was released on bail ahead of a trial due to take place on 4 January.", "summary": "A Conservative politician has appeared in court to plead not guilty to assaulting a UKIP candidate in the run-up to elections earlier this year."}
{"article": "Jim Gallagher was due to celebrate his 21st birthday when he was shot on a bus at Fort George on the Strand Road. He had been released from prison just six days before after serving time for planting a bomb and IRA membership. A soldier has served a prison sentence for Mr Gallagher's manslaughter. Fiona Gallagher has said that she would like to know what the solider has to say. Fiona was the key speaker at the latest in a series of events hosted by the Towards Understanding and Healing Team, which was held on Wednesday. \"Jim got out on Tuesday 11th May and by Monday he was dead. Jim was hit on the base of the neck at the right hand side. \"There were two shots fired and he was hit by one of them and the other went through the left side of the bus,\" she said. \"When he came out it was his upcoming 21st birthday. Effectively the food and drink that was bought for his birthday ended up being served at his wake.\" \"I think I would be able to stand eye to eye and say I know you took my brother's life but I want to know what his feelings are.\"", "summary": "The sister of an IRA man has said that she would like to meet the soldier who killed her brother in Londonderry in 1976."}
{"article": "This was back in 2003, and Mr Warrillow - at the time a 28-year-old advertising executive - was looking for a complete career change. He wanted to set up his own gin distillery. And so he contacted Mr Rolls, a veteran of the gin industry, and 18 years his senior, for advice. Mr Rolls, who had successfully grown Plymouth Gin, agreed to meet for a coffee in central London. Within an hour or two they had decided to become business partners. But instead of forming a new gin company, they resolved to set up a premium tonic water brand. Mr Rolls, 57, recalls their first meeting: \"The conversation quickly turned from gin to tonic water, and the fact that while there had been a huge increase in the number of premium gins, when it came to the tonic water you added to them, you essentially only had two choices - the market leader [Schweppes], or supermarket own brands. \"And these all contained artificial sweeteners. We decided there and then to launch a premium tonic water, with all natural ingredients.\" But was either of them concerned about going into business with someone they didn't really know? \"Not really,\" says Mr Rolls. \"I could see an energetic, but pretty mature and determined individual. Tim was exactly the right type of person.\" Mr Warrillow, 39, adds: \"It was very apparent from our first few meetings that we seemed to understand each other.\" And so their business, Fever-Tree, was born. It is named after the colloquial term for the cinchona tree, from whose bark the natural anti-malarial drug and core tonic water ingredient, quinine is produced. But while it took Mr Rolls and Mr Warrillow just a few hours to decide to go into business together, it then took them 18 months to find a recipe they were happy with. As Mr Rolls had some money in the bank after selling his 25% share in Plymouth Gin, they were able to take their time. In their efforts to formulate their recipe, they flew to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to source pharmaceutical grade quinine from a plantation, and hired plant hunters to help them find other flavourings, such as a bitter orange grown in Tanzania. Securing some outside investors, they were finally able to start selling bottles of Fever-Tree tonic water in 2005. Mr Warrillow says: \"The intention was to treat the launch like a premium spirit company would do - in the first instance try to get Fever-Tree stocked by the best hotel bars and restaurants. \"This is a great way of building reputation, prestige and word of mouth. And it was all about the shoe leather - we walked to the most exclusive hotels and restaurants in central London, getting them to taste our tonic water against the competition.\" With such venues quick to get on board, the company then got what it says was its most important break - upmarket UK supermarket group Waitrose phoned to say it would like to start selling Fever-Tree. Mr Rolls says: \"Tim thought this was a", "summary": "When Charles Rolls and Tim Warrillow decided to set up a business together it was the first time they had ever met."}
{"article": "Stewart Spence, who owns the five-star Marcliffe Hotel, said a complete rethink was needed on how rates were calculated. Mr Spence told BBC Scotland he would only continue to pay his old rates and not what he said was a 25% hike. The Scottish government said thousands of businesses would pay no rates. Why are business rates causing concern? Business rates - what do they pay? It said the non-domestic rates would raise less money than last year because thousands of small businesses had been removed from paying altogether. The Scottish government has raised the threshold for paying the rates from a rateable value of \u00a310,000 to \u00a315,000 and it has also reduced the rate poundage each business pays. However, the rateable value of each property will change for the first time since 2010 after a national revaluation by The Scottish Assessors' Association. Some businesses have seen a cut in the amount they pay but others have seen large increases. The hospitality sector has seen large rises and the north of Scotland has complained that the rises do not take into account the slump in the area caused by the problems in the oil industry. Mr Spence said his business rates rise equated to an extra \u00a31,000 a week, while turnover was down by 40% due to the downturn. The hotel - a popular venue for wedding receptions and functions - has been at its North Deeside Road location since 1993. The Marcliffe was given a rateable value of \u00a3550,000 in 2010 but appealed and that was reduced to \u00a3497,000. It now has a 2017 rateable value of \u00a3575,000. The rateable value (RV) is an assessment of the annual rental value of the property and is not related to the profitability of the business. The RV is combined with a poundage rate set by the Scottish government in order to arrive at the rate a business will pay. Mr Spence said: \"I am going to continue to pay my old rates - \u00a3253,000 a year. \"My new rates are \u00a3315,000 a year.\" He called for others to take part in a boycott. Finance secretary Derek Mackay said: \"Nationally, more than half of premises will pay no rates, 70% will pay either no or less rates than they do currently and the total package of reliefs we are offering will increase to more than \u00a3600m. \"The Scottish government is fully committed to further engagement with the business community and stands ready to work with councils considering any options to provide support for businesses locally. \"The valuation of business properties is undertaken by independent assessors, funded by local councils, not the Scottish government. \"Each council retains all the business rates revenue it collects, and it is for councils to apply rates reductions, on top of existing statutory reliefs, as they see fit. \"Individual business rate payers can appeal their valuation via independent processes if they feel it is incorrect.\" He added: \"The Scottish government remains committed to supporting the economy in the north east. \"The Scottish government's actions on business rates already mean that", "summary": "An Aberdeen hotelier has called for a nationwide boycott of new business rates after vowing to refuse to pay any increases."}
{"article": "Nicholas Sloots, 34, was due to stand trial at Swansea Crown Court but changed his plea to guilty. Marcus Sheppard, 37, also from Neath, died after being found seriously injured on Dalton Road, in Sandfields, Port Talbot on 27 February. Det Ch Insp Rob Cronick said Mr Sheppard had \"found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time\". He said: \"The tragic death of Marcus brought shock and sadness to the community. \"We welcome today's sentencing which brings an end to the criminal investigation and I again pass on my condolences to Marcus's family who have acted with great dignity and humility throughout this horrific ordeal. \"Knife crime is unacceptable. This case shows the devastating effect the criminal use of a knife can have on an individual and their family.\"", "summary": "A Neath man has been jailed for nine years after admitting the manslaughter of a man he attacked with a knife."}
{"article": "He has played 12 games since arriving in October on non-contract terms. \"It's down to the club to put something on the table in January and we can take it from there,\" 29-year-old Gerrard told BBC Radio Shropshire. \"If somebody wants a player badly enough, those funds can miraculously appear from out of the blue.\" The cousin of former Liverpool and England skipper Steven Gerrard, he was released by Huddersfield Town in the summer, having made only 10 appearances in 2014-15. He is grateful for the opportunity given to him by Town boss Micky Mellon, who has warned that he will not spend money the club does not have. \"It's the first time I've strung a consecutive amount of games together in about a year and a bit,\" said Gerrard. \"I'm just concentrating on each and every 90 minutes that I can get under my belt. \"For a player who has played whole seasons, last year was a bitter blow to my career. But it's done now. I'll be glad to see the back of 2015, and look forward to a promising 2016. I'm here to play. \"I'm here to do what I can for the team and help them get to a nice solid base. I can see myself staying here, but obviously there's a lot to be talked about and figures to be spoken about before that can happen.\"", "summary": "Shrewsbury Town defender Anthony Gerrard hopes that talks can take place next month with a view to him signing a full-time contract at the club."}
{"article": "The man was reported dead at the Yarl's Wood centre earlier. A Home Office spokesman said Bedfordshire Police had been informed and a full inquiry would be carried out by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman. Sally Chidzoy, BBC Look East Home Affairs Correspondent, said a source at the centre told her the man died after drinking an energy drink. She said: \"My source says the man who died had been arrested with his wife and child over an alleged breach of visa regulations at an airport. They are believed to have travelled from the Indian subcontinent. \"I have been told he was staying at the Hummingbird wing. In the morning he was having breakfast with his wife, and was laughing and joking. \"He was given an energy drink and shortly after collapsed and died, I am told.\" A Home Office spokesman added: \"Our thoughts are with the family at this very sad time.\" The spokesman could not comment on claims that he died after drinking an energy drink.", "summary": "A detainee has died at an immigration removal centre in Bedfordshire, the Home Office has confirmed."}
{"article": "\"Swachh Bharat is an oxymoron,\" says stand-up comedian Sanjay Rajoura, referring to PM Narendra Modi's Clean India campaign. \"Just like good Taliban. Just like intelligent Rahul Gandhi. Just like happy marriage.\" The audience applauds with loud cheers and clapping. Besides Rajoura, Aisi Taisi Democracy comprises writer-lyricist Varun Grover and singer-musician Rahul Ram. The men say their 90-minute show - a mix of stand-up comedy, storytelling and songs parodying popular Bollywood numbers - reflects the \"bizarre experience\" of Indian life and offers a \"nuanced critique\" of its democracy. The group, which debuted last year, has just kicked off its second season with a show in Gurgaon and performances planned for Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and Delhi over the next month. There are no holy cows for the performers - they make fun of the recent ban on porn sites, health food fads and fashionable diets, the craze for selfies and Mr Modi's controversial monogrammed suit. \"We are a bizarre country with a million prejudices - a country that would be really sad if it was not this funny,\" says Grover, adding that their intent is to \"expose our darkest secrets as a nation\" through irreverent political humour and songs. \"We do lots of political content in this atmosphere where people are always ready to take offence, so it's really encouraging to see people applaud,\" he adds. \"It's a very political show,\" says Ram. \"We get inspired by events taking place around us all the time in this amazing democracy.\" As he breaks into song on what is sometimes described as the schizophrenic India-Pakistan relationship, many in the audience join in, clapping and singing. \"They say the enemy lives across the border, but when I look closely, he looks just like me,\" the lyrics say. Political satire has been growing more popular in recent years, with UnRealTimes, FakingNews and spoofs on elections trying to tickle India's funny bones. However, most stand-up comedy shows stick to poking fun at regional differences, accents, marital issues and families. \"Comedy that relies on ethnic differences is limited and limiting. It's true that politics is a minefield but it's a never-ending source of inspiration. So I don't think we would ever run out of inspiration,\" says Ram. Grover says the group comments on people's choices, \"rather than what they are born with, like their caste, colour or religion\". \"We talk about the choices they have been making and these choices make them vulnerable to comedy.\"", "summary": "At a nightclub in Gurgaon, an upscale suburb of the Indian capital Delhi, about 100 people are watching the popular political satire show, Aisi Taisi Democracy, which translates from the Hindi as Democracy Be Damned."}
{"article": "In the ruined village of Arquata del Tronto, a group of bloggers has gone in search of its destroyed history, posting findings on a Facebook page called Chiedi alla polvere (Ask The Dust). \"Ask the dust\" is an old saying that usually refers to something unknowable. But here, some young residents want to give the dust a voice. Time in the hilltop village of Arquata del Tronto did not just stop during the quake, which struck in the night at 03:36 (01:36 GMT), it disintegrated: the shock wrenched the minute hand from the village clock. Visits to the no-go \"red zones\" are brief and hazardous, and firefighters bark you back on to the road if you start down an alley or peer too closely into a ruined house. But the dust stays with you. A fine white coating that clings to your boots. From a tent in an aid camp in Arquata's lower village, the bloggers post old photos of the village and its surroundings, stories and reflections, news about the relief effort, blogging in Italian and English. One entry shows a child's drawing of an idyllic little house with a horse and a hen - next to a photo of a ruin. \"I thought I was at my house,\" it begins. \"There where nothing bad that could happen. My refuge, my every day, my bed, my beloved couch where I spent entire afternoons in winter watching movies.\" \"Unfortunately,\" the post ends, it became \"that part of TV that every time I hate to see\" - the TV news. \"My couch is gone.\" When Gaia Paolini, 18, comes home from her school in Ascoli Piceno she spends time with her childhood friends curating the blog. She is one of the lucky ones whose home survived the quake. \"We put our emotions, all our story, the story of the village, into the page,\" she says. \"We are trying to preserve the memory of this place and also trying to preserve its future after the construction of new buildings that we hope can be made soon.\" The blog records the support that the village has received, from the aid effort co-ordinated by the government to the concerts played by visiting musicians in the canteen tent, which is also used for church services. \"We have so much help from local people and people all over Italy and it is so beautiful,\" Gaia says. Another website translates a poem from before the quake about Pescara del Tronto, a hamlet near Arquata that suffered even greater damage: 48 people died there, including 12 tourists. \"Pescara sweet notes Of water, Pescara of rocks and labours Stories of fathers Ancient Tales, Pescara of houses Cling to each other Like sisters or friends. Pescara perfume From childhood and memories Walls of stone Warm sunsets.\" The poem, written by someone called Eidi, comes from Pescara's website, which has become a virtual time capsule for the pre-quake days when holidaymakers headed there for the mountain air and tranquillity. One day the tourists will return to the Tronto Valley and its ruined villages", "summary": "Several villages were pulverised by the 24 August earthquake in which 298 people died, but some young Italians are determined not to let it erase their heritage."}
{"article": "Ironbridge Power Station, in Shropshire, opened in 1969 and became one of the UK's largest plants. The power station was switched off on Friday afternoon, when it reached its 20,000 hours limit of generation under an EU directive. About 130 workers are at the site, some of whom will be kept on until 2017 to help with the decommissioning process. Updates on this story and more from Shropshire Former engineer Mike Smith pressed the button to end production. Mr Smith, who started at the station when it first opened and retired from Ironbridge in 1992, said it was \"a great honour\" to have been involved with the plant. \"Obviously many people will have mixed emotions today, but I'm proud to have contributed to the success of a power station which has been at the cornerstone of energy generation and has supported the careers of many members of staff for so many years,\" he said. A mosaic designed and created by pupils from St Martin's Modern School in Oswestry in 1966, which was displayed in the main conference room, will be returned to the school. No further decisions on the future of the site will be made until the decommissioning process is completed in 2017. E-On chief executive Tony Cocker thanked workers at Ironbridge for keeping the power station operational for decades. \"The closure of such an iconic plant will of course be tinged with sadness having played such an important role in the community,\" he said. \"Our continued focus will be supporting those colleagues who are directly affected by today's closure.\"", "summary": "An historic power station has stopped generating electricity after more than 45 years of energy production."}
{"article": "The Virgin East Coast driver sheltered next to his cab just three seconds before the high-speed train passed. The 3 August incident happened 12 miles (19.7km) north of York station. A report said it was the result of a lack of \"clear understanding\" between the driver and a trainee signaller over whether a line blockage was in place. Live updates and more from across North Yorkshire The Rail Accident Investigation Branch report said the driver was attempting to carry out tests on the 07.55 BST Inverness to London King's Cross train when it experienced a loss of power at Kyle Beck, near Tollerton. It said the driver contacted the signaller - a trainee working under the guidance of an experienced colleague - to request trains on the adjacent lines be stopped in order to carry out the checks. After communicating the request, the signaller said he would call the driver back to confirm the line blockage. But, the report found, the driver stepped down from his cab before receiving the confirmation. A CCTV image taken from the front of the passing train showed the driver sheltering next to his vehicle. The driver was unhurt. \"It is possible the driver may not have heard what the trainee signaller said or that he had misunderstood what he was being told,\" the report said. \"The driver and the trainee signaller did not reach a clear understanding about stopping trains on the adjacent lines and the driver subsequently alighted from the driving cab of his train, incorrectly believing it was safe to do so.\"", "summary": "A train driver narrowly avoided being hit by a second train travelling at 105mph (169km/h) when he was investigating a power failure."}
{"article": "James Brokenshire also said he will fast-track laws through parliament by early May if a deal can be reached. Theresa May announced a plan to call an election for 8 June. Leaders of the DUP and Sinn F\u00e9in welcomed the decision. The announcement came during a pause in talks to restore devolved government in Northern Ireland. Stormont's parties have yet to reach agreement on forming an executive six weeks after the assembly election. Mr Brokenshire had warned that there will either be direct rule from Westminster or another election if there is no agreement reached by early May. Speaking after the plan for a general election was announced, he said: \"Discussions between the parties and the UK and Irish governments will continue in accordance with the three-stranded approach. \"The prospect of a forthcoming UK general election does not change this approach. \"In addition, I believe it is also right to introduce provisions that would enable an executive to be formed in early May should agreement be reached. \"To have this legislation in force in time, I will be requesting that its progress through parliament be fast-tracked.\" He said he also intended to introduce legislation addressing immediate issues such as setting a regional taxation rate to allow rates bills to be introduced by councils. Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan said he told Mr Brokenshire he was \"concerned\" about the effect the election would have on the talks process. We're looking at yet another election during the worst political crisis Northern Ireland has faced in the last 10 years. In the last Assembly election in March, there was a significant shift in the landscape. Sinn F\u00e9in came within a whisker of becoming the largest party at Stormont. That result, and the ongoing debate around Brexit, has led to more talk about the possibility of a united Ireland. That means this general election will be about, more than ever before, unionism versus nationalism - orange versus green. The prospect of another divisive election is unlikely to encourage the parties to compromise during the political talks. Mr Flanagan said that while legislation could facilitate an executive being formed, he was \"conscious of the political reality that all of the parties involved in the talks will now be competing in a general election\". \"Nevertheless, it is the firm hope of the Irish government that the talks process can continue and conclude successfully in the coming days.\" DUP leader Arlene Foster said the election was an \"opportunity to vote for the union\" while the party's deputy leader Nigel Dodds said the announcement was a \"surprise\". He said the election would have a big impact on the talks: \"The next six or seven weeks are going to be dominated entirely by the issues in the general election. \"I think that's inevitable - once a prime minister fires the starting gun then everything else becomes subservient to it.\" Sinn F\u00e9in leader Gerry Adams tweeted that it was another chance to vote against Brexit and the party's northern leader Michelle O'Neill said the election would be \"an opportunity for voters to", "summary": "The Northern Ireland secretary has said there will be no change in Stormont's talks process despite the announcement of a snap general election."}
{"article": "Retired Ch Supt Donald Denton told the new inquests he could see \"no reason\" why some accounts were changed. However he denied there was a deliberate attempt to withhold officers' accounts from the original public inquiry in 1989-90. Ninety-six Liverpool fans died due to a crush at the match on 15 April 1989. More than 600 police statements were internally reviewed by South Yorkshire Police (SYP), of which about 60 were amended between May 1989 and May 1990, the court heard. The jury was shown how statements which contained comment on police leadership, lack of manpower and poor communications were altered. Mr Denton, who had overall responsibility for the vetting of statements, told the inquests that removing criticism of senior officers was justified because it was \"very largely opinion\", whereas criticism of fans was seen as \"fact\". In one statement, a sergeant at Hillsborough recalled that, in previous years, a group of police officers was stationed at a tunnel into the central pens at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium. This part of his statement was crossed out and did not appear in later versions. Mr Denton, who has now retired from SYP, said: \"I can't see any reason why this should have been taken out at all. That should have been left in.\" He agreed it was \"not satisfactory\" that a reference to police radio problems, a year before the disaster, was also removed from another officer's statement. \"Because of the difficulties that were being experienced with the communications system there on the day [in 1989], I would have thought that should remain in,\" he added. Mr Denton told the jury that SYP's legal advisors suggested the removal of comment, opinion and hearsay from officers' statements, even though it was allowed in the original Taylor public inquiry between 1989 and 1990. But he admitted he was wrong to tell a previous inquiry all statement changes were suggested by lawyers and none by police. Pete Weatherby QC, a barrister for 22 bereaved families, put it to him that key evidence about a police tactic to close the tunnel to the Leppings Lane terrace, once the central pens were full, was removed from officers' statements. He said there was a \"train of evidence for this critical matter that is not provided to the Taylor inquiry by South Yorkshire Police\". Mr Denton replied: \"I don't accept the construction you're putting on it, sir. It may obviously have been an error somewhere along the line but there was definitely nothing deliberate in withholding statements.\" The inquests in Warrington, Cheshire, continue. BBC News: Profiles of all those who died", "summary": "A former police chief who oversaw the vetting of officers' statements after the Hillsborough disaster has admitted some facts were removed."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old is now being treated in hospital after the flight carrying him landed in Ohio on Tuesday. Mr Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour for attempting to steal a propaganda sign from a hotel. He was given a sleeping pill after becoming ill after his trial last year and did not wake up, North Korea said. He is now being treated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. How harsh is prison in North Korea? \"We want the world to know how we and our son have been brutalised and terrorised by the pariah regime,\" his parents, Fred and Cindy, said. Former US ambassador and New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, who has previously served as special envoy to North Korea and in 2016 attempted to negotiate the release of the student, said the Warmbiers had updated him on their son's condition. \"In no uncertain terms, North Korea must explain the causes of his coma,\" Mr Richardson said. The BBC's Stephen Evans in Seoul says it remains to be seen if Mr Warmbier's illness is the direct result of brutality in prison. If it were, there might be pressure on President Trump to take action against Kim Jong-un's regime, he says. Otto Warmbier is an economics student from the University of Virginia, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. He was in North Korea as a tourist with Young Pioneer Tours when he was arrested on 2 January 2016. He appeared emotional at a news conference a month later, in which he tearfully confessed to trying to take the sign as a \"trophy\" for a US church, adding: \"The aim of my task was to harm the motivation and work ethic of the Korean people.\" Foreign detainees in North Korea have previously recanted confessions, saying they were made under pressure. After a short trial on 16 March, Mr Warmbier was given a 15-year prison sentence for crimes against the state. His parents told CNN in early May that they had had no contact with their son for more than a year. In a statement on Tuesday, Mr and Mrs Warmbier said: \"Sadly, he is in a coma and we have been told he has been in that condition since March 2016. We learned of this only one week ago.\" They were quoted by the Washington Post as saying they had been told Otto had contracted botulism, a rare illness that causes paralysis, soon after his trial in March 2016. He was given a sleeping pill and had been in a coma ever since, the newspaper said. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made no mention of Mr Warmbier's condition in a statement, saying only that he was on his way home to be reunited with his family and would not make any further comment, out of respect for the privacy of the family. There are reported to be three other US citizens in custody in North Korea. They are: The US has in the past accused North Korea of detaining its citizens to use them as pawns in negotiations over its nuclear weapons", "summary": "The parents of Otto Warmbier, the US student who is in a coma after being freed this week by North Korea, say he was \"brutalised\" by a \"pariah regime\"."}
{"article": "It follows a three year legal battle by Shrien Dewani against returning to the country where his wife Anni, 28, was shot in November 2010. Mr Dewani, from Bristol, denies murder and lost his latest appeal against extradition in March. The couple were held at gunpoint while being driven in a taxi through Gugulethu township near Cape Town. By Andrew PlantBBC News, Cape Town Shrien Dewani is expected to land at Cape Town international airport at 06.15 on Tuesday morning and will then be interviewed under caution, before being charged. He's then expected to be taken to a holding cell before appearing before a judge at Cape Town High Court at about 10:00. He's expected to spend the night at Valkenberg Hospital, a large psychiatric hospital on the outskirts of Cape Town. Doctors there will assess whether or not he is mentally fit to stand trial. South African authorities have 18 months to put him on trial - or return him to the UK. Cape Town ready for Dewani trial Timeline: Anni Dewani murder Mr Dewani was thrown from the car. The body of Mrs Dewani was found the next day in the abandoned taxi with a single gunshot wound to the neck. Three men have already been convicted in connection with Mrs Dewani's death. Prosecutors in South Africa allege Mr Dewani ordered the killing of his Swedish national wife. Mr Dewani's legal team still have the option of applying to the European Court of Human Rights, but so far no application has been received. The businessman, from Bristol, is expected to arrive in Cape Town on Tuesday.. Once on South African soil he is likely to appear before the Western Cape High Court where his legal team could apply for bail. If that is refused, he will be taken to the high-care wing of Valkenberg, a psychiatric facility, the BBC's Karen Schoonbee in Cape Town understands. Ashok Hindocha, Anni Dewani's uncle, told ITV's Daybreak that the family would attend the court hearing. \"We want to know what happened to Anni. That is it,\" he said. Anish Hindocha, her brother, added: \"We are just focusing on this case at the moment and it is hard to even start making the grieving process final yet because there are so many questions we need answers to. \"We hope we get it and now today he is getting extradited and that is one step closer towards what we are seeking for her - that is justice for her.\" Mr Dewani is being compulsorily detained in the UK under the Mental Health Act after being diagnosed as suffering from severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. South African Xolile Mngeni was convicted of premeditated murder for shooting Mrs Dewani and jailed for life. Prosecutors claimed he was hired to carry out the killing. The couple's taxi driver, Zola Tongo, was jailed for 18 years after he admitted his part in the killing and another accomplice, Mziwamadoda Qwabe, also pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.", "summary": "A man accused of arranging his wife's killing on their honeymoon is expected to be extradited to South Africa later."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old just beat team-mate Scott Quinn in a finger-tip finish as Great Britain claimed a one-two in the SB14 100 metres breaststroke. Moores, from Trowbridge in Wiltshire, trains in Swansea and is funded by Disability Sport Wales. \"I can't believe it, I'm so glad about moving to Swansea,\" he said. \"The whole team down there have just picked me up and moved me forward.\" His gold came on a day when Paralympics GB overtook their medal haul from London 2012 - making Rio their most successful games. Great Britain's tally includes golds for Welsh athletes Aled Sion Davies,Rob Davies,Hollie Arnold and Rachel Morris. Wheelchair basketball player Phil Pratt, of Cardiff, helped GB to a 22-6 win over Australia in the quarter-finals. GB face Spain in the semi-finals on Thursday, 15 June with Turkey and United States contesting the other game.", "summary": "Swansea-based swimmer Aaron Moores was among nine Paralaympics GB gold-medallists on day seven of the Rio games."}
{"article": "Some 2.1 million Audis affected worldwide include 1.42 million in western Europe, with 577,000 in Germany, and almost 13,000 in the US. Czech-based Skoda said 1.2 million of its cars were involved, but has yet to give a country or model breakdown. Separately, German prosecutors started a probe against VW's former boss. Former chief executive Martin Winterkorn will be investigated over \"allegations of fraud in the sale of cars with manipulated emissions data,\" German authorities said on Monday. The Audi models affected include the A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, TT, Q3 and Q5 models, a spokesman told the Reuters news agency. VW said last week that 11 million cars within the group could be affected. The scandal was revealed after the US Environmental Protection Agency found that some diesel cars were fitted with devices that could detect when the engine was being tested and could change the car's performance to improve results. The German company apologised for breaching consumers' trust, and on Friday announced that Matthias Mueller was replacing Martin Winterkorn as chief executive. Mr Mueller promised a \"relentless\" investigation to uncover what went wrong. There were also unconfirmed reports on Monday that senior R&D heads working across the car group had been suspended. Reuters said the suspensions involved staff from the Audi, Porsche and the VW brands. Meanwhile, Volkswagen shares continued to fall, closing down 7.3%. They are now down about a third since the scandal broke. The scandal has badly tarnished VW's name, left it exposed to up to $18bn in US fines, and wiped a third off its stock market value in a week. German authorities have demanded that VW set out a timeline by 7 October on how it will ensure its diesel cars meet national emission standards without using cheat technology. There were widespread German media reports at the weekend that the government ignored warnings two years ago that VW was using the software. However, on Monday, a government spokesman denied this. 11 million Vehicles affected worldwide \u00e2\u201a\u00ac6.5bn Set aside by VW $18bn Potential fines No. 1 Global carmaker in sales I'm a VW owner - what should I do? What next for VW? Car emissions tests: Not fit for purpose? VW boss Winterkorn's highs and lows VW scandal explained", "summary": "Audi and Skoda say they have a total of 3.3 million cars fitted with the software that allowed parent company Volkswagen to cheat US emissions tests."}
{"article": "Following an inspection, the officials decided that areas of the playing surface were unsafe. No new date has yet been set for the game to be played.", "summary": "Saturday's National League game between Dagenham & Redbridge and Bromley has been postponed because of a frozen pitch."}
{"article": "Estate agent George Low, 22, from Dartford, was stabbed in the neck near a nightclub in Ayia Napa on Sunday. Cypriot police said an argument broke out after the alleged attackers took exception to two British men urinating in the street. A shoving match is then said to have broken out before Mr Low and his friend, Ben Barker, 22, were stabbed. Mr Barker had knife wounds to his back in the attack in Grigori Axfentiou Street, but survived. Arrest warrants have been issued for two Turkish Cypriot men, Mehmet Akpinar, 22, and 42-year-old Sali Ahmet. Police have also issued a warrant for a third man suspected to have helped the suspects escape to the Turkish-held north of the holiday island. A 48-year-old Greek Cypriot woman has been remanded in custody on suspicion of being an accessory to murder. George Economou, deputy police chief of the Famagusta region, said officers had been told the two British men were urinating in the street and two Turkish Cypriot men told them not to do it in public, which led to an argument breaking out. He said 11 minutes later, the men allegedly returned with a knife. The group did not know each other beforehand, Mr Economou added. He said police were continuing to look for CCTV to try to trace the route the suspects took to escape. Checkpoints and airports have been put on alert, he added. The woman who has been taken into custody pending further inquiries - but has not been charged - is said to be the girlfriend of Mr Akpinar and is accused of taking him a fresh pair of clothes and retrieving his mobile phone. A district court in Larnaca remanded her in custody for eight days. Mr Low's mother, Helen, 47, has said her son, a former club manager at the resort, was not an aggressive person and had simply been \"in the wrong place at the wrong time\". She said he and Mr Barker had been due to fly home later the same day.", "summary": "A British holidaymaker stabbed to death in Cyprus was involved in a row about urinating in public, police have said."}
{"article": "After a career of three decades, Mr Seck is one of Senegal's biggest stars. His lawyers say he was the victim of a swindle and the money was paid to him by a producer as an advance for an upcoming tour. A counterfeiting machine was allegedly found at the home of another man arrested with Mr Seck. Both men were charged with circulating forged foreign currency, money laundering and conspiracy. Africa news updates The BBC's Laeila Adjovi in Dakar says after appearing in court on Tuesday, Mr Seck spent the night in Dakar central prison. The singer was arrested and taken into custody on 27 May following an investigation into large transactions in foreign currencies, according to local media. In court, he complained that he had been cheated of 85 million CFA francs ($144,000; \u00c2\u00a390,000) by one of the suspects of the investigation, according to the AFP news agency. According to the local press, if he is convicted on all charges, 60-year-old Thione Seck could face a life sentence. Mr Seck started out in Senegalese bands including Star Band and Orchestra Baobab, before becoming the lead singer of the band Raam Daan. The BBC's Abdourahmane Dia in Dakar says Mr Seck's best known songs are Jongoma and Momy. The star owns one of Dakar's best known night clubs, Penc Mi, where he and his son Wally Seck regularly perform, our correspondent says.", "summary": "Senegalese singer Thione Seck has been charged with money laundering after fake banknotes worth millions of euros and dollars were found in his house."}
{"article": "Bosworth Water Park, in Leicestershire, was closed after police were called at about 15:50 BST on Saturday. The boy was taken to hospital but later died. A man and woman have been arrested and remain in custody, Leicestershire Police said. One woman, who was at the park with her daughter, said she had not been there long when she saw CPR being done on a little boy by the side of the water. Samantha Scott said: \"I'm not sure myself how the incident happened, there were a lot of children in the water yesterday, most with adults. \"The water was so murky with all the sand, if anyone had gone under, you wouldn't have been able to see them at all. \"I wouldn't let either of mine go in further than their knees as the water had stones underneath it too and both girls cut their feet. It looked very deep in the middle. \"The first we saw was a gentleman performing CPR, everyone had gone quiet and you could tell we were all listening for a cry or any sign everything was OK. \"The air ambulance arrived but we left just as they flew off.\" Another eyewitness, Olivia Quinn, said the scene was \"horrific\". \"It hasn't left my mind seeing the boy's body on the ground and seeing people try to save him by giving him CPR,\" said Miss Quinn. \"Everyone was in shock, crying and praying for the little boy. The ambulance took a while to come as it was so busy with people everywhere and cars all around the park. \"It wasn't looking good as it must have been 30 minutes a man was still trying with CPR. \"When I saw the boy's body being moved on the stretcher into the ambulance, I could see paramedics still giving CPR in the ambulance. A few cars followed the ambulance and I was thinking to myself that must be the parents.\" Owner Nigel Riley said it was a \"dreadful incident\" and the park in Market Bosworth reopened on Sunday. A statement on its Facebook page said: \"From all of the staff at Bosworth Water Park we would like to pass on our deepest sympathies to everyone affected by this tragic loss of life.\" Police have asked people \"not to speculate\" about the circumstances of the death. Any witnesses who may have seen what happened should contact the force, especially if they have any video footage from Saturday of the Blue Lagoon beach area.", "summary": "A five-year-old boy has died in a suspected drowning at a water park."}
{"article": "EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier had wanted progress on the exit payment, citizens' rights and the Northern Ireland border issue by October. The Daily Telegraph has reported this could now slip back to December. But the Brexit department says next-stage talks are on course for October. A spokesman for the Department for Exiting the EU said: \"Negotiations to leave the EU are under way and we have already made good progress on a number of issues. \"As the secretary of state said, it is important that both sides demonstrate a dynamic and flexible approach to these negotiations. \"Government officials are working at pace and we are confident we will have made sufficient progress by October to advance the talks to the next phase. \"On the financial settlement, we have been clear that we recognise the UK has obligations to the EU and that the EU also has obligations to the UK.\" The upbeat assessment followed a report in the Telegraph which said Mr Barnier had told a private meeting of ambassadors that the next phase of negotiations would be delayed by two months because of the wrangle over how much the UK owes the bloc. The report said Mr Barnier had claimed the EU would not talk about trade or the UK's future relationship with Brussels until \"sufficient progress\" had been made on the other \"divorce\" issues. European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva would not be drawn on what was said at the meeting with ambassadors. At a press briefing in Brussels she said Mr Barnier had publicly acknowledged that \"so far limited progress has been achieved in the negotiations\" but EU officials were ready to work on the issues over the summer if the UK side provided further updates. She said European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker was committed to engaging with the UK. \"President Juncker has asked, specifically, the task force on Article 50 to be ready every day throughout the coming weeks, throughout the month of August, to engage with our British counterparts should the UK wish to substantiate their position on some of the cases where it has not happened yet,\" she said. \"The commission stands ready - we are ready to work - and I cannot speculate beyond that on any timetable because that will depend on the pace of the progress being made.\"", "summary": "Brexit Secretary David Davis is confident negotiations will continue as planned after reports that Brussels may delay trade talks because of a lack of progress on the \"divorce\" settlement."}
{"article": "20 December 2015 Last updated at 13:02 GMT Andrew Russell, 36, was found unconscious in a car park on Bradshaw Way, in Derby, shortly before 02:00 on 16 November. He was taken to hospital but later died. Det Insp Graham Prince, of Derbyshire Police, said: \"We are trying to trace a number of cars seen driving along London Road between 1.30am and 2.15am that morning, along with several lone people walking down the road during the same time period. \"These people have yet to come forward and they could have information which may help with the inquiry.\" A 41-year-old man has been charged in connection with the alleged attack.", "summary": "Detectives investigating a fatal assault have released CCTV footage of potential witnesses who have yet to come forward."}
{"article": "Most of those infected were foreign construction workers, and all lived or worked within the same region of the country, said the health ministry. None were known to have travelled to Zika-affected areas recently. Thirty-four people have fully recovered but seven are still in hospital. Zika generally has mild effects but has been linked to severe birth defects. It is suspected of causing a condition called microcephaly, a deformation in which babies are born with small heads. Zika, which is spread by mosquitoes but can also be sexually transmitted, was declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization in February. What you need to know The mosquito menace Epidemic 'will end in three years' Singapore declared its first imported Zika case in May, a 48-year-old local who had travelled to Brazil, where the outbreak started. On Saturday, it announced that a 37-year-old Malaysian woman had contracted the virus locally. She is the only confirmed female case so far. Thirty-six of the 41 cases announced on Sunday were foreign workers who worked in the same construction site. Work at the site has been halted after housekeeping was found to be \"unsatisfactory with potential breeding habitats favourable to mosquito breeding\". The ministry said in a statement that it could not \"rule out further community transmission, since more of those tested positive also live or work in other parts of Singapore\". \"We expect to identify more positive cases,\" it added.", "summary": "Singapore has confirmed 41 cases of the Zika virus which were locally transmitted."}
{"article": "As a young boy, Anh Do escaped war-torn Vietnam aboard an overcrowded fishing boat. He has since built an impressive career in entertainment. Now a fixture on the national stand-up scene and TV screens, two years ago he surprised the judges at Australia's most well-known art competition with an intense portrait of his once-estranged father. The comedian's artistic streak - on show in a new TV series - earned him a finalist place in the Archibald Prize. \"It was great to visit the Art Gallery of News South Wales with this huge eight foot painting of him up on the wall,\" Do said. \"My father fought alongside Aussie and US soldiers in the Vietnam War. \"In the aftermath of the war my father lost three brothers and his own dad so he drank a lot. When I was 13 years old my father left the family and I didn't see him for nine years.\" His mother worked tirelessly to single-handedly raised three children who all went on to attend university. Do harboured an interest in art but studied law because he was determined to buy his mother a house. After completing his studies, he was about to sign up for a 60-hour a week corporate job. But he turned down a job offer figuring that he could earn more by making people laugh. His upbeat demeanour has since become a regular feature of comedy festivals and on TV and film. He even turned his life story into a best-selling book, The Happiest Refugee - a story that caught the attention of one of Australia's biggest stars. \"I got this phone call and this big voice said 'Anh, it's Russell Crowe,'\" Do said. \"He told me he loved the book and I've since signed a deal with Russell to turn the book into a film.\" Following the death of a close friend, Do took up painting about six years ago, taking a college course and enlisting the help of an established artist to refine his style. His new TV show, Anh's Brush with Fame, merges his talents. He paints and interviews a raft of Australian celebrities from his inner-city Sydney warehouse. Do works quickly in a contemporary style, slathering thick strokes of paint onto the canvas with palette knives. Taking a seat on the show are actors Craig McLachlan and Magda Szubanski; singers Jimmy Barnes and Kate Ceberano; radio hosts Amanda Keller and Kyle Sandilands; boxer Anthony Mundine and surgeon Charlie Teo. As they sit for him, Do makes them laugh and also gets them to reveal a few secrets about their lives in front of the cameras. It all leads to the moment when the subjects get to see their completed portrait. \"That's been one of the delights of the show,\" he said. \"At the end of the show I spin the painting around and I show them. And I'm so nervous - I want them to like it. They all tell me they like it but I can tell that some of them don't!\" It's a show that combines his talent", "summary": "His journey to Australia took him from tragedy to comedy."}
{"article": "The commitment to get rid of Canada's federal first-past-the-post electoral system was one of his primary election promises. Opposition parties called the move \"cynical and jaded\". Trudeau's Liberal government said the move was made because Canadians were undecided about what kind of voting system they would like to have instead. \"It has become evident that the broad support needed for a change of this magnitude, did not exist,\" said Minister of Democratic Institutions Karina Gould. It was a major and surprise reversal for the Trudeau government, which has spent months consulting with Canadians on possible changes to how they elect their federal government, from ranked ballots to proportional representation and online or mandatory voting. The first-past-the-post voting system, which is also used to elect the UK Parliament, tends to favour larger established parties. Under the system, whoever has the most votes wins their district, regardless of whether they win a majority. In 2011, the UK voted against moving to an alternative voting system in a nationwide referendum. In the 2015 election, the Liberals won a majority of seats in Parliament with just 40% of the vote. During the campaign, before his party had secured its victory, Trudeau had promised that \"2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system\". The change of heart has been described as \"absolute cynicism\" by members of the opposition. \"They're fearful of having a voting system that doesn't keep Liberals in power forever more,\" said NDP MP Nathan Cullen, who was on a cross-party committee charged with investigating what kind of voting system Canadians would prefer. In December, the committee reported that Canadians want the government get rid of first-past-the-post, but did not recommend a specific system to replace it. The committee was divided on whether a referendum needed to be held in order to change the system. Minister Gould cited this lack of direction as a sign that there was not broad consensus on the issue. She also pointed to the results of an online government survey launched in December that was widely ridiculed on social media. The survey did not ask if people wanted a referendum on electoral reform, and people accused it of being misleading and confusing. \"We took the time, we consulted and we listened,\" Minister Gould said. \"There isn't a consensus on how to move forward.\"", "summary": "Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has broken his promise to change the country's voting system."}
{"article": "The latest audit of Leicester City Council's services shows 206 of 229 child protection plans were still inadequate or required improvement. An Ofsted report last year said hundreds of children were facing delays in being allocated a social worker. The authority said things were improving but changes would take time. Updates from this story and more from Leicestershire A judge in Leicester's Family Court recently criticised the city's children services after it emerged a nine-year-old boy had spent two years living with a convicted paedophile. A city spokesman said the situation had improved since that case which dated back to a period of serious failures. Councillor Lynn Moore, who chairs the city's scrutiny committee, said: \"I am hopeful things will continue to improve but it is not an easy thing to bring about and Leicester is not the only authority that has these kinds of difficulties.\" Analysis: BBC Radio Leicester political reporter Tim Parker I think things are improving ... the earlier Ofsted highlighted the high turnover of social workers and managers leading to unacceptable delays in allocating children's cases. But there are \"early signs\" of the workforce beginning to stabilise. At one point, 30 of 62 social workers resigned in one section, leading to serious delays in nearly 300 vulnerable children being allocated a social worker when they needed one. These signs of more stability in the workforce can only be good news. Assistant mayor Sarah Russell, who took over responsibility for children's services after the earlier Ofsted report, said: \"There is a huge mountain to climb - and it will continue to look that way for a while. \"[It's] better than when I took over nine months ago - but it will take another 15 to 18 months to get it right.\" She said the city was trying to recruit new staff but it was difficult due to a national shortage of qualified social workers. \"We didn't know our services well enough - we didn't know well enough what was happening to children in our city, but we do now.\"", "summary": "It may take almost two years to fix \"inadequate\" children's services in a city that has failed to protect some vulnerable children, a new report says."}
{"article": "Now the government and business groups are trying to get workers to take a small step to reclaim their lives by leaving work early one day a month. The scheme, dubbed \"Premium Friday\", suggests companies make staff go home at 15:00 on the last Friday of the month, starting in February. It has been given renewed impetus by the suicide of a woman who was working more than 100 hours overtime a month at Japan's biggest ad agency, Dentsu. Her death was ruled to be a case of \"karoshi\" and has led to an investigation, an announcement the firm's chief executive will resign and deep concern in Japan at the country's work culture. But with around 2,000 deaths a year linked to overwork, few believe the voluntary scheme represents anything more than a small step towards changing attitudes and it is unclear how many companies will take it up. It is not the first time overwork has been seen as a problem nor the first time anyone has tried to do something about it. Among other initiatives, the government has in the past tried to make employees take more of the leave they are entitled to - Japan's labour ministry says they only take about half - without much success. The number of public holidays in Japan this year increased to 16 in part aimed at forcing people to take breaks. The government has also tried to encourage more flexible hours, allowing government workers to start and leave work early in the summer and even switching off the lights in some offices late in the evening, something Dentsu is also now trying. Workers are increasingly taking the initiative to go home on time some days too, even announcing it on social media to encourage others to do the same. But while this has helped change the idea that working excessive overtime is necessarily a good thing, none has had a made much of a dent in the hours themselves. Around 22% of the population work more than 49 hours a week according to 2014 figures from the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training, behind South Korea at 35% but ahead of the US, where 16% of workers put in those kind of hours. For the government and business groups, there is an element of self-interest too. Japan's economy has stagnated for more than two decades. The situation has been made worse by low consumption spending and a very low birth rate, both of which are aggravated by workers spending most of their waking hours at a desk. Productivity and efficiency also suffer from firms having staff perpetually on hand, as companies don't invest in labour-saving technologies. Toshihiro Nagahama, chief economist at the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute, told the BBC that private consumption could rise by as much as 124 billion yen ($1bn; \u00a3860m) every Premium Friday if \"100%\" of those eligible headed home at 3pm on those days. But he stresses no one knows how many people will take up the idea and that total participation is unlikely, which could mean", "summary": "Death from overwork in Japan is such a longstanding problem it even has its own word, \"karoshi\"."}
{"article": "Highway police say they found more than 200 large pieces of meteorites hidden under the seats of a truck which they had stopped in a random check. Three Argentines and a Paraguayan were arrested. The province of Chaco is world famous for meteorites, which are protected under Argentine law. Chaco contains an area known as \"Campo del Cielo\", or the \"Field of Heaven\". It spreads out over an area of 1,300 sq km (500 sq miles) and is littered with meteorites which fell around 4,000 years ago. The largest, named El Chaco, was discovered with a metal detector in 1967 and weighs 37 tonnes. El Chaco is the second-biggest meteorite ever found - and it too aroused avarice among speculators and collectors. In 1990, an Argentine highway police officer foiled a plot to steal it for sale to a private US collector.", "summary": "Police in Argentina have arrested four men who appear to have been trying to steal more than a tonne of meteorites in the northern province of Chaco."}
{"article": "A Nepalese friend of Ryan Sean Davy said that the climber was being questioned by tourism officials. He is due to appear in court on Wednesday where he is expected to receive a heavy fine. Friends say Mr Davy has no cash, which is why he mostly travelled on foot. \"He is in good heart although worried about his finances and the scale of the punishment he will receive,\" Mr Davy's Nepalese friend Mohan Gyawali told the BBC. US-based South African Mr Davy, 43, says he climbed alone to a height of 7,300m (24,000ft) before being found hiding in a cave by officials who confiscated his passport because he did not have a permit to climb Everest. He has apologised but complained of being treated harshly by officials. It is extremely rare for someone to attempt climbing Everest by themselves. The overwhelming majority of climbers only tackle the highest mountain in the world with the help of at least one guide and a well-equipped support team at base camp. \"I have no idea of the outcome regarding my Everest no-permit climb,\" Mr Davy posted on Facebook on Tuesday Mr Gyawali said that the climber made his way back to Kathmandu using the same route from the base camp that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay followed in 1953 when they became the first people to climb the mountain. The route goes through the small mid-hill town of Jiri. Nepal relies heavily on income generated from Everest expeditions and some believe the authorities will want to make an example out of Mr Davy to deter other climbers from dodging the permit fee. Mr Davy said on Facebook: \"Expedition companies have no time for wannabe Everesters with no money so someone turned me in.\" The climber said he could expect to spend time in jail in addition to a fine of $22,000.", "summary": "A man who tried to climb Everest in Nepal without paying the $11,000 permit fee has been arrested in Kathmandu after walking most of the 154km journey from the mountain's base camp."}
{"article": "It comes less than two weeks after former presenter Gretchen Carlson sued Mr Ailes for sexual harassment and wrongful termination, claims he denies. The New York Times, citing a source, said Mr Ailes and parent company 21st Century Fox were in the advanced stages of talks on his departure. The company would only say Mr Ailes was at work and a review was ongoing. A report in New York magazine, citing anonymous sources, says lawyers for 21st Century Fox have given Mr Ailes a deadline of 1 August to resign or face being fired. The lawsuit filed by Ms Carlson claims she was fired after refusing his sexual advances. She worked for the conservative-leaning US network for 11 years before her contract expired in June. Mr Ailes strongly denies the allegations and says Ms Carlson filed the suit in retaliation for not having her contract renewed. \"This defamatory lawsuit is not only offensive, it is wholly without merit and will be defended vigorously,\" he said. Further allegations have since surfaced in US media that Mr Ailes sexually harassed another Fox News presenter, Megyn Kelly. According to New York magazine, Ms Kelly has told investigators that Mr Ailes made unwanted advances towards her about 10 years ago when she was a correspondent. A lawyer for Mr Ailes, Susan Estrich, denied those claims in a statement on Tuesday.", "summary": "Fox News Channel boss Roger Ailes is negotiating his departure from the network, according to US media reports."}
{"article": "The house and recording studio complex, where the pop star died in April, will open to the public after Chanhassen City Council in Minnesota approved plans to change its status. Mayor Denny Laufenburger told The Star Tribune newspaper it would be a \"big benefit for the community\". But local resident Shelia Claytor, one of 30 people to attend Monday's meeting, said it was \"a rush job\". Paisley Park opened to the public for three days earlier this month as part of a temporary agreement with the city. The museum's website said tours would begin again on Friday and bookings are being taken until December. Tour dates for 2017 are expected to go on sale next month. \"Prince's museum is going to outlive us all,\" said Joel Weinshanker of Graceland Holdings, which is overseeing the museum. The museum, which displays Prince's guitars, the Purple Rain motorcycle and his ashes in a decorative urn, is expected to attract 600,000 people a year. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Prince's famous former home Paisley Park is to become a permanent museum."}
{"article": "De Luca, 32, has extended his contract with Wasps until the summer, when he will become director of rugby at Uppingham School in Rutland. After starting his professional career at Edinburgh, De Luca featured for Border Reivers, Edinburgh again and Biarritz before joining Wasps in July. Wasps are currently top of the Premiership. Dai Young's side are second in their European Champions Cup pool - one point behind Connacht - ahead of their final pool fixture away to Zebre on Sunday. \"It has been an incredibly difficult decision to retire from the game at the end of the season, but one that was made easier after I met Uppingham School headmaster Richard Maloney and he shared with me his vision for the school,\" De Luca told the Wasps website. Young said: \"He is a model professional who has done really well each time he has pulled on the Wasps shirt. He has a great attitude and adds a lot to the squad through his international experience.\"", "summary": "Former Scotland centre Nick de Luca will retire from professional rugby at the end of the season."}
{"article": "They allegedly tailgated the vehicle before one of them climbed onto the bonnet of their van and broke into the truck in front of them. Boxes of iPhones were then passed back through the van's roof. The theft took place on the night of 24 July, on the A73 motorway near Horst. Dutch news outlet ED said such gangs often modify their vehicles by putting an anti-slip mat on the bonnet. The risky theft tactic was first seen in Germany in 2008, the outlet said. Belgium has witnessed similar incidents, almost all targeting smartphones. Sometimes, a grinding wheel is used to break into the truck. Police spokesman Ed Kraszewski said Dutch police had been investigating truck thefts for some time, but doubted a theft like this could be pulled off. \"The truck was taking its freight from A to B and did not stop. Even so [the phones] were gone,\" he said. \"So it must have happened that way. And now we finally have the evidence, with the van and the loot.\" The men, aged from 33 to 43, were arrested on Saturday at a holiday park in Otterlo, in the central province of Gelderland. Police found iPhones at the address, and the van they believe was used in the crime. The men are set to appear before a judge on Tuesday.", "summary": "Five Romanian men have been arrested in the Netherlands on suspicion of stealing iPhones worth 500,000 euros ($590,000; \u00a3447,430) from a moving truck."}
{"article": "The denial comes after the Mail on Sunday reported that the former British prime minister met the president's son-in-law and key adviser, Jared Kushner, at the White House last week. The paper claims the meetings were to discuss working for Mr Trump. Mr Blair's office said the story was an \"invention\" and that he continues to work for peace \"in a private capacity\". After he left Downing Street in 2007, Mr Blair took the role of Middle East envoy for the Quartet Group, made up of the European Union, US, Russia and United Nations. His spokesman said: \"Mr Blair has made no such 'pitch' to be the president's Middle East envoy. \"Neither has he had any discussions about taking such a role or any role working for the new president. He has been working on the peace process for 10 years. \"He continues to do so. He does so in a private capacity. He will continue to do it in that way. Period.\" Mr Blair launched a campaign last month to try to persuade the British people to change their minds about leaving the European Union, following the Brexit referendum held last year.", "summary": "Tony Blair has not pitched to become a Middle East envoy for US President Donald Trump, a spokesman has said."}
{"article": "Staff at the Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary in Oban said the pair were \"officially married\" at a ceremony in 2011 after becoming inseparable. They said Isla, who first came to the centre in 2008, died this week aged 14, after suffering stomach problems. Lewis, who is 11, is now being monitored to ensure he is coping with the loss. Aquarist Farrah Minchin, who works with the animal car team, said Isla's loss was a \"massive blow\" for the team. She said: \"Lewis and Isla arrived here at the centre together. Usually otters are quite solitary, they wouldn't normally pair-up for life, but when they arrived they very quickly became inseparable. \"They would groom each other, would look for each other and would sleep together.\" Isla was taken to the vet earlier this week after the animal care team noticed she was not eating properly and thought something could be wrong with her teeth or mouth. However, on closer inspection it was discovered that she had numerous health problems, including peritonitis and a shadow on her lung. Vets decided not to operate due to her age and the decision was taken to end her life. Ms Minchin said that since Isla's death on Wednesday, Lewis had been looking for his mate. She said: \"He was at a loss. He was expecting her to come back and kept looking for her. \"He's still swimming on his own side of the pool and not on Isla's, but he does seem to be getting used to things.\" Because of his age and an otter's reputation for being aggressive, the animal handling team think it is unlikely Lewis will be paired with another otter. However, Ms Minchin said that if the right \"docile female\" came along, Lewis could make a new friend. Otters can live up to 21 years in captivity, but more generally survive for about nine years in the wild.", "summary": "A North American River Otter named Lewis is said to be mourning the death of his \"wife\" Isla."}
{"article": "The Commonwealth Games silver medallist was bidding for her second Grand Prix crown in the space of six weeks. \"I don't think I played particularly badly, but just that extra little bit of tension, just not hitting convincingly enough,\" said Gilmour. \"I did everything I could to get that feeling back but she (Kjaersfeldt) was on form today.\" Despite Gilmour winning a close first game 21-16, the Dane responded strongly by taking the second by the same scoreline. When Gilmour led 13-10 in the decider, Scotland's hopes were high but fourth seed Kjaersfeldt turned the tables to lead 16-15, then move swiftly to 20-15 before clinching victory on her third match point. She had beaten the top two seeds in Gilmour and Beatriz Corrales in the last 24 hours and she beat both players on the way to her first Scottish Open final appearance in 2011. Top seed Gilmour, who last month won the Dutch Open Grand Prix as well as the Prague Open, had wanted to provide the perfect finish to the Championship. \"It's not lost on me that I'm 22 and could still have eight of these to do,\" she said. \"I need to look at silver linings. \"I've got a long time in this game; this isn't the end for me. This isn't the end of the Scottish Open Trial. Everything right now is experience and a learning curve until I stop playing. I need to take this one on my chin. \"I landed a bit funny yesterday and brought back an old injury, but adrenaline is running through me right now so I don't feel a thing!\" Kjaersfeldt said: \"I wasn't really that nervous. I knew all the pressure was on Kirsty coming into the match, so I was just relaxed and played my game. \"I'm really happy. It was my first Grand Prix win. It was a really good atmosphere. The crowd here are very knowledgeable about badminton and I always enjoy coming here.\" Danish top seed Hans-Kristian Vittinghus defeated England's Rajiv Ouseph with a 21-19, 11-21, 21-16 victory to claim the men's title for Denmark for the first time since Peter Gade won in 1996. Finals day got off to an unhappy start when Dutch player Iris Tabeling had to retire in the second game of the women's doubles with a suspected torn calf. She and Samantha Barning were trailing 21-14, 14-11 when the injury occurred, handing victory to Japan's Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota. Germany's Michael Fuchs and Johannes Schoettler downed England's Andrew Ellis and Peter Mills in winning 21-15, 21-18 in the men's doubles. The mixed doubles went to Russia's sixth seeds Vitaly Durkin and Nina Vislova, who defeated France's third seeds Ronan Labar and Emilie Lefel.", "summary": "Kirsty Gilmour was beaten in the Scottish Open final by Line Kjaersfeldt at Glasgow's Emirates Arena."}
{"article": "The Medway Queen took more than 7,000 trapped men from beaches in 1940. Restoration work began last year with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Regional Development Fund. The government said administrative errors had led to the suspension of EU funding and it was working to get payments released. Restoration work on the ship's hull began in Bristol last April with money from a ??1.86m Heritage Lottery Grant. Medway Council applied to the European Regional Development Fund for a grant to complete the restoration and bring the ship home. The final stages of the project are being undertaken at a workshop in Gillingham by 16 people, including nine young apprentices whose jobs are now under threat, as there is only enough money until the end of April. Peter Skinner, Labour MEP for the South East, said EU funding to all UK partners within the Interreg 2 Seas programme had been suspended after the UK government failed to meet the standards demanded by auditors. He said the problems had nothing to do with the Medway Queen project. \"The Medway Queen has taken on local young people and is giving them practical work skills through apprenticeships. \"Through no fault of theirs funding has been suspended. That can't be right,\" Mr Skinner said. \"I've been pushing ministers; they need to find a solution. I have also demanded a meeting with the [European] commissioner. I want him on the case. \"The project is a great opportunity for the apprentices and they shouldn't be in danger of losing out because of some bureaucratic foul up.\" In a statement, the Department for Communities and Local Government said: \"This funding programme is run by a managing authority in Nord-Pas de Calais, France. \"Nevertheless, the department is very disappointed with the European Commission's decision to withhold payments to UK project partners and we are working intensively to get these payments released.\"", "summary": "The restoration of a paddle steamer which rescued Allied troops during the Dunkirk evacuations is under threat after European funding was suspended."}
{"article": "Mr Farage said he believed the Leave campaign were on course for victory. But he said there would be resentment, particularly in the Conservative Party, if not, with claims the referendum will not have been a fair contest. Number 10 said Mr Farage's comments showed he was losing the argument and was no longer confident of winning. And Prime Minister David Cameron said it was a \"once in a generation, once in a lifetime\" decision, saying the UK had \"referendums not Neverendums\". There are less than six weeks until voters go to the polls to decide whether they want the UK to stay in or leave the European Union. The question of a second referendum was raised by Mr Farage in an interview with the Mirror in which he said: \"In a 52-48 referendum this would be unfinished business by a long way. If the Remain campaign win two-thirds to one-third that ends it.\" Meanwhile, in other campaign news: Asked by the BBC about his Daily Mirror comments, Mr Farage said he was not admitting defeat in the referendum, saying: \"I think we are going to win.\" But he added: \"If we were to lose narrowly, there'd be a large section, particularly in the Conservative Party, who'd feel the prime minister is not playing fair, that the Remain side is using way more money than the Leave side and there would be a resentment that would build up if that was to be the result.\" Leave campaigners have criticised the government for spending \u00c2\u00a39m of taxpayers' money on a leaflet campaign promoting EU membership, with pamphlets sent to 27 million UK homes. They say the campaign, which they have called \"one-sided propaganda\", cost more than the \u00c2\u00a37m each side is allowed to spend during the official campaign period. The prime minister has said that the idea of a second referendum is \"for the birds\". He hopes this referendum will settle the question because the last thing he wants is for it to produce a narrow result. That could indeed end up resulting in continuing pressure to open up the vote again - just at the time when he'll be struggling to heal the wounds that have opened up during this battle. But Mr Cameron has defended the leaflets, saying the government is \"not neutral\" in the campaign and it was \"money well spent\". He said the government had a duty to give voters the \"facts\". Speaking to the BBC, Mr Farage denied that his suggestion he would fight for a second referendum would further stoke tensions in the Leave campaign. \"I'm not putting it on the agenda, I don't want a second referendum - I want to win this one,\" he said. BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said Mr Farage's comments opened up the prospect of a repeat of the aftermath of the Scottish referendum - where despite leading SNP figures saying the vote would settle the issue for a generation, there have since been renewed calls for another independence vote. As the Leave and Remain camps continue to exchange fire", "summary": "There could be unstoppable demand for a re-run of the EU referendum if Remain wins by a narrow margin on 23 June, UKIP leader Nigel Farage has said."}
{"article": "The Supreme Court challenge centred on the case of a Northern Ireland woman who became pregnant when she was 15. She went to England with her mother for an abortion in a private clinic in 2012, at a cost of about \u00c2\u00a3900. Northern Ireland's abortion law is much stricter than the rest of the UK. Terminations are only permitted if a woman's life is at risk, or there is a permanent or serious risk to her mental or physical health. Rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormalities are not circumstances in which abortions can be performed legally in Northern Ireland. The mother and daughter took the case against UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who conceded that he had the power to make provisions for Northern Ireland residents to access free NHS abortions in England. They claimed that it was \"unlawful\" that he had not done so. However, Supreme Court judges dismissed the mother and daughter's appeal by a narrow majority of three to two. Delivering the ruling, Lord Wilson said it was not for the court to \"address the ethical considerations which underlie the difference\" in the law regarding abortion in Northern Ireland and England. However, he said the five judges had been \"sharply divided\" on the case. He expressed sympathy for women facing unwanted pregnancies in Northern Ireland and said the law put many of them in a \"deeply unenviable position\". He said they faced \"embarrassment, difficulty, and uncertainty\" in their \"urgent need to raise the necessary funds\" to travel to Great Britain for private abortions. Lord Wilson conceded that the financial burden had added to their \"emotional strain\". But he did not rule in favour of the women's case, and dismissed their appeal, a decision with which his fellow judges Lord Reed and Lord Hughes agreed. Their judgement acknowledged that under devolution, separate authorities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for providing free health services to those usually resident there. It stated that the health secretary was entitled to restrict access to NHS abortions \"in line with this scheme for local decision-making\". The judgement added that Mr Hunt was \"entitled to afford respect to the democratic decision of the people of Northern Ireland not to fund abortion services\". Lord Wilson added that Lady Hale and Lord Kerr gave dissenting judgments and would have allowed the appeal. The mother and daughter, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said they will now take their case to the European Court of Human Rights. In a joint statement, they said they were \"really encouraged that two of the judges found in our favour\" and that all of the judges had been \"sympathetic\" to their situation. \"We have come this far and fought hard because the issues are so important for women in Northern Ireland. For this reason, we will do all that we can to take the fight further. \"We have instructed our legal team to file an application with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, to protect the human rights of the many other women who make the", "summary": "The UK's highest court has rejected an appeal by a mother and daughter in their legal battle for women from Northern Ireland to receive free abortions on the NHS in England."}
{"article": "Dyfi projects manager Emyr Evans said \"threats, some of them very personal\" had been received over decisions at the Glaslyn and Dyfi nests in mid Wales. He added a ringer with decades of experience had quit as a result. Mr Evans said the projects welcomed scrutiny but had received \"a torrent of critical, vitriolic and abusive comments\". Some of the criticism focused on the issue of intervention when a chick is injured or unwell - with some claiming more should be done at the first sign of trouble and others arguing against any intervention at all. Mr Evans said decisions were based solely on what is deemed to be the best course of action at that time for the osprey and its family members - with these carrying legal implications. There was also criticism of bird ringing (an identification tool), which Mr Evans said was strictly regulated and had \"stood the test of time\" for more than a century. \"Ringers are tree climbers, cliff hangers, cave clingers and rope and ladder hugging professionals working in inaccessible and tough environments most of us skip a heart beat just thinking about,\" he added. \"They are amongst the most respected fieldworkers in the bird world, and most do it for no pay, purely on a voluntary basis. \"It is heartbreaking that a ringer with decades of experience and one of the most caring and compassionate people I know, decides to throw in the towel after being so upset by a tiny minority.\" During the first 10 years at Glaslyn, Gwynedd, two or three chicks were born per year, \"completely defying\" the national average by 200-300%, Mr Evans said in a statement released by Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife and Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust. But in 2016, a bird was displaced in his nest at the Dyfi project near Machynlleth and photographed a few weeks later with a possible injury, while an egg did not hatch. The same situation occurred at Glaslyn. \"It's hardly ever happened before,\" Mr Evans said. Some of the chicks also sustained injuries, two survived and one died. \"The next time we have an injured chick or an osprey in distress somewhere, the last thing we want to do is to worry about what people, sometimes thousands of miles away, may think of our decisions,\" Mr Evans said. \"The vast majority of you guys are completely understanding of the nature of our work and the decisions we sometimes have to make when things go wrong.\" Mr Evans added the project cared deeply about the ospreys but could not always guarantee \"happy ever after\" endings. \"Abuse has no place in civil society,\" he said. \"At the first sign of a limp or a cough, we can't simply scramble people together and climb a 100 foot tree or ladder up to a 40 foot platform. These actions have consequences on all sorts of other things such as the other birds concerned, legally, and the safety of the people involved. \"These are wild birds, it's nature, it's unpredictable and it certainly isn't Disney World.\" Source: Dyfi Ospreys", "summary": "A bird sanctuary has defended decisions made over the welfare of ospreys after social media criticism."}
{"article": "Heidi Allen suggested ministers were losing sight of the difficulties of working people in their \"single-minded determination to achieve a surplus\". Urging help for affected families, she said \"true Conservatives had compassion running through their veins\". The government is standing by the changes, saying these and other reforms will save taxpayers \u00a315bn a year. From April, the threshold at which tax credits begin to be withdrawn will fall from \u00a36,420 to \u00a33,850, and people's credit entitlement over this amount will be reduced more steeply. Millions of people are due to learn how much money they will lose in letters received shortly before Christmas. The government says people's incomes will be protected by other measures, including the new National Living Wage, increased free childcare and a larger personal income tax allowance. But a growing number of Tory MPs say they are not satisfied with this and want \"transitional\" arrangements to be put in place to help those affected. In her maiden speech in the Commons during a Labour debate on tax credits, Ms Allen, the MP for South Cambridgeshire, said she supported the principle of reducing reliance on the state but feared the way the government was going about it was all wrong. Tax credits debate: Finding your way Ms Allen, who backed the changes when they were first voted on last month, said her party must not treat it as \"a spreadsheet exercise\" since many of those affected would not be able to cope and faced a stark choice between heating their homes and putting food on their tables. \"It is right that people are encouraged to strive for self-reliance and find work that pays for their independence from the state but I worry that our single-minded determination to reach a budget surplus is betraying who were are,\" she said. \"Today every Conservative member who knows who we really are has a duty to remind those who have forgotten. We are the party of the working person... who strives to provide for themselves and their family with pride.\" The government, she said, had a responsibility \"to support the people through that change\", adding: \"I am not interested in the colour of the party that created a bloated welfare state. That is in the past but I do know one thing - it is not the fault of the recipients of tax credits. \"To pull ourselves out of debt, we should not be forcing those working families into it.\" Labour urged Tory MPs to back its motion calling for a rethink, but was defeated by 317 votes to 295, with no Conservatives voting against the government. However, several MPs used the occasion to increase the pressure on the government to rethink how they are introduced. Conservative Johnny Mercer urged the chancellor to do \"something, anything\" to ease the \"harshest\" effects of the cuts on vulnerable people. \"My duty, and indeed our duty is to shout for the most vulnerable,\" he said. \"Those who through no fault of their own find themselves on the fringes of society, those who through a bit of bad", "summary": "A Tory MP has said her party risks betraying its values as she voiced her opposition to tax credit cuts."}
{"article": "Nestled between Somalia and Eritrea at the entrance to the Red Sea, the hot and arid country seldom features on lists of global tour dates. Yet there is one multimillionaire rock star who recently flew into town - Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer of heavy metal elder statesmen Iron Maiden. Instead of performing a concert the 56-year-old was in Djibouti because of his other job - as owner of an airline business. A qualified pilot, Mr Dickinson has spent the past 16 years juggling his commitments on stage and in the recording studio, with a second career flying commercial planes; in 2012 he set up a company called Cardiff Aviation. Based in south Wales, the business provides maintenance, training and operational support to a host of airlines. The visit to Djibouti saw Mr Dickinson sign an agreement with the country's government to help re-launch the nation's former flag carrier - Air Djibouti. The airline went into liquidation back in 2002 after years of mismanagement and overstaffing. Air Djibouti is now set to take to the skies again later this year, with Cardiff Aviation sourcing the aircraft and helping to run the operation. Mr Dickinson says he hopes that the re-launched carrier will help increase awareness of the African nation. \"Djibouti is an amazing country, but many people do not know about it,\" he says. \"A national airline has an ambassadorial role wherever it flies from.\" The relaunch of Air Djibouti comes as the country's economy is continuing to enjoy significant investment from China. Chinese firms are spending $12bn (\u00c2\u00a37.6bn) to build no less than six new ports in the country, a railway line to land-locked neighbour Ethiopia, and two new airports. The Chinese government is also said to be planning to build a military base in Djibouti. A former French colony, the country is already also home to large French and US military facilities. The overseas interest in Djibouti is thanks in no small part to its strategic location in the Horn of Africa, at the entrance to the Red Sea, one of the world's busiest shipping lines. The development of new airports is obviously particularly good news for Air Djibouti, especially because commercial flights in and out of the country currently have to use a cramped airport shared with the US military. It is also hoped that Air Djibouti will benefit from wider efforts by the government to position the country, which has a population of only 810,000, as a low tax, international trade centre to rival Dubai. Mr Dickinson, whose trip to Djibouti was part of a trade visit organised by the British Embassy in Ethiopia, says: \"The aviation sector is crucial [for Djibouti], it is like imagining Dubai without Emirates. So if they want Djibouti to become an international trade hub it needs a [thriving] national airline.\" The Djibouti government is however, not without its critics. Despite a stable political system, and holding elections, politics has long been dominated by the ruling People's Rally for Progress party of President Ismael Omar Guelleh. This has led to opposition parties both", "summary": "For the world's biggest rock bands the small East African nation of Djibouti doesn't usually appear on their itineraries."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Olsson, who lost to Reid in the final of last year's inaugural event, proved too strong for the Briton, prevailing 6-2 6-3 to reach the semi-finals. The Scot, who won singles gold at the Rio Paralympics, will compete in the doubles with England's Alfie Hewett. Hewett beat France's Nicolas Peifer 4-6 6-2 6-2 in his singles opener. The 19-year-old will play Argentina's Gustavo Fernandez, who he beat to win his first Grand Slam title at the French Open last month, in the semi-final. However fellow Britons Lucy Shuker and Jordanne Whiley were beaten by Japanese second seed Yui Kamiji and Dutchwomen Diede De Groot respectively in the women's draw. Media playback is not supported on this device The wheelchair finals could be played on the 2,000-capacity court three this year. Last year's were played on the far smaller court 17.", "summary": "Gordon Reid's defence of his Wimbledon wheelchair singles title ended in the first round as he lost to Sweden's Stefan Olsson."}
{"article": "The authorities moved in early on Tuesday to break up a makeshift protest camp in the city centre. Several others were injured. Protests began almost three weeks ago, after a massive vehicle bomb in the city centre left more than 150 dead. Demonstrators accuse the government of failing to provide security. Pledging an investigation into the overnight violence, Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah said one person been killed and six wounded. \"These kinds of incidents damage the trust between the government and the people,\" he said. Demonstrators put the number of dead at two. Street clashes broke out after the authorities demolished the camp. Police responded with live rounds, AFP news agency reports. Afghan intelligence officials have blamed the 31 May bomb attack on the Haqqani network, a Taliban affiliate with alleged support from Pakistan. The Taliban and the Haqqani group denied any involvement. Islamabad strongly rejected the claim. The bombing sparked anti-government protests just days later in which four people were killed, as police used tear gas and fired bullets into the air to keep crowds at bay. Three suicide bombers then attacked the funeral at the weekend of one of those killed in the protests, killing at least seven people. The Kabul protest began peacefully the day after the bombing three weeks ago. Demonstrators demanded the execution of Taliban detainees and the sacking of senior security officials. Soon however fierce critics of President Ashraf Ghani, many of them members of Jamiat Islami which has a 50% stake in the government, took over the protest and violence ensued. They wanted the government dismantled altogether. Police called them rioters who wanted to storm the presidential palace. Some members of Jamiat accuse President Ghani of bigotry and favouritism, and of micromanaging the entire government. They want his right hand man, security adviser Hanif Atmar, removed. They had been bottling up their revulsion against the government for bringing Gulbudin Hikmatyar, Jamiat's rival since the 1990s, to Kabul after successfully negotiating a peace deal with him. Jamiat members see his backing of President Ghani as their loss. Many Afghans accuse the government of failing to tackle the militants adequately. More than a third of the country is now said to be outside government control. Earlier this year, a top US commander warned of a \"stalemate\" in the fight against the Taliban unless more foreign troops were committed. US President Donald Trump is believed to be assessing his options.", "summary": "Police in the Afghan capital, Kabul, have opened fire on anti-government protesters, killing at least one person, officials say."}
{"article": "The two areas, which are currently car parks on Lord Street and Parade Street, occupy more than three acres. Subject to planning, it is hoped the development will include leisure facilities, a hotel, shops and offices. Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne said potential designs need to \"set the standard for future development\". He added: \"This is an opportunity to develop a prime area in Douglas fronting the inner harbour and marina and close to the main shopping streets.\"", "summary": "The Manx government has invited developers to come forward with ideas to transform prominent quayside sites in Douglas."}
{"article": "The Milton Keynes-based 32-year-old was a 2012 bid ambassador and Games participant, but questioned its legacy. \"The country was so united in 2012 and everyone was going sport crazy, but it seems strange that no one's really capitalised on it,\" he told BBC Sport. \"Not only table tennis, but I'd like to see the other sports you don't see.\" Figures released by Sport England show that while football, cycling, cricket and athletics have seen increased participation, badminton, bowls and basketball have experienced declining numbers. Baggaley is England's most successful male table tennis player of all time at the Commonwealth Games, and believes the legacy of London 2012 has resulted in mixed fortunes for his sport. \"I think recreationally the 2012 legacy has been successful,\" he said. \"My brother is a table tennis coach and he has masses of people coming to his sessions now. \"It's been incredible, but at the top level table tennis isn't seen. It needs big events on TV which will push it forward as a big sport.\" Baggaley won the World Championship of Ping Pong earlier in 2015, and is ready to embark on the 2015-16 season with the Rio 2016 Olympics less than a year away. \"I've just come back from training in China. I feel sharp and I'm raring to go with the confidence of winning the Ping Pong tournament,\" he said. \"I want to give the 2016 Olympics a shot. I'll have to play the best table tennis of my life to see if I can get there. \"Age isn't really a concern as long as you're fit and healthy. I'm sharp, I feel fresh and I've been working physically hard.\"", "summary": "London 2012 Olympic table tennis player Andrew Baggaley says it is \"strange\" that minority sports have not capitalised on the Games."}
{"article": "The government originally owned a 41% stake after ploughing \u00a320bn into the bank during the 2008 financial crisis. It started selling Lloyds shares in 2013, and the latest sale means it has now raised more than \u00a38bn. Last weekend, David Cameron said the Conservatives would offer up to \u00a34bn of Lloyds shares to private investors if he won the general election. The prime minister said it would \"help us recover billions more to pay down the national debt\". The Labour party said the Tories had announced the plans several times before. In the latest sale, the government sold 742 million shares which, at Thursday's closing price, would have raised \u00a3586m for the Treasury. The actual total may be slightly lower as the government would have sold its shares throughout the day, during which Lloyds shares rose steadily in the afternoon to hit a closing high of 78.99 pence. The sale means the government's shareholding has been reduced by another 1%, and is now down to 20.95%. \"Today's announcement shows the further progress made in returning Lloyds Banking Group to full private ownership and enabling the taxpayer to get their money back,\" a statement from Lloyds said. \"This reflects the hard work undertaken over the last four years to transform the group into a simple, low-risk and customer-focused bank that is committed to helping Britain prosper.\"", "summary": "The government has sold more shares in Lloyds, raising about \u00a3586m and taking its stake in the bank to below 21%."}
{"article": "The 16-year-old was remanded in custody on Friday until a further appearance at Basildon Youth Court on 27 October. As well as burglary, the boy, from Basildon, is accused of five counts of taking a motor vehicle without consent. He also faces six counts of driving without insurance, three more of motor vehicle theft and one of making off without payment for fuel, police said.", "summary": "A boy from Essex has been charged with 24 separate criminal offences including nine counts of burglary."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Richard and Peter Chambers, Rob Williams and Chris Bartley won Britain's third rowing medal, with defending champions Denmark taking bronze and Australia fourth. Media playback is not supported on this device The Chambers duo became the first British brothers to win an Olympic medal since Greg and Jonny Searle took bronze in the coxless four at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Richard Chambers said: \"That was really, really brutal. We were just fighting, fighting through the whole thing to get ourselves back into contention. \"We struggled to keep with the pace of the other crews in the first quarter of the race but we dug our heels in and fought really hard.\" Peter Chambers said: \"We are gutted. We were unlucky to get a silver with those conditions. We're delighted with silver but we wanted to get gold. \"Fair play to the South Africans, they won that fair and square.\" Williams said: \"We wanted to win. We have to be happy to get a medal at our home Olympics. It's a shame we didn't win but what can you do? It's a shame.\" The British quartet, who took bronze at last year's World Championships, arrived having won at the They followed up an where they overhauled Australia in the final 250m, with the fastest time in the semi-finals to progress to the final. They were slow out of the blocks and were down in fifth as Denmark took an early lead at 500m. The British boat fought back and were close to level with Denmark and a resurgent South African crew as they entered the final 500m. But they just missed out on the final push, getting pipped on the line by South Africa. It was the first Olympic rowing gold for South Africa and the first medal of any kind for the Chambers brothers, Williams and Bartley.", "summary": "Great Britain's lightweight men's four won silver as South Africa beat them to gold by just a quarter of a second in a thrilling final at Eton Dorney."}
{"article": "The new \u00c2\u00a359.5m distribution centre and regional offices are based at Capital Business Park in Wentloog. Around 400 more jobs could be in the pipeline as the company plans to open new stores across south Wales. Aldi is the UK's fifth largest supermarket with more than 700 stores and 29,000 employees. A \u00c2\u00a34.5m Welsh Government grant helped support the new development. Dan Oakenfull, managing director of new the hub, said: \"South Wales and the south west of England continue to be areas of significant growth for us, and the new distribution centre will help support our immediate and future expansion across the regions.\" Economy Secretary Ken Skates said the opening of the centre was a mark of confidence in the Welsh economy.", "summary": "Supermarket chain Aldi has opened its new warehouse on the outskirts of Cardiff, creating 422 jobs."}
{"article": "Iain Stuart, 41, from Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire, worked for the oil field services company Halliburton. The father-of -two was on board the Airbus EC225LP \"Super Puma\" when it crashed near Bergen on 29 April. Mr Stuart's funeral will take place at Laurencekirk Parish Church before he is laid to rest at Laurencekirk Cemetery. A statement from his family said he was \"a good friend to many and will be greatly missed by all who knew him\". The maker of the helicopter that crashed has lifted its recommendation that the same type of aircraft be grounded worldwide. Airbus Helicopters said initial evidence suggested no link with two previous incidents in Scotland involving Super Puma H225 helicopters. The aircraft will remain grounded in the UK, however, as a Civil Aviation Authority flight ban remains in force. In 2012, two EC225 Super Puma helicopters ditched into the North Sea in Scotland - one off Aberdeen and another off Shetland. Both incidents were blamed on gearbox problems and all passengers and crew were rescued. EC225s in the UK were grounded following the incidents but given the go-ahead to resume flying in August 2013. Later that same month a different model of Super Puma, the AS332 L2, crashed off Shetland, killing four people. Super Pumas are responsible for many of the 140,000 helicopter passenger flights in the UK each year.", "summary": "The funeral of a Scottish oil worker who died when a helicopter crashed in Norway killing 13 people is to take place on Friday."}
{"article": "During eight months of hearings Lord Leveson heard from some witnesses - like ex-motorsport head Max Mosley - who called for new laws to set up a tribunal which would control the press. Others, like Private Eye editor Ian Hislop, argued against statutory legislation, saying it would compromise Britain's free press. BBC News asked a selection of Leveson witnesses, and other interested parties, what they wanted out of Lord Leveson's report. The Leveson Inquiry has heard appalling evidence of press malpractice, abuse and criminality. It must have shocked the chairman as it did everyone watching. So I am optimistic he will put forward recommendations to ensure this stops. Surprisingly, given what has happened, we already have quite good press laws and the laws are backed by a code. The problem is you can't go to law unless you are rich, and several national newspapers simply ignore their own code. My hope is that Lord Justice Leveson will recommend that the power to enforce the law and the industry's own code be given to an entirely independent tribunal to which everyone has access irrespective of their means. This would require a statute. It will not have escaped him that the newspaper industry, prompted by three Royal Commissions and several judicial inquiries, has promised on at least five occasions in the last 60 years to put its house in order. It has never kept its word. So I hope he flatly rejects the Hunt/Black proposal for no statute and a mere contract between the newspapers. It amounts to \"trust us - we're journalists\". Given the industry's record, this is, well, laughable. British journalism has been poisoned in recent years by something that happened at most of our national newspapers. They became unaccountable, and then they became arrogant and cruel. An editor at the News of the World summed up the attitude. 'This is what we do,' he said. 'We go out and destroy other people's lives.' That's not what most journalists think, but nor, sadly, has it been the view of a tiny minority. Almost every national newspaper participated in the attempt to destroy the lives of Gerry and Kate McCann. Eight newspapers tried to destroy the life of Christopher Jefferies, the Bristol teacher wrongly accused of murder. This is bad for a profession whose mission, I was taught as a young reporter, is to bear witness to the world in a truthful way. I want a body capable of asking the hard questions, pointing the finger of blame and ensuring that lessons are learned. It must be independent of the industry and of government and it should have the clout to ensure that mighty news organisations take heed. Nobody at the Leveson Inquiry suggested that the judge should gag papers. They did ask, however, that stories should be properly researched and checked, that they should be fair, and that, if they risk harming anyone, they should pass a basic public interest test. I don't think any ethical journalist would want anything different. There has been one central issue at the heart of the", "summary": "Lord Leveson's exhaustive inquiry into the media is due to report on Thursday with recommendations on the future regulation of the press and conduct between the press, politicians and police."}
{"article": "Kante, 24, and Benalouane, 28, have both penned four-year deals and are the first signings by Claudio Ranieri. The French midfielder helped Caen win promotion in 2013-14 and played 37 times in France's top flight last term. Centre-back Benalouane is a former France Under-21 international but has opted to represent Tunisia. Benalouane's move is subject to international clearance as well as Premier League and FA approval. The double signing adds to new arrivals Robert Huth, Christian Fuchs and Shinji Okazaki at the Foxes, who finished 14th in the Premier League last season. Leicester begin their Premier League season against Sunderland on Saturday. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Leicester City have signed Yohan Benalouane from Italian side Atalanta and N'Golo Kante from French club Caen for undisclosed fees."}
{"article": "Swiss-based Falcon Travel is to operate weekly charter flights from Zurich from May. A 100-seater Fokker 100 aircraft will operate into Inverness until August. The service will also return in 2016 and 2017. It marks a return to Inverness by Falcon, which previously operated flights between the two cities. Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (Hial) said the new service could lead to a tourism boost worth almost \u00c2\u00a31m for the local economy. Inverness Airport general manager Graeme Bell said: \"We are delighted that Falcon Travel have committed to operate this service for three years. \"Inverness and the Highlands have a great deal to offer Swiss visitors and we will be working closely with Inverness and Loch Ness Tourism BID and other tourism agencies to ensure we make the most of this opportunity.\"", "summary": "Charter flights from Switzerland's largest city to Inverness are set to make a return."}
{"article": "A record 35.6 million tweets were sent during the 90-minute game. It also broke the tweets-per-minute record, when the fifth goal triggered 580,601 in one minute. Six of the 10 top-trending topics on Twitter were references to the match, with #BrazilvsGermany taking the top spot. Miroslav Klose was the most tweeted German player, followed by midfielder Toni Kroos. Julio Cesar, Oscar and Fred were the most tweeted Brazilian players. The previous record for a sporting event on Twitter was held by another World Cup match, Brazil v Chile, which recorded 389,000 tweets per minute. Previous to that the 2014 Superbowl held the record, with 382,000 tweets per minute. Many of the tweets took a wry look at the routing of Brazil, with some pointing out that Germany were scoring faster than they could type 140 characters. Tumblr pages dedicated to \"sad Brazilians\" sprang up during the game. Some faked images purporting to show Brazilians rioting were also posted. There were also plenty of Photoshopped images doing the rounds. Pictures of Rio de Janeiro's iconic Christ the Redeemer statue crying and taking off into space were popular, as were images of people drinking 7Up. A mock-up of Germany's goalkeeper sitting down and reading a book gained thousands of retweets.", "summary": "Germany's 7-1 victory over Brazil in the World Cup semi-finals has become the most discussed sports game on Twitter so far."}
{"article": "Last year 10.5% of all absences were down to holidays not agreed by schools - compared with 1.3% in 2011-12. Welsh schools can authorise up to 10 days of absences per pupil, per year. The Welsh Government said it was reviewing Welsh councils' use of fines to punish parents who break the rules. Last year, then education minister Huw Lewis wrote to councils to say it was wrong to tell head teachers to ban all term-time leave after thousands of parents signed a petition against the \u00c2\u00a360 penalties. The number of children aged between five and 11 being removed from class for term-time holidays, without permission, has risen every year since records detailing them began in 2011-12. The number of half day sessions missed due to unauthorised holiday absences rose from 58,089 in 2011-12 to 424,760 in 2015-16. However, because the number of authorised holidays has fallen over the same period, the total number of holiday absences has fallen from 920,500 to 788,841. Mark Biltcliffe, head teacher of Drury Primary School in Flintshire and president of the National Association of Head Teachers in Wales, called for government-regulated tax incentives to discourage holiday companies from hiking up prices outside of term time. \"If people have got two or three children it is extremely expensive to go away on holiday, I think that needs looking at. \"There should be pressure on the holiday industry so they can't make these huge profits.\" He told Good Morning Wales parents often asked for worksheets so children could keep up with what they are missing, but it was \"not the same\". \"Children do need to be in school every day and if they are not there then they're missing out on the teaching output and mixing with their friends \"It's about continuity and the input of the lesson, it's not the same doing worksheets on a beach in Spain.\" In 2011-12, unauthorised holidays accounted for 1.3% of all absences, this increased to 10.5% in 2015-16, according to Welsh Government statistics. During the same period, authorised holidays by primary school children in term-time decreased, from 19.3% in 2011-12 to 9% in 2015-16. The percentage of secondary school pupils being taken out of class for holidays, without permission, increased from 0.8% to 3.6% in the same period. Professor Ken Reid, former chairman of the Welsh Government's national review into behaviour and attendance, said missing 10 days of school every year would equal nearly a year's worth of work by the end of their school career - which he called \"unacceptable\" and \"dangerous\". A Welsh Government spokesman said overall attendance figures were improving, with the number of secondary school pupils in Wales classed as \"persistent absentees\" - those who miss the equivalent of five weeks off - at an all time low in 2015-16. He said: \"Despite this progress, we can't afford to be complacent and will continue to act to improve attendance in all of our schools. \"Fixed penalty notices can be issued to address regular non-attendance at school and local authorities should have robust evidence before issuing a penalty.\"", "summary": "The percentage of primary school pupils going on unauthorised holidays during term-time has reached a record high, official figures have shown."}
{"article": "Thethe Dow Jones closed 0.4% higher at 18,332.43, the S&P 500 rose 0.4% at 2,139.53 while the tech-heavy Nasdaq jumped 0.5% to 5,193.49. Analysts said the number of shares being traded was lower than normal. Banks are reported to have put extra staff on duty in case of volatility. \"It doesn't take much in order to move the prices,\" said Peter Jankovskis, co-chief investment officer at OakBrook Investments. Despite fears over the outcome of what is expected to be a tight race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, analysts said investors would be relieved that the long period of uncertainty had come to an end. \"No matter who is elected, it will end a tremendous divide and return focus to earnings and all the fundamentals that have been pushed to the sidelines in recent weeks,\" said Rick Meckler, president of investment firm LibertyView Capital Management. The three main US stock indexes saw their strongest rise in over eight months on Monday after the FBI announced it would not press criminal charges against Clinton for her use of a private email server. The most dramatic stock movement in the US was car hire firm Hertz, which fell over 20% after the company slashed its full-year profit forecast.", "summary": "US shares have risen slightly, erasing earlier losses, but investors remain wary ahead of the US presidential election results."}
{"article": "It follows changes to the policy two years ago which regulators felt breached European rules. Among other things, it says Google must tell users exactly what data is collected and with whom it is shared. Google said it was working with regulators to \"explain its privacy policy changes\". The dispute has been running since March 2012 when Google consolidated its 60 privacy policies into one and started combining data from YouTube, Gmail and Google Maps. Users were given no means to opt out of the changes. Although Google has not been directly accused of acting illegally, it has been accused of providing \"incomplete and approximate\" details raising \"deep concerns about data protection and the respect of the European law\". Google did make some changes to its privacy policy in March this year, linking to individual services from its main privacy document. \"It has made some changes but our investigation won't end until we believe it is fully compliant,\" said a spokesman for the UK's information commissioner's office (ICO). In a letter addressed to Google's chief executive Larry Page, the European Union's data protection working party wrote: \"Google must meet its obligations with respect to the European and national data protection legal frameworks and has to determine the means to achieve these legal requirements.\" A spokesman for Google told the Reuters news agency that it was looking forward to discussing the new guidelines. \"We have worked with different data protection authorities across Europe to explain our privacy policies,\" he said. Regulators in Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Britain and the Netherlands have launched investigations into Google's privacy policies and, in January, France fined Google 150,000 euros (\u00c2\u00a3117,000) for failure to comply with its privacy rules. \"It is disappointing that two years of deliberation has led to the preparation of a document that is the equivalent of selling cucumbers to the gardener,\" said Anna Fielder, chairwoman of trustees at campaign group Privacy International. \"The guidelines are fundamental basics that Google should have implemented years ago, and the weakness of the language used in framing this will mean Google will do nothing to comply. \"These guidelines are doing nothing more than stating the obvious, and it is shameful that it took the Article 29 Working Party two years to come up with something that Google should already have been complying with,\" she said.", "summary": "European data privacy regulators have put renewed pressure on Google to alter its privacy policy."}
{"article": "The letter, sent by various schools in England, says the tests do not assess what makes pupils \"special and unique\". One, from Willesborough Junior School in Ashford, states: \"The people who create these tests... do not know your laughter can brighten the darkest day.\" The key stage two tests taking place this week assess maths, reading, spelling, punctuation and grammar. It is widely claimed this year's Sats are more rigorous and led to some parents taking their children out of school in protest last week. Headteacher Jennie King said the tests were \"stressful\" for children. Ms King, whose letter was shared by 4,500 people on Facebook, said: \"Not every child is going to be academic, there will be dancers, musicians and footballers. \"I firmly believe a child needs a good grounding in academic subjects, but the tests aren't the be-all and end-all. They are stressful for children. \"Children need to be outside riding their bikes, socialising and doing things that open them up culturally.\" The letters to children have become increasingly popular with school headteachers. The idea is believed to have originated in the USA. In 2014, Barrowford school in Nelson, Lancashire, sent out a similar letter. A year later the school was rated \"inadequate\" by Ofsted, with inspectors noting staff expectation of pupils' attainment was \"not high enough\". A Department for Education spokesman said: \"These tests should not be a cause of stress for pupils \u00e2\u20ac\u017d- they simply help teachers make sure young children are learning to read, write and add up well. \"The truth is if they don't master literacy and numeracy early on, they risk being held behind and struggling for the rest of their lives - we are determined to prevent this by helping every child reach their full potential.\"", "summary": "An inspiring letter sent out to pupils by several schools ahead of upcoming Sats tests has gone viral."}
{"article": "Paul Cahillane's 13th-minute penalty helped Laois lead 1-7 to 0-6 at half time and they were seven points ahead early in the second half. Kieran McGeeney's side played their best football in the final quarter, Stefan Campbell and Micheal McKenna leading the charge. They twice closed to within a point but were unable to find an equaliser. With four Ulster derbies still to come in this division, newly-promoted Armagh now face a fight to avoid an immediate return to the third division. In Saturday night's other Division Two fixture Derry won by a point away To Cavan. Both sides were desperate for the points having lost their opening fixtures last weekend. Paul Cahillane's confidently-struck penalty in the 13th minute put Laois ahead for the first time and they stayed in front for the rest of the game. They had the benefit of a strong wind in the first half and held a four-point interval lead. Three Campbell frees in the opening nine minutes had Armagh 0-3 to 0-1 ahead but Paul Cahillane's penalty, after Gary Walsh was tugged back in the square, was a momentum-changer. Armagh made a lot of basic handling and passing errors, but Colm Watters had a great goal chance which was superbly tipped one-handed onto the crossbar by Laois goalkeeper Graham Brody in the 31st minute. Laois piled the pressure on after the restart with points from Niall Donoher, Evan O'Carroll and another Cahillane free to move 1-10 to 0-6 ahead after 47 minutes. Corner-back Shea Heffron popped up with Armagh's first score of the second half and after three points inside 90 seconds, two by McKenna and another by Campbell, who top-scored with 0-7, the comeback was on. Donie Kingston's free stopped the rot but it was brief respite for Laois, with points from Niall Grimley, Campbell and Ethan Rafferty bringing Armagh to within a point. Evan O'Carroll boomed over a '45' for Laois and the intensity began to fade out of Armagh's comeback, despite Campbell hitting two points late on. Armagh: M McNeice; S Heffron (0-1), C Vernon, R McCaughey; S Forker, A Forker (0-1), M Shields; A Findon, S Sheridan; S Campbell (0-7, 4f), M McKenna (0-3), N McConville; C Watters, C O'Hanlon, G McParland (0-1, f) Subs: E Rafferty (0-1) for McConville (HT), E McVerry for McParland (46), N Grimley (0-1) for Sheridan (50), J McElroy for S Forker (60), O MacIomhair for Watters (62), S Connell for McCaughey (68) Laois: G Brody; R Kehoe, M Timmons, D Seale; D Strong, P Cotter, G Dillon; K Lillis, K Meaney; J Farrell, D Kingston (0-5, 3f), N Donoher (0-1); P Cahillane (1-2, pen, 2f), E O'Carroll (0-3, one '45'), G Walsh (0-1, f) Subs: M Campion (0-1) for Meaney (17), A Farrell for Cotter (BC, 33), D O'Connor for Strong (52), D O'Reilly for Walsh (55), R O'Connor for Campion (58) Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry)", "summary": "Armagh slipped to a second defeat in Division Two despite a brave second-half comeback at the Athletic Grounds."}
{"article": "Net profit for the year to the end of March rose 66% to \u20ac867m (\u00a3614m; $948m), slightly ahead of analysts' expectations. The airline's \"Always Getting Better\" customer experience programme had attracted \"millions of new customers to Ryanair\", chief executive Michael O'Leary said. Falling oil prices also led to a lower fuel bill. \"Our AGB programme is transforming our customer experience, our service, and the way we listen and respond to our customers,\" Mr O'Leary said. \"We have won substantial traffic and share gains in all markets.\" Passenger traffic was up 11% to 90.6 million customers, while total revenue rose 12% to more than \u20ac5.6bn. To cope with rising demand, Ryanair said it had ordered 183 Boeing 737-800 planes for delivery from 2014-18, and 200 Boeing 737 Max 200s from 2019-2023. The new aircraft will be cheaper to finance and operate, with engines 18% more efficient than their predecessors, the company said. Much of the growth in passenger numbers is being driven by its new Business Plus and Family Extra services, it added. Who'd have thought it. Being nicer to customers has given Ryanair a big jump in profits, a big jump in passengers and much fuller planes. By \"being nicer\" I don't just mean being more friendly. As one analyst told me, it's more concrete than that. They've got a better website. An app. They're not as draconian about their luggage rules, and you can pay more to secure a seat next to your family/friends etc. Even by their standards, the double-digit rise in passenger numbers is big. And Ryanair has ambitious expansion plans too. With hundreds of new planes on order, they want to double the number of passengers within a decade or so. Ryanair owns 29.8% of rival Irish airline, Aer Lingus, and has tried unsuccessfully to take over the firm in the past. But Aer Lingus is now a takeover target for International Airlines Group (IAG), which owns British Airways and Iberia. In February, the Irish government, which owns 25% of Aer Lingus, said it could not yet approve a \u00a31bn offer from IAG for the carrier, because it wanted more clarity on guaranteeing jobs and more information on IAG's transatlantic plans. Aer Lingus, however, has welcomed IAG's offer. For its part, Ryanair said: \"The Board of Ryanair will consider any offer (should we receive one) from IAG on its merits, if or when it is received.\" Chief financial officer Neil Sorahan told the BBC that \"there's nothing on the table at the moment\".", "summary": "Irish airline Ryanair has reported a big increase in full-year profits."}
{"article": "The crash happened on the New Road, at its junction with Legmoylan Road, and was reported to police shortly after 05:40 GMT on Wednesday. The van driver was in his 40s but his name has not yet been released. No other vehicle was involved in the collision. The road remains closed and diversions are in place.", "summary": "A man has died after the van he was driving crashed in Silverbridge, County Armagh."}
{"article": "An international panel of experts had said the investigation was flawed. Relatives of the students have disputed the government's account of what happened in September 2014. The government says that police in the town of Iguala handed the students over to a drugs cartel who killed them and incinerated the bodies. The panel of experts, working for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, criticised the government's version of events. The 43 were all students at an all-male teacher training college in the town of Aytozinapa, in south-western Guerrero state. The college has a history of left-wing activism and the students regularly took part in protests. They disappeared from the nearby town of Iguala on the evening of 26 September 2014 amid a confrontation between municipal police and the students during which six people were killed. Independent forensic experts have matched charred bone fragments reportedly found at a rubbish dump near Iguala to Alexander Mora, one of the 43 missing students. They also say there is a high probability another set of remains could belong to Jhosivani Guerrero de la Cruz, another of the students. However, experts from the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights say the chain of evidence was broken and they could not be sure the bone fragments had been found at the dump. According to the official report, the students were seized by corrupt municipal police officers who handed them over to members of a local drugs gang. The drugs gang mistook the students for members of a rival gang, killed them and burned their bodies at the dump before throwing their ashes into a nearby stream. They think officials have failed to investigate the role soldiers from a nearby barracks may have played in the students' disappearance. The government has refused to let the soldiers, who were in the area at the time of the disappearance, be questioned by anyone but government prosecutors. The families also point to the report by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights which said that there was no evidence the bodies of the 43 were burned at the dump. The panel of experts concluded that the government's account that the students were burnt beyond identification at a rubbish dump was physically impossible. It said official reports appeared to downplay the presence of federal police and troops near the areas where the students were seized. The experts said the army had refused to allow them to interview soldiers. They came up with a list of 10 recommendations which the Mexican government has agreed to abide by. In line with one of the recommendations, the search for the students will be relaunched, following outlines laid down by the experts and carried out in coordination with the victims' families. The experts also want the government investigation to follow up other recommendations and to address other issues from the report.", "summary": "The Mexican authorities are reopening the investigation into last year's disappearance of 43 students in the state of Guerrero."}
{"article": "Crutchley, who will also lead Great Britain at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, replaces Jason Lee after he was named head coach of the women's squads. \"There will be new coaches coming in as well as a number of new players,\" Crutchley told BBC Radio Berkshire. \"Following a home Games the turnover of players will be significant, so the team will change on and off the pitch.\" Crutchley will lead England in the European Championships this year and also in 2015, as well as in the Commonwealth Games, which Glasgow hosts in 2014. He will also coach the GB men in the Olympics, where they will be looking to improve on a fourth-placed finish at London 2012. Previous head coach KLee took the team from 11th in the world to fourth, but Crutchley faces a huge challenge to improve on that. Earlier this month Ben Hawes, Mark Pearn and Ken Forbes retired from the men's squad but despite failing to win a medal in London, funding from UK Sport has increased slightly thanks in part to the bronze medal won by the women's team. The 42-year-old former international forward, who won 80 England caps and a bronze medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, will be at the helm when England play in the FIH Hockey World League semi-final competition that runs from 29 June to 7 July in Malaysia. And Wirral-born Crutchley says he is excited about what he sees as a new era for the men's game. \"I will have a slightly different style to Jason [Lee],\" he said, \"We've been looking at the next group of players since London. We are pretty aware of the talent coming through and are positive of getting them up to speed with international hockey relatively quickly. \"There has been a lot of interest in hockey after the Olympics and the challenge is to keep the momentum going. \"It will be challenging to stay at the top. We are ranked fourth in the world and I'm confident we can be competitive in Rio.\"", "summary": "England's new men's hockey head coach Bobby Crutchley says there is likely to be a significant overhaul of the squad."}
{"article": "The A43 Corby relief road has been open for 12 months and has seen daily traffic levels rise from 8,000 to 11,300 since it opened last May. But many lorries and cars are still taking the old road through Geddington. Michael Clarke, from the county council highways department, said: \"Old habits die hard and some sat-navs have still not been updated for the new route\". He is pleased more vehicles are now choosing to use the new road, which was expected to carry 25,000 vehicles a day. Poor signage has also been blamed for the lack of cars. \"It's developing just like the M1 when it opened. It had little traffic at first but is now well used,\" Mr Clarke said. \"When the penny drops and drivers use the road they realise how quick it is.\" He said the road formed part of plans for new roads which bypass the villages of Flore and Weedon near Daventry. Mark Rowley, chair of Geddington Parish Council, said the road is making some difference to congestion in the village. He wants the county council to do more to persuade local transport companies to use the new relief road. Andrew Howard, managing director of a logistics firm at King's Cliffe, said his drivers were encouraged to use the road from the day it opened. \"It is faster and less stressful for our drivers. We made them aware of its advantages straight away,\" he said. \"It's a faster route to customers in the north of England.\"", "summary": "Out of date sat-navs have been blamed for motorists' slow uptake of a new \u00a335m road in Northamptonshire."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Darren Lyon lashed in a surprise opener for Accies with a superb 25-yarder. But the visitors left the impressive Mark O'Hara unmarked to side-foot home Danny Williams' corner minutes later. Darian MacKinnon missed a sitter on the resumption for Accies, but Rory Loy, Yordi Tejsse and Danny Williams all missed chances to win it for Dundee. The visitors might have snatched victory in the final moments but Michael Devlin's header was cleared off the line. Dundee, having played a game more, are level at the top with Rangers - who host Motherwell on Saturday - and St Johnstone, who face Celtic in Saturday's early kick-off. The hosts dominated in the first half but couldn't find a second goal and it was the same story after the break as they were unable to make their chances tell. Hamilton got off to a great start when right-back Lyon sent a stunning drive past Dundee keeper Scott Bain into the top corner. Media playback is not supported on this device It was his first for the club and the 21-year-old will do well to top that strike, however long he plays the game. But Accies were unable to build on it. Manager Martin Canning said prior to kick-off he hopes to complete the signing of former Partick Thistle defender Dan Seaborne over the weekend and you could see why he was so anxious. Four minutes later, atrocious defending at a corner left O'Hara in acres of space to level with his second goal in six days. The former Kilmarnock youngster, switched from defence to a more advanced midfield role by Dundee boss Paul Hartley, also scored against Rangers last weekend and impressed again here. Faissal El Bakhtaoui, on his first league start for Dundee, showed enough flashes with his touch and link-up play to suggest the former Dunfermline striker can make the step up from League One. Hamilton were nearly undone at another set piece after 38 minutes when Darren O'Dea steered his header from a Williams free-kick just wide of the target. But whatever Canning said to his players during the interval certainly seemed to have a positive impact. The visitors were much more impressive going forward in the second half with Louis Longridge causing problems down the left flank. Unfortunately for Accies the end product wasn't clinical enough when they got within range of the Dundee goal, never more so than in the 49th minute after a great bit of link-up play through the middle. Alex D'Acol fed in Darian MacKinnon behind the home backline but with only the goalkeeper to beat, the midfielder slid the ball agonisingly wide of the target from just eight yards. Dundee were a shadow of the team that had dominated before the break but they still had a couple of decent chances of their own to win the game. Loy forced Reni Matthews into a brilliant reaction save before substitute Teisse headed well wide from another Williams corner. But it was Hamilton who came closest to winning it as", "summary": "Dundee moved joint top of the Scottish Premiership table but missed a chance to go two points clear as they were held at home by Hamilton."}
{"article": "Revenues for the year to the end of March rose to $46.3bn, with the firm's mobile phone business contributing some $9.14bn of the total. Its revenues have been helped by the purchase of Motorola in 2014, which has made it the world's third-largest smartphone maker. However, net profits grew by just 1% to $829m, missing expectations. Lenovo bought Motorola and IBM's low-end server unit last year in an attempt to diversify beyond the PC business. The firm said it had been \"another record year for Lenovo with a more diversified business\", but put its poor net profit result down to increased operating expenses. Lenovo said its mobile business, including Motorola, had \"delivered record shipments and built a more globally balanced business\". The Beijing-based giant also said its market share in the global personal computer sector had grown to a record high of 20.9%.", "summary": "China's Lenovo, the world's biggest personal computer maker, has reported a 20% rise in full-year revenues."}
{"article": "Edinburgh saw 794,792 passengers for the month, a year-on-year increase of 12.4%, and its 'busiest November ever'. Glasgow's monthly figure of 618,583 was a rise of 7.7% on November 2014. The figures suggest Edinburgh Airport will have its busiest year on record in 2015, while Glasgow Airport will be busier than in any year since 2008. International traffic has been especially strong at Edinburgh, with annual growth of 22.5%. Qatar Airways has expanded its service to Doha, and numbers are reported to be up on routes operated by easyJet, Ryanair, Etihad and Turkish Airlines. Edinburgh Airport Chief Executive Gordon Dewar said: \"These exceptionally strong figures represent our busiest-ever November; Edinburgh Airport has experienced passenger numbers levels in November - a quiet month in air travel - on a par with what many other regional airports do at the peak of summer. \"This tremendous achievement is a direct result of our commitment to increasing connectivity and choice and improving the passenger experience. \"This has been another record-breaking month and is a sure sign of the growing success of both Scotland and Edinburgh as a destination which emphasises our position as a key driver for Scotland's economic growth.\" Glasgow's international traffic was up 12.2%, with new services to Budapest, Vilnius, Lublin and Berlin. Domestic services have also expanded, with a new route to Exeter and extra capacity on flights to Gatwick and Stansted. Glasgow's managing director Amanda McMillan said: \"2015 has been a fantastic year in terms of passenger growth. Our November figures not only guarantee we will end the year on a high, they will ensure we are in a strong position as we prepare to enter 2016, the airport's 50th anniversary year. \"In addition to gearing up for the Christmas getaway, we have already seen a new service to Milan launch this month with easyJet and there is more to come before the end of the year. \"Later this month Blue Air and Wizz Air will both begin a new service to the Romanian capital of Bucharest and British Airways will start a new Saturday service to Salzburg for the ski season.\"", "summary": "Passenger numbers grew significantly in November at Scottish airports, with the introduction of new international services."}
{"article": "Tourist attractions and community groups are among those to benefit from the funding. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has been granted \u00a3880,000, which bosses say will be used to reach wider audiences. Birmingham-based One Dance UK will receive the highest investment of \u00a33m, while British Ceramics Biennial in Stoke-on-Trent will receive \u00a3700,000. In a move to fund more regional organisations, 25 new groups will receive funding between 2018 and 2022. Some organisations have faced cuts to their funding but none have lost out completely. The Royal Shakespeare Company has lost 3% of their previous investment but will still be granted just under \u00a360m. The Arts Council said in a statement it is pleased to be investing in projects that \"will benefit local people\". The region will see an overall increase in spending of 8% with the annual sum paid to arts organisations rising from \u00a349.6m to \u00a353.5m. The Lapworth Museum in Birmingham is one of the new organisations to benefit and has been granted \u00a3418, 984. Director Jon Clatworthy said it's been a \"fantastic year\" for the museum which has just celebrated one year since its reopening as well as a nomination for Museum of the Year. The geology museum will be using the investment to diversify its audience and develop digital technology in exhibitions. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-Upon-Avon is another receiving Arts Council funding for the first time. Chief executive Diana Owen says the Trust will spend the money \"directly on activities to reach out to more people than ever before\". Peter Knott, area director for Arts Council England said: \"The Midlands already boasts a vibrant cultural scene with an international reputation for excellence and we look forward to seeing more great art and culture being enjoyed by more audiences in more places. \"Arts and culture plays a vital role in making the area a great place to live, work and study and we're pleased to be investing in projects which will benefit local people and their communities.\"", "summary": "A total of \u00a3215m has been pledged to 76 arts organisations across the West Midlands by Arts Council England."}
{"article": "Some of the lighter moments from the campaign trail as parties start to launch their election manifestos.", "summary": "All photographs subject to copyright"}
{"article": "5 May 2016 Last updated at 08:32 BST The cops even threw in some Scottish country dancing to add their own twist. The Scottish force has now challenged police in London and Toronto, Canada, to get their groove on too. The viral craze sees people recording themselves dancing to My Boo by Ghost Town DJs, posting the video on social media and then challenging others to join in.", "summary": "Police officers in Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh, have taken on the Running Man Challenge."}
{"article": "Ministers say the process is \"outdated\" and ending it would give workers more control and save more than \u00c2\u00a36m a year by cutting employers' administration. But unions could lose funds and say it is a \"vindictive political attack\" that will \"poison industrial relations\". Labour leadership contenders spoke out against the proposal. It follows plans for reforms of union laws, including tighter strike rules. Civil servants, teachers and nurses are among the union members who will have to arrange for the fees to be collected from their bank accounts by direct debit, under the proposals to update legislation in the Trade Union Bill. The government says the so-called check-off system of taking union dues through wages was introduced at a time when many workers did not have bank accounts. It said it was now a \"taxpayer-funded administrative burden\" on employers. Cabinet Office Minister Matthew Hancock said: \"In the 21st century era of direct debits and digital payments, public resources should not be used to support the collection of trade union subscriptions. \"We are bringing greater transparency to employees - making it easier for them to choose whether or not to pay subscriptions and which union to join.\" Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham said the move appeared to be \"vindictive\", and was \"part of an ongoing campaign of demonisation against trade unions\". Yvette Cooper said many people found the current system \"easy to use and convenient\", adding that the government's \"assault on workers' rights\" would lead to more industrial disputes. Liz Kendall added: \"Tory governments always undermine union rights - I'd oppose these attacks and repeal them in government.\" The TUC said the government was \"determined to re-balance power in the workplace, so that workers lose their voice and their rights\". TUC's assistant general secretary Paul Nowak said: \"If payroll payment for union membership was outdated, it would not be popular with so many of the UK 's biggest private companies with positive union relations. \"Instead of going out of their way to poison industrial relations, the government should engage positively with workers and their representatives for the good of public services and the economy.\" Business Minister Lord Maude said it was \"defeatist\" to suggest unions would lose members as a result of the reform. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's The World at One, he added: \"People want to see a proper set of laws where you know there is going to be a minimum turnout in the strike and a minimum vote in favour of a strike, and that people can't have their lives disrupted in the way we far too often see.\" The PCS union, which represents workers in Whitehall and around the UK in job centres, tax offices, the courts and immigration, said the plans were \"unnecessary and vindictive\". It represents workers at government departments including the Home Office, HMRC and DWP which have already ended automatic deductions of union subscriptions. However, a PCS spokesman said the union could end up stronger as a result because it would know its members were absolutely committed to retaining their membership and the union", "summary": "Plans to stop public sector workers automatically paying subscriptions to trade unions through their salaries have been unveiled by the government."}
{"article": "Two footballers apologised after being photographed apparently urinating into a glass at last year's festival, where women were seen baring their breasts. Chief executive Ian Renton said: \"It's to ensure that drinking is not the rationale for people coming racing.\" The measure is also to be imposed at the Jockey Club's other racecourses. It comes in first at Cheltenham, where the festival takes place next month, but will be in place at Epsom, which stages the Derby, and Aintree, where the Grand National is held. \"It's an improvement on things we are already doing,\" Mr Renton said. \"Aintree has already got the ball rolling, with their Ladies' Day, they've already taken steps to improve the way that is perceived. \"We want them to come to racing and enjoy the sport and not have those people coming who will be a nuisance to other racegoers,\" added Mr Renton. As well as the four-drink limit, corporate complimentary bars will close earlier and water points will be made available in every public bar.", "summary": "Cheltenham Festival racegoers will be restricted to buying four alcoholic drinks at a time in a bid to crack down on anti-social antics."}
{"article": "The Troop, by Canadian author Craig Davidson, was announced as the winner of the \u00c2\u00a32,000 prize on Wednesday night. The award was set up to celebrate the life and work of horror writer James Herbert who died in March 2013. Herbert's daughter Kerry, who was one of the judges, described the winning book as the \"darkest of tales\". \"My father would have chuckled in his chair; his fans will love it. And you'll never go camping again,\" she said. \"The Troop is a brilliant and terrifying classic that I am proud to champion as the first winner of the James Herbert Award for Horror Writing - it's now one of my favourite books.\" The book was written by Davidson under the pseudonym of Nick Cutter. It tells the story of scoutmaster Tim Riggs and his troop of boy scouts who encounter an \"emaciated stranger\" on a camping trip in the Canadian wilderness. The chair of judges, Tom Hunter, said: \"The Troop is a perfect first winner, and the judges loved its tense plotting, detailed characterisation and above all the driving sense of fear that compels you to keep turning every horror-soaked page until the end.\" Born in Toronto, Ontario, Davidson's other works include his first short story collection, Rust and Bone, which was adapted into a film by French director Jacques Audiard starring actress Marion Cotillard as a killer whale trainer. Herbert was the author of 23 novels, including The Rats, The Fog, The Dark, The Survivor, The Magic Cottage, Haunted and Fluke.", "summary": "A novel about a scout camping weekend that takes a scary twist has won the first James Herbert award for horror writing."}
{"article": "The decision to discontinue operations followed an \"extensive review\" of the business. Renishaw said it had tried to find a collaboration or acquisition partner for the diagnostics unit but had not received any acceptable offers. Renishaw Diagnostics (RDL) was spun off from Strathclyde University in Glasgow. It develops technologies to detect infectious diseases in humans. In a stock market announcement, Renishaw said: \"We continue to look at opportunities for the sale of RDL assets and to support employees in finding alternative employment. \"We would like to express our thanks to the employees of RDL for their considerable efforts since the company was formed in 2007.\" In a separate development, Ayrshire-based Lamar Group Ltd, which supplied materials and products to the UK printed circuit board industry, has been placed in provisional liquidation with the loss of 11 jobs. Provisional liquidators Johnston Carmichael said cheaper competition from China had had \"a profound impact\" on the UK circuit board manufacturing industry, with more than 90% of production shifting to the Far East. Donald McNaught, restructuring partner at Johnston Carmichael, said: \"Lamar Group has been a very well-run business and retains a portfolio of valuable assets - the management team has been proactive in trying to head off the impact of cheaper Chinese manufacturing, but ultimately they have recognised there is nothing more they can do. \"Despite several attempts to diversify into new markets the business has been unable to stop the decline in sales volume. We're actively seeking buyers for the assets which remain.\"", "summary": "Precision engineering group Renishaw is to close its diagnostics unit in Glasgow, with the loss of up to 33 jobs."}
{"article": "Centre Joseph, 25, who has scored 16 tries in 58 appearances for Bath, has been capped 25 times by his country. The most recent of his nine England tries came on the tour to Australia, on which he played with Watson. Versatile back Watson, 22, has 12 tries from his 67 games for Bath and 24 caps for his country. The pair both joined from London Irish in 2013 and started in the 2015 Premiership final, where they lost to Saracens. However, last season the Blue, Black and Whites finished ninth and failed to qualify for the European Champions Cup. Bath first-team coach Toby Booth said: \"I've known both Jonathan and Anthony for a long time now, and I'm really pleased they've committed the really important years of their careers to the club. \"They are both exceptionally talented players who since gaining greater international experience are having much more of a positive effect on the group - both on and off the pitch.\"", "summary": "England internationals Jonathan Joseph and Anthony Watson have signed new Bath contracts, keeping them at the Premiership side until at least 2019."}
{"article": "She found overnight fame on the sketch comedy series, and spent two years being doused with water every time she said the phrase \"Sock it to me!\". Carne was also known for her tumultuous relationship with actor Burt Reynolds, to whom she was married from 1963-65. The Northampton-born actress died on 3 September, reported The Telegraph. Carne's other TV credits included appearances in The Man from Uncle, Juke Box Jury, sitcoms The Rag Trade and Fair Exchange, and the 1962 comedy film A Pair of Briefs. The actress detailed her relationship with Reynolds in her 1985 autobiography Laughing on the Outside, Crying on the Inside: The Bittersweet Saga of the Sock-It-To-Me Girl. In the book she confessed to several affairs and also described her long struggle with drug addiction. When she and Reynolds met she said they \"were immediately in love, so we immediately made love\", but they divorced in 1966, with Carne claiming the actor had become abusive. The actress - who was born Joyce Audrey Botterill on 27 April 1939 - was brought up in Kingsthorpe, Northamptonshire, where her parents ran a greengrocer's shop. She was a popular figure during her time on Laugh-In, but quit the show in the middle of the third series - around the same time Goldie Hawn emerged as the show's female star - complaining that it had become \"a bore\". Carne once described herself as \"a 1960s flowerchild who has refused to grow up. Mature and responsible are words I don't understand,\" she said. During her lifetime she talked of relationships with several well known figures including Vidal Sassoon, Stirling Moss, the actor Anthony Newley, Steve McQueen and Warren Beatty - as well as a \"meaningful relationship with a woman for a year and a half\". She married again in 1970 to Robert Bergmann, but they split six months later. While living in America in the late 1970s, Carne was charged with heroin possession and prescription forgery, but was acquitted of the heroin charge. She moved back to Northampton in the 1980s where she was later said to have lived a quiet life with her two dogs in the village of Pitsford.", "summary": "British television actress Judy Carne - best known as the 'Sock It To Me' girl on hit 1960s show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In - has died aged 76."}
{"article": "It is expected to fetch up to \u00c2\u00a31.2m as part of Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art sale. The controversial piece, shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 1999, gives a snapshot of Emin's life after a traumatic relationship breakdown. It is being sold by art collector Charles Saatchi, who bought it for \u00c2\u00a3150,000 in 2000. After installing the bed at Christie's, Emin told BBC News arts correspondent Tim Masters what it still means to her 16 years on. It feels different knowing that it's going to leave. Before, when I've installed it, there is a level of nostalgia each time. But this time I was really quite sad because I don't know where it's going. It's quite scary, it's out of my control completely. Not that I'm a giant control freak. But I really care about the bed, and I really love it. I realise being here today how much it means. It's always meant a lot to me, but I didn't realise how passionate I was about it. The best possible result is that an amazing benefactor buys it and then donates it to a museum. I have no idea where it's going to end up - or how much anyone is going to pay for it. There's never been anything like it for sale in an art auction before. All the duvets were wrapped up, and everything was in airtight containers. It looked like a crime scene or a scientific project. Today when I took the duvet out, it was flat. And when I threw it on the bed, it didn't look right. So I fluffed it up, and it still didn't look right. So I actually made the bed and got in and pushed the cover back so it had that natural feeling that a body has been into it. It is strange because it still has that same smell that it had 16 years ago. Obviously the stains and everything else are touching me, and it's like being touched by a ghost of yourself. My American friends came to see me installing it this morning, and they saw the mattress and they went: \"Tracey!\" I think people are so used to seeing it as an image that they forget that it's real. When they see it for real, it still evokes these feelings inside them because you can see the trace of a human being in there. It's like the self-portrait of someone that's gone. It's like a time capsule, and a lot of people relate to that in some way. Pretty good. Especially being a woman and being part of art history. I'm pleased about that. If I never do anything else great and seminal again, like the bed, I've done it. And that makes me happy. Now I can just get on with my life and do what's really important to me - and that's making art. My Bed is being sold as part of Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art sale on 1 July, which includes works by Francis Bacon, Peter Doig, Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock.", "summary": "Tracey Emin's most famous artwork My Bed (1998), which features stained sheets, cigarette packets, and discarded condoms, is being auctioned in London on Tuesday."}
{"article": "Anne Marie Morris, the MP for Newton Abbot, used the phrase at an event in London to describe the prospect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal. She told the BBC: \"The comment was totally unintentional. I apologise unreservedly for any offence caused.\" The Conservative Party later confirmed she had had the whip withdrawn. Announcing the suspension, Theresa May said she was \"shocked\" by the \"completely unacceptable\" language. \"I immediately asked the chief whip to suspend the party whip,\" she said in a statement. \"Language like this has absolutely no place in politics or in today's society.\" The BBC understands the prime minister and Conservative Chief Whip Gavin Williamson met to discuss the matter once Mrs May finished her Commons statement on last weekend's G20 summit. According to a recording published on the Huffington Post website, Ms Morris was discussing the impact of Brexit on the UK's financial services industry at an event organised by the Politeia think tank, which was attended by other MPs. Suggesting that just 7% of financial services would be affected by Brexit, she reportedly said: \"Now I am sure there will be many people who will challenge that but my response and my request is look at the detail - it isn't all doom and gloom.\" She went on: \"Now we get to the real nigger in the woodpile, which is in two years what happens if there is no deal.\" The phrase originated in the American Deep South in the mid-19th Century and is thought to have referred to slaves having to conceal themselves as they sought to flee north and secure their freedom. It was subsequently used in the 20th Century - including by a number of leading novelists - as a metaphor to describe a hidden fact or problem. The Lib Dems had called on Theresa May to withdraw the whip from Ms Morris, who was first elected to Parliament in 2010 and was subsequently re-elected in 2015 and earlier this year. Leader Tim Farron said he was \"shocked\" and called for her to be suspended from the parliamentary party. \"This disgusting comment belongs in the era of the Jim Crow laws and has no place in our Parliament,\" he said. Labour's Andrew Gwynne said Ms Morris had used \"outrageous and completely unacceptable\" language. Green Party leader Caroline Lucas called on Ms Morris to resign as an MP, telling Sky News: \"There is no place for her in the House of Commons.\" She also claimed that other Conservative MPs at the meeting \"apparently did not bat an eyelid\" at Ms Morris's language. \"At the very least, there ought to be a conversation between Theresa May and the others in that room so that they're very clear going forward that if ever that kind of language is heard in the earshot, it has to be condemned immediately,\" Ms Lucas said. Labour MP Chuka Umunna tweeted: \"Speechless, not just at the remark being made but also at the reported lack of a reaction from the Tories there. Utterly appalling.\" Politeia's website said MPs Sir", "summary": "A Conservative MP has been suspended from the party after it emerged she used a racist expression during a public discussion about Brexit."}
{"article": "Police, fire crews, flood wardens and water and electricity engineers are taking part in the scenario. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said the role play will test evacuation drills. Margaret Hughes, 91, died when the small north Wales city was inundated after the River Elwy overflowed in November 2012. The case prompted a major overhaul of emergency evacuation procedures. Mrs Hughes' inquest this month heard the vulnerable pensioner drowned in her Denbighshire home after she refused to leave despite flood warnings. The hearing was told how Mrs Hughes was registered to received flood alert warnings, but her family did not receive them. It also heard how rescue teams had to swim to homes submerged by the River Elwy deluge. NRW said the multi-agency exercise on Wednesday and Thursday would see how the emergency services and local authority would respond to a similar flooding incident. It said the operation would involve both a table-top exercise and live role play - including issuing flood alerts and warnings, putting up removable flood defences and testing the flood warden network. North Wales director of operations for NRW Tim Jones said: \"The flooding in 2012 was devastating for people in St Asaph, destroying homes and businesses, damaging infrastructure and unfortunately ending with tragic consequences for one family. \"We've been working hard to support the community in the aftermath of the flooding, and to make sure the city is better prepared to cope with flooding in the future. \"We've already made huge headway in improving flood protection, but this exercise will be a vital test of the plans we've made, and how all the agencies involved come together to work quickly and efficiently to protect people in such an emergency.\"", "summary": "Flood defence plans for St Asaph are being tested in an exercise, two years after it was swamped when a river burst its banks, killing an elderly resident."}
{"article": "Joseph Travers will be charged with gross negligence manslaughter in relation to the death of Ryan Harvey and misconduct in public office. Mr Harvey, 23, was found hanged in his cell at the Buckinghamshire jail on 8 May 2015. Mr Travers is thought to be the first prison officer to be charged with manslaughter after a prisoner death. The Crown Prosecution Service said: \"Following careful consideration of all the evidence provided to us by the police it has been decided that Joseph Travers should be charged.\" Mr Harvey was one of five prisoners found hanging in their cells in HMP Woodhill in 2015. The prison had the worst record for suspected suicides in all of England and Wales that year. Mr Travers will appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on 20 April. HMP Woodhill, a Category A prison, opened in 1992 and can hold 819 inmates.", "summary": "A prison officer is to be charged with manslaughter following the death of an inmate at HMP Woodhill, Milton Keynes."}
{"article": "The 16-year-old girl and the 36-year-old married man were in love and killed by the girl's relatives, they said. The bodies were later cremated. One man has been arrested. So-called honour crimes are common in India, where many still prefer arranged marriages within their own caste and love matches are often frowned upon. In 2011, India's Supreme Court said those involved in honour killings should face the death penalty. The latest incident took place in Amaitha village in Bihar's Gaya district on Wednesday. Reports said the couple had eloped a few days ago, but were found by the girl's family and brought back to village on Wednesday morning. \"A married man, Jairam Manjhi, had fallen in love with a girl. The girl's family killed the couple by brutally beating them and then burnt their bodies,\" senior police official Manu Maharaj told BBC Hindi. Mr Maharaj said the village council held a meeting to resolve the issue, but the girl's family refused to see reason and killed the couple. Police have registered a murder case against six people, but so far only one man had been arrested.", "summary": "A couple who had eloped in the northern Indian state of Bihar have been lynched by villagers in what is suspected to be a case of honour killing, police said."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old lock progressed through the Pro12 club's academy system. \"It's my home region, where I've grown up, and it's an honour to be able to sign up for three more years,\" said the former Wales Under-20 international. Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy said: \"He doesn't get the credit he deserves outside of our environment, but he's consistent, he's diligent.\"", "summary": "Lloyd Ashley has committed himself to Ospreys until 2019 by signing a three-year contract extension."}
{"article": "John Renouf, 63, went missing on 3 July after leaving his home to take photographs. Recording a narrative verdict, coroner Deputy Viscount Mark Harrison said it was likely Mr Renouf lost his footing and fell from the cliffs at Portelet. He said this led to massive injuries which killed him immediately. The inquest heard the former English teacher retired three years ago and had taken a keen interest in walking and photography. On Friday 3 July he went out to take photos at Portelet Common, saying he would be home by 16:30 BST. His wife Naomi said Mr Renouf was a punctual man and when he had not returned by 18:30 BST she called the police. In a statement, Mrs Renouf told the hearing: \"We were both teachers until recently. John retired three years ago and I retired a year ago. Our last year together was wonderful. \"He felt life was precious and you don't know what's going to happen next, so make the most of it.\" The discovery of Mr Renouf's rucksack on the clifftops sparked an air, land and sea search involving a French coastguard helicopter. The search had to be called off overnight but the next day, a French pleasure craft found Mr Renouf's body in waters to the south east of the island.", "summary": "The death of a popular Jersey teacher who fell from cliffs has been described at a inquest as a tragic accident."}
{"article": "5 October 2016 Last updated at 13:16 BST One of the main threats to these amazing animals is poaching for their ivory tusks. Every year, tens of thousands of elephants are being killed in this way, with their tusks sold for a large amount of money. To stop the criminals doing this, the authorities are using a number of tactics. One of these is using specially trained dogs to sniff out and stop poachers in their tracks. Jenny went to meet some of these talented dogs and spoke to one of their handlers about just how they do it.", "summary": "The number of elephants in the world is in decline."}
{"article": "Wanderers parted company with Neil Lennon after former player Dean Holdsworth's company completed a takeover of the Championship side. Brown made more than 250 appearances for Bolton before serving as assistant manager for over six years. \"I have had no approach from Dean Holdsworth,\" he told BBC Essex. \"I have sat the players down this morning. We have spoken about the speculation and newspaper headlines, which inevitably you have to print. \"Speculation can take our players and my eye of the ball and that's the last thing that you need at this stage of the season.\" The Shrimpers, who were promoted via the play-offs last season, are four points off the League One play-off places with 10 matches remaining. \"We are involved in winning football games and on Saturday we need 100% focus from myself, the management team, the players and the supporters,\" Brown added. \"If the supporters think there is a manager standing on the sidelines that will not be there in a week or two, you won't get the same level of support. \"We need it at this moment in time. It is so important that we get back-to-back promotions and get the status of a Championship side.\"", "summary": "Southend boss Phil Brown has said he will not be taking his \"eye off the ball\" despite speculation linking him with his former club Bolton."}
{"article": "The Sun reported that it was offered the images, which it said included shots of the duchess's children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The paper said someone had contacted it asking for \u00c2\u00a350,000 within 48 hours. The Met Police said inquiries were ongoing and no arrests had been made. The haul from the hack is believed to include 3,000 pictures, and an anonymous person has reportedly tried to sell them via encrypted messaging service WhatsApp. The Sun quoted a spokesman for Miss Middleton, who was maid of honour at her sister Catherine's 2011 wedding, as saying: \"Thank you very much for drawing this to the family's attention. \"I can confirm that not only have the lawyers been informed but the police are about to be involved as well.\" A Met Police spokesman said: \"Police have received a report concerning the alleged hacking of a personal iCloud account. Specialist officers are now investigating.\" In the summer, Miss Middleton and hedge fund manager James Matthews confirmed their engagement, with a wedding planned for next year. Several high-profile figures have had images stolen from their iCloud accounts, including actress Jennifer Lawrence and singer Rihanna. In July, US man Edward Majerczyk pleaded guilty to running a phishing campaign to steal private pictures and videos from film and TV stars, in what was known as the \"celebgate\" affair. In 2014, Apple said it had expanded its use of \"two-step verification\" checks to protect data stored on its iCloud servers. The process works by introducing an extra step after an account holder has typed their username and password into a device they have not used before. They are also required to enter a four-digit code that is either texted to a trusted mobile phone number or sent via Apple's Find My iPhone app. If the person does not enter the code, they are refused access to iCloud and are blocked from making an iTunes, iBooks, or App Store purchase.", "summary": "Police are investigating claims an iCloud account reportedly belonging to the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton has been hacked and private photographs stolen."}
{"article": "In the course of a few days there have been high profile interventions from the Prime Minister, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, a universities minister and a representative from the European Commission. In special visits to the region they outlined in detail why they believed we were better off in than out. The Prime Minister spent almost an hour addressing students at University Campus, Suffolk. He admitted that we pay far more to Brussels from the East than we get back in grants, but he believed being a member of the EU was worth it. \"In return we get money for British universities,\" he said. \"Cambridge for instance gets 17% of its research grant from the EU. We get money back for our farmers and for regional aid and infrastructure projects. \"For every pound paid in taxes one penny goes to the EU. I would argue that given we get the trade and the cooperation, this is worth the membership fee.\" David Cameron used a local example to illustrate one of the uncertainties of leaving: \"Vivaro vans in Luton are a great product,\" he said. \"We know at the moment they are exported all over Europe with no tariffs, no quotas, no taxes. Can you guarantee that those goods will be able to go to Europe without paying a tariff?\" The importance of the EU to Cambridge was reinforced when Universities Minister Jo Johnson visited Cambridge and brought with him the European commissioner responsible for research, science and innovation, Carlos Moedas. \"We want to ensure we sustain the momentum behind the Cambridge phenomenon and our national status as a global science superpower,\" Mr Johnson told his audience at Cambridge University, adding that the UK was one of the largest beneficiaries of EU science programmes. \"To thrive in the information economy we need to be open to the world, we need to be innovative and we need to be building academic partnerships with our close neighbours, not turning our backs on them,\" he said. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, in his first visit to the region since taking over the leadership, visited Bedford. He spoke about the local economy benefiting from being a member of \"one of the biggest markets on this planet\". In such a diverse town, he focussed on the benefits of EU migration and claimed that if anyone's migrants were a drain on local services it was Brits who live abroad. \"The simple fact is that there are two million EU citizens in the UK and around two million UK citizens living in the EU,\" he said. \"For what it's worth, the majority of these people who are here from the European Union are working and paying tax and those who are British and living overseas tend not to be economically active, so Britain is clearly a net gainer from that situation. \"The reality is, if you are a European migrant to this country you are several times more likely to be not claiming benefit than if you're a British person - so rather than putting a strain", "summary": "With the date now set for the EU referendum, the remain campaign hasn't wasted time outlining its case to people in the East of England."}
{"article": "It is the eighth edition of the event on the shores of Loch Ryan which raises funds for the inshore lifeboat unit. Toploader follow in the footsteps of Dodgy, S-Club and Ben Haenow in performing at the Dumfries and Galloway festival. A host of local acts will also take to the stage at Agnew Park this year on Saturday 19 August.", "summary": "Toploader have been announced as the headline act at this year's RNLI Parkfest in Stranraer."}
{"article": "Platt, 19 and Thomson, 21, have both joined the National League outfit until the end of the season. Both players played for Rovers' under-21 side this term in the EFL Trophy, but are yet to play a senior game. Blackburn are currently 22nd in the second tier, while Barrow are seventh in the National League.", "summary": "Barrow have signed defender Matty Platt and midfielder Connor Thomson on loan from Championship club Blackburn Rovers' development side."}
{"article": "Germany, France and Spain would receive the most migrants under the Commission's latest plan. The idea of using quotas to resettle those who have made it to Europe has caused controversy in some EU states. The UK government says that it will not take part in such a system. France, Spain, Hungary, Slovakia and Estonia have also all voiced concerns, and a final decision will be taken by EU governments after a vote by MEPs. Denmark has the right to opt out of the plan while Ireland and the UK can decide whether they wish to opt in. The plan applies to Syrian and Eritrean nationals who arrive in Italy or Greece after 15 April 2015. The Commission said it could also apply to Malta if it also faced a sudden influx of migrants. This is in addition to moves announced earlier this month by the EU for a voluntary scheme to settle 20,000 refugees fleeing conflict who are currently living outside the EU. Of the 40,000 migrants considered \"in clear need of international protection\", the Commission says: Dimitris Avramopoulos, the home affairs commissioner, said it was not proposing \"the fixing of quotas... for migration in general\" and but it was \"up to each member to decide how many refugees they will grant refugee status [to]\". \"We only propose - and we insist on that - a fair distribution of a concrete number of migrants in clear need of international protection across the European Union,\" he said. Countries would receive \u00e2\u201a\u00ac6,000 (\u00c2\u00a34,250) for every person relocated on their territory under the latest proposal, the commission said. More than 1,800 migrants have died in the Mediterranean in 2015 - a 20-fold increase on the same period in 2014. Some 60,000 people have already tried to make the perilous crossing this year, the UN estimates. Many are trying to escape conflict or poverty in countries such as Syria, Eritrea, Nigeria and Somalia. The Commission said Italy and Greece were facing an exceptional level of migration, with Italy seeing a 277% rise in irregular border crossings from 2013 to 2014 and Greece seeing an increase of 153%. UN chief Ban Ki-moon has also urged Europe to do more to help migrants, calling for search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean to be \"further strengthened\". \"I'm urging European leaders to address this issue in a more comprehensive way and a collective way,\" he said, adding that the \"roots\" of the problem in countries of origin must also be addressed. But UK International Development Secretary Justine Greening has rejected the European Commission's idea of mandatory quotas because she said it could act as a \"pull for more migrants\". French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said this month that asylum should be a right, not subject to quotas. Earlier this month, EU ministers backed plans for a naval force to set up to combat smuggling gangs, if necessary by military force, inside Libyan territorial waters.", "summary": "The European Commission has called on EU member states to take in 40,000 asylum seekers from Syria and Eritrea who land in Italy and Greece over the next two years."}
{"article": "Seven of her relatives have been arrested, and accused of misusing their royal status to amass vast wealth and carry out numerous abuses. The crown prince himself has now made the disgrace official by ordering her family to stop using the name Akrapongpreecha, which he gave them after he married her in 2001. The king and the crown prince both have this privilege, akin to knighthoods in the UK. Interestingly, the crown prince has not revoked her royal title, \"Mom\", which translates roughly as \"princess\", nor yet her use of the royal family's name, Mahidol na Ayutthaya. These are officially bestowed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and it would need his approval for them to be revoked. However if, as expected, the crown prince divorces Princess Srirasmi, she will almost certainly lose both titles. The future status of her nine-year-old son by the prince, Dipangkorn, will depend on his father's wishes. Titles matter a great deal in status-obsessed Thailand, in particular when it comes to those with a claim to the throne. The 1924 Palace Succession Law, enshrined in subsequent constitutions, follows the principle of primogeniture, meaning Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn is the designated heir to King Bhumibol, and his own sons should inherit the throne after him, ranked by age. However, the law also gives reigning kings considerable sway in choosing their own successor - and an amendment to the constitution now allows the possibility of a female successor. The crown prince has four sons by his second marriage, whom he disowned in 1997 when he severed all ties with their mother, Yuvadhida Polpraserth. At the time the crown prince stated that they had renounced all their royal titles. But the palace continues to recognise their right to use the title HSH, or His Serene Highness, even though the boys, now grown up, are banished from Thailand and live in the United States. That leaves some doubt over where they sit in line to the throne, even though most commentators believe they are no longer considered possible successors. It is widely believed that the crown prince may have had another baby boy this year with his current mistress, who is likely to become his next wife. The issue is critical in a country where the monarchy is considered pivotal to political stability, and where King Bhumibol, who turns 87 this week, is in such frail health. Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn appears to be sorting out his personal affairs before the succession, so that he can choose who will be his queen, and who will eventually succeed him.", "summary": "The downfall of Princess Srirasmi, the wife of Thailand's Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn, has been both dramatic and unusually public."}
{"article": "The non-binding proposal was approved at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) in South Africa. Conservationists hailed it as a significant step towards ending the current elephant poaching crisis. However Japan, which has a large domestic ivory trade, said the proposal did not apply there. While the international market in ivory has been closed since 1989, legal domestic markets have continued in many countries around the world. There has been growing concern that domestic trading has encouraged the poaching of elephants. A surge in killing over the past seven years has seen populations across Africa shrink by a third, according to the recently published Great Elephant Census. What is driving the slaughter is the value of ivory, which can sell for around $1,100 (\u00a3850) per kilo in China. Countries including the US and China have announced plans to close their markets. The UK recently did the same, banning all trade in ivory dated from 1947 until the present day. Trade in materials from before 1947 will continue. While the nations attending this conference are divided on the best approach to protecting elephants, a compromise on the issue of closing domestic markets was arrived at after some heated discussions in a working group. However the measure then passed by consensus. The agreed text calls is not legally binding and Cites can't compel countries to follow, but conservationists believe that it is a strong move as it is the first time that the 183 countries that have signed the Convention have taken a unified position on this question. \"It's an important step on the road to closing worldwide ivory markets. It's the first time that Cites has agreed to intervene so directly in domestic ivory,\" said Robert Hepworth, a former chair of the Cites standing committee. Because it is a compromise, the new resolution does come with a significant caveat. It encourages countries to close their markets where those markets are \"contributing to poaching or illegal trade\". Some countries, including Japan are likely to argue that their markets don't contribute to poaching so they don't need to close them. Speaking to the Japanese press, the country's environment minister expressed the view that the resolution wouldn't apply to Japan as there was no poached ivory in their market. Campaigners disagree vehemently. \"There is evidence that has shown that Japan's market has illegal ivory, fraudulent documents are used and there is ivory from illegal or unknown origins circulating in the market,\" said Iris Ho, from Humane Society International. \"It's very disappointing for the Japanese government to deny the existence of illegal ivory in their markets - Any legal market serves as a very convenient cover for illegal ivory to be laundered.\" What surprised many of the participants who drew up the resolution was the position taken by China, one of the biggest markets for illegal ivory. According to those involved, the Chinese were looking for an even stronger text on market closure. \"China wanted a very clear message that all domestic, legal markets should be closed,\" said Patrick Omondi who", "summary": "Delegates at a UN wildlife conference have endorsed calls for the closure of all domestic ivory markets."}
{"article": "Right now, prices are around 60% down on July 2014. Supply has outstripped demand - great news for motorists but a disaster for the UK oil industry. Around 65,000 jobs are estimated to have been lost, many of them in Aberdeen. It is not the first time a glut of cheap oil has given British businesses a battering. But 150 years ago it was not the North Sea that bore the brunt of the downturn - it was north Wales. In the second half of the 19th Century, Flintshire struck oil. Strictly speaking, it struck cannel coal - a dense, smooth, shale-like variety of coal which can be distilled to make oil. While that admittedly sounds a lot less thrilling than the discovery of a black gold \"gusher\" under the Flintshire hills, it nevertheless heralded a global investment frenzy to rival the early days of the California gold rush. Speculators ploughed close to a million pounds into a variety of coal-oil ventures from Mold to Queensferry. The vast majority of them were to lose their shirts. \"It must have been absolutely astounding,\" said Dr Robin Chesters, Director of the Museum of the Scottish Shale Oil Industry, which has conducted extensive research into the Flintshire \"oil-dorado\". \"It all happened so fast that some of the oil works weren't actually completed and others were put together so quickly that they began to fall down.\" The seeds of the oil rush were sown in 1858 when an industrialist named Ebenezer Waugh Fernie discovered an exceptionally rich seam of cannel coal at Leeswood Green Colliery, near Mold. Seven years earlier the Scottish scientist James \"Paraffin\" Young had patented his process of producing oil from coal and established a highly successful oil works at Bathgate in West Lothian. Fernie suspected there was similar money to be made in Leeswood and he set about building an oil works near the colliery. But the budding enterprise was hampered by Young's patent and Fernie's numerous attempts at surreptitious oil production landed him in court. The \"Great Paraffine Case\" was brought before the Chancery court in London in January 1864. It lasted 33 days, called 73 witnesses and became a cause celebre. The court found in Young's favour and awarded him substantial damages. But his patent expired a few months later anyway, That, together with the huge amount of publicity garnered by the case, meant that Flintshire's cannel coal reserves were suddenly ripe for the distilling. \"People who had been reading about this great court case and all the money that could be made realised that they could now go into the business and make their fortune,\" said Dr Chesters. Would-be oil tycoons from all over Britain and abroad began ploughing money into coal-oil companies. A total of 26 oil works and refineries were built in Flintshire, mainly near the collieries where the cannel coal was mined. People flocked to the area from far and wide in search of work, rents were raised exorbitantly and overcrowding was rife. By late 1865, oil fever had Flintshire in its grip. An account published", "summary": "The tumbling price of oil has been headline news for months."}
{"article": "One server was stolen from a branch in Lurgan, County Armagh, in April 2014 and another was lost a month later by a courier firm in Swindon, Wiltshire. Encryption systems were not good enough to ensure data could not be accessed, the Information Commissioner said. The company apologised and said it had since reviewed its IT security. The Information Commissioner's office said the servers, which are still missing, \"held large numbers of local and national customer records and employee details\". Under The Money Shop's own rules, servers should have been stored in a separate locked room, but the Lurgan store - and others - did not have rooms available to store them. It also had a \"widespread practice\" of moving unencrypted servers between its head office in Nottingham and its branches, the commissioner said. Old customer records were not deleted. Head of enforcement at the commissioner's office, Steve Eckersley said customers had expected their financial details to be kept safe. \"Our investigations discovered that this wasn't the case and that this information was regularly left exposed when equipment was moved around the country. \"There was potential for fraud and financial loss to customers, which is unacceptable, and in both cases had the data been properly encrypted the damage and distress to customers and the monetary penalty could have been avoided.\" Dollar UK, which owns the Money Shop, said: \"Since these events took place, Dollar UK has come under new ownership and management, implementing a complete review of IT and systems security, including the replacement of those responsible for managing this essential element of business infrastructure and consumer confidence.\"", "summary": "Payday lender The Money Shop has been fined \u00a3180,000 after losing computer servers with thousands of customers' financial details."}
{"article": "The experienced striker scored both goals in a 2-0 victory over Annan Athletic in the League Cup on Saturday. Having joined the club for the third time in June 2015, the 33-year-old has netted 109 goals for the Rugby Park outfit. \"When you have the finishing ability he has, you can't write a guy like that off,\" McCulloch told BBC Scotland. \"I've seen it for the last 15 years. Kris Boyd has been written off at every opportunity because he's a bit more high-profile than most.\" Ayrshire-born Boyd made his first ever appearance for Killie in May 2001 and is one of the oldest players in McCulloch's squad. \"He's always good in the dressing room, and even when he's not scoring,\" McCulloch said. \"People like to focus on what he's not doing but I focus on what he is doing. He's always talking and organising on the pitch, which helps me, and he's vocal in the dressing room.\" Kilmarnock have taken six points from three matches so far in the League Cup first round and sit joint top of group E, having sustained a 1-0 derby defeat at Ayr United in their opening match of the competition. \"After the first match we knew we had to put a couple of wins together and we've done that,\" added McCulloch. \"We played slightly different today and it worked for us.\" Winger Chris Burke made his second appearance for the club since impressing as a trialist and signing a one-year-deal. \"It's a bright future,\" Burke, 33, said. \"We've got some great young players here at this football club and we've got a nice balance of some experienced players as well. \"We pass the ball well, we move the ball well, we've got combination play, we're scoring goals, we're all comfortable on the ball and it shows the belief that we have in each other.\"", "summary": "Kilmarnock boss Lee McCulloch believes front man Kris Boyd has been \"written off at every opportunity\"."}
{"article": "The headline, \"Imam beaten to death in sex grooming town\", ran on Saturday following the death of Jalal Uddin, 64, in Rochdale on Thursday. It is understood it was later changed to \"Imam beaten to death in Rochdale\". Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said he was \"appalled\". Nobody from The Times was available for comment. The chief constable has written an open letter to the newspaper stating: \"The headline has no relevance to the horrific murder of a former Imam in Rochdale.\" He added: \"Your headline and its irrelevance to this case has the potential to cause community tensions. \"It is also offensive to the thousands of peaceful law-abiding Muslims and non-Muslims in Rochdale who are shocked by this murder.\" Mr Hopkins concluded: \"I would hope in the circumstances you issue an immediate apology and provide a response.\" The victim was found with head injuries in a park in the Wardleworth area on Thursday night. He died in hospital. A 31-year-old man being questioned has been released without charge and eliminated from investigations.", "summary": "The chief constable of Greater Manchester Police has urged the editor of the Times newspaper to apologise for an \"offensive\" murder report headline."}
{"article": "Matt Green scored the opening goal in the 63rd minute and Shaq Coulthirst sealed the points after 76 minutes. Coulthirst forced a couple of early saves from Mark Gillespie in the Carlisle goal before Danny Rose had a goal ruled out for offside in the 35th minute. Shaun Miller and Jamie Proctor both went close for Carlisle, while Gillespie blocked a powerful Coulthirst shot and Rose missed the target with the follow-up. Green gave his side the lead when he cushioned home a perfect eight-yard header from Coulthirst's left-wing cross. Coulthirst made the game safe when he arrowed a powerful low finish across the goalkeeper and inside the far post. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Mansfield Town 2, Carlisle United 0. Second Half ends, Mansfield Town 2, Carlisle United 0. Attempt missed. Matt Green (Mansfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick. Shaun Brisley (Carlisle United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Shaquile Coulthirst (Mansfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Shaun Brisley (Carlisle United). Shaquile Coulthirst (Mansfield Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Reggie Lambe (Carlisle United). Corner, Carlisle United. Conceded by Malvind Benning. Attempt saved. John O'Sullivan (Carlisle United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Corner, Carlisle United. Conceded by Joel Byrom. Corner, Carlisle United. Conceded by Malvind Benning. Corner, Carlisle United. Conceded by Rhys Bennett. Reggie Lambe (Carlisle United) is shown the yellow card. Rhys Bennett (Mansfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Junior Joachim (Carlisle United). Substitution, Mansfield Town. Yoann Arquin replaces Danny Rose. Attempt blocked. Luke Joyce (Carlisle United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Junior Joachim (Carlisle United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Goal! Mansfield Town 2, Carlisle United 0. Shaquile Coulthirst (Mansfield Town) right footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Attempt saved. CJ Hamilton (Mansfield Town) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Rhys Bennett (Mansfield Town) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Junior Joachim (Carlisle United). Substitution, Carlisle United. John O'Sullivan replaces Alex McQueen. Substitution, Mansfield Town. CJ Hamilton replaces Alexander MacDonald. Attempt missed. Alex McQueen (Carlisle United) header from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt blocked. Shaun Miller (Carlisle United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Corner, Mansfield Town. Conceded by Michael Raynes. Attempt blocked. Alexander MacDonald (Mansfield Town) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Corner, Mansfield Town. Conceded by Shaun Brisley. Corner, Mansfield Town. Conceded by Danny Grainger. Corner, Carlisle United. Conceded by Kyle Howkins. Goal! Mansfield Town 1, Carlisle United 0. Matt Green (Mansfield Town) header from the centre of the box to the", "summary": "Mansfield Town ended their four-game goal drought to overcome Carlisle United at One Call Stadium."}
{"article": "5 January 2013 Last updated at 15:10 GMT Gordon Buchanan was sitting in a specially designed polar bear proof box called the 'ice cube' when a female polar bear spotted him. The hungry bear tries to break through the 'ice cube' but the specially designed Perspex plastic is too tough and she eventually gives up. Cameras inside the 'ice cube' captured the dramatic moment for a new series called The Polar Bear Family and Me, which starts on Monday 7 January on BBC Two. Check out the video above to see Gordon coming face to face with the polar bear.", "summary": "A wildlife film maker had a close call with a polar bear in the Arctic, after it tried to hunt him."}
{"article": "That will include a new Ford Focus that charges more quickly and has a longer range, the US car giant said. It also intends to move into the commercial ride-hailing market occupied by firms such as Uber and Lyft. The market is worth $5 trillion, the company said. The initiatives are part of a broader effort by chief executive Mark Fields to counter firms offering alternatives to car ownership and regulators who want vehicles to emit less carbon dioxide. Mr Fields said the company wants 40% of its vehicles to have electric versions by 2020, up from 13% now. The new Focus will take an 80% charge in 30 minutes, about two hours faster than the current version, Ford said. It will also have an estimated 100-mile range, as opposed to 76 miles. The firm also plans to introduce a Mondeo hybrid and a C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid in China next year. Ford currently sells electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of its Focus, Fusion, C-Max and Lincoln MKZ cars. Ford also wants to expand an employee van-hailing service beyond its sprawling corporate campus, and develop it commercially. \"The market for vehicle miles travelled is $5 trillion,\" Mr Fields said. \"We get zero of that.\" Ken Washington, Ford's vice president of research, said: \"Our vision is to be a mobility service provider, beyond building a vehicle that would be in somebody else's fleet. We see this as a business we want to be in.\"", "summary": "Ford says it will invest $4.5bn (\u00c2\u00a33bn) to expand its fleet of plug-in and hybrid electric vehicles, and will start selling 13 new electric models by 2020."}
{"article": "With England needing eight to win in Nagpur, Bumrah removed Joe Root and Jos Buttler, the former wrongly given lbw, and conceded only two runs. Ben Stokes (38) looked to be taking England to their target of 145 before falling lbw to Ashish Nehra (3-28). Opener KL Rahul earlier made 71 from 47 balls in India's 144-8. That was three runs fewer than India managed in England's comfortable seven-wicket win in the first T20 game in Kanpur, but this chase was more challenging on a slower, lower surface. And though the majority of England's attack impressed, their spinners were outbowled by India's, with pace bowlers Nehra and Bumrah making telling contributions at each end of the visitors' innings. The deciding third match takes place in Bangalore on Wednesday. England needed 24 from the last two overs, but were made favourites by the hitting of Buttler, who took 12 from Nehra's final three balls, complete with a bottom-handed fetch over the long-on fence. It was left to jerky right-armer Bumrah to defend eight runs off the concluding six balls, which began with a slice of fortune that saw Root adjudged leg before, despite an inside edge, departing for a run-a-ball 38. From there, Bumrah befuddled England with a full length and changes of pace - the tourists only laid bat on one of the last five deliveries, and even that was a Moeen Ali miscue for a single. When a swiping Buttler was bowled, England's best hope went with him, and Moeen failed to make contact when a six was needed off the final ball. England's chase was dealt an early blow by 37-year-old left-armer Nehra, who learned from the way the tourists bowled back-of-a-length to have openers Sam Billings and Jason Roy caught on the leg side from successive deliveries. From 22-2, Root rebuilt in the company of captain Eoin Morgan, England happy to accumulate in the face of the accuracy of the India spinners as only three boundaries came in one 10-over period. It took the power hitting of Stokes to ignite the chase, the left-hander making the most of a reprieve after being bowled by no-ball by spinner Amit Mishra, from the first delivery he faced. Muscling the ball to long-on for two fours and two sixes, Stokes looked to be in control of the pursuit before being pinned in front by the returning Nehra. When he departed, England required 28 from 19 deliveries. As Bumrah and Nehra excelled, they managed only 19, and 10 of those came from two Buttler blows. Whereas India's spinners used the conditions to squeeze England in the middle overs, the home batsmen pounced on slow bowlers Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson. Rashid, who did not bowl in Kanpur, and Dawson, in the side for paceman Liam Plunkett, conceded a combined 44 runs from their five overs. Rahul, who averages 64.50 in his seven T20 internationals, took each of them for a leg-side maximum to go with the sweet cover drives he played off the fast bowlers. Along with the rest of the middle order,", "summary": "Jasprit Bumrah bowled a brilliant final over to give India a thrilling five-run win over England in the second Twenty20 international to level the series."}
{"article": "The new interim police HQ will at the Scottish Police College in Tulliallan in Fife and the unitary fire HQ will be at Perth Community Fire Station. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said communities would remain at the heart of the services. The news came on the day the matter was discussed by Holyrood's local government and regeneration committee. It has been hearing evidence from president of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland), Chief Constable Kevin Smith, as well as the Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland and the Scottish Police Services Authority. MSPs have been looking at draft legislation, focusing on its potential impact on local democracy. The Scottish Government's Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill will establish single forces for both the police and fire services. There are currently eight police forces - Central Scotland Police, Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary, Fife Constabulary, Grampian Police, Lothian and Borders Police, Northern Constabulary, Strathclyde Police and Tayside Police. Mr Smith said a lot needed to be done in the next year to \"make the change necessary to have the new structure in place\". He added: \"Reform will not stop on the first day of the new organisation and the service will continue to take shape over the next five years to ensure it's fit for purpose and makes the savings which are required in a challenging financial landscape. \"All of this work is taking place at the same time as we continue to deliver high levels of performance. We cannot, and will not, take our eye off the ball in delivering business as usual. \"Our people are what make the police service tick. As we go through reform, leadership across the service will be important to make sure the Police Service of Scotland is delivered and that visible and responsive policing to communities continues at a high level.\" Mr Smith said that using Tulliallan as an interim police command base would offer a \"practical and pragmatic\" solution. The Chief Fire Officers Association welcomed the announcement that Perth Community Fire Station would be the interim HQ for the single fire service. Its chairman, Alex Clark, said: \"On behalf of all Scottish Fire and Rescue personnel, I'd like to reassure the public that wherever we are based, our communities can continue to expect the same high quality service.\" The union Unison said a number of \"major issues\" continued to concern its members about the police reforms, but it was happy to continue a dialogue to resolve those issues. Unison's Dave Watson said: \"We believe that a balanced workforce is needed to provide the best service for communities throughout the country with highly-skilled police staff in a wide range of specialist roles playing a full part in the future of policing.\" MSPs sitting on the local government and regeneration committee want to know what a single police force and a single fire service would mean for councils, police boards, community planning and jobs. Mr MacAskill said he welcomed the decision of the services to base their leadership teams in Fife and Perth. He added: \"The final decision", "summary": "Single forces for Scotland's police and fire services are expected to begin operating on 1 April next year."}
{"article": "In the case of Baldock Town, that job has this season fallen to injured defender Liam Kenna. But his updates from the dugout during their FA Cup preliminary qualifying round tie against North Greenford United came to abrupt halt when he was sent on as a substitute with 10 minutes remaining. And the absence of his tweets prompted him to post an apology on behalf of the club the following day, which quickly went viral. \"The secretary used to do it, but he left at the end of last season and because I have a bad back I've been doing it,\" the 29-year-old told BBC Sport. \"I tweet every chance, every goal, every yellow card, I do it constantly.\" Kenna, from Llanelli, has not played this season because of his injury, but after only two or three light training sessions he was named among the substitutes. \"There was a 90% chance I wasn't going to get on, but the centre-half got injured with 10 minutes left and we'd already used the other two subs,\" Kenna continued. \"When I went to see the linesman to get my studs checked, I still had my phone in my hand. He said 'you can't go on with that mate'.\" The South Midlands League Division One side were 3-1 ahead when Kenna joined the action and held on to win by the same scoreline, but his lack of recent game-time took a physical toll. \"I only touched the ball two or three times. I couldn't get round the pitch and couldn't breathe afterwards,\" he said. Former England striker Kevin Phillips and ex-Arsenal midfielder Ian Allinson both played for the original Baldock Town, which eventually folded in 2001. The current club was formed two years later and are now tenants at Arlesey's Town's Armadillo Stadium five miles away, having previously ground shared with Hitchin and Stotfold. Their reward for beating North Greenford is a home tie against Thame United of the Southern League over the weekend of the 9-10 September. And the FA have offered to do Baldock's tweeting for them so Kenna can concentrate on playing. He is no stranger to glory after captaining former club Welwyn Garden City to a league and cup double in 2014-15, but is doubtful about whether he will be match-fit. \"I'm seeing a physio once a week privately, but it's more than likely I'm going to be on the bench again,\" he said. \"But I'd better be careful because after Sunday's game, the manager fined me \u00a310 for having my phone in the dugout.\"", "summary": "Such is the reach of social media these days, even non-league football clubs provide their supporters with blow-by-blow updates via Twitter."}
{"article": "Omar Gonzalez, 42, was carrying a knife when stopped by Secret Service officers just inside the building. On Monday officials said he was also arrested in July with two rifles and a map marking the White House. The Secret Service says it has stepped up security and launched a comprehensive review of procedures. Mr Gonzalez, a US military veteran who was decorated for his service in the Iraq war, faces charges of unlawfully entering a restricted building carrying a \"deadly or dangerous weapon\". During his court hearing on Monday, federal prosecutors also said Mr Gonzalez was stopped but not arrested in August after he walked past the White House with a hatchet. Assistant US Attorney David Mudd said that the accused intruder was a danger to the president, and a judge agreed to hold him in jail until a hearing in October. Video footage showed Mr Gonzalez running across a White House lawn after scaling a fence on Friday. Mr Gonzalez was only stopped after entering the North Portico doors, the Secret Service said. He was later found to be carrying a 9cm (3.5in) folding knife. The president and his daughters had just left the White House by helicopter before Mr Gonzalez entered, but White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Mr Obama was \"obviously concerned\" about what happened. Immediately after Friday evening's incident the Secret Service increased foot patrols along the perimeter fence, deployed additional surveillance resources, and changed the procedures for ensuring the entrance to the building is secure, Mr Earnest said. \"The president is confident the changes will be properly implemented,\" he said. The review of security was initiated by Secret Service director Julia Pierson, who also ordered \"the immediate enhancement of officer patrols and surveillance capabilities\" around the White House. In July, police found two powerful rifles, four handguns and other firearms and ammunition in Mr Gonzalez's vehicle along with a White House map when he was stopped in south-west Virginia, a local prosecutor told the Associated Press news agency. He served in the military from 1997 until his discharge in 2003, and again from 2005 to December 2012, when he retired due to disability, the AP reported. Family and friends told the Washington Post Mr Gonzalez was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving as a sniper in Iraq. An apparently unrelated incident on Saturday saw a man drive up to a vehicle gate in the complex and refuse to leave. Secret Service agents shut down nearby streets and searched the vehicle for explosives. Officials said Saturday's incident was an \"everyday occurrence\".", "summary": "The man who broke into the White House on Friday evening had 800 rounds of ammunition, a machete and two hatchets in his car, authorities have said."}
{"article": "Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt had called for the system to be simplified to help \"turbocharge\" tourism in the wake of the London 2012 Olympics. But a letter seen by the Daily Telegraph suggests Theresa May believes it would pose a security threat. The letter, written by Mrs May's private secretary, says she believes the plan is \"unacceptable\". On Tuesday, Mr Hunt set out a strategy to give UK tourism a boost following London's Games and said ministers were looking at simplifying visa applications for non-EU nationals. The strategy focused on attracting visitors from China, where the government thinks there is potential to triple the number of tourists - generating more than \u00c2\u00a3500m in extra spending and creating more than 14,000 jobs. Currently, visitors can apply for a single visa to visit much of Europe - but a separate one is required to travel to the UK. Countries such as France and Germany are far more successful at attracting Chinese visitors, and the UK could do better if getting a visa was easier, Mr Hunt has suggested. But a letter from Mrs May's private secretary to the prime minister's private secretary said the current rules were a \"key tool in protecting the public against significant harm\". There are already 400 Chinese criminals awaiting deportation and 1,000 asylum applications from Chinese citizens last year, it said. \"The proposal... is not acceptable to the home secretary for national security reasons,\" the letter said. \"We also face significant challenges with foreign national offenders and organised crime, including drugs, money laundering, fraud, criminal finances, intellectual property, immigration and cyber crime.\" But Mark Tanzer, chief executive of the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta), said: \"In the absence of concrete data about visa abuse, it is impossible to determine whether the right balance is being struck between the UK's commercial interests and its security needs.\" He argued that \"proper visa monitoring and reporting processes\" were needed, and any abuses of the system could be addressed as they arose. \"We must not forget that visas are only one of the factors that deter Chinese tourists from visiting us - lack of air routes and high aviation taxes also depress demand,\" he added. Mr Tanzer has previously said his organisation \"welcomed\" Mr Hunt's position as \"a step in the right direction\". Meanwhile, Immigration Minister Damian Green told that a visa scheme had failed to attract as many of the most talented artists, musicians and scientists to come and work in the UK as the government had hoped. \"We offer a thousand visas a year for the exceptionally talented,\" Mr Green said. \"In its first year in operation it came nowhere near using them all. \"That tells me we need to fine tune the system to make sure that around the world, if you are a bright young artist or a gifted young scientist, you know there is this route to come and work in Britain. We need to do better on that.\" The minister added: \"If you are a current Nobel Prize winner, you won't find it very difficult to", "summary": "The UK's home secretary has expressed concerns about plans to make it easier for Chinese tourists to get visas."}
{"article": "Bingham, 22, who had a loan spell with Falkirk in 2013, spent the last season with Hartlepool United. The 29-year-old Seaborne rejected a new contract with Partick Thistle after two seasons at Firhill. Accies manager Martin Canning said: \"We're just waiting for the clearance to be confirmed for both of them.\" Seaborne, who joined Thistle after leaving Coventry City in 2014, made 35 appearances for Accies' Premiership rivals last season. Bingham, who began his career with Wigan Athletic and had a spell with Mansfield Town, scored four times in 38 appearances for League Two outfit Hartlepool last season. \"In Dan, I have been looking for a bit more experience and he brings that to the team,\" Canning told BBC Scotland after Friday's 1-1 draw with Dundee. \"The two guys who played tonight played well and it gives us good competition now. \"Up top, we've got Rakish coming in who offers something slightly different to Alex D'Acol, Eamonn Brophy and Shaka Roy, who are stronger, take the ball in. \"Rakish can also take it in, but he gives you that threat in behind. He's quicker and more mobile, so hopefully that gives us a better balance up top as well.\" The point at Dens Park leaves Accies third bottom of the table with two points from their opening three games and having played one more game than Hearts and Inverness Caledonian Thistle. However, Canning stressed: \"We are in a good place. \"Our squad's strong I feel and I have been trying to bring in a couple - and the right people - and it's taken a while to get those deals done.\"", "summary": "Hamilton Academical are in the process of completing the signings of defender Danny Seaborne and striker and fellow Englishman Rakish Bingham."}
{"article": "The single-lane bridge over the Cuckmere river on the A259 between Eastbourne and Seaford regularly has long queues of traffic on both sides. Many visitors to Seven Sisters Country Park, Beach Head and Birling Gap on the East Sussex coast use the route. A government grant is to be used to build a new two-lane crossing. East Sussex County Council said it would chose a location for the bridge which minimises the impact on South Downs National Park. Traffic can only cross the existing bridge in one direction at a time. Priority is given to vehicles travelling from the west, causing long delays for those waiting to cross from the Beach Head and Birling Gap side. Councillor Rupert Simmons, lead member for economy, said: \"As well as being frustrating for motorists, the bottleneck does nothing to help the businesses in our county. \"We have considered a number of options to deal with the problems at Exceat, including traffic lights, but it is felt that a new two-lane bridge is the only way to effectively deal with the congestion created by the current layout. \"The location of the new bridge is a sensitive one and will need to be carefully designed to minimise the impact it has on the South Downs National Park in which it sits.\" Any proposals will be subject to discussion and approval from the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA), the council said. A spokesperson for the South Downs National Park Authority said: \"As the planning authority for the South Downs National Park, we would welcome pre-application discussions with East Sussex County Council as they develop their plans. \"Any application that comes forward will need to be of a high quality, taking into account both this sensitive location; the people who know and use this area, and the special qualities for which the national park was designated.\"", "summary": "A bottleneck on a popular tourist route along the south coast is to be tackled with a new \u00a32m bridge."}
{"article": "The News Letter's lead focuses on what they are calling a \"huge cash request at Stormont talks\". The paper has seen a leaked document detailing a proposal submitted to the political talks process aimed at restoring the Northern Ireland executive. The suggestion from the chief executive of the Ulster-Scots Agency, Ian Crozier, to the head of languages at the Department of Communities, proposes an additional \u00c2\u00a3140m in funding for Ulster-Scots culture. Mr Crozier is a former special adviser to DUP MP Nigel Dodds and remains a member of the party, according to the News Letter. His paper outlined his belief that \"the Ulster-Scots community is facing discrimination\" and that the Irish language receives 10 times more funding than all Ulster-Scots culture combined. Staying with politics, the News Letter reports that the DUP South Antrim MP Sammy Wilson is \"fed up\" with MLAs \"gurning\", which is, incidentally, Ulster-Scots for complaining. His remarks come as a complaint against his DUP colleague Edwin Poots for allegedly breaching the Northern Ireland assembly's code of conduct was dismissed. \"Why can they not just be grown up and accept that, look, in the rough-and-tumble of politics, people will say things you don't like, and you just have to live with it, rather than running to granda or daddy to reprimand people you don't like,\" Mr Wilson said. \"Hero policeman dies in Thailand,\" is the front page headline in the Belfast Telegraph, the story billed as exclusive. 50-year-old Heath Taylor died in what the paper describe as a \"freak accident\". Mr Taylor was a friend of PSNI chief constable George Hamilton, the Telegraph reports. Devoting two pages of coverage to Mr Taylor's death, the paper reveals that Mr Taylor received a citation while a serving officer in the RUC. The Telegraph also gives two pages to political coverage as issues around Brexit and the crisis in Northern Ireland's political system begin to re-emerge after the summer break. The Irish News leads with a question for health authorities: \"Why did ambulance take 10 hours to reach Jimmy (79), leaving him to die alone?\" Jimmy Cassidy was found dead in his home at Brookvale Fold in north Belfast on Sunday, the paper reports. A friend, Michael O'Reilly, found him collapsed at about 19:00 BST on Saturday and called an ambulance, which, he said, did not arrive until 05:00 BST on Sunday. The ambulance service told the Irish News that it could not comment on the issue as an internal investigation in the circumstances is under way. The paper's editorial is a call to \"root out sectarianism\" following recent events in Londonderry, a city which has been, according to the Irish News, \"a strongly positive example\" for other area in recent years.", "summary": "There is an eclectic mix of stories on the front pages of Northern Ireland's daily papers this morning."}
{"article": "The bomber detonated explosives at a checkpoint near Camp Chapman, formerly used by the CIA, in eastern Khost province on Sunday. Camp Chapman was the site of one of the worst attacks on the agency in 2009 when a bomber killed seven officials. No US or coalition soldiers were killed in this latest attack. The base now houses both Afghan and foreign troops, including US soldiers. Youqib Khan, the deputy police chief in Khost province, told the Associated Press news agency that Sunday's blast hit a checkpoint manned by members of an Afghan unit that guards Camp Chapman. Officials said those killed were civilians in cars waiting to clear the checkpoint at the time of the blast. No group has said it carried out the blast as yet, although the Taliban has often targeted troops and launched a fresh offensive in late April. Khost borders Pakistan and is one of Afghanistan's most volatile provinces.", "summary": "A suicide car bomb has killed at least 17 people, mostly women and children, near a military base in Afghanistan, officials say."}
{"article": "Unison says the role of assistants has increased in recent years but they have different pay and conditions depending where they work, unlike teachers. There are claims some are qualified at a more senior level but paid at a lower grade. The Welsh government said it does not have the power to set conditions. But Unison says ministers could use their law-making powers and specifically the Education (Wales) Bill to standardise conditions. Where teachers are paid over 52 weeks of the year, teaching assistants are only paid in term time. Their salaries can also vary as pay is set by each of Wales' 22 local authorities unlike a nationally-agreed rate like teachers. Jessica Cromie, the Unison schools lead for Wales, says the inconsistency of what was expected from different grades of support staff \"exposes a deep unfairness of the way support staff are treated\". She says although the issue of assistants' conditions is not devolved, the Welsh government's Education (Wales) Bill could help as it was currently looking to improve standards across the school workforce. \"What they could do as an interim measure even if they weren't going to look at pay and conditions is they could look at this issue of role inconsistency,\" she told BBC Radio Wales. She claimed some staff qualified to work at a senior level were employed on split contracts across the week - and paid to work at both the lower and top grades although they were using the same skills across the week. Amanda Thomas, a lecturer in early years education at the University of South Wales, says in the past she taught college students looking to become teaching assistants. She found some being used to cover work above their grade, probably because they were about \u00a3100 a day cheaper than a supply teacher. Ms Thomas also said she knows of newly qualified teachers unable to find work as supply teachers which she believes is due to schools using teaching assistants. Local government consultant Jeff Jones, a former leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, said with councils could only do so much as they are looking to make further austerity budget cuts in the years to come. \"If you give more money to classroom assistants it means less money for other people,\" said Mr Jones, a former education spokesperson for the Welsh Local Government Association which acts for all councils. Simon Thomas, education spokesman for Plaid Cymru, said teaching assistants had become \"essential\" and suggested devolving pay of teachers to Wales to enable a national package to be put together to manage the terms of all education workers. In a statement, the Welsh government said: \"We do not have the power to act with regards to pay and conditions of support staff. \"Where we do have responsibilities for support staff we are working hard to help them with their training and development to deliver a highly skilled school workforce through the support staff action plan. \"We want to raise standards of teaching and leaning by ensuring learning support workers are appropriately qualified and skilled. \"The", "summary": "A union has called for 17,000 teaching assistants in Wales to have a national structure for pay and conditions to end unfairness."}
{"article": "Sean Murray said his studio had endured \"years of secret stupid legal nonsense\" after the broadcaster Sky said the game's title infringed its trademark. \"We finally settled with Sky (they own the word sky). We can call our game No Man's Sky,\" he tweeted. The game was expected in June, but has been delayed until August. Hello Games has not revealed whether it paid Sky to settle the lawsuit. \"I now know more about trademark law than any sane man would ever want to,\" tweeted Mr Murray in a follow-up post. The studio is not the first company to face a legal challenge from Sky, which provides satellite television and broadband services in Europe. In 2013, Microsoft had to change the name of its cloud storage service SkyDrive to OneDrive, following an infringement claim. A year earlier, US technology firm Livescribe pulled its Sky pen from UK stores after receiving a legal challenge from the satellite broadcaster. It renamed the product \"Livescribe wifi smartpen\" and recalled stock using the old name. Sky told the BBC it had no comment on the dispute.", "summary": "The maker of the highly anticipated video game No Man's Sky has revealed a legal challenge that threatened the game's name."}
{"article": "The annual inflation rate stayed at 0.2%, according to the flash estimate from the EU's statistics agency Eurostat. Energy prices fell 5.6%, compared with a 5.1% drop in June. Food, alcohol and tobacco prices rose 0.9%. Eurostat also said that the unemployment rate was unchanged at 11.1% in June, for the third month. James Howat, European Economist at Capital Economics, said the figures were not positive: \"Worryingly, surveys of employment intentions have weakened recently, suggesting that the labour market recovery will remain pretty weak.\" He also pointed out that the ECB still has a lot of work to do to hit its inflation target of \"below, but close to, 2%\". In March, the ECB began a massive \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.1 trillion bond buying programme in an attempt to stimulate the eurozone economy. Policymakers spent much of last year in fear of deflation. The worry is that if price falls become entrenched, consumers and businesses will delay purchases and investment in the expectation that prices will fall further.", "summary": "Inflation in the eurozone held steady in July, as falling energy prices offset rises in industrial goods."}
{"article": "\"Revenge porn\" broadly describes the act of publishing explicit images of someone without their consent. The MPAA said the Minnesota draft law could restrict the publication of \"items of legitimate news, commentary, and historical interest\". But supporters of the proposal said its reach was \"plainly legitimate\". Revenge porn commonly refers to the sharing of intimate images after the end of a relationship, but is also used in a broader sense to describe any publication of explicit images without consent, for example when private photographs of a celebrity are leaked online. A number of countries and US states have introduced legislation that prohibits the practice, but there is no US-wide federal law on the subject. Opponents of revenge porn legislation have argued that some of the new laws are too broad in scope, and that existing copyright, communication and harassment laws sufficiently cover the subject. The MPAA, which represents six major Hollywood film studios, said the Minnesota law could \"limit the distribution of a wide array of mainstream, constitutionally protected material\". It cited images of Holocaust victims and prisoners at Abu Ghraib as examples of images depicting nudity which are shared without the subjects' consent. The MPAA called for the legislation to clarify that images shared without consent only broke the law if they were shared with an \"intent to harass\". In a statement, the organisation said: \"The MPAA opposes online harassment in all forms. While we agree with the aims... we are concerned that the current version of the bill is written so broadly that it could have a chilling effect on mainstream and constitutionally-protected speech.\" But the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, which has campaigned for revenge porn to be made illegal, said an \"intent to harass\" provision would render the law \"incoherent\". \"It would allow people to distribute private, sexually explicit material of no public concern unless it could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that their motive was to harass,\" the organisation said in its response to the MPAA. \"The motive of a distributor has no bearing on whether the material is newsworthy or a matter of public concern. \"A photograph of a dirty restaurant kitchen is not rendered less newsworthy because the distributor intends to harass the restaurant owner.\" If passed, the Minnesota law would become effective on 1 August.", "summary": "The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has opposed draft \"revenge porn\" legislation that is being considered in Minnesota."}
{"article": "The new reporting system, called 'Step Up', is in use at Ballyclare High School and can be used at home, in school or on a smartphone. The school believes it is the first system of its kind in Northern Ireland. It means pupils can raise concerns with the appropriate teacher directly via the school website. 14-year-old Emma Blacoe, who helped develop it, said that teachers could receive a lot of information about alleged incidents. \"Pupils can upload files and pictures of screenshots and chats if they feel someone's in danger,\" she said. \"They can also simply just say if they're being pressured or bullied or if anyone else is.\" If pupils click on a button on the school website they are taken to an online form where they specify their year group and who they want to deal with their concerns. The information they provide cannot be seen by anyone but themselves and teaching staff, and they can choose to give their name or remain anonymous. David Andrew, who also worked on 'Step Up', said that it was easy to operate and accessible to pupils. \"If pupils really feel there's something which needs to be sorted out they can do it,\" he said. \"Bullying is never acceptable and the sooner someone steps up, the sooner it can be sorted out.\" The school's head of cyber safety, Mhairi Hill, said teachers would investigate every allegation they received information about. \"Staff will pick it up and the earliest opportunity and follow the procedure already in place for dealing with incidents,\" she said. \"With online bullying, pupils can come to us with screenshots and that's concrete evidence we can use to take the investigation forward. \"We would establish the facts before proceeding but we would follow up every report. \"If a child has felt it's necessary to raise the concern then it's worth following up in our eyes. \"We have a duty of care for our pupils and if a pupil's upset or distressed in class they're not going to learn to their full potential so it's important that we address these issues.\"", "summary": "Pupils at a County Antrim school have developed a new tool to target cyberbullying."}
{"article": "The five-time African champions have been draw in a pool with SuperSport United, Horoya and Mounana in the expanded group stage. Three-time winners CS Sfaxien of Tunisia will face South Africa's Platinum Stars, debutants Mbabane Swallows of Swaziland and Mouloudia Alger from Algeria. Moroccan side FUS Rabat, who won the tournament in 2010, face two sides making the debuts in the group stages in Rivers United of Nigeria and Uganda's KCCA. The group is completed by Tunisia's Club Africain, who were crowned continental champions in 1991 and runners-up in this competition 20 years later. Rivers United were the last team to qualify for the group stage with a 2-0 aggregate win over Rayon Sports after a goalless draw in Rwanda on Saturday. The first leg of the tie was postponed due to the the commemorations for the genocide in Rwanda. First group matches due to be played on the weekend of 12-14 May. The top two from each group will progress to the quarter-finals with the final set to be played over two legs in November.", "summary": "TP Mazembe of DR Congo face trips to South Africa, Guinea and Gabon as they bid to defend their Confederation Cup title."}
{"article": "The Brimmon Oak in Newtown, Powys, won the title following a public vote. Judges picked it as the overall champion of the four UK winners. Beccy Speight, Woodland Trust chief executive, said: \"Trees are inspirational in so many ways and our four winners clearly demonstrate how we cherish these natural landmarks.\" Each winning tree will get a care grant of \u00c2\u00a31,000 and will go forward into the European Tree of the Year competition in February. The Brimmon Oak, which has a girth of more than 6m (19.6ft), faced being destroyed by plans for the new \u00c2\u00a356m Newtown bypass as campaigners feared the close proximity would damage the roots. Thousands of people signed a petition and the Welsh Government agreed to adjust the route to accommodate the oak with \"minimal work\" within a 15m (49ft) protected zone around the roots. Ms Speight said trees \"punctuate our lives and landscapes and tie us to our past, the equivalent of our best buildings but yet are far less protected\". Videos of each of the trees can be seen here.", "summary": "A 500-year-old oak that a planned bypass road will be built around to prevent it being destroyed has been named as the UK's Tree of the Year."}
{"article": "Gary Watson was the frontman of The Lapelles who recently performed at T in the Park and the Belladrum festival. A post on the band's Facebook page said Mr Watson died \"as a result of injuries sustained in a tragic accident\" on Saturday night. Police said the death was not suspicious. Emergency services were called to the River Clyde near Glasgow Bridge at about 22:00 on Saturday. Mr Watson was rescued from the water and taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary but later died. The Lapelles statement read: \"It's with shock, heavy hearts and sadness that we have to let you know the news that Gary sadly passed away this morning as a result of injuries sustained in a tragic accident last night. \"Today was his 22nd birthday. We are lost for words and struggling to process such a tragedy. \"Gary was a creative force, a man who without his vision this band wouldn't exist. We have lost a friend, a brother, a hero. At the moment it doesn't seem real. \"We send our deepest condolences to Gary's family and would appreciate your respect in allowing them & us some peace whilst we grieve. Forever in our hearts, with peace you go. X.\" The band were due to head off on a UK tour in October. Tributes were paid to Mr Watson on social media by fans and fellow bands. Franz Ferdinand posted on Twitter: \"We're so sad to hear of the tragic passing of @TheLapelles Gary Watson, a lovely, talented man. Thoughts are with his family, friends & band.\"", "summary": "Tributes have been paid to a musician who died after falling into the River Clyde in Glasgow the day before his 22nd birthday."}
{"article": "A group of about 20 caravans moved on to the recreation ground at Muscliffe last week and the council is taking legal steps to remove them. MP Tobias Ellwood, councillors and residents called on police to \"act immediately\". Dorset Police said it would only move travellers on in \"exceptional circumstances\". Bournemouth Borough Council said it had no traveller sites and there were no pitches available for travellers in the borough. Mr Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East, said police had powers to go in \"firm and fast\" and \"if there's six or more pitches, then they have the right, straight away, to tell these individuals to move on\". Supt Mike Rogers said: \"We will only move travellers on in absolute exceptional circumstances, in a last case scenario. \"The basic situation would be one where the community... are denied, in entirety, the facilities of a particular area or a particular piece of land. \"In this situation, this has not occurred.\" On Friday, Bournemouth Borough Council said it was aware of the unauthorised encampment and the site was being visited and monitored daily. On Monday it announced it had started legal proceedings to repossess the land. Bournemouth and other councils across Dorset began a consultation in 2011 to identify potential sites to accommodate Gypsies and travellers. The plan, required by government, will allocate permanent and transit sites for the next 15 years, is due to be adopted by the end of this year. A 2013 report found, while there was a need for 88 pitches across Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset, the total supply was eight. Bournemouth Borough Council leader John Beesley said: \"The council's position remains the same as it has done for the past three years. \"We do not believe that there are any suitable sites for a permanent transit facility within the Bournemouth boundary.\"", "summary": "Police say they have no power to remove an illegal encampment in Bournemouth, despite calls for them to act."}
{"article": "Supporters' loyalty will be rewarded with those who regularly attended games during the Euro qualifying campaign to be given priority. The decision follows discussions this week between the Irish FA and Uefa. Priority will be given to block bookers who renewed tickets after the 2014 World Cup campaign and those who bought tickets for Euro 2016 qualifiers. The success of applications from fans who apply for two tickets will be affected by the \"purchasing behaviour\" of the second named applicant, according to the IFA. \"Supporters who apply for one ticket will have a level of priority based on their own purchases, while fans who apply for two tickets will have a shared priority allocation,\" stated the IFA's head of communications, Neil Brittain. \"If a block booker who applies with another block booker, then both remain at the level of priority that they would have had if they had been applying as individuals. \"However, if a block booker applies with a supporter who hasn't attended any Northern Ireland games in recent years, then the priority points will be divided between both.\" The move to allow fans to apply for two tickets is good news for Under-18s, who would not have been able to purchase tickets under Uefa rules. The IFA has over 500 junior campaign card holders who are now eligible to apply for tickets.", "summary": "Northern Ireland fans will be allowed to apply for two tickets to the Euro 2016 finals in France."}
{"article": "Margaret Chisholm told the High Court in Glasgow that her brother Ronnie Coulter made the admission to her after a jury cleared him of the murder. She also said that when he was on remand awaiting trial, Mr Coulter neither admitted or denied the murder. Mr Coulter denies murdering Mr Chhokar and has blamed two other men. The 48-year-old, from Wishaw, denies stabbing the 32-year-old in Garrion Street, Overtown, North Lanarkshire, on 4 November 1998. Mr Coulter has lodged a special defence blaming his nephew Andrew Coulter - Mrs Chisholm's son - and another man, David Montgomery. Mrs Chisholm was giving evidence as the trial entered its fourth week. She told prosecutor Alex Prentice QC that hours after her brother was cleared of murdering Mr Chhokar in 1999, he visited her home in Overtown. Mr Prentice asked her: \"Why was he there?\" and Mrs Chisholm replied: \"Because he'd just been found not guilty. He was sitting on the floor in the living room leaning against a radiator.\" The prosecutor then asked: \"What did he say?\" and she replied: \" He said 'I've just got away with the perfect murder.'\" Mrs Chisholm also told the court that her brother said: \"He took one off me, so I took one off him.\" She said she believed this was a reference to God and the fact that Mr Coulter had a baby girl that was stillborn. Mr Prentice also asked her about a visit she made to her brother in Barlinnie Prison in 1998 or 1999, while he was on remand awaiting trial. The prosecutor asked if she had asked him anything and Mrs Chisholm replied: \"If he done it. If it was him that done Chhokar.\" Mr Prentice said: \"Did he answer?\" and She replied: \"He said 'Mmhmm.' He never said aye or nah.\" The witness said that was all she could remember about their conversation in the prison. Mr Prentice also showed Mrs Chisholm a transcript from another murder trial in 2000, where her son Andrew and Mr Montgomery were the accused. Both were later cleared of murder. In the transcript Mrs Chisholm had said her brother told her he had stabbed Mr Chhokar. The prosecutor then asked: \"Did you tell the truth on oath when you gave evidence in that trial?\" and she answered: \"Yes.\" Mrs Chisholm told the jurors that Mr Coulter phoned her from prison while he was on remand and asked her to search for a tammy (hat), with a knife wrapped inside it, on the old railway line between Overtown and Gowkthrapple. She said: \"I went with my daughter Rona and my son Andrew, but with no intentions of finding them. It was freezing. We took the dog for a walk.\" Mrs Chisholm claimed that in an earlier phone call her brother asked her to go to Wishaw market, along with his former girlfriend Alexandra Tierney, and purchase a box of knives. She was asked what she was to do with the box of knives and replied: \"Take the smallest one out and put it in Ronnie's cutlery", "summary": "The sister of a man accused of stabbing Surjit Singh Chhokar in 1998 has told a trial he claimed that he had \"got away with the perfect murder\"."}
{"article": "Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Kyle Naughton. Offside, Manchester City. Gabriel Jesus tries a through ball, but Leroy San\u00e9 is caught offside. Attempt missed. Alfie Mawson (Swansea City) header from the right side of the six yard box misses to the left. Assisted by Gylfi Sigurdsson with a cross following a corner. Corner, Swansea City. Conceded by Aleksandar Kolarov. Fernando Llorente (Swansea City) is shown the yellow card. Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Fernando Llorente (Swansea City). Corner, Swansea City. Conceded by Aleksandar Kolarov. Attempt blocked. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Gabriel Jesus. Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Fernando Llorente (Swansea City). Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Leroy Fer (Swansea City). Attempt missed. Jack Cork (Swansea City) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left following a corner. Corner, Swansea City. Conceded by Willy Caballero. Attempt saved. Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea City) right footed shot from long range on the left is saved in the top left corner. Foul by Fernandinho (Manchester City). Martin Olsson (Swansea City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Second Half begins Manchester City 1, Swansea City 0. First Half ends, Manchester City 1, Swansea City 0. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) has gone down, but that's a dive. David Silva (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Martin Olsson (Swansea City). Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City). Martin Olsson (Swansea City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Martin Olsson (Swansea City). Foul by Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City). Leroy Fer (Swansea City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jack Cork (Swansea City). Attempt blocked. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Yaya Tour\u00e9 (Manchester City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne with a cross. Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Fernando Llorente. Attempt blocked. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by David Silva. Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Alfie Mawson. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Federico Fern\u00e1ndez (Swansea City). Ilkay Gundogan remains a long-term absentee but Fernandinho and Vincent Kompany will hope to earn recalls. Swansea could name an unchanged starting line-up for a third successive game. Captain Leon Britton has returned to training following a calf problem and will be part of the", "summary": "Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola could again select recent signing Gabriel Jesus ahead of top scorer Sergio Aguero."}
{"article": "The country hopes the measures will see its international athletics ban lifted. All Russian track and field athletes intending to compete in August's Rio Games will undergo a minimum of three independent anti-doping controls. These will be carried out by the sport's governing body, the IAAF, in addition to existing anti-doping steps. BBC Sport has learned two independent international experts will also be granted full access to the Russian anti-doping agency (Rusada) in Moscow from the end of April. The experts - nominated by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) - will be tasked with ensuring the Russian anti-doping system is free of any interference and is fully independent. \"Russia is implementing all necessary reforms,\" said Russia's Minister of Sport Vitaly Mutko. \"We are 100% supportive of Wada's efforts, alongside the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and IAAF, to stamp out cheating.\" Russia's athletics federation was suspended by the IAAF in November last year after being accused of \"state-sponsored\" doping. According to a Wada commission report, the London 2012 Games were \"sabotaged\" by Russian dopers and the country's security services were involved in the large-scale doping programme. Moscow lab officials were also found to have been responsible for the \"malicious destruction\" of 1417 samples, while a follow-up report by the commission found evidence that the cheating was linked to corruption at the highest levels of the IAAF. Rusada - and its Moscow laboratory - were subsequently found non-compliant with international anti-doping standards and lost their accreditation. Media playback is not supported on this device Last month, the IAAF said Russia had made \"considerable progress\" but there was \"significant work to be done\". A German documentary by ARD claimed a suspended Russian coach was still working with elite athletes. Concerns about Russian cheating also extend beyond track and field. At the weightlifting World Championships in December, four Russians were among 17 lifters suspended after drug tests. They included three gold medalists. Wada is also investigating allegations of systemic doping in Russian swimming. As for its athletes, Russia will find out by early June whether it can send a team to the Olympic Games. Senior Rusada management were replaced in December as the agency tried to convince the world it could be revamped. Now an independent supervisory board, which met for the first time last week, has agreed the new measures. \"The first meeting of the board and the presence of these independent experts are a key part of this road map,\" Mutko said. \"Clean athletes' dreams must not be allowed to be destroyed because of other people's mistakes. This is an important step.\" In recent months, UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) has taken control of drug-testing in Russia while Rusada remains non-compliant with Wada's code. \"We are urgently working to ensure sport in Russia is clean and fair,\" Natalia Zhelanova, the Russian government's anti-doping adviser, told the BBC. \"We very much hope that this effort will be recognised by the IAAF and by the international sports community as a whole, so that Russian athletes can compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. \"We understand that", "summary": "Russia is to announce a range of reforms designed to restore trust in its scandal-ridden anti-doping agency, BBC Sport has learned."}
{"article": "The 1.5 percentage point increase was higher than expected, with analysts having forecast a rise of 0.5 percentage points. The bank has already raised rates from 5.5% at the start of the year but the moves have failed to combat inflation. A weak rouble and a ban on western food imports has kept inflation stubbornly high. \"If external conditions improve, and a persistent trend for lowering inflation and inflation expectations emerges, the Bank of Russia will be ready to start to ease its monetary policy,\" the central bank said. The new rate will take effect on 5 November. The last rise was imposed at the end of July. The central bank said that inflation had reached 8.4% and would remain above 8% until the end of March. Economic growth is expected to almost grind to a halt in the final three months of this year and in the first quarter of 2015. The rouble briefly firmed after the bank's decision was announced, but then fell back into negative territory. The rise comes as Russia said it would will resume shipments of natural gas to Ukraine after Kiev makes its first payment for previous supplies next week. Meanwhile, the European Union said it had launched a trade dispute with Russia at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to challenge Russia's treatment of European agricultural and manufactured goods. The WTO said the EU had accused Russia of levying higher-than-permitted tariffs on a range of goods including paper, palm oil and refrigerators. The dispute is the fifth case involving Russia and the EU that has been brought to the WTO.", "summary": "Russia's central bank has raised its key interest rate to 9.5% from 8% as it seeks to tackle inflation."}
{"article": "Their emotionally-charged, radio-friendly rock anthems like Radioactive and Sucker For Pain have won Grammy Awards, number one albums and a scarily loyal fanbase. But behind closed doors, the band's frontman Dan Reynolds was struggling with severe depression. Things came to a head on their last world tour. Playing 110 dates in 42 countries on five continents left the singer \"numb\". \"It came to a point where I didn't have an option,\" he tells the BBC. \"It was lose my family and lose my life or seek help.\" After the band's final concert of the tour in Amsterdam last February, the star told his bandmates he was taking a year off to tackle the condition, which has plagued him since childhood. \"When I was younger, in school, I would just let it pass, and ride out the valleys and the peaks and the ups and downs,\" he says. \"Then I tried medication and it was too scary for me, because I felt like it was going to change the music.\" So last year, he \"went to a therapist and sat down and basically faced it head on for the first time\". Having decided not to take antidepressants, his treatment took \"a more holistic route\" than before - changing his diet, cutting out sugar and practicing yoga and meditation. The latter, in particular, \"has been huge\" for the singer, who says he has trouble \"quieting\" his brain. Reynolds was supported through the last year by his wife, fellow musician Aja Volkman, and bandmate Wayne Sermon, whom he's known since childhood. \"We're brothers, so if he's not in a good place, then none of us are,\" says Sermon. The guitarist admits everyone in the band has \"demons that came out\" after their ascent to fame - including his own issues with trust and \"questioning people's motives\". \"When you're under a microscope, it's going to magnify all the problems you had before,\" he says, \"But I don't want to be to be down about it, because I feel like we've come out better people. All of us.\" Those changes are the foundation of Imagine Dragons' new album Evolve. The artwork shows a human form ascending from a place of eternal darkness to one of light and colour, while the music is inventive and vibrant - especially when compared to the claustrophobic onslaught of their last record. \"Smoke + Mirrors was super-angsty\" admits Reynolds. \"This album is a celebration of opening the blinds and the light shining through.\" On the lead single, Believer, he writes about his personal transformation while acknowledging: \"My life, my love, my drive, it came from pain.\" \"I was raised in a really conservative household and carried a heavy guilty conscience with me because of religion,\" he explains. \"Letting go of that was really freeing and wonderful. But I've also learned to be happy for the things I learned from it and grateful for the love that I found. \"If it wasn't for all of those things working in the exact way they did, Imagine Dragons would cease to exist.\" The seventh of", "summary": "Over the last five years, Imagine Dragons have become one of the biggest bands on the planet."}
{"article": "The bones most commonly broken in human punch-ups also gained the most strength in early \"hominin\" evolution. They are also the bones that show most divergence between males and females. The paper, in the journal Biological Reviews, argues that the reinforcements evolved amid fighting over females and resources, suggesting that violence drove key evolutionary changes. Fossil records show that the australopiths, immediate predecessors of the human genus Homo, had strikingly robust facial structures. For many years, this extra strength was seen as an adaptation to a tough diet including nuts, seeds and grasses. But more recent findings, examining the wear pattern and carbon isotopes in australopith teeth, have cast some doubt on this \"feeding hypothesis\". \"In fact, [the australopith] boisei, the 'nutcracker man', was probably eating fruit,\" said Prof David Carrier, the new theory's lead author and an evolutionary biologist at the University of Utah. Instead of diet, Prof Carrier and his co-author, physician Dr Michael Morgan, propose that violent competition demanded the development of these facial fortifications: what they call the \"protective buttressing hypothesis\". In support of their proposal, Carrier and Morgan offer data from modern humans fighting. Several studies from hospital emergency wards, including one from the Bristol Royal Infirmary, show that faces are particularly vulnerable to violent injuries. \"Jaws are one of the most frequent bones to break - and it's not the end of the world now, because we have surgeons, we have modern medicine,\" Prof Carrier explained. \"But four million years ago, if you broke your jaw, it was probably a fatal injury. You wouldn't be able to chew food... You'd just starve to death.\" The jaw, cheek, eye and nose structures that most commonly come to grief in modern fist fights were also the most protected by evolutionary changes seen in the australopiths. Furthermore, these are the bones that show the most differences between men and women, as well as between our male and female forebears. That is how you would expect defensive armour to evolve, Prof Carrier points out. \"In humans and in great apes in general... it's males that are most likely to get into fights, and it's also males that are most likely to get injured,\" he told BBC News. Interestingly, the evolutionary descendents of the australopiths - including humans - have displayed less and less facial buttressing. This is consistent, according to Prof Carrier, with a decreasing need for protection: \"Our arms and upper body are not nearly as strong as they were in the australopiths,\" he explained. \"There's a temporal correlation.\" The facial buttressing idea builds on a previous observation by Prof Carrier and Dr Morgan that the early hominins were the first primates to evolve a hand shape compatible with making a fist - and thus, throwing a punch. That earlier paper attracted criticism from some other researchers, and Prof Carrier expects this new contribution may also prove controversial. He says that debate about the role of violence in human evolution is not new. \"[Our paper] does address this debate of whether our past was violent or peaceful,\" he told", "summary": "A new theory suggests that our male ancestors evolved beefy facial features as a defence against fist fights."}
{"article": "\"No-one should expect that relations will suddenly deteriorate completely because of this decision,\" Binali Yildirim said. Turkey recalled its envoy to Germany in protest against the resolution passed by German MPs on Thursday. It promised to take \"necessary steps\". Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their people died in the atrocities committed by Ottoman Turks in 1915, during World War One. Turkey says the toll was much lower and rejects the term \"genocide\". More than 20 countries, including France and Russia, recognise the 1915 massacre as \"genocide\", as do most non-Turkish scholars of the period. Q&A: Armenian genocide dispute Armenian 'genocide' vote ignites press The Bundestag [German lower house] vote heightens German-Turkish tensions at a time when Turkey's help is needed to control migrant arrivals. The resolution - adopted overwhelmingly - uses the word \"genocide\" in the headline and text. It also says Germany, at the time an ally of the Ottomans, bears some guilt for doing nothing to stop the killings. The condemnation by Turkish politicians was widespread, including a joint statement by the ruling AK Party and two opposition parties which spoke of \"indignation in the Turkish nation\". However, Mr Yildirim stressed that \"Germany and Turkey are two very important allies\". An estimated three million people of Turkish origin live in Germany. The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the resolution would seriously affect relations with Germany, and that the government would consider further measures in response to the vote. In a clear reference to Germany's Nazi past, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted: \"The way to close the dark pages in your own history is not by besmirching the history of other countries with irresponsible and groundless parliamentary decisions.\" But German Chancellor Angela Merkel said: \"There is a lot that binds Germany to Turkey and even if we have a difference of opinion on an individual matter, the breadth of our links, our friendship, our strategic ties, is great.\" Armenian tragedy still raw in Turkey", "summary": "Turkey's prime minister has condemned as a \"historic error\" Germany's vote to recognise the 1915 massacre of Armenians as genocide, but said it will not wreck the two countries' ties."}
{"article": "The Welsh government has held a summit on the topic after fire crews in south Wales tackled 900 blazes in March and April. Suspected fire starters, some as young as 11, have been arrested for deliberately sparking fires which have reduced vast swathes of land to ash. Crimestoppers has offered \u00c2\u00a35,000 for information on a series of attacks. The fires were lit across Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr. South Wales Fire Service's fire crime unit station manager Emma Bushell said: \"It's definitely not risk-free fun, because of the risks to the community, to wild life and to flora and fauna. \"It could have a catastrophic effect for people in the community.\" Ms Bushell said the service had received more than 8,000 calls in March and April - the third largest amount it has handled for this period in 15 years. However, she added: \"In reality, it is not any worse that it was in previous years.\" This year's 900 reported grass fires incidents is more than the 580 reported in 2014, but less than 2,500 in 2010 and 1,700 in 2011. \"It's a historic problem in Wales that people have always started grass fires. People are used to seeing the area black at this time of the year and the community has never really got up in arms about it,\" Ms Bushell added. \"It seems, because of the media coverage and the social media coverage this year, the community is actually saying, 'We want this to stop', which is brilliant.\" Ms Bushell said it was more important than ever the public reported fire starters and gave evidence, such as CCTV footage, to the police to make sure they were brought to book. This year's fires have been exacerbated by a lack of rain and the build up of bracken and foliage which has not been burnt in previous, wetter years. Such blazes are a UK-wide problem, but Ms Bushell said the south Wales valleys, with their easily accessible mountains, were particularly prone. She said fire service efforts to educate people about the dangers of grass fires were not enough, adding: \"We need to see more prosecutions.\" \"People have traditionally said it's young kids but in my experience it's not,\" she added, pointing out that adults as old as 35 had been arrested over the latest slew of alleged offences. \"I know that our chief fire officer is keen to get involved in some work profiling the people being caught so that we can target out education and awareness [campaigns],\" she added. On Tuesday, representatives from Rhondda Cynon Taf council, South Wales Police, South Wales Fire and Natural Resources Wales met to discuss the problem. Leader of the Council, Andrew Morgan, said: \"The number and frequency of the recent grass fires has been shocking and simply cannot continue. \"We have been fortunate so far that no-one has been seriously injured as a result of these mindless acts, and this meeting pulled together a number of constructive and positive actions to tackle this issue.\" Huw Jakeway, chief fire officer for South Wales Fire and", "summary": "A fire crime chief says more prosecutions are needed to stop people starting grass fires for fun."}
{"article": "West Sussex Fire and Rescue said crews were called to a \"ferocious fire\" in the kitchen of the property in Harwood Road, Littlehampton, at 12:10 BST. Police said a woman inside the house died, while two other adults were taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire is currently being treated as unexplained. Anyone who saw what happened at the time the fire broke out or who may have any other information is asked to contact Sussex Police.", "summary": "A woman has died and two other people have been injured following a fire at a terraced house in West Sussex."}
{"article": "The Richard Review says the definition of apprenticeship has been \"stretched too far\" and needs to be rethought. It warns that too often the traditional relationship between the employer and the person being trained has been lost. The government welcomed the report and said it would respond in due course. There has been a rapid increase in the number of apprenticeships in England in recent years, with successive governments urging young people to consider them instead of university. But there are concerns about quality, with some as short as three months. Entrepreneur Doug Richard was asked by Business Secretary Vince Cable and Education Secretary Michael Gove to consider the future of apprenticeships in England. In his review, Mr Richard says \"apprenticeships or the notion of them are popular\", but that this has led to many things being called apprenticeships which, in fact, are not. \"Simply enough, not all instances of training on a job are apprenticeships,\" he says. They \"require a new job role, a role that is new to the individual and requires them to learn a substantial amount before they can do that job effectively,\" he said. As a consequence, he says, the nation risks losing sight of the core features of what makes apprenticeships work. And he suggests they should last for at least a year, adding that those \"measured in weeks or months\", can still \"fall short\". He adds that while the knowledge required for a job could be covered in a shorter period of time, it took time for \"the individual to transform from an apprentice to a skilled worker\". This comes after numerous complaints that some agencies and businesses have been offering low grade apprenticeships that only last for a few weeks or even months, in exchange for cheap labour and government funding. He is clear that training to improve the skills of someone who has been in their job for some time or someone who is not yet ready to start work should not be called an apprenticeship. He warns that that the relationship between the employer and the trainee is being lost, as schemes have become government-led training initiatives, shaped by training professionals, rather than employers. He calls for a new set of qualifications which set out what a person should be able to do and know at the end of their training. But they must also offer a set of skills broad enough for other jobs. He said these new qualifications should be redefined by employers who should set the standard, rather than ministers. They should be free of the \"bureaucratic box ticking assessment\" and \"micro-level\" prescription that he says is a feature of current vocational qualifications. \"It is complicated and off-putting to an employer to have to undertake paperwork gymnastics to pigeonhole their system into a redefined set of curricular approaches,\" he adds. He calls for the apprentice's accomplishments to be robustly tested and validated, and says they must include high quality attainments in maths and English for those who have not got GCSEs in the subjects before they start. And he", "summary": "Apprenticeships in England should last for at least a year and genuinely train someone in a new role, a key report for the government says."}
{"article": "They have expressed scepticism over a deal by world powers to push for a cessation of hostilities within a week. They have also reiterated their demand that President Bashar al-Assad be removed from power. Earlier the president said he wanted to retake \"the whole country\" from rebels. Three Syrian rebel groups have expressed doubts to the BBC over the cessation of hostilities agreement: Riad Hijab, co-ordinator of Syria's main opposition bloc, earlier told the BBC's Newsnight programme that to announce a cessation of hostilities before making progress in the political process \"is not realistic, objective or logical\". What does truce deal amount to? How Putin is succeeding in Syria World media on Syria plan Agreement to try to bring about a cessation of hostilities and allow more access for humanitarian aid was reached by world powers late on Thursday in Germany, but neither the Syrian government nor the rebels were involved. So far there has been no sign of the UN realising its hopes of delivering aid imminently to more besieged areas. A new UN task force set up to co-ordinate aid distributions convened in Geneva on Friday. Some Syrian cities have been cut off from aid for more than a year because of fighting. About 13.5 million people are in need, the UN says. In his rare interview recorded on Thursday, Mr Assad told AFP news agency that defeating the groups ranged against him could take some time due to the involvement of regional powers. Mr Assad expressed support for peace talks but said negotiations did not mean \"we stop fighting terrorism\". And he vowed to sever the rebels' supply route from Turkey. Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air strikes, have almost encircled rebels in parts of the northern city of Aleppo. US state department spokesman Mark Toner said Mr Assad was \"deluded\" if he thought there was a military solution to the conflict. More than 250,000 people have been killed and some 11 million displaced in almost five years of fighting in Syria. Why is there a war in Syria? Anti-government protests developed into a civil war that, four years on, has ground to a stalemate, with the Assad government, Islamic State, an array of Syrian rebels and Kurdish fighters all holding territory. Who is fighting whom? Government forces concentrated in Damascus and the centre and west of Syria are fighting the jihadists of Islamic State and al-Nusra Front, as well as less numerous so-called \"moderate\" rebel groups, who are strongest in the north and east. These groups are also battling each other. How has the world reacted? Iran, Russia and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement are propping up the Alawite-led Assad government, while Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar back the more moderate Sunni-dominated opposition, along with the US, UK and France. Hezbollah and Iran are believed to have troops and officers on the ground, while a Western-led coalition and Russia are carrying out air strikes.", "summary": "Rebel groups in Syria have told the BBC they will not stop fighting because they do not believe that Russia will end its bombing campaign in support of the government."}
{"article": "The plan also pledged to free up hospital beds by cutting the number of patients staying longer than they need. And it set out commitments to recruit more GPs and nurses and regionalise some hospital services. It follows Audit Scotland saying the NHS had met only one of its eight waiting time targets. The public spending watchdog also said the health service needed to make unprecedented savings next year, and that NHS funding was not keeping pace with increasing demand on the service. The government's Health and Social Services delivery plan said Scotland needed a \"fundamental move\" away from a \"fix and treat\" approach. Instead, the focus will be on preventing people becoming ill in the first place, and then intervening as quickly as possible to prevent their conditions becoming more serious. The key to this will be attempting to create a culture in which healthy behaviours are the norm, starting from the earliest years and persisting throughout people's lives. The document also said mental health should be given equal importance to physical health, and stressed the need to address the underlying conditions that affect health. And it said that, when people do need hospital care, the aim should be for day surgery to be the norm, with people who need to stay longer discharged as quickly as it is safe to do so. The delivery plan said it aimed to reduce unscheduled bed-days in hospital care by up to 10% (about 400,000 bed-days) by 2018, through reducing delayed discharges, avoidable admissions and inappropriately long stays in hospitals. Once they are discharged, patients should get \"more appropriate care in a more homely setting\", with good quality community care in place to ensure people only stay in hospitals for as long as they need specific treatment, the plan said. And it also said that some acute local hospital services should be transferred to larger regional - or even national - centres of excellence, where patients can receive the best possible treatment. The plans said: \"Ultimately, individuals and where appropriate, their families - should be at the centre of decisions that affect them. They should be given more freedom, choice, dignity and control over their care\". Among the other commitments were: Announcing the plan, Health Secretary Shona Robison said: \"We want more services and more care delivered closer to home. \"And when someone does require specialist care in hospital we want it to be delivered in a centre of real expertise that is underpinned by our unswerving commitment to patient safety.\" She added: \"The plan I am setting out today puts actions and timescales to an already established direction of travel which we know has the broad support of healthcare professionals, charities and patient groups. \"It recognises that we must up the pace of change if we're to deliver modern, sustainable health services and that local health boards and integration partnerships have an important role to play in taking this forward over the next year and beyond.\"", "summary": "The Scottish government has published its blueprint for the future of the NHS, with a focus on treating people closer to home rather than in hospital."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old, who has 26 caps for his country, has signed a deal, subject to a medical, until May 2018. Sarto said: \"Glasgow Warriors are a massive club and play a great style of rugby. \"I wanted to move to the UK as I know the standard of rugby is high and I want to improve my game. Joining a club like Glasgow will help me do that.\" Sarto knows Warriors well, having played against them for Zebre in the Pro12, and scored a try when making his international debut against Scotland in the South African Quadrangular Tournament in 2013. \"I've always known Glasgow is a great club and I know Simone Favaro is enjoying it there,\" he said of the 27-year-old back-row forward. \"I hear the fans love him and I hope I will have a similarly good relationship with them when I move over.\" Glasgow head coach Gregor Townsend said Sarto was a player Warriors \"had been tracking for a while\". \"Leonardo has been one of the best wingers in the Guinness Pro12 over the past few seasons and has an ability to break tackles,\" he added. \"He has also performed well at Test level and had an excellent all-round game against Scotland last month. \"We believe that he will make further improvements in our environment and will add to the competition for places in our backline.\"", "summary": "Italy wing Leonardo Sarto has agreed to join Glasgow Warriors on a two-year contract in the summer from Zebre."}
{"article": "Ex-Portugal midfielder Figo, 42, pulled out on the same day as Van Praag, 67, to leave Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan as Blatter's only rival. Blatter is favourite to win a fifth term as president and Figo said: \"This process is anything but an election. \"This process is a plebiscite for the delivery of absolute power to one man - something I refuse to go along with.\" Each of Fifa's 209 member associations have a vote in the election and Van Praag, who is president of the Dutch football federation, says he will now support Prince Ali. The English Football Association also intend to support Prince Ali, while the Scottish FA had previously said they would back Van Praag. The Dutchman held a joint news conference with Prince Ali in Amsterdam on Thursday, urging his supporters to get behind the Jordanian to unseat Blatter. \"Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein convincingly demonstrated that at this moment in time he is the candidate who has the biggest chance to challenge Sepp Blatter,\" Van Praag said. \"It is impossible that Fifa moves on with its current presidency,\" he added. Figo also highlighted the need for change in his withdrawal statement. \"I travelled and met extraordinary people who, though they recognized the value of much that had been done, also concurred with the need for change, one that cleans up Fifa's reputation as an obscure organization that is so often viewed as a place of corruption,\" he said. \"I have seen with my own eyes federation presidents who, after one day comparing Fifa leaders to the devil, then go on stage and compare those same people with Jesus Christ. Nobody told me about this. I saw it with my own eyes.\" He also questioned an election process in which a main candidate - Blatter - had not produced a manifesto \"so that federation presidents know what they're voting for\". Figo added: \"There has not been a single public debate about each candidate's proposals.\" The latest withdrawal comes after another presidential candidate, Frenchman Jerome Champagne, a former Fifa deputy general secretary, pulled out in February. Former Tottenham and Newcastle midfielder David Ginola, backed by a betting company, originally announced his intention to stand against Blatter in January, but withdrew two weeks later. The vote will be held in Zurich at Fifa's annual congress and requires the winning candidate to secure a two-thirds majority in the first round of voting. If subsequent rounds are required then a simple majority is all that is required for victory.", "summary": "Luis Figo has joined Michael van Praag in withdrawing from the Fifa presidential election on 29 May."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Lallana struck in the 95th minute to seal a 5-4 win moments after Sebastien Bassong had equalised for the Canaries. Klopp was swamped by his players - and his trademark specs slipped off. \"I have a second pair of glasses, but I can't find them,\" said Klopp. \"It's hard to find glasses without glasses.\" Klopp has broken his glasses before during a match, with that pair residing in his former club Borussia Dortmund's museum. \"We won for the first time against Bayern Munich and Nuri Sahin broke my glasses. Today it was Adam Lallana,\" he added. Read about how the dramatic game unfolded Klopp may have been smiling at half-time but just moments earlier he was fuming at his players for allowing Bassong to make it 4-4. The Reds' defending had been particularly poor throughout, with Norwich having scored from every shot they had on target to lead 3-1. \"There was about 70 minutes that were really good,\" said the 48-year-old. \"Conceding four goals is in general not good. Conceding from set plays is the biggest rubbish ever because it is too easy for the other team. \"Usually we concede from a corner but now it was from the second ball - we were like rabbits in the headlights, but we won the game in the end.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Klopp was not the only person who felt his side should have defended better in the game. \"I am not happy obviously,\" said Norwich boss Alex Neil. \"The game was in our hands at 3-1 but after that we managed to turn a really good performance into a bit of a shambles.\"", "summary": "Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and his players celebrated Adam Lallana's stoppage-time winner at Norwich so wildly that the German ended up breaking his glasses."}
{"article": "The Uruguay forward turned in Lucas Moura's cross to put the visitors ahead at the break. Thomas Meunier headed against the Nantes bar before Cavani sealed the win with a thumping 25-yard free kick. PSG, bidding for a fifth straight title, have won their past four games by scoring 15 goals and conceding none. Unai Emery's third-placed side have 45 points from 21 games - one behind Nice, who drew 1-1 at Bastia on Friday. Second-placed Monaco, above PSG on goal difference, will go top if they avoid defeat when they host second-bottom Lorient on Sunday. Elsewhere on Saturday, Guingamp stayed in fifth after drawing 1-1 at home against 10-man Rennes. Bordeaux moved above opponents Toulouse into eighth place with a 1-0 home success, while Metz boosted their survival hopes with a 2-0 home win against Montpellier. Mid-table sides Dijon and Lille remain 15th and 14th respectively following their goalless stalemate. Match ends, Nantes 0, Paris Saint Germain 2. Second Half ends, Nantes 0, Paris Saint Germain 2. Foul by Maxwell (Paris Saint Germain). Adrien Thomasson (Nantes) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. \u00c1ngel Di Mar\u00eda (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Hatem Ben Arfa. Offside, Paris Saint Germain. Thiago Motta tries a through ball, but Hatem Ben Arfa is caught offside. Attempt blocked. Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Hatem Ben Arfa. Attempt saved. \u00c1ngel Di Mar\u00eda (Paris Saint Germain) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt blocked. Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Hatem Ben Arfa. Attempt missed. Valentin Rongier (Nantes) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Attempt saved. Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by \u00c1ngel Di Mar\u00eda. Foul by \u00c1ngel Di Mar\u00eda (Paris Saint Germain). Adrien Thomasson (Nantes) wins a free kick on the left wing. Corner, Paris Saint Germain. Conceded by Lucas Lima. Substitution, Paris Saint Germain. Hatem Ben Arfa replaces Edinson Cavani. Attempt blocked. \u00c1ngel Di Mar\u00eda (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Edinson Cavani. Corner, Paris Saint Germain. Conceded by Maxime Dup\u00e9. Corner, Paris Saint Germain. Conceded by Lucas Lima. Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Koffi Djidji (Nantes). Corner, Nantes. Conceded by Thiago Silva. Substitution, Paris Saint Germain. Adrien Rabiot replaces Marco Verratti. Substitution, Nantes. Adrien Thomasson replaces Amine Harit. Attempt missed. Emiliano Sala (Nantes) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Amine Harit. Attempt saved. \u00c1ngel Di Mar\u00eda (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Felipe Pardo (Nantes) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Lucas Moura (Paris", "summary": "French champions Paris St-Germain moved within a point of Ligue 1 leaders Nice as striker Edinson Cavani's brace earned a 2-0 win at Nantes."}
{"article": "Martyn Waghorn gave Ipswich the lead against the run of play when he swept the ball past keeper Daniel Bentley. Bartosz Bialkowski made two good saves before Nico Yennaris hit the bar and Florian Jozefzoon missed a free header as Brentford went close to equalising. But Joe Garner doubled Town's lead with a powerful header from a corner to help Mick McCarthy's side clinch the win. Ipswich had failed to win any of their past five Championship matches against Brentford, but goals from summer signings Waghorn and Garner saw them extend their 100% start to the season. Waghorn has hit the ground running since joining from Rangers earlier this month and scored his fourth goal of the campaign, following good work from David McGoldrick. Brentford had their chances, with Kamohelo Mokotjo and Ollie Watkins going close, but Garner's header, which was confirmed by goalline technology, ensured Ipswich kept pace with Cardiff City at the top of the Championship. Former Rangers strike duo Waghorn and Garner have now scored a combined seven goals in just seven Championship appearances between them. Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy: \"It was a thoroughly professional performance against a very good side. Everyone put in a shift and I could praise everybody for their performance. \"Bart (Bialkowski) made the saves when needed and it was just a whole team performance. \"Last season we didn't look like scoring at all and we do this year. It's lovely for the lads, for me and the supporters to see goals go in. They are a threat and it's great to see.\" Brentford boss Dean Smith: \"That's certainly the word I'd use at the moment, frustration. We made one mistake in the first half and they score. We should have been out of sight in the first half, we were excellent. \"We created a number of chances and didn't take them. I believe if we score when we're on top then we win the game comfortably. \"We have to keep believing in what we're doing. I'm optimistic, but I'm cautious that we're losing games which we shouldn't lose.\" Match ends, Ipswich Town 2, Brentford 0. Second Half ends, Ipswich Town 2, Brentford 0. Corner, Brentford. Conceded by Grant Ward. Nico Yennaris (Brentford) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Flynn Downes (Ipswich Town). Theo Archibald (Brentford) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jonas Knudsen (Ipswich Town). Substitution, Ipswich Town. Danny M. Rowe replaces Freddie Sears. Attempt blocked. Romaine Sawyers (Brentford) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Josh Clarke. Attempt missed. Nico Yennaris (Brentford) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left following a corner. Corner, Brentford. Conceded by Freddie Sears. Corner, Brentford. Conceded by Dominic Iorfa. Substitution, Ipswich Town. Tristan Nydam replaces David McGoldrick. Corner, Ipswich Town. Conceded by Maxime Colin. Foul by Theo Archibald (Brentford). Grant Ward (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Myles Kenlock (Ipswich Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Theo Archibald", "summary": "Ipswich Town made it four wins from four games in the Championship with victory over Brentford at Portman Road."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old's deal ties him to Warriors until May 2019, having joined in 2010. Pyrgos, capped 18 times by his country, told Glasgow's website he had spoken with Dave Rennie, who will replace head coach Gregor Townsend next year. \"He told me about his vision for the club and his rugby philosophy and it's exciting,\" said Pyrgos. \"To have someone of Dave's quality coming in is brilliant for the club. \"I love everything about Glasgow Warriors and the club means a huge amount to me. \"This is my seventh year at the Warriors and winning the Pro12 two years ago has been the standout moment. \"I'm excited for the future here and we'll be working extremely hard to continue to compete for trophies every season. I believe we have a squad capable of doing that and that's the main reason I wanted to stay.\" Townsend, who will become Scotland head coach next summer, added: \"It's brilliant news for the club that Henry has signed for another two years. \"He is one of our leaders and has developed a huge amount in his time at the club. Now he is helping the club continue to improve and evolve on and off the pitch. \"There is a lot more to come from him on the playing side and we are really fortunate to have such a high quality group of scrum-halves right now.\"", "summary": "Scotland scrum-half Henry Pyrgos has signed a new two-year contract with Glasgow Warriors."}
{"article": "The Athens General Index opened down about 4%, before recovering to be 1.4% lower. On Monday, the share index had dropped 16% on the first day of trading after a five-week shutdown. Major banks were close to the maximum 30% declines they are allowed in one day, a limit that was hit on Monday. Banks account for about 20% of the Athens index. Falling bank shares were offset by gains in some non-financial shares. Among the shares rising were the gaming group OPAP and some tourism-related shares such as Aegean Airlines. The main share index is down more than 50% from last year's peak. During the height of the Greek debt crisis, the stock exchange was closed for five weeks as part of the programme of capital controls to prevent people taking euros out of the country. Greek investors are still not allowed to use money in their bank accounts to trade on the stock exchange.", "summary": "Greek bank shares have fallen sharply for a second day in Athens, but non-financial firms have fared better."}
{"article": "Madeley took to Twitter when he spotted the device above the house he shares in Cornwall with his wife, 67-year-old fellow presenter Judy Finnigan. The star, 59, said he chased the drone user and published his van registration number on the social media site. Madeley said \"minutes after\" his tweet the man reported himself to the police. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed they were investigating whether a drone had been used legally. Madeley said the man \"called himself in to police with babbled excuses and apologies\" following the incident in Talland Bay, near Looe, at about 14:00 BST on Tuesday. A force spokesman said: \"Police are looking into the use of the drone and if it was being used in accordance with the law.\" Drones fitted with cameras must not be flown within 50m (164ft) of people, vehicles, buildings or structures, according to the Civil Aviation Authority's code.", "summary": "TV's Richard Madeley has hailed \"Twitterpower\" after a \"peeping Tom\" drone was allegedly flown over the garden of his idyllic seaside home."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Hill, 18, won the skeet title at the inaugural European Games in June and claimed victory at the World Cup final in Cyprus last month. She is joined by world medallist Elena Allen and world record holder Tim Kneale. \"Every competition I enter, I go in trying to win,\" Hill told BBC Sport. \"To be named as an Olympian is an incredible honour and I'm getting more confident I'm able to win these competitions.\" The 2013 BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year added: \"Hopefully I can inspire some other youngsters to get into a sport of some sort - it really does make you so determined and focused on what you want to do in life.\" At London 2012, Peter Wilson came away with the team's only medal - winning gold in the men's double trap, before announcing his retirement in 2014. Four of the six shooters will go to Rio having previous Olympic Games experience. Steve Scott, a World Cup gold medallist in Cyprus in October, came 12th at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and will join debutant Kneale in the double trap competition. London Olympian Allen competes against Hill in the women's skeet competition, while 2014 Scottish Commonwealth silver medallist Jen McIntosh will line-up in the 50m 3 positions event. Media playback is not supported on this device Two-time Olympian and world silver medallist Ed Ling is Britain's competitor in the men's trap. \"I'm absolutely over the moon, it's a huge honour,\" said Ling. \"I know what I'm going to expect going into this year and to obtain that Olympic medal is what we work for.\" Team GB are sixth on the all-time Olympic Games shooting medal table with 44 - 13 gold, 15 silver and 16 bronze. The number of Rio Olympic shooters in the squad may increase next year, as results at the European Championships in Hungary in February could unlock two additional berths. Shooting is the third sport to have British athletes officially selected for Rio 2016, after eight sailors and four canoe slalom athletes were named earlier in the year.", "summary": "Amber Hill aims to become the first British woman to win Olympic shooting gold after being named in a six-strong Team GB squad for the Rio 2016 Games."}
{"article": "The 38-year-old has played 636 games in his career for various clubs including Sheffield United, where he was a team-mate of Cobblers boss Rob Page. He was released by Rotherham at the end of last campaign, and replaces previous keeper coach Carl Muggleton, who has left Sixfields Stadium. Kenny's most recent first-team appearance came for Oldham in 2014. \"Coaching is something I always wanted to do when my playing career ended,\" Kenny told BBC Radio Northampton. \"I've seen it more over the last few years as I've got older and when I'm training I tend to have more input with the younger lads. \"I'm here as goalkeeper coach. With the new (loan) ruling, I'm registered as a player for the absolute worst case scenario. \"The last couple of years I've not had much game-time and it's gradually brought me down and I've got used to it over the last few years.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Veteran goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has joined newly-promoted League One side Northampton Town as player-coach."}
{"article": "The pair, aged 24 and 27, were attacked by a group wearing hooded tops, who had covered their faces, on Drumilaw Way in Rutherglen at about 02:45 on Sunday. The victims were taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. Police said the incident was visible from nearby houses and have appealed for witnesses to come forward. They said the men were approached by five or six male youths at the grass area opposite the Usave store. Det Con Ross Philip said: \"There are a lot of houses that overlook the grass area and roadway at Drumilaw Way and I'd like to speak to anyone who may have been disturbed by noise at this time of night and may have looked out and witnessed the two men being attacked.\" Hospital staff said the men's injuries were not thought to be life threatening.", "summary": "Two men are in a serious condition in hospital after being assaulted in a large-scale disturbance in South Lanarkshire."}
{"article": "One person was killed in Kabul, one in the eastern city of Jalalabad and at least four in Parwan province. US officials apologised on Tuesday after Korans were \"inadvertently\" put in an incinerator at Bagram airbase. Officials at Bagram reportedly believed Taliban prisoners were using the books to pass messages to each other. The charred remains of the volumes were found by local labourers. Protesters in Kabul shouted, \"Death to America!\" and threw stones at Camp Phoenix, the main US base in the city. By Babrak MiakhelBBC Afghan, Jalalabad There were several demonstrations across Nangarhar province and at least two in the main city of Jalalabad. The first happened at the university. Students were angry, chanting slogans against Americans and against US troops. They were determined but not violent. A second demonstration elsewhere in the city turned ugly. I arrived as injured protesters were being taken to hospital in ambulances and private cars. People said the US apology was not enough. Oil tankers had been set ablaze. The protesters' message was that Afghans respect the other religions of troops inside Afghanistan, so why have they failed to respect Islam and the Koran? Riot police used water cannon to disperse protesters, some of whom were blocking the road leading to Jalalabad, one of the main trade routes into the capital. Witnesses said security guards were firing into the air. There were also reports of people chanting pro-Taliban slogans. One protester in Kabul was killed and 10 wounded. Four further deaths were confirmed in the Shinwari district of Parwan province, north of Kabul. There were also peaceful protests in the eastern province of Kunar. In Jalalabad, protesters burned an effigy of US President Barack Obama, and BBC Afghan reporter Babrak Miakhel said oil tankers had been set on fire. A doctor told the BBC one person had been killed and 10 injured. One protester in Kabul, 18-year-old Ajmal, told Reuters: \"When the Americans insult us to this degree, we will join the insurgents.\" The US embassy in Kabul is on lockdown and all travel is suspended. The Taliban called on Afghan police and soldiers to redeem themselves by turning their guns away from protesters and towards Nato-led troops. The Afghan parliament held an emergency debate. In a statement, MPs condemned what had happened, called for punishment of those responsible and asked the Afghan government to send its own delegation to Bagram to establish exactly what happened and why. \"Everyone is emotional,\" Kabul resident Mohammad Naseer Malikzai told the BBC. \"I am hurting and disappointed. \"I created a Facebook group where I was disputing with a lot of people. The American apology is useless.\" Another Kabul resident, Farhad Raza, said abusing Islam would prolong the war in Afghanistan. \"These kind of actions [abusing Islam] create a gap between Afghans and Nato forces, and make people hate Nato forces, which will make this war longer than it is now,\" he told the BBC. US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said he and the top commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan, Gen John Allen, had apologised", "summary": "At least six people have been killed and dozens injured in Afghanistan after protests spread over the burning of copies of the Koran at a US airbase."}
{"article": "Clive Williams, 69, was headmaster at Ashdown House Preparatory School in Forest Row, East Sussex for more than 25 years before he left in 2003. He was questioned by Sussex Police about alleged sexual assault and child neglect offences against pupils. Mr Williams was not charged and was bailed until 11 November. Police said a 69-year-old man was arrested at an address in Barcombe, near Lewes, on Wednesday and a computer and documentation were seized. The man was not named but BBC sources confirmed he was Clive Williams. \"During January this year we were contacted by a firm of solicitors representing a number of clients who have reported to them that they were sexually and physically assaulted by staff, whilst they were pupils at Ashdown House School near Forest Row in the 1970s,\" a police spokesman said. \"We have since been in contact with 20 people reporting offences against them, including those clients. \"Most have already been interviewed by officers from our specialist Child Protection Team in East Sussex. \"The investigation continues and now spans a period from the late 1960s to the early 1980s.\" Sussex Police said there were no current safeguarding issues at the school. Ashdown House has been owned by the Cothill Educational Trust since 2009. The trust said in a statement in January, it understood that it may be the subject of legal proceedings relating to episodes of abuse, said to have taken place between 30 and 40 years ago. \"The trustees are deeply saddened about those matters and wish to do everything they can to assist any former pupil who has been affected,\" it said.", "summary": "The former headmaster of a prep school attended by London mayor Boris Johnson, has been arrested on suspicion of historic sex assaults."}
{"article": "I am a \"Macaulay's child\" - usually a pejorative term for an Anglicised Indian - who went to an English medium school, read Dickens and Greene and listened to The Beatles and Stones. It sounds a bit fey to attribute all this to a man who took on the Orientalists and won the argument for making English language education the basis of a \"class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern; a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals and in intellect\". But, as Zareer Masani writes in the biography, history has proved Macaulay right. More than 60 years after independence, English has become a passport to upward mobility in the wildly aspirational former colony, and more Indians are learning the language than ever before. As Masani points out, India has endured linguistic division of states and language riots, but English medium schools thrive in towns and villages today. Masani's admiration for Macaulay, a complex man of protean talents - historian, statesman, scholar, poet, essayist, parliamentarian, colonial administrator, intellectual - is evident in this highly engaging book. But he's also careful to point out that Macaulay was racist, harboured prejudices about native Indians and customs and, despite being a linguist, did not attempt to master any Indian language. \"Macaulay was notoriously dismissive, if not downright hostile and contemptuous, about native Indian, and particularly Hindu, customs and religious superstitions,\" writes Masani. Macaulay spent four years in Calcutta, the imperial capital that was at the centre of an intellectual and cultural renaissance, but very little of that is mentioned in his writings. He grumbled about the heat, public entertainments in the city - \"vile acting\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 viler opera-singing\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 and things which they called reunions\" - and \"dull\" formal dinners peppered with \"deplorable twaddle\". The life-long bachelor also had a misogynist streak - he found the lawyers and civil servants he knew in Calcutta had \"disagreeable wives\". He steadfastly believed that India was not ready for self-rule, and what it could really \"have [is] the next best thing - a firm and impartial despotism\". Yet, in what was the first imperial education policy in British India, Macaulay aggressively pushed for English as the medium for as many Indians as possible to be given a Western education. Masani finds this vision \"more egalitarian and inclusive\" and less elitist than his arch critics who wanted to promote English among a small elite. Macaulay took a personal interest in running five new English medium schools which opened in Bengal, a year and a half after the reforms began in 1835 - in a single town in Bengal, he wrote, 1,400 boys were learning English. He disliked an excessively pedagogic approach to teaching English - \"Give them Jack the Giant Killer and Tom Thumb\", he wrote, \"and then let them have Robinson Crusoe and Gulliver\". By 1838, when he returned to Britain, Macaulay's reforms had led to the setting up of 40 English medium schools in Bengal which were open to all, quite revolutionary in a", "summary": "\"If you're an Indian reading this book in English, it's probably because of Thomas Macaulay,\" says the front cover blurb on a new biography of a man who foisted the Queen's language on India."}
{"article": "Nearly 60 firefighters and eight fire engines tackled the blaze which started in the building's basement in Princes Square, Bayswater, at about 23:00 BST. London Fire Brigade (LFB) said the three men required treatment for smoke inhalation after they became trapped and had to be rescued by crews. The cause of the fire is under investigation. A spokesman said 200 people had left the hotel before crews arrived at the five-storey building. Station manager Charles Hanks said crews had \"worked hard to confine the fire to the basement and to stop it from spreading to the upper floors of the hotel\". The fire was under control by 01:56.", "summary": "Hundreds of people were evacuated and three men taken to hospital after a fire broke out in a west London hotel."}
{"article": "Exchanging goods for currency is an age old trusted system for trade. In large groups it fosters co-operation as each party has a measurable payoff. But within small groups a team found that introducing an incentive makes people less likely to share than they did before. In essence, even an artificial currency reduced their natural generosity. The study is published in journal PNAS. When money becomes involved, group dynamics have been known to change. Scientists have now found that even tokens with no monetary value completely changed the way in which people helped each other. Gabriele Camera of Chapman University, US, who led the study, said that he wanted to investigate co-operation in large societies of strangers, where it is less likely for individuals to help others than in tight-knit communities. The team devised an experiment where subjects in small and large groups had the option to give gifts in exchange for tokens. They found that there was a social cost to introducing this incentive. When all tokens were \"spent\", a potential gift-giver was less likely to help than they had been in a setting where tokens had not yet been introduced. The same effect was found in smaller groups, who were less generous when there was the option of receiving a token. \"Subjects basically latched on to monetary exchange, and stopped helping unless they received immediate compensation in a form of an intrinsically worthless object [a token]. \"Using money does help large societies to achieve larger levels of co-operation than smaller societies, but it does so at a cost of displacing normal of voluntary help that is the bread and butter of smaller societies, in which everyone knows each other,\" said Prof Camera. But he said that this negative result was not found in larger anonymous groups of 32, instead co-operation increased with the use of tokens. \"This is exciting because we introduced something that adds nothing to the economy, but it helped participants converge on a behaviour that is more trustworthy.\" He added that the study reflected monetary exchange in daily life: \"Global interaction expands the set of trade opportunities, but it dilutes the level of information about others' past behaviour. In this sense, one can view tokens in our experiment as a parable for global monetary exchange.\" Sam Bowles, of the Santa Fe Institute, US, who was not involved with the study, specialises in evolutionary co-operation. He commented that co-operation among self-interested people will always occur on a vast scale when \"helping another\" consists of exchanging a commodity that can be bought or sold with tokens, for example a shirt. \"The really interesting finding in the study is that tokens change the behavioural foundations of co-operation, from generosity in the absence of the tokens, to self-interest when tokens are present.\" \"It's striking that once tokens become available, people generally do not help others except in return for a token.\" He told BBC news that it was evidence for an already observed phenomenon called \"motivational crowding out, where paying an individual to do a task which they had already planned", "summary": "A new study sheds light on how money affects human behaviour."}
{"article": "The scheme would link Peru's Pacific coast with Brazil's Atlantic shores. The decision came after talks between the Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, and Peruvian President Ollanta Humala. If completed, the railway would stretch 5,300km (3,300 miles) but campaigners fear the impact on indigenous people. Brazil, China and Peru will now begin feasibility studies into the railway. Mr Li secured Brazil's consent earlier this week, as part of his tour of Latin America. The railway would \"consolidate Peru's geopolitical position as a natural gateway to South America\", President Humala said. For China, it would reduce the cost of shipping raw materials and farm products. But campaigners are concerned it might destroy untouched parts of the Amazon rainforest, affecting hundreds of indigenous communities. Mr Li sought to ease fears, saying \"to create the infrastructure, it is necessary to protect the environment\" in a declaration with Mr Humala, AFP reported. It is likely to cost more than $10 billion (\u00c2\u00a36.5 billion). The route is still being examined, but would begin in the gigantic Brazilian port of Acu and ending at a Peruvian port. The Chinese President, Xi Jinping, pledged earlier this year to invest $250 billion (\u00c2\u00a3161 billion) in Latin America over the next decade.", "summary": "A Chinese scheme to build an east-west railway across South America, cutting across parts of the Amazon rain forest, has moved a step closer after Peru agreed to study the proposal."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old has won 31 Springboks caps at wing or full-back and has also played centre. He said: \"When looking at the current squad, the average age and talent within the region, that is what got me interested. \"I am keen to find my feet, settle in with boys as quickly as possible, and add value to the squad where I can.\" Kirchner will join three fellow South Africans at Rodney Parade - lock and captain Rynard Landman, scrum-half Sarel Pretorius and full-back Carl Meyer. He will leave Pro12 leaders Leinster after four seasons. Dragons have traditionally fared worse than their three Welsh rivals in the Pro12 and only Treviso and Zebre are below them with five games remaining for the Welsh team. They are also the subject of talks over a change of ownership that could see the Welsh Rugby Union take over. Kirchner believes Dragons \"will definitely move in the right direction\" in the future. He added: \"New decisions and ventures aren't always easy to make, however the experience of moving to Leinster, my first move abroad, has helped and knowing a few of the other South Africans in the squad makes my decision easier.\" Dragons head coach Kingsley Jones said: \"His experience both on and off the field will be invaluable for this young squad.\"", "summary": "Newport Gwent Dragons have signed South Africa utility back Zane Kirchner from Pro12 rivals Leinster for 2017-18."}
{"article": "But Alan Hunt does. Every Friday and Saturday night, between 19:30 and 04:00, you will find the cheerful pensioner in a back office at Blandford Forum police station in north Dorset. His \"job\" is to monitor footage from four CCTV cameras covering the centre of Blandford, a bustling market town notable for its distinctive Georgian buildings. At closing time, with people making their way to and from Tiffany's, the town's only nightclub, Alan comes into his own, scrutinising a bank of TV screens for signs of trouble on the streets. He is patched into the police radio system and alerts officers when they're needed on the ground. \"Somebody bit somebody's ear off,\" says the 73-year-old, recalling the worst thing he's seen in the five years he has been doing the role. \"There was a chap with a knife once,\" he adds. The retired builder and road-sign maker is Dorset Police's most prolific volunteer. The unpaid work he does for the force fulfils an ambition he has nursed since childhood. He says: \"When I left school that was my original intention - to go into policing, as a student. But unfortunately we were not a very rich family so my mother said, 'You've got to stay at home and earn some money.'\" There are 400 other police volunteers in Dorset. Half work in staff roles, like Alan Hunt; half are special constables, with the full powers of police officers. Martyn Underhill, the area's police and crime commissioner, wants to increase volunteer numbers and expand what they're able to do. He says: \"I see it as a fantastic resource. As Robert Peel said, 'The public are the police, the police are the public' - this brings diversity, it brings additionality, it brings great scope to policing I believe in\". The Home Office also wants to extend the role of police volunteers. A consultation closed in October on plans to give them a wider range of powers and create the volunteer equivalent of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). The proposals are expected to be included in the Policing and Criminal Justice Bill later this year. Theresa May, the Home Secretary, writing in the consultation document, says unpaid police staff play a \"vital role in community safety\" but there is \"more that volunteers can do\". Mrs May says she wants to encourage people to get involved in policing if they have \"skills in particular demand\" such as accountancy and IT, in order to help forces investigate cyber-crime and fraud. I met Adam, 37, one of this new breed of police volunteers at the central London offices of the National Crime Agency (NCA). He didn't want me to know his surname because of the sensitive nature of what he does. His paid job is a security adviser for an insurance company that allows him to attend NCA meetings and carry out special projects - it builds up his experience, improves his CV and helps the NCA catch criminals. \"Because I've got quite a lot of experience in IT, I see things maybe somewhat different to how they", "summary": "Most people don't choose to spend their weekends at a police station."}
{"article": "The agency said almost 20 hectares of forest would have to be felled to try to stop the disease spreading. Phytophthora ramorum is a fungus-like pathogen that can kill or severely damage larch trees. Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) is also asking woodland visitors to help prevent the spread of tree disease. It called on people to brush mud and forest debris from boots, walking poles and bike tyres when leaving and entering wooded areas. All the new sites are close to existing infected sites. FES confirmed the locations as: Fraser McDonald, a forester with the FES team in Cowal said: \"Everyone has a part to play in helping prevent the spread of tree diseases and it's simply a matter of making sure that you arrive at a forest with clean boots, bike wheels - and even dog's paws. \"Our Keep it Clean campaign promotes good biosecurity practice and explains that it only takes a few minutes to brush off any mud or forest debris from boots, walking poles or bike tyres. \"It may not seem much but tree diseases can be carried from site to site in mud or on twigs leaves and others forest debris, so those few minutes can make a big difference.\" Mr McDonald said Scotland's forestry was a valuable resource for recreation and the economy of Scotland. He added: \"It's important that everyone does there bit to look after Scotland's forests and help to prevent the spread of tree diseases.\"", "summary": "A deadly pathogen that kills larch trees has been discovered in seven new locations across Argyll and Stirling, Forest Enterprise Scotland has warned."}
{"article": "Campaigners say its tests for people on disability allowances are \"damaging and distressing\" and have led to suicides. Atos, a sponsor of the Paralympic Games, said it ensures its service is \"professional\" and \"compassionate\". Protesters also targeted the Department for Work and Pensions in Westminster, where one person was arrested. The small break-away group, including two wheelchair users, blocked the doors of the office in a \"surprise secret action\", UK Uncut said. Protesters who got inside the DWP building have since been removed. The Metropolitan Police said one person was arrested for breach of the peace. Demonstrations have been held throughout the week, culminating in an attempt to bring the French firm's headquarters in Triton Square, Marylebone, to a close. Earlier Paralympics chief Lord Coe defended Atos and said the company had helped with the London 2012 accreditation process, recruitment of volunteers, and results delivery service. \"They're partners and they help us to deliver this... Their work goes way beyond any of that visibility.\" The government - which makes decisions based on Atos Work Capability Assessments - has said it is trying to control the cost of disability allowances. It says more than \u00c2\u00a3600m a year is being spent on overpayments to people who no longer qualify for the level of benefits they are receiving. It has said checks are important to make sure the benefit system supports people and does not trap them. Claire Glasman, Winvisible campaigner, has cerebral palsy and is on incapacity benefit. She said her group has campaigned for a mother with a spinal injury who was injured at work and found unfit to work but scored zero on her assessment meaning she must apply for Job Seeker's Allowance, find waged work or rely on relatives. Ms Glasman said: \"We don't know how people are managing. \"Women are particularly affected because we are the ones most likely to be doing unwaged caring work as well as coping with severe health problems.\" John Williams who has Crohn's Disease, epilepsy and a number of other conditions joined about 200 campaigners. He said he is having to live on benefits of \u00c2\u00a3500 a month and rely on liquid food drinks. He said: \"I want a fair system. It's absolutely appalling. It feels like Atos is working with the government to get the numbers down.\" Roger Lewis from Disabled People Against Cuts told BBC Five Live assessments were causing \"huge damage and distress to disabled people\". He said: \"We now have a situation where we know that people have gone through the Atos assessments who have unfortunately died as a result. Some have committed suicide. Some have had heart attacks.\" He said a parliamentary group of MPs has been looking at coroners' reports where Work Capability Assessments have been cited as a contributing factor. The DWP said it did not have research data on the impact of assessments on people's mental health and that no links could accurately be made to suicides. A spokesman said 15% of \"fit for work\" decisions were overturned on appeal and the system was subject to an", "summary": "Up to 150 disability rights campaigners have been protesting outside IT firm Atos, which carries out \"fit for work\" assessments for the government."}
{"article": "The Basque side are marooned near the bottom of La Liga - they are above the relegation zone on goal difference - and a limp performance in Friday's 2-0 defeat against lowly Las Palmas was the final straw. This is how his 364 days in charge went. After three days of speculation, the news was finally confirmed with a brief statement from the Basque club on Monday afternoon. \"Real Sociedad would like to thank David Moyes and [his assistant, also departing] Billy McKinlay for the professional conduct, commitment and dedication which they showed during their roles in the running of the first team,\" the club said. \"At the same time, we would like to wish them all the best in their future ventures, both professional and personal.\" The Scot leaves behind a team marooned near the foot of La Liga, and a limp performance in Friday night's 2-0 defeat against lowly Las Palmas was the final straw. The dismal display, as much as the result, forced club president Jokin Aperribay into holding crisis talks over the weekend. Aperribay did not want to rush into a hasty decision on the back of one bad game, but even after the dust had settled a couple of days later he still felt that a change was necessary. The official announcement was supposed to have been made on Sunday evening, but it was delayed for a few hours because Moyes's flight back to Bilbao from Manchester was cancelled. But once he returned to Spain on Monday and met personally with Aperribay, there was no need to delay the inevitable any longer and the former Everton and Manchester United coach's spell in La Liga was brought to a swift end. After La Real's recent struggles, the trip to Las Palmas was always billed as a significant encounter for Moyes's regime, but the general feeling was that his job was safe unless his team delivered a disastrous display. Unfortunately for the former Everton and Manchester United boss, 'disastrous' is pretty much the right word to describe the way his team performed - or didn't - against a Las Palmas outfit which had previously only won one game all season. The hosts were clearly superior, deserved their goals from Jonathan Viera and Sergio Araujo, and were rarely seriously threatened by Moyes's team. It took no time at all for furious criticism to emerge from La Real fans - along with serious demands for the manager's head. Until Friday night, the majority of Real Sociedad fans were, while frustrated with their team's results and sceptical about Moyes's ability to turn things around, not yet ready to express outright hostility. But that all changed immediately after the loss against Las Palmas. 'Moyes' was a trending topic on Twitter in Spain after the game, with very few of the accompanying comments offering sentiments of support. Indeed, many of them finished with the hashtag #MoyesDimision ('Moyes resign') or #MoyesVeteYa ('Moyes go now'). The media was similarly critical, with a summary of the game in local newspaper Diario Vasco complaining that \"when this team", "summary": "David Moyes has been sacked as Real Sociedad boss."}
{"article": "Felix Gutierrez-Cortez, 34, strangled Anna Maria Thomas, 61, in her Wandsworth home in December 2013. He told authorities she had fallen unconscious while meditating, but was found guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility. At the Old Bailey he was given an indeterminate sentence in a secure facility under the Mental Health Act. The court heard Ms Thomas had given him a place to stay in exchange for Gutierrez-Cortez acting as her carer. On 10 December the defendant called 999 claiming he had found his landlady dead and her body was found in a bedroom covered in a duvet. He later changed his story to say she regularly became unconscious during meditation and that he had stayed in the lounge for two days while she meditated in the spare bedroom. A post-mortem examination revealed she had been strangled days before Gutierrez-Cortez contacted emergency services. Det Insp Andy Rees said: \"Our investigations demonstrated that she was a caring mother and grandmother and a deeply religious woman with a wide circle of friends who will miss her deeply.\"", "summary": "A lodger who worked as a carer for his landlady has been sentenced for killing her in their south-west London flat."}
{"article": "The Buccaneers thrilled the home fans by taking the lead through Thamsanqa Gabuza in the 36th minute. He fired in a fierce acute-angled shot past Zied Jebali, who started after first choice goalkeeper and captain Aymen Mathlouthi failed a fitness test. Of course we wanted to keep a clean sheet at home and a lapse of concentration gave Etoile a late equaliser Pirates were lucky to be ahead at half-time after Iheb Msakni had a goal ruled offside and star Algeria-born striker Baghdad Bounedjah and Hamza Lahmar went close. Etoile's quest for an equaliser paid off as captain and centre-back Ammar Jemal slammed a loose ball beyond goalkeeper Felipe Ovono from close range in the 87th minute to silence most of the 30,000 Soweto crowd. Speaking after the match, Jemal told reporters what his equaliser meant to him. \"I think it is the best goal of my life,\" Etoile's captain said. Despite conceding the late equaliser, Pirates coach Eric Tinkler said that the \"destiny of the trophy remains wide open.\" \"We neither gained nor lost anything after this result,\" Eric Tinkler said. \"Of course we wanted to keep a clean sheet at home and a lapse of concentration gave Etoile a late equaliser. I thought we defended well until then. \"Etoile are a good team - well organised defensively with some big, strong boys,\" Tinkler added. But the coach said he was not happy with some of the opposing players' tactics. \"Some of them dived so much I thought they were swimming at the Olympics. \"What the draw means is that instead of them coming at us in Tunisia, we will have to go at them. Scoring in every away CAF match this season gives us confidence,\" said Tinkler. That deciding match will be played at Stade Olympique in Sousse, Tunisia on Sunday 29 November. The overall winners receive $660,000 and qualify for a one-off Super Cup match against African Champions League winners TP Mazembe in the Democratic Republic of Congo.", "summary": "Orlando Pirates of South Africa conceded a late goal in Soweto to hand Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia a narrow advantage as they drew 1-1 in the first leg of the African Confederation Cup final."}
{"article": "19 January 2017 Last updated at 18:32 GMT", "summary": "As Martin McGuinness steps down from elected politics, BBC News NI looks back at his career."}
{"article": "In mid-May, Gen Gholamreza Jalali, the head of Iran's Civil Defence Organisation, said he saw the mainly Sunni kingdom as his chief threat in the coming year. Mainly Shia Iran and Saudi Arabia have long been regional rivals but tensions worsened dramatically last year, partly because of the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Within days of Gen Jalali's remarks, Iranian and Saudi hackers were attacking websites in each other's countries in what Iranian media called \"all-out cyberwar\". On 25 May, a self-proclaimed hacker from Saudi Arabia calling himself \"Da3s\" apparently attacked the websites of Iran's Statistical Centre and Registration Office, defacing the homepages with a photo of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who fought an eight-year war with Iran in the 1980s. Many Iranian media sources thought the hacker had misspelled his name and that the attack was the work of the Sunni jihadist group Islamic State - widely known in the Middle East by its Arabic acronym, \"Daesh\". The Saudi hacker said on Twitter - where he identified himself as Salman al-Harbi - that he was not a member of the militant group, and that Da3s was the correct spelling of his nickname. Since the Stuxnet computer worm hit Iran's nuclear facilities in 2010, the country has invested heavily in cyber capabilities and set up a team of trained hackers known as the Iranian Cyber-Army. Saudi Arabia has also stepped up its investment in cybersecurity in the past year in efforts spearheaded by its National Centre for Cyber-Security. A day after Da3s's attacks, a group calling itself \"Iran Security Team\" retaliated by targeting Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Statistics and King Abdulaziz University, defacing their websites with a jeering message of its own. Another team of Iranian hackers, calling themselves \"Digital Boys Underground Team\", hacked the Saudi Commerce Ministry's website. Over the next few days, a series of apparently tit-for-tat attacks saw more websites targeted, almost all of which were defaced or rendered inaccessible by attacks. Iran's police and cyber-police force, its judiciary, national postal service and culture ministry were all targeted. There is no evidence that official organisations in either state have been directly involved in the attacks. Iran's cyber-police chief, Gen Kamal Hadinafar, said the hackers' IP addresses had been traced back to Saudi Arabia but he did not accuse the Saudi authorities. As the attacks continued, the messages left by hackers became increasingly political and hostile. Tension between the two countries rose further when Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shia cleric and opposition figure in January. Protesters in Tehran ransacked and set alight the Saudi embassy. Riyadh responded by severing all diplomatic ties with Iran. With relations at an all-time low, Tehran announced a few days ago that it would bar its citizens from attending this year's Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) after negotiations over safety broke down. Last year, more than 400 Iranian pilgrims had died in a stampede, leading to a war of words between Iranian and Saudi officials. After hacking the website of Iran's foreign ministry, a hacker group calling itself \"Team Bad Dream\" branded the", "summary": "When Iran's top civil defence official said his country was preparing for major cyber-attacks from Saudi Arabia, perhaps even he did not think it would take such a short time for his warnings to become reality."}
{"article": "Francis Cadell's depiction of ''George Street and Charlotte Square'' was whitewashed over and the canvas was reused by the son of another colourist, Samuel Peploe. The Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh discovered the missing Cadell during conservation. It is estimated that the painting could sell for more than \u00c2\u00a350,000. The Scottish Colourists were four post-impressionist painters, Peploe and Cadell, along with John Leslie Hunter and John Duncan Fergusson. They absorbed and reworked the strong and vibrant colours of contemporary French painting into a distinctive Scottish idiom during the 1920s and 1930s. The lost Cadell work was painted around 1909 from his studio at 112 George Street, Edinburgh, and looks across the street to Charlotte Square. When the artist died in 1937, his sister Jean Percival Clark, well-known as the actress Jean Cadell, came up to Edinburgh to sort out his affairs. She was helped by Denis Peploe, son of Samuel, who was a student at Edinburgh College of Art. She gifted him some of her brother's art material and included among the canvases, probably including \"George Street and Charlotte Square\", taken off its stretcher, turned and re-stretched ready to be used again. It is not known why Cadell abandoned the painting, which is finished and bears a strong signature. Years later, Denis Peploe painted his own picture, Begonias, a still life on a trestle table and whitewashed over the Cadell exposed on the other side. The Scottish Gallery acquired the Denis Peploe and in the process of conservation discovered the Cadell on the reverse. Denis's son, Guy, who is director of the Scottish Gallery, told BBC Scotland that he had bought the painting at auction and was shocked when he got a call from the picture conservator. \"He said 'I think there's something interesting on the other side of the picture'. \"I said go-ahead take it off its stretcher and see what we can see. He called back a few minutes later and said 'bottom left hand corner, signature FCB Cadell.' \"I think I choked on my morning roll.\" Tommy Zyw from the Scottish Gallery said: \"It is heard of to have paintings on either side of a canvas. \"Occasionally if an artist is struggling, he flips it over and tries again. \"But in this case this is quite unusual to have two paintings by two different artists - linked by a family friendship.\"", "summary": "A lost painting by one of the Scottish Colourists has been discovered on the reverse of another artwork."}
{"article": "A car bomb exploded by the hotel in Bulo-burde where African Union (AU) and Somali officers were staying and gunfire continued for another five hours, witnesses said. Six soldiers were killed, including a top Somali army commander, the AU said. The al-Shabab Islamist group said it was behind the attack and that 30 AU and army officers had been killed. A spokesman for the 22,000-strong AU force in Somalia (Amisom), Col Ali Adan Humad, said all the al-Shabab fighters involved in the raid had been killed, without specifying numbers. Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, has waged an eight-year insurgency to overthrow the weak UN-backed government and create an Islamic state in Somalia. The BBC's Ibrahim Ade in the capital, Mogadishu, says al-Shabab had occupied Bulo-burde for more than five years. The town, which has a strategic bridge over the River Shabelle and is at a crossroads linking various regions of the country, was an important base for al-Shabab. Bulo-burde was captured as part of an ongoing AU and government offensive against al-Shabab, which controls much of south and central Somalia. Communications to the central Hiran region went down not long after the fighting and gunfire in Bulo-burde ended, our reporter says. Witnesses told the BBC the car blast at the hotel happened at 02:00 local time (23:00 GMT) and the fighting went on until about 07:00. Col Humad said three Djiboutian soldiers and three Somali soldiers, including Col Mohamud Amin - the military commander of Hiran who was leading the offensive in the region - were killed. Ten soldiers were also wounded, he said. Earlier, Col Humad denied there were casualties when an Amisom convoy was attacked near its base in Arbiska outside Mogadishu. Al-Shabab had released a statement saying that seven Burundian peacekeepers and five American nationals travelling in the vehicles were killed on Monday afternoon. The al-Qaeda-linked group lost control of Mogadishu in 2011, but has intensified bombings and mortar raids in the city in recent weeks. Last month, al-Shabab fighters stormed Villa Somalia, the seat of government in Mogadishu, killing at least 11 people.", "summary": "Somali Islamist fighters have attacked a hotel in a strategic central town the militants lost control of last week."}
{"article": "The buildings, in Cambridge, Castle Donington, Taunton and Wakefield, have never opened and cost an average of \u00a31.9m each in 2014-15. The charges are for rent, utilities and facilities management. Five other buildings were constructed as part of a Labour plan to regionalise fire control centres. These have been let out, saving \u00a390.5m in future costs. The plan, approved in 2004, was for nine control centres to be built to replace 46 separate centres across the country. But six years later, with costs spiralling and major delays to the IT software programme, the coalition government cancelled the scheme. Fire minister Mark Francois said: \"We inherited a poorly conceived and badly delivered top-down programme to create regional fire control rooms. \"To avoid further taxpayers' money being wasted, the project was terminated after it repeatedly ran over budget and behind schedule.\" The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said it had \"reduced site maintenance and support costs though renegotiating contracts with our service providers\" at the four empty centres. A Freedom of Information request by BBC Somerset showed three of the four centres cost more in rent, rates and other running costs in 2014-15 than each of them did in their first full year after construction was completed. However, the amount spent on marketing the empty centres has been cut, from \u00a337,250 in 2012-13, to \u00a34,030 in 2014-15. \"In 2014-15 the marketing strategy focused on using internet marketing and direct marketing, which by its nature does not incur significant spend,\" DCLG said. A spokesman added the department was in \"active discussions\" over letting out Castle Donington and Wakefield, with interest being shown by a telecoms company. Taunton has only had a small number of enquiries, including \"a very early enquiry from a government agency in the last week\". A document published by DCLG in March said the Wakefield negotiations, which involve a bidder for a separate government contract, will resolve in July when that contract is awarded. The March report also said there had been a number of viewings of the Cambridge centre with interest from a private sector internet security company, but that is no longer described as \"live\". The marketing company working for DCLG said it would continue its current strategy until August while also looking at alternative \"cost reduction initiatives\" including mothballing or reducing the equipment in the centres. Each of the vacant centres still has a \u00a36,000 espresso machine in-situ which DCLG says are \"a landlord's fixture and do not belong to the department\".", "summary": "Four empty fire control centres are still costing the government \u00a37.6m a year, the BBC has learned."}
{"article": "In an open letter to Apple, Swift said she was withholding the record as she was unhappy with the three-month free trial offered to subscribers. \"I'm not sure you know that Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months,\" she wrote. She said the plan was \"unfair\", arguing Apple had the money to cover the cost. \"I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company,\" the 25-year-old said, describing Apple as one of her \"best partners in selling music\". \"These are not the complaints of a spoiled, petulant child. These are the echoed sentiments of every artist, writer and producer in my social circles who are afraid to speak up publicly because we admire and respect Apple so much,\" she continued. \"We know how astronomically successful Apple has been and we know that this incredible company has the money to pay artists, writers and producers for the 3 month trial period - even if it is free for the fans trying it out. \"Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing.\" She ended her letter by calling on Apple to change its policy, suggesting she would reinstate her album on the service if the company changed its mind. \"We don't ask you for free iPhones. Please don't ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation.\" Apple has yet to comment on the issue. The rest of Swift's back catalogue will remain available on Apple Music when it launches on 30 June. It will cost $9.99 (\u00c2\u00a36.30) per month in the US for one person or $14.99 for families. The music industry has generally supported the company bringing its vast music library to paid streaming, and the company said it will pay 70% of the music subscription revenue to music owners. It is not the first time Swift has spoken out against streaming music - she pulled her entire catalogue from Spotify last November and had refused to offer 1989 on streaming services, saying the business had \"shrunk the numbers of paid album sales drastically\". 1989 went on to become one of the biggest-selling albums of 2014 and has sold more than 4.9 million copies in the US alone. Last week, UK-based independent record label Beggars echoed Swift's comments, saying it struggled \"to see why rights owners and artists should bear this aspect of Apple's customer acquisition costs\". It said it did not have an agreement with Apple that would allow it to participate in the new service but hoped the \"obstacles to agreement can be removed\" in the coming days.", "summary": "Taylor Swift has pulled her hit album 1989 from Apple's new streaming music service and criticised the company."}
{"article": "The FTSE had fallen earlier in the day, with investors concerned about the continued plunge of the rouble. However the index strengthened on news of the Russian central bank's pledge to provide additional capital to the country's banks, if necessary. Figures showing a rise in UK wage growth also cheered investors. The price of Brent Crude oil, which has been falling for weeks, recovered by almost 4% late on Wednesday, reaching $62.32 a barrel. Shares in oil firms Tullow Oil, BP, and BG Group all rose more than 3% as a result, with Royal Dutch Shell 'B' rising by 2.9%. Meanwhile British Airways owner IAG fell by 4%. Dixons Carphone rose 3% after it reported a 30% rise in underlying half-year profits. The firm, which owns the PC World and Currys chains as well as Carphone Warehouse, said its UK and Ireland business had enjoyed a \"barnstorming performance\". All eyes will be on the US Federal Reserve later when it announces the results of its latest meeting. There is speculation that the US central bank will end its commitment to keep interest rates low for a \"considerable period\", suggesting a rate rise is moving closer. On the currency markets, the pound fell 0.55% against the dollar to $1.5664 and rose 0.16% against the euro to \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.2609.", "summary": "(Close): London's benchmark index, the FTSE 100, closed marginally higher on Wednesday, gaining 4.65 points in late trading to close at 6336.48."}
{"article": "Specialist micro-engineer Graham Short visited the Dickinson & Morris Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, on Friday. It follows the use of one of the special notes at a bakery in Kelso, Scotland, and also a cafe in Wales. The final note will be spent this week in Northern Ireland. Updates on this story and more from Leicestershire Mr Short, from Birmingham, came up with the idea of engraving a 5mm portrait of Pride and Prejudice author Austen on the transparent part of the new plastic Bank of England \u00a35 notes to mark the 200th anniversary of Austen's death next year. He has included a different quote around each one, ensuring that each note is unique. Anyone who finds one of the notes has been advised to contact the Tony Huggins-Haig Gallery, which launched the project. The Bank of England's website states that it is illegal to deface bank notes under the Currency & Banknotes Act 1928. In a statement, the gallery said it had contacted the Bank of England, which informed them that the notes were still legal tender. Mr Huggins-Haig told BBC Scotland all of Mr Short's work has an insurance valuation of about \u00a350,000. He also described the notes as like \"the Willy Wonka golden ticket\". Mr Short's last work - a minute picture of the Queen on a pinhead - sold for \u00a3100,000. The four notes have the following serial numbers and quotes: Mr Short, 70, said: \"As I enjoy pork pies, I thought where better to spend the English note than in Melton Mowbray?\" Stephen Hallam, from the shop, told the BBC every \u00a35 note is not \"inspected with a magnifying glass\", but admitted the notes in the shop were \"scrutinised\" after they were told on Monday that Mr Short had visited the shop. However, the special note could not be found. \"I'm still here making pork pies... I'm not flying off to Barbados,\" Mr Hallam said. Mr Short told BBC Radio Wales' Jason Mohammad programme he chose Square Caf\u00e9 in Blackwood High Street in Caerphilly because that was where his mother was born in 1909. According to the Bank of England, it is against the law to \"deface our banknotes (by printing, writing or impressing upon them words, letters or figures, etc.), although the question of whether or not to prosecute in individual cases is up to the police and the courts\".", "summary": "One of four special \u00a35 notes worth up to \u00a350,000 that feature a tiny portrait of author Jane Austen has been spent in a pie shop."}
{"article": "Westminster Council has objected to plans for 128 new boxes since January, including 80 from Maximus Networks Ltd. Birmingham and Manchester councils say that the boxes are effectively little more than advertising boards. They say they cannot stop them as planning permission is not needed, just an Ofcom licence. Maximus Networks said it was offering \"a truly useful\" public service. Three cities have had 301 applications for new phone boxes in 12 months - 158 in Westminster, 104 in Birmingham and 39 in Manchester. Councils can object to Ofcom's approval of the boxes but only on two grounds: location and design. A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said it was considering the matters raised by councils. Each Maximus Networks box would provide 1.3m x 2m of advertising space which does not need local authority consent. Westminster Council said the boxes, which the company planned to install on Oxford Street, Victoria Street and Baker Street, would offer no wi-fi or internet connectivity. \"This scheme will create ugly and unwanted advertising space,\" Councillor Richard Beddoe said. However, Maximus founder Ashley Smatt said: \"We believe what we have planned will be the envy of the world. \"There are currently around 66,000 calls a week from phone boxes across the UK and we believe there is a demand for this.\" Councillor Daniel Astaire, of Westminster Council which rejected another operator's proposal for 48 boxes on Tuesday, said companies \"are trying to make a quick buck\" with \"ugly hoardings on some of our most iconic streets\". Birmingham City Council deputy leader Ian Ward said \"open access wi-fi and widespread mobile phone use\" made the kiosks \"redundant\". But he said he anticipated more coming, \"because city centres offer a highly lucrative market for advertising and there's no restriction on how many can be installed\". Ofcom said it had no evidence Maximus had breached any obligations but it would \"be concerned\" if permission was \"used to provide advertising space under the cover of a largely unwanted public call box service.\" Councillor Pat Karney, of Manchester City Council, said the only people he had seen using phone boxes \"are drug dealers, particularly around the Piccadilly Gardens area\". Redundant kiosks are increasingly being put to inventive uses, from defibrillator storage to miniature art galleries. There are about 46,000 remaining public kiosks across the UK including about 8,000 traditional red ones. About 2,500 of those in England are listed, according to Historic England.", "summary": "Councils are fighting plans for hundreds of new \"ugly and unwanted\" phone boxes while they seek a change in the law."}
{"article": "Carmarthenshire council voted in favour making Ysgol Llangennech, near Llanelli, a Welsh medium primary from September. The move will not affect current pupils who can continue to learn in English. A bitter debate took place in County Hall on Wednesday, with 38 councillors voting in favour of the proposal and 20 against. Carmarthenshire council said it wanted to extend Welsh medium provision in schools, partly in response to census figures which show a fall in Welsh speakers in the county. Speaking during the debate, Labour councillor Kim Thomas said the move amounted to \"segregation...and at worst apartheid.\" Parents opposed to the change said they will fight on, while those in support said the decision was \"a huge relief\". An amendment to maintain a dual stream school at Llangennech, pending further discussions, was defeated.", "summary": "Plans to remove English stream education at a Carmarthenshire school have been backed."}
{"article": "The study suggests that between 2008 and 2013, the numbers of wild bees went down across almost a quarter of the US. The researchers say that the conversion of land to grow corn for biofuels is a key element in the decline. If the trend continues say the scientists, it could drive up costs and destabilise crop production. Wild bees play an important role in pollinating many US crops and plants. It's estimated that they contribute around $3bn to the value of agriculture every year. In 2014, President Obama issued a memorandum calling for an assessment of the state of honey and wild bees across the US, in the face of an increasing number of threats such as colony collapse disorder. To map the abundance of wild bees across the country, this model combines a number of databases with expert opinion. The results show that numbers of wild bees likely declined by 23% between 2008 and 2013 in key agricultural regions in California, the Midwest, in Great Plains states and in the Mississippi river valley. The study also showed that 39% of US croplands that depend on pollinators are suffering a significant mismatch between the demand for pollination and the supply of bees. The most important reason for the decline in numbers according to the authors is the increased demand for biofuels, which has seen more land turned over to growing grains. US law requires that all gasoline sold contains at least 10% ethanol, mostly made from corn. In the areas that have seen the most serious reduction in wild bees, there have been 200% increases in the amount of corn planted. \"The pattern we show is consistent with the expansion of corn for ethanol, the reduction of areas around fields that weren't cultivated before,\" said senior author, Prof Taylor Ricketts from the University of Vermont. \"They are going back into production and those are the areas that were providing good habitat for wild bees.\" While concerns over bee decline in Europe have focussed on the impact of neonicotinoid chemicals on insects of all varieties, this study wasn't able to extract specific information on the use of pesticides. However the authors are in little doubt that chemicals are having an impact. \"If you look at the maps, the places that show the lowest abundance is essentially a map of intensified agriculture in the US,\" said Prof Ricketts. \"That's a footprint of agriculture's effect on bees, and its a habitat loss thing and it's also a chemicals and pesticides thing for sure.\" The study also highlighted the fact that there is a growing demand for crops that require increased levels of pollination. Perhaps reflecting changing consumer tastes, demand for pumpkins, blueberries, peaches, apples and watermelons have gone up. Unfortunately the numbers of wild bees available in the areas in which they are grown have declined. The researchers believe that the scale of wild bee decline will push farmers to rely even more heavily on commercial honey bee operators who travel across the US, hiring out colonies for pollination. This is risky, they say,", "summary": "Wild bees in the US have declined in many farming areas according to the first national effort to map their numbers."}
{"article": "The two-year-old was talking to the two teenagers as her mother shopped nearby when she was snatched. She was found an hour and 45 minutes later in a park three miles away and the girls, 13 and 14, were arrested. The pair were ordered to be detained for three years and the mother said she hoped they would get help and lead worthwhile lives when released. The woman, who is not being named to protect her daughter's identity, said: \"It all happened within the blink of an eye - we think we are careful, but honestly we are never careful enough. \"All it takes is for a child to run off or run around a corner and you trying to keep up and everything changes. \"My little one was laughing and running up and down in the store and I could hear her voice but then I couldn't. I knew something was wrong because she always likes me in her sight.\" Speaking to BBC Newcastle, the mother said that when police brought her child back to Primark, she realised she had been targeted deliberately and the kidnapping had not been a spur-of-the-moment thing. She said her daughter's hairstyle had been changed and she was sucking a baby bottle the girls had bought. \"I was very, very frightened - it was completely numbing - the last thing you expect,\" she said. \"These are kids, what were they thinking? \"It was an evil act, but would I call them evil? No.\" During sentencing of the pair in July, Newcastle Crown Court heard how they had carried out online searches on topics such as rape and children having sex. Mr Justice Globe said although their victim was not harmed there had been intent. He detained the girls, who cannot be named due to their age, for three years and three months. They were initially charged with kidnap with the intention of committing a sexual offence but this was dropped. 16:30 - Child taken from Primark store in Northumberland Street 16:35 - Girls go to nearby Metro station and travel to Gosforth 16:55 - CCTV from store's exit identifies kidnappers, every police officer in Newcastle alerted 17:00 - Teenagers shoplift baby milk and bottle from Sainsbury's store in Gosforth 18:01 - The three are spotted at Gosforth Park and the teenagers are arrested The mother said parents needed to monitor older children more closely. She said: \"Parents need to find ways to get to their teenagers - we all know that teenage life is difficult - we don't know what children are doing online or who they are communicating with, so I plead with every parent to take every precaution to keep the little ones and the teenagers safe.\" She added: \"But who am I not to forgive them? One of the biggest problems in the world is our inability to forgive one another. \"She was not harmed in any way and has no recollection of that day.\"", "summary": "The mother of a toddler who was taken from Newcastle's Primark store says she has forgiven the girl's kidnappers."}
{"article": "The blast, which destroyed an 80m (262ft) section of road, took place on the G30 expressway in Henan province. China National Radio had put the number of dead at 26 but the report appeared to have been removed from websites. Several vehicles were reported to have fallen to the ground 30m below. Witnesses said some cars were thrown over the edge by the force of the blast, the cause of which was not immediately clear. Six vehicles were retrieved from the wreckage, Xinhua said, while search and rescue efforts were continuing at the site. Eight people had been injured, the agency said. Footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed rescuers digging through rubble. The channel said 10 trucks had been found under the bridge. Images posted on microblogging sites showed wrecked trucks and debris, as well as a collapsed section of highway. One photo showed a truck perched precariously at the broken edge of the carriageway. The G30 is the longest road in China, running for 4,400km (2,700 miles) from the coast of eastern Jiangsu province to Urumqi, close to the Kazakhstan border. Fireworks are traditionally set off in China to celebrate the Lunar New Year, which is just over a week away. There are frequently reports of accidents as they are being made, stored or transported. The BBC's Jon Sudworth in Beijing says there has been much debate over whether the use of fireworks should be reduced, in part to help curb pollution. Official statistics show that in 2011, more than 60,000 people were killed on roads in China. The deaths are often blamed on inadequate training, poor quality vehicles or on drivers ignoring safety instructions. Earlier this month, China halted plans to introduce tougher penalties for traffic offences, following a public outcry. The rules imposed penalty points for motorists who drove through amber traffic lights, with a driving ban after two offences, as well as increasing penalties for speeding, drinking and driving and using a mobile phone while behind the wheel. But there were widespread complaints that drivers stopping abruptly at lights were ultimately causing more accidents. The government said it was reconsidering its traffic policies.", "summary": "A truck carrying fireworks has exploded on an elevated highway in central China, killing at least five people and causing part of the road to collapse, state media report."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The quartet each completed the 400m swim, 6km cycle, and 1.6km run course in a total time of one hour 13 minutes 24 seconds. South Africa took silver, 49 seconds back, with Australia third. \"I love the relay. You can see people's weaknesses and strengths,\" said Alistair Brownlee. It was a second gold medal of Glasgow for both Alistair Brownlee and Stimpson after their individual successes, while Jonathan Brownlee and Holland won their second medals after their individual silver and bronzes. \"I thought it was a good race,\" said Jonathan Brownlee. \"The relay is always close but Vicky gave us a good start and I knew I had to just keep it safe and then run as fast as I could, Jodie destroyed it and Alistair finished it off.\" England were five seconds down on Canada after Holland's leg, but Jonathan Brownlee gave them the lead on his run. Brownlee gradually pulled away from the rest of the field and gave Stimpson a 16-second lead at the start of her swim. Although New Zealand's Nicky Samuels tried to challenge Stimpson, the Englishwoman was still nine seconds ahead of her rivals when handing over to Commonwealth and Olympic gold medallist Alistair. The elder Brownlee put in a strong display and extended his time advantage with a more tactical battle going on behind him for the minor places. Holland now hopes the event can be included in future Olympic Games. \"I really hope it will be in the Olympic programme in 2020,\" she said. \"Look at the atmosphere it generates having such a tight racing circuit and the lead changing hands so often. It is a great spectator event and great to be part of it.\"", "summary": "England's Vicky Holland, Jonathan Brownlee, Jodie Stimpson and Alistair Brownlee won triathlon's mixed team relay at the Commonwealth Games."}
{"article": "The 44-year-old kept out Burkina Faso's last two spot-kicks to win the shootout for Egypt in Wednesday's semi-final. \"I had a feeling that I was going to save the final two penalties,\" he said. \"When we went to the shootout, our 2006 title win crossed my mind,\" he added, recalling his penalty shootout save from Didier Drogba to beat Ivory Coast. El Hadary is playing at his seventh Nations Cup and has won four titles. At this tournament he became the oldest player at a major continental championship, and on Wednesday he made his 150th appearance for the Pharaohs. It is remarkable to think he arrived in Gabon as one of Egypt's back-up goalkeepers to first-choice Ahmed El Shenawy, but injuries meant he was brought in 25 minutes into Egypt's first game. Since then he has been formidable, conceding only one goal from normal play - in Wednesday's semi-final when Burkina Faso equalised in the second half. And now a place in Sunday's final in Libreville, where Egypt face either Cameroon or Ghana, offers him a chance to become the first player to win five Nations Cup titles. His first title came as a reserve in 1988, just two years after his debut, but he was at the peak of his career as Egypt won three back-to-back Nations Cup titles between 2006 and 2010. \"I'm happy to be in contention for all of these records but the most important is for Egypt to win the cup,\" El Hadary said. \"If we win the title, then the record will pass to me and I will be grateful. But I've never worried about my personal records. The country comes first, then the record book.\" It would also be a record-extending eighth title For Egypt, who are already the most successful country in the history of the Nations Cup side - and an incredible return to glory after they failed to qualify for the last three tournaments.", "summary": "Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary foresaw that he would save the penalties that took his side through to the Africa Cup of Nations final."}
{"article": "The \"old English white\" Jaguar E-Type Series III was driven by comedy characters Del Boy and Rodney in an episode of the BBC series. In the 1981 episode, the pair borrowed the car from John Challis's character Boycie for a \"night on the tiles\". It had been expected to fetch \u00a385,000 in an auction at Blenheim Palace but sold for \u00a3115,800. Finished with a blue leather interior, the 1973 Series III Roadster, owned by a Swansea businessman, includes a die-cast model signed by both David Jason and John Challis. A 1961 Jaguar car once owned by the company's founder was also due to be auctioned. The Mk X, built in Coventry, belonged to Sir William Lyons and was made to his personal specifications - with a leather interior and rear picnic tables in walnut.", "summary": "A vintage Jaguar sports car made famous when it featured in Only Fools and Horses has sold for more than \u00a3115,000."}
{"article": "Marine Scotland staff have complained of being paid less than those in comparable jobs in other publicly-owned organisations. Unite said it was disappointed the situation had reached this stage. The Scottish government said talks aimed at averting the strikes were continuing. Unite has said a chief steward can earn up \u00c2\u00a329,579-a-year at Marine Scotland but \u00c2\u00a337,675 at ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne, which is also owned by the Scottish government. Last December, the Scottish Parliament passed a motion put forward by Scottish Labour, stating that Marine Scotland staff should receive a fair pay settlement that recognises their experience and skills. Unite regional officer Sandy Smart said: \"Our members do a difficult and dangerous job ensuring that the fishing grounds around Scotland are protected. We are very disappointed that things have got to this stage despite the Scottish Parliament passing a motion to support a fair pay award. \"The first minister also pledged to look at this issue yet our members have been rewarded with a pay cut. Industrial action is always a last resort and even at this late stage we hope that we can reach a solution but this requires movement by Marine Scotland and the Scottish government to properly award the seafarers. Marine Scotland vessels carry out protection and research work in the seas and fisheries around the country. There are five vessels in total and five sets of two-day strike action are scheduled to take place on 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 25 and 26 August. A Scottish government spokesman said: \"We wish to avert industrial action and will continue our discussions with Unite. It would be inappropriate to comment further while these discussions are under way.\"", "summary": "Members of the Unite union working for Scotland's fisheries protection fleet are set to walk out on a series of strikes in a dispute over pay."}
{"article": "It was \"not enough\" for Dame Lowell Goddard to resign and leave, said Home Affairs Committee chairman Keith Vaz. He called for a \"thorough explanation\", and said the \"only way\" to move forward was to hear from Justice Goddard. The New Zealand judge has not yet given full reasons, but she said conducting such an inquiry was \"not an easy task\". Campaign groups said a replacement was needed \"urgently\" after Justice Goddard became the third inquiry head to quit. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the inquiry would continue \"without delay\" and in the absence of a new chair. The inquiry was announced in July 2014 to examine claims of abuse made against public and private institutions in England and Wales. BBC home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds said several sources had told him there had been \"tension\" within the inquiry, with one suggesting Justice Goddard felt she was not getting the support and \"loyalty\" her job required. The inquiry is meant to support victims and survivors of sexual abuse, and Mr Vaz said it was important to reassure them in the wake of Justice Goddard's resignation. He said he would write to ask her to appear before MPs to explain her reasons. There was \"no better person\" to tell MPs what progress the inquiry now needed to make, he said. Mr Vaz said Justice Goddard's resignation was an opportunity to look at the \"whole shape\" of the inquiry - including its purpose, logistics and costs. In a statement, Justice Goddard said she was \"confident there have been achievements and some very real gains for victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse in getting their voices heard\". She said she took on the role because of her \"relevant experience and track record in the area\" but admitted that running the inquiry had been difficult. \"Compounding the many difficulties was its legacy of failure which has been very hard to shake off and with hindsight it would have been better to have started completely afresh,\" she said. She added that accepting the job had been \"an incredibly difficult step to take, as it meant relinquishing my career in New Zealand and leaving behind my beloved family\". The Times reported that Justice Goddard had spent more than 70 days working abroad or on holiday during her time in charge. An inquiry spokesman said the 67-year-old, who was appointed in April 2015, had spent 44 days in New Zealand and Australia on inquiry business and was entitled to 30 days' annual leave. Tom Symonds, BBC home affairs correspondent One source with knowledge of the inquiry's operations said they did not believe Dame Lowell's departure was linked to the disruption caused to her family life by moving to the UK. This source said she had moved fully to this country from her native New Zealand, including buying furniture. Her husband is understood to be in Britain too. Members of the victims and survivors consultative panel, a body which advises the inquiry, have praised her relationship with those who've suffered the effects of child abuse. But there are", "summary": "The chairwoman of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse has been asked to appear before MPs to explain why she has resigned."}
{"article": "Based on the novel by Britain's Mark Burnell, The Rhythm Section will see her as a woman who becomes an assassin to avenge the deaths of her family. Reed Morano, who directed the first three episodes of hit TV series The Handmaid's Tale, will direct the film. Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson said it was \"exciting\" to work with such a \"talented\" team. Morano and Lively, they added, \"have a strong vision for this very compelling story driven by a female protagonist\". The Rhythm Section is the first of four novels to feature Burnell's Stephanie Patrick heroine, inviting the prospect of a Bond-style film series. Its announcement comes during a hiatus in production on the James Bond films, which Broccoli and Wilson have co-produced since 1995. Production on the film will begin later this year, with financing from international production company IM Global. Its head Stuart Ford said the film would be \"fresh, realistic and bold\", with \"a unique female heroine who turns so many of the current cinematic cliches surrounding so-called 'kick-ass' female leads on their head\". Lively, who is married to Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds, is also known for playing the ageless heroine of the film The Age of Adeline. Last year saw her battle a shark in The Shallows, appear in Woody Allen's Cafe Society and also give birth to her second child. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "The producers of the James Bond films are to make a \"female-driven\" thriller starring Gossip Girl's Blake Lively."}
{"article": "Just over 60% of voters taking part in the referendum backed the controversial pact, which is aimed at enforcing budget rules in the eurozone. Prime Minister Enda Kenny said Ireland had sent a \"powerful signal\" that it was committed to overcoming its economic challenges. Opinion polls had suggested a \"Yes\" camp win. A \"No\" vote would not have blocked the pact, but it would have barred Ireland from emergency EU funding when its bailout package expires in 2013. In late 2010 Ireland received an EU-IMF bailout worth 85bn euros (\u00c2\u00a368bn; $105bn) after debts overwhelmed its banks. The treaty must be approved by 12 of 17 Eurozone countries, but Ireland was the only one putting the issue to a public vote. Speaking after the results came in, Mr Kenny said Ireland had to now work with the EU to boost growth across the eurozone. \"The developing situation in Europe's banking sectors needs a comprehensive solution and Ireland's banking debt must form part of that solution,\" Mr Kenny told a news conference. He said the move would not solve all of the country's problems, but that it was \"one of the many foundation stones\" needed to ensure the future stability of Ireland's economic position. It would enable investment and create jobs, he said, as well as allow Ireland access to funds from the European Stability Mechanism should it require it. Returning officer Riona Ni Flanghaile said the \"Yes\" campaign won by a margin of just over 300,000 votes, with a total of 955,091 casting ballots in favour, compared with 629,088 against the agreement. Fewer than half the 3.1m registered voters turned out on Thursday, with the percentage ranging from the low 30s in some regions to the mid-50s in some parts of the capital, Dublin. The dominant parties in the Irish parliament (Dail) were in the \"Yes\" camp - Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fail - while the \"No\" camp was led by Sinn Fein and the Socialists, who have far fewer seats. Transport Minister Leo Varadkar said it was a \"sigh of relief from the government rather than a celebration\". An Irish 'Yes' but no celebrations Speaking earlier, \"No\" voter Gerard Cunningham told the Associated Press: \"Banks in Germany and Britain and elsewhere were just as responsible for the mess we're in. \"We're sick to the back teeth of being told it's all our own fault.\" Another voter, Bridget Connolly, said she voted \"Yes\". \"The treaty will solve nothing, but... we're going to need European money next year, plain and simple,\" she said. \"We can't afford to be thumbing our noses at Europe right now.\" The pact, signed by all EU members except the Czech Republic and the UK, allows EU member states to co-ordinate their budget policies and impose penalties on rule-breakers. It is an inter-governmental agreement, legally binding on all those who ratify it. It is called a \"treaty\", but is separate from EU-wide treaties which have to be signed by all 27 member states. It commits all ratifying members to achieve budget deficits of less than 0.5% of economic output.", "summary": "Voters in the Republic of Ireland have approved the EU fiscal pact, according to official results."}
{"article": "The benchmark US crude oil price is also at a four-year low, after losing $2.57 to close at $74.28. The price has fallen sharply since the summer and is 30% below its June price. The drop comes as traders believe members of the Opec oil exporting countries, which control about 40% of world oil exports. will not cut production. Opec's 12 member countries will meet later this month to discuss the global oil market. Lower oil prices typically prompt Opec nations, which include the biggest oil exporting nation in the world, Saudi Arabia, to rein back output in order to limit supply and boost prices and income. Most need higher oil prices to fund rising government spending. But recent comments by oil ministers from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait suggest the group is unlikely to agree to a cut. The US energy department said this week that it expected low fuel prices to last into next year.", "summary": "The price of Brent crude oil has fallen $3.60 - 4.4% - to $77.52, its lowest level for four years."}
{"article": "Abdul Kader Mullah is be hanged for crimes against humanity during the 1971 war of independence with Pakistan. His party Jamaat-e-Islami called the two-day nationwide strike, describing the trial as politically motivated. However, his sentence was welcomed by his opponents. Schools and businesses were shut on Wednesday. Motorways were empty and bus services were also suspended, reports said. Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters in the western city of Rajshahi, while the protesters threw bricks. One man was killed in southern Bangladesh after being hit by a stone thrown by protesters, officials said. Border guards have been deployed in the capital to manage law and order, the BBC's Anbarasan Ethirajan in Dhaka reports. Dhaka's busy commercial districts are mostly deserted, our correspondent adds. Mullah was sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes by a special tribunal in February. Human rights groups have said the tribunal falls short of international standards. The sentence at the time prompted angry protests from critics who said it was too lenient. His supporters, meanwhile, said the charges were politically motivated Mullah appealed to Bangladesh's Supreme Court against his life sentence, while the state appealed for a tougher sentence. Clashes broke out on Tuesday after the court sentenced him to death. Many buses and cars were vandalised in the southern region of Chittagong, our correspondent says.", "summary": "Clashes have broken out across Bangladesh during a strike called by the largest Islamist party, a day after one of its leaders was sentenced to death for war crimes."}
{"article": "Dapp, which runs education and health projects in the African country, has received millions of pounds in the last decade from the UK, EU and Unicef. It is connected to the Teachers Group, whose leaders are wanted by Interpol over fraud allegations. British officials have suspended funding and launched an investigation. The move follows an investigation by the BBC and its US partners into Dapp Malawi, the Malawian branch of charity Development Aid from People to People. Dapp is one of the major NGOs active in Malawi, providing a range of aid projects from farming to health and education. The BBC found that part of the funding it received found its way to the Teachers Group, with some Dapp staff handing over as much as 30% of their monthly salary to the group. Founded in the 1970s, for years the Teachers Group has run a government-funded alternative school system, but in 2001 the Danish authorities raided its offices and charged its founder Mogens Amdi Petersen with fraud. Found not guilty in 2006, he and some of his associates immediately left the country, but prosecutors appealed and the group are now wanted by Interpol. It is thought they may have taken refuge in a massive luxury compound, worth an estimated \u00c2\u00a320m, on the Pacific coast in Mexico. In a statement, the Department for International Development urged the BBC to share all the information it obtained during its investigation into Dapp and Teachers Group, which included interviews with Dapp workers and Teachers Group members. \"Payments to Dapp have been suspended and we encourage the BBC to share their evidence in full.\"", "summary": "The UK government is to stop giving money to a charity in Malawi following a BBC investigation which found it was under the control of a cult-like group."}
{"article": "The first teenager has been bailed after admitting possessing a machete as disorder broke out at the Intu Bromley centre. Shoppers panicked after rumours of a gunman. Armed police were called at about 15:45 GMT and found a boy with a head injury. Two knives were recovered. Both boys have also been charged with common assault and violent disorder.", "summary": "A second 16-year-old boy has been charged over an alleged knife fight at a London shopping centre on Boxing Day."}
{"article": "The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) has calculated that the vast majority of younger people will get less out of the new system than the old one. Anyone retiring after Wednesday 6 April will be part of the new single-tier or flat-rate state pension. The government said young people would benefit from better workplace pensions. The PPI told the BBC that three-quarters of people in their 20s would lose an average of \u00a319,000 over the course of their retirement, as a result of moving to the new system. Approximately two-thirds of workers in their 30s would lose an average of \u00a317,000, it said. However, not everyone in those age groups will lose out. The rest of the workers in both those categories will gain an average of \u00a310,000, according to the PPI. In total, the PPI said that 11.4 million younger workers would get less out of the new system than they would have done, had the old system carried on. This is because of the abolition of the second state pension, otherwise known as Serps. Under the old two-tier system, workers built up additional savings in the second state pension. This paid an additional income over and above the basic amount of \u00a3120 a week. Younger workers will not qualify for the second state pension, even though they will be paying full National Insurance Contributions (NICs). Older workers who have already made contributions to the second state pension will see those payments protected. \"I think people would be surprised to find out that there was a state second pension, so I don't think people are that aware of the top-up,\" said Chris Curry, director of the PPI. \"And I think people will be even more surprised to find out that what's replacing it is less generous.\" For an extensive guide to the state pension change click here. Saskia Revell, from Hertfordshire, is 32. Under the old system, she could expect to retire on \u00a3178 a week, made up of \u00a3120 of the basic state pension, and \u00a358 a week under the second state pension. Under the new system she will get \u00a3155. \"Just with the cost of housing, trying to get paid enough, and now hearing that the pension is disappointing, it's quite a shock,\" she told the BBC. The government said that its reforms were designed to ensure that the state pension remains affordable and sustainable for future generations. In the long run, the new system will be less expensive for the tax-payer. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said that young people in particular will benefit from automatic enrolment in workplace pensions. \"It's misleading to look at the new state pension in isolation,\" said a spokesperson for the DWP. \"The truth is that by bringing in automatic enrolment into workplace pensions more young people will have the opportunity to save than ever before.\" Government projections show that, in the first 15 years of the new system, 75% of pensioners will receive more than they would have done under the old system.", "summary": "More than 11 million workers now in their 20s and 30s will end up worse off as a result of reforms to the state pension, a think tank has said."}
{"article": "Richard Anthony Jones from Kansas was released from jail after witnesses said they could not tell the two men apart. A judge ruled there was no evidence to keep him in jail. Mr Jones said finding a photo of the other man - who as well as looking like him, shares the same first name - was a \"needle in a haystack moment\". 'I don't believe in luck, I believe I was blessed,' Mr Jones told the Kansas City Star. So far no criminal case has been filed against his double - known only as Ricky - who gave evidence at Mr Jones's robbery retrial and denied committing the crime. While not saying Ricky was responsible, the judge found that based on the new evidence, no reasonable juror would have convicted Mr Jones. Mr Jones said that he began to despair that he would ever be released from jail after repeated efforts to appeal against his 19-year conviction for a 1999 robbery. \"All my appeals had been denied. It has been a rough ride,\" he said. But in 2015 he told researchers from the Midwest Innocence Project - a group that aids wrongly convicted prisoners - about a man called Ricky he had heard about. Mr Jones had been told by fellow inmates that he looked identical to Ricky. \"When I saw the picture of my double it all made sense to me,\" he said. Mr Jones had been convicted based mostly on eyewitness evidence. There was no physical, DNA or fingerprint evidence that linked him to the crime. The researchers found that not only did the other man bear an uncanny resemblance to Mr Jones, he lived near the scene of the crime in Kansas City, Kansas, whereas Mr Jones lived across the state line in Kansas City, Missouri. Lawyers for Mr Jones also said he was with his girlfriend and her family at the time members of the public were robbed in a park. They argued that police identity procedures 17 years ago were deeply flawed. A lawyer working on his case said the team were \"floored by how much\" Mr Jones and his double looked alike. Mr Jones told the Kansas City Star that he was now adjusting to life outside of jail and was happy to be back with his children.", "summary": "A US prisoner who spent 17 years in jail for a robbery he did not commit has spoken of his relief that researchers found his lookalike."}
{"article": "Ten people died and 32 were hurt when a police helicopter crashed into the roof of the Glasgow pub on 29 November 2013. An investigation found that fuel transfer switches were turned off but it could not answer why the pilot did not land or send a distress call. The Crown Office said it could not give a timescale for an inquiry. But a spokesman added that one would be held \"as soon as possible\". Families want the Crown Office to begin an inquiry so they can get closure. Hannah Bennet, from Thompsons Solicitors, which is representing many of the victims and bereaved families, said the delay in beginning an inquiry was causing more pain. \"On the third anniversary of this awful accident a number of our clients are upset and confused as to why no date has yet been announced for the commencement of a fatal accident inquiry (FAI),\" she said. \"For many of the victims and their families, closure on the events of that awful night can only truly begin once an FAI has been concluded. \"We are calling on the Crown Office to provide clarity on this issue so that the victims and their families are no longer left wondering when they will get the answers they need and deserve.\" Ms Bennet said that while she understood the case was \"extremely complex\" it was \"very unfortunate\" there was \"still no confirmation\" on when the FAI was likely to begin. The helicopter crew who were killed in the crash were pilot David Traill, PC Tony Collins and PC Kirsty Nelis. Seven customers in the Clutha died. They were John McGarrigle, Mark O'Prey, Gary Arthur, Colin Gibson, Robert Jenkins, Samuel McGhee and Joe Cusker. A report published last year by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch said the pilot David Traill did not follow emergency protocol and flew on despite low fuel warnings. It said fuel transfer pumps were turned off and a controlled landing was not achieved for \"unknown reasons\". The report into the crash said: Alan Crossan, who owns the Clutha bar, told the Good Morning Scotland programme that the failure to provide answers to the tragedy was stopping people from moving forward. He said: \"It's been three years and I didn't expect to be still sitting here looking for the various things to happen like the FAI. \"We've got all sorts of problems that have been tied up in this thing now. \"We've got the FAI and it's still to be decided when we're going to have that. We've got two AAIB reports which are conflicting and we've got families that are still not compensated. That's three years, a long time. It's disgraceful. \"There's been a total lack of information from people and letting us know where things are. If they just let us know 'this is the problems, this is what we're doing, we're investigating the AAIB, we're doing this, we're doing that', but they don't seem to do that.\" A Crown Office spokesman said: \"The AAIB report into the Clutha tragedy, published last year, raised a number", "summary": "Bereaved families have marked the third anniversary of the Clutha helicopter crash by asking for clarity over when a fatal accident inquiry will be held."}
{"article": "People served by the Rosemarkie transmitter will lose Radio Scotland, Radio Nan Gaidheal, and BBC national radio services for short periods. DAB radio and TV services are unaffected. The disruption is expected over the course of the day. BBC Scotland said it apologised for the loss of service. Listeners in the Inverness and Inner Moray Firth area were expected to be the worst affected. The final phase of disruption is expected to last for about two hours from 12:45.", "summary": "BBC radio listeners in the Highlands could find their service affected due to essential transmitter work taking place on Tuesday."}
{"article": "But there is always an economic context that will feature as a major consideration for many voters. And whoever eventually walks into the Elysee Palace will face some difficult, even intractable challenges. The big picture is an economy with a high standard of living and high productivity but some persistent problems. The issue that stands out is unemployment. Close to three million people who want to work and are looking for a job don't have one. The unemployment rate is 10%. It's not as bad as some eurozone neighbours, but it is above average for the region and far worse than, for example, the Netherlands and Austria, where it is below 6%, and Germany, where it is below 4%. The figure for the UK is below 5%. You might think that unemployment will decline as the recovery from the eurozone's recession continues. Many forecasters expect it will, but not by all that much. The International Monetary Fund estimates that it will be hard to get unemployment down much below 8.5%. That judgement reflects what the IMF calls \"deep rooted structural rigidities\", factors that make the country's labour market less adaptable. They make it harder or less attractive for employers to take on new workers. Here are some examples. The \"tax wedge\" is relatively large - that's the difference between a worker's take home pay and what it costs the employer. There are long and uncertain procedures around dismissals, when an employer thinks they are needed. Of course there's a need to protect workers from unfair and arbitrary sackings, but many labour market experts do think that in France the balance is wrong and that it acts as a disincentive to hiring new workers. It is relatively easy to get out of work benefits and the IMF says the education system has failed to keep up with the changing skills needed by employers. There have been reforms intended to make inroads into these issues, including a package known as the Macron law, named after Emmanuel Macron, one of the presidential candidates when he was economy minister. The IMF has welcomed this but says more is needed. Then there is the 35-hour working week. It doesn't ban long hours, but is a threshold which triggers overtime payments. Critics think it raises costs for employers, supporters that it protects workers and encourages employers to hire more people. Follow French vote on the BBC There is also a feature of the French business regulation and taxation that affects the size of firms. Nicola Brandt from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) told the BBC that there's a threshold effect - regulations that kick in when a firm has 50 or more employees that inhibit those that might otherwise grow. So she says France is relatively lacking in medium-sized firms - a particular contrast with Germany whose \"Mittelstand\" is often seen as the backbone of the economy. France does have very high levels of productivity, a measure how much each worker produces. There are some good reasons for that. France has highly skilled managers and", "summary": "As French voters go to the polls to elect a new president, the country's relationship with the European Union, immigration and terrorism will all be important themes."}
{"article": "The MP was suspended by Labour last week and apologised to the Commons for endorsing calls in 2014 for Israel to be moved to the United States. The comments triggered a wider row over alleged anti-Semitism within the party, with an inquiry now under way. Keith Vaz, the chair of the committee, said Ms Shah would not take part in its meetings for the time being. The committee is beginning an inquiry into the extent of anti-Semitism in the UK and will call Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Ken Livingstone, the former mayor of London who was suspended from Labour for suggesting Adolf Hitler was a Zionist, among its witnesses. Mr Vaz said Ms Shah - the MP for Bradford West who was elected to Parliament in May 2015 - had requested not to be involved in this inquiry or the committee's other activities for the time being. \"Naz Shah has informed me and the committee that she wishes to stand aside from all her duties until current matters are resolved,\" he said. \"We have accepted her decision. She will not take part in any future matters concerning the Home Affairs Select Committee with immediate effect.\" Mr Corbyn has asked the former head of Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti, to lead an inquiry into the extent of anti-Semitism and \"other forms of racism\" in the party. No timeframe has been given for when its findings will be published. Ms Shah told MPs last week that she regretted a series of Facebook posts in April 2014, including one endorsing a suggestion that Israel should be relocated to the United States as a \"solution\" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.", "summary": "Ex-Labour MP Naz Shah has \"stood aside\" from the Commons Home Affairs select committee \"until further notice\"."}
{"article": "The Tykes announced they had agreed a move for the 22-year-old a week ago, after the batsman told Worcestershire he wanted to leave at the end of the season when his contract expired. Kohler-Cadmore averages 48.40 in the County Championship so far this summer. He is now available for Yorkshire with immediate effect. \"Obviously it was a massive decision to move home and I find it incredibly exciting,\" Kohler-Cadmore told Yorkshire's club website. \"I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in and part of my decision to move was to challenge and test myself in what is a great environment and a very strong squad. Hopefully this will help me improve and push me on to higher levels.\" In a statement Worcestershire chief executive Tom Scott said: \"Worcestershire County Cricket Club have mutually agreed with Tom Kohler-Cadmore and his representative of the immediate release from his contract with the club. \"We would like to thank Tom for the contribution he has made at New Road and wish him continued success in the future.\" Kohler-Cadmore, who was dropped for Worcestershire's last Championship match against Sussex after saying he wanted to leave New Road, impressed the Tykes first hand in May. He hit five sixes and 10 fours in his match-winning 118 against Yorkshire at New Road to help propel Worcestershire into the One-Day Cup semi-finals. Kohler-Cadmore also caught the eye in May last year when he hit the fastest century of the 2016 season - a stunning 127 off 43 balls against Durham in the T20 Blast at New Road, breaking Graeme Hick's 12-year-old record T20 score for the county. He came through the junior system at Yorkshire before going to boarding school in Worcestershire at Malvern College. Under the terms of the deal, Kohler-Cadmore will not be eligible to play against Worcestershire in 2017, meaning he will not face them in the One-Day Cup semi-final should Yorkshire beat Surrey in their quarter-final on 13 June.", "summary": "Yorkshire have confirmed the signing of Tom Kohler-Cadmore on a three-year deal after he was released from his contract by Worcestershire."}
{"article": "Daniel and Samuel Sledden mocked Judge Beverley Lunt on Facebook after admitting drug dealing charges. Daniel, 27, posted within 90 minutes of leaving Burnley Crown Court, while Samuel, 22, made offensive remarks 40 minutes after he left the dock. Judge Lunt said the pair had not \"learned any responsibility\". The judge said: \"The question I have to ask myself is this, if I had not known their real feelings at being in court would I have accepted their remorse and contrition, and suspended the sentence. And the answer is of course not. \"Each of the posts indicate they have not changed at all. They have not taken on board anything or learned any responsibility.\" Both men, from Accrington had admitted supplying cannabis from the family home in Hopwood Street between May and September 2014 and were initially given two-year jail sentences, suspended for two years. Daniel Sledden used obscene language in a message he posted online and said he could not believe his luck at getting a suspended sentence. It \"beats the three year jail, yes pal\", he wrote. His brother also used profanity when celebrating: \"What a day it's been Burnley Crown Court..nice two year suspended\". Earlier this month, Judge Lunt told the court she did not want to read the messages out which contained \"offensive sexual elements\".", "summary": "Two drug dealing brothers taken back to court for mocking a judge on Facebook when she decided not to jail them have now been jailed for two years."}
{"article": "Researchers in the US found that high doses of these supplements may \"completely offset\" the damage caused by very fine particulate matter. The scientists involved say the effect is real but stress the limitations of their work. Follow up studies are urgently needed, they say, in heavily polluted cities like Beijing or Mexico. While the impacts of air pollution on health have become a cause of growing concern to people all around the world, the actual mechanics of exactly how dirty air makes people sick are not clearly understood. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 90% of the world's population live in areas where air pollution exceeds safety guidelines. One of the pollutants that is considered the most dangerous is very fine particulate matter, referred to as PM2.5, where particles have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres. These complex particulates come from diesel cars, wood burning stoves and as a by-product of chemical reactions between other polluting gases. At around 1/30 the width of a human hair, PM2.5 fragments can lodge deep in the human lung and contribute to lung and heart health issues in the young and old. Scientists have long suspected that PM2.5 causes what are termed epigenetic changes in our cells that can damage our health. The genes in our DNA contain the instructions for life, but epigenetics controls how those instructions are used - it's like the relationship between an mp3 track and the volume control, you can only hear the musical notes (genes) when you dial up the volume (epigenetic changes). The study shows the very presence of environmental factors like air pollution seems to alter genes in the immune system at the epigenetic level - switching them on or off, and inhibiting our defences. Researchers had already seen that nutrients could somehow stop this process in animal studies with the chemical Bisphenol A. Now in this new human trial, an international team of scientists wanted to see if exposure to concentrations of PM2.5 could be mitigated by a daily B vitamin supplement containing 2.5mg of folic acid, 50mg of vitamin B6, and 1mg of vitamin B12. Ten volunteers were tested initially exposed to clean air while given a placebo to measure their basic responses. The same volunteers were later tested with large doses of B vitamins while exposed to air containing high levels of PM2.5. The researchers found that a four week B vitamin supplementation limited the PM2.5 effect by between 28-76% at ten gene locations. They found a similar reduction in impact on the mitochondrial DNA, the parts of cells that generate energy. \"Where we quantify the effect, it is almost close to a complete offset on the epigenome of the air pollution,\" said Jia Zhong from Harvard School of Public Health, who led the study. \"On the mitochondrial DNA side, it also offset a big proportion of it.\" However, the authors caution that their study, while observing a real effect, has many limitations. As well as the small number of participants, there was little information on the size of the B", "summary": "B vitamins may offer some protection against the impacts of air pollution, a small scale human trial suggests."}
{"article": "Chris Parker, 33, of no fixed address, was charged with two counts of theft on Tuesday. He was remanded into custody following the hearing at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court. Mr Parker was previously reported to have comforted a seriously injured girl and a woman who died in his arms. He was charged with stealing a purse and contents from Pauline Healey, whose 14-year-old granddaughter Sorrell Leczkowski, from Leeds, died in the explosion. Mr Parker is also said to have taken a mobile phone from a different teenage girl. He will next appear at Manchester Crown Court on 13 September. Twenty-two people died in the attack at the end of an Ariana Grande concert on the evening of 22 May.", "summary": "A man who was hailed a hero after the Manchester Arena attack has denied stealing a bank card and mobile phone at the venue on the night of the blast."}
{"article": "Jankovic, the 28th seed, beat the Czech world number two 3-6 7-5 6-4. It marked the first time since 2009 that two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova, 25, has failed to make at least the quarter-finals at the All England Club. Jankovic, 30, will face 2012 finalist Agnieszka Radwanska in the last 16. Kvitova had been in scintillating form heading into the match, coming through her first two rounds in a total of just 93 minutes. Initially, it looked like she would continue that form against Jankovic as she won the first set 6-3 in a mere 35 minutes. However, Jankovic did not give up and broke decisively in the 12th game, when Kvitova drove a forehand into the net. Media playback is not supported on this device A tense final set went with serve until the 10th game when Kvitova was suddenly rattled, making a number of errors to go from 30-love up to trail 40-30 and give Jankovic her first match point. Kvitova then struck the net with a backhand and Jankovic dropped to the floor as victory was confirmed. Defeat for Kvitova leaves just Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Lucie Safarova and Caroline Wozniacki as the last remaining top 10 seeds heading into the second week. World number five Wozniacki progressed by beating Camila Giorgi in straight sets. Denmark's Wozniacki, who lost to Italian Giorgi at the 2013 US Open, took just 72 minutes to win the third-round match 6-2 6-2. The former world number one will next play 20th seed Garbine Muguruza, who stunned 10th seed Angelique Kerber 7-6 (14-12) 1-6 6-2 to progress. Kerber is a former Wimbledon semi-finalist but the German faced an opponent who has form when it comes to causing shocks, having beaten Serena Williams at last year's French Open. Spaniard Muguruza, who had won just once in two previous Wimbledon visits, caught the eye when she came out on top of an epic first set, settling the tie-break with a drive volley before pressuring Kerber to hit a forehand wide. Media playback is not supported on this device Kerber fought back in the second set but wobbled in the third, dropping her serve twice as Muguruza claimed an impressive scalp. Sabine Lisicki's hopes of reaching a first Wimbledon final since 2013 were ended as the 18th-seeded German was beaten in straight sets by 15th seed Timea Bacsinszky. Lisicki could not cope with Bacsinszky as the Swiss won 6-3 6-2. Bacsinszky's fourth-round opponent is Romania's Monica Niculescu, 27, who is through to the second week at Wimbledon for the first time after beating 23-year-old Czech player Kristyna Pliskova 6-3 7-5. It is the second time in Niculescu's career that she has made it into the fourth round of a Grand Slam, after getting that far at the 2011 US Open. Radwanska, 26, staged a second-set fightback to see off Australian Casey Dellacqua 6-1 6-4. The Polish 13th seed made short work of Dellacqua in the first set, but found herself 4-0 down in the second before winning six straight games to progress. Finally, American world number 21", "summary": "Defending champion Petra Kvitova suffered a shock early Wimbledon exit as former world number one Jelena Jankovic fought back to secure a third-round victory."}
{"article": "Lakshmi Mittal, owner of ArcelorMittal, who held the top slot in 2008 with \u00a327.7bn now has a fortune of \u00a37.12bn and is number 11 on this year's list. The number of London billionaires fell for the first time since the financial crash - from 80 in 2015 to 77. There are also a record 125 women on this year's top 1,000 list. At the top of the 2016 guide to Britain and Ireland's richest people are property tycoons the Reuben brothers, owners of London's Millbank Tower and the John Lewis headquarters, who have a fortune of \u00a313.1bn. Mumbai-born David and Simon Reuben, who also own London Oxford Airport and London Heliport, have increased their fortune by \u00a33.4bn in the past year. Others on the list include: Making it onto the Rich List at all requires at least \u00a3103m. Brothers Sri and Gopi Hinduja, who run the Hinduja Group, remain in second place a year on with an unchanged fortune of \u00a313bn. Completing the top three is Warner Music owner Len Blavatnik, who has \u00a311.59bn. He has dropped two places after a reduction in wealth by \u00a31.58bn. The Mittals' previous vast wealth of \u00a327.7bn was the biggest fortune achieved by anyone on the list before or since. Earlier this month it was reported that ArcelorMittal board member Wilbur Ross could be among investors expected to be contacted about buying some of Tata's business interests in the UK.", "summary": "The family behind Europe's biggest steelmaker has lost more than \u00a32bn in the past year, the annual Sunday Times Rich List has revealed."}
{"article": "Seam bowler Fazakerley, 19, made his first-class debut earlier this month and has been named in Guernsey's squad. \"We probably won't know for another couple weeks yet,\" Butler told BBC Radio Guernsey. \"Being a contracted player for a professional side he's controlled by them, so it's a tough one.\" Butler continued: \"He's a key player for us, so we're hoping he's available.\" Guernsey will come up against Italy, Cayman Islands and Qatar in the group stages of the tournament in September, which will take place in South Africa. Their 14-man squad, led by director of cricket Ashley Wright, includes skipper Jamie Nussbaumer and Matt Stokes, as well as World Cricket League debutants Matt Breban, Dec Martel, and Ben Fitchet. \"A lot of our players are very experienced, but they're all still very young as well,\" added Butler. \"The main aim has to be promotion for us.\"", "summary": "Guernsey vice-captain Josh Butler says they are awaiting permission from Leicestershire to allow Will Fazakerley to play in World Cricket League Five."}
{"article": "Main, 23, scored once in 14 appearances for Rovers this season. He started his career at Darlington before moving to Middlesbrough in June 2011 and joining Doncaster in July 2014. Main could make his debut for the Latics, who are five points adrift of safety in League One, in Tuesday's trip to Blackpool. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Oldham Athletic have signed Doncaster Rovers striker Curtis Main on loan until the end of the season."}
{"article": "Over a period of 18 months in the 1960s, Brady and his accomplice, Myra Hindley, kidnapped and murdered five children in north-west England. The bodies of three of their victims were later found buried on Saddleworth Moor near the Lancashire town of Oldham. The details of the crime shocked the nation, not least because Brady's accomplice was a woman, and also because of the complete lack of remorse either showed during the subsequent trial. Brady was born Ian Stewart on 2 January 1938, the illegitimate son of a Scottish waitress. His violent personality was shaped by an unstable background. His mother neglected him and he was raised by foster parents in the Gorbals, Glasgow's toughest slum. After a spree of petty crime as a teenager the courts sent him to Manchester to live with his mother and her new husband, Patrick Brady. He assumed his stepfather's name, continued his criminal activities and developed into a fully-fledged teenage alcoholic. By now he had acquired new interests, building up a library of books on Nazi Germany, sadism and sexual perversion. He first met Hindley when she worked as a secretary at the company where they were both employed. For Hindley it was love at first sight. Brady impressed her by reading Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf in the original German. As their relationship developed, they began taking obscene photographs of each other before turning their attention to kidnapping, child molestation and murder. Between July 1963 and December 1964, 16-year-old Pauline Reade, 12-year-old John Kilbride and Keith Bennett, also 12, were reported missing, all in the Manchester area. Another victim - Lesley Ann Downey, 10 - disappeared on 26 December 1964. Authorities were baffled by what they referred to as the \"unrelated\" cases, and were left without a single piece of solid evidence. In the meantime, Brady and Hindley were intent on a campaign to corrupt Hindley's brother-in-law, David Smith, and recruit him into their circle. A petty criminal with convictions of his own, Smith was amused when the conversation turned to murder; he questioned Brady's ability to follow it through. On 6 October 1965, Brady offered a practical demonstration with Edward Evans, a homosexual teenager, striking him 14 times with a hatchet before strangling him. Horrified, Smith phoned the police the next morning, directing them to Brady's address. The officers caught Brady and Hindley at home, retrieving a fresh corpse from the bedroom, along with the bloody hatchet and Brady's library of volumes on perversion and sadism. A 12-year-old neighbour recalled several trips she had made with the couple to Saddleworth Moor, and the police launched a search which uncovered the body of Leslie Ann Downey on 16 October. Four days later, another search of Brady's flat turned up two left luggage tickets for Manchester Central Station, leading police to a pair of hidden suitcases. Inside, they found nude photographs of the girl, along with tape recordings of her final tortured moments, pleading for her life as she was sexually abused. A series of seemingly innocent snapshots depicted portions of Saddleworth Moor, and detectives paid", "summary": "Few killers achieved the notoriety or attracted as much public loathing as the so-called \"Moors Murderer\", Ian Brady, who has died at the age of 79."}
{"article": "From 1 January, people must show a driving licence, council tax bill or a utility bill to use sites in Lamby Way, Wedal Road and Bessemer Close. The council said 17% of users at Bessemer Close were from a neighbouring authority. It said such \"cross border movement\" costs the council \u00c2\u00a3430,000 a year. Bob Derbyshire, cabinet member for environment, added: \"It therefore seems fair to me that if residents from outside our catchment area want to use our facilities they should be asked to either pay for using it or directed to their own authority's HWRC [Household Waste Recycling Centre].\" New seasonal reduced opening hours will also start in 2016 to account for reduced demand during the winter months. From 2 January, the site will open from 09:30 GMT with last entry at 18:00, while weekend openings from 10:00. Longer opening times will return in the summer.", "summary": "Residents in Cardiff will have to prove where they live before they are allowed to use the council's waste recycling centres."}
{"article": "The British star had been expected to be up for lead actor after winning a Golden Globe for his work. Olivia Colman and Hugh Laurie were also passed over for their roles in the BBC drama, although Tom Hollander was recognised for best supporting actor. Netflix's royal series The Crown leads the way with five nods, including best drama and lead actress for Claire Foy. Damilola, Our Loved Boy - about the murdered schoolboy Damilola Taylor - receives three nominations, as do Fleabag and Happy Valley. See the full nominations list The Crown is the main beneficiary of a rule change that means shows can be nominated in the main categories if they have mainly British talent, but haven't been made for a British broadcaster. That means the field is even more competitive than before, according to Bafta chair Jane Lush - which is one factor explaining why The Night Manager has missed out. \"There is so much investment in drama now that the competition is incredibly fierce,\" she said. Bafta juries have more big shows to consider when settling on the shortlists, she said. \"Whereas a few years ago people were choosing four [nominees] out of six contenders for drama series, they're now probably looking at 10 or even more. \"So it has just got increasingly competitive when the awards season comes around.\" Robbie Coltrane has been nominated for his fifth Bafta TV award for his role as a comedian accused of historic sex crimes in Channel 4's National Treasure. His competition includes Benedict Cumberbatch, up for his role as Richard III in The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses. Foy's fellow contenders in the leading actress category include Happy Valley's Sarah Lancashire and Nikki Amuka-Bird, recognised for her work in the BBC's adaptation of Zadie Smith's NW. Happy Valley is up for best drama series alongside The Crown, as are ITV's The Durrells and the BBC's War and Peace. But there is no room in that category for The Night Manager - despite it being shortlisted for six Bafta Craft Awards last month. Nor is there a space for Coronation Street in the soap and continuing drama category, where preference has been given to Casualty, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks. Colman may not have been recognised for The Night Manager, but she is up for best female comedy performance for her role in BBC Three's Fleabag. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the show's creator, is nominated alongside her in that category, while the show is also up for best scripted comedy. Foy, who was up for lead actress last year for Wolf Hall, receives her second nomination in consecutive years, this time for playing the young Queen Elizabeth II. Three of her co-stars in The Crown - Jared Harris, John Lithgow and Vanessa Kirby - are also recognised, for playing King George VI, Winston Churchill and Princess Margaret respectively. Strictly Come Dancing is nominated for best entertainment programme, with an additional nomination for Claudia Winkleman for best entertainment performance. The winners will be announced at London's Royal Festival Hall on 14 May. Follow", "summary": "Tom Hiddleston has surprisingly missed out on a Bafta TV Award nomination for his role in The Night Manager."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old GlenDronach single malt whisky was bottled in 2012 to mark the opening of Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire. A Canadian bidder paid more than twice the estimated price to secure the bottle at the auction of rare whiskies. A bottle of 52-year-old Macallan 1950 fetched \u00a310,000, while a bottle of the Black Bowmore went for \u00a35,200. Laurie Black, whisky expert at McTear's auctioneers, said: \"There was a huge amount of interest in the bottle and we were delighted with the final price, which was several times more than previous Trump bottles have sold for. \"The GlenDronach is a stunning whisky in its own right, however, the Trump connection gave this particular bottle a presidential boost.\"", "summary": "A rare bottle of whisky signed by US president elect Donald Trump has sold for \u00a36,000 at auction in Glasgow."}
{"article": "Her commitment to the Commonwealth has been unwavering; that of her ministers, in the past, less so. Take Ted Heath. For him, in the 1970s, the Common Market trumped the Commonwealth. Other prime ministers have been wary of a loose affiliation of nations that battled against apartheid in South Africa but which have, sometimes, struggled to uphold principles of accountability and respect for human rights. But post-Brexit, the club of 52 countries is taking on greater significance for the UK government. The Commonwealth makes up a relatively small part of UK trade. As we leave the European Union, Number 10 wants to increase exports to these countries. Where the baton is headed over the next 388 days, will British goods, in greater numbers, one day follow?", "summary": "As she stood on the makeshift stage in the Buckingham Palace forecourt, the Queen might have been tempted to reflect on one of the benefits of longevity."}
{"article": "The Ulster county held a commanding 0-12 to 0-6 lead at half-time but the visitors hit back to claim a place in the third round of the qualifiers. Tipp rattled off seven points after the break to level the match as Cavan managed just one Niall McDermott score. Conor Sweeney's penalty and a second goal by Robbie Kiely sealed the win. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I am gutted. I thought we were fabulous in the first half, playing some of the best football we have played this year,\" said Cavan manager Mattie McGleenan. \"But you have to play for two halves, and we didn't. \"In the first 15 minutes of the second half we just could not win a ball. Every breaking ball went to Tipperary. \"I felt the referee gave them a couple of soft frees at the start of the second half and they gained a bit of momentum at a critical stage of the game. \"Tipperary were hungry and their movement for the goal was class. We were caught ball-watching.\" Gearoid McKiernan, Martin Reilly, Tomas Corr and Caoimhin O'Reilly each scored two points as Cavan built that six-point interval advantage. But Tipperary started the second period strongly with four straight scores by Conor Sweeney, Kevin O'Halloran, Jack Kenedy and Brian Fox. McKiernan landed a free for the hosts but it proved a brief interruption to Tipp's scoring spree and they levelled through scores by O'Halloran, Kennedy and Philip Austin. Sweeney's penalty - awarded for a Jason McLoughlin foul on Austin - put Tipperary three points up, and when centre-back Kiely netted they led by 2-13 to 0-14. Cavan reduced the deficit with a couple of late points - but the damage had been done.", "summary": "Cavan's All-Ireland Championship campaign came to a stunning end as Tipperary staged a remarkable comeback at Kingspan Breffni."}
{"article": "The Sky Blues had the better of a tight contest and came closest to finding a winner when a 25-yard strike by Jacob Murphy hit the post after the break. Gillingham had started brightly with Dominic Samuel wasting a good opening when he slipped at the vital moment. Gael Bigirimana also went close with a curling shot for City, who dropped to 11th, nine points off the play-offs. The Gills are now 10 points off top spot following Wigan's win over Shrewsbury, but they have a game in hand on the Latics and second-placed Burton. Covnetry City boss Tony Mowbray told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire: \"I think late on we should have won that. It was alright, although for most of it was a pretty poor football match. \"We had a gameplan and it nearly paid off. We nearly came away with a 1-0 victory but it wasn't to be.\"", "summary": "Mid-table Coventry City earned a point from a drab match as Gillingham missed the chance to go third in League One."}
{"article": "Last season's Premiership finalists were beaten in the European Champions Cup by Wasps on Saturday and have also lost four league games this term. \"I trust the players 100%, it hurts them more than anybody,\" said Ford. \"They want to play as best as they can, they care, the leaders have led and the players have followed.\" Bath host Worcester on 27 December and Ford admits Warriors will fancy their chances at the Rec. \"They will smell blood and think it's a good time to play Bath, they will come firing, we have to meet their physicality,\" he told BBC Radio Bristol. \"It's all about attitude and we need to play with edge.\" Ford also admits his side have let down supporters this season and says the players are working hard to find ways to turn things around. He also says he is putting himself under pressure to help improve results. \"We had a few home truths after that performance (against Wasps) and sometimes that's what it needs,\" he said. \"The lads have got back on the horse and trained really well so they've taken the first steps. \"Pressure comes from the way you prepare. I felt pressure today, I felt pressure yesterday because you have to get the tactics right, get the message right to the team, prepare your training and meetings. That's where the pressure comes, on match day I can't do much, it's over to the players. \"If you do the job during the week then match day normally takes care of itself. You can't worry about the results otherwise it'll drive you crazy, I've been in the game too long to worry about things like that.\"", "summary": "Bath director of rugby Mike Ford says he trusts his players to turn around their form after an inconsistent start to the season."}
{"article": "The Eton-educated actor told the event people who had complained were \"missing the point\" as the evening was \"a celebration of our community... and the role the school has played here\". Alumni from Acland Burghley School in north London had signed a petition against the Homeland star's appearance. The actor lives near the Camden school. More on this story and other news from London The petition said: \"Damian Lewis was educated at Eton, a school that, more than any other, represents the reproduction of privilege and inequality in the UK.\" Lewis told the audience of about 450 \"there is more creativity, independence and support in this neighbourhood than any other... I have lived in.\" He praised the school for teaching such \"qualities\", calling it \"a beacon of curiosity, independence, creativity and diversity\". The woman who began the petition, which garnered 100 signatures, said she had not meant it as a personal attack against Lewis. \"It's really just about how do you celebrate the anniversary of a really good comprehensive school that has always taken a very radical and socially progressive attitude towards education,\" Rachel Cohen said. On the petition the City University sociology lecturer had written that the Wolf Hall actor was \"a wholly inappropriate choice\" for a celebration at a comprehensive school. Many of those who were there cheered his appearance, calling Lewis an \"inspiration\". Headteacher Nicholas John said it was \"great\" he was an actor who wanted to be \"involved in the community\". The event featured a laser show which Lewis began the countdown for. Other alumnus from the school include singer Ms Dynamite and Madness saxophonist Lee Thompson. Damian Lewis profile", "summary": "Damian Lewis has hit back at critics who claimed he was too privileged to take part in his local comprehensive school's 50th anniversary celebrations."}
{"article": "Gateshead-born Harrison has been linked with Hartlepool United, who parted company with Dave Jones after dropping into the League Two relegation zone. Harrison says he is flattered but insists his focus is on Sunday's Welsh Cup final against Bala Town. \"I've said from day one that I'm a very ambitious person,\" Harrison said. \"I want to manage at the very best level I can. \"It's nice to be linked to these jobs. But at this point in time the Welsh Cup Final is the be all and end all for me. \"Once that's finished we'll be preparing for the Champions League and then whatever will be will be.\" Saints have already secured the Welsh Premier League title and the Nathaniel MG League Cup, Saints and earlier this season broke Ajax's 44-year world record for the most consecutive wins with 27 straight victories. Harrison's side will achieve a third successive Welsh treble if they beat Bala in Sunday's Welsh Cup final in Bangor.", "summary": "New Saints boss Craig Harrison has said he has ambitions to manage at \"the highest level.\""}
{"article": "David Grimason has been calling for tighter controls since his two-year-old son Alistair was killed during a gunfight at a Turkish cafe in 2003. Mr Grimason will be at the UN in New York, attending the final negotiations for an international arms trade treaty. He said a strong treaty was the biggest tribute he could give to Alistair. The family were holidaying in the seaside village of Foca when their son was killed on 7 July 2003. The youngster was asleep in his pram when an argument broke out at a nearby table and a man opened fire. On the ninth anniversary of his son's death, Mr Grimason said: \"It's always a difficult day for me. \"Every year since Alistair was killed I've visited his grave in East Kilbride. \"But this year I've taken the decision to be at the United Nations negotiations. It's the best tribute I can give to Alistair I suppose, to try and effect change and to stop these tragedies happening to other families. \"I was a father back in 2003, just enjoying life. When Alistair was killed, it destroyed his life, my family's life - it's a very difficult life to lead, being the victims of gun violence.\" Mr Grimason said said he had been involved with the Control Arms campaign, run by Amnesty International, IANSA and Oxfam International, since 2004. He told BBC Radio Scotland: \"I do feel something can be achieved. We in Scotland don't have to live with firearms on a daily basis but unfortunately it is a global problem. \"My son was killed in Turkey, where there's a high number of civilians carrying handguns. \"But it's not an isolated problem in Turkey either. It's a global problem, it's worldwide, and this international treaty would prevent the transfer of weapons between nations if there's evidence they're going to be used in violation of international law. \"Hopefully an effective treaty would reduce the flow of weapons throughout the world, over time.\" First Minister Alex Salmond met with Mr Grimason before he left Scotland, and said the Scottish government was strongly supportive of an international arms trade treaty. \"David Grimason is to be praised for his work drawing this vital issue to the attention of both the public and the international community,\" he said. \"His own son was killed in a tragic incident in Turkey yet he has had the courage to speak out to stop others being affected in the same way.\" Jamie Livingstone, Oxfam Scotland's campaigns manager, said the charity was \"humbled by David's decision\". He added: \"It can't have been an easy decision to come to New York at this time, but David is playing a key role in pushing for the sort of legally-binding rules which will save lives.\" First Minister Alex Salmond has praised the work of Scottish campaigner David Grimason who is in New York attending the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty Conference. Today (Saturday) is the anniversary of the death of Alistair Grimason, David's infant son who was tragically shot and killed in Turkey in 2003.", "summary": "A father whose toddler son was shot dead in a cafe in Turkey will mark the anniversary of his death by campaigning for global action against firearms."}
{"article": "The musician penned the haunting track, He Was Alone, after spending time at a refugee camp in southern Turkey on the Turkish/Syrian border. \"We see this human disaster and we see numbers in millions and we're trying to make sense of it,\" he told the BBC. \"We've forgotten how to understand the human story behind this.\" Three-year-old Syrian boy Kurdi made headlines around the world in September when he washed up on a Turkish beach. \"What I came to realise is that it's the reductionism which has caused much of the problem,\" said Yusuf. \"That we've forgotten how to understand the human story behind this and so it's that young soul that I visualised in my head when I wrote this this song.\" He said that, when the shocking pictures of Kurdi appeared in the press and on TV in 2015, \"suddenly people woke up a bit for a while and said, 'Oh God, that looks like my little nephew or my little son', and so that came to my mind.\" But he also lamented any initial public galvanisation over the humanitarian crisis in the West, saying it had long since dissipated. \"It's kind of, 'Well that's news today and tomorrow it's old - and people move on and politics gets involved. It is quite sad that this happens and it is the politics which I think interferes with it.\" Proceeds from the new record will go toward the #YouAreNotAlone campaign and Save The Children.", "summary": "Singer-songwriter Yusuf, formerly known as Cat Stevens, has said the harrowing death of Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi inspired his latest song."}
{"article": "People living in Staffin were in dispute with landowners because of rent rises, insecurity of tenure and the eviction of families from land. The unrest was part of a wider period of land rights struggles known as the Crofters' War. Staffin Community Trust is working with Atlas Arts on the project. The organisations have selected sculptor Henry Castle and design collective, Lateral North, to work on the project to create a contemporary work of art. They were selected from more than 40 applications from all over the world. Lateral North's previous work includes a Scottish exhibition at the Venice International Architectural Biennale last year. It involved a virtual reality experience of Boreraig on Skye using mobile phones fitted inside mock animal heads Bath-born Castle is involved in a long-term project at Rubislaw Quarry in Aberdeen and, since early 2015, he has been working on a body of work to develop a site-specific sculpture at The Forest of Dean. Castle was elected to the Royal British Society of Sculptors earlier this year. Tom Smith of Lateral North and Castle visited Skye last week. Smith said: \"We are delighted to be involved in a commission which represents such a significant period in the history of the Highlands and Islands. \"From initial conversations with Staffin residents, we have realised the strong relationship and extensive understanding the community has of its crofting history. \"By delving deeper into the stories of Staffin we hope to uncover significant moments which have taken place during the crofters' uprising and produce a body of research that is reflective of its people and place.\" Castle said: \"My recent visit to Staffin has revealed to me a particular sense of this very strong community, which embodies a living history of its past. \"Through thorough research and personal experience of spending time in Staffin, I look forward to developing a body of work which celebrates and explores aspects of the place in a way which is as fresh to this unique community as it is to those who know little or nothing about its history.\" Dugald Ross, of Staffin Community Trust, said the community was awaiting with interest the outcome of the artists' research. Emma Nicolson, director of Atlas Arts, said the artists would respond \"sensitively and imaginatively\" to the task of creating a memorial. Waged throughout much of the 1800s, the wider Crofters' War was a dispute between landowners and communities distressed by high rents, their lack of rights to land, or facing eviction to make way for large-scale farming operations. The process of moving families out of inland areas where they had raised cattle for generations to coastal fringes of large estates, or abroad to territories in Canada, had started with the Highland Clearances in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Both the clearances and the \"war\" were marked by violent clashes between people facing eviction and landowners and the authorities. One of the bloodiest incidents of the later unrest was the Battle of the Braes on Skye in 1882. After being attacked with stones by a crowd of men and", "summary": "Artists have been selected to take forward plans for a memorial to recall a crofters' uprising in the north east of Skye more than 130 years ago."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old loose-head prop played in the World Cup last year - and also against the Warriors in a pre-season match in Nova Scotia last August. He has been training with the squad since arriving in Glasgow on Sunday. \"I talked to DTH [van der Merwe], Connor [Braid] and Taylor [Paris] and they all had good things to say about the club,\" said Sears-Duru. \"Glasgow play a really good style of rugby and I'm glad to be part of it. \"I'm still young, so hopefully I can learn a lot here and become a better player and continue to play for Canada and do well for Glasgow.\"", "summary": "Canada international Djustice Sears-Duru has signed a contract with Glasgow Warriors until the end of the season."}
{"article": "Some 3,000 people have been left homeless, according to a BBC reporter who has been to the scene. Their houses were destroyed after mud and rocks, dislodged by the rain, plunged down the hillside. Reports from the Democratic Republic of Congo say there have been similar problems across the border. UN-backed Radio Okapi says 14 people have been killed on the Congolese side of Lake Tanganyika. Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza has visited the scene of the landslides, 35km (20 miles) south of the capital Bujumbura. The governor of Bujumbura district, Jacques Minani, described it as \"a disaster\", reports the AFP news agency. He said that the emergency services were now searching the area for survivors.", "summary": "At least 10 people are missing, feared dead, in Burundi after landslides which have destroyed hundreds of homes, officials say."}
{"article": "Giving her verdict, Judge Claire Sharp said John Atkinson did not lose his job because of his disability. Mr Atkinson was dismissed, as were all of Mr Gill's staff, in April last year. Some of the employees were later re-hired and Mr Atkinson had argued he was not given a job because he needed a hip operation. But the claim at a tribunal in Cardiff was thrown out. Ms Sharp said: \"The reason that the claimant lost his job had nothing to do with his disability\". \"It was to do with the political situation and Mr Gill's view that it would be better to be the only MEP without any staff,\" she told the hearing. The tribunal had earlier heard that Mr Gill was concerned in the run up to the 2016 assembly election about the possibility that Olaf - an EU fraud body - would investigate him and his staff. The MEP wanted to avoid \"cross over\" between political campaigning and EU funding. Mr Gill, who was elected to the assembly and now sits as an independent AM, had wanted to stand down as an MEP but said there were a \"huge catalogue\" of reasons why he changed his mind. Mr Atkinson - a 67-year-old former Royal Marine from Llanpumsaint, Carmarthenshire - was a campaign manager for Mr Gill, before becoming a constituency manager after he got elected in 2014. In response to the ruling, Mr Gill said: \"Employment tribunals serve a very important function in protecting workers from bad employers. I was never, and have never been, a bad employer.\"", "summary": "A former employee of Nathan Gill has lost a claim of disability discrimination against the UKIP Wales MEP at an employment tribunal."}
{"article": "Talking to Radio 1 Breakfast show host, Nick Grimshaw, Cowell revealed his 88-year-old mum still calls the shots. \"She still loves to tell me off,\" the X Factor boss confessed. \"The worst thing she can say to me if I'm got my friends round is, 'Simon stop showing off' and there's no answer back to that,\" he added. \"It happened to me once when I was 15 and I brought this girl round for Sunday lunch. \"And I was showing off. Then my mum said, 'Simon stop showing off' and I literally couldn't think of a reply.\" Simon Cowell jokes that he still relives that day regularly but he now uses the phrase to his own advantage. \"I hated her so much,\" he said. \"And it stuck with me. It's a really good thing to say to the other judges.\" Cowell is back on the X Factor judging panel for the first time in four years. The 54-year-old hopes his return alongside Cheryl, Louis Walsh and Mel B will help make the singing contest the force it once was. In recent years, X Factor has fallen behind in the ratings fight with its main rival Strictly Come Dancing with more people now watching the BBC One ballroom dance show. You can hear Nick Grimshaw's interview with Simon Cowell on the Radio 1 Breakfast show on Friday from 6:30 BST. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Cheryl, Louis Walsh or Mel B can't manage it but there is one person who can put Simon Cowell in his place - Julie, his mum."}
{"article": "Julian Lewis asked Sir Craig Oliver to appear before the Defence Committee to discuss reports a missile veered off course, amid claims it was hushed up. The MP said the ex-journalist declined, saying he had been working on the EU referendum at the time of the test. Ministers have not confirmed or denied anything went wrong with the test. The government has said it will not divulge \"operational details\" of what happened during the test but has insisted it has \"absolute confidence\" in the UK's Trident system. Former defence minister Lord West told MPs he had been led to believe there had been a \"minor hiccough\" with the missile's automated communications system and it had been prematurely ditched into the ocean as a precaution. Mr Cameron was still prime minister when the test was conducted shortly before the EU referendum and Mr Lewis has been pressing for details about what he and his staff knew about it. The Times claimed on Tuesday that the Obama administration had asked Mr Cameron not to reveal details of the test. It cited sources which it said had told the paper the missile had successfully fired but encountered problems with its US-supplied software. Raising a point of order in Parliament after the meeting, Mr Lewis said it was \"regrettable\" that neither Sir Craig, who was director of communications under Mr Cameron nor Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon had taken up his invitation to appear before his committee. The MP has expressed concerns that, in the past, the Ministry of Defence has publicised details of successful tests but, in this case, there had been a total news blackout which could be seen as a cover-up. \"Yesterday I told the House in good faith that Sir Craig Oliver vehemently denies he or any other member of David Cameron's media team ever knew about the aborted Trident test last June,\" he told MPs. \"He had said that to my parliamentary office staff in terms bordering on rudeness. \"However, when he was invited to appear before the defence committee today, he told the committee clerk that he did not wish to attend as he said he had left No 10 to work for the Remain campaign before the test firing took place.\" A spokesman for the former prime minister has said suggestions that his media advisers were involved in a cover-up over the test or had suggested one were \"entirely false\". CNN quoted an unnamed US defence official on Monday as saying the unarmed II D5 missile - fired from HMS Vengeance off the coast of Florida - did deviate from its intended trajectory as part of an automatic self-destruct sequence. Appearing before the committee, Lord West said it sounded like the problem occurred once the missile was airborne and the Royal Navy could not be held responsible. \"The submarine was put in the right position and was in the right mode - everything was done correctly in terms of the correct firing checks. \"The missile fired properly and went up into the air... From everything that is said, it", "summary": "A Tory MP says a former aide to David Cameron declined a request to answer questions about what the ex-PM knew about last year's Trident missile test."}
{"article": "Tips on how to push students to sign up for expensive courses were included in records released during a class-action lawsuit against Trump University. Mr Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has denied that the school misled students. But Hillary Clinton described the venture as a \"fraudulent scheme\". Mrs Clinton, who leads to race to be the Democratic nominee, said the former school was \"used to prey upon those who could least afford it\". The now defunct for profit school is at the centre of two class-action lawsuits in San Diego, California, alleging the company scammed students by failing to deliver on promises to impart Mr Trump's secrets of real estate success. Former students say they were misled by adverts claiming Mr Trump had \"hand-picked\" teachers and \"overseen\" the curriculum. The billionaire businessman continues to maintain the majority of his customers were satisfied with the real estate programme. The documents were released following an order by US District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel. The judge ruled that the files were in the public interest since Mr Trump had become \"the front-runner in the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential race\". Trump University was launched in 2004 as a business venture under the Trump brand, offering courses in entrepreneurship. The extent of Mr Trump's involvement in the scheme is a key point on contention. The trove of documents include manuals or \"playbooks\" for employees outlining how to \"close the deal\" and convince students to invest in business seminars that cost up to nearly $35,000 (\u00c2\u00a324,288). The \"playbooks\" also advised sales staff on how to speak to reporters, how to dress and run Trump University events, as well as how to identify students with the most liquid assets. The unsealed files also included depositions from executives describing how the operation worked. They also included statements from employees describing the program a \"scam\". Former staff member Ronald Schnackenberg wrote that he left Trump University in 2007, citing the program used \"misleading, fraudulent and dishonest\" tactics. The previously unseen testimony from Trump University executives goes some way to show Mr Trump's level of involvement in the school's marketing strategy. Michael Sexton, Trump University president, said in a 2012 deposition that Mr Trump offered \"very good and substantive input\" to the program's marketing materials. The documents were released in one of two class-action lawsuits in California against Trump University. In a separate civil lawsuit in New York, Democratic Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has alleged that Trump University used deceptive practices and misled students about the support they would get. Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing. A judge has said the $40m case in New York could proceed to trial, but Mr Trump has appealed the ruling. The San Diego case involving the released documents is expected to go to trial in late November, just weeks after the US presidential election. Mr Trump could be called to testify. But he is not the only presidential candidate marred by legal dispute. His Democratic opponent, Mrs Clinton, remains embroiled in an investigation over her use of private email while serving as", "summary": "Court documents have revealed aggressive sales tactics employed by staff at Donald Trump's now defunct investment school."}
{"article": "UK government figures showed Scotland generated 4,590 gigawatt hours (GWh) of renewable energy in the first three months of 2012. This was an increase of 1,435 GWh on the first quarter of 2011. Scotland is aiming to generate the equivalent of 100% of its electricity needs from renewables by 2020. The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change also issued revised statistics for 2011 which showed that renewable electricity generation in Scotland was 13,735 GWh in 2011, an increase of 44.3% from 2010 and up 97.3% from 2006. The Scottish government said that, assuming gross consumption in 2011 was similar to 2010, about 35% of Scotland's electricity needs came from renewables in 2011, beating its interim target of 31%. Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said the figures showed the country was making good progress towards the 2020 target. He added: \"The increase of 45.5% in renewable output in quarter one 2012 compared to quarter one 2011 is particularly encouraging when you consider that 2011 saw the highest output from renewable energy to date. \"Scotland has astounding renewable energy potential, and the Scottish government is committed to ensuring every community in Scotland benefits from the opportunities of renewable energy. \"Scotland is a genuine world leader in green energy and our targets reflect the scale of our natural resources, the strength of our energy capabilities and the value we place on creating new, sustainable industries.\" Jenny Hogan, director of policy at Scottish Renewables, said the figures demonstrated that renewable energy was becoming an \"ever important of our energy mix\". She added: \"Each time you boil a kettle in your home, more and more of that electricity will have been generated from a renewable source such as a wind farm. \"Not only does the renewables industry now employ more than 11,000 people in Scotland, it's helping to reduce our carbon emissions, tackle climate change and insulate us from volatility in the gas market which has been responsible for the major hikes in energy bills over the last few years.\" WWF Scotland's head of policy Dr Dan Barlow added: \"To ensure Scotland remains on track to a fully renewable future we need to see continued and rapid deployment of all forms of renewables alongside investment in energy efficiency. \"Such a path will help create jobs, reduce pollution and protect households from volatile fossil fuel prices.\" Labour Shadow Energy Minister Tom Greatrex said: \"Any increase in renewable generation is welcome. The investment needed to make Scotland's renewables potential a reality is supported by consumers across the whole of Britain, not just in Scotland.\"", "summary": "Scotland's renewable energy output increased by 45% in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period last year."}
{"article": "Comic Enterprises successfully argued in the High Court that 20th Century Fox's show breached its trademark right to The Glee Club name. The show's broadcaster appealed against the 2014 ruling, but appeal court judges dismissed their case. It is not yet clear whether the Glee show's name will have to be changed. The appeal court judges are now due to consider whether EU trademark law affects the ruling and therefore means no change is required. More updates on this and Birmingham and the Black Country Part of the film studio's argument was that it should not need to change the name, citing EU law which states a trademark must be \"a sign\", in the sense of being a single sign and capable of being \"graphically represented\". The show's name, it said, did not fall into this category. As a result, the judges have asked the two parties and the UK Intellectual Property Office to enter their submissions on the issue by Monday when they will consider whether to send the case to the European courts. The television show first aired in 2009 on the Fox Channel - part of Rupert Murdoch's media empire. Mark Tughan, owner of the comedy club chain, said he received an 80-page ruling from Lord Justice Lloyd Jones, Lady Justice Arden and Lord Justice Kitchin on Monday following the appeal hearing in November. Mr Tughan said the comedy club's trademark was registered in 1999 and that he started legal proceedings in 2011. The film studio is yet to comment on the appeal being thrown out. Mr Tughan, who tweeted his victory, told BBC News \"I feel vindicated, not only for taking the case in the first place but now that two courts have come to the same conclusion about the infringement on my trademark. \"One would hope that Fox would put down their weapons but they have shown no inkling of wanting to settle this.\" He added he was awarded some compensation from the High Court hearing but said he is yet to pursue what he feels he is entitled to. The Glee Club opened in Birmingham in 1994 and now has branches in Cardiff, Nottingham and Oxford.", "summary": "The makers of hit TV show Glee have lost their appeal against a legal ruling that found in favour of a comedy club chain of the same name."}
{"article": "The Doha-based operation is owned by the Qatar government. Its main Arabic network is the leading pan-Arab TV news station. Al-Jazeera Arabic can be outspoken on subjects deemed as sensitive in the region, but avoids criticism of Qatar and its Gulf allies, specifically Saudi Arabia. It has faced curbs in several Arab countries where it has ruffled feathers. Al-Jazeera English launched in 2006. Other offshoots include Al-Jazeera Balkans, based in Bosnia, and US-based Al-Jazeera America. Al-Jazeera Network has more than 70 bureaux worldwide and employs around 3,000 staff. Domestic audiences are catered for by state-run TV and radio. The large expatriate population has access to media from their various home countries. Qatar has daily newspapers in Arabic and English. The main titles have links to the ruling family and there is little or no critical reporting of domestic or foreign policy affairs. BBC World Service radio in Arabic, Radio France Internationale, France's Arabic-language radio service Monte Carlo Doualiya, UAE-based MBC and Radio Sawa from the US are available on FM in Doha. Qatar has advanced internet infrastructure and is widely connected to the web. There were 2.2 million internet users by 2014 (Internetlivestats.com). Authorities filter political criticism, material deemed offensive to Islam, pornographic content and online privacy resources. The top social networks used in Qatar are Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.", "summary": "Influential pan-Arab and international TV broadcaster Al-Jazeera has raised Qatar's media profile."}
{"article": "The previously unknown case will place fresh pressure on the force, which last year was forced to apologise to seven women who had similar relationships. The woman in the latest case told BBC Newsnight she was a victim of \"psychological torture\". The Met would neither confirm nor deny the identity of the undercover officer. The woman, who is being referred to by the pseudonym Andrea to protect her identity, was friends with a group of left-wing political activists, mostly in the Socialist Party, who are thought to have been the target for long-term infiltration by the Met. The Socialist Party is a democratic political group to the left of the Labour Party that rejects violence. On Monday, she started legal action against the Metropolitan Police over the relationship, which lasted from 2002 to 2004. A joint investigation by BBC Newsnight and The Guardian has unmasked Andrea's former partner, who was pretending to be a left-wing political activist. He used the cover name Carlo Neri. The BBC knows his real name but is not publishing it to protect his family. Mr Neri proposed to Andrea in 2003 and she accepted. He was welcomed into her family and her parents, who lived in Scotland, viewed him as a future son-in-law. Andrea told Newsnight that the deception she suffered meant she was the victim of \"psychological torture\" authorised by the police. When he was living with Andrea undercover in central London, from November 2002 to May 2004, Mr Neri was married with a child. He had a double life and needed to invent reasons to be away from the flat he and his wife shared in Maida Vale. He showed Andrea photographs of a boy and said it was his son from a previous relationship. He said that his former partner had moved to Cornwall with the boy and he wanted to re-establish contact. Full story on Newsnight on Monday 18 January at 22:30 on BBC Two \"He was probably away from home for four or five nights every fortnight and that would be due to work trips and every other weekend he would go to Cornwall to see his child,\" Andrea said. \"As far as I was concerned, I was going to spend my life with this man and his life was my life. Having that strong relationship with a child is a really important thing.\" In fact there were no access trips to Cornwall. The photographs were of his real son who lived with his wife less than 10 miles away. It was just part of his cover story. When he was living with Andrea in Maida Vale, Mr Neri liked to make himself useful to her friends in the Socialist Party. He said he was a locksmith. \"He quite often said people could improve their security of where they lived and again that seemed at the time to be hugely helpful. With hindsight there's a different perspective really because there's a huge amount of people's locks that someone had access to,\" Andrea said. Why the undercovering policing inquiry matters The key participants", "summary": "An undercover Metropolitan Police officer proposed to an activist and lived with her for 18 months, the BBC has learned."}
{"article": "Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan said there was no evidence to back up Iranian claims that it had shot down \"Western spy drones\". Another US official told Reuters news agency that drones had in the past gone down in the Gulf, but that the cause had always been mechanical failure. There has been no independent corroboration of the Iranian claim. The head of the Revolutionary Guards' air force wing, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, said on Sunday that two \"Western spy drones\" had been shot down in the Gulf. He said \"many\" other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) had been shot down over an unspecified period but that this was the first time it had been reported. But Col Lapan said there were \"no recent reports that would corroborate what the Revolutionary Guard said about unmanned aerial vehicles\". The second official, speaking to Reuters on condition on anonymity, said one drone had crashed in the Gulf in early 2009 because of mechanical failings, but landed in international waters. \"We have had cases in which UAVs have gone down in the Gulf ... but I don't have any indication (of a case) where a UAV has been taken down by hostile fire in the Gulf,\" the official said. The Revolutionary Guards were set up following the Islamic revolution in 1979, and its commanders have frequently delivered warnings to Israel. Last August Iran unveiled what it said was its first domestically built drone, the Karrar. It said it had a range of 1,000km (620 miles) and could carry two 250-pound (115kg) bombs, or a precision bomb of 500 pounds. The Fifth Fleet of the US navy is based in Bahrain, on the other side of the Gulf from Iran. Iranian commanders have threatened to block shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz if it is attacked.", "summary": "The US has denied that any of its unmanned spy planes have been shot down by Iran."}
{"article": "The details of how much the basic income might be and who would be eligible for it are yet to be announced, but already there is widespread interest in how it might work. Prime Minister Juha Sipila has praised the idea. \"For me, a basic income means simplifying the social security system,\" he said. The scheme is of particular interest to people without jobs. In Finland, they now number 280,000 - 10% of the workforce. With unemployment an increasing concern, four out of five Finns now are in favour of a basic income. \"A basic income? Yes, I'd gladly have \u20ac1,000 (\u00a3700, $1,100) a month,\" says one man at a centre for the unemployed in Pori, near Finland's west coast. But the amount is unlikely to be anywhere near that high. He is the among the jobless who have come to an old, wooden building in city, where they can get cheap food, shop at a second-hand market, and take part in a variety of activities on offer. \"It's a nice place to socialise,\" says another man sitting on a bench outside, enjoying the summer sun. People here have been out of work for a long time. \"A basic income would encourage people to take a temporary job,\" says Paivi Hietikko, who helps out at the centre. Although she has no regular income at the moment, she does receive a payment for her work here. \"Having a basic income would mean the bureaucracy I\u00b4ve encountered at the employment agency would decrease.\" 5.4 million people live in Finland 2.5 million are employed 10% of the workforce is unemployed 22.7% is the level of youth unemployment In Finland, taking on work can cost you money if you are unemployed. A paid temporary job means lower welfare benefits. And if that job comes from a low-wage sector, you lose out because there is a delay before the authorities allow your benefits to be restored once you have left the job. Many Finns nowadays have what are described as atypical working lives, in that few spend their entire lives in the same occupation and with the same employer. This fundamental change has prompted a need for reforms to the social security system. Supporters of the basic income believe it could offer an alternative to Finland's complex and costly benefit models. Paivi Hietikko certainly sees its potential advantages - but she also wonders whether it would deter people from looking for work. \"The young especially might lose the motivation to look for a job, if it was, say, \u20ac700 a month. That would be too much,\" she says. This has become one of the main concerns surrounding the idea. But experts say it is too early to tell what the outcome would be. \"What would be the impact of a basic income to employment in Finland - positive or negative? We can't really foresee how people would behave with a basic income,\" says Ohto Kanninen, from the Tank research centre. So the pilot project aims to get some answers. The prime minister has expressed support for a", "summary": "The Finnish government is considering a pilot project that would see the state pay people a basic income regardless of whether they work."}
{"article": "He turned the country into one of the most repressive states in the world. The acting president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev - who has also held on to his position as prime minister - will almost certainly win. Uzbekistan has never had free and fair elections, and it is common for the incumbent to receive more than 90% of the vote. Although Mr Mirziyoyev is running for the first time, being acting president gives him access to so-called \"administrative resources\" - which are often used to guarantee a landslide victory on polling day. The three other candidates pose little challenge, even though two of them competed during the last election in 2015. The head of the Senate was supposed to become the interim leader after the death of Mr Karimov. But he opted out in favour of Mr Mirziyoyev - illustrating who holds real power. The leaders of neighbouring countries have also openly supported Mr Mirziyoyev's candidacy. Islam Karimov's eldest daughter, Gulnara Karimova, was once among the most powerful people in the country, and regarded as a possible successor to her father. But she fell from grace several years ago, when US and European authorities launched a corruption probe against her. Uzbekistan's prosecutors also named her in a separate investigation. In the aftermath, she disappeared from the public eye. Some local media even reported that she has been poisoned and buried in an unmarked grave. But her son, in a recent interview with the BBC, denied the rumours and claimed that she is still under house arrest in Tashkent. Islam Karimov Jr told BBC Uzbek that the authorities may try to \"eliminate\" Ms Karimova by poisoning her. \"They are not interested in freeing her since they will have to answer a lot of questions then,\" he said. Local media reports also suggest that the sons-in-law of would-be president Shavkat Mirziyoyev have begun taking over businesses belonging to the family - in this case, from the husband of Karimov's other daughter, Lola Tillayeva-Karimova. BBC interview: 'Show the world my mum is alive' To boost his popularity, Shavkat Mirziyoyev has reversed some of the unpopular policies adopted during the rule of Islam Karimov, and has begun improving tense relations with neighbouring countries. He proposed and signed laws that have a clear populist agenda - on fighting corruption, improving protection of citizens' rights, and simplifying business registration. He also suggested liberalising currency transactions - one of the most hated policies - as people cannot freely exchange currency in Uzbekistan. But critics say these changes are just temporary moves to help Mirziyoyev gain legitimacy. Maintaining the current repressive system would ensure that he stays in power, in the same way Islam Karimov remained as president for nearly three decades. Once Mr Mirziyoyev fully consolidates power, analysts believe that he will use fear and coercion more openly in order to secure his presidency from any potential rivals. However, there could still be some economic changes. Uzbekistan wants to attract foreign investment - which would help to ease social discontent. The peaceful transition since the death of Islam Karimov suggests", "summary": "Uzbekistan is voting to elect a new president following the death of Islam Karimov, the only leader the country has known since the fall of the Soviet Union."}
{"article": "Women's rights activists had long demanded that Article 522 of the penal code be repealed. Their campaign was supported by the Minister for Women's Affairs, Jean Oghassabian, who said the law was like something \"from the Stone Age\". Similar legislation has recently been swept away in both Tunisia and Jordan. States retaining a comparable loophole include Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya and Syria. Members of the Lebanese parliamentary committee for administration and justice agreed last December to submit a proposal to repeal Article 522. Prime Minister Saad Hariri expressed his support for the measure at the time, but it took until Wednesday for a vote to be held. Article 522 allowed for halting the prosecution or suspending the conviction of a person who had committed rape, kidnapping, or statutory rape if he married the victim. One activist said the law allowed \"for a second assault on a rape survivor's rights in the name of 'honour' by trapping her in a marriage with her rapist\". The women's rights group Abaad called the repeal of Article 522 a \"triumph for the dignity of women\" and thanked MPs for \"strengthening the protection of women from all forms of violence\". End of Twitter post by @AbaadMENA End of Twitter post by @monaeltahawy But Kafa, another local rights group, said it was only a \"partial victory\". A Facebook post warned that the effect of Article 522 \"continues under Article 505, which involves sex with a minor who is 15 years of age, as it does through Article 518, which concerns the seduction of a minor with the promise of marriage\". Mr Oghassabian expressed similar concerns, writing on Twitter: \"While we welcome the repeal of Article 552 of the penal code, we have reservations regarding keeping Articles 505 and 518. There are no exceptions for escaping punishment for rape.\" The repeal came after years of campaigning by women's rights groups, including viral videos, a billboard showing a woman in a bloodied and torn gown with the caption \"A white dress doesn't cover up rape\", and an online petition. End of Twitter post by @lulualkhattaf In April, an art installation organised by Abaad saw 30 wedding dress strung up from nooses between the palm trees on Beirut's famous seafront. Activists also want Lebanon's parliament to address the issue of marital rape. Article 503 of the penal code defines the crime of rape as \"forced sexual intercourse [against someone] who is not his wife by violence or threat\". The 2014 law on domestic violence meanwhile makes threats or violence by a spouse to claim a \"marital right to intercourse\" a crime, but does not criminalize the non-consensual violation of physical integrity itself, according to Human Rights Watch.", "summary": "Lebanon's parliament has scrapped a law under which a rapist could be exempt from punishment if he married his victim, state media report."}
{"article": "Ashley Talbot, 15, was struck by the bus at Maesteg School, Bridgend county, on 10 December. The Rev Bev Reaney read a written eulogy from Melanie Talbot to about 250 mourners at St Cynfelyn Church in Caerau on Tuesday. \"I am sure he will remain in all our hearts forever,\" the tribute said. Ashley, a budding mechanic and motocross fan, was buried at Cymmer Cemetery in Croeserw. In her eulogy, Ms Talbot said: \"Don't get me wrong, Ashley was no angel - but he was our angel. \"Ashley was our son - handsome, funny, and no-one could love him more than we did as a family. \" A coroner's hearing into Ashley's death has been opened and adjourned. A police and health and safety investigation into the incident is continuing. Ashley was hit by the school minibus as it was being driven to a rugby game by PE teacher Chris Brooks.", "summary": "The mother of a Maesteg teenager who died after he was hit by a school minibus driven by a teacher described him as \"our angel\" at his funeral."}
{"article": "The Welsh side were beaten 33-27 but claimed two losing bonus points, as they did in November's defeat by Clermont Auvergne. Ospreys remain top of Pool 2, but Wales second row Jones was frustrated with the result. \"It [two points] is still probably not enough if we're honest,\" said Jones. \"We were the architects of our own downfall in the first half and in the grand scheme of the game really. \"After we went behind we had to chase and that cost us at the end of the first half but then probably rewarded us in the early stages of the second half.\" Jones, 30, scored Ospreys' third try as they fought back from 30-15 down to cut Bordeaux's lead to 30-27. The visitors played an attacking and loose style of rugby throughout, which proved productive and costly in equal measure. Although they scored four tries to secure a bonus point, wayward Ospreys passes also led to two of Bordeaux's four scores. \"You're damned if you do, damned if you don't,\" said Jones. \"It's finding a happy medium. At times we were over-exuberant in the first half and a bit naive in the second. \"We're not going to blame the powers that be but we feel a little bit hard done by, particularly with the number of times we visited their 22. \"But then again we were the architects of our own downfall when we did do that.\" Ospreys are two points clear at the top of Pool 2, with second-placed Exeter away at Clermont Auvergne on Sunday. On his side's chances of reaching the quarter-finals, Jones added: \"It's wide open really, so it should be good.\"", "summary": "Ospreys were the \"architects of their own downfall\" in their European Champions Cup defeat at Bordeaux-Begles, says captain Alun Wyn Jones."}
{"article": "The Wales star has agreed a \u00a3300,000 per week, six-year deal after sealing an \u00a385.3m (100m euros) move which eclipses the \u00a380m Real paid Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009. \"It's very important for Gareth to throw his heart and soul into this move. \"He's got it all and ability-wise he is phenomenal. The only question is whether he's got the mental strength to cope with such a big transfer and the spotlight that will be immense in Spain. \"But it's a fabulous opportunity for him and the important thing is he really needs to grasp it with both hands.\" Read more analysis from Gary Lineker and BBC Sport's chief football correspondent Phil McNulty \"I have had six very happy years at Tottenham but it's the right time to say goodbye,\" said 24-year-old Bale. \"We've had some special times together and I've loved every minute of it.\" Bale will have a medical and then be presented to the Real Madrid fans at the Bernabeu at 12:00 BST on Monday before speaking at a media conference. He added: \"I am not sure there is ever a good time to leave a club where I felt settled and was playing the best football of my career to date. \"I know many players talk of their desire to join the club of their boyhood dreams, but I can honestly say, this is my dream come true. \"Tottenham will always be in my heart and I'm sure this season will be a successful one for them. \"I am now looking forward to the next exciting chapter in my life, playing football for Real Madrid.\" Bale joined Spurs as a left-back for \u00a310m from Southampton in 2007 and scored 26 goals last season as he was named both the Professional Footballers' Association's and Football Writers' player of the year. His representatives that he wanted to speak to the Spanish giants. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti's claim at the start of August that they were \"in talks to find a solution\" to the transfer angered Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas, but the clubs have now reached a settlement. After his side's 1-0 loss to Arsenal, Villas-Boas said: \"Bale is a wonderful player. He is going to join Real Madrid so we wish him all the best. \"He left us with some great memories from last season.\" Bale, who becomes Real Madrid's fifth signing of the summer, paid tribute to both Southampton and Tottenham for developing his career. He said: \"I am well aware I would not be at the level I am today were it not for firstly Southampton and then Spurs standing by me during some of the tougher times and affording me the environment and support they have. \"I would like to thank everyone at the club; the chairman, board, staff, coaches and players, and, most of all, the fantastic fans who I hope will understand this amazing career opportunity.\" Spurs have been busy in this transfer window, signing seven players for a total outlay approaching \u00a3105m. Brazil midfielder Paulinho has arrived from Corinthians for around", "summary": "Real Madrid have broken the world transfer record to sign Tottenham forward Gareth Bale."}
{"article": "Visitors are scouring its pebble beach for fossils and taking photos of the stripes of rock strata embedded in the surrounding cliffs - a visual reminder of millions of years of history. And they are all asking each other the same question: \"What time is it?\" The clocks on our phones have reset themselves to French time, and for the surprising number who are not wearing watches, the confusion is palpable. Then the phones start beeping. \"Welcome to France!\" read the incoming text messages. \"Your roaming costs are...\" Inadvertent roaming, as it is called, is surprisingly common in this part of the country, despite France itself being a fair distance away - there are 74 miles (119km) between Poole and Cherbourg, a popular ferry route. Visitors to the surrounding areas, including Portland near Weymouth, can find themselves suddenly connected to French networks, and, if they're not careful, run up their phone bills with every phone call, text and social network update being charged as if it was made from abroad. It's not only a problem along the south coast of England - residents and visitors along the borders of Northern Ireland face substantial issues with their phones connecting to Irish networks, often without them even realising it. In 2012 research carried out there by industry regulator Ofcom found that on average those affected were spending \u00c2\u00a3300 a year each on accidental data roaming, and only 11% of them had thought to switch the service off on the phone itself. The worst affected areas were east and north County Londonderry - notably Portstewart, south County Armagh and south County Down. \"The EU Roaming Regulation requires that mobile operators take reasonable steps to protect their customers from paying roaming charges for inadvertently accessed roaming services while situated in their home member state, and to make information available to their customers on how to avoid inadvertent roaming in border regions,\" said an Ofcom representative. With the EU looking to lower the existing cap on data roaming charges this summer, inadvertent roaming may soon become a less expensive accident - and for local residents it can be something of a mixed blessing. Daff Tambling lives in the popular walkers' haven of Worth Matravers, to the east of Lulworth. The village played a key role in the development of the use of radar during World War Two - but it is no longer a hotspot for communications technology. \"On certain windowsills in certain weather conditions I can just about get enough UK signal to receive a text,\" she said. \"The phone has to stay at the same angle.\" Ms Tambling estimates that most days she will end up with either a French connection - or nothing at all. \"It preserves a stillness - there's something nostalgic and romantic about it. I quite like it on many levels,\" she added. \"But when it gets irritating is when companies are increasingly relying on texting you. If you need to verify your PayPal account or change your email password... even with deliveries and doctors' appointments, they want to remind you", "summary": "It's a beautiful spring day at Lulworth Cove, a striking part of the Jurassic Coast, which stretches across south Dorset and Devon in the UK."}
{"article": "The Scottish government is to introduce standardised testing at four separate stages in a child's school life. The Commission on School Reform warned that the assessments would give little beneficial information to teachers and parents. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon believes improving school attainment is an important goal for her government. In September, she said the tests in literacy and numeracy, which will be piloted next year and introduced in 2017, would provide reliable evidence of a child's progress but would not be the sole form of measurement. The new report has been published by the commission which was established by think tank Reform Scotland and the Centre for Scottish Public Policy. It examined the government's attainment plan, including the standardised assessments which would replace the various other systems used by different councils. Pupils will be tested four times - in Primaries 1, 4 and 7 and again in S3 at secondary school. The government hopes the assessments will provide better data to help drive up attainment in schools and close the gap between how well youngsters from relatively rich and poor backgrounds do. It insisted the assessments did not mark the return of \"high stakes national testing\" which were abolished more than 10 years ago. In its report, the commission said the tests could provide valuable information on how the education system was progressing and it stressed it was not opposed to the tests in principal. However, it warned: One concern of teaching unions was that data from the tests could be used by journalists, parents' groups and critics to produce league tables of school performance. The report suggested data should only be available at a council-wide and national level and that school data could be excluded from Freedom of Information to prevent it become readily available. Chairman of the commission, Keir Bloomer, said: \"The government is right to try to improve the quality of information available about Scottish education. \"The commission supports much of what is proposed and has no objection in principle to the proposed National Standardised Assessment. However, it is a mistake to suggest that the assessment will provide much information of direct benefit to parents and teachers. \"The government should continue with its drive to introduce the assessment but it should change its emphasis to the gathering of local authority and national data as opposed to individual data. \"The Scottish government is setting out to improve standards and that is admirable. However, it needs to exercise care with how its proposed assessment is used.\" Mr Bloomer is a former council director of education and played a part in shaping the development of Curriculum for Excellence. Other members include former Labour education minister Peter Peacock. Scotland's largest teachers union, the EIS, said it was hopeful the Scottish government would still act on its concerns about the assessments. General secretary Larry Flanagan said: \"The EIS is engaged in a constructive dialogue with the Scottish government around the proposed National Improvement Framework. \"Whilst we will continue to resist any reforms which are predicated on high stakes testing and competition between schools,", "summary": "Planned new assessments in schools need to be handled \"carefully\", according to a major report on Scottish education."}
{"article": "The men are loyal to South Sudan's sacked Vice-President Riek Machar and crossed into the country with him in August following intense violence in the South Sudan's capital, Juba. The 750 men have been disarmed and cared for by the UN mission. But Congolese officials say they are now a security risk. They are being housed in UN camps in the volatile east of DR Congo, near the city of Goma in North Kivu province. The demand from DR Congo's government that the men be removed comes after a protest in Goma last Friday. The South Sudanese fighters have not been in any reported trouble since their arrival. But residents say they fear a repeat of the fallout of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda when perpetrators of the mass killings set up base in eastern DR Congo. \"In April 1994, the population of North Kivu lived up to their legendary hospitality by welcoming Rwandan refugees,\" Jean Paul Lumbu Lumbu, an activist in Goma, said. \"Unfortunately, the same refugees turned into those FDLR rebels and became executioners of North Kivu residents. That is why we deeply fear the gathering of South Sudanese rebels into camps.\" Correspondents say locals in Goma also fear the government of South Sudan, under President Salva Kiir, may exercise a \"right of pursuit\" across the border, exposing them to fresh conflict. The UN has confirmed that it has been contacted about the issue but has not commented on whether it will acting on the request to remove them by 10 October. Fighting between rival forces in Juba in July left hundreds of people dead less than a year after a peace deal was signed in South Sudan. Mr Machar, who had joined a unity government in April, was also aided by the UN in DR Congo and is now in residence in Sudan's capital, Khartoum. More on South Sudan's crisis:", "summary": "The UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been given a week to fly hundreds of South Sudanese fighters out of the country."}
{"article": "The world number 324, who represented Australia until 2013, swept through the first set against the Argentine. Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide. The 27-year-old Briton then wasted four match points in the second set tie-break as Bagnis hit back to level. But Klein retained his composure and overturned a 5-2 deficit in the final set to win the match in the tie-break. Klein will play Portugal's Joao Sousa in the second round.", "summary": "Briton Brydan Klein reached the second round of the Auckland Open with a 6-1 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-3) win over Facundo Bagnis - ranked 269 places above him."}
{"article": "Shiyi Ying, 25, was given permission to take to the stage towards the end of the ceremony at Southampton University to pop the question to Yu-Yen Ou, 24. He said: \"Deep inside I know you are the only one I can share the rest of my life with,\" before she accepted. Vice-Chancellor Professor Don Nutbeam said it was \"certainly a first\" in his 25 years attending graduations. Both students were receiving their masters degrees. Mr Ying, from Beijing, had studied for an MSc International Management and Ms Ou, from Taipei, had studied MSc International Financial Markets. After Ms Ou said yes the couple hugged - prompting applause from fellow graduands, guests and staff gathered inside the theatre. Prof Nutbeam said: \"I'd like to offer the couple huge congratulations and every best wish for the future.\"", "summary": "A university student has proposed to his girlfriend during a graduation ceremony."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Match referee Evan Boyce took no action at the time but notified the IFA's Disciplinary Committee regarding the incident following the Solitude game. It considered the correspondence together with video footage. Oman was charged with a breach of Article 18.11 of the Disciplinary Code (assault or battery of an opponent). Portadown were also fined \u00a3100 by the Disciplinary Committee. Cliftonville won 1-0 in what was Niall Currie's first game in charge as Portadown manager.", "summary": "Portadown defender Ken Oman has been suspended for six matches for elbowing Cliftonville's Caoimhin Bonner in Saturday's Premiership fixture."}
{"article": "Lloyds shares fell more than 2% after it reported a fall in first-quarter profits, and ended the day down 1.6% Pre-tax profits at Lloyds nearly halved to \u00c2\u00a3654m after it took a \u00c2\u00a3790m charge related to high income bonds. The mining giant Anglo-American rose 8% after it said it had agreed the sale of its niobium and phosphates businesses to China Molybdenum for $1.5bn. Tullow Oil was the best performer on the FTSE 100 rising 11% as the oil price hit new highs for 2016 for the third day in a row. The Royal Bank of Scotland fell 4.4% after it said there was a \"significant risk\" that it would not meet the 2017 deadline to spin off the 316-branch Williams & Glyn business. The day had started with falls in most European markets as investors reacted to the surprise decision from the Bank of Japan not to ease monetary policy further. \"The lack of action [from the Bank of Japan], perversely, proves that central bank stimulus still has the power to shock, both when it is tried and when it isn't,\" said Chris Beauchamp, senior market analyst at IG. The FTSE 100 ended just 2.5 points higher at 6322.40. On the currency markets, the pound edged up 0.4% against the dollar to $1.4597, and 0.25% against the euro to \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.2876.", "summary": "(Close): The FTSE 100 clawed back its early falls as gains in mining stocks outweighed losses among banks."}
{"article": "An overtime win over Fife Flyers on Saturday was followed by a penalty-shots victory over Belfast Giants as the Stars went the distance and claimed all points available. And after edging past title challengers Belfast, who clawed a 4-1 deficit to 4-4 to take the game into overtime, LeFebvre was understandably delighted. \"It's a huge four-point weekend and that's three wins in a row for us now after getting past the hell of a hockey team in Belfast,\" a jubilant LeFebvre said. \"We knew it was going to be a full 60-minute game against them, but full credit to our guys. We found a way to win in overtime against Fife and we did it in a shootout against Belfast. \"It's two big wins and four points in a weekend and while Belfast put us under pressure late on, I'll look at that and any other negatives, when get back to work on Tuesday. I just want to enjoy this.\" Stars travelled to Fife Flyers looking for a top-eight spot and ended up going the distance with their Kirkcaldy rivals before taking both points in a 4-3 overtime win. Felix Poulin's first was an equaliser from Justin Fox, before the Fife man added a second, which was then cancelled out by Vinny Scarsella as the teams were tied at 2-2 after the first period. Joey Sides fired Stars in front in the second and the leveller from Brendan Brooks sent the game into overtime, where Poulin struck to clinch the two points. Stars hosted Belfast Giants on Sunday, a team in the thick of the Elite League title race and did it again, taking victory in penalty shots after a 4-4 draw. Mikael Lidhammar and Kevin Bruijsten put the Stars two up, with Jim Vandermeer pulling one back for the Giants before Bruijsten adding his second shortly after. The night got better for the home team when Scarsella fired home a penalty shot to make it 4-1, but Giants' Derrick Walser clawed one back shorthanded in the final minute of the second. The visitors got to within one of their hosts in the first minute of the third as Blair Riley scored with Belfast's second shorthanded goal to make it a nervy final period. Riley struck again with a couple of minutes to go to tie the game at 4-4, with Dundee hanging on as the game moved into overtime then penalty shots, where Lidhammar was the only success. Fife went to Edinburgh Capitals on Sunday and got back to winning ways as they completed a three point weekend to move to fifth in the Elite League table after winning 4-3. Matt Sisca and Justin Fox put them two up before Ian Schultz pulled one back for Edinburgh. Chase Schaber added a third, but Yevgeni Fyodorov pulled Caps to within one again. Carlo Finucci's late finish effectively sealed the points, although a late one from Fyodorov for his second made the scoreline most respectable for the Caps. The Capitals had two points in the bag from the weekend after visiting Braehead Clan", "summary": "Dundee Stars head coach Marc LeFebvre hailed his team after picking up four Elite League points this weekend, but will worry about negatives later on."}
{"article": "The country's Football Association (CFA) is proposing the measure for loss-making clubs in order to try to curb the league's extravagant spending. Chinese clubs spent \u00a3331m during the country's winter transfer window, which was more than their English Premier League counterparts in January. The proceeds from the tax would go into a government-run fund. If enforced, the measure would in effect double the fee for any player. Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney and Chelsea striker Diego Costa are among the high-profile players to be linked with the Chinese Super League (CSL), with the transfer window open until 14 July. Media playback is not supported on this device In the last transfer window, Shanghai SIPG bought Brazil international Oscar for \u00a360m from Chelsea, while Shanghai Shenhua spent \u00a340m on Carlos Tevez. The Argentina striker signed a deal worth a reported \u00a3310,000 a week. At the time, a spokesperson for China's General Administration of Sport said clubs in the country were \"burning money\". Limits on the number foreign players in squads were put in place for the current season, which runs from March to November. Only three non-Chinese players can now be fielded in a fixture in a move the CFA hoped would tackle \"irrational\" spending. Costa was a target for Tianjin Quanjian but the club's owner, Shu Yuhui, said in January that a bid to sign the forward had been scuppered by new CSL rules limiting the number of foreign players. In each game next year, clubs will also have to field as many Chinese under-23 players as overseas players. BBC Sport's Simon Stone: The Chinese Super League transfer window has raised the potential for another massive deal being done for Wayne Rooney. A move to China is one of a number of options for Rooney, which also include remaining at United for the final year of his contract. However, he may wish to consider the fate of former team-mate Carlos Tevez, who joined Shanghai Shenhua on a mega deal earlier in the year. Neither the team nor Tevez are performing to expectations and when the Argentina international was spotted at a theme park after missing a game through injury this weekend, fans went on social media to condemn him, with one saying he has \"the worst attitude in the team's history\". Big money. Big demands.", "summary": "Chinese Super League clubs face a 100% tax on signings as their mid-season transfer window opens on Monday."}
{"article": "Kayley Asher, 25, was attacked by Allitt while being treated at Grantham Hospital as a baby. She received \u00a311,500 compensation but social security officials say she failed to notify them of this and must return benefits she has received. Her parents, Alan and Sharon, say they have \"no intention\" of giving the money back and are prepared to go to prison. Miss Asher, from Grantham, received an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) for five years because she is unable to work and also a \u00a3120-a-week disability allowance. Her parents said they used that money for her day-to-day care and were given the \u00a311,500 in compensation when she turned 18. However, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says she failed to declare the payout when applying for the ESA, which is a means-tested benefit. \"We have never hidden the fact that Kayley had this money,\" said Mr Asher. \"We always believed that compensation was for her future. It was awarded because she needs special care.\" Allitt was given 13 life sentences in 1993 for murdering four children and attacking nine others while working as a nurse at Grantham Hospital. It is believed she injected 13-month-old Miss Asher with air under her armpit, causing her to have two heart attacks. \"The murderer had a go at her once and now the DWP are causing Kayley pain. It is totally wrong,\" said Mr Asher. \"We have no idea what the future holds for us. \"With a sum of money her future is secured if anything happens to her mum and I.\" He said they intended to appeal against the DWP's decision and would risk going to jail. A spokeswoman for the DWP said: \"It is essential that claimants declare their income and savings accurately. This is to ensure that support is targeted at the people that need it most.\" She said other non-means tested benefits were available to Miss Asher.", "summary": "A woman left brain damaged by killer nurse Beverley Allitt has been ordered to pay back \u00a323,000 in benefits."}
{"article": "South West Trains said the line between Eastleigh and Fareham via Botley had been shut because of flooding. The B3354 Winchester Road in Botley was also closed after two trees came down, one on to a van - the driver was taken to hospital with a fractured sternum. Residents in Bishops Waltham and Botley have been warned to prepare for flooding, with more rainfall forecast. A flood warning has been issued by the The Environment Agency (EA) for the Upper River Hamble area including Durley Mill and Botley Mills. The (EA) said more than 50mm of rain had been recorded at Bishops Waltham overnight. Police have urged drivers not to risk driving through floodwater.", "summary": "Heavy downpours have hit train services and left roads in parts of Hampshire impassable."}
{"article": "The 38-year-old sank 10 birdies but bogeys on the 10th and 15th prevented him building a bigger advantage. Compatriot Jamie Lovemark is in second place after shooting a round of 65. Five-time major winner Phil Mickleson, also American, climbed the leaderboard with a 66 and trails Dufner by six. Scotland's Martin Laird made the cut after a 69 moved him to 10 under par but England's Luke Donald (71) missed out.", "summary": "American Jason Dufner heads into the final round of the CareerBuilder Challenge with a two-shot lead after carding an eight-under-par 64 in California."}
{"article": "One of those held is a former minister, Slobodan Milosavljevic. Two former interior ministry officials, several serving and former mayors, and a number of executives in state-owned firms were also detained. The move comes after Serbia opened talks to join the EU, which has long pressed Belgrade to tackle corruption. Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said the charges for those arrested included abuse of office, money laundering and other financial crimes. The alleged offences date back to 2004, involving the suspected embezzlement of 7.8bn dinars ($70m). Mr Stefanovic said police were searching for five more suspects. Another 39 are under investigation. A ministry statement said that Mr Milosavljevic was being charged with abuse of office when Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management from May 2007 to July 2008 and when head of the Chamber of Commerce, from 2004 to 2007. Former head of the government's anti-corruption agency, Zorana Markovic, was also detained. Many of those arrested are from the opposition Democratic Party. Its leader said the detentions were politically motivated. Tackling corruption and organised crime will be high on the agenda of the Serbia-EU accession negotiations, which began on 14 December.", "summary": "Police in Serbia have arrested about 80 people in what has been described as the country's biggest anti-corruption investigation in decades."}
{"article": "The pro-Leave justice secretary said there were \"risks to our future\" whatever the outcome of the poll. David Cameron and George Osborne say people will be worse off and that there is \"no turning back\" if the UK leaves. In his Andrew Marr Show interview, Mr Gove also said he \"shuddered\" when he saw UKIP's \"breaking point\" poster showing a queue of asylum seekers. UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who launched the poster last week, described it as \"a statement about the whole of the European Union\". But Mr Gove said: \"I thought it was the wrong thing to do.\" He said he believed in free speech and did not want to \"deny anyone a platform\", adding that people would only support helping refugees if they felt the government could control migration numbers. Mr Gove was interviewed as the EU referendum campaign restarted after being suspended following the death of Labour MP Jo Cox. He said leaving would be an opportunity for the UK to establish itself as a \"progressive beacon to the world\". How trade and the UK's economy are affected by membership of the EU. The Remain campaign has said such an outcome would be a \"gamble\" but Mr Gove rejected this term. \"Whether we vote to leave or remain there are risks to our future, there are challenges in the global economy,\" he said. \"My view is that those challenges will be easier to meet, those risks will be less if we vote to leave because we will have control of the economic levers, we will have control over money we send to the European Union, we will have control over our own laws, and as a result we will be able to deal with whatever the world throws at us.\" Vote Leave has set out a string of policies it wants to see enacted if it wins Thursday's referendum, including extra cash for the NHS and cutting VAT on fuel bills, in what has been seen an alternative manifesto for life outside the EU. Mr Gove said it was a \"clear outline of the things that we could achieve if we leave\" and that he would say to David Cameron \"now is the time for us to implement these proposals\". He also defended his campaign's claims about Turkish membership of the EU. The Remain campaign says the UK has a veto on whether Turkey is able to join, and David Cameron has said it would be \"literally decades\" before Turkey was considered ready to join. But Mr Gove said both the UK government and the EU supported Turkish accession. He defended Vote Leave's references to the birth rate in Turkey, saying it was important to take into account the number of people that could come to the UK. And despite being on different sides to David Cameron and George Osborne in the EU debate, he strongly defended both men's record. The PM, meanwhile, has said the UK faces an \"existential choice\" in the EU referendum. \"Are we going to choose Nigel Farage's vision - one which takes Britain backwards;", "summary": "The UK can \"deal with whatever the world throws at us\" if it votes to leave the EU, Michael Gove says."}
{"article": "Training has been fairly intermittent for me recently due to a torn ligament in my big toe after blocking a shot at Accrington a few weeks ago. Painkillers and anti-inflammatory tablets have been a necessity to continue my season, so I totally understood the manager's decision for me not to start the game. The game against AFC Wimbledon the week before had been disappointing, and playing through injury is tough enough, but when results go against you it magnifies any weakness that you have. We were 1-0 down at York when I got the call to go on. Coming on at that scoreline is obviously the scenario where you are desperate to help your team score the equaliser. I had scored a few during the week in training, so I had a positive mindset when I entered the field of play. Anthony Stewart hit a shot from just inside York's penalty area and I took a chance on the goalkeeper palming it towards me. Thankfully that was what happened and I was able to dive at the ball and head it in for the equaliser. At the same time, a York defender tried to volley the ball clear but I was able to get there first. Unfortunately for me, the York defender connected with my arm instead of the ball and a further twist is that the player in question, Dave Winfield, is a really good friend of mine. Midway through the celebration I suddenly realised that my arm was extremely painful. I tried not to give it too much thought, though, as the only thing I could think about was not losing the point that we had just earned for ourselves. There was also the chance that we might be able to snatch a late winner. The pain was starting to really intensify but we had used all of our substitutes, so the option of going off had been taken away. There was no way that I was going to leave my team-mates with 10 men whilst I was still able to run so I just had to grit my teeth and get on with it. Plus, although it was extremely painful, I did not realise that it was broken and the last thing I wanted to do was walk off with a bruised arm! I was so relieved when the referee blew the final whistle and I could not wait to get off the pitch. I headed straight for the Royal Berkshire Hospital as soon as we got back and left there at four o'clock in the morning with my arm in a cast. I had broken the ulna bone in my right arm and it might have finished my season. I spoke to Dave both after the game and again on Sunday. He feels bad but we are adults playing a contact sport and these things happen. He did not mean for it to happen. I am now fairly useless at home as I am unable to help my wife with my daughter. I hate not being independent so", "summary": "I have been involved in some incident-packed match days and seen most things during close to 12 and a half years at Wycombe Wanderers, but breaking my arm while scoring in Saturday's game at York City was a new one - even for me."}
{"article": "National Institute of Health and Care Excellence guidance urges medics to consider sepsis early on when treating any patients unwell with infections. The problem, caused when the body's immune system overreacts to infection, leads to 44,000 UK deaths a year. But experts estimate between 5,000 and 13,000 could be avoided. Sepsis can lead to severe organ failure, shock and death if not treated early enough. But initial symptoms - such as a rapid breathing or feeling generally unwell - can be vague, making it difficult to set apart from other conditions. In its first guidance on the issue, NICE acknowledges it is a complex medical problem. But the health watchdog says GPs, paramedics and hospital staff must make \"Could this be sepsis?\" the first consideration for anyone unwell with an infection - in much the same way that medics consider the possibility of a heart attack for patients with chest pain. Prof Mark Baker, from NICE, told the BBC: \"The problem with those patients who died unnecessarily of sepsis is that staff did not think about it soon enough.\" He added: \"This is complicated medicine. \"It requires a depth of thought and experience and a way of examining patients which isn't always there - particularly because of time pressures and partly because we have got used to implementing guidelines without thinking.\" Cornwall mother Melissa Mead, whose one-year-old son William died from sepsis in 2014 after potential signs of the condition were missed by NHS 111 staff and GPs, welcomed the move. She added: \"This could not come any sooner. Sadly we have been touched in very real terms by sepsis and could not agree more that clinicians need to start asking: 'Could this be sepsis?'\" Sepsis happens when the body's immune system - the way the body responds to bugs and germs - goes into overdrive. The initial problem can be quite mild and start anywhere - from a cut on the finger to a chest or urine infection, for example. But when the immune system overreacts, this can lead to an unintended but catastrophic attack on the body. If left untreated, this sets off a cascade of reactions - from shock to organ failure and even death. There is a lot of research going on to attempt to find out what exactly triggers this sometimes fatal reaction. Read more: Why can sepsis be so hard to spot? Meanwhile, Dr Maureen Baker, of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: \"The diagnosis of sepsis is a huge worry for GPs, as initial symptoms can be similar to common viral illnesses, so we welcome any guidance or support to help us identify it as early as possible.\" The guidelines say patients with possible sepsis should be sent to hospital in an ambulance and treated urgently by senior staff. Separately, NHS Improvement has launched an initiative to tackle children's health. It encourages parents to speak up if their child's health is deteriorating and urges staff to work more closely with parents. Dr Mike Durkin, NHS national director of patient safety, said: \"Time and time", "summary": "Suspected sepsis in patients must be treated as an emergency in the same way as heart attacks are, England's health watchdog says."}
{"article": "Dustin Diamond, 37, faces charges of felony second-degree recklessly endangering safety, disorderly conduct, and carrying a concealed weapon. The fight is said to have happened on Thursday in Port Washington, Wisconsin, while Diamond was with his fiancee. Crime reports say the pair had been to several bars before they got into a row with two men and another woman. The fight took place at the Grand Avenue Saloon. When police caught up with the couple's car near the bar, Diamond told police he had a \"pen\" in his hand when he grabbed one of the men, according to the criminal complaint. Officers found a switchblade knife in the car - the point of it appeared to be covered in blood. Reports say that Diamond later told police he accidentally stabbed the man while he was trying to defend his fiancee - 27-year-old Amanda Schutz. She also faces a charge of disorderly conduct. Diamond appeared in Ozaukee County court on Friday and his bail was set at $10,000 (\u00c2\u00a36,425). His next hearing is set for 29 December. Police said the man who was stabbed was injured in the armpit but is not thought to be seriously hurt. Representatives for Diamond have not yet commented and the actor is yet to release a formal statement. Saved by the Bell aired during the 1990s and followed the lives of a group of high school students. Since the show ended, Diamond has been sued a number of times for failure to pay taxes and in foreclosure proceedings following missed mortgage payments. He has appeared on reality TV shows, made a sex tape and made a documentary called The Unauthorised Saved by the Bell Story. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "The actor who played Screech in US TV show Saved by the Bell has been charged with stabbing a man in a bar fight."}
{"article": "Daniel Sanzone was jailed for life after shaking two-week-old Joshua Millinson in Wolverhampton in 2015. However, there was no evidence injuries that caused his death could have been anticipated, a safeguarding board said. But it said staff were not questioning enough of the \"concerning history\" given by his parents. Read more news for Birmingham and the Black Country The review looked at two visits to New Cross Hospital's emergency unit by Joshua with Sanzone and the baby's mother, Zoe Howell, before the fatal shaking incident at their home in Pendeford. Sanzone's trial had heard a nurse and a junior doctor assessed Joshua and found no swelling and no pain but later bone experts suggested he had suffered some leg fractures at this point. However, the review found the fracture would have been very hard to identify in a baby so small and no X-ray was taken. But the report said the conclusion that there were no safeguarding concerns was \"reached too quickly\" on a second emergency department visit. It added although the evidence was \"it was carried out competently, too much reliance was placed on the medical examination\" of Joshua, which proved normal, and \"insufficient account was taken of the concerning and inconsistent history given by his parents\". The review, commissioned by the Wolverhampton Safeguarding Children Board, made a total of 12 recommendations on how various public bodies could improve their practices. It said the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust should review safeguarding arrangements in the New Cross Hospital emergency department and in antenatal services. Wolverhampton City Council should also audit the effectiveness of local authority child and family assessment, the report said. It added the National Probation Service in the Midlands should ensure risk assessments \"are updated when there is a change in the circumstances of a supervised offender which may indicate a heightened possible risk to vulnerable children or adults\". Board chair Alan Coe said the report identified \"a number of ways in which, in similar circumstances, more opportunities might be taken that could enable professionals to better coordinate and share information and to identify potential risks\". He said: \"Actions are being taken, including the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust implementing new guidance for Emergency Duty staff about children who present with unexplained or inconsistently explained injuries, reviewing procedures in maternity services and updating training accordingly. \"[They also include] the council ensuring social care professionals clearly understand their responsibilities around pre-birth assessments and referrals and the National Probation Service ensuring that assessments are updated when there is a change of circumstances involving a supervised offender which may indicate a risk to others.\" In November, Sanzone, 23, was convicted of murder and sentenced to a minimum of 15 years in prison. Ms Howell was cleared of child cruelty and causing or allowing Joshua's death.", "summary": "Hospital staff were too quick to assume there were no safeguarding concerns in the case of a baby who died after being shaken by his father, a report says."}
{"article": "The director of Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice threw the switch around 21:30 BST after rapper Professor Green played to the crowds. The free event took place on the promenade at The Headlands Arena in front of the Tower. Burton, 58, used Blackpool for scenes in his latest film. \"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.\" \"To be given the town's highest honour is incredible and I'm really excited. I'm sure it will be a wonderful show,\" he said. The California-born film director achieved fame directing blockbusters including Corpse Bride, Planet of the Apes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland. Describing himself as Blackpool Pleasure Beach's \"biggest fan\", Burton chose to shoot scenes in Blackpool for The Killers' music videos Here with Me and Battle Born. The Illuminations end on 15 November.", "summary": "Hollywood director Tim Burton has switched on this year's Blackpool Illuminations."}
{"article": "The house, which is now a museum in Haworth, West Yorkshire, reopens after a refurbishment on Friday. \"It's closer than it's ever looked to how it would have done in the Bronte period,\" said Bronte Parsonage Museum collections manager Ann Dinsdale. \"Charlotte put her stamp on the house, and there's quite a lot of colour.\" Researchers from the University of Lincoln examined sections of the walls, and in some places found 18 layers of paint and wallpaper dating back to the sisters' habitation in the mid-19th Century. Source: BBC History \"They came up with the strata, all the layers of paints that had been used over the years in the parsonage and they were able to work out which was the Bronte period,\" Mrs Dinsdale said. \"All the historic rooms, which are part of the original parsonage, have been completely redecorated.\" Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte lived with their father and brother in the parsonage. Enduring literary masterpieces written there include Charlotte's Jane Eyre and Emily's Wuthering Heights. The sisters are particularly remembered for their depictions of the surrounding bleak landscape and their characters' emotional turmoil. \"I think people are possibly going to be quite surprised when they visit the parsonage,\" Mrs Dinsdale added. \"People have this image of [it] being quite austere with white and grey walls. Actually, it's very clear that they did experiment with colour.\"", "summary": "The former home of the Bronte sisters has been returned to the design of the authors' era after researchers found fragments of its original decor."}
{"article": "In March 2015 the Ulster Unionists proudly unveiled a pact with the DUP covering four constituencies. Mike Nesbitt said the aim was to \"get the pro union vote out\". The SDLP denounced the tactic as a \"sectarian carve up\". In February 2017, the Ulster Unionist leader told the BBC's Sunday Politics that he would be giving the SDLP candidate in East Belfast his second preference. The SDLP leader Colum Eastwood didn't return the favour quite so emphatically, but did tell Mark Carruthers he would be giving the Ulster Unionists a transfer vote at some unspecified point on his ballot paper in Foyle. So what's changed? First, Westminster elections, where the winner takes it all, are a different beast from Assembly polls. In a Stormont contest, voters get multiple chances to influence the outcome. Moreover, in the intervening two years we have seen both the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP moving into official opposition mode. The Ulster Unionist leader has loudly proclaimed his \"Vote Mike, Get Colum\" strategy. Then to cap it all the DUP Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in led executive fell apart amidst mutual recriminations over the grossly mismanaged Renewable Heat Incentive scheme. If this election really is, as Mike Nesbitt would like to portray it, a referendum on the RHI scandal, then no-one should be surprised. Why shouldn't the opposition advise its voters to back their respective parties with the aim of pushing the old governing partners out, or at least weakening their hand in future negotiations? However Northern Ireland elections are never that simple. Traditional unionist and nationalist voting habits die hard. In some seats Mr Nesbitt's candidates will no doubt be living in hope that the generosity of other unionists will see them returned in the later stages of a count. In this context, it's easy to understand the decision by the veteran Newry and Armagh MLA Danny Kennedy to advise his voters to transfer to other unionists, even if it does jar with his leader's attitude. So the DUP and TUV have been quick to accuse the Ulster Unionist leader of being - as Arlene Foster puts it in the Belfast Telegraph - \"personally supportive of voting in a way that helps to elect nationalists, who will take their election as an endorsement of support for their United Ireland position\". Mike Nesbitt replies that the RHI scandal was not an \"orange\" or \"green\" issue and that it wouldn't make sense for him to back a DUP candidate in whom he has no confidence, like the outgoing Stormont Speaker Robin Newton. So is this election a referendum on the Renewable Heat Incentive, a chance to pick your negotiators for wider talks on issues like Brexit and the Troubles' legacy, or - like so many past elections - a mini border poll? Come 3 March we shall be able to judge the answer a little better by analysing not just the voters' first choices, but also by looking to see whose advice they take on where their later preferences should go.", "summary": "If a week can be a long time in politics, then two years is an eternity."}
{"article": "Along the tracks, another crowd is gathering - each person on his own, separated by a modest distance. They are among the 48% of Indians who do not have access to proper sanitation. Coming from a slum close-by, they squat among the few trees and bushes along the railway tracks and defecate in the open. To many, this is a daily morning ritual despite the hazards of contracting diseases such as diarrhoea and hepatitis. It can be even more hazardous for women since each time a woman uses the outdoors to relieve herself, she faces a danger of sexual assault. Recently two teenage girls from the state of Uttar Pradesh were gang-raped and found hanging from a tree after they left their village home to go to the toilet. Their house, like hundreds of millions of others in the country, did not have any facilities. A new World Health Organisation (WHO) report says more than half a billion people in India still \"continue to defecate in gutters, behind bushes or in open water bodies, with no dignity or privacy\". Access to sanitation is a challenge that India's politicians want to tackle - both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) promised to put an end to open defecation in their 2014 general election manifestos. During his campaign, Narendra Modi, BJP's newly-elected prime minister, promised: \"Toilets first, temples later\". And former rural development minister Jairam Ramesh of the Congress party had stressed that \"practicing good hygiene is as important as performing good puja\" (act of worship in Hinduism). India's government offers cash incentives to subsidise construction of toilets. It has also initiated hygiene and sanitation awareness campaigns, such as the \"No Toilet, No Bride\" slogan launched in the state of Haryana in 2005, urging brides to reject a groom if he did not have a lavatory at home. The Gates Foundation too has offered grants to create latrines that are not connected to water, sewer or electricity and to improve the treatment of human waste. The exhibits at a recent \"toilet fair\" organised by the Foundation in Delhi included a lavatory with a photovoltaic roof-top that powers a reactor breaking down excrements into fertiliser, and another one which came equipped with an automatic sterilisation system and a generator turning the moisture into water. Apart from poverty and lack of lavatories, one of the reasons often cited to explain open defecation in India is the ingrained cultural norm making the practice socially accepted in some parts of the society. \"Just building toilets is not going to solve the problem, because open defecation is a practice acquired from the time you learn how to walk. When you grow up in an environment where everyone does it, even if later in life you have access to proper sanitation, you will revert back to it,\" says Sue Coates, chief of Wash (water, sanitation and hygiene) at Unicef. India will be free of open defecation only when \"every Indian household, every village, every part of Indian society will accept the need to use toilets and commit to", "summary": "It's early morning and local commuters are queuing up for tickets at the Kirti Nagar railway station in the Indian capital, Delhi."}
{"article": "Police cars, ambulances and fire engines were involved in at least 3,636 crashes between April 2011 and March 2016. North Wales Police recorded the most incidents of those who responded, but the majority involved minor damage. The Welsh Ambulance Service said a crash on a 999 call could be \"catastrophic\". North Wales Police 1,506 Welsh Ambulance Service 735 Dyfed-Powys Police 567 South Wales fire 313 North Wales fire 280 Mid and West Wales fire 235 Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act showed North Wales Police officers were involved in 331 collisions in 2015-16 - down from 361 the previous year. The force was criticised last April when officers used a police car to deliberately run over and kill a dog which was loose on the A55 in Conwy. It reportedly cost the force \u00c2\u00a31,561.48 to repair the car involved but it said the majority of its reported collisions in the past five years were for minor damage. Stephen Roberts, North Wales Police's head of facilities and fleet department, said: \"The majority of North Wales Police vehicles are in constant use, responding swiftly and effectively to challenging and emergency situations. Our fleet of 557 vehicles cover vast distances in all weather and road conditions. \"For the period in question all incidents were reported. This includes minor scrapes or damage to vehicles which accounted for 74% of incidents during 2015. \"Prior to 2015, we did not distinguish between collisions and minor damage.\" The Welsh Ambulance Service recorded the second highest number of incidents - 150 of which happened while on an emergency call. Incidents since April included a driver who died following a crash between two ambulances on the A499 in Gwynedd. Andrew Challenger, head of driver trainer at Welsh Ambulance Service, said emergency drivers were trained to anticipate risks and respond to hazards on the road. He said people often panicked when they saw emergency vehicles, but urged them to stay calm and advised them to find a safe place to pull in to allow them to pass. Dyfed-Powys Police, which provided information from 2012 to 2015 only, said 75 of its crashes happened while officers were attending emergency calls. A total of 26 people were injured in collisions involving the force's vehicles, including 19 officers. Gwent Police and South Wales Police would not provide figures. Among the collisions involving fire service vehicles was a crash between and car and a fire engine in Swansea in 2013. Of the crashes recorded by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, 156 happened on emergency call-outs. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue said its incidents were a mix of attending or returning from incidents, routine activities or damage found during vehicle checks.", "summary": "There have been more than 3,500 crashes involving emergency service vehicles in the past five years."}
{"article": "Dover rise to third while Wrexham are now six points off the top five after Ricky Modeste's second half winner proved decisive in a tense contest. Modeste fired home off the post after Sam Magri's effort in a game low on quality chances. James Gray hit the crossbar as Wrexham pushed for an equaliser, while Simon Heslop also came close. Wrexham manager Gary Mills told BBC Radio Wales: \"It's a disappointing day for us and we never really got going. I've said to the players that there's no point in us looking at that now, the final whistle's gone. \"We've got four games left . It's tougher but still doable and we've got to win on Tuesday at Guiseley. \"If we win on Tuesday then we got to Tranmere to beat them to go above them and that's as simple as it is. We battle on.\"", "summary": "Dover maintained their National League promotion push at the expense of Wrexham at the Racecourse Stadium."}
{"article": "The horses got stuck in mud as they were being ridden on a beach by the slipway near Quail Holme Road, Knott End at about 10:30 BST on Sunday. The Fleetwood-Knott End ferry and two kayakers helped with the rescue operation along with RNLI, coastguards and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. HM Coastguard Fleetwood said the horses were rescued \"in the nick of time\". Read more on Pinterest about animals having lucky escapes The coastguard said on its Facebook page the ferry to transport the rescue team over the river \"saving a good 30 minute dash\". It added: \"After a huge effort both horses were saved from drowning. \"Excellent multi agency teamwork, 2 relieved riders and 2 very excited horses when they were reunited.\" One of the coastguards said: \"I will be shouting the horses name in my sleep tonight. It was unbelievable the sound both horses made when they met afterwards they were very pleased to see each other to say the least.\" Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service warned of the dangers of the riding by the edge of the water. It said: \"We don't want anyone going riding out there because it's extremely soft sand.\" Sue Carr who said her daughter owns one of the horses thanked emergency services involved in the rescue on Facebook. She said: \"Can't thank you enough. We were so terrified. That horse is my daughter's baby. Endlessly in your debt.\" For more stories about animal rescues follow BBC England's Pinterest board", "summary": "Two horses have been saved from drowning in rising tides near Fleetwood, Lancashire."}
{"article": "Members of the exporters' group Opec, together with some other oil producers, are meeting in Qatar on Sunday to discuss freezing output. They want to push up the price of crude oil, which is less than half what it was in June 2014 In previous episodes of falling prices, Opec has been much quicker to respond, often cutting output. The agenda for the meeting in Doha, the capital of Qatar, is a freeze in production. No cuts in other words, just a commitment to no more increases. But even that possibility has given some support in recent weeks to the price of oil. The low it reached earlier this year was about $27 a barrel for Brent crude oil, one of the leading international market prices. This week it has been very close to $45. That is to a large extent due to traders considering the possibility that some oil producers are close to taking some sort of action to push prices higher. It's worth emphasising that even at current levels the price of oil is far below where it was as recently as June 2014 - when it reached $115. The fall has hurt many oil producing countries. Earlier this week, the International Monetary Fund said it had damaged financial stability and the government finances in many of them. The meeting is not formally an Opec event, though all or very nearly all the group's members will be represented. There will also be some non-members, notably Russia. The decision to hold this meeting, with a rather unusual group of attendees, reflects the oil exporters' persistent concerns about the level of prices and a feeling that any action needs to involve more than just the members of Opec. Two of the world's leading producers are not going to be there: the US and China. Both countries have large oil production industries, but they use nearly all of it themselves, and have to import extra to meet their own needs. Their economies overall tend to benefit from cheaper oil so they don't have a shared interest with those who will be turning up in Doha. Still, there is more than enough oil production that will be represented there to make a substantial difference to the global market if the participants chose to take strong action. What many oil analysts say, however, is that they aren't talking about action that is going to achieve much. In the past, Opec has often managed to agree and deliver cuts in production. This time all that's on the table is a potential agreement to refrain from further increases. Among the countries attending there is certainly a good deal of support for the idea. But one important player, an Opec member, is determined to increase its production: Iran. As the country emerges from western sanctions, the Iranian government wants to regain the share of the market that it lost as a result of those restrictions on its international sales. Iran is not even sending its oil minister Bijan Zanganeh to the meeting, although another senior official is expected", "summary": "The world's leading oil exporters could be finally about to take action following the fall in prices."}
{"article": "The National Audit Office (NAO), which scrutinises government spending, said plans for 16 routes were on hold. The schemes being \"reconsidered\" to make sure they are \"deliverable and affordable\" are part of an \u00a311.4bn investment announced in 2014. Neither the NAO or Department for Transport have said which are at risk. Highways England, which is responsible for major roads, has identified the 16 schemes that could be cancelled, delayed or redesigned, the NAO said. The NAO concluded that several problems were created by the plans being drawn up in just 17 months in order to publish them before the May 2015 general election. The equivalent rail planning takes about 30 months. The spending watchdog also claimed the Department for Transport (DfT) chose projects without knowing enough about whether they represented the best use of taxpayers' money. The Five-year Road Investment Strategy featured 112 major projects to begin before 2020, such as smart motorway upgrades and converting single-carriageway A-roads to dual carriageways. The overall plan includes: Edmund King, president of the AA, said motorists would be frustrated about delayed upgrades and that the public should be told which of the plans have stalled \"so that they know if they are stuck on a road to nowhere\". The director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, Steve Gooding said: \"Highways England has had a mountain to climb in gearing up for the scale of work involved, so it shouldn't surprise us that in some respects it is still in the foothills.\" Among the major plans are: A further 54 schemes are scheduled to start in 2019-20, which would cause significant disruption to motorists, increase prices and put pressure on resources at Highways England, the NAO said. Its report stated that by August last year the amount by which forecast costs exceeded available funding had reached \u00a3841m. But Highways England chief executive Jim O'Sullivan said he was confident the organisation would complete the work without overspending, and a \"delivery plan\" would be published in June. The DfT said it would consider the findings of the report.", "summary": "Upgrades to some of England's busiest roads, including a controversial tunnel past Stonehenge, could be scrapped because they are not value for money."}
{"article": "The former van driver sold 214,000 copies of his single Something I Need, which was originally recorded by US pop band OneRepublic. His nearest rivals were Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars, whose song Uptown Funk dropped one place to number two. Shortly after it was announced, Haenow thanked his fans on Twitter, saying: \"You guys are amazing!\" Speaking about his chart success he said: \"It's an incredible end to my year. I'm absolutely shocked, I can't believe it. \"I'm gonna go and have a few good drinks with my mates - definitely more than a few good drinks - to celebrate.\" The top-selling album in the run-up to Christmas was Ed Sheeran's X, which shifted more than 214,000 copies last week - the most it has sold in a seven-day period. X - pronounced \"multiply\" - was already the UK's biggest-selling album of the year, excluding compilations. The singles chart also saw a high entry for novelty act The Wealdstone Raider. The 48-year-old, whose real name is Gordon Hill, became famous when he was discreetly recorded at a football match, pint in hand, shouting \"you've got no fans\" to opponents of his football club, Wealdstone FC. After being uploaded to YouTube, the video went viral, amassing more than eight million views. His single, called Got No Fans, is raising money for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, Autism Concern and Wealdstone Raiders Youth FC. It entered the chart at number five. For the first time, streaming data counted towards the Christmas chart, benefitting acts like Mariah Carey and The Pogues, whose seasonal standards climbed back up the top 40. Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You reached number 18, while The Pogues' Fairytale of New York - boosted by download sales - reached number 11. But the biggest beneficiary of the new chart rules was Ronson, who broke the all-time record for the most streamed track in a single week. Uptown Funk was listened to almost 2.34 million times last week, smashing Sheeran's previous record of 1.72 million streams, set in November. Band Aid 30, at one point considered to be a strong contender to top the Christmas charts, ended up in 17th place.", "summary": "X Factor winner Ben Haenow has won the race for the Christmas number one, the Official Charts Company has announced."}
{"article": "Alpha Foxtrot, affectionately known as Foxy, was the last of the fleet to fly when the jet was withdrawn from service in 2003, and displaying it at the airfield was only ever a temporary solution. Concorde enthusiasts are keen to see the aircraft indoors, protected from the elements, and back on display as soon as possible. But the decision rests with Airbus and British Airways (BA) who are currently considering two separate business plans for museums to house the jet. So how vital is it to get a roof over the plane? Ben Lord, chairman of the Save Concorde Group, which submitted its plan for a museum in June 2011, said he was expecting a decision \"any day\". The group would like to see Foxy fly again in the future, but Mr Lord said this could only happen if the aircraft was looked after indoors. \"Obviously the long-term thinking is if it's indoors, nice and dry, where engineers can get easier access, ultimately that enhances the prospect of it flying again,\" he said. \"But the aircraft is still exposed to the elements. Largely it's causing corrosion issues. People could argue that it was outside all the time when it was in service, but when it's flying the outside skin heats up to 127C so it was keeping it dry. \"Being exposed to harsh winters and rainy conditions isn't good for it. \"The shameful part of it all is it will be nine years in November. By now it should be under cover.\" The Concorde Trust has been working on plans for an indoor museum for some years, but hit a snag in May last year when their bid for \u00a32.9m from the Heritage lottery Fund was turned down. The trust has since submitted revised plans. Project director Lloyd Burnell said the trust was working with the Bristol Aero Collection (BAC) on plans for a museum. \"It needs to be undercover for the preservation of the aircraft. Aircraft are not designed to sit around,\" he said. Another reason they want it indoors is so the museum can also display the BAC - exhibits charting 100 years of the city's aviation history. \"We submitted plans to the Heritage Lottery Fund last year. That total scheme was \u00a39m and the application was for \u00a32.9m. They were turned down. We continued to work on alternative proposals with a number of major stakeholders,\" Mr Burnell said. \"The Concorde Trust and BAC work as a single organisation as Concorde is part of the Bristol aviation heritage collection - arguably the most well-known, the centrepiece of the collection - and it all needs to stay together.\" But Mr Burnell was tight-lipped about what their plans involved. \"It's very easy to over-promise which leads to levels of expectation. We are not going to do that,\" he said. Of the fleet being kept in the UK, Foxy is not the only Concorde being kept outside. One is on display alongside a runway at Heathrow Airport, while another is outside at Brooklands Museum in Weybridge. Conditions also vary with those being displayed", "summary": "More than 18 months have passed since the Concorde at Filton, near Bristol, was closed to the public."}
{"article": "Small Business Saturday is in its third year, and aims to encourage people to spend locally rather than with international chains. There are around five million small firms in the UK which employ half of the country's workforce. The government said it wanted to help \"cut red tape\" for small businesses. Business Secretary Sajid Javid said: \"Small Business Saturday is an opportunity to come together and generate a real boost for small firms in the run-up to Christmas. \"Having grown up above the family shop myself, I'm proud of the UK's small businesses, providing jobs and security for millions of people and making a huge contribution to our economy.\" Any firm with fewer than 50 employees is considered a small business. In Britain 99% of all companies are in that category - employing 12.4 million people. Last year UK traders took \u00c2\u00a3504m on the day from an estimated 16.5 million people - a 20% increase in footfall on 2013. But day-to-day small firms face a battle competing with big companies who can offer lower prices and have more resources to deal with issues such as administration, tax and staffing. The Federation of Small businesses said that for every pound spent at an independent company, around 70p stays in the local economy.", "summary": "Shoppers across the UK are being encouraged to buy from independent stores on Saturday as part of a campaign to boost high streets."}
{"article": "The crash happened on the A18 Mountain Road, in the vicinity of the Mountain Box, at about 07:50 GMT. Police said the man was driving towards Ramsey in a white Citroen Berlingo when it was in collision with a blue Ford Transit coming the other way. The Transit driver was taken to hospital but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. Det Insp Mark Newey said the family of the driver who died have been informed. The road was closed for several hours following the crash and witnesses are asked to contact police headquarters.", "summary": "A 22-year-old man has died after the van he was driving was in collision with another van in the Isle of Man."}
{"article": "This Central American nation has often been in the middle of events with an impact far beyond its borders, from the engineering marvel that is the Panama Canal to the country's many political storms. Even so, people here have reacted with surprise - and indignation - after seeing their country's name linked to a hashtag that is shaking the world. For many locals, to talk about #PanamaPapers is in itself an injustice, as the name tarnishes the whole country with an alleged complicity in international tax evasion. They claim the accusations should instead be directed at a minuscule segment of their society. And anyway, they insist, the Panamanian companies involved were not doing anything different to firms in other financial capitals across the world. Panama is indeed a large and sophisticated offshore financial centre, whose companies help manage, in one way or another, large fortunes from all corners of the planet. But how does all of that money impact the everyday life of normal Panamanians? For a visitor, the prosperity of parts of the country is evident from the moment the plane flies over the capital, affording the first glimpse of Panama City from above. The city centre is so ostentatious that a Trump luxury hotel tower, 284 metres high and until 2012 the tallest building in Latin America, goes almost unnoticed among the dozens of skyscrapers crowding the horizon. Some people say it reminds them of Dubai, others say it looks like Miami. Panama City has done a good job in attracting cash to the country, home to just four million people and with relatively few natural resources other than its geographic location. The financial sector is key to the country's wealth, representing around 7% of GDP. And in a business where reputation is everything, many fear the effect the scandal could have on the industry's future growth. But Rafael, the taxi driver who takes me from the airport into the city centre, does not necessarily see it as his problem. He views it as a quarrel among elites. \"It is a white people's dance,\" he says disdainfully. He will not give me his full name, objecting that \"you never know who you are talking to\". But after a few minutes of conversation, he acknowledges his own life has been closely affected by the financial industry's ups and downs. He says he worked with one of the many Western banks that came to Panama during the 1970s boom, when Latin America was awash in petrodollars and the country helped manage many of the region's fortunes. But in the 1980s the petrodollars vanished. Panama was stigmatised as a money laundering centre for drug cartels, the bank left, and he ended up without a job. The financial sector eventually recovered and is now a central part of the economy, together with the Panama Canal, helping the country become more prosperous than most of its neighbours. With this wellbeing threatened, it is no wonder that political and business leaders in Panama treat the scandal as little less than an act of foreign aggression against", "summary": "Although a very small country, Panama is used to getting attention, for reasons good and bad."}
{"article": "The Welsh Government said it wants to understand what its focus should be for improvements. But whether restructuring of Betsi Cadwaladr health board features would depend on what the public says. A government spokesman disputed Welsh Tory criticism over whether a deadline to start the exercise had been missed. The health board, which serves north Wales, was put into special measures in 2015 after a report found \"institutional abuse\" at a mental health unit. A spokesman for the Welsh Government said: \"One of the key objectives is to engage with staff, patients and communities to understand what matters most to them and what the focus should be to deliver improved outcomes in health services. \"The first phase involves discussions with partners and regional stakeholders and this work commenced in August. The second phase will take place in the autumn and will involve digital and community engagement with the public.\" He said it would \"depend on the views and responses provided if restructuring features\". First Minister Carwyn Jones had hinted the health board could be broken up after the 2016 assembly election. But the Welsh Labour assembly manifesto vowed \"no top-down, large-scale reorganisation\" of the NHS under the next Welsh Labour Government - the same document said it would review the board's \"governance structure if necessary\". Welsh Labour promised in its manifesto before May's assembly poll that it would hold \"discussions with people in north Wales about the future of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board\" in \"the first 100 days of the new assembly term\". Aberconwy Tory AM, Janet Finch-Saunders, said it was \"a deadline the Welsh Labour Government really ought to have met\". \"One would have hoped that engaging with the public would have been an immediate priority for the government which led the health board into special measures in the first place,\" she said. A Welsh Government spokesman said in response: \"These comments undermine the positive progress made by the board in delivering improvements since they were put in special measures.\" He said: \"Contrary to comments from the Conservatives, that process has already begun and a second phase will take place in the autumn that will involve engagement with the public as we want to know what, in their health service, matters to them the most.\"", "summary": "Members of the public in north Wales are to be asked their views on the future of their region's health service this autumn."}
{"article": "The US firm already dominates the action-cam market, having sold more than $363m (\u00c2\u00a3233m) worth of goods over the first three months of the year. The Hero4 Session benefits from being waterproof without needing a special case, but cannot go as deep as models fitted with separate housings. One expert said the firm risked having a \"confusing\" choice of products. GoPro is marketing the new camera as being 50% smaller and 40% lighter than other Hero4 models. It is: Although the new camcorder may appear to have lower specifications than the firm's other options, GoPro suggests that its compact form coupled with a new dual-microphone system - designed to better handle wind noise - should appeal to customers intending to use it on a regular basis. \"We challenged ourselves to produce the smallest, lightest, most convenient GoPro possible,\" said the firm's founder Nicholas Woodman. \"Sound quality is as important as image quality and we're very excited about the stunning audio advancements we've made.\" Costing \u00c2\u00a3330, the Hero4 Session is only outpriced by the company's top-end Hero4 Black. One tech industry watcher said it would probably have \"niche\" appeal, but added that GoPro's current line-up risked bewildering consumers. \"GoPro owns so much of the market that this is about trying to scoop up whatever is left,\" said James Trew, deputy managing editor of the Engadget news site. \"It used to have just three cameras - good, better and best - and you paid for the one you thought was your level. \"Now, in an effort to grow, I think there is a risk that it will start confusing customers, especially when the price of the Session is very similar to what are, on paper, better products. \"But there will be some people it will call out to - for instance, people who might think this looks better on their helmet.\" GoPro faces a growing number of rivals, with EE, Xiaomi, Garmin and HTC among companies to have launched their own action cameras over recent months. The California-based firm notes, however, that it currently accounts for all of the US's top five best-selling products in the digital camera/camcorder category, according to data published by market research firm NPD. Even so, Mr Trew suggested that executives might feel they need to prove they are not complacent. \"GoPro went public last year so they have a whole new set of pressures to deal with,\" he explained. \"I think that's part of why we're now seeing more different stuff - including 360-degree camera mounts, virtual reality systems and broadcast technologies - to illustrate that it is staying ahead of the game in the face of increased competition.\"", "summary": "GoPro has announced a new camera that is smaller and lighter than its earlier models."}
{"article": "A fire, started by a spilled oil lamp, swept through Exhall pit near Bedworth on 21 September, 1915, threatening the lives of the 375 men working there. The majority of the men were led to safety through a ventilation shaft by the man in charge underground. A circle of 14 trees, one for each man who died, has been planted around a granite memorial. The memorial, in St. Giles Meadow, was unveiled by the High Sherriff of Warwickshire.", "summary": "A memorial has been dedicated to 14 men who died in a Warwickshire mining disaster a century ago."}
{"article": "Scotland's ancient universities elect rectors to chair their governing bodies and champion students' interests. Speaking at his inauguration, TV executive Steve Morrison said the new Higher Education Governance Bill could lead to their removal. The Scottish government said it had no plans to abolish the role of rector. The position of rector is an ancient one and in many respects often ceremonial. The rector of Edinburgh University presides over the institution's governing body. Inevitably, some rectors play a largely symbolic role - in 2014 students at Glasgow University elected whistleblower Edward Snowdon who is currently claiming asylum in Russia - and on occasions, celebrities and public figures have been elected. Other rectors, however, are in a position to try to be proactive champions of the students' interests. Rectors are elected at the four ancient universities - Glasgow, Edinburgh, St Andrews and Aberdeen - and also at Dundee. The University of the Highlands and Islands has a rector although the role there is different . In his inauguration speech, Mr Morrison said he believed other Scottish higher education institutions should follow Edinburgh's example and warned proposed changes to the way universities are governed could end the role of the rector.. One proposal in the bill is to directly elect the chairs of each university's governing body, but some critics claim these elections could involve people other than students and staff. Mr Morrison said: \"Every student and every member of staff, academic and non-academic, has the right to vote for the rector who presides over the governing body of the university - that is our inclusive Edinburgh model. \"I respectfully propose that every Scottish higher education institution should follow this example when electing the chair.\" The Scottish government insisted it did not intent to abolish the position of rector at universities. A spokesman said: \"The Scottish government recognises the contribution made by rectors. Over the summer, we have been talking to all higher education stakeholders, including current rectors, about their views on how a model for elected chairs of court might work in practice. \"As the Higher Education Bill progresses through parliament, we will continue to listen to all constructive views and suggestions made.\" The Higher Education Governance (Scotland) Bill would require governing bodies to include at least two members directly elected by staff, and two members each nominated by trade unions, students' unions and alumni associations. The proposal that the chairs of the governing bodies be chosen through an election has proved controversial and led to claims that it could involve voters from outside the university. Critics have also argued that trade union representatives could be torn between the interests of their members and the interests of the institution. As well as a rector, Edinburgh University also has a vice convener who chairs several of the university's most important committees and helps hold the Principal to account. Mr Morrison is a graduate of Edinburgh University and was the first student to run to become rector in the 1960s. He later became the director of programmes and then chief executive of Granada Television. He", "summary": "The new rector of Edinburgh University has warned that government plans for a shake-up in how universities are governed could threaten the role."}
{"article": "The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said that 80% of passengers do not claim compensation. It wants clearer forms, a national publicity campaign, and better staff training, to encourage claims. In response, the train operating companies promised to take action to improve the compensation process. The ORR was responding to a so-called \"super-complaint\" by the consumer group Which? Which? had complained in December 2015 that millions of people were being left out of pocket by the system. Under the law, the ORR had 90 days to respond. \"We want all passengers to be able to claim the compensation they are entitled to. The information they receive needs to be better and the process must be clearer and simpler,\" said ORR chief executive Joanna Whittington. Now the ORR is proposing: Which? said the proposals were a step in the right direction. \"But this alone will not be enough to solve the problem for passengers in the long term,\" said Richard Lloyd, the organisation's executive director. \"The government must now ensure that the rail regulator has all the powers and duties it needs to be a consumer watchdog with real teeth.\" Click here for more information The Rail Delivery Group, which represents operating companies, said it would be making the necessary changes. \"There is always room for improvement and we know that we can do more to give our customers an even better deal,\" said Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the operators. \"We will address all of the regulator's recommendations.\" It promised a new National Rail Enquiries website, with links to individual train companies and their compensation schemes. It also said there would be better communication on social media, with barcodes on posters to enable people to claim on their smartphones. Since last July, passengers have been entitled to compensation in cash, rather than through vouchers. Different train operators still have different agreements on compensation, but generally passengers qualify if their train is delayed by more than 30 minutes. So-called \"Delay Repay\" is gradually being introduced across the network, which means that compensation will be paid regardless of what caused the delay. From April, all but four operators will be signed up to the scheme. In addition some operators, including Virgin and C2C, make automatic refunds in certain circumstances.", "summary": "Millions of rail passengers should be given more help to claim money back when their train is delayed, the industry regulator has recommended."}
{"article": "Shiromini Satkunarajah, 20, had been taken to a detention centre after being refused asylum. She was supposed to be on a plane on Tuesday, but 30,000 people signed a petition, Arfon MP Hywel Williams said. The Home Office said she could stay on an \"exceptional\" basis. Miss Satkunarajah was born in Sri Lanka, but fled conflict there with her parents when she was 12. While her father has since died, Mr Williams said she and her mother have been \"battling through the bureaucratic process to get the right to stay\". This has involved attending Caernarfon police station every week while she studies for an electrical engineering degree - which was where she was detained in a cell for three days. Mr Williams added others \"overstay for years\", but Miss Satkunarajah was \"picked up\" for doing what the authorities asked of her. Speaking to BBC Radio Wales' Good Morning Wales programme, he said: \"They are picking off the easy ones because they are following the rules. \"She was easy to identify as was her mum. She turned up (at the police station) and they took her away.\" But he pointed to a \"huge wave of support\", saying more than 30,000 people signed a petition and letters were written by prominent figures. In the House of Commons on Tuesday, Mr Williams accused the Home Office of \"dithering\", criticising it for failing to give the case timely consideration. An 11th hour reprieve followed. \"In the light of the circumstances of this case, the immigration minister agreed that both Miss Satkunarajah and her mother should be allowed to stay in the UK on an exceptional basis while Miss Satkunarajah completes her studies,\" the Home Office said. She is due to finish the course this summer, with Mr Williams saying she is predicted to get a first class honours degree. Solicitor Raja Rajeswaran Uruthiravinayagan has now got involved in the case after public attention over the weekend. \"We were in the process of filing an emergency judicial review when we got indication the deportation had been deferred,\" he said. \"Shiromini and her mother have only been released on 'temporary admission'. \"This doesn't mean she's been given formal leave to stay in the UK. What we have to do now is send a pre-action protocol letter to the Home Secretary and give her 14 days to reply and consider the decision.\" NUS Wales deputy president Carmen Smith said she was \"overjoyed\" by the decision. She added: \"I remain of the steadfast view that deporting Shiromini would have been an absolutely disgusting thing to do. \"It is imperative that we value people, their skills, experiences, and cultures, whoever they are and wherever they come from.\"", "summary": "A Bangor University student threatened with deportation was \"picked off\" because she was \"following the rules and easy to identify\", her local MP said."}
{"article": "2 February 2016 Last updated at 15:09 GMT School kids have been submitting their questions for the British astronaut. Hundreds have travelled to the World Museum in Liverpool to see the live stream, and others are watching from classrooms around the country. Tim is expected to be live at 2.30 to answer their questions.", "summary": "Tim Peake is preparing to talk to hundreds of school pupils in a live webcast from the International Space Station."}
{"article": "The infant, still with her umbilical cord attached, was found in a black bag by a member of the public in Marston, Oxford, on 29 February. The baby was discovered with no signs of injury and a coroner recorded that she was stillborn. Police said they wanted to find out if her family had any religious beliefs. Det Con Sarah Danzelman, from Thames Valley Police, issued a direct appeal to the baby's mother to get in contact with her. She said: \"Shortly we will be arranging for a funeral for your little girl and we want to make sure she is laid to rest in an appropriate way in line with any beliefs you have. \"We are very keen to give your baby a name - a name that means something to you. Please let us know what her name is.\" She added that the funeral service, which has not been given a date yet, would be open to anyone who wished to pay their respects.", "summary": "Police have appealed to the mother of a baby girl found dead on a footpath to tell them the child's name ahead of her funeral."}
{"article": "The six men and one woman deny servitude and forced labour charges, at Luton Crown Court. Police found men living in squalor at the Green Acres caravan park in Bedfordshire last September. The Connors controlled and exploited the homeless people, making large amounts of money, prosecutors claim. The seven each deny charges of conspiring to hold a person in servitude and conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour. The charges relate to eight alleged victims. The accused are: James John Connors (Big Jim), 34; Johnny Connors, 28; Tommy Connors (Junior), 26; James (Jimmy) Connors, 24; Patrick Connors, 20; Josie Connors, 30; and Tommy Connors (senior), 52. When police raided the caravan park they found 13 male workers who were not part of the extended Connors family. Victims were recruited from homeless centres, soup kitchens or simply off the streets and made to carry out daily physical labour, the court was told. One of the workers told police he saw the site as \"like a concentration camp\", the trial heard. The alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was living on benefits in Brighton when he was recruited from a day centre by Tommy Connors Snr and two of his sons, it was claimed. The Connors offered him a job, \u00c2\u00a350 in cash and a roof over his head and took him to a site in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, where Tommy Connors Snr was living, it is alleged. Prosecutor Frances Oldham QC said: \"At first he had been treated OK and given pocket money to buy cigarettes, biscuits and crisps. \"After a while the travellers' treatment of (him) changed. Tommy Snr would hit him in the face for no reason when in a temper.\" Some days he was given \"no food at all\", or just biscuits and crisps to snack on, the court heard. The labourers were not allowed to leave work to get something to eat, it was alleged. The Connors are alleged to have coerced their labourers into working for their block paving business for up to 19 hours a day, six days a week. Sundays were left free for further work by way of door-to-door selling, prosecutors said. Ms Oldham said: \"Men were targeted because they were vulnerable, and kept on sites like camps under orders not to leave. \"Their heads were shaved. They were paid little or nothing for their work. They were on occasions verbally abused and on occasions beaten. \"They may not in the strict sense have been slaves but they were not free men. \"The evidence suggests that the Connors family made very substantial amounts of money through the exploitation of the servitude and forced labour of their workers.\" Most of the workers managed to escape at some point but were afraid of being \"recaptured\", the court heard. Another alleged victim told police he had suffered \"seven years of abuse, starvation and torture,\" the court heard. \"There was no respect,\" he claimed. \"They treated me like a slave, and that's putting it mildly.\" Ms Oldham told the court the", "summary": "Seven people from one traveller family abused and beat vulnerable men who were kept in captivity and made to work without pay, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Here are some accounts from people at the pilgrimage, including BBC journalists who witnessed the crush. \"Where I'm standing, here in the centre of Mina city, I can see dead bodies wrapped in white cloth. Police have barricaded the area so I couldn't count them, but dead bodies stretch as far as my eyes can see. \"Surrounding the area some relatives are hanging around in mourning and other pilgrims who are in the tent city in Mina are also coming round to see the bodies and also to sympathise and mourn. Police officials are stopping people from passing through the area while they deal with all the dead bodies, while ambulances are moving in and out. \"Because of the lack of access, we don't know what the ambulances are doing. Helicopters are hovering over the area where the bodies are being kept.\" \"My group and I went there very early in the morning because we knew it would be too crowded. \"After the throwing-the-stone ritual we walked back to our tent. It was already packed, difficult to move and also difficult to breath. People were everywhere, forcefully trying to get their way further. \"People were starting to fall. I saw an Indonesian being cared for by paramedics. More people fell, or lay down, I thought because they were caught by heat, I'm not sure. Thanks to God, we managed to get to our tent at about 9am. Much later I heard about the stampede. It is horrible. The news left me in shock.\" \"I was in the crowd and most people, I would say 90%, are very peaceful. Then you get the young people and the heat is quite unrelenting as well. People want to do it quickly, they want to finish and, because it would get hot, people were pushing. \"I can't believe what happened. It's tragic. At the end of the day [we have to] put up our hands and ask Allah for mercy.\" \"I was at the centre of the stampede,\" Mr Bamidele told the Vanguard newspaper. \"Saudi police and traffic officials who used to control movement were not available. In fact it was after the stampede that they arrived. I managed to escape unhurt.\" \"There was crowding. The police had closed all entrances and exits to the pilgrims' camp, leaving only one. \"I saw dead bodies in front of me and injuries and suffocation. We removed the victims with the police. They [the police] don't even know the roads and the places around here.\" \"People were going towards the direction of throwing the stones while others were coming in the opposite direction. Then it became chaotic and suddenly people started going down. There were people from Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Senegal among other nationalities. People were just climbing on top of others in order to move to a safer place and that's how some people died. \"People were chanting Allah's name while others were crying, including children and infants. People fell on the ground seeking help but there was no-one to give them a helping hand. \"Everybody seemed", "summary": "A stampede during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia has killed at least 700 people and injured more than 860."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 12 January 2015 Last updated at 22:04 GMT The accounts were hacked by a group claiming to support Islamic State, while President Obama was giving a speech on cybersecurity. Mr Earnest said that officials were monitoring the hack, but cautioned \"there is a pretty significant difference between what is a large data breach and the hacking of a Twitter account\". The accounts, which usually provide updates on strikes against IS, have now been suspended.", "summary": "White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest has played down the significance of a hack involving the Twitter and YouTube accounts of US military command."}
{"article": "Nhial Deng Nhial told the BBC Sudanese forces had invaded the town of Jau, which was in the south. He urged the international community to intervene and said he hoped full-scale hostilities could still be avoided. South Sudan seceded from the north in July following years of civil war in which some 1.5m people died. The border between the north and south has not yet been officially designated. Since July Khartoum and Juba have accused each other of supporting rebels in the border areas. Mr Deng Nhial said the clashes in Jau, which he said was a town in Unity state, were the biggest threat to peace since South Sudan's independence. \"Although there have been frequent aerial bombardments of different places in the Republic of South Sudan, we think that Khartoum has raised this offensive to an entirely new level by committing ground forces to cross into the Republic of South Sudan,\" he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme. \"We are still very much committed to the principle of dialogue with Khartoum - we are still hopeful that we can pull back from the brink of outright war.\" Earlier, Col Philip Aguer, spokesman for South Sudan's army - the South People's Liberation Army (SPLA) - told the BBC that Khartoum had used tanks and long-range artillery in the offensive on Jau, which started on Saturday. \u2022 Blue Nile and South Kordofan have not had popular consultations about their future, due before the split \u2022 Abyei has not held a referendum on whether to join north or south, due before the split \u2022 Sharing oil revenues \u2022 Exact border demarcation Antonov aircraft had also bombed the area, he said. Southern troops had now recaptured the town, but Sudanese soldiers were still in South Sudan, he said. \"This is a war situation and if they don't withdraw, the SPLA will force them out,\" Col Aguer told the AFP news agency. Across the border in the state of South Kordofan, Sudan's army has for several months been battling rebels, who once fought against Khartoum during the civil war. South Kordofan is one of several border areas which failed to hold popular consultations about their future ahead of South Sudan's independence. Mr Deng Nhial denied accusations that his government was supporting the rebels in the northern border areas, known as the SPLM-North. \"We had been associated with the SPLM-North during the years of our struggle. After independence we severed all military ties with our units in the north and we didn't provide any additional equipment,\" he said. The foreign minister said it was important that the border be properly demarcated. \"Khartoum continues to drag its feet although we are agreed that close to 80% of the border is no longer in dispute,\" he said. \"This in our mind raises serious suspicions.\"", "summary": "South Sudan's foreign minister has warned his country is on the brink of war with Sudan following days of fierce fighting along the border."}
{"article": "The masked gang broke into Michael Spiers shop in Taunton on 2 March, leaving two staff members traumatised. The men, from London, were jailed for a total of 23 years at Taunton Crown Court after admitting robbery. The raid culminated in an 80-mile police pursuit that ended with the robbers jumping into a river. Reece Francis, 24, Louis Kelly, 35, Steven Shields, 32, all from London, and Charles Johnstone, 27, of no fixed address, were sentenced on Friday. Three of the men received six-year sentences and the other five years. Recorder Peter Towler said it had been \"sophisticated\" and \"well organised\", but there was no physical violence. The court heard how the robbers threatened two men from an adjoining shop who tried to intervene, before driving off up the M5 and M4. The police pursuit ended near Swindon, when the men crashed their vehicle before running across fields into a river.", "summary": "Four men who smashed their way into a jewellery shop and stole watches worth \u00a313,500 have been jailed for a total of 23 years."}
{"article": "Allan Richards, 53, from Thaxted Road, Birmingham, served with the force for 31 years and is charged with committing the crimes against boys aged 11-18 between 1983 and 2013. He also faces two counts of misconduct in public office. West Midlands Police said it had referred the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. The former officer has been charged with a series of sexual assaults, indecent assaults and sexual touching. The force said the charges of misconduct in public office related to alleged misuse of police powers to sexually exploit boys while he was a serving police officer. Mr Richards was a police constable between 1980 and 2011. He is due to appear at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday.", "summary": "A former West Midlands Police officer has been charged with more than 30 child sex offences."}
{"article": "The Land and Lakes plans were agreed after a \u00a320m deal to mitigate the impact of the development on Holyhead. It will see a leisure park with 500 lodges and cottages at Penrhos Coastal Park, a further 315 lodges at Cae Glas, and 320 homes in the Kingsland area. Some of the new accommodation will house workers if a new Wylfa nuclear power plant is built on the island. \"This was the largest planning application ever to be considered by the Isle of Anglesey county council,\" said chief executive Gwynne Jones. \"The terms agreed with Land and Lakes will bring in excess of \u00a320m to mitigate the possible impacts an application of this scale will have on the area. \"Importantly, environmental concerns raised will also be addressed and will be the subject of appropriate remediation.\" The original application for the Land and Lakes development was first put forward in 2011, following the closure of the giant Anglesey Aluminium plant in the town. Controversially, the first part of the plans will see a holiday village built on part of the Penrhos Coastal Park, which was owned by the former metal plant. The planning proposals were initially agreed in 2013, but it has taken since then to thrash out the deal on what is known as a 106 agreement. It makes developers pay back into a community to cover the costs of providing additional school places, doctors and council support services. It also ensures the bill for any additional environmental work is picked up by the developers. The island's head of economic regeneration, Dylan J Williams added: \"We're hopeful that the Land and Lakes project will bring long term economic benefits for the island as a whole and will represent a positive step in the sustainable transformation of our economy. \"We now look forward to working with Land and Lakes to ensure people and businesses can take advantage.\"", "summary": "A \u00a3120m holiday village and houses on Anglesey which could bring about 600 jobs has been given the final go-ahead."}
{"article": "The 34-year-old captain needed just 54 balls to reach his 12th century in a majestic display against Australia on the first day of the second Test. It beat the mark of 56 balls set by West Indies great Sir Viv Richards against England in 1986, and equalled by Pakistan's Misbah-ul-Haq in 2014. \"I was trying to hit every ball for four or six,\" said McCullum. \"Viv was my idol growing up, he was an incredible cricketer. I'm almost a little bit of embarrassed to go past him, to be honest.\" New Zealand, who lost the opening game of the two-Test series, were 32-3 at one point on day one in Christchurch, but recovered to 370 all out before Australia closed on 57-1. McCullum had a big piece of luck on 39, when he sliced James Pattinson to Mitchell Marsh. But umpire Richard Kettleborough requested a replay which showed Pattinson had bowled a no-ball. McCullum had reached 82 from 48 balls when Josh Hazlewood came on to bowl and, after failing to score from the first two balls of the over, the skipper turned on the power, hitting a six, followed by three fours, to give him the record. He finally fell for 145 off 79 balls when he was caught by Nathan Lyon off Pattinson. Have you added the new Top Story alerts in the BBC Sport app? Simply head to the menu in the app - and don't forget you can also add alerts for the Six Nations, cricket scores, your football team and more.", "summary": "Brendon McCullum scored the fastest Test century in his 101st and final match for New Zealand before retiring."}
{"article": "The logo quickly made headlines - it was dubbed \"the wildest tourism slogan ever\" by one news outlet - with critics variously hailing it as hilarious or distasteful. It bellows \"See You in the Northern Territories\", but uses acronyms throughout. \"Well this is a bold strategy for a travel campaign,\" one person tweeted. But despite appearances, it is not an official campaign - as the actual NT tourism authority soon made clear. \"Tourism NT is aware of inappropriate use of our trademarked Brolga logo. We are in no way affiliated with these promotions,\" it tweeted. The creators of the ad, NTOfficial.com, released a statement describing themselves as \"an independent underground campaign\" promoting the NT to young people. But they added they were also responsible for selling all the merchandise on the site. However, debate continued around the slogan's possible effectiveness for promoting the Northern Territory, which has experienced declining tourism numbers since 2000. The word the ad plays on is generally considered misogynistic and highly offensive. But in Australia, it is often not taken as seriously as in other English-speaking countries, sometimes being used almost affectionately. \"Love the new ad\", said one tweet. \"If you need me, I'll be in the #NorthernTerritory,\" said another. But not all were impressed. \"Words fail me are you people out of your minds with a slogan like that!!!??? Shows a serious lack of national maturity to say the least,\" wrote Ben Grego. Michelle Doherty said: \"Stupid especially at a first glance if you don't know what CU stand for.\" Associate Prof Con Stavros, a marketing expert from RMIT University in Melbourne, said social media would ultimately judge the slogan, but he was not sure about it. \"It's very confronting so I suspect it's probably crossed that line between edgy and acceptable,\" he said. Tourism NT would be watching the response very closely, he said. \"It's not a bad position to be in. If it doesn't cross the line, they don't have to take ownership - but can say it helped,\" he said Was there any chance they were in on the stunt? \"No, it's not normal in marketing that you send off some kind of rogue element, some dark ops thing,\" he said. \"That's more for the movies.\"", "summary": "A provocative Australian advertisement has swept the internet, sparking assumptions that the Northern Territory (NT) has unleashed a startling new tourism campaign."}
{"article": "The 19th Century life-size carvings are modelled in the style of Spanish Conquistadors - bare-chested, wearing animal skins and carrying a club. They are estimated sell for up to \u00a35,000 at 1818 Auctioneers on 5 June. Valuations expert David Brookes said he had never seen anything like them in a 35-year career and would love to know where they were made and how they ended up in the modern house near Ulverston. He described the carvings, which were possibly made in the Black Forest region of Germany, as detailed and skilfully done. \"Beyond that, they are a complete mystery and one that we could do with solving\", he said. \"We know the Victorians loved their busts and statues; everything from knights in armour, angels and lions to athletes wrestling serpents. \"They were collected by the wealthy and the middle classes to decorate their homes and, in the case of these two soldiers, to make a grand statement possibly either side of a doorway of the foot of a staircase. \"I have asked colleagues and antique buyers for their opinions but nothing has come of it other than a bit of excitement and further speculation. \"I would love to know where they were made, and by whom, and how they came to find their home in a modern house near Ulverston. Unfortunately that story has been lost with the owner.\"", "summary": "Two statues found during a Cumbrian house clearance have baffled experts."}
{"article": "People duck in and out of noodle joints, fast food chains and convenience stores before heading home to the warren of apartments nestled in the estate's nineteen tower blocks. But 10 years ago, this densely populated Hong Kong apartment complex, home to 19,000 people, was an eerie ghost town. Two hundred residents had contracted a deadly respiratory disease, now known as Sars, within a week and no-one knew how it was spreading. Rats and cockroaches were touted by the press as possible culprits. \"Taxi drivers refused to come here,\" Yip Hing Kwok, a long-time resident and now a local councillor, recalls of the deadly 2003 outbreak. Alarm turned to panic on March 31 when residents of block E, which experienced the densest concentration of cases, woke up to find that they were unable to leave their building as police and medical staff clad in protective suits enforced an emergency quarantine order. Police were ordered to chase down those who had already left and residents were later moved to two holiday camps. \"We tried to improve the cleaning of the estate but the number of cases kept increasing,\" says Mr Yip, who did not live in the blighted block. \"The situation was uncontrollable.\" Amoy Gardens played an unwanted starring role in the 2003 Sars epidemic that infected 8,096 worldwide, and killed 744. The disease, from the same family of viruses as the common cold, emerged in southern China at the end of 2002. It was carried to Hong Kong by a doctor, whose one-night stay in the Metropole Hotel resulted in seven other guests being infected. These guests then jumped on planes, spreading Sars around the world. While the disease appeared to spread fast, the number of people killed by the virus was relatively small, especially compared with the half a million people who died of influenza in the same year. But these facts were not known until the disease had come under control in the summer. In March and early April of 2003, as the epidemic seemed to spiral out of control, Hong Kong was a city gripped by fear. Surgical masks became hot commodities and the city's usually crowded shopping malls, restaurants and mass transport emptied. Expats fled, schools closed and those who could worked from home. Back then, working as a reporter in the city, I recall being urged by a contact to head straight for the airport as Hong Kong was to be declared an infectious port and sealed from the outside world. A teenager was later arrested in what turned out to be an April Fool's Day stunt. On the same day, a hugely popular singer and actor, Leslie Cheung, committed suicide by jumping from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel in the middle of the financial district, plunging an already anxious Hong Kong into mourning. Sars stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and was the name given to the respiratory disease by the WHO on March 15, 2003. Like the common cold, it belongs to the coronavirus family. Scientists think the disease jumped from civet", "summary": "Bathed in low evening light, Amoy Gardens is a hive of activity."}
{"article": "Amanda Watts, 43, from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, pleaded guilty in September to misconduct in public office. She revealed details of Michael's time in Highpoint South Prison, which led to five stories in the Sun. An Old Bailey judge said her job had demanded \"loyalty and discretion\", but she had set a \"bad example\". Watts was arrested under Operation Elveden, a Metropolitan Police investigation into alleged inappropriate payments by journalists to police and other public officials. Michael was jailed for eight weeks in September 2010 for crashing his Range Rover while under the influence of cannabis. He spent the last part of his sentence at HMP Highpoint South, the category C prison in Suffolk where Watts worked. Judge John Bevan QC said her offence had been aggravated because she had handed over information about a private prison visit by a friend of the singer, who was \"famous for being a flawed idol\". She also provided the Sun with a sketch of the singer's room, indicating a large tree outside the perimeter of the jail where a photographer was subsequently found to be lurking. Det Ch Supt Gordon Briggs, the officer in charge of Operation Elveden, said: \"Watts sold confidential information, which she had gained through the course of her job, to a newspaper. \"When public officials behave in this way and breach the trust and confidence placed in them, they undermine the trust placed in public servants to act with honesty and integrity.\" Earlier, in mitigation, Watts's lawyer Stephen Dyble argued she should receive a suspended sentence as she was in a \"fragile state\" and suffered from chronic autoimmune disease, lupus. He said she had left the prison service in 2012 suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after being hit in the face by a urine and faeces \"bomb\" thrown by an inmate. Mr Dyble said the money from the Sun was not spent on \"the high life\", but instead helped her husband pay legal fees as he attempted to get access to his children. Watts accepted she had breached Michael's confidentiality and that despite his \"fall from grace\", he was still entitled to privacy, her lawyer added. She was also ordered to pay \u00c2\u00a3800 in costs and comply with a confiscation order of \u00c2\u00a32,999.", "summary": "A former prison officer has been jailed for 12 months after admitting selling stories about singer George Michael to the Sun newspaper for \u00c2\u00a32,150."}
{"article": "Black, who was convicted of murdering four young girls across the UK, died in Maghaberry prison last month. The detectives were in Northern Ireland last week to question Barry McCarney who is serving life for the murder of 15 month old Millie Martin in 2009. They questioned McCarney twice over three days, for four hours each time. After Black's death in January, McCarney told prison authorities that the paedophile had confessed several murders to him. Although Black was convicted of four child killings, he never admitted any of them. Timeline of Robert Black's killings The only crime which Black admitted to was the abduction of a girl in his native Scotland when he was caught red-handed. The BBC understands Black and McCarney became close while they were both housed in Maghaberry prison's hospital wing. Black is suspected of at least 12 other unsolved child murders, including that of Genette Tate in Devon in 1978. She disappeared while riding her bicycle on her newspaper round. Her body has never been found. Detectives from Devon and Cornwall Police were close to charging Black with her murder when he died. The force, however, has not confirmed if the detectives who visited McCarney came from there. Meanwhile, in a separate development, a former RUC detective who said he found the crucial piece of evidence which helped convict Black of Jennifer Cardy's murder has been speaking to the BBC. He said he found a petrol receipt which proved Black was less than a mile from Jennifer's house on the day she disappeared. That was 16 years before Black stood trial for Jennifer's murder and a delay which the former officer said was unacceptable. \"We went to the headquarters at Shell at Worthenshaw and it was there we sat in the room with monitors and we were looking for Robert Black's signature coming up where he had got petrol. \"Whenever we found the receipt that he was only less than a mile from McKee's Dam on the Hillsborough Road where he got petrol. \"We were able to tie him down that he was in Northern Ireland at the time Jennifer Cardy went missing.\"", "summary": "Claims that serial child killer Robert Black confessed several more killings to a prisoner in Northern Ireland are being examined by English police."}
{"article": "The bosses involved include Oliver Schmidt, who was in charge of VW's US environmental regulatory compliance office from 2012 until March 2015. He was arrested on Saturday on charges that he took part in a conspiracy to defraud the US and VW customers. Volkswagen said it could not comment on an \"ongoing\" legal matter. A complaint to the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) against VW at the end of last year, accuses the carmaker of deliberately misleading regulators about cheating US pollution tests by means of so-called \"defeat devices\". The complaint said Mr Schmidt and others gave a presentation to VW's executive management on or about 27 July 2015. \"In the presentation, VW employees assured VW executive management that US regulators were not aware of the defeat device,\" the complaint said. \"Rather than advocate for disclosure of the defeat device to US regulators, VW executive management authorised its continued concealment.\" Separately, VW owners in the UK are seeking several thousand pounds in compensation over the scandal. By the summer of 2015, the complaint from the FBI said US regulators knew that emissions from VW diesel vehicles were \"substantially higher\" when they were being driven on the road than when being tested. The affidavit said Mr Schmidt - who was the general manager in charge of VW's Environmental and Engineering Office between 2012 and March 2015 - knew the discrepancy was because VW had \"intentionally installed software in the diesel vehicles it sold in the US from 2009 through 2015 designed to detect and cheat US emissions tests\". In 2015, Mr Schmidt travelled to the US to talk to US regulators about the discrepancy. The filing says that during these talks, Mr Schmidt \"intended to, and did, deceive and mislead US regulators\" by saying the difference in the emission levels was not because of deliberate cheating. The affidavit cites two VW employees who said that in a presentation to VW's executive management in Germany, \"VW employees [including Mr Schmidt] assured VW executive management that US regulators were not aware of the defeat devices - that is the engines' ability to distinguish between the dynamometer and road mode. \"Rather than advocate for disclosure of the defeat device to US regulators, VW executive management authorised its continued concealment. \" VW said it would not be \"appropriate to comment on any ongoing investigations or to discuss personnel matters\". \"Volkswagen continues to cooperate with the Department of Justice as we work to resolve remaining matters in the United States,\" it said. Meanwhile, in the UK, lawyers said 10,000 VW owners had already expressed an interest in suing VW. They estimated that owners could get \"several thousand\" pounds in compensation. Harcus Sinclair is applying for a group litigation order - which is similar to a US class action lawsuit - in the High Court later this month. The legal action is aimed at securing compensation for people who own or have previously owned one of the vehicles. In the UK around 1.2 million diesel engine cars", "summary": "VW executives knew about emissions cheating two months before the scandal broke, but chose not to tell US regulators, according to court papers."}
{"article": "Ten Greek medical associations lodged a complaint at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and were backed by the European Commission. The ECJ ruled in their favour, against Greek law. The court said that Greek doctors \"may have to work more than 24 consecutive hours and even up to 32 hours\". Greek healthcare has suffered major budget cuts under the EU bailout rules. In 2008-2012 the cut in healthcare spending totalled 25%, a European Parliament report says. According to the Athens government, the Greek healthcare system is short of 4,500 doctors as well as other medical and paramedical staff. But Michael Vlastarakos, President of the Panhellenic Medical Association, said another 5,000 doctors and 15,000 nurses were needed. In the public sector, where most people are cared for, doctors never get 11 hours' rest in a 24-hour period. Normally you get six to eight hours. In my hospital when you have a night shift you are off the next day, so you don't continue working. But provincial hospitals may have on-call every day - it depends how many doctors there are in each department, and many have a lack of doctors. They may do more than 24 hours continuously. In the financial crisis more people are coming to the public service to be seen and waiting lists for surgery have increased. Waiting times have lengthened between a normal appointment and surgery, and that creates much stress for everyone. They are not replacing medical staff who are on sick leave or who retire. Heavily indebted Greece has drastically cut public spending, to make savings demanded by its international creditors - the EU and International Monetary Fund - in three bailouts since 2010. The ECJ said Greek law violated the EU Working Time Directive, which stipulates that: 10% of GDP went on healthcare in 2009 4% of GDP is the expected spend for 2015 22% decline in allocated hospital funding in 2015 5,000 more doctors needed 15,000 more nurses needed On-call duty extended the time Greek doctors are required to be at work, the ECJ said. The ruling also criticised the Greek practice of postponing the 24-hour rest period for a week after the end of a doctor's on-call period. The working time rules do not apply to the private sector - but most Greeks use the public healthcare system. The economic think-tank OECD says Greece has the lowest number of nurses per 1,000 population in Europe.", "summary": "The EU's top court says Greece is violating EU law by allowing doctors to work long hours without adequate rest."}
{"article": "Khan is jumping two weight classes to fight for his rival's WBC middleweight title, at a catchweight of 155lb. The 29-year-old Briton believes his superior speed will be decisive. \"For the first time I'm fighting someone who is heavier and also a bigger name, but that will bring the best out in me,\" said Khan. \"Normally I'm the one who is supposed to win the fight and that puts a lot of pressure on you. This time I don't feel that pressure.\" Khan, who weighed in at 147lb for his last contest, says he has felt \"strong and explosive\" during training and believes he may be fighting at his ideal weight. \"A lot of people think I won't be strong or big enough for this guy,\" he said. \"But at middleweight I will get to hold onto my muscle and my strength. \"The speed is still there too - I've not lost it by putting on more muscle. \"If I was just going to stand there and trade, this would not be a good fight for me. But guys who move well give Canelo big problems. And that is what I do.\" Alvarez and Khan came face to face at a news conference in London on Monday. Their three-city promotional tour will also take in New York and Los Angeles. Their fight will take place at the new 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena, just off the Las Vegas Strip. Khan has not been in a world title fight since he was knocked out by Danny Garcia in 2012 and has had only three fights as a welterweight. It was, therefore, a big shock when he announced he was stepping up to face Mexican superstar Alvarez, who has been campaigning at light-middleweight since 2010. Alvarez, whose only defeat in 48 pro fights was against Floyd Mayweather in 2013, beat Puerto Rican great Miguel Cotto in his last fight to secure the WBC middleweight title. However, that fight was at a catchweight of 155lb - only one pound above the light-middleweight limit - an arrangement that will be repeated against Khan. But Khan was sceptical about Alvarez's claim he would only weigh 165lb on fight night, and speculated his opponent would be at least eight pounds heavier. Alvarez, who turned pro as a 15-year-old in 2005, said he was surprised Khan took the fight, but added he expected his rival to give him problems. \"He's one of the top fighters in the world, very fast and with great boxing ability. There will be some very difficult rounds for me,\" said Alvarez. \"But at the same time he's aggressive and likes to fight. That's good for me, because I like to fight as well.\" Former six-weight world champion Oscar de la Hoya, who promotes Alvarez, said the fight reminded him of the 1987 classic between Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler, in which the former's speed trumped the latter's size and power. \"In fights between speed and power, speed normally prevails,\" said De la Hoya, who also confirmed there was a rematch clause in the contract, which", "summary": "Amir Khan says being an underdog for the first time as a professional will motivate him against Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in Las Vegas on 7 May."}
{"article": "A government order means poultry must be kept indoors until the end of February or kept away from wild birds. The H5N8 bird flu strain has been found in poultry in Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Carmarthenshire and North Yorkshire. Under current EU rules, products from poultry housed for less than 12 weeks can be still marketed as free-range. This 12-week allowance for birds housed owing to avian flu will come to an end on 28 February. The rules also affects products which contain free-range egg, such as mayonnaise. Daniel Winter runs Trinity Farm in Nottinghamshire, where he keeps a small flock of about 100 free-range hens. He needed to build a new covered enclosure for them, costing \u00c2\u00a31,000. \"If it should continue for months, then we'll end up losing the free-range label,\" he said. His business is trying to avoid putting up the price of their eggs. \"We've been swallowing the cost, hoping it would end, but at some point, we are going to have to start looking at passing the cost on,\" he said. Ruth Mason, chief food chain adviser at the NFU, said: \"Plans need to be put in place in terms of how eggs can be marketed and how they should be positioned. \"It is very logistically difficult for the industry to move overnight from calling one product free-range to calling it 'barn' or whatever that might be. \"We may well get to a place where we have a free-range packaging that has a sticker over it that explains the birds have been housed, so it may say 'free-range, however, birds are currently housed due to avian influenza'.\" Barn eggs are traditionally cheaper in the shops than free-range eggs. A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: \"We have taken swift action to limit the spread of the disease, with restrictions around affected premises and wider measures in place across the country, including a legal requirement for all poultry keepers to keep their birds housed or otherwise separate from wild birds. This must be coupled with good bio-security. \"All measures will be kept under review based on the best available evidence, and we are working closely with the industry on next steps.\" Similar restrictions have been introduced in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. You can hear more on this story on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours", "summary": "The National Farmers' Union is calling for clarity on what will happen to free-range labelling if restrictions owing to avian flu continue."}
{"article": "Lauri Love, who has Asperger's syndrome, is appealing against the order signed last week by the home secretary. The 31-year-old from Suffolk is accused of hacking into the FBI, the US central bank and Nasa. His US attorney is concerned over how much time would be spent on remand. Tor Ekeland, who is based in Brooklyn, told the BBC: \"Theoretically if he is convicted in the US it is possible he could spend the rest of his life in prison.\" Mr Love from Stradishall has said previously he fears he would kill himself if extradited to the US. Mr Ekeland said: \"I think my number one concern is that he would spend a lot of time in pre-trial detention. It could take one to two years to come to trial. \"I have dealt with cases that have taken years.\" He said people imprisoned in the US on suicide watch will be put in solitary confinement which he said \"makes no sense at all\". \"I've had one client stripped naked on suicide watch with the lights on in his cell 24/7,\" he said. \"The prison system in the UK is more more humane than in the US - it is not a system (in the US) at all interested in rehabilitating people.\" Mr Ekeland said he was \"obviously disappointed\" by the home secretary 's decision, and added: \"I am hopeful the High Court (in the UK, which Mr Love is set to make an appeal) will see things differently.\" Mr Love was first arrested at his home in 2013. He had computer equipment seized by British police, but the UK investigation into him was dropped.", "summary": "The lawyer for a man facing extradition over US government computer hacking claimed he could be detained in jail for years before his trial."}
{"article": "It follows an incident in which a member of staff was threatened with what was believed to be a firearm at the shop in Frizington in October. Paul Roger Farish, 18, of Moor Place, Frizington, appeared before West Cumbria magistrates charged with robbery and possessing an imitation firearm. He was remanded to appear before Carlisle Crown Court on 7 December. A second man, aged 19, who was also arrested, has been released on police bail until 14 December.", "summary": "A man has been charged with robbing a post office in Cumbria."}
{"article": "The UN usually decides to call off search and rescue attempts between five and seven days after a disaster, once no-one has been saved for a day or two - but people have been known to survive for much longer. In 1995, Park Seung Hyun was pulled from the wreckage of a collapsed supermarket in Seoul, South Korea, 16 days after it collapsed and in January 2004, Shahr-Banu Mazandarani, an Iranian woman in her 90s was rescued after nine days buried in the rubble of her home after the Bam earthquake. In one extraordinary case in December 2005, a 40-year-old woman was found buried in what had been her kitchen in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, more than two months after an earthquake hit the region. Doctors said it was a miracle that Naqsha Bibi had survived so long in a space so small she could not move. Julie Ryan, a co-ordinator with UK-based group International Rescue Corps (IRC), says that survival largely depends on what happens the moment the quake first hits. \"The ideal situation is you have become trapped and entombed but have some sort of oxygen supply from the outside world, are not injured and also have some sort of access to water,\" she told the BBC. \"You have usually managed to get yourselves into some sort of void where you are enclosed by the building but it doesn't injure you.\" She said an IRC team rescued three boys who had been buried in the ruins of their school for five days after the earthquake in Pakistan in 2005. \"They were laid flat on backs next to each other, with the ceiling touching their noses but totally unhurt,\" she said. Another boy alongside them had died. After so long in the dark, rescue teams had to cover the boys' eyes as they pulled them out, to protect them from the strong sunlight. Dr Tejsrhi Shah of Medecins Sans Frontieres says many of those injured in earthquakes are so badly hurt they would not reach medical care. But she says that if people are trapped, \"just the immobility will reduce your chance of survival\". Being unable to move or having injuries to limbs can lead to crush syndrome, she says, where blood flow to the limbs is disrupted. When the crush is removed, a build-up of toxins floods the body and it is unable to cope. Earthquake rescue: How survivors are found \"It causes renal damage and shock, people are in agony with the pain and have a high risk of developing renal failure if don't get urgent medical care,\" she said. Dr Shah says there are reports of people surviving in rubble even longer than two weeks, but such cases are \"incredibly rare\". \"The chances of getting someone out alive decreases with each day,\" she says. Being trapped in a confined space also means a rising temperature and an increase in carbon dioxide, which, if it reaches too high a level, leads to suffocation. Search teams monitor for rising levels of CO2 in a building - a rise means someone is trapped", "summary": "The BBC's Anna Jones examines how people survive in the rubble after an earthquake - and what dictates the duration of search operations."}
{"article": "The Care Quality Commission found three-quarters of the 79 hospital trusts visited under its new inspection regime so far had safety problems. Over 40% of care and nursing homes and home care services and one in three GP services also had problems with safety. Lack of staff - in terms of skills and numbers - was identified as a major issue. The way medicines were managed and how mistakes were investigated and learnt from were also highlighted. Among the individual cases flagged up were: The findings - contained in the CQC's annual report - are effectively a mid-term update of the new tougher Ofsted-style inspection regime. They cover the first 14 months of the inspection programme, which was launched in April 2014 and is expected to be largely completed by April 2016. So far more than 5,000 organisations have been inspected - nearly half of hospitals, 17% of care services and 11% of GP surgeries and out-of-hours providers. However, those deemed most at risk have been predominantly targeted first, so the level of failure is not necessarily representative of the overall sector. 5,439 organisations inspected 14 months into 24-month inspection programme 47% of hospitals inspected 17% of social care services 11% of GP services During the inspections, CQC experts look at a range of different issues, including the quality of management, whether staff are caring and safety. Each organisation - from GP surgery to hospital - gets a rating for each, resulting in an overall rating of inadequate, requires improvement, good or outstanding. The results of these are widely published throughout the year, whereas this report looks at some of the common problems identified during the whole process. Of all the issues looked at, the CQC said most concerns had been raised about safety. Some 13% of hospitals were judged unsafe, 10% of social care services and 6% of GP services. Once those judged to be not safe enough are included, it brings the numbers with safety problems to 74% for hospitals, 43% for social care services and 31% for GPs. The report said improving leadership was the key to tackling the problems. David Behan, CQC chief executive, told Radio 4's Today programme: \"What we know from our report and from other research is that the leadership of an organisation sets the culture of that organisation. \"If the leadership says the important things around here are quality and safety, then that's what people attend to.\" Royal College of Nursing general secretary Janet Davies believes financial problems are a major factor - last week it was revealed trusts had already racked up a deficit of nearly \u00a31bn in the first three months of this financial year, greater than the overspend for the whole of 2014-15. She added nursing care, whether in hospitals, care homes or the community, depended on having the right number of staff with the right skills and support. She added: \"There must be more investment in training nurses, keeping nurses and listening to nurses.\" Katherine Rake, chief executive of Healthwatch England, the patient watchdog, said it was vital to learn", "summary": "Safety across the NHS and care sectors in England is a \"significant concern\", with particular problems in hospitals, inspectors are warning."}
{"article": "Queen Charlotte's gold and diamond ring, a bracelet with Queen Victoria's portrait and a pair of gold, diamond and pearl Tiffany opera glasses are among the exhibits. They go on display at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on Friday. It will be the first time the items have been on show in Scotland. The exhibition, called Gold, explores and celebrates the rare precious metal through more than 60 items from across the Royal Collection - one of the largest and most important art collections in the world. Over millennia and across different cultures, the material has often been used to represent and reflect royal wealth and power, and many of the sacred and ceremonial items associated with the coronations of British monarchs incorporate gold. One of the most elaborate accessories to go on display at The Queen's Gallery is a pair of opera glasses presented as a wedding gift to King George V and Queen Mary in 1893 when they were Duke and Duchess of York. Tiffany & Co was well-known for its production of luxury goods, but opera glasses made of gold were particularly rare. The glasses are also adorned with pearls and rose-cut diamonds. One of the earliest items of jewellery in the exhibition is a 16th century commesso, a cameo combined with gold to create a pendant. The piece is in the form of a female bust dressed in a tunic and turban, and is decorated with ruby, garnet, emerald and amethyst. It was recorded on a list of \"curiosities\" belonging to Queen Caroline, consort of George II. Exhibition-goers can also view an engraved gold bracelet, made by royal goldsmiths Rundell, Bridge & Rundell and dating from 1839, which incorporates a miniature portrait of Queen Victoria. Also on show is a gold and diamond-set \"keeper ring\", which served as a guard to a wedding ring, and was presented to Queen Charlotte by George III on their wedding day in 1761. It is displayed alongside a gold and diamond ring also belonging to Queen Charlotte. Kathryn Jones, exhibition curator of the Royal Collection Trust, said: \"These works of art show the personal associations that royal consorts have had with jewelled gold across several generations. \"We are delighted to display them for the first time in Scotland as part of this exhibition of items from the Royal Collection crafted from this rare and precious material.\" One of the centrepieces of the exhibition will be a gilded manuscript based on a best-selling book by Queen Victoria in which she reveals her thoughts on surviving a carriage accident and tasting haggis for the first time. Compiled from the monarch's diaries, the book - entitled More Leaves From The Journal Of A Life In The Highlands, From 1862 To 1882 - provides a glimpse into the royal author's life at Balmoral. It became an instant hit with readers after being published in 1884 and the following year a Persian translation covered in dazzling gold illumination was created for presentation to the queen.", "summary": "Jewellery that sheds light on the tastes of six generations of queens is to go on show at an exhibition celebrating the qualities of gold."}
{"article": "The fast bowler, 29, had been missing since 6 September when allegations were first made about him and his wife. The court has rejected the bail petition submitted by Hossain and has sent him to jail, a day after his wife was arrested by police. The country's cricket board has suspended him from playing cricket. Both he and his wife deny the charges. Hossain's lawyer, Kazi Nazibullah Hiru, told the AFP news agency: \"We appealed to the court that Shahadat should be released on bail for the greater interest of the country. \"We pleaded that he is not guilty as he was not present on the day the girl was allegedly beaten.\" Initially, Hossain went to the police on Sunday, 6 September, saying his maid had gone missing. However, when the girl was taken to police, after she was found alone later that day, she told them she had suffered torture and abuse from Hossain and his wife. Doctors say the girl had extensive injuries indicating abuse, including a broken leg and a black eye. When the police went to the couple's house to question them, neither were there. Hossain is a medium-fast bowler who is arguably one of Bangladesh's most famous player. He has played for the Tigers since 2005. He has taken 70 wickets in 36 Tests and 47 wickets in 79 one-day internationals, with best figures of 6-27. Domestically, he plays for Dhaka Division. Hossain last played for Bangladesh in a Test match against Pakistan in May, when he twisted his right knee and was ruled out action for six months. He was the first Bangladesh player to have his name added to the Lord's honours board when he took 5-98 against England in May 2010.", "summary": "Bangladesh cricketer Shahadat Hossain has turned himself in to face charges of torturing an 11-year-old housemaid."}
{"article": "Officials said that a suicide bomber blew up a car in the city of Dammam in Eastern Province. The Islamic State (IS) group has said that it was behind the attack in a statement released on social media. At least 21 people were killed in a similar incident one week ago, when a suicide bomber struck during Friday prayers at a Shia mosque. The attack at the Imam Ali mosque in the village of al-Qadeeh was the first to be claimed by the Saudi branch of IS, which was formally established last November. In Dammam on Friday, a suicide bomber detonated his explosive device outside the al-Anoud mosque in a busy neighbourhood. The two suicide bombs in seven days against Shia mosques are intended to inflame sectarian tension, the same tactic that IS uses in Iraq and elsewhere. With a Saudi air campaign against Shia rebels in Yemen and a ratcheting up of the confrontation between the Saudis and Iran across the region, the jihadists are seizing the opportunity to sow more hatred. Hardline Saudi preachers have long denounced the Shia, and that rhetoric has only grown fiercer. The Shia have called on the authorities to stem the flow of hate speech. King Salman has promised to crush the militants and many Saudis have been expressing their solidarity with the Shia. IS still has a very long way to go in its aim of destabilising Saudi Arabia through its sectarian divide, but it is using the only method it knows - sectarian violence. A witness told Reuters news agency that he had seen a \"quick explosion\" and that he had been told that men had prevented the attacker from getting inside the mosque. Security forces had become suspicious of a man in a car near the mosque and had gone to investigate it. It exploded as they approached the vehicle, according to the Saudi Press Agency, SPA. One of those killed is believed to have been the driver of the car. In a statement published online, IS said \"a soldier of the Caliphate\" was behind the attack on the Shia community. It identified the bomber as Abu Jandal al-Jazrawi. Saudi Arabia has previously been threatened by IS. It is part of a US-led coalition against IS in Syria and Iraq. The Saudis are also leading a coalition of Arab states in an air campaign against Shia rebels in Yemen. The country's large Shia Muslim minority is mainly based in the Eastern Province, and there have been sporadic protests by Shia there to call for more rights.", "summary": "A bomb has exploded outside a Shia mosque in Saudi Arabia, reportedly killing at least four people."}
{"article": "A new scheme called Flood Re has been designed to cut bills for those whose homes are in danger of flooding. Up to now, thousands of householders have been paying large additional premiums to make sure their homes and possessions are protected. About 350,000 homes could benefit - although thousands will be excluded. The cost will ultimately fall on ordinary policy-holders, who will pay an extra \u00c2\u00a310.50 on their premiums on average. As many as 15,000 homeowners made insurance claims for storm and flood damage last winter. Insurance companies should now be able to lower premiums, as they can pass on the flood risk element of policies to the reinsurer Flood Re. Householders who are eligible will also see their policy excesses - the amount they have to pay towards a claim - capped at \u00c2\u00a3250. Previously, some people had to pay several thousand pounds towards repairs. However, houses built since 2009 will not be covered by the scheme. This was done to discourage developers from building on land at risk of flooding. Businesses are also excluded, as are landlords who take out insurance policies on homes they do not occupy themselves. The scheme has also been criticised by a group of climate change experts, who said it did not offer good value for money. \"It achieves very poor value for money because it is trying to subsidise the costs of flooding, rather than addressing the causes and trying to prevent flooding in the first place,\" said Daniel Johns, head of adaptation on the Climate Change Committee (CCC). Initially 17 insurance companies are taking part in the scheme. If necessary, they can pass on any flood risk to Flood Re, which has been funded by the insurance industry as a whole. Its costs will be covered by an industry levy of \u00c2\u00a3180m a year. Most insurance companies are expected to pass on that cost to their customers, raising average bills by around 2%. But Brendan McCafferty, chief executive of Flood Re, said flood-risk consumers should benefit from greater choice and more competition. \"This should make flood cover more affordable and accessible to those in high flood risk areas over time,\" he said. However, consumers will not need to contact Flood Re directly, as this will be done by existing insurance companies. Shira Kimmerling, whose home in Hebden Bridge was flooded on Boxing Day 2015, was previously unable to afford insurance. But she told the BBC that, under the Flood Re scheme, she would now be able to pay for cover. \"I think it's wonderful news,\" she told the Today programme on Radio 4. \"But after all, it's not a very sustainable and cost-effective plan in the long term. We need to invest in flood resilience.\" Those who have already taken out household policies are being advised by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to talk to their providers. If they want to switch to a cheaper policy, they should ask if it is possible to avoid cancellation charges. But the ABI also said there was no rush to change policies immediately. One", "summary": "Homeowners living in high flood-risk areas of the UK should now be able to save hundreds of pounds on their insurance premiums."}
{"article": "And with economic wobbles around the world - like here in China - George Osborne dramatically warned today that he might have to make further spending cuts when he stands at the despatch box on 16 March. It's just been confirmed that the size of the British economy is smaller than had been thought, and Britain is - however mildly - very likely to be affected by the slowdown in other countries. The chancellor wants to keep to his self-imposed rule of getting the books into surplus by the end of the Parliament. He could relax that rule and slow down the pace of the cuts but that's not what appears to be on his agenda. Instead, it seems he'd rather find the money somewhere. He wouldn't say where he'd look for cuts, but you can assume departments ministers have already pledged to protect will be safe from further austerity. That of course means potentially tighter squeezes elsewhere. Mr Osborne ruled out significant tax rises and don't anticipate that he is looking to make dramatic increases to the level of cuts. He said his first target will be further efficiencies in Whitehall. But there is no sign whatsoever that the chancellor and this government will be able to leave behind the spending squeeze that defined so much of their early years in charge.", "summary": "If coping with internal struggles over the European Union wasn't enough, the government has a Budget to contend with within the next three weeks."}
{"article": "The historic vote on the first day of this year's gathering in Edinburgh draws a line under a row which has split the Kirk for nine years. Commissioners voted by 339 votes to 215 in favour of the move. The decision means that same sex civil marriage will be permitted for ministers. However, they will not themselves be allowed to conduct gay weddings within the church. Last year, the assembly agreed that ministers could enter into civil partnerships. The Very Rev John Chalmers, principal clerk to the General Assembly, said: \"We had a debate which made very clear that we were not interfering with our theological definition of marriage and were not going to the place where ministers or deacons could themselves be conducting same-sex marriages. \"It is an entirely different discussion. \"Today's decision means it will be possible for Kirk sessions and congregations to depart from the traditional understanding of marriage to call not only potentially a minister in a civil partnership but one who is in a same-sex marriage. \"In some ways we crossed the Rubicon last year when it was agreed that Kirk sessions could call someone in a civil partnership and for many people what today was about was simply tidying up and making the law of the church consistent with Scots law.\" He added: \"Today I think people came to this decision with their minds on law and practice and not on theology and future practice.\" Colin Macfarlane, director of charity Stonewall Scotland, said: \"Today's result is great news for the Kirk and a progressive move forward. \"Empowering ministers to live their lives with honesty and integrity sends a powerful signal to faith communities and society as a whole.\" Rev David Robertson, Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, said it was \"saddened\" by the decision. The decision means the Kirk adopts a position which maintains a traditional view of marriage between a man and woman, but allows individual congregations to \"opt out\" if they wish to appoint a minister or a deacon in a same-sex marriage or a civil partnership. Any wider consideration of the theological understanding of same-sex marriage will not take place until the Theological Forum presents its report to the Kirk next year. These latest changes will differentiate the church from the Church of England, which bans clergy from being married to partners of the same sex and does not allow gay church weddings. Other topics to be discussed at the six-day assembly include the European Union referendum, corporal punishment of children, climate change and the refugee crisis. Members will also discuss exploring ways of promoting the Church through the internet and social media, including a proposal to develop online congregations. The assembly will also consider changing the date of the gathering to June to allow more young people to attend without disrupting their exams. On Wednesday the Archbishop of Canterbury will become the first head of the Church of England to take part in a debate at the general assembly. The Most Reverend Justin Welby will speak to a landmark report, which", "summary": "The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has voted to allow ministers to continue to serve if they are in a gay marriage."}
{"article": "Irish, currently bottom of the table, trail the Falcons by four points. With four points for a win, plus potential bonus points for tries and losing margins, the Falcons could form a points buffer with two games to play. \"We want to play in these games because it's exciting and it brings out the best in people,\" Wilson told BBC Sport. \"We're professional rugby players and we get paid to perform in these high pressure environments. Nobody wants to play in dead rubbers, just turning up and playing.\" Newcastle are expecting a large crowd at Kingston Park, with 5,000 tickets sold by the beginning of the week. The importance of retaining top-flight rugby in the north east is not lost on the squad, who have had almost two weeks to contemplate the match during the European break. \"It's been bigged up to be a big game and rightly so,\" Wilson added. \"With the gap at the bottom it is a big game and no getting away, but these are the games we want to play in.\" While the precarious position of both sides has helped sell tickets, the Falcons can feel disappointed to still be in the battle against drop after their mid-season revival. Six straight home wins after the turn of the year, four of them in the league, lifted Dean Richards' side up the table. But narrow defeats since then by Worcester, Bath and Wasps have placed jeopardy on their place in the elite. \"There's a sense of frustration that we're in the position we are,\" Wilson added. \"I think if you look back six or seven weeks, we were on the back of six wins on the bounce at home where we beat Bath, Quins, Leicester and Northampton - we didn't think we'd be in this situation. \"It shows how competitive the Premiership is, and you can't take any team lightly but we know we can compete with the best teams. \"It's a case of knowing we've got to perform. It's not rocket science, just doing the simple things really.\"", "summary": "Newcastle Falcons are relishing the importance of Sunday's bottom-two Premiership showdown with London Irish, says back row Mark Wilson."}
{"article": "The club said revenue fell year-on-year by more than 30% to \u00a331.3m for the six months to the end of December. Pre-tax profits also fell substantially, from \u00a321.3m to \u00a36.6m. Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League in August after losing to Slovenian side Maribor. They are currently playing in the UEFA Europa League. The club also cited lower gains from the sale of players as a reason for the poorer trading performance. Revenues from multimedia and other commercial activities fell from \u00a319.5m to less than \u00a38m, while merchandising revenues also dropped. In a statement, chairman Ian Bankier said: \"As in previous years, the second half is expected to be more challenging in terms of financial performance with fewer home matches scheduled and no certainty on any further gains on the disposal of player registrations. \"Our strategy remains to live within our means. \"The football environment in Scotland continues to be challenging and we must operate within it in a fashion that does not unduly risk the long term future of this great club. \"Our key focus for the remainder of the year will be to build on the progress we have made in the first half of the season and to deliver silverware from competing in the three domestic competitions and remain competitive in the UEFA Europa League.\"", "summary": "Celtic have attributed a sharp fall in revenue and profits to their early exit from the UEFA Champions League."}
{"article": "The Briton has struggled with injury over the past 18 months and missed the 2015 Doha World Championships. He returned to form by setting the world's best time this year - 10.68 seconds - in July, but says Jarryd Wallace is the leading contender. \"In my eyes he's the one to beat,\" Peacock, 23, told BBC Sport. \"I went into London 2012 as clear fastest; it's a very a different pressure this time, but I'm more relaxed.\" The final of the Games' blue riband event is held on Friday night (23:59) and is stacked with talented sprinters despite the loss of USA's multiple world champion Richard Browne to injury, and the absence of Oscar Pistorius, who is serving six years in jail for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Aside from American Wallace, who has run 10.71, German Felix Streng (10.89) and Amu Fourie of South Africa (11.00) have also performed well this season. Brazil's Paralympic pin-up Alan Fonteles Oliveira is also being backed by some to recapture the form which saw him become a triple world champion in 2013. Media playback is not supported on this device \"The sport has moved on hugely in the last four years, it's evolving and people seem to be getting faster,\" said Peacock. \"There were two people sub-11 seconds in 2012 and now there's at least six the last year so it'll definitely be a different experience to London.\" Peacock's injury struggles were caused by problems with the connection between the stump in his amputated right leg and the carbon fibre blade. After taking time out to heal, and adapt his running technique, the sprinter says he is ready to produce his best form. \"I took so much confidence and experience from 2012 which was so special, but I then had some losses in 2014 and missing the Worlds in 2015 was really difficult. \"But that taught me quite a lot about myself and I know how to deal with the pressure now.\" ParalympicsGB have been set a target of 121 medals, one more than they secured at London 2012. Peacock believes the squad can take confidence from the achievements of Team GB, who won two more Olympic medals in Rio than at London 2012. \"GB winning so many Olympic medals was great and watching someone like [cyclist] Jason Kenny really stuck with me,\" he said. \"It made me really remember the importance of the confidence factor; knowing what you're capable of and knowing you can win which is something we'll all draw on.\" Peacock also feels that, despite a slow start to ticket sales and concerns about budget cuts by the organising committee, the event will be a success. \"Come the day the Games open, people will be really surprised,\" he said. \"When they see the performances of British athletes, going out getting gold medals it will all be forgotten about. \"The Paralympics nailed it for Britain in 2012 and what I want now is for 2016 to nail the Americas. \"I want the people of South America to see what Paralympic sport is about -", "summary": "London Paralympic champion Jonnie Peacock insists he is not the favourite for the T44 100m crown in Rio, despite being ranked world number one."}
{"article": "Jamaica's Bolt, an eight-time Olympic gold medallist, will be the star attraction at the first Nitro Athletics event in Melbourne on Saturday. It includes both traditional and new events, such as the elimination mile. \"This will be track and field as it's never been seen before,\" said Bolt. The 30-year-old learned last week he would have to hand back one of his nine Olympic gold medals after Jamaican team-mate Nesta Carter tested positive for a banned substance. Bolt said at the time: \"I'm not happy, but it's just one of those things that happen in life.\" He is now preparing to captain the All-Stars in an event he says will bring \"something different\" to world athletics. Lord Coe, head of athletics' governing body, said: \"Athletics, in its traditional form, remains the cornerstone of the Olympic Games. \"However, we need innovation and more opportunities for our athletes to interact with fans and show their personalities.\" Athletics Australia president Mark Arbib says it is \"the sports entertainment product track and field needs to move athletics beyond the existing format of one-day athletics meets\". Find out how to get into athletics with our inclusive guide. He believes it will be a \"game-changer\", an event showcasing a mix of power, endurance, technique and teamwork disciplines across sprints, distance, field and Para-athletics events. Cue mixed events, medley relays and target javelin, with countdown clocks, athletes wearing microphones and fluorescent blocks and batons. Points are awarded for each of the 12 events, as the six teams compete over three one-day meetings at Melbourne's Lakeside Stadium. Four-time Olympic 400m medallist Christine Ohuruogu will lead the England team against Bolt's All-Stars, Australia, New Zealand, China and Japan. \"I really do think Nitro is going to be a huge success and I think everybody around the world is watching to see how it goes,\" said the 32-year-old two-time world champion. Middle-distance runner Michael Rimmer and sprinter Bianca Williams are among those competing alongside Ohuruogu, while Bolt's team will include his Jamaican relay team-mates Asafa Powell and Michael Frater. \"It is going to be great, going to be something different. Like cricket and Twenty20,\" added Bolt, who confirmed he has no plans to extend his career beyond this year's World Championships in London \"I feel it will catch on. It's going to bring a lot of excitement to the sport.\"", "summary": "England will provide one of five teams competing against Usain Bolt's All-Stars in a new athletics event IAAF president Lord Coe says will \"revolutionise\" the sport."}
{"article": "Police Scotland said the drugs were seized in Church Place on Monday. The men, aged 25 and 28, and the woman, 39, were arrested and charged. They have since appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court. Detectives urged anyone with information about the sale and supply of illegal substances to contact them.", "summary": "Two men and a woman have appeared in court after heroin with an estimated value of about \u00a3250,000 was recovered in Falkirk."}
{"article": "People visit the temple throughout the day to pray to the kuman for good fortune, lighting incense sticks and kneeling before the garishly-coloured figures. Some buy lottery tickets, and run their hands along the trunk of a fallen ironwood tree, festooned with coloured scarves and smoothed by years of handling. They believe they can see the winning number in the faded grain of the wood. Thais, like many people in South East Asia, are superstitious. But the monks at the temple have found their doll collection growing recently, as people have quietly left behind child-sized figures, known as luk thep, or 'child angels'. The monks have moved them to a small room in a tower, where, like the kuman, they are served the red fizzy drinks they are believed to prefer. \"Each person has their own beliefs\", one of the monks, Phra Prasit Warayan told me, \"but the belief in the power of luk thep is very strong. When things go well for the owner, they worship them, but when things turn bad, they abandon them. Because they are afraid of what might happen, they leave them here, because they know we accept them, and the abbot is always careful to put them in an appropriate place.\" The dolls look incongruous in the temple, in their formal children's clothing and with their wide-eyed, Western features. But how did the luk thep craze start? And is it just a continuation of the kuman belief, that inanimate objects can be inhabited by a ghost, or spirit? I hoped to find that answer at a dazzling pink house in a gated community in another suburb. A chubby, blond doll's head sits on a shrine, next to offerings of food and water. Various other limbs lay drying outside after being given a special cream massage. In one room, two young women sat surrounded by different parts of doll's anatomies, carefully applying nail varnish, nose studs and weaving real human hair into soft, plastic scalps. The dolls are often given yantra - Buddhist tattoos - and are filled with rice, a symbol of prosperity. In the next room Mananya Boonmi lovingly brushes the hair of her favourite doll, Pet. She has collected these dolls for fourteen years, but she did not always see them as she does now, as living beings, who will reward their owners with good fortune - as long as they are looked after as if they are a human child. She believes she was one of the earliest believers in luk thep. She says she was selling small souvenirs around four years ago, when she had the feeling that one of her dolls, Ploy, was trying to help. She began to treat the doll like a real child, and her business took off. She says she was also able to overcome difficulties she was having raising her son. \"We can rely on luk thep mentally\", she says. \"They make us happy, as if they are alive, and we can carry them around with us. I love dressing them up, and talking to them.", "summary": "Situated in the nondescript outer western suburbs of Bangkok, Sawang Arom temple is already well known for its collection of kuman - plastic child-dolls in historic costumes, usually clutching a bag of gold, and believed to be inhabited by the ghost of an unborn foetus."}
{"article": "About 12 students stormed the offices of LSE director, Sir Howard Davies Students and 150 held a rally outside. The LSE says it is reconsidering links with Libya \"as a matter of urgency\". But the students demanded the university paid back the \u00a3300,000 it had accepted of a \u00a31.5m grant from a charity wing of the regime. The grant was pledged in 2009 by the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation. The funds have so far been used to develop a research programme on North Africa, focused on politics, economics and society. The student demonstrators called on the LSE management to \"repay\" the \u00a3300,000 already spent by creating a scholarship fund for underprivileged Libyan students. The students also urged the university to revoke the LSE alumni status of Libyan leader Col Gaddafi's second son Saif al-Islam, who studied at the university from 2003 to 2008, gaining both a Master of Science degree and a doctorate. They called for a public commitment that no grants from officials \"of such oppressive regimes\" would be accepted in the future, as well as a public statement denouncing the recent \"gross violations of human rights\" by the Gaddafi regime. One of the protesters, Ashok Kumar, who is also education officer for the LSE students' union, said: \"I think it's reprehensible that the university continues to benefit from money that was stolen from the Libyan people and it's only right to return it to the people who are now being murdered in the streets fighting for their freedom.\" The money should be returned either as scholarships to underprivileged students, or \"to the families of those who have been murdered and who continue to be murdered\", he said. In a statement, the university said the LSE Director \"noted the message\" from the students. \"He shares the students' revulsion at the recent violence and gross violations of human rights in Libya, and much regrets the association of the School's name with Saif Gaddafi and the actions of the Libyan regime. \"The School's statement of 21 February made clear that School engagement with the present Libyan authorities, covering a number of programmes, has already finished or has been stopped following the events of the weekend of 19-20 February.\" The university said no more of the \u00a31.5m donation from the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation would be accepted. It said about half of the \u00a3300,000 already accepted had been spent and its council would now consider what to do with the remaining funds, taking into account the views of LSE students. The LSE's review of its links with Libya follows a speech made by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi on Sunday, in which he said the regime in Libya would stand firm. He warned of civil war, talked of \"rivers of blood\" and rejected foreign intervention. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi wrote his doctoral dissertation on the role of civil society in the democratisation of global governance institutions.", "summary": "Students at the London School of Economics have staged a protest against the university's association with the regime in Libya."}
{"article": "Children were given a probiotic, with a peanut protein, daily for 18 months. When tested one month later, 80% could tolerate peanuts without any allergic symptoms and after four years, 70% of them were still able to eat peanuts without suffering any side-effects. Food allergies have risen dramatically in recent decades, with peanut allergy one of the most deadly. Lead researcher Prof Mimi Tang, of Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne, said half the children were consuming peanuts regularly while others were only eating them infrequently. \"The importance of this finding is that these children were able to eat peanuts like children who don't have peanut allergy and still maintain their tolerant state, protected against reactions to peanuts,\" she said. Prof Tang said it was the first time a treatment for peanut allergy had been shown to be effective for this long. The probiotic used is called Lactobacillus rhamnosus, which has been associated with preventing certain allergic symptoms. The Australian research team now wants to assess whether the treatment has improved the children's quality of life, as some 250 million people worldwide are affected by food allergy - a number which has more than trebled in the last 20 years. Peanut allergy, which is one of the most common causes of death from food allergy, has increased at the greatest rate. Prof Tang said the findings, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, suggest \"the exciting possibility that tolerance is a realistic target for treating food allergy\". She added: \"This is a major step forward in identifying an effective treatment to address the food allergy problem in Western societies.\"", "summary": "An oral treatment for peanut allergy is still effective four years after it was administered, a study has found."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old junior doctor's car was found on Friday 12 February at Ansteys Cove near Torquay, the town where she worked. A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said there was \"no structured search going on\". However, they said police would continue to perform \"intermittent shore line searches\". The BBC understands that a note was found in Dr Polge's car. It is believed its contents were mainly related to personal issues, but there was a passing reference to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. On Thursday, Mr Hunt confirmed the government would impose a new contract on junior doctors in England. It is understood Dr Polge had been an active campaigner against plans to change working hours and conditions for junior doctors, and in January posted a new Facebook profile picture, featuring the hashtag #NotFairNotSafe. Police said her disappearance was \"totally out of character\" and concerns for her welfare were rising. Friday 12 February - Rose Polge's car is found in a car park near Ansteys Cove in Torbay Saturday 13 February - The family and boyfriend of Dr Polge join more than 100 people searching the area around Ansteys Cove Sunday 14 February - Torbay Hospital confirmed that Rose Polge works there as a junior doctor. \"We will do whatever we can to support the authorities,\" a statement said. Monday 15 February - Colin Smith, from Royston Hockey Club where Dr Polge used to play, said: \"We just don't know what we can do.\" Tuesday 16 February - Dr Polge's family release a statement saying they are \"overwhelmed\" by the support from her friends and colleagues More than 100 people have been involved in the search operation, including Dr Polge's boyfriend and her family. A district councillor for the village of Melbourn, Cambridgeshire, where Dr Polge's parents live, said he had no doubt the community would \"rally round\". Councillor Jose Hales said: \"My heart goes out to the family at this terrible time. The pain and worry they must be feeling is unimaginable.\" Police are appealing for the public to contact them with any information or sightings of Dr Polge.", "summary": "The search for missing junior doctor Rose Polge has been scaled back, almost a week after she disappeared."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Defending champion McIlroy posted a one-over-par 73 to end on one over, five shots short of the cut mark. Rank outsiders Im and Hebert both shot rounds of 67 to lie 13 under and retain the one-shot lead they held over the chasing pack after the first round. Spaniard Jon Rahm is one behind on 12 under after also firing a 67. Frenchman Hebert and American Im were among the early starters on Friday and registered seven birdies and six birdies respectively in their five-under-par rounds in testing wet and windy conditions. New Zealander Ryan Fox and English duo Matthew Southgate and Oliver Fisher are well in contention on 11 under, with American Paul Peterson also challenging strongly on 10 under. McIlroy began the tournament with a disappointing level-par round in benign conditions on Thursday and needed a bright start to Friday's second round to reignite his hopes of making the last two days. A bogey at his first hole of the day, the par-three 10th, saw the world number four immediately drop a shot, before carding three birdies and a second bogey on the remainder of his opening nine. The Northern Irishman picked up a shot at the fourth hole but a bogey at the sixth and a double bogey at the eighth sealed his fate as he was forced to watch playing partners Rahm and Hideki Matsuyama make their mark near the top of the leaderboard. \"I felt like I was battling well, two under through 13, and with another par five coming up, but bogey at the sixth took the wind out of my sails,\" said McIlroy, who showed his frustration by slamming his driver to the ground after a poor drive at the 16th. \"My short game, in general, it's just silly mistakes,\" he said. \"I'm just not being very efficient with my scoring and that's why I'm making it difficult for myself. Just need to tidy up the short game a little bit; I feel like the long game is there.\" The four-time major winner will compete in next week's Scottish Open before heading down to Royal Birkdale for The Open Championship. \"Obviously, I might have a few commitments here this weekend, but I need to practice,\" he said. \"I need to get sharp and get ready for next week and ultimately for The Open in a couple week's time.\" World number two Matsuyama is well placed on nine under, the same score as fellow Japanese player Hideto Tanihara, who recorded the lowest score of the day with a 65. Paul Dunne is best placed of the Irish contingent on eight under, along with others, including Jamie Donaldson and Soren Kjeldsen, two of 11 former Irish Open winners in the field. Major champions Padraig Harrington and Justin Rose, plus last week's French Open winner Tommy Fleetwood, are among a group still well on touch on seven under. Among those to miss the cut was local hero Graeme McDowell, who slumped to a six at the 18th, a double bogey", "summary": "Rory McIlroy missed the cut at the Irish Open for the fourth time in five years as Daniel Im and Benjamin Hebert led after day two at Portstewart."}
{"article": "From the birth of package holidays to Walkers crisps and even the discovery of a celebrated king - there's more to the city of Leicester than just a Champions League football team. Here are nine colourful facts about the East Midlands city: In 2013 the skeleton of English king Richard III was found beneath a Leicester car park. King Richard was killed in battle at Bosworth in 1485 after only two years on the throne. Experts from the University of Leicester said DNA from the bones matched that of descendants of the monarch's family. In March 2015 a service to mark the king's reburial took place at Leicester Cathedral. Henry Walker first started making his potato-based snacks in Leicester in 1948. To mark Leicester City winning the Premier League, Walkers now plans to produce limited bags of salt and vinegar crisps called \"salt and victory\". Celebrated former Leicester and England footballer Gary Lineker has long been associated with the brand, appearing in adverts for the crisps. Walkers also started a \"Countdown to Kit Off\" digital striptease, following Lineker's promise to present Match of the Day wearing only his underpants if Leicester City were crowned champions. The countdown saw images of Lineker on Twitter covered in crisp packets, which were gradually removed as the Foxes moved closer to the title. Leicester is home to the Attenborough Arts Centre. The \u00c2\u00a31.5m gallery extension was opened in January by Sir David Attenborough, after it was championed by his late brother, the actor Richard Attenborough. The brothers grew up in Leicester after their father, Fredrick, was appointed Principal of the city's University College. The family lived in College House, which is now part of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Leicester. Sir David told the BBC that growing up in Leicester provided him with a \"rich cultural upbringing\". He said he \"owes a lot to Leicester and the people of Leicester\". In 1984, Sir Alec Jeffreys discovered the technique of genetic fingerprinting in a laboratory in the University of Leicester's department of genetics. He told of his \"eureka moment\" in an interview for the university's website. \"My life changed on Monday morning at 9.05am, 10 September 1984,\" he said. \"What emerged was the world's first genetic fingerprint.\" On 9 June 1841 a 32-year old cabinet maker named Thomas Cook walked from his home in Market Harborough to the nearby town of Leicester where he began his international travel company in 1841. It all began with a one-day rail excursion priced at at a shilling a head from Leicester to Loughborough. Thomas Cook grew from these humble beginnings to become the high street travel agent we know today, arranging journeys around the globe. Leicester is home to one of the largest and oldest outdoor, covered markets of its kind anywhere in Europe. Stalls offer fresh fruit and vegetables, seafood, meat, cheese and hardware. More than 270 stalls are available every day, between 07:00 and and 18:00 BST. Gary Lineker's father, Barry, also worked as a fruit and vegetable trader at Leicester Market. Leicester hosts what", "summary": "Leicester City may have won the Premier League title in one of the greatest sporting achievements of all time, but how well do you know the home of the Foxes?"}
{"article": "His firm, Cameron Pace Group and its Chinese partners will develop advanced equipment for 3D filming. The move comes amid a boom in China's movie industry and a growing demand for 3D films in the country. Various Hollywood filmmakers have been trying to tap into the Chinese market. \"The future of entertainment is 3D and we believe that the future of 3D is right here in China,\" Mr Cameron was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. Earlier this year, Chinese authorities had announced that they will allow an additional 14 foreign films to be shown in the country, if the movies are made in 3D or for the big-screen Imax format. China's movie industry has seen robust growth in the past few years. Ticket sales in the world's second-largest economy surged 29% to 13.1bn yuan ($2.1bn; \u00c2\u00a31.3bn) in 2011. They are forecast to rise further, by around 20% in the current year. The growth in its market has seen various Hollywood filmmakers and studios announcing joint ventures with Chinese firms. Earlier this week, Dreamworks Animation announced plans to co-produce the next Kung Fu Panda movie with its Chinese partners. The firm said it was also planning to open an entertainment district in the country. In April, Walt Disney Company, the world's largest entertainment firm, said that it plans to co-produce Iron Man 3 with Beijing-based DMG Entertainment. Mr Cameron said that the robust growth in the country's market made it attractive destination. \"This is the best place for us to create a kind of a second home,\" he said.", "summary": "James Cameron, the creator of the blockbuster film Avatar, has announced a joint venture with two Chinese firms in a bid to capture the country's fast-growing movie market."}
{"article": "A French court gave the men suspended sentences of three to four months for organised violence, while two others were found not guilty. Another 11 were handed \u00e2\u201a\u00ac500 (\u00c2\u00a3425; $530) fines for property damage. The October 2015 protest made headlines across the world after the executives were filmed climbing a fence to escape. A hundred people protesting against restructuring plans broke down a fence and invaded a boardroom at Air France headquarters in the Parisian suburb of Roissy, next to Charles de Gaulle Airport, forcing the executives to flee. Air France-KLM was considering cutting almost 3,000 jobs and extending pilots' working hours. The proposal has since been dropped. But as the executives fled, the angry mob - who were chanting \"naked, naked\" and \"resignation\" - began to pull the clothes from their backs. They were left with no option but to scramble over the wire fence to safety. Pierre Plissonnier, director of long-haul operations at the airline, told the court of his \"humiliation\" at seeing pictures of himself scrambling over a fence to escape the mob, his shirt and suit jacket hanging in tatters. Human resources director Xavier Broseta had his shirt entirely ripped from his body. Most of the 15 who faced trial - four of whom have been fired - were union members. The violence of the protest shocked France, with Prime Minister Manuel Valls calling for the defendants, whom he branded \"rogues\", to be given stiff sentences. But Lilia Mhissen, lawyer for 11 of the defendants, said the verdict was \"outrageous\" and that she would advise her clients - whom she described as scapegoats - to file an appeal. Only one person walked away from the court in Bobigny, a suburb of Paris, without being convicted of any charge.", "summary": "Three former Air France employees have been found guilty of ripping the shirts from the backs of two executives fleeing a meeting about job cuts."}
{"article": "The New Zealand racer set the fastest time of the week so far on his Superbike 124.888mph before achieving the fastest ever lightweight lap. His 118.812mph lightweight lap on a 250cc Honda was well within his own lap record, set in last year's race. Both Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix riders recorded timed laps in the best conditions of the week so far. There was also a noticeable improvement in times during the Manx Grand Prix qualification, with local riders leading the way. Glenn Harrison posted the quickest lap at 117.55mph, closely followed by Jamie Williams (117.23) both on junior machines. The top 15 riders all posted laps in excess of 115mph, whilst Northern Ireland's Daryl Tweed (112.855) is currently the quickest newcomer. Five riders came off during the session.", "summary": "Bruce Anstey again set the pace in the third qualifying session for the 2017 Festival of Motorcycling on Wednesday."}
{"article": "The Breffni men beat promotion rivals Galway 1-16 to 1-12 to finish runners-up to Division Two winners Tyrone. The lads have taken a bit of criticism in the media because of the lack of senior success after the exploits of our Under-21s,\" said boss Hyland. \"You have to give them time to mature and develop and I believe they are.\" Cavan scored an early goal through Jack Brady in Sunday's match but Patrick Sweeney quickly netted Galway's reply after the ball had come off an upright. With Gearoid McKiernan putting in a superb display, Cavan racked up six unanswered points before the break. Despite having Liam Buchanan sent off, they ran out four-point winners. \"Galway put us under pressure in the second half but our lads responded to it,\" added Hyland. \"It was a winner takes all match and there was a Championship feel about it. \"Roscommon have proved you can go up from Division Two and compete quite well and that is what we want to do.\" Cavan will play Tyrone in the Division Two final at Croke Park on Sunday, 24 April.", "summary": "Cavan manager Terry Hyland declared the best had yet to come as his side celebrated going up to Division One of the Football League."}
{"article": "Whitchurch Silk Mill in Hampshire continues to produce silk using Victorian looms and hydro-powered machinery. The \u00a32m scheme will see the Grade II* listed building preserved and the interior remodelled. The machines will also be repaired and enhanced to allow workers to pass on the skills to trainees. Engineer Laurie Price said: \"Our oldest machines are 1890s and they go all the way up to the 1960s so it shows the development and who was on the mill. \"We really want them to all work, we want them to be set up with different projects and things to put in the shop - making sure it's still a factory so that visitors can come and experience the whole traditional silk mill.\" The mill, built in 1815 on the River Test, opened to the public in 1990. It runs an educational programme and the renovation project will allow pupils from Berkshire and Hampshire greater access to the historic facility. Claire Isbester, chairwoman of the silk mill's trust, said remodelling the interior would allow the building's \"special qualities\" to be appreciated by visitors more easily. The project is being part-funded with \u00a31.7m of Heritage Lottery Funding and a grant of \u00a3100,000 from the Greenham Common Trust.", "summary": "A working silk mill that has been operating for more than two centuries is to be restored and repaired."}
{"article": "Gamers develop their agents over time in the online game, so many feared they had lost weeks of progress. The problem appears to have affected only people using the Xbox One version of the title. The publisher, Ubisoft, said it would soon restore the missing data. \"The issue was caused by a malfunctioning server that couldn't synchronise character data correctly and corrupted them instead,\" Ubisoft told the BBC. \"The game client was unable to read this corrupted data, and simply assumed that the character didn't exist. \"Once this has been identified, we were able to restore the server to its normal functions, thus ensuring that the issue will no longer occur for other players. \"For those who experienced the issue, your character is not gone. \"We are currently working on a fix that should make it available shortly. \"Implementing this fix will require a server downtime, and we will let you know when we are ready to perform it.\" The Division sold more copies in its first day than any other Ubisoft title to date - including Assassin's Creed and Watch Dogs. It went on to spend four weeks at the number one spot in the GfK Entertainment All Formats video game charts, following its release on 8 March. The story takes place in New York after the smallpox virus has been spread via infected banknotes. The player assumes the role of a Division agent - a secretive organisation tasked with bringing order to the chaos that has engulfed Manhattan \"If you've spent 30 or 50 or 100 hours building up your progress, you're going to be quite upset when it magically disappears,\" said Keza MacDonald, editor of the games news site Kotaku UK. \"Similar things have happened before - for instance, when Grand Theft Auto Online was released, for the first several weeks, characters would just disappear. \"People are generally understanding of there being launch issues with online games and there can be an element of forgiveness, but the Division has been out for over a month now and people are going to have expected better.\" The Division had had a relatively smooth start, after experiencing some server issues in its early hours. The 1.1 update was released on Tuesday to make the title \"more satisfying\". Changes included ensuring players would be given a \"high-end\" reward when they killed a challenging computer-controlled enemy. But it soon became apparent there was a problem. \"Wow, I really love this game, but this is too much - I lost my character, and I'm not going to do a new one... bye The Division,\" tweeted Pedro Morales. Another player, nicknamed Freak5how, wrote: \"If they do not get characters restored, I am going back to Destiny\" - a reference to Activision's rival online shooter. One analyst said the fault highlighted the risks of a wider shift to making games dependent on remote computer servers. \"In the past, if you lost your character save and your console wasn't connected to the net, then you didn't really have anyone to blame,\" said Piers Harding-Rolls, from the IHS consultancy.", "summary": "Ubisoft has promised to fix a fault with its blockbuster video game Tom Clancy's The Division that caused hundreds of players' characters to vanish."}
{"article": "As soon as they stepped out of the wreckage, Mr Yu told Mr Deng not to worry, as he would take care of it. \"So I know what kind of person he is. Through those kinds of intimate scenarios we can definitely know each other very well,\" says Mr Deng. Mr Yu is chairman of the New Oriental Group, one of China's biggest educational service businesses, and Mr Deng is chair of Northern Light Venture Capital, a Chinese venture capital firm. Both are members of the exclusive China Entrepreneur Club (CEC), a not-for-profit group of 46 of China's top entrepreneurs and business leaders. Already good friends from their membership of the club, which includes trips to each other's workplaces, nights out and annual trips abroad together, their experience that day was a classic example of having so-called good \"guanxi\". Roughly translated as \"relationships\" or \"connections\", it is a crucial part of life in China. Having good \"guanxi\" - a wide network of mutually beneficial relationships developed outside the formal work setting, for instance at evening meals or over drinks - is often the secret to securing a business deal. Mr Yu, who is on the board of the CEC, says it is because of this that the number of CEC members is limited. The small group size ensures people can really get to know one another, build close connections and ultimately help each other out. \"We have had a lot of occasions for example, when members are in trouble or got into difficulty the entire club is behind a person, or we divert a lot of time to help that particular member through a difficult time,\" says fellow CEC member Charles Chao, the chairman and chief executive of online media firm Sina Corporation. The favours are reciprocal - if a person helps somebody out, he or she will expect to be repaid at some point. To those in the West, where you can secure a deal through formal meetings even if you don't know someone, this \"you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours\" way of doing business can seem improper. Yet views that it is a negative activity, often linked to corruption, are misplaced, says Mr Deng, who emphasises that guanxi is a \"neutral\" word. He points out that the Chinese generally tend to be less private and socialise more with their colleagues than their Western counterparts, and doing deals this way is a natural extension of that. While guanxi is obviously open to abuse, it is only corrupt if the activity performed as part of the relationship is illegal, for example, paying a bribe. Leadership expert Steve Tappin says it's simply part of the \"social fabric\" in China. \"It's very difficult to get things done without it,\" he adds. In fact most business leaders say it's downright impossible. \"Right now in China, no matter how strong or how smart an entrepreneur is, as long as he does not belong to the business community, does not have a lot of friends who may help him, he's not gonna win for long,\"", "summary": "When Chinese entrepreneurs Deng Feng and Michael Yu took a BMW out for a test drive together, they managed to get into an accident and completely destroy the car."}
{"article": "Mr O'Malley, who is also a former mayor of Baltimore, joins Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in the primary race ahead of the 2016 US election. \"I'm running for you,\" Mr O'Malley told a crowd of around 1,000 people in Baltimore on Saturday. He also pointed to his work as governor on issues such as gay marriage, immigration and income inequality. \"My decision is made. Now you will all have a vital choice to make next year, for the good of your families, and for the good of the country you love and carry in your hearts,\" he added. The Democratic National Committee said it welcomed a candidate who had shown \"solid commitment\" to social justice. Mr O'Malley, who endorsed Hillary Clinton's unsuccessful run for the Democratic nomination in the 2008 election, said that his party deserved a wide choice of candidates. \"The presidency is not a crown to be passed back and forth between two royal families,'' he said, referring to Republican and Democratic nominees Jeb Bush and Ms Clinton. He said that he was joining the race for nomination because there was \"urgent work\" needed \"to rebuild the truth of the American dream for all Americans.\" US 2016: Meet the possible candidates A few demonstrators gathered near his speech to protest against Mr O'Malley's criminal justice policies as Baltimore mayor. \"He's claiming to be this saviour of Baltimore, but he's not,\" protestor Duane Davis told The Associated Press. Mr O'Malley has defended his previous \"zero-tolerance\" policies, saying that they helped tackle violent crime. Critics have said that they contributed to the distrust between the police and the local black community. Riots erupted in the city in April after the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody.", "summary": "Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has announced his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination."}
{"article": "Produced by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the guidelines recommend women seek advice well before pregnancy on their care. Managing seizure control, tiredness and risks linked to some epilepsy medicines can make pregnancy a difficult time. Epilepsy Action said the guidance would help women make informed decisions. Around 2,500 infants are estimated to be born to women with epilepsy every year in the UK. But there are risks to the health of unborn babies from taking some anti-epileptic drugs during pregnancy, particularly sodium valproate. Some women stop taking their medication or cut down, which can make seizures worse and increase the risk of harm to mother and baby. However, the guidance says \"most mothers have normal healthy babies\", but women with epilepsy should be informed that the risk to the foetus is dependent on the type, number and doses of drug they take. These RCOG guidelines, for GPs, midwives, consultants and women with the condition, say women should: It's a condition that affects the brain, leading to epileptic seizures. A seizure happens when there is a sudden burst of intense electrical activity in the brain. This causes a temporary disruption to the way the brain normally works. There are many different types of seizure. During the more serious ones, the person can lose awareness, go stiff, fall to the floor and the body can jerk. Some types of epilepsy last for a limited time and the person eventually stops having seizures. But for many people epilepsy is a life-long condition. Shakila Thangaratinam, lead author of the guidelines and professor of maternal and perinatal health at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, said the right care before, during and after pregnancy was important. \"Women with epilepsy require multi-disciplinary care throughout their pregnancy, and healthcare professionals need to be aware of the small but significant increase in risks. \"While most women who have epilepsy remain free of seizures throughout their pregnancy, some may have more seizures if they are pregnant. \"It is important that these women receive pre-conception counselling, meet with an epilepsy specialist, and are monitored closely for seizure risk factors.\" Simon Wigglesworth, deputy chief executive at Epilepsy Action, said he was delighted to see the guidance published. \"This ensures that they are able to make informed decisions about all aspects of their health and wellbeing, as well as that of their baby.\" Louise Silverton, director for midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives, also welcomed the guidance. \"It is vital we remember that women with epilepsy are classified as high risk during their pregnancy, often they require more monitoring and specialist care during the course of their pregnancy. However, the majority of women with epilepsy will give birth safely.\" Experts say the risk of death is 10 times greater in pregnant women with epilepsy compared with those without the condition. Between 2009 and 2013, 21 women died during pregnancy as a result of epilepsy - and in most of those cases their seizures were found to be poorly controlled.", "summary": "Pregnant women with epilepsy should be treated by a specialist healthcare team to prevent unnecessary deaths, according to new national guidelines."}
{"article": "A 16-year-old was shot in both legs on 18 December and was taken to hospital. It happened in Aitnamona Crescent at 20:50 GMT. Police have said the man is in police custody and continue to appeal for information from anyone who knows anything about the attack.", "summary": "A 42-year-old has been arrested over a paramilitary-style attack in west Belfast."}
{"article": "Keogh, 30, has been skipper of the Championship club since joining in 2012, apart from during Paul Clement's eight months in charge from June 2015. The Republic of Ireland international, who scored in the abandoned EFL Cup tie at Grimsby on Tuesday, told BBC Radio Derby being reappointed was \"amazing\". \"Since I came through this door, it's been a great journey,\" he added. \"This club gave me the platform to captain my country and I will be forever grateful. \"My son was born in Derby as well so I will always have great affection for this club. It will always be in my heart. \"I have loved every second of it. It's six seasons and it has gone in a flash. You can see how much it means to me when I step on to the field. Hopefully we can make some great memories this season.\"", "summary": "Richard Keogh says Derby County will \"always be in his heart\" after being named as captain by boss Gary Rowett."}
{"article": "Claire Throssell's ex-husband Darren Sykes lured Paul, nine and Jack, 12, to the property in Penistone on 22 October before setting fire to the building. A charity appeal in aid of Ms Throssell has been set up with the aim of raising enough money to help her restore the property and sell it. Campaigners have so far raised around \u00c2\u00a38,000 of a \u00c2\u00a350,000 target. Ms Throssell said: \"It's just amazing, the people are just awesome and I just can't believe that so many people are carrying that love for my boys. \"It's keeping their memory alive. They were the best part of me, they were my life and it's lovely that people love them for who they were.\"", "summary": "Rebuilding work has begun at a house in South Yorkshire where a man killed himself and his two sons in a fire."}
{"article": "The visitors went behind early when goalkeeper Tom King fumbled Andy Haworth's corner and presented Jason Walker with a close-range gift. Andy Cook doubled the advantage with his 20th goal of the season as he latched on to Jordan Williams' assist. Barrow have now gone nine games unbeaten while defeat leaves Braintree are one point off the top five.", "summary": "Barrow registered a fourth successive win as they dented Braintree's National League play-off hopes."}
{"article": "Slogans were painted on the monument at White Brae, Ligoniel, on the outskirts of north Belfast and two wreaths were removed. The monument is a tribute to teenage brothers John and Joseph McCaig, and their colleague Dougald McCaughey, 23. The off-duty fusiliers were shot dead at the site by the IRA in March 1971. James Wright, chairman of Oldpark and Cavehill branch of the Royal British Legion, said: \"Just like the cowards who in the dead of night murdered John, Joe and Dougald, these lowlife cowards cannot show their faces, they have to carry out their attacks under the cover of darkness. \"As a branch we will not be deterred in ensuring that the murder of these young soldiers who were off-duty and out socialising in Belfast will never be forgotten.\" Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in councillor for north Belfast, Gerry McCabe, also condemned the latest incident. \"The ongoing attacks on this memorial must stop. They have gone on too long,\" he said. \"The actions of those involved in this are not representative of the people of this community and whoever is behind this should question what they are achieving.\"", "summary": "A memorial to three Scottish soldiers who were murdered by the IRA has been attacked for a 19th time, the Royal British Legion has said."}
{"article": "Fitzgerald was last season's player of the year as Tigers made the Premiership and Champions Cup semi-finals. \"It's been a great experience playing in the Premiership and in Europe for Leicester,\" said the 29-year-old. Fellow forward Bateman, 27, flanker O'Connor, 27, and scrum-half Kitto, 24, have also agreed new deals, the lengths of which have not been disclosed. Fitzgerald joined Tigers in the summer of 2015 and has made 44 appearances playing at lock and flanker, scoring four tries. Tigers head coach Aaron Mauger said: \"Mike is a very good man to have around the squad. He has a great work ethic in training and on the pitch. \"With the experience he has gained in the last 18 months in English rugby, we believe he will get even better in this environment.\" Bateman also arrived that summer, from Exeter Chiefs, and has played 29 times for Leicester. He achieved the notable feat of playing in all three front-row positions this season. O'Connor signed in the autumn of 2015, scoring a try on his debut in a European Champions Cup win over Stade Francais, and has made 29 appearances for the club. Kitto, meanwhile, moved to Welford Road in the summer of 2015 and has played 24 times for Tigers.", "summary": "Leicester Tigers have given new deals to Mike Fitzgerald, Greg Bateman, Brendon O'Connor and Jono Kitto."}
{"article": "They play Venezuela in South Korea on Sunday (11:00 BST), with previous U20 sides having failed to win a single game at the tournament in the past two decades. England have bettered their previous best performance of finishing third in 1993. Of that squad, only four players went on to represent England at senior level. But many had successful top-flight careers, including a Premier League and Champions League winner. Is this 2017 side a potential 'golden generation'? Will they get their break in the Premier League? Are they the future England squad for the 2022 World Cup? \"There has been a determination about the players from the first day I met up with them,\" said manager Paul Simpson, speaking to BBC Sport from the team hotel in South Korea before the semi-final. \"It means everything to this group, not only to put the Three Lions shirt on but to bring success ... they all know what it means to the group, the families and people back home.\" Simpson added: \"We are changing everyone's perception of English football.\" Under-21 boss Aidy Boothroyd - who worked with many of the current squad at Under-19 level - added: \"They are resilient, they don't know when they are beaten, they are a group that can score goals in a variety of ways. \"They are quick on the counter-attack and technically gifted to build a goal, good in both boxes, have a terrific goalkeeper and a good team behind them on the staff. Paul Simpson understands and knows the game and is getting the best out of the players.\" Goalkeepers: Freddie Woodman (Newcastle), Dean Henderson (Manchester United), Luke Southwood (Reading) Defenders: Dael Fry (Middlesbrough), Jonjoe Kenny (Everton), Fikayo Tomori (Chelsea), Kyle Walker-Peters (Tottenham), Callum Connolly (Everton), Jake Clarke-Salter (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa Ngoyo (Charlton) Midfielders: Lewis Cook (Bournemouth), Kieran Dowell (Everton), Josh Onomah (Tottenham), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Ovie Ejaria (Liverpool), Sheyi Ojo (Liverpool) Forwards: Adam Armstrong (Newcastle), Ademola Lookman (Everton), Harrison Chapman (Middlesbrough), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Dominic Solanke (Chelsea, joining Liverpool on 1 July) Recent call-ups also include Tammy Abraham and Izzy Brown, who have moved on to the U21s, and Celtic's treble-winning winger Patrick Roberts, who is injured. Manchester United's Axel Tuanzebe and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson are other recent U20 players who have made Premier League appearances. Of the 21-man squad, 16 played senior league football this season, half of them on loan, while striker Adam Armstrong played for both loan club Barnsley and parent club Newcastle. Everton forward Ademola Lookman also represented two sides this season, having joined the Toffees from Charlton for \u00a311m in January. The current side have made a total of 72 Premier League appearances to date, Armstrong leading the way with 15, having made his top-flight debut as a late substitute in Newcastle's 1-0 defeat by Fulham on 15 March 2014. Everton's Kieran Dowell and Liverpool's Sheyi Ojo made no senior league appearances this season but both represented their teams in the 2015-16 Premier League campaign. Dowell made his debut in a final-day win over Norwich, while Ojo played eight times after being", "summary": "England have reached the final of the Under-20 World Cup for the first time by beating Italy 3-1 in the semi-finals."}
{"article": "The 18-year-old took four wickets on the third morning as Middlesex collapsed from 249-5 to 293 all out, to trail by 122 runs on first innings. Toby Roland-Jones then struck three times, dismissing both Zafar Ansari and Aaron Finch for ducks, to help drag the hosts back into the match. But Curran's career-best 71 not out saw Surrey to a lead of 356, on 234-6. During a chaotic morning, Curran started the rot by bowling James Franklin in the third over as Middlesex lost their final five wickets for just 44 runs. Surrey reached 47 without loss with relative ease but, when Roland-Jones bowled Rory Burns (39), the visitors lost their next three wickets without adding a run. James Harris had fellow Middlesex opener Dominic Sibley caught behind off the next over before Roland-Jones returned to trap Ansari and Finch lbw, leaving the visitors 47-4. After Jason Roy made an attacking 37, spinner Ollie Rayner bowled the England limited-over batsman, then removed Steven Davies (20) to swing the match in the host's favour. But an unbroken 126-run seventh-wicket stand between Curran and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes (50 not out) left Surrey firmly in control. Middlesex head coach Richard Scott said: \"It sort of ebbed and flowed today. We didn't create the partnerships that we needed at the end of our innings. \"But, then we bowled really well in that middle session and took quick wickets. At one stage, we looked like we might bowl them out and set up a chase. \"But, Curran and Foakes batted really well and frustrated us and it clearly shows on this pitch when you get a partnership going, it's hard to get people out. Surrey batsman Ben Foakes told BBC Radio London: \"It's a very good day for us. There was a stage in the middle where it didn't quite go to plan, but Sam (Curran) batted really well and I stuck with him. \"I think we're in a good position in the game and hopefully we can drive it home tomorrow. \"Sam bowled really beautifully at the start of the day and to take four quick wickets on this wicket is I think really difficult. \"To be able to blast them out was perfect for us and allows us to boss the game.\"", "summary": "Sam Curran starred with bat and ball to help put Surrey in a commanding position against Middlesex at Lord's."}
{"article": "The Welsh government brought in new regulations to prevent fraudsters abusing the system in 2013. Councils were told not to just rely on evidence from GPs and there are now concerns that people with genuine disabilities are being refused a badge. BBC Wales has found that in some areas the number of rejections has more than tripled inside three years. The Welsh government is looking into complaints from disabled drivers amid fears many elderly or deserving people could be missing out. Blue badges are issued to people with mobility problems or disabilities and allow the driver to park on double yellow lines or in specialist bays closer to their destination. Normandy veteran Neil McLeish, who landed on Sword beach with the Welsh Guards in 1944, had his application to renew his blue badge rejected by Neath Port Talbot council. The 92-year-old angina sufferer from Ystalyfera had held the badge for 10 years but said he was told he had been unable to provide independent evidence to show he had significant difficulty walking. He said: \"Since they took the badge away I don't really go out much in the car because I'm afraid I won't get a parking place. I've just given up.\" A Neath Port Talbot council spokesman said: \"Welsh government recommends that assessment of eligibility for a blue badge under the discretionary criteria requires the applicant to provide supporting evidence of their mobility-related difficulties from an independent medical practitioner but this does not include their GP.\" Of 10 councils which sent comparable data, eight have seen a rise in rejections in 2013-14 compared to 2010-11. The Vale of Glamorgan council area has seen the largest increase - from 72 up to 237. Neath MP Peter Hain said: \"I'm horrified to learn that rejections are up to almost two thirds greater than they used to be, but it reflects my experience. \"I've never had so many complaints from people who are genuinely disabled.\" A Welsh government spokesman said: \"We introduced new regulations to ensure fairness and consistency in awarding of the badges, but several issues have been brought to our attention which we are now looking into.\"", "summary": "Rejections for disabled parking badge applications have leapt up since tougher measures were introduced."}
{"article": "About 5,500 homes and businesses remain without power on Wednesday evening. The places worst affected by the storm are Wicklow, New Ross, Athlone, and Inistioge in County Kilkenny, according to Irish state broadcaster, RT??. In Midleton, County Cork, the Irish Army helped to evacuate about 12 family homes after a river overflowed. Several people were also rescued from cars. They included a woman and two children who were rescued from a car in Glanmire, County Cork. The main road from Cork to Kerry, the N20, remains badly flooded in places. The storm also led to rail service disruption in some areas, especially around Cork, where passengers were bussed between Tralee and Killarney and Mallow due to subsidence along the rail track. Some sailings by Stena Line and Irish Ferries have been cancelled but sailings of P&O Ferries are running to schedule. Environment Minister Alan Kelly and Office of Public Works Minister Simon Harris visited Athlone on Wednesday afternoon, where Storm Frank has caused extensive flooding, adding to the problems caused by Storms Desmond and Eva. Mr Harris said Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Enda Kenny would be visiting more places affected by the flooding in the coming days and the flooding issue would be first on the agenda at Tuesday's cabinet meeting.", "summary": "Storm Frank has caused flooding and disruption to travel and electricity supplies in the Republic of Ireland."}
{"article": "A new board, backed by \u00a315m lottery-winning supporter Paul Bristow, took control of the club in the summer of 2007, with a new manager and a new squad. The Gulls had endured a chaotic final League season, with five men occupying the dugout from the January 2006 until their eventual demise in May 2007. But promotion followed two years later and, despite Bristow his wife Thea took on the legacy. However, after an appearance in the and 12 months later, it seemed history was beginning to repeat itself. In January 2013 then-manager which was later The Gulls brought in the experienced Alan Knill to after weeks of uncertainty had seen Torquay go from mid-table security to relegation fodder. Knill kept the club up, and days after the final game was after Thea Bristow, who had become chairman earlier in the season, sacked Ling for a This season Knill oversaw just five wins in his 25 league games in charge before and While Bristow is still chairman, there is as there was when her family's numbers first came up. So where did it all go wrong? The manager who led the Gulls back the Football League, Paul Buckle, former defender Guy Branston, whose last Torquay game was the 2011 League Two play-off final, and life-long supporter Steve Breed give BBC Sport their theories: This season Torquay have had 14 different players join on loan, while three free agents arrived well after the season had begun. \"The people you bring to the club are important and they have to know what entails playing for Torquay,\" said Buckle. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I used to say that if I got the right vibe, that they were really on board with this, then I'd go with it, if not I'm not interested. \"I wouldn't allow anyone to come to the club unless I was really sure they were right.\" And Branston believes there are not enough players in the current side with the correct mentality. \"It's important that the lads have got to be here for the right reasons,\" he said. \"I know a lot of Alan Knill's lads were brought in on good contracts and he brought in a lot of loan players, but I think for a club like Torquay, you've got to make sure you've got the right players. Signing them from the pre-season onwards is big for a club like Torquay. \"Plus you've got to be looking to produce your own players that have the right mentality for what the club stands for and what it's all about. \"It's having that togetherness as a group, and if you're constantly bringing in loan players it disrupts that core.\" \"I didn't think it was significant at the time,\" said Breed. \"But in hindsight it clearly was, because we were doing OK up until when Martin went off sick. \"With Alan Knill coming in at the back end of that season, he said he saved us, and ultimately he picked the team that kept us in the League, but only in", "summary": "When Torquay won the Conference Premier play-off final in 2009, few at Plainmoor thought they would head back out of the Football League just five years later."}
{"article": "The six-week-old cub was found weak and lethargic in Llandysul in January, and weighed just 919 grams. She was fed through a syringe and looked after by RSPCA officer Ellie West, before being transferred to a pen owned by a local badger group. She will now be moved to a wildlife centre for at least a year before being returned to the wild. Ms West said: \"It was really touch and go for this poor otter cub, who was in a desperately sorry state when I rescued her. \"So much energy and emotion has gone into helping and rehabilitating her, and - thankfully - she responded well to being hand-reared. \"It is hoped we will be able to return her to where she belongs - the wild - sometime in 2018, which would mark an amazing turnaround from when I first rescued this cub in Llandysul.\"", "summary": "An otter cub in a \"desperately sorry state\" rescued in Ceredigion has been hand-reared back to health."}
{"article": "Charlton had thrashed Rovers 5-1 at the Memorial Stadium in November and they were convincing victors again, although they had to do it the hard way after a mistake by Patrick Bauer gifted Rovers a 12th-minute lead. The Addicks defender slipped while attempting a back pass, enabling Jermaine Easter to burst clear on goal and round Dillon Phillips before slotting into an empty net. Magennis' free-kick hit the crossbar, while Adam Chicksen's cross was tipped behind by Will Puddy via the woodwork as Charlton sought an equaliser before the break. Parity was restored four minutes before the interval with Magennis heading home from Joe Aribo's free-kick. And the duo combined in almost identical circumstances five minutes into the second half, an unmarked Magennis again using his head to convert from Aribo's set-piece delivery. Aribo turned provider once again just after the hour, playing a low ball across the face of goal which was swept in from close range by Jorge Teixeira to make it 3-1. Magennis completed his treble after 73 minutes, latching on to Andrew Crofts' pass and then firing an angled shot beyond Puddy in some style. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Charlton Athletic 4, Bristol Rovers 1. Second Half ends, Charlton Athletic 4, Bristol Rovers 1. Attempt missed. Matty Taylor (Bristol Rovers) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Foul by Morgan Fox (Charlton Athletic). Lee Brown (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Jorge Teixeira (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Matty Taylor (Bristol Rovers). Attempt saved. Ellis Harrison (Bristol Rovers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Foul by Fredrik Ulvestad (Charlton Athletic). Lee Mansell (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Nicky Ajose replaces Chris Solly. Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Kevin Foley replaces Ezri Konsa Ngoyo. Attempt missed. Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic) header from a difficult angle on the left is close, but misses to the left. Attempt saved. Peter Hartley (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Chris Solly (Charlton Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Matty Taylor (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Chris Solly (Charlton Athletic). Corner, Charlton Athletic. Conceded by Peter Hartley. Adam Chicksen (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Lee Mansell (Bristol Rovers). Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Fredrik Ulvestad replaces Joe Aribo. Attempt missed. Matty Taylor (Bristol Rovers) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Adam Chicksen (Charlton Athletic) is shown the yellow card. Foul by Adam Chicksen (Charlton Athletic). Stuart Sinclair (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Goal! Charlton Athletic 4, Bristol Rovers 1. Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Jorge Teixeira. Corner, Bristol Rovers. Conceded by", "summary": "Josh Magennis struck a hat-trick as Charlton came from behind to brush aside Bristol Rovers at The Valley."}
{"article": "Initial attempts to free the animal by slathering him in olive oil failed, with his huge behind preventing him from squeezing his way out. He was finally freed after animal rescue services lifted off the cover and eased his head through the hole. Locals have nicknamed the squirrel \"Olivio\" after his oily encounter. After the ordeal on Friday, an exhausted Olivio was wrapped in a warm towel and fed glucose, local media report. Man rescued from inside public toilet Squirrel causes major power cut Staff at a local animal shelter say Olivio is recovering well and has now moved on to a diet of Christmas nuts. \"He was almost dead,\" Sabine Gallenberger from the Squirrel Protection Association told German media. \"Now he is eating a lot and sleeps all the time.\" The BBC was unable to verify the size of Olivio's behind.", "summary": "A red squirrel who got stuck halfway through a manhole cover thanks to his curvy hips is recovering after a lengthy rescue operation in Munich."}
{"article": "The CPS is considering files sent by police following investigations in up to 27 constituencies. It relates to claims some campaigning costs in the 2015 general election were wrongly recorded. The Conservative Party has insisted administrative errors were to blame rather than any intention to deceive. And it has said some of the spending was correctly declared. It is alleged the Conservatives spent tens of thousands of pounds on local campaigns - including on \"battle bus\" visits by activists - which were either not declared or were wrongly registered as national spending. The allegations came to light following an investigation by Channel 4 News. Under complex election spending rules, parties must disclose national spending separately from money used to promote each candidate, and separate national and local limits apply. Up to 16 police forces across England have submitted files to be considered by prosecutors. The CPS will consider whether there is sufficient evidence of a breach in the law, and whether a prosecution is \"in the public interest\". If general election candidates are prosecuted the Conservative Party will have to decide whether to suspend them and replace them as nominees. The last date for candidates to register for the election is 11 May. Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning", "summary": "Prosecutors are expected to announce on Wednesday whether Conservative politicians or officials will face charges for breaches of expenses rules."}
{"article": "The Spanish fourth seed is into round three after outclassing Dutchman Robin Haase 6-1 6-4 6-3 on Wednesday. The 30-year-old would become the first player in the Open era to win 10 titles at one Grand Slam, should he progress. \"It would be such an incredible achievement by such an incredible player,\" said Henman. \"You can't even fathom it. A lot of people don't win 10 tournaments, let alone 10 Grand Slams at one venue,\" added the Englishman. Nadal, who is 31 on Saturday, won his first Roland Garros crown in 2005, the first of four successive victories before claiming a further five in a row between 2010 and 2014. The Spaniard is only one of two players - the other being German Alexander Zverev - to win multiple clay-court titles this season. He won his 10th titles at Monte Carlo and Barcelona as well as his 30th Masters title in Madrid. \"It is the biggest challenge in the game to beat Nadal over five sets on clay in Paris,\" Henman told BBC Sport. The only other player to win 10 or more titles at a single Grand Slam is Margaret Court, who won 11 Australian Opens between 1960 and 1973. \"It would be one of the biggest achievements in tennis and one of the biggest in any sport,\" added Henman. \"To have been so dominant at one of the biggest events in our sport is just incredible.\" After a season hampered by injuries and illness, world number one Andy Murray beat Russian Andrey Kuznetsov in the first round on Tuesday and Henman believes the Scot will be looking to \"build round by round\". \"I wouldn't say Murray is favourite but he is the number one in the world for a reason,\" Henman said. \"I haven't been concerned by his form because he has been ill and injured. \"If he can stay healthy and injury free, he will start winning matches and tournaments because he is one of the best players out there.\" The Scot won his opener in four sets to set up a second-round match with Slovak Martin Klizan. He now faces a potential third-round clash with Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro. \"Klizan is an awkward player but I expect Andy to come through that and Del Potro in the third round is a much bigger challenge. \"Irrespective of what happens in Paris, on the grass, with his record at Queen's and Wimbledon, he will definitely be one of the favourites for those titles.\" Former world number four Henman believes Andre Agassi will have \"lots to offer\" Novak Djokovic, after the American took over as the Serb's coach for the first week in Paris. Djokovic hired eight-time Grand Slam champion Agassi, having parted company with his coaching team earlier in May. \"Agassi is massively experienced and went through a lot of highs and lows,\" Henman said. \"He is not going to teach Djokovic to hit new shots but can help him use his attributes to the best of his ability. \"Agassi's experience and a new voice can certainly help. It", "summary": "Rafael Nadal winning a 10th French Open would be \"one of sport's biggest achievements\", says former British number one Tim Henman."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old midfielder has made 395 appearances in 13 years with the Chairboys, while striker Paul Hayes, also 32, has signed a two-year deal. Marcus Bean is considering an offer of a deal until 2017 and fellow midfielder Sam Wood triggered a year's extension with his appearances this term. Alex Lynch, Gozie Ugwu, Ryan Sellers and Max Kretzschmar have been released. Meanwhile, 23-year-old defender Aaron Pierre has been offered an extension to his contract, which is currently scheduled to expire in the summer of 2017. Gareth Ainsworth's side finished 13th in League Two this season.", "summary": "Wycombe Wanderers club captain Matt Bloomfield has signed a new one-year contract with the League Two club."}
{"article": "Eleven babies and one mother died as a result of maternity failings at Furness General Hospital between 2004 and 2013. A subsequent inquiry report identified 20 failings linked to the deaths. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the House of Commons that when things go wrong in the future \"they will no longer be swept under the carpet\". The inquiry into the Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust - led by Dr Bill Kirkup - found the maternity unit at Furness General had been \"dysfunctional\" with \"substandard care\" provided by staff \"deficient in skills and knowledge\". It also found working relationships between doctors and midwives were extremely poor, with midwives referring to themselves as \"the musketeers\" as they pursued normal childbirth \"at any cost\". Accepting the findings of Dr Kirkup's report, Mr Hunt said the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) would no longer be responsible for the statutory supervision of midwives in the UK. He said a decision had been made to move to a model of professional supervision similar to that of other health professionals. He also promised a new independent NHS patient safety investigation service would be set up by April 2016. Mr Hunt said a national review of maternity services would continue to look at how safe care could be delivered in geographically isolated areas. Welcoming Mr Hunt's comments, a spokesman for the NMC said: \"As seen through the tragic events at Morecambe Bay, the current set up is open to conflicts of interest, which in not in the best interests of public protection.\"", "summary": "Changes to the way midwives are supervised have been announced by the government in response to an inquiry into baby and mother deaths in Cumbria."}
{"article": "The match will be played at Bangor University Stadium (14:30 GMT). The other semi-final sees Caernarfon Town of the Cymru Alliance play Welsh Premier outfit Bala Town at The Corbett Sports Stadium in Rhyl (17:15 GMT). TNS - champions for the past three years - are the only team left in the tournament who have won it before.", "summary": "Holders The New Saints (TNS) will have to travel to Bangor for their Welsh Cup semi-final against Gap Connah's Quay on 1 April."}
{"article": "Derek Mackay is meeting other finance ministers for a \"quadrilateral\" summit in Edinburgh. He said he would raise \"unnecessary\" tax burdens with the chief secretary to the treasury during the meeting. The Treasury said Scottish ministers had been advised of the tax situation before setting up national services. Most other police and fire services in the UK are regional bodies and do not have to pay VAT. The issue arose because Scotland's policing and fire services were previously controlled by local councils, which can claim back the tax - but the new national forces set up in 2013 are controlled by the Scottish government, which cannot. Mr Mackay said the police and fire services were struggling with the \"unnecessary\" burden of tax which they \"simple should not have to pay\". He said: \"This is a significant sum which other emergency services do not have to meet. \"There is a significant difference in the way VAT affects emergency services across the UK, with Scottish police and fire services paying VAT when other territorial services in the UK do not have to. \"There needs to be a level playing field for such essential services. \"As we continue to invest in our emergency services we will continue to press the UK government for Scottish emergency services to have the same ability to recover VAT as all other British and Northern Irish Forces.\" Scottish Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur said it was right that the VAT position was \"reconsidered\", but said the Scottish government should not use that as a \"smokescreen\" for its own failures. He said: \"The financial mess that Police Scotland find itself in is down to the SNP's botched centralisation. Ministers cannot duck that.\" A Treasury spokeswoman said: \"In 2012 the Scottish government chose to make Scotland's police and fire services national rather than regional bodies. The Scottish government were advised in advance that by making this change Scottish police and fire services would become ineligible for VAT refunds.\" First Minister Nicola Sturgeon raised the issue during a clash over police budgets with Tory leader Ruth Davidson at Holyrood in December. Ms Sturgeon argued that the UK government had changed the rules to exempt academy schools from VAT when they were set up and funded by the central government. She said there was \"\u00a325m a year which should be going to our police service but is going to the Treasury\". Ms Davidson replied: \"The Scottish government was warned about VAT - it knew what would happen and it did not listen to parliament. You know that the first minister is in trouble when she cannot answer for herself but runs to 'Westminster bad'.\" There have been a series of warnings from auditors about financial management within Scotland's police service, which faces a funding gap of up to \u00a3200m in the coming years.", "summary": "Scotland's finance secretary is to call on the UK government to scrap a \u00a335m annual tax bill for the country's police and fire services."}
{"article": "Without elaborating, Michael Flynn told White House reporters: \"As of today, we are officially putting Iran on notice.\" Washington earlier declared the test to be \"absolutely unacceptable\". Iran confirmed on Wednesday it had tested a missile over the weekend, but denied violating a UN Security Council resolution. Iran denies missile test violated UN resolution Tillerson confirmed as top US diplomat Mr Flynn did not provide any further details of what actions the US may be planning in response to the test, which Pentagon officials say failed upon re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. The launch prompted the US to accuse Iran of violating UN resolution 2231, which \"calls upon\" Iran not to \"undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons\". As part of its final negotiations for the 2015 nuclear agreement with six world powers, Tehran agreed to an eight-year extension of the UN ban on ballistic missile development. During the White House daily press briefing, Mr Flynn did not accuse Tehran of violating that nuclear accord. But the national security adviser did describe the Obama administration-brokered deal as \"weak and ineffective\". \"Instead of being thankful to the United States for these agreements, Iran is now feeling emboldened,\" he said. He said \"the Obama administration failed to respond adequately to Tehran's malign actions - including weapons transfers, support for terrorism and other violations of international norms\". Mr Flynn also pointed to a recent attack against a Saudi warship by Iranian-backed Houthi militants as evidence of \"Iran's destabilising behaviour across the Middle East\". During Mr Trump's campaign for president, he frequently attacked the nuclear pact with Iran, vowing to \"dismantle the disastrous deal\". In December 2016 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told an audience at the University of Tehran that he would not allow Mr Trump to \"rip up\" the deal, Reuters news agency reported. On Wednesday Iranian Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan stood by their missile test. \"We have previously announced that we will execute the programmes we have planned in production of defence equipment meant for our national interests and objectives,\" Iranian media quoted him as saying. \"Nobody can influence our decision. We will not allow foreigners to interfere in our defence affairs.\"", "summary": "US President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor has accused the Iranian government of \"malign actions\" after a missile test."}
{"article": "The Social Market Foundation has examined test results of cohorts born in 1970 and 2000 and found regional differences have become much greater. Pupils' results are highest in London and lowest in Yorkshire and Humber. \"Where you live has become much more important,\" said think tank director Emran Mian. The comparisons between the generations, based on school tests in primary school and exams such as O-levels and GCSEs, indicate that geography has become a much more significant factor in how high pupils are likely to achieve. For pupils born in 1970, the study says that location was much less of an influence, with a much a stronger link to factors such as social background. Family background and income remain important, but the study says \"the geographic area a child comes from has become a more powerful predictive factor\". The rise of London schools has been a key part of this, with some of the poorest areas of the country achieving relatively high results. In the mid-1980s, areas such as the south-east and east of England had better results than London, but the most recent results show London outstripping the rest of the country. This prompted Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw to warn of a \"North-South divide\" in schools. There were also concerns about coastal towns becoming pockets of underachievement. How different parts of the country compared in GCSE results for 2014: The study from the Social Market Foundation suggests the achievement gap between the richest and the poorest pupils remains \"persistently large\". And the gender gap has grown wider, with girls even more likely to achieve higher results. There has been a substantial shift in the achievement of ethnic minority pupils. For those born in 1970, who took O-levels in 1985-86, black and Asian pupils' results were considerably below average and behind their white counterparts. The GCSE results for 2013-14 show a much more complex picture. The black and Asian categories, broken down in more precise ethnic groups, indicated Indian pupils' results were above average, while Pakistani pupils were below average. Black African pupils were above average and black Caribbean were below. White pupils were below average, with the weakest results from poor, white boys. But Dr Alice Sullivan, director of the 1970 British Cohort Study, Centre for Longitudinal Studies, at the UCL Institute of Education, said that the numbers of ethnic minority pupils born in 1970 were too small to make such comparisons. The Social Market Foundation is setting up a commission on inequalities in educational achievement, which will be chaired by Nick Clegg, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats. \"While parental income remains very important, this new research shows that where you live has become a much more important factor in determining educational achievement,\" said Mr Mian, director of the Social Market Foundation. \"Our new research also shows that the story around ethnic origin and education has become much more complex.\" Professor Stephen Gorard, from Durham University's school of education, said it was wrong to attribute the differences in achievement to \"the impact of location rather than pupil background\".", "summary": "Where children grow up in England is more likely to determine success or failure at school than in previous generations, a study suggests."}
{"article": "The event sees the eight best qualified men's singles players compete on hard court at London's O2 Arena. This season's tournament begins 13 November and new world number one Andy Murray meets Marin Cilic a day later. Barbara Slater, BBC director of sport, said the deal \"shows our longstanding commitment to ensuring top class tennis reaches the widest possible audience\". She added: \"The ATP World Tour Finals remains one of the standout moments in the sporting calendar bringing together the best players in the world to create a truly unique atmosphere.\" Murray will face Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori as well as Cilic in his group, with world number two Novak Djokovic - winner of this event for four straight seasons - drawn in the other group. As part of the agreement with the ATP, eight singles matches will be available on BBC television, including one of the semi-finals and the final, while full radio commentary of the tournament is also available. Jamie Murray and Brazil's Bruno Soares will play Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi in the doubles event, not before 18:00 GMT on Sunday. BBC Sport will also offer radio and online commentary on ATP World Tour Masters 1000 matches. London's O2 Arena has hosted the World Tour Finals since 2009 and will continue to do so until at least 2018.", "summary": "BBC Sport will broadcast the ATP World Tour Finals until 2018 after extending its deal to cover the season finale."}
{"article": "It was the famous logo for the Rolling Stones and was part of an experiment by tech start-up Lightvert. Its technology can produce images that appear to be 200m (656ft) high, but which only exist in the eye of the viewer for a fraction of a second. So could we be on the verge of seeing giant digital ads in our cities, similar to those featured in the seminal 1982 sci-fi film Blade Runner? Lightvert certainly hopes so. Its tech, called Echo, works by employing a narrow - no more than 200mm - strip of reflective material fixed to the side of a building. A high-power projector mounted below or above the strip beams light off the reflector directly into the viewer's eye. The image appears momentarily, exploiting what's called the \"persistence of vision\" effect - the way sparklers seem to leave a trail of light when you wave them around quickly. \"Echo technology is being well received by those who have seen it to date,\" says Daniel Siden, Lightvert's chief executive. \"Viewers are curious as to how it works and engage with it in a way you just don't see with traditional screen media.\" He is hoping that landlords will grab the opportunity to turn their buildings into revenue-generating digital billboards that are huge, yet physically unobtrusive. These are very early days for the firm, but Mr Siden believes outdoor advertising generally is overdue a leap forward in innovation. But would you want a billboard to target adverts at you specifically? That's what happened in Moscow recently. Drivers approaching a digital billboard were shown ads for Jaguar's new SUV (sports utility vehicle), but only if they were driving a different make of SUV. A machine-learning camera recognised the vehicle's make and changed the ad to target those drivers. The billboard image was adaptive, too, showing the Jaguar against a dark background if it was night-time, or manoeuvring through snow if the weather was bad. The ads were developed by Synaps Labs and founder Aleksey Utkin says there are plans to test similar ads in the US this summer. But won't such ads be dangerously distracting? A study on driver distraction by the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute found that digital billboards attracted the gaze of drivers for much longer than other signs. Researchers found drivers often took their eyes off the road for more than two seconds - a threshold which other studies have found to be dangerous. Some bricks-and-mortar retailers, such as video games specialist Game, are using augmented reality (AR) tech to bring their shop windows to life. Overlaying moving digital images on to the real world, as seen through a smartphone camera, caught the public imagination after the release of Nintendo's Pokemon Go game. \"AR is no longer just a nice-to-see technology - it has a far more extensive commercial application for brands, where results can be tracked and measured,\" says Richard Corps, co-founder of Ads Reality. \"We're seeing a much wider industry use of AR tech in different environments, such as in education as well", "summary": "Passers-by on a London street were recently amazed to see a fleeting image of a pink tongue protruding from fruitily plump lips, seemingly suspended in mid-air."}
{"article": "A 234-unit nursing home in Elkana, 30 houses in Beit Arye and 20 in Givat Zeev got the go-ahead on Tuesday. Retrospective permits were also issued for 179 existing homes in Ofarim. The US said it was \"deeply concerned\" and warned that settlement expansion posed a \"very serious and growing threat\" to peace with the Palestinians. About 570,000 Israelis live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. Peace Now reported that the latest planning decision by the Israeli military-run Civil Administration in the West Bank meant 2,623 housing units at settlements had been approved so far this year. The figure includes 756 illegally-built homes that have been retrospectively \"legalised\". A senior US official told the AFP news agency that settlement expansion - as well as continuing demolitions of Palestinian homes - \"fundamentally undermines the prospects for a two-state solution and risks entrenching a one-state reality of perpetual occupation and conflict\". \"We are particularly troubled by the policy of retroactively approving illegal outposts and unauthorised settlement units,\" the official said. \"These policies have effectively given the government's green light for the pervasive advancement of settlement activity in a new and potentially unlimited way.\" On Tuesday, Israel reacted angrily to similar criticism of its settlement activities by the UN special co-ordinator for the Middle East peace process, Nickolay Mladenov. \"It is difficult to read in these actions a genuine intention to work towards a viable two-state solution. This appears to reinforce a policy, carried out over decades, that has enabled over half a million Israelis to settle in territory that was occupied militarily in 1967,\" he told the UN Security Council. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Mr Mladenov of distorting history. \"Jews have been in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria for thousands of years and their presence there is not an obstacle to peace,\" David Keyes said, using the biblical names for the West Bank. There have been numerous rounds of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians since the early 1990s, with the last collapsing in acrimony in 2014.", "summary": "Israel has approved the construction of 285 new homes at Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to the settlement watchdog Peace Now."}
{"article": "Luke Hole, 29, who played for Pontyclun RFC in Rhondda Cynon Taff, had been taking part in the Majorca Beach Rugby sevens tournament. Friends were unable to rouse him on Monday morning after the two-day event. Emergency services were called but pronounced him dead. One friend said Mr Hole was \"the life and soul of the club\". He described the player as \"totally committed to all of his friends\", and said the death had left everyone \"heartbroken\". The friend added: \"He would do anything for anyone and this is just devastating, especially for all the boys that were with him in Spain. \"My thoughts are with them and his girlfriend and all his family. \"It's just so sad for everyone that knows him.\" The team, known as the Pontyclun Badgers, had travelled to the Spanish island for the long weekend, where competitors from across the UK and Europe were taking part in the tournament. Pontyclun RFC posted a message on its Facebook page, saying: \"Absolutely heartbreaking. Our thoughts are with his family, loved ones and friends.\" A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: \"We are supporting the family of a British man following his death in Mallorca, Spain.\"", "summary": "A rugby player taking part in a beach rugby tournament with his team in Spain has been found dead in his hotel."}
{"article": "No international side has toured Bangladesh since 20 people were killed in a siege at a cafe in Dhaka in July. The England and Wales Cricket Board said in August that tour would go ahead following a security review. Jos Buttler will captain the one-day side, with the squads for the one-day and Test series to be named on Friday. The tour features three one-day internationals followed by two Test matches. Morgan has followed his own course, with the assurance ringing in his ears that nothing is going to happen, and I don't see how they can now sack him England director of cricket Andrew Strauss said: \"While we understand and respect Eoin and Alex's decision, we are disappointed that they have made themselves unavailable for selection for the Bangladesh tour.\" He added that no further withdrawals are expected following \"open and honest\" discussions with all the players. England players Stuart Broad, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan and Liam Dawson have all publicly said they will tour Bangladesh. Former England captain Michael Vaughan has described Morgan's decision as a \"huge mistake\", while Nasser Hussain, another ex-skipper of the national side, said Morgan \"should be with his team\". But team-mate Ben Stokes tweeted his support for both players. England fly out on 29 September, with the one-day series starting on 7 October and the Test series on 20 October. They follow that with a tour of India, which begins on 9 November and features five Tests, three ODIs and three Twenty20s. Morgan, 29, said this week that he would never go on a tour where security concerns may affect his game. \"In 2010, we played an Indian Premier League game in Bangalore and a bomb went off in the ground,\" he said. \"We left and went straight to the airport. \"Another one was playing domestic cricket in Bangladesh during political elections and things were incredibly violent. Given that no-one has toured there since the terrorist attack adds a bigger decision to it.\" Bowlers Andrew Caddick and Robert Croft pulled out of England's 2001 tour of India because of safety concerns following the 9/11 attacks in New York. \"I was adamant I didn't want to go and stuck to what I thought was right,\" Caddick told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek programme before Morgan and Hales made their announcement on Sunday. \"It's slightly different now. The security they implement in world cricket is quite high, whereas back in 2001 it wasn't. \"Eoin Morgan has experienced risks to security in the past. Nobody else in the England team has. It's a personal decision and it should stay that way.\" Former spinner Graeme Swann, who was part of the England squad that returned to India after the Mumbai bombings in 2008, said he would not travel to Bangladesh if he was still playing. \"We are a target,\" he said. \"If I was in that situation, I wouldn't go.\" Ex-England skipper Vaughan told BBC Radio 5 live that Morgan should go on the tour. \"I don't think the captain had any other option but to get on the", "summary": "England one-day captain Eoin Morgan and opening batsman Alex Hales have opted out of October's tour of Bangladesh because of security concerns."}
{"article": "The government has granted planning permission for the 15-year project including new stages and streetscapes at the site in Iver Heath. South Bucks District Council (SBDC), which turned down the \"inappropriate\" plans, said it was \"disappointed\". The latest Star Wars film, Episode VII, is currently being filmed at Pinewood. It has been home to more than 1,500 movies over 76 years including the most recent James Bond movie, Skyfall. The expansion project, known as the Pinewood Studios Development Framework (PSDF), will double the existing studios by adding a total of 100,000 square metres of new facilities, including 12 large stages, workshops and production offices. A studio spokesman said the expansion would \"secure future growth\". The studio said the decision by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, \"will address the clear need for additional capacity in the UK\". Pinewood chief executive Ivan Dunleavy said: \"We want to begin construction as soon as possible.\" In 2012, the government rejected a previous plan, which included more than 1,000 homes. The studio submitted its latest application in February 2013, following \"extensive public consultation\". It was rejected by the local council and the studios submitted its appeal to the Planning Inspectorate the following May. Nearby councils have always opposed the plans as an expansion into green belt land. Councillor Roger Reed said SBDC had presented \"extensive and well informed objections\". \"We must now look forward and recognise the importance of Pinewood and the benefit they can bring to the local and wider economy,\" he added. Parish councillor Sylvie Lowe, who represents Iver, said she was \"surprised\" at the decision and the council was considering its options.", "summary": "Pinewood Studios is set to double in size after winning an appeal against the rejection of its \u00a3200m expansion plan."}
{"article": "The home innings fell away against spinners Jeevan Mendis and 16-year-old Hamidullah Qadri in the final session. Nick Selman's patient 50 off 159 balls was the top score in a largely sedate home effort. Earlier, seamer Tony Palladino claimed three wickets in quick succession to leave them struggling at 87-4 at tea. Afghan-born Qadri, Derbyshire's youngest Championship player, bowled tightly with the pink ball under the floodlights, taking 1-16 in 15 overs - including the maiden wicket of Andrew Salter, caught at slip for nine off 75 balls. Bizarrely, Derbyshire sent out two nightwatchmen in Tom Taylor and Palladino for the last two overs at 21:10 BST, but both men survived to continue on Wednesday. Glamorgan batsman Nick Selman told BBC Wales Sport: \"It was good to spend time in the middle again, just getting used to that pink ball as they bowled pretty well and stuck to their lines. At the end we weren't patient enough and with our batting line-up we should have got 340 but hopefully we can come out and take some poles. \"When you're set (against the pink ball), it's easy to pick up but with the spin it's a bit tricky to pick up, especially Mendis when he was bowling wrong 'uns. It was quite easy to play during twilight and the more time you spend out there the better. \"If the (bad) weather stays away, we've got a big day and hopefully the quicks can take some poles early on and crack it open.\" Derbyshire bowler Tony Palladino told BBC Radio Derby: \"It's always nice to get wickets early in your spell and it set us up a bit, we had a quiet middle session but we kept it reasonably tight and got our rewards later in the day. \"The pink ball is a lot different, it doesn't buff up as nicely with spit or when you polish it, you just give it a dry polish. It swung early but not much in the middle period so the spinners bowled a lot of overs and it was turning for them. \"(Hamidullah Qadri) bowled like John Emburey there, he did exactly what you what from a finger-spinner in the first innings, he kept it tight and hopefully he'll get his rewards second innings.\"", "summary": "Derbyshire finished an attritional day's cricket on 2-0, 53 runs ahead after Glamorgan were dismissed for 237 just before the close."}
{"article": "The internet retailing giant also said it expected to report a bigger-than-expected loss in the next three-month period. Amazon shares plunged over 10% in after-hours trading in New York. Investors have long been wondering when Amazon will turn its significant revenues into profits for shareholders. Amazon has been spending heavily in various new initiatives, including its Amazon Fresh grocery delivery service in the US, and its $1bn acquisition of video game streaming site Twitch. That has hurt profits at the firm, with operating expenses growing to $21.1bn, compared with the $17.1bn last year. Investors have been tolerant of Amazon's policy of reinvesting profits back into the firm. But patience has been wearing thin in recent months. Shares in the firm have fallen nearly 20% since the beginning of this year. In a statement accompanying its earnings, Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos chose instead to focus on the firm's holiday offerings during the crucial period in the run-up to Christmas. \"As we get ready for this upcoming holiday season, we are focused on making the customer experience easier and more stress-free than ever,\" he said.", "summary": "Amazon has reported a third-quarter loss of $437m (\u00a3273m) - up significantly from the $41m loss it reported for the same period last year."}
{"article": "Cardiff singer Gwenno recently won the Welsh Music Prize 2015. But those unaware of the artist before will now see her adorning the outside wall of Cardiff's famous venue Clwb Ifor Bach on Womanby Street. The 34-year-old said she was \" incredibly honoured\" to see herself in the 12 x 38 metre mural. \"I remember Clwb when I was growing up, I probably went to see my first gig there, dragged along to a Welsh Language Society event with my mum,\" said Gwenno, whose full name is Gwenno Saunders. \"Clwb is a huge part of everyone's heritage from Wales, most bands have played here. \"I'm incredibly honoured that they thought my face was worth putting up there,\" added the singer, who recently became a mother to son, Nico. Gwenno was first approached by designer Mark James about the mural, which he designed for the Get it right campaign. The campaign aims to prevent piracy in music and television, by promoting the value of creativity in the UK and raising awareness of genuine online content services. \"Gwenno's album had just come out and was getting a lot of attention,\" Mr James said. The sci-fi themed album Y Dydd Olaf, sung in both Welsh and Cornish, was inspired by Owain Owain's 1976 Welsh novel of the same name. \"The original idea was to be quite political and to make a statement,\" he said. Mr James's design, one of Cardiff's largest street art projects, was sprayed painted onto the building by local street artists Rmer, Zadok and Karm, in under three days. It will remain on the walls of Clwb Ifor Bach for the next six months.", "summary": "An award-winning musician says seeing a giant mural of herself on the side of a club she went to as a teenager is \"very, very surreal\"."}
{"article": "The 20-year-old re-signed for the Vixens on loan from Chelsea for the Women's Super League One Spring Series, which begins on 22 April. A Bristol City statement on Wednesday said: \"A scan last week confirmed she has ruptured her ACL a few weeks ago.\" The ex-England Under-19 striker scored 11 goals in all competitions in 2016.", "summary": "Bristol City Women forward Mille Farrow is set for a spell on the sidelines after rupturing her anterior cruciate knee ligament in a friendly."}
{"article": "Leigh Berridge and her colleague were accused of falsely acquiring \u00c2\u00a33m in EU money. Ms Berridge, 46, was a director at the former Adam Smith College in Kirkcaldy and lost her job. The college's successor, Fife College, said it was inappropriate for it to comment. Ms Berridge, from Cupar in Fife, was told last month that no charges against her would be pursued after two years of criminal investigations. The mother-of-two is calling for Holyrood's Public Audit Committee to re-open a report on the college after parliament reconvenes. Ms Berridge was accused of inducing the Scottish government to hand over the cash to Adam Smith College in Kirkcaldy, Fife between 2008 and 2012. She was arrested at her home in the village of Pitlessie, Fife in December 2013. The college was said to have obtained \u00c2\u00a33.3m of cash from the Scottish government that it was not entitled to, with an attempt to get another \u00c2\u00a3127,000. The Auditor General laid a report into Adam Smith College before the Scottish Parliament in October 2013. At the time the Scottish Parliament's Public Audit Committee agreed to defer its consideration of the report until criminal investigations had been concluded. Ms Berridge, who is considering legal action, believes a parliamentary investigation would clear her name and that of a colleague who also faced criminal investigations. She said: \"I lost my job, a job that I loved and was very good at. This whole investigation started because of alleged institutional bullying and harassment.\" Ms Berridge was charged along with Anna Milligan, one of the college's business development managers. Ms Milligan's charges were dropped in February this year. \"For Anna and I to have been accused of being part of a criminal conspiracy and be arrested in my own home has been hugely traumatic and detrimental to myself and my family. \"People still have questions about what went on. I still feel I need to clear both my name and that of my colleague. That is why I want the Audit Committee to look again at the Section 22 report. All details of precisely what happened and who is accountable must now come into the public domain.\" At the time the charges against Ms Berridge were dropped, the Crown Office said: \"The Crown raised criminal proceedings against Anna Milligan and Leigh Berridge, charging them with operating a fraudulent scheme by which Adam Smith College, Kirkcaldy, falsely claimed EU funding from the Scottish government. \"No individual gained financially from the scheme, and the investigation was complex, involving detailed scrutiny of the college's finances and systems of management and administration. \"As further evidence came to light, it became clear that there was no longer sufficient evidence to continue criminal proceedings.\" Four people were initially investigated - a 50-year-old man and three women aged 44, 49, and 58. The allegations related to the period between 2008 and 2012. Adam Smith College is now part of Fife College after a merger with Carnegie College in 2013. A spokeswoman for Fife College said it would be inappropriate for it to make any comment on", "summary": "A former senior college manager who was cleared of fraud is calling for a Holyrood inquiry into what happened to be re-opened."}
{"article": "Grand leaves along with club hero Jason Walker, both aged 32, teenage defender Brad Carroll and 17-year-old goalkeeper Dan Eccles. Midfielders Mo Fafana, 28, Dan Pilkington, 25, Paddy Lacey, 23, and Alex Newby, 20, also exit. Four players have been offered contract renewals, including Newby's brother, 20-year-old Elliot. Fellow midfielders Alex Ray Harvey, 26, Andy Parry, 24 and 17-year-old defender Steve Williams make up the quartet who have been offered a new deal following an 11th-placed finish in the National League. Grand helped to captain the side to promotion to the fifth tier of English football, while Walker was the game-winning goalscorer as Barrow lifted the FA Trophy in 2010. Barrow have also said that talks are on-going to renew the contract of striker Andy Cook, 25, who scored 24 goals in 45 appearances for The Bluebirds this season, despite his willingness to pursue a career in the Football League. BBC Cumbria Sport understands that Barrow have offered to make the talisman - and third highest goalscorer in the National League this season - the highest paid player in the club's history.", "summary": "Captain Simon Grand will leave Barrow as eight players fail to have their contracts renewed."}
{"article": "Mr Baran thought up the idea of making communication networks resilient to attack or traffic surges by splitting the data sent over them into chunks. His pioneering work was carried out in connection with Cold War military research. It would later form the basis of the academic network Arpanet which eventually led to the internet. Mr Baran first put forward the idea of slicing data into \"message blocks\" and using a distributed system of nodes to pass them on when working at the Rand Corporation in the mid-1960s. In his initial conception, Mr Baran said the system would operate by what he called \"hot-potato routing\". The work was done as part of a project to keep telecommunications networks operating even if a large part of them was knocked out by a first strike nuclear attack. The system would be better able to withstand an attack because it lacked a central hub through which all data or messages passed. This work found new relevance during the early days of the Arpanet, a network designed to aid US scientists communicate and which laid the foundations of the modern-day internet. Contributions from British scientist Donald Davies led to Mr Baran's ideas being adapted into a technology known as packet switching. This cuts data up into small chunks that are then despatched around the network. \"Paul wasn't afraid to go in directions counter to what everyone else thought was the right or only thing to do,\" Vinton Cerf, one of the fathers of the internet and a longtime friend of Baran, told the New York Times. Mr Baran died at home in Palo Alto, California from complications caused by lung cancer. \"He was a man of infinite patience,\" said his son David Baran. He added that his father had recently shown him a paper written in 1966 which speculated about what people would do with the telecommunication networks in the future. \"It spelled out this idea that by the year 2000 that people would be using online networks for shopping and news,\" he said. \"It was an absolute lunatic fringe idea.\"", "summary": "US scientist Paul Baran, whose work in the 1960s helped pave the way for the internet, has died aged 84."}
{"article": "The Breakthrough Listen project, backed by Prof Stephen Hawking, will train a US radio telescope on a target called Tabby's Star. Tabby's Star has been a subject of attention and controversy over its irregular dimming pattern. Some scientists have been puzzled by large dips in the star's brightness. Hawking backs new search for aliens One of the most favoured explanations for this behaviour is that a swarm of comet fragments is periodically blocking light from the star, which also known by its official designation - KIC 8462852. One very remote and speculative idea - yet one that has attracted much attention in the media - is that the pattern is caused by some kind of artificial structure, or a collection of structures, around the star. The co-director of the Breakthrough Listen programme, Dr Andrew Siemion, said he was sceptical of explanations that involved intelligent life. He added: \"The Breakthrough Listen programme has the most powerful SETI equipment on the planet, and access to the largest telescopes on the planet. \"We can look at it with greater sensitivity and for a wider range of signal types than any other experiment in the world.\" The team plans to use the 100m Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, US, to observe the star, which is named after the leader of the team that discovered it - Tabetha Boyajian, assistant professor at Louisiana State University. Previous searches, using the Hubble Space Telescope and the Keck Observatory, have failed to find any unusual signals around the star. But Dr Siemion explained: \"The Green Bank Telescope is the largest fully steerable radio telescope on the planet, and it's the largest, most sensitive telescope that's capable of looking at Tabby's star given its position in the sky.\" The unusual behaviour around Tabby's star was first reported in September 2015 by Dr Boyajian, who was then a postdoctoral student at Yale University. The findings were published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The team was actually looking for evidence of planets orbiting stars other than our own. While most such dimming by transiting planets is brief, regular and blocks just 1 or 2% of the light of the star, Tabby's star dims for days at a time, by as much as 22%, and at irregular intervals. Speculation that the phenomenon could be caused by a \"megastructure\" built by an intelligent civilisation, has been dismissed by most scientists. But it has propelled the stellar object to prominence in the popular media. \"I don't think it's very likely - a one in a billion chance or something like that - but nevertheless, we're going to check it out,\" said Dan Werthimer, chief scientist at Berkeley SETI, based at the University of California, Berkeley. Yet Tabby's Star remains a fascinating conundrum for astronomers. Some observations show that the dips in brightness are more irregular than a comet swarm would produce. And another study suggested that it had been dimming at a steady rate for the past century. The Breakthrough Listen initiative was launched in 2015 at an event in London.", "summary": "A $100m initiative to listen for signals from alien life is targeting a star with an unusual dimming pattern."}
{"article": "Digitonomy Ltd sent over five million unsolicited messages encouraging people to apply for cash loans via affiliates. Investigating 1,464 complaints about the texts made between April 2015 and February 2016, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found the company could not prove it had consent. A company spokesman apologised to those people who found the texts \"unwelcome\". The ICO's investigation revealed the company had used affiliates to send the messages and claimed they had proof of consent. The ICO's head of enforcement Steve Eckersley said the wording of the consent examples were not sufficient and businesses that rely on direct marketing \"must be able to confirm that people have given their permission to receive text messages\". \"Depending on the word of another company is simply not acceptable and is not an excuse,\" he said. A spokesman for Digitonomy said the company was \"sorry that a reported 0.03% of recipients found the marketing messages from our appointed affiliate management company last year unwelcome\". He added that the company remained \"determined to operate at all times within both the spirit and the letter of the law and best practice\".", "summary": "A Chester credit broker has been fined \u00a3120,000 for sending millions of text messages without permission."}
{"article": "Welsh duo Alex Cuthbert and Adam Jones join the South African in a line-up captained by Ireland's Shane Jennings. He leads a side containing nine different nationalities with 466 international appearances between them. It includes his Leinster team-mates Zane Kirchner and Jimmy Gopperth, Toulon's leading try scorer David Smith and former All Black Joe Rokocoko. Head coach Robbie Deans will be in charge of the Barbarians, the famous invitation club celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Leinster and Ireland flanker Jennings retires from the professional game this summer after a career in which he has won 13 caps for Ireland, Pro12 and European Cup titles with the province and an Aviva Premiership title with Leicester Tigers. \"It's an honour to lead out such an illustrious team. It's a great highlight in my career and we'll be determined to do the Barbarians' jersey justice against Ireland,\" said Jennings. Lions tight-head Jones anchors a scrum containing a powerful second row combination in Uruguay's Rodrigo Capo Ortega and Georgia's Konstantin Mikautadze. Japan's Ryu Koliniasi Holani is a dynamic number eight from Deans's club side Panasonic Wild Knights. Ireland have named a 27-strong squad, dominated by Leinster and Ulster players, for the Limerick encounter. Barbarians: Zane Kirchner (Leinster & South Africa), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues & Wales), Joe Rokocoko (Bayonne & New Zealand), Wynand Olivier (Montpellier & South Africa), David Smith (Toulon), James Gopperth (Leinster), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster & South Africa), Roberto Tejerizo (Tucuman & Argentina), Deon Fourie (Lyon), Adam Jones(Cardiff Blues & Wales), Rodrigo Capo Ortega (Castres & Uruguay), Konstantin Mikautadze (Toulon & Georgia), Shane Jennings (Leinster & Ireland, capt), Gerhard Vosloo (Toulon), Ryu Koliniasi Holani (Panasonic Wild Knights & Japan). Replacements: David Ward (Harlequins), Saimone Taumoepeau (Castres & New Zealand), Matias Diaz (Pampas & Argentina), George Whitelock (Panasonic Wild Knights & New Zealand), George Smith (Lyon & Australia), Tomas Cubelli (Belgrano Ath & Argentina), Tusi Pisi (Suntory Sungoliath & Samoa), Gio Aplon (Grenoble & South Africa).", "summary": "Ulster scrum-half Ruan Pienaar has been named in the Barbarians team to take on Ireland at Thomond Park on Thursday."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 16 November 2014 Last updated at 19:39 GMT Adam Gilmour was walking to meet a school bus with his mother and siblings when the accident happened near Cloughmills on Tuesday. BBC Newsline's Conor Macauley reports.", "summary": "The funeral of the eight-year-old boy who was killed after his family was knocked down by a car on the way to school has taken place in Glarryford, County Antrim."}
{"article": "The Fawlty Towers and Monty Python star was quoted in a magazine interview last year as saying \"there's no way I want to work in TV, especially at the BBC\". In recent years, the 74-year-old British actor has mainly concentrated on voiceover roles. But BBC comedy head Shane Allen told the Daily Telegraph Cleese is a \"comedy god, and the door is always open\". \"We're in discussions about a piece that he might be in. It's a sitcom and it's very early days,\" Mr Allen said. Cleese, who appeared on the big screen in A Fish Called Wanda and two Harry Potter films, did take on small appearances in US TV sitcoms Whitney and Entourage between 2010 and 2013. He also reunited with his Monty Python co-stars in 2013 for live shows to pay an \u00c2\u00a3800,000 legal bill after losing a royalties case. And following his divorce from third wife Alyce Eichelberger in 2008, he performed in a comedy show dubbed the Alimony Tour. In last year's interview with Shortlist magazine, Cleese said he felt the BBC's commissioning editors had \"no idea\" what they were doing. He also said he had been offered \"cliched\" roles by ITV. Referring to Cleese's possible BBC sitcom return, Mr Allen told the Telegraph: \"There are certain people who have earned their badges, who have got the right to do what they want.\" He was speaking to the Telegraph before the first episode airs on Sunday in the BBC's \"landmark sitcom series\". The series features modern remakes of Are You Being Served?, Porridge, Till Death Us Do Part, Steptoe and Son, and Up Pompeii! Mr Allen said it was \"insulting\" to suggest the BBC's new comedies were not as good as the past but added: \"This is a chance to try to reclaim that and say these are titles and writers and pieces of work that are proven, and hallowed, and it's a chance to introduce them to a new generation.\" A BBC spokeswoman said: \"We would love to work with John Cleese. However nothing is confirmed at this stage and we do not comment on developments.\"", "summary": "John Cleese is reported to be in talks to return to the BBC for a sitcom which has been written specifically for him."}
{"article": "Kamiyah Mobley, who was abducted in July 1998, was found after a tip. Authorities in Walterboro, South Carolina, have charged Gloria Williams, 51, with kidnapping. Ms Mobley was living under another name and believed Ms Williams to be her mother. The biological family have been notified of the news. Jacksonville Sherriff's Office said DNA tests had confirmed Ms Mobley's identity. She appeared in good health, a \"normal 18-year-old woman\", it said. The office said it had acted on 2,500 tips since the abduction and received one last year to @MissingKids that eventually broke the case. It showed the original composite images released at the time of the kidnapping, along with a photograph of Ms Williams, who was arrested at her home on Friday morning. The baby was only eight hours old when she was taken by a woman posing as a health care worker at the University Medical Center, now known as UF Health Jacksonville. The woman told Kamiyah's mother, Shanara, that her baby had a fever and needed to be checked. She took the baby out of the room and disappeared. The case brought significant media attention as Shanara tried to locate her child. Although the biological family had been notified of the discovery and were \"elated\", the Jacksonville Sherriff's Office said: \"It is up to the victim on how contact will be made. The victim is now an adult.\" Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said: \"She had an idea that something may have occurred but... imagine her trying to process this. \"She was abducted as a newborn and needs time to process this... We want to respect her privacy and we ask that you do too.\"", "summary": "A girl stolen as a newborn from a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, has been found alive in South Carolina after more than 18 years, police say."}
{"article": "Both have agreed \"long-term\" contracts with the Championship strugglers and have joined for undisclosed fees. Pearce, 27, and Northern Ireland international Mckay, 26, could feature against Ipswich on Saturday. The pair follow Liam Ridgewell and Chris Herd to Wigan, following their loan moves to the DW Stadium earlier this month. \"He's someone we've been tracking for a while, a really powerful centre half, a leader and a warrior on the pitch,\" said manager Malky Mackay of former Portsmouth and Bournemouth centre-back Pearce. \"When we found out he might be available, we immediately did all we could to get him because he's a player who can play a major role in taking the club forwards.\" On Mckay, the Wigan boss added: \"We've been looking at Billy for some time. He lives to score and his record over the past two seasons speaks for itself. He's scored a lot of goals and been deadly for Inverness.\" Shaun Maloney, Ben Watson, Adam Forshaw, Callum McManaman and Ivan Ramis have all departed Wigan in the past week and ex-Cardiff manager Mackay said he knew he would have to offload players in January. \"I knew when I took the job on there had to be a restructure of the squad in terms of it being leaner and also dealing with the contract situation,\" added Mackay. \"So that then really comes to pass when the January window opens up. \"It was a process that was going to start in January and we are in the middle of it. \"What we are trying to do is make the best decisions for the club and every individual situation - depending on the club that comes in, the finances they want to pay, where the players contract is and where the players head is.\" Mackay also revealed there could be more departures from the DW Stadium before the January window closes.", "summary": "Wigan Athletic have signed Leeds defender Jason Pearce and Inverness Caledonian Thistle striker Billy Mckay."}
{"article": "The 30-man squad Broos picked for the opening round of 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and the Confederations Cup includes pacy midfielder Petrus Boumal. He caught the coach's eye with his mobility around the park at CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria's top flight. Broos, keen to inject fresh blood to a squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, has cast his net far and wide in search of new talent. The Belgian has also given a first call-up to Jean Charles Castelleto, a defender who plays for French Ligue 2 side Red Star and Lucien Owona, a centre-back for Spanish second division outfit Alcorcon. Striker Jean Pierre Nsame of Swiss side Servette is also in a squad dominated by more established faces such as goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa, striker Benjamin Moukandjo and defender Collins Fai. Goalkeeper Andre Onana, armed with a fresh contract he signed at Dutch giants Ajax a few days ago, has also been called up. His return after snubbing the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations will see him fight with Ondoa for the number one jersey. However, there is no place in the squad for strikers Clinton Njie and Eric Choupo-Moting. The Indomitable Lions are due to play Morocco in their first Nations Cup qualifier on 10 June. Three days later the reigning African champions will take on Colombia in a friendly ahead of the Fifa Confederations Cup in Russia. Cameroon squad: Goalkeepers: Fabrice Ondoa (FC Seville, Spain), Andrew Onana (Ajax Amsterdam, The Netherlands), Georges Bokwe (Mjondalen, Norway), Jules Goda (Ajaccio, France) Defenders: Ernest Mabouka (MSK Zilina, Slovakia), Collins Fai (Standard Liege, Belgium), Michael Ngadeu (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic), Adolphe Teikeu (Sochaux, France), Mohammed Djettei (Tarragona, Spain), Ambroise Oyongo (Montreal Impact, Canada), Jonathan Ngwem (Sambizanga, Angola), Jerome Guihoata (Panionios, Greece), Jean Louis Castelletto (Red Star, France), Lucien Owona (Alcorcon, Spain) Midfielders: Sebastien Siani (Ostende, Belgium), Arnaud Djoum (Hearts, Scotland), Georges Mandjeck (FC Metz, France), Zambo Anguissa (Marseille, France), Frank Boya (1860 Munich, Germany), Petrus Boumal (CSKA Sofia, Bulgaria) Forwards: Christian Bassogog (Henan Jianye, China), Karl Toko (Angers CSO, France), Olivier Boumal (Panathinaikos, Greece), Jacques Zoua (FC Kaiserslautern, Germany), Vincent Aboubakar (Besiktas, Turkey), Benjamin Moukandjo (Lorient, France), Robert Tambe Ndip (Spartak Trnava, Slovakia), Nicolas Ngamaleu (Rheindof, Austria), Jean Pierre Nsame (Servette, Switzerland), Edgard Salli (Nuremberg, Germany)", "summary": "Cameroon coach Hugo Broos has called up seven uncapped players to his squad for upcoming matches."}
{"article": "At the High Court in Livingston, Scott Macintosh was found guilty of attempted murder. He had denied carrying out the attack on art graduate Kate Lampitt-Adey, 26, in her Edinburgh flat in August. Macintosh, from Leith, claimed in his defence Miss Lampitt-Adey already had the injuries when he got to her flat. The photographs, taken by a police officer an hour after the assault, show her entire face swollen and bruised. Her eyes were badly bloodshot and fingertip bruises on either side of her windpipe could be seen where Macintosh, 36, repeatedly tried to choke her. Police called to the scene by neighbours who heard her strangled screams for help were also attacked by the accused. Officers found Miss Lampitt-Adey barricaded in a room in her Easter Road home \"cowering\" behind a bed.", "summary": "A man who attacked and strangled a woman who dumped him after a short relationship has been jailed for nine years."}
{"article": "Olivia Edohasim, nine, died when the black Toyota Auris she was travelling in hit a brick wall on Manchester Road, Altrincham, Greater Manchester, on 7 May. Police have released two CCTV images of a Citroen and a Range Rover to encourage the drivers to contact them. Although not involved, police think they may be able to aid the inquiry. Police said a man, 45, and a girl, 11 - who were also in the car and are believed to be related to Olivia - are still in hospital but are \"recovering well\". Police said neither the driver of the Citroen C3 or a dark coloured Range Rover Evoque have come forward to speak to police. Sgt Brian Orr, of Greater Manchester Police, said: \"We don't believe the drivers of these vehicles have done anything wrong or were involved in the collision.\" He said new information about where the vehicles were may \"jog some memories\". He said: \"Moments before the collision the Citroen C3 is seen to be travelling along Stamford Brook Road heading in the direction of Manchester Road.\" He said it was then overtaken by the Toyota car Olivia was travelling in near the park entrance of Trafford College. The Citroen then turned left on to Manchester Road towards Sale. The driver of the Range Rover Evoque turned right on to Stamford Brook Road from Manchester Road and passed the Dulux building. Sgt Orr believes the Range Rover driver saw the Toyota Auris overtake the Citroen and flashed the main beam headlights at the Toyota. The Range Rover then continued along Stamford Brook Road towards Turnbull Road.", "summary": "Police are urging two drivers who may have seen a crash in which a young girl was killed to come forward."}
{"article": "Airdrieonians man Watt placed the ball in the bottom corner following good work from Robert Thomson. He then turned provider as player-manager Darren Dods headed the second. Watt and Thomson found the net to put the game beyond the second-bottom side before Forfar defender Gareth Rodger was sent off in the last minute. The victory takes Brechin to within four points of Forfar, although the Loons have a game in hand over City and Cowdenbeath, who are a further three points ahead. Match ends, Brechin City 4, Forfar Athletic 0. Second Half ends, Brechin City 4, Forfar Athletic 0. Scott Shepherd (Brechin City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Second yellow card to Gareth Rodger (Forfar Athletic) for a bad foul. Foul by Gareth Rodger (Forfar Athletic). Robert Thomson (Brechin City) is shown the yellow card. Attempt missed. Bryan Hodge (Forfar Athletic) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Attempt saved. Scott Shepherd (Brechin City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Corner, Forfar Athletic. Conceded by Jonathan Tiffoney. Foul by Jamie Montgomery (Brechin City). Euan Spark (Forfar Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Forfar Athletic. Conceded by Graeme Smith. Corner, Forfar Athletic. Conceded by Darren McCormack. Foul by Jonathan Tiffoney (Brechin City). Gareth Rodger (Forfar Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing. Substitution, Brechin City. Jamie Montgomery replaces Liam Watt. Attempt saved. Thomas O'Brien (Forfar Athletic) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Corner, Forfar Athletic. Conceded by Darren McCormack. Goal! Brechin City 4, Forfar Athletic 0. Robert Thomson (Brechin City) header from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Willie Dyer. Euan Spark (Forfar Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Robert Thomson (Brechin City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Euan Spark (Forfar Athletic). Substitution, Forfar Athletic. Bryan Hodge replaces Martyn Fotheringham. Attempt missed. Martyn Fotheringham (Forfar Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Attempt saved. Liam Watt (Brechin City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Steven Craig (Forfar Athletic) hits the bar with a header from the centre of the box. Substitution, Forfar Athletic. Omar Kader replaces Derek Young. Attempt saved. Scott Shepherd (Brechin City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Corner, Brechin City. Conceded by Darren Hill. Gareth Rodger (Forfar Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Scott Shepherd (Brechin City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Gareth Rodger (Forfar Athletic). Euan Smith (Brechin City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Scott Martin (Forfar Athletic). Robert Thomson (Brechin City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Gareth Rodger (Forfar Athletic). Substitution, Brechin City. Euan Smith replaces James Dale. Substitution, Brechin City. Scott Shepherd replaces Andy Jackson.", "summary": "On-loan midfielder Liam Watt bagged a brace as bottom-of-the-table Brechin City secured a victory over fellow League One strugglers Forfar Athletic."}
{"article": "Cpl Reginald Robbins's name was on the roll of honour read out at the original unveiling ceremony for Andover's war memorial in 1920. It it not known why it was never included on the actual memorial. A service of rededication was held after his name was inscribed on the Portland stone monument. Cpl Robbins was born in Sussex but moved to Andover with his father when he was in his teens, joining the Royal Engineers in 1917. He saw service in France and Egypt before his death from Spanish flu in 1920 at the age of 25. The disease claimed up to 50 million lives around the world during the pandemic which began in March 1918. Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Councillor Ian Carr, said the inscription, which followed research by local historian Craig Fisher, was a \"poignant tribute\". \"We may never know exactly why Reginald's name was not included on the memorial, but it is important that he is honoured and correctly remembered alongside the other local servicemen who gave their lives,\" he added.", "summary": "The name of a soldier who died in the years following World War One has been added to a Hampshire war memorial, 95 years after it was erected."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device City are now 10 points behind leaders Chelsea after defeat on Merseyside - the heaviest league loss in Guardiola's managerial career. Asked if the gap was too great, he said: \"Yes. Ten is a lot of points.\" Guardiola, 45, has told his players to unite \"in the bad moments\" and \"forget the table\" until the end of the season. He added: \"At the end of the season, we are going to evaluate our level and how our performance was, how the coach was, how the players were. After that we are going to decide.\" The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss insisted he was \"so happy in Manchester\" despite his side sitting fifth, two points behind fourth-placed Arsenal. Guardiola watched City dominate possession on Merseyside but concede four from the six shots they faced. Only five teams have a lower haul than their four clean sheets in the league - BBC Radio 5 live pundit Robbie Savage said City \"cannot defend\" and questioned if Guardiola would now change his style. City are the only team in the Premier League to have over 50% of possession in every game this season but they have now conceded from the first shot they have faced in four of their last seven games. Guardiola added: \"I said to the players be positive because you made some fantastic things during the season and for many reasons we didn't get what I think we deserved. \"In the bad moments we have to be close. It's awful for my players. We created chances but don't score and when they have a chance, they punish us.\" Everton scored with their first two shots through Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas, with Tom Davies and Ademola Lookman completing the rout. Lookman's goal came after a John Stones clearance was charged down, throwing the young defender again under the spotlight. It was Stones' first visit to Goodison Park since leaving Everton for City in a \u00a347.5m deal last summer. The 22-year-old has been criticised for making too many mistakes, and former Manchester United and Everton defender Phil Neville believes he is being unfairly singled out. However, fellow pundit Alan Shearer told Match of the Day 2: \"John Stones did have a nightmare. He is 22 now, he has played nearly 100 Premier League games and everyone keeps saying to me and to the rest of the football world, that he is going to be a top player. \"If I'm a centre forward, a young guy and I keep on missing chances, I don't expect to be in the team. Eventually you are going to get left out. I keep seeing Stones making mistakes too often, too many times.\" City's next outing is a home encounter with second-placed Tottenham, who are on a run of six league wins. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Manchester City are out of the Premier League title race after a 4-0 loss to Everton at Goodison Park, according to manager Pep Guardiola."}
{"article": "Last year meldonium was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited substance list and several athletes later tested positive for the drug. Tennis player Maria Sharapova is now serving a two-year ban. \"Athletes and their entourage have ample time to familiarise themselves with the list,\" Wada president Craig Reedie said. \"There can be no tolerance for people who intentionally break the rules.\" The updated list comes into force on 1 January 2017. It covers substances and methods banned in and out of competition, and which substances are banned in different sports. Wada said in April that scientists were unsure how long meldonium stayed in an athlete's system. It also suggested athletes who tested positive before 1 March could avoid bans, provided they had stopped taking it before 1 January. Sharapova, 29, tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open in January 2016 and an out-of-competition test on 2 February. The Russian said she had been taking meldonium since 2006 for health reasons and was unaware it had been added to the banned list as she knew it only by the name mildronate.", "summary": "Athletes have been warned to prepapre for an updated list of banned substances coming into force in 2017."}
{"article": "Police were called to the woman's mobile home after receiving a 911 call about a woman suffering chest pains. But when officers arrived, the woman pointed a gun at them and threatened to shoot anyone who came near her. The woman stayed put despite police using flash grenades and tear gas. The standoff in the town of Topanga, near Los Angeles, finally ended early on Friday after the woman attempted to crawl under her mobile home and police pulled her out. \"It's very unusual, but we're just happy that we're able to bring this to a peaceful resolution,\" said Lt. A J Rotella of the Sheriff's Department's Malibu station told the Los Angeles Times. \"No-one wants to see an elderly woman, for whatever reason she acted this way, no one wanted to see her get seriously hurt.\" It was unclear whether the crisis-negotiation robot was damaged in the incident. The woman also hit it with a broom and threw a cover over it. Some police departments in the US use the robots - equipped with two-way radios and cameras - to scout dangerous situations and establish communication between police and suspects.", "summary": "An elderly California woman has surrendered to police after a 22-hour stand-off, in which the woman shot at a police robot that was sent to communicate with her."}
{"article": "In the six months to 13 August, sales climbed 14.4% to \u00c2\u00a3259.5m, with profits rising 20.5% to \u00c2\u00a321.5m. This was despite rival retailers struggling due to unseasonal weather. \"This is the company's first update since Brexit, and is a strong showing,\" said George Salmon, an analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. \"The second half of the year is more important to Ted Baker than the first, nonetheless the news that sales growth remains robust provides reassurance that the group can continue to thrive, even in challenging times.\" The company, which opened its first store in Glasgow in 1988, now has 470 outlets worldwide selling fashion and accessories. It grew in all its markets, with retail sales in the UK and Europe - its biggest market - up 8.5%. In North America sales climbed 28.7% and they were 15.8% higher in Asia. Online sales meanwhile leapt 29.7% as the firm invested in web design, personalised content and language-specific websites. Brands such as Next and H&M have reported below-forecast results this year, with sales hit by colder weather in March and April this year. However, Zara-owner Inditex reported strong first-half profits, driven partly by rising online sales.", "summary": "Fashion group Ted Baker has reported strong profits for the first half of 2016 despite challenging trading conditions."}
{"article": "R&B Distillers has proposed turning Borodale House, a derelict Victorian hotel, into a distillery and visitor centre. The building work is scheduled to begin in April this year and the production of whisky next year. The distillery would be one of the largest employers on an island with a population of about 170 people.", "summary": "Highland Council has approved plans for the Isle of Raasay's first whisky distillery."}
{"article": "The current provider, Silcox Coaches, is facing an uncertain future after experiencing financial difficulties. The Pembroke Dock-based company has 28 school contracts with Pembrokeshire council, but BBC Wales understands it intends to file for administration unless a buyer can be found. Edwards Coaches will be the new provider after half term. Based in Pontypridd, Edwards Coaches is the largest family owned coach-company in the country employing over 500 staff and operating 260 vehicles. Its managing director Mike Edwards confirmed all former Silcox home-to-school transport routes will be operated by Edwards when school term resumes on Monday, 6 June. Silcox Coaches operates a further 18 public transport routes in Pembrokeshire and separate arrangements are being considered for these services.", "summary": "An alternative coach company has been brought in to provide school transport in Pembrokeshire."}
{"article": "Nicholas Eggington was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault and two counts of gross indecency against a male child between 1992 and 1993. The 58-year-old, who taught at the Cheam School in Hampshire, was placed on the sex offenders' register for life. He is also subject to a sexual harm prevention order. Winchester Crown Court heard Eggington, from Nottingham, worked at the school in Headley between 1987 and 1993. Following sentencing on Friday, a Hampshire Police spokesman said the victim had shown \"courage\" during the \"difficult investigation\".", "summary": "A teacher has been jailed for three years for sexually abusing a boy at a preparatory school."}
{"article": "Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the Athens government. The island was effectively partitioned with the northern third inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds by Greek Cypriots. United Nations troops patrol the \"Green Line\" dividing the two parts. Reunification talks have proceeded slowly. Cyprus successfully diversified its largely agrarian economy into one based on services - including a large tourism sector - and light manufacturing. More recently it has also developed into an important financial hub, especially for investors from Russia and Eastern Europe. Population 1.1 million (combined) Area 9,251 sq km (3,572 sq miles) (combined) Major languages Greek, Turkish Major religions Christianity, Islam Life expectancy 78 years (men), 82 years (women) (UN) Currency euro; Turkish lira in the north President: Nicos Anastasiades Conservative Democratic Rally candidate Nicos Anastasiades won the February 2013 run-off election by one of the biggest margins for many years, promising to do whatever was needed to secure a financial rescue package. He pledged to hammer out a quick deal with foreign lenders and bring Cyprus closer to Europe, in a shift from the policies of the outgoing Communist government that first sought aid from Russia before turning to the European Union. He quickly reached agreement with the UN and IMF on a 10bn-euro bank bailout, which was equally quickly amended to safeguard smaller bank accounts after parliament rejected the deal. On the question of reunification with the separatist Turkish Cypriot north, President Anastasiades welcomed the election of pro-unity Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci in 2015 and immediately agreed to the resumption of hitherto stalled talks. Turkish Cypriot leader: Mustafa Akinci Mustafa Akinci, a social democrat, swept to victory in the Turkish Cypriot communal presidential election in 2015, promising to push harder for a peace deal in Cyprus. He beat the nationalist incumbent Dervis Eroglu. As long-serving mayor of the Turkish Cypriot municipality of North Nicosia between 1976 and 1990, Mr Akinci had pioneered cooperation with his southern counterpart on practical sanitation and heritage projects. This experience illuminates his later devotion to the cause of Cypriot reunification. He founded the Peace and Democracy Movement in 2003 in support of the UN's Annan Plan for a united Cyprus within the European Union, and also advocates a policy of greater independence from Turkey in policy matters. The Cypriot government welcomed his election. The status of Northern Cyprus as a separate entity is recognised only by Turkey. The Cypriot media mirror the island's political division, with the Turkish-controlled zone in the north operating its own press and broadcasters. Some 95% of Cypriots were online by 2015 and 70% on Facebook. Some key dates in the history of Cyprus: 1914 - Cyprus annexed by Britain, after more than 300 years of Ottoman rule. Britain had occupied the island in 1878, although it remained nominally under Ottoman sovereignty. 1955 - Greek Cypriots begin guerrilla war against British rule. The guerrilla movement, the National Organisation of Cypriot Combatants (EOKA), wants enosis (unification) with Greece.", "summary": "By legend the birthplace of the ancient Greek goddess of love Aphrodite, Cyprus's modern history has, in contrast, been dominated by enmity between its Greek and Turkish inhabitants."}
{"article": "15 May 2017 Last updated at 13:14 BST The narwhal is a mysterious member of the whale family that mostly lives in the Arctic. It has a long pointy tusk that points out of the end of its nose - that's led to the creature having the nickname, the \"unicorn whale\". Scientist knew very little about what these tusks were for until they started filming them in the wild, using drones. Now they know it's part of a clever way to hunt fish... Watch this...", "summary": "Scientists reckon they've figured out why the narwhal has its famous tusk."}
{"article": "The Union of Construction Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT) said staff at Green Hill Construction were told it was closing on 11 April. Workers were given no notice period and were not consulted, the union said. The firm, which employed over 150 people, built houses for housing associations. Green Hill was set up in 2006 to build affordable homes for social landlords and had worked for associations including Seren and Cardiff Community Housing Association. In January 2013 it announced it was creating 20 new jobs after receiving \u00c2\u00a3146,650 from the Welsh government's economic growth fund. Dave Gunter, regional organiser for UCATT, said the company had showed no signs of being in trouble before its closure announcement. \"The first we knew about it was when our members called saying they had been told there was no work for them,\" he said. \"It was obviously a sad day for them.\" Mr Gunter said workers had been advised by the firm to claim outstanding payments from the Redundancy Payments Service, but the union had been unable to contact the company to confirm that. BBC Wales understands the future of the company will be resolved next week. Green Hill Construction could not be contacted for a comment. The Welsh government said it would work with the company to see if jobs could be secured. A spokeswoman said: \"The company received financial support from the Welsh government and we always seek to recover public funds if and when possible to do so. \"Our first priority is to assist the company and its staff at this difficult time.\"", "summary": "Workers at a Newport building firm are facing redundancy after the company warned it was going into administration, union leaders claim."}
{"article": "The film, based on the fantasy game World of Warcraft (WoW), will open in China on 8 June, two days before it begins screening in the US, although it will be screened in various countries prior to that. The game sees players exploring a vast landscape, complete quests and interact with other gamers, and is known for its colourful array of monsters and landscapes, giving rise to its Chinese name \"World of Magic Beasts\". China is one of the biggest markets for WoW. The Chinese are estimated to make up about half of its five million players. One of the studios behind the movie, Legendary Entertainment, is majority owned by Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda, which acquired a controlling stake in January. But the decision is also part of an accelerating trend where Hollywood has been wooing China by staging elaborate premieres and tie-ups. The last Transformers movie was partly funded by Chinese backers and shot in China - though that ran into controversy - and the latest Star Wars movie was heavily promoted in China with publicity stunts and the appointment of pop star Luhan as an ambassador. The love story between China and WoW is one of perseverance, as the game's popularity has soared despite deep government suspicion prompting heavy controls, according to tech blog Engadget. Chinese players had to make do with a special version of the game with its violence, gore and even character design toned down. Skeletons were \"covered up\" with flesh, and even the colour of spilt blood was changed to a darker, less shocking hue. The government also insisted that a timer mechanism be built into the game to prevent people from playing it for too long, following widespread fears of internet addiction. Last year one WoW player reportedly collapsed and died after playing it for 19 hours without a break. Operation of the game in China was originally in foreign hands, but it eventually was bought over by Chinese company NetEase. But such obstacles could not stop its runaway success - part of the reason was the timing, as the game was first introduced China in 2005, at a time where online access and internet cafes were fast proliferating amid a booming tech scene. In a nod to its popularity, creator Blizzard Entertainment made a Chinese-inspired expansion to the game called Mists of Pandaria in 2012, featuring panda warriors and monk characters. In recent years the number of players of WoW globally has dropped, but it has made a lasting mark in China as a cultural touchstone. Entrepreneurial Chinese have cashed in on the craze - sometimes without official permission. There is WoW merchandise, a WoW-themed restaurant, and even a massive knock-off theme park in Changzhou. Perhaps unsurprisingly there is also a knock-off Warcraft movie - this month, a Chinese-produced movie called MyWoW will open in cinemas ahead of the official film.", "summary": "Hollywood film Warcraft will come to China next month, in what is the culmination of a decade-long love affair between the world's most populous country and one of the most popular online games of all time, writes the BBC's Tessa Wong."}
{"article": "Lamara Bell, 25, was found conscious inside the car near Stirling on 5 July but died in hospital four days later. Her partner John Yuill, 28, died in the crash which was reported to police but not followed up. Ms Bell's brother Martin said police investigations revealed she was able to speak to rescuers when they found her. In a post on Facebook, Mr Bell said: \"She was defo 100% conscious. She was able to tell them her name. She added 4 years on to her age and told them she was 29. She did also say she was only in the car for 20 mins. He added: \"They also said she was still moving around trying to get out the car but was trapped. \"Proud of my sis for doing so well over those three days then the following days in hospital for not giving up the fight. Brave amazing girl. She gave it her all and fought until the end.\" Ms Bell, a mother of two from Falkirk, was found beside Mr Yuill in the couple's blue Renault Clio on 8 July. The car, which had left a slip road and gone down an embankment, was reported to police on the day of the accident by a member of the public. But the details were not entered into the police system. It was eventually located by officers following up another call from a member of the public who had seen the vehicle. Scottish Justice Secretary Michael Matheson has ordered a review of all police call handling and the case is also the subject of an independent investigation by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc).", "summary": "A young mother who lay trapped in a car for three days after it crashed on the M9 was trying to escape when rescuers arrived, her brother has said."}
{"article": "Valdes, 32, has signed an 18-month contract at Old Trafford. De Gea, 24, won United's player of the year award last season. \"Nobody is happy to be number two and Victor has to have ambition to beat David De Gea - but it shall be very hard for him,\" said Van Gaal. Valdes had been training at United as he recovered from a serious knee injury. De Gea has 18 months remaining on his present deal with United after signing for the club in 2011, but he has recently been linked with a move to Real Madrid. However, the United boss says he will extend the player's terms with the club rather than succeed the 33-year-old Iker Casillas at Real. When asked if he thought De Gea would stay, Van Gaal said: \"I think so, yes. There is no problem for him to sign.\" The Dutchman also does not see an issue with having two full Spain internationals in his squad fighting for one position. \"My ambition is that I have the best players who can collaborate with each other to form the best team in the world,\" he said. \"When we invited Victor in to have his rehabilitation at Manchester United, we did it for him and ourselves, so I could see if his quality is also still the same. He has confirmed both.\" Valdes' arrival on a full-time basis is likely to mean the exit of previous back-up goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard. Unbeaten in 11 games, United play Southampton with their manager able to pick from a virtually fully fit squad for the first time this season. \"We only have one player injured. Can you believe it?\" said Van Gaal. \"I have to select, for the first time in my career at Manchester United, the 11 players and the 18.\" Van Gaal confirmed England winger Ashley Young would be missing for between four and six weeks with a hamstring injury.", "summary": "Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says he signed Victor Valdes knowing the former Barcelona goalkeeper will not be happy being back-up for fellow Spaniard David De Gea."}
{"article": "High Performance Computing (HPC) Wales will provide computers that can handle and analyse massive amounts of data at a high speed. The assembly government said it will help the economy by encouraging world-class research and development. Researchers have welcomed the project. The new technology will mean that tasks that usually take months using normal computers can be done in days or even minutes. It can be used for many diverse tasks, such as facial reconstruction modelling, animated graphics, nuclear energy research, petroleum exploration, car crash simulations and airflows over aircraft wings. The assembly government, which is helping to fund the technology, said it will give Wales a super-computing capacity and network at a scale not attempted anywhere else in the UK or Europe, which will help the country's economy and business competitiveness. It will also help create over 400 jobs in industry, it added. \"The scale of this project is ambitious and will reach all four corners of Wales,\" said Lesley Griffiths, deputy minister for science, innovation and skills in the assembly government. DEMENTIA STUDY, BANGOR UNIVERSITY- Teams are working on different brain images to try to understand pain and dementia and how to protect against further deterioration of the brain. HPC will help analyse the data. ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY, ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY - Scientists have developed computer software applications that analyse satellite image data to monitor environmental impact and change. HPC will speed up the process and help environmental initiatives and businesses. HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION, CARDIFF UNIVERSITY - Researchers are trying to better understand plate motion history and the role of the Earth's mantle. Scientists are starting to create models of the history of plate motion going back 80 million years. Plate models dating further back need HPC to help work out if they are correct and realistic. Source: Welsh Assembly Government \"It will speed up innovation from research carried out in Welsh universities through to commercial market ready products.\" The main computer hubs for HPC Wales will be in Cardiff and Swansea, with links to Aberystwyth, Bangor and Glamorgan universities, along with University of Wales Alliance Universities and Technium business innovation centres around Wales. More than 100 innovation collaborative projects between the universities and industry in Wales have already been identified that would benefit from HPC technology. These range from modelling and simulating medical implants to analysing satellite images for monitoring environmental change. Professor Ian Cluckie, Swansea University's pro vice chancellor for science and engineering, said the new technology would help researchers and businesses across Wales. He said: \"It will ensure that researchers, students and businesses have access to state-of-the-art high performance computing, that is required to undertake the internationally recognised research that drives the knowledge economy and underpins the Welsh agenda in crucial sectors such as health, science, engineering and advanced manufacturing.\" Professor Noel Lloyd, chair of Higher Education Wales and vice chancellor of Aberystwyth University, added: \"This is tremendous for Wales, both in terms of research capacity and the ways in which the higher education sector can work in collaboration to provide opportunities and training for business.\" The assembly government is", "summary": "A \u00a340m super computer project has been launched that will give businesses and universities in Wales access to the most advanced computing technology currently available."}
{"article": "It is understood 150 people work at the office in Dundalk, County Louth. eBay have not said how many staff will be impacted by the closure. It said it will begin a formal consultation with employees. The company said the plant will close in the second quarter of 2017. The closure comes after the decision to separate eBay and its PayPal business. After the split, PayPal became landlords of the facility in Dundalk from which both companies have been based. PayPal had told eBay that it intended to expand its business and asked tenants to leave so it could occupy the facility. \"We will begin a formal consultation process with our colleagues in Dundalk and will share any further information with them as a matter of priority,\" eBay said in a statement. A spokesperson for PayPal said it was committed to its offices in Dundalk and Dublin. \"Today PayPal employs more than 2,600 teammates across both sites, and we're on track to reach 3,000 by 2018. The commitment is in line with our previous jobs announcements. \"Our operations will expand and move into the office space vacated by eBay.\"", "summary": "Internet auction site eBay has told staff at an office in the Republic of Ireland that the facility will close next year."}
{"article": "\"It's a mixture of craziness and political action,\" said Professor Jerzy Sarnecki from Stockholm University's Department of Criminology. \"This is not a person without psychological problems. But he has been inspired by the discourse we have in this country now related to the question of refugees and foreigners.\" Sweden expects to receive 190,000 asylum applications this year, one of the highest rates per capita in Europe. Support for the far right has risen as Sweden's ability to house and integrate the new arrivals comes under strain. Amid the febrile debate, some polls suggest the Sweden Democrats party - which is critical of Islam and immigration and won 13% of the vote in the 2014 election - is now the country's biggest party. \"Sweden as we know it will not survive the influx of refugees, that is what the party is saying,\" said Prof Sarnecki. \"Anonymous people on the internet say much worse things. They say there is no other way but to kill these people and burn the barracks where they are staying. They will celebrate this guy as someone who has offered his life for the survival of his people.\" More than a dozen arson attacks this year have targeted refugee reception centres and homes. However the Trollhattan attack is the worst thing that could have happened for the Sweden Democrats, Prof Sarnecki said: \"It has made them toxic.\" The attack has similarities to far right attacks that happened in the 1980s and 1990s, when Sweden was welcoming in refugees from the Bosnian and Iran-Iraq War, according to Professor Jonas Hinnfors, professor of political sciences at Gothenburg University. But he says the deeper trend is that Swedes have become far more open-minded towards immigration, and he doesn't foresee that changing. Up to 40% of people want fewer migrants today, down from 65% in the 1990s, he pointed out. \"Public opinion has become drastically more open on issues of race, immigration and people from different cultures. On the other hand, the far right is mobilising - and certain groups may feel their resistance is hardening. Whether one side will have much of an impact on the other in future is hard to say,\" he said. Prof Sarnecki agrees that most Swedes are not against the society's rapid transformation from a homogeneous racial group into an ethnically mixed society. \"But a substantial group is against it,\" he said. \"And they are scared to death.\"", "summary": "Clad in black, with a Darth Vader-like mask, a Nazi helmet and a sword, Anton Lundin Pettersson marched like a soldier through the school corridors, singling out those with dark skin to attack."}
{"article": "Officials said the link was not spotted until a post-mortem examination because the woman lacked some of the common symptoms of measles, such as a rash. Measles is highly contagious, but it has been rarely fatal in the US. The death comes after an outbreak of measles at California's Disneyland in 2014 that infected over 100 people. Although no one died from that outbreak, it sparked an intense debate across the US about mandatory vaccinations for schoolchildren, which some parents oppose. Officials said the case in Washington state was not linked to that Disneyland incident. The woman was on medication that had weakened her immune system, Washington State Department of Health spokesman Donn Moyer told reporters. She was hospitalised for several health conditions in the spring at a facility in Clallam County, Mr Moyer said. \"She was there at the same time as a person who later developed a rash and was contagious for measles,\" he added. Officials have not revealed her name or her age but did say that she was not elderly. An autopsy concluded the cause of death was pneumonia due to measles. \"This tragic situation illustrates the importance of immunising as many people as possible to provide a high level of community protection against measles,\" Mr Moyer said. There have been 176 cases of measles in the US so far this year, with 117 of those cases linked to the Disney outbreak, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The last US death from measles was in 2003.", "summary": "The death of a woman in Washington state in spring has been confirmed as the first US fatality from measles in 12 years, health authorities say."}
{"article": "The Barbados-born 21-year-old made his first-team debut in 2016, taking 28 wickets in seven first-class games. He signed a first professional contract in August, but the club have now tied him to a longer deal. \"I'm happy to extend my contract. I can develop without any pressure and the aim is to continue to build on what I did last season,\" said Archer. \"My aim for next season is to take 70 wickets across all three formats, and if I can cement my place in the team then I think that can be a reality.\" He also showed batting potential by making a career-best 73 against Essex and coach Mark Davis believes he is an \"immense talent\". Davis added: \"He is still a young man learning his trade but the signs are clearly there that he will be an integral part of our future success.\"", "summary": "Sussex pace bowler Jofra Archer has agreed a two-year contract extension to run until the end of the 2019 season."}
{"article": "The sustainable development white paper was launched at a school in Blaenavon, Torfaen, dubbed a good example for helping the wider community. However, the Conservatives said urgent action was needed amid growing environmental concerns. And Welsh language campaigners feared their cause could fall lower down the priorities of public bodies. Delegates from organisations including local councils were told that Blaenavon Heritage Primary School was chosen as the location for the launch as it provided a wide range of courses and services across the area for residents with a number of public bodies working together. \"Our approach is very much rooted in Welsh values, with a focus on fairness, pride in our communities and our heritage,\" said John Griffiths, environment and sustainable development minister. \"The proposals set out in this White Paper are about focusing on the social, economic and environmental well being for Welsh people and Welsh communities over the long term.\" The Sustainable Development Bill includes: For the Conservatives, shadow environment minister Russell George said: \"While this consultation and its influence on future policy is extremely important, we have long called for Labour ministers to get a grip on sustainable development. \"With greenhouse gases on the rise, mobility policy failing, health inequalities getting wider and wildlife habitats in decline, it's more important than ever that we see urgent improvements.\" Meanwhile, the Welsh Language Society (Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg) has concerns. Sustainable communities spokesperson Toni Schiavone said: \"The government's language strategy is completely clear that Welsh needs to be mainstreamed in all its departments, especially where the work affects the future of Welsh speaking communities. \"However, under this Bill, there is a risk that public bodies will downgrade the Welsh language as a policy consideration. \"The government intends to make sustainable development public bodies' central organising principle. \"In that context, it's essential that the welfare of the Welsh language is part of the definition of sustainable development.\" The consultation runs until March with a number of public events from January.", "summary": "The Welsh government wants to introduce a new law to protect the \"well-being\" of community life."}
{"article": "The report, by Wales' Children's Commissioner Sally Holland, found homes provide the right care for some, helping them feel more stable. But it also highlighted concerns, such as children being criminalised by frequent police call-outs. Thirty-four looked-after children were interviewed, along with professionals. Ms Holland called on people who work with children in care to listen to their opinions and experiences. \"They are the experts on what works and it is important that their voices are heard,\" she said.", "summary": "Children leaving residential care at 18 feel they lack support while others claim they have limited say in where they will live, a report has found."}
{"article": "The letter was written just six hours before her execution on 8 February 1587. The 430-year-old handwritten letter has not been on display in Edinburgh since 2009. For preservation reasons, the letter was only to be on show for six hours between 10:00 and 16:00. It will now be on show until 19:00. Entry is free. Queues have started forming at the National Library of Scotland where the letter is on display. Mary is one of the most fascinating figures in Scottish history. She became queen of Scotland when she was six days old but spent most of her childhood in France. On her return her brief reign resulted in disastrous marriages, murder and war. She gave up the throne at the age of 24 and was a prisoner in England for most of the next 20 years until she executed on the orders of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. Her son James became king of Scotland and England. Mary's last letter was written at two o'clock in the morning on Wednesday 8 February 1587 as she prepared to meet her death at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire. Writing in French to Henri III, King of France - the brother of her first husband - she said: \"I am to be executed like a criminal at eight in the morning.\" In the letter she said her \"crime\" was her loyalty to her Catholic faith which, together with her claim to the English throne, made her a considerable threat to her cousin, Elizabeth. She also expressed concern for the servants she would leave behind who had served her so loyally during her 19-year imprisonment in England. Towards the end of the letter, she beseeched King Henri to have \"prayers offered to God for a queen who has borne the title Most Christian, and who dies a Catholic, stripped of all her possessions\".", "summary": "The last letter of Mary, Queen of Scots, is to be displayed for an extra three hours due to high public demand."}
{"article": "During a visit to County Down in June, Theresa May said a Leave vote would end an open north-south border. She also said it was inconceivable to suggest a Leave vote would not have a negative impact on the border. However, she said she wants to see no return to old style border controls. In her first interview as prime minister with a journalist from Northern Ireland, she said she wants to see free movement. As home secretary, Mrs May visited County Down in June and told the BBC: \"If we are out of the European Union with tariffs on exporting goods into the EU, there would have to be something to recognise that between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. \"And if you pulled out of the EU and came out of free movement, then how could you have a situation where there was an open border with a country that was in the EU and had access to free movement?\" But speaking to BBC News NI at Downing Street on Friday, Mrs May said she agreed with the Irish government and Northern Ireland Executive about not seeing a \"return to the borders of the past\". She would work \"closely together\" with them to ensure free movement across the border, she added. Mrs May denied that she had changed her view. \"What I said was that of course if we leave and there is a land border with a country within the European Union, that does bring a change to that relationship across the border,\" she said. \"All parties are clear about the intent and will to ensure we have an arrangement that isn't a return to the borders of the past.\" Questioned on how the border would be policed or controlled after Brexit, Mrs May said: \"We are discussing with the Irish government at the moment how we can develop these ideas in ways that are going to ensure that we deliver on the intention of all parties.\" One of Ms May's first acts as prime minister was to visit Belfast, and she has pledged that the Northern Ireland Executive would be fully involved in Brexit discussions. \"We are going to make a success of Brexit, there are real opportunities for the United Kingdom,\" she said. \"We need to grasp those opportunities around the world but the devolved administrations will all be - and the government in Belfast will be - involved and fully engaged in the discussions we are having.\" It is 100 days days since the EU referendum and the result has transformed the political landscape. The issue of Brexit is likely to dominate the Conservative Party conference which begins this weekend. The annual gathering in Birmingham marks Theresa May's first as leader and she will make her keynote address next Wednesday. Although the UK voted to leave the European Union, 56% of people in Northern Ireland voted to remain.", "summary": "The prime minister appears to have rowed back on her comments during the EU referendum campaign that there could be Irish border controls if the UK left the EU."}
{"article": "Tom Bradshaw scored twice with 15-yard shots either side of the break, after on-loan Adam Armstrong had fired the Tykes ahead with a 25th-minute penalty. From 2-0 down, Jonathan Kodjia offered hope, scoring from a narrow angle a minute after Bradshaw's first goal. But Bradshaw's second condemned Villa to a seventh defeat in eight games. Watched by their lowest league home crowd of the season, Villa are still seven points clear of relegation danger after a defeat inflicted by two strikers who were last season scoring their goals in the Midlands for League One clubs, Armstrong for Coventry City and Bradshaw for Walsall. Barnsley are ninth, six points shy of a play-off place, after their first victory - and goals - in three games. Villa had a lot of early first-half possession and created decent openings, with Henri Lansbury going close three times, while Albert Adomah powered a shot just over and former Barnsley captain Conor Hourihane missed a free header. But, out of the blue, the game changed on 25 minutes when winger Marley Watkins fell heavily under Jordan Amavi's challenge and striker Armstrong, on loan from Newcastle, confidently converted the resulting penalty to Sam Johnstone's right. Kodjia twice went close for Villa, either side of Barnsley's Liverpool loanee Ryan Kent having a free-kick tipped away for a corner by home goalkeeper Johnstone. However, on 43 minutes, Barnsley worked a second goal from the right, with Andy Yiadom flicking on for Bradshaw to clip a neat right-foot finish inside Johnstone's right post. Villa's response was instant, scoring just a minute later when Adomah's low ball from the right made it beyond the far post, where Kodjia turned in coolly from a narrow angle. But, on 58 minutes, Barnsley made the game safe when Villa failed to clear their lines from a badly-defended free-kick, allowing Bradshaw to drill a low left-foot finish into Johnstone's bottom right corner - only a seventh goal of the season for the summer signing. Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce told BBC WM: \"It's not good enough. That's for sure. We started off all right for the first 25 minutes and had a few chances but, as has happened over the last four or five weeks, we didn't take them, we make a mistake, we get punished and it goes round in a vicious circle. Confidence drains away, it takes over everything and it ends up being one of those ugly nights. \"We have to go back to the basics of what we were and how we changed things round when we first came in four months ago. We have to cut out the silly mistakes. We handed them two goals. \"The reason why we've got one of the biggest wage bills in the Championship is we've got to deal with the mentality and expectation. That's why they get paid more than anyone else in this division. \"But I'm convinced they are made of the right stuff and can get better, and it's my responsibility to make them better.\" Barnsley boss Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Sheffield: \"We", "summary": "Aston Villa's awful start to 2017 continued as Barnsley sent them to a fourth straight Championship defeat - and second at home in four days."}
{"article": "The Trust is bidding to take over the League Two club from owner Les Scadding. And it now has \u00a3236,000 following a fund-raising campaign that included a share issue to fans. A supporters group statement read: \"What an achievement and one the Trust Board are truly humbled by.\" The trust took interim control of the Rodney Parade-based club in August. Their millionaire backer Scadding backed the move in which the club's board stood down. Newport had already announced major shareholder Scadding was gifting his holding to the Trust. Interim chairman Tony Pring told BBC Radio Wales: \"People seem to think that Les sort of gets a chunk of that money and basically that money now goes into the club and becomes a working capital. \"Les, with several other people, have loans on the club that must be paid - they're club loans [and] they will be budgeted for\u2026 with monthly repayments. \"But the \u00a3236,000 actually basically goes into the club's bank account for working capital for running the club this season.\" The prospective new owners say they will strive to ensure The Exiles live within their means to support manager Terry Butcher. \"This is possible. We need to be prudent in our spending, driving down our cost base and increasing our revenue through a number of channels,\" added the statement. The Football League must approve the takeover, but Trust members expect that to be a formality. \"Now the hard work really starts,\" added the statement. \"No one should underestimate the challenge ahead. \"The club has been in a difficult place and it is going to take some time before it gets to where we would like it to be. \"That said, we are confident we can achieve this with the plans we have.\" Newport are bottom of the table after one league win this season and face Exeter at Rodney Parade on Saturday.", "summary": "Newport County football club is set to become fan-owned after its Supporters Trust comfortably passed a \u00a3195,000 fund-raising target."}
{"article": "Ban Ki-moon said he witnessed a looting incident in Les Cayes, where he promised more aid to Haiti. He also urged countries to donate more. Officials says more than 1.4 million people urgently need humanitarian help. There are also fears of a cholera outbreak, with spikes in cases and deaths reported in the south west. The waterborne disease reached the island via Nepalese UN troops after the deadly earthquake in 2010, causing the deaths of nearly 10,000 people. Tensions have been high as help has yet to reach many families whose crops and water supplies have been destroyed. Haitian police and UN peacekeepers used tear gas to disperse a group of 100 residents who attacked humanitarian convoys in Les Cayes on Saturday. \"We understand the impatience and the anger of the population who are waiting for emergency relief. We are doing all we can to facilitate the arrival of the assistance soon as possible,\" Mr Ban said. He flew over areas hit by the hurricane alongside Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles. \"I was very, very sad when we saw the complete devastation. But people the world over stand with you,\" the UN chief added. \"We are going to mobilize as many resources and as much medical support as we can to first of all stop the cholera epidemic and second support the families of the victims.\" Some 120,000 homes were either damaged or destroyed when Category Four Hurricane Matthew swept through on 4 October with winds of 145mph (230km/h). Mr Ban visited a shelter in Les Cayes and told the displaced \"kembe fem\" in Creole, meaning \"hang in there\". In the town, one of the worst affected by Matthew, the streets have been cleaned and business have reopened. But power, transport and communications links are still difficult in other areas. Last week, Mr Ban called for a \"massive response\" to help the country, the poorest in the Americas. The UN launched an emergency appeal for nearly $120m (\u00c2\u00a397m) in aid, but just a fraction of it has been raised. Mr Ban acknowledged there was aid \"fatigue\", but urged countries to help Haiti.", "summary": "Angry Haitians looted aid trucks as the UN secretary general visited parts of the country hit by Hurricane Matthew, which killed 900 people."}
{"article": "NICE, the advisory body for the health service, has already been exploring the issue. But it now wants to know what the public thinks after the idea got the thumbs up from its citizen's council. Nearly two thirds of the 32-strong group - used as a sounding board for sensitive topics - backed incentives. In May, NICE officials told the BBC incentives could play a key role in tackling smoking, obesity and drinking rates and was working with academics to see how and when they worked best. Merit Its citizen's council agrees the idea has merit - as long as the payments are not allowed to be used for unhealthy pursuits. The backing has prompted the public consultation which will be run until the end of November. Incentive schemes are already operated in some areas to mixed success, while NICE has already backed their use for drug users. However, it is unlikely the current government would allow NICE to formally recommend incentives as an option for the whole health service. A Department of Health spokesman described them as an undesirable use of money and should only be adopted as a \"last resort\". Instead, it seems the only way the advisory body would end up backing them would be for niche groups, such as specific age groups or for people from certain social backgrounds, if there was strong evidence they worked. NICE chairman Sir Michael Rawlins said: \"We clearly face several public health challenges in today's society, some more obvious than others, and we must seek to improve these in ways that are likely to achieve the best health outcomes for those affected.\"", "summary": "A public consultation is being launched over whether the NHS in England and Wales should offer financial incentives to encourage healthier lifestyles."}
{"article": "West African mediators spent several hours with Mr Jammeh on Friday, negotiating his future. The motorcade carrying the presidents of Guinea and Mauritania has left the official residence, but they are not thought to have left the country. Mr Jammeh was defeated in December's election and his successor Adama Barrow has been inaugurated. A tweet from an account believed to belong to the new president, saying that Mr Jammeh had agreed to step down and go into exile, has since been deleted. But Mai Fatty, a senior aide to the new president, told the BBC's Umaru Fofana that Mr Jammeh had agreed to step down. News agency AFP reported that Mr Jammeh had agreed in principle to go but that the terms of his departure were still being finalised. Mr Barrow told Gambians who had fled the country that they now had \"the liberty to return home\". \"The rule of fear has been vanished from The Gambia for good,\" he said in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. Mr Barrow has been in neighbouring Senegal for days. He was sworn in at the Gambian embassy there on Thursday. West African nations, including Senegal, have deployed troops in The Gambia - threatening to drive Mr Jammeh out of office by force. Mr Barrow's legitimacy as president has been recognised internationally, after he won last month's elections. Mr Jammeh was given an ultimatum to leave office or be forced out by UN-backed troops, which expired at 16:00 GMT on Friday. The deadline was set by the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), a regional grouping backed by the United Nations. The man who once said he would rule The Gambia for a billion years is finally leaving. He is thought to have been offered an amnesty deal, so that he will not face charges of human rights abuses. He had wanted to stay in The Gambia but this was not negotiable. There have been suggestions he may now go to Guinea, although he has been offered asylum in Nigeria and it is thought Morocco has done the same. Mr Jammeh's term expired at midnight on Wednesday - but, while still president, he engineered a parliamentary vote to extend his presidency. As Mr Barrow has already been sworn in, the country could be said to have two presidents at the same time. Ecowas said that its forces, from Senegal and other West African countries, had encountered no resistance after entering The Gambia. After first accepting defeat in the election he reversed his position and said he would not step down. He declared a 90-day state of emergency, blaming irregularities in the electoral process. The electoral commission accepted that some of its early results had contained errors but said they would not have affected Mr Barrow's win. Mr Jammeh had said he would stay in office until new elections were held.", "summary": "The Gambia's leader Yahya Jammeh is to step down and leave the country, officials involved in negotiations say."}
{"article": "Built in 1937, the concrete structure was the \"last fragment\" of the derelict seaside lido used for the street artist's \"Bemusement Park\" exhibit last year. Conservationists said they had been told the fountain, in Weston-super-Mare, would be spared from destruction. But North Somerset council said it was demolished due to its poor condition. Visitors to Dismaland were greeted by the sight of the fountain upon entering, and it was picked out by a spotlight at night. Its dilapidated appearance, however, was not the work of the elusive Banksy, but rather a truck which hit the fountain after the site became derelict. The impact caused the upper cascade to tip over, leaving it sitting on its side atop the bottom part of the structure. Weston Civic Society chairman Howard Smith said he felt \"angry and upset\" the fountain had gone. \"They [the council] gave us an assurance at the end of last year that it would be conserved,\" he said. Mr Smith said the fountain survived the building of the Tropicana at a time when the original diving stage was destroyed. \"It was the last fragment of the actual bathing part of the original Art Deco pool. \"It was a beautiful object and it would not have taken much to erect it in another part of the town.\" Work to turn the site into a space for arts and performances has been taking place since the end of 2015. A spokesman for the council, which owns the site, said: \"The top of the fountain was dislodged, the surround of the base was broken down and could not be used as a water reservoir, the main stem had numerous cracks in the structure and the edges on the lower main tier were damaged. \"Given its condition, the decision was made to take it down and demolish it.\"", "summary": "The demolition of an Art Deco fountain which featured in Banksy's Dismaland show has been slammed by campaigners."}
{"article": "He said he was happy to give the PM a copy of his party's manifesto, adding, \"or better still an early election so the people of this country can decide\". Mrs May will use a speech on Tuesday to call on parties to \"contribute and not just criticise\". She says there are a range of issues on which MPs from different parties agree. First Secretary of State Damian Green described the post-election change in Mrs May's style of government as a \"grown-up way of doing politics\". But Mr Corbyn used the PM's Commons statement on the weekend G20 summit in Hamburg to claim it showed \"weakness from this government\". \"The government is apparently asking other parties for their policy ideas,\" he said. Turning to the prime minister, he said: \"If you would like it, I'm very happy to furnish you with a copy of our manifesto or better still, an early election so the people in this county can decide. \"Let's face it, the government has run out of steam at a pivotal time in our county and the world around uncertainty over Brexit, conflict in the Gulf states, nuclear sabre-rattling in North Korea, refugees continuing to flee war and destruction, ongoing pandemics, cross-border terrorism, poverty and inequality and the impact of climate change are the core global challenges of our time. \"Just when we need strong government, we have weakness from this government.\" Theresa May's speech is a pitch for cross-party consensus. \"Come forward with your own views and ideas about how we can tackle\" the challenges the country faces, Mrs May will say, adding: \"We may not agree on everything, but ideas can be clarified and improved and a better way forward found.\" Bluntly, it is an explicit acknowledgement of her fragility; her authority and majority shrivelled. Government sources say it is a mature approach that maintains a commitment to taking on big, difficult and complex challenges; not just Brexit but reform of social care, too, for instance. Labour says Mrs May's speech proves the Conservatives have \"completely run out of ideas\" and were reduced to \"begging\" for policy proposals from them. But Mrs May insisted the government had \"an ambitious agenda to change this country\", adding that there were many issues on which she \"would hope we would be able to achieve consensus across this House\", such as police and security agencies having the powers they need to deal with the terrorist threats they face. The exchanges came ahead of Mrs May's speech which will return to the message from her first day in Downing street last July, when she succeeded David Cameron, and vowed to lead what she called a \"one nation\" government that works for all and not just the \"privileged few\". The speech is being seen by some as a \"re-launch\" or \"fightback\" after Mrs May lost her majority - and much of her authority - in the snap election last month. In her speech, the PM will say that although the result of June's election was not what she wanted, \"those defining beliefs remain, my", "summary": "Jeremy Corbyn has said Theresa May's call for rival parties to contribute their policy ideas showed the government \"has run out of steam\"."}
{"article": "\"The likelihood of Hitler being able to accomplish his goals would have been greatly diminished if the people had been armed,\" he told CNN on Thursday. An anti-Semitism monitoring group says linking US gun control to the Holocaust is \"historically inaccurate\". Mr Carson is polling second in the Republican race behind Donald Trump. On Friday, Mr Carson reiterated his views about gun control. \"Basically, what I said is when tyranny occurs traditionally around the world, they try to disarm the people first,\" Mr Carson told the National Press Club in Washington. The retired neurosurgeon drew condemnation last month for saying a Muslim should not run for president because Islam was inconsistent with the US constitution. On Friday, he compared his view to the constitutional requirement that a president be a natural-born citizen. America's founders, he said, didn't \"even want to take the slightest chance to put someone in that position who had divided loyalties\". After a week of uttering one controversial remark after another, many of which made US headlines, Ben Carson gave a lunchtime address in the proverbial lion's den - the National Press Club in Washington. Early in his speech, he acknowledged what everybody in the audience already knew. \"I'm not politically correct,\" he said. \"And that's one of the reason why some of the people in the press don't like me. But it's OK. What I really love is this country. I don't really care if the press likes me or not.\" As his speech concluded, Mr Carson left little doubt about what he thought of criticism in the media of comments he said were taken out of context, noting that the American people \"were on to\" a biased press corps. \"We're doing well,\" said the man who is second only to Donald Trump in national polls. \"And the more they attack me, the better I do.\" During the CNN interview, Mr Carson was asked about part of his new book, A More Perfect Union, where he wrote \"through a combination of removing guns and disseminating propaganda, the Nazis were able to carry out their evil intentions with relatively little resistance\". He was then asked by CNN presenter Wolf Blitzer: \"Just clarify, if there had been no gun control laws in Europe at that time, would six million Jews have been slaughtered?\" Mr Carson said he doubted Hitler would have been able to achieve his goals if Germans had been armed at that time. \"I'm telling you that there is a reason that these dictatorial people take the guns first,\" he added. The Anti-Defamation League, an anti-Semitism monitoring group, has previously said that drawing comparisons between the gun control debate in the US and the Holocaust was \"historically inaccurate and offensive\", especially to Holocaust survivors and their families. In 1943, armed Jews in the Warsaw ghetto fought the Nazis. Jews killed about 20 Nazis, but about 13,000 Jews died in the uprising. Ben Carson's comments come days after a mass shooting at a college in the US state of Oregon, in which nine people were killed. Speaking after the", "summary": "US Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson has defended comments that suggested the Holocaust may have been avoided if people had been armed."}
{"article": "Sam Spaven drove his Audi into Richard Pencott, 44, as he rode home from work in Harworth, Nottinghamshire, in June. Nottingham Crown Court heard Spaven had become abusive to his ex-partner when he learned she was seeing Mr Pencott. The 27-year-old, of Bircotes, Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial and must serve at least 25 years behind bars. Spaven has a son with his former partner Amy Sherwood but the court was told they split up in April. He became angry after finding out she had been seeing Mr Pencott, a former work colleague of his. On visiting her home, he told Ms Sherwood \"I'm going to chew your face off'\" before threatening to kill her and Mr Pencott, Michael Evans, prosecuting, said. Updates on this story and more from Nottinghamshire Spaven returned the next day and was told to leave around the time Mr Pencott was finishing his shift. He then posted on Facebook: \"Richard Pencott and Amy Sherwood have broken me and my family apart and my boy\" before driving to \"exact his revenge\", Mr Evans said. He mounted the pavement in Blyth Road and drove into Mr Pencott's bicycle, which landed the other side of a 10-foot fence. The father-of-two died almost instantly from head and chest injuries. Spaven then drove to work at a gym in Rotherham, where he was arrested. Witnesses reported seeing damage to his car's windscreen and a big dent in the body work. Judge Michael Stokes said it was \"premeditated, deliberate murder.\" \"Why? Because you, obsessed as you were with your former partner and mother of your child, were blinded by jealousy and bent on revenge.\" A statement from Mr Pencott's family described him as \"honest and hardworking\" and called the murder \"unprovoked and cowardly\".", "summary": "A motorist who murdered a love rival when he ploughed into his bicycle at 40mph has been jailed for life."}
{"article": "The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence says female patients should have free access to the drug, better known as an anti-wrinkle aid. Some five million women in England and Wales have urinary incontinence, but many suffer in silence because they are too embarrassed to seek help. Botox helps control the muscular bladder wall. NICE says those with \"overactive bladder syndrome\" that has not responded to recommended lifestyle changes should be offered the injections. It is not clear what causes it, but those affected by an overactive bladder have a frequent urge to urinate and can experience leakage before they can make it to the toilet. Cutting down on caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee, as well as alcohol, doing pelvic floor exercises and making scheduled trips to the toilet can help, but some people will need medical treatment or surgery. The condition is different to stress incontinence - when the pelvic floor muscles are too weak, as can occur after childbirth, causing leaks with coughing and laughing. With an overactive bladder, there is a problem with how the bladder responds to getting fuller, meaning the person feels they urgently need to urinate more often than most. Someone with this condition might end going up to the toilet up to 15 times a day and three times a night, for example, when the norm is to go four to eight times a day and up to once a night. It affects both sexes, but most often women. The NICE guidelines, which cover England and Wales, only discuss treating women. Botox treatment is thought to help dampen chemical messages that your bladder uses to tell the brain that you need to urinate. The injections are administered directly to the bladder wall via a small device inserted into the urethra - the tube you urinate through. Clinical trials suggest this treatment may last for up to six months, but NICE says people also need to be aware of the possible side-effects. The treatment can make it more difficult to pass urine and some people may find they need to use a catheter for a time. There is also a chance of getting a urine infection. Anyone who starts on this treatment should have a face-to-face check up or be reviewed over the phone within four weeks, says NICE. Prof Mark Baker, director of the Centre for Clinical Practice at NICE, said: \"Urinary incontinence is a distressing condition affecting the lives of millions of women of all ages. \"While rarely life-threatening, it may seriously influence a woman's physical, psychological and social wellbeing. \"Over the years we have seen an increase in women seeking treatment, yet many others are still suffering in silence and not receiving the appropriate care for their condition. \"This updated clinical guideline suggests a range of treatments that women should be able to access to limit the distress that urinary incontinence can cause.\"", "summary": "Botox injections can now be offered as a treatment for urinary incontinence, says England's NHS drugs watchdog."}
{"article": "The answer is complicated. Increasing school resegregation - the renewal of segregation - and the continuing inequality of black students is resulting in lower achievement and graduation rates, signalling a reversal of civil rights gains. Achievement disparities, referred to widely as the black-white achievement gap or test-score gap, frequently position black students at the low end of the scale and white (and Asian) students at the top. This situation often engenders simplistic individual and group explanations for the gap, which frequently frame the lives and educational experiences of black children in ways that involve a deficit of some sort. However, there are enormous variations in these students' social, economic, historic, political and educational opportunities. When gaps in achievement are addressed without a deliberate investigation of racial inequities, students, parents, teachers and neighbourhoods tend to be blamed for the poor educational outcomes of black students. I contend that inquiries into how black students perform in school must include investigation of the harsh disciplinary sanctions in public schools for black students, the disinvestment in black neighbourhoods and why the least prepared teachers are those most likely to serve black students. I would be remiss if I did not say that some schools and educational settings have made tremendous strides toward creating equitable spaces. However, these advances are few and far between and, when present, reflect only incremental and slow growth when it comes to improving black students' educational outcomes. If their failure in potential includes opposing those who would position them as failures, who defy low expectations, then the question we should be asking is: Are schools failing to live up to their potential for equitably educating black students? Additionally, black students are experiencing intense levels of stress and challenge. Many are exposed to a bevy of chronic stresses that include, but are not limited to, disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards, violence and poor healthcare, which negatively impact their educational outcomes. Recent research has challenged the educational community to better understand the long-term physical, mental, emotional and psychological effects of living in a white-dominated and privileged society, and its threats to the mental and physical health of black students. Moreover, black students live within an additional state of fragility because of how their intellects and life chances are positioned in this society. Despite this, many of them resist this unfair placement by striving for educational success, demonstrating that black students have the wherewithal and ability to develop robust academic identities that minimise but do not eliminate the impact of being marginalised. Moreover, some black students develop and implement coping mechanisms to safeguard academic hardiness and provide a counter-defence against negative evaluations and low expectations in what are often toxic and discriminatory educational environments. Racial biases often place undue burdens on black students who already experience multiple forms of discrimination and prejudice, while the educational and social institutions they learn in, perpetuate white privilege. Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields are a particular cause for concern because within them there are more pronounced stereotypes, extreme competitiveness and gender inequities regarding the abilities and competencies", "summary": "The gap between black and white pupils' achievement is widening in the USA - so what are the causes and what barriers are preventing this problem being overcome?"}
{"article": "She was taken ill on a flight from London to Los Angeles on Friday and was taken to hospital when the plane landed. A family statement announced she had died on Tuesday morning. Tributes have been pouring in, with Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill simply tweeting: \"No words #devastated\". In a statement released on behalf of Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd, spokesman Simon Halls said: \"It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8.55 (16:55 GMT) this morning. \"She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.\" Her mother, the actress Debbie Reynolds, wrote on her Facebook page: \"Thank you to everyone who has embraced the gifts and talents of my beloved and amazing daughter. I am grateful for your thoughts and prayers that are now guiding her to her next stop.\" Star Wars co-star Harrison Ford described Fisher as \"one-of-a-kind\" who lived her life \"bravely\". Series creator George Lucas said she was \"extremely smart; a talented actress, writer and comedienne with a very colourful personality that everyone loved\". Fans of the actress have been sharing stories with the BBC about meeting her, including John Moore, who remembers discussing mental health problems which she has admitted suffering. \"She has inspired me by teaching me that just because you're a little broken or a little different you can still be an inspiration and shine like she did. She was honest about her health issues and was just herself. \"She taught me to not feel embarrassed or a lesser person just because you sometimes struggle to get through the day. Her death has hit me hard but it also makes me feel so proud to have been like her, different.\" The fans' princess Fisher had been on tour promoting her latest book, The Princess Diarist, when she was taken ill in the later stages of the flight to Los Angeles. A medic who was travelling on the plane administered first aid before it landed. The daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher made her film debut opposite Warren Beatty in 1975's Shampoo. She also appeared in The Blues Brothers, When Harry Met Sally and Hannah and Her Sisters, and provided the voice of Peter Griffin's boss Angela in the adult animated sitcom Family Guy. But her enduring fame is thanks to her role as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, a part she reprised in last year's reboot The Force Awakens. Discussing the part, she told the Daily Mail in 2011 that when she got the role in a \"little science-fiction film\", she just thought of it as a bit of fun. \"It exploded across the firmament of pop culture, taking all of us along with it. It tricked me into becoming a star all on my own.\" She was also a successful writer, publishing several novels and memoirs, and working on the scripts for films like The Wedding Singer and Sister Act. Her latest", "summary": "US actress Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars series, has died aged 60, days after suffering a cardiac arrest."}
{"article": "The study, by Carnegie UK Trust, showed 51% of people aged 15-24 used libraries in 2016 - an increase of 9% since 2011. Overall, there has been an increase in public library use, from 45% to 46% over five years. Northern Ireland has also seen its library use go up, but there have been declines in England and Scotland, the wellbeing trust said. The findings are based on 10,000 interviews conducted in 2011 and 2016. The trust said there was also a jump in library use in households with pre-school children (7%) and primary age children (3%). Chief executive Martyn Evans said: \"Public libraries remain an immensely popular civic resource, both in Wales and across the rest of the UK and it's extremely promising that there's been a rise in library use in Wales amongst households with pre-school and primary children, as well as young people.\"", "summary": "More than half of young people in Wales use public libraries, research has shown."}
{"article": "The 55-year-old's death is being treated as 'unexplained' by police. Police say they want to trace a woman who may have more information about how the victim came to sustain his head injuries. They also asked for people in the Prince of Wales Avenue and Oxford Road area between 02:00 and 02:30 BST on Sunday to come forward. The woman sought by police is described as mixed-race, 5ft 2ins (1.57m) tall, aged around 35, and slim with long wavy black hair.", "summary": "A man has died in hospital after being found unconscious inside a property in Reading in the early hours of Sunday."}
{"article": "The ad was taken down from a Melbourne street this week after threats were made to the billboard company. The digital image was accused of being \"propaganda\" and not reflecting Australian culture. The campaigners have raised funds to pay for \"multiple billboards across Australia\". Dee Madigan, the creative director behind the advert, which was promoting a series of government-backed events, organised the crowd-funding campaign to show that \"most Australians are not horrible racists\". \"I'm really angry, this was a photo of two young Australian girls celebrating Australia Day,\" she told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. \"I feel for the Muslim community, they're damned if they do, damned if they don't. \"You get all the racists saying 'oh, they don't assimilate' and then there's literally a photo of them celebrating Australia Day and you get the same people saying 'that's not right' - it's just not OK.\" The photo featured on the billboard was one of a series taken at last year's Australia Day event in Melbourne. It featured two young girls holding wearing hijabs and holding Australia flags. Lawyer and community rights advocate Mariam Veiszadeh said the girls featured in the photo and their family supported moves to reinstate the photo or include it in another campaign. \"From my perspective I explained we could associate those images with something positive, and the girls' time in the media spotlight would be accompanied by thousands speaking up against Islamophobia, gathered around them to stand in support and solidarity,\" she told Guardian Australia. Australia Day is a public holiday celebrated on 26 January, marking the day Britain's First Fleet arrived in 1788.", "summary": "A campaign to reinstate an Australia Day advert featuring two girls in hijabs has raised more than A$100,000 (\u00c2\u00a360,000; $75,000) in donations."}
{"article": "The Pirates were bottom after losing their first two games but Tom Lockyer headed them into a 55th-minute lead before Billy Bodin struck twice to secure their first points of the season. Jermaine Beckford and Nicky Ajose scored consolations in stoppage time but the scoreline flattered a woeful Bury side. Beckford and Harry Bunn tested Sam Slocombe in the first half but otherwise Rovers played some fine football, with Bodin firing wide as they racked up 26 shots. Ellis Harrison and Tom Nichols were then denied by Bury keeper Joe Murphy before Chris Lines fired over. Nichols and Ollie Clarke also went close before the break but 22-year-old centre-back Lockyer - in his 200th appearance for Rovers - then headed home from Lee Brown's corner. The hosts offered little in reply and Bodin headed home from Joe Partington's 72nd-minute corner before poking in from close range after 86 minutes. Beckford headed home from Tsun Dai's late corner while Ajose converted Greg Leigh's cross in stoppage time but Bury could not avoid a second straight defeat. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Bury 2, Bristol Rovers 3. Second Half ends, Bury 2, Bristol Rovers 3. Goal! Bury 2, Bristol Rovers 3. Nicky Ajose (Bury) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Greg Leigh. Tsun Dai (Bury) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Liam Sercombe (Bristol Rovers). Goal! Bury 1, Bristol Rovers 3. Jermaine Beckford (Bury) header from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Tsun Dai with a cross following a corner. Corner, Bury. Conceded by Ryan Sweeney. Attempt saved. Liam Sercombe (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Goal! Bury 0, Bristol Rovers 3. Billy Bodin (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Lee Brown following a set piece situation. Substitution, Bristol Rovers. Dominic Telford replaces Tom Nichols because of an injury. Corner, Bury. Conceded by Liam Sercombe. Attempt missed. Tom Nichols (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from very close range is too high. Attempt saved. Rory Gaffney (Bristol Rovers) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Attempt saved. Tom Nichols (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Foul by Callum Reilly (Bury). Dominic Telford (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Hand ball by Rory Gaffney (Bristol Rovers). Goal! Bury 0, Bristol Rovers 2. Billy Bodin (Bristol Rovers) header from very close range to the top left corner. Assisted by Joe Partington. Substitution, Bristol Rovers. Stuart Sinclair replaces Chris Lines. Substitution, Bristol Rovers. Rory Gaffney replaces Ellis Harrison. Foul by Zeli Ismail (Bury). Liam Sercombe (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Harry Bunn (Bury) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Ollie Clarke (Bristol Rovers). Attempt saved. Ellis Harrison", "summary": "Bristol Rovers brushed aside their poor start in League One by cruising to an impressive 3-2 win at Bury."}
{"article": "Bridgewater Community Healthcare (BCH) said it had \"made a lot of progress\" since an inspection last summer. But Labour MP Rosie Cooper said it was \"staggering\" that BCH was due to take over most of Liverpool's community health services from July. The Department of Health is yet to respond. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) conducted its first full inspection at BCH - which is used by about 1.5m people in north-west England annually - in May and June 2016. It said it measured 40 domains across the services with one rated as outstanding, 27 as good and 12 as requiring improvement. Overall, the trust received a rating of \"requires improvement\". Ms Cooper, MP for West Lancashire, said she called on the CQC in July to publish its inspection report ahead of any decision on \"awarding the multimillion-pound contract for Liverpool community health services\". She said: \"What this report tells us is Bridgewater Community Healthcare needs to improve the services they have currently got.\" Last November, BCH was chosen to run most of the city's community health services by NHS England and Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Ms Cooper said that the inspection rating \"raises some very serious questions about the entire transaction process in Liverpool\". \"I have called on the Secretary of State to review this sorry state of affairs and intervene to uphold NHS rules,\" she added. Colin Scales, chief executive at BCH, said: \"All the essential actions the CQC has asked us look at have already been addressed since the inspectors were on site, so we've made a lot of progress and are in a stronger position now as we move forward.\" Katherine Sheerin, chief officer for NHS Liverpool CCG, said: \"Bridgewater NHS Foundation Trust was identified as the preferred provider of community services in Liverpool because we believe it is the best organisation to help accelerate our Healthy Liverpool plans for making more care available in the community so that people do not end up in hospital.\" She added the CCG was \"confident the Trust is already taking action to address the issues which have been identified\".", "summary": "An MP has called on the government to review a decision allowing an NHS trust that \"requires improvement\" to run community health services in Liverpool."}
{"article": "Patricia Alejandra Lorenzo Harris travelled from Rawson to Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd. a year after the towns were twinned to mark 150 years since the migration. She said it was a \"dream\" to visit her great-grandfather's home country. Next year a grant will allow someone from the town to visit Rawson. The first Welsh settlers to reach Patagonia founded Rawson, which is the capital of the Province of Chubut. Among the nearly 200 settlers who sailed south on the Mimosa in 1865, at least five were from Blaenau Ffestiniog, and the towns were twinned last year to help re-establish the link. Historian Ms Harris, president of the twinning commission, travelled with her friend Marisa Conde to learn more about where her ancestors came from. They visited the Welsh Highland Railway, Llechwedd Slate Caverns, took part in a Spanish lesson at Aberystwyth University and visited Ysgol Maenofferen where they presented gifts from children of 178 Suyay Hue School in Rawson. Ms Harris said: \"It's been my dream to come to Wales and see the country. When I was young, I spent a lot of time speaking to my grandfather and he told me about how his father had travelled from Wales with his family. \"I also feel a great responsibility to bring greetings from the whole of the community in Rawson and to re-establish the link between between Rawson and Ffestiniog.\"", "summary": "A descendant of two of the first people from Wales to resettle in Argentina's Patagonia has visited the north Wales town where her relatives came from."}
{"article": "Some 90,450 children were living in temporary accommodation in the last quarter of 2014, a rise of almost 10,000 in a year, the statistics show. The National Housing Federation called the rise \"shameful\". The government said its changes were helping councils move families out of temporary accommodation more quickly. The statistics, from the Department for Communities and Local Government, also show there were 2,040 households with children in bed-and-breakfast hotels at the end of last year. Of these, 780 were in bed-an-breakfast accommodation for more than six weeks. David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation said the dramatic rise in the numbers of children \"stuck in temporary accommodation like hostels and bed and breakfasts\" revealed \"the true cost\" of not building enough homes in England. \"Often living in cramped and poor conditions, it's no way of life for a child and no way to help homeless families to get back on their feet and rebuild their lives. \"It is totally unacceptable that these figures are at a six-year high. \"Children are paying the price for the failure to build the affordable homes we need and will continue to do so until politicians take bolder action and commit to end the housing crisis within a generation,\" said Mr Orr. Communities Minister Kris Hopkins said the government was working to ensure support was in place to help homeless families move on with their lives. \"Households now spend on average seven months less in temporary accommodation than at the start of 2010,\" said Mr Hopkins in a written ministerial statement. Local authorities now had more flexibility to find \"good quality, suitable and settled accommodation in the private rented sector\", he added. The government had also made it clear that the long-term use of bed-and-breakfast accommodation for families with children \"is both unacceptable and unlawful\", said Mr Hopkins.", "summary": "The number of children living in temporary accommodation in England is at a six-year high, according to official figures."}
{"article": "Severn Trent issued a warning in Derbyshire and Leicestershire on Friday after it found high levels of the chemical at a reservoir. About 3,700 properties are affected in postcode areas DE11, DE15, DE65, DE73 and LE65. It is hoped the water will be safe to use later, although the firm said customers can now flush their toilets. Latest updates: Severn Trent Water problems Severn Trent has been handing out free bottles of water to affected customers at Sainsbury's in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, and Tesco in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. Nigel Thornylowe, who lives in Woodville with his two children, said it was a \"nightmare\". \"We got caught up in the frenzy yesterday and unfortunately... we haven't got any bottled water,\" he said. \"We've tried in vain but all the supermarkets have run out.\" He said the situation had been poorly managed and bottles of water should be distributed at more locations than just the two supermarkets. But other residents have been looking out for their neighbours with one couple filling up the water carrier in their caravan and distributing it to elderly neighbours. And another woman said she coped on Friday night by \"drinking spritzers\" instead of water. In a statement, the firm tried to reassure customers who may have drunk the water that, if they did not notice a strong chlorine smell or taste, then it was \"unlikely to have caused any harm\". But it added that anyone with concerns should speak to a doctor. \"We're very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused but we want to reassure customers that this is a precautionary measure due to the levels of chlorine in the water supply,\" it said.", "summary": "Thousands of people are still being told they should not use their water because of high levels of chlorine."}
{"article": "Thousands of them have been on picket lines and the hostilities between the government and the doctors' union, the BMA, show few signs of abating. There's no question this is a very significant problem for the government. Thirty eight per cent of junior doctors did go to work today, but that figure includes the planned emergency cover, and those non-members of the BMA. And falling out with the medical profession, allowing relations to have got so bad, potentially risking patients' health, is a serious risk for any government. There's not much sign though of ministers backing down. In terms that could hardly be stronger, one well-placed government source told me today: \"We all know they are going to lose.\" And when you listen to the words of the health secretary who says this strike is unnecessary, that the government promised to make changes to the NHS in its manifesto and they're determined to drive them through, it's clear ministers are a very long way from giving up. And it's worth noting the government does have the option of just imposing the new terms and conditions as contracts are renewed - that could start as early as next month. More talks are planned for later this week. And ministers are not yet at the stage of deciding to use brute force to impose the changes. The hope in government is that once today's strike is over, progress might be made in the talks in the two weeks before the second planned walkout. Neither side, publicly, is willing to give any ground. But there are nerves about the third planned strike, planned for the middle of February, which is expected to be an all-out strike where no emergency cover would be arranged. There's a belief in government that's a line that no-one wants to cross. But there is a risk for the government too if public opinion settles on the doctors' side. PS: In different times, the Opposition would likely have been criticising the government's handling of a situation like this as loudly as possible. Today has been rather different. Labour has not been making the political running on the issue. It's worth noting that the shadow health secretary, Heidi Alexander, did not join any of the strikers on the picket line, while others like the shadow chancellor John McDonnell did.", "summary": "Junior doctors have been out on strike in the first protest like it for decades."}
{"article": "The Plaid Cymru leader will say she is determined to lead her party into government at the assembly elections. Ms Wood will attack Labour's record, accusing First Minister Carwyn Jones's government of failing. She will say Scotland has a nationalist government with a track record of making the most of its powers. \"In Wales we have a double whammy: a nation without basic powers and a government that wouldn't have a clue what to do with them,\" Ms Wood will tell the conference. Plaid and the SNP are long-standing allies. But while the SNP has overtaken Labour as Scotland's biggest party, Plaid goes into next May's devolved elections as the assembly's third party - behind Labour and the Conservatives. Ms Wood will say: \"Indeed it is my determined resolution to lead Plaid Cymru into government next May because that represents the change Wales needs - the future our people deserve. \"It is my hope therefore to return to your conference next year and congratulate you on yet another famous election success and to do so as the newly-elected first minister of Wales.\"", "summary": "Wales is suffering from a \"double whammy\" of a Labour government and weak devolution, Leanne Wood will tell the SNP conference in Aberdeen."}
{"article": "The team, founded by five-time Olympic champion Sir Bradley Wiggins to develop young British talent, was omitted from the race which runs from 28-30 April. \"It's very disappointing and it is very much a surprise,\" said the team's sports director Simon Cope. Race organisers said the event was oversubscribed and \"unfortunately someone had to miss out\". A total of 49 teams applied for 36 slots - 18 in the men's race and 18 in the women's. The decision on who was included was made between Welcome to Yorkshire and cycling event organisers ASO, who jointly run the event. A Welcome to Yorkshire spokesman said that Team Wiggins were welcome to apply for any future editions of the race. But Cope told Cycling Weekly that he believed the team, who are the only British third-tier UCI Continental outfit not included, could have made an impact in the race. \"Good or bad press at the moment, there's a percentage of the UK population who will be going to the race who want to see (Team) Wiggins there,\" he said. \"You would have thought that we would have got in, but the organisers have made their selection and that's it, we can't do anything about it. We will have to go and find another bike race to do.\" An investigation by UK Anti-Doping is currently ongoing into allegations of wrongdoing in cycling involving Wiggins - who retired in December - and Team Sky. Cope, who used to work for Team Sky, was questioned by MPs earlier this month about the contents of a medical package he delivered to Wiggins when he was racing at the 2011 Criterium du Dauphine in France. Team Sky have admitted \"mistakes were made\" around how medical records relating to the package were kept but deny breaking anti-doping rules.", "summary": "Team Wiggins say they are \"surprised\" and \"disappointed\" after being excluded from next month's Tour de Yorkshire."}
{"article": "There's no doubt he's getting back to his best form just in time for his fourth final, but he's striking a blow against sexism in tennis too. In early 2014, Murray split with his then coach Ivan Lendl - who'd helped Andy become a Grand Slam champion. His decision to replace Lendl with Amelie Mauresmo prompted more than a few raised eyebrows. Never before had a top male player hired a woman as coach (except for Jimmy Connors but the woman in charge of his game was his mother Gloria, so it doesn't count). The early signs for the new partnership weren't good. Murray appeared to be slipping back into some bad habits, playing defensively and berating himself in the process. Despite a late season surge, 2014 was Murray's most forgettable year since establishing himself as one of the \"Big Four\". Had Murray continued his iffy form into the Australian Open, there's no doubt the vultures would have been circling over the Murray-Mauresmo axis. But they'll have to wait as his early season form is arguably better than ever. His play against Tomas Berdych had Mauresmo's finger prints all over it - full of variety and controlled aggression. It was certainly Grand Slam-winning form, and if he can keep it up a first Australian Open title is definitely on the cards. \"A lot of people criticised me for working with her,\" Murray said in his on-court interview. \"So far this week we've shown that women can be good coaches as well.\" Mum Judy has always played a strong role in Andy's career, and she hailed the impact Amelie was having off the court, describing her as a \"calming influence\". Many male players have been dismissive of the women's game, albeit not as noisily as in the past. The 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek famously dismissed 80% of the women's tour as \"fat pigs\" in 1992. Last year, Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni criticised the appointment of a woman as Spain's Davis Cup captain. \"Men's tennis isn't the same as women's tennis,\" he said. If Andy can win the Australian open under Mauresmo's tutelage you wonder if uncle Toni might consider changing his view. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Andy Murray's Australian Open semi-final win was a seminal moment, and not just for the Scot's career."}
{"article": "\"Fake cocaine death drug was sold on our streets\" is the headline on the front page of the Ballymena Times. The story says that a letter circulated to health professionals across Northern Ireland states that the substance - U47,700 - is available in the Ballymena area. It says the powder has been linked to two deaths in Northern Ireland during November and December 2016, and to three further three cases in December where the user was found unconscious. The letter says some of those who have used it have been sold it as cocaine, while others may have believed it was heroin. The paper also reports that an Ahoghill man who assaulted security staff and police with a walking stick in Ballymena Courthouse is one of the first people in the area to be served with a Violent Offences Prevention Order (VOPO). The Ulster Gazette has the story of the Armagh musician who's been \"hand-picked by pop sensation\" Ed Sheeran to play on his new album. Brian Finnegan, a flautist and tin whistle player, said he first came to Sheeran's attention after guesting on an album by County Antrim band Beoga. He said Sheeran \"invited the band over to his place to get a feel for each other's music. It was a very organic process, hanging out and jamming.\" Brian plays on four songs on Sheeran's new album Divide. Elsewhere in the paper, the grand-niece of a teenaged soldier killed in the Battle of the Somme tells of her pride that his experiences have been immortalised in a comic book created by three Northern Ireland museums. Helen McComb discovered her great-uncle Tommy Chambers' diary after it had lain undiscovered in an attic for decades. The events of his time as a soldier now feature in the educational comic book For Valour. The problem of vandalism is to the fore in the Coleraine Times. Translink has issued a \"perpetrators will be prosecuted\" warning due to the activities of a group of teenagers at the town's railways station. Last month the decision was taken to close the station at 19:00 GMT due to their activities. \"They are now coming in earlier than 19:00,\" Translink's David Simpson tells the paper, adding that there can be as many as 40 youths involved and that they age in range from 12 to 20. \"What they are doing when they get chased out of Coleraine is going to Ballymoney to try and vandalise it.\" Meanwhile, the paper says that a spate of vandalism at nearby Portstewart's Diversity Park is \"hurting the most vulnerable\". Much of the park's apparatus is adapted for children with disabilities. In the latest incident an attempt was made to set fire to one piece of equipment. The Irish Coastguard helicopter crash tragedy in which four crew members are assumed to have lost their lives features in the Down Recorder. Members of the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team, who worked closely with the helicopter crew on rescues and training exercises, say they are devastated by what happened. \"We had a very close and strong working relationship", "summary": "Lethal substances, pop sensations, sledgehammer-wielding vandals and online scams feature in Northern Ireland's local papers this week."}
{"article": "He was friends with a leader of the 1916 Easter Rising, the Irish rebellion against British rule, but died fighting for Britain in Passchendaele. Monday marks 100 years since his death. He brought his words to war in a way that has not only endured a century since his death, but has inspired others to artistic creativity. \"Shortly after he died, Michael Head, who was a young musician, set four of his poems to music,\" said John Graham, chair of the Inniskillings Museum Trustees. \"Ivor Gurney, another war poet and musician, set one of them to music and down through the years, he has inspired poetry in others, not least of which is Seamus Heaney.\" Heaney wrote In Memoriam Francis Ledwidge. Ledwidge himself was known as the poet of the blackbirds, because of his love of nature. He was born in Slane in County Meath, the eighth of nine children. The family was poverty-stricken and their situation only became worse when Ledwidge's father died prematurely. But their mother worked hard to keep her children in school, believing in the value of an education. Eventually, the children went out to work, but the artistic flame burned bright in young Francis. He wrote poems from the age of seven and became a published poet in his early teens. He had the support and backing of Lord Dunsany, a well-known society and literary figure in Dublin. With his support, the young man found himself living an almost double life. \"It's a story which has caught the imagination on so many levels,\" John said. \"The poor boy who could write poetry was picked up by the local lord and mentored, and introduced to the very smartest of Dublin society. \"He would be off cycling around Meath, working on the roads, then in the evening he would be in Slane Castle, reciting his poetry at very elegant soir\u00c3\u00a9es.\" Lord Dunsany rated Ledwidge's work so highly he helped prepare and publish all three of the young poet's collections. The first was published the year before he was killed, the last compiled after his death in Passchendaele on service with 5th Battalion, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. \"He probably is one of our most famous soldiers,\" said Natasha Martin from the Inniskillings Museum in Enniskillen. \"For somebody who was not a commissioned officer, to have a name like Francis Ledwidge with the regiment of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers is a fantastic honour.\" Inspired by Lord Dunsany's past as an Inniskilling, Ledwidge enlisted after war broke out in 1914. He served in Gallipoli, the Balkans and in France on the Western Front. During the Balkan campaign in 1915, he was invalided home with a back injury. While he was still recovering, the Easter Rising took place. Ledwidge was good friends with Thomas McDonagh, one of the leaders of the rebellion and a fellow poet. When McDonagh was executed for his part, Ledwidge wrote what has become arguably his most famous poem, Lament for Thomas McDonagh. Despite his background as an ardent patriot and nationalist, Ledwidge returned to the front when his", "summary": "Francis Ledwidge was an unusual war poet - a British soldier, an Irish nationalist and a man of peasant background."}
{"article": "It was found by a submersible vehicle at a depth of around 2.5 miles (4km) off Necker Island. Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said it was a depth record for an octopod without fins. The creature has already been nicknamed \"Casper\" after the cartoon ghost. The octopod lacked pigment cells, giving it its light-coloured appearance. \"It is almost certainly an undescribed species\" Michael Vecchione of the NOAA said, calling it a \"remarkable little octopod\". Deep-sea octopods fall into two categories - cirrate, or 'Dumbo', octopods with fins, or incirrate octopods, without fins, which look more akin to shallow-water octopus. The sighting of Casper represents the deepest ever observed sighting of an incirrate octopod, Mr Vecchione said.", "summary": "Scientists say a translucent, \"ghost-like\" octopod discovered in ocean depths near Hawaii is \"almost certainly\" a new species."}
{"article": "They were accused of trying to trick a 20-year-old woman from Slovakia into having an abortion and arranging her marriage to a man facing deportation. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) says new evidence had emerged \"which seriously undermined the prosecution\". Last November, 13 people were arrested in Greater Manchester but none will face further action. A CPS spokeswoman said four men and a woman were initially charged with immigration offences and \"intentionally arranging or facilitating entry into the UK of a person with a view to their exploitation\". She added: \"The CPS concluded that there is no longer sufficient evidence to generate a realistic prospect of conviction, therefore on 1 April 2015 the CPS formally offered no evidence in the case against all five defendants.\" Charges have been dropped against Mohammed Ali, 40, and Hateji Yakuyb, 57, both of Ashfield Road, Rochdale; Anna Cicakova, 34, and Malik Ramzan, 27, both of Wesley Street, Failsworth; and Rehman Ghani, 39, of St Heliers Drive, Cheetham Hill.", "summary": "Charges have been dropped against five people who were accused of trafficking a pregnant woman into the UK."}
{"article": "Initial Environment Agency figures showed \u00a386,000 was spent on a wildlife survey and putting the animals in winter storage at a cost of \u00a324,000. But the latest figures show the total cost was higher - working out at \u00a32,454 per vole. The agency said it had a duty to move the legally protected species. 'Feel vibrations' Previously, the agency said the wildlife survey was not part of the cost of relocating the voles. But the BBC has since learned the cost of setting up traps along the river banks and checking them over a period of several months was not previously disclosed. Farmer James Winslade said when annual dredging took place before the agency took over, it had not appeared to affect the vole population. \"They're not stupid, they'll feel the vibration and move on - it's not like they haven't any other habitat to move on to,\" he said. \"The riverbank adjoins fields so they can move from the riverbanks to the fields.\" Money spent on relocating the voles was a small percentage of the \u00a36m spent on dredging five miles (8 km) of the rivers Tone and Parrett, the agency said previously. The voles spent the winter in an \"over-wintering facility\" before being moved to Hampshire and Cornwall, according to the figures. Ecology expert Graeme Skinner said the work required professional, academically-trained people \"who hold relevant licences\". \"They are undertaking sometimes long, arduous hours in the field to make sure it's up to the standard that is required nowadays,\" he said.", "summary": "A total of \u00a3135,000 was spent trapping and moving 55 water voles from the Somerset Levels ahead of dredging work - higher than previously thought."}
{"article": "It comes as tennis star Andy Murray prepares to tie the knot with Kim Sears in Dunblane. The tourism promotion agency said nearly a quarter of weddings held north of the border were between people from outside Scotland. It said breathtaking scenery, celebrity weddings and welcoming hospitality were the biggest draws for couples. Among those who have married in Scotland are Madonna and Guy Ritchie (Skibo Castle), Mark Owen (Cawdor Parish Church), Philip Schofield (Ackergill Tower, Caithness) and Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall (Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh). VisitScotland has estimated that the wedding tourism industry is worth \u00c2\u00a380m to the Scottish economy. The agency said market research suggested \"tourist weddings\" tended to have fewer guests, but people stayed longer at the locations. It added that Dumfries and Galloway was the most popular area for marriages because of \"the popularity and romantic significance\" of Gretna Green. In second place was Argyll and Bute. VisitScotland chairman Mike Cantlay said: \"Put simply, Scotland is one of the most beautiful places in the world in which to get married. \"From the splendour and magnificence of our castles and historic homes, to the wild romantic nature of our lochs, mountains, islands and coastlines, there is a uniqueness and magic to having your big day on Scottish soil. \"The impact the wedding industry has on tourism itself is significant, but more than that, it gives us an opportunity to showcase Scotland to guests who may never have made the trip before and turn their time here into a holiday.\"", "summary": "VisitScotland has launched a drive to promote Scotland as the place to get married."}
{"article": "The South African former Open champion is level on nine under par with American Kyle Stanley, who also shot 66, with eight birdies and two bogeys. JB Holmes spoiled an impressive round with bogeys on his final two holes to sit third overnight on seven under. Fiji's three-time major winner Vijay Singh, 54, is fourth on six under. He also faded at the end of his round - carding his only bogey in a 68 on the 18th. Singh would surpass Sam Snead, who was 52 when he won the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open, as the oldest winner in PGA Tour history if he were to claim a first victory since 2008. Ian Poulter was Britain's best performer as he followed four birdies and a bogey with an eagle on the 16th to card a 67 and move to five under. Fellow Englishman Paul Casey is one shot further back. \"I was really happy with that,\" Casey told Sky Sports after shooting 69. \"But I need more numbers in the 60s to catch guys like Louis at the top. Nothing really fazes him and there's a lot of depth behind too.\" Rory McIlroy had two birdies and one bogey as he again failed to produce his best, carding a one-under-par 71 to move to level par overall. After his round, the Northern Irishman said he had been suffering with a back problem. \"I'm going to get an MRI scan on Monday after the tournament and I might have to rest for a week or two,\" he told Sky Sports. \"As long as I get myself right for the US Open, that's the most important thing.\" McIlroy's struggles were mirrored by Masters champion Sergio Garcia and world number one Dustin Johnson, who both also finished one under par, two shots above the halfway cut. England's Justin Rose and Lee Westwood finished on one over, but their countryman Luke Donald did miss the cut, two bogeys and a double bogey between the sixth and eighth ultimately costing him as he ended on three over par. Jordan Spieth was another high-profile casualty. The 2015 Masters and US Open champion missed the cut for a third year in a row after adding a 75 to the 72 he scored on Thursday, ending on four over par. India's Anirban Lahiri came within a stroke of carding the highest score at the 18th hole in the tournament's history. The world number 84 hooked three balls into the water hazard that lines the left side of the par-four hole, running up a sextuple-bogey 10. The 29-year-old, in his second full season on the PGA Tour, shot 75 to miss the cut with a six-over total of 150. Earlier on Friday, 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett pulled out midway through his second round because of a back injury, saying his \"body and mind need a rest\". Willett, who has a history of back injuries, was 11 over par for his 27 holes in Florida. The BMW PGA Championship takes place in Wentworth from 25 May, and asked if he would", "summary": "Louis Oosthuizen shot a bogey-free six-under-par 66 to take a share of the lead after round two of the Players Championship at Sawgrass."}
{"article": "There had been speculation the festival could be held elsewhere following remarks made earlier this year by founder Michael Eavis. Eavis previously said he \"didn't really want to have a year without a festival\", and claimed the event could be held somewhere else in 2017 or 2018. Tickets for next year's event go on sale in October, it has been confirmed. In a statement on the Glastonbury Festival website, the organisers said: \"We will be taking our next fallow year in 2018, in order to give the farm, the village and the festival team the traditional year off. \"There are no plans to hold an event at another location in 2018.\" The music festival is held on the Eavis family's Worthy Farm in Somerset, south-west England, and traditionally takes a break every six years so as not to cause damage to the working fields. The last fallow year was 2012. In June, Eavis had told the BBC he was \"talking to Longleat\" as it was his \"favourite site\" for a new festival. He had added that hosting it at Worthy Farm meant dealing with 22 different landowners, which \"wasn't easy\". Next year's festival will take place from 21 to 25 June, with the first batch of tickets, for those buying coach packages, released on 6 October. General tickets will be released three days later, at 09:00 BST on 9 October. Last year's initial release of 120,000 tickets sold out in just over half an hour. The highlight of the music calendar, this summer Glastonbury featured performances from headliners Adele, Coldplay and Muse, who rocked the Pyramid stage, festooned with a giant lightning bolt in honour of David Bowie. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Glastonbury organisers have said they will not hold an event at another site during its \"fallow\" year in 2018."}
{"article": "Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, struck Fusilier Rigby with a car before hacking him to death. Adebolajo had claimed he was a \"soldier of Allah\" and the killing was an act of war. The men were found not guilty of attempting to murder a police officer at the scene. The Old Bailey jury of eight women and four men took approximately 90 minutes to reach its verdicts. They had heard that Adebolajo and Adebowale drove a car into Fusilier Rigby at 30-40mph, before dragging him into the road and attacking him with knives and attempting to decapitate him with a meat cleaver. Mr Justice Sweeney ordered that the verdicts be heard in silence. He said he would pass sentence after a key appeal court ruling on the use of whole life terms in January. He expressed his \"gratitude and admiration\" for the soldier's family, saying they had \"sat in court with great dignity throughout what must have been the most harrowing of evidence\". As the defendants were taken out of the courtroom, Adebolajo kissed his Koran and raised it in the air. Relatives of Fusilier Rigby broke down in tears as the verdicts were given. By Frank GardnerBBC security correspondent How did the police and MI5 miss the Woolwich murderers' switch from legitimate activism to violent jihad? This is one of the key questions being looked at by Parliament's intelligence and security committee, which is expected to report its findings in the new year. The short answer is prioritisation. Adebolajo made little secret of his extremist leanings and he was clearly 'an individual of interest' to both the Metropolitan Police and the security services, but he was not considered to be planning any attacks. Many will point to warning signs that suggest they should have paid closer attention to him - he was radicalised by the now-banned group Al-Muhajiroun, and in 2010 he was arrested in Kenya trying to reach Somalia to join Al-Shabaab, the group that this year attacked Nairobi's Westgate mall. But speaking ahead of the trial - and perhaps predicting some tough questions to come - MI5's director general Andrew Parker defended his organisation's record, saying: \"Being on our radar does not necessarily mean being under our microscope.\" His wife said the family was satisfied that justice had been done, adding: \"This has been the toughest time of our lives. No-one should have to go through what we have been through as a family.\" Rebecca Rigby said: \"These people have taken away my baby's dad but Lee's memory lives on through our son and we will never forget him. \"I now want to build a future for Jack and make him proud of his dad like we all are.\" Prime Minister David Cameron said: \"The whole country was completely shocked by the murder of Lee Rigby and the whole country united in condemnation of what happened and I'm sure everyone will welcome these verdicts. \"We have to redouble our efforts to confront the poisonous narrative of extremism and violence that lay behind this and make sure we", "summary": "Two men have been found guilty of murdering soldier Lee Rigby outside Woolwich barracks in south-east London in May."}
{"article": "Quins overcame the loss of lock George Merrick to injury to score five first-half tries and secure a bonus point, with Stade managing a solitary reply. Tim Visser's intercept try came as Stade rallied early in the second half. Clement Daguin and Willem Alberts tries gave Stade faint hope that Marland Yarde's late try quashed emphatically. It was an impressively dynamic first-half performance in front of watching England boss Eddie Jones, while it was their defensive mettle under more intense pressure in the second period that would have stood out. Quick shifts and sharp set-piece work set up Joe Marler's try from a rolling maul, and after Merrick's injury stoppage, a two-try blast from Joe Marchant and Visser established control. Sekou Macalou returned a skewed Yarde kick for Stade's opener, but two bludgeoning James Chisholm scores extinguished any momentum the Top 14 side had before the break. Gonzalo Quesada's side threatened to breach a creaking Quins defence in the second half before Visser pounced to increase Quins' buffer. The visitors did find some consolation with scores from Daguin and Alberts but they came too late to influence the result, particularly when Yarde's score took Quins beyond 40 points. Harlequins: Brown; Yarde, Marchant, Roberts, Visser; Swiel, Dickson; Marler, Buchanan, Collier, Merrick, Horwill (capt), Robshaw, Wallace, Chisholm. Replacements: Gray, Evans, Jones, Twomey, Luamanu, Mulchrone, Jackson, Marchant. Stade Francais: Camara; Vuidarvuwalu, Bosman, Williams, Sinzelle; Plisson, Daguin; Taulafo, Burden, Slimani, Pyle, Pape (capt), Macalou, Lakafia, Parisse. Replacements: Bonfils, Zhvania, Melikidze, De Giovanni, Alberts, Coville, Fartass, Millet. Referee: Ben Whitehouse.", "summary": "Last season's beaten finalists Harlequins kicked off the European Challenge Cup with a dominant home victory against Stade Francais."}
{"article": "A spokesman said the university recognised the \"devastating impact\" that climate change could have and the \"need to reduce the world's dependence on fossil fuels\". The university is withdrawing \u00c2\u00a318m of investments over the next decade. It comes after students had mounted a campaign calling for the change. More than 1,300 were involved in the campaign, which included rallies and fake oil spills. David Newall, secretary of the university's governing body, said: \"The university recognises the devastating impact that climate change may have on our planet, and the need for the world to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. \"Over the coming years we will steadily reduce our investment in the fossil fuel extraction industry, while also taking steps to reduce our carbon consumption.\" The university will freeze new investments in fossil fuels and, over 10 years, divest its hydrocarbon investment which is around 4% of its total endowment. Glasgow joins 13 American universities and many other institutions who together have pledged to withdraw more than $50bn in assets from the fossil fuel industry. Just before the recent New York climate summit, the heirs to the Rockefeller fortune announced they planned to pull their funds from fossil fuels. Campaigners say that, so far, 181 institutions and 656 individuals have agreed to withdraw their money from fossil fuels. Students in many universities are lobbying for governors to divest but are often meeting strong resistance from governing bodies charged with prudent investment of university funds. Glasgow has confirmed that its commitment is subject to reassurance that the financial impact for the university is acceptable. Its effects will be monitored by the governing body. Campaigner Callum Shaw, said: \"Among students the argument about whether climate change exists is not really happening - people have read the academic papers and are not in any doubt. We started out as a small group, but the campaign quickly gained traction.\" Other British universities are also set to consider the issue. The School of Oriental and African Studies is expected to make a divestment decision in the next month. Decisions are also imminent from a handful of other institutions including the University of Edinburgh. Oxford University and its colleges are consulting on divestment from $3.8bn worth of investment. More than 1,000 Oxford students and academics have joined the campaign. Scientific reports have suggested it will only be possible to burn about a third of the fossil fuels already discovered and keep a stable climate. Mary Church from Friends of the Earth Scotland said: \"Well done Glasgow for becoming the first university in the UK to take this hugely important step. Not only is this great news for the planet, but it also makes good financial sense [because] at some point this carbon bubble is going to have to burst.\" So far the divestments worldwide have not dented investments in the fossil fuel industry. Oil, gas and coal companies form one of the world's largest asset classes, worth nearly $5 trillion at current stock market values. They are liked by investors because of their profits and shareholder yield. The campaigners", "summary": "Glasgow University has become the first in the UK to announce that it will sell off the shares it holds in companies that produce fossil fuels."}
{"article": "A report published by Alcohol Focus Scotland (AFS) claimed often concerns of local people were ignored by boards. It suggested more boards highlighted the economic importance of the licensed trade than the damaging consequences of alcohol. And it found more than half had extended licensing hours over the past six years. Boards must publish statements of licensing policy every three years, with the latest round to run until 2016. AFS analysed the 25 which had been published by the end of April 2014 and said some progress has been made in how they are controlling the availability of alcohol. But its chief executive, Dr Evelyn Gillan, said the licensing process was too removed from the people and neighbourhoods most affected by the boards' decisions. She said: \"Licensing boards have an important role in trying to minimise the harm that alcohol can cause because they have the power to control how much alcohol is available in their areas. \"The good news is that some boards are working well with the police and health professionals, declaring more areas of overprovision and actively seeking the views of local communities in licensing decision-making.\" However, she added: \"There is a lack of transparency about how the evidence of alcohol harm presented to licensing boards by health, police, and local people has been listened to and acted upon.\" The number of alcohol licences in Scotland has remained broadly static in recent years, according to government figures. In 2012/13 there were 16,237 premises licences across Scotland - 11,363 on-sales and 4,874 off-sales. That was slightly down on the previous 12 months (16,379), and on the figure for 2010/11 (16,377). Among the findings of the report were: Ch Supt Mark Williams, police commander in Edinburgh said: \"My staff and other public agencies have made strong representation to the licensing authority highlighting the very clear link between the availability of alcohol and increased harm. \"In a policing context this usually manifests as anti-social behaviour, disorder and violence.\" AFS said there was some good practice where boards had taken into account the views of police, health professionals and local community groups. They included in Glasgow, North Ayrshire, Aberdeen, Dumfries and Galloway, Highland and East Lothian. Fiona Moss, head of health improvement at Glasgow City Community Health Partnership said: \"We were invited to give evidence during the consultation process and I was pleased with the way the licensing board considered this evidence and listened to the principal health messages. \"I welcomed the board's decision not to further extend routine licensing hours and not to grant further breakfast licences within the new policy.\" The AFS report recommended boards should produce detailed statistics to enable effective monitoring of the licensing system.", "summary": "Scotland's licensing boards have been urged to do more to protect communities from alcohol harm."}
{"article": "A chicks' mother and father had returned to the nest in Bassenthwaite at Easter for the fourth year running, producing a trio of eggs in six days. The first of the three chicks hatched on Thursday, with the other two birds arriving over the weekend. But the Lake District Osprey Project said Monday was a \"sad day\", when the team saw only one chick was on the nest. A spokesman said it was a \"bleak\" outlook for the remaining chick as it is \"very likely\" that the magpies would return. It is not known if the birds, which often take scraps of fish from the osprey's nest, had eaten the chicks. Ospreys returned to the area in 2001 after an absence of more than 150 years, and nearly 30 chicks have been raised at the nest since. The birds fly south to Africa during late autumn, returning to the UK towards the start of April.", "summary": "Two newly hatched osprey chicks have been stolen by magpies in Cumbria."}
{"article": "Locations for the Guy Ritchie-directed movie included near the Bealach na B\u00c3 , a pass in Applecross, and Devil's Pulpit, near Killearn. Charlie Hunnam, who plays Arthur, said: \"One of my favourite places in the UK is the Highlands of Scotland.\" \"When I found out that we were shooting there I was very, very excited.\" The star of Pacific Rim and former TV series Sons of Anarchy and Byker Grove, added: \"The Highlands of Scotland are absolutely sensational.\" Hunnam made the comments in a video for VisitBritain, which has created a tourism campaign around the film. The actor's experience of filming in the Scottish Highlands was starkly different from those of other film stars to have shot scenes there. Scarlett Johansson described shooting scenes in Glen Coe in November 2011 for sci-fi Under the Skin as \"brutal, cold and wet\". At the movie's world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, she told a news conference: \"It was as if you had just picked us up and dropped us into the middle of absolutely nowhere. \"It was harsh and it was brutal and it was cold, it was wet and it was terrifying but we pulled through.\" Michael Fassbender and Paddy Considine told of battling the elements on Skye while shooting 2015's Macbeth. Fassbender, who starred in the lead role, described the island as \"cold, wet and beautiful\". Considine said some of the other members of the cast succumbed to hypothermia during the filming. He told the BBC at the film's Edinburgh premiere: \"It got pretty bad there.\" \"A few people got hypothermia. We got hit by horizontal rain. It came and hit you sideways,\" added the actor who played Banquo. Fassebender said the production encountered \"rain, sleet and snow - all the wetness of the elements\". Another actor, Noel Clarke, told of getting frostbite during filming for the film Centurion in the Cairngorms in 2009. However, the film crew for 2012's Bond flick Skyfall enjoyed themselves in Glen Coe and Glen Etive, and described being \"absolutely blown away\" by the Highland landscape and the sight of red deer stags.", "summary": "The star of new movie King Arthur: Legend of the Sword has told of being \"very excited\" when told scenes were to be shot in the Scottish Highlands."}
{"article": "Police said jewellery was taken from two properties in Barrule Park during the day - taking the total to 32 homes in less than a fortnight. Insp Derek Flint said 120 incident logs were completed on Tuesday compared to 37 for the same period last year. Isle of Man residents have been warned by police not to attempt vigilante-style attacks on attempted burglars. The warning follows what police labelled \"wild speculation\" on social media. Insp Flint said \"circulating untested information on Facebook puts others at risk and people must stop doing this\". He added: \"A call to us with information is much more productive than the wild speculation that some individuals are resorting to on social media. \"Police are working flat out to catch those responsible but that, contrary to speculation, we haven't brought in any officers from the UK. \"This is being managed within our own resources.\" Break-ins or attempted break-ins have been reported in Douglas, Onchan, Castletown, Port St Mary, Lonan and Ramsey. Police are again asking for homeowners to remain vigilant.", "summary": "An unprecedented spate of burglaries on the Isle of Man continued on Tuesday with the first break-ins in Ramsey."}
{"article": "Nicola Sturgeon published an analysis of possible Brexit consequences, saying the Scottish economy could lose between \u00a31.7bn and \u00a311.2bn a year by 2030. Ms Sturgeon said this could have a severe impact on public spending. Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson urged the Scottish government to focus on stabilising the country in the wake of the Brexit vote. She said it needed to focus on stability and \"get back to the day job\". A spokesman for First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described Ms Davidson's comments as the \"height of hypocrisy\". And he blamed the Conservatives for Brexit and the \"huge economic damage\" it could cause Scotland. The UK as a whole voted to leave the European Union, but a majority (62%) of people living in Scotland voted to remain. Ms Sturgeon said a second independence referendum was \"highly likely\" following the poll, but has promised to explore other options to safeguard Scotland's status in Europe. Analysis published by the Scottish government suggested that by 2030, Scottish GDP was projected to be between \u00a31.7bn and \u00a311.2bn per year lower than it would have been if Brexit does not occur. Tax revenue was projected to be between \u00a31.7bn and \u00a33.7bn lower. Ms Sturgeon said \"This paper shows, in the starkest possible terms, the potentially huge cost to Scotland of being taken out of the European Union and the single market. \"This analysis - based on a wide range of sources - demonstrates that leaving the EU, under any potential alternative arrangement, will have a profound and long-lasting impact on the public finances and the wider economic and societal wellbeing of both Scotland and the UK as a whole. \"That stark picture outlined today means that, whatever the model of relationship with the EU which is chosen by the UK government in their negotiations before and after Article 50 is triggered, it will not be as economically beneficial as full EU membership.\" These figures are an arithmetical forecast, with caveats. They will be contested by those who argue that the UK/Scotland can thrive outside the EU. But they are also - indeed, primarily - a political tool. Practical implications Firstly, and most immediately, Nicola Sturgeon is seeking to some extent to pre-empt the publication on Wednesday of Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) figures. Given that oil has continued to decline and that the economy generally is less than buoyant, the latest GERS verdict is unlikely to be rosy. Secondly, and much more saliently, Ms Sturgeon is aiming an attack at the UK government and those who are currently pondering the practical implications of the Brexit vote. She is saying that unless Brexit is accompanied by a soft landing, unless there is substantial mitigation, unless the terms can be made relatively favourable, the potential cost is huge. So today's paper is designed to contribute, sharply, to the Brexit preparation process. However, there is a wider point. It is \"simply unacceptable\", Ms Sturgeon says, that \"Scotland faces the prospect of being dragged out of the EU against its will\". Read more from Brian Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson", "summary": "The first minister has warned that leaving the EU could cost the Scottish economy billions of pounds."}
{"article": "Corbridge in Northumberland was hit by Storm Desmond in 2015, with more than 70 homes evacuated as the River Tyne reached record levels. Water drainage near Station Road and Tinklers Bank was now being improved, Northumberland County Council officials said. Cabinet member Ian Swithenbank said the project was \"vital\". \"We've been working tirelessly since the severe weather last winter to clean-up and repair roads and infrastructure both in Corbridge and the wider area and this major piece of work will help protect the town in the future,\" he said. A new outfall through Tynedale Rugby Club will replace a culvert badly damaged during the storms, the authority said. Club chief executive Neil Foster said flooding at the ground seemed \"insignificant compared to the impact on local residents\". \"Hopefully this new surface water drainage system will reduce the risk of future surface water flooding, particularly in Station Road where flooding has historically been a problem,\" he said. The work is expected to take up to four months.", "summary": "Work has started on new flood prevention measures for a repeatedly flooded village."}
{"article": "Annie Besala Ekofo, 53, and Bervil Kalikaka-Ekofo, 21, were found dead in East Finchley on Thursday. The Met Police said a 24-year-old man was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of murder and is in custody at a north London police station. A 20-year-old man held on Saturday has been released on bail until October. Scotland Yard also revealed Mr Kalikaka-Ekofo had died from a gunshot wound to the head. A post-mortem examination for the University of West London psychology student took place at Northwick Park Hospital mortuary on Saturday, it said. A post-mortem examination on Ms Besala is yet to take place. Detectives earlier launched a fresh appeal for witnesses. They said there was no evidence to suggest the pair were the intended victims but would be exploring whether anyone else linked to their address could have been a potential target. Police were called to Elmshurst Crescent by the London Ambulance Service at about 06:25 BST and found the pair in their flat. Four other people, including a child, were also at the property at the time of the incident but were not harmed.", "summary": "Police probing the fatal shooting of a mother-of-nine and her nephew at their north London flat have arrested two men."}
{"article": "Sheffield City Council say the owner of Cake 'R' Us, in Devonshire Street, did not have consent for the work. It says the shop must be repainted in a colour scheme \"more in keeping with its 19th Century characteristics\". Owner David Chan said he had painted the shop in an \"act of national pride\". Live updates on this story and others from Sheffield and South Yorkshire A complaint about the shop, which is in part of the former Wharncliffe Fireclay Works built for John Armitage in 1888, was received in January 2015. The council wrote to Mr Chan to say the design was \"unacceptable\" but was told he had \"no intention of repainting the shop\" and would instead apply for consent. It said though no application has yet been made. Mr Chan said: \"It's the Union Jack. I do not see why it needs to be changed. I support Queen and country.\" Asked what he would do if the council took legal action to make him repaint the shop he said: \"I will write to the Queen. I do not see anything wrong with it. It's an act of national pride.\" A council report said: \"The union flag theme that has been applied to the shop front is considered to be visually intrusive and does not respect the original character of the property to which it is attached, due to its contemporary and garish design. \"Whilst the need of the business to advertise its presence and attract custom is recognised, this shop front has a deep fascia and projecting sign for these purposes, and there is no justification for garish and unsympathetic painting of the shop front to serve this purpose.\" The report recommends that the council's planning committee, which is due to meet on 26 April, agree to take any \"appropriate action including, if necessary, enforcement action and the institution of legal proceedings to secure repainting of the shop front\".", "summary": "A man who painted the front of his Grade II listed shop with a \"garish and unsympathetic\" union flag is facing possible legal action for breaching planning regulations."}
{"article": "She was speaking ahead of her party's two-day conference in Glasgow. Ms Davidson told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that she believed the SNP government did not have a mandate for indyref2. She added that if First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called one she would take a \"pretty big hit\". Ms Davidson explained: \"I don't think the FM, even by her own measure, has the right to do it [call a second referendum]. \"She doesn't have a mandate for it, she doesn't have popular support for it and I think she will take a pretty big hit when you see how many people across Scotland don't want dragged back to a second independence referendum and if she insists on trying to call one I think she will take a pretty big hit.\" Prime Minister Theresa May also focused on the issue of independence during a BBC Scotland interview on Thursday. She told Jackie Bird that the SNP had a \"tunnel vision\" over wanting a second referendum. That led Ms Sturgeon to say that Mrs May's Westminster government had \"no mandate\" in Scotland. The PM will address Tory party members later. Ms Davidson, who will make her keynote speech to the conference on Saturday afternoon, said Ms Sturgeon had failed to show that she had public support for a second independence vote. She told presenter Gary Robertson: \"She [Nicola Sturgeon] also said that she would only have a right to call one if she changed public opinion. \"Now, not only has public opinion not changed, but public opinion over whether to call a referendum has gone, down and down and down.\" Ms Davidson was also quizzed about whether Scotland might receive more devolved powers as a result of Brexit negotiations. She said she had no \"ideological objection to absolutely everything coming to Holyrood\". However, the MSP said that the decisions made needed to protect the current market agriculture and fisheries had with the rest of the UK.", "summary": "Scotland's Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has said there is no popular support for a second Scottish independence referendum."}
{"article": "Residents were evacuated from Kirkennan Drive, Dalbeattie, on Tuesday afternoon after the weapons were found while a house was being cleared. A team from the Royal Logistic Corp examined them and found them to be inactive. The A710 (Port Road) through Dalbeattie was closed for two hours during the alert. A spokesman for the Royal Logistic Corp bomb disposal team said: \"The ordnance was fully examined and found to be inactive. It has been removed from the house and we have taken it away.\"", "summary": "Bomb disposal officers have removed a shell and hand grenade from a house in Dumfries and Galloway."}
{"article": "Artillery and small arms fire were used in the town of Laukkai, in the Kokang region. Fighting reportedly erupted after rebels dressed in police uniforms launched a surprise raid. Five civilians, five police officers and at least 20 rebel fighters are said to have died. The office of Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said in a statement: \"According to initial information, many innocent civilians including a primary school teacher... were killed because of attacks by the MNDAA armed group.\" The Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) is a rebel group fighting Myanmar's armed forces in the region. Officials said the attack was launched early on Monday, and targeted police and military posts. A separate group of fighters later attacked other sites in Laukkai. Video shared on social media appeared to show parts of the town on fire on Monday afternoon, as civilians ran to safety. An army source told the AFP news agency that the fighting was ongoing as darkness fell. \"Residents in town are fleeing. We do not know exact figures yet,\" the officer said. What is Myanmar like? The Northern Alliance, a multi-faction rebel group which includes the MNDAA, confirmed on Facebook that its members were fighting in Laukkai. It said the attack was carried out in \"self-defence\", citing operations by the Myanmar military since December. The violence is among the worst to hit the Kokang region, in the northern part of Shan state, since 2015. The worsening conflict in the borderlands has raised tensions between Myanmar and much larger China. Kokang has close ties to China, with locals speaking a Chinese dialect and using the yuan as currency. Ms Suu Kyi's government is desperate to end the decades-long violence, amid fears it could spark a new refugee exodus.", "summary": "At least 30 people have been killed on Myanmar's border with China, after clashes between ethnic rebels and the security forces."}
{"article": "All of the managerial movements for June will appear below, followed by the full list of each club, league-by-league. To read the list for May, visit the ins and outs page.", "summary": "BBC Sport tracks all the manager ins and outs as well as listing all the current bosses in the Premier League, Scottish Premiership, English Football League and National League."}
{"article": "Nasa has created Mars Trek to mark the third anniversary of the rover landing on Mars. It allows people to see for themselves some of the features of the red planet using information gathered by Nasa over the past 50 years. A team from Nasa is also using the interactive map to look at possible landing sites for future missions.", "summary": "Nasa has created a new interactive web site to allow people to explore the surface of Mars just like the Curiosity rover is doing."}
{"article": "It happened at about 03:15 BST on Saturday at a house in Austin Drive, Tandragee. The petrol bomb was thrown at the front of the house and fire fighters were called to put out the blaze. A man in his 30s and a woman in her 20s who were in the house at the time escaped injury. The kitchen in the house was smoke damaged. Police are working to establish a motive for the attack. They have appealed for witnesses.", "summary": "A man and woman have escaped injury in a petrol bomb attack in County Armagh."}
{"article": "Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC tweeted the plea ahead of Wednesday night's away match against Dundee. The message included the line: \"We have no right to ask, but be there if you can.\" It was posted just hours after ICTFC's Highland rivals Ross County beat Hamilton 3-2 in Dingwall. If Hamilton had won, the Inverness club would have been relegated to the Championship. County made the game free of charge to watch to home and away fans.", "summary": "A Scottish Premiership football club fighting relegation has appealed to its fans to show their support at the team's latest crunch game."}
{"article": "Mohanna Abdhou, 20, was shot in Malvern Road, Kilburn, and died at the scene. Ms Abdhou, known as Montana, was approached by \"two males\" on bicycles who fired \"shots at her group of friends\". Police said nothing in her background gave \"any suggestion she would have been a target\" in the shooting, which took place on Friday, 26 May. CCTV images of the men believed to have carried out the shooting have also been released. Footage shows the two suspects at 20.53 BST cycling along Malvern Place, seconds before turning into Malvern Road where the shooting took place, police said. They are described as being of slim to medium build, both wearing dark clothing and concealing their appearance through the use of face coverings. A 21-year-old man who was arrested at the scene on the night of the attack has been released under investigation pending further enquiries. A 19-year-old man and a man, aged 20, were arrested in west London on suspicion of murder in the early hours of 31 May. They have been bailed pending further enquiries. Ch Insp Andy Partridge said: \"Valuable information has been passed to us but we are certain that people in the local community know who has committed this horrific attack. \"These individuals should not be shielded by friends or family, or supported in any way. \"No right-minded person would want those responsible for depriving Mohanna's family from ever seeing her again, to evade capture. \"Mohanna's family deserve answers and that will only happen if the local community tells us who carried out this attack.\"", "summary": "A \u00a310,000 reward has been offered following the murder of a woman shot dead by two men on bicycles in London."}
{"article": "Bath boss Mike Ford announced in October that the former Scarlet star, 28, was taking a sabbatical. \"We agreed to sign Rhys on the basis that he did not play international rugby,\" said Ford. \"He's now decided that he wants to play again.\" Dan Biggar was the first choice No 10 during the World Cup earlier this year as Wales reached the quarter-finals. Priestland has won 40 Test caps and replaced Biggar during the last-eight loss to South Africa on 17 October. Ford explained that Priestland's U-turn was the reason Bath had signed utility back Dan Bowden from New Zealand. But the coach added: \"We're hoping Rhys will be with us for the two years of his contract and possibly beyond that.\" Ford wanted Priestland to act as cover for his son, George, who is expected to be part of England's Six Nations squad.", "summary": "Wales fly-half Rhys Priestland has reversed his decision to take an 18-month break from international rugby."}
{"article": "Barney, a former sailing athlete and coach, worked for the England and Wales Cricket Board before joining GB Hockey as head of talent development in 2013. He takes over from Danny Kerry, who had been both performance director and interim women's head coach since 2014. Kerry, who guided Britain's women to Olympic gold in August, said in April he would focus on coaching full-time. \"Our sport is in an amazing place,\" Barney said. \"After the women's team's success in Rio, we are now presented with a great opportunity.\"", "summary": "Ed Barney has been named Great Britain hockey's new performance director - overseeing the men's and women's teams."}
{"article": "Now, we've had our first glimpse of where they all lived while the series was being filmed. This year's mansion is in the posh north London suburb of Highgate. When people living nearby noticed the new neighbours they of course got onto Twitter to share the gossip. @Theodoreshand wrote: \"cant believe we live down the road from the apprentice house!!! #highgate.\" @ShafLdn said: \"So the apprentice candidates are staying in Highgate. Love a bit of local area on TV! #BBCApprentice.\" And @maisiemoola_ tweeted: \"Why are they playing the Sims music on The Apprentice. And also, Hello Highgate! #hometown.\" Contestants arrived at the house after being split into two teams while Sarah Dales (above) bagsied a bed straight away. The all-female Team Decadence came up with their name in the garden, although Lord Sugar has since asked them to change it. Company director Chiles Cartwright was the first candidate to be fired from this year's series after Lord Sugar blamed him for the failure of the all-male Team Summit. While the Apprentice candidates lived in Highgate, this year's X Factor contestants are based a half an hour's drive away in Hertfordshire's Hadley Wood. The contestants, who've gone down from 31 to 29 after Blonde Electra were voted off the show, have access to an outdoor swimming pool and landscaped gardens. It has eight bedrooms (cosy), six bathrooms, a gym, a sauna and walk-in dressing rooms. It's on the market for \u00a32.5 million. Last year the X Factor contestants were housed in London's Winchmore Hill in a house which is now worth around \u00a37 million. In 2012 the finalists broke with tradition and stayed at a hotel in central London. Previous houses were in locations including Hertford Heath (2011), Borehamwood (2010) and Golders Green (2009). The 2013 Apprentice mansion was situated on Lincoln's Inn Field in Holborn, London. It's worth between \u00a311-12 million or \u00a358,000 a month in rent. Property website Zoopla says it was a newly refurbished Grade II listed building last year with five or six bedrooms, a new kitchen, double height floor to ceiling windows with an internal courtyard and superb views over the square. 2012's Apprentice house was in London's Bayswater area. The house has eight beds, six baths, three receptions and is valued at around \u00a311 million. Or you could rent it for \u00a336,000 a month. Whichever's easiest really. 2011's Apprentice house was billed as being located in Richmond but was in fact in nearby East Sheen. At the moment it's worth around \u00a37 million. According to reports it was the home of a well-known Welsh singer at the time. Houses before that were located in Chiswick (2005), Hampstead (2006), Notting Hill (2007), Battersea (2008), Ladbroke Grove (2009) and Bloomsbury (2010). Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "The Apprentice house has already lost one member and the original 20 candidates are down to 19."}
{"article": "In December, Nokia sued Apple claiming the company had breached 32 technology patents covering displays, user interfaces and video encoding. The two companies have now signed a deal allowing Apple to use the technology, and Nokia will receive an up-front cash payment. Apple will also stock Nokia's health products in its retail stores. The two companies have not revealed specific details of the financial agreement, but one analyst suggested it would be worth millions of dollars to Nokia. \"The agreement is per year, so it's probably in the hundreds of millions of dollars range,\" said Keith Mallinson, an industry analyst as Wiseharbor. \"That's partly because it covers many patents, and Nokia has some very important ones, they were one of the pioneers of cellular standards. \"But looking at Apple's business... one industry estimate is that they made $140bn (\u00c2\u00a3107bn) revenue on iPhone sales in 2016. \"Even a small royalty against that - less than 1% - would be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.\" Nokia said it was \"looking forward to supporting Apple\", while Apple's Jeff Williams said the company was \"pleased with this resolution of our dispute\". Between 2009 and 2011, the two companies were locked in a series of legal battles over the patents for the technology they used in their mobile phones. At the time, Nokia was still the world's leading mobile phone manufacturer, but was being rapidly undermined by the rise of Apple's iPhone.", "summary": "Apple and Nokia have settled a dispute over the use of patented technology in smartphones and agreed to \"co-operate\"."}
{"article": "Hampshire-based Onecom was the subject of 1,050 complaints, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said. The firm, based in Whiteley, is run by Aaron Brown. He was recently acquitted of the manslaughter of his friend who died in a powerboat crash in 2015. ICO said Onecom could not provide evidence to explain the source of the data used to send the 1,050 messages. It said the firm was also unable to prove it had consent to send the messages. ICO said Onecom confirmed it had sent 3.3 million text messages between 1 October 2015 and 31 March 2016. Steve Eckersley, ICO head of enforcement, said: \"Spam texts are a real nuisance to millions of people across the country and this firm's failure to follow the rules drove over 1,000 people to complain.\" Anyone bothered by a spam text is urged to report it, either via the ICO's website or by forwarding the text to 7726. In March, Onecom chief executive Mr Brown was cleared of the manslaughter by gross negligence of Ryan McKinlay who died when a jet-powered boat, driven by Mr Brown, crashed into a cruiser off the Isle of Wight.", "summary": "A telecoms firm has been fined \u00c2\u00a3100,000 for sending millions of spam texts about mobile phone upgrades."}
{"article": "Rovers took a 24th-minute lead at the Silverlake Stadium when Christian Doidge sweetly headed in Keanu Marsh-Brown's cross from the right for his 14th league goal of the season. Eastleigh twice went close before Ayo Obileye levelled 10 minutes later, bundling in Luke Coulson's teasing corner at the back post. Towards the end of an exciting first half, Forest Green's Dale Bennett made a fine block from Hakeem Odoffin's shot. Eastleigh introduced newly-signed striker Darius Henderson at half-time but Rovers initially threatened most, although Ben Strevens headed just wide with 12 minutes to go amid late chances for both teams. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Eastleigh 1, Forest Green Rovers 1. Second Half ends, Eastleigh 1, Forest Green Rovers 1. Ben Strevens (Eastleigh) is shown the yellow card. Dale Bennett (Forest Green Rovers) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Forest Green Rovers. Marcus Kelly replaces Keanu Marsh-Brown. Substitution, Eastleigh. Scott Wilson replaces Hakeem Odoffin. Substitution, Forest Green Rovers. Shamir Mullings replaces Rob Sinclair. Substitution, Eastleigh. Jai Reason replaces Sam Togwell. Substitution, Eastleigh. Darius Henderson replaces James Constable. Second Half begins Eastleigh 1, Forest Green Rovers 1. First Half ends, Eastleigh 1, Forest Green Rovers 1. Sam Togwell (Eastleigh) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Eastleigh 1, Forest Green Rovers 1. Ayo Obileye (Eastleigh). Goal! Eastleigh 0, Forest Green Rovers 1. Christian Doidge (Forest Green Rovers). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Forest Green missed the chance to go level on points with National League leaders Lincoln as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Eastleigh."}
{"article": "The cuts include 190 management jobs and 400 non-management staff working at its head office in Hong Kong. In March, the airline said it would save 30% in employee costs at its head office after it posted its first annual loss in eight years. The cuts are part of a three year programme to turn around the losses. The airline said in a statement that the job cuts would be complete by the end of the year, with most of the affected employees to be informed on Monday, and over the next month. The changes will be overseen by the airline's new chief executive, Rupert Hogg, who replaced Ivan Chu Kwok-leung earlier this month. Mr Hogg cited increasing competition and a challenging business outlook for what he called \"tough but necessary decisions for the future of our business and our customers\". Cathay has been facing tough competition from Chinese and Middle Eastern airlines that have expanded rapidly in the Asia Pacific region. Earlier this year, it posted a net loss of HK$575m ($74m; \u00c2\u00a360.1m) for 2016. It was only the third time the firm posted a full-year loss in its 70 year history.", "summary": "Hong Kong's flagship carrier Cathay Pacific has said it will cut nearly 600 jobs as part of the biggest restructuring in 20 years."}
{"article": "City were held to a 1-1 draw at League One Rotherham, before securing a bonus point with a 4-2 win on penalties. Spurs' under-21s earned a point in a 2-2 draw with the Hatters, who beat the visitors 4-2 in the shootout. League One side Plymouth also won on penalties, beating Chelsea's development squad 5-4 after a 2-2 draw. There were wins for two Premier League development squads inside 90 minutes, as West Ham and Swansea both earned three points in the opening round of fixtures. Swindon twice equalised against the Hammers after falling behind, but Dan Kemp slid in a third goal late on to secure the visitors victory at the County Ground. Kyle Storer gave League Two side Cheltenham the lead early in the second half against the Swans, but Kenji Gorre equalised in the 73rd minute, before Aaron Lewis slotted in an 83rd-minute winner. Notts County were the only English Football League side to earn the maximum three points, as goals from Jonathan Forte and Haydn Hollis earned the Magpies a 2-1 win over Everton Under-21s. Swindon Town 2-3 West Ham United Under-21s Plymouth Argyle 2-2 Chelsea Under-21s (Plymouth won 5-4 on penalties) Cheltenham Town 1-2 Swansea City Under-21s Luton Town 2-2 Tottenham Under-21s (Luton won 4-2 on penalties) Rotherham United 1-1 Manchester City Under-21s (Manchester City Under-21s won 4-2 on penalties) Notts County 2-1 Everton Under-21s", "summary": "Manchester City Under-21s won on penalties in their first EFL Trophy appearance, while fellow debutants Tottenham lost in a shootout at Luton."}
{"article": "The prime minister said the UK should still be part of summits and negotiations when matters affecting all 28 member states were being discussed. Sources have denied the issue was the subject of a row at a dinner at the EU summit - Mrs May's first as PM. Both the French president and German chancellor warned if Mrs May pursued a \"hard Brexit\", talks would be hard too. Arriving at the summit in Brussels on Thursday, Mrs May pledged to continue to \"work closely\" with the EU after Brexit. She stressed it was important to have a \"united European stance\" against \"Russian aggression\" that included \"sickening\" violence in Syria. She told fellow leaders they \"must be ready to take steps to change Russia's approach and the way it thinks about this if we are ever to bring an end to the violence in Syria\", according to No 10 sources. Before sitting down for a dinner with fellow EU leaders that included pan-fried scallops, crown of lamb with roast fig and iced vanilla parfait, sources said Mrs May raised the issue of continuing UK participation in negotiations at an earlier meeting. Sources said she was keen that the UK was still fully included in discussions that affected all members - particularly on security issues - but denied she was concerned about being \"frozen out\". Troubled by the need to find a common approach to Russian ambitions in Syria, and distracted by a faltering trade deal with Canada, the EU's leaders didn't have Brexit at the top of this summit agenda. So long did proceedings over-run that it was reportedly 01:00 local time before Mrs May took the floor to offer a Brexit briefing. And brief it proved to be - EU sources said she spoke for around five minutes and there were no speeches in response from the other leaders. She used the summit though to make an important point - that just as Brexit means Brexit, so the UK remains IN the EU until the moment when it's officially out. The British view is that that means the 27 countries that will remain shouldn't jump the gun in starting to make decisions that exclude the UK. That message has now been delivered. But German MEP Manfred Weber told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"It's not really normal that such a member who wants to leave a club like the EU also wants to decide the future of this club. That's really creating a lot of anger; the behaviour of the British government.\" The prime minister has promised to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - beginning two years of formal exit negotiations with the EU - by the end of March. This means Brexit, backed in a UK-wide referendum in June, will take place by the summer of 2019. The Brussels summit is not focused on Brexit but on issues like migration, trade and relations with Russia. On arrival, Mrs May said: \"The UK is leaving the EU, but we will continue to play a full role until we leave and", "summary": "Britain expects to be part of EU decision-making until Brexit, Theresa May has told fellow EU leaders."}
{"article": "Her son Bryce, 23, was flying off on a dream holiday in Bali with the \"love of his life\", 21-year-old Daisy Oehlers. \"They were heading for paradise and never came back.\" They were among 298 who lost their lives when the Malaysia Airlines plane was shot out of the sky over eastern Ukraine on 17 July 2014. No-one has yet been prosecuted for the attack but the Dutch-led joint investigation team says it has identified a list of 100 \"persons of interest\". They say the plane was brought down by a Buk missile brought in from Russian territory and fired from a field in the hands of pro-Russian rebels. The memorial site, the first official monument chosen by their families, is a short drive from Schiphol airport, where three years ago to the day many would have waved their final goodbyes. Two-hundred-and-ninety-eight trees have been planted. One to represent each victim. They were either planted by the relatives themselves or decorated by them with flowers and butterfly mobiles. The young forest at Vijfhuizen is designed to symbolise life, growth and hope and offer a permanent place full of life to remember the dead. At the heart of the forest is a monument in the shape of an eye. Each of the 298 victims' names is engraved in the iris pointing upwards. Above the forest the blue sky was streaked with white aircraft trails, and the air filled with the constant rumble of jet engines as King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and Prime Minister Mark Rutte joined an estimated 2,000 relatives for a moving ceremony. All 298 names were read out by relatives, their voices faltering and often breaking. As the Royal Netherlands air force orchestra played, the king and queen joined local children placing sunflowers at the foot of the monument. The flowers are a poignant symbol for the families as much of the wreckage of flight MH17 came down in a field bordered by sunflowers. Monday's ceremony marked the third anniversary of the disaster but many relatives hoped these high profile events would keep what happened in the public consciousness and maintain pressure on the authorities to track down the culprits. The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has confirmed the rocket was smuggled in from Russia, fired from a field in territory controlled by Russian backed rebels at the time. But they still have not named any suspects. Many of the families are struggling to keep their faith in the international community's ability to bring to justice the people who carried out the attack. Malaysia's transport minister hinted the first arrest warrants may be issued later this year or early in 2018. There has been no confirmation from the Dutch prosecutors leading the criminal investigation. Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution in 2015 to establish an international tribunal. Instead members of the JIT have agreed that any future trials will be conducted in the Netherlands in accordance with Dutch law - which means the accused could be tried in absentia. If the suspects are in Russia, few believe they will be", "summary": "\"It's so important not to forget but remembering brings all the memories flooding back,\" said Silene Fredriksz, as relatives came from across the world to mark the first official monument in the Netherlands to those who died on flight MH17."}
{"article": "Geoffrey Sutcliffe admitted causing the death of Lucille Abraham, 92. When applying to renew his driving licence, a court heard, Sutcliffe said he met the \"required eyesight standard\" and did not need glasses to drive. He was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. Sutcliffe hit Ms Abraham, from Baildon, at the junction of Godwin Street and Kirkgate, in Bradford, last October. During an eye test the previous month, Prosecutor Michael Smith said, Sutcliffe told the optometrist he was not a driver. Had he done so, Mr Smith said, she would have said that his eyesight had failed the visual acuity test. \"The defendant suffers from cataracts in both eyes and it seems that the medical opinion here is that he should not undergo an operation on his right eye because effectively that's the only eye that can see,\" said Mr Smith. Barrister Ken Green, for Sutcliffe, said he had been driving for over 60 years without any previous offending and his client intended never to drive again and had surrendered his licence. \"He will never forget that day and I am sure he will never forgive himself for that error that he made,\" said Mr Green. Passing sentence, Judge Colin Burn said \"It is obvious that you should not, with the benefit of hindsight, have been driving at all on that day. \"Your eyesight wasn't up to it as a matter of objective fact.\" He added: \"The misrepresentation you made about your eyesight was a contributory cause of this collision because you shouldn't have been driving at all.\"", "summary": "An 81-year-old driver whose poor eyesight meant he should not be on the road has been given a suspended jail sentence after he hit and killed a woman."}
{"article": "This could involve anything from a mortgage or loan, to applications for a credit card or a mobile phone contract. But, during tough economic times, lenders are being more choosy about who they lend money to. So, is there anything you can do to improve your credit rating? James Jones, from credit reference agency Experian, answers some of your questions. Q: I have a mortgage with Northern Rock. I am trying to transfer it to another lender to get a more favourable rate. I took out a loan with First National in February 2005. I made regular payments of \u00c2\u00a3120 per month for more than four years up until June 2009. Due to a change in bank accounts and address I defaulted on that date. I settled the full amount of \u00c2\u00a37,202 in October 2009. I believe due to this default I am unable to get another lender. Please advise me what I should do to repair or improve my credit ratings. R Patel. A: Defaults stay on a credit report for six years from the default date, so I am afraid yours will hang around until June 2015. Do make sure you review your report to check the default has been updated to \"satisfied\". If you want to explain on your report why the default occurred you can send a \"notice of correction\" to each of the three credit reference agencies - Experian, Equifax and Callcredit. The negative impact that the default has on credit scoring will reduce over time and may eventually be outweighed by more recent positive repayment information. A reputable mortgage broker should be able to help you find a competitive deal based on your current circumstances. Q: I currently have a rating in the green (excellent) zone however it is towards the bottom end. As I have no debts, apart from a totally up-to-date mortgage, and have never been behind with credit card or council tax, why is my rating not higher? Ronald P Macleod. A: You do not actually have a credit rating at all. Each lender you approach for credit will calculate a rating for you based on the data available to them at the time and their own lending policies. You can get a score from each of the credit reference agencies to help you understand how your credit report is likely to be viewed by a typical lender, and you have clearly done this with one of the agencies. An excellent score is certainly good news for you but there is always room for improvement and the agency you obtained this score from should be able to give you some custom advice based on your actual data. Do not forget, there are three credit reference agencies and lenders will typically use just one or two, so it is certainly worth reviewing all three credit reports from time to time. Local authorities do not currently share council tax records with the agencies, so you will not find this on your report. Q: Companies are quick to report to the credit reference agencies when you", "summary": "Credit ratings are used by lenders when deciding whether to accept an application for credit."}
{"article": "A member of the public found the dead bird of prey in the Millcroft area of Strathaven last Friday. Specialist wildlife crime officers are attempting to establish how the bird died, and whether any crime has been committed. Buzzards are scavengers which feed mainly on the remains of dead animals, making them particularly vulnerable to the illegal use of poisonous bait. A post-mortem examination and toxicology tests will be carried out on the bird to determine its cause of death.", "summary": "Police are investigating the discovery of a dead buzzard in South Lanarkshire."}
{"article": "Under the current constitution, the president has been unable to seek re-election because he is over the age of 70 and has already served two terms. The opposition say turnout was low and the vote should be annulled. However, official results put the turnout in Sunday's referendum at 72%. More than 1.2 million people voted in favour of the change - 92.3% of voters - while nearly 102,000 rejected it, the electoral commission said. The opposition called for a boycott of the poll and one of its leaders described the official results as a \"fraud\". \"From what we could see on the day of the vote, the announcement that turnout was more than 72% is extremely scandalous,\" Clement Mierassa told the AFP news agency. President Sassou Nguesso, 71, is one of Africa's longest-serving rulers, first coming to power in 1979 and ruling until 1992 when he lost elections. He returned as president in 1997 after a brief civil war and has since won two elections. He is now coming to the end of his second seven-year term. Tens of thousands of people took part in a peaceful demonstration against the referendum in September. Four people died last week, when security forces dispersed angry protesters in the capital, Brazzaville, and the economic hub of Pointe-Noire. The election is due to take place in 2016. Africa's longest-serving leaders: The arrogance of power The Mobutu and Gaddafi effect", "summary": "More than 92% of voters in Congo-Brazzaville's controversial referendum have approved constitutional changes to allow President Denis Sassou Nguesso to run for a third term, results show."}
{"article": "The other contestants to have been announced so far are; Peter Andre, Carol Kirkwood, Katie Derham, Georgia May Foote, Kellie Bright, Ainsley Harriott and Jeremy Vine. More are still to be announced. Mr O'Donnell said that he is nervous, despite his many years in show-business. \"It's really happening,\" he said. The singer said he is uncertain if he is up to the standard required. \"I can put a few steps together, but can I dance to the level I need to dance? Well, that's a whole other ball game.\" Earlier this year, the Kincasslagh man decided to take a short break from touring. \"I told myself that I would only consider doing something if it was both different and exciting. Well, what could be more exciting than Strictly Come Dancing? I love to dance and boy am I looking forward to getting started and being the best that I can be,\" he added. Daniel O'Donnell, who has sold more than 15m albums, first rose to fame in 1983 and has had considerable success in Ireland, the UK, the US and Australia. Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One for its 13th series in September 2015.", "summary": "Irish singer Daniel O'Donnell has been confirmed as the eighth contestant on this year's Strictly Come Dancing."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old man smuggled the alcohol from neighbouring Gujarat state and delivered it to local dealers in Mumbai, the police said. The liquor was then sold from illegal liquor vends in Mumbai. Toxic alcohol deaths are a regular occurrence in India, where people often drink cheap bootleg liquor. The death toll in the latest incident has risen to 102, and 40 others, suffering from symptoms of poisoning, are being treated in hospitals. Seven people, including two women, have been already arrested in Mumbai in connection with the incident. Police said Mohammed Latif Khan, the main supplier, had fled Mumbai after the incident and had been staying at a friend's place in Delhi. \"During questioning, we got to know that the suspect used to source the illicit liquor from Gujarat's Ahmedabad [city],\" a police official told The Indian Express. Gujarat is the only state in India where alcohol is totally prohibited by law. Police suspect the deaths were caused by methanol poisoning, but are still awaiting reports. Distilling alcohol safely requires a precise control of the temperature, because if that rises above a certain level then methyl alcohol can form. Sometimes, certain herbs or chemicals might be added to increase the strength or improve the flavour, and these can react badly with other chemicals. At least 29 people were killed after consuming toxic alcohol in Uttar Pradesh state in January. India has witnessed many other incidents of toxic alcohol deaths in the past:", "summary": "Police in the Indian capital Delhi say they have arrested a man who supplied the toxic alcohol which has killed more than 100 people in the city of Mumbai."}
{"article": "The body of Paul Jefferies, 52, was found by police at his house in Coggins Mill Lane, Mayfield, on 25 February following concerns for his welfare. A post-mortem examination showed he died from multiple injuries. The boy, from Crowborough, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of killing Mr Jefferies on 23 February. He has appeared before magistrates. A 16-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man from Crowborough and a 17-year-old girl from Eastbourne were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. All three have been released on bail until 21 April.", "summary": "A 17-year-old boy has been charged with the murder of a man found dead at his home in East Sussex."}
{"article": "Alexander Baird, 55, of Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway, went before Caernarfon Crown Court on Monday. He has been charged with failing to take all reasonable steps to ensure the safe operation of a vessel. In January 2012, a crewman on the scallop dredger, Steven Robertson, 25, of Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Galloway, was lost while aboard the St Amant. The body of Mr Robertson was never found. Mr Baird will appear in court again at the end of February.", "summary": "A fishing boat master has appeared in court almost four years after a crewman was lost overboard off Anglesey."}
{"article": "About 130 military drivers will replace striking London Ambulance Service and North West Ambulance Service drivers, the Ministry of Defence said. In London, 74 police vehicles will also be used for low-priority calls, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said. Unison, whose members are striking over pay, called the move a \"quick fix\". It said it had arranged emergency plans for Monday with all the other ambulance trusts in England. NHS workers in England will strike for four hours from 07:00 BST on Monday, with a number of public sector unions planning further industrial action over pay during the rest of the month. One hundred military drivers will be drafted into London while 30 will assist ambulance services in the North West. London Ambulance Service (LAS) has said patients in a life-threatening situation will still receive an ambulance response, but people with injuries such as minor breaks, or women in routine labour may not. It has said there will be an impact on services for the whole day. North West Ambulance Service has also warned that with a \"substantial reduction in its workforce\" there will be delays for some patients. East Midlands, South Western, South Central and South East Coast Ambulance Services have all confirmed they have staff members who will also be on strike on Monday. LAS director of operations Jason Killens said: \"We are expecting a significant number of our staff to take four hours of strike action. \"The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is providing 100 military drivers during the strike action. They will support our clinical staff by driving our vehicles to an incident while our medics look after the patient.\" An MoD spokesman confirmed its involvement and said personnel from the Army, RAF and Navy would be involved. A spokesman for the Met Police said: \"The LAS will attempt to deal with higher priority calls. \"Lower priority calls will be passed to 'double-staffed' police vehicles and an assessment made as to whether the patient requires transport to hospital or can obtain treatment any other way. \"If an ambulance is required, officers will wait with the patient until the ambulance arrives.\" Merseyside Police will assist the ambulance service by making five police vehicles available for use with first-aid trained staff, a spokesman said. Christina McAnea, Unison's head of health, said: \"The fact the government did not even try to talk to trade unions to arrange emergency cover in the capital is outrageous. \"Instead they've decided to deploy military troops as a quick fix. \"We have agreed emergency plans with all the other ambulance trusts in England.\" Rehana Azam, national officer of the GMB said the union had written to the chief executive of LAS with concerns about using the Met and military drivers. He said: \"GMB does not accept that this is last-minute contingency planning but a deliberate attempt by government to cause concerns among the public and to undermine the hard work of LAS staff taking strike action.\" The Royal College of Midwives is also joining the action on Monday, in what will be the first walkout in its 133-year", "summary": "Military personnel and police vans are being drafted in to help ambulance services affected by a public service workers strike on Monday."}
{"article": "She took the seat with 91,036 votes with her Labour rival Gareth Derrick on 87,242 votes after both went through to a second round. There was a turnout of 22.8%, up from 15% in the election of November 2012. The area's first police and crime commissioner, Conservative Tony Hogg, who was elected in 2012, confirmed last year he would stand for re-election. Ms Hernandez said: \"I'm just delighted that the people of Devon and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have put their faith in me to get the best out of Devon & Cornwall Police and keep us all safe.\" BBC News App users: tap here to see the results. More information is available on the Choose my PCC website.", "summary": "The Conservatives' Alison Hernandez has been elected as Devon and Cornwall's police and crime commissioner."}
{"article": "Members of the RMT union will walk out for 48 hours from 18:30 BST on 8 July. The union said a guard should be kept on every train, \"not a diluted customer service role\", but First Great Western said having drivers controlling doors was safer and jobs would not be lost. In the ballot, 80% supported strike action and 92% other forms of action. The union said \"no satisfactory solutions\" had been proposed by management in response to its demands for a \"safety competent guard\" and buffet car facilities on trains. It also said maintenance of the new rolling stock should remain in-house and there should be no job losses. First Great Western (FGW) said it was seeking a meeting with the union following the ballot result. A spokesman said: \"We are disappointed that our assurances over job security, the need for more - not fewer - staff and maintaining existing pay and conditions for those staff have not been heard. \"These new trains will shave journey times by as much as 17 minutes, and provide the capacity we know our customers want to see but in order to be able to do this we need to operate these trains differently to the way we operate our current 40 year-old High Speed Trains. \"The best way to make the most of these new trains, in an efficient and safe way, is by the use of driver operation of the doors.\" Buffet cars could also be replaced with a trolley service under the plans. RMT General Secretary Mick Cash accused the company of \"profiteering\". \"RMT has made every effort to secure a series of very basic assurances from FGW over jobs, services and safety as a result of the introduction of the new Hitachi fleet and they have simply ignored us,\" he said. The first Hitachi trains will run on the Great Western main line from 2017 and the East Coast main line from 2018. The new trains are being introduced under the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) on routes between London Paddington and Oxford, Bristol and South Wales.", "summary": "First Great Western rail workers have voted to support strike action over plans to axe guards and buffet cars on new Hitachi Inter City Express trains."}
{"article": "Justice Secretary Michael Gove rejected a ruling last month by the Parole Board that the notorious gangster was suitable for a move to open conditions. Noye, 68, was jailed for life for the road rage murder of 21-year-old Stephen Cameron in 1996 during a fight on an M25 slip road at Swanley in Kent. He went on the run after the killing, but was captured in Spain in 1998. He was jailed in 2000 with a minimum term set at 16 years in 2002 by the then Home Secretary David Blunkett. The parole board considered a request from Noye to be released from Wayland Prison in Norfolk. Being moved to an open prison is the first stage of the process that usually leads to release. Such an intervention by the Secretary of State is rare, with fewer than 1% of Parole Board recommendations being turned down over the last five years. About 40 recommendations out of up to 6,000 from 2010 to this year have been rejected by the Justice Secretary. Noye is entitled to another parole hearing within two years. After the Parole Board made its recommendation Mr Cameron's father Ken said he and his wife Toni believed he would abscond from an open prison. \"Finally we have got justice again for Stephen,\" he said. \"He's going to be there for another two-and-a-half years with a bit of luck.\" Noye became one of Britain's most notorious criminals through his involvement in the \u00a326m Brink's-Mat raid in 1983 - one of the UK's biggest robberies. Six armed men posed as security guards and stole 6,800 gold bars from a warehouse at Heathrow Airport. During the police investigation, undercover officer Det Con John Fordham was stabbed to death in the grounds of Noye's mansion in West Kingsdown, Kent in 1985. Noye was cleared of murder on the grounds of self defence, but jailed for 14 years for handling stolen bullion.", "summary": "Road rage killer Kenneth Noye has been refused a move to an open prison over fears for public safety."}
{"article": "The advance came as the US said it had conducted 21 air strikes near the town, slowing down the IS advance. Tall Shair hill had been captured more than 10 days ago by IS militants. Later on Tuesday, US President Barack Obama will host talks with military chiefs from more than 20 countries on how to combat IS in Syria and Iraq. Correspondents say this is the first time such high-ranking military officials from so many countries have come together since the US-led coalition was formed last month. In a separate development, Turkish warplanes on Monday bombed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebel targets in Hakkari province near the Iraqi border, causing \"heavy casualties\", Turkish media report. If confirmed, this would be the first major air raid by Turkey on the PKK since a ceasefire was reached in March 2013. On Tuesday sources in the Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) told the BBC that they had regained control of Tall Shair hill-top, about 4km (2.5 miles) to the west and near an informal border crossing. In a statement the US military said Tuesday's air strikes had destroyed IS buildings and military vehicles. The statement said the security situation on the ground \"remains fluid with IS attempting to gain territory and Kurdish militia continuing to hold out\". The battle for Kobane, a predominantly Kurdish town, has lasted for a month and emerged as a major test of whether the coalition's air campaign can push back IS. Two weeks of air strikes against IS targets in and around Kobane have allowed Kurdish fighters to slow the jihadists' advance, but Turkish and Western leaders have warned that the town is still likely to fall. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based activist group, reported that IS carried out three separate suicide bomb attacks. One IS suicide bomber blew up an explosives-filled vehicle in the north of the town, near the border, while the second targeted an eastern area, it said. Later, a third bomber attacked a YPG position in the north-east. The Observatory said it believed IS now controlled about half of Kobane. Capturing the town, from which more than 160,000 people have fled, would give the group unbroken control of a long stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border. Meanwhile at least 10 Syrian soldiers were killed on Tuesday in fighting against IS militants in the oil-rich eastern province of Deir Ezzor, the Syrian Observatory said. The fighting took place near Deir Ezzor military airport, one of the last government-controlled outposts in the province. Deir Ezzor has been a key target of air strikes by the US-led coalition fighting against IS.", "summary": "Kurdish fighters battling Islamic State (IS) say they have recaptured a strategically important hilltop west of Kobane on Syria's border with Turkey."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Leigh Griffiths and Stuart Armstrong secured a 34th win of the campaign for Brendan Rodgers' side, who were then presented with the Premiership trophy. The feat was last achieved by Rangers in 1898-99, over an 18-game season. And Celtic join Arsenal (2003-04) and Juventus (2011-12) in being unbeaten over a 38-game league season. Rodgers' side, who won the League Cup in November, will attempt to win the club's first domestic treble since 2001 when they take on Aberdeen in Saturday's Scottish Cup final. Celtic, who have won six top-flight titles in a row, are unbeaten in 46 domestic games this season (38 in league, eight in cups), and 47 domestic matches overall including the final league game of last season. And they are unbeaten in 31 games in all competitions since losing to Barcelona in the Champions League on 23 November. With the win and goals against Hearts, Celtic set new records for the Scottish Premier League/Premiership era, including goals, points, wins and margin of victory. With so much anticipated from the hosts, Hearts head coach Ian Cathro sought to frustrate Celtic, restricting them to long-range efforts. Kieran Tierney and Callum McGregor came closest with those and Griffiths sent a free-kick into the side netting. And it could have been Hearts that went in front, Bjorn Johnsen laying a free-kick off for Alexandros Tziolis to strike narrowly over. When Celtic did get into the box, goalkeeper Viktor Noring was in fine form. The Swedish stopper made an instinctive block to deny Dedryck Boyata at a corner and then punched away Patrick Roberts' dangerous cut-back. However, Hearts' resistance was broken when Roberts danced clear on the right and set up Griffiths for a confident header. And Griffiths was involved in the second, his cross not properly cleared and falling for Armstrong to finish. Though sustaining a fourth straight defeat, Hearts competed well in Glasgow and fared much better than their 5-0 home loss to Celtic last month - the match that clinched the title for Rodgers' men. Johnsen headed against the right-hand post from a Malaury Martin corner as Cathro's men sought consolation. And substitute Martin's volley was then kept out by Craig Gordon late on. Match ends, Celtic 2, Heart of Midlothian 0. Second Half ends, Celtic 2, Heart of Midlothian 0. Tomas Rogic (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jamie Walker (Heart of Midlothian). (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Don Cowie (Heart of Midlothian). Corner, Heart of Midlothian. Conceded by Craig Gordon. Attempt saved. Malaury Martin (Heart of Midlothian) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Corner, Heart of Midlothian. Conceded by Erik Sviatchenko. Corner, Heart of Midlothian. Conceded by Kieran Tierney. Krystian Nowak (Heart of Midlothian) hits the right post with a header from the centre of the box. Corner, Heart of Midlothian. Conceded by Scott Brown. Attempt blocked. Malaury Martin (Heart of Midlothian) left footed shot from the left side", "summary": "Champions Celtic beat Hearts to become the first team to complete a Scottish top-flight season unbeaten for 118 years."}
{"article": "Jake Lawlor headed the home side in front after 13 minutes, but out of the blue Torquay turned the match on its head in under two minutes. First Sean McGinty headed in Luke Young's corner, and seconds later Jamie Reid threaded a ball through for Ruairi Keating to plant home. Both sides missed further chances to add to the score, before Guiseley staged late drama. Kevan Hurst struck with four minutes left before a frenetic goalmouth scramble led to Guiseley's winner, with the identity of the goalscorer unclear. Match report supplied by the Press Association.", "summary": "Guiseley turned impending defeat into victory against Torquay at Nethermoor Park with two late goals."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Philippe Coutinho scored the only goal in the quarter-final replay to book a last-four tie with Aston Villa. It came after defeats by Manchester United and Arsenal brought criticism and reports of \"crisis talks\". \"A lot has been made of that meeting but the review was very important in how we want to work,\" said Rodgers. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I'm a coach who speaks openly to players. If you don't review and analyse your performance, how can you get better?\" Rodgers said this week's meeting had been no different to the others he held during the impressive 12-match run that yielded 32 points before those recent defeats. \"It's something that we've done all year,\" said Rodgers. \"It provides us the lever to move forward - how can we be better, how can we improve? \"I'd seen all of this about saving our season. It wasn't about saving our season. \"We just needed to stay calm. Our two performances against Arsenal and Manchester United weren't to the standards we'd set for three months.\" Liverpool will now face Aston Villa in the semi-final at Wembley on Sunday, 19 April. Henderson's perfect present The victory was particularly significant for captain for the day Jordan Henderson as it came hours after the birth of his second daughter. \"His wife had a child during the night. Jordan had to go away, he hadn't slept much and then travelled all the way back again. \"He said 'boss, as soon as the baby's out, I'll be coming back'.\" Mixed emotions for Ince over Gerrard send-off Paul Ince is hoping his old club Liverpool will win the FA Cup in former team-mate Steven Gerrard's final match for the club on his birthday, 30 May. There will still be a sense of regret though. \"It would be nice for Steven Gerrard to finish at Liverpool by winning something,\" Ince said on BBC Match of the Day. \"But I wish it had been the Premier League. Someone of his greatness should have won the Premier League.\"", "summary": "A Liverpool team meeting after recent defeats had a key role in their FA Cup win at Blackburn, according to manager Brendan Rodgers."}
{"article": "The US central bank will wrap up its two-day policy meeting later in the day and is expected to indicate whether it is on track to raise interest rates. Trading volume was also thinner with one of the region's biggest markets - Japan- closed for a public holiday. Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 ended 1.85% lower at 5,838.60 points. Chinese shares headed lower, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng index ending 0.15% lower at 28,400.34 points, while the Shanghai Composite closed flat at 4,476.62. In South Korea, the benchmark Kospi index closed 0.2% lower at 2,142.63. Shares in Samsung Electronics rose 1.4% higher after its earnings came in line with the guidance it released earlier this month. The tech giant reported a first-quarter operating profit of 6 trillion won ($5.64bn; \u00c2\u00a33.63bn).", "summary": "Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday as investors remained cautious ahead of US growth data and the outcome of the Federal Reserve meeting."}
{"article": "Massaro, 31, who took time out after suffering from fatigue in February, beat New Zealand's Joelle King 11-6 11-2 11-7 in Hull. England's Nick Matthew is in the last four of the men's event. The 34-year-old, seeking a fourth title, beat Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet 11-7 11-7 11-7. Massaro will play defending champion and world number one Nicol David, after the Malaysian beat England's Sarah-Jane Perry 11-6 11-8 12-10. Matthew's preparation had been interrupted by an ankle injury, but he was pleased with his performance which sets up a semi-final against world number one Mohamed Elshorbagy. \"I guess if you'd offered me a place in the semi-finals before the tournament I'm sure I would have taken it because it means I would have been feeling healthy,\" he said. Colombia's Miguel Rodriguez plays Gregory Gaultier of France in the other men's semi-final, while in the women's competition, Camille Serme of France will meet Delia Arnold of Malaysia.", "summary": "England's former world champion Laura Massaro is through to the semi-finals of the British Open in her first tournament after a break from squash."}
{"article": "European football's governing body introduced FFP 'break-even' rules in 2013, requiring clubs to balance their spending with their revenue. PSG more than doubled the world record transfer fee when they spent 222m euros (\u00a3200m) to sign Neymar last month. They have signed Kylian Mbappe on loan, and could pay \u00a3165.7m for him in 2018. PSG have been owned by the Gulf state of Qatar, via its Qatar Sports Investments fund, since 2011. The French club made made a profit of 10m euros (\u00a39.2m) on revenue of 520.9m euros (\u00a3389.6m at the time of conversion) in the 2015-16 financial year, according to the most recent figures published by Deloitte. The six-time French champions have failed to meet FFP rules before - receiving a fine, a spending cap and only being allowed to register 21 players for the Champions League in 2014. Uefa's FFP regulations were approved in 2010 and the first assessments began the following year. The 'break-even' element states clubs can spend 30m euros more than they earn over a three-year period. A Uefa statement said the investigation into PSG would \"focus on the compliance of the club with the break-even requirement, particularly in light of its recent transfer activity\". It added: \"In the coming months, the investigatory chamber of the Uefa club financial control body will regularly meet in order to carefully evaluate all documentation pertaining to this case. \"Uefa considers financial fair play to be a crucial governance mechanism which aims to ensure the financial sustainability of European club football.\"", "summary": "Uefa has opened a formal investigation into Paris St-Germain as part of its \"ongoing monitoring\" of clubs under financial fair play (FFP) regulations."}
{"article": "Protestors are blocking access to Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus. One man has been arrested for causing an obstruction. Contractors turned up on Thursday morning to start preparatory work on the site. Protestors have maintained a presence there since Monday. The oil company, Infrastrata, wants to drill an exploratory well on the site. A trailer has been used to block access to it and a number of private cars are also blocking the road outside it. Campaigners claim that the well could impact the water supply because the site is within the catchment of a reservoir that supplies water to thousands of homes in Belfast and Carrickfergus. Northern Ireland Water, which has leased the well site to the company, has said it is confident there is no threat to the water supply. The campaign group Stop the Drill has called for the planning consents to be reviewed by the Department of the Environment. The company has said that once it starts, it will take seven weeks of drilling to complete the borehole. In a statement, the company said: \"Infrastrata is committed to carrying out this conventional exploration in an environmentally-responsible manner. \"In common with other petroleum exploration sites in the UK, the site at Woodburn Forest has been designed to assure the maximum protection for the environment.\" The company says this will involve developing a fully watertight site which will protect local watercourses including the Woodburn River and the nearby reservoir. All work will be finished within four months.", "summary": "Police and environmentalists are in a stand off at a County Antrim forest where an oil company plans to drill a well."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Real Madrid star left the pitch with a thigh problem following a clash with goalkeeper Kiko Casilla. \"It was a minor scare, a knock, but in a few days I will be well,\" said Ronaldo, who has 51 goals this season. Real Madrid face Atletico Madrid in Milan this weekend in a repeat of the 2014 final, which Real won 4-1. Portugal forward Ronaldo, 31, has been plagued by a thigh injury that forced him to miss three games in April. He came off at half-time during Real's final La Liga game of the season.", "summary": "Cristiano Ronaldo says he will be fit to play in Saturday's Champions League final against Atletico Madrid after limping out of training on Tuesday."}
{"article": "The home affairs minister said he was refused a visa as the constitution prohibits hate speech. Mr Anderson runs the Faithful Word Baptist Church, which says that homosexuality is an abomination punishable by the death penalty. He said that religious freedom no longer existed in South Africa. \"I feel sorry for people who live in South Africa, but thank God we still have a wide open door in Botswana,\" Mr Anderson posted on his Facebook page after the decision to refuse him a visa. South Africa has one of the most liberal constitutions in the world which protects gay rights. The BBC's Milton Nkosi in Johannesburg says Mr Anderson was invited by a local church to visit this month. Two petitions with more than 60,000 signatures, organised by gay and human rights activists in South Africa, had called for the trip to be stopped. \"I have identified Steven Anderson as an undesirable person to travel to South Africa,\" Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba said. Mr Anderson's church is based in the US state of Arizona and describes itself as an \"old-fashioned, independent, fundamental, King James Bible only, soul-winning Baptist church\". In a video posted on YouTube before South Africa's decision was made, he said that the trip was not going to be about homosexuality, but he stood by his views against homosexuality, which he said were endorsed by the Bible.", "summary": "South Africa has barred controversial US pastor Steven Anderson from visiting the county because of his critical remarks about homosexuality."}
{"article": "Campaigners say the former Volkswagen car showroom in Iffley Road is being used as \"Oxford's unofficial homeless shelter\". The site is currently home to 14 people and has been vacant for two years. But Wadham College hopes to redevelop the building into student accommodation. Campaigners have asked for the site to be officially designated as homeless housing. \"I don't want to see anyone freezing to death in the city that's my home,\" said one supporter, Miranda Shaw. \"That is something that has happened in other cities around the country and I think that is totally unacceptable.\" Lewis Cairns, who is homeless and living in the squat, said: \"It's a bit of a godsend really, I feel like I can get somewhere now. \"I can start applying for university and get things done.\" A spokesperson for Wadham College said it was \"exploring everything\" and had not decided whether to take legal action. It added its primary focus was \"the safety implications for the homeless who have moved in\" and said it had a longstanding relationshop with the Gatehouse homeless project. A statement said: \"The college will be making every effort to speak to representatives of this homeless group as well as local residents, safety experts and the site developers. \"As part of [redeveloping the site], Wadham College has undertaken to contribute more than \u00c2\u00a3900,000 towards social housing provision in Oxford. \"The college regularly fundraises for homeless organisations and we donated much of the furniture from the Iffley Road site to a homeless charity.\"", "summary": "A college that owns a building used by squatters as a homeless shelter has said it is \"investigating all options\", including legal action."}
{"article": "PC Jonathan Adams part-owns a horse with a racing syndicate and on one of the occasions was seen celebrating a win on television, the panel heard. He faces three allegations of gross misconduct under \"honesty and integrity\" but denies lying. If proven he could be dismissed from Gloucestershire Police. The hearing continues. The panel was told that in September 2015 and April 2016, the probationary police officer had reported in sick and went to Nottingham racecourse to watch the horse he part-owned, named Little Lady Katy. In June 2016 he reported in sick again and went to Royal Ascot to watch Quiet Reflection, another horse owned by his syndicate, win the Commonwealth Cup. The misconduct panel was shown a television clip of PC Adams jumping around and celebrating which had been shown on Channel 4 Racing. PC Adams said he had acted to avoid a \"toxic\" environment at Barton Street station in Gloucester where he worked as an investigation officer. He described suffering stomach cramps, migraines and being in an emotional place which was affecting his irritable bowel syndrome. He told the hearing if he had gone into work instead of going to Ascot he \"wouldn't have lasted\" and would have been \"sent home, not fit for duty\". Stephen Morley, presenting the case for the force, told the hearing: \"It is not good enough to report in sick and go on a jolly. \"He is a public servant and he is obligated to do what he could for the public.\" Barrister Richard Shepherd, representing PC Adams, said the officer was of \"impeccable character\" who \"did his best\" to manage the symptoms of a \"stress-related\" condition. The hearing heard PC Adams transferred to Gloucestershire Police in 2014 from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.", "summary": "A police officer threw a \"sickie\" three times in order to watch horse racing, a misconduct hearing has been told."}
{"article": "He founded advertising agency Video International or Vi - still one of Russia's biggest - and went on to became head of the state news agency RIA Novosti. In 1996, he devised the advertising campaign that helped then President Boris Yeltsin win re-election. The US authorities are investigating his death aged 57. Coroners say he died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head. His son - Anton Lessine - has made a name for himself as a Hollywood film producer. Mikhail Lesin, once regarded as a free media pioneer, became one of the first in Russia to advocate tightening state control of the internet - a policy the Kremlin appears to have pursued with greater vigour in recent years. As minister for communications and media (1999-2004), he oversaw the hostile takeover of NTV by state-controlled Gazprom-Media in 2000. It happened a month after Vladimir Putin was sworn in as president. At the time NTV, Russia's third national TV station, was critical of Kremlin policy, including the war in Chechnya. In the takeover, businessman Vladimir Gusinsky lost control of NTV and other major media assets and was imprisoned. In 2004, the European Court of Human Rights accepted Mr Gusinsky's argument that the state had forced him to sell his media business in return for fraud charges against him being dropped. It ordered the Russian state to pay him \u00e2\u201a\u00ac88,000 (\u00c2\u00a369,000, $97,700). Lesin was also responsible for the closure of channels TV-6 and TVS and instrumental in setting up international broadcaster RT (Russia Today) in 2005, the Kremlin's TV mouthpiece abroad. His role in bringing media outlets into the Kremlin orbit earned him the nickname The Bulldozer. In November 2009, Lesin was sacked from his post of presidential media adviser, apparently over a conflict of interests. He became head of Gazprom-Media in 2013, overseeing NTV when it broadcast a number of documentary films targeting the opposition. He resigned in late 2014, citing family reasons, but respected Russian newspaper RBK reported that he had fallen out with a Gazprom-Media shareholder and close Putin associate, Yuri Kovalchuk. In 2014, the US Department of Justice and the FBI launched an investigation into Lesin's property in the US, amid suspicions of corruption and money laundering. In a 2014 letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder, US Senator Roger Wicker raised concerns about the California property Lesin had bought since moving his family to the US. \"He acquired multiple residences at a cost of over $28 million,\" he wrote. \"That a Russian public servant could have amassed the considerable funds required to acquire and maintain these assets... raises serious questions.\" He also pointed to an apparent financial link between Lesin and Mr Kovalchuk, who is under EU-US sanctions, as is Mr Kovalchuk's Bank Rossiya.", "summary": "Mikhail Lesin, the Russian media figure found dead in a Washington hotel room in November, made his name in PR and advertising in the 1990s."}
{"article": "The friends of Muhammad Wisam Sankari told a Turkish gay rights group, kaosgl.org, that they had been threatened by violent male gangs. \"I am so scared,\" one of them said. Mr Sankari, a refugee, arrived in Istanbul a year ago. His body was found in Yenikapi, a central district, on 25 July. No arrests have been made. Kaosgl.org reported that Mr Sankari had been trying to get to another country as a refugee because his life was in danger. One of his housemates, called Rayan, said a male group had kidnapped Mr Sankari about five months ago, beaten him up and raped him. \"We complained to the police headquarters but nothing happened,\" he said. Another of Mr Sankari's friends, Diya, said the United Nations was also failing to protect the gay community in Turkey. \"I get threats over the phone... It does not matter if you are Syrian or Turkish, if you are gay you are everyone's target. They want sex from you and when you don't they just tag along... Who is next?\" Diya said. In June, Turkish police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse gay activists who tried to hold an LGBT rally in Istanbul, despite a ban on the Gay Pride parade. Unlike in many Arab countries, homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey but analysts say homophobia remains widespread. Cagil Kasapoglu of the BBC Turkish Service says hate crimes against LGBT individuals in Turkey mostly go unreported. According to kaosgl, there has been a rise in human rights violations based on sexual orientation in recent years. Under the heading \"hate crimes\" the organisation recorded five murders, 32 attacks and three suicides in Turkey last year. It believes the number of such murders over the past six years is more than 50. Syrian gay refugees in Turkey suffer even more, as their legal status is precarious - they are usually undocumented and most are reluctant to report assaults to police, our reporter says. The Turkish authorities cited \"safeguarding security and public order\" as the reason for banning Gay Pride in Istanbul this year. The parade was also banned last year. Assaults on LGBT people in Turkey have mostly been blamed on ultra-conservative Muslims and an ultra-nationalist youth group, the Alperen Hearths. The harassment is also related to a rise in homophobic rhetoric in conservative media and social media, Cagil Kasapoglu says. Such rhetoric was used by Turkish ultra-conservative media when reporting the murder of 49 people in June by a gunman in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, she says. Gunman Omar Mateen, a US citizen, appeared to have an interest in Islamist extremism.", "summary": "The headless, mutilated body of a gay Syrian man has been identified by gay housemates in Istanbul who say he had been gang-raped previously."}
{"article": "It will be the 20-year-old's second spell at the club, having joined on loan from Rochdale in 2016. Bell made nine appearances in 2016-17 for Gateshead, scoring twice. Earlier on Thursday, Chester - who finished 19th in the National League - announced new deals for midfielder Wade Joyce and utility player Evan Horwood on one-year and six-month contracts respectively.", "summary": "Chester have signed Gateshead striker Nyal Bell on loan until 7 January."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old opening batsman/leg spinner follows the lead of Joe Clarke, Ed Barnard, Joe Leach, Tom Fell and Ross Whiteley in extending his deal. \"We have a great bunch of lads, it's the city where I'm from and it's the club I love playing for,\" he said. \"I'm very passionate about the club and want to win games of cricket for Worcestershire.\" D'Oliveira is the third generation of his family to play for the county, following in the footsteps of his late grandfather, former England all-rounder Basil, and his late father Damian, who served the county as player and coach. He made his limited-overs debut against Yorkshire in 2011 and his first-class debut against Warwickshire a year later. D'Oliveira impressed with the ball in Worcestershire's run to the T20 Blast quarter-finals, taking nine wickets, proving their most economical bowler in the competition. His five Championship appearances in 2015 have all come since the start of July.", "summary": "Worcestershire all-rounder Brett D'Oliveira has signed a new three-year deal, tying him to New Road until 2018."}
{"article": "Ovidio Gonzalez was suffering from terminal throat cancer and said he had been suffering unbearable pain. Colombia's Catholic Church has said euthanasia is morally unacceptable and it has threatened to close its hospitals across the country. Colombia is one of the few countries in the world, and the only one in Latin America, where euthanasia is allowed. Assisted suicide was approved by the Constitutional Court in the 1990s. But no procedures had been performed because the measure had not been regulated. It was only in May that the health ministry intervened and issued a set of guidelines for hospitals. Mr Gonzalez died in a clinic in the western city of Pereira, after a legal battle. His son Julio Cesar is a cartoonist with one of Colombia's top newspapers, El Tiempo. \"My father received the news [that the procedure had been approved] with relief,\" said Mr Gonzalez, better known by his pen name Matador, or The Killer. \"It is a pity that it had to be like that. My dad deserved to go with less publicity,\" he added. Euthanasia is highly controversial in the predominantly Roman Catholic country. Critics also point out that the measure has not been voted by Congress.", "summary": "A 79-year old Colombian man has become the first person in the country to die legally by euthanasia."}
{"article": "Something we have always taken for granted - the sea - could help us keep the lights on and generate a new industry. The proposals for the world's first tidal energy lagoon off the Swansea coast could produce enough energy for a small city. Other projects could follow in Cardiff, Newport and Colwyn Bay. But can the Welsh economy cash in on this potential opportunity? While our onshore wind industry has largely been developed by foreign investors, there seems to be a political will to make sure that does not happen with new sources of energy. The UK is having to look at replacing its ageing power stations while looking to the future with renewable energy, such as tidal power, playing a larger part. In its latest infrastructure plan, the UK government said its discussions with Tidal Lagoon Power Ltd will look at whether a potential project in Swansea Bay is \"affordable and value for money for consumers\". But who will pay for it? It is reported that the Swansea lagoon project has already attracted more than \u00a3200m from two financial institutions, Prudential and Infrared; they are the cornerstone equity funders. It will also be funded by private individuals and \u00a3400,000 raised from shares sold in the community. The rest will be covered by borrowing from banks, with this money being repaid as customers pay their bills. The government is set to pay for 20% of major infrastructure projects in the next few years, particularly transport, but it expects private money to pay for most of any tidal developments. For its project off the coast of Swansea, Tidal Lagoon Power has already set a target of half of the \u00a31bn capital expenditure staying in Wales, rising to 65% for the UK as a whole. \"The project will lay the strongest possible foundations for a brand new industry in which Britain can lead the world,\" says chief executive Mark Shorrock. The Welsh Economy Research Unit says this could mean an extra \u00a3300 million being spent in Wales over the three years it would take to build and would increase the output of the Welsh economy by \u00a3173m a year. What does this mean in terms of people's livelihoods? One of the companies which would look to bid for work is one that took a hit from the closure of the Murco oil refinery last year. Ledwood in Pembroke Dock had 1,000 workers at its peak but now employs 200, with the workforce cut by a third as a knock-on from the refinery shutting down. Roger Evans, chairman of the Tidal Industry Advisory Group, said Mr Shorrock is \"absolutely passionate\" about creating a Welsh and UK supply chain. \"We're talking potentially about 35,000 jobs. We've already identified several Welsh companies that are more than capable of partaking of that opportunity,\" he said. General Electric in Rugby, Warwickshire, and Austrian-based Andritz Hydro are together bidding for the \u00a3300 million contract to supply 16 turbines for the Swansea lagoon. Most of the components for the turbines will be made in the UK and south Wales businesses", "summary": "The way we look at the tides - and going to the seaside in parts of Wales - could be changed forever."}
{"article": "The results of a consultation by the Policy Council showed 90% of the 1,337 people who took part agreed or strongly agreed with the proposals. Equality charity Liberate said: \"It showed how far Guernsey had come, welcoming people from all backgrounds.\" A report to be discussed by the States in December recommends same-sex marriage should be introduced. In June, it was announced same-sex couples would be allowed to adopt under new laws agreed by the States. Martin Gavet, from Liberate, said: \"We have been traditionally treated effectively as second class citizens, although we pay the same taxes - simply because of who we are or who we love. \"Thankfully, we are living in much more enlightened times in which we have witnessed the decriminalisation of homosexuality and now we are seeing many jurisdictions recognising that love knows no boundaries - with equal marriage being introduced in 22 jurisdictions across the world to date. \"These proposals are reflective of how far our society has come and that it is the will of the majority and no longer the minority\". He added that the charity did not expect all faith groups to want to immediately carry out same-sex weddings. Previously plans for the term \"marriage\" to be scrapped and a \"Union Civile\" law introduced - which would have allowed people to enter into legally recognised civil unions and remove links to religion - were dropped. The Policy Council, which is responsible for Guernsey's constitutional and external affairs, launched the consultation in a bid to \"modernise the island's legislation\". In Jersey last month, a move to introduce same-sex marriage was approved by the island's government. The draft legislation, which will be voted on separately, is due to come back to the States of Jersey by January 2017. In England and Wales, same-sex marriage became legal in March 2014.", "summary": "Hundreds of people have given their backing to plans for same-sex couples to be legally recognised in Guernsey."}
{"article": "He was wounded and arrested in a dramatic raid in Brussels on 18 March after four months on the run. The 26-year-old French national was born in Brussels and lived there before the Paris attacks. He would be held in solitary confinement in a maximum-security prison in the Paris area, said Justice Minister Jean-Jacques Urvoas. The co-ordinated attacks carried out by so-called Islamic State in Paris on 13 November claimed 130 lives and left dozens more severely wounded. Belgium's federal prosecutor said Salah Abdeslam had been \"surrendered to the French authorities this morning (in execution of the European Arrest Warrant issued by France on 19 March 2016)\". He was then formally placed under arrest. Although he was initially held at a prison in Bruges, he had most recently been in custody at a high-security jail at Beveren, near Antwerp. Salah Abdeslam is charged in France with participation in terrorist murder and the activities of a terrorist organisation. He was also indicted by Belgian authorities last week over a shoot-out in the Forest area of Brussels in which four police were wounded, three days before he was arrested. Earlier, French criminal lawyer Frank Berton told French media that he would be taking on Salah Abdeslam's defence in France following a two-and-a-half-hour meeting between the two last Friday at Beveren. Mr Berton BFMTV (in French) he hoped the man would be judged \"for what he has done and not what he has not done... not for what he represents because he is the last survivor\". Most of the Paris attackers are now dead. Frank Berton has defended some high-profile clients in recent years: Florence Cassez, a Frenchwoman jailed in Mexico in 2007 for 60 years for kidnapping but controversially freed in 2013. She is alleged to have been part of the Zodiacs gang Dominique Cottrez, sentenced to nine years in prison in 2015 for killing eight of her newborn babies Daniel Legrand, found guilty of child sex offences in 2004 as part of the Outreau case; his conviction was later overturned in one of France's most notorious miscarriages of justice Mohamed Drici, jailed for involvement in Islamist attacks in 1995, in which 10 people were murdered Mr Berton described Salah Abdeslam as \"falling apart because of the drama that unfolded in France\" and said he wanted to explain his actions. He said he was aware of the risks in representing his client, but insisted \"he has the right to a fair trial\". Mr Abdeslam's Belgian lawyer, Sven Mary, has spoken of the dangers he faced in representing him - telling France's Liberation website (in French) that he was threatened, assaulted physically and verbally in his office, and that on occasion police had escorted his daughters to school. But Mr Mary also spoke disparagingly of his client, describing him as having the \"intelligence of an empty ashtray\".", "summary": "Belgium has extradited Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam to face trial in France."}
{"article": "David Brickwood, 74, was stabbed five times in Northampton on 26 September in a \"violent and dreadful\" attack. One of his sons, Dale Brickwood, said the family was becoming \"increasingly frustrated\" the killers had not yet been brought to justice. Police said the case was \"a priority\" they were \"committed\" to solving. Mr Brickwood was attacked when several men broke into his Lindsay Avenue home in the early hours of the morning. He was left with multiple stab wounds to the head, leg and hand. The scrap metal dealer was known to keep money in his house. His son Dale said the family was not sure how much was taken but during a Crimewatch reconstruction on 8 February police appealed for \"anyone [who has] come into contact with a large amount of old style \u00a320 and \u00a350 notes\" to come forward. His son said watches and jewellery were also taken. The offenders would have been \"covered in blood\", officers said, but despite that, no-one has been charged. Two men arrested shortly after the murder were released with no further action. Three other men remain on bail. Mr Brickwood criticised Northamptonshire Police for a lack of communication, saying: \"We seem to be finding information and giving it to them.\" The police \"don't really talk to us\", he added. Northamptonshire Police said two family liaison officers had been assigned plus a \"dedicated team of detectives\". Det Ch Insp Mick Graham, leading the investigation, said: \"I can fully understand that the family and friends of David may be frustrated. \"The investigation team share that frustration and empathise with David's family.\" He said there was \"a lot of rumour and speculation locally\", but added: \"We need the people with the critical pieces of information and evidence to come forward.\" However, the family has been left \"so demoralised\" after the recent Crimewatch appeal failed to lead to further arrests, Dale Brickwood said. \"It's disgusting. Five months after our dad was murdered and no-one's been caught. Where do we go from here?\" Crimestoppers has offered a \u00a310,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.", "summary": "The son of a man murdered at home five months ago has said his family is \"demoralised\" by the apparent lack of progress in the investigation."}
{"article": "Photographer Mustafa Saeed spent eight days travelling across in Somalia's self-declared republic of Somaliland with charity Save the Children, meeting pastoralist families whose lives have been ruined by drought. Thousands of children are malnourished, families have lost their livelihoods, and fathers are absent as they travel to sell what cattle they have left. Sixteen million people across Somalia (including Somaliland), Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan need food, water and medical treatment, according to the UK's Disasters and Emergency Committee. \"These pastoralist families are representative of the many Somali families across the Horn of Africa who are affected by this drought,\" says Saeed. \"Their livestock is their bank account - it is the currency that they depend on to live, and they have been watching their animals die. \"They are still waiting for help, telling me about their needs for food, water, and shelter. \"It was an emotionally exhausting experience, especially seeing the scale of the situation and knowing there are so many people out there who need our help. \"But whatever difficulties I faced when taking these photos, I know it is nothing when compared to the emotional state of these families who are suffering from the drought.\" After most of her livestock died, Shukri came, with two of her three children, to Burao and settled in the area surrounding the local airport in the hope that her few surviving sheep could find pasture. \"We came here hoping to feed our livestock,\" she says, \"But the grass was finished and our livestock died. Now, we have to remain here. We have nothing left.\" Many pastoralists are abandoning their nomadic lives as herders and making their way to small urban centres such as Ainabo, hoping to receive food aid from the local communities and international organisations. Fardus says: \"After our livestock died, we were left with nothing to eat, We have no food, no water, and no proper shelter. We have nothing. I came here so that my children might have something to eat.\" Saado travelled from the drought-stricken eastern region of Somaliland, after a 100 of her livestock died, and settled with her four children in the west of the country, near the town of Dilla. More of her livestock died here, and her remaining 50 sheep and goats are too weak to produce milk or to sell at the market. Saado and her children are eating one meal of rice per day. Her youngest daughter has been diagnosed with malnutrition at a recent health screening. \"Our biggest need now is food,\" says Saado. \"We need to get food so that my children can get stronger.\" \"We used to be pastoralists and then the drought happened and we lost all but a few of our livestock, so we came here,\" says Khadra. \"Everyone here who has lost their livestock has been through a lot. We have no homes, just these makeshift tents. Some of the local shops have lent us food, and recently some organisations have been helping us.\" Deeqa's family has lost a 100 head of cattle, and the few surviving", "summary": "All photographs by Mustafa Saeed"}
{"article": "The visitors had led in the first half when David Davis reacted fastest to tuck in the rebound after Adam Bogdan saved Clayton Donaldson's penalty. Earlier, Donaldson had hit the post for Blues, and David Cotterill nearly made it 2-0 after half-time but hit the bar. Wigan went close through Nick Powell before Davies turned in from close range, but the Blues remain unbeaten. Despite Wigan controlling possession, Birmingham created the better chances and could have gone ahead when Jacques Maghoma's shot was palmed out by Bogdan into the path of the on-rushing Donaldson, but the Jamaican's instinctive effort struck the woodwork. After the Wigan keeper brought Donaldson down in the area, he got down low to save the striker's resultant spot-kick but Davis was too quick to the rebound and coolly finished. Powell was then denied by Birmingham stopper Tomasz Kuszczak after half-time and the Blues looked set for their second away win in four days, before Davies' late leveller. The result leaves Blues one point above the Latics in the table and without a defeat in seven league games, having drawn six of them. Wigan manager Gary Caldwell: \"There was one team that tried to win it. They got gifted a goal from not our doing and we had to chase a game against a team that likes to pack the defence and counter attack which is never easy. I thought we controlled the situation really well and if anything deserved to win the game so it's a bit of frustration.\" \"The rule is you can't go in the box until the ball's hit, it's clear. I would just like them to own it up at times to say 'I've made a mistake'. It would help. \"It's the sheer defiance that there's nothing wrong when really there is something wrong. A goal could have been avoided. I felt he was marginally offside as well. You can't get that many things wrong in a football match as important as this.\" Birmingham City manager Gary Rowett: \"I couldn't see it, I wish he had (encroached) because I'm sure Clayton would have scored with the retaken one. \"Eight weeks ago the goalkeeper would have been sent off but now it's the double jeopardy rules. A point I think was a fair reflection of the game. They are a good side Wigan, I think they'll have a good season. I'm sure. \"I'm quite enthused at the start. There will be a lot of teams that will panicking a little bit after three games and wondering what work they need to do in the final few weeks of the transfer window. I'm quite pleased with the way we've started the season.\" Match ends, Wigan Athletic 1, Birmingham City 1. Second Half ends, Wigan Athletic 1, Birmingham City 1. Attempt missed. Yanic Wildschut (Wigan Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Dan Burn with a headed pass. Corner, Wigan Athletic. Conceded by Greg Stewart. Shaun MacDonald (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Clayton", "summary": "Wigan Athletic rescued a late point through Craig Davies to deny Birmingham City a second consecutive victory."}
{"article": "The Reverend James Percival, 66, and Ruth Percival, 29 from Freckleton were arrested on suspicion of child neglect but will not face charges, police said. They were previously held on suspicion of murder and conspiracy to conceal the birth of a child but also face no further action for those offences. It followed reports of a woman giving birth to a stillborn baby in 2014. A post-mortem examination was carried out on the baby but the cause of death remains unascertained. A spokesperson for Blackburn Diocese said they \"note the police decision not to charge the former vicar of Freckleton and his daughter\". \"The Diocese has provided pastoral support to the family and will continue to do so as and when required.\" Lancashire Police said: \"They both answered bail today and, following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, have been told they will face no charges.\" Det Supt Sue Clarke, who led the investigation for the force's major investigation team, said it had been an \"extremely complex and sensitive enquiry\". \"We have worked very closely with the Crown Prosecution Service from the very early stages... and we respect the decision they have made not to bring any charges,\" she said. Det Supt Clarke said police \"recognise the impact that such investigations can have on all those concerned\" but were \"duty-bound to thoroughly investigate incidents\" and stressed that those arrested \"have been dealt with professionally and sensitively throughout\". The wife of Mr Percival, of Holy Trinity Church, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to conceal the birth of a child but was released with no further action.", "summary": "A vicar and his daughter will face no further action following the death of a baby boy in Lancashire."}
{"article": "Strachan received the backing of the SFA board last week despite his side sitting fifth place in their World Cup qualifying group. Speculation had linked Sunderland manager Moyes with the job. \"I don't think there's anybody out there who could do a better job than Gordon Strachan,\" said Moyes, whose side beat Hull City 3-0 on Saturday. The Scot had been under pressure in the first year of his own four-year contract with the English Premier League club. But the win over Hull lifts Sunderland above Swansea City and off the bottom of the table. Moyes has often said that he would like to manage his country at some point but was unhappy to be linked with the role with Strachan still in post. \"Quite rightly so that they kept Gordon on, because he's got a limited group to choose from,\" said the former Everton, Manchester United and Real Sociedad boss. \"I think Scotland did well against England. I think that the score flattered England a little bit. \"And I think Gordon's working with the tools he's got and deserves to be in the position.\" Scotland's 3-0 defeat by the English at Wembley left the Scots six points behind the Group F leaders and four adrift of second-top Slovenia. However, Ross County winger Chris Burke, who has seven Scotland caps, thinks Strachan's side can still finish second and secure a play-off place. \"The way we have to look at it is - are we going to finish first, or did we think we were going to finish first?\" he told BBC Scotland. \"No, we weren't. Realistically, we were looking at coming second and is that still a possibility? Of course it is. \"It is only four points and the team that are in second are coming next to Hampden and, if we beat them, it is back on. \"One thing about Gordon is he is a fantastic coach and I've learned so much in my game when I was at the age of 30 when he introduced me back into the Scotland squad.\" Former Scotland left-back Gary Naysmith agreed about Strachan's qualities. \"Everybody says on the training pitch, you won't find anyone better,\" said the East Fife manager. \"I've never heard one person say anything bad about Gordon Strachan's coaching. \"I thought there was a lot of optimism from the England game, but I can also understand when you look at the statistics why some of the fans are wanting a change. \"But you hear what David Moyes had to say there - another manager would have the same group of players. \"By Gordon staying, he obviously believes we can still qualify, because I firmly believe that, if he didn't think they could qualify or get into second place, he would have walked out the door.\"", "summary": "David Moyes thinks the Scottish FA did the right thing by retaining Gordon Strachan as national head coach."}
{"article": "Dr Hill, who started to log runs on 20 December 1964, finished Manchester's 5km Heaton Park parkrun earlier. The 76 year old, who lives in Hyde but grew up in Accrington, Lancashire, has competed in three Olympic Games and has won gold at the Commonwealth Games. The distance recorded in his log book adds up to 160,000 miles, or running around the world more than six times. After a \"disastrous\" Olympics in Tokyo, he said he started running daily to \"get the best out of myself\". He said: \"Once you get into the habit of it, you just do it. Just get wrapped up and get out the door. \"It's [my] advice to everybody - just start running and within five minutes you're in your stride and probably enjoying it.\" Dr Hill was the first British runner to win the Boston marathon. In later years he went into business, setting up a sportswear company. He set several world records during his career, including a 2:09:28 time at the 1970 Commonwealth Games marathon in Edinburgh. The organisers of the Heaton Park parkrun said they were \"honoured that he has chosen to celebrate this milestone with us\".", "summary": "Former Olympian Ron Hill has completed his ambitious goal of running at least a mile a day for 50 years."}
{"article": "Performers dressed as cartoon characters popular in the west were seen dancing on state TV, along with violin players in miniskirts. Pyongyang has long taken pains to keep popular culture out of its media. This seems to be the first time that Disney characters have been featured in the reclusive state. A Disney spokesperson told the Associated Press news agency that it had not licensed or authorised the use of the characters in the show. 'Grandiose plan' The concert was staged by the Moranbong band as its debut performance on Friday, reported state media KCNA. The band was put together by Kim Jong-un, who has a ''grandiose plan to bring about a dramatic turn in the field of literature and arts this year\", state media said. North Korean entertainment has traditionally featured nationalist or folk songs, and mass displays. In recent years, reports say, children in the isolated country have become familiar with characters such as Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh through stationery items and clothes imported from China, North Korea's closest ally. It seems to point to an easing of North Korea's paranoia about what it calls spiritual pollution from the West, and even more dangerously, South Korea, says the BBC's Charles Scanlon. It is still illegal to watch South Korean television programmes in North Korea. But a recent report based on interviews with refugees said that North Koreans now have more access to outside media, especially DVDs of popular South Korean drama serials. The young leader, who took power following the death of his father, Kim Jong-il in December 2011, has been seen as attempting to make changes to the profile of the North Korean leadership. Mr Kim, believed to be in his late 20s, made his first public speech in April, in a 20-minute televised address as Pyongyang marks the centenary of the birth of the country's founder, his grandfather, Kim Il-sung. Kim Jong-il is thought to have made one recorded public utterance in his 18-year rule - and that was a single sentence.", "summary": "Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters have shown up on stage in North Korea in a concert for leader Kim Jong-un, raising some eyebrows."}
{"article": "MSPs are to examine what long-term impact the 2014 Commonwealth Games has had in increasing participation and access to sport. Committee convener Neil Findlay said members wanted to find out why \"a large proportion of the population\" does not take part in more physical activity. The committee has also set up an online survey to gather views from the public. They will hold a round-table session in February to take evidence from people involved in the provision of sports facilities, clubs and activities, as well as a series of fact-finding visits. Mr Findlay said: \"What we want to determine almost three years after the Commonwealth Games were held in Scotland is the impact on the number of people taking part in sport. Most importantly, has it led to an increase in participation, and what more can be done to improve Scotland's relationship with sport? \"January is always a time when thoughts turn to New Year's resolutions and getting fitter after the indulgence of the Christmas period. We thought this was an opportune time to ask people in Scotland why they don't or can't take part in sport and the barriers they face whether it be access, money or other reasons? \"Our committee wants to understand what motivates people to take part in sport but more importantly why a large proportion of our population doesn't undertake as much physical activity as they could.\" During the most recent session of questions to the first minister, Mr Findlay pressed Nicola Sturgeon on how \"cutting the sport budget as proposed in the draft budget will encourage more people in working class communities to engage in sport\". Ms Sturgeon replied: \"We support sport in many ways, such as our investment in facilities, through school sport and through major events. The issue is about the different ways in which we support people who take part in activity. \"One thing that we have to do is to get young people into the habit of activity and sport at a much earlier age. That is why the daily mile, which I mentioned earlier and which is such a simple thing, is potentially transformational. \"Not that long ago, I was at a school in Edinburgh where it was not the primary school kids but the nursery school kids who were doing the daily mile. All those things taken together are vital and, frankly, whatever our political disagreements, all of us in the chamber should be able to get behind that.\"", "summary": "Holyrood's health and sport committee has launched an inquiry into barriers to accessing sport in Scotland."}
{"article": "The 17-year-old was fired at from point blank range on her school bus in 2012. It was her punishment for keeping a written diary about her life under Taliban rule, which was broadcast by the BBC. After recovering from her injuries, she took her campaign global. She believed girls had the right to stay in school to be educated, which the Taliban was against. \"My message for children all around the world is that they should stand up for their rights,\" Malala Yousafzai told a press conference in Birmingham. She also revealed that she was in a chemistry class when a teacher told her she had won the award. The prestigious Nobel Prize is the highest accolade in the academic world, created in 1901 by Swedish inventor and manufacturer Alfred Nobel. This year Malala shares the prize with Indian child rights campaigner, Kailash Satyarthi. The Nobel Prize is decided by a committee of five people in Norway. Thousands of people are nominated each year and the list is long and often secretive. The award has been won by US presidents, world campaigners and even the European Union's won it. Before Malala the youngest person to receive a Nobel Prize was Sir William Lawrence Bragg at the age of 25 for physics in 1915. Bragg and his father, Sir William Henry Bragg, won the award jointly for their work with X-ray spectra, X-ray diffraction and crystal structure. Malala, who now lives in Birmingham, has become well known for her education campaign work. She spent her 16th birthday giving a speech to the UN and Angelina Jolie set up a Malala Fund as a charity to help girls in education. Dedicated to her work, the teenager has said in the past that she doesn't use social media so she can focus on her studies. School friends of Malala, Shazia Ramzan and Kainat Riaz, who were also injured in gun cross-fire on the school bus in Pakistan, told Newsbeat: \"We are very proud about the award.\" The young women, who now study in the UK, talked about the freedom they now enjoy and how Malala \"likes to play tennis, read books and listens to slow, classical music\". Shazia Ramzan added: \"In my city [in Pakistan] girls' education is improved because of Malala.\" The Nobel Peace Prize is one of five awards; the other categories are chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine and literature. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Teenager Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan, who was shot in the head by the Taliban, has become the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize."}
{"article": "Robbie Hall opened the scoring for Oxford before a first-half own goal from Yellows keeper Simon Eastwood levelled. Defender Kelly then headed the hosts in front - his first goal for the Dons - and after an eventful second half, Wimbledon saw the game out to get their play-off push back on track. Hall struck after seven minutes, darting inside and hitting a powerful dipping strike from 25 yards into the bottom corner. But the hosts were back level six minutes later, Dean Parrett crashing a fierce drive off the crossbar which hit the desperately unlucky Eastwood on the back and dribbled in. Wimbledon were in front in the 28th minute after a Parrett corner was met by a towering Kelly header. The Dons were rampant after the break, with Lyle Taylor and Dom Poleon guilty of spurning multiple opportunities to extend their lead, but in the end it did not matter. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, AFC Wimbledon 2, Oxford United 1. Second Half ends, AFC Wimbledon 2, Oxford United 1. Attempt blocked. Alfie Egan (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Robert Hall (Oxford United). Sean Kelly (AFC Wimbledon) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Sean Kelly (AFC Wimbledon). Robert Hall (Oxford United) wins a free kick on the right wing. Attempt blocked. Kane Hemmings (Oxford United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Dominic Poleon (AFC Wimbledon) is shown the yellow card. Foul by Dominic Poleon (AFC Wimbledon). Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Oxford United. Joe Rothwell replaces Ryan Taylor. Dominic Poleon (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by John Lundstram (Oxford United). Foul by Jake Reeves (AFC Wimbledon). Chris Maguire (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt saved. Chris Whelpdale (AFC Wimbledon) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt missed. Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left misses to the right. Attempt blocked. Chris Maguire (Oxford United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Substitution, AFC Wimbledon. Alfie Egan replaces Dean Parrett. Substitution, AFC Wimbledon. Chris Whelpdale replaces Lyle Taylor. Substitution, Oxford United. Liam Sercombe replaces Ryan Ledson. Corner, AFC Wimbledon. Conceded by Philip Edwards. Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Barry Fuller (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Marvin Johnson (Oxford United). Dominic Poleon (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Kane Hemmings (Oxford United). Substitution, AFC Wimbledon. Tyrone Barnett replaces Tom Elliott. Attempt missed. Ryan Taylor (Oxford United) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Corner, AFC Wimbledon. Conceded by Curtis Nelson. Attempt blocked. Jake Reeves (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from outside the box", "summary": "Sean Kelly scored a rare goal as AFC Wimbledon put their disappointing festive period behind them and came from behind to beat Oxford 2-1."}
{"article": "The Labour leader told activists during a speech in Bedford: \"Every single person in our country could make the difference in this election.\" He warned that the NHS faced \"savage cuts\" and a \"financial time bomb\". He promised to \"keep going to the last minutes of the last hours of this campaign to rescue the NHS.\" The best of BBC News' Election 2015 specials", "summary": "Ed Miliband has made a plea for people to come out and vote on 7 May, claiming the race to govern \"is going to be one of the closest we've ever seen\"."}
{"article": "The USA had taken a one-point lead into the final day at Nairn with the scores at 6.5-5.5. However, the home players won the final day's play by 5-3, with Northern Ireland's Stephanie Meadow scoring the crucial point as she beat Amy Anderson. It means Europe or Great Britain and Ireland hold all the major trophies they compete for against the USA. The Curtis Cup joins the Ryder, Solheim and Walker Cups on this side of the Atlantic for the first time in golf history. Britain and Ireland 10.5 - 9.5 United States Singles Kelly Tidy (B&I) def. Austin Ernst (US) 2&1 Amy Boulden (B&I) def. Emily Tubert (US) 3&1 Holly Clyburn (B&I) def. Erica Popson (US) 3&2 Lisa McCloskey (US) def. Pamela Pretswell (B&I) 4&3 Tiffany Lua (US) def. Bronte Law (B&I) 2 up Charley Hull (B&I) def. Lindy Duncan (US) 5&3 Stephanie Meadow (B&I) def. Amy Anderson (US) 4&2 Brooke Pancake (US) def. Leona Maguire (B&I) 6&5", "summary": "Great Britain and Ireland ended a 16-year wait for Curtis Cup glory by beating the United States."}
{"article": "The World Athletics Gala was scheduled for Saturday, 28 November in Monaco. However, Lord Coe, president of the International Association of Athletics Federations, said: \"This is not the time for the athletics family to be gathering in celebration of our sport.\" The male and female athletes of the year will now be announced online. Coe added: \"We will rightly still honour the outstanding achievements of the sport's athletes. \"Therefore the athlete of the year and other annual honours will still be awarded and will be promoted and announced on the internet and social media. \"The IAAF will seek a suitable occasion in the future for the presentation of these awards to be made to the winners.\" British distance runner Mo Farah, who won the 5,000m and 10,000m double at the World Championships, is nominated for the athlete of the year award. Among others, Farah is joined on the list by Jamaica's Usain Bolt, who claimed the 100m and 200m sprint double in Beijing and Dutch sprinter Dafne Schippers, who won 200m gold and 100m silver. The gala is run by the IAAF's own charitable foundation and Coe had to ask the foundation to cancel it, as it is not under the IAAF's control. Diack remains under investigation by French prosecutors, with the 82-year-old under suspicion of receiving money in 2011 in return for deferring sanctions against Russian athletes who failed drug tests. Diack, who was IAAF president from 1999 to August of this year, is yet to comment on the allegations. Meanwhile, four men, including the son of former president Lamine Diack, have been charged by the IAAF with breaching its code of ethics.", "summary": "Athletics' annual awards ceremony has been cancelled by the sport's governing body in the wake of investigations into former president Lamine Diack."}
{"article": "Chris King, 57, of Doncaster, lost both hands, except his thumbs, in an accident at work four years ago. He had the complex operation at Leeds General Infirmary in July. The Leeds Rhinos fan is also looking forward to being able to clap when he goes to watch the rugby league team. Live updates and more stories from South Yorkshire Mr King can now do a range of tasks, including writing, making a cup of tea and gardening, and has progressed faster than his surgeon anticipated. He next hopes to tie his own shoelaces and button up his shirt. \"It's been going fantastically,\" he said. \"I can make a fist, I can hold a pen, I can do more or less the same functions as I could with my original hands.\" Mr King's accident involved a metal pressing machine and left him close to death. A team of \"unsung heroes\" at Sheffield's Northern General Hospital saved his life and enabled the later transplant surgery, he said. Professor Simon Kay, a consultant plastic surgeon, performed Mr King's double transplant. The hospital is hoping the procedure could one day be as routine as a kidney transplant. Mr King said he wanted to again thank the family of the person who donated the hands. He also encouraged others to become donors and provide \"this wonderful gift\".", "summary": "The first person in the UK to have a double hand transplant has written a letter of thanks to his surgeon, nine months after his pioneering operation."}
{"article": "The reconstruction shows the brain's anatomy in microscopic detail, enabling researchers to see features smaller than a strand of hair. It will be made freely available to neuroscientists to help them in their research. The model has been published in the journal Science. The research team had to slice 7,400 sections from the brain of a deceased 65-year-old woman, each half the thickness of a human hair. The team then had to stain each slice to bring out the anatomical detail and scan them into the computer in high definition. The final step was to reassemble the scanned slices inside the computer. In all, 80 billion neurons have been captured in this painstaking process which took 10 years to complete. The result is a 3D high definition digital brain into which researchers can zoom to study areas of interest in microscopic detail. One of the researchers involved, Prof Katrin Amunts from the Julich Research Centre in Germany, said that it was \"like using Google Earth. You can see details that are not visible before we had this 3D reconstruction\". Another member of the team, Prof Alan Evans of McGill University in Canada, described the achievement as a \"technical tour de force\". Among the neuroscientists who will be using Big Brain is Prof Paul Fletcher, a psychiatrist at Cambridge University who is scanning the brains of patients to learn more about eating disorders. Big Brain, he says, goes a \"step further\" than the best scans he can obtain by enabling him to see details at the level at which brain computations take place. \"We will be able to study the responses seen in people and map it on to an atlas that goes close to the individual layers of the brain's cortex, to the very cells themselves\". Big Brain is one among many recent big neuroscience initiatives. Researchers in the US have recently begun a \u00c2\u00a324m Human Connectome Project which involves incredibly detailed scans to show the connections between important areas of the brain. A few weeks ago President Obama announced a \u00c2\u00a364m initiative to map the human brain to help find cures for disorders such as Alzheimer's. And the European Union has proposed a billion pound programme that will in effect create a brain from scratch using computer technology. Among the biggest investors in brain research is the Wellcome Trust which invests \u00c2\u00a380m each year in the field. According to its head of neuroscience and mental health Dr John Williams, the drive behind the large increase in funding is concern over an ageing population in industrialised countries \"Disorders of the brain and mind such as dementia and schizophrenia and depression are a major burden on society. \"For a funder like Wellcome the challenge is how we build knowledge that will allow us to develop drugs and therapies that can help patients and their families.\" Follow Pallab on Twitter", "summary": "Researchers have created the first high-resolution 3D digital model of the human brain, which they have called \"Big Brain\"."}
{"article": "The Italian announced on Friday that he was willing to agree a takeover with supporters and forgo any profit. The supporters' group said on Tuesday that they believed Cellino would sell them the club for \u00a330m. \"We've been informed by the lawyers of Cellino he no longer wishes to sell to Leeds fans,\" LFU said in a statement. \"Our insistence on him confirming his verbal offer of exclusivity in a legally binding agreement has forced transparency on his motives. It is much better that we identify this insincerity now before we spend our shareholders' money. \"This exercise has proved our capacity to adapt to any acquisition scenario very quickly. We now know we have the capacity to do both a minority and majority deal, and it has shown that Leeds fans have a desire for fan ownership. \"We hope that Massimo will treat the club and fans with respect and honour.\" Cellino, who is appealing against a second Football League ban, said at the start of the week he would no longer attend matches at Elland Road. The Whites are 17th in the second tier after winning their first home match since 4 March against Cardiff on Tuesday.", "summary": "Leeds United chairman Massimo Cellino has told Leeds Fans United he no longer wishes to sell them his majority stake in the club."}
{"article": "Sarah Papachristophorou admitted supplying substances to the victim, 77, and stealing up to \u00c2\u00a31,000 from him. The 47-year-old, who worked as a nurse for more than 20 years, was sacked from her job at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital following the allegations. She was caught when the victim's relatives set up a secret camera. CCTV showing her taking cash was played at her Birmingham Crown Court sentencing. The former health worker had also pleaded guilty to supplying the man, who was a family friend, with zopiclone, tramadol and diazepam. She had taken the class C drugs from her work, which the sentencing judge described as \"a gross breach of ethics\". Papachristophorou's barrister Daniel Church asked for a suspended jail term, adding the former nurse, of Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, had shown genuine remorse. But Judge Philip Parker QC said the aggravating features of the case were \"odious and despicable\" and jailed the married mother of two for 12 months. A spokesman for the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said Papachristophorou no longer worked for the organisation, having been dismissed on 10 May.", "summary": "An NHS hospital nurse who supplied a man with prescription drugs taken from her workplace has been jailed for what a judge called \"despicable\" crimes."}
{"article": "The now famous photo was taken during a speech in the capital, Bangui, and has been tweeted more than 100,000 times. Tweeters have been making thousands of imaginary rap lyrics, known as bars, under the hashtag #PopeBars. The Pope was in the CAR as part of a three-nation tour to Africa which also took him to Kenya and Uganda. The visit was Pope Francis' first to the continent and he spent six days in the three countries where he was greeted by thousands of the faithful. In Bangui he also addressed Muslim worshippers in a mosque where he said that \"Christians and Muslims are brothers and sisters\". The country has experienced after nearly three years of violence between Christians and Muslims. After the Pope left the CAR for Rome, Twitter users began to imagine what subjects the pontiff could be rapping about: Read more about the Pope's visit to Africa:", "summary": "A photo of Pope Francis has gone viral on social media after he was captured in a classic rapper pose during a visit to the Central African Republic (CAR)."}
{"article": "The 83-year-old has long complained at being named as prince rather than king. It had been expected that the pair would be buried together in a specially-designed sarcophagus at Roskilde Cathedral. The queen, 77, is said to have accepted her husband's decision. \"It is no secret that the prince for many years has been unhappy with his role and the title he has been awarded in the Danish monarchy,\" the Royal Danish House's director of communications told the tabloid BT. \"For the prince, the decision not to be buried beside the queen is the natural consequence of not having been treated equally to his spouse - by not having the title and role he has desired.\" Born Henri Marie Jean Andr\u00c3\u00a9 de Laborde de Monpezat in France in 1934, he and the queen have two sons. Henrik retired from public life last year. The royal house said despite rumours to the contrary the prince wants to be buried in Denmark rather than France.", "summary": "Prince Henrik of Denmark will not be buried next to his wife Queen Margrethe, royal officials say, with the prince unhappy at never being designated her equal."}
{"article": "Public policy researcher Dr Mark Lang said his study in Pontypool, Torfaen, showed real diversity within a single town. What this type of \"deep place\" research does is look in fine detail at different neighbourhoods and avoid generalisations with both stereotypes and statistics. He believes looking at economic data on too-wide a scale can miss entrenched pockets of poverty within communities, which on the face of it look to be doing well. \"Pontypool is a real mixture of people clearly with little money and people who are relatively affluent, living in close proximity,\" he said. \"Many of those who don't have a great deal of resources use the town centre while those who do have, tend by and large not to come here. As a focus of community attention, I think that's a shame.\" Dr Lang, who has published similar work about Tredegar, is hoping the approach can help create jobs and revitalise town centres. Pontypool is a town with a population of about 23,400, six miles south of the Blaenavon world heritage site. Its iron forging dates back to Tudor times and the \"Pontypool front row\" were Wales rugby stars the 1970s. Nearly 3,700 people live on the Trevethin estate, over the Afon Lwyd river, which stands on a hill overlooking the town centre, a mile away. More than half of those are in a part of the estate - classified as \"Trevethin 1\" - which all figures point to as being the poorest area. It also has the densest population and the largest proportion (28.3%) of under-15s. POCKETS OF POVERTY Source: All Around Us - The Pontypool Deep Place Study When looking at relative economic deprivation, Wales is split up into 1,900 different districts. \"Trevethin 1\" is classed as 35th most deprived in this often-used index. Three other districts in Pontypool come into the top 20% most deprived in Wales. Trevethin also scores 22nd worst in Wales when it comes to health factors. A total of 60% of housing in Trevethin is rented. There is plenty of visible work going on to improve housing by Bron Afon, the social enterprise which has rented homes in place of the council for the past eight years. Torfaen council, with \u00a38.2m from the Welsh Government's Vibrant and Viable places programme, has earmarked money for housing improvements and regenerating town centre properties. This report points to the link between poverty and rent arrears - and there are 5,475 homes owing money in Trevethin. At the heart of the report is the argument that local solutions are needed to tackle these very local problems. This means \"far greater empowerment\" of people and local communities. VIEWS FROM THE MARKET STALLS A key part of the report looked at Pontypool town centre, which \"needs to be designed as the heart of the community\" and its future prosperity will depend on local people's continued relationship with it. This includes a \"concerted effort\" to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour to make it a place to go in the evenings. Pontypool Indoor Market dates back more than 120 years but", "summary": "Sometimes living in Wales it is too easy to look around and conclude there are simply \"rich\" areas and \"poor\" areas."}
{"article": "Ym mis Ionawr, fe bleidleisiodd y cyngor sir i ollwng y ffrwd Saesneg yn Ysgol Llangennech ger Llanelli. Yn ystod y ddadl honno fe gyfeiriodd un cynghorydd Llafur at y penderfyniad fel \"arwahanu\" ac fel \"apartheid ar ei waethaf\", tra bod un ymgyrchydd blaenllaw wedi awgrymu y gallai pobl sy'n anhapus \"groesi'r ffin\". Yn ystod sesiwn holi'r Prif Weinidog yn y Senedd, fe gyhuddodd arweinydd Plaid Cymru, Leanne Wood rhai aelodau Llafur o weithio gydag UKIP mewn ymgyrch yn erbyn y newidiadau. Dywedodd Mr Jones: \"Mae yna rai sylwadau sydd wedi cael eu gwneud gan wleidyddion nad wyf yn cytuno \u00e2 nhw. \"Rwyf wedi gweld y sylwadau hynny ac yr wyf yn credu ei fod yn hynod o bwysig nawr bod pobl yn tawelu, a bod y gwenwyndra rydym wedi ei brofi yn lleihau.\" \"Lle Cyngor Sir Gaerfyrddin ydy hi i egluro'r penderfyniadau a wnaed ganddynt yn Llangennech.\" Ychwanegodd Mr Jones fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i gyrraedd targed o 1m o siaradwyr Cymraeg.", "summary": "Mae'r Prif Weinidog wedi galw ar bobl i bwyllo yn y ffrae chwerw dros y penderfyniad i newid statws iaith ysgol gynradd yn Sir Gaerfyrddin."}
{"article": "In a game of few chances, Yeovil were denied what would have been the winning goal in the second half when Tom Eaves' header hit the crossbar. Exeter went close in the first half when Reuben Reid was put through on goal, with Artur Krysiak forced to rush out and clear the danger. Ollie Watkins also threatened for the visitors when his fierce drive from 25 yards only just passed the crossbar. There were bizarre scenes at the end of the opening period as a whistle from the crowd was mistaken by everyone for the half-time signal. It resulted in mass confusion around Huish Park as referee Tim Robinson was forced to bring the players back onto the pitch before playing the remaining few seconds of the half. Yeovil had a penalty claim turned down early in the second after the ball appeared to strike the arm of Exeter's Jordan Moore-Taylor in the box. There then followed a golden chance for Yeovil when Ryan Dickson found Eaves with a peach of a cross, but the header looped past the helpless Christy Pym and cannoned off the bar. Substitute Liam McAlinden went close for the visitors in the closing stages but Krysiak was equal to his shot. Report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Yeovil Town 0, Exeter City 0. Second Half ends, Yeovil Town 0, Exeter City 0. Foul by Otis Khan (Yeovil Town). Joel Grant (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town) is shown the yellow card. Foul by Otis Khan (Yeovil Town). Jake Taylor (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ryan Harley (Exeter City). Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Ryan Dickson. Liam Shephard (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Joel Grant (Exeter City). Nathan Smith (Yeovil Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Nathan Smith (Yeovil Town). Jake Taylor (Exeter City) wins a free kick on the right wing. Corner, Yeovil Town. Conceded by Jack Stacey. Substitution, Exeter City. Joel Grant replaces Lee Holmes. Substitution, Yeovil Town. Francois Zoko replaces Ben Whitfield. Matt Butcher (Yeovil Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Matt Butcher (Yeovil Town). Ryan Harley (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Tom Eaves (Yeovil Town) left footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt saved. Liam McAlinden (Exeter City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Alex Lawless (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Ollie Watkins (Exeter City). Foul by Ryan Dickson (Yeovil Town). Lloyd James (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Liam McAlinden (Exeter City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Alex Lacey (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Liam", "summary": "Yeovil and Exeter played out an uninspiring goalless draw at Huish Park."}
{"article": "Mkhitaryan, 27, signed for \u00a326m from Borussia Dortmund but was left out of the side repeatedly until recently. But in his third successive start, he struck his first United goal in their Europa League win over Zorya Luhansk. \"He worked really hard physically, tactically and we know the talent is there,\" said Mourinho, 53. Mkhitaryan was a substitute in United's opening-day win at Bournemouth but was hauled off at half-time in his first league start at Manchester City in September and did not feature again in the Premier League until late November. During the Armenian's absence, Mourinho said the midfielder needed time to adapt to the English game and called on the 2015-16 Bundesliga players' player of the year to \"do more\". \"He has a strong mentality,\" Mourinho added. \"He was very determined to fight against his difficult adaptation, and he's doing that in the best way. \"He fought to improve tactically, he fought to improve physically, and now he is playing good in the Premier League, good in the Europa League and the EFL Cup, and now evolving a bit more happiness for him, so I'm very pleased.\" Mkhitaryan's excellent run and finish put United ahead in Ukraine and Zlatan Ibrahimovic's late strike sent them into Monday's last-32 draw as Group A runners-up behind Fenerbahce. Mourinho rested several players including goalkeeper David De Gea and his stand-in Sergio Romero was visibly surprised when a firecracker landed in his six-yard box during the first half. \"Maybe Uefa is not happy and maybe Uefa now takes some money from Zorya, which I think Zorya doesn't deserve,\" added Mourinho.", "summary": "Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has praised Henrikh Mkhitaryan's fighting qualities in adapting to his summer move to Old Trafford."}
{"article": "Joseph Romano was one of 23 Americans tried and sentenced by Italian courts for kidnap over the CIA-led operation to abduct a cleric known as Abu Omar. The Egyptian said he was flown to his home country and tortured there. Mr Napolitano's office cited what it said were changes to US security policy undertaken by President Barack Obama. It said Mr Obama had \"immediately after his election, put an end to an approach to the challenges to national security... considered by Italy and the European Union not compatible with fundamental principles of rule of law\". It added that the Italian president \"hoped to provide a solution to an affair considered by the United States to be without precedent because of the conviction of a US military officer of Nato for deeds committed on Italian soil\". The statement said the decision to pardon Col Romano was inspired by the same principle that Italy hoped to see used in the case of two Italian marines facing murder charges in India over the shooting of two fishermen. Abu Omar was subject to the process known as extraordinary rendition, through which the CIA transferred terrorism suspects to countries that practised torture. The policy was increasingly used in the wake of the 11 September, 2001 attacks in the US. Italian courts convicted 22 CIA personnel over the Abu Omar case. All are believed to be living in the US and are unlikely to serve their sentences. Col Romano was the only American convicted who was not a CIA employee. At the time of the rendition, he was in charge of the northern Italian military air base at Aviano, where Abu Omar was flown before continuing to Egypt via Germany. The Italian trials, which began in 2007, were the first to convict Americans over extraordinary rendition. Last month, a court in Milan sentenced Italy's former intelligence chief Nicolo Pollari to 10 years in prison, and his former deputy, Marco Mancini, to nine years, over the Abu Omar case. Both are expected to appeal.", "summary": "Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has pardoned a US Air Force colonel convicted in absentia over the rendition of an Egyptian imam in 2003."}
{"article": "The company plans to invest \u00a315m in the facility to accommodate larger tankers of up to 120,000 tonnes' capacity. Currently, most tankers docking in Irish ports are 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes in capacity. LCC said increased capacity \"could lead to energy cost savings for businesses and consumers in the future\". Cloghan Point Oil has a jetty which stretches more than 1km into Belfast Lough to a point with a depth of 17 metres water draft. It has been sold by AES, the US energy company which owns Kilroot and Ballylumford power stations. Daniel Loughran, director at LCC Group, said: \"We will soon be able to bring in larger tankers from around the world, including the US, the Middle East and South America. \"This hasn't been possible to date, so the local market has been limited in where it can source oil. \"Being able to dock vessels of this size will bring significant benefits to consumers and industry in the long-run, as the increase in supply logistics and efficiencies should lead to a reduction in price that can be passed on to the end user.\" LCC also owns an oil terminal at Maydown as well as having interest in electricity and gas distribution and the Go petrol station chain. In 2015 the company made a pre-tax profit of \u00a313.5m on turnover of \u00a3544m.", "summary": "LCC, the Cookstown-based energy firm, has bought the Cloghan Point oil terminal near Carrickfergus in a multi-million pound deal."}
{"article": "Lodsys has said that Rovio and other developers violated its patents with games on Apple's iOS platform and Google's Android. Lodsys is embroiled in lawsuits with other big technology companies, including Apple. Rovio said it had not received any direct contact regarding the complaint. \"As soon as we receive more information we will take appropriate action,\" a spokesperson said. Angry Birds is one of the most popular game applications. Rovio marketing chief Peter Vesterbacka said last week that the game had surpassed 300 million downloads. Lodsys, a company that licenses patents but does not have any other business, added five new defendants to a suit filed in May with a US district court in Texas. Along with Rovio, it named Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive which makes Grand Theft Auto, Atari and others in the list of companies it says are violating its patents. Take-Two declined to comment. Electronic Arts and Atari were not immediately available for comment.", "summary": "Rovio, the Finnish maker of the Angry Birds game, is being sued by a licensing company for infringing its patents."}
{"article": "Vivien Ayling was driving to work along the A27 when she says the jet crashed on the road beside her. She told BBC Radio 5 Live: \"I saw this plane coming towards me and I thought 'Gosh, he's really low, is that allowed?' \"And then all of a sudden he got lower and I thought 'He's going to come straight into me' and then he veered off to my right and he just smacked straight on to the opposite carriageway to me, and then there was this massive great fireball and smoke went up.\" The aftermath was \"like a bomb exploding\", she said, adding: \"I decided to drive on through it - it fortunately went over my head. \"I stopped, looked back and thought there's going to be another explosion with all this aviation fuel around so I thought what do I do? So I thought best get out of there. \"You don't know what you'd do in that situation. I did what I felt was right in a split second.\" She believes pilot Andy Hill was trying to avoid the road: \"He obviously was trying to get to the field rather to land on them, on the road. That's probably why he veered off and didn't end up in my carriageway.\" Dave Hampton was at the air show with his family. \"We were behind the marquee at the time, having a picnic and we had literally turned up 10 minutes before,\" he said. \"We saw the Hawker Hunter fly over the marquee, we saw it fly up, then we saw it almost turn around to come back. \"Our two boys who are very passionate about planes asked where the plane was and we said it would be along in a minute when we heard what sounded like a sonic boom - it sounded like the plane had broken the sound barrier. \"People around us then started standing up and saying 'Oh my God, it's come down' and at that time we looked over and we saw the big plume of smoke coming over the marquee.\" Gairo Gomez, who works at the nearby Ricardo Technological Centre, said the whole building shook. \"I saw the plane going down. I heard a huge bang and the glass was shaking and the doors were banging, the whole building was shaking. \"I saw some smoke later on, but at the time I didn't realise what had happened.\" Archie Tipple was a spectator at the event. \"We were stood on a footbridge by the Red Lion Inn, about 300m from the A27. \"I was photographing the aircraft as it started its display and as it climbed and climbed and climbed I thought, this is pretty good. \"But he was coming in a little bit low and I was still photographing it as it came down and then all of a sudden you just knew what was coming. \"It just immediately changed the atmosphere, from a festive one to something quite sombre,\" he said. Nicholas Hair described the aftermath at the airfield. \"Strangely enough the first thing that", "summary": "Eyewitnesses have described the scene as a vintage jet crashed while performing at an air show in West Sussex."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe sums up the Championships at the All England Club rather well. Pristine surfaces, the all-white dress code, strawberries and, most importantly, the world's best tennis players all striving for one of sport's most prestigious prizes. And it is all about to start again. Here are the key things you need to know. The gates open at Wimbledon on Monday, but the fun started a week ago. Qualifying began on Monday, 26 June as lower-ranked players not automatically in the draw competed for the 16 remaining men's places and 12 women's spots. Britain's Alex Ward, ranked world number 855, took one of them, but the likes of Marcus Willis, Liam Broady and Katy Dunne did not make it. The seedings, given to the top 32 players in each singles draw, were announced on Wednesday. Things really started getting moving on Friday, when the draw was made. Play begins on the outside courts at 11:30 BST on Monday, before Britain's Andy Murray, the reigning men's champion, has the honour of opening on Centre Court at 13:00 BST. Murray, Wimbledon champion in 2013 and 2016, has struggled with a hip injury in the lead-up to his title defence. The world number one was forced him to pull out of two warm-up matches at the Hurlingham Club, but practised at the All England Club on Friday and Saturday. And, putting aside his injury concerns, the Scot has been well short of his blistering form 12 months ago. Media playback is not supported on this device The Scot's start to the grass-court season has not been ideal - he lost his only match on the surface so far this year. Murray, 30, won the Queen's title before both Wimbledon triumphs, but this month he suffered a surprise first-round defeat by Australian world number 90 Jordan Thompson at the Aegon Championships. \"There is no guarantee that I won't do well at Wimbledon, but it certainly would have helped to have had more matches,\" said Murray before his injury troubles. Seven-time champion Roger Federer, fresh from winning his fourth title of the year at the Halle Open, is still seen by many as the man to beat. The 35-year-old Swiss won the Australian Open in January - a record 18th Grand Slam title. Another success at Wimbledon will put him clear of the men's record of seven singles titles he shares with Pete Sampras, and move him to within one of Martina Navratilova's all-time record of nine. Federer's long-time rival Rafael Nadal is also among the Wimbledon favourites after winning his 10th French Open crown at Roland Garros. Nadal, 31, has overcome his own injury problems to climb back up to second in the world rankings. Novak Djokovic held all four Grand Slam titles going into last year's Championships. Now he holds none. The 30-year-old Serb, who rediscovered some form by winning the Eastbourne title, has dropped to fourth in the world rankings after a troubled year in which he has split with his coaching", "summary": "\"There's a certain beauty and majesty to Wimbledon - the elegance, the way the grass looks on TV.\""}
{"article": "Jordan believes the 84-year-old, who has been in charge since 1978, should allow \"somebody radical\" to take over. F1 owners CVC Capital Partners and RSE Ventures, working with investors from Qatar, are in talks about a takeover of the sport. \"I think he's done a remarkable job but time has played its role and he should go,\" Jordan told BBC Radio 5 live. \"We need to leave it for the next generation in a better state. He has to keep asking himself that and where the timeframe is for him to leave. I think it's now.\" Media playback is not supported on this device RSE Ventures is headed by Stephen Ross, the owner of NFL franchise Miami Dolphins. They are planning a bid for CVC's 35.5% controlling stake in the holding company that owns F1. Ecclestone's position at the head of F1's commercial arm has come under scrutiny in the past year - he fought bribery charges in Germany while there have been concerns that the sport is losing its appeal. While acknowledging how Ecclestone had grown F1, Jordan welcomed the possibility of new people running a sport which is \"going through a bit of a dip\". He added: \"The man is a legend. He has taken the sport from absolutely nowhere but, at the end of the day, he's not immortal. He may think he is but he's not. \"There are times you have to say 'look, I've done everything that I can do'. \"It does need somebody radical in there who is going to really shake it all about and go back to basics.\" Max Mosley, the former president of motorsport's governing body the FIA, told 5 live on Wednesday that Ecclestone's role \"won't change\" if a takeover of F1 is completed.", "summary": "Bernie Ecclestone should step down as Formula 1 supremo, says BBC chief F1 pundit Eddie Jordan."}
{"article": "But it was no run-of-the-mill event. Hosted by the company's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) employee network, and billed as a \"LGBT recruiting and networking dinner\", it triggered controversy in this largely conservative nation-state. Local newspaper MyPaper ran a piece ahead of the dinner entitled: \"Wanted by Goldman Sachs: LGBT employees\". News of the event caused enough handwringing that Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing publicly expressed concern. While discrimination had \"no place in our society\", foreign companies should \"respect local culture and context\" and \"not venture into public advocacy for causes that sow discord among Singaporeans\", he said. The incident, however, raised questions over how far companies should pursue their diversity policies in countries which may not agree with them. The minister's statement comes as more multinational companies are stepping up to publicly support Singapore's annual gay rights event, Pink Dot, happening on 28 June. Gay sex is banned in Singapore, but companies including Google, Barclays, J P Morgan, Goldman Sachs and BP are on board as corporate supporters for what has become the city-state's biggest annual gathering organised by civil society. None of the companies have indicated they will pull out, despite Mr Chan's warning. Asked why it went ahead with its dinner, a Goldman Sachs spokesman told the BBC it regularly holds recruitment events and \"our goal is to hire the best people we can find and to build diverse teams\". Asked about their stance, JP Morgan said it \"believes in the importance of diversity in the workplace\", while Barclays said that it is committed to \"a culture of meritocracy, where people are judged on professional performance rather than their personal lives\". Google, meanwhile, said \"a diversity of perspectives, experiences and cultures\" among its workers would lead to \"the type of products and innovation that everyone can benefit from\". 'Good sense' The issue of gay rights has become increasingly fraught in Singapore. The authorities have pledged not to actively enforce the law that bans gay sex, but public promotion of homosexuality in the media is frowned upon. From Pink Dot to \"pink whale\" Last year's Pink Dot drew 21,000 attendees, and organisers expect even more this year. The first Pink Dot in 2009 saw 2,500 pink-clad supporters forming the eponymous dot at Hong Lim Park. Over the years, that dot has expanded to cover the entire park, which takes up nearly a hectare in Singapore's city centre. Organisers now jokingly call it a \"pink whale\". Pink Dot has moved carefully, eschewing traditional protest activism for a soft-pedal approach. It touts a fuzzy slogan \"Supporting the freedom to love\" and its main event is a family picnic. This may have made it easier for the authorities to let Pink Dot carry on, although they have set limits on how far it can grow. For the second time in a row, the authorities have turned down their application to shift the event to a larger space at Marina Bay, calling the proposed venue not \"suitable\". Organisers were \"disappointed\", but understood that officials had \"a duty to balance", "summary": "In May, a dozen university students showed up for dinner at Goldman Sachs' office in Singapore's business district."}
{"article": "The proportion achieving A* to C grades in both maths and maths numeracy exams was 46.1%. The first tranche of more than 20,000 pupils sat the papers last November. The new qualifications started being taught in 2015 and were brought in as part of reforms to improve numeracy standards. The chief executive of exam board WJEC Gareth Pierce said: \"Students and teachers in Wales should be extremely pleased with the successes demonstrated by the results in both these new qualifications.\" Mr Pierce added: \"There is of course plenty of time remaining within Year 11 for those candidates who wish to aim for improvement on the grade achieved on this occasion.\" Schools started teaching the new qualifications in September 2015 and the majority of pupils will sit them, as usual, in the summer. The GCSE numeracy qualification assesses the maths that pupils will need in their everyday lives, at work and in other subject areas in school. More than 12% of nearly 29,000 pupils who took the exam achieved the very top A and A* grades. The GCSE mathematics exam involves aspects needed for scientific, technical or further maths study. About 10% of the 22,686 pupils who took this exam got the highest A and A* grades. Education Secretary Kirsty Williams also congratulated the students and said the \"made in Wales\" qualifications were aimed at raising standards by placing a sharper focus on literacy and numeracy. \"The new qualifications are part of extensive reforms to our education system to give our young people the right skills and knowledge to thrive in the modern word,\" she said. \"Our national mission is to raise standards and make sure everybody has a chance to succeed.\" They are being called \"significantly different\" from the old GCSEs, with warnings about taking care when comparing them with previous results. For the whole of the last academic year, 65.5% of 16 year olds got A* to C grades.", "summary": "The first students in Wales have received their results for the new-look GCSE maths exams."}
{"article": "The firm will rent voice and data capacity from two existing operators - Sprint and T-Mobile - and use existing wi-fi hotspots, rather than build new infrastructure from scratch. Initially, Project Fi will only be offered to Nexus 6 handset owners. Google Fiber, the firm's \"ultra-fast\" broadband service, is already seen as a disruptive force in the US telecoms market. It has been credited with encouraging Comcast and Time Warner Cable to offer their own customers speed boosts without higher prices. However, Fiber's roll-out involved Google buying infrastructure built by companies that had collapsed as well as laying its own fibre optic cables - giving it full control of the service. By contrast, one expert said running a mobile virtual network - which is dependent on rivals' equipment - might limit Project Fi's impact. \"The example of MVNOs in the US and elsewhere suggests that it's hard for their operators to dramatically change the industry because of their nature,\" said Ian Fogg from the IHS Technology consultancy. \"But the past isn't always a guide to the future. \"No-one would have thought that a handset manufacturer could transform the mobile industry by teaming up with one network - but that's what happened with Apple and AT&T when the iPhone launched. \"And Google itself has repeatedly shown that it is capable of changing the direction of an industry by entering it.\" Examples of existing MVNOs include Tesco Mobile, GiffGaff, Red Pocket Mobile and Virgin Mobile. Sundar Pichai, chief of Google's Android platform, first mentioned the company's plan to create a phone network in February, but provided little detail at the time. The company has now revealed that its subscribers will be automatically switched between 4G signals provided by Sprint and T-Mobile, depending on whichever is stronger at the time. They will also be able to make calls over wi-fi without having to use a special app, similar in nature to the Wi-fi Calling facility recently introduced by EE in the UK. \"As you go about your day, Project Fi automatically connects you to more than a million free, open wi-fi hotspots we've verified as fast and reliable,\" Google said on its blog. \"Once you're connected, we help secure your data through encryption. When you're not on wi-fi, we move you between whichever of our partner networks is delivering the fastest speed, so you get 4G LTE in more places.\" When alternatives are not available, users will also be able to use 3G and 2G signals. Customers will only be billed for the amount of data they actually use, rather than having an allowance that resets every month, as is typical on existing services. The way this will work is that customers will pay a $20 (\u00a313.30) monthly fee for unlimited calls and texts, an extra $10 for mobile data access while in the US and abroad, and then a further $10 for each gigabyte of data they decide to consume. \"Let's say you go with 3GB for $30 and only use 1.4GB one month. You'll get $16 back, so you only pay for what", "summary": "Google has detailed its plan to run a mobile phone network in the US."}
{"article": "The Boulogne prosecutor said Gen Christian Piquemal, who is in his 70s, was suffering from poor health. He was released on bail, according to reports. Gen Piquemal is accused of helping to organise the rally on Saturday. Police had told supporters of the anti-Islamic group Pegida to disperse, and then fired tear gas to break them up. They were taking part in a Europe-wide demonstration against what they say is the Islamisation of the continent. The northern port city of Calais is home to thousands of asylum seekers who are living in a camp known as the \"Jungle\" while they try to slip illegally into the UK. Gen Piquemal was one of several people arrested on Saturday. News of his release on Monday was greeted with cheers by a group of his supporters gathered outside the court in Boulogne. They than sang the French national anthem. Some reports on French media said Gen Piquemal had been admitted to hospital on Monday morning, but this was not confirmed. Gen Piquemal, who commanded the elite French Foreign Legion for five years, is accused of playing a \"principal role\" in organising the illegal demonstration. He could face up to a year in prison and a heavy fine if found guilty. Gen Piquemal was one of about 150 Pegida supporters who had gathered in Calais chanting slogans such as \"We must not let Calais die\" and \"Calais is part of France\". At the time of his arrest, Gen Piquemal said he was \"shocked\" that officers had broken up the protest during the singing of the national anthem. \"I expected you to be at attention, singing with us but not one of you opened your mouth,\" he told them. French authorities had banned all rallies in Calais \"regardless of the organisers\".", "summary": "The court hearing for a former French Foreign Legion commander arrested at a banned anti-Islam rally in Calais has been delayed until 12 May."}
{"article": "The pop star owns Shafin Developments Limited with his brother Finbarr. It was involved in developments in Counties Leitrim and Sligo. KPMG has been appointed as the receiver behalf of the Ulster Bank. Westlife is one of the most successful boy bands of the last decade, selling more than 44m records. In 2010, Westlife made the Irish Sunday Times musicians' rich list for the first time, with an estimated combined fortune of \u00c2\u00a331m. The band, which also includes Mark Feehily, Kian Egan and Nicky Byrne, shared fifth place with singer Chris de Burgh. The fifth member of the orginal line-up, Bryan McFadden, left Westlife in 2004 to embark on a solo career. Last October, the band announced they would split up in 2012. A final, farewell tour is due to start in Wales on 10 May. On Thursday, KPMG confirmed that Patrick Horkan has been appointed as the receiver and manager to Mr Filan's company. KPMG said Shafin Developments Limited's assets include four residential properties and a part developed site at the Hillcrest Development in Dromahair, Co Leitrim. It added the firm also has \"an interest in a site at Carraroe, County Sligo\". A spokeswoman said the move did not apply to Mr Filan's personal assets. Shafin Developments Limited was established in 2004 and is registered in Mr Filan's home county of Sligo.", "summary": "A property development company belonging to the Westlife singer Shane Filan has been placed in receivership in the Republic of Ireland."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old joined Barrow at the start of the season from Stenhousemuir but made only six National League appearances for the Cumbrian side. Murray began his career at Scottish club Motherwell and also had spells with Arbroath and Clyde. Southport are 19th in the table, two points above the relegation zone.", "summary": "Southport have signed defender Euan Murray from fellow National League club Barrow on a deal until the end of the season."}
{"article": "The Ivory Coast international, 27, said he wanted to leave in August and was a target for Everton. However, a move did not materialise for Kone, signed from French Ligue 1 club Lorient in January. \"Lamine is an important player for this club and I made that clear to him from the outset,\" said Sunderland manager David Moyes. Kone was signed by Moyes' predecessor Sam Allardyce and played a key role in their survival in the top flight last season. Moyes added: \"He only been playing in the Premier League since January, but in that time we have already seen what he is capable of. \"The challenge for Lamine now is to build on what has been a very positive introduction to English football and to continue to improve and grow as a player.\"", "summary": "Sunderland defender Lamine Kone has signed a new five-year contract with the Premier League club."}
{"article": "The inquiry, carried out by Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, England's NHS medical director, was set up following the Mid-Staffordshire Hospital scandal. A report into high death rates at two hospitals in Mid-Staffordshire earlier this year found there were hundreds more deaths than expected, with patients let down by poor standards of care. The table below shows how the 14 NHS trusts covered by the review scored in two measures of mortality. A score much above 100 is higher than the national average. All of the data has been standardised to take into account the different case-mix at hospitals - for example, hospitals that treat more elderly patients might be expected to have higher death rates.", "summary": "Fourteen NHS trusts in England have been investigated as part of a review into higher-than-expected hospital death rates."}
{"article": "Millie the cat has been left with a suspected broken jaw from the attack, which the RSPCA described as \"sickening\". The video shows two men walking towards Millie in Derby, then one kicks her and she flies several feet in the air. It happened outside the Guinness Trust flats in Sidney Street at about 16:25 GMT on Thursday. RSPCA inspector Sarah Burrows said: \"It is an unprovoked attack which has sadly left Millie with a suspected broken jaw. \"Inflicting such a horrific attack on a defenceless cat is sickening and it's important we track down the people responsible.\" The charity asked anyone with information to contact them. They warned that anyone found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal could face up to six months in prison and a fine of up to \u00c2\u00a320,000.", "summary": "The RSPCA is trying to find a man who was caught on CCTV kicking a cat \"very hard\" into the air."}
{"article": "Henri van Breda, 21, is also charged with the attempted murder of his sister who survived with severe head injuries. Mr Van Breda said in a statement that the murders were carried out by an axe-wielding intruder. No arrests were made in this horrific case for 18 months until the accused handed himself over in June 2016. Mr Van Breda's sister Marli is expected to be a key witness during the trial in Cape Town. But there are concerns about how much she remembers about the night of the murders as she suffers from amnesia. She was 16 at the time of the attack. The run-up to the trial has attracted international interest in the story of a son born into privilege allegedly unleashing a brutal attack on his family, whose fortune was estimated at $16m (\u00c2\u00a312.5m). In a statement read out by his lawyer, Mr Van Breda said he was in a toilet when he saw a man wielding an axe hacking his brother Rudi in bed. His father, who then burst in, \"trying to tackle the attacker\" was also struck by the alleged intruder, he said. \"I also recall the attacker was laughing\", he added. His mother and sister were then assaulted. Mr Van Breda is also facing charges of tampering with a crime scene.", "summary": "A man accused of killing his parents and older brother in a frenzied axe attack in Stellenbosh in South Africa has pleaded not guilty to murder."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old, competing in her first international sprint regatta, came second in the K1 1,000 event in Montemor-o-Velho. Broughton said: \"I was happy to get out there and put a good race together. \"I'm always a bit slow off the start so I knew I had to stick at my own thing but I knew in the middle it would all settle down.\"", "summary": "Great Britain's Lizzie Broughton has won silver at the Canoe Sprint World Cup in Portugal."}
{"article": "The words for Be Mery were found \"doodled\" in the back of a monk's prayer book dating back to about 1500. It is the only surviving book of its type from the East Sussex abbey, built on the site of the Battle of Hastings. Visitors will be able to hear a recording of the song for the first time since the Reformation. The carol was found by English Heritage historian Dr Michael Carter while he was researching the history of Battle Abbey. Live: More news from Sussex The service book is now in the library of Trinity College, in Cambridge. Dr Carter said: \"This carol is clear evidence that the Battle monks were very much part of the thriving devotional culture of Catholic England, a culture brutally cut short by the Reformation and the dissolution of the monasteries which extinguished 500 years of religious life at Battle. \"Our new exhibition has been designed to reveal insights into that life, the importance of prayer and worship, the tremendous power and wealth of the abbey and what it was like to be an ordinary monk there.\" Be Mery has been performed and recorded for English Heritage by Schola Gregoriana: The Association for Gregorian Chant. The new permanent exhibition opens on Saturday in the abbey gatehouse. Source: English Heritage", "summary": "A long-forgotten medieval carol has been set to music for the first time in 500 years as part of an exhibition about monks at Battle Abbey."}
{"article": "Unions say there have been 20,000 job losses in the country since a Supreme Court ruling on 17 July which made it easier for companies to sack employees. The ruling allows employers to fire any worker without any benefits as long as they are given three months' notice. The Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions has described the ruling as \"madness\". ZBC will close a TV channel, according to the Zimbabwean news site the Daily News. In addition, the offices of the state radio station Voice of Zimbabwe have also closed, reports Voice of America. Last week the Daily News reported that state-owned newspapers had fired hundreds of workers. This, it added, was despite the state-owned media \"leading a crusade against scores of other companies, including media organizations\", that have laid off staff. Local media reported that over the weekend heavily armed police blocked the country's main workers' union from protesting against the recent wave of job losses.", "summary": "The state-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has fired almost 300 employees, including managers and journalists, state-run media report."}
{"article": "Dr Steve Forman, who has played with David Bowie and Pink Floyd, could not extend his visa due to salary restrictions. Dr Forman has taught at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) in Glasgow for four years. He is currently appealing against the Home Office decision. The UK government website states that the \"appropriate salary rate\" for an experienced higher education teaching professional who wishes a visa to remain in the UK is \u00c2\u00a331,200. Dr Forman said he could not meet this minimum salary requirements for a Tier 2 visa. He therefore applied for leave outside of the rules under Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights, which states that everyone has the right to respect for their private and family life. The Home Office said that Dr Forman could not demonstrate the requirements needed to stay in the UK. Dr Forman's film score credits include ET and Pretty Woman and he has recorded with The Beach Boys, David Bowie and Fleetwood Mac. He said: \"I would like to see the UK Border Agency look at the value gained and the value lost from me leaving Scotland when I am contributing full-time to society on many different levels. \"I am in the community playing traditional music with some of the finest musicians I have ever heard. I would like to stay involved with life and I would like to do this in Scotland where I live, where my friends are and where my family is.\" A change.org petition for the reinstatement of Steve Forman's work visa has attracted nearly 1,500 signatures since it was started on Tuesday morning. He has been in the UK for more than seven years and has taught at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) for four years. His position there has been suspended pending confirmation of his status. A Scottish government spokesman said: \"The talent and expertise of people such as Steve Forman make a welcome contribution to developing Scotland's future musical talent. The Scottish government is aware of Mr Forman's situation and we are liaising with the Home Office on this case. \"This case reinforces existing Scottish government concerns that immigration policy in the UK is inflexible and does not address Scotland's particular economic and demographic needs.\" Dr Forman's solicitor Fraser Latta described the case as \"truly exceptional\" and said that the Home Office had \"clearly failed to give proper consideration to his individual rights and the rights of the community which he is a valued member of\". He said it was indicative of the current immigration system where a talented and respected person can be disregarded rather than cherished. A spokesperson for RCS said: \"Steve Forman will be sorely missed by staff and the students. He is a well-respected teacher and an expert in his area. \"We have been very supportive of Steve. We have done our utmost to support him through this for some time now. The UK Border Agency made a decision on his eligibility to stay in the UK and we have to abide by that.\" A Home Office spokesperson", "summary": "The Scottish government has called on the Home Office to reconsider the case of an American percussionist who is at risk of being deported from Scotland."}
{"article": "Monarch, easyJet, Thomson Airways and Thomas Cook Airlines have now cancelled all outbound flights to the Egyptian resort up to 25 November. British Airways is not selling new tickets for flights up to 23 November. Flights were halted last week after the UK government said the Sinai plane crash which killed 224 people on 31 October may have been caused by a bomb. Ministers made the decision after experts reviewed the security at Sharm el-Sheikh airport. Some 20,000 British nationals, at least 9,000 of them holidaymakers, were thought to be in the resort at the time. Inbound flights to the UK resumed on Friday and by Monday evening, some 7,473 passengers had been brought back. They are only allowed to travel with hand baggage; hold luggage is to be flown back separately in the next week. Announcing the cancellations up to 25 November, a Monarch spokesman said: \"We recognise this is a very frustrating situation and apologise for the inconvenience this is causing our customers.\" Thomson said: \"All customers booked to travel to Sharm el-Sheikh in this period will be provided with a full refund or can amend to any holiday currently on sale. \"Customers travelling to Sharm el-Sheikh up to and including 10 December 2015 will be able to amend their booking free of charge to any holiday taken by the end of April 2016.\" Easyjet said it hoped to bring all of its customers home by the end of next weekend at the latest. \"Our plan is to bring home as many passengers every day as we can, and to prioritise those who have been delayed the longest,\" it said. \"The reality of this is that many of our passengers will be delayed for up to three days.\" British Airways says it is keeping the situation beyond Thursday \"under review\", but is not taking bookings from new passengers on flights up to and including 23 November. The US and the UK have both said intelligence points to the strong possibility the crash in the Sinai Peninsula was caused by a bomb - militants affiliated to so-called Islamic State, also known as Isil, have claimed responsibility. Egypt has now launched its own inquiry into what happened after a member of the international team investigating the crash last week told Reuters that they were \"90% sure\" that a sound heard in the last moments of the recording of the plane's cockpit voice recorder was an explosion caused by a bomb.", "summary": "Airlines have suspended flights from the UK to Sharm el-Sheikh for at least the next two weeks."}
{"article": "The management gender pay gap stands at an average of \u00a33,188 - or 13%. Although this is less than the UK average of 22%, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) said it was still \"unacceptable\". The findings are in its annual salary survey of more than 72,000 professionals across the UK. How big is the gap? The findings are reflected in the most recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures. These show women in professional occupations in Wales received an average of \u00a3678 gross pay a week in 2014 - compared to men on \u00a3794 a week. That 15% gap also exists between women and men's pay across all sectors in Wales - and has remained largely unchanged for a decade. It is slightly better than the UK average - 20% and 19% if you exclude London and the south east. The ONS said it was a complex issue and prefers we look at median hourly earnings for those in full-time work, which suggests the pay gap is now the lowest on record. It is now 9.4% between all working men and women - around \u00a3100 a week - compared to 17.4% in 1997. Why does the pay gap exist? Cardiff University researchers last year found the working patterns of men and women are very different. \"Feminised\" jobs attract lower hourly pay rates and have high concentrations of part-time hours, it suggested. In summary: The university research team claimed, with little training or career progression opportunities, women can get \"stuck\" in these working patterns for life. ANALYSIS by Sarah Dickins, BBC Wales economics correspondent Forty five years after the UK Government passed the Equal Pay Act, working women in Wales are still earning on average more than \u00a33,000 less than men. In effect they are working for 34 days each year for free. In Wales the gap between what men and women earn is less - at 13% - than for the UK as a whole, which is 22%. On the face of it, that may seem to be good news and could be used to suggest that Wales is a more equal society. But it could also be seen as a reflection of the fact that the Welsh economy has relatively fewer high paid jobs across many aspects of the private sector. Today's report highlights the fact that the gap between what men and women are paid is greatest at the senior or director level and greater as women grow older. Q&A: How can we bridge the gender pay gap? Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to eliminate the gender pay gap \"within a generation\". New legislation coming into force in 2016 will require organisations with 250 or more staff to report publicly what they pay male and female staff. On Monday, accountancy firm Deloitte revealed it paid women on average 17.8% less than its male workers, but said there was an \"ever increasing understanding\" of the issues. The CMI wants more companies to publish gender pay details before they have to next year, as well as reviewing starting salaries to ensure", "summary": "Women managers in Wales are effectively working for free for nearly an hour every day, a professional body claims."}
{"article": "Staff at Plantasia found the fish in their heated waters in the glass-domed hothouse. Swansea council said it had worked \"closely with our vet and a vet from the government body Defra\" in an unsuccessful bid to save the carp. Tests are being carried out before replenishing the stock, to determine how the fish died. A spokesman said: \"All animals, fish and plants at Plantasia are looked after with great care.\"", "summary": "More than 20 koi carp have died at a Swansea indoor rainforest attraction."}
{"article": "Scientists carried out a series of experiments to assess the economic and ecological importance of the nocturnal insect-eating mammals to farmers. Globally, bat populations are under pressure as a result of habitat loss and the spread of diseases. The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. \"The results of this study are a testament to the value of ecosystem services,\" said co-author Josiah Maine from Southern Illinois University. (Source: US Fish & Wildlife Service) Bats videos, news and facts from BBC Nature In North America, many bat populations are under threat from a disease called White-Nose Syndrome. Since 2007, the disease has killed millions of bats and continues to spread. The US National Wildlife Health Centre estimated that bat populations in the north-east of the country have declined by about 80% since the first reported cases of bat fatalities as a result of the disease. It added: \"The true ecological consequences of large-scale population reductions currently underway among hibernating bats are unknown. However, farmers might feel the impact.\" Mr Maine told BBC News that he was interested in finding out how effective bats were in terms of providing a pest control service to farmers growing corn (maize). The team constructed a number of exclosures (a controlled, open-air experimental area) measuring 20 metres by 20 metres and seven metres high, consisting of netting that was suspended by cables. \"This netting allowed the insects to move freely but prevented bats from foraging in those areas,\" He explained. \"We were only interested in excluding the bats so we constructed the exclosures so all the netting could be slid to one end so we could open them up during the day to allow birds to forage in the area.\" Using the data gathered from the field study and combining with other previously published data, the team was able to extrapolate the findings to a global scale and estimate a monetary value for the ecological service provided by bats in terms of pest control in cornfields. The team wrote: \"We estimate that the suppression of herbivory by insectivorous bats is worth more than US$1bn globally on this crop alone.\" Mr Maine told BBC News: \"Bear in mind that this figure does not take into account for the impacts of bats on the fungal diseases we found in the corn, or the micro-toxins produced by those fungal species. \"It also does not account for the reduced amount of pesticides used in fields, as bats could be providing an additional valuable service to agriculture by suppressing pest populations below the threshold where pesticides are necessary.\" Farmers' friend According to the IUCN's Bat Specialist Group (BSG), bat species account for one fifth of all terrestrial mammals. As well as being an important predator of insects, bats are also considered to be key seed dispersers and pollinators for many plants. Yet, the BSG observed: \"They are among the most endangered of the world's creatures, primarily because much of their habitat has been eliminated by human development or because they are persecuted. \"Their loss has serious consequences for", "summary": "Bats provide a service worth an estimated US $1bn (\u00c2\u00a3649m) globally by controlling pests on corn crops, a study has suggested."}
{"article": "Yet despite their current struggle for survival, the Swans will not be short of reasons to be hopeful. As well as winning two of their past four matches at Old Trafford, their boss Paul Clement will be able to call on a particularly personal inspiration. The 44-year-old was in the away end at the 'Theatre of Dreams' 12 years ago, watching his brother Neil play for West Bromwich Albion in their bid to pull off the most dramatic of escapes from relegation. The Baggies had been bottom of the Premier League at Christmas but a remarkable turnaround in the second half of the season saw them visit Manchester United on the penultimate weekend with their hopes of survival somehow intact. \"I actually remember going to Old Trafford that season when they got a draw. It was 1-1 and proved to be a massive point,\" Clement recalls. \"I was sitting up in the corner with the West Brom fans, went up from London on the train. I was a coach at Fulham in the academy at the time. \"I didn't go to the last game. They were bottom going into the last day of the season and played Portsmouth at home. The bottom three were changing - the great escape.\" It was indeed a great escape. West Brom started the final day of the 2004-05 campaign at the foot of the table and, despite leading Portsmouth 2-0, were heading to the Championship with 82 minutes gone as Crystal Palace led against Charlton. But Jonathan Fortune's equaliser for the Addicks - and defeats for Norwich and Southampton - secured survival for West Brom, whose jubilant fans spilled on to the Hawthorns pitch at full-time to celebrate an escape Harry Houdini might have deemed farfetched. The similarities to Swansea's current situation are striking. When Clement was appointed the club's third boss of the season in January, the Swans were bottom of the Premier League. They won five of their next eight league games to climb out of the relegation zone but a subsequent run of six matches without a win dumped them back into the bottom three. Last Saturday's win over Stoke lifted morale, yet the joy was tempered by Hull's victory against Watford which kept Swansea two points adrift of safety. Hull remain Swansea's chief competitors in their battle to avoid the drop and the Tigers are away at Southampton on Saturday, although Clement insists that game will have no bearing on his approach at Old Trafford. Media playback is not supported on this device \"No. I've decided that already,\" he says. \"Whatever happens in that game, we're going to approach United in the same way because we know there's different tests coming after that and that's not going to change. \"I think we just have to focus on our performance and that's really what we did very well when we went to Liverpool [and won in January]. \"Forget it's Liverpool, forget it's Anfield, focus on a good performance and we'll see what happens. That's what we're here to do.\" January's improbable win over", "summary": "Facing Manchester United at Old Trafford is a daunting task for most sides, so it would be understandable if Swansea City, deep in relegation strife, travelled there on Sunday with some trepidation."}
{"article": "Shelter Cymru said evictions were at a seven-year high after analysing Ministry of Justice data on court possessions. It comes as the number of mortgaged property repossessions in recent years has fallen. A total of 958 social housing tenants had their homes repossessed. Across all types of rental, nearly 2,200 householders lost their homes. Shelter Cymru's director John Puzey said: \"This year has been particularly tough for social tenants, many of whom have suffered due to changes in welfare benefits and the rising costs of living. \"We have been working with landlords to ensure that they are doing everything they can to help tenants stay afloat - but these figures show that more clearly needs to be done.\" A spokesperson for the Welsh government said it had repeatedly expressed its concern about the scale, scope and speed of the UK government's welfare reform and its impact on the people of Wales. \"We are doing all we can to help mitigate these effects and are investing over \u00c2\u00a311m to prevent homelessness in the next financial year,\" a spokesman added. \"The latest official statistics show homelessness fell by 8% during April to June 2014 compared with the previous year. This is promising, however, we're determined to do more to tackle the problem.\"", "summary": "The number of social housing tenants who have had their homes repossessed has risen by 12% in the past year, a charity has said."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Goals from Ali Crawford and Jesus Garcia Tena nudged the Dark Blues down to seventh as Hamilton Academical triumphed 2-1. \"It's a real disappointment,\" Hartley told BBC Scotland. \"I just don't think they performed today - especially the first 45 minutes. They were off it compared to the standards that they've set.\" Hartley's men were 2-0 down at half-time following Crawford's fifth goal of the season and Garcia Tena's penalty. Gary Harkins came on and pulled one back for the visitors but overall it was an off-colour display by the Dens Park side. \"It's a massive blow for us, we came here with high expectations,\" said Hartley, who guided Dundee to a top-six finish last season. \"I knew Hamilton would start the game well. We had to handle that and match them and we didn't do that. We didn't stop the crosses coming into the box and we didn't handle the physical side of it. \"We now need to regroup and finish as high as possible.\" Hartley remained in the dressing room talking to his players for well over 20 minutes after the match. \"It was just quiet,\" he added. \"We had a chat with them. There were no angry words exchanged. We just had to get our points across. \"It wasn't just this game, it's the amount of draws we've had this season when we've been in good winning positions.\" Accies player-manager Martin Canning was delighted to win a first home game in over six months. \"First half we were excellent and could've been further ahead,\" he told BBC Scotland. \"Second half Dundee came back into the game as they were always going to do. We had determination and spirit to hang on - which is something we've probably lacked a bit of late - but we're back to winning again at home which is important. \"We defended well after we lost the goal, we regrouped.\" Twenty-year-old striker Eamonn Brophy had a hand in both goals for the hosts and Canning praised the youngster for an effective shift up front with Carlton Morris. \"He's a talent,\" added Canning, who felt Julen Extabeguren should have been shown a second yellow card for fouling Brophy in the box to concede the penalty. \"If he continues to develop the way he is now then he's going to have a real good career in football.\"", "summary": "Dundee manager Paul Hartley has described missing out on a top-six finish as a \"massive blow\"."}
{"article": "The Northern Irish party's 10 MPs will support the Conservatives in key Commons votes in areas such as the Queen's Speech, Budget and Brexit. Labour warned it would undermine trust in the UK government over Northern Ireland. But the Conservatives said they had a duty to form a government. The Conservatives and the DUP have said the deal makes the restoration of the power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland - which collapsed amid a bitter row between the DUP and Sinn Fein about a botched green energy scheme - more likely. Negotiations lasted 18 days after the general election on 8 June resulted in a hung parliament. The support of the DUP, added to the Tories' 317 MPs, means Mrs May passes the 326 figure needed for an overall Commons majority under a \"confidence and supply\" arrangement planned to last until 2022. After talks with DUP leader Arlene Foster at Number 10, the prime minister said the two parties \"share many values\" and the agreement was \"a very good one\". Mrs May said it would would \"enable us to work together in the interests of the whole United Kingdom, give us the certainty we require as we embark on our departure from the European Union, and help us build a stronger and fairer society at home\". Mrs Foster said she was \"delighted\" with a package that includes \u00c2\u00a31bn of new funding, plus more flexibility on almost \u00c2\u00a3500m of previously announced funds, on infrastructure, health and education in Northern Ireland. The agreement has prompted calls for more money for Wales and Scotland. Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones called the deal a \"straight bung\" and said it \"kills the idea of fair funding\". The Scottish National Party's leader at Westminster, Ian Blackford, said Scotland should get \"its fair share\". \"For years the Tories have been cutting budgets and services, but suddenly they have found a magic money tree to help them stay in power,\" he said. Labour said the deal was \"shabby and reckless\" and would undermine the trust in the impartiality of the UK government which was vital to the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said: \"For the government to be putting such an agreement in jeopardy just to prop up this dismal prime minister is nothing short of a disgrace.\" Sinn Fein said the DUP were effectively supporting continued austerity and cuts, as well as \"a blank cheque for a Tory Brexit which threatens the Good Friday Agreement\". However, First Secretary of State Damian Green said only the Conservatives had \"the ability and legitimacy to lead the government our country needs\". \"As the party with the most seats at the general election, the Conservative Party had a duty to form a government,\" he added. \"It is right that we talked to other parties to seek to ensure that the government can provide the competence the country needs at this crucial time.\" Mr Green said the agreement should help to break the deadlock at Stormont which has meant there has been no power-sharing executive since elections in March.", "summary": "Theresa May's \u00c2\u00a31bn deal with the Democratic Unionist Party to back her minority government has been branded \"a bung\" and \"shabby\" by opposing parties."}
{"article": "Surrey Police, who were alerted to the closure at about 17:30 GMT, said the tunnel was expected to be closed for \"at least another five hours\". Officers have been deployed to help with traffic control and co-ordinate road closures and diversions. The tunnel diverts traffic on the A3 London to Portsmouth road at the Devil's Punch Bowl. A Surrey Police spokeswoman urged motorists to avoid the area if possible. A diversion is in place. The engineers behind the \u00c2\u00a3371m tunnel, which opened in 2011, said at 1.25 miles (1.8km), it was the \"longest under land\" road tunnel in the UK. Its construction followed decades of severe congestion on the A3.", "summary": "The Hindhead Tunnel has been closed in both directions owing to what police believe is a \"technical fault\"."}
{"article": "Jerry Brown ordered \"all necessary and viable actions\" be taken to stop it. More than 2,000 families have been moved from their homes and many people have reported feeling ill because of the leakage, which began in October. It stems from a vast underground storage field in Porter Ranch, on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Gas is spewing into the atmosphere at a rate so fast that the well now accounts for about a quarter of the state's total emissions of methane - an extremely potent greenhouse gas. The well is situated in a mountainous area more than a mile away from residential areas, but residents have complained of health effects like headaches, nausea, vomiting and trouble breathing. \"Let's call it an environmental and public health catastrophe,\" Tim O'Connor, a lawyer with the Environmental Defense Fund, told the BBC's environment correspondent, Matt McGrath. \"In terms of timelines this is going to surpass the gulf oil problem by a mile. What we do know is that that climate equivalent of this leak is like burning thus far almost 700 million gallons of gasoline or it's the same amount of pollution as 4.5 million cars put out every day, it's tragic.\" Methane - the main component of natural gas - is a very strong greenhouse gas, capable of trapping solar radiation in the atmosphere. It belongs to a category of gases called short-lived climate pollutants. While methane and other short-lived pollutants remain in the atmosphere for a relatively short time compared to other gases, the California Air Resources Board says that \"when measured in terms of how they heat the atmosphere, their impacts can be tens, hundreds, or even thousands of times greater than that of carbon dioxide\". The BBC's Matt McGrath says the large amounts of powerful gas that are leaking could have a significant impact on climate change. Residents have been complaining of nausea, headaches and other symptoms, but the utility company says that \"scientists agree natural gas is not toxic and that its odorant is harmless at the minute levels at which it is added to natural gas\". Health officials in the area have said the long-term effects of being exposed to the gas are unknown. The utility company is providing temporary accommodation or funds for the displaced residents, and several thousand people in Porter Ranch have been relocated while the gas continues to leak and repairs take place. But, according to CBS News, only 2,200 families have been relocated even though 6,500 have applied for help. \"You have kids going to school outside their neighbourhoods, families that are living in hotels\" says Paula Cracium, president of the Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council. \"The longer this goes on the more stress there is.\" A broken injection-well pipe about 500 ft (152.4m) below the surface is believed to be the culprit behind the leak, reports say. Pipes like this are used by utility companies to insert gas into the ground for storage until a later time when it can be withdrawn and sold for use. It is not known why the pipe ruptured.", "summary": "The governor of California has declared a state of emergency in a suburb of Los Angeles over the leaking of methane gas from an underground storage field."}
{"article": "Public Health Wales (PHW) officials were responding to Welsh Government plans launched in November. PHW backed moves to restrict smoking but said ministers should go further. The body was giving evidence to the assembly's health committee. The proposals are part of the Welsh Government's second attempt to bring in the Public Health Bill, that does not include a controversial ban on e-cigarettes in some enclosed places. Ministers hope the legislation will be passed by May. PHW's submission to the committee said: \"We would suggest that there would need to be a clear definition of 'playground' and that 'schools' should include early years educational settings such as nurseries (private and public). \"In the case of schools and playgrounds this should include the perimeter of these settings otherwise the intended impact of the restrictions is unlikely to be achieved i.e. if parents or other adults are permitted to smoke at the perimeter of a playground or at the school gates in clear view of children this will not impact on the intended goal of 'denormalisation' (reduce smoking being modelled to children as normal behaviour). \"We would also propose that the restrictions should not be limited to hospitals but should include the grounds of premises used predominately for the delivery of healthcare to include community health facilities and primary care.\" Currently, the Welsh Government plans to ban smoking within five meters of playground equipment \"due to this being beyond the distance of potential second hand smoke harm from a single cigarette, plus an additional buffer to protect against weather elements\". On Wednesday, PHW Director of Health Improvement Dr Julie Bishop told the committee that a broader definition of a \"playground\" was needed. \"If we're narrowing that definition to, literally be play equipment; so I presume by that we mean things like slides and swings and those kind of things, that's actually quite a small area of what most of us would consider to be playgrounds in the broader sense,\" she said. \"So I would encourage playing fields and sports grounds to be included in that definition.\"", "summary": "Plans to ban smoking in school and hospital grounds and playgrounds in Wales should also extend to outside all nurseries, GP practices, playing fields and sports grounds, a health promotion body has told AMs."}
{"article": "The tourists' 24-21 victory in Wellington on Saturday was their first victory over the All Blacks since 1993. Henry, who steered the All Blacks to win the 2011 World Cup, believes Wales coach Gatland, 53, could follow in his footsteps with his native country. \"Warren's done a great job in getting them all together and he's possibly a future All Blacks coach,\" Henry said. Current New Zealand coach Steve Hansen guided the All Blacks to 2015 World Cup victory and is contracted until the end of the 2019 tournament. Gatland was appointed Wales coach in 2007 and has also signed a deal to take them through to the 2019 World Cup. Media playback is not supported on this device The New Zealander also took a break to coach the Lions in 2013 when he led them to a 2-1 series win over Australia. Gatland has also coached Ireland and was in charge at Wasps when they won the European Cup in 2004. Henry was the first overseas coach to take charge of Wales and also coached the Lions on their 2001 tour of Australia, when they lost the Test series 2-1. \"He [Warren] is one of the most experienced coaches in the world, he's had a long run with Wales and won a couple of Six Nations,\" Henry told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek programme. \"He's been with the Lions for some time and done exceptionally well.\" Gatland and Hansen are now preparing for the series decider at Auckland's Eden Park on Saturday. The Lions are attempting to win a Test series in New Zealand for the first time since 1971. \"The All Blacks are currently the world champions and ranked number one in the world,\" said Henry. \"So to beat the All Blacks at home with a side which has had very little rugby together would be an astronomical achievement.\"", "summary": "British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland could take charge of New Zealand one day, says Sir Graham Henry."}
{"article": "The authorities silence dissent by intimidating journalists and by using \"exhaustive\" litigation, says the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists. Self-censorship is commonplace. Television is the most popular medium. The State Committee for TV and Radio operates four national networks and regional channels. There are more than a dozen private TV stations. Russian TV is widely-watched. Radio can be the sole source of information for those living in very remote areas. The newspaper sector comprises government-owned and private titles. Most of these publish weekly and circulation figures are low. There are nearly 1.4 million internet users (InternetLiveStats.com, 2014). The authorities routinely block websites and social media platforms, including Russia's Odnoklassniki, Facebook and YouTube. But users are adept at using proxies to get around this. Opposition websites operate mainly from abroad. ImruzNews - private, publishes Monday-Friday Asia-Plus - private, twice-weekly, in Russian Jumhuriyat - government-owned, publishes in Tajik three times a week Khalq Ovozi - government-owned, publishes in Uzbek three times a week Narodnaya Gazeta - government-owned, publishes in Russian three times a week Tojikiston - private, Tajik-language weekly Najot - weekly, published by main opposition Islamic Rebirth Party Tajik TV- state-run; operates Tajik TV first channel, Safina youth channel, news channel Jahonnamo, children's network Bahoriston and regional channels Soghd TV - state-run regional station in north Khatlon TV - state-run regional station in south SMT (Independent Television of Tajikistan) - private, Dushanbe Tajik Radio - state-run, operates Radio Tajikistan, Radio Sado-i Dushanbe (Voice of Dushanbe), culture network Radio Farhang, external service Ovoz-i Tojik Radio Imruz - private, available in all regions Radio Vatan - Dushanbe, private Radio Tiroz- Khujand, private Radio Asia-Plus - Dushanbe, private Asia-Plus - private, English-language pages Khovar - state-run, English-language pages Avesta - private, English-language pages", "summary": "The media have greater freedoms than in some other Central Asian states, but officials dictate editorial policy at the state media and obstruct critical outlets."}
{"article": "Rivals were awestruck by the amount of mileage the team were able to manage with a brand new car. Mercedes were determined to turn so many laps that they had to start splitting each day between drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to avoid over-exerting them. \"Amazing,\" said Williams technical chief Pat Symonds. Another senior figure put it into context: \"800km is an entire grand prix weekend in one day.\" Not everyone was charitable, though. \"It looks like they're gearing up to take that car to Le Mans,\" said one rival. \"It's admirable, but it's taking the Mickey a bit. You don't need to do that many miles.\" Perhaps not. But, at this stage of the preparations, as Hamilton put it: 'Mileage - that's the key. To try and get as much mileage as we can.\" The world champion added: \"It's incredible. And I've never seen anything like it. Just the strength of this car, it just keeps going and going and going. \"To think we won the two world championships and going into a third year you would think it is so easy to lose focus, but everyone has done an even better job with delivering the whole package.\" The Mercedes did not produce any stand-out lap times, but then that was not in the programme. Others were left to do that. Nevertheless, Hamilton's team-mate Nico Rosberg made it clear they were not lacking for performance. \"I'm paying attention, of course,\" said Rosberg, who described the car as \"quick\". \"We have strategists and they're doing calculations already, so more or less we already know where we are, with a band of errors. \"Would you like to know? Sorry, I'm not going to say!\" Red Bull team principal Christian Horner called Mercedes \"stand-out favourites\" on the first day of the test. Nothing that happened over the next three days made it feel like that analysis needed to be revised. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel left the test with the fastest time - a one minute 22.801 seconds lap set on the second day on the new ultra-soft tyre. Indeed, Ferrari were fastest on three of the four days. Vettel's time was two seconds quicker than Mercedes' best, set by Rosberg on the medium tyre, which Pirelli estimates to be in the region of 1.8-2.3 seconds slower than the ultra-soft around Barcelona. In isolation, that makes it appear as if Ferrari were pretty even with Mercedes, even if other teams were not as impressed by Vettel's time as you might expect at face value. Now, let's state before we get too far into this that it is notoriously difficult to draw firm conclusions from pre-season testing times, especially the headline fastest laps. That's because there are so many variables - fuel load, usage of the DRS overtaking aid, circuit conditions, engine mode, different tyres. The list is endless. But ex-Jordan, Jaguar and Stewart technical director Gary Anderson used to say that you could get a reasonable idea by looking at the fastest times set by each car and factoring in the tyre used and the", "summary": "Formula 1 pre-season testing reached its halfway point in Barcelona on Thursday evening and one thing is abundantly clear - Mercedes are once again in formidable shape."}
{"article": "Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire will introduce the changes by early 2016. The three forces already work together on major crime and forensics units. Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping said some job losses were likely, but did not have an exact figure. \"We have reduced the number of chief constables, resource officers, we're going to continue to do that... but how many job losses? It's too early to say.\" He said proposed budget cuts to policing would mean \"a painful period going forward\". \"It isn't a merger - but we are being asked to make savings of 25% or 40% over next few years,\" Mr Tipping said. \"We are determined to share senior officers - and I think this is a sensible thing to do.\" A spokesman for Leicestershire Police said: \"There is a strong desire to build on existing relationships by forming a strategic alliance, integrating services to protect the public.\" The Police Federation said it was concerned the move might add extra pressure on remaining staff, adding its main priority was protecting frontline services. Derbyshire has not joined the new system. It's Chief Constable Mick Creedon said: \"One problem with proposed strategic alliances is that there is no immediate financial benefit. \"Forces need to adjust their budgets in the short term as well as for the future. Pinning hopes on alliances may not be the answer.\"", "summary": "Three East Midlands' police forces have agreed to share some staff including assistant chief constables in a move to cut costs."}
{"article": "Olivier Giroud scored his fourth goal this term when he tucked in Theo Walcott's low cross at the near post. Andros Townsend had a shot saved in an open start, while Hugo Lloris denied Giroud and Walcott after the break. Wojciech Szczesny stopped Jermain Defoe's deflected shot as Arsenal moved fourth in the Premier League table. Media playback is not supported on this device There was one worry for Arsenal fans as midfielder Jack Wilshere came off before half-time but Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said afterwards it was illness rather than injury that prompted the 21-year-old's withdrawal. That will potentially be a relief to England boss Roy Hodgson, who has two upcoming World Cup qualifiers, starting on Friday. This absorbing encounter lacked the high-scoring of the 5-2 victories the Gunners have enjoyed over Spurs for the last two seasons. But a fourth consecutive win since they lost to Aston Villa on the opening day was a perfect response from the Gunners to taunts about Arsene Wenger's lack of spending compared with Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas. Tottenham have only won once at Arsenal since 1993 and, despite creating several good openings, it was Arsenal who enjoyed the more clear-cut opportunities, Santi Cazorla twice showing his invention from clever free-kicks early on. Villas-Boas has spent close to \u00a3105m on new players this summer but while his side look powerful, they were often lacking the speed of an Arsenal team with more Premier League experience - and it was an illustration of what they might miss without Gareth Bale, who has completed his move to Real Madrid. There have been 125 goals scored in Premier League meetings between Tottenham and Arsenal, more than any other fixture. The first-half goal that won the game was a case in point as the ball was swept out to Walcott on the right, the Tottenham defence misjudging their attempt to move up and catch the Gunners attack offside, and the England winger crossed low for the darting Giroud to poke in at the near post. Arsenal also came close to adding to that goal when some sharp interplay led to Walcott bursting into the inside right channel but the advancing Lloris came out to thwart him on the edge of his penalty area with an expertly timed tackle. Wenger's team, looking comfortable, were then deflated as Wilshere was withdrawn, to be replaced by new signing Mathieu Flamini making his first Arsenal appearance since April 2008. Tottenham were more energetic and had more of the ball after the break. They had a penalty appeal when Laurent Koscielny made contact with Roberto Soldado in the penalty area. Media playback is not supported on this device But it was the hosts who again carved out the better openings as they struck on the break, Giroud drawing a superb stop from Lloris after his shot was deflected by Danny Rose. The French goalkeeper also denied Walcott twice, substitute Nacho Monreal making a hash of the follow-up from the second of those chances. Defoe was introduced after 69 minutes and had a deflected effort", "summary": "Arsenal continued their fine home record against Tottenham by handing their north London rivals a first defeat of the season."}
{"article": "The BBC understands 39 children have arrived this week, but there have been questions whether some may be adults. Conservative MP David Davies called for mandatory teeth checks to reassure the public, but the British Dental Association said this was unethical. The Home Office said the migrants would face different checks once in the UK. \"We do not use dental X-rays to confirm the ages of those seeking asylum in the UK. The British Dental Association has described them as inaccurate, inappropriate and unethical,\" the Home Office said. It is understood that further checks to be carried out will include interviews with relatives in the UK and fingerprinting to cross-check with other records which may contain age details. One 14-year-old migrant, who arrived from Calais on Monday to be reunited with his older brother, said he had to get documents to prove his brother was in the UK, and was interviewed twice in Calais by French authorities and the British. He was interviewed again once in the UK. In Calais, the young Afghan boy looked strained, rubbing his hands together nervously on a chilly morning. But, after a 100-mile journey, and on the other side of the Channel, his face broke out into a broad grin. His dream of a new life was within reach. The setting was a back entrance to a drab government building in Croydon, but as officials ushered him towards the next step in the asylum process, well-wishers greeted the 13-year-old with whoops and cries of \"well done\". His long journey, which he shared with singer Lily Allen in a BBC Victoria Derbyshire film last week, began when he fled his home country to escape the Taliban. His father sold his land to pay to send his young son to Europe. But the slow legal process in Calais kept him there for two months, and every night he made a fresh attempt to stow away on lorries to reach the UK. Now, he can look forward to being reunited with his family and starting school in England. The new arrivals were placed on a list drawn up by the charity Citizens UK, which is working with the government to bring unaccompanied minors over from Calais. The list was ratified by French authorities, who would have carried out interviews with the children before they could travel to the UK. If they have no proof of age, officials consider their looks and demeanour. But since the migrants' arrival in the UK, photographs of some have appeared in newspapers alongside headlines questioning their age. Mr Davies, Monmouth MP, said that one of the migrants arriving had \"lines around his eyes and looks older than I am\". He said: \"If they are jumping on lorries, they are not going to be adverse to lying about their ages. We should do the tests.\" Fellow Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, who is also calling for more stringent checks, said it was \"very worrying\" that \"older migrants are reported to be pushing children out of the way\". But the British Dental Association, which represents UK dentists", "summary": "Child migrants from the Calais \"Jungle\" camp will not face dental checks in the UK to verify their age, the government has insisted."}
{"article": "The SNP said the Ipsos Mori survey for STV was a \"sensational\" endorsement. The poll also indicated that the Nationalists would win next May's Holyrood election with 74 seats. Scottish Labour said it was focusing on what mattered and the Scottish Tories said they would continue to make a positive case for the UK. The survey, which questioned 1,002 people last week, comes almost a year after Scotland rejected independence by a margin of 55% to 45%. It is thought to be the first poll to show a majority for \"Yes\" among all those questioned. Previous polls in the run-up to the September 2014 vote that showed a majority for independence had excluded those who were undecided. Half of those questioned for STV said they would like to see another referendum within five years while 58% said they would be in favour of having one in the next 10 years. Support for the SNP continues to be high in the wake of the party's landslide general election victory north of the border, winning 56 of Scotland's 59 Westminster seats. The poll found that 55% of those who gave a voting intention would back the Nationalists in the Scottish Parliament constituency vote if the election was held tomorrow. About a fifth (21%) would vote Labour, with support for the Tories at 12%, Liberal Democrats at 7% and Greens at 3%. In the list vote, SNP support fell to 50% and backing for the Greens rose to 8%, with the preferences for the other parties remaining the same. The SNP's business convener Derek Mackay said: \"This is a sensational poll for the SNP - it shows not only that people across Scotland support us in huge and growing numbers eight years into government, but that they believe we have a strong record on key issues like health and education.\" He added: \"It is welcome to see support for independence now stands at over 50 per cent, as people see the SNP in government and at Westminster stand up for Scotland.\" A Scottish Labour spokesman said that the party, under the new leadership of Kezia Dugdale, was changing. He added: \"We want people to take another look at Scottish Labour. \"But we know it's too early to be asking people for their votes. \"Over the coming months, we will put Labour's values first and we will focus on the things that matter in people's lives - like the standards in our schools and our hospitals.\" The Scottish Conservative Party said it would \"always stand up for\" the two million people in Scotland who voted \"No\" in last year's referendum. A spokesman added: \"For its part, rather than revelling in this poll, the SNP needs to focus on the day job. \"While the Scottish government takes Scotland down the constitutional cul-de-sac, education standards have fallen and the police service set up by this SNP government just two years ago is facing breakdown. \"Scotland needs a better way forward, not a step back to yet another referendum.\" The pollsters interviewed 1002 people between the 24 and 30", "summary": "Political parties have been reacting to a poll suggesting that 53% of voters in Scotland would back independence if there was another referendum."}
{"article": "Just over \u00a37,900-worth of virtual currency has been moved from the Bitcoin address listed in the blackmail demand that appeared on hacked PCs. One expert said there was little doubt the funds had been tapped by those responsible for the crime. And it seems they have now made a fresh ransom demand. However, analysts suggest the move is intended to confuse investigations into the matter. In other related developments, Ukraine's interior minister has said the police managed to prevent a second wave of attacks by shutting down and confiscating computer servers used by a local software company, which is thought to have unwittingly helped the Petya-variant virus to spread. And after having repeatedly denied any involvement in the transmission of the malware, the developer Intellect Service has acknowledged an upgrade to its MeDoc tax software was indeed \"contaminated\", allowing the attack to be carried out. \"As of today, every computer which is on the same local network as our product is a threat,\" the company's chief executive Olesya Bilousova told reporters. She added that one million computers in Ukraine had MeDoc installed on them. The police have recommended that everyone stops using the program and turns off computers that have it. Although the majority of the detected attacks occurred within Ukraine, according to analysis by security firm Eset the malware also affected businesses across the world. Their computers became inaccessible after the code spread over their internal networks, scrambling a part of the PCs' operating systems used to locate where files are stored. High-profile casualties included Nurofen-maker Reckitt Benckiser, Oreo cookie manufacturer Mondelez International, the shipping group Maersk and the advertising agency WPP. Most of those struck did not, however, pay the ransom demand. This was in part because the email address given by the attackers to contact them was shut down by its German operator. And until Tuesday, the funds that were raised lay dormant. But at 22:32 BST on Tuesday, three transfers were triggered. Two of these were sent to Bitcoin wallets used to collect donations to the PasteBin and DeepPaste text-sharing services - platforms often used by hackers to announce their activities. The third and largest of the transfers went to an address that had previously been empty. A little later, a post appeared on DeepPaste demanding 100 bitcoins ($256,300; \u00a3198,500) for a \"private key to decrypt any hard disk\" affected by the attack. \"Unless the hackers gave away the Bitcoin account linked to the original ransom demand, only they could have moved the funds,\" Prof Alan Woodward from the University of Surrey told the BBC. \"People are gobsmacked they have gone anywhere near it - they can't be daft enough to try and cash it out. \"As far as we can tell, there's no way to actually decrypt affected PCs even if you paid the new demand. \"So, it may be that they are trying to lead a false trail away from themselves.\" Ukraine has accused Russia of being involved in the attack, but the Kremlin has denied any responsibility. The news site Motherboard said it spoke to", "summary": "The perpetrators of a recent cyber-attack that disrupted businesses across the world appear to have accessed the ransom payments they raised."}
{"article": "She told the Conservative conference companies were \"getting away\" with not training British workers and tougher recruitment tests were needed. Students on \"low-quality courses\" could also face tougher entry rules. She promised councils \u00c2\u00a3140m to address migration pressures and moves to deport EU criminals for \"minor crimes\". In a wide-ranging speech, her first significant policy address since becoming home secretary in July, Ms Rudd also announced a further crackdown on illegal immigration through new powers to go after landlords, employers and banks that facilitate it. But the proposals were met with concern by business groups while Labour said they would be taken with a \"pinch of salt\" given the government's failure to meet immigration targets. Prime Minister Theresa May has said she is still committed to reducing net migration to \"sustainable\" levels - taken to mean below 100,000 a year - even though David Cameron failed to meet the target between 2010 and 2015, with net migration recently exceeding 300,000. Ms Rudd, who campaigned to remain in the EU during the referendum, said immigration had brought benefits to the UK but the difference between those settling in the UK and those leaving was \"too substantial\" and that the Brexit vote had shown British people demanded action. Although this would not happen \"overnight\", she said only a substantial reduction could help \"change the tide of public opinion\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 so once again immigration is something we can all welcome\". \"I come here today with a warning to those that simply oppose any steps to reduce net migration,\" she said. \"This government will not waver in its commitment to put the interests of the British people first \"Reducing net migration back down to sustainable levels will not be easy. But I am committed to delivering it on behalf of the British people.\" Launching a consultation on entry rules for foreign workers and students, Ms Rudd said the tests that employers had to undergo before recruiting from abroad had become \"tick-boxing exercises\" and too often resulted in British citizens being discriminated against. \"The test should ensure people coming here are filling gaps in the labour market, not taking jobs British people could do,\" she said. \"So I want us to look again at whether our immigration system provides the right incentives for businesses to invest in British workers.\" While she was committed to attracting the best students from around the world, she said the current system too often \"treated every student and university as equal\" with insufficient consideration given to the contribution they could make to the UK against the obligations they placed on the state. \"Foreign students, even those studying English Language degrees, don't even have to be proficient in speaking English. We need to look at whether this one-size-fits-all approach really is right for the hundreds of different universities, providing thousands of different courses across the country. \"And we need to look at whether this generous offer for all universities is really adding value to our economy. This isn't about pulling up the drawbridge. It's about making sure students that come here, come to study.\"", "summary": "New curbs on foreign workers and students may be needed to \"change the tide\" of public opinion on immigration, Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said."}
{"article": "But the government agreed to Labour proposals for 13 new conditions to be met before shale gas extraction can take place. During a Commons debate, ministers also pledged an \"outright ban\" on fracking in national parks. Earlier, a committee of MPs called for a moratorium on the practice on the grounds that it could derail efforts to tackle climate change. The Environmental Audit Committee also warned that there were \"huge uncertainties\" about the environmental impact of fracking. Protests took place in Westminster as MPs gathered for a final Commons debate on fracking legislation in the government's Infrastructure Bill. In the Commons, committee chair Joan Walley backed an amendment tabled by a cross-party group of MPs calling for fracking to be suspended for up to 30 months while an assessment is carried out. Q&A: What is fracking? But the measure did not attract front-bench support and was defeated by 308 votes to 52. A Labour amendment was added to the bill, to loud cheers from opposition benches, which would impose 13 tests to be met before fracking. These include the completion of an environmental assessment and the need to consult residents on an individual basis. A ban on drilling in national parks was another of the suggestions in the Environmental Audit Committee's report. After Labour and other MPs tabled amendments to allow the change to be made, Energy Minister Amber Rudd told the House that the government would remove the provision that shale gas exploration would be allowed in such areas in \"exceptional circumstances\". She later said there would be an outright ban in \"national parks, sites of special interest and areas of national beauty\".", "summary": "MPs have overwhelmingly rejected a bid to suspend fracking for shale gas."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device GB's Abbie Brown opened the scoring after just 15 seconds before Fiji's Litia Naiqato finished off a stunning team move to level. But Alice Richardson and Joanne Watmore gave Team GB a 19-7 half-time lead, and Brown sealed the win with her second. Australia and Canada will play in the second semi-final on Monday. Great Britain earlier beat a strong Canada side 22-0 in their final group game. Find out how to get into rugby union with our special guide. And Brown said that Sunday's improvement came because the team had \"settled\" after feeling nerves on the first day. \"It is an Olympics, the nerves are going to hit,\" she said. \"We have shown everyone today with Canada and Fiji, we have done ourselves justice.\" Britain's semi-final will get underway at 19:00 BST on Monday, with the final following at 23:00. Day-by-day guide to what's on Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Great Britain women will face New Zealand in the semi-finals of the Olympic rugby sevens after beating Fiji 26-7 in the last eight at Rio 2016."}
{"article": "And it backed expectations interest rates may rise in about a year's time. Mr Carney also said deflation could emerge during the year, but that inflation was expected to pick up notably towards the end of the year. Inflation was 0% in March for a second month, well below the Bank's 2% target. The figure marks the lowest rate of Consumer Prices Index inflation since estimates of the measure began in 1988. The Bank's base rate has been at a record low of 0.5% for more than six years. Mr Carney blamed falling inflation on a sharp fall in energy prices, lower food prices and strong sterling. He said these factors explained about three-quarters of the fall in inflation. However, the Bank's governor said he was relaxed about the low inflation rate and said the factors which had driven it to zero would be \"relatively short-lived\". \"A temporary period of falling prices should not be mistaken for widespread and persistent deflation,\" he said, emphasising that the economy was growing and that there was no evidence household spending was being delayed. He said inflation should return to its 2% target within two years before rising slightly above this. Analysis: Robert Peston, BBC Economics Editor Just to remind you of the point of all this soothsaying by the Bank, the Governor Mark Carney sees inflation rising back to the 2% target over the two-year policy horizon. That is based on market expectations that the interest rate it sets will finally rise from the current 0.5% rate to 0.75% some time between April and July next year. So interest rates to rise in roughly a year. You have been told. Read Robert's blog in full The Bank also downgraded expectations for wage growth in 2015 from 3.5% to 2.5%. Meanwhile, Mr Carney warned of \"underlying weakness\" as the Bank gave a gloomier picture for productivity growth. The Bank revised down its productivity forecast because it sees a disproportionate number of new jobs as low-skilled and low-output. Productivity growth is now expected to improve only modestly in the coming year before remaining below past average rates. \"Today's report should leave nobody in any doubt about the fundamental role of productivity growth in the UK economy's performance,\" said Aberdeen Asset Management chief economist Lucy O'Carroll. \"The Bank of England has downgraded its growth outlook, and Mark Carney has put poor productivity right at the centre of the story. \"He may have put part of the productivity disappointment of recent years down to a disproportionate pick-up in low-productivity jobs, but he has also admitted that underinvestment has played a role. He's right.\" Mr Carney also warned that \"persistent headwinds continued to weigh on the UK economy\", which would mean more gradual increases in interest rates than previously. \"The Bank of England's latest inflation report supports financial markets' (and our own) view that the MPC [Monetary Policy Committee] is in no rush to raise interest rates,\" said Vicky Redwood, chief UK economist at Capital Economics. \"This suggests that the MPC sees the market expectations on which the forecast is", "summary": "The Bank of England has cut its 2015 growth forecast from 2.9% to 2.5%, and for next year from 2.9% to 2.6%, as governor Mark Carney unveiled his quarterly inflation report."}
{"article": "Dozens of Conservatives were expected to defy the government and oppose the plan to limit the time available for debating plans for proposed changes. But the government later won a separate vote on the principle behind a mainly elected chamber with a majority of 338. But 91 Conservative MPs voted against the bill as a whole. One of the rebels, Angie Bray, has been sacked from her role as a ministerial aide. The vote means that proposals for an 80% elected House of Lords that is half its current size will proceed to their next stage of parliamentary scrutiny in the autumn. By Robin BrantPolitical Correspondent, BBC News Nick Clegg's dream of reform of the House of Lords has slipped away. Not forever, not yet anyway, but it's suffered a very significant setback. The reason: David Cameron couldn't deliver the numbers. And it is, ultimately, a numbers game. The prime minister was facing a massive rebellion, so he decided to step back, apparently telling his deputy he needed more time to garner support from the Tory side. So the government has opted for another go in the autumn, when it says it will try, again, to get support for a programme motion. On the face of it it weakens both men. One couldn't persuade a sizeable chunk of his own MPs to back a key part of the coalition's policy programme. The other has failed the first test in delivering what he hoped would be a key legacy of his time in office. The more Machiavellian view is of a prime minister who sanctioned a soft whipping operation and who wanted to see the prospect of an insurrection in the 100+ category. And also of a man who is content to present his coalition partner with the harsh reality of another delay on the road to reforming the Lords. But critics said the whole future of the bill has been thrown into doubt by the government's decision not to put a so-called programme motion to a vote. This would have limited the time for future debate on the proposed changes in the House of Commons to 10 days. The government had been facing defeat on the vote and Lib Dem sources say Prime Minister David Cameron told his deputy Nick Clegg that the timetabling motion should be pulled to gather support for it among Conservatives over the next two months. BBC political editor Nick Robinson said a spokesman for Mr Clegg had declared \"a plague on both their houses\" when asked whether he blamed the Conservatives or Labour for the setback. Labour and rebel Conservative MPs said this did not allow enough time to discuss a crucial constitutional change. Commons leader Sir George Young told MPs the timetabling vote would be postponed until after the summer recess. He blamed Labour for the climbdown, saying the opposition was not prepared to support the government in Tuesday's vote despite supporting the idea of changes to the Lords. \"It needs those that support reform to vote for reform,\" he said. The government \"remain committed to", "summary": "The coalition has dropped plans for a crucial vote on its plans to reform the House of Lords after it faced likely defeat over the issue."}
{"article": "A demonstration was held at the weekend by animal rights campaigners in Derby over the planned facility near Foston. Midlands Pig Producers (MPP) said allegations its pigs would be kept in cramped conditions were untrue. The farm would hold 2,500 sows and 20,000 piglets and use biogas from the slurry to produce electricity. MPP has finished giving extra information to Derbyshire County Council as part of the planning process. It said it had addressed concerns about animal welfare and emissions. A company spokesman said: \"We are astonished at some of the highly misleading claims and accusations. \"Claims that pigs will be crammed into narrow crates are simply not true. \"Our acclaimed 360 Farrowers were named because the sow can turn around 360 degrees at will. \"We urge people to either contact us, or refer to the planning application so that they may ascertain the facts of the matter for themselves.\" About 100 animal rights protesters marched through Derby on Saturday claiming the large-scale development would be cruel to pigs. Critics said that the only time the pigs would see the outside world would be on their way to slaughter. It has also been claimed the site could put small-scale farmers in the area out of business. MPP said the farm would observe the highest welfare standards and pointed out there was already a unit in the UK containing 3,500 sows. South Derbyshire District Council handed over duties for dealing with the application to the county council because of its waste implications. If planning permission is given, construction on the farm will take about a year.", "summary": "The company behind a proposed large-scale pig farm in Derbyshire has hit out at \"misleading\" claims surrounding its plans."}
{"article": "Enrique is leaving after three years in charge at the Nou Camp. Ibai Gomez hit the post for Alaves before Messi scored his 54th goal of the season with a 20-yard curler. Theo Hernandez bent in a free-kick to equalise, but Neymar turned in from close range and then Messi played in Paco Alcacer right on half-time. It has been a disappointing season for Barcelona, who finished runners-up to Real Madrid in La Liga and were eliminated from the Champions League by Juventus in the quarter-finals. They did at least restore some pride with victory over last season's second division champions in what was the final match to be played at Atletico Madrid's Vicente Calderon Stadium. There were some records set along the way as Enrique's team retained the trophy, having beaten Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla in the last two finals. Messi, who struck the opener after exchanging passes with Neymar outside the penalty area, became the first player to score in four Copa finals since Athletic Bilbao's Telmo Zarra in 1950. Neymar, who forced in Barcelona's second when Messi played in Andre Gomes to cross low from the right, is the first man to score in three successive Copa finals since Ferenc Puskas, who achieved the feat with Real Madrid between 1960 and 1962. Messi's through pass for the third goal was sublime, and was finished calmly by Alcacer - who has been inconsistent since his move from Valencia last summer. The one major worry for Barcelona was a nasty head injury to Javier Mascherano, who was carried off on a stretcher after an early collision with Marcos Llorente, He suffered concussion as well as a cut to his head, and an injury to his right knee that will need further tests, the club said afterwards.", "summary": "Lionel Messi was inspired as Barcelona beat Alaves to secure the Copa del Rey for the third year running and give coach Luis Enrique a winning send-off."}
{"article": "MEP Patrick O'Flynn said the party's support had broadened in the final days of the campaign and suggested their vote share would be more than 10%. Earlier, deputy chairman Paul Nuttall said UKIP MPs could offer vote-by-vote support to a minority government. But he told the BBC a referendum on the UK staying in the EU was a \"red line\". UKIP is attracting around 14% support, according to the latest BBC poll of polls. The party had two MPs at the end of the last Parliament - both of whom won by-elections after defecting from the Conservatives. The party's leader, Euro-MP Nigel Farage, is standing for election to the House of Commons in the Kent constituency of Thanet South. Here is a full list of the candidates contesting the seat. Speaking about UKIP's prospects, economy spokesman Mr O'Flynn said the party had managed to defy expectations of a squeeze. He said: \"Tomorrow we will significantly and perhaps dramatically outperform the expectations of pollsters and pundits alike. What are the top issues for each political party at the 2015 general election? Policy guide: Where the parties stand \"That means doing much better than a political class consensus of a vote share of around 10% and one or two seats in the Commons. \"The so-called squeeze on the UKIP vote predicted by so many of the media class simply has not happened. \"On the contrary we are getting indications of a very substantial energising and broadening of our support in the final days of the campaign.\" Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Nuttall repeated that his party would not enter a formal deal after the election. He said: \"We've made it perfectly clear there will no coalitions, there will be no pacts, and if we did go down the line of a deal whereby we vote with the government on a vote-by-vote basis, it will be a loose deal.\" He said a \"red line\" would be a \"free, full, fair referendum\" on EU membership \"as soon as possible, preferably before the end of the year.\" Mr Nuttall was asked whether a vote for his party could harm the prospects of Tory success and therefore an vote on the EU. He said: \"The problem you've got with Mr Cameron's promise of a referendum is one he's promised a referendum before and gone back on that deal and secondly he's talking about a negotiation through 2016 and into 2017 with an organisation that has made it perfectly clear that renegotiation isn't on the table.\" He added: \"We're looking to get as many votes as possible tomorrow to ensure we have real change in British politics, whether that's with the European Union or indeed electoral reform.\" The best of BBC News' Election 2015 specials", "summary": "The UK Independence Party (UKIP) will \"significantly and perhaps dramatically outperform\" expectations in Thursday's election, a spokesman has predicted."}
{"article": "No, not getting your hands on a ticket to the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Much, much more difficult will be to avoid all mention of the film anywhere for the next few weeks. If you are one of the people not so keen on catching the latest installment and wanting to avoid all reference to it, you have already failed by clicking on this article. But while you're here, you might as well carry on reading: here are some invaluable pointers for how to keep your head down until the hype has passed. Or Chad. Or North Korea. If online interest in the film is any indication, you're in deep trouble if you're not into Star Wars and live in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and (for some reason) Hungary - that's where interest is at its most feverish. A quick look at the rest of Google's map shows a bigger picture though: Some pretty big areas don't really care that much about Star Wars, so you could move there. Most of Africa doesn't seem too bothered, and the same goes for central America, where the weather is quite pleasant at this time of the year. (For the record - the map is likely to be blank in some countries due to a lack of data available to Google, rather than an aversion to sci-fi.) The film's page on the IMDb film database shows it is opening in more than 80 countries in the next month - China is the last to get it on 9 January. Incidentally, if you are in Bhutan, we can't say whether The Force Awakens will be shown there - the country's two cinemas have not yet replied to the BBC. This goes without saying. Even traditional art-house cinemas in London have jumped on the bandwagon, with some offering screenings from midnight on Thursday. The regularity of screenings makes listings for some cinemas look more like bus timetables. In the middle of this, however, is the Institute of Contemporary Arts in central London, where Friday night will see a Q&A on Catalan avant-garde cinema. A spokeswoman for the ICA told the BBC it will not be screening the film at any point, nor will it be showing any Star Wars trailers - they show trailers only for independent films that will be screened at the venue. Quite a few people are expected to see the film. Some might reasonably be expected to discuss it afterwards, so avoiding humans altogether is perhaps the best policy. Having said that, not as many people might see it as you would expect. In the US, it is opening in 3,900 screens, and while that sounds like a lot, it is actually some 500 fewer than for the third Twilight film in 2010. This had led Forbes to speculate that The Force Awakens may not end up being the highest-grossing film of all time. If you're going to avoid all humans, it might be wise to do so online too. As of 10:50 GMT on Monday,", "summary": "It is likely to prove to be one of the biggest challenges this year."}
{"article": "While the City of London tends to grab more headlines, Edinburgh is the UK's second largest financial centre, employing thousands of people in financial services. Where will banks, investors, brokers, lawyers and accountants choose to ply their trade if the UK were split? \"If in doubt, people may say they don't want to take the risk - they gravitate to London, where more deals can be done,\" says Prof Ranald Michie of the University of Durham, a financial historian who has studied the City of London for 35 years. Financial firms have fewer physical constraints to consider compared to a shipyard or a distillery. And they're likely to move to where they can find other companies to provide the advice and services they need, and where they can recruit skilled staff in the greatest abundance, says Prof Michie. Scottish lender Royal Bank of Scotland has said it will move its legal centre to London in the event of a Yes vote, but has no plans to move jobs. Banks like RBS already have large offices in London they can simply nominate as their new head office, says Peter Hahn, a former Citigroup banker who is now a senior lecturer at Cass Business School. \"Many of these companies are really run from London anyway.\" But for Scotland independence could also create opportunities. \"What has grown up in Edinburgh is fund management and insurance,\" says Prof Michie. \"For them, the gravitational pull of London is much, much less - Scotland has cheaper rents, cheaper labour. But they have done well tapping business in the UK, so they would need to try to keep that.\" Edinburgh could create a business environment to suit its strengths and attract more insurers and asset managers, he says. \"But it will be difficult to stop other cities and financial centres doing the same.\" But the City of London stands to gain too in the event of independence, according to Sir Martin Jacomb, former chairman of insurer Prudential and of BZW, Barclays' first foray into investment banking. \"London will become somewhat busier than it was before,\" he says. \"Some Scottish businesses and also Scottish people will move.\" Writer Nicholas Shaxson also thinks the City of London could benefit from an independent Scotland, although by less high-minded means. He is author of Treasure Islands, a book about tax havens. One of the City's big businesses is helping companies and the wealthy pay less tax, he says. \"Scottish people have always been vibrant contributors to British democracy, and history has shown that one thing the City doesn't like very much is democratic demands from a big and bolshy populace. \"A reduction in the UK population would lessen democratic pressures, somewhat, and make the UK look still more like a tax haven than it already is.\" An independent government in Edinburgh might decide to keep taxes on the financial sector low as the two cities compete with each other to attract businesses, says Mr Shaxson. The winners either way would be lawyers, accountants and advisers, says Cass Business School lecturer Dr Hahn. This", "summary": "As Scotland decides whether to become an independent nation, some financiers are asking themselves what this could mean for two of the oldest money centres in the world: London and Edinburgh."}
{"article": "Over the years, the 17th Century monument has been threatened by pollution, unabashed construction, a crematorium and even bombs. The BBC's Geeta Pandey in Delhi reports on five threats - past and present - to India's \"monument of love\". An invasion of the insect called Chironomus Calligraphus (Geoldichironomus) is turning the Taj Mahal green, says environmental activist DK Joshi. Mr Joshi has filed a petition in the National Green Tribunal - a special tribunal set up by the government to deal with environmental disputes - saying that the \"explosive breeding\" of the pests in the polluted Yamuna river is marring the beauty of the monument. \"Fifty-two drains are pouring waste directly into the river and just behind the monument, Yamuna has become so stagnant that fish that earlier kept insect populations in check are dying. This allows pests to proliferate in the river,\" Mr Joshi told the BBC by phone from the northern city of Agra where the Taj is located. The stains the bugs leave on the marble are washable and workers from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have been trying to scrub the walls clean, but Mr Joshi says frequent scrubbing can take the sheen off the marble. He says the problem has a simple solution - just clean up the Yamuna. On Monday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav ordered officials to \"trace the factors behind the problem and find a solution\". Built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth, Taj Mahal is often described as one of the wonders of the world. It is also India's biggest tourist attraction, visited by heads of states, celebrities and millions of Indian and foreign tourists every year. But pollution from the industries in Agra and a nearby oil refinery have seen the white marble yellowing over the years. To restore the monument's beauty, the ASI has been applying \"mud packs\" on its walls to draw out the pollutants. Manoj Bhatnagar of the ASI's chemical department told the BBC that the mud-pack is based on a traditional recipe used by Indian women from ancient times to restore a natural glow to their faces. \"A layer of fullers earth - a type of lime-rich clay - mixed with water is applied over the walls and left on for 24 hours or more to dry,\" he said. \"Once it dries, the mud is removed and the surface is washed with distilled water to remove impurities.\" The marble mausoleum had been given this treatment several times in the past: in 1994, 2001, 2008 and 2014. Mr Bhatnagar said the next round of beauty treatment will begin once the weather cools a bit - the heat wave currently blowing across India will dry out the mud-pack too quickly and render it ineffective. In November 2002, the government of the Uttar Pradesh state began work on a shopping complex near the Taj Mahal. The state government, led by then chief minister Mayawati, said the mall was being constructed to relocate shops that had been removed", "summary": "India's iconic Taj Mahal has been threatened in recent weeks by insect poo - environmentalists say that bugs from the polluted Yamuna river nearby are invading the monument, leaving greenish-black patches of waste on its pristine white marble walls."}
{"article": "Carla McGurn, 20, had been accused of assaulting the two-month-old boy on various occasions between January and February 2015 at a house in Fife. She denied the charge, which was found not proven by a jury after a trial. Miss McGurn, from Burntisland, had been accused of assaulting the boy by seizing hold of him and shaking him repeatedly. It had been alleged that she inflicted \"blunt force trauma\" to the boy's head and body by \"means unknown to the prosecutor\", and that the assault had been to the child's \"severe injury\" and to the \"danger of his life\".", "summary": "A woman has been acquitted of assaulting a baby boy to the danger of his life."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The hosts recovered from Guilhem Guirado's early try to lead 18-5 after Stuart Hogg and Duncan Taylor tries, the latter a superb individual effort. Gael Fickou's score reduced France's half-time deficit, and two Maxime Machenaud penalties made it 21-18. But Hogg's brilliant overhead pass saw Tim Visser's try secure victory. Greig Laidlaw's penalty with five minutes left added further gloss to a rapturously received triumph, their first over France since 2006. It also ended a demoralising sequence of seven straight home Six Nations defeats at Murrayfield over three years since Ireland were beaten in 2013. Scotland's victory confirmed England, who beat Wales on Saturday for their fourth straight win, as Six Nations champions, the first time the title has been decided with a round to go. The Scots may have started brightly, confidence buoyed by their 36-20 win in Rome a fortnight ago, but their momentum was checked inside five minutes. France set Murrayfield alight with some of the flair which appeared to have disappeared from their game, resulting in a try for their admirable captain Guirado. The hooker set Virimi Vakatawa away down the right, and after the wing slipped the ball inside to Wesley Fofana, Guirado was there to collect the scoring pass and plunge over. Fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc, on his return to the side, missed the conversion from a wide angle, and then what should have been a straightforward penalty attempt. So instead of a 10-0 deficit, within five minutes Scotland had turned the game on its head with two Laidlaw penalties, the second earned by a scrummage which continued to provide sustenance. It was an admirable response having lost Finn Russell to a head knock - the fly-half collided with flanker John Barclay's outstretched leg - in the build-up to France's try. But Russell's replacement Peter Horne stepped into the breach superbly, and his half-break and offload to Richie Gray after a dozen phases allowed Hogg to dart over in the 33rd minute. Within four minutes. Murrayfield was on its feet again after a stunning solo score from Taylor. Taking a quick tap penalty 10 metres inside his own half, the Saracens centre sped up the right touchline, bulldozing through the attempted tackle of Vakatawa. As space opened up in front of him, the 26-year-old motored on, eluding Wenceslas Lauret before touching down for a thunderous try. Referee Glen Jackson did consult a television replay after a suspicion Laidlaw had impeded Lauret with a tug of his shirt, but was satisfied the Frenchman's momentum had not been checked. Laidlaw added the conversion for an 18-5 lead, but a penalty conceded by Barclay with two minutes of the half left allowed France to strike back. The visitors kicked the penalty to touch on the right flank, launched a line-out drive and several phases later, Fickou sliced his way through in the left corner. Machenaud, taking over the kicking duties from Trinh-Duc, made it a six-point game at the interval. Hogg's monster 54-metre penalty early in the second half made it 21-12,", "summary": "Scotland ended a 10-year winless streak against France to record back-to-back Six Nations victories for the first time in three years."}
{"article": "However, flanker Tom Wood has been left out of the 25-man training squad. Fiji-born soldier Rokoduguni replaces Marland Yarde at right wing, while Nathan Hughes will come in for Wood if he recovers from a leg injury. It is understood last season's Premiership player of the season Alex Goode will start in place of regular full-back Mike Brown. Goode last appeared for England from the bench in their Six Nations win in Italy in February. Hughes, also born in Fiji, could make his first start if he overcomes a minor niggle, with Teimana Harrison set to step in if the Wasps player fails to recover. Head coach Eddie Jones is seeking an 11th straight victory since taking charge of the side. England are now ranked second in the world and face Argentina and Australia on consecutive weekends after the visit of Fiji, who are ranked 10th. Elsewhere, with lock Dave Attwood ruled out though injury, his Bath team-mate Charlie Ewels is set to make his England debut from the bench. It is also thought Jonathan Joseph is being considered for a return to the starting XV at the expense of Elliot Daly, after the Bath centre trained in the number 13 position on Tuesday. Number eight Billy Vunipola recovered from upper body soreness to take a full part in the training session. Wood started for England for the first time since the Rugby World Cup in Saturday's 37-21 victory over South Africa, but has now returned to his club Northampton. He is not injured so his release comes as a surprise. England will confirm their match squad on Thursday. Forwards: Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby), Jamie George (Saracens), Teimana Harrison (Northampton Saints), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), Nathan Hughes (Wasps), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens) Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath Rugby), Alex Goode (Saracens), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath Rugby), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)", "summary": "Wing Semesa Rokoduguni is set to make his first England appearance since 2014 against Fiji at Twickenham on Saturday."}
{"article": "Australia media reported that Stephen Brady's partner of 32 years was barred from an airport greeting party. Peter Stephens was reportedly told to \"wait in the car\" rather than join Mr Brady on the tarmac to meet Mr Abbott. Mr Brady offered to resign after ignoring the instructions, which Mr Abbott said were not from him. The incident happened in April, as Mr Abbott was flying into Paris from Turkey where he had been marking Anzac Day. He was not travelling with his wife, so under normal diplomatic protocol the receiving ambassador would be expected to welcome him without his or her partner as well. The prime minister's office said he had been \"very happy to be met by ambassador Brady and his partner when he arrived in Paris last month\". Mr Abbott said on Wednesday that there was \"some issue at the level of junior officials and I don't concern myself with these things\". He said Mr Brady was \"a fine servant of Australia, a really fine servant of Australia. He's a friend of mine, always has been and as far as I'm concerned always will be\". Opposition leader Bill Shorten, however, said that if the report was true Mr Brady and Mr Stephens \"deserve an apology\". Australia largely has progressive attitudes towards homosexuality though it does not allow same-sex marriages. Parliament voted down a bill to legalise it in 2012, and Mr Abbott has expressed personal opposition. Earlier this week, some of Australia's most prominent business leaders came together to call for marriage equality. The CEO of national airline Qantas, Alan Joyce - who is himself gay - said it would show young gay Australians that \"they're not in some way second-class citizens\".", "summary": "Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott has dismissed as \"trivia\" a media row over the treatment of the gay partner of his ambassador to France."}
{"article": "A statement of intent from the recently appointed Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager Richie Foran as he faced the media on Wednesday for the first time since being appointed a month ago. It also hinted at a change in approach from his predecessor John Hughes. \"Yes, you want to play attractive football, play the ball out from the back, but when you get into the opposition half I want to go and attack,\" said Foran. \"Our style is going to change a little bit. I want crosses in the box, shots on goal, the crowd up and down off their seats. You want exciting football but it's all about the three points.\" At 36, Foran is young and untested as a manager but has an impressive air of authority about him; a seriousness that suggests he's determined to succeed. \"One message I got from an ex-manager was 'welcome to the asylum' which put a smile on my face,\" laughed Foran. There weren't too many laughs after that. He was extremely business-like. \"I'm sure it's not as bad as that. I'm sure we'll have challenging times. With the squad, the chairman, the board, right behind me I'm sure we can have a good season.\" Dubliner Foran, who has been at the club since 2009, has a lot to live up to. Hughes won a Scottish Cup in 2015, finished third in the Premiership the same season and got the club into Europe for the first time. Things deteriorated slightly last term, a harsh injury list not helping as Caley finished seventh. The budget available ultimately led to divorce between the previous manager and the club. \"There's been a lot of talk about the budget. I'm delighted with the budget,\" states Foran, kicking that delicate subject into touch. Two further areas stick out. The club appointed Foran on a four-year contract, a tremendous show of faith in a first-time manager. \"It was only right of the board to match Richie's commitment to the area and to the club,\" said Thistle chairman Kenny Cameron. \"Since he came in, he's been a tremendous acquisition for this club. It was right the club showed faith in Richie and gave him four years.\" Foran duly expressed his passion for everything Inverness. It's something he frequently shares and is genuine. \"I'm dedicated to the club. It's always been about the club for me, not about Richie Foran. I'm dedicated to the city. I've no interest in leaving the city; my family is born and bred here. \"I'm going to spend the rest of my life living here because I'm so dedicated to the place. That probably reflects the four-year deal.\" A month into the job, one obvious problem might have been how he makes the transition from the dressing room to manager. Without hesitation, Foran states it is not an issue. \"You just have to distance yourself, but I've been doing that for the last few years. I haven't played a lot of football with them so you can nearly say I've been retired for a couple of years now.", "summary": "\"My philosophy is win at all costs, simple as that.\""}
{"article": "Nazimuddin Samad was hacked with machetes at a traffic junction late on Wednesday and then shot, police said. The 28-year-old was reported to have been an organiser of the Ganajagran Manch, a secular campaigning group. A string of prominent secular bloggers have been attacked or killed by religious extremists in Bangladesh in the last year. Bangladesh is officially secular but critics say the government has failed to properly address the attacks. Who is behind the Bangladesh killings? Attacks send shockwaves through Bangladesh The threat of small-scale terror attacks Police said three assailants on a motorcycle attacked Mr Samad and then shot him, The Dhaka Tribune reported. Police have not named any suspects in the case nor confirmed a religious motive. Mr Samad, a student of Jagannath University, regularly wrote against religious extremism on his Facebook page. He had written \"I have no religion\" on his profile under religious views. There have been several deadly attacks in Bangladesh in recent months, although it is not clear who is behind them. Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed with machetes, one inside his own home. They all appeared on a list of 84 \"atheist bloggers\" drawn up by Islamic groups in 2013 and widely circulated. There have also been attacks on members of religious minorities including Shia, Sufi and Ahmadi Muslims, Christians and Hindus. Two foreigners, an Italian aid worker and a Japanese man, were also shot dead late last year, in seemingly random attacks. The so-called Islamic State group has said it carried out many of the attacks - but this has not been independently verified. Members of another militant Islamist group, the Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), were arrested over an assault on an Italian Catholic priest late last year.", "summary": "A Bangladeshi law student who had expressed secular views online has been killed in the capital, Dhaka."}
{"article": "It pulls together 20 existing planning polices into a single Strategic Planning Policy Statement (SPPS). The SPSS confirms the \"precautionary principle\" approach to fracking, a method of oil and gas extraction. It means fracking will not be allowed unless there is \"robust evidence\" of its safety on all environmental impacts. It also confirm a \"town centres first\" approach to retailing. The SPSS will be used as a guide for councils in the development of new Local Development Plans. Mr Durkan said the final document had been informed by \"a lively and constructive debate\" following the publication of a draft version. He said that, as a result, the final SPPS had been \"much improved\". However, he said that there were significant issues raised which were beyond the scope of the SPPS, particularly in relation to renewable energy and strategic policy development in the countryside. \"Publishing the SPPS unlocks development potential, supports job creation and will aid economic recovery. but not at the expense of our planet, environment and people,\" Mr Durkan said. \"It consolidates over 800 pages of existing policy into a single document and brings clarity and certainty to important planning matters throughout the north.\" The environment minister said that significantly and for the first time, a \"no to fracking\" was enshrined in policy, unless there was sufficient and robust evidence of its safety on all environmental impacts. \"I believe this is a sensible and reasonable approach,\" he said. Overall, Mr Durkan said, this \"key document\" would \"help ensure that the planning system delivers for all, now and for future generations\".", "summary": "A planning blueprint for Northern Ireland has been published by Environment Minister Mark H Durkan."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old Mali international missed most of last season with a cruciate ligament injury, but has played 19 matches this term. Head coach Paul Lambert told the club website: \"He has been great since I have been here having come back from a long-term injury. \"And he is still only a young guy. He has his whole career in front of him.\" Dicko scored 15 goals in 40 appearances for Wolves in the 2014-15 season, but his injury lay-off meant he played just six matches last season. His only two goals so far this term came in the EFL Trophy victory over Crewe in October. Lambert added: \"Players like Nouha are really difficult to find, with such genuine speed. \"He is a major threat to opposition defenders with his pace and now I think he just needs to get a goal under his belt.\"", "summary": "Striker Nouha Dicko has signed a new deal which will keep him at Championship club Wolves until 2020."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Briton, seeded second, won 7-5 6-1 6-4 on Centre Court and will next face French 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday. After matching Murray for 40 minutes, Kyrgios' challenge faded quickly under sustained pressure from the Scot. Murray, the 2013 champion, is into the last eight without dropping a set. The 29-year-old has now won eight matches in a row on grass, and joins Pete Sampras and John McEnroe in reaching nine consecutive Wimbledon quarter-finals. Murray had beaten Kyrgios at the other three Grand Slams - and he brushed aside any thought this might be the Australian's time with a brilliant display. The world number two was focused throughout, winning 80% of points on the Kyrgios second serve and denying the 21-year-old a single break point. \"The first set was very tight. I managed to get the break at 6-5 but it was tight up to that point,\" Murray told BBC Sport. \"The second set was much more comfortable, Nick lost his focus a bit. I was able to dictate a lot of the rallies.\" Asked about the growing expectation of a second title following top seed Novak Djokovic's defeat on Saturday, Murray added: \"Every year I play here it's the same. \"I try my best to win my matches and go as deep as possible. \"The matches, as you progress, get tougher. Tsonga is next who is a tough grass-court player and I'll have to play very well to win that one.\" Kyrgios said: \"As soon as I lost the first set, I just lost belief. It obviously felt like a mountain to climb after losing the first. \"He played pretty well, as well. I don't think he missed too many balls either.\" It is a measure of how sharp Murray is looking that he won the opening set despite Kyrgios making 30 of 34 first serves - the bedrock of his game. There were flashes of brilliance all over the court from the Australian and a tie-break appeared inevitable after 11 games without a break point, but Murray grabbed the initiative with a brilliant return game. A backhand pass gave the Scot a 0-30 lead before a clever cross-court chip drew a loose volley from Kyrgios, who suddenly found himself staring at three set points. Two were saved with big serves but Murray drilled a cross-court forehand on the third that Kyrgios could only divert into the net. If the first set was a tight, tense contest, the second disappeared in just 26 minutes as Murray maintained the quality of a tournament favourite, while Kyrgios' belief appeared to drain away. Murray was now peppering the baseline with his returns, drawing Kyrgios into rallies, and he made the breakthrough with another pass that the Australian could only net. Two games later and the pair's much-discussed friendship appeared briefly on hold as Murray slowed the quick-fire Kyrgios serving pace, prompting the Australian to thrash a wild forehand out and hand over another break. Murray crunched down his sixth ace to clinch a two-set", "summary": "Andy Murray saw off the threat of Australian rising star Nick Kyrgios with a clinical performance to reach his ninth Wimbledon quarter-final."}
{"article": "They claim to have evidence Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was pressured by ministers to drop his earlier appeal. He was allowed to return home to Libya in 2009, suffering from terminal prostate cancer, and died three years later. The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) has been asked to look again at his conviction. The involvement of Megrahi's family may overcome a legal hurdle against a bid for a re-examination of the case. The Libyan secret service agent, the only man convicted of Britain's worst act of terrorism, was jailed for life following his conviction in 2001, and ordered to serve a minimum of 27 years. He died in May of 2012, three years after being allowed out of prison on compassionate grounds. Shortly before that, he had abandoned an appeal against his conviction which had been brought after a four-year investigation by the SCCRC. Ministers have always claimed they played no part in this. But Aamer Anwar, the lawyer who is taking the case to the commission, said: \"To date both the British government and Scottish government have claimed that they played no role in pressuring Mr Megrahi into dropping his appeal as a condition of his immediate release. \"However the evidence submitted to the Commission today claims that this is fundamentally untrue.\" Mr Anwar added: \"The fundamental question for the commission is whether it regards it as in the interests of justice to refer a case back to the High Court where the convicted person himself had commenced an appeal on a SCCRC reference and then chosen to abandon it? \"The answer might depend on the precise circumstances in which the appellant came to abandon his appeal. \"Mr Megrahi's terminal illness; the fact that prisoner transfer was not open while the appeal was ongoing; and whether Mr Megrahi had no way of knowing that (Justice Secretary) Kenny MacAskill would ultimately opt for compassionate release rather than prisoner transfer or, as is alleged, that he was led to believe that he would not be released unless he dropped his appeal.\" Mr Anwar, who is acting for six relatives of Megrahi, who are not being named because of the volatile political situation in Libya, has asked the commission to consider the grounds of appeal before the court when the last proceedings were abandoned. He has also asked the SCCRC to consider further evidence. This includes claims that it was impossible for the bomb timer identified by prosecutors at Megrahi's trial to have been responsible for the bombing; and that there is evidence the bomb - which the court heard had been put onto a flight at Malta - had already been at Heathrow Airport, the flight's departure airport. Relatives of some of the 270 victims of the bombing - led by Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died on Pan-Am Flight 103 - previously said they would seek to have the conviction reviewed. In a statement released last month, before it was known that Megrahi's family were to making a request to the SCCRC, the commission said it would have to decide whether", "summary": "The family of the Lockerbie bomber has instructed a Scottish lawyer to apply to have his conviction reviewed."}
{"article": "The technical error has directed people searching for the national park more than 150m (241km) away to a location between Chelsea and Knightsbridge. Brecon Beacons National Park Authority posted the image online with the caption: \"We have now moved. Londoners get an upgrade thanks to Google Maps.\" Chief executive John Cook joked: \"Well the move has come as a bit of a shock to us all.\" He added: \"I'm sure it will come as good news to Londoners who want some fresh mountain air on their doorstep. \"The truth is we are only three hours away from London - don't rely on your sat-nav or Google Maps - just head to Bristol on the M4, cross the bridge, ask a local and they'll know exactly where to find us.\"", "summary": "A glitch on Google Maps has located the Brecon Beacons in the heart of London."}
{"article": "The world governing body said local officials could instead be appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board. There will be two Twenty20 and three one-day internationals from 22-31 May. On Thursday Zimbabwe cancelled the tour after news of a terrorist attack in Karachi, then retracted the statement. No top-level international cricket has been played in Pakistan since Sri Lanka's team bus was attacked there by gunmen in 2009.", "summary": "The International Cricket Council will not send umpires to Pakistan to officiate in their upcoming limited-overs series against Zimbabwe because of security concerns."}
{"article": "The force confirmed it was examining a number of buildings used for firearms training between 1980 and 2007. It also said it was in the process of contacting \"a large number of officers\" who might have been affected. At one time asbestos was frequently used as a building material. Exposure to asbestos can cause serious and potentially-fatal diseases including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. It is thought it is generally only people who regularly work directly with materials containing asbestos who are at any serious health risk but Health and Safety Executive figures estimate there are 5,000 deaths a year caused by exposure to the substance. Short-term exposure is not considered to pose a danger. The HSE says asbestos can be present in any building built or refurbished before 2000. The Met said it would undertake rigorous examinations at all buildings where firearms training took place to establish whether asbestos was present. Ch Supt Mike Gallagher said officers still working for the force had been contacted. He said inquiries had identified a possible issue at some buildings used historically and detailed investigations had been carried out to identify all those individuals potentially affected. \"Due to the time period in question and number of possible sites, we need to make contact with a large number of officers,\" he added. \"This will include those who have left, retired, or transferred, so clearly this is a process which will take some time.\" Professor John Cherrie, of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, who has worked on several asbestos research projects, said most people were exposed to low levels of asbestos at some time during their life. \"However, people who become ill from asbestos are usually those who were exposed to it on a regular basis, most often in a job where they worked directly with asbestos-containing materials.\"", "summary": "Up to 30,000 police officers might have come into contact with asbestos at training facilities, the Metropolitan Police have said."}
{"article": "Foe died after collapsing on the pitch during the 2003 semi-final against Colombia in France. The 28-year-old was later found to have suffered from a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The Indomitable Lions will end their 14-year absence from the Confederations Cup when Fifa's World Cup dress rehearsal kicks off this weekend. Cameroon open their Group B campaign against Copa America winners Chile on Sunday 18 June, in Moscow, before meeting Asian champions Australia four days later and then the world champions themselves, Germany, on 25 June. Despite the passage of time, the memory of Foe - a Manchester City player at the time of his death - will be uppermost in their minds as the African champions take to the field in Russia. We want to play well for him - to honour and respect what he did for Cameroon \"We want to play well for him - to honour and respect what he did for Cameroon,\" midfielder Arnaud Djoum told BBC Sport. \"We want to show a good image of Cameroon for him first. \"In the dressing room, we try not to speak too much about it out of respect for him and his family. \"It's something we keep really quiet but we know from each other that we have to give everything and play from heart - like he did.\" Scotland-based Djoum, who won the Nations Cup just five months after making his Cameroon debut, may feel the connection more closely than others given that he wears number 17 on his Indomitable Lions jersey - just as Foe did many years before him. But instead of feeling any burden, the 28-year-old calls it \"special\" and \"an honour\" to wear the shirt - even though he says \"it's not an easy number to wear in this national team.\" Memories of Foe aside, Cameroon may also be mindful that their last appearance on the global stage was little short of disastrous. Ahead of the 2014 World Cup, a bonus row initially delayed the Cameroon squad's flight to Brazil where the team promptly crashed out after just two games. Players clashed among themselves on the pitch during a 4-0 defeat by Croatia, which later became the subject of a match-fixing investigation - although nothing has ever been proven. That World Cup came during a spell when Cameroon were in the relative doldrums - having failed to qualify for both the 2012 and 2013 Nations Cups - but their 2017 triumph in Gabon ended that lack of success in spectacular fashion. Russia will be a true test of where this team are under Belgian coach Hugo Broos because African kings they may be, but how will they fare against the world's finest? \"In the whole of the German team, they have great players - big, big players - so it will be interesting to see the level and compare if we are near this level or not,\" said Djoum. \"Our team has a lot of confidence now, after the Nations Cup, and we want to prove that we deserved to win the trophy.\"", "summary": "Cameroon will be driven by the memory of Marc Vivien-Foe when they contest the Confederations Cup for the first time since the midfielder's death."}
{"article": "The party said it was aware the site had been taken over by its website host who has \"turned on them\", and they were unable to access it. The site now reads: \"What happened to The LabourBristol website? I think the more important question is, what happened to the Labour party?\" A party spokesman said action was being taken against the person responsible. \"The comments there do not represent the views of the Bristol Labour Party,\" the spokesman added. \"It's been referred to our compliance and legal team.\" The attack on the hacked website goes on to say Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn is \"ill equipped to lead the party, let alone be prime minister\". It also attacks the leaders of the Momentum group which supports Mr Corbyn. The site's owner, Lyle Hopkins, told the BBC he had spent \"lots of time and a few thousand pounds\" revamping the website. and had tried unsuccessfully to get the local Labour Party to take ownership of it. He said he had altered it because he had \"lost all confidence\" in Mr Corbyn and had \"had enough\". He claimed he had witnessed \"first hand at the Bristol West labour party meeting just how unpleasant and aggressive the Momentum activists were\". \"I'm no longer willing to support the party with my time and effort as long as Corbyn is leader.\"", "summary": "Text on Bristol Labour Party's website has been replaced by with attack on Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters."}
{"article": "The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 12.53 points at 18, 268.50. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 9.17 points lower to 5,306.85, while the S&P 500 gained 1.04 points at 2,160.77. Social media website Twitter, plunged 20.10% on reports that Google and Apple were unlikely to bid for the company. Friday's employment report is expected to show whether the economy is strong enough to absorb an interest rate hike. A growing number of US Federal Reserve officials have argued for higher rates as the labour market remains solid and inflation inches towards the central bank's 2% target. \"At the moment, what is driving the U.S. market is a repricing around expectations of near-term Fed action,\" said Bill Merz, investment strategist at US Bank Wealth Management in Minneapolis. On Wednesday, shares in Twitter had closed 5.74% higher after a report in the Wall Street Journal said the website was expected to receive takeover bids this week. Salesforce is now thought to be the most likely buyer of the business after its chief executive was implicated as a suitor earlier this week. Chief executive Marc Benioff told CNBC on Wednesday that he would not \"start a precedent by having to address specific deals\". He then added: \"The reality is we have to look at everything, but we're going to pass on most things.\". Salesforce.com's shares closed up 4.15% at $71.26. Retailer Wal-Mart, saw its shares end the day down 3.22% after saying its profits would be flat next financial year.", "summary": "(Close): US stocks were little changed on Thursday ahead of crucial jobs data which are expected to give more insight into whether there will be an interest rate cut by the end of the year."}
{"article": "The airport's submission to the Davies Commission, which is looking at raising airport capacity, outlined a runway to the north, north-west or south-west of the existing airport. It said a new runway could be in place by 2029, allowing 260,000 more flights. Residents, environmentalists and the London mayor oppose Heathrow's plans. Heathrow submitted its options to the government-appointed Airports Commission, headed by former Financial Services Authority chairman Sir Howard Davies. It is reviewing how the UK might expand its airport capacity in south-east England and interested parties have until Friday 19 July to submit their preferred options. By Robert PestonBusiness editor Ahead of submitting its proposals on Friday, Gatwick bosses said this week that they would prefer \"a constellation system of three London airports - keeping Heathrow open, whilst building an additional runway at Gatwick, and then perhaps in time a new runway at Stansted\". On Monday, Mayor of London Boris Johnson published proposals for three possible replacement hubs - an artificial island in the Thames Estuary dubbed \"Boris Island\", a major expansion at Stansted, or an airport at the Isle of Grain in north Kent. The commission is expected to recommend options by the end of this year, but will not submit its final report until summer 2015 - after the next general election. According to Heathrow's submission, building a new runway would deliver extra capacity at the airport by 2025-29 and would allow it to operate 740,000 flights a year - up from the current limit of 480,000. Heathrow's preferred option would be to place a new runway to the north-west or the south-west of the airport. This would \"deliver a full-length third runway while minimising the impact on the local community\". The submission also detailed how a new westerly runway would help reduce noise pollution because planes would not have to fly so low over London. It predicted that, even with a third runway, there would be 10-20% fewer people affected by noise under its new plans. Each of the options would mean the compulsory purchase of some properties and some property demolitions, as well as potentially major work on the M25. Stanwell Moor is a village near Heathrow and one of its councillors said it would \"get completely destroyed\" under one of the options. By Richard WestcottBBC transport correspondent I've just been looking back through my notes from last year, when I talked to government officials about the prospect of building a third runway at Heathrow. They told me it was \"dead and buried\" and said they'd look at \"all ideas bar a third runway\". Back then we also had a Transport Secretary, Justine Greening, who lived under the flight path and had campaigned against the plan. What a difference to today, when a third runway at the UK's biggest and busiest airport is very much back on the table. This is a big week for airports. By Friday, we'll know all the different suggestions on how they could expand. But don't let all this apparent momentum fool you. This is one of the thorniest issues in politics,", "summary": "Heathrow Airport has unveiled three options for a new runway, saying each one would be \"quicker and cheaper\" than plans for a rival hub airport."}
{"article": "The 53-year-old was given the job on a temporary basis in February, following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri. Shakespeare, who has only worked as caretaker or number two, was Ranieri's assistant after joining the club under former Foxes boss Nigel Pearson. \"This is a really exciting opportunity for me to continue along this new path in my career,\" said Shakespeare. \"Our preparations for pre-season and the new Premier League campaign have been ongoing for some time, but we can now move on with certainty and ensure we are well equipped to compete at the levels now expected of a club like Leicester City.\" Shakespeare won eight of his 16 games in charge last season, leading the club to the Champions League quarter-finals. As reigning Premier League champions, Leicester were one point above the relegation zone with 13 matches left when Ranieri departed. But Shakespeare collected 23 points, including wins in all his first five games, to guide the club to 14th place. Leicester beat Sevilla in the last 16 of Europe's elite club competition, but were knocked out in the next round by Atletico Madrid. City vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha added: \"Craig has shown all the qualities in leadership, motivation and talent management that are required to be successful in this role. \"Those qualities, aligned with his first-class coaching acumen, his knowledge of Leicester City and its philosophy, and the respect he has earned at every level of the club make him the ideal choice to help take us forward.\"", "summary": "Leicester City have named caretaker boss Craig Shakespeare as their permanent manager on a three-year deal."}
{"article": "Making a G20 summit statement, the PM refused to give a \"running commentary\" or \"reveal our hand prematurely\". She was speaking in the Commons after Australia and the UK began \"preliminary discussions\" about a new trade deal. Australian trade minister Steven Ciobo predicted an agreement between the countries \"when the time is right\". But with the UK unable to sign deals while still in the European Union, he said an agreement would not be able to happen until the UK left the EU in two-and-a-half years' time. Australia has been earmarked as the first potential new trade partner for the UK once it leaves the EU. Addressing MPs, Mrs May said India, Mexico, South Korea and Singapore were also keen to remove trade barriers. She pledged to \"think through the issues in a sober and considered way\", adding: \"So we will not take decisions until we are ready. We will not reveal our hand prematurely and we will not provide a running commentary on every twist and turn of the negotiation.\" During her statement, Mrs May was urged to set out what the government wanted to achieve from Brexit negotiations, with the SNP's Westminster leader Angus Roberston asking: \"Does she seriously expect to be able to hold out for years in not confirming whether she wants the UK to remain a member of the single market?\" Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said it was \"unclear\" what the government was \"trying to do\". He accused Mrs May of supporting \"free trade dogma\" rather than a policy that \"values human rights and human dignity\". The Labour leader later faced calls to clarify whether he supported the UK's continuing membership of the EU single market. Labour sources said Mr Corbyn thought the UK's Brexit negotiations should aim to secure \"full access to the single market\" in goods and services. But a spokesman for the Labour leader said Mr Corbyn had campaigned against aspects of the single market and would oppose a deal that included \"aspects of the existing architecture\" that were damaging to working people and public services. Asked if Mr Corbyn wanted the UK to remain a full member of the EU single market the spokesman said there was a question about what \"membership of the single market\" actually meant. Labour MP and Remain campaigner Chuka Umunna called for clarity from his party, saying: \"Labour should be fighting for Britain to stay in the single market, not turning a blind eye to its advantages.\" The government does not plan to begin the formal two-year Brexit process by triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty until the start of next year at the earliest. Brexit Secretary David Davis has predicted a \"round of global trade deals\" will be \"fully negotiated\" within 12 to 24 months, coming into force when the UK leaves the EU. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme after meeting UK International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, Mr Ciobo said the UK-Australia deal could only happen \"when the time is right\", adding that there had been \"good alignment\" between the two sides. \"The timing", "summary": "Theresa May said the UK could become \"the global leader in free trade\" as she faced calls to clarify the government's post-Brexit vision."}
{"article": "But is it possible dragons could ever exist beyond the pages of Celtic mythology or the celluloid of fantasy film? Academics have suggested in a recent essay the creation of large, winged dragons using cutting-edge genome editing is not beyond the realms of possibility. Is the seemingly far-fetched idea a flier or, like dragon's breath, just hot air? The BBC asked the authors. The essay in The American Journal of Bioethics said spectacular animals could be brought to life using a targeted gene-editing system known as CRISPR-CAS9. Co-authors Prof Hank T Greely, director of the Centre for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford Law School, and Prof R Alta Charo, Professor of Bioethics and Law at Wisconsin Law School, said their dragon suggestion was \"somewhat tongue-in-cheek\" but \"not impossible\". \"There are the possibilities of spectacles,\" they wrote. \"Animals and plants not created for personal use but to be exhibited. \"Consider, for example, the dragon. Basic physics will almost certainly combine with biological constraints to prevent the creation of flying or fire-breathing dragons. \"But a very large reptile that looks at least somewhat like the European or Asian dragon (perhaps with flappable if not flyable wings) could be someone's target of opportunity.\" And it may not be as improbable as it seems at first blush. CRISPR and other similar techniques involve DNA being inserted, replaced, or removed from a genome using artificially engineered nucleases. The method has been adopted by scientists around the world. CRISPRs (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) are sections of DNA, while CAS-9 (CRISPR-associated protein 9) is an enzyme. They are found in bacteria, which use them to disable attacks from viruses. They have led to the creation of patented \"GloFish\" that shine under UV light, the eradication of horns from certain cattle species, manipulation of crops and attempts to produce hypo-allergenic cats. Artist Eduardo Kac even commissioned a French geneticist to create Alba, a genetically modified \"glowing\" rabbit. Debate has raged over whether CRISPR, which occurs as part of a bacterial process, could be safely and ethically used on humans since 2012. But professors Greely and Charo argue its potential to produce \"CRISPR critters\" is \"likely to be overlooked\" by legislators and regulators \"because they are unexpected\". The method is \"cheaper and easier\" than older forms of genetic engineering and can be done \"outside the traditional laboratory setting\". Their essay looks at the possible uses of CRISPR for de-extinction of wild species - such as 700,000-year-old horses - for domestic de-extinction - such as tomato species - and for making creatures of \"personal whim\". They point out that Harvard geneticist George Church is using CRISPR to edit Asian elephant cell lines to give them some woolly mammoth genes. Asked about the likelihood of dragons, the co-authors said: \"We imagine it would be low although not impossible with respect to appearance (the fire-breathing and flying aspects are undoubtedly beyond any plausible genetic engineering). \"In the US, the determining factor is usually cost as compared to return-on-investment, where cost can be substantial given the regulatory hurdles. \"Does this mean some", "summary": "The mythical dragon has been associated with Wales for more than a millennium and famously graces the national flag."}
{"article": "Michael Garcia, who conducted a two-year inquiry, said the report \"contains numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations\". The report cleared World Cup hosts Russia and Qatar of wrongdoing. It also accused the English Football Association of flouting bid rules. But Garcia's statement, issued less than four hours after the report was published, has reopened the debate about the validity of the bidding process for both the 2018 and 2022 competitions. Media playback is not supported on this device Simon Johnson, who led England's 2018 bid team, described the twist in the saga as \"farcical\". Speaking to BBC sports editor Dan Roan, he added: \"Before that statement by Mr Garcia, I was saying that it's very difficult to have confidence in the conclusions of Mr Eckert's report and that it looked like a politically motivated whitewash. \"Now that I have seen Mr Garcia's statement, I am absolutely convinced that the report is a politically motivated whitewash.\" Garcia's statement will embarrass Fifa and raise concerns about the work of Hans-Joachim Eckert. Fifa's independent ethics adjudicator was responsible for drawing up the report that was published by Fifa at 0900 GMT on Thursday. Eckert based his findings on the work of Garcia, who had been appointed by Fifa to conduct an independent investigation into claims of corruption. But Garcia, a former United States federal prosecutor, says Eckert, a German judge, has erred and plans to appeal, a move that Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke described as \"sad\". Fifa had hoped Eckert's report would bring closure to what has been a damaging episode, but there are now calls for Garcia's own report, which runs into hundreds of pages, to be published in full. \"Fifa has no choice but to publish Michael Garcia's report in full if it expects anyone to believe their claims that there has been no cover-up over allegations of corruption in the World Cup bidding process,\" said British MP Clive Efford, Labour's Shadow Minister for Sport. Another British MP, Damien Collins, had already labelled Eckert's report \"a whitewash\" before Garcia's statement was issued. Collins has campaigned for Fifa reform and in 2011 used Parliamentary privilege to allege that bribes helped secure Qatar the 2022 tournament. He said those allegations remained unanswered. \"It is a whitewash as it is an attempt to con people that there has been a full and independent investigation when there has not been,\" he said. \"The result is that allegations of bribery and serious wrongdoing remain unanswered and they are still suppressing the full report.\" Following the publication of Eckert's report, Britain's Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce said it was now time to move on. However, his stance changed after Garcia's statement. \"In view of the fact Michael Garcia has now stated he is not happy with the findings and is to appeal, I await with interest to see what further disclosures will be made,\" said Boyce. \"I have always said as much of the report as it is legally possible to publish should be made public.\" Qatar's bid team has always denied allegations of corruption. The decision to award", "summary": "Fifa's report into allegations of corruption during the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups has been questioned - by the man who investigated claims of wrongdoing."}
{"article": "Former multi-millionaire pig farmer Robert Pickton was convicted in 2007 of murdering six women. Charges relating to 20 other deaths were suspended. Another inmate helped him smuggle the book out of prison, CTV reported. The publisher requested its removal from retailer Amazon and apologised to victims' families, reports said. Officials in British Columbia had earlier vowed to prevent Pickton, who says he is innocent, from profiting from sales of the memoir, entitled Pickton: In His Own Words. \"It is not right that a person who caused so much harm and hurt so many people could profit from his behaviour,\" said the province's Minister for Public Safety, Mike Morris, in a statement. Vancouver's dirty little secret City's vanished women British Columbian officials also asked Amazon to stop selling the memoir, which was published by Colorado-based Outskirts Press, a firm that specialises in helping authors self-publish books. Amazon users had also called for it to be removed and gave it the lowest possible rating. The company has not yet commented on the book's appearance on its site. Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said an investigation had been launched into how Pickton's manuscript was smuggled out of the maximum security Kent Institution prison where he is being held. But CTV reported that Pickton bypassed checks on his own correspondence by passing the book to a fellow inmate, who sent it to a friend. In the book, the serial killer said he was innocent and was framed for the killings by Canadian police, the Vancouver Sun reported. Ernie Crey, whose sister Dawn's DNA was among that of 33 women found at Pickton's Port Coquitlam pig farm, said he was \"deeply troubled\" by the book. Lori Shenher, who helped bring Pickton to justice and wrote her own book on the case, wrote that she hoped people would ignore it \"in the interest of common decency\". Pickton was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years after initially being charged with the murders of 26 women from a total of 69 who had gone missing. He killed the women at his farm and fed some of their remains to his pigs. During the trial, prosecutors claimed Pickton had confessed to 49 killings to an undercover police officer posing as a cellmate.", "summary": "A memoir apparently written by a Canadian serial killer has been withdrawn within hours of appearing for sale online."}
{"article": "Local residents said they heard gunfire and several explosions but police said there were no civilian casualties. The attack on the large compound, known as the Green Village, is the second this week targeting foreign workers. On Monday, two Afghan security guards were killed in a Taliban attack on another Western compound. \"Four suicide bombers have been killed, there was no harm to civilians,\" Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Ayub Salangi told reporters. A Taliban spokesman said the group was behind the attack. The attackers tried to break into the Green Village by detonating a car packed with explosives at the entrance to the compound, which houses foreign contractors and security staff. \"Since the Green Village had been targeted several times in the past, the place was heavily guarded and the attackers failed to reach their intended target,\" Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said. The compound was last targeted in October 2013 when a suicide bomber killed two passers-by. Another attack in 2012 killed seven guards and civilians. Attacks on foreign workers, government officials and security forces have intensified in recent weeks as Western troops end their operations. Last week, a suicide bomber targeted a prominent female Afghan politician, killing three civilians and wounding others in an attack on a Kabul convoy. A week earlier, another suicide attacker entered the offices of Kabul's police chief and killed a senior officer.", "summary": "Officials in Kabul say police killed four Taliban suicide bombers during an attack on a compound housing foreign workers in the Afghan capital."}
{"article": "The number of Welsh seats in the House of Commons would fall from 40 to 29, with the size of Westminster constituencies increasing. Labour - which won 25 Welsh seats at the last election - is likely to feel the biggest impact. Voters have been invited to have their say during a 12-week consultation, with the final report due in 2018. The new constituencies have been drawn up by the independent Boundary Commission for Wales under a formula set down under the previous Tory-Lib Dem coalition government. Constituency boundaries will change across the UK, reducing the size of the Commons from 650 to 600 seats. But Wales will see the biggest proportional cut among the four nations. All of the new constituencies must have at least 71,031 voters. At present in Wales, all but one of the existing seats have electorates smaller than that. If introduced in time for the 2020 general election, the review would mean the Commons and the Welsh Assembly no longer share the same constituencies. The Boundary Commission said it had tried to preserve community links, but did not take political considerations into account. Steve Halsall, secretary of the Boundary Commission for Wales, said it was an initial set of proposals. \"It has also taken into account other relevant factors and has sought to identify the solutions most suitable to local needs within Wales,\" he said. Welsh Labour accused the Conservatives of \"trying to stack the deck in their favour\" by pushing ahead with the new boundaries. The party claimed these did not take into account the millions of extra people who registered to vote in the EU referendum. Labour MP Stephen Kinnock, whose Aberavon constituency would be split up, called the proposal a \"bare-faced gerrymander\". Conservative MP Glyn Davies, whose Montgomeryshire seat would also disappear, said it was \"massively disappointing\" for him personally but that, in general, the changes were \"pretty well inevitable\". He said he was concerned that rural MPs would \"lose the familiarity with their constituents\" if their seats grow bigger, \"bit like MEPs at the moment\". \"No matter how hard they work people in my constituency just don't know who they are,\" Mr Davies said. \"Indeed, assembly members will become the dominant representative.\" Boundaries for Welsh Assembly elections will remain as they are now. Plaid Cymru's leader at Westminster, Hywel Williams, said Wales \"should not disproportionately lose out\" in the Parliamentary changes. \"As it stands, Welsh powers are far weaker than those of both Scotland and Northern Ireland,\" he said. \"Westminster is still responsible for major areas of policy affecting Wales and our nation will have less of a voice if these proposals go through.\" Tory peer Lord Hayward, a boundary review expert, said Wales was in effect receiving a double hit at once in terms of its reduction. \"We have an oversized legislature, by any measure,\" he said. \"Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords are too big. \"Wales is hit particularly hard because, whereas Scotland's representation at Westminster was reduced in 2005 when it got its own parliament, Wales", "summary": "A new Parliamentary map outlining plans to cut the number of Welsh MPs by more than a quarter has been published."}
{"article": "SABC says the move, which has been hailed by local musicians after years of campaigning, will promote South African culture and heritage. There will be a special focus on jazz, kwaito (local house-style dance music), and gospel music, SABC says. There is no limit to the amount of foreign music commercial stations play. \"We believe that is important for the people of South Africa to listen to the music that is produced for them by the musicians in South Africa,\" SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago told the BBC, explaining the decision. Jazz musician Don Laka, one of the leaders of the quota campaign, celebrated on his Facebook page, thanking SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng. \"Today I am proud to be South African. This man Hlaudi made me share a tear for the first time in many years... Freedom at last!\" Local hip-hop star Slikour described it as the music industry's version of \"Nelson Mandela coming out of jail\". The governing African National Congress also welcomed the decision, saying it will empower local artists and help spread African culture at home and throughout the world. Many South Africans have taken to social media to celebrate the announcement, saying it will help to showcase the country's musical diversity. SABC, which has about 30 million listeners a week to its radio stations, says the decision comes after extensive consultations with those involved in the country's music industry. Stations here have been criticised in the past for playing mostly Western music and not supporting local artists. Although this is just for the next three months - subject to whether the listeners want it to be a permanent move, industry insiders are hoping that it will help boost the profiles of local artists. South African musicians often perform with musicians from other parts of the continent, so this will be a chance for those collaborations to be heard at home. The new playlists will include music in a number of the country's 11 languages and various genres. It's great news for local artists, who stand to profit from a boost in sales of their music. And for many listeners too, the decision seems to have struck the right note.", "summary": "South Africa's national broadcaster SABC has brought in a new quota system, requiring 90% of the music played on its 18 radio stations to be homegrown."}
{"article": "Welcoming the 163 refugees, new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country was \"showing the world how to open our hearts\". The newly elected Liberal government has pledged to take in 25,000 refugees by the end of February. Canada's stance on the issue differs sharply to that of the US, which has been reluctant to take in migrants. Another plane is due in Montreal on Saturday. Immigration Minister John McCallum said all 10 provinces in Canada are in favour of accepting the refugees. \"This is a great moment for Canada,\" he said. \"This shows the way we really are. It truly is a non-partisan, national project.\" Since early November, hundreds of Syrians have already arrived in Canada via commercial aircraft. A total of about 300 Syrians will arrive this week. The Toronto Star, the country's largest-circulation daily newspaper, ran a cover story on Thursday welcoming the refugees. The US administration has said it will take in 10,000 refugees over the next year. Some Republican governors have unsuccessfully tried to keep them from coming to their states after deadly terrorist attacks in France and California. Leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said after the California attacks that all Muslims should be blocked from coming to the US, drawing condemnation across the globe. Global News reporter Mike Armstrong has been taking photos of refugees at Canada's refugee processing centre in Amman, Jordan. Some families have been told they may move in weeks, he tweeted. About 800 refugees are going through screening tests in Lebanon and Jordan daily, Mr McCallum said. Mr Trudeau, who swept the 19 October Canadian elections, has a different stance on refugees from that of his predecessor, the conservative Stephen Harper, who did not wish to resettle more people. Unaccompanied men will be excluded from the resettlement programme but officials said this had nothing to do with national security concerns. \"We want them to have a roof over their head, and the right support,\" said Mr McCallum. \"It takes a bit of time to put that all in place. We're happy to take a little more time than originally planned to bring our new friends into the country.\" Those who will be considered refugees include families, women deemed to be at risk, and gay men and women.", "summary": "The first military plane carrying Syrian refugees to be resettled in Canada has arrived in the country."}
{"article": "Hughes, 19, was born on the British overseas territory of Anguilla, but has held a British passport since birth. \"I have always known that if I was to run at the Olympics it would be in a British vest,\" he said. In March 2014, Hughes broke Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake's 100m junior record with a time of 10.12 seconds and almost beat Bolt in the 200m recently. He was edged out at the New York Diamond League meeting in June with the Jamaican 100m and 200m Olympic champion Usain Bolt clocking a time of 20.29. Anguillans can compete at the Commonwealth Games and World Championships, but athletes from the island are unable to enter the Olympics as Anguilla is not recognised by the International Olympic Committee. Hughes said in 2014 that competing for Team GB \"would be the best choice\", something which he is now eligible for. American Cindy Ofili (100m hurdler) has also held British nationality since birth, while compatriots Shante Little (400m hurdler) and Montene Speight (400m runner), plus Swedish-born high jumper Victoria Dronsfield, all hold British nationality. Ofili, the younger sister of hurdler Tiffany Porter, ran a personal best of 12.60 seconds in Eugune in June - the seventh fastest time in the world this year. However, the announcement was criticised by British athlete Richard Kilty, while former heptathlete Kelly Sotherton said she was \"not sure about it\".", "summary": "Highly rated sprinter Zharnel Hughes has been ruled eligible to compete for Team GB."}
{"article": "All the main political parties are urging a Yes vote, while the Catholic Church and many social conservatives want a No. The fictional Mrs Brown, Ireland's mammy-in-chief, has made a video calling for a Yes vote in the referendum. In it, Brendan O'Carroll's character tells the audience that when she \"was a young girl there was a big hoo-ha about mixed marriages, Catholics marrying Protestants and black people marrying white people. \"But, you know what, they still went and got married and the world didn't end. And we all grew up a little bit.\" Keith Mills doesn't agree with the video's core message. He is a gay man opposed to same-sex marriage. \"I've had a relationship with a woman and had that progressed I would be a father and have children,\" he said. \"I've had relationships with men in the last few years since I came out and it's a totally different dynamic to the relationship. \"We're being asked to say they are the same and they are not. We should provide equality for same-sex couples through civil partnerships, but preserve marriage for a mother, a father and their children. Back home after a day campaigning for a Yes vote, Denise Charlton and her civil partner Paula Fagan catch up. A lesbian couple with two young boys they want to marry and say \"I do\" to each other. Denise said it's all about equality and invokes the civil rights struggle of African Americans. \"Rosa Parks was allowed on the back of the bus. She could travel from A to B on the same bus. \"But there was an outcry about it because it was lesser and people recognised that,\" she said. \"I think Irish people increasingly are recognising that it is discriminatory not to allow people to have access to this wonderful institution. And giving an alternative institution with less rights is not equality.\" Paula agreed and said a Yes vote would make it easier for young gay people to come out and be accepted and make families like theirs more complete to their young sons. \"They love us and they think our family is great. \"Our nine-year-old has said to us 'Everybody is voting Yes' because everyone in his class has told him their parents are voting Yes,\" she said. \"I think it would be devastating for them if there was a No vote because they love their family.\" No campaigners have also taken to social media to get their message across. One of their videos says: \"If we vote Yes on 22 May we will be forced to pretend that two fathers or two mothers are just the same as a father and a mother. \"This is why marriage equality is really inequality for children.\" All of the main political parties disagree with that and are urging a Yes vote. But Senator R\u00c3\u00b3n\u00c3\u00a1n Mullen is one of the few parliamentarians to say he's a No and he believes that he's part of a silent majority - shades of shy Tories. \"It may be that there are many Irish people who", "summary": "On Friday, voters in the Republic of Ireland could make history by introducing same-sex marriage by the ballot box rather than by a parliamentary vote or a judge's decision."}
{"article": "The 'strategy group' of the sport's leading figures is having its latest meeting ahead of this weekend's German Grand Prix and the 'halo' is one of the main items on its agenda. The key decision is whether a device aimed at addressing the single biggest area of vulnerability for drivers should be adopted in 2017. On the face of it, the answer might appear simple. The halo undoubtedly improves safety. It exists. It has passed all the tests. It does what it is meant to do. And the 2017 cars are being designed for it. Media playback is not supported on this device But the debate that has raged about it - and will be addressed by the strategy group - goes beyond that, into aesthetics and the central philosophy of what F1 should be, and be seen to be. The idea of the halo was initially proposed by Mercedes, and has been further developed fundamentally by Ferrari under the aegis of governing body the FIA, to address the single biggest safety failing of F1 cars. Safety has improved dramatically and consistently over the last couple of decades, since the death of Ayrton Senna in 1994 led to a renewed and more focused approach to the issue. The cars have got stronger, safety systems have improved and the biggest risks have been removed from circuits. But one major anomaly has remained - the driver's head sticks out of the car, and is protected only by a helmet. The risks are obvious - flying debris can hit the driver's head; an inverted car can land on a wall upside down; and on and on. These sorts of incidents have been the central cause of all the major injuries and deaths that have occurred in forms of motor racing in the last few years. So rule makers set themselves a simple task - come up with a device that deflects large objects that could otherwise encroach on the cockpit. The halo is the answer - made of titanium, in an oval, or halo, shape above the driver's head, secured at three points, one directly in front of him and two at the back of the cockpit. If it is adopted, all teams will use a single design, and it is not expected to have any effect on the racing. As an engineering solution, it is elegant and effective. But not everyone is happy about it. The drivers, through their union the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, have made it clear they would like to see some form of additional head protection introduced as soon as possible. They recognise the limitations of the halo - it is unattractive, some would say ugly; looks like a bit of an after-thought - but also its strengths - it is very effective at doing what it was designed for. For them, it works, it is available, it is the best system for the moment, so introduce it. There have been some dissenting voices - among them world champion Lewis Hamilton, who in March called it \"the worst-looking modification in", "summary": "The introduction of the controversial new 'halo' cockpit head protection system into Formula 1 hinges on a critical meeting to be held on Thursday."}
{"article": "Now, 30 years on, the writer of that film says she's ready to bring Baby and Johnny back to the big screen. \"I am now thinking I might be ready to do a sequel,\" Eleanor Bergstein told the BBC. She added her characters were \"very particular people who find a very particular reality with each other, and I do want to explore that now\". Set in 1963, Dirty Dancing told of a teenager, Frances \"Baby\" Houseman, who has an affair with dance instructor Johnny Castle while staying at a Catskill Mountains resort. The film starred Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze and won an Oscar for the song (I've Had) The Time of My Life. Audiences fell in love with the movie's characters, music and its iconic dance routines, including the famous \"lift\". In an interview to be aired on BBC Radio 4's Front Row, Bergstein pointed out that her film also included an illegal abortion that has become all too topical in the wake of US President Trump's election. \"All these things have come around again,\" she told Samira Ahmed. \"All these battles we thought in some way had been won... it's come back now.\" Bergstein also said that were Baby around today, she would be out marching for women's rights and Black Lives Matter. \"The thing that is so moving to me is that in cities all across America... everyone instinctively dropped their lives and went out on the streets. \"That's what Baby would be doing now.\" Swayze, who died in 2009, made a cameo appearance as a dance teacher in 2004 prequel Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. A TV movie remake of the original film, starring Abigail Breslin and Nicole Scherzinger, is set to air later this year. Listen to the full interview on Monday's Front Row at 19:15 GMT. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "We last saw them having the time of their lives in Dirty Dancing, 1987's sleeper hit about finding love, coming of age and learning to mambo."}
{"article": "With more than 40 firms now offering gas and electricity deals it warns of the danger of one becoming insolvent. At present anyone who is in credit with their energy supplier could lose out. The watchdog wants the cost of a safety net to be paid for by customers, which would have \"a small impact on bills\", it said. Ofgem's senior partner for consumers and competition, Rachel Fletcher, said: \"\"We are proposing a safety net to protect customers' credit balances in the unlikely event of a supplier failure.\" Under current rules, if a gas or electricity supplier becomes insolvent Ofgem appoints a replacement to ensure that customers continue to be supplied with energy. But it warns that \"there may be financial implications for the failed supplier's customers\". That is because as direct debit energy payments spread the cost evenly across the year, customers are often in debit during the winter and build up credit in the summer. Ofgem reckons that a typical customer's credit balance peaks at a little over \u00c2\u00a3100 each year. But it warns that without regulatory intervention, customers are unlikely to receive all - or possibly any - of their money back if their supplier fails. Some industries already have a financial safety net for consumers. If a financial services firm goes bust, for instance, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme protects people's savings with authorised firms up to \u00c2\u00a375,000. The scheme is paid for by a levy on all financial services companies. Meanwhile if a travel company collapses, customers are protected if it was a member of travel trade association ABTA. The scheme is funded through a bond on members. Ofgem wants similar protection for energy customers and is proposing to allow, on a case-by-case basis, the costs of reimbursing credit balances to be spread across all energy customers. \"This would better protect customers' money and have a small impact on bills,\" it said. The watchdog was keen to stress that it does not expect any suppliers to go out of business. \"These proposals are for reassurance and to give customers the confidence to shop around and get the best energy deal,\" Ms Fletcher said. But it points out that while competition benefits consumers, it can lead to suppliers to fail in the same way as companies can in other markets. More than one in six - 17.4% - dual-fuel households are now with an independent provider, according to research from Cornwall Energy. It says 7.1 million customers have switched to one of the energy market's newest players since 2011.", "summary": "The energy watchdog Ofgem has proposed adding a small levy to bills to ensure that consumers do not lose out if their supplier goes bust."}
{"article": "One of their clubs will be consigned to automatic relegation after Saturday's final Scottish Premiership fixtures, with Accies presently ahead by a point. Manager Canning said \"it means everything to everybody\" at his club. But he said: \"Richie's saying what I would expect him to say, but the pressure is still on Inverness.\" Caley Thistle's 2-0 win over Dundee on Wednesday - their second victory in three games - has resurrected their hopes of avoiding automatic relegation as they prepare to host Motherwell. Accies have, meanwhile, lost four games in a row and presently occupy 11th spot, which comes with it a play-off against the winners of Friday's semi-final between Championship clubs Falkirk and Dundee United for a top flight berth. \"I said a long while ago it would probably come to the last game,\" said Canning, whose side entertain Dundee. \"But I didn't think it would be only ourselves and Inverness involved in it. \"He (Foran) is trying to take all the pressure off his team and on to our team, which is a natural thing to do. \"But, trust me, there's still a load of pressure on Inverness because they have still got to win their game and if we win our game and take care of our job then it doesn't matter what they do. \"For the first time, they've got an opportunity to catch us, but they have got to go and win their game still.\" The frustration for Canning is missed opportunities in recent matches, including Tuesday's 3-2 defeat away to Ross County which the hosts won courtesy of Jonathan Franks' stoppage-time goal. \"The Ross County game was the worst I've ever been involved in in terms of getting a feeling that every break is going against you,\" said the Accies boss. \"We played really well and had a lot of opportunities and didn't get one break. Hopefully they come on Saturday. \"The last couple of games have been tough on us. \"If we can replicate that performance from the other night then hopefully that's enough to get the three points.\" Canning retains belief in his players' ability to avoid relegation. \"It has been in our hands and we have lost four games in a row, which isn't acceptable at this stage of the season, and that's going to put you in trouble,\" he added. \"For us, yes, there is pressure, but it is no more so than it was on Saturday and on Tuesday. \"We need to make sure we go and win and, if we get three points, it doesn't matter what Inverness do.\"", "summary": "Martin Canning has dismissed as mind games Inverness counterpart Richie Foran's suggestion that the relegation pressure is on Hamilton Academical."}
{"article": "Iain Robertson is a graduate of Heriot-Watt University's Brewing and Distilling School in Edinburgh. He has been appointed distiller of R&B Distillers' Raasay Distillery, which is being constructed at the site of a former Victorian hotel. In the past, whisky was made illegally on the island off Skye using illicit stills. The new distillery is to due to open in September.", "summary": "The tiny island of Raasay is to have it first legal whisky distiller."}
{"article": "The military is the last Turkish institution to see the ban removed. It has long been seen as the guardian of Turkey's secular constitution. Wearing headscarves in public institutions was banned in the 1980s. But Turkey's Islamist-leaning President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, argues that the ban is an illiberal vestige of the past. The issue has been controversial in Turkey for many years. Secularists regard the headscarf as a symbol of religious conservatism and have accused President Erdogan of pushing an Islamist agenda, converting many public schools into religious ones as part of his pledge to raise \"a pious generation\". Over the past decade the ban has been removed for schools, universities, the civil service and in August for the police. The BBC's Mark Lowen, in Istanbul, says the secular side of Turkey now feels largely ostracised, accusing Mr Erdogan of governing just for his conservative, religious support base. The conservatives respond that they were long seen as second-class citizens and the headscarf is an expression of individual liberties. Our correspondent says that Turkey's religious-secular divide is as old as the republic itself, but is now arguably deeper than ever. Witness: Turkey's headscarf row The new rules apply to regular women military officers, non-commissioned officers and female cadets. They will be allowed to wear a headscarf under their caps or berets as long as they are the same colour as their uniforms and are not patterned, Hurriyet Daily News reported. The military's opposition to the government's move has been weakened after President Erdogan's supporters increased their authority over the armed forces following the failed 15 July coup last year. The changes will come into effect once they are published in the official gazette. Turkey has had a secular constitution with no state religion since 1920. Most people in Turkey are Sunni Muslims.", "summary": "A ban on female army officers in Turkey wearing the Muslim headscarf has been lifted by the government."}
{"article": "The 48-year-old retired in 2005 after an illustrious career, scoring 168 goals for the Italian club and 56 times for his country. But he told Fifa.com he has \"difficulty walking\" because of the effort he put into his game. \"I gave much more than I actually had to give,\" Batistuta said. In 2014, Batistuta revealed he had asked doctors to amputate his legs because of the severe pain he was suffering. After surgery to relieve the pressure on his cartilage and tendons, his condition improved, but he has been left with mobility problems.", "summary": "Former Argentina and Fiorentina striker Gabriel Batistuta has revealed he struggles to walk after his 17 years in football."}
{"article": "Ian Stewart, 56, was convicted of secretly drugging and suffocating Ms Bailey in a plot to inherit her near-\u00c2\u00a34m fortune. Her body was found under their home in Royston, Hertfordshire, last July. Judge Andrew Bright QC said it was \"difficult to imagine a more heinous crime\". After the sentencing, the family of Stewart's late wife, Diane, said they supported a police re-investigation into her sudden death in 2010. Stewart reported Ms Bailey missing three months before her body was found in the \"foul-smelling\" cesspit alongside the corpse of her dachshund Boris. Murdered author 'more than a victim' A life shaped by death Sentencing at St Albans Crown Court, Judge Bright QC said Stewart had spun a \"calculated and callous series of lies\" in a bid to convince police, relatives and friends that his bride-to-be had genuinely gone missing. Ms Bailey had been \"excitedly making arrangements\" for the pair's wedding while Stewart was \"planning how to kill her, hide her body and explain her disappearance as a case of an anxious woman running off because she could no longer cope with the more stressful aspects of her life\", the judge said. Stewart, who wooed the widow after meeting her via a bereavement website, employed a \"significant degree of planning and premeditation\" before the killing, the court heard. During his trial, the prosecution said Stewart had played \"the long game\" in order to inherit Ms Bailey's fortune, made from the publication of more than 20 books. He plied her with the sleeping drug zopiclone in the weeks leading up to her death, and killed her beloved dog to make his \"wicked lies...sound credible to those who knew her well\", Judge Bright QC said. As he handed Stewart a life sentence, the judge said financial gain had been the \"principal motive\" for the killing. \"You knew Helen Bailey to be a wealthy woman but were not content with having to share in her wealth as her husband. Instead you wanted it all for yourself,\" the judge said. \"I am firmly of the view that you currently pose a real danger to women with whom you form a relationship,\" Judge Bright QC said. Ms Bailey penned the Electra Brown series of teen novels, and was also praised for her blog - Planet Grief - in which she talked about the death of her husband John Sinfield. \"The world has lost a gifted author and her family and friends will have to live the rest of their lives with the deep sense of loss your wicked crime has inflicted upon them,\" the judge told Stewart. As a result of the case, detectives are now re-examining the death of Stewart's wife Diane, who died after an epileptic seizure at the couple's home in Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, in 2010. Stewart, who refused to appear via videolink from prison, was also found guilty of preventing Ms Bailey's lawful burial, fraud and three counts of perverting the course of justice. He had denied murder, claiming two men called Nick and Joe had kidnapped Ms Bailey in April last year and blackmailed him", "summary": "The \"wicked\" fiance of children's author Helen Bailey, who murdered her and dumped her body in a cesspit, has been jailed for 34 years."}
{"article": "The left-hander made 114 not out after the start of play was delayed until 14:00 BST because of a wet outfield. He shared a stand of 142 with Kumar Sangakkara, who was caught behind off Jake Ball for 83 soon after tea. Pace bowler Ball claimed 3-77, but Surrey, having followed on, reached the close on 297-5, a lead of 76. Harinath scored 568 runs in eight first-class appearances for Surrey last summer, including two centuries. He again showed a clam temperament to hold the innings together with one six and 15 fours after Rory Burns (17) was lbw to Ball in only the second over of the day. Sangakkara also looked in good touch before he and Steven Davies departed in similar fashion in the same Ball over. Jason Roy made a typically assertive 37, but was then lbw to Brett Hutton, leaving Harinath to bring up his century with a sweep for three off Samit Patel.", "summary": "Opener Arun Harinath hit an unbeaten century as promoted Surrey avoided the prospect of an innings defeat on day three against Notts at Trent Bridge."}
{"article": "Scottish Secretary David Mundell will open The Trussell Trust facility in Dumfries on Friday. The MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale has previously questioned claims of a link between foodbank use and his party's welfare reforms. The Trussell Trust said it was \"standard practice\" to invite the local elected MP to a foodbank launch. In a statement issued by the charity, a spokesman said it had opened 50 foodbanks in 27 of Scotland's local authority areas. He added: \"When a foodbank is due to launch, it is standard practice to invite the local elected Member of Parliament to say a few words about the opening of the local foodbank.\" Other local elected representatives had also been invited to the launch, he said. He added: \"We believe it is important for him [David Mundell], as well as the elected representatives from all other political parties, to be aware of the implications hunger has on the people of his own constituency. \"We welcome his willingness to participate in the launch and hear from the people who will be working to tackle food poverty in the area.\" The charity spokesman said: \"The Trussell Trust supports a robust and resilient welfare system and is keen to engage with elected representatives from all political parties to raise the challenges of insecure employment, decreasing or static incomes, increasing living costs and welfare reform, which are among the key drivers that lead to hunger. \"We have met with David Mundell to discuss these issues previously and are keen to continue to ensure he is aware of the impact they have on his constituents. \"We will ask that he takes our evidence on the drivers of food poverty and our proposed solutions back to his colleagues in Westminster.\" Earlier this year, another foodbank in Dumfries, run by the First Base Agency, claimed Tory policies were directly contributing to poverty and foodbank use. Mr Mundell said the claims of Mark Frankland, a volunteer with the First Base Agency, \"should be taken with a pinch of salt\" because he was an outspoken Scottish independence supporter. His views were criticised by SNP and Labour MSPs.", "summary": "A charity has defended its decision to invite Scotland's only Conservative MP to open a new foodbank."}
{"article": "It is believed Darren Rodgers, who was 24 and from Ballymena, was on his own and fell about 26ft (8m) from a promenade onto a rocky beach in Nice. Supt Nigel Goddard, who is leading the PSNI team in France, said he was told it was an accident and not in any way disorder related. Tributes have been paid to Mr Rodgers by his friends, fellow fans, and by the Irish Football Association (IFA). The accident happened in the early hours of Monday, shortly after Northern Ireland played its first match of the Euro 2016 finals against Poland in the city on Sunday night. Mr Rodgers was from the Meadowvale area of the County Antrim town and was a former pupil of Cambridge House Grammar School. In a statement, his family thanked the local community for their support. Supt Goddard said: \"I was informed this morning by my French counterparts of this tragic news \"I believe it was an accident.\" Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers, Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness, issued a joint statement. \"It was with great shock and sadness we learned this morning of the death of Darren Rodgers in Nice last night as the result of a tragic accident,\" they said. \"The loss of a young life in these circumstances is truly heartbreaking and our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family at this extremely difficult time. \"This sad news is in stark contrast to the jovial carnival atmosphere just hours before at the game against Poland.\" DUP North Antrim MLA Paul Frew said he had spoken to Mr Rodgers on Sunday. He described him as a \"great lad with a big heart\". \"Darren played for Braid Utd. Would have ran through a brick wall for his mates. Whole team is in shock, simply can't believe it,\" Mr Frew tweeted. Patrick Nelson, the chief executive, of the IFA said: \"On behalf of the board, management, players and staff of the Irish Football Association, I would like to express my deep sadness at the tragic death of a Northern Ireland supporter in Nice in the early hours of this morning. \"The thoughts of everyone at the association are with his family and friends at this time.\" Gary McAllister of the Amalgamation of Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs said: \"I'm sure that every Northern Ireland fan, both here in France and at home, will be thinking of Darren and his loved ones at this very sad time.\"", "summary": "A Northern Ireland football fan has died in an accident in France."}
{"article": "Former Humberside Police Det Ch Supt Colin Andrews allegedly carried out the rape in a hotel room in December 2003. The 58-year-old pleads not guilty to seven charges including rape, stalking and harassment. Manchester Crown Court heard he denied putting his hand over the mouth of a woman while he raped her. Cross-examining Mr Andrews, prosecutor Owen Edwards said to him: \"You wanted sex whether she wanted it or not.\" The father-of-one replied: \"No. that's not me.\" Mr Edwards then asked: \"You got on top of her didn't you?\" \"No, there was no sex at all, of that I am certain. No sex that night, absolute fact,\" replied Mr Andrews. Mr Edwards said: \"When she screamed you put your hand on her mouth and had sex with her. Is that rape?\" \"I would say so but that is not what happened. I did not rape her, that did not happen,\" replied Mr Andrews. \"I have never put my hand on any female's mouth ever during sex. \"Whatever she's describing, I never had sex with her. I never attempted to have sex with her. I have never forced myself on anyone, I would never do that.\" Since the start of the trial, the court has heard Mr Andrews described as \"controlling, manipulative and bullying\". The jury has been told the defendant held his hand over the woman's mouth while he raped her. They also heard accusations of him pursuing a campaign of stalking and harassment against another woman in the summer of 2013, during which he sent thousands of text messages and emails. Giving evidence in his defence on Thursday, the former detective broke down in court as he told the jury about his early police career. The court also heard how he was the force's most decorated officer and was described as \"loyal and dedicated\" by a former colleague. Mr Andrews also denies two counts of common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and witness intimidation. The trial continues.", "summary": "A senior detective accused of raping a woman after a Christmas party has said in court he \"never forced myself on anyone\"."}
{"article": "Sorrell Leczkowski, from Adel, was among 22 people who died when a suicide bomber attacked concertgoers on Monday. Her mother and grandmother were also injured in the attack and are both being treated in hospital. In a statement issued on behalf of the family by Greater Manchester Police, Michael Healey described his granddaughter as \"our rock\". He said she was a \"clever, talented, creative girl\" who dreamed of becoming an architect. She had planned to go to Columbia University in New York to study \"so that she could build hotels with slides coming out of the rooms and so that she could build her mum a house\". Mr Healey said his wife Pauline remains in intensive care and Sorrell's mother Samantha is recovering from surgery \"as she tries to make sense of the devastating loss of her daughter\". The BBC understands Sorrell and her mother and grandmother were not at the Ariana Grande concert but had gone to collect her sister who was not injured. Sorrell was a year nine student at Allerton High School. In a letter to parents informing them of Sorrell's death, head teacher Elaine Silson said she was \"deeply saddened\" by the news. \"Sorrell was a delightful member of the school community. She enjoyed her studies, had a lovely group of friends and was a real asset to Allerton High School,\" she said. \"Our whole school community is extremely shocked and saddened by this and our thoughts are with Sorrell's family and friends at this very difficult time.\" She said staff and students were being supported by Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Police and other external agencies. Liberal Democrat candidate for Leeds North West Greg Mulholland tweeted to say: \"My condolences thoughts and prayers are with the family of 14-year-old Sorrell Leczkowski from Adel, Leeds, a victim of the Manchester attack.\" He said he had attended vigils in Leeds and Otley on Tuesday to remember the victims and those still missing. \"It is heartbreaking that amongst the victims is a 14-year-old girl from Adel,\" he said. \"My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and to the families of Wendy Fawell [from Otley] and [Leeds Beckett University student] Courtney Boyle, who are also missing and to the three local women who are receiving treatment for serious injuries.\" Two online fundraising campaigns have been set up to raise money for Sorrell's mother and grandmother. Since the pages were set up on Wednesday a combined total of more than \u00c2\u00a38,000 has been raised.", "summary": "A 14-year-old girl from Leeds has been named as a victim of the Manchester Arena bomb attack."}
{"article": "Sixteen candidates stood for 16 vacancies on the island's government the Chief Pleas last December, so there was no vote. Howard Knight, who was commissioned by the Chief Pleas to oversee the election, said it was not a good result for democracy. The Chief Pleas said his report would be discussed next month. The Chief Pleas has a total of 28 members or conseillers which govern Sark, one of the smallest of the Channel Islands, with a population of about 600. Instead of the election, there was a ballot on which candidates would serve for four years and which would serve two. However, Mr Knight said he found that there was no \"conspiracy\" and that the unusual situation was a coincidence.", "summary": "Sark needs to improve the health of its democracy, says an election observer after the last election was scrapped."}
{"article": "The blaze at Wythenshawe Hall on Tuesday ripped through the roof and upper floor of the Tudor building and was tackled by 50 firefighters. A campaign to save the timber-framed hall built in 1540 has now been launched by local Labour MP Mike Kane. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) say they \"believe\" the fire was arson, but are \"investigating all possibilities\". Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue search dogs were taken into the building on Wednesday to try and identify how and where the fire started. Insp Luke Breakspear, of GMP, said: \"We have reason to believe the fire was arson. We are doing all we can to get to the bottom of what happened. \"We are still appealing for anyone with any information to come forward.\" The running of the building, which is owned by Manchester City Council, was recently taken over by the Friends of Wythenshawe Hall. Members of the group applauded firefighters after they tackled the blaze. The group's vice chairman Paul Selby said: \"I got the call in the morning to say the hall was on fire. It was one of the worst calls I've had. \"Just below the roof is the Withdrawing Room - one of the most spectacular rooms in the building. It was all set up with period costumes.\" Mr Kane, MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East, has vowed to save the hall which was home to the Tatton family for hundreds of years. He told BBC Radio Manchester: \"We are already setting up meetings with the council, the friends group and councillors to form a plan as to how we can secure the necessary funding to restore the hall. \"I have brought the issue to the attention of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. \"The community in Wythenshawe will be right behind the campaign.\"", "summary": "The fire that partially destroyed a 16th Century hall in Manchester was arson, police have said."}
{"article": "A number of systems are now on sale in the UK, and they promise big savings. One being launched this month claims it can save you as much as \u00a3400 a year on your energy bill. Certainly the internet giant Google seems to have recognised the potential for the technology, having just snapped up the US manufacturer Nest for about \u00a32bn. But how real are the savings, and who could benefit? All these systems work by maximising the time your heating is switched off. And switching it on only when you need it. So think of the last time you went out for the evening and left your heating on. Or got home late from work. Or maybe you did not need the hot water, having showered at the swimming pool. But many of these devices are far more sophisticated than simply switching your heating off and on remotely. Using GPS technology, phones now know exactly where you are, and using that knowledge, systems can anticipate when you are likely to get home. So when Will Moore begins his journey home from London to Kent, his boiler in effect tracks his progress, and makes sure the house is up to temperature only at the moment he walks through the door. It will even take account of the local weather forecast, and adjust itself according to expected temperatures. He paid \u00a3250 to have the system installed two months ago, but he has already noticed the savings. \"It's saving us, I think, about 20% to 30%,\" he told the BBC. \"Based on that it should pay for itself within about three years.\" Tado, the German manufacturer, claims savings of up to 27% on annual bills. If you are prepared to pay a little more, the potential savings can be even bigger. First, think of the times of day that rooms are heated unnecessarily in your home. Is the heat blasting out in your sitting room at six in the morning, when no-one will actually sit in there until six in the evening? Is your bedroom cosy and warm at 19:00, just when you are in the kitchen having dinner? For around \u00a3850 for a three-bedroom house, you can install a system that will allow you to heat each room individually. Using your smartphone, or a central control panel, you can work out temperature profiles for every room in the house, and of course adjust them from anywhere in the world, providing there is an internet signal. Honeywell, which makes the hardware in Scotland, claims you can save up to \u00a3400 a year on your energy bill by \"zoning\" your home in this way. And it says the system should pay for itself in two or three years. So how realistic are the savings claims being made? The answer will depend on the size of your house, your lifestyle, and the energy-saving measures you have already taken. Those with large houses can certainly save more. Stephen Passmore, from the independent charity the Energy Saving Trust, is enthusiastic about the whole concept, but warns that those", "summary": "Have you ever thought about using a smartphone to control your central heating?"}
{"article": "Luis Suarez scored four goals, while Lionel Messi also helped himself to a hat-trick and Neymar missed a penalty. Valencia's cause was not helped when defender Shkodran Mustafi was sent off for fouling Messi in the first half. Neville is also without a league win in eight attempts since taking over the club in December. Former England and Manchester United full-back Neville was returning to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs. As a 24-year-old he was part of the United team who won the Champions League with a spectacular late comeback against Bayern Munich in the 1999 final at the Nou Camp. This time there was to be no miraculous turnaround. These are testing times for the 40-year-old who was already under pressure before the game against the European champions. The Copa del Rey had hitherto offered eight-time Premier League winner Neville some solace after five draws and three defeats in La Liga. All four of his wins from 14 games in charge in Spain have come in this competition - yet this was nothing short of embarrassing. Valencia were shocking from start to finish and there was only going to be one outcome once Barca went 2-0 up in 12 minutes. Suarez broke the deadlock after racing on to Neymar's pass before the former Liverpool player doubled the lead, curling home from 10 yards after a breathless move. Messi completed a delightful move to make it 3-0 before a frantic end to the half. The Argentina star was denied by the bar and Neymar hit the post from the penalty spot - after being fouled by Mustafi, who was sent off. It went from bad to worse in the second half, Suarez's back-heel allowing Messi to pick his spot inside the area and take his career tally to 500 goals. Terrible defending by Valencia allowed Messi to complete his hat-trick and make it 5-0 after winning the ball back before firing past the keeper, who should have saved. Suarez's hat-trick goal was a close-range header and there was still time for the Uruguay international to get his fourth - and Barca's seventh - as he found the net via the near post. The return leg takes place at the Mestalla next Wednesday. As bad as Valencia were, Barcelona produced an exhibition of exquisite football, a masterclass in finishing. Luis Enrique's name was chanted by the home fans who are starting to believe their team can end the season with five trophies. Having already sealed the Uefa Super Club and Fifa Club World Cup, they are three points clear at the top of La Liga with one game in hand. They also face Arsenal in the last 16 of the Champions League. Barca are in terrific form at the right stage of the season, sweeping aside all before them. They look an unstoppable force. It is perhaps just as well Valencia are not at home on Sunday - Neville's team travel to face Real Betis in La Liga on Sunday. Barcelona are away at bottom club Levante on the same", "summary": "Gary Neville's Valencia suffered a humiliating defeat as they were crushed by Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg at the Nou Camp."}
{"article": "Fans ran on to the pitch and scuffles broke out as England celebrated a and Euro 2013 qualification. Rose, 22, said he was subjected to monkey chants throughout the game, starting in the warm-up. He told Sky Sports: \"I had two stones hit me in the head when I went for a throw-in.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Connor Wickham's 94th-minute goal secured a 2-0 aggregate victory in the second leg of the qualifying play-off. Sunderland's Rose was sent off after the final whistle for kicking the ball away in reaction to the abuse he was receiving. Prime Minister David Cameron led the calls for Uefa for to impose \"tough sanctions\" on racism while sports minister Hugh Robertson has written to Uefa president Michel Platini following \"extreme provocation and racism\" following Tuesday night's game. Rose described how the chanting started in the warm-up and gradually got worse as the match went on. \"After 60 minutes my mind wasn't really on the game. I was just so angry and it was so hard to concentrate,\" he said. \"Then we scored and after 90 minutes' worth of abuse, I expressed my emotions as soon as we scored. \"Next thing I know, all the Serbia players were surrounding me, pushing me. I remember getting slapped twice. I got ushered away and that's when I kicked the ball - and then the referee sent me off. \"I don't understand - the game had finished. And then there was more monkey chanting. They should be banned.\" The Football Association reported \"a number\" of racist incidents to Uefa. England defender Nedum Onuoha was racially abused during the 2007 Under-21 European Championship game against Serbia in the Netherlands, for which Serbia were fined \u00a316,000 by Uefa. Professional Footballers' Association chairman Clarke Carlisle said Serbia should received a \"significant\" international ban, adding that it was \"farcical\" that Rose was sent off for reacting to being racially abused. \"Serbia should be banned because it's a repeat offence,\" he told BBC 5 Radio live. \"Banning them for a start, from any tournament, would be progress but I think if it's significant - if it's a couple of tournaments - then that would cause that nation to address the issue that has deprived them of international competition.\" PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said: \"The PFA condemns the appalling racist abuse endured by our Under-21 team in Serbia which evoked memories of scenes we all hoped had been consigned to the past. \"Fifa and Uefa need to get tough and deduct points or disqualify teams from competitions.\" Former England midfielder Paul Ince, whose son Tom played in the game, told ESPN: \"It's disgraceful to see these scenes. \"If it was me, they [Serbia] would be kicked out for the next five tournaments - European, World Cups - but they will get a little ban and that will be it.\" Sunderland's chief executive Margaret Byrne said: \"The scenes in Serbia last night shocked everyone and Sunderland Football Club wholeheartedly backs the Football Association's stance on the matter.\" Reading striker Jason Roberts told", "summary": "England Under-21 defender Danny Rose called for Serbia to be banned after claiming he was racially abused by fans in Krusevac."}
{"article": "A number of actions have been launched attempting to prevent the government from formally triggering Brexit without Parliament's authorisation. During the opening hearing, government lawyers told the High Court Prime Minister Theresa May did not intend to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty before the end of 2016. Article 50 begins the Brexit process. A hearing in October will allow time for a possible appeal to be completed before the government seeks to leave the EU in line with the 23 June referendum result, the court heard. The hearing will take place over two to three days. Government lawyers are expected to argue that the prime minister can use historic Royal Prerogative powers to start the process of withdrawing from the EU, a course the challengers say is unlawful. They say Parliament must give its authorisation. The judges heard that one of the law firms involved, Mishcon de Reya, had received letters of abuse which led to potential clients who had wanted to join the action withdrawing their names. \"It is racist abuse, it is anti-Semitic abuse and it is objectionable abuse,\" Lord Pannick QC, instructed by Mishcon, told the court. The judges ruled that the lead case in the action should be that of Mishcon client Gina Miller, 51, an investment manager and philanthropist living in London who voted Remain in the EU referendum. Other applicants include London hairdresser Deir Dos Santos, 37, as well as Britons living in France campaigning as Fair Deal for Expats. Mrs May has said she will not trigger Article 50 - which sets in place a two-year process for leaving the EU - until the end of the year. The recently-appointed Brexit Secretary, David Davis, has said Brexit should be triggered \"before or by the start of next year\". EU leaders have urged the UK to do so as soon as possible.", "summary": "A legal challenge over the UK leaving the EU will be heard by the High Court in October, two judges have decided."}
{"article": "Unite said 1,000 of its members would walk out from 02:00 BST next Tuesday. The union accused First of taking an \"extremely aggressive\" stance by sacking a branch secretary and two other workers for \"legitimate trade union activity\". First Leeds said the \"unjustified action\" would affect tens of thousands of people across the city. Drivers have already held two 24-hour strikes, with Unite claiming they earn \u00c2\u00a32 less an hour than other First drivers in the region. The firm dismissed this as \"nonsense\" and said the union had failed to back up \"this ridiculous suggestion\". First Leeds also disputed the \"aggressive\" stance alleged by Unite and said it was investigating some very serious allegations. No members of staff have been disciplined for taking part in industrial action or for any legitimate trade union activity, it said. First Leeds offered a 38p per hour rise frozen until May 2018, which Unite described as \"insulting\". Unite regional officer Phil Bown said: \"The management needs to stop ducking and diving and commit to holding genuine and meaningful talks, otherwise this strike could go on for some time with an adverse impact for bus users in Leeds - something we have desperately sought to avoid.\" Paul Matthews, managing director of First Leeds, said: \"I'm very disappointed and deeply frustrated that Unite plan to cause such huge disruption for our customers in Leeds. \"This is not a last resort as Unite claim - not only do we have a planned meeting before Tuesday to try and resolve the dispute, but Unite have repeatedly refused to let all staff vote on our above inflation offers.\" The bus provider plans to provide a reduced service in Leeds, with buses in Bradford, Huddersfield and Halifax all unaffected.", "summary": "Bus drivers and other workers for First Leeds are to stage an indefinite strike in a worsening row over pay."}
{"article": "Sophie Tucker, 23, from Devon, admitted making up the allegation that he forced her into a sex act after the fiance saw his boss leaving her home. Police later found intimate photos and messages she had sent to the man. Tucker was ordered to attend a thinking skills course, by the judge at Exeter Crown Court. Judge Ian Lawrie called her \"selfish and cowardly\". The court heard she had invited the 50-year old to her home. The man spent almost seven hours in custody and had to submit to having samples taken by a nurse. The court was told his business suffered. Judge Lawrie told Tucker: \"You must have known what you were doing was going to make life very difficult for [the victim]. \"You showed selfishness and cowardice which are deeply unappealing.\" She said: \"I am thoroughly sorry about what I did and if I could do something to help him I would. \"It was a stupid thing to do. He has not done nothing. I wish I could undo it.\"", "summary": "A woman who falsely accused her fiance's boss of a sex attack was given an 18-month suspended sentence for perverting the course of justice."}
{"article": "James Fairburn gave evidence to a Westminster committee on Tuesday. In February, a consignment of beef being stored at Freeza Meats was found to contain horsemeat. It did not belong to Freeza Meats and none of their products tested positive for horsemeat. Mr Fairburn, who is now retired, said the beef belonged to another company, McAdam Foods, and that his firm has suffered. He told MPs the scandal had led to his firm missing out on multi-million pound orders and had resulted in 31 jobs being lost in Newry. Quizzed by MPs on the Environment and Rural Affairs Committee about the horsemeat scandal, Mr Fairburn described it as a \"fraud\" and said it was \"being perpetrated by a big organisation\". He also said he suspected it had been \"going on for some time\". He told MPs that the illegal meat trade originated in other parts of Europe and did not come from the UK or Ireland. He rejected a suggestion from the Conservative MP Anne McIntosh that \"all roads lead to Ireland\". Asked if the scandal originated in Ireland, Mr Fairburn said \"not at all\". Mr Fairburn faced questioning from Conservative and Labour MPs and the South Down SDLP MP Margaret Ritchie. MPs also heard evidence from the Food Standards Agency. Tests carried out on the meat stored at Freeza Meats found that samples from the consignment contained about 80% horsemeat. It followed the discovery of horse DNA at a plant in the Republic of Ireland. Newry and Mourne Council confirmed that tests on Freeza Meats' burgers were free from horsemeat DNA. Martin McAdam, whose firm owned the contaminated meat, said there was \"clearly an issue\" with their Polish supplier.", "summary": "The former director of a Newry food company which was at the centre of the horsemeat scandal has said his firm did nothing wrong."}
{"article": "Evan Ebel's bracelet, worn as a condition of his release to confirm he was obeying curfew, signalled on 14 March that it had been tampered with. But officials did not determine he had absconded until five days later - hours before Tom Clements was shot dead. Ebel, 28, was killed in a shootout with Texas police three days after that. Also, on Monday Colorado officials acknowledged Ebel was released from prison four years too early due to an apparent courthouse clerical error. The confusion stemmed from whether he had been ordered to serve a consecutive or simultaneous prison sentence for assaulting a prison officer while incarcerated for an earlier crime. Clements's death was the second in a series of three killings of US justice officials, including a Texas prosecutor and his deputy, just weeks apart. According to court documents released on Tuesday in Colorado, Ebel had followed the conditions of his parole without incident since his release in January, checking in by phone every day and even once calling parole officials because no-one had requested a weekly drug test. He worked for his father, a well-connected lawyer, and lived in housing his father had found. \"From 28 January to the middle of March, we had an individual who was calling in every day, who was employed, who showed no indication that he would do the kind of things that we now know,\" said Tim Hand, a spokesman for Colorado's parole division. But on the afternoon of 14 March, the electronic radio monitoring bracelet he had been ordered to wear registered a \"tamper alert\". Later, he failed to report to officials as required to have the device repaired. Parole officials did not speak with Ebel's father until 18 March. He told them he feared his son had absconded and gave them permission to search the younger Ebel's apartment. The next day, officers found Ebel had fled - and taken a large amount of clothing. They listed him as absconded and obtained a warrant for his arrest. That evening Clements, 58, was gunned down after he was called to the front door of his home near the city of Colorado Springs. Authorities now say Ebel used the same gun to kill Clements that he used in the 21 March shootout in Texas in which he was shot dead by police. Ebel is also suspected in the 17 March killing of Nathan Leon, a pizza delivery man and father of three. Ebel first went to prison in 2005 for robbery, assault and car jacking. He was sentenced to three separate prison terms, all to be served at the same time, and scheduled for release this year. While in prison he is said to have joined a violent white supremacist prison gang, and official documents state his body was covered with Nazi-themed tattoos. Also while incarcerated, in 2008 he pleaded guilty to assaulting a prison officer and threatening his family. For this he was sentenced to up to four additional years. According to court transcripts, Ebel told the judge that would make him 33 when he", "summary": "An ex-convict suspected in the death of Colorado's prisons chief shed a parolee monitoring device days before the murder, officials have said."}
{"article": "The A38 St Chad's and Queensway tunnels will be closed from 22:00 GMT until 06:00 GMT from 1 April until 8 May. Contractors Amey said the work should \"minimise the number of future closures\". The tunnels were completely closed for renovation work in 2013 and 2014. Birmingham City Council said its traffic management plans during the closures have been coordinated with the current works on Paradise Circus and the M6 Junction 6. There will be a break in the closures on the evening of Saturday 2 May to allow for preparations for the Great Birmingham 10k Run, the council said. The tunnels were officially opened by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in April 1971.", "summary": "Road tunnels through Birmingham city centre will be closed overnight for five weeks for \"remedial works\" and \"structural inspections\", the council has said."}
{"article": "A letter to Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford warns they may be forced to cut frontline police budgets or lower training standards below England's. They are particularly concerned that the \u00a32m they pay in the apprenticeship levy is not spent on police training. The Welsh Government said the levy does not cover Treasury funding cuts. North Wales commissioner Arfon Jones, who chairs the All-Wales Policing Group, said in the letter that Welsh forces were \"now at a serious financial disadvantage and in future will be disadvantaged in terms of training compared to our English counterparts\". He warned that Wales faced a bill of \u00a38.9m for the Police Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF) by 2020-21. While English forces only had to meet 8% of training costs with the rest covered by the apprenticeship levy, Mr Jones said forces in Wales faced paying 95% to 100% from their own budgets. A shortfall of \u00a310m would be equivalent to 200 fewer officers in Wales, he added. Welsh forces had already lost 2,500 police officers and staff since 2010, Mr Jones said, \"equivalent to the entire resources of North Wales Police\". \"Under such pressures, Welsh forces might have to lower the standard of training and it would be regrettable to break away from the uniform standards that are currently in place,\" Mr Jones said. \"Being forced to fund the training from existing resources would inevitably have an impact on frontline policing.\" A Welsh Government spokeswoman said ministers had written to Home Secretary Amber Rudd about the issue of police training. \"While we are supportive of the PEGF in principle, we have been clear that responsibility for operational policing matters, including training, rests solely with the Home Office and it should fund training until policing is devolved,\" she said. As for the apprenticeship levy - 0.5% payable on annual wage bills of more than \u00a33m - the spokeswoman said it was a UK government employment tax \"which directly conflicts with areas of devolved responsibility\". As skills policy is devolved, the money is not necessarily spent on apprenticeships in Wales. Instead, the Welsh Government is entitled to a population-based share of the proceeds under the UK Treasury's Barnett formula, to be spent as ministers in Cardiff see fit. The spokeswoman said such money had been \"largely offset by cuts made elsewhere, meaning there is no significant new money to invest in services as a result of the apprenticeship levy\". A Home Office spokesman said: \"All police forces pay the apprenticeship levy, and in Wales those funds are passed back to the Welsh Government through an arrangement agreed with HM Treasury.\"", "summary": "Wales could have 200 fewer police officers than it should by 2021 due to a shortfall of up to \u00a310m in training cash, police chiefs have claimed."}
{"article": "David Capstick was walking in the mid Wales national park Saturday when he met the soldiers in a distressed state. Relatives of L/Cpl Craig Roberts, 24, from Penrhyn Bay, Conwy, paid tribute saying he had died \"in the pursuit of his dream\". Defence Secretary Philip Hammond announced a full inquiry. We, Craig's family, would like to thank all our and Craig's friends for their kind thoughts and support. We are all devastated at the loss of our beloved Craig; this has left a massive hole in all our lives. We wholeheartedly supported Craig in his military endeavours and it gives us some comfort, though great sadness, that he died in the pursuit of his dream. Next month Craig was due to start a new post in the office of the secretary of state for education and we were all very proud of him. We would like to thank the Ministry of Defence family liaison officer for all his help and support in these trying times. Speaking to Channel 4 news, Mr Capstick described how he was walking in the Beacons when he was passed by a line of soldiers moving in the opposite direction at five or 10-minute intervals. \"We then came across two soldiers who had clearly broken that intended mode of operation and were proceeding slowly together, and one of the soldiers made a compassionate plea for some drinking water for his colleague,\" he said. \"He was upset,\" he added. \"The other soldier was trying to make the best of the situation and asked if we could spare any water for his colleague, not for himself.\" Mr Capstick added that it \"certainly was slightly odd\" that the two soldiers in particular had bunched together and were \"clearly in distress.\" In a statement issued through the Ministry of Defence, Mr Roberts's father Kelvin said: \"We are all devastated at the loss of our beloved Craig; this has left a massive hole in all our lives.\" He said he had died \"in the pursuit of his dream\". Mr Roberts, who had worked as a teaching assistant in London, was due to take up a job in Whitehall in the office of Education Secretary Michael Gove. He had served with the Territorial Army (TA) for more than five years and was a member of the 3rd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment. It is believed he served as a reservist in Iraq and Afghanistan, and had taken part in several exercises including a training mission in Texas with the American National Guard. He had taken part in a four-week trial for the TA SAS reservists ending in a 40-mile (64km) hike over the Brecon Beacons. L/Cpl Roberts was described as being \"the salt of the earth\" by one friend, who added that the soldier was \"extremely dedicated\". The University of Leicester economics graduate was described by Professor Ali al-Nowaihi as a \"very promising young man - independent, strong willed and determined\". BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said he understood the deaths occurred after the SAS training and preparation phase, right at the start of the", "summary": "A walker said he encountered soldiers making a plea for water on the day two reservists died during SAS selection training in the Brecon Beacons."}
{"article": "So called \"tandem burials\" happened at a limited number of hospitals in the Republic of Ireland up to the 1980s. It is understood this happened in what the authorities called \"exceptional circumstances\". This might be if a newborn baby died and options for burial in a hospital or religious plot were not selected. The remains would then be placed in the coffin of an adult who had died. Details of such burials were set out in documents obtained by RT\u00c9 News under the Freedom of Information Act. In a letter to the former secretary general of the Department of Health, Dr Ambrose McLoughlin in August, Irish Health Service Executive director general Tony O'Brien said it was not certain that the families of both of the deceased would always have been informed of the practice. In the letter, Mr O'Brien said: \"Our understanding is that the remains would have been placed with adult remains and that, ideally, the awareness and understanding of both families involved would have been sought, though this is not guaranteed.\" It is understood that the practice may have occurred in a number of cases to ensure that a baby was buried in consecrated ground. At a time in Ireland, the Catholic Church's tradition stipulated that if a baby was born and died before baptism, they could not be buried on sacred ground in a cemetery. The souls of such babies would go to Limbo - an in-between place where they could neither see God nor be reunited with their parents. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI revised the concept of Limbo.", "summary": "In Ireland, dead babies have been buried in the coffins of adults to whom they were not related, according to Irish broadcaster, RT\u00c9."}
{"article": "We're the same age, and we have both been assailed and corroded by the bracing weather around the Firth of Forth. Both have been carrying somewhat more of a load factor than is either assumed or advisable in the design spec. There are significant differences, though. I have not been closed until the New Year, while essential repairs are carried out. Nor have I become indispensible to the Scottish economy. Oh no. The closure of the bridge represents a significant challenge to those on both the North and South Queensferry sides, and extending a long way around. Hauliers use it to go north, and not only to Fife, but to Dundee and beyond, to Aberdeen and the north east. Likewise, they bring goods south in supply chains affecting the Lothians and beyond. One of those supply chains is to households, in that a lot of Christmas shopping is being done by road freight. This is by far the busiest time of year for the Amazon 'fulfilment centre' (warehouse) in Fife. Inbound and outbound deliveries look a lot more expensive. Among many others, the route is important to Diageo's gigantic bottling plant in Cameronbridge. It trucks containers of whisky and its other spirits to Grangemouth and the Clyde for export, and south to distribution depots in the English Midlands. Hauliers going round by Dunblane or the Kincardine or Clackmannanshire bridges face extra cost in both extra miles and traffic delays. That's just the commercial traffic. The road bridge has also become a vital link for workers, most commuting from northern homes to south workplaces, but some going the other way. Fife has some big specialist employers, including Babcock's Rosyth dockyard, Sky's contact centre, Bank of Scotland card processing at Pitreavie and the Raytheon weapons systems in Glenrothes. (The latter makes the Paveway bombs which are now being dropped on Syria by RAF Tornados.) The busier south-bound traffic in the morning demonstrates one of the big shifts that has taken place in the Scottish economy in recent decades: Edinburgh has been transformed from a modestly-sized city into a large travel-to-work region. That, in turn, has re-shaped southern Fife, as you can see in dormitory estates from Dunfermline to Dalgety Bay and beyond. On BBC Radio Scotland's Newsdrive, the call went out from the Scottish government for employers to be understanding of the difficulties now facing commuters who would normally use the Forth Road Bridge, or whose train services across the rail bridge face becoming impossibly busy. Transport minister Derek Mackay suggested altered shift patterns and car sharing. There could also be more home working. And that's where - in the dark days of a traffic-stricken December - there could be a silver lining to this large logistical cloud. Recent research shows that when people are forced to re-think their travel plans, a significant number discover that they prefer the new routes. This was based on the London Tube strike in February of last year, using the big data sets available from the Oyster cards, which track Londoners use of the Underground. The strike closed", "summary": "The Forth Road Bridge and I have a sort of affinity."}
{"article": "Police were called to a ground floor flat on Falkner Street shortly before 19:30 BST. A 30-year-old man was detained before being taken to hospital after falling ill. Merseyside Police believe the incident is domestic related. They are not looking for anyone else. The force added that a post mortem examination will be carried out to establish the causes of death. As a precaution, and on advice from Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service following a report of a fuel leak inside the property, buildings on Falkner Street were evacuated. Residents have been allowed back into their properties, with the exception of the properties either side of the address. Detectives are appealing for anyone who may have information to contact them.", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the bodies of a woman and two children were found at a flat in the Toxteth area of Liverpool."}
{"article": "At an emergency meeting in Ghana, ministers promised better collaboration to fight what has become the world's deadliest outbreak to date. So far, 759 people have been infected with the virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and 467 of them have died. The two-day meeting was called by the World Health Organization (WHO). Under the new strategy, the WHO will open a sub-regional control centre in Guinea to co-ordinate technical support. Keiji Fukuda, the WHO's assistant director-general of health security, said it was \"impossible to give a clear answer\" on how far the epidemic could spread. \"I certainly expect that we are going to be dealing with this outbreak, minimum, for a few months to several months,\" he told AFP news agency. \"I really hope to see a turnaround where we begin to see a decrease in cases in the next several weeks.\" BBC West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy says educating people rather than closing borders is seen as the most effective way to contain the outbreak. Cultural practices and traditional beliefs in some areas have hampered public health measures, contributing to the spread of the disease, he adds. In some cases, mobs have attacked health workers forcing emergency centres to close. The WHO has already sent more than 150 experts into West Africa over the past few months to try to contain the outbreak. But it says political commitment is needed from the region itself to ensure this outbreak is stopped soon. Most of the deaths have been centred in the southern Guekedou region of Guinea, where the outbreak was first reported in February. But health officials say the region's porous borders have allowed infected people to carry the disease into other countries. Ebola spreads through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids and there is no vaccine or cure. It kills up to 90% of those infected. In pictures: Battling Ebola in West Africa Why Ebola is so dangerous", "summary": "Health ministers from 11 West African countries have adopted a common strategy to fight a deadly Ebola outbreak in the region."}
{"article": "As the film \"Suffragette,\" opens in British cinemas there is renewed attention on that struggle, one in which Scotland played a vital part. \"For a long time the suffrage movement, as far as history is concerned was located in London and the national leadership was located there too,\" says Dr Norman Watson, a journalist and historian who has researched the suffragettes for 30 years. But he points to the fact that Edinburgh had one of the earliest suffrage societies in the 1870s and by the period after 1905 Scotland was \"punching above its weight\" in the struggle for votes. There were plenty of opportunities to confront the establishment with then prime minister Herbert Asquith having his constituency in Fife and Winston Churchill as an MP for Dundee. He continues: \"So with the militant women pledging to argue at every by-election at which the Liberal party stood because the Liberal party kept refusing them votes, this really catapulted the militancy episode into Scotland and all parts of Scotland were involved.\" When Churchill came to stand in Dundee in 1908 he was followed by 27 of the national leaders of women's suffrage movements. At one point he even hid in a shed and tried to hold a meeting there. There had been lots of campaigning for the vote towards the end of the 19th Century mainly using methods such at petitions, writing letters and badgering members of parliament. That changed in 1903 with the establishment by the Pankhursts, and others, of the Women's Social and Political Union. A branch was opened in Glasgow in 1906 and by 1908 its Scottish headquarters had been opened in the city. \"At first the suffragettes tend to go down to England in order to commit some of the more militant acts,\" says Prof Sarah Pedersen of Robert Gordon University who is writing a book on the Scottish suffragettes. \"We don't really get much militant suffrage activity going on Scotland until a couple of years before the First World War but once they get started they do quite a lot of damage.\" She points to the burning down of buildings, the grandstands at Ayr and Perth racecourses, the pouring of acid in post boxes to destroy the mail or burning the slogan 'votes for women' into the greens of golf courses with acid. \"One of the things to note is that they were very careful not to actually harm or kill anyone with all these fires, the places they set fire to were empty. What they were hoping for was that the landowners and the insurance companies would put pressure on the government to give women the vote,\" she continues. A important point for the movement in Scotland was a big rally in Edinburgh in 1909. It was led by the formidable Flora Drummond, riding on horseback. A key figure in the movement, she had grown up in Arran. Edinburgh had a rather less positive claim to fame too though. It was here that the suffragette Ethel Moorhead became the first in Scotland to be force-fed, a practice which", "summary": "From throwing an egg at Winston Churchill, to a huge suffrage march in Edinburgh, to the horrors of force-feeding, Scotland's suffragettes and the more gradualist suffragists were an important part of the fight for women's votes."}
{"article": "Eleven men - two posthumously - were given the L\u00e9gion d'Honneur at a ceremony on the navy helicopter carrier Dixmude at HM Naval Base Devonport. They fought at the D-Day Landings more than 70 years ago. Plymouth's honorary French consul said the event on board the warship was \"quite exceptional\" and would never be repeated. It was the second time France had held such a presentation on a warship, with a similar ceremony staged on board FS Aquitaine in Glasgow in 2015. The men who were honoured at Sunday's ceremony are aged between 90 and 97 years old. Gillian Garrlick collected the medal on behalf of her late father, Charles Dixon, from Plymouth. \"My father had actually received it through the post back in October, so he did know he'd received it but was waiting for an official presentation. \"Unfortunately he died on 30th December so didn't get to be here today, but it was an honour to receive it for him.\"", "summary": "D-Day veterans have received France's highest military decoration on a French warship in Plymouth."}
{"article": "James Tracy and Josh van der Flier start after featuring for Ireland as replacements last week against Italy. Edinburgh make five changes with Sam Hidalgo-Clyne and Duncan Weir forming the half-back partnership and Glenn Bryce in at full-back. In the pack, hooker Neil Cochrane and number eight Cornell du Preez earn starts. Du Preez's return means Magnus Bradbury moves to blindside flanker. Blair Kinghorn and Jason Tovey drop to the bench, while Viliame Mata, Sean Kennedy and Stuart McInally miss out after starting last week. For the hosts, fly-half Joey Carbery makes his first start since sustaining an ankle injury in a Champions Cup game away to Northampton in December. Scrum-half Luke McGrath also comes in while in the pack, prop Mike Ross and locks Ross Molony and Mike McCarthy get starts. Leinster head coach Leo Cullen confirmed that club captain Isa Nacewa is absent after having a small procedure on his knee earlier this week. \"We're talking a couple of weeks with Isa,\" Cullen said. \"Edinburgh are bringing a strong team - they're not missing many players.\" Leinster wing Dave Kearney switches from left to right to accommodate Barry Daly's inclusion. Jamison Gibson-Park, Richardt Strauss and Ian Nagle drop out while Adam Byrne, Ross Byrne, Michael Bent, Mick Kearney and Dan Leavy move to the bench. \"We're back on the road and know Leinster are a tough team to overcome, especially on their home patch,\" said Edinburgh acting head coach Duncan Hodge. \"As a squad, we've learned a lot from last week's match against Ulster [the 24-18 defeat] and will look to take the positives from an encouraging second-half display into this week's game. \"The players showed a lot of character and resolve last week in overcoming the challenges of what was a high-tempo and physical encounter. \"Those involved tomorrow night will need to show a similar tenacity and perform for the full 80 minutes if we're to challenge the home side.\" Leinster: Z Kirchner, D Kearney, R O'Loughlin, N Reid, B Daly, J Carbery, L McGrath (capt); P Dooley, J Tracy, M Ross, R Molony, M McCarthy, D Ryan, J van der Flier, J Conan. Replacements: B Byrne, A Porter, M Bent, M Kearney, D Leavy, J Gibson-Park, R Byrne, A Byrne. Edinburgh: G Bryce, D Hoyland, C Dean, P Burleigh, T Brown, D Weir, S Hidalgo-Clyne; J Cosgrove, N Cochrane (capt), M McCallum, F McKenzie, B Toolis, M Bradbury, J Ritchie, C Du Preez. Replacements: G Turner, D Appiah, N Beavon, G Gilchrist, L Carmichael, N Fowles, J Tovey, B Kinghorn.", "summary": "Leinster make eight changes to their starting line-up for Friday's Pro12 meeting with Edinburgh."}
{"article": "Appeals against the cuts for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic cycle were rejected by the parent body. And Badminton Scotland chief executive Anne Smillie said it could devastate the career of European silver medallist Kirsty Gilmour, among others. \"It is is a major set-back to the sport and the government should intervene to overturn it,\" said Smillie. Powerlifting was successful in its appeal, but archery, goalball, fencing, table tennis, weightlifting and wheelchair rugby will also receive no funding. \"The situation of Kirsty Gilmour shows the impact from a Scottish perspective,\" said Smillie. \"She is a Commonwealth Games and European Championships silver medallist who reached a world ranking of 15 to qualify for the Rio Olympics. \"Her goal was to continue her development and mount a serious challenge for a medal in Tokyo. \"To do this she had a personal award from UK Sport to allow her to train full time and a competition budget to allow her to compete all over the world to gain the necessary points. \"All of this has now been taken away yet Kirsty's costs associated with training every day and competing around 20 times a year all over the world must still be met.\" Badminton Scotland will continue to financially support Gilmour, but Smillie questioned the UK Sport decision. \"I see no justification for leaving an Olympic medal winning sport with no funding whatsoever, especially when sports that didn't win medals or reach their targets have retained their funding,\" she said. \"UK Sport's reasoning that badminton is unlikely to win a medal in Tokyo and that our GB players need to be more consistent against the very best in the world is a poor excuse. \"Badminton won a men's doubles medal in Rio: a shock result because it wasn't the medal chance that had been predicted but less of a shock to those who know the quality of the badminton programme. \"Badminton exceeded its targets, has a strong pathway and has a strategic plan which was approved by UK Sport. \"Where there is a robust system in place, 'shock results' are always possible.\" Former GB wheelchair rugby captain Mike Kerr, who is transitioning to athletics, was also fearful of the impact on his former team-mates. \"I am absolutely gutted for the players,\" he told BBC Scotland. \"They will be absolutely devastated by the news. \"It is going to have a massive impact on the guys. A lot of the guys rely on this funding for training. \"It's a very expensive sport to play - equipment costs, training costs and travelling to and from training.\" GB wheelchair rugby chief executive David Pond was also \"incredibly disappointed\". \"I think we put up a very strong case, which was listened to by the board, and so we're slightly surprised that the decision has actually stayed as it was,\" he said. \"In terms of what it means for the sport, unless we can find another source of funding, and it has to be a significant source of funding, then it's very difficult to see how we can have a competitive", "summary": "Badminton Scotland has called for government intervention after UK Sport confirmed funding cuts to seven sports."}
{"article": "Large house parties could also be vulnerable to sneak-in thefts over the festival period. The warnings are in a safety message from police in the Highlands and Islands. Police Scotland said criminals targeted homes at this time of year to try and steal presents and money. Insp Ewan Henderson said posts and other messages on social media sites before and during parties could alert thieves. He said: \"Christmas nights out are planned in advance, so just taking a few minutes to think about the security of your home will mean everyone's Christmas can be fun-filled. \"Posting photos on social media of nights out are an everyday occurrence. \"What we are asking is that you think about it before you post the messages. Are you inviting someone to break in to your home by advertising it is un-occupied? Could the messages be posted the next day?\" Peter Kirwan, of Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, added: \"We're encouraging people to ask a neighbour to keep an eye on their house when they go away. \"Small things like moving curtains and taking in mail can help make a place look occupied and reduce the risk of a house breaking.\"", "summary": "Christmas party selfies and other social media posts about festive nights out could alert thieves to unoccupied homes, police have warned."}
{"article": "The plaques, dating from the 1920s, were taken from Woodhenge, which is two miles (3 km) from its more famous contemporary, Stonehenge. They describe and show a plan of the site, which was discovered by accident in 1925 by a passing RAF pilot. The plaques were originally installed by the Ministry of Works following archaeological excavations. Heather Sebire, from English Heritage, which cares for this site, said: \"Woodhenge is an incredibly important heritage site and these plaques are a landmark in the history of how the site was discovered, excavated and presented nearly a century ago. \"This is a serious case of heritage crime. We are working with Wiltshire Police and Historic England to identify the culprits and hope we can return the plaques to where they belong.\" Phil McMahon, inspector of ancient monuments for Historic England, said: \"The sad theft of these historic plaques has deprived us of an important aspect of the story of Woodhenge. \"They represent a key part of one of the earliest attempts to interpret and present to the public the complex and internationally-significant prehistoric monuments of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site. \"We very much hope that the plaques can be recovered and restored to their rightful place at Woodhenge.\" Woodhenge dates back to about 2300 BC, and is thought to have been an important communal meeting place for people in the later Stone Age. Today, 168 concrete posts mark the positions of the original six concentric rings of gigantic timbers, which lay inside a circular ditch called a henge. Police have appealed for witnesses to contact them.", "summary": "A pair of bronze plaques have been stolen from a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire."}
{"article": "Further alleged offences were reported relating to the suspect but \"no robust direction\" was given to the investigation lasting over six months. Chief Constable Chris Eyre said it \"actually demonstrates positive work\". HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) reviewed child protection at the force last August. HMIC, which independently assesses police forces, said it took more than six months for Nottinghamshire Police to arrest the 21-year-old man regarding his sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. Zo\u00eb Billingham, of HMIC, said: \"During this period, two further offences relating to the suspect, involving the exchange of indecent images with other teenage children, were reported to other forces. More on this and other stories in Nottinghamshire \"We found examples of poor supervision of investigations leading to unacceptable delays, which can leave opportunities for perpetrators to continue offending.\" In response to the finding, Mr Eyre said: \"When a victim would not engage with us we did not give up and continued to pursue the offender over a series of weeks until we could build up enough evidence to arrest him.\" The watchdog also found that \"potential evidence was lost\" in the case of a 10-year-old girl who had been groomed online, due to officers not having specialist training and delays. Mr Eyre said: \"There are some cases where it is completely appropriate for non-specialist staff to deal with offences which relate to child protection matters, with the help and advice of specialists. \"All officers have been provided with online training and regular updates about child sexual exploitation.\" The initial HMIC inspection in September 2014 revealed a 16-year-old girl in police custody went without food or water for almost two days, prompting the follow-up review. Ms Billingham said: \"The force still has not reduced the number of children being detained unnecessarily in police custody overnight when they should have been transferred to alternative accommodation. This still needs to improve.\" Mr Eyre said it was the \"responsibility of the local authority to find suitable alternative accommodation\" for the children. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said the report uncovered \"deeply concerning issues that need to be addressed\". \"There have been serious delays in dealing with cases that led to potentially vital evidence being lost and a suspect possibly going on to re-offend,\" a spokesperson said. \"Police need to make sure that they act on recommendations to ensure every child in Nottinghamshire is protected.\"", "summary": "A suspected sex offender may have groomed teenagers before being arrested owing to \"significant delays\" by Nottinghamshire Police, a report found."}
{"article": "The 38-year-old's body was found by her father at a house on Shearman Street in Trowbridge last Thursday. A 78 year old man - who is not related to Ms Barker - was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and actual bodily harm, police said. He has since been bailed until the end of November, pending further enquiries. In a statement Ms Barker's family said it had been \"left devastated\" by her \"untimely death\". \"She was much loved and will be greatly missed by us all. \"She was a bright young woman who, in addition to her attainment of a BSc degree in Dental Technology at the University of Wales Institute Cardiff, was a talented artist and an accomplished cook, having appeared on the Masterchef television programme. \"It will be difficult to come to terms with her loss, but this is being aided by the kind words and messages of support we have received and for which we are very grateful.\"", "summary": "The family of Masterchef contestant Helen Barker have paid tribute to \"a talented artist\" after she was found dead at her home in Wiltshire."}
{"article": "The inquest is looking into the murders of ten Protestant workmen in the County Armagh village. Earlier, coroner Brian Sherrard said police should be given time to pursue a new lead that emerged last week. A partial palm print, found on a getaway van, was re-examined and, for the first time, linked to a suspect. Mr Sherrard said that, given the significance of the evidence, the PSNI should be allowed the opportunity to investigate it. \"My obligation to the deceased, to the families of the deceased and to the community as a whole, and in the interests of justice, demand that the police be allowed the opportunity to investigate this new lead. \"That, however, cannot be an open-ended opportunity,\" the coroner said. \"I am acutely aware that more than 40 years have passed since the attack and that those closest to the deceased require answers while they are fit enough to participate.\" Judge Sherrard said the discovery of the print had \"shaken the confidence of a number of families who now wonder who to believe and what they can believe.\" He said this was \"quite understandable given the timing\". \"These families wish the inquest to push on despite this development as they see it as the best way for them to gain an insight into the deaths all those years ago,\" he said. But he argued that the discovery of the palm print was likely to prove \"invaluable\" in allowing the inquest to answer key questions. \"This is the first and best opportunity since 1976 to establish a verifiable link between the person who has been identified and the attack. That link may produce many more leads,\" he said. The coroner said a timetable would be put in place and that families will be advised as to the progress of the investigation. The ten men were taken from their minibus as they made their way home from work at mill in Glenanne and shot dead by IRA gunmen in January 1976. One Catholic man was allowed to escape. No one has ever been convicted over the atrocity. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in, said it was absolutely incredible that it took somebody 40 years to come up with the palm print finding. He was asked about the situation at a meeting of the Assembly's Executive committee on Wednesday. However, after he said he was surprised about the palm print, the committee chairman, Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt, asked him not to say anything else in case it was sub judice. The inquest is expected to resume on 21 June.", "summary": "An inquest into the 1976 Kingsmills massacre has been adjourned until later this month."}
{"article": "They are under pressure from voters to limit building development but planning guidelines make it hard for them do so. Unless they have a five-year supply of housing land, developments that are refused can go through on appeal. To fight an appeal \"will cost a lot of money\" and councils are \"strapped for cash\", said consultant David Shaw. The East region is one of the fastest growing parts of England and the government is keen to increase the rate of house building. Mr Shaw, a Peterborough based town planning consultant, said: \"Councils are very strapped for cash these days. \"If they are going to have to fight an appeal they know that will cost them a lot of money and they're frightened of that. So they're making decisions that they are really reluctant to make.\" Local authorities are obliged to have a five-year housing land supply as part of the National Planning Policy Framework published in March 2012 by the Department for Communities and Local Government. The aim of the framework is to make the planning system less complex and more accessible, the department said. If a local authority does not have a clearly stated five-year housing land supply planning policies for new homes will be considered out of date. This means a government inspector can override a local decision on appeal using this one provision. Source:National Planning Policy Framework North Hertfordshire District Council is in a high-growth area under pressure to accept more new homes than local people want. It recently approved plans for 150 homes at Ivy Farm, Royston. David Levett, planning portfolio holder for the council, said: \"It wasn't the ideal site but on balance we felt that if we refused it and it went to appeal, it would almost certainly be approved by the inspectors. \"We haven't got a five-year land supply and... that's why we approved it.\" Mr Levett denied that the costs of an appeal were a factor at Royston. \u00c2\u00a3242,000 was the average (mix adjusted) price of a property in the UK in 2013 21,050 homes were started by private enterprise, housing associations and local authorities in the East 19,040 homes were completed 27.8m residential properties make up the UK housing market Other councils claiming to have a five-year land supply have still found their decisions overturned on appeal. South Cambridgeshire District Council refused plans for 150 new homes at Waterbeach. But the planning inspector later approved them, saying the council could not \"demonstrate\" a five-year land supply. Robert Turner, the council's planning portfolio holder, said: \"We were very disappointed to see a major decision like that overturned. \"Applications are coming to us and even if we don't like them, and refuse them, the government has obviously got a bigger picture and can grant them on appeal.\" In Clenchwarton, near King's Lynn, an application for 40 homes was turned down by the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk because the site was outside the village development boundary and prone to flooding. But it was allowed on appeal, again, because the inspector said the", "summary": "Councils in the east of England feel forced to back plans for homes because they are \"frightened\" to reject them, a BBC investigation has found."}
{"article": "Jim Cassell headed City's academy when Sturridge spent three seasons there. England (2011-present): 4 caps, 0 goals Bolton Wanderers (loan 2011): 12 Premier League appearances, 8 goals Chelsea (2009-2013): 96 appearances in all competitions, 24 goals Manchester City (2006-09): 32 appearances in all competitions, 6 goals And he has been frustrated at Sturridge's lack of first-team appearances at both City and Chelsea. \"Hopefully Liverpool will get the best from Daniel as he has the potential to be a top-class international striker,\" Cassell told BBC Sport. Cassell was City's academy director for 12 years, from 1997 to 2009, until he was given a new job heading up the club's international academies. During his time in the role, Cassell brought through Micah Richards, Stephen Ireland, Michael Johnson and Joey Barton, and won the 2008 Youth Cup. And he quickly identified Sturridge, who moved to Manchester City from Coventry City as a 13-year-old in 2003, as a huge talent who could go on to achieve success at the highest level. \"Daniel was exceptional, even as a 13-year-old,\" Cassell said, after Sturridge completed his move to Liverpool from Chelsea for an undisclosed fee on Wednesday. \"He had great pace, fantastic feet and magnificent vision. I couldn't speak too highly of him when he was with us. \"He trained hard, was respectful and always immaculately turned out - I thought he was great. We knew he could go on and achieve great things.\" Sturridge played in the 2006 Youth Cup final against Liverpool, which City lost 3-2 on aggregate despite the striker scoring twice in the home leg. Media playback is not supported on this device He was promoted to the first team squad in the 2006-7 season, but went on to make only 21 appearances for City, scoring five goals. In July 2009 he moved to Chelsea and, although he got more first-team opportunities and won four caps for England, he was often played out wide and again failed to make a first-team place up front his own. Cassell admits it has sometimes been hard to watch such a talent sitting on the sidelines. \"It's frustrating,\" he said. \"In English football, we sometimes don't get the most out of our young players. The problem is enabling them to really establish themselves. They need that to really make it at international level. \"The English game needs to be patient with these young talents.\"", "summary": "The man who brought Daniel Sturridge through the ranks at Manchester City hopes to finally see the striker fulfil his potential at new club Liverpool."}
{"article": "Prof Yves Barde, from Switzerland, is renowned for his research into the way proteins in the brain work and their role in illnesses such as depression. Prof Barde, currently at the University of Basel, will take up his post at Cardiff University in September. It said science was an international business and \"we're importing one of the most important stars.\" He was appointed under the Welsh government's five-year Ser Cymru (Stars of Wales) project to expand universities' research capabilities in the fields of life sciences, advanced engineering, and low carbon energy and the environment. Prof Barde received international acclaim in 1989 with the discovery of a gene which creates a protein - brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) - which is involved in number of brain processes including memory. He has explored the the role of BDNF plays in healthy brain function along with dysfunction. Recently his team at the University of Basel focused on how some drugs can increase BDNF levels in specific areas of the brain. The research helped in the development of new drugs, including the first oral treatment of multiple sclerosis. Prof Barde says he hopes to develop his current research interests of using stem cells to understand how the brain works and also to explore mental health illnesses such as depression. He said: \"Some of the work I'll be undertaking in Cardiff will be about understanding the meaning of the link between the nervous system and neurological diseases which currently remains pretty mysterious, particularly in the case of depression. \"But alongside several outstanding research groups at Cardiff University, I will also aim to advance research using embryonic stem cells and reprogrammed somatic cells to advance understanding of neuronal dysfunction. \"This is a really exciting time for me, and for advances in neurobiology and for science in Wales.\" Cardiff University is already widely recognised for research into stem cells. The university's chancellor and Nobel Prize winner, Sir Martin Evans, was the first scientist to identify embryonic stem cells. These are cells which are taken from an embryo and which can develop into many other types of cells that can then be adapted for a wide variety of medical purposes. There is some opposition to this research on moral or ethical grounds although the research has proved to be highly valuable in understanding many diseases. Cardiff University vice-chancellor Prof Colin Riordan believes the appointment will build on the university's strengths. \"It is a testament to the university's existing strengths in neuroscience and stem cell research that we are able to attract a scientist of Prof Barde's calibre. \"By working with others in his field, Prof Barde will be able to help Cardiff University tackle some of the biggest health challenges of our time.\" Prof Ole Petersen, director of the university's school of biosciences, told BBC Wales: \"I'm delighted about this great prospect of fostering world-beating research. \"Science is an international business. We see throughout Europe that countries with the most internationalised science do the best science. \"And we're importing one of the most important stars.\" Economy and Science Minister Edwina", "summary": "A \u00a350m project to attract world-class scientists and their teams to Wales has made its first appointment."}
{"article": "Staffordshire bull terrier Butch was labelled \"dangerous\" by Merseyside Police after he was found eating the corpse in 2015. Officers said the 10-year-old dog, who had been trapped in the Liverpool flat for several days, presented a danger. But a dog charity said Butch \"did what was natural\" and should be rehomed. Judge Nigel Bird has now ordered a review of the seizure order and fairness of the court hearing. The precise cause of Butch's owner's death remains unknown. The force assessed whether the animal, which is not a banned breed, presented a danger to others and concluded it did. A judge sitting at Liverpool Magistrates' Court agreed and ordered the dog's destruction in April 2016. But the Senior Staffy Club said Butch was a \"friendly dog\" and sought permission for a judicial review at Manchester Civil Justice Centre earlier. The charity said Butch's owner, who had been ill for some time, had been in the process of signing him over to the charity when he died. Spokeswoman Kate Lee said a volunteer went to collect the dog from the property but did not get an answer. She said it was distressing and unfortunate but Butch had done \"what was natural for a dog\" left without water or food for a number of days. Ms Lee said: \"We were there; we were ready to take the dog from the police and take him in our kennels and assess him and find him a suitable home. \"That's what should have happened.\" The dog has been in police kennels since the owner's death in September 2015. Merseyside Police said the Chief Constable has noted the court's decision. A date for the review is yet to be set.", "summary": "A dog sentenced to death after eating his owner's body has been given a stay of execution after a judge granted a judicial review."}
{"article": "Two of the Australian actress's films will be in competition for the Palme d'Or, both also starring Colin Farrell. They are Sofia Coppola's One is The Beguiled and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. Her sci-fi rom com How to Talk to Girls at Parties and an episode of TV drama Top of the Lake will also be screened. Elsewhere, multiple Oscar-winning director Alejandro Inarritu will show a short virtual reality film titled Carne Y Arena (Flesh And Sand). Filmed by renowned cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, the experimental film will explore the experience of a group of immigrants and refugees crossing the border between Mexico and the US, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It is a theme explored by a number of film-makers. Happy End by Austria's Michael Haneke is another refugee story, this time set in Calais. Actress Vanessa Redgrave also examines the refugee experience in her directorial debut, Sea Sorrow. Among the big-name directors competing for the Palme d'Or are Michel Hazanavicius, the man behind the Oscar-winning silent movie The Artist, whose film Le Redoutable is about the romance between director Jean-Luc Godard and actress Anne Wiazemsky. Carol director Todd Haynes will premiere his period drama Wonderstruck, starring Julianne Moore. Lynne Ramsay is the only British director with a film in competition. Her latest feature, a thriller titled You Were Never Really Here, stars Joaquin Phoenix. As usual, there will be a number of special screenings out of competition. This year, Barack Obama and Donald Trump will be seen in a An Inconvenient Sequel, Al Gore's follow-up to his 2006 climate change documentary An Inconvenient Truth. The Cannes Film Festival runs from 17 to 28 May 2017. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Nicole Kidman fans may want to head to the French Riviera next month - the star is in four productions that will be shown at the Cannes Film Festival."}
{"article": "With Hibs leading 2-1, Falkirk's David McCracken handled the ball in his own box, with Muir in close attendance, but was not punished. The match ended 2-2. \"We want officials to get the big calls right,\" Stubbs told BBC Scotland. \"Unfortunately, tonight, he's sadly, sadly got a big call wrong.\" The Hibees had trailed to Lee Miller's deflected goal but scored through Liam Henderson and Darren McGregor to lead after the break. After sliding in to make a challenge on John McGinn, McCracken rolled the ball with his hand as he stood up, before clearing it. Play continued and, in the final 10 minutes, Conrad Logan in the Hibs goal allowed Bob McHugh's shot to squirm underneath him for a late equaliser. \"When the officials make such a catastrophic mistake, at such an important time in the game - 3-1 takes the real stuffing out of them,\" continued Stubbs. \"At 2-1, they're still chasing. \"Listen, Conrad's made a mistake. Outfield players, they make a mistake, they've got another nine players that can help them. \"When you're a keeper, it's a lonely place when you do. He's been great since he's come in, so we're not going to dwell on that too much.\" Falkirk manager Peter Houston said he hadn't seen television replays of the McCracken incident but again referenced the penalty awarded to Hibs at the Falkirk Stadium when the sides met in October. That game finished 1-0 after Jason Cummings scored the spot-kick - every other fixture between the teams has ended level. \"I can't comment on that because I haven't seen it properly,\" said Houston of the penalty claim. \"Over the course of the season, things even themselves out. \"The only game that's been won by one of the two clubs this season was a penalty given against us and it was never a penalty. \"So maybe if he has handled it - and maybe he has because I haven't seen it properly - it's evened itself up tonight.\" Houston was pleased to approach the return leg - in Falkirk on Friday night - level with his rivals. \"One of the things I said pre-match was I wanted to be in the game going into it the second leg,\" added Houston. \"Right away, if you go into the game and they've won 2-1, you start thinking you have to chase it early doors and open yourself up. \"It's a winner-takes-all on Friday night in many ways. It could go to extra time, it could go to penalties.\"", "summary": "Hibernian head coach Alan Stubbs said referee Alan Muir got a \"huge call\" wrong in denying his side a penalty in their Premiership play-off semi-final first leg."}
{"article": "Charlotte Moore said she would \"guarantee investment in innovation\" in the coming years. Moore was speaking at the channel's autumn and winter launch, where she announced shows including the return of Luther and Sherlock. She also announced a \"visceral\" new retelling of the ancient story of Troy. The drama, told from the perspective of a Trojan family during the war between Greece and Troy, would be \"unlike anything we've ever seen on BBC One before\", she promised. Moore said: \"We all know BBC One's remit is to entertain, educate and inform for a mainstream audience. \"But I want to make three promises. BBC One will be defined in the coming years by its commitment to risk taking. I will guarantee investment in innovation. And I will challenge every new commission to break the mould.\" The autumn line-up also includes Abi Morgan's police drama River and Capital, starring Toby Jones as an investment banker living on a south London street that is transformed by rising house prices. Costume dramas War and Peace and the 20-part Dickensian will also be screened, as will a new adaptation of John le Carre's novel The Night Manager starring Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston. The launch also gave a first glimpse of Tracey Ullman's return to British TV. In a clip from the Tracey Ullman Sketch Show, the comedian and actress is seen portraying German Chancellor Angela Merkel. There will also be a landmark comedy season to mark 60 years since Hancock's Half Hour launched the sitcom on British TV. The landmark season will see current comedy stars recreate classic comedy shows. However the sitcoms that will be recreated have not yet been revealed. It will also include a documentary charting the career of comedian Peter Kay and a live episode of Mrs Brown's Boys. Mrs Brown's Boys star Brendan O'Carroll said he was \"seriously delighted\". He said: \"When I heard the BBC were letting us go fully live I thought, they've lost their minds. As Mrs Brown's Boys started in the theatre, it gives us a chance to show the TV audience live what we really do.\" Meanwhile, Kay described Twenty Years of Funny as \"a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the last 20 years and highlight some of the work it's been my honour to create\". There will also be a one-off drama To Sir With Love, adapted by Hanif Kureishi from ER Braithwaite's 1959 novel. Kureishi said as a young man the book was \"the only novel I was aware of which dealt with the subject of race in Britain, and I hope this dramatisation provides a vivid portrayal, particularly for the young, of how Britain has changed since then, and how it has remained the same\". And JK Rowling will executive produce an adaptation of her Cormoran Strike Mysteries, based on the crime novels she writes under the name Robert Galbraith.", "summary": "The controller of BBC One has said she is committed to taking risks on the channel, with every new programme being required to \"break the mould\"."}
{"article": "But what will this mean for consumers - particularly those who are suffering from slow broadband - or none at all? Rival telecoms companies have long argued that Openreach - the firm providing most of the UK's broadband infrastructure - should not be part of the same group as BT, which has a third of the country's broadband market. The likes of Sky and TalkTalk say this structure has been bad for competition and consumers. Ofcom agreed - as did the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. To avoid a protracted legal battle, BT has now fallen into line. The jury is still out. BT will still control Openreach's budget, even though the newly separated company will have its own boss and decide how to spend its cash. Really fast broadband requires running fibre optic cable into every home, which is very expensive. As a result, most UK broadband connections still rely on the elderly copper wires used for telephone calls. Andrew Ferguson, of the news website ThinkBroadband, said it is unclear whether separating BT and Openreach will deliver this faster option. Most observers agree that the split alone will not solve the UK's broadband problems. Slow and non-existent broadband is still an issue in some rural areas and Openreach has been criticised for its failure to address the issue. However, very few other operators appear willing to fix the problem, which is expensive and technically challenging. You have a broadband fault but it is taking weeks to fix. Sound familiar? Critics say Openreach just failed to provide adequate levels of customer service because complaints come through a customer's internet service provider, giving it no incentive to undertake repairs more quickly. Gavin Patterson, BT chief executive, admitted on Friday that Openreach's service has \"not been where it needed to be\" and said the separation would improve the situation. It remains to be seen how long that will take to deliver - and to remove the BT logo from thousands of BT white vans.", "summary": "Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, said on Friday that BT had agreed to \"legally separate\" Openreach - the division that owns and operates the UK's broadband network."}
{"article": "Officers were called to reports of an altercation at the Intu Bromley Shopping Centre at 15:45 GMT. Video filmed by a member of the public appears to show shoppers fleeing in panic, while a photo shows a police officer holding what appears to be a large knife. A man in his 20s, who suffered a minor head injury, was arrested. He was detained on suspicion of affray and possession of an offensive weapon. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a man holding a machete. Footage posted on Twitter by Alexander Adeosun, who was shopping with his friends at the time, shows people running through the shopping centre. \"There was panic and people were running and falling over,\" he said. \"My brother had to jump over the escalator.\" Mr Adeosun said he was filming from the floor above and saw police arresting a man. He said he also saw an officer placing what appeared to be a machete in a bag. Keith Moon, 35, said he had been shopping with his wife at the time. \"We walked back in and saw the police leading a young guy in handcuffs away. One of the policemen was holding a machete around 2ft long,\" he said. Armed officers were called to the scene but their assistance was not needed as it was not a firearms incident, the Met said. A force spokeswoman said: \"At this stage officers believe he sustained the injury as a result of an altercation. Officers wish to trace \"approximately six youths\" seen running off from the scene, she added. Earlier, the Met said it was seeking a man seen fleeing the scene, possibly discarding a weapon Police recovered two knives from the scene.", "summary": "A machete has been recovered after a suspected knife fight broke out at a shopping centre on Boxing Day."}
{"article": "The bodies of those who died were returned to Manila on Thursday. They were honoured on Friday in a ceremony led by President Benigno Aquino. The violence took place in the southern province of Maguindanao on Sunday. Police seeking two terror suspects entered a village held by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). MILF signed a peace deal with the government last year to end years of fighting. But the rebels say police did not liaise with them about the operation as required under the deal, leading to the accidental clash. On Friday, flags at government offices and military installations are being flown at half-mast to honour those who died. At the memorial service inside a police camp in the suburbs of Manila, Mr Aquino paid tribute to the fallen officers by offering a prayer at each of their coffins. He also presented each of their families with a Medal of Valor, the highest military award given by the armed forces. \"I pledge to bring justice to all those who were killed,\" said Mr Aquino, who faced criticism for not being present when the officers' bodies arrived in the capital He promised grieving relatives that government forces would make it a top priority to capture suspected bomb expert Abdul Basit Usman. Usman, who is linked to a MILF splinter group that rejects the peace deal, is one of two suspects that the commandos were targeting during the operation. The other was Zulkifli bin Hir, known as Marwan, who is a leading figure of Islamist militant group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) Police say Marwan was killed, but this has not been confirmed. Both men have been incorrectly reported killed several times. . On Wednesday, in a televised address to the nation, Mr Aquino said that the peace deal with MILF must not collapse. \"If the peace process were derailed, how many more graves would we have to dig,\" he said. The rebels have agreed to end their fight in return for the establishment of an autonomous Muslim region. Thousands of people have been killed over four decades of separatist fighting in the south of the country.", "summary": "The Philippines is holding a day of mourning for 44 police commandos killed in a clash with Muslim rebels."}
{"article": "PC Daniel Moss, 39, who was based in Hastings, was placed under formal investigation by Sussex Police on 2 December and suspended from duty. The force said he was advertising sexual services for payment on an adult website after reporting off sick with a stress-related illness in September. He was sacked on Friday following a public gross misconduct hearing. The hearing found he had behaved in a manner that had discredited the police service or undermined public confidence. He did not attend the hearing. Det Insp Nick Wainwright from Sussex Police's professional standards department said despite being on sick leave Mr Moss was \"still able to offer himself as being available to perform sexual services for payment\". Mr Wainwright said it was \"clearly completely out of keeping with his role that others uphold with pride, integrity and with the trust of the public whom they serve\".", "summary": "A police officer who advertised himself as a male prostitute while off sick from work has been sacked."}
{"article": "\"We are asking people to move to safer areas,\" a spokeswoman for the national relief agency said. The south and centre have been placed on red alert because of the floods, which have claimed several lives. In 2000, 700 people died and half a million were made homeless in Mozambique's worst flooding on record. The worst affected areas are in the southern Gaza province, where a number of rivers are currently above crisis levels. Emergency teams are on stand-by and motorboats have been dispatched to help transport people to safety, the AFP news agency reports. The evacuees will be brought to temporary shelters. Some of them have been set up in the capital, Maputo. \"We estimate there are 55,000 people affected,\" Rita Almeida from Mozambique's Disaster Relief Management Institute told AFP. The town of Chokwe, home to a dyke, is particularly vulnerable, she added. \"We are registering very high water levels in the Limpopo and Inkomati rivers that could flood the town,\" Ms Almeida said. From Sunday to Monday, almost 185mm (7 inches) of rain fell over the Limpopo basin, the AFP reports. International observers have described the situation as critical. There are fears that the dyke in Chokwe could break, which would lead to chaos in the evacuations. \"If that dyke breaks, all those people will have to move more rapidly,\" the country chief of the World Food Programme, Lola Castro, said. Neighbouring South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana have also been hit by severe flooding. In South Africa, floodwaters claimed several lives and left hundreds stranded after the Limpopo river burst its banks on Monday.", "summary": "Mozambique has started to evacuate some 55,000 people after heavy rains caused sea levels to rise to dangerous levels in parts of the country, officials say."}
{"article": "The group, believed to be the first all-amputee team to undertake the challenge, set off from the Canary Islands on 20 December. Two of the rowers have reportedly struggled to eat anything since they set off, a spokeswoman said. They have also been sent \"flying off their seats\", by heavy sea swells. Lee Spencer, Nigel Rogoff, Paddy Gallagher and Cayle Royce, aged 29 to 56, were among 26 crews which set off from La Gomera to Antigua in the Caribbean. Cayle Royce - 29, from Dartmouth. Suffered serious injuries serving in Afghanistan Paddy Gallagher - 30, from Cambridgeshire. He was injured in Afghanistan while serving with the Irish Guards Nigel Rogoff - 56, from Hereford, who lost his leg while taking part in an RAF parachuting display Lee Spencer - 46, from Yelverton in Devon. He lost a leg when he was struck by debris when he stopped to rescue a seriously injured motorist on the M3 Mr Spencer, who spoke to his wife, Claire, on BBC Radio Devon, wished his family a Merry Christmas and said he was \"really looking forward\" to seeing them at the finish in Antigua. Mrs Spencer told him he was \"mad\", but she was \"very, very proud\" and she would \"raise a glass, or five, [to him] in the pub\". They aim to row the 3,000 miles in under 55 days, but with another 2,453 miles to go, the team has reported on Facebook that \"sea sickness has well and truly kicked in with two members of the team struggling to eat anything since they set off\". They also report that the strong north-easterly winds have have also brought a \"new challenge\" with a battle between the swell and the oars. A spokeswoman said: \"The seas are quite rough and the oars keep pushing into their prosthetics. \"The big swell is also putting them off course so they are hoping for calmer conditions to get back on track.\" The Talisker Challenge is branded as \"the world's toughest row\". The spokeswoman said: \"The first two weeks are known as hell on earth and it takes that long to adjust before they get in their stride. \"It's a long journey ahead. This is day four and there are at least another 45 days ahead.\" The crew members come from Devon, Hereford and Cambridgeshire.", "summary": "Four ex-serviceman attempting to row across the Atlantic have been hit by severe sickness since setting off."}
{"article": "Neil Fears, from Belper in Derbyshire, was reported missing by his fellow divers on Tuesday after he failed to surface. The 51-year-old's body was recovered near the wreck of the SS Stanfield, near La Manga, about three hours later. It is not yet known why the experienced diver failed to surface. His daughter Cerys said: \"He was always there if I needed him for whatever situation, he'd do anything to look after his family.\" Mr Fears was a director of IT firm Davidson Richards in Derby. \"He was very hardworking and could be very determined,\" his daughter added. \"My boyfriend said he was strong and ambitious, but he was also very kind and caring, generous and very clever.\" Mr Fears had been diving with three others and was paired up with one of them. A spokesperson for the Guardia Civil in Murcia said the paired diver had \"turned to his partner and realised he wasn't there\". The divers had been using equipment which regulated oxygen supply and pressure, depending on the user's depth under water. This meant they had to return to the surface regularly, but Mr Fears failed to do so as planned.", "summary": "The daughter of a British diver who died while exploring a World War One shipwreck off the coast of Spain has paid tribute to her \"caring\" father."}
{"article": "It includes new taxes on businesses and the wealthy, Giorgios Stathakis told the BBC in an exclusive interview. Eurozone finance ministers have welcomed the plan, saying there could be a deal \"within days\". Greece will default if it does not repay a \u20ac1.6bn (\u00a31.1bn) IMF loan by the end of the month. If that happens, it risks crashing out of the single currency and possibly the EU. Mr Stathakis told the BBC's Robert Peston he was confident Greece's new proposals to balance the government's books had broken the deadlock with its creditors. \"We [will] try to remove the tax burden from pensions and wages towards business and the wealthy,\" he said. He said the proposals also included an increase in the VAT rate for some selected items. Greece's economy minister Giorgios Stathakis told me that his Syriza government, led by Alexis Tsipras, had avoided crossing its red lines with the new proposals. So, he said, there would be no further reductions in pensions or public-sector wages. And there would be no increase in VAT on electricity. He also said that the government had agreed with the IMF and eurozone governments that the targeted budget surplus would be 1% of GDP or national income this year, 2% next year and 3% the year after. There will be no agreement with creditors to cut Greece's massive burden of debt, despite Syriza's earlier insistence on this. But Mr Stathakis told me he expects eurozone government heads to issue a communique later saying that debt relief will be on the agenda for negotiation in coming months. Read more from Robert Speaking ahead of an emergency Eurogroup summit in Brussels on Monday, European Council president Donald Tusk said the latest Greek proposals were the \"first real proposals in many weeks\". \"This evening I want all cards on the table. That doesn't mean I want to negotiate technical details, but it means I want to end this political gambling,\" he said. Talks have been in deadlock for five months. The European Commission, the IMF and the European Central Bank (ECB) are unwilling to unlock the final \u20ac7.2bn tranche of bailout funds until Greece agrees to economic reforms. Separately, the European Central Bank (ECB) again increased its emergency funding for Greek banks after anxious savers withdrew more than \u20ac4bn in recent days. Greek PM Alexis Tsipras, who has ruled out pension cuts, higher power rates, and an excessive budget surplus, said he hoped Greece would \"return to growth within the eurozone\". He met the heads of Greece's three international creditors in Brussels, ahead of his talks with the leaders of 18 other eurozone nations later on Monday. But eurozone finance ministers said they were not given enough time to study them for a proper assessment, amid confusion over different versions of the Greek proposals submitted. Speaking after the meeting, Mr Dijsselbloem described the proposals as \"broad and comprehensive\", but said work was needed to check they added up \"in fiscal terms\". One of the key power-brokers, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, told reporters his goal was to find an", "summary": "Greece's economy minister has spelled out the terms of new proposals to end deadlock on its debt crisis, amid hopes a deal can now be struck this week."}
{"article": "Senior ministers are \"absolutely furious\" about his resignation and departure from government. Some ministers believe the claims in his letter are \"just not true because he is well aware that the welfare changes have always clearly been about saving money as well as improving the systems\". It's suggested that his central motivation is the EU referendum, and, for others who are supporting him, a strategy to kill off George Osborne's hope of taking over from David Cameron. IDS's team is adamant that his exit is entirely about the handling of PIPs (Personal Independence Payments) and nothing to do with the EU. Whatever the truth, it is very dangerous for a political party to be so publicly divided, and, on a very simple level, for its members to be so angry with each other.", "summary": "It's not just Iain Duncan Smith who's angry."}
{"article": "Two possible candidates are the party's deputy leader Tom Watson and ex-shadow business secretary Angela Eagle. But Mr Corbyn has said he would not \"betray\" his supporters by resigning. He is expected to receive a warmer reception at a rally of his supporters on Wednesday. Mr Corbyn was given a muted reception by his MPs during Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, where David Cameron told him his presence as leader was \"not in the national interest\", adding: \"For heaven's sake man, go.\" On Tuesday 172 Labour MPs voted in favour of the no-confidence motion; 40 voted against. Mr Corbyn's predecessor Ed Miliband and former deputy leader Harriet Harman have urged Mr Corbyn to step down, and Pat Glass has resigned as shadow education secretary - just 48 hours after being given the job after mass shadow cabinet resignations. She said it was her \"dream job\" but added \"the situation is untenable\". The former shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Seema Malhotra told Newsnight it was likely that a challenger would come forward on Wednesday. Former acting leader Dame Margaret Beckett told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"When you assume leadership you have to understand that the interests of those you lead come before your own and in those interests I'm afraid he should stand aside.\" But shadow chancellor John McDonnell urged his fellow MPs to \"play by the rules\" and trigger a formal leadership contest. He said Mr Corbyn was feeling \"fine\" but added: \"We're all saddened that we're going through this because it's completely unnecessary.\" Mr Corbyn has pointed to his backing among the party's grassroots, insisting that the vote by MPs had \"no constitutional legitimacy\". \"I was democratically elected leader of our party for a new kind of politics by 60% of Labour members and supporters, and I will not betray them by resigning,\" he said. He will address a rally organised by his backers in the Momentum movement on Wednesday evening. Also speaking in his support will be Public and Commercial Services union chief Mark Serwotka and Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack. Unite trade union general secretary Len McCluskey has accused the MPs voting for the no-confidence motion of \"pointless posturing\", warning they would have to mount a full-blown leadership challenge if they wanted to oust Labour's leader. Labour MP Mike Gapes said Mr Corbyn's camp should \"fear\" Ms Eagle because she is \"principled, competent and honest\". The result of Tuesday's no-confidence ballot has led to more calls for Mr Corbyn to make way. Labour's leader in Scotland, Kezia Dugdale, suggested Mr Corbyn's position was untenable, telling the BBC: \"If I had lost the support of 80% of my MSPs I could not do my job.\" But following the result the leader issued a statement saying the government was \"in disarray\" following the vote to leave the EU, adding: \"Labour has the responsibility to give a lead where the government will not.\" He added: \"Today's vote by MPs has no constitutional legitimacy. \"We are a democratic party, with a clear constitution. Our people need Labour Party", "summary": "Labour MPs are expected to announce a challenge to Jeremy Corbyn's leadership after a motion of no confidence in him was supported by three-quarters of the parliamentary party."}
{"article": "Bob Pooler, chief instructor with Shropshire Aero Club, said he received a call from the actor, who was keen to rent an aircraft while he was filming the new Star Wars movie. He said the actor had wanted to bring one of his own planes to Britain, but ran out of time before filming started. Mr Pooler said the call, from Ford himself, came \"out of the blue\". He said he delivered a plane from Sleap Airfield, near Wem, to Denham, close to Pinewood Studios on Sunday. \"I checked Harrison out, flew around the patch with him and made sure he was legal to fly and that's it. \"We talked about Star Wars among other movies.\" Mr Pooler, who is also a dealer for Husky light aircraft, said he had first been contacted by the manufacturer's factory a few months ago. \"To rent the aeroplanes from Sleap you have to become a member and Harrison paid his membership dues until the end of the year,\" Mr Pooler said. \"I asked him, 'can we make you a temporary member of the aero club?' and he said 'I don't want to be a temporary member, I want to be a lifetime member'. \"I proposed that to the committee at the aero club and of course, without hesitation they said let's make him a lifetime member. \"He's got an open invitation to visit us at any time. \"He's also invited me to visit his place in California. \"I think he's got his own mini air force of about 11 aeroplanes.\" It is not the first time Ford has been connected with the county. In 2004 he travelled along the Shropshire Union canal after attending the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in North Wales with wife Calista Flockhart.", "summary": "Hollywood actor Harrison Ford has become the latest member of a Shropshire flying club."}
{"article": "Boston beat domestic competition from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington DC to be put forward. \"Our goal is to host Olympic and Paralympic Games that are innovative, walkable and hospitable to all,\" said Boston mayor Marty Walsh. The deadline for cities to apply to host the Games is 15 September. The International Olympic Committee are due to make a decision in 2017. The last time the USA hosted a summer games was in Atlanta in 1996, although Salt Lake City, Utah, hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002. \"I very much want to bring the games to the United States to share the incredible spirit of the games with another generation of Americans, and advance the Olympic and Paralympic movements,\" said American IOC executive board member Anita DeFrantz. The US is the third country after Germany and Italy to officially launch a bidding process. At an IOC meeting in Monaco in December, a 40-point action plan was voted on to revamp the sporting showpiece. Potential hosts will find it easier and cheaper to bid under the \"Olympic Agenda 2020\" reforms and events can be held outside the host country or city. The 28-sport cap for future summer Olympics has been removed - although there will be no changes to the Rio 2016 schedule. Instead of a 28-sport limit, each summer Games will be restricted to 10,500 athletes and 310 events.", "summary": "Boston has been selected by the United States Olympic Committee as its candidate city to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old Nigerian joined the Hornets from Udinese in July 2014 and helped them win promotion to the Premier League in 2014-15. He scored 17 goals in 42 games last season as the Vicarage Road side finished 13th in the top flight and reached the FA Cup semi-final. Walter Mazzarri's men start the new campaign with a trip to Southampton on Saturday.", "summary": "Watford striker Odion Ighalo has signed a new five-year deal."}
{"article": "A US team writing in the New England Journal of Medicine say Down's syndrome can be reliably tested for in the mother's blood. Meanwhile, Great Ormond Street Hospital has started offering similar tests. A decision on whether the UK's Down's syndrome screening programme should change is due this year. At the moment in the UK, a woman is assessed based on her age and an ultrasound scan, with those deemed high-risk having further tests. These involve a needle taking a sample of the placenta or the fluid that bathes the baby. There is a risk of miscarriage with the procedure. Blood tests look for fragments of DNA from the placenta, which drift about in the mother's bloodstream. Down's syndrome is caused by an extra copy of a huge stretch of DNA and that extra bundle of genetic information can be detected in the blood. If initial tests are more accurate they could reduce the number of women who go on to have the invasive test. Previous research had suggested the tests were effective in high-risk women. Now a team at the University of California, San Francisco, suggests the blood test could replace current tests for all women. They correctly identified 38 cases of Down's syndrome out of nearly 16,000 women tested. The basic risk screening found only 30 cases and had a higher rate of false-positives. The UK's national screening committee will assess the new tests in June. Professor Lyn Chitty, from Great Ormond Street, has been evaluating how they could be introduced across the NHS. She says testing every pregnant woman's blood is unlikely. However, she says it can and should be integrated into the existing screening so that high-risk women have an extra check before deciding if an invasive procedure is needed. She told the BBC: \"These are really exciting times; this cell-free DNA is changing prenatal care dramatically. \"I think it broadens access to testing. really; a number of women will decline invasive testing because of the risk of miscarriage and they may well take up non-invasive prenatal testing.\" She said progress in the area was \"very rapid\" and tests for other genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis were also becoming available. Great Ormond Street already has an approved test which it has started offering in parts of London. The Down's Syndrome Association said that if the changes did come into force then the risks and benefits need to be clearly communicated to parents. \"At the time of testing, easily understood and up-to-date information must be provided in an unbiased way by well trained professionals,\" the organisation said in a statement.", "summary": "Testing pregnant women's blood for disorders in unborn children promises dramatic advances in medicine, researchers have said."}
{"article": "The three ministers will use 17th century Chevening House, in Kent, when they entertain foreign dignitaries. Under the previous government it was shared by William Hague with deputy prime minister Nick Clegg. It has been used since the 1980s as a country retreat and to host international visitors. Mr Davis, the Brexit Secretary, International Trade Secretary Mr Fox and Mr Johnson were appointed by new Prime Minister Theresa May last week. All three campaigned for the UK to leave the EU, and will have key roles as the UK negotiates its departure. Asked why Mrs May had decided the foreign secretary should share his country retreat with two colleagues, the PM's official spokeswoman said: \"It reflects the fact that all those secretaries of state will, as part of their work, be meeting and engaging with and hosting foreign visitors and leaders and it will provide an opportunity to do that.\" It has also been confirmed Mrs May will live in the flat above 11 Downing Street while Chancellor Philip Hammond moves into the Number 10 flat, continuing a recent tradition established by Tony Blair and continued by Gordon Brown and David Cameron. Meanwhile, Mr Johnson has stopped his weekly Daily Telegraph column now he has been appointed foreign secretary. The ex-London mayor was paid just under \u00c2\u00a330,000 a month for the column. His spokesman said it \"would not be appropriate\" for it continue given his new role. Publication of his book on William Shakespeare has been postponed.", "summary": "Boris Johnson is to share the foreign secretary's official country residence with Cabinet colleagues David Davis and Liam Fox, Downing Street has announced."}
{"article": "Former Juventus playmaker Pirlo's \u00a35.17m annual salary makes him Major League Soccer's highest earner, while ex-Chelsea and Manchester City midfielder Lampard, 37, is on \u00a33.8m. \"I asked them the question, why come to MLS now?\" said Reyna. \"They looked me in the eye and said they wanted to compete.\" Lampard missed a planned debut in Sunday's 4-4 draw against Toronto FC with a calf injury. Media playback is not supported on this device Thirty-six-year-old Pirlo, who still wants to be a part of Italy's Euro 2016 squad, is likely to play for the first time when NYC FC entertain Orlando at Yankee Stadium on 26 July. \"We are starting a club from scratch,\" said Reyna. \"It is not just about bringing great players in. We are trying to establish a culture and a foundation for the way we want to train and act around the changing room. \"At this stage, that is as important as the result we get on a weekend. \"These guys are experienced. They are mentally very strong. That is why they have been as good as they are for so long. \"That will supersede their age.\" Chosen as an expansion club in May 2013, NYC FC became MLS' 20th franchise and launched at the start of the 2015 season. They are part of the City Football Group founded by Manchester City owner Sheik Mansour, and have sister clubs in Melbourne and Yokohama. They have the same sponsor - Etihad Airlines - and also wear sky blue shirts. On 6 July, the club announced Pirlo had joined them from Juventus, becoming their third 'Designated Player' - each club can sign up to three players whose wages exceed the salary cap - alongside Lampard and Spain World Cup winner David Villa. NYC FC began their debut campaign with a 1-1 draw at Orlando on 8 March and beat New England Revolution in front of 43,507 in their first home game at Yankee Stadium the following week. Results since then have been patchy and the 4-4 draw with Toronto left them second bottom of the Eastern Conference, three points off a play-off place. Crowds remain good - they attracted their highest attendance, 48,047, to the 'derby' with New York Red Bulls on 28 June and their average gate of 28,785 is only beaten by Seattle Sounders (40,236) and Orlando (34,005) in MLS. \"There is a long way to go but New York is the most diverse city in America,\" said first-time fan, Scott Carey, 23. \"That will jump start it.\" Opinion is split. Local shopkeeper Saeed Abbad is impressed. \"When they get big crowds - like the Red Bulls game - the atmosphere is exactly the same as when the Yankees are playing,\" he said. \"Remember, the Yankees have been going for 114 years. The soccer team has hardly been here for that many days.\" Others are not so sure. \"New York City won't do anything for football in this country,\" said Cody Kaczetow, 23, another first-timer. \"It is not going anywhere in terms of how people respect it. It will", "summary": "Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo have not joined New York City FC just for the money, according to the club's sporting director Claudio Reyna."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device With McGrath without several experienced campaigners, the side has only seven starters from last summer's qualifier defeat by Mayo. Left-half forward Dessie Ward will be Monaghan's only championship debutant. With Darren Hughes ruled out by injury, Karl O'Connell switches to midfield in a largely experienced Monaghan side. Cian McManus and Kane Connor will be making their first championship starts for Fermanagh although they did come on as substitutes during last summer's campaign. McGrath believes his side can upset Monaghan despite being without several experienced campaigners. Injury has ruled out Ruairi Corrigan, Declan McCusker, Owen McManus and Ryan Jones. Richard O'Callaghan, James McMahon, Marty O'Brien and Damian Kelly are also missing but McGrath remains positive. That leaves Michael Jones, Che Cullen, Aiden Breen, Eoin Donnelly, Ryan Lyons, Sean Quigley and Tomas Corrigan as the survivors from the controversial defeat by Mayo last summer although Kane Connor and Paul McCusker did come on as substitutes in that game. \"If we play to our potential, we can still be very, very competitive against Monaghan,\" said the Erne county boss. McGrath accepts that Monaghan will go into the Clones game as favourites having won two of the last four Ulster titles. Malachy O'Rourke's Farney County side also produced a solid league campaign as they comfortably retained their Division One status while in contrast, Fermanagh dropped back to Division Three in a major setback for the county. \"Yes they are a very accomplished team and they are experienced in the right way, with them certainly not an old team,\" admits McGrath. \"Their system of play has been road-tested and found to be successful so it's a huge task for us. \"But the championship is about performance collectively as a team and individually as players. \"We have worked very hard over this last number of weeks. We too have a lot of very high-quality footballers.\" Holding midfielder O'Callaghan looks a big loss for McGrath's side after opting out to spend time in Australia. Defenders O'Brien and Kelly opted to quit inter-county duty over the winter while the injury list included Ruairi Corrigan who missed the entire league campaign following shoulder surgery. Monaghan: R Beggan; F Kelly, D Wylie, R Wylie; C Walshe (capt), V Corey, N McAdam; K Hughes, K O'Connell; G Doogan, S Carey, D Ward; C McCarthy, J McCarron, C McManus. Subs: C Forde, K Duffy, J Mealiff, D Mone, B Greenan, A Lynch, D Malone, O Duffy, R McAnespie, T Kerr, M Bannigan. Fermanagh: T Treacy; M Jones, C Cullen, C McManus; A Breen, R McCluskey, CP Murphy; E Donnelly, L Cullen; B Mulrone, R Lyons, P McCusker; K Connor, Sean Quigley, T Corrigan.", "summary": "Fermanagh boss Pete McGrath hands a championship debut to Conor Murphy for Saturday evening's Ulster Football opener against Monaghan."}
{"article": "Their ship, the FV Naham 3, was seized south of the Seychelles in March 2012. The vessel and its crew were kept off the Somali coast, until it sank. The hostages - from a number of East Asian countries - were then brought ashore and held in the bushland. They are believed to be some of the last remaining captives seized by Somali pirates in the mid-2000s. Piracy off the coast of Somalia has reduced significantly in recent years. The men are from Cambodia, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. John Steed, who works with the Hostage Support Partnership, said information about the hostages' condition was limited to photos sent to prove the men were still alive. \"We won't know until I actually pick them up inside Somalia tomorrow,\" he told the BBC. \"The guys are pretty ragged, very thin, malnourished. Several of them had to see a doctor today because they were unwell.\" He said he could not comment on whether any payment was made to secure the captives. However, he said the local community and tribal elders were involved in the \"difficult situation\". \"These are poor fishermen. The ship had no value, they had no insurance, and of course governments don't want to be involved in these sort of negotiations either,\" he said.", "summary": "Twenty-six men held hostage by Somali pirates for nearly five years have been released, international mediators say."}
{"article": "Two-time major winner McIlroy, 25, and Danish former world number one Wozniacki, 23, announced their engagement on New Year's Eve. Media playback is not supported on this device \"The problem is mine,\" McIlroy said. \"The wedding invitations issued at the weekend made me realise that I wasn't ready for all that marriage entails.\" The couple had been together for more than two years. McIlroy is currently at Wentworth for the BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour's flagship event which starts on Thursday. Wozniacki is set to compete in the French Open in Paris starting on 25 May. In a statement issued through his management company, McIlroy added: \"There is no right way to end a relationship that has been so important to two people. \"I wish Caroline all the happiness she deserves and thank her for the great times we have had.\" \"The news has shocked the worlds of both golf and tennis, particularly with the timing of the split. McIlroy is due to start a crucial run of tournaments, while Wozniacki is playing the upcoming French Open.\" Speaking at Wentworth on Wednesday, McIlroy said the decision to end the engagement had been mutual and amicable. He said it was a difficult time, but that the move was best for both of them. McIlroy won the US Open in 2011 and US PGA Championship the following year. Wozniacki, who has reached the final of one grand slam tournament - the US Open in 2009 - is currently ranked 13th in the world. When McIlroy announced their engagement, he tweeted: \"I have a feeling it is going to be a great year.\"", "summary": "Northern Irish golf star Rory McIlroy has broken off his engagement with tennis player Caroline Wozniacki."}
{"article": "Alan Bennett, of Lingholme, Redcar, was at Teesside Magistrates' Court for the short hearing during which he confirmed his name and address. He is accused of murdering Lynne Freeman, 46, and 30-year-old Jodie Betteridge, on Wednesday evening. He was remanded in custody and will appear at Teesside Crown Court on 29 March. Police were called to Mapleton Crescent, where Mrs Freeman lived on Wednesday evening, then seven minutes later to Ms Betteridge's address in Byland Close. Ms Freeman's children Sarah Helm, 28, James Helm, 27, Kimberley Helm, 25 and Lauren Freeman, 18, previously said in a statement: \"We shouldn't have to be writing a tribute to our mother who was taken from us so early. She should still be here to watch her four kids and grandkids grow.\" In tribute to Ms Betteridge, Theresa Largan, 51, said: \"Jodie lived for her kids. I don't think I ever saw her on her own, she always had the tribe with her.\"", "summary": "A man has appeared in court accused of murdering two women within minutes of each other in separate attacks."}
{"article": "The California company, which is due to release a new phone later this year, said it sold 50.8 million iPhones in the period, down 1% year-on-year. Apple reported a 4.6% rise in revenue across the whole company, slightly below analysts' expectations. Shares in the firm fell nearly 2% in after-hours trading after earlier hitting a record high. Apple said quarterly profits were $11bn (\u00c2\u00a38.5bn), up 4.9% from the same period in 2016. Despite falling unit sales, revenue from the iPhone still climbed 1% to $33.2bn as it sold more of the bigger, more expensive iPhone 7 Plus. This is always the least impressive time of year for Apple's earnings, come as it does after the Christmas period. But worse-than-expected iPhone sales had investors slightly unhappy after anticipation of strong earnings sent shares to record highs earlier on Tuesday. That said, revenues are up, in part because of \"robust\" sales of the iPhone 7 Plus, the bigger, pricier model. Tim Cook told investors he was also pleased with the continued growth of its Services division - that's things like Apple Music, Apple TV, iTunes and so on - but the health of Apple is only realistically measured with the success of that all-conquering smartphone. Which is why the rest of the year will be exciting to watch. With the iPhone's 10th anniversary upon us, expectations are high for the next device. Anything short of a major improvement would be troubling for investors who are banking on the next iPhone being a blockbuster, not an incremental upgrade.", "summary": "Apple sold fewer iPhones than a year ago in the first three months of 2017, the company said in its latest results."}
{"article": "The Whites will move above Sheffield Wednesday into the top six if they beat Blackburn at Craven Cottage on Tuesday. Button, 28, who joined Fulham last summer from Brentford, told BBC London: \"There's 10 games to go, nearly a quarter of a season. \"A lot of things can change so as confident as we are, we've got to make sure we maintain that.\" Fulham are the Championship's in-form side, taking 17 points from their last seven games, including a 3-1 victory at leaders Newcastle on Saturday. Reaching the play-offs would mark a dramatic turnaround in 15 months under head coach Slavisa Jokanovic after they finished 20th last season. The former Watford manager transformed the squad ahead of his first full season, including bringing in Button - and the goalkeeper praised Jokanovic for his impact. \"The gaffer and his team know exactly what they want from us and drilled it into us from day one,\" he added. \"Why it's clicked recently I'm not too sure. Obviously there were a lot of changes in the summer, a lot of new faces. \"We're getting to know each other and we've shown on the pitch that it has come together.\"", "summary": "Goalkeeper David Button says Fulham can not afford to be complacent as they target a Championship play-off place."}
{"article": "Matthew Whelan, 29, from Mancot, Flintshire, had previously admitted wounding with intent but denied attempting to murder Imtiaz Ul Haq. He changed his plea at Mold Crown Court on Monday. His sentence was adjourned pending the outcome of the trial of a co-defendant. Mr Haq, 58, suffered serious injuries to his throat during the incident at the Costcutters store in Queensferry on 8 December. Whelan, who has previously admitted a charge of robbery, was remanded in custody. Co-defendant Leslie Baines, 47, from Connah's Quay, denies robbery and is due to go on trial in May.", "summary": "A man has admitted a charge of attempted murder after a shopkeeper's neck was cut during a robbery at his premises."}
{"article": "Chasing 261 to win, Durham began on 15-1 and nightwatchman Mark Wood (66) hit his highest first-class score as he put on 116 with Keaton Jennings (61). Notts took two quick wickets before Scott Borthwick's 51 took Durham close. Michael Richardson (51 not out) ensured Durham completed a three-day win, leaving Notts still without a victory. Nottinghamshire have now drawn three and lost one of their opening four matches in the Championship. Durham reduced their victory target to 154 runs when they reached lunch on 107-1. Notts gave themselves hope as Luke Wood had Jennings caught by Steven Mullaney at gully, while Harry Gurney got one to move sharply to dismiss Mark Wood six overs later. Media playback is not supported on this device Wood, who did not feature in England's recent tour of West Indies, spent 114 balls at the crease, hitting a six and nine fours, passing his previous best of 58 not out at Trent Bridge two years ago. Durham then eased to their victory target, thanks largely to a stand of 86 in 14.4 overs between Borthwick and Richardson. Borthwick hit eight fours in his 65-ball knock for a fourth half-century of the season, before being trapped lbw by Samit Patel. Durham suffered a dramatic collapse in their last match against Middlesex when, chasing 259, they were bowled out for only 71. Calum MacLeod (21 not out) made sure there would be no such problems and struck Patel for a six and a four in one over, before hitting the winning run off the same bowler. Durham batsman Keaton Jennings: \"For Mark Wood to get a career-best on that pitch was phenomenal. \"He's a tremendous competitor and he looked calm and controlled. He took the pressure off me. \"We tried to play every ball on its merit, knowing we needed to get through the first hour. To get through the morning unscathed was a real bonus.\" Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell: \"There wasn't much swing but there was still a bit of movement off the seam. \"We beat the bat a bit but from a slightly shorter length than is needed here. It's not a difficult ground to bowl on. \"If you have a first-innings lead of 83 here and then lose you have probably bowled pretty poorly.\" BBC Newcastle's Martin Emmerson: \"I am not really sure why it is but Durham continue to hold a spell over Notts - this was their fifth win in six games. \"Having been bowled out for just 163 on Monday in their second batting horror show of the last week, you wouldn't have given them much hope of chasing down 261, the highest total in the game. \"Eighteen wickets fell on Monday but by lunchtime none had gone today. \"Credit to Keaton Jennings and Mark Wood for their stand of 116 runs, while it was nice to see half-centuries for Scott Borthwick and Michael Richardson as they helped restore some timely confidence.\"", "summary": "Durham beat Nottinghamshire by six wickets to secure their third Championship win of 2015 and continue their good start to the season."}
{"article": "Tour operator TUI has been accused of failing to vet security at the hotel in Sousse where a gunman killed 38 people. Andrew Ritchie QC said the families of those who died believed TUI's \"utter complacency\" amounted to neglect. TUI's lawyers had argued against a neglect finding, saying \"matters could have been worse\" during the attack. Islamist Seifeddine Rezgui attacked the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba hotel on 26 June 2015, before he was shot dead by police. The inquest into the deaths of the Britons heard that \"part of the attack or most of it could have been prevented\" had security been tighter. Who were the British victims? What exactly happened on the day? Mr Ritchie said it was the victims' families' submission \"that TUI's utter complacency in the face of the risk posed to its customers in Tunisia and its abrogation of responsibility for security was the very essence of neglect\". He told the inquest at London's Royal Courts of Justice that the Tunisian government had been taking the terror risk seriously, but TUI and the hotel operators had not. Guests were \"dependent\" upon hotel owners, operators and travel companies for their safety, he added. He went on to say the guards at the Riu Imperial Marhaba had not been an effective deterrent and the lack of CCTV had made it a target. Mr Ritchie argued the coroner, Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith, should consider a \"neglect\" conclusion, saying there had been \"gross neglect\" on the part of TUI. But Howard Stevens QC, counsel for TUI, told the inquest: \"It's relevant to note that some steps were taken, even if [in] your conclusion of these steps you incline to the view that perhaps more could have been done or things could have been done better.\" He said even if there had been additional CCTV cameras or guards it \"cannot be said that any of these measures would probably have made a difference\". A suggestion the beach gate should have been shut or locked to stop the attacker entering did not amount to a \"gross failure\", he submitted. He said \"matters could have been worse\" because people on the beach would not have been able to escape through the gate had that been the case. Mr Stevens also told the inquest there had not been any \"gross failure\" to contact the police by hotel staff, and TUI acted in line with other operators in sending tourists to Tunisia. Counsel to the inquest, Samantha Leek, had said she did not agree with incorporating \"neglect\" in the conclusion and unlawful killing verdicts were the only ones open to the coroner. The Foreign Office's counsel, Andrew O'Connor, called for a \"neutral and non-judgmental\" conclusion, saying a neglect verdict was \"not available\" on the evidence heard. Coroner Judge Loraine-Smith indicated he would not accept the neglect submission and would give his conclusions on Tuesday.", "summary": "A coroner has rejected a request to rule that neglect played a part in the deaths of 30 Britons killed in the Tunisia resort attack in 2015."}
{"article": "Huston, who was 38th in qualifying, had earlier progressed from the last 32 by beating Dutchman Rick Van Der Ven with his final arrow. However, his Olympic Games debut was later ended as Bonchan won 6-0. There was Just two points between the pair in the first two sets, and one point in the third. Huston was the first British athlete in Olympic Games action in Rio last Friday. The archer was competing minus his trademark flat cap after it fell foul of the British Olympic Association's dress code.", "summary": "Belfast man Patrick Huston was beaten by Korea's Ku Bonchan at the last-16 stage in the men's individual archery at the Olympic Games on Wednesday."}
{"article": "14 May 2016 Last updated at 18:29 BST Ahmed Soultan, a pioneer of Morocco's urban music scene, Listen to a sample of his track Afrobian which features Femi Kuti, Fred Wesley and Pee Wee Ellis.", "summary": "DJ Rita Ray looks at some of the best recent music releases from Morocco - and why some North African musicians are seeking inspiration further south."}
{"article": "The event was missing from calendar in 2014 and 2015 because of financial limitations but is set to return as the first race of the season next year. The organising club have applied for Friday 1 April and Saturday 2 April as its dates for next year. A new title sponsor, JFM Haulage, has been acquired for the event. Traditionally, the Cookstown 100 has been the first race of the Irish road racing season, but that is set to change next year. The April date switch has still to be ratified by the sport's governing body, the MCUI, Ulster Centre, however. The race will still be held over the 3.6-mile Clough course, although work will be carried out to certain parts of the course. For many years, the Mid Antrim was staged in August, although a June date was experimented with in 2012, before the event reverted back to its usual August date the following season.", "summary": "The organisers of the Mid Antrim 150 have applied for an early April date as they seek to resurrect the national road race in 2016."}
{"article": "Two girls aged 17 and 18, were taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital with respiratory and abdominal issues. Christopher Wardle, 25, formerly of Barrack Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Spencer Benham, 23, of Wilberforce Road, Leicester, pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon. They were sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on 15 July. More on this story and others from Staffordshire Twelve people, who were inside the restaurant at the time, were also examined by paramedics after reporting \"varying degrees of respiratory and stomach irritation\", West Midlands Ambulance Service said.", "summary": "Two men who set off a canister in a fast-food restaurant have been jailed for 10 months each."}
{"article": "Physics suggests equal amounts of matter and antimatter should have been made in the Big Bang. In 2010, researchers at the Tevatron accelerator claimed preliminary results showing a small excess of matter over antimatter as particles decayed. The team has submitted a paper showing those results are on a firmer footing. Each of the fundamental particles known has an antimatter cousin, with identical properties but opposite electric charge. When a particle encounters its antiparticle, they \"annihilate\" each other, disappearing in a high-energy flash of light. The question remains: why did this not occur in the early Universe with the equal amounts of matter and antimatter, resulting in a Universe devoid of both? The Tevatron results come from a shower of particles produced at the facility when smashing protons into their antimatter counterparts, antiprotons. The proton-antiproton collisions in turn create a number of different particles, and the team operating the Tevatron's DZero detector first noticed a discrepancy in the decay of particles called B mesons. These decayed into pairs of particles called muons alongside pairs of their antimatter versions, antimuons. But, as the team reported in May 2010 in a paper published in Physical Review Letters, there was a notable 1% excess of the matter particles. However, unpicking important events in the soup of interactions created in particle physics experiments meant that those measurements were associated with a level of uncertainty - reflecting the probability that the effect they see is a random statistical occurrence, rather than new physics. The researchers now have 50% more data to work with, and have tried to establish that their earlier result in fact came from the particle decays that they first proposed. As they reported this Thursday, they have now reduced the uncertainty in their experiment to a level of \"3.9 sigma\", or 3.9 standard deviations - equivalent to a 0.005% probability that the effect is a fluke. But particle physics has a strict definition for what may be called a discovery - the \"five sigma\" level of certainty, or about a 0.00003% chance that the effect is not real - which the team must show before they can claim to have solved the long-standing matter/antimatter mystery.", "summary": "US particle physicists are inching closer to determining why the Universe exists in its current form, made overwhelmingly of matter."}
{"article": "Theresa May has not secured the clear mandate that she sought for her version of a hard Brexit. When she called the election, she declared: \"Every vote for the Conservatives will make me stronger when I negotiate for Britain with the prime ministers, presidents and chancellors of the European Union.\" Well, she is not stronger. She has fewer seats than she started with. As a result, it will now be hard for the government - formed with the help of Northern Ireland's DUP - to start talking to the EU in nine days time as planned without rethinking its strategy. The EU will be dismayed at the uncertainty the election has created. They had hoped Mrs May, with a healthy majority under her belt, would be a strong negotiator, liberated from the strictures of the Brexit ultras in her party. Instead, the 27 other EU member states are facing a divided British parliament in a divided Britain. The EU's budget commissioner, Gunther Oettinger, told German radio he was unsure the Brexit negotiations could begin on time. He said having Britain as a weak negotiating partner could result in what he described as \"a poor outcome\". With her government relying on the support of the DUP, Mrs May could start negotiations but she might have to compromise over her plans if she wants to get any Brexit-related legislation through the House of Commons. Depending on the wishes of the Democratic Unionist Party MPs would be a recipe for survival, not stability. If at any point Mrs May stands down as prime minister, any negotiations over Brexit would be delayed while the Conservative Party chooses a replacement for her and discusses if or how to change its approach to Brexit. This would not be straightforward because Tory divisions over Europe would remain and potential leadership contenders would have to decide whether to argue for a soft or hard Brexit. The key question would be this - can the Tories continue pushing for a hard Brexit, defined as a free trade deal with the EU outside the single market, the customs union and the free movement of workers? Or might they be forced to consider a softer Brexit that involved, say, some single market membership in order to secure the support of other parties? Might that put the so-called Norway option back on the table? Norway, it must be remembered, has access to the single market through its membership of the European Economic Area but is not a member of the EU. Speaking on ITV News, the former Chancellor George Osborne said: \"Hard Brexit went into the rubbish bin tonight.\" There will now be a battle royal within the Conservatives between those who agree with Mr Osborne's analysis and those hardline Brexiteers who do not. And of course there is always the possibility that a second general election could be called at some point. This would yet more take time and yet more delay to any Brexit discussions. One big question is whether the UK could stop the clock on the Article 50 Brexit negotiations", "summary": "Britain's exit from the European Union has been plunged into uncertainty."}
{"article": "The bank's shares in Frankfurt closed 5% lower, despite a statement from the bank that it had sufficient reserves to make bond payments. On Monday, shares slumped 9.5% and have fallen more than 40% this year. Earlier, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said he had \"no concerns\" about the bank. He was speaking to journalists after a meeting in Paris. On Tuesday, the bank's co-chief executive John Cryan, sent a message to all staff in which he assured them the bank was in a strong financial position, despite global growth fears, low oil and other commodity prices, and the fact that the bank would be booking write-downs in its fourth quarter. He said that while the stock markets had \"expressed some concern about the adequacy of our legal provisions\", he did not \"share that concern\". \"We will almost certainly have to add to our legal provisions this year, but this is already accounted for in our financial plan,\" he said. Mr Cryan added: \"Volatility in the fourth quarter impacted the earnings of most major banks, especially those in Europe, and clients may ask you about how the market-wide volatility is impacting Deutsche Bank.\" He said staff at the bank could tell customers concerned about investing with the bank that \"Deutsche Bank remains absolutely rock-solid, given our strong capital and risk position\". The email to staff, made publicly available via the bank's official Twitter account, is an unusual step. It follows Monday's statement to investors in which the bank stated its 2016 payment capacity was estimated to be about \u20ac1bn (\u00a3783m), sufficient to pay so-called additional tier 1 (AT1) coupons of approximately \u20ac350m on 30 April. Such statements are rare and illustrate the level of fear currently stalking the markets, In recent weeks, bank stocks have suffered heavy losses, with traders citing concerns about the level of exposure some banks may have to commodity and oil company debt, amid a desire among some mining and oil firms to maintain dividend payments even if they have to borrow to do so. The bank is also the subject of takeover speculation in German media, given the low value of its share price. Deutsche Bank has had negative press for years now amid a series of scandals and litigation. It chalked up a record loss of \u20ac6.8bn last year. Fears that banks do not have the financial reserves to cope with a major oil or commodities company reneging on its debt payments were reflected in European stock markets on Tuesday, with banking stocks and commodities firms under particular pressure in afternoon trade across all the major European indexes. In the UK, miners led the losers' board on the FTSE 100, with Anglo American down almost 10% at 339.20p, Antofagasta down 8.9% at 412.90p and Glencore down more than 7.3% at 95.28p. Royal Bank of Scotland was 1.95% lower at 226.20p, Barclays was 3.6% lower at 158.05p and HSBC was lower by 0.95% at 434.30p.", "summary": "Shares in Deutsche Bank continued to fall on Tuesday, despite assurances from the bank that its balance sheet was \"rock solid\"."}
{"article": "Launching the party in Sydney, founder Diaa Mohamed told Fairfax he wanted a louder voice for Muslims. \"There are a lot of parties out there to specifically oppose Islam and Muslims, yet Muslims don't have any official representation,\" he said. Australia has a number of anti-Islam parties, including one backed by Dutch MP Geert Wilders. Australia is not short of political parties. From today you can add another to the list: the Australian Muslim Party. But its chances of winning a senate seat are slim. Even in the parliamentary constituency with the highest proportion of Muslims, just over 20% of people follow the Islamic faith. \"Anyone can set up a political party,\" ABC's political analyst Antony Green told me. \"It doesn't mean you're going to get elected and it's far from clear how much community support he (Mr Mohammed) has.\" Read more from Jon Donnison: Australian Muslim Party's tough road to representation Mr Mohamed, a 34-year-old businessman, also defended launching the party immediately after terror attacks in Paris this week. \"There are going to be a lot of questions raised in the coming days of the events recently, and this is the whole reason we created this party,\" he told the ABC's AM program. \"So it is as good a time as any to launch it.\" Mr Mohamed condemned the attacks in Paris and said Islam strictly forbade the killing of innocent people. But he said his party would never support the invasion of a Muslim country in response to an incident such as the attacks in Paris. \"Let's look at how well that's worked in the past. We've invaded Afghanistan \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 we've invaded Iraq, and we're in the mess we're in right now,\" he said. \"So would I support something that's never worked in the past? No.\"", "summary": "Australia's first party representing Muslims intends to contest senate seats at the next federal election."}
{"article": "The Project Literacy alliance says that 11% of the world's population remains unable to read or write. The campaign is lobbying leaders attending the United Nations general assembly in New York, which has been setting global education targets. \"The curse of illiteracy is global and devastating,\" said campaign spokeswoman Kate James. The Project Literacy campaign says it is creating a virtual \"petition\" on behalf of 757 million people who cannot write their own name. The partnership brings together charities such as the National Literacy Trust, BookAid and Room to Read, along with education businesses such as Pearson. The campaign says that illiteracy is a major barrier to economic development, costing $1.19 trillion (\u00c2\u00a31.25tn) per year. Global education targets, such as the goal of providing primary education for all, have been set since 1990. But the campaign says that in sub-Saharan Africa, there are 37% more illiterate adults than there were in 1990. The project highlights the gender gap in who is taught to read and write. Women represent about five in seven of those who are illiterate around the world. The campaign argues that literacy is linked to better health, reducing crime, job opportunities and democratic engagement. There are 32 million illiterate adults in the United States and more than 70% of the US prison population have the literacy levels of a nine-year-old or lower. The impact of illiteracy was \"inequality, poverty and disease\", said Ms James. World leaders have been gathering at the United Nations to approve global development targets - the sustainable development goals. These replace pledges made in the millennium year. Although some progress was made, none of the targets for education, such as universal primary education, were fully achieved by the deadline of 2015.", "summary": "A coalition of charities and businesses is calling on world leaders to make tackling illiteracy a global priority."}
{"article": "The Northern Ireland Under-21 international will wear the number 28 shirt and was on the bench for Saturday's trip to Leyton Orient. McKnight, 20, started out as a trainee at Barnsley without making any first team appearances. He joined Shrewsbury last summer, but was released in January. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League Two side Morecambe have signed former Shrewsbury midfielder Darren McKnight on a short-term deal until the end of the season."}
{"article": "The 31-year-old has been out since February with a cruciate knee ligament injury but is close to full fitness. After beginning his career at Tottenham he spent time on loan at Swindon, QPR, Gillingham and Norwich and joined Hull in 2006, before switching to the Clarets four years later. \"I'm over the moon to secure my future for the next couple of years,\" he said. \"I love it here. If it was for five years to stay here, then I would have signed that.\"", "summary": "Burnley midfielder Dean Marney has signed a new two-year contract until 2017 with Championship side Burnley."}
{"article": "Karen Gell, 50, from Manchester, and Ann Marie Dewhurst, known as Marie, 69, from Preston, perished in the crash on the A69 just before 10:00 BST on Saturday. It happened on an eastbound stretch of the road between Haydon Bridge and Bardon Mill, Northumbria Police said. Six people are recovering at home while two others remain in hospital. The road was closed for several hours. One of those in hospital has critical but stable injuries and the other has serious but not life-threatening injuries, police said.", "summary": "Two people who died in a four-vehicle crash have been named by police."}
{"article": "The figure was released as Barclays reported a 26% drop in quarterly statutory profits to \u00a31.34bn. However, excluding one-off items, including another \u00a3150m for mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI), adjusted profit rose 9% to \u00a31.85bn. Barclays' chief executive said he was pleased with the start to the year. Barclays has now put aside \u00a32.05bn to cover foreign exchange settlements. Last year, six leading banks reached a settlement with US and UK regulators over allegations they were trying to rig the foreign exchange market, but Barclays has yet to reach a deal for its alleged malpractice. The bank's finance director, Tushar Morzaria, said the new provision reflected \"the further discussions that we've been having with a number of regulators and agencies around the world across multiple jurisdictions and it really reflects our best estimate of the full cost of these related matters\". He said Barclays was trying to resolve the matter, but the timing was out of its hands: \"We don't control the timetable, but we're working as hard as we can to resolve these matters.\" In November, HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, Swiss bank UBS and US banks JP Morgan Chase, Citibank and Bank of America were all fined for colluding to interfere with the market-set price of various currencies. The fines were issued by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and two US regulators. PPI mis-selling has now cost Barclays \u00a35.4bn. In total, UK banks have paid out more than \u00a326bn for this type of mis-selling. Last year, Barclays began a thorough overhaul of its business under boss Antony Jenkins. Barclays has scaled back its once-mighty investment banking division and is placing a greater emphasis on retail banking. It is in the process of cutting 19,000 jobs, cutting costs and selling off unwanted assets. Barclays said so far it had cut costs by 7% and reduced investment risk. Mr Jenkins said: \"While we still have much to do, I am pleased with how we've begun 2015.\" The bank's statement also said that resolving legacy conduct issues (such as mis-selling and market rigging) was an important part of its plan to transform Barclays. Richard Hunter, at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, said that resolving these issues was proving troublesome: \"The clear fly in the ointment is the additional provisions undertaken for the forex investigation and litigation, as well as the seemingly perennial PPI situation. \"The fact that these are being made are further proof if it were needed that the bank is still some way from distancing itself from the legacy conduct issues prevalent in the sector.\" Shares in Barclays closed down 1.7% to 256.95p. Separately, High Street rival TSB Banking Group reported first quarter profits of \u00a334.2m. The bank, spun off from the Lloyds Banking Group last June, said its share of people switching bank accounts had risen to 7.9%, above its target of 6%. TSB is the UK's seventh biggest bank. Although it has been independent of Lloyds for less than a year, it has already agreed to be taken over by the Spanish bank Sabadell. Its chief executive, Paul Pester,", "summary": "Barclays has put aside another \u00a3800m, largely to cover potential further legal action and penalties for alleged foreign exchange manipulation."}
{"article": "The retired American, 36, said he felt \"exploited\" by McGregor's camp. Malignaggi also reacted angrily on social media to an image that showed him down on the canvas during one of two spars with UFC fighter McGregor. \"This was a push down in sparring, post the whole video, rounds one through 12, unedited,\" he said. UFC lightweight title-holder McGregor will make his professional boxing debut when five-weight world champion Mayweather comes out of retirement to face him in Las Vegas on 26 August. Two-weight world champion Malignaggi had been one of the sparring partners helping to prepare McGregor. Malignaggi claimed he \"beat the breaks off\" McGregor during one session, and the Irishman pushed him down out of \"frustration\". In a post on Instagram, Malignaggi said he will not give away any of McGregor's tactics but added he will speak about what has \"upset\" him \"in time\". \"I came with the best intentions and intended to help out,\" said Malignaggi. \"It's some of the stuff outside the ring and some ways things were handled in training camp that I didn't agree with and made me come to this decision.\" Reacting later to the picture of him on the canvas on Twitter, Malignaggi added: \"I came to help this camp out, not to be exploited, now you're going to get the truth.\" Retired referee Joe Cortez - who officiated when Mayweather beat Ricky Hatton in 2007 - has been working with the McGregor camp to assist in helping the UFC champion adapt to boxing rules. Earlier this week, Cortez revealed he had to stop a sparring session between McGregor and Malignaggi because the pair were \"out of control\". Prior to joining McGregor's team, Malignaggi told BBC Radio 5 live in May that \"not a second\" of the 29-year-old's bout with former five-weight world champion Mayweather would be competitive. A seat on the Las Vegas strip? Mayweather, 40, was undefeated in 49 bouts prior to retiring in 2015 and is a heavy favourite for the sold-out T-Mobile Arena bout. His promotional company has confirmed nine venues will be used on the Las Vegas strip to show the fight on closed circuit television at a cost of $150 (\u00a3114) a seat. Over 400 cinemas across the US will also broadcast the fight at a cost of around \u00a331 a seat, with organisers confident of \"sold out auditoriums\". But earnings from home pay-per-view sales will make up the biggest portion of what is expected to be around $600m of revenue from the fight. Households in the US will have to pay $99 (\u00a375) for high-definition pictures, while in the UK, the figure will be considerably lower at \u00a319.95. Both fighters signed a confidentiality agreement, so their split of the earnings is not known, but it is widely accepted Mayweather will earn more than the reported \u00a3100m McGregor will make from his professional boxing debut. Mayweather has said he expects to earn \"$300m (\u00a3228m) or better in 36 minutes\".", "summary": "Former world champion Paulie Malignaggi has left his role as Conor McGregor's sparring partner in the build-up to the Irishman's bout with Floyd Mayweather."}
{"article": "The report by lawyer Sir Ian Kennedy found concerns about surgeon Ian Paterson dated back to 2003 but were not dealt with for four years. He carried out \"cleavage sparing\" mastectomies while at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust and the review found some women were exposed to a risk of cancer returning. The trust said it was \"very sorry\". Solihull Hospital previously found the surgeon breached guidelines over a procedure that involved leaving behind breast tissue to provide an improved cleavage. Sir Ian's report made a number of recommendations relating to better transparency, improved recording of information, the role of regulators, encouraging staff to raise concerns and increased scrutiny. It found senior managers at the trust did not respond effectively until 2007 and said their response was neither sufficiently robust nor rigorous. Following Mr Paterson's suspension by the General Medical Council [GMC] last year, it referred the case to officers at West Midlands Police. A spokeswoman for the force confirmed its investigations are continuing. Sir Ian's report said the case had lessons for the whole NHS. \"It is a story of clinicians at their wits' end trying for years to get the trust to address what was going on. \"It is a story of clinicians going along with what they knew to be poor performance. \"It is a story of weak and indecisive leadership from senior managers. It is a story of secrecy and containment.\" Mr Paterson was appointed by the trust as a surgeon in 1998. Sir Ian said the breast surgeon, who has since been placed under an interim suspension order, was allowed to carry on operating on women for several years despite a series of concerns raised about him by other medical staff. He added: \"I was shocked by how long it took for effective action to be taken. Why was there not in place a system that could properly address the needs of women?\" Sir Ian said senior managers resorted to \"a sort of auto pilot\" and \"excluded everyone but a small number in the know\". However, the report went on to say that it was \"mistaken and naive\" to believe that any one person was truly responsible. The report said the trust had \"a huge task on its hands to win back some measure of confidence\". It added: \"[Staff] have lost confidence in the management of the trust, they...feel betrayed that no one listened to them, that things were allowed to go unchallenged for so long, that they cannot trust those charged with leading the trust.\" The review found the trust board was excluded from access to much of the information by senior managers and made no formal effort to assert itself and become involved. Sir Ian said: \"The board is responsible for everything that happens in the trust and if they are going to sleep on the job and don't hold their chief executive to account then they have failed.\" Up to 400 women are believed to be suing the trust for failing to take action over the claims. NHS England said it \"fully", "summary": "Bosses at an NHS trust failed hundreds of breast cancer patients, an independent report has found."}
{"article": "But Jordan says he is unsure whether the 29-year-old German Ferrari driver should face more action. Vettel was given a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for crashing his car into Hamilton's Mercedes on Sunday. \"It's the equivalent of a massive headbutt in soccer,\" Jordan said. Four-time world champion Vettel was given three licence penalty points for his actions, taking him to nine. If he receives another three at the next race in Austria on 7-9 July, it would trigger an automatic ban for the British Grand Prix a week later. \"With the penalty points he received after the race, the stewards clearly had footage that the driver turned into Hamilton,\" Jordan told BBC Radio 5 live. \"This is never acceptable, whatever happened prior to that. You can never take the law into your own hands, certainly not in sport. \"So he got a 10-second penalty but it was a stop-and-go, which we say is equivalent to a 40-second penalty.\" Asked if more punishment should follow, Jordan added: \"That depends on your point of view.\" The Irishman, a former BBC F1 analyst, said the spat would be \"good for the sport\" in marketing terms, but he expects the pair to quickly make up. \"There's actually quite a bit of love between those two, or respect, they appreciate each other, so I don't think there was any malice between them, what happened happened and they will move onto the next race,\" he said. Following the crash, Vettel claimed he responded as he did because Hamilton had 'brake-tested' him - deliberately slowed down to cause him trouble. Stewards examined data from Hamilton's car and concluded he had done nothing wrong - he had merely not accelerated out of the corner as he prepared the restart, as is his right. Hamilton ended the race - won by Daniel Ricciardo - in fifth, a place behind Vettel, and is 14 points behind the German after eight of 20 races. Andrew Benson, chief F1 writer Potentially there is retrospective punishment available but I think it's unlikely. In the old days of Max Mosley, the previous president of F1's governing body the FIA, that sort of thing might have happened. They can call Vettel to a hearing, say they have new evidence and take it further forward from there. But Jean Todt, the current president, does not like to interfere in that way. The feeling is that they can let it lie - Vettel's been punished. Obviously the intent was something they considered before they made the decision. There are some in F1 who think he should have been disqualified. Two senior members from other teams - who weren't involved in the incident - told me they felt that way after the race. But it wasn't very high speed, it was wheel to wheel, there was no damage to Hamilton's car from the side swipe, so you can see it both ways. You cant rule out further action but I don't think it's very likely. Hear more reaction and analysis from BBC Radio 5 live's F1 team as they review the", "summary": "Sebastian Vettel's swerve into title rival Lewis Hamilton at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was like an \"instant red card\" offence in football, according to former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan."}
{"article": "Ruben Oseguera Gonzalez was captured in a dawn raid near Guadalajara - the capital of the western Jalisco state. He is suspected to be second-in-command in the Jalisco New Generation cartel, led by his father Nemesio. The gang is blamed for killing at least 20 police officers in March-April and May's shooting down of an army helicopter in which 10 people died. Mr Oseguera Gonzalez, known as El Menchito, was arrested in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, the authorities said. No shots were fired. This is the second time that he has been captured. He was arrested in January 2014, but was released later that year for lack of evidence. Mr Oseguera Gonzalez is suspected of controlling the cartel's finances and of buying drugs from South American countries. The Jalisco New Generation cartel is involved in large-scale drug trafficking along Mexico's Pacific Coast. It has recently increased its presence in the area, with Jalisco and the neighbouring Michoacan among Mexico's most violent states. The Jalisco New Generation is also engaged in a turf war with the Knights Templar cartel. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico over the past eight years.", "summary": "The Mexican authorities say they have arrested the son of one of the country's most wanted drug lords."}
{"article": "Lawyers told a High Court judge on Friday that both sides had agreed to pause the legal fight for one month. Sir Cliff is suing the BBC and South Yorkshire Police over coverage of the 2014 raid. Lawyers for the singer previously said he had suffered \"profound and long-lasting\" damage from the incident. Mr Justice Mann, who has been overseeing the preliminary hearings at the High Court in London, indicated that he would review matters in the near future. Sir Cliff was investigated over historical sexual assault allegations, which he denied, and the case was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service in June last year because of insufficient evidence. The singer is seeking \"very substantial\" compensation because he says the coverage of the raid at his apartment in Sunningdale, Berkshire, invaded his privacy. BBC editors have previously apologised for distress but have said they will \"defend ourselves vigorously\". A spokeswoman said the BBC had reported Sir Cliff's \"full denial of the allegations at every stage\". South Yorkshire Police have apologised \"wholeheartedly for the additional anxiety caused\" by the force's \"initial handling of the media interest\" in its investigation into the singer.", "summary": "Sir Cliff Richard and the BBC have agreed to try to reach a settlement over coverage of a police raid on the singer's home."}
{"article": "Wildlife enthusiasts had been watching the chicks and their mother and last saw them on the evening of 27 May. However all of the birds, which can be sold for thousands of pounds, disappeared from their Sutton Bank nest in the North York Moors before 4 June. North Yorkshire Police is investigating whether the disappearance was because of a predator or a criminal act.", "summary": "Three peregrine falcon chicks have gone missing from a nest in North Yorkshire, sparking a police investigation."}
{"article": "Conciliation service Acas confirmed talks had ended for the day and would continue on Friday. The RMT told its members to return to work on Wednesday evening as Southern had \"agreed to meet.. without the caveat of any preconditions\". Southern said it had arranged some trains on previously closed routes. Reinstated trains included extra services to Eastbourne, where a four-day air show is being held. The train operator had warned it was too late to replace the strike timetable on Thursday but said it had arranged additional trains on previously closed routes, including Horsham to Dorking, Eastbourne to Ashford International and Littlehampton to Portsmouth & Southsea. An amended timetable will be in place on Friday, Southern posted on its website. Nearly 1,000 services across the Southern network were cancelled on each strike day this week. The disagreement centres on proposals by Southern operator Govia Thameslink (GTR) to turn conductors into \"on-board supervisors\", with drivers taking over responsibility for opening and closing carriage doors. In a letter to RMT general secretary Mick Cash on Monday, GTR warned \"change is happening\". It said: \"Our plans to implement the new role will commence on 21 August... the window for you to reach agreement with us is closing.\" Southern has said it wants the RMT to agree to a list of \"exceptional circumstances\" when a train could be dispatched from stations with only one member of staff on board. The union argues guards help prevent passengers becoming trapped in train doors. But the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) said there could be potential safety benefits from \"the removal of any possible miscommunication, which could exist between driver and guard\". The RSSB said it had analysed safety data and found \"no increased risk of harm to passengers\" where drivers operate powered doors and follow correct procedures. In June Mr Cash said the RSSB was funded by the train companies and it was \"ludicrous\" to regard it as independent. He said previous RSSB studies questioned the safety of driver-only trains. Seafront businesses in Sussex have blamed the long-running Southern train dispute for a downturn in tourist trade. Brighton Pier estimated visitor numbers were down 10% to 30% on last year. Its managing director Anne Martin told the BBC she believed visitors were reluctant to travel on trains they could not rely on. Adam Chinnery of the Seafront Business Association in Brighton warned that traders could not afford to miss income in the summer holiday season. Mr Chinnery, who runs a watersports shop, said: \"Cafes, galleries and the traders are losing out and many of the deckchairs are empty. \"We've only got the summertime. They chose this time to make an impact and it's a bit selfish.\"", "summary": "Southern has added 89 trains to Thursday's timetable after the RMT union suspended a five-day conductors' strike and agreed to new negotiations."}
{"article": "Foras na Gaeilge has said it will cut the number of Irish language groups for which it provides \"core funding\" across the island of Ireland from 19 to six. None of the six successful organisations is currently based in Northern Ireland. Pobal, Iontabhas Ultach, Forbairt Feirste and Altram will lose a significant portion of their budgets. They provide support for the language in business, education and the arts in Northern Ireland. Foras said the bodies it plans to fund in the future will promote the language and provide services on an all-island basis. It agreed the plan at a board meeting in Dublin. Chief executive of Foras, Ferdie Mac an Fhailigh, said: \"`Foras na Gaeilge recognises that the six months ahead will be a difficult period for organisations whose funding from Foras na Gaeilge will come to an end following this decision. \"And every effort will be made to ensure that the Irish-language community will not suffer as a result of these huge changes, and that the important work being done by organisations which were not selected will continue.\" Foras na Gaeilge had to rationalise because a significant proportion of the money it gave out was being spent on salaries. In 2008, it allocated 40% of its budget, 8m euros (\u00c2\u00a36.6m), to the 19 \"core-funded\" organisations. They used more than half of that to pay salaries. In subsequent years, the salary bill continued to increase and by 2011, close to 60% of grant money awarded was being spent on pay. In a report drawn up as part of the rationalisation plan Foras said: `\"Based on the above trend, and were it to continue, most of the funding would be spent on wages and there would be a risk to service provision.\" Foras na Gaeilge was set up in the wake of the Good Friday Agreement to promote the language. It is funded by the Irish government and the Northern Ireland Executive. Its own budget has been significantly reduced in recent years. The rationalisation plan was approved at a meeting of the language body of the North South Ministerial Council in July last year. The meeting was attended by Culture Minister Caral N\u00c3\u00ad Chuil\u00c3\u00adn and her counterpart from the Republic of Ireland, Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Two organisations in Northern Ireland that receive core funding from Foras na Gaeilge will be protected from the changes. Radio Failte, an Irish language station based in Belfast, and an t-Aisionad, an Irish education resources centre based at St Mary's teacher training college on the Falls Road will continue to be funded under separate arrangements. The changes in funding arrangements will take effect from July.", "summary": "Four Irish language organisations in Northern Ireland are to lose key funding under a rationalisation plan."}
{"article": "The 20-year-old, who played 12 games for Rovers last term, will be with the League Two club until January. Calder has yet to make his first-team debut for Villa, who were relegated to the Championship last term, but has been an unused substitute. He played 11 games for Dundee in the Scottish Premiership in 2015-16, prior to his first spell with Doncaster. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Doncaster Rovers have re-signed Aston Villa midfielder Riccardo Calder on a half-season loan."}
{"article": "David McConaghie was accused of recording a woman in the toilets at MP David Simpson's constituency office. A court viewed footage showing what appeared to be McConaghie placing the device in a bowl of potpourri. McConaghie, from Cottage Hill, Dollingstown, denied making recordings for his sexual gratification. The court heard he had made them over a period of several weeks in August and September 2012. When the camera was discovered, Mr Simpson immediately reported it to police, and McConaghie resigned his position. McConaghie will be sentenced in five weeks' time. In a statement, Mr Simpson said he welcomed the decision by the judge. \"This has been an extremely difficult time for my staff, but particularly for the victims,\" he added. Mr Simpson paid tribute to the bravery of his staff in giving evidence and withstanding \"a harsh, invasive cross-examination\".", "summary": "A former church minister and DUP adviser accused of secretly filming a colleague for sexual gratification has been found guilty of the offence."}
{"article": "The Alert Line is designed to provide independent support for anyone wanting to raise concerns about practices within the health service. The Scottish government will also introduce a new Whistleblowing Officer to scrutinise the handling of cases. Health Secretary Shona Robison said she wanted staff to be able to \"speak up without fear\". Ms Robison added: \"I have always been clear that health boards must ensure that it is safe and acceptable for staff to speak up about any concerns they may have, particularly in relation to patient safety. \"We will continue to work with the NHS across Scotland to ensure an open and transparent reporting culture where all staff have the confidence to speak up.\" The National Confidential Alert Line will be extended for one year from 1 August 2016 to 31 July 2017. The phoneline, 0800 008 6112, will pass any concerns raised by employees on to the employer or the relevant regulatory organisation for investigation.", "summary": "A confidential whistleblowing line for NHS staff in Scotland has been extended for a year."}
{"article": "The star said he felt he \"shouldn't be doing it\" because his late friend Cilla Black had originally hosted the show. \"I thought 'This isn't right, it's so synonymous with Cilla, she should be here, not me,'\" he told Radio Times. \"But then I spoke to her sons and lots of people who knew her and they said 'You have to do it, because she'd want you to do it for everyone.'\" Black, who died in August 2015, hosted the ITV dating show from 1985 until 2003. O'Grady said the pair had bonded over their working class Liverpudlian roots. \"We knew where we were both coming from,\" he said. \"We both knew what outside loos were. All the stereotypical stuff.\" O'Grady said it was more difficult to interview contestants than celebrities. \"You're interviewing the public, so they're not as confident. You have to be easy on them.\" Blind Date, which will include LGBT contestants for the first time, begins on Channel 5 on Saturday 17 June. The original ITV version of the show involved three individuals of the same sex being introduced to the audience. They were then asked questions by a contestant of the opposite sex who could not see them - and one would be chosen to go on a date, The new format will retain the sliding panel that conceals the contestants, the three question format and live studio audience, but will also include \"thematic twists\" to \"breathe new life\" into the series, according to Channel 5. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Paul O'Grady says \"it was a shock\" when he first filmed the upcoming revived version of Blind Date."}
{"article": "Chasing 177 for victory, the Tykes were 64-2 when the players went off with the scores tied on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern. Joe Denly smashed 116 not out as several Kent records tumbled in their brilliant victory against Surrey. Clint McKay took 5-11 - the best-ever T20 figures by a Leicestershire bowler - as the Foxes beat Worcestershire. Northants overcame Birmingham Bears by five wickets in a final-ball thriller at Edgbaston, while Michael Carberry's superb 77 led Hampshire to a comfortable 29-run win over Middlesex. But Friday's T20 Blast headlines belonged to Denly and McKay, whose record-breaking feats inspired their teams to success. Given Kent had never chased more than 200 in a T20 match prior to Friday, they could have been forgiven for feeling pessimistic about hunting down Surrey's 205-5. But, clearly inspired by Jason Roy (55) and Aaron Finch's (49) opening stand of 108 for Surrey, Denly and Daniel Bell-Drummond embraced the prospect of breaking new ground for their county. They shared 163 for the first wicket - a new Kent record partnership - before the latter fell for 64, setting the platform for an eight-wicket win at The Oval. Denly was in fine form throughout, smashing six sixes and 10 fours in his 63-ball unbeaten 116, also a T20 record individual score for Kent. Veteran Australian seamer McKay was out to prove that bowlers can still thrive with the white ball. The 34-year-old, who played 59 one-day internationals for his country, returned career-best figures in helping limit Worcestershire to 148-8, also taking the first five-wicket haul of this year's competition. Colin Ackermann's unbeaten 47 saw the Foxes chase down their target with relative ease. Who wins your performance of the night - Denly or McKay?", "summary": "The Roses match between Yorkshire and Lancashire ended in a tie after rain brought their T20 Blast contest at Old Trafford to an early conclusion."}
{"article": "However ITV's documentary, which began an hour earlier, did beat BBC One's Antiques Roadshow, which averaged 4.9m. The Night Manager, an updated version of John Le Carre's 1993 novel, has been a hit with viewers and on social media. The Queen's documentary featured royalty, politicians and celebrities. Reviews have been positive for The Night Manager, starring Tom Hiddleston as the enigmatic Jonathan Pine, who goes undercover to try to expose the activities of billionaire arms dealer Richard Roper, played by Hugh Laurie. The Daily Telegraph called it \"a superb climax\", while pointing out that the ending, in which Roper loses his money and his liberty, differed from the novel's, in which \"Corky survived to expose Pine and thrash him to a pulp for days on end\". Producers told the newspaper they did it to keep viewers \"on their toes\". The Guardian described the series as \"stylish and trenchant espionage drama of, no doubt, award-garnering brilliance\", but the reviewer suggested that Laurie's accent was too similar to one he used 30 years ago in a sketch for A Bit of Fry and Laurie, about about \"two testosterone-charged, Uttoxeter-based health club entrepreneurs\". Tom Hiddleston did his \"best 007 impersonation\", according to the Huffington Post, while the Daily Mirror wrote that the drama gave viewers \"palpitations\" and the Daily Mail said it was \"an explosive mix of gore and subterfuge\". Our Queen at 90, while described by the Daily Telegraph as \"too long\", was ITV's Easter showpiece offering for the Easter weekend, and included extensive behind-the-scenes footage of the Royal Family at work and at play. The paper was impressed by interviews with the other members of the family, including the Duchess of Cambridge's revelation that she and the Queen \"bonded on an away day in Leicester\". The Daily Mail said: \"The real triumph of this film, celebrating the Queen not only as a monarch but also as a private person, was its glimpses of her off-duty.\" It added: \"The scene that summed up her unaffected kindness and, at the same time, her regal charm was filmed at the Sandringham stables. Her Majesty spoke of every animal as a friend, and knew its quirks.\"", "summary": "BBC One's tense thriller The Night Manager averaged 6.6m viewers for its final episode, beating ITV's Our Queen at 90 by one million viewers to win the Easter weekend TV battle."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old Senegal international was airlifted to hospital after a crash on the M4 motorway in London on Sunday. The injury also means he will miss the Africa Cup of Nations in January. \"He isn't having the best of times, but we're all very supportive,\" said Pardew. \"We love Pape and can't wait to have him back.\" Souare is expected to be released from hospital on Saturday. When asked how much of the season Souare would miss, Pardew said: \"Four, five months. Maybe six, he should be up and running again. \"I don't think we have any concerns about Pape returning. It was a broken thigh, that should repair as normal.\" Palace are yet to learn the extent of the damage to some of Souare's muscles, but Pardew said the player was \"very lucky\". He added: \"It was a terrible accident. We owe a huge debt to the London Air Ambulance and the surgeons who helped him.\" Souare, who joined side Palace from French club Lille in January 2015, has made 46 Premier League appearances for the Eagles. Palace host Stoke on Sunday (14:15 BST)", "summary": "Crystal Palace defender Pape Souare will be out for up to six months after breaking his thighbone in a car crash, says manager Alan Pardew."}
{"article": "Uncertainty over Black Friday trading, investment in online ordering, and a \"challenging\" first half could mean underlying full-year profit before tax is below \u00a3115m, Home Retail Group said. In the half year to 29 August, group sales fell 2% to \u00a32.6bn. But underlying profit before tax increased by 10% to \u00a334.1m. Home Retail Group chief executive John Walden said: \"While group benchmark profit before tax increased slightly during the first half, performance overall was mixed.\" And he added: \"At this stage of the financial year we expect the group's full-year benchmark profit before tax to be slightly below the bottom end of the current range of market expectations of \u00a3115m to \u00a3140m.\" Home Retail Group shares dived almost 14% in early trading in reaction to the warning. Mr Walden reiterated that trading at Argos over the key Christmas period was likely to be \"less predictable than usual\" due to the impact of Black Friday shopping deals. Originating in the US, Black Friday is becoming a major day for UK retailers. Last year, police were called in a number of UK cities amid frenzied buying from shoppers. Analysts said Black Friday offers caused a shift in spending patterns in the final quarter of last year, which may have had a negative impact on Christmas shopping. Mr Walden said Home Retail Group had increased investment in \"Fast Track\", Argos' online ordering, delivery, and click-and-collect service. The service, which was announced last week, offers a same-day delivery service across the UK, seven days a week. Home Retail Group is in the process of trying to transform Argos from a catalogue-based retailer into a more digital business. However, Mr Walden said that Argos had a \"challenging first half\", with like-for-like sales down 3.4%. The chain suffered from weak sales of TVs and tablet computers. But Homebase like-for-like sales rose 5.6%, with Hygena kitchens, Ideal Standards bathrooms and Habitat furniture sales growing.", "summary": "The owner of Argos and Homebase, Home Retail Group, has warned that its full-year underlying profits are set to fall below market expectations."}
{"article": "The 2ft (60cm) statue of a young girl was presented to Burhill Primary School, in Pleasant Place, Hersham, in memory of the former pupil. The eight-year-old was murdered by convicted paedophile Roy Whiting in West Sussex in 2000. The statue was discovered after it was left outside a property in Cobham. Three people were thought to be involved in theft, which happened at about 01:00 GMT on Wednesday, Surrey Police said. The statue was believed to have been left outside the address in Northfield road between 05:15 and 07:30 on Thursday. Sgt Marc Nettleingham said: \"The member of the public who found the statue, which is thankfully undamaged, had seen our appeal on Facebook. \"We are continuing to carry out a number of inquiries to identify the offenders responsible for this theft.\" Police said a van was also seen in the area at the time of the theft.", "summary": "A bronze statue commemorating murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne that was stolen from her primary school in Surrey has been found."}
{"article": "Alesha Racine wrote to Lord Carey in 1992 after discovering her abuser had returned to the church where she had been sexually assaulted. On Monday Lord Carey announced his resignation as an honorary bishop. A review by Dame Moira Gibb found he had failed to pass on information about abuse carried out by Bishop Peter Ball. Ms Racine's abuser, Michael Walsh, was convicted of five indecent assault charges and confessed to sexual relationships with a further eight children. He was sent to prison in 1990. He had been a teacher, a lay vicar at Chichester Cathedral and also ran a choir at a church in Chichester. After his release in 1992, Walsh returned to the same church to be part of the choir. Concerned for the safety of other girls, in July of that year Ms Racine wrote to the then Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, requesting his help. Speaking after Lord Carey's resignation, Ms Racine, 54, said: \"I was very concerned that my abuser had just come out of prison and it appeared that he'd just gone straight back into the parish church where he'd originally worked, and was again in a position of authority in the choir there where young children - specifically girls - sang. \"I was really worried that these girls were at a huge risk. I felt it was inevitable that children would be abused.\" Three months after writing her letter she was told Lord Carey had been unable to consider her concerns because he was \"committed to a series of visits overseas, together with his summer break\". She was informed one month later that the \"Archbishop had been assured that there was no question of Michael Walsh being reinstated in the choir,\" but nine months after raising her concerns she received a letter from the Archbishop's chief of staff confirming her abuser was back in the choir. Lambeth Palace wrote to Ms Racine saying the parish authorities had taken \"great care\" in coming to their decision to allow Walsh's return to his position \"weighing carefully the risk of re-offending against... the Christian duty of forgiveness\". The letters revealed Lord Carey regretted the decision which allowed Alesha's abuser back into churches and offered her his sympathies. Ms Racine said: \"I thought his response was deeply hurtful, in that it had taken me a lot of courage to write to him at all. \"Most of what he said was in defence of the Church and the people in it, rather than try to reach out to me as a victim. \"I do feel it was a complete failure on his part.\" A spokesman for the former Archbishop of Canterbury said the correspondence with Ms Racine had been conducted on Lord Carey's behalf by his chief of staff. He said: \"Lord Carey has absolutely no memory of this chain of correspondence or these events. He cannot therefore comment.\"", "summary": "A woman who was sexually abused by a lay vicar in Sussex says she was \"completely failed\" by the former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey."}
{"article": "Baroness Nuala O'Loan, who was Northern Ireland's first police ombudsman, said the issues must be dealt with separately. She said victims were being held \"to ransom\" during the political stalemate. \"If you choose between the ability of people to get prosthetic limbs and welfare reform, that to me is totally morally wrong,\" she said. Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme, she accused both the Westminster government and Stormont's devolved government of failing to play their part in resolving ongoing problems caused by the Troubles. Baroness O'Loan said victims who had conflict-related injuries were not getting the financial support needed because of the budget row over welfare reform. \"We have people today who are suffering a great deal, we need resources and we need progress on the past in order to enable the present,\" she said. The former police ombudsman also said ongoing sectarian violence was the result of failure to deal with Northern Ireland's troubled past. \"People can think that we're at peace, but we had three deaths last year, we had 94 shootings, we had 26 bombing incidents, 58 firearms recovered. We still have a state of conflict and we need to work as a society towards reconciliation. \"The British government need to play their part and our own government need to play their part and I don't think either are doing it at the moment.\" Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said Ms O'Loan's \"argument\" had \"some merit\". \"At the start of the Haass talks two years ago, I argued that we should steer well clear of this formula, and bank agreements as we progressed,\" he said. \"I made the same pitch at the start of the Stormont House process, sadly without success, and as a result, victims and survivors once again find themselves in limbo, listening to rumours of the possibility of real progress in service provision, but unaware of the real prospects for actual delivery, not least in the area of better mental health and wellbeing.\" Mr Nesbitt said Ms O'Loan's intervention had come \"hot on the heels\" of speculation in a media briefing that the UK government was considering implementing singular aspects of the agreement. \"This all has the whiff of softening up the public for a side deal being brought forward over and above the heads of the five Executive parties,\" he said. \"Our concerns over side deals was one of the reasons the Ulster Unionist Party felt unable to fully support the Stormont House Agreement last December, and as time passes, the wisdom of that decision appears to strengthen by the day.\" The Westminster government had agreed a number of new measures to address Troubles legacy issues during last December's Stormont House Agreement. However, the deal has been in jeopardy since March, when Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in withdrew its support after a row over how future welfare claims would be dealt with.", "summary": "It is \"immoral\" for the government to refuse to deal with Troubles legacy problems unless welfare reform is agreed, a former watchdog has said."}
{"article": "Pembrolizumab is a treatment for advanced skin cancer and is the first medicine to be approved through the Early Access to Medicines scheme (EAMS), launched in England last April. The idea is to get pioneering drugs to severely ill patients much sooner. Drugs signed off through EAMS have been scrutinised by regulators, weighing the risks and benefits. A green light by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) means doctors anywhere in the UK can prescribe the drug in question before normal licensing procedures - which can take years - are complete. Melanoma is the sixth most common cancer in the UK and kills more than 2,000 people in Britain each year. Damage to the skin by the sun's harmful UV rays increases your risk of developing this cancer. While advanced melanoma that has spread to other parts of the body may not be curable, targeted treatment can ease symptoms and may extend life. Clinical trials of pembrolizumab, which is injected into the bloodstream, suggest it has great promise for treating advanced disease. The treatment is considered a \"next generation\" drug in cancer care, stimulating the body's immune system to fight the disease. It blocks a biological pathway that the cancer uses to disguise itself from attack. Clinical trials are still under way, although the drug has already received a licence in the US for treating advanced melanoma. Until now, UK patients would only have been able to get pembrolizumab if they were on a clinical trial. Another government scheme in England, known as the The Cancer Drugs Fund, pays for cancer drugs that have already been licensed but not yet approved by the NHS watchdog NICE. MHRA chief executive Dr Ian Hudson said: \"We are delighted to issue the first positive Early Access to Medicines Scheme scientific opinion. \"The scientific opinion describes the risks and benefits of the medicine and the context for its use, supporting the prescriber and patient to make a decision on whether to use the medicine before its licence is approved.\" Emma Greenwood of Cancer Research UK said: \"Pembrolizumab is another example of the great progress we've made in developing immune treatments for cancer, so it's encouraging to see it being made available to patients earlier. \"NICE and the Cancer Drugs Fund only look at licensed drugs, so it's a step in the right direction in terms of patients getting access to new treatments faster. With this approach, relevant data will be collected and patients are closely monitored. \"We look forward to seeing whether it can be replicated with other promising drugs.\"", "summary": "An experimental and unlicensed cancer drug has been fast-tracked to NHS patients under a new government scheme."}
{"article": "The US hit five targets related to the group, including several vehicles and buildings, near the border with Turkey. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the violence, said several militants and two children had died in the attack. It is the second time US strikes have targeted Khorasan, whom it accuses of planning attacks on the US and Europe. In a statement, the US Central Command (Centcom) said Thursday's strikes near the town of Sarmada had hit vehicles and buildings used for training and to produce explosive devices. A senior US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters that one of the targets was a French militant called David Drugeon, who had joined the group. The official said it was unclear as to whether he had been killed in the strikes, but added: \"We think we got him.\" Little is known about Khorasan other than information released by US officials. They say the group is made up of veteran fighters from the Afghanistan and Pakistan region who have embedded within al-Qaeda's Syria branch, the al-Nusra Front. Centcom said the group was using Syria as a base to attack the West, rather than seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or helping the Syrian people. The first strikes on the group were on 23 September during the US-led coalition's first raids against Islamic State (IS) fighters in Syria. At the time, Pentagon's operations chief Lt Gen William Mayville said Khorasan militants were in \"the final stages of plans to execute major attacks\". The US-led coalition has launched several air strikes in Syria since September, mostly targeting IS fighters. Syria's civil war, which is in its fourth year, has claimed more than 200,000 lives. President Assad's government has been battling against an armed and increasingly fragmented uprising. As well as fighting the government, rebel groups such as the Nusra Front and IS have also been fighting among themselves.", "summary": "The US military says it has carried out air strikes against the al-Qaeda-linked Khorasan group in north-western Syria."}
{"article": "The pair will miss the World Cup after being stretchered off against Italy. Farrell, who worked with Gatland on the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour, says Wales should not be taken lightly. \"Warren will probably use a little bit of a backs-against-the-wall mentality which will strengthen them and galvanise them even more,\" he said. \"They are not down. They have a couple of guys who have come in who have got their opportunity and they are going to try and take that with both hands. \"Some people would say that it weakens them a little bit, but we don't see that. The strength of a team - the galvanisation of a team coming together - is more important than any individuals.\" England and Wales meet at Twickenham on 26 September in what will be the second game of the tournament for both sides. Webb is replaced in the Wales squad by Lions scrum-half Mike Phillips while Ospreys wing Eli Walker takes full-back Halfpenny's spot. Farrell says Halfpenny, the player of the series for the Lions in 2013, is a sad loss for the tournament, after he suffered cruciate ligament damage on Saturday. \"He's an unbelievable professional,\" he added. \"His attention to detail is absolutely second to none. \"He'll be a big loss to any side, he's a great player. And he will be sadly missed by the competition because we want to see the best out there.\" However, Farrell feels fly-half Dan Biggar will be more than capable of kicking the goals in Halfpenny's absence. He said: \"Halfpenny's as good a kicker as there is in world rugby, there's no doubt about that. He's a phenomenal goal-kicker. \"But Dan Biggar is a very good goal-kicker. He's a long-range goal-kicker and he's very confident in taking the shots from anywhere. So they've got a pretty good replacement there.\" And Farrell also believes Phillips will be a handful. \"He's not a bad replacement. An angry Mike Phillips - I suppose he would have been wanted to have been selected in the first place - he will probably have a point to prove. \"When he is in a determined mood he will probably be at his best.\" England lock Geoff Parling described the news of Halfpenny and Webb's injuries as \"horrendous\". He said: \"You never want to see any rugby player get injured, but especially not in the last match before the World Cup.\" Parling played with Halfpenny on the 2013 Lions tour and said he was \"gutted\" for the full-back. \"He's a really good bloke and I wish him a speedy recovery,\" he said. \"He'll definitely be back, he's a quality guy.\" Meanwhile, England fly-half George Ford has praised the impact of centre Sam Burgess, who came on as a replacement in Saturday's 21-13 win over Ireland, as \"phenomenal\". \"He's a winner,\" Ford said. \"He's constantly talking. Breaks in play, he'll go up to the lads and energise them. \"His attributes in terms of carrying and tackling are there to see, but it's the things that people maybe don't see - his attitude", "summary": "Wales boss Warren Gatland will use the injuries to Rhys Webb and Leigh Halfpenny to galvanise his side, says England defence coach Andy Farrell."}
{"article": "The 26-year old rejoined Stanley in the summer after spells at Stockport, Barrow and Chester on an initial one-year contract. McConville has scored five goals in 28 games in his second spell at the club. \"Goals and assists are a plus but the most important thing is working hard for the shirt and I think I've done that,\" said McConville. Stanley boss John Coleman said: \"He won't be the last to sign up. We expect a few more to be putting pen to paper over the coming weeks.\"", "summary": "Midfielder Sean McConville has signed a new deal with Accrington Stanley until the summer of 2018."}
{"article": "A Commons committee has said official copies of Acts of Parliament should be printed on archive paper to save money. But member David Amess, Southend West MP, told the BBC he had had \"second thoughts\" and vellum should remain. Fellow member James Gray, MP for North Wiltshire, said switching to paper would save \"very little money, if any\". He was late for the meeting in October when the Commons Administration Committee decided to back a call from Lord Laming that Acts of Parliament should be recorded on \"high-quality archive paper\" instead of the vellum. It said specialised printing on vellum cost too much and top quality archive paper could last for 500 years. Lord Laming said the \"slightly over \u00c2\u00a3100,000 per year\" cost of vellum could not be justified, when archival paper was \"superior for print quality\". An online database of legislation is also kept. The change must be agreed in the House of Commons, which rejected a previous bid to ditch vellum in 1999. Now one committee member has changed his mind. \"I should have given more careful consideration to what we had been asked to decide upon. I now believe that I made a mistake in not voicing my concerns then,\" Mr Amess told BBC Sunday Politics West. \"It's very precious and is at the heart of the United Kingdom's tradition as being the mother of all parliaments.\" Paul Wright, manager of vellum manufacturer William Cowley, said he was \"gobsmacked\" at the committee's decision. He calculated the average yearly cost at nearer \u00c2\u00a347,000. North Wiltshire MP Mr Gray said vellum would last for 5,000 years at least and \"can be kept in an ordinary cupboard\" while paper would require \"a new archive centre\" with environmental controls to stop it degrading. \"I can't think why it is that this committee in Parliament are thinking about changing something that's done perfectly well for 1,000 years. It's a real piece of Parliamentary history,\" he said.", "summary": "An MP who backed moves to scrap Parliament's centuries-old tradition of printing laws on calf skin has admitted he \"made a mistake\"."}
{"article": "The carmaker said it would build two new models at its Sunderland plant following talks with the government. Ministers have declined to confirm reports that a written promise was made to protect the company from any consequences of Brexit. Labour said the government should set out exactly what was promised. Speaking on BBC Question Time, Mr Clark indicated there had been no offer of financial compensation or state aid. \"There's no cheque book. I don't have a cheque book,\" he said. \"The important thing is that they know this is a country in which they can have confidence they can invest. That was the assurance and the understanding they had and they have invested their money.\" He said the announcement was \"fantastic news\", particularly for the workforce as the deal secures 7,000 jobs. The Japanese company's commitment to Britain's biggest car plant had been in doubt following the referendum on EU membership. Mr Clark's department declined to comment on a report in the Times newspaper that he had written to Nissan's board promising to ensure that UK operations would \"remain competitive\" after Britain left the EU. According to the newspaper, \"Mr Clark's letter is regarded by Nissan as a promise that it will not have to bear the cost of punitive tariffs on car exports if Britain leaves the EU customs area without a free trade agreement in place\". The Nissan announcement has led to calls from other car manufacturers for similar pledges. Toyota said it trusted the government to provide \"fair treatment\". But a senior Nissan Europe executive, Colin Lawther, said the company had received \"no special deal\". \"It's just a commitment from the government to work with the whole of the automotive industry to make sure the whole automotive industry in the UK remains competitive,\" he told the BBC. \"We would expect nothing for us that the rest of the industry wouldn't be able to have access to. We see this as a whole industry thing, not a Nissan thing.\" Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the government must disclose any deals struck with the firm, saying it could not hide it from the public. Nissan confirmed it would build both the new Qashqai and the X-Trail SUV in Sunderland. A company spokesman said making the X-Trail could lead to hundreds of new jobs being created in the coming years. It will be the first time the model has been made outside Japan. The plant produced 475,000 vehicles last year - 80% of which were exported. Production of the next Qashqai model is expected to begin in 2018 or 2019.", "summary": "There was \"no cheque book\" involved in the assurances given to Nissan ahead of its decision to boost UK production, Business Secretary Greg Clark has said."}
{"article": "The operation happened in north-west Mexico in recent days but few details have been released. Guzman, head of the Sinaloa cartel, escaped from a high-security prison in July through a specially dug tunnel. His escape was an embarrassment for Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. The government said in a statement that efforts to recapture Guzman had been focused in the north-west of the country, not far from Guzman's native Sinaloa state. \"As a result of these actions, and to avoid his capture, in recent days, the fugitive engaged in a hasty retreat, which, according to the information received, caused him injuries to one leg and the face,\" the statement said. \"It's important to clarify that these injuries were not a product of a direct clash,\" it added, without giving further details. The statement added: \"The security cabinet continues to conduct all actions that will allow the recapture of this criminal.\" Mexico has arrested several prison officials since Guzman's escape. Investigators said he had inside help to flee through a tunnel that ran 1.5km from under a shower in his cell to outside the prison. After his escape, Guzman took to Twitter to taunt the police and insult President Pena Nieto. Guzman was first arrested in Guatemala in 1993 and spent nearly a decade in another maximum-security Mexican jail before escaping, reportedly in a laundry basket. He was on the run for 13 years before being held again in 2014 after a series of high-profile arrests of associates and covert surveillance by the US authorities.", "summary": "Fugitive Mexican drugs lord Joaquin \"El Chapo\" Guzman suffered face and leg injuries as he narrowly evaded a police operation to recapture him, officials have confirmed."}
{"article": "Investigators from the National Crime Agency found images on the computer of Stefan Rigo, 34, including ones of people involved in sexual activity, some of whom were on Skype at the time. Rigo was arrested in November last year during an international investigation. He has been given a 20-week suspended sentence and placed on the sex offenders' register for seven years. Rigo targeted a variety of victims after gaining remote access to their computers' webcams. Incriminating images on his computer were discovered after a forensic examination. Out of 14 confirmed individuals he spied on - roughly half were people he knew personally, an NCA spokesman told the BBC. At a hearing in July, Rigo pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism and another computer-related offence. The court took Rigo's guilty plea into account when handing down the 20 week sentence. As well as being placed on the sex offenders register, Rigo will have to complete 200 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months. Investigators found and arrested Rigo after raiding two addresses in Leeds. The hacker had used his ex-girlfriend's details to purchase BlackShades, a remote access trojan (RAT) which allows for a high level of surreptitious control over a victim's computer. \"The problem with RATs specifically is a lot of the time people don't know they're being affected,\" the NCA spokesman said. \"In the case of Stefan Rigo that we were looking at, his victims weren't aware.\" BlackShades has been around since 2010 and has been sold for as little as $40 (\u00c2\u00a326), explained Jens Monrad at cyber security firm FireEye. \"The application in itself is not that difficult to detect but typically the attackers will wrap some sort of exploit around the application,\" said Mr Monrad. \"Even with patches the victim will still be vulnerable so long as there is a hole in the operating system.\" Mr Monrad recommended that computer users be careful of clicking on suspicious links or downloading dubious email attachments. The criminal market for webcam hacking tools is highly active, according to Mr Monrad, since malicious hackers are often able to exploit their victims after taking covert images of them. There have also been cases in which hackers sold access to specific cameras. Connected security cameras in buildings may be at risk too, though there are sometimes difficulties in publicly discussing how secure they are. One researcher recently cancelled a forthcoming talk on the issue following legal pressure from the manufacturers of widely-used surveillance cameras. Gianni Gnesa was due to discuss \"vulnerabilities found on major surveillance cameras and show how an attacker could used them to stay undetected\" at the HITB GSEC security conference in Singapore. The Register reports that a legal threat from one, unnamed, manufacturer resulted in Gnesa withdrawing his presentation.", "summary": "A Leeds-based hacker used a notorious piece of malware called BlackShades to spy on people via their webcams."}
{"article": "The FAI accepted 5m euros (\u00c2\u00a33.6m) from Fifa in 2010, in return for dropping court proceedings over Thierry Henry's handball in a 2009 World Cup play-off. The FAI described it as an \"interest-free loan\" that was accounted for in its 2010 audited financial statements. It said the 5m euros was recorded under \"bank and other loans\" in its accounts. The timeline has been published on the FAI's website, and includes copies of its written agreement with Fifa and relevant bank documents. It confirms that in 2013, the remaining loan amount was \"reduced to nil as a result of the non-qualification for the World Cup South Africa in 2010 and the World Cup Brazil in 2014\". Details of the timeline were released just hours after Irish prime minister Enda Kenny publicly urged the FAI's chief executive John Delaney to explain the Fifa deal. Mr Kenny described the payment as \"quite extraordinary\" and said the FAI boss must answer questions \"in the interests of transparency and accountability\". The Republic of Ireland team was 16 minutes away from a penalty shootout for a place in the 2010 finals in South Africa when Henry handled in the build-up to William Gallas's extra-time equaliser in the second leg of the play-off in Paris. In its latest statement, the FAI said that because FIFA has confirmed the transaction, FAI Board members believed they were \"no longer obliged to abide by the confidentiality agreement\" struck as part of the deal. Its timeline detailed how the FAI wrote to Fifa in November 2009, saying it was considering referring the handball dispute to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. In a press conference later that month, Fifa president Sepp Blatter joked about the FAI's request to be the 33rd team at the World Cup, which the FAI claimed caused it \"reputational damage\". Mr Blatter later made a personal apology for the remark. Following negotiations with Fifa in Zurich in January 2010, the FAI said FIFA offered it \"a 5m euros interest-free loan by way of compensation as well as a 400,000 euros (\u00c2\u00a3290,000) Goal Project grant that was used for FAI Regional Football Centres\". It added that the 5m euros was lodged in to FAI's National Irish Bank deposit account on 20 January, 2010. \"This funding was used to make payments to New Stadium Ltd (trading name for Aviva Stadium management company) on February 25 and March 26 of 2010,\" the FAI statement said. It said it had released the details \"to demonstrate that the Board of the Association acted at all times in the best interests of Irish football, and in full compliance with Irish company law\".", "summary": "The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has released the timeline of its controversial multi-million-euro deal with Fifa to stop a legal battle."}
{"article": "The Public Policy Institute for Wales (PPW) said the move could offer training opportunities for teachers and give children more free time. But concerns include childcare access and transport availability. The Welsh Government said it was \"not proposing a national policy for a four-and-a-half day school week\" but was considering the report's findings. The report, commissioned by former Education Minister Huw Lewis, said while there was some anecdotal information about the potential advantages and disadvantages there was very little research on the impact. Those in favour of the system suggest the shorter fifth day would allow for more free time for pupils, which they could spend with family and friends, on after-school activities or attend appointments without missing lessons. Advocates also suggest it could improve staff well-being and free-up teachers for more training time. But the report also said school staff with children attending schools which do not use the system might have issues with childcare, and that longer days could make pupils more tired. Cerian Rolls, a mother-of-three and a part-time teacher from Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taff, told BBC Radio Wales she was not convinced as a working parent by the arguments for longer school days. \"To make the day potentially longer at both ends could put a strain on those working parents who are struggling like myself to get childcare,\" she told the Good Morning Wales programme. Ms Rolls added that many parents would be sorry if longer school days meant children had less opportunity to enjoy after-school activities. NUT Wales policy officer Owen Hathway told the programme he would be \"wary\" of such changes, and felt there was not yet enough evidence from other countries to show that they worked. \"There's an issue on those longer days that children might become fatigued,\" he said. \"As you come to the end of those longer afternoons you're not getting as productive a lesson as you could potentially have.\" Some schools in Scotland have already adopted an asymmetric school week in response to an anticipated budget cuts, with an earlier finish on Friday. The report said the move had resulted in the more effective use of teachers' time and a better use of resources, which would help schools respond to further budget cuts if they come. A Welsh Government spokesman said: \"We are not proposing a national policy for a four-and-a-half day school week in Wales. \"The PPIW have been asked to explore how evidence and research can support us to improve policy and practice in Wales and find new and innovative ways of doing so. \"They have presented us with a range of ideas and we should consider them all in detail, as we continue to focus on ways to raise standards in our schools and aspirations for all our pupils and young people.\" Plaid Cymru's Shadow Education Secretary Llyr Gruffydd also said that experience in Scotland showed the four-and-a-half day week \"can be made to work, creating space in the school timetable for pupils to broaden their extra-curricular experiences and for professional development opportunities for staff\". He added that Plaid", "summary": "Changing the school week to four longer days and a half day could save money, a report has said."}
{"article": "Spread by the bites of infected mosquitoes, the illness is both preventable and treatable. Global efforts over the last decade have already halved the number of people dying from malaria - a \"tremendous achievement\", says WHO's director general Dr Margaret Chan. So, what are we doing right and what more needs to be done? In 2014, 97 countries and territories have malaria transmission, and an estimated 3.3 billion people are at risk of being infected. The disease burden is highest in Africa - 90% of all malaria deaths occur here. But there is reason for hope. Malaria mortality rates have dropped by 54% in the WHO Africa Region. And the number of people infected has fallen by a quarter - from 173 million in 2000 to 128 million in 2013. This is despite a 43% increase in the African population living in malaria transmission areas. Two new countries - Azerbaijan and Sri Lanka - reported zero indigenous cases for the first time in 2013. Eleven others - Argentina, Armenia, Egypt, Georgia, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Oman, Paraguay, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - succeeded in maintaining zero cases. 528,000 deaths from malaria in 2013 54% drop in mortality since 2000 49% of at-risk people in sub-Saharan Africa have access to mosquito nets 70% of malaria patients could be treated but not all sick children are taken to a clinic 43% of pregnant women did not receive a single dose of preventative medicine While malaria is indiscriminate, the heaviest toll is on the poorest and most vulnerable communities. Children aged five and under and who live in Africa account for 78% of all malaria deaths. Young children, pregnant women and individuals with a weakened immune system, are at particular risk of developing serious illness if they become infected with malaria. An estimated 278 million people in Africa still live in households without a single insecticide-treated bed net, and about 15 million pregnant women remain without access to preventive treatment for malaria. Avoiding mosquito bites between dusk and dawn is the first line of defence against malaria. Bed nets have been shown to cut the incidence of malaria cases by half. Access to insecticide-treated bed nets has increased substantially. In 2013, almost half of all people at risk of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa had access to an insecticide-treated net, compared to 3% in 2004. Another 214 million bed nets are scheduled for delivery to endemic countries in Africa by year-end, but this still may not be enough. In 2013, 123 million people around the world were protected from malaria by coating houses in insecticide spray to kill any visiting mosquitoes. In Africa, 55 million people, or 7% of the population at risk, lived in households that were regularly sprayed. But indoor residual spraying has decreased in recent years, and insecticide resistance has been reported in 49 countries around the world. Pregnant women living in malarious areas should be offered antimalarial medicine as routine, even if they do not have any signs of infection. This is because malaria can have devastating consequences for the mother and child. The", "summary": "The World Health Organization says it is confident that deaths from malaria could be stopped entirely."}
{"article": "It is the big-screen release Wales' football fans have been waiting for - the movie that transforms Gareth Bale and his Wales Euro 2016 teammates from sports stars to film stars. But when film icon Sir Michael Gambon likes the sounds of \"Don't Take Me Home\" so much that he fancies dropping by this week's London premiere then you realise the sporting storyline is a little special. \"When you hear a movie legend like that, likes the story then you know you've got a storyline that has a wide appeal beyond Welsh football,\" said director Jonny Owen. Don't Take Me Home, named after Wales football fans' Euro 2016 terrace anthem, premieres fittingly on St David's Day. But like Wales' down-to-earth players, the official premiere is far from the glitz and glamour of Leicester Square but more an industrial park outside of Pontypridd. But in the week that Leicester City's fall from Premier League grace finally unravelled with the sacking of their manager, you might be forgiven for thinking this is just an overindulgence about just another sporting fairytale. Hardly. This starts with the most tragic of beginnings - the death of Wales football manager Gary Speed. A group of young players, most of whom were friends after growing up together in Welsh youth teams, had to deal with the grief of not just losing their boss but their role model. In that context, what they achieved less than five years later - qualifying for Wales' first major championship finals in almost 60 years - seems \"worthy of immortalising in film\". It was certainly beyond the wildest fantasies of any Welsh football fan - especially when they were below Haiti and Guatemala at 117 in the world rankings in 2011. Then in November of the same year, Speed was found hanged in his garage, aged just 42. It did not just resonate in Wales and football, Speed's death shocked the country. \"Wales were constantly suffering so-called heartache, failing to qualify for tournaments at the final hurdle, but Gary's tragic death put those disappointments into perspective,\" said Owen. \"Gary's death was obviously devastating for his family and friends, but the sadness and grief must have affected this group of young lads who were loving playing football for one of their Welsh footballing heroes. \"It seemed to have a profound affect on them. It seemed to galvanise an already pretty strong bond, a togetherness and also context - as if they could come through this, then playing football and dealing with that pressure would be easier. \"No-one could have predicted then that virtually the same team would create history at Euro 2016 - those boys have some character.\" The rise to the European Championships was Roy of the Rovers stuff. Built on a foundation of structured defending with the added sprinkle of stardust from the world's most expensive player, Wales defied the odds and not just qualified for their first finals since the 1958 World Cup - they reached the semi-finals. No other team in history has risen up Fifa's world rankings quicker than Wales.", "summary": "\"When Professor Dumbledore from Harry Potter likes the story, you know you're in business.\""}
{"article": "Border Force officers searched a trailer at Immingham Docks which had arrived from the Netherlands on Thursday night. They found 8,960,000 cigarettes inside 20 wooden pallets. If undetected, the Border Force estimated the haul would have cost the Treasury \u00c2\u00a32.5m in unpaid duty and VAT.", "summary": "Almost nine million cigarettes hidden inside packages labelled as containing wooden flooring have been seized at a port on the River Humber."}
{"article": "Passengers walked along the tracks for more than five minutes because a fault with the track led a train to get stuck outside Shepherd's Bush station. It came to a halt at about 18:00 BST on Wednesday. TfL said the evacuation was \"safe and routine\". Passengers thanked crews for \"leading them into the light.\" It said it was investigating why the line which carried the electrical current to the trains was dislodged. All affected customers have been offered a full refund. Jasmin Barras, one of the evacuated passengers, said TfL staff were \"fantastic\". \"It only took five minutes to walk once we could get off the train,\" she said. \"But I was in the very end carriage so first to get off - it would have been considerably longer for people further down the train.\" Commenting on Twitter, Helen Pratt said: \"Well, that was fun on the Central Line in the dark. Thanks TfL for sending friendly staff to lead us into the light.\" A TfL spokesman confirmed nobody was hurt and said: \"Emergency staff attended and led passengers off the train and back onto the platform.\"", "summary": "Up to 350 Tube passengers were forced to walk through London underground tunnels after being evacuated from a train, Transport for London (TfL) said."}
{"article": "The prime minister said these people were not benefiting from treatment and were increasing the risk of passing the virus on to others. The Health Protection Agency said about 600 people were dying needlessly from the condition each year. Its figures have been released to coincide with World Aids Day. Mr Cameron said the event should be used to \"spread the message\" about education, testing and early diagnosis. \"World Aids Day is a chance to do two things - take action and reflect,\" he said. \"First and foremost, it's got to be a spur to take action, as there are still far too many people who aren't educated about HIV and Aids and who don't get tested. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus and on its own it does not kill you. The virus can survive and grow only by infecting, and destroying, the immune system. This continual assault on the immune system makes it weaker and weaker until it is no longer able to fight off infections. Without treatment, it takes about 10 years from infection to the development of Aids - acquired immune deficiency syndrome. It is then that \"opportunistic infections\", ones a healthy immune system could fight off, become deadly. People can die from pneumonias, brain infections, diarrhoeal illnesses, as well as certain tumours such as lymphoma and cervical cancer. BBC Health: HIV and Aids \"People need to know that, diagnosed early, the outlook for most people with HIV in the UK today is a good one, thanks to the availability of effective treatment and the excellent care provided by the NHS. \"Above all, people need to know that it's never been quicker or simpler to get tested.\" The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said its figures suggested about 100,000 people in the UK were currently living with HIV, but about a quarter of them did not know they had the virus, which untreated can lead to the development of Aids. The figures also showed that more than 6,000 people in the UK were diagnosed with HIV last year. Among men, the figure of more than 3,000 diagnoses was an all-time high. Lisa Power, from the Terrence Higgins Trust charity, said fear was stopping some people getting tested, but they were much better off knowing if they had HIV. She said: \"It's extremely alarming that so many people in the UK have HIV but are undiagnosed. \"Nowadays, if you get tested, get diagnosed and get on the treatment at the right time, you can live to a ripe old age. You'll live into your 70s, maybe even your 80s. \"But, if you don't know that you have it... then you could become very ill before you're diagnosed and then the pills won't work as well.\" She said a shortage of money available to the trust meant it had to target the most at-risk groups, adding: \"What's happened over the last decade or so, there has been very little awareness of HIV and sexual health among the general population.\" To mark World Aids Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a", "summary": "There is still too much ignorance about HIV and Aids, David Cameron has said, as figures suggest 25,000 people in the UK have the virus but do not know."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Defending champion Selby edged past Ding Junhui to set up a repeat of the 2007 showpiece against Higgins, who comfortably beat Barry Hawkins. Scotland's Higgins last reached the final in 2011, when he beat Judd Trump. \"You'd favour Mark, because he has been more involved in the massive matches in recent years. I've not,\" said Higgins. The final - the 41st to be held at the Crucible Theatre - starts at 14:00 BST on Sunday and will conclude on Monday. Higgins features for the sixth time, and victory would take him second in the all-time list of ranking title wins on 29 - seven behind compatriot Stephen Hendry. The 41-year-old, who has won three non-ranking events this season and beat Selby 18-13 a decade ago, added: \"Mark will not go below a certain level, so I need to play better. \"I know what I need to do in the last, massive game to end the season. \"I am trying to stay focused and give it my all against the number one player in the world. Winning it would be my biggest achievement, without a doubt.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Englishman Selby is attempting to become only the fourth player - after Hendry, Steve Davis and Ronnie O'Sullivan - to win consecutive world titles in the modern era. He overcame a stern test against China's Ding, who he beat to claim his second crown in Sheffield 12 months ago. The Leicester player has been in supreme form this season, winning four ranking titles and reaching the Shanghai Masters final. Selby said: \"It will be a fantastic occasion. I played in my first final 10 years ago against the same opponent and here we are on the 40th anniversary. \"John is a great player, one of the greats of the game. He has had a fantastic season and is in the final again. It will be another tough match for me. \"If he wins another world title, he will be equal with Ronnie O'Sullivan on five victories so he is trying to created history himself.\" Former world champion John Parrott on BBC TV: If there is one player whose game matches up to Mark Selby, who can match him in the safety and tactical departments, it is the man in the final with him - John Higgins. The Scot is a consummate match player, we have all been there and played him and know what problems he causes his opponents. Higgins will be up for the fight. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Four-time winner John Higgins says opponent Mark Selby is the \"big favourite\" for the World Championship final, which starts on Sunday."}
{"article": "A senior official at the Tunisian interior ministry told the Associated Press that Rezgui had been in Libya in January, the same time as two men who attacked a Tunisian museum in March. Most of the dead in Sousse were foreign tourists, including 30 Britons. The Islamic State group (IS) has claimed the attack as its own. \"The attacker trained in Libya with weapons at the same period as the Bardo [museum] attackers,\" Rafik Chelli from the interior ministry told AP. IS also said it was behind the Bardo museum attack in Tunis that left 22 people dead. Mr Chelli said that Rezgui had travelled to the Libyan town of Sabratha at the same time as the Bardo attackers. \"He crossed the borders secretly,\" Mr Chielli told AP. IS has a significant presence in Libya, Tunisia's eastern neighbour, and is thought to control the major towns of Derna and Sirte. The Tunisian authorities have released photos of two suspects, Bin Abdallah and Rafkhe Talari - friends of Rezgui that the police have yet to locate. Rezgui, 23, was radicalised while studying engineering. The Tunisian authorities have already arrested several suspected accomplices. However, Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi has admitted that the security services were not prepared for an attack of this kind. He said extra security had been put in place at other locations during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, but nobody had expected beaches to be a target. The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice to warn that further terrorist attacks in Tunisia are possible, and has urged people to be vigilant. Tour companies have laid on extra flights and about 10,000 British tourists have flown home from Tunisia since Friday, according to the Association of British Travel Agents. The repatriation of bodies of Britons killed in the attack will begin on Wednesday, Downing Street has said. Twenty-one Britons have been identified as victims, with nine more believed to be among the dead, it added. Three Irish tourists, two Germans, a Belgian and a Portuguese national died in the attack. The repatriation process is expected to take several days and will be followed by a joint inquest into the deaths of all the British victims. The RAF flew the last four of the seriously injured back to the UK on Tuesday and they are now in hospital undergoing treatment. In other developments: The names of those killed in the attack are slowly emerging. Here's what we know so far about those who lost their lives, as well as those who are injured and missing. Some survivors have also been speaking out about their ordeal.", "summary": "Seifeddine Rezgui, the Tunisian man who killed 38 people at the beach resort of Sousse, is thought to have been trained in Libya, security sources say."}
{"article": "Arlene Foster told the BBC's The World This Weekend that data could be \"sent to the cloud and tracked\". \"It's not beyond the boundaries of possibility that we deal with the realities of the situation of today using new technologies,\" she said. \"I'm thinking of going through technology borders essentially. \"So when people move from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland, they're tracked in relation to technology and that data is sent to the cloud and can then be tracked.\" Mrs Foster said she didn't foresee a time when heavy goods vehicles would be stopped and searched at a hard border. \"There is a border in reality, but if you go to any border road, you'll not see a particular sign that says you're leaving or coming into Northern Ireland and that's going to remain the case. \"If there are tariffs imposed, that could be done remotely.\" Speaking at her party conference on Saturday, the first minister said Brexit presents the biggest economic opportunity for the UK in decades. Mrs Foster also criticised the Irish government for allowing \"political instability in Dublin\" to drive its decision making \"as much as any concern for Northern Ireland\". \"While they seek to take the views of people in Northern Ireland on the issue of Brexit at home, their (the Irish government's) representatives are sent out around the world to talk down our economy and attempt to poach our investors,\" she said. Reacting to her comments on Sunday, the Republic of Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said he was \"very surprised and concerned\" about Mrs Foster's remarks. The Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness shared Mr Flanagan's sentiments in an interview with the Irish Broadcaster RT\u00c3\u2030. Mr McGuinness told RT\u00c3\u2030 he met with a Chinese investor alongside Mrs Foster and the Chief Executive of Invest NI, but that Mrs Foster's did not mention her concerns. He added that Northern Ireland would be \"living in a fools paradise\" if it did not consider that US investors would be cautious about the market as a result of Brexit uncertainty.", "summary": "The first minister has said she believes technology could be used to control the border with the Republic of Ireland following Brexit."}
{"article": "Japanese exports rose by just 0.6% in September from a year earlier, much slower than in previous months. The data is seen as reflecting a slowdown in Japan's top trading partner, China. However, the Nikkei 225 closed 1.9% higher at 18,554.28 on hopes the weak data would trigger more stimulus efforts from the government. In China, the mainland's benchmark Shanghai Composite closed down 3.06% at 3,320.68. Hong Kong's Hang Seng remained closed on Wednesday for a public holiday. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rose by 0.2%, closing at 5,248.30. Shares in mining giant BHP Billiton rose 1% after it maintained its full-year production guidance for iron ore. Slowing growth in China has been weighing on mining stocks in recent weeks as the country is the main importer of Australian commodities. South Korea's benchmark Kospi index rose marginally by 0.2% to finish at 2,042.98. Shares of LG Electronics jumped by more than 14%, boosted by a fresh supply agreement with General Motors.", "summary": "Japanese shares rose on Wednesday, despite news of disappointing export growth last month."}
{"article": "A loving spouse might spur you on to look after yourself better, they told a heart conference, based on their study of nearly a million UK adults. All of these people had high blood pressure, cholesterol or diabetes. The married ones fared much better than those who were single. Dr Paul Carter and colleagues at Aston Medical School, who carried out the work, have already shown that marriage is linked to a better chance of surviving a heart attack. Their latest research, presented at the British Cardiovascular Society conference, hints at why this might be. They suspect marriage helps buffer against big heart disease risk factors, including cholesterol and high blood pressure. The study looked at deaths from all causes, including heart disease. Men and women in their 50s, 60s and 70s with high cholesterol were 16% more likely to be alive at the end of the 14-year ACALM study if they were married rather than single. The same was true for diabetes and high blood pressure, with married people having a survival advantage. The picture was less clear for people cohabiting, separated, divorced or widowed. Also, the researchers did not test if the wedded people were in happy marriages. They suspect having someone special in your life is what's important, rather than simply getting hitched. Dr Carter said: \"We need to unpick the underlying reasons a bit more, but it appears there's something about being married that is protective, not only in patients with heart disease but also those with heart disease risk factors. \"We're not saying that everyone should get married though. \"We need to replicate the positive effects of marriage and use friends, family and social support networks in the same way.\" Dr Mike Knapton, of the British Heart Foundation, said: \"The take-home message is that our social interactions, as well as medical risk factors such as high blood pressure, are important determinants of both our health and wellbeing. \"Whether you are married or not, if you have any of the main risk factors for heart disease, then you can call upon loved ones to help you to manage them.\"", "summary": "Marriage appears to be good for your health, boosting your survival chances if you have a major heart risk factor such as high cholesterol, say researchers."}
{"article": "The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the controls were not \"proportionate\" to the \"very low risk\" and removing them would not compromise the consumer. The disaster in 1986 affected 10,000 UK farms, including 334 in north Wales. The movement of sheep was heavily restricted after the nuclear disaster. Before farmers could sell livestock, the animals' radiation levels had to be monitored. If they were above a certain level, the sheep were moved to another area and the levels had to subside before they could be sold and consumed. The lifting of the restrictions comes after a 12-week consultation with key stakeholders including consumers, affected farmers, farming unions and trade bodies. The FSA board agreed to lift the controls from 1 June, 2012. Ed Bailey, National Farmers' Union Cymru president, said: \"It cannot be anything else apart from good news. We've had the assurances that the product is completely safe for human consumption and that's the main thing.\" Farmer Peter Jones, from Capel Curig, in Conwy, has around 1,000 sheep. Last year, 60 of his sheep exceeded radiation levels and had to be moved to lower ground. In 2010, just 11 of his flock were affected. Mr Jones welcomed the news the restrictions had been lifted. He said: \"I'm glad I won't have to scan (his flock). If the FSA says it's safe then it must be.\" Farmer Glyn Roberts, deputy vice president of the Farmers' Union Wales, runs a beef and sheep farm in Betws-y-Coed in Conwy county. He said: \"In the beginning it did have a financial impact on us because we couldn't sell our sheep. But then, after a few months, we could sell them but supply outweighed demand. \"Now, after all this time, lifting the restrictions just means the final level of bureaucracy has been lifted. \"We can sell our stock, we just had to monitor their radiation levels.\" Out of the 9,800 UK holdings, and more than 4m sheep originally placed under restriction, there are only 327 farms in north Wales and eight farms in Cumbria still under restrictions.", "summary": "Restrictions on hundreds of Welsh and Cumbrian sheep farms dating back to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster have finally been lifted - 26 years on."}
{"article": "Ofgem announced it had granted an electricity interconnector licence to Scandinavian consortium NorthConnect. The developers plan to build a \u00c2\u00a31.3bn power cable between Boddam in Aberdeenshire and Eidfjord in Norway. The project aims to link hydro power from Norway with wind energy from Scotland. It is scheduled to start operating from 2022. NorthConnect have said that the cable will have a capacity of 1.4GW - about 25% of Scottish peak demand. Having been awarded the licence, NorthConnect still has to undertake further regulatory steps. It can apply for Ofgem's \"cap and floor\" regime, which regulates how much money a developer can earn once in operation. Alternatively, the consortium can ask for an exemption from certain European rules that apply to interconnectors. Last year, Aberdeenshire Council approved an application by the consortium to build an electricity converter station and underground cables at Boddam. The converter station and onshore cables are required to connect the interconnector cable to the National Grid. Interconnectors are transmission cables that allow electricity to flow from one country to another. Ofgem has said they can lower consumer bills by accessing cheaper power and boosting UK energy supplies. Responding to the Ofgem announcement, WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said: \"If the UK and the rest of Europe are to move to a 100% renewable future then greater use of interconnectors is a sensible way forward. \"Sharing different renewable resources between nations would help drive down climate emissions much faster than relying on domestic action alone. \"However, it shouldn't be an excuse for any country to halt the development of their own renewable capacity. \"A European-wide 'supergrid' would also bring the double benefits of security of supply and a reduced need to build lots of expensive new nuclear or fossil fuel power stations.\" NorthConnect is jointly owned by Swedish utility Vattenfall and Norwegian companies E-CO Energi, Agder Energi and Lyse. In 2013, Perth-based energy giant SSE withdrew from the project, saying it wanted to focus instead on its markets in Britain and Ireland.", "summary": "UK regulators have given the green light to plans for a 400-mile subsea power cable linking Scotland and Norway."}
{"article": "It will \"be etched in my memory forever - quite an incredible feeling\", said Peake, the first astronaut representing the UK to carry out a spacewalk. He and US colleague Tim Kopra were outside the International Space Station (ISS) for almost five hours on Friday. But the operation was cut short after water leaked into Col Kopra's helmet. The pair had already replaced a failed electrical box, which was their main objective. As it happened: Tim Peake's spacewalk After they returned and were safely inside with the outer airlock hatch closed, Major Peake thanked mission controllers: \"You guys did a great job.\" Later on Friday night, he posted two tweets, two hours apart. His first included three photographs and by Saturday morning it had had more than 9,000 retweets and 18,000 likes. It included a selfie that showed his camera in the reflection of his helmet. A later tweet from Maj Peake said: \"Wrapping up today's spacewalk activities. Huge thanks to the ground teams who make it all possible & keep us safe out there - you guys rock!\" His colleague Tim Kopra also posted photos from the spacewalk, including one of him emerging from the airlock and another of him carrying out repairs on the end of the space station. Maj Peake's parents later spoke of their excitement at watching their son fulfil a long-term ambition. \"We are absolutely thrilled. This is a proud day,\" his mother Angela said. Before the spacewalk, the couple said they had watched the ISS fly over their home in the West Sussex village of Westbourne. \"It was a brilliant pass in clear blue skies... it seems quite surreal that your son is up there,\" his father Nigel Peake said. Special report page: For the latest news, analysis and video Guide: A day in the life of an astronaut Explainer: The journey into space and back Test yourself: Do you have what it takes to be an astronaut? Social media: Twitter looks ahead to lift-off Timeline: How Tim Peake became a British astronaut Quiz: How dangerous is life in space? The spacewalk was expected to last more than six hours but was halted at 16:58 GMT on Friday when a water globule measuring a few inches across developed inside Col Kopra's helmet. Nasa is under a ruling to terminate a spacewalk under such circumstances after an incident in 2013, when a European astronaut developed a significant helmet leak and nearly drowned. A sample of water and absorption pads from inside the Col Kopra's helmet were collected by the crew as evidence for investigators to determine the cause of the leak.", "summary": "UK astronaut Tim Peake described his first walk in space as \"exhilarating\", as he posted photos - including a selfie - of the feat on Twitter."}
{"article": "United Utilities has been working at the Mancunian Way site over the weekend to assess the collapse. A repair plan is \"now in place\" to stabilise the hole and make it watertight so engineers can repair the damage. The road will remain closed in both directions while work takes place. A spokesman for Manchester City Council said: \"This initial phase of work could take up to 10 days, but until we are completely satisfied that the area is safe the section of the Mancunian Way will remain closed in both directions.\" A diversion remains in place via London Road, Fairfield Street, A665, Hyde Road and Downing Street. At the weekend, members of the public were warned not to cross a safety cordon as engineering work was being \"hindered\". About two weeks' worth of rain fell in about six hours in Manchester on Friday before the hole appeared. Tony Griffiths, of United Utilities, told the BBC: \"An awful lot of rain fell on Friday - a few days' worth - which washed the ground material beneath the carriageway, causing the highway culvert to fail. Debris washed into the sewer, causing a domino effect leading to the collapse.\" Mr Griffiths said the hole is still \"quite unstable\" and needs to be filled in before work can be carried out.", "summary": "A busy Manchester road which partly collapsed when a sinkhole appeared is to remain closed for at least 10 days."}
{"article": "Liverpool made 11 changes and Tottenham 10 on Tuesday and the 10 top-flight teams made 71 changes, with a number of young or fringe players involved. \"I feel for the fans,\" said 55-year-old Waddle. \"They should know who is going to play in the competition.\" Former Tottenham manager David Pleat also said he was \"very disappointed\". Pleat, who reached the semi-finals of the competition in 1987 as manager of Tottenham, said teams are treating the competition as a \"secondary affair\". \"It is almost as if the Premier League clubs have got together and said we are not going to give the competition our full attention,\" he said. Ex-Spurs and Newcastle player Waddle said clubs should announce their squad for the cup's fixtures in advance at the start of the week. \"It would mean that if you're travelling a long way you'd know that it will be a weaker side and you may not buy a ticket,\" he told BBC Radio 5 live. \"For me, it is a total rip-off.\" Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose side are fifth in the Premier League and second in their Champions League group, defended his decision to use some of the younger members of his squad in Tuesday's 2-1 defeat at Anfield. \"The young players are very important for our future, to be a better squad,\" he said. \"I think it was a fantastic opportunity to show their quality and a great experience to capitalise on, to take positive things for the future.\"", "summary": "The EFL Cup is a \"total rip-off\" for fans because Premier League managers field weakened teams, says former England winger Chris Waddle."}
{"article": "The think tank's pre-election report, based on parties' spending pledges, says schools face up to 12% in real-terms cuts over the next parliament. It says increasing pupil numbers and staff wages are adding to the pressure. The Association of School and College Leaders said it presented a \"bleak picture for education funding\". The IFS says day-to-day spending on schools has been relatively well-protected by the coalition government compared with other public service areas, but after the election that will change whoever is in government. Analysing the spending pledges of the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats, the IFS said they all suggest a real-terms reduction of 7% per child by 2020. When the extra costs of teachers' pensions, national insurance contributions and wage increases are included, the real-terms reduction in spending could be closer to 12%, the report said. The Conservatives have said they will protect school spending per pupil, while Labour and the Liberal Democrats have committed to protecting the education budget for three to 19-year-olds - covering early years, schools and 16-19 education - in real terms. But the IFS said: \"Pupil numbers are expected to grow by 7% between January 2016 and January 2020, whilst economy-wide inflation between 2015-16 and 2019-20 is currently forecast to be 7.7%. \"As a result, the overall level of school spending could grow by similar amounts under the different proposals. However, if only just met, all these proposals imply real-terms cuts in spending per pupil.\" In response to the report, the Conservatives said they were committed to delivering a good deal for schools, and would spend at least half a billion pounds more than Labour. Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt said his party had a better plan than what he called the Tories' \"big cuts\", while the Liberal Democrats insisted they would protect education budgets in real terms. ASCL deputy general secretary Malcolm Trobe said: \"It is imperative that the government elected in May addresses this issue quickly and ensures that education funding is sufficient, sustainable and equitable. \"We recognise that there is considerable pressure on the national budget but the country must invest in education both for its long-term prosperity and, most importantly, the future of our children.\" Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said that the golden age of education funding was coming to an end right at the time when the demands and expectations of schools were accelerating. \"These budget cuts come at a time when cost pressures on schools from pensions and national insurance are also increasing. \"Salary increases are not funded by the government and you can't keep reducing salaries in real terms and still attract talented people into the profession.\"", "summary": "Schools in England will have less to spend per pupil over the next five years, no matter who wins the election, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says."}
{"article": "Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said the deaths of Abdul Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli and other members of the group's \"cabinet\" would hamper its operations. He gave no details about how Qaduli, an Iraqi also known as Hajji Iman, died. However, NBC News earlier reported he was killed during a raid by US special forces in Syria on Thursday morning. Defence officials said the troops landed in helicopters and lay in wait as Qaduli drove past them in a car. There was an attempt to capture Qaduli alive, but the situation escalated and the militant and three other people in the vehicle were killed, the officials added. The US authorities had offered a reward of $7m (\u00c2\u00a35m) for Qaduli. Using an acronym for IS based on its former name, Mr Carter told a news conference in Washington on Friday: \"We are systematically eliminating Isil's cabinet.\" He described Qaduli as a \"senior leader\", who served as a finance minister and who was also responsible for \"external affairs and plots\". The ethnic Turkmen was born in 1957 or 1959 in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, which has been controlled by IS since 2014, according to the US. He joined al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) - a precursor of IS - in 2004 under the leadership of the late Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, serving as his deputy and the leader in Mosul. After his release from an Iraqi prison in early 2012, he joined IS forces in Syria. Last year, some sources identified Qaduli as the second-in-command of IS, known as \"Abu Alaa al-Afari\", who was said to have taken temporary charge of IS after its overall leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was allegedly injured in an air strike. \"The removal of this Isil leader will hamper the organisation's ability to conduct operations both inside and outside of Iraq and Syria,\" Mr Carter said. \"This is the second senior Isil leader we have targeted this month, after confirming the death of Isil's so-called 'minister of war' a short time ago.\" Tarkhan Batirashvili, a Georgian known as Omar Shishani, died of the injuries he sustained in a US air strike in north-eastern Syria on 4 March, US officials said last week. However, the IS-linked Amaq news agency subsequently cited an unidentified source as denying Shishani was dead. Mr Carter said the US military had killed other senior IS figures in recent days. They included a man known as Abu Sara, who was tasked with paying fighters in northern Iraq, and \"a number of Isil associates who were directly involved in external plotting and training\", the defence secretary added. But he cautioned: \"As you know, leaders can be replaced. These leaders have been around for a long time - they are senior and experienced, and eliminating them is an important objective and result. They will be replaced and we will continue to go after their leadership.\"", "summary": "The US has announced that it has killed a number of leading Islamic State (IS) militants in the past week, including the purported second-in-command."}
{"article": "The contaminated meat was discovered by a dog walker on the Cuckoo Trail in Hailsham on Wednesday. The sausages, which had been sliced open and filled with the blue pellets, were handed in to police. The RSPCA warned that dogs ingesting even small amounts of some substances could suffer kidney failure and die. A spokesman said: \"The RSPCA is deeply concerned about any spate of suspected poisonings, but especially one where evidence suggests it may be deliberate. \"Animals, and especially dogs, are often extremely curious and will be drawn to food. \"If anyone suspects that their dog has been poisoned they must take it to a vet immediately. If possible, they should take a sample of what the dog has eaten.\" Poisoning is a criminal offence in the UK under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The maximum penalty for those found guilty is up to six months imprisonment and/or a fine of up to \u00c2\u00a320,000.", "summary": "Cocktail sausages believed to have been stuffed with toxic slug pellets have been found at a popular dog-walking spot in East Sussex."}
{"article": "A newspaper report has suggested the UK government plans to \"scale back and axe rail electrification projects\". During Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Cameron told Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards that ministers were committed to the London-Swansea scheme. But he said Network Rail needed to get its costs \"under control\". Mr Edwards asked: \"Can you inform the house and the people of Wales whether it continues to be the policy of your government to complete [the upgrade] to Swansea by 2018 and part-fund the Valley lines?\" Mr Cameron replied: \"We're absolutely committed to electrifying the Great Western Main Line to Cardiff, through to Swansea. \"We're also contributing \u00c2\u00a3125m to the cost of the wider Valley lines electrification. It's vital that this work goes ahead. \"We do need to make sure that Network Rail gets its costs under control and has strong leadership in place and we'll make sure those things happen.\"", "summary": "David Cameron has been challenged to say whether a project to electrify rail lines between London and Swansea will be completed by 2018."}
{"article": "Chris Coleman's side are on the brink of qualifying for Euro 2016 after beating Cyprus and drawing with Israel. They will swap places with Chile, who are set to drop one to ninth spot, and remain above England, who will stay 10th despite two wins. Northern Ireland, 41st in the current rankings, are expected to move above Scotland, currently 31st. Had Wales beaten Israel, they would have risen to fourth but reaching eighth is still the sixth time in the last seven rankings that they have set a new record. Argentina will stay top, while Germany will regain second place from Belgium, who drop to third.", "summary": "Wales will rise to a new high of eighth when the next Fifa world rankings are released on 1 October."}
{"article": "The probe relates to allegations that Electronic Monitoring Service (EMS) employees were paid to fit the devices loosely so they could be removed, The Sun said. The newspaper alleges some of those under curfew were able to pull off the tags and go out for the night. EMS said it was an \"isolated issue\". The Ministry of Justice said it was urgently investigating. Two current and one former members of EMS staff have been arrested, the Metropolitan Police said. A further 11 people have also been questioned. The Sun said the matter came to light after an offender was arrested when they should have been under curfew. A 46-year-old former EMS employee was arrested in Romford, east London, for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and the theft of tagging equipment. Police said a house was searched and items of evidence recovered. A 45-year-old man from Barking and a 57-year-old woman from Romford have been questioned for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. A further 11 people - none of whom are former or current EMS employees - have been questioned on the same charge. All 14 have been bailed to dates in April. An EMS spokesperson said: \"We have a zero tolerance policy against any of our employees who act in any way to undermine the robustness of the electronic monitoring service. \"The small number of employees being investigated regarding this isolated issue were swiftly taken off duties and we are closely co-operating with the Metropolitan Police Service.\"", "summary": "Three people have been arrested by police investigating the alleged misuse of electronic tags used to monitor criminals."}
{"article": "Members of the drivers union Aslef are due to walk out for three days in the dispute over driver-only trains. Southern's parent company Govia Thameslink (GTR) has asked the Court of Appeal to overturn last week's High Court refusal to ban the strike action. A decision will be given at the end of the hearing, due to last all day. Lord Justice Elias, sitting with Lord Justice Lewison and Lord Justice Lloyd Jones, have been asked to overturn the refusal to grant an injunction blocking the \"unprecedented\" action. GTR has already been hit by a series of strikes by the RMT union in a long-running dispute over the role of conductors. Drivers are due to strike on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, with a week-long walkout planned from 9 to 14 January. Southern said given the timing of the Court of Appeal's decision, it would be too late to get trains and drivers in the correct position for Tuesday, and any services it could run would be \"extremely limited\". Angie Doll, passenger services director, said: \"We hope for the sake of our passengers our application to the Court of Appeal is successful. \"Even if we are able to stop the strikes through the court, services will still be very heavily impacted tomorrow. \"We will work through the night to try and provide as many services as possible, but we are still advising passengers not to travel as we will not be able to offer a robust service they can rely on. \"We are sorry but the industrial action by Aslef leaves us no viable alternative, but be assured we will do all we can overnight,\" she said. The RMT union, which has been staging strikes since April, is also planning further stoppages either side of Christmas. 00:01: Tuesday 13 December to 23:59 Wednesday 14 December (Aslef) 00:01 Friday 16 December to 23:59: Friday 16 December (Aslef) 00:01 Monday 19 December to 23:59 Tuesday 20 December (RMT) 00:01 Saturday 31 December to 23:59 Monday 2 January (RMT) 00:01 Monday 9 January to 23:59: Saturday 14 January (Aslef)", "summary": "Strike-hit rail operator Southern has warned passengers not to travel on Tuesday, irrespective of the outcome of a last-ditch bid to halt a walkout."}
{"article": "Hain, the top run-scorer in last year's competition, helped his side reach their revised target of 159 in a game reduced to 30 overs. He was aided by Will Porterfield's 63 in an unbroken first-wicket stand. Northants struggled to 154 all out in their 30 overs, with Rob Keogh (64) the only one to make a real impression. England international Ben Duckett was caught by Hain for seven off the bowling of Rikki Clarke (2-18), one of seven Northants batsmen to fail to get out of single figures as Oliver Hannon-Dalby (3-24) impressed. Hain returned to the side having been left out of their previous County Championship game, on the day he received a reprimand from the ECB's Cricket Discipline Commission. He was reported by the umpires during Warwickshire's Second XI Championship match against Worcestershire at Flagge Meadow last week, for a Level One breach of the code (bowling a fast short pitched ball and/or accidental high full pitched ball that results in the bowler being disallowed from bowling any further in that innings). The penalty is a reprimand, which will remain on his record for two years. The accumulation of nine or more penalty points in any two-year period will result in an automatic suspension. Hain scored more runs in the One-Day Cup last season than any other batsman (540 in 10 innings). Northants coach David Ripley told BBC Radio Northampton: \"We just haven't come out of the blocks at all. We've been very well beaten. It's a pretty grim effort all round really. \"We had the sharp end of the conditions batting first, we had to stop start and couldn't get any partnerships together. But still our performance is way down from where we expect it to be. \"I expected our bowlers to be a handful and I was hopeful we could pull off something special but we never got started with the ball either.\" Warwickshire batsman Sam Hain told BBC WM: \"I felt a bit of pressure coming into this competition so it's nice to get on the board here with a few runs. \"Especially after the start to my season in the red-ball game. I'm a little stumped to why it hasn't happened in the Championship. \"But I have no qualms about my white-ball game and now I have a block of games to work with now.\"", "summary": "Sam Hain's unbeaten 89 helped holders Warwickshire race to a 10-wicket victory over Northants in a rain-affected One-Day Cup match."}
{"article": "The front of the note will continue to feature Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott alongside The Mound in Edinburgh. The Glenfinnan Viaduct will remain on the reverse of the design. However, it will now feature a steam locomotive hauling a heritage tourist train. The locomotive is a Stanier \"Black 5\", which was designed for London, Midland and Scottish Railway and often seen on the West Highland line. The new note, which was designed by banknote manufacturer De La Rue, is slightly smaller than the existing paper version in circulation. It includes security features incorporated in the bank's new polymer \u00a35 note, which entered circulation in October. They include an anti-counterfeit \"window effect\", built into the windows of the image of The Mound, and metallic ink which changes colour as the note is moved. There is also a new \"tactile emboss\", created by a series of raised dots, which is designed to aid the visually impaired. All existing paper Bank of Scotland \u00a310 notes will be gradually withdrawn following the issue of the new note. However, they will continue to be accepted at shops, banks and cash payment machines. Mike Moran, director at Bank of Scotland, said: \"Bank of Scotland has been issuing bank notes for more than 320 years, evolving our designs to pay homage to our heritage. \"The new note retains our much loved design of Sir Walter Scott with the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct pictured on the back and we've evolved the design by introducing the popular heritage tourist train crossing the bridge. \"With polymer notes being cleaner, more secure, and more durable than paper notes, I'm sure our new \u00a310 note will prove popular across Scotland.\"", "summary": "Bank of Scotland has unveiled the design of its new \u00a310 polymer note, which is due to enter circulation in the autumn."}
{"article": "It's all about #TheDress and whether it's blue and black (#blueandblack) or white and gold (#whiteandgold). The whole debate started when Scottish singer Caitlin McNeill posted a picture of a dress on her Tumblr blog. She asked her followers: \"Guys please help me - is this dress white and gold, or blue and black? Me and my friends can't agree and we are freaking... out.\" Caitlin told Newsbeat that it all started when her friend's mum wore the dress at a wedding. \"Two of my very good friends were getting married and they has asked me to put together a band to come and play at the wedding,\" she says. \"This was a wedding on the tiny island that we come from on the west coast of Scotland called Colonsay and about 100 people were there. \"A week beforehand the bride had been sent by her mother a picture of the dress she was going to wear and when the bride showed her fiance, they disagreed about what colour it was. \"She was like, 'It's white and gold' and he said, 'It's blue and black'. \"So they posted it on Facebook to try and see what their friends were saying but that caused carnage on Facebook. \"We forgot about it until we saw it at the wedding which the mother of the bride was wearing and it was obviously blue and black.\" Read Newsbeat's interview with Caitlin McNeill YouTube talent manager Sarah Weichel then spotted it on Tumblr and the rest is Twitter history... Turns out a lot of people cared and thousands are still debating the colour of that badly-taken snapshot. Various US news outlets have written stories about how the human eyes see different colours and why some people see blue and black while others see gold and white. BuzzFeed's original article has been shared more than 20 million times and tech site Wired explains the science of colour. The prime minster of Singapore liked the bit about science so much, he posted about it on his Facebook page. And photo experts Adobe got involved as well, sending out this tweet. It got celebrities talking on Twitter. And then the memes started... It's all great news for the makers of the \u00c2\u00a350 dress. A quick check online shows Roman Women's Lace Detail Bodycon Dress is available in Royal Blue - so blue then... And the company says it's looking into doing a gold and white version of the dress. A spokesman told Newsbeat: \"We're looking into getting it through the approval stages. \"We want to do it but it depends on the speed. We're trying to get it done as soon as possible. \"We are in contact with the suppliers to establish if we can get it manufactured in white and gold.\" Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "It's the debate of the year so far - well - on Twitter at least and has been the top trending topic worldwide."}
{"article": "Steven Van de Velde, 21, pleaded guilty at Aylesbury Crown Court to three counts of rape against a child. The court heard how he travelled from Amsterdam in August 2014 and raped the girl near Furzton Lake, and at an address in Milton Keynes. Van de Velde, who will be sentenced in March, returned to the Netherlands, but was extradited and arrested in January. Click here for more on this story and all the latest news across Beds, Herts and Bucks The court heard how Van de Velde, of Cornelis De Wittlaan, Den Haag, was aware of the girl's age, having had conversations on various social networking sites. A survey for CBBC Newsround suggests more than three-quarters of children aged 10 to 12 in the UK have social media accounts, even though they are below the age limit of 13.", "summary": "A Dutch international volleyball player travelled to Milton Keynes and raped a 12-year-old girl he met on Facebook."}
{"article": "The facility has already helped groom 100 national and one world champion as well as Commonwealth Games medallists. Ms Jones, 18, from Bangor, Gwynedd, recently brought back a gold medal from the Youth Commonwealth Games in Apia, Samoa. The grant-funded extension has new physiotherapy and activity areas.", "summary": "Gold medal weightlifter Catrin Jones has opened a \u00a3125,000 extension at the Holyhead and Anglesey weightlifting and fitness centre."}
{"article": "Several of Cathro's recent signings are from various countries abroad, leading to some questioning their appreciation of the standards fans expect. \"This is tens of thousands of people's Real Madrid,\" said Cathro. \"Everybody understands clearly the size, the importance, how much love and passion there is for this club.\" Hearts remain in fourth place in the Premiership but have gone four games without a victory. Last week's Scottish Cup defeat by city rivals Hibernian, who are in the Championship, was followed by a top-flight defeat away to Partick Thistle. More to follow.", "summary": "Hearts head coach Ian Cathro insists his players have a full understanding of the size and magnitude of the club they represent."}
{"article": "Goodluck Jonathan said it had been not just an attack on Nigeria, but an attack on the international community. The radical Islamist group, Boko Haram, told the BBC it was behind the blast in the capital, which left at least 23 people dead and 81 wounded. Mr Jonathan said the group was a \"local problem\" that had to be dealt with. Boko Haram, which is fighting for the establishment of Sharia law in Nigeria, is alleged to have had contacts with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which operates in North Africa, and al-Shabab in Somalia. The BBC's Mark Doyle in Abuja says Friday's suicide attack shows Boko Haram, whose name roughly translates as \"Western education is forbidden\", is getting bolder and that Nigeria has a growing security crisis. For two years, the Islamist group has been targeting government and mounting a campaign of killings, but attacking the United Nations in the heart of the capital is a major escalation, our correspondent adds. The bomber drove his vehicle through the headquarters' two security barriers, then crashed into the reception area before detonating the explosives. The blast was powerful enough to bring down parts of the structure, where about 400 UN personnel work, and blow out the windows of nearby buildings. Standing among the broken glass and twisted metal on Saturday, President Jonathan told reporters: \"I and all Nigerians are shocked.\" \"Terrorist attacks on any individual or part of the world is a terrorist attack on the rest of the world,\" he added. \"Terrorists don't care about who is anywhere.\" \"We will work with the UN and other world leaders to ensure that terrorism is brought under control.\" When asked by the BBC what he would do about Boko Haram, he gave no direct answer but acknowledged it posed a threat. \"Boko Haram is a local group linked up with terrorist activities and as a government, we are working on it and we will bring it under control.\" Our correspondent says Nigeria's government has tried negotiating with Boko Haram and cracking down hard, but neither tactic has worked. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday that he condemned \"this terrible act utterly\", and sent Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro and Under-Secretary General for Security Greg Starr to Nigeria. On Saturday, the UN's top official in Nigeria said nine of its staff were confirmed dead and that dozens were being treated in hospital. \"We have lost motivated, bright, selfless people who were working only for the good of Nigeria and the world,\" said Agathe Lawson, the UN's acting resident co-ordinator. \"Our priority now is to ensure those who are injured and the families of those who died are cared for.\" Mr Lawson said that her \"second and urgent priority\" was to ensure that UN operations continued in Africa's most populous nation. \"We will not be deterred in our mission to work to improve the lives of Nigerians. This is why we are here,\" she added. Shortly after President Jonathan left the bomb site, agents from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrived to", "summary": "Nigeria's president has promised to bring terrorism under control, during a visit to the scene of Friday's bombing at the UN's headquarters in Abuja."}
{"article": "He is a copy of one of the world's first ever robots, and has gone on show at the Science Museum in London. Eric was originally built in 1928 by Captain WH Richards and AH Reffell. However, after he amazed crowds all over the world, Eric mysteriously disappeared - never to be seen again. That is until 2016, when the Science Museum launched a campaign to raise money to build a copy of Eric. Artist and robot builder Giles Walker agreed to help build the new and improved Eric. However, the only information he had to go off were old newspaper stories, a short video from the 1920s, and a scribbled copy of the original building plans. Instead of his old gears and pulleys, Eric is now operated by wires and motors. It took Giles five months to build the new robot and he stands at a whopping two metres tall. He is made from aluminium and can move his arms and head, and speak a number of phrases. Ben Russell, who put Eric on display at the Science Museum, said: \"As the UK's first robot, Eric holds a unique place in our history. \"He was everything we now imagine a robot to be - a talking, moving mechanical person.\"", "summary": "Eric the robot is no ordinary robot."}
{"article": "Senna's family sent a helmet used by the three-time champion in 1987 to give to Hamilton when he earned a 65th pole, which he did in Canada on Saturday. \"It is the most special thing I have, beyond all trophies,\" said Hamilton. \"As I kid I thought maybe one day I can get to Formula 1 and emulate Ayrton. To equal him; I just can't believe it.\" Hamilton has long since surpassed Senna's record of 41 wins - he did so at the 2015 Japanese Grand Prix - and now has 55. In both poles and wins, he now lags behind only seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, who claimed 68 poles and 91 victories. Asked whether surpassing Senna's marks meant more than Schumacher's, Hamilton said: \"I haven't got to the 68 of Michael so I can't really say. I can't look that far ahead at the moment. \"Ayrton was the guy I noticed from the beginning. I think it was the colour of the helmet. So I am honoured to be honoured by that family. \"To think that I am that close to Michael's record is incredible - I plan on getting there but that is all ifs and buts.\" Hamilton, who repeatedly looked at Senna's helmet as he sat in the post-qualifying news conference, said the achievement was even more special given it happened at one of his favourite races - where he claimed his first pole and win back in his debut season of 2007. \"I knew 65 was there and waiting; I knew Montreal has been a beautiful place for me,\" he said. \"I thought if I was going to get that special pole anywhere, it was going to be here. \"But you can only hope it is going to go well, and often it doesn't. \"The lap started perfectly, very smooth, no mistakes, built it up and then the last corner which has always been a strength of mine.\" He added: \"I am honoured to be among those great drivers, the legends. Ultimately just very proud. \"It wouldn't be possible without all the work from my family. \"This is just the tip of the iceberg. No-one knows how hard we worked to get here. I am proud to have got the Hamilton name here. If this was my last day in the sport, the Hamilton name will remain there forever.\" The helmet Hamilton was given is a replica, for travel and insurance reasons, but he will be receiving a genuine helmet that Senna used at a later date. But Hamilton said he was expecting a tough battle in the race with his title rival, Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, who qualified second and leads him by 25 points in the championship. \"Ferrari are very, very strong in the races,\" Hamilton said. \"It was a very close battle last year between us and I can only imagine this year it is going to be pushing all the way to the end. \"We have a car that is not working everywhere. It is a great car but it is a trickier car", "summary": "Lewis Hamilton says being presented with one of Ayrton Senna's helmets for equalling the Brazilian's pole record means more to him than any trophy."}
{"article": "The Scottish Gamekeepers' Association said the latest employment figures showed the sector was outperforming other areas of the economy. North Highland College in Thurso reported that every one of this year's Higher National Certificate students has secured a job on a sporting estate. Country sports are thought to be worth \u00c2\u00a3240m a year to the Scottish economy. The gamekeeping and wildlife management course was designed to provide students with training in conservation as well as traditional gamekeeping skills, including snaring and the use of firearms. North Highland College gamekeeping lecturer Richard MacNicol said: \"The modern gamekeeper has to have a rounded, balanced approach to land management. \"Our graduates are helping to support the rural economy and a diverse, well managed countryside.\" Borders College and Scotland's Rural University College in Fife also said the skills obtained by their students were proving valuable to landowners. The Scottish Gamekeepers' Association has welcomed the news. SGA chairman Alex Hogg said: \"This is a major success story and the three colleges deserve immense credit. \"We are creating youth jobs at a time when the economy is faltering and young people, especially in remote areas, have few other opportunities.\" There is real frustration amongst landowners and the gamekeepers they employ about the profession's image. Political and media attention often focuses on cases of wildlife crime, most notably the illegal persecution of birds of prey. Gamekeepers believe they do not get the credit they deserve for the stewardship of our countryside, while landowners argue the economic benefit of country sports is often overlooked. They are hoping the new generation of gamekeepers being trained by Scotland's colleges will help change that. Angus McNicol, of Cawdor Estates near Nairn, told BBC Scotland: \"It's a highly-trained profession these days. It's very different to how things were in the past.\"", "summary": "Colleges across Scotland are reporting strong demand from sporting estates for newly-trained gamekeepers."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 37-year-old was competing in his first race of the season, after missing the start of the World Cup campaign following an operation on his back. But his arm clipped a flag near the end of the super G course in Colorado and his right leg was severely lacerated. \"Feeling lucky since things could have been way worse,\" Miller later tweeted. Some 15 skiers did not finish the race at the Beaver Creek resort in Colorado, won by Austrian Hannes Reichelt. World Cup super-G points leader Kjetil Jansrud was another casualty but was able to finish fourth despite injuring his shoulder in the process. Miller had the fastest time over the first half among the early starters, before his left arm slammed into a gate at about 100 km/h. He spiralled down the icy track and appeared to fall on one of his skis, which caused the wound. At 37 years and 115 days old, Miller was hoping to become the oldest gold medallist in an individual event at the world championships. He has won six Olympic medals, five world championship medals and was overall World Cup champion in 2005 and 2008.", "summary": "Former Olympic and world champion Bode Miller will miss the remainder of the Alpine World Ski Championships after having surgery on a torn hamstring."}
{"article": "Samir Hussain suffered severe burns and was scarred for life in the unprovoked attack in the Cineworld car park in Crawley, West Sussex, in August 2015. Michael McPherson, 28, from south-west London, threw the acid after leaving a screening of Straight Outta Compton. At an earlier hearing at Hove Crown Court, he admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Lee Bates, also from south-west London, was with McPherson at the time of the attack. He admitted common assault in February, and was given a two-year conditional discharge for his role in the attack. Mr Hussain, 29, from Redhill in Surrey, still has to wear a mask to protect his face, and has had several skin grafts. He suffered severe burns to his face, neck and right arm.", "summary": "A man who threw sulphuric acid into the face of a shop worker outside a cinema has been jailed for eight years."}
{"article": "Polk County Sheriff Johnny Moats said the Georgia prisoners, who all have committed minor crimes, would each have their sentences shortened by 25%. The work crew had been cutting grass at a public cemetery when the corrections officer who was guarding them collapsed in the heat. The six men used the guard's phone to call police and began performing CPR. \"When that happened, in my opinion, it wasn't about who is in jail and who wasn't,\" inmate Greg Williams told 11alive.com. \"It was about a man going down and we had to help him,\" he continued. The work crew ran to the lone officer after he fell to the ground and removed his bullet-proof vest to perform CPR. Rather than take his pistol and run off, they used his mobile phone to call for an ambulance. \"None of my guys ran,\" the officer told WKYC. \"None of them did anything they shouldn't have done.\" The family of the officer, who does not wish to be identified, bought a lunch of pizza and cupcakes for his incarcerated rescuers the next day. Sheriff Moats said that \"anytime we have a trustee or inmate crew that goes beyond normal duties, we cut them some extra time off\". The inmates' reaction also \"really speaks a lot about my officers too, how they treat these inmates\", he added. \"They treat them like people. Like family.\" Their actions come in stark contrast to two other Georgia convicts who were arraigned on Wednesday on charges of murdering two prison guards while being transported between prisons. Prosecutors say they intend to seek the death penalty for Donnie Rowe and Ricky Dubose, who were captured in Tennessee after a three-day manhunt.", "summary": "Six US prisoners are being rewarded for saving a prison officer who had suffered a suspected heart attack."}
{"article": "The officer was taken to hospital where his condition was described as \"stable\", a Merseyside Police spokesman said. He said the force was investigating an \"assault of a member of staff at HMP Altcourse on Wednesday\". The BBC understands the attack took place in a transfer area and the inmate was on remand facing serious charges. Director for HMP Altcourse Steve Williams said: \"We continue to support the officer and his family.\"", "summary": "A prison officer has had his neck slashed by an inmate at a prison on Merseyside, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "A ceremony at India Gate will be an opportunity to honour a sacrifice that was in the past overlooked in both Britain and India. The 70,000 Indian soldiers who fought and died for the British during World War One were once viewed in India as part of its difficult colonial history. In a day devoted to paying tribute, William and Kate will also, quite literally, retrace Mahatma Gandhi's final footsteps before he was murdered. The country's founding father - who once declared that non-violence, was a weapon for the brave - had a vision, which wasn't realised, of an independent, united land. It was Prince William's relative, Louis Mountbatten - the last Viceroy - who oversaw the creation of India and Pakistan. Prince William, with his wife, will end the day by speaking about his grandmother - a woman soon to turn 90, who's Britain's longest reigning monarch but who was never Queen Empress of India.", "summary": "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's first official visit to India moves on to New Delhi."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old was a free agent after leaving Exeter's biggest rivals at the end of his contract in the summer. Reid has also played for Yeovil Town, West Bromwich Albion, Brentford and Rotherham United. He scored a hat-trick against Exeter in the Devon derby in 2015 - the first in the fixture since 1929 - and could make his debut for the Grecians against Argyle in League Two on Saturday. Reid scored 21 goals for Argyle during the 2013-14 season while on loan at Home Park and 20 the season after. But last term he managed just seven goals as he was hampered by a foot injury, later telling the BBC that his season had been a 'write off'. Exeter need more firepower, having scored just six goals in the league so far this season, with half of those coming in their 3-2 victory at Colchester earlier this month. \"I have been in talks with a few teams, but I met the manager (Paul Tisdale) on Sunday in a nice pub in Bath and he explained what he wanted to do for me,\" said Reid \"I went home feeling refreshed and it left me with a massive smile on my face. I just couldn't wait to get the deal over the line.\" \"I played against his teams for years now throughout my career and Exeter, whether they have been in the division above or League Two, have always been good on the eye to watch,\" he added.", "summary": "Exeter City have signed former Plymouth Argyle top scorer Reuben Reid."}
{"article": "Three converted first-half tries from Cory Hill, Ashton Hewitt and Jason Tovey gave the Welsh side a 24-0 lead at the break that did not flatter them. Carl Meyer crossed after the break for a fourth try to secure the bonus point. Paddy Butler, Mosese Ratuvou and Watisoni Votu all added tries for Pau but the Dragons were always in control. Victory leaves the Dragons top of Pool Two, two points above second-placed Sale Sharks after their win over Castres. Second row Hill's brilliant individual try gave the visitors an early lead, before a Tovey penalty made it 10-0 and then Sarel Pretorious' pass saw Hewitt burst through a gap in the Pau defence to cross for the second try. Tovey ran clear after a mistake by the French side to add the Dragons' third try and he duly converted, before kicking through to Meyer for the fourth try after the break. With Hill sent to the sin-bin, Pau capitalised to score through Butler, but they failed to convert and a Tovey drop-goal made it 34-5. Word Cup-winning New Zealand centre Conrad Smith came on for his Pau debut and, shortly afterwards, Ratuvou barged his way over the line for the home side's second try. Fijian Votu added a late third score but Pau remain bottom of the pool. Dragons director of rugby Lyn Jones told BBC Radio Wales: \"We're absolutely delighted. It was a great performance from us. It was as good as we get \"We were a far better team than them and we deserved to come away with the spoils. \"We kept (Colin) Slade quiet and they couldn't deal with us.\" Pau: Damien Traille; Sireli Bobo, Julien Fumat (c), Jale Vatubua, Mosese Ratuvou; Colin Slade, Thierry Lacrampe; J\u00e9r\u00e9my Hurou, Mehdi Boundjema, Sylvain Charlet; Daniel Ramsay, Julien Pierre; Josefa Ulago Domolailai, Paddy Butler, Brice Monzeglio. Replacements: Quentin Lespiaucq Brettes, Julien Jacquot, Euan Murray, James Coughlan, Sean Dougall, Thibault Daubagna, Conrad Smith, Watisoni Votu. Newport Gwent Dragons: Carl Meyer; Nick Scott, Adam Hughes, Adam Warren, Ashton Hewitt; Jason Tovey, Sarel Pretorious; Phil Price, Elliot Dee, Lloyd Fairbrother; Cory Lewis Hill, Rynard Landman (c); Nick Crosswell, Nic Cudd, Taulupe Faletau. Replacement: Rhys Buckley, Brok Harris, Shaun Knight, Matthew Screech, Ollie Griffiths, Charlie Davies, Dorian Jones, Ross Wardle. Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland) Touch judges: Frank Murphy (Ireland), Stuart Douglas (Ireland) TMO: Kevin Beggs (Ireland) Citing commissioner: Dave Guyan (England)", "summary": "Newport Gwent Dragons enjoyed a comfortable bonus-point win in Pau to edge one step closer to reaching the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals."}
{"article": "Mr Whyte, 46, is on trial at the High Court in Glasgow for acquiring the club by fraud, which he denies. The trial has heard Mr Whyte paid previous owner Sir David one pound for his majority shareholding. Phil Betts, who worked with Mr Whyte, said the coin was flipped in a \"light-hearted\" way at Sir David's lawyers. Mr Betts, a finance broker and a key associate in the buyout, told the court that someone then said: \"Congratulations, you are now the owner of Glasgow Rangers football club\". The witness recalled being at the May 2011 meeting as the businessman acquired Sir David's majority stake in the club. Mr Betts told how he took photos at the gathering which he described as being \"light hearted\". Mr Whyte denies a charge of fraud and a second allegation under the Companies Act in connection with the takeover. Mr Betts told how he got involved in Mr Whyte's bid for Rangers after first meeting him in 2009. The 54 year-old recalled Mr Whyte had wanted his interest to be \"low profile\". He told the trial Mr Whyte had wanted to raise \u00a310m. But Mr Betts said Whyte later claimed he was \"struggling\" to do so and \"could not understand why\". Mr Betts then got in touch with a contact in the financial sector. This individual said he had someone who could help with funding. Mr Betts and Mr Whyte went on to meet this person at a Starbucks coffee shop near St Paul's in London, he said. It eventually resulted in a meeting with Ticketus, which \"expressed an interest\" in Mr Whyte's proposal. Prosecutors have said Mr Whyte took out a loan from the firm against three years season tickets to help fund the takeover. Mr Betts said Mr Whyte had been \"pleased\" at the Ticketus interest. But the witness added: \"He then asked me to ask them would they consider \u00a320m. \"I think I laughed. I said I would ask as long as he was happy to receive a no.\" However, Mr Betts recalled \"after some deliberation\" Ticketus came back and said they would be \"interested\". Mr Whyte eventually struck a \u00a31 deal with Sir David to take over at Rangers. Mr Betts told how he travelled to Edinburgh in May 2011 for the buyout to be completed. He said initially the trip to Scotland involved sitting in a lawyer's office \"twiddling our thumbs\". But the Whyte and Murray groups later went to Sir David's office in the capital. Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC asked Mr Betts if he photos at the meeting. Mr Betts: \"Two or three - at the signing of the paperwork at the offices of the Murray group.\" Mr Prentice: \"Once the signing occurred was a \u00a31 coin provided?\" Mr Betts replied: \"There was, but I do not know from who. It was flicked across the table to the lawyers of the Murray Group. \"It was all light-hearted.\" The advocate depute went on: \"Was anything said?\" Mr Betts: \"Congratulations, you are now owner of Glasgow Rangers Football Club, I think.\" The", "summary": "Craig Whyte's takeover of Rangers was sealed with a pound coin being tossed across a table in Sir David Murray's office, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Murray won 6-3 6-0 in 65 minutes to set up a final against world number one Novak Djokovic on Sunday (20:00 BST). The result means the Scot will overtake Swiss Roger Federer in Monday's new ATP rankings and return to number two for the first time since 2013. \"It's good to get back close to the top,\" Murray said. The US Open gets under way on 31 August, and it was following the same tournament last year that Murray lost his place in the top 10 after losing to Djokovic in the quarter-finals in New York. \"It's nice to get back especially after everything I went through last year with the hip surgery and dropping out of the top 10. A lot of questions were being asked about how my game was physically. \"I'll keep working hard and try to get that one spot higher.\" Djokovic beat unseeded Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-4 6-4 in the first semi-final. The Serb improved his record against Chardy to 10-0 with victory in one hour and 20 minutes, despite requiring several bouts of treatment on a sore right elbow. \"It comes and goes, now is not very pleasant,\" Djokvoic said of the problem. \"Every day is a new day. I try to bury the pain, play with the pain, it is part of what we do.\" Murray, 28, powered away from Nishikori, converting six break points and winning the last eight games in a row, including 12 of the last 13 points. He now faces another chance to end a losing streak against Djokovic that stretches across eight matches back to the 2013 Wimbledon final.", "summary": "Britain's Andy Murray swept past Kei Nishikori to reach the final of the Rogers Cup in Montreal and guarantee a return to second in the world rankings."}
{"article": "Michelle Logue said Gerard Mulligan did not see a psychiatrist for weeks after he killed his father, despite being on suicide watch for some of that time. She said Mr Mulligan's solicitor phoned the prison regularly to try to arrange a psychiatric appointment. His first visit with a psychiatrist was on 2 November, Ms Logue said. Mr Mulligan took his own life at the high security jail on Saturday evening. The Prison Service said the PSNI, coroner and prisoner ombudsman have launched investigations into the death. The 44-year-old had been on remand charged with murdering his father, Gerald Mulligan, at his home in Limehurst Way, Lisburn, on 25 September. Ms Logue said in a letter to her from prison, Mr Mulligan said \"he had never felt as alone in his entire life\". \"His solicitor told me he had been ringing... to try and get him an appointment with a psychiatrist, but he only saw the psychiatrist last Wednesday,\" she told BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme. \"So he hadn't seen or spoken to anybody about these mental health issues for all those weeks.\" Prison authorities and staff must show more understanding for inmates, said Ms Logue. \"The people in there have done wrong but they have to be treated as human beings,\" she said. \"They have to be more caring and sympathetic. To me they do what they have to do, but no more.\" Ms Logue said Mr Mulligan had tried to phone her several times on the day he took his life. \"I was working on the Saturday morning and he tried to phone me twice,\" she said. \"He tried to phone me four times in two minutes on the Saturday afternoon at 15:30 and I had laid down for a sleep and missed his calls - the same day that he killed himself. \"I feel terrible guilt, because I was the love of his life and he told me I was the only thing that was keeping him going. \"So I believe maybe if I'd have spoken to him I could have stopped him on that day. But I believe it was inevitable [that he would eventually take his own life]. \"I think he thought when he couldn't get through to me that I had fell out with him and that's a very haunting thought for me.\" Listen again to the interview on Radio Ulster's Talkback programme.", "summary": "The partner of a man who took his own life in Maghaberry Prison while on remand for the murder of his father has criticised the care he received."}
{"article": "Supermarket worker David Sinclair, 34, shook his five-month-old son Joshua in a fit of anger, causing him to die at Hairmyres Hospital hours later. At the High Court in Glasgow, Sinclair pleaded guilty to culpable homicide in regard to the infant's death on 6 December, 2012. He is due to return to the court for sentencing next month. Sinclair was originally charged with murder, but admitted the reduced charge of culpable homicide, just days before he was due to go on trial. Prosecutor Ashley Edwards said that on the day the child died, Sinclair and his now wife Kirsty and Joshua went swimming and then shopping in East Kilbride. At 17:30 Kirsty Sinclair went out to meet her mother and sister. Just 11 minutes later she received a phone call from Sinclair, who sounded \"shocked\". He told her: \"Joshua isn't breathing properly, come home right away.\" He then hung up and dialled 999. The court heard that Kirsty Sinclair, who is pregnant, married Sinclair on the anniversary of their son's first birthday on 9 July 2013, and had said she was standing by him. Initially the cause of Joshua's death was unascertained, but the case was reviewed by a team of medical experts who discovered evidence of trauma in the eyes and brain which could only have been caused non-accidentally close to the time of death. One of the experts, Dr Peter Richards, consultant paediatric neuro-surgeon at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, said: \"This would be compatible with him having suffered a shaking injury involving handling at greater force than encountered in everyday life. \"It would be compatible with a shaking event where a carer, who has not planned to injure a child, has a momentary loss of control with tragic consequences.\" Defending QC, Ian Duguid, told the court that Sinclair had found it \"unimaginable\" that the handling of his child would have resulted in such catastrophic injuries. The barrister added: \"He is extremely remorseful for the events which have ensued. Witnesses in double figures would have come forward to talk of his caring abilities as a parent.\" Det Ch Insp Laura McLuckie, who was the senior investigating officer in the case, said: \"David Sinclair admitted to being responsible for the death of his baby son, Joshua, who died needlessly at a young and vulnerable age. \"My sincere condolences go out to Joshua's extended family, who have endured this harrowing incident and continue to live with the pain of Joshua's untimely death. \"A defenceless baby died at the hands of his father, the one person whose role was to protect and care for him.\"", "summary": "A man has admitted killing his baby son in a \"harrowing incident\" at his home in East Kilbride."}
{"article": "The charges start from 1 April 2017 and will increase BT's annual valuation fourfold, from \u00a3165m to \u00a3743m. \"We are extremely disappointed by the new rateable values, which are clearly excessive,\" BT said. On Friday, the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) published revaluation details of 1.96 million non-domestic properties in England and Wales. But BT said: \"It is highly likely that an increase of this size would lead to higher prices for consumers and businesses.\" The telecoms giant warned that if the proposed new rates are brought in, \"it could have a negative impact on future investment in the network\". That point was echoed by Virgin Media chief executive Tom Mockridge, who said: \"The Chancellor Philip Hammond is choosing to side-step responsibility for a huge increase in infrastructure taxes, at the very moment after the Brexit vote the UK needs to maximise investment into its digital fibre network.\" BT said it will challenge the VOA's \"method and assumptions\". \"The Government has made it clear that it wants companies such as BT to invest heavily in the UK. We have stepped up to that challenge but we need a more joined up and logical approach from the public sector if there is to be a more conducive environment for investment,\" the company said. The proposed rates will be welcomed by many small businesses, which will see a drop in their charges. That is because they have overpaid in recent years, as rates have been based on 2008 valuations which are now out of date, said the Federation of Small Businesses. Chairman Mike Cherry said: \"Many businesses across the country will be getting some relief from years of overpayment or see their rates remain steady. \"In other areas, there will be a big jump between the old valuation and the new one. To avoid such big discrepancies in payments, we believe more frequent valuations are necessary.\" But he added that transitional relief plans, which were announced by the government earlier this week, will help reduce some of the pain for those facing a big rate hike. Under proposed changes to Small Business Rate Relief announced in the March 2016 Budget, small firms with a rateable value of less than \u00a312,000 will pay no business rates at all, with further assistance handed to those with a rateable value of under \u00a351,000. \"It means that today's revaluations could have big consequences, especially for those firms on the margins of these cut-off points,\" said Mr Cherry. Local Government Minister Marcus Jones said: \"Local firms also need to be confident that the rates they pay are accurate and fair, no matter where they are in the country, and these updates will give them that reassurance. \"We are committed to helping all businesses flourish and as we make the system fairer up and down the country, nearly three quarters of companies will see no change, or even a fall, in their bills - including 600,000 who from next April will have their bills cut altogether. \"But for the small minority of businesses that do face an increase, we're putting in", "summary": "BT has condemned \"excessive\" new business rates, which it says will push up the cost of broadband services."}
{"article": "The cuts, which will be spread across the country, represent 7.5% of the company's 16,000-strong workforce. The move follows the merger earlier this year of the two networks which together have 30 million customers. At the time analysts warned the move would mean some staff overlap and would therefore mean a reduction in staff numbers. The jobs will go from back office, headquarters and management. The group said no cuts would be made among customer service or store staff. Its main offices are in London, Bristol and Hatfield, Hertfordshire.", "summary": "Everything Everywhere, the company that runs Orange and T-Mobile in the UK has said that it will cut 1,200 jobs."}
{"article": "Bomb disposal officers examined a suspicious item found at Thiepval Barracks but it was found to be \"nothing untoward\", police said. A number of homes had been evacuated, but people have been allowed to return. Part of the Belsize Road, which had been closed, has now reopened.", "summary": "A security alert at an Army base in Lisburn in County Antrim has ended."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Pennetta, the 26th seed, won 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 to become only the second Italian woman to win one of the tennis majors. She then said: \"I make a big decision in my life - this is the way I like to say goodbye to tennis.\" The 33-year-old from Brindisi confirmed she plans to play the rest of the season before retiring. \"One month ago I decided that this is the way I would say goodbye to tennis,\" added Pennetta, who collected a winner's cheque of $3.3m (\u00a32.1m). \"This is my last and I couldn't think of finishing in a better way.\" Vinci, ranked 43rd in the world, had stunned Serena Williams in the semi-finals, ending the world number one's bid for a calendar Grand Slam. The 32-year-old from Taranto, said: \"I am really happy and really happy for Flavia. It's tough to play against a player who you have known for a long time. \"I tried to play my best, but Flavia played unbelievable and I have to say congrats to her.\" Pennetta later cleared up any confusion arising from her surprise post-match announcement on court. \"I will play until the end of this year but it was my last match here in New York,\" she explained. The new world number eight will play two tournaments in China, as well as the WTA Finals in Singapore if she qualifies, before calling it a day. \"Sometimes it's getting hard for me to compete,\" said Pennetta, who joins 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone as a female Italian Grand Slam winner. \"You have to fight every week and if you don't in the way I did today, it's going to be bad. I don't feel like I have this power any more. \"It was a really hard decision but I'm really happy I did it. I'm really happy and proud of myself.\" Vinci, asked what their appearance in the final together had proved, said: \"I beat Serena - a miracle. Two Italians can reach the final - a second miracle. And one Italian player can win a Grand Slam.\" The absence of Williams from the final day had led to fears that the stadium might be half empty, but a full house of 23,771 did see history made, albeit Italian history. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was courtside after flying in for the first final between two of his compatriots since the open era began in 1968. It was Pennetta who prevailed after making the running from the outset, breaking serve at the seventh attempt in a dramatic seventh game. Vinci was tentative, making little headway with her sliced backhand until a Pennetta error brought her level at 4-4. A tie-break was required and again it was Pennetta who held her game together better, clinching it with a serve after four errors from Vinci. Pennetta raced 4-0 clear in the second, a big enough lead to absorb a brief fightback from Vinci, and the darkening skies above loomed as the biggest threat to her hopes. The drizzle", "summary": "Flavia Pennetta beat fellow Italian Roberta Vinci to win her first Grand Slam title at the US Open, and then announced her retirement."}
{"article": "University of Aberdeen researchers found the link remained even after taking account of the smoking habits of the women themselves who miscarried. But no link was found between exposure to cigarette smoke in the womb and a decrease in fertility. The study examines data from 12,321 women born before 31 December 1972. The university said an analysis of the data also showed that women exposed to cigarette smoke in the womb were more likely to have a pregnancy than those whose mothers did not smoke. Women exposed to cigarette smoke in the womb were also likely to have a pregnancy earlier than those not exposed. Dr Sohinee Bhattacharya, a pregnancy and childbirth expert from the University of Aberdeen, said previous research had suggested there may be a \"small decrease\" in the fertility of women whose mothers smoked in pregnancy. \"This study used a databank in Aberdeen to look at the birth records of more than 12,000 women and followed them through for 40 years to see whether being born to a smoker had any impact on women's future fertility,\" she said. \"The study did not find a link between mothers' smoking and a decrease in fertility in their daughters. \"Women whose mothers smoked were more likely to have a pregnancy, but this study suggests that this could simply be linked to the fact that they were also more likely to get pregnant at an earlier age and could be related to socioeconomic status. \"Worryingly the study did find a significant increase in the chances of having a miscarriage among the women whose mothers had smoked when pregnant with them. \" The lead author of the paper, Sam Tweed, completed the work as part of his undergraduate degree and graduated from the University of Aberdeen's Medical School in June. The research was published in the Human Reproduction Open journal.", "summary": "Women exposed to cigarette smoke while in their mothers' wombs are more likely to experience miscarriage as adults, according to a study."}
{"article": "Police investigating the attack in Lochgelly on Saturday night said two males aged 16 and 19 were being held. A 22-year-old man was injured outside the Premier Stores on Francis Street just before 22:00. He was being treated at Victoria Hospital where his condition is said to be stable. The suspects are expected to appear in court on Tuesday.", "summary": "Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with an attempted murder outside a shop in Fife."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old wildcard from Stockport, ranked 164, overcame the world number 94 2-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-0 to reach the second round. But British number three Johanna Konta lost 6-4 3-6 6-4 to China's Peng Shuai. James Ward, Dan Cox, Dan Evans and Kyle Edmund were also beaten in the men's singles first round. Broady will face either 16th seed Caroline Wozniacki or Israel's Shahar Peer - Wozniacki led 6-3 2-0 when play was suspended for the day - in the second round. Having lost her Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) funding as a 17-year-old in 2007 for \"unprofessional behaviour\" on a night out, Broady has had to pay her own way on the circuit since. \"I don't think they (the LTA) will try and take credit for it, I'll laugh in someone's face if they try and say it was them,\" said Broady. \"It's definitely made me hungrier. If I don't win, I don't have any money.\" A year ago Broady was exploring alternative career possibilities, but she has guaranteed herself prize money of at least \u00a343,000 with victory over Babos. \"When I was looking at other things to do, it was specifically because I couldn't fund my tennis,\" she recalled. \"It was hindering my tennis and I wasn't getting the best out of it. \"This time last year I was lucky enough to get a wildcard into Wimbledon qualifying. The week before that, I was researching how to become an au pair, and going to go live in another country. \"I was going for Paris and looking at doing first aid courses, language courses, to become an au pair, because I couldn't afford to play tennis. But I won a qualifying round and that got me through for a while, then I had some wins in the doubles and that helped me pay for the singles.\" Broady believes the fact she does not get LTA funding has made her hungrier for success. \"If I don't win, I don't have any money. I have to fight harder on court,\" she added. \"The difference a year can make is amazing. I think I'll be fine for a year or so now. It's very satisfying knowing that it's me that has achieved this.\" Ward made 30 unforced errors, failed to convert any of his three break points and won just five games as he lost 6-2 6-2 6-1 to 17th seed Mikhail Youzhny, while Cox was beaten 6-2 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 by Frenchman Jeremy Chardy. Evans was a 6-1 7-5 3-6 7-6 (7-5) loser at the hands of Russian Andrey Kuznetsov; while Edmund, last year's junior semi-finalist, found Austria's Andreas Haider-Maurer too strong and lost 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-2. \"It went OK,\" said Edmund. \"I got off to a good start, but struggled a bit at the end of the first set. I'm glad I got my game back to take it to a tie-break. I thought I was unlucky to lose the second. He played a good third set. I have lots of experience to take, so it's not all bad.\" Konta", "summary": "British number four Naomi Broady won her first match at a Grand Slam as she came from a set down to beat Hungary's Timea Babos at Wimbledon."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 27 August 2015 Last updated at 17:56 BST Both games are free to play but have some features which cost money to add. The Advertising Standards Agency, the UK authority in charge of checking advertising, say that the games put too much pressure on children to buy these additional features. That's because they say things like 'Moshi Monster needs you', or tells players they will be 'super popular' if they pay to become members. Now the companies behind both Moshi and Bin Weevils say they have changed the games and will stick to the rules in the future. Watch Newsround reporter Jenny's full report on this.", "summary": "The popular online games Moshi Monsters and Bin Weevils have found themselves in trouble for putting unfair pressure on children to make in-game purchases."}
{"article": "The carrier initially launched the three-times-a-day service until 21 October while the Severn Tunnel was closed as part of the rail electrification programme. But it said there had been a \"very promising\" uptake, with 95% of passengers surveyed saying they would continue using it. The service has now been extended. Tickets are now available for the coming weeks, with Cardiff Airport chief executive Roger Lewis saying \"the immediate future\" is secure. He wants to see continued use to make it a long-term route at the airport. Flybe's chief revenue officer Vincent Hodder said: \"This route has quite simply taken off, quickly becoming an early success. \"We have been heartened by the response it has received.\" The flight time is about an hour, but the record journey to date is 35 minutes.", "summary": "Flights between Cardiff and London City airports will continue while demand exists, the airline Flybe has said."}
{"article": "Cheng says a lot of people who aren't funny are afraid to be \"weird\" or \"deviate from what's normal\". This is a mistake, he says, arguing that comedians shouldn't be worried about having controversial views. \"I think a lot of funniness comes from ideas which may be different, and that's why a lot of comedians come from a different background and have a different point of view,\" he says. \"Embrace that.\" Cheng himself dropped out of his maths degree at Cambridge University in 2008 to become a professional poker player before later getting into comedy. He brings an analytical approach to his comedy, using graphs and a PowerPoint presentation in his Edinburgh performance. Read about the joke that won him the award, here. With the growth of online streaming sites like Netflix, there is a lot of comedy available. Cheng says those wanting to be funnier should be watching plenty of it - particularly the things they find most funny. Doing this helps develop a sense of humour and potentially a distinct comedic voice, Cheng says. \"Start off imitating it and you will find your own voice, because a lot of comedy comes by imitating enough things, which can create a different voice.\" Making friends laugh doesn't only make you and them feel good - it can be a stepping stone to making others laugh, Cheng argues. \"If you make your friends laugh I think it's one of the greatest ways to connect with people. It's a stepping stone to making others laugh.\" While Cheng didn't do it himself, he knows other comedians and friends who have taken stand-up and improvisational comedy courses. These courses can give people an understanding of joke writing and experience of performing in a supportive environment. Cheng developed his own comedy skills in the familiar environment of students gigs in Cambridge, where he continued to live after dropping out of his degree in 2008. Cheng says social media can be a good place to try out jokes without the pressure of getting on stage. \"It's a good way, because you don't have to go in front of people and you can realise 'I know how to do this.'\" But above all else, Cheng has some words of encouragement for people who hope to be funny. \"If you have a sense of humour then you probably have the potential to be funny,\" he adds. \"Being a Chinese comedian is much easier than being a female comedian because no one ever comes up to you after a gig and says 'you were pretty funny... for a Chinese comedian'.\" \"I walked in on my flatmate looking at an optical illusion with his pants down. He jumped up and screamed 'it's not what it looks like!'\" Ken Cheng is performing at The Cellar, Pleasance Courtyard, at the Fringe Festival, each day at 16:45 BST until 27 August.", "summary": "The winner of the best joke award at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Ken Cheng, shares five tips on how to be funnier, be it on stage or just in front of a group of friends."}
{"article": "Speak to candidates knocking on doors in each of Wales's 22 local authority areas and they will tell you that voters appreciate a bit of trash talk. Local councils are responsible for keeping land in their area clear of litter and refuse, including dog mess. So how are they doing? And what issues do they face in trying to keep our streets, town centres, parks and beaches clean and tidy? Based on the latest How Clean Are Our Streets report, an annual independent survey funded by Welsh Government and carried out by Keep Wales Tidy (KWT), you could argue that the situation looks rosy. The survey has been going since 2007, monitoring more than 3,000 streets across Wales. This year, there were reductions in all types of litter recorded with dog fouling and smoking-related rubbish at their lowest levels yet. The survey's cleanliness indicator gave an all-Wales score of 69.3 - the highest yet, although there are still challenges for urban areas and the gap between the lowest and highest figures is still widening. However, with litter estimated to cost Welsh taxpayers an estimated \u00c2\u00a370m a year in clean-up costs, there is an emphasis that dealing with it cannot lie with councils alone. Jemma Bere, policy and research manager for KWT, said: \"Even though progress is being made, litter remains a real and persistent problem for many communities. To effectively reduce litter in Wales, it's vital that we continue to work in partnership with local and national government, agencies, businesses and schools, developing a more joined up approach.\" That is echoed by councils themselves, given the financial position they are in. Since 2009/10 expenditure across Wales's local authorities on environmental services, which includes bin collection and street cleaning, has seen a 12% cut, while money spent on regulation has fallen by 47%. Councils are having to work in different ways, partnering with charities, encouraging volunteers to carry out street clean-ups and take up offers from private agencies to catch litter-droppers on their behalf. Tim Peppin, director of regeneration and sustainable development at the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) told me that the quality of the local environment was \"always at the forefront\" for councils. \"The appearance of an area really counts. So local authorities have been trying really hard on issues such as litter, fly-tipping and dog mess against a backdrop of budgets for environmental services being squeezed.\" \"A lot of effort goes into thing like route planning for emptying bins in public areas so they don't overflow.\" Social care 'headache' for Welsh councils Looking for better school marks Increasingly private agencies are taking over when it comes to enforcement action. They operate on a no-fee basis, taking a cut of any fines they dish out on the council's behalf instead. It has meant that despite a period of much tighter budgets, the number of fixed penalties issued by Welsh councils for littering has increased sharply - chiefly where private firms have been used for litter enforcement. Wrexham Council had faced a litter clear-up bill of \u00c2\u00a31.2m but a year ago brought", "summary": "Politicians are often accused of talking rubbish, but when it comes to Thursday's local election that may well do them some favours."}
{"article": "Roughly based on the shape of a cruise ship, the behemoth is situated at the NEC complex on the outskirts of the city - officially part of Solihull and an area few people would have on their mini-break hot list. So how will it compare to other resort destinations? Nestled within the sprawling NEC, Resorts World is not in a glamorous spot. It is bordered by the M42 motorway, Birmingham Airport and the large housing estate of Chelmsley Wood. But does that matter? The Genting Group is not aiming for guests at the resort to have a local experience. With an Asian-themed spa, Australasian-themed restaurant and New York-themed bar, Birmingham - or even the UK - does not intrude. The idea, which has proved popular in Malaysia and the Philippines, is that once through the doors of Resorts World, visitors could be anywhere. Or nowhere. The business behind Resorts World, Malaysian conglomerate the Genting Group, already owns and runs more than 40 casinos in the UK - as well as casino resorts in the Philippines, Bahamas, New York, Singapore and Malaysia. The International Casino in Birmingham will have more than 100 slot machines, as well as roulette, poker, blackjack and baccarat. The 100-seat sports bar, with large multi-screens and \"luxurious private viewing booths\" facilitates live match play, and with no windows for daylight to remind gamblers how time is passing, it is open 24 hours a day. Resorts World respects gender difference. Away from the sports bar and its rampant masculinity, there is a drinks menu for those of us without a Y chromosome: \"For the ladies we offer an extensive list of tantalising cocktails, why not try our Genting Spring Punch or the Hurricane Rita?\" It may be smaller and arguably less glamorous than Las Vegas - but once inside, a casino is a casino. The Genting Hotel promises its rooms \"offer a self-contained sanctuary to make you feel right at home\". Facilities include a Smart TV, coffee machine, ironing board and a bed. Like the world-famous Bellagio casino and hotel in Las Vegas, Resorts World Birmingham enjoys a waterfront location. There may not be a spectacular fountain display, but guests in Birmingham can opt for one of the five-star suites, \"complete with panoramic lakeside views\". An Asian-themed spa is due to open in the next few months, with a private entrance \"away from the eyes of the public\" for hotel guests, so they can come down from their rooms wearing dressing gowns without being exposed to the stares of shoppers and gamblers. The ground floor of Resorts World Birmingham houses more than 50 shops - all of them outlet stores. Deliberately less aspirational than the high-end retailers of Bicester Shopping Village, Resorts World offers an eclectic mix. Yves Delorme (\"a passion for luxury home linens since 1845\") is just round the corner from Hallmark's discounted greetings card shop. Fitness fanatics can check out Nike's outlet store before popping to nearby Holland and Barrett for health food - unless cut-price chocolate at Thornton's proves too tempting. And should you wish to", "summary": "Persuading the public to spend their holiday in a 12-storey building on the edge of the M42 may seem like a tough task for the people behind Resorts World in Birmingham."}
{"article": "The confirmation of the timetable comes hours after four French soldiers were killed and five others wounded. The Taliban said one of their suicide bombers carried out the attack on a Nato convoy in Kapisa province. Withdrawing French troops by the end of 2012 had been one of Mr Hollande's election pledges. The date means that French forces will leave the country two years before the main Nato pullout. Violence has risen across the country in recent weeks, with the Taliban targeting both the Afghan forces and the 130,000 foreign troops remaining in the country. Afghan officials said the bomber in Saturday's attack approached a French Nato convoy wearing a burka. Several Afghan civilians were also wounded in the attack. Mr Hollande said in a statement that a \"national tribute\" would be paid to the soldiers. Until the pullout is completed, \"everything must be done for our troops to meet their obligations but with... the greatest vigilance for the lives of the soldiers,\" he added. France is currently the fifth largest contributor to Nato's Isaf force, with nearly 3,300 soldiers. The deaths bring to 87 the total number of French fatalities in the country since 2001. In January the killing of four French soldiers in Kapisa prompted then-President Nicolas Sarkozy to announce a withdrawal by the end of 2013. Mr Hollande brought it forward by a further year, fulfilling an election pledge.", "summary": "France will begin its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in July and complete it by the end of the year, French President Francois Hollande has said."}
{"article": "Thomas Morris, 31, was discovered in his cell at HMP Woodhill, near Milton Keynes, in June 2016. An inquest has heard how he sought mental health care before his death. Nicola Marfleet, acting governor, told the hearing: \"I accept management checks had failed on different levels. I am responsible, I will always accept that.\" The inquest has previously heard how Mr Morris was moved to a single cell after throwing his television on to a landing. Asked whether Mr Morris might still be alive had he not been moved to a solo cell, Ms Marfleet said: \"In hindsight that may have saved his life, but maybe leaving him where he was would have caused harm. \"One individual throwing a TV onto a landing narrowly missing an inmate could be the thing that tips the wing into us losing control. \"My duty is to care for each prisoner. A decision is not made in isolation.\" She told how the jail had a staff \"deficit\", meaning there is \"a regular trickle of resignations which means we are routinely short of officers\". The inquest continues.", "summary": "The governor of a prison where an inmate was found hanged in his cell has admitted \"checks failed\"."}
{"article": "It is unprecedented for all 11 Justices to sit for a single case and that is saying a lot for an institution that in one guise or another has existed for more than 600 years. But, judging so far from the furore greeting the judiciary's involvement in Brexit, it may be a case of safety in numbers. Howls of protest and anger from Brexit-supporting politicians and newspapers greeted the decision by the High Court on 3 November that Parliament must vote on Article 50 before it can be triggered. But the Supreme Court has made it clear that it is highly unlikely to be swayed by such considerations when it starts its deliberations on 5 December. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, one of the judges, Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore, confessed to feeling unabashed by the predicted public and press interest in the case. \"I think that it's not a question of my looking forward to it but I can perfectly well understand why the public is extremely interested in it,\" he told me. \"And that's a good thing. Our communications staff and our reception staff are well prepared to cater for that public interest and to ensure that as much facility for those who are interested in it is provided, so that the public can hear the arguments as they are presented. \"I think that's an entirely healthy thing. So I'm not particularly looking forward to the public interest but I'm certainly not disheartened by it.\" The government appealed to the Supreme Court after a \"lower court\", in this case the High Court, ruled that Parliament must vote before the triggering of Article 50. The High Court had upheld the challenge by businesswoman Gina Miller that Prime Minister Theresa May had no authority by use of the Royal Prerogative to start the process of the UK leaving the EU. Several Brexit-supporting newspapers attacked the decision, with the Daily Mail describing the judges as \"enemies of the people\". Lord Kerr declined to comment about the newspaper headlines but said: \"I think the important message that I would like to convey is that we as judges apply the law. \"We are not involved in reaching decisions based on anything other than the legal principles as they are presented to us and the legal analysis which we conduct as to these extremely difficult and complicated questions. \"That's not to say that we don't have personal views but we are all extremely conscious of the need to set aside our personal views and to apply the law as we conceive it to be.\" The Supreme Court is based in Parliament Square next to both Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. The court formally began in October 2009 housed in a building previously used as a crown court. Before 1965 it was home to Middlesex County Council, which was officially abolished in a reorganisation of London's local government. The Supreme Court took over the functions of the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords and its justices also sit as the Judicial Committee of", "summary": "All 11 senior judges of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom will decide the most significant British constitutional question for years - whether the government has the power to trigger Article 50 of the EU Lisbon Treaty to begin Brexit."}
{"article": "It follows reports in a German paper of repeated clashes between Theresa May and Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker at a Downing Street dinner. EU sources claimed UK misunderstanding of the talks process, and ignorance about how Brussels works, could lead to no deal being agreed on the UK's exit. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the reports were \"tittle-tattle\". She said the emergence of the reports was \"not the right way\" of negotiating, but the UK was committed to negotiating in \"good faith\". According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine, the prime minister and Mr Juncker reportedly clashed over Mrs May's desire to make Brexit \"a success\" and whether the issue of protecting the rights of expat UK and EU nationals could be agreed as early as June. The newspaper claimed Mr Juncker said: \"I leave... 10 times more sceptical than I was before.\" In a speech later on Tuesday, Mrs May - who has dismissed the account as \"Brussels gossip\" - will cite the need to stand up to the other 27 EU countries \"We have seen in recent days, it will not be easy,\" she will say. \"The negotiations ahead will be tough. Across the table from us sit 27 European member states who are united in their determination to do a deal that works for them.\" The German newspaper's report of the dinner last Wednesday, which looks to have come via European Commission sources, said that after the PM said she wanted to \"make Brexit a success\", Mr Juncker's response was: \"Brexit cannot be a success. The more I hear, the more sceptical I become.\" And when she said the UK owes no money to the EU, the president informed her that she was not leaving a \"golf club\". The article said that, after last week's dinner, Mr Juncker was shocked at Mrs May's suggestion that a deal on citizens' rights could be achieved so quickly. The German newspaper report also suggested Mr Juncker said there would be no trade deal between the UK and the rest of the EU if the UK failed to pay the \"divorce\" bill which it is expected to be asked for. Reports also claim that the morning after the dinner last Wednesday Mr Juncker told German chancellor Angela Merkel that Mrs May was \"on a different galaxy\". A senior Conservative source told the BBC that the party would \"rise above\" all the media coverage but rejected accounts of the dinner, saying: \"We really, really do not recognise those reports.\" Ms Rudd said the UK would not be responding to the claims but the government had set out a clear plan and priorities for the talks and Mrs May was the best person to negotiate a Brexit deal that was in the UK's \"national interest\". \"Once you start engaging in gossip, in tittle-tattle in this way, it (will) carry on and who knows where it will lead?\" she told BBC Breakfast. \"Nobody knows how much truth there is in gossip. But there are ways of conveying what is going on and this is not the right way.", "summary": "The UK will not enter into \"a briefing war\" with the European Commission over Brexit talks, Tory sources have said."}
{"article": "The Saudi foreign ministry said the UN needs to be reformed first. It said the Security Council had failed in its duties towards Syria as well as in other world conflicts. Saudi Arabia has previously expressed frustration at what it sees as an international failure to act on Syria, where it staunchly backs the rebels. There has been no official reaction from the UN, but diplomats there expressed surprise at Riyadh's announcement. Russia's foreign ministry called the move bewildering, and said Saudi Arabia's criticism of the UN Security Council about its actions over Syria \"is particularly strange\". By Bridget KendallDiplomatic correspondent, BBC News Usually there is fierce competition to secure one of the 10 rotating seats on the UN Security Council - a chance to sit alongside the five permanent members for two years on the top UN body which rules on international security issues. Instead Saudi Arabia has used the coveted position to lodge a very public protest. This is the second protest from Saudi Arabia. Earlier this month the Saudi foreign minister pulled out of giving a speech at the UN General Assembly, expressing similar frustration. It is a dramatic gesture, but whether it makes immediate reform of the Security Council more likely, as the Saudis demand, is probably questionable. The announcement came hours after Saudi Arabia was elected for the first time to one of the 10 rotating seats on the Security Council. The non-permanent members sit on the council for two years, along with the five permanent members - the US, the UK, France, China and Russia. \"Work mechanisms and double-standards on the Security Council prevent it from carrying out its duties and assuming its responsibilities in keeping world peace,\" the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement. \"Therefore Saudi Arabia... has no other option but to turn down Security Council membership until it is reformed and given the means to accomplish its duties and assume its responsibilities in preserving the world's peace and security,\" it added. The failure \"to find a solution to the Palestinian cause for 65 years\" had led to \"numerous wars that have threatened world peace,\" the foreign ministry said. It also criticised the UN's \"failure\" to rid the Middle East region of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. And it accused the UN of allowing the Syrian government \"to kill its own people with chemical weapons... without confronting it or imposing any deterrent sanctions\". The UN Security Council last month finally broke a two-and-a-half year deadlock on how to deal with conflict in Syria after voting unanimously to adopt a binding resolution on ridding the country of chemical weapons. Saudi observers say Riyadh would have been working for years to gain a place on the UN Security Council, so such a decision would have to have been made at the very top of the kingdom's leadership. One Security Council diplomat, quoted by AFP, said the announcement was \"totally unexpected\" and without precedent. Another said: \"There was nothing controversial about the election. But the government has made it clear in recent weeks that", "summary": "Saudi Arabia has turned down a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, accusing the world body of \"double standards\"."}
{"article": "The 35-year-old victim was attacked outside Barclays Bank in London Road, North End, Portsmouth at about 15:20 BST on Saturday. The men, aged 41 and 42, were arrested on suspicion of murder and conspiracy to murder. They are both in police custody. It is understood the victim's injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. Police said they are appealing for witnesses.", "summary": "Two men have been arrested after a woman was stabbed in the back as she walked in a busy shopping street."}
{"article": "Despite this, net use among this group is growing with the numbers trying the net doubling since 2011, it found. It also revealed that 25% of disabled people have yet to use the net - a figure campaigners called \"shocking\". About 88% of all UK adults, about 46 million people, used the net in the last three months, it said. The ONS bulletin on net use in the first three months of 2016 revealed that 91% of people living in London went online regularly. By contrast, in Northern Ireland only 82% of people are regular users of online sites and services. Pete Lee, from the ONS's surveys and economic division, said the statistics revealed some significant changes in usage and exposed those sectors of the population where net use remained low or patchy. Net use among women aged 75 and over had grown by 169% since 2011, it found. However, it found that a significant number of older people who start using the net did not do so consistently. About 5% of those aged 75 or more had stopped using the net in early 2016. \"While we have seen a notable increase in internet usage across all groups in recent years, many older and disabled people are still not online,\" said Mr Lee. Mark Atkinson, chief executive at disability charity Scope, said it was \"shocking\" that 25% of disabled people had not used the net as it created a significant digital divide. \"Digital access has the power to make life cost less,\" he said. \"Many people go online to compare the best consumer deals and offers.\" \"Life costs more if you are disabled, from higher energy bills to specialist equipment. Scope research shows these costs add up to on average \u00c2\u00a3550 per month,\" he added.", "summary": "Almost two-thirds of people aged over 75 have never gone online, suggest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS)."}
{"article": "The initiative at The Meadows, along the Melville Drive side, comes ahead of a wildlife meadow being planted. At least 10 large tree logs have been installed by the City of Edinburgh Council after Friends of the Meadows and Bruntsfield requested them. The logs have been donated by the forestry service. Lesley Hinds, City of Edinburgh Council's environment convener, said: \"We have been working closely with Friends of the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links over recent months to install these logs, which will not only deter drivers from parking along the edge of the Meadows, but will help our efforts to encourage and diversify wildlife in the area, along with a new wildflower meadow.\"", "summary": "Logs have been embedded into the grass at a huge city park in Edinburgh in a bid to encourage insects and other wildlife to the area."}
{"article": "The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties said staffing and leadership were particular concerns. It recommended the Scottish government and NHS boards agree minimum safe staffing levels for all professions in hospitals. The Scottish government said NHS staffing was at its highest-ever level. The academy set up a working group to look at how the health service could learn from past failures. It followed three previous reports into serious failings of care in the Scottish health service. They looked at problems of staffing and leadership at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI); above-average mortality rates at NHS Lanarkshire; and the worst-ever outbreak of C-difficile infection, at Vale of Leven Hospital. The academy's report, Learning from Serious Failings in Care, identified key issues to be addressed, including: The working group was chaired by Prof Alan Paterson of Strathclyde University and involved senior experts from the Royal Colleges in Scotland. Prof Paterson said: \"It is clear that serious failings in team working between clinical staff and NHS management played a significant role in the failings in care identified. \"These failings are deep-rooted and systemic. They must not be ignored if we are to learn from them and to prevent repetition. \"It is also clear that a combination of factors led to some appalling failings in care, a loss of basic compassion and the prioritisation of inappropriate targets over patient care. In addition, leadership and accountability were all too often sadly lacking and bullying endemic. \"While there have been responses to the individual published reports of inquiries and reviews into failings in care, there is little evidence to suggest that we are tackling the underlying systemic failings which exist.\" The report recommended that hospital staffing levels should be based on \"best evidence\". It said priority should be given to developing minimum safe staffing for acute medicine and medicine for the elderly wards. Among its 20 recommendations was a suggestion that there should be less reliance on locum and agency staff, and a call for quality of care to be put ahead of meeting targets, It also raised concerns about staff sickness, saying this could be an indication of deteriorating morale and should be used as \"an early warning system\". Royal College of Nursing Scotland Director Theresa Fyffe said: \"These are hard-hitting recommendations and will make uncomfortable reading for many managers and leaders in our health service.\" She added: \"Too often, failures in care are down to unsafe staffing levels. We know that quality of care is inextricably linked to having the right number of suitably skilled staff in the right place at the right time, with the right balance between registered nurses and unregistered staff. \"Having appropriately trained and experienced staff must be a priority for all health boards if they are to deliver safe, high quality care to patients.\" The Scottish government's national clinical director for healthcare quality, Prof Jason Leitch, said: \"We are committed to driving up standards in our NHS which is why we have led the way in responding to the reports detailed in the Scottish Academy's report. \"We are absolutely clear", "summary": "A body representing health professionals in Scotland has said major changes are needed to address \"systemic failures\" in the NHS."}
{"article": "Pupils at Denbigh High School were disciplined on the first day of term on Monday, for breaches of policy including \"the wearing of inappropriate trousers, skirts and footwear\". The students were taken from their normal lessons and moved to a \"learning suite\". About 20 of them returned to normal classes by the end of the day. Head teacher Simeon Molloy said: \"We believe that standards across the board, including uniform, contribute to a positive learning environment. \"At the end of the last school year we held several school assemblies that outlined our school uniform policy. \"We followed this up by telephoning parents and sending out letters with photographs and information on the style of trousers and length of skirts.\" He added: \"We have spoken with every parent of every student involved in this matter to explain individual issues with each pupil's uniform. We will continue to uphold our high expectations.\" Students flouting uniform rules were sent home from lessons at a Kent academy - a day after police intervened in angry scenes at the school gates on the first day of term.", "summary": "A head teacher has defended excluding 72 students from regular classes for not complying with uniform rules."}
{"article": "Gerald Jacob's family said he had retired last December and had been planning to \"continue his life travelling\" with partner. The incident at Loggerheads is believed to have happened on Saturday at 19:30 GMT. Police were alerted to the crash scene on Sunday just before midday. \"Gerry, as we all knew him, loved life and lived it to the full,\" they said. North Wales Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident on Ruthin Road involving a grey BMW car which was found in a hedge.", "summary": "A family has paid tribute to a \"very special\" 66-year-old man who died in a crash near Mold, Flintshire."}
{"article": "Sinn F\u00e9in's Martin McGuinness was speaking ahead of Saturday's meeting by his party's ard chomhairle (national executive) to discuss the crisis. He said he was told the UK government plans to impose \u00a312bn in welfare cuts. He said Tory ministers plan a further \u00a313bn in cuts across UK government departments. The issue of welfare reform and its impact on Northern Ireland's budget has caused serious political difficulties at Stormont in recent years. The crisis deepened earlier this week when the Welfare Bill was blocked by Sinn F\u00e9in, the SDLP and the Green Party's only MLA. The welfare legislation was an important part of last December's Stormont House Agreement, and would have provided a number of mitigation measures to protect people on benefits who may otherwise lose out under planned welfare changes. Some of the reforms are already in force in other parts of the UK, but speaking ahead of this party's meeting in Dublin, Mr McGuinness said Northern Ireland was different from the rest of the UK. \"I am not prepared to reside over the austerity agenda that the British government are inflicting on our executive. My conscience would not allow me to do it. \"So I think what we have to do is rally the forces, both in Dublin, in the United State of America, and make it clear to David Cameron that this approach is folly of the worst kind,\" he said. But First Minister Peter Robinson, who leads the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said there would be no renegotiation of the Stormont House Agreement. He warned that failing to implement welfare reform would result in \"\u00a3600m of cuts to vital public services\". Mr Robinson was interviewed at the Irish Open golf tournament, during his first public appearance since suffering heart attack last Monday. \"I've had the experience of being in hospital, talking to medical staff, knowing the difficulties that they're facing, the fact that without the funds that they presently have there would be loss of life, it would be an issue for public safety,\" Mr Robinson said. \"So, we do have to deal with all of these issues, but if they can't be dealt with then Her Majesty's government is going to have to step in and deal with them themselves.\" On Wednesday, Northern Ireland Secretary of State Theresa Villiers said she could not rule out Westminster having to step in to legislate on welfare matters in Northern Ireland.", "summary": "Northern Ireland's deputy first minister has described the political situation at Stormont as \"very grave\" due to the row over welfare reform."}
{"article": "The fire started at the \"A list\" Cirque Le Soir venue on London's Ganton Street, just off Carnaby Street at about 04:55 GMT. Station manager Nic Myatt said: \"No-one was inside at the time and there were no injuries.\" The cause of the fire is under investigation. Cirque le Soir, a basement venue, describes itself as \"London's most A-list club and decadent circus\". Entertainers perform on four stages at the nightclub, a popular venue for celebrities, with minimum spends starting \"from as little as \u00c2\u00a3100 per head\" for a party of 500. London Fire Brigade said it managed to contain the fire so it did not travel to the restaurant and offices above it.", "summary": "More than 50 firefighters have tackled a blaze at a Soho nightclub."}
{"article": "Patrick Morrison, professor of human genetics at Belfast City Hospital, hit out at the lack of specialist staff. He accused the government of \"failing\" patients with Huntington's disease. The condition is a rare, inherited and highly complex neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than 120 people in Northern Ireland. Huntington's disease is caused by a faulty gene which progressively destroys the central area of the brain, affecting all aspects of the person's life including physical, cognitive and behavioural processes. \"The current service is severely overwhelmed and understaffed,\" Prof Morrison said. \"For such a tragic condition where the funding of NHS services by the government has not stepped up to the mark, this is failing families with Huntington's disease.\" The BBC has learned there are no dedicated specialist nurses currently in place across any of the five health trusts in Northern Ireland to care for patients with this chronic and debilitating condition. The Belfast Health Trust is the only Northern Ireland trust that has two dedicated Huntington's disease nursing posts. However, due to one nurse being off ill and another changing job, currently neither post is filled at present. About 120 men and women are affected by Huntington's disease, but the actual figure is believed to be higher as many cases are undiagnosed. Patients from as far away as County Fermanagh have been contacting the Belfast Health Trust asking for help. In a statement to the BBC, a spokesperson for the Belfast Health Trust said it \"had difficulties recruiting a specialist nurse to work in this team\". \"We have actively encouraged existing staff who may be interested in applying for the vacant post,\" they said. \"The post has been re-advertised. In the meantime we continue to do our best to meet the needs of our service users. \"There is currently a proposal in process to secure additional funding for a regional manager which would further enhance the service.\" In the meantime, patients have told the BBC they are relying on their families and GPs for help. One of those patients is Anne Boyd, who lives in west Belfast. Diagnosed with the condition 11 months ago, Ms Boyd said she is learning to take one day at a time. \"I began noticing a lot of changes,\" she said. \"I was dropping things and falling over. \"There was also a bit of a devil in me. I was nasty, hard to live with. I wasn't a nice person.\" Huntington's disease progresses at different rates. Those who have had it or have witnessed a loved one suffer have described it as being especially cruel, as it affects both the mind and the body. According to Ms Boyd, as her memory has been affected she can no longer read. Her concentration and mobility are also affected and as she is confined to her home a lot of the time, she also suffers from depression. \"I get up every day not really knowing what it may bring,\" she said. \"It is really hard and not just for me, but for my family. They need help too.\" According to Prof", "summary": "A leading expert in Huntington's disease has described the service for patients in Northern Ireland as being seriously overwhelmed."}
{"article": "So what exactly is the problem, and how serious is it? By UK standards, air pollution levels are high. The Department of the Environment measures outdoor air pollution on a one-to-10 scale. Parts of north-west Norfolk hit level 10 on Tuesday. On Wednesday, levels were recorded at seven - meaning high - in towns and cities in East Anglia and rural parts of south-east England. Pollution levels of five were reached in London, the Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside. The tipping point seems to have been dust from storms in the Sahara. Normally it settles in the countries of southern Europe - Spain, Malta and Greece, for example. However, winds from the south and east have brought the dust to the UK, along with industrial pollution from Europe. And because those weather conditions are stable and not changing, those particles are not being dispersed. But that is only part of the problem. Most air pollution in the UK comes from road transport and residential emissions. Leaving aside the Sahara dust, the pollution is made up of various substances, including nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and ammonia. These form particles in the atmosphere. The two most common measurements are particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometres or less, known as PM2.5; and larger particles measuring 10 micrometres, known as PM10. The World Health Organization (WHO) uses PM10 levels to measure pollution, expressed in micrograms per cubic metre. It recommends mean exposure over 24 hours to PM2.5 of no more than 10 micrograms/m3, and to PM10 of no more than 25. PM2.5 particles are thought to be particularly damaging because they are so small, they can penetrate into the deepest parts of the lungs. WHO air quality guidelines Why is the UK doing so badly? Last month, the EU announced it was taking legal action against the UK because it was persistently over the safe limit for air pollution - in particular, levels of nitrogen dioxide. But the UK is not alone - most EU countries struggle to meet the targets, says Martin Adams of the European Environment Agency. In fact, the EU is currently taking action against 17 out of 28 member states with serious air quality problems. EU standards make allowances for natural sources of air pollution, including Saharan dust for Spain and ozone for coastal countries such as the UK. Frank Kelly, professor of Environmental Health at King's College London, puts the blame for the UK's pollution woes squarely on the shift to diesel vehicles over the past 10 years. Six out of 10 cars sold today in the UK are diesels, and these produce a lot of nitrogen dioxide, he says. King's College London air quality monitoring project (London only) In all, the WHO says air pollution is responsible for seven million premature deaths a year around the world. That includes indoor as well as outdoor pollution - typically, smoke from cooking stoves in developing countries. About 80% of deaths related to outdoor pollution are linked to heart disease and strokes, while 14% are due to lung or respiratory diseases, and 6% to", "summary": "Health warnings have been issued for parts of England, as air pollution reaches high levels."}
{"article": "The baby died about six weeks ago but few details of the case were released. The child was born in Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, County Westmeath, on 16 August and died on 22 August at Dublin's National Maternity Hospital. The Health Service Executive (HSE), which runs the Republic of Ireland's public health services, confirmed it was investigating the \"tragic\" case. In a statement to the BBC, a spokesman said: \"The HSE incident management policy is being followed and a full and thorough investigation into this tragic event has commenced. \"The family are involved in this process. The hospital extends its deepest sympathy to the family,\" he added.", "summary": "The Irish health authorities have begun an investigation following the death in hospital of a newborn baby."}
{"article": "Jamal Mahmoud, 21, died at the London prison on Tuesday. Two prisoners, aged 34 and 26, have been arrested on suspicion of murder. BBC News understands the weapon used was a \"hunting-style knife\". The motive is not yet clear, although claims about a dispute between gangs or drugs debts are being investigated. It is understood the stabbings happened in a prison wing and inmates were then moved into the jail's exercise yard, according to the BBC's Home Affairs Correspondent Danny Shaw. He said a prison source had told the BBC the knife used in the attack had been recovered, and described it as \"bigger than a Bowie knife but smaller than a machete\". The weapon was not improvised, the source said. Mahmoud was attacked on the fifth floor landing of one of the prison wings, before being thrown over the railings, falling about 30ft (nine metres). Mahmoud, from Enfield in north London, was jailed in July for helping to hide a machine gun. A friend of the dead man, Danny Rynne, a scaffolder from Enfield, described him as \"small\" and \"placid\". \"He's got a girlfriend who's just had a baby that was born two weeks ago. It's a shame what happened. I don't know too much about what it's about but it's a shock to everyone,\" Mr Rynne said. How dangerous are our prisons? The Prison Governors Association (PGA) said inmates at Pentonville were living in \"squalid and brutal conditions\". \"If a society is judged by how it treats those it locks up, then we are in a very dark place,\" it said. 22,195 Assaults 31% Rise compared to the same period of the previous year 2,953 Serious assaults 5,423 Attacks on prison staff 5 Apparent homicides (in 12 months to June 2016) The association has renewed calls for a public inquiry amid what it said was an \"unprecedented\" rise in prison violence and suicides. In response to those comments, a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) spokesperson said the justice secretary had made clear that safety in prisons was \"fundamental to the proper functioning of our justice system and a vital part of our reform plans\". \"We are fully committed to addressing the significant increase in violence, self-harm and self-inflicted deaths in our prisons,\" the spokesperson added. The MoJ said measures would include spending an extra \u00c2\u00a314m in 10 prisons and increasing staffing levels by more than 400 prison officers. Analysis: BBC Home Affairs Correspondent Danny Shaw Pentonville's Governor Kevin Reilly has noted that in recent weeks people had \"felt anxious\" about violence at the jail. Writing in an internal newsletter, seen by BBC News, Mr Reilly said reducing violence was one of his \"top five priorities\". He said although there had been a slight reduction in violent incidents during the month, people remained concerned. In July the Pentonville Independent Monitoring Board said the government should \"knock down\" or \"urgently upgrade\" the 174-year-old prison. The board said the jail was \"decrepit\" and blamed the former legal high Spice for driving an illicit economy which in turn had led to violence, self-harm and bullying.", "summary": "A prisoner has died and two others were critically injured in a stabbing at HMP Pentonville, leading to claims the prison system is in a \"dark place\"."}
{"article": "Shaker Aamer was held at the US military base in Cuba over allegations he had led a Taliban unit and had met Osama Bin Laden, but was never charged. Downing Street said there were \"no plans\" to detain him after his arrival. Mr Aamer said he felt \"obliged\" to everyone who fought for him to be released, and to \"bring an end to Guantanamo\". \"My thanks go to Allah first, second to my wife, my family, to my kids and then to my lawyers who did everything they could to carry the word to the world,\" he said. \"I am overwhelmed by what people have done by their actions, their thoughts and their prayers, and without their devotion to justice I would not be here in Britain now.\" Concern has been raised over the health of the Saudi national, 48, whose family live in London, and the BBC witnessed an ambulance arrive at the airport. Number 10 said Prime Minister David Cameron \"welcomes\" the release of Mr Aamer, who has permission to live in the UK indefinitely because his wife is British. It also said any necessary security measures \"will be put in place\". The father-of-four landed at London's Biggin Hill Airport shortly before 13:00 GMT. Mr Aamer's father-in-law, Saeed Siddique, said his release was a \"miracle\". \"It's a delightful day,\" he told BBC News while admitting it was also a \"surprise\". Mr Aamer, who was first held by US authorities in Afghanistan in 2001, maintains he was in the country doing charity work. Since 2007 Mr Aamer, who claims he was tortured, has been cleared for release twice, by US presidents George W Bush and then Barack Obama. It is understood Mr Aamer will go through standard immigration checks now he has arrived in the UK. Mr Aamer's legal representative Clive Stafford Smith told BBC News: \"Shaker only wants the truth to come out he is not interested in persecuting anyone. \"His first priority is health - he really is in terrible shape.\" In letters sent to the BBC by his lawyers earlier this month, Mr Aamer described himself as \"an old car that has not been to the garage for years\", saying the first thing he wanted once freed was a cup of coffee. By Dominic Casciani, BBC home affairs correspondent When the business jet carrying Shaker Aamer landed in London he was met by British officials. His lawyers say he will need urgent medical and mental assessments. He may, like others who have been held at Guantanamo, be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. While the PM has said Mr Aamer won't be detained, it's unlikely we will ever find out if MI5 separately decides to monitor him - by definition its work is secret. Mr Aamer is said to be relaxed about such prospects and has asked his lawyers to make clear he believes he has a \"contract\" to honour with the people of Britain. Shaker Aamer's return is the end of an astonishing and murky personal saga. But it's by no means the end of the story.", "summary": "The last British resident to be held in Guantanamo Bay has landed in the UK, having been detained for 13 years."}
{"article": "Quamari Serunkuma-Barnes, 15, was attacked as he left Capital City Academy in Willesden, north-west London, on 23 January. Before he died in hospital, he managed to tell one of the nurses the name of his attacker. The defendant, who cannot be named because of his age, had a string of convictions for violent behaviour. He also had convictions for possessing a knife at school when he was aged 13. Prosecutors at the Old Bailey described the murder as a \"deliberate, planned attack on a defenceless schoolboy.\" \"He was happy and unconcerned as he walked out of the school gates, singing and exchanging banter with his school friends as he walked,\" said prosecutor Sally O'Neill QC. But within three minutes of leaving school, he was chased and stabbed by a masked boy, dressed in black, who had been waiting for him at the corner. Witnesses described Quamari shouting that he was going to be stabbed and \"running for his life\" back to the school. He was unable to outrun the defendant who grabbed him and stabbed him three times in his back, shoulder and upper leg before running off. One of the witnesses, a girl, recognised the attacker and almost immediately rang him. He lied to her saying he was in south London. The masked figure was caught on CCTV waiting for Quamari to come out of school and his phone confirmed he was in the area at the time of the stabbing. \"This wasn't a school argument getting out of hand and someone getting hurt because one of them had a knife,\" continued the prosecutor. \"Whoever did this to Quamari Barnes was waiting for him and as soon as he saw him, he chased him, caught him and stabbed him three times.\" The defendant refused to give evidence, but his barrister, Kirsty Brimelow QC, told the court that the case was \"riddled with doubts\" and that the police had simply \"joined with the playground chat\". He will be sentenced on 28 July. Det Ch Insp Jamie Stevenson said Quamari was a popular schoolboy who \"didn't stand a chance\" as his attacker was an adept runner. \"Many of the schoolchildren who witnessed the attack initially thought the two boys were messing around. \"Little did they know that within a matter of minutes Quamari would be lying helplessly on the ground fighting for his life. Those that witnessed the events have been left completely devastated by the loss of their friend.\"", "summary": "A 15-year-old boy has been found guilty of murdering a teenager outside his school gate."}
{"article": "Autumn Veatch had been on a small plane with her step-grandparents which crashed in the North Cascades National Park in Washington state. She is being treated in hospital, but has no life-threatening injuries. It is not known what happened to Autumn's step-grandparents, whom she attempted to pull from the wreckage. Autumn's father, David, told reporters outside a hospital in the town of Brewster that his daughter was exhausted, but doing remarkably well. He said she was able to joke with him about all the survival shows they watched together on television, according to the Associated Press news agency. \"She's just an amazing kid,'' he said. \"There's more to her than she knows.'' Transport authorities said the Beech A-35, which was registered to Autumn's step-grandfather, left Kalispell in Montana at around 13:00 on Saturday. It was due to land in Lynden, Washington, later on Saturday and family members raised the alarm when there was no sign of the plane. Autumn left the scene of the crash after a day and followed the river, via a trail, downstream to the nearest road, family friend Santina Lampman told the Seattle Times. A passing motorist spotted her on Monday and took her to the town of Mazama, where she received medical attention before being taken to hospital. Doctors say she is suffering from dehydration and a treatable kind of muscle tissue breakdown caused by exercise without food or water, but that she is expected to make a full recovery. \"It's a miracle, no question about it,\" Lt Col Jeffrey Lustick of the Civil Air Patrol told reporters. \"Moments of joy like this can be hard to find.\" The plane's wreckage has not yet been found but the search was due to resume again on Tuesday.", "summary": "A 16-year-old girl has been found after hiking to safety from the scene of a plane crash in a mountainous area of the north-western US."}
{"article": "It will allow the government to borrow additional money by selling bonds to pay for a large chunk of its expenses. The approval comes amid fears that Japan's economy may be heading towards a recession. The opposition had previously delayed the bill, demanding that the government call for elections first. On Friday, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda dissolved the parliament, paving the way for snap elections to be held next month. In a separate move, Japan's government warned that the economy is showing \"signs of weakness\", adding to concerns about the health of the world's third-largest economy. It said that industrial production is falling and exports continue to remain weak due to slowing global demand. It added that private consumption and business investment also remain subdued. Japan's economy shrunk 0.9% in the July to September quarter, from the previous three months, and there are fears it may contract further in the current quarter. \"Concerning short-term prospects, weak movements would remain for the time being,\" the Cabinet Office said in its monthly report. This is the fourth successive month that Japan has lowered its assessment of the economy, the longest such streak since the 2008 - 2009 global financial crisis. One of the big concerns among policymakers in Japan has been continued deflation, or falling consumer prices, in the country. That has hampered their efforts to boost domestic consumption as consumers tend to put off purchases in hopes of getting a better deal later on. Consumer prices in Japan fell 0.1% in September, from a year earlier, the fifth straight month of decline. The government said that it \"strongly expects the Bank of Japan to continue powerful monetary easing\" to help fight deflation. Meanwhile, Shinzo Abe, the leader of the main opposition party, the Liberal Democratic Party, has said the central bank needed to set an inflation target of 3% instead of its current 1% goal to help revive growth in the economy. Mr Abe, who's party is widely expected to win a snap election, has said that if elected, he will put pressure on the bank to ease its policies further and has called for it to print \"unlimited yen\" to help fight deflation. His comments have had an impact on the financial markets. The yen has fallen to its lowest level against the US dollar in six-and-half-months. It was trading close to 80.97 yen against the US dollar in Asian trade. Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose 2.2% to 9,024.16 points.", "summary": "Japan's lawmakers have approved a crucial bill that will ensure that the government does not run out of money at the end of this month."}
{"article": "So how necessary is all the expensive tuition, if you want to help your child into a career treading the boards? Tallulah Treadaway is living many girls' dreams. Aged just 12 she has spent the last year leaving her sister and two brothers at home in Sussex, to take the train to London to perform in the hit musical Matilda. There's no question that it's a fulfilling experience for her. \"It's an achievement,\" she says. \"After the performance you walk out of the theatre and you hear people say 'those kids were amazing' and you feel great.\" Her run in Matilda has just come to an end and she is now in rehearsals for another West End production. But although she has been dancing since she was five, Tallulah is relatively untutored, at least compared to many of the other children she meets at auditions. She has noticed some of them turn up already knowing all the words and all the steps. Increasingly, parents of a new star-struck generation are forking out for a whole battery of lessons in the hope that it will help fulfil their child's dream of a show business career. But it's not a path to embark on lightly. Whereas you might happily pay \u00a320 for a chemistry set for an aspiring scientist in the family, the parents of a promising performer can spend thousands on what is a notoriously fickle career choice. Costs vary around the country but one-to-one tuition in the south-east of England starts at \u00a320 an hour. Group classes range from \u00a35 - \u00a310. The costs of uniform, costumes and exams can mount up too. And the more classes that are on offer from jazz to musical theatre, street dance to singing, the more your child will want to do. \"I want to keep my daughter's dreams alive,\" says Naomi Phitidis, mother of one enthusiastic young performer. Her daughter Juno attends singing, drama and several dance classes, although some are scheduled fortnightly to limit time and cost pressures. \"But I also want her to have some sort of security in her life,\" says her mother. She does sometimes wonder whether she's putting all her eggs in one basket, but firmly believes the skills and confidence that Juno is acquiring will help her whatever she does later in life. Vanessa Karl's daughter, Zoe, hopes to become a professional dancer. But she knows she's unlikely to win a place at a dance college without reaching a demanding technical standard. So Vanessa spends around \u00a3100 a week on classes for 30 weeks of the year. \"If someone has a passion it's good to let them follow that passion, if you can afford it,\" she says. She thinks you need an absolute minimum of four years training to get into a post-16 dance school, and more is better. \"If you're serious you need to be doing at least three ballet classes a week. And I think most dancers would want to do at least that.\" If Tallulah, Juno and Zoe do pursue careers on the stage they will", "summary": "If you're the parent of a budding Darcey Bussell or Benedict Cumberbatch you'll know how quickly the bills start flooding in from drama teachers, singing coaches and dance schools."}
{"article": "Warwickshire Police said officers were called out from 10:30 GMT in advance of the Blue Square Bet Premier League game between Nuneaton Town and Lincoln City. British Transport Police and officers from the West Mercia and West Midlands forces helped in the operation. Officers in riot gear began making arrests at The Granby pub from 15:20. A total of 62 people were detained. They were taken by coach to Nuneaton police station where they were being interviewed. Ch Insp Adrian Knight, who was leading the response, thanked his colleagues for their work on what had been a \"particularly challenging day\", adding: \"This operation was a true collaboration utilising resources from across the region.\" He went on: \"It was important to take a positive approach from the start of the operation and as a result of that approach a significant number of people have been arrested for serious offences and will now be processed. \"Warwickshire Police is committed to protecting people from harm, whether they live in the county or are visiting, and we will not tolerate any behaviour which puts them at risk. \"Anyone intent on causing trouble in Warwickshire should be aware that we will deal with them robustly,\" he added. Nuneaton went on to win the game 1-0.", "summary": "Dozens of people were arrested after police in riot gear were deployed ahead of a football match in Nuneaton."}
{"article": "The base, near Albrighton, is home to the Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering. Its future was put in doubt after the government announced last year that RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire would open a training college in 2013. The RAF said working with private firms could help Cosford survive. Station Commander Jamie Johnston said: \"We already have trained some elements of British industry. \"Industry are finding it harder to find trained people and it's expensive to train people. It makes sense to look at how we can do that in a smarter way.\" RAF Cosford is estimated to contribute about \u00a370m a year to the local economy. The government has said the base could be used by soldiers returning from Germany, although that is unlikely to happen until 2020 at the earliest. Shropshire councillor Malcolm Pate said it made sense to look at different ways to secure the base's future. Mr Pate said: \"Given the technical expertise that's at RAF Cosford, I think there's a great opportunity for Cosford to have a large income stream by selling its expertise to local companies and private business.\" The government has revealed that a six-year review into the move of aeronautics training from Cosford to St Athan in south Wales cost taxpayers \u00a3150m. Station Commander Johnston described it as a \"large sum of money\" and said the military had a duty to deliver best value for money for taxpayers. Plans to move the training college were scrapped two years ago, news of which was welcomed by local business leaders, councillors and Conservative MP for the Wrekin Mark Pritchard.", "summary": "RAF Cosford in Shropshire could sell its training expertise to the business community if the government moves its defence operations."}
{"article": "The will was filed at Manhattan Surrogate court in New York earlier this week leaving instructions from the pioneering rapper, also known as MCA. It read: \"Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in no event may my image or name or any music or any artistic property created by me be used for advertising purposes.\" Yauch died of cancer in May aged 47. His will leaves his $6.4m (\u00c2\u00a34.1m) estate to his widow, Dechen Yauch, and their 13-year old daughter, and gives Dechen the right to sell and manage his artistic property as the executor of the estate. The phrase \"or any music or any artistic property created by me\" was added in handwriting, according to Rolling Stone magazine which has seen a copy of the document. Yauch founded the Beastie Boys with rappers Ad-Rock and Mike D in the 1980s, going on to have a string of hits including Fight for Your Right (to Party) and Sabotage. He was diagnosed with cancer of the salivary gland in 2009 and underwent surgery and radiation therapy, which delayed the release of their latest album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two. Corporations have regularly used the images of deceased musicians, celebrities and historical figures in their advertisements, such as Apple's 1997 Think Different campaign featuring John Lennon, Martin Luther King Jr and Gandhi. This week the remaining members of the Beastie Boys took legal action against US energy drink company Monster over allegations of copyright infringement. They lodged papers in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday, claiming executives have been using their tracks in a promotional video and downloadable audio file without their permission.", "summary": "Late Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch has used his will to stop people from using his music or image in advertising."}
{"article": "Gordon Anglesea, 79, from Old Colwyn, was convicted of one charge of indecent assault against one boy, and three indecent assaults against another. Addressing Anglesea at Mold Crown Court Judge Geraint Walters said \"there can only be one sentence and that is a prison sentence\". North Wales Police's assistant chief constable apologised after the trial. \"The victims in this case have waited a long time for justice and I am pleased that today they have seen this done,\" said ACC Richard Debicki. \"It has not been an easy journey from them, it has taken courage to stand by their convictions, but I hope that they will now take some solace from seeing their abuser brought to justice.\" \"I would like to apologise on behalf of the force to those whose lives he so traumatically affected.\" Anglesea, a former superintendent in the Wrexham area, had denied the charges, with his defence funded by the Police Federation. He was also found not guilty of an alternative charge of a serious sexual assault, and granted bail until 4 November when he will be sentenced. Ed Beltrami, chief prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Wales, said Anglesea had been in \"a position of power and authority in order to prey on very young and vulnerable victims\" and praised those who gave evidence for helping to secure his conviction. \"I hope that it will also prove to be a meaningful step in the recovery process of his victims, who have had to live with what happened for a long time before seeing their abuser brought before the court,\" he added. Anglesea was arrested in 2013 as part of the National Crime Agency's Operation Pallial investigation into historical abuse across north Wales. The offences took place between 1982 and 1987, when both boys were aged 14 or 15. One boy was abused in the showers of a Home Office attendance centre in Wrexham run by Anglesea, who was a police inspector at the time. The court heard how he subjected juvenile offenders to a military-style, \"short, sharp shock\" regime of physical exercise, drill parades and woodwork classes on Saturday afternoons. Anglesea was \"answerable to no-one\" at the centre and would \"inspect\" the parade, make the youngsters do naked sit-ups and squat thrusts, then loiter around the showers \"with a smirk on his face\". His second victim was initially sexually assaulted by convicted paedophile John Allen, while living at the Bryn Alyn children's home in Wrexham and the abuse sometimes involved other adults who used him \"like a toy\". On one occasion, at a house in Mold, he said Anglesea \"grabbed him by the hair\" and indecently assaulted him, calling him \"scum\" and telling him he had the \"power to send him away\". The prosecution said both victims had been left \"damaged\" by the abuse and led \"chaotic\" lives of crime and drug and alcohol addiction. During the trial, Anglesea was questioned about links to other paedophiles, including Gary Cooke, who is currently serving 14 years in prison, and Peter Howarth, former deputy head of the Bryn Estyn children's", "summary": "A former north Wales police chief has been found guilty of historical child sex offences."}
{"article": "The senior brother had previously been moved out of Rubane House, where he abused young boys, and became principal of a school in Downpatrick. The details were revealed at the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Inquiry. It is examining allegations of abuse at Rubane House in Kircubbin. About 200 former residents have made allegations of abuse. The inquiry also heard the De La Salle Religious Order paid compensation to victims who were sexually abused at Rubane House within years of the order ruling that a previous investigation into their abuser was \"best forgotten\". The HIA has been told that one victim, then aged 12, arrived at Rubane House in 1961. Three years earlier, in 1958, the order launched an internal inquiry into claims of sex abuse against the brother in charge of the home. The order subsequently ruled that \"no reference is to be made at any time or to anyone regarding the inquiry\". However, the senior brother continued to sexually abuse boys at the home. The order later paid the victim \u00a327,500 in compensation. Another victim, who was in the home from 1958 to 1960, was paid \u00a320,000 in compensation earlier this year. Junior counsel to the inquiry, Joseph Aiken, opted not to read out the contents of a statement the man made to police in 2010. Mr Aiken invited the inquiry panel to adjourn to take time to read the statement which he described as \"graphic\". The inquiry also heard the victim \"subsequently abused his own children\". Rubane House was open from 1950 to 1985. A total of 55 former residents have come forward to the inquiry to allege that they were physically or sexually abused. The sex abuse allegations at Rubane House ranged from watching children in the shower to rape, while physical abuse ranged from corporal punishment to serious assault. The HIA inquiry was set up in 2013 to investigate child abuse in residential institutions in Northern Ireland over a 73-year period, up to 1995. The Rubane House allegations form the third module of its public hearings. It had previously been examining what happened to children sent from Northern Ireland to institutions in Australia.", "summary": "The De La Salle religious order moved a serial sex abuser to Africa, in 1982, despite being aware of his crimes at a boys home in County Down."}
{"article": "Mr Bailey, 58, was arrested over the murder of French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier but never charged. Ms Toscan Du Plantier was found beaten to death near her remote holiday home in west Cork on 23 December 1996. Mr Bailey told Dublin high court his life has been destroyed for the past 19 years because the police blamed him for a crime he did not commit. However, on Monday, a jury found certain police officers had not conspired to obtain statements from a witness to implicate him in the murder. Mr Bailey, who is originally from Manchester, had sued the Irish police (Garda) and the state for damages. However, most of his claims were struck out in the closing stages of the case because the judge ruled they had not been made within the six year time limit required by law. The case began on 4 November last year and heard from about 90 witnesses.", "summary": "Former journalist Ian Bailey, who had sued the Irish state for wrongful arrest for murder, has lost his case."}
{"article": "Simon, who previously worked for Renault, Ferrari and governing body the FIA, had been with Honda since they announced their return to F1 in 2013. Simon is on gardening leave from his position and a Honda spokesman confirmed the 58-year-old's contract would end \"some time this year\". He refused to comment on reports Simon left as his ideas were being ignored. Honda has struggled since it returned to F1 with McLaren in 2015 and the Japanese company's programme for this year had a dismal start in last week's first pre-season test. The company used at least five engines in the course of four days at Spain's Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as a series of reliability problems restricted running. Honda F1 boss Yusuke Hasegawa admitted he \"worried\" about whether the company could solve a problem that led to an engine failure before the start of the season in Australia on 24-26 March. And McLaren racing director Eric Boullier admitted that the situation was \"not good enough\". Boullier added: \"There is a bit more work to be done in Japan to investigate why we had those issues: issues that we absolutely did not expect to have - and for sure neither did Honda. \"It is fixable, but it was not the plan to have these issues. They are not really serious, as there are no fundamental issues with the design.\"", "summary": "French engine expert Gilles Simon has left his role as a consultant to Honda's struggling Formula 1 programme."}
{"article": "When the dumbfounded PCSOs asked what was going on, the octogenarian replied: \"I couldn't fit it in the car.\" The man went on to say he was helping clear the house of a late relative who had collected stuffed animals. An Altrincham Police spokeswoman said the reptile in question dated back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the 1900s. While the crocodile clearly was not going anywhere fast, the PCSOs were certainly pretty snappy when it came to posing for a picture. And there were no crocodile tears for the animal's owner either, as they helped him on his way down Navigation Road. The three officers are bracing themselves for a host of Crocodile Dundee jokes down the station after breaking the cardinal rule of \"never smile at a crocodile\".", "summary": "Three police community support officers were in for a shock while on patrol in a leafy Greater Manchester suburb - an old man carrying a giant crocodile."}
{"article": "Court, 74, has said she would not fly on Qantas \"where possible\" in protest at its support of same-sex marriage. She then told a Christian radio station \"tennis is full of lesbians\". In an open letter, Navratilova said: \"We should not be celebrating this kind of behaviour.\" The 60-year-old addressed her letter to the Margaret Court Arena, one of the main show courts at the Australian Open. She said: \"It is now clear exactly who Court is: an amazing tennis player, and a racist and a homophobe. \"Her vitriol is not just an opinion. She is actively trying to keep LGBT people from getting equal rights (note to Court: we are human beings, too).\" In 1990, Court said Navratilova was a poor role model for young tennis players because of her homosexuality. Navratilova said she had forgiven Court for those comments, but had only just been made aware of remarks the Australian made about South Africa's apartheid regime. In 1970, Court said: \"South Africa has the racial situation rather better organised than anyone else, certainly much better than the United States.\" Court won 24 Grand Slam singles titles, 11 of them in the Open era, which began in 1968 and allowed professionals to compete alongside amateurs. Navratilova described Court's actions as \"bullying\" and said sporting venues are named after athletes for \"who they are as human beings\" and \"not just for what this person did on the field\". \"The platform people like Margaret Court use needs to be made smaller, not bigger,\" she said. Navratilova believes the Margaret Court Arena should be renamed after Evonne Goolagong, a 14-time Grand Slam winner of Australian Aboriginal descent. \"I think the Evonne Goolagong Arena has a great ring to it,\" she added. \"Now there is a person we can all celebrate. On every level.\" BBC Sport tennis correspondent Russell Fuller: Freedom of speech is one thing, but Margaret Court has caused widespread offence within tennis with these most recent remarks. Tennis Australia has so far tried to separate Court's views from her achievements as a player to argue the name of the arena does not need to change. But they will find it very hard to withstand such pressure from figures like Martina Navratilova. And the current generation of players have much influence, too. Andy Murray, who is a member of the ATP Player Council, says it would be difficult for players to boycott a particular court during a Grand Slam. But he points out they could collectively agree a position before the tournament, which would make life very difficult indeed for Tennis Australia.", "summary": "Eighteen-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova has renewed her call for the Margaret Court Arena to be renamed - describing the Australian as a \"racist and a homophobe\"."}
{"article": "The members of the jury retired to consider their verdict on Friday morning. However, the case has now been adjourned until after the weekend. The judge, Lord Burns, had earlier gone through the options available in terms of the charges against Rachel and Nyomi Fee. He told members to consider the evidence dispassionately and without speculation. Rachel, 31, and Nyomi Fee, 29, deny murdering the two-year-old in a house near Glenrothes on 22 March 2014 and blaming his death on another child. The women, who are both originally from Ryton, Tyne and Wear, deny all the charges against them. The trial has been running for seven weeks at the High Court in Livingston.", "summary": "The jury in the Liam Fee murder trial has been sent home until Monday."}
{"article": "The bill does not ban pornography in the mainly Mormon state. However, it calls for greater \"efforts to prevent pornography exposure and addiction\". One group representing the adult entertainment industry attacked what it called \"an old-fashioned morals bill\". Pornography, the bill says, \"perpetuates a sexually toxic environment\" and \"is contributing to the hypersexualisation of teens, and even prepubescent children, in our society\". Further steps must be taken to change \"education, prevention, research, and policy change at the community and societal level\" against what it calls an epidemic, but it does not suggest how changes should be implemented. The bill was signed by Republican Governor Gary Herbert, who said the volume of pornography in society was \"staggering\". One 2009 study by Harvard Business School said that Utah was the state with the highest percentage of online porn subscribers in the US. Some studies have, however, indicated that porn may not be addictive. The bill was supported by the anti-porn campaign group Fight the New Drug. Reports have pointed out the group's founders are all members of the conservative Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or the Mormon Church. Close to 63% of the state's residents are Mormon, but Fight the New Drug's leaders have denied working on behalf of the Mormon Church. The Free Speech Coalition, a porn industry association, called for more dialogue. \"We should live in a society where sexuality is spoken about openly, and discussed in nuanced and educated ways, and not stigmatised,\" said Mike Stabile, a spokesman for the group. \"We all should work together to prevent non-adults from accessing adult material.\"", "summary": "The US state of Utah has become the first to declare pornography a public health risk in a move its governor says is to \"protect our families and our young people\"."}
{"article": "In Nigeria, it is quite common that if you fire someone for gross misconduct, that person will turn up days later in the company of his or her grey-haired, widowed mother and maybe an aged uncle and a pregnant wife. Together, they kneel at your doorstep and beg you to forgive, promising that the recalcitrant person will act differently if re-employed. Sometimes, the sacked person will phone you two months later to say that he or she has been offered employment elsewhere, then beg for a positive reference, while reminding you that the same people you meet on your way up, you shall surely meet on your way down. More likely than not, the repentant former employees are given a second chance. Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani: \"My Nigerian-American friend is horrified by this Nigerian culture of wiping clean people's track records\" Nigerians are usually willing to give others the opportunity to prove that they have transformed, no matter how grave their previous errors. One of the most recent, high-profile beneficiaries of this second-chance culture is Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria's new president. Back in 1983, he brought the country's then fledgling democracy to an abrupt end via a military coup, and his 18-month rule was infamous for draconian policies and human rights violations. While campaigning for the 2015 elections, Gen Buhari assured Nigerians that he was a changed man, that he was well aware of the difference between dictatorship and democracy. Many prominent citizens who had suffered in one way or the other under his rule responded by openly declaring their forgiveness for the retired general. Politician Audu Ogbeh and journalist Tunde Thompson, who were incarcerated under President Buhari's military regime, became active members of his 2015 campaign committees. My Nigerian-American friend is horrified by this Nigerian culture of wiping clean people's track records. She describes her experience as a first-year student at Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where the careers counsellors often spoke about the close-knit circle in corporate America, and how easy it is to get blacklisted by all firms based on bad behaviour or poor performance at one firm. The students studied the stories of two alumni who had brought shame and financial ruin to their companies because of their unethical behaviour. \"I remember the moods in the lecture rooms after each of these sessions,\" she said, \"when we often swore to ourselves that we would never become subject material for case studies on ethical failures.\" No such case studies are taught in Nigerian schools. A disgraced CEO here could easily get hired in another high-profile role. Yesterday's vilified plunderer of public funds could metamorphose into tomorrow's icon of philanthropy and champion of the masses. But, one month after President Buhari's inauguration, a paradox appears to exist in the forgiveness extended towards him. Nigerians claimed to have forgiven him for the man he used to be, yet are expressing disappointment that he is not that same man they thought he was. They seem to have expected President Buhari, on assuming power, to immediately act tough: To send corrupt government officials", "summary": "In our series of letters from African journalists, novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani considers Nigerians' tendency to forgive past misdemeanours and what it means for the country's new president."}
{"article": "The TUC said its research showed top executives receive a year's worth of the minimum wage in just one day. It said the average FTSE 100 boss was paid 123 times the average full-time salary, and called for \"reality in boardrooms\". A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said she had highlighted action was needed on executive pay. The TUC research indicated the median pay award, discounting pensions, of a major FTSE 100 director soared by 47% in the five years to 2015, to \u00c2\u00a33.4m. That compares with what the union body says was a 7% increase for average wages during the same time frame. It took Sir Martin Sorrell of advertising giant WPP, the UK's highest paid chief executive, less than 45 minutes to earn what an average worker receives in a year, the TUC added. \"We're seeing a growing disconnect between Britain's boardrooms and shop floors when it comes to pay,\" the TUC's Deputy General Secretary, Paul Nowak, told the BBC. Speaking ahead of the TUC annual conference in Brighton he added: \"Over the last five years, Britain's bosses have seen their pay rise by nearly 50%. \"And at the same time, ordinary working people have seen real terms pay freezes, and we think that's unfair, it's not right, and it's not sustainable in the long term for the health of the economy.\" Meanwhile, the TUC's general secretary Frances O'Grady, called on the prime minister to \"deliver on her promise to put workers on company boards\". She added: \"This would inject a much-needed dose of reality into boardrooms and help put the brakes on the multimillion pay packages that have damaged the reputation of corporate Britain.\" As well as promising to put workers on boards, Theresa May has proposed making shareholder votes on executive pay binding, rather than advisory. The prime minister has also said she wants more transparency about bonus targets and for companies to reveal the ratio between chief executive pay and that of its average worker. In a speech to the G20 group of major economic nations last week, she said: \"To restore greater fairness, we will bring forward a consultation this autumn on measures to tackle corporate irresponsibility, cracking down on excessive corporate pay and poor corporate governance, and giving employees and customers representation on company boards.\" Professor Andre Spicer, from the Cass Business School which is part of City, University of London, says some firms are already coming under pressure to curb high managers' pay. He told the BBC: \"We're beginning to see disquiet amongst investors at the moment so there's been pushback amongst big executive pay deals at places like Deutsche Bank, Burberry and a number of organisations. \"So investors are beginning to become fed up with this. It's likely that we're beginning to see questioning of this widespread practice, that CEOs need to be paid a lot to perform well.\"", "summary": "The pay of directors' at FTSE 100 firms has reached \"stratospheric\" levels, according to a trade union body."}
{"article": "David Obaze, 25, was fined A$3,000 (\u00a31,643) after pleading guilty to fixing three semi-professional games in the Victoria Premier League. Obaze is one of four Britons, all of whom played for VPL side Southern Stars, charged with corruption. The four were handed life bans by world governing body Fifa last year. Defender Reiss Noel and goalkeeper Joe Woolley were convicted and fined in December for throwing games. A fourth Briton, Nicholas McKoy, 24, has also entered a guilty plea and is scheduled for a hearing in September.", "summary": "A third British footballer has been convicted by an Australian court of helping fix matches for a global betting syndicate."}
{"article": "Witnesses said they saw bodies being thrown \"in the air\" when the car mounted the pavement outside the Old Queen's Head in Islington. Two knives were found at the scene but police said they are not treating the crash as terrorist-related. Four teenagers were later arrested. None of those hurt are thought to have life-threatening injuries. Cassandra Pessaran told the BBC there were \"30-odd\" people standing outside the pub in Essex Road just before 23:00 BST. She said she heard \"screeching tyres\" then saw a vehicle \"playing bumper cars with about three other cars... before going straight into a crowd of people\". Aris Papachronopoulos said he \"saw three people in the air\" after the car drove \"into the whole group\". Two men and a woman are being treated in hospital. The arrested teenagers, who remain in custody, are aged between 17 and 19. They were detained on suspicion of a variety of offences including GBH with intent and possession of points and blades, the Met said. One knife was found in the car while another was discovered nearby.", "summary": "Three people were taken to hospital after a car ploughed into a large group of people outside a north London pub."}
{"article": "Ferguson retired in 2013 as the club's most successful manager. The 74-year-old Scot had stayed away from Carrington since then. \"He had not been back since he left, but I brought him back to be with his people,\" Mourinho told the United We Stand fanzine (subscription required). \"I wanted the players to see the big man and for me and him to share some minutes and have lunch together. I enjoyed it, he enjoyed it.\" In his 26 years at Old Trafford, Ferguson led United to 13 league titles, two Champions League crowns, five FA Cups and four League Cups. \"I'm the type of person who does not see ghosts. I respect the past and I know he loves the club,\" said Mourinho, who was appointed in May as the third manager to succeed Ferguson after David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. \"We have good relations and I know this is his house. \"When he wants to come here, to the dressing room, to see the players train, he knows he is more than welcome.\" Mourinho also said there was more expected of teenage forward Marcus Rashford in the current campaign after the 19-year-old's successful breakthrough last season. \"Last season there were no senior players on the bench waiting for him to make a mistake. The choice was Rashford or Rashford,\" he added. \"The situation is different this season. The number of injuries is smaller. The expectations about the players is higher. \"[Former United winger] Ryan Giggs' second season [1991-92] was not comparable to the season when he started. Then, in the third season, he reached the level of Giggs. It was the final explosion of Giggs. We want to play young players but sometimes in football, it is about the moment.\"", "summary": "Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has revealed former boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been back to the club's Carrington training ground several times this season."}
{"article": "The names of 25 ministers were read out at a ceremony in Kabul presided over by Mr Ghani and government chief executive Abdullah Abdullah. The announcement comes after tortuous negotiations between the two former rivals who agreed to work together following disputed elections last year. The cabinet still needs to be approved by parliament. Mr Ghani's cabinet contains three women, for the portfolios of women's affairs, culture and higher education. As widely rumoured, his new foreign minister is confirmed as Salahuddin Rabbani, son of former president Burhanuddin Rabbani who was killed by a suicide bomber in 2011. New heads for Afghanistan's National Bank and the NDS, Afghanistan's National Security Directorate, were also announced. BBC Afghan's editor in Kabul, Waheed Massoud, says almost all the cabinet are new faces. Some are hardly known to the public. Many of the new ministers are young and have not been deeply involved in the years of political fighting and war which have blighted Afghanistan's recent past, he says. \"The government will refer them to the parliament for a vote of confidence,\" Mr Ghani's chief of staff, Abdul Salam Rahimi, said. He did not say when the vote might be held. The long delay in confirming the cabinet had prompted fears that the unity government might fall apart over the issue. Mr Ghani marked his first 100 days in office last week. He was sworn in on 29 September after an election his rival accused him of winning by fraud. The United States helped broker the unity deal. Reuters news agency reports that the cabinet make-up reflects the two rival camps and contains \"prominent ethnic and regional power-brokers\". Mr Ghani's time in office has seen a surge in Taliban attacks as militants seek to exploit the vacuum in government. The president's biggest initiative has been to sign security agreements allowing US-led forces to end combat operations at the end of last year. At the start of this year, Afghan forces took over full responsibility for security. Some 13,000 mainly American soldiers remain in a training and support role, together with a few thousand US troops whose focus will be on counter-terrorist operations.", "summary": "Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has unveiled his unity cabinet more than three months after he was sworn in."}
{"article": "The Lesedi la Rona, almost the size of a tennis ball, was unearthed in Botswana in November. The rough diamond is 1,109 carats and believed to be more than 2.5 billion years old. It had been expected to sell for more than \u00a352m ($70m) but the highest bid was about \u00a345m ($61m). The auction at Sotheby's was the first time a rough diamond of such a size has gone on public sale. Why have so many huge diamonds been found recently? The auction house had called its discovery \"the find of a lifetime\" and earlier said that \"every aspect of this auction is unprecedented\". The Lesedi la Rona, which means \"our light\" in the Tswana language spoken in Botswana, was discovered by Lucara Diamond Corp's Karowe mine. After it failed to sell, the Canada-based company - which has retained possession of the diamond - saw its stock fall more than 14% on the Toronto Stock Exchange. According to a study by the Gemological Institute of America, the rough diamond's colour and transparency \"exemplify\" type IIA diamonds. Stones in this group are said to be \"the most chemically pure and often show extraordinary optical transparency\". In terms of its size the rough is exceeded only by the Cullinan Diamond, mined in South Africa in 1905 and presented to King Edward VII. That 3,106-carat diamond was cut into nine stones, many of which are in the British Crown Jewels.", "summary": "The world's largest uncut diamond has failed to sell at a London auction after bids did not reach the minimum reserve price."}
{"article": "China calls the island Yongxing and has been building up a settlement there for the last two years. The school is expected to serve just 40 children, whose parents all work on the tiny island. Last month, Chinese and Vietnamese ships clashed over a drilling rig that China has placed near the islands. Beijing claims a U-shaped swathe of the South China Sea that covers areas other South East Asian nations say are their territory. The issue has been rumbling in recent years amid an increasingly assertive stance from China over its claims. This is the latest construction project on the island of Yongxing. There is already a hospital, a library and an airport. It also has mobile telephone coverage. China has been building there for the last two years, ever since it announced that the tiny settlement was a city, the administrative centre for a vast swathe of the South China Sea. The school will teach the children of the island's growing population, mostly made up of soldiers and construction workers. But it has a wider significance: it helps cement China's territorial claims in the area. Others may have competing claims - but those will be hard to enforce as China already has a growing presence there. Earlier this month, the UN said it was willing to mediate between China and Vietnam in the dispute. Beijing claims almost the entire sea, based on a mid-20th Century map with a line apparently delineating Chinese territory, and vague historical claims going back more than 1,000 years. Vietnam says it has controlled the Paracels for centuries. Last month China's decision to move the rig sparked anti-Chinese protests in Vietnam, with mobs attacking factories and businesses. The Philippines is also in a territorial dispute with China and is in the process of taking China to a UN court over its territorial claims. It has also recently signed a new security deal with the US which would allow an expanded US troop presence, in a move seen as linked to Manila's deteriorating ties with Beijing.", "summary": "China says it will build a school in the disputed Paracel Islands, boosting its presence in waters also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam."}
{"article": "The Right Reverend Graham Tomlin said residents should be at the heart of the investigation, which is believed to have killed at least 80 people. \"If you keep... the people directly affected by it out of the inquiry process, it just takes an awful lot longer to get to the truth,\" he said. Dr Tomlin, whose diocese includes the tower, said local trust was important. His remarks were mirrored in his formal submission to the public consultation, which closed on Friday. It is believed more than 300 submissions were made before the deadline. Inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick, a retired Court of Appeal judge, has already faced calls to resign from some residents of the west London tower block. \"It seems to me that the inquiry needs to get to the truth... but it also needs to win the confidence of the local people,\" Dr Tomlin told the BBC. If it does not, he said, \"whatever recommendations it makes is unlikely to get support.\" He said the inquiry needs to not only look at the technical causes of the fire on the night in question, but also the issues faced by the community in the run-up to the tragedy. \"I want to see local people at the heart of the inquiry, not just on the outside,\" he said. Residents' group Justice 4 Grenfell also made several submissions to the consultation process, including calling for investigation of the local council and a number of government departments. The fire in the 24-storey block started in a fridge freezer and destroyed 151 homes, both in the tower and surrounding areas. Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning", "summary": "The Bishop of Kensington has called for locals to be closely involved in the Grenfell Tower fire inquiry."}
{"article": "Stroud also remains a Conservative minority, while in Cheltenham the Liberal Democrats kept a majority rule. The leader of Cheltenham's Conservatives, Rob Garnham, narrowly lost his seat to the Liberal Democrats, in a result that required a recount. One of the country's youngest councillors was elected in Stroud. In Gloucester, voters were deciding on 15 seats in the city. Deputy council leader Jennie Dallimore held her Podsmead seat for the Conservatives, where she doubled her majority. Stroud continues to be run by a Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat alliance. Conservative Paul James, leader of Gloucester City Council, said it was a \"big achievement\" to defend the group's eight seats from the 15 being contested. Overall the council is made up of 18 Conservative, nine Labour and nine Liberal Democrat seats. The leader of the Liberal Democrat group in the city, Jeremy Hilton, said the council was balanced but it would require \"a lot of close co-operation between the three groups\" to do the best for Gloucester. In Stroud, where a third of seats were up for election, the council is now made up of 22 Conservative, 20 Labour, six Green Party and three Liberal Democrat seats. It meant an overall gain of one Conservative seat, three Labour seats and one Green seat and a loss of two Liberal Democrat. Two seats on the council were vacant and one Independent candidate defected to the Conservatives. One of the country's youngest councillors was elected in the Stroud district, when 20-year-old Tory Tim Williams won the seat for Bisley. He said he would continue to work on his parents' farm while carrying out his duties. In Cheltenham, the leader of the Conservatives, Rob Garnham, narrowly lost the Park ward seat to Max Wilkinson of the Liberal Democrats, in a result which needed a recount. Overall the Liberal Democrats gained one seat and now have 24. The Conservatives remain with 12 seats, People Against Bureaucracy remain with four seats, and one Independent seat was lost. Turnout in Cheltenham was 37%.", "summary": "Gloucester remains a Conservative minority administration after every party held their seats in the local elections."}
{"article": "The 51-year-old Welshman was only appointed in May, but the club are 16th in the table after Saturday's 4-0 home defeat by Swindon Town. Saunders lost 11 of his 20 league games in charge, and the Spireites are only four points above the relegation zone. Chairman Dave Allen said: \"We will not be rushed into making a decision on a new manager.\" Chesterfield's last league victory was a 3-0 win over Southend on 20 October, and they have lost their last four games. Saunders succeeded Paul Cook as Spireites manager, signing a two-year contract. Cook had guided the Derbyshire side to the League One play-offs, where they lost to Preston, before leaving to take over at Portsmouth. Former Wales international Saunders had previously managed Wrexham, Doncaster Rovers and Wolves, and ended last season in interim charge of Crawley Town, but was unable to stop them being relegated to League Two.", "summary": "League One side Chesterfield have parted company with boss Dean Saunders after just six months in charge."}
{"article": "However, it could not confirm whether they were the \"skulls of beheaded heroes\" which President Robert Mugabe referred to earlier this week. Zimbabwe's leader had demanded the return of those killed by the British in the late 1890s during the first uprising against colonial rule. He made the remarks at the shrine to remember the country's war dead. \"We are told that skulls of our people, our leaders, are being displayed in a British museum and they are inviting us to repatriate them,\" he told the crowd. \"We will repatriate them, but with bitterness, questioning the rationale behind decapitating them.\" Known as the heroes of the \"First Chimurenga\", they were defeated by the British after a protracted battle and the ringleaders were tried and hanged. What happened to their bodies has always remained a mystery. Zimbabwe's liberation struggle: The UK Foreign Office has now confirmed that talks have been going on since December 2014 over the \"potential repatriation of Zimbabwean human remains\". It said technical experts from Zimbabwe have been invited to meet their museum counterparts in London. \"We await the appointment of the required Zimbabwean experts in order to take this forward,\" the statement said. But the BBC's Africa correspondent Alastair Leithead says it is not clear if the remains are of the rebellion leaders. The Natural History Museum, which has a collection of 20,000 human remains, said it \"actively engages in discussions with governments and communities\" over requests for the return of human remains. More from the BBC's Alastair Leithead on Zimbabwe: Triumvirate retains firm grip on power", "summary": "The UK's Natural History Museum has said it may hold Zimbabwean human remains in its collection."}
{"article": "Bernard Watt was 28 when he was shot dead in Ardoyne in February 1971. Soldiers told the new inquest into his killing on Monday that they shot him as he was about to throw a bomb. But acting state pathologist Prof Jack Crane told the inquest on Tuesday that the injuries sustained by Mr Watt did not support the soldiers' claims. One soldier had said that Mr Watt dropped a bomb he was holding when he was shot, and it had exploded and \"blew him down the street\". Prof Crane said there was no evidence that Mr Watt had been thrown in to the air by an exploding device. Mr Watt's family disputes the soldiers' version of events and his widow told the inquest he had no links to paramilitaries. The new inquest into Mr Watt's killing began on Monday, and was ordered in 2012 by the attorney general, who asked for a number of controversial Troubles killings by the security forces to be re-examined. An initial inquest held in July 1971 resulted in an open verdict. In February, the Ministry of Defence defended a Parachute Regiment Facebook appeal asking former soldiers for information about Mr Watt's killing.", "summary": "There is no evidence that a man killed during a north Belfast riot 46 years ago was holding an explosive device when he was shot, an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "Det Supt Tanya Jones said a member of the public discovered the body in the Basingstoke Canal at Woodham Lock in West Byfleet on Saturday. Detectives are treating his death as suspicious. Officers are looking into the circumstances that led to him being found in the water. Police believe they know who the man is and have informed his family, but have not yet released his name. Officers want to speak to anyone who was on the towpath, lock bridge or nearby footpaths between Friday night and Saturday morning and who might have heard or seen anything suspicious.", "summary": "A man's body has been pulled from a canal in Surrey."}
{"article": "The 13-strong crew, part of a 25-nation coalition force, has been tasked to patrol two huge patches of ocean between the southern coast of Oman and the Horn of Africa. It is where Somali pirates were last seen operating - and it is where they are thought to be lying in wait for their next victims. Maritime piracy off the Somali coast is estimated to have cost the global shipping industry about $5.6bn (\u00c2\u00a33.6bn) last year alone and, along with the growing terrorist threat, it is one of the principal reasons David Cameron has convened this week's Somalia conference in London. Over 100 seafarers and several ships are currently held for ransom in often atrocious conditions. What started out a few years ago as a local vigilante reaction by Somali fishermen - fed up with foreign fishing fleets plundering their waters - has now evolved into a massive and sometimes murderous business. Ransoms run into the millions of dollars, crews are sometimes tortured to put pressure on ship-owners to pay up, and ships have been attacked as far as 1,000 miles (1,600km) from Somalia. So how does patrolling the vast Indian Ocean by air make any difference? It is a long sortie - ten hours in the air, banking and diving - down to the Horn of Africa and back. Flying low, the Australians record every vessel in a designated search area. Sources: European Union Naval Force Somalia , ICC International Marine Bureau The plane has an electronic optical (EO) camera beneath the nose, producing high-resolution photographs that can be beamed instantly back to analysts onshore in the UAE and Bahrain. Sitting just behind the pilot, a photographer uses a hand-held telephoto lens to take digital photos as back-up. \"Basically we are just seeing what sort of vessels are in the area,\" says aerial analyst Sergeant Scott Brando. \"We're looking for any acts of piracy. The radio operator puts through any surface contacts that the radar picks up, big or small.\" The Australians spot two fishing boats tied together: it looks suspicious. Something has gone overboard with a visible splash. Is it weapons? The plane zooms in low to check. It turns out to be a person, falling in as he crossed from one boat to another. The Australians send the photos back for analysis anyway. They have something called a Hisl (High Interest Shipping List) of vessels they believe have been taken over by pirates and which are now being used as \"motherships\" to launch attacks on unsuspecting shipping far out to sea. If pirates are confirmed onboard, the nearest warship is scrambled to investigate. But what happens behind the scenes when a ship is first approached by pirates? Will London conference help Somalia? The tranquil gardens of the British Embassy in Dubai seem an unlikely setting for a Royal Navy operations room. But this is the home of UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the first point of contact for all merchant shipping transiting the high-risk area. If a ship is under attack or getting approached by a suspicious craft then", "summary": "From a desert airbase in the United Arab Emirates, a Royal Australian Air Force Orion surveillance plane taxis along the tarmac."}
{"article": "Brookfield Renewable UK applied to develop a site at Larbrax, near Leswalt in Wigtownshire. Dumfries and Galloway Council's landscape architect objected to the plans, claiming it would have an adverse visual impact on the surrounding coastal area. Scottish Natural Heritage also raised \"significant and serious concerns\". A spokesman for Brookfield Renewable UK said: \"It is disappointing that the Dumfries and Galloway planning committee have failed to recognise both the many positive long-term economic benefits the Larbrax Wind Farm would bring to the Wigtownshire area, and also the limited effects of the proposal. \"We appreciate that there is frustration locally following the decision and we would like to thank local residents and businesses for the time and support that they have afforded the project over the last three years. \"We maintain our position that this is an acceptable and beneficial scheme and we will now carefully consider our next steps.\" Meanwhile, a separate proposal for a wind farm at Gass Farm, north-east of Glenluce, has been approved. Councillors backed WilloWind's plans for the nine-turbine development, subject to strict conditions.", "summary": "Plans to build eight new wind turbines in the far south-west of Scotland have been rejected by councillors."}
{"article": "The seventh seeds beat three-time mixed doubles winners Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir of Indonesia 21-18 21-16 in Birmingham on Friday. It means the Adcocks become the first British semi-finalists in the competition since 2008. \"We've broken the quarter-final curse that we've had for the last couple of years,\" said Chris Adcock. The husband-and-wife pair will meet fifth seeds Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen in the semi-finals on Saturday (12:00 GMT), with the match live on the BBC Red Button. \"We've always had that belief in ourselves,\" said Gabby Adcock. \"We are up there and beating the leading pairs.\" Chris Adcock added: \"To be playing on the Saturday and not watching on television is a great feeling. \"We've gradually played better as the tournament has gone on and right now we're over the moon to play in the semis of our favourite event. We are a bit overwhelmed but it's an amazing feeling.\" Earlier, England's Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the men's doubles. The pair lost 21-17 22-11 to world number ones Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong of Korea.", "summary": "British duo Chris and Gabby Adcock have reached the All-England Championships semi-finals for the first time."}
{"article": "The UNHCR says it has accounted for 509,559 refugees so far, primarily in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, and that many more are yet to come forward. More than 2m people are also thought to be internally displaced within Syria. Meanwhile, a UK-based activist group says rebels led by an Islamist faction have seized an army base near Aleppo. A video posted online on Monday showed rebels overrunning the Sheikh Suleiman base near the key northern city of Aleppo and seizing military vehicles. The base is now fully under the control of rebels led by the Islamist al-Nusra Front, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Correspondents say the sprawling base was the only significant government facility remaining in a broad stretch of countryside west of Aleppo. Western nations have expressed concern at the role of Islamist groups like the al-Nusra Front in the insurgency in Syria. On Monday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton designated the al-Nusra Front a foreign terrorist organisation, freezing any assets its members may have in US jurisdictions. Jeremy Bowen's 10 key moments Postcards from the Arab Uprising Arab Uprisings: Special report The designation is largely symbolic because the group is not thought to have holdings or support in the United States, but officials hope the penalties will encourage others to take similar action and discourage Syrians from joining. Activists also reported continued government bombardment and fighting in outlying areas of the capital Damascus, which has seen fierce clashes in recent weeks. The UNHCR says Lebanon is playing host to most refugees, with 154,387 Syrian refugees either registered or in the process of being registered there. Jordan has received 142,664, while there are in 136,319 in Turkey, 64,449 in Iraq and 11,740 in North Africa, the agency says. \"Syrian refugees arriving during recent bad weather reached Jordan with soaked clothing and mud-covered shoes due to heavy rainfall,\" UNHCR chief spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said. \"Protection teams described the night-time arrivals as fearful, freezing and without proper winter clothing,\" she added. Since the beginning of November, 3,200 new Syrian refugees have been registered every day in the region, although some of these are thought to be people who had been in the host countries for some time but had not sought help. Most Syrian refugees were currently living outside camps \"often in rental housing, with host families, or in various types of collective centres and renovated accommodation,\" the agency said. \"The numbers of those struggling to live on the local economy and who eventually come forward to register are expected to increase,\" it added.", "summary": "More than half a million people have now fled the conflict in Syria to neighbouring countries, according to the UN's refugee agency."}
{"article": "Last week he faced the embarrassment of being heckled in parliament during a chaotic session when he had to wait about an hour before he could make his state of the union address - an occasion that has all the pomp and ceremony as that of the US Congress. That came hot on the heels of the biggest political U-turn in democratic South Africa's political history when he agreed to pay back to the state some of the millions spent on upgrading his private home, Nkandla. Yet it was a tactic that failed to pay dividends as the opposition went ahead with their case at the Constitutional Court in the hope that its ruling may open the way for impeachment proceedings against him. And then there have been the other upsets in recent months. The finance ministers fiasco when he had three within two days, sending the markets into freefall and sparking the Zuma Must Fall demonstrations, which were rooted in the student protests that rocked the country last year. And he was roundly mocked and forced to issue an apology for declaring at a business meeting that Africa was the biggest continent - forgetting the huge land mass that is Asia. But Mr Zuma has always been able to laugh off the many controversies he has faced, including - before his election in 2009 - fighting off allegations of rape and corruption in relation to an arms deal. And he has always relied on the backing of the governing African National Congress (ANC) to survive his scrapes. So despite his recent political battering, Mr Zuma - an avid chess player - is unlikely to throw in the towel himself. But the ruling of the Constitutional Court, which could take several months, and the outcome of upcoming local elections may ultimately decide his fate. The president can only be removed by the ANC. The party has a parliamentary majority and so his own MPs would have to vote for him to be fired. The other scenario is that the party's national executive could demand he go - as they did to Thabo Mbeki in 2008. There is no provision in the constitution for a president to be removed from power by recall but Mr Mbeki was forced to resign. For the moment that is unlikely as senior leaders in the former liberation movement are currently at loggerheads with trade unions. \"Zuma will continue to take advantage of these divisions. There's no one strong lobby group about who will succeed him,\" Judith February, political analyst at the Institute for Security Studies, told me. But she said there is a chink in the 73-year-old president's armour. \"He is not weakened enough, unless the local government elections go hugely against the ANC, then they might want to revisit the idea of recalling him,\" Ms February said. So the climb down over Nkandla may have robbed him of his moral authority - but it is not checkmate, yet.", "summary": "South Africa's President Jacob Zuma is experiencing the dark night of the political soul."}
{"article": "Rochdale councillor Shakil Ahmed said he had thought his son Waheed, 22, was on a work placement in Birmingham. The group - which also included children - from Rochdale were seized near the Syrian border. In a statement, Mr Ahmed said he wanted his son to come home \"so I can find out what's going on\". \"My son is a good Muslim and his loyalties belong to Britain, so I don't understand what he's doing there,\" he said. \"If I thought for a second that he was in danger of being radicalised, I would have reported him to the authorities. \"He's studying a degree in politics and sociology at Manchester University and has a good future ahead of him.\" Greater Manchester Police and the North West Counter Terrorism force have launched an investigation to establish why the group apparently tried to enter Syria. All nine are expected to be sent back to the UK \"in due course\", police said. Assistant Chief Constable Ian Wiggett said: \"What is obviously concerning is why a family were seemingly attempting to take very young and vulnerable children into a war zone; such a volatile and dangerous environment is no place for them whatsoever.\" He said the primary concern was the \"safety and welfare\" of the children, and efforts were being made to ensure a \"full safeguarding strategy\" was in place upon their return. Officers had uncovered \"no evidence whatsoever\" of any imminent threat to the UK that was linked to the group, police added. Gail Hopper, director of children's services at Rochdale Borough Council, said the authority was \"aware of the situation\" and co-operating with police. The group was detained by Turkish authorities at Reyhanli, in Hatay province, near the Syrian border on Wednesday. They were taken to a police station in southern Turkey overnight, and then sent to a department for foreigners awaiting deportation to the UK. The UK Foreign Office has said it is in contact with the Turkish authorities. Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, said the news was \"deeply worrying\". \"The idea you can take young children into a war zone is despicable and we condemn those adults who have done this,\" he said. Usman Nawaz, 25, who was part of the last Labour government's Young Muslims Advisory Group, attended the same school as Waheed Ahmed. He said he didn't believe Mr Ahmed's education in Rochdale had anything to do with the journey he had taken but it was a question the Muslim community needed to address. \"Though the numbers are small we are seeing a constant drip-feeding of British Muslims either getting into the Islamic State or trying to get in,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today progamme. \"There are young Muslims growing up in this country who don't feel a sense of belonging to this country. \"For some it probably is an adventure but for others they think they are doing something noble so it's the narrative that's being presented to them.\" The revelations about the group from Rochdale follows a string of cases where British citizens have", "summary": "One of nine Britons detained in Turkey for allegedly trying to cross illegally into Syria has been named as the son of a Labour councillor."}
{"article": "The incident happened on the A923 Dundee to Coupar Angus road near Tullybaccart at about 02:30. The 18-year-old was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee but did not survive. Four other people in the car sustained minor injuries. The road was closed for investigation work and officers are urging anyone who saw the car prior to the crash to contact them. Diversions were in place and people travelling to the Rewind Festival in Perth were urged to allow extra time for their journey.", "summary": "A teenager has died after a one-car crash on a road north of Dundee."}
{"article": "Northern Pride is billed as one of the largest LGBT festivals in the UK and is now in its ninth year, with organisers hoping to top last year's record crowd of 71,000 people over its three days. One of the highlights is the parade from the Civic Centre to the Town Moor. Fun fair, stalls and musical performances will feature at the festival, which is on all weekend. Mark Nichols, chair of Newcastle Pride, said: \"We keep thinking we can't grow any more, and every year it has grown. \"We started off nine years ago in Leazes Park, we outgrew that, so moved to Exhibition Park, and outgrew that, so we're now over the fence on the Town Moor.\" He added: \"We grew from a one-day event to a three day one three years ago just because the numbers have grown so much. \"Last year we had a total of 71,000, and 10,000 people marched in the city centre.\"", "summary": "Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Newcastle for the annual Pride event."}
{"article": "The explosion happened at about 00:40 GMT on Sunday at a car dealership on the city's Cathedral Road. Houses in the area were evacuated while army bomb experts searched the scene and examined the device. Police said they believed the bomb was left at the dealership by a person carrying a backpack 10 minutes before it detonated. Det Insp Will Tate said: \"Today we are lucky that we are not dealing with a serious injury caused by this device and the reckless actions of the person or people behind it.\" The security alert has ended and residents have been allowed to return to their homes. Roads that were closed during the alert have now reopened, apart from a small section of the Cathedral Road.", "summary": "A pipe bomb blast has caused damage to four vehicles in Armagh, police have said."}
{"article": "In the 2006 movie Superman Returns the young super hero plunges to Earth from planet Krypton, landing in the wide, undulating plains of Smallville, Kansas. His spacecraft pierces the region's rich black soils and - so the story goes - Superman is raised on this sweeping farmland where he learns to run and jump and fly. A decade on from the filming of the Hollywood blockbuster, the real life location - Breeza on the Liverpool Plains of rural New South Wales - is bracing itself not against kryptonite but against coal. Earlier this month, Chinese company Shenhua received Australian government approval for a massive open-cut coal mine three kilometres from tiny Breeza. The approval was one of the last hurdles in the company's mission to dig up 10 million tonnes of black coal a year to ship from Newcastle 282km (170 miles) to the east. The project has been almost eight years in the making but it is only now that a very public fight has broken out between the region's competing stakeholders. With a physical footprint far larger than the City of Sydney local council area, the Shenhua Watermark mine has been described by local farmers as agricultural genocide. It will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week over its 30-year life span. One such farmer, Fiona Simson, described the Liverpool Plains as an iconic agricultural region because of its outstanding natural resources. Ms Simson, whose cropping farm is 50km from the proposed mine, is a former president of the NSW Farmers Association. \"We must and will keep fighting,\" she told the BBC. \"This project is not in the national interest.\" The Liverpool Plains is often referred to as NSW's food bowl and is counted among the best agricultural land in Australia because of its fertile black soils, temperate climate, good rainfall, and rich surface and underground water resources. The Association says fighting the A$1.2bn ($887m, \u00c2\u00a3570m) mine is the most important challenge facing NSW farmers. Shenhua says the mine will not damage the region's groundwater supplies and promises to look after vulnerable ecological communities. And Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt says the mine is subject to some of \"the strictest conditions in Australian history\". But the approval has deepened a rift between Australia's governing Liberal party and its coalition partner, The Nationals - which has traditionally represented farmers - in a relationship already strained by the expansion of coal seam gas (CSG) mining over farming land. Earlier this month, about 120 people protested against CSG exploration in Gloucester, about 260km north of Sydney. It was the 14th protest in that area, and one of hundreds of similar protests by farmers, Indigenous Australian land owners, conservationists and urban residents against the encroachment of coal and gas extraction onto rural, and in a few cases, urban land. Agriculture Minister and Nationals member Barnaby Joyce, whose electorate of New England takes in the proposed Shenhua mine, has publicly condemned Mr Hunt's decision to approve it. \"I think it is ridiculous that you would have a major mine in the midst of", "summary": "Coal and gas mining continue to encroach on some of Australia's best farmland, pitting miners against farmers and creating a deep rift between the parties of the nation's ruling Conservative coalition."}
{"article": "The Frenchman created United's first with a neat flick for Scott Fraser, who calmly slot into the far corner. In the second half Andreu scored the second with a wonderfully measured chip from the edge of the box. United lost Mark Durnan late on to a second booking and St Mirren were unfortunate not to convert one of several chances. While most of the Buddies' first half opportunities were from long-range, in the second half both Lawrence Shankland and Tom Walsh had goal-bound chances cleared off the line. Lewis Morgan was especially creative on the wings for the hosts - who are now without a win in their opening nine Championship matches. Ray McKinnon's United are now four games unbeaten and the opening goal in Paisley was a great move, culminating in Tope Obadeyi finding Andreu at the edge of the box and the former Hamilton man skilfully setting up Fraser's assured finish. Andreu's season-long loan from Norwich appears to be a brilliant piece of business with the 28-year-old on seven goals for the campaign already. St Mirren goalkeeper Jamie Langfield had done well to block Simon Murray's effort after a poor backpass but the ball rolled to Andreu, who produced a deft chip of serious quality to find the back of the net from 18 yards to double United's lead. Durnan's bookings were for shoving with Rocco Quinn and a foul on Shankland, but the Tangerines went down to 10 men too late for Saints to properly capitalise. Dundee United manager Ray McKinnon: \"It was a well deserved victory. \"The first goal was fantastic; we moved it from left to right side and back into the middle for Tony Andreu to play a lovely ball to Scott Fraser who finished well. \"The second one was a lovely to finish from Tony to dink the goalkeeper. He's a very, very talented footballer. \"There were four or five Premiership clubs (interested in Andreu) but we told him how we wanted to play and that he'd be hugely important to us. It's so important to have someone in your team that's got that little bit of quality.\" St Mirren manager Jack Ross: \"There were a lot more good things than negative things. \"There's a way I like to play and they are still adjusting to that. United were more clinical but we created more opportunities. \"If we produce a similar performance in weeks to come and we add a couple more things then we'll be okay.\" Match ends, St. Mirren 0, Dundee United 2. Second Half ends, St. Mirren 0, Dundee United 2. Foul by David Clarkson (St. Mirren). Blair Spittal (Dundee United) wins a free kick on the left wing. Jason Naismith (St. Mirren) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Cammy Bell (Dundee United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Attempt saved. David Clarkson (St. Mirren) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Second yellow card to Mark Durnan (Dundee United) for a bad foul. Corner, St. Mirren.", "summary": "Tony Andreu was at the heart of Dundee United's win in Jack Ross' first game in charge of St Mirren."}
{"article": "The government wants to reverse the effects of a court ruling which expands the number of people who can claim Personal Independence Payments. The PM's official spokesman said the welfare system was a \"strong safety net for those who are in need of it\". Meanwhile, a No 10 aide apologised for any offence after saying benefits should go to \"really disabled people\". No 10 policy unit head George Freeman had faced calls to apologise after saying on Sunday those \"taking pills at home, who suffer from anxiety\" should not receive Personal Independence Payments. On Monday he tweeted: \"Having experienced myself traumatic anxiety as a child carer living w alcohol I know all too well the pain anxiety + depression causes... \"Which is why as a former health minister and policy adviser I am passionate about supporting mental health and disability, and hugely regret if my comment about the need to prioritise the most 'serious disabilities' inadvertently caused any offence which was not intended.\" The prime minister's official spokesman said the Personal Independence Payments (PIP) reforms were not about saving money and said that about \u00c2\u00a350bn a year was spent on supporting people with disabilities and health conditions. \"The government has been clear on the parity of esteem we want to see between mental and physical health,\" the spokesman said. \"What we are doing now is restoring the original intention of the PIPs which was to make sure there was a sustainable benefit to provide continued support to those who face the greatest barrier to living independent lives.\" Pressed on whether the prime minister had a message for those who could be affected by the changes, the spokesman said \"nobody is losing out\". He said a recent tribunal on assessments for PIP payments had \"broadened\" the criteria. The government is proposing changes to PIPs, which replaced the Disability Living Allowance, after tribunal rulings that claimants with psychological problems who cannot travel without help must be treated like those who are blind. The government says the rulings - if unchallenged - would have added \u00c2\u00a33.7bn to the benefits bill by 2023. The benefit is intended to help people cope with the extra costs of living with ill health or disability and are made according to the points a person scores in an assessment of their needs. Disabilities minister Penny Mordaunt said she was reforming the PIP payments to \"restore the original aim of the benefit\" to make sure support was given to the most needy. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he was \"furious\" about the proposed changes to PIPS, and said Labour would pressurise the government to reverse them in next month's Budget. The Liberal Democrats said the government was using court losses \"as an excuse to severely restrict disability benefits\".", "summary": "Downing Street has defended plans to change access to disability benefits, saying that \"nobody is losing out\"."}
{"article": "The 1996 world indoor champion, a bowls shop retailer, will again concentrate on his own competitive play. Gourlay said: \"For me, the head coach role was only ever going to be for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. \"And I don't think that anything will ever beat that experience of being coach at a home Games.\" Under Gourlay, Scotland returned from the Adelaide World Championships two years ago with six medals, including three golds. The integrated team of mainstream and para bowlers went on to win four medals, three of them gold, at Glasgow 2014. Gourlay expressed disappointment that, despite achieving twice as many medals as they targeted at the home Games, the women's team did not win any. He also admitted standing down was \"an incredibly hard decision to make because the squad and I have grown really close over the past three years\" and he would miss working with the players. \"One of the highlights for me was the recognition and respect that bowls got at the Games, not only through the media but with other sports,\" said Gourlay. \"We've got to be a professional sport if we want to be taken seriously and we've taken a couple of steps on the performance ladder.\" Double Glasgow gold medallist and Scottish Sportsperson of 2014 Alex Marshall paid tribute to the outgoing coach and team manager Ricky Taylor. \"With David as coach, we had far more training camps, test series, seminars, team-building days, psychology sessions with the full support of the sportscotland institute of sport, and lots of practice sessions at Kelvingrove,\" he said. \"David and Ricky built a programme based on the team's shots on every rink in every direction at Kelvingrove. \"So, when we competed at the Games, whatever green or rink we found ourselves on, we had a great idea how it was going to perform before we went on it. That made a massive difference.\" Bowls Scotland believes that Gourlay helped change the sport's image - and the culture of performance bowling - in Scotland. Chief executive Alan McMillan added: \"Whilst I am disappointed that David is leaving the post, he has left performance bowls in a better place and set a benchmark for anyone who has aspirations to become a world-class player. \"", "summary": "David Gourlay is to step down from his role as Bowls Scotland head coach after leading his team to four medals at this summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow."}
{"article": "Life \"would be boring without gossip\", he told Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev at talks in St Petersburg. The 62-year-old appeared relaxed and smiled before the television cameras. His disappearance from public view had sparked rumours that he might have fallen ill, died, been removed in a coup, or once again become a father. Earlier on Monday, Mr Putin ordered the Russian navy's Northern Fleet on to a state of full combat readiness in the Arctic. It came as more than 45,000 troops, as well as warplanes and submarines, started major military exercises across northern Russia. A brief video of Mr Putin's meeting with his Kyrgyz counterpart at the Constantine Palace in Russia's second city was broadcast by state television without sound. There was no obvious sign that Mr Putin had been or still was suffering from any medical condition, says the BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow. Asked by reporters about the speculation on his health, the Russian leader replied: \"It would be boring without gossip.\" Finally the mysterious Mr Putin has been found. It is now official: he is neither dead nor would it seem has he been stricken by some life-threatening illness. In fact he looked reasonably healthy in the video broadcast of the meeting with his Kyrgyz counterpart Almazbek Atambayev in St Petersburg. But while the Kremlin press office is having the last laugh about all the wild rumours of the past week, it's still saying nothing about why he cancelled meetings and was not seen in public for what was, for him, a long absence. And so at least some of the rumours may persist about what was happening behind the scenes. What is known is that on this the day of his return to the limelight, he has ordered the northern fleet of the Russian navy to conduct a massive combat readiness exercise. This comes as the US continues to deliver military equipment to the Baltic states and Poland, and while Nato navy exercises continue in the Black Sea. So it's straight back to business as usual. Where has Putin been? The best of the memes Mr Atambayev, for his part, said Mr Putin had driven him around the palace for 20 minutes before the meeting. \"I can confirm that he's in excellent form,\" he was quoted by one journalist as saying. Mr Putin's last public appearance was on 5 March when he met Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. Last week, he cancelled a number of scheduled events, including a visit to Kazakhstan that was due to take place on Thursday and Friday, and the signing of an agreement with South Ossetia. As speculation about Mr Putin's disappearance mounted, the hashtag #Putinumer (#Putinisdead) trended on Twitter. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was forced to counter questions about each rumour, dismissing them as \"March madness\". \"So everyone has now seen the paralysed president captured by a general who has just returned from Switzerland where he was delivering a baby?\" Mr Peskov asked journalists sarcastically on Monday. He said Mr Putin and Mr Atambayev had met at the Constantine Palace because", "summary": "Russian President Vladimir Putin has laughed off speculation about his health after making his first appearance in public since 5 March."}
{"article": "Just a day after Mr Trump gave a speech on immigration and national security that included sweeping condemnations of Mr Obama's policies, the president responded with some of his harshest criticisms to date. \"Where does this stop?\" Mr Obama asked. \"The Orlando killer, one of the San Bernardino killers, the Fort Hood killer - they were all US citizens. Are we going to start treating all Muslim-Americans differently? Are we going to start subjecting them to special surveillance? Are we going to start to discriminate [against] them, because of their faith?\" Such views, Mr Obama said, are \"not the America we want\". As the Obama-Trump clash heats up, here are three things to keep in mind. Donald Trump and Barack Obama have a history that predates the current election cycle. In early 2011 Mr Trump repeatedly circulated conspiracy theories about the authenticity of the president's birth certificate and whether he was actually born in the US. Later that year, at a black-tie Washington event, Mr Obama relentlessly mocked Mr Trump while the New Yorker sat stone-faced in the audience - a performance the New Yorker's Adam Gopnik said helped motivate Mr Trump to eventually run for president. Over the past year Mr Trump has questioned Mr Obama's competence and openly speculated about his allegiances in what he labels the war on radical Islam. As recently as Sunday, he cryptically noted that Mr Obama was either \"tough, not smart, or he's got something else in mind\". Mr Obama has criticised Mr Trump in the past, but his remarks on Tuesday were the sharpest, most direct of this political season. His tone was stern, his language blunt. A few hours later, Mr Trump shot back, effectively accusing Mr Obama of treason. The president, he said in an email to the Associated Press, \"continues to prioritise our enemy over our allies, and for that matter, the American people\". The president clearly does not like the presumptive Republican nominee - and the feeling appears to be mutual. There's very little precedent in modern US political history for a sitting president to directly and sharply criticise the opposing party's standard-bearer in the run-up to a general election. In part that's because there simply haven't been many two-term presidents in recent memory - George W Bush, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan and Dwight Eisenhower are the only ones since World War 2. And of those, only Reagan and Eisenhower left office with high approval and largely free from scandal. Mr Obama is currently above 50% in most opinion polls and has been trending upward, so he is in a position to be an active and eager participant in the campaign fray. Because he's not the nominee, he has a free hand in what he can say, and he can bring the full weight of the presidency to bear on Mr Trump. The Republican nominee will be effectively campaigning against two candidates - Mrs Clinton and Mr Obama. And, at least for now, Mr Trump can only count on the tepid support of many of his fellow Republicans. Following Mr", "summary": "The political battle between President Barack Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump is now fully joined."}
{"article": "It comes after police in Shandong announced last month they had arrested a mother and her daughter accused of buying and selling vaccines illegally. The estimated $88m (\u00c2\u00a361m) worth of vaccines were not properly refrigerated or transported. The illegal vaccine ring, said to have been in operation since 2011, has sparked widespread anger in China. The scandal has led to a crackdown, with checks ordered on vaccine makers, wholesalers and buyers. The vaccines were bought from a variety of sources, both licensed and unlicensed, then sold on to both illegal agents and legal local disease control and prevention centres at inflated prices, reported the Xinhua news agency. The ring is alleged to have involved hundreds of people across 20 provinces, it said. Though authorities had known about it since April last year, they only made the news public late on Friday when they issued a call demanding that suppliers come forward to help them trace potential victims. The delay has angered many people in China who questioned why the authorities had not alerted the public earlier. Local authorities have now been given a deadline of Friday to identify who bought the medicines. Three pharmaceutical companies are being investigated, Xinhua reports, citing people handling the case. One, Shandong Zhaoxin Bio-tech Co, has been ordered to suspend operations, it added. The China office of the World Health Organization (WHO) said vaccines needed to be handled properly or they can become less effective. But it stressed that improperly kept vaccines did not in themselves present much danger. \"It is important to note, however, that improperly stored or expired vaccine seldom if ever causes a toxic reaction. Therefore there is likely to be minimal safety risk in this particular situation,'' the WHO said.", "summary": "Thirty-seven people have been arrested in eastern China over a huge vaccine scandal, state media report."}
{"article": "The incident happened in Arcadia Street, in the city's Bridgeton area, at about 03:00 on Tuesday. The officer and dog were hurt as the vehicle made off. Both received treatment for non-serious injuries. A Police Scotland spokeswoman said inquiries into the incident were ongoing and officers remained at the scene in Arcadia Street.", "summary": "A police officer and police dog have been injured while responding to a report of a stolen car in Glasgow."}
{"article": "Southgate effectively used a three-man defence in the 1-0 friendly loss in Germany on Wednesday. It is the same system used to good effect by Premier League leaders Chelsea and Italian champions Juventus. \"If he [Southgate] feels that's the right way to go, I think it's a really good way of playing,\" former England player Scholes told BBC's Sportsweek. \"Over the past few years we seem to copy whoever is doing well, whether it's Spain or Germany. There was a spell when academies were copying what even Belgium were trying to do. \"I think it's about time now that Gareth and his staff brought an identity to English football and the national team that we can be proud of. \"It's going to be difficult and it will take a little bit of time, but if he's playing this way and England are being successful then that's what it's all about.\" Media playback is not supported on this device England's defeat in Germany was their first in four games under Southgate, who was made permanent boss last November after having taken over on a temporary basis following the departure of Sam Allardyce. Southgate, who represented England as a player, was previously manager of the under-21 side, after having led Middlesbrough from 2006 to 2009. \"I really liked Gareth when I played with him,\" said Scholes. \"He was good with the young lads... he's been successful with England which not many players have been, getting to the semi-finals of Euro 96.\" Scholes said that Southgate maybe hadn't fully \"earned his stripes\" at domestic club or European level, but added: \"We've been down the route of so-called super coaches who haven't worked. \"Now we've got a passionate man in charge, he likes to play young players which is good,\" added the ex-Manchester United midfielder. \"Hopefully the future is bright under him.\" In Germany, England were without captain Wayne Rooney, who will also be missing for the 2018 World Cup qualifier against Lithuania on Sunday as he recovers from a leg injury. The 31-year-old has struggled to claim a starting place for Manchester United this season but former team-mate Scholes still feels he has \"a part to play\" for both club and country. \"He's got great experience and he can pass knowledge on to young players,\" said Scholes. Rooney has been linked with a return to his first club Everton this summer, but Scholes believes staying and reclaiming his place in the United side would aid his England chances. \"I don't want him to go to another English club, I hope he gets back in the United team,\" he added. \"If he gets back in the United team then he is straight back into the England side.\"", "summary": "England boss Gareth Southgate must establish an identity for the national side, says Paul Scholes."}
{"article": "Although it was goalless at the break, the Villagers responded to four defeats in-a-row by taking the game to the hosts. Thompson shot just wide from Taron Hare's cross, and Danny Clarke forced Sam Johnson into a good save. It was no surprise when Thompson gave North Ferriby the advantage in the 49th minute. The deadline-day signing marked his first goal for the Grange Lane club by rounding the goalkeeper and slotting in from a tight angle. Gus Mafuta's late strike almost levelled the scores, but North Ferriby held on for the win. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Gateshead 0, North Ferriby United 1. Second Half ends, Gateshead 0, North Ferriby United 1. Connor Oliver (North Ferriby United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, North Ferriby United. Ryan Fallowfield replaces Connor Robinson. Mitch Brundle (Gateshead) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Gateshead. Adam Wrightson replaces James Bolton. Substitution, North Ferriby United. Ryan Kendall replaces Reece Thompson. Substitution, North Ferriby United. Danny Emerton replaces Jake Skelton. Goal! Gateshead 0, North Ferriby United 1. Reece Thompson (North Ferriby United). Substitution, Gateshead. Gus Mafuta replaces Rhys Oates. Substitution, Gateshead. Danny Johnson replaces Sam Jones. Second Half begins Gateshead 0, North Ferriby United 0. First Half ends, Gateshead 0, North Ferriby United 0. Patrick McLaughlin (Gateshead) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Sam Jones (Gateshead) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Reece Thompson's second-half goal handed North Ferriby their first ever away win in the fifth tier as they beat struggling Gateshead."}
{"article": "England manager Sam Allardyce has backed the idea of a British team at future Olympics, but the Football Association of Wales fears it could damage Wales' position as an independent footballing nation. Team GB entered men's and women's sides at London 2012, but not at Rio 2016. \"For us, no. I don't agree with that,\" said Coleman. \"Anything that could put what we've got here, what we've built here, in jeopardy, we would not be for that. \"We've always had a stance that we don't agree with it, and that hasn't changed. \"Why should we say go on, take [our players] - and we know they're only going to take two or three of ours. \"It should be called the England Olympic team really because that's what it will be. But they'll cherry-pick [Gareth] Bale or Rambo [Aaron Ramsey] maybe - why should we give them up, say water them down, take the best out of them and then throw them back to us when you finish with them? \"I don't think that's fair at all. I think they have enough football.\" After taking part at London 2012, the four national football associations could not agree on sending a British women's team to the Rio Games. A place was earned by the England women's side finishing third in the 2015 World Cup. England's Football Association had put forward the idea of sending Great Britain teams to the Olympics, but Fifa said it would need the agreement of the ruling bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, who were against it. Those three home nations fear such a move could affect their independent status within the sport's world governing body, Fifa, and at international tournaments such as the World Cup. \"One thing we've got surrounding us at the minute - and you can smell it on us - is the players we have got, there's an identity there,\" said Coleman. \"They put the jersey on and they wear it with pride. That's all our nation has ever wanted really. \"Of course they want success, they want to see a team on the pitch that when they walk on the pitch they're emptying it for the jersey, for the badge, for the honour. That's what we've got, so no need for us to mess about with that.\" Coleman added that competing at the Olympics would add to players' already busy schedule. \"Our boys have a lot of football, what they don't need is another [tournament],\" he said. \"It's not just the football... it's being in camp, being away every day, there's more pressure, there's more preparation. \"That's the last thing any of our top players need and I'm talking about the England players as well.\"", "summary": "Wales boss Chris Coleman has dismissed the idea of Wales being part of a Team GB football side at the 2020 Olympics."}
{"article": "The remains were discovered by a quarry worker at Mepal on 16 May. The man, aged between 30 and 50, could have died as long ago as the 1960s, but it is more likely his death occurred \"about 10 years ago\", police said. It is thought the head came from a site 40 miles away in Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire. Detectives have been working with specialists from the Natural History Museum and an odontologist (forensic dentist) to try to identify the remains since the discovery at the Block Fen Drove site. The man's identity and cause of death are still not known. The National Crime Agency's DNA database has failed to come up with a match for the remains. However, detectives are looking at the possibility he was hit by a train in Bedfordshire in \"a tragic accident\". \"We believe the head may have been lodged somewhere along the structure of the bridge in Sharnbrook, and as part of the recent cleaning process, has been dislodged, found its way into the skip and deposited at the quarry in Mepal,\" Det Insp Jerry Waite said. The Mepal site where the head was found is used for landfill and recycling, as well as the supply of aggregates such as limestone and gravel, and mixing concrete.", "summary": "A severed head found in a Cambridgeshire quarry last month has been identified as male, but his identity remains a mystery."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Donnelly popped up at the back post to net a downward header from Martin Donnelly's cross in the 33rd minute. The Reds stay eight points behind their north Belfast rivals at the summit thanks to their ninth consecutive victory over Ronnie McFall's side. The Ports have now lost their last six Premiership outings and remain eighth. Ronnie McFall's side have failed to score a goal in each of their nine defeats at the hands of the Reds. Early in the game, Philip Lowry had a clear sight of goal but his weak shot was easily gathered by home goalkeeper Conor Devlin. At the other end, David Miskelly made fine saves from Chris Curran and a Jay Donnelly header. Donnelly's strike proved to be the winner, although both sides had chances after the interval. Lowry's weak header was saved by Devlin, while Martin Donnelly shot tamely at Miskelly, who also denied Curran's curling effort. Cliftonville manager Gerard Lyttle: \"The aims were to get a win and keep a clean sheet and we achieved both. We controlled most of the game and I'm happy with the three points. \"You are always wary of a 1-0 lead and I was disappointed that we passed up a couple of second-half chances, but I'd take that result for the remainder of the season, no problem.\" Portadown assistant manager Kieran Harding: \"I thought we were outstanding today and unfortunate not to get a draw. Defensively we had a good shape about us and created some clearcut chances on the break which we would have taken on another day.\"", "summary": "Jay Donnelly scored the only goal as Cliftonville extended their unbeaten league run to six matches and kept up their pursuit of leaders Crusaders."}
{"article": "Five foreign cadets based at Bassingbourn Barracks, near Cambridge, were jailed last year for attacks in the city committed in 2014. They were based in the UK as part of a British Government agreement to train Libyan troops. The MoD confirmed it was considering compensation claims. The first claimant is understood to be the male victim of Moktar Ali Saad Mahmoud, 33, and Ibrahim Abugtila, 23. They were both jailed for 12 years for rape after a court heard they acted like \"hunting dogs\" as they sexually assaulted him in central Cambridge in October 2014. Mahmoud and Abugtila denied attacking the man, who had earlier been at a wedding, but were caught on CCTV leading him to the park. At least one more claim has been submitted by one of three women assaulted on the same night in separate attacks. Khaled El Azibi, 19, Naji El Maarfi, 21, and Mohammed Abdalsalam, 28, were jailed after they admitted a range of charges relating to the female victims. Their attacks included trying to kiss a woman without consent and then sexually assaulting her. It is understood one victim is making her claim on the basis of negligence and breach of human rights In the aftermath, the MoD sent 300 soldiers back to Libya early, ending an agreement to put 2,000 soldiers through basic infantry and junior command training. An MoD spokeswoman said: \"We can confirm that compensation claims have been received by the department. \"As the claims are ongoing we are unable to comment further.\"", "summary": "The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has received legal claims from victims raped and sexually assaulted by Libyan soldiers training in the UK."}
{"article": "Up to 25 people are being held, a top official told the BBC. Police are also reportedly hunting several students. Espousing separatism is illegal in Sri Lanka. Suspects can be held without charge for 18 months. The detentions come at a time of rising political tensions in the north. Last week security forces and students clashed at Jaffna University in the worst political disturbances since the civil war ended in 2009. Students had tried to mark \"Martyrs' Day\", which commemorates dead Tamil Tiger fighters. Officials gave differing accounts of the number of arrests made by anti-terrorist police in the latest raids. Police spokesman Prishantha Jayakody said that 10 men had been detained on Wednesday in the Jaffna area, all of them accused of \"terrorist activities\" with the Tamil Tigers or LTTE before 2009. Mr Jayakody said that none those being held had completed a government rehabilitation course for LTTE suspects and none had surrendered to the police or army at the end of the war. \"They were arrested at different places on the Jaffna peninsula and are now in Vavuniya,\" he said. \"All the families have been informed.\" He said that police were guided to the suspects by intelligence reports. But the head of the police's Terrorist Investigation Division, Chandra Wakista, told the BBC that as many as 20 to 25 had been detained. \"No arrests have been made without procedure, all of them were made officially,\" he said. The police say families have been given official documents relating to the arrests. But the BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo says that some relatives have apparently been kept in the dark - one family told a newspaper they only got official information on their son's arrest a long time after he disappeared, and only after they informed the official human rights body. Rights workers are also mindful of the fact that a year ago two young campaigners disappeared in Jaffna, where tensions have continued since the end of the war in May 2009. Separately, sources in Jaffna University say the police have given them a list of 10 students they want to arrest. Three students already being held are said to be suspects in a petrol-bombing and in putting up pro-LTTE posters.", "summary": "Police in northern Sri Lanka have made a series of arrests which they say are linked to combating terrorism, three years after the separatist Tamil Tigers were defeated."}
{"article": "Government figures show the resort has the most pregnant smokers per head of population. Blackpool Council said smoking levels in the town had fallen from 33% five years ago to 27.2% now. In 2013, it won an award for its work tackling the issue of smoking by expectant mothers. Current NHS data shows the rate of smoking throughout pregnancy in Blackpool was more than 10 times that in Westminster (2.1%). Blackpool Councillor Eddie Collett, the Cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: \"In Blackpool, smoking in pregnancy numbers are falling. We have seen significant improvement since 2010.\" He said they needed to continue the positive work to ensure mothers and babies were protected from harm caused by smoking. \"There is still a way to go,\" he added. \"However, I am pleased that we are moving in the right direction.\" He said there were close links between maternity services and support services. Two years ago Blackpool received an award on smoking cessation from the Clear Partnership, which works with local authorities and is supported by charities such as Action on Smoking and Health (Ash). Hazel Cheeseman, director of policy at Ash, said the data came from the government's Smoking at the Time of Delivery data. She said it was unfair to single out Blackpool as they have done some \"great work\" and one of the reasons the figures may seem higher is because they are so good at recording the data and \"not every other part of the country is quite as scrupulous.\" She added there are lower rates of smoking in more affluent areas and higher in areas that are less affluent, and although Blackpool has invested a lot they \"have such a mountain to climb,\" At the time of the award, Cancer Research UK's Tobacco Control lead, Alison Cox, said: \"Blackpool's excellent work will ensure that more pregnant women get the help they need.\"", "summary": "A councillor in Blackpool, which has England's highest smoking rate among pregnant women, has defended the town's record."}
{"article": "Chelsea Manning, whose sentence was commuted by the outgoing president, thanked him \"for giving me a chance\". The 29-year-old transgender soldier, born Bradley Manning, gave embarrassing documents to Wikileaks in 2010. At President Obama's final press conference on Wednesday, he declared that \"justice has been served\". She will be freed from the Fort Leavenworth military prison in May - 29 years ahead of her scheduled release in 2045. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange weighed in on Thursday, insisting that he would stand by his offer to be extradited to the US as long as his rights were protected. Mr Assange, who agreed to be extradited to the US if Mr Obama granted clemency to Manning, has been holed up at the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012. The Australian national sought refuge there to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning in relation to an alleged sex offence. \"I stand by everything I said including the offer to go to the United States if Chelsea Manning's sentence was commuted,\" he said in a live online audio news conference on Thursday. \"It's not going to be commuted (until) May. We can have many discussions to that point,\" he added. The White House said Manning's commutation had not been influenced in any way by Mr Assange's offer, and the US justice department has not indicted Mr Assange nor publicly sought his extradition. Obama says justice is served Viewpoint: Obama got it right Mr Obama's last-minute commutation quickly drew criticism from Republican circles. A spokesman for president-elect Donald Trump said he \"is troubled by this action. It's disappointing and it sends a very troubling message when it comes to the handling of classified information\". Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan called the decision \"outrageous\". \"Chelsea Manning's treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nation's most sensitive secrets,\" Mr Ryan said. Manning does not have access to the internet, as part of the condition of her imprisonment. However despite that, she has been tweeting from @xychelsea since April 2015. In a handwritten letter she released to explain her social media use, she told how she calls a friend on the phone who transcribes what she says \"verbatim\". Her thank you was addressed to @BarackObama, rather than the President's official @POTUS Twitter account, which Mr Obama will hand over to Mr Trump on Friday when he officially becomes the nation's 45th president.", "summary": "The US army private serving a 35-year prison sentence for leaking classified documents has thanked President Barack Obama for shortening her sentence."}
{"article": "It comes after similar concerns about pressure on bed availability at the Borders General. NHS Dumfries and Galloway said an upsurge in demand for services was being seen across Scotland. It said work was ongoing to improve \"patient flow\" to deal with the increase in hospital admissions. Infection control manager Elaine Ross said flu and other respiratory viruses were circulating in communities across the region. She urged everyone to play their part in tackling the issue. \"Currently, the demand on our local hospital is extreme,\" she said. \"Patients are arriving at our emergency department and via GP referrals with flu-like symptoms and persistent coughs that may be compounded by underlying conditions. \"The flu vaccine is effective but won't protect against other viruses that are going round.\" She asked anyone with symptoms to take lots of fluid and paracetamol and to stay indoors and rest until they felt better. \"We are also urging people to not visit relatives in the hospital if they are showing any symptoms,\" she said. \"It is vital that we stop the spread of infection.\" Interim general manager Gail Meier said staff were \"working round the clock\" to assess patients and determine the need for admissions. She said they aimed to ensure that people were \"seen, treated and either discharged or admitted in a timely manner\". \"It is a very demanding time for the health service and I take the opportunity to urge everyone to consider the use of emergency services as it is a finite resource,\" she said. \"Community pharmacies and NHS 24 offer help and advice as an alternative to attending hospital. \"I would like to thank everyone for their commitment over the past few weeks and 365 days of the year for that matter. It does not go unnoticed.\"", "summary": "Health chiefs have warned Dumfries Infirmary is facing \"extreme\" demand from people with flu-like symptoms and persistent coughs."}
{"article": "The car was stopped in Duncrue Street in Belfast on Wednesday evening at 20.15 GMT. Police seized suspected herbal cannabis and cocaine thought to be worth a substantial amount. The men, aged 28 and 31, have both been arrested for possession and supply-of-drug offences. Det Insp Tom McClure from the PSNI's Reactive and Organised Crime Branch said: \"I believe that this intervention has struck a blow to the activities of an organised gang involved in serious drug criminality.\"", "summary": "Police say the arrests of two men following the seizure of drugs from a car in Belfast have dealt a blow to organised crime."}
{"article": "Root, 25, made his Notts debut in 2016 and his breakthrough came this season when he made 107 from 93 balls against Warwickshire in the One-Day Cup. Bowler Luke Fletcher has also signed a new two-year deal at Trent Bridge. Fletcher, 28, was struck on the head while bowling at Edgbaston in July - an injury that ended his season. Before the incident, he took 36 wickets at 22.44 to help Notts move clear at the top of County Championship Division Two. \"It's a well-deserved contract for Luke because of what he has done in the last 12 months,\" said Notts head coach Peter Moores. \"He's gone away and looked quite hard at what he can do to get himself into the team. \"We have seen the results of that in the way he bowled in the first part of the County Championship.\" Root came through the Yorkshire Academy before being released in 2011 and joining the MCC Young Cricketers. He is now a regular in white-ball cricket for Notts and Moores wants him to push for a place in the four-day team. \"He's been an effective player for us, particularly in one-day cricket,\" Moores continued. \"We're looking for him to now push on in both white and red-ball cricket after working very hard for this opportunity.\"", "summary": "Billy Root, the younger brother of England captain Joe, has signed his first professional contract, agreeing a two-year deal with Nottinghamshire."}
{"article": "The office building had been owned by the Royal London Mutual Insurance Society but was put on the market for \u00a340m in October. The Grade I listed property has the two famous Liver Birds on its roof. Along with the Cunard and Port of Liverpool Buildings, it is one of the Three Graces on the city's waterfront. The 330,000 sq ft (31,000 sq m) building is currently home to companies including ITV and HSBC. Thomas Landschreiber, chief investment officer of Corestate, said the company is looking to \"invest significant funds to maintain and strengthen this city-building office building in the long term\". \"As a new owner of this emblematic building, we appreciate its heritage and its importance to the people of Liverpool,\" he added. Source: Museum of Liverpool", "summary": "Liverpool's iconic Royal Liver Building has been sold for \u00a348m to Luxembourg-based real estate investment manager Corestate Capital Holding."}
{"article": "Mr Potts, who started his Tesco career at age 16 and rose to become retail director in the UK and chief executive of its Irish businesses, will take the helm on 16 March. He takes over from Dalton Philips, who said in January he would leave the troubled supermarket after five years in charge. The chain is battling falling sales. It has been criticised for being slow in moving into the convenience store sector and setting up an online operation. Current Morrisons chairman Andrew Higginson was previously the finance director at Tesco and worked with Mr Potts there for 15 years. He said was \"delighted\" by the appointment. \"David is the best retailer I have worked with in 25 years in the industry. Having worked alongside him for 15 years, I know he will bring to Morrisons a focus on the customer, a track record of delivery, flair, talent, and immense energy to his new role,\" he added. Morrisons is being squeezed between the higher end of the market and the discount supermarkets chains. The Bradford-based company reported a 3.1% drop in like-for-like sales in the six weeks to 4 January, and said it would close 10 loss-making stores this year. Mr Potts will be tasked with returning the company to growth. He said it \"was an honour to have been selected\".", "summary": "Morrisons has named former Tesco director David Potts as its new chief executive."}
{"article": "The Queensferry Crossing had been expected to open at the end of 2016 but there are fears that adverse weather conditions may delay its completion. Transport Scotland said the contractor was working to ensure the \u00c2\u00a31.35bn bridge was open \"as soon as possible\". The Scottish Conservatives said any delay would be of \"serious concern\" to commuters. In February, the national transport agency said the project was scheduled to finish \"on time and under budget\". But in the wake of newspaper reports that the opening of the bridge could be delayed, they would not name a completion date. Nicola Sturgeon is to field a question on the matter on Thursday, with Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton lodging a query about the opening date at first minister's questions. A Transport Scotland spokesman said: \"As previously stated the contractor, Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors, is making every effort to open the bridge as soon as possible, despite the challenge that the weather presents.\" Alex Johnstone, transport spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said the government \"needs to be open\" so commuters know when the bridge will open. \"Ministers weren't slow to celebrate the bridge coming in under budget, and have said for some time that it is on schedule,\" he said. \"The public will expect them to be equally open when things aren't going to plan.\"", "summary": "The Scottish government has been urged to confirm when the new Forth bridge will open."}
{"article": "Barclay suffered a shoulder injury in Scotland's 22-16 defeat by France on 12 February and came back to his Welsh region for a medical appraisal. Pivac said the signs were promising after a scan on the injury. \"It was a good scan. He's getting treatment so fingers crossed he will be right for the Welsh Test,\" said Pivac. \"He goes back to Scotland now and they will be in charge of his recovery from here. It will be their call. \"But certainly it was nowhere near as serious as first thought.\" Scotland are already without captain Greig Laidlaw (ankle) and number eight Josh Strauss (kidney) who have both been ruled out of the tournament. There are also concerns over flanker John Hardie and hooker Fraser Brown who both suffered blows to the head in Paris. And wing Sean Maitland was injured on Friday evening in Saracens' defeat by Gloucester in the Aviva Premiership. A Welsh player who could be involved in Murrayfield - wing Steff Evans - scored the Scarlets' opening try in their 42-7 Pro12 win against Zebre. Evans has not featured for Wales so far in the Six Nations, and impressed Pivac with his commitment against the Italian side. \"Steff was itching to get a run and he got his hands on the ball out there. He will be better for that,\" added Pivac. \"Tonight's game was important for him, to get a blow-out. \"He has been in camp and training well and really enjoying it by all accounts. \"He will be happy with that 80 minutes under his belt.\"", "summary": "Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac is hopeful John Barclay will be fit to play for Scotland against Wales in the Six Nations on 25 February."}
{"article": "Inmates Donnie Russell Row and Ricky Dubose are suspected of overpowering the guards while being transported by bus to another facility. Police say the men, who are both serving time for armed robbery at Baldwin State Prison, hijacked the prison transport bus. They later commandeered another car, and are considered armed and dangerous. The first call to police came shortly after 07:00 local time (11:00 GMT), once the men had apparently taken control of the prison bus on Highway 16 between the towns of Sparta and Eatonton. Officials have shut down roadways in the region, about 65 miles (104km) from Atlanta, to conduct a search and secure the 31 other inmates that had also been aboard the bus. The US Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, the FBI, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are investigating. According to police, the incident occurred around 05:45 local time near the town of Eatonton. Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said the inmates are \"dangerous beyond description\", adding that investigators are reviewing surveillance footage from on board the bus to determine how the inmates were able to attack the guards. \"They were inside the caged area of the bus,\" Sheriff Sills said at a press conference. \"How they got through the locks and things up to that area I do not know.\" The prisoners \"overpowered\" the guards and \"they then disarmed them and one of the subjects shot and killed both guards\", according to a bulletin issued by the Putnam County Sheriff's office. Correctional officers Christopher Monica, 42 and Curtis Billue, 58, were both killed, the Georgia Department of Corrections confirmed. \"Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of two of our officers, who are our family, and our priority is to locate these fugitives and bring them to justice for this heinous act against those working to protect the public,\" said Corrections Commissioner Gregory Dozier. \"Obviously it's a tragic day for the family of corrections and the loved ones of these two officers. My heart is still in the soles of my shoes,\" Mr Dozier added. The inmates are thought to be travelling in a 2004 green Honda Civic, which they carjacked. They were armed with the officers' .40 calibre Glock pistols, officials say. Nearly six hours after the escape, police in the city of Madison, Georgia, reported that a home had been broken into and clothing had been stolen. The suspects left prison uniforms, and the stolen car has not yet been recovered. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal said: \"Our heartbreak is matched only in our resolve to bring their murderers to justice. \"No effort will be spared in pursuit of the killers, and no state resources required in this endeavor will be spared.\" Both men had been serving life sentences.", "summary": "Two prison officers were shot and killed during an escape on Tuesday morning in the US state of Georgia."}
{"article": "Robert Dick was born in Tullibody, in 1811 and was apprenticed to a local baker after leaving school, aged 13. But he began to study in his spare time, eventually becoming a world-renowned expert on the botany and geology of Caithness. His achievements are being marked by the Tullibody History Group. The group said the event would look at the legacy of a \"remarkable, entirely self-taught man\". Despite a relatively humble upbringing - the son of an excise officer - his achievements were noted by some of the most prominent scientists of the day. Sir Roderick Murchison of the British Association of Scientists was said to have remarked about him: \"I found to my humiliation that this baker knew more of botanical science - aye - 10 times more than I did.\" And the well-known naturalist Hugh Miller, who received many fossils from Dick, wrote that \"he has robbed himself to do me service\". In 1863, Dick had to sell part of his geological collection, which is now in the National Museums Scotland. He continued his research, but in August 1866 he collapsed while gathering specimens in a quarry. He never recovered fully and died four months later. The only memorial to him is in Thurso Cemetery, the Tullibody History Group said. Members of the group hope to erect a new memorial to the man to mark the bicentenary of his birth this year, as well as publishing a book about his life. An event on 27 August at the Tullibody Heritage centre would give a \"fascinating insight into an unusual man\", the group added.", "summary": "The life of a 19th Century Clackmannanshire baker who went on to become a world authority on botany is to be celebrated."}
{"article": "That was better than the 3% pace that economists had been expecting and follows the 4.6% growth rate recorded in the April-June quarter. Strong export growth and higher government spending helped to boost growth in the third quarter. In a sign of confidence in the US recovery, on Wednesday the Federal Reserve ended its stimulus scheme. The fall in the unemployment rate to a six-year low has helped to boost that confidence. \"Today's number represents a return to a healthy-looking trend. The most recent IMF forecasts suggest the US economy will grow 3.1% next year and 3.0% in 2016, and these could be revised further upwards in the coming months,\" said Ben Brettell, senior economist at Hargreaves Lansdown stockbrokers. The report was the first of three estimates of gross domestic product, so the figure could be revised up or down, over the coming months. Growth was lifted in the third quarter by a sharp increase in government spending, which itself was boosted by a surge in defence expenditure. Exports were another area of strength, they rose at an annual rate of 7.8%. But there will be a question over whether that pace can be maintained as important export markets for the US are struggling. Growth in many European countries is stagnant and the Chinese economy is slowing down. Consumption growth was relatively weak in the third quarter, running at an annual rate of 1.8%, but economists expect that to improve. \"Conditions are in place for a pick-up in the pace of consumption growth,\" said Paul Ashworth, chief US economist at Capital Economics. \"Real personal disposable incomes increased by a healthy 2.7% in the third quarter and, with the prospect of further big gains in employment and the impact of the slump in energy prices, real incomes should enjoy an even bigger gain in the fourth quarter.\" Overall it has been a volatile year for US growth data. In the first quarter the economy contracted at an annual rate of 2.1% after severe weather hampered economic activity. But the second quarter saw a rebound, growing at an annual pace of 4.6%. Taken together the latest two quarters are the strongest consecutive quarters of growth since the second half of 2003. On Wednesday the US Federal Reserve announced the end of its quantitative easing (QE) stimulus programme. QE started in November 2008 amid the financial crisis and fears that the US, and the rest of the world, might be facing another great depression. Since then the Fed has bought $3.5 trillion of US government debt and bonds created out of home loans or mortgages. It began to phase out the scheme last year and a fall in unemployment to 5.9% has encouraged the Fed to end it altogether. However, interest rates will remain at a record low for a \"considerable time\" according to the US central bank.", "summary": "The US economy grew at an annual rate of 3.5% in the July-September quarter, the Commerce Department has said."}
{"article": "They've been shipped from one of dozens of fish farms in the sea lochs of Scotland's north-west coast, where they swam earlier on Sunday in a large cage, machine fed for up to three years, growing as big as 8kg. Mallaig is on a picturesque promontory looking over the sea to Skye. Its harbour used to heave with herring boats: its bracing fresh air mingled with the potent tang of smoking kippers. The wild catch at Mallaig quayside is now langoustine, scallops and lobster. Many of the shellfish are bound for markets in Spain and France, trucked live and swiftly for premium prices. The bigger fish business in the west Highlands is the farming of Atlantic salmon. From the fishing boat they are vacuumed through a pipe into the ice house, slaughtered, packed and driven along the winding road through the Lochaber region to a processing plant at Fort William. They are gutted and despatched to markets around the world. By Thursday, some of the bigger fish are being served in China's best restaurants. Beijing first allowed imports of Scottish salmon in 2011. Last year, more than 11,000 tonnes were exported to the Far East, with a value of \u00c2\u00a373m ($94m). It is 25 years since Scottish salmon became the first non-French food to win the Label Rouge designation. Based on taste and appearance, that has been a valuable asset in France, the biggest European market for salmon, and an important calling card in other countries. Salmon is now by far the biggest food export from Scotland. In 2014, it beat confectionery to become the UK's biggest food export. Demand is led by the EU, which imported 35,000 tonnes of Scottish salmon last year, and the US, which imported nearly 26,000 tonnes. While the UK has less than a tenth of global production, Scotland offers a premium product, at about 10% above the world price. Scottish salmon is typically fed better quality feed, and farming can be less intensive - fewer fish in a cage mean they swim further, and develop more muscle. Loch Duart set out in 1999 to carve a niche within that Scottish niche. Farming in the sea lochs of Sutherland and the Outer Hebrides, it charges a premium of 20-25% over other salmon producers, selling to wholesalers whose high-end client chefs require that extra assurance of quality and reliability. \"We've got to have an authentic message, a clear set of farming principles that the customer can buy into, that can be verified. We were the first to have RSPCA welfare standards,\" says sales director Andy Bing. Scott Landsburgh, chief executive of industry body the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO), points out that fresh fish is hard to differentiate, except on its look. \"The good quality flesh of the fish [is] particularly firm and less fatty. And that works in the sushi and sashimi market in particular,\" he says. The journey for Scottish salmon began nearly 50 years ago. Unilever was the pioneer, spotting the potential for farmed salmon, which at that time was only caught wild and eaten", "summary": "Past midnight on Monday in Mallaig: a boat docks with a cargo of live salmon."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Phaedra Al Majid, a former international media officer for Qatar 2022, said she wanted to exact revenge after losing her campaign job. She decided to go public after she said her \"lies had gone too far\". Al Majid has now signed a legal affidavit retracting the allegations. Fifa has also confirmed that it has received an email from Al Majid withdrawing the allegations. \"Fifa can confirm receipt of an email from a person claiming to have made allegations related to the Qatar 2022 bid process and now retracting these allegations,\" said a statement. My intentions were to make a few headlines, I never expected that my lies would be carried on and discussed in parliament Originally made anonymously to journalists, Al Majid's claims became the subject of an inquiry by the parliamentary select committee for culture, media and sport. She says she is deeply sorry for the trouble she has caused World Cup officials in Qatar and the three Fifa executive committee members she accused of accepting bribes. \"I was very upset after I left the bid and wanted to basically hurt the bid back,\" she said. \"My intentions were to make a few headlines, I never expected that my lies would be carried on and discussed in parliament. \"It just went too far. I never expected it to come to this point. There was never anything suspicious or any wrongdoing on Qatar's part. \"I cannot tell you how sorry I am. I have hurt reputations of three members of the Fifa exco, I have hurt their reputation, and more importantly I have hurt my colleagues on the Qatar bid.\" Al Majid originally said African Football Confederation president Issa Hayatou, Ivory Coast Fifa member Jacques Anomua and Nigeria's suspended exco official Amos Adamu were paid $1.5m to vote for Qatar. The allegations were denied by all three men but were made public under parliamentary privilege when the Sunday Times submitted evidence from their investigation into Fifa to the select committee in May. She was then invited to back up her claims in a meeting with Fifa president Sepp Blatter. But no meeting ever took place. Al Majid also says she \"tampered\" with a Qatar 2022 bid strategy document which she then leaked to journalists. She insists she was placed under no pressure or paid any money by Qatar 2022 to change her story. Officials on a new supreme committee for the World Cup, now overseeing preparations for the tournament, have told the BBC Al Majid first made contact with them on 5 June and that they didn't place her under any pressure or pay her to retract her story. However, it must be stated that the BBC only interviewed Al Majid after being put in touch with her by Qatar bid officials, during research for a special report on the Qatar 2022 World Cup due to be broadcast on BBC2's Newsnight on Monday. Her decision to retract her story could be embarrassing for the select committee who last week published a report on the", "summary": "The \"whistleblower\" behind a series of corruption allegations involving Fifa executive committee members and Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid has told the BBC she fabricated the claims."}
{"article": "The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish administrations have their spending level dictated by the Barnett formula. Under it, extra funding or cuts for England has an affect on the other nations, dependent on their population size and the powers devolved to them. Stormont's finance committee says parts of the formula could be more open. That could include requiring the Treasury to publish data upon which Barnett-related decisions are based. As an example, the committee pointed to the initial Treasury decision to classify infrastructure spending on the London Olympics as having UK-wide rather than England-only benefits. That meant there were was no so-called consequential spending for the devolved governments. The devolved nations did eventually get extra spending, but only about \u00c2\u00a330m rather than the \u00c2\u00a3330m they thought they were due. Some expert witnesses suggested that an independent body, such as the Office for Budget Responsibility, should be given an oversight role. Prof Gerry Holtham, who produced a report on funding and financing in Wales, told the committee that Northern Ireland would benefit from the formula \"being put on a proper statutory basis with an element of independence from Treasury introduced\". The committee also said that the executive should take \"pre-emptive measures\" for the event that the government decides to dispense with or alter the Barnett formula. It said this could include piloting a new needs-based formula and developing a \"fully considered position\" on what arrangements will be in Northern Ireland's best interests.", "summary": "The finance ministers of the devolved UK administrations should present joint proposals for improving the way they are funded, a Stormont committee says."}
{"article": "Her department suggested schools could withdraw places offered to children if their families were found to be living in the country illegally. The Home Office also wanted schools to carry out immigration checks. Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said the plan was \"disgusting\". 'Not government policy' Chief Inspector of schools Sir Michael Wilshaw said he was \"amazed and shocked\" by the claim - while Liberal Democrat education spokesman John Pugh dismissed it as \"a grubby little idea\". But immigration minister Robert Goodwill insisted that deprioritising school places for children of people in the UK illegally is \"not the policy of the government\". The government said it would not comment on leaked documents, but added that it was right that a range of options would be considered before ministers made a final decision. By law, children under 16 have a right to an education whatever their parents' circumstances. But the documents suggested the Home Office wanted schools to ask to see passports before accepting new pupils. In summer 2015, Theresa May wanted Whitehall departments to contribute to the government's ambition to reduce immigration to the tens of thousands. One source says every department was to have its hands \"dipped in blood\". But the letters reveal there was a \"disquiet among our own ministers about the potential for inflammatory comparisons\" by using schools as part of the immigration system, punishing the children of illegal immigrants by putting them to the bottom of the list for school places. After discussions at a cabinet committee, Nicky Morgan, then education secretary, wrote twice to the then Prime Minister David Cameron with \"profound concerns\" about the Home Office's plan for schools. It is not clear how wide-ranging the plans were, but the Department of Education is only responsible for schools in England. In her letter, Ms Morgan wrote: \"I have concerns about the practical and presentational issues of applying our strong position on illegal migrants to the emotive issue of children's education. \"These cover deprioritising illegal migrants in the schools admissions process, and carrying out immigration checks through schools.\" The Department of Education was also concerned about how immigration checks would disrupt the school admissions process. Ms Morgan wrote that \"the checks would need to be processed and verified in time to make any changes (ie withdrawing a place from an illegal migrant and giving that place to another child) before the start of the school term. \"This would destabilise the admissions process - already the subject of considerable media scrutiny and political pressure - for example delaying schools from being able to confirm British and legal migrants' children's place in good time before the start of the school year.\" The education department was also worried about the measure worsening segregation, suggesting: \"The overall effect of a deprioritisation measure would be to concentrate children of illegal migrants in the least popular schools in any area, jeopardising our increasingly important focus on tackling both segregation and extremism, and with consequent impacts on the children of British nationals who attend the schools. \"Aside from the impact on ordinary parents, there", "summary": "Leaked cabinet letters suggest that the Home Office - when it was being run by Theresa May - wanted the children of illegal immigrants to go to the bottom of the list for school places."}
{"article": "The Stagecoach 585 service and the 4x4 crashed near the Rowan Tree restaurant, north of Ardrossan, at about 14:15. The Scottish Ambulance Service has declared the scene a major incident. Two air ambulances attended, along with specialist trauma teams. The road was closed while emergency crews dealt with the crash. Police Scotland said: \"At around 1415 hours on Monday 21 March, police and emergency services responded to reports of a serious road traffic collision between a service bus and a 4x4 vehicle on the A78, north of Ardrossan, close to the Rowan Tree Restaurant. \"There have been 12 people injured as a result of this incident. One person has been pronounced dead at the scene of the incident. \"Two people have been taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital by air and by road ambulance. Nine others have been treated at the scene or transferred to Crosshouse Hospital for observations.\" A spokesman for the ambulance service said: \"There are 11 casualties, several of whom are in a critical condition.\" A spokeswoman for Stagecoach confirmed that the 585 service from Ayr to Greenock had been \"involved in a serious incident...on the A78 near Ardrossan\". She said: \"Our first thoughts are with those affected by this incident. \"The safety of our passengers and staff is our highest priority and we are assisting the police fully with their investigation into the circumstances.\" A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: \"Our crews are at the scene of a serious road collision on the A78. \"We received a call from the ambulance service at 2.15pm today and firefighters reached the incident three minutes later. \"There were six appliances at the scene and firefighters worked alongside police and paramedics to assist those involved.\"", "summary": "One person has died and 11 others have been injured - two of them critically - after a bus and 4x4 vehicle collided on the A78 in North Ayrshire."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old scored twice for the non-league team in their FA Cup first-round defeat by Carlisle in November. Morais has previously played in the Football League for Wycombe. \"He has scored some great goals already this season for St Albans, and we are pleased to have secured his signature,\" said Posh boss Grant McCann. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Peterborough United have signed striker Junior Morias from National League South side St Albans for an undisclosed fee on a two-and-a-half year deal."}
{"article": "Ian Brunner, 47, and John-Mark Duffy were both part of Bedford's \"town centre drinking community\", Luton Crown Court heard. Brunner admitted murdering Mr Duffy, 39, at a flat in Byron Crescent, Bedford, in January. Judge Richard Foster said Brunner must serve at least 12-and-a-half years before becoming eligible for parole. The court heard both men had ended up in the flat with a third man, Steve Matthews. Anne Evans, prosecuting, said: \"At some point Mr Matthews remembers Mr Duffy asking Ian to make a joint. It seems he couldn't find any and Mr Duffy started to get agitated.\" Brunner and Mr Duffy argued in the hallway before returning to the living room, grappling one another, the court heard. Mr Duffy lifted his shirt and told Mr Matthews he had been stabbed. Brunner left the flat and Mr Duffy died at the scene. Brunner told police Mr Duffy had been his friend and he had not intended to kill him.", "summary": "A man who stabbed his friend to death in an argument about a cannabis joint has been jailed for life."}
{"article": "It is the latest development in efforts to solve the mystery of the aircraft, which went missing in March 2014. The plane, flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, had 239 people on board when it vanished. It is presumed to have crashed into the sea after veering off course. Three ships are searching a 120,000 sq km area of the southern Indian Ocean but have so far found no trace of the plane. Five pieces of debris have been confirmed as definitely or probably from the plane. Each was found thousands of miles from the search zone, though within the area models of ocean currents have indicated debris could wash up. 1. A section of wing called a flaperon, found on Reunion Island in July 2015 - confirmed as debris in September 2015 2. Horizontal stabilizer from tail section, found in Mozambique in December 2015 3. Stabilizer panel with \"No Step\" stencil, found in Mozambique in February 2016 4. Engine cowling bearing Rolls-Royce logo, found in March 2016 in Mossel Bay, South Africa 5. Fragment of interior door panel found in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius in March 2016 All the debris is being examined in Australia by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and other experts. They use manufacturing marks on the pieces as well as samples of marine ecology like barnacles to help confirm whether they are likely to have come from the missing Boeing 777. Speaking on Thursday, Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said the team had \"confirmed that both pieces of debris from South Africa and Rodrigues Island are almost certainly from MH370\". The ATSB also said both sections were \"almost certainly\" from 9M-MRO, which is the plane's registration. No other 777 has ever crashed in the southern hemisphere, and none has reported missing pieces. The ocean search, involving Australia, Malaysia and China, has scoured more than 105,000 sq km of seafloor so far, much of it areas which have never been explored before. But the countries have agreed that in the absence of \"credible new information\" the search will end by the middle of the year.", "summary": "Two pieces of aircraft debris found on beaches in Mauritius and South Africa almost certainly came from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, say Malaysian and Australian officials."}
{"article": "Maxime Colin deflected Romaine Sawyers' second-half shot past replacement keeper Ivan Lucic to win a game high on chances but low on quality finishing. Bees' top scorer Scott Hogan had three great chances to put his side ahead. Tammy Abraham could have given City the lead, but he hit the bar early in the second half before missing a one-on-one when it was easier to score. The win moves Brentford one place and one point above City into 14th position in the Championship. City were indebted to goalkeeper Frank Fielding who made two great saves as Hogan twice broke through in the first period, before the former England Under-21 international was forced off with a hip injury. Abraham also had two good chances before the break, but his best efforts came after the restart as the 13-goal Chelsea loanee opted for power and crashed a shot against the bar when a composed finish might have given the Robins the lead. Lucic denied Hogan's third one-on-one before Abraham had one of his own, but his chipped finish over Daniel Bentley was wide of the mark. Colin secured the win, although it is doubtful he knew much about it, as Sawyers' long range effort deflected off his legs to wrong-foot Lucic. Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson: \"I'm very disappointed by the result but okay with the performance because on another night we would have scored three or four goals. \"The game has hinged on us not taking our chances. Tammy Abraham played well and got into some good areas, but he just couldn't finish. \"He is a young player and will come again. It's a time to put an arm around him, not take out a big stick. \"I was much more concerned with how we played at Huddersfield on Saturday. Tonight it seemed as though one of us had run over a black cat.\" Brentford manager Dean Smith: \"I think the ball went in off Maxime Colin's backside. Sometimes you need a bit of luck to record victories in the Championship and he will want the goal, even though it was a fantastic strike by Romaine. \"It was a tough night for us. The game was end to end with chances for both sides. \"A draw would have been a fair result, but we managed to get over the line. \"Strangely, both team's main goalscorers couldn't finish on the night. Scott Hogan for us and Tammy Abraham for them had numerous chances, mainly due to mistakes, and couldn't capitalise.\" Match ends, Bristol City 0, Brentford 1. Second Half ends, Bristol City 0, Brentford 1. Attempt missed. Josh McEachran (Brentford) left footed shot from more than 40 yards on the left wing misses to the right. Assisted by Daniel Bentley following a fast break. Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by John Egan. Attempt blocked. Lee Tomlin (Bristol City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Offside, Bristol City. Lee Tomlin tries a through ball, but Gustav Engvall is caught offside. Korey Smith (Bristol City) is shown the yellow card for a bad", "summary": "Brentford won successive games for the second time in the Championship this season as they edged past Bristol City."}
{"article": "The Florida-based Scot finished The Barclays event on the PGA Tour in New York with a one-under-par 70, leaving him four over for the tournament. That was only good enough for a tie for 60th, 13 shots behind winner Patrick Reed, leaving Knox 10th on the World Points list for Ryder Cup rankings. Meanwhile back in Europe, fellow wildcard contender Thomas Pieters of Belgium, who narrowly missed out on automatic selection after finishing ninth on the European Points list and 11th on the World Points list, stated his case for a captain's pick by winning the Made in Denmark title. That victory came two weeks after the 24-year-old finished fourth at the Rio Olympic Games, and a week after a runner-up finish at the Czech Masters. It is now out of their hands, leaving Knox waiting for a phone call from Clarke before the Northern Irishman confirms his three captain's choices at 12:30 BST on Tuesday. Frustratingly for the 31-year-old, he sits just outside the nine automatic qualifiers, knowing that had he been a European Tour member when he won the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai last November, he would already have had the points necessary to make his Ryder Cup debut. Instead the Invernesian is vying with Ryder Cup veterans such as Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell for a place in Clarke's team for the biennial clash from 30 September-2 October at Hazeltine, Minnesota. Like the in-form Pieters, Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen and Ireland's Shane Lowry, Knox would be a sixth rookie - with Clarke expected to favour experience in his wildcard picks. While US captain Davis Love III has a couple more weeks to mull over his options, what Clarke says is the toughest part of his job is nearly over. \"There is a huge amount of interest in our three remaining wildcards and whoever they are, they will be three fantastic additions to the nine guys we already have,\" said the Northern Irishman. Michael McEwan, of Scottish golf magazine Bunkered, told BBC Scotland that while he hopes Knox will feature, he fears the weekend's results may have swung things away from the Scot. \"The way the team is shaping up at the moment, it's very rookie heavy so I think he's going to want to add in some experience and on that basis I would suggest Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer are probably two of his three picks. \"Thereafter it is between Thomas Pieters and Russell Knox I would imagine. Until yesterday Russell was looking most likely to get it, but Pieters winning as he did in Denmark, allied to being second the week before and a strong Olympic performance, I think unfortunately he's just got the nod on Russell. \"I'd be amazed if he got picked at this stage.\" Given the lack of Ryder Cup experience in some of the candidates, the fact Knox is based in Florida and plays on the PGA Tour could be seen as beneficial, but McEwan believes form will the most important factor in Clarke's three wildcard picks. \"I'd love to think", "summary": "It was a final chance to catch the eye of European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke before he confirms his three wildcard picks on Tuesday, but things did not quite go as planned for Russell Knox."}
{"article": "The scrapping of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (Hefcw) was announced in January. A white paper has now been published inviting views on the proposed Tertiary Education and Research Commission. It aims to make sure Wales has \"the skills needed to succeed in an increasingly competitive economy\". The new organisation will manage funding for universities, further education colleges, research and skills. It will also seek to improve links between higher and further education and Welsh business. Publishing the white paper on Tuesday, Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said the aim was to make it \"easier for people to learn and acquire skills throughout their careers\". \"Our lives and economy are undergoing huge technological change,\" she said, adding: \"Our national mission does not stop at the school gates. \"We need to ensure that those leaving our schools progress into a post-compulsory system which provides genuine parity of esteem for vocational and academic routes and which equips them with the skills required for sustainable and rewarding careers. \"Such a workforce will allow our economy to be more productive and competitive and our people more prosperous and secure.\"", "summary": "Academic and workplace skills will be \"equally valued\" under plans to replace the university funding body, the Welsh Government has said."}
{"article": "A total of 177 roads have been lined up to be reconstructed this financial year, Surrey County Council said. The remaining roads in the \u00c2\u00a3100m project will be dealt with over the following two financial years. Each of the roads will have \"better, longer-lasting surfaces\" and will be guaranteed to last 10 years. Work planned for this year includes the Godstone and Farnham bypasses, the Scilly Isles roundabout in Esher, West Street in Dorking, and Staines Road West in Sunbury Common.", "summary": "More than 800 roads in Surrey are to be given \"pothole proof\" coatings over the next three years in an initiative to overhaul more than 300 miles of road."}
{"article": "A criminal investigation has begun into Pyotr Pavlensky's actions at the Kremlin wall on Sunday, the interior ministry told news agencies in Moscow. Pavlensky was arrested but released the following day and placed under travel restrictions. However, the 29-year-old now faces the charge of hooliganism. The hooliganism charge is used to prosecute perceived breaches of public order. It is the same charge used to jail members of the punk band Pussy Riot, and to prosecute activists from the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise. The St Petersburg performance artist had reportedly sat for an hour and a half on the square on Sunday afternoon, with a nail driven through his genitals into the ground. His \"fixation\" act, he said, was a metaphor for apathy in Russia. Critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin accuse the veteran leader of presiding over a crackdown on dissent since his re-election in March last year. A police source told Interfax news agency that the article under which Pavlensky was being charged carried a wide range of penalties. starting with a fine and going up to a five-year prison sentence. His graphic act outside the Lenin Mausoleum was recorded on video which was put online. Timing his act to coincide with Police Day, Pavlensky said in a statement published on Sunday: \"When the authorities turn the country into one big prison, openly robbing the populace and channelling funds to increase and enrich the police and other security agencies, society accepts arbitrariness and, having forgotten its advantage in numbers, brings the triumph of the police state closer through its inaction.\" Pavlensky previously attracted attention by sewing his lips together in July of last year and demonstrating outside St Petersburg's Kazan Cathedral in support of the imprisoned Pussy Riot protesters. In May of this year, he wrapped his naked body in a \"cocoon\" of barbed wire outside the city's parliament. Fellow figures from the Russian arts world praised his Red Square act in comments on grani.ru, with one calling it a \"powerful gesture of absolute despair\" and another, \"a manifesto of powerlessness\".", "summary": "A naked performance artist who nailed his scrotum to Red Square as a political protest may face up to five years in prison, Russian media report."}
{"article": "Planned work at Saltdean Lido was halted last month after it was found an old substation had been removed. Campaigners asked Brighton council to lend them \u00a370,000 for a new one but the council said it would lend \u00a310,000. Saltdean Lido Community Interest Company (CIC) had wanted to avoid fundraising delays to the work, but is now selling bricks for a Wall of Fame. People can pay to adopt bricks which will feature their message or name on the wall to be built early next year. Spokeswoman Bridget Fishleigh said the old substation had mysteriously vanished and no-one could account for its disappearance. She said campaigners could find no photographs to prove it was ever there but they did find cables. They have said the lido will remain a building site until money is found. The CIC has raised \u00a32.8m in grants and is working on a \u00a34.8m lottery bid but Ms Fishleigh said allocated funds could not be reallocated under grant procedures. \"We're reaching out to our supporters to help us with this because without power we wouldn't be able to test the pool and we certainly wouldn't be able to run it,\" she said. The Wall of Fame will have 2,500 bricks and campaigners are urging people to buy them as Christmas presents.", "summary": "A fundraising campaign has begun to try to revive plans to restore a Grade II* listed lido."}
{"article": "In the 1960s, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Today it's Asia's fourth largest economy and one of the world's most advanced. That progress is largely thanks to the performance of its chaebols: massive family run conglomerates. But now businesses are being criticised for holding South Korea back. Many people I spoke to said it's time for change. Youth unemployment is at record highs, close to 10%. Young people say that the system is unfairly stacked against them, and that the economy is dominated by the chaebols, which basically own South Korea's economy. That has effectively left little or no room for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which are usually the life-blood of an economy, and typically help to create jobs. Also, given that chaebols are so dominant, young people end up wanting to work in them. And that means even if there were jobs to fill at SMEs, there'd be few takers. The calls for chaebol-reform aren't new, but they do appear to have gained more momentum than in previous years. Here's why chaebols are becoming ever more powerful in the economy. Revenues from the top five chaebols make up more than half of South Korea's GDP. Samsung, which is the country's largest, makes up a fifth of the economy. It's true that in the past chaebols were job-creators, but now most of their business is derived from overseas markets. So they're hiring less at home, and are not bringing all of those profits back. The money-for-influence scandal is what brought down the previous President Park Geun-hye. Many Koreans believe the cosy relationship between business and government has created a class system where the elites constantly succeed and those who don't have access to power are left behind. In particular there's been a lot of resentment of the \"chaebol-children\" - the next generation in these family-run businesses. They're seen as spoiled, privileged and out of touch. The bribery trial of Samsung's de facto head Lee Jae-yong - son of the current chief executive and grandson of the firm's founder, has underlined those concerns Think of South Korea's chaebols and immediately Samsung, LG and Hyundai come to mind. They've all invested heavily in research and development to try and come up with products that beat their competitors. South Korea invests more of its GDP in R&D than most other Asian nations, according to the OECD. The attractiveness of working in a chaebol means few young people are prepared to take a risk and start a company of their own, a trend that stifles ideas and creativity. Also for those who do take the leap and set up on their own, the biggest customers are invariably chaebols. They are criticised for unfairly controlling prices and squeezing profits for start-ups, effectively putting them out of business. All of this is coming at a time when South Korea's preeminent position in the world of the technology and innovation is being challenged by China. Chinese manufacturers like TCL and Xiaomi are now making flat screen televisions and mobile phones, and at", "summary": "For all the talk of North Korea and the controversial THAAD anti-missile system, my recent trip to South Korea left me in no doubt that for most voters, top of their minds going into the country's presidential elections is something far less headline-grabbing: the economy."}
{"article": "The King Charles spaniel was found on the A38 near Kennford service station in Devon on Thursday afternoon. The owners of the dog, which suffered two suspected broken legs, have now been traced. CCTV footage is being reviewed by police \"to shed light\" on the incident. Devon and Cornwall Police said: \"We are currently working under the impression that the dog had escaped from its home and ran across the road and sustained its injuries this way.\"", "summary": "An injured dog which was first thought to have been thrown from a car on a busy dual carriageway had probably escaped from home and run across the road, police say."}
{"article": "The 59-year-old actor and presenter has launched a petition to prevent buildings being demolished to make way for a new station. A planned Crossrail 2 connection at Tottenham Court Road will see two new access points built in Soho. Fry, who is chairman of Save Soho, warned the area \"could change dramatically\". He said the group did not oppose Crossrail 2. But he said: \"Soho is not just a metropolitan enclave... it is a focus, a magnet for the young, creative and open-minded around the country. \"The new threat to Soho's authentic soul coming from Crossrail 2 is a real and urgent issue.\" London Mayor Sadiq Khan has warned that London's transport network will grind to a halt due to overcrowding unless the government backs Crossrail 2. Construction could start in the early 2020s and the railway could be open by 2033. A preferred route for a proposed \u00c2\u00a320bn Crossrail 2 scheme, running north-south through London was approved in 2014. Crossrail 2 bosses say improvements will reduce crowding on the busiest part of the Northern line during peak periods by approximately 30%.", "summary": "Stephen Fry has said Crossrail 2 poses a threat to Soho's \"authentic soul\"."}
{"article": "Gail O'Rorke, 43, of Kilclare Gardens, has denied assisting the suicide of Bernadette Forde on 6 June 2011. Ms Forde died at her home in Dublin on 6 June 2011 after being denied travel to a clinic in Switzerland. Ms O'Rorke told police it was agreed that another friend of the deceased, Mary Lundy, would be present. The deceased was diagnosed in 2001 with progressive multiple sclerosis and her condition was compounded by a car accident in 2008 that left her using a wheelchair. In the police interviews, Ms O Rorke said Ms Forde had arranged for her to stay in a hotel in County Kilkenny so she would be out of the way and not be implicated in the suicide. She said after Ms Forde's death, Ms Lundy had told her what had happened at Ms Forde's home on the evening of 5 June 2011 when she took a lethal dose of medication bought on the internet. She said Ms Lundy had sobbed and told her it was the hardest thing she had ever done. She told her she had left the house when Ms Forde was close to death. Ms O'Rorke told police that she and other family members and friends knew about Ms Forde's plan. Ms Forde had received a number of visitors on the morning of 5 June and it was known that she planned to take a lethal dose of medication later that day, she said. In her interviews after Ms Forde's death Ms O'Rorke said she, Ms Forde and Ms Lundy had \"sobbed\" after she broke the news to Ms Forde that police had intervened to prevent her travelling to Zurich to avail of the services of the organisation Dignitas. Ms O'Rorke told police that she was personally relieved, but that relief later turned to guilt because her friend's life was falling apart. After this, she said Ms Lundy researched other options for Ms Forde. \"I took a step back and Mary took a step forward.\" She said she did make a money transfer to Mexico but was unaware what it was for the medication that Ms Forde later used to take her life with. She said she only later found out what the package contained. The prosecution evidence in the case has now ended. The case is expected to last for another week.", "summary": "A Dublin woman on trial for assisting a suicide told police she was not present when her friend took a lethal dose of medication, but another friend was."}
{"article": "Mobile phone footage taken by a visitor to Marwell Zoo in Winchester showed the moment one of the Sulawesi macaques ran into a food shop. Visitors took to social media to say they were locked inside shops while keepers tried to locate the pair at about 12:40 BST. The monkeys were returned to their home within 30 minutes and no one was hurt. Kevin O'Donnell posted on Twitter calling it a \"great escape\" and recorded one of the monkeys running around the zoo. One visitor posted: \"Monkeys have escaped at Marwell Zoo currently hiding out with the giraffes\". Another said Marwell staff acted \"quickly and professionally\". A spokesperson for the zoo said guests and staff were asked to remain indoors while keepers dealt with the situation, which took about 30 minutes. \"We are grateful for the way in which our guests cooperated and thank them for their understanding,\" the spokesperson said. \"Our thanks to our animal management team who responded swiftly and carried out a model response. \"The two macaques have rejoined the rest of the family and all five will remain in the indoor part of their enclosure until a full investigation has been carried out. \"Our vet team has carried out checks and we are happy to report that the animals came to no harm. The zoo remains open as usual.\"", "summary": "A zoo was put on lockdown after two adult monkeys escaped from their enclosure in Hampshire."}
{"article": "Mhairi Black won the Paisley and Renfrewshire South seat for the SNP in last month's general election. The 20-year-old sat her final exam on Scottish politics shortly after being elected. She graduated along with the rest of her class in a ceremony at the university on Friday. Ms Black posted a photograph of herself in her gown on Twitter. She wrote: \"Overwhelmed by all the messages of support. They're really appreciated. It's been a great day for everyone involved.\" Her graduation came seven weeks after being elected MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South. The student had yet to sit her final exam when she ousted Labour's Douglas Alexander to become the youngest member at Westminster since the Reform Act of 1832. She won her seat by 5,500 votes after overturning former Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander's 16,000 vote majority. The MP admitted recently that it was \"quite bizarre\" returning to university after being elected an MP. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, she said: \"It was a brass neck walking into a room with people I've been studying with for years and they're all pulling their hair out applying for a million and one jobs and I'm like, 'Hi guys, how's it going?'.\" A spokesman for the University of Glasgow said: \"We would like to congratulate Mhairi Black, as we would all of our students who are graduating this summer. \"They have all worked extremely hard to earn their degrees and we wish them the very best for their future careers.\"", "summary": "The youngest MP in the House of Commons has graduated with a first class honours degree in politics from Glasgow University."}
{"article": "A woman died and 19 people were injured when a car rammed a crowd of people opposing a far-right rally there. The FBI has opened a civil rights investigation into the incident. Earlier, street brawls erupted between white nationalists and counter-protesters. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said \"the violence and deaths in Charlottesville strike at the heart of American law and justice. \"When such actions arise from racial bigotry and hatred, they betray our core values and cannot be tolerated,\" Twenty-year-old James Fields from Ohio, the alleged driver of the car, is in detention on suspicion of second-degree murder, In addition to those injured in the car incident, the Charlottesville Police Department said 15 were wounded in other violence related to the far-right march. Late in the afternoon, a Virginia State Police helicopter crashed in woodland south-west of the city, killing two people. There has been no sign that this was linked to the violence, however. The \"Unite the Right\" march was called to protest against plans to remove a statue of General Robert E Lee, who had fought for the pro-slavery Confederacy during the US Civil War. Mr McAuliffe told a press conference: \"I have a message for all the white supremacists, and the Nazis who came into Charlottesville today. Our message is plain and simple: Go home. You are not wanted in this great commonwealth. Shame on you. You pretend that you're patriots, but you are anything but a patriot. \"You came here today to hurt people. And you did hurt people. But my message is clear: We are stronger than you.\" The governor, who is a Democrat, said he had spoken to President Trump, and twice urged him to begin a movement to bring people together. He thanked the police and law enforcement officials, who he said had prevented \"a much worse day\", and praised the emergency services who helped the wounded. The violence in Charlottesville - a liberal college town - is a stark demonstration of the growing political divide in the US, which has intensified since President Trump's election last year. Right-wing blogger Jason Kessler had called for a \"pro-white\" rally, and white nationalists promoted the gathering widely. Oren Segal, director of the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism, said several \"white power\" groups were present - including neo-Nazis and factions of the Ku Klux Klan. The New York Times reports that some were chanting \"You will not replace us,\" and \"Jew will not replace us.\" Anti-racism organisations such as Black Lives Matter held protests at the scene. On Friday, the white nationalists held lit torches and chanted \"White lives matter\" as they marched through the University of Virginia in the city. President Donald Trump condemned \"in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides\". \"The hate and the division must stop right now,\" he told reporters, speaking in New Jersey, where he is on a working holiday. \"We have to come together as Americans with love for our nation.\" Democrats and Republicans alike took issue with his choice of words, noting", "summary": "The governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, has said that his only message for the white supremacists who brought chaos to the city of Charlottesville is \"Go home\"."}
{"article": "The hosts were closest to scoring in a cagey first half as Peter Whittingham's thunderous long-range shot hit the bar. Gunnarsson won it for Cardiff with a swerving first-time effort from 25 yards, though Apostolos Vellios almost equalised but also hit the woodwork. Forest drop to 21st place in the Championship table, just one point above the bottom three. Cardiff, meanwhile, climb up to 13th after a third successive home win. A significant day at the foot of the Championship saw four of Forest's relegation rivals taking each other on, with Blackburn hosting Bristol City and Birmingham at home to Burton. Perhaps mindful of how tight things were in the bottom half, Mark Warburton's side started a little apprehensively against Cardiff, who were the first to threaten with Whittingham's booming 30-yard shot which crashed against the crossbar. Other than that and a powerful long-range effort from Forest's Mustapha Carayol, there was precious little in terms of scoring opportunities in the first half. There was more entertainment near the dugout, where Cardiff assistant manager Kevin Blackwell and his opposite number David Weir had to be separated after frayed tempers almost led to a scuffle. Forest appeared to harness that emotion at half-time, emerging after the restart with renewed vigour and attacking intent. Carayol looked their likeliest source of a goal, unnerving the home defence with his direct and quick running. Despite the visitors' improvement, it was Cardiff who made the breakthrough as Kadeem Harris' cross was only half-cleared, leaving the ball to bobble invitingly into the path of Gunnarsson, who unleashed a fierce first-time shot which swerved beyond Jordan Smith and into the far corner. Forest rallied, with substitutes Vellios and Britt Assombalonga threatening - but the former wasted their best opportunity as his looping header bounced on to the bar, stretching their winless run away from home to 11 league games. Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock: \"Gunnar normally whacks the pigeon off the top of the stand with those strikes. It was like a missile going into the top corner. \"I watched it all the way in and the goalkeeper had no chance. It was a cracking finish. I think he can do more in attack and should be pushing for 10 goals a season, but I'm delighted. \"I know people have said we've got nothing to play for, but we wanted to have a real go and I think we did that.\" Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton: \"We created some good chances to score, but I'm disappointed we conceded a goal from 25 yards because I thought we did more than enough to get a point. \"We are where we are and I'm not getting away from that. But if we play like we did today and show the desire and work ethic we did, then we'll be okay. I hope the supporters saw that in our performance because this is a very tough place to come. \"We have to concentrate on ourselves now because if you don't do that in this league, you pay the price.\" Match ends, Cardiff City", "summary": "Nottingham Forest were plunged deeper into relegation trouble as Aron Gunnarsson gave Cardiff victory."}
{"article": "The 37-year-old was detained following a joint investigation between Lancashire Police and the RSPCA. A member of the public filmed the dog being punched at about 15:15 GMT on 10 December in Hendon Road, Nelson. The RSPCA said the dog - an adult female Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross - has been checked over by a vet and is now in the charity's care. RSPCA Inspector Charlotte Booker thanked people for their response to an appeal and said: \"It has been absolutely huge over the last 48 hours and we are very grateful for the scale and quality of this response. \"The same name came forward various times so we were able to verify information quickly. I'd also like to thank Lancashire Police for their help in this joint operation.\"", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty after a dog was attacked on a Lancashire street."}
{"article": "Petersen, 35, who has spent the last two years with Lancashire, is charged with multiple breaches of Cricket South Africa's (CSA) anti-corruption code. In January, as part of the same investigation, former Proteas spinner Gulam Bodi was banned for 20 years after admitting charges of contriving or attempting to fix matches. Then in August, CSA banned former wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile for 12 years for his part in the scandal, while Pumelela Matshikwe, Ethy Mbhalati and Jean Symes received lesser bans for accepting money from Bodi. Petersen, who has 14 days to respond, has been charged with: Born in Port Elizabeth, Petersen featured in 36 Tests, 21 one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals for South Africa. He previously played for English county sides Glamorgan, Essex and Somerset, before joining Lancashire as a non-overseas player under the Kolpak ruling after he retired from internationals. Petersen said in September that he might not return to Lancashire for 2017 for family reasons.", "summary": "Ex-South Africa batsman Alviro Petersen has been charged with match-fixing, following a lengthy investigation into the domestic Ram Slam T20 Challenge Series competition in 2015."}
{"article": "Luke Mallaband, 23, was caught after a woman at the University of East Anglia (UEA)'s library in Norwich realised she was being recorded and reported it. Mallaband admitted six voyeurism offences at an earlier hearing. He was given the three-year ban and a six-month curfew at Norwich Magistrates' Court. Mallaband, formerly of Norwich but now of Yew Tree Road, Walsall, was found to be at \"high risk of posing serious harm to females\", a probation report found. Prosecuting, Louise Mantell-Sayer told the court a woman noticed a plastic bag in the gender-neutral toilet cubicle in UEA's library. The bag had a hole in it which lined up with a hole in a box inside containing an iPhone set to record video. The woman said she felt \"disgusted\" and \"violated\" by what happened. In defence, Dave Foulkes said Mallaband had no previous convictions and had referred himself to a mental health team in the Midlands. Police found 38 voyeurism videos on his phone filmed between July 2013 and February this year. He will also carry out a three-year community order, a 200-hour sex offending behaviour programme and was told to pay \u00c2\u00a3170 in costs at Norwich Magistrates' Court.", "summary": "A former student who secretly filmed women using showers and toilets has been banned from entering female and gender-neutral loos."}
{"article": "An astronomy lecturer told the BBC the \"little old rock\" was not to blame. Rocks are poor conductors of heat and although they cause fireballs when they streak through the Earth's atmosphere from space, even recent large meteor falls have not started fires. The Bowie Volunteer Fire Department apologised and said the Twitter post \"should have never been made\". The blaze took 15 firefighters four hours to put out and left a crater 12-15 ft (3.7-4.6m) wide and 5-6 ft deep. Afterwards, a tweet was sent out from the Bowie Volunteer Fire Department account showing a photograph of a crater and a rock, calling it a \"possible meteorite strike\". But Greg Redfern, an astronomy lecturer and Nasa ambassador, told the BBC a rock could not be called a meteorite before it is tested by a specialist laboratory. And, he said, people's perceptions of meteorites were not quite right. \"People have this vision that a meteorite is going to be hot and flaming and it is such a wrong notion,\" he said. \"When a meteorite has come through the atmosphere it is cooled off way up high. I can't give you a temperature but it would be cool to touch, maybe even cold.\" Three years ago, space rocks fell over Russia, injuring nearly 1,000 people but there was no ground fire. Rocks that enter the Earth's atmosphere from space partially burn up in the air but when they hit the ground they are cold. Mr Redfern said: \"The bottom line is that the fire in Maryland was not caused by that little old rock.\" Jonathan Howard of the Bowie Volunteer Fire Department promised in a statement that measures would be taken to ensure there was no repeat of the mistaken report.", "summary": "Firefighters in Maryland have had to backtrack after blaming a meteorite for a brush fire."}
{"article": "There's a growing impatience within the EU about the lack of clarity and lack of sense of urgency from the British cabinet. A European commissioner has warned the British government that it needs to make a strategic choice - whether it wants to stay inside the single market or not. Valdis Dombrovskis, commissioner for the euro, told the BBC there had been mixed messages from Mrs May's government - on the one hand wanting to stay in the internal market, on the other had not respecting freedom of movement. Mrs May has made it clear she wants some curbs on immigration from the EU. But Mr Dombrovskis told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend there can't be cherry picking, and the commission is waiting for a formal notification of what the UK wants. He was speaking at a conference in Italy organised by an Italian think tank called the European House - Ambrosetti. It is like a European Davos, a gathering of business leaders and bankers, politicians past and present - in short, the European elite. Most of the sessions are private but we spoke to a number of senior figures on the record. Former Irish Taoiseach John Bruton expressed incredulity that Mrs May doesn't want to start negotiations until next year. \"There's a lot of surprise in European capitals that a party that had promised a referendum in its manifesto hadn't decided in advance what it would look for if people voted to leave,\" he said. \"One would have thought they would have prepared, but they don't appear to have done that.\" Former head of the European Central Bank Jean-Claude Trichet told us there would be a period of uncertainty. \"I would call for this period to be as short as possible, and for the position of the British government to be as clear as possible, as soon as possible,\" he said. Greek Economy Minister Giorgos Stathakis told us: \"The hard part of the story is that the EU is quite strict - free trade means free movement, it is difficult to find a compromise.\" I asked him if he would back such a compromise. \"We wouldn't - whatever compromises take place will include reduction in access to trade,\" he said. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, leading plans for Brexit alongside Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande, has let it be known that he hopes the UK can become the EU's \"best friend\". But he's warned the split-up should happen as soon as possible - and it will be impossible for the UK to keep all the advantages of membership. Former Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti told me that if Britain was given concessions over free movement it would mean the end of the free market. He said he would swear on oath that other countries would also want to cherry pick, and that would be devastating and lead to the collapse of the single market. He also said there could be one positive outcome from the \"disgraceful\" Brexit - other leaders may be warned off attacking the EU to strengthen", "summary": "The view from the calm shores of Italy's Lake Como is clear - Mrs May needs to hurry up and make it plain what Brexit means, apart from Brexit."}
{"article": "The hospital, which serves more than 200,000 people in Weston-super-Mare, will close between 22:00 and 08:00 BST. Those with serious and life-threatening emergencies are being told to dial 999 and ambulances will take them to Bristol or Taunton. The Trust said the the temporary move was necessary until it can guarantee safe levels of staffing overnight. It comes after a health watchdog rated its emergency care as \"inadequate\". What is happening to A&E services in England? A Care Quality Commission (CQC) report warned \"significant improvements\" must be made. Medical director Dr Peter Collins described the move as \"a very difficult decision\" but added \"it is our ability to recruit that is our challenge, not our ability to care\". But the public sector workers' union Unison warned every night the department is closed \"is a risk to the people of Weston\". Christine Cook, of Unison, said the nearest alternatives were in Bristol or Taunton - some 27 miles away - would leave \"sick people a long way from help and putting more strain on health staff at other hospitals\". \"I'm concerned that behind the lack of answers from the trust is a government plan to further downgrade Weston Hospital. \"A similar closure in Lincolnshire has been extended to over a year. If that happens here, related departments like the intensive care unit will be affected too.\"", "summary": "Weston General Hospital's A&E department closes overnight later because it cannot be staffed safely."}
{"article": "The size of the change has come as a big surprise and several insurers have warned their profits will be dented. However, the change has been welcomed by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). They said it was \"long overdue\" after lobbying for a change in the formula for several years. APIL said the decision of Liz Truss, the Lord Chancellor, was in the best interests of injury victims who might require life-long care, and that the claim that insurance premiums must now rise \"beggared belief\". The reaction of the insurance industry has been overwhelmingly negative, with insurers' share prices dropping in the aftermath of a flurry of emergency stock exchange announcements. The change in the compensation formula will come into effect from 20 March this year. The discount rate that underpins it - the assumed rate of return on investing the lump sums - has not been reviewed since 2001. The apparently sudden change was prompted by a renewed threat late last year from APIL. It revived a judicial review against the government's reluctance to change the formula, which the lawyers had argued was long out of date. \"People who suffer severe life-changing injuries can now be assured that the compensation needed to look after them is calculated correctly and is sufficient to provide care for the rest of their lives,\" said APIL. \"Meanwhile insurance companies, which have saved millions of pounds in unpaid compensation, have been aware that a decision to change the discount rate has been on the cards for six years, since APIL first began judicial review proceedings on the issue.\" Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the Treasury Committee, said the Lord Chancellor appeared to have had little choice but to reduce the discount rate from 2.5% to minus 0.75%, but that it needed to be re-thought. \"The principle that people should receive full compensation for the losses that they have suffered is a reasonable one,\" Mr Tyrie said. \"But implementing it in this way is probably not, and has a look of absurdity about it.\" The Lord Chancellor appeared to acknowledge that the whole business of changing the discount rate had been unsatisfactory. She will now hold a consultation before Easter on how the compensation formula should be reviewed in the future, including the possibility of using an independent body to make the decision on any alteration. The consultation will also look at the frequency of changes to the formula and the validity of basing it entirely on the returns to be made from investing in index-linked government bonds. \"I recognise the impacts this decision will have on the insurance industry,\" Liz Truss said. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said the government's approach was not good enough and demanded an immediate change in the law to abolish the current formula. It argued that in fact there was no legal obligation on the government to make a change at all. \"To make such a significant change to the rate using a broken formula is reckless in the extreme, and shows an utter disregard for the impact this", "summary": "The decision to radically alter the formula for calculating lump sum personal injury payments has shocked the insurance industry."}
{"article": "Lee's film revisits Michael Jackson's life story in Journey from Motown to Off the Wall, while Herzog has made a documentary about online culture. Festival organisers announced the dramatic and documentary premieres days after revealing the competition titles. Kristen Stewart, Anna Kendrick and Danny DeVito are among the actors in the festival's line-up. The festival kicks off on 21 January in Park City, Utah. Stewart appears in Certain Women, alongside Laura Dern and Michelle Williams, who also stars in Manchester by the Sea with Casey Affleck. Kendrick stars in The Hollars, about an aspiring New York City artist who returns to his Middle America hometown on the eve of his mother's brain surgery, while DeVito appears in the whimsical Wiener-Dog, about a dachshund who appears to be spreading comfort and joy. Festival director John Cooper said: \"We have seen an increase in younger audiences in recent years, showing that the next generation of independent film fans is culturally adventurous, and drawn to the diverse line-up we offer each year.\" Trevor Groth, director of programming added that their selection of films revealed \"that what resides at the core of captivating stories are fascinating, and at times heroic, characters\". He added: \"In shining light on these people, independent filmmakers are doing what they've always done best: connecting the dots of human existence with a deeply charged emotional current.\"", "summary": "Films by Spike Lee and Werner Herzog will be among those premiering at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival."}
{"article": "Ali Bunney, 20, was found unconscious at the edge of Gloucestershire Airport last February. He died later. He was an economics and accounting undergraduate at Cardiff University. Gloucestershire coroner Katy Skerrett said Mr Bunney's was \"a tragic death and a short-form conclusion will be an alcohol-related death.\" But speaking after the inquest, Mr Bunney's parents, Nigel and Marissa, questioned the coroner's findings. \"There [are] a lot of unanswered questions,\" Mr Bunney said. His wife added: \"I don't believe he walked all that way. It's a mother's instinct. I don't believe he walked four miles in an hour - someone has dumped him there. \"I always pray for him and pray for justice for Ali.\" Ms Skerrett concluded the various medical teams did all they could to save Mr Bunney and there was \"no unnecessary delay at any stage\" in treating him. \"This was a young man who had been out drinking with friends and had a very good, fun evening,\" she added. \"For whatever reason, he chose to depart from the plans of going back to a friend's house and it seems more likely than not that he was trying to make his way home. \"Due to the amount of alcohol he had consumed and this was a very cold and wet night - both those two factors got the better of this young man, which led to him being found.\" The inquest at Gloucestershire Coroners Court was told Mr Bunney could have been more than four times the drink-drive limit when he left a town centre nightclub to walk the nine miles to his home wearing just a short-sleeved shirt and trousers in temperatures as low as 4C (39F). He had been out in Cheltenham on the night of 8 February last year with a group of people celebrating his friend's 21st birthday. He was days away from celebrating his own 21st birthday. The inquest was told the student had eaten a meal and friends described seeing him drinking pints of lager, glasses of cocktails and shots of spirits during the night out, which ended at a nightclub. Friends described him as \"staggering\" and \"swaying from side to side\" and when he vanished from the Subtone club they tried to ring him but could not get hold of him. The inquest heard dog walker Keith Wilson found Mr Bunney lying on his back. Mr Wilson alerted a fire crew at the airport, who quickly arrived at the scene, and called for assistance from the ambulance service. Mr Bunney was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital where he was later confirmed dead.", "summary": "A drunk student died from hypothermia after walking home from a night out in Cheltenham in shirtsleeves in winter, an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old Scot finished in 43.590 seconds, ahead of second-placed Choi Min-jeong of South Korea (43.612secs). Christie won the event at the World Cup opener in Calgary, Canada. She set a 500m world record in the quarter-finals at the second World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA but fell in the final. Christie won a silver and three bronze medals at the World Championships in March and competed at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.", "summary": "British short track speed skater Elise Christie won 500m gold at the third World Cup event of the season in Shanghai, China."}
{"article": "The incident happened on Wednesday at about 18:00 in Wardieburn Place West. The men, aged 43 and 45, had travelled from Aberdeen. They were attacked in a stairwell by two men who are then thought to have left by the back of the block. Both victims suffered serious injuries and the 43-year-old man is in a critical condition. Police are appealing for witnesses. The first attacker is white and aged 17-19. He has a Central Scotland accent and light-coloured short hair, which is shaved at the sides. He was wearing a light-coloured sky blue hooded sweatshirt and grey jogging bottoms. The second attacker is a white man in his mid-20s. He has a stocky build and was wearing a striped top. Det Ch Insp Stuart Houston, of Police Scotland, said: \"This was an appalling attack on two men who came to the address in good faith. \"This attack happened in daylight and we believe there may be a number of witnesses who may have seen the suspects in the area. \"Anyone with information that can help with our inquiries is urged to contact police immediately.\"", "summary": "An investigation has been launched into the attempted murder of two men who had travelled to Edinburgh to buy a car."}
{"article": "Jhon Cordoba shot past Manuel Neuer to give the hosts a surprise early lead before Robert Lewandowski equalised after being set up by Robben. Robben headed home from Thomas Muller's cross to give Bayern the lead before a Lewandowski free-kick made it 3-1. Bayern move above RB Leipzig on goal difference. Both teams are on 30 points, but Bayern have played one game more. Leipzig will re-establish a three-point lead if they beat eighth-placed Schalke at home on Saturday (17:30 GMT). Champions Bayern had 10 shots in the opening 45 minutes against Mainz, and scored with two of their four attempts on goal. Muller wasted a great chance to net his first Bundesliga goal of the season when the score was 1-1. The 2014 World Cup winner has now gone more than 15 hours without a league goal. Match ends, 1. FSV Mainz 05 1, FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen 3. Second Half ends, 1. FSV Mainz 05 1, FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen 3. Attempt missed. Stefan Bell (1. FSV Mainz 05) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Daniel Brosinski. Foul by Douglas Costa (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen). Giulio Donati (1. FSV Mainz 05) wins a free kick on the right wing. Goal! 1. FSV Mainz 05 1, FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen 3. Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the top left corner. Leon Balogun (1. FSV Mainz 05) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Leon Balogun (1. FSV Mainz 05). Javi Mart\u00ednez (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Karim Onisiwo (1. FSV Mainz 05). Corner, FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen. Conceded by Stefan Bell. Attempt blocked. Arjen Robben (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Douglas Costa. Substitution, FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen. Renato Sanches replaces Thomas M\u00fcller. Stefan Bell (1. FSV Mainz 05) is shown the yellow card. Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Stefan Bell (1. FSV Mainz 05). Jhon C\u00f3rdoba (1. FSV Mainz 05) is shown the yellow card. Philipp Lahm (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jhon C\u00f3rdoba (1. FSV Mainz 05). Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Stefan Bell (1. FSV Mainz 05). Substitution, 1. FSV Mainz 05. Pablo De Blasis replaces Andr\u00e9 Ramalho. Philipp Lahm (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Daniel Brosinski (1. FSV Mainz 05). Attempt blocked. Mats Hummels (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Douglas Costa with a cross. Corner, FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen. Conceded by Levin \u00d6ztunali. Attempt saved. Danny Latza (1. FSV Mainz 05) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Jhon C\u00f3rdoba. Foul by Robert", "summary": "Bayern Munich returned to the top of the table as Arjen Robben scored one and set up another against Mainz on his 150th appearance in the Bundesliga."}
{"article": "Tests on animals, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, showed healing times could be cut by nearly a third. Experts said the early results were \"quite impressive\" but needed to be tested on people. More than 200,000 people in the UK have chronic wounds which can take weeks to heal. Ultrasound is already used to heal some bone injuries. A team from the Universities of Sheffield and Bristol tried the technology on mice with chronic wounds, which do not close readily and often become infected. Pressure sores from lying or sitting in the same position for too long, and diabetic foot ulcers which can lead to amputation, are both types of chronic wound. They become more common when we age due to a decline in our body's ability to repair itself. The high frequency sound waves physically vibrate cells in and around the wound. The process effectively wakes up the cells to make them more responsive to the wound. The study showed that in both old and diabetic mice, healing times were reduced from nine to six days. The report said ultrasound was \"restoring healing rates to those observed in young healthy animals\". In the tests the team were treating the wounds before they become chronic, so they will need to test the power of ultrasound on wounds that have been there for weeks. Dr Mark Bass, one of the researchers from Sheffield University, told the BBC News website: \"At the moment, treatment is based around stopping the infection and hoping it heals, with ultrasound we are promoting the healing of the wound.\" \"It's activating the normal healing process, that's why it's an attractive therapy; the ultrasound is simply waking up cells to do what they do normally.\" The researchers now need to study the approach in people, which they expect to do in the next year. \"We're looking at 200,000 patients currently with a chronic wound, all those may well benefit from the technology,\" Dr Bass said. The researchers are using broadly the same equipment that is used in an ultrasound scan during pregnancy. Dr John Connelly, from Queen Mary, University of London, said: \"They're getting almost complete reversal of impaired wound healing which is quite impressive.\" So does it have potential as a treatment? \"I think it could, but that's a major question as wound healing is quite different between humans and mice,\" he said. \"One of the big wound-healing treatments is negative pressure - putting the wound under a vacuum - that acts through mechanical stimulation, so it's entirely reasonable that ultrasound may also work.\"", "summary": "A blast of ultrasound can help stubborn chronic wounds heal more quickly, a study suggests."}
{"article": "Lee Galloway-Forbes, 45, from the city, was struck by a black Audi A6 car on North Esplanade West on Monday 7 September at about 18:00. Police Scotland, renewing an appeal for witnesses, said he died in hospital on Saturday. The occupants of the car, a 45-year-old man and a 45-year-old female passenger, were uninjured.", "summary": "A pedestrian has died in hospital following a road accident in Aberdeen in September."}
{"article": "Mr Gwenlan, who was born in Brecon, Powys, was previously the head of comedy at BBC TV and BBC Wales and was awarded an OBE in 2013. He was responsible for commissioning a string of hit series, including Yes Prime Minister, Blackadder, 'Allo 'Allo and One Foot In The Grave. He was producer on The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin and To The Manor Born. Mr Gwenlan also produced and directed High Hopes for BBC Wales. As head of comedy for BBC TV from 1983 until 1990, he was responsible for commissioning a number of classic comedy series, including Yes Prime Minister, Bread, Blackadder, 'Allo 'Allo, One Foot in the Grave, Birds of a Feather and Keeping Up Appearances. During his tenure, the department won the Best Comedy at the Bafta awards every year and counted three Emmys among its other awards. He admitted he could make mistakes - including trying to persuade the producer of One Foot in the Grave that Richard Wilson was not the right choice for the role of Victor Meldrew. As a producer/director, he collected 12 Bafta nominations and two Academy awards. He was awarded a Royal Television Society Fellowship in 1997, as well as winning six other industry awards that year, and in 1998 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. When he produced the Christmas trilogy in 1996, more than 20 million viewers tuned in to watch Del Boy and Rodney finally become millionaires. SOME OF THE COMEDIES WHICH GARETH GWENLAN PRODUCED OR COMMISSIONED: Mr Gwenlan was born on a farm in Brecon but was brought up by his widowed mother and grandparents in Cefn Coed, near Merthyr Tydfil. He trained as an actor and teacher at drama school after national service and initially started out as a theatre director in York and Derby. He joined the BBC drama department in 1965 before moving to comedy two years later. There he was responsible for The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, To The Manor Born and Butterflies in the mid 1970s, all hits in the golden age for situation comedy. He attributed working with Leonard Rossiter on Reginald Perrin as his first big break. \"It was a success, and the rest of my career sort of fell in behind it,\" he recalled. Mr Gwenlan, receiving a lifetime achievement award from Bafta Cymru after 50 years in the business, said he had never had to work very hard. \"I've been paid all my life to indulge in my hobby,\" he said. TRIBUTES TO GARETH GWENLAN: Director of BBC Cymru Wales, Rhodri Talfan Davies, called him \"quite simply one of Britain's finest comedy producers. He was a pioneer, a perfectionist\". \"What finer legacy than to know you brought happiness to millions,\" he said. Nicholas Lyndhurst, who played Rodney in Only Fools and Horses and also worked with Gwenlan on Butterflies and Rock and Chips, said he was \"shocked and saddened\". \"He and I started working together in the late '70s, and I never found him to be anything other", "summary": "The former producer of Only Fools and Horses, Gareth Gwenlan, has died at the age of 79."}
{"article": "The new company will take over Crown's 27.4% interest in two Macau businesses. Macau is the world's largest gaming centre and the only place in China where casinos are allowed. Its gaming revenues have been hurt by a slowdown in Chinese spending. China's campaign against corruption and luxury spending began in late 2012 and has left officials and businesspeople from the mainland more wary of gaming and spending in Macau. Crown said the demerger, which included a move away from interests in Las Vegas among others, would benefit shareholders. Rob Rankin, chairman, said: \"We believe that Crown Resorts' extremely high quality Australian resorts are not being fully valued and the Crown Resorts share price has been highly correlated to the performance of its investment in Macau.\" Shares in Crown closed 13.2% higher at $12.75 in Sydney following the announcement, but were still flat over the past 12 months. Crown was founded by James Packer, who stepped down as a director last December. He is the son of the late Australian media mogul Kerry Packer. James Packer still owns a 53% stake in Crown and said last year that he planned to focus on projects in Sydney, Melbourne and Las Vegas, as well as Crown's online gambling operations. Crown's first casino was in Melbourne and has since expanded to Sydney, Perth, London, Macau, Manila and Las Vegas.", "summary": "A crackdown on corruption in China has prompted Australian casino operator Crown Resorts to spin off its international assets into a separate company."}
{"article": "The visitors led 24-0 at the break through a brace from Sneyd and tries from Fetuli Talanoa and Albert Kelly. Kelly bagged his second after the restart and Josh Griffin and Carlos Tuimavave scored before Sneyd crossed for his third of the evening. Sam Wood and Oliver Roberts got consolation scores for the Giants in the second half. Huddersfield stand-off Danny Brough, who needs six points to move up to ninth on the all-time domestic points scorers list, missed both his attempts at goal. The dominant victory moves the Black and Whites up to second in the Super League table before the rest of the weekend's fixtures. Huddersfield Giants: Mason, Ormsby, S. Wood, Mellor, McIntosh, Brough, Brierley, Rapira, Leeming, Ikahihifo, Roberts, Smith, Hinchcliffe. Replacements: Wakeman, Clough, Dickinson, M. Wood. Hull FC: Shaul, Fonua, Tuimavave, Griffin, Talanoa, Kelly, Sneyd, Taylor, Houghton, Bowden, Manu, Minichiello, Thompson. Replacements: Connor, Green, Matongo, Washbrook. Referee: Phil Bentham. Attendance: 5,176.", "summary": "Marc Sneyd scored a hat-trick and kicked eight goals as Hull FC comfortably won at Huddersfield Giants."}
{"article": "Professional hunter Lee Lightsey said the 15 ft (4.5m) beast was one of the biggest he had come across in 18 years and required a tractor to move it. Mr Lightsey and hunting guide Blake Godwin discovered the alligator in cattle ponds while supervising a guided hunt on Saturday. When the creature surfaced about 20ft (6m) away from them, they shot it. \"Although this animal is huge I was not that surprised it existed,\" Mr Lightsey said. \"We have come across lots over the last 20 years that have been only a little smaller. \"But what really drew our attention to this animal was the fact that it seems to have been feasting on the cattle on my farm, because mutilated body parts were found in the water. It was a monster which needed to be removed.\" Mr Lightsey's company arranges hunts for alligators, wild boar and turkey on the farm he owns for hunting trips. The largest alligator previously killed was just over 13ft (4m) long. He charges $10,000 (\u00a37,060; \u20ac8,780) to kill an alligator larger than 13ft (4m) and $4,500 (\u00a33,180; \u20ac3,955) to kill an alligator between 10ft and 12ft. The animals are mostly killed with a high-powered rifle. \"But always we kill them with the minimum of suffering without allowing them to be injured before they die,\" he said. There are hundreds of alligators for hunters between 10ft and 13ft, he says, while animals longer than 13ft are only encountered about once a year. Mr Lightsey has been commercially hunting alligators since he began \"harvesting\" them in 1988 and more than 5,000 alligators bigger than 1.5m have been killed since then. American alligators inhabit the south-east of the US with Florida and Louisiana each reported to have a population of more than one million alligators each. Southern Florida is reputed to be one of the only places in the world where both alligators and crocodiles live alongside each other in freshwater environments such as rivers, lakes and swamps. Mr Lightsey says he plans to get the alligator stuffed while the meat will be donated to charity.", "summary": "A hunter in the US has told the BBC how he shot an 800lb (360kg) alligator that was feasting on his farm's cattle."}
{"article": "The attack took place at about 06:00 in the northern town of Kidal. Residents said at least two suicide bombers were involved and a car bomb was detonated. A soldier from Chad was killed and at least one other was injured. A 9,000-strong UN force has been responsible for peacekeeping operations in Mali since July 2013. It regularly comes under attack from militants. An official from the UN force, known as Minusma, confirmed the attack to Reuters news agency, but did not provide further details. French and African troops intervened in Mali in January 2013 to stop the southern advance of al-Qaeda-linked fighters on the capital, Bamako. The insurgents were expelled from the northern towns but have continued attacks against Minusma, which took over responsibility for security in the country from the French.", "summary": "Gunmen have launched an attack on a UN camp in Mali, killing a UN peacekeeper, residents and eyewitnesses say."}
{"article": "\"We were in real difficulty when Boko Haram were here; life was terrible - they extorted our money,\" he told the BBC in the village which lies just 40km (24 miles) from the porous border with Cameroon. \"They were moving around in the village with their cars - they went to [nearby] places like Chikunguldo and Wulgo as well as inside Chad.\" A short distance along the sandy road within the district of Marte there are the hallmarks of the militants; the burnt-out church and the remains of the village police station which was also gutted by fire. In front of the roofless, blackened building is the carcass of a burnt car. The Nigerian military offered to take journalists in a protected convoy to these areas of Borno state in an effort to highlight what it describes as key gains in the fight against Boko Haram. Just over three weeks ago President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the north-east. He announced a renewed military offensive after making the somewhat surprising announcement that Nigerian territory had been seized by Boko Haram. Earlier this year Boko Haram's black flag replaced Nigeria's green and white one in several villages of Borno state, including Marte - a sign that the insurgents were under little pressure from the Nigerian armed forces. These areas close to the shrinking shores of Lake Chad are extremely remote and poor. Travelling by road north-east from the state capital, Maiduguri, the crumbling infrastructure is evident. Sections of the tarmac road look as though they have been hit by an earthquake and drivers are forced to take to the sand which is steadily swallowing the concrete, cable-less electricity poles. Boko Haram: From preachers to slave raiders It is no surprise that decades of neglect by successive governments and the biting poverty played into the hands of the jihadists looking for recruits. \"Some of them join because they are interested in handling guns because that's new to them, and some are aware that it is a way of getting some money,\" said a young man in his early 20s, who pointed to the lack of job opportunities in the area. \"All we do is fishing and farming, although some of us engage in the black market selling fuel or petty trading.\" We were driven to a former Boko Haram camp north of the village of Kirenowa. The presence of items such as medical gloves suggest there may have been a small clinic there, although it is impossible to know how many people ever stayed on the site. An initial security briefing said there was no fight for the camp - Boko Haram members set fire to the vehicles they could not move and fled before the military moved into the area. Journalists were later told the militants were preparing to leave when the air force and ground troops struck. \"Some of them have been able to withdraw to Chad and we are making efforts to pursue them,\" said Lt Col Danladi Hassan who was the commander in charge of the operation", "summary": "\"It was like a military coup here two months ago when all the government officials ran away,\" said a white-bearded elder in Kirenowa, as he described how his village in northern-eastern Nigeria came under the control of the Islamist group known as Boko Haram."}
{"article": "It says homeowners borrowed \u00c2\u00a3220.3bn last year, up 8% on 2014 and the highest since 2008's total of \u00c2\u00a3247.8bn. However, the figure is still well below the \u00c2\u00a3356bn lent at the peak of the property market in 2007. The CML said lending had recovered faster than expected. Growing wages, falling unemployment and cheap mortgage deals were among the reasons. Nevertheless, it said the outlook for 2016 was less certain. \"The supply of existing and new properties on the market remains weak, and affordability pressures weigh on activity,\" said CML economist Mohammad Jamei. \"There is an added element of uncertainty as we wait to see the impact of tax changes on the buy-to-let sector.\" Buy-to-let landlords face an increase in stamp duty from April, and a reduction in tax relief from 2017.", "summary": "Mortgage lending in 2015 was the highest for seven years, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML)."}
{"article": "This is probably because starch in spuds can trigger a sharp rise in blood sugar levels, they say. Their study in the BMJ tracked more than 21,000 pregnancies. But UK experts say proof is lacking and lots of people need to eat more starchy foods for fibre, as well as fresh fruit and veg. The BMJ study linked high potato consumption to a higher diabetes risk. Swapping a couple of servings a week for other vegetables should counter this, say the authors. UK dietary advice says starchy foods (carbohydrates) such as potatoes should make up about a third of the food people eat. There is no official limit on how much carbohydrate people should consume each week. Foods that contain carbohydrates affect blood sugar. Some - high Glycaemic Index (GI) foods - release the sugar quickly into the bloodstream. Others - low GI foods - release them more steadily. Research suggests eating a low GI diet can help manage diabetes. Pregnancy puts extra demands on the body, and some women develop diabetes at this time. Gestational diabetes, as it is called, usually goes away after the birth but can pose long-term health risks for the mother and baby. The BMJ study set out investigate what might make some women more prone to pregnancy diabetes. The study followed nurses who became pregnant between 1991 and 2001. None of them had any chronic diseases before pregnancy. Every four years, the women were asked to provide information on how often potatoes featured in their diets, and any cases of gestational diabetes were noted. Over the 10-year period, there were 21,693 pregnancies and 854 of these were affected by gestational diabetes. The study took into account other risk factors, such as: It found a 27% increased risk of diabetes during pregnancy in the nurses who typically ate two to four 100g (3.5oz) servings of boiled, mashed, baked potatoes or chips a week. In those who ate more than five portions of potatoes or chips a week, the risk went up by 50%. The researchers estimate that if women swap their potatoes for vegetables or whole grains at least twice a week, they would lower their diabetes risk by 9-12%. Cuilin Zhang, lead study author, from the National Institutes of Health in Maryland, US, said the findings were important. \"Gestational diabetes can mean women develop pre-eclampsia during pregnancy and hypertension,\" she said. \"This can adversely affect the foetus, and in the long term the mother may be at high risk of type-2 diabetes.\" But UK experts stressed there was not enough evidence to warn women off eating lots of potatoes. Dr Emily Burns, of Diabetes UK, said: \"This study does not prove that eating potatoes before pregnancy will increase a woman's risk developing gestational diabetes, but it does highlight a potential association between the two. \"However, as the researchers acknowledge, these results need to be investigated in a controlled trial setting before we can know more. \"What we do know is that women can significantly reduce their risk of developing gestational diabetes by managing their weight through", "summary": "Eating potatoes or chips on most days of the week may increase a woman's risk of diabetes during pregnancy, say US researchers."}
{"article": "Kazakhstan's Golovkin is unbeaten in 35 professional fights with 32 knockouts. British middleweight champion Chris Eubank Jr had called out Golovkin, but Brook has got in before him. \"When this fight was offered I accepted in a minute. I'm a huge welterweight and I will carry my speed, accuracy and power through the weights,\" said Brook. \"This is the ultimate fight, one of the biggest international fights this country has seen in many years. \"You have seen some huge names run from Golovkin but I'm running to him. I'm a special fighter and I will show the world on 10 September.\" Sheffield's Brook, 30, is following in the footsteps of compatriot Amir Khan, who also jumped two weights to challenge Mexico's then WBC middleweight champion Saul Alvarez in May. That fight was at a catchweight of 155lb, five pounds below the middleweight limit, but it is yet to be confirmed if Golovkin will make any concessions. \"I'm very excited to be fighting in front of the great British boxing fans and promise another 'big drama' show,\" said 34-year-old Golovkin, the WBC, WBA and IBF middleweight champion. Golovkin has never boxed in Britain before but has beaten two British fighters in world title defences - Matt Macklin was knocked out in three rounds in 2013 and Martin Murray lasted 11 rounds in 2015. Both Brook and Golovkin have been hunting huge-money fights in recent years but have been repeatedly frustrated. Brook, who is unbeaten in 36 pro fights with 25 knockouts, won his IBF title by outpointing Shawn Porter in 2014 but what seemed a natural fight against Khan failed to materialise. Golovkin won his first world title in 2010 but has struggled to find willing opponents, with Alvarez preferring to give up his WBC belt in May rather than face him. \"I cannot tell you how excited I am for this fight,\" said Brook's promoter Eddie Hearn. \"You have the number one welterweight in the world against the number one middleweight in the world - 36-0 v 35-0, two of the best on the planet. It's what big-time boxing is all about.\" After defending his British belt against Tom Doran last month, Eubank Jr said he was keen on a match with Golovkin. It remains to be seen why that fight fell through. Golovkin recently suggested Eubank Jr was presented with a contract and failed to sign it, but Eubank Jr denied that. Eubank Jr said on Twitter: \"I haven't been shown one contract since my fight with GGG was announced. I'm still ready & waiting to sign. Fighting Brook is a joke.\"", "summary": "Britain's IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook will challenge undisputed world middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin in London on 10 September."}
{"article": "In recent weeks, North Korea has carried out a hydrogen bomb test and repeatedly test-fired missiles. Mr Obama met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a nuclear summit in Washington on Thursday. But hours later, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the North appeared to have test-fired another missile. The latest test saw what appeared to be a ballistic missile land off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, Yonhap reported. Mr Obama said he and Mr Xi were seeking to agree \"how we can discourage action like nuclear missile tests that escalate tensions and violate international obligations\". Mr Xi, quoted by China's state news agency Xinhua, said it was critical all parties \"fully and strictly\" implemented newly-agreed sanctions. China is North Korea's closest ally and largest trading partner. Zheng Zeguang, China's assistant foreign minister, said the presidents had a \"candid and in-depth exchange of views on a variety of issues...and reached an important consensus\". He called the meeting \"positive, constructive and fruitful\". North Korea's nuclear test on 6 January and a satellite launch on 7 February were violations of existing UN sanctions. Since then, the UN and Washington passed further sanctions on Pyongyang. The UN steps were drafted with support by China and reportedly came after two months of negotiations between Beijing and Washington. Previous UN sanctions imposed after North Korean tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013 did little to dispel its nuclear ambitions. Much of the burden of making sure the sanctions are implemented is falling on China. Under the new measures, any North Korean ships arriving in China must be inspected for contraband and imports halted if there is proof profits from those exchanges go towards the North's nuclear programme. Washington has long pushed for Beijing to put more pressure on North Korea. A White House statement in February said China's \"unique influence over the North Korean regime\" gave it the chance to do so. China's foreign ministry last week said it was keen to push for wider talks on North Korea, involving a number of regional powers, during the meeting with Mr Obama. There was no confirmation whether new talks were agreed on Thursday. Mr Obama also vowed to closely work on the same issue with its allies South Korea and Japan after meeting their leaders on Thursday. \"We are united in our efforts to deter and defend against North Korean provocations,\" he said.", "summary": "China and the United States will work together to try to prevent further missile tests by North Korea, US President Barack Obama says."}
{"article": "Andrew RT Davies has joined other politicians condemning the comments by north Wales AM Michelle Brown about Labour MP Chuka Umunna. UKIP's chairman Paul Oakden has said the AM's actions will be investigated. Ms Brown said she accepted her language was \"inappropriate\" and \"apologised to anyone\" offended. The former legal adviser from Mostyn in Flintshire called the Streatham MP a \"coconut\" during a conversation in May 2016 with her then senior adviser, Nigel Williams. She was also recorded using an abusive remark about Tristram Hunt, who was then Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central. Mr Williams, who was her senior adviser for 12 months, was sacked by Ms Brown in May. Ms Brown said in a statement: \"The point I was making is that because of his considerable wealth and privilege, Chuka Umunna cannot possibly understand the difficulties and issues that the average black person faces in this country any more than I can, and I stand by that assertion. \"I do however accept that the language I used in the private conversation was inappropriate and I apologise to anyone that has been offended by it. \"As far as the language I used about Mr Hunt is concerned, it was a private conversation and I was using language that friends and colleagues often do when chatting to each other.\" Speaking on BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement programme, the Welsh Tory leader said: \"The language is completely unacceptable and it's regrettable in the second decade of the 21st Century that that type of language is held by people who hold public appointment. \"From my view, if that person was in the Conservative Party - they would be suspended. \"As I said - it is completely unacceptable language.\" Mr Davies joins both Labour and Plaid Cymru in the assembly calling for action over the comments. The Labour Group has condemned the \"absolutely outrageous language\" and said \"anything less than immediate suspension would be a clear endorsement of Michelle Brown's racist slur\". Its chairman, Delyn AM Hannah Blythyn, has written to the National Assembly's Standards Commissioner, calling for an immediate investigation. She told Sir Roderick Evans: \"I believe that these comments constitute a clear breach of the Code of Conduct for Assembly Members. \"I would ask that you look into this matter at the earliest opportunity.\" Plaid leader Leanne Wood said: \"This racism reflects poorly on our parliament - the National Assembly for Wales - and that's why her party should take action on this.\" A second UKIP AM has also moved to distance herself from her colleague's comments. Caroline Jones told BBC Wales' political editor Nick Servini on Sunday Supplement: \"Inappropriate language is not condoned by myself or anyone else in the party.\" However, she refused to be drawn on what action she thought the party might take, and said that was a matter for the investigation ordered by its chairman. On Saturday, UKIP AM David Rowlands said he \"thought we'd put that racist language behind us as a party\". \"I don't know if there's been any provocation but I'm very disappointed that anyone in", "summary": "A UKIP assembly member who made a racial slur about a black MP would have been suspended from the Conservative Party, says the Welsh Tory leader."}
{"article": "The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, now part of the National Crime Agency, took more than a year to pass the details on to police. Canadian police sent files to CEOP on about 2,000 men, including Myles Bradbury, convicted in September of abusing boys at a hospital until 2013. NCA head Keith Bristow told MPs he was sorry if children had been put at risk. Information on the men was sent by Toronto Police in July 2012, as part of an international investigation, Operation Spade, into suspected paedophiles. But it was not passed on to police forces until more than 12 months later in November 2013. The BBC has obtained figures from several police forces suggesting they have arrested only about a third of the names they were given. And so far just 6% have been charged, including teachers and nursery workers. West Yorkshire Police, which received the names of 60 people a year ago, had made no arrests a week ago but in the last few days has arrested 24 men A spokesman for the force said the arrests were very recent and no-one had yet been charged. Mr Bristow told the home affairs select committee: \"Sitting on data for the period of time between July 2012 and November 2013, that could have led to children being protected or safeguarded, seems to me whether it's systemic or it's down to individuals - and there are certainly some systemic issues that we need to work through - that's not in the spirit of what we stand for. \"I'm sorry if that's led to harm to children or exposing them to risk because that's not what we stand for.\" Mr Bristow told the committee: \"We are sat on a daily basis on top of significant risk because of the sheer volume of images and the different methods of offending by people who have a sexual interest in children. \"And we have a problem - not just NCA, not just law enforcement, not just government - we as a society have a problem with the number of people in the UK who access these horrible images or paying for children to be abused online.\" Police watchdog the IPCC has written to every chief constable to see if information from the Canadian investigation has been mishandled. Det Insp Jim Foy, of another of the forces, West Midlands Police, said: \"In November 2013, we received 58 packages from the National Crime Agency (NCA) in connection with Operation Spade. \"After an initial assessment of the information provided, 30 were found to be no longer for our attention as either the suspects were already under investigation, were deceased or had moved away from the West Midlands Force area. \"Of the remaining 28 referrals, four people have already been charged with offences. Two are awaiting charging advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and 16 have been arrested and are currently on police bail. \"No further action was required in six of the packages: we found no evidence of any offences in five of the referrals and one", "summary": "A law enforcement chief has apologised for delays in acting on information about possible British paedophiles."}
{"article": "Barrow Borough Council's licensing committee spent three days considering David Gill's request. But the council refused permission for the extension after inspectors raised concerns about \"out-of-date practices\". Karen Brewer, the zoo's chief executive officer, said great strides had been made to improve the zoo and keep it the \"unique attraction\" it is. Whoever takes over running the zoo must apply for a new licence within the next six months. Mr Gill first received a licence to run the zoo in May 1994, when the attraction consisted of 290 animals on 12 acres with about 200 visitors a day. Now the zoo is home to more than 1,000 animals across 50 acres, attracting more than 250,000 visitors and generating \u00c2\u00a33m a year. The council has gone along with an inspector's recommendation that the licence, which must be renewed every six years, should not be reissued until new management is in place at the zoo. A report to the committee said: \"Of particular concern to the inspectors is the fact that as this zoo grows, it relies heavily on (Mr Gill's) experience implementing out-of-date practices and refusing to implement modern zoo practices. \"This has resulted in animal welfare issues, a higher than expected mortality rate amongst the animals, higher than expected incidents (such as injuries to the public from animals), and places both staff and the public potentially in danger.\" The council said Mr Gill had installed new management but there were concerns about him, as licence holder, overruling other management decisions. Ms Brewer said: \"I am confident in my own position to manage the zoo without David here on a regular basis but we do need his ideas and his contribution in this zoo as it is vital to keep its heart alive.\"", "summary": "Councillors have refused to renew the licence of the owner and founder of South Lakes Safari Zoo."}
{"article": "A judge ordered that access to the popular messaging application be blocked in Brazil for two days from Thursday for its failure to comply with a court order. Brazilian media reported that the judge wanted WhatsApp to provide investigators with access to the WhatsApp conversation of a suspect in a criminal case. Brazilians have been expressing their surprise at the suspension and have been joking about how they would spend the next two days without access to the popular messaging service. A user calling himself simply idiota (idiot) (@euidiotices) made it clear he felt adrift without WhatsApp when he posted the above picture and the sentence: \"Me without whatsapp\". He was not the only one to make the connection to the popular film Cast Away. Karina Ribeiro (@karinaribeiro72) said she would exchange some ideas with Wilson, the volleyball Tom Hanks' character starts speaking to while stranded on the deserted island. Many others shared what they would do with their newfound time under the hashtag #Nessas48HorasEuVou (#Inthese48hoursIwill), which quickly began to trend. While many of the users said they would pass the time by watching box sets of popular TV shows such as The Walking Dead and Supergirl, some seemed to have forgotten what a TV was. Luis Mariz (@LuisMariz) tweeted: \"#Inthese48hoursIwill we have a picture at home here that has people talking inside, I'm told it's called TV, does your home have one?\" Others wanted to use the outage to socialise with friends face to face...or even get to know their relatives better, such as user Luanete LS. Some WhatsApp users clearly feel they have lost touch with their closest ones to a sometimes worrying degree, such as Brenda who said she would use the time to \"find out who those strange people in my house are. Some promised to use the time to read books they have so far struggled to finish or to simply watch the sun rise over Rio de Janeiro. Many also want to return to the days before mobile communication and spend the next two days visiting people and \"hugging them\". A thought shared by Rafaa (@rafa_dalri)...or not when she tweeted: \"#Inthese48hoursI will have a social life. Just kidding, there's still Twitter\".", "summary": "Brazilians angered at the 48-hour suspension by a court of the WhatsApp messaging application have been taking to social media."}
{"article": "7 March 2017 Last updated at 14:19 GMT UKIP's Jonathan Arnott will take on a Lib Dem activist at \"chessboxing\" which sees opponents fighting in the ring and then on the chess board. He explains all on the Daily Politics, joined by Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, who is less than successful in a very speedy game of speed chess.", "summary": "As Brexit battles continue to rage in Parliament, one UKIP MEP is taking on a Liberal Democrat rival in another arena."}
{"article": "South Yorkshire MP Angela Smith said Barnsley businessman Tony Hickton's idea to improve transport links would need to provide value for money. Mr Hickton said current routes between the two cities were not good enough. He said a road and rail tunnel from around junction 36 of the M1 to the M67 would boost the economy. The Penistone and Stocksbridge Labour MP said: \"The economic impact of improving the link between Sheffield and Manchester shouldn't be underestimated. \"You can't put motorways through national parks, we've got to protect those very precious landscapes. \"If you stand above the Woodhead Pass and look down on it and see all those HGVs, it's a real blight on that beautiful landscape, and anyone who uses the road knows how difficult it is to use. \"So clearly there has to be a solution somewhere along the line to this problem.\" Mr Hickton, from construction inspection company Hickton, said it could be built using a mixture of private and state funding. He added: \"These tunnels won't be built tomorrow, but if we don't press the button now, we'll never be ready, so why not now?\"", "summary": "A proposal to build a tunnel through the Peak District, linking Sheffield and Manchester, should be looked at according to the area's MP."}
{"article": "Developer Burcote Wind has voiced disappointment at the recommendation for its 10-turbine Longburn project. It said it had worked closely with communities over five years to make it suitable for the site near Carsphairn. However, Dumfries and Galloway Council is being advised to reject the scheme due to cumulative landscape impact. Last year the MCS raised its concerns about the project's impact on Cairnsmore of Carsphairn. The organisation said the project would \"close the circle\" around the peak. Now the scheme is to be discussed by the planning committee of the local authority in Dumfries and Galloway. It is being advised to turn it down. Planning officers said it would have \"significant adverse cumulative impacts\" on the landscape and visual amenity of the site surroundings and wider area. They also found it would have an effect on \"cultural heritage assets\" in the site. Burcote Energy said it was disappointed by the recommendation for the scheme which could put about \u00c2\u00a32.5m into a community benefit fund over its operational lifetime. Operations director Fraser Campbell said: \"While the recommendation is based on landscape and visual and cultural heritage impacts, we have had no objections from either SNH or Historic Environment Scotland. \"We have been working on the site for over five years now and worked closely with the communities over the years to ensure that our application is well designed and suited to the site.\" He said they respected the planners' position but did not agree with it. The company also cited support from Dumfries and Galloway Chamber of Commerce and local logistics firm Currie European.", "summary": "Planning officials have advised refusal for a wind farm the Mountaineering Council of Scotland said would form a \"ring of steel\" around a Galloway hill."}
{"article": "They were found in burial grounds in the Al-Kamin al-Sahrawi area in Minya province, south of Cairo. The tombs contained a collection of different sarcophagi, or stone coffins, as well as clay fragments. Egypt's antiquities ministry said the discovery \"suggests that the area was a great cemetery for a long span of time\". One of the tombs, which was reached through a shaft carved in rock, contained four sarcophagi that had been sculpted to depict a human face. In another, excavators found six burial holes, including one for the burial of a small child. Clay fragments found at the site date the tombs between the 27th Dynasty, founded in 525BC, and the Greco-Roman era, which lasted between 332BC and the 4th Century. Ali al-Bakry, head of the mission, said one of the tombs contained bones believed to be the remains of \"men, women and children of different ages\". \"These tombs were part of a large cemetery for a large city and not a military garrison as some suggest,\" he said. In a statement, the antiquities ministry said that \"works are under way in order to reveal more secrets\". This work follows previous excavation at the site, which began in 2015.", "summary": "Archaeologists have discovered three tombs that date back around 2,000 years in southern Egypt."}
{"article": "Graham, 21, played the last half an hour of Tuesday's 1-0 home defeat by Huddersfield, after 15 months out with a cruciate knee ligament injury. \"I thought he really livened the game up and got some bums off seats when he came on,\" Stearman, 29, told BBC WM. \"If he can stay fit then he'll be a force to be reckoned with next season.\" Centre-back Stearman is approaching the end of his loan spell from Fulham, having originally left Molineux for Craven Cottage in 2015. He returned to Wolves last summer but says he is waiting, like a large number of other players, on managerial decisions before knowing where his future lies. \"There's plenty of players up and down the country who don't quite know what's going to happen next year,\" he said. \"A lot of people are just waiting for the end of the season before they sort out what and who they need.\"", "summary": "Fit-again winger Jordan Graham will add an extra dimension to Wolves' attack next season, according to team-mate Richard Stearman."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 27-year-old, who tested positive for two anabolic steroids, broke into the British team last year, competing at the European Indoor Championships. Wilson blamed a contaminated sample for her positive test. UK Anti-Doping chief Andy Parkinson said: \"This sends a strong message to anyone looking to dope in the UK.\" Lincolnshire sprinter Wilson tested positive for banned steroids testosterone and clenbuterol after running the 100m in 11.95 seconds at the Bedford International Games on 12 June. Wilson won the Commonwealth Games 100m trials in 2010 only to miss out on a place in the England squad due to not meeting the qualifying time She issued a statement in July calling for UK Anti-Doping, who administer drug testing in the UK, to withdraw the case and open an internal investigation to determine the cause of the contamination. However, an independent National Anti-Doping Panel upheld the European Indoor 60m semi-finalist's four-year ban. \"We have successfully argued for a four-year ban which demonstrates that UK Anti-Doping always seeks robust sanctions against athletes who look to cheat the system and betray those around them,\" Parkinson added. \"[It] gives clean athletes the confidence that we are working hard on their behalf, within the framework of the World Anti-Doping Code, to protect their right to compete in doping-free sport.\" Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador tested positive for Clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour de France, which he claimed was a result of eating contaminated beef. Clenbuterol, similar to the asthma drug salbutamol, is used to treat breathing disorders as a decongestant and bronchodilator. It causes an increase in aerobic capacity, blood pressure and oxygen transportation, and speeds the rate at which fats are burned. It is officially classified as a sympathomimetic steroid.", "summary": "British sprinter Bernice Wilson has failed in her appeal against a four-year suspension handed out after a positive drugs test in June 2011."}
{"article": "Officers were called to his constituency office in East Dunbartonshire on Tuesday afternoon. Police set up a temporary cordon around the Townhead area in Kirkintilloch, although it has since been removed. The package has been taken for examination by police. Mr Nicolson was last elected to represent the area at Westminster in May 2015. In a tweet, Mr Nicolson said: \"Everyone is ok. The police were speedy and efficient and took away the package.\"", "summary": "Police are investigating a suspicious package delivered to the office of the SNP's John Nicolson."}
{"article": "Every Chinese New Year as people board trains, planes, buses, cars and mopeds to head home for the warmth of the family reunion, they arrive battered and beleaguered, each with their own tale of travelling woe. The 20-hour journeys with standing room only. The pickpockets. And just the sheer overwhelming numbers of people, thronging every platform, forming every queue. So when the whole country seemingly becomes one large crowd it might seem unlikely that China would be shocked by pictures of a large crowd. But then the Guangzhou Railway Station crowd was a particularly special one. The snarl-up began on Monday with bad weather further north causing the cancellation or delay to some services out of Guangzhou. As word spread of the increasingly large throng of waiting passengers, even more people began turning up extra early for their trains and the problem only intensified. At the peak, 100,000 people were crammed shoulder to shoulder on the giant square in front of the station, spilling out into side roads. \"We are like dumplings in a bowl,\" one man told me. He faced a three-hour wait to clear security and then, once finally aboard his train, an eight-hour journey home. \"I am very tired,\" another young woman said \"but when I think about my mother and father at home I feel warm and I want to be with them sooner.\" Despite the extraordinary scenes of congestion, this was as much a picture of railway efficiency and resilience, as chaos and delay. Despite more than 1,000 extra police officers being drafted in for the crowds, there was little trouble for them to deal with. I saw one passenger slugging a uniformed police officer with his bag, enraged that he had been stopped from climbing over a metal barrier, but for the most part, there was that old, resigned acceptance that all this is part of the fabric of Chinese New Year. And, by Wednesday, the authorities had begun to get to grips with the problems on the network itself, bringing in extra trains, or diverting passengers to other train stations, and all the while thousands upon thousands of new passengers continue to arrive, shepherded through the concourse in long, snaking lines, through security and onto trains which, for the most part, were kept running to time. This year, for many of the migrant workers who make up a large proportion of the crowds, there is another, far deeper concern than the issue of just another hectic trip home. China's industrial landscape is changing. The factories, once the centrepiece of the economy, are relocating to countries where wages are lower and, in addition, many migrants now see increasing opportunities in the smaller towns and cities closer to their homes. So, many migrants are packing their bags for the last time and deciding that, after travelling home this year, that is where they will stay. China manufacturing shrinks for sixth month in a row Factory bosses report that, at the same time as they face falling demand for their products, they find it increasingly hard to man", "summary": "For many millions it is an unavoidable ritual, something to be tolerated with as much patience as one can muster because the reward at the end is worth it."}
{"article": "The offers from West Ham and Burnley are in the region of \u00a310m, though the Hammers' is higher. Clarets boss Sean Dyche said there was a \"difference\" between a fee being agreed and \"a player joining\". Meanwhile, Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka says his club are \"working on offers with Hull\". \"I think they rejected an offer but we are working, \" he added. Snodgrass has scored seven league goals this season for the 19th-placed Tigers. West Ham's proposal comes a day after Burnley's bid and is their latest attempt to sign the player this month - they previously had offers of up to \u00a36m rejected by Hull. The Tigers say the move is now down to the player and he has not yet gone for a medical at Burnley. \"It's an ongoing situation. There's no imminent moment that the player is here or going to sign,\" added Dyche. \"In theory they gave us a chance to speak to the player and take it from there. I get the feeling there are a number of clubs who have been interested.\" Snodgrass missed Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Chelsea with what manager Marco Silva described as \"a small injury in the knee\". Silva is reluctant to part with Snodgrass, having already sold midfielder Jake Livermore to West Brom for an undisclosed fee, believed to be \u00a310m. Snodgrass has been linked with a move since December, before Hull triggered a one-year contract extension, tying him to the club until the end of the 2017-18 season. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "West Ham have joined Burnley in having an offer accepted by Hull for Robert Snodgrass, while Middlesbrough say they have also made a bid."}
{"article": "Berwickshire-based Hutton Stone is behind the bid to bring the Swinton Quarter Quarry back into use. It says the rock there has \"very good qualities\" and some of it could be used on Historic Scotland properties. The firm has made scoping request to Scottish Borders Council which could lead to a full planning application. The proposals would see an average of 1,000 tonnes of stone extracted over a period of about 20 years. Scottish Borders Council's planning department is currently considering the scoping request.", "summary": "A Scottish Borders quarry renowned for the quality of its stone could be reopened under plans to extract thousands of tonnes from the site."}
{"article": "The attack took place in the compound of the Helmand MP, Mir Wali. He is believed to have survived but two of his grandchildren are reported to have been killed. Security forces at the scene say the gunmen are now holding hostages. Security in Kabul has deteriorated significantly throughout 2016. The three gunmen began their assault early on Wednesday evening, with at least one of the attackers reported by Tolo News to have detonated explosives inside. It reported that also among the dead were the 25-year-old son of Kandahar MP Obaidullah Barikzai and two security force members. A number of people are reported to have been wounded including a former police chief. Gunfire and explosions were recently reported to have been heard at the premises in the west of the city. Afghanistan Kabul mosque suicide attack kills dozens Twin Kabul explosions 'kill 24 people' Kabul families struggle to smile amid rising violence Taliban attack on Afghanistan police cadets near Kabul kills dozens Relatives and friends of Mr Wali - who is reported to have escaped the attackers through the house of a neighbour - are believed to be among the hostages. The Taliban in a statement said suicide bombers attacked the house because it was hosting an \"important gathering of security officials\". The attack again exposes continuing instability in Afghanistan, with regular strikes by suicide bombers and gunmen in recent months in Helmand and in Kabul. The city has been targeted repeatedly by the militants throughout this year. Police special forces have now been deployed at the scene, officials say, and their priority is to evacuate people from the house and surrounding areas. The Taliban have made sweeping gains in Helmand - a major opium-producing region - since international coalition forces withdrew from Afghanistan in 2014.", "summary": "Taliban militants in Afghanistan say they are responsible for attacking the house of a member of parliament in Kabul, killing at least five people."}
{"article": "The Britain's Got Talent judge has signed a deal with Scholastic to write two books about Aurora Beam, a young girl who happens to be a superhero. The ex-Strictly champ said she wanted to \"create a strong female character who young girls and boys can hopefully be inspired by and look up to\". The singer and presenter confirmed the news on Instagram. Dixon said she was \"delighted to be working\" with Scholastic on the books, the first of which will be out next spring. The deal sees the former Mis-teeq member join a growing number of celebs who have written books for kids, including: Nine stars who became unlikely children's authors Earlier this month politician George Galloway revealed he had signed a deal to write a series of children's books about an \"ethical pirate\" called Red Molucca. DJ Greg James, meanwhile, has teamed up with Radio 1 colleague Chris Smith to write a series of books about an ordinary boy - \"Kid Normal\" - who attends a school for children with super powers. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Alesha Dixon is to become the latest celebrity to try her hand at writing books for children."}
{"article": "Lord Krebs sits on an independent panel which advises central government and the devolved administrations on greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in Northern Ireland, accounting for 29%. He said flooding was the biggest risk, with about 60,000 homes vulnerable. Lord Krebs, who was in Belfast to present a report on the specific challenges for Northern Ireland, said increased rainfall could also pose a risk to agriculture from soil erosion. If properly managed, however, climate change could present opportunities, with warmer summers and longer growing seasons, he added. Agriculture, power generation and transport are the biggest emitters here. There have been calls for local climate change legislation; Northern Ireland is the only devolved administration not to have it. It would mean targets for cuts to greenhouse gas emissions. But there has been opposition to that, with claims it could make industry and farming here less competitive. Lord Krebs said climate change could no longer be denied and there was now \"absolutely overwhelming scientific consensus\" about it. DUP MP Sammy Wilson said the assembly should not pander \"to mostly well off green zealots\" by introducing a \"disastrous\" policy. Agriculture and Environment Minister Michelle McIlveen has said she would keep the issue of local legislation \"under review\".", "summary": "Northern Ireland needs to act now to prepare for the effects of climate change, a senior government adviser has warned."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device There's an art to not exposing the weaknesses of your team, which is always your first priority Since taking charge of a side that won last season's Premier League title by 11 points, David Moyes has endured a miserable eight months. Clubs so often happy to leave United with a narrow defeat have boarded their respective team buses with landmark victories, domestic cup hopes have ended and, after midweek defeat at Olympiakos, the Red Devils' European dreams are on the same path. Moyes put his head in his hands as Robin van Persie ballooned a late chance over the bar in Greece. In truth, supporters could be forgiven for having done the same at a far earlier stage, such was the latest bland offering in a season in which one disappointment has quickly followed another. I still believe Moyes is the man to lead United in what would always be a tricky post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. What I did not expect was for so much to go wrong so quickly. Here are 10 Moyes mistakes at Manchester United: One moment which stood out to me was his admission he did not substitute Robin van Persie in the home defeat by Newcastle because of the potential reaction from supporters. So what? He would have made the change at Everton. He was once fearless, but suddenly fearful. Fearful of a backlash. Moyes should not care about what others think because he is at United because of his ability. He is good enough. He was the man chosen and now he has to believe in himself. I have spent time with him and he is a passionate, hard-working man, but that will count for little if he does not start believing in himself a bit more. This, I thought, would change. He was criticised at Everton for not beating the big clubs and, this season, in the head-to-head table of the league's top seven clubs, United sit bottom. They have just one win in nine games against those sides and five defeats. It just is not good enough for a United team. Moyes carries an inferiority in the big games and it is a big question mark. You can also point at the players, but couple a failure in big matches with the fact United will not win a trophy and not much has changed for Moyes since moving from Goodison Park. A lack of conviction in the transfer market has been costly. He spent \u00a365m on Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata combined, but the big question mark is the failure to land Cesc Fabregas. He was the man Moyes wanted and would have gone some way to addressing the club's biggest on-field problem - midfield. In their league appearances this season, Tom Cleverley, Michael Carrick, Shinji Kagawa, Marouane Fellaini and Darren Fletcher have not offered a single goal assist between them. Only Carrick and Cleverley have scored a goal. Cesc Fabregas has created 12 goals in 27 appearances at Barcelona, scoring eight times. Michael Carrick, Tom", "summary": "Manchester United will not win a trophy this season, and the man heralded as the \"Chosen One\" on a banner in the Stretford End has made too many poor choices of his own."}
{"article": "28 March 2016 Last updated at 14:18 BST Two motorists captured this footage of the koala taking a casual stroll along the road, stopping all the traffic. Watch the video of the police helping it to safety.", "summary": "A koala has received a police escort to save it from being injured, after it wandered onto a busy road in Brisbane, Australia."}
{"article": "Sales volumes were 1.3% higher in the month compared with March. They were also 4.3% higher than a year earlier, the Office For National Statistics (ONS) said. The ONS revised March's retail sales figures, showing retail sales fell by just 0.5% rather than 1.3%, as first estimated. \"Clothing stores remain the main drag on growth in the retail sector, with sales hampered by unseasonal weather. However... sales increased in April compared with March as lower prices boosted sales,\" said ONS statistician Melanie Richard. Colder than usual weather had also dented spending in March, hurting demand for spring and summer clothes, according to the ONS and surveys from the British Retail Consortium and the CBI. The latest ONS figures showed total average store prices in April were 2.8% lower than a year earlier, dragged down by a 7.3% drop in fuel prices. Food store prices fell 2.3% amid the continuing supermarket price war. However, the total amount spent in April increased by 2.1% to \u00c2\u00a328.1bn compared with the year before. Keith Richardson, of Lloyds Bank commercial banking, said a rush to complete property deals before a stamp duty rise came into effect in April had helped to boost demand for household goods and furniture. Vicky Redwood, chief economist at Capital Economics, said that consumer confidence did not seem to have been adversely affected by the UK's upcoming referendum on EU membership. \"Indeed, consumer spending should prevent the economy from slowing too much this quarter, even if referendum uncertainty has a bigger impact on business confidence and investment,\" she said. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said the rise in April's retail sales was welcome, but highlighted imbalances in the UK economy. \"After the disappointing decline in March, the strong retail sales recovery in April supports our view that in spite of major headwinds the UK economy continues to grow, albeit at a slowing pace,\" said David Kern, BCC chief economist. \"However, the contrast between buoyant retail sales and the problems facing other sectors such as manufacturing highlights the unbalanced nature of Britain's recovery.\" The BCC called for \"a more balanced economic structure with a stronger focus on exports, investment and manufacturing\". The stronger-than-expected retail sales figures pushed up the value of the pound. Sterling rose against the euro by 0.3% to \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.3053, and climbed 0.2% against the dollar to $1.4625.", "summary": "UK retail sales volumes rose strongly in April despite lower spring clothing sales due to the cold weather, official figures show."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Buatsi, 23, won by knockout against Uzbek Elshod Rasulov - his second consecutive stoppage in Rio. He faces Abdelhafid Benchabla of Algeria next. \"I wasn't expecting to knock him out.\" Buatsi said. Fellow Briton Pat McCormack progressed in the light-welterweight category, but Josh Kelly was eliminated from the welterweight category. Media playback is not supported on this device Birtley boxer McCormack won his preliminary bout in the men's light-welterweight by split decision against Kazakhstan's Ablaikhan Zhussupov at Riocentro Pavilion 6. McCormack was awarded both of the opening two rounds, eventually winning two rounds to one in the eyes of the judges. \"When they said split, my heart dropped a bit,\" McCormack said. \"I was thinking they can't have given it to him. \"I thought I won very well but it is what it is - as long as I got the win. That's all that I've come for.\" He faces the tournament number two seed - Yasniel Toledo of Cuba - in the last 16. However Josh Kelly's Olympic Games are over after he was soundly beaten by unanimous decision by top-ranked Daniyar Yeleussinov, of Kazakhstan, in the welterweight division last 16 by unanimous decision. Media playback is not supported on this device There are no British fighters in action in Rio on Friday, but Joe Joyce begins his Olympic super-heavyweight campaign against Cape Verde's Davilson dos Santos Morais at 23:00 BST on Saturday. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "British boxer Joshua Buatsi has reached the quarter-finals of the men's Olympic light-heavyweight competition."}
{"article": "What is the row about? Hindus and Muslims have been at loggerheads for more than a century over the Babri mosque in Ayodhya, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Hindus claim the mosque was the birthplace of one of their most revered deities, Lord Ram, and that it was built after the destruction of a Hindu temple by a Muslim invader in the 16th Century. Muslims say they offered prayers at the mosque until December 1949, when some people placed the idols of Ram under the cover of darkness in the mosque. The worship of the idols began soon after. Over the next four decades, Hindu and Muslim groups went to court over the control of the site and the right to offer prayers there. The dispute erupted in 1992 when a Hindu mob destroyed the mosque, and nearly 2,000 people were killed in subsequent religious riots across the country. What do the courts say about the row? Allahabad High Court's ruling in September 2010 addressed three questions. It said that the disputed spot was Ram's birthplace, that the mosque was built after the demolition of a temple and that it was not built in accordance with the tenets of Islam. Following the decision, Hindus hope to see a temple built on the site, while Muslims are still demanding the reconstruction of the mosque. In 2011 the Supreme Court suspended the ruling after Hindu and Muslim groups appealed against the 2010 verdict. The case has already languished in India's famously sluggish legal system for so long that most of the original petitioners have died. Who was awarded what? The court ruled in an 8,500-page judgement that two-thirds of the disputed site should be allocated to Hindu groups, with the remainder to Muslims. For the first time in a judicial ruling, it said that the disputed site was the birthplace of the Hindu god. The court ordered that the current arrangement at Ayodhya - which is currently the site of a makeshift Hindu temple - should be \"maintained as the status quo\" for three months to allow time for any appeals against the judgement. How did the judges rule on the conflicting claims? The court ruled that the disputed site is the birth place of Lord Ram, who is \"both a juristic person and a deity\". The two Hindu judges on the three-judge panel said that the building constructed by the founder of the Mughal dynasty in India, Babur, was not a mosque because it was built \"against the tenets of Islam\" on the site of a demolished Hindu temple. However the Muslim judge in the case dissented from this view, arguing that no temple had been destroyed and that the mosque was built on ruins. The two Hindu judges also agreed that the Ayodhya site was found by the Archaeological Survey of India originally to have been \"a massive Hindu religious structure\" and that Hindus had been worshipping there as a \"sacred place of pilgrimage... since time immemorial\". It also ruled that Hindu idols were placed in the disputed structure in", "summary": "BBC News examines key questions surrounding the bitter dispute over the flashpoint religious site at Ayodhya in northern India - in 1992 it prompted some of the country's worst religious violence since partition."}
{"article": "Susan Norman, 68, died when tonnes of mud and rubble engulfed her flat in Looe, Cornwall, in March 2013. An inquest jury concluded Cornwall Council had not listened to \"consistent and frustrated complaints\" from residents about previous landslips. The authority has apologised to Mrs Norman's family. More on the landslide inquest and other news from Devon and Cornwall The court heard neighbours had warned Cornwall Council about the risk of erosion and questioned the stability of the land years before the fatal accident. Mrs Norman's landlady, Christina Miller, told the inquest as soon as her tenant raised concerns she had called in a structural engineer who warned about the risk of \"catastrophic collapse\". A post-mortem report read to the jury at Truro Magistrates' Court said Mrs Norman died immediately. The jury said in its findings: \"Cornwall Council did not listen to regular consistent and frustrated complaints by the residents. Cornwall Council did not respond to an independent report highlighting risk.\" It added: \"The landslide was caused, or more than normally contributed to, by a failure of Cornwall Council to prevent the surface water moving from St Martin's Road on to the rear of Veronica's (Mrs Norman's house).\" After the inquest, Mrs Norman's daughter Helen Hazeltine said: \"She was taken away from us and she didn't have to be. \"This should never happen again and I don't want anyone else to go through this, at all, ever.\" Kate Kennally, Cornwall Council's chief executive, said: \"I would like to apologise to Mrs Norman's family and friends and express our sincere condolences for their loss.\" She said it would \"not be appropriate to comment in more detail\", as court proceedings against the council and its civil engineering arm CORMAC had been lodged.", "summary": "A council ought to have known a grandmother faced \"a real and immediate risk of death\" from landslides, jurors have said."}
{"article": "Levi Leipheimer, George Hincapie, Tom Danielson, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie all received reduced sentences because they gave evidence against Armstrong to Usada. Leipheimer has been provisionally suspended by his Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling team. Armstrong has been banned for life. The 41-year-old, who has always denied doping but chose not to fight the charges filed against him, has been labelled a \"serial\" cheat by Usada and is accused of leading \"the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen\". Armstrong has also been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles by Usada, whose report is now being looked at by the International Cycling Union, the sport's world governing body. Because of their testimonies to Usada, Leipheimer, Hincapie, Danielson, Vande Velde and Zabriskie avoided a two-year ban but will remain out of action until the end of February 2013. The riders all withdrew from the London Olympics in August as part of their deal with Usada. Media playback is not supported on this device Hincapie, 39, retired from the sport in August, but Danielson, Vande Velde and David Zabriskie are still active with Garmin-Sharp - the team of Briton David Millar. Armstrong's former Discovery Channel team-mate Roger Hammond believes the penalties are too lenient. \"I can't understand why these riders are only being given a six-month winter ban,\" said retired Brit Hammond, who rode with Armstrong in 2005. \"Usada talk about creating a legacy and the whole point of this investigation was to create a legacy for the sport. What sort of legacy is being created now? \"To me it says if you cheat and lie about it for several years, and then drop somebody else in it, you'll be alright. They need to be given the same ban as Lance. They cheated, they took that risk.\" BBC Radio 5 live Sport will look at the Lance Armstrong saga in a special programme on Monday at 19:00 BST. \"Peddlers: Cycling's Dirty Truth\" includes interviews with Armstrong's former team-mate Tyler Hamilton, former Wada head Dick Pound, and British cyclist David Millar who was banned for two years after admitting taking performance enhancing drugs.", "summary": "Five of Lance Armstrong's former team-mates have received six-month doping bans from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada)."}
{"article": "Paul Kelly, deputy leader of North Lanarkshire Council, was speaking the day after plans for 500 redundancies at the Uddingston base were made public. Belgium owners Ageas said it was looking to close the site by the end of March next year. The Scottish government said it was \"ready to assist\" if jobs do go. Mr Kelly told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that closure would have a \"direct impact on the Lanarkshire area and the local community\". He added: \"This is a very significant number of jobs and our immediate concern is with the workforce and their families. This is the lead up to Christmas, it is devastating news. \"But we are wanting action, we are wanting to immediately act on this that is why we have called on the establishment of a taskforce.\" Mr Kelly urged the Scottish government to get round the table with other partners \"to do all we can\" and \"as soon as possible\". Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish government are understood to be seeking another company which could use the insurance firm's contact centre skills. Five years ago, the company had more than 900 staff in North Lanarkshire. It now employs 521 people at the Tannochside Business Park site. An Ageas spokeswoman said Kwik Fit Insurance Services had been \"under pressure for some time\" as a result of changes in the way people buy insurance and the way the personal insurance market now operates. Mr Kelly said he did \"not disagree\" with the reasons Ageas had given for the planned closure but he believed the current workforce was \"highly skilled and a huge asset\" to the wider business community. He explained that the council had written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon asking for the establishment of a taskforce. Business minister Paul Wheelhouse said on Tuesday that he was \"very disappointed\" to learn of the proposed closure. He added: \"Should any job losses proceed, we stand ready to assist those affected through our initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) and our Finance Sector Jobs Taskforce. \"I am keen to meet with North Lanarkshire Council to work together with them to ensure we support the local community and secure investment at the site.\" Ageas said it would now enter into a consultation period ahead of the planned shut down next year.", "summary": "A taskforce to save jobs at the Kwik Fit insurance office in Lanarkshire should be set up \"as soon as possible\", a local councillor has said."}
{"article": "The focus of their report is on BT's Openreach division and its alleged failure to invest in fast fibre. But there are others with questions to answer - notably the government, the regulator, and the broadband users. Because if, as the report says, \"the UK is not adequately investing in critical telecoms infrastructure\", and is \"a laggard by international standards in providing fibre connectivity\", that cannot be entirely BT's fault. The structure of our telecoms industry and the direction of our broadband strategy are, to a large extent, determined by the regulator Ofcom and by government ministers. Over the last decade, you could sum up their policy with those old retailers' maxims \"pile it high, sell it cheap\" or maybe \"never mind the quality, feel the width\". In other words, they have determined - perhaps rightly - that we as consumers want to get hold of broadband as quickly as we can but pay as little as possible. The intensely competitive landscape here and Ofcom's pressure on prices are presumably why the UK scores well compared with other EU countries when it comes to geographic coverage, take-up and lower prices. Where we score badly is in providing the most expensive but future-proof connection, FTTP, fibre to the premises. BT is now beginning to ramp up investment in FTTP, as are rivals like TalkTalk and Sky, but the UK has a lot of catching up to do. Five years ago just about all the big players in the industry seemed convinced that nobody would want or pay for such a luxury service, so they were not going to waste money in a competitive environment. Perhaps the regulator should have been more focused on the long term, rather than promoting competition. Competition was not the priority though in handing out the cash to reach rural Britain under the BDUK programme. Instead, it seemed to be speed and convenience that drove the decision to hand out all that money to BT. While the rollout has proceeded mostly on schedule, there are real concerns about a strategy which has seen the easier areas served first and information withheld from community schemes, making it difficult for them to know where to invest. But the biggest failure in broadband strategy is surely what has happened to small businesses. They have been told by the government that fast broadband connections are vital to their future and to Britain's economic wellbeing. But \"the present system is unacceptable\", says the report, describing a situation where small businesses are given a choice of a ridiculously expensive leased line or waiting for months or years until BT decides to hook up their business park. Yes, blame BT - but the MPs say it is being \"perversely disincentivised\" to put more effort into rolling out fibre to business parks, and that must be a failure of regulation. There is also a revealing exchange between the committee and the former digital minister Ed Vaizey about a voucher scheme designed to help small firms get better broadband. The scheme had been such a hit that the", "summary": "The MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport committee are clear - our UK broadband strategy is going down the wrong path and BT must shoulder much of the blame."}
{"article": "From April 2015 millions of people reaching retirement age will be able to spend their pension pot in any way they want. In effect, the move will remove the requirement on many people with defined contribution pensions to buy an annuity, a financial product that guarantees an income for the rest of your life. The government says that the overhaul will give retirees more flexibility to do what they want with their pension savings, but Labour says this policy has the potential to be \"reckless\". So what are the potential hidden consequences? This scenario has been much discussed immediately after the chancellor's Budget speech, but George Osborne says that new pensioners can be trusted to organise their own finances. Some people might decide that their pension pot, locked up during their working life, will provide a nice lump sum to use to celebrate retirement with a holiday of a lifetime, a massive party, or - as the pension minister admitted - a Lamborghini sports car. But it will be clear to all that in doing so, they take away the option of using those savings when money is tight in retirement, especially if they underestimate how long they will live for. The new flat-rate state pension will provide just over \u00a37,000 a year of income to fall back on - described by the chancellor as \"generous\", but much lower than the vast majority of people are used to during their working life. At times, individuals will receive this years after they have access to their defined contribution pension pot. In Australia, where people are already able to withdraw lump sums easily, recent evidence suggests that most retirees invest the money or use it to clear debts, but a few choose to buy holidays or cars. Freed of the need to put their pension savings into an annuity, new pensioners may decide to use the money to invest in property instead. Mark Giddens, partner of accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young, says: \"With pensioners no longer being railroaded into investing in annuities, they will be looking for other higher-yielding investments - that inevitably means a huge boost to buy-to-let investments. \"Unfortunately, it is often the case that the higher the yield, the higher the risk.\" There is also one other big hole in this theory. The City watchdog's recent review of annuities found that the average pension pot was only \u00a317,700. That is hardly enough for a deposit, let alone a house or flat. Anyone who decides to take all their money in one go will not escape the taxman. Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here \"This [plan] gives people the key to unlock their pensions and take money out, but they must remember that there are tax implications,\" says Anne Redston, professor of law at King's College, London. Put simply, the money will be categorised as income, and so will be subject to income tax. Anyone taking out a large amount in one go might find 40% income tax is levied on", "summary": "A huge change in the way people fund their retirement is expected following the chancellor's \"pension revolution\"."}
{"article": "The terror attacks, against government buildings in Oslo and a Labour party youth summer camp on Utoeya island, left 77 people dead and hundreds injured. They left behind both a very public, national trauma and untold stories of personal grief across Norway. Local memorials have already been unveiled in towns and villages that lost someone either in the bombing or during the Utoeya shootings. The then Labour-led government decided two national monuments should also be built, each one near a site of Breivik's attacks. But now neighbours and some relatives of the victims say they do not want the Utoeya commemoration, and plan court action if it is not stopped. \"I think we have enough with the graves of our children and we have also memorial sites in our towns,\" Cathrine Lutken told the BBC. \"And we have Utoeya. We are reminded every day. It has to stop. We are getting sick.\" She lost her 17-year-old daughter, Eva Kathinka, to Breivik's bullets at the Labour youth summer camp nearly three years ago, and has come to see for herself the proposed site for a national memorial. \"I think about it several times a day, I have difficulties sleeping at night,\" she said. \"There are a lot of us still struggling. It's terrible. Even three years later it's terrible.\" The memorial would see a channel cut across the tip of a peninsula which points out towards Utoeya. The names of the dead would be engraved on the cut rock. Some 400 people live along the stretch of water overlooking the island. Many of them helped save young Labour supporters who tried to swim away from the attack. Many others worked to save the lives of the severely injured who made it to land. A petition delivered to the government this week shows a large majority of the neighbours are opposed to the memorial. \"We will see this every day, a constant reminder of what we saw that day,\" said Ole Morten Jensen, who organised the petition. \"All the blood, the noises, the shooting, the screaming. No, I don't want to remember that. \"I think it is cruel for a government to expect us to be reminded of that. It's not necessary. There are a lot of places where nobody lives where they could put this.\" Mr Jensen and other locals have now hired a lawyer to prepare for civil action against the government should the memorial go ahead as planned. To avoid any court action and further upset, the Norwegian authority responsible for public art, which commissioned the winning entry, earlier this week invited all interested parties to an open meeting to discuss the way forward. The memorial design was chosen from many entries by a jury which also included representatives of the victims' relatives. Trond Blattmann, leader of the 22 July support group and father to one of the Utoeya victims, defended the choice to the meeting. \"The 22nd of July was a national catastrophe,\" he said, \"and you know as well as me that out of those who lost their lives", "summary": "A planned national memorial for the victims of Norwegian extreme-right mass killer Anders Behring Breivik could be postponed as locals and victims' relatives oppose the plan."}
{"article": "The pasty tax became synonymous with George Osborne's so-called Omnishambles Budget of 2012. The chancellor was forced to backtrack on several proposed tax rises - including charging 20% VAT on alterations to historic buildings and static caravans - in the weeks after his statement. But it was the plan to charge 20% VAT on hot savoury food which caused Mr Osborne the most indigestion. He had proposed that all food sold \"above ambient temperature\" - including pasties, pies and sausage rolls - should include VAT to close a tax loophole. It might have looked innocuous on paper but the idea caused an outcry among businesses up and down the country, who argued it would hit trade and jobs. The chancellor and Prime Minister David Cameron also faced claims they were out of touch with the pasty-munching masses. The measure was finally dropped in late May, about two months after it was first announced. Towards the end of his time as chancellor, George Osborne performed another screeching U-turn, this time over cuts to tax credits for low-income families in work. It was part of a \u00a312bn cut to the welfare bill which the Conservatives had promised before the 2015 election but had given very little detail of before the poll. In an \"emergency\" June Budget after David Cameron's election victory, the chancellor announced that spending on tax credits had ballooned since 1997 and he planned to reduce the income threshold from \u00a36,420 to \u00a33,850 and restrict tax credits and Universal Credit to the first two children. Labour, who were in the throes of a leadership contest at the time, were somewhat slow to respond but soon the opposition galvanised themselves against the proposal, which was also criticised by Tory backbenchers and charities, who said it would cost many families \u00a31,000 a week. The government suffered a damaging defeat in the House of the Lords, where peers backed Labour calls to delay the plans. Mr Osborne finally conceded defeat in November's Autumn Statement when he said the plans would simply not be implemented. Gordon Brown loved to wrongfoot the opposition by springing a surprise at the end of his Budget speeches - but it was his own side that was in uproar when he cut 2p from the basic rate of income tax in his 10th and final Budget in March 2007. He announced that the 10p starter rate would be scrapped at the same time - and initially refused to accept that there would be any losers from this measure. The then chancellor argued those earning less than \u00a317,000 would not be disadvantaged because of a commensurate increase in working tax credits but Labour MPs were not impressed, accusing the chancellor of clobbering the poor to fund a middle-income tax cut. The change was not due to come into force until May 2008 and Mr Brown had plenty of time to find a way out. He was eventually forced to agree a \u00a32.7bn compensation package for those set to lose out, by raising income tax allowances. By that point, of course, Mr Brown", "summary": "Chancellor Philip Hammond may have set a record by scrapping a planned rise in National Insurance for the self-employed less than a week after announcing it - here are some other contenders for quickest political U-turn of recent times."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device World champions Argentina went ahead through a penalty corner in the sixth minute and Carla Rebecchi got the crucial second just before the break. Alex Danson got one back on 65 minutes but there was not enough time to break down a strong defence again. Argentina will play reigning champions the Netherlands in the final on Friday. The Dutch earlier beat New Zealand in a penalty shoot-out after a dramatic match ended 2-2 in normal time. \"Great Britain will be so disappointed. In this situation, if you can come off the pitch knowing that you gave absolutely everything and you just weren't good enough then you can take some kind of comfort in that. 2-0 down against the number two team in the world? It's a tough ask to come back and win it. \"GB gave it absolutely everything in the second half but they just weren't getting it into the Argentine circle and causing problems.\" Britain will have to console themselves with a bronze medal match against New Zealand and the opportunity to match the team of Barcelona 20 years ago. \"I thought we were the dominant side in the second half,\" said GB coach Danny Kerry. \"The reason for not winning was the half-chances, not converting the opportunity, but I couldn't have asked any more from the girls. I felt Argentina were really just defending, not offering much other than that, but they did that well.\" Argentina repeated the formula of rock-solid defence and clinical finishing which won them the Champions Trophy final on home soil against Great Britain in January. They got off to the perfect start with their first attack when Noel Barrionuevo coolly converted a penalty corner. From that moment on, the task was considerable for Great Britain. They had much of the possession without creating a real shooting opportunity until Danson attempted an ambitious reverse-stick finish on the half hour. Rebecchi then made them pay when she linked up with Luciana Aymar's surging run down the left and forced the ball into the goal despite a strong challenge from two British defenders and keeper Beth Storry. The second half was a more positive affair, with Crista Cullen getting an early penalty corner, but it was charged down by Macarena Rodriguez Perez. Helen Richardson had the clearest chance in open play on 55 minutes when the ball fell to her in space in the 'D', but she snatched at her shot. With hope fading both on the pitch and in the stands, Danson then gave the whole match a bolt of energy. She dived forward to convert a fizzing Richardson cross and set up a frantic last five minutes, but the Argentines stood firm to book their place in the final.", "summary": "Great Britain's women will play for bronze after missing out on the hockey gold medal match with a 2-1 loss to Argentina at the Riverbank Arena."}
{"article": "The ban, which was proposed by the state's top two associations of traders, came into effect on Wednesday. The associations say that soft drinks firms take too much water from rivers, leaving farmers struggling to irrigate their land at a time of severe drought. More than a million shopkeepers are expected to comply with the ban. Two major trade bodies - the Federation of Tamil Nadu Traders Associations (FTNTA) and the Tamil Nadu Traders Associations Forum (TNTAF) - said they proposed the ban after seeing young people coming out in huge numbers last month against a ban on the local bull-taming festival, jallikattu. Many who protested against the jallikattu ban said they saw it as an attack on local customs and traditions. \"We started the campaign against soft drinks several months back. But it gained momentum when we extended support to the pro-jallikattu movement,\" Tha Vellaiyan, president of FTNTA, told BBC Tamil. \"Drinks like Pepsi and Coca-Cola are not good for your health because of their high sugar and chemical content. We are promoting Indian soft drinks, and will encourage better sales of fruit juices,\" he said. The associations have also urged supermarkets, restaurants and hotels to follow the ban and \"help local businesses and farmers prosper\". Pepsi and Coca-Cola have not commented on the ban.", "summary": "Traders in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu have banned the sale of Coca-Cola and Pepsi in favour of local products."}
{"article": "Back in 2005, the then 16-year-old was annoyed that his Norfolk secondary school had put strict blocks on its computer network, to prevent the pupils from accessing music and games websites. So, as a keen computer programmer he decided to use his knowledge to hack the system. \"I thought it would be fun to bypass the school's filters, says Mr Cator, now 26. To do this he used a website which disguises a computer's digital fingerprint, by rooting it through a remote server, typically located abroad, allowing a user to surf the internet privately and anonymously. Such websites provide users with something called a virtual private network (VPN). Mr Cator got it to work, and soon instead of using a school computer to research his homework, he could watch his favourite music videos. But unhappy with the qualities of the then VPN providers, which he said weren't easy to use and carried too much advertising, Mr Cator decided to build his own. This took him just one afternoon sat on his parents' sofa, and he gave the website a tongue-in-check name - Hide My Ass (HMA). Fast forward 10 years, and Mr Cator has just sold the business - of which he was the boss and sole owner - for \u00a340m. HMA, which Mr Cator turned into one of the world's largest VPN companies without the need for any outside investors, has been bought by global software group AVG. For its money, AVG is getting a company with more than two million customers, an annual turnover of \u00a311m, and yearly profits that exceed \u00a32m. And Mr Cator is to continue at HMA's chief executive. Despite being a 16 year old school boy a decade ago, Mr Cator already knew enough about the dark arts of promoting websites, and making money from the internet, to realise that HMA could be a commercial success. So he started to promote the website on interested internet forums to build up some buzz. HMA would make money from something called \"affiliate marketing\". In simple terms this means that Hide My Ass gets a commission from a retail website whenever someone clicks through to it via HMA and buys something. Within a month HMA had hundreds of thousands of users around the world, and revenues of \u00a315,000 per annum. Mr Cator says: \"I was so surprised that it went viral so quickly. I never wrote a business plan or anything. \"I just launched the whole site in one afternoon. [But] if people think it's a good cause, they will share it.\" With the business earning Mr Cator rather a lot of pocket money, he stay on at school and went to college in Norwich to do computer studies. But in 2009 he decided to drop out to run HMA full-time, adding a paid service which now has more than 200,000 subscribers. These are in addition to the two million people who now use its basic free version. To help grow the business Mr Cator realised he needed staff, which he employed on a freelance basis. To begin with", "summary": "There are not many people who have become multimillionaires as a direct result of misbehaving at school, but Jack Cator is one of them."}
{"article": "Wildlife photographer Steve Trewhella shot footage of the rays earlier in August, confirming the site is a nursery for the endangered species. Marine awareness officer Julie Hatcher said rays reproduced very slowly. Nurseries are found in only in a couple of places along the south coast. Ms Hatcher said the trust had long been aware Studland Bay was a nursery area for rays, as in autumn and winter hundreds of egg cases, known as \"mermaids' purses\" are found along the shore. Volunteers have been collecting the egg cases, and the majority are those of undulate rays. However, the baby rays have not been photographed for a number of years: they are so well camouflaged, it is very difficult to spot them. Ms Hatcher said: \"They are a very beautiful animal. \"They have fantastic markings which looks a bit like Aboriginal art.\" The nursery is particularly important because rays only lay a few eggs which take a long time to hatch, and take a couple of years to reach maturity, making the species very vulnerable to over-fishing. Commercial fishing of undulate rays is prohibited, but they can be caught legally by recreational anglers.", "summary": "Dorset Wildlife Trust says new footage of endangered undulate rays in Studland Bay is \"exciting\", and could add weight to its campaign to have it made a marine conservation area."}
{"article": "The foreign ministry said Mr Comey had suggested in a Washington Post article that some Poles were accomplices. After the summons US envoy Stephen Mull said he made it clear the US believed \"Nazi Germany alone\" was responsible. Six million Polish citizens were killed by the Nazis during World War Two, half of them Jewish. In the Washington Post article on Thursday, aimed at raising education about the Holocaust, Mr Comey wrote: \"In their minds, the murderers and accomplices of Germany, and Poland, and Hungary, and so many, many other places didn't do something evil. \"They convinced themselves it was the right thing to do, the thing they had to do.\" The words sparked a storm of protest in Poland. President Bronislaw Komorowski told Polish television the comments were an \"insult to thousands of Poles who helped Jews\". Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz said: \"To those who are incapable of presenting the historic truth in an honest way, I want to say that Poland was not a perpetrator but a victim of World War Two. I would expect full historical knowledge from officials who speak on the matter.\" Ambassador Mull, who on Sunday attended ceremonies marking the 72nd anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising against the Nazis, said that any suggestion that \"Poland, or any other countries other than Nazi Germany, bear responsibility for the Holocaust, is a mistake, harmful and insulting\". After Sunday's summons he added: \"I made clear that the opinion that Poland is in any way responsible for the Holocaust is not the position of the United States. \"Nazi Germany alone bears responsibility. I now have a lot of work before me to make things right in this situation.\" But Mr Mull also said he believed the wider message of the article was that many people had either aided the Nazis or not done enough in response to the atrocities, including in the US. The Washington Post on Sunday published a column criticising Mr Comey's comments. The Nazis ran death camps in Poland during the brutal 1939-45 occupation. Correction 20 April 2015: In an earlier version of this report, comments made by the Polish ambassador to Washington were incorrectly attributed to Stephen Mull.", "summary": "Poland has summoned the US ambassador and demanded an apology over comments on the Holocaust by FBI director James Comey."}
{"article": "The stage is a 27 metre (88ft) platform fitted to the rock face over Abereiddy's Blue Lagoon with 5,000 people expected to line the cliffs to see divers leap, twist and somersault, with concentration their only form of protection. This is the third time the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series has come to Wales, and along with Ironman Wales, puts Pembrokeshire firmly on the world map. Abereiddy is the sixth stop of the series, and eyes were on the reigning champion Gary Hunt, who was representing Great Britain along with Blake Aldridge and wildcard Mat Cowen. But the Czeck Republic's Michal Suprati Navratil took first place, with Hunt second and the United States' Andy Jones third. The competition took place on Saturday but Sunday's events had to be cancelled due to the weather. Hunt, 32, is originally from Southampton but has lived in Paris, for the past six years. He is a former Commonwealth diver and won bronze in the 10 metre (33ft) synchronisation event at the 2006 games. He also enjoyed success at the Great Britain National Diving championships. But he was not always a diver. As a child he was a competitive club swimmer, but became bored of just going up and down the lanes. At age nine, his attention turned to the excitement of the diving pool. \"I had a go and instantly fell in love,\" he told BBC Wales. After finding it difficult to qualify for World Championships and Olympic diving events, Hunt took the opportunity to join a diving show in Italy. It was here he met Australian diver Steve Black, who saw Hunt's potential and put his name forward for high diving competitions. \"The door opened a whole new world for me,\" said Hunt. Since his first high diving competition in 2007, Hunt has gone on to win five Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. He is the only athlete who has competed in all 50 world series stops - and has won half of them. But what does it actually feel like to stand on the 27 metre platform and look down? \"We're all terrified when we stand on the platform. It comes with the job,\" said Hunt. \"But you build up confidence every time you do it.\" Asked what makes the perfect dive, Hunt said: \"To get a 10, you need a strong jump, you need to be the right distance away from the platform, everything in the dive needs to be neat and tidy, your feet need to be together and the finish needs to be perfect, with no splash.\" \"It's always a jump into the unknown,\" he added. \"And we all know a small mistake can lead to a trip to the hospital.\" This is something Hunt's fellow British diver Blake Aldridge knows all too well. At the last round in Italy he had a bad landing and ended up biting his tongue. \"I had to have both sides stitched up,\" said Aldridge, who spoke to BBC Wales shortly after diving from the walls of Chepstow Castle in Monmouthshire. \"I had", "summary": "What used to be an old slate quarry in Pembrokeshire has once again been transformed into a coliseum for the world's most fearless divers."}
{"article": "Last November Whirlpool - the owner of the Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda brands - said the dryers could be dangerous as they allow lint to build up against the heating element. The company has contacted more than three million customers offering repairs or money off a replacement. But some owners face an 11-month wait. Leon Livermore, chief executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, told 5 Live Breakfast: \"The fact that Trading Standards sit within local government means they're often stretched for resources. \"Central government itself does have back up powers to force people into recalls and to take action. So we would call on the government, in particular the Department for Business Innovation and Skills to take action before someone dies.\" He added: \"I think it's indicative of how the UK views consumer issues. Trading standards services have seen cuts of over 50% over the last few years and actually there hasn't been an outcry from the public because a lot of this stuff goes on in the background.\" A spokesman for the Department for Business said: \"People rightly deserve the assurance that if they buy a product that turns out to be unsafe, this can quickly be rectified. The government places a very high value on consumer safety, but industry also has a crucial role to play in protecting consumers. \"Ministers are keen that businesses work together to provide the solutions and improve the systems so we can reduce the number of incidents and keep people safe.\" Whirlpool said it was trying to deal with the issue as quickly as possible and has hired an extra 300 engineers, an increase of 30%. In a statement the company said: \"The scale of this modification programme is considerable and we know our customers are experiencing longer wait times than we would like. \"We apologise for this inconvenience and are working hard to improve our response times.\" Customers will wait about 10 weeks to be scheduled for a modification date, which currently could be as far away as January 2017, Whirlpool said. \"However, we are confident that this timeline will be reduced as we continue to recruit more engineers and increase the resourcing of our call centre,\" it added. Trading Standards officers were involved in the decision to conduct a repair programme rather than a full recall. In a recent statement to a committee of MPs, Trading Standards said: \"The company continues to remain in regular dialogue with the authority, during which progress is monitored and reviewed. \"Part of this agreement was to organise an outreaching repair campaign to modify the affected products, rather than a product recall.\"", "summary": "More action is needed to recall Whirlpool's fire-risk tumble dryers before someone dies, according to a leading Trading Standards officer."}
{"article": "Private equity firm ECI Partners will take a majority stake in the business, which sells a bicycle range developed in conjunction with Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy. It is being sold by Active Private Equity, which bought its controlling interest in the then family-owned company for about \u00a335m in 2008. At the time Crawley-based Evans had 31 outlets and annual sales of some \u00a344m. It now has 56 shops and sales have risen by more than 300% under Active's ownership. The company has more than 1,000 employees, including 250 mechanics. Nick Evans, partner at Active Private Equity, said: \"Evans Cycles of today remains true to its independent bike store roots, run by cycling enthusiasts for cycling enthusiasts.\" Evans began in 1921 when FW Evans opened the first store in Kennington, south London. It was sold by his widow in 1950 to Joe Smith, whose son Gary Smith went on to expand the business. The management, including chief executive Nick Wilkinson, will retain a stake in the company. \"Today's announcement marks the start to an exciting new phase in our journey,\" he said. \"It will enable us to deliver our brand promise in new ways and to more people.\" ECI was set up in 1976 by the Bank of England to invest in small companies that faced liquidity issues but has been a partnership for many years. Its first management buyout came in 1981 with telecommunications company Ansafone. It has also invested in companies including Caf\u00e9 Rouge, National Express, Bloomsbury Publishing and Chubb. George Moss, partner at ECI, said: \"As consumers look to lead increasingly healthy lifestyles and their shopping habits become ever more sophisticated, we believe Evans is well placed for further growth.\" Participation in cycling expanded by 27% between 2006 and 2014, Sport England found. The UK bicycle market was worth just over \u00a3950m last year, according to Mintel, and is set to be worth about \u00a31.3bn by 2019. The market research firm said that Halfords was the clear market leader in the UK bicycle market, in terms of both sales and volume. Michael Oliver, senior leisure and media analyst at Mintel, said: \"Rising average selling prices reflect recognition on the part of consumers that they get what they pay for and an increasing proportion of them understand that it is worth paying more for a quality bicycle.\"", "summary": "Evans Cycles has been sold in a deal thought to value the retailer at \u00a3100m."}
{"article": "Fishing and other activities on its waters are credited with supporting some 513 jobs. The last review of the economic impact of the river was carried out in 2006. The latest report by consultants SQW found that despite \"a couple of testing years for anglers\" its annual impact had risen from \u00a318m to \u00a324m. The River Tweed Commission (RTC), which ordered the report, welcomed its findings. Chairman Douglas Dobie said that the economic benefits of the river allowed them to invest in scientific research to help manage the river. He said that in the past decade the RTC had channelled research grants totalling \u00a31.3m into the Tweed Foundation. \"This report underlines the success and importance of managing the River Tweed on a long-term basis,\" he said. \"Over the past decade the economic contribution of the activities on the Tweed has continued to grow, as has our scientific understanding of the whole river system. \"We are unique in Scotland in this regard.\" Mr Dobie said the report underlined the \"increasing importance\" of the river to economies north and south of the border. \"With the commitment of the commission to keep investing in the management and science of the river through the Tweed Foundation, we can be confident that the positive impact will continue to be enjoyed locally, nationally and internationally,\" he added.", "summary": "A report has found the value of the River Tweed to the economy of the Borders and North Northumberland has risen to \u00a324m-a-year."}
{"article": "City boss Manuel Pellegrini wants to mark his debut season in England by securing all four trophies they are in. And Kompany, 27, says it is inevitable that City will do the quadruple at some stage in the near future. \"We can't promise it will happen now, but eventually it will have to happen,\" said the Belgium defender. \"We are the players at the moment who have been chosen to do it. If it's not us then it will be other players. Media playback is not supported on this device \"This club definitely has a target to win every competition possible.\" Pellegrini's side are second in the Premier League table, lead West Ham 6-0 after the first leg of their Capital One Cup semi-final and face Barcelona in the Champions League last 16. They progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup on Wednesday with a 5-0 replay victory over Blackburn Rovers. City's neighbours Manchester United secured the treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in 1998-99. Kompany also credits Pellegrini, who replaced Roberto Mancini as manager last summer, with the greater attacking intent City have shown this season. City have scored 99 goals this season from 33 matches and average four goals a game at home, with 64 from 16 fixtures. \"He's very offensive-minded and I think that's shown in our results and the way we play,\" Kompany said. \"I think we have been one of the best teams to watch in the Premier League so far.\"", "summary": "Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany says it is only a matter of time before the club complete a record haul of four major trophies in a season."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device He made his comments after the man who investigated claims of wrongdoing said the report was \"erroneous\". \"It's a bit of a joke, the whole process,\" Dyke told BBC Sport, adding that it looked \"pretty ugly for Fifa\". The report cleared Russia and Qatar of corruption allegations but criticised the FA for flouting bid rules. Later on Thursday, on BBC's Newsnight, Dyke added that he could not \"take the report seriously\". He said: \"The whole of the way football operates at that sort of level is suspect and has been for many years. I don't think Fifa is a straight organisation and hasn't been for many years.\" The 42-page document, published at 09:00 GMT on Thursday was put together by German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert. He based his findings on the work of American lawyer Michael Garcia. But less than four hours later Garcia, who spent two years investigating claims of corruption for world governing body Fifa, issued a statement questioning the report. He said Eckert's findings contained \"numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations\". Garcia said he intended to appeal to Fifa. Fifa said it had yet to be notified by Garcia of his intention to appeal. The FA was accused of trying to \"curry favour\" with former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner, who quit in 2011 amid bribery allegations. The report said England's bid team tried to win the support of Warner, who is from Trinidad and Tobago, by: Dyke said the FA had \"nothing to hide\". \"Within that report, most of the criticism is of people who co-operated the most fully,\" he said. \"If you actually didn't co-operate, you don't get criticised, which seems very weird to me. The FA, I don't think on this, has got anything to hide. \"Everything that was done was cleared with the Fifa executive beforehand and was told to the Garcia report by the English FA.\" Dyke also called for Garcia's report, which runs to hundreds of pages, to be published in full. Lord Triesman, chairman of the FA at the time voting for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups took place, said he also wanted to see the complete document after being criticised for failing to co-operate with the investigation. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I'm never satisfied by seeing summaries by somebody else,\" Triesman told BBC Sport. \"In this day and age, people are entitled to see the original.\" British MP Damien Collins described Eckert's report as \"a whitewash\" before Garcia's statement was issued. Fellow MP Clive Efford, Labour's Shadow Minister for Sport, added: \"Fifa has no choice but to publish Michael Garcia's report in full if it expects anyone to believe their claims that there has been no cover-up over allegations of corruption in the World Cup bidding process.\" Fifa's inquiry looked at the conduct of the nine teams bidding to win the right to stage the 2018 or 2022 World Cups. It was initiated after a number of corruption allegations were made once voting had taken place in 2010. Russia won", "summary": "Fifa's report into World Cup corruption is now pointless and a joke, according to English Football Association chairman Greg Dyke."}
{"article": "The club had hoped to build a 21,000-seater venue at Stoke Gifford on the outskirts of the city. It said it was \"disappointed\" that discussions with UWE had \"come to a close as the parties were unable to agree acceptable terms\". The university insisted it had \"not given up on this hugely important project\". In 2011, the football club reached a deal with UWE and Sainsbury's to build a new stadium on university land. Further plans included the supermarket building a store and redeveloping the club's Memorial Stadium in Horfield. However, the chain pulled out following delays and petitions by campaigners for and against the plans. A High Court battle ensued which Rovers lost in 2015. The club was bought the following year by the Al-Qadi family. In a statement, Rovers said it would \"now have to go back to the drawing board\" and explore options for a new stadium, redevelopment of its current ground and improvements to its Colony training ground. Club manager Darrell Clarke said the news was \"very disappointing for everybody\". Rovers chairman Steve Hamer, added: \"I can't see this position being retrieved. \"I just think this whole deal has been jinxed, it just never seems to have been running in the right direction.\" A UWE spokeswoman said the university \"remained committed\" to a new stadium, which would bring \"great benefits\" to the institution, community and regional economy. She added: \"Although we have been disappointed by the slow pace of negotiations, we are still willing and open to continue negotiations. \"This has been an initiative the university has been working on for over eight years and we still believe is deliverable. \"Planning consent does not expire until January 2018 and the door remains open for a deal to be struck, and the university will continue to work on this project.\" With so much positivity at Bristol Rovers going into the 2017-18 season, with a number of signings and manager Darrell Clarke signing a five-year contract, this news will come as a blow - especially given the time and money spent on the project. Supporters have waited patiently for progress since the plans to build a new stadium at UWE were first released in 2011. Indeed, you could go back even further, to over three decades ago when they left Eastville. Now fans will want to know what happens next and they'll want reassurances that the Al-Qadi family remain committed to the football club.", "summary": "Bristol Rovers has abandoned plans to build a new stadium at the University of West of England (UWE)."}
{"article": "The Englishman began the day leading by three but saw his advantage wiped out when he bogeyed the eighth and Nicolas Colsaerts sank his third birdie. Fitzpatrick, 21, regained the lead with a birdie on the 10th and hit three more from the 13th to finish on 15 under. Defending champion Alex Noren of Sweden is level with Colsaerts after a 67. Noren had seven birdies in his five-under round, including four on the trot from the 12th. He is still well adrift of Fitzpatrick, who parred his first seven holes before dropping just his second shot of the week on the eighth. The Englishman, who finished seventh at the Masters, bounced back immediately with four birdies in seven holes to move back to the top of the leaderboard. \"I find the front nine more difficult than the back nine, especially in the wind but I stayed patient and got my rewards,\" he said. \"It's one of the things I've learned since turning pro.\"", "summary": "Matt Fitzpatrick extended his lead to five shots at the Nordea Masters in Stockholm by shooting a four-under-par 68 in Saturday's third round."}
{"article": "For six months the International Space Station (ISS) will be his home. The ISS was launched back in 1998 and astronauts have been living on board ever since. It's an important place to carry out tests and research that will help future space missions to places like the Moon and Mars. Take a look at the ISS in numbers:", "summary": "Major Tim Peake is getting ready to blast into space to complete his first mission."}
{"article": "Galit Nakash is to take a DNA test to determine if the girl is her biological daughter, following a court hearing. If the results are negative, authorities say they will return the child to Sri Lanka straight away. Ms Nakash was stopped when airport officials found she had used another child's passport to leave Sri Lanka. She says she gave birth at a hospital in Sri Lanka during a business trip but that her visa application for the baby, named Tahel, was turned down. On Tuesday a court in Tel Aviv accepted her request to undergo a DNA test in Israel. Ms Nakash's lawyer, Matan Hodorov, said his client and the one-year-old child are being moved to a facility at Ayalon prison in Ramle until the results of the test are known on Friday. Mr Hodorov said Ms Nakash, 49, turned down an Israeli request to take a DNA test while she was in Sri Lanka because she did not trust the process there. He said when Ms Nakash, who runs an export business and comes from Tel Aviv, re-entered Israel, the passport she used for Tahel carried the name of a different child. However he said he was \"confident the DNA test will prove Galit is the mother [of Tahel]. \"We have all the correct medical documents from the hospital in Sri Lanka where she was born,\" he told the BBC. The Israeli foreign ministry said Ms Nakash was denied a visa for Tahel because officials had doubts about her story. \"There were a few indications which raised a certain amount of suspicion,\" spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said. \"That is why we did not allow the child and Galit to enter the State of Israel. \"It doesn't mean she is wrong but we have a legal duty to check it out. If the DNA tests show she's the mother then that's wonderful and the problem is over. If not, the child will immediately be sent back to where she came from, as required under the Hague Convention [on child abduction],\" Mr Nahshon said. \"Nobody is trying to take the child away or create a tragedy, but the circumstances are extremely suspicious.\"", "summary": "An Israeli woman and a baby who returned from Sri Lanka have been kept at Tel Aviv airport since Saturday amid questions over the child's origins."}
{"article": "The Portrush golfer, starting on the back nine on the Californian course, birdied the par-five 17th and hit more two birdies on the front nine. He also bogeyed the par-three seventh and is tied for 30th place, five shots behind American leader Sam Saunders. Padraig Harrington is tied for seventh place on four under alongside Phil Mickelson. Shane Lowry will struggle to make the weekend cut, having shot three over through 16 holes on a fog-delayed first round. Dustin Johnson's bid to overtake Jason Day as world number one continued with a first-round five-under-par 66.", "summary": "Graeme McDowell carded a two-under par round of 69 at the opening round of the weather-interrupted Genesis Open."}
{"article": "A paper prepared for councillors said the council may need to scrap its pledge not to make staff compulsorily redundant. The figure is 1,000 less than the 3,000 job losses predicted by the Unison union on Wednesday. But it is 1,000 more than the council itself warned of in June. The council expects to save \u00a3126m over four years - more than previously forecast. It said it would seek volunteers for redundancy first. Officials hope to cut the number of staff over the next two years but said they would save more if the cuts were achieved more quickly. The City of Edinburgh Council has been run by a Labour-SNP coalition since 2012. The forecasts are contained in papers to be discussed by the council's finance committee next Thursday. The council said the workforce made up 60% of its budget and it would be \"unrealistic\" to make the required savings without reducing the number of employees. Alasdair Rankin, the council's finance convener, said: \"We are very clear about the scale of the financial challenge that the council is facing. \"The council is experiencing greater demand for services than ever before, with a growing population in Edinburgh and increasing numbers of older people and younger people, while our overall budget remains the same. \"We need to take action in order to achieve the necessary savings to meet this demand, and we are making every effort to do this in a way that will safeguard frontline services for the people of Edinburgh. \"We want to invest in the services that are important to the public but must also look to rationalise our spending where appropriate.\" Mr Rankin said councillors recognised some the proposals \"may involve tough decisions, including a reduction in council jobs, particularly in middle management\". He added: \"While this won't to be easy, savings will allow us to prioritise the things that matter most to people. \"Our aim, as ever, is to improve and enhance the city for residents, and this package of measures is the next step to achieving this.\" Responding to the announcement, Unison said councillors appeared to be considering privatisation of facilities management. John Stevenson, from the union's Edinburgh branch, said. \"Our view is that if this privatisation is being held up as a way of avoiding compulsory redundancies, it is a flawed idea and all we will end up with is the triple-whammy of privatisation, compulsory redundancies and ruined services. \"The continued drive by senior officials to introduce privatisation despite the council 'presumption' against privatisation is deeply worrying. Edinburgh needs to reaffirm its commitment to a public service culture and abandon the privatisation 'solutions' that have been so disastrous elsewhere. The council revealed plans for an internal restructuring earlier this year to help it achieve its savings. It said its budget had fallen by 14% in real terms since 2010. There are no direct proposals for further cuts or changes to local services at this stage although councillors have conceded it was inevitable the public may feel the impact of the job cuts. However, they have stressed their", "summary": "Edinburgh city council is warning 2,000 jobs could go over the next two years as it seeks to balance its books."}
{"article": "Maureen Bannister, from Leuchars, had not been seen since about 14:00 on Sunday. It is thought she had been walking her dog in the area of Tentsmuir Forest in north-east Fife. On Monday evening, a body was found on Tentsmuir Beach by a member of the public. Police have said Ms Bannister's death is being treated as \"unexplained\". Sgt Gary Combe said: \"Our sincere condolences go to Maureen's family and friends at this very sad time. \"We're working to establish the full circumstances surrounding Maureen's death and are asking anyone who may have seen her since Sunday afternoon to get in touch.\" Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101.", "summary": "Police have confirmed that a body found on a Fife beach was that of a missing 43-year-old woman."}
{"article": "The \u00a3100m scheme includes a new ground for non-league Boston United, along with shops and 500 homes in the Wyberton area of the town. Wyberton Parish Council held the vote after residents called for it. Of those eligible to vote, only 18.76% - 550 people - took part, of which 86% voted against the scheme. Parish council chairman Richard Austin said: \"I wasn't expecting a big turnout, but I'm sure the World Cup game had an effect.\" He said the date and time had been \"set in stone\" and the council could not change them. However, he added: \"I can only speculate, but perhaps the majority were happy to take the view of the ones that did vote. \"We live in a democratic society and this is what happens sometimes.\" Mr Austin said prior to the vote people had raised concerns over the potential impact of the scheme, including the traffic it would generate. He said the parish council would now consider the results before forming its view on the application to Boston Borough Council. The developer, Chestnut Homes, whose owner David Newton is Boston United chairman, said the project would be good for the town and create jobs. The project, called The Quadrant, includes plans to move the Conference North club from its York Road stadium, where it has been since the late 19th Century, to a new 4,000-seat ground off the A16 at Tytton Lane. Chestnut Homes submitted its planning application in May. If approved, work could begin in 2015.", "summary": "England's game against Uruguay has been partly blamed for a low turnout in a referendum on plans to build a football stadium and new homes in Lincolnshire."}
{"article": "The robbery, described as a \"frightening attack\" by police, happened at the salon in Gorgie Road at about 20:00 on Thursday. Police said the woman had received minor bruising following a struggle. Her son was also threatened with the knife when he arrived at the shop but was not harmed. The two men stole cash and a laptop. The first attacker was white, in his late 20s, about 6ft tall, of thin build and had short dark hair. He was also said to have \"a large pointed nose\", thick eyebrows and brown eyes. He was wearing a blue puffer jacket and a scarf covering his mouth and spoke with a local accent. The second attacker was white, 5ft 10in tall, of thin build. He was wearing a dark, waterproof jacket with a white stripe down the middle, dark skinny jeans and dark trainers with white soles. Det Insp John Kavanagh, of Police Scotland, said: \"The victim was subjected to a violent assault during the robbery, it was a frightening attack on a lone woman. \"We are keen to trace these suspects as quickly as possible. Anyone who may have seen the attack, or who recognises the description of the men involved, is asked to contact Police Scotland immediately.\"", "summary": "A 64-year-old woman was threatened by two men with a knife as she closed her beauty salon in Edinburgh."}
{"article": "Postal slips in Ceredigion, Preseli Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire have been re-printed on tan-coloured paper to correct an error in the instructions. Voters must discard the grey slips. A Green Party source said its \"Vote Green on Grey this May\" leaflets and video were now useless as a result. The party had printed leaflets and created a video for social media. The source said: \"As you can imagine, we've been really shocked by this muck up. You've seen the film we've made, fortunately we haven't begun sharing it yet. It's now useless. \"We've also had a new batch of Green on Grey leaflets printed. At least we can use them in other parts of the region.\" Tom Marshall, the party's campaign manager for Mid and West Wales said: \"We are extremely disappointed to hear of the error with the ballot papers. 'Vote Green on Tan' just doesn't have the same ring about it.\" Regional returning officer Mark James said: \"It appears that a computer error by printers who prepare papers for Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire led to an unfortunate misprint.\"", "summary": "The Green Party in Wales has been forced to abandon its \"Vote Green on Grey\" assembly campaign after an error meant postal slips will not be grey."}
{"article": "Eric Ruddy, 64, and his wife Carol, 54, were found dying in their home in December. He had been stabbed and beaten, she had been strangled. Martin Ruddy, 29, stood to benefit from their savings of more than \u00c2\u00a380,000 as he was the sole beneficiary of their will, Newcastle Crown Court heard. He had claimed the pair were attacked by intruders who also injured him. Judge Paul Sloan QC is due to set the minimum term for Ruddy's mandatory life sentence on Friday. A jury heard that in the lead-up to the murders, Ruddy's life was running out of control and that his marriage was at breaking point. He had also got himself into \u00c2\u00a35,000 of debt and had fallen behind on a scheme to pay the money back. John Elvidge QC, prosecuting, said: \"Martin Ruddy killed his parents and then set to cover his tracks by staging a burglary and inflicting injuries on himself with a brick and scissors.\" The court heard Eric Ruddy had received a number of blunt-force traumas to the back of his head and Carol Ruddy had bruising around her neck after being strangled with a length of HDMI cable. Andrea Hardy, who lived next door with her three daughters, said the walls of her terraced house were very thin and they would often hear doors closing and people walking up the stairs. But on that night in December last year, she said she heard no noises at all until Ruddy knocked on her door and said his parents had been killed by a group of attackers. Along with her partner, she followed him back to his parents' house where they tried to resuscitate the couple. But Mr Elvidge said no CCTV or scientific evidence supported the claim that the killings had been carried out by a gang of intruders. Following the attack the couple were taken to the city's Royal Victoria Infirmary, but were later pronounced dead.", "summary": "A man with mounting debts has been found guilty of murdering his parents in their Newcastle home."}
{"article": "Opposition lawmakers tried to block discussions on the introduction of manual vote-counting for next year's presidential election. The government wants a back-up to the electronic system but the opposition says it is a way of rigging the poll. Kenyan politics is known to be highly partisan and this is not the first physical fight. In 2014, four lawmakers were assaulted and one had his shirt torn. Africa Live: BBC news updates The live video feed from parliament was cut after the fight broke out on Tuesday evening and journalists were ordered out of the press gallery. After an earlier highly charged discussion over the proposed changes to the electoral law, opposition MP Millie Odhiambo attacked President Uhuru Kenyatta, calling him \"extremely stupid\". Mr Kenyatta gave his initial response to that attack at an event to usher in the festive season, saying \"some idiots continue to insult me\" but added that it was part of their freedom. But Mr Kenyatta seems to have now ended his war of words with Ms Odhiambo, as a local media station on Wednesday shared a picture of a Christmas card from the president addressed to the MP.", "summary": "A parliament session in Kenya has descended into chaos, with rival MPs trading punches."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called to New Road, Woodmancote, at 17:45 BST following reports of the accident A police spokesman said an off-duty nurse and paramedics tried to save the woman, who was the driver of the car, but she was declared dead at the scene. The van driver, a 53-year-old man from Cheltenham, was arrested on suspicion of drink driving. Police are appealing for witnesses.", "summary": "A woman died in a collision between a car and a van in Gloucestershire."}
{"article": "In spite of a sales uptick, the firm on Tuesday said net earnings fell 15% to $763m (\u00c2\u00a3595m) from $898m in the same period last year. The firm also lowered its profit guidelines for the year. The stock price fell on the news, dipping about 3% in early trading on Tuesday. Lockheed has come under pressure for its F-35 fighter jet program, which has been plagued by delays and cost overruns. A report from the US government's auditing arm, the Government Accountability Office, on Monday found that \"cascading delays\" meant the cost of the programme would run more than $1bn over budget. US President Donald Trump has also targeted the programme, tweeting in December that it was \"out of control.\" He claimed that negotiations would lead to billions in savings. Lockheed Martin shares suffer after Trump F-35 tweet US to buy more F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin But chief financial officer Bruce Tanner said on a call with analysts that nothing significant had changed to the programme in the last six months, though talk about F-35 costs was \"bundled\" with pricing for some of the firm's other contracts. Chief executive Marillyn Hewson said Lockheed profits took a hit this quarter on a defence programme for an international customer. Lockheed also reduced the value of a joint venture in the Middle East, which is not seeing as much demand as expected. But she said a \"volatile\" international environment suggests that military spending may increase, including in the US. Lockheed sales in the first quarter were up 6.6%, to $11.1bn, from the same period in 2016. \"We remain hopeful that progress will continue to be made in this area and upcoming legislation will include the increases necessary to equip and maintain our fighting forces,\" she said.", "summary": "Unexpected losses related to international business dragged down first-quarter profits at US defence giant Lockheed Martin."}
{"article": "The sum is half the record Lotto jackpot win - shared with a couple from Hawick who claimed their prize within days of the 9 January draw. A spokesman for organisers Camelot urged players to \"check, double-check and triple-check\" their tickets. The ticket had the winning numbers 26, 27, 46, 47, 52 and 58. Updates on this story and more from Worcestershire Camelot said the exact location where the ticket was purchased could not be revealed but it hoped that by naming the area where the ticket was bought it could increase local interest and help find the winner. The area has not been narrowed down further to preserve the winner's anonymity, they said. It is not known if the winning ticket was bought by an individual or a syndicate. David and Carol Martin, both aged 54, received a cheque for \u00a333,035,323 after claiming their share of the record jackpot, that occurred after 14 successive rollovers. Even though the prize total was shared, the sum is still the biggest win since the National Lottery was launched in November 1994. However, the sum is dwarfed by the the biggest UK win in the Euromillions lottery, a draw where prize money comes from ticket sales in several European countries. Colin and Chris Weir, from Largs in North Ayrshire, collected \u00a3161.6m in 2011.", "summary": "An unclaimed National Lottery jackpot winning ticket that could earn the winner \u00a333m was bought in the Worcester area, it has been revealed."}
{"article": "The Citizens Advice Bureau in Scotland said fees had \"altered the balance of power\" between workers and employers since they were introduced in 2013. People face fees of up to \u00c2\u00a31,200 for their claims to be heard by a tribunal. The UK Ministry of Justice said fee waivers were available for those who could not afford to pay. The Citizens Advice Bureau's Price of Justice report, published jointly with Strathclyde University, revealed the number of tribunal cases lodged during the first quarter of last year fell by 81% compared with the same period 12 months previously. Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) spokeswoman Lauren Wood said: \"A few weeks ago we published CAB evidence showing that the number of Scots being exploited at work was increasing. \"Today we publish a new report which shows how such workers are being prevented from getting the justice and compensation they are entitled to. \"It's two years since the government introduced a fee for employment tribunals. \"The evidence shows that people have been deterred from taking their grievances to tribunal because they simply can't afford to pay the fee.\" She added: \"One of the most worrying aspects of this current situation is that it has altered the balance of power at work, with rogue employers now feeling they can exploit or mistreat their employees without risk of being called to account. \"In highlighting this issue today we call on the government - and all political parties - to think again about the price of justice, and to get rid of these fees. \"Justice should be available to everyone, not just the wealthy.\" A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: \"We want people to resolve these issues using quicker and simpler alternatives such as arbitration and mediation and only go to court as a last resort. \"We have made sure fee waivers are available for those who can't afford to pay, as well as diverting people away from potentially acrimonious hearings, where possible, through a new early conciliation scheme which has already been used by over 60,000 people in its first nine months. \"The government has committed to reviewing employment tribunal fees but believes this is better determined by the new administration following the election.\"", "summary": "The introduction of fees for employment tribunals has stopped thousands of Scots from challenging rogue employers, according to a charity."}
{"article": "The former US Open champion from Portrush picked up three birdies on the front nine to move into contention. But his challenge faded with dropped shots at the 14th, 17th and 18th leaving him with a level-par 72. McDowell finished on four under for the tournament and six shots behind winner Brian Harman. Harman made a 28-foot birdie putt to win and end Dustin Johnson's hopes of winning a fourth title in his last four starts. World number one Johnson, on his return from injury, shot a five-under 67 to set the clubhouse lead on nine under. Ireland's Shane Lowry (72) ended on three under with Seamus Power (73) back on one over.", "summary": "Graeme McDowell carded three late bogeys to finish in a tie for 18th at the Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina on Sunday."}
{"article": "It happened in Oswestry, Shropshire, in January last year. Arsene Cubaka, 24, Nathan McCarthy, 23, and Telmo Bernardo, 19, admitted GBH. Luke Cross, 23, was convicted of threats to kill and threats to cause criminal damage after a trial. They were sentenced at Stafford Crown Court on 9 January. See more stories from across Shropshire here The court heard that at around 20:00 GMT on 23 January 2016, police were called to reports that a man in his 40s had been stabbed at an address in Castlefields, Oswestry. In the following days and weeks, the four men were arrested and remanded in custody. Police said inquiries, including analysis of mobile phones, established that they had been in contact with each other and had worked together to carry out the attack. Those convicted are: Det Insp Mark Bellamy from West Mercia Police described it as a \"pre-planned and orchestrated attack\". \"The victim required life-saving surgery and was extremely fortunate that the stabbing did not fatally wound him,\" he said. \"I hope that the sentences given to these four men enable him to begin the process of moving on with his life following this ordeal.\"", "summary": "Four men have been jailed following a \"pre-planned and orchestrated attack\" in which a man was stabbed and left needing life-saving surgery."}
{"article": "RAF serviceman Corrie Mckeague went missing after a night out in Bury St Edmunds in September. After a high-profile missing persons campaign, police revealed in March he may have ended up in a bin lorry. About 4,430 tonnes of waste have been searched so far at a landfill site at Milton, Cambridgeshire. On Monday, Suffolk Constabulary announced it would be continuing its search for the missing 23-year-old. A police spokeswoman said: \"The work is constantly being reviewed and, as the search team are still finding items from the right time frame that are identifiable as coming from the town, the search will continue on a week by week basis. \"Throughout the search officers have been working to understand exactly where waste was deposited and how it may have been spread out during the process. \"This week police will be bulk-moving further material to allow the work to continue.\" The force said it had carried out further work based on the GPS data from the refuse truck which brought the waste to the landfill site. This information, the spokeswoman said, meant the area being searched at the tip had been expanded.", "summary": "Police searching a landfill site for a missing airman have said they are finding \"items from the right time\" and place of his disappearance."}
{"article": "The report said cutting the higher rate from 40% to 30% would bring in about \u00a3500m extra a year after 10 years. The higher rate is currently paid on annual taxable income of between \u00a343,001 and \u00a3150,000. Control over income tax is due to be split between UK and Welsh ministers, once an agreement can be reached. The report, by Prof James Foreman-Peck and Dr Peng Zhou, assumed no change in England's tax rates. Although they predicted tax income in Wales could fall in the first three years after a cut, the authors said receipts should rise in the longer term as high earners find it worthwhile to move from England. \"The encouragement to some households to immigrate, increasing Welsh taxable income, is greater than the revenue lost from the reduction in the rate\", the report said. For the top earners with income of more than \u00a3150,000 a year - about one in 100 UK residents - a cut in the additional 45% rate should also boost tax income in Wales, it added. But the report said cutting the basic 20% rate would not boost migration sufficiently to make up for the lost revenue from existing taxpayers in Wales. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies has said he would like to see a 5p cut in the higher 40% rate of tax and a 2p cut in the basic 20% rate, although the party's manifesto for May's assembly election did not include these figures. He said this research \"reignites the debate about tax devolution\", adding: \"A Welsh Government with the courage to cut income tax rates could reinvigorate the Welsh economy, whist offering welcome support to hardworking families.\"", "summary": "Reducing the higher rate of income tax in Wales would raise additional revenue by attracting high earners, according to research by Cardiff Business School."}
{"article": "The cockpit voice recorder from the accident off Shetland in 2013, in which four people died, was recovered by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch. Prosecutors have not been able to access vital data to examine whether anyone was criminally responsible. The ruling will be issued at midday. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has the right to initial access to the cockpit voice recorder but it routinely chooses not to hand over the material to other bodies - in this case the Crown prosecutors. The BBC Scotland news website revealed last year an order was being sought at the Court of Session to access the data. It is a rare legal move. A total of 18 people were on board when the Super Puma crashed on its approach to Sumburgh. Helicopter passengers Sarah Darnley from Elgin, Gary McCrossan, from Inverness, Duncan Munro, from Bishop Auckland, and George Allison, from Winchester, lost their lives.", "summary": "A ruling into a bid by Scotland's top law officer to try to get air accident investigators to hand over the black box from a North Sea helicopter crash is to be issued."}
{"article": "The floral tribute of chrysanthemums included a note written by the duke. Prince William is on a week-long trip to China and Japan where he will undertake engagements to promote UK relations with both countries. He concluded his cemetery visit by signing a visitors' book, which had been placed next to a photograph of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. She was pictured laying a wreath at the same cemetery in 1995. The note on the wreath laid by the duke said: \"May we never forget all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.\" Later the prince met fellow royals Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace. He told the emperor, whom he last met in 2012 during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Sovereign Monarchs' lunch: \"Your majesty, it's very nice to see you again. Thank you for having me here - fantastic.\" When Prince William met Emperor Akihito it was an encounter between the representatives of one ancient institution and of another, which is even more ancient. Japan's imperial family is the world's oldest continuous hereditary monarchy. The latest incumbent of the Chrysanthemum throne is just an emperor. Previous Japanese monarchs had the status of living gods - something William's family would probably have found attractive during their difficult times in the 1980s and 1990s. In these more settled times for the House of Windsor, the prince is in Tokyo promoting British government interests. Born to be king, one day - as things stand - William confided in an audience about an alternative career plan if destiny wasn't in play. He said, as a child, he'd dreamt of becoming an astronaut and flirted with the idea of being either a policeman or a fire breather. Read more from Peter on his correspondent's page. The duke began his four-day visit to Japan on Thursday by taking part in a traditional tea ceremony in the capital Tokyo. In what is his first visit to the country, he also took a speedboat ride to Tokyo Bay, which will host much of the 2020 Summer Olympics. The last time a major member of Britain's royal family visited Japan was in 2008 when the duke's father, Prince Charles, came with his wife Camilla. The Duchess of Cambridge is not with her husband as she is due to give birth to their second child in April. On the first day of his tour Prince William visited the Nakajima tea house, built 350 years ago in Japan's Edo period, in the middle of a small lake within the Hama Rikyu gardens. Dr Genshitsu Sen, who is 92 and the 15th generation of his family to hold a senior role in the spiritual art of tea making, performed the traditional ceremony. He also made tea for Prince William's parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, when they visited Kyoto in 1986. During his trip, the duke is also due to be taken to the areas devastated by the 2011 tsunami and meet survivors. In China on Monday, he will launch the three-day Great Festival of Creativity at", "summary": "The Duke of Cambridge has laid a wreath to commemorate the Commonwealth war dead at Japan's Yokohama War Cemetery."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Neilson and assistant Stevie Crawford signed new deals to take them up until the end of season 2017-18. Saturday's 1-0 win over Kilmarnock moves the Edinburgh club 11 points clear in third place. \"I think there's a long way to go at this club and I want to be part of it,\" Neilson told BBC Scotland. Media playback is not supported on this device \"There's potential to keep building and take the club to where it belongs. \"That's the long term goal [to try and win the league]. It's not going to happen overnight. We need to try and build the young players coming through. We have to balance it off with selling players and producing our own and bringing good talent in.\" Hearts missed two attempts from the penalty spot as they were made to battle for all three points at home to Kilmarnock, with Jamie Walker managing to score on the rebound from his effort. \"It's good to get three points against a tough team,\" said Neilson. \"We had a couple of chances to kill the game off, it's something we need to improve. \"It gives us a lift after the disappointment last weekend at Dundee United. \"There will still be a lot of twists and turns before the end of the season, everyone can beat everyone in this league. You see today we're playing second bottom and really had to grind out a 1-0 result. Dundee United go to Ross County and win 3-0 so it just shows you there's a good standard here.\" Kilmarnock manager Lee Clark thought his side played well enough to earn at least a point but said his players have much to improve on if they are to avoid the relegation play-off. The Rugby Park men are two points adrift in 11th, while Dundee United closed the gap at the bottom to eight points, with Mixu Paatelainen's men having a game in hand. \"We're disappointed with how we've given the penalty away,\" said Clark. \"It is a penalty. I'm disappointed we haven't done more to help out our goalkeeper after a terrific save. \"In our predicament we need to get results. Good performances and not getting points on the board aren't sufficient for us. \"I've said to the players I think we've wasted the first half because we were waiting for things to happen rather than making them happen. We did that better in the second half. \"Our defensive displays have been good. We've given a disappointing penalty away, two disappointing penalties really. We've had lots of possession, lots of situations, but we need to work the goalkeeper a lot more.\"", "summary": "Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson says he extended his Tynecastle contract because he wants to lead the club to the Premiership title."}
{"article": "There was little to choose between the sides in the first half, before the goal deluge began with two inside a minute just after the interval. Kane Richards' pass released Johnny Hunt to put Chester ahead on 51 minutes before James Alabi quickly doubled their lead after a powerful run. Chester then scored three more in the final 11 minutes, triggered by Elliott Durrell firing home from the penalty spot after being fouled himself. James Akintunde then teed up winger Craig Mahon to blast in a piledriver. Substitute Akintunde still had time to get in on the act, heading in Durrell's left-wing cross, to complete City's biggest win in seven months and lift Jon McCarthy's side into the National League top half. Chester's fifth successive game without conceding a goal is their best run at this level or above in 14 years, matching the five clean sheets with which they started the 2002-03 season. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Chester FC 5, Dover Athletic 0. Second Half ends, Chester FC 5, Dover Athletic 0. Goal! Chester FC 5, Dover Athletic 0. James Akintunde (Chester FC). Sam Magri (Dover Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Dover Athletic. Mitchell Pinnock replaces Sammy Moore. Goal! Chester FC 4, Dover Athletic 0. Craig Mahon (Chester FC). Aswad Thomas (Dover Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Goal! Chester FC 3, Dover Athletic 0. Elliott Durrell (Chester FC) converts the penalty with a. Substitution, Chester FC. James Akintunde replaces Kane Richards. Substitution, Chester FC. Wade Joyce replaces Tom Shaw. Substitution, Dover Athletic. Ayo Obileye replaces Jack Parkinson. Substitution, Dover Athletic. Ira Jackson Jr replaces Moses Emmanuel. Moses Emmanuel (Dover Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Ross Lafayette (Dover Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Goal! Chester FC 2, Dover Athletic 0. James Alabi (Chester FC). Goal! Chester FC 1, Dover Athletic 0. Johnny Hunt (Chester FC). Substitution, Chester FC. Luke George replaces Ryan Astles. Second Half begins Chester FC 0, Dover Athletic 0. First Half ends, Chester FC 0, Dover Athletic 0. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Chester scored five second-half goals as they recorded their biggest win of the season at home to Dover."}
{"article": "England's Selby, 33, who beat Ding 18-14 in May's Crucible final, took a 3-1 lead before his Chinese opponent hit back, knocking in a 75 break for a 6-3 advantage going into the interval. Back came Selby with a 76 and century before he levelled the match at 6-6. But Ding, 29, took control once more, recording breaks of 97 and 63 en route to completing his win on home soil. All results from the Shanghai Masters here.", "summary": "Ding Junhui won the Shanghai Masters for the second time with a 10-6 victory over world champion Mark Selby."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old has stepped up his rehabilitation after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in October. And he told Rangers TV: \"It is going quite well and I am doing fitness work outside now on the pitch and I'm doing a lot of gym work. \"Come May, hopefully I can join in with the lads and do a full session, but the goal is to be fit for next season.\" The Croatia international joined Rangers from New York Cosmos in the summer and was beginning to find form when injury struck. \"It happened in training, my foot got stuck while I was doing a dribble and I went over on my knee and unfortunately ruptured the ACL,\" added Kranjcar, who scored three goals before being sidelined. \"You have to be patient with these injuries and I think it is really important to have it 100% before I start doing any harder work.\" The former QPR, Dynamo Kiev, Tottenham and Portsmouth star revealed the injury lay-off has made for one of the most difficult periods of his career. \"The recovery process has been a nightmare,\" Kranjcar said. \"This is definitely the worst injury I have ever had, the longest I had been out before was probably two months and this is between six and nine months. \"It is a long road and it is quite lonely. It has its ups and downs, the easiest thing to do is always to give up but once you do start doing your rehab I think there is always a voice in your head telling you to get through it. \"Obviously there are days when you watch a game of football and you're not involved so it is hard and you just wish you could play. \"I have great support at home from my missus and from my whole family and all my friends. I have been in football ages now and that helps. \"I am happy that I got injured? Of course not, it is frustrating, it is hard but I do have a motivation to come back as good as I was before the injury so I guess that is something which keeps me going.\"", "summary": "Rangers midfielder Niko Kranjcar hopes to fully recover from a knee injury in time for the start of next season."}
{"article": "Eggborough Power Station near Selby, North Yorkshire, will provide extra capacity to the grid next winter. A spokeswoman for the firm said the deal would safeguard the jobs of 85% of the workforce for a year. The 53-year-old coal-fired plant was due to stop generating in March. Power will be supplied as part of the National Grid's Supplemental Balancing Reserve scheme, which is designed to provide extra electricity in the event that there is insufficient capacity in the market to meet demand.", "summary": "A Yorkshire power station that was due to close with the loss of up to 262 jobs has signed a new 12-month contract to supply electricity to the National Grid."}
{"article": "The former Friends star talked about the primary school incident on a Wednesday-night television appearance. Mr Perry was born in the US state of Massachusetts but raised in Ottawa, Canada and attended the same school as Mr Trudeau. He said a friend recently reminded him of the long-ago altercation. The actor and comedian said he was a couple of years ahead of Mr Trudeau in school. \"I have a story about him that I'm not proud of,\" he recounted on the Jimmy Kimmel Live talk show. \"I think he was excelling in a sport that we weren't. So it was pure jealousy.\" The current prime minister lived in Ottawa and attended school there as a youth while his father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, served as prime minister. Perry, who came to fame playing the awkward, sarcastic and funny character Chandler Bing on Friends, also lived in the Canadian capital with his mother, who was a journalist and served as a former press secretary to the elder Trudeau. \"I'm not bragging about this, it was terrible, I was a stupid kid,\" he told Mr Kimmel. But he jokingly said the incident might have helped spur Mr Trudeau's future ambition. \"I think it was rather instrumental in him becoming, you know, going to such great heights and becoming the prime minister. I think he said 'I'm going to rise above this.'\" He said he still feels bad about the incident. \"I feel shame, I don't want to think about it,\" he told Mr Kimmel.", "summary": "Actor Matthew Perry is claiming that he once \"beat up\" Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau."}
{"article": "But Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington has warned it could be the last played in England for some time. Hetherington said Super League champions Leeds would have been prepared to travel to Australia. He said: \"It turned out to be too short a time scale for 2012 but it's very much on the agenda for the future.\" The game will be played on Friday, 17 February. NRL Grand Final winners Manly had proposed a Middle Eastern venue. Hetherington told a press conference at Headingley: \"Whilst there has been talk about [playing outside England] for the last eight or nine years, it's never really got far. The fact we were prepared to play in Australia probably took the Australians by surprise \"But just recently there does seem to be an appetite, particularly from the Australian clubs, to start to explore that possibility. \"I think the fact that we were prepared to play the game in Australia probably took the Australians by surprise and it made the NRL think seriously about staging it. \"A lot of preparatory work could be done. Indeed, if it was to be in Dubai or the Emirates, work could start now for 2013.\" The Rhinos have managed to secure home advantage after playing their four previous fixtures at Elland Road, home of Leeds United. Huddersfield's Galpharm Stadium, which hosted three Challenges featuring Bradford Bulls, was considered because of its undersoil heating but Hetherington is confident Headingley can be protected against frost. \"We desperately want to win the game and if our crowd and our home stadium gives us that edge we'll certainly take it,\" added Hetherington. \"Whatever the weather can throw up, we'll make sure the pitch is fit. We now have a lot of technology and we won't have a game here for two weeks prior to that game.\" With Headingley's capacity currently set at 20,000, the crowd will be well down on the Rhinos' previous Club Challenge matches at Elland Road. Leeds' meeting with Manly in 2009, which the Aussies won 28-20, was watched by 32,569. Last year saw St George Illawarra beat Wigan 21-15 at the DW Stadium.", "summary": "The 2012 World Club Challenge between English champions Leeds Rhinos and Australian champions Manly Sea Eagles will be played at Headingley."}
{"article": "Former Manchester City trainee Coulson, 22, joined Eastleigh from Oxford City in January 2016 and has scored six goals this season. Muggleton, 21, moved to Barnet in 2014 and helped them win promotion back to the Football League two years ago. Both players' moves are for undisclosed fees. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "Barnet have signed winger Luke Coulson from National League side Eastleigh, with left-back Sam Muggleton moving in the opposite direction."}
{"article": "Ketamine is licensed to be used as an anaesthetic but has a reputation as an illegal party drug. Writing in The Lancet Psychiatry, Dr Rupert McShane, who has led a trial in Oxford, since 2011 says ketamine can work on patients with depression \"where nothing has helped before\". However, he is calling for a national registry to monitor its use. Dr McShane says tens of thousands of people who have not responded to other treatment could be helped by the drug. But he adds there should be a national registry for those who prescribe the treatment to monitor the results and avoid misuse of the Class B substance. Of the 101 people taking part who had failed to find a successful depression treatment, 42 of them responded to the ketamine. \"The first ketamine infusion literally saved my life,\" says one patient. \"I had felt so desperate I was going to end it all. \"Subsequent ketamine treatment has enabled me to return to my job full-time. I still struggle at times but being able to work again has given me such a boost.\" Dr McShane hopes more doctors will use it to treat depression but fears that the UK could follow the US where there are private ketamine clinics that vary in their clinical checks. \"We think that patients' treatment should be in specialist centres and formally tracked in national or international registries. This will help us to pick up any safety or abuse problems with longer term use and narrow down what dose, frequency, route and durations of treatment works best.\" The dosage of ketamine used in his trial is much less than the amount used by people who take it as an illegal party drug - and he warns against any kind of self-medication. Dr McShane also warns it is \"not a miracle\" drug for depression and \"maintaining the benefit is a challenge\", which has so far only been achieved by repeated dosing. But participant Louise, a 36-year-old former nurse, said she did not feel that she was becoming dependent on the drug. \"I definitely do not feel at all, in any way 'hooked on' or addicted to the ketamine. I have more trouble with withdrawal and side-effects if I miss a couple of doses of my (standard) antidepressant than I do with the ketamine.\" Commenting on the paper, Prof Allan Young, from the The Royal College of Psychiatrists, said there were still \"significant gaps\" in knowledge about ketamine's use. \"Before ketamine can be recommended for use in clinical practice, extensive research is required to understand how to optimally use ketamine for treating depression,\" he said. \"The Royal College of Psychiatrists has concerns for patient safety and hence recommends mental health practitioners to proceed with caution when treating patients with ketamine.\" Cardiff University psychiatrist Dr Paul Keedwell said: \"Ketamine in the treatment of depression is one of the most exciting discoveries in psychiatry for years. \"However, more research is needed and having a registry allows researchers to share new findings, positive or negative.\"", "summary": "Doctors trialling the use of ketamine to treat depression are calling for the treatment to be rolled out."}
{"article": "The Lionesses finished third at the Women's World Cup in Canada after beating Germany for the first time. \"In my book, the players have always been legends,\" he said. \"I hope now the rest of the world and the country marks them in their paper as legends of their country.\" Media playback is not supported on this device England beat Germany 4-2 in the 1966 final at Wembley after Geoff Hurst's hat-trick, and Sampson said his team had achieved similar moments as they secured a bronze medal - their most successful World Cup finish. By beating European champions Germany 1-0 - thanks to Fara Williams's extra-time penalty - they finished as the highest-ranked European nation in Canada, and ended a winless record against the world's number one team that had spanned 20 matches and 31 years. \"It's special to be talked about even in the same breath as the team from 1966,\" added Sampson. \"There are moments from that tournament back in '66, the Hurst hat-trick, the Bobby Moore tackle, and the players will remembered forever for some of the moments in this tournament. \"Whether that be a clearance off the line, a save, a goal, a block, a tackle or a header, we hope that in 50-60 years this team is still spoken about for some of the special moments they have brought to the world over the course of this tournament.\" England's first win over Germany came three days after Laura Bassett scored an injury-time own goal against Japan in the semi-finals. And it is also seven months since the Lionesses lost 3-0 to Sylvia Neid's Germany at Wembley. Sampson, 32, said: \"It was an incredible result for the team, we knew the challenge we faced, not only against a world-class German side but to bounce back from the blow of the semi-final. \"The performance speaks volumes of the players. I'm incredibly proud of them. To achieve the third place, to be the top European team in the tournament and finally beat Germany, is something the players will be remembered for.\" England's first win over Germany came 25 years to the day since the men's team were knocked out of the 1990 World Cup on penalties by Germany. \"This nation has had 25 years of hurt and more against Germany,\" Sampson added. \"It was about time that a team stepped up and found a way to start the ball facing in a different direction and the team did.\" Sampson also praised his side's resilience so soon after they were denied a place in the final following Bassett's own goal against Japan. \"We never used the words 'third-fourth place play-off', we didn't feel it was befitting of this team in the way we played in this tournament. And we were playing the greatest nation in women's football,\" he said. \"Defeating Germany is an incredible result for the team, we knew the challenge we faced, not only against a world-class German team but to bounce back from the blow of the semi-final. \"It's not so long ago that we came off after", "summary": "Head coach Mark Sampson said his players deserve to be legends after achieving the best placed finish by an England team since the men's side won the World Cup in 1966."}
{"article": "What began as anger over last month's attack has snowballed into fury over the authorities' response. Protests reached a peak at the weekend when up to 25,000 marched through Calcutta's streets. Students say they will not return to class until the vice-chancellor quits. Dozens of students were injured when Vice-Chancellor Abhijit Chakraborty called in police last Tuesday night to quell a protest on campus. The classrooms at Jadavpur university are empty. There are students walking about but they are all boycotting their lessons. Some are tattooing the word \"shame\" on their arms. The walls are covered with posters, calling on the vice-chancellor to resign. It is the only topic of conversation. One young student told me \"I will not set foot in my classes until he has been thrown out of this institution\". A female student said: \"if we do not stand up and protest what will happen if someone attacks me\"? Many here are angry and there is a mood of defiance in the air. Student leaders are meeting to decide what to do next. Whatever decision they take it will be some time before classrooms here are full of students again. The students accused the authorities of brutality, saying they were attacked while they were protesting \"peacefully\". Mr Chakraborty has defended the police action. He said he called the police and asked them to rescue him and some staff members after they were surrounded by the protesting students for 10 to 12 hours. On Sunday night the West Bengal government said representatives of its education department would form a panel to investigate the assault. The student was attacked on campus on 28 August. A police case was registered, but no arrests have been made yet. The students have been protesting against police inaction since 11 September and have accused the university authorities of apathy.", "summary": "Students at Calcutta's Jadavpur University say they will continue a boycott despite a government vow to set up a panel to investigate a sexual assault on a female student."}
{"article": "The lorry was stopped just outside Armagh on Wednesday night. A police officer told Newry Court that Conor Toal, 30, from Oakridge in Armagh city, was spotted passing objects from his car to the lorry. It was driven by Darren Donnelly, 32, from Willowmount Avenue in Omagh, County Tyrone. A subsequent search of the lorry led to the discovery of the money. The officer said he believed the cash was being transported to England, where it was to be used by a major crime gang to buy illegal drugs to bring back to Northern Ireland. A later search of Mr Toal's home uncovered another \u00a34,000 in cash and four luxury watches, including two made by Rolex. Both men denied charges of possessing criminal property, transporting criminal property and entering into an arrangement. The judge refused bail because he said he feared the pair could interfere with the police investigation, which is at an early stage. They are due to appear again via videolink at Armagh Court on 13 September.", "summary": "Two men have been remanded in custody after being charged following the discovery of more than \u00a3400,000 in cash inside a lorry."}
{"article": "Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric were the flankers in the 21-16 defeat in Cardiff, with Ross Moriarty outstanding at number eight. Moriarty was replaced in the second half by fit-again Taulupe Faletau - but ex-flanker Williams said Wales \"can't drop\" the Gloucester man. \"It's working at the minute,\" he said. \"You keep the same back row. And you've got Faletau to come off the bench.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Faletau's second-half appearance was his comeback following a knee injury suffered playing for Bath on 24 December. Cardiff Blues' Warburton, Tipuric of Ospreys and Gloucester's Moriarty also started in Wales' opening Six Nations game - the 33-7 win in Italy. Williams, who won 100 caps for Wales between 1996 and 2012, has been impressed with the form of 22-year-old Moriarty for club and country. \"He was simply sensational for the time he was on the park last week,\" Williams told BBC Wales' Scrum V programme. \"You can't drop someone like Moriarty. Again on Friday night for Gloucester against Saracens he was outstanding. If somebody's in that form just keep them going. \"There's always been a debate come Warburton and Tipuric playing together and it's been so far so good in this tournament.\" Williams also believes wing Alex Cuthbert responded in style to criticism of his performance in the defeat by England with a try in the Blues' 57-20 win over Treviso. Cuthbert missed a tackle on Elliot Daly for England's winning try in the Six Nations match and was released back to his region. Blues head coach Danny Wilson has urged Welsh fans to back the 26-year-old wing while Williams was impressed with the performance of his former team-mate against Treviso. \"It just shows his mental strength,\" Williams said. \"He could easily have had the week off and go and hide but he wanted to play and it was the old Alex Cuthbert. \"It was good to see him back in form.\"", "summary": "Wales should select the same back row that started against England when they travel to Scotland on Saturday, says ex-captain Martyn Williams."}
{"article": "The ICC Development Programme Annual Awards have been running since 2002 and are open to countries who are associate and affiliate members. Cricket Scotland's Ian Sandbrook said: \"This is great recognition for our clubs, schools, coaches, volunteers and staff that have all put in a huge amount of effort to grow and sustain the game we love.\" The winner of the ICC award receives a cricket equipment grant of \u00a33,500 to its national cricket body. Cricket Scotland's head of participation was delighted to receive such recognition for its grassroots programmes. \"We are continually looking at how we can improve our work with clubs, schools and other key stakeholders to attract new people to the game and build a sustainable future for cricket,\" said Sandbrook. \"Great initiatives like the Thriving Clubs Programme, CricketForce, Community Coaching Programme, our new Club Awards, Last Man Stands leagues, the roll out of the curriculum for excellence programme, and our continued growth in female cricket, has started to establish a stronger foundation for the game to flourish. \"From my perspective, we have only just started and we're absolutely committed to building on this to take cricket to the next level in Scotland.\" Meanwhile, Scotland will play two one-day internationals against Afghanistan at The Grange in Edinburgh on 4 and 6 July, with Hong Kong visiting the same venue on 8 and 10 September.", "summary": "Scotland has won the International Cricket Council's Best Overall Cricket Development Programme Award for 2015."}
{"article": "The amount of money paid to home owners and businesses producing electricity from roof-top panels is to fall from 12.92p per kilowatt hour to 4.39p. Based on government estimates, 1,870 out of 3,230 jobs are at risk. Sheffield council voted on Wednesday to stop fitting panels on homes because it was no longer affordable. The region has been one of the largest adopters of the renewable energy source, with 62,149 solar homes and 1,744 big solar rooftops on schools, warehouses and other commercial buildings. In 2011, roof-top panels were fitted to Bradford Cathedral, at a cost of \u00c2\u00a350,000, making it the first in the UK to generate power in such a way. If a company has gone bust, householders with solar panels should check whether the equipment has insurance-backed warranty, which may cover repairs. If this is not the case, the Solar Trade Association can put people in touch with a member who is part of its repair agreement service. The average cost for a 4kWp system, which comprises 16 panels, is about \u00c2\u00a35,600. The feed-in-tariff system was designed to give financial incentive for home owners and businesses to install the equipment. It pays producers a subsidy for the electricity they generate, plus a bonus for any electricity exported back to the national grid. Homeowner Dan Andrews had the solar panels fitted at Christmas and said he would not have paid almost \u00c2\u00a38,000 for them under the new tariff. \"We wouldn't have done it with the changes being brought in,\" he said. \"It's a big investment over a long period of time and it's not worth the risk when the payback could be in 15 or 20 years time.\" The industry said the cut, which comes into effect from midnight, had already cost 6,500 jobs nationally and estimated up to a total of 18,700 jobs could be under threat across the UK. Thomas Newby, managing director of The Phoenix Works, a renewable energy installation company in Farsley, said solar panels represented 60% of his turnover and the reduction put the firm in \"a lot of difficulty\". \"A lot of people buy them in part for ideological reasons but there's obviously a financial element and it's got to make financial sense.\" The government said it continued to support low carbon sector but for it be sustainable it needed to be driven by competition and innovation, not subsidies.", "summary": "More than half the jobs in the solar panel industry in Yorkshire and the Humber are at risk through a government cut in subsidies for householders."}
{"article": "The authorities expressed concern over the incident and called for both countries \"to do more\" to contribute towards peace. But Beijing did not condemn North Korea's actions. Apart from issuing a couple of bland statements, the authorities here have said nothing. That is not surprising. When it comes to North Korea, Beijing almost never criticises its neighbour, no matter how troublesome it proves. The state-run media has followed suit. It has not pointed the finger at Pyongyang and gave play to North Korean claims that the border exchange was triggered by South Korea. One newspaper editorial even praised Pyongyang for showing what it called \"toughness\" during the skirmish. Beijing, however, finds itself in a difficult position. It is North Korea's main ally, supplying much of the country's food and fuel. It is also a relationship that was forged during the Korean War and has now lasted more than half a century. When the reclusive North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, needs foreign backing, he boards his train and heads to China. He has been in the country twice this year. Once after the sinking of a South Korean warship, which a team of international investigators said was caused by a North Korean torpedo. And then ahead of a major military parade in which his son, Kim Jong-un, was unveiled as his likely successor. Beijing views the country as a buffer state against a democratic South Korea and American forces stationed there. And if the North Korean regime were to collapse, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of refugees would cross the border. In recent years, however, the relationship between the two countries has been strained. After North Korea detonated a nuclear device for the first time in 2006, Beijing voted to impose UN sanctions on the country. It was a rare moment when China sought to publicly punish the regime. With China now a world power some Chinese see their country's continued support of North Korea as something of an embarrassment. Indeed, the West hopes that Beijing can exert its influence in Pyongyang to ease tensions. But for all the help the authorities here give their neighbour, it is unclear how much leverage China actually has over North Korea. While in public the Chinese authorities will not be criticising North Korea, in private, there will be deep concerns in Beijing that Pyongyang's actions could threaten regional stability. This latest attack may strengthen those in Beijing who view the country as more of a liability than an asset.", "summary": "While Western leaders and editorials have condemned North Korea's artillery barrage of its southern neighbour on Tuesday, in China the response has been more muted."}
{"article": "The former Liverpool striker fired the hosts into the lead before Ricardo Pereira doubled the lead. Marquinhos pulled one back but Thiago Motta was dismissed for clashing with Paul Baysse before Anastasios Donis made it 3-1. Angel Di Maria was shown a straight red for a challenge on Arnaud Souquet. Victory for Nice sees them move three points behind second-placed PSG, who had won their previous eight league games to keep their title chances alive. But Leonardo Jardim's Monaco, who have a game in hand over PSG, require seven points from their last four games to be crowned champions of France for the first time since 2000. Florian Thauvin scored a hat-trick as Marseille won 5-1 away at Caen to keep alive their hopes of playing in next season's Europa League. The French forward, who is on loan from Newcastle United, scored in the second, 63rd and 89th minutes against the relegation-threatened hosts. The 24-year-old has scored 15 goals in 35 Ligue 1 games since moving to France last August. Marseille are sixth in Ligue 1, one point behind fifth-placed Bordeaux with three games remaining. A fifth-placed finish will secure a place in the Europa League third qualifying round. Match ends, Nice 3, Paris Saint Germain 1. Second Half ends, Nice 3, Paris Saint Germain 1. \u00c1ngel Di Mar\u00eda (Paris Saint Germain) is shown the red card. Foul by \u00c1ngel Di Mar\u00eda (Paris Saint Germain). Arnaud Souquet (Nice) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Goal! Nice 3, Paris Saint Germain 1. Anastasios Donis (Nice) header from very close range to the bottom left corner. Thiago Motta (Paris Saint Germain) is shown the red card for violent conduct. Foul by Thiago Motta (Paris Saint Germain). Paul Baysse (Nice) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Mickael Le Bihan (Nice). Thiago Silva (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ricardo Pereira (Nice). Foul by Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint Germain). Mickael Le Bihan (Nice) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Lucas Moura (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by \u00c1ngel Di Mar\u00eda with a cross. Substitution, Nice. Mounir Obbadi replaces Vincent Koziello. Attempt missed. Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Foul by Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint Germain). Jean Michael Seri (Nice) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Offside, Paris Saint Germain. Thomas Meunier tries a through ball, but Marquinhos is caught offside. Corner, Paris Saint Germain. Conceded by Arnaud Souquet. Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ricardo Pereira (Nice). Substitution, Paris Saint Germain. Lucas Moura replaces Julian Draxler. Substitution, Nice. Mickael Le Bihan replaces Mario Balotelli. Foul by Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint Germain). Paul Baysse (Nice) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. \u00c1ngel Di Mar\u00eda (Paris Saint", "summary": "Mario Balotelli scored as Nice beat nine-man Paris St-Germain to leave Monaco firmly in the driving seat for their first Ligue 1 title for 17 years."}
{"article": "The victim, in his 30s, was attacked by a group of five or six youths in Grosvenor Street, Cheltenham, on Friday. He was known to his attackers, Gloucestershire Police said. All three boys were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH). The eldest, aged 14, was arrested separately from the younger pair. Police appealed for witnesses to the attack, which happened at about 17:30 BST.", "summary": "A teenager and two 12-year-old boys have been arrested after a man was stabbed and hit with a baseball bat in a street attack."}
{"article": "One sign depicted a woman above the word \"kitchen\" and another showed a man alongside the word \"stadium\". Lyon's president said on Twitter the club were investigating the incident. Lille have since confirmed their home match against Lorient on Saturday will be free for all women, saying: \"Ladies, you are welcome with us.\" Lyon's women's team have won the French title 14 times and their captain Wendie Renard highlighted the banners on Twitter, saying: \"Lyon supporters... can you give me an explanation for that banner? The men at the stadium, the women in the kitchen?\" Club president Jean Michel Aulas replied: \"The club will get tough and will file a complaint against the creator of this banner.\" Lyon, who are fourth in the league, lost the match 2-1 at Parc Olympique Lyonnais. This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser", "summary": "Lille have offered free entry to women after sexist banners appeared in the home crowd in Saturday's Ligue 1 match at Lyon."}
{"article": "It said the \"damning\" information on the new driver-only-operated (DOO) services came from passengers and rail workers. Southern said industrial action and a drivers' overtime ban had displaced its on-board supervisors \"on occasions\". A 24-hour walkout by RMT conductors on the Southern network over changes to their roles is under way. Southern is replacing conductors with on-board supervisors (OBS) who would no longer be in charge of closing train doors. The company has said the changes it is making are \"small\" and \"safe\". But the RMT believes public safety is at risk. It also says a second member of staff on trains is critical. The union said that, in previous correspondence to MPs, Southern anticipated 0.06% of trains would run without an OBS, the equivalent to one service, every two days. But the RMT said information provided for five days - 9, 12, 14, 15 and 18 January - suggested 15 trains travelled without one. It said this was at least six times more trains than promised. RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said the union believed the instances of trains running without a second person were \"far more widespread and will rapidly and substantially increase\". A Southern spokesperson said: \"Last-minute changes to some services caused by the industrial action and the drivers' overtime ban has displaced the on-board supervisor so that, on occasions, they've not been able to join the train. \"Previously, this train would have had to be cancelled but we can now run the service and avoid disrupting hundreds of passengers.\"", "summary": "Many more Southern trains than promised are travelling without a second member of staff, the RMT union has claimed."}
{"article": "2012 Olympic bronze medallist Conlan has signed professional terms with the American-based promoter Top Rank. Colorado native Ibarra, 26, has lost four of his nine pro bouts - including three defeats in his last five fights. Katie Taylor boxes in New York the next day on the undercard of Gennady Golovkin's contest with Daniel Jacobs. Meanwhile, Carl Frampton has been named as Ring magazine's 2016 fighter of the year. The Belfast boxer, 29, wins the award after a year that saw him defeat the previously unbeaten Leo Santa Cruz to win the WBA featherweight title. That meant Frampton became the first Northern Ireland fighter to win world titles at two weights. Frampton's contest with Santa Cruz was rated as a classic and the duo have a rematch in Las Vegas on 28 January. Prior to his New York victory over Santa Cruz, Frampton defeated England's Scott Quigg on points in their world super-bantamweight title unification bout. The Belfast fighter edged out Terence Crawford, Roman Gonzalez, Vasyl Lomachenko and Manny Pacquiao for the Ring award.", "summary": "Michael Conlan will fight little-known American Tim Ibarra in his first professional bout at New York's Madison Square Garden Theater on 17 March."}
{"article": "He said he would require ministers and civil servants to record all meetings with newspaper and media proprietors, senior editors and executives. Labour leader Ed Miliband said he hoped it would be \"retrospective\" back to the 2010 election. He again attacked Mr Cameron about his decision to hire Andy Coulson at No 10. The issue came up at a fiery Prime Minister's Questions ahead of a statement in which Mr Cameron gave more details of a proposed inquiry into phone hacking. MPs were due to debate calls for News Corporation to withdraw its bid to fully take over BSkyB - but the company withdrew it shortly beforehand saying it was \"too difficult to progress in this climate\". It follows allegations that the phones of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, the families of the Soham murder victims and of British soldiers killed in action, had been hacked. Former PMs Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have both faced Freedom of Information requests over their meetings with News Corporation boss Rupert Murdoch and Mr Cameron has also faced headlines about his \"secret meetings\" with Mr Murdoch. At PMQs on Wednesday, he said what had happened at News International - News Corporation's UK arm - was \"disgraceful\" and the company should \"stop thinking about mergers when they've got to sort out the mess they have created\". But he added: \"If we are going to say to the police 'you must be more transparent and cut out corruption', if we are going to say to the media 'you must be more transparent and cut out this malpractice' then, yes, the relationship between politicians and the media must change and we must be more transparent too about meetings.\" He said politicians had been \"too silent\" about media tactics in the past: \"That is part of the problem. Your bins are gone through by some media organisation but you hold back from dealing with it because you want good relations with the media. \"What we need is some honesty about this issue on cross-party basis so we can take on this problem.\" The prime minister's official spokesman said Mirror Group reporters had gone through Mr Cameron's bins when he was in opposition. In his statement to MPs later, he said he would consult Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell about amending the ministerial code \"to require ministers to record all meetings with newspaper and other media proprietors, senior editors and executives - regardless of the nature of the meeting\". Top civil servants and special advisers would also have to record such meetings - and the information would be published quarterly. Mr Miliband said he welcomed the proposal but added: \"I hope and expect he will ensure that that proposal is implemented in a retrospective way back to the last general election.\" BBC political editor Nick Robinson said it appeared the change would not mean every meeting with every journalist would have to be recorded - but he said it would allow people to see whether there was a pattern of politicians meeting particular proprietors or newspapers in advance of important decisions.", "summary": "David Cameron has said the relationship between politicians and the media \"must change\" and pledged to be more open about meetings with media bosses."}
{"article": "It was hoped the size of the clothing optional section of coastline in Budleigh Salterton, Devon, would be increased after tidal activity rendered the current area \"uncomfortable\" to sit on. But the town council blocked the move. British Naturism said the decision was \"ridiculous\" and \"offensive\" to its members. The council was unconvinced by the argument the tide had washed away pebbles on the beach and left rock behind, making it \"too uncomfortable\" for naturists. Its foreshore and footpaths committee said naturists could still use the beach if they put a \"towel or lilo down\" and voted against extending it by 200 yards (183m) eastwards. Andrew Welch, from British Naturism, said: \"Naturism is not illegal and we don't need designated places so it is offensive for any social group like ours to be treated in this way. \"It harks back to the 1950s and we want to show these ridiculous authority figures that they are wrong and completely out of touch.\" Town mayor Courtney Richards said if the nudist beach was extended it would be about 200 yards from the town's beach huts. \"Budleigh Salterton is a family friendly town and I feel it is something families could do without, so I have a problem with them coming nearer to the town,\" he said. \"And I think the majority of people in Budleigh Salterton would not want that either.\" However, Mr Welch said the council should designate a new beach for naturists. The closest alternative is Weston Mouth, near Branscombe, about 10 miles away. East Devon District Council, which owns the beach, has also been asked if the site can be moved but has made no decision. A spokeswoman said it would work with the town council on the request. The \"nude\" section of Budleigh beach was first designated in the 1970s.", "summary": "Naturists have branded a decision to deny their bid to extend a section of nudist beach as \"old-fashioned\"."}
{"article": "A television documentary has alleged Blatter has stayed away from the country since 2011 over a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe. But the 79-year-old Swiss said: \"I know that in the US there is an investigation against former people who have been in my government. \"There is nothing against me.\" The investigation into alleged football corruption reportedly involves ex-Fifa executive committee members, American Chuck Blazer and Trinidadian Jack Warner. Blatter added he plans to visit the US in June 2016, to coincide with next year's Copa America tournament. He last visited the US in May 2011 for a meeting of North American confederation Concacaf, and it had been suggested - including in an ESPN documentary this week - that he had deliberately stayed away since then due to the probe. However, Blatter, who is currently running for a fifth term as president of football's world governing body, said: \"I will be there if elected. Even if not elected, they will invite me I am sure.\" Earlier on Friday, Blatter sent a letter to all 209 Fifa member associations identifying several areas where \"there is still work to be done\", including promoting women's football, combating discrimination and racism, and cracking down on match fixing. A Fifa spokesman said it was unconnected to Blatter's bid for re-election. Election rules state that candidates must not mix campaign activities with duties connected to their official positions. Fifa's member associations will appoint their next president when they meet in Zurich on 29 May.", "summary": "Fifa chief Sepp Blatter says he is not being investigated by United States authorities - but admitted former colleagues are."}
{"article": "Yassar Yaqub, 28, was fatally wounded in Huddersfield on a slip road at Junction 24 on Monday evening. What appeared to be a non-police issue firearm was found in the vehicle Mr Yaqub was travelling in, the IPCC said. Police are believed to have searched his home in the town. Armed officers could be seen outside. West Yorkshire Police said earlier that Mr Yaqub was shot during a planned operation. The weapon found at the scene is being \"further examined\", the IPCC said. Its investigators are continuing to seek any relevant CCTV footage and initial accounts have been obtained from the police officers involved. A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said five people had been arrested as part of the operation, including three in the M62 incident. Several of those arrested required hospital treatment for injuries \"not related to firearm discharge\", the police spokesman said. No police officers were injured. A spokesman for Mr Yaqub's family said they were \"in shock, and are distraught\". He asked for their privacy to be respected. Mr Yaqub, of Rudding Street, Crosland Moor, Huddersfield, was acquitted of attempted murder seven years ago following a shooting in Birkby in the town. He was found not guilty after a judge threw out the prosecution case against him, the Huddersfield Examiner reported. IPCC Commissioner Derrick Campbell: \"My thoughts are with Mr Yaqub's family and all those affected at this difficult time. \"Though in its early stages, this investigation is making good progress but will be complex.\" He asked for patience while the IPCC investigation continues. The BBC's home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the M62 incident was the fifth fatal police shooting in England and Wales in the past nine months and the first involving West Yorkshire Police since December 2010. November 2016: Lewis Skelton, 31, was Tasered and shot dead by Humberside Police in Hull, amid reports he was \"running around with an axe\". November 2016: Josh Pitt, 24, died after being shot by a firearms officer in Luton as Bedfordshire Police responded to reports that a woman had been assaulted. May 2016: William Smith, 36, was shot dead in Goudhurst, Kent, while on bail in connection with the death of 73-year-old Roy Blackman. March 2016: James Wilson, 24, died in hospital after being shot by Northumbria Police in South Shields after police responded to reports a man was holding a handgun.", "summary": "A suspected firearm was found in a car carrying a man who was shot dead in a police operation off the M62, the watchdog the IPCC has said."}
{"article": "There is a buoyancy about the Labour campaign at the moment, his public performances have improved, and his team believe he has more to gain than to lose from taking part in this big set-piece campaign event. And for today at least, it gives Labour a tactical advantage, ammunition to portray Theresa May as cowering and afraid of making her arguments. Tory sources say there is no chance that she will change her mind and join him in the last minute dash to the debate. One source said: \"This election isn't about who can squabble with six other politicians - it's about who can negotiate against 27 other nations.\" But it makes her vulnerable to the charge that she is evading scrutiny, despite the fact that, like the other leaders, she has been taking regular questions from journalists and will take part in another big public Q&A on Friday night. It's the direct head-to-head debate with Jeremy Corbyn that she, just like David Cameron in 2015, has refused to take part in. Exactly as in the wider election campaign, the incumbent, the frontrunner has everything to lose, the insurgent opponent, everything to gain. Earlier I wrote that Jeremy Corbyn had nothing to lose in taking part in tonight's big debate, he is clearly enjoying being the insurgent in this campaign, with some of the polls tightening and his message getting a wider hearing. He has indeed, a lot to less to lose than the incumbent, Theresa May who is the frontrunner. But Labour sources also suggest he had an additional motivation. I'm told that Mr Corbyn and his team wanted to move on from a day of damaging headlines about his lack of grip on his childcare policy, \"quick fast\". His decision to take part after weeks of refusing to do so has certainly changed the subject. That's denied by sources close to the Labour leader, who say their feeling from Tuesday morning was to take part, but logistical issues meant that the team and Mr Corbyn weren't able to make the final decision until this morning.", "summary": "After flirting with the idea for the last few weeks, Jeremy Corbyn's confirmed he will take part in the seven-way party leaders' debate tonight in Cambridge."}
{"article": "Higgins found the net near the end of the second period and Steve Saviano made it 2-0 in the third period, Higgins then completing the scoring. The victory completed a good weekend for the Giants, who beat Nottingham Panthers 7-4 in Belfast on Saturday. Derrick Walser's side now prepare for a busy schedule of Christmas fixtures. That sequence begins with the second leg of their Challenge Cup quarter-final against Manchester Storm at the SSE Arena on Tuesday evening, the score standing at 3-3 after the first leg. Edinburgh Capitals are the visitors to Belfast for back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday. Sunday's triumph saw the Giants close the gap on league leaders Cardiff Devils to eight points, with Belfast having two games in hand. Stephen Murphy started in the Giants net while Ryan Martinelli sat out the game through injury. Media playback is not supported on this device Three goals in the third period saw the Giants take victory on Saturday, with Colin Shields, Blair Riley and Chris Higgins all on target. The Giants led 3-2 after the first period but the Panthers were level at 4-4 after the second period of play. Brandon Benedict, Jim Vandermeer, Alex Foster and Riley were the Giants' scorers in the opening two periods. Jeff Brown grabbed a double for the visitors, with Brian McGrattan and Dan Spang also finding the net for Nottingham.", "summary": "Chris Higgins scored twice as the Belfast Giants kept up their Elite League title challenge by defeating Coventry Blaze 3-0 on Sunday night."}
{"article": "Duckett, 21, is in England's winter tour squad to Bangladesh after scoring 1,338 Championship runs this summer. Chris Woakes was named England Test Player of the Summer and Tammy Beaumont was voted Women's Player of the Summer. Duckett said the awards are \"probably the highlight of my summer\". He added: \"I got my England call-ups and so many other things have happened. If someone had said at the start of the season that all this would happen I wouldn't have believed it. \"What makes the PCA awards so special is that you are voted for by your peers. People who you play against vote for you and that means a lot to me. I can't keep the smile off my face. I wasn't expecting this.\" Beaumont scored centuries in her three England one-day internationals against Pakistan and helped Kent complete a Championship and T20 double. She beat Natalie Sciver and Lauren Winfield to the award, voted for by her fellow England players. \"It's been a bit of a breakthrough summer for me. I hadn't really cemented my place before so to have a season like that was unbelievable,\" Beaumont said. Team of the Year Adam Lyth (Yorkshire), Keaton Jennings (Durham), Ben Duckett (Northamptonshire), Joe Root (c) (Yorkshire & England), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire & England), Liam Dawson (Hampshire & England), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire & England), Keith Barker (Warwickshire), Toby Roland-Jones (Middlesex) and Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire) Sixes Award Colin Ingram (Glamorgan) One-Day Cup Player of the Year Graeme White (Northamptonshire) T20 Blast Player of the Year Colin Ingram (Glamorgan) PCA Special Merit Award Marcus Trescothick ECB Special Award Mike Selvey Overall PCA County MVP Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire) Harold Goldblatt Award for the PCA Umpire of the Year Michael Gough PCA England Masters MVP Mal Loye", "summary": "Northamptonshire opener Ben Duckett has become the first cricketer to win the Professional Cricketers' Association Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards in the same year."}
{"article": "As well as allowing robots to quickly respond to potential damage to their systems, it could also protect humans who are increasingly working alongside them. The scientists plan to base the system on \"insights from human pain research\". To test it, they fitted a robotic arm with a fingertip sensor that could detect pressure and temperature. The researchers, from Leibniz University in Hannover, are developing a system that would allow a robot to \"be able to detect and classify unforeseen physical states and disturbances, rate the potential damage they may cause to it and initiate appropriate countermeasures, ie reflexes\", they explained. Just as human neurons transmit pain, the artificial ones will pass on information that can be classified by the robot as either light, moderate or severe pain. Researcher Johannes Kuehn told IEEE Spectrum: \"Pain is a system that protects us. When we move away from the source of pain, it helps us not get hurt.\" Teaching robots about a range of stimulus is important, robotics expert from Cambridge University Prof Fumiya Iida told the BBC. \"Getting robots to learn is one of the most challenging things but is fundamental because it will make them more intelligent,\" he said. \"Learning is all about trial and error. When a child learns that falling over causes pain, it then learns to do it with more skill.\"", "summary": "Researchers from Germany are developing an artificial nervous system aimed at teaching robots how to feel pain."}
{"article": "Despite all the talk about the challenges he faces in trying to catch Hillary Clinton, it's still a remarkable achievement given how far back he started from the former secretary of state when the race began last year. The Vermont senator wasn't in Wisconsin to relish the win, however. He chose to spend primary night instead at a rally in Wyoming, which holds its Democratic caucus on Saturday. For Mr Sanders every delegate counts if he wants to catch Mrs Clinton - a formidable task given the sizable lead she built up by routing the Vermont senator in contests across the South last month. But even if it doesn't give him much of a delegate boost, this Wisconsin result does offer Mr Sanders that most precious of political commodities - momentum. He'll likely post another victory in Wyoming, and then all eyes turn to New York in two weeks - where Mr Sanders grew up and Mrs Clinton served as a senator for six years. Mr Sanders, if his recent string of victories is to be anything more than a political footnote, will need to attract black and Hispanic votes in numbers he has yet achieve. If he can do that, then the narrative in this race stops being Mrs Clinton's inevitability and becomes a question of whether the front-runner can hang on. If New York is the key, however, Mr Sanders's campaign there may be stumbling out of the gate. Today he received a raft of negative press for an interview he gave with the editorial board of the Daily News, a New York City newspaper, that critics say exposes his thin grasp on the issues - and foreign policy in particular. When asked about Israeli-relations, the senator said he didn't know the answer to some questions and wasn't qualified to respond to others. He said he hasn't thought much about where so-called Islamic State leaders captured by the US should be held and didn't know whether President Barack Obama has the right policy to deal with IS. He even demurred on questions about whether the US government has the authority to order the breakup of banks that the president determines are too powerful. \"If a bank is too big to fail, it is too big to exist,\" he said. \"And then you have the secretary of treasury and some people who know a lot about this, making that determination.\" Gloves come off for Clinton and Sanders - It's crunch time in the Democratic race and nerves are starting to fray #BernieMadeMeWhite: Minority supporters of Sanders speak out - Supporters push back against \"all-white\" narrative Trump, Clinton and the 'None of the Above' era - Rarely have those running for high office been held in such low esteem Full US election coverage from the BBC The headlines following the interview were scathing. \"This New York Daily News interview was pretty close to a disaster for Bernie Sanders,\" read the Washington Post. \"Even on bread-and-butter matters like breaking up the big banks, the Democratic presidential hopeful came across as tentative, unprepared or", "summary": "Bernie Sanders can now boast four wins in a row and victories in six of the last seven contests for the Democratic presidential nomination."}
{"article": "There is no scientific way of accurately measuring how many people will be so incensed by President Trump's executive order on immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries that they feel compelled to carry out a violent act against a US or Western target. Perhaps dozens, perhaps none. There is also no scientific way of measuring how many potential violent extremists have now been shut out of the US because of the order. But one thing is clear: in the ever-shifting ideological battle to win hearts and minds, this is one-nil to the extremists of so-called Islamic State (IS). Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, whose country is currently helping Iraqi forces drive out IS, said the US move would \"be recorded in history as a great gift to extremists and their supporters\". He added that it \"only serves to provide a fertile ground for more terrorist recruitment by deepening the ruptures and fault-lines which have been exploited by extremist demagogues\". In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, a foreign ministry spokesman said it deeply regretted the move \"because we believe it would affect the global fight against terrorism\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 It is wrong to link radicalism and terrorism with one particular religion\". Even America's closest ally, Britain, has been critical. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted that in his personal view the move \"is divisive, discriminatory and wrong\". Behind the scenes, where the ideological battle against violent extremism is fought in internet chatrooms, over anti-terrorist hotlines, and with tip-offs from the public, one effect of the immigration order will be to, at least temporarily, inhibit co-operation between the US and the very countries whose help it needs in fighting Islamic extremism. Iraq, whose forces have undergone an extensive retraining programme with help from US advisers, has been quick to retaliate by imposing similar restrictions on US visitors. At street level, anything that portrays the US government as being anti-Muslim - and that is exactly how this is going down in much of the Middle East - makes it harder to fight the narrative of IS and other extremists. Largely obscured by the tumult and confusion over President Trump's Executive Order is one simple, compelling fact: the people whose actions bear the original blame for much of the mistrust and negative stereotyping of Muslims, on both sides of the Atlantic, are not the mainstream Muslim populations themselves. It is the extremists from al-Qaeda, IS, al-Shabab and other affiliate groups who have waged violent jihad in the name of their common religion. Through their actions, these extremists are looking to separate Muslims from non-Muslims and to create a gulf between them. They crave a return to a time when much of the inhabited world was divided into Dar al-Islam (lands inhabited and ruled by Muslims according to Sharia, Islamic law) and Dar al-Harb (literally \"the House of War\", meaning all the other lands). Anything that helps polarise the world's populations further down this path of segregation and an \"us and them\" mentality is welcomed by the extremists. When refugees surged out of Syria and headed west towards Europe", "summary": "Yes, in a word."}
{"article": "Prices in November were 4.4% higher than a year earlier, compared with a 4.6% increase in October. The building society said prices rose by 0.1% from the month before, with the average cost of a home now \u00c2\u00a3204,947. Nationwide said there were signs that demand for houses had picked up in the past few months. \"There are some signs that, despite the uncertain economic outlook, demand conditions have strengthened a little in recent months, reflecting the impact of solid labour market conditions and historically low borrowing costs,\" said Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist. \"Mortgage approvals increased in October, and surveyors report that new buyer enquiries have increased modestly. \"The relatively low number of homes on the market and modest rates of housing construction are likely to keep the demand/supply balance fairly tight in the quarters ahead, even if economic conditions weaken, as most forecasters expect.\" Where can I afford to live?", "summary": "Annual house price growth has slowed to its lowest rate since January, according to the UK's second largest mortgage lender, the Nationwide."}
{"article": "George Monteith, 59, was last seen at his home in the Tillydrone area of the city on Thursday. Formal identification of the body has still to take place but the family of Mr Monteith have been informed. The death is currently being treated as unexplained and inquiries are continuing. A spokesman for Police Scotland said a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.", "summary": "Police searching for a missing man in Aberdeen have found a body."}
{"article": "It cost Charles Clarke his job as home secretary when back in 2006 it emerged that more than 1,000 foreign prisoners who should have been deported hadn't been. It's also been the subject of several select committee inquiries. And it continues to vex the Conservative MP for Kettering, Philip Hollobone. Throughout his time as an MP he has raised concerns about the number of foreigners in our prisons and our failure to send them back home to serve their sentences. Now a government minister not only praised him for his campaign, but admitted that he too shares Mr Hollobone's frustration. Mike Penning, minister for policing and criminal justice, told Parliament that while being briefed by officials he was \"very surprised... about some of the things that are being done\" and found it \"mind bogglingly difficult to work out why, in many cases, things do not happen.\" He was replying to a debate called by Mr Hollobone who had come up with some new figures about the extent of the problem. There are, he told MPs, 10,837 foreign national offenders in our prisons which make up 13% of the prison population. The highest number of offenders (938) come from Poland, followed by Ireland (779) and Jamaica (737). The cost of looking after them, he said was \"north of \u00a3300m\" a year. \"Such people need to serve their sentences in secure detention in prisons in their own country,\" he said. \"At a time of severe constraints on public expenditure, that is far too large a bill to ask British taxpayers to pay.\" Mr Hollobone is particularly angry that many of these countries do not have prisoner transfer agreements with the UK. A compulsory agreement with Jamaica is still awaiting ratification by the Jamaican government, there is \"only\" a voluntary agreement with Pakistan and India and no agreement with Somalia or Bangladesh or several EU countries including Poland. \"Poland, which is top of the list with almost 1,000 of its nationals in our prisons, has a specific derogation from accepting prisoner transfers under that EU agreement until the end of December 2016,\" said Mr Hollobone. \"That is an absolute outrage. Poland should be securing those people in secure detention back in Poland, at the expense of Polish taxpayers.\" He is also calling for the British government to use \"the huge and increasing international aid budget to build suitable prisons in countries that provide us with a large number of prisoners.\" He has discovered that in 2012 we gave \u00a3973m in aid to Jamaica, Pakistan, Nigeria, Somalia, India and Bangladesh who have a total of 2,900 of their citizens in British jails. \"It costs this country more than \u00a3100m a year to incarcerate these people in our jails. \"It would be a good idea to spend some of that \u00a3973m on building prisons in those six countries,\" he argued. Mr Penning admitted that he had been briefed by his officials \"to ensure that I stuck to the line and read the speech, which I will not do\". He went on to admit that he agreed with", "summary": "The issue of foreign prisoners in England's jails has long been a contentious one."}
{"article": "Motorists who persistently share dashcam video could be accused of voyeurism, according to the motoring organisation. It said too many drivers post videos on social media without considering the impact on the motorists shown. In many cases drivers are pilloried for actions that are not their fault, the AA said. As many as 15% of British motorists now use a dashcam, according to a poll of AA members, with one in a hundred planning to share their footage on social media like YouTube. Edmund King, the AA president, told The Times: \"While most drivers with dashcams fit them to protect themselves from 'crash for cash' fraudsters or dangerous drivers, there is an element of vehicular voyeurism from some individuals.\" The motoring organisation said it was not in favour of banning dashcam use, but said the next government should consider tighter rules, like those in force in other European countries: On the other hand, the AA said sharing footage of bad driving can have its advantages. Such publicity can send a warning to stupid and irresponsible drivers, it said. The organisation recommends sending such footage to the police, who can investigate any incident fairly.", "summary": "New rules may be needed to control the use of video taken by dashboard cameras, the AA has warned."}
{"article": "Airbus UK Broughton's Ryan Wade, 28, was banned for three \"approved competition\" matches from 21 April. A hearing on 5 April found he \"brought the game of association football or the association into disrepute\". Johnson, 28, was jailed for six years for grooming and sexual activity with a girl aged 15. The former Sunderland player has lodged an appeal against his sentence. BBC Wales understands the nature of the tweets was deemed offensive and were sympathetic towards Johnson. The Welsh Premier League said the three-man panel sat at the headquarters of the Football Association of Wales. Wade has been suspended from all football-related activity and fined \u00c2\u00a3150, as well as a \u00c2\u00a350 contribution towards costs. The club, based in Broughton, Flintshire, said in a statement: \"The club carried out our own investigation and disciplinary process at the time and that has now concluded.\" Wade signed for Airbus almost four years ago and has made 28 appearances this season, scoring four times.", "summary": "A Welsh Premier League footballer has been banned for tweets he posted after the trial of ex-England international Adam Johnson."}
{"article": "The BBC understands that both companies are keen to sign a so-called \"statement of intent\" before the week Geneva Motor show starts on 6 March to prevent ongoing speculation overshadowing the release of new models. Events that will determine the future of Vauxhall in the UK have been moving very quickly. Since last week's surprise announcement that GM was considering a sale, senior management from both companies have met with politicians and unions in Germany and the UK. They fear that PSA, partially owned by the French government, may cut jobs outside France. In a call with Prime Minister Theresa May last night, the PSA boss \"expressed willingness to develop the iconic Vauxhall brand for its faithful customers\". That's not quite the same as guaranteeing the future of 4,500 Vauxhall workers at Luton, Ellesmere Port and throughout the UK. An outline deal will signal the start months of intense lobbying across Europe. Progress after any deal is signed will be slower. It doesn't make much financial sense to stop production of a car before a new model is introduced and the Astra produced at Ellesmere Port is not due for an update till 2020. At that point, Ellesmere Port is considered particularly vulnerable to competition from a PSA plant in Sochaux in France. The cost and complexity of moving car production at any point is formidable. Supply chains, logistics and IT platforms would require years of modifying. For example, I'm told that at the Jaguar Land Rover plants in the UK, computers still briefly show a Ford prompt when users log in - and Ford sold JLR to Tata a decade ago. Nevertheless, one thing all industry experts appear to agree on is that the 24 plants in Europe that a combined company would have is too many. With only two factories of those 24 - and those plants soon to be outside the EU - the UK is considered the lightweight in this manufacturing tug-of-war. The government here has stressed its support for the automotive sector with particular emphasis on new electric vehicles and battery technology - something considered key in convincing Nissan to promise increased investment in the UK.", "summary": "A draft agreement to sell General Motors' European business to PSA, the owner of Peugeot and Citroen, could be signed as early as next week."}
{"article": "Naomi Barrett, 53, went on a spending spree while working for Viscount Petersham at Crimonmogate, Aberdeenshire, between 2015 and 2016. Barrett, of Branscombe, Devon, admitted the offence at Peterhead Sheriff Court. She was ordered to carry out a community payback order with supervision and to repay the money. Barrett had bought kitchen appliances and art works while having access to a company credit card as part of her role. Sheriff Andrew Milligan told her: \"You have pled guilty to this serious offence.\"", "summary": "A viscount's former personal assistant who embezzled almost \u00a323,000 has been ordered to repay the money or face going to jail."}
{"article": "Can he pull off a far bigger ask of actually beating him, and demolishing Mr Corbyn's mountain of membership support? On his side is, finally perhaps, unity among the vast majority of Labour MPs and MEPs. Angela Eagle dropped out with dignity so that there would be only one candidate. Owen Smith was warm in his tribute to her tonight and dropped heavy hints about campaigning side by side with her in the next two months to smooth the way for senior MPs to work together. It's understood that he has promised her the position of shadow chancellor if he wins the post. And despite some disquiet inside the party about not fielding a female candidate, in most quarters there is relief and a new focus now there is only one candidate and the race is under way. Yet if the contest were held tomorrow it's highly likely that Mr Corbyn would win again, setting off an unpredictable chain of events that might lead to the party's end. MPs have withdrawn their support, made it clear that they don't think he is up to the job, former ministers, former party leaders, some of his former supporters have made it abundantly clear they don't think he is up to the job. Yet still he has hung on, and his team are as determined to battle on through a long, hot summer. As I write, they feel sure the core of the membership is on their side. There is however from MPs and even from some union sources, anecdotal evidence that his party support is shakier than it once was. One union boss told me \"it has to be Owen\". But last summer Mr Corbyn and his team set off something not seen for many years, a political excitement among some people on the left that propelled him into office. Turning that around, not least without causing resentment and disillusionment, is a massive task. But by manoeuvring himself onto the ballot Mr Smith has shown he has the energy and ambition to give it a damn good try.", "summary": "In the last two weeks Owen Smith has gone from someone who one MP described as \"just playing games\" to being the official challenger to Jeremy Corbyn."}
{"article": "The four-time Tour de France winner made his breakthrough when finishing second in 2011's race to equal the then-best finish by a British rider in a Grand Tour. Will he go one better this year and become the third man to complete the Tour-Vuelta double in the same year - and first since the Spanish race was switched from early to late in the season 22 years ago? Froome goes into the race as favourite but with six of the top 10 from this year's Tour and the likes of five-time Grand Tour winner Vincenzo Nibali and Britain's Adam Yates in the mix, the Vuelta promises to be as tough as they come. The race starts in Nimes in France on Saturday, 19 August and concludes in Madrid on Sunday, 10 September. The youngest of the three annual Grand Tours, the Vuelta, like its cousins the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, is a three-week race made up of 21 stages, raced over 23 days. Prior to 1995 the race took place earlier in the season but often clashed with other major races so was switched to after May's Giro and July's Tour. It was first raced in 1935, and aside from pauses for the Spanish Civil War and World War II, it has been contested continuously since 1955. The 72nd edition of the race is starting outside of Spain for just the third time after Lisbon, Portugal in 1997 and Assen, Netherlands in 2009. It is often an unpredictable race with riders racing who have suffered injuries or health problems earlier in the season, or those trying to rescue a failed season, while riders like Froome are trying to maintain their form from the Tour de France. The route is notoriously mountainous, as evidenced by this year's race, which features nine summit finishes. \"It's vicious,\" is Froome's take on it, while 2015 champion Fabio Aru says it will be the \"usual horrendous race\" and the \"toughest stage race of the 2017 season\". The summit finishes are spread evenly across the three weeks with a mix of short, sharp climbs such as stage five's 3.5km ascent of Ermita Santa Lucia. It features gradients of 20%, while stage 15 finishes at an altitude of 2,510m in Sierra Nevada. The penultimate stage pits the riders against the infamous Alto de Angliru, where Sky lost the 2011 Vuelta when Froome waited for team leader Bradley Wiggins as Juan Jose Cobo launched a race-winning attack. An opening team time trial in Nimes should not be long enough to create any significant time gaps between those chasing the overall victory but crucial seconds will be won and lost. Race organisers will hope the 40km individual time trial on stage 16 will help balance out the climbs but it could just serve to strengthen Froome's grip on the title. Sprinter-friendly stages are few, although those that make it to the finale are rewarded with a chance of glory in Madrid. In a nutshell, he can climb with the best in the race and is a better time-trial rider.", "summary": "Chris Froome heads into the Vuelta a Espana looking to create more history by becoming the first British winner of the three-week race."}
{"article": "The \u00a3175m footbridge would link Temple with the Southbank, but has been criticised over its location and cost. Already approved by Lambeth Council, it is the idea of actress Joanna Lumley and has been designed by London 2012 cauldron creator, Thomas Heatherwick. The Mayor of London will make the final decision. Westminster councillors voted 3-1 in favour of the bridge which will cost \u00a33.5m in annual maintenance. At a planning meeting concerns were raised about the potential loss of views, with heritage groups worried the sight of St Paul's Cathedral will be lost for some. Civil engineers have also called it \"the most expensive footbridge in the world\". Bridge consultant Simon Bourne told BBC London the cost is \"five to 10 times more than you'd expect a footbridge to be\". He said that is because of its copper cladding. By Tom EdwardsTransport correspondent, London Campaigners feared the planning committees were just a formality as both Lambeth and tonight Westminster had nothing financially to lose with a garden bridge. In a hot, packed room on the 17th floor there were shouts of \"shame\" and \"you're turning it into a theme park\" from some in the audience. Supporters kept quiet. And while both councils gave planning permission to the garden bridge, both committees have attached strings to the project. Westminster said Transport for London must act as guarantor on the \u00a33.5m annual maintenance costs or the project won't get built. Will TfL like that? Will the mayor tell them to underwrite maintenance or could there be another solution like a surety? The Garden Bridge Trust will be delighted at gaining permission. This is a big step for them but campaigners will already be plotting other ways to stop the bridge. He said: \"One has to view this bridge to a certain extent not as a piece of infrastructure, but as a piece of art. It's not value for money and I don't think it's good design.\" But Lord Mervyn Davies, chairman of the Garden Bridge Trust, said: \"I think it's a reasonable cost for what is going to be an iconic bridge and I think the cladding is important because it needs to be visually beautiful. \"It needs to be able to stand the test of time.\" Robert Davis, deputy leader of Westminster Council, chaired the planning committee and said: \"This is something that is iconic and absolutely unique, and will be recognised right across the world. \"I understand the concerns about potential loss of views, but there is no doubting that this bridge will bring substantial and significant benefits to London.\" Transport for London has agreed to pay \u00a330m in enabling costs to be matched by the Treasury. The Garden Bridge Trust says it has raised about \u00a3120m which will go towards running costs as well. As the bridge is a major infrastructure project, the Mayor of London will have the option to call it in for further scrutiny, or allow the bridge to go ahead as set out in the applications that were put before Lambeth and Westminster councils.", "summary": "Plans to build a garden bridge across the River Thames are a step closer after Westminster City Council approved planning permission."}
{"article": "Willie Boy O'Neill, three, and Tojo O'Neill, two, formerly of Caldon Road, were last seen on 3 August. They are believed to be in the company of their parents, Claire Watson, 32 and 39-year-old Robert O'Neill (39). The children were reported missing after council officials became concerned for their welfare after failing to contact the family. Willie Boy is described as being of slim build with fair hair, whilst Tojo is stocky with fair hair. Since being reported missing to police last week, officers have made extensive inquiries in England - where there are family connections - to trace the family. So far, there have been no positive sightings of the children, except for the whole family being seen together within the Rivergate Shopping Centre in Irvine at 14:45 on Sunday 3 August. Police have appealed for anyone with information about the children's whereabouts to contact them urgently.", "summary": "Police are attempting to trace two children who have been missing from the Irvine area of North Ayrshire."}
{"article": "It was not immediately clear what had happened, with spokeswoman Heather Nauert saying there were no \"definitive answers about the source or cause\". But Ms Nauert refused to be drawn further on what the symptoms were. But one source told the Associated Press news agency the symptoms reported included hearing loss. It was suggested the hearing loss could have been caused by some kind of sonic device placed outside the diplomats' homes, emitting inaudible sound waves that can cause deafness. Staff began complaining of the strange symptoms late last year, Ms Nauert said. While they were not life-threatening, she revealed a number of people had been brought home to the US as a result. Ms Nauert said the government was taking it \"very seriously, and there is an investigation currently under way\". It is understood that the two expelled Cuban diplomats left Washington DC in May, the BBC's Will Grant reports from Havana. So far, their government has not responded to the reports. Washington and Havana only re-established ties in 2015, following 50 years of hostilities between the two countries.", "summary": "Washington has expelled two Cuban diplomats after US embassy staff in Havana suffered mysterious physical symptoms, the US state department said."}
{"article": "The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was alerted to the blaze in the ground floor flat in Alpha Drive at about midnight. The 26-year-old was given oxygen at the scene. The fire is understood to have broken out in the kitchen of the property.", "summary": "A man has been rescued from a fire in a flat in Glenrothes in Fife."}
{"article": "Her name features in everyday transactions in every town and city whenever a person goes to a cash dispenser, buys bread at a shop, pays a restaurant bill or a cab driver. But only those who carefully study the banknotes will realise who Ms Gumataotao Rios is. This Californian woman of Mexican descent has been treasurer of the United States since 2009. Since then, her signature has been printed on some 27 billion dollar notes. \"Currency and coins are the way we touch the American public every day,\" she tells BBC Mundo in her Washington DC office, just a few steps from the White House. \"We are part of history.\" Women have left their mark on that history in a very special way, because they have held the position of US treasurer since 1949. Six of the past 10 treasurers have also been of Hispanic descent. Ms Gumataotao Rios says that the first woman treasurer, Georgia Neese Clark, was appointed just after the Second World War, when women's participation in the workforce increased considerably. \"It was just very courageous and probably very symbolic for President Harry S Truman to make that appointment,\" she says. Since then, every US president has chosen a woman's signature to appear alongside that of the US secretary of treasury on one of the most popular currencies in the world. Ms Gumataotao Rios explains that having women treasurers is not something that is institutionalised or has been done in order to fill a quota. \"They look at the individuals more than anything,\" she says. \"Clark, for instance, was a banker.\" She also rejects the notion that her Hispanic heritage might influence her daily activities: \"Of course I am very proud to be Mexican-American, but in my role today I am an administration official.\" The treasurer believes that her own previous experience in areas such as economic development, real estate and investments made her a good choice for the post at a time when the recent global financial crisis was at its height. She also stresses that her work does not only consist of signing US banknotes, where her Mexican surname - Rios - appears next to her husband's Guamanian name, Gumataotao. Although Treasury Secretary Jack Lew makes the final financial decisions at the treasury department, Ms Gumataotao Rios supervises the nearly 4,000 employees who work at the US Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. She also oversees the gold reserves at Fort Knox. Her position has historic importance: it is the only office in the treasury department that is older than the department itself. Michael Hillegas, the first US treasurer, took up his post in 1775, even before the United States acquired its name a year later on 9 September. Ms Gumataotao Rios is aware of that historic weight, but she also knows that her real link with most Americans is created through dollar banknotes. \"My signature is all over the world\", she says. \"It's a sense of professional pride and of personal pride for my family.\" The first time she saw her name stamped on", "summary": "Rosa Gumataotao Rios is one of the United States' most ubiquitous political figures, yet many people will probably have never heard of her."}
{"article": "The Scottish Daily Mail describes the Glasgow-born killer as the \"monster of the moors\". It reports that he died at 18:00 on Monday at the secure psychiatric hospital where he had been receiving end-of-life care. The Scottish Sun says Brady took to his grave the secret of where he buried 12-year-old Keith Bennett - the only victim whose remains are undiscovered. Brady lived for more than 50 years after being jailed for his catalogue of crimes but he never showed any remorse, says The Daily Record. The Herald reports that Jeremy Corbyn will make his \"pitch for power\" later, and he will use his manifesto launch to promise to campaign against a second Scottish independence referendum. The Labour leader will also announce a \"tax grab on the rich\", according to the i newspaper. It says he will outline multi-billion pound spending plans, funded by higher taxes on top earners. The Scotsman also leads with a political story, reporting that Ruth Davidson launched an \"unprecedented attack\" on the SNP as it marks the 10th anniversary of seizing power in Scotland. A disabled woman who lost her appeal for a Motability car features on the front page of The National. It reports that Anne Meikle, who suffers from a series of illnesses including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is now confined to her house. The Times leads with claims that drugs company Aspen Pharmacare is facing a fine of up to \u00c2\u00a3220m for increasing the cost of cancer medicines, after the EU launched an investigation into alleged price hiking. The Scottish Daily Express says the SNP's currency plan for an independent Scotland has been branded a \"shambles\" by critics. Calls for radical action to fight drug addiction problems in Dundee, and across Scotland, feature on the front page of The Courier. A nursery assistant has admitted picking up a two-year-old girl by the ankles and dropping her, according to the north east edition of The Press and Journal. And the front page of the Daily Star features BBC presenter Zoe Ball, photographed for the first time since the death of her partner.", "summary": "The death of Ian Brady, who killed five children with Myra Hindley, features on the front pages of many of today's newspapers."}
{"article": "The birds kill sticklebacks by striking them against their perches, which softens the spines of the fish, making them easier to swallow. But a kingfisher at Montrose Basin appears to have gone a step further by using the spines to pin three sticklebacks to its branch. The bird's unusual behaviour was captured by photographer Ron Mitchell. Anna Cheshier, Angus ranger at Scottish Wildlife Trust's Montrose Basin wildlife reserve, said the kingfisher visited every day. She said: \"The photographer who took the images didn't realise what he had captured until he took them into the visitor centre the following day. \"It's hard to tell if the kingfisher has hung the fish on the branch accidentally or on purpose, but this is really unusual behaviour that no-one seems to be able to explain. \"We'd like anyone who has seen anything like this before to get in touch.\" Kingfishers are found around lochs, ponds and rivers and rely on clean water to be able to dive for small fish and aquatic insects. There are around 5,000 breeding pairs in the UK.", "summary": "Photographs showing a kingfisher appearing to hang fish out to dry has baffled experts at a wildlife reserve."}
{"article": "Peter Whittle, the party's culture spokesman, was selected over deputy chair of UKIP Suzanne Evans. In a BBC interview he said his priority would be to encourage people to stay in London rather than being forced to leave the city for financial reasons. He also said he was opposed to the expansion of Heathrow airport. And Mr Whittle believes people in the City of London would not be concerned if UKIP won, claiming many in the financial sector want to leave the EU. When Mr Whittle was asked if Ms Evans would have made a stronger candidate than him, he insisted it had been a robust and fair selection process, and he was good friends with Ms Evans. He denied she was not chosen because of disagreements she had had with party leader Nigel Farage. Mr Farage said: \"Peter has been an asset to UKIP for many years, and I am delighted to learn that the party has elected him as our candidate in the battle to become London Mayor.\" Mr Whittle was born in Peckham, grew up in Shooters Hill and has lived and worked in the capital his whole life. He also set up the New Culture Forum think tank. UKIP also announced Ms Evans would stand as a candidate in the London Assembly elections. The radio DJ Mike Read will also stand as a candidate for the party in the London Assembly elections. Tooting MP Sadiq Khan has been selected as Labour's mayoral candidate, the Lib Dems have chosen Caroline Pidgeon, the Green Party has Sian Berry and George Galloway will represent The Respect Party. The Conservative Party has not yet selected a candidate. The party's Boris Johnson, who was elected as an MP in May's general election, has been mayor since 2008.", "summary": "UKIP has chosen its candidate to stand for London Mayor at next year's election."}
{"article": "Liverpool boss Klopp counselled the player through a difficult time when they were at Borussia Dortmund in 2013. Earlier this season, Mkhitaryan did not play in the league for 10 weeks and remembered Klopp's previous advice. \"I am thankful to Klopp. He worked on my personality and the psychological part,\" 28-year-old Mkhitaryan said. The Armenian spent two seasons working under Klopp in Germany before the coach quit, later taking over at Liverpool in October 2015. Within eight months, the playmaker was following his old boss to the Premier League, joining United for a reported \u00a326.3m. However, after being substituted at half-time during United's 2-1 home defeat by Manchester City on 10 September, he did not play in the Premier League again until 27 November. \"At Dortmund, I was very stressed after a few games when we were playing really bad,\" added Mkhitaryan, who has scored five times this season. \"Klopp showed me the way. He supported me and told me I had to keep my head up because good things were coming. He helped me to become a player.\" The move to the Premier League was another step on a remarkable journey for Mkhitaryan, who speaks six languages - including English - and is the son of one of Armenia's most famous footballers. Father Hamlet was also an Armenian international and one of the first players from the country to play outside of the old Soviet Union. He died of a brain tumour when Mkhitaryan was seven. \"He was my drive, my goal, my dream,\" he said. \"I did not feel the true impact when he died but I knew that he was watching me from the sky. He has to be very proud.\" Mkhitaryan is now one of the most famous - and most wealthy - Armenians in the world. But his background is unconventional in United's multi-national squad. He comes from a country that had a five-year conflict with neighbours Azerbaijan between 1989 and 1994 over disputed territory and still does not have normal relations with Turkey due to the treatment it received under Ottoman rule in World War One. So Mkhitaryan had to carry out a period of national service before he was allowed to move abroad, initially to Ukraine's Metalurh Donetsk, in 2009. \"It was very hard growing up in Armenia because at that time we had a lot of problems with our neighbours and we had war, so it was a bad situation,\" said Mkhitaryan, speaking at a Manchester United Foundation #SchoolsUnited event in Moss Side. \"Before I could leave and be a football player I had to go to the military. I did that when I was 20. After that I was allowed to change my club.\"", "summary": "Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has thanked Jurgen Klopp for the advice that helped him through a tough start to his Old Trafford career."}
{"article": "Sutton, who can play at centre-half or full-back, has made 25 appearances for Rovers this season. The 29-year-old joined the club last July following his release by League Two side Mansfield Town. Barrow are currently 17th in the National League table, six points above the relegation zone.", "summary": "Barrow have signed versatile defender Ritchie Sutton on loan from National League rivals Tranmere Rovers until the end of the season."}
{"article": "The police ombudsman confirmed that the spray was used during the parade on the Ormeau Road on Tuesday evening. The PSNI said two officers received minor injuries during a \"minor disturbance\". A 26-year-old man has been charged with assault. The parade's organiser said children suffered swollen eyes and lips. Noel Liggett told Good Morning Ulster said the CS spray was \"indiscriminately\" used after police confronted the parade. He said police believed cars were being damaged as the parade made its way up the road, an allegation he described as \"completely false\". \"Around 20 children were on parade with us yesterday, the average age would be six, seven, eight and nine. Around that age group,\" he said. \"I was quite shocked to see many young children in a state of shock. \"Five of them had suffered the effect of CS gas and a number of young children in the band had also suffered the effects of the gas.\" Mr Liggett said a \"very frank meeting where both sides put their case\" was held with police after the parade and that he would \"question the common sense\" of police. \"The police knew this was a parade for juniors, there was a lot of young children in the area,\" he said. Writing on Twitter, Mrs Foster said she would be meeting senior police over the incident. Police said a PSNI motorcycle had also been damaged in the incident. A man will appear at Belfast Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 26 April charged with disorderly behaviour and two counts of assault on police.", "summary": "First Minister Arlene Foster has said she has spoken to the chief constable after police used CS spray during a junior Orange Order parade in Belfast."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old, signed in January for the rest of the season from Sheffield United, was injured in the 2-1 home defeat by Southend on 2 February. \"We've seen what a talent the lad is,\" Town boss Micky Mellon told BBC Sport. \"But he goes in for a tackle and he's picked up an injury.\" Mellon added: \"He's gutted as he came here to play and to get himself going again.\" Wallace, who came on as substitute in Town's fourth round win over Sheffield Wednesday, has been limited by injuries to just 20 appearances for the Blades since signing from Tranmere Rovers in June 2014. The former Everton trainee is on his second loan at Shrewsbury, having spent two months on loan in Shropshire during the 2011-12 season when he was still on the books at Goodison Park. Shrewsbury have won just once in six league matches since the turn of the year, going into Saturday's key away game against fellow strugglers Blackpool, one of Town manager Micky Mellon's former clubs. Mellon has the option of bringing in Elliot Grandin for his debut against his former club, the former Blackpool winger having signed last week until the end of the season. It is the final time Shrewsbury will be in action before the meeting with Louis van Gaal's United. The League One club have so far sold 6,000 tickets for their tie against the 11-times FA Cup winners on Monday, 22 February (19:45 GMT).", "summary": "On-loan Shrewsbury Town midfielder James Wallace has been forced out of action with a knee injury that will cause him to miss the FA Cup fifth-round tie with Manchester United."}
{"article": "The 21-time Grand Slam singles champion lost 6-7 (3-7) 6-1 6-2 to Russian 15th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. It was the 34-year-old American's joint earliest exit from the tournament, which she has won eight times. \"The players come out and play me like they've never played before in their lives,\" said Williams, who had not lost in Miami since 2012. She has now not won a tournament since August, when she claimed the 69th title of her career, in Cincinnati. \"I don't think it's appropriate to criticise my movement right now,\" she added, in response to questions from reporters. \"I did the best that I could. I can't win every match.\" Kuznetsova said she was \"really thrilled\" but apologised to fans who hoped to see more of Williams at this tournament. She added: \"I tried to stay at a good level the whole game. I think I did that pretty well and I'm happy with the way I served.\" Poland's third seed Agnieszka Radwanska also lost, beaten 2-6 6-4 6-2 by 19th seed Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland. Also on Monday, British number one Johanna Konta beat 32nd seed Monica Niculescu 6-2 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals, while Heather Watson was defeated 6-3 6-4 by Romania's Simona Halep.", "summary": "World number one and defending champion Serena Williams suffered a shock defeat in the fourth round of the Miami Open."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Hamilton was running second to Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg when the German ran into problems with his throttle early in the race and had to retire. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel took second to pass Rosberg in the title standings. Force India's Sergio Perez was a fine third after Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen dramatically collided with Williams' Valtteri Bottas on the final lap. Hamilton's ninth win this season means he needs nine more points than Vettel and two more than Rosberg at the next race in the USA to clinch the title. Raikkonen's eventual fifth place turned to eighth when he was given a 30-second time penalty after the race for causing the crash. Media playback is not supported on this device The result meant Mercedes claimed the Formula 1 constructors' title after securing enough of a difference in points from Hamilton's 25 for the win. With Russian President Vladimir Putin watching from the stands, and later greeting the drivers before they went onto the podium, the second running of this race was a dramatic contrast to the soporific first last year. Two safety car periods - the second following a high-speed crash for Lotus's Romain Grosjean in the long Turn Three - meant drivers went into the final part of the race on divergent tyre strategies. The second safety car was introduced on lap 13, several laps before the window opened for the ideal pit stop on a one-stop strategy, but several teams decided to take the gamble of stopping for tyres and trying to make it to the end of the race. At the head of them, Force India's Perez and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo went into the closing laps in third and fourth places, with the fresher-tyred cars of Bottas and Raikkonen closing them down. Bottas stopped 13 laps after Perez and Raikkonen a massive 18. Media playback is not supported on this device The Williams driver found a way past Ricciardo on lap 45, with eight laps to go, and quickly closed onto Perez's tail, while Raikkonen passed the Red Bull three laps later and closed the three-second gap to the Force India and Mercedes. Bottas was told by his team to go to \"mode one\" on his engine on the final two laps - the most powerful setting. That enabled Bottas to pass Perez around the outside of Turn 13 on the penultimate lap, with Raikkonen following him through to demote the Mexican to fifth in the space of just two corners. But the action was not finished - Raikkonen then tried an optimistic move on Bottas into Turn Four on the final lap and the two collided. The Williams retired as a result of the damage from the accident but Raikkonen limped around the final lap with sparks cascading from the car to take fifth after being passed by Williams's Felipe Massa and give Ferrari just enough points to keep the constructors' championship open for one more race. Ricciardo retired with what he said he thought was a suspension failure and", "summary": "Lewis Hamilton took an easy win in the Russian Grand Prix to move to the brink of his third world championship."}
{"article": "Michael Whinfrey, 42, from Wickersley in Rotherham, died after the explosion at the Sterecycle waste plant on Sheffield Road on Tuesday. The father-of-three was airlifted to Leeds General Hospital but later died. Peter Lindon Davis, 51, from Barnsley, remains in hospital with \"potentially life-changing injuries\". South Yorkshire Police said Mr Davis received injuries to his head and body and was in a serious but stable condition in the Northern General Hospital. An investigation into the explosion was under way. Sterecycle chief executive officer Tom Shields said: \"We will urgently investigate the causes of the incident and ensure that all necessary actions are taken.\" Operations at the plant have been suspended. Police said the explosion caused damage to parked cars on Sheffield Road, which was closed for nearly three hours.", "summary": "Two men involved in an explosion at a waste recycling plant in Rotherham in which one of them died were \"best friends\", police have revealed."}
{"article": "In October 2016 the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation began test excavations at the site in Tuam. The commission was established following allegations about the deaths of 800 babies in Tuam and the manner in which they were buried. It said it was \"shocked\" by the discovery. The Tuam home was one of 10 institutions in which about 35,000 unmarried pregnant women are thought to have been sent. A child died nearly every two weeks between the mid-1920s and 1960s. In a statement on Friday, the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation said the remains were found in \"at least 17 of the 20 underground chambers which were examined earlier this year\". It added: \"These remains involved a number of individuals with age-at-death ranges from approximately 35 foetal weeks to two-three years.\" The home operated from 1925 to 1961 and a number of the samples are likely to date from the 1950s, the commission said. The commission said it is continuing its investigation into who was responsible for the disposal of human remains in this way and has asked that the relevant state authorities take responsibility for the appropriate treatment of the remains. The coroner has been informed.", "summary": "\"Significant quantities\" of human remains have been discovered at the site of a former mother and baby home in County Galway."}
{"article": "Wayne Esmonde, 35, had his face put on South Wales Police's Facebook appeal over an alleged assault. But the picture shows shaven-headed Mr Esmonde posing for the camera looking wide-eyed and staring intently. Mr Esmonde, who asked for officers to take the post down, handed himself in at Swansea Central police station on Thursday. He had written on their Facebook page: \"I am him. Not a very flattering mugshot. \"I'd appreciate it if you'd take this post down. Innocent until proven guilty and all that. \"I've spoken to my solicitor and they will advise me what to do next. Thanks.\" Mr Esmonde, of Fforestfach, Swansea, was wanted in connection with an assault on 18 July and South Wales Police have since updated their Facebook post.", "summary": "A man who asked police to take his mugshot off their wanted appeal because it was unflattering has been arrested."}
{"article": "According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the insect group is the most threatened of those assessed so far in Europe. Europe harbours more than 1,000 species of grasshopper and cricket. If we don't act now the sound of crickets could become a thing of the past, said the IUCN. Crickets, bush crickets and grasshoppers - a group known as Orthoptera - live on grassland. They are an important food source for birds and reptiles, and their decline could affect entire ecosystems. Their habitat is being lost due to wildfires, intensive agriculture and tourism development. Jean-Christophe Vi\u00c3\u00a9, deputy director, IUCN Global Species Programme, said to bring these species back from the brink of extinction, more needs to be done to protect and restore their habitats. \"This can be done through sustainable grassland management using traditional agricultural practices, for example,\" he said. \"If we do not act now, the sound of crickets in European grasslands could soon become a thing of the past.\" The assessment took place over two years and involved more than 150 scientists. Axel Hochkirch is chair of the IUCN invertebrate conservation sub-committee and lead author of the report. \"If we lose grasshoppers and other Orthoptera like crickets and bush crickets, we will lose diversity,\" he told BBC News. \"They are very good indicators of biodiversity in open ecosystems.\" The experts are particularly concerned about species that occupy small ranges, such as the Crau plain grasshopper, which lives only on the Crau plain in the South of France. Some populations are also being lost through wildfires, particularly in Greece and on the Canary Islands. \"The results from this IUCN Red List are deeply worrying,\" said Luc Bas, director of the IUCN European Regional Office. The report recommends the setting up of a monitoring programme across Europe to obtain information on population trends. Follow Helen on Twitter.", "summary": "The first comprehensive assessment of Europe's crickets and grasshoppers has found that more than a quarter of species are being driven to extinction."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old was named Yorkshire captain in December. \"The new deal has come at the perfect time for me,\" Ballance told the club website. \"I can now purely focus on the captaincy, batting and scoring runs.\" The Zimbabwe-born left-hander has played 21 Tests for England, the last of them against Bangladesh in October. After being recalled to the Test team for last summer's home series against Pakistan, Ballance made just 24 runs in four innings during England's drawn series in Bangladesh and did not feature in the 4-0 defeat in India at the end of 2016. Ballance will captain Yorkshire in all three formats in 2017 having replaced Andrew Gale, who retired to become Yorkshire head coach in November.", "summary": "England batsman Gary Ballance has signed a new contract with Yorkshire which will keep him at Headingley until the end of the 2019 season."}
{"article": "The 18-year-old centre-back came through the youth system at Stoke City and impressed during a trial with the Latics. The contract also includes the option of an extra year that Oldham can take up after this season. \"He is really athletic, only 18 and definitely one for the future,\" boss David Dunn told the club website. \"He has a lot of very good attributes and we spoke to Mark Bowen at Stoke City about him so we have decided he is a good young signing for us.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League One side Oldham Athletic have signed defender Theo Vassell on a deal until the end of the season."}
{"article": "The boys, aged 13, 15, and 16, are among those charged with possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply. Fifteen people have been remanded in custody and are due to appear in court on Thursday. Gwent Police raided 35 addresses in the city and made 25 arrests. Three people have been released with no charge and two are awaiting questioning.", "summary": "Twenty people, including three teenage boys, have been charged following a drugs raid in Newport on Wednesday."}
{"article": "The group, branded the \"Budgie Nine\", were charged with public nuisance, which carries a fine but no jail time. The men were detained after posing in swimwear decorated with the Malaysian flag to celebrate Australian Daniel Ricciardo's win in Sunday's race. In a letter read out in court, they apologised and expressed their \"deepest regret\". They said the incident was \"purely an error of judgement\" on their behalf. Budgie is the abbreviated name of the budgerigar, a small Australian parrot, and budgie-smuggler is a slang term for tight swimming trunks worn by men. Among the men was Jack Walker, an aide to Australian Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne. His father John Walker addressed the media outside the court after the hearing, saying that his son and the other eight were \"good boys\". One of the men, Thomas Whitworth, fainted during the proceedings and had to be given water. Many Australians took to social media to express anger and embarrassment at the men's antics, while others saw their actions as nothing more than foolish hijinks. Earlier, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told the Nine Network that what may be seen as a foolish prank in Australia could be viewed very differently in other countries. \"I don't know that it will be seen as a lapse of judgment,\" she said. \"It was clearly premeditated. They were wearing the budgie smugglers and had bought them in Australia.\" Malaysia has strict rules on any display of public indecency and foreign offenders are typically issued a fine before being deported. Last year four foreign tourists were jailed for taking naked photographs at the peak of Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia. The maximum fine for public nuisance is RM400 (\u00c2\u00a376; $96). It was not immediately clear what the men will have to pay. Their lawyer, Shafie Abdullah, had argued that his clients were part-time lifeguards, so stripping down came quite naturally to them. A spokesperson from Budgy Smuggler, the swimwear company behind the swimwear, said it would not produce the Malaysian flag design again. \"We've produced for about 50 countries around the world and this is the first time it's caused an international incident,\" Jarrod Allen, head of research and development, told the BBC. \"We'd never set out to intentionally disrespect.\"", "summary": "Nine Australians arrested for stripping off at the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix have walked free from a court."}
{"article": "The Turkish government said the bill is not intended to pardon rapists, but to address underage marriage. The law would allow the release of men who assaulted a minor \"without force\" and later married the victim. The controversial bill has already sparked protests across the country. However, the bill faces opposition from both public and political opposition, and may be withdrawn or changed before the vote in parliament. In its current form, the bill applies to men who had sexual relations with girls under the age of 18. It allows the indefinite postponement of sentences for sexual abuse committed \"without force, threat or trick\". The government said the aim was to exonerate men imprisoned for marrying an underage girl, apparently with her or her family's consent. Marriage under the age of 18 is illegal in Turkey, but is practised in some parts of the large, predominantly Muslim country. However, critics say that children cannot give consent, especially in a male-dominated culture, and the bill legitimises rape. On Saturday, about 3,000 protesters gathered in Istanbul to oppose the legislation. Protesters clapped and chanted: \"We will not shut up. We will not obey. Withdraw the bill immediately!\" \"A rape can't be justified,\" protester Fadik Temizyurek told the BBC. \"What does it mean to ask a child if they're OK? Until they're 18, a child remains a child, that is why this has to be condemned. We are here so that this law can't pass.\" The bill follows a previous controversy after Turkey's constitutional court in July annulled part of the criminal code which classified all sexual acts with children under 15 as sexual abuse. The UN children's fund has said it is \"deeply concerned\" about the bill. \"These abject forms of violence against children are crimes which should be punished as such, and in all cases the best interest of the child should prevail,\" said spokesman Christophe Boulierac.", "summary": "Men who had sex with underage girls could have their convictions overturned if they marry their victims, under a bill due before Turkey's parliament on Tuesday."}
{"article": "The Christmas Day meals will take place in Manchester, Leeds and London after Mr Sissay, who is Chancellor of Manchester University, raised \u00c2\u00a338,000. The poet, who was in a Wigan children's home from the age of 12 to 18, said he wanted to create happy memories. A group of volunteers has sourced the venues, transport, food and presents. The dinners are being provided for care leavers in the three cities who are aged between 18 and 30. \"At its most simple the Christmas dinner offers a memory so next year the person can look back and think I was worth something then,\" Mr Sissay said. \"Christmas Day actually exposes the inadequacies of a system which treats children as if they are a problem because that day the child stands alone thinking 'I must be a problem, I'm obviously not worth anything because there is nobody here'.\" The 48-year-old said his own early Christmas memories were \"without family in virtually empty children's homes with staff who didn't want to be there\". \"You have this secret room inside yourself and as Christmas approaches you draw back to that room. Each time you hear or feel the nature of family you are reminded of what you just do not have.\" Mr Sissay said he believes people continue to feel isolated at Christmas after leaving care. The first Christmas dinner took place in Manchester in 2013 and was extended to a second city, London, in 2014. The money has been raised through crowd funding.", "summary": "Young people who have spent part of their childhood in care have been invited to special Christmas dinners by Manchester poet Lemn Sissay."}
{"article": "Rowe, 24, has signed a contract until 2020 but will not available to play for the Suffolk club until Tuesday's league game against Derby County. He has scored six goals in 25 National League appearances for Macclesfield this season and helped the Silkmen to the second round of the FA Cup. Rowe is the fifth new addition made by boss Mick McCarthy in January. Striker Kieffer Moore, defender Jordan Spence and centre-back Steven Taylor have all signed full-time deals, while midfielder Toumani Diagouraga has joined on loan from Leeds until the end of the season. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "Championship club Ipswich Town have signed Macclesfield Town winger Danny Rowe for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "Uncapped McCarthy, 26, was called up after Forster, 28, returned to his club for treatment on an arm injury. The ex-Crystal Palace keeper has played three times for England's Under 21s. Joe Hart, on loan at Torino from Manchester City, and Burnley's Tom Heaton are the other goalkeepers named in Sam Allardyce's first England squad. McCarthy joined Saints in the summer as deputy to Forster but has yet to feature in a game. Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley), Alex McCarthy (Southampton). Defenders: Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur). Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Michail Antonio (West Ham United), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Danny Drinkwater (Leicester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Theo Walcott (Arsenal). Strikers: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City). Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Injured Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster has been replaced by club-mate Alex McCarthy for England's World Cup qualifier in Slovakia on Sunday."}
{"article": "They have put up wanted posters in hostels around the town, which is hosting the Winter Olympics next month. The woman, 23-year-old Ruzanna Ibragimova from Dagestan in the North Caucasus region, is believed to be the widow of an Islamist militant. She is thought to have slipped into Sochi earlier this month, bypassing tight security ahead of the Games. At least two other potential female suicide bombers are also at large in the region, other police posters state. Russian President Vladimir Putin has launched one of the biggest security operations in Olympic history, and has personally inspected the sites. More than 30,000 police and interior ministry troops have been deployed and access to the area limited. Security fears were heightened after two suicide bomb attacks killed 34 people in the southern city of Volgograd on 29 and 30 December. US President Barack Obama, in a telephone conversation with the Kremlin on Tuesday, offered America's \"full assistance\" in making the Olympics \"safe and secure\", the White House said. Two US warships will be on standby in the Black Sea when the Games begin on 7 February. Washington has also offered to supply Russia with hi-tech equipment to help detect improvised explosives. Islamist militants from Dagestan and nearby republics of Ingushetia and Chechnya are considered by Moscow to be a major threat to the Games. Several national Olympic associations have reported being sent an email threatening athletes with attack, but it was widely dismissed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and national bodies as not credible. The IOC said it appeared to be \"a random message from a member of the public,\" and posed no threat, but repeated that it \"takes security very seriously\". Officials at the British Olympic Association said they \"receive correspondence of every type and it is not uncommon to come across something like this that lacks credibility\". \"It is extremely important in matters such as this that everyone maintains a level head and a sensible perspective,\" said spokesman Darryl Seibel.", "summary": "Russian police in Sochi are hunting for a woman they fear may be planning to carry out a suicide bomb attack."}
{"article": "The trumpet-shaped work, called Dirty Corner, has been vandalised three times since it was installed in June. Sir Anish had said he would not remove the graffiti in order to highlight intolerance in society. But a tribunal in Versailles ruled over the weekend that the graffiti must be erased and an alarm installed. After that, the artist chose to gild the slogans into obscurity - calling it his \"royal response\" to the vandalism. Dirty Corner, which has been dubbed the \"Queens Vagina\" in French media, was splattered with yellow paint shortly after its installation in June. That was hastily cleaned off but, the following month, it was daubed with graffiti, some of it anti-Semitic, on two separate occasions. After the tribunal ruling Sir Anish posted a picture of the sculpture on Instagram of the graffiti covered up by black sheets. Next to the image, he said: \"The racists in France have won a court judgement forcing the racist graffiti to be covered, blaming the artist and Versailles for inseminating racist propaganda. \"It is as if a woman is raped and blamed for her own rape. We will fight this. The racists cannot win. Join us!\" Speaking after ruling, Sir Anish told Le Figaro: \"This decision breaks my heart.\" He said he could not remove the graffiti because that would deny the fact that it had happened. He said covering the sculpture in gold would ensure the slogans remained, transforming his original vision into \"something else, a room still with a painful past, but a piece that first claims the beauty of art\". Speaking to The Art Newspaper, Sir Anish added that the gilding would be \"an act of transformation which turns the nastiness into something else. \"I want something active, not reactive,\" he said. The artist has recently distanced himself from earlier comments comparing the sculpture to \"the vagina of the queen who took power\", saying the work was open to interpretation.", "summary": "A controversial sculpture by Sir Anish Kapoor in the Versailles Palace gardens has been covered in gold leaf to mask anti-Semitic graffiti."}
{"article": "For a start, they do not have to wait for the new year. Many retailers started advertising cut-price deals well before Christmas. Despite the advance of internet shopping, the image of snaking queues outside department stores is still how we picture the sales season. Yet, it is not just High Street retailers that are offering bargains for cash-strapped consumers. And, with the looming prospect of a hefty credit card bill arriving in January, people are trying to save money by looking for cheaper options. So what discounts and money-saving tactics are around in the first month of the year? Love is blind to everything but the calendar. Official statistics show there are usually about a sixth of the number of weddings in January that there are in August. With only about 6,000 or so weddings in England and Wales in the first month of the year, there is room to haggle for good deals on venues, photography and cars. Civil partnerships are a little more spread out over the year, according to quarterly data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Yet, overall, good offers are available for these events, according to Sandy Moretta, director of the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners. \"Suppliers who only work in the wedding industry will come up with good offers in January, and they expect people to negotiate and haggle now,\" she says. Although there is a specific cost to some services, such as food or a wedding dress, there are often deals available as \"some work is better than no work\", she adds. Table displays can be cheaper if there is a winter feel of sprayed twigs, rather than much more expensive flowers. The cost of drinks is also generally lower, with couples often choosing to serve mulled wine and hot chocolate to guests rather than champagne. And Mrs Moretta says that January weddings can be great fun for guests. \"January is one of those months where people are not doing a lot, they might need a lift after Christmas, and they are less likely to be shattered or hungover as they are in December,\" she says. Cut-price tickets are available for West End shows from the start of January to mid-February, The Get Into London Theatre scheme, an annual promotion that has run for more than 10 years, sees discounts of between 25% and 55% on the face value of 45 productions. \"We want to make theatre as inclusive as possible. We want to see people who have not necessarily been to the theatre before,\" a spokesman for the scheme says. There is no booking fee or packaging charges for these tickets. However, theatregoers may have to be flexible over which show they want to see and when. Each theatre production decides individually what proportion of tickets will be made available for the cut-price promotion. It may be the quietest time of year for the theatre, but some shows are still very popular. As a result, it is extremely unlikely that the cheaper tickets will be available for shows on a Friday or Saturday", "summary": "Gone are the days when the January sales season offered a welcome but narrow window for shopaholics to hunt for bargains on the High Street."}
{"article": "Rob Lawrie, 49, from Leeds, admitted to a court in Boulogne that he tried to get Bahar - known as Bru - into the UK. He faced smuggling charges but was found guilty of a lesser charge of 'endangering life' because he hid the girl in an unsafe way in a van. Lawrie will have to pay the 1,000-euro (\u00c2\u00a3754) fine if convicted of another offence. The decision was met with applause from supporters in the courtroom. The former carpet cleaner, who disclosed he had bipolar disorder and Tourette's Syndrome, said he acted \"stupidly\". Before the case started he appeared with the child on his lap at a media conference in the French town. Lawrie said he feared \"being made an example of\" by the court. He told the assembled media: \"They see the media attention I have been getting and I think it could go one of two ways. \"France has an opportunity to show, as I know they are, a compassionate country.\" Lawrie said he regretted his actions and would not repeat the effort. He told the court he had acted stupidly and irrationally in hiding Bru in the sleeping compartment. Speaking via an interpreter, he told the judge: \"I saw the little girl and her father in the work that I was doing. That night I just could not leave her there any more. \"It was wrong. It was the most stupid conceived plan.\" Lawrie rejected the idea that he was trafficking for money, telling the judge: \"Her father is a farmer from Afghanistan. He doesn't have any money whatsoever.\" The aid worker was stopped in Calais as he returned home in October 2015. The former Army physical training instructor said he was helping build shelters in The Jungle camp when he got to know Bru and her father asked him to help get her to close family members living legally in Leeds. He said he was not a hero but \"an unemployed carpet cleaner from Leeds\" who wanted to help and had never been in trouble before. He told reporters his actions had left him penniless and on the edge of bankruptcy after giving up to \u00c2\u00a38,000 of his own money as well as collecting donations for the refugees. He was caught when British sniffer dogs found two Eritrean men who, unbeknown to him, had also stowed in the back of his van. Speaking outside the courtroom, Lawrie said that he had had a heavy weight on his shoulders but now felt \"light\" and would continue fighting to get help for child refugees in The Jungle. He said: \"I'm going to have a few days off and then I'm going to raise the profile (of refugees) even more because we cannot simply leave these children. \"We need to get these children now and into our education system because these guys are going to be doctors and lawyers and teachers if we get them now and educate them correctly. \"Or we can leave them in The Jungle to rot and die of cold.\"", "summary": "A former soldier caught trying to bring a child into the UK has been given a suspended fine by a French court."}
{"article": "Her condition is stable and she has been advised to rest, doctors at Delhi's Ganga Ram Hospital said. Mrs Gandhi, 69, is the widow of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. She is the head of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, which has mostly governed India since independence in 1947. Mrs Gandhi was admitted earlier this month after suffering from dehydration, fever and sustaining an injury during a campaign event in the city of Varanasi. She underwent surgery to repair the shoulder injury, and was discharged from hospital on Sunday. \"Sonia Gandhi's medical condition at the time of discharge from the hospital is stable. She has been advised rest and continuation of medicines,\" DS Rana of Ganga Ram Hospital was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency. \"Mrs Gandhi is likely to visit the hospital for further evaluation of her condition in the coming week.\" Her party lost the 2014 general elections to Mr Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In 2011 Mrs Gandhi went to the US to receive surgery for an undisclosed medical condition. In 2013, she was taken to a hospital for a few hours after she fell ill in parliament. And in 2014, she was admitted to a Delhi hospital for treatment of an infection.", "summary": "The leader of India's main opposition Congress party, Sonia Gandhi, has been discharged from hospital where she had surgery to repair a shoulder injury, doctors say."}
{"article": "Machetes, a knuckle duster and axes were recovered as part of a probe into the rival gangs, known as \"Moorclose\" and \"Mandem\" in west Cumbria. Cumbria Police said it had \"nipped the problem in the bud\" but still needed help to arrest more suspects. It set up Operation Rodeo to tackle the disorder in Workington and Whitehaven. Forty-three people have been arrested, aged between 13 and 40, who are all going through the court system, police said. Det Insp Dan St Quintin said: \"The criminality our communities have experienced is totally unacceptable and police have nipped this in the bud. \"I would like to reassure the public that we have a team of dedicated detectives working full time to detect and prosecute anyone found committing criminal behaviour.\"", "summary": "More than 40 suspected gang members have been arrested on suspicion of a string of offences including possessing weapons and assault, police said."}
{"article": "Carr left his post as Newcastle United's chief scout in June after seven years with the club. The 72-year-old previously worked for Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in scouting roles. He played for Northampton in the 1960s and as manager led them to the Fourth Division title in 1987 during a five-year spell in charge of the team. \"When he retired from Newcastle it seemed an obvious move to get him on board with us,\" said Cobblers chairman Kelvin Thomas. \"His knowledge and experience will be beneficial in general and I'm sure he will also be helping (head of recruitment) Andy Melville along the way too, watching some games here and there.\"", "summary": "Former Northampton Town manager Graham Carr has returned to the club as an associate director."}
{"article": "A BBC freedom of information request to the force revealed 4,789.27 days were recorded in 2010, compared to 12,198.48 in 2014, an increase of 155%. Overall sickness went up by 60% in the same period. The force employs 1,939 officers and 1,568 staff. West Mercia Police Federation said the figures suggest a link to funding cuts. The number of employees off with anxiety and stress in 2010 was 134 but rose to 229 last year, representing a 70% increase. Days lost because of sickness and ill health overall totalled 24,419.89 in 2010 compared with 39,022.75 in 2014, a 60% rise. The force has not said how much the absences have cost. West Mercia Police and Warwickshire Police announced plans to form an alliance in 2011, which came into effect in 2013. They two forces started a three-year plan to cut spending by \u00c2\u00a330m in 2012. Russell Yeomans, chairman of the West Mercia Police Federation, said: \"On the face of it, it's difficult to say but the figures suggest that there is a direct link to the cuts and the extra responsibilities police officers have faced but it could be difficult to say that based purely on these figures.\" He said police numbers had dropped over the past five years, a trend which was going to continue. An ongoing recruitment campaign would only replace officers leaving, he said. \"Policing is and always will be a stressful profession,\" he added. West Mercia Police said it recognised the figures showed a rise in sickness absence, particularly for anxiety and stress and a number of measures were already in place to provide support. \"A new action plan has been implemented in the past year and additional training has recently become available for line managers to help them support their staff,\" the force said.", "summary": "The number of days lost by West Mercia Police employees through depression or anxiety problems has more than doubled between 2010 and 2014, figures show."}
{"article": "The app is the latest development by Mikeysline, a charity set up following the deaths of two friends. Michael \"Mikey\" Williamson and Martin Shaw, who were both 23 and living in Inverness, were found dead within days of each other in October last year. Family and friends fear the young men took their own lives. Mr Williamson was found dead only hours after returning from a night out to remember his friend Mr Shaw. Launched in December last year, Mikeysline already offers support via text messages and is staffed by volunteers.", "summary": "A smartphone app designed to help young people who are dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts has been launched in Inverness."}
{"article": "Holders Dundalk made eight changes after Thursday's superb Europa Cup win over Maccabi Tel-Aviv but they led 2-0 at the break with clinical finishing. A header from Dean Shiels was followed by Ciaran Kilduff's composed volley. Rory Patterson poked in before substitute Curtis rifled home to set up a Brandywell replay on Tuesday. Dundalk boss Stephen Kenny rung the changes after Dundalk beat Maccabi 1-0 to become to the first Irish side to secure a group stage victory in European football. Derry hoped to take advantage of any tiredness and the visitors made an impressive start with Patterson's glancing header bringing out out an excellent save from Gabriel Sava. City were on top but Dundalk netted with their first meaningful attack on 21 minutes - Alan Keane jinked through on the right and his cross was met by Shiels with a diving header. Shiels, the son of Derry boss Kenny, suffered an elbow injury as he scored and he was forced off with former Candystripes midfielder Patrick McEleney his replacement. McEleney created the second goal in first-half added time, a dinked pass finding Kilduff and striker flicked the ball beyond keeper Gerard Doherty. The two players combined again five minutes after the restart with Kilduff, who netted the goal against Macabbi, seeing his header smash against the woodwork from a McEleney cross. Derry kept battling and they were rewarded when Patterson pounced to tap in after Sava failed to hold Aaron McEnuff's deflected shot on 65 minutes. Curtis netted a deserved leveller, a fine first touch setting him up to blast low inside the post from 20 yards. Dundalk had a chance to to win it in injury-time winner but the unmarked David McMillan sent his effort high and wide.", "summary": "Ronan Curtis scored an 86th minute equaliser as Derry fought back from two goals down to draw with Dundalk in the FAI Cup semi-final at Oriel Park."}
{"article": "The four-match contest should have begun in Brisbane on Thursday, but that Test will now start on 17 December. The traditional Melbourne Boxing Day Test is unchanged, but the Sydney Test is put back three days to 6 January. The changes have been made because of welfare concerns for Australia's players grieving for Hughes, 25, whose funeral will take place on Wednesday. The left-handed Australia opener died on Thursday after being struck on the neck by a ball during a domestic Sheffield Shield match. The funeral service will take place in the sports hall of Macksville High School, which Hughes attended, and will be broadcast live in Australia and on big screens at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Adelaide Oval. \"Nobody should underestimate just what these players are going through right now,\" said Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland. \"These are difficult days and we need to support them in dealing with their grief. It's very clear that playing a Test right now is just too soon and we are reacting accordingly. \"While this wasn't done by design, it is somewhat fitting that the first Test will take place in Adelaide at Phillip's adopted home ground where we hope the match can be a seen as a celebration of his life.\" The India squad, currently in Adelaide, were supposed to fly to Brisbane on Monday but missed their flight. Their two-day warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI in Adelaide, scheduled for Friday and Saturday last week, was cancelled. It has been reported that the Indians may now play a tour game in Adelaide on Thursday and Friday. After the Test series with India, Australia then face the tourists in a triangular one-day international series that also involves England. Two of those games have already been switched. Australia and England will now open the series in Sydney on 16 January, with the Aussies taking on India in Melbourne two days later.", "summary": "Australia's Test series with India will now begin in Adelaide on 9 December following the death of Phillip Hughes."}
{"article": "The body of 13-year-old Quinlan Pringle, of Colchester, was found on 21 August after he was swept away by the sea at Boulogne 15 August. He had been with his two younger brothers at the water's edge when all three ended up in the sea. His brothers were rescued and treated for shock while an unsuccessful search for Quinlan got under way. His body was found between rocks by fishermen. He was described as \"a quiet, sensitive and considerate boy\" by Philip Morant School in Colchester. LIVE: For more on this and other Essex stories College principal Catherine Hutley said: \"Quinlan was an aspirational and hardworking young man with a cheeky, endearing side to him which we all loved. \"He will be sorely missed by the school community and our thoughts are with his family.' \"We are working closely with Essex County Council to ensure students, their families and our staff have all the support they need at this devastating time. \"Quinlan was a quiet, sensitive and considerate boy with a delightfully playful, yet unobvious, sense of humour.\" It is understood Quinlan and his family arrived in Boulogne on the day of his death. Pascal Marconville, le Procureur de la R\u00c3\u00a9publique \u00c3 Boulogne, who confirmed the cause of death was accidental drowning, said: \"Three children got into difficulties in Boulogne. Two were rescued. \"One couldn't be rescued and was swept away in the current.\" The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was providing support to Quinlan's family.", "summary": "A boy who drowned on a family holiday in France has been named."}
{"article": "Johnstone opened the scoring with a close-range tap-in on eight minutes. The 21-year-old slotted Bobby Barr's cross into the bottom corner for his 14th goal of the season to make it 2-0, before Paul McMullan added a third. Dale Hilson and Gary Oliver hit back for the visitors but Morton held on for the win.", "summary": "Denny Johnstone netted a first-half brace as Morton returned to winning ways with victory over Queen of the South."}
{"article": "The United boss has signed Harry Lewis on loan from Southampton and Deniz Mehmet from Port Vale and negotiations have taken place with Kilmarnock, with Bell keen to return to Rugby Park. \"There is no situation,\" McKinnon told BBC Scotland ahead of a 2-0 League Cup win over Raith Rovers at Tannadice. \"Cammy has an injury and we wanted to make sure we had plenty of cover.\" Paul McMullen and James Keatings scored their first United goals in the Group C tie. McMullan broke the deadlock when he curled a shot high into the corner to beat Raith goalkeeper Aaron Lennox. Keatings' scored from the penalty spot in the second half to make the points safe for the home side. However, it is Cowdenbeath who occupy top spot in the group, on goals scored, after they won 4-2 against Highland League champions Buckie Thistle. United's best effort in the first half came in the opening minute when McMullan hit a low shot with the right foot after cutting in from the left to test Lennox, who fumbled but held the ball at the second attempt. Raith should have gone ahead when Mehmet mishit a clearance straight at Greig Spence who squared to Liam Buchanan, but his 20-yard effort towards an open goal was headed off the line by Mark Durnan. Keatings' shot after the restart brought a save from Lennox and the tempo of the game went up a notch, then a touch of class from McMullan from the left of the box saw him pick out the top corner for United's opener. Keatings made it 2-0 from the spot when Ian Davidson bundled on-loan midfielder Sam Stanton off the ball to concede a penalty. Billy King fired a low shot which Raith keeper Lennox saved at full stretch, then Buchanan missed a chance to pull one back for Raith from 14 yards. At Central Park, Craig Dorrat gave Buckie Thistle the lead but David Syme scored the first of two goals to equalise. Cameron Muirhead rounded the goalkeeper to put the home side ahead, and though Drew Copeland levelled Syme's second restored the lead. Ryan Connelly's fantastic solo goal rounded off the win for Billy Brown's side. Match ends, Dundee United 2, Raith Rovers 0. Second Half ends, Dundee United 2, Raith Rovers 0. Corner, Raith Rovers. Conceded by Mark Durnan. Scott Robertson (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Samuel Stanton (Dundee United). Corner, Raith Rovers. Conceded by Mark Durnan. Substitution, Dundee United. Archie Thomas replaces James Keatings. Attempt missed. Liam Buchanan (Raith Rovers) header from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Corner, Raith Rovers. Conceded by Paul McMullan. Corner, Raith Rovers. Conceded by Deniz Dogan Mehmet. Attempt saved. Liam Buchanan (Raith Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Foul by Patrick Nkoyi (Dundee United). Kyle Benedictus (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, Dundee United. Conceded by Aaron Lennox. Attempt saved. Billy King", "summary": "Ray McKinnon played down suggestions that goalkeeper Cammy Bell is on his way from Dundee United to Kilmarnock."}
{"article": "The supermarket giant said its overseas division had sold 8.6% of its Lazada stake to Chinese internet giant Alibaba for $129m (\u00a390.6m). Tesco will retain an 8.3% holding in the South East Asia-focused business. The move comes the day before Tesco's annual results, in which it is expected to announce further disposals. The supermarket group is planning to sell off some of its side businesses, including Dobbies Garden Centres chain, coffee shop chain Harris & Hoole and restaurant chain Giraffe, so that it can focus on the main supermarket business, according to media reports. Last September, Tesco sold its South Korean business, Homeplus, for \u00a34.2bn to help shore up its balance sheet and revitalise its UK business. There has been speculation about possible disposals since chief executive Dave Lewis took the helm in September 2014, charged with reviving the group's fortunes. Mr Lewis was parachuted in after the supermarket reported it had overstated its profits by some \u00a3263m. Alongside this, like its \"big four\" peers - Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons - Tesco has been hit by competition from discount rivals Lidl and Aldi. The UK has also seen a broad change in shopping habits, with many customers preferring to shop little and often at small convenience stores, instead of doing a once-a-week \"big shop\". In April last year, the company reported a record pre-tax loss of \u00a36.4bn for the year to February, marking the biggest loss reported to date by a British retailer. Mr Lewis has focused on price cuts and putting more staff in stores in an attempt to revive sales. On Wednesday, he is expected to report a rise in underlying fourth-quarter sales, the group's first quarterly increase for more than three years. Tesco declined to comment on the sale of its side businesses.", "summary": "Tesco has fired the starting gun on an expected sell-off of non-core assets, with the sale of some of its stake in Asian online business Lazada."}
{"article": "The 39-year-old is Pakistan's leading run-scorer in Test cricket, having made 9,977 runs in 115 Tests since his international debut in 2000. He has an average of 53.06, with 34 centuries and a highest score of 313. \"I will be retiring from international cricket after the West Indies series with my head held high,\" said Younus. \"I think this is the right time as every sportsman has to take this decision in his career.\" He previously captained Pakistan in all three formats of the game and led them to their only World Twenty20 title in England in 2009. He also had a spell in county cricket with Yorkshire in 2007. Younus' announcement comes two days after Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, 42, announced that he will also retire from internationals after the Windies Test series. The veteran duo were also named among Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year last week.", "summary": "Pakistan batsman Younus Khan has announced he will retire after their three-match Test series against West Indies, which starts on 22 April."}
{"article": "The 6-1 priced John Gosden-trained filly saw off favourite Rhododendron to win in the driving rain. Rhododendron finished second while her trainer Aidan O'Brien also saddled Alluringly in third. \"In the back of my mind I thought we had a chance,\" said Dettori. \"The rain spoiled it a bit as I was concentrating on my game plan so I didn't have much time to celebrate crossing the line.\" Thunder and lightning closed in before the race, with Daddys Lil Darling withdrawn after hurtling towards the starting stalls rider Olivier Peslier deciding to jump out of the saddle. BBC Sport horse racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght A tremendous horse race in which the two main protagonists asserted inside the final half-mile before the winner came out on top in great style, and in a fast time. And it was a performance of extra quality because of conditions. Dettori seemed to only semi-joke when saying that the thunder and lightning scared him let alone the horses. Although both trainer and jockey said they wanted to concentrate on celebrating today's achievement now, this clearly puts them in a fabulous place for tomorrow when they have Cracksman in the Derby. After this, Cracksman is practically sure to be favourite.", "summary": "Jockey Frankie Dettori rode Enable to victory in the Oaks at Epsom on Friday."}
{"article": "A multi-storey church hostel collapsed last September in Lagos killing 116 people, many of them South Africans. The authorities said it had more floors than its foundation could hold. \"The church was culpable because of criminal negligence resulting in the death of the victims,\" coroner Oyetade Komolafe said at the inquest in Lagos. Mr Komolafe said Mr Joshua's Synagogue, Church of All Nations (SCOAN), had not obtained proper approval before putting up the structure. Those who built the hostel should also be investigated, he said. Africa news updates TB Joshua, referred to by his followers as a \"prophet\", had blamed last year's incident on a small plane which he said had been circling the building, a claim dismissed by the court. Straight after the building collapsed, emergency teams complained that church officials had blocked access to the site. The coroner also criticised the fact that the preacher had not appeared as a witness during the inquest. \"Among the individuals and organisations summoned, only Prophet TB Joshua refused to testify,\" the AFP news agency quotes Mr Komolafe as saying. The BBC's Will Ross in Lagos says the preacher went to another court arguing that the coroner did not have the right to summon him. Mr Joshua's services, at a mega-church in Lagos's Ikotun district, are known for attracting thousands of people. Followers in Nigeria and abroad believe he has the gifts of healing and prophecy. Our correspondent says the coroner's verdict is really a recommendation and now it will now be up to Lagos state's director of public prosecutions to decide what legal action to take. Profile: Nigerian preacher TB Joshua In pictures: TB Joshua's ministry in 2005", "summary": "A church run by the popular Nigerian evangelist TB Joshua should be prosecuted after the collapse of one of its buildings, a coroner has ruled."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old forward was a free agent, having recently left Hull City when his contract expired. He spent four years with the Tigers, making 118 appearances for them and scoring 15 goals. Aluko, who can play on the wing or through the middle, represented England at youth level and has since won seven caps for Nigeria. He began his career at Birmingham City and played in Scotland for Aberdeen and then Rangers before joining Hull. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Fulham have signed Sone Aluko on a two-year contract with the option of a further year."}
{"article": "The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority said there appeared to be no \"material\" reason to alter its proposal, first put forward in 2013. Unless \"new evidence\" emerged, MPs' pay will rise from \u00a367,060 to \u00a374,000. David Cameron opposes the move but has said he will not block the increase, saying MPs' pay is a matter for Ipsa. Ipsa was handed control of decisions over MPs' pay and expenses in the wake of the 2009 expenses scandal. It does not need to get the agreement of Parliament to bring in the changes. The UK's 650 MPs are currently paid \u00a367,060. Their pay would rise to \u00a374,000 under Ipsa's final plans. The PM has previously urged the watchdog to scrap the above-inflation increase, which was initially proposed to address complaints that pay had fallen behind the rest of the public sector. But in its final consultation on the proposals, Ipsa restated its intention to press ahead with the increase, saying there appeared to be no \"material\" reason to change the recommendations. Unless \"new and compelling evidence\" emerged by the end of June the pay rise - to be backdated to 8 May - would be confirmed, it said. Ipsa said that due to cuts in pensions and expenses - such as a ban on claiming for evening meals - the overall package of changes would not cost taxpayers \"a penny more\". Ministers are set to benefit from the increase to MPs' pay - as only the government element of their salaries has been frozen for five years under plans announced by David Cameron in the wake of the Conservatives' election victory. Commenting on the final proposals, the PM's spokeswoman said: \"Throughout this process and debate, the prime minister has been absolutely clear that he doesn't agree with the proposed increase. \"But ultimately it is up to Ipsa as an independent body to decide MPs' pay and it is for them to make their determination.\" She added that Mr Cameron's focus was on areas where he had the power to bring down the cost of politics, including proposals for boundary changes to reduce the number of MPs at Westminster. A Labour Party spokesman said: \"It would feel wrong if Ipsa proposed an increase in MPs' take-home pay at a time when so many people are struggling.\" Meanwhile, TaxPayers' Alliance chief executive Jonathan Isaby said the pay rise was \"inappropriate\", and criticised the watchdog as \"out of touch\" and \"not fit for purpose\". \"Ipsa spent \u00a370,000 on a consultation which showed the public believed the current pay level to be broadly fair, yet have ignored the findings. MPs shouldn't be divorced from the same pay restraint as everywhere else in the public sector,\" he said. GMB union general secretary Paul Kenny said: \"We trust that none of the MPs accepting this pay rise as public servants will have the audacity to oppose the recommendations of pay review bodies or decent pay rises for public sector workers.\" Labour MP John Mann said the decision showed \"Westminster still doesn't get it\". He added: \"At a time when the chancellor", "summary": "MPs are set to receive a \u00a37,000 pay rise after the body responsible for setting their pay and expenses stuck by its recommendation for a 10% increase."}
{"article": "The student and a male friend she was travelling with were beaten, stripped and thrown off the bus in the attack on Sunday evening. The couple have been admitted to hospital, where the woman is said to be in a critical condition. Police have arrested the driver of the bus and detained several people. Delhi's rape figures are higher than for other Indian cities of comparable size, correspondents say. City shamed, headlined The Times of India, saying that Sunday's incident is a \"new low for a city already notorious as India's rape capital\". Savagery Shames City, headlined Mail Today, adding that \"horror had revisited the streets of the capital\" on Sunday night. The newspaper said that 582 cases of rape had been reported in Delhi so far this year. Delhi Shamed Again, said The Pioneer, saying the incident had \"again renewed focus on the dismal state of safety for girls and women who venture out at night\". The Indian Express said the bus was driven around on a stretch in south Delhi for more than an hour and had \"crossed\" three police patrol vans. The Chief Minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit told The Hindu newspaper that this was a \"shockingly extraordinary case\". \"We want to ensure that the culprits are not granted bail under any circumstances. Stringent punishment for them is the need of the hour,\" she said. Mrs Dikshit said she would be considering the setting up of a fast track court to \"ensure speedy justice to the victim\". The woman and her friend had boarded the bus from Munirka area and were on their way to Dwarka in south-west Delhi. They were returning after watching a film in a shopping centre in south Delhi, police said. The couple were attacked by \"at least four men\", police said.", "summary": "There has been shock and outrage in India over the gang rape of a 23-year-old student on a city bus in the capital, Delhi."}
{"article": "It's a simple 16th century Balinese temple, set against a backdrop of the Indian Ocean, but it's about to get a very 21st century neighbour. Just across the beach from here is the sprawling but dated Bali Nirwana Resort. And in a few months time, construction will begin to transform it into the first Trump-branded resort on the island. Yes. That Trump. The site was bought in 2013 by businessman Hary Tanoesoedibjo, Indonesia's 29th richest man according to Forbes Magazine. And in 2015 he signed a $1bn (\u00c2\u00a3820m) deal with Donald Trump to build and develop a Trump Hotel and Tower in West Java, as well as the six-star luxury resort in Bali. Mr Tanoesodibjo will pay for the construction and give the Trump Organisation an undisclosed fee for the use of the name and rights to manage the resorts. But that's not where the connection with the US President ends. Known for his forthright and straightforward views, Mr Tanoesoedibjo, or Hary Tanoe, is often called Indonesia's Donald Trump. A media mogul, he runs the MNC Group, a vast conglomerate that spans financial services, media and property. Set up in 1997, it was listed on the Jakarta Stock Exchange. And like the man in the White House, he's also a prolific tweeter. But his connection to Mr Trump has created a fair amount of controversy both in Indonesia and overseas. In a recent interview with an Indonesian magazine, Mr Tanoesoedibjo reportedly said that he had \"close access\" to the US President, raising eyebrows about the potential conflicts of interest in this relationship. But speaking to me in the cosy library of his palatial home, he told me that the two shared a \"normal business relationship.\" And he fully believes President Trump when he says he's no longer involved in the day-to-day running of his businesses. \"I have to underline this,\" Mr Tanoesoedibjo says. \"Since he's president of the United States, he's no longer involved in the business so I basically deal with the children, Eric Trump and Don Jr.\" But the two men have met, and fairly recently. Mr Tanoesoedibjo and his wife were invited to the president's inauguration, and treated like VIP guests. His wife posted photos of their time with the Trump family on her social media feeds. So surely there's a perception that if the two men are close, there's a conflict of interest, I asked him. How can he convince people otherwise? \"There's no conflict of interest,\" he says categorically. \"Conflict of interest may happen if the project is agreed upon when he is a president. But this happened long before he even decided to run for president.\" Still, some of Mr Trump's controversial decisions since coming to office, not least the travel ban widely interpreted as targeting Muslims, have had an impact on Mr Tanoesoedibjo's reputation in the predominantly Islamic Indonesia. \"People will look at him (Mr Tanoesoedibjo) as a kid trying to follow big brother, as naive,\" popular radio talk show host Wimar Witoelar told me in his studio. \"He shouldn't run around with people like", "summary": "On top of a rock formation on the Indonesian island of Bali, sits Tanah Lot."}
{"article": "Ms Cafferkey, 39, spent several weeks in Royal Free Hospital in London in January 2015 after becoming the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the UK. She was later discharged after apparently making a full recovery - but later it was discovered that the virus is still present in her body. So what do we know about Ms Cafferkey? Pauline Cafferkey is said to have been inspired to join the NHS after watching the horror of the Ethiopian famine on television in the 1980s. So when an appeal was made for NHS staff who were willing to travel to west Africa to help tackle the Ebola outbreak, she felt compelled to volunteer. Ms Cafferkey - a nurse with 16 years of experience who was working at the Blantyre health centre in South Lanarkshire - was well aware of the risks she would face. But as she prepared to depart for Sierra Leone as part of a 30-strong NHS team in November 2014, she told BBC Scotland that she could not think of any reason not to go. She added: \"I have experience in the past. I've done aid work, I've worked in Africa, so I didn't really think about it actually, I just did it.\" The NHS team - which included GPs, nurses, psychiatrists and emergency medicine consultants - had been specially selected from the 1,000 staff who volunteered to take part in the mercy mission to west Africa, where more than 7,000 people have been killed in the Ebola outbreak. They had undergone nine days of intensive training with the Ministry of Defence before being allowed to start work with patients at treatment centres across Sierra Leone. Colleagues who worked with her have spoken of Ms Cafferkey's dedication and enthusiasm for her role at the Ebola Treatment Centre in Kerry Town. And in extracts from her diary published by the Scotsman newspaper, she described how the work she was doing had quickly come to feel like a \"normal part of life\". She wrote: \"My nice community nursing job in Blantyre is far removed from this but at the moment this seems a lot more real. The dreams that I do remember always seem to have an Ebola theme, it seems to be all consuming.\" During the third week of her diary, she described \"an awful shift\" during which she had to tell a young boy, whose father had died from Ebola, that the virus had also killed his mother and sister. \"His mother had seen her daughter die in the bed across from her that morning and she died a few hours later,\" she wrote. \"The sad thing is that this is a regular occurrence and we see and hear of whole families being wiped out by this awful disease.\" Ms Cafferkey returned to the UK on 28 December 2014 for a break as part of a rotation system. She was screened after arriving at Heathrow Airport, but no concerns were raised about her health. While waiting for a connecting flight to Glasgow, she complained about her temperature and", "summary": "Scottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey, who contracted Ebola while working in Sierra Leone two years ago, is being investigated over claims she gave dishonest answers while being screened for the deadly disease when she returned to Heathrow Airport."}
{"article": "Police Scotland said two men - one from Aberdeen and one from Paisley - had been arrested and charged with sexual offences against children. The referrals came via the charity NSPCC, the SFA and directly to police. Officers said it was the most complex investigation since the Police Scotland child abuse unit was set up in 2015. The unit, along with other experienced detectives, are in the midst of a major inquiry into allegations that children were abused in the sport following reports from several high profile players. Det Ch Insp Sarah Taylor, who is heading the investigation, told BBC Scotland she expected the scale of the investigation to grow. \"Up until today, we've had 130 separate reports with information about child sexual abuse within football and that is since the end of November. \"So, in such a short space of time, we've received a number of reports. That indicates to me that this is a large-scale complex investigation that we're undertaking.\" Ms Taylor said she was encouraged by the number of reports as it showed people had the confidence to come forward to the authorities. She also said that unlike Operation Hydrant south of the border, which is also looking into allegations of abuse in other sports, the Scottish investigation was focussing on football. She added: \"However, I wouldn't discourage people from contacting the police if they have suffered abuse - sexual or physical - in any other environment. \"This is a major investigation and we've reacted to it by deploying a number of officers to be dedicated solely to this investigation. \"It's complex because we're dealing with a number of perpetrators and a number of people who've reported abuse, so for me it's about trying to piece that jigsaw together.\"", "summary": "A police investigation into allegations of child abuse within football has received 130 referrals since it got under way in November."}
{"article": "France striker Antoine Griezmann had a goal ruled out by a video assistant referee for offside. And Spain's second goal, scored by Gerard Deulofeu, was awarded by the video official after an assistant referee wrongly flagged for offside. David Silva opened the scoring for Spain with a penalty after Laurent Koscielny fouled Deulofeu. Griezmann had earlier had a headed goal ruled out when referee Felix Zwayer reversed his initial decision after receiving a message in his earpiece from the video assistant referee, who was sat in a truck outside the Stade de France. Replays showed Layvin Kurzawa was narrowly offside when he headed the ball to Griezmann, with the decision to overturn the goal made in about 30 seconds. Deulofeu's goal - from a Jordi Alba cross - was awarded after a conversation between the referee and the video assistant that lasted about a minute. Video assistant technology was first used in September, in France's 3-1 friendly win in Italy. It was then used at the Fifa Club World Cup, and the Football Association wants to use it in next season's FA Cup from the third round onwards. Fifa president Gianni Infantino would like the system to be used at the World Cup in Russia next year. Match ends, France 0, Spain 2. Second Half ends, France 0, Spain 2. Sergio Busquets (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Olivier Giroud (France). Foul by Gerard Deulofeu (Spain). Laurent Koscielny (France) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ander Herrera (Spain). Tiemou\u00e9 Bakayoko (France) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Offside, France. Olivier Giroud tries a through ball, but Antoine Griezmann is caught offside. Offside, France. Antoine Griezmann tries a through ball, but Layvin Kurzawa is caught offside. Offside, Spain. Gerard Piqu\u00e9 tries a through ball, but Iago Aspas is caught offside. Attempt missed. Antoine Griezmann (France) header from very close range is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 with a cross. Substitution, Spain. Nacho replaces Jordi Alba. Daniel Carvajal (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Layvin Kurzawa (France). Substitution, Spain. Iago Aspas replaces \u00c1lvaro Morata. Attempt missed. Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 (France) left footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Christophe Jallet. Foul by Thiago Alc\u00e1ntara (Spain). Antoine Griezmann (France) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Offside, Spain. Gerard Deulofeu tries a through ball, but David Silva is caught offside. Substitution, France. Thomas Lemar replaces Corentin Tolisso. Substitution, France. Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 replaces Kevin Gameiro. Foul by Sergio Ramos (Spain). Tiemou\u00e9 Bakayoko (France) wins a free kick on the right wing. Goal! France 0, Spain 2. Gerard Deulofeu (Spain) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Jordi Alba. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Substitution, Spain. Ander Herrera replaces Koke. Delay in match Laurent Koscielny (France) because of an injury. Attempt missed. Tiemou\u00e9 Bakayoko (France) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Antoine", "summary": "Video technology was used to correct two wrong decisions as Spain beat France in a friendly in Paris."}
{"article": "The UK government is now set to spell out its aims for new customs arrangements. But what is the difference between a free trade area, single market and a customs union? You can be in the EU's Single Market, but not the EU, this is what Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein do. The European Union's single market is perhaps the most ambitious type of trade co-operation. That's because as well as eliminating tariffs, quotas or taxes on trade, it also includes the free movement of goods, services, capital and people. That is why there has been no limit on the number of French people who can come to the UK, or the number of British people who can live in Spain - but there are limits on Turks or Ukrainians, for example. Also, a single market strives to remove so-called \"non-tariff barriers\" - different rules on packaging, safety and standards and many others are abolished and the same rules and regulations apply across the area. There are EU-wide regulations covering a whole host of industries and products on everything from food standards and the use of chemicals to working hours and health and safety. It is an attempt to create a level playing field and a single market; this does not happen in a free trade zone. For goods, the single market was largely completed in 1992, but the market for services remains a work in progress a quarter of a century later. The EU has promised to introduce it many times, but several countries have dragged their feet and it is much more complicated than creating a single market for say, cars or computers. Even so, the City of London dominates financial services in the EU not least because it can do business in every member country. The EU is therefore not just a free trade area - it is a single market. But to stay in the single market, countries have to allow the free movement of goods, services, capital and people. That last one means immigration is difficult if not impossible to control - although the UK might get a special deal to allow some limits. Membership of the single market also normally involves making annual payments towards the EU's budget and accepting the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, which would cross quite a few red lines for many Brexiteers. Turkey is part of a customs union with the EU but not in the single market. The deal does not cover food or agriculture, services or government procurement. The EU is not only a single market - it is also a customs union. The countries club together and agree to apply the same tariffs to goods from outside the union. Once goods have cleared customs in one country, they can be shipped to others in the union without further tariffs being imposed. If the UK left the Customs Union but stayed in the Single market, our exporters would have to contend with what are called 'rules of origin'. These rules are designed to demonstrate that goods that legally", "summary": "Two leading cabinet ministers have said that the UK will not remain in the single market or customs union during the transitional period planned for immediately after leaving the European Union."}
{"article": "The hardware was exactly the same as that used last November, \"demonstrating reuse\", the Amazon.com founder wrote on his blog. The flight took place on Friday from Mr Bezos' Texas test and launch facility. As has become his practice, he gave no general public notice of the event and released only limited details afterwards, along with a glossy video. November's outing marked the first time a rocket had launched a space mission vertically from the ground and then brought all elements - booster and capsule - softly and safely back to Earth. Although all the flights so far undertaken by Mr Bezos have been unmanned, he does eventually plan to fly passengers. \"The very same New Shepard booster that flew above the Karman line and then landed vertically at its launch site last November has now flown and landed again, demonstrating reuse,\" the businessman said. \"This time, New Shepard reached an apogee of 333,582ft (101.7km) before both capsule and booster gently returned to Earth for recovery and reuse.\" One hundred kilometres is regarded as the official boundary of space. New Shepard does not achieve the velocities that would allow the system to make orbit and stay up, but Mr Bezos says his Blue Origin space company is working on a family of rockets that would make this possible. He promises to reveal further information on that programme later in the year. Commentators had realised early in the week that another mission was imminent when the Federal Aviation Authority published a temporary flight restriction for a region of the sky north of Van Horn in Texas - the location of the Blue Origin test site. From social media postings, it was evident that a launch had taken place early on Friday local time, but it was many hours before Mr Bezos and Blue Origin were prepared to comment. Rocketry is now entering a new era, with designers trying to make reusable the systems that have traditionally been regarded only as disposable. In December, another entrepreneur, Elon Musk, managed to land the booster stage of his Falcon rocket after launching a batch of satellites. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter.", "summary": "US entrepreneur Jeff Bezos has reflown his New Shepard rocket, launching once again a capsule briefly into space."}
{"article": "The report indicates nearly a quarter of men and a sixth of women over the age of 55 who think they hear well actually have a hearing loss. And less than a third of all adults with a hearing loss use a hearing aid. The charity Action on Hearing Loss said it took most people a decade to seek help. It is the first time the annual health survey, conducted by NatCen Social Research, has compared people's perceptions about their hearing with the results of actual tests. Dr Jennifer Mindell, from UCL and one of the authors of the section on hearing, said the findings were worrying. She told the BBC: \"Whether people are in denial or just unaware of what they can't hear we don't know.\" She said about half of the people who had said they had \"great difficulty\" hearing still did not use a hearing aid. Dr Mindell said: \"People think it's a normal part of ageing, and some don't want a hearing aid as they feel there's a stigma attached in a way that people don't with glasses.\" Untreated hearing loss can lead to social exclusion due to the restrictive effect on conversation. Dr Mindell said it was a \"cause for concern\" and there was a link between untreated hearing loss and poor mental health. The report suggests: Gemma Twitchen, an audiologist with the charity Action on Hearing Loss, said: \"Reluctance to acknowledge hearing difficulties is far more common than we might think - on average it takes people 10 years to seek help for hearing loss. \"Early diagnosis is key, and hearing aids are vital in ensuring people can continue to communicate better with friends and family. \"We would urge anyone that is concerned about their hearing to take our free hearing check.\" Follow James on Twitter.", "summary": "Around two million people who need a hearing aid do not even realise they have problems, the annual health survey for England suggests."}
{"article": "A museum in New Zealand has made an official approach to Hawick museum for the flag, taken from a Maori tribe by Crown forces during a battle in 1865. The bid is supported by descendents of key figures involved in the Battle of Omaruhakeke. Members of Scottish Borders Council will be asked to approve the move. The request for the flag by Wairoa Museum in Hawke's Bay on New Zealand's North Island was accompanied by four letters from descendents of Maori leaders. They said the return of the flag could be a powerful symbol for the resolution of 160 years of social, economic, political and spiritual turmoil for the Maori people in that area of New Zealand. Councillor Vicky Davidson has already said there was \"no good reason\" for the flag to be part of the local museum collection. Scottish Borders Council's executive committee will decide whether or not to return the flag to New Zealand. You can get regular updates from across the south of Scotland on our live page. Click here to see the page on our main news index.", "summary": "Councillors are to meet to decide whether a Maori war flag held in the collection of a Scottish Borders museum should be repatriated."}
{"article": "An international team has shown that the top few millimetres of the sea is rich in secretions from phytoplankton. The group\u2019s tests demonstrate that this microscopic material can nucleate ice crystals if lifted into the atmosphere by crashing waves and sea spray. If this is a very prevalent process, it likely alters cloud properties, the researchers tell the journal Nature. A greater or lesser abundance of ice will affect the clouds\u2019 lifetimes, their precipitation potential, and whether they behave as a blanket to warm the atmosphere, or as a bright shield to reflect sunlight, thus having a cooling effect. It is yet another factor that climate models will have to consider, says study lead Dr Theo Wilson from the University of Leeds, UK. \"Our understanding of cloud formation is actually pretty poor, and we need to understand better how ice is made so that modellers can better represent it,\" he told BBC News. Wilson\u2019s team visited the Arctic, the northwestern Atlantic and the northeastern Pacific. The scientists used a remote-controlled boat to trawl the top \"microlayer\" of these waters to see what sort of organic material it held. Phytoplankton are clearly present, but these organisms, as small as they are, are really too big to be wafted high into the sky. However, the plants also excrete matter. These \"exudates\", as they are known, are gel-like, and their scale is on the order of 0.2-0.02 micrometers. This means they are capable of being carried skyward. \"This 'goo' is the sort of material that will get into the fine fraction of sea spray aerosol, which is the part of the sea spray that is going to make it high into the atmosphere,\" explained Dr Wilson. His team shows that the exudates can become Ice Nucleating Particles (INPs) in the atmosphere. \"Exactly why they\u2019re good at making ice is still not clear,\" said co-researcher Dr Luis Ladino from the University of Toronto, Canada. \"It could be because their structure is similar to ice; it could be because they have some affinity to have hydrogen bonds; or some other favourable chemistry at their surface. There are probably many components, and you can\u2019t say it\u2019s just one.\" The effect of organic INPs is most relevant in those parts of the globe where desert dusts or pollution particles - long-recognised triggers for ice formation in clouds \u2013 are much reduced. These locations would be the more remote regions on Earth, such as at the poles or in the Southern Ocean. Here, organic INPs could be playing a much more significant, and hitherto unrecognised, role in the freeze-up of clouds. Modellers will need to be aware of this as they simulate future climate scenarios, says the team. In the Arctic, for example, the well-documented reduction in sea-ice is opening up ocean water for longer periods of the year, allowing winds to more freely act on the surface to produce waves and sea spray. The open ocean is likely also to boost phytoplankton production with more sunlight getting into the top water layers. \"And in the Southern Ocean, a big", "summary": "Scientists say tiny ocean plants could play a significant role in the formation of ice in clouds."}
{"article": "Thomas Anthony Carlin was dressed in uniform as he attended Belfast's Royal Courts of Justice again on Thursday. He declined to apologise for his actions at an earlier hearing. He also rejected an offer of legal representation and asked to have a jury decide on his behaviour towards Lord Justice Gillen. But another judge refused his request, instead listing the case to be heard by him next week. Mr Justice Horner said: \"I'm going to arrange for a trial to take place on this issue of whether or not there has been contempt in the face of the court. \"I will hear it, there will not be a jury.\" He also warned the policeman that, if found guilty, he could be fined or sent to prison. Mr Carlin's alleged outburst came at the end of a ruling in a house repossession case in the High Court on Tuesday. The 43-year-old had been representing himself in the legal battle with Santander bank over a property in County Antrim. At the end of the hearing, he allegedly got up and moved towards the bench, claiming he was going to arrest Lord Justice Gillen. Security and court staff intervened before he was led from the courtroom. He was arrested on suspicion of two counts of common assault, but subsequently released without charge. The Police Ombudsman was also notified. Mr Carlin is alleged to have interrupted proceedings without justification, refused to resume his seat, approached the presiding judge, threatened to arrest him without lawful excuse and physically interfered with a court tipstaff. He had been given until Thursday to secure a lawyer, apologise and provide an explanation for his behaviour. But shortly after entering the courtroom again, Mr Carlin made his position clear. He told Mr Justice Horner: \"I believe for me to apologise to the court would be abandoning my defence.\" The offer of legal assistance from a law firm that deals with the Police Federation was also turned down. Mr Carlin further said: \"I acted in my capacity as a police officer, I believed a crime had been committed (and) it was outrageous in nature. \"I believe the tipstaff and court staff who intervened... obstructed me in the execution of my duty.\" At one stage Mr Justice Horner asked if he denied the alleged behaviour set out in writing. \"I completely dispute those facts,\" the officer replied. The judge then cautioned him: \"You realise that should you be found guilty of contempt in the face of the court you will be liable for a number of penalties including imprisonment.\" Mr Carlin responded that he would comply with the findings of a jury. However, he was told to turn up on Monday for a trial to be decided by Mr Justice Horner alone.", "summary": "A policeman who allegedly approached one of Northern Ireland's most senior judges and threatened to arrest him is to go on trial for contempt of court."}
{"article": "Robin Milner, 49, of Sherburn in Elmet, was arrested near the Swan Hotel, Low Street, South Milford at about 20:00 BST on 30 July. He told York Magistrates' Court he had \"participated in a few beers\" at a christening earlier in the day and had not realised he had drunk so many. Milner was given a conditional discharge for six months and ordered to pay \u00c2\u00a3105 in costs. Read more about this and other stories from across Yorkshire Magistrates told him they appreciated his guilty plea and the fact he had co-operated with police when arrested. Milner, who represented himself in court, said he believed he had about four pints. His cart had scratched a man's car in the car park of the Swan Hotel and the two men were exchanging details when a police officer noticed the defendant appeared to be drunk.", "summary": "A man has admitted being drunk in charge of a horse and cart."}
{"article": "World number five Kvitova, 25, beat five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova 6-3 7-6 (7-3) in Saturday's second semi-final. Earlier, Radwanska, 26, overcame Spain's world number three Garbine Muguruza 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-5. It will be Radwanska's first final at the event in her seventh appearance. The world number six made the decisive break in the 12th game of the third set to finally break the Spaniard's resistance. \"It was a great match from the beginning to the end, lots of ups and downs, so many rallies and a lot of running,\" Radwanska said. Radwanska had taken a 3-0 lead in the first-set tie-break before eventually losing it 7-5. \"I didn't know I could come back after that first set - I am just so glad I could win that match,\" she said. In the second semi-final, Kvitova broke in the seventh and ninth games to take the first set against Sharapova, who had won all three of her round-robin ties despite arriving in Singapore after a long injury lay-off. The world number four hit back to take a 5-1 lead in the second set, but 2011 champion Kvitova rediscovered her rhythm to claim the victory in straight sets.", "summary": "Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic will meet Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in the final of the WTA Finals in Singapore on Sunday."}
{"article": "The French port owners want to build a new berth and slipway, and deepen a channel to upgrade facilities. Businesses have welcomed the economic benefit but Sussex Wildlife Trust object to the loss of shingle habitat, and residents have said they will lose their only remaining sandy beach. Newhaven Port and Properties have not commented to the BBC. Helen Macaulay, from the town's chamber of commerce, said Newhaven needed more businesses and more jobs, and local concerns about infrastructure were being dealt with by the port. The plans include a nature reserve but Ian Hepburn, from Sussex Wildlife Trust, said the development would damage coastal shingle and species there including reptiles, invertebrates, breeding birds and plants. Former town councillor Rod Main said West Beach had already been closed by the port and this expansion would see the town lose its one other remaining area of sandy beach. Calling for West Beach to reopen, he added: \"This company are just taking away every sandy beach we've got.\" A report submitted to Lewes council said the plans would help to regenerate Newhaven and create jobs, and the expansion would provide overspill space for the new Rampion wind farm. Officers said it was an opportunity to create a modern port, and the benefits outweighed harm such as the loss of sandy beach, impact on surf conditions, and effects on ecology and archaeology. The plans will be considered later.", "summary": "Expansion plans put forward by Newhaven Port have been recommended for approval by Lewes councillors."}
{"article": "And former Kilmarnock boss Kenny Shiels has told BBC Scotland he would be \"very interested\" in the role. Ian Baraclough parted company with the club on Wednesday, a day after the Steelmen had been knocked out of the Scottish League Cup by Greenock Morton. Former Well captain and current Under-20s coach Stephen Craigan has been put in caretaker charge of the first team. His first assignment will be at home to Partick Thistle on Saturday. Shiels, most recently of Thai side BEC Tero Sasana, was considered by Motherwell last year but ultimately missed out as Baraclough was appointed in December. And, when asked on Radio Scotland's Sportsound about the current vacancy, Shiels said: \"I'm very interested because I see it as a good fit for me. \"It's a provincial club and I've had a period now where I've worked in a [Scottish FA] youth academy in Scotland and I can see so much good going on down there with [academy director] Scott Leitch at Motherwell's academy, \"There is a good conveyor belt coming through and I see massive potential at that club, I really do.\" The Northern Irishman, who won the Scottish League Cup with Killie in 2012, also indicated he would be willing to work with Motherwell's current coaching staff. After leaving Killie in 2013, Shiels had a short spell in charge of Morton before his role with the SFA and subsequent move to Thailand. He has also managed several clubs in his homeland. \"One of my greatest skills is the management of the staff and certainly that would be one that I would welcome,\" he added. \"Stephen's a good lad.\"", "summary": "Motherwell have received more than 30 applications for the vacant manager's position at Fir Park."}
{"article": "The trio will join 12 other celebrities on the 2017 series, which launches on BBC One next month. McGee is best known as the widow of magician Paul Daniels, while Burke won 2008's X Factor and is a West End star. Peacock has won two Paralympics sprinting gold medals and is the first celebrity hopeful to have a disability. His appearance follows that of former Royal Marine and fellow amputee Cassidy Little, who took part in a \"people's\" edition of Strictly in 2015 as well as that year's Christmas show. The new series of Strictly will begin with a launch show on BBC One on 9 September. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will return to host the first series not to have Len Goodman as a judge. Bruno Tonioli, Darcey Bussell and Craig Revel Horwood will instead be joined by international ballroom champion Shirley Ballas. Here is a complete rundown of the contestants for the show's 15th series: Debbie McGee found fame at the side of Paul Daniels on his TV magic show in the 1980s and went on to marry him. Her Strictly appearance comes seven years after her late husband took to the dancefloor on the show's 2010 edition. He died last year. Speaking of her own impending appearance, she said: \"The excitement is overwhelming. I can't stop smiling. It's been the hardest secret I have ever had to keep!\" Jonnie Peacock has won gold in the T44 100m at two Paralympics, two World Para Athletics Championships and two European Championships. But can he win the Strictly glitterball? The 24-year-old had his right leg amputated below the knee after contracting meningitis as a child. \"The opportunity to be the first contestant with a disability to take part in Strictly's main show was too good to turn down,\" he said. \"I've got no previous dance history outside of the occasional 'worm' at a mate's party and I know this will be a challenge and a new experience. \"I can't wait to see what I can achieve and how far I can push myself.\" Alexandra Burke took The X Factor by storm in 2008, with her winner's single Hallelujah selling more than a million copies. Since then, she's established herself on stage in such musicals as The Bodyguard and Sister Act. \"I love this show and have followed it from the beginning, so being able to be a part of it is just a dream come true for me,\" she said. \"I am very nervous as I am a singer not a dancer, but I am going to give this my absolute everything.\" Chizzy Akudolu left Holby City in June after five years. Before that, she had roles in The Inbetweeners, EastEnders, Silent Witness, Hollyoaks and Twenty Twelve. Viewers have already seen her strut her stuff in BBC One's Let's Sing and Dance for Comic Relief. She appeared with two Casualty stars earlier this year, finishing second with a routine set to Bruno Mars' Uptown Funk. She said: \"When I was 13, I made the finals of a disco dancing competition once", "summary": "TV personality Debbie McGee, singer Alexandra Burke and Paralympian Jonnie Peacock are the final contestants to be announced for Strictly Come Dancing."}
{"article": "23 October 2015 Last updated at 02:35 BST It was given to the city as a sign of his gratitude for funding his forces at the Battle of Agincourt. Commentary from art historian Dr Michael Hall.", "summary": "King Henry V's rarely seen Crystal Sceptre is going on public display at the Guildhall in London."}
{"article": "The Secretary of State for Communities, Sajid Javid, has told the region's council leaders that time to implement a devolution deal is running out. Elections for directly-elected mayors are due to be held in a number of areas of England in May 2017. However, critics say the plan will not deliver the promised benefits. In a letter sent to the councils which make up the North East Combined Authority, and which has been seen by the BBC, Mr Javid said: \"I reaffirm the government's commitment to implementing the North East devolution deal in full. \"[However] without an elected mayor the deal cannot progress. \"There is a significant risk now that we will run out of time to implement the deal unless you publish your governance review and scheme, and move forward with the consultation immediately.\" The deal is part of the government's Northern Powerhouse programme to help Northern towns and cities compete with those in the South for investment. Council leaders from Labour-led Durham County Council, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland met earlier to discuss the way forward, but it is understood divisions remain. Gateshead previously voted against the deal. Teesside has its own plans for an elected mayor. Implementation of the plan would see the region receive \u00a330m government funding for the next 30 years as well as new powers on transport, skills and training. Nick Forbes, Newcastle City Council leader, said: \"Other parts of England like Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool will press ahead and if we don't get alongside my fear is the North East will be overlooked and left out. \"There's a very real chance our region's economy will suffer.\" The union Unison is among opponents of the plan. Regional secretary Clare Williams said: \"To have one person representing Berwick down to Barnard Castle can't be good for democracy. \"We have local councils who are elected by their communities, so we're against being told by this government we have to have an elected mayor.\"", "summary": "The North East risks losing \u00a3900m of investment because of delays approving plans for a directly-elected mayor, the government has warned."}
{"article": "Most died after buying the black-market spirits, made from ethanol, water and fruit, from a couple in Sleman, north of Yogyakarta city. Several people were also taken to hospital. The alleged maker and seller of the drink has been arrested. It is not the first time moonshine has killed people in Muslim-majority Indonesia. More than a dozen Indonesians died after drinking it at new year celebrations in 2014, and 25 people, four of them foreigners, died after drinking palm wine laced with methanol in Bali in 2009. The most recent deaths occurred late last week. \"Most of the victims were students,\" Sleman's police chief told AFP. Since 2015, small shops in Indonesia have been banned from selling alcohol, despite fears by some critics that it would push people towards consuming illicit alcohol.", "summary": "At least 24 people have died in recent days in central Java, Indonesia, from drinking illegally-produced alcohol."}
{"article": "Mr Hammond's arrival makes him the first UK foreign secretary to visit since the years before the Caribbean country's communist revolution of 1959. He said the UK was set to reach new \"co-operation agreements\" on energy, education and culture with Cuba. Mr Hammond's visit follows one by US President Barack Obama last month. The foreign secretary is due to take part in a series of meetings to discuss social and economic changes, human rights and the fight against global health threats such as the Zika virus. He will also sign a bilateral agreement restructuring Cuba's debt to the UK. \"Britain and Cuba have outlooks on the world and systems of government that are very different,\" Mr Hammond said as he arrived in the capital Havana. \"But as Cuba enters a period of significant social and economic change, I am looking forward to demonstrating to the Cuban government and people that the UK is keen to forge new links across the Atlantic. \"That is why Cuba and the UK are set to reach new cooperation agreements on energy, financial services, education and culture, to the benefit of both our nations. \"As the first British foreign secretary to visit Cuba since before the Cuban Revolution in 1959, this is an opportunity to hear for myself what Cuba thinks about its present challenges and where it sees its future.\" Last year, British exports to Cuba soared by 25%. According to the Department of Trade and Industry, the top items exported to the country are: In March Barack Obama became the first US president since 1928 to visit Cuba. For years, the US and Cuba were engaged in a bitter stand-off, triggered by the overthrow of US-backed Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista by Communist leader Fidel Castro in 1959. The US broke off diplomatic relations and imposed a trade embargo.", "summary": "Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he was keen to \"forge new links across the Atlantic\" as he arrived in Cuba for a historic visit."}
{"article": "Mountaineering Scotland and the Scottish Gamekeepers Association have jointly written to Scotland's environment secretary. The Scottish government wants woodland cover to go from 17% to 25% by 2050. It said there would be \"appropriate consideration of Scotland's distinctive upland landscapes.\" Scottish Natural Heritage said Scotland had a low percentage of woodland cover compared with other European countries. A commitment to plant 10,000 extra hectares of trees between now and 2022 was made in the government's draft Climate Plan. But, in an unusual alliance, Mountaineering Scotland and the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA), said they were concerned about the impact of the Scottish government's forestry targets on wild moorland. The letter states: \"Our concern is whether adequate weight is being given to the significant changes this will have on the landscape of Scotland and in particular the dramatic open views and vistas which have come to signify to the outside world that which is unique about our country. \"Until a vision and strategy for Scotland's uplands is in place, there is an obvious failure to join up what is required from the land to meet forestry targets and what we might want to keep in terms of internationally rare and valuable landscapes and ecosystems.\" The two organisations are calling for an urgent policy statement which protects moorlands. Neil Reid, from Mountaineering Scotland, told BBC Scotland: \"It is a serious issue for both of us and that's why we have come together in this way. \"There are many things we do disagree about, and will continue to disagree about, but the key thing is that we both need a coherent policy and an overall vision for the landscape of Scotland.\" The group, which represents hill walkers and mountaineers, wants moorland areas to be left untouched as a wild landscape for tourists. Those tourists, they argue, are an important contributor to the local economy. Mr Reid added: \"They talk about this landscape, they don't talk about going for miles long wanders through woods. \"You can see the hills around you, you see the shape of the landscape and it's also relatively benign for walking across.\" The two groups have invited the Scottish government to share its thinking on the relative value placed on woodland and moorland. Gamekeeper Bob Connelly said: \"Heather heathland is one of the rarer types of habitat in the world. \"We, in Britain, have a very large percentage of it and to cover it in trees is just ecological vandalism.\" Both groups emphasise that they are not opposed to tree planting but that sites have to be well chosen. Ecologist Dr James Fenton, who has written a document called \"A Future for Moorland in Scotland\" for the SGA, has echoed the calls for moorland protection. He said: \"It's disparaged rather than being recognised as important so they'd be quite happy to get rid of our finest landscape. \"[We would] lose them by attrition, one bit is lost to trees here or a dam there or a wind farm there and we are just losing our wild, wide open spaces which characterise Scotland, and", "summary": "Scotland's \"dramatic open views and vistas\" could be threatened by plans to increase woodland cover, according to mountaineers and gamekeepers."}
{"article": "The flame was also taken on a cliff top chair-lift at The Needles when it arrived on the island en-route from Bournemouth to Southampton . Sailing Olympian Shirley Robertson carried the flame in Newport. The day began at Bournemouth Pier and the 59-mile route will include a stop at Southampton football club's ground. The flame travelled through 12 communities on Saturday: Bournemouth, Boscombe, Christchurch, Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst, Lymington, Totland, Yarmouth, Carisbrooke, Newport, East Cowes and Southampton. At midday the convoy boarded a ferry from Lymington to the Isle of Wight. And fittingly, it was there that sailor Dame Ellen joined the relay in East Cowes which is famous for its week-long regatta. Cowes has hosted the sailing event since 1826 and it is now the largest of its kind in the world. Dame Ellen is best-known as a solo long-distance yachtswoman, who once held the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe. She said after carrying the torch: \"The other torchbearers are inspiring people who were wonderful to meet but the strongest impression I have from today are the faces - smiles, smiles and more smiles from young and old alike. \"The sense of pride, happiness and community was my lasting feeling - all brought alive, in an instant, by the Olympic torch.\" Another of Britain's finest sailors, Ms Robertson, was among the day's 92 torchbearers. She was the first British woman to win two Olympic gold medals at consecutive games - in Sydney 2000 and then four years later in Athens. Search maps, check street routes and join in 70 days of live coverage in video, stories and pictures Find out where the Olympic torch is going Other highlights of the relay's journey on the Isle of Wight included a visit to Osborne House - which was built as a summer residence and retreat for Queen Victoria, who died there in 1901, and Prince Albert - and a trip for two torchbearers on The Needles chair-lift at Alum Bay beach. Blue Peter's Big Olympic Tour was due to have been held at Osborne House but was moved to Bournemouth when the site became waterlogged. Later in Southampton, the flame was exchanged by the side of the pitch at St Mary's Stadium between Alice Constance, 29, from Chepstow and Nicholas Nuttall, 53, from Southwater. The evening celebration at Mayflower Park included performances from Wretch 32 - a dance troupe who will provide a unique fusion of street performance, theatre and sport - and dance act Twist and Pulse. A total of 8,000 people will carry the flame during its 8,000 mile, 70-day journey to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in London on 27 July.", "summary": "Yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur was cheered on as she ran with the Olympic flame in East Cowes when the torch relay reached the Isle of Wight."}
{"article": "The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut its key rate to 2.75% from 3%. The bank said it expected investment in the resources sector, one of its biggest drivers of growth in recent times, to peak this year. It added that a rate cut would provide a boost to other areas of the economy and help sustain long-term growth. \"There has been a strengthening in consumption and a modest firming in dwelling investment, and prospects are for some increase in business investment outside the resources sector over the next year,\" the central bank said in a statement. \"These developments, some of which have been assisted by the reductions in interest rates that began 18 months ago, will all be helpful in sustaining growth.\" Australia's economic growth in recent years has been fuelled by the growing demand for its commodities, such as iron ore. That resulted in a resources boom in Australia and helped it sustain growth through the global financial crisis. However, as demand from key markets such as China has eased, there have been concerns that Australia's mining sector may see its growth slow. At the same time, many analysts have pointed out that other areas of the country's economy have not done so well, resulting in what many have termed a two-speed economy. To make matters worse, the Australian currency has strengthened - making its exports more expensive, as well as affecting sectors such as manufacturing and tourism. It rose nearly 9% against the US dollar between June 2012 and April 2013. Amid all these concerns, there have been calls for policymakers to take steps to help boost growth, especially in the non-mining sectors, to ensure that the economy continues to grow. Analysts said the cut in interest rates, which will help bring down borrowing costs for businesses and consumers, will help to provide some relief to those sectors and allay fears of an economic slowdown. \"Commodity prices have fallen and inflation has come in less than expected, and of course the Australian dollar through all of that has remained surprisingly strong,\" said Shane Oliver, chief economist with AMP Capital Investors. \"I think it was appropriate for the Reserve to provide a bit more confidence [so that] when the mining investment boom starts to wane the rest of the economy will fill the gap.\" The Australian dollar weakened slightly, dipping 0.7% against the US dollar, after the rate cut was announced. It was trading close to A$0.9808 against the US dollar in Asian trade.", "summary": "Australia's central bank has cut its benchmark interest rate to a record low, in an attempt to counter slowing growth in the country's mining sector."}
{"article": "The head of Berkshire Hathaway is among a group that includes Dan Gilbert, the billionaire founder of Quicken Loans. US news reports and the Financial Times said Mr Buffett co-signed a letter from the group and pledged money for a bid. Verizon, private equity firms, and the owner of the Daily Mail have expressed an interest in Yahoo's assets. Last month the search company, hit by falling advertising and weakening investor confidence, shortlisted about 10 potential buyers. News of Mr Buffett's interest could improve Yahoo's sale hopes. He admitted at Berkshire's annual meeting last month that his investment firm had been slow to get involved the new tech industry. Mr Buffett, whose firm has a stake in IBM, said in an interview on 2 May that Yahoo's business had deteriorated significantly and that \"something has to change there\". But he did not mention any potential bid. Reuters, which first reported Mr Buffett's involvement, pointed out that Susan Decker, who worked at Yahoo in several senior roles between 2000 and 2009, is now a director on Berkshire's board. The news agency quoted an interview she gave to CNBC television on 29 April: \"I hope the next owner can do something to revitalise the spirit of the core things that made Yahoo very, very unique and create a distinction in consumers' minds about why they love Yahoo still. \"It will be helpful if it is private or part of a much larger corporation to achieve that,\" she said. However, Verizon is thought to remain the frontrunner in the bidding for Yahoo. The US telecoms giant would merge Yahoo with AOL, which it bought for $4.4bn (\u00c2\u00a33bn) last year to create a digital group capable of taking on the likes of Google and Facebook.", "summary": "Legendary investor Warren Buffett is backing a consortium bidding for Yahoo's core internet assets, according to reports."}
{"article": "Gylfi Sigurdsson's neat finish into the bottom corner was enough to settle a cagey, low quality match. Nathan Redmond shot wide late on for the visitors but Swansea, whose head coach Francesco Guidolin missed the game through illness, held on to win. Norwich remain in the relegation zone and are without a win in 10 matches in all competitions. Alex Neil's side are now one point from safety after Sunderland picked up a draw against Southampton. Swansea have now secured back-to-back league victories after their shock win over Arsenal on Wednesday. Except for a low Cameron Jerome effort from range that was palmed away by Lukasz Fabianski, neither goalkeeper was tested in an uneventful first half. But Iceland midfielder Sigurdsson opened the game up shortly after the break with a calm finish that gave Swansea what was, in the end, a deserved win. He was also denied a second goal from a curling free kick late on by John Ruddy's finger-tip save. Norwich lacked urgency until the closing stages and pressed late on in the game, but Dieumerci Mbokani could not keep a header down and substitute Patrick Bamford saw a low effort saved. The Canaries remain without an away win since beating Manchester United in December. The second-half introduction of former Norwich midfielder Leroy Fer, signed by Swansea in the January transfer window, gave the hosts a fresh impetus in attack. It was his square ball that found Sigurdsson in space for the winning goal and, having impressed at the Emirates against Arsenal on Wednesday, he went on to put in a lively performance for the Swans. Swansea boss Guidolin picked the team from his hospital bed for a second consecutive game, as he continues to recover from a chest infection. Coach Alan Curtis, who has taken on first-team duties in his absence, confirmed Guidolin is due to return to work this week and said picking up six points from two games would no doubt aid his recovery. \"I know he's delighted and has sent his best wishes,\" said Curtis. \"He'll probably be relaxing now and it's a huge boost for him. \"He's due to leave hospital on Monday. We won't see him for a couple of days, but I expect him to be at the Bournemouth game next Saturday.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Swansea coach Alan Curtis: \"It was a strange game. The first half was poor from both teams but we upped our game and we got the goal. We were hanging on a bit at the end. \"When it's two teams who need the points it affects it. It was one of the worst games of the season. \"We felt like we had to make changes in the second half and everyone played their part and we're delighted. It gives us breathing space.\" Norwich manager Alex Neil: \"It was edgy but I don't think there was a team that was clear. You hope you've got the players to make the difference. Media playback is not supported on this device \"Swansea opened up in a", "summary": "Swansea City moved nine points clear of the Premier League relegation zone as Norwich slipped further into danger."}
{"article": "A report on 38 North, a website run by the US-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, studied images taken between April and November. These appeared to show work in a new area of the Punggye-ri nuclear zone. But, the report said, there is no sign that any nuclear test is imminent, North Korea carried out three underground nuclear tests at Punggye-ri in 2006, 2009 and 2013. Its nuclear programme has been a source of great concern for the international community. The tunnel identified in the latest imagery is in a new area of the site, separate from three other tunnels that the North has excavated or used for tests in the past, the report said. \"While there are no indications that a nuclear test is imminent, the new tunnel adds to North Korea's ability to conduct additional detonations over the coming years if it chooses to do so,\" it added. The commercially-available satellite imagery on which the researchers based their conclusions appear to show a new tunnel entrance, the site's fourth, as well as signs of construction work taking place as recently as October and November. The report says some analysts believe each entrance connects to a single tunnel but there is debate about the exact nature and structure of the underground testing facility. It is not the first indication of construction activity at the site. In October, South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted a South Korean government source saying there were workers constructing a new tunnel at Punggye-ri. In September North Korea said that its reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear facility, the source of plutonium for North Korea's nuclear weapons, had resumed normal operations. Yongbyon's reactor was shut down in 2007 but Pyongyang vowed to restart it in 2013, following its third nuclear test and amid high regional tensions.", "summary": "Recent satellite images indicate that North Korea is building a new tunnel at its nuclear test site, a respected US think tank has said."}
{"article": "11 May 2014 Last updated at 11:24 BST Hundreds of volunteer builders gathered in the city centre to make the tower, using 1,000 cardboard bricks. The People's Tower community art event was created to mark the opening weekend of the annual Norfolk and Norwich Festival. The tower is 22 metres tall and is designed to look like the St Peter Mancroft Church tower. It took more than eight hours to complete and was held together by more than eight miles of packing tape. It was designed by French artist Olivier Grosset\u00c3\u00aate.", "summary": "A church made of cardboard boxes has been built in Norwich."}
{"article": "Sian Hollands, 25, suffered a pulmonary embolism after leaving Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford, in November 2015. Dr Kamran Khan previously claimed he had not seen Ms Hollands' notes and was unaware of the seriousness of her pain. However, during cross-examination he admitted having the notes but not reading them. The General Medical Council is now investigating him. Ms Hollands, a mother of three, went to Darent Valley Hospital complaining of breathing difficulties and chest and stomach pain. She had suffered an ectopic pregnancy three weeks earlier. Gravesend Coroner's Court heard the former drug user was taking methadone to treat her addiction, but had stopped for a few days. Ms Hollands was given an electrocardiogram (ECG) and methadone, and was given her discharge papers. Her former partner Carl Alleyne said she was in pain and not breathing properly, but was told the hospital \"needed the bed space\". He refused to take her home and she died a few hours later from a blockage in the artery carrying blood from the heart to the lungs. Dr Khan put her symptoms down to drug withdrawal, the inquest heard. He claimed not to have seen the medical notes labelling her as \"at risk\" and detailing her chest pain, which would have made him consider a pulmonary embolism. But the medical notes were found with Dr Khan's own writing on the back, proving he had seen, but not properly read, the vital information on the paper. Ms Hollands' family's barrister, Edward Ramsay, asked the doctor: \"It means you could not have read what was staring you in the face?\" \"Yes,\" he replied. \"Simply turning over the page and Sian may well be alive - do you accept that?\" Mr Ramsey added. Dr Khan agreed. Mr Ramsay said Ms Hollands was \"labelled a heroin addict and nobody considered any other diagnosis\". Her mother, Nicole Smith, said that more than 500 days since her daughter's death, they were finally getting the truth. \"She was recovering, trying to put her life right, and they condemned her and stopped her from ever moving forward.\" A spokesman for Darent Valley Hospital said: \"We extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Sian Hollands. We await the outcome of the coroner's inquest.\" The inquest has been adjourned until 10 April.", "summary": "A mother who died hours after being given her hospital discharge papers may have lived if a doctor had read her medical notes, an inquest heard."}
{"article": "NWAS lost the contract, now worth \u00a366.8m, to bus operator Arriva in 2013. Arriva withdrew from the new tendering process after admitting providing false data about its current performance. NWAS was also awarded similar five-year deals for Lancashire, Merseyside and Cumbria, but lost the Cheshire tender to West Midlands Ambulance Service. A spokesman for NHS Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG), the lead ambulance commissioners for the North West, said Arriva had \"identified a level of management failure with the reporting of performance in Greater Manchester\" in October. \"This means that they had previously provided incorrect information, which shows a higher level of performance than is the case,\" he said. He added that following Arriva's admission, the company \"withdrew from the procurement process immediately\" and has \"since developed a performance improvement plan to help rectify their performance\". NWAS chief executive Bob Williams said that while he was pleased to regain the Greater Manchester contract, it was \"tinged with disappointment\" because of the loss of the Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral service. \"Whilst we were successful in four of the North West's counties, our immediate focus now is on our staff in Cheshire and the impact on them,\" he said. \"We will work closely with our trade unions, staff and the new provider to support them through this period and deliver a safe and smooth transition.\" The BCCG spokesman said the contracts had been awarded as \"the result of a rigorous competitive tendering process and evaluation of potential providers\". He said the new NWAS contracts would see \"a number of quality improvements\", including a \"text-ahead service\" to inform patients when their transport will arrive and a \"revised process\" to ensure fair use of the service. The new five-year contracts - worth \u00a359.9m in Lancashire, \u00a339m in Merseyside, \u00a331.5m in Cumbria and \u00a324.6m in Cheshire - will begin in July 2016.", "summary": "The North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has been restored as the provider for non-emergency patient transport services across Greater Manchester."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The winger, 22, was dismissed in the loss to St Johnstone after appearing to react to Stephen Mitchell's award of a foul throw. Tynecastle head coach Ian Cathro said after the game he would review the incident, but backed his player. But BBC Scotland has learned the club is not planning to lodge an appeal. Nicholson will be suspended for Saturday's home match against Dundee. \"I want to see the footage [of Nicholson's red card],\" Cathro said in his post-match interview following Wednesday's defeat in Perth. \"I don't think there was any aggression directed in that. I take that quite clearly from how Sam describes the situation and from other players around it. That's something that needs looked at.\" Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Hearts will not appeal against the red card Sam Nicholson received for an alleged spit in the direction of an assistant referee at McDiarmid Park."}
{"article": "International recognition and protection of such areas is urgently needed to halt their continued loss, say scientists. Roads may introduce many problems to nature, including deforestation, pollution and risks to wildlife. Areas untouched by roads do not have adequate protection in most countries, researchers report in Science journal. \"We have produced a global map of road less areas,\" said lead researcher Pierre Ibisch, of Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, in Germany. \"And this map shows that Earth's landscapes are shattered into more than 600 thousand fragments. \"We used a huge dataset of 36 million km of roads for producing this map.\" Roads are important for economic development, but they have a number of potential environmental impacts, including deforestation, chemical pollution, and noise disturbance. To gain a better understanding of the impact of road systems, scientists analysed two global datasets, OpenStreetMap and gRoads. They also reviewed 282 publications. The map found that about 80% of the Earth's land surface remains without roads. However, more than half of the 600,000 fragments created by roads are less than 1 sq km. Only 7% are larger than 100 sq km (400 sq miles) - that's about the size of the island of Montserrat. As roads continue to expand there is an urgent need for a global strategy for the conservation, restoration and monitoring of areas without roads and the ecosystems they represent, say scientists from 12 institutions in six countries. Few countries have legislation that protects areas that are not fragmented by roads. And in much of Europe and North America these areas have already been lost. However, in Australia, for example, untouched landscapes such as the Blue Mountains only hours from Sydney still exist. Dr Ibisch told BBC News: ''We see these road less areas as areas with an inherent value; something that merits being seen as a conservation target in its own right.'' Co-researcher Monika Hoffmann added: \"Road less areas are still overestimated and many of them are reduced in size.\" The research is published in the journal Science. Follow Helen on Twitter.", "summary": "A global map of areas without roads shows large tracts of wilderness remain unprotected."}
{"article": "Agricultural produce and cosmetics sold in EU member states must now have clear labels showing their place of origin. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said the EU \"should be ashamed of itself\". The EU considers settlements built on territories occupied by Israel in 1967 to be illegal under international law, but Israel disputes this position. The EU says settlements constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict impossible. Mr Netanyahu, who was in Washington on an official visit, called the decision \"hypocritical and a double standard\". The Israeli foreign ministry has summoned the EU ambassador to Israel and said it would suspend diplomatic dialogue in the coming weeks. At a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, the European Commission adopted an \"interpretative notice on indication of origin of goods from the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967\". The Commission says the territories comprise the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights, which were captured from Syria. Mandatory indication of origin applies notably to fresh fruit and vegetables, wine, honey, olive oil, eggs, poultry, organic products and cosmetics. Voluntary indication of origin applies to pre-packaged foodstuffs and the majority of industrial products. For products from West Bank or the Golan Heights that originate from settlements, the expression \"Israeli settlement\" or equivalent needs to be added, in brackets, for example. So, \"product from the Golan Heights (Israeli settlement)\" or \"product from West Bank (Israeli settlement)\" could be used. Products from the West Bank not originating from settlements could be labelled \"product from Palestine\" or \"product from West Bank (Palestinian product)\". Source: European Commission factsheet Since 2009, the UK has implemented voluntary guidelines for labelling, which distinguishes West Bank produce made in Israeli settlements from Palestinian West Bank produce. Similar guidelines have been put in place by Denmark and Belgium. An EU source told the BBC that the labels would have to include the word \"settlement\", as under EU consumer law it would be misleading to simply mark them as products from Israel or from the Palestinian territories. The source said this was not a new obligation or a political decision, but designed to clarify member states' obligations to ensure consumers are fully informed. The EU, the source added, does not view the occupied territories as legally part of Israel, so products from there cannot be labelled as from Israel or benefit from preferential trade agreements. Since 2004, produce from settlements have not benefited from trade preferences, and EU law already requires the places of origin of fruits, vegetables and honey to be labelled. Israel's economy ministry estimates that the impact of Wednesday's decision will be about $50m (\u20ac47m; \u00a333m) a year, according to Reuters. EU imports from Israel were worth around \u20ac13bn ($14bn; \u00a39bn) in 2014. \"We regret that the EU has chosen, for political reasons, to take such an exceptional and discriminatory step, inspired by the boycott movement, particularly at this time, when Israel is confronting a wave of terrorism targeting any and all of its citizens,\" Israel's foreign ministry", "summary": "The European Commission has issued new guidelines for the labelling of some products made in Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian and Syrian land."}
{"article": "A photographer who was able to board the stricken wooden vessel said more than 1,000 migrants had been crammed aboard. They were among at least 28 migrants who died in the area on Tuesday, while some 4,655 people were rescued. The total number rescued over the past two days is more than 10,000, while the death toll is at least 50. Smugglers have taken advantage of calm weather to push more boats out to sea. Aris Messinis, a photographer for the French AFP news agency, said many of the dead aboard one particular boat had suffocated. He said: \"It was a wooden vessel and there were about 1,000 people on three levels. I counted 22 bodies and there are still others in the hold.\" Mr Messinis's graphic images showed the bodies of dead young men and women, piled on top of one another on the deck of a dinghy and in the cramped hold of a wooden boat. On Monday, 6,055 migrants were rescued - one of the highest numbers in a single day - and 22 found dead, Italian and Libyan officials said. One Italian ship rescued about 725 migrants from a single rubber boat, the coastguard said - just one of 20 rescue operations that day. Relatively calm weather is contributing to a surge in the number of people attempting to make the crossing before the cold weather sets in. The surge takes the number of migrants who have arrived in Italy this year to about 142,000 and the death toll to about 3,100, according to the International Organisation for Migration. The majority come from African countries, including Nigeria, Eritrea, Guinea, Gambia, Sudan, Ivory Coast and Somalia. European law says migrants must stay in the country where they first enter the EU. With fewer migrants able to travel into Europe via Greece and the Balkan route, and France, Switzerland and Austria effectively closing their borders, Italy is struggling to deal with the growing numbers landing on its shores. Monday marked three years to the day since 366 migrants died when an overcrowded boat sank off the Italian coast, in a disaster that first drew widespread attention to the plight of those attempting to reach Europe by sea.", "summary": "More than 20 migrants are said to have suffocated in the hold of an overloaded boat off the Libyan coast."}
{"article": "The defensive midfielder joined from Caen last summer for \u00a36m and went on to make 40 appearances in Leicester's Premier League-winning campaign. Kante, 25, was part of the France squad that reached the final of Euro 2016. \"I am so happy to have signed for one of the biggest clubs in Europe. It's a dream come true for me,\" he said. Kante is Chelsea's second signing of the summer after Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi joined from Marseille. \"The opportunity to work with Antonio Conte, a brilliant coach, and some of the best players in the world was simply too good to turn down,\" said Kante. Leicester said they accepted a club record fee on Friday before Kante finalised terms and completed a medical. \"Despite the offer of a substantially improved, long-term contract, it became apparent that N'Golo's wish was to join Chelsea,\" said a Foxes statement. Leicester striker Jamie Vardy turned down a move to Arsenal earlier in the summer, but there is continued speculation winger Riyad Mahrez could leave. Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo described Kante as a \"fantastic\" signing with \"exceptional quality\". \"He is a perfect fit in terms of Antonio Conte's philosophies and the style of football he wants to play,\" added Emenalo. Meanwhile, Conte lost his first game in charge as they were beaten 2-0 by Rapid Vienna in a friendly. Chelsea fielded a strong side captained by John Terry and including Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Matic, Willian, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Diego Costa. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Chelsea have signed Leicester City midfielder N'Golo Kante on a five-year deal for a fee believed to be in the region of \u00a330m."}
{"article": "8 March 2016 Last updated at 10:42 GMT Peter Slevin, her biographer, talks about her legacy. He looks at the first lady to do a hula hoop on the White House lawn and dance in public to Uptown Funk. Mrs Obama has also taken a proactive stance on education and obesity among young people.", "summary": "The White House's first black first lady Michelle Obama once told her aides not to \"just put me on a plane, send me someplace and have me smile\"."}
{"article": "Sosefina Amoa, 26, accepted a plea agreement for voluntary manslaughter, punishable by up to 30 years in prison. A prosecutor has said she will seek a four to 10-year prison term. A lawyer for Amoa said the Samoan woman smothered the infant in her room at the Little Sisters of the Poor convent but did so out of panic and shock after a difficult delivery. She put her hand over the infant's mouth to \"quiet the baby so she could figure out what she was going to do\", lawyer Judith Pipe said. Amoa is said to have arrived in the US from Samoa on 5 October 2013 to begin a five-month programme to become a member of the convent. She gave birth to son Joseph in her room on 10 October. Prosecutor Cynthia Wright told the Washington court Amoa was standing when the infant was born and that he fell, hitting the floor before he was smothered. Amoa later cleaned her room and showed the infant to a sister at the convent the following day, saying she had found the child outside. The unnamed nun allegedly found the child cold and not breathing and took the body in a bag to a local hospital along with Amoa, court documents said.", "summary": "A trainee Catholic nun has pleaded guilty to killing her newborn infant in a convent in Washington DC in October."}
{"article": "South Africa-born McKerr joined Derbyshire on an initial 28-day loan deal on 31 May. The 19-year-old took 14 wickets in two first-class games for Derbyshire. He also became the youngest player in the county's history to take 10 wickets in a match when he took 10-141 in their defeat by Northamptonshire. Meanwhile, Derbyshire opening batsman Luis Reece is still hopeful of being fit from a viral infection for the county's next game, the inaugural day-night Championship game against Glamorgan, in Cardiff, starting on 26 June. Reece, 26, did not bat in either innings in Derbyshire's three-day defeat by Northamptonshire at Wantage Road on Sunday, after leaving the pitch on Friday with breathing problems. \"I was struggling to breathe,\" the winter signing from Lancashire told BBC Radio Derby. \"Then, a couple of overs later, I felt tightening in my chest, the paramedics were on and I was off to Kettering Hospital. \"They think it's a viral infection and it was fluid that caused the tightening of the chest. I can't do any strenuous exercise and I'm being referred to a cardiologist. \"But hopefully I will be available for the next game. I'm hoping that it's not going to be a long lay-off. And I'll know more once I've seen the cardiologist.\"", "summary": "Surrey have recalled paceman Conor McKerr from his loan spell with County Championship Division Two side Derbyshire, with immediate effect."}
{"article": "Guidolin is under pressure with the Swans only one point above the relegation zone. Swansea's American owners, Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien, have yet to decide on Guidolin's future. However, they are compiling a shortlist of potential successors to the Italian. The owners will be in attendance at the Liberty on Saturday. Chairman Huw Jenkins has met former United States coach Bob Bradley, while former Wales and Manchester United captain Ryan Giggs would be interested in the manager's role if it was to become vacant. Bradley and Giggs are not the only options, with Swansea's hierarchy thought to be considering several other possible candidates in the event of Guidolin's departure. Any decision on Guidolin's future will be taken jointly between Kaplan, Levien and Jenkins. They have become concerned in recent weeks, with Swansea failing to win in the Premier League since their opening-day triumph at Burnley. It is understood the nature of the Swans' performances in their next few games - a trip to Arsenal follows the Liverpool fixture - will have as much of a bearing on Guidolin's future as the results. The 60-year-old succeeded Garry Monk as Swansea boss in January and, after guiding the Welsh club to Premier League safety last season, the former Udinese manager was rewarded with a two-year contract in May. Guidolin insists he still has the support of the players and he has not sought assurances from Jenkins about his future. \"I spoke with the chairman last week,\" he said. \"But at the moment the most important thing is for me to work with my players and with my team to prepare for the next game, to be focussed and with concentration.\" Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Francesco Guidolin's future as Swansea City head coach will not necessarily rest on Saturday's Premier League match against Liverpool - even though the Italian admitted it could be his last."}
{"article": "Clare Shillington and Laura Delany both made 37 as Ireland were bowled out for 144 after 47.1 overs of their innings. Bangladesh replied with 145-3 off 39.1 overs to win with 65 balls to spare, Sharmin Akhter top-scoring with 52. Ireland must win their remaining two matches against Pakistan and South Africa to maintain qualification hopes. Ireland retained their one-day international status by making the Super Six, from which the top four qualify for the World Cup this summer. After being put in to bat by Bangladesh at the Colombo Cricket Club, the Irish women were dealt an early blow as Cecilia Joyce (3) and Kim Garth (0) both went cheaply. Meg Kendal returned from her hamstring injury to make 16, sharing in a third wicket stand of 45 with Shillington, who struck four boundaries and cleared the ropes twice in an entertaining 37 from 36 balls. Both fell in quick succession and it was left to skipper Delany and Isobel Joyce (24) to rebuild the innings with a stand of 44. Having reached 106-4 with 19 overs remaining, Ireland looked set for a total approaching 200, however the innings faltered in the final third, as they slumped to 144 all out. Jahanara Alam (3-21), Panna Ghosh (2-16) and Khadija Tul Kubra (2-26) were best with the ball for Bangladesh. Ireland needed quick wickets in the Bangladesh chase, but their attack was blunted by a steady opening stand of 40 between Sharmin Sultana (22) and Sharmin Akhter. Gaby Lewis (1-31) dismissed Sultana, and when Isobel Joyce ran out Islam for 2, Ireland were back in the contest at 52-2. However Akhter hit a fine half century from 86 balls, adding 53 with Morgana Hoque, to ensure Bangladesh quickly regained control. Although Akhter was dismissed by Ciara Metcalfe (1-33), by that stage just 39 were needed, and Hoque (34 not out) in conjunction with Rumana Ahmed (24 not out) steered their side safely home. Ireland are next in action when they face Pakistan on Friday, before taking on South Africa on Sunday.", "summary": "Ireland's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup appear remote after suffering a seven-wicket defeat by Bangladesh in their opening Super Six match."}
{"article": "First Minister Peter Robinson suggested devolved powers for social welfare could be handed back if the Stormont parties failed to reach agreement. Sinn F\u00e9in and the SDLP are currently refusing to support the changes. Ms Villiers described the idea as hugely controversial. \"It's the current government's approach that any changes to the devolution settlement have to be broadly supported across the political parties, across the community, so I'm afraid on welfare reform, I'd love to see progress on this, but I think the progress in getting it through has to come through agreement between the political parties and adopting it at Stormont,\" she said. The welfare reform bill, if implemented, would largely introduce measures already introduced elsewhere in the UK. Mr Robinson told the BBC's The View on Thursday that a package had been discussed by himself and Martin McGuinness last May, but the deputy first minister could not sell it to his party. The first minister said the package contained ways to help alleviate the effects of reform. By Gareth GordonBBC News NI Political Correspondent The Maze peace centre; Haass talks proposals; On the Runs; loyalist paramilitary violence and now welfare reform. The subject matter changes, but that's all. Relations between Sinn F\u00e9in and the DUP - between Martin McGuinness and Peter Robinson - fluctuate from one row to the next. So how serious is this one? Well as serious as the last, except disagreement over welfare reform is costing money and must be sorted - sooner or later. Later probably given that there are elections to be fought in May. If only they had a joint trip to the US coming up where grinning and bearing it would be the only option. He said it had failed because Mr McGuinness had been unable to sell it to senior Sinn F\u00e9in members of the Irish parliament. Mr Robinson said the Sinn F\u00e9in leader Gerry Adams had a very negative influence on the party's team in the Northern Ireland Executive. In response, Mr McGuinness said Mr Robinson had \"crossed the line\" by saying they had reached agreement on welfare reform. The deputy first minister said Mr Robinson's version of events was not true. He said some of the first minister's comments in relation to the discussions that took place between them and other Sinn F\u00e9in and DUP negotiators on the issue of welfare cuts bore \"no reality to what happened at the time\". Mr Robinson, the DUP leader, said in response to Mr McGuinness' comments: \"I made it very clear in the interview that no deal is done until we get the support of our parties, that we were all comfortable enough to go with the package to our parties. \"That's the position that I outlined, it's the position that I stand over. Indeed in terms of them not being able to get their party over the line, why on earth would he have brought me in on a Saturday afternoon if there hadn't been some exceptional set of circumstances.\"", "summary": "The secretary of state has said the prospect of Westminster taking powers to legislate for welfare changes in NI is not realistic."}
{"article": "The Nigerian military says the footage shows Boko Haram fighters on trucks and motorcycles fleeing aerial bombardment by the Air Force, in a recent operation in the Sambisa forest - thought to be the militants' last stronghold in Nigeria. Over the past week alone, the military says hundreds of women and children have been rescued as part of an ongoing offensive against the group. The latest developments mean that the Nigerian military has not only reclaimed many towns in the north-east previously under Boko Haram control, but are now pushing further to rout them from their final hideouts By starting to provide more documentary evidence to back up its claims of success, the Nigerian military has shown it is willing to get involved in the propaganda war as well. Before that, the images from Boko Haram, including militants carrying out atrocities and their leader Abubakar Shekau taunting the government, instilled fear and hopelessness in the minds of many. The last broadcast from Shekau was his pledge of allegiance to Islamic State in an audio clip in March. But as we have seen from his group in the past, silence does not always imply that they have been significantly weakened. Attacks credited to Boko Haram continue in both Nigeria and neighbouring countries. Army commanders say they don't often find many bodies of the insurgents after battle, suggesting that the jihadists carry away their dead with them as they retreat. It's not clear if any senior Boko Haram figures have been captured during the recent operations, says Ryan Cummings, Chief Africa Analyst for the risk management firm Red24. \"With the leadership of the group still intact, Boko Haram may continue to possess the acumen to replenish, regroup, and rearm both within and outside of Nigeria's borders.\" Then there is also the argument that until factors like poverty, unemployment and lack of education can be addressed, local populations will remain vulnerable to extremist ideology. Apart from the Sambisa forest, a vast area based around a nature reserve of the same name, the group is also known to operate in the Mandara Mountains, which lie on the poorly-manned Cameroon-Nigeria border. Fighting the group here would require greater cooperation between both countries - something that has been lacking - to combat their common enemy. Nigeria's President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, a former military leader, says one of his first moves after assuming office will be to call a meeting of the regional leaders on a more proactive collaboration to end the conflict. Gen Buhari says the outgoing Nigerian government did not do enough to harness a suitable regional response. Frosty cross-border relations have affected the military operations, with resentment and mistrust between Nigeria and its neighbours. For a long time Boko Haram fighters were able to cross the border at will, to carry out attacks and to escape any army responses but now their movements have been limited by the joint regional forces. In Nigeria, Gen Buhari is expected to reshuffle the top brass of the military to bring in top officials who can add more zest or possibly", "summary": "If the recent footage released by the military is anything to go by, Nigerians may have reason for optimism about the government's ongoing battle against the Islamist militant group Boko Haram."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old, riding for Team Dimension Data, won stage one to Al Khor Corniche in a sprint finish from Sacha Modolo (Lampre) and Andrea Guardini (Astana). Cavendish, who won the race in 2013, averaged close to 52km/h on this stage. He plans to decide during the race whether he will compete at next month's track World Championships in London. A winner of 26 Tour de France stages, Cavendish faces a packed schedule in 2016 with August's Olympic Games in Rio also a target. The five-stage race finishes on Friday.", "summary": "Britain's Mark Cavendish claimed his first win of 2016 on a fast opening stage of the Tour of Qatar."}
{"article": "Bloc Blinds of Magherafelt specialises in made-to-measure roller blinds, and its major customers include the John Lewis department store chain. It currently employs 69 staff but aims to add 93 jobs over the next two years. The expansion is being supported with a \u00a3465,000 grant from Invest NI. The investment includes new manufacturing facilities and market development activities to help increase export sales. Cormac Diamond , the firm's managing director, says the move \"underpins our ambition to increase sales particularly in Europe and the US\". He said a new manufacturing facility brings all the firm's production under one roof which will \"help increase production and operating efficiencies.\" Mr Diamond, whose background is in mechanical engineering, founded the business in the depths of the recession. He developed easy-to-install, customisable blinds and got his first John Lewis order when a buyer spotted the his products at a trade show.", "summary": "A County Londonderry-based blind manufacturer is more than doubling its workforce in a \u00a34m investment."}
{"article": "Trudy Taylor was employed as an agency social worker for Lincolnshire County Council until 2015. A tribunal heard she was asked to visit a family where there had been an alleged domestic violence incident between the parents. The Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service was told she never made the visits. Read more about this and other stories from across Lincolnshire Social services were asked to make an assessment of the family in January 2015 after an incident between the parents, the tribunal heard. Ms Taylor, who had been a social worker for 10 years, was assigned the case. She recorded visiting the parents and the children at their schools, setting out statements allegedly made by the children and reporting on their demeanour. In March 2015 the case was transferred to another social worker, witness 1, who visited the family. He said the family had made it clear they had not been visited and he then contacted the children's school who also said they had no records of Ms Taylor seeing the children there. He then informed his line manager, witness 2, who confronted Ms Taylor. She said Ms Taylor said she could not remember the visits and described her as appearing flustered, going red and changing the subject. Ms Taylor was suspended by her agency shortly afterwards. She did not appear at the hearing on 8 May but had denied the allegations in an email in February 2016. The panel determined the misconduct, \"involving as it did the risk of harm to vulnerable children\", meant the only sanction was to strike her name from the profession's register.", "summary": "A social worker who lied about visiting two children who were potentially at risk of harm has been struck off."}
{"article": "About 47,000 fines totalling \u00c2\u00a31.3m were issued during a trial to restrict traffic during the day. The trial took place between August 2013 and April 2014. Refunds can be obtained by calling City of York Council or by visiting the website. Refunds were offered to drivers after a traffic adjudicator said the council had \"no power\" to issue fines because signage and CCTV were inadequate. Last year, the council spent about \u00c2\u00a3150,000 writing to 27,000 drivers who had not claimed a refund. The deadline has been extended twice. The authority said it would publish the total cost of the Lendal Bridge \"settlement\" after 31 March when the application process ends. It disputes the findings of the Traffic Penalty Tribunal \"regarding the lawful ability to regulate traffic in this way\" and said the trial was aimed at reducing congestion in the city centre, not making money.", "summary": "Drivers fined for crossing York's Lendal Bridge while traffic restrictions were in place have just days to apply for their money back, officials have said."}
{"article": "As African societies walk the tightrope between tradition and international law, some cultural practices which might be considered philanthropic at home can take on a very different complexion if transferred to the West. They can even violate anti-slavery and human-trafficking laws. Like many African countries, Nigeria does not have a developed welfare state to look after its most deprived citizens. An estimated 67% of the country's 170 million people live in poverty and they often rely on the generosity of relatives and philanthropists to provide their basic needs. As a result, families with reasonable incomes immediately take on extra financial responsibilities to help out members of their extended family. They will pay school fees for their grandmother's cousin's younger sister's nieces, medical bills for the stepsons of their uncle's wife's younger sister, and send money back to their home villages to fund classrooms, healthcare centres, or communal boreholes drilled to access drinking water. Also, many poor families in the villages send their children to live with more comfortable families in the cities - usually as a \"house help\", who will clean, do laundry, cook, babysit and whatever else brawn can accomplish. In exchange, the helps are fed, housed, clothed and if they're lucky, educated, with their parents sometimes receiving a fee. But it is this ad-hoc welfare system that has been behind numerous allegations of human trafficking in Nigeria. Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani: \"It remains difficult for many Nigerians to agree that the arrangements they have with their domestic helps could be considered a crime\" During my childhood, my mother depended on the recommendations of people she knew in villages for those willing to become house helps - often they were teenagers sent by the their parents to earn extra money whilst attending school in the city. Today, there are \"agents\" who supply boys, girls, men and women, sometimes from poorer countries beyond Nigeria's borders, such as Benin and Togo. Agents usually demand between six months' to two years' worth of the worker's salary in advance, a percentage of which is sent to their families. The typical wage is between 5,000 ($25, \u00c2\u00a316) and 15,000 naira per month. At those rates, the average middle-class Nigerian could afford to hire as many as they wanted. But in the UK and US, where many Nigerians have made their homes, domestic staff have to be paid a minimum wage and all sorts of benefits. As a result, some Nigerians abroad resort to importing domestic staff from \"back home\", sometimes with disastrous consequences. In June 2011, Nigerian-American lawyer Bidemi Bello was convicted of human trafficking for bringing two Nigerian women to the US and \"forcing them to work in her lavish home like slaves\". The court heard that Bello beat the women and failed to pay their wages. She was sentenced by the Georgia court to 11 years in prison. At the time the story broke, I was in charge of the opinion desk at a local newspaper, and keen to raise awareness of the issue back in Nigeria. I approached a number of potential contributors whom", "summary": "In our series of letters from African journalists, Nigerian novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani asks if using poorer relatives as domestic workers is helping them or exploiting them."}
{"article": "The 46-year-old number one seed defeated his 26-year-old opponent 7-3 in Sunday's final at Lakeside. Noppert, seeded third, led 2-1 before Teessider Durrant came back strongly. \"In 1989, I watched a match between Eric Bristow and Jocky Wilson that inspired me to pick up a set of darts,\" Durrant told Channel 4. \"Now, thanks to hard work, determination and Teesside steel, I am world champion.\" On Saturday, England's Lisa Ashton won her third women's title, beating Australian Corrine Hammond 3-0 in the final.", "summary": "England's Glen Durrant secured his first BDO World Darts Championships title with victory over Dutchman Danny Noppert."}
{"article": "Mr Humphrey and his wife, Yu Yingzeng, were sentenced in August last year for illegally obtaining private information on Chinese nationals. He received a two-and-a-half year sentence, while Ms Yu was sentenced to two years in prison. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) China, which was fined $490m in China for bribery, hired Mr Humphrey in 2013. The pair were hired by GSK to investigate the source of a sex tape of the company's China boss, shortly before the firm became the subject of the bribery allegations. They admitted buying information, but said they did not realise it was illegal to do so. Release in the coming days will reduce his sentence by seven months. Time spent in custody before his trial was taken off his sentence. Once released, he is likely to be deported, as the court originally stipulated. Ms Yu will be released in the coming weeks, according to the Reuters news agency. The original verdict did not make a link between Mr Humphrey's investigations and the allegations against the pharmaceutical giant GSK. Those allegations first emerged in an email in January 2013 from an anonymous and self-styled whistleblower to the company. The email alleged that GSK's sales teams targeted influential doctors with expensive gifts and cash to win business. It was sent to GSK's London-based chief executive, Andrew Witty, and made accusations against GSK China's general manager Mark Reilly. Later, a sex tape featuring Mr Reilly and his girlfriend was also sent. GSK declined to comment.", "summary": "British company investigator Peter Humphrey is to be released early from a Chinese jail, according to reports."}
{"article": "Karena Virginia said Mr Trump approached her when she was waiting for a car outside the US Open tennis tournament in New York in 1998. She accused the current Republican nominee of grabbing her breast and making objectifying statements about her to other men in his group. Mr Trump's campaign dismissed the claim as a \"fictional story\". \"Discredited political operative Gloria Allred, in another coordinated, publicity seeking attack with the Clinton campaign, will stop at nothing to smear Mr. Trump. Give me a break,\" said Jessica Ditto, a Trump campaign spokeswoman. \"Voters are tired of these circus-like antics and reject these fictional stories and the clear efforts to benefit Hillary Clinton.\" Mrs Virginia - a yoga teacher who comes from the New York area - said she expected to be personally attacked by Mr Trump, but felt it was her \"duty as a woman, as a mother, a human being, and as an American citizen to speak out and tell the truth about what happened to me\". \"Perhaps he will label me just another nasty woman\", Mrs Virginia added. Mr Trump, at the final televised presidential debate in Las Vegas, called his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton \"such a nasty woman\". Speaking at a press conference in Los Angeles alongside her lawyer Gloria Allred, Mrs Virginia recounted her alleged encounter with Mr Trump when she was 27 years old. She said she was waiting for her hire car to arrive when Mr Trump approached her and made comments about her physical appearance to a group of men he was with. \"He said: 'Hey look at this one. We haven't seen her before,'\" Mrs Virginia tearfully recounted, saying that his words described her \"as though I was an object rather than a person\". \"Then his hand touched the right inside of my breast. I was in shock. I flinched.\" She told reporters that Mr Trump then said to her: \"Don't you know who I am?\" \"I felt intimidated and I felt powerless,\" she said, explaining that the incident left her feeling \"ashamed\" and that she blamed herself for many years. Mrs Allred - who is a vocal supporter of Mrs Clinton - insisted that her legal office was not working in co-ordination with the Clinton campaign, and that Mrs Virginia had sought her help to announce the accusation. She said that there were no corroborating witnesses to the incident, but that Mrs Virginia had recounted the story to friends soon after, and also later to her husband.", "summary": "A tenth woman has come forward to accuse US presidential candidate Donald Trump of sexual assault."}
{"article": "However, Justice Minister Jose Eduardo Cardozo says he considers such an attack unlikely. \"Brazil can be calm about such a possibility,\" the minister said. Speaking of potential protests, Mr Cardozo said the authorities would not tolerate violence committed by either demonstrators or the security forces. Brazil's security forces have trained for several scenarios, including chemical and biological attacks. But their main focus has been on the possibility of an extremist bomb attack similar to that at the Boston marathon in 2013, officials say. In Boston, two suspects not linked to extremist groups detonated two bombs killing three and injuring hundreds of people. The head of Brazil's counter terrorist task force Gen Julio Cesar de Arruda also thinks that the most likely terrorist attack scenario is that of a \"lone wolf\" or an extremist acting without connection to known terrorist groups. \"This is the most difficult kind of attack to track or predict,\" he told BBC Brasil. There will be more than 170,000 security personnel working on protecting the tournament in Brazil, including the police and the army. The government is also deploying 1,850 members of the special forces and 36 helicopters as part of its counter terrorism unit. National intelligence officials are reportedly also in contact with several international intelligence agencies. Last year, a leader of the Sao-Paulo-based criminal organisation, First Command of the Capital or PCC, was recorded issuing threats of kidnappings involving tourists and bomb attacks. The PCC said it would target the World Cup if its members were transferred to jails with higher security levels than the ones they are currently locked up in. The authorities think that threat has gone away after the transfer was blocked by legal action. While terrorist attacks are considered unlikely, the authorities think demonstrations are a given. At least seven different social movements have said they will protest around the time of the opening match on Thursday in several Brazilian cities. Mr Cardozo said that \"abuses of any kind would not be tolerated\". He said the federal government had asked local authorities to ensure local police officers used only a moderate amount of force. \"Demonstrations can occur, it is legitimate that they take place, but the Brazilian government is prepared to ensure abuses will not take place,\" he assured.", "summary": "Brazil's counter terrorist strategy for the World Cup will focus on the danger from \"lone wolves\", senior officials have told BBC Brasil."}
{"article": "The two men were suspected of tampering with the escalator after the incident, report local media. An escalator at the Langham Place shopping centre suddenly reversed at high speed on Sunday, sending passengers tumbling down. The reason behind the malfunction is still unknown. Officials had called in the two technicians, who work for Otis Elevator Company, to assist in investigations hours after the incident. The escalator had been shut down and all personnel involved in the investigation were ordered not to touch it. Late on Sunday night however, officials discovered that the escalator's auxiliary braking system had been reactivated, reported local media. Newspaper Apple Daily said the reactivation could have affected the escalator's computer data records. Officials ordered police to arrest the two men on the spot. Otis has expressed surprise at the arrests and said it would seek clarification from authorities. At least 18 people were injured when the escalator, which was going up at Langham Place, suddenly changed direction and started going down at a fast pace. Videos of the incident show dozens of people losing their balance and tumbling down. Several are seen piled up at the foot of the escalator, with one man lying unconscious on the floor. Two people are still in hospital and are in a stable condition. The city government has ordered immediate tests on all escalators which span more than 15m (45 feet) in height. There has been no official explanation yet, but city officials said a damaged driving chain within the escalator, and a malfunctioning braking device, may have caused the incident. Escalator engineer Charles Wong told the South China Morning Post that auxiliary brakes should have kicked in if the main brakes had failed, and that it was rare for a driving chain to break. The mall said that the escalator had last been inspected on Thursday, with no problems detected.", "summary": "Two technicians in Hong Kong have been arrested for \"perverting the course of justice\", after a malfunctioning escalator injured shoppers in a mall."}
{"article": "The official report warned that police behaviour, particularly with stop and search had had a corrosive effect on community relations. A subsequent inquiry by Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary identified an \"alarming\" 27% of stop and searches in which there were no reasonable grounds to conduct the search. The Home Office has since announced a consultation on reform. There is a sense of deja vu with all this. An inquiry into the the 1981 Brixton riots blamed disproportionate use of stop and search. An independent report on Tottenham's Broadwater Farm riots in 1985 blamed racist policing. Senior officers promised improvements then... as now. The Scotland Yard Commissioner Bernard Hogan Howe has set a target to increase public confidence in the Met by 20% by 2016 and has introduced stricter criteria on the use of stop and search. However, the latest monthly figure for Tottenham and the surrounding borough finds 666 people were stopped and searched - almost double the figure two months before. It is work in progress. That said, the buzzword in the police at the moment is \"legitimacy\" - an oft-stated determination that officers return to the values of Robert Peel and the principle of policing by consent.", "summary": "When the smoke cleared from the riots triggered by Mark Duggan's shooting, uncomfortable questions for the police emerged."}
{"article": "The memorial and museum tweeted that the gas chamber was \"not a stage\" but was a place for mournful silence. Republican Clay Higgins said in the video that the horrors of the WW2 death camps were the reason why the US military should be \"invincible\". Some 1.1 million people, mainly Jews, died at the Nazi-occupied Poland camp. Mr Higgins made a five-minute video showing him in different parts of the museum talking about the atrocities in the death camp. At one point, he goes inside a gas chamber and explains how the victims were gassed. \"This is why Homeland Security must be squared away, why our military must be invincible,\" he says. But the museum responded that it was inappropriate to speak inside the gas chambers. \"Everyone has the right to personal reflections. However, inside a former gas chamber, there should be mournful silence. It's not a stage,\" it tweeted on Tuesday. Later it posted a picture of the entrance to the building showing a plaque asking for silence. The Louisiana congressman has not yet responded to the criticism. His offices were closed for the Fourth of July holiday. However, the video was not being displayed on his website and social media users suggested it had been removed. The Anti-Defamation League, an American-Jewish anti-discrimination organisation, said the video was \"incredibly disrespectful to the hallowed ground\" of the memorial and museum. Some Twitter users reacted with fury.", "summary": "Officials at Auschwitz have criticised a US congressman for making and voicing a video inside a gas chamber at the former Nazi death camp."}
{"article": "Harrison Ballantyne was found near a bridle-path close to Daventry International Rail Freight Depot at 17:20 BST on Tuesday. The 11-year-old with the \"cheeky smile\" was with four other boys at the time. His parents said he was \"an outgoing boy and loved to be active outside, exploring, climbing and getting muddy\". Harrison, who came from Crick, was pronounced dead at the scene. One of his companions was taken to hospital but was uninjured. Police said the Guilsborough Academy pupil came into contact with electricity from an overhead line. His parents, who have not been named, said: \"In less than 12 years he filled our lives with happiness. His lively character lit up the room. \"His innocence and inquisitive nature led him to the railway track, stealing him from this world so soon after he arrived. \"We will struggle to live without him.\" British Transport Police is continuing to make enquiries into the circumstances of his death, but is not treating it as suspicious. Supt Chris Hodgkiss said: \"His friends who were at the scene have all now been spoken to and offered support, as have pupils at his school.\" \"We cannot stress enough the dangers of the railway,\" he added. Officers are patrolling the area to keep children away. Julie Swales, principal of Guilsborough Academy, said Harrison was an \"enthusiastic student\" and \"a natural leader in and out of class; he will be greatly missed by all of us\". The school has opened a book of condolence and a fundraising page has been set-up to raise money for a memorial to Harrison attracting almost \u00c2\u00a35,000.", "summary": "The parents of a boy who was electrocuted near a rail depot have paid tribute to their \"kind and thoughtful\" son."}
{"article": "Prof Dame Sally Davies said bacteria were becoming resistant to current drugs and there were few antibiotics to replace them. She told a committee of MPs that going for a routine operation could become deadly due to the threat of infection. Experts said it was a global problem and needed much more attention. Antibiotics have been one of the greatest success stories in medicine. However, bacteria are a rapidly adapting foe which find new ways to evade drugs. MRSA rapidly became one of the most feared words in hospitals wards and there are growing reports of resistance in strains of E. coli, tuberculosis and gonorrhoea. Prof Davies said: \"It is clear that we might not ever see global warming, the apocalyptic scenario is that when I need a new hip in 20 years I'll die from a routine infection because we've run out of antibiotics.\" She said there was only one useful antibiotic left to treat gonorrhoea. \"It is very serious, and it's very serious because we are not using our antibiotics effectively in countries. \"There is a broken market model for making new antibiotics, so it's an empty pipeline, so as they become resistant, these bugs, which they would naturally but we're breeding them in because of the way antibiotics are used, there will not be new antibiotics to come.\" Possible solutions will be included in her annual report to be published in March. The World Health Organization has warned the world is heading for a \"post-antibiotic era\" unless action is taken. It paints a future in which \"many common infections will no longer have a cure and, once again, kill unabated\". Prof Hugh Pennington, a microbiologist from the University of Aberdeen, said drug resistance was \"a very, very serious problem\". \"We do need to pay much more attention to it. We need resources for surveillance, resources to cope with the problem and to get public information across. But he said it was not a problem entirely of the UK's making. \"People are going abroad for operations, going abroad for, let's say, sex tourism and bringing home gonorrhoea which is a big problem in terms of antibiotic resistance - and then there's tuberculosis in many parts of the world. Prof Pennington said the drugs companies had run out of options too as all the easy drugs had been made. \"We have to be aware that we aren't going to have new wonder drugs coming along because there just aren't any.\"", "summary": "The rise in drug resistant infections is comparable to the threat of global warming, according to the chief medical officer for England."}
{"article": "Gerard Coyne accused Unite's current general secretary, Len McCluskey, of \"dabbling in politics all the time\". Mr Coyne, the union's West Midlands secretary, launched his campaign for the top job in Birmingham. Unite is Labour's biggest donor and Mr McCluskey has been one of leader Jeremy Corbyn's key backers in the face of opposition from some MPs. Mr McCluskey has already announced plans to resign as general secretary but to stand again for the position, a move which brings forward the election by a year. BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said Mr Coyne's challenge would be seen by the Labour leader's allies as a political attack. She added that Mr Coyne was understood to be concerned about Mr Corbyn's anti-Trident stance given that thousands of Unite members work in the defence industry. Announcing his candidacy on his Facebook page, Mr Coyne, who has worked for the union for more than 20 years having joined as a shop worker at Sainsbury's, said: \"I believe our union needs to be changed so we can get on with the only job that matters; protecting and defending our members at work.\" \"We have got to be strong, smart and organised but we can't be distracted party politics. \"As a candidate, my priority is making a real difference for you rather than playing Westminster power games. It's time we changed the union to reflect our members' priorities.\" Speaking after launching his campaign at Birmingham's Fort Dunlop building, Mr Coyne said: \"The reality here is there's been much criticism about the fact that the general secretary and the union more generally has just been dabbling in politics all the time. \"I'm not going to fall into the trap of trying to determine who the leader of the Labour Party is. \"I am saying that actually my focus is on the members. \"It's not a political organisation, it's a trade union.\" The result of the contest, which will run into next spring, will dictate who has control over a huge network of political supporters, organisation, and financial infrastructure.", "summary": "A new challenger to lead the UK's largest trade union says he will stop it \"playing Westminster power games\"."}
{"article": "Jess Herbst, who became mayor of New Hope last May, made the announcement in an open letter to the town's residents. \"As your Mayor I must tell you about something that has been with me since my earliest memories. I am Transgender,\" she wrote. Ms Herbst was appointed mayor following the death of her predecessor. She had previously been elected to the Town Council as an alderman and road commissioner, according to her statement on the New Hope website. \"I know that transgender people are just coming to light in our society, and we have made great strides in the last few years,\" she said. \"My daughters have been adamant supporters of me and are proud to tell people their father is transgender,\" she added. Ms Herbst has been documenting her experience on her blog, JessHerbst.com. As the mayor of the small Collin County town, she is the first known openly transgender elected official in Texas history, the Texas Observer reports. \"I will continue as Mayor and hope to do the very best for the town,\" she said. Transgender issues have made the headlines in Texas in recent months after Republicans unveiled the so-called \"bathroom bill\", a proposal that bans transgender people from using public bathrooms of their choice. Such bills have become a flashpoint in the battle over transgender rights in the US.", "summary": "The mayor of a small town in Texas has become the first transgender elected official in the state's history, local media report."}
{"article": "The woman suffered fatal injuries in the incident involving a lorry at Llangyfelach at around 04:00 BST. The eastbound carriageway of the M4 was closed for several hours resulting in long delays for commuter traffic on Thursday morning. The road was closed until 09:00 BST causing a five-mile tail back along the M4 eastbround.", "summary": "A woman reported to have been walking on the slip road of the M4 at Swansea, dies following a collision."}
{"article": "Stand-off Ian Keatley struck from just inside Edinburgh's half after prop John Andress had collapsed a scrum. \"If you look where that scrum is, and where the penalty was taken, there was definitely a metre taken there,\" the head coach told BBC Scotland. \"It looked to me that the ball, had it been taken from the right spot, would have gone under the bar.\" As part of the Pro12's post-match review protocols, Solomons said he will \"definitely\" raise the issue. The late penalty aside, the South African was frustrated with Edinburgh's inability to secure victory in a match they ought to have won. Will Helu scored a brilliant, flowing try for the hosts - a rare moment of fluency and precision for Edinburgh, who lacked composure and committed too many errors. And the hosts almost snatched victory on the last play after Damien Hoyland's interception saw them pound the Munster line well beyond 80 minutes, climaxing with a rather hurried drop-goal attempt from Sam Hidalgo-Clyne that was charged-down and spilled. \"There's no question about that - we should have won this game,\" added Solomons. \"I thought key decision-makers at times didn't have the composure. That happens. We made a rod for our own back with silly decisions that were taken. \"It was a superb try and I thought we could get in there at the end, but I think we just had to hold the ball down there and the points would have come. \"I thought we played poorly against Zebre [two weeks ago] and fully deserved to lose. I thought we should have come away with a draw at Connacht [last weekend], and this game is a game we should have won. \"We've got to look at ourselves. It's those little things, those fine margins we spoke about at the end of the game between winning and losing, and we've got to make sure those fine margins fall on our side.\"", "summary": "Alan Solomons felt the penalty that beat his Edinburgh team against Munster was taken beyond the mark."}
{"article": "Government figures show 375 doses, sent to addresses in England, Wales, and Scotland, were seized in 2016, compared with just five in 2013. Taking the pills while pregnant without medical approval is illegal in the UK. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service said as awareness of the online pills increased, more women were using them. The figures, from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) - which regulates medicines in the UK - show there were 375 pills seized last year, up from 270 in 2015 and 180 in 2014. The seizures were made during the MHRA's annual week-long raids, known as Operation Pangea, at places like postal hubs where foreign post is kept before being distributed to local post offices. NHS abortion treatment is free and widely available in Britain, but remains mostly illegal in Northern Ireland. However, the UK currently has the harshest punishment for self-induced abortion of any country in Europe, bar the Republic of Ireland. Under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, anyone taking the pills could, in theory, be punished with a life sentence - no matter what the gestational period. Two women have been jailed for using the abortion pill bought online in the UK. In 2012, 40-year-old Sarah Catt was jailed for eight years for terminating her pregnancy with pills she had bought online when she was 39 weeks pregnant. Natalie Towers, 26, was sentenced to two-and-a half-years in 2015 after using the pill to terminate her pregnancy while she was between 32 and 34 weeks pregnant. Bpas and other women's groups are supporting a bill, proposed by Labour MP Diana Johnson, to be debated in the House of Commons next month, which seeks to decriminalise abortion. Some women have revealed why they were driven to using abortion pills purchased online. \"I was hoping to have a termination in the comfort of my own home without judgmental eyes and without worrying about my husband knowing. I fear what would happen if he did,\" one woman said. \"I have three children and my third is 11 months old. I considered an abortion when he was conceived and had a terrible pregnancy and [I am] still suffering from post natal depression.\" Another, a foreign student living in the UK, said she felt \"desperate\". \"I cannot afford this country's prices of procedure, and the place in line for supported abortions is just too long and not guaranteed. \"I feel absolutely horrible and desperate.\" Clara Watson, education officer for the charity Life, said the promotion of buying abortion pills online was dangerous. \"Some women aren't suitable for the abortion pill and may suffer from blood clots, there may be other underlying health issues, they may not know how far along they are. It's too risky,\" she said. Ann Furedi, Bpas chief executive, said women who bought the pills were often \"desperate\" and in \"difficult circumstances\". \"At Bpas, we do all that we can to make abortion services as accessible as possible. However, it is clear that for some women the barriers to clinic-based treatment feel insurmountable,\" she said.", "summary": "The number of abortion pills being bought online in Britain is increasing, data shown to the Victoria Derbyshire programme suggests."}
{"article": "Liverpool-born Andrew Goodall has worked in the NHS for 23 years and is the ex-chief executive of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. He succeeds David Sissling, who was appointed chief executive of Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust earlier this year. Dr Goodall said he was privileged to have been offered the post. The Welsh government said Dr Goodall had worked in Wales for most of his life, having moved to the country at a young age. He has a law degree from Essex University and a Ph.D in health service management from Cardiff Business School. He became Aneurin Bevan University Health Board's chief executive in June 2009, and has led a number of national programmes and initiatives. Most recently he has supported a ministerial review into the handling of complaints which is due to report shortly. He said: \"I, of course, understand the pressures and expectations that the NHS faces, but also know that we have the responsibility and opportunity to make the necessary changes, including how we balance delivering our services with focusing on improving the long-term health of the Welsh population.\" Dr Goodall will head the Welsh government's Department for Health and Social Services in addition to being chief executive of NHS Wales.", "summary": "A former health board chief has been appointed the new head of the NHS in Wales."}
{"article": "The Royal Society warns that the risk of heatwaves to an ageing population will rise about ten-fold by 2090 if greenhouse gases continue to rise. They estimate the risk to individuals from floods will rise more than four-fold and the drought risk will treble. The report???s lead author Prof Georgina Mace said: ???This problem is not just about to come??? it???s here already.\" She told BBC News: \"We have to get the mindset that with climate change and population increase we are living in an ever-changing world ??? and we need much better planning if we hope to cope.\" The report says governments have not grasped the risk of booming populations in coastal cities as sea level rises and extreme events become more severe. ???People are increasingly living in the wrong places, and it's likely that extreme events will be more common,\" Prof Mace says. ???For most hazards, population increase contributes at least as much as climate change - sometimes more. We are making ourselves more vulnerable whilst making the climate more extreme. ???It is impossible for us to avoid the worst and most unexpected events. But it is not impossible to be prepared for an ever-changing world. We must organise ourselves right away.\" The report???s team said the UK was comparatively resilient to extreme events ??? but still vulnerable because of the high density of people living in areas at risk. The report advises all levels of society to prepare ??? from strategic planning at an international and national level to local schemes by citizens to tackle floods or heatwaves. Its scenarios are based on the assumption that the world stays on the current trajectory of emissions, which the authors assume will increase temperature by 2.6-4.8C around 2090. It assumes a population of nine billion. They say they have built upon earlier work by calculating the effects of climate change coupled with population trends. They warn that the effects of extremes will be exacerbated by the increase in elderly people, who are least able to cope with hot weather. Urbanisation will make the issue worse by creating ???heat islands??? where roads and buildings absorb heat from the sun. As well as building homes insulated against the cold, we must also ensure they can be properly ventilated in the summer, the report says. The authors say cutting greenhouse gas emissions is essential. But they argue that governments will also need to adapt to future climatic shifts driven by climate change. They suggest threats could be tackled through a dual approach. The simplest and cheapest way of tempering heatwaves, they say, is to maintain existing green space. Other low-cost options are planting new trees, encouraging green roofs, or painting roofs white to reflect the sun. The authors say air conditioners are the most effective way of keeping cool ??? but they are costly, they dump heat into city streets and their use exacerbates climate change. Flooding is another priority area, the report says. It finds that large-scale engineering solutions like sea walls offer the most effective protection to coastal flooding - but they", "summary": "Climate change and population growth will hugely increase the risk to people from extreme weather, a report says."}
{"article": "The figure for the six months to 31 December is an increase of \u00a35.1m from 2014, helped in part by the \u00a313m sale of Virgil van Dijk to Southampton. Revenue is up 0.3% to \u00a331.4m but the club expect a dip in the coming months with no further European matches this season and fewer home games. \"Our performance in Europe this season has been the cause of considerable frustration,\" said chair Ian Bankier. The Scottish Premiership leaders have increased investment in their playing squad, spending \u00a36.1m on Scott Allan, Logan Bailly, Carlton Cole, Ryan Christie, Nadir Ciftci, Saidy Janko and Jozo Simunovic last summer. Subsequently, during the 2016 January transfer window, they added Danish defender Erik Sviatchenko and Turkish striker Colin Kazim-Richards while English forward Patrick Roberts joined on loan from Manchester City for 18 months. After exiting the Champions League at the play-off stage at the hands of Malmo and going into the Europa League, Ronny Deila's side finished bottom of their group with no wins and three draws. Their hopes of retaining the Scottish League Cup were ended by Ross County in last month's semi-final but they are still in the Scottish Cup. In the league, they lead Aberdeen on goal difference but the Dons have played a game more. \"The strategy of the board is unchanged,\" added Bankier in his statement. \"Our overwhelming priority is to win the SPFL Premiership and to qualify for the group stages of the Uefa Champions League. \"The challenge has been to maintain a settled and winning squad throughout the summer months when the crucial Champions League qualifying matches are played, to manage the player changes during the summer transfer window and then to kick on when the new season begins. \"Each season we meet this challenge within the financial constraints of where we sit in Scottish football, for to do otherwise would be reckless.\"", "summary": "Celtic have announced a pre-tax profit of \u00a311.7m in their interim results."}
{"article": "But with little separating the party from conservative New Democracy, a coalition government is likely. Syriza's leader, Alexis Tsipras, called the snap poll after securing a multi-billion euro international bailout. Whoever is elected will have to oversee austerity measures demanded by Greece's creditors as part of the deal. Syriza supporters' gathered in central Athens for the party's final rally on Friday, in what Mr Tsipas said sent \"a message of determination and victory\". \"On Sunday, we're facing a crucial referendum - to put an end to old political system, protecting oligarchs and corruption,\" he tweeted. At the final New Democracy rally, its leader Vangelis Meimarakis attacked Syriza's \"false promises\" in the run-up to the last election, when it pledged to end austerity. \"It's high time we did away with incompetence. The Syriza experiment ends on Sunday,\" he said. At a debate earlier in the week, Mr Meimarakis proposed forming a grand coalition with Syriza but Mr Tsipras rejected it as \"unnatural\". Most of the parties support the bailout. But one of those that does not - the far-right Golden Dawn - is predicted to come third. Analysts say the migrant crisis on Greece's doorstep may bolster support for Golden Dawn, which is vehemently opposed to immigration.", "summary": "Final campaign rallies have been held in Greece ahead of Sunday's elections, with several polls giving left-wing Syriza a small lead."}
{"article": "The Gunners were extremely poor and were outplayed for long periods at home, but they still picked up a point and actually created enough chances to win the match because of the brilliance of Mesut Ozil. I would not even say Ozil had a particularly good game but he got his side out of jail with his cross for Kieran Gibbs' equaliser. Ozil had already provided two balls from a free-kick and a corner that Olivier Giroud should have scored from - he hit the bar with his first header and sent the second one wide. Tottenham knew how dangerous he was because they stopped him from getting on the ball in open play until the final 15 minutes, but his magic touch was still able to rescue Arsenal from what would have been a very bad defeat. Ozil had already made 47 chances this season going into Sunday's game, the most in the Premier League alongside West Ham's Dimitri Payet. That works out at an average of almost five a game in each of his previous 10 appearances. In the first half at Emirates Stadium, however, the German did not even have a sniff of creating an opening in open play. That was because, from the off, Spurs had the perfect game plan. They identified Arsenal's best two players as Ozil and Alexis Sanchez and they stopped their supply at source, pressing high to stop the Gunners from building from the back. Any time Ozil, Sanchez or Santi Cazorla did get the ball, they had two or three men on them straight away and they took them completely out of the game. Ozil dropped deep to get the ball and could not do any damage from there. It was only in the last 25 minutes that Ozil began to get any time in possession in the Tottenham half, and he made it count. I think he is at his most deadly when he picks up the ball when an initial attack has been cleared. The defence pushes up and Ozil is just waiting for them to do that so he can deliver it into the space they leave behind. I have seen it happen time and time again and it was a similar story on Sunday when he picked up the ball and spotted Gibbs's run to the far post. It was his 10th assist of the campaign, four more than anyone else, and he set a Premier League record for making a goal in six successive games in the same season. Some people still seem to have the perception that Ozil is lazy, or a luxury player, so it is worth highlighting again how hard he actually works. He does more work for the Arsenal team than any other midfielder or forward bar Aaron Ramsey and covers a lot of ground right across the pitch. I think it is easy to get the wrong idea because of his style on the ball. Someone like Alexis Sanchez looks busier because he does a lot of one-twos and plays with more urgency.", "summary": "Arsenal got absolutely battered for most of Sunday's 1-1 draw in the north London derby against Tottenham - their fans must have been wondering what was happening, because it was embarrassing at times."}
{"article": "Every day thousands of elderly patients are unable to leave hospitals despite being medically fit to do so, because care is not available in the community. But Respublica said if care homes took them in it would be a \"win, win\". The think tank said it would free up hospital beds, while bringing in vital investment into the care sector. Currently there are about 4,300 patients stuck in hospital each day because of problems discharging them - taking up over 4% of all general beds in hospital. The report, which received funding from care home providers, said if current trends continued the numbers could increase by about 1,000 in the next five years, costing the NHS \u00c2\u00a33.3bn in total over the period. It said if this money was spent on care homes they could take on all the patients facing delays, while investing in staff and facilities. The patients would be cared for temporarily in the care homes until permanent arrangements could be made. Respublica director Phillip Blond said: \"The bed blocking crisis in the NHS is only getting worse - clogging up wards and leaving newly arrived patients on trolleys in hospital corridors.\" He added the extra money could also help care homes stay afloat. A report last year by the think tank warned 37,000 beds could be lost in the sector in the coming years because of the squeeze on fees paid by councils. The idea - known as step-down care - is already being piloted in a number of areas. And a Department of Health spokesman said attempts to get the health and care sectors to \"work better together\" would be aided by a new initiative called the Better Care Fund, which was launched last year. The fund involves a \u00c2\u00a35.3bn annual pot which is being used to boost shared projects between the two sectors.", "summary": "The NHS in England should pay care homes to look after patients trapped in hospitals because of the delayed discharges problem, a report suggests."}
{"article": "Welsh and UK ministers have been rowing since March over how to finance the commuter lines in and out of Cardiff. Mr Crabb said the scheme - estimated at \u00c2\u00a3309m to \u00c2\u00a3463m - was \"probably the most knotty\" problem between the two governments but was soluble. The valleys rail electrification is due to be completed between 2019 and 2024. Planned rail improvements will see the upgrade of the main line from London Paddington to Cardiff, which is due to be completed by 2017, and extended to Swansea by 2018 at a cost of \u00c2\u00a3850m. The electrification of the Valleys lines was due to follow, but the plan was thrown into doubt in March by a row over the financing of the project. Speaking on Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement programme, Mr Crabb said rail electrification was the \"number one issue\" for him. He said: \"It's something that I've been spending quite a bit of my summer working on. \"There's a bit more work to be done between the two governments on where we think the solution lies, but I think when I go around talking to businesses in south Wales they are desperate to see this problem answered, they want the two governments to be working effectively together.\" Describing the issue as \"a bit of a litmus test\" for joint working between Wales and Westminster, he warned the issue \"can't drag on indefinitely\". \"There are engineering teams involved in Network Rail who need to get tasks assigned to them if this huge, enormous, financially-challenging project is to go ahead,\" he said. \"There are some quite hard deadlines in that. But we are talking a short number of months hopefully.\"", "summary": "A deal on who will pay to electrify the valleys rail network should be ready in a \"short number of months,\" says Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb."}
{"article": "I have been talking to two companies on Anglesey. Both have received EU funding but their owners have opposing views on whether to leave or remain. VOTING TO LEAVE Gabitie Group employs eight people in Holyhead. It started in 2004 as an e-commerce company selling bedding, silk clothing and chandeliers but has diversified into making fabricated steel buildings, staircases and mezzanine floors. Most customers are in the south of England but it also exports to Australia and New Zealand and across Europe. Owner Grant Bond was undecided until recently but is now voting to leave, saying there was too much interference from the European Union. He believes Brexit might have a short term impact but in the long term be beneficial if it means less red tape for small business. \"On the face of it looks like it will have negative effect because it looks likely for a year or two we might face recession or financial issues,\" he said. \"But in the long term, the policies and bureaucracy of the EU are harming the business. A lot of what we have to do has to be up to standards and regulations which change almost on a daily basis. A lot of which doesn't make a lot of sense, as I'd argue British standards are often the best worldwide.\" STILL NOT SURE But Gabitie warehouse assistant Dale Murphy said he was undecided and said the campaigns were not really explaining the issues to young people. \"When you get the likes of Boris Johnson and David Cameron not agreeing on something, I don't know who to go with. \"I'll come to a conclusion but it's confusing - we don't know what the effects are going to be on us in the long run and this is something we have to think about because it's a big choice.\" VOTING REMAIN David Williams, owner of Plas Farm Dairies in Gaerwen, started his business in 1987 making frozen yogurt, ice cream and salads and employs 24 people. The company depends heavily on selling its goods on the continent with 40% of its trade to the rest of the European Union while only 5% goes to the rest of the world. Mr Williams said there was regulation in food production wherever they exported to in the world. \"It would be very damaging to our business if we left Europe because we work very closely with our customers in Europe. It's very much a partnership and it would be a blow to leave. \"Hopefully we'd keep as much of it going as we can but there are likely to be some levies. If you think bureaucracy is bad in Europe, try selling to China and India; in my experience it's much worse. \"I think it's really important to the financial well being of this area in Wales; the home market isn't very strong, the population isn't very big, we need exports. And the idea we can build them up from outside Europe in that short time is ridiculous.\" Businesses' approach to EU membership may well come down to", "summary": "Would businesses in Wales be better off in or out of the European Union?"}
{"article": "Stefano Brizzi, from south London, admitted dismembering Gordon Semple, 59, when he was high on crystal meth. The Italian national claimed PC Semple, who he met on dating app Grindr, died accidentally during a sex game. Jurors at the Old Bailey convicted the 50-year-old on a 10-2 majority after five days of deliberations. He had already pleaded guilty to obstructing the coroner. He will be sentenced on 9 December. The former Morgan Stanley IT developer claimed Mr Semple, from Greenhithe in Kent, had died on 1 April during a \"sex game gone wrong\" when a dog leash he was wearing had slipped. However, the court heard it would have taken far longer for him to be strangled than Brizzi's account suggested. In the days after the killing, he was filmed on CCTV buying buckets, a perforated metal sheet and cleaning products from a DIY store. He then started to dismember the body and strip the flesh. Six days after his death, police officers found PC Semple's partially-dissolved body parts in the bath when they visited Brizzi's flat to investigate reports of a putrid smell emanating from his home. Killing highlights dark world of hook-up apps The court heard Brizzi was obsessed with the American TV show Breaking Bad in which the protagonists Walter White and Jesse Pinkman dissolve a rival drug dealer in a bathtub filled with acid. When police visited Brizzi's flat on the Peabody Estate in south London, he told them how he thought he was \"getting away with it\" and was planning to finish disposing of the body later that day. The court was played a video of a police interview in which Brizzi can be heard saying: \"As you can see this man was a very big man and all I have left is two buckets.\" Police found \"globules\" of flesh floating in the bath, bags containing bones and a part of PC Semple's head, and pools of human fat in the oven. The court heard there was evidence in the kitchen that Brizzi had chopped up the Inverness-born officer with a variety of utensils and may have even used chopsticks to eat morsels of cooked meat. Following his arrest, Brizzi admitted trying to dissolve the body of a policeman because \"Satan told me to\". Brizzi told jurors PC Semple died in a \"state of erotic bliss\". He also told police he had \"chucked\" some of PC Semple's body into the Thames and thrown away his police badge and belongings. A human foot was later found by a member of Thames Mudlark Club near Bermondsey Wall. In a statement, PC Semple's family said: \"Gordon was a loyal and much loved long-term partner, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, cousin and friend to all. \"We were devastated when the news broke of Gordon's murder and the circumstances, which are still incredibly hard to deal with. It is still insurmountably upsetting.\" Malcolm McHaffie, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS London, said Brizzi was an \"evil and calculating man\". \"He cynically lied to the court and the jury, claiming that PC Semple's tragic death", "summary": "A man who strangled a Met Police officer before trying to dissolve his body in an acid-filled bath has been found guilty of murder."}
{"article": "An extraordinary congress in Freetown on Thursday ended with Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) president Isha Johansen and her biggest critics embracing and shaking hands to pave the way for a fresh beginning for football in the country. One of the major reasons for the tension between aggrieved stakeholders and the SLFA executive committee was the setting up of an appropriate body to investigate match-fixing allegations. It's a good day. Football is bigger than us. What I want is a genuine and lasting peace This has now been resolved with the formation of an ethics body - a first for Sierra Leone football. It will be one of the association's judicial bodies and will investigate four Sierra Leone internationals, referees and administrators accused of match-fixing by the SLFA. The convening of the first congress under the current SLFA administration came about after Sierra Leone's president Ernest Bai Koroma gave the SLFA an ultimatum to solve their internal dispute on or before March 31, 2017. It was also in line with a peace road map set out by Fifa secretary general Fatma Samoura (pictured below) when she visited Freetown last November. \"I'm extremely happy. It's the start of a good working relationship between us and the stakeholders,\" said Johansen. \"It's a good day. Football is bigger than us. What I want is a genuine and lasting peace.\" The extraordinary general assembly also paved the way for nine out of 14 Premier League teams to put an end to a breakaway league to participate in the country's top tier league which will commence soon. At the end of the congress Johansen said: \"I'm pleased to announce that we are ready to play football everywhere in Sierra Leone at all levels.\" She also stated that the SLFA would provide almost $29,000 for the commencement of the Premier League and it would also provide financial supports to other domestic competitions including the female national league. Leader of the stakeholders, Idrissa Tarawalley, who doubles as secretary general of a Premier League club Ports Authority FC, is delighted about the truce and the decision for the Premier league to start soon. \"We are happy that there is now peace as a result of a successful extraordinary congress. This is what we've been yearning for. We only hope that it'll be a sincere and lasting peace,\" said Tarawalley. \"We look forward to further discussions with the FA on how to move things forward. \"I'm also delighted that the beneficiaries - the footballers - will now have a chance to ply their trade as we have agreed that the Premier League will start soon. \"For far too long we've deprived our footballers from playing. We can no longer afford to deprive them\" Tarawalley added. The Sierra Leone Sports minister Ahmed Khanou, who co-chaired the congress as moral guarantor of the peace process, is also buoyed by the mood of optimism. \"I'm happy about the outcome of the congress and be assured that I'm committed to getting lasting peace, \" said Khanou. \"The consultations will continue and I'm happy everybody is", "summary": "Sierra Leone football looks set for a new start after years of problems and infighting within its governing body."}
{"article": "Pearson, 33, began his career at Motherwell before leaving to join Celtic in 2004. He returned for a second stint at Fir Park in 2015 after spells in England with Derby, Stoke and Bristol City. \"This was something I was really keen to do and I want to thank everyone at Motherwell for the way they've handled this,\" Pearson said. \"It's with a heavy heart that I go, but at the same time, I am confident the club is in decent shape, with a very good manager and some exciting young talent bubbling under the surface waiting to get their chance, alongside the excellent senior professionals already there. \"I've enjoyed my second spell at Fir Park. I want to thank the fans for all their support and who knows, one day I may be back for another go at it.\" Pearson was under contract with Motherwell until October and the Lanarkshire club have received compensation from Atletico de Kolkata. Motherwell manager Mark McGhee said: \"We are desperately disappointed to lose Stephen, but we've known for some time now that this move was on the cards. \"There was absolutely no fall out, it was all extremely amicable, and we understand his personal circumstances. He leaves with the best wishes of everyone at Motherwell FC. \"However, it was then incumbent upon us to try and recoup something to help us find someone else, and that's what we've done. We have been and are engaged in trying to secure a replacement and the midfield area is our priority.\" Meanwhile, defender Steven Hammell, Motherwell's post-war record league appearance holder with 530 games, has agreed a new two-year contract. He said: \"I've never made any secret of my feelings for this club, so there is no one happier that my future is sorted out and I can get on with my football.\"", "summary": "Motherwell midfielder Stephen Pearson has left the club to join Indian Super League side Atletico de Kolkata."}
{"article": "GOSH referred the case back to the High Court after reports of \"new\" data from foreign healthcare experts suggested treatment could improve his condition. Charlie's parents have made several unsuccessful challenges to a decision to end the 11-month-old's life support. GOSH told the hearing the evidence was not new but it was right to explore it. Mr Justice Francis is overseeing the preliminary hearing in the Family Division of the High Court. In April he ruled that Charlie's life support should be ended and said earlier it would take something \"dramatic and new\" to make him change his mind. Mr Justice Francis is due to resume hearing the case on Thursday. On Sunday, Charlie's parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates handed in a 350,000-signature petition calling for him to travel to the US for treatment. Charlie's parents are seeking permission to remove their son - who has the rare condition mitochondrial depletion syndrome - from the care of Great Ormond Street Hospital so he can undergo experimental treatment abroad. Charlie's medical case explained The judge said: \"There is not a person alive who would not want to save Charlie.\" A lawyer for the family said new and unpublished data was recently shared with the hospital that suggested treatment could produce a \"dramatic clinical improvement\" in Charlie's condition. Previously doctors had indicated Charlie had irreversible structural brain damage. Lawyers representing the family have now said using \"cutting edge genetic science\" there was a \"small chance\" of brain recovery and that it was a chance \"worth taking\". They questioned whether Mr Justice Francis was the correct person to assess the latest medical evidence, given that in April he had ruled Charlie's life support should be withdrawn. In reply, the judge said: \"I did my job. I will continue to do my job.\" At the hearing, a lawyer for GOSH said the alleged \"new research\" had been available for the judge's consideration in April and was purely lab-based anyway, and related to patients with muscle problems only rather than brain damage. Charlie inherited the faulty RRM2B gene, affecting the cells responsible for energy production and respiration and leaving him unable to move or breathe without a ventilator. GOSH describes proposed experimental therapies as \"unjustified\" and said the treatments being offered are not a cure. However, the hospital's decision to go back to court came after researchers at two international healthcare facilities said they had \"fresh evidence about their proposed experimental treatment\". Charlie's parents, from Bedfont in west London, want their son to have nucleoside therapy. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Ms Yates described the situation as a \"living hell\". \"I couldn't sit there and watch him in pain and suffering, I promise you I wouldn't,\" she said, adding: \"I think parents know when their children are ready to go and they've given up, and Charlie is still fighting. \"It's horrible that this decision has been taken out of our hands. It's not just about us knowing best, it's about having other hospitals and doctors saying we want to treat [Charlie] and we think it's the best", "summary": "A lawyer for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has dismissed claims of \"fresh\" medical evidence in the case of terminally ill baby Charlie Gard."}
{"article": "The body of Drew Jordan was found in the quarry he owned in Eskra, near Omagh, on Thursday evening. The death of the father-of three, who was in his 50s, is being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI). The police have confirmed his death is not being treated as suspicious. His funeral is to be held on Sunday. The Reverend Noel Regan, a local clergyman who knows the family, told the Ulster Herald: \"There is widespread shock and grief at this tragic accident.\" He said Mr Jordan was very well regarded in the area. A spokesperson for the HSENI said the organisation had been \"made aware of a fatality at a quarry in Omagh and is investigating\". \"Our thoughts are with the family at this most difficult time,\" they added.", "summary": "The death of a man at a quarry in County Tyrone has been described as a \"tragic accident\"."}
{"article": "The ancient creature has been preserved in exquisite detail, providing the oldest-known record of hedgehog-like spines and mammalian internal organs. The discovery is published in the journal Nature. The creature, called Spinolestes xenarthrosus, was unearthed in Las Hoyas Quarry in central Spain. Study co-author Dr Zhe-Xi Luo, from the University of Chicago, US, said: \"Spinolestes is a spectacular find. \"It is stunning to see almost perfectly preserved skin and hair structures fossilized in microscopic detail in such an old fossil. \"This Cretaceous furball displays the entire structural diversity of modern mammalian skin and hairs.\" The specimen's liver, lung and diaphragm tissues were found intact, as well as fur, spines and scales. \"Normally you find bones and you find skeletons - and there are many, many fossil mammal skeletons found, but never these soft parts in such great detail,\" explained Prof Thomas Martin, from the University of Bonn, Germany. The creature was small, somewhere between the size of a mouse and a rat, weighing about 50-70g. It had big ears and a pointy face, with a short mane and a soft fuzzy belly. It was most likely ground dwelling and ate insects. \"It is cute, very cute,\" said Prof Martin. \"It looked like a modern spiny mouse, which is also quite cute.\" But in addition to its adorable attributes, Spinolestes also had a defensive side. It had small spiky spines on its lower back, as well as scales similar to an armadillo's, helping it to fend of predators. \"If a predator comes and bites it on the back, then the spines are easily shed and the predator is left behind with a mouth full of spines, so it can escape\" said Prof Martin. Potential predators probably included small dinosaurs, which have also been unearthed from the same site in Spain. Crocodiles, salamanders, frogs, birds and insects have also been found there. And while central Spain is hot and dry today, 125 million years ago it would have been a lush tropical wetland. \"These animals lived in a swampy environment comparable to the modern Everglade system,\" added Prof Martin. The creature was discovered by a team led by Angela Buscalioni from the Autonomous University of Madrid, in Spain. Follow Rebecca on Twitter", "summary": "A 125 million-year-old fossil - described by scientists as an exceptionally cute furball - has been unearthed, scientists report."}
{"article": "Earls was dismissed for a dangerous tackle on Fraser Brown playing for Munster against Glasgow Warriors in the European Champions Cup. A \"timely\" guilty plea and expression of remorse helped in an initial four-week ban being reduced by half. Earls is also suspended for Munster's Pro12 match against Ulster on Friday. Referee Jerome Garces dismissed Earls 19 minutes into the Pool 1 game at Thomond Park. The game in Limerick was Munster's first since the death of head coach Anthony Foley in Paris. Earls was cited under the law for \"lifting a player from the ground and either dropping or driving that player's head and/or upper body into the ground while the player's feet are off the ground\". An independent disciplinary committee found that the offence was at the low end of World Rugby's sanctions and selected four weeks as the appropriate entry point for a suspension. \"As there were no aggravating factors, the committee then reduced the sanction by a maximum of two weeks due to Earls' timely guilty plea, expression of remorse and clean disciplinary record before imposing a suspension of two weeks,\" the committee said. Ireland take on the All Blacks in Chicago and Earls, who has the right to appeal the decision, will be available for the Test against Canada on 12 November in Dublin.", "summary": "Ireland wing Keith Earls will miss the Test against New Zealand on 5 November after being suspended for two weeks following his red card on Saturday."}
{"article": "Axis Studios has secured Scottish Enterprise backing to take on 20 additional staff. The company works for major studios on animations and special visual effects in TV and film drama. It said it was on course to triple turnover between 2015 and 2018 to \u00c2\u00a315m, working from bases in Glasgow, Bristol and London. Axis Studios was founded in 2000, and has recently worked for Netflix, Warner Bros, the BBC, Sega and Universal Studios.", "summary": "A digital film producer has announced plans to increase its Glasgow workforce to 180."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Welsh will be vying with England and Australia to top Pool A, which also includes Fiji and Uruguay. Injuries to backs Leigh Halfpenny, Rhys Webb and Eli Walker have disrupted preparations but Marshall refuses to discount Warren Gatland's side. \"They've got an opportunity to be that silent assassin team because they've slightly been written off,\" he said. Full-back Halfpenny and scrum-half Webb, both 26, are out of the tournament after suffering knee and foot injuries respectively in the warm-up win over Italy. Winger Walker is also out with a hamstring problem. \"What a great opportunity for Warren Gatland and [captain] Sam Warburton to get together and go 'they've kind of written us off, let's sneak into Twickenham and ambush England and let's put the sword to Australia,\" former Ospreys scrum-half Marshall told Sport Wales. \"I'm very much watching with great interest as to Wales' performances in the pool stages as they could upset and they could qualify.\" Watch the full Justin Marshall interview on Sport Wales' Rugby World Cup special on Thursday; BBC Two Wales, 19:00 BST. Available on iPlayer for seven days after transmission.", "summary": "Former New Zealand scrum-half Justin Marshall believes Wales will relish their underdog status at the World Cup."}
{"article": "The agency says more than 700 divers have visited the site, 4,000m under water off the coast of Canada. The ship will fall under the 2001 Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage once it passes the 100th anniversary of its sinking on 15 April. The convention aims to prevent unscientific or unethical exploration. Irina Bokova, director-general of Unesco, said the sinking of the Titanic was \"anchored in the memory of humanity\" and it was important to protect the site where 1,500 people lost their lives. \"There are thousands of other shipwrecks that need safeguarding as well... We do not tolerate the plundering of cultural sites on land, and the same should be true for our sunken heritage,\" she added. The 2001 convention only protects vessels that sank more than a century ago. The Titanic, built in Belfast, sank on its maiden voyage after setting off from the British port of Southampton. It hit an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada en route to New York, sinking two-and-a-half hours later.", "summary": "The wreck of the Titanic is to come under the protection of the United Nations cultural agency Unesco."}
{"article": "Finkley Down Farm, in Hampshire, posted a video of the hungry rodents munching on the Christmas dinner accompaniment. The clip, which garnered 6m views in four days, prompted criticism from some who were concerned the vegetables could cause \"fatal\" bloating. However, the farm and the RSPCA and Blue Cross animal charities said they were safe \"in moderation\". Facebook user Bob Hammer commented : \"These animals are doomed from bloat as a result of being able to eat this many Brussels, Finkley Down Farm you need to be taken to task!!\" Another user, Katie Jacqueline Crossingham, said: \"Please be aware: Sprouts can cause bloat in guinea pigs, which can often lead to a nasty, painful death.\" The farm, which posted the video as a festive message to its followers, said the welfare of its animals was \"paramount\" and added it had \"expert livestock staff\" to deal with the needs of individual animals. \"Here at Finkley we have a large herd of guinea pigs nearly 50 in total - the sprouts in the video are equivalent to one per guinea pig,\" the farm added. \"We are aware that Brussels sprouts can be difficult for guinea pigs to digest, however, these are safe for them to eat in moderation - something we keep a close eye on to ensure they aren't getting carried away.\" An RSPCA spokeswoman described the video as \"adorable\". \"Sprouts can make a nice Christmas treat for guinea pigs and offering them as occasional treats in moderation can add variety and interest to their diet,\" she added. Katie Stiles, animal welfare assistant at Blue Cross, said: \"As part of a balanced diet they are absolutely fine. \"Guinea pigs need a mix of vegetables, as sprouts and cabbages can cause bloating - though this is more of an issue with rabbits - but they also need vegetables rich in vitamin C, such as peppers, as they are unable to produce it themselves.\"", "summary": "A family farm provoked controversy when it posted a video of guinea pigs eating Brussels sprouts."}
{"article": "Solva Care, which launched as a two-year pilot in October 2015, helps about 40 elderly people in the community. The not-for-profit initiative matches people who need support to 30 volunteers who provide it. A grant of \u00c2\u00a321,421 was awarded by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority's Sustainable Development Fund. Solva Care's project leader Mollie Roach said the money, together with Welsh Government funding, will keep it going for another two years. She said: \"This is very good news. We know that Solva Care works and is making a real difference to people's lives.\"", "summary": "A project that cares for the elderly in a Pembrokeshire village has secured funding to keep it going for two years."}
{"article": "Roy and Shirley Erskine, from Dunblane, told the Radio Times magazine they had been sent \"one or two nasty letters\" about their grandson. Their daughter Judy told them to throw away the letters, which attacked the 29-year-old's behaviour on court and also criticised his accent. Mr Erskine, 82, said it was hard to deal with \"very nasty\" online comments. He said: \"The people who write these comments, that's their prerogative, but I find it upsetting.\" Mrs Erskine, 84, told the magazine: \"We've had one or two nasty letters. \"One about Andy supposedly snarling on court, and another about his accent, saying he sounded American. \"Just comments like that, but they do upset you. Judy would say, 'Put it in the bin, just forget it'. \"She would tell me that there are always going to be people like that.\" Mrs Erskine said some of the letters provide light relief, with one man writing to tell them he thinks Murray needs to eat more baked beans. Her husband said he is one of the harshest critics of Murray's performance on court and prefers to watch him on television than live as he struggles to contain his language. He said: \"If I'm at home I can kick the coffee table and use some language that I probably shouldn't.\" The couple revealed that Murray, who won a record fifth title at Queen's on Sunday, managed to take a run virtually unnoticed on Boxing Day. He ran from his mother's home in Bridge of Allan to nearby Dunblane, disguised in a beanie hat, and then visited the tennis courts where he watched a family game, before being recognised. Mrs Erskine said: \"Andy went on court and hit with them. That must have been a lovely moment for those kids.\"", "summary": "Andy Murray's grandparents say they have been left \"upset\" after receiving hate mail criticising the tennis star."}
{"article": "The producer of one of the UK's most popular lagers, his business had grown too fast and over-extended itself. It was making a loss, and had built up substantial debts which it was struggling to service. While this situation may have been rectifiable in benign economic conditions, the global financial crisis that exploded in 2008 meant that Cobra had to put itself up for sale in November of that year. \"We had lots of debt and we didn't see the crisis coming,\" says Lord Bilimoria, speaking at Cobra's headquarters in London. At the time the company had been growing by an average 40% every year since it was set up in 1989. All potential profits had been invested back into continuing to grow the company, so its cash reserves were running very low at a time when Lord Bilimoria says \"cash didn't just become king - it became emperor\". He adds: \"What I could have done - should have done, with hindsight - is proven the profitability [of the business] for two or three years, and slowed down the growth. But at that stage... the mindset when you are growing at 40% is that you are on a roll.\" Cobra was saved in May 2009 when, under a so-called \"pre-pack administration\" deal - a pre-arranged agreement that saw the firm go quickly in and out of administration - Lord Bilimoria bought the business back in a joint venture with North American brewing giant Molson Coors. The deal wiped out Cobra's debts, leaving creditors \u00c2\u00a371m out of pocket. However, Lord Bilimoria, who is Cobra's chairman, says he is paying back every single person, despite having no legal requirement to do so. \"It is my belief that if you go through a tough time it is not just what you do, but how you do it,\" he says. Born in India in 1961, Karan Bilimoria is the son of a general in the Indian army. His father, Faridoon Bilimoria, commanded a regiment of Gurkhas when India fought on the side of Bangladesh in its eastern neighbour's 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. By the time the late Lt Gen Bilimoria retired, he was commander-in-chief of the central Indian army, with 350,000 men under his command. It was as a teenager that Lord Bilimoria decided to go into business instead of joining the army like his father. \"I decided that the army for me would have been too constraining. And if I had followed in my father's footsteps I was worried that I would always be compared to him, and be in his shadow,\" he says. \"Also I wanted more blue sky, and a career in business offered me a much broader opportunity.\" After gaining a degree in commerce at the University of Hyderabad, Lord Bilimoria moved to London, where he qualified as a chartered accountant. He then completed a law degree at Cambridge University in the late 1980s, which was when he came up with the idea for Cobra. A lover of beer since his teenage years, Lord Bilimoria was unhappy with the quality", "summary": "Lord Bilimoria speaks openly and honestly about the difficulties his company Cobra Beer faced back in 2008."}
{"article": "The lender was the biggest faller on Germany's main stock market before paring back the losses. Talks between chief executive John Cryan and the US Department of Justice ended without agreement at the weekend, according to reports. The bank has been under intense pressure over the size of the fine. Mr Cryan was in the US for the International Monetary Fund and World Bank's autumn meetings. Some investors had hoped that while he was there, he might negotiate down a settlement for the bank's mis-selling of mortgage-backed securities. Others, though, said it was always unlikely the bank could strike a deal with the US authorities so quickly. Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets, said: \"Deutsche Bank hasn't as yet been able to come to any agreement with the US Justice Department as it looks to overcome the hurdle of the prospect of a rather large fine. \"Talks are continuing while the bank looks at potentially spinning off a stake in its asset management division in order to free up some extra capital.\" Terry Torrison, managing director at McLaren Securities, said the bank was \"never going to sort out the US issues that quickly\". Deutsche Bank's shares touched 33-year lows at the end of September, before recovering slightly in recent days, over fears its finances are not strong enough to handle a large US fine. The bank declined to comment on reports Mr Cryan had failed to reach a deal. The share price recovered to close slightly up by the end of trading.", "summary": "Deutsche Bank shares dropped in early trade on reports that its boss failed to reach a swift deal with the US over lowering a $14bn (\u00a311.3bn) fine."}
{"article": "Seven separate failures affected Southeastern passengers through London Bridge, which then created overcrowding at Victoria and Canada Water. Network Rail and Transport for London apologised to customers saying cable damage and signalling problems had caused delays. Most faults were repaired by 08:00 BST. Points problems led to suspensions on the District, Circle and Hammersmith and City lines. Overrunning engineering work and signalling problems resulted in delays of up to 90 minutes for passengers using London Bridge. It is the latest in a series of problems at the station. On the Tube, a signal failure, at Edgware Road in north west London, resulted a part-suspension of the District line as well as severe delays on others. Sasha Simic, who was caught up in the disruption, tweeted: \"Nightmare Monday for commuters after underground suffers severe delays.\" Another passenger, Warren Geraghty, tweeted: \"Delays in and out of Paddington. Tube has \"severe delays\". I think my commuting days are coming to an end!!\" Both Network Rail and Transport for London apologised to customers. A Network Rail spokesman said: \"The causes were a mixture of cable damage, component and asset failures. \"Many of those faults were repaired before 8am but by that point the damage was done and trains were severely delayed as a result.\"", "summary": "Rush hour travellers have had a \"nightmare Monday\" commute across London after a series of unrelated rail and Tube train delays."}
{"article": "Turkey reacted angrily when Germany's constitutional court banned Mr Erdogan from appearing by video link at Sunday's demonstration in Cologne, accusing Berlin of infringing freedom of expression. Although officially aimed at celebrating the defeat of the military coup, the protest was also viewed by many in Germany as a sign of the leverage Mr Erdogan enjoys as a result of his support among Germany's large Turkish-origin diaspora. The spat also comes as Germans are torn between fear for the survival of the EU's migrant deal with Turkey and dismay at Mr Erdogan's perceived post-coup crackdown on opponents. \"This is how long the reach of Erdogan's arm is,\" says a report in Der Spiegel on the Cologne demonstration, pointing out that the president's AK Party won a bigger share of the vote among German Turks in last year's parliamentary elections than the 49% it garnered at home. Some German Turkish-language media reflect the mood of support for Mr Erdogan the coup has generated among many both at home and in Germany. \"They shook Europe,\" says the Post Aktuel newspaper of the Cologne demonstration, adding that thousands had expressed their anger at the coup, \"despite the best efforts of German politicians to create obstacles\". Its tone mirrors that of pro-government newspapers in Turkey, such as Aksam, where a commentary urges Turks to \"put aside their own slogans for a while and try to ensure that the language of unity dominates\". But there is dissent too. Turkey's secularist Sozcu tabloid accuses the government of having \"suspended democracy\" and leading Turkey into \"honourable loneliness\" on the international stage. Some German Turkish media also share the misgivings about Mr Erdogan's response to the coup. The Yeni Ozgur Politika website describes the organisers of the Cologne demonstration, the pro-Erdogan Union of European Turkish Democrats, as \"fascists\", and reports extensively on three counter-protests, including one by German Kurds. A commentary by Sueddeutsche Zeitung's Turkey correspondent, Mike Szymanski, thinks the new \"mistrust\" between Germany is down to \"one man\" - Mr Erdogan, whom it accuses of reshaping Turkey into a \"one-man country\". Mr Erdogan also appears to know that it is \"pictures of full migrant boats in the Aegean\" that will really \"clobber\" Angela Merkel in her campaign for re-election next year, he adds. The jittery mood has been fanned by a demand by Turkey's Foreign Minister Mehmet Cavusoglu that the EU lift visa requirements for Turkish nationals. This is Ankara's key condition for sticking to the migrant deal, but one the EU insists cannot be fulfilled unless Turkey modifies its terrorism and other laws. \"A compromise appears almost impossible,\" says tabloid Bild's website in its top story on what will happen if Turkey follows through on its threat to cancel the refugee deal. \"Germany is faced with a dramatic decision.\" Many feel there is no need for Germany to buckle under the pressure. Sueddeutsche Zeitung's politics editor, Heribert Prantl, points out that the German constitutional court was right to deny Mr Erdogan the opportunity to address the Cologne rally, saying the constitution's guarantee of basic rights such as free", "summary": "The row over a rally in support of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Germany has brought the growing tension between the countries since July's failed military coup to the surface."}
{"article": "10 August 2016 Last updated at 17:14 BST The hashtag, #Olympics_Women_Don't_Represent_Us, opposing women's participation in the games in general, garnered over 100,000 tweets. But an Egyptian beach volleyball team was also mocked and humiliated on Arab social media for wearing long-sleeved T-shirts and leggings. While many came out in their defence, there seems to be a minority set on criticising women in sport regardless of how they act. Produced by Julie Wall, Mohamed El Assar and Alma Hassoun BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "summary": "Social media users have harshly criticised female athletes in various Arab delegations for showing too much or too little skin."}
{"article": "The centre said all 200 tickets to see Brumm, Maja and Brumma were booked within 15 minutes of being made available on Thursday. The bears are 22-month-old siblings and arrived at the centre at the end of November from Kolmarden Zoo in Sweden. Visitors will be able to see them from 4 January. The new arrivals join Star, the centre's resident female bear. Comet, the centre's other European brown bear, died in August aged 30 after a short illness. A Leisure & Culture Dundee spokesman said: \"We have been absolutely blown away by the response to the preview. \"We are really excited about introducing the bears to visitors in the New Year and early indications suggest they are going to be incredibly popular.\"", "summary": "Staff at Dundee's Camperdown Wildlife Centre said they have been \"blown away\" by demand for preview tickets to see its three new European brown bears."}
{"article": "Europe's largest economy grew by 0.2% between July and September, half the 0.4% rate seen in the previous three months. This was slower than economists had expected and well below the 0.7% rate recorded in the first quarter. \"The development of foreign trade had a downward effect on growth,\" said Germany's Federal Statistics Office. \"Exports were slightly down while imports were slightly up compared with the second quarter of 2016. \"Positive impulses on the quarter came mainly from domestic demand,\" the statistics body added. \"Both household and state spending managed to increase further.\" Some analysts said that the uncertainty caused by Britain's vote to leave the European Union may have counteracted solid domestic activity. \"Brexit meets solid domestic economy. This is probably the best description of the German economic performance during the third quarter,\" ING Bank economist Carsten Brzeski told Reuters. He added that there was a threat to the economy from Donald Trump's US election victory if he followed through with campaign pledges to limit foreign imports. \"If Germany's single most important trading partner, the US, really moves towards more protectionism, this would definitely leave its mark on German growth.\" Signs of slowing economies also emerged in other European countries, with GDP growth coming in below forecast for Norway, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Italy bucked the trend, however, reporting slightly faster-than-expected growth of 0.3% in the third quarter, after having stagnated in the second quarter. The slowdown in Germany's growth rate means the country grew more slowly than the eurozone as a whole in the third quarter, with the 19-nation bloc expanding at a rate of 0.3%, according to latest estimates. Howard Archer, chief European and UK economist at IHS Global Insight, said he expected eurozone GDP growth to pick up to 0.4% in the fourth quarter, given recent upbeat survey data. He predicted the eurozone would grow by 1.6% in 2016 as a while, but thought growth could slow to 1.3% next year \"as it is likely to be increasingly hampered by political uncertainties\". \"The political environment could be increasingly problematic for eurozone growth over the coming months, especially given that the UK's Brexit vote in June and November's election of Donald Trump as US President fuels concern over potential political shocks in the eurozone,\" Mr Archer said. \"General elections are due 2017 in the Netherlands (in March), France (in April/May) and Germany (around September), and the Renzi government is looking vulnerable in Italy, particularly over constitutional reform.\"", "summary": "Germany's economic growth slowed in the third quarter of the year, dented by weaker exports, figures have shown."}
{"article": "Mary Boyle was six years old when she went missing on 18 March 1977 whilst visiting her grandparents at Cashelard. The dig was prompted by Danish psychic Yan Sterns, hired by country singer Margo O'Donnell - Daniel's sister - a close friend of Mary's mother, Ann. Gardai have confirmed they were assisting the family in the fresh search near Ballyshannon. Material taken from the ground is to be examined. Mary Boyle is officially the Republic of Ireland's longest missing person. The psychic visited a remote hillside near Ballyshannon on Friday and pointed to where the dig should take place. It was his third visit to the area. Gardai supervised the dig. They said the would act on any information supplied. Mary Boyle disappeared 34 years ago but this is a still \"a live investigation\", a spokesman for the Irish police said.", "summary": "A fresh dig to find the remains of a young girl who disappeared almost 34 years ago has taken place in Donegal."}
{"article": "Fairer outcomes remained an \"entrenched\" problem, she said, at an event promoting social mobility. Too many pupils fail to reach their potential, said Ms Greening. Making the most of all young people's talent was a \"hard, cold, economic imperative,\" she said. \"Children from high-income backgrounds who show signs of low academic ability at age five, are 35% more likely to become high earners than their poorer peers who show early signs of high ability,\" Ms Greening told a Social Mobility Commission event. Ms Greening said giving a fairer opportunity to all pupils remained a \"really hard long slog\". In her own family, she said she was the first to go to university. And the education secretary said that she had never planned to be a politician - and could remember her father shouting at out-of-touch politicians on the television. He was \"frustrated that he felt they didn't really talk about his life,\" she said. Ms Greening said that poorer pupils, despite any early signs of talent, were more likely to leave school without A-levels and miss out on the chance to go to university. Even among those who went to university, there were still inequalities. \"Graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds who do make it to the top jobs still earn, on average, over \u00c2\u00a32,200 a year less than their colleagues who happen to have been born to professional or managerial parents,\" she said. This was not just economic disadvantage, but also geographic, with some parts of England having much lower attainment, she said. A child living in one of the country's most disadvantaged areas was 27 times more likely to go to an inadequate school than a child in the most advantaged area, said Ms Greening. She said the government's \"opportunity areas\" would help to focus support in such deprived areas. And ensuring a supply of quality teachers could make a big difference to accelerating attainment. With the end of European Union membership, she said, it would become an economic necessity to make better use of all young people's abilities. Rather than employers \"scouring the world\" to find staff, she said, employers would need to focus more on making better use of home-grown talent. The UK had lower levels of productivity than many competitors, much of which was down to low levels of education, and that showed the importance of investing in education and training. But this week the education secretary faced strong criticism from the Public Accounts Committee, who warned the Department for Education had failed to engage with the seriousness of funding problems facing schools. MPs said ministers were failing to recognise the \"real-world consequences\" of their funding plans. The government has said that creating new grammar schools will promote social mobility. But Ms Greening said that any new grammars would also be accompanied by a \"new model\" for selection. \"We're talking about a new model of grammar schools and how selection can work,\" she said. \"It means an education system which caters for the very different talents and potential of different children - whether it's technical education, maths schools or", "summary": "Low-ability youngsters from wealthy families go on to earn more money than their more gifted, poorer counterparts, says the Education Secretary Justine Greening."}
{"article": "Confederate forces acquired hundreds of Clyde-built boats because they were fast, making them ideal for evading Union ships blockading Southern ports. Archaeologists believe the shipwreck off Oak Island, North Carolina, is a blockade runner called Agnes E Fry. It was launched on the Clyde under a different name, Fox. A sonar scan was made of the wreck earlier this year and the shape, size and location suggests that it is of the Agnes E Fry. Deputy state archaeologist, Billy Ray Morris, told the BBC News Scotland website that a further investigation was imminent. He said: \"We will be conducting 3D sonar imaging operations on Fry next week and will have a detailed computer model of the site shortly thereafter.\" The North Carolina archaeologist added: \"Agnes E Fry was built by Caird & Co in Greenock. She was launched 26 March 1864. \"She was an iron-hulled paddle steamer with two oscillating engines. She was lost 27 December 1864 commanded by Joseph Fry. \"Originally named Fox, Fry renamed her after his wife when he took command.\" Coincidently, work is also under way to try and give a wrecked blockade runner in Scottish waters better protection. The Iona I operated on a Glasgow to the Highlands passenger route before it was purchased by Confederate agents for use in delivering supplies to blockaded American ports. But it never reached the war as it sank in the Clyde near Gourock following a collision with another ship in 1862. Earlier this year, the Scottish government proposed designating the site as a Historic Marine Protected Area (HMPA) to preserve it as a historic asset of national importance. Historic Environment Scotland has begun a public consultation on the designation. The wreck of Iona I has been described as being in a good condition. Glasgow Museums has a scale model of the paddle streamer in its collections.", "summary": "Archaeologists are preparing to make a detailed examination of a wreck believed to be that of a Scottish ship used in the American Civil War."}
{"article": "The advertisement shows a black, emaciated child holding a red parasol over the fair, bejewelled actress. A group of activists, in an \"open letter\" to Ms Rai Bachchan, called the image \"extremely objectionable\". The film star's publicist said she had been photographed without the backdrop. \"The final layout of the ad is entirely the prerogative of the creative team for a brand,\" Ms Rai Bachchan's publicist said in a statement, suggesting that the actress had not been involved in the final image that appeared in the advertisement for Kalyan Jewellers. The ad featuring the 41-year-old, who is a former Miss World, appeared in a newspaper last week. After criticism, the company issued an apology on its Facebook page. It said the advertisement was intended to portray \"royalty, timeless beauty and elegance\" and expressed deep regret for any inadvertent hurt caused. The company said it had begun withdrawing the ad from its campaign. In an open letter addressed to the film star and published on Wednesday, a group of activists expressed \"dismay\" at the \"offensive image\". \"In the advertisement you appear to be representing aristocracy from a bygone era - bejewelled, poised and relaxing while an obviously underage slave-child, very dark and emaciated, struggles to hold an oversize umbrella over your head. \"The extremely fair colour of your skin (as projected in the advertisement) contrasted with the black skin of the slave-boy is obviously a deliberate 'creative' juxtaposition by the advertising agency, and insidiously racist.\" The activists said the image reminded them of \"17th and 18th century colonial European portraits of white aristocracy, depicting women being waited upon by their 'black servants'\" and called on the actress to dissociate herself from \"this offensive image\". In India, where there is a marked preference for fair skin and skin-whitening creams and lotions are big business, many say the advertisement perpetuates the retrograde idea that fair is beautiful. The advertisement was also criticised on social media. Author and activist Meena Kandasamy tweeted:", "summary": "An Indian jewellery advertisement featuring top Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been withdrawn after criticism that it was \"racist\" and promoted child slavery."}
{"article": "The 33-year-old batsman lost his England place ahead of last winter's tour to South Africa and is set to lead the Bears for the whole summer. \"Division One, this year, will be the toughest that it's ever been,\" he said. \"The two counties that have come up, with Test Match grounds, look strong.\" Bell has set his sights on regaining his England place as soon as possible, but is looking forward to playing a big part for the county this summer. \"The squads in the first division get stronger every year. The standard is very high,\" he said. \"I am very excited about the season. There is a lot of cricket ahead and a lot of hard work ahead and no doubt there will be ups and downs but myself and the guys can't wait for the challenge in front of us.\" Alongside Bell, Warwickshire will also have former England batsman Jonathan Trott and current England all-rounder Chris Woakes at their disposal in the early weeks of the season. And he believes that could be key to the team making a good start. \"It's the first time for a long time that we will have everybody available for the start of a season - usually we've been without a couple of myself, Trotty and Woakesy,\" Bell added. \"We've got a strong squad which, injuries permitting, will allow us to rotate our seamers the way Yorkshire have done to such good effect in the last couple of years.\" After returning from their pre-season tour of Dubai, Warwickshire continue their preparations for the new season with a two-day friendly against Gloucestershire at Edgbaston on 28 and 29 March.", "summary": "Warwickshire captain Ian Bell says County Championship Division One will be the most competitive ever this summer following the promotion of Lancashire and Surrey."}
{"article": "Last week, the Mayor of London issued his first \"black alert\" warning about air pollution. With pollution levels as high as they've been for five years, Londoners were advised to limit the amount of time they spent exercising outside. Today's pollution is usually invisible. But standing outside Sir John Cass Foundation School in the City of London, where some younger pupils had restricted time in the playground during the high pollution episode, we found parents who feel they can smell and taste it. \"It's a sad state of affairs when you've got to tell your kids not to breathe too deeply,\" said one father of two. \"Sadiq Khan (London's Mayor) really does need to ban diesel cars.\" Another father drives a black cab: \"I drove in towards the school, and looking towards the city you couldn't see the top of the Gherkin. I was thinking that can't be fog, must be pollution. \"I can't wait until they bring out hybrids or something because I feel I'm contributing to the pollution obviously. So I'm doubly worried about it.\" I took a close interest in this problem when I was head of the Downing Street Policy Unit under David Cameron. One of my children is asthmatic, so I have followed the growing health evidence - and the court battle. In November, after a series of challenges from an environmental law firm, the High Court ruled that the government must produce a credible plan to stop breaching air quality standards, by July of this year. Many things contribute to air pollution: central heating, wood burners, generators. But there is growing concern about diesel emissions from traffic. The government wants five major cities - Birmingham, Leeds, Southampton, Derby and Nottingham - to create clean zones which would charge some of the most polluting vehicles. In addition, London is creating an ultra-low emissions zone. But will this work? And will it be enough? In 2012, the World Health Organization classified outdoor air pollution as a cause of cancer. The UK government estimates that the harm done by particulates, tiny particles we can't see, in shortening our lives is equivalent to 29,000 premature deaths a year. Add in nitrogen dioxide emissions, which, like particulates, are partly generated by diesel traffic, and that figure rises to about 40,000. This would make air pollution more deadly than obesity and alcoholism combined. We asked Frank Kelly, prof of environmental health at King's College London, what 29,000 premature deaths means. \"Everyone in the UK from birth is losing an average of six months off their life,\" he says. In practice, he explained, some individuals will suffer more than that, and some less. Prof Kelly also described the developing body of science. We have known for a long time that particulates could enter the lung. But new evidence links pollution to heart attacks, strokes, even dementia. There is also concern about the impact on children's development. Dr Satish Rao, consultant in respiratory medicine at Birmingham Children's Hospital, told us that traffic pollution can aggravate the symptoms of children who already have respiratory problems,", "summary": "The former head of the Downing Street policy unit, Camilla Cavendish, assesses government efforts to control traffic pollution."}
{"article": "The Scot, 27, levelled after a poor first set before racing through the decider against the Argentine. He will face Tommy Robredo in Sunday's final in China after the Spaniard earlier beat Santiago Giraldo 6-1 6-4. \"Tommy will be a very tough opponent. I will need to play a really good match if I want to win,\" said Murray. It will be their first meeting since the Briton defeated him in the third round at SW19 last year. Murray's semi-final victory boosts his hopes of qualifying for the ATP World Tour Finals at the 02 Arena in November. The Briton, currently ranked 11th in the world, will rise above Grigor Dimitrov into 10th place in the race to qualify for the finals if he wins the tournament. He served 10 aces and converted six of nine break points in a performance that improved significantly as the match wore on. In hot and humid conditions, Murray fell a double-break behind at 4-1 as repeated errors, particularly off the forehand side, handed easy points to his 30-year-old opponent, who is ranked 97th in the world. A backhand that clipped the outside of the line allowed Murray to retrieve one of those breaks, but he immediately gave up his serve again, a limp forehand slapped into the net all too typical of his play. When another backhand sailed long, the Scot had lost the opening set in only half an hour. A lucky net cord and Monaco double fault allowed Murray to break first in the second set but another errant forehand conceded the advantage straight away. At 3-3 and break point down, Murray was in a precarious position but a swinging second serve allowed him to avert danger and he pounced on a poor Monaco drop shot to break for 5-3 before serving out the set. The second seed was in inspired form in the decider, winning it to love with his forehand now drawing gasps from the crowd as it repeatedly found the target and proved too powerful for Monaco to handle. \"The turning point was when we were 3-3 in the second set,\" said Murray. \"But before that he was dominating the match.\" Japanese world number eight and US Open runner-up Kei Nishikori made it into his second consecutive final, beating Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 6-3 4-6 6-2 in the semi-final of the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur. He'll play fourth seed Julien Benneteau, of France, who knocked out the second seeded Latvian Ernests Gulbis 6-4 6-4.", "summary": "Britain's Andy Murray defeated Juan Monaco 2-6 6-3 6-0 at the Shenzhen Open to reach his first final since winning Wimbledon last year."}
{"article": "The 20-year-old, who has three caps, spent five years at Fulham before leaving for the Cherries in the summer on a four-year contract. He made his first Bournemouth start in Saturday's FA Cup defeat at Millwall. Rangers are also in talks with Arsenal over the loan signing of attacking midfielder Jon Toral, who is currently on loan with Grenada in Spain. \"I think the two clubs have similar styles which makes it an easy transition and all the boys have helped me out on my first day,\" Hyndman told Rangers TV. \"The philosophy here is the same as Bournemouth in the way that they like to press but when they have the ball they like to keep it in attack. \"In that way it is very similar which will hopefully make my transition a lot easier. \"There were a lot of reasons I wanted to sign for Rangers, it is a massive club, they are fighting for Europe and there are good players here. \"I think it is a good opportunity for me to play in, not just a good environment, but in front of 50,000 fans at home which is absolutely unbelievable.\" Meanwhile, talks are on-going with Arsenal over Spaniard Toral, 21, who has only featured six times for Granada this season and was an unused substitute in their 5-0 defeat away to Real Madrid on Saturday. Toral played under Rangers boss Mark Warburton in 2014-15 when he was in charge at Brentford, and spent last season on loan at Birmingham.", "summary": "Rangers have signed USA midfielder Emerson Hyndman on a six-month loan deal from Bournemouth."}
{"article": "Researchers from Boston Children's Hospital in Massachusetts found a doubling in the odds of obesity by the time the child was three years old. The team said birth by C-section might affect bacteria in the gut, which in turn affects the way food is digested. The study looked at 1,255 pairs of mothers and children from 1999 to 2002. The mothers joined the study - published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood - before 22 weeks of pregnancy. Their babies were measured and weighed at birth and this was repeated at the age of three. About one in four of the deliveries were C-section births and the remainder were vaginal deliveries. The team found a link between body mass, skin thickness and how a child was born. They also found that mothers who delivered by C-section tended to weigh more than those delivering traditionally - something which is known to influence obesity. But the researchers said another possible explanation was the difference in the composition of gut bacteria acquired at birth between the two delivery methods. They suggested expectant mothers who choose a C-section should be made aware of the obesity risk to their babies. In the UK just over 23% of births are Caesarean. Patrick O'Brien, a spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: \"This is an interesting study, but small. It needs to be replicated in a bigger sample.\"", "summary": "Babies who are delivered through Caesarean section are twice as likely to become obese than those born traditionally, US research suggests."}
{"article": "Liverpool will host FA Cup finalists Notts County in the other semi-final, with the dates for both ties in October still to be confirmed. Three-time winners Arsenal's quarter-final with City was postponed after City were charged with fielding an ineligible player in the group stage. The charge was found to be unproven and the tie is still to be re-arranged. Two-time finalists Birmingham knocked out Women's Super League One leaders Chelsea in the last eight. Liverpool thrashed Bristol Academy in the quarter-finals, while Notts saw off WSL 2 side Reading. The final of the cup, now in its fifth year, will be held at Rotherham's New York Stadium on Sunday, 1 November. The full semi-final draw is as follows: Liverpool Ladies v Notts County Ladies Arsenal Ladies or Manchester City Women v Birmingham City Ladies", "summary": "Holders Manchester City or Arsenal will host Birmingham City in the semi-finals of this year's Women's Continental Cup."}
{"article": "Since April, convicted criminals in England and Wales have had to pay a charge of between \u00a3150 and \u00a31,200 towards the cost of their case. But Mr Gove said \"while the intention behind the policy was honourable in reality that intent has fallen short\". MPs had called for it to be axed and the Magistrates Association said the decision was \"tremendously welcome\". The charge is paid on top of fines, compensation orders and defendants' own legal charges, and is higher for those convicted after pleading not guilty. It is set according to the type of case, with the minimum charge for magistrates' courts and the maximum level for crown court cases. In March, the then Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said the fee would ensure that criminals \"pay their way\". But MPs on the Justice Committee published a report in November in which they said the fee, which is not means-tested, created \"serious problems\" and was often \"grossly disproportionate\". The cross-party group's chairman, Conservative MP Bob Neill, said they evidence they had received raised \"grave misgivings\" about the fee's benefits and whether it was \"compatible with the principles of justice\". He said it created \"perverse incentives - not only for defendants to plead guilty but for sentencers to reduce awards of compensation and prosecution costs\". Mr Gove, Mr Grayling's successor as justice secretary, announced it was being dropped, during a meeting of the Magistrates' Association Council. The Magistrates' Association's national chairman, Malcolm Richardson said: \"This is an enormous success for the MA (Magistrates' Association) but most importantly for justice in our criminal courts system. \"In my 26 years as a magistrate I have never seen such a powerful reaction from my colleagues on the bench and Michael Gove's announcement is therefore tremendously welcome.\" Justice Select Committee chairman Bob Neill said it was \"good\" Mr Gove was \"willing to respond so swiftly to take account of the inquiry we carried out and the evidence submitted to us\". \"We will watch with interest the review which Michael Gove has announced into the whole panoply of financial impositions on offenders,\" he added. The Howard League for Penal Reform - which has called for the fee policy to be suspended - also welcomed the news, saying the charge was \"simply unfair\". Its chief executive, Frances Crook said: \"This is a victory for justice. It augurs well for changes being made to the courts and penal systems, which both need radical reform.\" Meanwhile, Labour said it had warned from the start that the \"mandatory nature of the fee could lead to miscarriages of justice\" and welcomed that it \"has finally been scrapped\". Mr Gove told Parliament in November that the charge was generating revenue and helping to \"ensure that the taxpayer is not the first port of call for supporting the way in which our courts operate, but it is important that we balance all the criteria in making a judgment on the review of the charge\".", "summary": "The criminal courts charge is to be scrapped from 24 December, Justice Secretary Michael Gove has announced."}
{"article": "Fox-Pitt, 46, was placed in an induced coma after falling at the World Young Horse Championships in Lion D'Angers on 17 October. He was treated in France before returning to England last week. \"It is fantastic to be home,\" said the former world number one. Fox-Pitt is GB's most successful rider with 20 major championship medals. His horse Reinstated was unharmed in the incident in western France. Fox-Pitt added: \"It feels like a long time away from my family. I would like to thank all the doctors in France, and the rehab team in Poole General Hospital have been incredibly thorough. \"The team at home have been doing an amazing job keeping everything going, but luckily everything is quiet as the horses are all on their end-of-season break. I am looking forward to making a full recovery over the winter.\" A statement from British Eventing added: \"William has made good progress with his recovery and has now been discharged from hospital to continue his rehab at home. The family continue to ask for privacy as William recovers.\"", "summary": "British eventer William Fox-Pitt has been discharged from hospital as he continues his recovery following a serious fall in competition last month."}
{"article": "Rangers avoided relegation by finishing 10th but the club was later charged for failing to implement Haveron's touchline ban against Dungannnon. It could have resulted in Carrick losing three points and being relegated but the Irish FA decided not to apply any sanction following a hearing. Haveron replaced Michael Hughes as Rangers boss in September 2013. \"The Board of Carrick Rangers FC can announce that we have accepted the resignation of manager Gary Haveron and assistant manager Steven Mills,\" said the club on Monday. \"Following discussions between the Board and the management team, we were unable to establish a mutual agreement on the best way forward for the club.\" He guided Carrick to Championship success in his first full season and with it a return to top-flight football. Last month's dramatic 2-1 victory over Ballinamallard United on the final day of the season moved Carrick from the bottom to 10th and safety. Their Premiership status was threatened by the touchline charge but the IFA Disciplinary opted to \"exercise its discretion\" in not imposing a sanction. Warrenpoint Town, who finished bottom but just a point behind Carrick, have appealed the IFA ruling.", "summary": "Gary Haveron has resigned as manager of Premiership side Carrick Rangers after a controversial end to the season."}
{"article": "Antrim cut an eight-point deficit to three at one stage but a late goal by Sean Quigley ensured Pete McGrath's Erne men would progress. Home forward Tomas Corrigan landed nine points but boss Pete McGrath will be concerned about the second-half wobble. Fermanagh had led 0-9 to 0-2 at half-time before Antrim hit back with five scores without reply. Media playback is not supported on this device The Erne men now progress to play Donegal in the last eight of the provincial championship. Antrim left their challenge much too late and ultimately paid for a shockingly slack start. The Saffrons, who won promotion to Division Three earlier in the year, were six points down when they registered their first score through a Brian Neeson free. The gap was eight late in the first half and it looked like Fermanagh were going to stroll into the quarter-finals. But from 0-11 to 0-3 down, Antrim rallied with five unanswered points by Mark Sweeney, John Carron, Tomas McCann, Ryan Murray and Sean Burke. During that spell, Neeson had a goal chance but shot into the side-netting from a tight angle. The momentum was with Antrim but they conceded a cheap free to give Corrigan the chance to give the hosts a four-point lead before Quigley netted the only goal. Top scorer Tomas Corrigan: \"The first half was the most pleasing thing. We targeted a big first 10 minutes and wanted to keep going after that. \"That is what we did but we are disappointed with our second half performance. We have a lot to work on.\" Fermanagh manager Pete McGrath: \"For long periods in the second half we were sleepwalking. \"It was a nervous time for us. We let Antrim back into it and that is a concern. \"The result was satisfactory but the performance overall you have to say we did OK but can do better.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Antrim joint manager Gearoid Adams: \"We did not turn up in the first half. There were 14 scoring chances each which is hard to believe. \"In the second half we got it back to three but Fermanagh kicked on in the end and the goal put a gloss on it for them. \"We came down here to win and we are disappointed that we didn't.\" Victorious Fermanagh now face Donegal in the last eight of the Ulster Championship while Antrim go into the All-Ireland qualifiers. Fermanagh: C Snow; M Jones, C Cullen, M O'Brien; D McCusker (sub D Kelly 66), J McMahon, B Mulrone; E Donnelly, A Breen; P McCusker (sub P Cadden), R Jones, R Lyons; R Corrigan (sub D Teague 56), S Quigley, T Corrigan. Antrim: C Kerr; K O'Boyle, R Johnston, N Delargy; P McBride, M Johnston, J Laverty (sub McAleese 47); M Sweeney, C Murray (sub S McVeigh HT); M Fitzpatrick (sub R Murray 56), K Niblock, J Carron; B Neeson (sub S Burke 59), T McCann, M McCann. Attendance: 9124", "summary": "Fermanagh saw off a mini-revival from Antrim to book an Ulster Championship quarter-final meeting with Donegal."}
{"article": "The blast hit a facility owned by Mexico's state oil company, Pemex, in the port city of Coatzacoalcos. Hundreds of people have been evacuated and schools closed. Footage showed a large fire and vast plumes of smoke. The cause of the blast is unclear. Several explosions have been reported at Pemex facilities in recent years. In pictures: Mexico explosion The latest incident occurred at around 15:15 local time (20:15 GMT), Pemex said in a statement. Veracruz state Governor Javier Duarte told a radio station the blast was felt 10km (six miles) away. The fire was under control by early evening, Pemex said. Residents were told to stay indoors because of the possible toxic nature of the smoke from the blast, but Pemex said the smoke dissipated quickly, lessening any possible toxic effects. Of the 136 people injured, 88 remain in hospital, 13 of whom are in a serious condition, Pemex said. Video posted on social media purporting to show a local hospital showed scenes of chaos and patients suffering heavy blood loss. Pemex said the part of the factory hit by the explosion was managed by a sister company, Mexichem. Associated Press reported that the plant produces vinyl chloride, a dangerous chemical used to make PVC pipes and packaging materials. Exports of oil from the plant, one of the largest terminals for oil distribution in Mexico, would not be affected, the company added. In September 2012, an explosion then a fire at a gas plant in the northern state of Tamaulipas killed 33 people. Pemex's own headquarters in Mexico City was hit by a large gas blast in January 2013, killing 37 people. A number of fires also struck the company's rigs in the Gulf of Mexico last year, and a worker was killed in another fire at the Veracruz plant in February this year.", "summary": "A large explosion at an oil facility in the south-east Mexican state of Veracruz has killed at least three people and injured 136 more."}
{"article": "The 5.5in (14cm) component packs in 806 pixels per inch. That outclasses Samsung's new flagship model by a wide margin. The Galaxy S6 offers 577ppi on a slightly smaller display. Higher resolutions offer more detail, typically producing crisper images and text. But experts say there is a limit to what the human eye can appreciate. \"At a certain point, the improvements get less visually stunning,\" Tim Coulling from the Canalys tech consultancy told the BBC. \"Once you jump from 2K to 4K, you're going to struggle to tell the two images apart even if you have perfect vision.\" 4K - which is also known as ultra-high definition - offers four times the resolution of 1080p HD. Several TV and projector manufacturers are promoting the new format as being ideal for 55in or bigger televisions that families can sit close to, and cinema screens. One challenge with introducing it to a handset is that higher resolutions typically take a greater toll on battery life. But Sharp promotes the Igzo (Indium gallium zinc oxide) tech used in the displays as being more energy efficient than the silicon-based LCD screens commonly used in smartphones and tablets, which should help offset their power demands. With smartphones becoming capable of filming in 4K, Mr Coulling also suggested there would be an energy trade-off that could benefit users watching back such videos. \"You will be able to show 4K content natively on the screen, which means you won't need to process it to get it to display properly.\" He added that he believed smartphone-makers would be keen to promote their handsets as being 4K-enhanced, whatever the true benefit, for marketing reasons. Greek news site Techblog.gr - which was among the first to report the news - said that Sharp planned to put the displays into mass production next year, and expected Chinese manufacturers to be among its first customers. While consumers have still to get to grips with 4K, parts of the tech industry are already racing ahead to a next-generation standard. Camera-maker Red has just announced an 8K video camera, offering 16 times the resolution of 1080p HD. However, its $59,500 (\u00c2\u00a340,575) cost is likely to limit its appeal to film-makers.", "summary": "Japan's Sharp has announced the first smartphone screen capable of showing images in 4K resolution."}
{"article": "\"Another school purge of an LGBT teacher,\" Timur Bulatov wrote on Russia's version of Facebook, called vKontakte. He professes to be fighting decadence because he is a pious Muslim. He sent a dossier on music teacher Maria Shestopalova to her school bosses in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. She says they then forced her to quit. Ms Shestopalova, 21, told the BBC she had been summoned by the heads of Krasnoyarsk Further Education Centre No 4 immediately after Mr Bulatov's denunciation of her. \"Without understanding the situation properly the director rang me on Monday evening and said, very unpleasantly, that she was expecting me in her office at 9:00am on Tuesday, and advised me to tender my resignation,\" she said via vKontakte. She said they spent six hours questioning her and applying pressure by citing the reputation of the school, the other teachers and her parents. She resigned after that, she said. \"Evidently they had no desire to establish who was right and who was wrong. Having decided that this solution would be easier for them they pressurised me, to make me quit.\" She said the school had sent a letter to Mr Bulatov immediately after the meeting, telling him that she had been fired. She told the BBC that they had treated her \"like a child - it was simply inhumane\". School director Olga Etsel, interviewed by Russian news website Meduza, denied Ms Shestopalova's allegation about psychological pressure. And she said the meeting had lasted 90 minutes, not six hours. A Russian law passed in 2013 controversially banned the spreading of \"gay propaganda\" among minors. Reports say the Russian interior ministry is investigating Ms Shestopalova's behaviour. Mr Bulatov condemned her for wearing lip and ear piercings and for \"supporting LGBT sexual deviants and promoting homosexuality\". He wages his \"morality\" campaign from St Petersburg. On vKontakte he claims to head a movement called \"First Moral Russian Front\". He calls himself \"Timur Bulatov (Isaev), social activist\". Ms Shestopalova accuses Mr Bulatov of hounding her from her job. She says he heaped abuse on her in a telephone conversation, and she is now taking legal action against him. Russia's ban on \"gay propaganda\" angered human rights activists and the international gay community. The law suggests that homosexuality - described as \"non-traditional sexual relations\" - is alien to life in Russia. Many homophobic attacks have been documented in Russia. Mr Bulatov told Russian news website Tayga.info that he had \"rescued\" Russian children from 65 \"immoral\" teachers. On his site he posted the 31-page dossier on Ms Shestopalova, with a long message denouncing her. \"This teacher clearly does not meet the standards of her profession and can harm her pupils. We demand that Maria Shestopalova be sacked for amoral behaviour,\" he wrote. Ms Shestopalova said she had worked at the Krasnoyarsk school for five years, for a salary of about 8,000 roubles (\u00c2\u00a3107; $131) a month.", "summary": "A self-styled Russian campaigner for morality in schools has boasted about the dismissal of a teacher he describes as a \"lesbian\" and \"satanist\"."}
{"article": "Sakho, 23, who has 14 France caps, will cost around \u00a318m from Paris St-Germain. Sporting Lisbon's Ilori, 20, has represented Portugal at youth level but is still eligible to play for England because he is born in London. Sakho told the club's website: \"I came here because the project at Liverpool interests me. I'm really looking forward to playing my first game.\" He is manager Brendan Rodgers's most expensive signing of the summer and can play in the centre of defence as well as at left-back. Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre said: \"He's an important marquee signing for us. It was a difficult one to do and it was a difficult one for us to get, but I'm very pleased that we've been able to attract him to the club.\" Ilori, who cost \u00a37m, said: \"Liverpool have a great team and I think it's the place for me to be at the moment. \"There have been some great teams here in the past, the club has won a lot of trophies and I want to be a part of it.\" Rodgers has now signed seven players this summer following the captures of defender Kolo Toure, striker Iago Aspas, winger Luis Alberto, goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and left-back Aly Cissokho. Liverpool prioritised defensive recruitments because Sebastian Coates has been ruled out for most of the season while Toure and Cissokho are also injured. Sakho and Ilori were both at Anfield on Sunday to watch Liverpool beat Manchester United to move top of the Premier League. Meanwhile, forward Daniel Pacheco has left Liverpool to join Spanish second tier side AD Alcorcon. The 22-year-old had struggled to break into the Reds first-team and failed to score in his 17 senior appearances during his six years with the Merseysiders. He was sent out on loan to Rayo Vallecano, Norwich City and Huesca but has now moved to Alcorcon on a permanent basis. I will always be a red,\" tweeted Pacheco. \"It's been my house and I will never forget it. Thanks to all you fans for the support and hope we celebrate the Premier League [title] this season.\"", "summary": "Liverpool have signed central defenders Mamadou Sakho and Tiago Ilori for a combined fee of about \u00a325m."}
{"article": "Visitors to the charity's reserve in Bempton, East Yorkshire can upload their images to a special website. The Atlantic puffin is a \"Red List\" threatened species and numbers across the UK are rapidly declining. Researchers hope analysing the birds' diets could help explain why numbers have dropped in some areas. More on this and other East Yorkshire stories Images from Bempton, where colony numbers are holding steady, will be compared to other sites where the birds are struggling. A recent report by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee said that the puffin's decline was due to a reduction in its food supply of small fish and its vulnerability to oil spills. They have been listed as vulnerable to extinction, the lowest of three categories behind critically endangered and endangered. The RSPB's Ali Barratt said the research is especially important at this time of year as puffin chicks are about to hatch. \"The society as a whole can look at what puffins are eating in different parts of the UK,\" she said. \"See if there are any differences and see if there any things that we wouldn't expect and to try and build a picture of ocean health around our island\".", "summary": "The RSPB has appealed for photographs of puffins feeding to help scientists discover why the bird's numbers have fallen to dangerously low levels."}
{"article": "It is unclear why the helicopter carrying Lionel Zinsou crash-landed in a stadium. \"My father is fine. There were no victims in the helicopter accident in Djougou,\" Marie-Cecile Zinsou tweeted. Earlier this month, Mr Zinsou confirmed he would run as a candidate in Benin's 2016 presidential elections. The helicopter crashed while landing at a stadium in the city of Djougou, a spokesman for Benin's interior ministry Leonce Houngbadji told the AFP news agency. He said no-one in the helicopter was hurt. Mr Zinsou, a former private-equity executive, was appointed prime minister of Benin in June. He has said he will run for president in February's election as a candidate of the ruling Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE) party. Reuters reported in early December that Mr Zinsou's announcement put an end to speculation Benin's president Thomas Boni Yayi was seeking a third term.", "summary": "Benin's Prime Minister walked away unscathed after the helicopter in which he was travelling crashed in the country's northwest, his daughter said."}
{"article": "Using pictures from the Cassini probe, the researchers have detected and tracked a slight wobble in the moon. After seven years of study, they have concluded this flutter would be much less if the icy crust was connected directly to Enceladus's rock core. It is strong support for the idea of an intervening, global mass of liquid. \"If the surface and core were rigidly connected, the core would provide so much dead weight that the wobble would be far smaller than we observe it to be,\" said Matthew Tiscareno, a Cassini scientist based at the Seti Institute but previously affiliated to Cornell University, US. \"This proves that there must be a global layer of liquid separating the surface from the core.\" Activity on Enceladus has been one of the great discoveries on the Cassini mission, which arrived at Saturn in 2004. The first clue that something interesting was going on was some low-resolution images showing a plume coming off the south pole that had the space-interested internet all abuzz. Shortly after, Cassini detected a disturbance in magnetic fields produced by the presence of what appeared to be an atmosphere. Scientists then established that the moon was actually venting huge jets of water vapour through south polar surface cracks dubbed tiger stripes because of their resemblance to the big cat's fur coat. Models were subsequently produced to explain how liquid water could be maintained on a 500km-wide body in the outer Solar System, and how that water might be feeding the jets. But there has always been a debate about how large the hidden reservoir might be. Early thinking suggested it might only be a relatively small lens of water. This new result, published in the journal Icarus, is the best evidence yet that the sub-surface sea is not regional in nature, but encircles the entire globe. It is significant because it makes it more possible that Enceladus is a habitable world. In those jets, Cassini has also detected salts and organic molecules. The chemistry has scientists intrigued, and fired up to send a dedicated mission to the moon. When that might happen is unclear. Both the US and European space agencies are only planning currently to send probes to Jupiter, and even they are not likely to get to their destination until the 2030s. Cassini itself is winding up its observations in the Saturn system. It has another couple of close passes of Enceladus this year before it then starts to manoeuvre towards disposal in the ringed planet's atmosphere in 2017. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos", "summary": "Scientists have determined that the sub-surface body of water on the Saturnian moon Enceladus must be far more extensive than first thought."}
{"article": "The deal calls for an immediate truce and the formation of a transitional government ahead of the drafting of a new constitution and new elections. The conflict in the world's newest state has left thousands dead and more than one million homeless. A ceasefire agreed in January collapsed within days, with both sides accusing each other of restarting the fighting. US Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday's agreement \"could mark a breakthrough for the future of South Sudan\". \"The hard journey on a long road begins now and the work must continue,\" added Mr Kerry, who played an instrumental role in bringing together the two sides. The UN has accused both the South Sudanese government and the rebels of crimes against humanity, including mass killings and gang-rape. The rivals signed the deal in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa late on Friday, after their first face-to-face meeting since the hostilities began. The BBC's Emmanuel Igunza in Addis Ababa says the agreement calls for a cessation of hostilities within 24 hours of the signing. A permanent ceasefire will then be worked on. Mr Kiir and Mr Machar are to issue immediate orders for troops to end combat and to allow in humanitarian aid. It was not immediately clear who would form the transitional administration. The deal was also signed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, who hosted the talks. Alastair Leithead reports on rape and murder in Bentiu Leading mediator Seyoum Mesfin, from the regional Igad bloc, congratulated Mr Kiir and Mr Machar for \"ending the war\". However, African Union official Smail Chergui warned that \"given the current crisis, the restoration of peace in South Sudan will not be easy\". A UN report released on Thursday said that \"widespread and systematic\" atrocities had been carried out by both sides in homes, hospitals, mosques, churches and UN compounds. It called for those responsible to be held accountable. An estimated five million people are in need of aid, the UN says. The violence began when President Kiir accused his sacked deputy Mr Machar of plotting a coup. Mr Machar denied the allegation, but then marshalled a rebel army to fight the government. The battle assumed ethnic overtones, with Mr Machar relying heavily on fighters from his Nuer ethnic group and Mr Kiir from his Dinka community. The UN has about 8,500 peacekeepers in South Sudan. However, they have struggled to contain the conflict. South Sudan gained independence in 2011, breaking away from Sudan after decades of conflict between rebels and the Khartoum government. It remains one of the world's poorest countries.", "summary": "South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar have agreed a peace deal after a five-month conflict."}
{"article": "Gary Firth, 50, and from Barnsley, was killed in a crash at the 11th Milestone on the TT Course, at about 13.45 BST. The Senior race was immediately red flagged by the clerk of the course. Firth finished 34th in the Newcomers A race earlier this week and had recorded his fastest lap of 102.282mph in the Friday's Senior race. Organisers the Manx Motor Cycle Club said they pass on their \"deepest sympathy to his family and friends\". The Coroner of Inquests has been informed and an investigation into the circumstances of the accident is under way. Two other riders were involved in the incident but were reported as ok by organisers. In a separate incident Alun Thomas crashed at Alpine Cottage and was taken by helicopter to hospital where he was reported to have \"multiple fractures\" but is in a \"stable condition\". Clerk of the course Phil Taubman confirmed the race would not be rerun and the result has been declared at the end of the second lap. It means Loughborough's Andrew Soar, who led the race after two laps (the last completed by the whole field), has been awarded the victory ahead of Michael Moulai with Rob Hodson third. All three riders, who were contesting the lead when the race was red flagged, said their thoughts were with those involved in the earlier accidents. Although the roads were mainly dry, riders were warned about possible damp patches at Laurel Bank, Ramsey Hairpin, Hillberry and the Nook as well as strong winds, particularly on the Mountain section of the course. The subsequent Manx Grand Prix reunion parade has been cancelled and all roads are now open around the course. Three riders have lost their lives at this year's Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling, which incorporates the Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix.", "summary": "A motorcyclist from Yorkshire has been killed during the Senior Manx Grand Prix race in the Isle of Man."}
{"article": "The Greek government is trying to balance austerity measures imposed by the EU and the IMF with a return to regaining economic policy-making power. Greece has had two bailouts totalling \u00e2\u201a\u00ac240bn (\u00c2\u00a3188bn) since 2010 when private investors refused to lend to Athens. Greece wants to return to market financing from next year. \"Taking into account the still fragile market sentiment and the many reform challenges ahead there is strong support for a precautionary credit line,\" said Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem at a meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Brussels. Greek Finance Minister Gikas Hardouvelis told the Reuters news agency he hopes for a grace period of up to a year after exiting the bailout, during which Greece will still get a financial safety net but would not be \"micro-managed\" by lenders. The credit deal will use \u00e2\u201a\u00ac11bn already granted to Greece by the eurozone to strengthen Greek banks. The money was not needed after the European Central Bank tested eurozone banks last month.", "summary": "Eurozone ministers have moved towards agreeing a new credit line for Greece as it prepares to exit its bailout at the end of the year."}
{"article": "Timothy Pawlett, 52, from Haverfordwest and Gareth Clement, 55, from Crymych, are alleged to have left Fishguard port early or arrived late while still claiming full working hours. It meant they had been overpaid a combined total of over \u00a31,800. They both deny a single charge of fraud and the trial at Swansea Crown Court continues. Prosecuting, Nicholas Gedge told the court Mr Pawlett was secretly logged leaving his post early or arriving late 72 times between 1 November 2015 and 17 February 2016. Mr Clement was said to have left early on 54 occasions. In some instances they had left two hours early. It meant Mr Pawlett had been overpaid \u00a31,100 and Mr Clement \u00a3710. The alarm was raised when their boss, Det Sgt Ian Hardy could not find either of the officers before their shifts had ended. \"He was a little curious,\" said Mr Gedge, especially when he found both had recorded completing their full shifts. The following night he parked outside Fishguard harbour and saw Mr Clement driving away 40 minutes early. He drove to Mr Pawlett's home and saw his car already parked outside, which meant he must have left 30 minutes early. Det Sgt Hardy asked for a camera with automatic vehicle number plate recognition technology to be checked and discovered \"numerous\" examples of them leaving early. After their arrests neither officer disputed the data. Mr Clement said he had been having personal and family difficulties while Mr Pawlett said he had been suffering from anxiety and depression.", "summary": "Two Pembrokeshire police officers left work early 126 times in three months, a jury has heard."}
{"article": "The Atlantic Airlines cargo flight left Aberdeen on Monday evening, and had been scheduled to fly to East Midlands Airport. But it declared an emergency a short time later and returned to Aberdeen, where it landed safely at about 20:20. It is not yet known what caused the plane to turn back.", "summary": "An aircraft has returned safely to Aberdeen International Airport after reporting a problem shortly after taking off."}
{"article": "\"The trigger man will be blamed, while those who actually ordered the killing will go free,\" Ilya Yashin, co-founder of Mr Nemtsov's party, said on Sunday. His comments came after two men of Chechen origin were charged with his murder and three others arrested. Mr Yashin rejected suggestions radical Islamists were behind the murder. \"The investigators' nonsensical theory about Islamist motives in the killing suits the Kremlin and takes [President] Putin out of the firing line,\" Mr Yashin said on Twitter (in Russian). Those behind the killing were in Russia and even in government, he said separately in a BBC interview. On Sunday, a court in Moscow charged Zaur Dadayev and Anzor Gubashev with shooting Mr Nemtsov on a bridge near the Kremlin on 27 January. Mr Dadayev had admitted his involvement, the court said. Three other suspects were remanded in custody. A sixth man was reported to have killed himself in a standoff with police in the Chechen capital Grozny. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, an ally of President Vladimir Putin, described Mr Dadayev as a devout Muslim who was shocked by cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad published in French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. \"All who know Zaur [Dadayev] confirm that he is a deep believer and also that he, like all Muslims, was shocked by the activities of Charlie and comments in support of printing the cartoons.\" Along with other Russian politicians and activists, Mr Nemtsov had condemned the killing of 12 journalists at the French satirical magazine by Islamist extremists. But he also criticised threats made by the Chechen leader towards those who did not condemn cartoons published by the magazine. Mr Kadyrov had declared former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky his \"personal enemy\" for urging other papers to republish the Charlie Hebdo cartoons. He had also said Ekho Mosvky editor-in-chief Alexei Venediktov \"would be called to account\" after his station's website ran a poll on whether media should publish similar cartoons. This prompted Mr Nemtsov to accuse Mr Kadyrov of violating Russia's criminal code by infringing journalists' activities. \"Everybody is already sick and tired of Ramzan's threats, but he is certain that [President] Putin will not let anyone touch him, so he is growing increasingly brazen every day,\" Mr Nemtsov wrote on his Facebook page in January. Mr Kadyrov received a medal of honour from President Putin on Monday. The award was for \"his outstanding achievements, social activities and many years of honest work,\" a presidential decree said. Mr Yashin told the BBC that Mr Nemtsov had not been a prominent critic of radical Islam and had concentrated his attacks on President Putin and his government. He said he did not believe Mr Nemtsov's killers were from outside Russia, calling his murder \"an act of terror to scare society\". If the Russian authorities had any proof that the two men charged were the killers, that proof should be made public, he said. \"I believe that the organisers of the murder are in Russia and I believe that they are in the Russian government,\" he added. The location of the murder,", "summary": "A close ally of murdered Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov says he is \"totally sceptical\" that the two men charged organised his killing."}
{"article": "And Team GB's youngest star, bronze-winning gymnast Amy Tinkler, who last week was wowing global sports fans but tomorrow collects her GCSE results, was given the welcome home of a sporting hero. There were several false starts as friends, coaches and fans waited at her gymnastics club to welcome her back after her Rio exploits. Twice the motivational music was started on the loud speaker as twice someone who was not the 16-year-old came in the door. But on the third go (you might say in the bronze medal place), the real deal arrived and the welcome was emotional to say the least. She was quickly at the centre of a huddle of young girls for whom she represents the reality that dreams can come true. And then there were cuddles from her coaches, who have spent hours in the South Durham Gymnastics Club helping Amy hone her skills for the Olympic Games. Finally there was the media scrum. Local newspapers who had reported on Amy's various championship successes for years, radio stations and TV journalists all waited for their chance to talk to County Durham's newest Olympian. Amy said: \"To see everyone back here is overwhelming. \"It's incredible, it's starting to sink in but it still seems crazy that it actually has happened. \"(The medal) has been very close to me all the time. I was sat on the plane and the whole way back I had it on, it's just so special to me.\" For someone who the day before had flown the best part of 5,800 miles (9,300km), she looked remarkably refreshed. \"I didn't get much sleep on the plane to be honest,\" she said. \"I was sat near the hockey girls (the gold-winning women's hockey team were the ones filmed singing God Save the Queen), then we had like a six-hour drive to get home, but once I finally got home yesterday evening I slept really well. \"I've got a busy week with interviews and media, next week I'll have time chilling with family and friends, then the week after that I'll get back into training.\" And on top of all that, tomorrow she gets her GCSE results, not that she's worried. \"It is what it is, I have to get them,\" she said. The welcome-home party started as soon as she returned to her housing estate on the edge of Bishop Auckland, with neighbours ready to greet her. Young fans got autographs, older ones told Amy how proud they were of her. But it was at the gymnastics club, a large pink sports hall with a \u00c2\u00a330,000 floor and various beams, balance bars, trampolines and foam-filled pits, that she was really able to celebrate her success. \"She started here when she was two-years-old\" said Nicola Preston, her coach for the past 14 years. \"She is one of the family, we are all just so proud of her, we are pleased to have her home, we've really missed.\" Barely 20 minutes after Amy's arrival, the next generation of gymnasts were back to training on the various pieces of", "summary": "She went to Rio a hopeful but came back an Olympic medal holder."}
{"article": "Gloucestershire reached 253-6 with four balls to spare after Cockbain shared a stand of 172 with Benny Howell (81). Lukas Carey was Glamorgan's best bowler with four for 38. Glamorgan made 252-9 thanks to openers Jacques Rudolph (60) and David Lloyd (49). But Glamorgan lost seamer Ruaidhri Smith to a leg injury suffered while bowling only his second over. Both teams now play their opening first-class friendlies against student opposition, starting on Tuesday 28 March. Glamorgan host Cardiff MCCU while Gloucestershire face Durham MCCU in Bristol.", "summary": "Gloucestershire beat Glamorgan by four wickets in their pre-season friendly thanks to Ian Cockbain's 125 not out."}
{"article": "Standing in a cool stone corridor near the heart of Eastern State Penitentiary, a sprawling Gothic prison-turned historic tourist attraction in Philadelphia, Russell Craig tried to round up an audience. \"In one minute, I'm about to give a tour... an exclusive, never-before-done tour,\" he called to families and couples as they ambled past, audio tour players dangling from their necks. Eastern State, a gloomy, turreted structure looming high above an upscale Philadelphian neighbourhood, was the world's first \"penitentiary\", a word coined for the founders' hope that its inhabitants would reform through prayer and become \"penitent\". It operated from 1829 until 1971, and held 1,800 men at its peak. After the last inmate left, it collapsed into a ruinous state, then reopened as a museum in 1994. Today, the eerily decrepit cell blocks bustle with tourists, boy scouts and girl guides, church groups and primary school field trips - in total, nearly 220,000 visitors a year. Craig, a tall, bearded 35-year-old dressed in a maroon tour guide's polo shirt, gradually convinced a group of 10 visitors to gather around, and led them through a door into what was once the prison chaplain's office. Inside, the walls are covered with colourful religious murals - depictions of the resurrection of Jesus, a prisoner kneeling at the foot of a priest - though they are badly damaged from exposure to sunlight. They were painted in 1955 by a prolific inmate artist named Lester Smith who served seven months for a string of armed robberies. Craig explained to the group that after his release, Smith was never imprisoned again. \"Why would you think that Lester would use art in prison to change his life?\" Craig asked. The visitors shrugged. Someone ventured \"Something to do?\" to nervous laughter. Craig nodded. \"True - I can see that.\" He paused. \"I was in prison. I used art to change my life in the same way,\" he said. \"I'm here to give you, like, right in front of you, a live example of how art can change your life.\" This is the moment the museum staff refer to as the \"face melt\" - suddenly all the visitors snapped to attention, their eyes leapt to Craig in surprise. \"I have examples of my work, if you would like to see,\" he offered, then pulled out a large reproduction of his prison identification card that he painted in lifelike detail. He passed around the real card, too, which identifies him as \"Inmate HP9290\". In the ID photo, Craig's gaze is cold and detached. He is almost unrecognisable from the smiling, slightly bashful man standing in front of the group. \"I decided when I get out, I'm never going to commit crimes again, I'm [going to] be an artist,\" he told them. \"And it happened for me, just like Lester. He changed his life.\" After a string of drugs charges beginning when he was a teenager, Craig came under the tutelage of a fellow inmate serving life for murder, who was also a talented artist. Craig emerged from prison in 2013 an accomplished portraitist", "summary": "At a 19th Century prison that pioneered the use of solitary confinement in the US, former inmates lead one-of-a-kind tours about the history of incarceration and their own experience within it."}
{"article": "25 November 2016 Last updated at 18:30 GMT Fazila Aswat and Sandra Major were leaving a car with Mrs Cox ahead of a surgery in Birstall, West Yorkshire, in June when the MP was shot and stabbed.", "summary": "Jo Cox's assistants, who were with the MP when she was murdered, have spoken about coping with the \"surreal\" loss of both a colleague and friend."}
{"article": "Groups pushing for the impeachment of Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff are using a large rubber duck as a mascot. But the design is similar to one by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, who told the BBC the Brazilian replica constitutes copyright infringement. The owner of the factory that produced both ducks denied any wrongdoing. Versions of the same giant inflatable rubber duck designed by Mr Hofman have travelled the world since 2007, calling in Japan, New Zealand and Brazil, among many other countries. The version that has appeared in protests in Brazil closely resembles Mr Hofman's, although it has crosses for eyes. It also has the slogan \"Chega de pagar o pato\" across its chest, a Portuguese expression meaning \"We won't pay for the duck any more\" or \"We won't pay for what is not our fault any more\". The giant duck was commissioned by a powerful Brazilian industrial group, FIESP, to use in protests against corruption and high taxes from last September. But it has made a number of appearances in demonstrations against the president in recent months. \"It is exactly our design and our specific technical patterns,\" Mr Hofman told BBC Brasil. \"Changing the eyes doesn't change our technical design of the shape and beak.\" Before it appeared as part of an exhibition in Brazil, a version of Mr Hofman's duck was produced in a Sao Paulo factory. The owner of the factory, Denilson Sousa, told the BBC they also produced the new duck, but said the design was not copied. \"I would not put our reputation at risk,\" he said. \"We have experience in this kind of job and this is a very simple design. Why wouldn't we spend four hours redesigning it?\" But Mr Hofman said the factory \"made a very unwise decision\" and that he considered it \"illegal use of the exact design and therefore copyright infringement\". A FIESP spokesman said they had been reassured the design was original. On Tuesday, the group released 5,000 rubber ducks near the main national congress building in the capital, Brasilia, and took out full-page adverts in national newspapers using an image of a duck. Opposition lawmakers want to remove Ms Rousseff over claims she manipulated government accounts to hide a growing deficit. Her party's coalition partners quit government on Tuesday, a step which may ensure she lacks enough support to stave off impeachment.", "summary": "An artist famous for a giant rubber duck that pops up around the world says a version of his work used by Brazilian protesters amounts to plagiarism."}
{"article": "\"Jealous\" Paul Hemming beat Natalie Hemming, 31, as her children slept upstairs at their Milton Keynes home, Luton Crown Court was told. Miss Hemming's badly decomposed body was found on 22 May, three weeks after she was last seen. Mr Hemming, 43, admits manslaughter but denies murder. The couple lived lived together in Alderney Avenue, Newton Leys, where the prosecution alleges Mr Hemming murdered his partner in a jealous rage because she had met someone else. Miss Hemming was last seen alive as she left her mother's home in Hemel Hempstead on 1 May. The court heard that her body was found three weeks later 30 miles away at Toms Hill in Chandlers Cross, Hertfordshire. More on this and other news from Buckinghamshire Simon Russell-Flint QC, for the prosecution, told the court the accused \"struck and killed her in the living room\". He then wrapped her naked in a carpet and either carried or dragged her out of the house while her children slept and then dumped her body, he said. Miss Hemming had a fractured skull and arm, the latter Mr Russell-Flint said was almost certainly a defence wound. The exact cause of death could not be ascertained because her body was badly decomposed when found. The court heard Mr Hemming told police Miss Hemming had gone to stay with a friend after being raped by a colleague, however, Mr Russell-Flint said Mr Hemming attacked her because she planned to leave him. The rape story was a fabrication, he said. He told the court Miss Hemming had spent the night before her death in a hotel with a colleague, Simon Dennis. Mr Dennis, who worked with Miss Hemming at a car dealership, told the jury their relationship, initially \"flirtatious\", had recently become more serious and he had booked a hotel for them on the night of 30 April. The court heard from Miss Hemming's friend, Rebecca Hornsby, that Mr Hemming had been violent towards her and she intended to leave him. On the day she was allegedly killed she had texted her friend to say she had enjoyed the night with Mr Dennis. Mr Hemming's actions the following evening were \"callous, cold and calculated,\" Mr Russell-Flint said. \"This is murder. A calculated, murderous attack because of jealousy and rage.\" The court was also read a statement by Miss Hemming's mother, in which said she was worried when she could not contact her daughter on the evening of 1 May. The previous week Miss Hemming told her she had twice ended the relationship with Mr Hemming and he replied: \"If I can't have you no one can,\" the court was told. Defending Mr Hemming, David Jeremy QC told the jurors that while they may \"loathe\" the accused, they had to decide whether he had intended to kill Miss Hemming or cause her really serious harm. Mr Jeremy said it was the defendant's case that he had intended to do neither. Mr Hemming has admitted obstructing a coroner in the execution of his duty and preventing the lawful and decent burial of a", "summary": "A man murdered his partner in a \"calculated\" attack before dragging her body from their house and dumping it in woodland, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Bertie, from Adventure Valley in County Durham, covered 18ft (5.48m) in 19.59 seconds - smashing the previous best of 43.7 seconds, which stood since 1977. He clocked his time in July last year, but the achievement has now been ratified and appears in the new edition of the Guinness Book of Records. Owner Janine Calzini said he could be tempted to make another attempt on TV. She added: \"He's just like the real-life Usain Bolt as he loves the attention his run has brought and meeting people. \"They're amazed when they see how fast he moves. \"He lives with his girlfriend, Shelly, but she's the opposite as she hides away.\" Bertie, who raced to his record on a diet of strawberries, is thought to be about 10 years old. Leopard tortoises typically live to between 80 and 100 years old and Mrs Calzini, who runs the adventure park with her husband Marco, believes Bertie could be spurred on to an even faster time by the media spotlight. \"There's nothing to say he couldn't beat his own record. We had a lot of inquiries after Bertie's run but had to turn them down while we waited for the record to be confirmed. \"If someone asked him to make another attempt on TV then maybe he could do it.\" Bertie was given to Adventure Valley four years ago when his owners went abroad. Befitting his status as a record-breaker, he and Shelly now live in a larger enclosure. The record was on a running track specified by Guinness with an incline of 1 in 12. The previous best was set at the National Tortoise Championship at Tickhill, South Yorkshire, on 2 July 1977.", "summary": "The Usain Bolt of the tortoise world has raced into the record books as the fastest ever."}
{"article": "Arthur Howard, 74, and his 75-year-old wife Emma, from East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, had the winning ticket for the Mega Friday draw on 29 January. Mr Howard said he \"went into complete shock\" after phoning the claims line and hearing the words \"Congratulations, you're a millionaire. He now plans to trade in his taxi for a new Audi car. Mr Howard said: \"It has taken a while to sink in, I even had to phone the claim line twice just to make sure it was the real thing. \"When I first phoned and heard the words 'congratulations you're a millionaire' I went in to complete shock and told the call handler I would have to hang up and give her a call back.\" Mr Howard added: \"My youngest son came over to me as he was worried something was wrong as all the colour had drained from my face. \"I told him and he wouldn't believe me so we called the claim line back, putting it on loud speaker this time, and she said it again 'you are a millionaire'. It really was quite something.\"", "summary": "A Scottish couple are celebrating after winning \u00a31m and all-expenses paid break to Dubai in a EuroMillions draw."}
{"article": "He is backed by 152 constituency parties, with Andy Burnham in second place with 111, then Yvette Cooper with 106 and Liz Kendall with 18. The supporting nominations have no weight in the vote but give an insight into the views of active party members. Mr Corbyn also has the backing of the UK's two largest trade unions. All registered Labour Party supporters and affiliated supporters who join before midday on the 12 August can vote in the contest. Voting will begin on 14 August. Who are the Labour leadership candidates? Could Jeremy Corbyn be Labour's next leader? How influential are the unions? Leadership candidate Andy Burnham has told the Guardian the Labour Party is at risk of splitting because of the provocative language used by supporters of left-wing candidate Mr Corbyn. Union leader Dave Ward described Blairites in the party as a \"virus\" to which Mr Corbyn was the antidote. But Mr Burnham said the comments should sound \"alarm bells\" to the party of the danger of a return to the early 1980s, when a bitter rift between left-wingers and centrists led to the creation of the Social Democratic Party. Acting Labour leader Harriet Harman told the BBC that whoever won the contest there \"must not and would not be a split in the Labour Party\". \"In a hotly contested leadership race stakes run high and things get said which raise the temperature and they shouldn't,\" she said. \"What we need is a proper debate.\" A poll by Research Now found Mr Burnham was the preferred Labour leader among members of the public. Of the 1,001 people questioned, 30% of those who expressed an opinion picked Mr Burnham as the best leader. Mr Corbyn and Ms Cooper both got 24%, and 21% chose Ms Kendall.", "summary": "Jeremy Corbyn is the most popular candidate for Labour leader among local constituency groups, according to the latest party nomination figures."}
{"article": "Lucas Bigley, 19, stabbed Matthew Wilson to death in Sheffield on 28 May in a \"violent and brutal attack\". Hull Crown Court heard the two men had fallen out after Mr Wilson, also 19, began a relationship with Bigley's mother. Bigley, of Wadsley Lane, Sheffield, was told he must serve at least 22 years in jail. More stories from across South Yorkshire Hull Crown Court heard Bigley was still wearing his heavily blood-soaked clothing and attempting to wash the blood from his hands when was arrested in the early hours of 28 May. Det Ch Insp Craig Jackson said: \"This was a violent and brutal attack on Matthew, a young man whom Bigley once considered his friend. \"The court heard how both he and the victim knew each other for many years, but their friendship broke down after Matthew began a romantic relationship with Bigley's mother. \"His anger and frustration came to the fore in the early hours of that morning in May and a young man who had everything to live for has now tragically lost his life.\" Mr Wilson's family said in a statement they were \"satisfied\" with the jury's verdict. However, they added: \"While we regard the sentence Bigley has been given as fair, no sentence will ever bring Matt back to us. \"We too have been handed a life sentence.\"", "summary": "A man has been jailed for life for murdering a former friend who was having a relationship with his mother."}
{"article": "Ministers approved the grant despite warnings from senior civil servants about the charity's finances. Mr Cameron said the grant had given the charity a final chance to restructure and to \"continue its excellent work\". Meanwhile, the charity's supporters have taken part in a march in London. About 150 people walked from the charity's former centre to Parliament to raise awareness of the vulnerable people who used the support service. Kids Company closed on Wednesday after ministers said they wanted to recover the \u00a33m grant. The Cabinet Office said it believed conditions attached to the use of the money had not been met - but the charity's founder has repeatedly rejected claims of financial mismanagement there. Speaking to Channel 4 News, Camila Batmanghelidjh said she had \"confirmed in writing\" with Cabinet minister Oliver Letwin last year that he had agreed to find \u00a320m for the charity. But she said: \"I honestly believe that they didn't want us to go under before the election because it wouldn't look good, and then post-election, I think, they were prepared for it to go under.\" Ms Batmanghelidjh said the \"necessary, genuine, and deep-thinking commitment to solve the problem of large-scale childhood maltreatment in this country is not there inside the current government\". A government spokeswoman said: \"Successive governments have supported Kids Company over the last seven years to help it deliver services for vulnerable young people and so we are disappointed it has been unable to move to a sustainable financial position.\" Speaking earlier, during a visit to the National Citizen Service - a social enterprise that helps teenagers with training and life skills - Mr Cameron said he was \"sad\" the charity had \"come to an end\". He said: \"The government thought it was the right thing to do to give this charity [Kids Company] one last chance of restructuring to try and make sure it could continue its excellent work. \"Sadly that didn't happen, not least because of the allegations that were made and private donors withdrawing their money. \"But I think the government was right to say 'Let's have one last go', to try and keep this charity going, given the excellent work it's done for so many young people.\" It provided services including counselling, walk-in centres with hot meals and help with housing and healthcare for children and young people whose parents were often unable to care for them. It had branches in London, Bristol and Liverpool and employed 600 paid staff, as well as working with a pool of about 8,000 volunteers and 500 students. What went wrong at Kids Company? 'It feels like we've lost a parent' Kids Company has also faced accusations by former staff that the charity failed to deal with allegations of serious incidents, including sexual assaults. The Metropolitan Police's sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse unit is investigating a number of allegations of crime involving the charity. Ms Batmanghelidjh told Channel 4 News: \"From what we have been told, there this no case to answer so far on the part of Kids Company.\" Local Government Association spokesman", "summary": "Prime Minister David Cameron has defended the government's decision to give charity Kids Company \u00a33m one week before its closure, saying it had been right to give it \"one last chance\"."}
{"article": "In 14 previous Games, GB has never finished lower than fifth in the medal table, and has come second seven times. But London 2012's third-place finish ended a run of three second places and Rio 2016 is set to be more challenging. \"It's getting harder and harder because other nations are picking up on this and investing more money,\" said GB Wheelchair Tennis' Geraint Richards. \"There will be a time when we can't keep increasing the medal tally but we can stay at the top end of the table.\" Richards, head of disability player performance at the Tennis Foundation, said he is optimistic about star performer Jordanne Whiley's chance of gold in the singles and doubles events in Rio, but was reluctant to put too much expectation on the 23-year-old in a sport that gets \"tougher and tougher\". It is a similar story for his counterpart at the British para-swimming team, Chris Furber. The former head coach of the successful British para-cycling team, Furber has overhauled the swimming set-up: bringing in new coaches, centralising the team in Manchester and investing in infrastructure. He is confident the team will \"contribute a hefty number of medals\" to the target of 121 - one more than was won in 2012 - that is the \"aspirational goal\" for the agency that funds Olympic and Paralympic sport, UK Sport. However, he said medal tallies are \"really hard to predict\", pointing to the London Games as an example. \"It's not the same as Olympic sport where you get a level of performance over the four years,\" said Furber. \"China turned up with a very strong team off the back of their home Games, Russia and Ukraine had heavily invested and Brazil were looking to their home Games, so London was challenging and Rio will be no different.\" \"Our entire four-year cycle has been about producing a lifetime-best performances under the greatest pressure.\" Tim Hollingsworth, the British Paralympic Association's chief executive, has welcomed rising standards, even if it does make it harder for the British team to deliver medals. \"The standard of competition globally in the Paralympic movement is changing rapidly,\" said Hollingsworth. \"It's going to make the winning of the medals even tougher but we're on the cusp of something great with the Paralympics - London was tremendous, we're very keen to see that go forward.\"", "summary": "British Paralympic leaders say Britain can continue to deliver medals despite increased global competition."}
{"article": "Greg Docherty volleyed Accies in front after Alexandre D'Acol's header was blocked following a free-kick. Saints goalkeeper Zander Clark saved well to deny Docherty a second, then at the other end Danny Swanson hit the bar. Liam Craig equalised in the final 10 minutes when he pounced on the rebound from Blair Alston's shot. St Johnstone rang the changes in the wake of their Betfred League Cup defeat by Aberdeen but were forced into another switch early in the game. Richard Foster was injured with just a minute gone and could not continue. He was replaced by Aaron Comrie. All that on top of the fact they were missing Steven McLean, who does not play on synthetic surfaces. The incentive was there for both clubs - a win would have taken Saints second - but you would not have believed that given the opening spell. Media playback is not supported on this device The goalmouth thrills were slow in coming although Graham Cummins was left totally unmarked on the end of a free-kick from the left side, only to screw his header beyond the right-hand post of the Accies keeper. Remi Matthews, though, was not quite as comfortable with a low shot from Craig which he spilled, only to be rescued by a team-mate. But then work from the training ground undid St Johnstone. Ali Crawford floated a free-kick for D'Acol to head back across the goal. A Saints head won the second ball but it fell only for Docherty, who lashed it into the net. It was his first goal of the season. And moments later Docherty was the hero again, clearing off the line a goalbound header from Joe Shaughnessy. Now the game was alive. The players had to endure pounding rain in the second half but it encouraged pace on the plastic pitch and Swanson capitalised with flashes of class, including a double nutmeg which set up a Saints chance. Accies, too, knew how to play the conditions. Dougie Imrie zipped a shot across the goal which was a hair's breadth away from a touch from Eamonn Brophy on the slide. The game ebbed and flowed until its death, but you did feel a Saints equaliser was coming. Alston nearly grabbed it, but Matthews denied him with a spectacular save, only for the rebound to be driven into the net from the edge of the box with great composure. Both sides went in hunt of a late winner at the end of a second half which was both entertaining and competitive, but a draw was just about right. Hamilton's Martin Canning: \"There wasn't a lot in it and in the second half they had us pinned back a bit. \"But it's been the story of the season for us so far; we have a great opportunity to go 2-0 up and we don't take it. \"I feel like I'm repeating myself. The guys are putting in a lot of work but we are not putting the ball in the net enough.\" St Johnstone's Tommy Wright: \"I didn't think we", "summary": "Hamilton moved off the bottom of the Scottish Premiership but had to settle for a point at home to St Johnstone."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old is set to have a medical at the Premier League club on Tuesday. Gabbiadini, who has six caps for Italy, joined Napoli from Sampdoria in 2015 and has scored 15 goals in 55 league appearances. However, he has struggled for a first-team place in recent weeks and has not started a Serie A match since November. Southampton are looking for extra forward cover, with Charlie Austin expected to be out for another three months with a shoulder injury. Keep up to date with all the Premier League transfers in January as we track and profile all the players leaving or joining a club this month. This site is optimised for modern web browsers, and does not fully support your browser", "summary": "Southampton have agreed a fee of about \u00a314m for Napoli striker Manolo Gabbiadini."}
{"article": "MPs gave notice only this morning that they would visit the Derbyshire site. The committee has investigated working practices at Shirebrook, and wanted to see if improvements had been made. After a three hour tour, they gathered in a private room when they said a recording device was found. The company had been expecting a visit from MPs, but was not told when the spot check would be. One of the six, Anna Turley, MP for Redcar, said: \"At the end of the meeting, we sat down to have a private conversation in a room by ourselves. \"A lady came in with some sandwiches, which was very kind. I saw her take too long to do it, she put it down and I saw her put a recording device on the floor. \"She left the room and I went over to pick up the device and there it was: a camera and a recording device for the conversation that we were having privately. \"I'm very disappointed.\" A spokesman for Sports Direct declined to comment. The committee chairman, Iain Wright said he spoke to Sports Direct's chief executive, Mike Ashley, on the phone after the MPs left the warehouse. He said: \"I don't think it was a particularly pleasant conversation for either of us. \"I want to work with Mike Ashley in a constructive manner. I don't think he wants to work with us at all any more.\" The company, which has around 450 retail outlets, came under the spotlight after a BBC investigation uncovered a culture of unorthodox and illegal working practices at the warehouse. Among issued raised were staff being kept on site at Shirebrook after their shifts for body searches, putting them below the legal minimum wage. Concern about working conditions led to Sports Direct's founder Mike Ashley being called to appear in front of the Business and Skills Committee. He admitted at the hearing that control of the company had slipped beyond him. Mr Ashley denied knowing about the day-to-day operation at Shirebrook. Sports Direct has promised a number of changes since Mr Ashley's appearance at the committee. Mr Ashley is thought to be on holiday and was not at Shirebrook during the visit.", "summary": "Six MPs from the Business and Skills Committee claim an attempt was made to record their private discussions after a surprise visit to Sports Direct's Shirebrook warehouse."}
{"article": "The lorry then crashed into a house in Bolney Road, Ansty, West Sussex. The cottage's occupants were unhurt, but the building has structural damage. A 72-year-old man who was driving a VW sustained serious injuries. The other drivers were also taken to hospital. The A272 Bolney Road was closed at the junction with Bishops Lane and Pickwell Lane until the early hours, following the crash on Saturday afternoon. Ricky, the owner of the property - who did not want to give his full name - told the BBC he had only just finished renovating the house. \"We started in September and finished it on Saturday morning, and now we've got to start all over again. \"The downstairs is wrecked and the front top room is also damaged.\" He said his wife's grandparents, who are in their 90s, were in the property at the time and were very \"shaken up\". \"Luckily they managed to get out... a few cuts and bruises but otherwise OK,\" he said.", "summary": "A motorist was seriously injured in a crash involving a lorry and two cars."}
{"article": "Officers found an explosive device, thought to be a \"flashbang\" grenade, when they were called to Elgin Street, Leith, at 12:50. Police are treating the death of the 51-year-old woman as unexplained and have launched an investigation. A spokesman said the device was made safe but a controlled explosion was not required. He said: \"Inquiries into the death are ongoing. \"The death is currently being treated as unexplained but the circumstances are not thought to be suspicious. \"A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.\"", "summary": "A bomb disposal team was called out after a woman was found dead at a house in Edinburgh."}
{"article": "His British Bloodhound Super-Sonic Car (SSC) is aiming for 800mph (1,290km/h). To achieve this extraordinary speed, the RAF man will depend on many cutting edge technologies and components - not least the actual \"floor\" itself. This piece of titanium panelling will be one of the hardest working engineering elements on the vehicle. It has to protect the underside of the car from the blizzard of dust and grit that will be produced as Bloodhound streaks across the dry lake surface of Northern Cape's Hakskeen Pan. One of the strongest primary shockwaves will form right between the supersonic vehicle's front wheels. This will turn and churn the dried mud, and, with the help of the spinning wheels, shotblast Bloodhound's body. When Andy Green set the existing record of 763mph (1,230km/h) in 1997, his Thrust machine was badly eroded by the playa it kicked up in its path. Thrust's aluminium floor was polished to a high-sheen finish and rubbed wafer thin in places. The new titanium floor just finished at Bloodhound's technical centre in Bristol hopes to perform much better in even more demanding circumstances. \"At Swansea University, we set up a test rig where we took the same material from Hakskeen and fired it at different panels to find the material that would cope in this high-speed eroding environment - and that was titanium,\" explained Conor La Grue, the components chief on the Bloodhound project. The new floor was assembled by a team from 71 Squadron, whose normal day job is to keep the jets of the Royal Air Force in a state fit to fly. The structure contains about 240 primary parts and has required roughly 1,000 worker hours to put together. As well as two broad titanium skins, the floor structure incorporates a multitude of other sections, including ribs, stiffeners, stringers, edge members, straps, buttstraps, doublers, brackets and cover plates. And the whole structure is held together by 54 anchor nuts, bolts, washers and bushes, and 4,547 aerospace grade rivets. These rivets require immense patience to emplace. Each rivet hole involves pilot drilling, de-burring, pinning, drilling out to full diameter, de-burring again, pinning again, counter sinking and de-burring a final time. \"71 Squadron have been incredible. Their skill of hand is quite extreme, and they're amazing to watch,\" observed La Grue. And yet, all of this exquisite work will essentially be seen by no-one because it will be hidden under the car. But work, it must. It is quite possible that the shockwave created between the front wheels will travel ahead of the car, pulverising the desert surface layer fractions of a second before Bloodhound arrives, creating even more mess for the floor to deal with. \"There's an interesting premise here that the shock energy will travel faster through a solid than through air,\" said La Grue. \"So, potentially, the ground ahead of the car could already be coming apart before the car gets to it. We won't know that for sure until we start running, but it would only make the scenario worse because you'd already have loose material available", "summary": "When Andy Green \"floors it\" in the South African desert later this year, he expects to be able to break his 18-year-old land speed record."}
{"article": "The former Forest Green Rovers striker, 26, has netted 28 times in all competitions for Rovers this season. His goals have helped the club up to fourth ahead of the season's final day. \"We have an understanding that, if he comes to us and he's got an offer, we'll have a chance to match that offer,\" Hamer told BBC Radio Bristol. \"If that offer, unfortunately, is so incredibly good for Matty but not very good for Bristol Rovers Football Club, we'd probably have to decline matching it. \"Because, if you're so lopsided, it can de-stabalise the rest of the squad because somebody's on an amount of money. \"He's got an agent that's doing the best job he can for him. But that's not to say we're going to give that one up without fighting.\" Hamer also revealed the club would discuss a new contract with manager Darrell Clarke at the end of the season, with Rovers guaranteed at least a play-off spot, lying one point off the top three ahead of Saturday's visit of relegated Dagenham & Redbridge. \"At the moment, we're not distracting him (Clarke) from the job in hand,\" Hamer said. \"As soon as that's over, we'll sit down and have a chat with him. There's no reason why we can't come up with something that's going to please him and please us. \"The job he has done is remarkable. Having got to know him, I think he could go a long way in this game. He's tactically very aware. \"It would be nice to think he can get to where Eddie Howe is at Bournemouth. There is no reasons why he can't. \"I'd like to think he'll join us on an exciting journey that we've got going forward, but who knows?\" Clarke says Rovers' rivals have \"everything to lose\" on Saturday and his side would be \"very unfortunate\" not to go up if they finish on 85 points.", "summary": "Bristol Rovers will have the chance to match offers made by other clubs for League Two's top scorer Matty Taylor this summer, says chairman Steve Hamer."}
{"article": "Poo left behind by the creatures is turning the white marble walls green! The problem's been caused by insects breeding in a nearby polluted river - and there's been a rise in the amount of them. Cleaners scrub the Taj Mahal's walls every day, but there are worries their elbow grease could ruin the beautiful marble and mosaics. Authorities are looking for a way to solve the problem as quickly as possible. \"Officials have been asked to investigate as why there is sudden increase in the number of these insects and how to control their population,\" local official Navneet Sehgal said. The insects are a type of fly that look like a mosquito. The incredible building is actually a huge tomb built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife in the 1600s. It is visited by millions of people every year, including royalty.", "summary": "Swarms of insects are using India's top tourist attraction, the Taj Mahal, as a toilet."}
{"article": "Estate agent George Low, 22, from Dartford, was killed near a nightclub in Ayia Napa in Cyprus on 14 August. Speaking after Mr Low's funeral, Ben Barker, 22, said: \"I'm up and about and moving. I'm unbelievably lucky to have survived what I did.\" \"I wish that some of that luck could have been with George as well,\" he said. More than 300 people attended Mr Low's funeral in Darenth, Dartford, including friends who had been in Ayia Napa with him when he was killed. Mr Barker said Mr Low would \"never be forgotten\". \"It's overwhelming the number of people here showing their love for George.\" Speaking after the funeral service, Mr Barker said: \"He would have loved the amount of attention he was getting, without a doubt.\" Jason Woods, who was also in Ayia Napa with Mr Low and Mr Barker, said: \"He would have been pleased to see everyone come out together to show support to his family and friends. \"You always knew when you around him that everyone loved him.\" Mr Barker suffered stab wounds to his back in the deadly attack in Grigori Axfentiou Street. Arrest warrants were issued for Mehmet Akpinar, 22, and Sali Ahmet, 42, who fled to the Turkish-controlled north and were arrested for an unrelated offence. Deputy police chief George Economou said no-one had been handed back from northern Cyprus for many years.", "summary": "A British holidaymaker who survived a stabbing in which his friend was killed has said he is lucky to be alive."}
{"article": "The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) wants to replace the lifeboat building on South Marine Drive in Bridlington with a new one 500m away on Spa Promenade. The RNLI said the 1903 building was \"cramped and outdated\". East Riding of Yorkshire Council will decide whether to pass the plans on 8 January. The council had previously agreed the promenade south of Bridlington Spa could be widened by up to seven metres so the current lifeboat can be launched more safely and effectively. Michael Oakes, of the RNLI, said the new site, which is between Bridlington Spa and the pumping station, would mean all the lifesaving equipment could be kept together in one place instead of the inshore lifeboat and equipment being kept a short walk away in a separate building on Princess Mary Promenade. Mr Oakes said it would also mean quicker launch times because the lifeboat would not need to cross the road and the Shannon-class lifeboat, which is due to replace the current Mersey all-weather lifeboat by 2018, could be kept inside coupled with its launch vehicle. Plans for the two-storey building include public viewing areas, a mechanic station and a shop, as well as improved changing and equipment facilities. The RNLI has other lifeboat stations at Flamborough, Bridlington, Withernsea and Humber in East Yorkshire.", "summary": "An East Yorkshire seaside town could get a \u00a33m lifeboat station if plans are passed by a council."}
{"article": "The party called for an armed forces commissioner and better assessment to deliver the services veterans need. Social justice spokesman Mark Isherwood said it was \"time for us to reflect as a society\" on treatment of veterans. Communities Secretary Carl Sargeant said the Welsh Government was \"fully committed\" to providing support. The debate on Wednesday comes amid continued concern that many military veterans suffer from mental health issues, loneliness, welfare or addiction problems, or have trouble finding work or housing. \"It's not enough just to rely on organisations like the Royal British Legion to raise money and campaign for the 385,000 members of the current and former service community currently living in Wales,\" Mr Isherwood said. \"As politicians we have to raise our game, and make sure that each and every level of government is playing its part. \"We are 100 years on from the Battle of the Somme,\" he added. \"The commemorations this year have been a poignant reminder of the need to protect these heroes, and to ensure that those who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated with fairness and respect.\" Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said: \"All Welsh public bodies have signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant, but it's clear that we have a long way to go to redress the disadvantages faced by this section of the community. \"In Scotland, a Veterans Commissioner champions the needs of the armed forces community. \"We want to go one step further here in Wales, and create an armed forces commissioner for Wales, dedicated both to veterans and the wider armed forces community.\" Communities Secretary Carl Sargeant outlined the Welsh Government's support for the armed forces to the Senedd on Tuesday. It included support on health needs, housing and employment. \"This time of the year particularly reminds us of all those who have fought in conflicts to preserve the way of life we have today,\" he said. \"This year we have commemorated some of the biggest battles of the First World War. We remember those who lost their lives at Jutland and during the Battle of the Somme, especially in Mametz Wood; thousands of Welsh Servicemen made the ultimate sacrifice. \"Through our Programme for Government we remain fully committed to providing ongoing support and services for our present Armed Forces community.\"", "summary": "War veterans and members of the armed forces need to be treated better by society, the Welsh Conservatives have said ahead of a debate in the Senedd."}
{"article": "Labour peer Baroness Royall is looking into claims of anti-Semitism at Oxford University Labour club, as part of a review of Labour's youth wing. She will now also consider a complaint relating to a Labour student at LSE, it is understood. MP John Mann called on leader Jeremy Corbyn to take \"decisive action\". He told BBC One's Sunday Politics: \"It's not a big problem, but a small problem when it comes to racism needs to be dealt with.\" The complaint at LSE - London School of Economics - relates to student Rayhan Uddin, who is in the Labour group there and recently ran for election as the student union's general secretary. He was criticised for a Facebook post that emerged during the campaign in which he wrote that \"leading Zionists\" wanted to take over the student union to \"make it right wing and Zio again\". Mr Uddin has since apologised \"unreservedly\" for his use of language, saying it is \"utterly repugnant to me to think I may have unwittingly appeared to endorse in any way the foul ideology of anti-Semitism\". The BBC has contacted Mr Uddin for a comment but he has declined to be interviewed. On the Sunday Politics, Mr Mann, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group against anti-Semitism, said there was \"no space for anti-Semitism\" in the Labour movement. \"We cannot tolerate a situation where any part of society doesn't feel that a major political party like the Labour Party is not the place for them, which is why prompt effective action and vigilance on this is required, including from Jeremy,\" Mr Mann said. Asked whether Mr Corbyn was doing enough, he said it was \"clear\" the leader \"does not tolerate or support\" anti-Semitism. But he added: \"What he has to do is follow that through with actions and ensure that others in the Labour Party follow it through with actions. \"Because the kind of thing and the atmosphere that's been created in Oxford University is not a one-off. This has been happening elsewhere as well.\" \u00c2\u00adThe Bassetlaw MP likened the situation to 30 years ago, when extremists tried to ban student Jewish societies in some universities. \"Some of that's crept into the Labour Party and it needs to be removed,\" he told the BBC. Asked what had caused the apparent resurgence in anti-Semitism, Mr Mann pointed to an increase in the party's membership and said that some new members \"have attitudes that are very outdated - they're prejudiced\". He said Labour's internal inquiry needed to lead to \"decisive action\", saying \"there are many of us who will only accept the highest standards... words aren't good enough\". The Parliamentary Labour Party is currently carrying out an investigation into allegations of anti-Semitism in the Oxford University Labour Club. Alex Chalmers resigned as club co-chairman last month after it voted to support Israel Apartheid Week. Oxford University Labour Club has said previously in a statement: \"We are horrified at and whole-heartedly condemn anti-Semitic behaviour in all its forms.\"", "summary": "Labour is widening its inquiry into allegations of anti-Semitism among its university organisations, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "In March, Premier League clubs agreed to cap away ticket prices at \u00a330. But seven of the Championship's 24 teams will be charging more than that for their first away game this season. Aston Villa fans at Sheffield Wednesday face the highest cost, with the cheapest adult ticket selling for \u00a342. The cost has prompted Villa fans to arrange protests at the game, with some planning to attend wearing robbers' masks at Hillsborough. The Premier League's decision to cap prices at \u00a330 for the next three seasons came in during a campaign in which admission prices for away fans peaked at \u00a385 for the most expensive adult ticket. A spokesman for the Football Supporters' Federation, Liam Thompson, says some clubs outside the top flight \"treat away fans as an opportunity to make as much money as they possibly can\". In League One, Sheffield United's supporters are paying the most of any team in their division for their season opening trip to Bolton Wanderers, with entry to the Macron Stadium costing \u00a330. Huddersfield Town, Burton Albion and Reading offer the cheapest tickets to visiting fans in the Championship for their first home games at \u00a320, while Gillingham and Crawley charge the lowest amount in League One and League Two respectively at \u00a316. \"There's a lot of anger at the moment I think this season, particularly because the prices in the EFL [the new name for the Football League] have been thrown into sharp contrast against the Premier League,\" Thompson told BBC Sport. \"But there's lots of clubs who are doing a lot of good things, Reading have capped their away ticket prices at \u00a320. \"So there are clubs in the Championship and in the EFL who have shown it is possible to give affordable away tickets to fans even outside of the Premier League's TV money bonanza.\" In contrast to falling prices in the top division, Aston Villa fans travelling to Hillsborough will pay \u00a312 more than the \u00a330 Premier League cap. At \u00a342, entry costs three pounds more than the most expensive away ticket in the second tier last season. But a spokesman for the EFL said in March that its clubs offered \"excellent value for money\", and added that ticket sales make up a greater proportion of revenue for teams outside the Premier League. A statement from Sheffield Wednesday said pricing for their season opening game was dictated by demand and calibre of opposition, with Villa playing in the second tier for the first time since 1987-88. \"Sheffield Wednesday have in place a flexible ticketing structure that we implemented last season, whereby each fixture is categorised and priced respectively,\" the club said. \"This strategy worked very successfully amongst our fan base in 2015-16, borne out by a significantly increased average attendance at Hillsborough, and as such will be extended into the new season. \"The first game of what promises to be an exciting campaign for both ourselves and Aston Villa was priced accordingly and we are pleased to say there will be an attendance in excess of 28,000, with fantastic support", "summary": "A supporters' group says English Football League fans are \"angry\" about the cost of tickets for away games, with some paying 40% more than Premier League prices."}
{"article": "The protesters were also angered by CY Leung's recent comments, where he argued that poorer residents should not be given too much political influence. Pro-democracy protesters have been on Hong Kong's streets for three weeks, paralysing some key roads. Activists and government officials held talks for the first time on Tuesday. However, the first round of talks showed little signs of ending the impasse. Correspondents say about 200 protesters marched to Mr Leung's official residence, Government House, on Wednesday. Many were angered by Mr Leung's comments in an interview on Monday, where he said fully democratic elections would lead to populist policies, as poorer residents would have a dominant voice in politics. \"If it's entirely a numbers game and numeric representation, then obviously you would be talking to half of the people in Hong Kong who earn less than $1,800 (\u00c2\u00a31,110) a month,\" he said. These startlingly frank remarks have not gone down well with many demonstrators, who see it as proof that the political system is rigged on behalf of the rich, the BBC's Juliana Liu in Hong Kong reports. It tallies with the narrative of the city as a place where the gap between rich and poor - which is one of the highest in Asia - is rising, our correspondent adds. On Wednesday, the government issued a statement saying that Mr Leung was required to \"take into account the needs of all sectors with equal importance... instead of just the needs of the largest community\". It added that he attached \"great importance to the livelihood of the grassroots\". The pro-democracy demonstrators are angered by a Chinese government ruling that said all candidates for Hong Kong's 2017 chief executive elections must be vetted by a nominating committee dominated by pro-Beijing groups. They have described this as a \"fake democracy\". The protests, known as the Occupy Central movement, drew tens of thousands to the streets at their peak. Numbers have dwindled since then, but hundreds remained at protest camps in the districts of Mong Kok, Admiralty and Causeway Bay. Local businesses and residents have criticised the disruption caused by the protests. On Wednesday, there were brief scuffles as a group of men tried to dismantle the barricades set up by protesters in Mong Kok, prompting the police to separate the two sides. A poll has suggested that public opinion on Occupy Central is split, with 38% supporting the protests, and 36% opposed, local media report (in Chinese). On Tuesday, government representatives met student leaders who were representing the protests for two hours of televised talks. Government negotiators said the protesters' demands were impossible, while student activists accused the government of being \"vague\". Hong Kong's Chief Secretary Carrie Lam told the students that the government would send a report to Chinese government officials reflecting the protesters' views, and set up a platform to facilitate dialogue on future constitutional changes. However, she stressed that Hong Kong could not \"decide on its own its political development\" because it was a special administrative region within China. The student leaders, meanwhile, argued that the public should", "summary": "Pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong have marched to the residence of the territory's leader, criticising his stance on democratic reform."}
{"article": "The Oxford Temple and Community Centre Project wants a place of worship for the 10,000 Hindus in the county. Volunteers are now appealing to Hindu families to provide regular donations in order to be accepted for a mortgage. Chairman Gyan Gopal said: \"Of all the major faiths of the world, Hinduism is the only one not to have a place for communal worship in Oxfordshire.\" The project has raised \u00a3110,000 in six years and aims to raise \u00a3500,000, but volunteers are now exploring the option of using their raised funds towards a mortgage on a property. Currently 15 families are contributing every month but the project needs more families to make regular payments rather than one-off donations. Mr Gopal said: \"To acquire a mortgage we need to show the financial institutions that we have a regular income coming in in standing orders to meet the interest payments.\" Applications for funding from Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council have been unsuccessful. The project organises the annual Oxford Mela which raised \u00a34,500 last year. Mr Gopal said the ideal location would be an industrial estate. \"Our events usually happen in the evenings and on weekends so we don't want to disturb anyone,\" he said. Another option is to buy land and start with a \"prefab hut\". Mr Gopal said: \"The biggest cathedrals started off like that\".", "summary": "Campaigners for a first Hindu temple in Oxfordshire have made a fresh appeal for funds."}
{"article": "An average 10.2 million viewers watched Portugal beat France on BBC One, with a further 1.9 million tuning into ITV's coverage of the football match. Andy Murray's second title-winning performance at the All England Tennis Club was seen by an average of 9.2 million viewers. Both events drew about 55% of the audience available at transmission. The build-up to the Wimbledon Men's Final on BBC One was watched by about 2.2 million viewers. Sport featured heavily in the ratings, with BBC Two's Today at Wimbledon and Golf: Scottish Open Highlights being the third and fifth most popular shows on the channel, while Channel 4's highlights of the Formula 1: British Grand Prix being its fourth most popular programme. BBC Two's largest audience was 1.2 million for a showing of Oscar-winning film The Help, while Channel 4's came for Paul O'Grady's 100 Years of Movie Musicals, which drew about 1.1 million viewers. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "The Euro 2016 final drew nearly three million more viewers than Andy Murray's win at Wimbledon on Sunday."}
{"article": "Your name in lights, perhaps. Your first award, maybe. But when you have the director of the biggest film of the year - and maybe of all time - asking you to play a part in his movie, that is as good a sign as any. Such was the case for three Indonesian actors who millions of people will see in Star Wars: The Force Awakens this weekend. All three - Yayan Ruhian, Iko Uwais and Cecep Arif Rahman - starred in the widely-praised 2012 Indonesian action film The Raid, or its 2014 sequel. And it was thanks to Star Wars director JJ Abrams' enthusiasm for the films that they got the call to take part. It was only in the past week that their appearances - as intergalactic smugglers - were confirmed. (No major spoilers ahead!) \"I was just a fan. It was an opportunity,\" Abrams told the website Slashfilm. \"I knew we needed people for this one sequence that would be particularly fun to see a group of people working together. \"I thought 'God, I wonder if the dudes from The Raid would be available?' And to my amazement, and they were willing, and they were incredible. They showed up and did a terrific job.\" Their roles are not as substantial as Harrison Ford's, or the robot C3PO's for that matter, but they play important enough a part to justify having Lego figures made in their image. Being on the Star Wars set presented challenges to the actors, said Rahman, who is also credited as a stunt choreographer. \"Our filming schedule fell during the month of Ramadan and the three of us were fasting,\" he told the Jakarta Globe newspaper. \"It was one of the toughest fasting months for me, because we couldn't eat and drink for almost 19 hours. But the crew always made sure to prepare food for us to break the fast and to make sure we got some time to rest.\" Their casting has proven popular with fans in Indonesia. One wrote on Twitter: \"Caucasian characters work for Star Wars, but we're proud to have you guys in there!\" Another Indonesian actor from The Raid 2, Joe Taslim, starred in the 2013 film Fast and Furious 6, and will appear in the next instalment of the Star Trek series next year. The Raid films, directed by Welshman Gareth Evans, follow Uwais' character Rama, a Jakarta policeman, as he battles against the city's underworld. The films were released to critical acclaim, with the first winning the audience award at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. The Force Awakens opened across Indonesia on Friday, but Uwais, for one, might find it difficult to catch the reaction, as he is filming deep in the Indonesian jungle, and was unavailable for interview. As for whether they will appear in the many Star Wars sequels and spin-offs to come, Ruhian told the Coconuts Jakarta website he had to stay quiet thanks to a non-disclosure agreement. \"One can only hope,\" he said. \"For the last one, we had to be quiet about", "summary": "As a film actor, there might be a few signs that you have made it into the big time."}
{"article": "Seven people were arrested by Avon and Somerset Police last week after trouble between fans in Cardiff last October. South Wales Police are investigating an assault on a steward and serious disorder which occurred at the game. Both forces said they would crack down on anyone \"causing problems before, during or after the game\". Insp Rob Millican, from Avon and Somerset Police, said it would \"not tolerate disorder\". \"We have arrested a number of Bristol City fans and will now put these people before the courts,\" he said. \"Successful convictions should result in football banning orders which will mean they will no longer be able to attend games or follow their national side abroad. \"We urge all attending this weekend's match to enjoy themselves but we will not tolerate poor behaviour.\" Fans have been warned anyone carrying, lighting or throwing such items as flares or smoke bombs will be arrested and could be prosecuted. Saturday's Championship game between Bristol City and Cardiff City, kicks off at 12:00 GMT.", "summary": "Bristol and Cardiff City fans have been warned to behave at Saturday's Severnside derby following a previous clash between the clubs."}
{"article": "Ashya King was taken out of Southampton General Hospital by his mother and father against medical advice. Hampshire Police believe he may have been taken to Spain and police are at a Marbella property owned by the family. Officers said they now thought his family had \"taken steps to be able to feed him\". It was unclear precisely what they meant but Hampshire Assistant Chief Constable Chris Shead added: \"The feeding system that Ashya needs and the other associated medical care is complex, and I would appeal to Ashya's family not to think that they are able to administer this care themselves.\" It is feared the battery on his medical feeding unit, which is designed only for temporary use and is not easy to replace, has now run out. He said it was unclear whether Ashya's parents had spare batteries. \"Without properly administered food Ashya's situation is very serious,\" he said. Ashya and his family were last seen on a ferry to France on Thursday evening. Mr Shead cautioned it was possible the family may not have travelled on to Spain and asked people across Europe to remain vigilant. According to Ian Pople, a consultant neurosurgeon, the battery in the feeding machine used by Ashya can't be changed easily. It is integrated within the machine, much like an iPhone, and it means the machine has to be taken apart to replace the battery. It's also not designed to be run on batteries for a long period and is usually plugged into the mains. In other words, it's only battery-reliant for short periods, such as going to the toilet, or moving between wards. Although the arrest warrant was \"based around neglect\", Mr Shead said this did not necessarily mean the parents would be charged with that offence. \"It purely gives us the power to arrest and then we will be able to speak to them,\" he said. Ashya's paternal grandmother, Patricia King, said the couple were \"wonderful\" and had been distraught at their child's illness. Ms King, who lives in Southsea, said her son was \"the most caring and wonderful father you could ever have\". She also praised her daughter-in-law, saying she had kept a bedside vigil while Ashya was in hospital. \"We are a very close family,\" she said. Mr Shead said his force was considering sending officers from Hampshire to assist Spanish police in Marbella. He also thanked the Spanish authorities for their help with the search for the family and urged any medical professionals to be on the lookout for the family. Mr Shead said the latest information was \"positive\", adding: \"There have been widespread media alerts across Europe. \"We would now encourage anyone with links to Spain particularly, to also help us spread the appeal via social media.\" Interpol has issued a missing persons alert to all 190 of its member countries and said it was treating all information on the case as \"high priority\". Brett King, 51, and Naghemeh King, 45, removed Ashya from the ward on Thursday. A spokesman for the hospital, which contacted police six hours", "summary": "A European arrest warrant has been issued for the parents of a five-year-old boy with a brain tumour, missing from hospital since Thursday."}
{"article": "The site, on Newington Causeway near Elephant and Castle, will contain 38 flats and three floors of shops. Southwark Council's planners approved the scheme by four votes to three. The club said it was \"extremely disappointed\" and thought the decision was \"wrong\". It had fought the proposals, fearing people moving into the flats could submit complaints about noise levels which might lead to the venue closing. The council said the new block was in \"a prime location\" in central London and part of the regeneration area around Elephant and Castle. \"Any improvement to this area would be of great benefit to local people,\" said Councillor Fiona Colley, the borough's cabinet member for regeneration. \"We appreciate that the Ministry of Sound is a valued club, business and local employer which we have no intention of seeing close. \"I believe the club can and will remain open alongside new residential developments,\" she added. But Lohan Presencer, the venue's chief executive, said his firm was taking legal advice \"and will be doing everything we can to prevent this catastrophic threat to the future of our business\". \"We believe that the council has mishandled this application, failed to understand or acknowledge its implications at every turn and that they have now misdirected their councillors to the wrong decision,\" he said. The club collected 25,000 signatures when opposing the previous development, which proposed 315 homes on the same street. The musician Example was among those speaking out about the proposal, which the council rejected on the grounds of noise and as it did not meet requirements for affordable housing.", "summary": "A 22-storey tower block has been approved close to the site of the Ministry of Sound nightclub in south-east London, three weeks after another development nearby was rejected."}
{"article": "Known as the New Jersey Nets for 35 years, the team will start the new season in the famous New York borough, and in a new stadium, the Barclays Center. Jay-Z, who owns shares in the club, has been a prime mover behind the NBA team's reincarnation, advising club executives, as well as designing club logos and apparel. He also stars in a series of eight sold-out concerts, starting on Friday, 28 September, to open the multi-purpose venue, which will be used for everything from sporting events, to concerts, to family shows. The music star, real name Shawn Corey Carter, was brought into the Nets fold in the mid-2000s by then-owner, and current minority stakeholder, property developer Bruce Ratner. It was Mr Ratner who also came up with the idea of moving the team to sports-mad Brooklyn, without a major professional sports team since the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team moved to Los Angeles in 1957. Ownership 'vision' \"When Bruce Ratner first bought the team he brought Jay-Z into the ownership structure - that showed foresight,\" says Brett Yormark, Brooklyn Nets chief executive. \"Jay-Z is from Brooklyn, he is of Brooklyn. So he recognised the vision when Bruce first announced his intention to come to Brooklyn.\" Mr Yormark says: \"Jay-Z's role with the team has evolved.\" And the rapper worked closely with club executives on the two new club logos - one with a shield and one with a large B - and colours. \"He is a confidant that I can reach out to - he has a tremendous understanding of current consumer trends,\" the Mr Yormark, 45, adds. The move completes a near eight-year battle for Mr Yormark to get the team into its new $1bn (\u00c2\u00a30.6bn) home, having to overcome the global financial crisis on the way. \"We are very excited - I honestly think the Barclays Center, and the move of the Nets, has exceeded people's expectations,\" he says. \"It has taken time to get to Brooklyn, but on 30 April we turned the page.\" That was when the red, white and blue of the New Jersey Nets was exchanged for the black and white Brooklyn look. The Brooklyn borough is roughly 10 miles (16km) across the Hudson from Newark, New Jersey, last home of the Nets. \"It has been an incredible time since April - the public has really connected with the 'Brooklyn-isation' of our offer,\" Mr Yormark says. If its population was counted separately from that of New York, then Brooklyn would be the fourth biggest city in the US, offering a large potential fan-base. Mr Yormark says that sales of merchandise are going very well, and doing better than some long-established teams. Demand has exceeded expectation, and Mr Yormark was also pleased to see club merchandise on sale in London during a recent visit, given that the Nets are looking to create a global fan-base. Like all NBA teams, China is a major potential market, but for the Nets there is another specific nation they are targeting, the homeland of club majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov. \"We have", "summary": "Few, if any, leading sports clubs can say that a top rap star has played a role in their rebirth, but that is the case with the newly founded Brooklyn Nets basketball team."}
{"article": "Bates, 29, will feature for the county in the 50-over competition alongside former England captain Charlotte Edwards, who joined them in December. The right-hander will also rejoin Southern Vipers in the Women's Super League after the World Cup. She scored 232 runs at an average of 42 as the Vipers won the inaugural Super League title last season.", "summary": "New Zealand women's captain Suzie Bates will play for Hampshire women ahead of the Women's World Cup in June."}
{"article": "McMahon, 27, can also be deployed in an attacking midfield role. An employment tribunal recently ordered Portadown to pay \u00a37,000 in unpaid wages to McMahon, an outcome the Shamrock Park club say they will appeal. In June, an Irish FA disciplinary hearing ruled that McMahon had been paid while registered as an amateur. The registration case led to a 12-point penalty being handed down to the Ports, a decision which they are also in the process of appealing. Swifts head coach Rodney McAree described McMahon as \"a wonderful talent\". \"The fact the Swifts play good football really made me want to join the club. I watched last season and anytime I saw them play I thought 'they play the game the right way' and that has attracted me to the club without a doubt,\" McMahon told the Dungannon FC website. Dungannon lie fifth in the Premiership table and travel to Seaview to face champions Crusaders on Saturday.", "summary": "Dungannon Swifts have completed the signing of former Portadown and Bohemians forward Peter McMahon on a one-year deal."}
{"article": "Bedene, 27, forced eight break points in the match, converting three to beat the world number 77 in 65 minutes. The event is Bedene's first grass-court outing after a good clay campaign took him from 94th to 52nd in the world. He will play either fourth seed Gilles Muller or Italy's Andreas Seppi next. British and world number one Andy Murray will start his grass-court campaign at the Aegon Championships at Queen's Club next week alongside national number two Kyle Edmund. Davis Cup team-mate Dan Evans withdrew from the Nottingham Open on Monday with injury and is having treatment before the start of Wimbledon on 3 July.", "summary": "British number four Aljaz Bedene made the quarter-finals of the Ricoh Open tournament in the Netherlands with a comfortable 6-3 6-4 win over the United States' Ernesto Escobedo."}
{"article": "The mother had intended for her son to look like his idol, AFL player Nic Naitanui, for his school's book week. But her Facebook post caused a huge outcry from those who saw it as racist. In a statement, the player said the boy's attempt to emulate his hero \"hurts my heart\". The Australian Football League player, who plays for West Coast Eagles, said children were \"unaware of the painful significance\" of blackface. Mr Naitanui, who is of Fijian heritage, said on Twitter that he didn't believe the mother had \"any intention to cause harm\". But he said she should \"reflect and choose an alternate method next time\". \"It's a shame racism coexists in an environment where our children should be nurtured not tortured because they are unaware of the painful historical significance blackface has had previously.\" The Western Australian mother had originally made her post on the Facebook page of popular blogger Constance Hall. The woman, who is not being named by the media to protect her child, said her son regarded Mr Naitanui as his idol and he wanted to dress up as him for Book Week. She said she was worried about \"politically correct extremists\" but decided to dress him up as he wanted anyway, in an AFL strip, dreadlock wig and with body paint. \"He is pastey white and if I just sent him in a wig and footy gear, no one would tell who he was. \"So I grew a set of balls and painted my boy brown. After being told by everyone not to do it, my son won the parade!\" The post, which has since been deleted, went viral amid widespread debate online. The mother later posted on her Facebook page that she had been \"called every single name under the sun, had my words twisted into other people's negative interpretations\". But she also said she had received messages of support from \"amazing women all over the world\". Mrs Hall later said she had also received a backlash, including death threats, for hosting the photo on her page. In an emotional post, she said she had \"never received so much abuse\" in her life, and that some was from the woman's family. \"I didn't think I was shaming her at all, I clearly stated that I don't believe she is racist at all, she has a beautiful son with a great hero. I just don't think we should paint our kids in blackface if it offends and hurts people. \" In an earlier post justifying her decision to delete the mother's post, she had said blackface was \"hurtful to our indigenous brothers and sisters\". The incident has also sparked furious debate on social media, between people who saw it as racist and people who thought it a child's innocent tribute. \"How is blackface still happening in 2016?\" a Twitter user said. \"Dear white people. Please stop trying to defend #Blackface you're making us all look bad,\" said another. Briggs, a prominent Indigenous Australian rapper, said on Twitter: \"Colour is not a costume.\" \"All these white", "summary": "An Australian footballer has called for better education about race, after a mother painted her son's skin brown as a tribute to him, drawing widespread criticism."}
{"article": "Guardiola had won his previous six games and 10 of his previous 11 matches in charge, but City were outplayed by a vibrant Spurs who moved second in the table and are now the league's only unbeaten team. Spurs dominated from the start and were in front early on when Aleksandar Kolarov sliced Danny Rose's cross into his own net after nine minutes. Dele Alli confirmed their superiority eight minutes before half-time with a cool finish from Son Heung-min's pass. Spurs could even afford the luxury of seeing Erik Lamela's second-half penalty saved by City keeper Claudio Bravo, and even though Sergio Aguero twice brought Hugo Lloris into action, once when he turned a shot on to the post, Mauricio Pochettino's side fully deserved a convincing win. If Liverpool are being touted as potential title winners after their fourth successive Premier League win at Swansea City on Saturday, then it is positively insulting to Tottenham not to elevate them to the same bracket after this pulsating performance. Spurs took charge from the first whistle against a City side many felt were shaping up to run away with the title - barely allowing Guardiola's side a second to breathe and refusing to allow them any time to impose their passing game. And it was all done without main marksman Harry Kane, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. In many respects this was the first time Spurs have fully hit their stride this season, and what a time to do it. On days like this the team that pushed Leicester long and hard for last season's Premier League title look the complete package from back to front. They have a reliable keeper in Hugo Lloris, strength in defence in the shape of Jan Vertongen and Toby Alderweireld allied to the midfield power of Victor Wanyama and Moussa Sissoko plus the creation of Christian Eriksen, Alli and Son. This was a big statement. Media playback is not supported on this device Guardiola prides himself on the high pressing style of his side and work on the ball once they gain possession - they were beaten in all aspects of this by Spurs. One moment early in the second half summed up the way Spurs went about their business. Keeper Bravo was hurried into a clearance and when Nicolas Otamendi received the ball seconds later, he was surrounded and sliced the ball into touch to the obvious delight of Pochettino. It is City's first defeat under Guardiola, so hardly time for a mass inquest - but Spurs may have shown there is a way to unsettle his multi-talented side. Spurs and Manchester City were both missing big players in Kane and Kevin de Bruyne respectively - and there was no doubt who coped better. Pochettino understandably maintained faith in the revitalised South Korean Son. His energy in attack, while also acting as their first line of defence, typified Spurs and suited their style more than the physical presence of \u00a317m summer signing Vincent Janssen. City showed the odd flash from Aguero but Raheem Sterling could", "summary": "Tottenham deservedly ended Pep Guardiola's perfect Premier League start and underlined their own title credentials with a thrilling victory over Manchester City at White Hart Lane."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Caley Thistle need to beat Well to stand a chance of Premiership survival. Victory, coupled with Hamilton Academical dropping points to Dundee, would see Inverness avoid finishing bottom, and automatic relegation, at the expense of a two-legged play-off. \"The players need to look after themselves the next couple of days,\" Foran said. \"We must go into details: what are you eating, what are you drinking? Don't get off your sofa, find babysitters for your kids - it's worth it, it's worth it. We need you to give your all now. \"It's a massive game, but it's one you go and enjoy, one you take to Motherwell, whereas the Hamilton dressing room before their game will be very, very nervous.\" Inverness remain one point behind Accies at the foot of the table, heading into the final round of league fixtures. Their outlook seemed bleak when they were thumped by rivals Ross County in the first of the post-split matches, leaving Caley Thistle five points adrift. But wins over Accies, then Dundee on Wednesday night, have kept alive the Highlanders' hopes of retaining their Premiership status. \"It was a wonderful, wonderful performance (against Dundee) and we need it again on Saturday against a top team,\" Foran added. \"Motherwell have got two really good strikers, a strong midfield, defensively we'll have to be right at it once again. \"All the pressure that was on our shoulders goes straight to Hamilton. We can't influence what happens at Hamilton but I do know, I've been in football a long time, they'll be feeling a hell of a lot of pressure right now. \"There's no sugar-coating it, no hiding it, that pressure's lifted off our shoulders and goes straight onto the Hamilton players. It's a huge game for them, and we need the same passion, hunger, desire, as we had last night, and what will be will be.\" Foran insists he has no interest in keeping tabs on Accies' progress at New Douglas Park, as his side do battle with the Steelmen in Inverness. The former Caley Thistle stalwart, who made over 150 appearances for the club, has painful memories of their last top-flight exit, when a 1-0 defeat by Falkirk in 2009 sealed their relegation. \"I missed a few great chances, so that haunts me to this day,\" Foran said. \"We gave 100% effort and that's all you ask from the players now, 100% effort and commitment for the jersey. \"The supporters were magnificent last night, I'm sure they'll be down in their droves again. We're going well, we're full of confidence and we can't wait for it now.\"", "summary": "Inverness boss Richie Foran has urged his players to rest ahead of Saturday's seismic clash with Motherwell."}
{"article": "David Wotherspoon gave Saints the lead on the rebound from a Graham Cummins header that had hit the post. Josh Magennis levelled before the break as Killie recovered. Rory McKenzie's cross deflected off Brian Easton and deceived Alan Mannus to put Killie ahead and they held on for a maiden home win of the season. The Rugby Park side draw level on points with seventh-place Saints, who must pick themselves up for a Scottish League Cup tie at Rangers on Tuesday. Killie and Saints were chasing their first home and away wins of the campaign, respectively. And after last week's morale-boosting Tannadice triumph over Dundee United, Gary Locke sent the same team out again, resisting the temptation to throw in new signing Conrad Balatoni. Last week's hat-trick hero Steven MacLean was forced to sit out the match on the artificial surface with John Sutton plugging the gap up front for St Johnstone. Kilmarnock have toiled at times on their own patch and have twice been bludgeoned at home this season. Dundee and Ross County both left Killie licking their wounds with 4-0 butcherings. The match opened in quiet and even fashion with Saints striker Cummins claiming he had been hauled down just inside the box but referee Willie Collum was not interested. The visitors did not have to wait long to get in front, however. After excellent play by Liam Craig, Easton crossed for Cummins, whose header beat Jamie MacDonald and rebounded off the post allowing the on-hand Wotherspoon to slot home. It was just Wotherspoon's second goal in more than two years. Saints had been the better team and looked the more dangerous; despite Killie seeing more of the ball they struggled to break down their visitors' defence. As the match drew closer to the interval, the hosts began to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. Killie's best bet appeared to be in the wide areas and it was from there they would level proceedings. Greg Kiltie exhibited what he can do with a superb cross for Magennis, who stretched his neck to loop a header past Mannus and equalise. Killie had won just one of the previous 15 meetings with Saints and it was Magennis who scored both that day. While Killie lost Daryl Westlake to injury in the first half, Darnell Fisher was withdrawn at the interval for Saints with Mark O'Hara and Steven Anderson the respective replacements. MacDonald has been inspirational for Kilmarnock this season and one of Locke's worst nightmares became reality when an early second-half collision saw him succumb to the injury. Ulsterman Conor Brennan replaced him at the end of a week that saw him recalled from a loan at Stranraer after fellow keeper Devlin McKay left for Derby County. However, it was his opposite number Mannus who was left watching in horror as Killie turned the game on its head. McKenzie's cross from the touchline nicked off Easton and looped over the Northern Irishman. The St Johnstone supporters would look on aghast again moments later when Michael O'Halloran was denied by", "summary": "Kilmarnock made it back-to-back wins for the first time since January as they came from behind to beat St Johnstone."}
{"article": "All 18 centrally contracted England players will appear in the competition, running from 10 August to 1 September. Hazell, 28, moves from Yorkshire Diamonds, with all-rounder Danielle Wyatt, 25, the only other England player to change clubs. Wyatt, who played for Lancashire last season, has joined the Southern Vipers. Meanwhile, four overseas players are set to make their Super League debuts, with two more to be announced at a later date. South Africa's Sune Luus and New Zealand's Sophie Devine have joined Yorkshire, West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews has been allocated to Southern Vipers, while New Zealand bowler Lea Tahuhu has signed for Lancashire Thunder. England wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Taylor, 27, has been named in Lancashire's squad after taking a break from cricket to deal with anxiety. (all England unless stated) Lancashire Thunder: Kate Cross, Danielle Hazell, Sarah Taylor, Jess Jonassen (Aus), Amy Satterthwaite (NZ), Lea Tahuhu (NZ). Loughborough Lightning: Georgia Elwiss, Amy Jones, Beth Langston, Kristen Beams (Aus), Ellyse Perry (Aus), Elyse Villani (Aus). Southern Vipers: Tash Farrant, Danielle Wyatt, Suzie Bates (NZ), Hayley Matthews (WI), Dane van Niekerk (SA). Surrey Stars: Tammy Beaumont, Alex Hartley, Laura Marsh, Natalie Sciver, Rene Farrell (Aus), Marizanne Kapp (SA). Western Storm: Heather Knight, Anya Shrubsole, Fran Wilson, Rachel Priest (NZ), Stafanie Taylor (WI). Yorkshire Diamonds: Katherine Brunt, Jenny Gunn, Lauren Winfield, Sophie Devine (NZ), Sune Luus (SA), Beth Mooney (Aus).", "summary": "England spinner Danielle Hazell has been named Lancashire Thunder captain as part of the player allocations for the Women's Cricket Super League."}
{"article": "PC David Norman, 52, of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, made the false statement after being called to a dispute between neighbours in Milford Haven. Swansea Crown Court heard he was \"caught out\" by a CCTV recording. He denies carrying out an act tending or intending to pervert the course of justice. The court heard PC Norman, who worked for Dyfed-Powys Police, arrested the man for a public order offence on 21 January, 2016. He later wrote a statement saying he had became \"extremely abusive, shouting and screaming\" and was swearing. But John Hipkin, for the prosecution, said PC Norman was \"caught out\" because the man had CCTV on his house which recorded images and sound and showed he spoke only in a normal voice. Mr Hipkin said that what PC Norman later told investigating officers might be the reason for the false statement. According to Mr Hipkin, he said: \"I have been in situations with him before when he has been incredibly hostile to me and I have listened to him spouting out abuse and was shocked by his language.\" The man was arrested and spent two days in custody before being released, the court heard. Mr Hipkin added PC Norman \"was adamant that he had not done it deliberately nor had he intended to pervert the course of justice\". PC Norman added that he was having personal problems at the time of the incident. The trial continues.", "summary": "A police officer \"deliberately lied\" in a witness statement claiming a man had behaved in an \"extremely abusive\" way, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Gwynedd council is a considering charging a premium on holiday homes. Councillor Jason Humphreys, however, fears the authority will lose out as people sidestep the charge by classing their second homes as self-catering businesses. Gwynedd said it was powerless to stop owners making the change. Some Welsh councils have voted through hikes in council tax charges for second homes, including Anglesey and Pembrokeshire, with other councils still consulting on a change. Since 2006, the number of self-catering units in Gwynedd has risen from 78 to 968. Changes to the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 mean councils have the ability to charge a premium on top of the existing council tax payments for second homes from the 2017-18 financial year. But self-catering units are classed as businesses and so their owners pay business tax to the Treasury rather than council tax. According to the law, self-catering units have to be made available for letting for 140 days a year, and owners have to prove they have been let for at least 70 days. Mr Humphreys, chairman of the council's corporate scrutiny committee, told the Post Cyntaf programme there was no mechanism for monitoring the situation. He called for AMs and MPs to demand a law change to make it compulsory for anyone seeking to reclassify their holiday home as a self-catering unit to apply for planning permission. But Peredur Jenkins, cabinet member responsible for resources, said the council had no power to stop owners from designating their properties as self-catering units. The council previously warned the potential \"loophole\" could leave authorities worse off. Mr Jenkins said Gwynedd was pressing the Welsh Government to consider changing the planning regulations to give local authorities the power to determine whether owners could re-classify their properties. The Welsh Conservatives have criticised the second home tax as an unfair \"money-spinner\", with shadow local government minister Janet Finch-Saunders calling it a \"spiteful wealth tax\". She said it was a \"a direct tax on people with second homes, many of whom already pay twice for services they rarely use\". An estimated 23,000 homes in Wales are empty or used as second homes.", "summary": "Calls have been made for a law change to stop second home owners avoiding additional council tax by turning their properties into self-catering lets."}
{"article": "Dozens more bodies were retrieved from the ruined eight-storey Rana Plaza on Sunday. Bangladesh's worst industrial disaster has sparked nationwide anger. A preliminary government investigation said this week vibrations from four generators on the upper floors triggered the collapse. Main Uddin Khandaker, head of a government inquiry team, said the generators started up after a power cut, sending powerful vibrations throughout the building, which - together with the vibration of thousands of sewing machines - triggered the collapse. The building had been constructed with weak materials, such as sub-standard steel rods, Mr Khandaker added, which meant it could not withstand the vibrations. The architect of the building has said it was designed to house shops and offices rather than factories or industrial equipment, and that three floors had been illegally added to the original building. On Sunday evening, police working at the site of the collapse in Savar, outside the capital Dhaka, put the death toll at 610. But they would not say how many more bodies were likely to be recovered from the area. Profile: Rana Plaza owner Nine people have been arrested in connection with the collapse: the building's owner Mohammed Sohel Rana, his father Abdul Khalek, four owners of garment factories that operated inside the building, and three engineers. Factory workers have held daily protests demanding improved safety regulations and calling for tough punishments for those responsible for the disaster. But Bangladeshi Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said on Friday he did not think the collapse would have a \"really serious\" impact on the country's garment industry. Steps had been taken to prevent future accidents, he added. Bangladesh has one of the largest garment industries in the world, with factories supplying Western retailers such as Primark in the UK and Italy's United Colours of Benetton. The EU has said it is considering \"appropriate action\" to encourage an improvement in working conditions in Bangladesh's factories, including the use of its trade preference system, which gives Bangladesh duty- and quota-free access to markets in member states.", "summary": "More than 600 bodies have been pulled from the rubble of a Bangladeshi clothing factory complex that collapsed last week, police say."}
{"article": "2 March 2016 Last updated at 15:49 GMT Being in space weakens your muscles so the pair needed to be helped from their capsule after it landed at around 4.30am this morning. Their 340-day mission aboard the International Space Station was twice the length of a normal stay. Now that they're back home they'll take part in studies to learn about the effects of spaceflight on the body. American space agency Nasa says the research will help them prepare to one day send humans to Mars.", "summary": "The US astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko have returned to Earth after spending almost a year in space on board the International Space Station."}
{"article": "For years the Necurs botnet has distributed junk mail and malware for many different groups of cyber-thieves. But the amount of malicious traffic emerging from Necurs has now dwindled to almost nothing. It is not clear what has caused the slowdown and whether traffic will return to previously high levels. One of the first signs of the disruption was seen earlier this month when email messages spreading the Dridex banking trojan and Locky ransomware caught by security firms dried up. Typically, millions of messages bearing these malicious programs are sent out every week, Proofpoint said in a blogpost. However, the flood of messages \"essentially stopped\" last week, it said. Investigations revealed that these messages typically travelled via the Necurs botnet which was found to have gone largely offline. The Necurs botnet is believed to be made up of about six million compromised Windows machines, many of which were enrolled when their owners inadvertently fell victim to a form of malware known as a rootkit. Analysis of some of the machines known to be part of Necurs shows that its core administration systems have disappeared, said Proofpoint. \"Data from a variety of sources show that Necurs bots are actively looking for a new command and control (C&C) system, but we have no evidence that the Necurs botmaster has been able to retake control of the botnet.\" A botnet's C&C system helps the network keep running and co-ordinates the distribution of any spam or malware being sent out via the global collection of computers. Security researchers who monitor botnets and the groups that operate them said the cause of the shutdown remained a mystery. \"We cannot confirm how the botnet was brought down yet,\" Joonho Sa, a researcher for FireEye, told tech news site Motherboard.", "summary": "One of the biggest networks of spam-sending computers in the world has gone quiet, puzzling experts, internet security firms have said."}
{"article": "Set in a grand retirement home for ageing musicians, Quartet marks the 75-year-old's debut as a film director. The film has its gala screening at the London Film Festival on Monday night. Based on Ronald Harwood's play, Quartet is set in a home for retired musicians, where old rivalries are stirred up by the arrival of former opera singer Jean Horton (Dame Maggie Smith). She is joined in the cast by British heavyweights Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, Pauline Collins and Michael Gambon. But Hoffman, who says the the story is about people in their \"third act\", hired a supporting cast of real-life elderly performers to give his film authenticity. \"For these people the phone hadn't rung for 20, 30 or 40 years, even through they can deliver,\" he said on Monday. \"These people in their 70s, 80s and 90s came with such verve every day - and that in itself made this an extraordinarily special occasion for all of us.\" Released in the UK in the new year, the film follows the box office success of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, another ensemble piece about a group of British pensioners in a retirement hotel in India. \"I think a lot of grown-ups would like films for grown-ups and about grown-ups,\" said Dame Maggie, who also starred in Marigold Hotel. \"I don't think films about elderly people have been made very much, but they always seem to be fairly successful.\" The youngest member of the principal cast is Sheridan Smith, who plays the retirement home's medic, Dr Lucy Cogan. The actress said it had been \"overwhelming\" to be part of the film. \"I tried to be like a sponge and take it all in.\" Hoffman's movie breakthrough was as Benjamin Braddock in 1967's The Graduate, for which he was Oscar nominated. He has also had nominations for Midnight Cowboy, Lenny, Tootsie and Wag the Dog. He won the Oscar in 1979 for his role in Kramer vs Kramer and again in 1988 for Rain Man. Asked about Hoffman's skills as a debut director, Pauline Collins said: \"Dustin is a dynamo and a darling. He's one of the most inspiring and kindest directors I've ever worked for because he understands how actors work because he is one.\" Explaining why it hadn't taken him so long to step behind the camera, Hoffman said: \"Sometimes it takes you 40 years to get around to doing something.\"", "summary": "Dustin Hoffman has sung the praises of the retired opera singers and musicians who appear in his new film, Quartet."}
{"article": "It praises the \"strong leadership\" of the service's new chief executive, with a turnaround in emergency response times for two months in a row. But a letter to the deputy health minister urges progress in eight areas. The ambulance service said it was committed to building on \"the considerable good work that is already under way\". The committee held an inquiry into the ambulance service, which has only hit the target figure for responding to emergency calls once in two and a half years. The Welsh government target is for 65% of ambulances to respond to emergency calls within eight minutes. In February crews hit the target 51.2% of the time but last December's figures - just 42.6% - were the worst on record. New chief executive Tracy Myhill said the latest figures were encouraging and she hoped ongoing improvement initiatives would start to bear fruit in the coming months. Health and social care committee chairman David Rees said he acknowledged her leadership and the practical actions taken \"to bring about cultural change and drive up performance\". But he insisted there needed to be \"rapid and sustained improvement\". \"Despite this, the committee is not yet persuaded that performance is improving quickly enough.\" The committee's 10-page letter to Vaughan Gething sets out areas where progress was needed: After summoning health bosses to explain what has been going wrong, the assembly's health and social care committee, perhaps unsurprisingly, has called for several improvements. The committee wants ambulance bosses to make sure that enough staff are available in the right places to deal with \"spikes\" in demand. Assembly members also want changes made to prevent ambulances from being \"pulled away\" from remote areas resulting in \"clustering\" around emergency departments. A pilot project is currently underway in the Cwm Taf health board area where no vehicles are dispatched to calls outside of the Cwm Taf boundary, except for highest-priority Red 1 calls and major incidents. The chair of the committee David Rees has told BBC Wales that if the pilot is successful in improving response times similar programmes should be adopted across Wales. The committee has acknowledged recent progress in improving staff morale and building relationships with the unions. Mr Rees added: \"Individually, frontline ambulance service staff fulfil challenging roles to high standards and provide help and support to people in times of need, but overall the ambulance service's response time performance is not where it should be.\" Mick Giannasi, chairman of the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust, said they were pleased the hard work of ambulance staff had been acknowledged. \"What is important now is that we continue to drive our change agenda with pace and energy and retain our focus on doing the right thing for patients by providing high quality emergency unscheduled care in a timely way,\" he added. The Welsh government said Mr Gething would respond to the letter \"in due course\".", "summary": "The ambulance service in Wales is not improving quickly enough, a cross-party committee of AMs has warned."}
{"article": "And its launch event could possibly be the biggest press conference. It's the bun-fight at the Hurlington Club, London, as each of the six captains and coaches complete a round of at least eight different interviews and conferences. Then there's the photo calls, a launch press conference, live television and general pressing of the flesh. With less than two weeks to go before the kick-off there were a number of issues which dominated the questioning. Bonus points will be awarded for the first time in the history of the tournament. A team scoring four tries will get a bonus point, as will a losing team who get within seven points of the winners - with a special three-point bonus for a team winning all five of their matches. Wales interim coach Rob Howley believes it could make for exciting rugby in the closing stages of games. \"The history and the legacy of the Six Nations is about winning the game,\" he said. \"There's no doubt there will be a mindset change in terms of the last 20 minutes of matches. If you find yourself near a bonus point you're more likely to go for it.\" Meanwhile, England head coach Eddie Jones says he is unfazed by the change to the points system. \"I've grown up with bonus points. I was coaching Super Rugby when they first came in,\" he said. \"It's always been the fact that if you play well you win and if you play really well you win with a bonus point. It's as simple as that.\" Media playback is not supported on this device New rules on high tackles have led to a number of yellow and red cards in domestic rugby and some fear the same could happen in the Six Nations. Howley says Wales have taken special measures in their preparations as a result. \"I suppose it might open it up in terms of encouraging a more offloading game,\" he said. \"We've got referee Nigel Owens coming in to give us a presentation and feedback from a meeting between the referees which will be a great insight and I'm sure the high tackle will be mentioned. \"I'm sure players and supporters and coaches don't want Six Nations games turned on red card.\" England captain Dylan Hartley has not played a game since being shown a red card while playing for Northampton for a head-high tackle on Leinster's Sean O'Brien in a Champions Cup in December. \"I've been working on the much-publicised tackle technique,\" he said. \"I've been working very hard on that. We always want to tackle low but there are times in the game when if you're the second man low isn't an option. \"The sanctions for a high tackle have changed to look after player safety. We're seeing a lot more cards and penalties and the players have to adapt.\" Wales go into the tournament with lock Alun Wyn Jones appointed as captain ahead of Sam Warburton, and Howley says it's already had an impact on training. \"We've got a new captain and that changes", "summary": "The Six Nations championship is often described as the biggest annual rugby tournament in the world."}
{"article": "Turkey midfielder Turan slotted in the first goal at the Nou Camp from Messi's through pass in the 10th minute. Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo then saved Vicente Iborra's penalty after Samuel Umtiti handled. Turan chipped in his second shortly after the break, with Messi guiding in a sublime header for the third. It is the first time Barcelona have won the Spanish Super Cup since 2013. The two-legged match usually pitches the league champions against the Copa del Rey winners. However, as Luis Enrique's team won both trophies last season, Sevilla took part as Copa del Rey runners-up. Both sides begin their La Liga season on Saturday, with champions Barcelona at home to Real Betis, while Sevilla, who finished seventh last May, host Espanyol.", "summary": "Arda Turan scored twice and Lionel Messi once as Barcelona earned a 3-0 second-leg victory over Sevilla to win the Spanish Super Cup 5-0 on aggregate."}
{"article": "Ewan claimed his first Grand Tour stage victory by beating John Degenkolb and Peter Sagan in a sprint at the end of the 167.3km Rota-Alcala route. Giant-Alpecin's Dumoulin finished two seconds later in a pack for a one-second advantage over Esteban Chaves. Britain's Chris Froome was 12th and is 35 seconds behind overall. The Team Sky rider is aiming to become the third rider to win the Tour de France and the Vuelta in the same year. Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, who started as one of the favourites for the title, dropped to fifth overall, 29 seconds adrift of Dumoulin. Stage five result: 1. Caleb Ewan (Aus/Orica)- three hours, 57 minutes and 28 seconds 2. John Degenkolb (Ger/Giant) Same time 3. Peter Sagan (Svk/Tinkoff - Saxo) Same time 4. Jempy Druecker (Lux/BMC Racing) Same time 5. Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spa/Movistar) +2secs 6. Kristian Sbaragli (Ita/Team MTN) +2secs 7. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita/AG2R) +2secs 8. Daniel Moreno (Spa/Katusha) +2secs 9. Tosh Van der Sande (Bel/Lotto) +2secs 10. Nikolas Maes (Bel/Etixx - Quick-Step) +2secs 11. Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel/LottoNL) +2secs 12. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +2secs 15. Tom Dumoulin (Ned)/Giant) +2secs General classification after stage five: 1. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Giant) 17 hours, nine minutes, six seconds 2. Esteban Chaves (Col/Orica) +1sec 3. Nicolas Roche (Ire/Team Sky) +16secs 4. Daniel Martin (Ire/Cannondale) +25secs 5. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) +29secs 6. Daniel Moreno (Spa/Katusha) +31secs 7. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +35 secs 8. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa/Katusha) +36secs 9. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar) +37secs 10. Fabio Aru (Ita/Astana) +48secs", "summary": "Tom Dumoulin of the Netherlands became the new Vuelta a Espana leader after Wednesday's fifth stage, won by Australian Caleb Ewan."}
{"article": "Marc Martin, 22, and Matt Preece, 21, died after the BMW hit a tree and flipped on to its roof in High Beeches Lane, Handcross, on 17 December. Two other passengers, a girl aged 16 and the 20-year-old driver, were hurt. The crash happened at about 22:00 GMT. Sussex Police said the man was being questioned on suspicion of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.", "summary": "The driver of a car involved in a single-vehicle crash in West Sussex in which two men died has been arrested."}
{"article": "Reports say supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have booed Congress party chief ministers at three different official functions in the last few days. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's speech was repeatedly disturbed on Tuesday during an event in Mr Modi's presence. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, an ally of the Congress party, and Maharashtra's Prithviraj Chavan were also \"heckled by BJP supporters\" at different functions. Newspapers and websites feel such incidents are dangerous for India's federal structure. Such behaviour \"is hardly reassuring for any leader who plans to share the stage with his PM\", says an article on the First Post website. The article says that \"at first blush, this may seem like a minor spat driven by political ego\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 but it underlines a certain Jekyll and Hyde quality that Mr Modi's leadership has acquired...\" \"It's just bad precedent that will, in the end, undermine Mr Modi's own credibility when he talks of working with the opposition - or when he visits an opposition-ruled state and can't find a single chief minister who will share a stage with him,\" it adds. Following the incidents, several Congress leaders have declared that they will no longer share stage with Mr Modi. The Tribune says such anger is \"manufactured\" and is \"directed only at the rival party's chief ministers\". \"The BJP is well aware that any protest in the presence of the PM would get wide publicity and thus serve the party's political strategy of creating an anti-Congress wave [in the upcoming state elections],\" it says. However, the Congress party's decision to not attend any official events with Mr Modi has also attracted criticism in the media. \"The Congress really appears to be losing the plot. This is evident from the childish reaction of some of its chief ministers who have refused to share the dais with Mr Modi,\" says the Hindustan Times. Meanwhile, the federal government has set a target of three years to clean the heavily-polluted Ganges river, reports say. Mr Modi had promised to clean up the river during his poll campaign speeches earlier in the year. The Ganges, India's longest river, is revered by Hindus and supports a third of the country's 1.2 billion people living on its floodplains. And finally, the Grand Prix will not make a comeback to India in 2015 after Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone declared that the troubled event has \"run out of time\" due to tax irregularities. \"It is too late for 2015. We (Formula One Management and Jaypee) are looking at 2016 now and hopefully the tax issues in India will also be sorted out by then. The organisers also need to settle the existing contract before we get back,\" the Deccan Herald quotes Mr Ecclestone as saying. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "summary": "Media in India are criticising the booing of opposition chief ministers in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."}
{"article": "Fe ddaw'r cyhoeddiad fis yn unig ers cyhoeddi canlyniadau profion rhyngwladol PISA, sydd yn awgrymu bod disgyblion 15 oed yng Nghymru ar ei h\u00f4l hi mewn pynciau gwyddonol. Bydd yr arian yn cael ei wario ar gynlluniau i wella sgiliau athrawon sydd yn dysgu gwyddoniaeth a thechnoleg. Y n\u00f4d, yn \u00f4l y llywodraeth, fydd helpu athrawon i fanteisio ar arferion da mewn ysgolion yng Nghymru ac yn rhyngwladol. Bydd ymgais hefyd i wella cysylltiadau rhwng ysgolion ag adrannau gwyddoniaeth a thechnoleg mewn prifysgolion. Yn \u00f4l yr Ysgrifennydd Addysg Kirsty Williams mae'r profion PISA wedi tanlinellu'r angen i godi safonau. Dywedodd: \"Mae dealltwriaeth o wyddoniaeth yn hanfodol i'n pobl ifanc, o'r dechnoleg maent yn ei defnyddio a'r ffordd maent yn cyfathrebu i'r ynni maent yn ei ddefnyddio mewn byd sy'n newid yn gyflym. \"Mae hefyd yn hanfodol i Gymru a sut rydyn ni'n datblygu ein heconomi. \"Mae ein nod mewn gwyddoniaeth yn fwy na'r gallu i ymgymryd ag arbrofion syml neu gofio cysyniadau sylfaenol. \"Yn hytrach rydyn ni am weld ein pobl ifanc yn gallu rhesymu'n wyddonol a deall gwerth dulliau gwyddonol o weithredu. \"Mae hyn yn allweddol yn yr unfed ganrif ar hugain a hefyd yn destun profion PISA.\" Dywedodd Kirsty Williams hefyd y bydd y cwricwlwm newydd \"yn integreiddio'n well y dulliau hyn o fynd ati i addysgu a dysgu\".", "summary": "Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwario \u00a34 miliwn mewn ymdrech i wella safonau dysgu gwyddoniaeth mewn ysgolion."}
{"article": "Former shadow minister Helen Goodman had tweeted: \"If China is so great, why did @Jeremy_Hunt's wife come to England?\" She has since deleted it. It comes after Mr Hunt said the UK had to become as hard working as Asia. The Labour Party said the tweet did not represent its views and that the Bishop Auckland MP would be reminded of her responsibilities. Issuing an apology on Twitter, Ms Goodman wrote: \"Wish to absolutely totally apologise for earlier tweet.\" Several other MPs had replied to her original message, with former Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles saying he was surprised she could \"send out something so vile\". Fellow Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi even asked if Ms Goodman's account had been hacked, writing: \"Helen that is a terrible thing so say. I hope you delete and apologise to Mrs Hunt.\" And Lib Dem leader Tim Farron wrote: \"Clearly she missed the 'kinder politics' memo\", pointing to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's call for an end to personal attacks in politics. Mr Hunt had made the comments at a fringe meeting at the Conservative Party conference last week. He said: \"My wife is Chinese and if we want this to be one of the most successful countries in the world in 20, 30, 40 years time there is a pretty difficult question that we have to answer which is, essentially, are we going to be a country which is prepared to work hard in a way that Asian economies are prepared to work hard, in a way that Americans are prepared to work hard? \"And that is about creating a culture where work is at the heart of our success.\" In a statement, issued before Ms Goodman deleted the tweet, a Labour spokesman said: \"This does not represent the views of the Labour Party. Helen will be reminded of her responsibilities as an elected Labour politician.\" Labour's leader in the House of Lords Lady Smith said Goodman's tweet was \"absolutely bizarre\". She told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour: \"Presumably Mrs Hunt lives in the UK because she's married to Mr Hunt and she's in love with him and wants to be with him so end of story. \"There's a lesson for all here, our partners and families are not in the public domain to be criticised or commented on.\" Mr Hunt married his wife, Lucia, in July 2009 and the couple have three children.", "summary": "A Labour MP has apologised after making comments about Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt's Chinese wife."}
{"article": "The Kyrgyz National Security Committee (GKNB) named the prime suspect as Akbarzhon Jalilov, a 22-year-old with Russian citizenship, born in the Kyrgyz city of Osh in 1995. He is thought to be among the dead. The hunt is on for possible accomplices. Russian officials suspect that he had links to so-called Islamic State (IS). So far few details have emerged about Jalilov. There are unconfirmed reports that he was an ethnic Uzbek. Russia's State Investigative Committee said \"an explosive device could have been detonated by a man whose body parts were found in the third carriage of the train.\" \"The man has been identified but his identity will not be disclosed for now in the interests of the investigation,\" the statement added. The bomb blew up in a train carriage which had just left Sennaya Ploshchad station. The driver managed to continue to Tekhnologichesky Institut station. Later a similar device was found propped up against a wall at another city metro station, Ploshchad Vosstaniya. The Russian news website Gazeta.ru reports that the bombs were concealed in car fire extinguishers, with ball bearings taped to the outside. The one which exploded is said to have been carried in a rucksack. Reports say Jalilov had been living in St Petersburg for six years and had used several passports. He had worked as a chef in a St Petersburg sushi restaurant, Gazeta reported. Kyrgyz investigators are working with Russian authorities on the case. Reuters news agency spoke to people in Osh who said Jalilov was from an ethnic Uzbek family. They said they knew his parents but had not seen him for years. They said his father worked as a panel-beater in a car repair shop. IS has recruited many Islamist militants from Central Asian republics and from Chechnya in the North Caucasus. Russian aircraft and cruise missiles have targeted IS and other rebel groups in Syria - a vital intervention for embattled Syrian government forces. Osh - Kyrgyzstan's second-largest city - was the scene of inter-ethnic clashes between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in June 2010, in which hundreds of people died. Home to a large ethnic Uzbek community, the city was the power base of former president Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who was overthrown in April 2010.", "summary": "The home-made bomb that killed 14 people aboard a St Petersburg metro train is believed to have been set off by a suicide bomber born in Kyrgyzstan."}
{"article": "Newcastle-based Out of the Kitchen had denied the unauthorised sale of nitrous oxide, also known as \"laughing gas\", through its Toon Whip brand. Although it is used legally in the catering industry, it can be fatal when used as a drug. The case followed an undercover investigation by the BBC in which a reporter was sold two canisters. Toon Whip advertised a \"whipped cream delivery service\", but the reporter was given instructions by the firm's staff on how to inhale the gas using a balloon. Newcastle Magistrates' Court heard Out of the Kitchen Limited made a profit of \u00a340,000 in 2015-16, with \u00a310,000 of that figure coming from Toon Whip. The fine must be paid within 14 days. Directors Jonathan Lawrence, 30, of Stamford, and David Jenkins, 29, of Newcastle, are also charged with the unauthorised sale of nitrous oxide. They have entered not guilty pleas. The case against them was adjourned until 23 January.", "summary": "A catering firm has been fined \u00a37,620 for selling gas used as a recreational drug."}
{"article": "The pound also strengthened against the dollar and euro, while Wall Street's rally continued for a second day. Some investors say last week's sell-off was overdone, while others are betting on central banks to rescue the global economy if needed with more stimulus. \"It never was the end of the world,\" said strategist Jeff Weniger. The senior portfolio strategist at BMO Private Bank in Chicago. said: \"To have these kinds of reactions was ridiculous.\" The FTSE 100 share index closed up 3.6% at 6,360.1 after a flurry of last-minute trading. At the close of trade on Thursday last week, before the referendum vote, the FTSE 100 ended the day at 6,338.10. \"The plethora of bargains on offer, plus a welcome period of calm in the UK/EU relationship has provided the opportunity for markets to recover in impressive fashion,\" said Chris Beauchamp, senior market analyst at spread betting firm IG. he added. However Joe Rundle, head of trading at ETX Capital, warned reality was likely to bite soon. \"What we're seeing in the FTSE is hope in Britain being able to ride it out by remaining part of the single market. This looks like wishful thinking.\" The FTSE 250 - which contains more UK-focused companies - closed 3.2% higher on Wednesday, but still remains more than 7% below its pre-Brexit level. Germany's Dax index ended the day 1.8% higher while France's Cac 40 closed up 2.6%. The pound rose 1.2% against the dollar to about $1.35, although it also remains well below levels reached before the referendum. The pound had risen as high as $1.50 on Thursday as traders anticipated a 'Remain' vote, but by Monday it had plunged to a 31-year low against the dollar. Sterling rose 0.8% against the euro on Wednesday to \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.2159. Before last week's referendum it had been trading around \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.30. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones index rose 1.64% and the broader S&P 500 was up 1.7% in the strongest two-day rally since February. The indexes have recovered more than half the losses suffered last week after the UK's referendum vote. Shares in Asia had also posted gains. Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets, said investors had been reassured by hopes that Britain's EU exit wouldn't happen immediately, meaning the status quo was unlikely to change in the short term. \"Whilst that doesn't remove the uncertainty with respect to the eventual outcome, it also means that markets are going to have plenty of time to settle into their new-found reality and equilibrium,\" he said. But Adam Jepsen, founder of Financial Spreads, urged caution: \"Any investors who think the markets have calmed down should think again. It is far more likely that we are in the eye of the storm.\" Shares in the UK's financial sector - which had been particularly hard-hit in the wake of the referendum - continued to recover, with Prudential up 5.5% and Barclays 4.9% higher. The increases came despite credit rating agency Moody's cutting its outlook on the UK banking sector to \"negative\" from \"stable\" late on Tuesday. Moody's also downgraded", "summary": "The FTSE 100 has surged through the level it closed at last Thursday, recovering all of the ground it had lost in the wake of the Brexit vote."}
{"article": "Kirsty Maxwell, from Livingston, died on Saturday in the tourist area in south east Spain. It is thought that she was part of a group of more than 30 women who had travelled to the resort for a hen weekend. A British man was arrested by police in Benidorm in connection with the incident, before being later released. A Foreign Office spokesman said: \"We are supporting the family of a British national who sadly died in Benidorm on 29 April.\" He added: \"We are in contact with the local authorities following the arrest of a British man.\" Mrs Maxwell's body is understood to be found near the swimming pool at the Apartamentos Payma on Saturday.", "summary": "A West Lothian woman has died at a holiday apartment block in Benidorm during a hen party."}
{"article": "Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union will walk out on 19 May. In a ballot, 96% of the 150 affected members voted for strikes on a 53% turnout. 247 people are employed at the office in St Paul's Place. BIS said it will provide \"comprehensive support\" to affected staff. The government announced plans to shut the office by 2018 in January. Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said: \"This vote sends the clearest possible message to BIS ministers and senior officials that these plans are wrong and must be reversed. \"The closure of this office is precisely the opposite of what the government claims to want for the North and the wider civil service.\" He said the union was also considering a timetable for further walkouts. Announcing the plans, permanent secretary Martin Donnelly said it was part of a move to create a combined central HQ and policy centre in London and establish six business centres across the UK. He said the decision was taken in an effort to \"modernise the way we work, reduce operating costs and deliver a simpler, smaller department that is more flexible and responsive\". A BIS spokesperson said: \"Whenever a proposal such as this is made, people's livelihoods and families are directly affected, and these decisions are never easy. It remains our top priority that all our staff are fully briefed and consulted during the process. \"We take their future and the contribution they have made very seriously, and will provide comprehensive support to all those facing a potential change or loss of job.\"", "summary": "Civil servants at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) have announced plans to stage a 24-hour strike in protest at plans to shut the department's Sheffield office."}
{"article": "The 52-year-old, a former international in both sports, took 2-24 after turning out for Scotland veterans in their 125-run defeat by Lancashire over-50s. The match was played to commemorate 30 years since Scotland beat Lancashire - their first win over county opposition. Goram had a 23-year football career and played four times for Cricket Scotland. He remains the only person to have played in a first-class cricket match and a full international football match for Scotland. In 1989, he played against the touring Australians but went wicketless as Mike Veletta and Tom Moody hit centuries.", "summary": "Andy Goram is known as one of Scotland's greatest goalkeepers, but on Wednesday he reminded people he was also a dab hand with the cricket ball."}
{"article": "The crash at Meenaduff, between Buncrana and Clonmany in July 2010 was Ireland's worst ever road accident. Hugh Friel, 66 and seven men, aged between 19 and 23, died in the crash. Shaun Kelly, of Hill Road in Buncrana, had previously pleaded not guilty to charges of dangerous driving. Seven of the victims were travelling in the same car. They were 21-year-old Mark McLaughlin, from Fahan; Paul Doherty and Ciaran Sweeney who were 19 and from Ballyliffin; Patrick McLaughlin, 21, from Burnfoot; 22-year-old Eamonn McDaid and 21-year-old Damien McLaughlin, both from Buncrana, and James McEleney, 23, from Clonmany. Father Michael Sweeney said the end of the court case would \"bring a little closure to the families\". \"It will take years for them to come to terms with their great loss, but this court case has been pending for the last four years,\" he said. \"For them, each time it came up for review, it was like revisiting the scene of the whole bad experience and trauma of the terrible event. Kelly was driving a black Volkswagen Passat with the seven passengers when it collided with the car driven by Mr Friel. He was the only survivor of the crash and sustained serious injuries. He changed his plea as the jury was being sworn in at Letterkenny Circuit Court on Tuesday. Fr Sweeney said: \"It was a brave thing for him to do, to plead guilty to dangerous driving, and I feel sorry for him that he has to live with the consequences of that for the rest of his life. \"The whole community was totally shocked - it was one funeral after another, and each one of those traumatised the whole community who turned out to support those people.\"", "summary": "A man's guilty plea to causing the deaths of eight men in a road crash in County Donegal has spared their families further trauma, a local priest has said."}
{"article": "There are growing divisions in the right-wing party over Mr Orban's steps to turn Hungary into an \"illiberal democracy\", despite a third election victory this year: Even though a majority of Hungarians oppose their policies - 2.8 million against to 2.3 million in favour in April - opposition parties are weak and divided, with the exception of the radical nationalist Jobbik movement, which has emerged as the main rival to Fidesz. But the mood in the corridors of power is wretched. In a country where backbench rebellions are almost unknown, politicians contend themselves with hints of dissent in anti-government media, and more open attacks on Viktor Orban's policies in pro-government media. A new, pro-Russian foreign policy sits particularly awkwardly in a party which rose to fame in 1989 as the first to demand publicly that Soviet troops leave Hungary. It began with a photograph of Viktor Orban shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin in January, after signing a highly controversial nuclear expansion deal. When the Russians annexed Crimea in March, the Budapest government criticised the beleaguered Ukrainian government in Kiev, and stated publicly that all it cared about was the Hungarian minority in western Ukraine. In July, Hungary's embassy in Estonia was closed down at a moment when the Baltic states - Hungary's Nato allies - felt under most pressure from Moscow. Mr Orban has consistently opposed EU and US sanctions against Russia, on the grounds that \"we should be doves in economic policy, and hawks in defence\". In an August speech to Hungary's ambassadors, he called openly for an unprincipled foreign policy, placing foreign investment in Hungary above any moral considerations such as a trade partner's human rights record. And in September, within an hour of Mr Orban meeting with the chief of Russia's state-owned gas giant, Gazprom, the reverse flow of gas to Ukraine in Hungary's pipelines, which had been annoying Russia, was stopped. Dismay is growing within Fidesz at his domestic policy too: at government corruption, the playboy lifestyle of numerous party officials, and an economic policy which consistently suppresses the value of the Hungarian currency, the forint. There is also increasing rivalry between the oligarchs: the rich men who fund the party from behind the scenes, on a model learnt from the former communists. \"Unprincipled decisions cause harm, even if that is not visible in the short term,\" parliament speaker Laszlo Kover, a founding member of Fidesz and close friend of Mr Orban said in August in the main pro-government weekly newspaper. This was in reply to a question on the rise of communist-era secret service loyalists and businessmen with offshore accounts in government ranks. The editor of the same weekly, Gabor Borokai, himself a former Fidesz government spokesman, lambasted what he called a \"self-assured and arrogant social group\" of young Fidesz leaders who believed they were beyond the law. This was apparently a reference to 36-year-old Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and his friends. Another intra-Fidesz dispute has broken out over the extensive power of Janos Lazar, 39, the minister in charge of Mr Orban's office, who", "summary": "Hungarians are commemorating the anniversary of their 1956 revolution against Soviet rule but many senior figures in the ruling Fidesz party believe Prime Minister Viktor Orban is steering the country back to its authoritarian past."}
{"article": "following a breach of club discipline at Posh. Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson has said he does not see a future for the forward at London Road. \"Obviously I'm contracted there so that is my parent club,\" Barnett told BBC Radio Suffolk. \"But if I could get away I would be delighted.\" Barnett's Posh exit came after he and winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, now on loan at Portsmouth, were \"There's always regrets because I didn't want to leave the club in the way that I did,\" he said. \"I'd rather it be on good terms. But that's life. You take it, get on with it and hopefully I can move on.\" Barnett has said supporters at his new club should not base their perception of his character on the manner of his Peterborough exit. \"I'd say take it with a pinch of salt. The lads and people who know me know I'm not a troublemaker or whatever people want to come up with,\" he said. \"When you get to know me I'm an all right guy.\" The former Macclesfield frontman switched to Peterborough from Crawley in a club-record \u00a31m move in February and went on to score four goals in 13 games. But, after netting just once in 10 this term, he hopes to contribute the goals Town need to haul themselves out of the Championship relegation zone. \"I want to play as many games as I can and hopefully prove myself at this level,\" he said. \"I'm fairly confident I can get goals. I just need to get a few more games under my belt, get to know the lads a bit better and I'm confident in my ability. It's got me this far.\"", "summary": "Ipswich Town striker Tyrone Barnett has said he would be \"delighted\" if he never returned to Peterborough United."}
{"article": "On Monday, Prime Minister David Cameron said Crewe could lose HS2 investment in a post-election Labour-SNP deal. But SNP deputy leader Stewart Hosie described the comments as \"utterly meaningless\" and \"preposterous\". Crewe's Labour candidate Adrian Heald said he would \"not support any move to jeopardise the HS2 line at Crewe\". A report last year into the route of the high-speed rail line running north from London recommended a new station be built in Crewe. But Mr Cameron said a minority Labour government, backed by the SNP, means schemes could be dropped. The prime minister said projects linked to HS2 that could be jettisoned include Crewe's planned University Technical College and the Railway Exchange Training Academy. Also speaking on Monday, Chancellor George Osborne said: \"The SNP deputy leader has said in the last couple of days, if there was a minority Labour administration that needed SNP help to get their legislation through 'we might well say let's not have HS2 go to Manchester and Birmingham, let's have it start in Edinburgh and Glasgow'. \"That is tearing up the plan for huge investment in Crewe. That is cancelling the thousands of jobs and businesses that will come to this town. \"That is a billion pound blow to Crewe and is the price tag of voting for Labour and Ed Miliband here.\" While Labour has ruled out a coalition with the SNP, Scottish nationalists for their part have said they could support a minority Labour government on an \"issue-by-issue\" basis. Echoing the SNP's manifesto, Mr Hosie said he would like to see a Scottish section of HS2 built \"at the same time\" as the first phase planned between London and the West Midlands, allowing the line to \"meet in the middle\" of the country. \"Why would that put investment in Crewe at risk?\" he said. \"What would put Crewe investment at risk is the \u00c2\u00a330bn cuts presented by Cameron and friends.\" Meanwhile, Labour candidate Mr Heald said: \"HS2 is the best opportunity to generate prosperity in Crewe and South Cheshire.\" He said Labour is \"fully supportive\" of the HS2 line. Crewe and Nantwich in Cheshire is a marginal Conservative constituency. Roy Wood, Liberal Democrat candidate, confirmed his party were \"strong supporters of HS2 even when other parties were wavering\" and that David Cameron's comments were \"scaremongering from someone who is getting desperate.\" UKIP is the only party standing in Crewe and Nantwich to reject plans for HS2. Richard Lee, the party's candidate, said UKIP believed the line was \"an unaffordable white elephant\" and that money could be better spent on upgrading the local and regional rail network. \"The benefits to Crewe, if any, will not be felt in Crewe for a number of years anyway, and it sounds as though David Cameron is merely scaremongering,\" he said. \"UKIP are fully committed to technical colleges and practical apprenticeship training in schools regardless of HS2.\" The candidates standing in Crewe and Nantwich are:", "summary": "Conservative claims that Labour and the Scottish National Party (SNP) could reduce high-speed rail investment in Crewe have been dubbed \"preposterous\"."}
{"article": "The first leg of the Champions League qualifier at Windsor Park in Belfast was marred by incidents. Play was held up when a bottle was thrown at Griffiths and there was an attempted pitch invasion at full-time. Linfield have been charged by Uefa with the \"throwing of objects\" and a \"field invasion\". Scottish champions Celtic have also been charged with \"improper conduct of the team\" after they picked up more than five bookings. One of the players booked was Griffiths, who was shown a yellow card by referee Alejandro Hernandez as he picked up a bottle that had been thrown at him while he was taking a corner. Police with dogs were deployed at full-time to stop a pitch invasion. European football's governing body Uefa will deal with the case on 20 July, the day after the return leg in Glasgow. Celtic had decided not to take up an allocation of tickets for the game because of security concerns - but around 300 fans watched. Speaking after the match, Celtic manager Brendan Rogers said: \"Players go onto the field and it should be a safe environment for them. You want the passion from the stands to stay in there - but if you take that away from it, it was a good evening.\" Police Scotland released a statement urging fans to remain \"focused on the football\" during the return leg. Superintendent Craig Smith said a \"robust policing plan\" had been put in place following co-operation with the Police Service of Northern Ireland. He added: \"Anyone who is intent in causing disorder or hate crime can expect to be arrested by police.\"", "summary": "Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has been charged with \"provoking spectators\" after he tied a scarf to the goal following Friday's 2-0 win at Linfield."}
{"article": "London Street in Norwich was pedestrianised on 17 July 1967. The pedestrianisation of Norwich city centre is often referenced by fans of the fictional DJ, played by comedian Steve Coogan. The Norwich Society said the city had \"pioneered pedestrianisation in the UK\". Alan Partridge posed the question \"what do you think about the pedestrianisation of Norwich city centre?\" during an intimate scene. In the episode from 1997, Partridge said: \"I'll be honest, I'm dead against it. People forget that traders need access to Dixons. \"They do say it will help people in wheelchairs.\" Norwich City Council approved plans to pedestrianise more parts of the city in 2015. Paul Burall, vice chairman of the Norwich Society, said: \"Norwich pioneered pedestrianisation in the UK and continues to extend the benefits, with another two streets being pedestrianised in the last two years. \"While a few local people agree with Alan Partridge and still want to be able to drive everywhere, the vast majority welcome the ability to walk around without the noise, pollution and potential danger from traffic, and the great majority of traders recognise the benefits as well.\" Norwich is far from being the only town or city whose profile has been raised by its television connections. During the pedestrianisation ceremony, the then Lord Mayor of Norwich CH Sutton tied - rather than cut - a ribbon across London Street to signify its closure to traffic. Although other shopping areas - such as those in new towns like Stevenage - were made pedestrian-only long before London Street, the Norwich road was the first to be closed to motorised traffic and given over to pedestrians.", "summary": "A city whose traffic plans were made famous by Alan Partridge is marking 50 years since one of its roads became the first to be pedestrianised in England."}
{"article": "Garry Barlow, 49, from Liverpool, was one of six Britons killed by Islamist militants in the siege. Lorraine Barlow told the BBC she had been given no information about the progress of the investigation or whether there was sufficient security. The siege ended after Algerian forces stormed the site. Mrs Barlow first learned about the attack on the gas facility when her husband called and said he had been taken hostage by extremists who had strapped explosives to his body. She had two more increasingly frantic calls but was later told he had been killed. In an interview with the BBC, Mrs Barlow said she was shocked and distressed at the attitude of BP - which is part of the joint venture that runs the site - after her family were not invited to a memorial service. The company said her husband was employed by an agency and not BP. In a statement, BP said: \"The terrorist attack at In Amenas was an unprecedented and horrific criminal terrorist act which has profoundly impacted the lives of many people. \"Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families of all those who were killed. \"The In Amenas plant is run by a joint venture between Sonatrach, (the national oil company of Algeria), BP and Statoil. \"The joint venture has its own management and operates independently. Some personnel are seconded by the shareholders to the joint venture, which also engages contractors and international agency personnel directly, including through Garry Barlow's Swiss employer IOTA.\" The investigation into the attack is being led by the Algerian authorities. Officers from Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist squad have been to Algeria to gather evidence for the British inquests. A lawyer representing 30 bereaved relatives and survivors of the attack said they feared the process may not address the wider questions about how their loved ones died. Forty-eight foreign workers were killed following the siege at the In Amenas plant. Twenty-two British survivors were flown back to the UK and reunited with their families, while Algeria said 29 militants were killed and three captured alive. Mr Barlow was a system supervisor at the In Amenas plant.", "summary": "The widow of a British hostage killed in an attack on an Algerian gas plant in January has said she still does not know how her husband died."}
{"article": "The doubles pair lost Monday's third-round match 6-3 4-6 6-4 3-6 14-12 to Jonny Marray and Adil Shamasdin. The first code violation came after umpire Aurelie Tourte refused Cuevas a toilet break; the Uruguayan then showed his frustration at double-faulting. \"You have to take bad calls on the chin at some point,\" said Britain's Marray. The earlier code violation was handed to Cuevas for unsportsmanlike behaviour when he threatened to wee into a ball can after being told he could not leave the court to visit the bathroom. He then angrily smashed a ball out of the court following a double fault and the 15th seeds were docked a point, resulting in Cuevas and his partner sitting down and refusing to play the final game. A supervisor had to be called. \"I went to the bathroom twice during the match and obviously the fifth set was a long one. I think you should be allowed an extra toilet break if it's five sets,\" said Marray. \"You have to respect the officials regardless of whatever happened in the match. You can have a word or two but they're trying to do a job and you have to respect that.\" Shamasdin added: \"I don't think the chair umpire really had the match controlled. She made a few mistakes early on at both ends. We were all on her and she was definitely flustered. I don't think she handled it correctly.\" You can now add tennis alerts in the BBC Sport app - simply head to the menu and My Alerts section", "summary": "Pablo Cuevas and Marcel Granollers held a sit-down protest after receiving warnings for threatening to wee in a can and hitting a ball out of court."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 1 September 2015 Last updated at 17:31 BST Alister Colley, who has a studio in Pateley Bridge near Harrogate, said to hear he had won was \"almost unbelievable\". The title means he has become the most sought-after and collected artist in the country. Colley said creating the official picture for the Grand Depart had put him on \"a whole new international platform\". He has now been asked to be official artist for next year's Grand Depart.", "summary": "An artist who painted the official picture for the Tour de France's Grand Depart from Yorkshire in 2014 has won the accolade of Best-selling Published Artist 2015."}
{"article": "A UKIP MEP complained about the pictorial instructions on how to vote, which show a pencil hovering over the Remain box. The election watchdog said the graphic \"shouldn't have been used\". Bristol City Council said it would amend the form and insisted it was not trying to influence the vote. Follow the latest developments on our live page Mike Hookem, a UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, said a constituent of his had been alerted to the Bristol area postal voting packs. \"Any ballot papers which have gone out with marks showing either remain or leave boxes being ticked in the example need to be recalled and the person responsible needs to be investigated\" Mr Hookem said. \"It may be an isolated incident around Bristol but in the interests of democracy we cannot take that risk.\" The Leave.EU campaign tweeted images of the postal ballot instructions and called on supporters to tell them if they had received the packs. Both sides in this referendum campaign are on high alert for any hint of bias, particularly in official documents. So it is, perhaps, no surprise that Bristol City Council's leaflet has caused such a row. The council insists the graphic is entirely innocuous - but UKIP says it is a clear example of establishment bias in favour of the Remain campaign. There is even a suggestion that it could leave the result of the referendum open to legal challenge. The Electoral Commission has told Bristol council not to use it again. But with reports of similar leaflets dropping on doormats around the country it may be too late to do anything about it. A spokeswoman for the Electoral Commission said: \"While it is unlikely that postal voters in Bristol might be persuaded to vote a different way because of the graphic in these instructions, clearly it shouldn't have been used. \"We are following up with the counting officer for Bristol City to ensure that it is amended before any further postal voting packs are issued to voters in the area.\" A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: \"This form is designed to explain the logistics of voting by post and not to suggest how someone should vote. \"The placement of the pen graphic was entirely incidental and we do not believe that anybody could reasonably be influenced by such a graphic. \"However, given current sensitivities, for all future postal vote dispatches the form and graphic will be amended.\"", "summary": "The Electoral Commission has called on Bristol city council to scrap an EU referendum how-to-vote guide over claims it favours the Remain campaign."}
{"article": "McDowell has dropped to 89th in the world rankings and as is stands, is not in the field for the Masters or the WGC Match Play in Mexico in early March. \"The Masters is not something I'm going to beat myself up about,\" said the 2010 US Open champion, who is now 37. \"If come Bay Hill (mid-March) I'm not in, I'm not going to add more events.\" However, McDowell believes with him playing in Qatar and Dubai on the European Tour and the Genesis Open and Honda Classic in America over the coming five weeks, he is capable of putting himself in contention to earn spots at the World Match Play and Augusta. \"I'm more motivated than I have been for a while. I still have the belief that my good is good enough (to compete at the very top). I have just got to work hard and get out and be calm and believe in myself,\" added McDowell, who missed out on a fifth Ryder Cup appearance last year. McDowell says his watchword in the early weeks of the season will be \"patience\" as he focuses on the whole campaign rather an obsession with ensuring a ninth Masters appearance. \"World ranking is very important but it's a step by step process. Getting back in the top 50 is goal number one and then back into the top 25 and competing in all the major championships. \"How long is the road going to be? It could be a long road or a short road but I'm going to be patient with it. \"The Masters is not going to be the be all and end all for me as my record around Augusta is not great. \"Things like the World Match Play and getting ready for the British Open are also on my radar.\" McDowell did achieve five top-10 finishes in 2016 but he admits he \"struggled for consistency\" for much of the season. \"I felt like when I played well, I did play well and posted some decent finishes but I was inconsistent and missed a lot of cuts.\" The Northern Irishman accepts that becoming a father for the second time during the year may have allowed his focus to drift away from his golf. \"Getting married and having children are big steps in life. You never really understand what they are going to do to you from a priorities points of view, a mental point of view and a desire to play golf point of view. \"I think they affected me more than I thought they were going to but I wouldn't change anything for the world. I've got two very healthy and beautiful young kids at home and I'm enjoying that stage of my life.\"", "summary": "Graeme McDowell says he will not frantically chase a spot at this year's Masters as he prepares to begin his season at this week's Qatar Masters."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Champion jockey AP McCoy was denied a fairytale Aintree farewell, finishing fifth on favourite Shutthefrontdoor. Aspell, who won in 2014 aboard Pineau De Re, steered his 25-1 shot to the front three fences from home and then held off the challenge of Saint Are to win by a length and three-quarters. Monbeg Dude finished third and Alvarado came in fourth. Aspell, 38, becomes the first jockey since Brian Fletcher on Red Rum in 1973 and 1974 to win back-to-back Nationals, while it was a third success for 79-year-old owner Trevor Hemmings, who has previously won with Hedgehunter and Ballabriggs. Aspell said: \"It was wonderful and we will certainly celebrate tonight. I asked some big questions, but he dug deep. \"We really refreshed and recharged his battery and I tried to conserve energy. He is all heart. All season, he has had hard races. Win lose or draw, that's the best ride I have had in the National. I just hoped his battery life lasted out and it did.\" McCoy appeared well placed in the latter stages, but Shutthefrontdoor tired badly from the elbow. \"I thought from the third-last fence I was running on empty,\" McCoy said. \"I will miss riding horses and races like that. I thought for a long way he could win. It was my last National but was a very enjoyable one.\" The Northern Irishman had said he would retire immediately if he had won, but the 40-year-old could now race on until the Sandown meeting at the end of April. Winning trainer Oliver Sherwood was in tears after his decision to run Many Clouds was vindicated. The eight-year-old was a disappointing sixth in last month's Cheltenham Gold Cup after winning the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury in November and scoring at Cheltenham in January. Many Clouds becomes the youngest winner of the National since Bindaree in 2002 and at 11st 9lb, the heaviest winner since Red Rum. He also won \u00a3561,300 for Hemmings out of a total prize fund of \u00a31m. About 72,000 spectators turned out on a sunny day at Aintree to watch the 168th running of the National. McCoy had been strongly backed in the lead-up to the race - with more money wagered on this National than any other horse race - and bookmakers had feared a \u00a350m pay-out if he had claimed his second victory over the 30 National fences. Nina Carberry, the only female jockey in the race, finished 16th on First Lieutenant. Balthazar King, one of the favourites, had a heavy fall at the Canal Turn and was taken to University of Liverpool Equine Hospital (Leahurst) for further assessment. Top six: 1. Many Clouds (25-1) 2. Saint Are (25-1) 3. Monbeg Dude (40-1) 4. Alvarado (20-1) 5. Shutthefrontdoor (6-1 fav) 6. Royale Knight (25-1). Nineteen of 39 starters finished - click here for the full finishing order.", "summary": "Many Clouds won the 2015 Grand National to give jockey Leighton Aspell his second consecutive victory in the race."}
{"article": "Kids Company shut its doors in early August, just days after Matthew Hancock and Oliver Letwin, ministers at the Cabinet Office, told officials to pay it \u00a33m. This payment would always have been controversial: a senior civil servant had used a rarely-deployed formal process (\"seeking a ministerial direction\") to publicly note his reservations about plans to fund the charity. The NAO, Parliament's spending watchdog, however, reveals that civil service worries were very longstanding. The document will bolster concerns that the charity was, indeed, extremely poorly run: civil servants complained for more than a decade about its management under Camila Batmanghelidjh, its former chief executive, and Alan Yentob, the charity's chair of trustees from 2003 until it closed (he is also the BBC's creative director). The fundamental question that the NAO sought to address is why, given concern about the charity for more than a decade, Kids Company was able to raise more than \u00a340m from government departments. The document provides some evidence that the answer to this question is that the charity followed what Ms Batmanghelidjh referred to in an internal 2002 strategy document as a \"bully strategy\" to get money: threatening ministers \"with the outcomes of failing to deliver care to children\". The NAO says that the charity \"followed a consistent pattern of behaviour that we observed in 2002, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2015, each time Kids Company approached the end of a grant term... Kids Company [would] lobby the government for a new funding commitment.\" It continues: \"If officials resisted, the charity would write to ministers expressing fears of redundancies and the impact of service closures. \"Around the same time, Kids Company would express the same concerns in the media. \"Ministers [would] ask officials to review options for funding Kids Company. Officials would award grants to Kids Company.\" The document includes concerns noted by officials which recurred in part or in full throughout its life: officials told ministers in 2002 that Kids Company had been weakly managed, was not well regarded at a local level, that government funds would be put at risk if the charity failed, that a bail-out would set an unhelpful precedent and that there were other investments that could offer better value for money. The NAO published a large table setting out which of these and other concerns were subsequently raised by officials in 2003, 2008, 2013 and 2015. Meg Hillier, chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, said: \"It is unbelievable that over 13 years taxpayers' money has been given to Kids Company with little focus on what it was actually achieving for the children it was supporting. \"Government repeatedly raised concerns about Kids Company's finances but little action was taken. Despite this, government gave it further grants - funded by the taxpayer.\" And so, after a lot of analysis of the charity, the focus of the Kids Company saga now passes to Whitehall and Westminster. As the charity's constant champions, ministers have something to fear. In mid-November, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) expect to question Mr Hancock and Mr Letwin", "summary": "Kids Company won public funding for 13 years from government ministers despite grave reservations repeatedly being raised by civil servants, according to a new report into the now-closed charity by the National Audit Office."}
{"article": "The Pentagon chief also said Pyongyang would be \"grossly overmatched\" in a war against the US and its allies. His stark warning comes a day after President Donald Trump threatened North Korea with \"fire and fury\". US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sought to assure Americans there was no imminent threat. In Wednesday's strongly worded statement, Mr Mattis called on Pyongyang to halt its arms programme. \"The DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) must choose to stop isolating itself and stand down its pursuit of nuclear weapons,\" the US Marine Corps general said. \"While our state department is making every effort to resolve this global threat through diplomatic means, it must be noted that the combined allied militaries now possess the most precise, rehearsed and robust defensive and offensive capabilities on Earth.\" Pyongyang's actions \"will continue to be grossly overmatched by ours and would lose any arms race or conflict it initiates\", Mr Mattis added. Mr Trump - who has said he will not allow Pyongyang to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the US - boasted earlier on Wednesday of America's atomic arsenal. In early morning tweets from New Jersey where he is on holiday, the president said the US nuclear stockpile was \"more powerful than ever before\". He added that he was hopeful \"we will never have to use this power\". End of Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump End of Twitter post 2 by @realDonaldTrump The tweets come amid escalating rhetoric between the two sides. North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency said on Wednesday that Pyongyang was \"carefully examining\" a plan to strike the US territory of Guam. The Pacific island is home to US military bases, strategic bombers and about 163,000 people. Stopping in Guam to refuel after a trip to South East Asia, Mr Tillerson said he was hopeful a global \"pressure campaign\" involving Russia and China could lead to new dialogue with Pyongyang \"about a different future\". America's top diplomat also defended President Trump's language. He said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not understand diplomatic language, and a strong message was needed that he could understand. Mr Tillerson added the situation had not dramatically changed over the last few days, and that Americans \"should sleep well at night\". China has urged calm, describing the situation as \"complex and sensitive\". Anthony Zurcher, BBC senior North America reporter As Donald Trump made his \"fire and fury\" threat against North Korea, the lone camera in the room zoomed in for a tight shot. It would have been telling to see the effect those words had on his advisers. Did they nod knowingly or look surprised? Was this part of the plan or an off-the-cuff presidential remark they'd have to clean up? A day later and thousands of miles away, Rex Tillerson had out his mop and broom. The secretary of state said Mr Trump was merely reasserting that the US would defend itself if attacked, using language North Korea would understand. That's not exactly what the president said, however. He warned of retribution if Kim Jong-un continued to make", "summary": "US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has told North Korea to avoid actions that could usher in the \"end of its regime and the destruction of its people\"."}
{"article": "10 June 2016 Last updated at 08:36 BST Chris Horn, from Newbury in Berkshire, came up with the idea whilst on his tractor and hopes the idea could spread across the UK. He says the business model could help other young farmers but adds that 40% of their revenue goes on licensing fees.", "summary": "A fourth generation farmer has found a novel way to diversify his business by showing movies in his fields."}
{"article": "Pollard bowled a big no-ball when Lewis was on 97 off 32 balls, with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots needing one run to beat Barbados Tridents in the Twenty20 competition. The no-ball gave 25-year-old Lewis' side the win but saw him miss out on the chance of a ton after he and captain Chris Gayle reached 129-0. Cricket statistician and journalist Mazher Arshad said: \"So Kieron Pollard bowls a no-ball to deny Evin Lewis a hundred in CPL. Suraj Randiv was suspended for a match when he did that to [Virender] Sehwag in 2010.\" Cricket supporter Mainraj Paudel called Pollard's actions a \"shameless act\" on Twitter, while another spectator, Abhishek Chaturvedi, accused Pollard of showing \"zero sportsmanship\". Lewis, however, was more diplomatic. In a televised post-match interview, he said: \"It hurts [missing out on the hundred], but hitting 97 not out off 33 balls? I'll take that any day. \"I've been hitting the ball long and hard in the nets. I'm confident now and looking forward to the play-offs.\" If Lewis had completed his century in 33 balls, it would have been the second fastest of all time - just behind Chris Gayle's 30-ball IPL knock in 2013.", "summary": "Kieron Pollard has been criticised on social media after bowling a no-ball which denied opposition batsman Evin Lewis the chance of a century in a Caribbean Premier League match."}
{"article": "The Glasgow number 10 has played just 12 minutes of the championship, coming off the bench in the defeat by Wales. But in the absence of the injured Finn Russell, he has been preferred to Peter Horne, who impressed against France. \"It's tough on him not being selected but it's an opportunity for me,\" said Weir, who wins his 23rd cap in Dublin. \"The coaches have given me confidence this week. They have watched my Glasgow footage and are happy where I am and my development over the last month or so. \"I feel confident in my game at the minute and just need to back it up come Saturday. \"It is a huge honour getting back into the side. I have been here training, so I know the calls and structures, so it is not being thrown in to the deep end as I have been here throughout the championship.\" With Russell still going through concussion return-to-play protocols after receiving a head knock five minutes into the France game, Cotter had the option of continuing with Horne - who he called \"probably a 12-10 rather than a 10-12\" - after he stepped into the fray with aplomb. \"I was just hugely proud of his performance,\" Weir said of his Glasgow team-mate. \"A guy who has not run a rep pretty much the whole tournament at 10 steps up and shows how natural a ball player he is. \"It was great for me to go on and see him run the attack. Being a playmaker at 12, he is always chatting and orchestrating play anyway.\" Having played second fiddle to Russell at club level as well as with the national team, being left out of the match-day 23 for the last two Tests against Italy and France has allowed Weir more game time with Glasgow. He duly delivered two Pro 12 man-of-the-match displays against Newport Gwent Dragons and Cardiff Blues. \"I have been getting a run of games so I feel confident in my form,\" he added. \"Moving onto the ball you have to make better decisions when you have a run of games going. I feel really excited about the opportunity.\" Weir will be tasked with directing an attack - featuring Glasgow team-mates Stuart Hogg, Tommy Seymour and Alex Dunbar - that has produced eight tries so far, only one less than Scotland's best Six Nations tally of nine in 2000. But he is under no illusions that the keys to a third straight victory, which would match Scotland's best-ever Six Nations tally and likely equal their joint-best finish of third, may lie elsewhere. \"Our defence and set-piece will be huge again,\" he added. \"That will be at the front of our minds. Ireland are playing with a lot of width in their attack so we have to be cautious of that and get our spacing right in defence and shut things down and not be too aggressive at times. \"Once we get the ball we have to play at a tempo they can't live with.\"", "summary": "Fly-half Duncan Weir says he is ready to repay the confidence of the Scotland coaches as he prepares for a first Six Nations start of the year in Ireland."}
{"article": "Some 1.5 million vapers are ex-smokers, compared with 1.3 million who still use tobacco, a survey of 12,000 adults for Action on Smoking and Health found. But Ash said the message that vaping was much less harmful than smoking had not yet got through to all smokers. Some nine million still smoke in the UK despite a big rise in e-cigarette use. In 2012, there were 700,000 vapers in the UK; now there are 2.9 million. The main reason ex-smokers give for vaping is to help them stop smoking. Current smokers say they do it principally to reduce the amount they smoke. Scientists say current evidence suggests that the risks of exposure to toxins for e-cigarette users are likely to be low - and much lower than with tobacco. Deborah Arnott, the campaigning health charity's chief executive, said the figures on vapers who had quit smoking were \"excellent news\" but that the rate of people switching to electronic versions had peaked. \"The rapid growth in e-cigarette use has come to an end,\" she said. This is because more than a third of smokers have still never tried e-cigarettes, as a result of concerns about the safety and addictiveness of e-cigarettes. But research suggests that 26% of people think e-cigarettes are more - or equally as - harmful as smoking tobacco while only 13% believe they are a lot less harmful. \"It's very important smokers realise that vaping is much, much less harmful than smoking,\" she added. Ann McNeill, professor of tobacco addiction at King's College London, said: \"The message for the 1.3 million vapers who still smoke is that they need to go further and switch completely.\" People who combine electronic and standard cigarette smoking are still being exposed to the cancer-causing substances in tobacco smoke, increasing their risk of lung cancers, bronchitis and other diseases, although Public Health England believes levels of nicotine in e-cigarettes are unlikely to pose any significant health risk. But critics say there is no convincing evidence that e-cigarettes help people quit smoking and argue they could even encourage non-smokers to start. Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning", "summary": "For the first time, more than half of the UK's electronic-cigarette users have since given up smoking tobacco, a study suggests."}
{"article": "The company, which is based in Stokesley, is building a third fermenter at its site in Billingham to increase production by up to 50%. The deal will create about 100 new jobs during construction then a further 300 to operate the facility. Stockton North Labour MP Alex Cunningham said it was \"tremendous good news\" for local people. The company employs about 600 people and exports to 13 countries around the world including Australia and the USA.", "summary": "About 400 jobs are to be created across Teesside and North Yorkshire thanks to \u00a330m of investment from Quorn Foods."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old, who has not featured for Sunderland this season, could make his debut for the Championship side against QPR on Saturday. The former Chelsea trainee is the first player to join Leeds since Steve Evans was appointed head coach last month. Meanwhile, the Black Cats have recalled winger Will Buckley, 26, from his loan spell with the Elland Road side. Buckley joined the club on a three-month loan in October, but has not played in any of the club's last four matches.", "summary": "Leeds United have signed Sunderland midfielder Liam Bridcutt on loan until the start of January."}
{"article": "In a nerve-stricken performance, Boreham Wood struggled to create anything at a quiet Meadow Park. The Silkmen had the game's best chances, as Chris Holroyd tested Boreham Wood's James Russell before Kristian Dennis fired wide. Harry White had the Wood's best chance, shooting over the bar as neither side could break the deadlock.", "summary": "Boreham Wood's 0-0 draw at home to Macclesfield saw them fall into the National League relegation zone."}
{"article": "After defeats in their past two League One games, Phil Brown's side took an early lead from the penalty spot when Simon Cox fired home. Southend remain one spot and one point outside the play-off places after sixth-placed Millwall overcame Northampton, while defeat leaves Chesterfield nine points from safety with thee games remaining. Anthony Wordsworth and Cox breached the static Spireites defence in the second half to kill the contest, while Marc-Antoine Fortune made it four with his first touch after coming off the bench. Just before the break Dion Donohue was dismissed for a foul on Jason Demetriou to add to Chesterfield's woes. Cox was the man that earned and scored Southend's 15th-minute penalty. On the ball, he stood firm as goalkeeper Thorsten Stuckmann scampered towards him and when contact was made the referee had an easy decision to make and the spot-kick was duly converted. Poor defending contributed to United's three second-half goals, Wordsworth converting a Demetriou cross while Cox took advantage of some solid Will Atkinson work before Fortune slipped through a shell-shocked defence to complete the scoring. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Chesterfield 0, Southend United 4. Second Half ends, Chesterfield 0, Southend United 4. Corner, Southend United. Conceded by Tom Anderson. Attempt blocked. Theo Robinson (Southend United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Corner, Southend United. Conceded by Paul McGinn. Attempt missed. Liam Grimshaw (Chesterfield) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is just a bit too high. Foul by Paul McGinn (Chesterfield). Stephen McLaughlin (Southend United) wins a free kick on the right wing. Attempt missed. Michael Timlin (Southend United) left footed shot from more than 35 yards is high and wide to the left. Liam Grimshaw (Chesterfield) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Michael Timlin (Southend United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Liam Grimshaw (Chesterfield). (Southend United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (Chesterfield). Attempt missed. Anthony Wordsworth (Southend United) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Stephen McLaughlin (Southend United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Paul McGinn (Chesterfield). Substitution, Chesterfield. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake replaces Kristian Dennis. Substitution, Southend United. Theo Robinson replaces Simon Cox. Goal! Chesterfield 0, Southend United 4. Marc-Antoine Fortun\u00e9 (Southend United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Anthony Wordsworth. Substitution, Southend United. Marc-Antoine Fortun\u00e9 replaces Nile Ranger. Substitution, Chesterfield. Liam Grimshaw replaces Joe Rowley. Substitution, Southend United. Zavon Hines replaces Will Atkinson. Goal! Chesterfield 0, Southend United 3. Simon Cox (Southend United) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Attempt blocked. Michael Timlin (Southend United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt missed. Anthony Wordsworth (Southend United) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt blocked. Jason Demetriou (Southend United) right footed shot", "summary": "Southend got their play-off challenge back on track with a comfortable win at 10-man Chesterfield, who are all-but relegated."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old has been linked with a move away from the Rec after his father Mike was sacked as head coach last May. Ford is under contract at Bath until 2018, but is understood to have a break clause in that deal for this summer and Sale are keen to talk to him. \"If we get an opportunity we will,\" Diamond told BBC Sport. \"He's still in contract with Bath so we don't know where that is up to.\" Asked if their current 10th-placed position in the Premiership could affect any offer to Oldham-born Ford, Diamond responded: \"No, as people come for money and ambition, and if you've got the money then you've got the ambition - Wasps are a good example.\" Sale signed USA international AJ MacGinty and Dan Mugford from Nottingham this season after Danny Cipriani moved to Wasps and George's older brother Joe left for Yorkshire Carnegie. However, outside centre Sam James currently is playing at 10 for Sale who are on a run of nine defeats in a row in all competitions. Meanwhile, Castleford Tigers have claimed they should receive \u00a3500,000 in compensation after Sale signed winger Denny Solomona, who has scored four tries in four games since his rugby union debut. Solomona was under contract with the Super League outfit until 2018 but left them to sign a three-year deal at Sale. Cas have launched legal action against the Sharks, Solomona and his agent Andy Clark. \"They openly said we'd made them an offer which was substantially more than what Warrington Wolves had offered them and they rejected that,\" added Diamond. \"We feel vindicated by what we have done as we signed a player after he resigned and they'd sacked him. \"Castleford's claim is 10 times what he was earning. Maybe they should have thought of that and paid him what he is worth one would suggest.\"", "summary": "Sale have yet to speak to England and Bath fly-half George Ford over a potential move, says Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond."}
{"article": "Zakariya Ashiq, 20, from Coventry, was found guilty of two counts of preparing acts of terrorism at the Old Bailey on Tuesday. He was arrested at Heathrow Airport in November after failing to cross into Syria from Jordan. He admitted trying to get to Syria but said he had been forced to leave the UK because he was being \"harassed\" by MI5.", "summary": "A British man who attempted to join Islamic State in Syria has been jailed for six years."}
{"article": "The Binos parted company with McLaren on Saturday after a 4-0 home defeat to Elgin City. That loss left them second bottom of Scottish League Two. \"No one could have worked harder than Stuart and I wish him every success in the future,\" said chairman Stuart Brown on the official website. Former Stirling player McLaren was appointed boss in November 2014 following a spell managing Australian side Brisbane Strikers. However, he could not save them from relegation, and they finished seventh last season.", "summary": "Stirling Albion have have appointed Martyn Corrigan as caretaker manager as they search for a replacement for Stuart McLaren."}
{"article": "Toulon's Halfpenny, 27, has started at full-back in the autumn internationals against Australia and Argentina, with Wales to host Japan on Saturday. Williams says Scarlets' Liam Williams should move over to full-back instead. \"I used to enjoy playing on the opposite wing to Leigh and he used to score a lot of tries and create a lot of opportunities,\" Williams said. \"For that reason I'd love to see Leigh back on the wing. Media playback is not supported on this device \"Liam Williams is playing with such confidence at the moment you could put him in any position and he would still perform.\" Liam Williams missed Wales' defeat to Australia through injury but started on the wing and scored his side's first try in the win over Argentina last Saturday. Wales host Japan in their third game of the autumn series at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, with interim coach Rob Howley considering resting players. Howley has hinted Ospreys wing Keelan Giles could win his first senior cap against Japan and Shane Williams believes the 18-year-old should be given his chance. \"I think a game against a team like Japan would suit Keelan,\" said Williams, who has been inducted into World Rugby's Hall of Fame. \"I think it will be an open game and probably more chances and room for him to create than there would have been against Australia and Argentina. \"Perhaps it's time Wales take the shackles off him and let us see what he can do. \"He's a great players that's only going to get better.\"", "summary": "Wales' record try-scorer Shane Williams wants to see Leigh Halfpenny starting back on the wing."}
{"article": "About 40,000 high-strength painkillers were recovered in Craigavon at one of three locations searched by police on Wednesday. Two men have been arrested. A police spokeswoman said it was dangerous to take such drugs without a prescription. Officers were \"relieved that such a significant quantity has been removed from circulation\", she added.", "summary": "A substantial amount of prescription medication, believed to be stolen, has been recovered by police in County Armagh."}
{"article": "The position, in her Edmonton constituency office, will now be re-advertised with a \u00c2\u00a39.40 an hour salary. \"Kate does not believe in paying anyone less than the London Living Wage,\" a spokeswoman said. Ms Osamor, who was promoted to Labour's front bench in Jeremy Corbyn's reshuffle, campaigns against low pay. The original advertisement, on the W4MP jobs board, for a constituency intern, listed responsibilities including \" community-based projects relating to the constituency\", gathering and evaluating data and \"general administrative support\". It asked for degree-level qualifications, \"enthusiasm\" and \"commitment to the full duration of the role\". The salary was listed as \"expenses\" and it was described as a \"voluntary role\". The advert was withdrawn after Ms Osamor, who entered Parliament in May's general election, came under fire from campaigners in an International Business Times article. Tanya De Grunwald, a campaigner for fair internships and founder of careers website Graduate Fog it was \"astonishing\" that MPs were still failing to connect the dots between their political principles and their own hiring practices. Ms De Grunwald said it was \"great\" that the ad had been taken down but she said it was \"disappointing that mistakes like this are still happening when surely everyone is aware of how unfair unpaid internships are by now. When you post an ad for an unpaid role you should know in your gut that it's wrong.\" She said MPs needed to \"sort out proper processes for hiring these roles so errors and misunderstandings like this can't happen\".", "summary": "Labour's shadow equality minister Kate Osamor has withdrawn an advert for an unpaid intern blaming a \"misunderstanding\" in her office."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old United States midfielder played 45 times for Hearts since joining them in March 2016 from DC United but at the tail end of last season found himself out of favour under head coach Ian Cathro. He joins Randers on a two-year deal. Of the side who finished seventh last season, Kitchen said: \"It's a really good opportunity for me at this time.\" New Hearts signing Ashley Smith-Brown limped off after only 27 minutes of his first outing for the Edinburgh side, a 1-0 friendly defeat by St Patrick's Athletic. But Cathro said the on-loan Manchester City left-back, who had himself come on as a half-time substitute, was replaced with 21-year-old Angus Beith as a purely precautionary measure. \"He just felt something when he turned and this is a point in the season where you just don't need to take any risks,\" said the head coach. \"We'll just manage that and make sure it's okay. \"Pre-season is about building our conditioning and also about trying to avoid injury as best we can.\" Fellow new signing Kyle Lafferty also made his first appearance in a Hearts shirt after being introduced with quarter of an hour left. Cathro revealed he will treat the Northern Ireland striker, who has started just 22 club games in the last three seasons, cautiously as he looks to build up his fitness. \"It was important that Kyle got minutes,\" he said. \"He's not had anywhere near as many training sessions as everyone else, so we're just going gradually with that. \"But it was good for him to get on to the pitch and we'll go step by step to build him up. \"We played against a team that's pretty much in the full flow of their season, so it's a really good match.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Hearts have announced that their captain, Perry Kitchen, has moved to Danish Superliga club Randers."}
{"article": "Ian Elliott is head coach for the City of Coventry Water Polo teams, which compete at the highest national and European levels. He said the teams were \"under threat\" from the proposed pool changes. Coventry City Council said it was considering the inclusion of a 50m pool in its new site proposal. Ed Ruane, cabinet member for sport at the council, said the current facility costs \u00c2\u00a32,000 a day to run. The council believes the existing Fairfax Street sport centre is no longer fit for purpose. Instead it is proposing a new 25m water park. Mr Elliott said the city's teams had been \"supported strongly by Coventry City Council\" but did not want to lose the current pool, which \"is ideal for water polo\". The pool is home to water polo teams for youths and seniors of both sexes. They currently have two girls in the academy GB squad and six youths in British water polo regional training. Charlotte Noble, goalkeeper for the ladies team, said: \"Hopefully people can realise how important the pool is to us.\" Water polo is just one of the activities that could be affected by the pool closure. Earl Radtschenko, 17, from Coventry, is a swimmer who hopes to represent Britain in the Rio Olympics. He said: \"I believe the desire to succeed comes from within, but having a 50m pool and an Olympic coach in Coventry has certainly helped.\" Adam Ruckwood, the City of Coventry Swimming Club's head coach and a former Olympian, said some swimmers would have to leave the club if the facility closed, \"which would be an absolute tragedy\".", "summary": "The closure of the only 50m swimming pool in the West Midlands, could threaten the future of a successful Coventry sport, a coach has said."}
{"article": "They were named artists of the year and also took home album of the year and favourite pop/rock album. \"This has been a real perfect day... America feels like a second home to us,\" said Liam Payne. Katy Perry, who did not appear at the ceremony in Los Angeles, also won three awards, including one for best single for Dark Horse featuring Juicy J. The awards, many of which are decided by a fan vote, also saw Taylor Swift speak out again in defence of traditional models of music distribution. The singer, who was presented the Dick Clark award for excellence by Motown musician Diana Ross, thanked fans for acknowledging her campaign. \"What you did by going out and investing in music and albums is you're saying that you believe in the same thing that I believe in - that music is valuable and that music should be consumed in albums, and albums should be consumed as art and appreciated,\" she said. After the release of 1989, Swift removed all of her albums from Spotify, saying the streaming service devalued music and did not pay artists enough. Iggy Azalea beat the likes of Eminem and Drake to the title of favourite rap/hip hop artist. \"This award is the first award I've ever won in my entire life, and it means so much to me that it is for best hip hop because that's what inspired me to move to America and pursue my dreams, and it's what helped me when I was a teenager to escape and to get through my life and to better times,\" the 24-year-old said. \"And it means so much that I can stand here against Eminem and Drake and come out with this.\" Calvin Harris and Sam Smith took home favourite artist awards in the EDM and pop/rock categories. Frozen was named best soundtrack. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "One Direction have topped the winners list at the American Music Awards, taking home a total of three prizes."}
{"article": "The security breach by Norfolk County Council came to light in April 2014 when the cabinet was bought and the social work case files were found. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said the documents included information relating to seven children. The ICO said the council had \"no good reason\" for breaching confidentiality. More news from Norfolk The council apologised for the data breach and said it had tightened procedures. Steve Eckersley, ICO head of enforcement, said: \"The council had disposed of some furniture as part of an office move but had failed to ensure that the cabinets were empty before disposal. \"Councils have a duty to look after any personal information they hold, all the more so when highly sensitive information is concerned - in particular about adults and children in vulnerable circumstances. \"For no good reason Norfolk County Council appears to have overlooked the need to ensure it had robust measures in place to protect this information. \"It should have had a written procedure in place which made it clear that any storage items removed from the office which may have contained personal were thoroughly checked before disposal.\" The ICO added that having the \"appropriate staff and procedures in place is key to ensuring councils look after personal information properly\". Simon George, executive director for finance and commercial services at the council, said: \"We want to reassure residents that we have robust data protection procedures and have tightened practice in the light of the case published today. \"As a council we take data protection very seriously and we are very sorry that our practice fell short on this occasion. \"In the three years since this occurred, we have taken strong and effective action to ensure it is not repeated.\" The county council was fined \u00c2\u00a380,000 in February 2012 by the ICO after a confidential social worker report was sent to the wrong address.", "summary": "A council has been fined \u00c2\u00a360,000 for leaving confidential files about vulnerable children in a cabinet which was sent to a second-hand shop."}
{"article": "It is the first major competition the venue has hosted since under-going a post-Games makeover. The venue looks amazing and we can't wait to get diving Diver Daley relocated from Plymouth to the centre earlier this year and is part of a nine-strong GB squad. \"It's the first time the whole team has been back here and it's going to be pretty special,\" he told BBC Sport. The venue, which hosted all of the aquatic disciplines at the London Games apart from water polo, cost more than \u00a3250m to build and had its capacity reduced from 18,000 to around 2,500 before it was re-opened to the public in February. Although long-term Chinese rival Qui Bo is missing the event, Daley will face tough opposition in the form of US Olympic gold medallist David Boudia and world synchro champion Sascha Klein of Germany. Media playback is not supported on this device Daley is currently without a partner for the 10m synchronised platform competition and likely to skip the event at the Commonwealth Games, so teenage duo Daniel Goodfellow and Matty Lee lead the British challenge in the event. \"It's our first time in the pool as we weren't in the team for the Olympics, so we're really excited,\" Goodfellow told BBC Sport. Lee, who has won two World Series bronze medals with his team-mate so far this season, added: \"Our partnership has clicked really quickly and we have a great relationship, which I think is behind our success so far.\" Two-time Olympian Tonia Couch dislocated her knee earlier this year but returned for the season-opening World series event in Beijing, where she won bronze. She will compete in both the individual 10m platform event and the synchronised competition with Sarah Barrow. Friday: 12:00 - women's 10m synchro final (Tonia Couch and Sarah Barrow) and men's 10m synchro final (Matty Lee and Daniel Goodfellow) 19:00 - women's 3m syncho final (Rebecca Gallantree and Alicia Blagg) and men's 3m synchro final (Jack Laugher and Chris Mears) Saturday: 18:00 - women's 3m springboard final (Hannah Starling) and men's 3m springboard final (Jack Laugher) Sunday: 18:00 - women's 10m platform final (Sarah Barrow and Tonia Couch) and men's 10m platform final (Tom Daley) The event will also see 3m springboard divers Jack Laugher and Chris Mears make their long-awaited competitive debut as a pair. They teamed up after last year's World Championships, where Mears finished eighth with Nick Robinson-Baker, but he slipped in their opening training session and only recently returned to training after suffering problems with both ankles. \"I was in a wheelchair for a few months, which wasn't ideal, but Jack and I practically live together and have a really close relationship which will hopefully make us a force to be reckoned with,\" he said. Rebecca Gallantree, who narrowly missed out on an individual medal in the Dubai leg of the series last month, will be partnered by Hannah Starling in the 3m springboard synchro final as her regular partner, Alicia Blagg, is injured.", "summary": "Tom Daley will compete at the London Aquatics Centre for the first time since claiming Olympic bronze when he takes part in the World Series event."}
{"article": "The left-wing MP, who has gone from outsider to frontrunner, said Saturday was not the end of inspiration for the campaign, but the \"staging post\". It comes as some of his rival candidates appeared to concede victory. Unite union boss Len McCluskey said the MP had \"already won\" in his eyes, as he had \"lit up\" the Labour movement. \"Jeremy, in that calm fashion, seems to have touched a pulse, and that pulse is about people rejecting the constant downbeat austerity message that's been coming out of politics for 35 years,\" he told the BBC. Mr Corbyn is up against shadow health secretary Andy Burnham, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper and shadow health minister Liz Kendall for the top job. He was a last-minute addition to the ballot after some Labour MPs \"lent\" him their nomination, saying they wanted to broaden the debate. But the popularity of Mr Corbyn's campaign has fuelled a bitter row within the party over the its future direction, with warnings from his rival candidates and senior figures, including former prime minister Tony Blair, against a shift to the left. Attending his 99th rally, held in the Islington North constituency in London which he has represented since 1983, Mr Corbyn said his campaign had been one of \"hope\" and \"optimism\" and promised to \"change politics\". He told supporters: \"This inspiration that's been the last 100 days doesn't end on Saturday. Saturday is simply one staging post in it. \"We change politics in Britain, we challenge the narrative that only the individual matters... and instead we say the common good is the aspiration of all of us.\" The MP said he looked forward to Saturday with \"interest, if not some anticipation\". Ahead of the event, the bookies' favourite in the contest told Channel 4 News he was not \"scared\" at the prospect of taking on his party's top job. He also said he was \"extremely confident\" of being able to build a shadow cabinet, saying: \"I've had many discussions with people already about how we are going to take these things forward.\" Mr Corbyn's speech came hours after voting in the Labour leadership closed, bringing three months of campaigning by the candidates to an end. In an email to supporters, Mr Burnham said he had an \"outside but realistic chance\" of winning the contest, and that getting this far was \"a real achievement\". BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said it was seen by some of his supporters as an admission of defeat - but a campaign source said this was \"categorically not\" the case. Mr Burnham also said \"thousands of ordinary, decent party members are now worried about where we are heading\". In the closing speech of her campaign, Ms Kendall - who has stressed the need for Labour to appeal to a broader section of the electorate - said she may have been \"too blunt\" at times. She added: \"But my view is that in politics, as in life, you cannot deal with problems by ignoring or avoiding them.\" The contest has been plagued by internal rows over", "summary": "Labour leadership hopeful Jeremy Corbyn has thanked his supporters at a final rally before the result of the three-month contest is announced."}
{"article": "The merger would create the world's largest airline. As part of the agreement, which must still be approved by a judge, the airlines will give up slots at several US airports. The two companies argued the consolidation was necessary to their survival. The US Justice Department had sued to stop the $11bn (\u00c2\u00a36.9bn) merger in August, arguing it would reduce competition and result in higher prices for consumers. \"This agreement has the potential to shift the landscape of the airline industry...[and] ensures airline passengers will see more competition on nonstop and connecting routes throughout the country,\" said Attorney General Eric Holder in a statement. The two airlines will each give up 57 slots to low-cost carrier airlines at Ronald Reagan International Airport in Washington DC and 34 slots at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York City. The companies say this will result in 44 fewer daily departures at Reagan and 12 fewer daily departures at LGA - a fraction of the close to 400 daily flights that the airlines operate from those two airports. \"They dominated Reagan Airport, that's why they had the Department of Justice concerned,\" Ray Neidl, an airline analyst at Nexa Capital, told the BBC, who said that giving up slots at the airport was an unsurprising part of the agreement. \"It was better than litigating,\" he added. An additional two slots each at Boston Logan International, Chicago O'Hare International, Dallas Love Field, Los Angeles International and Miami International airports will be released. The slots will be given to low cost airlines like JetBlue and Southwest. \"This agreement allows us to take the final steps in creating the new American Airlines,\" said Tom Horton, head of American Airline's parent corporation, AMR, in a statement. The company now says it expects the merger to be finalised in December 2013. AMR Corp has been in a bankruptcy restructuring for two years and it is hoped that once the merger is finalised, the company will be able to complete its turnaround. Shares in US Airways traded 3.5% higher before being halted on pending news. They were lower once the specifics of the deal had been announced. The anti-trust trial had been scheduled to start later this month. The US Justice Department had been joined by the attorneys-general of Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Tennessee, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, but all have agreed to the proposed settlement.", "summary": "American Airlines and US Airways have settled an anti-trust suit with US regulators, paving the way for their proposed merger to be finalised."}
{"article": "8 May 2017 Last updated at 15:13 BST Emmanuel Macron won to become the country's youngest president at 39-years-old. He beat rival Marine Le Pen comfortably. Jenny spoke to two kids in Paris to find out what they think of the result.", "summary": "The people of France had a big vote on Sunday to decide who they want to run their country for the next five years."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device In the 40 previous editions only twice has a team trailing by more than two points after the first two days come back to win. But with late swings on Saturday evening giving the USA a 9\u00bd-6\u00bd lead going into the final afternoon, Europe will need to win at least seven and-a-half of the 12 points on offer to hang on to a trophy they have lost only once in the last 14 years. Rory McIlroy will lead the attempted fight-back in an alluring match-up against Patrick Reed, before Open champion Henrik Stenson takes on Jordan Spieth and Thomas Pieters plays JB Holmes. A European comeback is not impossible - at Medinah in 2012 they had trailed 10-4 late on the Saturday, and began the singles four down before storming through for a famous victory. Team talisman McIlroy has led the European charge superbly thus far, winning three points from a possible four, and his foursomes and fourball partner Pieters has also been in the sort of dead-eyed form that belies his rookie status. Yet with the other two of captain Darren Clarke's wildcards, Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood, struggling to justify their selection and the US inspired by the stunning performance of the pugnacious Reed, home captain Davis Love will know that his team has a wonderful chance to win only their third Ryder Cup in the last 21 years. All 12 of Love's players won points in the first two days, while five of Clarke's - Kaymer, Westwood, Danny Willet, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Andy Sullivan - are yet to score. Clarke, who won four of his five Cups as a player and was a vice-captain at Medinah in 2012, remains defiant despite the disappointment of losing Saturday afternoon's fourballs session 3-1 when at the midway point it had looked as if Europe might have reversed that score. He said: \"We're going to have to work hard and play very, very well, but it's been done before from a worse position - we have a big task ahead of us, but the guys are capable of doing it. \"With the team that's here this week, I don't need to pick them up. Those guys fully believe that they have the talent and the desire to put a result in.\" Love was the US captain on that stunning afternoon at Medinah, one of many high-profile US golfers so scarred by the succession of recent defeats that they set up an 11-man task-force to put it right this time. With only five points required from the 12 on offer on Sunday he is close to achieving that goal and the raucous capacity crowds around this long course are likely to once again offer the most passionate and partisan of support as Clarke puts his big hitters out early. Love said: \"I've obviously been around a lot of teams so it was no secret that they (Europe) were going to load the boat. \"So our problem, was we say, all right, we're going to put the", "summary": "Europe must scale a mountain if not find another miracle to match that of four years ago if they are to retain the Ryder Cup on Sunday."}
{"article": "Reckitt Benckiser (RB) confirmed the plastic bottles were used for the stain removal product Vanish. Bottles started arriving at Poldhu Cove on the Lizard on Sunday before more arrived at Porthleven on Friday. The firm said the bottles came from a container lost at sea off a ship in 2015. RB said it was \"providing all the agencies involved in the clear up with logistical and financial support\". Volunteers and staff from Culdrose Naval Air Station carried out another clean up on Friday at Poldhu beach. Cornwall Council said 18,720 bottles were being transported in the container, of which approximately half have already been accounted for. It is thought the vessel lost the container near Land's End in May.", "summary": "A global firm has admitted responsibility for thousands of pink bottles washing up around the coast of Cornwall."}
{"article": "Lemmy Milne, Alexander Middleton and Grant Fender admitted facing off with Aberdeen fans before the Dundee United against Aberdeen match on 13 December. Dundee Sheriff Court was told a \"ruckus\" had broken out at the Snug Bar, and police dogs were deployed. Milne, 17, Middleton, 41, and Fender, 29, will be sentenced later this month. Fiscal depute Alex Piper told the court that a \"large group\" of Aberdeen fans had arrived at the Snug, where Dundee United supporters were drinking, prior to the match at nearby Tannadice Stadium. She said: \"A ruckus happened inside where there was a confrontation that spilled out into the street. \"Police arrived almost immediately. There were people lunging at each other, threats of violence and aggressive behaviour on both sides in the street. \"Police kept them apart but a number of civilians were trapped. Police dogs had to be brought in to keep the peace.\" The three men, all of Dundee, pleaded guilty to charges under the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act of \"engaging in behaviour that is likely or would be likely to incite public disorder by forming part of a disorderly crowd and repeatedly attempting to engage in violence with rival fans\". Sheriff George Way deferred sentence until later in the month for background reports.", "summary": "Three men have admitted attempting to incite violence with rival football fans on the day of a Scottish Premiership match in Dundee."}
{"article": "The Scots head to Italy aiming for a first championship victory since they won in Rome, 21-20, in February 2014. \"The belief is still there amongst the squad,\" said Bennett, 23. \"We all know we can go on and win the next three games. There is no reason why we can't. It is just about taking that first step.\" After Saturday's match in Rome, Scotland host France on Sunday, 13 March before completing their campaign away to Ireland on the final day of the championship, 19 March. They have only ever won three matches in a single Six Nations campaign once, back in 2006, and have not beaten France in their last 10 meetings since that year. Scotland have won five of their last six meetings with Italy, including home and away victories in warm-up Tests before last year's World Cup, but have lost on five of their eight Six Nations visits to Rome. Head coach Vern Cotter is set to make several changes after the 27-23 defeat by Wales when he confirms his match-day squad on Thursday. Glasgow flanker Ryan Wilson could return after being omitted from the initial Six Nations squad, while Harlequins wing Tim Visser and Glasgow centre Peter Horne are also in contention after recovering from injury problems. Full-back Stuart Hogg (back) and wing Tommy Seymour (ankle) are set to be passed fit after suffering knocks in Cardiff, while Duncan Taylor could retain the number 12 jersey ahead of fit-again Matt Scott after a strong outing against Wales. \"He [Taylor] was very easy to play alongside,\" added Bennett, still searching for his first Six Nations victory after seven attempts. \"He is very vocal so he makes my job a lot easier when you know exactly what he is doing. \"I also think the fact he is very relaxed as a person helps, so he is quite a calming influence to be around.\" Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Centre Mark Bennett is confident Scotland can end their nine-game Six Nations losing run and win their final three games of this year's tournament."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Irishwoman Taylor, bidding to win a sixth consecutive World title, lost a split decision against France's Estelle Mossely in Kazakhstan. Taylor, 29, was given all four rounds by one judge but the other two judges handed Mossely a countback victory. The Bray fighter takes bronze but does secure Rio Olympics qualification. Taylor's domination of the 60kg division was dented last month by a unanimous points defeat by Azerbaijan's Yana Alekseevna at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Turkey. The Irish boxer hadn't lost a fight at the world championships since 2005 when she was defeated by North Korea's Kang Kum-Hui in the quarter-finals. The judging appeared decidedly confusing during Thursday's contest with Taylor given the third round on all three cards despite the Frenchwoman appearing to dominate the round. Taylor then appeared to edge the final round only for two of the judges to plump for Mossely. That left Taylor a 40-36 winner on one of the cards while the two judges that marked the contest 38-38 gave Mossely a countback victory. The Irishwoman had beaten Mossely in their three previous contests. Irish light-welterweight Kellie Harrington is through to the final of the World Championships after an emphatic semi-final victory over Canada's Sara Cali in Kazakhstan. The Dublin fighter is guaranteed at least a silver medal ahead of Friday's final against China's Wenlu Yang in the non-Olympic weight.", "summary": "London 2012 gold medallist Katie Taylor suffered a second defeat in six weeks as she was beaten in the World Championship lightweight semi-finals."}
{"article": "Crolla, 28, who also broke his ankle in two places, has had his January WBA world lightweight title bout cancelled. \"He was in bits in the hospital,\" Gallagher told BBC Radio 5 live. \"His world title dreams are in tatters. \"The more I think about it, he is lucky to be alive. Unbelievable.\" Promoter Eddie Hearn told BBC Sport the Manchester-based boxer was in a \"stable condition\" and that he was in talks to try and reschedule the world title fight. Police confirmed that a 28-year-old man was left with a fractured skull after being struck \"with a heavy object\" when chasing burglars he had spotted leaving his neighbours' home. Detective sergeant Richard Arthern of Greater Manchester Police said: \"Thankfully he is recovering well in hospital.\" Trainer Gallagher added: \"The next-door neighbours were being burgled, and the burglars came into his garden. He gave chase and apprehended one of them. \"The other one lifted a slab of concrete and hit him with it, and he fell and broke his ankle. \"He is in bits and heartbroken.\" Crolla, who has won 29 of his 35 professional fights, will need to have surgery on his ankle, Gallagher said. Crolla was set for the biggest bout of his eight-year professional career in Manchester on 23 January against WBA champion Richar Abril, 32, from Cuba. Hearn added: \"Unfortunately the 23 January fight is off but our concerns right now are with Ant and his family. \"I'm devastated for him. He has been training for six weeks for this and has a shot at the world title in his home town. \"I have spoken to Richar Abril's team and we are trying to reschedule the fight.\"", "summary": "Anthony Crolla is \"lucky to be alive\" after suffering a fractured skull when he was hit by what his trainer Joe Gallagher said was a concrete slab as the boxer confronted burglars."}
{"article": "Joleon Lescott's headed goal at the end of a dire first half was Villa's first attempt on target. Gabriel Agbonlahor doubled the lead after the break, stroking home after Declan Rudd misjudged Jordan Veretout's through ball. Norwich, for whom this was a fifth defeat in a row, are now 18th. Newcastle's 1-0 home victory over West Brom saw them leapfrog Alex Neil's side, who haven't won since 2 January. Re-live Aston Villa v Norwich Follow reaction to Saturday's games With 13 matches left to play, the distance between Villa and safety is eight points. The Premier League's bottom club face an almost impossible task to haul themselves out of the relegation zone, but who knows what could happen with a bit of confidence? That was in short supply in the first half. Lescott's downward header from Carles Gil's free-kick went in via two deflections - a scruffy goal typical of a poor opening 45 minutes. After Agbonlahor's second there was much greater fluency though, and few of the nerves you might expect of a side with just two wins from 24 games. Norwich made three attacking substitutions as the game wore on, but Villa defended soundly and could have added a third had Leandro Bacuna not blazed wildly over. Two weeks ago in the early kick-off, Norwich saw a 3-1 lead over Liverpool transformed into a 5-4 loss when seeking a much-needed win following defeats by Stoke and Bournemouth. The Canaries were resoundingly beaten by Tottenham in midweek, and now find themselves in serious trouble despite a positive start to the campaign. Their defending was their undoing at Villa Park. The shape of the back line and Rudd's decision to come off his line for Agbonlahor's second goal was particularly poor, but nor did they offer much of an attacking threat. Sebastien Bassong saw a downward header bounce over the bar, Dieumerci Mbokani's tame efforts were easy to deal with, and Steven Naismith was bright without creating too much danger. Patrick Bamford - who came on for his Norwich debut - was denied by Jores Okore's brilliant saving challenge, but had the Chelsea loanee turned in with just minutes to play it surely would only have been a consolation. Aston Villa manager Remi Garde: \"Football is strange. Today we didn't play as well as in some games that we lost. Our football is improving, not only today but for a while now, but we haven't been getting what we deserve. \"We are still a way away from where we would like to be but we still believe. The way the players fought on the field today means a lot to me. Media playback is not supported on this device \"Everyone was very committed, and behaving in that way we still have a chance.\" Norwich manager Alex Neil: \"Goals change games. The first was poor defending from us, and before that we had opportunities to score but didn't take them. Media playback is not supported on this device \"We didn't defend our box from a set piece, and we gifted the second goal", "summary": "Aston Villa moved to within eight points of Premier League safety with their third win of the season as Norwich slipped into the bottom three."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Scottish brothers beat Steve Darcis and David Goffin 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-2 to put the visitors 2-1 up in Ghent. Britain require one win from Sunday's reverse singles matches to secure their first Davis Cup victory since 1936. Andy Murray will play Goffin, with Kyle Edmund scheduled to face Ruben Bemelmans in the final match. Captains can change their nominations up until one hour before the 12:00 GMT start on Sunday, and Britain's Leon Smith could bring in James Ward for Edmund if it comes down to a fifth rubber. Andy Murray: \"I will prepare like any other match for tomorrow. Goffin is a world-class player and with the crowd behind him it will be a difficult match. We have two chances to try and win it tomorrow and if you had offered us that at the start we would have taken it.\" Jamie Murray: \"There was so much noise, it was mental. We were shouting to each other at times but it's brilliant, and it's what you expect with so many passionate fans here for the final.\" Leon Smith: \"There was a lot of stress and tension. Picking Goffin didn't surprise us and we knew it would be a dogfight but our boys played better throughout and produced an excellent performance yet again.\" Belgian captain Johan van Herck: \"It's a difficult day tomorrow. But as a team we have to believe, we have to stand up, we have to fight.\" Andy Murray punched the air while his brother exhaled in relief after the brothers won a tense encounter, and made it nine points in a row for the Murray family in this year's Davis Cup. Van Herck had sprung something of a surprise by bringing in Goffin, a player with little doubles experience, and leaving out Davis Cup regular Bemelmans. \"We decided this morning after the warm-up,\" said the captain. \"My first plan was always to play David and Steve, but I wanted to see how David got out of his [singles] match. \"It was not for us the best tactic to go and play at the net and play real doubles, because I think the British were better. So we wanted to play from the back and make them play a lot of points. \"For sure, during the first three sets, we showed why it was the right tactic to do.\" After two tight opening sets were shared it appeared as though the Belgian captain might have pulled off a masterstroke with his selection when a flashing Darcis return put the hosts a break up in the third. The majority of the very loud 13,000 spectators shook the Flanders Expo to its foundations, but their joy was short-lived. Jamie, the elder brother by a year at 29, had excelled in previous rounds against France and Australia but he struggled for the first hour and a half on Saturday. His serve was especially vulnerable, but he pounced at the net to level at 2-2 and the contest shifted decisively in Britain's favour.", "summary": "Great Britain are one win from a first Davis Cup title in 79 years following Andy and Jamie Murray's doubles victory against Belgium."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Panthers, who also won the Challenge Cup this season, led at the end of the first period thanks to a fierce hit by Stephen Schultz from the blue line. Blaze goaltender Brian Stewart made numerous saves to keep his side in the match going into the closing stages. But Schultz teed up Kevin Quick to fire the second into the roof of the net. Panthers keeper Miika Wiikman was then able to see out a 30-save shut-out, most notable for fine saves from Ashley Tait and Mike Quesnele. However, Nottingham were good value for their victory and could easily have won by a greater margin had it not been for Stewart. The Canadian also saved short-handed breakaways from Brad Moran and Evan Mosey and made an incredible stop to thwart Juraj Kolnik. Earlier, Cardiff Devils thrashed Fife Flyers 6-0 in the third and fourth place play-off.", "summary": "Nottingham Panthers secured their fifth play-off title of the Elite League era by beating Coventry Blaze in a nervy final at the National Ice Centre."}
{"article": "The top flight has been without a backer since May 2013. Speaking at a Scottish Football Association convention, Hearn said: \"If you worked for me you'd be sacked. You have so much good in Scottish football, so many positive things, but you don't sell yourself. \"You don't do enough for yourselves. I'm seeing too much self pity.\" The SPFL, which covers all four senior divisions, was established just before the 2013-14 season but has yet to attract a title sponsor. \"You've been in the shadow of the English Premier League and you've almost given up to be honest,\" said Hearn, the chairman of World Snooker and the Professional Darts Corporation and former owner of English League One club Leyton Orient. \"That's a bit brutal and it is a generalisation, but if you don't believe in yourself, how on earth can anyone else believe in you?\" Hearn also insists the ban on alcohol in football grounds should be lifted for the good of the Scottish game. \"It's archaic in today's world for a customer not to be able to buy an alcoholic beverage at a function or a sporting event,\" he continued. Lifting the alcohol ban, introduced after trouble at the 1980 Scottish Cup final between Celtic and Rangers, was one of a number of suggestions from Hearn to help improve the customer experience in Scottish football. \"What you have to do is make sure fans behave themselves,\" he said. \"That's a security issue for you. If you can't keep your establishment secure, there should be no booze, but you shouldn't have a blanket ban on alcohol throughout Scottish football.\" Football finance expert Joe McLean also spoke at the convention and said the idea of Scottish football switching to a summer programme should be discussed again. \"There are obvious challenges and obvious difficulties,\" said said McLean, of Grant Thornton LLP. \"But other countries, Scandinavian countries, for example, and Russia, have a different programme. \"It doesn't stop these countries fielding teams who feature in European tournaments like the Europa League and the Champions League.\"", "summary": "Sports promoter Barry Hearn says it is \"disgraceful\" the Scottish Professional Football League cannot find a sponsor."}
{"article": "They identified bacteria able to shrug off the drug of last resort - colistin - in patients and livestock in China. They said that resistance would spread around the world and raised the spectre of untreatable infections. It is likely resistance emerged after colistin was overused in farm animals. Bacteria becoming completely resistant to treatment - also known as the antibiotic apocalypse - could plunge medicine back into the dark ages. Common infections would kill once again, while surgery and cancer therapies, which are reliant on antibiotics, would be under threat. Chinese scientists identified a new mutation, dubbed the MCR-1 gene, that prevented colistin from killing bacteria. The report in the Lancet Infectious Diseases showed resistance in a fifth of animals tested, 15% of raw meat samples and in 16 patients. And the resistance had spread between a range of bacterial strains and species, including E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. There is also evidence that it has spread to Laos and Malaysia. Prof Timothy Walsh, who collaborated on the study, from the University of Cardiff, told the BBC News website: \"All the key players are now in place to make the post-antibiotic world a reality. \"If MCR-1 becomes global, which is a case of when not if, and the gene aligns itself with other antibiotic resistance genes, which is inevitable, then we will have very likely reached the start of the post-antibiotic era. \"At that point if a patient is seriously ill, say with E. coli, then there is virtually nothing you can do.\" Resistance to colistin has emerged before. However, the crucial difference this time is the mutation has arisen in a way that is very easily shared between bacteria. \"The transfer rate of this resistance gene is ridiculously high, that doesn't look good,\" said Prof Mark Wilcox, from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. His hospital is now dealing with multiple cases \"where we're struggling to find an antibiotic\" every month - an event he describes as being as \"rare as hens' teeth\" five years ago. He said there was no single event that would mark the start of the antibiotic apocalypse, but it was clear \"we're losing the battle\". The concern is that the new resistance gene will hook up with others plaguing hospitals, leading to bacteria resistant to all treatment - what is known as pan-resistance. Prof Wilcox told the BBC News website: \"Do I fear we'll get to an untreatable organism situation? Ultimately yes. \"Whether that happens this year, or next year, or the year after, it's very hard to say.\" Early indications suggest the Chinese government is moving swiftly to address the problem. Prof Walsh is meeting both the agricultural and health ministries this weekend to discuss whether colistin should be banned for agricultural use. Prof Laura Piddock, from the campaign group Antibiotic Action, said the same antibiotics \"should not be used in veterinary and human medicine\". She told the BBC News website: \"Hopefully the post-antibiotic era is not upon us yet. However, this is a wake-up call to the world.\" She argued the dawning", "summary": "The world is on the cusp of a \"post-antibiotic era\", scientists have warned after finding bacteria resistant to drugs used when all other treatments have failed."}
{"article": "The country goes to the polls on Thursday to elect a new cohort of MSPs after six weeks of electioneering. Nicola Sturgeon led an SNP rally in Glasgow, while Kezia Dugdale and Ruth Davidson followed suit in Edinburgh. The Lib Dems, Greens and UKIP also hit the streets in a final drive for support across Scotland. Polling stations will be open from 07:00 until 22:00 on Thursday, with results expected in the early hours of Friday. In total, 73 constituency MSPs and 56 regional list MSPs will be elected. Ms Sturgeon led a public rally in Glasgow city centre as the campaign entered its final hours. The SNP leader said: \"Tomorrow, people in Scotland have the opportunity to ensure the re-election of an SNP government with an ambitious plan to keep Scotland moving forward - including a \u00a3500m above-inflation boost to NHS spending, additional investment in closing the attainment gap in our schools and to grow our economy, creating more and better-paid jobs. \"But the only way to guarantee that we are able to implement our vision for Scotland is to cast both votes for the SNP when you go to the polls on Thursday.\" Campaigning in Edinburgh, Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said she believed a Labour government at Holyrood could be \"transformational\" for Scotland. She said: \"I have three priorities for the next five years - use the new powers of our parliament to tax the richest 1% so we can invest in schools, and stop the cuts to public services. \"Every Labour MSP we send to Holyrood will stand for those priorities. Tomorrow, we can vote to stop the cuts.\" Ms Davidson also rallied her supporters in Edinburgh, and said she would lead the Scottish Conservatives to finish ahead of Labour in Thursday's poll. Ms Davidson urged the new Scottish government to deliver for the \"devolution generation\" voting for the first time on Thursday. She said: \"They may have been born in the devolution era, but can we really say that devolution has transformed their lives to the extent it might have? \"I do not believe we can. The devolution generation deserves better.\" Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie gathered his activists at the party's headquarters in Edinburgh before a final day of campaigning. Mr Rennie said: \"This is not a time to be timid. Liberal Democrats are ambitious for Scotland but better does not just happen. \"If people want to see a step change in the way we treat mental ill health, urgent investment to ensure we meet our green targets and a transformational investment in education, they need to vote for it on Thursday and back the Scottish Liberal Democrats.\" The Scottish Greens are criss-crossing the country in a final bid to drum up support. Co-convenor Patrick Harvie joined fellow candidates in Edinburgh before travelling to Glasgow to help serve lunch to older people. He will also be taking part in a live question and answer session on the party's Facebook page. Fellow co-convenor Maggie Chapman is to canvas voters at Aberdeen University and the city's bus and railway", "summary": "Scotland's political leaders have set out on a final bid to win over voters on the last day of the Holyrood election campaign."}
{"article": "Welsh politicians have given their reaction to Mr Trump's shock victory over Hillary Clinton. Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies said the result was a \"bloody nose for the political establishment\". Plaid and Labour AMs and MPs expressed concern, but UKIP AM Neil Hamilton said it was \"an uprising\" like Brexit. Mr Trump, the Republican candidate, will become the 45th US president after Democrat nominee Mrs Clinton conceded defeat in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The real estate tycoon, former reality TV star and political newcomer had been universally ridiculed when he declared his bid for the White House in June last year. He defied pre-election polling to claim swing states, winning the key battlegrounds of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Prime Minister Theresa May congratulated Mr Trump, saying she looked forward to working with him. However, Mr Jones did not offer congratulations in his reaction to the news. \"Following the most brutal and bruising election campaign in modern American history, Donald Trump will have much work to do to repair a divided nation,\" he said in a statement. \"The language of fear must now give way to conciliation. \"The United States is one of Wales' most important trading partners and by far our largest market for inward investment. We will maintain a strong presence in America, including opening our latest office in Atlanta,\" the first minister added. The UK government's Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said the relationship between the UK and the US \"goes much deeper than any one individual, be it a leader in this country or a leader in the United States\". He said: \"It's about the people, it's about our cultures. We are so closely aligned and of course we will do everything to make the Trump presidency a success.\" Andrew RT Davies tweeted the result was \"yet another punch for political polling - seems another remarkable failure on that front\". He said it was: \"Another bloody nose for the political establishment.\" Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood called for \"calm heads\" and the need for \"winding down the rhetoric\". \"If Trump wants to do business with the rest of the world, he must row back on the appalling comments we saw throughout the campaign,\" she said. Neil Hamilton, UKIP's leader in the assembly, said: \"It's an uprising of people against the Washington establishment in the same way as Brexit was an uprising against the European establishment.\" He said he was surprised Mr Trump won, but believed it was \"good news for Britain\". \"Far from [outgoing president] Barack Obama saying we'll be at the back of the queue in a trade deal, Donald Trump has made it perfectly clear he's very pro-Britain which is good news,\" Mr Hamilton said. Flintshire-based David Soutter, a former head of candidates for UKIP who worked on the UK Trump campaign, said the Republican candidate's victory was \"very easy to predict\". \"For 25 years the political establishment has grown apart from those whom it is supposed to represent,\" he said. \"It is clear in Europe and the UK, and it was very clear in", "summary": "Donald Trump will have much work to do to repair a divided nation after his election as US president, First Minister Carwyn Jones has said."}
{"article": "The Australian Crime Commission (ACC) report said the drug - known as \"ice\" - posed the highest risk to Australian communities of any illegal substance. It also found that the purity of the drug had increased over the past few years, making it even more dangerous. Methylamphetamine comes in a range of forms, with the crystal \"ice\" variety the most common in Australia. The price of crystal meth in Australia is among the highest in the world, the report found, driving the country's organised crime gangs to trade increasingly in the drug. According to the report, gangs supplying the drug were also mixing other illegal substances into crystal meth in an attempt to increase addiction levels. The ACC said there had been a \"considerable increase in the number and weight of detections at the Australian border\" without any decrease in domestic production. It said Mexican drug cartels were becomingly increasingly involved in supplying the drug abroad, working with distribution networks in other countries such as Australia. The precursor chemicals used by Australia's domestic producers to \"cook\" the drug were being increasingly imported from India and China, it found. Chris Dawson, chief executive of the ACC, said the \"availability and addictive nature\" of crystal meth had \"created new demand in urban, rural and disadvantaged communities\". \"Ice is a devastating, insidious drug. It affects everyone from users, their families, and their communities, and the authorities who deal with the users,\" he said. In November last year, New South Wales police seized more than 800 kilograms of methylamphetamine, along with two tonnes of MDMA - worth a combined estimated street value of A$1.5bn (\u00c2\u00a3800m; $1.2m). And earlier this month, police discovered 230 kilograms of liquid methylamphetamine in a consignment of 20,000 bottles of flavoured water destined for a Sydney warehouse. The ACC report recommended a \"collective national response\" to deal with the drug's increasing prevalence. \"Everyone plays a role in the fight against illicit drugs - including governments, law enforcement, health, education, industry, non-government organisations and the community,\" Mr Dawson said.", "summary": "More than 60% of Australia's major organised crime figures now deal in crystal meth, a new report has found."}
{"article": "Fifteen years after the US-led intervention in Afghanistan, competition for influence - reminiscent of that rivalry between the Russian and British empires in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, and that during the Cold War in the 1980s - is intensifying, complicating an already precarious security situation. Suspicion and mistrust remain the biggest obstacle to stability in strategically-located Afghanistan, which has the potential to destabilise the wider region. Pakistan, considered the main supporter of the Afghan Taliban, has been accused of playing a double game. But Afghan and Western officials as well as Taliban sources have also spoken about the Taliban's clandestine links with Iran for the past few years. And recently it emerged that Russia's ties with the Taliban were warming too. In December the top US commander in Afghanistan, Gen John Nicholson, criticised Russia and Iran for establishing links with the militants, which both countries have confirmed. The US has also pursued contacts with the Taliban in recent years but those efforts have not brought peace. Several regional powers, most notably Russia and Iran, criticise the US and its allies for \"failing\" in achieving its original objectives of eliminating violent extremism and drugs in Afghanistan. Three major factors have contributed to the shifting of regional alliances: The emergence of IS in Afghanistan - the group announced the creation of its Khorasan Province branch in January 2015 - provided Russia and Iran with the opportunity to make \"contacts\" with the Taliban. The US's decreasing military role in Afghanistan and a resurgent Taliban had contributed to creating a sense in regional capitals that Afghanistan's fate was up for grabs. The political infighting in the central government in Kabul also raised concerns about political stability both inside and outside the country. Over the past two years, alarm in Russia and former Soviet Central Asian republics grew as militancy spread to northern Afghan provinces close to their borders as well as to China's Xinjiang region. Conspiracy theories in Russia, Iran and China paint IS as an American or Western creation aimed at destabilising their countries. The emergence of IS posed a serious challenge to the supremacy of the Taliban but also encouraged Iran, China and Russia, who were fearful of IS expansion, to review their policies and open dialogue with the Taliban. Softening its approach towards the Taliban is a dramatic and unexpected shift for Russia. Moscow has for years opposed the Taliban, calling them terrorists, and supported the anti-Taliban \"Northern Alliance\" in the Afghan civil war of the 1990s. But faced with a common enemy in the shape of IS, Russia has changed its mind. In December 2015, a senior Russian diplomat declared that \"the Taliban interest objectively coincides with ours\" in the fight against IS and that his country and the Taliban \"have channels for exchanging information\". Taliban sources also confirmed that the group's representatives met Russians inside Russia and \"other\" countries several times over the past two years. But Moscow's current assertiveness in Afghanistan can also be seen as a tactic to put pressure on the US and to enhance its", "summary": "Afghanistan's strategic landscape is changing as regional powers forge links with the Taliban and vie to outdo each other in what's being seen as a new \"Great Game\"."}
{"article": "Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union drivers walked out on the Central and Waterloo and City lines in protest over the displacement of staff. A reduced service is running on the Central Line, but there is a good service on the Waterloo and City line. Other London Underground services are running as normal although commuters have been warned they could be busier. The strike began at 21:00 GMT on Wednesday. The dispute centres around plans to transfer eight train operators between Central line depots. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: \"If [London Underground] are allowed to get away with this move on the Central Line they will start shunting drivers around at the drop of a hat regardless of the consequences.\" Peter McNaught, operations director for the Central line, said: \"We have made all reasonable efforts to resolve this dispute.\"", "summary": "A 24-hour strike on two London Underground lines is causing disruption to commuters."}
{"article": "Councillor Richard Kemp named and shamed companies which sell fast food as he called for a sugar tax. He wants the city solicitor to work with the director of public health to draw up a Parliamentary bill regulating sugar in food. Councillor Kemp said a Soil Association report highlighted meals available in \"Pizza Hut, Frankie and Benny's and Nando's\" for excess sugar. The fast food companies have been contacted by the BBC but have not commented. Councillor Kemp said the city led the way on the smoking ban and could be pioneering on sugar. His proposal requests the city solicitor works with the director of public health to draw up a Parliamentary Bill \"which would give the council powers to regulate the amount of sugar in foods sold in fast food outlets, restaurants and takeaways\". It also asks the director of public health to work with the Clinical Commissioning Group to promote a health awareness campaign within the city to highlight the real dangers to long-term health of excessive salt and sugar in diets. Mr Kemp said: \"If a child has two fizzy drinks and a fluffy ice-cream pudding they will have consumed seven times the daily recommended sugar\". He said the smoking ban in public places began in Liverpool and led to pressure on the government, adding if \"we have a city of people that waddle, we will have a city that dies early\". Professor Simon Capewell, from Liverpool University, who founded Action on Sugar, said the campaign needed to target the \"affordability, availability and acceptability\" of sugar. McDonald's, although not identified by Councillor Kemp, said it has carried out \"extensive work\" to evolve its recipes and reduce sugar and salt for \"over 30 years\" and provides customers with clear nutrition information.", "summary": "A tax on fast food with hidden sugar is being considered in Liverpool."}
{"article": "The Dung Beetle UK Mapping Project (Dump) is still in the early stages of its research work, which has included examining beetle sites in Scotland. However, the team said it had already noted an \"alarming trend\" of decline of some species. Dung beetles play key roles in improving soils and controlling pests. Reasons for the decline in some beetle species include coming into contact with anthelmintics, a type of drug given to livestock to control intestinal worms that prevent the farm animals from thriving. Dump involves Darren Mann, who is head of life collections at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Steve Lane, Ceri Watkins and Sally-Ann Spence. The project is not funded and the team members have been doing their research in their spare time, while on family holidays and fitting it around their other work. The scientists have been examining well-documented dung beetle sites, including locations in the Cairngorms, and have also been looking for the insects in previously unrecorded places. They hope to enlist the help of organisations that record flora and fauna and also wildlife enthusiasts, whose attention is being drawn to Dump via social media. On Twitter the project has the hashtags #dungathon and #dungisfun. Ms Spence said some of Dump's early results had given cause for concern. She said: \"Our results mapping the dung beetle species in the UK, although the project is in its youth, are already showing an alarming trend in species rarity and even extinction. \"The three main reasons behind this are considered to be the use of anthelmintics, soil disturbance and the disappearance of livestock from historic pastures due to a change in farming practices.\" It has been suggested that dung beetles save the UK's cattle industry an estimated \u00c2\u00a3367m a year, Ms Spence said. They do this by encouraging the growth of healthy grass through their burrowing in soil, which aerates it and allows rainwater and nutrients into the ground. Dung beetles also eat animal droppings harbouring parasites harmful to livestock. Ms Spence said: \"We take the opportunity of our survey visits to make farmers and livestock keepers aware of their dung beetles, the latest research, their economic benefits and how they might implement simple workable measures ensure a healthy dung beetle population. \"We have received a fantastically positive response from all we have spoken to. \"Farmers are keen to preserve their dung beetles and we intend to gather more data about species and their population frequencies to enable more research into these incredibly important beetles.\" As well as their importance to agriculture, the beetles and their grubs are food for wild birds and mammals. Scotland has the UK strongholds for at least three species of dung beetle - Aphodius fasciatus, Aphodius lapponum and Aphodius nemoralis. The Cairngorms and the Western Isles are among the best recorded areas for the creatures, but large parts of the rest of Scotland remain unrecorded. Ms Spence said: \"The project is vast. \"Different species live in, or under, different dung in different stages of decomposition on different soils at different altitudes at different times", "summary": "Some of the UK's dung beetle species are becoming scarcer and could even face extinction, according to scientists."}
{"article": "Jamie Hall, 22, made no plea or declaration during a private hearing at the city's sheriff court on Monday. Prosecutors allege he carried out the sexual assault in the city's Spring Gardens. Mr Hall, from Edinburgh, was remanded in custody ahead of his next court appearance.", "summary": "A man has appeared in court charged with raping a 37-year-old woman in Edinburgh on Boxing Day."}
{"article": "The US Treasury said that such tax investigations were \"unfair\" and undermined the tax rules of individual states. Charles Schumer, a senior Democrat senator, called the move a \"cheap money grab\". The White House said the ruling could cost US taxpayers. White House spokesman Josh Earnest argued that if Apple paid the back taxes, it might offset that amount against tax due in the United States, which would be unfair for American taxpayers. Apple faces \u20ac13bn Irish tax bill Apple reaction: Live updates Apple tax ruling 'a serious blow' Rory Cellan-Jones: EU takes on Apple, Ireland and the US Earlier the European Commission said Ireland had enabled Apple to pay substantially less than other businesses, in effect paying a corporate tax rate of no more than 1%. Ireland and Apple both said they disagreed with the record penalty and would appeal against it. \"Member states cannot give tax benefits to selected companies - this is illegal under EU state aid rules,\" said Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. The standard rate of Irish corporate tax is 12.5%. The Commissions's investigation concluded that Apple had effectively paid 1% tax on its European profits in 2003 and about 0.005% in 2014. Ms Vestager said that the tax agreement reached between Ireland and Apple meant that the company's taxable profits \"did not correspond to economic reality\". The US Treasury said: \"We believe that retroactive tax assessments by the Commission are unfair, contrary to well-established legal principles, and call into question the tax rules of individual member states.\" Last week the Treasury warned that the European Commission was in danger of becoming a \"supranational tax authority\". Charles Schumer, one of the highest-ranking Democratic senators, said: \"This is a cheap money grab by the European Commission, targeting US businesses and the US tax base. \" \"By forcing their member states to retroactively impose taxes on US companies, the EU is unfairly undermining our ability to compete economically in Europe while grabbing tax revenues that should go toward investment here in the United States,\" he said. Apple said the decision would be harmful for jobs. \"The European Commission has launched an effort to rewrite Apple's history in Europe, ignore Ireland's tax laws and upend the international tax system in the process,\" the company said. \"The Commission's case is not about how much Apple pays in taxes, it's about which government collects the money. It will have a profound and harmful effect on investment and job creation in Europe. \"Apple follows the law and pays all of the taxes we owe wherever we operate. We will appeal and we are confident the decision will be overturned.\" The Irish government held a similar view, with finance minister Michael Noonan saying: \"I disagree profoundly with the Commission.\" He added: \"The decision leaves me with no choice but to seek cabinet approval to appeal. This is necessary to defend the integrity of our tax system; to provide tax certainty to business; and to challenge the encroachment of EU state aid rules into the sovereign member state competence of taxation.\" However, the record tax bill", "summary": "There has been widespread criticism in the US of the European Commission's ruling that Apple should pay up to \u20ac13bn (\u00a311bn) in back taxes."}
{"article": "Under the deal, Israel has agreed to end all hostilities and targeted killings, while Hamas will stop attacks against Israel and along the border. At least 157 people have died since the flare-up of violence began last week. Both sides continued to fire on each other as the 21:00 (19:00 GMT) ceasefire deadline approached, but no major breaches have been reported. By Jeremy BowenBBC Middle East editor As usual, the talking started before the killing stopped. Since Hamas took over internal control of the Gaza Strip from their Palestinian rivals Fatah in 2007, there have been many spasms of cross-border violence. All have been followed by ceasefires. All have fallen apart, and every time Israel and Hamas blame each other. The reason is that the ceasefires have been, to paraphrase a spokesman for the Israeli prime minister, sticking-plaster solutions. They cover up the fundamental problem which is that Hamas and Israel are in what amounts to a constant state of war. For months on end it can be a cold war, until it runs hot - and deadly - again. There is a strong chance that a new ceasefire will eventually fall apart too, unless it brings with it a major change in the political equation between Israel and the Palestinians, especially those in Gaza. This time round, both sides have been trying to change the rules of the game by attaching conditions to a ceasefire. Israel wanted Hamas not to rearm, and not to fire over the border. Hamas wanted Israel to stop assassinations and to stop the blockade of Gaza. That's the kind of deal that might even work if they made it. But for that to happen, both sides would have to make big concessions to their enemy. Earlier, a bomb exploded on a bus in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, leaving three people needing surgery and several others with light wounds. Wednesday also saw at least 13 people die in Gaza. Palestinian gunmen fired into the air in Gaza in celebration after the deal was announced. Israeli police said a handful of rockets were fired out of Gaza after the ceasefire but no injuries or damage were reported. Israel has agreed to \"stop all hostilities on the Gaza Strip, land, sea and air including incursions and targeting of individuals\", the ceasefire deal says. \"All Palestinian factions shall stop all hostilities from the Gaza Strip against Israel, including rocket attacks and attacks along the border,\" it stipulates. Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal said Israel's offensive had \"failed\". He also thanked Egypt for brokering the deal, which he said met Hamas's main demands. All the crossings into Gaza would re-open, including those with Egypt, Mr Meshaal said. A statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had agreed to a US suggestion \"to give a chance to Egypt's proposal for a ceasefire and so give an opportunity to stabilise the situation and calm it before there will be need to apply greater force\". Egyptian Foreign Minister Kamel Amr announced the ceasefire at a news conference", "summary": "A ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement which governs Gaza has come into effect."}
{"article": "Isaac Williams, who boxed at Leicester Railwaymen's Boxing Club, was stabbed in Evington on 21 April and died on Monday. Former coach Jon Whike said: \"He was easy to coach, always smiling, with a big grin on his face.\" Devan Garner, 19, of Octon Close, Hamilton, Leicester, has been charged with his murder. Charlotte Ford, 22, also of Octon Close, has been charged with perverting the course of justice and a second man arrested on suspicion of murder remains in police custody. A tribute on the Railwaymen's Boxing Club's Facebook page said: \"Rest in peace Isaac a polite talented young man - our thoughts are with family and friends.\" Mr Whike said: \"His last fight with us in 2013 and then he left to concentrate on college and work - I guess he had other commitments.\"", "summary": "A 20-year-old boxer who was stabbed to death in Leicester was a \"quiet, polite lad\", his former boxing coach said."}
{"article": "The study by Duke Health in the US and published in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at 4,274 babies born between 22 and 24 weeks. Compared with those born a decade earlier, a larger percentage were now toddlers without signs of moderate or severe cognitive and motor delay. Changes to care are being credited with the improvement. About 30% of children included in the study who were born between the years 2000 and 2003 survived, but that rate increased to 36% for babies born in 2008 to 2011. The proportion of survivors who did not have a neurological impairment rose from 16% to 20%. The best outcomes were for children born at 23 to 24 weeks. Researcher Prof Noelle Younge called the findings \"encouraging\". \"We see evidence of improvement over time. But we do need to keep an eye on the overall numbers, as a large percentage of infants born at this stage still do not survive. \"Those who survive without significant impairment at about age two are still at risk for numerous other challenges to their overall health.\" Full-term babies are born at 37 to 40 weeks. Prof Michael Cotten, one of the other lead researchers, said changes in the culture of neonatal intensive care units were behind the improvement. \"We've taken a big focus on preventing infections, and there's a lot more encouragement and support for the use of mothers' milk than there was 15 years ago, which has also been linked to better outcomes.\" There has also been a decrease in infection rates in neonatal intensive care units over the past two decades, which Prof Cotten said was important. The greater use of steroids in mothers at risk of premature birth to help the baby develop in the womb is also thought to have contributed to the increase in survival and fewer signs of developmental delay, he added.", "summary": "More babies born extremely prematurely are surviving without neurological problems, according to a new study."}
{"article": "Mani Kurian, 50, of Eridge Road, Eastbourne, was convicted unanimously by a jury at Lewes Crown Court. He was also found guilty of five sexual assaults and one assault by beating. A 21-year-old woman was raped as she walked on the upper promenade towards the pier in the East Sussex town at about 02:00 BST on 19 October 2014. Court officials said Kurian would be sentenced on 26 February.", "summary": "A man has been found guilty of raping a woman near Eastbourne Pier."}
{"article": "Latest figures released by EMAS reveal it has a \u00a38.74m deficit - 20 times higher than predicted. The NHS Trust Development Authority, which monitors trusts, said it was working closely with the service to help address financial pressures. EMAS said it has spent more on extra vehicles, staff, training and overtime payments. It had predicted an overspend of about \u00a3500,000 at the start of the year. The money problems at EMAS are getting worse. One of the biggest problems is handover delays to A&E because they're too busy to accept patients straight away. So far this year, more than 10,000 patients have had to wait more than an hour and because the ambulance service gets paid for each patient it takes to hospital, they are losing out. Also the NHS would like to treat more people at home, but of course it is a financial disincentive. Our busiest A&E department at Leicester Royal Infirmary is trying to sort it out, but I don't think there's any quick fix. EMAS claims it is owed \u00a32.6m in compensation for the handover delays, which has contributed to the overspend. The deficit could rise as demand for the emergency service traditionally increases in January and February. Richard Wheeler, director of finance of EMAS, said: \"The challenges we face come with an increase in cost, including cost of training and upskilling our frontline staff, given the national shortage in paramedics. \"[Also an] increased cost in providing additional staff and vehicles to cover for staff delayed at hospitals, and also extra payments for shifts which don't finish on time. \"Our five-year business plan... will contribute financially and to future sustainability. \"We will not do anything that will impact negatively on patient safety or care,\" he added. A spokesperson for the NHS Trust Development Authority said: \"It is a challenging time... and [we] are working closely with EMAS to help them address ongoing pressures around finances.\"", "summary": "East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) has overspent by almost \u00a39m so far this financial year."}
{"article": "After a dominant start from the visitors, Aberdeen exploded into life when Jonny Hayes fired home an unstoppable drive from 25 yards. Simon Church marked his debut with a goal when he bundled home from close range to make it 2-0 at Pittodrie. Leigh Griffiths pulled one back in injury time, but the Dons held on to cut the gap on Celtic to three points. It was a sensational atmosphere in this top-of-the-table clash, which saw striker Church make his debut for the hosts with Efe Ambrose taking a seat on the bench. The early exchanges were combative and committed but restricted to long-range efforts that did not threaten an opener. Celtic grew in confidence going forward during the first half, and there were strong claims for a penalty as Shay Logan was thought to have handled the ball. The contest then erupted and it was Aberdeen who decisively struck. Hayes gathered a clearance about 25 yards from goal and hit a fabulous strike which crept inside goalkeeper Craig Gordon's post. As Celtic manager Ronny Deila looked on in horror, things got worse for his side as Aberdeen roared further ahead. Hayes sent in a corner, Kenny McLean nodded on and debutant Church kneed the ball home from close range to send Pittodrie wild. McLean came close to a third just before half-time with a fierce drive from outside the box which Gordon diverted. Deila's half-time response was to hand a debut to Colin Kazim-Richards at the expense of Stuart Armstrong. However, it was Aberdeen who should have gone further ahead. Defensive indecision presented Church with a glorious chance to seal it, but he somehow screwed the ball wide from close range. Celtic struggled to create until Scott Brown hooked the ball across for Griffiths, who looked certain to bury a header back across goal, but it inched past the far post. Niall McGinn then fired from distance and Gordon cleared the ball as it looked to be heading just wide. Then Griffiths cut inside onto his left foot and fired past Scott Brown to pull one back for Celtic in stoppage time, but there was not enough time left to search for an equaliser.", "summary": "Aberdeen breathed new life into the Premiership title race with a deserved win against league leaders Celtic."}
{"article": "The British Medical Association in Scotland makes the proposal in its manifesto for the Scottish Parliament elections in May next year. It says the measure could help children form the habits of a lifetime. The Scottish government said it had worked for a decace to ensure health promotion was \"at the heart of a school's activities\". The BMA represents around 16,000 doctors in Scotland. School meals are now free for children in the first three years of primary education, but the BMA says its survey of local authorities suggests they have cut back on the amount of fruit and vegetables offered for free outside school meals. Last year 16 out of Scotland's 32 councils provided free fruit and vegetables but by this year, this had fallen to just 11. None of the councils provided fruit and veg to children above P3, and none provides it more than three days a week. The BMA says the NHS is facing rising demand for its services and promoting healthy behaviour is essential to reduce demand. BMA Scotland council chairman Peter Bennie said: \"Providing primary school pupils with free fruit or vegetables means that they are less likely to eat unhealthy snacks between meals and helps to build positive habits that can last throughout their lives. \"Investing in children's health in this way can help them to lead healthier lives and reduce the burden on the NHS in the long-term. \"It is concerning that several local authorities have actually scrapped the provision of free fruit and vegetables in schools in recent years. \"Action is needed to address this variation and ensure that primary school pupils in all parts of the country benefit equally from free fruit and vegetables.\" In September the Scottish government-funded Scottish Health Survey suggested that children eat even fewer portions of fruit and vegetables than adults. Scottish adults ate an average of 3.1 portions a day whereas children aged 2-15 ate an average of 2.8. Only 14% of children were getting the recommended five portions a day. The BMA says its survey of 2000 parents of school-aged children in the UK suggests that 8 out of 10 (79%) support the idea of free fruit and vegetables for all primary school children. Health Secretary Shona Robison said: \"Under this government, 129,000 children in primary one to three now have access to a healthy, free school meal - a policy which benefits children and their families alike. In total, almost 260,000 pupils are now registered for free school meals. \"The Scottish government is committed to a whole school approach to healthy eating and have worked for the past decade to ensure that health promotion is at the heart of a school's activities. The delivery of this approach rests with local authorities as part of school food provision.\"", "summary": "Doctors' leaders want all primary school children to get a free portion of fruit or vegetables every day."}
{"article": "But no arrests have been made and authorities are seeking who was responsible for the blaze. A massive explosion which caused a tremor as powerful as a small earthquake left part of the small town of West in ruins. Initially it was blamed on an industrial accident. On the night of 17 April 2013, a fire broke out at the West Fertilizer Co and was followed by an explosion that possessed the force of a 2.1-magnitude earthquake. The explosion flattened homes, shattered a block of flats and badly damaged a nursing home and several schools. On Wednesday, the announcement that there was criminal intent was made by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Texas State Fire Marshal's Office. In an exhaustive investigation, which included 400 interviews and a model recreation of the plant, they eventually ruled out all other possible causes. They had previously said faulty electrical wiring, a short circuit in a golf cart stored at the plant or arson were among the possible reasons for the blaze. A reward of up to $50,000 has been offered for information about the culprit. Of the 15 people killed, 12 were emergency personnel attending the fire. Another 200 people in the small town of 2,800 were injured.", "summary": "The fire at a fertiliser plant in the US state of Texas that killed 15 people and wounded hundreds in 2013 was a criminal act, say investigators."}
{"article": "\"If you are corrupt, I will fetch you using a helicopter to Manila and I will throw you out,\" said Mr Duterte, who is waging war on corruption and drugs. It's the latest claim by the president that he has personally carried out extra-judicial killings. His spokesman played down the remarks, which he described as \"urban legend\". Earlier this month another spokesman Martin Andanar said his blunt-speaking boss should be taken \"seriously but not literally\" when he said he had shot dead three men while mayor of Davao. The senator who dares to defy Duterte Duterte drug war: Manila's brutal nightshift The woman who kills dealers for a living Mr Duterte made his latest comments in a speech to victims of a typhoon in the central Philippines on Tuesday. A video clip of his remarks was posted by his office. He threatened the helicopter punishment for anyone who might steal the financial aid he was promising. \"I have done this before, why would I not do it again?\" he said to applause. He suggested his victim or victims were kidnappers who had murdered a hostage. It is not clear when or where the incident took place. On Thursday, the president appeared to distance himself from his earlier remarks. \"Helicopter to throw a person? And if that is true, I will not admit it,\" he said in an interview with ABS-CBN news. The president has made a similar claims in the past - and has a history of contradicting himself. On 16 December he told the BBC he had shot dead three criminal suspects while he was mayor of Davao. \"I killed about three of them... I don't know how many bullets from my gun went inside their bodies. It happened and I cannot lie about it.\" He made a similar claim to business leaders in Manila a few days earlier, when he said he used to cruise Davao on a motorbike \"looking for a confrontation so I could kill.\" Mr Duterte was mayor of the southern city of Davao for two decades, presiding over a big fall in crime but also being accused of sponsoring death squads. As president he has pledged to root out drugs and corruption in the Philippines, at the cost of millions of lives if necessary. Nearly 6,000 people are said to have been killed by police, vigilantes and mercenaries in the Philippines since Mr Duterte launched a war on drugs after being elected in May. Opposition politicians and human rights groups have called for his impeachment, but he remains very popular with voters who want him to clean up the country. Last week the Philippines independent human rights watchdog said it would investigate President Duterte's claims that he personally killed drug suspects.", "summary": "Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to throw corrupt officials from helicopters mid-air, saying he has done it before."}
{"article": "The hosts resumed on 416-2 and despite losing seven wickets while adding 143, they still declared on a massive 559-9. David Warner edged to second slip after adding only nine to his overnight 244. New Zealand soon lost openers Martin Guptill and Tom Latham but Kane Williamson (70 not out) and Ross Taylor helped them to 140-2 at the close. Taylor made an unbeaten 26 as the third-wicket pair shared an unbroken stand of 53, fending off the Australian attack with a stubborn rearguard action. That partnership is expected to be key if their side are to make significant inroads into a deficit which still stands at 419. New Zealand are already 1-0 down in the series, having lost the opening Test in Brisbane. The declaration came not long after off-spinner Mark Craig (3-123) picked up the wickets of Peter Nevill, Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson in the same over, all three falling with the score on 547. However, Starc then struck in the third over when he trapped Guptill lbw for one, while Latham (36) added 81 with Williamson before he was caught at slip. However, there was some concern for Australia with batsman Usman Khawaja now a doubt for the day-night Test in Adelaide later this month Khawaja, 28, scored 121 in Australia's first innings but re-injured his left hamstring while fielding on Saturday and will undergo a scan on Sunday. \"My fingers are crossed that he can try and recover in the next 10 to 15 days,\" said Warner. \"[Having scored] back-to-back hundreds, and running a lot out in the middle, and fielding at mid-off as well - having to chase a hell of a lot of balls to the boundary - is not ideal. \"But that's part and parcel of this game. It can be quite challenging.\" Listen to ball-by-ball commentary of every day of the Test series on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra from 02:05 GMT.", "summary": "Australia maintained their commanding position on day two of the second Test of their three-match series against New Zealand in Perth."}
{"article": "Yahye Omar Mohamed, 14, and Waseem Muflahi, 15, both from Birmingham, were on a trip to Barmouth, Gwynedd, on 7 August when they died. A friend said they had been warned before they ventured into deeper water. A conclusion of accidental death was recorded at Wednesday's inquest in Caernarfon. Coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones said: \"This is a classic situation of healthy active boys swimming in the sea, but not realising the dangers if they get caught in surf with strong undertow. \"I don't believe I can do anything to prevent further fatalities other than to warn people that there is no such thing as a safe beach, though the risks in Barmouth are no greater than anywhere else.\" Mahdi Farah, a friend of the two boys who was rescued from the water, said the boys had been enjoying the water at a safe depth, but went out further than they should have. \"I went to give them a stern telling off,\" he said. \"But the strong waves were crashing down and they dragged us out. I was telling the boys to stay calm and battling to keep them upright. \"But every time I tried to swim to shore with them, the current kept dragging us back.\" Harbourmaster Anthony Glyn told the hearing: \"I saw three people in the water, scattered 50-100 metres apart, so I told two of my colleagues, beach wardens, to take a throw line and go into the water a small way to try and rescue the closest of the three. \"As soon as they did, another wave came and took my colleagues out too. \"They managed to get the throw line to Mahdi Farah and I called for urgent help from the coastguard and lifeboat. \"Then I saw one of the boys go under the water. As the lifeboat reached the line of the surf, the second boy disappeared.\" The bodies of the boys were recovered on beaches north of Barmouth a few days later.", "summary": "Two teenage boys who drowned while swimming in the sea disappeared beneath the waves minutes before a lifeboat could reach them, an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "A man approached her from behind and shoved her to the ground at about 13:30 GMT in Hanwell Cemetery, west London. The suspect made off with her bag which was later recovered by a member of the public, but the purse had been taken. The victim suffered minor injuries in the incident but did not require hospital treatment. Police have released a CCTV image of the suspect, who is described as skinny, about 5ft 9in tall, wearing a black scarf covering his face, a grey hooded top, a black coat and jeans. A Met Police spokesman said: \"The robbery took place in broad daylight and police are keen to speak to members of the public who saw a man matching this description, walking briskly away from the scene, with his face covered and hood up.\"", "summary": "A 73-year-old woman had her handbag snatched as she was cleaning her husband's grave on Christmas Eve, Met Police have said."}
{"article": "Leonne's body was discovered on a pathway off Lordens Hill, in Dinnington, on Monday at 10:55 GMT. A post-mortem examination found she died as a result of multiple stab wounds. Shea Peter Heeley, 18, of Doe Quarry Lane, Dinnington, is due to appear at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Saturday. For live updates and more news from across Yorkshire Det Ch Insp Martin Tate, of South Yorkshire Police, said the force was still appealing for witnesses \"particularly anyone who was in Dinnington on the evening of Sunday 15 January, into the following morning and who saw or heard anything suspicious\". A 26-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender was released on Wednesday night pending further inquiries. Following her death, Leonne's family said: \"We are devastated at the loss of our beautiful daughter and sister Leonne. \"She was very much loved and will be missed by all of us.\"", "summary": "A man has been charged with the murder of 16-year-old Leonne Weeks whose body was found on a path near Rotherham."}
{"article": "Net profit for the quarter rose to 28.86bn rupees ($481m) from 23.74bn rupees a year earlier. The figure beat analysts' expectations and shares in the company jumped 4% on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The IT outsourcing company recently appointed technology veteran Vishal Sikka as its chief executive. A former board member at SAP, Mr Sikka is the first outsider to run Infosys. Business has been improving for the Indian firm after a difficult period of lower client spending. The company reported revenue of $2.1bn in the quarter, and maintained its forecast for full-year revenue growth at 7-9% in dollar terms. Infosys currently employs 160,000 people, but it admitted that it had been losing employees to competitors and was taking steps to address this. \"Employee attrition rates are worrisome and we are implementing various initiatives to retain good talent\", said chief operating officer U. B. Pravin Rao. Infosys is seen as a key indicator of the health of India's IT outsourcing industry, which is valued at more than $100bn.", "summary": "Infosys, India's second-largest software firm, has reported a 21% increase in quarterly profit and maintained its revenue growth forecast."}
{"article": "The rare plants around Dinas Bran, a medieval castle and iron age hillfort above Llangollen and the Dee Valley, have been awarded national recognition. Natural Resources Wales says important species of birds and butterflies \"rely on the grassland and other habitats\". It is also home to upright chickweed, shepherd's cress and greater broomrap. \"The grasslands found here are scarce in lowland Britain,\" said Richard May, conservation officer for NRW. \"And Dinas Bran has the second largest area in Wales of one type of acid grassland.\" The remains of Dinas Bran castle and hillfort date back to the occupation of the princes of Powys Fadog in the mid 13th century and they have been protected since 1957. \"Dinas Bran is hugely popular with walkers, attracting thousands of people a year to visit the iron age hillfort and medieval castle set in a spectacular landscape,\" added Mr May. \"By working in partnership with landowners, we look forward to helping to manage the site's special features so that we and future generations can continue to enjoy Dinas Bran's rich natural and historical heritage.\"", "summary": "A \"scarce\" grassland around the ancient ruins of a Denbighshire castle has been protected as a site of special scientific interest."}
{"article": "Current chief executive Don Mattrick, who joined the company in 2013, will leave, effective immediately. \"I am returning to the company that I love in order to accelerate innovation,\" Mr Pincus said in a statement. He will receive a salary of $1. Mr Mattrick said he will return to his native Canada, adding: \"I believe the timing is now right for me to leave as CEO [chief executive officer] and let Mark lead the company into its next chapter given his passion for the founding vision and his ability to couple our mobile progress with Zynga's unique strengths.\" Although Zynga - known primarily for its once-popular Facebook games like Farmville and Words with Friends - has stabilised under Mr Mattrick, the company has continued to struggle. In its most recent earnings release, Zynga said it lost $225.9m (\u00c2\u00a3152m) in 2014, compared to $37m a year earlier. However, it said its mobile audience continued to grow - showing that it no longer relied on Facebook to generate a majority of its traffic. Shares in the company were up more than 3% in trading after US markets had closed.", "summary": "Troubled game maker Zynga has announced that founder Mark Pincus will return to lead the company, as it struggles to repeat the success of hits like Farmville."}
{"article": "It saw about 500 people evacuated from the terminal on Friday - some suffering with breathing difficulties - and the temporary closure of the transport hub. The suspect was held on Saturday accused of \"using a noxious substance to cause serious damage\". He has since been released on bail until late November. The force said in a statement: \"The man, 25, was arrested at a residential address in east London and taken to a west London police station. \"He was arrested on suspicion of using a noxious substance to cause serious damage - an offence under section 113 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.\" Two people were taken to hospital during the alert and 25 others were treated at the scene. The airport's closure led to travel chaos as all flights were suspended, with several incoming flights being diverted to other airports.", "summary": "A 25-year-old man has been arrested after a chemical alert that led to the evacuation of London City Airport."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device However, non-league Sutton United's draw against Leeds United, who are third in the Championship, does have a ring of glamour. Three-time English champions and 1972 Cup winners Leeds were handed a trip to a side 84 league places below them, with giant-killing history and an artificial pitch. Sutton's current part-timers are aiming to emulate the club's most famous FA Cup moment, which came in 1989 when they beat Coventry City 2-1 in the third round at Gander Green Lane. Coventry may have now fallen to the foot of League One but back then they were in the middle of a 34-year spell in the top tier, and had won the FA Cup just 18 months before. \"Playing-wise, it was the biggest day I experienced. No other day would come close, apart from the birth of my children,\" Matt Hanlan, the scorer of the winning goal that day, told BBC Sport. \"The fact I am still taking about it all these years later is testament to that upset.\" After dumping out the Sky Blues, Hanlan and fellow goalscorer Tony Rains received national media attention. \"From the minute the game ended it spiralled out of control,\" added Hanlan, now 50 and working in construction. \"On the Sunday, in the days before the internet and Twitter, we had reporters from all the papers round my mum and dad's house. \"To get up and go to work on the Monday morning was a bit of a chore. I was working as a bricklayer and the monotony was broken up by a couple more papers turning up on site. \"At midday we got a call to go home and I then found out the BBC had called and I was required to go on Terry Wogan's show that evening. \"I wouldn't swap a long career in the professional game for the recognition and accolade you get from scoring just one goal - and being part of a team which did something.\" The victory over the Sky Blues has gone down in Sutton and FA Cup folklore. It took 24 years for another non-league side to beat top-flight opposition, when Luton knocked out Norwich in 2013. However, the current U's side are writing new FA Cup history - to the delight of chairman Bruce Elliott. The National League club have already knocked out two Football League sides, Cheltenham and Wimbledon, en route to reaching the fourth round. \"Only the FA Cup can get this type of profile for a non-league club,\" Sutton manager Paul Doswell told BBC Radio London. \"It has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us. We have been able to create some more recent memories.\" Sign up for the 2017 FA People's Cup and take your chance to win tickets to the FA Cup final and achieve national five-a-side glory. Members of the 1989 side still keep in touch and several will be in attendance at Gander Green Lane on Sunday, hoping Sutton can make the fifth round for the first time. \"A few of us were there", "summary": "This season's FA Cup has not thrown up too many blockbuster minnow-at-home-to-giant ties since the Premier League and Championship sides entered the competition in round three."}
{"article": "The \"distinctive\" thief was wearing top-to-toe fluorescent clothing when he entered the Coral shop in Emmanuel Street. He put his hand in his pocket as though he had a weapon, but when staff said they had no money, the thief fled. Police admitted he \"was not trying to blend in\" and appealed for witnesses. An officer said staff at the shop were left shaken by the ordeal on Sunday evening, but were not hurt. More on this and other stories from Cambridgeshire", "summary": "An umbrella-wielding thief was thwarted when staff told him there was no cash at the bookmakers' he was attempting to rob in Cambridge."}
{"article": "The low-frequency active sonar, approved in 2012, is used to detect enemy submarines. But it can also harm whales, dolphins and walruses that rely on underwater sound for navigating, catching prey and communicating, according to environmental groups. The case will now be sent back to a lower court for further consideration. In 2012, the National Marine Fisheries Service permitted navy sonar use but required it to shut down or delay use when a marine mammal was detected near the ships. Loud sonar pulses were also banned near coastlines and in certain protected waters. Environmental groups, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council, filed a lawsuit in response, claiming the approval violated the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The San Francisco federal appeals court ruled that the approval rules granted to the US Navy failed to meet a section of the protection act that required the programme to have \"the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammals\". While it said it believed the navy had attempted to follow guidelines, it concluded that the fisheries service \"did not give adequate protection to areas of the world's oceans flagged by its own experts as biologically important\". According to experts, the sonar systems used by the navy generate sound waves that can reach 235 decibels - a loud rock band reaches around 130. These sound waves can travel for hundreds of miles under water and can retain an intensity of 140 decibels as far as 300 miles from their source. Although direct correlations are hard to find, some scientists believe that the use of sonar has changed the behaviour of whales which have been observed swimming away, sometimes hundreds of miles, rapidly changing their depth and beaching themselves.", "summary": "Sonar approved for use by the US Navy broke marine laws, a US appeals court has ruled."}
{"article": "The 113, including children and pregnant women, landed in Nuevo Laredo on Tuesday. They were among thousands stranded in Costa Rica after neighbouring Nicaragua denied them passage north. Cubans are allowed automatic residence when they set foot in the US. But after the two counties normalised ties following years of animosity, the number of Cubans trying to reach the US surged amid fears the policy would be dropped. Central American nations reached a deal last month allowing migrants stranded in Costa Rica to continue on to the US. The first flight carrying about 180 flew from Costa Rica to El Salvador in January.", "summary": "A group of vulnerable Cuban migrants have been flown by the Costa Rican authorities to a Mexican border town, from where they are expected to enter the US."}
{"article": "Former PSV Eindhoven trainee Sanoh will officially join the Reds at the end of his contract on 1 July. The Dutchman, 21, made 26 appearances last season, scoring five goals. He is Crawley's first signing since the League Two club appointed former Liverpool and Leeds star Harry Kewell as head coach on 23 May. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Crawley have signed midfielder Moussa Sanoh on a two-year contract after he was not offered a new deal by Dutch second division side RKC Waalwijk."}
{"article": "The world champion described it as \"probably the worst qualifying session I've ever had\". His error-strewn late afternoon driving on Saturday on the demanding new street track in Baku, Azerbaijan, left him 10th on the grid. Because he was back there, his Mercedes engineers told him to use a specific engine mode for the race, which was supposed to give him more power but instead gave him less, because it had been configured wrongly. That made his progress through the field slower than it would have been, so he burned up his tyres more quickly than he would have done and he could not do better than fifth place. Hamilton's problems left his team-mate Nico Rosberg with as easy a cruise to the flag as is possible around a track that has traps waiting for a driver at literally almost every turn. The cliche that no grand prix win is easy is just that because it is true. But Mercedes had a pace advantage so great in Baku that all Rosberg had to do was keep it out of the walls and victory was his. With it, as things turned out, came a 24-point lead in the championship. Why did Hamilton drive as badly as he did in qualifying? No-one knew. He had been blistering in Friday practice but come Saturday, while still the fastest thing out there, he was locking wheels everywhere. \"I couldn't push on the brakes,\" he said. \"I just went straight on all the time.\" The engine-mode problems that hit both Mercedes drivers in the race - Hamilton worse than Rosberg - were rooted in what boss Toto Wolff described as a \"messy Friday\". On top of that, the track grip levels changed with the extra heat on Saturday. Mercedes made a set-up change and suddenly Hamilton felt less confident. His individual sector times were so good, pole looked like a given. But he could not string a lap together. It looked as if, had he backed it off by 0.2secs or so, he still had enough to take pole. That would certainly have been the wiser approach in hindsight. But as Wolff put it: \"That's not in his make-up.\" The result was a series of lock-ups and errors and, eventually, a crash. It was an unusually - almost shockingly - poor performance from a man of such sublime talent. And from that moment on the race was Rosberg's to lose. Neither Hamilton nor Mercedes had an explanation for his unruly driving. But one senior team figure said: \"Maybe that's part of his genius. Sometimes you just have to accept the flip side of it is that he is going to have an off day.\" For the start of the race, Hamilton was told to put his engine in a specific setting that should have guaranteed him more power, to make it easier to pass the cars in front of him. Rosberg was not - because the Mercedes was so superior he did not need it. But from lap four, Hamilton noticed that the engine was \"de-rating\" -", "summary": "Will Lewis Hamilton come to rue his awful performance in qualifying for the Grand Prix of Europe?"}
{"article": "Fury will face New Zealand's Joseph Parker for the WBO heavyweight title in April, with a venue yet to be decided. Parker beat Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr in December to claim the belt that was vacated by Tyson Fury in October. \"Hughie is an exceptional character. He doesn't drink, he doesn't smoke, he doesn't do anything,\" Peter Fury said. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, he added: \"I don't see where he can fall out of bed or go wrong. \"He is a nice young man in and out of the ring. He doesn't put on any image or front. He is a just a consummate professional - totally dedicated.\" Tyson Fury said last year he had taken cocaine to help him deal with depression, and then gave up his WBO and WBA world heavyweight titles before having his licence to fight temporarily revoked. \"I am highly confident Hughie will toe the line,\" added Peter Fury. \"He will be sensible - but, then again, I didn't think Tyson would ever do the things he has done. \"I'm not saying he's a quiet lad, but he is just normal. He is very pleasant, he's got no pressures. He's not married. He is totally dedicated to his sport.\" However, Peter, who trained Tyson, hopes his nephew will return to the ring - with or without him in his corner. \"There has been a lot mistakes made after winning the world title. He has made a lot of bad judgements,\" he said. \"Whatever he does in the future, I am very proud of him for what he achieved in the sport.\"", "summary": "Hughie Fury will not make the same mistakes as his cousin, former world heavyweight champion Tyson, says his dad and trainer Peter."}
{"article": "They have seen that a receptor for stress hormones appears to undergo a biological change in the unborn child if the mother is highly stressed, for example, because of a violent partner. And this change may leave the child less able to handle stress themselves. It has already been linked to mental illness and behavioural problems. The findings, published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, are based on a small study of 25 women and their children, now aged between 10 and 19. And the researchers point out that the women involved in the study had exceptional home circumstances and that most pregnant women would not be exposed to such levels of stress day in and day out. Furthermore, the researchers say the findings are not conclusive - many other factors, including the child's social environment while growing up, might be involved. But they suspect it is the child's earliest environment, the womb, that is key. For their study, they looked at the genes of the mums and the adolescents to find any unusual patterns. Some of the teens had changes to one particular gene - the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) - that helps regulate the body's hormonal response to stress. Such genetic alterations typically happen while the baby is still developing in the womb. And the scientists believe they are triggered by the mum-to-be's poor state of emotional wellbeing at the time of the pregnancy. In the study, these mums had been living with the constant threat of violence from their husband or partner. And it would appear this continued stress took its toll on the pregnancy. When the babies were followed up one to two decades later as adolescents, they had changes in the genetics of their GR that other teenagers did not. This \"methylation\" of GR appears to make the individual more tuned in or sensitised to stress, meaning that they will react to it quicker both mentally and hormonally. As people, they tend to be more impulsive and may struggle with their emotions, explain the researchers, who carried out detailed interviews with the adolescents. Professor Thomas Elbert, one of the lead researchers at the University of Konstanz, said: \"It would appear that babies who get signals from their mum that they are being born into a dangerous world are faster responders. They have a lower threshold for stress and seem to be more sensitive to it.\" The investigators now plan to carry out more detailed investigations following larger numbers of mothers and children to see if they can confirm their suspicions. Dr Carmine Pariante, an expert in the psychology of stress at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, said: \"This paper confirms that the early foundation years start at minus nine months.\" He added: \"Pregnancy is uniquely sensitive to a challenging maternal psychosocial environment - much more than, for example, after the baby is born. As we and others have been advocating, addressing maternal stress and depression in pregnancy is a clinically and socially, important strategy.\"", "summary": "A mother's stress can spread to her baby in the womb and may cause a lasting effect, German researchers propose."}
{"article": "The office of Premier Li Keqiang said that emissions \"will peak by around 2030\" and China would work hard to achieve the target even earlier. The statement echoes China's declaration last November following a US-China summit. China's pledge comes ahead of talks late this year in Paris to seek a new global deal on climate change. The statement, released following a meeting in Paris between Li and French President Francois Hollande, said China aimed to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 60-65% by 2030, from 2005 levels. The carbon intensity target builds on a previous plan to cut carbon intensity by 40-45% by 2020. China also aimed to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in its primary energy consumption to about 20% by 2030, the statement added. Beijing previously set a goal of getting around 15% of its energy from clean sources by 2020. Analysis by the BBC's science editor, David Shukman This is a significant moment in international climate negotiations. For years China argued that it was too poor and underdeveloped to even consider accepting any obligations to curb its greenhouse gases. Now we're witnessing the world's largest emitter playing by the UN's rules and promising even deeper cuts that those suggested some months back. For diplomats and ministers hoping to see a meaningful deal at the climate summit in Paris at the end of the year, this will be a welcome step. The size of cuts, and the timescale, will of course be judged by many as too little and too late. But for anyone who endured the collapse of talks at the Copenhagen summit six years ago, China is playing a very different and far more constructive game. Will it actually make any difference to global warming? Scientists always say it does not matter to the atmosphere where the emissions come from and China's will continue to rise for the next 15 years or so, and on their already gargantuan scale. And today's announcement does not mean that Chinese use of fossil fuels is coming to an end any time soon. On the same day that China has announced this climate plan it also began construction of a massive pipeline that will bring it a lot of gas from Russia. All countries involved in UN climate talks must submit national plans for cutting emissions ahead of the key Paris talks. China joins several other countries, including the EU, US and Mexico, that have already committed their plans for tackling climate change, formally known by the UN as INDCs (intended nationally determined contribution). With China's announcement, the world's biggest polluters - China, the US and the EU - have now all detailed their climate plans ahead of the global climate conference. Commenting on the statement, Li Shuo, climate analyst for Greenpeace China, said for success in Paris, all players - including China and the EU - needed to up their game. \"Today's pledge must be seen as only the starting point for much more ambitious actions. \"It does not fully reflect the significant energy transition that", "summary": "China - the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases - has announced details of its climate action plan."}
{"article": "16 May 2016 Last updated at 06:45 BST The athletes will wear the outfits at special events at the games in Rio this summer. Children across the UK were asked to send in their messages of support for Team GB and then 10 of the best were chosen. Leah was at a special photo shoot to meet the athletes wearing their new gear. This report contains some flash photography.", "summary": "Team GB have been showing off their new suits that have good luck messages from children printed inside."}
{"article": "The 11-year-old's recording of If Every Day Was Christmas received its first radio play on Wednesday before being made available online. Profits from the song's sales will go to Global's Make Some Noise charity, which supports disadvantaged young people in the UK. Beckham is being managed by Scooter Braun - who also signed Justin Bieber. You can follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, and on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. Bieber was 13 years old when he released his first single One Time in 2009. Earlier this week, the young Beckham launched his own Instagram account, where he has been posting images to promote the single. He also used the page to upload videos of himself singing. In one clip, he is seen performing a cover of Hopeful by Twista featuring Faith Evans. Beckham Jr also uploaded a cover of When I'm Gone - originally recorded in 1931 by the Carter Family but made famous more recently by Anna Kendrick, who performed it in the film Pitch Perfect. Speaking to Capital presenter Dave Berry about his debut single, the 11-year-old said it combined \"two of my favourite things - singing and Christmas\". His father David, who was in the room when he was being interviewed, said he was \"really proud\" of his son for venturing into music, adding: \"He's having fun, he's enjoying it.\" But the move was criticised by Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan, who said: \"Why don't you go to school, mate, because you're not famous, your parents are famous... stop putting these kids into the public domain while simultaneously saying privacy.\" Scooter Braun hit back on Twitter, saying of Cruz: \"He is an 11-year-old who wanted to make a song to help other kids. Once again Piers shows why he is a jackass and why his [US] show was cancelled. \"Some people in this world make a living out of finding the worst in every situation. It means they have a career... not class. Just a career.\" Last week, Beckham's older brother Brooklyn announced he is to release his own photography book.", "summary": "Cruz Beckham, the son of David and Victoria Beckham, has released his debut single."}
{"article": "The rapper and songwriter said she would never condone Nazism in her art. She added that both the producer and the person in charge of the video \"happen to be Jewish\". The video also features rapper Drake, who is half Jewish. Minaj said the video had not been influenced by Adolf Hitler's party but by a cartoon called Metalocalypse and also by Sin City, the comic book that was made into a film. The director Jeff Osborne has been retweeting both positive and negative reviews of the video. Her apology came after Anti-Defamation League, one of the top civil rights agency in the US said the video used \"Third Reich imagery\". They argued the video was \"a trivialization of the history of that era\". In the video Nicki Minaj is portrayed wearing a black body suit with stylised black letters on her chest. Some fans said this resembled a swastika. Long red banners bearing the logo hang above her as she sits at the end of a corridor of tanks. Guns fade across the screen as a drawing of Chris Brown in an authoritarian uniform flashes up, the logo emblazoned on his cap. Troops in futuristic outfits are also drawn into the video, as well as grim reapers, futuristic flashing gas masks and storm trooper-type characters who appear to fan Minaj. The ADL welcomed her apology, adding \"We hope that she will take further steps to educate herself and her fans about who the Nazis were and why we should never take genocide or the Holocaust lightly.\" Her full Twitter comments can be seen below.", "summary": "Nicki Minaj has apologised after the lyric video for her 'Only' track was accused of containing Nazi imagery."}
{"article": "The Finn said his own performance as coach has not been good enough as the Tannadice outfit slipped to a 3-1 home defeat to fellow relegation candidates Hamilton Accies. \"It's simply not good enough.\" Paatelainnan told BBC Scotland. \"I always question myself, my fellow coaches and what mistakes I have made.\" Goals from Grant Gillespie and a double from Carlton Morris ensured an easy win for Hamilton, despite a late consolation from Simon Murray. The defeat means United's drop to the Championship could be confirmed next week when they take on their city rivals Dundee at Dens Park. \"I have been here a long time and work my socks off with the players,\" explained Paatelainen. \"Of course I have made mistakes and look at myself very closely. But like I said, I am in the same boat as the players and it is simply not good enough.\" Paatelainen said he could not understand why his team began so poorly after hearing they had the chance to reduce the gap on second bottom Kilmarnock to five points after the Rugby Park side lost to Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The United boss questioned: \"How can it mean more to Hamilton than our boys? \"We said this was our chance. This was a great opportunity to claw back the difference to a level we could really put pressure on Kilmarnock. \"And then we are nowhere near the intensity or the desire to be on the ball. We should be really disappointed with that.\" A group of around 200 United fans demonstrated outside the ground at full time, and the United boss said he sympathised with the fans and their frustrations. \"We deserve exactly whatever is given to us,\" he said. \"It's not good enough. It's poor, we take the second prize out there individually when we go into battles. \"It's very difficult to make a winning team consistently if you lose your individual battles and are too soft consistently.\" Meanwhile Hamilton player-boss Martin Canning was full of praise for his team as they eased five points clear of second-bottom Kilmarnock in the race to avoid the play-off spot. \"That's almost back to near our best,\" he said. \"It was a big game, for what was at stake in the game and results are the most important thing at this stage of the season. \"", "summary": "Dundee United manager Mixu Paatelainnan says he is in the same boat as the players when it comes to criticism of the team this season."}
{"article": "The Scottish comedian and actor started out as a folk singer before developing his stand-up act. The 72-year-old often travelled with his banjo but now says he can no longer play as he prepares to travel across the US by rail for a new TV series. Connolly said Parkinson's had particularly affected the use of his left hand. When he was on Desert Island Discs, Connolly chose a banjo as his luxury item and he also has a banjo tattoo on his left hand. In an interview in Canada to promote his stand-up tour, he said: \"I'm starting a documentary series in a month's time following the railways around America. I'm going to festivals and state fairs and all that. \"I've been longing to do it for a long time. The only trouble is that we're going to bluegrass festivals and I've got Parkinson's Disease and it's really affected my left hand and I can't play the banjo or guitar any more, but I'll join in on the singing at least. \"It's been a rough go between that and the cancer. I kept telling my wife that haemorrhoids couldn't be far behind.\" Connolly disclosed in 2013 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's and prostate cancer on the same day. He has since been given the all-clear from cancer and will travel through 28 states and 8,000 miles by train later this year in new ITV documentary series Billy Connolly's Tracks Across America.", "summary": "Billy Connolly has been forced to give up playing the banjo and guitar because of Parkinson's Disease."}
{"article": "The former Liverpool midfielder struck a sweet 20-yard volley in the 37th minute after United had dominated the opening stages. Striker Leon Clarke should have scored with an early header and narrowly missed tapping in a cross from the lively Mark Duffy, before Spearing, then later booked, fired in his first goal since last February. Both sides kicked off the season with new managers; Phil Parkinson for Wanderers and one-time Bolton target, Chris Wilder, in charge of the Blades. And with nearly 4,500 visiting fans watching on this was not the start Wilder anticipated. However, Bolton had not lost a home league game to their South Yorkshire visitors since 1977. And they nearly doubled their advantage but for goalkeeper George Long's fine save to keep out a Darren Pratley header after 64 minutes. Parkinson's only disappointment was the early exit on a stretcher of skipper Pratley with a leg injury. Report supplied by the Press Association. Chris Basham (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Josh Vela (Bolton Wanderers). Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Liam Trotter replaces Jay Spearing because of an injury. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Dean Moxey. Attempt missed. Mark Beevers (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Jamie Proctor replaces Gary Madine. Foul by Mark Beevers (Bolton Wanderers). Che Adams (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Sheffield United. Stefan Scougall replaces Mark Duffy. Substitution, Sheffield United. Che Adams replaces Matt Done. Attempt missed. Josh Vela (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from the left side of the box is just a bit too high. Attempt saved. Darren Pratley (Bolton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Attempt missed. Mark Duffy (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses the top left corner following a fast break. Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Mark Davies replaces Chris Taylor. Foul by Gary Madine (Bolton Wanderers). Chris Basham (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Mark Howard. Attempt missed. Gary Madine (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from more than 40 yards on the right wing is high and wide to the left. Attempt missed. Leon Clarke (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the right. Attempt blocked. John Fleck (Sheffield United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Jay Spearing (Bolton Wanderers). Mark Duffy (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Second Half begins Bolton Wanderers 1, Sheffield United 0. First Half ends, Bolton Wanderers 1, Sheffield United 0. Jay Spearing (Bolton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Jay Spearing (Bolton Wanderers). Chris Basham (Sheffield United) wins a free kick on the right wing. Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Jack O'Connell. Attempt missed. Gary Madine (Bolton Wanderers) header", "summary": "Jay Spearing scored the only goal as Bolton began life back in English football's third tier with a 1-0 win over Sheffield United."}
{"article": "Fintan Treanor, 20, was walking home in the early hours of Sunday, 26 June 2011, when he was struck by a vehicle at Lemgare, Clontibret. He had been walking home after a night out in Castleblaney. Police appeals have centred on an Audi A4 1995 to 2001 model missing its front lower air-vent grille. \"Five years have passed and the driver of the car involved has not been located,\" a gardai (Irish police) spokesperson said. \"Perhaps now after five years some person knows a person who disposed of an Audi A4 around that time. \"In five years, loyalties, friendships and relationships change and perhaps someone that felt unable to come forward before is now in a position to provide the investigation team with the vital information that would locate the driver.\"", "summary": "Police have renewed their appeal for information on the fifth anniversary of a fatal hit-and-run collision in County Monaghan."}
{"article": "It is a crime for Australian citizens to travel to parts of Syria, including areas controlled by the Islamic State (IS) militant group. New South Wales Police said the man was arrested at 10:00 local time on Thursday (midnight GMT). They said it was part of an ongoing investigation and there was no impending threat to the public. The police shared a picture on Twitter showing two plainclothes officers outside the terminal leading the man in handcuffs. He was known to police for minor matters and had been under surveillance in the five months leading up to his arrest. NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson said the man was expected to be charged with preparations for incursion into a foreign territory to commit acts of violence. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. \"It appears he was radicalised online,\" Dep. Comm. Dave Hudson said. \"We will allege that this 22-year-old man was going to leave Australia this morning in an attempt to get to Syria to fight for Islamic State.\"", "summary": "A 22-year-old man has been arrested at Sydney Airport as he was allegedly attempting to leave for Syria."}
{"article": "The exhibition called Metamorphosis is divided into seven ages, which is a reference to the \"Seven Ages of Man\" speech from the play As You Like It. Visitors to the university's Senate House Library can see some of the sources of inspiration for Shakespeare's plays and sonnets. They can also examine his four folios and consider how he became such a cultural giant, the world over. When Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616 there were no officially recognised versions of his plays or sonnets, Senate House librarian Jackie Marfleet said. The first time his works were collected together and published as a printed volume (folio) was in 1623. The first folio is believed to be based on play manuscripts and memories of his performances. By 1685 a fourth edition had been published with some 3,251 changes from the original, aimed at making his work easier to read for a wider audience. Modern scholarship now suggests seven plays contained in the third and fourth folios were not in fact penned by Shakespeare. Towards the end of the 18th Century, Samuel Johnson, author of the Dictionary of the English Language, produced his own edition of the Plays of William Shakespeare that included details of Shakespeare's will. It also elevated the importance of the first folio which he said was closest to the author's original text. Meanwhile on stage, Shakespeare's plays were being purged of regional accents and were held up as \"a paragon of phonetic propriety\". The practice contributed to the establishment of a standard English accent, Sonia Massai, professor of Shakespeare studies at Kings College London said. In print, Victorian readers became acquainted with illustrations by John Gilbert which brought to life many scenes that had not been sketched before. He illustrated other renowned literary works but his Shakespeare illustrations earned him by far the greatest fame. As Shakespeare's fame grew, collectors sought to buy editions of his books primarily to display, as opposed to read. Ernest Nister's edition of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1888 was produced on pages as thick as cardboard with 28 sepia illustrations and gilt edges. His appeal has endured and modern audiences can access Shakespeare online. A first folio was found in St Omer, northern France, in 2014 and has been digitized to give free access to all. You can also see it the old fashioned way, with your own eyes and in person. The free exhibition runs until 17 September.", "summary": "A collection of 30 rare Shakespeare texts on display at University of London offer an insight into how his work has evolved in the four centuries since his death."}
{"article": "The Scottish government is to change the law to make sure children spend a minimum of 25 hours a week in class. It follows rows over attempts by some councils to reduce the length of the school week to help balance their books. Nobody in the mainstream has seriously argued that a cut in the school week would actually help improve children's attainment. Councils which have looked at the idea would argue they have done so out of financial necessity. Their argument has, essentially, been that a cut in the school week for some is a \"least worst option\". When West Dunbartonshire advanced the idea earlier this year, they argued that the cut would affect things such as assemblies and \"golden time\" - not actual teaching time in the classroom. The savings come, for instance, by reducing the number of hours when the building itself is open. Parents have often reacted angrily to the proposals though. Quite apart from any concern they may have about their children's education suffering, some would face practical problems with childcare. With local government funding tight, the problem comes with the amount of flexibility councils have to find the best ways to balance their books. Education in Scotland is, essentially, a national service which councils are entrusted to deliver. There are many nationally set rules and guidelines. For instance, teachers' pay and conditions are standardised across Scotland and there are already minimum requirements on the number of days when schools have to be opened. Councils get the bulk of their money from the Scottish government and the latest funding deal commits councils to maintaining the number of teachers - even though some had argued that was not necessarily the best use of their resources. Councils are under a legal obligation to balance their books. If one potential option for savings is closed, inevitably, it could lead to greater pressure on another service. Local government organisation Cosla is also angry about the government's announcement, claiming there had been a lack of consultation. Some in local government argue councils need greater financial freedom to be able to properly respond to local needs. They see the current financial settlement as something of a straightjacket because they have little real control over the overall size of their budget. A report in the next few weeks by a commission set up by the Scottish government and Cosla will outline various alternatives to the council tax - the tax which typically raises around 15p of every pound councils spend. In some council chambers, there will be disappointment if the debate is not widened to also look at whether councils should be less dependent on central government for cash and have more options on how to raise money locally.", "summary": "The reaction by some in local government to moves to stop the length of the primary school week being cut is, ultimately, more about money than education."}
{"article": "More than 80 people attended Save Newcastle Wildlife's protest at the Havannah Nature Reserve in Hazlerigg to oppose the Banks Group's plans for a new estate across the road. Campaigners said the homes would mean more pets attacking the squirrels. Banks' surveyors suggested several schemes to minimise any impact. A spokesman for Save Newcastle Wildlife said: \"Such a high density development is likely to attract grey squirrels to the area, as many people feed grey squirrels in their gardens, threatening the existing red population and increasing the likelihood of predation from domestic pets. \"If approved, this development will see a steep incline in disturbance from human activity within the nature reserve.\" Amec Foster Wheeler carried out a survey of the squirrels for Banks. Their report concluded that the squirrels already suffer some disturbance from visitors to the nature reserve and, while acknowledging nearby homes could mean more people going to the site, extra disturbance could be mitigated by footpaths keeping people away from the squirrels' habitats. The report also said there would be no \"direct impact\" on the squirrels but there could be \"indirect effects\" such as the squirrels going to the houses for food. The surveyors suggested planting hedgerows suitable for red squirrels to forage in closer to the reserve to negate the need for them to hunt further afield for food. About 290 people have written to the council to object to the plan while 29 have written in support. More than 6,500 people have signed an online petition opposing the development. The plans are being considered by Newcastle City Council but no date has been given for a decision.", "summary": "Wildlife campaigners are opposing plans for 460 new homes near Newcastle amid fears they could harm neighbouring red squirrels."}
{"article": "The undefeated pair have exchanged obscenities on social media in the run-up to their so-called \"Bad Blood\" title contest at Braehead Arena on 8 July. But Londoner Davies, 25, played down the hostility that continued at their media conference in Glasgow this week. \"He's been told to sell the fight. I don't blame him for any of his antics,\" said the WBC Silver title holder. \"I'm a cool guy. I believe that you live and you learn. I've been wild but now it's just about going to the gym, enjoying camp, enjoying the fight night. This isn't nothing, really. It's just business for me. \"Social media is good to sell the fight. I'm not trying to sell the fight, I'm just trying to be me. \"I was a lot more arrogant in my last fight. For this fight I'm in a whole different mood.\" Davies refused to react to the four-letter taunts from Commonwealth champion Taylor, 26, when they came face to face in a Glasgow hotel to promote next month's bout. At one point, Shane McGuigan-trained Taylor tried to remove Davies' sunglasses and the East Lothian fighter later told BBC Scotland he could \"detect fear\" in the Englishman's eyes. However, Davies played it down at the event, though reverted to online abuse later in the day. \"I know that's not him,\" said Davies, who is trained by Tony Sims. \"I know that he's been told to sell the fight and all that stuff, taking off my glasses and trying to provoke me. If I really got to know him, he'll be a cool guy. I'm not going to be angry. \"I make of him what I've always made of him. He's a good fighter and on 8 July, we're going to have a good fight. \"This definitely will be my toughest fight so far - well, I hope it is. My past two fights, I found them quite easy and I want a real challenge. I want to go in there with someone that's got the capabilities of beating me. That's what we're in the game for.\" Davies defeated Italy's Andrea Scarpa over 12 rounds at Wembley last November to win the WBC Silver belt and in March took three rounds to dispose of Derry Mathews, again in London.", "summary": "Super-lightweight Ohara Davies feels Josh Taylor is acting out of character with his abusive comments towards him."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Midfielder Stefano Mauri, 32, was held along with former Genoa midfielder Omar Milanetto, police said. Juventus coach Antonio Conte, who just led the club to the Serie A title in his first season in charge, is among those being questioned by police. Officers also visited Italy's pre-Euro 2012 training camp to question left-back Domenico Criscito, 25. Police are searching more than 30 homes, including those of players, trainers and administrators of clubs in Serie A, Serie B and lower divisions. For many months now this investigation into match-fixing in the Italian game has been widening and deepening. While up to now much of the suspicion has fallen on teams and players in the lower divisions of the game, the prestigious Serie A is increasingly being drawn into the scandal. None of this will come as any great surprise to those who are following this scandal closely. More painful and damaging, allegations and revelations lie ahead. Of course the fans hate it all, but many will continue to believe that the great bulk of players are clean. And some will argue that at least Italy is trying to tackle the match-fixing issue - while leagues in other countries may be choosing to look away. Five people were also arrested in Hungary on suspicion of being part of an illegal international betting ring. Police said Conte was being investigated on suspicion of sporting fraud and fraudulent association over allegations concerning a match between his previous club Siena and Novara in April 2011. However Conte's lawyer, Antonio De Rencis, said: \"Conte's reaction is that of someone who is completely innocent and strongly determined to prove his total innocence.\" Later on Monday Italian football federation vice president Demetrio Albertini announced that Cristico, a former Genoa and Juventus defender who is now at Zenit St Petersburg in Russia, would not be selected for Euro 2012 'in order to clear his name'. \"We are disappointed but we have to remain close to the player,\" Albertini said. \"Arrests have been made today but until proven otherwise, we are talking about innocent people even though they are considered suspects. \"I know Domenico and he is incredulous. He is an extraordinary guy and he has already seen his lawyers this morning. It is a strange day for us. \"These are things that we would not like to have had to go through.\" Monday's operation was part of a wider investigation which has already seen a number of arrests of current and former Italian players. In June last year, the Interior Ministry set up a special match-fixing task force in response to a number of high-profile cases. Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci has also been linked to match-fixing in testimony from a probe in Bari, where he used to play, but is not under formal investigation and will go to the tournament in Ukraine and Poland. Former Atalanta captain and Italy midfielder Cristiano Doni was banned for three-and-a-half years in August for his part in the 'Calcioscommesse' scandal involving Serie B matches last season. He", "summary": "The captain of Lazio has been arrested by police investigating claims of match-fixing."}
{"article": "Two people were pulled from the wreckage alive but one of them later died, leaving a young boy as the only survivor, the Red Cross said. The Antonov An-12 plane was heading to Paloch, Upper Nile State, and crashed 800m (half a mile) from the runway. In a statement, Ukraine-based Antonov said the plane had not been airworthy. It said the plane, which was built in 1971, \"was is no state to fly because it failed to undergo timely technical servicing... that should have included work on extending its resources and exploitation timeframe\", AFP news agency reported. South Sudan authorities warned that the death toll could rise as the debris was cleared. The plane crashed into a farming community on an island on the White Nile River but so far all the victims recovered were from the aircraft, the Red Cross said. Presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said all of the plane's passengers were from South Sudan. He said five of the six crew members were Armenian, while the sixth member was Russian. Armenia's foreign ministry has confirmed that five of its nationals were killed. The head of the Civil Aviation at Juba airport said emergency officials had secured the site of the crash and were \"in the stage of recovering bodies and black box [flight recorder]\". While the cause of the crash is still unclear, the presidential spokesman told a news conference that it might have been down to engine failure. Witnesses said bodies, debris and cargo were strewn over a wide area along the river bank. A man who saw the plane come down said he thought it might crash into a market area, but the pilot seemed to divert at the last minute. A local farmer described the moment the plane started to go down, telling AFP: \"The sound was so loud... the plane started descending and landed near my door. \"One of the tyres broke off and ran into the house - but thank God it did not injure anyone.\" Cargo planes flying to remote parts of South Sudan often carry passengers too. The plane's first flight was in 1971, the Aviation Safety Network reported. It was being operated by Allied Services Limited, a logistics company based in South Sudan, at the time of the crash. However, the plane belonged to the Tajik company Asia Airways, Tajikistan's Transport Ministry told the Ozodagon news agency.", "summary": "A cargo plane has crashed on take-off near the international airport in South Sudan's capital Juba, killing at least 36 people."}
{"article": "A letter from Petitions Committee chairman William Powell to the education minister said there was widespread confusion over the policy. The committee is investigating after thousands of complaints from parents. It comes as figures show the number of fines varies between councils. A BBC Wales Freedom of Information request found Cardiff council issued 370 fixed penalty notices between January and May. During the same period, 10 other councils, including Monmouthshire which has not yet introduced fines, did not issue any. In his letter to Huw Lewis, Mr Powell said the committee was concerned many councils were incorrectly advising schools only to authorise term-time holidays in \"exceptional\" circumstances, with some asking head teachers not to authorise any at all. Speaking on the issue, before the letter, Mr Powell said: \"The relationship between parents and schools is absolutely crucial and I think it's potentially very damaging to have this rather aggressive approach being brought in. \"We need to have a degree more common sense.\" The Welsh government has said parents do not have an \"automatic right to withdraw pupils from school for a holiday and they must apply for permission in advance\". But it does give schools \"discretionary power to authorise up to 10 days absence during a school year for family holidays during term time\". Two campaign groups have drawn up petitions calling for children to be allowed term-time holidays. The largest petition, with 18,000 signatures, is from a group called Let Children in Wales Have a Family Holiday During Term-Time. The other petition has been drawn up by Pembrokeshire Parents Want a Say. Campaigner Bethany Walpole-Wroe, from Llanybydder, Carmarthenshire, said many families could not afford to go away during school holidays. \"The prices more than double usually in July and August, so they either can't afford them or they can't get time off due to various circumstances,\" she said. But the Welsh government said school attendance should come first. Education Minister Huw Lewis said: \"Prolonged absence from school really does damage the attainment prospects of young people and that's why I, and I think most parents, would put learning as a priority.\" Head teachers' union National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) Cymru said while everything possible should be done to ensure children have the least amount of time out of school, it would not encourage its members to fine parents. Campaigners will find out in the new year if the committee intends taking any action.", "summary": "Some parents who have been fined for taking holidays in term-time may have been dealt with unfairly and unlawfully, an assembly member has claimed."}
{"article": "The Exiles were reduced to 10 men on 36 minutes when goalkeeper Joe Day was dismissed for bringing down Plymouth forward Jordan Slew. Argyle's Graham Carey converted the penalty and added another from the spot when he was fouled by Darren Jones. A fabulous 25-yard volley from County's Jon Parkin had levelled matters earlier on, but Slew's late strike sealed it. Match ends, Newport County 1, Plymouth Argyle 3. Second Half ends, Newport County 1, Plymouth Argyle 3. Corner, Plymouth Argyle. Conceded by Darren Jones. Rhys Healey (Newport County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Rhys Healey (Newport County). Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Plymouth Argyle. Conceded by Scot Bennett. Attempt blocked. Jordan Slew (Plymouth Argyle) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Reece Grego-Cox (Newport County) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Attempt missed. Ben Tozer (Newport County) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Corner, Newport County. Conceded by Yann Songo'o. Attempt blocked. Sean Rigg (Newport County) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. Ryan Donaldson replaces James Spencer. James Spencer (Plymouth Argyle) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Jazzi Barnum-Bobb (Newport County) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by James Spencer (Plymouth Argyle). Sean Rigg (Newport County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle). Attempt missed. Sean Rigg (Newport County) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is too high. Goal! Newport County 1, Plymouth Argyle 3. Jordan Slew (Plymouth Argyle) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Graham Carey. Substitution, Newport County. Jack Compton replaces Jordan Green. Corner, Newport County. Conceded by Yann Songo'o. Attempt saved. Graham Carey (Plymouth Argyle) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. Connor Smith replaces David Fox. Rhys Healey (Newport County) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Gary Miller (Plymouth Argyle). Rhys Healey (Newport County) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Jake Jervis (Plymouth Argyle). Jordan Green (Newport County) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Jordan Slew (Plymouth Argyle). Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. Jake Jervis replaces Craig Tanner. Substitution, Newport County. Rhys Healey replaces Jon Parkin. (Newport County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Dangerous play by David Fox (Plymouth Argyle). Corner, Plymouth Argyle. Conceded by Darren Jones. Attempt blocked. James Spencer (Plymouth Argyle) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt missed. David Fox (Plymouth Argyle) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Goal! Newport County 1, Plymouth Argyle 2. Graham Carey (Plymouth Argyle) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner. Penalty conceded by Darren Jones (Newport County) after a", "summary": "Newport County's plight at the bottom of League Two worsened as they were beaten by leaders Plymouth."}
{"article": "The move was part of a plan to clear a 100m (328ft) security zone around the camp's perimeter, an official told AP. But some migrants and activists said the places of worship had not been included in the demolition plans, local media reported. The Jungle is used by about 5,000 migrants who say they want to reach the UK. The church's pastor clashed with police during the demolition but the mosque had already been abandoned and there were no protests, the unnamed official said. No-one was hurt and the migrants were free to build new churches and mosques, the official added. However, civil society groups working in the camp claimed the authorities had promised not to demolish them in the first place. \"It was agreed that the church and the mosque would stay. By demolishing them, the authorities are showing contempt for NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and are seeking conflict with the migrants who used these places,\" said Christian Salome of the NGO Auberge des Migrants, the Voix du Nord newspaper reported. Tea, rivalry and ambition at 'Jungle hotel' Jungle migrants prepare to move Migrants resist relocation to containers There is still a church and about six mosques in the Jungle, Mr Salome added. The French authorities have been clearing a 100m zone between the Jungle and a nearby motorway. They have also encouraged the migrants inside the camp to move into new accommodation made from shipping containers. The 125 converted containers are equipped with electricity, heating and bunk beds, and each one can accommodate 12 people. About 1,000 migrants have taken up the offer, but others refused and moved their tents further inside the Jungle, despite the poor living conditions.", "summary": "French authorities have demolished a makeshift church and mosque at the Calais camp known as the Jungle."}
{"article": "Dean McIlwaine, from Newtownabbey, was last seen in the Carnmoney Road area of Newtownabbey on Thursday, 13 July. Hundreds of people joined a search in Belfast on Monday night in a bid to find the 22-year-old barber. His cousin, Jordan Malone, told the BBC that the family has barely slept since Mr McIlwaine's disappearance five days ago. He said that he was very close with Mr McIlwaine, as they are both barbers - and that the family cannot understand why he would suddenly go missing. \"Despite the search last night, we've still heard nothing - we're just going up against a brick wall,\" said Mr Malone. \"Dean and I talked every day, he would never do something like this. Someone would normally know where he is.\" The police said Mr McIlwaine was last spotted on the Carnmoney Road on 13 July at about 13:00 BST, wearing a light coloured t-shirt, blue denim shorts and flip-flops. They have been carrying out searches in the Carnmoney area and across Belfast and renewed their appeal on Tuesday evening. Hundreds of people, including Mr McIlwaine's father and brother, also took part in a search in Belfast on Monday evening, organised by the Belfast City Council. Mr Malone said his aunt and uncle have barely slept since their son's disappearance, and are finding it incredibly difficult to cope. \"I think they've had three hours of sleep between them since last Thursday, his brother is like a sheet - he can't take it in,\" added Mr Malone. \"His mum can't speak. Every time the phone rings or the police arrive, she's afraid it's going to be the worst news.\" Mr McIlwaine is described as being 5ft 8 ins tall, of medium build with brown eyes, dark hair and a beard. He has sleeve tattoos on both arms. Mr Malone said the family had taken comfort in the support they have received from people since his cousin vanished, and added that they are \"so determined\" to keep searching for him. \"We'll not give up, we'll keep searching, but as the days go on it does look more negative - there is just no trace of him,\" he added. He also had a poignant message for his cousin, in the hope that Mr McIlwaine eventually makes contact with the family. \"I just want to say to him no-one is angry or mad at you. Whatever is going through your head we can help you, we just need to know you're safe. \"We just need to hear from you.\" The police have asked anyone who may have seen Mr McIlwaine to contact them on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 121 of 14/7/17.", "summary": "The family of a missing County Antrim man have said they are determined to \"keep searching\" until he is found."}
{"article": "It will prevent light aircraft flying over the area below 10,000 ft (3,048 m) between the 3-5 September. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) imposed the restriction following a request from police. The ban will not affect emergency services, or commercial flights travelling to and from Cardiff and Bristol airports. In an advisory sent out to pilots, the CAA said the restriction was part of the security operation being put in place to protect heads of state, including President Barack Obama, who are attending. Unauthorised aircraft will not be able to fly over the area from Newport, Cardiff and the Gwent valleys, to Ross-On-Wye, Bristol and Minehead. Flights which breach the ban will be intercepted by police air support.", "summary": "A no-fly zone has been put in place for parts of south Wales and Bristol during the three-days of the Nato summit."}
{"article": "Up to 30 men, some with false beards and one masquerading as a pregnant woman in a wheelchair, entered the hospital in Hebron overnight. They took away a suspect in a recent stabbing near Hebron after shooting dead his cousin in an altercation. Ten Israelis and dozens of Palestinians have been killed in recent unrest. Many of the Palestinian fatalities were attackers in near-daily stabbings of Israelis, shot by their victims or security forces. The surge in violence began in September when tensions at a flashpoint holy site in Jerusalem revered by Jews and Muslims boiled over, amid rumours that Israel planned to relax long-standing rules to strengthen Jewish rights at the complex. Israel has repeatedly denied such claims. Closed-circuit television footage from al-Ahli hospital showed a large, armed group disguised as Arab men and women making their way down a corridor, pushing the wheelchair, shortly before 04:00 (02:00 GMT). They point the guns at hospital staff, apparently ordering them to stay back. Minutes later they are seen making their way back with the suspect, 20-year-old Azzam Shalaldeh, in the wheelchair. Mr Shalaldeh is alleged to have stabbed and wounded an Israeli on 25 October before escaping after being shot by the victim. Palestinian officials said Mr Shalaldeh's 27-year-old cousin, Abdallah Azzam Shalaldeh, was shot and killed in Azzam Shalaldeh's hospital room. Israel's Shin Bet security agency said he was shot after attacking the Israeli forces. Azzam Shalaldeh's brother Bilal, who was also in the room at the time, said Abdallah Azzam Shalaldeh was shot without warning when he emerged from a bathroom. Shin Bet said Azzam Shalaldeh belonged to \"a family of Hamas militants\", AFP news agency reported. The Israeli military operates an undercover unit colloquially known as Duvdevan, which sometimes mingle undetected with Palestinians during riots before snatching suspects. An undercover team also carried out a raid on a hospital in the West Bank city of Nablus last month, seizing a suspect in the murder of an Israeli couple days earlier.", "summary": "Undercover Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian and seized a stabbing suspect in a raid on a West Bank hospital, Palestinian officials say."}
{"article": "The Wall Street Journal - owned by Rupert Murdoch, who also owns Fox News - reports the network is \"preparing to cut ties\" with the presenter. Pressure on Fox has mounted since recent reports that five women received $13m in payouts because of Mr O'Reilly. More than 50 sponsors have withdrawn ads from his show, The O'Reilly Factor. US media report that the board of 21st Century Fox will hold a meeting about the matter on Thursday. According to New York Magazine, executives were holding emergency meetings on Wednesday morning to discuss how to get rid of Mr O'Reilly. The presenter, who has been with the network almost since its inception, has denied all of the allegations. On Tuesday evening a lawyer for a former African-American clerical worker at Fox alleged her client had been harassed by Mr O'Reilly in 2008. Lawyer Lisa Bloom said the Fox News host had referred to the unidentified woman as \"hot chocolate\". \"He would leer at her,\" said Ms Bloom. \"He would always do this when no one else was around, and she was scared.\" Analysis: Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington The sexual harassment charges against Bill O'Reilly aren't new. They've bubbled up before and have been quietly ushered from view, thanks to multimillion dollar legal settlements. Now, however, they appear poised to bring the top-rated conservative talk show host down. So what changed? Was it lurid details of his alleged behaviour? The protests? Commercial sponsors abandoning his show? The impact the scandal could have on 21st Century Fox's attempts to purchase European broadcaster Sky? All probably contributed to O'Reilly's impending exit. The crack in the proverbial dam, however, came when Fox News head Roger Ailes was sacked for his own sexual harassment scandal. If Mr Ailes, who built the conservative television empire, could be laid low by his tawdry behaviour, no one was untouchable - even Mr O'Reilly. Welcome to Fox News in the Donald Trump era. Mr Ailes is out. Mr O'Reilly is nearly gone. Presenter Megyn Kelly has bolted to NBC. The only giant left standing is Trump super-fan Sean Hannity. A network that defined itself by blanket opposition to Barack Obama now appears adrift, challenged by more aggressive conservative media outlets and toxic to the left. It's a tricky position to occupy - a victim of its own success\u2026 and hubris. Mr O'Reilly's attorney, Marc Kasowitz, said the latest accusation was part of a \"brutal campaign of character assassination that is unprecedented in post-McCarthyist America\". Mr Kasowitz said this was being driven by \"far-left organizations bent on destroying O'Reilly for political and financial reasons\". Protesters - including self-described survivors of sexual assault and harassment - turned up on Tuesday outside Fox News headquarters in New York. They demanded the network fire the host, who recently signed a $20m-a-year contract. Planes flew overhead with banners attached that read: \"Fox: #dropOReilly, the sexual predator.\" Conservative blogger Matt Drudge also weighed in in his first-ever posting on his personal Twitter account, seeming to bid farewell to Mr O'Reilly. \"O'Reilly has had tremendous run,\" he posted.", "summary": "Fox News is reportedly about to drop the country's top-rated cable news host, Bill O'Reilly, amid claims he sexually harassed female colleagues."}
{"article": "The two athletes had been competing in the 3000m women's-track final - which Decker, who was running for the US, had been widely tipped to win. But she fell after a collision with Budd, who was part of the British team. Budd, who was born in South Africa and aged 17 at the time of the race, was later accused of tripping her up. The crowd's hostile reaction after Decker's fall caused Budd, who famously ran barefoot and had been winning the race, to finish seventh. Decker, who had fallen into the infield grass clutching her right thigh, was carried from the track in tears. Budd had already received international attention after her application for British citizenship was fast-tracked earlier in 1984, in time for her to compete at the Los Angeles games. As a South African, Budd would have been ineligible to compete as the country had been banned from international sport because of its policy of apartheid. The new film will feature archive footage as well as new interviews with Budd, Decker and others who were close to the events leading up to the race. On reuniting with Decker in the documentary, Budd commented: \"I knew making this film would be opening up the black box in my mind which I haven't opened since that day. I thought it was time.\" Decker added, \"I still think about that race every day. Making this film has been cathartic.\" The 90-minute film, called The Fall, will premiere on Sky Atlantic on 29 July.", "summary": "Zola Budd and Mary Decker are to be reunited in a new documentary for the first time since their famous collision at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984."}
{"article": "South Western Ambulance Service said it did not know how the incident involving the man - thought to be in his 20s - happened. Great Western Air Ambulance flew him to Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham after the ambulance service was called at about 17:10 BST. Wiltshire Air Ambulance had also been called after the man suffered significant burns at the Somerset site. Final preparations are taking place for the 2016 edition of the festival which opens its doors to the public on Wednesday.", "summary": "A man has suffered severe burns at the Glastonbury Festival site."}
{"article": "In 2015, the Department for Transport said electrification of the whole link - which goes through Manchester, Leeds and York - would be complete by 2022. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has since said electrification will instead be used \"where it makes a difference\". Shadow rail minister Rachael Maskell has called it \"a slap in the face\". In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Mr Grayling said: \"We are not abandoning electrification, what we are doing is using electrification where it makes a difference. \"What we've got on the railways is technology we didn't have five or six years ago.\" He said the use of bi-mode trains, which can travel on both electrified and non-electrified sections of a track, meant there were \"places on the network you don't actually need to start digging everything up and putting in place overhead cables\". The project to electrify the route between Manchester and Leeds was announced in 2011 as part of the then chancellor George Osborne's ambition to create a northern economic \"powerhouse\". The government said it would deliver more passenger capacity and shorten journey times. However, the electrification was controversially paused in 2015 when a review into its costs and plans was carried out. Speaking about this latest development, Ms Maskell said: \"This is a slap in the face for the commuters and businesses in the North, including those in my constituency of York Central. \"Just six weeks ago the Tories promised the electrification of the TransPennine route as an integral part of the government's 'Northern Powerhouse'.\" In an open letter to Mr Grayling, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said the north had \"put up with second-class transport for too long\". He said the possible changes \"would represent a major broken promise... and the derailment of the Northern Powerhouse\". Mr Grayling's announcement comes days after the government scrapped the planned electrification of three railway lines. They included the routes between Cardiff and Swansea; between Windermere and Oxenholme in the Lake District; and between Kettering, Nottingham and Sheffield. A Department for Transport spokesman said: \"We are investing around \u00c2\u00a340 billion in our network as part of the biggest rail modernisation programme for over a century to provide faster journeys and more comfortable trains. \"This includes delivering improved journeys for passengers right across the North.\"", "summary": "The railway route between Liverpool and Newcastle may not be fully electrified despite a promise by the previous government."}
{"article": "Louise Wright, from Mapperley, died after she was hit by a lorry in Nottingham city centre earlier this month. A bike which has been painted white, known as a ghost bike, has been left at the scene along with floral tributes. Her partner James Faulkner said he hoped it would promote cycle safety. Ms Wright, who worked for fashion firm Paul Smith, died on 3 July after the crash involving an HGV in Lower Parliament Street. The ghost bike, thought to be the first in the East Midlands, appeared recently along with tributes to the popular 29-year-old. Mr Faulkner said he and Ms Wright's family had taken comfort from many well-wishers' kind words. \"We still don't know the circumstances of the accident yet, but I hope that the ghost bike will help raise awareness of cyclists on the roads,\" he said. \"If it can help prevent any future accidents, then it will have served a purpose and could help save a life.\" Tributes were also paid to Ms Wright on Facebook, including by the Nottingham Roller Girls roller derby team who described her as beautiful, vibrant and funny. Mike Hallam, duty manager at business Machine Mart next to the crash scene, said some people had reservations about the memorial. \"I dare say most people were touched but there were a few mixed reactions, whether it was tasteless or not,\" he said. \"Personally I think it was a very good idea.\" Leaving a white bike at the scene of a fatal crash started in the United States but has been a growing phenomena across the UK over the last few years.", "summary": "The partner of a cyclist who died in a crash involving a lorry said he hopes a \"ghost bike\" memorial to her will help prevent more deaths."}
{"article": "Georgina Edmonds, 77, was found dead after being tortured at her home near Eastleigh in Hampshire in 2008. Matthew Hamlen, of nearby Bishopstoke, told the court he was \"not an expert\" but said if DNA found on the blouse was his \"it didn't get there at the time\". Mr Hamlen, 36, denies murder in the trial at Winchester Crown Court. Prosecutors claim DNA found on Mrs Edmonds's clothing and on the rolling pin was that of Mr Hamlen. He was asked: \"The matching results are approximately 26 million-times more likely if the DNA has originated from you, than if it is from someone unrelated to you - how did it get there?\" Mr Hamlen replied: \"I know I didn't do this, I could not do something like this. \"As far as the DNA goes, I'm not an expert. All I can tell you is, it didn't get there at the time, if it is mine.\" The jury was previously shown CCTV footage of a man in a high-visibility jacket attempting to withdraw money with Mrs Edmonds's debit card on the day she was killed. When asked if it was him in the images, Mr Hamlen replied: \"No.\" During cross-examination, the defendant was also asked about his relationship with his partner at the time of the killing. He admitted it had not been good, that his partner had been violent, and he told police in an interview that during one incident he hit her around the face with an ironing board \"a few times\". The 36-year-old is on trial for murder for a second time after being acquitted of the same crime in 2012. The trial continues.", "summary": "A man accused of beating a pensioner to death with a marble rolling pin has cast doubt over the reliability of DNA evidence found on the victim's blouse."}
{"article": "The government had previously denied they were missing, saying all patients had been moved to another facility. The Ebola outbreak, which has spread from Guinea to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, has killed at least 1,145. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for exit screenings on all travellers from affected countries. It wants checks at airports, sea ports and major land crossings. Several airlines have already stopped flying to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Cameroon has closed its land, sea and air borders with Nigeria, reports say. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the world's deadliest to date. The disease has no known cure. Meanwhile, the UN's chief co-ordinator in Sierra Leone, David McLachlan-Karr, told the BBC that Ebola had spread to 12 out of 13 of the country's districts. \"While Sierra Leone was the last affected of the three Mano River countries [Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone] to have confirmed [cases] of Ebola, now it's the country with the most cases,\" he said. There have been at least 810 cases of Ebola reported in Sierra Leone, including 348 deaths, according to WHO figures. The attack on the quarantine centre in Liberia, in Monrovia's densely populated West Point township, took place on Saturday evening. There are conflicting reports over what sparked the riot, in which medical supplies were stolen. Assistant Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah said the protesters were unhappy that patients were being taken there from other parts of the capital. Other reports suggested the protesters had believed Ebola was a hoax and wanted to force the centre to close. A senior police officer, speaking to the BBC on condition of anonymity, said blood-stained mattresses, bedding and medical equipment had been taken from the centre, potentially furthering the spread of the virus. On Monday, Liberia's Information Minister Lewis Brown told the BBC that 17 of 37 inmates from the quarantine centre had gone \"back into their communities\". He said the authorities were now trying to track them down but said he was confident they would return. \"Most of the people that went into this holding facility came there voluntarily,\" he told the BBC. \"So our impression is that they still want to be [there], but they were forcibly removed by vandals and looters, not because they wanted to leave; so we are sure that they will return.\" He said the attack on the quarantine centre was Liberia's \"greatest setback\" since the Ebola outbreak began. Lindis Hurum, from medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), says there is an urgent need for a massive public awareness campaign in Liberia. \"Some people don't believe that it exists. Definitely, as the situation is getting worse and more people are getting sick, more people also start to believe it,\" she told the BBC. \"But they don't necessarily understand or know how they should prevent it.\" MSF says the Ebola outbreak has had a terrible impact on Liberia's entire healthcare system, which it says is more or less falling apart. Many health facilities have closed, with patients as well as medical staff, too scared to turn", "summary": "Seventeen suspected Ebola patients are \"missing\" in Liberia after a health centre in the capital was attacked, the government says."}
{"article": "The government is seeking support from Labour MPs to extend the RAF's air campaign to strikes against IS targets in Syria, as well as Iraq. Labour has hinted it would not oppose action in Syria, as it did in 2013. Ms Harman will join senior ministers and military chiefs at Tuesday's National Security Council meeting. The last time a Labour leader received such an invitation was in 2013. The prime minister believes IS fighters need to be confronted in Syria, where the US are conducting operations, but will not take military action without a Commons vote. Some Conservative backbenchers have expressed doubts about further action in the absence of a wider diplomatic strategy so Mr Cameron is reluctant to ask MPs to vote to extend the campaign unless he has Labour's backing. A Number 10 spokesman said: \"The PM thought it was important to ensure the leader of the opposition was fully briefed on the current situation.\" Shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker has also been invited. Earlier this month, Ms Harman said Islamic State had to be \"stopped\" and Labour would look \"very seriously\" at any proposals brought forward by the government. She said the situation was different from that in 2013, when Labour voted against air strikes in Syria, because IS was a terrorist organisation, while President Bashar al-Assad was the head of a government, albeit a \"terrible regime\". Labour had been concerned about \"what would fill the space\" if the Syrian president had been toppled, Ms Harman added. Mr Cameron was defeated in the Commons in 2013 when Tory rebels joined forces with Labour to oppose air strikes on Syrian government targets designed to deter the use of chemical weapons. The 2013 vote focused on the Syrian president, not IS militants. Parliament approved UK bombing of militant positions in Iraq last year. However, MPs were not asked at the time to authorise strikes across the border in Syria. The National Security Council meeting comes as ministers are facing criticism for advising UK holidaymakers to come home from Tunisia amid fears of another terror attack. Last month 30 Britons were killed when a gunman opened fire on tourists staying in a popular Tunisian holiday resort. IS said it carried out the attack. Tunisia has accused the UK of playing into terrorists' hands and some tourists complained they were being ordered out of the country. After the Tunisian beach attack, Mr Cameron said IS posed \"an existential threat\" to the West, and its members in Iraq and Syria were plotting \"terrible attacks\" on British soil and elsewhere.", "summary": "David Cameron has invited acting Labour leader Harriet Harman to a high-level security meeting about the threat posed by Islamic State (IS) extremists."}
{"article": "\"New signing Andrew Robertson will wear the number 26 next season,\" it read. But the very fact those words have been typed by that club underlines the jump the 19-year-old full-back has made. This time last year Robertson should have been unassumingly preparing for a second year as part of Third Division side Queen's Park's under-19 team. However, a slightly higher calling with the first-team was on the cards. The former pupil of East Renfrewshire's St Ninian's High School was one of a clutch of youngsters called to do pre-season with the Spiders' first-team and he went on to make an impressive debut in an August League Cup victory over Airdrie. \"From then Andy remained virtually an ever-present in the team,\" explained Queen's Park manager Gardner Speirs. \"Throughout the season there was continual improvement with him. He was always decent on the ball, always looking to go forward and take part in the attacks. But his defending improved considerably towards the end of the season. \"For him to come in, while still able to play at under 19, and to play a whole season in the first team was excellent.\" And Robertson wasn't the only one catching the eye. \"I wouldn't say they were similar, no. I would say they're equally intelligent about the game. They have a good understanding of the game, which will allow them to play at a higher level. Aidan tended to be the type that would dip his shoulder and get himself a yard and either play an incisive pass or have a shot or put a cross in. Whereas Lawrence, he was a wee bit more physically better built and could ride tackles better. He could also hold off defenders and create openings. So, similar in effectiveness I would say but not particularly similar in style.\" Gardner Speirs Queen's Park manager His three-tier leap up from Third Division to Scottish Premier League was matched by two other even younger Queen's Park comrades. Forward Aidan Connolly, son of former Dundee Utd player Paddy Connolly, will also do his thing at Tannadice in the 2013-14 campaign, while 14-goal striker Lawrence Shankland has gone further up the A90 to Aberdeen. Those two will still be 17 years-old when the new league season begins on 3 August. \"Lawrence came on in that game against Airdrie and scored a cracking equaliser,\" recalled Speirs. \"Then against Partick Thistle at Hampden he scored another cracker. He scored a number of goals for us, particularly early on in the season. \"He finished top goalscorer which was excellent for a lad we'd taken straight from the under-17s - he hadn't gone to the under 19s - we took him straight into the senior squad. \"He's got great ability, good confidence and temperament. \"Aidan came in slightly later and initially made an impact coming on from the bench until eventually he earned starting places. \"Again, to begin with [he] was magnificent, scored a number of goals - one or two important goals for us. \"All three of them are going into something completely new in terms", "summary": "There will be more exciting Dundee United tweets than the one they unleashed on 1 July."}
{"article": "Rail union RMT said it was speaking to its 523 members over plans to hire security contractors on the company's trains. London Midland told the union it stopped using contractors last month. RMT said the decision was \"a major victory\", while London Midland said it was pleased passengers would not be affected by \"unnecessary\" strikes. More updates on this and other stories from Birmingham and the Black Country. The union said its national executive committee decided to cancel the strike ballot and end the dispute after receiving \"written assurances\" from London Midland the use of contractors would stop after 30 January. General secretary Mick Cash said train security and passenger safety was only possible with \"professionally trained and equipped\" employers and \"an adequate number of conductors. \"RMT remains eternally vigilant in the ongoing fight to stop the casualisation of rail workers' jobs and any moves that undermine permanent staffing arrangements,\" he said. A spokesman for London Midland said it \"decided to review our current arrangements\" after speaking to staff. \"We all share the same objectives of improving safety and reducing ticketless travel,\" they said. \"Our focus now is to work together on how best to achieve this.\"", "summary": "Train conductors have called off balloting for strike action on London Midland's service."}
{"article": "Profits in the first three months of the year were $2.4bn. But the media giant's revenue gains more muted, up 3% year-on-year to at $13.3bn (\u00c2\u00a310.3bn). The firm remains on track for modest growth, in spite of subscriber losses at its sports television network ESPN. \"We're extremely pleased with our results,\" said Disney boss Robert Iger. Disney's business ranges widely, including movie studios such as Marvel and Pixar, theme parks, merchandise - even a cruise line. Its television networks, which include ABC, Disney and the sports-focused ESPN, are the biggest earners, together accounting for more than 40% of the firm's total revenue in the last financial year. However, ESPN has struggled with millions of subscriber losses and advertising declines in recent years, as live sports services have begun to feel the pressure from online television and viewer demands for cheaper cable packages. This spring, ESPN laid off more than 100 people, including writers and on-air personalities. Mr Iger said the company is confident of the demand for ESPN and pleased with the traction it is gaining on platforms such as television streaming service Hulu. Revenue in the media unit increased 3% year-on year. Mr Iger said the firm is focused on its mobile audience, aiming for an increasingly customised experience that allows fans to focus on news about their favourite teams. The company plans to sell ESPN-branded streaming directly to viewers by the end of the calendar year, and that kind of personalisation is also likely to be part of the package, he added. \"Consumers will be able to buy the sports they want, when they want,\" he said. Mr Iger asked analysts for \"a little bit of credit\" for being candid with its thinking as it grapples with the changes. \"We wanted to signal that we had our eyes wide open about what was going on,\" he said. Disney to buy most of Euro Disney The true stories behind Beauty and the Beast and other Disney stories Revenue at Disney's studio operations declined 1% year-on-year, as strong audiences at Beauty and the Beast couldn't match the firm's success last year with films such as Zootopia and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Strong visitor numbers at Disney theme parks and its new Shanghai resort in China helped lift the results, Mr Iger said. The park is on track to welcome its 10 millionth guest as it nears its first anniversary, he said. \"Attendance is outpacing our most optimistic projections,\" he said.", "summary": "Profits at Walt Disney jumped 11% in the first three months of 2017, bolstered by attendance at its theme parks and resorts."}
{"article": "The blaze at The Swan in Waters Upton, on the outskirts of Telford, started at about 00:50 BST and was brought under control within four hours. The roof was \"very badly damaged\" and slates were lying shattered on the pavement outside the pub, BBC Radio Shropshire reporter Ian Perry said. The cause of the fire at the property, which closed in 2007, is not known. An investigation is under way. About 40 firefighters from from seven stations - Bridgnorth, Hodnet, Shrewsbury, Telford, Telford Central, Tweedale and Wellington - were deployed.", "summary": "A fire broke out at a disused pub in Shropshire in the early hours."}
{"article": "The state is the biggest in the US. The Forestry Division says the fires were started by ''human activity'' but it's unclear if they were accidental or deliberate. They say the specific cause is still under investigation. Many people have had to move out of their homes. Some houses have been ruined and huge areas of land have been destroyed. 40 miles north of Anchorage is where the Iditarod, Alaska's famed sled-dog race, typically kicks off. Listen to this man talking about the efforts to make sure the teams of dogs living and working there, stay safe. There are many separate fires in different areas. Water-scooping aircraft and helicopters with water buckets have joined hundreds of firefighters to try to stop the fires spreading further. There has been a late spring heat wave after record breaking temperatures in May. There have been lots of thunderstorms. Alaska Govenor Bill Walker says, '' It's pretty powerful. The fire itself is very powerful but the human response has been, I think, equally powerful to me. To fly over and see what's been burnt and what's been left boy, we are so sorry about the losses of structures that have taken place. I'm very pleased there has been no loss of life, I know we've lost some animals in the process and that's most unfortunate.\"", "summary": "Teams of firefighters and special aircraft are working around the clock to try to put out huge wildfires that are raging across parts of Alaska."}
{"article": "Bangor Crematorium's chapel will be shut from 5-24 September. Funerals will not be held but cremations can still be carried out while improvements are made to keep the facility up to standard. Crematoriums in Colwyn Bay and Aberystwyth have been told about the closure and to expect more funerals at those facilities. Gwynedd council's cabinet member for the environment, John Wynn Jones, said: \"Every effort is made to minimise such work on the efficient running of the facility, however on this occasion the scale and location of the work combined with the need to remove asbestos materials means that we unfortunately have no option but to temporarily close the chapel facility.\"", "summary": "A crematorium's chapel in Gwynedd will close for three weeks for asbestos removal and repair work."}
{"article": "The 36-year-old, who has won 94 caps for his country, leaves Munster after 270 competitive appearances in 17 seasons for the Irish province. \"Donncha has tremendous know-how at the highest level,\" boss Dean Ryan said. \"To bring in someone with such international and European experience is a real coup for the club.\" O'Callaghan, who also made four appearances for the British & Irish Lions in 2009, has played in three consecutive World Cups for Ireland and helped to win the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2009. He has also picked up two Heineken Cup winners' medals, along with two Magners League titles, for Munster. \"I'm very grateful to Munster for all that they've done for me,\" he said. \"But now I'm hungry for my new challenge. \"I watched the Bristol game where Warriors turned it around in the last seven minutes at the end of last season, and that was really impressive.\" There may be more new signings at Sixways before the new Premiership season kicks off at home to Northampton on Friday, 16 October. Experienced Springbok centre Wynand Olivier is also reportedly set to sign on a two-year deal following his release by Montpellier.", "summary": "Worcester Warriors have made their 11th pre-season signing by bringing in vastly experienced Munster and Ireland lock forward Donncha O'Callaghan."}
{"article": "Swansea, two points adrift of safety, have beaten United four times in the last three years including two of their last three games at Old Trafford. \"We need to believe we can go up there and win because we've done it previously and it's not impossible,\" Britton told BBC Wales Sport. \"We can take confidence from that.\" Britton, 34, played in Swansea's 2-1 FA Cup third round win in January 2014. And on the opening day of the following 2014-15 season Swansea won by the same scoreline in what was Louis van Gaal's first competitive game as United boss. \"The record for ourselves isn't too bad,\" Britton said. \"It's a stadium that's been a fortress for Man United for many, many years but we've won twice up there. \"They're on a very good run under Jose Mourinho and are very tough to beat. \"They've got a few injuries which won't have helped them and a game on Thursday against Manchester City. \"They've got a busy period so we need to try and take advantage of that if we can.\" Britton, whose appearance in last Saturday's win over Stoke City was his first game since December, admits this season has been Swansea's toughest yet in the Premier League. Swansea, promoted in 2011, have had three managers during a campaign which has seen them in or around the relegation zone for most of the season. \"We've had situations where we've flirted with relegation and never been in the bottom three,\" Britton said. \"When Michael Laudrup got the sack [in 2014] there was a situation where we were on the verge of being dragged in but never did get dragged into the relegation battle. \"But this year, from very early on, we've been involved so without doubt this has been the toughest season we've had in the Premier League. \"It's been a difficult year for everyone.\" Swansea beat Stoke 2-0 on Saturday to end a six-match winless run. Media playback is not supported on this device But Hull City's victory over Watford kept the Swans in the relegation zone, still two points adrift of the Tigers and safety. Britton believes the battle to stay in the Premier League could go down to the final day of the season on 21 May when they host West Brom. \"It's very, very tight but we can take a lot of heart from the performance at the weekend against Stoke, not just the win but the way we played,\" Britton said. \"The previous five or six games we had dropped below the standard that had been set when Paul first came in. \"But hopefully there's a belief back in the changing room after the weekend and we need to take that into the last four games. \"As players you don't want relegation on your CV's. You don't want to be involved with that because when you get relegated it's a failure.\"", "summary": "Midfielder Leon Britton says Swansea City can take confidence from previous wins over Manchester United ahead of Sunday's Premier League game."}
{"article": "Last week, it was the Daily Mail's turn, in a reference to Operation Midland, the investigation into allegations involving members of the establishment, it said: \"'Shambolic' VIP child sex abuse and murder inquiry to close\". In January, the Daily Telegraph weighed in, highlighting the controversy over the commissioner's \u00c2\u00a365,000 Range Rover: \"Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe criticised for taking new luxury car amid police cuts row\". And last September, in one of a number of critical articles in the Times, the Thunderer column said: \"The Met Police's record on big investigations is dreadful.\" It should come as no surprise the press highlights police failings, blunders and unusually large items of spending - that is news. Readers are not interested in police inquiries that tick along nicely, crimes solved without fuss and senior officers who never change their car. But over the past year or two, I have found myself asking whether the media, myself included, are giving disproportionately negative coverage to Scotland Yard. After all, the Met's record on crime, in keeping with other constabularies, has been largely positive. Between 2000-01 and 2014-15, the total number of offences logged by the force plunged from 994,233 to 709,174, a reduction of 29%. Murders fell from 171 to 93 - the lowest figure since the 1970s, though it has edged up in the past nine months. Confidence in the UK's biggest police force increased to a record level in 2014. And, despite a number of hugely controversial cases - Stephen Lawrence, undercover policing, Mark Duggan - independent inspectors have not pressed red warning lights on the Met's performance, as they have done with some other, far smaller, forces. In a city with a population of 8.6 million, and growing, where in some boroughs 100 different languages are spoken, and where the vast majority of police officers patrol the streets without guns, unlike New York or Paris, that is quite some achievement - even more so given the bruising budget cuts the Met has had to make since 2010. \"The Met represents all the problems the police have - on stilts,\" says the criminologist Roger Graef, an independent adviser to the force, who has made award-winning police documentaries. \"What they're trying to do is incredibly hard,\" he says, adding that over the past 20 to 30 years, Scotland Yard has slowly begun to change its culture to be more professional, less corrupt and less racist. The force has been praised, for instance over its investigation into the killing of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, but there is undoubtedly a sense within its St James's Park headquarters that the media tend to gloss over its successes, such as: Profile: Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe Instead, the force appears to be continually on the back foot - no more so than with Operation Midland. The Met made a mistake by initially describing the allegations from its key witness, known as Nick, as \"true\". It was unwise for police officers to make such a judgment at the start of an inquiry. Indeed, Scotland Yard later acknowledged it may have given the false", "summary": "Barely a day goes by without a newspaper headline condemning the Metropolitan Police or its Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe."}
{"article": "The music industry body said that 26.6 million downloaded albums were sold, a 24% rise on the previous year. However, CD album sales fell by 13% to 86.2 million discs. Overall, 6% fewer albums were sold than in 2010. The BPI blamed the decline on piracy and accused the government of taking too long to tackle the problem. Digital downloads have recorded rapid growth over recent years. In 2007, only 6.2 million albums were bought as files over the internet according to The Official Charts Company. The year 2011's tally was more than four times that amount. Fifteen albums sold more than 100,000 digital copies, with Adele's 21 proving the most popular. However, shoppers still showed a preference for CDs, buying more than three times the number of albums on disc than downloads. The BPI said that \"physical ownership\" still played an important role, but said \"a backdrop of chronic piracy\" posed risks to the music industry. \"While other countries take positive steps to protect their creative sector, our government is taking too long to act on piracy, while weakening copyright to the benefit of the US tech giants,\" said Geoff Taylor, the BPI's chief executive. \"The UK has already fallen behind Germany as a music market. Unless decisive action is taken in 2012, investment in music could fall again - a creative crunch that will destroy jobs.\" The government is pursuing a plan that would involve rights holders sending lists of internet addresses suspected of illegal downloads to internet service providers (ISPs). 1. 21 - Adele 2. Christmas - Michael Buble 3. Doo-Wops & Hooligans - Bruno Mars 4. 19 - Adele 5. Mylo Xylo - Coldplay 6. Loud - Rihanna 7. Born This Way - Lady Gaga 8. Who You Are - Jessie J 9. + - Ed Sheeran 10. Talk That Talk - Rihanna The ISPs would then send a letter to suspected account holders, saying that their account had been identified as being used to download copyright infringing material. They would offer advice on how to prevent such illegal activity, but would not make demands for money or threaten disconnection. By contrast, France has passed a law that allows pirates to be blocked from the net from one year after three infringements. A spokesman for the UK Department for Culture Media and Sport said: \"We will continue to work with industry on how they can better tackle online piracy but this is not an issue that ISPs or rights holders alone can deal with\". \"All elements of the internet industry - payment companies, advertisers, search engines, ISPs and rights holders - need to play their part in tackling unlawful activity online.\" While piracy may be partly to blame for the drop in album sales, the data also suggests changing buying habits. Sales of singles rose for the fourth successive year to 177.9 million copies, versus 86.6 million in 2007. Downloaded copies accounted for 98% of the sales. Each of the top 20 singles of the year sold more than 500,000 copies. One industry watcher said this underlined the", "summary": "Digital download music sales continued to rise in the UK in 2011, but not by enough to prevent an overall decline in album sales, according to the BPI."}
{"article": "Trevor Timon, 31, hit 30-year-old Oliver Dearlove while the victim and his friends were talking to a group of women in Blackheath, south-east London, in August 2016. Timon admitted manslaughter but was cleared of murder at the Old Bailey. He was also given five years on extended licence as he was considered a \"significant risk\" to the public. Mr Dearlove died hours after the attack, which happened after he had struck up a friendly chat with the women, who had been out celebrating a birthday with Timon. How lives are devastated by a single blow Timon demanded to know what they were discussing and told his victim \"if you don't get out of my face I will knock you out\", the court heard. He then punched Mr Dearlove in the side of the head with his left fist, sending him to the ground and knocking him out. A post-mortem examination found he died from bleeding to the brain. Judge Mark Dennis QC told Timon, who had a history of violence, Mr Dearlove had presented no threat and the punch was an \"unprovoked and gratuitous act\". \"This was a senseless death that occurred as a result of an act borne out of a flaw in your character which in the past has seen you display unnecessary violent conduct to others when, for reasons best known to you, you have become annoyed or wound yourself up,\" he said. \"Oliver Dearlove was a young man of fine character with a long and promising future ahead of him. His loss in such senseless circumstances has, as the court has heard, caused untold misery for his family and those close to him.\" \"Many lives have been turned upside down.\" Speaking before the sentence was handed down, Mr Dearlove's girlfriend Claire Wheatley broke down in tears as she described her heartbreak at losing her \"Mr Right\". The nurse described him as the \"most gentle, kind and relaxed person I have ever known and a true gentleman which is why so many people liked him.\" She said the couple had been making plans for the future before the \"dreaded knock on our door\". Miss Wheatley added: \"We are all familiar with the phrase 'a broken heart', but unless you have experienced some form of loss or sadness it is difficult to understand how this truly feels. \"On August 28 2016, I was unfortunate enough to learn its true meaning. \"The difference is my heart is not broken, it feels more like it has been obliterated.\" Mr Dearlove's mother Joy Wright told the court: \"No parent should have to make the decision to switch off their child's life support. \"Timon may as well have used a gun or knife, the damage he did. He then just walked away casually without a thought or care for what he had done. \"I think of Oli every morning when I wake and dream of him in my sleep. I see him as a baby, a schoolboy and as the smashing young man he had become, such a gentle unassuming soul.\" In a letter", "summary": "A man who killed a banker with a single punch in a \"senseless\" and \"unprovoked\" attack has been jailed for six years."}
{"article": "The funds, which had been sent from abroad, were frozen amid accusations that campaign groups were hurting India's economy. The money, totalling more than $272,000 (\u00c2\u00a3179,000), was frozen in June 2014. Greenpeace has called the ruling a victory of democracy and free speech. Greenpeace India said the government had \"arbitrarily barred\" it from receiving foreign funds from Greenpeace International and Climate Works Foundation in June 2014. The Delhi High Court directed the home ministry to unblock the funds in September 2014 but Greenpeace India said it did not receive the money. Tuesday's ruling means the funds will be released with immediate effect, the group said. \"This is a vindication of our work and the role that credible NGOs (non-governmental organisations) play in support of India's development,\" Samit Aich, Greenpeace India's executive director, said in a statement. \"This is a strong signal from the judiciary that the government must cease its campaign of harassment of civil society\" he said. India's government can appeal against the decision in a higher court. The BBC's correspondent in Mumbai, Yogita Limaye, says Tuesday's ruling only pertains to the specific funds frozen in June and does not affect the order the government has in place to prevent Greenpeace and some other NGOs from getting other funds from abroad without the clearance of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The order came after an Indian intelligence report last year accused several campaign groups of stalling development projects by carrying out protests against their environmental impact.", "summary": "An Indian court has ordered the government to release thousands of dollars in funds belonging to the environmental pressure group Greenpeace."}
{"article": "Student Melanie Road was 17 when she was attacked as she made her way home from a night out in Bath in June 1984. Her body was found in front of garages. Christopher Hampton, 63, of Staple Hill, Bristol, appeared before the city's crown court earlier on Tuesday. Mr Hampton was remanded in custody and told he will face trial on 9 May next year. The father-of-three, who is being held at HMP Bristol, spoke only to deny the single charge of murder. Prosecuting, Kate Brunner QC told the court the trial was expected to last up to four weeks. Melanie had been out with her boyfriend and friends to the Beau Nash, a nightclub in Kingston Parade. She left the club at 01:30 BST on June 9 and was last seen alive by her friends a short time later in Broad Street. Last year, Melanie's mother Jean and sister Karen spoke about the impact the murder has had on them. Mrs Road wrote an open letter to coincide with the 30th anniversary of her daughter's death, appealing for anyone with information to come forward.", "summary": "A man has denied murdering a teenager who was stabbed to death more than 30 years ago."}
{"article": "Chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw, publishing Ofsted's annual report, said this was leading to \"serious inequalities\" for millions of children. Ofsted is launching a league table ranking local authorities according to inspectors' ratings of schools. Sir Michael said: \"The inequalities for local children are stark.\" Figures published by the education watchdog show that in some areas there is a less than 50% chance of a good or outstanding school - compared with more than 90% in others. The report also highlighted concerns about the quality of further education colleges, saying that for the second year running, Ofsted did not judge a single college to be outstanding for teaching and learning. Ofsted's annual report said schools in England were getting better, with 70% of schools now rated good or outstanding compared to 64% five years ago. An extra half a million pupils were now being in taught in good or better schools, it said, but almost 2.3 million children were still attending a \"small minority\" of schools that are less than good. And the gap in standards between authorities facing similar challenges was too wide. \"That's why I intend from January to use Ofsted's new regional structure to inquire further into areas that are performing badly,\" said Sir Michael. \"We need to find out what is happening and inspect where necessary. We will also work with local areas to support then and help them link up with best practice.\" Source: Ofsted, % of pupils attending good or outstanding primary The report gives the example that a child living in Derby or Doncaster has only half the chance of attending a good or outstanding primary or secondary school compared with a child living in Wigan or Darlington. It says a parent in Coventry has only a 42% chance of sending their child to a good or outstanding state primary compared to a 92% chance for a parent living in the London borough of Camden and 91% in Barnet. \"There are differences between local authorities with similar demographics,\" Sir Michael told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. \"We'll be looking very carefully at what's happening in those local authorities with the same sort of population, with similar levels of deprivation, similar numbers of children on free school meals, where one particular local authority does extremely well and another one doesn't. \"We'll be asking a question - why is it parents in some parts of the country have less than a 50% chance of getting their children into a good primary school where there are other parts of the country where that chance is over 90%?\" Ofsted's rankings illustrate these differences by ranking councils in terms of the inspection judgements made about schools in their areas, including academies which are outside of local authority control. That will increase pressure on local authorities at the bottom of the table. Teachers' unions also warn that this is likely to be used by the government in a further push for schools to leave local authorities and become academies. Source: Ofsted, % of pupils attending good or outstanding primary \"Naming and", "summary": "Families' chances of having a good local school depend too much on which part of the country they live in, warns England's education watchdog Ofsted."}
{"article": "Armed police were seen outside a house in the street on Friday morning. Police said a 30-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of possession of a class B controlled drug and possessing a class B controlled drug with intent to supply. The man remains in custody.", "summary": "A quantity of suspected cannabis and imitation firearms have been seized by police during a search of a house in Frank Street in east Belfast."}
{"article": "Dennis Clift, from Chelmsford, Essex, grabbed two-week-old Charlie O'Sullivan from the wreckage of a BMW on the M6 in Warwickshire in 1999. Ever since he has received a Christmas card from the O'Sullivans and wants to return the gesture. Searches with local authorities and on social media have come to nothing. \"I've tried everything, Facebook, Devon County Council, but I can't find them,\" he said. Mr Clift, who was a breakdown recovery man at the time, was travelling back from Birmingham when he saw Jane O'Sullivan's car in flames on the hard shoulder of the motorway. \"Jane had been in the car with her two children and a baby was still on the back seat,\" he said. \"I went and rescued him. \"I've received a Christmas card every year since and I'd like to send a card back and they've asked me to come down, but I don't where they live.\" Mr Clift parked his truck across the carriageway to stop the traffic until police and fire crews arrived. Mrs O'Sullivan was treated in hospital for shock and minor burns. Mr Clift, Charlie and Mrs O'Sullivan's 14-week-old daughter Rosie were uninjured.", "summary": "A truck driver who saved a baby from a motorway fireball is trying to find the boy's Devon family so he can send them a Christmas card."}
{"article": "Remi Bonfils, Hugo Bonneval and Geoffrey Doumayrou, plus a penalty try, put the home side on course to avenge last week's defeat at Murrayfield. Edinburgh's only first-half reply had been a Jason Tovey penalty at 7-0 down. But tries from Fraser McKenzie, Viliame Mata and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne brought the Scots to within six points. And the visitors were left to rue a poor first-half and two conversion attempts that struck a post. Edinburgh remain top of their qualifying group, but Harlequins will overtake them should they win their game in hand on Saturday at home to bottom side Timisoara Sarcens of Romania. Stade Francais applied early pressure and it paid off when hooker Bonfils went over for the opening try, with Jules Plisson converting to establish the lead after 12 minutes. Ben Toolis thought he had replied for Edinburgh, but the TMO deemed it no try for a double movement on the lock's approach to the line. Tovey did reduce the arrears with a penalty, but Bonneval's try edged Stade Francais further in front. More home pressure told with a penalty try, converted by Plisson, and a costly yellow card to Edinburgh prop Simon Berghan for the scrum infringement. Stade Francais were now well in control and it was followed, within five minutes, by another try, this time by Doumayrou, and another Plisson conversion. It was the home side's turn to have someone in the sin bin following Sylvain Nicolas' ruck infringement three minutes before the break. McKenzie made the man advantage tell shortly after half-time, forcing his way over from close range, but Tovey's conversion attempt rebounded off the upright. Edinburgh had fought back from 20-3 down at half-time to win 28-23 at home and, when Plisson crossed the line but had a try ruled out by the TMO for an infringement by Sekou Macalou, they sensed their chance again. Blair Kinghorn crossed the line for Edinburgh only to have the ball knocked out of his hands as he was about to score. Mata did slide over to reduce the deficit, with Tovey successful on this occasion. Hidalgo-Clyne gave Edinburgh hope of victory with a try with two minutes left on the lock, but Duncan Weir's conversion hit a post and time ran out for the visitors. Stade Francais: Bonneval, Sinzelle, Doumayrou, Danty, Raisuge, Plisson, Daguin, Felsina, Bonfils, Slimani, Pyle, Pape, Ross, Macalou, Parisse, Nicolas. Replacements: Arias for Doumayrou (58), Steyn for Plisson (64), Zhvania for Felsina (58), Burden for Bonfils (66), Melikidze for Slimani (58), Nicolas for Ross (35), De Giovanni for Nicolas (59). Not Used: Coville. Sin Bin: Nicolas (38). Edinburgh: Kinghorn, Hoyland, Allen, Dean, Brown, Tovey, Hidalgo-Clyne, Dickinson, Ford, Berghan, McKenzie, B. Toolis, Du Preez, Watson, Manu. Replacements: G. Bryce for Allen (27), Weir for Brown (49), Dell for Dickinson (58), Cochrane for Ford (58), Carmichael for McKenzie (59), Mata for Manu (59). Not Used: McCallum, Kennedy. Sin Bin: Berghan (28). Referee: Dudley Phillips (Ireland).", "summary": "Edinburgh suffered their first defeat in European Challenge Cup Pool 5 despite a spirited second-half fightback at Stade Francais."}
{"article": "The soap star earlier tweeted that the medication she was taking had stopped being manufactured. A show source then confirmed that she would be \"taking time off\" from her role as Liz McDonald in the long-running ITV drama. An ITV spokesperson said Ms Callard was set to return to work in May. The actress confirmed to a fan on Twitter the latest update in her health battle. She said that her medication had been pulled from production as it yielded \"no profit\", and added: \"Saw a new Doctor today. Got hope! X\". Callard, 59, also told her followers: \"Had a good day today, things are on the up! Thank you for being there!!!!! X\" She had tweeted earlier that she had \"been battling the demons of depression\" and thanked fans and fellow stars for their support. The actress has been open about her struggles with mental health and in an interview with broadcaster Piers Morgan in 2014, said she had tried to take her life \"maybe half a dozen times\". She said: \"It wasn't a cry for help at all. I'd known for quite a while that I wasn't myself, but I didn't really know what to do about it.\" Source: Mind", "summary": "Coronation Street actress Beverley Callard is set to return to the ITV soap next month after revealing she had \"hope\" in her battle with depression."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Bradford Bulls were liquidated on Tuesday after the Championship club's administrators were unable to find a suitable buyer. The RFL has said the new Bradford side will take the place of the old one in the second tier but start the season with a 12-point deduction. They have set a deadline of Monday, 9 January for bids to be submitted. A decision is then expected within two weeks and, should an agreement be reached, the new Bradford side would play their first competitive game against Hull KR on Sunday, 5 February. Jamie Peacock, who captained Bradford to their last Super League title in 2005 before joining Leeds, believes a reformed Bradford club can be successful if they can get through what is likely to be a tough spell in the short term. \"They had the same situation in 1963, reformed in 1964 and were winning trophies again within about five years,\" former England captain Peacock told BBC Radio 5 live. \"That may be more difficult this time, but I think they've got more chance of being successful now it's not saddled with the debts it's had. \"This year will be a difficult year for the club and whoever starts the club up again, given the handicap of losing 12 points. \"But if they can spend within their means this year and go hard again in 2018, there's no reason why can't become successful again.\"", "summary": "The Rugby Football League says it has received 10 expressions of interest in creating a new club in Bradford."}
{"article": "The measures include the installation of concrete roadside barriers to protect tennis fans outside the venue. The Met Police says the plans will also see firearms officers in and around the grounds and a mobile unit which can \"respond to emerging incidents\". Tournament organisers say there has been a \"proportional uplift\" in measures introduced in past years. About 7,000 people were queuing outside the All England Club on the first day of the championships. Wimbledon said the use of the barriers was part of \"enhanced measures\" this year and would provide \"visible physical security\". They have been placed along the route people take as they make their way to and from the tournament as well as in the public queuing zone. The Met Police said it \"continually develops and refines plans for this type of event and planning has been under way throughout the year\". \"We have put together a proportionate policing plan with a significant number of resources to support the club to deliver a really safe, secure competition,\" said Supt Jo Edwards. \"Our plans are based on a number of factors, including the threat level and recent events in London and the UK.\" Vehicles were driven at pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in March, on London Bridge in June and near a Finsbury Park mosque later the same month. Supt Edwards said officers will be working in uniform and plain clothes during the two-week event. Police also warned the public against pick-pockets and touts selling unauthorised tickets. Wimbledon has published security advice on its website, saying there would be extensive searches of people, bags and vehicles and urging spectators to allow plenty of time for entry. The tennis club has continued its ban on spectators bringing in selfie sticks or any \"objects or clothing bearing political statements\". Source: Wimbledon", "summary": "Security at Wimbledon is being stepped up after the recent UK terror attacks involving vehicles hitting pedestrians."}
{"article": "Lipstick Under My Burkha was earlier refused certification because it was too \"lady oriented\" and contained sexual scenes and abusive language. The film examines the lives of four women from small town India. The appeals board has given the film an adult certification and asked the directors to make some cuts. The film, starring Konkona Sen Sharma and Ratna Pathak Shah, had its world premiere in Tokyo a few months ago and has since then won several awards at global film festivals. The appeals board said the film would be granted adult certification with \"voluntary and some additional cuts and deletions\". It also asked the filmmaker to mute a few Hindi words - including one referring to prostitutes - from a couple of scenes, a report said. The Central Board of Film Certification had earlier complained that the film \"has abusive words, audio pornography [meaning phone sex], and a bit sensitive touch about one particular section of society [implying it could hurt Muslim religious sentiments]\". The film's director Alankrita Shrivastava had described the ban as an assault on women's rights, and challenged it in the appeals court. She told the BBC's World Tonight programme that the censors were \"bothered\" by the film's female point of view. Film censorship in India has always been quite erratic but the censor board has faced increasing criticism in recent years from the film industry, which accuses it of being irrational, making decisions on an ad hoc basis and being in conflict with India's changing society, says the BBC's Geeta Pandey. Last year, India's censor board had asked the makers of a Hindi film, Udta Punjab, to make 94 cuts, including removal of expletives, references to cities in Punjab and any shots of drugs being consumed, ironically in a film about drug abuse. But director Anurag Kashyup and other producers decided to challenge the order in a Mumbai court, which eventually allowed the film's release with just one cut - a shot of lead actor Shahid Kapoor's character urinating in a crowd. In 2015, the censor board asked the producers of Hindi thriller NH10 to shorten the duration of a violent scene that showed honour killing, had the word \"lesbian\" muted in romantic comedy Dum Laga Ke Haisha and banned erotic romance Fifty Shades of Grey despite the producers offering to make cuts. The board also shortened the duration of two kissing scenes in Daniel Craig's Spectre before giving it an adult certification.", "summary": "An appeals board of India's film censor authority has cleared an award-winning Hindi language film for limited release."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old could make his debut for Leeds against the Bees on Tuesday. Diagouraga joined the Griffin Park side in July 2010 and made 190 league appearances for the club. Leeds head coach Steve Evans told BBC Radio Leeds: \"We're looking forward to his contribution not only tomorrow but for over many months and years.\" Scottish Championship leaders Rangers had wanted to sign Diagouragega, but a deal could not be concluded with Brentford. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Leeds United have signed French midfielder Toumani Diagouraga from Brentford for an undisclosed fee on a two-and-a-half-year contract."}
{"article": "Opposite him, behind a small curtain, a sailor who suffered third-degree burns when a boat engine blew up grits his teeth as the dressing covering most of both legs is gingerly replaced. Here, in this tiny charity-run clinic on Antigua's south coast, this is just a regular day for the volunteer medics operating where government facilities fall short. Amid gasps of breath, Sinclair West, who the team believes probably has lung cancer, says he would be dead without this place. The former security guard is one of about 1,000 visitors who flood annually into the donation-dependent clinic, open and on call almost every day of the year. In addition to providing maritime emergency coverage across 500 sq miles (1,300 sq km), the Antigua & Barbuda Search and Rescue team (ABSAR) has become a lifeline for those on land too. People in the sailing hub of English Harbour, which attracts thousands of tourists each year, know better than to call 911 in the event of a crisis. The seven-digit phone number to reach ABSAR has become as familiar as their own. By the time a state ambulance has negotiated its way across potholed roads from the capital St John's, it will have taken 25 minutes to get here, inconvenient for a victim of a minor fall, fatal if it is a heart attack. Mr West has been a daily fixture at the clinic, a short walk from his house, for months. \"He has something in his left lung,\" ABSAR director Jonathan Cornelius explains, \"and he can't get enough oxygen, so he comes and spends several hours here a day using ours. \"The hospital won't facilitate giving him oxygen at home. \"During his last stay there, they put a tube in his chest which they removed before discharging him, leaving an open wound. We spent three months dressing it for him. \"His is not an isolated case,\" Mr Cornelius continues. The reason? A woeful lack of resources and, some say, a lack of care. \"We were quite shocked to see how poor the facilities are at the hospital,\" remarks a visiting medical student, \"and the staff really didn't seem in a hurry to do much.\" Antigua's chief medical officer Dr Rhonda Sealey-Thomas said efforts were under way to augment the hospital's emergency services, including extra staff and the establishment of a dedicated urgent care centre, while $10m (\u00c2\u00a37m) had recently been spent on new high-tech equipment. ABSAR also responds to about 30 search-and-rescue calls a year, anything from missing scuba divers and overdue fishing boats to yachts marooned on reefs, fires and even seasickness. It also plays a vital role in the numerous annual sailing regattas Antigua is famous for. Yet it does not receive a cent from government, save for duty-free concessions on equipment, and is entirely reliant on donations and a smattering of fundraising events to bridge the annual $75,000 it needs to function. Generous benefactors have helped ABSAR acquire its ambulance, two boats and fire truck. Its miscellany of medication is gifted by visiting yachts. Every single one of its dozen", "summary": "Sandwiched between a bookcase of medical literature and a stack of promotional t-shirts, an elderly man sits slumped in a chair, one frail hand gripping the mask administering his daily fill of oxygen."}
{"article": "Costa, 27, was sent off during his club's 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Everton last week, ruling him out of Saturday's game with West Ham. Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink said on Friday that Costa has a problem with a tendon in a hip muscle. Spain are away to Italy in Udine on 24 March before facing Romania in Cluj three days later. Athletic Bilbao forward Aritz Aduriz, 35, has replaced Costa as Vicente del Bosque's squad build-up to this summer's European Championships in France. Aduriz has scored 17 goals in 28 La Liga games this season. The Spain squad features six Premier League players. Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea and midfielder Juan Mata are included along with three Chelsea players - defender Cesar Azpilicueta, midfielder Cesc Fabregas and winger Pedro. Manchester City midfielder David Silva is also named. Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Porto), David de Gea (Manchester United), Sergio Rico (Sevilla). Defenders: Jordi Alba, Gerard Pique, Marc Bartra (all Barcelona), Sergio Ramos, Nacho (both Real Madrid), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Juanfran (Atletico Madrid), Mario Gaspar (Villarreal). Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Sergi Roberto (both Barcelona), David Silva (Manchester City), Mikel San Jose (Athletic Bilbao), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea), Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich), Isco (Real Madrid), Juan Mata (Manchester United). Forwards: Pedro Rodriguez (Chelsea), Alvaro Morata (Juventus), Aritz Aduriz (Athletic Bilbao), Paco Alcacer (Valencia), Nolito (Celta Vigo).", "summary": "Chelsea striker Diego Costa has been left out of Spain's squad for friendlies against Italy and Romania."}
{"article": "But it's 13 years since he left the television series and since then he's carved a hugely successful career in the theatre. His new stage show is about the reggae legend Bob Marley. But he insists, it is \"absolutely not\" a jukebox musical, where the songs take precedence over the plot. Kwei-Armah, the writer and director of One Love, The Bob Marley Musical, says it is not \"sing-a-long-a-Bob\", but \"a play with music\". He admitted though that it was a \"delicate\" balancing act trying to keep in enough songs the audience will recognise. So hits including No Woman No Cry, Jamming, Three Little Birds and Redemption Song are among 30 tracks that feature in the show. But One Love is not your usual musical hero, womb to tomb story. Instead it focuses on just three years in Marley's life and career, which Kwei-Armah says are \"very significant\" in \"understanding the hero's journey of the man.\" Following an assassination attempt in 1976, the singer left his home in Jamaica and went to live in London in self imposed exile. While in England he recorded two of his biggest albums: Exodus and Kaya. Kwei-Armah said he wanted to get inside the mind of the man at that time and \"show a side of Bob that we don't often speak about.\" \"Bob being a political songwriter, I wanted to look at what were the years when he was tested. What were the years when he might have doubted himself? And I found these years to be that.\" Marley died of cancer in 1981 at the age of 36. But interest in him shows no sign of diminishing. It is estimated he has sold more than 50 million albums around the world. Time declared Exodus the best album of the 20th Century in 1999. The same year the BBC named One Love the song of the millennium. His Facebook page has more than 70 million fans - and Marley is in the top 15 most popular pages on the social media site. For many, Bob Marley is an idol - a civil rights activist who spoke up for the poor and oppressed. But he was not a saint. And Kwai-Armah says he does not gloss over Marley's womanising and drug use. He says he portrays him \"warts and all\". He adds: \"I don't need any hero to be an angel.\" The singer Mitchell Brunings is playing the title role. Born in Surinam, but raised in The Netherlands, he was a backing vocalist in a Marley tribute band, before entering the Dutch equivalent of the television talent show, The Voice. He sang Redemption Song and his performance went viral on YouTube. As a result, Kwai-Armah cast him in the lead role. It is his UK stage debut and he is feeling the pressure to do Marley justice. \"He has a very big following, a lot of his followers are fanatical about their devotion to him, which I understand because I am one of his followers myself. I don't want to do anything to damage his image.\" Marley's", "summary": "You may know Kwame Kwei-Armah best as the paramedic Finlay Newton in the BBC's Casualty."}
{"article": "The 62-year-old briefly took charge of the Swans prior to Francesco Guidolin's appointment in January. Swansea had been in the relegation zone when Guidolin came in, but he led the club to a 12th place finish in the Premier League after winning seven and drawing four of his 16 games in charge. \"It's been a bit traumatic considering the success we've had,\" Curtis said. \"I think we probably lost our way as much as anything, but certainly it is a shot across the bow. It's probably the first season we've struggled for any of length of time. \"But 47 points, and certainly the run at the end there when we had some terrific victories and some really good, strong performances as well. \"We showed that we are still a very, very good team. It's just a reminder how tough this league is.\" Swansea sacked Garry Monk in December following a run of win in 11 Premier League games, before Curtis was placed in interim charge. Guidolin was taken to hospital in March, hours before Swansea's 2-1 win at Arsenal. The Italian also missed their 1-0 win over Norwich after receiving treatment for a chest infection. But the former Udinese, Parma and Monaco coach recovered to help stabilise the club and will remain as manager next season after agreeing a two-year contract. Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins has admitted the club's proposed takeover by US investors may not be completed until next season, with the club previously hoping the deal would be done by the end of 2015-16. \"I'm sure that's going to play a big part in what we do as a club in terms of bringing people in,\" added Curtis. \"I think that probably needs to be resolved quite quickly. We're talking about maybe a little bit of uncertainty again. But it sounds as if it is going to be sorted out fairly quickly. \"We've sorted the manager situation out, we know that we are going to be in the Premier League next season so hopefully there would be a better season to come, not only next season but hopefully the seasons ahead.\"", "summary": "Swansea City coach Alan Curtis says the turbulent 2015-16 season was \"a shot across the bow'' for the club."}
{"article": "It comes shortly after the 120th anniversary of Jane Haining's birth in Dunscore in June 1897. Magda Birraux attended the Scottish Mission boarding school in Budapest, Hungary between 1933 and 1939. Ms Haining was arrested by the Nazis while looking after Jewish girls at the school and died in Auschwitz in 1944. Ms Birraux said: \"She was wonderful and looked after all of us very well, morning and night. \"She was even-tempered, tall, strict but fair and always set a good example. \"Miss Haining had a very good sense of justice and always treated the pupils (Jews and Christians) equally.\" Ms Birraux, the daughter of small business owners, enrolled as a boarder when she was 12. She said the matron was a highly competent financial manager who arranged weekend excursions for \"her\" girls for \"no extra charge\". Ms Birraux, a Hungarian-Christian, said: \"No girl was ever dismissed on account of her parents being unable to afford fees. \"Miss Haining kept uniforms which girls had outgrown and gave them to less well-off parents.\" The former pupil, who now lives in Lausanne, Switzerland and attends the Scots Kirk, said the boarding house was run independently from the school, which had 12 teachers. \"The pupils were taught secretarial skills, English, German and Hungarian,\" she recalled. \"We went skating in the winter, to gymnastics lessons, museums and to the cinema to watch films starring Deanna Durbin, Shirley Temple and Judy Garland. \"Miss Haining took us for long walks in the woods and to tearooms for tea and cookies. \"She paid for everything.\" Ms Birraux said Jewish children in Budapest were discriminated against from 1933 but the matron, who started working at the school in 1932, made sure that the girls in her charge \"were not affected\". \"She loved these girls very much and was like a second mother to them,\" she added. \"Many of them were separated from their parents and so Miss Haining wanted to give them all the love that she could.\" Ms Birraux recalled that boarders rose at 06:30 and had to bathe in cold water to save the school money. \"Lessons began at 8am and the first one was Biblical Knowledge,\" she said. \"Miss Haining always said grace before each meal. \"And when we had lunch at 12.30pm, she would examine our hands and nails before we ate to ensure they were clean.\" The Church of Scotland advised missionaries to return home from Europe during World War Two. But Ms Haining repeatedly refused and wrote: \"If these children need me in days of sunshine, how much more do they need me in days of darkness\". Ms Birraux said she remembered the day she heard a minister at the school arguing with Ms Haining over her determination to stay in Budapest. \"We had a minister called Mr Knight (Rev George AF Knight) and he lived in the house with his wife and child before the war broke out,\" she recalled. \"He told Miss Haining that he was joining the Army as a chaplain and asked her to give up her job, leave everything", "summary": "A 96-year-old former pupil of a Scots missionary who died in Auschwitz has shared her memories of her \"second mother\"."}
{"article": "Japan's nuclear plants had been switched off after the meltdown at the Fukushima plant in March 2011 caused by a tsunami following an earthquake. More than 100,000 people were evacuated from the surrounding area. This switch-back-on will be the first of many. But, after one of the most shocking incidents in nuclear power's history, four experts talk to the BBC World Service Inquiry programme about whether we can continue to live with the technology. Tatsujiro Suzuki was vice-chairman of the Japanese government's Atomic Energy Commission at the time of the Fukushima disaster. He is now director of the research centre for nuclear weapons abolition at Nagasaki University. \"I thought [Fukushima] would be the end of the nuclear industry in Japan: it was very shocking. \"I personally felt very responsible for the event and I felt very sorry for the Fukushima people. It was not just a technical issue. This kind of accident has a serious social, ethical, political impact on their lives. \"We expected that there would be no such serious accident in Japan. In our culture if you speak of the devil he will show up. So you better not speak the bad thing. There's no Japanese translation of the word 'risk', so there's no 'risk analysis' or 'risk assessment': we call it 'safety analysis', 'safety assessment'. \"In the public mind there was no clear connection between the peaceful use of nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. Most people in Japan are against nuclear weapons, but the majority of the public were not against nuclear power. \"As you saw pictures of the explosion and people evacuating from their homes and becoming concerned about radiation, people started to think this could have the same impact as nuclear weapons. Finally, people started to realise radiation is radiation. \"It is a huge, huge loss of public trust. It's going to take a long long time to recover it.\" Miranda Shreuers is director of the Environmental Policy Research Centre at the Free University in Berlin. She was asked to join the commission to determine Germany's nuclear policy after the Fukushima disaster. \"Germany had always looked at Japan as a peer, a country of similar technological capacity, so the question was really, could something like that happen in Germany? \"After Fukushima, Germany reached something that you don't find in many other countries that have nuclear energy: a cross-party consensus that nuclear is not the future. That lies with other areas, with energy efficiency, with smart cities, with new technologies. \"We're going to phase out nuclear energy and, at the same time, phase out of other fossil fuels: so a double phase-out, that really is historic. \"Germany has a history of division, so there was always concern that there could someday be new conflict, and concern about the connection between conventional nuclear and military purposes of nuclear. \"That contributed in the 1970s to the development of an environment peace movement and anti-nuclear movement that came together in a much stronger way than it did in most other places. \"The best thing that Germany can do is to present", "summary": "As Japan restarts its nuclear power industry four years after the Fukushima disaster, have we learned to make peace with the technology?"}
{"article": "Rules on minimum staffing mean volunteers in north west Sutherland cannot use their fire appliance. Community leaders say greater flexibility is needed in crew numbers and training. SFRS says it will not cut back on safety, but is introducing new ways to train up more firefighters. Fire stations throughout the Highlands and Islands depend heavily on volunteers who are paid a retainer and a call-out fee to attend incidents. But the fire service is struggling to keep numbers up and local councillors claim fire cover is at dangerous levels, particularly in the Lochinver area where the locally-based fire appliance cannot be used due to lack of staff. The councillors are urging SFRS to relax the rules so that at least some willing volunteers can attend emergencies. Caithness councillor and former senior police officer Matthew Reiss said it was time for the fire service to review its rules on the required make-up of fire crews. \"For example, if you are trapped in your car in a road accident the fire brigade insists that four firefighters must be on the fire engine before it physically leaves the station,\" he said. \"As a retried police officer my view would be to do what you can. If one police officer is available he or she would go to that call, and the same for the ambulance service.\" In Lochinver, local community council chairman David Slator said the four weeks of training required to sign up as a retained firefighter puts many people off volunteering. \"Ultimately, you want the fire service personnel to be safe and to have had the adequate training,\" he said. But he added: \"There is a feeling that in small remote communities is there really the requirement to have the same levels of staffing and training as you do in an urban setting. \"That is an issue, I think, when it comes to recruitment, the levels of training required does influence the number of people coming forward or number of people who have come forward who have then been prepared to continue to that training.\" The SFRS said it cannot cut corners on training but area manager John Macdonald is looking at ways to make it more accessible for people living and working in rural areas. He said: \"Firefighting is an inherently dangerous and risky activity and therefore it would be wholly inappropriate for me to reduce the level of training that is designed to make these people safe when they respond to incidents. \"What I can do though, and there is some flexibility for me to do that, is to look at how we deliver the training. \"There is some scope for me there to look at perhaps a more modularised approach to how we deliver training and take the training to the individual.\" Mr Macdonald also said money was being invested in the fire service which would bring benefits to cover in the Highlands and Islands. He added: \"This is a service for the community by the community and we need people to step forward and help protect the communities in", "summary": "Calls have been made for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to change requirements on firefighters in remote and rural areas."}
{"article": "Species that pollinate crops or fight pests are at risk of disappearing, putting food production in jeopardy, according to the team. The research brings together millions of wildlife records spanning 40 years. It suggests conservation efforts should focus on certain areas, they add. Dr Tom Oliver of the University of Reading, who led the research, said it was the biggest and most comprehensive report ever assembled for any country in the world. \"By standardising records from an army of amateur biologists across the country, we have amassed an impressive array of data, giving us our most complete picture yet of the state of Britain's wildlife,\" he told BBC News. \"The picture that emerges is of an increasingly fragile system, particularly in species that do vital jobs for humans. \"Unless efforts are made to reverse some of these declines, we face a future where we will be less confident that we can effectively grow our food.\" The researchers looked at records of the changing fortunes of more than 4,000 types of plant and animal living in England, Wales and Scotland between 1970 and 2009. Species such as bees, dragonflies, grasshoppers, ladybirds, plants and mosses were put into groups based on the role they play in nature. Groups providing pollination and pest control benefits had undergone declines while those involved in functions such as decay or mopping up carbon emissions were more stable. Plants and animals regarded as of cultural importance to humans, such as birds, butterflies and hedgehogs, also fared badly. Prof James Bullock, of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Oxfordshire, a co-researcher on the study, said conservation efforts should focus on the areas where there was strong evidence of declining fortunes. \"Conservation actions, such as wildlife friendly farming, can avoid the loss of biodiversity and the resulting erosion of the pollination, pest control and other benefits we derive from nature,\" he said. And Dr Oliver said there were a number of measures that individuals could take to help to improve the future for wildlife in the British Isles. They include: The study is published in the journal Nature Communications.", "summary": "Britain's wildlife is in an increasingly fragile state, with animals carrying out vital jobs for farmers being lost more rapidly than others, say scientists."}
{"article": "Bryony Nierop-Reading's home fell into the sea in Happisburgh, Norfolk, during the 2013 tidal surge. She spent years battling with North Norfolk District Council which said she did not have planning permission to live in a caravan on a nearby field. The 71-year-old has a home further inland but it is occupied by her daughter and son-in-law. Bryony Nierop-Reading moved into her 1930s bungalow on Beach Road in 2008. As the cliff-face eroded, virtually all of her neighbours moved out in 2010 after accepting compensation from the local authority. But Ms Nierop-Reading refused and by 2013 her bungalow was left teetering on the cliff edge. After losing her case with the district council, Ms Nierop-Reading's caravan was flattened. She spent the weekend moving her belongings into a nearby container provided by the council. \"There's a lot of mess. I've already filled one six cubic metre container yesterday and I'm waiting for another to be delivered today. I'm in total shock\", she added. Ms Nierop-Reading said will be living in a motor home on a field she owns for the next week or so while she continues to clear everything up. The council has been approached for comment.", "summary": "A woman whose bungalow was destroyed by the sea has moved out of her temporary home after losing a planning row."}
{"article": "McLaren executive director Zak Brown said he regarded the 17-year-old Englishman as \"a fabulous prospect\". Norris won two Formula Renault 2.0 titles last season and will move to the European Formula Three series in 2017. Triple world champion Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Max Verstappen have previously raced in that category. Norris said he was \"immensely excited\" about joining McLaren, whose F1 race drivers this year are double world champion Fernando Alonso and novice Stoffel Vandoorne. \"It's hopefully taking me another step closer to reaching my goal of competing in Formula 1,\" he said. \"I'm honoured to become part of such a prestigious F1 team and to be brought in alongside some very good drivers and experienced people.\" Norris will be mentored by McLaren development driver Oliver Turvey, who McLaren describe as the \"linchpin\" of their F1 simulator programme. McLaren have also retained Japanese Nobuharu Matsushita, a protege of engine partner Honda, will race again in GP2 and be McLaren's F1 test and development driver. Dutchman Nyck de Vries, 22, who raced in GP3 last season, is also still on McLaren's books but his programme this season has not yet been finalised.", "summary": "McLaren have signed British teenager Lando Norris to their young driver programme, with a view to developing him towards a Formula 1 career."}
{"article": "His side are second in Group F, two points behind leaders England, and the visiting boss says they are only focused on a victory. \"We expect an aggressive opponent and we have to be the same,\" Katanec said ahead of Sunday's World Cup qualifier. \"We must concentrate on the second ball.\" Slovenia are unbeaten in the last seven internationals since a 1-0 loss to Turkey in a friendly last May, while the Scots lie second bottom of Group F after gathering only four points from four games. But Katanec insists he will not be fooled into thinking the contrasting fortunes will automatically give his side the edge in Sunday's game in Glasgow. \"Scotland are at home, so they will be the favourites, but we want the win because, in this group, one point is not enough,\" he said. It is a match described by his opposite number, Gordon Strachan, as a must-win for Scotland, but Katanec thinks Sunday's hosts have been unlucky so far. \"They are not as bad as their results suggest and some of the goals they have conceded so far have been unlucky,\" he insisted. Slovenia captain Bostjan Cesar echoed his coach's thoughts on the Scottish style. \"They are aggressive all over the pitch, but they have good players,\" said the 34-year-old Chievo defender. \"They tend to play long balls, so the second ball is going to be very important for us. \"We expect a tough match.\" The expected attendance at Hampden is only 25,000 - less than half capacity. Cesar experienced the Hampden roar with Slovenia in 2004 and thinks it will be a boost for his side if the home fans stay away in numbers. \"If the stadium is not full then that could be a plus for us, but we still have to do our thing on the pitch,\" he said. Cesar is hopeful of exploiting a defence that have shipped an average of two goals per game. \"They are aggressive all over the pitch and have good players, but maybe their weakness is at the set-pieces because they leave too much room for the opponents to score at that time,\" he said.", "summary": "Slovenia must match Scotland's aggression if they are to take three points from Hampden, according to head coach, Srecko Katanec."}
{"article": "Bolt is expected to be named in the 4x100m relay squad when the official announcement is made on Wednesday. He had previously ruled himself out of the 100m and 200m individual races as he was recovering from a foot injury. The 27-year-old won gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. I have received lots of requests, invitations and messages of support from my fans in Scotland who are looking forward to a great event Bolt announced last week that he intended to make himself available for the Games despite an injury-disrupted season. \"I am available for selection for the Commonwealth Games and have submitted the relevant documentation,\" he said in a statement on his website. \"I do not wish to take the place of anyone who qualifies in an individual event, but am available for relay duty if the selectors feel I can be an asset to the Jamaican team in Glasgow,\" Bolt added. \"I have received lots of requests, invitations and messages of support from my fans in Scotland who are looking forward to a great event.\" Bolt did not attempt to qualify in the 100m and 200m at the Jamaican Championships, which took place last weekend, as he has not yet returned to full fitness. He has never raced in the Commonwealth Games, having missed the events in Melbourne in 2006 and Delhi four years ago. However, speaking at the IAAF Centenary Gala in Barcelona last November, he declared his interest in competing in Glasgow. \"That's the only title I don't have, so I think it's something I'd like to go for, even if I do just one event,\" Bolt said. Jamaica took silver behind England in the men's 4x100m relay in 2010 but, led by Bolt, won the World Championships last year. The heats of the event will be held at Hampden Park on Friday, 1 August, with the final the following evening. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has been lobbying for Bolt to compete. Peter Murphy, a spokesman for the CGF, said in January: \"We're in constant touch with his management. \"The case we'll make is that the Games offers an opportunity to break records that have been standing for decades. \"Usain has won medals at every major event, except the Commonwealth Games. He will get an unbelievable welcome. Glasgow will grind to a halt.\" Glasgow 2014 ambassador Sir Chris Hoy echoed that view. The six-time Olympic gold-medal winning cyclist said: \"I think it's crucial to the success of the Games when the big names turn up and support them. \"It's still a big deal for them to be Commonwealth champion. I'm sure Usain wants to be here and take the medals back to Jamaica.\"", "summary": "Six-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt has been selected in the Jamaica team for this summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow."}
{"article": "Michael O'Neill's men had already reached the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams, but needed the Republic of Ireland's 1-0 win over Italy to confirm it would be they and not Turkey playing Wales next. \"Northern Ireland are more physical than Turkey,\" said Coleman. \"They get the ball forward quicker - that's where their strength is.\" Coleman added: \"They are superbly organised and defensively so difficult to break down. They are excellent from set-plays.\" Wales sealed top spot in Group B with a stunning 3-0 win over Russia, following an opening victory over Slovakia and narrow defeat to England, while Northern Ireland lost 1-0 to both Germany and Poland in Group C but progressed thanks to a 2-0 win over Ukraine. Coleman says his players ended their alcohol ban with a barbecue party for family and friends after their superb performance in the group stage. \"It was great as we had not had a beer since we had been in camp,\" said Coleman. \"Some of the senior players came to me in the dressing room as we had one can of beer each in the dressing room. \"They came to be and said 'can we have one beer back at the hotel? Then we will call it a night as we are playing on Saturday'. I didn't have to say 'don't be stupid' or anything. They took care of that. \"Then it was a great atmosphere at the hotel, all the kids were there. We all needed it. \"The chefs did the food. I don't trust any of us. I have done a few barbecues myself in my garden, but I am not sure I could give the type of burgers I dish up to our lads.\" Midfielder Joe Ledley fears he may have run out of celebratory dances following the routines that went viral on social media after qualification was secured in Bosnia-Herzegovina last October, and again in Toulouse on Monday. Ledley's routine following the win over Russia has been viewed more than 175,00 times on BBC Sport Wales' Facebook page. \"I had them in the locker,\" said Ledley. \"Obviously my mates back home know the dance moves and what I'm capable of doing. \"I just needed the occasion and Russia was that. I just wanted to enjoy it. But I'm not sure what I've got left!\" Pick the XI that you think can take Wales far at Euro 2016 - and then share it with your friends using our team selector.", "summary": "Manager Chris Coleman says Wales will be prepared for Northern Ireland's physical approach when they meet in the last 16 of Euro 2016 on Saturday."}
{"article": "Former Royal Marine Stephen Gough, 55, was found guilty by a jury at Winchester Crown Court of breaching an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo). The order bans him from taking off his clothes in public. He had refused to put on clothes as he left Winchester Prison after being imprisoned for a previous Asbo breach. Judge Jane Miller QC suggested moves should be made to find Gough a closed nudist community to live in to prevent the cycle of imprisonment which has seen him jailed for much of the past eight years. Gough earned his nickname when he completed a naked trek from Land's End to John O'Groats in 2003. A BBC documentary team followed his journey. He had previously argued there was nothing intimidating about him appearing \"in his natural human state\".", "summary": "A man known as the \"naked rambler\" has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after walking out of prison wearing only his boots and socks."}
{"article": "The rules were tightened earlier this year in the face of soaring property prices, especially in Sydney. Treasurer Joe Hockey said the government now was investigating 195 residential real estate purchases by overseas investors. He warned other investors they should report themselves if necessary. \"Foreign investors who think they may have broken the rules should come to us before we come to them,\" he said. Foreigners must receive approval before buying established homes but can invest in new housing developments. Under the new rules, application fees apply for residential purchases by foreigners while tougher criminal penalties apply for people who break the rules. Mr Hockey said on Tuesday that foreigners who come forward ahead of a 30 November amnesty deadline will be forced to sell their properties but will not be prosecuted. Of the 195 cases being investigated so far, 24 were foreign investors who had voluntarily come forward, he said. \"Another 40 cases relate to referrals from the community where members of the public suspect foreign investors may have broken the rules by using complex structures and illegal leasing arrangements to hide foreign ownership. \"We want Australia to have more housing stock and foreign investment does help in that regard but not in regard to existing housing,\" he said at a press conference. However, the treasurer watered down concern that Sydney is facing a housing bubble that could soon burst, noting that demand for housing still outpaced supply. \"We are a long way from excess supply,\" he said. Properties under investigation range from those in Australia's multi-million-dollar prestige property markets to more modest suburban real estate. Last week, Fairfax Media reported that a Chinese property developer had concealed his identity behind an elderly Melbourne couple to buy one of the country's most famous homes, Altona, at Sydney's Point Piper for A$52m ($40m; \u00c2\u00a326m). The Australian Taxation Office received A$37.2m over four years in new funding in last month's federal budget to handle the investigation and its data matching program has already identified one foreign investor who appears to be linked to over 10 properties ranging from a A$300,000 unit to a house worth A$1.4m, according to the government. Authorities are also talking to a UK investor who voluntarily came forward regarding a property purchased for about A$700,000 in Western Australia. A shortage of new houses, generous tax breaks, cheap credit and \"hot\" money from overseas have seen Sydney house price increases eclipse those of other Australian cities. Sydney house values have risen by nearly 60% since 2009, according to property research group, RP Data. Other research shows the median price tag for a detached house in Australia's biggest city is now 13 times the average wage. More broadly, Australia has the third highest house price-to-income ratio in the world, according to the IMF. Only Belgium and Canada are more expensive. Despite a complex mix of factors driving prices higher, recently, Chinese investors have been singled out for criticism, with Chinese buyers seeming to dominate auction sales in some parts of the Sydney.", "summary": "Australians have reported about 40 foreigners who appear to have breached residential real estate investment laws, says the government."}
{"article": "Stuart Hyde, ex-chief constable of Cumbria Police, was put into a medically-induced coma and treated for the viral infection. Mike Pannett, co-director of the 4 Policing consultancy with Mr Hyde, said he was now out of the coma and talking. He said his family thanked everyone for the messages of love and support which had helped them all \"so much\". Mr Hyde retired in 2013 after being suspended twice from the force, investigated and cleared.", "summary": "A former top British police officer is out of a coma after contracting meningitis while working in Abu Dhabi."}
{"article": "With just under 600 objects from the 1820s to 2007 on show, the lid will also be lifted on some lesser-known and often gruesome tales. Evidence from the Metropolitan Police's Crime Museum - also known as the Black Museum - will reveal \"London's amazing hidden stories\" in an exhibition from October. A briefcase, syringe and poison belonging to the Kray twins, and secret microdot messages that exposed the Portland Soviet Spy ring, are just some of the objects visitors will be able to see that have previously been behind closed doors. A published memoir containing handwritten notes in the margin by Donald Swanson, senior investigating officer on the Jack the Ripper investigation, will also feature in the exhibition. Swanson reveals his personal thoughts, naming Aaron Kosminski as prime suspect for the unsolved murders. \"This is an amazing hidden story for London,\" Museum of London content director Finbarr Whooley said. \"For 140 years, the Metropolitan Police has amassed a fascinating collection of real objects and evidence from the UK's most notorious criminal investigations that until now have been behind closed doors.\" In a case bringing museum visitors up to speed on more modern evidence gathering techniques , a laptop retrieved from the burning car which crashed into Glasgow Airport in a 2007 terrorist attack will also be on show. Despite the laptop being badly burnt and damaged, more than 90% of its data was retrieved, which was used to link the case to the attempted car bomb attacks in London the previous day. Among the more unusual items being revealed are the gallstones of Olive Durand Deacon, a wealthy solicitor's widow who was charmed by entrepreneur John George Haigh while staying at the Onslow Court Hotel in Kensington, west London, in 1949. Little did she know that her new acquaintance already had the blood of five murder victims on his hands. Haigh lured Mrs Deacon to his West Sussex workshop before shooting her in the back of the head and dissolving her body in acid in an act closely resembling a modern day scene from gritty US sitcom Breaking Bad. With no body to be found as evidence, it was down to a shrewd detective who spotted pebbles on the workshop floor - it later transpired these were Mrs Deacon's gallstones. The gallstones will be on display alongside the remains of Mrs Deacon's gloves and handbag. But with all of this intriguing evidence on display, is there a risk of forgetting about the victims and glamorising the crimes? The Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, thinks the exhibition carefully avoids this trap. \"I am pleased the exhibition recognises that their voice is central when investigating and prosecuting crimes,\" she said. Met Police assistant commissioner Martin Hewitt agreed and said: \"I'd be very disappointed if anyone went away thinking we were glamorising these crimes.\" A telling example of evidence that puts the tales of the victims who suffered at the centre of these crimes are artefacts from the 1979 Spaghetti House Siege in Knightsbridge, west London. Hostages were held for five days", "summary": "From Jack the Ripper investigation notes to a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne belonging to the Great Train Robbery gang, a fascinating collection of evidence amassed from some of the most notorious crimes in the UK is to go on public display for the first time."}
{"article": "Seven were taken to hospital, two in a serious condition, after the fire at Standon House Care Home in Tamworth, Staffordshire, on Saturday night. The fire was accidental, caused by \"poorly discarded smoking materials,\" Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said. All residents were moved to alternative accommodation, police said. About 20 firefighters were sent to the property, which suffered \"very considerable\" damage, the ambulance service said. The ambulance service said 16 residents were rehoused within adjacent flats, with a further two people taken by ambulance to other care homes. Emergency services were called to the home in Ashby Road at 23:00 BST and \"fortunately, firefighters and staff were able to bring all of the residents out of the building,\" the ambulance service said. Six people, including the two in a serious condition, were taken to Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield with a further patient taken to Queen's Hospital in Burton. The seven were taken to the hospitals to be \"assessed after smoke inhalation,\" Staffordshire Police said. Insp Beverley Rounds, of Staffordshire Police, said: \"We've had a number of calls from people living nearby and we want to thank them for their vigilance and reassure them the residents have been evacuated.\"", "summary": "At least 25 residents were evacuated from a care home after a large fire tore through the property."}
{"article": "Noting that it was exactly 30 years since the end of Brazil's military dictatorship, the soothing official response was that the diversity of views was proof of the strength of the country's young democracy. A tiny flaw in that argument was the presence of some demonstrators who were calling for the military to intervene again, but they were, in fact, a minority. Nonetheless, faced with a poorly performing economy and tainted by a corruption crisis at the state-run oil company Petrobras, the government was harshly criticised at multiple protests across Brazil. President Dilma Rousseff won a tight second-term election victory only last October, and among the protesters were undoubtedly political opponents for whom a Workers' Party government will always be unacceptable. But such a large scale protest could not be left to hang in the air and two ministers were despatched to appear before the TV cameras. The job of Justice Minister Eduardo Cardozo was to deflect the anti-government critics, promising a \"package of measures\" to address corruption and impunity - key concerns among the protestors. His ministerial colleague Miguel Rossetto was watching the government's flank, promising to listen to more traditional government supporters who oppose plans for austerity measures. Brazilians of all political views have heard talk of a \"package of measures\" before, most notably following widespread street protests in 2013, only to see little actually change on the ground. And the problem for the government in the months ahead is that it is not in complete control of events that may shift public opinion. In Congress, President Rousseff, lacking the political skills of her predecessor, has struggled to control her governing base, with defiance from the speakers of both the lower and upper houses. She has promised change and a more inclusive approach to governing. The new Finance Minister, Joaquim Levy, is forging ahead with an austerity plan which traditional government supporters fear could jeopardise recent social advances. The 2014 GDP figure is due to come out on 27 March and may at best suggest a year of stagnation in a country which had been growing at 7% in 2010. The continuing scandal at Petrobras is having a corrosive effect on the whole economy, and has drawn in some of the biggest construction firms in the country. The investigation itself is providing a daily litany of negative headlines of arrests and plea bargain statements, and many politicians from the governing coalition are facing investigation. The government says a relentless and independent investigation is proof of their commitment to root out corruption, but the crisis has been damaging. A water shortage in southern Brazilian states, while easing a little due to summer rains, still threatens rationing and even energy shortages. Brazil's democracy is undoubtedly strong, and talk of military coups these days is seen as far-fetched, but the tone of political debate is acrimonious, not least on social media. The combination of a weakened government, a struggling economy and a divided society is not the easiest backdrop for a president whose second term has got off to a shaky start.", "summary": "The Brazilian government wanted to react quickly in the wake of Sunday's protests involving a hotly disputed, but undeniably large number of demonstrators."}
{"article": "Is this the end of the legal struggle and what are the ramifications of the judgement? EBT stands for Employee Benefit Trust and, in this case, it refers to a scheme that was widely used by large companies in a bid to avoid tax liabilities. Companies would set up trusts and make cash payments from these trusts in the form of tax-free loans to employees or beneficiaries - thus avoiding the need to pay tax. In many cases the loans were never repaid. Legislation has since been passed outlawing the use of the scheme for tax avoidance purposes. Payments from an EBT are not allowed to be made on a contractual basis but HMRC insist the loans made by the club between 2001 and 2010 were actually employee earnings that should be subject to the normal National Insurance and PAYE contributions. They point to emails and letters between Rangers directors and players' agents and to the fact that none of loans have ever been paid back. Players, managers and even directors received EBTs at Rangers. Stars such as Barry Ferguson and Lorenzo Amoruso benefited from the scheme as did managers Alex McLeish, Dick Advocaat and Graeme Souness. Former owner Sir David Murray was also in receipts of an EBT. Over 80 members of Rangers staff received payments this way. The loans paid to each member of staff differed but a total of over \u00a347m was paid out from the trusts in the years the scheme was in operation. There will undoubtedly be calls for the football authorities to act following this judgement. A Scottish Premier League investigation headed by Lord Nimmo Smith found Rangers guilty of not registering players properly and the company was fined in 2013. Nimmo Smith's judgement was made at a time when the EBT scheme was deemed acceptable by a tax tribunal and he resisted calls for the club to be stripped of honours won during the years the scheme was in operation, saying \"Rangers FC did not gain any unfair competitive advantage from the contraventions of the SPL Rules...\" It's unlikely the football authorities will have much appetite to sanction another investigation but that won't stop some calling for just that. A spokesman said the Scottish Premier Football League will \"take time to examine the \u200ejudgement in detail and to consider any implications...\" Celtic are the only other Scottish club to have used the EBT scheme. They paid the Brazilian midfielder Juninho from a trust in 2005 but have since settled with HMRC. A number of clubs in England also operated the scheme and some have already settled with HMRC. The case was first heard by a First Tier Tax Tribunal in 2012. The tribunal found in Rangers' favour but HMRC appealed. In 2014 that appeal was thrown out by an Upper Tier Tribunal. HMRC then appealed to the court of session in Edinburgh and three judges found in the Revenue's favour. Since the dispute started Rangers were forced into administration and liquidation. In a bid to avoid a tax bill, the club's liquidators BDO decided to", "summary": "The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in its fight with Rangers over the club's use of Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs)."}
{"article": "After an entertaining goalless 90 minutes Jonathan Bolingi scored what he thought was the winner in the first period of extra-time. But Guinea's Ibrahima Sory Sankhon made it 1-1 in the final seconds of the game to send the tie to penalties. In the shootout Congo's Ley Matampi saved from Mohamed Youla to send Florent Ibenge's side to the final. The victory secures DR Congo's place in Sunday's final to decide the winners of CHAN 2016. They will face either Mali or Ivory Coast, who meet in Thursday's semi-final. DR Congo's best chances in the first half fell to Meshack Elia, who sent a freekick wide of the target, and then to Doxa Gikanji, who scored a spectacular goal against Rwanda in the quarter-finals. This time though, his shot from the edge of the area was pushed away by goalkeeper Abdoulaziz Keita. Congolese defender Padou Bompunga will miss the final after he was booked just before half-time giving him a suspension for two yellow cards in successive matches. Bolingi had chances to score in normal time but one of his efforts found the legs of a Guinean defender and then he failed to connect fully with a more acrobatic effort. In between those efforts, Sankhon got his head to a dangerous looking attack from Guinea, but keeper Ley Matampi saved for DR Congo. With just three minutes left on the clock, Guinea were saved by the woodwork when Gikanji unleashed another fierce shot. The first goal of the match eventually came in the 102nd minute as substitute Guy Lusadisu crossed from the byline and Bolingi found the target with a superb diving header. With just seconds before the final whistle, Sankhon found the equaliser with a shot from just inside the box to send the match to penalties, Guinea won their quarter-final against Zambia on penalties with keeper Keita saving and then scoring the crucial spot kicks. But this time around he was upstaged by his opposite number Matampi, who saved two of the post-match penalties including one in sudden death from Youla to earn the victory. DR Congo won the inaugural CHAN tournament, which is only open to players who play in their own local leagues, in 2009 when it was played in Ivory Coast.", "summary": "DR Congo qualified for the final of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) by beating Guinea 5-4 on penalties."}
{"article": "Nicknamed Psycho, the former Nottingham Forest defender played in a World Cup semi-final in 1990 but has signed for a team dubbed \"the worst in the UK\". Longford AFC, based in Gloucestershire, have lost all 18 games this season, scoring one goal and letting in 179. Pearce said the grassroots game was \"essential\" to the sport's lifeblood. \"I started out in non-league football playing for Wealdstone before joining Coventry City,\" he said. \"So I'm looking forward to working with manager Nick Dawe, and helping a group of talented young footballers achieve their dreams and, hopefully transforming both the dressing room confidence, as well as the on-the-pitch performance, and seeing how far they can go up the league.\" 179 goals conceded 0-17 Loss at home to Bibury 16-0 Loss away to Lydney Town Reserves 0-15 Loss at home to Quedgeley Wanderers 14-0 Loss away to Woolaston Longford AFC are rooted to the bottom of the Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Division Two. With an awful record and a growing interest from the media, the side has been dubbed \"the worst team in England\". But that could change following the recruitment of their star January signing, who is expected to train with the squad before playing one game with them. Nick Dawe, Longford AFC manager, said the opportunity would give the side \"the best chance possible to go further than we ever have done before\". \"A year ago we were playing in front of one man and his dog and now we are set to [attract] hundreds for Stuart Pearce's debut,\" he added. \"Stuart knows that there will be no special treatment, he will still need to pay his \u00c2\u00a35 a game subs.\" Pearce, a winner of 78 England caps, was part of Sir Bobby Robson's squad that reached the last four of the World Cup in Italy in 1990, and the Terry Venables-led side that was eliminated at the same stage of Euro '96. He retired from playing six years after that, having enjoyed spells at Newcastle United, Manchester City, West Ham, Coventry and non-league Wealdstone as well as captaining Forest under the management of Brian Clough.", "summary": "England football legend Stuart Pearce is set to come out of retirement aged 53 in a bid to transform the fortunes of a struggling non-league side."}
{"article": "The Rail Accident Investigation Board (RAIB) report blamed the near miss at Hest Bank, Lancashire, last September on the lack of warning from a lookout. Four of the group working at the bridge had to cling to its parapet to keep clear of the train, said the report. Network Rail said: \"Our railway is the safest in Europe.\" \"We are always looking at ways to improve safety for the benefit of those who work on the railway and those who travel on it,\" a spokesman added. The RAIB report said the party, who were working on repairing a sleeper, should have received a warning from a lookout. Instead the controller of site safety had to shout an urgent warning after spotting the train, travelling from Edinburgh to Manchester Airport, when it was just three seconds away. \"Staff took rapid evasive action, but some members of the workgroup were on the bridge and were unable to reach the designated position of safety, instead pressing themselves against the bridge parapet,\" said the report. \"The last member of the workgroup was not clear of the line until about one second before the train passed.\" The report said the lookout might have pushed the wrong switch on the electronic system to warn colleagues, might have forgotten to send a warning or their \"vigilance had degraded\" because it was near the end of the recommended two-hour shift for a lookout.", "summary": "Nine railway workers were within seconds of being hit by a train travelling at 98mph, a safety investigation has found."}
{"article": "The remains, believed to be those of a 71-year-old woman, were found in Fenny Bridges, Honiton at about 16:00 GMT on Wednesday, police said. A 66-year-old man is being held in custody and questioned at Heavitree Road police station. The woman has yet to be formally identified but a post-mortem will be carried out later, police said. Devon and Cornwall Police said it was not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman's body was found in a van in Devon."}
{"article": "Team GB skier Tim Farr's \u00a35,000 handbike was found after a social media campaign. It had been sold for \u00a3150 at a Cash Converters shop in south London. Mr Farr, who was a member of the British Disabled Ski team at the Vancouver Paralympics in 2010, thanked people on social media for finding the bike. On Facebook, he wrote: \"Thank you again to all the amazing people, those who I know and don't, who shared my posts in the search of my stolen bike. \"It has been an amazing couple of days and has restored my faith in humanity.\" He said his original call for help had been shared more than 3,500 times and that celebrities and MPs had helped with retweets. The bike was taken from his car parked outside his home near Balham, south-west London, at about 04:00 BST on 21 April. Police retrieved the bike after being alerted via social media by people who had spotted it in the shop. More than \u00a31,700 was raised on a crowd funding website to pay for a new bike for the skier. This money will now be donated to charity.", "summary": "A paralympian has been reunited with his specially adapted bicycle after it was stolen from outside his home."}
{"article": "The Ministry of Justice said a number of prison staff were being investigated. An HMP Chelmsford inmate's girlfriend told The Sun they were allowed into a shower room at Broomfield Hospital where they had sex. Chelmsford MP Sir Simon Burns raised concerns about the issue in September and said there should be sackings. In a letter to Sir Simon, the prisons minister Andrew Selous said a full investigation had been conducted. \"A number of prison officers will be required to attend a disciplinary hearing which will consider the appropriate action that should be taken against them,\" he said. \"Explicit instructions are also being put in place at the prison that make clear to staff the expected standards of supervision that are required during the time a prisoner is at a hospital. \"I hope this letter has been able to reassure you that, whilst it appears that there was an unfortunate lapse in supervision on this occasion, steps are being taken to robustly address the matter and avoid any such repetition.\" Sir Simon said: \"It was a very unfortunate incident which was totally unacceptable. \"I welcome the update from the minister and the assurances that measures have been put in place to ensure this does not happen again.\"", "summary": "Officers are facing disciplinary action over claims a prisoner had sex during a hospital visit, the BBC has learned."}
{"article": "The emergency services were called to the home in Minto Crescent at about 09:40 on Saturday. Police are treating the death as \"unexplained\". A Police Scotland spokeswoman said the inquiry was at a very early stage and appealed for anyone with information to contact them.", "summary": "A man has been found dead at a house in Glenrothes, Fife."}
{"article": "The Guardian alleges a payment of about \u00a31m was paid into the account during the race to host the 2020 Games. In March, French prosecutors investigating corruption in athletics widened their scope to include the bidding and voting processes for the hosting of the 2016 and 2020 Olympics. The British newspaper says French police are believed to be studying the allegation. In a statement, the IOC said it had been \"in contact with the French magistrates in charge of the investigation on the IAAF [athletics' world governing body] case, and with Wada [World Anti-Doping Agency], since its start\". It added: \"The IOC's chief ethics and compliance officer will continue to be in contact with all interested parties to clarify any alleged improper conduct. The IOC will not comment any further on the elements of the investigations at this stage.\" The Tokyo bid first came under scrutiny in January when the second part of a Wada commission report into corruption included a footnote detailing a conversation between another of Lamine Diack's sons, Khalil, and Turkish officials heading up the Istanbul bid team. A transcript of the conversation cited in the report suggested a \"sponsorship\" payment of between $4m and $5m (\u00a32.8m and \u00a33.4m) had been made by the Japanese bid team \"either to the Diamond League or IAAF\". The footnote claims the Istanbul bid \"lost Lamine Diack's support because they did not pay\". Wada's independent commission said it did not investigate the claims \"for it was not within our remit\". A Tokyo 2020 spokeswoman described the note in Wada's report as \"beyond our understanding\", adding that \"Tokyo's bid was about Japan's commitment to address issues around the integrity of sport\". Lamine Diack, the former president of the IAAF, is already being investigated by French authorities. He was arrested last year on corruption and money laundering charges, over allegations he took payments for deferring sanctions against Russian drugs cheats. His son Papa Massata, who was employed by his father as a marketing consultant for the IAAF, is also under investigation, and a warrant for his arrest has been issued by Interpol. Diack Jr has been banned for life by the IAAF but told the BBC in December he and his father were innocent of the claims against them. The IOC overhauled its rules - and regained trust in the integrity of its bidding process - since the 1999 Salt Lake City bribery scandal exposed systematic corruption. In February, Wada commission chief Dick Pound said he was \"fairly certain\" the IOC was free of organised corruption, but just a month later the French prosecutors opened their investigation into the bidding processes for 2016 and 2020.", "summary": "The International Olympic Committee has refused to comment on claims that the successful Tokyo Olympic bid team made a \"seven-figure payment\" to an account linked to the son of former world athletics chief Lamine Diack."}
{"article": "After 14 weeks in hospital, his weight has increased to 6lb 1oz and his parents - Leanne Hughes and Dale Davies - are hoping to take him home to Connah's Quay, in Flintshire, on Monday. While in hospital they became one of a number of families to test specialist equipment for a new neonatal intensive care centre in Denbighshire. This is 34-year-old Leanne's story. I found out I was pregnant just before Christmas and the pregnancy was going well. I didn't have any horrendous morning sickness, it was quite an enjoyable pregnancy. Just before my 20-week scan I had a little bit of a bleed, but it settled down. Then, after my scan, that's when I had a bigger bleed and I went straight to Glan Clwyd [hospital]. They assessed me and suspected I may go into early labour. Given I was only 24 weeks into my pregnancy, they didn't have the facilities at the unit to take babies that premature so they looked for the nearest available unit and that happened to be Preston, about an hour and a half to two hours' drive away. I got transferred up there straight away and spent about four days in Preston hospital. Then I had a big bleed and it just happened, my waters broke. We were taken to the neonatal unit in Preston and we were there for six weeks before we got transferred back to Glan Clwyd. We only found out we were having a boy at the 20-week scan. It was a bit of a shock to the system, we knew we were pregnant but we thought we had plenty of weeks to prepare and get ourselves ready for everything. We didn't. The only thing we did have was the pram, that was on order. Because it was so early on, we hadn't started to go crazy preparing everything because we didn't want to jinx anything. The doctors in Preston had warned us it would be a bit of a rollercoaster and there would be good days and bad days. We had our ups and downs but he's pulled through and he's been really good. After we had been at Glan Clwyd a couple of weeks and they were happy they knew Jude and what was happening, we started to get involved trialling the equipment. The first thing we were trialling was the new incubators. They were really good and it gave us more confidence when we were looking after him, doing his nappy and stuff like that, getting him in and out. When they're in an incubator you feel not very attached to them. We're staying in the hospital at the moment because I'm breastfeeding. We're trialling some chairs that help with breastfeeding because you need to be comfortable, that's where it comes in handy. Until you've been through it, it's difficult to really understand it. It's good to have other parents there who understand how you're feeling, to reassure each other when somebody is having a bad day. But everybody has their own journey, no baby is the", "summary": "Baby Jude weighed just 1lb 12oz when he was born 16 weeks prematurely."}
{"article": "Activists are unlikely to be throwing themselves off the pier in despair. That's not really the Lib Dem way. The party has always thrived in adversity. The conference hashtag is #LibDemfightback. But it will be a bittersweet experience for some party members. \"This is bound to be an emotional conference for us,\" writes Caron Lindsay, editor of LibDem Voice. The party's \"brutal\" defeat in May is still raw, she adds. \"Being with our friends, mulling it all over with laughter, the odd tear and a whole load of gallows humour will undoubtedly help with that.\" Here is a full rundown of the main speeches and debates. The party is talking up the fact that it has gained 20,000 members since May's general election - and about 2,500 of them are going to be in Bournemouth. This is a record, according to party sources, surpassing the number of party members at the 2010 post-election gathering. \"It's going to be a busy, buzzy conference,\" says Lib Dem activist Mark Pack. But it will still be a very different kind of Lib Dem conference to those we saw during the coalition years. There will be no government ministers speaking from the main stage for one thing. It is likely to feel more sparsely populated too. The corporate lobbyists who flooded into Lib Dem conferences during the coalition years have all but deserted the party. This means the bars and restaurants will be quieter and there will be far fewer fringe meetings. Far fewer journalists too. The party's new leader Tim Farron has long been a darling of grassroots Lib Dem activists but the general public have little idea who he is. He will be under pressure to do something about that this week - and also to stake out exactly where the party stands in the rapidly changing landscape of British politics. He has described the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader as a \"staggering\" opportunity for the Lib Dems to occupy the \"centre ground\" and attract back moderate Labour voters and members appalled by their new leader's hard left pedigree. \"There's no denying we're at one of the most challenging points in our party's history, but if anyone is going to lead us back, it's Tim,\" says a party aide. \"At conference you'll hear what motivates him, as he tackles the housing crisis, mental health, Europe, business and enterprise, the refugee crisis, and personal freedom.\" The focus will be on next year's elections in Scotland, Wales and English local authorities - the first real chance to gauge if the party can revive itself. Where exactly does Mr Farron, routinely described as a left-winger himself, and who defined himself as a break from the Tory-leaning coalition years, think the centre ground is? Aides say he is keen to dispel the idea, put about by some commentators, that he is \"Corbyn-lite\". Party members will be seeking answers at a Q&A session in the main hall on Monday. Mr Farron's keynote address will close the conference on Wednesday. Tim Farron has mischievously let slip that he", "summary": "The Liberal Democrats are gathering in Bournemouth for their annual conference - the first since the party lost all but eight of its MPs in May's general election rout."}
{"article": "The 34-year-old, who captained the team for six years, has struggled with a knee injury. McKeever won four Ulster titles and played in three International Rules series for Ireland. \"It's has been a great honour to play for Armagh and this is not a decision I have arrived at lightly,\" he said. McKeever captained Armagh to All-Ireland U21 glory and won Division One and Division Three titles with the county. \"It was always my dream to represent Armagh growing up so it's with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from inter-county football,\" added the St Patrick's Cullyhanna clubman. \"Having met with Kieran McGeeney at the end of 2016 after undergoing two operations, I was unsure of my inter-county future but we decided to try and get the body right for one more year. I believe the time is now right to call it a day. \"My journey as a county player has been truly wonderful - it has been a privilege to have been involved with such an incredible group of footballers. \"I am very fortunate to have tasted the ultimate success at international, provincial and county level and captaining Armagh's U21s to All-Ireland success in 2004 was a special highlight. \"I'd like to pay special thanks to Kieran McGeeney, who I always looked up to as a youngster from my days travelling to watch Armagh play. \"When I joined the squad in 2003, he took me under his wing and helped me develop as a player, he taught me what commitment and values were required to play for Armagh and I'm glad my journey has ended under his watch.\"", "summary": "Armagh defender Ciaran McKeever has announced his retirement from inter-county football after 14 years with the Orchard county."}
{"article": "Quay Fresh and Frozen Foods, in New Quay, produces 800 tonnes of crushed whelk shell waste each year. In December 2016, it was granted a licence to dump some of it into the sea, despite complaints from residents. Its collaboration with the university's Seacams 2 project aims to find commercially viable uses for the waste. Researchers are looking into several possibilities, including water filtration media, soil conditioners and the potential for creating an environmentally friendly alternative to microbeads. Quay Food's director Mandy Andrews said: \"We want to ensure that we have a sustainable and stable fishing industry. \"We hope that by exploring options to maximise the efficient use of all parts of the shellfish, we can contribute to a better future for our family of employers here and for the fishermen that our business supports.\"", "summary": "Researchers from Swansea University have joined forces with a Ceredigion food company to find new uses for shellfish waste."}
{"article": "The colt, trained by Doug O'Neill, scored an eighth straight victory and gave jockey Mario Gutierrez his second win from two rides in the race. Nyquist held off the challenge of the fast-finishing Exaggerator, with Gun Runner third, before a 167,227 crowd. The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the US Triple Crown, won by American Pharoah last year. Nyquist will now attempt to emulate American Pharoah by going on to win the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. It was a second triumph in the race, known as the Run for the Roses, for Gutierrez, O'Neill and owner J Paul Reddam, who succeeded four years ago with I'll Have Another. \"It was an amazing feeling. I have a 100 per cent record on Nyquist. I only had to push him out,\" said the jockey. \"If he sees something coming he keeps going as fast as he needs to go.\"", "summary": "Unbeaten favourite Nyquist won the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs."}
{"article": "But if the health service is to thrive in the 21st Century that will have to change. There will need to be a third pillar - the community service (or integrated care as it is known in the NHS). The term covers services aimed at people with long-term conditions. They are the patients who need care as there is no cure. Oldham's Musculoskeletal Partnership provides an integrated service for rheumatology and orthopaedic patients. It involves GPs, hospital consultants, physiotherapists, podiatrists and occupational therapy. The team sees about 10,000 patients a year with conditions such as inflammatory arthritis. It has proved so successful that rheumatology services have now been decommissioned from the local hospital, while all outpatient orthopaedics work from physiotherapy to pain management is done at the clinic. It includes diabetes patients who need their treatment regimes closely monitored and regular foot and eye checks. It also covers support and rehabilitation for the frail and vulnerable when they are released from hospital and help for people with dementia to stay independent. But the problem with the current system is that they often do not get the help they need or do not get it early enough. The result? They eventually end up in hospital more ill than they would have been. This is bad for the individual and bad for the health service - as hospital care is more expensive. Jennifer Dixon, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust think-tank, says this is the crux of the issue. \"We have talked about integrated care for so long, but I think this time it will be different. \"It has to be because of the money situation. We have no choice.\" A quick look at the statistics proves this. An estimated 15 million people in England have a long-term condition - a quarter of the population. But they account for \u00c2\u00a37 out of every \u00c2\u00a310 spent on the health and care. In Grimsby most adult health and social care outside hospital is provided by Care Plus Group, a not-for-profit organisation paid for by the NHS and local authority. It provides nearly 50 services, covering everything from community nursing to meals on wheels and drugs and alcohol support. All can be accessed via a single phone number. An example of this is the Hope Specialist Service, a community centre staffed by volunteers with support from health workers, including physios, occupational therapists and specialist nurses. It offers help for people after falls and those with lung disease so they can recover their confidence, independence and find friends. It has proved successful at keeping people out of hospital With the number of patients expected to rise in the coming years, particularly the group with multiple conditions, that is clearly unsustainable. With the right treatment, many of these patients do not need to be in hospital. But the fact remains that nearly three quarters of beds are occupied by someone with a long-term condition. The NHS Confederation recently looked at this issue, concluding there needed to be a radical rethink. Jo Webber, director of policy at the confederation, explains:", "summary": "Ever since the NHS was created it has been dominated by two services - hospitals and GP care."}
{"article": "It is billed as one of the biggest events of its kind in Europe and last year attracted more than 30,000 visitors. This year, organisers invited people to submit photos for the People's Gallery based on the theme chaos and calm. The best 76 images are to be exhibited at the show - here is a selection.", "summary": "Amateur and professional photographers from across the UK were invited to submit pictures for the forthcoming Photography Show at the NEC near Birmingham."}
{"article": "But columnists also noted that Republican Mr Trump had the ability to \"adapt after failure\" and said there was a risk Mrs Clinton could become \"cocky\" after her assured performance. Zurcher: Who won the first debate? US debate: Five Twitter takeaways How does the US election work? New York Times The editorial board was unimpressed with the debate, saying \"when just one candidate is serious and the other is a vacuous bully, the term loses all meaning\". Opinion writer Nick Kristof said Trump had \"hurt himself\", others said Mrs Clinton had \"crushed\" her opponent. But Ross Douthat said Mrs Clinton did not \"goad Trump into a true meltdown or knock him out with a truly devastating attack\". She \"won the night, but he lived to fight another day\", he said. Washington Post Writers unanimously called it for Mrs Clinton, saying Mr Trump had \"bombed on the ultimate reality show\" and \"did not appear ready to be president\". Stephen Stromberg mused on what a debate victory for Mrs Clinton actually meant. \"If Americans were so evenly split heading into Monday night, after the monstrous campaign Trump had run before the debate, they may be capable of anything,\" he wrote. Fox News Pundits consulted by the broadcaster said Mr Trump had \"struggled\", \"never took control\" and \"failed to exploit\" the issue around Mrs Clinton's emails. \"It helps to be prepared,\" said Douglas Schoen, declaring victory for Mrs Clinton. \"On so many fronts he should have been able to wipe that smug grin off Hillary's face; he did not rise to the challenge,\" said Liz Peek. LA Times Its panel of three commentators had Mrs Clinton winning every round. \"Politics is harder than it seems, and Trump found that out tonight,\" said Cathleen Decker. \"Clinton was unflappable... and probably likeable enough,\" said Doyle McManus. David Lauter said Mr Trump's lack of preparation echoed the \"terrible job\" President Obama did in the first TV debate four years ago. \"But remember that Obama bounced back,\" he said. Breitbart Writers at the hard-right news website said Mr Trump had \"bludgeoned\" Mrs Clinton on trade. They also accused debate moderator Lester Holt of \"shilling\" for Mrs Clinton by asking Mr Trump \"tough questions\" and insisted that Republican candidates were \"routinely treated unfairly\" by moderators. Some 75% of Breitbart readers said Mr Trump had won. The Hill Republican and Democrat-supporting pundits consulted by the Washington politics website mostly said Mrs Clinton won, but in a poll its readers called it for Mr Trump. Hillary \"looked confident, calm and composed, while Trump appeared frantic, nervous and distracted\", said former Republican congressman John LeBoutillier. But former Republican campaign aide Ford O'Connell declared a draw, saying going \"toe-to-toe\" with Mrs Clinton on the debate stage \"elevated Trump's legitimacy as a candidate\". NY Daily News The tabloid's verdict: \"A grumpy loser! Trump pesters, interrupts Hillary throughout debate - but Clinton gets the last laugh.\" Russia Commentators at the independent Nesavisimaya Gazeta newspaper said Mr Trump appealed to Russian sympathisers in the US, who \"like his proposal to restrict the access of illegal migrants to", "summary": "The US media have given their verdict on who won the first debate - with most awarding victory to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton."}
{"article": "Russell Crow was rescued from the road by Helen Motteram and now lives in her home as one of the family. When the Gladiator star saw their story online, he took to Twitter to say how \"cool\" it was and offer \"some new songs\" for the bird. He tweeted: \"Haha cool, what a nice lady Helen is to look after the poor blighter.\" With crooked feet and unable to fly, the bird was at first mistaken for a crow and named in honour of the actor. Since then, the cheeky rook has taken over Helen's home - sleeping in her bedroom, stealing her phone chargers and hiding her jewellery. But his antics, and jealousy of Helen's husband, have also made him a minor celebrity - with his fame now reaching the Hollywood star himself. Helen said she was \"amazed\" when she found out Russell Crowe was a fan. \"I tweeted Russell about a month ago saying Russell [the rook] would love to hear from him - but I didn't hear back,\" she said. \"I love his films and we named Russell after him so I've going to tweet him back to say he would love to meet him in person or get an autograph.\" The bird, she said, can \"print with his feet\" and \"hold a pen\" so if the actor would like an autograph in exchange, it could be arranged.", "summary": "Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe has tweeted support for his namesake - a disabled rook from Gloucestershire."}
{"article": "The graduates were seen driving a convoy of black Mercedes jeeps noisily through Moscow last month, blocking traffic and hanging out of the windows. Some veteran Russian spies have said such behaviour amounted to treason. The FSB says those involved will have the conditions of their service changed, without elaborating further. In a statement (in Russian), it also says some of the FSB Academy's senior officers have already been demoted and some will be sacked. \"The immodest, demonstrative behaviour linked to the short-term rentals from a luxury car company sparked justified indignation among citizens and strong condemnation from the community of military security bodies.\" Footage of the celebration was posted online shortly after the incident, attracting hundreds of thousands of viewers. The FSB is the main successor of the Soviet KGB. The agency's powers and budget have risen significantly under President Vladimir Putin - himself a former KGB officer.", "summary": "Russia's FSB security service says it will punish a group of new agents who allowed themselves to be photographed lavishly celebrating their graduation."}
{"article": "A toxin in the sting kills cancer cells without harming normal cells, lab studies suggest. The University of Brazil team say the experimental therapy latches to tumour cells and makes them leak vital molecules. The work is at an early stage and more studies are needed to check the method will work safely in humans. Polybia paulista is an aggressive social wasp endemic in south-east Brazil. Though its sting is largely seen as unwelcome, scientists increasingly believe it could be put to good use. It contains an important toxin called MP1 which the insect uses to attack prey or defend itself. And recent studies in mice suggest it may target and destroy cancer cells. Prof Joao Ruggiero Netto and colleagues set out to discover how, by putting it under the microscope. They found MP1 interacts with fat molecules that are abnormally distributed on the surface of cancer cells, creating gaping holes that allow molecules crucial for cell function to leak out. In healthy cells, the same molecules are hidden on the inside. This means healthy tissue should avoid MP1's attack, the scientists say in Biophysical Journal. Co-researcher Dr Paul Beales, from the University of Leeds, said cancer therapies that attacked the lipid composition of the cell membrane would be an entirely new class of anti-cancer drugs. \"This could be useful in developing new combination therapies, where multiple drugs are used simultaneously to treat a cancer by attacking different parts of the cancer cells at the same time,\" he said. Dr Aine McCarthy, science information officer for Cancer Research UK said: \"This early stage research increases our understanding of how the venom of the Brazilian wasp can kill cancer cells in the laboratory. \"But while these findings are exciting, much more work is needed in the lab and in clinical trials before we will know if drugs based on this research could benefit cancer patients.\"", "summary": "The venom of a wasp native to Brazil could be used as a weapon to fight cancer, scientists believe."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Christine Still, BBC Sport \"It is such an exhilarating thing to watch when you see people bouncing so high in the air and then landing in such a small square. It is one of the sports where the margin for error is so slim. You can be in the lead and one little small movement finishes you. This means that there is often a surprise winner. The really strong nations are Russia, China and Canada.\" The top competitors in the world are still genuine high-flyers though, reaching heights of up to 10 metres during their routines. Although it forms part of the gymnastics programme it shares some similarities with diving in terms of the suppleness and skill needed to compete at the top level. The two sports also share the same terminology - back-flips and half-pikes feature in both. Lee Brearley and Jaime Moore were the first Britons to compete when trampoline made its Olympic debut at the Sydney 2000 Games. Britain had previously produced world men's champions Paul Luxon (1972) and Stewart Matthews (1980) as well as Sue Shotton, who took the 1988 women's world title. Gymnastics requires strength, mobility, endurance, flexibility, body control and coordination. The high level of physical fitness needed to excel helps encourage a healthy lifestyle, including regular physical activity and eating a well-balanced diet. The wide range of movements involved in trampolining works every muscle in the body and burns approximately 410 calories per hour. Jumping on the trampoline - or rebounding - has been discovered by NASA scientists to be up to 68% more effective exercise than jogging. The effort of rebounding develops both upper and body strength without putting undue strain on joints or muscles, thus reducing the risk of injury. Gymnastics is a breathtaking sport featuring a range of disciplines such as artistic, trampoline, acrobatics, aerobics and tumbling. It is enjoyed by an estimated four million people in the United Kingdom. Media playback is not supported on this device There are more than 1,600 gymnastic clubs in the country and you can find the one closest to you by using the British Gymnastics club finder. You only need to buy your own sports kit as the different apparatus and equipment can be found in clubs. An extensive range of training programmes for people of all abilities and ages are available in sport centres, gyms, schools, universities and colleges. British Gymnastics' GymFusion scheme has seen over 2000 performers take part in the non-competitive, show style festivals, with 11 events set to set to take place across the UK in the future. Contact your local British Gymnastics development officer to discover information on how you can get started, with the GymMark scheme ensuring the highest standards are adhered to throughout the UK. Further information can be found on the English Gymnastics,Welsh Gymnastics,Scottish Gymnastics and Gymnastics Northern Ireland websites. More on the British Gymnastics website 'Join In Local Sport' aims to get as many people as possible to turn up and take part in activities at their local", "summary": "From the circus tent to the Olympic hall, trampoline has travelled a considerable distance from its 19th Century genesis."}
{"article": "Carolyn Fairbairn said she had rarely stayed to the end of such corporate functions because she was bringing up her three children. Along with sporting events, the black-tie dinners are seen as places to do business, she said. But she has \"never been a fan\", and added that \"a lot of women aren't\". \"They'd rather go home to their families in the evening,\" Mrs Fairbairn said. \"Maybe the business dinner is a vestige of old business life.\" An alternative, she said, might be to host an \"early evening discussion panel, hold a proper debate, and then people can go home by 7.30pm\". In one of her first interviews since taking over earlier this month, Mrs Fairbairn said it would be \"terrific\" if her appointment inspired women to look at business careers. \"There has been good progress on reaching the 25% target of women on boards, but there is a long way to go, especially among senior management,\" she added. The new CBI director general also expressed confidence that Europe would not tear the employers' group apart. Campaigners have criticised the CBI for being too pro-EU, but Mrs Fairbairn said most of its members \"want to stay in a reformed European Union\". She was also optimistic about the UK economy, as long as issues such as productivity, skills and infrastructure were tackled.", "summary": "The first female chief of business lobby group the CBI has criticised business dinners as \"not very inclusive\" for women."}
{"article": "Mills, 28, and Clark, 36, hold a 20-point lead going into the finale, after finishing second and third in Tuesday's races. The duo missed out on gold at London 2012, taking silver as New Zealand edged them out in the medal race. \"It feel like we've been sailing forever to get this gold,\" said Clark. Find out about how to get into sailing with our special guide. \"It's completely surreal. We've sailed out of our skin in a marathon event.\" The pair have dominated throughout the event, winning three races and finishing in the top eight in all 10. However, a medal is now out of reach for male 470 pair Luke Patience and Chris Grube, who are sixth going in to the medal race. Alain Sign and Dylan Fletcher stand a chance of claiming a medal in Thursday's 49er medal race, sitting fourth, but Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth are seventh. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Great Britain's Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark will win Olympic gold in the women's 470 sailing if they finish Wednesday's medal race."}
{"article": "Bite The Ballot and Hope not Hate aim to sign up 500,000 young people to vote by the 7 June registration deadline. They say interest in the 23 June poll is high although the campaign is perceived as being dominated by \"old men shouting at each other\". Young people are twice as likely not to be signed up as the public at large. In five weeks' time, the UK will decide whether it should remain a member of the European Union or not, with British citizens aged 18 and over and specified others entitled to vote. It will be the first public vote on the country's future in Europe for more than 50 years. Amid concerns about levels of youth turnout, efforts are being stepped up to encourage young people to sign up to vote in time to take part. Those who registered ahead of the local and national elections on 5 May do not need to re-register. The #TurnUp campaign, which launches on 31 May, is focused on getting young voters to encourage their friends and colleagues to sign up at events in universities, youth clubs, workplaces and cafes. A survey of 1,300 18-30 year olds carried out by YouGov suggests 51% are closely following the referendum, 39% are not while 10% are avoiding coverage of it altogether. While the majority - 52% - of those polled said the economy was the most important issue in determining how to vote, the research found low levels of trust in those representing either side in the referendum debate. Only 10% of those canvassed trusted politicians to make the case for either a Remain or Leave vote, while the figures for the media (13%) and business leaders (16%) were only slightly higher. In contrast, teachers and academics scored much higher levels of trust (72%) as did other young people (50%). Bite the Ballot's director Mike Sani said it was vital the campaign was not merely the preserve of politicians and business people. \"We need to act now to ensure those unregistered are empowered and inspired to take a role in the decision-making process,\" he said. \"Young people will be living longest with the outcome and the risk of not engaging them in the issue is too big to ignore.\" And Hope not Hate said there would be serious consequences if young people were shut out of the debate. \"It is vital they get registered but also vital for both Remain and Leave campaigners to address the concerns of the young far more directly,\" said its chief executive Nick Lowles. \"We know that if they don't, and the voices of the young are not heard, disaffection can breed alienation. That in turn can act as a potent lure for extremists and others who would divide society.\" The groups say 30% of all 18-24 year olds are not registered to vote at the moment and, of those who signed up to vote in last year's general election, only 54% ended up voting - much lower than other age groups.", "summary": "Young people must be \"inspired not ignored\" in the EU referendum debate, campaigners said as they began a drive to boost turnout among 18-24 year olds."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Bury's Quigg will put his WBA belt on the line against Belfast's Frampton, the IBF champion, at Manchester Arena. \"There's something different about this fight as the rivalry has been so long. It's exciting me in a way that no other fight has before,\" said Frampton, 29. \"I'm not expecting an easy night but if I'm clever I'll be alright.\" \"Making this fight happen has been talked about for so long. It has been a long time coming,\" added the Northern Ireland boxer. Media playback is not supported on this device Both men are unbeaten in their professional careers, making it the most eagerly-anticipated domestic match-up for some time. \"It's a big occasion but I've been involved in big fights and big atmospheres before. \"I'm relaxed, ready and raring to go. I feel like a kid at Christmas, I'm super-excited and can't wait to get going. \"I've been in camp for a long time as I wanted to make sure I was fully prepared. I'm in the shape of my life and my weight is perfect, it's the easiest I've ever made it.\" Frampton will rely on the backing of a large travelling support to help cheer him to victory on English soil. \"I'll have 70% of the support in the arena on the night and I know my fans will make a lot of noise. \"The home fighter will have fewer fans than the away fighter and I'm not sure how Scott's going to deal with that. \"I know I have the punching power to take him out, whether it be in the first round or the 12th. I also possess the boxing brain to comprehensively beat him on points. \"My power has been massively underestimated - they are making Quigg out to be this ferocious puncher but I can punch just as hard, if not harder.\"", "summary": "Carl Frampton says his long-standing rivalry with Scott Quigg will add spice to Saturday's world super-bantamweight unification fight in Manchester."}
{"article": "In a letter to the Daily Telegraph, they said early schooling was causing \"profound damage\" to children. They are calling for more emphasis in the curriculum on learning through play. England's Education Minister Elizabeth Truss said starting school later would damage attempts to close the achievement gap between rich and poor. The signatories to the letter, including academics, teachers and some writers and charities, said the current system focused too much on formal education, such as the \"three Rs\", at too early an age. They said national policies should be reassessed to make them more similar to education systems in Scandinavia. In Northern Ireland, the statutory age of entry to school is four. In England, Scotland, Wales, Cyprus and Malta, the age is five. The statutory age is six in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey. The age is seven in Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Serbia and Sweden (Figures from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER)) Your comments The letter said children who entered school at six or seven \"consistently achieve better educational results as well as higher levels of well-being\". It was signed by 127 experts including Lord Layard, director of the Well-Being Programme at the London School of Economics; senior lecturer in psychology of education at Cambridge University Dr David Whitebread, and director of Play England Catherine Prisk. Another of the signatories, former Children's Commissioner for England Sir Al Aynsley-Green, said: \"If you look at a country like Finland children don't start formal, full-scale education until they are seven. \"These extra few years, in my view, provide a crucial opportunity, when supported by well-trained, well-paid and highly educated staff, for children to be children.\" The letter was sent by the campaign group, Save Childhood Movement, which has launched a campaign called Too Much, Too Soon. Group founding director Wendy Ellyatt said: \"Despite the fact that 90% of countries in the world prioritise social and emotional learning and start formal schooling at six or seven, in England we seem grimly determined to cling on to the erroneous belief that starting sooner means better results later. \"There is nothing wrong with seeking high educational standards and accountability, but there is surely something very wrong indeed if this comes at the cost of natural development.\" Currently most children in England go to nursery at the age of three or four before starting school in the September following their fourth birthday and spend a year in reception class. Legally all children in England have to be in full-time education by the term after their fifth birthday. Education Minister Elizabeth Truss rejected calls for formal schooling to start later in England, saying this would damage the life chances of children from poorer homes. \"I think the campaign is wrong-headed,\" she told The World at One on BBC Radio Four. \"At the moment we've got one of the biggest gaps between the performance of low-income and high-income students. And", "summary": "Children should not start formal school lessons until the age of six or seven, a group of educationalists has said."}
{"article": "Up to 6,500 homes in the Castlemilk and Croftfoot areas of Glasgow and some parts of Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire had been affected. Some properties lost all water supply, while others experienced low pressure or discoloured water. A water main in Castlemilk Drive burst at about 07:00 on Saturday. Scottish Water said engineers were still working on the repair but had been able to restore normal water supplies to the \"vast majority\" of affected properties. Homes still without water are likely to be on higher parts of the network. The company said in a statement: \"When normal supplies are restored, affected customers might experience discoloured water as the system recharges. \"If so, customers are advised to run the cold water tap in their kitchen gently until the water starts to run clear. \"Scottish Water apologises to all affected customers for the inconvenience and thanks them for their patience and understanding.\" The road where the burst occurred remains closed to allow engineers to work on the pipe.", "summary": "Water has been restored to most of the homes which lost their supply after a mains pipe burst, Scottish Water has said."}
{"article": "The quick rush defence of the Lions has been a feature of the tour. Farrell believes they were unfairly caught offside against the Highlanders last Tuesday, and expects the officials to review the tour matches before the series opener in Auckland on Saturday. \"I've been looking for the offside, and I'm still looking for it now,\" he said. \"It's up to us to show a good picture, but it's hard when everyone is going together. \"We have good referees going forward. I am sure they will review the games like we will. \"But I think it's pretty obvious we want to bring some line-speed to the game.\" The Lions play the Chiefs in Hamilton on Tuesday before starting the three-Test series against the All Blacks this weekend. They have played five matches on the tour so far, beating the Maori All Blacks 32-10 last Saturday, four days after a 23-22 defeat by the Highlanders. Flanker James Haskell says intensity in defence is a hallmark of sides coached by coach Warren Gatland and Farrell. \"It's almost using defence as an attacking weapon in itself,\" said Haskell, who starts for the Lions against the Chiefs on Tuesday. \"The guys the other night [against the Maori All Blacks] took the defence on tour to a new level, but you have to go to another level again to deal with the All Blacks.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Meanwhile, Haskell says the six new additions controversially added to the squad over the weekend have been warmly welcomed into the fold as players can stay out of the \"politics of situations like that\". \"What's most important is you have team-mates coming on board who buy into what the Lions are about and deliver a performance,\" Haskell said. \"Being a sportsman you can crack on with the job because life is way too short to be worrying about other things. \"They are good boys, get on with it. That's all that matters.\" And Farrell thinks the Lions are ready to meet the challenge of New Zealand, who have won the last two World Cups. \"The All Blacks are the best team in the world,\" Farrell added. \"They're an unbelievable side. But our squad is full of winners. It's full of guys who are used to winning and know how to win. \"They're in a new side that's been developing over the last four weeks. And I think we're going to be a hell of a side. \"We play this game on Tuesday, hopefully we'll get the result we're after and show improvement again. \"Then we'll go down to Auckland, there's a sea of red there. Everything builds up. The strength of the collective group is going to be phenomenal. Let's see what we can bring when we bring a togetherness.\"", "summary": "British and Irish Lions assistant coach Andy Farrell is wary of his side being harshly penalised in defence in the Test series against New Zealand."}
{"article": "A new reporting procedure, changes to the way users block others and new ways of dealing with reported tweets are among the changes outlined by the social network. Twitter told Newsbeat the changes would give users \"more control over their experience\". The changes come after several high profile cases of abuse. Twitter's head of public policy in Europe, Sinead McSweeney said: \"We've always said that users' safety is a priority. It's a job that we never regard as done.\" The social network said the changes will take effect gradually \"in the coming weeks\". A more \"mobile-friendly\" process will be introduced, with users asked for less information when they first report abuse. Twitter claims the process will make it \"simpler\" to flag tweets and accounts for review. Users will also be able to report abuse which is not directly targeted at them. \"It's more intuitive, it's conversational and it gives people an opportunity to flag content which they regard as abusive, but may not be directed at them,\" said Ms McSweeney. There will be a new page giving details of accounts a user has blocked. \"If you block somebody, they will no longer be able to see your profile,\" Ms McSweeney explained. She added the network itself would continue to suspend users temporarily or permanently where necessary. Twitter said it has implemented several \"behind the scenes\" changes to the way it handles reports from users. There will be \"more staff and more resources\" and \"better tools and systems\" for dealing with abusive content. Ms McSweeney suggested users could expect a quicker response to certain types of reports. \"We are constantly working to reduce the times in which it takes us to get to reports.\" Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Twitter is making changes aimed at allowing users to report abuse or offensive content more easily."}
{"article": "Guy Coponet was forced by the killers to film the murder of 85-year-old Fr Jacques Hamel inside the church at Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. \"I had to film my friend Father Jacques's murder! I can't get over it,\" said the 87-year-old parishioner. Mr Coponet was himself stabbed several times, including once in the throat. He had to wait 45 minutes for help and told the Famille Chretienne (Christian Family) website he had been very lucky to survive. \"The emergency medic who treated me told me 'you had divine protection because the knife attacks missed your vital organs. But it really wasn't far away - it's like a miracle'.\" He, his wife Janine, and three nuns had been attending Fr Hamel's service when the two Islamist militants burst into the church. Adel Kermiche and Abdel-Malik Petitjean, both 19, were known to French security services. Their attack was claimed by so-called Islamic State (IS). Kermiche was awaiting trial on terror charges and had to wear an electronic tag, although not during the morning. Petitjean was on the French security services' S-list for suspects considered a security threat. He had travelled from the south-east Savoie region to carry out the attack. Both were shot dead by police. What we know about French church attack Tributes paid to murdered French priest How France is wrestling with jihadist terror Mr Coponet described how he had been forced to hold a camera for the killers, who checked on the quality of the images they planned to post on social media. He told French TV on Thursday that Fr Hamel had tried to fend his attackers off right to the end, crying out \"Satan, get out of here, get out, Satan\". However, he was convinced that even at that moment the priest was not condemning the young jihadist killing him. \"They were in the grip of evil, it's a bit like a sect,\" he said. Earlier this month Pope Francis said Fr Hamel was a martyr and already on his way to becoming a saint. \"He accepted his martyrdom there on the altar,\" he said. Guy Coponet still suffers from the wounds he sustained on 26 July. He has a deep scar on his throat and had trouble swallowing. His wife Janine said she was convinced at the time that he had died. The church at Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray is due to re-open at a ceremony on Sunday.", "summary": "An elderly man left for dead by two jihadists at a church in the French city of Rouen has spoken of the terrifying ordeal for the first time."}
{"article": "The 47-year old taxi driver, from Eccles, Salford, was taking aid to Syria when he was kidnapped and killed by Islamic State (IS) militants in October 2014. At the time, he was the fourth western hostage to be murdered by the group. People in Eccles laid the ribbons in memory of Mr Henning. A similar tribute was held in the days after his death. Meanwhile, Eccles MP Barbara Keeley has renewed calls for Prime Minister David Cameron to officially recognise his charity work with a posthumous award. \"I think there should be some way to mark the noble sacrifice that Alan made,\" said Ms Keeley. \"His mission to help children in Syria was a remarkable one and, of course, he lost his life. \"I think that should be marked with some sort of formal award.\" Ms Keeley said she had spoken to Mr Cameron and hoped there could soon be developments. Prayers will also be said over the weekend at Eccles Parish Church.", "summary": "A Greater Manchester town has been adorned with yellow ribbons to mark the first anniversary of aid worker Alan Henning's murder."}
{"article": "Ellie-May had been missing for two days before the grim discovery was made by a member of the public in Lincoln Drive, Cannock. The RSPCA has launched an investigation to find out whether the pet has been killed by a human or a wild animal. The owner of the 18-month-old black and white cat, Brenda Hearndon, said the news of her last moments was \"awful\". The 74-year-old said: \"I have had Ellie-May since she was dumped 10 months ago with 12 kittens and she worked so hard bringing these kittens up. \"She was a very timid cat but she was affectionate towards me. \"It is so sad because she was just starting to enjoy life, going outside and doing what cats like to do, but now something like this has happened and it is awful.\" RSPCA inspector Kate Levesley said: \"We do not know for certain how Ellie-May died, whether it was by the hands of a cruel human being or whether she died naturally and had started to be scavenged by wild animals. \"However we cannot rule anything out. If this was done deliberately, it does not bear thinking about how terrified Ellie-May may have been in her last moments.\" Anyone with information is urged to come forward.", "summary": "The body of a cat missing its head and tail has been found in a Staffordshire garden."}
{"article": "The 73-year-old is starting treatment immediately, meaning a number of the act's upcoming shows will be cancelled. A statement on Facebook said the illness had been caught \"at an early stage\", so the pair hoped to be \"back out on the road\" soon. Chas & Dave enjoyed the height of their fame in the 1970s and 80s with hits including Rabbit and Snooker Loopy. They also performed two FA Cup final songs with Tottenham Hotspur FC, including Ossie's Dream in 1981, which reached number five in the charts. \"Chas recently underwent hospital tests which revealed cancer of the oesophagus,\" the Facebook statement read. \"Luckily this has been spotted at an early stage and he'll be undergoing treatment immediately. \"Apologies to ticket holders for the inconvenience. The venues themselves will advise regarding rescheduling/refunds.\" Performances at Potters Bar, Norwich and in Milton Keynes on February 17, 18 and 19 will need to be rescheduled, the statement said. Chas Hodges and Dave Peacock both grew up in north London and have been performing together since the 1970s. Before forming their act, Peacock had played in a number of bands, backing Jerry Lee Lewis and opening for the Beatles. Together they became famous in their own right, with a number of top 20 hits. They have also played Glastonbury and opened for Led Zeppelin at Knebworth in 1979. They took a brief hiatus in 2009 following the death of Peacock's wife of 36 years, Sue, from lung cancer.", "summary": "Chas Hodges - lead singer of \"rockney\" duo Chas & Dave - has been diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old winger revealed to BBC Radio Lancashire he turned down an offer from Rangers to sign for the English League One side. \"Rangers are a massive club but I've done four years up here and I felt it was right to move on,\" said Humphrey. \"It was time for me to have a new challenge somewhere else.\" He continued: \"Also, I can be closer to my family. I've been away from them for four years now. I went through a bit of a rough patch when I first moved to Motherwell but they were fantastic throughout that. Chris Humphrey and Marlon King were banned from playing for the Jamaican national team last year after breaking curfew rules. \"I've got nothing but great things to say about the club and it will be sad to leave, but it's time for me to push on and try to achieve another goal of mine which is to move down south and win promotion.\" Jamaica international Humphrey played 155 times in four seasons at Motherwell and helped Stuart McCall's side finish second behind champions Celtic in the SPL last season. Humphrey becomes North End's second confirmed signing of the summer, joining who has agreed a free transfer to Deepdale after being released by Huddersfield Town.", "summary": "Chris Humphrey will join Preston on a two-year deal on 1 July after rejecting the chance to remain with Scottish Premier League club Motherwell."}
{"article": "There will be a temporary exhibition of the haul, in the Great Hall next summer, Tamworth Borough Council said. Key pieces of the hoard, the UK's largest find of Anglo-Saxon treasure, will also be shown in Lichfield and Stafford. A Mercian Trail is also being developed to allow the treasure to be permanently displayed at several places. These would include Tamworth, Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent and Lichfield. Councillor Steve Claymore, from Tamworth Borough Council, said: \"The news that the Staffordshire Hoard is coming to Tamworth is fantastic news. \"Residents and visitors will be able to see the hoard in its rightful place - the ancient capital of Mercia. \"The touring exhibition could lead to tens of thousands of people discovering the fascinating history of Tamworth and its surrounding area.\" The 3,500-piece haul was found in a Staffordshire field in July 2009. It is now jointly owned by the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum after \u00c2\u00a33.3m was raised to keep it in the area. Cleaned and restored items of the hoard, including a pectoral cross which is one of the signature pieces of the collection, are currently on show at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Hanley.", "summary": "Parts of the famous Staffordshire Hoard will be exhibited at Tamworth Castle next year."}
{"article": "Matip, 25, was named in Cameroon's preliminary squad for this month's Africa Cup of Nations, but the defender said he did not want to play. He would have been in the squad, maybe on the pitch so I don't think it's fair He was not in the final 23-man squad, but the Reds are seeking \"clarity\" from Fifa about his availability. Germany-born Matip has not featured for Cameroon since September 2015. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said: \"In our understanding, Joel is officially retired from international football. \"The club did everything we had to do to make this clear, but up until now we couldn't get the response we need to be 100% sure he can play. \"It's pretty difficult and really frustrating. He has been in training four or five days. He would have been in the squad, maybe on the pitch [against United] so I don't think it's fair.\" Matip was one of seven of their players who said they did not want to play at the tournament in Gabon, which started on Saturday and runs until 5 February. Another, West Brom full-back Allan Nyom, also failed to received international clearance and did not feature in his side's 4-0 defeat at Tottenham on Saturday. The Cameroon football association (Fecafoot) can ask world governing body Fifa to suspend those players at club level for the duration of the event. Liverpool said Fecafoot has failed to confirm whether centre-back Matip - who has made 12 Premier League appearances since moving to Anfield from German side Schalke in the summer - can continue to play club football.", "summary": "Liverpool withdrew Joel Matip from their squad to face Manchester United on Sunday because they are unsure about his international clearance."}
{"article": "There are few of us that do not have a camera in our pockets for most of our waking hours that: I say a camera and not a phone because as the quality of smartphone camera functionality has improved, we have increasingly communicated through the visual image rather than the spoken word. The average number of photographic images stored on a smartphone device in the UK in 2014 was estimated at 2,000 - but how many of the people creating and storing those images would describe themselves as a photographer? Not many, I suggest. And yet those images are being shared and therefore published through social media platforms and creative platforms such as Twitter and Instagram to an eager and interested audience just as a professional photographer would want their work to be seen. The photographic image has become an instant method of communication, a democratic visual language with no national boundaries, not just a hobby or profession - but have you considered how to improve your smartphone photography? The smartphone camera in your pocket has also led to a vast amount of images being created that document the everyday, the minutiae of our daily lives, images that have been created to tell stories, record moments and precious memories. But it can also be used as a tool to improve your photography and make you more aware of factors such as light, texture, form, composition and juxtaposition, the very elements that constitute the building blocks of visual creativity. That is the basis of what I call \"photosketching\". Too often, we are concerned with creating a \"good\" photograph - but what makes a \"good\" photograph? Everyone has their own ideas and definitions on this, so rather than worrying about how your photographs look before you take them, photosketching frees you up to just have fun in the process of creating them. Taking photos just to see what things look like as photographs can be an incredibly liberating experience and the perfect way to begin your photographic experimentation. With no need to worry about the mechanics of photography, you are also free to capture images focusing solely on the aesthetic. This makes us more aware of our environment and of the basic elements that constitute a successful photograph. Don't play safe when photosketching, have fun, take risks and experiment, be instinctive and not cerebral. Of course, this way of seeing is nothing new to photography. Experimentation has been at the basis of its being since its earliest days, but it is never been easier or cheaper to do than it is today. One good way to start photosketching is to take a walk in your immediate neighbourhood with your smartphone in your hand and the camera functionality on and ready to shoot. Walk slowly and deliberately looking out for anything that catches your eye. That could be a sign, a shadow, an old painted gate, something thrown away or left behind, a person seated waiting for a bus, a reflection in a window, some graffiti, anything that you usually walk past. When you see", "summary": "Professional photographer, writer and lecturer Grant Scott explains how you can use your mobile phone to improve your creative photography."}
{"article": "Militants from the group swept virtually unopposed into large swathes of the country, including the second city Mosul, in June 2014. Their gradual expulsion from Iraq seems at the moment to be almost a matter of time, albeit a good deal of time. Territory that was lost in a day or two is taking many months to claw painfully back. If that process continues and the militants are defeated, the way Iraq fits together - if it does - will be decided by who pushes them out, and how the resulting vacuum is filled. The IS fighters were able to lodge so easily in the Sunni Arab heartlands because the people there had been largely alienated by the sectarian policies and practices of the Shia Arab-dominated Baghdad government under Nouri al-Maliki, who was finally prised out of the prime minister's office in August 2014. Precious little has been done since then to foster national reconciliation and make the Sunnis, a powerful minority under Saddam Hussein, feel they are full partners in a national project. Legislation to empower the Sunnis by devolving security and financial responsibilities to the provinces has not happened. Nor have measures to reverse the persecution of former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party, or the random arrests, detentions, and to assuage other Sunni grievances. While slow progress is being made to drive IS back, many argue that military victory alone is not enough. \"Unless there's political reconciliation, we'll have IS back again five years down the line,\" a senior diplomat warned. It happened before, so the historical lesson is there, and not so long ago. The predecessor of IS, al-Qaeda in Iraq, was driven out of the mainly Sunni western province of Anbar from 2006, after the local tribes were induced to switch sides and fight alongside the US and Iraqi militaries against the militants. But promises of employment and empowerment were not kept. Mr Maliki's policies so angered many Sunnis that the terrain was soon ready for the militants to move back in from refuges in Syria. The US, who have about 3,500 military personnel training and advising Iraqi government forces on the ground, also seems to be aware that military muscle is not enough. \"We can't just kill our way out of this one,\" said Col Steve Warren, spokesman in Baghdad for the US-led international coalition against IS. \"We need good governance, a peace settlement in Syria, and other things to fall into place.\" Neither of those elements is currently available. But the fight against IS goes on, and looks set to be stepped up. There is a strong feeling that the Americans are pushing for a major victory such as the recapture of Mosul and possibly Raqqa in Syria - IS's self-declared \"capital\" - as a legacy item before President Barack Obama bows out in January. But even if initially successful, such an ambitious project, indeed, any further moves to oust IS, could go badly wrong if the foundations are not sound. Mosul is an almost wholly Sunni city with a population of about two million.", "summary": "More than in any other country, Iraq's future is intimately bound up with the fate of self-styled Islamic State (IS)."}
{"article": "Mrs Beshenivsky was killed outside a travel agency in Morley Street on 18 November 2005 while responding to an armed robbery call. The service was held in Norfolk Gardens where a minute's silence was observed at the exact time she was shot. Her husband Paul and family were joined by police colleagues. The mother of three and stepmother of two died after she was shot in the chest on what was her youngest daughter Lydia's fourth birthday. Her shift partner, PC Teresa Milburn, was also shot and injured during the incident. Two men were jailed for life for her murder. Dozens of new floral tributes have been left at the memorial in the city centre. Ch Supt Simon Atkin, of West Yorkshire Police, said: \"The memorial service for family, friends, colleagues and community members from across Bradford is to ensure that we can collectively come together to remember police constable 6410 Sharon Beshenivsky. \"Our thoughts are still with Paul and his family as we recall that fateful day 10 years ago when Sharon was killed in the line of duty. \"We come together as friends within the police family to reflect and support as we ensure that Sharon will not be forgotten.\" Lord Mayor of Bradford Joanne Dodds said: \"Sharon made the ultimate sacrifice and gave her life protecting us and ensuring we could continue to enjoy the liberty, freedom and way of life we all value so dearly.\"", "summary": "Family and colleagues of murdered PC Sharon Beshenivsky have paid tribute to the officer on the 10th anniversary of the day she was shot dead in Bradford."}
{"article": "Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) will conduct the joint inspection with its counterpart in England and Wales. From February, officers will analyse BTP's efficiency, legitimacy and leadership of the service. They will also examine strategic issues caused by the proposed transfer. BTP's inspection was commissioned by the parliamentary secretary of state at the Department for Transport (DfT) under the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003. A single joint report will be produced by inspectors following the examination which will be submitted to the DfT. Derek Penman, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, said: \"In addition to assessing the performance of British Transport Police in Scotland, it is my intention to use this joint inspection to identify any strategic issues arising from the proposed transfer of its Scottish operations to Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority under the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill. \"Our report and any recommendations or findings could inform future discussions about the implementation of this transfer.\" BTP has about 230 officers in Scotland and a network of 11 offices within major railway stations. The force currently polices all of Britain's railways, providing a service to rail operators, staff and passengers. Police Scotland is the largest force in the UK outside London, with more than 17,000 officers. Scotland's Justice Secretary Michael Matheson decided in 2015 that Police Scotland should take over railway policing when the function is devolved. The plans were criticised by rail unions who said skills and expertise in dealing with the specialist policing needs on the railways would be lost if the move went ahead.", "summary": "A police watchdog will inspect British Transport Police (BTP) ahead of a proposed transfer of its Scottish operation to Police Scotland."}
{"article": "Froch told BBC Radio 5 live's Friday Sports Panel that he is set to play \"wing man\" to Hollywood actor Jason Statham in a three-part crime series. The four-time world super-middleweight champion says he is undergoing acting lessons to prepare for the role. \"I'm dipping my toe in the water for a bit of acting,\" the 38-year-old said. \"I've just been reading the script this morning, so it may come to fruition or it may not. \"It's crime in London, it's all going off and there's terrorists going off, and Jason's tackling it through the Metropolitan Police.\" Four-time world super-middleweight champion Froch retired in July 2015, 14 months after his last fight, when he knocked out George Groves at Wembley Stadium to retain the WBA and IBF titles. Froch's only defeats in his 35-fight professional career over 13 years came against Mikkel Kessler in 2010 and American Andre Ward in 2011, although he beat the Dane in a 2013 rematch. The Nottingham fighter still believes he could win another world title, but says family commitments and the prospect of 12 weeks of hard training have persuaded him to rule out a comeback. \"I think about a comeback every day, but I am realistic,\" he told Friday Sports Panel. \"I am 40 years old next year. It is not just the fight, it is the 12-week training camp, the intensity, the dieting, and then being away from my kids.\" \"But as a retired athlete I still look at the super-middleweight division and think: 'James DeGale - I can beat him. George Groves - I beat him at Wembley in front of 80,000 people.' Froch, who is also set to appear in a Terry Stone film called \"Once Upon a Time in London\", follows a long tradition of sporting stars who have appeared on the silver screen. His mini-series co-star Statham, who starred in the action thriller \"The Transporter\" trilogy, competed for England in the diving competition at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland. Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson played a cameo role in the Hollywood film \"The Hangover\", while Irish former middleweight champion Steve Collins held a minor part in the British action film \"Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels\". Former Manchester United footballer Eric Cantona won critical acclaim for a series of roles in French independent cinema, and in the 2009 Ken Loach film \"Looking for Eric\", while a number of US sports stars, including wrestler Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, and former American football star OJ Simpson, have appeared in Hollywood films. Former Wimbledon and Leeds United footballer Vinnie Jones is arguably the most successful sportsman-turned-actor that Britain has produced. Jones, 51, made his big-screen debut in \"Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels\" in 1998, then starred in the 2001 film \"Mean Machine\", the British remake of the Burt Reynolds movie \"The Longest Yard\". Jones also starred alongside action stars Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 2013 thriller \"Escape Plan\".", "summary": "Former world champion Carl Froch says he will not reconsider his decision to retire from boxing, but hopes to build a career in acting instead."}
{"article": "North Wales Police had 473 complaints in 2014/15 - a 43% rise on the previous year - Independent Police Complaints Commission figures (IPCC) show. Gwent Police had 398 complaints - up 28 - and South Wales Police saw a 20% rise to 864. But Dyfed-Powys had 268 complaints - a decrease of 18%. There were record number of complaints against police in England and Wales. A total of 37,105 complaint cases were recorded in 2014-15 - a 6% rise in the amount of complaints made in 2013-14. The most common complaint made was for \"neglect or failure in duty\". In Wales, the number of complaints in the last five years have increased at a slightly higher rate than the increase nationally. Compared to 2009/10, the number of complaint cases recorded by Welsh forces in 2014/15 increased by 10%. Over England and Wales as a whole the increase was 8%. The figures found: The IPCC said the figures also revealed \"marked inconsistencies\" in whether forces investigated most complaints formally, or used more informal \"local resolution\" processes. Dame Anne Owers, chairwoman of the IPCC, said overall the figures showed a complaints system that was \"both over-complex and inconsistent, and is clearly failing to satisfy a significant number of complainants\". She said: \"Chief officers and police and crime commissioners should look closely at the figures for their own forces to satisfy themselves that complainants are being treated fairly and well. \"However, the underlying problem is the system itself. We welcome the fact that the government proposes to bring in legislation to simplify and streamline a system that at present satisfies neither those who need it nor those who have to operate it.\" The number of complaints made to the watchdog marks the most it has received since it started collecting data in 2004-05. Det Supt Richard Lewis, Dyfed-Powys Police's head of professional standards department, welcomed the reduction in complaints, adding: \"It is important to us that people have the confidence to report complaints, and know that we have a thorough procedure for investigating and monitoring complaints.\"", "summary": "Three Welsh police forces have seen huge rises in the number of complaints they received last year."}
{"article": "Attorney General Jeremy Wright said it was a \"proper and well established\" principle that governments use the royal prerogative in such cases. But those bringing the case argue that it is vital MPs and peers get a say. Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which starts the Brexit process, is to be triggered by the end of next March. Campaigners say the prime minister lacks the power to do this without the prior authorisation of Parliament. But, arguing the government's case, Mr Wright said Article 50 was available to \"to give effect to the will of the people\", as expressed in June's referendum, in which a majority of voters backed Brexit. The use of the royal prerogative - powers historically held by the Crown but these days passed on to ministers - was \"wholly within the expectation of Parliament\", he said. Parliament had also passed an act allowing the referendum to take place, he added. The attorney general said the \"notification - once given - will not be withdrawn. It is our case that Parliament's consent is not required\". James Eadie QC, also representing the government, said the case had \"profound constitutional implications and profound political implications\". He added: \"It also raises a series of questions about how the British constitution should react in unique circumstances that concern the court and confront the country at this time.\" Mr Eadie said there was no written, constitutional formula and that the claimants in court wanted to use legal principles developed in different constitutional and legal circumstances to make them fit their argument - \"precisely denying the constitutional flexibility that lies at the heart of our constitution\". Mrs May announced at the Conservative Party conference that she intended giving an Article 50 notification by the end of March 2017 using the royal prerogative. Her opponents argue this would unlawfully remove statutory rights granted to UK citizens under the European Communities Act 1972, which made EU law part of UK law. Because of the urgency and constitutional importance of the case, any appeal is expected to be heard by the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, before the end of the year. One of the judges, Lord Thomas, has hit out at people who have threatened investment fund manager Gina Miller, one of the organisers of the challenge to the government, with abusive emails and \"other communications\". The three-day hearing ends on Tuesday.", "summary": "Consent from Parliament is \"not required\" for Theresa May to go ahead with getting Brexit under way, the High Court has heard."}
{"article": "Creighton was riding at Warrnambool on Saturday when was unseated as his horse The Walrus stumbled early in the race. He was initially conscious but his condition deteriorated at Warrnambool Base Hospital and he was transferred to Melbourne for further treatment. He remains in intensive care following wrist surgery, Racing Victoria said. Creighton was formerly based in Britain and rode big winners for trainer Mick Channon. Former England footballer Channon tweeted: \"Some positive news about Eddie Creighton thankfully. A smashing lad.\"", "summary": "Irish jockey Eddie Creighton is \"conscious and responsive\" after coming out of an induced coma following a fall at an Australian racecourse."}
{"article": "Sgt Matt Harness, 36, said he had no choice but to deliver Spencer in the unlikely surroundings of the Waggon & Horses at Branston. The drama began after he and his partner Kaylee had visited a labour ward when her contractions started. The couple were told the birth was still some way off and returned home, only for Kaylee's waters to break. Sgt Harness, who is a firefighter in Leicestershire and Royal Marines Reservist with the Nottingham detachment of RMR Merseyside, said they arranged to meet an ambulance at the pub after realising the baby was coming. \"She screamed its coming, its coming, - I had a look and there was a baby's head - so, I rolled my sleeves up, and before I knew it there was a baby in my arms,\" he said. More on this and other local stories in Lincolnshire Sgt Harness, who has completed tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, described delivering baby Spencer, who weighed 6lb 9oz, as \"the most frightening experience of my life\". His partner Kaylee Harshaw, 28, said: \"His birth certificate says Waggon and Horses car park, so when he is 18 he will quite like to say he was born in a pub.\" She added: \"He might not be quite so keen on his nickname - we called him Pickle because he was born in Branston.\"", "summary": "A Royal Marine has told how he delivered his baby son in a Lincolnshire pub car park."}
{"article": "The 55-year-old Australian has agreed a four-year deal with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) to replace Stuart Lancaster and will start in December. Jones has confirmed there will be no change to the policy of only selecting home-based players. \"I want players who want to play for England,\" he said. \"If you want to play for England you have to be in the Premiership. I am happy with that.\" Jones says he intends to speak with captain Chris Robshaw but is yet to decide who his captain will be. Jones, who will take his first news conference at 13:00 GMT on Friday, leaves his role as head coach of South African franchise the Stormers - who he only joined in September after leading Japan in the World Cup. His first match will be England's Six Nations opener against Scotland at Murrayfield on 6 February as he looks to resurrect England's fortunes after their failed World Cup campaign. \"I hope to build a new team that will reflect the talent that exists within the English game. I believe the future is bright for England,\" Jones said. \"I'm now looking forward to working with the RFU and the players to move beyond the disappointment England suffered at the World Cup.\" Jones, who has had success with Japan, South Africa and Australia at World Cups, said: \"The opportunity to take the reins in, possibly, the world's most high-profile international rugby job doesn't come along every day, and I feel fortunate to be given the opportunity.\" Jones will be among the best paid coaches in world rugby, with RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie adding: \"Eddie is a world-class coach, with extensive experience at the highest level with Australia, South Africa and Japan. \"We believe that the appointment, which was unanimously approved by the RFU board, is the right one to bring England success in the short, medium and long term.\" Jones is expected to bring former England captain Steve Borthwick on to his coaching team, who he worked with at Saracens and Japan. Borthwick is currently under contract as forwards coach at Bristol. Former Australia captain David Campese, who played 101 times for the Wallabies, says opting for a foreign coach like Jones, who he feels is no improvement on Lancaster, shows that England are \"desperate\". \"I don't think they should have stuck with Stuart Lancaster because he's a school teacher. Unfortunately rugby is a professional sport and we don't need school teachers. I think Eddie is one as well,\" he said. \"Don't you want an Englishman to coach an English team and win the World Cup?\" But former Australian flanker Phil Waugh, who played 79 times for his country, said England would benefit from Jones' taste for experimenting with selections. \"One thing he's very good at is talent identification so he'll pick the best players and work with those guys to get the best out of them,\" Waugh told BBC Radio 5 live. \"England have suffered from probably being a bit too conservative in selections and not necessarily picking the most attacking and most dangerous", "summary": "Eddie Jones has been named as England's first foreign head coach."}
{"article": "KK Fine Foods is to open a third production hall to meet new contracts from customers including Wetherspoons, Ikea, Aldi and Morrisons. Its staff of 250, based at its premises on Deeside Enterprise Zone, will rise to 350 over the next six months. The company's \u00a3833,000 expansion has been helped by a \u00a3100,000 Welsh government loan. The business was started by chief executive Leyla Edwards in 1987 in her own kitchen, moving to Deeside in 2003 when it employed just 23 people. Last year KK Fine Foods announced a \u00a34.2m expansion backed by the Welsh government and Finance Wales. The investment in extra manufacturing space and new equipment created 90 new jobs.", "summary": "One hundred jobs are to be created after a Flintshire frozen ready meals company announced it was expanding."}
{"article": "16 March 2015 Last updated at 14:20 GMT The Green Lantern ride at the Movie World park on Australia's Gold Coast stopped after a wheel broke. It became stranded 50 metres off the ground and took fire crews to take 3 hours to get the people down safely. No one was hurt - and you can see the clip of the rescue mission above.", "summary": "Six people had to be rescued after a rollercoaster in Australia got stranded 50 metres in the air."}
{"article": "But for many people on the continent, America's role appears to be a distant, nebulous one, increasingly overshadowed by that of another emerging global super-power. Here in Lesotho, the Chinese are in almost every village - from the cornfields of the western lowlands right up to the snow-dusted peaks of the mountainous east. In Nazareth, halfway up a steep hillside an hour's drive out of the capital Maseru, a cluster of people were gathered at the door of the local store. A young woman from southern China was helping a farmer to load supplies into a pickup truck. \"It's good here. The air is much cleaner than back home,\" she said, politely declining to give her name. Inside, her Chinese colleague was manning the cash register with China's CCTV News playing on a television nearby. The only American brand visible came in the form of a handful of Coca Cola bottles in a fridge. \"I've been here two years. My relatives were already here. Business is okay. I feel the Basotho people respect us, to a certain point, because we do help out and they think we're okay as people,\" said the shopkeeper. Some locals grumble about the influx of \"Ba-China\" - the Chinese - saying they are taking away jobs, and undercutting local businesses. But many quietly acknowledge the entrepreneurial spirit and resourcefulness of the mainland Chinese and Taiwanese business people whose presence is strikingly obvious in this small nation of some two million people. \"American investors don't come to Africa.... I don't think they know much about this region, and we need to try and show them what we are, what we do. The Chinese are everywhere. I think they are great explorers,\" said Motebang Mokoaleli, from Lesotho's National Development Corporation. But if American business people are thin on the ground in Lesotho - and the only one we could find was running the local grain mill - it does not necessarily follow that American influence is small here. The biggest employer in the country is the garment manufacturing industry, housed in warehouses on the edge of Maseru. Some 40,000 locals are currently working here, many for wages of little more than $3 (\u00c2\u00a32) a day. None of the workers I spoke to had any idea that the tracksuits they were stitching together were all heading for the United States. Their work is a direct result of America's African Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa), which offers tax breaks to support manufacturing in a select group of African countries and is single-handedly responsible for the garment industry's success in Lesotho. But, unsurprisingly, it is business people from the Far East, and in particular from Taiwan, who are taking advantage of Agoa to build and run the sector in Lesotho. \"This is my second home now,\" said Jennifer Chang, owner of the Shinning Century factory. \"We're not the enemy. We want to get the benefit, but we also benefit our team, our employees. This past 10 to 15 years we see a big change here - people are able to have education,\"", "summary": "As US President Barack Obama visits East Africa this weekend there is an understandable focus on issues like security and counter-terrorism, as well as entrepreneurship."}
{"article": "The incident happened outside the Black Bull pub on Lockerbie's Station Road at about 22:25 on Saturday. A 26-year-old man who was in the beer garden was approached by two men and an \"altercation\" ensued. The victim was knocked to the ground by one of the men and the pair then made their way from the scene towards the High Street. The man had been knocked unconscious and was taken to Dumfries Infirmary for treatment to cuts to his face. PC Mike Briody said: \"This was a nasty assault and could have resulted in the victim being very seriously injured as he was unconscious after the attack. \"As it was he required hospital treatment and received stitches as a result.\" The men police are trying to trace have been described as: Police said CCTV had shown a number of people in the area at the time and asked them to come forward.", "summary": "A man was left in hospital after being knocked unconscious in a south of Scotland beer garden."}
{"article": "Private Gareth Bellingham, 22, from Stoke on Trent, of 3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, was shot while on patrol with Afghan troops in the Nahr-e Saraj district on Saturday. He was described as an \"extremely hardworking and committed Warrior who was wholly respected\". The number of UK service personnel killed in Afghanistan stands at 374. Private Bellingham's parents Leslie and Suzanne said he died doing the job he loved. \"We are all proud of the job he did. He will be sadly missed by family, friends and all those who knew him. Rest in peace,\" they said in a statement. Lieutenant Colonel Giles Woodhouse, commanding officer of 3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, said Private Bellingham's death was a \"tragic loss to the Battalion\". \"Pte Bellingham was one of those soldiers that you had to have in your section; fearless, utterly professional, a prankster and a loyal friend who never let you down; quite simply he was a force for good. \"Observing Private Bellingham before deploying on a patrol with his Afghan Army partners with whom he had developed a genuine affinity, I can understand why they fought so hard to save him when he was mortally wounded. \"That his death has affected our partners as deeply as it has all the soldiers from the Battalion is testament to the high esteem in which he was held,\" he said. The soldier had been been deployed from his base on Saturday with C Company Tactical Headquarters and Number 3 Tolay (Afghan National Army) in the Upper Gereshk Valley. The troops were conducting a patrol to assess the situation on the ground and meet the local population who had recently returned to compounds in the area. Colonel Jens Riis-Vestergaard, Commanding Officer Combined Force Nahr-e-Saraj (North) said Pte Bellingham's \"conduct, professionalism, confidence and good nature helped reassure and protect a population in harms way\". \"Typical of his unit, fighting to keep others safe, he was an excellent soldier who will be desperately missed by all in Combined Force Nahr-e-Saraj (North),\" he said. Lance Corporal Rob Davis, Section Commander, C Company, 3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Staffords) said: \"Bell, as we sometimes called him, was the morale within our Section. \"He was never afraid to tell anyone 'how it was' and was the life and soul of the party. \"He was always whinging, but in a way that always cracked us up. He was a top bloke and a good soldier.\" On Saturday, two other soldiers, who died in separate incidents on Thursday, were named as Corporal Lloyd Newell and Craftsman Andrew Found.", "summary": "A British soldier killed on patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, has been named by the Ministry of Defence."}
{"article": "It was thought the 1929 locomotive, called \"Newstead\", had been scrapped. However, it had been saved by an enthusiast who had it restored and then built a small track and shed at a convent near his home, where it remained for almost 30 years. It will be displayed at the Nene Valley Railway in Peterborough this weekend. Newstead - a Hunslet 16-inch saddle tank design - was used to transport coal at Woolley Colliery, on the border of South and West Yorkshire, before being purchased by vintage vehicle collector Malcolm Saul in the late 70s. Live: More on this and other stories from Cambridgeshire His widow Jane, said: \"Malcolm said to me one day, 'I'm going to have an engine', and I said, 'Oh don't be silly'. Then it arrived.\" It was stored in a specially built shed on land Mr Saul rented from a convent next door. The engine was sent to Suffolk for a two-year refurbishment in the 1990s and then returned to its shed, where it remained. \"Malcolm loved it, and used to tinker with it all the time. He always said one day he'd build a longer track and we'd see it in steam again,\" Mrs Saul said. When her husband died she contacted the Small Loco Group at the Nene Valley Railway, who went to see Newstead and described it as \"one of the biggest preservation stories of the 21st Century so far\". The engine will be transported the 90 minutes up the A1 on a flatbed truck later, before being put on show at the Peterborough museum as part of its celebration of industrial steam locomotives. \"Newstead's owner died before he got the chance to play with her properly,\" Alex Alder from the Small Loco Group said. \"We will restore it and put it in steam again. We want to finish what he started.\"", "summary": "An industrial steam engine last used to haul coal in the 1970s has been \"rediscovered\" at a convent in the east of England."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Walker was unexpectedly joined by Maria de Cezar while presenting live on BBC Four from Copacabana beach, and after she joined him for an impromptu on-air chat to discuss her wedding, she has invited him to next month's ceremony. It comes hot on the heels of FOUR marriage proposals at the Rio Games, meaning Maria's is not the only 'Olympic wedding' on the horizon. Romance was in the air at the individual dressage on Monday, as Briton Charlotte Dujardin not only retained her title but received a proposal - of sorts - from fiance Dean Golding. Watching Dujardin from the stands, he wore a sign that read: \"Can we get married now?\" After winning gold, Dujardin told BBC Radio 5 live: \"He's already asked me. He knows it's 'yes'. \"I'm hopefully going to get married next year. I said I would get married after London but time just flew by. It's definitely on the cards now.\" Cupid then found British race walker Tom Bosworth at the Copacabana. The 26-year-old almost pulled off a shock when he led the 20km walk at the halfway stage, before finishing sixth. On Monday, he surprised boyfriend Harry Dineley with a marriage proposal. Bosworth's was the third proposal of the Rio Games. On Sunday, Chinese diver He Zi had just been awarded her women's 3m springboard silver when boyfriend and fellow diver Qin Kai proposed in front of a stunned arena. She nodded. Media playback is not supported on this device The first proposal of the Games came during the first week, when Olympic rugby sevens venue worker Marjorie Enya asked Brazil player Isadora Cerullo to marry her. \"The Olympic Games can look like closure but, for me, it's starting a new life with someone,\" said Enya. \"I wanted to show people that love wins.\" Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "BBC presenter Dan Walker has been invited to the wedding of the woman whose hen do gatecrashed his live Olympics broadcast."}
{"article": "A Saudi-led coalition of nine countries has been heavily criticised over the civilian death toll from a bombing campaign in Yemen. The parliament called on EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to \"launch an initiative aimed at imposing an EU arms embargo\". The motion passed by 449 votes to 36. There were 78 abstentions. Although the vote is not legally binding, lawmakers hope it will pressure EU governments to agree to an embargo, following a petition of 750,000 European citizens. Scottish MEP Alyn Smith, who led the motion, said EU-made weapons were being exported to Saudi Arabia \"in breach of international law\". Mr Smyth said: \"Having grown up in Saudi Arabia I am sensitive to the realities of the Saudis and appreciate that the Saudis have concerns in their neighbourhood. \"But our duty is to the civilians in Yemen, and given widespread and very valid concerns over the conduct of the war by Saudi forces, our call for an EU-wide arms embargo is proportionate and necessary.\" Anna MacDonald, director of campaign group Control Arms, said the group welcomed \"this first step towards preventing European arms from being used to further human suffering in Yemen and elsewhere\". Nearly 6,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led coalition entered the conflict in March 2015, almost half of them civilians, according to the United Nations. The US is the largest international supplier of arms to Saudi Arabia. The UK and France are the main European suppliers, while Germany has also licensed arms exports to the kingdom. Correction 26 February 2016: This report has been amended to change incorrect figures given for the European Parliament vote.", "summary": "The European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling for an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia over alleged breaches of international law in Yemen."}
{"article": "Oswell, 24, who scored 22 goals in 2016-17, started his career at Crewe and joined Newtown from Airbus UK in 2014. \"It is disappointing to lose Jason, he has been a fantastic player for us in recent years,\" Newtown boss Chris Hughes said. \"But he expressed desire to return to the English system.\"", "summary": "Welsh Premier League top scorer Jason Oswell has left Newtown for National League North side Stockport County."}
{"article": "The additional Barnett formula money will come from increased UK government spending on areas such as education. Mr Hammond told the House of Commons that the additional funding demonstrated that \"we are stronger together in this great United Kingdom\". He also confirmed additional help for the North Sea oil and gas industry. The Treasury said the Scottish government would see its resource budget boosted by \u00a3260m over the next three years, and its capital budget by \u00a390m over the period to 2021. It said the money would be in addition to the \u00a3800m of additional Barnett funds announced by the chancellor in last year's Autumn Statement. The Scottish government said the \"limited increases\" in Barnett consequentials meant the Scottish budget was still facing cuts of \u00a32.9bn over the next decade. Its finance secretary, Derek Mackay, said: \"The real elephant in the room in this budget was Brexit. There was no mention of the UK government's plans to protect and grow the UK economy as the prime minister gets ready to trigger Article 50. \"This is simply not acceptable. Brexit is a real threat to people across Scotland in so many ways. The chancellor must tell us his plans.\" \u00a3350m Over four years to 2021 \u00a3260m Resource budget \u00a390m Capital budget But Mr Hammond insisted his budget would \"equip our economy and our people for the future - while dealing with the challenges we face as one nation\". He added: \"Benefitting from \u00a3350m of extra investment, the Scottish government can take further steps to strengthen Scotland's economy and make sure that Scottish people, of all background and no matter where they live, feel the benefits of economic growth.\" The Barnett formula is used to calculate public expenditure allocated to the devolved nations. The additional money will largely be the result of increased UK government spending in social care, health and education in England - but the Scottish government will be free to spend it however it wants. The chancellor also confirmed that a panel of experts would be set up to examine how to boost sales of late life oil and gas fields - so they can keep producing for longer. The SNP benches proved stubbornly immune to Phil the Funster. He announced that there would be \u00a3350m extra for the Scottish government to spend. There then followed a showbiz moment: the Tories cheered and the chancellor grinned broadly while repeatedly gesturing towards the SNP benches, inviting them to join in the general hilarity. The Nationalists, entirely understandably, declined to participate, sitting silent upon a peak in Darien or, rather, upon their benches in the Commons. Both at Westminster and Holyrood, the SNP subsequently noted that the cash available, while welcome, was spread over three years and failed to compensate wholly for what they said were more substantial reductions over the past ten years. There was precious little jollity, either, surrounding the issue of oil. The chancellor announced a review of North Sea taxation in an effort to bolster this late phase in the history of the black, black oil. Scottish ministers say", "summary": "The Scottish government will receive a \u00a3350m funding boost as a result of measures announced in his budget, the chancellor has said."}
{"article": "The helicopter swooped on Durdham Down at about 14:40 BST on Sunday, with air crew reporting the kite was soaring 1,000 feet (300m) up in the air. No action was taken against the man, who was told the flying limit was 240 feet (73m). The pilot said the kite endangered small aircraft from Bristol Airport.", "summary": "A police helicopter landed on an area of Bristol parkland to order a high-flying kite enthusiast to bring down his craft."}
{"article": "It has called for an extension of their right to ask for time off to look after grandchildren, which currently only applies in emergencies. The TUC estimates that seven million grandparents provide regular childcare for youngsters aged under 16. The government said it was extending the right to request flexible working to all employees from April 2014. A separate report suggests many of these grandparents will be better off than the next generation. People born in the 1960s and 1970s will rely on inheritance in order to be better off in retirement than their predecessors, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The most common reason for grandparents to take on childcare duties, according to the TUC, is to allow the child's parents to go to work. It said that its survey suggested that working grandparents were more likely to help look after grandchildren than retired grandparents. Consequently it wants to see a clearer right to ask for unpaid leave, such as one day a fortnight, rather than just being able to ask an employer for the occasional emergency day off. \"The informal childcare that millions of grandparents regularly provide is one of the most important and unheralded forms of care in Britain today,\" said TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady. \"The childcare provided by grandparents allows mums and dads to work, saves them money on nursery and childminder fees, and creates a special bond across different generations in a family. \"Many businesses have yet to keep up with this trend and thousands of grandparents who want to look after their grandkids are prevented from doing so. It's important that public policy catches up with the needs of working grandparents and their families.\" A spokeswoman for the Department for Business said: \"Making flexible working available to all will not just benefit grandparents but allow the wider family to help out with child caring responsibilities. It will give all employees the opportunity to better balance work with their personal life.\" The TUC's call comes on the same day as the IFS report suggests that many of today's parents are relying on inheritance to continue the trend of being better off than their predecessors. It said that, when compared with those born a decade earlier, pay was no higher and their savings no greater for those born in the 1960s and 1970s, when inflation was taken into account. They were also less likely to own a home, would have lower pension wealth and were likely to see a proportionately lower state pension compared to earnings. \"Since World War Two, successive cohorts have enjoyed higher incomes and living standards than their parents. Yet the incomes and wealth of those born in the 1960s and 1970s look no higher than [those] who came before them,\" said Andrew Hood, who wrote the report. As a result, he said, those born in the 1960s and 1970s would see this topped up by inheritance, but this was unequally distributed and tended to benefit those who were already wealthy.", "summary": "Grandparents should be given the right to request unpaid leave as they are so involved with childcare, the TUC says."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 25 April 2015 Last updated at 13:34 BST Here are some of his finer moments on BBC Radio Derby, including his Elvis impersonation.", "summary": "Colin Bloomfield was known for his radio sports commentator but he also had a keen sense of humour."}
{"article": "She died in Milan after a long illness, Italy's Ansa news agency reports. Jonathan Newhouse, chairman of publishers Conde Naste International, described her as \"one of the greatest editors who ever made a magazine\". Celebrities including Madonna, Kanye West and Victoria Beckham paid tribute to her. In a post on Instagram, Madonna posted a photo of her with the caption: \"RIP Franca Sozzani! A trail blazer and a True Rebel! You are loved and adored by so many! We will miss you.\" US fashion model Kendall Jenner tweeted: \"Rest peacefully, Franca Sozzani.\" Sozzani took charge of Vogue Italia in 1988 and became a key figure on the global fashion scene. In 2008, she produced an \"all black\" issue, featuring black models only. It became an international hit. Once asked how to define style, she said: \"I think people should buy more mirrors than clothes, to see themselves before going out... but I think that clothes need to correspond to one's own personality. That is style.\" Sozzani was also a champion of humanitarian causes. She served as goodwill ambassador to fashion for the UN, supporting workers in the fashion world in Africa and Asia and helping to raise money to fight hunger. In a tribute on the Vogue website, US Vogue editor Anna Wintour described Sozzani as \"warm, clever, funny\". \"She made everything she worked on appear effortless, regardless of whether it was an event for several hundred; a whirlwind trip to Africa to support the continent's emerging designers; or the creation of yet another newsworthy, provocative, and utterly spellbinding issue of Italian Vogue,\" she said. Sozzani attended the Fashion Awards in London earlier this month where designer Tom Ford presented her with the Swarovski award for positive change.", "summary": "Franca Sozzani, editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia for 28 years and a champion of Italian fashion, has died at the age of 66."}
{"article": "They are holding an inquiry into the procedure, used to ease incontinence, after some women experienced painful complications. Last year, the then Scottish health secretary Alex Neil urged health boards to suspend use of the implants. Adam Slater, a US compensation lawyer, said \"women are not told the truth\" about the devices. He was lead trial counsel in the first pelvic mesh trial against Johnson & Johnson and Ethicon, resulting in a compensatory and punitive damages verdict of $11.1m. Giving evidence to members of the Scottish Parliament committee via videoconference, Mr Slater said the closest comparison to the mesh implant situation he could think of was asbestos. He said: \"Something that was thought to be a wonderful invention for a long time and now everybody in the world knows it's something you wouldn't want to go near. \"It's the closest analogy I can find to these horrible devices that are now in so many women.\" The committee is considering calls to suspend mesh implant operations. Operations continue to be carried out by some health boards despite the health secretary's call to stop using them. Mr Slater has worked almost exclusively on mesh cases in the US since 2007 and is currently the lead counsel for more than 7,000 cases in New Jersey. He said some doctors are now refusing to use the devices, with one even branding them a \"social cancer\". He told MSPs that studies into the safety of mesh have been influenced by manufacturers, who enjoy a \"close relationship\" with regulators of the products. The lawyer said thousands of women in the US are suing both manufacturers and doctors on the grounds that mesh devices are defective or that there was a failure to warn them about the dangers and complications. The US regulator, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), indicated last April that it plans to reclassify mesh for pelvic organ prolapse as \"high risk\", but is yet to do so. Mr Slater urged UK regulator the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to \"look at the studies that are relied on by the mesh manufacturers\". \"Most of the studies they rely on are written or investigated by paid consultants,\" he said. \"I would throw those in the garbage immediately because if somebody is being paid by the manufacturer, there is a financial bias.\" He added: \"There has never been a high-level study...that has ever been done that has proven the mesh to be safe and effective.\"", "summary": "Vaginal mesh implants are as dangerous as asbestos, MSPs on Holyrood's petitions committee have been told."}
{"article": "Dele Alli starred on a memorable night in Berlin as Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Eric Dier scored England's goals. So how did England's players fare overall? Chief football writer Phil McNulty runs the rule over the players on duty. Sad night for a good goalkeeper - carrying an injury before making his mistake for Toni Kroos' goal. Excellent going forward but still questions to answer defensively. Superb cross for Vardy's goal. Part of an uncertain looking central defence but did better than Gary Cahill. Had a mixed season for Chelsea and was flawed here. Looks uncertain against the highest class and was caught out for Mario Gomez's goal, getting exposed by Emre Can's cross. Not a bad England debut and did not do his Euro 2016 chances any harm. With no standout candidates at left-back deserves another opportunity. Another who has put his name firmly into Hodgson's plans for Euro 2016. Very solid in central midfield without being spectacular and capped it all with that towering injury-time header that gave England an outstanding victory. Hard to see how he will flourish for England against elite opposition. Hard working but real impact minimal. Another who was on the periphery. Talented player but did nothing to suggest he would be a starter in France when Hodgson's serious shake-up is complete. England's best player and lived up to the pre-match hype comparing him to former England captain Bryan Robson. Contributed in all areas and could have had a goal but was thwarted twice by Germany keeper Manuel Neuer. His fine performance was marred with a bad late miss. Trusted by Hodgson and back in the starting line-up for the first time in a year after injury. Worked hard in the wide positions and set up a couple of chances. Back in the fold. Excellent all-round performance from the Spurs striker. Worked hard, linked well and scored with clinical efficiency. A Euro 2016 starter. Did well to turn away Marco Reus' free-kick and could do nothing about Gomez's goal. What an impact. Brilliant flick brought England level and set up Alli for a chance he should have scored. One or two nice touches but little time to make a serious impact.", "summary": "England mounted a stunning comeback to come from two goals behind to beat world champions Germany."}
{"article": "Customers are being urged not to eat the affected products, made in a factory on Teesside. The biscuits, including cheese thins, shortbread, chip cookies and fudge brownies, were made by a company called Baketime, based in Middlesbrough. \"There has been no evidence of any contamination\", it said. But Baketime confirmed it had seen \"evidence of pest activity\" in January and again in March. \"We continue to work closely with our local environmental health officer and pest control contractor to ensure that the issue has been properly eradicated and hygienic standards on site are upheld,\" the company said in a statement. Baketime, based at South Tees Imperial Food Park, said it was recalling all the biscuits and snacks as a precautionary measure. In the meantime they were being taken off sale. The products are sold in Aldi and in small convenience stores around the UK. The FSA said the biscuits and snacks had been manufactured in \"unhygienic conditions\", and that it was investigating further. The affected products are: Aldi Cheese Thins (10% Cheese) - L16026, L16027, L16055, L16056, L16057, L16073, L16074, L16075 Aldi Cheese Bakes - L16026, L16027, L16032, L16033, L16039, L16040, L16046, L16047, L16053, L16366, L16060, L16066, L16067, L16073 Aldi Oddbites Cheese - L16060 Aldi Oddbites Salt and Vinegar - L16061 Aldi Oddbites Smoky Bacon - L16061 Aldi Ginger Nuts - L16047, L16048, L16061, L16062, L16068, L16069 Bestway Mini All Butter Shortbread L16034 Bestway Mini Brownies L16035 Bestway Mini Cheese Thins L16032, L16033 Bestway Mini Choc Chip Cookies L16035 Happy Shopper Cheese Thins L16026, L16027, L16032, L16053, L16366, L16060, L16066 Happy Shopper Fudge Brownies L16041 Happy Shopper Choc Chip Cookies L16041\u00e2\u20ac\u2039 LBV Potato Bakes Korma L16034 LBV Potato Bakes Mild Thai L16034 LBV Strawberry and Vanilla Biscotti L16027", "summary": "A number of biscuits and snacks sold in the supermarket chain Aldi may have been contaminated by pests, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned."}
{"article": "Kaleem Ali, 18, approached one of the women who gave evidence in the trial of his father Qurban and five others. The victim said she had been left \"shaking and in fear of her safety\". Ali, of Clough Road, Masborough, received a three-year restraining order at Rotherham Magistrates' Court. He was also ordered to pay \u00c2\u00a3360 towards the cost of the prosecution and given 12-week curfew requirement. Qurban Ali, 53, was one of six people jailed in February for the \"systematic abuse\" of 15 girls. He was convicted of conspiracy to rape and jailed for 10 years. Prosecutor Mark Hughes told the court Kaleem Ali approached the woman in March 2015 as she was in her car with her children. He said Ali addressed the woman and one child by name and appeared to start taking photographs of them on one mobile phone while using another to make a call. Reading from the victim's police statement police, he said: \"I truly believe this male wanted to scare me and it worked. I was crying and shaking. I was scared he was calling for other people to join him. I had my children with me and I feared for my safety.\" Mr Hughes said Ali had accepted seeing the witness but denied taking photographs and denied that his actions were intended to intimidate. Ali's lawyer, Steve Smith, said his client had learning difficulties which left him unable to understand how people perceived him or his actions. He said Ali had approached the woman as a result of a \"chance meeting\".", "summary": "The son of a man jailed as part of a gang who groomed and abused teenage girls in Rotherham has been given a 12-month community order after being found guilty of witness intimidation."}
{"article": "The city council said it was installing the safety equipment \"to provide extra reassurance to residents\". Tenants will be consulted about the work later this year. The authority also said exterior cladding used on the flats was \"fireproof and complies with building and planning regulations\". More on this and other Sheffield stories In a statement, the council said: \"Twenty-one of the council's 24 tower blocks have metal cladding. \"This is fireproof as the insulation is mineral and rock wool, with fire breaks at the floor and party walls. This creates a fireproof box around each flat to the external structure to prevent the spread of fire to other flats. \"The other three are brickwork-clad and designed to operate in the same way as the other 21 but in these cases have a separate metal fire barrier installed.\"", "summary": "All 24 council tower blocks in Sheffield will be fitted with sprinkler systems following the Grenfell Tower fire in London."}
{"article": "Mark Jones, 45, of Cwmbran, Torfaen, has pleaded not guilty to murder at his trial at Newport Crown Court. The jury heard Mr Jones changed his story during a series of police interviews over a number of months. Initially, Mr Jones said he tripped over a toy and dropped Amelia Jones the day before she was taken to hospital. He told police he dropped his granddaughter on 16 November 2012, but then said in a later interview that another person, who cannot be named for legal reasons, dropped her the following day while \"messing\" with their phone. The trial has been told that baby Amelia suffered a fractured skull, brain swelling and eight rib fractures. She had been injured at least three different times, the court heard. The trial continues.", "summary": "A man accused of murdering his five-week-old granddaughter said someone else dropped her the night she was taken to hospital, a court has heard."}
{"article": "What is mental health? Mental health is to do with how people think and feel, and how they are coping. There are different types of mental health problems and they are treated in different ways. It is perfectly normal to feel sad or worried from time to time, but if those feelings last a very long time or won't go away, this can be when there is a mental health issue. In a speech on Monday morning, she said she wanted to make sure that \"children and teenagers get the help and support they need and deserve\". She said one of the ways she wanted to do this was by helping schools to support pupils who might be having problems like anxiety or depression. This will be done by: \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2Providing more training for teachers, so they know what to do if someone in their class is having problems \u00e2\u20ac\u00a2Help schools and colleges to link up with mental health experts in their areas, to make sure children have any support they might need The prime minister also said that the UK government would be looking at the services that are available at the moment for children and teenagers, to see what is working and what isn't. One of the issues is that people who have a mental health problem are not always treated in the same way as those diagnosed with a physical problem. She said that, currently, the way people with mental health problems are treated is \"inadequate\". For example, many children have to travel a long way from their homes in order to receive their treatment. The prime minister said that by 2021, no child will have to do this anymore for a general mental health problem. Overall, she said the government needs to do more to support people who may have mental health problems. \"[They] affect people of all ages and all backgrounds,\" she said. \"All of us need to do more to support all of our mental wellbeing.\" Paul Farmer - the chief executive of Mind, which is a mental health charity - said it was \"important to see the prime minister talking about [this]\".", "summary": "The UK's prime minister Theresa May has said she is going to provide more support to help young people who may be struggling with a mental health problem."}
{"article": "The \"once-in-a-lifetime\" opportunity has attracted applications from more than 226,000 people. The random selection process to choose the 50,000 successful entrants is now under way with the winners being chosen by computer. People will know by 13 July. The Queensferry Crossing Experience takes place on 2 and 3 September. The vast majority (97%) of entrants have Scottish addresses with 51% hailing from postcodes near the bridge. About 5,180 people entered have postcodes from elsewhere in the UK and the remaining 437 are from the rest of the world, including the United States, India and one single entrant from Slovakia. Economy Secretary Keith Brown said: \"We're delighted with the response to the Queensferry Crossing Experience, it really proves just how strongly the new bridge has captured the imagination of the public in the past decade of consultation, development and construction. \"The process to randomly select the lucky 50,000 is now under way and we would ask everyone who has entered to keep their eyes on their email inboxes as, if selected, you only have 48 hours to confirm your attendance. \"It is also pleasing to see the large amount of ballot entries hailing from local postcodes which should ensure local communities are well represented over the weekend. \"To have a walking event of this scale is fantastic for all those successful in the ballot, providing a close-up view of the impressive new crossing and a unique way for people to be physically active.\"", "summary": "The online ballot to select 50,000 people to walk across the new Queensferry Crossing has now closed."}
{"article": "UCU, NUS Wales and Unison Wales said those elected following May's election needed to invest or risk denying opportunities for people in disadvantaged areas. The unions will meet on Monday at University of South Wales in Cardiff to launch the Don't Cut Me Out campaign. They added most adults returning to study did so without employer support. Ebbi Ferguson from NUS Wales said: \"Our colleges and universities offer a vital second chance to adults who want to develop their skills and to those from disadvantaged communities. \"Cutting funding for post-16 full-time and part-time education denies these people, the majority of whom are women, another opportunity and means there is a huge untapped resource of potential Wales is missing out on.\"", "summary": "Three trades unions have joined forces to urge assembly members to commit to funding post-16 education."}
{"article": "It raises questions about the conduct of one of the UK's second biggest firearms unit at a time when Manchester has recently been hit by a terror attack. A public inquiry into one of the deaths has heard about flawed intelligence, a senior officer destroying notes and employment of an officer disciplined for assault. Its former head of training, John Foxcroft, said he left the firearms unit due to its \"aggressive\" tactics. Many of the officers in the cases are still serving. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said its firearms officers \"volunteer for the role and do a very difficult job, quite rightly under the highest levels of scrutiny\". Here is the story of the three fatal incidents, with new findings uncovered by the Victoria Derbyshire programme's investigation. \"He was a beautiful person inside and out,\" Anthony Grainger's partner Gail says. The couple lived together with their two young children. \"I remember thinking, 'My life's perfect.' Then he nipped out - and he didn't come home.\" Anthony Grainger was unarmed in a car when he was shot by police in Cheshire, in March 2012. Police intelligence had suggested he was going to carry out an armed robbery with two associates, also in the car. Mr Grainger had previously been found guilty of handling stolen cars, but had no convictions for violence. The two other men did have convictions for violence. Police saw one as very dangerous. Mr Grainger was killed in a car park on a busy Saturday evening in the village of Culcheth. Armed officers said they saw him drop his hands in a move interpreted as him going to grab a gun - he was shot once, fatally. But another man in the car, David Totton, told the inquiry no warning was given before the shot was fired. All three men in the car were unarmed. On the day of the operation, the firearms team had been on duty for 14 hours when it was told to move in. There were 16 firearms officers. Several had failed training courses and it was argued during the public inquiry they should not have been on the operation, which Greater Manchester Police disputed. One officer, known as X7 - who had directed the operation on the ground - had failed a firearms course with the Met Police, who removed him early as his performance was \"adversely affecting other students.\" Another, known as Z15, had failed a safety course shortly before the operation after three extreme safety breaches in potentially life-threatening situations. A firearms expert told the inquiry these were so \"fundamental and inherently dangerous\" that it should have led to Z15's \"immediate suspension\". Martin Harding, a former superintendent and firearms officer with Greater Manchester Police, told the BBC: \"A force such as Manchester has got resilience, so there shouldn't be a reason why you would have someone on a job who wasn't trained to carry out their role.\" It emerged during the public inquiry that the officer who fired the gun - referred to as Q9 - had seriously injured a suspect during a", "summary": "Greater Manchester Police is facing new investigations by the police watchdog over three separate fatal firearms incidents, the Victoria Derbyshire programme has learned."}
{"article": "Press secretary Sean Spicer said Mr Trump \"does believe that\", but offered no evidence to support the claim when pressed by reporters. Mr Trump has repeated his claim to explain why he lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton. But any notion of widespread voter fraud has been widely rejected. \"He continues to maintain that belief based on studies and evidence that people have presented to him,\" Mr Spicer told reporters on Tuesday. Mr Spicer's comments came after the president told congressional leaders behind closed doors on Monday night that three to five million undocumented immigrants had illegally voted in the election. Mr Trump, who first made the claim in a late November tweet, has never provided any evidence. Fact-checkers have rejected it as untrue and Republican election officials in key states have said they found no proof of fraudulent voting. On Tuesday, the National Association of Secretaries of State said it had confidence in the \"systemic integrity of our election process\" and was not aware of any evidence related to Mr Trump's claims. The Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, received nearly three million votes more than Mr Trump, who won the presidency by prevailing in so-called swing states. Republicans admonished Mr Trump and urged him to drop the matter a day after the closed doors meeting with congressional leaders. Senator Lindsey Graham called the comments \"inappropriate\", adding that Mr Trump should \"knock this off\". He continued that the president \"seems to be obsessed with the idea that he could not have possibly lost the popular vote without cheating and fraud\". Donald Trump just can't let it go. Even with a comfortable electoral college victory over Hillary Clinton last November, his three-million-vote deficit to his Democratic presidential opponent clearly is eating at him. It's an open wound on his psyche that leaves him looking for someone to blame. How else to explain the president's continued allegations that undocumented immigrants cast millions of illegal votes for his opponent, despite no supporting evidence? It would be in Mr Trump's interest to simply move on. Or, if he truly feels his concerns are legitimate, to announce a robust effort to investigate what would easily be the biggest electoral heist in US history. Instead, he has vented his angst in early morning tweets and during closed-door meetings with his members of Congress. The end result is a distracting media frenzy that forces his Republican allies - including Speaker of the House Paul Ryan - to distance themselves from his unsubstantiated accusations. It's creating a rift within conservative ranks when the one thing Mr Trump needs - in fact, the only thing he really needs to enact his agenda - is party unity. House Speaker Paul Ryan also said there was no evidence to support his claims. Republican Pennsylvania Representative Charlie Dent also weighed in, saying Mr Trump needed to move on and \"get to the serious business of governing\". Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders said it was \"nonsensical\" and he feared Mr Trump was paving the way for Republican governors to \"go forward with voter suppression\".", "summary": "President Donald Trump believes that millions of people voted illegally in the US election based on \"studies and evidence\", the White House has said."}
{"article": "She had been due to attend a rally but instead has been lobbying congress members and party leaders for support. Latest estimates suggest those in favour of impeachment have just enough votes for the motion to carry. Ms Rousseff is accused of manipulating government accounts. She says her opponents are mounting a \"coup\". Stepping up her bid for survival, she wrote in the Folha de Sao Paulo, (in Portuguese): \"They want to convict an innocent woman and save the corrupt,\" a reference to charges several politicians face. She accused her opponents of \"fraud and lies in an attempt to dismiss a legitimately elected government and replace it with a government without legitimacy\". Denying she had committed any crime, she said: \"This is a coup against the republic, against democracy and above all against the votes of all Brazilians who participated in the electoral process.\" The lower house of parliament began its debate on impeachment on Friday and a vote is expected on Sunday. The rowdy session went through the night and has continued on Saturday. If two-thirds back impeachment, it goes to the Senate, where a simple majority would suspend the president and instigate a trial. On Tuesday, Ms Rousseff, 68, suggested that Vice-President Michel Temer was one of the ringleaders of the \"coup\" attempt against her. She said a widely distributed audio message of Mr Temer appearing to accept replacing her as president was evidence of the conspiracy. However, she did not identify him by name. Ms Rousseff has also indicated lower house speaker Eduardo Cunha is among those trying to oust her. He is himself facing money-laundering and other charges. Metal barriers have been built outside parliament in Brasilia to keep rival protesters apart. Protest rallies are also expected in other cities. 513 members of the lower house of Congress 342 votes needed to move process to the Senate 41 senators out of 81 must vote in favour to begin impeachment trial 180 days she could be suspended for during the hearings Lower house vote: An impeachment vote is due in the lower house on Sunday. A two-thirds majority is required for it to go forward to the Senate. Senate vote on trial: If Ms Rousseff case is sent to the Senate, a simple majority is enough to suspend her for up to 180 days while she is put on trial. Vice-President Michel Temer would step in during this period. Impeachment vote: For Ms Rousseff to be removed from office permanently, two-thirds of the Senate would have to vote in favour. Mr Temer would remain president for an interim period should this happen.", "summary": "Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has been holding last-minute talks with lawmakers a day before Congress votes on whether to impeach her."}
{"article": "Tony Aitken, 33, formerly of Melton Mowbray, lost control of his truck on 4 May and his son Luke was thrown from the vehicle. The boy was celebrating his 12th birthday when he died at Langar Industrial Unit, in Nottinghamshire, police said. He died later from injuries sustained when the truck fell on top of him. The truck had three children in the front seat, despite the vehicle only being meant to hold two passengers, Nottingham Crown Court heard. The other children in the vehicle, aged 12 and five, were treated in hospital for minor injuries. Aitken pleaded guilty to driving whilst unfit and causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed for five-and-a-half years, Nottinghamshire Police said. He was also disqualified from driving for seven years.", "summary": "A tipper truck driver has been jailed after the lorry he was driving rolled, killing his son."}
{"article": "The Oxford director will replace Greg Clarke after the annual general meeting on 10 June, when league clubs will be asked to ratify the appointment. Clarke said last year that he would leave the role he has held since 2010. Lenagan, who is the chairman of rugby league side Wigan, has been on the Football League's board since 2013. Have you added the new Top Story alerts in the BBC Sport app? Simply head to the menu in the app - and don't forget you can also add score alerts your football team and more.", "summary": "Ian Lenagan is set to become the Football League's new chairman after he was unanimously recommended by the organisation's nomination committee."}
{"article": "The Quakers, currently fifth in the National League North, do not have the 500 covered seats needed across two stands at their Blackwell Meadows home. Clubs were previously able to install temporary seating with conditions, but the rules changed in May 2016. Now, permanent seating must be in place for clubs to meet the criteria. The club said it would liaise with National League South side Poole Town, also fifth in their league, who have similar issues with their ground. \"This change in the requirement for permanent covered seating was only brought to the board's attention in the past couple of months,\" a statement from Darlington said. \"By the time the board was fully aware of the requirement, it was not able to act because of the timescales involved and the lack of funds available. \"In order to be able to meet the seated stand requirements, an additional round of fundraising through the Community Share route has a lead time of at least six weeks to prepare the offer and then an unknown amount of time to raise the estimated requirement of \u00a3150k, plus the actual construction time for the additional seats. \"We understand that an absolute minimum of 12 weeks would be needed - time that just wasn't available once the club had finally moved into Blackwell Meadows.\" The decision comes as a blow to Darlington, particularly given the optimism which followed their return to the town in December after a spell at Bishop Auckland's Heritage Park - the first time since the old Darlington club had been liquidated in 2012. Should the appeal not be successful, the next ambition is to put plans together for redevelopment work that does make the stadium sufficient. \"Understandably, our manager, Martin Gray, is very frustrated at this situation, as the incredible efforts of the players and coaching staff will not give us the chance of promotion this year unless the appeal is successful and we are allowed to participate in the play offs,\" the statement continued. \"We are as disappointed as everyone else that our success on the field is not reflected in our ability to move to a higher level at this time. But we would remind everyone that had we thought that we would be playing back in our home town, in the second tier of the non-league pyramid, under our original name, and all within five years of that fateful day in 2012, not many would have had faith in that dream. \"The board is now working with the Supporters Group to set a five-year-plan to develop the ground at Blackwell Meadows, in conjunction with Darlington RFC, which we hope will meet the ambitions of the manager and players and playing staff, all of our volunteers, the board, and most importantly of our fans and the people of Darlington and the surrounding area.\"", "summary": "Darlington will appeal the National League's decision to deny the club a play-off place because their ground does not meet seating requirements."}
{"article": "Charlie Girling, of the 1st Aylesford Scouts, in Kent, collapsed on Sunday at Roihu 2016, near H\u00c3\u00a4meenlinna. The UK Scout Association said the on-site medical team and local paramedics \"rendered immediate support but unfortunately were unable to save him\". Spokesman Simon Carter said it was in touch with the families of the children at the jamboree, which more than 16,000 people are attending. \"We will be working with the Finnish Scout movement and the relevant local authorities to establish the full details of this tragic incident,\" he added. More than 2,800 scouts from more than 40 countries are attending the jamboree in the south of Finland. Memorial services have been held at the event in tribute to Charlie. Anna Munsterhjelm, chief scout in Finland, said: \"The Guides and Scouts of Finland and Finnjamboree Roihu express their deepest condolences to the friends and family of the tragic medical situation that resulted in the death of a scout. \"The loss has moved thousands of people within and outside the camp. \"The camp has professional crisis counsellors that are making their utmost best that everybody has the support they require.\" (sic) Charlie had been a Year 7 pupil at Maplesden Noakes School, in Maidstone. Head teacher Jane Prideaux said staff were \"deeply shocked and saddened\" by his death. \"He'd been with us for just a year,\" she said. \"He was a lively lad, well-liked by his peers and teachers,\" she said. Ms Prideaux added Charlie had been a \"very hard working, very able student, with a great sense of humour\". \"He was full of life, and wanted to get involved in things.\"", "summary": "A 12-year-old scout has died at an international jamboree in Finland."}
{"article": "In a letter sent to the court that convicted him, he says it would be easier - and less expensive - for his family to visit him in Africa. He also said he feared being attacked in a British prison. Taylor was convicted of aiding rebels who committed atrocities in Sierra Leone during its civil war. Last week, a UK minister confirmed that Taylor would be transferred to a British prison. He was convicted by the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), but his trial was held in The Hague in case it sparked renewed unrest in West Africa. The Netherlands only agreed to host the trial if he was imprisoned elsewhere. In a letter seen by the BBC, Taylor wrote: \"My position is that serving my sentence in Rwanda, in my home continent of Africa, would be substantially more humane not only on my own account, but also on account of the impact on my family.\" He noted that the court's statutes said access for prisoners' relatives should be taken into account when deciding where they should serve their sentence. \u2022 1989: Launches rebellion in Liberia \u2022 1991: RUF rebellion starts in Sierra Leone \u2022 1997: Elected president after a 1995 peace deal \u2022 1999: Rebels take up arms against Taylor \u2022 June 2003: Arrest warrant issued; two months later he steps down and goes into exile in Nigeria \u2022 March 2006: Arrested after a failed escape bid and sent to Sierra Leone \u2022 June 2007: His trial opens - hosted in The Hague for security reasons \u2022 April 2012: Convicted of aiding and abetting the commission of war crimes - later sentenced to 50 years in jail Charles Taylor profile Why Taylor will be jailed in UK He said that it would be cheaper and easier to travel to Rwanda - and that Liberian nationals could obtain visas at the airport, unlike in the UK. Taylor, 65, was convicted on 11 crimes including terrorism, rape, murder and the use of child soldiers by rebel groups in neighbouring Sierra Leone during the 1991-2002 conflict, in which some 50,000 people died. He was found to have supplied weapons to the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in exchange for so-called blood diamonds. The rebels were notorious for hacking off the limbs of civilians to terrorise the population. Taylor has always insisted he is innocent and his only contact with the rebels was to urge them to stop fighting. He is the first former head of state convicted by an international war crimes court since World War II. In his three-page letter, dated 10 October, Taylor continued: \"My name is now associated with horrendous atrocities. Prison inmates, whether from the region or not, are likely to be inclined to inflict their own brand of justice by attacking me.\" He pointed out that \"a significant number of individuals from Sierra Leonean background are in detention in prisons in the UK\" and noted that in 2011, Bosnian war criminal Radislav Krstic was attacked in a British jail by three Muslim men, apparently in revenge for", "summary": "Ex-Liberian President Charles Taylor has asked to serve his 50-year sentence for war crimes in Rwanda, rather than the UK."}
{"article": "Amarjeet Singh-Bhakar, 37, died after a disturbance on Prince Edward Avenue, Rhyl, at about 03:00 BST. The 15 and 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were remanded in custody until a hearing at Mold Crown Court on Thursday. Wrexham Magistrates' Court heard one of the youths was also charged with wounding another man. Four other men - Mr Singh's cousin, Amar Singh, 28, and younger brother, Mohanjeet Singh, 18, Ameer Hamza Wahid, 24, and Sanah Ullah, 30, all from Greater Manchester - have been remanded in custody until 2 June, charged with violent disorder. A 15-year-old youth, also from Greater Manchester, was charged with violent disorder and remanded in youth detention until 2 June. In a statement released by North Wales Police, Mr Singh-Bhakar's wife, Sushi, said her shopkeeper husband had been a \"real family man\". \"He was so caring and everything he did was for his family and his two children,\" she said. \"He was my soul mate and everyone loved him to bits. We will miss his smile and the way he lit up a room when he walked in.\"", "summary": "Two youths have appeared in court charged with murder following a stabbing in Denbighshire on Sunday."}
{"article": "Guineans are expected to celebrate the landmark with concerts and fireworks. Sierra Leone was declared free of Ebola in November, but new cases have been discovered in Liberia, which had been declared Ebola-free in September. The disease killed more than 2,500 people in Guinea, and a further 9,000 in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Even though there has not been any new cases of Ebola in 42 days, local health workers in Guinea and the World Health Organisation warned that people should still be very careful. \"The coming months will be absolutely critical,\" said Dr Bruce Aylward from the World Health Organisation's Ebola response team. \"This is the period when the countries need to be sure that they are fully prepared to prevent, detect and respond to any new cases.\"", "summary": "The World Health Organisation has declared Guinea, in West Africa, free of Ebola, two years after the outbreak of the virus began there."}
{"article": "It also made for some uneasy bedfellows, with one Labour candidate, Toby Perkins, using a widely tweeted picture and quote from Margaret Thatcher to register his opposition to personal attacks. Mr Miliband said the defence secretary had demeaned himself and his office. But Prime Minister David Cameron said Mr Fallon was \"absolutely right\". A glance through the social media accounts of established political party names and official accounts also reveals a good deal of negative campaigning. Boris Johnson, Mayor of London and Conservative candidate for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, has been leading some of the Conservative attacks via social media, with tweets such as this one: John Prescott, Labour's former deputy prime minister and prolific tweeter, has also been targeting candidates from his party's opponents. The Liberal Democrats have also been tweeting their own targeted videos. With weeks to go in one of the tightest polls in living memory, there may yet be further negative campaigning, but whether it gets quite as personal as previous campaigns - such as these examples below - remains to be seen. In 2001, Labour was seeking a second term under Tony Blair. It targeted the Conservative leader William Hague by planting Baroness Thatcher's hairstyle on his head, in one of the most notorious campaign posters in living memory. Labour went on to win re-election by a landslide. Creative photoshopping had already been used by its opponents in 1996, when the Conservatives unveiled this \"demon eyes\" poster of Tony Blair a year ahead of the 1997 election, which saw Labour sweep to power. Compiled by Stephen Fottrell.", "summary": "Thursday was seen as the day the 2015 UK general election campaign turned negative, with many reacting on social media to Defence Secretary Michael Fallon's attack on Labour leader Ed Miliband."}
{"article": "The Dow Jones rose 150.52 points or 0.73% to 20,701.50, while the wider S&P 500 index added 17 points, also a gain of 0.73%, to 2,358.57. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index climbed 35 points, or 0.60% to 5,875.14. Financial and energy shares did particularly well. Other newly released data showed the trade deficit in goods narrowed sharply in February and there were more increases in house prices in January. These figures \"underscore what has been going on really in this whole rally, and that is that confidence is pretty high and optimism is high and that has kind of been underpinning the resiliency of the equity markets,\" said Jim Davis, regional investment manager at US Bank Wealth Management. Earlier in the day, investors had been hoping for hints about the timing of the next rise in US interest rates from Federal Reserve head Janet Yellen, who was speaking at a conference in Washington. In the event she made no mention of monetary policy. Among individual stocks, electric carmaker Tesla rose 2.7% after Chinese tech giant Tencent spent $1.8bn buying a 5% stake in the company. General Motors rose 2.4% after activist investor David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital called on the car giant to split its stock into two classes. He is also calling for four new directors to be appointed by GM. The company has rejected his proposals. Shares in Amazon added 1.1% after the company said it had agreed to buy Middle East online retailer Souq.com.", "summary": "(Close): The three main US stock indexes ended the day markedly higher on Tuesday as new figures showed consumer confidence hitting its highest level for more than 16 years in March."}
{"article": "Bowler Sachithra Senanayake twice warned Buttler for straying out of his crease at the non-striker's end before removing the bails to dismiss him. \"I would stick by it,\" said Mathews after the six-wicket win. \"What we did was completely within the rules.\" \"When they took the bails off, Mathews should have gone up to Buttler and said: 'Next time you're off.' People do back up. I've not played with any other player that has stood there until the ball is let go. It's a shame because it was a very good series until that point.\" But England skipper Alastair Cook said: \"I thought it was a pretty poor act.\" England coach Peter Moores added: \"Angelo has made his decision. It's not for me to comment why he did it. I was disappointed in it. \"That's all I can really say. He's made his choice and obviously he's happy with it.\" Buttler was walking down the pitch as off-spinner Senanayake ran in to bowl in readiness to run. But Sri Lanka, who clinched the series 3-2 with the win, felt Buttler was attempting to gain an unfair advantage, not only at Edgbaston but during his century at Lord's in the previous ODI. \"He was taking starts, not only this game but in the last game as well,\" explained Mathews. \"We gave him two warnings. I don't know what else you can do to stop him doing that, so we had to go for it.\" Law 42.11 from the International Cricket Council's playing regulations for international cricket states that \"the bowler is permitted, before releasing the ball and provided he has not completed his usual delivery swing, to attempt to run out the non-striker\". But not everyone agrees it is a fair way to dismiss a batsman, and there is a stigma attached to such an act. Before giving Buttler out, umpire Michael Gough checked with Mathews that he was happy with Senanayake's appeal. Mathews backed his bowler, but Cook said it was a mode of dismissal from which he would not have been comfortable to benefit. \"You don't know until you're put in that position, but I hope I wouldn't,\" said Cook afterwards. \"Yes, he had warned him, but it was not as if he was sprinting down the wicket. There's a way of doing things, in my opinion.\" Former England spinner Phil Tufnell, a pundit on BBC's Test Match Special during the game, said it was a \"poor\" move by Sri Lanka. \"Senanayake's gone through his action,\" he said. \"Buttler was out of his crease, but then everybody would be. There will be feeling in that England dressing room that they had some injustice done to them.\" Former England skipper Michael Vaughan was also critical of Sri Lanka. He wrote on Twitter: \"Totally blame the captain... He is the man who makes the decisions and should have overturned the decision... No way to play the game.\" But former England captain Alec Stewart said Sri Lanka were within their rights to appeal. \"With the laws of the game as they are, Sri Lanka", "summary": "Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has defended the controversial run-out of England's Jos Buttler during his side's one-day international win at Edgbaston."}
{"article": "About half of trusts provided details of cancellations one to three days before admission. Hospitals must record cancellations on the day of an operation or of admission - but not those prior to that. But Ipswich Hospital has now said it will start keeping records of earlier cancellations. NHS England said official figures showed less than 1% of operations were cancelled at the last minute. By Caroline Parkinson, Health editor, BBC News website These figures shine a light on a hidden issue. Hospitals don't have to record these early non-medical cancellations, so the data provided by these 74 hospitals is the only indication we have of the extent of the problem. There is a view that the more notice a patient gets of a cancellation the better, because it allows more time to rearrange plans. But if operations are cancelled outside the official period, patients don't have the same rights to a date for their rescheduled operation. Of course, sometimes patients themselves cancel an operation at the last minute. And while very few hospitals had that data, the information from those that did suggest it could be a bigger problem than hospitals cancelling themselves. Official NHS England figures show about 7.7 million planned operations were carried out in England last year. There were 71,370 last-minute cancellations - either on the day the patient was meant to arrive, after they had arrived or on the day the operation was meant to take place. In each case, NHS rules say a patient should be offered a new date within 28 days. If that deadline is missed, hospitals are not paid for the operation, and it is recorded in official figures. However, operations cancelled outside of the official definition are not subject to the same rules. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the definition of last-minute cancellations is wider - and is taken over several days. The BBC asked all 156 NHS trusts in England, via a Freedom of Information request, to provide figures for operations cancelled one to three days before a patient was due to be admitted. Seventy-four provided data suggesting they had cancelled 41,474 operations within that period - as opposed to 33,400 last-minute cancellations recorded for the same trusts in the official figures. Iona Hevican from Cornwall waited a year for a planned hysterectomy operation, which was cancelled three times before it went ahead. She told the BBC: \"Every time they give you a date to go in for your operation there's a lot of preparing before you go in for that date, so any cancellation that you get is obviously a very traumatic time because of all the plans that you made, all your mindset, everything. \"Then just to say come back tomorrow, like you're nothing, like a piece of meat, then that's not good. \"They have to realise what goes into planning. They have to plan, and we have to plan.\" The main reasons for cancellations were a lack of beds or ward space and staff shortages. For operations cancelled on the day, emergencies take priority - something that", "summary": "Tens of thousands of operations were cancelled by English hospitals last year but not officially counted, figures obtained by the BBC suggest."}
{"article": "Gergana Prodanova, 38, was reported missing on 8 August by colleagues after she failed to turn up for work at the Great Western Hotel in the city. Forensic officers recovered the remains at waste ground off Blackall Road in Exeter at about 16:00 BST on Tuesday. Police said there would be tests to confirm the identity but her family in Bulgaria have been notified. A man has been charged with her murder. More on the discovery of human remains, and other stories from Devons Ms Prodanova was last seen on Sidwell Street in Exeter on 4 August. Officers investigating the case have carried out house-to-house inquiries, as well as using the force helicopter, drone and police dogs. Det Supt Paul Burgan said: \"Inquiries will continue in the Polsloe and Blackall Road areas of the city over the next few days and police would like to thank the public for their continued co-operation with this investigation.\" Kostadin Kostov, 42, appeared at Exeter Crown Court on Tuesday charged with Ms Prodanova's murder.", "summary": "Human remains have been found by police searching for a woman in Exeter."}
{"article": "Raikkonen was left annoyed after he led the early laps from pole but Vettel passed him by using a later pit stop. A Ferrari spokesman said: \"The drivers are free to race. There was no plan whatsoever to get Sebastian ahead.\" Vettel said: \"There was no plan of any team orders. I can understand Kimi is not happy. I would feel the same.\" Vettel went into the race leading Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in the championship by six points and came out of it with a 25-point lead - a clear race victory - when the Briton could finish only seventh after starting 13th. Raikkonen pitted five laps before Vettel and came out behind slower cars, which he had to pass. Meanwhile, on a clear track, Vettel began setting fastest times and by the time he stopped he had made up enough time to emerge in the lead. Ferrari said that Raikkonen ran on a pre-planned strategy to stop around lap 34 and said that although they knew he would come out among slower cars, it was inevitable that would happen at some point. Raikkonen said: \"I was called in, and that's about it. It didn't work out very well for me, but apart from that, it doesn't matter, does it? \"That's as much as I can say about it right now. I got the bad end of the story today. It is still second place but obviously it doesn't count a lot in my book at least.\" Asked whether he knew why Ferrari had called him in at that time, he said: \"I have no idea. They have reasons for why they do what they do. It is not up to me.\" He said he would be asking the team to explain the decisions to him. \"We are a team and if you don't believe what you have been told then it will get very complicated at some point,\" Raikkonen said. \"Today, as a team, we wanted one-two. It happened. As for myself, it could have been better but we have just finished the race and who knows? \"We'll talk about it and I guess there are some reasons for everything that happened. As a driver I can do what I want but it is not how we work as a team.\" Vettel, widely believed to be Ferrari's contractual number one driver, was asked if he and the team had discussed whether they would try to use an opportunity to get him ahead of Raikkonen if one arose. He replied: \"Not really. We spoke about the race before. The lead car normally has priority. \"If I had the choice, going in the pits first is maybe what you like to do. \"It is one of the rare occasions when the overcut [stopping after a driver you are following] decides the position, but from the team point of view there was no plan of any team orders. \"Today it worked in my favour and I take it, but we are a team and I can see Kimi is not happy.\"", "summary": "Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari denied they manipulated the Monaco Grand Prix to ensure the German beat team-mate Kimi Raikkonen."}
{"article": "The company blamed the general election for contributing to a sharp fall in demand in the second half of its financial year. It now expects its underlying annual profits to be between \u00c2\u00a382m-\u00c2\u00a387m, below the \u00c2\u00a394.4m it reported in the previous 12 months. Its share price tumbled by 55.25p to 196.75p DFS said the market-wide trend was linked to uncertainty regarding the general election and \"uncertain macroeconomic environment\". It said it had seen \"significant declines in store footfall leading to a material reduction in customer orders\". Neil Wilson, senior market analyst at ETX Capital, said that the slowdown reported by DFS was \"not surprising\" given recent economic data. \"CPI inflation has accelerated to 2.9%, while wage growth is slowing. Real wages are falling. If the gap continues to widen then the likes of DFS could suffer further as spending takes a knock. Undoubtedly the uncertainty around the general election and Brexit means people are delaying big ticket purchases,\" he said. DFS said it experienced short-term fluctuations to demand and, confident of longer-term growth, had maintained its investment levels. But Mr Wilson said: \"The relative resilience of the UK in the six months after the referendum, and comparative slowing thereafter, seems to be mirrored in the fortunes of DFS.\"", "summary": "Shares in DFS Furniture have plunged by 22% after the sofa specialist issued a profit warning."}
{"article": "Sarah Sands, 32, is accused of murdering Michael Pleasted, 77, weeks after finding out he was charged with sex assaults on two children under 13. Mr Pleasted was stabbed at his Canning Town home while awaiting trial. Ms Sands told the Old Bailey she was frightened by his behaviour. She denies murder. The court heard Ms Sands befriended the pensioner and regularly cooked for him but on learning about the charges went to advise him to plead guilty to avoid the children having to testify. She said she had drunk two bottles of wine and a small bottle of brandy before visiting Mr Pleasted's flat on 28 November and took a kitchen knife, hammer and wrench with her \"for safety\". She told the Old Bailey that when Mr Pleasted opened the door he \"smirked\" and said his accusers were liars. Ms Sands told the court: \"He was so cold. The man that I thought I knew never behaved like that. \"I was frightened. He was meant to listen to me.\" She said she took the kitchen knife out of her handbag and held it to \"show him he could not talk to me like that, that I knew him, that I loved him\". She went on: \"I just had it in my hand and I poked him with it in the front and that's when we both realised at the same time what had happened and he grabbed me. \"He was frightening me and I pushed him away and I left. That was it.\" When asked whether she intended to cause Mr Pleasted \"serious harm\" she replied, \"No. I did not stab him, I didn't\". The court heard Mr Pleasted crawled into his hallway before collapsing and bleeding to death. Ms Sands handed herself in to police the following morning. The trial continues.", "summary": "A woman stabbed her elderly neighbour eight times after he \"smirked\" at her when she confronted him about child sex charges, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Matt Derbyshire struck in the first minute before Leon Best scored from the penalty spot after goalkeeper Cody Cropper brought down Richard Wood. The visitors confirmed their dominance through Kirk Broadfoot's header and Richard Smallwood's neat finish. Rotherham, 21st place in the table, moved nine points clear of MK Dons, who remain third bottom. The atmosphere inside Stadium MK was tense before kick-off, but almost immediately the Rotherham fans were celebrating as Derbyshire opened the scoring. Best then slammed home from the spot, and it was no surprise when Broadfoot and Smallwood put the game beyond MK Dons just after the break. Ex-Miller Alex Revell almost pulled one back for the hosts, but Rotherham easily held on. Despite languishing in the relegation zone in mid-February, Neil Warnock, Rotherham's third manager of the season, has turned his side's fortunes around, winning six of his 11 league games in charge. MK Dons manager Karl Robinson: \"It's extremely difficult and very hard and the odds are stacked against us. We only have ourselves to blame. \"You get that tag of losing football matches and it's so hard to shift. You have to find it from somewhere to cope with the demands of this level. \"We were the better team in between the two boxes by far, (but) we are not as good as other teams in the boxes, it's as simple as that. \"I don't think it's fair to boo me individually, I don't agree with that. Collectively we have to take responsibility. \" Rotherham manager Neil Warnock: \"It was an important game but I thought it was a comprehensive victory. \"We started well with the goal and we couldn't have got off to a better start. We missed a few chances in the second half, but we can't get too greedy. \"It just goes to show what you can do with a good group who want to listen. \"I think they are amazing themselves with the ability they have and what they can do with the ball. It's a great time and we are enjoying ourselves.\"", "summary": "Rotherham took a huge step towards retaining their Championship status by thrashing relegation rivals MK Dons."}
{"article": "Bruno, who has not fought since being knocked out by Mike Tyson in 1996, has been suffering with bipolar disorder in recent years. However, he told ITV's This Morning: \"I've been in the gym all the time, that's why I want to come back into boxing.\" Asked if it was a good idea, Bruno replied: \"I haven't got a choice.\" Bruno, who made his professional debut in 1982, says he returned to the gym to burn off energy and does not like to be \"mugged off\" when challenged by younger boxers. \"I can't sit down and let these so-called promoters say Anthony Joshua can knock me out in two rounds when I'm not even dead,\" Bruno added. However, Bruno later said that his agent had been told by the British Boxing Board of Control that it would not accept his application for a licence.", "summary": "British former world heavyweight champion Frank Bruno wants to return to the ring at the age of 54."}
{"article": "The song, which translates from the Hindi as \"My country is great\", is nearly seven minutes long. Critics are upset with lines that seemingly compare Mr Modi with Mahatma Gandhi, a charge Mr Nihalani denies. Social media users also pointed out shots of \"Indian development\" in the video were really from other countries. \"I have said [in the film] that the dream Gandhi had seen... it's film language. Gandhi had the dream of making India clean and Modi is fulfilling that dream,\" Mr Nihalani told BBC Hindi's Vineet Khare. \"The dream has to be fulfilled with co-operation from everyone. People who think I have made comparisons do not want to see the country's progress,\" he added. Mr Nihalani's efforts were termed \"so bad it's good\" by the DNA newspaper, while the Hindustan Times called it a \"cringe fest\". The video shows, among other things, delighted schoolchildren spotting Mr Modi sitting on a snow-capped mountain in a lotus pose. But a comparison to Mahatma Gandhi is not the only issue that critics have with the song. The film also shows shots of skyscrapers, modern motorways and space shuttles to \"showcase India's development\". However, social media users were quick to point out that many of those were not even Indian. Mr Nihalani, who was appointed the head of the Central Board of Film Certification of India in January this year, said the use of these shots was deliberate. \"There are 160 shots in the film. Only five shots show what India's future would look like. Every filmmaker has visual imagination...what's the big deal in that?\" he asked. \"I have shown an India of the future,\" he added.", "summary": "Indian film censor board chief Pahlaj Nihalani has defended a music video he has made glorifying Prime Minister Narendra Modi."}
{"article": "The target was reached eight weeks after Mr Aikman's death on 2 February at the age of 31. Now the Gordon's Fightback campaign is seeking to raise \u00a31m in his memory to fund research into the disease. Mr Aikman was director of research for the Better Together campaign at the time of his diagnosis. His campaign has been supported by leading figures in all of Scotland's major political parties. Gordon's husband Joe Pike said: \"I miss Gordon's voice, his eyes and his smile. I miss the in-jokes and affection and finishing each other's sentences. \"But Gordon never wanted pity, and I don't either. I want to turn a negative into a positive. Today, I want everyone to mark Gordon's birthday by giving the gift of a cure for Motor Neurone Disease. \"Gordon's real passion was finding a cure. Doctors do not know what causes Motor Neurone Disease, let alone how to cure it. But scientists in labs doing research provided him with hope. Not that he would be saved, but hope for future generations. \"A cure for MND - that would be a real gift to remember Gordon by.\"", "summary": "The fund named after Scottish motor neurone disease (MND) campaigner Gordon Aikman has raised \u00a3600,000."}
{"article": "France centre-back Sakho, 27, is out of favour at Anfield after falling out with Reds manager Jurgen Klopp on the 2016 pre-season tour of the USA. He was sent on loan to Crystal Palace last season, where he made eight appearances, and was nominated for their player of the year award. The news comes after the Baggies rejected an \u00a318m bid from Manchester City for centre-back Jonny Evans. Manager Tony Pulis said on Friday it would be \"crazy\" to say they would turn down a bigger offer for the Northern Ireland defender, but added: \"We're not desperate for money.\" Sakho turned down a loan move to West Brom last August after being told he can leave the club. He has not played for the Reds since April 2016, when he was provisionally suspended after failing a drugs test before subsequently being cleared. Sakho joined Palace on loan for the second half of last term and was not involved in Liverpool's Premier League game at Watford last Saturday or Tuesday's Champions League play-off, first-leg win over Hoffenheim. Should a deal go through, the fee would eclipse the club record \u00a313m West Brom paid Tottenham for Nacer Chadli 12 months ago. The last two weeks of the transfer window can involve some cagey wheeling and dealing. West Brom know they can sell Evans to Manchester City. If they do that, they have decent money to get in a replacement. However, if they tell everyone that is what they intend to do, the price of their targets go up. So, they sound out clubs quietly, while telling the world Evans is going nowhere. It may be that the Northern Irishman stays put. But Tony Pulis wants to know what the alternatives are - and having already spoken to Liverpool about Sakho once this summer, he is now talking to them again.", "summary": "West Brom are interested in Liverpool's \u00a330m-rated defender Mamadou Sakho."}
{"article": "Macedonian police are detaining them, saying they will be returned to Greece. Earlier, some 1,000 migrants, including children, left their sprawling camp in the Greek village of Idomeni and crossed a river near the border. About 14,000 people, many from Syria or Iraq, have been stranded at the camp, where conditions have deteriorated following days of rain. Macedonia last week said it would no longer let any migrants in, blocking the so-called Balkan route north. In other developments on Monday: The migrants - many carrying all their belongings - were seen walking in a long snaking line along a hilly road on Monday. The group included a number of children. When they reached the river, they passed a rope across it and formed a \"human chain\" to help each other to get to the other side. The migrants said they were trying to find a gap in the barbed-wire fence on the border. \"We hope we can cross because we are a lot of people. Our number is big now,\" 24-year-old Syrian migrant Aziz told AP. \"We don't want to stay here [Idomeni] in that camp, because we are tired of being there,\" he added. Hundreds of migrants later found a gap near the Greek village of Hamilo and crossed into Macedonia. Macedonian police and soldiers then detained the migrants, putting them in army trucks. \"We are taking measures to return the group to Greece,\" a Macedonian police spokeswoman was quoted as saying by Reuters. At least 20 journalists who followed the migrants were also detained, reports say. Meanwhile, Greek police officer Panos Tenos told the BBC the migrants had been informed during their march that \"crossing illegally is a dead end since the borders to reach Central Europe are closed\". \"Police forces followed the refugees from Idomeni to Hamilo, and when they tried to block them peacefully the crowd dispersed and it was impossible to stop them,\" he added. Local UNHCR representative Babur Baloch told the BBC: \"What we are seeing is a return of chaos whenever there's a unilateral decision to close the borders, when there's no co-ordination, when countries in Europe don't coordinate and don't share responsibility, then we see more misery for refugees.\" \"And that's exactly what we're going through in Greece today. We see more and more people arriving here. There's no way out, Greece is struggling, it needs support from the EU,\" he added. Last week, the EU and Turkey set out a plan to ease Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War Two. Under the plan, still to be finalised, all migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey would be sent back. For each Syrian returned, a Syrian in Turkey would be resettled in the EU. Hundreds of thousands of migrants have travelled through Macedonia over the past year, heading north. The EU leaders said \"bold moves\" were needed, and made the following proposals: A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes", "summary": "Hundreds of migrants have crossed from Greece into Macedonia after finding a way through the border fence."}
{"article": "Scott Diver, 16, from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, was last seen at his home on Saturday 17 September. The teenager, who is 5ft 7in tall, with a slim build, dark hair and blue eyes, is said to need regular medication. The CCTV images show Scott walking in Clydebank's Dalmuir Park, towards the Mountblow Road entrance, at about 14:53 on the day he went missing. Insp John Mullen said: \"The two images we are issuing today have been identified as Scott - this is the last confirmed known sighting of him. \"As the weather was favourable that day, there were a number of people within the park who may have seen Scott. \"I would urgently ask anyone who remembers being in the park and who might have seen Scott to get in touch with us. Even if you don't believe you may have seen Scott in the park please contact the police as you may have information that is pertinent to our inquiry.\" Insp Mullen said that given the length of time Scott had been missing police and his family \"remain concerned for his welfare\". He added: \"His family and friends are very distressed at his disappearance. He is a young boy who is vulnerable and needs to be home with his family.\" Insp John Mullen said that anyone with information could contact police at a dedicated email address: scottdiverinquiry@scotland.pnn.police.uk", "summary": "Police have released new CCTV images of a vulnerable teenager who has been missing for more than two weeks."}
{"article": "Unfortunately, a side effect of the tablets was hair loss. I had a large bald patch at the back and lots of smaller patches on the top and around my hairline at the front. I went to see various specialists and tried out a number of different shampoos, creams and sprays - but nothing worked. Because I was so embarrassed and self-conscious about my hair - I started to pull it out, which only made the situation worse but strangely made me feel better. In September last year, I went to a company in Belfast to have special hair extensions fitted, which stopped me from being able to pull my own hair out and allowed it to grow. On a regular maintenance appointment to my get my hair extensions tightened, I was told I didn't need to keep them in anymore. It was exactly six months since I'd had them fitted and to be honest, they had become like a security blanket. I wasn't sure how I felt at the thought of having them taken out. I was happy, scared and pretty emotional all at the same time. Once my hair had been washed and dried, I couldn't believe the difference. I realised at that point I had absolutely no reason to be scared. My hair had grown back, and was stronger and thicker than it had ever been before. The next day, I went to my own hairdresser, who put some highlights in and cut my hair back into the style I had had before the problems began. I had struggled with hair loss for nearly four years and after using numerous shampoos, sprays, creams and taking different courses of herbal tablets, I only found the solution I was looking for in September 2012. After searching online, I came across a private company who deal with all types of hair loss - from women who are completely bald, to women like me who have a less severe problem. I made an appointment, went to the clinic at 09:30 BST - spent 10 hours there getting hand sewn extensions fitted and came out with the shoulder length hair I had wanted since 2008. I didn't realise how depressed I was about my hair loss until I had the extensions fitted. We first noticed the problem in 2008, after I had finished a course of very strong prescribed medication for acne. One evening, while I was watching TV, my parents noticed I had developed a large bald patch on the back of my head. When they told me and showed me, I was absolutely devastated. We initially thought it was alopecia, and I was afraid that I might lose more, or all of my hair. However, upon further investigation, we discovered it was a side effect of the tablets I had been taking. At the time, my hair was shoulder length - and it had to be cut short to try and disguise the bald patch as much as possible. I was gutted and felt like I'd lost all my femininity. I became", "summary": "In 2008, I had been taking very strong prescription medication for acne."}
{"article": "Cox told US chatshow host Jimmy Kimmel how she had struggled with the way the Londonderry man pronounces certain words. The pair met in 2013 through mutual friend Ed Sheeran, and announced their engagement last year. The actress showed a video clip of her family attempting to say the phrase \"how now brown cow\", with mixed results. \"My fianc\u00e9 is from Northern Ireland and it's a great place - nice people there,\" she said. \"But you know, I'm from Alabama and we're real southern. \"He's got this beautiful accent - so we were celebrating our engagement a year ago and in Northern Ireland you say the word 'now', not like n-o-w but it's like n-a-u-w. \"It's weird and it's hard to do - I cannot get it. \"So we were sitting at this table and I was trying to get these southerners to try to say, 'how now brown cow' in the way he says it.\" Kimmel joked: \"I love that Johnny is just sitting there being abused by your whole family, thinking 'I came here from Northern Ireland to be made fun of?'\" She laughed: \"He wanted to go home after that.\"", "summary": "Former Friends star Courteney Cox has been trying to teach her family how to speak in an authentic Northern Ireland accent like her fianc\u00e9, Snow Patrol musician Johnny McDaid."}
{"article": "A source close to Mr Gupta said the discussions had not been substantive but he would seek further talks when he flies back to the UK early next week. Government help on energy costs and plant modernisation are issues he wants to discuss, according to the source. The government declined to comment. It comes as the government said it was ready to offer financial support to \"clinch a buyer\" to save the steelworks, where more than 4,000 jobs are at risk. Tata Steel - which announced last week that it was selling its loss-making UK businesses - has said it will close the plant unless it finds a buyer. German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp has also been touted as another potential buyer, according to reports. Tata directly employs 15,000 workers in the UK and supports thousands of others, across plants in Port Talbot, Rotherham, Corby and Shotton. It said it was \"committed to running a meaningful process to explore strategic alternatives\" for its UK business. What's going wrong with Britain's steel industry? Tata Steel UK: What are the options? Is China to blame for steel woes? Mr Gupta's commodities firm Liberty House has already saved several UK steelworks. A source close to the businessman said he was \"definitely interested\" in Tata's \"downstream\" operations and was looking at options which would keep liquid steel-making in the UK. BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said Mr Gupta wanted to discuss possible government help to replace Port Talbot's traditional blast furnaces with modern electric arc furnaces and energy costs. The source said it would not be an open-ended commitment, would protect most of the jobs at the site and could make it more profitable in the long term. Extra relief from carbon tax is another important issue, according to the source. On Sunday's Andrew Marr show, Business Secretary Sajid Javid said he would rule nothing out, but he maintained the government's view that nationalisation was not the answer to the crisis. It wants to find a commercial buyer for the Port Talbot plant, saying this will offer a \"long-term, viable future\". Mr Javid signalled that ministers were working on plans to reduce energy costs and take on some of the pension liabilities to make a purchase more attractive to investors. Tata Steel has said there is \"no fixed timeline\" for the sale process but stressed that urgency is needed to avoid \"a long period of uncertainty\" employees and customers. It said the sale process began on 30 March and added: \"Tata Steel Europe is in the process of finalising the appointment of advisers and will soon launch a process globally of seeking an investor for the UK operations.\" Labour says the government should be prepared to take the Port Talbot plant - which Tata says is losing \u00c2\u00a31m a day - into public ownership to safeguard its future until a buyer can be found. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell suggested the government could maintain a stake in the plant after a sale. He has also urged ministers to speed up infrastructure projects, such as HS2, to support the steel", "summary": "Tycoon Sanjeev Gupta has held initial talks with the government over the possible purchase of parts of Tata Steel's UK business, including Port Talbot steelworks, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "See a queue, get in it. Apologise even though you were the one bumped in to. Cheer when a glass is smashed in the pub. The English way of playing one-day cricket - nice and steady at the start, wickets in hand, have a bash at the end - last had major success 24 years ago with a run to the 1992 World Cup final. If that was a time when the tortoise managed to keep pace with the hare, then the following 23 years saw the rest of the world accelerate past England. Those nations did so to such a degree that at times it looked as if they were playing a different sport. Former off-spinner Graeme Swann tells a tale of how England were told that if they scored 239, they would win 72% of games. \"In the 2011 World Cup quarter-final against Sri Lanka in Colombo, we had batted to our plan almost perfectly and scored 229. Jonathan Trott got 86 in 115 balls,\" said Swann. \"Everyone said 'brilliant'. Then Sri Lanka knocked them off in 39.3 overs.\" The nadir came at the 2015 World Cup, an embarrassing exit sealed with defeat by Bangladesh, a result described as \"pathetic\" by legendary England all-rounder Sir Ian Botham. It was thought by many than an inflexible approach and an over-reliance on statistics hampered Eoin Morgan's men in Australia and New Zealand. Now, instead of looking at data, England see the ball and whack it out of the ground. There is a new English way, one that was born in their first completed ODI after the World Cup. On that sunny afternoon at Edgbaston, with current assistant coach Paul Farbrace keeping the hotseat warm for Trevor Bayliss, England plundered their first ODI score in excess of 400 against a New Zealand side who had previously provided them with a blueprint on how to play the 50-over game. \"A lot has can be said for former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who is best mates with Eoin Morgan,\" said Swann. \"He tore up the book in and said to his team: 'Whatever has happened in the past in nonsense. It's a new game, play with freedom and your team-mates back you.' England are now playing with a similar amount of freedom. \"Morgan has taken that to the England team, Trevor Bayliss has allowed that to happen and director of cricket Andrew Strauss has separated the one-day team from the Test team. It was a blatant move that had to be made - it just took some chutzpah to do it.\" Since the 2015 World Cup, England's win ratio in ODIs of 1.75 - which is 1.75 wins for every defeat - is bettered only by world champions Australia's 2.13. Former captain Michael Vaughan has called this team the best England one-day side he has seen, while BBC Test Match Special's Simon Hughes, the ex-Middlesex seamer, wrote in the Times that the current crop must grab their opportunity to win a global trophy in the next decade. In the main, England's spectacular upturn has", "summary": "There is an English way of doing things."}
{"article": "Feeney, 29, previously spent time on loan at Blackburn at the end of the 2013-14 season, making six appearances. The former Bournemouth and Millwall man, who finished last season on loan at Ipswich Town, made 71 league starts for Bolton during a two-year contract. Rovers finished 15th in the table last term, 15 points clear of relegation. Feeney is the club's fourth signing so far this summer, joining full-back Stephen Hendrie plus strikers Anthony Stokes and Danny Graham. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Championship club Blackburn Rovers have signed former Bolton Wanderers winger Liam Feeney on a two-year deal, with the option of a further year."}
{"article": "Wednesday's final news conference at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas proved far calmer than any media event in the build-up to what could be the most lucrative fight in boxing history. McGregor, 29, will earn a reported $100m in his boxing debut at the T-Mobile Arena event, prompting speculation future UFC pay days might not keep him with the organisation. He said: \"When this one is done I will have 20 seconds where I relish in victory and then I will be thinking who is next? I will be looking to compete all over the place. \"After I get victory I will certainly be looking to compete in both sports. Since I'm the king of the boxing ring and king of the MMA maybe I will make my own hybrid. Then if anyone wants to challenge me they can do it in my octagon.\" Mayweather cut a refined figure at the MGM event, which was closed to the public. He was seemingly uninterested in exchanging insults, while McGregor had no such qualms, pointing to social media posts his rival has shared of betting slips and stating he thinks Mayweather \"may have a gambling problem\". The undefeated boxer's father - Floyd Sr - told reporters \"a lot\" had been taken away from his son's ability in his two years out of the sport but stressed he still had enough to overcome McGregor. But Mayweather was defiant when telling BBC Sport he was \"going to look good\" as he bids for a 50th win from 50 fights. \"I don't miss the hype and this at all. I'd rather be at home watching TV but this is my job,\" said the 40-year-old. \"McGregor can say whatever he wants to say, when it comes down to it I can fight. \"Mentally, no athlete in the world is stronger than me. \"To be here 21 years I had to take it extremely seriously. You guys think I am not taking it seriously? I am.\" It was announced the winner of a bout many in boxing have rubbished will receive a one-off belt from the World Boxing Council called 'The Money Belt'. It contains 3,360 diamonds, 600 sapphires, 300 emeralds and 1.5kg of solid gold, mounted on alligator leather. It is the latest opulent addition to a fight which could earn $600m (\u00a3469m) and which will challenge the record of 4.6 million pay-per-view buys set when Mayweather defeated Manny Pacquiao in 2015. Stephen Espinoza, the head of the Showtime network, told reporters breaking the record was \"in the realm of possibility\" and stressed a key factor was that the fight will be televised in more than 220 countries, a marked increase on the Mayweather-Pacquiao reach. \"If we don't get there, it will be very close,\" he said. Potential record pay-per-view income, added to merchandising, ticket sales and sponsorship will deliver McGregor the type of purse which will only prompt further questions as to how UFC can satisfy its main star when he returns. His exact earnings will remain unknown thanks to a non-disclosure agreement signed by both", "summary": "UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor wants to continue both a mixed martial arts and boxing career after Saturday's super bout with Floyd Mayweather."}
{"article": "Mr Hunt announced his decision to quit as MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central last week to become the director of London's Victoria and Albert Museum. Mr Reed is leaving the Copeland constituency to take up a post at the Sellafield nuclear plant. The MPs are expected to leave the House of Commons early next week. In his letter of resignation, Mr Reed said his last act as an MP was \"to implore\" Copeland voters to back Gillian Troughton, a former hospital doctor and Labour's candidate for the seat. \"This by-election is about the Tory government's dangerous proposals for the NHS,\" he wrote. \"The Tories have created a crisis in the NHS and, as a result, the future of West Cumberland Hospital and the services provided by Keswick Hospital are under threat.\" Ms Troughton, who said it was \"an honour\" to be selected by Labour, faces a tough battle in the West Cumbrian seat where her party's majority over the Conservatives was cut to 2,564 at the last general election. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: \"Gillian is a local councillor with a strong track record of getting things done for her community. She has campaigned tirelessly to maintain local hospital services. \"As a St John's blue light ambulance driver, Gillian has seen first-hand the extent of the crisis caused by this Conservative government, which has chosen to fund tax cuts for the wealthiest instead of our health service.\" The Conservatives said the selection was a \"victory for the hard left\", describing Ms Troughton - who voted to remain in the EU referendum and is a supporter of nuclear power - as \"nothing more than a Corbyn puppet\". However, her choice has been seen elsewhere as a boost for moderates, as Ms Troughton was one of 1,000 Labour councillors who signed a letter of support for Owen Smith in his unsuccessful attempt to unseat Mr Corbyn as leader last year. Mr Reed held Copeland with 16,750 votes (42%) in 2015, ahead of the Conservatives on 14,186 (36%), UKIP on 6,148 (15%) and the Liberal Democrats on 1,368 (3%). UKIP has chosen NHS worker Fiona Mills to contest the seat. She stood in Carlisle at the 2015 election, coming third with 12% of the vote. \"Copeland voted 62% to leave the EU,\" she said. \"What better way to send a message to the government that we want a full Brexit as soon as possible than to return a UKIP MP.\" Rebecca Hanson has been chosen to fight the seat for the Liberal Democrats. Labour is due to choose a candidate on 25 January to fight Stoke-on-Trent Central, in a by-election triggered by historian Mr Hunt's appointment as director of the V&A Museum. Despite being a traditional Labour safe seat, Mr Corbyn faces an awkward contest in a city which voted overwhelmingly Leave in last year's EU referendum. UKIP - which took second place in the 2015 general election - is due to announce its candidate on Saturday, amid widespread expectation that leader Paul Nuttall will fight the seat in the hope of becoming his party's second", "summary": "By-elections sparked by the resignations of Labour MPs Tristram Hunt and Jamie Reed are to be held on 23 February, the party has said."}
{"article": "\"Originally I was going to get the floor plan tattooed on my side, but that seemed a bit ridiculous,\" he told the BBC before his opening night show. Instead, he chose a lion, representing the England football team's logo. \"It's going to hurt,\" the singer said. The star already has dozens of tattoos, from a ketchup bottle to a teddy bear, each marking career high points. On Friday, the 24-year-old became the first artist to headline Wembley unaccompanied, taking to the stage with just his guitar. \"I don't know any different,\" he said. \"I've never done anything but this at my live shows. I'm in control. Everything is in my hands.\" The star's hat-trick of shows coincides with his second album, X, returning to number one for a fourth time. The record, which has sold more than two million copies in the UK, has not left the top 10 since its release last June. He spoke to the BBC's entertainment correspondent Colin Paterson at Wembley Stadium about his achievements. One man, one guitar, three nights at Wembley Stadium. That's a bold statement. It's a good statement, yeah. I feel like the press, the media, the music industry - and some people in general - thought that the first album was a flash in the pan, so this is a statement to say that I'm going to be here for a while... So sorry. Whose idea was it? It was my idea. I felt like I'd done every venue on the ladder in England and this is the biggest. Was it always an ambition to play here? No! This was never an ambition because, as a singer song-writer, my ambition was the Shepherd's Bush Empire, which is like 1,500 people. I would never have had the balls to believe I could play a place like this. So what does it feel like to be standing on the stage where Queen played Live Aid? For me to be on such a small list of massive artists is very humbling and strange, you know? There's probably about six artists or bands right now that can sell this is out. To be part of that is pretty nuts. You've got AC/DC, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, One Direction, Eminem, Muse, Take That. It's under 10. How different will it be from a normal gig? It's going to be pretty similar to a festival set. I feel like it's going to be very crowd-involved and epic. I'll try to have intimate moments, but I kind of just want to have the euphoric, anthemic feel. Are you nervous? The size of the venue doesn't make me feel nervous. What makes me nervous is that stuff like this [indicates his guitar pedals] can mess up. The whole gig relies on this. The microphone can switch off, a guitar string can break. But I'm confident enough that if everything goes right, the gig will be great. What's your Plan B if there is a technical fault? Things mess up from time to time, and you just improvise. I have songs I can", "summary": "Ed Sheeran says he will commemorate his trio of sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium by having his chest tattooed."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Cook, 34, signed for Jon Lewis' side following the news the county had been demoted for financial issues by the England and Wales Cricket Board. They go into Nottinghamshire's visit on Friday with a 48-point deficit. \"Play some seriously good cricket and get promoted at the first attempt - what an incredible story,\" Cook said. \"That's what you play cricket for, those moments to create history, and a moment of magic,\" he told BBC Look North. The South Africa Test batsman arrives at Chester-le-Street for the opening half of the season before joining up with his country for the series against England. Although his stay is relatively fleeting, Cook is keen to help establish a platform. \"It appeals to me and I know the guys in the dressing room are hugely motivated,\" he said. \"The hardships are well documented but we've got to use that as motivation rather than an excuse.\" Moving to Durham has allowed Cook to follow in his father Jimmy's footsteps, having spent the rest of his career in his native country with Gauteng and Lions. \"To play county cricket has been a lifelong goal,\" Cook continued. \"Ever since I was a young boy, it's the whole tradition and splendour of it all. \"My dad played for Somerset many a year ago, I watched him from afar and always liked the idea of it. \"He had a really successful time of it and if I can do half of that I'll have an enjoyable summer. \"To be able to finally walk out there on Friday will be a great time for me.\"", "summary": "Durham's bid for promotion to County Championship Division One despite a points penalty is a \"wonderful challenge\", says opener Stephen Cook."}
{"article": "Emma Way, 22, from Norfolk, was found guilty at Norwich Magistrates' Court of failing to stop after a collision and failing to report an accident. She was cleared of driving without due care and attention. Way said that following the \"stupid\" #bloodycyclists tweet there had been lots of \"malicious messages\". Magistrates heard that police only became aware of the collision on 19 May because Way, from Watton, tweeted \"definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier. I have right of way - he doesn't even pay road tax!\" using the hashtag #bloodycyclists. Cyclist Toby Hockley, from Norwich, suffered bruising and minor damage to his bike in the incident near the village of Rockland All Saints, Norfolk. Appearing on ITV's Daybreak programme earlier, Way said that she regretted the Twitter post but did not believe the collision was her fault. She said: \"I am 22, so not generalising on 22-year-olds sometimes you do just put things and it's not actually intended. \"I was quite angry at the mannerism of the cyclist on the road. My point of view is that he was on my side of the road - that's not the way you drive so I find that quite disrespectful.\" CTC, the national cycling charity, said the collection of evidence around cycling incidents should be more \"robust\". Rhia Weston, a road safety officer with the charity, said: \"The only reason Emma Way was caught was because she tweeted about the incident, many other hit and runs end in no prosecution because police fail to trace the driver. \"Evidence collection needs to be much more robust if hit and run drivers are to be caught, prosecuted and convicted. \"CTC's Road Justice petition is calling on the police to better enforce road traffic law by thoroughly investigating all injury collisions.\" Way, who said she did not receive a fee for the television appearance, was sacked from her job as a trainee accountant with Norwich-based Larking Gowen after the tweet. The court heard she has now got a new job. Magistrate Martin Cliffe fined Way \u00c2\u00a3337 and ordered her to pay \u00c2\u00a3300 in costs. He also ordered that seven penalty points be added to her licence. Ms Weston said Way's sentence was \"minimal\" compared to \"the maximum sentence the judges had at their disposal of \u00c2\u00a35000, six months custodial sentence, a discretionary driving ban and 10 penalty points\". \"A tougher sentence would send a clearer message that disregard for other people's wellbeing on the roads is intolerable...\" Way previously described her tweet as her \"biggest regret\" and rated it \"11 out of 10\" on the stupidity scale. She told Daybreak: \"I lost my job in accountancy and I've received really malicious threats and stuff off people... cyberbullying and stuff, so it has been quite bad.\" Way had about 200 Twitter followers when she sent the message and used to tweet daily. She has since quit the social networking site.", "summary": "A motorist convicted of driving offences after tweeting about a collision with a cyclist says she has been cyber-bullied because of the post."}
{"article": "The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) now agrees that abiraterone is affordable. It had previously said the treatment was not cost-effective for the NHS until cancers were more advanced. The drug costs \u00c2\u00a33,000 a month, but a lower price has been agreed with the manufacturer Janssen. Janssen also submitted fresh data about the drug's effectiveness to NICE. Abiraterone, also known as Zytiga, is a hormone therapy, and unlike chemotherapy which kills the cancerous cells, it stops more testosterone from reaching the prostate gland to stifle the tumour. It is already used at the end-of-life after chemotherapy as it can give patients an extra few months. But NICE had previously said it could not justify giving the drug to patients with earlier stage disease, even though such patients in Scotland did have access to it. Instead, patients in England had to rely on their doctors applying to the Cancer Drugs Fund, a special pot set aside for cancer drugs not routinely available on the NHS. Now NICE says the new evidence submitted by Janssen means it can offer the drug to more patients - those with spreading prostate cancer who have only mild symptoms and who have not responded to androgen deprivation therapy and have not yet been offered chemotherapy. It is estimated that 5,900 people with this category of prostate cancer might be eligible each year in England. Prof Carole Longson, from NICE, said: \"There are few treatments available for patients at this stage of prostate cancer so this is very good news.\" Heather Blake, from Prostate Cancer UK, said: \"This long awaited decision is fantastic news and brings an end to years of uncertainty for men and their loved ones. After 18 months our calls have finally been heard as NICE and the manufacturer have managed to negotiate a way forward. However it cannot continue to take so ludicrously long to get men what they need. \"If the newly reformed drug appraisal process really is to work better for men, manufacturers must present best value for money first time around while greater flexibility from NICE must come as standard. We need to see much more focus on what patients need and deserve, otherwise men will men will lose out as they continue to be caught in the middle.\" The NHS in Wales is expected to adopt the English guidance. The new price for the drug on the NHS in England is \u00c2\u00a32,300 for 120 tablets, which is 30 days' supply. Under the agreed discount, the NHS pays for the first 10 months of treatment with abiraterone. For people who remain on treatment for more than 10 months, Janssen will rebate the drug cost of abiraterone from the 11th month until the end of treatment.", "summary": "Patients with prostate cancer in England will now have early access to a drug that can delay the need for chemotherapy."}
{"article": "An HM Inspectorate of Prisons report into the Verne IRC in Portland also criticised the amount of legal representation available to detainees. The report praised treatment of detainees by staff and the use of body cameras by managers. The Home Office said it took detainees' welfare \"extremely seriously\". HMP Verne was reclassified as an immigration removal centre in September 2014. Almost 600 men awaiting deportation were held at the centre, with a majority having previously been in prison following criminal convictions. During what was the first announced inspection since the change in status, inspectors found \"levels of violence were too high and some of the violence was serious\". They reported a \"concerted indiscipline\" in the week before their visit in March. They also pointed to higher than usual availability of new psychoactive substances and illicit alcohol. The inspectors found 30 minutes of free legal advice was available and many detainees \"struggled to obtain representation to fight their cases\". Their report also highlighted \"excessive stays\", including almost 40 men being held for more than a year, and one held for five years, which inspectors described as \"one of the worse cases of prolonged detention we have seen\". It also said the former Victorian fort complex remained \"too prison-like in character\", with too much inner fencing and razor wire and restrictions on movement. Chief Inspector of Prisons Nick Hardwick said: \"Overall, The Verne was operating satisfactorily. However, despite considerable efforts to prepare the institution for its new role, the environment and staff culture reflected an institution that had not yet come to terms with its new function as an IRC.\" A Home Office spokesperson said: \"We are pleased the inspector has reported that the majority of detainees in The Verne felt safe and were very positive about their treatment by staff. \"We have considered the inspector's recommendations carefully and are committed to working with our contractors to implement our service improvement plan for the centre.\" Former prisons ombudsman Stephen Shaw is to complete an independent review of detainees' welfare expected to be completed in the autumn.", "summary": "High levels of violence were recorded at an immigration removal centre (IRC) in a former Dorset jail, the prison watchdog has found."}
{"article": "Dorset Fire and Rescue sprang into action to rescue Pigwig after he became trapped in the pool at Avon Castle Drive, Ashley Heath, earlier. District commander Andy Cole said its specialist animal rescue squad was also dispatched to deal with the unusual rescue operation. Firefighters used rescue boards, strops and lines to tug the stranded pig out. Crews from Ferndown and Poole were the first on the scene of the drama after receiving a call at 16:50 BST. They were later joined by a crew from Hampshire Fire and Rescue service in Ringwood. Pigwig was hauled from the swimming pool at about 17:30.", "summary": "A pig that fell into a swimming pool in Dorset has had his bacon saved by firefighters."}
{"article": "5 February 2016 Last updated at 13:30 GMT Mobile phone footage of the Toffees boss showing off a series of slick moves at the Jason Derulo gig has been shared thousands of times on Twitter. Martinez later confirmed he was at the event and said he was a \"big fan\" of the American pop star. And he said: \"I have better moves, believe me. Probably that [seen on the video] was the worst move.\"", "summary": "Everton manager Roberto Martinez has been spotted dancing the night away at a concert in Manchester."}
{"article": "Gregory died at hospital in Washington DC after being admitted with an undisclosed illness. The family shared the news of their \"enormous sadness\" in a post on social media on Saturday. From the 1960s Gregory mocked racism in his stand-up routines. He was among the first US black comedian to perform regularly in front of white audiences. \"It is with enormous sadness that the Gregory family confirms that their father, comedic legend and civil rights activist Mr Dick Gregory departed this earth tonight in Washington, DC,\" his son, Christian, wrote on Instagram. He added that the family \"appreciates the outpouring of support and love\" but requested that their privacy be respected \"during this very difficult time\". US civil rights activist Jesse Jackson paid tribute to Gregory on Twitter: End of Twitter post by @RevJJackson Gregory was a no-holds-barred comedian, delivering lines in his performances that were likely to raise eyebrows. \"A Southern liberal?\" he once said, \"that's a guy that'll lynch you from a low tree\". \"Segregation is not all bad,\" Gregory said on another occasion. \"Have you ever heard of a collision where the people in the back of the bus got hurt?\" Gregory was also involved in a number of civil rights activities in the 1960s. He campaigned against the Vietnam War and his protests often involved hunger strikes.", "summary": "US comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory has died at the age of 84, his family has announced."}
{"article": "The referendum saw 65.3% vote against the plan with 34.7% in favour. The country is home to a range of giant businesses, including pharmaceutical companies Novartis and Roche, the insurance groups Zurich and Swiss Re and the banks UBS and Credit Suisse. The rules would have given Switzerland the world's toughest pay rules and some of the lowest executive salaries. Business leaders said that would limit foreign investment and the government was also opposed to the proposal. The Young Socialists, who proposed the measure, admitted defeat. By Imogen FoulkesSwitzerland correspondent, BBC News The one to 12 initiative was clearly just too radical for many Swiss voters. The big business cantons of Zurich and St Gallen have rejected it outright. Despite widespread public anger that some Swiss executives are earning hundreds of times the wages of their employees, the government's arguments that such severe salary restrictions would undermine the Swiss economy and deter foreign investment clearly carried weight with voters. It is the second time this year that Swiss voters have been balloted on the issue. In March they did back strict limits on bonuses and golden handshakes. There has been widespread public anger at revelations that some of Switzerland's chief executives are earning more than 200 times what their employees take home. Some Swiss have been further irritated that these high levels of pay are being given to executives whose firms have been cutting jobs. Although this proposal has been defeated, the issue of high salaries and a widening wage gap has not gone away. Early next year, Switzerland will hold another referendum on a guaranteed minimum wage. Switzerland's system of democracy means citizens can call nationwide votes on issues that concern them.", "summary": "Swiss voters have rejected a proposal that would have limited executive pay to 12 times that of the lowest paid."}
{"article": "The skeleton was unearthed during a large-scale excavation of the Swinegate area of York in 1990. The York Archaeological Trust (YAT) said more than 100 burial sites were discovered, many dating from between the 9th and 11th Century. The skeleton and coffin are being displayed at the city's Jorvik Viking Centre. York was occupied by the Vikings from the late 9th Century until the middle of the 10th Century, when it was absorbed into the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of England. The Swinegate dig explored the churchyard of the former church of St Benet, which had stood on the site from the 8th to the early 14th Century. Unusually, a number of timber coffins had survived. Sarah Maltby, director of attractions for the trust, said: \"As we found in the Coppergate dig of the late 1970s, York's waterlogged soil conditions preserved the timber of several coffins, including this one, so what our archaeologists unearthed represents a series of previously undisturbed burials with complete skeletons, some of which date back more than 1,000 years.\" She said the condition of the wood gave the coffin a national significance, as so few similar examples exist. The coffin was made for a young woman, estimated at being between 26 and 35 at her death, and dates from the late Viking period. The YAT said recent analysis of the bones revealed the woman had inadequate nutrition or disease as a child and a degenerative joint disease in the spine and hips. There was no indication of what caused her death.", "summary": "The skeleton of a young Viking woman found in an intact timber coffin has gone on display for the first time."}
{"article": "Juhel Miah, 25, told BBC Wales: \"All I want is a reason, I want to know why they kicked me off the flight.\" Mr Miah had flown to Reykjavik, Iceland, with the party from Llangatwg Community School in Aberdulais, Neath, before boarding an onward flight to New York on 16 February. But before the plane took off he was escorted off by security staff. First Minister Carwyn Jones has written to the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson for \"urgent clarification\" in the case, and Neath Port Talbot council has written to the US Embassy to \"express its dismay\" at the treatment of Mr Miah. In the letter, Mr Jones says he understands Mr Miah was \"escorted from the aircraft by US Homeland Security personnel\". The US Embassy in London has been asked to comment. Mr Miah, whose first name is Mohammed but is known as Juhel, was in charge of eight pupils at the time and said there were a total of 39 pupils and five members of staff on the trip. The teacher, from Swansea, who says he has a visa which is valid until 2019 and does not have a criminal record, said: \"Everyone looked at me like I'd done something wrong. \"It made me feel really small, even though it shouldn't have. I repeatedly asked on what ground they were kicking me off the flight, no-one could give me an answer.\" Mr Miah said he has a British passport and does not have dual nationality. His family's ethnic background is Bangladeshi. \"I can't think why they wouldn't want me on the plane, apart from maybe because I'm a Muslim,\" he said. He added that he had never been to any of the seven Muslim-majority countries included in an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump, temporarily barring people from those places. A federal judge in Seattle has since suspended the ban nationwide - a ruling which was later upheld at an appeals court hearing in San Francisco. Mr Miah, who teaches maths at the 700-pupil school, said he was also denied access to the US Embassy in Reykjavik. He said if he was not given a reason for what happened, he \"would like someone to put their hand up and say 'sorry, we made a mistake'.\" A council spokesman said: \"No satisfactory reason has been provided for refusing entry to the United States - either at the airport in Iceland or subsequently at the embassy. \"Understandably he feels belittled and upset at what appears to be an unjustified act of discrimination.\" The Muslim Council Wales said it was \"deeply troubled\" by what had happened, adding that such incidents \"undermine equality and civil life\". The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was \"providing support to a British man who was prevented from boarding a flight in Reykjavik\".", "summary": "A Muslim teacher denied entry to the United States while on a school trip said he has still not been told why."}
{"article": "The 84 glass-fibre GoGoDragons! - all 5ft (1.6m) tall and which were part of a community art trail - were sold at The Forum in the city. The auction raised \u00a3369,500 for charity Break, which cares for vulnerable people. The dragons were painted by a variety of artists and in many styles. One painted by 12-year-old art prodigy Kieron Williamson sold for \u00a320,000, while a glittering mosaic dragon went for \u00a325,000. Dragons feature in much of Norwich's architecture and the city has churches dedicated to Saint George in Tombland and Colegate - both of which house dragon symbols. The event follows on from 2013's GoGoGorillas! trail, which raised about \u00a3270,000 for charity at auction.", "summary": "Hundreds of thousands of pounds have been raised for charity by the sale of dragons that have been on display in Norwich."}
{"article": "The sacking of Francesco Guidolin on his 61st birthday and the appointment of Bob Bradley show that may not totally be the case. Bradley's long and mostly successful career in management has mirrored the game's development in the United States, over nigh on four decades. Indeed the 58-year-old's only forays outside the States have been his most recent and have proved mainly successful. His two years in charge of the Egypt national side were played out against a background of violent civil unrest in the North African country. Bradley's arrival to live in Cairo in October 2011, with his wife Lindsay, coincided with the Egyptian Revolution and the American was praised for choosing to remain in the country when a match erupted into violence leading to the Port Said Stadium riot which killed 70 people in February 2012. Despite the Egyptian Premier League being suspended as a result, Bradley took the national side to within one match of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. The Pharaohs eventually lost to Ghana in a play-off. After departing Egypt, Bradley headed north. In January 2014 he took over at Norwegian outfit Stabaek, becoming the first American to manage a club in a European top division and then was the first to guide a club to the Europa League. Then it was to the club from whom he joins Swansea, France's oldest, Le Havre, where it seemed, again, history beckoned. Last season, under Bradley, they went as close to promotion to Ligue 1 as is possible. They missed out by just one goal scored despite beating Bourg-en-Bresse 5-0 in their final game of the campaign and hitting the woodwork four times. As he arrives in Swansea, supporters will be hoping their new manager's luck has at least improved since then. But despite his recent foreign excursions, Bradley's career has mainly been stepped in Americana. He attended Princeton University and was top scorer for the Princeton Tigers whilst completing his degree in history. But despite his exploits on the pitch it was in coaching and management young Bradley's future lay. He took his first head coaching job aged just 22, at Ohio University whilst studying for an MA in Sports Administration at the same time. Bradley then rose through the US college system, eventually taking the head coach job at his alma mater, Princeton, leading the Tigers to two Ivy League titles. As the MLS expanded, so Bradley's coaching career took off. Starting as assistant at DC United, he eventually became manager at Chicago Fire, the MetroStars, who have since transformed into the New York Red Bulls, and Chivas USA, who are now defunct. There were plenty of accolades for Bradley along the way, including twice being named MLS Coach of the Year. But it is an incident during his time in charge of the MetroStars that illustrates Bradley's quick-thinking. In a game against DC United, Bradley exploited a rule that allowed for a fourth substitution in a match as long as it was a goalkeeper. He switched shot-stopper Tim Howard to an outfield position, brought on", "summary": "When Americans Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan became majority shareholders at Swansea City they vowed to do things the \"Swansea way\"."}
{"article": "Sam Matthews stunned the home crowd early on from long range, but Aswad Thomas replied quickly for Dover. The irrepressible Miller then went out on his own at the top of the scoring charts, notching a quick-fire hat-trick. The second was a real highlight as he wormed his way inside from the corner flag before beating Joe Taylor. Jack Parkinson made it five before half-time from close range. The break helped Braintree steady matters, and Dover's rampant form subsided. But Miller grabbed his 14th of the season from a free-kick to cap his perfect day. Reports supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Dover Athletic 6, Braintree Town 1. Second Half ends, Dover Athletic 6, Braintree Town 1. Substitution, Dover Athletic. Ira Jackson Jr replaces Ricky Modeste. Substitution, Braintree Town. Joe Maybanks replaces Sam Matthews. Substitution, Dover Athletic. Mitchell Pinnock replaces Ricky Miller. Substitution, Dover Athletic. Ayo Obileye replaces Tyrone Sterling. Jon Ashton (Braintree Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Braintree Town. Jack Midson replaces Harry Lee. Sam Matthews (Braintree Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Braintree Town. Jon Ashton replaces Barney Williams. Goal! Dover Athletic 6, Braintree Town 1. Ricky Miller (Dover Athletic). Second Half begins Dover Athletic 5, Braintree Town 1. First Half ends, Dover Athletic 5, Braintree Town 1. Goal! Dover Athletic 5, Braintree Town 1. Jack Parkinson (Dover Athletic). Goal! Dover Athletic 4, Braintree Town 1. Ricky Miller (Dover Athletic). Goal! Dover Athletic 3, Braintree Town 1. Ricky Miller (Dover Athletic). Goal! Dover Athletic 2, Braintree Town 1. Ricky Miller (Dover Athletic). Goal! Dover Athletic 1, Braintree Town 1. Aswad Thomas (Dover Athletic). Goal! Dover Athletic 0, Braintree Town 1. Sam Matthews (Braintree Town). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Ricky Miller scored four times in Dover's 6-1 win over struggling Braintree at the Crabble Athletic Ground."}
{"article": "The Arsenal midfielder had knee surgery two weeks ago to repair an anterior cruciate ligament injury and expects to be back playing early in 2018. \"I got a bit emotional originally but got over it quite quickly,\" she said. \"My thoughts are on the World Cup qualifiers that begin after the Euros.\" Little made her Scotland debut in 2007 and has since gone on to win 121 caps. Her absence, along with that of Jen Beattie, Lizzie Arnot and Emma Mitchell, will be keenly felt by head coach Anna Signeul as she prepares the Euro 2017 squad for the Netherlands finals where Scotland play England, Spain and Portugal in the group stage. Little, who had three years at Seattle Reign before a stint at Melbourne City preceded her move to Arsenal, will be a pundit for broadcaster Channel Four at the finals. \"It was very bad timing but these things happen in sport,\" she said of her injury, which she sustained training with Arsenal. \"It's obviously very disappointing for me, Jen and Emma and Lizzie but we're all young and we'll be back, I'm sure. \"I've been very lucky not to have been on the sidelines before. \"It is nice to have a different perspective because when you're playing you are so absorbed in that. \"I'm just excited now to watch the girls who have the opportunity to play.\" Little feels there is now a good mix of players in the Scotland squad. She highlighted the veteran goalkeeper Gemma Fay, who won her 200th cap in Friday's 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland, a clutch of players in their mid- to late-20s with five years' international experience, and younger players to have emerged such as Chloe Arthur, Sophie Howard, Erin Cuthbert and Fiona Brown. Little told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound that she will be sorry to see Signeul depart to take over the Finland women's team after the Euros but welcomes the arrival of Shelley Kerr \"in the new era\" as they strive to reach the World Cup in France in two years' time. Scotland will take on Switzerland, Poland, Belarus and Albania in their qualification campaign, which runs for a year from September. \"She has been the manager for as long as I've been in the team,\" she said. \"Anna has improved the game a lot in Scotland, with the national academy that has been set up, and the improvement of us physically has helped us qualify for our first national tournament.\"", "summary": "Kim Little has got over the disappointment of missing Scotland women's first major finals through injury and is looking ahead to the 2019 World Cup qualifiers instead."}
{"article": "The West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had attended an incident involving two vehicles in Keighley, at 04:40 GMT. A car parked on Greystones Drive was alight and the fire then spread to a nearby van. The car was destroyed and the van and its contents severely damaged.", "summary": "A car set on fire during a suspected arson attack also damaged a van containing furniture packed in preparation for a house move."}
{"article": "Army ants are a predatory nomadic species: they raid other insect colonies and are always on the move, without a permanent nest. In this lifestyle, finding the shortest foraging path - with sufficient workforce left over - is crucial. The new research shows they adjust their bridges to find that balance. Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists say their findings have implications for creating intelligent, self-assembling systems. Many species of ants show many complex, collective behaviours. Fire ants form rafts, bridges and tower structures, while weaver ants in Australia build chains that \"sew\" leaves together to make nests. The American and German researchers behind the new study focussed on the army ant, Eciton hamatum. They travelled to Panama to observe this species in its natural environment, hoping \"to understand the simple rules that allow them to communicate and build the complex bridge structures\", said co-first author Matthew Lutz. The team used a 3D-printed, angled platform that mimicked the ants' natural environment but also allowed the scientists to adjust the path for their experiments. \"The ants started to form a small bridge at the tip of the angle, which then moved away, making the bridge bigger and bigger so as to shorten the path,\" explained Mr Lutz, a PhD student at Princeton University in the US. \"What was even more interesting was that the bridge didn't move as far away as it possibly could. It tended to stop at some intermediate point.\" If the angle to be bridged was wider, that \"bridge migration\" ceased even sooner. In the wild, a foraging trail contains several such bridges, and they respond to the intensity of the traffic overhead: \"If you stop the traffic across the bridge, it breaks in 1-2 minutes,\" Mr Lutz said. He and his colleagues reasoned that the ants were facing a trade-off between a shorter, faster path and the number of ants that had to be immobilised in building the structure - which would otherwise boost the community' foraging power. From a foraging perspective, the shortest path is not necessarily the most efficient one. \"This is an elegant, quantitative study of the wonderful adaptive abilities of army ants,\" commented Prof Nigel Franks, who runs an ant research lab at the University of Bristol. \"The army ants are such effective raiders that they deplete their prey as they go. They are here today, gone tomorrow. \"Using their bodies to build dynamic bridges and to cover \"potholes\" in their route makes sense to them, as opposed to spending time and energy bulldozing obstacles out of their way.\" Mr Lutz, an architect by training, is interested in self-assembling structures. \"I started doing this PhD in biology to study more specifically the structures that are formed by these ants,\" he said. Contemporary architecture and robotics are turning to natural self-assembling systems like the army ants to learn how to design and produce such dynamic structures in the future. \"In 10-15 years, this sort of stuff will be more common,\" Mr Lutz predicted. Chris Reid, his co-author on the study,", "summary": "Ants are well-known for building with their bodies, but a new study has shown that army ants can optimise traffic flow using bridges that move."}
{"article": "On the rock'n'roll scene since the age of 15, Keys played with Buddy Holly, John Lennon and Eric Clapton. The 70-year-old was most famous for his work with the Stones on the classic track Brown Sugar and their album Exile On Main Street. The band issued a statement mourning \"the loss of their very dear friend and legendary saxophone player\". The statement went on: \"Bobby made a unique musical contribution to the band since the 1960s. He will be greatly missed.\" Guitarist Keith Richards said: \"I have lost the largest pal in the world and I can't express the sense of sadness I feel although Bobby would tell me to cheer up.\" Keys featured in Richards' autobiography Life in 2010 and recalled the first time he met the Stones in the mid-1960s. Like Buddy Holly, Keys was born in the Texas town of Lubbock and had toured with him and his band The Crickets in the 1950s. But he was not impressed that the Stones had recorded a cover of Buddy Holly's Not Fade Away. Keys recalled the moment: \"I said 'Hey, that was Buddy's song. Who are these pasty-faced, funny-talking, skinny-legged guys to come over here and cash in on Buddy's song?''' Keys played during the band's Glastonbury headline slot in 2013, although in October he was forced to pull out of dates in New Zealand and Australia due to poor health. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "The Rolling Stones say they're devastated over the death of Bobby Keys, who played saxophone for them."}
{"article": "The 34-year-old hooker also told the Australian Broadcasting Corp that he was stepping down as captain immediately. \"I think it's the right time to call time on my career at this level,\" said Moore, who has played 120 Tests. Flanker Michael Hooper is set to take over the captaincy of the Wallabies, according to local media. Moore, who has played in three World Cups since his debut in 2005, said he had been considering the \"very tough\" decision for months. Injuries \"were not a factor\", he added. \"It has been a big part of my life and it means a lot to me playing for Australia,\" he told the ABC. \"I felt it is the right time to finish the year strongly and then let the next crop of players take the team forward.\" Moore, the 10th most capped international player of all time, plans to play one more season of Super Rugby with the Queensland Reds before retiring from the sport.", "summary": "Wallabies skipper Stephen Moore has announced he will quit international rugby union by the end of the year."}
{"article": "The charity's Great British Beach Clean report found just under seven bags per 100 metres of coastline cleaned. That is a 40% drop from the average 11 bags found in 2015 and is the lowest number in 10 years. The MCS said the drop \"vindicates\" the introduction of a 5p charge on single-use plastic bags. The MCS was among those groups which campaigned for the plastic bag levy to be introduced in Wales in 2011, Northern Ireland in 2013, Scotland in 2014 and England in October last year. \"We've seen a significant drop in the number and that can only be as a result of the 5p charge which is now in place in all the home nations,\" said MCS beach watch manager Lauren Eyles. \"It vindicates the charge, which we predicted would be good news for the marine environment. \"Thanks to our thousands of fantastic volunteers who collect beach litter data, we can now see the impact these charges have had.\" The Great British Clean is an annual beach clean and survey that takes place all along the UK coastline. This year, some 6,000 volunteers cleaned 364 beaches and recorded the litter they found. In Wales, where the bag charge has been in place for five years, the number was lower than any other year since 2011 - just under four bags for every 100m cleaned. But it was beaches in England and Northern Ireland which saw the biggest drop in the number of plastic bags found during the September clean up - with half as many recovered compared with 2015. Environment minister Therese Coffey said the introduction of the charge in England had been a \"huge success\" and had raised \u00c2\u00a329m for charitable organisations and good causes. One of those was the MCS, which received \u00c2\u00a328,400 in the last year, with the money being used to recruit thousands of beach clean volunteers Ms Coffey added: \"It shows small actions can make the biggest difference, but we must not be complacent as there is always more we can all do to reduce waste and recycle what we use.\" But the data collected by volunteers showed a rise of more than 4% in the quantity of drinks containers found on the UK's beaches - including plastic bottles, bottle tops and aluminium cans. There was also a 53% rise over the past year in the amount of balloon-related litter found on beaches. Plastic bags are particularly dangerous to turtles, who mistake them for their jellyfish prey. The bags can block their digestive systems, leading to death from starvation. Some species of seabirds are particularly attracted by the scent of plastic junk and according to the MCS, over 90% of fulmars found dead around the North Sea have plastic in their stomachs. The charity said there had been a drop of almost 4% in the amount of litter found on UK beaches between 2015 and 2016, with 6,000 volunteers collecting 268,384 items in this year's clean. Beaches in Scotland saw a decrease of 18% in overall litter levels, rubbish in the North East of", "summary": "The number of plastic carrier bags found on UK beaches has dropped by almost half, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has said."}
{"article": "Called '\"tanim bala\" (which means planting bullets) it has meant passengers have been faced with fines or even the possibility of being charged with the illegal possession of ammunition. After several passengers were detained, others taken to court for refusing to pay fines and an outcry by legislators in the Philippines, it has spurred Filipinos to action. They have been posting to social media defiant notices stuck to their luggage, wrapping suitcases in layers of plastic sheeting and speaking out about the dangers of this scam. Officials at the Manila International Airport also set up a public help desk. On Facebook and Instagram users uploaded pictures of the signs stuck to their bags. Cautious travellers, like Raymond Britanico, uploaded photos to warn off potential bullet planters. Other users like Filipino actor Ronnie Liang, showed off plastic cling-wrapped luggage bags using the hashtags, #TanimBala and #LagLagBala (which means \"dropping off bullets\"). It even spawned a highly-popular mobile app game, in which users play as a \"victim\" at the airport who has to navigate carefully to avoid bullets from being dropped onto his luggage. Celebrities such as former Miss Philippines Earth Alma Cabasal also took a strong stand. She shared a photograph of a warning she wrote: \"Plant trees, not bullets - I refuse to be a Tanim Bala victim.\" Ms Cabasal told the BBC that she took measures to protect her luggage before she flew back to California. \"I paid close attention to my belongings the whole time I was at the airport in Manila,\" she said. \"This scam is a very unfortunate and embarrassing one. It's damaging our reputation as a country because people around the world know Filipinos for being hospitable and courteous...\" People have highlighted the risks ahead of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) summit, which will held in the capital Manila on 18 November. \"This scam is just are giving foreign governments more reason to not trust Filipino officials - especially before the Apec summit,\" said Philippine Twitter user Marcial Bonifacio. Another Twitter user Ella from Taguig city commented: \"The \"tanim bala\" problem must be fixed as soon as possible - what if a delegate were to suddenly discover a bullet?\" Philippine President Benigno Aquino has ordered an investigation into the scam. Local media report that victims told a court their accounts. UN officials, meanwhile, advised staff to lock up their bags and protect their belongings. Another Instagram user Cindy Jubilee, from Manila, told the BBC that she wanted to highlight the actions of \"incompetent airport officials\" so those responsible could be held accountable. It is unclear exactly why this is happening, but the government has been quoted in local media as saying it was looking into the phenomenon as an extortion racket. It is hard to imagine how empty bullets being planted in luggage came about. But according to Filipino BBC presenter Rico Hizon, the origins of bullets could date back to a Philippine folk tradition from the late 19th Century. \"There is a Filipino superstition that carrying a bullet is like a lucky charm to protect", "summary": "A scam in the Philippines, which allegedly sees bullets dropped into the luggage of passengers as they go through airport security, has sparked anger, fear and social media activism."}
{"article": "Police were called to Ridley Road in Dalston at about 14:10 BST following reports of shots being fired. Armed officers found a man in his 30s with a gunshot wound to his leg. He was taken to hospital and is said to be in a \"serious but stable\" condition. Police searched the area and recovered a firearm. They also made 13 arrests for a variety of offences. Ridley Road has been closed while the police carry out their investigation.", "summary": "A man has been shot in the leg and 13 people arrested following an incident in east London."}
{"article": "30 November 2015 Last updated at 16:35 GMT Simon Whittaker, originally from Cheadle, posted his footage on Facebook saying: \"Monarch A320 drifts off the centre line in cross winds at manchester airport and goes around.\" Mr Whittaker, who used to fly planes himself, was on his way for a coffee at the Airport Hotel Pub when he noticed how the wind was affecting the incoming flights and began filming. He said the weather was \"absolutely treacherous\" but that the pilot seemed \"in control of the plane throughout the aborted landing\". He said the winds were so strong that it was a challenge even keeping the camera steady. Five planes were diverted from the airport on Sunday as a result of the high winds. A spokeswoman said three planes were diverted to East Midlands Airport including two Monarch flights and another two went to Birmingham Airport. The severe weather caused a roof on shops to be blown off in Greater Manchester, thousands of homes were left without power and trees were brought down.", "summary": "A plane aborted its landing at Manchester Airport after winds of up to 70mph swept across the North West."}
{"article": "A total of 142 postmen and women were attacked in the 12 months to April 2013, down from more than 200 in 2012. The CF postcode of Cardiff and the south Wales valleys had 31 incidents while the postcodes areas for mid and north east Wales each saw 25 attacks. Royal Mail and postal unions have urged dog owners to control their pets. CF postcode (Cardiff area) 31 attacks SA postcode (Swansea and south west Wales) 21 attacks SY postcode (Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury) 25 attacks NP postcode (Newport and Gwent Valleys) 14 attacks LL postcode (north Wales) 24 attacks Llandrindod and LD postcode two attacks CH postcode (Mold and Deeside) 25 attacks SOURCE: Royal Mail (figures per postcode area in 12 months to April 2013) Both the Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) warned that postal staff face a higher risk of attack during the summer months as families at home have dogs unsupervised in the garden or the street. Royal Mail Group safety director Shaun Davis said: \"Clearly most dogs are not inherently dangerous, however, even the most placid animal can be prone to attack if it feels its territory is being threatened. \"Our first priority as an employer is to ensure the welfare and safety of our people who provide a valuable service.\" The organisation has teamed up with animal charities to highlight the issue across the UK during Dog Awareness Week. The Dogs Trust is installing letterboxes at its Bridgend centre to train dogs to \"learn to love the postman's arrival\". Beverley Price, manager of Dogs Trust Bridgend, said: \"We have always ensured that our dogs are as acclimatised as they can be to real life situations that they will come across when they leave our kennels. \"Introducing letterboxes to all of the re-homing centres with training facilities is an obvious next step in providing a 'first class' service.\" Royal Mail safety director Senol Ali said: \"Last year across the country the number of dog attacks on our people fell. \"However there were still over 140 incidents in Wales and we need to reduce this number further as even one dog attack on our people is one dog attack too many.\"", "summary": "Dogs attacks on postal staff in Wales have dropped over the past year but still remain \"unacceptably high,\" says the Royal Mail."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 28-year-old Briton was fastest in the first of Saturday's two runs to climb from fourth to third and she held her position in the final run. Gold went to World Cup leader Jacqueline Lolling, with fellow German Tina Hermann finishing second. Yarnold's overall time of two minutes 36.08 seconds was 0.73secs behind Lolling. She returned to competition in December after taking a year out and will attempt to retain her Olympic title in South Korea next year. \"This is where I want and need to be - and is a major stepping stone,\" Yarnold told BBC Sport. \"It shows I've made the right decisions over the past couple of years and means more than I could ever explain. \"I've had a few head and back issues recently and I physically wouldn't be here without the help of my physio and my family. \"I am still dealing with some stuff but I am lucky with the team I have and that helps make me a stronger person and a better athlete.\" Yarnold's Great Britain team-mate Laura Deas finished 10th, with Donna Creighton 22nd. Nick Hope, BBC Olympic sports reporter: Despite all of Lizzy Yarnold's previous gold medals, World Championships bronze is a huge result both for her at the British skeleton team. She seemed to ease to Olympic, World Championship, European and World Cup titles between 2013 and 2015 - but, in truth, those successes left her exhausted. Although a year sabbatical has seen her return refreshed, younger rivals have emerged and the reappearance of dizzy spells - which first emerged in late 2014 - as well as the appearance of a new serious back problem, has made her comeback challenging than expected. However, despite just one World Cup podium finish this season Yarnold states she's now a \"better slider\" than before her break - and she has proved that when the big occasion arises she can still deliver. That is a crucial confidence boost for the British team, because with Laura Deas yet to rediscover the form that led to World Cup podiums last season and the GB men some way off he pace, Yarnold remains their only realistic hope of an Olympic skeleton medal in 2018.", "summary": "Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold won bronze at the Skeleton World Championships in Germany."}
{"article": "Its subsidiary, Tesco Stores Ltd, reached what's known as a deferred prosecution agreement with the Serious Fraud Office after a two-year probe. Tesco said there was \"regret\" over the issues of 2014 and said it has been working hard to \"restore trust\". The firm also agreed with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to spend \u00a385m on compensating investors. The money will go to those who bought shares or bonds between 29 August and 19 September in 2014. Those investors would have had misleading information from a trading statement on 29 August, which gave a rosier assessment of its performance than was actually the case. Tesco issued a corrected statement before the markets opened on Monday 22 September, which estimated it had overstated profits by about \u00a3250m. The revelation sent the retailer's share price plunging and sparked two internal inquiries. Even that was not the full story, the overstatement was subsequently revised up to \u00a3326m. The compensation order is a first for the FCA, although it has not imposed its own penalty, and Tesco has accepted the regulator's finding of \"market abuse\". The SFO said Tesco had co-operated with the investigation and had undergone an \"extensive\" period of change. Tesco's current chief executive, Dave Lewis, said: \"Over the last two-and-a-half years, we have fully co-operated with this investigation into historic accounting practices, while at the same time fundamentally transforming our business. \"We sincerely regret the issues which occurred in 2014 and we are committed to doing everything we can to continue to restore trust in our business and brand.\" A Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) is a fairly new way (introduced in February 2014) of punishing a company for criminal behaviour without the collateral damage of a conviction. DPAs may be fairly new, but they are instruments the SFO is warming to. Just last month it announced a DPA with Rolls-Royce which saw the company pay a UK fine of \u00a3500m. In that case, the judge agreed that a criminal conviction for the company could disbar it from securing contracts - particularly in the US - which in turn could threaten the jobs of thousands of UK workers. A DPA also avoids lengthy and costly trials and puts the offending company on probation to ensure full co-operation in the future. It also does NOT mean that individuals escape scot free while shareholders pay the price for their conduct. Three former executives from Tesco face criminal proceedings. The SFO also quizzed the former chief executive Phil Clarke, before dropping any further action against him. Read more from Simon here: The DPA with Tesco Stores still needs approval by the High Court, which is scheduled to make its decision on 10 April. This potential DPA agreement only covers Tesco Stores and does not address whether liability of any sort applies to the larger international group Tesco plc or any of its employees. To pay for the penalty, compensation scheme and related costs Tesco will charge \u00a3235m to its results for the 2016-17 financial year, which are due to be published on 12 April. Tesco shares were", "summary": "Tesco has agreed to pay a fine of \u00a3129m to avoid prosecution for overstating its profits in 2014."}
{"article": "The cause of the blaze at The Football Factory on Avondale Industrial Estate, Cwmbran, is not yet known. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service received a call-out shortly before 18:50 GMT on Saturday. At the height of the fire, six fire engines and three water bowsers were called to the scene. Fire crews spent Sunday afternoon damping down. Staff at The Football Factory, an indoor sports facility with training pitches and a bar, said they were \"devastated and heartbroken\". In a post to customers on Twitter, staff said: \"Due to a large fire at the Football Factory premises, we regret to inform you that we will be closed for the foreseeable future. \"Many thanks to all of our loyal customers and we apologise profusely for any inconvenience to people who have booked with us in the future. Anyone with future bookings/paid deposits etc will be contacted in due time. \"All of us at the Football Factory are devastated and heartbroken over this horrific incident.\"", "summary": "Owners of an indoor sports facility in Torfaen have been left \"heartbroken\" after a large fire at their business."}
{"article": "Jason Blyth's Tear Up The Dark was picked up by Romanian pop star Teodora Dinu after being rejected as the UK's song for the 2017 contest. Mr Blyth and his Kinross High pupils produced and recorded the backing track for the singer. But the song failed to make the semi-final of the show to find the Romanian entry. Mr Blyth, who watched the show on an internet stream, said the singer phoned him to commiserate shortly afterwards. He told BBC Scotland: \"She genuinely thought that with all the reviews we were getting in Romania we might be able to get to the semi-final. \"One of the other acts that didn't get through had been a favourite to win it and her song was written by the guy who won it last year.\" Mr Blyth said the pupils were \"genuinely gutted\" at the result. He said: \"I had a queue at my door this morning waiting to hear what had happened, I felt really bad telling them. \"There were so many artists that are signed to major labels that we were up against.\" The teacher said the school's song had been in a \"David and Goliath\" battle against the other entries. He said: \"All our music was recorded within the school, whereas a lot of people had spent thousands of pounds on production and promotion.\" Romania returns to the competition this year after being expelled in 2016 due to its national broadcaster failing to pay outstanding debts dating back to 2007. Mr Blyth will fly to Bucharest this week to meet Teodora Dinu to discuss future projects. He said: \"It's been an absolutely brilliant three or four weeks, it all happened so quickly with the song getting picked up by quite a well-known singer in Romania. \"The students were able to use some of this for their SQA coursework so that was great for them.\"", "summary": "A song by a Scottish schoolteacher has missed out on the chance to become Romania's Eurovision entry."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old started his career at Killie, making 115 appearances before joining Rangers in 2013. He moved to United in 2016 and made 35 appearances for the Tannadice side. Kilmarnock manager Lee McCulloch told his club website: \"He provides great competition for the other goalkeepers and I'm delighted to have him.\" Dundee United had previously said Bell would not leave for nothing by posting on their Twitter feed that they were \"open to offers\". They then relented, though, and \"mutually agreed\" the player's release. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Goalkeeper Cammy Bell has signed a two-year contract with Kilmarnock after Dundee United allowed him to leave as a free agent."}
{"article": "The Russian club, managed by former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas, won their domestic league with two games to spare last weekend. And just how did the Villas-Boas and his players celebrate? By dressing in traditional Russian clothing, as you do. A picture was posted by former Manchester City player Javi Garcia on his Instagram account featuring a sharp-looking Garcia and his equally snappily-dressed team-mates, which includes former Arsenal forward Andrey Arshavin, surrounding Villas-Boas. Zenit's title win, the fourth in their history, came in Villas-Boas's first full season in charge.", "summary": "As far as team photos go, Zenit St Petersburg's will take some beating."}
{"article": "The RSPCA had planned to wait until the end of the winter breeding season before trying to catch the seal at Horsey beach. However, he has not been seen since late December. Alison Charles, RSPCA hospital manager, said: \"We will just never know now if it's a happy or sad ending.\" It was believed the bull seal's deep wound was caused by netting. Experts said it had been too risky to try catching him for treatment when he was surrounded by females until the end of the breeding season in late January. Any action could also have disturbed mothers with their pups. If he was darted, there was a danger he could bolt into the sea, lose consciousness and drown. Peter Ansell, from the Friends of Horsey Seals group which monitors the colony, said: \"He might be dead or he might have swum off to pastures new. \"It's highly unlikely we will see him again - it will remain a mystery.\" The RSPCA had assembled a team and equipment at its East Winch centre near King's Lynn to try to catch their first wounded seal. Ms Charles said: \"I recently went to inspect two females who also had been seen with netting around their necks, but it had fallen off. \"Their wounds were healing and it seems it may have been possible for them to use their flippers and nails to it. \"The bull seal's wounds could also have healed.\" Volunteers counted 1,018 pups at Horsey this winter - a record for the colony since seals began using the public beach north of Great Yarmouth in 2003.", "summary": "A seal spotted on a Norfolk beach with a wound around its neck has vanished and its fate is likely to \"remain a mystery\", wildlife experts have said."}
{"article": "Tries by Ben Foden, Alex Waller and George North put the visitors ahead. Elliot Daly crossed to keep Wasps in touching distance at half-time before Christian Wade and Joe Simpson went over to give the hosts the lead. Ahsee Tuala and Teimana Harrisson crossed for Saints, but Mullan drove over and Gopperth clinched victory. Willie le Roux looked to have scored a decisive try for Wasps, but the score was rightly ruled out for Joe Launchbury's block on Luther Burrell as he attempted to stop Kurtley Beale from making the final pass. While the decision was the right one, Wasps were frustrated by a delay in referring the try to the Television Match Official, protests from Saints players having appeared to prompt the review. Saints defended strongly against waves of pressure late on, but after a let-off a minute before for the same offence, Jamie Gibson was sent to the sin-bin for pulling down the maul and Wasps took full advantage. The result might have been different had fly-half Stephen Myler not missed four difficult conversion attempts as well as a penalty for the visitors, Gopperth's three successful conversions and two penalties proving decisive. There was confusion over the final try, as former Saints player Paul Doran Jones and Mullan both initially claimed the score, which was right by the posts. It left the prolific Gopperth with a simple conversion and he duly bisected the posts to bring a thrilling game to a dramatic conclusion. Wasps, already assured of a place in the play-offs, remain unbeaten at home this season, with victory restoring their lead over second-placed Exeter to five points. Wasps director of rugby Dai Young: \"We've got another couple of gears we can go to, but Saracens are still the team to beat. \"We've just got to keep winning and get ourselves into the competition's latter stages.\" Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder: \"You've got to try to control the game in the last 10 minutes, and we never really managed that. \"We've just got to keep pushing for wins, and hopefully we can secure at least European qualification.\" Wasps: Le Roux; Wade, Daly, Beale, Bassett; Gopperth, Simpson; Mullan, Taylor, Swainston, Launchbury (capt), Myall, Johnson, Young, Thompson. Replacements: Cruse, Bristow, Doran Jones, Symons, Hughes, Robson, Cipriani, Leiua. Northampton: Tuala; North, Tuitavake, Mallinder, Foden; Myler, Groom; A Waller, Hartley, Brookes, Lawes, Ribbans, Gibson, Wood (capt), Picamoles. Replacements: Haywood, E Waller, Hill, Ratuniyarawa, Harrison, Dickson, Burrell, Pisi. Sin Bin: Gibson (80). Attendance: 21,131. Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (RFU). For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "Matt Mullan's last-minute try and Jimmy Gopperth's conversion with the final kick of the match earned Premiership leaders Wasps victory over Northampton."}
{"article": "Payne, unbeaten on 48 when bad light ended play, joined Dent (86) at the crease with his side struggling at 97-7, before helping them to 201-7. Gloucestershire lost three wickets in the morning, when they scored only 33 runs from 24 overs, with 129 dot balls. Paceman Steve Magoffin led the way for Sussex, taking 3-35 from his 19 overs.", "summary": "Chris Dent and David Payne provided timely resistance for Gloucestershire against a suffocating Sussex bowling performance on the opening day."}
{"article": "The artwork at Clavell Tower, Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset, was hit by a boulder and cut off at the ankles in stormy weather. The life-size figure was created to mark 50 years of UK building conservation charity Landmark Trust. The charity said it was likely to be the \"end of the road\" for the work. A spokeswoman said: \"On Christmas Eve the Gormley sculpture at Kimmeridge Bay again succumbed to persistent heavy seas, this time presumably hit by a boulder hurled off the beach by the force of the storm. \"We are taking steps to recover the work imminently. \"It was always intended to have a relationship with the landscape and nature. \"Its position on this exposed stretch of Kimmeridge Bay has certainly brought that dynamic to the fore.\" The trust said it did not yet know where the installation would be moved to, but that the \"most important thing is removing it safely, given the weather, location, tide times, and holiday season\". John Bickerton, owner of Lulworth House B&B, found the statue during a walk with his family on Saturday. He said: \"We were sprinkling my mother's ashes on the far side of the bay before going round to take a family picture with the sculpture. \"We quickly realised it wasn't standing and when we got there could see it had sheared off at its thinnest point - the ankles. This time it looks like it might be fatal.\" Sir Antony said he was \"thrilled\" when the sculpture toppled into the sea in September, calling it proof of its \"dynamic relationship\" with nature.", "summary": "A conservation charity has said a cast iron sculpture by Sir Antony Gormley felled for the second time in just over two months will not be reinstated."}
{"article": "Seven years ago, Matthew O'Donnell was convicted of killing 30-year-old Noel Williamson in Caledon in October 2004. Mr O'Donnell's lawyer's argued that the trial judge had misdirected the jury and erred by not allowing evidence of a clinical psychologist to be submitted. The ECHR rejected the appeal and he will serve the rest of his sentence. Mr O'Donnell, originally from County Kerry in the Republic of Ireland, is serving a life sentence at Maghaberry Prison in Northern Ireland. In 2008, the trial judge said that Mr O'Donnell would serve at least 12 years imprisonment, a reduction from the usual starting point of 15 years, to take account of his \"limited intellectual capacity\". Mr O'Donnell's IQ places him amongst the bottom 1% of the population and his understanding of spoken English is equivalent to that of a six-year-old child. Mr Williamson, from Killylea, County Armagh, was stabbed five times in the right lower face and neck and also suffered \"multiple blows of considerable force\" to his head, neck and shoulders, caused by kicking or stamping. Mr Williamson's badly beaten body was found by a man out walking his dog beside the River Blackwater. A clinical psychologist made an assessment of Mr O'Donnell by watching videotaped interviews that Irish police conducted with him at trial. Mr O'Donnell's lawyers argued at the ECHR that the clinical psychologist should have been allowed to share his conclusions with the court. They also argued that no inference should have been drawn from the fact that he chose not to testify at his trial. However, the appeals were dismissed. Mr O'Donnell was the second man to be convicted of the killing. In 2007, 20-year-old Samuel Houston from Churchill Cottages in Caledon was jailed for eight years for the manslaughter of Mr Williamson.", "summary": "The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has found that a man with severe learning difficulties convicted of a County Tyrone murder had a fair trial."}
{"article": "Scientists at University College London discovered people tend to think that their hands are wider and their fingers are shorter than they truly are. They say the confusion may lie in the way the brain receives information from different parts of the body. Distorted perception may dominate in some people, leading to body image problems, a US journal reports. Lead researcher Dr Matthew Longo said: \"These findings may well be relevant to psychiatric conditions involving body image such as anorexia nervosa, as there may be a general bias towards perceiving the body to be wider than it is. \"Our results show dramatic distortions of hand shape, which were highly consistent across participants.\" In the study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr Longo's team asked 18 volunteers to take part in an experiment. The volunteers were asked to put their left hands palm down under a board and judge the location of the covered hand's knuckles and fingertips with a pointer. This revealed striking distortions - the volunteers tended to misjudge their hands as wider and their fingers as shorter than they actually were. The researchers say the distortions are subconscious and involve the ability known as position sense that the brain uses to know where all parts of the body are in space even when the eyes are closed. Dr Longo said: \"Of course we know what our hand really looks like, and our participants were very accurate picking out a photo of their own hand from a set of photos with various distortions of hand shape. \"So there is clearly a conscious visual image of the body as well. But that visual image seems not to be used for position sense.\" Susan Ringwood, chief executive of the eating disorders charity Beat, said: \"We know that one of the features of anorexia nervosa can be distorted body image. \"People affected can truly believe that they are grossly fat, even when they are dangerously underweight. \"They are able to judge other people's bodies quite accurately and would describe someone else the same size as themselves correctly, but still not be able to do that about their own weight and shape. \"This brain study may give some insight into how this could be possible, and could be very motivating for people with eating disorders to know that there was a biological explanation for their experiences, rather than feeling it was their fault.\"", "summary": "The brain naturally distorts body image - a finding which could explain eating disorders like anorexia, say experts."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old flyweight from Belfast will be on the card at the Waterfront Hall in his home city when Jamie Conlan tops the bill. An opponent has not yet been named for Barnes who won his first pro fight in unusual circumstances. Stefan Slavchev was disqualified in the fourth round on 5 November for hoisting Barnes off his feet and shoulder high. Light-flyweight Conlan beat Hungarian David Koos on points at the Titanic Exhibition Centre that right to stay on course for a world title shot. Conlan, brother of 2015 world amateur bantamweight champion Michael, has won all 18 of his fights since turning professional in 2009.", "summary": "Two-time Olympic medallist Paddy Barnes will have his second fight as a professional on 18 February."}
{"article": "The embattled Republican, cradling a basket of nachos, says to the fan \"you're a big shot\", their faces inches apart. The drama unfolded during Sunday's Brewers v Cubs game in Milwaukee. Mr Christie has the lowest approval ratings in the history of New Jersey, and stoked anger recently by using a beach closed to the public. The baseball heckler, Brad Joseph, said that after Mr Christie walked past his seat, \"I yelled his name and told him that he sucked\". \"I called him a hypocrite because I thought it needed to be said,\" he added. Chris Christie has gone from presidential timbre to political punching bag. Such is the tragic fate of the soon-to-be-former New Jersey governor. It wasn't too long ago that Republican power brokers implored Mr Christie to be their white knight, riding into the Republican presidential nomination contest as Mitt Romney's campaign foundered. At the time his in-your-face style seemed refreshingly candid and his popularity in Democratic-leaning New Jersey gave him cross-over national appeal. Then the Bridgegate scandal - the pettiness of the apparent retribution scheme - tarnished his lustre. His idol, Bruce Springsteen, mocked him on late-night television. The media coverage grew more biting. When Mr Christie eventually did try for the White House, Donald Trump had stolen his brash, unscripted thunder. F Scott Fitzgerald once wrote that there are no second acts in American lives. That hardly seems the case these days, even for someone with Mr Christie's reputational scars. He'll always have pugnacious attitude. Now, however, it's less a tool that will help him climb the political ladder than a bit of performance art for the entertainment of sports radio listeners and baseball spectators. Earlier this month Mr Christie was booed by thousands of baseball fans at New York's Citi Field after he caught a foul ball that had landed in the stands. Also this month, he clashed on live radio with one of his constituents whom he accused of being a \"communist\" and a \"bum\". With a 15% approval rating, Mr Christie is considered to be one the least popular state governors in American history. Once a contender for the White House, his popularity has plunged after the so-called Bridgegate scandal in which his senior aides were convicted of conspiring to close one of the busiest bridges in the world as political payback against a mayor that refused to endorse Mr Christie.", "summary": "New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has angrily confronted a heckler during a baseball game in Wisconsin."}
{"article": "A research paper from Oxfam suggests that the wealthiest 1% own on average \u00a31.8m each of global assets and they'll own more than 50% of the world's assets by next year. There are approximately seven billion people in the world. Eighty per cent of the world's population (about 5.6 billion people) own just 5.5% of wealth - an average of \u00a32,500 each. The 80 richest people in the world have the same wealth as the poorest 50% (around 3.5 billion people). Those 80 people could fit into a double-decker bus. It would take nearly 44 million buses to transport the world's poorest 50% of people. Oxfam says that 52% of global wealth not owned by the richest 1% is owned by those in the richest 20% (1.4 billion people). With 80% of the population owning 5.5% of global wealth (\u00a32,544 per adult in 2014), the world's elite 1% has an average wealth of \u00a31.8m per adult. That could buy you quite a few gold bars. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "The world's richest 1%, around 70 million people (or the population of the UK and Ireland), will own more than the other 99% put together by next year."}
{"article": "With all eyes on May's general election, Carwyn Jones condemned David Cameron's Conservatives as being even more extreme than Margaret Thatcher. He said voters had a choice between \"hope and despair\". Meanwhile Labour leader Ed Miliband has launched an attack on tax avoidance for damaging the \"fabric of society\". He told the conference there would be a \"root and branch\" review of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs if Labour won the election, claiming the UK's tax authority had one rule for the rich and another for the poor. In his keynote speech on Saturday, Mr Jones hailed the Welsh government's record on jobs, investment and tuition fees as evidence of what a UK Labour government could achieve. He said the Conservatives \"denigrate\" the NHS in order to dismantle it, and insisted Labour's record on health in Wales was better than that of the Westminster coalition running it in England. Mr Jones also called for a more \"tolerant\" society which could debate immigration with \"fairness and respect\", and not let \"right-wing, dog-whistling xenophobes drag us down to their level\". A \u00c2\u00a340m scheme with the aim of helping people set up 10,000 new businesses creating 17,000 jobs over the next five years was also announced. Unusually for the first minister, this was a speech dominated by attacks on the Tories. He recalled the days of his political awakening during the miners' strike and said the current cutbacks were more severe than those felt in the 1980s. He even likened the so-called bedroom tax to the poll tax. There was some policy but basically this was a speech that acknowledged that the next few weeks is not about his government, although the Conservatives have other ideas. Just to pick up on one comment: he took a hard line on health boards, saying he won't apologise if they fail. This is a change of tone and I'm told it's the result of deep frustration with Betsi Cadwaldr health board in particular over the way last week's decision to move to a midwifery-led maternity unit at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd was handled. I think we can expect more of this tone in future, as Welsh government ministers become more open in their views of health boards if they feel there are problems.", "summary": "Only Labour can stop the Tories from decimating public services, the first minister has told the Welsh Labour conference in Swansea."}
{"article": "Roger Federer beat Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-2. But it was a slow start for the Swiss star who lost the first two games. But it only took him 69 minutes to win his match. World number one Novak Djokovic beat Japan's Kei Nishikori 6-1 6-1. Federer and Djokovic will play one another on Tuesday. Great Britain's Andy Murray gets his tournament underway on Monday afternoon when he plays David Ferrer.", "summary": "Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have won in straight sets at the opening day of the ATP tennis finals in London."}
{"article": "Hong Kong's Hang Seng index closed up 0.2% at 21,914.40, while the Shanghai Composite ended down 0.4% at 3,539.18. The index was 9.4% higher for the year, making it one of the best performing markets globally. Investors were also holding off ahead of manufacturing data due out on Friday. The data should shed light on the extent of the slowdown in the world's second largest economy. Economists expect the manufacturing surveys to show factory activity shrinking again in December. Several markets closed early on New Year's Eve such as Hong Kong and Australia, while Japan and South Korea were closed for public holidays. In Sydney, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index closed down 0.5% to 5,295.9, but lost more than 2% for the year. That marked the index's first annual fall since 2011 as slumping iron ore and metal prices hit blue chip mining stocks, while new rules hurt the banking sector. Sliding oil prices hovering around 11-year lows capped gains in energy-related stocks in Australia and across the region. \"The correlation between moves in the oil price and equity markets are becoming increasingly concerning and do not bode well for today's Asia session,\" said market strategist Angus Nicholson at trading firm IG in a note. Crude oil prices held losses after falling 3% overnight.", "summary": "Chinese stocks were mostly lower on the last day of 2015 in thin trading with some of Asia's biggest markets closed ahead of the new year."}
{"article": "In the scripted video, the actors describe Australia as a \"wonderful island\" and warn others to respect its laws. The video was submitted to the court as Ms Heard escaped conviction for failing to declare the couple's dogs Pistol and Boo when visiting Mr Depp in Queensland in a private jet in May. Reaction on social media was swift and brutal, with many comparing the short film to Chinese or North Korean-style propaganda. Viewers were divided over Mr Depp's somewhat lacklustre performance. \"I've seen IS (so-called Islamic State) hostage videos with more joie de vivre than Johnny Depp's apology,\" said one Twitter user. Others suggested sarcastically that the low-budget feature was his finest and most innovative role in years. Some tried to imagine the scene behind the camera. The video was shot on Australia's Gold Coast on Sunday and played during the hearing at Southport Magistrate's Court. It begins with Ms Heard describing Australia as a \"wonderful place with a treasure trove of unique plants, animals and people\". Johnny Depp continues: \"Australians are just as unique, both warm and direct. When you disrespect Australian law, they will tell you firmly.\" This was widely seen as a reference to Barnaby Joyce, who as agriculture minister had originally threatened to have Pistol and Boo put down if they didn't \"bugger off\" back to the United States. Mr Joyce, who is now deputy prime minister, acknowledged that the video may not have been entirely natural. \"I don't think it would be something they would have willingly wanted to do,\" he said. People have poked fun at the case since it began last year, using the hashtags #WarOnTerrier and #Terriergate. It is not clear whose idea the video was, but reports said Australian prosecutors had vetted the dialogue. Ms Heard pleaded guilty to falsifying an immigration document. The more serious charges of illegally importing animals were dropped. The judge in the case placed Ms Heard on a A$1,000 ($770; \u00c2\u00a3540) good behaviour bond on Monday. No conviction was recorded against her.", "summary": "Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have released a stilted apology video for breaking Australia's strict biosecurity laws, bringing a bizarre end to the so-called \"war on terrier\"."}
{"article": "Lukaku scored 16 goals as the Toffees finished fifth to qualify for Europe for the first time in five years. Osman, 33, is desperate for the Belgium international to be back at Goodison Park in time for his testimonial game against Porto on Sunday, 3 August. \"It would be good to have Romelu back - we know the quality he's got,\" he said. \"There might be a bit more to do to get him back here but it would be great if he could come back in time to play in the game.\" Everton's only signing of the summer is Gareth Barry, who also spent last season on loan with the club, although they are close to completing a deal for Ferencvaros midfielder Muhamed Besic. Osman hopes manager Roberto Martinez can make further signings. \"We try not to be distracted by speculation, but sometimes you can't help but hear the rumours about who the manager wants to bring in to the club,\" he said. \"Besic should be completed in the next few days and we're aware of the rumours about a couple more coming in. It would be good if any new arrivals could play in my testimonial.\"", "summary": "Everton midfielder Leon Osman hopes striker Romelu Lukaku will return to the club after impressing on a season-long loan from Chelsea."}
{"article": "The Cumbrians have lost their last four league games, including damaging defeats to fellow challengers Plymouth Argyle and Portsmouth. And Saturday's loss to Cambridge saw them concede three goals without reply for the second home game in a row. \"There's a nervousness about the group,\" Curle told BBC Radio Cumbria. \"There's a nervousness about the supporters as well. They're desperate for us to and the players want to do well to get over the line and finish top three.\" Despite the downturn, Carlisle remain fifth in the League Two table, four points behind Portsmouth in the third automatic promotion place, and six points above eighth-placed Mansfield. But the tough games continue with sixth-place Luton and Mansfield next for Curle's side. \"Teams won't come here and roll over,\" he added. \"So we need to go back to basics, scrap and fight for everything which means we need a level of aggression about us. \"We weren't competitive and aggressive enough [against Cambridge], we weren't demanding with our movement, demanding of the ball. \"There wasn't there that level of confidence going forward, we were disjointed and not on the same page.\"", "summary": "Carlisle United need to \"scrap and fight\" to cope with the pressure of chasing promotion to League One this season, says manager Keith Curle."}
{"article": "Nicky Clark had gone close for the Pars with a header before he beat Robbie Thomson with a low shot on 35 minutes. Aaron Muirhead levelled from the penalty spot and Falkirk were boosted further when Dunfermline substitute Lewis Martin was sent off for a foul. Nathan Austin came off the bench to head home the winner for the visitors. Clark had looked sharp in the early stages of the match and had forced Thomson to dive full length to his right to clutch a headed effort in 13 minutes. But Thomson was beaten at his far post when Clark struck a shot across goal from 16 yards to give the Pars a half-time lead. However, the match sprang to life after the break. Myles Hippolyte, who had replaced Mark Kerr two minutes earlier, was downed in the box by Pars keeper Sean Murdoch as he stretched for the loose ball. Murdoch was booked for his protests at referee Gavin Duncan's decision and then subbed because of injury, with David Hutton taking over in goal. The home side were reduced to 10 men when Martin, who had been on for only three minutes, was red carded for downing John Baird as he headed towards goal. But it was another substitute who had the final say on the game when, with 20 minutes remaining, Austin found himself free at the far post to head a Craig Sibbald cross over the line. Dunfermline scrapped mightily to haul themselves back into the match but Falkirk, with numerical advantage, always looked capable on the break and held on to take the points. Match ends, Dunfermline Athletic 1, Falkirk 2. Second Half ends, Dunfermline Athletic 1, Falkirk 2. Jason Talbot (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by John Baird (Falkirk). Corner, Falkirk. Conceded by David Hutton. Foul by Kallum Higginbotham (Dunfermline Athletic). James Craigen (Falkirk) wins a free kick on the left wing. David Hopkirk (Dunfermline Athletic) is shown the yellow card. David Hopkirk (Dunfermline Athletic) has gone down, but that's a dive. Foul by Kallum Higginbotham (Dunfermline Athletic). Nathan Austin (Falkirk) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt saved. David Hopkirk (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Substitution, Falkirk. Joe McKee replaces Tom Taiwo. Nathaniel Wedderburn (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Nathan Austin (Falkirk). Corner, Falkirk. Conceded by Andrew Geggan. Foul by Rhys McCabe (Dunfermline Athletic). James Craigen (Falkirk) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Lee Ashcroft (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Myles Hippolyte (Falkirk). Andrew Geggan (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Myles Hippolyte (Falkirk). Attempt missed. Lee Ashcroft (Dunfermline Athletic) header from the centre of the box misses to the right following a corner. Corner, Dunfermline Athletic. Conceded by Peter Grant. Aaron Muirhead (Falkirk) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. David Hopkirk (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.", "summary": "Battling Falkirk kept their grip on second place in the Championship with two second-half goals which sank 10-man Dunfermline."}
{"article": "Shares in Chevron fell 1.1% and Exxon Mobil dropped 0.7% as oil prices fell almost 4% on worries that producers will fail to agree production limits. Brent crude fell $1.74 to $46.50 a barrel, while US crude was down $1.79 to $45.29 a barrel. The Dow Jones fell 23.7 points to 19,121.60, while the broader S&P 500 index was barely changed at 2,201.72. The tech-focused Nasdaq index rose 11.11 points to 5,379.92. Earlier, official figures had indicated that the US economy grew faster than previously estimated in the third quarter of the year. The economy grew at an annualised rate of 3.2%, the Commerce Department said, compared with an initial estimate of 2.9%.", "summary": "US stock markets closed little changed, but energy shares fell as the oil price slid ahead of Wednesday's Opec meeting."}
{"article": "30 October 2013 Last updated at 17:10 GMT Last month, the government made changes so head teachers can no longer allow absence outside school holidays, unless there are exceptional circumstances. It's because of concerns that some kids were missing school for family holidays during term time when it's cheaper. But more than 125,000 people disagree, signing a petition against the move. The petition says: \"All children who have a good attendance record should be allowed the opportunity to enjoy quality time with their parents on an annual holiday of up to 10 days once per year.\" But the government says it's giving schools more freedom to set term dates - which could mean parents could book cheaper holidays. Ricky's got the story.", "summary": "Your next holiday might seem like a long way off but there's a row brewing about when schoolkids in England should be able to take them."}
{"article": "The decision by ministers overturns a recommendation from a Scottish government reporter that the Pentland Studios Project should be thrown out. Midlothian Council had failed to make an initial ruling on the application. PSL Land Ltd said it was \"very pleased\" with the decision and hoped the first studio facilities would be operational by late 2018. The studio is earmarked for a site at Old Pentland Farm, near Straiton. The Association of Film and Television Practitioners Scotland (AFTPS) had called on ministers to back a new studio. PSL land Ltd said: \"PSL Land Ltd are very pleased with today's decision by ministers to approve the grant of planning permission in principle for Scotland's world-class Film & TV studio complex, and will be moving forward immediately with the application for planning permission in detail for the Film Studio, Academy and Energy Centre sections of the development. \"Working together with Midlothian Council, PSL hope this next stage will be expedited accordingly, recovering the construction scheduling that will enable delivery of the key Studio operation by late 2018. \"It is anticipated that a detailed schedule to progress the planning application will be agreed with Midlothian Council in the next few weeks, producing a phased timeframe with the Studio, Academy and Energy Centre as the first buildings to be progressed to full planning consent.\" The Association of Film and Television Practitioners Scotland, which represents some of those working in film and television, previously said it believed the sector was being badly affected by the lack of a studio space.", "summary": "Planning permission has been granted in principle for a film studio to be built on the outskirts of Edinburgh."}
{"article": "Regulators need to decide how to act in light of a court ruling last year that invalidated the Safe Harbour agreement with the US. The pact made it relatively easy for companies to send personal information from Europe to data centres in the US for processing. Lawmakers are still negotiating a replacement trade deal. The data protection authorities are expected to make their views know on Wednesday at the end of the two-day event. But their determination could affect tech giants including Google, Apple and Facebook - whose cloud services rely on such transfers - as well as thousands of smaller business who have outsourced payroll processing and other tasks to US-based organisations. The EU forbids its citizens' personal data from being sent to places that don't guarantee \"adequate\" privacy protections. In order to avoid this restriction bogging down transfers to the US, it was decided that American firms could self-certify that information sent to their data centres would be properly protected. This Safe Harbour agreement came into force in 2000. About 5,000 US companies took advantage of the deal to facilitate transfers. In 2013, the whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked a mass of documents detailing the US security services' cyber-spying operations. In light of the revelations, an Austrian privacy campaigner - Max Schrems - asked Ireland's data regulator to audit what information Facebook might be sharing with the NSA. It declined citing Safe Harbour, but the matter was referred up to the European Court of Justice. Last October, the court ruled that the the decision to enable Safe Harbour was invalid, and as a consequence national data watchdogs could indeed review transfers on an individual basis. No. The EU and US had already been negotiating a new data transfer pact for some time, dubbed Safer Harbour. The aim is to give European citizens greater privacy safeguards without stopping US tech firms from being innovative. The watchdogs opted to observe a grace period in order to see if a new pact might be agreed before 31 January that would influence their decision. Although negotiators are reported to have made progress, no new deal has yet been agreed. Right. Many of the firms affected initially thought the ruling would just be an inconvenience as they could get their lawyers to draw up papers known as \"model contract clauses\" and \"binding corporate rules\" to keep the transfers legal. This might have involved a lot more work, but the companies believed that the contracts - already used to send data to other parts of the world - could also be used to authorise the use of US data centres. However, many expect the regulators will think that would be against the spirit of the ECJ's ruling. \"When you look at the grounds the court used to invalidate Safe Harbour, you could apply more or less verbatim the same reasons to invalidate the alternative methods,\" commented Annabelle Richard, a lawyer at Pinsent Masons. \"That would make it extremely difficult to export date from the EU to the US. \"It would become almost an exception to have permission,", "summary": "A meeting of EU data watchdogs is set to have wide-ranging ramifications for the way businesses handle data."}
{"article": "The 71-year-old will join John Lally and her beloved old pony Super Sam in a picturesque woodland spot in Cornwall, south west England. Also already buried in the family plot are Blot the cat, Muppet the Alsatian dog, and Brian the canary. Elsewhere in the six acres (2.4 hectares) of woods and fields, some 40 other people are also laid to rest with their pets. The land is owned by Ms Lally's business, Penwith Pet Crematorium, which is one of 50 or so pet crematoriums and cemeteries across the UK. And businesses is booming, as an ever-growing number of pet owners wish to give their animals a more formal send-off. At Penwith they now individually cremate an average of 200 animals per week, double the number a decade ago. Prices range from \u00a342 for a hamster or guinea pig, up to \u00a3187 for a large dog. Meanwhile, it costs \u00a3900 to bury a horse (they are too big to be cremated at Penwith), or \u00a31,500 for a human being. Ms Lally says: \"It was my silly idea to set up the business back in 1988.\" She adds that she came up with the idea when she realised that there were many people like her and her husband who would like give their pets a formal cremation or burial. And that others would, like them, also consider being ultimately buried beside their pets, or where their beloved animals' ashes were scattered or interred. \"My husband and I were running a farm, and we were lucky enough to have the land to set up the business,\" says Ms Lally. \"So we set aside six acres. The business then gradually grew from there thanks to positive word of mouth and repeat business. \"Everyone who comes here goes away and happily recommends us to other people, and we get people who come back with their second and third pets.\" Far from being just a British phenomenon, the industry of pet cremation and burial, or \"pet loss\" as it is known, is now a very big business globally. According to US-based trade body Pet Loss Professionals Alliance (PLPA), the average annual turnover of its members around the world in 2013 was $860,464 (\u00a3556,000). And that year its members in the US alone cremated 1.46 million pets. Coleen Ellis, co-chair of the PLPA, opened the first stand-alone pet funeral home in the US. Today, she owns and runs an organisation called Two Hearts Pet Loss, which educates veterinary professionals and pet loss businesses about how best to meet the needs of people whose pets nearing the end of their lives. Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Ms Ellis, who is also the author of a book on the subject, says it is important to remember that there are two types people who have pets - \"pet owners\" and \"pet parents\". She adds: \"My services are geared towards the pet parent, the person who saw their little furry animal as a member of the family. \"I wanted to give people 'permission' to do what they wanted to do to honour their", "summary": "When Penny Lally passes away she is is going to be buried between her late husband... and her favourite horse."}
{"article": "They were erected to glorify the Red Army's vital role in ousting the Nazis. But many Poles say it also ushered in four decades of Soviet-inspired communism, and want the monuments to be displayed in historical context. The plan could anger Russia, which has not been consulted. Relations between both countries are tense. The Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) proposes to house the monuments in a park in the former Soviet base at Borne Sulinowo, a small town north-west of Warsaw, where they will be used for the purpose of teaching history. Andrzej Zawistowski, director of the IPN's education department, said the plan includes 229 monuments that refer to \"what we consider as untruth: gratitude for having given Poland independence.\" Poland, now a western ally and Nato member, sees the Soviet domination following the end of the war as a period of oppression, and its relations with Moscow have been strained for some years. Poland and Russia are loggerheads over a number of issues, notably Russia's policy on Ukraine and EU sanctions on Moscow. The plan is diplomatically sensitive. The Kremlin protested strongly when a Soviet monument was removed from the town of Pieniezno last year. Russia says it exposed a lack of gratitude for the sacrifice of the Soviet troops who freed Poland from the Nazis. More than 20 million Soviet soldiers died in World War Two. Moscow argues that Poland is obliged to protect all war memorials under a 1994 bilateral agreement with Russia. But Poland says the agreement covers only cemeteries, which are not affected under the plan. \"The plan will include only monuments expressing the gratitude towards the Red Army, and it will not affect Soviet cemeteries,\" said Mr Zawistowski. \"The educational park will show these monuments within the right historical context,\" Mr Zawistowski said. \"Educational parks and institutions of this type exist equally in other states such as Lithuania, Hungary or even Russia.\" The institute says it will help with the removal of the monuments and their installation in the museum. But it is up to city councils whether they want them cleared.", "summary": "More than 200 monuments marking the Soviet army's liberation of Poland at the end of World War Two are to be moved to an open-air museum."}
{"article": "Liu Xia has been under house arrest since her husband won the award in 2010. She has never been charged. Friends say she is depressed but fear that if she sees a doctor she might be sent to a psychiatric hospital. Mr Liu was convicted of subversion in 2009. The Chinese authorities have never explained why they have restricted his wife's movements. News of Liu Xia's condition came from fellow activist Hu Jia, a family friend and an outspoken dissident in his own right. \"Liu Xia was a very happy and cheerful person before Liu Xiaobo's arrest,\" Mr Hu told BBC Chinese. \"We all thought her sunny bright personality was the ideal complement for Xiaobo's more intense disposition.\" But three years of house arrest had thrown Mrs Liu into deep depression, he said. She is denied free movement or the right to receive visitors. Even her request of a daily walk in a local park had been turned down for fear supporters or journalists might approach her, Hu Jia said. He said Mrs Liu felt guilty that her brother, Liu Hui, had been jailed earlier this year for fraud - she believed he had been prosecuted because of his connections to Liu Xiaobo and herself. Hu Jia revealed that a sympathetic health professional had been prescribing anti-depressants for Liu Xia, but says he could not say for sure if she had taken any of the medication. Hu Jia's wife Zeng Jinyan, who now lives in Hong Kong, has appealed on Liu Xia's behalf for \"an internationally renowned psychologist from Medecins sans Frontieres\" to be allowed to meet Liu Xia. Hu Jia believes that this would be the only form of help that Liu Xia would feel safe accepting, but he doubts if the Chinese authorities would allow her such medical attention. She also wants more access to letters from her husband, and the right to earn money.", "summary": "Concern is growing for the mental health of the wife of jailed Chinese Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo."}
{"article": "Martin White, 45, of Belfast Road, Muckamore, County Antrim, was sentenced at Antrim Court on Friday. It is understood this is the first prosecution of its kind in Northern Ireland. The family of 67-year-old Ethna Walsh, who died in February 2014 said they hoped \"hard lessons\" would be learned from her \"unnecessary\" death. The judge said Mrs Walsh's death had been caused by a \"single momentary lapse of concentration\" and was sentenced to four months in prison suspended for two years. Mrs Walsh, a mother of seven, had gone to the Clear Pharmacy on Antrim's Station Road to pick up medication for lung disease, COPD. White was supposed to give her Prednisolone, which is a steroid, but instead he picked up a box of Propranolol which slows down the heart. Mrs Walsh took the pills she had been given at home but within minutes she had difficulty breathing and became unwell. She was rushed to hospital in an ambulance but later died. White told police that he must have given her the wrong drugs. He said they were side by side on a shelf and had similar branding. The court previously heard that before the death, White had complained of his \"cramped working space\" up to 20 times and had been to his GP about his low mood and tiredness. An expert who investigated what had happened said accuracy checks should have been carried out but were not, and this had led to the tragic error. However, the expert deemed that White was guilty only of \"poor professional performance\" as opposed to \"professional misconduct\". The court heard that White had been earning more than \u00c2\u00a340,000 a year as a pharmacist but was now on benefits and \"did not ever wish to return to being a pharmacist\". It was heard White had expressed \"deep regret and sorrow\" for Mrs Welsh's death and was receiving psychiatric help. In a statement given to the BBC, Mrs Walsh's family described her as their \"bedrock and centre\", adding that she was the \"beating heart of her family\". The statement continued: \"That her death was due to a series of entirely avoidable errors makes this matter all the more difficult. \"We welcome today's resolution of the criminal proceedings arising from the death and acknowledge the admission of culpability and guilt on the part of Mr White.\" The family said that following Mrs Welsh's death, recommendations had been been made to pharmacists regarding dispensing errors. The statement concluded: \"The family of Ethna Walsh hope that other families will be spared the burden of pain, anguish and loss they have had to shoulder and commend, to all community pharmacists, the hard lessons from this unnecessary death.\"", "summary": "A pharmacist has been given a suspended sentence for supplying the wrong drugs to a grandmother of 15 who later died."}
{"article": "James Isbister caught the 6ft-long ling while fishing off Muckle Flugga on Saturday. Mr Isbister is awaiting confirmation from the relevant authorities of its possible record-breaking status. The fish is currently being kept in his mother's freezer. \"It was a very big fight,\" he said. He said he would keep trying to catch an even larger fish. He told BBC Scotland: \"Muckle Flugga is renowned for big fish. \"It took about 20 or 30 minutes. \"I knew it was a big fish but I didn't realise it was that size - I am 6ft 5in and it's as big as me.\" Mr Isbister added: \"It's in my mum's freezer. We had to make room for it, it fills the whole freezer. \"I am a local celebrity at the moment.\"", "summary": "A Shetland fisherman is celebrating after reeling in a giant fish weighing more than 67lbs (30kg)."}
{"article": "802 Works Ltd claims the club has not paid a bill for work at Ibrox and wants the cash frozen to ensure payment if Rangers go bust. Rangers say the firm breached the contract as the system cannot be used by 50,000 people at the same time. A sheriff will rule on Friday whether an arrestment warrant granted two weeks ago should remain or be lifted. At Glasgow Sheriff Court, lawyers for 802 Works said the firm wanted the money ring-fenced to ensure payment if the club goes into insolvency. The court was told that Rangers \"over a considerable period\", had been operating at a loss of \u00a37.5m per year. Various accounts were lodged at the court, including an audited report dated October 2015, showing financial information and an account showing more recent figures that were taken from the club's account system. The most recent figures were objected to by the representative of 802 Works. Solicitor advocate Simon Catto, representing 802 Works, said the audited report showed a full year's accounts and a loss of around \u00a37.5m per year should be preferred. He said: \"These are the only documents that should be looked at when considering if there is a risk of insolvency.\" Counsel for the club, Christopher Wilson, told the court that the sum sued for is 2% of the turnover. He said: \"The company is turning over that amount each week.\" The court heard Rangers have repaid a \u00a35m loan from Sports Direct. Mr Catto said the defence case, that only 10,000 users could access the Wi-Fi in the stadium and that constituted a breach of contract, was \"feeble\". The court was told it was \"quite clear from documents\" that there was no intention that anything like 50,000 people would be able to use the system simultaneously.", "summary": "A company which provided Wi-Fi services to Rangers is bidding to have \u00a3300,000 of the club's cash ring-fenced."}
{"article": "Ford, like most of its rivals, is seeking ways to profit as the industry moves toward driverless technology and ride-sharing. The company also added it would move all of its small-car production from Detroit to Mexico within three years. Shares of Ford dropped more than 1.5% after it announced its 2017 outlook. The share price has not recovered since it fell more than 8% in late July when Ford said the industry was going into a gradual decline. Last week, Ford lowered its 2016 pre-tax profit forecast to $10.2bn from at least $10.8bn because of an expanded vehicle recall. It had initially forecast a profit equal to or better than last year, but pulled back after announcing a $640m recall of 2.4 million vehicles. Ford currently makes some Fiestas in Mexico, but has kept production for some of its Focus and C-Max models in suburban Detroit. The company is building a new $1.6bn assembly plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. It will make small cars there starting in 2018. The move has drawn criticism from presidential candidate Donald Trump, would complained about a loss of US jobs. Ford chief executive said during an investor day on Wednesday that the company had to stay competitive. Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant will be getting new products under a contract signed last year with the United Auto Workers union.", "summary": "US carmaker Ford has said it expects pre-tax profits to fall next year as it increases spending on projects such as self-driving and electric cars."}
{"article": "The man, in his late 40s, was involved in a housing dispute with bailiffs at the property on Stapleton Hall Road in Stroud Green. Police officers were called to the scene at midday after receiving reports the man was armed with a weapon. Shortly after they arrived the explosion took place, leaving him with severe burns. Three police officers sustained minor injuries. The basement and parts of the ground floor and shed in the back garden were on fire for several hours. No neighbouring houses were damaged. The cause of the explosion is not yet known and there have been no arrests. The Met said it was not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Witness Paul Pixton tweeted: \"Something massive is happening on my street, some kind of altercation on street followed by loud explosion.\"", "summary": "A man has been critically injured in an explosion at a house in north London."}
{"article": "The original judgment said long delays in executing prisoners meant the death penalty was \"cruel and unusual\". The appeal court has now dismissed that ruling as legally flawed, overturning it on procedural grounds. Separate legal arguments about lethal injections mean that executions in California remain suspended. The latest case was brought by Ernest DeWayne Jones, who was sentenced to death 20 years ago for the rape and murder of his girlfriend's mother. His lawyers argued that long delays in the appeals process meant that only a \"random few\" of those on death row were actually put to death. More than 900 people have been sentenced to death in California since 1978 but only 13 have been executed. A district court ruled in Jones's favour in July 2014, criticising the \"dysfunctional post-conviction review process\". But on Thursday the court of appeals for the ninth circuit concluded that legal precedent meant the courts should not be considering the merits of the case. No-one has been put to death in California since 2006 and executions will remain on hold pending separate legal arguments about whether lethal injections are constitutional.", "summary": "A US federal appeal court has rejected a ruling which declared that capital punishment in California was unconstitutional."}
{"article": "Three key constituencies - Wavertree, Southport and Wirral West - have been chosen and you'll get the chance to grill the candidates hoping to enjoy the privilege of representing you at Westminster for the next five years. Roger Phillips will be hosting the first of the hour-long debates in Wavertree - one of Liverpool's so-called safe Labour seats - from 12:00 BST. Situated to the east of the city centre, the constituency is predominantly residential. It hosts a large technology park, which has close ties to the university, and has a large student population which boosts the local economy. Voters will hope that they are not faced with a repeat of the 2010 fiasco in which the polling station on Dunbabin Road ran out of ballot papers just as the polls were about to close. Liverpool City Council say \"the problems last time at a small number of polling stations were caused by a number of people turning up at the close of polls and not all of the polling stations had a full allocation of ballot papers. \"We are ensuring that all stations have a full allocation and additional training has been provided for staff. Also anyone in the queue by 22:00 BST will be given the chance to vote.\" So who will be vying for those votes? Luciana Berger, the shadow health minister, easily held the seat for Labour five years ago with a majority of more than 7,000. She took over from Jane Kennedy - the constituency's MP since it was created in 1997 - who was elected Merseyside's Police Commissioner in 2012. At one stage it looked like former Labour Councillor Jake Morrison would stand against Ms Berger. He was only 18 when he was elected in 2011 but his relationship with the party turned sour last year when he announced his retirement at the grand old age of 22. If re-elected, Ms Berger says she would \"take practical action to support people who are looking for a job, for example by holding another jobs fair to bring together employers and local people. I'll promote apprenticeships and opportunities for young people and back our fantastic small businesses\". She added: \"I will continue to campaign for changes to law around dangerous dogs to make our neighbourhoods safer, and I will build on my strong record of standing up for the people of Liverpool Wavertree to ensure their concerns are heard where it matters and that real change is delivered for our community.\" The Liberal Democrats targeted this seat in 2010 without success. Their hopes this time around rest with 20-year-old student Leo Evans. He's pledging to protect green spaces like Calderstones Park, increase the NHS budget by \u00a38bn a year with much emphasis on mental health, work to ensure Liverpool benefits from any devolved power - especially ensuring connection to HS2 and HS3 - and continue \"the biggest expansion of apprenticeships since the 1950s\". James Pearson is the Conservative's candidate. The former Trafford councillor unsuccessfully stood for the Church ward in last year's Liverpool City Council elections, and this", "summary": "Ahead of the general election on 7 May, BBC Radio Merseyside is holding three special debates in front of a live audience."}
{"article": "Barking and Dagenham Council could ask Robert Clack School to expand to a 16-form entry system in an effort to cope with rising pupil numbers. The borough is one of 11 London councils that face big increases in demand for secondary school places. The country's biggest post-11 school is currently Ashfield Comprehensive in Nottinghamshire, with 2,492 pupils. Robert Clack is an oversubscribed mixed comprehensive in Dagenham which specialises in science. It currently has around 1,900 students. Barking and Dagenham has experienced the biggest growth in London in the number of children aged up to four. \"By 2020, we will need around 30-35 more forms of entry,\" said a council spokeswoman. She said adding just two or three forms could overburden a school, but adding six would allow it to build more classrooms and facilities. She added: \"These proposals are being discussed with schools and no decisions have been taken. This is an option available to more than one school.\" A report by London Councils earlier this month predicted London would need an additional 78,000 secondary places by 2020. According to the report, the cost of creating new school places means the capital faces a \u00c2\u00a31.5bn funding shortfall over the next five years. Councils must either expand existing schools, build new ones or rely on free schools - which are outside their control - to meet the demand. The deputy leader of Lambeth Council, Imogen Walker, said it was difficult to plan extra provision. \"With the uncertainty over where free schools are going to open in the borough it is difficult to forecast places available,\" said Cllr Walker. \"Lambeth's overall projections indicate that there could be some 700 [additional] places required by 2020/21 .\" The London borough of Greenwich is opening three new secondary schools over the next two years to cope with demand. Hammersmith and Fulham, another borough under pressure, said it was \"probably not\" planning to create any so-called 'titan' schools.", "summary": "An east London school could become the biggest in the country after being asked if it can take in 2,500 pupils."}
{"article": "Matt McClure stunned the hosts by flicking the Shots into a 1-0 lead after three minutes, but Tranmere hit back through Cole Stockton's sharp volley on the rebound nine minutes later. Connor Jennings then fired Tranmere in front after being put clean through by James Norwood after 23 minutes, but Aldershot dug in and levelled up via Bernard Mensah five minutes before the interval. Lois Maynard headed Liam Ridehalgh's free-kick wide as the hosts pushed late on, but they were unable to stop leaders Lincoln extending their advantage to five points. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Tranmere Rovers 2, Aldershot Town 2. Second Half ends, Tranmere Rovers 2, Aldershot Town 2. Substitution, Aldershot Town. Manny Oyeleke replaces Jim Kellerman. Jim Kellerman (Aldershot Town) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Tranmere Rovers. Andy Cook replaces Cole Stockton. Substitution, Aldershot Town. Shamir Fenelon replaces Idris Kanu. Connor Jennings (Tranmere Rovers) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Tranmere Rovers. Erico Sousa replaces Adam Buxton. Kundai Benyu (Aldershot Town) is shown the yellow card. Michael Ihiekwe (Tranmere Rovers) is shown the yellow card. Second Half begins Tranmere Rovers 2, Aldershot Town 2. First Half ends, Tranmere Rovers 2, Aldershot Town 2. Goal! Tranmere Rovers 2, Aldershot Town 2. Bernard Mensah (Aldershot Town). Goal! Tranmere Rovers 2, Aldershot Town 1. Connor Jennings (Tranmere Rovers). Goal! Tranmere Rovers 1, Aldershot Town 1. Cole Stockton (Tranmere Rovers). Goal! Tranmere Rovers 0, Aldershot Town 1. Matt McClure (Aldershot Town). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Tranmere lost ground at the top of the National League after Aldershot held them to a 2-2 draw."}
{"article": "Three people were stabbed when thousands gathered for a water fight in the park which descended into violence last week. The 18-year-old man was arrested earlier and remains in custody. Another man, 18, and a 17-year-old boy, have also been arrested in relation to disorder in McDonald's in Marble Arch. Eleven people have now been arrested after the events on Tuesday 19 July. The arrests came after police released a gallery of photos of suspects linked to the disorder that saw three people, including a police officer, stabbed. A second officer suffered injuries from a flying bottle as officers tried to contain aggressive crowds that had gathered.", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a stabbing during a night of disorder in London's Hyde Park."}
{"article": "Costco store manager Roger Cooper, 41, and ex-soldier David Cooper, 39, were convicted of killing Sameena Imam, 34, at Birmingham Crown Court. Her body was found buried at an allotment in Leicester in January after she was killed with chloroform. Ms Imam had been having a two-year affair with Roger Cooper and issued him with an ultimatum to leave his partner. An eight-week trial heard that Roger Cooper spent at least a month plotting to kill Ms Imam - one of his three lovers - to prevent her exposing their affair. The men bought poisonous metals, identified a shallow grave and communicated in text messages written in a Star Wars-based code before killing Ms Imam. Roger and David Cooper remained calm and did not look at each other as they were unanimously convicted by a jury on Tuesday. Ms Imam is believed to have been overpowered on a sofa at David Cooper's home in Leicester after being driven to the property from Coventry by his brother. She was reported missing by family members in Essex after failing to return home for Christmas, sparking a major police inquiry. Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Marsh said: \"I would say this is the most callous offence I have ever investigated. \"Most murders that occur are spontaneous events driven by anger or jealousy, whereas in this case what we uncovered was weeks and weeks of planning to kill Sameena, numerous attempts on her life and a really unusual cause of death. \"It's been a particularly challenging case and a particularly complex investigation and we are extremely grateful to the jury, who have listened to the case and given us the verdict we've had today.\"", "summary": "Two brothers accused of murdering a cash-and-carry manager from Cardiff on Christmas Eve have been found guilty."}
{"article": "He was reported missing from Manor Road, Arleston, Telford, in Shropshire at about 15:00 GMT but found \"safe and well\" at about 18:30. It is not yet known where the boy was found, but he has since been taken to a hospital for a precautionary check-up. Two local women, aged 41 and 53, are currently in police custody. The force launched an urgent appeal following the disappearance, asking anyone with information to contact them. A spokesman said: \"We are pleased to confirm that the missing baby boy has been found. \"He is currently being checked over by hospital staff and will be reunited with his family shortly.\"", "summary": "Two women have been arrested on suspicion of child abduction after a nine-week-old baby was taken from his home."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Sneyd's influence at half-back guided the Airlie Birds to victory over Wigan on Saturday, having done the same against Warrington in the 2016 final. Last year's win against the Wolves secured Hull's first trophy since 2005. \"The club's huge, and to win this twice on the bounce puts Hull back probably where they should be,\" said Sneyd. While Sneyd was key with his kicking and prompting in the win against the Warriors, he highlighted the impact made by the forwards such as Liam Watts, Gareth Ellis and Scott Taylor, as well as the all-round defensive effort. Wigan threatened a late comeback victory, but Hull did enough to repel their threat. \"We've got a bit of everything in every department,\" Sneyd, 26, continued. \"It's an unbelievable group to be playing in. We were clinging on at the end, and we've got people who are willing to work hard for one another.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Securing the Lance Todd Trophy for a second time ensured Sneyd added his name to an exalted list of just six players who have twice been named man of the match in a Challenge Cup final. Warrington's Gerry Helme (1950 and 1954) was the first, before Wigan pair Andy Gregory and Martin Offiah both did it twice during the club's glorious eight-year reign as Wembley winners in the late 1980s and early 1990s. St Helens legend Sean Long went on to win it three times, while his Saints team-mate Paul Wellens did it back-to-back in 2007 and 2008, the first of those being shared with Leon Pryce. But Sneyd is the first to achieve the award, which is voted for members of the Rugby League Writers Association, outright in successive years. \"Leon Pryce was actually the one who told me no-one had won it twice outright before,\" said Sneyd, who is in his third season with Hull. \"It's unbelievable when you see the names that are on the trophy. You can't quite believe that your name is on there. To be there twice - I'm over the moon with that.\" Hull coach Lee Radford said Sneyd's personal achievement was \"a phenomenal effort from a phenomenal player\". \"Look at the impact he's had on our club since he walked through the door,\" continued Radford, who also said he believes Sneyd is the \"most criticised half-back\" that the club has ever had. Former Castleford and Salford player Sneyd has previously spoken about online abuse he receives on social media following matches. \"I genuinely quite enjoy going home and seeing what they say about me on Twitter,\" said Sneyd. \"It really doesn't bother me. \"You give them a little favourite and you imagine what they're like at home, while I'm there laughing my head off.\" Wigan head coach Shaun Wane praised Hull after the match, saying they deserved their 18-14 victory at Wembley. The Warriors were on the wrong end of a contentious decision midway through the second half, when prop Tony Clubb had a try disallowed by the", "summary": "Successive Challenge Cup triumphs at Wembley have restored Hull FC to rugby league's elite, says Lance Todd Trophy winner Marc Sneyd."}
{"article": "Robbie Benson lit up an uneventful first half with a stunning sweetly-struck right-foot volley into the top corner from the edge of the area. The hosts had Adam Hlousek sent-off for a second yellow card on 67 minutes. Michal Kucharczyk equalised with a composed solo effort in added time. Dundalk will go into the Europa League group stages, emulating the achievement of fellow League of Ireland side Shamrock Rovers in 2011. The draw will be made on Friday. Legia Warsaw will await the outcome of the Champions League draw in Monaco on Thursday after becoming the first club from Poland to reach the group stages for 20 years. The visitors, who secured a league and cup double in Ireland last season, had qualified for the qualifying play-off by defeating Belarusian champions Bate Borisov 3-1 in the previous round, aided by a memorable 3-0 second-leg victory. Dundalk boasts a population of just 39,000 and the club went into the second leg of their tie at the Polish Army Stadium having already banked more than \u00a34m for their European exploits, with more set to come as their European adventure continues. Dundalk's chances of progression appeared to be slim after their 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Polish champions in Dublin last week, but Benson's magnificent first-half strike was just reward for Stephen Kenny's side's efforts in the opening half. Benson had come into the side to replace suspended captain Stephen O'Donnell and his perfectly executed goal was his fourth of the season and his second in the competition. Benson went close to grabbing a second in the 63rd minute but his overhead bicycle kick, after David McMillan headed into his path, flew over the bar. Hlousek received his second booking four minutes later for hauling down Ronan Finn but Dundalk were unable to take advantage of the extra man. Kucharczyk's thunderous late strike on the break extinguished the Irish side's hopes and exploited the gaps in their defence as they pushed forward in search of the goal that would have taken the game to extra-time. Match ends, Legia Warsaw 1, Dundalk 1. Second Half ends, Legia Warsaw 1, Dundalk 1. Lukasz Broz (Legia Warsaw) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Daryl Horgan (Dundalk). Foul by Guilherme (Legia Warsaw). Dane Massey (Dundalk) wins a free kick on the left wing. Substitution, Legia Warsaw. Aleksandar Prijovic replaces Thibault Moulin. Michal Kucharczyk (Legia Warsaw) is shown the yellow card for excessive celebration. Goal! Legia Warsaw 1, Dundalk 1. Michal Kucharczyk (Legia Warsaw) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe following a fast break. Michal Kucharczyk (Legia Warsaw) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Patrick Barrett (Dundalk). Offside, Legia Warsaw. Guilherme tries a through ball, but Thibault Moulin is caught offside. Attempt saved. Guilherme (Legia Warsaw) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Michal Kucharczyk. Substitution, Dundalk. Michael O'Connor replaces Patrick McEleney. Delay over. They are ready", "summary": "Dundalk's attempt to become the first Irish side to make the Champions League group stages fell just short as they lost 3-1 to Legia Warsaw on aggregate after a creditable 1-1 draw in Poland."}
{"article": "There has been relegation out of the Football League, promotion back via a Wembley penalty shootout, an international call-up, a fractured jaw, displaced teeth, a broken nose and 127 appearances. For some, this would be the CV of an experienced professional but Lockyer is just 21. His performances this season have helped Bristol Rovers mount a League Two play-off challenge and have also caught the eye of the Football League, winning him December's Young Player of the Month award. Lockyer grew up in Cardiff and was sports mad as a child. He hated losing. Defeats by local rivals Llanishen Dons would leave him tears, but having chosen football over rugby his talents were spotted by Cardiff City, joining the club aged 11. He was eventually released as a 16-year-old when the time came to hand out apprenticeships. Cardiff's reasoning was he was too small to play centre-half. It proved to be a turning point for Lockyer. \"From that day on I thought, 'I'm going to prove them wrong',\" Lockyer told BBC Sport. \"That was my attitude, I started going to the gym, working on strength and speed and it's worked out for me. It was a blessing in disguise.\" It was at this point Bristol Rovers became interested in the young Welshman and, after considering an offer from Exeter, he joined the Pirates. It has proved to be a wise move. Lockyer's first full season as a professional ended in heartbreak, with Rovers relegated from the Football League on the final day of the 2013-14 campaign. He is still haunted by the feeling of walking off the pitch against Mansfield that day. \"That final day was probably the lowest I've been in football,\" recalled Lockyer. \"Going in the changing rooms knowing what had happened. It was horrible, people were crying, there were kicks through the doors, there were anger and tears. I sat there with my head in my hands thinking 'what has just happened, where do we go from here?'\" Where they went was into the Conference and Lockyer had a swift introduction to non-league football, losing two of his front teeth, splitting his lip and fracturing his jaw in only his second game. \"I caught an elbow,\" he said. \"My front two teeth went through my lip and then wedged back into my mouth. They didn't come out, they were pushed back. I spent all night in A&E and then 6am the next morning I was in the dentist and they told me I had fractured my jaw and I had to have stitches in my top lip. \"I've had my nose broken four times, the teeth was the worst.\" Bristol Rovers' stay in the Conference lasted just one season, with Darrell Clarke leading the club to promotion via the play-offs on a memorable day at Wembley. Lockyer calls it his \"best day in football\". \"Words cannot describe going down, words cannot describe going up,\" he said. \"It was amazing.\" Unlike a lot of his team-mates, Lockyer was relatively calm before the game. He describes players being unable to eat", "summary": "Bristol Rovers defender Tom Lockyer has already packed a lot into his fledgling career."}
{"article": "George Clooney is a Hollywood superstar so this was going to be no easy feat. A browse on social media and a few phone calls to those in the know in Edinburgh and I heard he was due to visit the homeless charity cafe, Social Bite, on Rose Street. The fact I had written a story about the visit for the BBC Scotland news website helped too. Would he come? Would he arrive through the front door or a secret back entrance? I had nothing else to go on but hope, so I began my quest to seek out Mr C. I arrived to find barriers erected around the cafe entrance, could this be a clue that the rumours were indeed true? Could one of the world's most famous actors really be coming? Mum, Sandi Pringle, 57, and her daughter, Kirsten Pringle, 22, from Edinburgh, had been camped out since 07:00, so I joined them alongside a growing number of journalists, photographers and cameramen. Over the course of the next 90 minutes security guards arrived, more onlookers, and people started hanging out of their windows in the narrow tenemented-street. This was looking quite promising now, especially when I observed the security guards listening to their ear pieces and saying \"He's landed\". Squeal. People were starting to look nervous that they weren't in the perfect spot to get near \"him\" and they started shuffling towards what was thought to be the best vantage point. The security guard then said my section was to move back two feet to allow his car in and the fear of missing him was palpable. Then his red jaguar appeared around the corner and stopped just feet away from the entrance. He got out and immediately began greeting the now three-deep crowd lining the street. There was no mistaking him as I craned to catch a glimpse, his tan glowing against a sea of Scottish winter white faces. There was a surge from the crowd as he got closer up the line of people. And then there he was: smaller and thinner than I had thought he was going to be. Everyone agreed though that he was just as good looking in the flesh, and oh what a deep tan. The 54-year-old had weathered well all the ladies agreed. He was then greeted by the cafe owner, Josh Littlejohn, before being whisked inside. My sources tell me he tucked into a platter of different sandwiches including chicken and bacon and smoked salmon. He then left $1,000 for homeless people to enjoy lunch on him before spending 15 minutes meeting and greeting the staff, many of whom have been homeless themselves. Then he was back out into the street where I cheekily asked him for a selfie, not thinking he would. \"Sure, I will,\" he drawled. I managed to take about 20 to make sure I had the best angle, of course, then he was off. A quick chat with my sources and I found out he was going for lunch to Tigerlily, so I headed off along George", "summary": "So what do you do when your editor hears one of the biggest A-list celebrities in the world is going to be in town and he asks you to go and find him?"}
{"article": "Transport for London, the body running the bid, rejected the chance to host the start in September, just days before a deal was set to be announced. But a Freedom of Information request has revealed just how far talks with ASO, the Tour's owner, had gone. TfL's correspondence with the French also shows how dramatic its U-turn was. The three stages would have taken place on 1-3 July. TfL started talks with ASO about bringing the Tour back to London in January, with the then TfL commissioner Sir Peter Hendy taking the lead. TfL's emails, letters and text messages suggest ASO was initially a little cool on the idea of bringing the race back to London again so soon after the success of its Grand Depart in 2007 but by mid-March momentum was building. A meeting in Paris on 27 May between senior TfL staff, Jon-Paul Graham from London mayor Boris Johnson's office and Tour director Christian Prudhomme's team appeared to have sealed the deal. A day later Sir Peter emailed Leon Daniels, TfL's managing director for surface transport, and Ben Plowden, director of surface strategy and planning, to congratulate them and ask \"when an announcement can be made!\" The next four weeks saw proposed routes for the three stages exchange hands, a visit to London by ASO's route experts, and ASO ask TfL for data on cycling's growth in the capital since 2007. Chris Mather, TfL's head of behaviour change, claimed 2014 \"was the safest year on record for London cyclists\" and cycling was at an \"all-time high\". By the beginning of August, TfL finalised its plans for the three stages and booked the Guildhall's Old Library for the launch and everything seemed ready for the deal to be announced during the World Road Cycling Championships in late September. But while ASO's staff took summer breaks following the race in July, bosses at TfL were in \"delicate negotiations\" with the Treasury about London's transport budget. With the Department for Transport not one of the protected ministries in Chancellor George Osborne's Spending Review, TfL was told its \u00c2\u00a3591m annual grant would be gradually withdrawn over the next three years. Suddenly, the decision to spend an estimated \u00c2\u00a335m, which included a \u00c2\u00a34m hosting fee for ASO, on three days of elite sport, and with no input from UK Sport's major events budget, was made much harder and more political. The first ASO knew of this was in a letter from Leon Daniels to Mr Prudhomme on 15 September saying \"recent events dictate that we can no longer offer to host a Grand Depart in 2017\". Mr Daniels explained the cuts, which were revealed last month to total 37% of the Department for Transport's running costs, and said TfL's spending \"will be under intense scrutiny\" as it fought to safeguard \"front-line transport services\". He concluded by saying TfL was pulling out with \"a heavy heart\" and hoped to \"welcome the Tour back in the future\". The BBC, however, understands ASO's initial response was anger and shock, particularly as time and bargaining power have been", "summary": "The proposed route for the start of the 2017 Tour de France would have seen three days of racing in London, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and West Sussex."}
{"article": "An \u00c2\u00a38m scheme has been unveiled for the home, where Lennon played as a child. The venture will combine an education centre for young people with learning difficulties and an exhibition on the home, the song and Lennon's early life. The gates at the site, which is closed to the public, are a popular attraction for Beatles fans visiting Liverpool. The plans were announced on the 50th anniversary of the release of the single, which was a double-A side with Penny Lane, reaching number two in the UK charts and number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the USA. The original home in Woolton was demolished in the early 1970s and replaced with a smaller building. Major Drew McCombe, divisional leader for the North West branch of the charity, said: \"Strawberry Field is special in the hearts of many people in Liverpool, the UK and across the world, and we at the Salvation Army are aiming to redevelop the site to do justice to the many people that have been supported by the children's home or formed a connection with the iconic Beatles song.\" According to Blue Badge Beatles tour guide Neil McDonald, the gates are one of the must-see Beatles sights in the city. He said: \"It is a unique atmosphere. I've seen some people burst into tears and even proposals of marriage.\" According to Hunter Davies's biography of The Beatles, one of Lennon's childhood treats was the garden party that took place each summer on the grounds of Strawberry Field. His Aunt Mimi recalled: \"As soon as we could hear the Salvation Army band starting, John would jump up and down shouting 'Mimi, come on. We're going to be late.'\" The musician is said to have found a place of peace and refuge from his troubled childhood in the woods around the home, where he went to play with friends, climb trees and dream the hours away. The song's refrain \"and nothing to get hung about\" is said to be a reference to Lennon's retort \"they can't hang you for it\" to Mimi about playing on the property. Official fundraising for the project begins later this year.", "summary": "The children's home immortalised by John Lennon in The Beatles hit Strawberry Fields Forever is to be redeveloped by the Salvation Army."}
{"article": "The 36-year-old says he received \"foul\" abusive messages after Somerset lost to Glamorgan by one run on Sunday. And he believes the shorter form of cricket is to blame for \"bringing a lot of idiots to the game\". However, former England captain Michael Vaughan says players must learn to take social media abuse \"on the chin\". Trego, who made his first-class cricket debut 17 years ago, said one expletive-strewn message sent by a boy on Instagram this week was \"one of the most abusive messages I think I've ever read in my life\". The post, which Trego has not reported to police, branded the cricket veteran as \"useless\" and also urged him to quit the sport. Speaking to BBC Somerset's cricket reporter Charlie Taylor, Trego said: \"To send professional athletes, who are giving their best, abusive messages is just an absolute disgrace, and unfortunately I think it is a little bit en vogue at the moment for young people to feel like that's OK.\" He added: \"When it gets to what I would call football hooligan abuse level, I just think, is that really what we want for the future of our cricket? \"I know [the T20 game] brings in a lot of money, a lot of revenue, a lot of excitement. But it's also bringing in a lot of idiots to the game who might be spoiling other elements of our game for the next generation.\" But former England batsman Vaughan claims social media is making this the hardest era for players because there is no respite from criticism. The 42-year-old said: \"For a fan to be able to direct message their opinion to you, whatever that opinion may be whether it's good or bad, I would say to players you've got to do one of two things. \"You've either got to take it on the chin, you've got to accept that's the modern world. Or don't look at your phones.\"", "summary": "Somerset all-rounder Peter Trego says the abuse directed at players in Twenty20 cricket has reached \"football hooligan levels\"."}
{"article": "The masked men burst into a house in Dronfield, Derbyshire, in March 2015 after knocking out a 46-year-old man. Two women and three children - aged seven, 11 and 13 - were threatened and the women was believed to have been tied up. Cash and jewellery were stolen from the house during the robbery, which happened on Stubley Lane on 19 March. Shayne West, 34, of Vikinglea Drive, Sheffield; William John Proctor, 36, of Magpie Grove, Sheffield; and Luke Bonsall, 36, of Sandygate Park, Sheffield, have been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent. They are due to appear before Chesterfield magistrates on 15 July.", "summary": "Three men have been charged over a robbery in which three children were allegedly threatened with a gun."}
{"article": "Georgia and Romania have been pushing to be included in the top tier of European rugby. Six Nations boss Feehan is keen to keep the status quo and dismissed relegation talk. \"In the short to medium term there is not any genuine likelihood of that happening,\" said Feehan. Italy were added to the old Five Nations tournament in 2000 and have propped up the table 11 times in the 17 tournaments since. Find out how to get into rugby union with our special guide. But Feehan has dismissed any immediate prospect of relegating the Italians who open their campaign against Wales next Sunday in Rome. \"Some comments are very unfair about Italy,\" Feehan told BBC Radio Wales. \"We think they have been a good addition to the Championship since they have entered. \"They have improved dramatically but other teams have improved dramatically - it's a relative thing. \"It's not that long ago they beat South Africa in the autumn series so they are capable of beating anyone on their day and worthy participants. \"We are very happy with how the Italians are approaching things. \"There is a long way to go in terms of being competitive to win the title. But on any given day they can beat any of the sides and they have done that, apart from England.\" The Six Nations have also employed bonus points for the first time although a side who wins the Grand Slam are guaranteed to win the tournament. \"It is something we have considered for many years but resisted to date,\" said Feehan. \"If you look at the Six Nations, it is inherently unfair because some teams have three home games and other teams have two home matches in any given year and there is an imbalance. \"That word balance is key and we are looking to see whether the benefits we get on encouraging more tries to be scored is better than any direct imbalance. \"We decided we had to give it a try to see if it works. \"If you look at the the championship two years ago, we ended up with 27 tries on the last day. \"Teams can score tries when they wish to and need to. \"That's what we are trying to encourage.\" Listen back to the full John Feehan interview on BBC Radio Wales' Jason Mohammad show on Monday, 30 January.", "summary": "Six Nations chief executive John Feehan says relegation from the tournament will not be introduced in the short to medium term."}
{"article": "The world's largest economy grew at an annualised rate of 3.2% in the three months to September, up from an earlier estimate of 2.9%. The figure outstrips the second quarter growth rate of 1.4%, and was above economists' estimates of 3% growth. The Commerce Department said the rate of growth was the strongest since the third quarter of 2014. The strong growth may give further impetus to the Federal Reserve to raise US interest rates when it meets in the middle of next month. A strong employment rate and steadily rising inflation may mean the the central bank is comfortable raising rates at the meeting on 13 and 14 December. The Fed hiked its overnight benchmark interest rate last December for the first time in nearly a decade. The GDP figure is a measure of the goods and services produced across the US economy. The Commerce Department said: \"The increase in real GDP in the third quarter primarily reflected positive contributions from personal consumption expenditures, exports, private inventory investment, and federal government spending, that were partly offset by negative contributions from residential fixed investment and state and local government spending.\" It said consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of the US economy increased at a rate of 2.8%, compared with the initial estimate of 2.1%. But business spending on equipment fell at a steeper 4.8% rate, instead of the previously reported 2.7%.", "summary": "Strong consumer spending helped the US economy to grow faster than previously estimated in the third quarter."}
{"article": "The fired officers include Michael Brelo, a patrolman cleared of manslaughter charges over the incident last year. Six other officers are facing suspensions ranging from 21 to 30 days. The shooting followed a high-speed chase that involved 62 police cars and more than 100 officers. Steve Loomis, president of the city's largest police union, said he would contest the firings and suspensions. \"This is unprecedented... it's absolutely politically motivated,\" said Mr Loomis. \"This discipline is not supported by fact.\" The incident began with the sound of a small car in poor repair backfiring, which was mistaken for the sound of gunfire. It ended with the death of Timothy Russell, who was shot 24 times, and Malissa Williams, who was shot 23 times. Several officers fired, but only Officer Brelo faced charges. He stood on the car's bonnet and fired 15 shots through the windscreen in 7.4 seconds. He was cleared of the charges in May of last year, after a judge said that he could not be certain that Mr Brelo was responsible for the deaths.", "summary": "Police officials in Cleveland, Ohio, have fired six police officers who shot more than 100 rounds into car and killed an unarmed black couple in 2012."}
{"article": "Figures provided by 27 forces under the Freedom of Information Act revealed nearly 70% of the 363 officers who failed were women. No punitive measures will be taken against those who have not passed, but from September, action could be taken against anyone failing three times. Compulsory testing was introduced in England and Wales last year. In total, nearly 3% of the 13,024 officers tested failed. Devon and Cornwall, Dorset and North Wales were the only three forces with a 100% pass rate The constabularies with the highest percentage of failures were Suffolk (7%), Gwent (6%) and Wiltshire (5%). Suffolk's Deputy Chief Constable Paul Marshall said officers were aware of what was required of them with regard to the national guidelines. He said: \"While there is clearly room for improvement, we still have 93% of our officers who have passed. \"If anyone is to fail the test then words of advice are given around improving their levels of fitness and programmes can be offered to support this process.\" Not everyone is required to take the fitness test - only those involved in officer safety training, which includes baton use and arrest techniques. The endurance test involves a series of shuttle runs between two lines 50ft (15m) apart at a steadily increasing pace controlled by means of a speaker emitting \"bleep\" signals in decreasing time periods. The Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, had voiced concerns that it might \"disproportionately impact on older officers, women and those with disabilities\". Federation spokesman Stephen Smith said the statistics were \"not particularly surprising\". \"There could be a number of underlying reasons why an officer might fail the test, such as disability, injury or occupational health reasons,\" he told BBC News. \"What we hope is that forces will be supportive of officers - possibly even with training schedules - and what we expect is that everyone will work together making every effort to ensure people pass.\" Mr Smith added that officers who failed the fitness test three times would be subject to action under \"unsatisfactory performance procedure\", but he insisted that did not automatically mean dismissal from the force. Avon and Somerset, Cambridgeshire, Dyfed-Powys, Essex, Northumbria, Staffordshire and Warwickshire have not yet started testing and so could not provide figures. Merseyside said it was considering whether it was in the public interest to release the figures, while South Yorkshire was unable to provide the data. Cumbria, West Midlands, Thames Valley, Metropolitan Police, Humberside and Greater Manchester failed to respond to the request by the Press Association.", "summary": "Hundreds of police officers have failed a new compulsory fitness test, figures have shown."}
{"article": "Juliano Pinto, a 29-year-old with complete paralysis of the lower trunk, performed the symbolic kick-off at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo. Using his robotic suit, Mr Pinto kicked the official ball a short distance along a mat laid down by the touchline. But some observers argued the historic event was not given the attention it deserved during the opening ceremony. The identity of the young volunteer was kept a secret until after the event. His robotic exoskeleton was created by a team of more than 150 researchers led by Brazilian neuroscientist Dr Miguel Nicolelis. Dr Nicolelis tweeted called the event a \"great team effort\" and afterwards tweeted: \"We did it!!!\" \"It was up to Juliano to wear the exoskeleton, but all of them made that shot. It was a big score by these people and by our science,\" he commented. The neuroscientist, who is based at Duke University in the US, is a leading figure in the field of brain-machine interfaces. In breakthrough work published in 2003, he showed that monkeys could control the movement of virtual arms on an avatar using just their brain activity. The scientists have been working under the banner of a consortium called the Walk Again Project. In a statement, the consortium said the World Cup demonstration would be \"just the beginning\" of a future \"in which people with paralysis may abandon the wheelchair and literally walk again\". But some TV networks didn't capture the event, prompting criticism on Twitter. Some commentators also took aim at ceremony organisers for apparently sidelining the moment in favour of performing acts. Dr Nicolelis had been training eight patients at his lab in Sao Paulo, all of whom were over 20 years of age, with the oldest about 35. \"It's the first time an exoskeleton has been controlled by brain activity and offered feedback to the patients,\" Dr Nicolelis, a neuroscientist at Duke University, told the AFP news agency \"Doing a demonstration in a stadium is something very much outside our routine in robotics. It's never been done before.\" The exoskeleton uses a cap placed on the patient's head to pick up brain signals and relay them to a computer in the exoskeleton's backpack. This then decodes the signals and sends them to the legs. The robotic suit is powered by hydraulics, and a battery in the backpack allows for approximately two hours of use. \"The basic idea is that we are recording from the brain and then that signal is being translated into commands for the robot to start moving,\" Dr Gordon Cheng, at the Technical University of Munich, who is a member of the team, told the BBC in May. Dr Cheng led the development of a form of artificial skin for the exoskeleton. This skin consists of flexible printed circuit boards, each containing pressure, temperature and speed sensors. It is applied on the soles of the feet and allows the patient to receive tactile stimulation when walking with the exoskeleton. When the robotic suit starts to move and touches the ground, signals are transmitted to an electronic", "summary": "A paraplegic man has made the first kick of the World Cup using a mind-controlled robotic exoskeleton."}
{"article": "Pietersen was the third-highest run-scorer in the recent Big Bash competition in Australia, scoring more half-centuries (four) than anyone else. \"Can a handshake take place, a mature conversation?\" said Vaughan. \"Or has he burnt so many bridges a new set of management couldn't handle him over a three-week period? He could be the X-Factor.\" Media playback is not supported on this device England will take part in the World Twenty20 in India between 8 March and 3 April. Pietersen, speaking before last summer's Ashes series, said he was \"angry and hurt\" after director of cricket Andrew Strauss told him he was excluded because \"trust had eroded\". The 35-year-old batsman last played for England in January 2014 and later released an autobiography criticising some of his team-mates, and officials at the England and Wales Cricket Board. However, he has vast experience of playing in India from his time in the Indian Premier League and starred as England won the World Twenty20 in 2010. In the Big Bash, he scored 323 runs for Melbourne Stars including 62 in the semi-final and 74 in Sunday's final. Asked if the selectors would pick Pietersen, former England captain Vaughan added: \"They won't but I would because of the way that he's playing and the level of performance that he's showed. \"In front of massive crowds in Australia his batting won the semi-final and almost the final. \"A year ago he wasn't playing well enough and he was nowhere near the England team. But the T20 World Cup starts in a few weeks time and I personally want the best team out there for England.\" England's opening World Twenty20 match is against West Indies in Mumbai on 16 March (09:30 GMT).", "summary": "England should recall Kevin Pietersen for the forthcoming World Twenty20, according to Michael Vaughan."}
{"article": "The England hooker, 28, went off on a stretcher after tackling Broncos half-back Anthony Milford. Wane said the operation \"went well\" but added: \"I can't see him playing again this year.\" McIlorum has played 220 games for the Warriors, winning two Grand Finals and a Challenge Cup.", "summary": "Wigan coach Shaun Wane says Michael McIlorum will miss the rest of the year after suffering a broken ankle in the World Club Series defeat by Brisbane."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old scored three times in 21 appearances while on loan at Molineux last season and the two clubs had discussed a transfer. But Wolves will now not take the deal further after Nuno Espirito Santo replaced Paul Lambert as head coach. Weimann thanked his Wolves team-mates and the club's fans on his Twitter account on Tuesday. The Austria international was largely restricted to substitute appearances for Derby in the first five months of the 2016-17 season, starting just once in the Championship. In January, he opted to be reunited with Lambert, who had managed him at Aston Villa, and his crowning moment was scoring in the FA Cup fourth-round win at Liverpool in January. But the Scot's departure from Molineux has ended talks over a permanent switch.", "summary": "Wolves have ended their interest in signing Derby forward Andreas Weimann on a permanent deal, BBC WM reports."}
{"article": "They said they belonged to a group called the Masonic Fraternal Police Department, which they claimed dated back to the Knights Templar. One of the trio is a junior aide to California's attorney general. Uniforms, weapons and vehicles were found in premises linked to the group. Brandon Kiel - an aide to state Attorney General Kamala Harris - David Henry and Tonette Hayes were arrested on 30 April and released later that day. \"When asked what is the difference between the Masonic Fraternal Police Department and other Police Departments the answer is simple for us. We were here first!\" the group's website page reads. \"We are born into this Organization, our bloodlines go deeper than an application.\" According their website, the Masonic Fraternal Police Department was created by the Knights Templar in 1100 BC - although the crusader order was set up more than 2,000 years later. Authorities began investigating the group after police chiefs in southern California received a letter in late January that announced Mr Kiel would be serving as \"chief deputy director\" of the group. The letter claimed there were 5,686 lodges and that the department \"will be able to acquire intel that is not accessible to non-fraternal entities\". Los Angeles County sheriff's spokeswoman Nicole Nishida told the Associated Press news agency that there were no indications that the group had carried out any law enforcement activities.", "summary": "Three people have been charged in California with impersonating law enforcement officers after claiming to operate a police department with jurisdiction in 33 states."}
{"article": "But the Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels information sets were made available with a warning. The Scottish government said they required further development before their accuracy could be relied upon. The statistics come as it was revealed that pupils do less well in reading, writing and numeracy through their primary years. For example, in reading, 81% of P1 pupils achieved \"Early Level\", 75% of P4 pupils achieved \"First Level\" and 72% of P7 pupils achieved \"Second Level\". However, the figures improve in secondary schools where the proportion of S3 pupils achieving Curriculum for Excellence Third Level or better is between 84% and 87% for each curriculum area which includes reading, writing, listening and talking, and numeracy. By Jamie McIvor, BBC Scotland education correspondent The data on Curriculum for Excellence attainment is being published for the first time. Therefore it is impossible to say from these figures whether things are getting any better or worse. The figures for S3 performance are bound to provoke some discussions. The numbers reaching Level 3 - the basic level expected of an S3 student - are broadly in line with the number of primary school children reaching the levels expected of them. But a relatively small proportion reach the more advanced Level 4. Essentially this is a sign a youngster is academically able. It means that their work at the end of S3 would already be broadly equivalent to the standard required for a National 4 qualification. The National 4 is the qualification, ordinarily obtained a year later in S4, by students who aren't studying for a National 5 or even a Higher. It is broadly equivalent to a General level pass in an old Standard Grade. This may highlight a key challenge - ensuring youngsters continue to make progress in secondary school. Problems, for example, ensuring boys keep on making progress once they leave primary school have been well debated for many years. Another issue with the Level 4 data is that there are significant differences in the data from different part of the countries. The government says there are inconsistencies in the way young people are assessed in different areas. It argues the planned standardised assessments will ensure a far greater degree of consistency.", "summary": "Data about how well schools in Scotland do on reading, writing and numeracy has been published for the first time."}
{"article": "The head of Madagascar's FA is the sole challenger to the Cameroonian, who has led Caf since 1988. Central to Ahmad's manifesto is a desire for improved governance, with a commitment to increased transparency and reinvestment outlined. The Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa will host the elections on 16 March. Ahmad, who confirmed his candidacy to the BBC on 12 January, has also said he hopes to bring about 'reconciliation within the different actors of the African football.' \"Those who have lost their trust, their confidence in Caf, those who have been long forgotten and those who have been left on their own - they all must join Caf,\" his manifesto states. Among the other ideas prominent to his candidacy: Ahmad is seen as an outsider to depose Hayatou, who is seeking an eighth term in office, and is eligible to contest the elections given he is already a member of Caf's Executive Committee. The Malagasy has been boosted by receiving the backing of Cosafa, the southern African region. Ahmad is considered the most serious challenger in years to Hayatou, who was re-elected unopposed in 2013.", "summary": "Ahmad Ahmad, the man bidding to depose Issa Hayatou as president of the Confederation of African Football (Caf), has unveiled his manifesto."}
{"article": "The Ulster Unionist MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone was elected in 2015 with DUP support. MPs backed a request from the prime minister to hold a snap general election on 8 June by 522 votes to 13. Sinn F\u00e9in's northern leader said Mrs May had shown a \"blatant disregard for the people of the north\". Michelle O'Neill said the prime minister's announcement of a general election was about \"the Tory party's self interest\". Meanwhile, the SDLP rejected any suggestion of her party entering a pact with Sinn F\u00e9in. DUP MP Ian Paisley said the \"deep frost button\" had been pressed on power-sharing talks in Northern Ireland. Mr Paisley expressed concerns about the future of the talks process during the general election campaign. \"We are seeing the freezer bags come out and the deep frost button being pressed on the Assembly,\" he said. In the last general election, in May 2015, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) agreed pacts in four constituencies, including the UK's most tightly-contested seat of Fermanagh and South Tyrone. That pact helped Mr Elliott take the seat from Sinn F\u00e9in's Michelle Gildernew - she had held on to it by just four votes in 2010. On Tuesday, UUP leader Robin Swann said he was \"open\" to discussion on the issue of pacts. Mr Elliott told the BBC on Wednesday it was important that the \"people of Northern Ireland have representation at Westminster\". He also said talks with the DUP would take place in the days ahead to secure the \"best agreement around some constituencies\". Earlier, DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said his party wanted to \"quickly\" arrange talks with the UUP on a potential pact. Sir Jeffrey told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme that the DUP was \"prepared to go further\" this time. \"We recognise that - if Northern Ireland is to maximise its representation and to have a strong voice in the absence of our own government - then we need to return MPs who will actually take their seats at Westminster,\" he said. Sinn F\u00e9in currently has four MPs but they do not take their seats in the House of Commons, in protest at British rule in Northern Ireland. Sir Jeffrey suggested there should be a new unionist pact in Fermanagh and South Tyrone and \"other constituencies as well\". The DUP MP highlighted South Belfast as one constituency where the unionists could gain a seat from nationalists by agreeing to stand a single-unity candidate. The seat is currently held by SDLP MP Dr Alasdair McDonnell. However, there will be no reciprocal deal between nationalist parties, according to Dr McDonnell's colleague, South Down MP Margaret Ritchie. Mrs Ritchie told Good Morning Ulster: \"We don't do electoral pacts\". \"The SDLP fights the election - each and every election - on our own mandate and our own basis,\" she said. Speaking on the same programme, Sinn F\u00e9in's national chairperson, Declan Kearney, said his party shared much \"common ground\" with the SDLP, Alliance and the Green Party on issues such as Brexit, equality and the", "summary": "The Ulster Unionist Party is to have talks with the Democratic Unionists about an electoral pact in the \"next few days\", Tom Elliott has said."}
{"article": "Estimates put the total quantity of waste involved at more than 30,000 tonnes. That amount would fill twelve Olympic-sized swimming pools. The latest site at Galbally, near Dungannon, is the third such find in the area since the Autumn. Experts from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) are now linking it to two other dumps discovered previously at Ballygawley and Sandholes. Derek Williamson, from NIEA's Environmental Crime Unit, described the latest find as \"significant\". He said: \"Given the nature of the waste deposited, NIEA is currently linking five ongoing investigations in the east Tyrone area. \"We also believe the waste originated in the Republic of Ireland.\" Mr Williamson said his officials were working closely with the Garda\u00c3\u00ad to identify those responsible. The volume of waste at the most recent find is still being assessed. A man was arrested as part of the operation and was later released pending further inquiries. NIEA has appealed for anyone with information on illegal dumping to contact them.", "summary": "Investigators say parts of County Tyrone are being used by \"unscrupulous criminals\" to bury waste following the discovery of a fifth illegal dump there."}
{"article": "Monty the Penguin has become an internet sensation after becoming the face (and beak) of this year's John Lewis Christmas advert. For many, the advert's release marks the countdown to Christmas. For others, it signals the start of a commercial battle to release the most sentimental and memorable campaign in the hope it will translate into profit. Adverts from stores like Waitrose, Asda and Aldi are all set to follow, in the meantime let's find out all you need to know about the penguin who's been trending globally across Twitter. 1. Monty is an Ad\u00e9lie penguin which can be found along the Antarctic coast. They are tough, old birds who breed further south than any other penguin. Brrr! 2. Newly-engaged Benedict Cumberbatch is reportedly gutted* at Monty's fame because he struggles to say the word \"penguin\". 3. The crux of Monty's story is that he is longing for a mate. A chick to call his own. Don't worry Monty, those urges you are feeling are totally natural. When male and female penguins hook up they become inseparable. They even take it in turns to look after their chicks while their partner is out at sea. 4. As the autumn leaves start to fall and seasons start to change, Monty begins searching for his future wife. This is not surprising as Ad\u00e9lie penguins head to breeding grounds at that time of year. 5. Don't let Monty's cute complexion fool you, he can have a sneaky, mean side. During breeding period, Ad\u00e9lie penguins switch from a calm nature to aggressive. Some have even been filmed stealing rocks from their neighbours' nests. 6. Once Christmas is out of the way and Monty's fame has died down, he may decide to ditch his owner, Sam, for a few days and head to a festival, like Glastonbury or Leeds. A BBC crew which has observed his fellow Ad\u00e9lie penguins reckon he would fit right in because they like to build their nests just out of \"pecking distance\" of their neighbours, like tents at a festival. 7. Watch out! Monty's owner Sam might just be a genius. He regularly sneaks his beloved Monty fish fingers, the closest most seven-year-old's are going to get to krill or squid, which are Ad\u00e9lie penguins favourite food. 8. Monty gives great advice. 9. If you need Monty to attend a black-tie event at the drop of a hat, fear not. His black and white colouring resembles a rather dapper tuxedo and let's not forget his very distinctive white ringed eyes. 10. Monty likes going sledging with his owner Sam because it gives him a chance to slide downs hills on his jolly white belly. Ad\u00e9lie penguins do this for fun and practical reasons, because it means they can move along ice quickly without becoming tired. *This might not be true. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Step aside Pingu, there is a new penguin rocking our iceberg."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old finished a career-best second in his Ford Fiesta in the French round in October, his second podium of the season. Evans is seventh in the Championship standings but his future is unclear. \"We will see what comes and will look with what happens next year afterwards,\" he said. \"There has been a lot of chat about it [my future], but really to be honest nothing has changed. \"At the beginning of the year I wasn't in a position with a contract for next year anyway. \"There has been a lot of speculation, I don't see how one rally can change everything, but for sure we want to do our best for myself and the team and it's the team's home event.\" M-Sport managing director Malcolm Wilson has yet to make a decision on his drivers for next year, with Evans' current deal expiring at the end of 2015. Media playback is not supported on this device But Wilson admitted that a good result in the Wales Rally GB will help the Welshhman when the team hold contract talks at the end of the World Rally Championship. \"I am not making a decision on drivers until after this event but in real terms if he has a great result here then that will help, but ultimately that's not going to be the final decision,\" said Wilson. \"There is a lot of other stuff going on that is related to the whole business, and that is why I have not been making a decision, but it's not to say I am not going to have Elfyn in the team next year,. \"But we have got so much other stuff going on behind the scenes and the programme being extended to extra events - it is how we work out the resources.\" Dogellau-born Evans, alongside co-driver Daniel Barritt, took part in the ceremonial start in Llandudno on Thursday evening ahead of Friday's first stage. The son of former British Rally champion Gwyndaf Evans is in his second WRC season and was fifth in last year's Wales Rally GB. \"It's been a bit of a mixed and difficult year for us but there's plenty of positives to draw from it as well,\" Evans added. \"We're hoping for the chance to come back and build on that next year. \"In terms of competitiveness and stage times we've come leaps and bounds but maybe the results don't quite reflect that for various reasons.\" Evans is back in Wales for the final round of the World Rally Championships, which Frenchman Sebastien Ogier won for a third year running in September. Ogier has tipped Evans and Northern Ireland's Kris Meeke to do well at Wales Rally GB, which starts in the forests of mid-Wales on Friday. \"It's always been a special event,\" Evans said. \"You can still enjoy it at the same time and it's a pretty strange feeling rallying at home after spending 12 rallies away all over the world. \"It feels good coming back to familiar stages and familiar conditions. We're sure to enjoy this weekend.\"", "summary": "World Rally Championship driver Elfyn Evans will fight for a podium at Wales Rally GB and potentially for his future with his M-Sport team."}
{"article": "The club's fans have previously booed to express anger at European football's governing body over a number of issues. Uefa opened disciplinary actions against City in October 2015, but decided against any sanctions. The new 2017 disciplinary regulations contain no reference to causing a disturbance during competition anthems.", "summary": "Manchester City will not face punishment from Uefa this season if their fans boo the Champions League anthem after a change to regulations."}
{"article": "Police in Aviemore were alerted to the climber's fall at Aladdin's Couloir, Coire an t-Sneachda, in the Northern Corries at about midday. Members of Cairngorm MRT and rescue personnel at Glenmore Lodge went to his aid. The helicopter based at Inverness Airport has airlifted the injured climber to Aberdeen Royal infirmary. He suffered serious head injuries in the fall.", "summary": "Mountain rescue teams and an Inverness Coastguard helicopter crew have rescued a fallen climber."}
{"article": "Kneen, 28, won both Superbike events on his way to collecting the man-of-the-meeting award two years ago, and will ride for the Mar-Train Yamaha outfit. Ryan Farquhar takes in the 'big bike' events on his BMW Superstock and the Supertwins class on his KMR Kawasaki. Malachi-Mitchell Thomas competes after taking a treble at the Mid Antrim 150. The Bolton rider is joined in the Cookstown BE Racing team by Dubliner Derek Sheils, who won the feature event at Mid Antrim on 2 April on his 1000cc Suzuki. Farquhar struggled with the stability and electronics on his Superstock machine at Mid Antrim but emerged the victor in the Supertwins and won the opening Superbike race over the 5.3-mile Tandragee circuit last year. William Dunlop is set to campaign his Supersport 600cc Yamaha at the County Armagh meeting, with Republic of Ireland competitors Derek Sheils and Derek McGee also in the mix. The meeting features a nine-race programme, with practicing on Friday and racing on Saturday.", "summary": "Manxman Dan Kneen will be out to repeat the form he showed on his debut in 2014 when he takes part in this weekend's Tandragee 100 road races."}
{"article": "The grant is being cut from \u00c2\u00a36.7m to \u00c2\u00a35m by 2020, but most of S4C's funding now comes from the BBC licence fee. The debate, in the Commons, will be led Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Conservative MP Simon Hart. In December, Broadcasting Minister Ed Vaizey said S4C was well funded, with a \"guaranteed income\" of \u00c2\u00a390m a year.", "summary": "MPs will debate later how Welsh language TV channel S4C should be funded in the future, as its grant from UK ministers continues to shrink."}
{"article": "Argentine forensic scientists said they found no DNA from the students at a rubbish dump outside the town of Cocula. The government says the students were killed there. It said their bodies were burnt, after police handed them over to a gang. But after a year-long investigation the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team concluded there was no biological or physical evidence to show that the 43 students who disappeared in 2014 were burnt and killed at the rubbish dump. The team said they had evidence that there had been a number of fires over the years at the rubbish dump in a canyon outside Cocula but none had been big enough to burn 43 bodies. They said they found bone fragments from 19 people but none came from the students. The government had said that the students were arrested on 26 September 2014 in the town of Iguala around 20 km (12 miles) away by municipal police. The Prosecutor General at the time, Jesus Murillo Karam, said that his investigations had uncovered that the police had handed over the students to a drug trafficking gang who had killed them at the rubbish dump and then built a large funeral pyre with the bodies to burn them. The gang allegedly collected up the ashes and remains after the fire in bags and threw them into a nearby stream. The government has said it has identified the remains of two of the students from the bags, Alexander Mora and Jhosivani Guerrero, although only the first could by fully identified through DNA sampling. The Argentine team said it had not been present when the bags were found so could not be sure of the remains' origins. It said the bones that had been analysed by an Austrian laboratory to identify Alexander Mora, were \"unusual in size compared to the other fragments in the same bag\". It has also had minimal exposure to fire, the group said, and there was \"not any sign of a recent fire in the vegetation\" at the rubbish dump. In September, experts from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights concluded the government's original investigation had been deeply flawed. In response to the new report, the Mexican Attorney General's office said the case of the 43 students was not closed and that the authorities were finalising a team to conduct a new analysis of the fire claims as well as looking at new lines of investigation into what had happened to the students. The parents of the students have been campaigning to be given access to military barracks in the area which, they say, may contain clues about the whereabouts of their children. The government has refused to let the soldiers who were in the area at the time of the disappearance be questioned by anyone but government prosecutors.", "summary": "A second report into the disappearance of 43 students in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero says there is no evidence to support the official version of what happened to them."}
{"article": "The temperature in Inverness this morning was about 16C - t-shirts, shorts and ice cream-fizzing-in-a-coke float weather - but the couple on the High Street were bundled up in raincoats. The ever present hazard of vox popping in the Highland capital is that nine out of 10 times you will stop a tourist. The visitors, mainly from Europe, come here in their thousands at almost every time of the year, spilling merrily out of coaches that park below the hilltop Inverness Castle. Hundreds of tourists in Inverness on Friday were not only treated to fine summer weather, but the sight of a large pipe band in the High Street. The husband and wife I had stopped were French and gamely entertained my attempt to ask them about the referendum, helped by a few gestures towards the campaign signs tied to nearby lampposts. Two years ago, during the Scottish independence referendum, the High Street was very quickly festooned with Yes signs. This time the campaign notices were slow to appear and, at first, with a notable absence of those backing Remain. BBC Scotland took to the streets of towns and cities across the country to find out what people feel about the decision to leave the EU. As the final results show, however, that the city and wider Highlands and Islands favoured staying in the EU - 56% of those who voted in the Highlands were for Remain, while the figure was 55% in the Western Isles. In 1975, when voters last gave their verdict on European membership, the Western Isles returned a decisive \"no\". After the isles' latest poll result, islander and Remain campaigner, Lewis MacAskill, told BBC Alba: \"It is very significant, especially when you consider the Western Isles was the area back in 1975 that most heavily voted against the then EEC. \"It is a sign of how things have changed and how far we have come along.\" Felix Quero, a Leave campaigner on the islands, conceded the result for him locally was disappointing. But he added: \"In the bigger picture it is not such a bad thing. I feel we have rattled the cages of the establishment.\" Back in Inverness, SNP MP Drew Hendry came into the BBC Scotland studios with a message for the many European migrant workers who live in the city and the wider area. Almost every community in the Highlands has a family or families from Poland, Estonia, Latvia or Hungary. There also Danes, Spanish and Germans. Mr Hendry said: \"I think people will be shocked about the result and worried. \"But the vote in the Highlands, and across Scotland, show that Scotland sees its place firmly in the EU. \"We are saying very clearly to those EU citizens who live here in the Highlands, who live across Scotland, who are our friends and neighbours, that we will do absolutely everything in our power to make sure we are protecting them and their ability to live and work here.\" Meanwhile, Inverness Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stewart Nicol said the implications of the result for", "summary": "Their jackets were a giveaway."}
{"article": "Cristian Montano was a constant threat, testing Magpies goalkeeper Scott Loach with an early shot, before bursting into the box to score before half-time. Notts had gone close through Wes Atkinson and Izale McLeod, but Lee Brown got Rovers' second after the break when he fired in from 18 yards. McLeod missed with a header as the hosts made a late fight-back. The defeat comes days after chief executive Julian Winter left the club for Huddersfield, while angry home fans raised a banner in the Kop that was removed by stewards.", "summary": "Bristol Rovers kept up their League Two promotion bid by consigning Notts County to a fifth game without victory."}
{"article": "A pregnant traveller, 18, said she was put in a ward on her own and not allowed visitors, as \"she was a Gypsy\". It was one account uncovered in a study into Gypsy and travellers' experiences of the Welsh NHS. Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said there were \"real challenges\" and more needed to be done. Chairwoman of the assembly's Gypsy and Traveller Committee Labour AM Julie Morgan said the discrimination was an \"absolute disgrace\". According to the last official count over 900 Gypsy and traveller families live in caravans across Wales, with 35% living on sites in Cardiff and Pembrokeshire alone. In what is thought to be the first survey of its kind in Europe, about 100 Gypsies and travellers were interviewed by community champions as part of the study, between April 2016 and March 2017. Travellers spoke of difficulties accessing GP services, claiming they faced discrimination from receptionists and barriers filling in registration forms as many are illiterate. A distrust of dentists also led to children saying they had needed to have between 10 and 20 rotten teeth removed. Report author Dr Adrian Marsh said while some GPs gave travellers prescriptions for during the summer period, when they travel to festivals and cultural events, others did not. He said large numbers of visitors descending on hospital wards during visiting hours often created tensions and lead to conflict. Some evidence of good practice especially in north Wales were also highlighted in the report. Speaking at the report's launch at the Pierhead in Cardiff Mrs Morgan said the experiences of the community were often \"very negative\" and people were nervous of seeking help. She said she hoped the report could be a blueprint for improving services for a community which was \"one of the most stigmatised\" in Wales. \"It's very shocking to hear some of the ways people have been treated in the health service,\" she said. \"There have been very good examples, very good relationships with district nurses, with GPs, but also a lot of stories of discrimination; difficulties getting access to the health service, ways people had been treated, stigma, and this really illustrates it, and it is really something we have got to tackle.\" Mr Gething said the Welsh Government was working in partnership with health boards to improve access to NHS services for communities. \"I know we are not a perfect country but I do think we are doing the right thing to make sure there is equality,\" he said.", "summary": "Gypsies and travellers are facing barriers to accessing health care in Wales due to discrimination, a report suggests."}
{"article": "The service at Holy Trinity Church was followed by a parade to Victoria Pier to cast wreaths into the Humber. Keith Thompson, organising the parade, said during the conflict the Royal Navy requisitioned more vessels registered in Hull than from any other British port. Trawlers, tugs and a North Sea Ferry, Norland, were manned by volunteers. Argentina invaded the Falkland island in April 1982. About 650 of its troops, 255 British servicemen and three Falklands civilians died in two months of fighting. The Norland Hull to Rotterdam passenger ferry landed Royal Marines and other forces in San Carlos Water and was often attacked by Argentine forces. Mr Thompson, a Falklands veteran from the Norland, said in total nine Hull-registered vessels sailed - \"the largest Falklands task force from one port\". Later in the conflict, the Norland transported prisoners of war back to Argentina and returned to Hull in 1983. She was scrapped in 2010. During today's wreath-laying service on the pier, Hull firm SMS Towage was due to pull a tug down the Humber with jets firing as a mark of respect. Mr Thompson said the public was invited to attend the service and the pier parade to lay flowers \"for a loved one lost at sea in war or in peace time\". In the world wars hundreds of Hull trawlers and crews were also requisitioned by the Admiralty and used as minesweepers and patrol craft. Many merchant seamen were killed in action. The memorial service took place at Holy Trinity, the nearest church to the port.", "summary": "A memorial has taken place to remember Hull's vessels used in the 1982 Falklands conflict."}
{"article": "Laura Stewart, 20, was walking on North Hanover Street with her friend Mhairi Convy, 18, when they were hit by a Range Rover on 17 December. The funeral of Ms Stewart, an accounts student from Cumbernauld, was held at Our Lady and St Helen's Parish Church in her home town. About 200 people attended the ceremony to pay their respects. Outside the church floral tributes were laid, including the name \"Laura\" written out in red and white flowers opposite the word \"sister\" in purple flowers. Tributes left with the flowers included a card saying \"with all our love for always, mum and dad\" and another to a \"beautiful\" girl who was a \"loving friend and sister\". The order of service showed a photo of the student with the words \"Courage grows strong at a wound\" - the motto of the Stewart clan. Mourners wept as the white coffin with purple handles was carried out of the church to the hymn Walk With Me Oh My Lord. Father Gerald Sharkey led the procession out of the church through the snow. The body was then driven to Eastfield Cemetery in Cumbernauld for a private burial. Ms Stewart and Ms Convy, of Lennoxtown, studied at Glasgow College of Commerce. Following the crash, the two women were taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where they died. A 36-year-old male pedestrian and the 50-year-old male driver of the Range Rover were also treated in hospital after the crash. Strathclyde Police are investigating the deaths.", "summary": "Hundreds of mourners gathered for the funeral of a student who died after a 4x4 mounted a kerb in Glasgow."}
{"article": "One firm received more than \u00a35m despite winning a contract valued at less than \u00a3300,000, while another was paid more than \u00a3500,000 without bidding at all. Both are owned by former acquaintances of Southern Health NHS Trust's chief executive Katrina Percy. The trust said it took its financial responsibilities \"very seriously\". The BBC has also learned Southern Health has access to the services of former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell, after it hired Portland Communications to help with its ongoing problems. Mental health trust Southern Health has been under intense scrutiny since an NHS England-commissioned report in December found it failed to investigate the unexpected deaths of hundreds of patients. A failure of leadership and governance at the trust was blamed for the problems, a conclusion a subsequent CQC report in April agreed with. In light of the criticisms, Katrina Percy, the only chief executive the trust has ever had, has faced widespread calls to resign but has refused to do so. 2006 - Management consultant Chris Martin and Katrina Percy start working together during her capacity as chief operating officer at Surrey and Sussex Hospitals 2009 - Ms Percy becomes chief executive of Hampshire Community Health Care and Mr Martin follows her, providing coaching and leadership support 2010 - Mr Martin starts a firm of organisational psychologists called Talent Works Ltd, whose website says they are \"experts in culture and behaviour change\" 2010 - In December, Southern Health advertises for management development support. The tender has a value of \u00a3288,000, and the contract is to last three years, with an option for a one year extension 2011 - Ms Percy joins Southern Health as chief executive and the work is awarded to Talent Works Ltd 2014 - The initial three year contract ends and the firm is paid \u00a35.365m - an over-spend approaching 2,000%. The trust chooses to exercise its option for a one-year extension Now she is facing fresh questions about two former associates, Chris Martin and Paul Gray, whose companies were paid by Southern Health. Roy Lilley, former chairman of an NHS trust and now a health policy expert, said the overspend on Mr Martin's company was \"extraordinary\". He said: \"It really doesn't look good, and it casts a deep shadow over the people involved and the way in which the trust has been run by the board.\" A former governor at Southern Health, John Green, who has a background in running quality management programmes, said he queried the work that Talent Works was doing at the trust. \"I was fobbed off,\" Mr Green said. \"I didn't get any information for well over a year. I believe the spending of public money in the NHS is nothing as accountable to the public as it should be.\" Paul Gray worked with Ms Percy as director of strategy at Hampshire Community Health Care and his firms made money from the trust without having to bid for a contract. In July 2009, he set up consultancy firm Consilium Strategy Consulting Ltd and in 2014 he formed a second company, Consilium Partners Ltd.", "summary": "A troubled NHS trust has paid millions of pounds to companies owned by previous associates of its embattled chief executive, BBC News has learned."}
{"article": "The government should, if necessary, negotiate with their captors to secure their release, a protester said. The Islamist group Boko Haram has been blamed for abducting the girls from their school in Chibok, Borno state. Boko Haram has not yet made any response to the accusation. The group, whose name means \"Western education is forbidden\" in the local Hausa language, has staged a wave of attacks in northern Nigeria in recent years, with an estimated 1,500 killed in the violence and subsequent security crackdown this year alone. Organisers said about 500 people, most of them women dressed in red, braved heavy rain to march to the National Assembly to hand over a letter to complain that the government was not doing enough to secure the release of the girls. By Will RossBBC News, Abuja The demonstration was small - just a few hundred people - but emotions were running high. There has been a great deal of anger in Nigeria because many have the impression that the government is doing far too little to secure the release of the teenage girls who are believed to be in the hands of the Islamist extremist group, Boko Haram. Parents of the abducted students have been left to rely on rumours as officials have said very little. In the pouring rain, people marched to the National Assembly and delivered their message to the politicians themselves. The Senate President David Mark was there. He told the drenched crowd that the military must do everything within its means to rescue the students. More rallies are due to be held over the next few days. Some here are determined that the plight of the missing school girls is not allowed to be ignored by the political elite - many of whom send their own children to schools overseas far from the vulnerable students of north east Nigeria. The protest, labelled the \"million-woman march\", had been called by the Women for Peace and Justice organisation. March organiser Mercy Abang told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme that the government should do whatever is necessary, even if it meant holding negotiations with the abductors, to make sure the girls returned home \"alive - not in body bags\". Anger has mounted in recent days over the abductions. Parents have criticised the government's search and rescue efforts and the number of missing girls has been disputed. Nigeria's Interior Minister Abba Moro told BBC Focus on Africa that he understood the \"outpouring of emotions\", but the government could not divulge details of what it was doing to secure the release of the girls. It had to act in a \"discreet\" way because the militants had threatened to kill the girls if \"certain steps\" were taken, he said. He accused opposition parties of politicising the crisis and said they should work with the government rather than criticise it. Another march organiser, Hadiza Bala Usman, told the BBC the women wanted to know why soldiers seemed so ill-equipped to find the girls. She warned that the abductions would discourage parents from sending their daughters", "summary": "Hundreds of mainly women protesters have marched through the Nigerian capital, Abuja, to press for the release of 230 schoolgirls abducted by militants two weeks ago."}
{"article": "James Brokenshire said he \"would come forward with further information in my own way in respect of the next step around the talks process\". Mr Brokenshire was speaking ahead of meeting Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney in Dublin. He said discussions with the parties later this week would help inform his decision. The secretary of state added he was going forward with \"positive intent\" but that \"differences firmly do remain\". \"My priority is to see the restoration of the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland, working on a sustainable basis to deliver good government for everyone,\" Mr Brokenshire said. Mr Brokenshire said: \"Over the summer I have kept in touch with the political parties and I will be bringing them together over the next week as we enter a new phase of talks. \"Urgent progress is required. The lack of an executive making key decisions on matters including health and education means that public services in Northern Ireland are suffering. \"We need to find a way forward that will allow an executive to be formed.\" Mr Coveney said he planned to visit Belfast next week to meet politicians. \"Northern Ireland needs a voice through a government of its own,\" he said. \"We need to see a resumption to those discussions and hopefully a conclusion as soon as possible. \"We don't want talks that are ongoing for a long period of time.\" Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in's northern leader has written to the UK and Irish governments proposing a formal resumption of power-sharing talks. Michelle O'Neill suggested parties should be given a tight deadline from next Monday to restore the government. The Democratic Unionist Party's (DUP) Simon Hamilton described her proposal as a \"stunt\", saying his party had been ready to form an executive for months. Northern Ireland has been without a functioning devolved government since January. The coalition led by the two biggest parties, the DUP and Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in, collapsed over a green energy scandal. Formal talks were suspended without agreement at the start of July.", "summary": "The secretary of state has refused to say when talks aimed at restoring devolution at Stormont will resume."}
{"article": "The legal team of the former pop star, real name Paul Gadd, argued media coverage had made a fair trial impossible. But three judges said there was nothing \"unsafe\" about the conviction. The 71-year-old was jailed for 16 years in February for offences at the height of his fame, between 1975 and 1980. He had denied the allegations against him. A jury at Southwark Crown Court found him guilty of one count of attempted rape, one of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13, and four counts of indecent assault. At his sentencing, Judge McCreath told him his victims were \"profoundly affected\". He said the offence of attempted rape was \"so serious\" as to justify the maximum available sentence. Gadd was jailed in Vietnam in 2006 for molesting two girls aged 11 and 12. He later became the first person to be arrested under Operation Yewtree, the investigation launched by the Metropolitan Police following the Jimmy Savile scandal.", "summary": "Disgraced singer Gary Glitter has lost a Court of Appeal challenge against his conviction for sexually abusing three young girls."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Eli Walker finished a slick Ospreys move for the opening try, before Rory Hughes' score put Glasgow 13-10 up at half-time. Sam Davies' boot kept Ospreys in touch but Ryan Grant's controversial try restored the visitors' lead. Ospreys levelled again with Dan Evans' incisive score and Davies missed a late chance to win the game as his drop-goal attempt sailed wide. The hosts stay seventh in the Pro12 table, while Glasgow reclaim eighth spot from Cardiff Blues. Buoyed by a European Champions Cup win against Racing 92 in their last outing, Glasgow made a strong start and led 6-0 thanks to two Duncan Weir penalties. Ospreys responded first with a Davies penalty and then a smartly worked try from a line-out move, which culminated in a pop pass from centre Josh Matavesi to wing Walker, who sped over unopposed. There was also deft handling in Glasgow's opening score, with lock Leone Nakarawa offloading brilliantly for wing Hughes to touch down in the corner. A second Davies penalty brought Ospreys level at 13-13 early in the second half, but Glasgow soon restored their lead with a contentious try. Referee Peter Fitzgibbon consulted television match official Jon Mason and, although there appeared to be a double movement from back row Ryan Wilson, the score was awarded as prop Grant plunged over from close range. Ospreys equalised for the second time with 10 minutes left to set up a tense finale, with Davies' break and offload setting up full-back Evans to cross for their second try. Davies had an opportunity to put the hosts in front three minutes later but pulled his drop-goal wide. Ospreys: Dan Evans, Tom Grabham, Owen Watkin, Josh Matavesi, Eli Walker, Sam Davies, Brendon Leonard (capt); Nicky Smith, Sam Parry, Dmitri Arhip, Rynier Bernardo, Rory Thornton, Joe Bearman, Sam Underhill, Dan Baker Replacements: Scott Otten, Gareth Thomas, Ma'afu Fia, Adam Beard, Olly Cracknell, Tom Habberfield, Ben John, JJ Engelbrecht Glasgow Warriors: Peter Murchie; Lee Jones, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Sam Johnson, Rory Hughes, Duncan Weir, Grayson Hart; Ryan Grant, Pat MacArthur, Sila Puafisi, Greg Peterson, Leone Nakarawa, Rob Harley, Chris Fusaro, Ryan Wilson (capt) Replacements: James Malcolm, Gordon Reid, D'arcy Rae, Josh Strauss, James Eddie, Ali Price, Gregor Hunter, Glenn Bryce Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU) Assistant referees: Leighton Hodges, Wayne Davies (both WRU) Citing commissioner: Gwyn Bowden (WRU) TMO: Jon Mason (WRU)", "summary": "Ospreys and Glasgow shared four tries in an entertaining draw in the Pro12."}
{"article": "Debbie Jevans made the comments after a tweet by World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper said an early England exit was \"not what they wanted to hear\". Jevans would be \"very upset\" if England failed to make it out of their group but not in an official capacity. \"From our perspective it doesn't make a difference,\" Jevans said. \"Of course you think about it when you look at the tough group England are in and the impact that may or may not have, but I think our job as an organising committee is to make sure that we deliver an event that is the best it can be.\" The 48-match tournament begins on 18 September when England play Fiji at Twickenham. Stuart Lancaster's side are also in the same pool as Australia, Wales and Uruguay and only two will make it through to the knockout round. Wales head coach Warren Gatland, whose side are in the same group as England, said he was \"surprised\" by Gosper's comments. Jevans says she would like an England versus New Zealand final but claims the tournament's success does not hinge on the hosts' performance. \"Our focus is not about who wins or is in the final,\" Jevans added. \"From a delivery perspective we are genuinely looking at it as delivering for 20 teams and making sure they can all compete to the best of their ability. \"Our biggest selling ticket so far has been Argentina v New Zealand so I am not at all concerned about England being the sole focus of the Rugby World Cup.\"", "summary": "The chief executive of England's World Cup organising committee wants the hosts to make the knockout phase but says it's not essential for the event."}
{"article": "The terror attacks that traumatised this small nation have dominated political life and the media in Norway ever since. Norwegians are weary of the wall-to-wall media coverage of the Breivik attacks but they are still searching for answers about what happened that day. In particular, the victims' families want to know why it took police so long to respond. The former justice minister Knut Storberget and the former chief of security services (PST) Janne Kristiansen, both in charge at the time, were forced to resign under heavy criticism of the handling of the terror attacks. After months of criticism, the police, the PST and Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg finally apologised in March. The catalogue of police errors on the day is currently under investigation and will be a main subject of the independent public inquiry into the attacks which is due to be published in August. Oslo District Court has built a new, custom-made courtroom (no 250) for Breivik's trial, and refurbished two floors to accommodate the media and the many aggrieved parties who will be following the trial. Geir Engebretsen, president of the court, says the trial is estimated to cost around \u00c2\u00a310m (12.1m euros; $15.9m). He expects there to be between 1,000-1,400 people in the court building every day during the trial, however there are only 190 places available in the main courtroom which are reserved for the victims and members of the press. An estimated 2,500 people will be able to follow the trial via video link in 18 local courts around the country. The police have the responsibility of securing the building and have promised that everyone will feel safe. Breivik himself will be protected in court by a bulletproof screen. He has received at least two confirmed death threats in prison. The case will be heard by a panel of five judges rather than a jury: two professional judges and three lay judges who are general members of the public. The accused: Anders Behring Breivik (33) Judges: Wenche Elizabeth Arntzen, Arne Lyng Lay Judges: Ernst Henning Eielsen, Thomas Indreboe, Diana Patricia Fynbo Public Prosecutors: Inga Bejer Engh and Svein Holden Counsel for the Defence: Geir Lippestad, Tord Jordet, Odd Ivar Groen, Vibeke Hein Baera Co-ordinating Counsel for the aggrieved parties: Mette Yvonne Larsen, Siv Hallgren, Frode Elgesem Expert witnesses: Torgeir Husby, Synne Soerheim, Agnar Aspaas, Terje Toerrisen The trial is expected to finish on 22 June. The verdict, due some weeks later, can be appealed. The trial will begin with the indictment read out by the prosecution. Breivik is expected to take the stand on Tuesday 17 April and will have several days to testify. While the prosecution will call more than 90 witnesses, Breivik's lawyers will summon up to 40. Controversially, his defence counsel has notified the court it will call a number of far right extremists including a prolific Norwegian blogger, known as Fjordman, whom Breivik quoted extensively in his manifesto. They will also call members of the Labour Party and Progress Party, as well as writers and experts on terrorism and psychiatry. Several public", "summary": "Preparations for the trial of Anders Behring Breivik have been going on since his dramatic arrest on the island of Utoeya on 22 July last year."}
{"article": "Opposition councillors accused the ruling Labour group of \"arrogance\" and not listening to the public's concerns. The plans had also prompted protests outside the council's offices on Wednesday. Council leader Peter Marland said he was \"disappointed\" but would work with other parties to agree a new budget. The authority's provisional 2015-16 budget had included \u00a31.5m cuts to bus services, and reduced funding for the Citizens' Advice Bureau. Homeless shelters faced possible closure under the plans, and the removal of other funding could have forced some scout groups to shut down. Liberal Democrat leader, Douglas McCall, accused council leaders of refusing to listen to public concerns or engage with opposition parties. He described their approach to a public consultation as \"arrogant\". However, Mr Marland said a record consultation response showed the authority was listening. \"What we couldn't do is persuade enough opposition politicians that what we were doing was ultimately right,\" he said. Former Conservative group leader Andrew Geary said his party had predicted savings for five years and put forward a \"clear strategy\" for delivering them when it was in control. \"You simply can't amend something that is not built on a solid foundation and this budget is built on the sand and it will collapse and it won't deliver.\" The authority is set to meet again next week to discuss the revised proposals. Analysis Paul Scoins, Political reporter, BBC Three Counties After the political grandstanding comes the negotiation. Concessions will be made but the key sticking point of provision for homeless people will remain a subject for debate. The council will then need to agree that budget and, if they fail, the government will step in and act, most likely freezing the budget in its current state. More than \u00a390m needs to be saved over the next few years and Labour says difficult decisions are inevitable. Sources within the leadership group say they would be surprised if an agreement cannot be reached, suggesting the \"nuclear option\" of handing the decision to communities secretary Eric Pickles would be something all parties would find difficult to swallow.", "summary": "Proposals for \u00a322m council budget cuts in Milton Keynes have been rejected over fears they would adversely affect vulnerable people."}
{"article": "The void, which goes under the road on Cage Lane in Thetford, is about 3m (10ft) long and 1.5m (5ft) wide, Norfolk County Council said. A lamp-post that was precariously close to the hole has been removed by workmen and the road cordoned-off. The BBC has been unable to get in touch with the museum, but a volunteer told the Eastern Daily Press at the scene it would be open as normal this Saturday. Much of the original Dad's Army BBC TV series, based around the British Home Guard during World War Two, was shot in and around Thetford, using locations such as Thetford Forest. Eyewitness Gavin Hodge said he noticed the hole at about 13:00 and said when he looked down it there was \"quite a void\" filled with masonry and rubble. In a statement, Norfolk County Council said: \"Part of it is under the pavement which is starting to give way but it also stretches under the road, which is intact but beginning to crack. \"Tomorrow the county council is planning to fill in the gap and make it safe. We're then planning to resurface the road on Monday with the hope that the road can re-open in the afternoon. \"There's no obvious reason why this gap has opened up. Anglian Water have investigated and have confirmed there are no leaks that would have contributed to it and there's no recent history of similar problems in the vicinity.\"", "summary": "A sinkhole has opened up outside the Dad's Army Museum in Norfolk."}
{"article": "Arbroath won at Clyde, Elgin City beat visitors Edinburgh City and Annan Athletic hammered Stirling Albion. And Montrose's 2-1 win over Berwick Rangers to move above Clyde in fifth. Shane Sutherland got a hat-trick in Elgin's 3-1 defeat of Edinburgh, while Smart Osadolor and Max Wright each scored twice for Annan. At Station Park, Cowden's Dale Carrick put the visitors ahead, but Josh Peters brought Forfar level after the break. And Thomas O'Brien and Lewis Milne netted to secure a 3-1 win for the hosts. Colin Hamilton put Arbroath ahead away to Clyde only for Peter MacDonald to equalise. However, the Bully Wee went down to 10 men when Ryan Finnie received a second booking and Ricky Little's free-kick made it 2-1 to Arbroath. Sutherland scored twice for Elgin before Craig Beattie pulled one back for Edinburgh and completed his treble from the penalty spot. Stirling led against Annan through Blair Henderson, but Osadolor scored either side of half-time and Wright added two more for the Galabankies to round off a 4-1 victory. Montrose trailed against Berwick early in the second half as Michael McKenna scored, but the hosts levelled through Chris Templeman and Ryan Ferguson netted the winner.", "summary": "Forfar Athletic came from behind to beat bottom side Cowdenbeath and remain eight points clear at the top of Scottish League Two."}
{"article": "Gwent Police also confirmed the baby, discovered on wasteland close to Imperial Park on 29 January, was a boy. The baby had been wrapped in a white towel with the words \"St Annes\" written along the edge and placed in the leather bag, police said. The death is being treated as unexplained. A post mortem previously showed the baby had been born at about full-term. The force added it would be an \"incredibly distressing\" time for the baby's mother and it wanted to offer her \"the right support\". Police have previously posted a video on social media urging the mother to get in touch.", "summary": "Police searching for the mother of a newborn baby found dead in Newport have released an image of a bag identical to the one the child was found in."}
{"article": "Tries from Bill Meakes, James Hook and Ross Moriarty coupled with Hook's accuracy with the boot gave the Cherry and Whites a 25-6 half-time lead. A scrappy second half saw little more than a couple of confrontations between both sides, before Gloucester's Tom Savage crossed the whitewash. Gloucester are now just three points behind fourth-placed Northampton. Newcastle went into the match on the back of consecutive home victories over Leicester and Northampton, but a lacklustre display before the break ensured the match was over by half-time. Relive Gloucester's win over Newcastle here Gloucester, however, looked buoyed by last weekend's 25-12 loss at leaders Saracens and came flying out of the blocks, despite losing Jacob Rowan to a first-minute head injury. Australian wing Meakes collected Willi Heinz's pinpoint grubber kick to open the scoring before instrumental Wales international Hook wriggled through to add a second try shortly after. Flanker Moriarty then dived over following some quick hands from Heinz and Mariano Galarza just before the half-time whistle. As the game turned niggly after the break, neither side was able to string any attacking momentum together until replacement lock Savage crashed over. Newcastle's only saving grace from a disappointing afternoon was Worcester's 38-18 defeat at Northampton, which saw them stay two points ahead of Warriors in 10th and seven points clear of bottom side London Irish. Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: Media playback is not supported on this device \"In the same way that we reacted very positively immediately after the Leicester defeat, we got the same reaction today - I thought the players were outstanding. \"I thought the last 10 minutes were much better, we stayed patient, subs came on and made a difference, made a real impact. \"There's a sense of relief more than anything else I think after that game because we played so well that we felt we just deserved the bonus point. Gloucester: Cook; Sharples, Meakes, Twelvetrees (capt), Purdy; Hook, Heinz; McAllister, Hibbard, Afoa, Thrush, Galarza, Moriarty, Rowan, Ludlow. Replacements: Dawidiuk, Thomas, Doran-Jones, Savage, Kvesic, Braley, Burns, Trinder. Newcastle: Hammersley; Venditti, Harris, Powell, Watson; Willis, Takulua; Vickers, Lawson, Vea, Green, Wilson, Mayhew, Welch (capt), Hogg. Replacements: McGuigan, Rogers, Hatakeyama, Botha, Clever, Young, Sinoti, Socino.", "summary": "Gloucester ran in four tries to earn a comfortable bonus-point win over Newcastle Falcons at Kingsholm."}
{"article": "The five were jailed in September for raping a Finnish woman during a World League tournament in Tampere. The appeals court in the south-western city of Turku reduced the five-year sentences handed down to four of them. The longest of the revised prison terms is that of Osmany Uriarte Mestre - four years. Luis Sosa Sierra was acquitted. Ricardo Calvo Manzano will now serve three-and-a-half years, team captain Rolando Cepeda Abreu two-and-a-half years and Alfonso Gavilan one year and three months. They were detained in the southern Finnish city on 2 July after a woman said she had been raped at a hotel. The men denied the accusation. The team had been taking part in a tournament ahead of the Rio Olympics when the rape took place at their hotel. Eight men were originally held. Two were released soon afterwards. In September the Tampere court heard that two of the players had met the woman in a nightclub in the hotel basement. She later went to the room of Uriarte Mestre and consented to sex. However, Uriarte Mestre was then said to have texted the other men without the woman's knowledge. They entered the room and subjected her to a lengthy ordeal and held her by the hair to prevent her leaving. When she was eventually allowed to leave, she complained to the hotel receptionist who called police. The Cuban players were found guilty of aggravated rape and ordered to pay \u00e2\u201a\u00ac24,000 (\u00c2\u00a321,076; $27,383) in compensation to the victim. As the allegations emerged, two of the team coaches were sacked. Despite its depleted squad, Cuba fielded a team in Rio and lost all five of its matches.", "summary": "A Finnish court has cut the jail terms of four members of Cuba's national volleyball team found guilty of rape, and released a fifth."}
{"article": "Police were called to the vessel near Wroxham Island, on Wroxham Broad, at about 16:00 BST after concerns were raised about the length of time it had not moved. Officers found the two people and the dog and have started an inquiry into their deaths. Norfolk Police said the deaths are being treated as unexplained. Police have sealed the site while officers from Great Yarmouth CID conduct investigations.", "summary": "Two people and a dog have been found dead on a boat moored on the Norfolk Broads."}
{"article": "At least 183 procedures have been cancelled at hospitals across the north-east since the beginning of November, the health board said. They include 13 procedures due to take place at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary since 1 January. The health board blamed \"staffing challenges and winter pressures, not budgetary constraints\". It said it had problems filling vacancies due to complex training requirements of theatre nursing but procedures were only rearranged as a \"last resort\". A patients' group raised concerns that elderly patients were being affected disproportionately because of the lack of staff with specialist skills. The Patient Action Co-ordination Team, which provides support to patients in Grampian, said orthopaedics and eye surgery for conditions such as cataracts are among those worst affected. It said that because these are ailments which predominantly affect older people, they are worst affected by the number of cancellations. The patients group also warned that the cancellations will affect the north-east health authority's waiting time target performance. Dr Annie Ingram, director of workforce at NHS Grampian, said: \"We've made huge progress over the last year but, like other public sector organisations in Grampian, we face challenges in recruiting.\" \"We apologise to any patients whose procedures have had to be re-scheduled.\" She said that around 30,000 operations are carried out every year in the region and the number which are postponed is usually between 1 and 2%. \"Rearranging elective procedures is a last resort for us and is done according to clinical prioritisation: our most clinically urgent patients will still be seen,\" she added. \"When providing staff for a theatre list of operations on any given day, the theatre nurses must meet the needs and skills required for that speciality and have enough knowledge to act as a skilled practitioner to maintain safe practice. \"Vacancies have been difficult to fill due to the requirement to try and train staff in what is a complex area of nursing. \"Normally when staffing is at a sufficient level, staff rotate specialties, gaining more knowledge and skills in a variety of different areas and subsequently building more resilience into the service.\"", "summary": "NHS Grampian has had to cancel routine operations because of a shortage of theatre nurses."}
{"article": "Nerijus Gudelevicius would entice Lithuanians to the UK with the promise of paid work, delivering and collecting charity clothes bags. The 34-year-old, of Westlea, Swindon, was found guilty at Swindon Crown Court of two charges of human trafficking. He was cleared of a further four charges of slavery and released on conditional bail. The court heard Gudelevicius would pay workers between \u00c2\u00a310 and \u00c2\u00a330 a week - but sometimes payments were made every fortnight or three weeks. He would also charge them \u00c2\u00a340-a-week in rent, if they needed accommodation. Gudelevicius, originally from Lithuania, is due to sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court on 19 June. Following the judgement, acting Det Insp Rob Findlay said the verdict was a \"positive result\" following months of robust investigation work. \"The victims of human trafficking are often very vulnerable people who are used as simple commodities - often for the financial gain of the perpetrators,\" he said. \"Wiltshire Police will always treat human trafficking as a priority and vigorously investigate, along with our partners, such incidents. \"Community-based intelligence proves crucial in investigations such as this, and I would always urge anyone with information or concerns about potential victims of modern slavery to contact us.\"", "summary": "A man has been found guilty of human trafficking in what police have called a case of \"modern slavery\"."}
{"article": "Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow are accused of climbing a fence to break into a government compound at the start of the demonstrations. Mr Wong, 18, has said he did not do anything illegal. The protests, against proposed changes to Hong Kong electoral system, began in late September. At the height of the movement, tens of thousands of people were occupying major streets demanding fully free elections for the territory's next leader, after Beijing said it would vet potential candidates. The three students were among a large group of people who stormed the fenced-off Civic Square inside a government compound on 26 September, as an act of protest. Images of the students being forcibly removed from the square by police, and other subsequent allegations of abuse of force by police, invigorated the protest movement. Mr Chow has now been charged with taking part in an illegal assembly and Mr Law with inciting others to take part, while Mr Wong, leader of the Scholarism movement, faces both charges. Mr Wong could be jailed for up to five years, but said he would not regret his actions and that it was a \"political prosecution\". He said the break-in was \"the best decision I have made within the four years I have been involved in the social movement and student movement\". Mr Wong's lawyer, Michael Vidler, said charging the trio so long after the event was \"totally flawed\" and a \"clear abuse of process\", AFP news agency reports. Mr Wong and Mr Law are already facing charges of obstructing police officers.", "summary": "Three prominent Hong Kong student leaders have been charged over their roles in the pro-democracy \"Umbrella Movement\" of 2014."}
{"article": "Spurs had struggled to break down a disciplined Palace side for much of the game and it looked like they would have to settle for a point. But Eriksen fired into the bottom corner from 30 yards late on to keep Spurs within four points of Chelsea with five games remaining. Palace, who lost influential defender Mamadou Sakho to injury in the second half, rarely threatened as they concentrated on frustrating the visitors. The win means Tottenham move on to 74 points, surpassing their previous best ever Premier League total of 72 - set in 2012-13 - when they finished fifth. If they beat rivals Arsenal on Sunday it will ensure they finish above the Gunners in the table for the first time since the 1994-95 season. Palace, meanwhile, remain 12th - seven points above the relegation zone. Relive Tottenham's win at Crystal Palace Tottenham needed victory to not just stay in touch with Chelsea but also put behind them the FA Cup semi-final defeat to the Blues on Saturday. Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino had been adamant that the 4-2 loss at Wembley would not hurt his players mentally in the title pursuit but that assessment initially looked incorrect as they struggled against a well-drilled Palace. Eriksen, so often the centre of everything good Tottenham did against Chelsea, was kept quiet while Dele Alli and Harry Kane struggled to provide a spark in attack as the visitors finished the first half with just one shot on target. Pochettino brought on Son Heung-min and Moussa Sissoko for the second half and changed to a back four in an effort to find a breakthrough. As time went on it looked more and more likely that victory would elude them but to their credit they stayed patient before a moment of magic from Eriksen finally unlocked the Palace defence. The forward took full advantage of a moment when he was afforded a rare bit of space, shooting from distance beyond the reach of Palace keeper Wayne Hennessey. It was not a classic performance by a Tottenham side that has scored at least three goals in each of their last three Premier League games but it was one that showed they have the ability to dig in and grind out a result - a side of their game that could prove crucial in the title run in. Media playback is not supported on this device It could have been a different game if Tottenham lost Victor Wanyama to a second booking in the first half. After picking up an early yellow card for a bad foul, the midfielder slid in late on Andros Townsend. Referee Jon Moss took Wanyama to one side, but let him off with a warning. Pochettino opted to withdraw Wanyama at half time, but Palace boss Sam Allardyce felt he should never have had the option to do that in the first place. \"Jon Moss should have sent him off,\" said Allardyce. \"The second challenge was probably more of a booking than the first one. \"It is disappointing for us, it is", "summary": "Tottenham kept up the pressure on Premier League leaders Chelsea as Christian Eriksen's superb long-range strike secured a hard-fought victory at Crystal Palace."}
{"article": "They say the man, named as Richard White, 62, attacked an airport security worker with wasp spray before striking another on the arm with a large knife. Police said he was \"unresponsive\" after being shot in the leg, chest and face but was taken to a local hospital. Several bystanders were said to have been treated for minor injuries. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand told reporters it was unclear whether White was at the airport as a traveller. \"We're still piecing together witness interviews,\" he said. He said White, a taxi driver, had \"little or no criminal history\". He was alive and in surgery, Sheriff Normand added. Those making their way to and from flights in the busy terminal reported chaotic scenes as the incident unfolded. Jeremy Didier, who had just arrived on a flight from Florida, said he saw a man \"jumping over people\" in the queue at the boarding pass checkpoint. Two gunshots rang out and \"everyone hit the floor,\" he told The Times-Picayune, a New Orleans newspaper. Farah Stockman, a journalist for the Boston Globe who was in the airport at the time, tweeted: \"Just witnessed [the] craziest thing.\" \"People had heard gunshots. Everyone was hiding behind chairs and in doorways. Make our way to exit. Body was lying in a pool of blood.\" Authorities said the area where the attack took place would be closed off until Saturday but confirmed that rest of the airport remained open.", "summary": "US security staff shot a knife-wielding man three times at New Orleans international airport after he tried to storm a checkpoint, officials say."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called to Holyhead's Newry Beach at about 22:50 GMT on Sunday. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers believe she is local to the area, although no formal identification has taken place. The death is not being treated as suspicious and the coroner as been informed. Insp Jason Higgins of North Wales Police said: \"We are now in the process of locating and informing her family. Our thoughts are with them at this very difficult time\"", "summary": "A woman's body has been discovered at a beach on Anglesey, police have said."}
{"article": "The child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was taken into foster care in Gloucestershire while on a supervised visit with its father. The parents should have been given 14 days notice, and \"serious errors\" were made by the local authority, a family court ruled. Gloucestershire County Council has apologised and said it had now updated its policies. Judge Stephen Wildblood, in the family court in Gloucester, found the authority's actions were unlawful and had breached the family's human rights. He said the authority did not pay sufficient regard to a care plan and a court's care order, it failed to comply with regulations, and no legal advice was sought before the child was taken into care last month. The mother, who is in her early 20s, told the BBC it had been \"incredibly traumatic and distressing\" and that she hoped no other family had to suffer in the way that she and her child did In a statement the council said it apologised \"unreservedly\". \"In our attempts to safeguard the welfare of this child, members of our children's social care team breached the terms of a previous court order. \"We also apologise to the child and the parents for our actions in this case and for any distress caused. \"This should never have happened and we have updated our policies and put in place safeguards, including ensuring that the assistant director or other senior officer will have oversight of all cases where action to remove children, who are subject to care orders, are being considered.\" The child, who is aged under two years old, has since been returned to its mother.", "summary": "A baby was removed from its vulnerable mother unlawfully, a judge has ruled."}
{"article": "Kuba Oles was travelling at a minimum of 80mph (129km/h) when he hit Georgie Ann Evans' car in Dudley on 27 October. Oles, 25, who had sped down Priory Road, only suffered minor leg injuries, West Midlands Police said. Oles, from Beaconview Road, West Bromwich, admitted causing death by dangerous driving when he appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court. He was also disqualified from driving for 14 years. Read more news for Birmingham and the Black Country PC Alan Wood, who headed the police investigation, said: \"His driving on this day was extraordinarily dangerous and inevitably put other road users in peril. \"During police interviews he attempted to blame Georgie for being an [inexperienced] driver and pulling out too slowly. \"That was proved in court to be completely false and Oles was described as a dangerous person who posed a significant risk of causing the public harm.\" Oles was also sentenced to nine months in prison, to run concurrently, for another dangerous driving offence which he also admitted. Ms Evans's family said in a statement: \"We give our thanks to the justice system for handing down the sentence they were able to. \"Unfortunately we are paying the ultimate sentence - the loss of our daughter.\"", "summary": "A man who killed an 18-year-old motorist in a crash that split her car in two has been jailed for six years."}
{"article": "The agreement between the Ceredigion library and Cardiff University means the public will be able to access resources from a new base in the Arts and Social Studies Library. Previously they were only available on site in Aberystwyth. There are also plans for joint exhibitions, lectures and events.", "summary": "People will be able to access the National Library of Wales' digital collections from Cardiff under a new agreement."}
{"article": "Edinho is a retired footballer who played goalkeeper for Pele's old club, Santos, in the 1990s. He was first arrested in 2005 and has served a sentence for drug trafficking offences and links with a notorious drug dealer in the city of Santos. He admits he had a drug problem but denies the trafficking charges. The ruling was issued by a judge in the nearby coastal city of Praia Grande, in Sao Paulo state. Brazilian media have not been able to contact Edinho, whose real name is Edson Cholbi do Nascimento, but they say he is expected to appeal. Edinho, 43, works as a goalkeeping coach at Santos. Pele, or Edson Arantes do Nascimento, played all his professional career in Brazil for Santos. Playing for Brazil, he won the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970 and was acclaimed as the greatest footballer of his generation. He retired in 1974, but made a comeback a year later for New York Cosmos. Edinho is Pele's third son from his first marriage. He was five when Pele was signed to play for Cosmos and the family moved to New York. When he returned to Brazil he decided to pursue a career in professional football - as a goalkeeper, much to his father's surprise. He was Santos' goalkeeper in 1995 when the team reached the Brazilian league final, losing the title to Botafogo. His detention and alleged involvement with drug gangs took most people in Brazil by surprise. Pele, now 73, went to visit his son several times in jail. \"God willing, justice will be done. There is not a shred of evidence against my son,\" he said in 2006. Edinho said that his father was his idol. Four other people have also been convicted for many laundering, including a man accused of controlling much of the drug trafficking in the region - Ronaldo Duarte Barsotti, known as Naldinho.", "summary": "The son of the Brazilian football legend Pele has been sentenced to 33 years in jail for laundering money raised from drug trafficking."}
{"article": "A report by NHS Shetland has suggested the move, in a bid to curb excessive drinking. About three-quarters of all alcohol consumed in Scotland is now bought from supermarkets or off licences. The proposal will be considered by the local licensing board after the council elections next year. Elizabeth Robinson, one of the report authors from NHS Shetland, told BBC Scotland: \"People with alcohol problems have told us that they can go out the next morning and buy alcohol at 10am. \"If there was just a bit of a longer break until some time in the afternoon that would really help them. \"You can buy your 14 units a week for about \u00c2\u00a33 in Shetland. \"People tend to pour larger drinks at home.\" However, shopkeeper Jordan Thomason said: \"I think such a drastic increase in time runs the risk of people buying too much alcohol and then it could have the opposite effect of what they are trying to do.\"", "summary": "A proposal that supermarkets and off licences should only be able to sell alcohol later in the day is to be considered in Shetland."}
{"article": "A team of archaeologists and volunteers has spent five years investigating the origins of 17 altars found at Maryport Roman fort in 1870. Now the final phase of the Maryport Roman Temples project is under way. Project director, professor Ian Haynes, said \"so much depends\" on the \"last crucial season\" of the dig. Built on the cliffs overlooking Solway Firth, it is believed the fort was founded in the First Century AD when the Roman army initially entered the region. The civilian settlement, which lies north-east of the fort, is believed to be the largest currently known along the Hadrian's Wall frontier. The altars are housed at the Senhouse Museum Trust in Maryport and form part of a significant collection of Roman sculpture and inscriptions at the museum. Believed to be the biggest single find of Roman inscriptions ever made in Britain, the altars provide evidence that three regiments from as far away as Spain and Germany were stationed at the fort. In 2012, the team found another complete altar at the site. Dated to the 2nd or 3rd Century AD, it was inscribed on behalf of Titus Attius Tutor, commander of the First Cohort of Baetasian, which came to Maryport from what is now the Netherlands. Prof Haynes said: \"We believe that we have located the general area where the altars once stood; in 2015 we will close in on the part of the site where we think that they were originally erected. \"By the end of the season we hope to have a detailed understanding of one of the most important Roman cult complexes ever to have been explored in Britain.\" The final excavation ends on 14 August.", "summary": "The final part of a Cumbrian excavation to unearth the history of what is believed to be the biggest ever find of Roman altars in Britain has begun."}
{"article": "Setting off at a leisurely pace through the west end, the former governor of California promptly began cycling on the wrong side of the street. The Terminator star was in the capital to attend a black-tie dinner in his honour at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. The Hollywood star is often spotted cycling at home in California. He shocked London commuters last year when he jumped on a Boris bike to enjoy a sightseeing tour.", "summary": "Action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken to the streets of Edinburgh for a morning bike ride."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old made his debut for the League Two Essex side in 2013 and scored 14 goals in 76 appearances. He spent part of this season on loan at National League leaders Lincoln City, where his only goal in eight outings came in a 1-0 win at Tranmere Rovers Woking are in the relegation zone with one win in their last five games and play Eastleigh on Saturday. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "National League Woking have signed striker Macauley Bonne on a one-month loan from Colchester United."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old joined the Shakers in August 2014, following a brief loan spell at the club, and went on to make 81 appearances in all competitions. Rose said: \"[Moving to Mansfield] means playing games regularly, scoring a few goals, contributing to the team and hopefully a push towards promotion. \"It's a good club and I'm delighted to be here. Hopefully it will be a successful time here.\" Rose scored five goals for the League One side last season, with his last league goals coming in the 4-3 victory over Blackpool in October. The fee may be enhanced dependent on goals scored, promotion and a future sell-on clause provision.", "summary": "Mansfield have signed striker Danny Rose from Bury for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "The Brazilian's 25-yard left-foot shot swerved in off the underside of the bar to send bottom club Darmstadt to a seventh straight defeat. Bayern laboured for much of the game against spirited opponents. Peter Niemeyer should have equalised, heading straight at Manuel Neuer, who had parried Jerome Gondorf's free-kick. Carlo Ancelotti's side regained first place from Leipzig, who had moved three points clear by beating Hertha Berlin 2-0 on Saturday. Leipzig have supplanted Borussia Dortmund as Bayern's biggest Bundesliga title rivals this season, and Wednesday's meeting between the two side in Munich is keenly anticipated. There was a sense that Ancelotti and his players may have had one eye on that fixture, as they were far from at their best against Darmstadt. Bayern captain Philipp Lahm, who was listed on the team sheet, suffered a problem during the warm-up and was not risked - perhaps with Wednesday in mind - as Rafinha was drafted in to replace him. There was little fluency about Bayern's play, and Robert Lewandowski - who signed a contract extension lasting until 2021 on Tuesday - did not look like continuing the run that had brought him five goals in his previous three matches. The closest that the Poland striker came to a goal was a free-kick floated just over the bar towards the end of the first half, on a day when Bayern rarely threatened other than from set-pieces. There was a degree of encouragement in defeat for Darmstadt, who have struggled to recover from the departure of coach Dirk Schuster for Augsburg during the summer. Norbert Meier, Schuster's replacement, was sacked on 5 December, but interim coach Ramon Berndroth coaxed an energetic performance from his players, and they would have gained a valuable point but for Costa's unstoppable shot. Match ends, SV Darmstadt 98 0, FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen 1. Second Half ends, SV Darmstadt 98 0, FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen 1. Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Victor Obinna (SV Darmstadt 98). Javi Mart\u00ednez (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Victor Obinna (SV Darmstadt 98). Substitution, FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen. Renato Sanches replaces Douglas Costa. Substitution, SV Darmstadt 98. Victor Obinna replaces Sven Schipplock. Foul by Franck Rib\u00e9ry (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen). Florian Jungwirth (SV Darmstadt 98) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Antonio-Mirko Colak (SV Darmstadt 98) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Marcel Heller with a cross. Hand ball by Franck Rib\u00e9ry (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen). Franck Rib\u00e9ry (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Dangerous play by Sandro Sirigu (SV Darmstadt 98). Substitution, FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen. Joshua Kimmich replaces Thomas M\u00fcller. Substitution, SV Darmstadt 98. Antonio-Mirko Colak replaces Peter Niemeyer. Rafinha (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Marcel Heller (SV Darmstadt 98). Attempt saved. Peter Niemeyer (SV Darmstadt 98) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Attempt saved. J\u00e9r\u00f4me Gondorf (SV Darmstadt", "summary": "Douglas Costa's spectacular winner took Bayern Munich top of the Bundesliga on goal difference before Wednesday's meeting with title rivals RB Leipzig."}
{"article": "This follows reports that some restaurant chains are regularly holding back some or all of the tips meant for their staff. The investigation will consider whether there should be a cap on the proportion of tips businesses can withhold. Trade union Unite opposes this, however, saying it would be \"impossible to enforce\". Mr Javid has ordered a formal call for evidence which will end in November. The investigation will look at how tips left by customers are handled after recent reports found that a proportion of tips at some restaurants were being spent on administrative costs. There is a voluntary code of practice but restaurants can adopt their own systems. Unite officer Dave Turnbull said the union was pleased that \"the government has woken up to this scandal\" but an effective solution needed \"careful consideration\". \"Capping admin fees will simply legitimise the underhand practice of restaurants taking a slice of staff tips and be near enough impossible to enforce,\" he said. \"Rather than tinkering around the edges, Sajid Javid should be looking to scrap what is effectively a tax by restaurant bosses on money meant for the pockets of hardworking staff.\" Mr Javid said the government wanted a \"fair deal\" on pay for working people and that this included \"taking action on tipping abuse\". \"I'm concerned about recent reports, suggesting some restaurants pocket tips for themselves. That's just not right,\" he said. \"I've ordered an immediate investigation to look at the evidence and consider the views of employees, customers and the industry to see how we can deal with the abuse of tipping.\" Analysis by BBC business correspondent Joe Lynam Restaurants have the highest corporate mortality rate. They pop up and disappear from our high streets with daffodil-like regularity. That's because consumer tastes can change rapidly but also because profit margins are often very low. Add in high rents and staff costs in Britain's largest cities and restaurants will say they need to maximise every source of income to stay afloat. But consumers tend to side with waiting staff when it comes to tips. They assume staff will see most, if not all of them - especially if customers have been asked to pay an 'optional' service charge of at least 10% on their bill. Adding tips to the existing code of practice among restaurants (which is voluntary anyway) may be the solution. But it may be tough to police. Most waiting staff are either young or foreign - meaning they don't know the law and don't wish to upset their employers. As part of the investigation information and views from the hospitality industry and other key stakeholders will be sought. This will help the government decide if ministers need to intervene to strengthen the voluntary code of practice. Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, said the body \"would welcome dialogue with the business secretary on the matter of tipping and the industry code of conduct.\" Most chains use a \"tronc\" system, where all the tips are collected together and distributed evenly through the staff, usually with around 70%", "summary": "Business Secretary Sajid Javid has ordered an investigation into the \"abuse\" of tipping in restaurants."}
{"article": "In March, the Gulf state said that those without papers would not be arrested if they left within 90 days. The deadline was extended by another month, but so far only 60,000 out of an estimated 400,000 Ethiopians have left, the Ethiopian government says. Ethiopians make up a large portion of the kingdom's undocumented workers. All those without papers now face imprisonment or forced deportation. Africa Live: Updates on this and other stories Ethiopia's Communications Minister Negeri Lencho told the BBC he feared what could now happen to his compatriots who were still in Saudi Arabia, adding they must return \"with a sense of urgency\". \"They will be imprisoned and we don't want our citizens to face unnecessary imprisonment, or suffer any physical harm or humiliation,\" Mr Lencho said. One of those who returned is 28-year-old domestic worker Nura Ahmed. \"Life was really tough,\" she told the BBC's Emmanuel Igunza just after she arrived in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. \"Sometimes I was jobless because I did not have the proper documentation, so I had no freedom to move around. \"One can never be at peace there,\" she added. In 2013, a number of Ethiopians died in clashes with Saudi police as they were being rounded up for deportation. Saudi Arabia attracts migrant workers from around the world, particularly Africa, and south and south-east Asia. Saudi authorities estimate that up to one million people are working in the country illegally. So far, tens of thousands of people of different nationalities have taken advantage of the grace period and have either left or acquired correct papers.", "summary": "Ethiopia says that only a fraction of its citizens working illegally in Saudi Arabia have returned home before today's amnesty deadline."}
{"article": "Billy Mankelow was found in a railway arch, on Swinegate near Commercial Garages, at 03:20 BST on Saturday. Police said he had been assaulted. The 20-year-old from Tonbridge, Kent had surgery but died on Sunday. A 31-year-old man from Leeds has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is being held in police custody. Det Insp Mick Jackson, of British Transport Police, said Mr Mankelow had been living in the Hyde Park area of Leeds. He added: \"Our thoughts are with Billy's family at this difficult time.\"", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 20-year-old found with severe head injuries near Leeds railway station."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old will finalise a \u00a331m move to Old Trafford when the transfer window opens in June. Depay made his final appearance for PSV on Sunday, playing 83 minutes of their 3-2 victory at Den Haag. He finished the season as Eredivisie's top scorer with 22 goals as PSV secured their first Dutch title since 2008.", "summary": "PSV Eindhoven winger Memphis Depay has completed a medical at Manchester United."}
{"article": "DM Awasthi, the chief of the state's anti-Maoist force, told the AFP news agency that the clash took place near Bijapur district. The region has seen a long-running insurgency by Maoists. The rebels killed 24 troops last month. The Maoists say they are fighting for communist rule and greater rights for tribal people and the rural poor. Profile: India's Maoist rebels India Maoist rebels kill 24 policemen Some media reports said the rebels had been killed in two different operations. The police, however, did not give clear details about the exact timing of the operation. The violence comes against the backdrop of India's government promising to take strong action against the rebels after last month's attack. The rebels are active in several eastern and central states of India. They routinely target Indian security forces. In 2010 they killed 74 policemen in Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh in one of their most deadly attacks.", "summary": "Police in India say they have killed 16 Maoist rebels in the central state of Chhattisgarh."}
{"article": "At the same time though, they realise the Belgian jihadist's whereabouts was just one strand in a complex and evolving investigation being pursued under the enormous pressure created by the knowledge that their enemy may launch murderous follow-on attacks at any moment. On Wednesday evening, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins caused consternation when he revealed that \"a new cell was neutralised\" during the bloody raid of a flat in Saint Denis and that \"this team would have been able to carry on other attacks\". Suddenly we realised this was not those who'd escaped Friday's atrocities and that even if Abaaoud was proven to have been there, it was a different cell, heavily armed, that according to some official briefings was about to perpetrate a massacre in the financial district of La Defense. So we have received a salutary reminder that the journalistic narratives of an \"eighth man\" or an \"escaped mastermind\" often get in the way of understanding what is happening in a case like this. It might be done with integrity (based on official sources leaking information for their own reasons) or it might be no more than a social media echo chamber where some speculation soon becomes a \"fact\" bemused investigators are then quizzed about. Their inability to answer some of these questions might be seen as suspicious, whereas in fact it is no more than puzzlement. The question of how many people the authorities are looking for is in itself a complex one because the number is being added to all the time. When Mr Molins revealed on Wednesday, for example, that one of Friday's Stade de France attackers and one of the Bataclan theatre killers remained unidentified, it indicated a certainty that once those identities had been established it would generate additional lines of inquiry, raids and quite probably arrests. There have been so many of these police swoops - several hundred since Friday - that one has to ask whether they are simply taking this opportunity to bring in all sorts of jihadist suspects or whether the list of people they are looking for is much larger than we might suppose. After all, there are all manner of enablers or supporters who may be questioned for helping jihadist cells or simply complicit by their failure to report certain facts, even if they didn't have a direct role in the attack. Fanning the flames of uncertainty to achieve maximum effect, the Islamic State (IS) group on Thursday released two videos promising more attacks. \"Christian countries,\" one speaker warned, \"suicide bombers are present in your country in their tens, or rather in their hundreds.\" While one might dismiss this as mere propaganda, it's clear there are hundreds of returned jihadists in Western Europe, even if relatively few of them would be prepared to carry out an IS \"martyrdom operation\". Returning to the central issue of the 13 November perpetrators and their immediate network, there are reasons for believing it is considerably bigger than the eight men who carried out the attack. The day after these atrocities, the Iraqi government revealed", "summary": "News that Abdelhamid Abaaoud, believed to be the ringleader of the Paris attacks, had died during a French police raid came as a welcome win for investigators."}
{"article": "Ex-Wales striker John Hartson is concerned that the risk of injury is too great with the tournament less than a week away. Coleman's team start their Euro 2016 campaign against Slovakia six days after their Stockholm visit, and already have several injury concerns. \"I don't think he'll take many chances with his big players,\" Hartson said. \"Chris has to be slightly cautious because there's only six days after Sunday until Wales open against Slovakia.\" Hartson, who scored 14 goals in 51 Wales appearances, thinks that short turnaround could lead to Coleman resting Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale among others. The world's most expensive player was last in action when he helped club side Real Madrid to win their 11th Champions League title. \"He might not play the likes of Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen and Ashley Williams,\" added Hartson. \"Bale might have 10-15 minutes to shake off the cobwebs near the end maybe. I just don't think we can risk him. \"It's very close, but I don't think we can risk our big players.\" Bale joined up with the Wales squad this week after his Champions League involvement. After playing Slovakia, Wales face England in Lens on 16 June and Russia in Toulouse on 20 June. Coleman's team is the first from Wales to qualify for the finals of a major international tournament since the 1958 World Cup. The manager has already selected Crystal Palace's Joe Ledley who broke a bone in a leg less than a month ago. Joe Allen and Hal Robson-Kanu are also likely to miss the Sweden clash. \"Chris has to be careful with injuries,\" added Hartson. \"The last thing he wants is any more injuries to deal with. He needs to make sure everyone is fit and well to play that first game in France.\"", "summary": "Wales manager Chris Coleman has been urged to rest his star men in Wales' final warm-up game before the Euros."}
{"article": "He appeared before 15,000 activists in Jackson, Mississippi, being introduced by and sharing the stage with Mr Trump. And he said the party could \"beat the pollsters\" in the presidential race. Mr Trump, who is trailing his rival Hillary Clinton in the opinion polls, backed the UK's exit from the EU. In a tweet last week, Mr Trump said: \"They will soon be calling me Mr Brexit.\" Mr Trump introduced Mr Farage as the man who \"brilliantly\" led the UK Independence Party's campaign to secure a vote on the future of the UK's 40-year membership of the European Union. Mr Farage began his address by saying he had a \"message of hope and optimism\" for the Republican Party. He drew on parallels between Mr Trump's bid for the White House and that of the Brexit campaign's \"people's army of ordinary citizens\", which he said engaged successfully with the public prior to the UK's referendum vote on whether to leave the EU. He told those gathered: \"If you want change in this country, you better get your walking boots on, you better get out there campaigning. \"And remember, anything is possible if enough decent people are prepared to stand up against the establishment.\" Mr Farage also said the Republican campaign represented a \"fantastic opportunity\". He added: \"You can beat the pollsters, you can beat the commentators, you can beat Washington.\" Mr Farage, who attended the Republican convention in Cleveland last month, had previously said he would not \"fall into the trap\" of personally endorsing Mr Trump in his quest to reach the White House. However, during his rally appearance he said that if he were an American, he would not vote for Mrs Clinton \"even if you paid me\". By Gavin Hewitt, in Jackson, Mississippi Donald Trump showered Nigel Farage with praise as the leader who had helped Britain regain control of its borders. The two men shook hands and then Mr Farage spoke for 10 minutes. He was greeted with strong applause. He said there were parallels between Brexit and what was happening in the US - little people let down by global corporations. \"We made June 23 our Independence Day when we smashed the establishment\", he told a crowd waving \"make America great again\" placards. From the side of the stage Mr Trump smiled and clapped. Mr Farage spoke about when President Obama came to the UK and urged voters to remain in the EU. \"He talked down to us,\" he said, \"he treated us as nothing.\" Mr Farage said \"I can't possibly tell you how you should vote\", but added he would not vote for Hillary Clinton \"if you paid me\". It was not an endorsement but it came close. The UKIP leader earlier told local radio in the state that the similarities between Brexit and the US election were \"uncanny\". Speaking on Super Talk Radio in the US state, Mr Farage said he had been part of a \"political revolution\" in the UK and there were the makings of a similar movement in the US. He compared the federal", "summary": "Outgoing UKIP leader Nigel Farage has urged Republicans to \"get your walking boots on\" and drum up support for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump."}
{"article": "Mr Farron was quoted in the Mail on Sunday suggesting that the Lib Dem brand would be tainted for a generation by governing with the Conservatives. Lord Ashdown said: \"Tim's a very able guy but at the moment judgement is not his strong suit.\" He was asked about Mr Farron's comments on Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics. The Lib Dem election campaign chief, and former leader, went on to say: \"I know Tim very well. He is a great campaigner, a good friend of mine. I think his well-known ambitions would probably be better served with a little more patience and a little more judgement.\" Mr Farron was quoted as saying: \"In 2010, many people said: I am not voting for you because of the Lib Lab pact (in the 1970s) when I was seven years old. Just think what going into coalition with the Tories will do to our brand over the next generation.\" The Lib Dems insist that was not a new quote.", "summary": "Lord Ashdown has said Tim Farron - one of the frontrunners to be a future Liberal Democrat leader - lacks judgement."}
{"article": "The 31-year-old, who joined the Reds in 2014, has the option to extend his stay at the West Sussex club by a further year as part of the deal. Harrold scored nine goals in 39 appearances last season. \"I know what he can bring. He can handle himself physically but his touch and positional play is excellent,\" Crawley head coach Dermot Drummy said.", "summary": "Crawley Town striker Matt Harrold has signed a new one-year contract with the League Two club."}
{"article": "A \"limited number\" of European shops would also close, the San-Francisco-based company said in a statement. In addition, Gap will also cut about 250 jobs from its head office. It has been struggling with falling sales as it competes with the likes of Europe's H&M and Zara. Like-for-like sales for the Gap brand fell by 15% in April, compared with a 3% rise in the same month last year. Chief executive Art Peck said: \"Returning Gap brand to growth has been the top priority since my appointment four months ago.\" \"Customers are rapidly changing how they shop today, and these moves will help get Gap back to where we know it deserves to be in the eyes of consumers,\" he added. The store closures will mean a loss of sales worth about $300m, Gap said, with one-off costs expected to be between $140m to $160m. It did not say how many employees would be laid off as a result.", "summary": "The retailer Gap is to close 175 stores across North America over the next few years as it attempts to turn around the business."}
{"article": "The body of Alice, 14, was found in the River Brent in west London on 30 September after she went missing a month earlier. The corpse of Latvian builder Zalkalns was found less than two miles away in Boston Manor Park, on 4 October. The Met Police has told the Crown Prosecution Service it thinks Zalkalns was responsible for Alice's murder. At a briefing, the force released the evidence it had compiled against him, including CCTV and items recovered. Alice's disappearance sparked what the Met said was its largest inquiry since the 7/7 bombings in 2005. A statement from her family said they had \"serious unanswered questions\" about \"what the authorities knew or should have known\" about Zalkalns \"when he came to the UK\". \"Alice believed in the free movement of people and so do we,\" the statement added. \"For her sake we are determined to ask these questions responsibly and sensitively.\" At the briefing, Det Ch Insp Andy Chalmers said: \"Boy, do I wish we'd found her earlier.\" Zalkalns, who was working as a labourer on a building site in Isleworth, had been convicted of murdering his wife in Latvia in 1998. Police said they believe there was a \"sexual motive\" to Alice's murder although there is no evidence of that. The CPS said its case would have been based on circumstantial evidence, not forensic or eyewitness evidence. Tim Thompson, CPS prosecutor said: \"Of all the people the various strands of evidence might have implicated they in fact point towards Arnis Zalkalns: a person who has previously killed and concealed the body of a young woman. \"It is not for the CPS to say whether or not Arnis Zalkalns killed Alice Gross - that would have been for a jury to decide.\" They added a single DNA sample from Alice's skin \"strongly supports\" a match to Zalkalns. Officers have said no-one else was involved in Zalkalns' death. He was found hanged. Post mortem tests suggested the cause of of Alice's death was \"compressive asphyxia\". Following the police briefing, Alice's family said: \"Although we now have certain information about how Alice died, we are still left with some serious unanswered questions about what the authorities knew or should have known about the man who is believed to have killed our daughter when he came to the UK.\" The inquest into Alice's death was due to resume on Thursday but has been postponed. Other key points that have emerged from police at a press briefing: Scotland Yard also spoke about Zalkalns' criminal history. Following his conviction for murdering his wife in Latvia, he was released from prison in 2005 and arrived legally in the UK in 2007, police said. In 2009, he was arrested over an alleged indecent assault on 14-year-old girl near to the Grand Union Canal in Boston Manor. Police said the allegation was \"thoroughly investigated\" but the complainant decided not to press charges. No checks were made to see if Zalkalns had any overseas convictions because it was not Met policy to do so, the force said. However, detectives said", "summary": "Charges would have been brought against Alice Gross murder suspect Arnis Zalkalns if he had lived, police say."}
{"article": "New Zealand, who set a new record in the professional era by winning all 14 of their Tests in 2013, won team of the year for the seventh time. And Steven Hansen was named coach of the year for the second time in a row. \"This is fantastic recognition of a very special team,\" said New Zealand Rugby chairman Mike Eagle. Kieran Read is the third New Zealander to win the IRB world player of the year award. Dan Carter triumphed in 2005 and 2012, while Richie McCaw won the award in 2006. 2009 and 2010 \"We are very proud of what Steve, Kieran and the team have achieved in 2013 as they have worked hard to be the best.\" Read, 28, who has played 61 Tests for New Zealand, was chosen ahead of countryman Ben Smith, Wales' Leigh Halfpenny, South Africa's Eben Etzebeth and Italy's Sergio Parisse. He is the third New Zealander to win the award, following Dan Carter in 2005 and 2012 and Richie McCaw in 2006, 2009 and 2010. \"I'd like to congratulate Kieran on his award as it is well deserved,\" said Hansen. \"He has been outstanding and has been a major contributor all season. It's been a big year and I'm incredibly proud of what the boys have achieved. \"It's certainly special to have the All Blacks named for all three awards so it's important that we thank and acknowledge all those behind the team.\" The winners of the three awards were picked by a panel chaired by Australia's 1999 World-Cup winning captain John Eales and made up of Will Greenwood, Gavin Hastings, Raphael Ibanez, Francois Pienaar, Agustin Pichot, Scott Quinnell, Tana Umaga and Paul Wallace. New Zealand's 14th win of 2013 came against Ireland late last month as they secured victory with a converted injury-time try to edge the autumn international 24-22.", "summary": "New Zealand number eight Kieran Read has been named world player of the year as the All Blacks dominated the International Rugby Board awards."}
{"article": "Arteta, 34, joined the club in 2011 and made 150 appearances, scoring 17 goals. Rosicky, 35, signed in 2006 and was given an award for 246 appearances and 10 years of service before the Gunners' final-day win over Aston Villa. Manager Arsene Wenger described the pair as \"two exceptional players and influences in the dressing room\". Media playback is not supported on this device Spaniard Arteta and Rosicky of the Czech Republic leave Arsenal with two FA Cup medals, won in 2014 and 2015. Arteta, who signed from Everton for \u00a310m, thought he had scored on his farewell but his late strike in the 4-0 win over Villa on Sunday was given as a Mark Bunn own goal. He was then seen crying after the final whistle. In his match programme notes, Arteta said that failing to win the Premier League was \"not good enough for this club\". Tottenham's 5-1 defeat by Newcastle meant the Gunners leapfrogged their north London rivals to finish second in the table, but they have not won the title since 2004.", "summary": "Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta and fellow midfielder Tomas Rosicky will leave the Premier League club when their contracts expire this summer."}
{"article": "The 49-year-old Colorado native, whose legal pedigree includes Harvard and Oxford, would succeed the late Justice Antonin Scalia if confirmed. He is favoured by many conservatives who consider him to espouse a similarly strict interpretation of law as Scalia. Judge Gorsuch was first nominated to the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals by former President George W Bush in 2006. Judge Gorsuch began his law career clerking for Supreme Court Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy, the latter of whom he could now serve alongside. He worked in a private law practice in Washington for a decade and served as the principal deputy assistant associate attorney general at the Justice Department under the Bush administration. Judge Gorsuch graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where former President Barack Obama was a classmate, and earned a doctorate in legal philosophy at Oxford University. Perhaps it was during his time in England that he accumulated what his former law partner, Mark Hansen, has said was \"an inexhaustible store\" of Winston Churchill quotes. Judge Gorsuch - who reportedly likes to fly-fish and hunt - lives in Boulder with his wife Louise and two daughters, where he is also an adjunct law professor at the University of Colorado. If confirmed by the Senate, he would become the only Protestant on the current bench. The other justices are Jewish and Catholic. His family is well-connected in Republican establishment politics. His mother, Anne Gorsuch Burford, was the first female director of the Environmental Protection Agency during the Reagan administration. He is known for his clear and concise writing style, navigating the most complex legal issues as deftly as the double-black diamond slopes on which he is reputedly an expert skier in the snow-capped mountain state he calls home. Judge Gorsuch's published writings reveal his conservative leanings. He argued against euthanasia in his 2006 book The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia. \"All human beings are intrinsically valuable and the intentional taking of human life by private persons is always wrong,\" he wrote. In a 2005 article in the National Review, Judge Gorsuch argued that \"American liberals have become addicted to the courtroom\". He said they keep \"relying on judges and lawyers rather than elected leaders and the ballot box, as the primary means of effecting their social agenda\". Judge Gorsuch has never ruled on abortion, and he is not expected to call into question high-profile rulings on that issue or gay marriage. His conservative outlook cements Mr Trump's campaign promise to nominate a judge \"in the mould\" of Justice Scalia, restoring the nine-seat high court's 5-4 conservative majority. Much like the late Scalia, the Ivy-League educated judge is known to support textualism, or the interpretation of law according to its plain text. He also maintains a strict interpretation of the US Constitution, or how it was originally understood by the Founding Fathers. While sitting on the bench of the 10th Circuit, Judge Gorsuch sided with groups that successfully challenged the Obama administration's requirements for employers to provide health insurance that includes contraception in the Hobby Lobby Stores", "summary": "President Trump's Supreme Court pick, Judge Neil Gorsuch, is the youngest such nominee in a quarter of a century."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old, who came through City's academy, left for Reading in 2006 after making 15 appearances. Golbourne, who joined Wolves in August 2013 and played 92 times for Wanderers, would have been out of contract at Molineux at the end of the season. \"Scott is a Bristol lad and that's important to us,\" said interim manager John Pemberton. \"He has been here before, he's athletic and someone we need for this football club.\" The left-back joins new loan signings Lee Tomlin, Alex Pearce and Ben Gladwin at Ashton Gate. Colchester United manager Kevin Keen has also confirmed to BBC Essex that the League One club have rejected another offer for midfielder Alex Gilbey from City. Last week Keen said the U's received a \"joke bid\" for the 21-year-old. Meanwhile, right-back Luke Ayling is expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks after undergoing surgery on his cartilage. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Bristol City have re-signed former defender Scott Golbourne from Wolves on a two-and-a-half year deal."}
{"article": "Blackwell, 25, was taken to hospital after Saturday's British middleweight title fight with Chris Eubank Jr was stopped in round 10. He suffered a small bleed on the brain but has not required surgery. \"I'm told the vital signs are good and doctors are cautiously optimistic,\" Costello told BBC Radio 5 live. Blackwell is heavily sedated, but doctors are gradually reducing the amount of drugs over the next two to three days. \"There are no major issues within the context of his condition,\" added Costello. Towards the end of the fight, Eubank's father - former world champion Chris Eubank Sr - told his son to punch Blackwell's body rather than his face. The ringside doctor then halted the fight in round 10 because Blackwell's left eye was swollen shut. He was taken from the ring on a stretcher while being given oxygen. Eubank Sr later told BBC Sport he would have stopped the fight had his son been in the same situation, while Eubank Jr said he eased off in the final round and that referee Victor Loughlin should have ended the bout sooner. However, Eubank Jr's trainer Ronnie Davies disagreed and said both Loughlin and Blackwell's corner were right not to pull him out of a \"title fight\". The British Boxing Board of Control said it is satisfied with the way the fight was handled and respected trainer Adam Booth told BBC Radio 5 live that Loughlin had \"acted immaculately\". Meanwhile, boxing promoter and former world champion Barry McGuigan said it was an \"isolated incident\" and \"nobody was to blame\".", "summary": "Nick Blackwell's family expect the boxer to wake from his induced coma in the next 48 to 72 hours, reports BBC boxing correspondent Mike Costello."}
{"article": "The distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack was aimed at the website of industry expert Brian Krebs. At its peak, the attack aimed 620 gigabits of data a second at the site. Text found in attack data packets suggested it was mounted to protest against Mr Krebs' work to uncover who was behind a prolific DDoS attack. In a blogpost, Mr Krebs detailed the attack, which began late on Tuesday night and quickly ramped up to its peak attack rate. DDoS attacks are typically carried out to knock a site offline - but Mr Krebs' site stayed online thanks to work by security engineers, who said the amount of data used was nearly twice the size of the largest attack they had ever seen. \"It was among the biggest assaults the internet has ever witnessed,\" added Mr Krebs. Security firm Akamai said the attack generated such a huge volume of data by exploiting weak or default passwords in widely used net-connected cameras, routers and digital video recorders. Once in control of these \"smart\" devices the attackers used them to swamp the site with data requests. \"These new internet-accessible devices can bring great benefits, but they are also an increasingly easy and lucrative targets for cybercriminals,\" said Nick Shaw from security firm Symantec. The security firm has carried out research which shows swift growth in the number of malware families scouring the net for vulnerable devices. Typically, said Mr Shaw, malicious hackers who take over gadgets are not interested in stealing personal data. \"Cybercriminals are interested in cheap bandwidth to enable bigger attacks,\" he said. Mr Krebs speculated that the attack could have been prompted by an article he published, in early September, that named two young men allegedly associated with a service called vDos that carried out DDoS attacks for cash. Soon after the article was published, Israeli police arrested the two men named by Mr Krebs. Released on bail, the pair were barred from using the net for 30 days. Buried inside many of the data packets despatched towards Mr Krebs' site was text calling for the release of one of the men named in that article. \"I can't say for sure, but it seems likely (to be) related,\" said Mr Krebs.", "summary": "One of the biggest web attacks ever seen has been aimed at a security blogger after he exposed hackers who carry out such attacks for cash."}
{"article": "To others, Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) - or Alternative for Germany - is a dangerous populist force, whipping up anti-foreigner feeling, and giving right-wing extremist ideology a respectable face. Either way, few are indifferent to Germany's new anti-euro party. It was founded last year as a protest against German-backed EU bailouts for poorer Southern Europe. The AfD originally catered to some German taxpayers fed up with paying for what they saw as the irresponsible behaviour of southern Europeans living beyond their means. But it has now become the first anti-euro party to win seats in a German regional parliament, receiving almost 10% of the vote in the eastern German state of Saxony, taking even the party's bosses by surprise. \"Astonishing results,\" Frauke Petry, one of the party's leaders, told journalists in Berlin on Monday. The 39-year-old mother-of-four is a former chemist. As the face of the party, she is meant to shake off its grumpy-old-man image, campaigning heavily on education and family issues. That agenda counters allegations that the AfD is simply a more respectable, lighter version of the far-right NPD, which is no longer represented in Saxony's parliament. But Ms Petry has big ambitions, giving a clear warning to Chancellor Angela Merkel's governing Christian Democrats (CDU), who have ruled out entering into government with the AfD - both in Saxony now, and nationally in the future. \"The CDU will lose out if they refuse to talk to us,\" she said. The danger for Angela Merkel is not that the AfD poses a threat as a rival for national or even regional government. Rather it is that Germany's right will be splintered - much as, over the past decade, the far-left Linke party has chipped away at support for the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD). By focusing on traditional conservative ideas, such as law and order, tougher border controls, and the importance of the traditional family model, the AfD is managing now to attract voters who feel that Mrs Merkel's government is betraying those values. Mrs Merkel's pragmatic approach, to appeal to as many voters as possible, has pulled her CDU party closer to the centre. And governing with the SPD means compromise. So the AfD aims to scoop up voters who want a tougher approach to the EU and immigration - much as the Eurosceptic party UKIP does in Britain. But there the similarity ends. In Britain, UKIP can make statements about Europe which in pro-EU Germany would lead to pariah status. However, in Germany, comments by some AfD candidates on abortion or homosexuality would be deemed unacceptable in mainstream British society. And AfD leaders bristle if they are described as Eurosceptic, keen to underline they are anti-euro, not anti-EU. So, in the European Parliament, the AfD is actually in the same grouping as the UK Conservatives, not with UKIP. Commentators often see more parallels between the AfD and the socially conservative American Tea Party, than with UKIP. \"We have arrived on the political scene,\" announced AfD leader and co-founder Bernd Lucke, an economist who has taken time off from his career", "summary": "To some, it is a party that speaks up for the people, challenging Germany's pro-European political establishment, and tackling tough issues which other parties are afraid to mention."}
{"article": "Quoting banking officials, the agency said the gang behind the raid used stolen credentials to make requests to transfer cash look legitimate. If all the requests had gone unchallenged, the gang would have got away with about $1bn. However, the transfers were stopped when the volume of requests raised suspicions at other banks. The computer hackers behind the breach are believed to have got away with about $80m - one of the largest known bank robberies in history. To commit the attack, which took place about a month ago, the gang spent time studying the internal processes of Bangladesh's central bank so they could convincingly pose as officials when requesting the transfers. However, said Reuters, the sheer number of transactions and a spelling mistake helped alert bank staff to the theft. The spelling mistake in the name of one recipient of funds led Deutsche Bank, which was helping route the cash, to ask for clarification from the central bank, which then stopped the transaction. Around the same time, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York had alerted the Bangladesh central bank to a series of suspicious requests to transfer money. The requests are believed to have been flagged because they were to private accounts rather than other banks and because there were so many of them. If all the transfer requests had been fulfilled, the thieves would have got away with about $950m. The $80m the hackers did steal ended up in accounts in Sri Lanka and the Philippines, said Reuters. The central bank has started proceedings to recover the cash. Bangladesh's government has publicly blamed the New York Fed for not spotting the suspicious transactions earlier. Earlier this week Bangladesh's Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said it might launch legal action against the US body to help recover the money. \"The Fed must take responsibility,\" he said. The New York Fed said its system had not been breached by the hackers and added that it was working with Bangladesh's central bank to investigate what happened. Security and forensics firm Mandiant is also helping the Bangladeshi investigation into the theft.", "summary": "Cyberthieves who targeted Bangladesh's central bank tried to get away with $1bn (\u00c2\u00a3700m), reports Reuters."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Gabbiadini scored twice to bring Saints level at 2-2, but had what would have been the opener incorrectly ruled out. \"Gabbiadini's first was a good goal, it should have stood. He scored three good goals,\" Puel said. \"It's a lot of disappointment. We deserved better,\" the Frenchman added. \"I would like the video for the future for this situation, but at the moment we are without. Sometimes there is a bad decision against us, it is important to accept this. \"The memories are always for the winner. It's football and congratulations for Manchester. I'm proud of my players because we played very well.\" Zlatan Ibrahimovic collected the 32nd trophy of his career after heading an 87th-minute winner at Wembley on Sunday, having earlier given United the lead with a brilliant 19th-minute free-kick. Jesse Lingard put United 2-0 in front before Gabbiadini struck twice - his fourth and fifth goals in three games since joining from Napoli for \u00a314m. \"Puel has reason to be really sad and disappointed because he did fantastic work and his team deserved extra time,'' United manager Jose Mourinho said. \"To lose in minute 87 with very little time to try to react, as they did in the first half, is a little bit unfair on them.\" Goalline technology - to determine whether the ball has crossed the line - was brought in to the Premier League for the start of the 2013-14 season. And a trial - possibly in Britain - using video assistant referees for \"game-changing decisions\" will begin no later than the 2017-18 campaign, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) has said.", "summary": "Southampton manager Claude Puel says he would like to see video technology used for offside after Manolo Gabbiadini's disallowed goal in the 3-2 EFL Cup final defeat by Manchester United."}
{"article": "The New Zealander wants them to finish as the top Welsh team in the table and also stake claims for places for Wales' summer tour Tests against Samoa and Tonga. Scarlets have secured a top-four finish and Ospreys are all but assured of qualifying for the play-offs. \"One of the team goals was to be the top Welsh region,\" said Pivac. He continued: \"So to finish top, we need a win on the weekend.\" The Pro12 title will be decided after semi-final play-offs in which Scarlets or Ospreys will travel to Ireland to face either Leinster or Munster. The leading Irish teams go into round 22 first and second in the table respectively. The team finishing top will play the fourth-ranked team with second hosting third meaning, as things stand, Scarlets would go to Munster while Ospreys would be at Leinster later in May. Pivac said the clash with the Ospreys, \"is not a cup final\", however, adding: \"In isolation, it's one of our team goals is to finish top Welsh team on the ladder. \"We were able to do that last year and we want to replicate that. \"There's also the small matter of a tour to the southern hemisphere for Wales to play two Test matches. \"Part of our role is to get results for the club. \"It's also to help promote players to that next level so there's a lot to play for in this weekend's game.\" Pivac also highlighted how finishing highest among Welsh teams can affect which group they would play in during the 2017-18 Champions Cup. He said: \"There is pressure. The top four is put to bed, but we certainly are looking at finishing as high up as we can because it impacts on the pool we have for Europe next year, which is important.\" Wales lock Jake Ball and Scotland back-rower John Barclay are doubts to face their local rivals as the regular season ends. Ball came off with a shoulder injury in Scarlets' win at Connacht on Saturday, and Pivac says he is \"50-50\" to be fit to face Ospreys. Barclay was withdrawn before kick off in Galway after suffering a hamstring twinge in the build-up and Pivac says he will not be tempted to select any injured players. He added: \"We are selecting to achieve our team goals and to do that we're up against a strong Ospreys team who have similar goals, I would imagine. \"And their players are playing for positions on the tour as well so will be equally motivated. \"We'll be putting out the strongest team possible without being silly. \"If there are players carrying injuries we have that luxury of the semi-final to think about as well.\" Scarlets won what was then called the Celtic League title in the first season of Welsh regional rugby in the 2003-04 campaign but they have not won it since. Their most recent semi-final play-off appearance came in 2013, when they lost at that stage to Ulster.", "summary": "Scarlets boss Wayne Pivac has given his players a double target when they host Ospreys in the Pro12 on Saturday."}
{"article": "For Will Stevens, it couldn't be further back. The 23-year-old from Essex is in his debut season in F1 with the struggling Manor team, revived at the 11th hour ahead of the 2015 season from the ashes of Marussia, who collapsed three races before the end of last year. It is hard to think of a more difficult place to try to learn your craft at the pinnacle of motorsport. Manor, still run by team boss John Booth and president Graeme Lowdon but now funded by investment from Stephen Fitzpatrick of energy firm Ovo, made it to the first race in Australia only by the skin of their teeth, but were so ill-prepared than they could not even get their cars out of the garage in Melbourne. Two weeks later in Malaysia, the team could run only one car at a time, and in qualifying that turned out to be that of Stevens' Spanish team-mate Roberto Mehri, who was five seconds slower than the next slowest car. In China last weekend, Stevens finally managed to do what he is there for and take part in the race. There was progress. Both cars finished the grand prix, and this time the fastest Manor - Stevens - was less than three seconds behind the McLaren-Hondas in qualifying. But given that Stevens, like many young drivers, has to pay for his drive, people may wonder why he would choose to spend his backers' money to be so far off the pace. But he insists he is doing the right thing, saying he has confidence the team is going in the right direction. Stevens, who was briefly Marussia's reserve driver last year before their collapse, says: \"Because I had a relationship with the team from last year, we kept in close contact throughout the winter and we wouldn't have entered into it if there wasn't certainty there. \"From our side of it, we are very happy to be here. We can see where the team want to progress to and I want to be part of that journey.\" Stevens is less certain about where exactly he sees the team going, saying merely that it is \"hard to tell\" what Manor can achieve. But few men are as steeped in motor racing as Booth and under his guidance Manor won everything in a long career in the junior categories. Manor might be battling against the odds with a tiny budget in F1 terms, but this is a team with a strong racing pedigree. Cynics might argue that the same cannot be said of their new English F1 driver. Because he has paid his way into F1, Stevens has inevitably been dismissed by some as a 'pay-driver', a disparaging term for someone who has bought his way in because he does not have the talent to earn a place on merit. Is the criticism valid? Stevens says no. \"There are lots of drivers up and down the pit lane who are in the same position,\" he says. \"The sport is completely different now. There are huge companies who", "summary": "Every Formula 1 driver has to start somewhere and often that's closer to the rear of the field than the front."}
{"article": "The dangers of allowing ungoverned space, where militant groups have launched attacks on neighbouring Israel, ought to have been obvious to anybody in Cairo, but it was only the killing of 16 of their border guards on Sunday that finally prompted action. The inhabitants of the Sinai Peninsula, notably some of its Bedouin tribes, are a heavily armed force that, it would seem, the military rulers of Egypt who had recently stood down were reluctant to challenge. Now, in one of those bitter paradoxes of power in the Middle East, it has fallen to Mohammed Morsi, the recently elected president from the Muslim Brotherhood to clamp down on militants who claim Islamic legitimacy for their attacks. It might be argued that Mr Morsi is the ideal man to take these wayward tribes in hand - since he has both a democratic mandate and some degree of backing from Egypt's religious establishment. There is also a good deal of cynicism in Cairo about the tribes' professed religious motivations, since they are also widely believed to be involved in smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people. Even so, Tuesday's raid on Touma, close to the Gaza Strip on the Mediterranean Sea, may indicate the opening of a bloody new chapter for Sinai. The raid, in which helicopters fired missiles into the township, had an aspect of communal punishment about it, or reprisal for Sunday's loss of border guards. Inevitably there will be some who want revenge against the security forces. Since the armed bands on the peninsula are thought to possess hundreds of light weapons, as well as technicals (pick-up trucks mounting heavy machine guns), and multiple rocket launchers they have considerable ability to cause trouble. The bombing of several hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh in 2005 claimed 84 lives was blamed by security officials on elements within the same Bedouin tribes, claiming ties with al-Qaeda. It underlines the degree to which the country's Red Sea tourist industry is vulnerable to reprisals. More recently the Israelis have accused the same groups of several deadly attacks along their border with Egypt. These created great tension in an area that had been peaceful for decades, and prompted the Israelis to start building a barrier through the desert in an attempt to prevent more infiltration. Today the Israelis have reacted with satisfaction to the new security crackdown, and have given their agreement to military reinforcements going into Sinai (as it required under the 1979 peace treaty between the two countries that sought to de-militarise the peninsula). Mr Morsi meanwhile faces the accusation that has been used in the past against those who have taken similar measures, of acting as Israel's policeman. The shooting of so many Egyptian soldiers at the weekend has allowed the president to present this action as a response to a challenge to national authority rather than an attack on Israel. But the scope both for serious escalation in this violence and for political difficulties for the new president will make the Sinai Peninsula a key place to watch in coming months.", "summary": "For many months Egyptian government control of the Sinai Peninsula has been tenuous at best."}
{"article": "Following the announcement of the new global calendar in March, Premiership Rugby confirmed the 2019-20 domestic season will start in early September and finish at the end of June. However, players have voiced their concerns about the schedule. \"I think it fills us all with a bit with dread,\" Tigers hooker Youngs, 30, told BBC Radio 5 live. \"I know they are trying to look after us a little bit, but that's a long time. It's long enough now.\" Premiership Rugby say the 10-month campaign will allow clubs to become \"more sophisticated\" in their management of players, with chief executive Mark McCafferty insisting player welfare remains the priority. But Youngs, who has 28 England caps and three for the British and Irish Lions - is among those to stress the need for a long summer break and pre-season, rather than shorter rest periods during the campaign. \"It would shorten pre-seasons, and pre-season is so vital to get us ready to go through the season,\" he added. \"I know in June, if I don't go on any tours or anything, I have five weeks off and that is nice to know. Even when pre-season games come round, it feels a little bit like you have only played last week. \"I don't know the ins and outs, but I wouldn't be too keen about it to be honest. I do feel the players are going to be the ones to drag it through. To just extend the season, I don't think that will really work.\" Senior figures in the club game, such as Northampton forward Christian Day, have not ruled out the option of players going on strike and Youngs says the next few months could be critical. \"It will be interesting to see what happens over the next year or so, and how the players try to get this resolved to where we would like it to be,\" he said. \"It's probably going to clash at some point and we will have to see how it all unfolds.\"", "summary": "The proposed 10-month Premiership rugby season \"fills players with dread\", says Leicester Tigers captain Tom Youngs."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Ross County striker transferred his prolific club form onto the international stage to beat the All Whites in the friendly in Belfast. \"My family were all in the stands so to score in front of all of the fans and hear the noise of a goal was unreal. \"I thought I took my goal well, it's a brilliant feeling,\" Boyce said. Boyce was unlucky to be omitted from Michael O'Neill's squad for the Euro 2016 finals but finished this season as the Scottish Premier League's top-scorer with 23 goals, including 10 in his last 10 games. Media playback is not supported on this device With forwards Conor Washington and Jamie Ward out injured, Boyce seized his chance and said the early goal after just six minutes was exactly what he wanted. \"The form I've been in you want to get a goal as early as possible and try to add to that,\" said Boyce. \"I cut inside and hit it well between the defender's legs and once that happens, more than likely it's going to go in.\" Boyce is determined to make an impact in Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifier away to Azerbaijan on 10 June by scoring his first competitive goal. \"It's not so long ago I was playing in the Irish League and I want to show I'm better than that and see how far I can go in football,\" added the ex-Cliftonville man. Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill described Boyce's display as evidence of \"a player on top of his game\". He admitted he was \"slightly disappointed\" the team did not add further to their tally. \"It was a physical game, a demanding game, which was exactly what we wanted. \"It leaves us in a good place for next week.\" Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Liam Boyce described the feeling of scoring his first international goal as \"unreal\" after netting the winner for Northern Ireland against New Zealand."}
{"article": "Victory in Australia's High Court was the culmination of a long battle for the Brisbane woman, twice, who has been diagnosed with breast cancer herself. In an interview with Australia's ABC, she said the pain of chemotherapy was what motivated her to begin her campaign. \"I have met a lot of women with genetic cancer and if I can help them in any way stop having to have chemo and radiation therapy then I will have done my job,\" she told the network. Ms D'Arcy's involvement began in 2010 when the social justice practice of legal firm Maurice Blackburn took up the case on her behalf - the start of a five-year legal battle in the face of long odds. In February 2013, Justice Nicholas of the Federal Court ruled that Myriad Genetics patent was valid, as the act of isolating the gene mutation made it a human invention. Upset and unwilling to accept the verdict, Ms D'Arcy and campaign group Cancer Voices Australia, lodged an appeal. She was given hope by a landmark ruling in the US Supreme Court in June of the same year, which rejected patenting of the gene, with similar reasoning to that which would eventually prevail in Australia. But the optimism was short-lived, because in February 2014 the Full Federal Court again backed Myriad Genetics' patent in Australia. Refusing to end her campaign, she was later given permission to take the case to the country's highest court, which began hearing it in June this year. Her legal battle finally ended in success on Wednesday, when those earlier judgements were dramatically reversed in a unanimous High Court verdict against Myriad Genetics' patent. Ms D'Arcy was predictably delighted. \"I screamed. I was just excited to know that we had it seven-nil our way,\" the 69-year-old said, adding that she expected testing to become cheaper as a result. Ms D'Arcy admitted the fight was \"a David and Goliath test\". \"I'm only a little person, but it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.\" US firm Myriad Genetics had previously patented the BRCA1 gene, detection of which helps diagnose certain cancers, particularly ovarian and breast cancer. Ms D'Arcy did not carry that genetic marker for her own cancer. Myriad Genetics had argued the nucleic acid they had isolated was distinct from the DNA as found in nature, and so could be patented. But the court concluded that while human activity was required to isolate the gene, that was insufficient to make it a manufactured product. Cancer campaigners welcomed the result. Paul Grogan, head of public policy at Cancer Council Australia, admitted that the case was \"more about the principle\", as the BRCA1 patent itself was due to expire soon. The verdict, he said, would hopefully \"provide enough clarity for lawmakers\" that patents are not issued for purely diagnostic tests, \"so we won't have to see them disputed in court in future\". This, he hoped, would encourage new such tests, with researchers no longer having to worry about infringing a patent", "summary": "Yvonne D'Arcy, who has won a landmark court case against the patenting of a cancer gene, is an Australian grandmother and has twice survived cancer."}
{"article": "Lee Cook's fourth-minute shot from the right-hand side of the penalty box was enough to separate the sides. Brendan Moore denied Cook a second in the first half while Angus MacDonald twice went close for the Gulls. Torquay, who had been on an eight-game unbeaten run, have now lost two in a row and are two points from safety. They have scored just one goal in their last six games and dropped to third from bottom of the table after Boreham Wood's 3-0 win over Dover.", "summary": "Eastleigh moved to within two points of the National League play-off places as they won at relegation-threatened Torquay United."}
{"article": "The Briton is trying to be the first rider in 38 years to win the Tour de France and Vuelta in the same year. Another of Froome's key rivals, Nairo Quintana, finished four-hundredths of a second adrift with his Movistar squad. Manxman Pete Kennaugh led the Team Sky squad over the finish line to take the race leader's red jersey. Just five of Sky's nine-man squad crossed the line together, the minimum needed to register a time. Spaniard Contador was the last man to win two of the three main road races in a calendar year, winning the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta in 2008. Only Jacques Anquetil, in 1963, and Bernard Hinault, in 1978, have previously won the Tour de France and Vuelta in the same season. \"To start almost a minute from direct rivals is more than I imagined,\" said Contador, who is looking to win the Vuelta for a joint record fourth time. \"It's a big deficit. There are still 20 stages to go and we will try to reduce the gap day by day.\" Sunday's 159km second stage takes the riders from Ourense to Baiona. Team time trial classification: 1. Team Sky (GB) 30mins 37secs 2. Movistar (Spa) same time 3. Orica BikeExchange (Aus) +6 secs 4. BMC Racing (US) +7secs 5. Etixx - Quick-Step (Bel) +22secs 6. Trek-Segafredo (US) +50secs 7. Cannondale (US) +52secs 8. Tinkoff (Rus) Same time 9. BORA Argon (Ger) +57secs 10. Astana (Kaz) +58secs General classification: 1. Peter Kennaugh (GB/Team Sky) 30mins 37secs 2. Salvatore Puccio (Ita/Team Sky) same time 3. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol/Team Sky) 4. Leopold Koenig (Cze/Team Sky) 5. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) 6. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) 7. Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa/Movistar) 8. Ruben Fernandez (Spa/Movistar) 9. Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spa/Movistar) 10. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar) Selected others: 14. Simon Yates (GB/Orica BikeExchange) +6 secs 50. Alberto Contador (Spa/Tinkoff) +52 secs 124. Scott Thwaites (GB/BORA Argon) +02mins 01sec 179. Hugh Carthy (GB/Caja Rural) +04mins 34secs", "summary": "Chris Froome opened a 52-second lead over rival Alberto Contador after Team Sky won the team time trial on the opening stage of the Vuelta a Espana."}
{"article": "The \u00a320m contract is with wind farm developer Scottishpower Renewables. The engineering firm is to make 24 steel foundation jackets for wind turbines to be used in the North Sea. The work will take two years to complete. Harland and Wolff said the new contract is \"very significant for Belfast\". It added that the structures, at more than 65m tall, will almost be as \"prominent in the Belfast skyline as the famous Samson and Goliath cranes\". Harland and Wolff stopped shipbuilding in 2003 and its more recent work has included refurbishing oil rigs. In March, it announced 60 jobs were to go because of a downturn in the offshore oil and gas sector. Accounts for last year show it had made a profit of \u00a31m and described market conditions as difficult.", "summary": "Harland and Wolff has secured a major manufacturing contract that it says will support 200 jobs."}
{"article": "Swansea are four points clear of the relegation zone after a much-needed 2-1 win at Everton. The Swans had beaten Watford earlier in the week and Williams wants the team to continue the momentum. \"The main thing is we build on it and that was my message before the game,\" Williams said. \"We want to put a run together now and pick up as many points as we can to put a bit of distance between ourselves and the drop zone. \"Every team has a little run, whether it's a good one or a bad one, throughout the season. Media playback is not supported on this device \"We'll try and make it our turn to have a good one now.\" New head coach Francesco Guidolin's first game in charge saw Swansea secure a first ever league win over Everton and two successive wins for the first time this season. Wales defender Williams has been impressed by the Italian, who previously coached Udinese and Monaco. \"He's lifted the place a bit and also tried to implement some of his own ideas into the team in the week,\" Williams added. \"He wants us to play our own game with a few little tweaks and ideas that he thinks will help us. \"I look forward to working with him and all the lads have been impressed with his first week and the way he goes about work and what he's asking of us. \"It looks good at the minute. It's been a good week for us and now we can settle down again, collect our thoughts and go again.\" Swansea's next Premier League game on Tuesday, 2 February will be away to the side immediately above them in the table, West Bromwich Albion.", "summary": "Captain Ashley Williams has challenged Swansea City to maintain their winning form following back-to-back wins in the Premier League."}
{"article": "The actor, best known for playing the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit wizard Gandalf and the X-Men supervillain Magneto, is to be given a star in the town's Believe Square. The 75-year-old lived in Wigan in the 1940s and has said he was inspired to act by watching market traders there. He said he was looking forward to returning to accept the honour in June as Wigan \"holds many special memories\". The actor, who was born in Burnley in 1939, moved to a semi-detached house near Mesnes Park with his family at the age of three and stayed there until he was 11. McKellen has spoken previously of his love of watching brass bands play in the park, the performances of the Frank Fortescue Players at the town's now-defunct Hippodrome and how traders pedalling their wares in Market Square was one of the things that sparked his interest in acting. Sir Ian gone on to become one of Britain's best loved actors, combining his film performances with Shakespearean roles on stage and even a cameo appearance on Coronation Street. \"It will be fascinating to see how the town has developed since 1951, when our family moved to Bolton,\" he said. \"If only the Hippodrome was still there.\" Wigan Council leader Lord Peter Smith said Sir Ian was \"rightly one of this town's most loved sons\", adding there were \"few better ambassadors\". Believe Square was unveiled in 2013 to celebrate the sporting achievements of the town's rugby league and football clubs. Other personalities honoured include writer and broadcaster Stuart Maconie, athlete Jenny Meadows, football manager Roberto Martinez and pioneering heart surgeon Dr Nayyar Naqvi.", "summary": "Sir Ian McKellen is to be honoured by his childhood hometown of Wigan."}
{"article": "It fell from 170th best ranked university in the world in 2014/15 to 182nd in the QS World University Rankings for 2015/16. Ulster University, meanwhile, was ranked in a band from 551-600 in 2015/16, similar to last year. The QS rankings are one of the most authoritative rankings of universities across the globe. The ratings are based on a number of factors, including evaluating each university's strengths in research, teaching, academic reputation, staff to student ratio and the number of international staff and students. However, QS said it has changed its methodology slightly this year to counteract a bias in favour of universities specialising in life sciences and to better reflect the qualities of institutions focusing on other areas. The other main global ranking table for universities is the Times Higher Education system, which is due next month. Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the USA was rated the world's top university in 2015/16, followed by Harvard in second place, with Stanford and the University of Cambridge in joint third place. The UK had 30 universities, including Queen's University, in the world's top 200. In the UK alone, QUB was ranked 29th, while Ulster University was ranked 56th.", "summary": "Queen's University, Belfast (QUB) has fallen 12 places in the latest global university rankings."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Anderson had West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin caught at slip for his 384th victim as the first Test was drawn. \"I've tried to block it out as much as possible, but I'm thankful that I've now got there and people can stop talking about it,\" the 32-year-old Lancashire bowler told BBC Sport. \"I love playing for England. I'll try to do it for as long as possible.\" Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: \"Taking over from an English legend is a hugely proud moment for me.\" Anderson, who reached the milestone in his 100th Test, took five wickets on his debut against Zimbabwe at Lord's in 2003. \"The difference is I now know my game inside out,\" he added. \"That comes with experience and I've got more skills and more control. \"When I first started out as a young 20-year-old I just tried to bowl as fast as I could and didn't really have any control at all.\" England captain Alastair Cook took the catch that brought up Anderson's landmark. He said: \"It was a great moment when Jimmy took the 384th wicket - we'll remember it for a long time.\" Former all-rounder Botham, now a commentator, said on Sky Sports: \"I couldn't be happier. I'm delighted for Jimmy. \"I've watched him develop those skills. It's not easy to bowl the inswinger and away-swinger with very little detail change but it's great to watch those skills. I enjoy watching him bowl; it's a pleasure to commentate on. \"It's been a burden for him and for me. I've got something for him in the UK - it's the largest bottle of wine that I've been able to find. It's about as big as Jimmy.\" Botham predicted Anderson could go on and take 450 Test wickets - but Anderson was reluctant to set himself a goal. \"450 sounds a long way off,\" he told the BBC. \"I'm not going to think of any target. I'm just going to concentrate on turning up for England and trying to win us games of cricket.\" West Indies - set a notional 438 to win - batted out the final day on a placid surface to reach 350-7 thanks to Jason Holder's superb unbeaten 103, his maiden first-class century. He added 105 for the seventh wicket with Ramdin, who made 57, and shared an unbroken stand of 56 with Kemar Roach for the eighth. \"We got ourselves back in the game but we couldn't find anything in that pitch whatsoever,\" said Anderson. \"We tried our hearts out.\" West Indies skipper Ramdin paid tribute to Holder and Roach. \"Hopefully it is one of many hundreds to come,\" he said of Holder's innings. \"England fought hard - they came at us all the time - but Kemar Roach held his nerve well at the end.\" Cook said England \"couldn't have done any more\" to force victory, as the sides prepare to travel to Grenada for the second Test of the three-match series. \"We knew it was going to be hard work, and", "summary": "James Anderson said he was relieved and proud to have overtaken Sir Ian Botham as England's top Test wicket-taker."}
{"article": "The detonation happened shortly before 22:00 local time (20:00 GMT) in the Schwabing district and was heard across the city, local media report. There are reports that sparks from the explosion caused the roofs of some neighbouring buildings to catch fire. The bomb was discovered on Monday night by building workers at the site of an old bar that was being demolished. Overnight, 2,500 residents were evacuated from the area closest to the bomb, with others living further away being told to stay in their homes. Experts decided it was not possible to make the device safe because of its unusual fuse, which operated by means of a chemical reaction rather than the mechanical device that many Allied World War II bombs used. The bomb was described as a highly explosive, a 550lb (250kg) device dropped by the Americans. It is not unusual for big, unexploded bombs to be discovered in Germany, the BBC's Stephen Evans reports. About 600 tonnes of unexploded ordnance are discovered in Germany every year. They are usually defused safely, though in 2010 three bomb-disposal officers were killed during an attempt to make a bomb safe, our correspondent adds. In December 2011, the biggest bomb disposal operation in Germany since 1945 was mounted in Koblenz to defuse two bombs from World War II found in the riverbed of the Rhine.", "summary": "A bomb disposal team has detonated an American bomb left over from World War II found in the German city of Munich."}
{"article": "David Cameron told the Conservative leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Ian Hudspeth, that potential reductions in services were unwelcome. He suggested cuts in back office functions instead and offered to set up a meeting with the No 10 policy unit. Labour has asked the Cabinet Secretary if that broke the ministerial code. The PM wrote to Oxfordshire council leader Ian Hudspeth last month saying he was \"disappointed\" at proposed \"cuts to frontline services, from elderly day centres, to libraries, to museums\". The council should \"move cautiously in setting out its budget plans\", he says. In a letter of response Mr Hudspeth reminds Mr Cameron he \"worked hard to assist you in achieving a Conservative majority\". Mr Cameron is the MP for Witney in Oxfordshire, an area covered by Oxfordshire County Council. Labour has written to Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood suggesting the prime minister's letter may have breached the ministerial code, because Mr Hudspeth was invited to meet the No 10 policy unit regarding budget cuts. Shadow minister without portfolio Jon Ashworth said the code requires ministers to \"keep separate their roles\" in government and as constituency members. He said the leader of Mr Cameron's constituency county council \"should not be given preferential treatment\", and asked whether similar offers have been made to all the leaders of other councils. Mr Ashworth told BBC Radio 4's Today: \"I doubt he is inviting the leader of Leicester City Council, where I am an MP, or the leader of Manchester City Council into the No 10 policy unit to discuss ways to deal with the cuts. \"It feels like a breach and I hope the Cabinet Secretary will look into it.\" In his letter, the prime minister attempts to reassure his local colleague, pointing out that the money councils get from central government will not be confirmed until after the Spending Review later this month. In his lengthy letter of response, Mr Hudspeth disagrees with a series of claims made in the prime minister's letter - including a suggestion that Oxfordshire County Council was failing to make back office savings and had actually seen an increase in its budget. The county council leader points out that the authority employs almost 3,000 fewer people than it did in 2010. He adds that the council's grants from government have fallen from \u00a3194m a year in 2009/10 to \u00a3122m this year. \"I cannot accept your description of a drop in funding of \u00a372m... as a 'slight fall'\" he writes. Mr Hudspeth points out that in addition to the spending cuts the council has had to deal with, the demands upon it have been growing, given the \"heightened awareness and concern around vulnerable children\" since the Baby P case in Haringey in north London, and \"the growth in the elderly population - who generate the largest demand for expensive social care placements and support\". Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet agreed earlier this week to cut \u00a33.7m in subsidies to bus companies in the county. The subsidies currently help ensure \"low use routes\" remain viable. Such routes are often in rural", "summary": "Labour has accused David Cameron of being hypocritical by writing to his local council in Oxfordshire to complain about proposed cuts."}
{"article": "The fighter gave himself up when he was approached near the town of Sinjar on Monday morning, an Iraqi Kurdish general said. He was reportedly carrying a large quantity of cash, three phones and a US driving licence. The US is leading an international military coalition against IS. The US state department said that it was aware of reports that a US citizen had been captured by Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, Reuters reports. \"We are in touch with Iraqi and Kurdish authorities to determine the veracity of these reports,\" a state department official said. CBS News said the man was trying to enter Turkey when he was intercepted by Kurdish forces. Maj Gen Feisal Helkani of the Kurdish peshmerga forces said the man was currently being held by the peshmerga for interrogation, AP reports.", "summary": "US officials are checking reports that an American member of the so-called \"Islamic State\" group (IS) has been held in northern Iraq."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old was found dead at his home in Skellow on 14 August. South Yorkshire Police believe Mr Siddall was assaulted in the VDKA bar in Silver Street the night before. A post-mortem examination concluded he died of a head injury. Blue Horrobin, 22, of Highfield Road, Askern, has been charged with manslaughter and released on bail. He will appear at Doncaster Magistrates' Court on 1 March.", "summary": "A man has been charged in connection with the death of Lewis Siddall in Doncaster."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 10 December 2014 Last updated at 07:08 GMT Nasa astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield dropped into Newsround's mission control to answer kids questions, taste our finest space food and sing a cracking space lullaby. Here's your chance to watch it again.", "summary": "It has been a fantastic year for space exploration this year, from landing the Rosetta space probe on a comet, to testing out rockets that could take astronauts to Mars."}
{"article": "Tony Alliss died of gunshot wounds in woods near Stroud in 1991, following a long-running boundary dispute. His neighbours - father and son Terence and Graig Maule - were cleared of murder and a civil claim for damages against them also failed. Gloucestershire Police will see if there is any \"compelling\" new evidence that could lead to a reinvestigation. A spokesman said: \"The case was last subject to a comprehensive review by the constabulary five years ago resulting in a complete revisit of the forensic and ballistic issues by experts. \"Following the review the case was put before senior Crown Prosecution Service lawyers who decided the evidential test was not met.\" Mr Alliss's family have welcomed the development as they have campaigned for years for the case to be reopened. His sister-in-law Mary Alliss said she hoped it would lead to a full reinvestigation instead of \"just a review of the same old evidence\". A judge at Bristol Crown Court ruled in 1991 that there was no case to answer, clearing Terence and Graig Maule of involvement in the killing. Mr Alliss's son Leigh brought a civil action against the Maules in 2002, which was rejected by the High Court. His widow Marilyn and brother Bob called in 2008 for a \"not decided\" verdict to be introduced into English law.", "summary": "Police are to review an investigation into the death of a man at his Gloucestershire farm 27 years ago."}
{"article": "That is nearly double the price of his previous most expensive work, bought by the same person a year ago. It has broken several other records including becoming the most expensive work by any US artist. It is also the highest price fetched for any art by a black artist and the first piece created since 1980 to break the $100m mark. The untitled work was done in oil stick, acrylic and spray paint, and depicts a face in the shape of a skull. It was sold to Yusaku Maezawa, a 41-year-old Japanese fashion entrepreneur who plans to set up a museum in his home town of Chiba. Bidding for the piece during the auction at Sotheby's lasted 10 tense minutes. Cheers and applause erupted in the room when the work was sold to Mr Maezawa by telephone. He later posted on Instagram that the painting made him feel \"so much excitement and gratitude for my love of art\", a feeling he wished to share with \"as many people as possible\". Mr Maezawa last year set the previous record for a Basquiat piece, when he paid $57.3m for a painting of a horned devil. Basquiat, a native New Yorker, died in 1988 of a heroin overdose aged 27. He had been an artist for just seven years. Most of his works depict the problems faced by African Americans in the US, reports the BBC's Laura Bicker in Washington. Once a graffiti rebel from Brooklyn who sold drawings for $50, he is now in the same league as Pablo Picasso and Francis Bacon, she says - part of a rare group of artists whose work has sold for more than $100m at auction. \"Breaking $100m for a work which is that recent is definitely extraordinary,\" said Gregoire Billault, head of contemporary art at Sotheby's. \"I think it just speaks about the talent of this guy. It's just pure emotion. He's bringing something never seen before.\"", "summary": "A painting by the late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat has sold at auction in New York for $110.5m (\u00c2\u00a385.4m)."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old became the youngest ever back-to-back champion in the premier class as he clinched his second world title on the Motegi track. Repsol Honda rider Marquez won the title with an unassailable lead of 312 points in the overall standings with three races to go. \"Just two years in MotoGP with two titles is incredible, \" said Marquez. Spain's Jorge Lorenzo won the race 1.638 seconds ahead of Marquez with Italy's Valentino Rossi third. Rossi moved up to second place in the championship ahead of Marquez's team-mate Dani Pedrosa with Lorenzo fourth. Marquez won the the title with 11 victories in 15 races, including a record-equalling 10 in a row. He is also the youngest rider to win two consecutive world championships, beating the previous record held by Britain's Mike Hailwood in 1963. Marquez did not make the best start off the line from fourth on the grid. But he hunted down the front group and overtook Pol Espargaro, Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Iannone in the opening laps. He then picked off Andrea Dovizioso who started on pole and won a mid-race battle with Rossi, overtaking at the second attempt on lap nine for second place. Marquez made an attempt to catch Lorenzo, but the Yamaha rider responded and Marquez settled for second. Pedrosa finished in fourth place just 0.5secs behind Rossi. \"The race doesn't really matter today, \" said Marquez, who has also won world titles at Moto2 and Moto3. \"Maybe I wasn't riding like always, as I felt a little different. It was hard to overtake and I didn't want a mistake. I had two mistakes in the last races but we got the title. It's incredible to take it at home. Thanks to my family and Honda.\" \"Maybe for the people it looks easy because I'm always smiling, but there is a lot of pressure. I'm really happy with my team and family and fans, they're all pushing me. It's like a dream right now.\" The next race is Phillip Island, Australia on 19 October. Motegi MotoGP result: 1. Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 42:21.259 secs 2. Marc Marquez (Spain) Honda +1.638 3. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha +2.602 4. Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda +3.157 5. Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Ducati +14.353 6. Andrea Iannoneita (Italy) Ducati +16.653 7. Stefan Bradl (Germany) Honda +19.531 8. Pol Espargaro (Spain) Yamaha +19.815 9. Bradley Smith (Britain) Yamaha +23.575 10. Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Honda +35.687", "summary": "Spaniard Marc Marquez retained his MotoGP championship title with a second-place finish in Japan on Sunday."}
{"article": "Rowe, 27, had not planned to take part in the race, which will be held over eight days in September. But he says the opportunity to race on the streets of the Welsh capital would be \"special\". \"It's yet to be decided but it's on the radar and something I would like to do,\" Rowe told BBC Radio Wales. \"Potentially it's a once-in-a-career moment, racing a professional bike race on the home roads I grew up as a kid racing. \"It would be so special to have the home Welsh support and have my mates and my family out there.\" The eight-stage event, won last year by Britain's Steve Cummings, will conclude with a 180km stage finishing in Cardiff on 10 September. Rowe said he has already held discussions with Team Sky about the possibility of taking part in the race. \"It's all up in the air at the moment,\" Rowe said. \"Originally the plan was definitely not to ride it as it wasn't in the race programme. \"But once I heard it finishes in Cardiff suddenly a few phone calls were going back and forth and I'm quite interested in racing it now.\" Rowe is taking part in the three-day Tour de Yorkshire, which begins in Bridlington on Friday, as he starts his preparations for this year's Tour de France. The Welshman hopes to be selected for his third Tour de France having been part of the team that supported Team Sky colleague Chris Froome's wins in 2015 and 2016. \"The race in Yorkshire is my first race back,\" Rowe added. \"I'll have an altitude camp in Tenerife then I'll have the Criterium du Dauphine, which is a week-long stage race in France and after that will be the Tour de France. \"It's not guaranteed I'll ride. I'll have to perform well in the next month, six weeks to gain selection. \"But I'm quietly confident and hopefully I'll bank a place in the team and 'Froomey' can do the business again.\"", "summary": "Team Sky's Luke Rowe is hoping to take part in this year's Tour of Britain, which will finish in his home city of Cardiff."}
{"article": "The institution, which is based in Edinburgh, has been sold to Macquarie Group for \u00a32.3bn and will now operate under the name Green Investment Group. The government said the deal ensures that all taxpayer funding invested in the bank has been returned, with a gain of around \u00a3186m. It employs 50 people at its headquarters in the Scottish capital. Another 85 work at its London office. The bank was set up by the UK government five years ago to fund renewable and low-carbon projects. Climate Change and Industry Minister Claire Perry said: \"We led the world in setting up the Green Investment Bank and it is now being copied by others. \"Now that it's in the private sector, it will be able to operate on an international level to tackle the global challenge of climate change. \"It is also perfectly placed to help us finance green initiatives for our Clean Growth Plan and realise the commitments set out in the Paris Agreement.\" The government said the Edinburgh office will be home to a new revenue-generating business. It will also provide services to the green energy portfolios of both Macquarie and the Green Investment Group in the UK. Vince Cable, who launched the bank in 2012 when he was business secretary, said its sale was \"environmentally irresponsible\". \"The bank has done an extremely good job in supporting renewable energy, energy efficiency and low-carbon projects,\" the Liberal Democrat leader said. \"It has managed to attract over \u00a310bn of private investment in these sectors that would not otherwise have happened. \"At a time when business confidence is falling and the Conservatives are giving mixed signals on their commitment to the environment, this is the worst time to undermine investment in the green economy. \"The Green Investment Bank's environmental mission is in danger of disappearing under the ownership of a private Australian bank whose track record does not inspire confidence.\"", "summary": "The sale of the Green Investment Bank (GIB) by the UK government has been completed."}
{"article": "The incident happened at the new hospital on Garroch Loaning overnight between Thursday and Friday. Electric drills, a plunge saw, a jig-saw, two laser-levels and various hand tools, drill bits and batteries worth more than \u00c2\u00a33,000 were taken. PC Emily Conroy said: \"We are keen to hear from anyone who may have any information about this theft. \"Likewise we would want to hear from anyone who may be offered any similar tools for sale.\"", "summary": "Thieves have made off with a haul of tools from a multi-million pound construction site in Dumfries."}
{"article": "The 18-year-old won his first Grand Slam title along with Gordon Reid. The second seeds came from a set behind to beat top seeds Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer 4-6 6-1 7-6 (8-6). \"I actually had to re-watch the match point because I just couldn't remember what had happened,\" Hewett told BBC Radio Norfolk. \"One of the players asked what was the rally like at match point and I couldn't answer them, I just couldn't remember what had happened - it was an insane moment. \"Thoughts start coming in your head about winning two or three points before, you've just got to try to keep as calm as possible.\" Despite his success, Hewett was asked if he would rather be a Wimbledon champion or watch his team Norwich City win at Wembley? \"Wembley, all day long.\"", "summary": "Wimbledon men's wheelchair doubles champion Alfie Hewett has revealed that he forgot the winning rally of their final."}
{"article": "Carwyn Jones hailed figures showing exports from Wales increased by \u00a31.5bn over the past year to \u00a314.8bn. Wales exported most to the United States, followed by Ireland, the United Arab Emirates, Germany and Holland. The most popular Welsh export was machinery and transport equipment, worth \u00a36bn. Mr Jones said: \"At the start of 2013 I set out the most extensive programme of trade missions since devolution. \"Today's figures clearly demonstrate the overwhelming success of our approach, with companies in Wales benefitting from substantial increases in exports to every major trading market. \"Today's figures add to the growing list of economic indicators that show the Welsh economy clearly outperforming the rest of the UK.\" Welsh Conservatives welcomed the figures, whilst pointing out that exports were \"rising from a low base\". Shadow Business Minister William Graham said: \"Welsh businesses have a positive story to tell in many of the products and services on offer, but we need the Welsh Labour government to improve the way it markets Wales to maximise potential gains to the Welsh economy. \"The Welsh government needs to properly develop a Welsh identity brand and to ensure better liaison with UKTI (UK Trade International) with its world wide contacts and experience. \"While this long-awaited progress is welcome after 15 years of successive Labour governments, Welsh ministers must not get complacent and should redouble their efforts to secure economic growth and make Wales a more prosperous nation.\"", "summary": "Exports from Wales are up more than 11%, outperforming the rest of the UK whose exports rose by just 0.4%, the first minister has said."}
{"article": "A window of a property on Aubrey Street was smashed when a group of people threw a bin at it at about 1:45 GMT on Sunday. The five adults inside the house were not injured. Police have asked for anyone with information on the attack to contact them on the non-emergency number 101.", "summary": "An attack on a house in Londonderry is being treated as a sectarian hate crime, police have said."}
{"article": "William Summerill, 25, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday to seven years and six months for drug supply offences and resisting arrest. The Wavertree man had scaled the walls of the Dockers Club, Anfield, on 2 February to escape arrest, police said. Four police officers were then hurt by the petrol bomb thrown by a bystander. Summerill, of Carno Street, was arrested after drugs were found at an address in Lampeter Road, Merseyside Police said. He admitted three counts of possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply, and resisting arrest. Police confirmed an investigation into the petrol bomb attack in Townsend Lane was ongoing. It was thrown by one of the onlookers who had gathered in the street during the rooftop incident.", "summary": "A drug dealer who climbed onto the roof of a Liverpool club during an incident in which a petrol bomb was thrown at police officers has been jailed."}
{"article": "The club has not been able to buy players since January this year after breaching Financial Fair Play rules. The news came the day after the club removed Russell Slade from his position as manager to take up a new role as the club's head of football. Slade will be in charge of the team for the last time when they play their final match of the season against Birmingham City at home on Saturday. The sanction will be lifted after the game, and means the club can start looking at potential summer recruits with the transfer window due to open on 10 June. Chief executive Ken Choo insisted the club would not rush appointing Slade's replacement. \"We will take our time - we need to get the right person into the role,\" he said.", "summary": "Cardiff City's transfer embargo has been lifted by the Football League."}
{"article": "Last summer, he pulled out of the Stormont Executive when Peter Robinson was away, initially wrong footing the DUP as it tried to respond to allegations that Provisional IRA members were involved in the murder of former IRA man Kevin McGuigan. When Peter Robinson returned, he had to engage in some unpopular tactics, such as the DUP's rolling ministerial resignations, to buy time for Stormont. However, his successor Arlene Foster reaped the dividend in the assembly election, by maintaining her party's dominance. The DUP has more than a two to one advantage over the Ulster Unionists. Mr Nesbitt has undoubtedly lost some of the momentum built up by last year's Westminster election. But, he hasn't abandoned his sense of timing. Thursday's inaugural meeting of the assembly looked like it would be all about protocol and procedure. Mrs Foster was itching to get back to the DUP's stand at the Balmoral Agricultural Show. The TUV leader Jim Allister spiced up proceedings by launching an attack on the new principal deputy speaker, Sinn F??in's Caitr??ona Ruane. Then, at 15:10 BST, the story changed. Mike Nesbitt's announcement that, so far as he is concerned, the programme for government negotiations are over surprised MLAs beyond his own party ranks. His rallying call of \"let battle commence\" ensures the political game at Stormont will change. Business in the assembly could start looking a little more like Westminster, although for historic reasons it's hard to imagine the DUP and Sinn F??in sitting on the same side of the chamber facing their opponents. The SDLP insist the Ulster Unionist decision does not put them under extra pressure. They will continue to negotiate about the executive's future policy. But, with Mike Nesbitt enjoying the extra speaking rights and other privileges accorded to an official opposition, SDLP politicians will inevitably need to consider whether they will pale by comparison. Not only do they need to consider the impact of having the UUP outside the executive, but also the more pugnacious role smaller parties like People Before Profit and the Greens might play in the future. Sinn F??in reckons Mike Nesbitt has repudiated the principles of the Good Friday Agreement that David Trimble signed up to 1998. The DUP is dismissive, insisting Mr Nesbitt is \"running into opposition having lost the election\". DUP sources claim the Ulster Unionists were so semi-detached when they were in the power-sharing coalition that this latest move will change little. That said, Arlene Foster herself told me on Monday that \"perhaps it would be more honest\" if those who previously opposed the executive from the inside did so instead from the outside. Mike Nesbitt has taken her at her word and we now have five years to work out if his gambit pays off.", "summary": "As a former TV presenter, Mike Nesbitt has a penchant for grabbing a headline."}
{"article": "The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the economy grew by 0.4% in the quarter, compared with an earlier estimate of 0.3%. Growth was boosted by a better performance from the construction industry than previously estimated. On an annual basis, the economy grew by 2.9% from the first quarter of 2014, up from a previous estimate of 2.4%. The latest revision is the third estimate for the period. For 2014 as a whole, economic growth was revised up to 3% from 2.8%. The ONS figures showed household disposable income grew by 4.5% year-on-year, the fastest annual pace since the second quarter of 2001. Earlier this month, the ONS said construction output in the UK was 0.2% lower in the first quarter, rather than 1.1% lower as previously estimated. \"The slight upward revision to growth in the first quarter of 2015 is down largely to the recently announced new methods to measure construction output,\" ONS chief economist Joe Grice said. Quarterly growth in services output was left unrevised at 0.4%. Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, forecast economic growth would accelerate in the three months to June as the uncertainty caused by the general election in May subsided. He said he expected the economy to grow by 0.7% in the second quarter and by 2.5% over the course of the year.", "summary": "The UK economy grew faster than previously estimated in the first three months of the year, figures have shown."}
{"article": "But in a BBC interview, Williams cast doubt on whether the 40-year-old can win another major and suggested Woods' fitness problems might have been self-inflicted. No-one knows Woods' game better than Williams, who shared in 13 of the American's 14 major titles among 84 tournament victories together. Their partnership broke down in 2011 and Woods has since not added to his major tally. The former world number one last played competitively in August last year. Woods has slumped to 467 in the world rankings while he recovers from his latest back surgery and there seems no prospect of an imminent return. Yet Williams is convinced the golfer can achieve more professional victories. \"I don't doubt he will come back to the winner's circle,\" Williams told 5 live Golf. \"He is a great competitor, he has an incredible work ethic - when he can work hard - and one thing he does know how to do is win. \"He has that ability to win even when he's not playing his best. But whether he comes back and wins major championships? That's going to be a very difficult task.\" The four-times Masters champion looks certain to miss next month's Augusta gathering for only the second time since his debut as an amateur in 1995. Williams was Woods' right-hand man throughout the period between 1999 and 2008 when the American dominated the game, and Williams thinks his old employer may now be regretting the way he punished his body during that spell. \"I guess when he looks back, he might question some of the activities that he did, some of the gym work that he might have done that, you know, had all these injuries escalate,\" he said. Watching from a much greater distance, it seemed to me that Woods trained as an athlete rather than as a golfer. Athletes' bodies usually break down in their late 30s, certainly in terms of enabling competition at the highest level. Is this what has happened? Does Williams see any worth to this argument? \"It is very hard to pinpoint how he has got to where he is now, but I'd have to say there is a lot merit in what you've just said,\" he said. Williams was caddying for US veteran Ray Floyd in the mid-1990s when he first came across the willowy youngster who made it a career ambition to overhaul Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major titles. Greg Norman and Fred Couples were also in the group and they listened in disbelief while Woods contemplated carrying his drive over the fairway bunker down the right of Augusta's par-five second hole. Media playback is not supported on this device \"We were laughing at him just talking about it, but then he actually did it,\" Williams recalled in the interview which publicises the caddie's recent autobiography Out of the Rough. Their first major triumph came at the 1999 PGA Championship when Williams gave an accurate read for a crucial putt on the 16th hole of the final round. \"That was the moment between him and me that", "summary": "As Steve Williams prepares to help Adam Scott's quest for a second Masters title, the Kiwi caddie says his old boss Tiger Woods can still return to winning ways."}
{"article": "Downing Street said \"good progress\" had been made on the UK's proposals but there were still \"difficult issues\" to resolve. The prime minister's spokesman said there would be \"substantive discussions\" on the reforms instead. The UK's PM has promised an in/out vote on EU membership by the end of 2017. The prime minister is said to want to hold an early vote but he has said he will not set the timing of the poll until the negotiations, on Britain's terms of membership of the 28-member bloc, are concluded. Q&A: What Britain wants from Europe Guide to the UK's planned in-out EU referendum BBC News EU referendum special report Mr Cameron spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel by phone on Thursday to discuss the renegotiation efforts. After the call, Downing Street said: \"The prime minister explained that his priority is to get the substance right, underlining the need for legally binding, irreversible changes. \"He noted that the scale of what we are asking for means we will not resolve this in one go and consequently he did not expect to get agreement at the December European Council. \"Instead, we should keep up the pace of discussions and use the summit for a substantive discussion of the proposed changes in each area.\" The government had never committed to a deal by December but it is thought that was what the negotiating team had hoped. BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said it suggested Mr Cameron was \"running into real difficulties\" in his renegotiations, in particular over proposals to restrict EU migrants' access to benefits in the UK. \"That has always been a sticking point,\" he said, adding that European leaders have \"serious reservations\" about the proposals.", "summary": "David Cameron has said that he does not expect an agreement to be reached on his EU reform aims at December's summit of European leaders."}
{"article": "The hosts held a slender 13-11 lead at the break, with Bristol wing David Lemi responding to Will Hurrell's try. But second-half scores from Ross McMillan and Ben Glynn put the away side, who finished the season top of the table, in command of the tie. The two teams play the second leg at Ashton Gate on Wednesday, 25 May. Bristol, who are taking part in the Championship play-offs for the fifth time in seven seasons, elected to play the first leg away from home after losing in the final in each of the last two campaigns. They are looking to return to the Premiership for the first time since they were relegated in 2009, when they finished bottom with only two wins from 22 matches. Andy Robinson's team finished 16 points ahead of second-placed Doncaster in the regular season. Doncaster: Jarvis, Bulumakau, M. Clark, Hurrell, Lewis, Cusack, Heaney, List, Hunter, Quigley, Challinor, Phelan, Makaafi, Hills, Shaw. Replacements: Veikoso, Brugnara, W. John, Steadman, Young, Flockhart, Field. Bristol: Arscott, Varndell, Tovey, Mosses, Lemi, Sheedy, Cliff, O'Connell, McMillan, Perenise, Evans, Glynn, Mama, Lam, J. Phillips. Replacements: Brooker, Traynor, G. Cortes, Sorenson, Robinson, Roberts, Morgan.", "summary": "Bristol took a significant step towards promotion to the Premiership with victory at Doncaster in their Championship play-off final first leg."}
{"article": "The French-born ex-AS Monaco left-back, 20, has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal, with the option of an extra year. He becomes the second attacking full-back to join Blues in as many days after right-sided player Emilio Nsue's move from Middlesbrough on Wednesday. \"He is very highly rated in Italy and one we have kept an eye on,\" Blues boss Gianfranco Zola told BBC WM. \"Juventus and Torino are following him, so he is a valuable player. Everyone speaks so highly of him. \"I am sure we can do something with him that might make him a complete player. He is one of those that maybe in a few years we are selling to a big club. He has the potential to reach the top.\" Keita, who is Blues' fourth signing of the January window following the arrivals of Lukas Jutkiewicz, Craig Gardner and Nsue. made 67 league appearances for Virtus, who he joined in 2014. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "Birmingham City have signed Cheick Keita from Italian Serie B outfit Virtus Entella for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "The world champion headed Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg by 0.377 seconds, with Williams' Valtteri Bottas third, 0.661secs off the pace. But Hamilton also brushed the wall twice at Turn Three on the slippery street track. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was the first driver to crash, hitting the barrier at the difficult Turn 15. Ricciardo lost control on the exit of the left-hander, one of the corners highlighted by leading drivers as a safety concern in the build-up to the race. Rosberg and McLaren's Jenson Button said they were concerned about the lack of run-off at Turns Three, Seven and 15 - and Ricciardo hit the impact-absorbing barrier that protects the wall at a corner where the exit drops off downhill at a slight negative camber. The incident, which tore off his right rear wheel and suspension, brought out the red flag with 22 minutes of the session remaining. It capped a difficult day for Red Bull, after Ricciardo's team-mate Max Verstappen managed only seven laps before being stopped by an oil leak caused by a clutch problem, according to team boss Christian Horner. The session restarted for 13 minutes and Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz immediately had a much smaller-scale accident at the same place - the Spaniard locked up on the way in, was heading for the escape road, decided to have a go at making the corner and then caught his front wing on the barriers, breaking its mountings. Hamilton almost suffered the same fate as Ricciardo, after hitting the wall side-on, on two consecutive flying laps. Both times, Hamilton got away with it, although the second incident led to him locking his brakes and damaging his set of tyres, bringing his session to an end. Earlier, the world champion, who is nine points behind Rosberg in the championship after winning the past two races, put on an impressive performance over the first half-hour of the session. As is often the case, he went much faster much earlier than Rosberg in unfamiliar conditions - his first flying lap was 1.4secs quicker than the German's, despite Hamilton not even having walked around the track beforehand, and done only six laps on the simulator. After four flying laps, Hamilton was 0.926secs quicker than Rosberg, and then lowered his time again by nearly another second, after which his team-mate finally got to within 0.3secs of him. When both drivers swapped the soft tyre for the faster super-soft, Hamilton was again faster on both his flying laps, before the incidents with the wall. Bottas was the fastest driver to use soft tyres to set his best time, while McLaren's Fernando Alonso, an official ambassador for the race, was an unexpected fourth, also on the soft tyre. The Spaniard was a second faster than team-mate Button in seventh, although some of that margin may have been down to the Spaniard getting a slipstream down the straight from Esteban Gutierrez's Haas. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Force India's Sergio Perez split the McLarens, with Williams' Felipe Massa eighth from Sainz and Force India's Nico Hulkenberg. European Grand Prix", "summary": "Lewis Hamilton set the pace in first practice at the inaugural European Grand Prix at Baku in Azerbaijan."}
{"article": "It is estimated the new law could raise up to \u00c2\u00a31m a year for the Welsh NHS. The bill's sponsor, Labour AM Mick Antoniw, said it would help people whose lives had been blighted by \"this terrible disease\". The insurance industry has raised concerns, questioning whether the move is within the assembly's powers. Before becoming an assembly member, Mr Antoniw was a solicitor at the legal firm which has acted for many asbestos victims and their families. Speaking before the bill was passed, he said: \"It is only right that medical costs incurred by the NHS should be recovered from those who caused the disease and used to give more support to asbestos victims and their families - for example, a cancer nurse costs \u00c2\u00a350,000 per annum. \"We could employ an additional 20 cancer nurses or a mixture of cancer nurses and counsellors or additional research into the cause and treatment of asbestos disease. \"It is my belief this new Welsh law can make a significant improvement to the quality of life of those whose life is blighted by this terrible disease.\" Last December assembly Presiding Officer Rosemary Butler certified that the bill was within the institution's powers, but admitted it was a \"finely balanced\" decision on some aspects of the legislation. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) wrote to her and the secretary of state for Wales with a number of what it called \"serious concerns\" about the bill's lawfulness.", "summary": "A bill to recover the costs of treating Welsh asbestos patients from businesses or insurers has been passed by assembly members."}
{"article": "Cdr Sarah West, 42, took charge of Type 23 frigate HMS Portland in May 2012, but left her vessel last month. A Royal Navy spokesman said Cdr West had now been \"removed from command\" but gave no further details saying it was an \"internal matter\". She would be reappointed to another post, the spokesman added. Cdr West had been on board Plymouth-based HMS Portland on a deployment since January. Last month, the Ministry of Defence confirmed it was \"aware of an allegation of a breach of the code of social conduct\" on board the ship, which it said it was \"treating seriously\". The code governs personal relationships, which are not permitted if they compromise operational effectiveness. Confirming her removal, a Royal Navy spokesman said the case was an \"internal matter between the individual and her senior officers\". \"Cdr West will continue to serve in the Royal Navy and she will be reappointed to a post where her skills and experience can be used to best effect,\" the spokesman added. The spokesman said Cdr West's second-in-command had taken over the running of HMS Portland. When she took up her post in May 2012, Cdr West said it was \"definitely the highlight of my 16 years in the Royal Navy so far\". Cdr West, who grew up in Lincolnshire and joined the Royal Navy in 1995, previously commanded four minesweepers. There has been no confirmation that Cdr West had a relationship with a fellow officer.", "summary": "The first female commander of a major Royal Navy warship has been removed from her post following allegations of an affair with one of her officers."}
{"article": "Michael Redpath, 62, was pulled from the burning property in Albion Street, Swindon, but died in hospital as a result of smoke inhalation and burn injuries, Winchester Crown Court heard. Patricia Louise Hindle, 31, from Swindon, will be sentenced on Friday. Supt Sean Memory said Mr Redpath's final moments \"must have been terrifying\". Speaking after Hindle was convicted, he described how she \"ran away from the scene and made attempts to cover up her crime by disposing of his keys and bank cards\". \"Today the court found that she did kill him and that she intended to kill him.\" Hindle, of Crombey Street, carried out the fatal attack in September 2014.", "summary": "A woman has been found guilty of murdering a man by setting a house on fire and locking him inside."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old 14th seed went down 6-3 1-6 6-4 6-1 in the first round in New York. Kyrgios looked to have taken control of the match before he hurt his shoulder in the third set. \"One serve and my arm's totally dead,\" he told the physio while receiving treatment. \"I don't know what to do. It's so dead and numb, it's incredibly weak. I wasn't feeling it at all, and all of a sudden, bang, with one serve.\" After dropping the first set to Millman, the world number 235, it appeared as though Kyrgios was on his way to victory when he took the second 6-1. However, the contest changed dramatically with Kyrgios serving at 1-1 in the third, at one point asking a ball boy to help him stretch his right arm. To add to his frustration, Kyrgios was given a warning for an audible obscenity and, after losing the third set, penalised a point for violently smashing his racquet. \"My forehand's painful, it's just so annoying,\" he told the trainer. When fully fit, Kyrgios has shown the kind of form this year that has made him tipped as a possible Grand Slam champion, taking a rampant Federer to a final set tie-break in Miami and reaching his first Masters final in Cincinnati this month. \"I don't know what to do, I really don't,\" he added on court. \"I'm feeling good, I finally had a good week last week, playing a good match, middle of the third set against an Aussie, and bang - that's it.\" Millman goes on to face Tunisia's Malek Jaziri or Thiago Monteiro of Brazil in the second round. \"I know Nick's shoulder deteriorated as the match went on, so it's a victory, but slightly hollow,\" said Millan. \"I feel for him.\"", "summary": "Australia's Nick Kyrgios struggled with a shoulder injury as he lost to compatriot John Millman at the US Open - admitting: \"I don't know what to do.\""}
{"article": "Fathi Zeidan, nicknamed \"Zorro\", was the Fatah movement's security chief in the Mieh Mieh Palestinian refugee camp. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which occurred in nearby Ein el-Hilweh camp. However, Fatah gunmen have recently been involved in clashes with rival factions in Ein el-Hillweh. One man was killed earlier this month when one dispute escalated. Lebanese security officials say the bomb that killed Mr Zeidan was placed inside his car and he would have died instantly. About 450,000 Palestinians are registered with the UN as refugees in Lebanon, and most live in 12 official camps that mainly fall outside the jurisdiction of the Lebanese security services.", "summary": "A local Palestinian official has been killed in a car bomb explosion near the south Lebanese port city of Sidon, Lebanese security officials say."}
{"article": "The men, a 27-year-old Algerian and a 22-year-old Nigerian, were arrested last month on suspicion of planning a terror attack. A gun and a flag of the so-called Islamic State were found at their homes during police raids in the central city of G\u00c3\u00b6ttingen. But the men have never been charged. The criminal proceedings were dropped because police never established whether the suspects had planned to carry out an attack. Police say the two men are \"dangerous\". Lower Saxony Interior Minister Boris Pistorius said the deportations would take place as soon as possible, and certainly before mid-April. He said discussions were already under way with Algeria and Nigeria to facilitate this, and the two men would be subject to a \"life-long re-entry ban\", preventing their return to Germany. It was not immediately clear if the two men would appeal against the decision. Germany determines citizenship by the nationalities of one or both parents and also a person's place of birth. The country has been on high alert since the Berlin Christmas market attack on 19 December, that left 12 people dead and dozens injured.", "summary": "Germany says it will deport two men born in the country but whose parents are foreign - the first such case in German history."}
{"article": "Lalmatia Club were dismissed for 88 in 14 overs on Tuesday before bowler Sujon Mahmud sent down just four legitimate deliveries, despite bowling 20 balls. Three deliveries were no-balls and 13 were wides - all of which raced to the boundary, costing his side 80 runs. The four legal deliveries were hit for 12 runs by Axiom opener Mustafizur Rahman - not the Bangladesh Test bowler of the same name - as they completed a 10-wicket win in 0.4 overs. Club secretary Adnan Rahman said the deliveries were part of a protest against poor umpiring in the Dhaka Second Division League, and that his team's captain was not allowed to see the coin after the toss. The Bangladesh Cricket Board, which organises club cricket in Dhaka, told AFP they had asked match officials to submit a report before launching a formal investigation. The most runs conceded in a Test innings is Australian left-arm wrist-spinner Chuck Fleetwood-Smith's 1-298, which came from 87 overs against England in 1938.", "summary": "A Bangladeshi cricket team conceded 92 runs in the space of four balls to deliberately lose a match in a protest over umpiring."}
{"article": "The union is fighting plans by Southern owner Govia Thameslink (GTR) to turn conductors into \"on-board supervisors\", with drivers taking over responsibility for opening and closing carriage doors. Services have been disrupted for months due to industrial action. Southern said the action was \"unnecessary, unjustified and futile\". Passenger service director Alex Foulds said: \"Passengers and staff will once again be appalled by the RMT's decision to hold yet another strike. \"We are moving forward with our plans for the benefit of customers after nine months of fruitless attempts to reach an agreement.\" Changes to the role of guards were imposed by the company from Sunday. Mr Foulds added: \"We have guaranteed all our onboard staff a job until the end of the franchise, as valued members of our future operation, with no reduction in salary.\" The RMT has held a series of one-day strikes since April after balloting 393 members. Earlier this month, thousands of Southern passengers faced disruption during a five-day strike, which was then suspended after three days to allow fresh talks. Nearly 1,000 services across the network, which operates from Sussex and Surrey to London, Kent, Hampshire and Buckinghamshire, were cancelled on each of the strike days. Staff shortages, blamed by the company on high levels of sickness absence, have also resulted in delays and cancellations to trains. Commuters and other passengers have staged demonstrations to protest at the level of service, with some saying they have had to change their way of working to accommodate the disruption. The RMT union said the announcement of new strike dates were \"after the company walked away from talks and opted instead to bulldoze through the roll out of the new operational arrangements from last Sunday without any serious attempt to secure agreement\". Describing it as a \"flagrant disregard for the safety and security of passengers and staff alike\", the union said industrial action would begin at 00:01 BST on Wednesday 7 September and continue until 23:59 BST on Thursday 8 September. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: \"This action has been forced on us by the arrogance and inaction of the Govia Thameslink and the government who have made it clear that they have no interest in resolving this dispute or in tackling the daily chaos on Southern. \"Instead they have begun the process of bulldozing through the drive towards wholesale Driver Only Operation without agreement and without any concern for the impact on safety, security and disability access.\" He added: \"Our fight is with the company and the government who have dragged this franchise into total meltdown. \"We share the anger and frustration of passengers and we cannot sit back while jobs and safety are compromised on these dangerously overcrowded trains.\" Mr Foulds said claims safety was at risk were untrue. \"The independent rail safety body has said so, and nearly half our trains run without conductors already.\" Mr Cash has called for fresh talks to be held as \"an urgent priority\".", "summary": "Workers on Southern trains are to stage a 48-hour strike on 7 and 8 September in the continuing dispute over the role of guards, the RMT union has announced."}
{"article": "Helicopters involved in Nato's Joint Warrior exercise have landed at RAF St Athan. Parachute regiment 2 Para Battle Group will practice assaults at training areas in Caerwent, Monmouthshire and Pembrey, Carmarthenshire. In total, around 13,000 NATO personnel from 14 countries are taking part.", "summary": "Around 1,500 troops have converged on the Vale of Glamorgan in what is believed to be one of the largest military exercises held in Wales."}
{"article": "Plans to employ a marksman to shoot the pied wagtail at the Great Yarmouth store were put on hold after TV star Chris Packham tweeted his opposition. The British Trust for Ornithology said it had been caught, with Mr Packham tweeting a photo of the \"renegade\". Tesco said shooting the bird was only considered as a last resort. Natural England granted the firm a licence to shoot the wagtail earlier this month on the grounds of public health after it was spotted in the shop's aisles. But Mr Packham, who presents BBC Springwatch, used his Twitter account to urge Tesco to get in touch with the BTO instead, to attempt to catch the bird safely. Tesco said many attempts to catch it had failed, but tweeted it was \"happy to liaise with BTO and explore other options\". The BTO confirmed it had been caught earlier after putting up a giant net in the store. Pied wagtails are typically 18cm (7in) long and weigh 21g (three-quarters of an ounce). There are 470,000 breeding pairs in the UK. They are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act, with anybody who kills one without a licence facing a \u00c2\u00a35,000 fine.", "summary": "A small bird that earned a last minute reprieve after supermarket giant Tesco retracted a bid to shoot it has been caught and released."}
{"article": "Thousands of people visited the blue flag beach over the weekend to enjoy the sunshine. Independent Councillor Niamh Kennedy said there were only four bins on the 3km stretch of coastline and this created \"mayhem\". The beach is a popular destination for visitors from Northern Ireland. Local people collected the rubbish from the beach on Sunday and Monday after visitors had left. The refuse left behind included deck chairs, barbecues, food waste, glass bottles and nappies. Paul Diver, from the Sandhouse Hotel in Rossnowlagh, said the majority of people that visit the area \"behave impeccably\". \"A bigger issue is traffic and the lack of toilet facilities, there were three portaloos and our hotel became the public toilets for the weekend,\" he added. Cllr Kennedy agreed that a lack of toilets and traffic management at the site were causing problems. \"Once the sun comes out it's bedlam,\" she said. \"Cars are allowed on the beach-but there is a safety issue.\" \"The cars were blocking the entrance, then the tide comes in and there's a big scramble, every year there are cars destroyed.\" She added: \"If there was something serious you would never get an ambulance down.\" Last year cars got caught out by the tide at Rossnowlagh beach. Cllr Kennedy said council resources were insufficient to properly look after the beach. \"The resources are not there,\" she said. \"It will be a community effort to try and address the issues, but council will have to help and back them up.\" She warned: \"The beach could lose its blue flag status if this keeps up.\" The council said the amount of litter left on the beach was \"extremely disappointing\". \"Donegal County Councils Litter Management team had a presence on Rossnowlagh beach over the weekend and they carried out clean ups on Tuesday and Wednesday,\" it said in a statement. The council said that its traffic management plan had been reviewed and they are working with the local community.\"", "summary": "A Donegal councillor has complained after visitors to Rossnowlagh beach last weekend left \"huge amounts\" of rubbish behind."}
{"article": "An Egyptian-led team said on Saturday that the information was found on a cockpit flight recording. But the investigative committee said it was too early to say where or why the fire broke out. All 66 people on board died when flight MS804, flying from Paris to Cairo, crashed on 19 May. The new information appears to back up evidence from the flight recorder of smoke in the cabin. Recovered wreckage also showed signs of high temperature damage and soot on the jet's front section. Automated electronic messages sent out by the plane had shown smoke detectors going off in a toilet and in the avionics area below the cockpit, minutes before the plane disappeared. No distress call was made from the plane prior to the crash. Egyptian investigators have not ruled out any reasons for the crash, including terrorism, particularly as such catastrophic fires on passenger planes are so rare. The data recorders were taken to Paris after being found, and the cockpit voice recorder was in need of considerable repair. The investigative committee also said on Saturday that a research ship, the John Lethbridge, had finished its search for human remains, which have been transferred to Cairo for identification.", "summary": "An audio recording made on board an EgyptAir flight that crashed in the Mediterranean Sea in May discusses a fire, investigators say."}
{"article": "The Tigers, who sit third in the Premiership behind Saracens and Exeter, suffered a shock loss to struggling Newcastle on Friday. \"The team that played at the weekend was good enough [to win],\" Cockerill told BBC Radio Leicester. \"We know that the players we put on Friday can perform better.\" Their next opponents Harlequins are only a point behind them despite having won two fewer games. Cockerill says Leicester have gone back to basics in training as they look to pick up their first league win in the three weeks. \"We revisited some of those fundamentals this week in training,\" he said. \"We have to work hard, get our mindset and attitude right. \"In sport sometimes you don't play as well as you would like to and in a scientific world, sport is not an exact science.\"", "summary": "Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill has said his side are \"far from a crisis point\" but need to get their \"mindset and attitude right\"."}
{"article": "British Transport Police (BTP) said there were 150 fewer incidents recorded in 2014/15, but sex attacks rose by 16% from 19 to 22. Overall, 1,172 crimes were reported - down on 1,322 the previous year. BTP said crime in Wales remained low, but there was still much for the force to do. Supt Andy Morgan, sub divisional commander for Wales, said sex crime figures in the region were the lowest of any of BTP's eight areas. He said although it was concerning so many people were affected by this type of crime, the force had expected to see a rise after launching its Report It To Stop It campaign, which encourages victims to come forward. The force said there were 42 fewer theft offences last year and instances where cables were stolen were down from 102 last year to 53 this year. As a result, the number of travel minutes lost to the offence is down by 87% nationally since 2008/09. Violent offences also decreased in Wales, at a time when there was an 8% rise across Britain. The force said it had put more officers on night trains to deter problem behaviour and it was enhancing its CCTV coverage by trialling the use of body-worn cameras. The report said there were 16 deaths on the tracks in Wales last year and BTP had introduced a hotline for staff to alert emergency services when staff are concerned about a person planning to harm themselves.", "summary": "Crime on the railways fell by 11% in Wales last year, while the number of sexual offences reported rose, new figures show."}
{"article": "The proposed space, part of the Central Square scheme near Cardiff Central rail station, would see the St David's House building on Wood Street demolished. Three fully-let office buildings and a transport interchange, including office and residential units, have already been given the go-ahead. Cardiff council's cabinet discussed the public space plan on Thursday. Councillors gave the authority permission to dispose of leasehold interest in land north of Wood Street to enable the 270,000 sq ft (25,083 sq m) office block and square to be built. The proposal will also include a new office development, which could accommodate 3,000 jobs, on the site of the old Western Mail and Echo building on Park Street. The new BBC Wales Cymru headquarters, at the heart of the new Central Square development, is already under construction while a new transport hub has been given full planning permission. Council leader Phil Bale said: \"As anyone can see, the transformation on the south side of Wood Street facing the railway station is well under way with the BBC Wales HQ and No 2 Central Square beginning to take shape alongside No 1 Central Square which has been open for over a year. \"Now there are some really exciting plans coming forward for the north side of Wood Street on the old Western Mail and Echo site, which has been empty for several years, and on the St David's House site which fronts Wood Street.\" Councillor Elizabeth Clark, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition on Cardiff council, said: \"The Labour run Cardiff council need to provide more detail on the use of the public square. \"For example, how will pedestrians, cyclists and the proposed metro be accommodated? It's important to get all this right.\"", "summary": "A new public square has been proposed as part of plans for the next phase of Cardiff city centre's regeneration."}
{"article": "Officials described the findings as a \"fire alarm\". But they warned that there are major problems with the way the data is collected. The statistics are part of a drive to make the NHS more transparent in the wake of the Stafford Hospital scandal. Neglect and abuse at Stafford Hospital led to hundreds of unnecessary deaths between 2005 and 2008 and prompted a public inquiry. While officials called the Risk Adjusted Mortality Index (Rami) a \"fire alarm\", they warned that problems gathering the data made it difficult to interpret the figures. Data is collected across the UK and a score of 100 is considered normal. When an NHS organisation scores more than 100 it could be an indicator that the number of patients who are dying is higher than should be expected. A Labour MP who is advising the prime minister on how the NHS handles complaints said she was shocked by the mortality rate at Wales' biggest hospital. In the most recent batch of data, the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff has the highest score of any Welsh hospital at 128. David Cameron appointed Ann Clwyd as an advisor after the Cynon Valley MP complained about the standard of care her husband Owen Roberts received before he died at UHW. Patients and their families had written to her about their experiences at the UHW and other hospitals, she said. She added: \"I hope this will act as a warning signal to the Welsh government to check on the quality of care that is being offered to patients in these hospitals. \"I am determined to find out the reason for the high death rate at UHW, especially as my husband is now one of these statistics.\" Dr Graham Shortland, medical director for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said: \"We have confidence in our staff and the care and treatment they provide and we are reassured by what we are being told by other accepted systems and methods of reviewing quality and safety. \"However, we are in no way complacent about this and work is already underway to further scrutinise this data and any link to the coding problems that we are currently tackling.\" A programme of detailed patient case-note reviews will be expanded, he said. Betsan Powys: RAMI: Ropey And Muddled Information? During the most recent period recorded, five out of six local health boards in Wales had scores higher than 100. However, officials warned that higher scores may be due to problems gathering data, rather than lapses in the quality of patient care. The Rami takes into account other factors about patients, including their underlying health, social factors and their lifestyles. The way the data is collected is known as coding. Welsh government officials say that coding in Welsh hospitals has not been as good as in the English NHS. Other annual adjustments to the index make it difficult to compare mortality rates from year to year. The Welsh government uses Rami scores as one way of measuring performance in the NHS. However, it says Rami cannot be", "summary": "Eleven out of 17 district general hospitals in Wales have higher death rates than should be expected, according to statistics published by the Welsh government."}
{"article": "Tests by Southampton University found people's walking patterns - their gait - are so different they could be used to identify individuals. Researchers used a multi-biometric tunnel with 12 synchronised cameras to capture and translate 25 subjects' gaits to build unique 3D images. It is hoped the technique could be used for a variety of purposes, including security monitoring at airports. 'Extreme clothing changes' Darko Matovski, who led the investigation, said: \"We have shown for the first time that gait can be used as a reliable biometric trait over time.\" The team believes the technique could be used in airport immigration halls where \"a simple corridor with cameras\" would be enough to identify large flows of people. Mr Matovski, from the university's school of electronics and computer science, added: \"A bank robber may wear a mask so you can't see his face, wear gloves so you can't get fingerprints, wear a hat so you can't get DNA evidence - but he still has to walk into the bank and you can identify him from the walk.\" With almost 2,000 walking sequences recorded in a database, Mr Matovski claims a 95% success rate. Gait can also be measured at a distance - an advantage over other forms of biometric identification. However researchers found that \"extreme changes\" in clothing can affect recognition levels.", "summary": "Criminals could be tracked down by the way they walk, a study has claimed."}
{"article": "The success put the Clarets second, with Middlesbrough not in action and Brighton thrashed 4-1 by Cardiff City. Vokes gave them the lead from the spot in the first half after debutant Lloyd Doyley brought down George Boyd. Rotherham frustrated the hosts for much of the game but Arfield ended lingering fightback hopes with a late second. Joe Newell had the Millers' best chance in a rare raid forward, but failed to beat goalkeeper Tom Heaton from close range. Sean Dyche's side dominated but did not fully capitalise on the chances that came their way, with Andre Gray's header brushing the crossbar and goalkeeper Lee Camp making good saves from Boyd and Stephen Ward to keep the score down. Burnley are now unbeaten in nine Championship games, but the size of Warnock's task in dragging Rotherham out of danger was evident as they mustered just one shot on target at Turf Moor. The defeat left the visitors third from bottom and five points adrift of MK Dons, the team immediately above them. Burnley manager Sean Dyche: \"It was hard work. Neil (Warnock) being Neil has got a new group and has got a bit of fervour to them. They came here, I imagine, with no expectation and tried to play on that. \"They broke the game up and it was a disjointed game. But as ever, I like the fact we can win games in different ways. \"We have won it outrightly with the chances with have made, we have deserved victory.\" Rotherham manager Neil Warnock: \"I am really happy, they can't be too down. \"You don't play Burnley every week. We have got some tough games but teams that we will play against will have some tough games. \"We are looking forward to the challenge.\" Have you added News Alerts in the BBC Sport app? Simply head to the My Alerts menu in the app - and don't forget you can also add score alerts for your favourite football team, the Six Nations, and more. Match ends, Burnley 2, Rotherham United 0. Second Half ends, Burnley 2, Rotherham United 0. Sam Vokes (Burnley) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Greg Halford (Rotherham United). Attempt missed. Sam Vokes (Burnley) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Stephen Ward with a cross. Substitution, Burnley. Matthew Taylor replaces George Boyd. Substitution, Burnley. Rouwen Hennings replaces Andre Gray. Stephen Ward (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jonson Clarke-Harris (Rotherham United). Goal! Burnley 2, Rotherham United 0. Scott Arfield (Burnley) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Andre Gray. Richard Smallwood (Rotherham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Scott Arfield (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Richard Smallwood (Rotherham United). Attempt missed. Richard Smallwood (Rotherham United) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Foul by George Boyd (Burnley). Jonson Clarke-Harris (Rotherham United) wins a free kick on the", "summary": "Goals from Sam Vokes and Scott Arfield sealed a Championship victory for Burnley to extend Neil Warnock's wait for a first win as Rotherham boss."}
{"article": "Oxfordshire County Council wants to widen roads, upgrade paths and cycle lanes and install traffic lights at the John Radcliffe Hospital junction. Headington residents are concerned the work will cause disruption. Councillor David Nimmo Smith said it was \"time to deal\" with the area's traffic problems. Drop in sessions for people to view the plans will take place this week. Work is expected to start next summer with completion in spring 2018. Meanwhile work at the busy Cutteslowe and Wolvercote roundabouts is due to start this month and will take about 16 months. The council has warned of \"major\" travel delays.", "summary": "Plans for a \u00a312.5m scheme aimed at cutting congestion in Oxford have been put out to consultation."}
{"article": "Daniel Swift sent explicit pictures to the 14-year-old and arranged for her to travel to Lincoln to meet him for sex. He was caught when those behind the sting detained him and called police. Swift, 47, of Princess Street, admitted charges of attempting to sexually communicate with a child and attempting to meet a child following grooming. He was ordered to be detained in a secure psychiatric unit after Lincoln Crown Court heard he had been treated for over 25 years for mental health problems and had been diagnosed as suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Richard Thatcher, prosecuting, told the court: \"This case arises through the defendant's contact through social media with, as he believed her to be, a 14-year-old girl called Emma. \"She was actually an adult woman who had set up that alter ego on social media,\" he said. The court heard he first made contact with 'Emma' in April when she told him her age. \"He began by asking if she wanted a daddy to look after her,\" Mr Thatcher told the court. \"There was a conversation as to whether this involved him becoming involved with her mother. He told her 'Daddy loves his little girls not their mummies'.\" The court heard Swift went on to send an image of his penis as well as explicit videos. He made it clear he wanted to have sex and at one point he suggested a foursome with Emma, her 10-year-old sister and 14-year-old cousin. Judge Simon Hirst also imposed a sexual harm prevention order and placed Swift on the sexual offences register for five years.", "summary": "A man who groomed and arranged to meet what he believed to be a young school girl was trapped by internet vigilantes, a court has heard."}
{"article": "John Harrington, 51, said he slapped Terry Hutchinson, 64, and it was not malicious but \"playful\". Mr Hutchinson fell to the ground at West Herts Golf Club and suffered a brain injury, it is alleged. Mr Harrington, of High Street in Redbourn, denies manslaughter at Luton Crown Court. Mr Hutchinson had moved to Thailand where he married and returned to visit friends. He was treated at the scene and taken to St Mary's Hospital in London, where he died on 27 May last year after three days of treatment. Prosecutor Robert O'Sullivan QC said: \"Mr Harrington did not intend to kill Terry Hutchinson. He is charged with manslaughter. \"The prosecution say he deliberately and unlawfully assaulted Mr Hutchinson and that assault was a significant cause of his death.\" Mr Hutchinson had been drinking in the Red Lion in Bushey before being driven to Mr Harrington's pub, The Bull in Redbourn, the court heard. Later another friend joined them and they were taken to the golf club where members of Mr Harrington's extended family were attending the wedding reception. Mr O'Sullivan said: \"There was a fair bit of banter on the part of Mr Harrington. \"What may have started out as drunken high spirits concluded with the defendant assaulting Mr Hutchinson with such force he went to the ground immediately and did not get up.\" Mr Harrington told police: \"I think I slapped him. I don't think I punched him. It was an open hand, not a fist. It was a playful slap.\" The case continues.", "summary": "A pub landlord killed an old friend with a single punch on the way to a wedding reception near Watford in Hertfordshire, a court has heard."}
{"article": "But the objects are just some of the Mary Rose artefacts which have gone on display at Swansea University. Researchers have been examining the artefacts from Henry VIII's warship, which was raised in 1982, to discover more about the ship's crew. Their work has revealed that many of those who perished when the boat sank in 1545 were \"superb athletes\". Sport physiologist Dr Nick Owen said the skeletons and objects raised with the Mary Rose have given them a \"wealth of information\". \"The abnormalities in some of the crew's radius bones shows that they'd have been supreme athletes,\" Dr Owen said. \"Today an Olympic bow has 48 lbs of tension, but to fire a Mary Rose bolt (arrow) would have taken well over 100 lbs.\" Dr Owen believes that as well as providing a glimpse into the past, his team's discoveries can offer an insight into the injuries of modern athletes. \"You can see similar abnormalities in elite tennis and squash players,\" he said. \"Top sportsmen are singled out for elite training from such a young age. \"The cream of archers on the Mary Rose would have been in training since they were seven years old.\" Dr Owen's team, including scientists from the University of Bradford, have already succeeded in creating an online 3D image of some of the sailors, which can be remotely studied by scientists. The next challenge is to see what lies inside the bones. \"Once we can conduct Micro CT scans, we'll be able to see what changes being one of Henry VIII's elite archers caused internally,\" Dr Owen explained. \"These very fine scans will help us discover how their lifestyle and diet affected their bone structure from the inside.\" The Mary Rose artefacts are on display to mark the university's research and innovation awards evening.", "summary": "A boot, some old skeletons and a block of wood might not sound like the type of thing to entice you to Swansea."}
{"article": "Owners Hanwha Chemical Corp said the blast happened during welding work to expand a waste water disposal facility. \"Gas from the waste water, which had piled up inside the tank, was apparently ignited by the welding torch\", a fire official told AFP. An investigation into whether negligence was the cause of the explosion is under way. The plant makes polyvinyl chloride used in wide range of products, such as cling film.", "summary": "At least four people have been killed in South Korea in an explosion at a chemical plant in the city of Ulsan."}
{"article": "A 24-hour tube strike is due to go ahead after unions rejected a \"new deal\" from Transport for London (TfL). But Sadiq Khan has instructed TfL \"to continue negotiating\". Workers from the RMT and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) unions are scheduled to walk out from 18:00 GMT. The strike is expected to cause mass station closures. Tube strike guide: What you need to know The Labour mayor said TfL's negotiating team would \"be available around the clock to resolve this dispute\". Calling the strike \"pointless\" Mr Khan said TfL's offer would \"ensure station safety and staffing levels across the Tube network\". Steve Griffiths, chief operating officer for London Underground (LU), said the process had already begun to hire 200 extra station staff. \"Taking into account existing vacancies and natural turnover this means that over 600 staff will be recruited for stations this year.\" The biggest rail union, the RMT, had walked out of talks at conciliation service Acas on Saturday. On Sunday, the TSSA announced it had rejected the deal after consulting its members overnight. TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said the new deal would not \"restore Tube safety levels\" with the \"urgency that is now needed\". The offer was made after RMT left the meeting, a point the RMT disputes. In a message to its members, RMT regional organiser John Leach said the talks had \"failed\" and the strike would go ahead. Talks between both unions and London Underground (LU) had previously broken down on Friday afternoon. No details of the latest deal were revealed but Mr Leach told members of the RMT that LU had \"given exactly the same offer again\" during Saturday's last-ditch talks. \"This is just not acceptable. The unsafe practices and pressure on staff and passengers have to be resisted and will be,\" he said. Transport for London (TfL) previously said it would address the recommendations of a recent report, which found the closure of ticket offices had caused \"significant issues\" for Tube passengers.", "summary": "The Mayor of London has called for \"last-ditch\" talks to avert a strike on the London Underground hours before it is due to begin."}
{"article": "It has been a year since Northern Ireland's 26 councils were reduced to 11 - with the new bodies given wider responsibilities. Fiona McCandless told the BBC's Inside Business programme the Planning Service was pleased with the transition. \"The councils were sufficiently resourced to deal with the applications transferred to them,\" she said. \"They had the necessary skills and resources to deal with that. \"Time have proven that the backlog cases that the department previously dealt with have been really significantly reduced. \"The councils now are dealing with the cases that have been submitted, more since 1 April last year.\" You can hear more on Inside Business on Radio Ulster at 13:30 BST on Sunday.", "summary": "The chief planning officer has said the transfer of planning powers to the new super councils has been a success."}
{"article": "The move follows the case of a Thai surrogate mother who said an Australian couple rejected the baby she carried when they found he had Down's syndrome. The couple, who took home the boy's twin sister, have strongly denied the claim. Thai police say couples with surrogate children now need a court order before they can leave with the children. Thailand's military government is rushing through a new law aimed at banning commercial surrogacy. However, Australian surrogacy agencies believe there are more than 100 couples still awaiting the birth of children to surrogate mothers in Thailand. A Thai immigration official told the BBC that one same-sex couple with a baby was stopped from leaving Bangkok airport on Thursday because they lacked documentation to prove they were the legal guardians. Australian broadcaster ABC said three other couples were also believed to have been stopped from leaving Thailand with surrogate babies. The BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok says Thailand has become the favoured destination for many Westerners seeking surrogate mothers. But while commercial surrogacy is not technically illegal in Thailand, it does violate the code of the Medical Council which regulates doctors and hospitals, he adds. Earlier this week, Australian couple David and Wendy Farnell denied that they had rejected baby Gammy, now seven months old, when it became clear he had Down's Syndrome. They said that Thai surrogate mother Pattharamon Chanbua, 21, had refused to hand him over and also threatened to keep his twin sister. It also emerged that David Farnell had been convicted in the 1990s of multiple sex offences against young girls. Mr Farnell insisted that Gammy's sister, Pipah, was not at risk of harm from him. Ms Chanbua, who has two other children, said the couple had asked her to have an abortion when she was told of the baby boy's condition. She said she refused, as it was against her Buddhist beliefs. David Farnell denied asking the mother to have an abortion and said that by the time they found out about the baby's condition, it was too late in the pregnancy to abort the foetus.", "summary": "Thailand has imposed new restrictions on taking children born to surrogate parents out of the country."}
{"article": "Since it opened in 1984, it has closed 174 times. The barrier reached the record for the highest number of times closed in a single season on Tuesday. This winter has been the wettest since records began, with the South East receiving double the amount of rainfall expected in a normal winter. The Environment Agency called this year's number of closures a \"blip\". The Agency is not anticipating closing it again over the forthcoming tides, but will continue to monitor river and tide levels closely and will operate once again if required. The barrier's operation manager Andy Batchelor said: \"The long term plan for the barrier recognises that we will use it on average more frequently year-by-year and we are still forecasting not to need a replacement until 2070.\" The Agency's guidance says the barrier should not be closed more than 50 times a year, however a spokesman said this would only be a concern if it was a regular occurrence.", "summary": "The Thames Barrier has closed for a record 50th time this winter, making it the busiest period in its history."}
{"article": "Lt Gen HR McMaster told ABC News there was consensus with China that this was a situation that \"could not continue\". The comments come after a failed missile test launch by North Korea and a massive military parade. President Trump had earlier said China was \"working with us\" on the issue. Beijing, Pyongyang's biggest ally, has come under pressure from Washington to exert more pressure on its neighbour. Sunday's comments appear to be the first confirmation that both countries are working together on how to deal with the North Korean issue. Gen McMaster, who was in the Afghan capital, Kabul, said the latest launch \"fits a pattern of provocative and destabilising and threatening behaviour\". \"The president has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons,\" he said. \"I think there's an international consensus now, including the Chinese and the Chinese leadership, that this is a situation that just can't continue.\" President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed North Korea during a meeting last week. Mr Xi offered co-operation on \"communication and co-ordination\", the BBC's Robin Brant in Shanghai reports. Earlier on Sunday, South Korean and US military officials said a North Korean missile had detonated soon after launch. The US Pacific Command said it believed it to be a ballistic missile. Investigations were continuing, but one unnamed US official said it was unlikely to have been an intercontinental (ICBM) missile. Ballistic missiles follow high trajectories and are initially powered and guided, but fall to their target under gravity. ICBMs follow a sub-orbital trajectory, others stay within the atmosphere. North Korea's aim is to be able to put a nuclear warhead on an ICBM that can reach targets around the world. Pyongyang has claimed to have miniaturised nuclear warheads for use on missiles, though experts have cast doubt on that given the lack of evidence. The state has already conducted five nuclear tests and a series of missile launches in contravention of UN resolutions. It has suffered test failures in the past but they have not deterred its development programme. Meanwhile, US Vice-President Mike Pence is on a 10-day tour of Asia intended to reassure allies of US commitment to their security. In the South Korean capital, Seoul, Mr Pence called the failed launch a \"provocation\". He is set to discuss North Korea with acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson meanwhile issued another warning to North Korea after its failed missile launch. \"They must stop these belligerent acts and comply with UN resolutions,\" he said. On Friday, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned that the situation in the region was escalating, and that \"conflict could break out at any moment\". Adding to the tension in the Korean peninsula, a US aircraft carrier group is steaming towards the region.", "summary": "The US and China are working on a \"range of options\" on North Korea, the US top security adviser has said, as tensions mount over the country's nuclear and missile programmes."}
{"article": "The Mid-Ulster Mail reports that Maud Kells from Cookstown was escorted on flights by two nurses, but that there were no other special measures in place for her journey. Ms Kells was shot twice in the shoulder by bandits at her home in Mulita in the north east of the DRC last month. She has served in DRC since 1968. Ms Kells received an OBE in the New Year Honours List. She spends half of the year in DRC and the other half in Cookstown. The Mid-Ulster Mail reports that she is not staying at her home in Cookstown. Ms Kells was originally a missionary nurse and now works for the WEC International mission agency.", "summary": "A County Tyrone missionary who was injured after being shot in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has returned to Northern Ireland."}
{"article": "Amond, 28, scored 33 goals last season for Grimsby as they won promotion through the National League play-offs. \"There were a lot of clubs in for him but we're delighted that we've managed to tempt him to The Vic,\" said boss Craig Hignett. Former Chelsea trainee Woods, 26, joined in 2014 from Harrogate Town and has signed an undisclosed deal. He has made 42 league starts for the club over two seasons, having missed the latter stages of 2014-15 with injuries to his ankle and fibula. \"Michael is a terrific player and I am delighted we have managed to get him sorted,\" added Hignett. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Hartlepool United have signed striker Padraig Amond and agreed a new deal with midfielder Michael Woods."}
{"article": "The officer had posed as the boss of a courier firm to infiltrate the group known as the Three Musketeers, the Old Bailey heard. Naweed Ali, 29, from Sparkhill, Birmingham, is on trial along with three other men from the West Midlands. The four deny preparing terrorist acts. They were arrested on 26 August after a partially-constructed pipe bomb, machete and imitation gun were discovered by security services in Mr Ali's car. Both Mr Ali, of Evelyn Road, and his co-accused Khobaib Hussain, 25, also of Evelyn Road, have previous convictions for attending a terror training camp. See more stories from across Birmingham and the Black Country here The Old Bailey heard Mr Ali had been employed by the officer - described in court only as \"Vincent\" - to deliver parcels. On his first day, Mr Ali's Seat Leon was parked at a depot in Birmingham city centre while he went to Luton to deliver a parcel, the court heard. Cross-examining, Stephen Kamlish QC suggested the officer had planted a bag of incriminating evidence in Mr Ali's car before MI5 arrived to bug it. Mr Kamlish, for Mr Ali, said to Vincent: \"You had until he left the car and MI5 came in, to plant a bag of incriminating items in his car. This was your only opportunity - yes or no?\" The officer said: \"That's a interesting work of fiction. I'm afraid nothing you have just said to me makes any sense to me whatsoever. So no.\" At a previous hearing, Vincent told jurors that during a search of Mr Ali's car, what appeared to be a pipe bomb and a handgun were found inside a JD Sports bag. He told jurors he and another officer had eased the contents of the bag on to a ground sheet and carried it into a different room. On Monday, Mr Kamlish asked the officer why he had put his hand in the bag and pulled out what he thought was a \"live bomb\" after the secret services had been told to leave the depot. Vincent said it was a \"calculated risk\" and added: \"I'm not a bomb disposal expert but I know what a pipe bomb looks like. \"This was a fast-moving, difficult situation and difficult decisions had to be made and that difficult decision was made.\" The barrister told Vincent he had known it was not a real bomb \"because you put it there\". Asked if he planted the device, Vincent said: \"I would never be involved in anything like that, have never, and will never.\" Mr Ali and Mr Hussain, Mohibur Rahman, 32, of High Lane, Stoke-on-Trent, and Tahir Aziz, 38, of Wulstan Road, also in Stoke, deny the charges. The trial continues.", "summary": "An undercover officer has described a claim in court that he planted a bomb in the car of a convicted terrorist as an \"interesting work of fiction\"."}
{"article": "The operation took place on Saturday night near Menaka in eastern Mali. Arms and vehicles were seized during the four-hour fire fight, the ministry said in a statement (in French). The al-Murabitoun group says it was behind the attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako in November. It says it was working with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The Macina Liberation Front from central Mali has also claimed responsibility and there has also been speculation that the gunmen were from Somalia. On Monday the government of Mali declared a 10-day state of alert because of renewed security concerns. Africa Live: BBC news updates Mali not geared up to combat terrorist threat World's most dangerous peacekeeping mission Africa blighted by multiple Jihadist threats In its statement, the defence ministry said members of France's anti-Islamist Barkhane force had \"neutralised\" 10 terrorists - meaning they were killed or captured. It said al-Murabitoun was \"responsible for many attacks on civilians of Mali and Niger, as well as local army forces and international forces\". Northern Mali was captured by groups who claimed an independent Islamic state in 2012. They were ousted in a French-led military operation which began in January 2013, but correspondents say militant groups have become more active in southern Mali this year. Twenty-four people, including two attackers, died in the hotel siege last month. More than half of the victims were foreign nationals. Militancy in Mali Mali attack: The unanswered questions In pictures: Mali hotel attack", "summary": "French forces in Mali have killed or captured 10 members of an Islamist group which claimed responsibility for a hotel massacre last month, the defence ministry in Paris says."}
{"article": "The referee inspected the surface just before 19:00 GMT and deemed it unplayable. No new date has yet been set for the game to be played.", "summary": "Tuesday's National League game between Boreham Wood and Braintree Town has been postponed because of a frozen pitch at Meadow Park."}
{"article": "Mr Varoufakis, 53, is not only a well-respected political economist, but a charismatic man and natural charmer. A few weeks after his appointment, he has become something of a global celebrity. That is hardly surprising for Greeks - after all, Mr Varoufakis got more votes than any other candidate in the 25 January general election that swept the leftist Syriza party into power. In the wake of victory he immediately embarked on a European tour that took him to London, Paris, Rome and Berlin. The sight of a shaven-headed, athletic minister refusing to tuck his shirt into his trousers or wear a tie - even while visiting 11 Downing Street - fascinated business reporters, fashion editors and gossip columnists. Even the German media - among Greece's sternest critics - seemed impressed. ZDF television anchor Marietta Slomka said \"he is someone you could imagine starring in a film like Die Hard 6\", and conservative daily Die Welt ran the headline \"What makes Yanis Varoufakis a sex icon\". In his home country, a new word was coined - \"Varoufitses\" - to describe women who idolise Mr Varoufakis. At the time of writing, Mr Varoufakis had 128,000 Twitter followers, a number of devoted fan pages on Facebook, and he has inspired a video game \"Syrizaman Vs Troika\". His eurozone colleagues may not find him quite so charming. In his first meeting with them on 11 February he refused to approve a common statement by the Eurogroup that implied Athens would seek an extension of its bailout. \"Simple logic dictates that if you cannot even conceive the possibility of leaving a negotiation, then it is preferable never to enter one,\" he wrote in a blog entry back in May 2010. Varoufakis soundbites Mr Varoufakis showed signs of defiance and non-conformism from a very early age. That includes deliberately misspelling his name Yanis, writing it with only one \"n\" since elementary school. \"I had an aesthetic problem with the double \"n\",\" he said. \"So I decided to write my name with one. My teacher gave me a bad grade, which made me very angry and I've kept writing my name with one \"n\" ever since.\" Mr Varoufakis was born on 24 March 1961 in Athens. He is a graduate of the Moraitis private school, which has nurtured many members of Greece's political and economic elite. His father, 89-year-old Giorgos Varoufakis, is chairman of Halyvourgiki, a Greek industrial giant. This background of relative privilege did not prevent Mr Varoufakis from becoming a libertarian Marxist, who has said that \"Karl Marx was responsible for framing my perspective of the world we live in, from my childhood to this day\". After receiving his doctorate from the University of Essex he spent a couple of years teaching there and at the University of East Anglia. But Margaret Thatcher's third election victory in 1987 proved too much to bear for Mr Varoufakis, who started to \"plan his escape\" from Britain. His escape destination was not Greece, but Australia, where he taught economics at the University of Sydney. He finally returned to Athens", "summary": "Greece's left-wing Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is leading the offensive to persuade the nation's creditors to end austerity and forgive part of its debt."}
{"article": "The Scottish government included funding for the scheme in its budget following criticism of rail services. Fares will rise in 2017, but Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said passengers with monthly or annual season tickets will get a week's worth of free travel. Scottish Labour, which has called for a freeze on all rail fares, said the plans do not go far enough. They said the \"vast majority\" of passengers would still face record fares in January. Finance Secretary Derek Mackay announced the plans during his budget statement, where he claimed a full freeze would be too expensive and would hit investment in the rail network. The government said its plans could deliver greater savings for customers with annual or monthly season tickets even with fares set to rise in 2017, and said further deals would be announced for other passengers. Mr Yousaf said he was confident ScotRail could deliver \"the service we expect\", after a \"particularly challenging\" year of delays and disruptions on the network. He said: \"Passengers rightly deserve an efficient and value for money rail network. \"By offering a 'free week' we can in many instances match or even provide better savings for passengers than if we offered a fares freeze. \"And as service improvements and investment also impact on those across the country who do not use season tickets, we will put in place a number of promotions and fare offers throughout the year to ensure they also benefit from this investment.\" An example cited by the government was that the cost of annual and monthly season tickets between Glasgow and Edinburgh will go up by \u00a372 and \u00a382.80 in 2017 respectively, while they claim the 'free week' plan would see regular travellers save \u00a395.50. ScotRail will designate a specific period in 2017 during which the free travel will be available. The group's managing director Phil Verster said the network was undergoing its biggest upgrade since Victorian times. He said: \"Our customers have been incredibly patient during the big projects like Winchburgh Tunnel last year and Queen Street Tunnel earlier this year. \"The free week of travel for our season ticket holders is a 'thank you for your patience' while we work to deliver a rail network that all of Scotland can be proud of.\" However opposition parties said the measures do not go far enough. Labour's transport spokesman Neil Bibby said the government had been \"forced\" into concessions by pressure from politicians and passengers - but said the plans didn't \"hit the mark\". He said: \"Labour's fare freeze policy would have benefited every ScotRail passenger - the SNP's policy won't. \"After all the delays and disruption people have had to put up with on the railways, no passenger should face a fare hike in the New Year. \"The bottom line is that fares will still rise to record levels in January for the vast majority of passengers as planned. It is insulting to ask passengers to pay a penny more for the shocking ScotRail service they have been receiving.\"", "summary": "A \u00a33m package of \"targeted discounts\" for Scottish rail passengers with season tickets has been announced."}
{"article": "A 16-month project will start on Tuesday to reconfigure and \"increase capacity\" of junction 28 of the M4 near Tredegar Park at Newport. The adjacent roundabouts at Bassaleg on Forge Road and Pont Ebbw at Tredegar Park's entrance will also be upgraded. The Welsh Government wants to \"reduce delays\" in the area. Permanent traffic lights will be installed at the neighbouring roundabouts which will have \"smart signalling\" so the they will \"be synced to ensure the smoothest and quickest traffic flow\". Two lanes will be built through the middle of junction 28 to allow traffic from the eastbound carriageway of the M4 to access the Southern Distributor Road (SDR) around Newport without going around the roundabout. Improvements will also be made on the Pont Ebbw roundabout to ease traffic flow on the SDR. There are fears the project, which is expected to be completed in July 2018, could increase congestion while the construction work is taking place. But the Welsh Government said: \"Existing junction traffic capacity will be maintained during peak hours - prior to 09:30 GMT and after 15:30 during weekdays - throughout the construction phase, albeit the lanes will be narrower in order to provide working room. \"Off-peak lane closures will be utilised between 09:30 and 15:30 to facilitate the works when traffic flows are lighter.\"", "summary": "A regular congestion hotspot on the M4 is to get a \u00a313.7m upgrade in a bid to ease rush hour traffic problems."}
{"article": "But there was one sport notably absent from the party - swimming. When their competition began a week earlier the British team were aiming to beat the three medals (two golds and a bronze) that they achieved in the pool in Beijing four years ago. This was backed by strong performances at last year's world championships, but Hannah Miley, Ellen Gandy, Fran Halsall and double world open water champion Keri-Anne Payne all failed to deliver on their pre-Games podium potential. Michael Jamieson claimed a stunning silver in the 200m breaststroke and Rebecca Adlington delivered two bronze medals, but the British camp had little else to celebrate. BBC Sport assesses the performances of the British team in London. When a swimmer as experienced as Adlington admits that at times she found the passionate home support \"overwhelming\" it's easy to imagine that other British swimmers suffered anxieties. \"With home advantage we're seeing people running, jumping, shooting out of their skins - if we're finding it a problem then the management need to look at that,\" said Athens bronze medallist and BBC analyst Steve Parry. Media playback is not supported on this device But British Swimming performance director Michael Scott said it was not something for which they could easily prepare. \"There's not a mechanism, they have never stood in front of a crowd like this before,\" said Scott. \"We can do all the training and all of the preparation, but the first time they get to experience it is when they walk out here. \"Sometimes it's broader than the crowd, it's the public expectation, but our swimmers need to learn how to cope with that.\" Although there were near-misses - Halsall was denied 50m bronze by 0.08 seconds, while Elizabeth Simmonds and the men's 4x100m relay team both came fourth - too many swimmers failed to achieve either their personal best or even their fastest time this season. \"I'm not here to make excuses, we had hoped to get more,\" Scott told BBC Sport. \"We have to understand the reasons why we didn't convert final positions and we need to address them going forward.\" I was so confident [in GB swimmers] I had a little bet with Kelly Sotherton that we'd get more medals than the athletes Put simply, medals means money and without hitting their minimum target of five, British Swimming puts itself in significant danger of a cut from the \u00a325.1m they have received over the last four years. The \u00a3264m UK Sport divides between all Olympic sports is expected to remain the same for the Rio 2016 campaign, but with the likes of judo and canoeing performing well in London, they can expect a larger slice of the funding pie. Parry admits he is concerned. \"UK Sport operate a very objective system based on your targeted medals and how many you achieve. \"The fact of the matter is that there are loads of other sports that are doing extremely well and there's only one pot of a certain size.\" Since Beijing, British Swimming has invested heavily in five International Training Centres", "summary": "It was dubbed \"Super Saturday\" after Great Britain enjoyed their most successful day at the Olympics for more than 100 years."}
{"article": "Having taken part in the show's 2015 Christmas special alongside Peter Capaldi and Alex Kingston, Lucas will reprise the role of River Song's former assistant Nardole. \"I'm chuffed to bits that Nardole is returning to the Tardis for some more adventures,\" Lucas said. The star will appear in the opening episode of series 10, which begins filming in Cardiff on 20 June. Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer, added he was \"delighted and slightly amazed to be welcoming Matt Lucas back on to the Tardis - and this time it's not just for Christmas, he's sticking around\". \"One of the greatest comedy talents on planet Earth is being unleashed on all of time and space.\" Capaldi will return as The Doctor while Pearl Mackie replaces Jenna Coleman as his new companion, Bill, in her first major television role. Lucas said he was looking forward to reprising his role in the sci-fi drama because he \"loved acting with Peter and I'm excited to work with Pearl\". Also announced to be joining the series this year is Jekyll & Hyde and Sherlock star Stephanie Hyam. Doctor Who will return to BBC One with a December Christmas special followed by a new series in 2017.", "summary": "Matt Lucas is set to return to Doctor Who for its 10th series."}
{"article": "Swansea council is showcasing proposals for the civic centre and St David's shopping centre sites. Under the plans, a retail and leisure complex would be built on the St David's site with a walkway over the main road leading to the current civic centre site. That would have public spaces, tourist attractions and homes. It follows a similar presentation in London's financial district last week.", "summary": "More than 140 specialist developers and agents will arrive in Swansea to see a vision of the city centre's future."}
{"article": "Jack Galsworthy, from Cornwall, and Freddie Wright, from Gloucestershire, both 21, are one week into their 3,000 mile challenge and their \"morale is high\" after initial seasickness. The pair are aiming to raise \u00c2\u00a3150,000 for the Brain Research Trust. They caught and ate tuna which they had as sushi for Christmas dinner, their team said. They will be rowing two hours on and two hours off for three months in the race from La Gomera to Antigua, as part of the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge. Two days from the nearest support team, they risk facing 40ft waves, sharks, howling winds, blisters, salt-rashes, sunstroke and sleep deprivation. The Atlantic Castaways team spokeswoman Alexandra Durnford, said they were suffering badly from sea sickness at first but have now recovered and \"morale is high\". \"They tried their luck at a bit of fishing and managed to catch a very small tuna and had sushi I would imagine as there are no cooking supplies on board, so they did have a very special Christmas lunch, just an unusual one,\" she said. The duo are expected to lose at least 15% of their body weight during the challenge, which they hope to complete in 90 days time.", "summary": "Two university students have begun their bid to become the youngest pair ever to row across the Atlantic Ocean."}
{"article": "George Bender, 68, took his own life on October 14. He had spent much of the past decade locked in negotiations with CSG (Coal Seam Gas) companies who wanted to drill 18 wells on his properties. Encroaching gas exploration across Australia has pitted miners against farmers, who fear the environmental and health impact of CSG. Mr Bender's daughter Helen made an emotional plea on this subject on live television panel show Q&A. \"On Saturday we buried my father,\" Helen Bender said. \"When will farmers be given the right to say no to CSG companies?\" She spoke about how the issue had disillusioned her father: \"One of the last things my father said, 'No one is listening, why am I wasting my time?'\" she said. In response to her comments Australia's rural health minister said she wanted laws to allow farmers to refuse miners onto their land. Senator Fiona Nash said the \"simple answer\" to the complex issue would be legislative change to empower farmers. Helen Bender's name then began trending on social media sites, a reflection of the potency of the debate among the Australian public. However, Federal Opposition Minister for Rural Affairs Joel Fitzgibbon who was also on the panel on the show said that Australia had enjoyed \"enormous wealth through the extraction of coal and iron ore and other commodities, and now CSG\". He added that it was a complex policy area and that responsibility for mining leases lies with individual state governments. \"In my view to be honest [it] is not going to change anytime soon because the extraction of those resources is too significant to the national economy,\" Mr Fitzgibbon replied. One report said that the CSG sector had seen growth in jobs, income and consumption in Queensland which is the centre of much of the industry in Australia.", "summary": "An emotional plea by the daughter of an anti-natural gas campaigner who took his own life has re-ignited a debate about the rights of farmers."}
{"article": "That was a sequence resulting in the end of manager Ron Atkinson's reign and ushered in the Sir Alex Ferguson era. The season ended with United in 11th place. They currently stand in ninth position, 13 points adrift of leaders and Premier League title favourites Chelsea, having won just three times in the league. Van Gaal admits it was \"stupid\" to ask observers to assess him after three months and there is no question the formidable coach who led the Netherlands to the World Cup semi-final will be given time to put his stamp on Old Trafford. So, after 10 games and a sixth defeat in the last seven Premier League derbies, here are 10 talking points from the early months under Van Gaal. There are few more self-assured characters in the world game than Van Gaal, his confidence and sheer force of personality a formidable ally to his undoubted coaching prowess. If his predecessor David Moyes often seemed worn down and surprised by the sheer scale of Manchester United, Van Gaal believes this is his natural environment. Despite a stuttering start, Van Gaal is convinced United are \"close - but not close enough\" to Chelsea and Manchester City after a 1-1 draw with Jose Mourinho's side and a narrow defeat at the reigning champions. Van Gaal is a charismatic figure, brutally honest and open in his assessments. Media playback is not supported on this device The Dutchman praised his side's \"incredible willpower\" for mounting a late threat with 10 men after Chris Smalling's red card - but also had no hesitation in condemning the defender's sending off as \"stupid\" and \"not so smart\". He is outwardly, and no doubt inwardly, as confident as ever in his approach and his conviction that he will get it right. An uncertain start has done nothing to dent that iron-clad self-belief. Van Gaal's attempt to restructure United's squad after last season's failures under Moyes came in the shape of a \u00a3150m investment as phase one of his rebuilding programme. No-one can deny, however, that he has been badly hampered by injuries to those he hopes would form the bedrock of his new United team. The sight of \u00a316m defender Marcos Rojo being taken off on a stretcher will have been another body blow to Van Gaal. He was already without \u00a328m midfielder Ander Herrera after a rib injury, while left-back Luke Shaw missed the start of the season and striker Radamel Falcao was missing at Etihad Stadium. Add to this injuries to Phil Jones and Jonny Evans, while Michael Carrick has only just returned, and it is only right that Van Gaal's start must be judged in this context. United's squad has done nothing to dispel the feeling that it is heavily front loaded - packed with attacking intent but short on the nuts and bolts of defence that can lock games down. The comparison about putting the roof on a house before the foundations were secure has been made. Angel Di Maria and Falcao were talents that embroidered the likes of Wayne Rooney and", "summary": "Manchester United's 1-0 derby defeat by Manchester City left new manager Louis van Gaal presiding over the club's worst start to a season since 1986-87."}
{"article": "Play began 80 minutes late after rain with the tourists 66 runs behind and they lost Kraigg Brathwaite (8) to Charlie Hartley's fourth ball. Kieran Powell (23) and Shai Hope (30) both spent time in the middle while Shimron Hetmyer made an unbeaten 43. However, lightning and bad light forced the players off at 17:00 BST. The West Indies face Derbyshire on Friday in their final warm-up match before they begin their three-Test series against England at Edgbaston on 17 August.", "summary": "The West Indies drew their tour match with Kent as weather impacted on their hopes of more batting practice on the final day in Canterbury."}
{"article": "In a series of tests, researcher Ann Smet, of the University of St Andrews, offered the animals a choice between two identical buckets, then pointed at the one containing a hidden treat. From the first trial, the elephants chose the correct bucket. The results are published in the journal Current Biology. The scientists worked with captive elephants at a lodge in Zimbabwe. Prof Richard Byrne, a co-author on the research, said the elephants had been rescued from culling operations and trained for riding. \"They specifically train the elephants to respond to vocal cues. They don't use any gestures at all,\" said Prof Byrne. \"The idea is that the handler can walk behind the elephant and just tell it what to do with words.\" Mud bath: Why elephants enjoy a good wallow Despite this, the animals seemed to grasp the meaning of pointing from the outset. This makes them the only non-human animals to understand the gesture without being trained to do so. In previous studies, Prof Byrne said, our closest primate cousins, the chimpanzees, proved to be \"hopeless\" at at similar task. Ms Smet added that she had been impressed by the animals' apparently innate understanding of the gesture. \"Of course we had hoped that the elephants would be able to learn to follow human pointing, or we wouldn't have done the experiment in the first place,\" she said. \"But it was really surprising that they didn't seem to have to learn anything. \"It seems that understanding pointing is an ability elephants just possess naturally and they are cognitively much more like us than has been realised.\" Source: BBC Nature Watch how elephants use mud as a sunblock Prof Byrne said studying elephants helped build a map of part of the evolutionary tree that is very distant from humans. \"They're so unrelated to us,\" he told BBC News. \"So if we find human-like abilities in an animal like an elephant, that hasn't shared a common ancestor with people for more than 100 million years , we can be pretty sure that it's evolved completely separately, by what's called convergent evolution.\" The researchers said their findings might explain how elephants have successfully been tamed and have \"historically had a close bond with humans, in spite of being potentially dangerous and unmanageable due to their great size\". But the scientists added the results could be a hint that the animals gesture to one another in the wild with their \"highly controllable trunks\". Ms Smet told BBC News: \"The next step [in our research] is to test whether when an elephant extends its trunk upwards and outwards - as they regularly do, such as when detecting a predator, this functions as a point.\"", "summary": "African elephants have demonstrated what appears to be an instinctive understanding of human gestures, according to UK scientists."}
{"article": "The riverboat had left the city of Iquitos on Wednesday with around 30 tourists on board to see towns along the river, local media reported. When the boat anchored in the middle of the river for one stop, the gunmen boarded it and stole goods worth around $20,000 (\u00c2\u00a315,000). None of the tourists, most of them American, were hurt. The robbery happened early in the morning. The gunmen arrived on a small boat and boarded the riverboat, threatening the crew and tourists with small calibre weapons. The boat's captain was hit with a pistol handle but was not seriously injured. None of the rest of the crew were hurt. The police arrived soon after the incident and all the tourists were evacuated to a safe location.", "summary": "Eight masked gunmen in Peru have robbed tourists enjoying a luxury riverboat cruise on the Amazon."}
{"article": "Bob McAllister narrowly escaped death himself by collapsing to the ground and 'playing dead' after a bullet grazed his forehead. Bob and his friend Hector McMillan were missionaries working in Congo during the chaos that followed the country's independence from Belgium in 1960. In July 1964, Bob, Hector, their wives and children and other missionaries were taken hostage and held for four months in the city of Stanleyville (now known as Kisangi). On 24 November 1964, the defeated rebel leadership ordered its troops to flee and kill as many white people as they could. \"Hector and I were taken outside,\" says Bob. \"As we were walking out, they suddenly opened fire on Hector and he was killed by four bullets in the back. \"Then they turned their guns on me and opened fire in all directions. \"One bullet grazed me on the forehead and I threw myself down and played dead and they passed me by. \"Hector's children witnessed his murder.\" Bob, his family and the rest of the hostages were eventually rescued, but they had to leave Hector's body behind. Bob's daughter Ruth remembers the terrifying journey to freedom. \"I remember being in the jeep and a Cuban man had me perched on one knee and a machine gun on the other,\" she says. \"He was shooting all over the road and I remember feeling the hot shells falling on my body.\" \"They sped us to the airport as fast as possible,\" adds Bob. \"The plane was laden with stretchers. It was just taking off when a rebel shot at us puncturing a fuel tank and the pilot just about got us to safety.\" The McAllisters spent three decades living and working in Congo. Hector McMillan was not the only friend the family lost during that time. His late wife Alma's best friend Ruby Gray from Dromara was murdered along with five other missionaries, close to the town of Banalia. Says Bob's youngest son David: \"The killing of the six missionaries was very savage. \"They weren't carried out by gun, these were machete and spear killings. None of us can understand why. \"Some of the missionaries' bodies were thrown in the river and eaten by crocodiles. \"Local people say that when they threw Ruby into the river after she had been speared, she wasn't dead. And as she was sinking, she raised her hands and her last words were 'Glory to God'\". In 2014, Bob, now 90, returned to Congo with his eldest son Billy and daughter Ruth to visit Hector's grave and attend a memorial service in Banalia to honour the six missionaries, including Ruby, who were murdered by Simba rebels. The Simbas had emerged out of the chaos that followed Congo's independence. The movement's leaders aspired to a communist state, but most of their followers were illiterate tribesmen steeped in black magic and witchcraft who were simply looking for the better life they had been promised after independence. The McAllister's trip is documented in BBC One Northern Ireland programme, A Deadly Mission: Belfast to Congo, which will be broadcast", "summary": "A Belfast man has recalled how his best friend was shot dead in front of him by a firing squad of Congolese rebels in 1964."}
{"article": "Norris was convicted of murdering four elderly women and attempting to kill a fifth, by poisoning them with insulin. The 37-year-old, of Glasgow, has protested his innocence since his conviction in 2008. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has now been sent evidence of the possibility of hypoglycaemia in older non-diabetic patients. Two years after BBC Scotland first exposed weaknesses in the prosecution, the new scientific evidence casts further doubt on the conviction. Norris had been accused of going on a murderous rampage at the Leeds hospitals in which he worked, because he disliked old people. Despite no direct evidence linking him to any of the patients, he was on shift when they all had similar hypoglycaemic episodes - when the blood sugar drops to dangerously low levels. Four women, Bridget Bourke, Irene Crooks, Ethel Hall and Doris Ludlam, died - while a fifth, Vera Wilby, recovered from the hypoglycaemic episode, and died later from unconnected causes. None was diabetic. The prosecution argued that spontaneously-occurring hypoglycaemia was so rare that a cluster of five cases must mean foul play. The jury accepted this, and Norris was sentenced to life with a minimum 30-year tariff. But BBC Scotland investigated his case and in 2011 produced a programme which cast serious doubt on the conviction. Professor Vincent Marks, a world-renowned insulin poisoning expert, told me at the time that hypoglycaemia in non-diabetics was much more common than first thought. We also uncovered evidence of other similar cases of hypoglycaemia which occurred in the hospital where Norris worked but while he was off duty. The programme's evidence suggested there could have been natural reasons for the deaths. Norris's lawyer believes the cases used against Norris were \"cherry-picked' by police. The evidence was submitted to the CCRC. Now, a new book - The Case of Colin Norris - has uncovered further evidence. It has been co-written by the producer on the programme Louise Shorter and veteran miscarriage campaigner Paul May, and published by miscarriage group Inside Justice. The new evidence comes from the geriatric medicine department at Rotherham General Hospital and the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire postgraduate medical school, which has published a review that concludes \"hypoglycaemia is not uncommon in hospitalised non-diabetic older people\" with other serious conditions. June Morrison, Norris's mother, has campaigned tirelessly on behalf of her son, and now hopes the fresh evidence will result in the case being sent to the appeal court. She told me: \"People say I brought up a monster. But if I had the least bit of doubt about his innocence I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing. \"I do believe the system will eventually prove there has been a victim of a miscarriage of justice. I do believe that will happen. I've got to believe that.\" Paul May, who has worked on some of the biggest miscarriages-of-justice cases in recent times, said: \"I chaired the London-based campaign for the Birmingham Six. At the time of their arrest, police said to them 'it's not us, it's the scientists' who stated that some of the Six handled explosives. \"Three", "summary": "Fresh evidence has emerged which challenges the conviction of so-called \"Angel of Death\" nurse Colin Norris."}
{"article": "The government - not your party - has the machine, the power, to set the agenda. Resources are scarce, expertise often dependent on goodwill. Even if, like Jeremy Corbyn you have just achieved a thumping victory, controlling events is impossible and pulling together a party where hardly any of your colleagues agree with you makes that job harder still. Yes, the scale of his success means he is safe from challengers for now. But having turned down any major public appearances or chances to tell the public more of his plans today, he has spent the afternoon holed up in the Palace of Westminster. His ambition to unite the party is characterised by his first objective, putting together a shadow cabinet that is not just packed with left wingers. But although Corbyn has been discussing the team with one of his disappointed rivals, Andy Burnham, and other senior figures like former cabinet minister Lord Falconer, there are already signs of trouble. There is anxiety over his potential appointment of his close friend and campaign manager, John McDonnell. One senior MP told me that would be a \"declaration of war\". Others are pressing for the job to go to a woman, most likely Angela Eagle. Although many former shadow ministers have already walked away, standby for the emergence of the Make it Work Brigade - those in the middle of the party who will take a job in Corbyn's team to stand their ground. For Labour MPs this has been a mind-bending 24 hours - it will take a long time to acclimatise to having someone they consider to be on the fringes, in charge. But after yesterday, together with his massed ranks of supporters, in charge he most certainly is.", "summary": "There is a long list of very good reasons why being leader of the opposition is known as the hardest job in British politics."}
{"article": "The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) described the actress as a \"class act\" after her speech at the ceremony on Sunday night. Streep criticised President-elect Donald Trump and said: \"We need the principled press to hold power to account.\" Lorenzo Soria, the president of the HFPA, has now endorsed Streep. \"As an organisation of journalists, the HFPA stands by your defence of free expression and we reject any calls for censorship,\" he wrote on Twitter, addressing the actress. \"We thank you for your unwavering support for the arts.\" Streep has also been contacted by several fellow actors who offered their support of what she had said. One was Robert De Niro, who told the actress in a letter: \"What you said was great. It needed to be said, and you said it beautifully. \"I have so much respect for you that you did it while the world was celebrating your achievements. I share your sentiments about punks and bullies. Enough is enough.\" He added: \"You, with your elegance and intelligence, have a powerful voice - one that inspires others to speak up as they should so their voices will be heard too. It is so important that we ALL speak up.\" It is not the first time De Niro has made his dislike of Mr Trump clear - prior to his election the actor released a video in which he described the president-elect as an \"idiot\" and a \"fool\". Viola Davis, who introduced Streep at the Golden Globes, said after the ceremony: \"She's earned the right to say that, and I think all of us felt a sigh of relief. \"Sometimes you need the first person to dive in there and have the courage and the bravery to give a mouthpiece to what we were all feeling.\" At the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, Streep received the Cecil B DeMille Award for outstanding contribution to entertainment. In her acceptance speech, Streep made reference to Mr Trump's imitation of a disabled reporter during the US presidential campaign trail last year. She also spoke of the need for the principled press to hold Mr Trump to account over the next four years. Mr Trump responded by tweeting: \"Meryl Streep, one of the most overrated actresses in Hollywood, doesn't know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes. She is a Hillary flunky who lost big.\" Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "The organisation behind the Golden Globe Awards has praised Meryl Streep for her championing of the press."}
{"article": "9 June 2014 Last updated at 06:55 BST Is the NHS better since devolution and has the Welsh government delivered on its promises? Firstly Dr Alan Rees, of the Royal College of Physicians, said there has been huge improvements over recent decades but the health service has been a victim of its own success. Plaid Cymru health spokesperson Elin Jones AM argues that the NHS and health boards have failed to manage their finances. Dr Tony Calland, of the British Medical Association, said the Welsh government had done its best but had underestimated the problems.", "summary": "It is 15 years since the National Assembly started in Wales and BBC Wales is looking at what devolution has meant for the NHS in Wales."}
{"article": "But the movie, directed by Australian Justin Kurzel and which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this weekend, has a new interpretation of Shakespeare's tragic hero and why he sets out on his doomed path to power. \"He's suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder,\" claims Michael Fassbender. \"I'm aware that it's a completely modern interpretation of his actions and it's only now we know what the condition is, we were just as puzzled by soldiers returning from World War One with PTSD, society didn't know what to do with them. \"I had never thought of Macbeth in that way, but Justin nudged me and said, 'it's obvious, isn't it' and it fell into place. It's actually in the text, in the banquet scene, where he sees the ghost of Banquo, Lady Macbeth has to step in and say, 'he's known to have these bouts and fits.' \"To me it all makes sense - you can't be away at war, all the time, killing people, you don't see your wife, it's in the text that they've lost at least one child, and it was the key to Macbeth for me - I understood his hallucinations, the erratic behaviour, the fits of madness. Strange how Shakespeare understood post-traumatic stress too. \"And to counter-balance it, I see Lady Macbeth not as the ambitious and power-hungry villainess of history, but someone who is desperately trying to reconnect with her husband and thinks that perhaps if they carry out this enormous act of murder together, it will reconnect them. I find it a more interesting theory than the power-crazy woman. It's less about power and more about filling a void.\" Macbeth has been adapted several times for TV and film, including by Orson Welles in 1948, when Welles starred in the title role, and most famously, by Roman Polanski in 1971, months after the murder of his wife, Sharon Tate, at the hands of Charles Manson's gang. This may have set the seal on the traditional superstition among actors that mentioning the name Macbeth is unlucky; Fassbender refers to it by \"that name\" and says that \"strange things\" happened among the crew during shooting. \"It very quickly became 'the Scottish play' for us, \" he says. \"But the worst luck we had was the weather. That was terrible.\" Justin Kurzel, who made his directing debut in 2011 with independent hit The Snowtown murders, adds that there was \"a supernatural element to filming in Skye in January, it seemed to be a place where spirits walk\". \"We just wanted a very traditional Macbeth - one that would fit in 11th Century Scotland, not a modern re-imagining of it, set in New York or London, so that's where we went - and it poured down nearly every day of the shoot. I'm amazed the crew didn't desert us, having to carry equipment up and down the mountains every day, and these poor extras just standing in the rain in their wool costumes. \"However unlucky it might be though, we're all reuniting - myself, Marion and Michael - for the film", "summary": "\"The Scottish play\" - as William Shakespeare's Macbeth is known among actors - has become \"the Scottish film\" starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard as the infamous couple who murder their way to the throne of Scotland."}
{"article": "More than 1,500 firefighters tackled blazes which had sprung up in scrubland north of the city, injuring three people. Homes were destroyed in the nearby town of Vitrolles and hundreds of residents were evacuated. Fires have also been raging in mainland Portugal and on the island of Madeira. Three people were killed on the holiday island and more than 1,000 were forced from their homes. The French fires took hold on Wednesday afternoon and spread over more than 3,300 hectares (8,150 acres) of scrubland and wooded areas. According to AFP news agency, three residents and four firefighters were injured, some seriously, in fires across the region. The firefighters were hurt battling a blaze further west in Herault, when their vehicle was surrounded by flames. Vitrolles, about 25km (15 miles) north of Marseille, was the town worst affected. \"Everything burned, the house, the car... there is nothing left,\" a resident of Vitrolles told BFM-TV. Other towns affected included Pennes-Mirabeau, Saint-Victoret, Fos-sur-Mer and Rognac, where the main fire started. Palls of thick smoke which rose from Vitrolles and Pennes-Mirabeau were drifting over Marseille on Wednesday. Marseille airport, which redirected incoming flights to make way for firefighting aircraft, said the situation was gradually getting back to normal by midday on Thursday. But it warned that some roads to the airport remained closed and advised travellers to use trains. Marseille's Deputy Mayor, Julien Ruas, said firebreaks had been created to protect northern neighbourhoods. Fires are frequent in summer in south-eastern France but it is rare for them to threaten urban areas. On Madeira, the flames encroached on the capital Funchal and are blamed for the deaths of three elderly people whose homes caught light. A fourth death was reported on the Portuguese mainland as wildfires raged in central regions.", "summary": "Firefighters have contained wildfires in southern France which threatened the city of Marseille but remain on alert as more windy conditions are expected."}
{"article": "That is the view of a range of very senior business people and marketing gurus to whom I have spoken. One said: \"This is a nightmare for them - the reputational damage is huge\". So why aren't these huge and powerful global companies doing what the UK culture secretary John Whittingdale has asked, and following the lead of Visa - which said it would review its sponsorship deal if Fifa does not clean up its act? Well, part of the answer is implicit even in the less mild sabre-rattling of Visa. Because it is striking that even Visa only said it might review its commercial relationship with Fifa, not that it was doing so. The point, according to well-placed executives, is that Coca Cola, Hyundai, Budweiser, McDonald's, Gazprom and Visa (among others) have signed legally binding contracts. So they may not be able to get out of the contracts without paying spectacular damages - given that they are each believed to be paying Fifa up to $200m (\u00c2\u00a3130m) over four years for the marketing opportunities associated with the World Cup. \"They are all asking their lawyers to examine whether they have 'moral' clauses in their contracts, which would allow them to get out because of Fifa's behaviour,\" said a businessman with links to the sponsors. There is another point, though - put to me by a member of one of the sponsor's boards - which is that the World Cup is \"the best sponsorship opportunity on the planet\". How so? Well, association football is arguably the world's most global sport - though the Olympics and Formula One also have serious worldwide reach. And the World Cup allows the sponsors to get their names in front of hundreds of millions of consumers, both in the rich West and in the faster-growing economies of Asia and South America. What I am told makes World Cup sponsorship particularly special is that Fifa is far less prescriptive about how the sponsoring companies promote their brands and conduct their marketing than the Olympic Organising Committee. \"Fifa is the least anal and controlling of its sponsors,\" said a marketing executive. \"And that is highly prized.\" Or to put it another way, although all the sponsors want to be seen to be doing the \"right thing\" by putting pressure on Fifa to reform, they are fearful that if they completely incinerate their relationships with the World Cup, they may simply be providing a precious and rare marketing opportunity to their bitterest rivals.", "summary": "The Fifa scandal is an \"absolute disaster\" for the multinationals who sponsor it - because they cannot escape taint from the perceived lapses of football's supreme governing body."}
{"article": "The visitors were already underdogs for the match at Des Moines Golf and Country Club, which starts on Friday, before the loss of Suzann Pettersen, through injury. The Norwegian is a talismanic figure for Europe, having played in the eight previous competitions, winning 57% of her matches, but her influence will now be restricted to a vice captain's role. A back problem aggravated by some light jogging last weekend has effectively prompted a job swap with 47-year-old Scot Catriona Matthew, who had been preparing for a week as Sorenstam's assistant. \"It's been a lot of juggling, to put it mildly,\" the European captain admitted. \"I had a plan, I called it Plan A. And then we started a Plan B.\" Sorenstam also has fitness worries over her highest ranked player, world number 13 Anna Nordqvist. The tall Swede has been suffering glandular fever and is still prone to periods of exhaustion on the course. The skipper says she hopes there will be no need for a \"Plan C\" but Nordqvist admitted she found it hard work in her last tournament outing at the Ricoh Women's British Open at Kingsbarns. \"It was definitely a bit of a struggle getting through 18 holes in the weather,\" she said. \"But since then I've had a lot of rest and the last two weeks have been a lot better but I haven't been able to do as much practice as I usually do.\" Nordqvist has been playing practice rounds punctuated by heavy thunder storms here in Des Moines. \"Walking up a few hills I have to take a few extra breaths because I was a little more tired than normal,\" she added. Pettersen was at the heart of the bad blood between the two sides in Germany two years ago, failing to concede a short putt picked up by American opponent Alison Lee, in an incident dubbed 'Gimmegate'. There seems a better spirit between the teams in the build up to this match, with the US skipper Juli Inkster allowing Matthew to practice ahead of Pettersen's withdrawal on Wednesday. \"It was nice of Juli,\" Matthew told BBC Sport. \"Normally the reserve or a vice captain wouldn't be able to play the golf course. So it was nice to get out there and play.\" This is Inkster's second match as US captain after using 'Gimmegate' to inspire the American comeback from 10-6 down in the last contest. Now Europe are seeking their own lift and avenging the loss of that dominant position is being used as a source of inspiration. \"I would say it motivates us quite a lot,\" said Kettering's Charley Hull, who at the age of 21 is already playing her third Solheim Cup, having won six of the eight matches she has played. \"We've got good memories from being back in America from four years ago,\" Hull added. On that occasion Europe thrashed the home team by a record 18-10 at Colorado Golf Club. Europe will have four rookies on duty including Englishwomen Georgia Hall and Florentyna Parker as well as captain's picks Emily", "summary": "Europe captain Annika Sorenstam admits her team will be employing \"plan B\" as they seek to regain the Solheim Cup from the United States in Iowa this week."}
{"article": "President Salva Kiir's spokesman told the BBC Mr Machar \"has no space here\", and should not return to the country before elections in 2018. Mr Machar, who had become vice president as part of a peace deal, fled the country following heavy fighting in the capital Juba in July. But on Monday he vowed to return. Speaking to the BBC from South Africa, Mr Machar said his rebel faction could still negotiate a peace deal with President Kiir. In July, Mr Machar's bodyguards and President Salva Kiir's presidential guards fought each other, sparking days of violence. Hundreds of people died and more than 100,000 fled across the border. The fighting erupted less than a year after a peace deal was signed to form a unity government and end the civil war. Riek Machar profiled On Tuesday, President Kiir's spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told the BBC that Mr Machar \"will look for his space as a citizen of South Sudan, but not as a political leader\". Referring to the elections planned for 2018, Mr Wek said: \"I don't think that he (Riek Machar) can even think to come (back) before that.\" \"It is better that Riek Machar stays away from South Sudan political scenes,\" the spokesman added. Both President Kiir's and Riek Machar's followers have been accused of perpetrating atrocities during the country's bitter civil conflict. More than 2.5 million people in South Sudan have been displaced since December 2013. More on South Sudan's crisis:", "summary": "South Sudan's sacked Vice-President Riek Machar no longer has a role to play as a political leader in the country, the presidency says."}
{"article": "Australian half-back Miller, 23, arrived from Hull FC in 2014 and his previous deal was due to expire at the end of the current season. Tonga prop Fifita, 27, joined from NRL side Cronulla Sharks in June 2016 and his new contract includes an option for an additional year. \"Fifita has become an important member of the squad,\" said boss Chris Chester. \"He has so much passion for the club both on and off the field which is great to see. \"Jacob is still a young player with exceptional talent - I am looking forward to working with him for another two years and see him improve even more.\"", "summary": "Wakefield Trinity duo Jacob Miller and David Fifita have both signed new two-year contracts."}
{"article": "The businessman, from Essex, denied ill-treating his wife, who is in her late 70s, during a High Court hearing. The court's Family Division heard the woman was frightened of her husband and had taken legal action against him. Judge Catriona Murfitt concluded the woman was likely to suffer \"significant harm\" if he stayed in the house. The details of the case emerged after the man was ordered to vacate the property but went on to appeal the decision, saying the ruling was \"unfair\". Mr Justice Baker dismissed the challenge, telling him he had \"no prospect\" of overturning Judge Murfitt's ruling. He said the couple, who have two adult sons, could not be identified. In his ruling, Mr Justice Baker said the woman claimed \"that for the duration of the marriage, she had been the emotional punch bag for his insecurities and frustrations\". She also said he had been physically abusive towards her on occasion, and that he was an \"extremely difficult\" man who had been unfaithful and \"disinhibited in his behaviour\". Judge Murfitt had made an order requiring the businessman to \"vacate the property altogether\", Mr Justice Baker said. \"She held that the wife was likely to suffer significant harm if the order was not made and that the harm that she would suffer was greater than any harm which the husband was likely to suffer,\" he said.", "summary": "A 67-year-old millionaire has been ordered by a judge to leave his home after his wife said she had been used as \"an emotional punch bag\"."}
{"article": "The Saudis say they do not know who fired the mortars, or from where. A small Shia militant group in Iraq, known as the Mukhtar Army, has claimed it carried out the attack, although this cannot be confirmed. The group said it was a warning to Saudi Arabia to stay out of Iraq's affairs. The militia's commander, Wathiq al-Batat, told Reuters that the goal of the attack \"was to send a warning message to Saudis to tell them that their border stations and patrol are within our range of fire\". The mortars fell in an uninhabited area near Hafr al-Batin in the kingdom's Eastern Province. The mortar fire comes two days after suicide bombers killed more than 20 people outside the Iranian embassy in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. On Thursday Saudi Arabia advised its citizens to leave Lebanon following those bombs. The continuing civil war in Syria is fuelling increased tensions between nations in the region. Saudi Arabia, which is largely Sunni, backs the rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, whereas Shia Iran and Shia militias in Iraq and Lebanon back the president.", "summary": "Saudi Arabia and Iraq are investigating an incident in which six mortar bombs landed in a remote area of Saudi Arabia near the border with Iraq and Kuwait."}
{"article": "Roedd Megan Davies o Bwllheli yn blogio'n aml gan rannu ei phrofiadau o frwydro'r canser gyda chynulleidfa iau. Wedi iddi gael gwybod ychydig fisoedd wedyn ei bod hi'n glir o ganser, eleni mae stori Megan am gael ei droi'n ddrama lwyfan. Bydd cwmni theatr y Fr\u00e2n Wen yn teithio 'Mwgsi', sydd wedi ei sgwennu gan yr awdur a dramodydd Manon Steffan Ros, yn ystod yr hydref eleni. Mirain Fflur sy'n chwarae'r brif ran, gyda Catrin Mara a Ceri Elen hefyd yn perfformio'r ddrama. Wrth siarad gyda Cymru Fyw ym mis Rhagfyr 2015, fe soniodd Megan am sgil-effeithiau'r cemotherapi gan gynnwys colli ei gwallt, a chael gwybod bod yn rhaid iddi gael triniaeth IVF er mwyn rhoi cyfle iddi gael plant yn y dyfodol. Mae'r cyfarwyddwr Iola Ynyr yn addo \"drama creulon o onest ond llawn hiwmor tywyll\", ac mae Megan a'i ffrind, Gwenllian, wedi chwarae rhan ganolog yn siapio'r ddrama. \"Mae wedi bod yn lot o hwyl bod yn rhan o ddod a bob dim at ei gilydd,\" meddai Megan, sydd bellach yn astudio Nyrsio ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd, wrth drafod y ddrama. \"Dwi 'di bod yn darllen llyfrau Manon ers blynyddoedd, yn enwedig pan roeddwn yn astudio ar gyfer fy Lefel A, felly roedd o'n brofiad gwych gallu datblygu'r stori hefo hi. \"Dwi'n teimlo'n falch fy mod yn cael y cyfle i rannu fy stori mewn ffordd fwy eang, er mwyn codi ymwybyddiaeth o ganser ymysg yr ifanc,\" meddai'r ferch 20 oed. \"Mae Manon wedi defnyddio fy stori i fel ysbrydoliaeth, a da' ni wedi ceisio gwneud y ddrama mor abstract \u00e2 phosib, gan ddefnyddio fy mlog fel sylfaen. \"Dwi'n gobeithio gwneith y ddrama ysbrydoli pobl eraill i siarad - siarad am ganser, salwch ac iechyd meddwl. Dyda ni ddim yn siarad digon.\" Am fwy o wybodaeth am y ddrama 'Mwgsi', ewch i wefan Cwmni'r Fr\u00e2n Wen.", "summary": "Bron i ddwy flynedd yn \u00f4l, bu Cymru Fyw yn siarad ag un ferch ddewr o Ben Ll\u0177n wedi iddi gael gwybod fod ganddi Hodgkin Lymphoma."}
{"article": "The company has introduced an option to allow you to flag a story as \"purposefully fake or deceitful news\". This should affect the distribution of that story, making it less likely to appear in your feed - but it won't be taken off Facebook altogether. Hoaxes have tricked users in the past and with 1.35bn currently on Facebook, that's a lot of people to fool. \"A post with a link to an article that many people have reported as a hoax or chose to delete will get reduced distribution in the News Feed,\" Facebook explained. Examples of recent fake stories include dinosaur sightings and research claiming to prove the existence of Santa Claus. Earlier this month users again started posting privacy notices - that's a response to a hoax from two years ago. In the past, Facebook has been criticised for not doing enough to tackle illegitimate accounts; in 2012 the company admitted that more than 80m were likely to be fake. At the time, the company said that \"undesirable\" accounts included those using fake names which were \"intended to be used for purposes that violate our terms of service, such as spamming\". About a third of adults in the US now use Facebook to get news updates, according to a 2013 study by the Pew Research Center in collaboration with the John S and James L Knight Foundation. Fans of sites like The Onion should be reassured by Facebook's claim that \"satirical\" articles, \"intended to be humorous, or content that is clearly labelled as satire,\" will not be affected. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Hoaxes and fake stories in your News Feed should be a thing of the past, if Facebook's updated algorithm works."}
{"article": "Irish fell to a 15th defeat of the league season against Sale on Saturday to leave them four points adrift at the bottom with three games left. Back row Narraway dismissed concerns at the spirit of his squad heading into the Premiership run-in. \"It's the one thing I think we have in abundance, accuracy and being clinical are things we haven't,\" he said. \"That's why we find ourselves here (at the bottom),\" Narraway added. \"Not because of the spirit or the want or desire not being there. \"It's just that 5-10% in terms of accuracy that probably a little bit of confidence gives us,\" the 32-year-old former Gloucester, Perpignan and England player said. Irish face Harlequins in the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup at The Stoop on Saturday before their Premiership status will be determined in remaining games against Newcastle, Quins and Wasps. The fixture against fellow strugglers Newcastle at Kingston Park on 17 April has been described as \"a Grand Final\" by Narraway, who said: \"Newcastle is huge, they're one place above us, one win above us.\"", "summary": "London Irish captain Luke Narraway says improving their accuracy is the missing piece to their Premiership survival."}
{"article": "With temperatures at Indian Wells in excess of 105 degrees, Evans broke in the opening game but world number five Nishikori hit back immediately and captured the set in 42 minutes. Breaks were traded again at the start of the second before Nishikori sealed the match in an hour and 24 minutes. Kyle Edmund is also out, 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to defending champion Novak Djokovic. Following the surprise defeat of world number one Andy Murray at the hands of qualifier Vasek Pospisil the previous evening, Evans, 26, produced a spirited performance, but some pinpoint accuracy from Nishikori saw him break again in game eight of the first set. World number 41 Evans, who beat Dustin Brown in the previous round, continued to frequently match the quality of his Japanese opponent's groundstrokes but gradually faded as the assured Nishikori moved through to face Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in round three. Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.", "summary": "British number two Dan Evans was beaten 6-3 6-4 by Japan's Kei Nishikori in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open."}
{"article": "Two men escaped with a cash box after threatening G4S staff with weapons inside Santander, West Princes Street, Helensburgh, at 00:35 on Wednesday. Police believe a dark-coloured Hi-lux 4x4 vehicle was used in the getaway. They said a blue high-powered Audi estate and a Vauxhall Zafira may also have been used by the suspects. The men escaped with a five-figure sum of money. During a similar early-morning raid at the same branch on 6 April, two men escaped with another five-figure sum of cash. Police have said the robberies may be linked. The suspects in the latest incident have been described as being of medium height, medium build and were wearing overalls and masks. Det Insp Douglas Wilson, from Police Scotland, said: \"We continue to seek information on a dark-coloured Hi-lux 4x4 vehicle, which we understand was initially used in their getaway. \"We also continue to seek information on a blue high-powered Audi estate vehicle and also a Vauxhall Zafira vehicle which may have also been used by the suspects.\" Det Insp Wilson added: \"From the CCTV that was analysed, we observed passengers getting into the back of two silver private-hire taxi vehicles at around 0035 hours. \"It is possible that the taxis may have encountered the 4x4 vehicle making off from the scene at speed. If the drivers or the passengers of those vehicles have any information they believe may be useful to our inquiry - please get in contact.\"", "summary": "Three vehicles could have been used in a robbery involving two security guards carrying out cash transfers at a bank in Argyll, police have revealed."}
{"article": "Oman captain Sultan Ahmed had won the toss and opted to field before the rain set in. Oman now top Group A with three points, while the Netherlands are eliminated. If the rain also forces the abandonment of Ireland's game against Bangladesh on the same ground on Friday, the Irish will also be out of the competition.", "summary": "Netherlands' World Twenty20 Group A match against Oman was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of heavy rain in Dharamsala."}
{"article": "David Miller, 24, from Jersey, attended the University of Leeds and had been travelling with Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk. Their bodies were found on a beach on Koh Tao in September 2014. The university awarded Mr Miller a degree in civil and structural engineering. He had just completed the third year of his degree and was about to start the fourth year of the master of engineering course. His mother Sue Miller and girlfriend Jessy Howorth collected the degree on his behalf. The trial of two Burmese men - Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo - accused of murdering the pair continues. Both deny the charges.", "summary": "The family of a student murdered on a Thai island have collected their son's posthumous first class degree from the university where he studied."}
{"article": "The match against Lancashire, scheduled for 20 September, has been earmarked following a successful day/night trial in this week's Second XI home game with Worcestershire at Edgbaston. Day/night Championship cricket was first experimented with when Kent hosted Glamorgan in 2011. Just as then, the Lancashire game would have to have nothing riding on it. If either of the two Division One sides were still battling against relegation, or competing for serious prize money, then switching to day/night hours would not receive approval from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). If it does take place, it would the first time it has happened in English cricket's top flight, the Kent-Glamorgan game at Canterbury having been in Division Two. The future of day/night cricket, especially at Test level, remains on the long-term ECB agenda, especially given the success of the third Test between Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide in front of record-breaking crowds in November 2015. The first game to be played in England with a pink ball was at Lord's in April 2008, when the MCC beat Scotland in a 50-over game. Alan Fordham, head of cricket operations, was one of a host of ECB officials who attended Edgbaston over the course of the three days: \"For me, much of this is about the cricket ball. We want to try to get to a cricket ball that produces a game of cricket that is as similar as possible to when we are using a red ball in the longer form of the game. \"It's one step at a time really. I'm hoping that the modern cricketer will look at this and think this is something we're pleased to be a part of because it's about making the game as accessible as possible. \"Cricket has changed enormously in the last 15 to 20 years, and I see this as something that could certainly play a decent part in the future.\" Neil Snowball, Warwickshire chief executive, has a long-term vision to host a day/night Test at Edgbaston: \"First of all we wanted to see how the ball behaves under the lights here, and also how visible it is, particularly later on when we get into the proper darkness. We also wanted to see how it works with the dew. \"We've been working closely with the ECB and the MCC who have been pioneers with the pink ball. We like being involved in innovation here at Edgbaston. We had the first county day/night game here in 1997. Who knows, it might happen.\" William Porterfield captained Warwickshire in the three-day Second XI Championship draw against Worcestershire: \"There's been a bit of talk about visibility but it was all fine. It swung a little bit, but it hasn't behaved too dissimilarly to what a regulation Dukes ball does. \"A day/night Test at Edgbaston? I don't see why not. You might need to bring a coat for the last session. But apart from that, I think it's going to be pretty good. Whatever's going to draw the crowds in. If it's going to mean getting more exciting", "summary": "Warwickshire are hoping to make this season's final County Championship home fixture a day/night match."}
{"article": "Avon and Somerset Police were called to the junction of Creswicke Road and Airport Road in Knowle West at about 21:05 GMT on Tuesday after reports a man had been run over. Officers said the crash involved a car and a pedestrian, aged in his 20s, who died from his injuries. A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and is police custody. The road has reopened but a nearby petrol station on Hengrove Way remains sealed off while investigations continue. A spokesman said: \"A full investigation has been launched and one of our priorities is to ensure the victim's next of kin are given all the support they need.\"", "summary": "A pedestrian has been run over and killed in Bristol."}
{"article": "The man, named as 24-year-old John Santos Gurgao from Brazil, swallowed 0.8kg (1.8lb) of the drug, the Irish Times reported. It is believed that one or more of the packages burst during the flight. A Portuguese woman in her 40s, also on the flight from Lisbon, was arrested on suspicion of drugs offences. It is not clear if her arrest is linked to the man's death. Toxicology tests have been carried out on the consignment found in the man's stomach, which reportedly had a street value of around \u00c2\u00a340,000 ($61,900). Passengers said the man became agitated and then violent and had to be restrained. A doctor and a nurse treated the man aboard the plane after he lost consciousness. The captain declared a medical emergency and diverted the plane to Cork airport, landing early evening local time. About 170 passengers and crew members were taken from the aircraft and were interviewed by police about the incident.", "summary": "A man who died after being restrained on an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin had reportedly ingested a number of small packages of cocaine."}
{"article": "The Horizons project has already helped two dozen acts since 2014 - with radio airplay and UK festival appearances. \"Supporting new music is at the heart of what the BBC does across the whole of the UK, and internationally,\" said BBC Music's Jason Carter. Bands and solo artists have until 12 February to apply. \"We're proud to support Horizons for a further year and see another 12 artists have a creative and potentially career changing 2016,\" said the Arts Council's Lisa Matthews. \"There's been some incredible opportunities created so far and we're looking forward with excitement to more incredible music experiences.\" Solo artist Violet Skies said the 2015 project had meant a \"mad year\" for her. She said: \"I've been lucky enough to tick off a lot of things from my musical bucket list - The Great Escape, Festival No.6, S\u00c5\u00b5n, Maida Vale and now, I'm looking forward to Eurosonic and SXSW festival in 2016. \"It's been a lovely little Welsh family of talented musicians and a really good support team - it's nice to turn up at festivals or a show knowing you have people there to help you.\"", "summary": "A scheme to help new Welsh bands get wider exposure is set to return for a third year, backed by BBC Wales and the Arts Council of Wales."}
{"article": "The British Channel Islands-registered company has acquired more than 60 launchers to help put up its proposed satellite broadband network. OneWeb envisages placing 648 spacecraft in orbit to take affordable internet connectivity to every part of the globe. The firm used a London press conference to detail its plans. This included introducing all of the key partners in the endeavour. Along with European aerospace giant Airbus, which was announced last week as the satellite manufacturer, OneWeb presented Bharti Enterprises, Coca Cola, Group Salinas, Hughes Network Systems, and Intelsat. Chip-designer Qualcomm and the Virgin Group already had seats on the board. \"We have put together an incredible team and we have an ability to execute on our model,\" said OneWeb CEO Greg Wyler. \"We have funding, we have spectrum, chip technology, satellite manufacturing, launchers, and then markets - the broad pieces of the puzzle to build a system of this size.\" Virgin's Sir Richard Branson said that he would be making available at least 39 of his LauncherOne rockets to assist with the deployment of the satellite constellation. This vehicle, which is based on Virgin Galactic's space tourism system, has not actually had its debut flight yet, and when it does enter service will probably only launch between one and three satellites at a time. That makes the involvement of the long-established Arianespace all the more important. It is the commercial operator of the Soyuz launcher. OneWeb says it has a firm acquisition order for 21 of these Russian-made rockets. The vehicles would orbit the satellites in large batches of about 36. At some point, Arianespace may even make available its Ariane rocket. In publicity material released on Thursday, an artist's impression depicted the forthcoming Ariane 6 rocket painted in the OneWeb livery. \"The special characteristic we'll bring is in the replenishment role,\" said Virgin Galactic's CEO, George Whitesides. \"And if there is a problem with a particular satellite, we can help fix that. I think it's a very smart strategy, and what I think people should get is that it is a very complementary strategy between the different launch vehicles.\" It is difficult to overstate the challenge of the OneWeb proposition. Its constellation would be 10 times the size of the largest commercial satcom network currently in the sky. To make the project financially manageable, it will need not only some sizeable loans but also considerable direct investment from its partners, and part of Thursday's event was to announce that OneWeb had raised $500m of funding from those supporting companies. One aspect of key interest is the price of each individual 150-kilo satellite. The aim is to get the unit cost to half a million dollars or less - something unheard of in the industry. \"Yes, the cost per satellite will be about half a million, which is really tremendous for company that normally makes satellites for a hundred million and upwards,\" said Airbus CEO Tom Enders. \"We do it by being ingenious and creative.\" OneWeb expects to place the spacecraft in 20 orbital planes at an altitude of about 1,200km. They", "summary": "The biggest commercial rocket campaign in history has been announced by OneWeb."}
{"article": "He told the BBC he was hopeful the party could get \"over the line in a number of seats\". But he would not be drawn on how many seats, or in which constituencies. The party is standing in about half the number of seats contested in 2015. Its only MP in the last parliament, Douglas Carswell, defected in March. Mr Nuttall said UKIP was campaigning strongly in seats where it has local councillors. And he rejected suggestions the party was in decline, predicting that by the end of 2018, UKIP would be \"bigger in terms of membership and higher in the polls than it's ever been before\". Asked about suggestions support for UKIP could cost the Conservatives seats, he told BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine he had struck deals with Brexit-supporting MPs from both the Tories and Labour, to help them retain their seats: \"In some places we have stood down in favour of a Labour MP,\" he said. \"People like Kate Hoey, for example, I don't want to see Kate Hoey not in the House of Commons because she's been a true Brexiteer all her life. \"What we need is for the prime minister to go into these negotiations strong, confident in our country and not prepared to backslide.\" He also spoke about the Manchester attack and said that while the prime minister was not to blame for last week's bombing, Theresa May was responsible for cutting police numbers Local police officers who are known in a neighbourhood were more likely to have the trust of the locals who would pass information to them, he said. He also talked about banning Muslim women from wearing a full face veil. He said he was \"serious\" about banning the veil in the UK and claimed that other countries in Europe were also going the same way. He said such a ban was needed for greater integration, so that people could be identified on CCTV and also because of vitamin D deficiency.", "summary": "UKIP will win seats at the general election, even though they had no MPs at the end of the last parliament, its leader Paul Nuttall has predicted."}
{"article": "Fox was unseated after his mount, Luxford, veered sharply to the right. Television replays showed the filly had been distracted by a stray golf ball on the course, which appeared to be thrown up by eventual winner Big Lachie. The ball ricocheted off the helmet of another rider and across the sightline of Fox's mount. Sandown Park in Surrey has three nine-hole golf courses close to the racetrack, but clerk of the course Andrew Cooper said they were not open on racedays. \"I am satisfied that we take all reasonable precautions to make sure that the course is as clear as we can make it but we accept that there will be some balls buried in the grass,\" said Cooper. \"We have a 14-strong team that walk the course, and other parts of the track, looking for golf balls. \"Even where there is netting next to the driving range we have found them. It is not a unique occurrence and we probably have this happen once every three or four years.\" The afternoon ended on a more positive note for Fox as he partnered First Experience to victory. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Jockey Kieren Fox escaped unhurt when he fell from his horse in a bizarre incident involving a golf ball during a race at Sandown."}
{"article": "The Juno spacecraft passed over the giant storm on Monday as it continued with its series of close passes of the gaseous world. The pictures of the spot reveal the intricate nature of its swirls which encompass a region bigger than Earth. Juno's instruments all acquired data during the pass which should now provide fresh insight on the storm. It has been a particularly long-lived feature on Jupiter, but there is evidence that the 16,350-km-wide oval has actually been shrinking of late. \"For hundreds of years scientists have been observing, wondering and theorising about Jupiter's Great Red Spot,\" Scott Bolton, Juno principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, said in a Nasa statement. \"Now we have the best pictures ever of this iconic storm. It will take us some time to analyse all the data from not only JunoCam, but Juno\u2019s eight science instruments, to shed some new light on the past, present and future of the Great Red Spot.\" Scientists describe the storm as something similar to a hurricane - but there are significant differences between that kind of storm on Earth and what we see at Jupiter. Many behaviours are not the same. For example, hurricanes on Earth quickly lose energy when they leave the ocean surface and pass over land - but on Jupiter, there is no land. Indeed, researchers are not even sure there exists any kind of hard surface under the planet's clouds. This could be an explanation for why the spot has persisted for centuries. But Juno hopes to resolve such puzzles. It has the instrumentation to determine the precise chemical composition of the oval's clouds, to sense their temperature and structure, and to measure how deep they go. There is a suspicion that the spot has very deep roots. Jonathan Nichols, a British science team-member from the University of Leicester, marvelled at the new pictures. \"These images are stunning, and reveal Jupiter's Great Red Spot in all its glory,\" he told BBC News. \"From the three swirls inside the deep red core to the waves and vortices orbiting it, the images reveal the power and chaos of this iconic storm. \"The light and dark shades reveal the wind flow in the spot and potentially the 3D structure of the cloud decks. But the images are also a perfect convergence of science and art, revealing the awesome beauty of the giant planet. \"The quality of these data are superb, and it bodes well for further Juno data that will reveal how deep into the atmosphere the Great Red Spot extends.\" Juno has been at Jupiter for just over a year. It flies large ellipses around the planet, coming in close every 53 days. Monday\u2019s pass saw it skim just 3,500km above the cloudtops at one point. When it travelled across the spot, it was still a mere 9,000km overhead. The practice of the mission so far has been to release raw images from JunoCam and invite the public to work on them - to process them in ways that highlight areas of scientific", "summary": "An American space agency probe has returned the most detailed pictures ever of Jupiter's Great Red Spot."}
{"article": "Police said the 27-year-old victim heard a knock at the door of his home in Brucehill Road, Dumbarton at 00:15. When he answered it, he was \"violently attacked\" by three men who he did not know. Officers said that images of the men have been captured on CCTV cameras in the area and they appealed for help in tracing them. One of the men walked with a limp and they were all in their 30s. Det Sgt Fiona Macarthur said: \"This man was violently attacked on his own doorstep and it is absolutely crucial that we trace the people responsible as soon as possible. \"I would like to speak to anyone who was in the area in the early hours of this morning and saw three men or anything suspicious.\"", "summary": "A man is being treated for stab wounds after he was attacked by three men on his own doorstep."}
{"article": "The Japanese carmaker said it had suspended its global and Japanese sites early on Wednesday after they had been bombarded with traffic. Hacktivists linked to the Anonymous collective have claimed responsibility. They tweeted the attack was \"punishment\" for Japan's killing of whales and dolphins. Nissan has said that it has no view on such hunting activities. Over recent weeks, Anonymous has struck against the websites of the Japanese president and other government departments in protest against the animals' deaths. This follows related cyber-attacks against Icelandic institutions in November as part of the same OpWhales campaign, which resulted in most of the country's government sites being made unavailable for about 13 hours. One of the hackers claiming responsibility for the attacks explained why Nissan had been targeted. \"They are a big corporation in Japan, and we have targeted big corporations to spread awareness about the killing [of dolphins] in the cove in Taiji because the Japanese news is censoring it,\" he said. \"As a note for Nissan, we are not out to harm your customer data or system data.\" The attack coincides with the Detroit Auto Show, where Nissan unveiled a concept pickup van on Tuesday. The company's US and European websites remain online. \"At Nissan, customer privacy and security is of utmost importance, and we take any potential threat to our information systems seriously,\" said a spokesman. \"Because of a potential distributed denial of service [DDoS] attack, we are temporarily suspending service on our websites to prevent further risks. \"Nissan continuously monitors and takes aggressive steps to ensure the protection of our information systems and all of our data.\"", "summary": "Two of Nissan's main websites have been driven offline by a cyber-attack."}
{"article": "The Speaker announced the clerks, who advise him on conduct and constitutional issues, would also no longer wear wing collars and white tie. Conservative Sir Gerald Howarth said the tradition of wearing wigs went back \"several centuries\". But Mr Bercow said there was an even older tradition of not wearing wigs. He announced the changes on Monday, but added that clerks would keep part of their garb - black gowns, to signify they are experts on procedure and constitutional issues. Mr Bercow said changes to clothing and headgear represented the \"overwhelming view\" of clerks themselves. They would \"convey to the public a marginally less stuffy and forbidding image of this chamber at work\". But Sir Gerald, MP for Aldershot, raised a point of order, telling the Commons: \"I was surprised by [the] statement, which had the sort of appearance of an executive order.\" He added that traditional clerks' dress was \"key to the dignity of the House\" and had been so \"for several centuries\", adding that MPs \"should discuss this\". Mr Bercow replied that it was \"a matter that can properly be decided by the Speaker\", adding that the House of Commons Commission had approved the changes, which clerks themselves had suggested. He said that, if one went back more than a \"couple of hundred years\", the situation was different from that presented by Sir Gerald, and that \"several centuries ago\", clerks \"did not wear wigs\". Mr Bercow has refrained from wearing a wig himself in the Commons since becoming Speaker in 2009, as did his predecessors Michael Martin and Betty Boothroyd.", "summary": "John Bercow has defended the decision that Commons clerks will no longer have to wear wigs, after one MP likened the move to an \"executive order\"."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Plenty about those days, growing up as teenage boy in north London who weighed more than 20 stone, must have been difficult. But without that experience, Davis says he would never have learnt the skills that last month saw him become Great Britain's first European champion in fencing. \"I was 132 kilos. I was always a big lad. But that didn't stop me being good,\" Davis, who turned 23 at the start of this month, told BBC London. \"The speed of my hand was good. It's a sport where you can learn the basics whatever size you are. \"I always knew I had it in me, I always knew I could do it, but perhaps some people around me didn't. Perhaps when they lost to me they would think 'how did I lose to this big kid'.\" When the World Championships begin in Kazan on Tuesday, hopes are high that Davis can go on to become the first Briton to make it onto the podium in the event since 1965. While being overweight on the junior circuit might not have been a barrier to success, to really make it in the sport Davis realised he had to prioritise fencing over food. \"I was technically very good but the fitness wasn't there. I would get to a certain point and then I would start to die,\" he said. \"I had to make a choice. Do I want to be successful in this sport? The answer was yes. so I had to lose this weight. \"I lost it through working with my strength and conditioning coach Jon Cree at Middlesex University, who were supporting me on their scholarship scheme when I was not part of the World-Class programme. \"I started eating well, cut out all the rubbish and just started drinking water. Since I've turned professional I've trained every day and it pays off. \"There is no way someone my size could have made it onto the senior circuit, but it's a sport that does offer something for everyone who is starting out. \"I'd encourage anyone to give it a go. I learnt so much in those fat days that is still relevant today.\" Last month at the European Championships in Strasbourg, Davis, who nowadays stands at 6ft 4in (1.94m) and weighs 98kg (15st 6lbs), beat Russia's Alexey Cheremisinov 15-11 in the foil final. It was his first championship gold medal and his country's first European title. While Britain's Gwendoline Neligan originally won European gold back in 1933, that event in Budapest was later re-classified as a World Championships and Neligan was awarded the world title instead. Davis, who grew up and lived in Barnet until the end of last year, puts his recent success down to his relocation to San Francisco. Last November he moved out to California to train with some of the top-ranked US fencers. Davis continued: \"Immediately I thought 'wow, something's working here'. \"Training is amazing out there, the guys are incredible. They are world class and they have such a big", "summary": "James Davis calls them his \"fat old days\"."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old Scottish forward was sold to the Ibrox club by Saints for \u00a3500,000 in February 2016. But he found starts hard to come by despite 24 appearances last season and has been sent back to Perth on loan. \"He knows when I need a kick up the backside or an arm round the shoulder,\" O'Halloran said of Wright. O'Halloran joined Saints after leaving Bolton Wanderers in January 2014 and, after 16 goals in 90 appearances, was persuaded to move down a division to join Mark Warburton's Rangers. He scored three goals as he helped the Glasgow side win the Championship title, but he failed to find the net last season and fell out of favour under new manager Pedro Caixinha. \"I came here a few years ago from Bolton and, at the time, it felt right when I spoke to the manager and again it feels right,\" said O'Halloran of his six-month loan. \"He knows me as a person and how to get the best out of me as a player and I trust him and I think he trusts me, which is important. \"You also see how he is with the boys, it is such a tight group, a family club and we work hard for each other. \"The manager, the staff and the boys were a big part in coming back and I am just looking forward to it.\" O'Halloran came on at half-time in Saturday's friendly against East Fife and is hoping to start in this weekend's Premiership opener against Kilmarnock. \"The last game I started was in January,\" he added. \"I haven't done a lot of training sessions and pre-season has been on my own as well. \"It was good to get training with the boys again and get some minutes on the pitch on Saturday, which was important as well going into the season.\"", "summary": "Michael O'Halloran believes St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright is the best man to help him rediscover the form that led to a transfer to Rangers."}
{"article": "Instead, it will be used to assess the impact of immigration on schools. Schools in England were asked to start collecting this information in September, leading to fears it may be used to find illegal immigrants. Campaigners have written to Education Secretary Justine Greening to ask her to axe the data collection plans. A Department for Education spokeswoman said: \"Collecting this data will help ensure our children receive the best possible education. \"It will be used to help us better understand how children with, for example, English as an additional language perform in terms of their broader education, and to assess and monitor the scale and impact immigration may be having on the schools sector. \"Data on pupils' country of birth, nationality and level of English proficiency is collected through the school census in line with the national population census. \"These data items will not be passed to the Home Office. \"They are solely for internal Department for Education use for analysis, statistics and research.\" An earlier letter to Ms Greening from at least 20 organisations said: \"Without assurances to the contrary, our grave concern is that the new data collected will be shared with the Home Office and therefore potentially used for immigration enforcement purposes. \"We have already seen data sharing between the Home Office and other departments increase since the government announced its commitment to creating a 'hostile environment' for undocumented migrants. \"Such measures deter vulnerable children and families from accessing essential services, exercising their human rights, and participating on an equal basis in our communities.\" Under the new expanded census, schools are, for the first time, asking parents to say which country their child was born in. Disclosure is not compulsory, but a report by Schools Week found many schools were demanding copies of pupils' passports amid confusion about the new stipulation. Gracie Mae Bradley, from Against Borders for Children, which is leading the campaign to have the policy overturned, urged parents to boycott the data collection. She said: \"School should be a place where all children are treated equally. \"In the context of a 'hostile environment' in which employers, landlords and even healthcare workers are being turned into border guards, we believe this new requirement could be used to add school administrators to the list. \"We are also deeply concerned that this data will be made available, without time limit, much more widely outside the schools system, which cannot be acceptable. \"Over the coming weeks we expect the organisations opposing this divisive approach to be joined by many more and for parents and schools to join the boycott and protect young people from this dangerous threat to their privacy.\"", "summary": "Data on pupils' nationality now being collected by schools will be not passed to immigration officials or the Home Office, the government has said."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old beat GB team-mate Alfie Hewett 6-2 6-1 in 54 minutes to collect his second medal in Rio. On Thursday, Reid and Hewett had to settle for silver in the doubles event, losing out to French pair Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer. Reid won the inaugural singles title at Wimbledon this year as well as the Australian Open title. \"I felt I hadn't played that well on the big stage until Australia this year and ever since then I've enjoyed every match on the big stage,\" said Reid after his latest triumph. \"I was nice and relaxed and managed to play one of the best matches of my life. \"Me and Alfie know each other inside out. We train together, we play doubles together. It just felt like anything I tried tonight came off. \"It's an incredible feeling. I'm really clear headed at the moment but I might just lose the plot as soon as I get back to the locker room.\"", "summary": "Scotland's Gordon Reid won Paralympics gold in the wheelchair tennis singles final."}
{"article": "The Namibian full-backs have been on the fringes of the Premiership side's squad this season, making only two appearances between them. Botha, 27, has had his time in Devon disrupted by a broken leg and dislocated ankle in November 2014. McGuigan, 26, was signed as a result of Botha's injury and has scored four tries for the club.", "summary": "Exeter Chiefs pair Byron McGuigan and Chrysander Botha will leave Sandy Park in the summer, the club has confirmed."}
{"article": "Three separate experts say Tata made the cash by selling carbon emissions permits it was given for free. They say Tata was allocated more carbon allowances under the EU emissions trading scheme (EUETS) than it needed. There is no suggestion Tata broke the rules, and the firm said its permits were a \"matter of public record\". Reports say Tata profited more than any other firm in the UK from the much-criticised trading scheme, which allowed it to sell the surplus to other firms wanting permits to pollute. Other windfalls allegedly went to Lafarge, Hanson, and Total UK. But the analysis is controversial because some climate sceptics blamed EU climate policies for the demise of Tata. One report - by consultants CE Delft for citizens' group Carbon Market Watch - shows that the ailing steel firm was the UK's biggest beneficiary of the EUETS windfall, making \u00a3704m. Overall it says industry across Europe has earned a \u00a319bn windfall from 2008 to 2014. Tata declined to comment on the specific figures, but said it disagreed with the methodology used in the reports for calculating its profits from the EUETS. It said the allegations were a \"selective telling of the many flaws in the EUETS.\" A spokesman told BBC News: \"We agree that the current emissions trading system needs to be fixed and all parties should focus on how best this can be done, rather than conducting theoretical studies on what it could have previously meant for individual companies.\" The problem happened because when the EUETS began national governments were left to decide how many carbon permits their industries needed to cushion themselves from foreign competition. The governments typically allocated more permits than necessary because it cost them nothing directly, whilst boosting domestic firms. The sectors profiting most from pollution payouts have been iron and steel, cement, refineries and petrochemicals. One report says the amount netted by industry over the period is more than 10 times the amount the EU has spent on innovation under the EUETS to make firms more energy efficient. I understand Tata is telling critics privately that it cannot be blamed for legitimately exploiting loopholes in a badly designed system. Green groups say this is disingenuous as major European polluters lobbied governments to give them more emissions permits than they would really need. (Smaller firms not facing competitive global pressure had to buy all their emissions permits). The EUETS has long been criticized for its failure to reduce carbon emissions, and citizens' groups are pressing for it to be reformed again. Femke de Jong, of Carbon Market Watch, said: \"Instead of making the polluter pay, energy-intensive companies are allowed to pollute for free under the EUETS. \"Even worse, they are able to profit from their pollution to the tune of billions. It's European taxpayers that are picking up this bill as governments forego scarce public money.\" Emil Dimantchev, carbon analyst from Thomson Reuters, estimates that Tata Steel is likely to have netted around \u00a3794m (\u20ac1bn) between 2008 and 2014 in windfall profits. Dr Simon Evans, of Carbon Brief, calculated that across", "summary": "Tata Steel is refusing to comment on claims it has made \u00a3700m windfall profits from a policy designed to protect the climate."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Marathon runner Nailiya Yulamanova and 800m specialists Zinurova and Svetlana Klyuka have received two-year bans from the Russian Athletics Federation. All three will now miss London 2012. Meadows will also miss this summer's Olympics after not being selected in Team GB's athletics squad. The 31-year-old, who just lost out to Zinurova in Paris in 2011 when the Russian passed her in the home straight, had indicated before Tuesday's team announcement that she would appeal if not selected but has decided not to fight the decision. As well as the doping charges, Russian trio Yulamanova, Zinurova and Klyuka were also suspended for \"abnormal indexes in their biometric passports\", the first time Russian athletes have been banned for such offences. Yulamanova, 31, finished second in the marathon at the 2010 European Championships in Barcelona. But she was awarded the gold medal after the original winner, Lithuania's Zivile Balciunaite, was disqualified and banned for using steroids. Yulamanova also finished eighth in the marathon at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. Both Yulamanova's and Klyuka's suspensions have been backdated from February 2012, while 800m indoor European champion Zinurova's ban began in September 2011. Their suspensions mean all three are ineligible to compete at this week's Russian championships in Cheboksary, and therefore cannot compete at London 2012. \"This is the first time athletes have been suspended in Russia because of abnormality of their biometric passports,\" said Russian Athletics Federation president Valentin Balakhnichyov. \"We know such practice has been widely used in cycling but unfortunately it's now been the case with our athletes as well. \"It's a huge loss for our team but their guilt has been proven beyond doubt.\"", "summary": "Jenny Meadows has had her 800m silver medal at the 2011 European Indoor Championships upgraded to gold after Yevgenia Zinurova was one of three Russian athletes banned for doping."}
{"article": "Met Office statistics showed the Shetland area had 192.9 hours of sunshine from 1-29 July, while Cornwall had 153.5 hours. Shetland lies about 700 miles (1,130 km) to the north east of Cornwall. It was a wet month for the UK as a whole, with 22% more than the average rainfall for July. Properties were damaged and people had to be rescued after heavy rain and storms hit the Cornish village of Coverack. Climate scientist Mike Kendon said while it hadn't been a remarkable weather month, there were some \"significant events\". \"It is uncommon for Shetland to experience more sunshine hours than Cornwall at this time of year,\" he said. \"There is also a notable gradient between a cooler, sunnier and slightly drier than average north-west and a wetter, dull and warmer than average south-east.\" One of the wettest places in July was Hampshire - which received 118% more than its average rainfall for the month. Northern Ireland was the wettest region of the UK, with 39% more rain the average. Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning", "summary": "The Shetland Islands had more sunshine than Cornwall in July - only the eighth time this has happened since records began in 1929."}
{"article": "Lila Tretikov wrote in an email that it was time for her to move on. A leaked memo suggesting the Foundation was looking at creating a \"commerce-free\" search engine had upset the volunteer Wikimedia community. Many were angry that it had not been discussed first, as transparency is key to the ethos of the organisation. In September 2015, Wikimedia was awarded a $250,000 grant from a trust called the Knight Foundation for work to \"advance new models for finding information by supporting stage one development of the Knowledge Engine by Wikipedia, a system for discovering reliable and trustworthy public information on the internet,\" according to a document uploaded by Wikimedia itself. The project summary at the end of the document - although its author is unclear - states that the Knowledge Engine would be \"the world's first transparent search engine, and the first one originated by the Wikimedia Foundation\". The leaders of the team were listed as Ms Tretikov, vice-president Wes Moran and Wikimedia head director of search and discovery Tomasz Finc. However, in published notes from a meeting to discuss the controversy, Ms Tretikov is recorded as saying the grant news had been shared \"without context\". A new team had been set up, given the task of researching \"how Wikimedia users seek, find, and engage with content\", Ms Tretikov wrote in a piece co-authored with Mr Moran. But they went on to deny that a search engine was the intended outcome. \"What are we not doing? We're not building a global crawler search engine,\" they wrote. \"We're not building another, separate Wikimedia project... Despite headlines, we are not trying to compete with other platforms, including Google.\" Wikipedia editor William Beutler recently told the website Motherboard that the controversy was the result of a \"culture clash\" between the Foundation and its volunteers. \"The community is this volunteer group that is made up of people who largely buy into Wikipedia for ideological reasons,\" he said. \"Then you have the Foundation, which has increasingly fewer people from the community and a larger Silicon Valley contingent that comes from a tech background.\" The Wikimedia Foundation has been contacted by the BBC for comment.", "summary": "The executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, has resigned after denying the group is considering building a search engine."}
{"article": "You asked for the latest news on an office block in Dudley which has stood empty for many years. You wanted to know why a once popular picture house in Shropshire closed in 1967. And you asked us to shed some light on the history of terraced houses in Stoke-on-Trent. Here is how we have got on with answering your questions. Cavendish House in Dudley town centre was once home to Inland Revenue offices but has been empty for many years. The seven-storey, 85,880 sq ft building was bought at auction by Avenbury Dudley Ltd for \u00a3800,000, the Express & Star reported in October 2015. The following month, the Birmingham Post reported Avenbury planned to demolish the building to pave the way for a \u00a350m retail and leisure development. Midlands Business News reported a planning application had been submitted to Dudley Council in March 2016. We asked Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, cabinet member for planning and economic development, for the latest. He said: \"We are in regular dialogue with the developer and will be meeting with them again in the New Year.\" A spokesman for Avenbury told us: \"Things are still happening behind the scenes but [there is] nothing to announce yet.\" We have spoken to a number of local historians and cinema enthusiasts and the general consensus is that it closed due to dwindling audiences. Historian Ron Miles said there were once 26 cinemas in the Telford area and two in Oakengates - but they became less popular when people started to get televisions in their own homes. Another local historian, Rob Breeze, remembers being taken to The Grosvenor to watch Carry on Cleo. He agreed that a lot of cinemas started closing from the late-1960s onwards, as demand fell. There is also a theory that the cinema had to close to make way for the flyover carrying the A442 Queensway. But according to the book \"Silver Screen Memories\" that is not true, because the road was not built until 1975. Like many parts of the UK, terraced houses - with one design repeated along a row of joined homes - were built in the city in great numbers following the industrial revolution. Local historian Fred Hughes said many were built around the six town centres of Burslem, Fenton, Hanley, Longton, Stoke and Tunstall. These went on to form Stoke-on-Trent. They were built close to industrial centres for pottery and mining due to the lack of transport links, he said, with many knocked down towards the end of the 1950s and early 60s when they were replaced by housing estates like Chell Heath and Bentilee. Stoke's terraced houses hit the headlines in 2013 when the city council sold off 35 of the properties, mainly in the Cobridge area, for \u00a31. Have you got a question about the West Midlands? Is there something you have seen or heard that you would like us to investigate? It could be a burning issue or something you have always wondered about the area or its people. Use the tool below to send us your questions. We", "summary": "Readers have been using Your Questions to tell us what they want to know about the West Midlands."}
{"article": "The 35-year-old extended his stay with the League Two club in June after his short-term contract expired at the end of last season. He helped Notts win seven of their last 13 games to avoid relegation. \"I believe we're on the cusp of doing something great. Hopefully I can be a big part of that,\" Ameobi said. Talking to BBC East Midlands Today, the former Newcastle striker continued: \"I feel that we have the quality in this squad to compete with any team in this league. \"Promotion spots, fighting for play-off spots. For me, as a team I think we're good enough to be in those positions.\" At Meadow Lane, Ameobi is working under former Newcastle United team-mate Kevin Nolan, who initially brought the former Nigeria international in after taking over as Notts boss in January. \"As soon as I got the phone call, it wasn't really a big decision,\" Ameobi said. \"I know how he works, what sort of character he is, for me that's a big thing, understanding who you're working for. What he's trying to build is a big part of why I decided to come here. \" Ameobi, who represented Nigeria at the 2014 World Cup having played as a junior for England, said Nolan's demanding pre-season fitness routines have been punishing. \"I think the older you get the harder everything is,\" he added. \"I think it's my 20th pre-season now. I'm still loving it, even if it's a bit painful at times we know it's all for a reason and hopefully we'll see the results once the games start.\"", "summary": "Striker Shola Ameobi says he signed a new deal with Notts County because he has unfinished business with a club capable of challenging for promotion."}
{"article": "Crystalla Dean, 52, was last seen by her daughter at her home in Longsdale Crescent, Oban, at about 20:00 on 15 December. On 5 January a body was found on the shore at Ardmucknish Bay near Benderloch. Police said the body had now been formally identified as that of Ms Dean and her relatives had been informed. Following a post-mortem examination, the death is not being treated as suspicious. A large-scale search for Ms Dean took place, involving Police Scotland's mountain rescue team, the coastguard and the local mountain rescue team.", "summary": "A body found in Argyll earlier this month has been confirmed as being that of a missing woman."}
{"article": "The former Home Office minister said Labour must not be \"afraid\" of the argument and had a moral responsibility to talk about immigration reform. He also said UKIP voters were \"darkly pessimistic\" about their lives, whereas progressive politics was optimistic. David Cameron and Ed Miliband clashed on the issue this week - with both attacking the other party's record. Official figures published in August showed UK net migration - the difference between those entering and leaving - increased by more than 38% to 243,000 in 2013-14. EU citizens accounted for two-thirds of the growth. The Labour leader has promised to bring in an immigration bill creating \"clear, credible and concrete changes\" within months, if Labour wins next year's general election. Mr Byrne - Labour's universities spokesman who was immigration minister in the last Labour government - told Total Politics magazine the party \"can win an argument on this, but we have got to have the courage to put it at the top of our list of things we talk about\". \"And we have got be honest about the realities,\" he said. And he cautioned politicians against ignoring voters' concerns: \"If people then sense that politicians are trying to duck the issue or avoid it or not confront it they are just not prepared to have that - and frankly, why should they?\" He expressed confidence that voters backed his proposal to exempt students from migration targets: \"People know that students are good for Britain, not bad for Britain, they know that they are critical for our future influence in the world.\" The Birmingham Hodge Hill MP said Mr Miliband had to offer a positive vision to voters who had been attracted to the UK Independence Party: \"The curious thing about UKIP voters is that they have one big thing in common: they are darkly pessimistic about themselves and their lives and if you want people to vote for progressive politics, you need people that are optimistic.\" Meanwhile his colleague, shadow transport Sscretary Mary Creagh told The House magazine Labour \"needs to acknowledge the strain on schools, public services and the fact that people want to feel that people have put into a society before they start taking something out\". \"We are the Labour Party, we do like talking about the NHS and we are right to talk about the NHS. But perhaps there are some colleagues who feel nervous talking about immigration. I certainly don't.\" Mr Cameron's Conservative Party is facing a difficult by-election in Rochester and Strood, Kent, called after one of its MPs, Mark Reckless, defected to UKIP, which campaigns for the UK's exit from the European Union. The prime minister has said action is needed to curb EU immigration and has pledged to have \"one last go\" at negotiating a better deal for the UK in Europe. There have been reports that the coalition could seek an \"emergency brake\" to stop EU migration after it reached a certain level or to limit the number of National Insurance numbers issued to new arrivals from the EU. But German Chancellor Angela", "summary": "Labour must have the \"courage\" to make talking about immigration policy a priority, Liam Byrne has said."}
{"article": "When operational, the \u00c2\u00a310bn nuclear plant is expected to create 850 permanent jobs and should start generating power by 2025. But in a draft letter, the council has criticised Horizon for the lack of detail in its final consultation. Horizon said it was \"surprised and disappointed\" by the council's response. In the letter, the council's chief executive expressed concern at a decrease in proposed local employment during the building phase. Dr Gwynne Jones also said there was \"an objectionable lack of detail\" on proposals to house 4,000 building workers on site. The letter called for \"immediate\" investment in education to ensure that local young people will be employed at the proposed power station. It suggested that, due to the lack of detail, the legality of the process could be in doubt. \"The council remains committed to working with Horizon and other key stakeholders but... not at any cost nor with promises of 'jam tomorrow',\" the letter added. A third and final consultation into the power station plans has been held and Horizon hopes to submit a planning application, known as a development consent order, later this year. Responding to the council's comment, Horizon's Richard Foxhall said: \"They have been made aware of what we intended to consult on before May 2017. They agreed with the content of what we do in the consultation. Of course, what we've consulted on is what to change since last year, not necessarily on the whole project. \"However we do look forward to working with the council. This isn't the end of the game as far as input.\" He added there was no question of the company's consultation process being illegal.", "summary": "The company behind Wylfa Newydd has been told Anglesey council will not support the scheme \"at any cost\"."}
{"article": "The Shanghai Composite index closed 2.3% higher at 3,361.84 points as measures from regulators to support the stock market started to have an impact. Local reports said the securities regulator would keep in effect its ban on share sales by major shareholders until new rules were released. The ban was set to expire on Friday. It was put in place six months ago at the height of the mainland stock market sell-off over the summer and locked up an estimated 1.24tn yuan ($190bn; \u00c2\u00a3129bn) worth of shares. Monday's 7% plunge in the Shanghai market, which led to the suspension of trading for the first time, triggered a global equities rout. But a sense of calm has now moved over financial markets, said Chris Weston, chief market strategist at trading firm IG in a note. \"While we haven't seen a snap-back rally, the flat moves in US and European markets means we can stop to catch our breath,\" he said. Beijing's decision on Tuesday to inject cash into the falling market also helped soothe fears. Economic data that suggested activity in the country's services sector expanded at its slowest pace in 17 months in December had little impact on investors' confidence. The Caixin/Markit purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 50.2 from 51.2 in November. A reading above 50 suggests growth in the sector, while one below that suggests contraction. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index failed to match the positive run from the mainland market and ended the session 1% lower at 20,980.81. Traders in the rest of Asia were cautious after a North Korean nuclear test heightened geopolitical tensions. The country claimed that it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb on Wednesday morning, drawing widespread criticism from around the world. South Korea's Kospi index finished down 0.3% to 1,925.43, but the index was already lower before the news of the bomb. Japan's Nikkei 225 index ended lower by 1% to 18,191.32, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 closed down 1.2% to 5,123.1. Shares of Japanese electronics maker Sharp fell 3.3% after reports that the troubled firm is expected to book an operating loss of at least 10bn yen ($84m; \u00c2\u00a357m) for the nine months to December.", "summary": "Mainland Chinese shares headed higher on Wednesday, recovering some of the steep losses made earlier this week on concerns about the economy."}
{"article": "Patterdale terrier Taz became trapped beneath a concrete terrace at Bath City FC on Thursday night. Crews from Bath Fire Station had to remove part of the stand at the Twerton Park ground to get to the dog. A spokesman for Avon Fire and Rescue said: \"Once crews reached the terrier they found he was still pinched between the bottom of the stand and soil and rubble below.\" The spokesman added: \"Firefighters were able to dig out the ground around Taz before pulling him to safety through the gap. \"Once free, he was reunited, unhurt, with his extremely grateful owners.\" Bath City have been approached for comment.", "summary": "A dog has been rescued after getting stuck under a football stand."}
{"article": "Both sides have already qualified for the semi-finals the winners of Group A face Zamalek of Egypt while the runners-up will play South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns. Wydad know they need just a point to top the table and will take encouragement from their comfortable 2-0 win over Zesco in Morocco two months ago. Coached by former Real Madrid manager and Liverpool striker John Toshack, Wydad top Group A with 10 points despite a mid-group crisis. After wins over Asec Mimosas of the Ivory Coast and Zesco, the Moroccans only took one point from a possible six off struggling Al Ahly of Egypt. Wydad then battled to translate dominance over Asec at home into goals until Congo Brazzaville-born Fabrice Ondama scored in the final minute to secure a 2-1 win. That result, and Zesco holding record eight-time African champions Ahly 2-2 away, eliminated the Egyptian and Ivorian clubs. Zesco have exceeded expectations by reaching the semi-finals although coach George Lwandamina remains worried about concentration lapses in defence. \"Our defence has a tendency to fall asleep after we score and this allows opponents back into matches,\" said Lwandamina, who doubles as the caretaker national coach. What Zesco do boast are consistent goal scorers with Idris Mbombo from the DR Congo scoring five in this Champions League campaign. Clatous Chama and Kenyan Jesse Were have notched four each and John Ching'andu three. Failing to reach the semi-finals cost Ahly coach and former Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol his job amid safety concerns. Assistant coach Ossama Orabi has taken charge for the meaningless midweek match against 1998 champions ASEC at Stade Robert Champroux in Abidjan. Another fixture where only pride is at stake involves already-eliminated Enyimba of Nigeria and Sundowns in Port Harcourt. Zamalek have a bye as Entente Setif of Algeria were disqualified.", "summary": "Wydad Casablanca of Morocco travel to face Zesco United of Zambia on Wednesday to decide who tops Group A of the African Champions League."}
{"article": "The visitors took an early lead when Newport defender Darren Jones turned the ball into his own net. Stevenage doubled their advantage before half-time as Tom Pett headed in from close range. Newport stay one point away from safety, while Stevenage climb up to ninth place in the table. Match ends, Newport County 0, Stevenage 2. Second Half ends, Newport County 0, Stevenage 2. Corner, Stevenage. Conceded by Paul Bignot. Corner, Stevenage. Conceded by Paul Bignot. Substitution, Stevenage. Jobi McAnuff replaces Tom Pett. Foul by Tom Owen-Evans (Newport County). Tom Pett (Stevenage) wins a free kick on the left wing. Attempt missed. Charlie Lee (Stevenage) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Foul by Joss Labadie (Newport County). Rowan Liburd (Stevenage) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Marlon Jackson (Newport County). Jack King (Stevenage) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Stevenage. Conceded by Scot Bennett. Attempt blocked. Charlie Lee (Stevenage) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Substitution, Stevenage. Rowan Liburd replaces Harry McKirdy. Foul by Marlon Jackson (Newport County). Luke Wilkinson (Stevenage) wins a free kick on the left wing. Marlon Jackson (Newport County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Steven Schumacher (Stevenage). Attempt missed. Joss Labadie (Newport County) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Attempt blocked. Jennison Myrie-Williams (Newport County) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Luke Wilkinson (Stevenage) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Rhys Healey (Newport County) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Luke Wilkinson (Stevenage). Attempt missed. Harry McKirdy (Stevenage) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Rhys Healey (Newport County) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Dean Wells (Stevenage). Substitution, Newport County. Joss Labadie replaces Ben Tozer. Foul by Jennison Myrie-Williams (Newport County). Luke Wilkinson (Stevenage) wins a free kick on the left wing. Josh Sheehan (Newport County) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Ben Kennedy (Stevenage). Foul by Scot Bennett (Newport County). Ben Kennedy (Stevenage) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Jazzi Barnum-Bobb (Newport County) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Tom Pett (Stevenage). Corner, Stevenage. Conceded by Ben Tozer. Corner, Stevenage. Conceded by Paul Bignot. Substitution, Stevenage. Charlie Lee replaces Henry Cowans. Attempt missed. Darren Jones (Newport County) header from the centre of the box misses to the right following a set piece situation.", "summary": "Stevenage moved to within a point of the League Two play-off places after winning away against Newport County, who remain bottom of the table."}
{"article": "Delays in answering calls have resulted in the helpline resorting to using its previous system after just 10 days. Once a solution to the problems is found, the programme will be re-launched - expected to be early 2016. The call-handling and IT system - called the Future Programme - \"has proved extremely challenging\", according to an NHS statement. This is despite \"a huge amount of planning, system testing and staff training\". NHS 24 chief executive Ian Crichton warned that keeping the Future Programme in service at this level of operation would be unsafe for patients. He said he expected the volume of calls the helpline receives over the weekend to \"significantly increase\" as winter approaches, which indicates that the service \"would fall below acceptable tolerances\". \"This is not a decision that we have taken lightly, given the significant investment to date, but one that will ensure we can continue to deliver vital and safe out-of-hours support to patients when they need it most during the coming winter\", he said. The NHS will continue to develop the new system offline before rolling it out again early in the new year. Scottish Labour's public services spokeswoman Jackie Baillie accused the Scottish government of having a \"short-term, sticking plaster approach to the NHS\". Scottish Conservative health spokesman Jackson Carlaw called the project \"a mismanaged shambles\" which had cost the taxpayer a fortune. Health Secretary Shona Robison said that while NHS 24 remained fully operational, she was disappointed that it had to revert to the previous system. However, she said patient safety was the priority and \"it is right that NHS 24 take the time necessary to understand and fix any outstanding problems completely\". Theresa Fyffe, Royal College of Nursing Scotland director, said it was \"regrettable\" but \"the right decision\" for patients and staff. The announcement follows an incident in October, when the same system crashed and staff had to resort to pen and paper. An Audit Scotland report had also previously raised concerns over the cost and delivery of the system. Initially due to be ready for October 2013, it was delayed for two years and cost about \u00a3117m - almost \u00a340m above the expected cost.", "summary": "The medical helpline NHS 24 has shelved a new \u00a3117m phone system over fears for patient safety."}
{"article": "20 October 2016 Last updated at 14:40 BST In a short speech, Prof Hawking said: \"The rise of powerful AI will be either the best, or the worst thing, ever to happen to humanity. We do not yet know which.\" Read more: Stephen Hawking - will AI kill or save humankind?", "summary": "Prof Stephen Hawking has discussed the potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence, at an event in Cambridge marking the opening of the Centre for the Future of Intelligence."}
{"article": "Erhan Havaleoglu, 36, killed Leighanne Cameron, 29, by strangling and stabbing her in Mid Calder on 28 October 2015. He must serve a minimum of 20 years before he can apply for parole. Sentencing him at the High Court in Glasgow, Judge Johanna Johnston said he was guilty of a \"cruel, merciless and extremely violent murder\". In August, a jury at the High Court in Paisley found him guilty of murdering Ms Cameron. The court heard the attack happened after Havaleoglu discovered she was in a relationship with another man. The judge told Havaleoglu: \"Leighanne Cameron was much loved and had everything to live for.\" She said Ms Cameron's injuries had been \"catastrophic\". Havaleoglu attacked the mother-of-two shortly after she returned from work. The killer had been spending the day looking after their children before he struck. He then fled to Edinburgh and it is thought that on his way there he got rid of the murder weapon and the clothes he had been wearing. Ms Cameron's body was discovered by her new boyfriend Philip Kilkenny. Mr Kilkenny called police and revealed Havaleoglu had told Leighanne \"she'd never get to love another man\". The court heard the \"reality\" of Ms Cameron's new relationship had come to \"the full attention\" of Havaleoglu shortly before the murder. Ian Duguid, defending, said it came from a conversation the killer had with one of his young children. The QC said this discovery was suggested to be \"the catalyst\" for the fatal attack. Mr Duguid: \"This is an event that pushed him beyond what his previous behaviour had been.\" Havaleoglu had also been accused of assaulting three other women, but he was cleared of those charges at the trial. Det Ch Insp Raymond Brown, of Police Scotland, said: \"Leighanne's death has been absolutely devastating for her family and those close to her. \"Her five-year-old daughter and two-year-old son have been robbed of their loving mum in the most horrific of circumstances. \"Havaleoglu has callously refused to admit responsibility for Leighanne's murder ever since, despite extensive evidence against him.\" He added: \"Unfortunately, nothing can undo his actions that day but hopefully the outcome at court provides some form of comfort and closure to Leighanne's family and friends.\"", "summary": "A man has been given a life sentence for murdering his estranged wife at her West Lothian home while their two children slept upstairs."}
{"article": "Gusts of up to 88mph - the tail end of Hurricane Gonzalo - hit Oban in western Scotland, while most of the UK saw strong winds. About 10,000 passengers were affected by flight cancellations at Heathrow, and several UK ferries did not sail. The woman died in central London, with a man hurt in a nearby incident and three people injured in West Sussex. Gonzalo caused widespread damage and a power blackout when it hit the island of Bermuda last week, with winds of up to 110mph. The strongest winds in the UK were recorded mainly in northern parts of the country and in Wales. Fallen trees caused problems on the roads, and there were delays and cancellations on several train routes. In other developments: Scotland Yard confirmed the woman in Knightsbridge died after she was hit by a tree brought down by high winds. A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: \"We sent an ambulance crew, a responder by car, an advanced paramedic, a medical team from London's Air Ambulance by car and a duty officer to the scene. \"Sadly, despite our attempts to resuscitate the patient, a woman died at the scene.\" The severe weather caused some travel disruption with flights cancelled at Heathrow, but other airports reported no major problems. BBC Weather said Wednesday would be much quieter. In central London, paramedics were also called to reports of a tree falling on a person at about 12:20, in Belgravia. A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: \"We treated a man reported to be in his 30s for leg, chest and head injuries. He was taken as a priority to St Mary's Hospital Paddington.\" The three people hit by a tree in Southwick, West Sussex, were taken to hospital but paramedics said there was \"nothing to suggest serious injury\". That tree fell at about 10:00 in Shelldale Road. South East Coast Ambulance Service said two women were taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital, one with spinal pain and one with a head injury and pelvic pain. The third patient was taken to Worthing Hospital. Heathrow said 110 flights were cancelled and that figure included Lufthansa flights disrupted by a pilots' strike. This was less than 10% of its usual daily total of about 1,286 flights. Among other UK airports, Gatwick said there was no disruption, Stansted said it operated \"normally\" and Manchester said its only cancellations had been due to issues at other airports, mostly Heathrow. Edinburgh Airport said its only cancellations were three flights to Heathrow, and Glasgow Airport said its flights had run as normal. There were no reports of widespread train delays, but South West Trains tweeted that it had seen \"poor rail adhesion\" - meaning \"trains have had trouble accelerating as the wheels slip when applying power\". Speaking from County Down, BBC Ireland correspondent Chris Buckler said the storm had been \"rough enough\" but had not hit \"quite as hard as many had feared\". There had been high winds but not much disruption in Northern Ireland, he said.", "summary": "A woman has died and four people were taken to hospital after winds felled trees and caused widespread disruption."}
{"article": "Lord Healey was Labour's defence secretary from 1964 to 1970 and chancellor of the exchequer from 1974 to 1979 before becoming deputy party leader in opposition in 1980. The former Leeds MP's family said he died peacefully at his Sussex home on Saturday, after a short illness. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was \"a Labour giant\". The PM said he was a \"huge figure of post-war politics\". BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said Lord Healey's death marked the end of an era in Labour's history. Obituary: Lord Healey Denis Healey: A life in pictures 'A great man': Tributes paid Mr Corbyn tweeted: \"Denis Healey was a Labour giant whose record of service to party and country stands as his testament. All our thoughts are with his family.\" Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he was \"absolutely loyal to the Labour Party\" and a \"towering intellect\". Prime Minister David Cameron wrote on Facebook: \"We've lost a huge figure of post-war politics. A hero in World War Two as Beach Master at Anzio and a brave politician, Denis Healey told his party hard truths about Britain having to live within her means.\" Lord Healey served as an MP for Leeds for 40 years from 1952 before joining the House of Lords in 1992. A defining moment in his career came in 1976 when, as chancellor, he applied for an emergency loan from the the International Monetary Fund in an effort to save the pound from collapse. He came close to winning the Labour leadership in 1980, finishing just 10 votes behind winner Michael Foot. A graduate of Oxford university, he also served in the Army, joining operations in North Africa, Sicily and Italy during World War Two. His wife, Edna, died in 2010. Obituary Denis Healey, an intellectual heavyweight who had a range of interests that stretched far beyond the narrow world of Westminster politics, was known for his tough, no-holds-barred style of debate. His relish for the cut-and-thrust of politics served him well during long periods in government in the 1960s and 1970s, and in the internal struggles that re-shaped Labour during its years in opposition in the 1980s. His trademark bushy eyebrows, colourful turn of phrase and expertise on a range of musical instruments, including the piano and double bass, made him a regular fixture on television and a favourite target of impressionists. But he had a sharp mind and could fell opponents with a devastating one-liner, once likening debating with Conservative Chancellor Geoffrey Howe to being \"savaged by a dead sheep\" and accusing Margaret Thatcher of \"glorying in slaughter\" during the Falklands conflict. Read more: Obituary of Lord Healey Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said Britain \"has lost a dedicated and faithful public servant\". Mr Blair said: \"He steered the Labour government and the country through some of the most difficult economic times; and in winning the deputy leadership of the Labour Party in 1981, he probably saved the Labour Party as an instrument of government and social change. \"All of us in the Labour Party owe him a huge debt.", "summary": "Former chancellor Denis Healey has died at the age of 98, his family has said."}
{"article": "The Association for Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has written to Philip Hammond asking for more transitional relief for the sector. Business rates in England and Wales are being updated to take into account changes in property values. However, the government says a cap on how much bills can rise will cushion the impact for firms facing increases. The letter written by the ALMR on behalf of its members says that \"on average, the pub sector will see a 15% increase and restaurants a 23% increase across the country\". \"This will add a further \u00c2\u00a3300m to \u00c2\u00a3500m in additional cost in the hospitality sector,\" it says. The ALMR says the impact of the extra costs could threaten the positive contribution the sector is making to overall economic growth in the UK. The ALMR represents leading brands, including Pizza Express, Wagamama and Yo Sushi, as well as smaller businesses operating from only one or two premises. \"We would urge you to consider reviewing the transitional relief provisions and the introduction of sector specific hospitality retail relief,\" the letter says. Rates are calculated by multiplying the rateable value of a property by a multiplier set by the government. But as property values change over time, rateable values need to be reassessed periodically - usually every five years. However this update to property values is two years behind schedule, making it a harder pill to swallow in areas where the price of real estate has been rising. A statement from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said that most businesses will not face sharp rises in costs. \"Following the revaluation, three-quarters of properties will see no change or even a fall in their bills, and the small minority of businesses that face an increase will benefit from our \u00c2\u00a33.6bn transitional relief scheme,\" it said. However, property experts have predicted that some businesses, especially in thriving commercial centres and the south-east of England could see very dramatic changes to their rates bills, by as much as several hundred percent. Many pubs and restaurants occupy prime real estate in town and city centres. The DCLG added that many pubs had seen turnover increase significantly since the last rates valuation in 2010 as a result of the growth in casual dining. That increase in revenue would affect the rateable value of the property, it said. However the government's planned cap on annual increases means that bills will rise gradually over five years rather than all in one go, with greater protection provided for smaller businesses. The DCLG said that while some businesses will see their rates bill rise, others will see bills remain the same or even fall. Overall the rates upgrade is designed to be revenue neutral.", "summary": "Pubs and restaurants are calling for the chancellor to dilute the impact of business rate rises due in April."}
{"article": "Author JM Barrie credited the gardens of the town's Moat Brae house as his inspiration for the work. Ms Lumley unveiled a wood-carving of his most famous creation at the entrance to the town. She is already a patron of the appeal launched last week to turn Moat Brae into a children's literature centre. The Peter Pan statue was provided by the action group, the People's Project, which is working to improve the appearance and reputation of Dumfries. Ms Lumley said she was amazed at the work which had gone into the wood-carving. \"I absolutely love it - I am so impressed that it is all made out of one enormous spruce tree trunk,\" she said. \"It is absolutely enchanting and it is standing outside the garden centre so everybody who is driving past on the road can see it.\"", "summary": "The actress Joanna Lumley has unveiled a statue of Peter Pan to recognise the part Dumfries played as birthplace of the children's classic story."}
{"article": "The money will fund flood defences in Yorkshire, a \u00a310m innovation fund for businesses in Manchester and Cheshire, and regeneration in Hull city centre. It was announced by Prime Minister Theresa May amid plans for a new more interventionist industrial strategy. Mrs May said there was a need to \"drive growth across the whole UK\". She detailed the funding during her first regional cabinet meeting, held at a science and business park in Daresbury, Cheshire. The money will help fund projects including: What is the Northern Powerhouse? The \u00a3556m has been allocated from the Local Growth Fund cash pot of \u00a31.8bn, announced in the Autumn Statement, and will be handed to 11 Local Enterprise Partnerships across the north. It is part of a wider scheme aimed at boosting the post-Brexit UK economy and creating jobs, with a particular focus on investment in science, research and innovation. Mrs May said the plans, contained in a green paper published earlier, were about building a \"truly global Britain\". While a significant portion of money has been allocated to the North, she said there was \"the need to ensure that our economy works for everyone in every part of the country\". News of the funding earmarked for flood defences has been particularly welcomed, following the widespread deluge that hit parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire in December 2015. Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford City's Council executive member for regeneration, said: \"We need to examine the detail but I welcome much-needed investment to help protect homes and businesses in our district from future flooding. \"The Boxing Day floods a year ago had a devastating impact on those affected and the region's economy, so it's essential that the government works with us to manage flood risk because this is about people's homes and livelihoods.\" Stacey Howard, operations director at the Goole Development Trust, said improved transport links would be \"brilliant for the town\". \"We are in the M62 corridor and Goole is the biggest inland port in the UK.\" Mike Perls, founder and CEO of Manchester-based strategic marketing agency MC2, said the funding \"isn't about about factories and chimneys\", but rather \"a modern industrial strategy\" to help modern, innovative businesses thrive. \"It will encourage regional economies to develop strategies reflecting their strengths, and the businesses within to look globally without hesitation.\" However, Rebecca Long-Bailey MP, Labour's Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said \u00a3556m \"pales into insignificance\" when set against recent central government cuts to local councils. \"Local authorities lost \u00a318bn of government funding in real terms between 2010 and 15, with the poorest councils bearing the brunt of the cuts. \"From what we have seen of the government's industrial strategy so far, I am not convinced they are committed to the long-term investment needed to transform the northern economy.\" Business Secretary Greg Clark said the plans were about \"spreading opportunities right across the country\". But his opposite number at Labour, Clive Lewis, said the government's industrial strategy was \"too little too late\".", "summary": "Business leaders and politicians have welcomed a newly-allocated cash injection of \u00a3556m for the government's Northern Powerhouse project."}
{"article": "Engineering manager Leslie Miley wrote that he was asked to build a tool that would classify recruitment candidates' ethnicity by analysing their last name. The idea was intended to improve diversity among staff. Alex Roetter, Senior Vice President of Engineering, said that the \"engineering-driven, quantitative solution\" was a \"blind spot\". \"As an engineer, I understand this suggestion and why it may seem logical,\" wrote ex-employee Mr Miley on blog-publishing platform Medium in which he also claimed to have been the only African-American member of Twitter's engineering leadership team. \"However, classifying ethnicities by name is problematic as evidenced by my name. \"What I also found disconcerting is this otherwise highly sophisticated thinker could posit that an issue this complex could be addressed by name analysis.\" In 2014 only 4% of Twitter's technical staff were black or Hispanic, according to its own figures. Mr Roetter said that Mr Miley's comments about him were \"inaccurate\" but that he was sorry for the \"pain and confusion\" caused by his communication. \"I realise that we have blind spots, myself included. One of mine is that I have a tendency to default to engineering-driven, quantitative solutions,\" he responded. \"We all want the same results\u00e2\u20ac\u0160 - \u00e2\u20ac\u0160stronger representation of under-represented minorities at all levels within Twitter.\" Mr Miley said that he was passionate about Twitter as a high-profile platform for comment around issues like the Ferguson shootings and the success of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. \"And yet there were moments that caused me to question how and why a company whose product has been used as an agent of revolutionary social change did not reflect the diversity of thought, conversation and people in its ranks,\" he wrote. Mr Miley cited occasions when a network for black engineering colleagues was not invited to internal events attended by high-profile black visitors such as Jesse Jackson and Ben Jealous, chief executive of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). \"Is it because, as one colleague told me, 'they forgot that you were black?',\" he said. \"When Hillary Clinton and Mellody Hobson [chairman, Dreamworks Animation] visited, the Twitter Women Engineering resource group was notified and given an opportunity to meet privately.\" Mr Roetter said the firm is taking its commitment to increased diversity seriously. It has published its own diversity goals for 2016, which includes increasing the proportion of \"under-represented\" minority staff to 11%, and aiming to ensure that 35% of its staff are women.", "summary": "A senior Twitter executive has replied to criticism from a former employee about the firm's approach to diversity."}
{"article": "South Africans are angry and embarrassed by accusations that the president's friends are effectively running the country from their posh suburban mansion by appointing ministers. The statement by deputy Minister of Finance Mcebisi Jonas that he was offered a cabinet ministerial job by a member of the controversial Gupta family is more bad news for President Zuma. While he is known to be one of the greatest political survivors, from a distance it looks like this latest scandal could finally cost him the presidency. Mr Zuma denies that he has outsourced his constitutional duties of appointing cabinet ministers to his friends. He told a raucous parliament: \"I am in charge of the government, I appoint in terms of the constitution.\" \"There is no minister who is here who was ever appointed by the Guptas or by anybody else.\" The governing African National Congress (ANC), which until very recently vehemently defended its president, is beginning to change its tune. The party's Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said: \"The threat of corporate capture is a real threat. When you corrupt individual politicians to actually act as your proxies in the ANC to become agents of business interests then that's corporate capture.\" He described the Gupta family's rebuttal, saying the issue is not their undue influence but internal party political factions jostling for positions, as arrogance gone too far. Speaking to local TV channel ENCA he said: \"It's arrogance to the superlative degree.\" The Gupta family, who arrived from India in 1993, have responded to the latest allegations with a double-page advert entitled \"Gupta Family, The Inconvenient Truth\" in The New Age newspaper, which the family owns. The family, through their holding company Oakbay Investments said it was releasing details of a meeting it held with ANC officials last month. Several accusations were addressed line by line but the advert did not mention the reports of ministerial job offers, which the family has previously denied. \"Like any other South African businesses, we interact with the government,\" the family said. \"In fact, friendship with the previous president was as strong.\" Several ANC officials have joined in the attack on the Guptas. ANC MP Vytjie Mentor claimed on Facebook that she too was offered a cabinet job by the Gupta family, but she said she too refused. Soon after Mr Jonas spoke about the controversial meeting at the Gupta home called by Duduzane Zuma, the president's son, senior MPs took to social media to support him. Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom stated on his Twitter account: \"Mcebisi Jonas is a person of great integrity and there no reason to doubt his version of events.\" He was followed the former ANC's spokesman MP Jackson Mthembu who said: \"I fully agree that comrade Jonas is a person of integrity whose commitment to our democracy is unquestionable.\" Who are the Guptas? The expression of disgust gained momentum when ANC heavyweight and former cabinet minister Barbara Hogan said that the party needed to clear the \"rot.\" Ms Hogan, who was once the minister of public enterprise responsible for state companies such as South", "summary": "South Africa's President Jacob Zuma is walking further into a long, dark tunnel as he clings to his presidency."}
{"article": "The bag rocks alarmingly from side-to-side and threatens to overturn. Now, scientists have investigated this conundrum of everyday physics. Speeding up rather than slowing down can solve the problem, they say. Alternatively, you can pivot the handle of the suitcase as close to the ground as possible. French scientists studied a model suitcase on a treadmill to see what goes wrong when a suitcase rocks out of control at high speed. They developed equations to explain why two-wheeled trolleys have a tendency to rock from one wheel to the other. In cases of unstable bags - after having gone over a bump, for example - they found luggage rocks from side-to-side until it falls over, or it reaches a regular side-to-side swing. If a regular side-to-side swing develops, going faster results in smaller swings, said the researchers. \"Thus, one should accelerate rather than decelerate to attenuate the amplitude of oscillations,\" they explained. \"A non-experienced suitcase puller would not react this way. The outcome should not be a dramatic for a suitcase, but it could be troublesome for a trailer towed by a vehicle.\" This leads on to important practical implications of the research, which is published in the journal HRoyal Society Proceedings A. \"The suitcase is a fun way to tackle the problem but the study would be the same for any trolley with two wheels or blades,\" Sylvain Courrech du Pont, of Universite Paris-Diderot, who led the study, told BBC News. \"So it will be the same for a caravan or maybe also for airplanes.\" In technical terms, the mechanical instability is mainly due to the fact that there is a coupling between the translational motion and the rotational motion of the suitcase. It comes about because the two wheels are fixed together on a rod. In April, scientists solved another problem of everyday physics - why shoe laces come undone. They found the force of a foot striking the ground stretches and then relaxes the knot, while a second force caused by the leg swinging acts on the ends of the laces, like an invisible hand. This too has practical applications for structures such as DNA. Follow Helen on HTwitter.", "summary": "It's a common experience when dashing for a train or plane while lugging a two-wheeled suitcase."}
{"article": "Fran Murphy, 52, was paddling with friends on a sandbank at a resort near Perpignan when it collapsed, leaving her unconscious. The group was saved by a man from Swansea, and Ms Murphy appealed on BBC Wales for help to try and trace him. Now, she has met Ian Hullin and said it felt \"wonderful\" to be able to thank him for saving her life. Ms Murphy, a Cardiff librarian, was with three colleagues when the incident happened earlier this month. She was left unconscious and the group was unable to get ashore because of a rip current. They were saved by a mystery man who got them ashore and then \"disappeared\". Ms Murphy said her lungs were 80% full of water and she remained in hospital for over a week, with two days in intensive care. She did not remember her rescuer but her friends believed he was from Swansea. They said he joked that if he had known they were from Cardiff he would have \"left them\" in the water. Ms Murphy had said she just wanted to thank him for the \"amazing thing\" he had done. On Thursday Ms Murphy, her friends and Mr Hullin were finally reunited at her Cardiff home, and BBC Wales filmed the meeting. She told him: \"I'm just so glad that we managed to track you down so that we could just say thank you. \"You were just a mystery man to us at the time. We called you Mr Swansea. \"What you did was absolutely amazing. It might not be anything to you, but it meant a lot to us.\" Mr Hullin said he was \"really glad I could help\", and told Ms Murphy: \"You look better than the last time.\" He also said his mother, from Cardiff, was \"not happy\" at his joke about leaving them if he had known where they were from. He said he had made the joke while trying to reach shore with the second group of friends and was \"running out of banter\". Ms Murphy said she was \"absolutely ecstatic\" to meet Mr Hullin, adding: \"We're very grateful to the BBC. I don't think we would have found him otherwise.\" Mr Hullin, who works in the protection of vessels as they pass Somalia, came forward after a friend of his partner's saw the story on BBC Wales Today. His partner, Lucy Ross, said she had been having a \"lovely sunbathe\" when she noticed Mr Hullin had gone. She assumed he had gone for a long swim, but said: \"He just came back and casually said that he'd saved some women and then he just sat down.\" She said her partner then \"casually got on with his book\". For more on this story, see BBC Wales Today, BBC One Wales, at 18:30 BST on Thursday.", "summary": "A Cardiff holidaymaker has been reunited with the mystery man who saved her from drowning off a French beach."}
{"article": "The borehole, near Belcoo, will be to collect rock samples and will not involve fracking. Tamboran Resources said drilling will last about 30 days. If the samples show commercially viable levels of gas, Tamboran will begin a process that could lead to fracking. The company said the borehole will be about 15cm across and 750m deep. Residents from the Belcoo area are planning a protest on Monday evening after they said drilling equipment has been installed at a local quarry. Donal O'Cofaigh, a resident and one of the organisers of the protest, said: \"There has been absolutely no consultation whatsoever with us despite major concern by local residents and farmers at the potential risk associated with drilling and fracking. \"The first we knew that drilling equipment was being installed at the Acheson & Glover quarry was at 5am this morning, when local farmers witnessed the cavalcade of security escorting the trucks.\" Tamboran are intending to drill using \"permitted development rights\", which means the firm does not need to apply for planning permission. However, the Environment Minister Mark H Durkan has warned those rights may not apply if the work is likely to have \"a significant environmental impact\". He said he has instructed officials to \"consider carefully\" whether or not this is the case. Mr Durkan added that he will make a statement about the Environment Department's decision \"in due course\". In fracking, a mixture of water, sand and some chemicals are pumped into a well under high pressure to force the gas from the rock. In 2011, Tamboran was granted a petroleum licence for an initial five-year period from the Department of Enterprise to explore for natural gas in Fermanagh. The collection of rock samples is a requirement of the work programme set out by government within the licence. Tony Bazley, director of Tamboran Resources, said this work amounts to \"fact-finding, not fracking\". \"Tamboran's intention at this stage is only to verify that the elements necessary for natural gas and its recovery are contained within the shale in County Fermanagh.\" He said that the test drilling should quickly show if there is enough gas to make extraction commercially viable. \"If we find a significant gas resource, it is likely we will continue to the end of the licence term in 2016. \"Before the end of the licence term, a single site would be tested for natural gas if given planning permission.\" He added that this is \"still a long way off and ultimately any decision to use hydraulic fracturing will be made by the government of Northern Ireland\". The prospect of fracking has provoked controversy in Fermanagh, with some local people concerned that it could cause environmental damage. The former environment minister, Alex Attwood, has said Northern Ireland should adopt an \"enhanced precautionary approach\" to fracking. He said that was because it had not yet been proven to be a safe and responsible source of energy.", "summary": "The company that plans to use the controversial fracking technique to extract natural gas in County Fermanagh intends to drill an exploratory borehole in August."}
{"article": "About 1,250 people died in road accidents last year, the ministry said. The decision has been strongly criticised by many Cameroonians, who say it will affect their businesses and nightlife. The ban means that buses and taxis must be off roads from 2000 GMT to 0400 GMT. The ministry said night travel accounted for 35% of accidents, even though few people commuted at night. The accidents were caused mainly by heavy drinking, it said. About 12,000 people died last year in road accidents in Cameroon and another 12,000 were wounded, the ministry said. The BBC's Randy Joe Sa'ah in the capital, Yaounde, says that while many people welcome moves to reduce fatalities, they believe poor roads are the main cause of accidents. Only about 20% of Cameroon's roads are tarred, he says. Many people are not sure how they will travel to and from work because some journeys last more than six hours, our reporter says. Police have been ordered to pull off buses and taxis that travel after 2000 GMT, raising the prospect of commuters sleeping on the roadside or walking home, he says. The ban has also been condemned by owners of bars and night clubs, who believe that it will ruin their businesses and destroy nightlife in big cities. Small-scale traders said their income would be badly affected because their produce would not reach markets early in the morning. \"I'm finished. This is bad for me and my children,\" a vegetable hawker, Grace Teboh, was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying.", "summary": "Cameroon has banned all night-time public transport on roads to curb accidents caused by heavy drinking, the transport ministry says."}
{"article": "M2 Subsea - headquartered in Westhill - will tackle explosive devices lying at the bottom of the Baltic Sea since World War 2. Two remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs) will work from the Go Electra support vessel. The contract was awarded by Next Geosolutions. M2 Subsea chief executive officer Mike Arnold said: \"This contract award from Next Geosolutions is great for the business and a significant scope of work for us to win. \"It highlights both our capabilities to negotiate what is a very challenging subsea environment. \"Safety is a key factor on every project and in particular where it involves surveying the seabed to identify undiscovered explosive devices for removal.\"", "summary": "An Aberdeenshire subsea business has won a contract worth more than \u00a31m to remove explosives from around the world's longest pipeline."}
{"article": "Sixty-two-year-old Gillian Sandle, was a passenger in the vehicle which was travelling through Havant, near Portsmouth, on Sunday lunchtime. Members of the public tried to revive her, but she died in hospital. Ms Sandle's family said they were \"totally devastated at the sudden and tragic loss of such a wonderful lady\". Police are appealing for witnesses to the accident in North Street between 12:35 and 12:40 GMT. The vehicle was a blue Volkswagen beach buggy. Sgt Melanie Adcock of Hampshire Constabulary said: \"This incident took place at a busy time of day when there were lots of Christmas shoppers in North Street so it is likely many people saw what happened. \"I would like to hear from anyone who witnessed any part of this incident.\"", "summary": "A woman was killed when her scarf got caught in the wheel of a beach buggy she was travelling in."}
{"article": "He is the second Belgian cyclist to die in as many days after Antoine Demoitie was struck by a motorbike during Belgium's Gent-Wevelgem race. Myngheer, who turned professional last year, had been in an induced coma. His team, Roubaix Metropole Lille, said in a statement: \"He lost his last race after fighting like a champion.\" Myngheer pulled up in difficulty 20 miles from the line in the first stage of the race at Porto-Vecchio on Saturday. He suffered the heart attack while in an ambulance, before being transferred by helicopter to hospital, where he was put on artificial respiration and fell into a coma. According to his team, Myngheer's organs have been donated. British cyclist Mark Cavendish tweeted: \"Such a terribly sad few days in the professional cycling world. Another tragic loss. \"RIP Daan Myngheer. My thoughts are with your loved ones.\" The Trek-Segafredo team added: \"The cycling family loses another young talent. Our thoughts go to the loved ones and team members of Daan Myngheer.\" The latest tragedy comes after Demoitie, 25, was killed when he was hit by a motorbike on Monday. The accident happened after several riders crashed as they passed through northern France during Sunday's Gent-Wevelgem one-day race. Demoitie, who was riding for the Wanty-Gobert team, was taken to hospital in Lille but died some time later. In January, six racers from the Giant-Alpecin team, including German John Degenkolb and Frenchman Warren Barguil, were injured in a collision with a car during a training ride south of Valencia.", "summary": "Cyclist Daan Myngheer, 22, has died in hospital after suffering a heart attack during the first stage of the Criterium International in Corsica."}
{"article": "The Real Madrid player, 23, will miss Saturday's Champions League final against Atletico Madrid in Milan. The French Football Federation said scans had confirmed Varane, who has won 29 caps for Les Bleus, would be out for up to three weeks. Sevilla defender Adil Rami, 30, has been called up by manager Didier Deschamps as his replacement. France play Group A rivals Romania in the tournament opener on 10 June. France squad for Euro 2016: Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandanda, Benoit Costil. Defenders: Adil Rami, Laurent Koscielny, Eliaquim Mangala, Jeremy Mathieu, Patrice Evra, Bacary Sagna, Christophe Jallet, Lucas Digne. Midfielders: Paul Pogba, Blaise Matuidi, Lassana Diarra, N'Golo Kante, Yohan Cabaye, Moussa Sissoko. Forwards: Antoine Griezmann, Dimitri Payet, Anthony Martial, Kingsley Coman, Olivier Giroud, Andre-Pierre Gignac. Reserves: Alphonse Areola, Hatem Ben Arfa, Kevin Gameiro, Alexandre Lacazette, Adrien Rabiot, Morgan Schneiderlin, Djibril Sidibe, Samuel Umtiti.", "summary": "France defender Raphael Varane has been ruled out of the host nation's Euro 2016 campaign with a thigh injury."}
{"article": "Ennis-Hill, 30, won the 800m - the final discipline of the competition - but it was not enough to overtake Belgian Thiam who won by 35 points. Canadian Brianne Theisen-Eaton won bronze, with Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson finishing sixth. After the event, Ennis-Hill hinted she could now retire. \"It's going to be a tough decision, I'm going to go away and think about it,\" she said. \"At this moment, I'm tired and emotional, it's a big decision.\" Four-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson told BBC Sport that he thinks Ennis Hill's career \"is done\". The American added: \"Why would you come back? She won at the Olympics, so the World Championships in London in 2017 will pale in comparison.\" Ennis-Hill said she was \"proud\" to be back on the podium. It was the third medal Britain ended up winning inside the Olympic Stadium on Saturday after Mo Farah retained his 10,000m Olympic title and Greg Rutherford took bronze in the long jump. \"Mo was incredible and Greg was amazing as well,\" said Ennis-Hill. \"We've all done really well.\" After winning Olympic gold in London, Ennis-Hill had her first child, Reggie, in 2014 and won a second world title just 13 months later. \"I have had an amazing few years and achieved so much in this sport,\" she said. \"I'm really proud.\" The London 2012 champion, looking to become the first British female track and field athlete to win back-to-back Olympic titles, led after day one but slipped back into second following Saturday morning's long jump. A stunning javelin performance by Thiam, 21, meant Ennis-Hill had to beat the Belgian by 9.47 seconds in the seventh and final event. She could only finish 7.47secs ahead in the decisive 800m. \"It's more than a dream to be Olympic champion,\" said Thiam. \"I injured my elbow six weeks ago throwing the javelin in the Belgian championships. \"At first, the doctor was not very optimistic about it. They said I had to go through the pain but if I was throwing correctly it would be OK. \"I wasn't expecting to win. Maybe top eight, but not the gold.\" Johnson-Thompson saw her medal hopes dashed by poor performances in the shot put and javelin, where she could only manage a best of 36.36m. It was the second year in a row where the 23-year-old from Liverpool has failed to live up to expectations at a major event, following her collapse in the long jump at last year's World Championships. \"I'm disappointed with my performance,\" she said. \"I feel like I was capable of it, but there's nothing I can do. I've got no excuses, I just didn't execute.\" BBC Sport's chief sports writer Tom Fordyce said Thiam deserved her win, adding: \"Five personal bests across seven events, a woman who is only just getting started and should go on to dominate the heptathlon for years to come.\" Former British sprinter and Olympic gold medallist Darren Campbell said: \"It's a lesson for Katarina Johnson-Thompson. This is the level of athlete she will need to beat to win at major", "summary": "Great Britain's Jessica Ennis-Hill narrowly failed to retain her Olympic heptathlon title as she won silver behind Nafissatou Thiam at Rio 2016."}
{"article": "The power switch could short-circuit, causing parts to overheat and potentially leading to a fire, the company said. It is the latest in a string of recalls by the carmaker. Toyota has already recalled some 10 million cars globally that were fitted with faulty air bags linked to a number of deaths. The defective window switch affects models including the Yaris model as well as the Corolla, Camry, RAV4, Highlander and others. The recall only affects cars produced between 2005 and 2010. Of the total, about 2.7 million cars were sold in North America, 1.2 million in Europe, and 600,000 in Japan, the company said. The firm explained that modules in a switch related to the electric window might have been lubricated inconsistently during manufacturing. Debris caused by wear from the electrical contact points can accumulate and cause a short-circuit. This could in turn cause the switch to overheat and melt, potentially leading to a fire. Toyota said it was not aware of any accidents caused by the glitch.", "summary": "Japanese carmaker Toyota has said it will recall 6.5 million vehicles globally over a faulty window switch."}
{"article": "The AU has already said it is investigating allegations that its soldiers have been involved in killing civilians in the town in July. But this is the first detailed account of this alleged incident. Witnesses told the US-based campaign group that troops from Uganda allegedly carried out the killings on 31 July. Neither the AU nor the Ugandan government has commented yet on the details of latest allegations. BBC Africa Live: News updates Witnesses say that following a bomb attack on an AU convoy in Merca, which is some 70km (45 miles) south of the capital, Mogadishu, Ugandan forces entered several nearby houses. \"At one house, where the Moalim Iidey family was celebrating a wedding, the soldiers separated the men from the women and shot the six adult men - four brothers, their father, and an uncle,\" HRW said in a statement. \"Four died immediately, one brother hid under a bed after being shot but later died, and the father died during the night after the soldiers allegedly refused to allow the family to take him to the hospital,\" it said. One witness told HRW that before the alleged killings, most people in the area had fled, fearing reprisals after AU convoy attack. Those who had stayed behind expected that they would be protected because they were celebrating a wedding, the witness added. HRW says witnesses also allege that 11 civilians were killed by AU troops on 21 July in Merca. None of the survivors of the two alleged incidents interviewed by Human Rights Watch have yet been interviewed by AU investigators, the rights group said. There has been a renewed offensive by the AU and Somali military in recent weeks in Lower Shabelle region, where Merca is located, aimed at reclaiming territory from Islamists militants. AU troops have been in the Somalia since 2007 helping various UN-backed governments fight the al-Shabab group - and there is now a force of more than 21,000 in the country. Most of its troops come from Uganda and Burundi. Somalia has seen clan-based warlords, rival politicians and Islamist militants battle for control since the fall of long-serving ruler Siad Barre in 1991.", "summary": "African Union (AU ) soldiers allegedly killed six people at a wedding in Somalia's port town of Merca, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said."}
{"article": "The union organisation said bosses should be happy with staff wearing vest tops and shorts rather than tights or jackets and ties during the hot spell. Fans should be available in offices without air conditioning, it urged. Firms should also supply cold drinks and allow employees to take frequent breaks, it said, as temperatures are expected to rise to 30C (86F). Plans are already in place for some local trains to operate at reduced speed, and the TUC said that commuters and workers should be given flexibility at times of high temperatures. \"It is no fun working in a baking office or factory and employers should do all they can to take the temperature down,\" said TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady. \"Clearly vest tops and shorts are not suitable attire for all frontline staff, but those not dealing with the public should be able to discard their tights, ties and suits.\" The Chartered Management Institute echoed the TUC's call for flexible working, claiming that many businesses underestimated the effect that weather conditions could have on output. \"It is therefore vital for employers to ensure they have business continuity plans in place to prepare for these situations, to ensure that productivity doesn't drop and that flexible working arrangements are on offer, should employees require these,\" it said.", "summary": "Staff should be allowed to dress down and work flexible hours during the hot spell of weather, the TUC has said."}
{"article": "The 14-year-old boy who was injured was walking with a 15-year-old boy when he was struck in Fernhill Road, near Rutherglen, at 14:15 on 24 January. Police previously said a light-green Vauxhall Corsa mounted the pavement before heading off towards Castlemilk. They have now arrested a 16-year-old male. He is expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday.", "summary": "A teenager has been arrested in connection with an alleged hit-and-run incident which left a boy in hospital."}
{"article": "Barnes finished second on the 62km street race to move on to the podium as Belgium's Jolien D'Hoore won the stage, with Christine Majerus in third. Luxembourg's Majerus finished second overall, 1:18 minutes behind Niewiadoma Barnes' sister Alice was sixth with fellow Briton Dani King in ninth. Britain's defending champion Lizzie Deignan finished 42nd overall, while Olympic team pursuit champion Katie Archibald was 18th. 1. Jolien D'Hoore (Bel/Wiggle High5) 1hr 28mins 23secs 2. Hannah Barnes (GB/Canyon SRAM Racing) same time 3. Christine Majerus (Lux/Boels Dolmans) same time 4. Roxane Fournier (Fra/FDJ) same time 5. Katie Archibald (GB/WNT) same time 1. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol/WM3 Pro Cycling) 16hrs 34mins 53secs 2. Christine Majerus (Lux/Boels Dolmans) +1min 18secs 3. Hannah Barnes (GB/Canyon SRAM Racing) +1min 30sec", "summary": "Britain's Hannah Barnes finished third on the Women's Tour as Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma claimed the overall title after Sunday's final stage in London."}
{"article": "The week-long event will see 15,000 young people aged under 25 competing in categories including singing, dancing, drawing and cooking. Around 100,000 visitors are expected to attend the annual touring event held at Llancaiach Fawr in Nelson this year. The Urdd was established in 1922 to help young people learn and socialise in the Welsh language. S4C broadcaster Iwan Griffiths, who has competed in the Urdd Eisteddfod many times, said it was important it visited areas like Caerphilly, where there were \"pockets of Welsh speakers\". Hosting committees must raise \u00c2\u00a3200,000 for each event and people in Caerphilly have organised a series of fundraisers over the past year. Sunday's highlights include a morning service led by pupils from Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni and an opening concert led by BBC One Show's Alex Jones. There will also be performances from acts including singer Kizzy Crawford and Huw Euron. Competitions run throughout the week, with those involving choirs and dance groups the last to take place on Saturday 30 May. Event mascot Mistar Urdd will welcome an old friend to the festival this year, when the character Pen Gwyn from Patagonia reappears for the first time since 1979. Pen Gwyn's inclusion at the event will mark the 150th anniversary of Welsh settlers arriving in Patagonia, Argentina. There is live coverage on BBC Radio Cymru and on BBC Wales' Cymru Fyw online service. There is also television coverage during the week on S4C, with English commentary of live events on the channel's red button.", "summary": "One of Europe's biggest youth festivals - the Urdd Eisteddfod - begins in Caerphilly county on Sunday."}
{"article": "But he will continue to appeal against the minimum of 37 years he was ordered to serve in prison The sentence was the longest ever passed by a Scottish court. Sinclair was convicted last year of raping and murdering Christine Eadie and Helen Scott in 1977. The teenagers disappeared after being in the World's End pub in Edinburgh's Royal Mile. Their naked bodies were later found in a field in East Lothian. Police believe Sinclair has also killed at least six other women and girls. The sentence given to Sinclair, who will turn 70 this year, means he would be aged 106 before he was eligible to apply for parole. His conviction brought one of Scotland's most infamous unsolved cases to a conclusion, and marked the first prosecution since changes to Scotland's double jeopardy law. Sinclair, a violent offender who has already spent more than half of his life in prison, had intended to appeal against the World's End conviction. But a procedural hearing at the Appeal Court in Edinburgh was told that he no longer intends to appeal against the conviction, a spokesman for the Judicial Office for Scotland confirmed. A formal abandonment is expected to be lodged in due course and his appeal against sentence will be heard in November.", "summary": "Worlds End murderer Angus Sinclair is to drop his appeal against his conviction."}
{"article": "Aras Mohammed Hamid, 27, and Shivan Hayder Azeez Zangana, 21, known as Azeez, were jailed for seven years and three years respectively. They were convicted in December of preparing acts of terrorism. A third man, Ahmed Ismail, 19, was jailed for 18 months for failing to alert authorities to their plot. See more stories from across Coventry and Warwickshire here Azeez, of Washington Road, Sheffield, was sent to the UK by his family to keep him safe after battling extremists with the Kurdish Peshmerga separatist group, Kingston Crown Court heard. He was turned by fellow Kurd, asylum-seeker Hamid, and agreed to change sides and go with him to fight for IS. The two were discovered by police sleeping at a Birmingham mosque on 17 May, days after several of Azeez's worried relatives had called 999 with concerns about what he was planning. He had fled his home and bought a plane ticket from Gatwick to Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq. While Azeez was arrested at the mosque in Holyhead Road, Handsworth, Hamid, of no fixed address, had items confiscated but was not detained. He was discovered two days later hiding in a lorry on the A2 near Dover, Kent, while trying to smuggle himself out the UK. He had a fake Bulgarian passport. Hamid was also convicted of assisting another in commission of terrorist acts and admitted a charge of possession of an identification document with improper intent. Ismail, of Portwrinkle Avenue, Coventry, was convicted of failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism. Hamid and Azeez were each ordered to serve an extended period of 12 months on licence at the end of their sentences.", "summary": "Two Kurds living in the UK are jailed for terror offences after trying to join so-called Islamic State fighters in Iraq."}
{"article": "The Buchan Alpha is due in Lerwick, weather permitting, on Friday. The production vessel is to be brought in to anchor for the removal of some of the deeper parts of structure. The next stage is being brought alongside at the newly extended Dales Voe deepwater quay to be dismantled for recycling. It is expected to take about 17 months to take Buchan Alpha apart. Jobs created The work will be done by the French company Veolia, and 35 jobs will be created by the project. Originally a drilling rig, Buchan Alpha started production from the Buchan field in 1981. It was taken out of service in May by operators Repsol Sinopec Resources UK.", "summary": "An offshore vessel said to have produced almost 150 million barrels of oil over 36 years is scheduled to arrive in Shetland for decommissioning."}
{"article": "Emily Arbuthnott, 37, struck James Lyall, 82, while he was walking across the road in front of her car at a zebra crossing on the A92 in Inverbervie in November 2014. Mother-of-three Arbuthnott, of Laurencekirk, admitted the charge at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. Sentence was deferred for background reports. The charge stated the driver failed to slow down or stop when her vision was obscured by the sun and did not notice Mr Lyall as he crossed the road. He was taken to hospital in an ambulance under police escort but later died. Arbuthnott, the daughter-in-law of the 17th Viscount of Arbuthnott, was not injured in the crash which happened on 5 November 2014.", "summary": "A motorist has admitted causing the death of a pensioner by driving carelessly on an Aberdeenshire road."}
{"article": "Researchers in Bristol found 8% more patients died after 30 days if they were operated on between 24 and 36 hours after admission to hospital. The delay is thought to have caused 670 excess deaths in four years. Project leader Timothy Chesser said it was the \"first time\" the benefits of early surgery had been revealed. Data was collected by a team at Southmead Hospital from the National Hip Fracture Database, the largest such list in the world. The study focussed on 241,446 patients across England and Wales who were admitted to hospitals with hip fractures between January 2011 and December 2014, and the mortality rate for these patients 30 days after they were admitted. Guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in 2011 called for patients to be operated on either the same day, or the day after, hospital admission. But the new report says that even earlier surgery can improve outcomes for elderly patients who are often frail, with multiple medical problems. \"We found 8% more patients died if they were operated on between 24 and 36 hours compared to those given surgery within 24 hours, and the risk increased to 20% for those receiving surgery after 48 hours,\" said Adrian Sayers, the lead author on the paper. Timothy Chesser, the clinical lead of the research project, said early surgery was not advisable for every patient, but was beneficial in the majority of cases. \"We have shown for the first time that early surgery is much better for patients,\" he said. \"The caveat is some of these patients are very sick and would benefit from greater time to get better before surgical procedures.\"", "summary": "Hundreds of lives could be saved if patients with hip fractures were operated on in under 24 hours, a new study reveals."}
{"article": "Despite having the greater possession in the first half, Orient failed to test Alex goalkeeper Ben Garrett and paid the price when the home side found themselves two goals down at the interval. The visitors incisive football at the business end of the pitch proved decisive. On 34 minutes, Jens Janse sent his intended clearance straight into the path of Cooper who struck the ball into the top left corner of the net from 12 yards. Two minutes later, Crewe were only prevented from doubling their lead when Tom Parkes cleared a shot from Alex Kiwomya off the line but on-loan Chelsea midfielder Kiwomya was to feature in the second goal. He sent in a sublime cross from the left to the unmarked Davis who was left with the simplest of close-range finishes to extend his side's advantage. Only an outstanding save in added time from keeper Alex Ciask prevented Billy Bingham from adding to the Railwaymen's lead. To compound to Orient's misery, winger and substitute Ulrich Nnomo was stretchered off with a leg injury just 16 minutes after joining the action leaving the home side to play out the final few minutes with 10 men. During the second half, a section of the Orient crowd calling for president Francesco Becchetti to quit the club and the home team left the field to a chorus of boos from the Brisbane Road faithful. Report supplied by the Press Association. Substitution, Crewe Alexandra. Tom Lowery replaces George Cooper. Ulrich N'Nomo (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Danny Hollands (Crewe Alexandra). Corner, Leyton Orient. Conceded by Oliver Turton. Substitution, Crewe Alexandra. Billy Bingham replaces Ryan Lowe. Attempt missed. Robbie Weir (Leyton Orient) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Oliver Turton (Crewe Alexandra) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Callum Kennedy (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Oliver Turton (Crewe Alexandra). Substitution, Leyton Orient. Jay Simpson replaces Nigel Atangana. Substitution, Leyton Orient. Ulrich N'Nomo replaces Gavin Massey. Corner, Leyton Orient. Conceded by Oliver Turton. Jon Guthrie (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Robbie Weir (Leyton Orient). Delay in match Alex Kiwomya (Crewe Alexandra) because of an injury. Jens Janse (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Chris Dagnall (Crewe Alexandra). Attempt missed. Tom Parkes (Leyton Orient) header from very close range is close, but misses to the left. Corner, Leyton Orient. Conceded by Ben Garratt. Attempt saved. Ollie Palmer (Leyton Orient) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top right corner. Nicky Hunt (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Ryan Lowe (Crewe Alexandra). Foul by Gavin Massey (Leyton Orient). Alex Kiwomya (Crewe Alexandra) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Second Half begins Leyton Orient 0, Crewe Alexandra 2. Substitution, Leyton Orient. Michael Collins replaces Jordan Bowery. First Half ends, Leyton Orient 0, Crewe Alexandra 2. Goal! Leyton", "summary": "George Cooper and Harry Davis goals earned Crewe Alexandra their first win in seven League Two matches as they beat Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road."}
{"article": "There are those who will argue to kingdom come that the Six Nations is fine as it is, that it has its own identity and doesn't need to go down the road of being tricked up. What next? Kiss-cams. Mexican waves. Pitch-side microphone-wielding fun police ordering everybody to 'MAKE SOME NOISE!' Too late, alas. Too late. Those who are against bonus points for extra scores see it is a gimmick that will do nothing to enhance a tournament that doesn't need a whole lot of enhancing in the first place. Apply a retrospective bonus-point system and would it have changed the finishing order in 2016? No. How about 2015, 2014? No, no. Are there not enough tries in the Six Nations already? Not as many as its southern hemisphere counterpart, the Rugby Championship, but enough to satisfy the vast crowds who always turn up to watch it? The average try count per match in the 2016 Six Nations was 4.73. In the Rugby Championship it was 5.83. The season before it was 4.13 in the north and 5.5 in the south. The season before that, 4.07 in the Six Nations and 4.17 in the Rugby Championship. It's not as big a gulf as people might think. In any event, Six Nations rugby is not Rugby Championship rugby. It has its own heartbeat. Oftentimes, it's rugby in the trenches. Full Metal Jacket stuff. It's not as easy on the eye as the New Zealands and the Australias, but it works. And fans adore it. In the southern hemisphere's four-nation tournament, yes, there are more tries, but does that necessarily make it better, more intoxicating? Across a difficult four-year period in economic terms, Six Nations crowds have gone from an average of 69,531 to 68,968, a drop of less than 1%. That's good going in the climate. The Rugby Championship's crowds are down close to 12%. The opposing, pro-change view is that the Six Nations has become a bit tired and is in need of modernising. The Rugby Championship, the Champions Cup, the Premiership in England, the Pro12, the Top 14 in France and Super Rugby in the southern hemisphere all have the bonus-point system. In the Six Nations there is a view that the premium is on defence over attack. That argument can be overblown, but there's truth in it, too. Those who are supportive of the new bonus-point system see a vision of the future that will have a nation busting a gut to turn three tries into four in the latter stages of a Test, just to secure that extra point. Cue more attacking intent and more entertainment. That's the wish. For example, in the 2015 Six Nations, had England scored four tries against Scotland - and got a bonus point - instead of three they might have won the championship. The winners, Ireland, could apply the same logic to one of their games, of course. So could Wales. In 2014, had England added to their two first-half tries in their victory against Wales with another two in the second half", "summary": "When the Six Nations committee decided to introduce a bonus-point system for the 2017 championship you could almost hear the contrasting reactions in rugby heartlands in Britain and Ireland."}
{"article": "Leicester Crown Court was told Iain Lawrence 53, of Ratcliffe Road, Leicester, had not come to terms with the break-up of his marriage. The accident happened a day after an argument about finances involved in their upcoming divorce proceedings. Mr Lawrence, who was not seriously injured in the crash, denies murder. The court was told that Sally Lawrence's death was \"a planned killing born out of grief, anger and jealousy\". Mrs Lawrence, 47, died from head injuries in the crash at Oadby in Leicestershire last October. The court was told Mrs Lawrence's seatbelt had been unclipped before the crash and an airbag had been disabled. The prosecution said the car had been driven deliberately into the tree with the passenger side taking the brunt of the impact. The court also heard that Mrs Lawrence had often told relatives and friends that she was scared of her estranged husband. The jury was told that police later found her car unlocked on the drive of the house with her handbag and overnight bag inside. The trial continues.", "summary": "A man deliberately crashed his car into a tree to kill his estranged wife who was travelling with him, a court has heard."}
{"article": "The former minister had been criticised for promoting the initiative. But the department has said she and her colleagues were only made aware of the budgetary pressures in February 2016. They received the information in a letter from the then Department of Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell. Another letter from Mr Bell was received in November 2015 which contained details on proposed changes to tariffs, but did not mention the financial crisis. Mrs O'Neill, who is now Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in's Stormont leader, previously defended her role in promoting the scheme saying Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in \"shut it down straight away\" when the issues arose. The RHI scheme was set up in 2012, intended to increase the creation of heat from renewable sources. However, businesses have been receiving more in subsidies than they are paying for renewable fuel and the scheme became highly oversubscribed. A Department for Agriculture spokesperson said: \"While DETI officials may have mentioned the new tariffs during presentations on RHI at some information events connected to the renewable energy training programme in the autumn of 2015, the department itself was given no indication of the budgetary pressures involved. \"On the 5th February 2016 Mr Bell wrote to First and deputy First Minister, copied to all his Ministerial colleagues, seeking agreement to take an urgent decision on the closure of the RHI scheme. It was only in this latter correspondence that Mr Bell mentioned affordability and budgetary pressures.\"", "summary": "Michelle O'Neill only learned of the huge hole in the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) budget at the time the scheme was closing, the Department for Agriculture has confirmed."}
{"article": "\"Hockey?\" suggested a teenager uncertainly. \"Basketball?\" ventured another. Most people simply shook their heads. \"Sorry,\" said one middle-aged man, sipping on a glass of tea. \"We don't play that game here.\" For fans of rugby union, Kolkata - formerly called Calcutta - is synonymous with the Calcutta Cup - the annual game played between England and Scotland that had its origins here in the 1870s. The city remains India's rugby capital - and although about 40,000 people nationwide play the game according to the sport's administrators - that lack of recognition is its biggest struggle. \"Rugby is basically not known as a sport,\" says Noomi Mehta, president of the Indian Rugby Football Board - recalling the game's comically-inaccurate portrayal in a local Tamil film - a clip of which is now doing the rounds on the internet. \"It was basically gang warfare on a field.\" He can see the funny side, but says the lack of understanding is making it hard for the sport to attract the money needed to spread the game and encourage promising players. \"Getting sponsors is hard. We have had them in the past, but they stay for a year or two years and then they look elsewhere,\" Mr Mehta says. Indian rugby remains fully amateur - with power centred around just two clubs - one in Kolkata and another in Mumbai. Both are members-only establishments - set up way back under British rule. The welcome is warm and friendly, and the oak-panelled clubhouses and trophy cabinets carry an air of history and tradition - or elitism - depending on your point of view. But even having basic facilities, like changing rooms, make them the go-to venues for almost all the country's major tournaments. Shaking off that stuffy image - and showing more international rugby on Indian television - would be a good way to popularise the game says Mr Mehta, who thinks rugby's future lies in India's rural hinterland. The Calcutta Cup The Calcutta Cup is the trophy presented to the winner of the England versus Scotland rugby union match which takes place during the annual Six Nations Championship. After the introduction of rugby to India in 1872, the Calcutta (Rugby) Football Club was set up by former students of Rugby School in January 1873. It joining the Rugby Football Union in 1874, but with the departure of a local British army regiment interest in the sport waned. The members decided to disband and withdrew the club's funds from the bank, which were in Silver Rupees. These were then melted down and made into a cup which they presented to the RFU in 1878, on the understanding that it should be competed for annually. And like football, hockey, badminton and (Indian sport) kabaddi have already done - Mr Mehta says rugby could learn from the success of cricket's Indian Premier League - creating a made-for-television short format tournament with Bollywood owners, music, and razzmatazz that attracts international players by making it financially worth their while. \"You can find sponsors at that level,\" Mr Mehta confidently predicts. Not", "summary": "On the streets of Kolkata, I carried out a fairly unscientific experiment - showing passers-by a rugby ball and asking if they knew which sport it was used for."}
{"article": "The first incident happened at Waterloo Close in Hightown at 22:00 BST followed by others nearby. No one was injured. Police are investigating the \"extremely serious incident\".", "summary": "Six cars have been set alight in Wrexham overnight, say North Wales Police."}
{"article": "The Metropolitan Police said Daniel Sheehan, of no fixed address, had been charged on Saturday. He will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday. No members of the Royal Family are thought to have been at the palace at the time of the alleged incident on Friday. The Queen had undertaken an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle earlier in the day.", "summary": "A 21-year-old man has been charged with two counts of trespass after climbing a gate at Buckingham Palace, police say."}
{"article": "22 December 2015 Last updated at 11:22 GMT The two male suspects are believed to have scaled a fence in the back garden and broken into the house in Ashbourne Road, Mitcham, sometime between Saturday morning and Monday afternoon when the theft was discovered. The thieves damaged cuddly toys, puzzles and games belonging to the victim's' baby and stole gifts including jewellery, photographic equipment, a tablet and a laptop computer.", "summary": "CCTV footage has been released of thieves stealing gifts from under a Christmas tree at a home in south London."}
{"article": "It cost the 26-year-old from Newcastle-under-Lyme a quarter-final against the game's biggest draw, Ronnie O'Sullivan. \"I can't be too hard on myself. I hope there'll be many more possibilities in the future,\" he told BBC Radio Stoke. \"It was good to go deep into a tournament and feel involved. I've not done that too many times.\" The only other time Highfield had done so since turning professional in 2010 was at the Paul Hunter Classic in Germany in August. Media playback is not supported on this device He also came through three matches there to make the last 16, but his progress at the York Barbican was a much bigger deal, as it came in one of snooker's \"Triple Crown\" of events. Two 6-5 wins, followed by a 6-2 third-round success against Peter Lines, earned Highfield a best-ever pay cheque of \u00a315,000. Although he would have banked \u00a322,500 for beating 1999 and 2003 world champion Williams, Highfield's efforts on his 26th birthday have given him a taste for more. \"The way I played against Lines, I can take a lot of confidence from that,\" he said. \"I've got used to playing small arenas, but it's about getting used to being out there in front of a massive crowd. Hopefully I can do that as much as I can.\"", "summary": "Liam Highfield made for a frustrated figure at the UK Championship in York after his final-frame defeat by twice former world champion Mark Williams."}
{"article": "Under a tax scheme in place since 2005, some firms could reduce taxable profits in Belgium by up to 90%. Companies that were not part of global groups could not claim the same benefits, which Europe's Competition Commission said \"distorts competition\". European firms were the main beneficiaries, according to the EU. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: \"Belgium has given a select number of multinationals substantial tax advantages that break EU state aid rules. It distorts competition on the merits by putting smaller competitors who are not multinational on an unequal footing. The so-called excess profit scheme has been on hold since 2015, when the EU announced its investigation. The Commission did not mention any firms by name, but media reports said they included brewer AB Inbev and British American Tobacco.", "summary": "Belgium has been ordered by European authorities to recover \u20ac700m (\u00a3524m; $763m) from 35 multinational companies after giving them illegal tax breaks."}
{"article": "Rita King, 81, who had dementia, died after being shot at De La Mer House, in Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, in December. Her husband, Ronald King, who has a mental health condition, admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Judge Charles Gratwicke, at Chelmsford Crown Court, told him: \"This was not a mercy killing.\" He added: \"This was without a doubt a carefully planned killing.\" Killer told care home: 'I just killed the wife' Follow updates on this story and other Essex news The trial was told Mrs King's severe dementia had worsened in the months before her death and her husband had Alzheimer's and another mental health condition called paraphrenia which affected his ability to form judgements. King, of Cedar Close, Walton-on-the-Naze, denied murder at an earlier hearing, but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. During the trial, the jury heard King also considered shooting his older sister Eileen, who is a resident at the care home, as well as himself. Mr King was sentenced to six years for manslaughter, five years for firearm possession and 12 months for possessing ammunition. All three terms will be served concurrently. The judge ordered he be treated for his mental health condition at a secure hospital unit in Northampton. Consultant psychiatrist James Warner said paraphrenia was an older person's version of schizophrenia in which people lose contact with reality.", "summary": "An 87-year-old man who shot his wife dead at a care home has been sentenced to six years in prison."}
{"article": "Ms Wood, whose comments come after the Grenfell Tower fire, said a review into product safety she carried out for the government had been ignored. She said she felt she had been offered an MBE last year, which she turned down, to \"stop her nagging\" officials. The government said it took consumer product safety \"extremely seriously\". Ms Wood, who presented consumer affairs show Watchdog from 1985 to 1993, and who has long campaigned on consumer rights, was asked to look into the product recall system by the coalition government. It followed concerns the system was not working properly, leading to avoidable injuries, accidents, and even deaths. The review was published in February 2016, but Ms Wood said the government had not acted on any of its findings. The the review's key recommendations included: Speaking to Radio 5 Live's Wake Up To Money, Ms Wood said following the review she was invited to meet a government minister who had not \"read a word of it\". \"I said, actually minister I have been invited along to talk to you about something I've spent the last nine months doing. \"I thought it was shocking. It made me feel they had wasted my time and a lot of other people's time.\" Ms Wood said the UK was importing appliances from many more countries than it used to, and that while most would be safe, greater vigilance was needed against unscrupulous suppliers. She cited incidents including last year's Shepherd's Bush tower block fire, believed to have been caused by a faulty tumble dryer, as well blazes linked to Beko fridge freezers. She said Trading Standards departments in local authorities were struggling to police companies because of budget cuts, and businesses had become bolder about cutting corners. \"We do not know what caused the Grenfell Tower fire, but what we do know is that we are putting people at risk because we don't have a good enough system,\" she said. A business department spokeswoman said a working group had been established in October 2016 to look at product recalls and safety \"to ensure the products we all use are as safe as possible\". She said the group, led by fire safety expert Neil Gibbins, was exploring Ms Faulds Wood's recommendations and \"developing options\" for improvement. She added that the group had commissioned the British Standards Institute to develop a code of practice on recalls.", "summary": "The government is not doing enough to protect consumers from faulty products that can cause fires, former BBC presenter Lynn Faulds-Wood has said."}
{"article": "Media reports put the length of the traffic jam in the north-western Tver region at up to 200km (124 miles) - but officials said it was about 20km. The officials said field kitchens had been operating on the M-10 motorway, although some drivers complained that supplies never reached them. After three days of chaos, traffic was reportedly returning to normal. The motorway began clogging up in the early hours of Friday because of heavy snow and ice. \"Drivers help one another and that's it: the problems are on the side of the authorities,\" lorry driver Sergei told Rossiya 24 TV. \"There are no petrol tankers, no water, nothing, we are just stuck here,\" he added. Another driver was quoted in the local media as saying that he only managed to move forward one kilometre on Sunday and was feeling cold in freezing temperatures. The Russian authorities said late on Sunday that they had managed to unblock the traffic jam and vehicles on M-10 were now moving at 90km/h (55mph).", "summary": "Heavy snowfall has created a huge traffic jam on a major motorway in Russia, trapping thousands of vehicles."}
{"article": "The Hollywood star has set up his own call centre in the city's Fact gallery, where he and his two artistic collaborators are fielding calls. They will be at their desks between 11:00 and 18:00 GMT from Thursday to Sunday. Those wishing to touch LaBeouf's soul can call the trio on 0151 808 0771. Others can visit the gallery to see the event unfold in person, or can watch a live stream and see notes the trio are making on Touchmysoul.net. LaBeouf made his name in films like the Transformers series, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In the last two years, he has become known for art performances that examine the nature of fame and the gap between a celebrity's public persona and real life. He wore a paper bag with the words \"I am not famous any more\" over his head on the Berlin Film Festival red carpet, set up a live stream for people to watch him watch all his movies one after another, and sat silently in a US gallery where visitors could come and say or do what they wanted to him. He also gave a memorable motivational speech urging people to \"just do it!\", which became a viral hit. This is his first such performance in the UK. He works with Finnish artist Nastja Sade Ronkko and Briton Luke Turner under the name LaBeouf, Ronkko & Turner. Some critics dismiss their activities as stunts, but the actor told The Guardian they arise out of \"an animalistic urge to express love that I can't express in film\". In Liverpool, the trio have been answering calls with the words: \"You're through to LaBeouf, Ronkko & Turner, can you touch my soul?\" They are transcribing what the callers then tell them. According to their notes, they have been told: The trio are part of a group exhibition titled Follow, which examines how connected people really are in the digital age and opens to the public at Fact on Friday. Curator Amy Jones said: \"They're definitely exploring the idea that we're more connected than ever but the challenge of making sure those connections are real and meaningful is harder than ever. \"This idea of people from all over the world being able to call up and really talk to another person on the other end is quite liberating. \"But also the idea of it being through a phone line - it's mediated, so there's a distance, so it's a challenge to overcome that distance, which is something we all experience.\"", "summary": "Actor Shia LaBeouf has launched his latest performance artwork in Liverpool, asking members of the public to phone him and \"touch his soul\"."}
{"article": "Jones worked as a chalet maid and in a cardboard factory to fund her sporting career, and on Sunday became Britain's first Olympic medallist on snow. The 33-year-old from Bristol finished third behind American Jamie Anderson and Finland's Enni Rukajarvi in Sochi. \"Walking out on the podium was a fantastic experience,\" said Jones. \"I never thought I'd be in this position when I was a chalet maid. I was cooking breakfasts and cleaning toilets and just snowboarding every day and having fun. \"At the beginning it was just about snowboarding and enjoying your sport. It's still sinking in, the history part. Hopefully I'll be in a few pub quizzes now.\" Jones is a three-time winner at the prestigious X-Games and was the oldest competitor in the Olympic slopestyle final by six years. She produced her best run of the week on her last attempt, and her score of 87.25 put her in first place with 10 competitors remaining, only for Anderson and Rukajarvi to overhaul her. Jones almost quit the sport in 2012, and was out of action for nearly a month after suffering a concussion in mid-December following a crash in training in Austria. \"It's been a rollercoaster two years with challenges and injuries, battling through that and being where I am today is a very good feeling,\" she added. British competitors have been set a target of at least three medals in Sochi by UK Sport, which would be the best since 1936, and Jones is hopeful her team-mates have been inspired. \"I really hope getting the bronze medal has pumped a few people up,\" she said. \"I definitely know that the freestyle skier girls I spoke to were very pleased to see me on the podium, they were all smiles and screams, which was really nice. \"In the next few days, I'll be able to go and support those guys in what is the equivalent - slopestyle for the skiers. That'll be really exciting. I hope for those guys it's game on now.\" Beyond Sochi, Jones has no plans to retire but will take a holiday to indulge in one of her other favourites pastimes - surfing. \"I guess I'm just going to let myself enjoy this moment for a little bit and I'll keep snowboarding,\" said Jones. \"I definitely have a few more years left in me. In between that, I'd love to go surfing for a bit and have a small time out of it.\" To see a gallery of photographs from Sunday's action go to the BBC Sport Facebook page", "summary": "British slopestyle bronze medallist Jenny Jones said she never thought about winning an Olympic medal when she began snowboarding."}
{"article": "Tom Lawrence hit the post with a header on his debut in a disappointing first half for Cardiff, who showed more urgency after the break. Lawrence and Anthony Pilkington had further chances but MK Dons held firm. Nicky Maynard wasted a good opportunity for the Dons, who are two points clear of the drop zone. Cardiff remain ninth in the table, five points off the final play-off spot. Heavy morning rain in south Wales had put the game in doubt, but the efforts of the Cardiff City Stadium ground staff ensured the match kicked off. Wales striker Lawrence, signed on loan from Leicester City started while fellow loanee Kenneth Zohore started on the bench. Dons' new signing Alex Revell was forced to wait for his debut as his contract stipulated he could not face his former club. Media playback is not supported on this device The first half had been a scrappy affair with few chances for either side until Lawrence's glancing header struck the post. Cardiff finished the first half strongly with David Martin palming away Stuart O'Keefe's header and Peter Whittingham firing over the crossbar. Martin again denied O'Keefe early in the second half and the Dons keeper tipped Scott Malone's effort over the bar. Lawrence and Pilkington went close for the home side, who were much improved in the second half. Former Cardiff City striker Maynard should have given MK Dons the lead, but he fired over after getting the better of Matthew Connolly. Dons top-scorer Josh Murphy's blocked effort fell kindly for Darren Potter, but the midfielder shot wide. Bruno Manga headed wide from a corner while at the other end David Marshall, who had little to do all afternoon, made a full length save to deny Jake Forster-Caskey late on. Cardiff manager Russell Slade: \"We know we still have a good chance of reaching the top six. \"We have lost goals from the team with players being out injured and leaving the club, so we are looking at the players coming in to get them for us. \"We did more than enough to get the three points, but we couldn't quite do it.\" Mk Dons manager Karl Robinson: \"We should have had a penalty for a foul on Josh Murphy and I'm sure when the ref sees it again he will agree with me. \"We rode our luck a bit at times and David Martin made some outstanding saves, but I'm proud of the boys. \"It's our eighth clean sheet of the season and is a performance we can really build on.\"", "summary": "Cardiff City's play-off hopes suffered a setback after the hosts were held to a goalless draw by Championship strugglers MK Dons."}
{"article": "The shopping centre is due to be knocked down as part of a \u00a3850m redevelopment of the site at the east end of Princes Street. The revamped site will eventually feature a 210-room hotel, 30 restaurants, luxury apartments and a multi-screen cinema. The St James Centre site and the adjacent New St Andrew House office complex were built in 1973. They are located within the Edinburgh World Heritage Site. The redevelopment is due to be completed by 2020. In a report to go before councillors next week, it said the majority of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) have been agreed and negotiations are progressing well for outstanding land acquisitions. A footbridge which crosses Leith Street is being removed as part of the project but the council, which owns the bridge, plans to store it and try to \"recycle\" it in a new location. The development, which will keep the existing John Lewis store, will also include a cinema, which is expected to offer more art house films than the Vue multiplex at the nearby Omni centre. Edinburgh St James is a 1.7 million sq ft city centre development and one of the biggest regeneration projects currently underway in the UK. It will provide 850,000 sq ft of retail space, five star hotel accommodation and will deliver up to 250 new private residential apartments. The new commercial, retail and residential district is forecast to support more than 3,000 permanent jobs. It will link Princes Street to Multrees Walk in a series of crescents with a retail and hospitality training academy, as well as flats, restaurants and shops. Andrew Burns, Edinburgh city council leader, said: \"The Edinburgh St James development will now be able to take a step forward with the council, Scottish government and TH Real Estate, the developer, finalising the details of this innovative funding package. \"I am delighted the council has played its part in helping unlock \u00a3850m of private sector investment at the heart of our city centre. \"Not only will it provide much needed premium retail space for the city, it will also contain 250 new homes, 30 restaurants, a multi-screen cinema and a 5 star, world class hotel. \"We anticipate demolition will begin this May with an expected completion date of 2020.\"", "summary": "Demolition of the St James Centre in Edinburgh will begin in May."}
{"article": "The 16th Century mosque in Ayodhya town was razed in 1992 by a Hindu mob who want to build a temple to Lord Ram. The threat was made by T Raja Singh, a senior leader of India's governing BJP party in Telangana state. A BJP spokeswoman criticised the remarks Mr Singh made on 5 April. Late on Sunday, police in Hyderabad city registered a case against him for \"deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs\", after a complaint by a Muslim political organisation. Mr Singh has defended his statement on the flashpoint issue, saying it was aimed at those who were opposed to the Ram temple in Ayodhya. \"For the construction of the temple, we can sacrifice our lives and even kill others, this is my warning to those who want to create hindrance in the construction of the temple,\" Hindustan Times quoted him as saying. In the past too, Mr Singh has courted controversy when in December 2015 he supported the lynching of a Muslim man by a Hindu mob on suspicion that he had stored beef in his home in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Last year, he justified the beating of some Dalit (formerly known as untouchables, who form the lowest rung of India's caste hierarchy) men by cow vigilante groups in Gujarat.", "summary": "Police in southern India have filed a case against a legislator who threatened to behead those opposed to the building of a Hindu temple on the site of a destroyed mosque."}
{"article": "Former Scotland midfielder McInnes guided the Dons to second place in the Scottish Premiership last season. The 45-year-old has been in charge at Pittodrie since April 2013. It is not known whether he is the only candidate to replace David Moyes, who resigned following the Black Cats' relegation from the Premier League. McInnes began his managerial career at St Johnstone in November 2007, leading the Perth side to promotion to the Scottish Premiership in the 2008-09 season. He left to take charge at Bristol City in October 2011, but was sacked in January 2013 with the club bottom of the Championship. The former West Brom captain replaced Craig Brown as Aberdeen boss three months later, and has since won 112 of his 199 games in charge. His contract at Pittodrie runs until 2019, and Aberdeen are reportedly seeking a compensation package worth around \u00a31m for his release.", "summary": "Championship side Sunderland are in talks with Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes over their vacant managerial position, BBC Newcastle reports."}
{"article": "Firefighters were called to the property in Ynysfach just before 04:00 GMT. The blaze had started in rubbish outside the house and spread to the kitchen The Welsh Ambulance Service said two male casualties were taken to Prince Charles Hospital.", "summary": "Two people have been taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation after a house fire in Merthyr Tydfil."}
{"article": "The pensioner was crossing Argyle Street at its junction with Jamaica Street when he was struck by a bus at about 19:10 on Saturday. He was taken by ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary where he is being treated for a head injury. Police appealed for witnesses to the crash to come forward.", "summary": "An 80-year-old man who was hit by a bus in the centre of Glasgow is in a critical condition in hospital, police have said."}
{"article": "Kimberley Renicks, 27, is Britain's top-ranked player at -48kg but needs a strong run of results to leap almost 25 places into the world's top 16. \"We budgeted for \u00a320,000 for the full year. We got \u00a38,000 and that's all spent,\" said Louise of her fundraiser. \"Unfortunately, in judo there is only a small amount of funding.\" The Renicks sisters, from Coatbridge, enjoyed high profiles during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, winning the host country's first gold medals. However, the battle for funding, combined with recurring injuries, led 32-year-old Louise to retire from competitive judo this summer. She now combines a part-time job as a sports development officer with coaching her younger sister and helping her realise her dream of fighting in Rio. Louise sees part of her role as shielding Kimberley, who has returned from a shoulder injury, from the stress of finding money for flights and accommodation, with the duo using a crowd-funding website. Money from Judo Scotland, who are allowing Louise to help with her sister's programme up until the Olympics, will cover Kimberley's costs in January but Louise feels British Judo should be doing more to help in the months that follow. \"The British trials are in two weeks' time and it will be Kimberley's last competition of the year,\" she said. \"Even getting the number one spot, she will be hoping British Judo can provide something. \"I know that January competitions are covered so it's February and March competitions that we need to worry about. \"Even taking the British number ones for the girls and the boys in the seven weight categories, that's 14 athletes but only eight athletes get that funding. \"Money might go to athletes in other weight categories with a slightly better record. \"[Since the Commonwealth Games] money went up in certain areas but it's not gone up so much in the elite side to give athletes a wage to be able to live and pay for competitions. \"It's still quite low there, but in the development side, the recreation side, the active side, all that has gone up in Scotland. \"It's hard to go to the Olympics and get your dream.\" The sisters targeted an initial six events to boost Kimberley's ranking points, but she lost in the first round of the first two, then picked up two bronze medals before two last-16 finishes in Grands Prix. \"Out of the 500 points she needed, she came away with just over 120 so we need in the 300 mark,\" said Louise of her sister's Rio target. The Renicks' travels for ranking points in the coming months will take in 12 competitions and will include destinations such as Cuba, Chile, Uruguay and Argentina, plus some in Europe. \"I'm going to the other side of the world to fight the athletes that, if I do qualify, I will come up against at the Olympics,\" said Kimberley. \"You have to learn how to fight their style. \"It's a full-time job but you don't get paid for it. That's the hardest bit. But walking away from Rio", "summary": "Louise Renicks is concerned that a lack of funding will shatter her sister Kimberley's dream of competing for Britain's judo team in the Olympics."}
{"article": "Tom Crawford, 64, was evicted from his house in Carlton in July following a disagreement with his mortgage lender. Dozens turned out to support Mr Crawford who disputed claims he owed Bradford & Bingley \u00c2\u00a343,000. He told the High Court his house had been \"stolen\" but the judge said this was \"totally without merit\". Mr Crawford told the court in London that the decision to remove him from his house was illegal and he had been \"put through hell'. He said: \"As far as I am concerned, the property is still my property, still my wife's property, and you can't sell stolen property.\" Mr Justice Phillips disagreed and made an order which prevents Mr Crawford from making court claims in the future. He said: \"I am entirely satisfied that Mr Crawford has persistently issued claims or made applications which are totally without merit. \"And, unless the court otherwise orders, he will continue to make applications and claims which are totally without merit.\" In July, protesters gathered as bailiffs, under police protection, took possession of the house in Fearn Chase. Mr Crawford claimed he had paid off the endowment mortgage he took out in 1988, adding the terms were changed without his knowledge. People from across the UK joined a Facebook group called We Are All Tom Crawford, against the eviction.", "summary": "A man who was evicted from his home in a row over mortgage repayments has been barred from making future claims in court against repossession."}
{"article": "Jobs Growth Wales helps firms employ 16-24 year olds for six months by covering the cost of the minimum wage. The Tories aim to replace it with a scheme called Journeys to Work, open to all ages, with jobs lasting for a year. Deputy Skills Minister Julie James claimed it was a \"ringing endorsement\" of Jobs Growth Wales, saying a new scheme was planned for all adults. Labour has hailed Jobs Growth Wales - which is part funded with EU money - a big success that has exceeded its targets on the number of jobs created. However, a review in 2014 found nearly three-quarters of participants would have found work anyway. In July, a committee of assembly members urged ministers to consider designing a similar scheme for the over-50s. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said: \"Labour's age cap on job creation offers nothing to the many thousands of over-25s that want to get on and build a career for themselves. \"Not only does this sell hardworking people short, it's contributing to the acute skills shortage which is holding the Welsh economy back.\" The party said it would work with employers to make sure the jobs created lasted longer. But with no extra funding, the money spent on each job would be cut from the current average of \u00c2\u00a34,211 to \u00c2\u00a33,000. The announcement is part of a set of policies the Tories call Stronger Futures Cymru. They say they would work with businesses, schools and colleges to promote apprenticeships to students, and encourage schools to forge closer links with businesses in their communities. Responding for the Welsh government, Ms James said: \"They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and I welcome this ringing endorsement of our flagship skills policies. \"It is particularly pleasing that they are so popular that the opposition seek not only to continue them, but to extend them too.\" Ms James also confirmed plans to introduce a new scheme - Skills for Employment Wales - in April 2016 which would be open to all adults looking for work. Plaid Cymru's education spokesman Simon Thomas said: \"The Conservatives' cynical plans will make it more difficult for young people to gain access to employment. \"Pitting older people against younger people is counter-productive and creates unnecessary divides.\"", "summary": "Age restrictions on a flagship job creation scheme will be lifted by the Welsh Conservatives if they win power."}
{"article": "Drivers said a safety device, known as \"a dead man's handle\", failed to activate and stop their trams. Tram Operations Ltd, which runs the line, said driver fatigue was monitored and controls were \"fully functional\". An interim report into November's crash suggested the tram was speeding and the driver may have \"lost awareness\". It found there was no emergency braking and the tram had been travelling at 46mph before it crashed in a 13mph zone, near the Sandilands Junction area of Croydon. However, a BBC investigation for the Victoria Derbyshire programme, has found that at least three trams have been recorded speeding on that same line since the derailment. One was travelling at 40mph in a 25mph zone. Another is understood to have been speeding near the crash site. Four current and former drivers have also admitted they have fallen asleep while driving a tram. Konrad Turner, who retired last year after driving trams in Croydon for 16 years, said he woke up 10 metres after passing the line's George Street stop, adding: \"A person was very fortunate that I didn't run them over.\" Mr Turner said his tram's driver safety device - which is used on different types of tram across the UK and Europe - failed to work. Drivers have to apply 1.5lb of pressure on a lever and push it forward for the tram to accelerate. If pressure is not maintained, a safety device inside the lever should activate - sounding an alarm and then applying an emergency brake. There is no suggestion a problem with this device was responsible for the derailment at Sandilands. Guidance from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) safety regulator says the driver safety device should activate \"in the event of driver collapse\". Further guidance also states the device should be designed \"so that it cannot be kept in the operating position other than by a vigilant tram driver\". But six drivers said the device was not \"fit for purpose\". One said drivers were afraid to tell management about safety device failures because they feared being sacked over falling asleep. \"You're asking somebody to come forward and admit to something that could cost them their job,\" he said, adding that he believed most drivers had fallen asleep at some point in the career. The BBC has uncovered three incidents in the past decade where drivers were incapacitated. They include a near head-on collision, a collision with buffers, and a driver failing to slow down at the line's Morden Road stop. On that occasion, the driver was only woken when he was spotted by ticket inspectors on the platform, who radioed his cab. In November, footage released by the Sun showed a driver who appeared to be asleep for at least 30 seconds continuing to power a tram on the line. Transport for London told the BBC the driver safety device failed to work because the driver had not completely lost consciousness. \"If he were to completely pass out and lose consciousness then he would relax his grip,\" director Leon Daniels said when shown", "summary": "Four drivers have admitted falling asleep while operating trams in Croydon, where seven people were killed after a tram derailed in November 2016."}
{"article": "The Dons were held to a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie on Thursday, with the second leg in Bosnia-Herzegovina on 20 July. Apollon hold a commanding 3-0 lead after their home first leg. Coached by former Cyprus goalkeeper Sofronis Avgousti, Apollon finished third in their national league last season. Their squad, which features several Cyprus internationals, includes former Sunderland centre half Valentin Roberge, while former Porto goalkeeper Bruno Vale captained the side against Zaria. Malta striker Andre Schembri, their summer signing from Boavista, opened the scoring, with Brazilian midfielder Alex da Silva adding to that from the penalty spot before Portuguese Joao Pedro made it three before the break. Defender Angelis Charalambous, who had a short spell with Motherwell, and 20-year-old Edinburgh-born midfielder Alastair Reynolds are also on the Apollon books but did not feature in their Europa League line-up. Apollon went into the third qualifying round last season but lost 5-4 on aggregate after extra-time against Grasshopper Zurich. Zaria, who finishing fourth in Divizia Nationala last season, qualified because title winners Sheriff Tiraspol completed a league and cup double. Having themselves won the cup the previous season for the first time, Zaria were knocked out in the first qualifying round of the Europa League after also losing the first leg 3-0 to Videoton of Hungary before winning the home game 2-0. Aberdeen were in the same section of the draw at Everton, but the English side were paired with either Slovakia's Ruzomberok or Brann of Norway. Full Europa League third qualifying round draw", "summary": "Apollon Limassol of Cyprus or Moldova's Zaria Balti await Aberdeen in the Europa League's third qualifying round - if they get past Siroki Brijeg."}
{"article": "Replacement schemes would be discussed with colleagues after last month's vote to leave the European Union, he said. Mr Eustice previously said that Welsh farmers would get \"as much support\" as currently if the UK left. Under the EU Common Agricultural Policy Wales receives \u00c2\u00a3250m a year in direct payments to farmers. That is in addition to more than \u00c2\u00a3500m between 2014-2020 to run a rural development programme. Mr Eustice was speaking to BBC Wales at the Royal Welsh Show, in Llanelwedd, Powys. \"What I can guarantee is that...once we leave the EU, we won't be spending that budget on EU membership, and the things that currently we delegate to the EU we will be funding ourselves,\" he said. \"The point I'm making is that now we have a new government in place, before we can guarantee exactly the same amount of money, that is a discussion we've obviously got to have with government colleagues. \"I can't do it at the moment, but it doesn't mean it won't happen.\" He added: \"Clearly we need to have the time to have these discussions and to work out what we're going to do and how we're going to do this negotiation, what the time frame is, and then how we're going to fund policies going forward.\" Mr Eustice, who campaigned for Leave, said he was clear through the referendum campaign \"that when you take back control for a policy and take back control of it on things like agriculture...with that comes a responsibility to get it right and to fund it properly. \"That is the case that I will be making, and I'm confident that will be the position that the government adopts.\" Earlier, the Welsh Government's Environment Secretary Lesley Griffiths has said that Brexit was an opportunity \"forge a new, distinct path for Wales' farming food and environmental sectors\". But Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies warned ministers in Wales lack the capacity to make Wales-only agriculture policies after Brexit. Mr Eustice said: \"What we've got to work out is a UK wide framework for an agriculture policy. \"There will be issues such as international trade that will obviously be done by the UK... \"What I'm keen to do is have as much discretion as possible for individual devolved administrations to pursue what they think is right for their own agriculture. \"I see a situation where the Welsh administration will have far more power than it has now, but will still need to have some kind of UK wide framework to prevent anti-competitive policies getting in place.\" He said he wouldn't want to have \"distorting subsidies in place that affected one area more than another\". He said \"broadly\" Westminster would be in charge of agriculture cash, with the Welsh Government given its share, but with more \"discretion\" for Wales to spend the money in the way it likes.", "summary": "UK farming minister George Eustice has said he cannot guarantee that future agricultural support programmes will be as generous as current EU subsidies."}
{"article": "Marshall, who has just joined Hull City from Cardiff City, is in line to start Sunday's World Cup qualifier in Malta. The 31-year-old played in nine of Scotland's 10 Euro 2016 qualifiers and their two end-of-season friendlies. \"For me, David is the number one and he should remain the number one,\" said Rough, who won 53 Scotland caps. \"I'm a great believer when you are number one, unless you do something wrong, you should remain number one. \"It doesn't matter how good the other two are even if they are playing out of their skin; if you are holding that position, you should stay there until you do something wrong. \"In the last campaign, I would say David Marshall was our star man. He has the ability to make the international saves - and the important saves when it's really tight. \"I think he's matured beyond anything you would have imagined.\" Marshall's move to Premier League Hull, after 280 games in seven years at Cardiff, could affect the long-term future of McGregor. The 34-year-old is currently sidelined until probably the new year following back surgery and may struggle to regain his place following the arrival of his Scotland rival. \"It's not a good problem if you are the goalkeeper that's number two,\" said Rough, who suffered a similar fate when Andy Goram joined Hibs and relieved him of his first-choice status towards the end of his career. \"That's when you've got to make decisions - 'do I want to be here?'. I'm sure Allan would have to look at that situation depending on how long it went on. \"It is a massive problem, but a manager will tell you it's a good problem. \"I'm sure the two of them will work together. But the longer you are number two then you've got to start making decisions.\" Craig Gordon, who is in the current Scotland squad preparing to face Malta, has found himself relegated to the bench at Celtic. The 33-year-old played in their first nine games this season, but new signing Dorus de Vries was handed the jersey for last Saturday's Premiership match against Aberdeen. Rough believes Gordon will reclaim first-choice status, but not for next week's Old Firm encounter against Rangers. \"I still think Craig is good enough and has the ability to fight himself back in there,\" said Rough, 64. \"But the manager has to select De Vries against Rangers. He's picked him to play in the previous match. It would just throw out confusion to everybody if he didn't. \"Fortunately, he's been given a fortnight to get used to the back four that will play in front of him. But I think that is what has been the problem - not Craig's problem - but Celtic's problem; they haven't had a settled back four, not even a settled two central defenders. \"I think Craig's problem is he's been trying to cover for the people in front of him and on the odd occasion he's been found out. \"Craig's biggest problem is the standard he set when he joined Celtic", "summary": "David Marshall deserves to be first-choice goalkeeper for Scotland despite the claims of Allan McGregor and Craig Gordon, believes ex-keeper Alan Rough."}
{"article": "The 34-year-old dominated opponent Aleksandr Nedovyesov for a 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 6-3 victory in the decisive singles rubber in Darwin. Earlier Sam Groth levelled the tie against Mikhail Kukushkin. Australia travel to Great Britain, who defeated France, for the last-four tie in September. Neither Hewitt nor Groth had initially been selected to play singles but captain Wally Masur dropped youngsters Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios after Kazakhstan had opened up a 2-0 lead. They teamed up to reduce the deficit in the doubles before victories in their respective singles matches saw them come back to win from 2-0 down for the first time since 1939. Hewitt, Wimbledon winner in 2002, embraced his team-mates after the victory, saying: \"This is up there. I love the back-against-the-wall situations. That's what we had after day one. \"We had to rally together and find a way to get the win. I've always said some of my greatest wins are in Davis Cup and some of my toughest losses are in Davis Cup so I'm going to enjoy this one. This is what dreams are made of.\"", "summary": "Former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt guided Australia into the Davis Cup semi-finals as the hosts came from 2-0 down to beat Kazakhstan 3-2."}
{"article": "He was admitted to hospital near Delhi last Friday in a critical condition after complaining of breathlessness. A leading figure in the drive to build a temple at a disputed religious site in Ayodhya, he was known for his anti-Muslim remarks. Ayodhya has sparked deadly riots and remains a flashpoint. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described his death as \"a deep personal loss\". Mr Singhal was the international president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) - an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) - for more than 20 years. The VHP is a close ally of Mr Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. \"He passed away at 2.30pm today. He had multi-organ dysfunction, ARDS [acute respiratory distress syndrome] and sepsis and was being treated by a team of specialists,\" The Times of India quoted Dr AK Dubey of Medanta hospital in Gurgaon as saying. The 16th Century Babri Masjid (mosque) was torn down in 1992, allegedly by activists of VHP and other hardline Hindu groups who claim the site is the birthplace of their deity, Ram. Tributes have been pouring in for the controversial leader on Twitter. In a series of tweets, Mr Modi described him as \"an institution\": Soon after the news of his death became public, Ashok Singhal began trending in India and was also the number two trend worldwide. Many tweets praised his role in \"resurrecting\" Hinduism in India, but not everyone shared that opinion.", "summary": "Ashok Singhal, a senior leader of India's Hindu nationalist Vishwa Hindu Parishad movement, has died aged 89."}
{"article": "Tomomi Inada, a close ally of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, stepped down over an alleged cover-up of documents on a controversial peacekeeping deployment. She was seen as an Abe prot\u00c3\u00a9g\u00c3\u00a9, sharing his staunchly nationalist views. Her resignation comes as the prime minister sees a sharp plunge in public support over alleged cronyism. The 58-year-old Mrs Inada had already been widely expected to be replaced in a cabinet reshuffle next week that the prime minister hopes will help rebuild his ratings. The row over the South Sudan peacekeeping mission erupted in December when the defence ministry said peacekeepers' logs for July, when the security situation there was worsening, had been discarded. But two months later officials said they had found the data on a computer, leading to allegations that the logs had been withheld on purpose. Peacekeeping missions are controversial in Japan, which has a pacifist constitution. Japanese peacekeepers are only deployed under strict conditions, including that a cease-fire must be in place. Any change in the security situation in South Sudan could have affected whether the mission would continue. Mrs Inada was appointed defence minister in 2016. But her months in the position have seen a series of gaffes. She particularly came under fire for suggesting in a speech that the military wanted voters to back the ruling party. Mr Abe apologised to the country on Friday immediately after Mrs Inada's resignation. He also said that for the time being, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida would add the defence portfolio to his duties. In his years in power, Mr Abe has taken the controversial position that nation needs to change the pacifist constitution to formalise the existence of the military. Japan is highly divided on the issue and claims the defence ministry has not been transparent over the South Sudan deployment will likely fuel public scepticism. The prime minister is also facing plummeting support amid two patronage scandals. He denies wrongdoing, but his approval ratings have fallen below 30% according to recent polls. The opposition, however, has so far failed to capitalise on his unpopularity. On Thursday opposition leader Renho, who goes by one name, stepped down in order to take responsibility for the opposition's weakness.", "summary": "The woman once seen as on track to becoming Japan's first female prime minister has resigned as defence minister."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Gylfi Sigurdsson almost put Iceland in front early on but his angled shot and follow-up were both saved. Nani slotted in for Portugal but Iceland worked a shock equaliser when Birkir Bjarnason volleyed home. Cristiano Ronaldo had a header saved for an unconvincing Portugal, while Iceland went close late on when Alfred Finnbogason had a shot saved. Ronaldo came into the tournament fresh from scoring the winning penalty for Real Madrid in their Champions League final shootout victory over Atletico Madrid as he added another club trophy to a long list. Honours on the international stage have eluded him, however, and unless the forward can replicate his club scoring achievements for his country that is likely to continue. Ronaldo, who won his 127th cap and equalled the Portuguese record set by Luis Figo, showed a glimpse of his quick feet to get in a precise cross for Nani, whose six-yard header was saved. But he could only kick fresh air from 10 yards out as he failed to make contact with a long Pepe pass, then sent a 20-yard half-volley wide and had his late header saved as he endured a frustrating evening in Saint-Etienne. Iceland are the smallest nation ever to reach a European Championship finals, with a population of approximately 330,000, and have no professional clubs. However, they beat the Netherlands twice on the way to qualifying for the tournament in France and added another chapter to their fairytale on their major tournament debut. Goalkeeper Hannes Thor Halldorsson had more touches than any other Iceland player in the first half (30) but his side kept Portugal within reach. Their efforts paid off when Bjarnason caught right-back Vieirinha out of position to score from Johann Gudmundsson's cross to the far post. And, despite Iceland having just 27.7% of possession overall, they gave Portugal a couple of further scares before the final whistle. \"Honesty, endeavour - that's what Iceland are all about,\" said BBC Radio 5 live pundit and former England international Chris Waddle. \"They were getting a football lesson in the first half but they never threw in the towel. They've got their rewards, and their fans are going absolutely wild.\" On the basis of this game, the answer would have to be yes. The move for the first goal did not involve Ronaldo and came courtesy of quick passing down the right before Andre Gomes put in a low cross for Nani to finish. However, with Ronaldo having a quiet night by his standards, no other Portugal player stepped up to make the difference. They also conceded an equaliser that suggests vulnerabilities in defence they will have to resolve if they want to win a major tournament for the first time. Portugal boss Fernando Santos: \"We should've scored more goals: that's no secret. There's always difficulties in the first game. I think we'll bounce back to play two great matches.\" Iceland joint manager Heimir Hallgrimsson: \"It's down to teamwork. You can't put one player to stop a guy like Ronaldo. It has", "summary": "Iceland earned a memorable point on their European Championship debut, holding Portugal to a draw in Group F."}
{"article": "Countess Spencer died on Friday morning at her London home, her son William Legge, the Earl of Dartmouth and a UKIP MEP, confirmed. Her marriage to Diana's father Earl Spencer from 1976 to 1992 was the second of three in her life. She was the daughter of romance novelist Dame Barbara Cartland. In her early life, she served as a Westminster city councillor from 1954 to 1965. Her first marriage was to the Earl of Dartmouth and lasted from 1948 to 1976. Following the death of Earl Spencer, her second husband, she married Count Jean-Francois de Chambrun in 1993, but the marriage only lasted three years. When she married Earl Spencer and moved into the ancestral home at Althorp, Northamptonshire, she became stepmother to 15-year-old Diana and 12-year-old Charles, who now holds his father's title. Ingrid Seward, friend of the countess and editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, told the BBC: \"When she first married Spencer, they [his children] loathed her. And they made her life extremely difficult. \"They used to call her 'acid Raine'. Now I don't know which of the children invented that one but Raine was very stoic and she put up with it all. \"And when Earl Spencer became ill she virtually did save his life. She was at his bedside the entire time and I think Diana suddenly saw that this stepmother wasn't as bad as she had imagined. \"And then later in Diana's life almost at the end of her life, suddenly Raine Spencer was Diana's best friend.\" She said Countess Spencer was a \"very intelligent, witty woman\". \"She had that wonderful energy, she could get anything done, which is why I think Spencer fell in love with her,\" she said. Ms Seward said that after the death of Earl Spencer, Countess Spencer went to work in department store Harrods. \"She ran the shop floor, she worked everywhere and then she ended up in men's ties,\" she said. \"But then she worked for the international side of Harrods. She spoke fluent French, she was very bright, she was charming, so she was the perfect ambassador for Harrods.\" For many years, Countess Spencer was also on the board of directors at Harrods. But at the 2007 inquest into Diana's death she said: \"I never went shopping in Harrods. It was my husband who practically lived there.\" In that appearance at the inquest she talked about her relationship she had enjoyed with Diana in the years before her death in 1997. \"She always said I had no hidden agenda,\" she said in her evidence. \"So many people, because she was so popular and so world famous, wanted something out of her. It was a very draining life.\" Speaking at the inquest about press intrusion into Diana's life, she said: \"I suppose this happens with pop stars and celebrities and people who call themselves celebrities nowadays.\" Countess Spencer and Diana were pictured talking in June 1997, just 13 weeks before the death of the Princess of Wales, when the countess was invited to a private viewing of Diana's dresses that were", "summary": "Raine Spencer, stepmother of Diana, Princess of Wales, has died at 87 after a short illness, her family has announced."}
{"article": "The stoppage continues to 14 December, in a move that brings the total number of games lost to 422, or about a third of the 2012-13 season. The US and Canadian league locked out the players in mid-September, a month before the season was due to begin. The two sides are in a dispute over how to split $3.3bn (\u00c2\u00a32bn) in revenue. The owners want to reduce the players' share of annual revenue to 50% from the current 57%. The All-Star Game, which was to have been in Columbus, Ohio, on 27 January, has also been called because of the latest round of cancellations. It follows the owners' rejection of a new offer by the Players' Association on Wednesday morning. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the league is losing up to $20m per day, while the players are missing out on as much as $10m per day. The work stoppage is the fourth in 20 years for the NHL. A previous union dispute saw the entire 2004-2005 season cancelled.", "summary": "The National Hockey League (NHL) has cancelled another two weeks of games, as the result of a lockout that threatens to wipe out the whole season."}
{"article": "Both firms had claimed the other had infringed the rights to its technologies. The announcement came hours before a ruling that could have blocked Nvidia from importing some of its products into the US. Although the agreement brings the dispute to a close, Nvidia said the terms of the deal were limited. \"The settlement includes the licensing of a small number of patents by each company to the other, but no broad cross-licensing of patents or other compensation,\" it said. Samsung added: \"We are happy to resolve this dispute through a fair settlement.\" Neither company is disclosing any further details. The clash was first made public in September 2014, when Nvidia held a news conference during which its chief executive declared the South Korean tech giant was \"using our [graphics] technology for free in their devices\". Jen-Hsun Huang went on to say that his firm was suing the smartphone-maker after months of failed talks. Two months later, Samsung counter-sued claiming its innovations had been used without permission in Nvidia's Shield tablets and chips. When the International Trade Commission - a US agency that investigates patent disputes - looked into the matter, it ruled that Samsung's graphics processors had not infringed Nvidia's patents. But in a follow-up decision, it said Nvidia's chips had violated three of Samsung's patents. The ITC had been due to announce whether this warranted an import ban, but will no longer do so because the case has been dismissed.", "summary": "Samsung and computer-chip-maker Nvidia have settled a two-year patent battle."}
{"article": "Judith Kerr's children's book sold 72,935 copies in the last week, according to Nielsen BookScan. It makes it the 10th consecutive week a children's book has taken the number one spot, while four out of the top five books are children's titles. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School by Jeff Kinney is at number two, with David Walliam's Grandpa's Great Escape at three. Kerr published 16 Mog books with Mog's Goodbye released in 2002, in which Mog died. She brought Mog back to life for Mog's Christmas Calamity, which is also the subject of this year's Sainsbury's Christmas advert. It sees the accident prone cat causing havoc with the Thomas family's Christmas. First number one The book is being sold by the supermarket chain and all the profits for the book are going to Save the Children. It has raised nearly \u00c2\u00a3900,000 for their UK child literacy campaign so far. Despite a highly successful career, Mog's Christmas Calamity is Kerr's first number one book. It also makes Kerr the oldest person to top the book chart. Mog's Christmas Calamity sold 74,453 copies in its first three day of sales and has outsold all previous Mog books. Its first week sales were the highest for a children's book since J K Rowling's Harry Potter spin-off The Tales of Beedle the Bard in 2008. It is the third book in the year to have sold more than 100,000 copies in one week, after EL James's Grey and Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman. It is only the second picture book to go to number one in 2015 after McFly members Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter's The Dinosaur That Pooped a Lot.", "summary": "Mog's Christmas Calamity has topped the UK book chart for a third week."}
{"article": "Some patients have been sent hundreds of miles for treatment because no beds are available locally, the data shows. The online journal Community Care sent Freedom of Information requests to all 56 English mental health trusts. NHS England said it was determined to improve mental health services. The Royal College of Psychiatrists said delayed discharge and poor social care were exacerbating the problem. Data from 37 trusts that responded showed there were 4,447 patients sent out of their area for treatment in 2014-15 - up 23.1% from 2013-14, when 3,611 patients were sent out of their area. There was also an increase in the cost of caring for these patients - from \u00c2\u00a351.4m in 2013-14 to \u00c2\u00a365.1m in 2014-15, figures from 29 trusts showed. According to the data, the longest journeys carried out by patients were trips from Bristol to Livingston (370 miles), Cumbria to London (270 miles), and Southampton to Harrogate (260 miles). Daniel Gillan, 40, from Margate, Kent, has suffered from mental health problems since he was 18. In the middle of a crisis in late 2013, he was sent to a hospital in Weston-Super-Mare in Somerset - 226 miles away. When he had to be admitted last month, there were no local beds available again. This time, he spent most of June in Manchester - 281 miles away. \"The problem is my admissions have got further and further away from Margate as time goes by,\" said Daniel. \"If the beds are full here, the next closest bed that becomes available is the bed you're going to get. The closest bed in my case was Manchester.\" The distance meant that neither family nor friends were able to visit him. \"I didn't know where I was, I didn't have a clue. I knew I was a long, long way from home as it had taken so long to get there but I didn't know where in the country I was.\" While some mental health trusts, such as Oxleas and South London & Maudsley, have managed to reduce their use of out-of-area beds, most have increasingly had to transport patients to other parts of the country. The trusts with the biggest increases in patients treated out of area from 2013-14 to 2014-15 were: Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said the figures showed a \"very clear message\" that mental health services were struggling to deliver care. He said: \"It is unacceptable that so many people are being driven hundreds of miles away from their loved ones in search of a hospital bed, at a time when they are often scared, vulnerable and most in need of the support of family and friends and familiar surroundings.\" Previous research by BBC News and Community Care found that more than 2,100 psychiatric beds have been closed in England since 2011. The problems have led to the Royal College of Psychiatry launching an inquiry into acute care. Its interim report, published on Wednesday, does not blame the bed closures for the difficulties patients are experiencing. Instead, it says delayed discharges and poor community services are causing", "summary": "The number of mental health patients in England who had to travel away from their local area to get care has risen by almost a quarter over the past year, figures seen by the BBC suggest."}
{"article": "Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin agreed over the phone to meet in person, Mr Erdogan's office said. The call came after Turkey expressed \"regret\" earlier this week to Mr Putin and to the family of the Russian pilot killed in the incident. The fighter jet was shot down near the Syria-Turkey border in November. Turkey claimed that the jet was warned repeatedly after entering Turkish airspace, a claim fiercely denied by Russian officials. In the call, Mr Putin also called an attack on Istanbul's Ataturk on Tuesday \"heinous\". A spokesman for Mr Erdogan said on Wednesday that \"necessary steps\" would now be taken to mend the damaged ties between the two countries, and to drop restrictive measures on Russians visiting Turkey. \"Reiterating their commitment to reinvigorate bilateral relations and fight terrorism together, the two leaders agreed to remain in contact and meet in person,\" he said. Turkey angered Moscow in the aftermath of the incident by failing to apologise, despite demands from Russian officials. Mr Putin said he had been stabbed in the back and accused Mr Erdogan of collaborating with so-called Islamic State. Russia responding by hitting Turkey with a raft of sanctions, banning import of Turkish foodstuffs and stopping Russian package holidays to Turkey. Mr Putin said at the time the restrictions would not be lifted until Russia received an apology. The Russian Su-24, an all-weather attack aircraft, was flying in skies above the Turkey-Syria border area on 24 November when it was shot down by Turkish F-16s. The plane crashed in the mountainous Jabal Turkmen area of the Syrian province of Latakia, killing the pilot. A Russian marine involved in a helicopter rescue attempt was killed when the helicopter came under fire from local fighters. The navigator in the jet, Capt Konstantin Murakhtin, survived the crash and was taken to Russia's Hmeimim airbase in Latakia by Syrian government forces. Turkey said planes were warned 10 times during five minutes via an \"emergency\" channel and asked to change direction. The Russian defence ministry insisted that the aircraft remained within Syria's borders throughout its mission and did not violate Turkish airspace and received no warnings.", "summary": "The leaders of Turkey and Russia have spoken for the first time since the downing of a Russian military jet by Turkey sparked a diplomatic crisis."}
{"article": "The Gunners have a 2-1 lead over Potsdam from the first leg and are favourites to reach the quarter-finals. Captain Katie Chapman said: \"We dominated Thursday's game and could have put the tie to bed if we'd finished a few more chances. \"We'll go to Germany believing we can get the result we need to go through.\" Arsenal, who won the competition in 2007, are in their 11th season in European football's elite competition and have never failed to reach the last eight. But twice-winners Potsdam, who last lifted the trophy in 2010, have likewise always made it through to at least the quarter-finals. Chapman, one of the first-leg goalscorers, added: \"Potsdam are one of the very best teams in Europe and it's going to be really tough over there. \"But we've beaten them once, and if we can maybe get an early goal it will make it very difficult for them.\"", "summary": "Arsenal Ladies will aim to become the first British side to knock out German opposition in the Women's Champions League on Wednesday."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device This was a dead rubber after England's losses to Italy and Uruguay - and there was nothing on show here to offer any belated cheer at the end of a miserable tournament. Costa Rica's status as the surprise package of Group D was cemented by a result that ensured they finished top - and will face Greece in Recife on Sunday. Meanwhile, England manager Roy Hodgson has presided over a dismal campaign. Daniel Sturridge came closest for the group's bottom side but wasted a succession of chances while goalkeeper Ben Foster - deputising for rested Joe Hart - did brilliantly to turn Celso Borges' free-kick on to the bar in the first half. \"Apart from first the 10 to 12 minutes, we dominated totally. We didn't take our goal chances - if we did we would have comfortably won. \"We created the chances and that's important. \"I'm not concerned about Daniel Sturridge - he'll take goal chances in the future. I thought we were really unlucky not to win this game. \"I thought the whole back four was absolutely excellent. We restricted the team to almost no chances. In midfield we dominated and outplayed them.\" Hodgson gave Frank Lampard the captain's armband and used Steven Gerrard as a late substitute as the veteran duo played out what may be their final England appearances. If so, it was an inglorious conclusion for the pair as this developed into the sort of low-key game many feared after England arrived in Belo Horizonte with their World Cup ambitions already shattered. Hodgson had hoped England might be inspired by the selection of fresh faces, but as he and England's squad applauded their travelling fans at the final whistle, there was an air of disappointment and anti-climax. England had found themselves on the back foot almost from the kick-off, when Joel Campbell's shot was deflected just wide off Gary Cahill - although both sides looked puzzled when a goal kick was awarded. Sturridge was presented with England's best chances, shooting just wide from 20 yards after good control then heading over from six yards after Phil Jones knocked back Ross Barkley's corner. He also had presentable claims for a penalty ignored when he fell in a tangle with Costa Rica's Oscar Duarte but referee Djamal Haimoudi was not interested. Foster was impressive, especially in dealing with a Borges free-kick bound for the top corner - but otherwise it was a first half that was as low key as expected in such a meaningless fixture. Sturridge also had England's first opportunity of the second half but the Liverpool striker's control let him down and keeper Keylor Navas was able to block, albeit sustaining a knock in the process that left him requiring treatment. All of England's best chances were falling to Sturridge and he was off target again when he tried to be too precise from Jack Wilshere's flick and curled a shot wide of the far post. Hodgson then made his substitutions in quick succession, sending on Raheem Sterling", "summary": "England's World Cup ended without even the scant consolation of a victory as they played out a tame draw with Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte."}
{"article": "Whether it's politicians, leaders from the world of business and finance, or tabloid celebrities - the faces keep coming around. But every so often a new star makes it into the headlines and a relative unknown is propelled into the spotlight before quietly fading away again. Let's celebrate the stand-out newcomers of 2014, the characters who made the day just that little bit different. One minute you're on TV, talking about all the amazing science you've done to land a spacecraft on a comet, the next you're being given a telling-off for your shirt. Matt Taylor later broke down during a press conference and apologised for his \"big mistake\". Austrian drag act Conchita Wurst took first place at the 59th annual Eurovision Song Contest. Collecting her trophy on stage the singer said: \"This night is dedicated to everyone who believes in a future of peace and freedom.\" England's head physio Gary Lewin suffered a dislocated ankle during the celebrations for Daniel Sturridge's goal against Italy during the World Cup. Roy Hodgson described the incident, which resulted in Lewin being stretchered off the pitch, as a \"sad moment\". Former baseball player Pete Frates inspired thousands of people around the world to film themselves tipping cold water over themselves. An ALS sufferer himself, his ice bucket challenge helped to raise millions of dollars for charities which tackle the disease. ALS is known as motor neurone disease in the UK. Dean Farley caused a security alert when he bumped into the prime minister in Leeds. He claimed he didn't recognise the PM. A later investigation confirmed he had been jogging on his way to the gym. Despite the fact that Amal Alamuddin did not feature regularly on chat shows and gossip websites before meeting and marrying \"Hollywood's most eligible bachelor\" (aka George Clooney), she did manage a few other accomplishments. As many pointed out, these minor achievements included being a successful human rights lawyer, publishing books and working with the United Nations. Jessie Helt, a homeless man from the US, was invited up on stage by Miley Cyrus when she won at the MTV VMAs. He was later jailed for six months after violating his probation. He handed himself into police having been spotted on national television with Miley. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Often the news features the same old cast of characters."}
{"article": "The tale, designed to while away a long car journey, turned into a best-seller. Yet Richard Adams, who has died aged 96, spent his first 52 years in relative anonymity. And when he did complete his book, he struggled to find anyone to publish it. Richard George Adams was born on 9 May 1920, in Newbury, Berkshire. He was the son of a country doctor and was brought up in the rolling countryside with views towards the real Watership Down, on the Hampshire border. One of his earliest memories was seeing a local man pushing a handcart full of dead rabbits down the street. \"It made me realise, in an instant, that rabbits were things and that it was only in a baby's world that they were not.\" He suffered the fate of many middle-class boys of the period when he was sent to boarding school at the age of nine, where, by all accounts, he had a miserable time. He won a scholarship to Worcester College, Oxford, but his education was interrupted by World War Two and he served for five years in the Army before returning to his studies. He joined the civil service and spent part of his career managing the clean air programme designed to reduce pollution, especially that caused by the many coal fires still burning in British households. The event that changed his life occurred on a car journey with his family to see Twelfth Night at Stratford-upon-Avon. His bored children asked for a story and he began telling them a tale about a group of rabbits attempting to escape from their threatened warren. Adams was persuaded to write it all down, a process that took him more than two years, but he was, at first, unable to find a publisher. Many of his rejection letters complained that the book was too long and his characters did not fit the common perception of cuddly bunnies. His rabbits were described with biological realism; they defecated, had sex and engaged in violent battles for dominance. Eventually, in 1972, after 14 rejections, the publisher Rex Collings saw the potential and agreed to take it on with an initial print run of 2,500 copies. It was hailed as a children's classic, going on to sell more than 50 million copies, helped along by readings on BBC radio, and a dramatic performance in London's Regent's Park. Watership Down sold particularly well in the US where canny distributors placed it on the adult publishing list. On his promotional tours across the Atlantic, Adams played the American idea of the archetypical Englishman, wearing a bowler hat and insisting on English marmalade and mustard wherever he went. The book, and a subsequent animated film in 1978, became synonymous with rabbits and at least one enterprising butcher advertised: \"You've read the book, you've seen the film, now eat the cast.\" Inevitably it attracted criticism from some highbrow reviewers. \"There is something to be said for myxomatosis,\" was one caustic comment. The sudden flow of wealth enabled Adams to retire from the civil service and become", "summary": "Once upon a time there was a middle-aged civil servant who told his children a story about rabbits."}
{"article": "At one point, she says, \"there was no-one to turn to in the school and I felt so low I didn't want to go on\". According to research for BBC School Report, half of teenagers with mental wellbeing issues try to cope alone. And a third said they were not confident enough to speak to a teacher. At her lowest point, Grace made a \"suicide video\", which she posted on YouTube. \"I'd get beaten up every week,\" she says. \"Teachers wouldn't do anything. I even heard the teachers talking about me behind my back.\" According to her mother, Sarah, Grace got some help through external music therapy and counselling but little support directly from her first two schools. Support is better at her third school, where she helps as an anti-bullying ambassador. She is also a member of the National Anti-Bullying Youthboard. ComRes researchers questioned a representative sample of more than 1,000 UK-based 11- to 16-year-olds for BBC School Report: They said the most important thing schools could do to support pupils' mental wellbeing was to provide someone trustworthy to talk to confidentially, but: Separate research on just over 700 teachers found: In January, Prime Minister Theresa May announced plans to transform attitudes to mental health, with a focus on children and young people. The plans include better links between schools and NHS specialist staff and mental health first aid training for every secondary school. Reacting to the School Report research, Edward Timpson, Minister for Vulnerable Children and Families, said the government would \"transform mental health services in schools\" and was commissioning research to help schools identify which approaches worked best. \"Growing up in today's world can be a challenge for children and young people, so it's vital that they get the help and support they need,\" said Mr Timpson. Last year, research for the children's commissioner for England suggested more than a quarter of children referred for mental health support received no treatment. And on Thursday, commissioner Anne Longfield said the School Report study highlighted \"many desperately sad stories\" of children with serious conditions being denied support. She called for urgent action from schools, the NHS and government. The Family Links and Nurturing Schools Network said schools needed better staff training and enough resources to support and improve pupils' emotional and mental health. \"We must go further to invest in preventative approaches in schools and at home,\" said the network's chief executive, Nick Haisman-Smith.", "summary": "Grace, 16, has been bullied for the past nine years, has moved schools twice, struggled with suicidal thoughts and taken medication for anxiety and depression."}
{"article": "Dave Tarpey was a constant threat to the visitors early on, narrowly missing the target a few times as he looked to add to his seven goals from the first four games. But it was Harry Pritchard who instead got the breakthrough the hosts deserved, curling home delightfully from 25 yards out after 26 minutes. Luke Coulson equalised for Ebbsfleet after 50 minutes to score his third goal in five games and it was enough to keep his side's long unbeaten run going. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Maidenhead United 1, Ebbsfleet United 1. Second Half ends, Maidenhead United 1, Ebbsfleet United 1. Substitution, Maidenhead United. Adrian Clifton replaces Sean Marks. Substitution, Ebbsfleet United. Danny Mills replaces Myles Weston. Substitution, Maidenhead United. Dean Inman replaces Jake Goodman. Substitution, Ebbsfleet United. Andy Drury replaces Jack Payne. Substitution, Maidenhead United. Jake Hyde replaces Dave Tarpey. Substitution, Ebbsfleet United. Darren McQueen replaces Aaron McLean. Jack Payne (Ebbsfleet United) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Maidenhead United 1, Ebbsfleet United 1. Luke Coulson (Ebbsfleet United). Second Half begins Maidenhead United 1, Ebbsfleet United 0. First Half ends, Maidenhead United 1, Ebbsfleet United 0. Goal! Maidenhead United 1, Ebbsfleet United 0. Harry Pritchard (Maidenhead United). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Ebbsfleet salvaged a late draw at Maidenhead to extend their unbeaten run to 31 league games."}
{"article": "Irishman Sir Terry died on Sunday after a \"short but brave battle with cancer\". Born in County Limerick in 1938, he had a career in radio and television that spanned 50 years, and included his BBC Radio 2 Wake Up To Wogan programme to which Fr D'Arcy contributed. Fr D'Arcy said Sir Terry \"perfected the art of radio from a very early age\". \"He was the only man I ever met who could make a pause sound interesting,\" the County Fermanagh priest told BBC Radio Ulster's The Sunday News programme. \"Terry actually milked it and everybody was hanging on his every word after that. \"He was just that kind of broadcaster who made everybody feel at home and feel as if they were the only one in the world he was talking to.\" An emotional Fr D'Arcy visited Sir Terry on Thursday \"to say my goodbyes\". He said it was \"a sad but beautiful occasion\". \"The family will be awfully, awfully sad because the centre of his life was his family, his children and his wife Lady Helen especially.\" As a young fan and before he was ordained, Fr D'Arcy travelled to Rathmines in County Dublin to see Sir Terry's marriage to Helen in 1965. The two men became friends a short time later, but as Fr D'Arcy said, they often joked about how long their friendship had lasted. \"The two of us could never remember, we used to talk about that. \"[Terry] said: 'What's the difference between 40 and 50 years? We're two old curmudgeons lucky to be alive.'\" Sir Terry started his broadcasting career with the Irish state broadcaster RT\u00c9, where he became friends with Irish icons Gay Byrne and Larry Gogan. \"He began in a very dull, old building in Henry Street in Dublin, a terrible place where mice would appear in the middle of his broadcast,\" Fr D'Arcy said. \"One day the great Mike Murphy was reading the news and Terry went in and set the bottom of the news sheet he was reading on fire. \"We didn't think his broadcasting would work in England but he actually loved England, loved broadcasting and nothing better than getting reaction from his people. \"As he used to say, the scriptwriters for his programme were the listeners - they sent in hundreds [of faxes and emails].\" And according to Fr D'Arcy, tales of Sir Terry's antics will live long in the memories of his friends and many fans. \"There will be Terry Wogan stories for eternity,\" he said. \"It was incredible that he would take a morning programme and, by codology and foolology, lighten the days of over eight million people. \"That's a legacy that anybody would be proud of.\" Gay Byrne, best known for presenting television and radio programmes in the Republic of Ireland, said Sir Terry was \"born with a monster advantage over the rest of us\". \"He had a permanently funny disposition - he saw the fun in everything, and this is a huge gift to have,\" he told RT\u00c9. \"He probably was the most popular and most", "summary": "Sir Terry Wogan \"was the one who made radio in an age of television\", his close friend and fellow broadcaster Father Brian D'Arcy has said."}
{"article": "The firm is to license a new cancer treatment to Californian company Genentech. The treatment is a class of drug molecules developed by Almac's discovery division. Genentech will make an upfront payment of around \u00a39m with further payments and possible royalties to follow. Almac will be eligible to receive up to \u00a3225m in milestone payments plus royalties on commercial sales of any products developed by Genentech The two companies will also run a two-year joint research programme funded by Genentech The drug molecules are called inhibitors of ubiquitin specific proteases. They block the activity of an important cancer pathway which is believed to play a key role in tumour development. Tim Harrison, vice president of drug discovery at Almac, said they have been \"a highly sought after, yet elusive drug class, proving difficult to identify despite significant efforts from both pharmaceutical and biotech companies\". He added that there was now \"an exciting opportunity to fully exploit this novel biology\". Genentech was founded in San Francisco in 1976 and is widely considered to be the world's most successful biotechnology company. It has developed products such as the cancer drug Avastin and the stroke treatment Activase. In 2009, the Swiss drug company Roche took control of Genentech, paying \u00a330bn for the 44% of the firm it did not own. Meanwhile, California-based CV6 Therapeutics Ltd is to partner with the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology at Queen's University, Belfast for a research and development project. The project aims to develop a new drug with the potential to make chemotherapy more effective and represents a total investment of \u00a35.5m. Invest NI has offered assistance of \u00a32.5m towards the project, which includes part funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).", "summary": "Craigavon-based pharmaceutical firm Almac has signed a deal with one of the world's largest biotech firms that could be worth more than \u00a3200m."}
{"article": "A rule change has reduced the number of foreigners allowed in a move which could slow down the wave of big-money signings from Europe. Chelsea striker Diego Costa has been linked with a move to China that would be worth \u00a330m a year. A statement said the new measures will address \"irrational investments\". Media playback is not supported on this device Previously the rule was \"4+1\" - four foreigners of any nationality plus one Asian player in a matchday squad. Teams will now also be required to name two Chinese players aged under 23 in their matchday squads, with at least one in the starting XI, with the Chinese Football Association also looking into \"signature fees and other illegal activities\" in recent transfers. Chelsea midfielders Oscar and John Mikel Obi have already moved to China this month, while former Manchester United and Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez reportedly became the world's highest-paid player when he joined Shanghai Shenhua last month. Shenhua would be one club hit by the new rules as they have six non-Chinese players in their squad, including Tevez, former Chelsea forward Demba Ba and ex-Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins. Costa has been linked with a move to Tianjin Quanjian, who signed Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel for a salary of more than \u00a315m a year this month. BBC China correspondent Stephen McDonell Chinese teams have been paying reportedly exorbitant sums to lure international stars like Carlos Tevez and Axel Witsel. Now, the new rules will especially affect players from the Asian region - like Australians and Koreans - who were able to be chosen on top of the previous international count of four. It is hoped the changes will foster more local talent at the expense of overseas players.", "summary": "Chinese Super League clubs will only be allowed to play three non-Chinese players per game in their next season - which begins in March."}
{"article": "The average rent stands at \u00c2\u00a3774 in England and Wales, according to data from Your Move and Reeds Rains. It said that rental costs had risen by 0.8% in April compared with March. Adrian Gill, LSL director, said: \"Momentum is fuelled by a fundamental shortage of housing and given oxygen by renewed wage growth.\" The latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggested that the cost of renting a home from a private landlord in Britain rose by 2.1% in the year to the end of March. Campbell Robb, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said: \"Our housing shortage has been decades in the making, and only bold and immediate action can fix it. \"No matter how hard they work or save, an entire generation is being forced to watch their dreams of a stable future slip through their fingers, stuck in properties where rents eat up their salaries and short term contracts leave them with no stability at all.\"", "summary": "The cost of renting a home rose by 4.6% in the year to the end of April, the fastest rise since November 2010, property group LSL has said."}
{"article": "Kenneth Feinberg, who was hired by GM to oversee its compensation fund, said he has received 251 death claims and 2,075 injury claims since August. A total 100 of those claims were deemed eligible. Potential claimants have until 31 January to submit paperwork. Mr Feinberg, who previously administered claims for the 9/11 victims fund and those harmed by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, has set up a website, for those looking to submit claims. GM has set aside an estimated $400m (\u00c2\u00a3256m) to pay out to claimants who were impacted by the defect, which involved ignition switches in millions of GM vehicles that could suddenly twist, thus turning the vehicle off. GM has come under fire from US regulators and politicians for its failure to identify the problem earlier and alert consumers. \"Our goal with the compensation program has been to reach every eligible person impacted,\" GM said in a statement. \"Our focus isn't on numbers, but to continue doing the right thing for all those who lost loved ones or suffered physical injury. \"To that end, we accept Mr. Feinberg's determinations for the compensation program.\" GM has been accused of hiding the defect for nearly a decade, despite multiple warnings from staff and complaints from consumers. The firm has been forced to recall over 29 million cars worldwide this year - more than the total number of vehicles it sold in 2013 - although not all of the recalls were related to the ignition defect. In April, GM's chief executive Mary Barra apologised for the fault when she appeared at a congressional hearing over the issue. \"I cannot tell you why it took years for a safety defect to be announced... but I can tell you that we will find out,\" said Ms Barra while testifying before a US House of Representatives panel investigating the issue. In May, GM was fined $35m by the US highway safety administrator for its failure to issue a recall earlier - the maximum amount allowed by law.", "summary": "At least 42 people have been killed and 58 have been injured in General Motors vehicles that suffered from an ignition switch defect, according to the latest report by the claims administrator."}
{"article": "BBC Sport pundits and former champions Stephen Hendry and Peter Ebdon reflect on the action so far and assess the business end of the event. Pre-tournament favourite Judd Trump was beaten in the first round by 1000-1 title shot Rory McLeod in one of the biggest shocks in World Championship history. In his second-round match against Stephen Maguire, McLeod is 6-2 down after the first session. Ebdon: \"McLeod's victory was not so much of a shock or a surprise to me. I knew he would make it difficult for Trump and let us not underestimate what an incredible achievement it was for him, one that was fully deserved. \"There is only one player in that game that works harder than McLeod and that is Mark Selby, who is world number one. Rory has been my friend for over 30 years so I was absolutely delighted for him.\" Hendry: \"It has been an interesting tournament. All the main contenders except for Trump came through the first round so it is building up nicely. \"Everyone who should make the quarter-finals will be there so I am looking forward to the second week.\" Five-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has produced some of his best snooker to beat Gary Wilson and then Shaun Murphy. He faces China's number one player Ding Junhui in the next round. Hendry: \"Ronnie has looked great on the table. I questioned in my interviews before the tournament whether he could win it or not and the way he was playing then, I did not think he could. \"He has not played well since the Masters but since he has been here he has looked really focussed, his game is very strong and he will be hard to stop. Ronnie is definitely one to beat. \"There is a difference between winning a match and winning the whole tournament. Ding edged through by beating Liang Wenbo but now has a huge match against O'Sullivan. You have to question whether he has it inside him to go all the way. That is debatable but his game is good enough. He has every aspect to do it.\" Ebdon: \"One of the things often overlooked is the pressure O'Sullivan is under, with the levels of expectation - the crowd, the commentators, millions of adoring fans watching at home. \"To carry that much pressure on your shoulders must be incredibly difficult and I cannot think of many other players in the game that could carry the mantle and the responsibility to the extent he does. \"He does a brilliant job, is a very gifted player and it was an excellent win against Shaun Murphy.\" Four-time champion John Higgins came through a tough match against Mark Allen, while 25-year-old Kyren Wilson beat 2015 winner Stuart Bingham. Ebdon: \"Wilson did not hit top gear, he was feeling the pressure but that is what everyone goes through at the Crucible. Once he starts hitting the top gears, we will see something very special from him. \"Whether he has the experience to win this year, I am not certain. But he is", "summary": "The World Championship is already into its second week and there has been plenty of excitement so far at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary of hosting the event."}
{"article": "Trains were stopped at the border for hours - prompting Italy to launch an official complaint with France. Services were later resumed. Italy has angered France by giving temporary resident permits to thousands of Tunisian migrants. The permits allow them to travel freely in many European countries. The Italian foreign ministry said the French move was \"illegitimate and in clear violation of general European principles\". Speaking earlier on Sunday, Maurizio Furia, a spokesman for the Italian rail company, said that trains were not being allowed to pass into Menton, France, from the Italian border station of Ventimiglia. The BBC's Hugh Schofield says a demonstration in support of the Tunisian immigrants had been planned, in which some 300 protesters had planned to ride what they dubbed \"the train of dignity\". Because of the closure, the demonstration was unable to take place. France has said migrants have to prove they can support themselves financially and has set up patrols on the Italian border. But Italy says that France's actions are not in line with the EU's Schengen passport-free travel zone. \"We have given the migrants travel documents, and we gave everything (else) that is needed, and the European Commission recognised that, it has said that Italy is following the Schengen rules,\" Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said in an interview on Italy's Sky TG24 TV. Italy and other European countries have been increasingly concerned about migration from north Africa following the political turmoil in the region. Earlier this month, Italy and France agreed to launch sea and air patrols to try to prevent the influx of thousands of people from Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.", "summary": "Authorities in France temporarily blocked trains from Italy in an attempt to stop north African migrants from entering the country."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device They beat Ireland by 85 runs at Lord's to complete a 2-0 win - their seventh one-day series victory in two years. \"England have got such a strong-looking squad, especially with the bat,\" Swann told Test Match Special \"It's not long ago they were being thrashed by everyone and insisting they were playing the right way with their 1970s brand of one-day cricket.\" Swann, who took 104 wickets in 79 one-day internationals, was referring to the 2015 World Cup when Eoin Morgan's team were humbled by a group-stage exit, in which they only won games against minnows Scotland and Afghanistan. Since then, England have won series against World Cup runners-up New Zealand, Pakistan (twice), Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, West Indies and now Ireland. They only lost to Australia and South Africa by the odd game in five. They hammered Ireland despite the absence of key men Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, who are playing in the Indian Premier League. Swann added: \"They have such a strong middle order. Especially when you consider they can bring in Jos Buttler - one of the best in the world - and add him to that middle order and then Ben Stokes, who is arguably the best player in the world in all formats. \"Eoin Morgan and (head coach) Trevor Bayliss ripped up that piece of paper from 2015 and said 'that's nonsense', we'll get the right personnel in, fill them with confidence, back them to the hilt and ask them to try and post 400 when they bat. \"They scored 328 against Ireland and the captain said he felt they were 40 runs short. That's amazing to hear. Not too long ago, England captains and teams of old would have been cock-a-hoop with a score of 328.\" Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "England are \"justified favourites\" for the Champions Trophy on home soil next month, says ex-spinner Graeme Swann."}
{"article": "\"The decision to close a TV channel is a difficult one, and one we have not taken lightly,\" said BBC Trustee Suzanna Taverne. But added: \"The evidence is very clear that younger audiences are watching more online and less linear TV.\" The channel will effectively go online-only from February. The decision follows a full public consultation over the proposed closure of BBC Three as an on-air channel. BBC director general Tony Hall announced in March 2014 that the youth-oriented channel would be moved to iPlayer, with its budget slashed from \u00a385m to \u00a325m, as part of \"financially necessary\" cost-cutting moves at the corporation. BBC Three - the original home to shows such as Gavin And Stacey, Little Britain and Torchwood - has been widely praised for its creativity and fostering of new talent. It is particularly popular with viewers under-25. On average, the channel is watched by 11.2 million people every week and reaches 25% of 16-24 year olds. However it is also currently the only BBC channel watched by 925,000 people in that age group - 80% of whom will \"simply be lost\" when the channel moves online, according to a public value assessment (PVA). So, from January 2016, the BBC Three TV channel will begin telling its audience to go somewhere else. It's not yet clear exactly how long the \"migration\" to online will take but the BBC Three TV channel will almost certainly have \"gone dark\" by April. What happens if you want to see the programmes but can't or won't go looking for them on the iPlayer? We are promised that all \"long-form\" BBC Three content will be shown on BBC One and Two and that some of it will be shown in peak time. What that means in practice is around two hours a week. It also means that some of that content may appear in the daytime schedules or more likely after 10pm. Finally, what happens if the number of young people watching BBC Three content plummets? The BBC Trust says it might then have to set quotas for how many BBC Three programmes are shown on traditional TV. On Thursday, the Trust report outlined a number of conditions that the BBC must fulfil to ensure those younger audiences are not left out. Among them, the Trust stated that the corporation must offer distinctive new programmes aimed at younger audiences, and continue commissioning risk-taking shows that experiment with new talent and ideas. The Trust said it would monitor the progress of an online-only BBC Three across the next 18 months, as well as checking to see whether the BBC was adhering to the terms set out in today's report. 'Bitterly disappointing' In February, a petition campaigning against the closure of BBC Three, signed by more than 270,000 people, was delivered to the BBC Trust. Stars such as Matt Lucas, Daniel Radcliffe, Olivia Colman and DJ Greg James have all spoken out against the on-air closure. Earlier this year, BBC bosses ruled out selling the station to a group of independent TV producers who stepped forward to", "summary": "The BBC Trust has approved proposals to move BBC Three online, on the condition that the channel's long-form programmes will be shown on BBC One and Two."}
{"article": "He said she told him to \"go harder,\" a phrase similar to what Mr Evans claims she used with him in a hotel room. The Chesterfield striker denies raping a 19-year-old at a Premier Inn in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, on 30 May 2011. Mr Evans, 27, was found guilty of rape at Caernarfon Crown Court in 2012, but his conviction was quashed in April. The former Manchester City and Sheffield United player denies having sex with the woman while she was too drunk to consent. He insists she agreed to let him \"join in\" while she was having consensual sex with fellow footballer Clayton McDonald, 27, after a night out in Rhyl. A man who said he slept with the complainant multiple times in the months leading up to the alleged offence said he picked her up after a night out on 28 May 2011 and described her as being drunk when he took her home. The man - who cannot be named - said she \"came on to\" him in bed, saying: \"Are you not even going to rip my clothes off?\" \"I was quite shocked,\" he said. \"At the beginning I was a little bit nervous. The relationship we had was purely based on sex. \"I was very shocked with the words - she was expecting sex to happen as soon as we got into the house.\" He said the complainant \"dictated\" how the sex occurred and told him to \"go harder\". \"She was a lot more confident. There had been a break between that time and the previous that I had slept with her, so I was a bit shocked to how much more confident she was,\" he added. Prosecutor Simon Medland QC asked why he never mentioned the phrase \"go harder\" in his initial statement in September 2011 but did in a statement in December 2015. He said he was not asked for details in the first interview and did not feel comfortable discussing it in that way over the phone. The second interview was in person, and he was \"made to feel at ease\" and asked for more details, he added. Mr Medland asked the witness if he was aware of a \u00c2\u00a350,000 reward offered for any information that might lead to Mr Evans' acquittal before he gave evidence at the footballer's appeal. \"No,\" he replied, saying he would have a \"lot more to lose than to gain\" if he had given evidence for money as he would most likely lose his well-paid job. \"The money I could get paid in the next 20 years outweighs a small lump sum,\" he said. The trial continues.", "summary": "A man who slept with a woman two days before footballer Ched Evans allegedly raped her has told a court he was \"shocked\" by her sexual behaviour."}
{"article": "In 2013 the Environment Department was considering ending the contract because Jersey Met wanted more money. But now a five-year contract has been signed with the cost rising by 12.5%. The cost is about \u00c2\u00a3350,000, which includes a separate contract for specialist aviation forecast services. The contract between Guernsey's government and Jersey Met had previously not gone up since 2004. When the Met Office said the fee was no longer sufficient, the Environment Department held talks with the rest of Guernsey's States as to whether the contract should continue given the higher cost. Jersey Met provides weather forecasts for all of the Channel Islands. The new fixed price contract for five years between Guernsey and Jersey Met is subject to an inflation increase of 2.5% per year. Principal Meteorological Officer in Jersey, John Searson, said: \"If inflation or cost of living is low, our island is better off. If it is higher Guernsey does much better.\" He said that Jersey Met was now providing a better service to Guernsey.", "summary": "The States of Guernsey is now paying more for getting its weather services from Jersey despite talks about the contract being cancelled."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old has been advertising his club's car sponsor and has also appeared in adverts for petrol. Reus also received speeding tickets on at least five occasions from 2011 before authorities realised he had been driving without a licence. \"The reasons I did it are something I cannot really understand,\" he said. Dortmund said they had discussed the matter with the player and spokesman Sascha Fligge said: \"He has promised such a thing will not happen again.\" Reus, who missed Germany's World Cup triumph in July after picking up an ankle injury in the final warm-up game, has repeatedly been linked with a move to the Premier League but is currently out until the New Year with another ankle injury.", "summary": "Borussia Dortmund and Germany winger Marco Reus has been fined more than half a million pounds for driving without a licence."}
{"article": "Manchester City and Liverpool played out a pulsating 1-1 draw and Manchester United moved into fifth as a 3-1 win at Middlesbrough saw them move above Arsenal, who lost 3-1 at West Brom. Elsewhere, Bournemouth steered well clear of the drop thanks to a 2-0 victory over Swansea, while there were wins for Everton, Crystal Palace and Leicester City. Pick your XI from our list and share with your friends. Do you agree with my team of the week or would you go for a different team? Why not pick your very own team of the week from the shortlist selected by BBC Sport journalists and share it with your friends? Two of the best saves you will see from Kasper Schmeichel, and reminiscent of his father Peter Schmeichel at his best. The save from Andy Carroll's header was immense and the shot stop from the same player was even better. It could be argued that Schmeichel has been Leicester's most consistent player in what can only be described as a complicated season for the Foxes. However, what has been most impressive from the young keeper has been his honesty off the field around all the speculation involving Claudio Ranieri's departure. He fronted up for interviews and spoke with clarity and maturity about a very difficult situation, giving Leicester fans (and the public at large) some indication of what was happening behind the scenes. It was not an easy situation for the goalkeeper but he stood up to the challenge. The Dane now faces a different test and that is having to maintain the sort of performance he showed against an unlucky West Ham to ensure his team remain in the Premier League. They can flirt with the Champions League all they want, but their Premier League status is what really matters. A point Ranieri apparently failed to understand. Arguably against the tallest back four in the Premier League, Arsenal were in complete disarray when defending set-pieces and Craig Dawson took complete advantage. His two goals from almost identical set-pieces told the story. Arsenal did not, and could not, handle West Brom's aerial power. If ever there was a time to bring on Per Mertesacker and plonk him in the heart of the Arsenal back four then this was it. So what was the point of having the German defender on the bench if you were not going to use him when necessary? Was Arsene Wenger waiting for Laurent Koscielny or Shkodran Mustafi to pull a white handkerchief from out of their shirt sleeve and wave it to the bench to signal that they couldn't cope? No, of course not, that's the manager's job to see the faults in his team and correct them as quickly as possible. If you were ever going to bring on the big German, wasn't this the game? It was so obvious to me that no-one in the Arsenal back four fancied taking on West Brom's aerial threat. Which brings me to a much more worrying point for Wenger. It's one thing his team not having the", "summary": "Chelsea maintained their 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 win at Stoke, while Tottenham beat Southampton 2-1 at home to stay second."}
{"article": "Santa Cruz defeated Frampton in a Vegas rematch to reclaim the title he lost in New York last year, but has dampened talk of a third meeting in Belfast. \"I think more likely first I would like to unify with Lee Selby,\" he said. \"Selby is calling me out, so I want to make it with him and get the win and then fight [Abner] Mares or Frampton.\" Selby's camp say they will discuss the prospect with Al Haymon, who advises both fighters, and that a fight with the Mexican would be their \"first choice\". The Barry boxer stopped Spain's Andoni Gago on the undercard of the Tony Bellew v David Haye bill at the O2 Arena on Saturday and has made clear he is now a free agent after his four-year agreement with Matchroom concluded. Find out how to get into boxing with our special guide. \"We will discuss options with Al Haymon this week,\" Selby's manager Jamie Sanigar told BBC Wales Sport. \"We want the biggest fights now and a unification with Santa Cruz is top of the list. The winner of Selby v Santa Cruz would be king of the castle in the featherweight division.\" Selby is supposed to fight mandatory challenger Jonathan Victor Barros next after their previous fight was cancelled at the last minute. A unification fight with Santa Cruz could well be an attractive proposition to both organisations, though the IBF says it has heard nothing on a potential unification duel and expect Selby's camp to negotiate with Barros. \"Selby and Barros have been ordered to negotiate again. They have until 2 April,\" the IBF told BBC Wales Sport. \"We have not been approached about a unification and [Selby] will likely have to fight Barros prior to a unification with Santa Cruz.\" The IBF says Barros' issues that led to their previous fight being postponed have been resolved. The Nevada Athletic Commission did not give an explanation other than the Argentine had not met its requirements. Santa Cruz believes a unification fight with Selby would be the preferable option. \"I want to fight the best. There is Lee Selby, I want to unify against him, Abner Mares, Carl Frampton, I will fight any of them,\" Santa Cruz confirmed. \"But I think more likely first I would like to unify with Lee Selby, I don't know about a date yet, but maybe June, July, or August. We will talk about it.\"", "summary": "WBA featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz says he wants a unification fight with IBF champion Lee Selby before facing Carl Frampton again."}
{"article": "A senior adviser to Prime Minister Theresa May has told BBC Newsnight that the chancellor is expected to herald a move towards a greater focus on fiscal policy - tax and spending - in his Autumn Statement on 23 November. The move towards a more Keynesian approach towards the economy will mark a departure from former chancellor George Osborne's reliance on what he called \"monetary activism\". This covered interest rates and the purchase of assets by the Bank of England known as quantitative easing. George Freeman, the chairman of the prime minister's policy board, told Newsnight that Mrs May had used her speech to the Conservative party conference in Birmingham to signal \"loud and clear\" that she had concerns about relying so heavily on monetary policy. The PM said ultra low interest rates had produced \"bad side effects\", notably by hitting savers. Newsnight understands that the remarks by the prime minister show that she now believes the time is approaching for a shift in emphasis in the defining mechanism for running the economy. She believes that in future it would be wise to lean in favour of tax and spending to allow for greater public investment. The chancellor will set out the fresh thinking in his autumn statement on 23 November, marking a break with the era of Mr Osborne who championed \"monetary activism\" and \"fiscal responsibility\" - low interest rates and spending restraint with a focus on deficit reduction. Mr Freeman told Newsnight: \"Philip Hammond is going to set this out in the Autumn Statement. But Theresa has been very clear that this model of the emergency QE package, bail out the banks, stabilise the economy has had a very profound effect on the distribution of wealth. \"Those with assets have done very much better than those without. We have to listen to the roar we heard this year and we have to think with money available at 0% - and we want to drive an industrial strategy, getting infrastructure built - we need to make sure we are looking at all the mechanisms for making that money flows properly.\" He confirmed Downing Street still supports the Bank of England's independence which means it has sole control over monetary policy and it will face no restrictions on the setting of interest rates. The bank's governor, Mark Carney, decides on quantitative easing though he has to seek the approval of the chancellor. Government sources have indicated that the Treasury will continue to accept the governor's advice on quantitative easing. But Mr Freeman signalled that the prime minister believes the UK economy should enter a new era. He told Newsnight: \"It is up to the Bank of England obviously to set out with their mandate how they handle that. But she is signalling loud and clear that we need to make sure we understand what effect this model of growth has had on those who are paying for it - the citizens of this country - and to use every lever we have to make sure the economy works for them.\" Mrs May", "summary": "Chancellor Philip Hammond is planning to embark on a major shift in gear on economic policy as the government embraces a more interventionist approach with increased spending on infrastructure projects."}
{"article": "Phandu Skelemani made the apology after Kenya's government accused him of being contemptuous towards Uhuru Kenyatta. The International Criminal Court has charged Mr Kenyatta with crimes against humanity. He denies the charges and won the 4 March poll with an outright majority. He got 50.07% of the vote compared to his rival Raila Odinga's 43.31%. Mr Odinga has refused to accept defeat, saying the election was marred by fraud and is expected to file a petition challenging the result at Kenya's Supreme Court on Friday. Analysts say the ICC case bolstered Mr Kenyatta's electoral chances, as voters saw it as interference in Kenya's domestic affairs. He is due to stand trial in July, with the charges stemming from allegations that he helped orchestrate violence that erupted after the 2007 election. Earlier this week, his lawyer, Steven Kay, called on the ICC to drop the case, saying the evidence against him was \"utterly flawed\". Mr Kay made the call after ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda dropped charges against Mr Kenyatta's co-accused, Francis Muthaura, because a key witness had \"recanted\" his evidence and other witnesses were too scared to testify. Mr Skelemani said he was retracting comments he made to Botswana's privately owned Mmegi newspaper following Mr Kenyatta's election victory. \"I apologise to the Kenyan people for my earlier statement and wish to maintain that Kenya and Botswana have always worked together and nothing will change that,\" he said, in a statement published in the Kenyan media. \"Mr Uhuru Kenyatta is more than welcome to visit Botswana. Botswana is cognisant of a section of the law that says one is innocent until proven guilty.\" Earlier this week, Mr Skelemani was quoted by Mmegi as saying that Mr Kenyatta would not be allowed to \"set foot\" in Botswana if he refused to cooperate with the ICC. \"If he refuses to go [to The Hague], then we have a problem. That means that they do not know the rule of law,\" he is quoted as saying. \"You can't establish a court and refuse to go when it calls you.\" In his response, Kenyan government spokesman Muthui Kariuki told the Nairobi-based Daily Nation newspaper that Kenya knew its international obligations but would not be bullied. \"The government finds the statement contemptuous,\" he is quoted as saying. \"Mr Kenyatta has been accused, but he is not guilty until proven otherwise. In fact, he has always attended ICC sessions without failure and is on record he would continue to do so,\" Mr Kariuki said. Botswana has also warned Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, who has been charged by the ICC with genocide, that he will be arrested if he visits Botswana. He has denied the charge, but refuses to stand trial because Sudan does not recognise the ICC, saying it is a tool of Western powers.", "summary": "Botswana's foreign minister has apologised for saying that Kenya's newly elected president would be banned from the southern African nation if he refuses to co-operate with the ICC."}
{"article": "In the first, a Citation jet with two people on board was involved in an alert at about 13:15. It landed safely. Shortly afterwards at 13:54 police and fire crews were called back to the airport after the pilot of a small plane reported an engine problem. Police said the pilot was able to resolve the problem and had flown to Kinloss or Lossiemouth in Moray. Inverness Airport said the crew of the Citation jet had reported a technical fault as it approached. However, it landed safely and taxied to the stand as normal. \"As a precaution, and in line with standard procedures, the airport fire service and other emergency service personnel were called to the scene but were not required,\" added the airport. The incidents come days after a full emergency was declared at the airport after an aircraft reported a bird strike after taking off. The mail flight from Inverness to Stornoway was forced to turn back after the incident last Friday morning. The Loganair aircraft, with a pilot and co-pilot on board, landed safely a short time later.", "summary": "A private jet and another small aircraft have sparked two separate full emergencies at Inverness Airport."}
{"article": "Dr Emyr Roberts said the EU's impact had been \"largely positive\" but there was the \"potential to do even better\". In a wide-ranging BBC Wales interview, he also defended his leadership of the environmental watchdog, which has faced a slew of difficult headlines. He is set to retire in October after almost five years. When it comes to environmental law, the EU has amassed more of it than anywhere else in the world. In many cases NRW's staff are responsible for monitoring whether Wales is meeting European standards. Those duties will change after Brexit as Welsh or British standards are developed, with potentially more responsibilities placed on the regulator, Dr Roberts predicted. He said the EU's strict environmental regulations had led to \"significant improvements\", highlighting bathing water quality and reductions in industrial emissions. \"First of all it's very important that we do keep the current standards after Brexit - they have been successful,\" said Dr Roberts. \"But going forward there is the potential to do even better - and in particular if we can bring together agricultural policy and environmental policy. \"I think we can bring Welsh solutions to the table where in the past we've been quite restricted.\" He also said he thought the public in general \"undervalue the environment and the benefits it can bring\". Dr Roberts has been chief executive of NRW since its formation in 2013 when three former quangos - the Environment Agency, Countryside Council for Wales and Forestry Commission Wales - were merged. It is the largest government-sponsored body in Wales, employing 1,900 staff across the country. The aim was to manage the environment in a more joined-up way while keeping a distance from the Welsh Government. However a year in, wildlife presenter and naturalist Iolo Williams s branded it a \"disaster for conservation\", with NRW's independence called into question over support for a motor racing track near Ebbw Vale. It became evident that merging different organisations was proving to be a huge challenge. Leaked staff surveys came under the spotlight and claims of morale problems were made. Most recently a row over a \u00c2\u00a339m timber deal that was not put out to tender prompted criticism from the Auditor General for Wales and an investigation by the assembly's public accounts committee. The timber industry complained of \"an extremely worrying loss of forestry expertise\" within the organisation, while fishing and river groups also attacked NRW, branding it \"no longer fit for purpose\". In May Dr Roberts announced he would retire, saying it was time to \"pass the reins onto someone else\". Asked about the regular criticism, Dr Roberts said he felt it reflected the passion people felt towards the Welsh environment. \"The one thing I have learnt in this job is that you can't please everybody anytime,\" he said. \"But many of those comments come from a particular angle - whether it's fishing or conservation. Our job is to join all that up and make the best solutions. \"Sometimes you have to make compromises. We have to take things in the round, base it on evidence and", "summary": "Brexit presents an opportunity to improve the way Wales' environment is looked after, according to the outgoing head of Natural Resources Wales."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device \"Football is not in a crisis, only some difficulties,\" said the Fifa president. Blatter brushed off suggestions, from the British government among others, that Wednesday's presidential election - for which he is the only candidate - should be suspended. \"If governments try to intervene then something is wrong,\" he said. \"I think Fifa is strong enough that we can deal with our problems inside Fifa.\" Blatter, unusually appearing alone at a news conference in Zurich, gave a defiant display despite the storm surrounding the organisation. \"This was an absolutely extraordinary appearance by Sepp Blatter. Delusional, one colleague said to me afterwards. \"The phrase that will stick in the mind is: 'Crisis? What crisis?' - reminiscent of that famous newspaper headline during the Winter of Discontent. \"But Blatter is not playing to our audience, he's playing to the members of Fifa who he hopes will re-elect him. \"He wouldn't deal with Mohamed Bin Hammam's suspension, wouldn't talk about Jack Warner and his claims and wouldn't talk about reopening the World Cup 2022 vote. \"After this conference there are so many questions. This is not going away for Blatter.\" But he ended the news conference in an angry exchange with a German reporter and talked of his time working as a journalist, complaining about a lack of \"respect\" from some members of the media, warning them: \"We are not in a bazaar; we are in Fifa's house.\" The 75-year-old Blatter insisted that a Football Association inquiry by barrister James Dingemans QC looking into ex-FA and bid chairman Lord Triesman's claims of alleged Fifa impropriety had \"found no elements\" which would prompt the world governing to investigate further. This despite Dingemans' report revealing that Fifa executive committee Nicolas Leoz's aide had asked for the FA Cup to be named after the Paraguayan Exco member, who Triesman claimed in Parliament had demanded a knighthood from England's 2018 bid. Fifa has now published a summary of Dingemans' report on its website. Sports minister Hugh Robertson had expressed the British government's displeasure at Fifa's situation last week, calling for its presidential election to be suspended. But Blatter argued neither governments nor anyone outside the Fifa membership could have any bearing on the election process, and vowed to carry on unless Wednesday's congress decided otherwise. \"If somebody wants to change something in the election or in the congress of Wednesday, these are the members of Fifa,\" he said. Media playback is not supported on this device \"This cannot be done by the executive committee, it cannot be done by any authorities outside of Fifa - it's only the congress itself that can do it. \"Congress will decide if I am a valid or non-valid candidate.\" Blatter is expected to stand unopposed in an election marred by a torrent of dissent from within and beyond football's world governing body. The only rival candidate to emerge - Mohamed Bin Hammam, president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) - pulled out having been suspended by Fifa's own ethics committee over allegations that financial incentives", "summary": "Sepp Blatter has insisted that Fifa is not in crisis, despite the \"great damage\" done to its image by ongoing corruption allegations."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old joined Livingston on a deal until the end of 2015-16 after leaving Dundee United in January. He previously spent the first part of last season on loan at Almondvale Stadium, and made a total of 30 appearances for Livi last term. McCallum, who has also played for Arbroath and Berwick, is the League Two side's 14th signing of the summer. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Plymouth Argyle have signed former Livingston goalkeeper Marc McCallum on an undisclosed-length contract."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Dinesh Chandimal made 126 and Rangana Herath 61 as Sri Lanka benefited from dropped catches at Chester-le-Street to move their overnight 309-5 to 475. Anderson, the bowler to suffer from England's errors, returned to trap Herath lbw on the way to 5-58. England then eased to a target of 79. Cook reached his personal landmark five runs into an unbeaten 47. The hosts, who have named an unchanged 12-man squad, will have the opportunity to complete a series whitewash in the third and final Test at Lord's, which begins on 9 June. Sri Lanka were outplayed in both the first Test and the first half of this match, when they were shot out for scores of 91, 119 and 101. But they should now have greater confidence travelling to Lord's, where conditions are likely to be much more suited to batting than Leeds and Durham. Chandimal, unbeaten on 54 overnight, was fluent throughout, playing eye-catching strokes through the off side and heaving Moeen Ali for a six over mid-wicket. His sixth Test century and first outside Asia was greeted by emotional celebrations, dropping his bat and kissing his helmet in a gesture towards the Sri Lanka dressing room. He received spirited support from Herath, who grew in confidence during his second Test half-century, particularly when sweeping and reverse-sweeping Moeen. However, that England were forced to field for longer in Sri Lanka's second innings than they had in the rest of the series combined was also down to their own mistakes in the field. On a dark morning ideal for bowling, Anderson already had Milinda Siriwardana held at gully when he got Chandimal to inside-edge through to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, who put down a straightforward chance to reprieve the right-hander on 69. And Herath was given a life on 47 when James Vince made the mess of a skier, back-pedalling towards the point boundary. Indeed, man-of-the-match Anderson aside, England were below their best with the ball, with Moeen and Steven Finn disappointing. Media playback is not supported on this device Still, Sri Lanka's stoicism did give the meagre Chester-le-Street crowd their opportunity for a moment of history, with captain Cook delivering. Needing five to become the first Englishman to 10,000 Test runs, the left-hander inside-edged spinner Herath for a single, then clipped the pace of Nuwan Pradeep to the leg-side rope. He becomes the 12th man in the history of Test cricket to reach the landmark and at 31 years, five months and five days, the youngest, beating the record of India legend Sachin Tendulkar, who was 31 years, 10 months and 20 days. Cook lost opening partner Alex Hales, bowled by Siriwardana, but accumulated freely, in contrast to Nick Compton, who began tentatively. Still, it was Compton who pulled Siriwardana for back-to-back boundaries to seal a four-day victory, the 11th consecutive Test in England that has failed to reach the fifth day. England captain Alastair Cook: \"It's hard for the Sri Lankan batters in one sense, but they are very good players, and most", "summary": "England ended Sri Lanka's resistance to win the second Test by nine wickets and complete a series victory - with captain Alastair Cook reaching 10,000 Test runs."}
{"article": "Police appealed for witnesses to the incident which happened in Jackson's Entry at about 22:30 on Thursday. A 19-year-old man had taken his wallet from his pocket as he looked for a cash machine when two men ran towards him from behind. The pair knocked the man to the ground and punched him in the face before stealing his wallet and running off. The first man was white, in his early 20s and about 5ft 8in or 5ft 9in tall, of skinny build, with a very pale complexion. He had small stumpy brown teeth and a receding hairline forming a v-shape on his forehead. He also had blue eyes and black stud earrings in his ears. He was wearing a grey cotton Adidas tracksuit. The second man was white with a tanned complexion, of athletic build and had dark spikey hair and sunken eyes. He was wearing Puma jogging bottoms and a black hooded top with a gold zipper. Det Con Iain Wallace from Police Scotland, said: \"This was a very distressing incident for the victim, though, thankfully he did not sustain any serious injuries.\" He appealed for anyone with information to contact police.", "summary": "A man has been punched and robbed in an Edinburgh Street by two men, one of whom had stumpy brown teeth."}
{"article": "Eisner and his Tornante investment group are in exclusive negotiations to pay \u00a35.67m for 100% of the club. The Pompey Supporters Trust (PST), which controls 48% of the club's current ownership structure, has set out the deal in a 48-page document. Portsmouth recently secured automatic promotion from League Two. California-based Eisner, 75, will present his offer in person at a town hall-style meeting on Thursday, and also aims to invest an additional \u00a310m in equity should the deal go through. The current ownership structure helped bring Portsmouth out of administration in 2013. Eisner's 70-day exclusivity period runs until 1 June and existing club shareholders will have the final say on accepting any offer. The PST are set to recommend to its shareholder members an \"all cash now\" acquisition option, giving them a full return on their original \u00a31,000 investment per share. Under Eisner's proposals, there would no longer be room for three PST members on the club's nine-strong board. They would sit instead on a newly-created heritage board to protect matters such as the club's name, colours, badge and moving its home ground more than 15 miles from Portsmouth city centre. \"The PST board believes that the best long-term future for the club is for the PST to retain some ownership,\" a statement said. \"Tornante have agreed a heritage share can be issued, which will be put in place as a means by which certain identified issues can be protected and vetoes exercised by the PST. \"The decision is for each community shareholder based on their assessment of the offer.\" Eisner, who is previously understood to have shown an interest in buying Championship club Reading, is also a former president of Paramount Pictures as well as an early investor in Netflix.", "summary": "Supporters and shareholders of Portsmouth have been presented with the terms of a takeover offer from ex-Walt Disney chief executive Michael Eisner."}
{"article": "Only 21 balls were possible in a rain-hit morning session at New Road. After Australian paceman Jackson Bird had taken his third wicket, the hosts then looked in some discomfort at 25-3. But Mitchell put on 142 with teenager Joe Clarke (70), finishing the day on 105 as Worcestershire closed on 228-5. Worcestershire got off to a bad start when Richard Oliver, their T20 matchwinner against Durham the day before, was out to only the fourth delivery he received, leg before wicket to Bird. After an early lunch following the mid-morning downpour, Tom Fell then edged Bird low to wicketkeeper Adam Wheater before the recalled Tom Kohler-Cadmore was bowled without playing a shot. But the meeting of last season's two promotion winners then changed course as Clarke joined Mitchell, who made an unbeaten 142 at Southampton in May, only for Hampshire to be saved by the weather. Kohler-Cadmore came in for his third Championship start of the summer as Alex Gidman was still feeling the effects of a blow he took on the helmet on the first day against Nottinghamshire a week ago. The home side also opted to play an extra spinner, in-form T20 specialist Brett D'Oliveira coming in for seamer Ed Barnard. Worcestershire skipper Daryl Mitchell told BBC Hereford & Worcester: \"It's always pleasing to get a hundred and when we were 25-3, it's doubly pleasing to get us out of a bit of trouble. We will see how important it is at the end of the game. \"It's a good wicket, pretty dry and not a lot of grass, and I thought batting first was important with two spinners in the team. \"There was a bit of cloud cover and it did nibble around a little we overcame that and Joe Clarke played a fantastic innings.\" Hampshire coach Dale Benkenstein told BBC Solent: \"It was a solid day but, at 25-3, there was a real opportunity and we got a little bit excited. We have not had those opportunities, especially recently. \"It's a fairly good, slow, placid wicket. We almost tried to get wickets but they got a bit away from us. \"If you bowl in good areas there is enough in the wicket and it's hard to score.\"", "summary": "Worcestershire captain Daryl Mitchell compiled his second hundred of the season against Hampshire to help rescue his side against their fellow County Championship Division One strugglers."}
{"article": "It comes after a last-minute decision to declare Tuesday a holiday failed to persuade people to cast their ballots. A low turnout threatens to undermine the legitimacy of former military chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, who is expected to easily beat leftist Hamdeen Sabahi. The retired field marshal overthrew President Mohammed Morsi last July. He has since been locked in a battle with Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, which has urged a boycott of what it calls \"the election of blood\". Liberal and secular activists, including the 6 April youth movement which was prominent in the 2011 revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak, have also shunned the poll in protest at the curtailing of civil rights. Mr Sabahi said that his team had recorded \"violations\" in the voting process but rejected calls by his supporters for him to withdraw. \"We will not withdraw and, at the same time, we will not accept elections to be rigged,\" he said in a statement. The election commission said voting had been extended to \"allow citizens who could not cast their ballots because of residence restrictions\" to participate, and reminded those who did not that they would be fined. But reports from Cairo on Wednesday morning suggested the authorities would struggle to boost turnout significantly. Analysis, by Kevin Connolly, BBC News, Cairo Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, along with the interim government, the official media and Egypt's powerful army have been acting for months as though this election was a formality with victory for him inevitable. They may have overdone it to an extent which has alienated some Egyptians - and left even those who like Mr Sisi not seeing much point in voting. At many polling stations, soldiers on security duty have outnumbered voters and others have seen no voters at all for hours. Extending voting into a third day might look a little desperate - but it's tantamount to an official admission that turnout has been worryingly low for the authorities. A win for Mr Sisi on a very low turnout would damage his authority as he takes office. It would be particularly embarrassing for him to secure fewer than 13 million votes. That was the number recorded by Mohammed Morsi, the elected Islamist president whose removal from office was led by Mr Sisi last year when he was still serving in the army. The head of the election commission told MBC-Misr TV that estimates from Monday and Tuesday suggested 35% of Egypt's 54 million registered voters had cast their ballots. That would be a significant drop from the presidential election run-off in 2012 narrowly won by Mr Morsi, which had a turnout of just below 52%. A low turnout would cast doubt on Mr Sisi's claim that he has the support of a majority of Egyptians. He has said he wants 40 million voters, or 74%, to cast their ballots to show that \"there is consensus on a national level\". Mr Sabahi's campaign said the extension of voting was unjustified. It denounced the move as an attempt to \"prevent Egyptians from expressing their opinion through manipulating the turnout", "summary": "Egypt's presidential election has entered a third day after the military-backed interim authorities extended voting in an effort to boost turnout."}
{"article": "Candidates running for election are listed below, and are also available on the Electoral Office for NI website Candidates listed alphabetically by surname. Andy Allen, UUP Ross Brown, Green Party Joanne Bunting, DUP Amy Doherty, SDLP Sammy Douglas, DUP Andrew Girvin, TUV Erskine Holmes, Northern Ireland Labour Representation Committee Maggie Hutton, Independent John Kyle, Progressive Unionist Party Jonny Lavery, UKIP Naomi Long, Alliance Party Chris Lyttle, Alliance Party Chris McGimpsey, UUP Tim Morrow, Alliance Party Robin Newton, DUP Niall \u00d3 Donnghaile, Sinn F\u00e9in Courtney Robinson, Cross-Community Labour Alternative Neil Wilson, Conservative Ken Boyle, UKIP Paula Bradley, DUP Tom Burns, Independent Lesley Carroll, UUP Geoff Dowey, Northern Ireland First Fiona Ferguson, People Before Profit Alliance Fra Hughes, Independent William Humphrey, DUP Billy Hutchinson, PUP Gerry Kelly, Sinn F\u00e9in Nichola Mallon, SDLP Nuala McAllister, Alliance Nelson McCausland, DUP John Miller, TUV Caral N\u00ed Chuil\u00edn, Sinn F\u00e9in Malachai O'Hara, Green Party Abdo Thabeth, Northern Ireland Labour Representation Committee Gemma Weir, Workers Party Brigitte Anton, Northern Ireland Labour Representation Committee Clare Bailey, Green Party Paula Bradshaw, Alliance Party Sean Burns, Cross-Community Labour Alternative Billy Dickson, South Belfast Unionists Claire Hanna, SDLP John Hiddleston, TUV Lily Kerr, Workers Party Emma Little-Pengelly, DUP Ben Manton, Conservative Rodney McCune, UUP Fearghal McKinney, SDLP Duncan Morrow, Alliance Party M\u00e1irt\u00edn \u00d3 Muilleoir, Sinn F\u00e9in Ruth Patterson, Independent Ian Shanks, PUP Christopher Stalford, DUP Bob Stoker, UKIP Alex Attwood, SDLP Conor Campbell, Workers Party Gerry Carroll, People Before Profit Alliance Jemima Higgins, Alliance Party Gareth Martin, UUP, Alex Maskey, Sinn F\u00e9in Fra McCann, Sinn F\u00e9in Jennifer McCann, Sinn F\u00e9in Rosie McCorley, Sinn F\u00e9in Frank McCoubrey, DUP Ellen Murray, Green Party Pat Sheehan, Sinn F\u00e9in Roy Beggs, UUP Stewart Dickson, Alliance Danny Donnelly, Alliance David Hilditch, DUP Noel Jordan, UKIP Gordon Lyons, DUP Jim McCaw, PUP Margaret McKillop, SDLP Oliver McMullan, Sinn F\u00e9in Maureen Morrow, UUP Dawn Patterson, Green Party Alastair Ross, DUP Conor Sheridan, Cross-Community Labour Alternative John Stewart, UUP Ruth Wilson, TUV Caoimhe Archibald, Sinn F\u00e9in Jordan Armstrong, TUV Yvonne Boyle, Alliance Party Maurice Bradley, DUP Aaron Callan, UUP Stuart Canning, Conservative Tor Christie, Independent Amber Hamill, Green Party David Harding, Conservative William McCandless, UUP Adrian McQuillan, DUP Gerry Mullan, SDLP Cathal \u00f3hOis\u00edn, Sinn F\u00e9in Steven Parkhill, UKIP George Robinson, DUP Claire Sugden, Independent Russell Watton, PUP Rosemary Barton, UUP Kerri Blyberg, Alliance Party Donald Crawford, TUV John Feely, Sinn F\u00e9in Phil Flanagan, Sinn F\u00e9in Arlene Foster, DUP Michelle Gildernew, Sinn F\u00e9in Damien Harris, NI Labour Representation Committee Tanya Jones, Green Party Sean Lynch, Sinn F\u00e9in Richie McPhilips, SDLP Maurice Morrow, DUP Alastair Patterson, UUP Kathleen Bradley, Independent Maurice Devenney, Independent Gerard Diver, SDLP Alan Dunlop, Conservative Mark Durkan, SDLP Colum Eastwood, SDLP Mary Hassan, Green Party Julia Kee, UUP John Lindsay, Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol Eamonn McCann, People Before Profit Alliance Raymond McCartney, Sinn F\u00e9in Chris McCaw, Alliance Party Anne McCloskey, Independent Martin McGuinness, Sinn F\u00e9in Maeve McLaughlin, Sinn F\u00e9in Gary Middleton, DUP Dan Barrios-O'Neill, Green Party Robbie Butler, UUP Pat Catney, SDLP Jonathan Craig, DUP Peter Dynes, NI Labour Representation Committee Paul Givan, DUP Brenda Hale, DUP Brian", "summary": "Northern Ireland goes to the polls on 5 May to elect the 108 members of the Northern Ireland Assembly."}
{"article": "Is the chancellor intent on using his soft power to take on the hard Brexiteers? He's certainly using it to isolate one very vulnerable prime minister. Mr Hammond, while seemingly content to let her remain in political limbo, has also vented his frustration about his boss, making it clear that Theresa May's team had made sure he had been shut away during the election, forbidden to talk about the economy. He has suggested that this was the key, fatal, majority-losing mistake. His message now: \"It's the economy, stupid,\" and that goes for Brexit too. Monday's talks in Brussels are one baby step on a long journey to a new future. The election has changed everything. There are those in the Conservative Party who think the lesson was clear: hard Brexit has been rejected. \"Our power is now limited. To say it is a mess is to state the bleeding obvious,\" one former minister, an ardent campaigner for Leave, told us. A former minister on the other side of the debate made it clear she had kept her seat because she was an ardent Remainer and was pinning her hopes on the chancellor softening Brexit. Whether or not the chancellor is \"on manoeuvres\", Mr Hammond is certainly marshalling his arguments. A planned Mansion House speech was postponed because of the Grenfell fire, but was briefed as potentially lobbing a missile into Number 10 and that the chancellor was toying with the idea of arguing to stay in the Customs Union. He hasn't done that. Instead, he told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme that he would prioritise the economy, jobs and skills, while adding: \"We're leaving the EU and because we're leaving the EU we will be leaving the single market. And by the way, we'll be leaving the Customs Union.\" The postponed speech will now be delivered on Tuesday 20 June. In a wider context, to understand the chancellor's language you have to decode the debate and the movement of the Tories biggest beasts, those who consider themselves the natural rulers, who feel that those they see as rebels, or Leavers, have seized control of their citadel. It looks as if a counter-strike by these forces is unfolding before our eyes. Consider: two former prime ministers, John Major and David Cameron, who were humiliated by Eurosceptics, have backed Mr Hammond's view, calling for the economy to be put first and for an agreement on Brexit with other parties. So has former Conservative leader William Hague. So has the only Tory hero of the hour, Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservatives' leader. Almost unnoticed, the generally rather underwhelming reshuffle was at the heart of the coup. Chancellor Phillip Hammond secure in place, Remainer Damien Green elevated to First Secretary of State, Remainer Gavin Barwell, former Croydon MP, the prime minister's new chief of staff, a critical appointment. Brexit Secretary David Davis's top team has been eviscerated. His main ministerial enthusiast for leaving the EU, David Jones, was sacked without warning. The other resigned. The department didn't know it was coming. More importantly, Mr Davis didn't", "summary": "What does Chancellor Philip Hammond's increasingly vocal stance on Brexit say about his intentions, his prime minister and his party?"}
{"article": "This is the principle that all websites and apps should be equally accessible. Travel portal Cleartrip.com and media giant Times Group both announced they would be withdrawing from the service, citing competition fears. But Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg defended Internet.org's aims. The service aims to extend internet services to the developing world by offering a selection of apps and websites free to consumers. Telecoms firms absorb the data costs associated with handling Internet.org traffic. But many companies fear this distorts the market and makes it harder for small companies to get their products seen by the public. Currently, Indian visitors to Internet.org can access nearly 40 stripped-down services, including job, healthcare, news and education sites. Times Group blogged that it was appealing \"to all publishers to jointly withdraw from Internet.org\" and said that the Times of India newspaper would also withdraw \"if its direct competitors - India Today, NDTV, IBNLive, NewsHunt, and [the] BBC - also pull out\". The BBC has yet to respond to the call. A Times Group spokesman said: \"We support net neutrality because it creates a fair, level playing field for all companies - big and small - to produce the best service and offer it to consumers. \"We will lead the drive towards a neutral internet, but we need our fellow publishers and content providers to do so as well, so that the playing field continues to be level.\" Cleartrip said the debate around net neutrality had given it \"pause to rethink\" its approach to Internet.org. \"What started off with providing a simple search service has us now concerned with influencing customer decision-making by forcing options on them, something that is against our core DNA,\" wrote Subramanya Sharma, Cleartrip's chief marketing officer. In India, the issue hit the headlines this week after telecoms provider Bharti Airtel said it would allow mobile app developers to pay data charges enabling users to access the apps for free. Start-up developers with little funding could therefore be at a commercial disadvantage, tech firms argue. Facebook launched Internet.org in India in February after partnering with Indian telecom carrier Reliance Communications. India has the world's third-largest internet population and is the first Asian country to get the service. Mr Zuckerberg defended the initiative in an article for the Hindustan Times newspaper, saying: \"Net neutrality is not in conflict with working to get more people connected. \"We will never prevent people accessing other services, and we will not use fast-lanes.\"", "summary": "A group of Indian technology and internet companies have pulled out of Facebook's Internet.org initiative, fearing it threatens the principle of \"net neutrality\"."}
{"article": "Over the summer of last year the campaign leadership took a decision which has dogged them to this day. They would highlight the overall, or gross, figure Britain contributes to the EU without taking account of the special rebate Britain receives back from the EU or billions of pounds in subsidies from Brussels. The Vote Leave campaign therefore took out their calculators and used Britain's annual \u00a318.8bn contribution to the EU in 2014 to give them one of their main campaign messages. Divide \u00a318.8bn by 52 and you come up with the figure of \u00a3350m, allowing the Vote Leave campaign to emblazon its campaign bus and literature highlighting the weekly figure the UK hands over to Brussels. The group has then said this money could be used to fund extra spending on public services such as the NHS. On Monday night's special Newsnight programme examining \"What Out looks like\", however, it was striking that energy minister and leading Brexit campaigner Andrea Leadsom eschewed this formula referring instead repeatedly to a \"\u00a310bn independence dividend\". That figure represents her estimate of Britain's net contribution once the rebate and EU funding to the UK have been taken into account. On Wednesday morning the Institute for Fiscal Studies delivered another blow to the \u00a3350M a week figure in its report on the economic impact of Brexit. It said that \u00a38bn, which takes account of the rebate and the subsidies, would be a more accurate annual figure of Britain's EU contributions. Paul Johnson, the director of the IFS, told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4: \"To have that \u00a3350m [per week] after we left the EU you would have to assume something rather bizarre which is we'd left, we stopped paying contributions and our current partners nevertheless continued to pay us a rebate on contributions that we weren't making. That is where you get \u00a3350m from.\" These concerns are shared by some figures in the Vote Leave campaign. Key people in the campaign are not using the figure and are instead highlighting the \u00a310bn figure cited by Leadsom. The source told me: \"The \u00a310bn is eye wateringly high so why exaggerate that? Dominic Cummings [the Vote Leave campaign director] insists on using the \u00a3350m figure on the grounds that an argument about future payments to the EU plays into Vote Leave hands. But that figure just detracts from the argument.\" Newsnight understands that concerns have been raised internally at Vote Leave about the use of the \u00a3350m figure by the campaign. But Dominic Cummings has insisted that arguments about the \u00a3350m figure help by highlighting the fact that the UK pays a vast amount of money into EU coffers. Polling and focus groups conducted by Vote Leave also suggest that the \u00a3350m figure is registering in the minds of voters. There is another argument that is being used internally to defend the \u00a3350m figure which explains why Matthew Elliott, the Vote Leave chief executive, is so supportive. The campaign which successfully defeated a Liberal Democrat attempt to replace Britain's first-past-the-post voting system with the Alternative Vote", "summary": "From its earliest days the Vote Leave campaign believed that Britain's financial contributions to the EU would be one of its main trump cards during the referendum."}
{"article": "Ian Duncan, who is expected to be appointed as a Scottish Office minster, said the devolved nations should be able to \"see exactly what is going on\". UK Brexit Secretary David Davis said he was in a \"constructive\" frame of mind as talks with the EU began on Monday. But First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called for a more inclusive approach to the negotiations, And she said warned Mr Davis that a failure to pursue the \"common-sense\" objective of keeping the UK in the single market would put jobs, investment and living standards \"on the line\". Voters in Scotland backed the UK remaining in the EU by 62% to 38% in last year's referendum, but in the UK as a whole voters supported leaving by 52% to 48%. Speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Duncan was asked whether Ms Sturgeon or Holyrood's Europe Minister Mike Russell should have a seat at the negotiating table for the Brexit talks. He replied: \"Yes, I have no problem with that. I think that should be a common approach to all the home nations so that they can see exactly what is going on.\" The politician added: \"But more importantly, they need to make sure that they have a seat at the discussion point in London when these positions are being hammered out because that is where the detail will be determined not actually inside the room.\" Mr Duncan stood in the general election in Perth and Perthshire North, where he lost to the SNP's Pete Wishart by 21 votes. He is expected to be appointed to the House of Lords and made a Scotland Office minister, with Tory sources saying he will bring a wealth of fishing and farming experience to the UK government as Brexit talks begin. It is not clear if he will stand down early from the European Parliament. As the began talks in Brussels, Mr Davis said he was determined to build a \"strong and special partnership\" with the EU. Subjects for the negotiations include the status of expats, the UK's \"divorce bill\" and the Northern Ireland border. The UK is set to leave the EU by the end of March 2019 following last year's referendum vote. The Scottish government wants Scotland to remain in the EU - and in particular the single market. But the UK government has insisted that Scotland will leave alongside the rest of the United Kingdom. Speaking during a visit to University of Strathclyde research centre, Ms Sturgeon said it was \"troubling\" that the UK government had \"no authority and no clear idea even amongst its own ranks of what it's trying to achieve\" as the negotiations began. She said: \"We need to see a different approach to these negotiations if they are not going to end up being damaging to our economy. \"We need a more inclusive approach that involves voices from every part of the UK, including the Scottish government, and we need an approach that has a common-sense objective. \"In my view, that common-sense objective should be keeping the UK", "summary": "The Scottish government should have a seat at the Brexit negotiating table, a Conservative MEP has said."}
{"article": "Peter Atilla, 46, from Northampton, said he had a sleep condition called sexsomnia. Mr Atilla was accused of having sex with a woman while she slept after she invited him in bed \"for a cuddle\". Methyr Tydfil Crown Court heard he had returned from a tour of Afghanistan the day before, and may have been in \"action mode\" when he went to sleep. Two psychiatrists told the court it was \"possible\" the defendant suffered from parasomnia - defined as unwanted behaviour during sleep. Dr Chris Idzikowski said a subset of parasomnia was sexsomnia - a type of \"confusional arousal\" - which can lead to sexual behaviour from a person in deep sleep. Dr Idzikowski said: \"If he arrived back in action mode it's potentially something that would come through in his sleep. He said Mr Atilla, a former Royal Logistics Corps officer who served \"with distinction\" in the first Gulf War, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, may have been triggered by something as simple as a sound. He admitted the evidence the disorder led to Mr Atilla having sex with the woman while asleep was \"weak\" but said he could not exclude it from being possible. Another psychiatrist, Dr Chandan Seghal, said he too \"could not exclude\" the attack relating to a sleep disorder, but agreed the evidence was \"weak.\" Mr Atilla told the court he had \"no memory\" of the alleged incident.", "summary": "A former soldier accused of rape has been cleared after a court heard he was suffering from a sleep disorder."}
{"article": "There has been little chance to take such ads to task, as there are currently no rules on the portrayal of gender stereotypes through advertising. But this is set to change as the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) plans to bring in new guidelines from 2018, cracking down on ads that mock people for not conforming to gender stereotypes or that reinforce gender roles. Here are some examples from the ASA of adverts it has received complaints about over gender stereotypes - but not taken action on. This advert from the formula company shows three babies exploring as youngsters but growing into their careers. The two baby boys have futures as engineers and mountain climbers. However, the baby girl as depicted as growing into a ballerina. A spokesman from the ASA said complainants considered the ad portrayed negative gender stereotypes, but he added: \"We did not find grounds for a formal investigation.\" Clothing giant Gap attracted complaints after releasing adverts for its children's clothes. The boy is portrayed as a \"little scholar\" with an Albert Einstein T-shirt, promising that his \"future starts here\". However, the girl has the title of \"social butterfly\", wearing glittery cat ears and clothes that will be \"the talk of the playground\". The ASA said Gap took steps to take the ad down so it \"did not have grounds for further investigation\". A TV advert from fast food chain KFC, depicting two men arguing about the size of their new TVs, attracted complaints because of its treatment of anxiety disorders. After one character boasts how much bigger his TV is - because he is \"a man\" - he continues to mock the second man for owning scented candles. \"You know those candles help with my anxiety,\" he replies. \"You're a monster.\" The majority of complainants said the advert implied that it was acceptable to make fun of a mental health problem. A number also objected because it equated anxiety with a lack of masculinity, and helped perpetuate the damaging view that men shouldn't admit to mental health concerns. The ASA said it did not consider the advert to cause serious or widespread offence on either point, so no further action was taken. This estate agent advert, which appeared on the London Underground, attracted complaints over gender stereotypes. Complainants said it made men appear to be in charge of the finances, while making out it was his role to buy \"the missus a new kitchen\". The ASA spokesman said: \"Whilst we fully appreciated the concerns that were raised, we considered this specific ad described one person's personal situation and what that one person decided to do with the money saved. \"We acknowledged that some readers may have found the wording in the ad to be distasteful, and the overall premise somewhat old-fashioned. \"However, we did not consider that it was likely to cause serious or widespread offence on the basis suggested and we therefore didn't take further action on this occasion.\"", "summary": "Whether it be housewives left to clear up the mess of their families, fathers freaking out when mummy leaves them holding the baby, or children picking \"boys\" or \"girls\" toys, the way men and women are portrayed in advertising can often lead to complaints."}
{"article": "The pound was up 1% at $1.2421 in the wake of the decision, but the FTSE 100 shed 16 points to 6,821 points. The court ruling has \"made triggering Brexit a lot trickier and has given sterling a massive shot in the arm,\" said Neil Wilson at ETX Capital. The Bank of England's latest inflation report, released at midday, could also affect sterling. The Bank is also expected to leave interest rates on hold at 0.25%, but should raise its forecast for UK economic growth and inflation. The pound also climbed 1.3% against the euro to \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.1232. Connor Campbell of Spreadex said that the ruling will be challenged in the Supreme Court next month. \"Even if it does go to a parliamentary vote, it is unlikely MPs will want to be seen as going against the referendum result by blocking the enacting of Article 50. Nevertheless the pound was due some good news, and it has certainly taken advantage of this brief glimmer of hope,\" he added. The biggest riser on the FTSE 100 was Royal Bank of Scotland, up 6.3%, while Randgold Resources was the biggest faller, shedding 6.7%. Shares in Morrisons, rose 2.1% after the UK's fourth-largest supermarket reported another rise in sales. Underlying sales rose 1.6% in the third quarter, meaning the chain has now reported four consecutive quarters of growth.", "summary": "Sterling has risen sharply following the High Court ruling on Article 50, while the FTSE 100 has fallen back."}
{"article": "David Cameron has promised Scotland new powers over tax, spending and welfare - as well as promising voters in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that they too will have a greater say in the way they are governed. Lord Smith of Kelvin, who was in charge of Glasgow's Commonwealth Games, will now oversee the negotiation process, based on new promises made by the Better Together campaign during the Scottish referendum, and known as \"Devo-max\". Under those promises, Scottish taxpayers can now expect bigger - and earlier - changes than they previously thought. A timetable has already been agreed to devolve some tax powers. These could be introduced soon after the general election in May 2015. The powers would allow Holyrood to raise a further \u00c2\u00a32bn in revenues, and have even greater control over income tax than has already been planned. The Scottish Parliament already has powers to alter the amount of income tax people pay, by up to 3p in the pound. To date it has not used this power. But from April 2016, when the Scotland Act (2012) is expected to become law, Holyrood is due to have greater power. It will be able to alter the tax rate by up to 10p in the pound. The UK's basic rate of tax is currently 20%. But under the Scotland Act, that rate could be cut to 10%, or increased to 30% north of the border. The higher rate of tax is currently 40% - which Scotland could cut to 30%, or increase to 50%. The top rate of 45% could be cut to 35%, or increased to 55%, in Scotland. The Act requires that if one tax rate is altered, the other rates must move in tandem. In other words, if the basic rate were to be cut by 5%, the other rates would have to be cut by 5% as well. However, these changes are likely to be overtaken by the UK government's promise of changes to tax, spending and welfare. Despite David Cameron's announcement after the referendum result, the main Westminster parties are not yet agreed on what extra tax-raising powers should now be devolved to Scotland. Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats would like to cede virtually all control over income tax to the Scottish Parliament, including rates and bands. However, a study for the Conservatives, chaired by Lord Strathclyde, suggested that Westminster should still have control of the amount that people can earn before paying tax - the personal allowance. The Tories have also suggested that Scotland might have some control over VAT receipts. Labour wants to give the Scottish Parliament less extensive tax-raising powers. It suggests allowing Holyrood to increase tax rates by up to 15p in the pound. So the 20% basic rate could be increased to 35%. Members of the Scottish Parliament could also decide to reduce the 45% rate, providing they cut the basic rate as well. But until detailed discussions between the parties begin, many of these proposals are far from clear. Even then, compromises are likely before they are implemented.", "summary": "Scotland has voted to remain part of the United Kingdom, but Scots can still expect significant changes in the taxes they will pay, and the welfare benefits they will receive, as soon as next year."}
{"article": "Tony Tyler called for drone regulations to be put in place before any serious accidents occur. He said the threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles is still evolving. \"I am as excited as you are about the prospect of having pizza delivered by a drone,\" he told a conference in Singapore. \"But we cannot allow [drones] to be a hindrance or safety threat to commercial aviation,\" said Mr Tyler, director-general of the International Air Transport Association. \"The issue is real. We have plenty of pilot reports of drones where they were not expected, particularly at low altitudes around airports,\" he added. \"There is no denying that there is a real and growing threat to the safety of civilian aircraft [coming from drones]. \"We need a sensible approach to regulation and a pragmatic method of enforcement for those who disregard rules and regulations and put others in danger.\" Drones were recently involved in four serious near-misses at UK airports, the UK Air Proximity Board said in January. The board, which investigates near-miss incidents in UK airspace, said a drone had come very close to colliding with a Boeing 737 that had taken off from Stansted airport. IATA's primary concern is drones flying at low altitudes near airports that could threaten planes taking off or landing, Rob Eagles of Iata said. Aviation regulators also want to make sure that the radio spectrum used to control the drones does not interfere with air traffic control systems, he said. In December the US government set up a registration system for Americans who own drones. Anyone who has a drone must register with the Federal Aviation Administration before the device takes its first flight. Owners have until Friday to register their details or face being fined. The move comes after several reported incidents of drones hindering emergency services' efforts in fighting fires and other dangers.", "summary": "Drones flown by the general public are \"a real and growing threat\" to civilian aircraft, the head of aviation trade body Iata has warned."}
{"article": "The spread-betting tycoon said it was \"odds on\" - and he urged those thinking about defecting to get in touch with him \"for the sake of the country\". A UKIP source has also told BBC News the party is talking to five to 10 Labour MPs about possible defection. But this was firmly denied by Labour, who accused UKIP of mischief-making. Mr Carswell officially resigned as an MP on Friday, a day after he announced he was quitting the Conservatives and would fight a subsequent by-election as a UKIP candidate because he did not believe David Cameron was \"serious\" about reforming Britain's relationship with Europe. The prime minister described the move as \"slightly bizarre\", telling reporters that Mr Carswell was one of those who wanted to leave the EU irrespective of the outcome of negotiations he was confident would lead to a better deal for Britain in Europe. \"He fought as a Conservative in 2010 when we didn't have a commitment to an in-out referendum and he has left the Conservative Party at a time we do have a commitment to an in-out referendum - that is a question for him to explain rather than me.\" Mr Carswell's defection prompted a flurry of speculation that other Eurosceptic backbenchers would jump ship - fuelled by Mr Wheeler's revelation that he had discussed the possibility with eight of them in recent years, although he declined to name names. He told BBC News he had approached 10 Tory MPs and eight had agreed to meet him secretly for lunch at his favourite Italian restaurant in Mayfair. They did not include Mr Carswell, he revealed, adding that UKIP leader Nigel Farage had handled that defection personally, and he had not always directly asked them to defect, just inquired whether they wanted to meet Mr Farage. Asked by BBC Radio 4's Becky Milligan, if any of them had been tempted to defect, he said: \"I am sure they will be tempted but the question is whether they give into that temptation.\" Asked about the likelihood of other defections before the general election, he said: \"If I had to put money on, one way or another, before I knew the result of this by-election, I would say odds on, more likely than not but only just.\" MPs wanting to discuss their future should contact him in the strictest of confidence, added the former Tory donor. \"For the sake of the country they should defect because we are doing the right thing for the country and the Conservative Party are doing the wrong thing,\" he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One. A senior UKIP source also told Becky Milligan that the party was talking to five to ten Labour MPs about possibly changing affiliation. The MPs in question, the source said, were \"deeply unhappy with their party, and feel that people are fed up being patronised by the Labour glitterati\". But Labour firmly denied any of its MPs were in talks with UKIP or considering defection. Shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker said: \"I'm not about to jump", "summary": "Further Conservative MPs are \"more likely than not\" to follow Douglas Carswell to UKIP, the party's treasurer Stuart Wheeler has told the BBC."}
{"article": "Tony Lloyd was responding to the UK Statistics Authority's findings that policing faces a \u00a3160m real-term cut in funding in 2015-16 and 2016-17. The figures are in apparent contrast to Mr Osborne's Spending Review pledge. A spokesman for the Treasury said they \"completely reject any suggestion the public had been misled\". Mr Lloyd, who is also Greater Manchester's police and crime commissioner, said the Authority's findings had called the chancellor's promise into question. He said: \"This analysis exposes the weakness of the chancellor's pledge to protect local policing, after years of cuts, and is an embarrassment for him and the government. \"I have said from the start that this is still a 'cuts budget'. This year we face a cut of \u00a38.5m cut from our budget. That's on top of the \u00a3180m already cut from GMP and the 2,000 police officers that have disappeared from our streets. \"To try and make the sums add up I have had no choice but to ask local people to contribute more to maintain their police service, but the additional \u00a33.5m raised from council tax is still not enough to meet the shortfall as we try and find savings of \u00a370m. \"The Chancellor needs to redo his sums and make good on his promise protect our police service.\" The Treasury said the widely reported comments by Sir Andrew Dilnot, the chairman of the UK Statistics Authority, do not provide the full picture and exclude elements such as the police precept. A spokesman said: \"The government has been completely clear that we are committed to funding the forces that keep our country safe, which is why we have protected overall police spending in real terms with an increase of \u00a3900m cash by 2019-20 to maintain strong frontline policing. \"This is on top of an extra \u00a3500 million extra funding for the counter terrorism budget.\"", "summary": "Greater Manchester's mayor has called for Chancellor George Osborne to apologise for \"wrongly claiming there would be no cuts to local policing\"."}
{"article": "The Dow Jones closed at 18,116.04, down 105 points, or 0.6%, while the broader S&P 500 dropped 13 points, or 0.6%, to 2091.5. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 16 points, or 0.3%, to 4,994.73. The dollar rose against the euro by 0.2% to \u00e2\u201a\u00ac0.9154. The dollar's rise can hurt large US companies' profits, as they get less from their overseas earnings after currency conversions. Additionally, the dollar's strength makes it harder for companies to compete with foreign rivals, which may be able to offer similar products more cheaply. There was some welcome economic data on Tuesday, which showed US consumer prices had rebounded in February, but this failed to lift Wall Street. The Consumer Price Index rose by 0.2% last month, after fuel prices increased for the first time since June. The monthly rise follows three consecutive months of declines, including a 0.7% drop in January. On an annual basis, prices in February were unchanged from a year earlier. Analysts said investors were wary of shares because of the possible impact of the stronger dollar on companies' profits. \"Right now, we are a bit of in a waiting pattern and the big news is going to be when these earnings reports start to hit in April,\" Peter Jankovskis, co-chief investment officer at OakBrook Investments, told Reuters.", "summary": "(Close): The main US share indexes all fell on Tuesday as investors continued to fret about the effect of the strong dollar on corporate results."}
{"article": "Pleas for leniency from the inmates, families and diplomats were rejected by President Joko Widodo. But the execution of a Filipina who was also on death row was unexpectedly postponed. Another death row convict, a Frenchmen, was not executed because he still has an outstanding legal complaint over the rejection of his clemency appeal. Who are the prisoners and how did they end up on death row? Sukumaran, 34, was an Australian citizen, born in London. In 2006, a court in Bali found him guilty of being the ringleader of the Bali Nine - a group of Australians arrested in Bali with more than 18lb (8.3kg) of heroin. He was given the death penalty in 2006, and his plea for clemency was rejected in December 2014. His advocates claimed he had reformed since entering prison, teaching other inmates English and art. He also became an accomplished artist himself. However, all attempts to appeal against his sentence failed. Chan, 31, was an Australian who was given the death penalty along with Myuran Sukumaran. He was arrested in Ngurah Rai airport in Bali in April 2005. A court found him guilty of planning the smuggling of 18lb heroin with the group known as the Bali Nine. His plea for clemency was rejected in January 2015. Like Sukumaran, other legal challenges all failed. His supporters claimed he had turned over a new leaf and and ran Bible study classes in Bali's Kerobokan jail. There is some confusion surrounding Anderson's nationality. Initial reports said he was Ghanaian, but it was later reported he had travelled to Indonesia on a false passport and was in fact Nigerian. He was arrested in Jakarta in 2003, and a court gave him the death penalty. His clemency appeal was rejected in January 2015. Badarudin was the only Indonesian citizen amongst the group. He was born in Palembang and was found guilty of the possession of 129lb of marijuana. He was arrested in December 2000 and a year later was given the death sentence. His appeal for clemency was rejected in January 2015. Salami appeared to be a Nigerian holding a Spanish passport. He was believed to be Jamiu Owolabi Abashin, but entered Indonesia using a Spanish passport with the name Raheem Agbaje Salami. Salami was caught with 11lb of heroin inside his suitcase in Surabaya airport on 2 September 1998. A court in Surabaya gave him a life sentence in April 1999, which was reduced by the High Court to 20 years. Salami appealed and the Supreme Court gave him a death sentence. His clemency application was rejected on 5 January 2015. He tried to challenge the rejection of his clemency but the challenge failed. Gularte was a Brazilian citizen born on 31 May 1972. A court in Banten gave him the death penalty in February 2005 on charges of possessing 13.2lb of heroin that was hidden in a surf-board. He was arrested in July 2004 in Sukarno Hatta airport in Jakarta. His clemency application was rejected in January 2015. His planned execution raised concern among activists because his family", "summary": "Eight prisoners convicted of drug offences in Indonesia have been executed by firing squad."}
{"article": "Developer Allied London bought the Quay Street site in a joint venture with Manchester City Council and plan to build flats, shops and offices there. The ITV soap was filmed there from 1982 until January 2014, when production moved to MediaCityUK at Salford Quays. Manchester City Council's planning committee voted to approve the redevelopment at a meeting on Thursday. The move comes despite more than 2,000 people signing an online petition in the hope of preventing the set from being knocked down. Campaigners had particularly called on developers to retain the Victorian terrace featuring the Rovers Return Inn and the soap's corner shop in their regeneration of the 13-acre site. English Heritage rejected the application for listed status for the old Granada Studios site made by an anonymous individual in 2012 because it was not considered sufficiently historic. The development will form part of the wider St Johns area, which is also set to feature a new \u00c2\u00a3110m theatre and arts venue called The Factory.", "summary": "The former Coronation Street set in Manchester is to be demolished, despite a campaign to save it."}
{"article": "Gul, 32, has not played for his country at one-day level since April 2015. Pakistan face two ODIs against Ireland in Dublin, on 18 and 20 August, before a five-match series against England, starting in Southampton on 24 August. Opening batsman Sami Aslam, 20, who scored two half centuries in the third Test against England last week, received his first call-up. Paceman Hasan Ali, 22, is the other new face in the squad. Gul, who has taken 173 wickets in 126 ODIs, played in Pakistan's World T20 warm-up games in early 2016, but failed to make the final squad. Pakistan ODI squad: Azhar Ali (capt), Sharjeel Khan, Sami Aslam, Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmad, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Umar Gul, Imad Wasim, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Nawaz.", "summary": "Pakistan have recalled fast bowler Umar Gul for their one-day international series against England and Ireland."}
{"article": "The broadcaster received 118 complaints about the Channel's coverage of the four-hour service on Saturday. The corporation said it was \"part of the News Channel function to be there when major stories take place\". Another 34 complaints were received from people upset that the service had been interrupted. Live coverage of the service began at 17:00 GMT and continued until just before 20:30 GMT, with the BBC continuing to report on the story afterwards. \"The News Channel's coverage of Whitney Houston's funeral reflected the significant interest in her sudden death as well as acknowledging the impact she had as a global recording artist,\" said the corporation in a statement. It acknowledged that \"some people felt there was too much coverage\" but said BBC One's teatime bulletin, radio bulletins and other services had still given viewers \"the best access to the day's other news stories\". Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys and R Kelly performed at the service, which took place in Newark, New Jersey. Actor Kevin Costner, who starred with Houston in The Bodyguard, gave a eulogy. The 48-year-old singer was found in a bath in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on 11 February. The cause of her death will remain unclear until the results of the toxicology tests are announced.", "summary": "The BBC has defended its coverage of Whitney Houston's funeral on its News Channel following complaints from viewers about its duration."}
{"article": "Her death certificate said in January that the 60-year-old, best known for her role as Princess Leia, had suffered a cardiac arrest. But in a statement the LA coroner said the exact cause was unknown. Sleep apnoea is a common condition in which a person stops breathing during sleep, either for a few seconds or minutes. As well as listing sleep apnoea as a cause of death, the coroner's statement cited other factors, including heart disease and drug use. In a statement released to People magazine after the coroner's ruling, Fisher's daughter Lourd said: \"My mom battled drug addiction and mental illness her entire life. She ultimately died of it. \"She was purposefully open in all of her work about the social stigmas surrounding these diseases.\" Her manner of death would be listed as undetermined, the coroner's statement said. Fisher had been on tour promoting her book The Princess Diarist when she was taken ill on a flight from London to Los Angeles on 23 December. She never regained consciousness and died on 27 December at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre. Her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds, died the following day. The daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher made her film debut opposite Warren Beatty in 1975's Shampoo. She also appeared in The Blues Brothers, When Harry Met Sally and Hannah and Her Sisters, and provided the voice of Peter Griffin's boss Angela in the adult animated sitcom Family Guy. But her enduring fame is thanks to her role as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy. She will appear in the latest Star Wars sequel, The Last Jedi, which is to be released in December.", "summary": "Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher died from sleep apnoea and \"other factors\", the Los Angeles County coroner says."}
{"article": "The deal for Pearson, 24, who scored nine goals in 51 appearances in all competitions last season, is a record for an Accrington sale. The versatile defender is Barnsley's 11th summer signing ahead of their Championship season-opener on Saturday. \"Matty has some exceptional qualities that we feel we can work with and make better,\" boss Paul Heckingbottom said. Pearson began his career with Blackburn Rovers and played for Rochdale and Halifax Town before joining Stanley in May 2015, going on to make 103 appearances. Barnsley begin their Championship campaign at Bristol City on Saturday. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Barnsley have signed defender Matty Pearson from Accrington Stanley on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "Sandy Cooper was one of three people chosen to represent the Elgin City North ward in last week's election. He tendered his resignation in a letter to the council's chief executive. When contacted by BBC Scotland and asked about his decision, Mr Cooper said: \"It's just not for me.\" The by-election will be held on 13 July, with the count the following day. Moray Council said Mr Cooper's nomination papers contained no party or political affiliation.", "summary": "A date for a by-election after a new councillor resigned only days after being elected in Moray has been set."}
{"article": "The \"Spy Booth\" artwork, which depicts three figures \"snooping\" on a telephone box, appeared in Hewlett Road in April. Hekmat Kaveh, who wants to buy it, has applied for the work, satellite dish and phone booth to be included in the property's Grade II* listed status. He said: \"It's a way of securing it and making it a criminal offence to remove without listed building consent.\" The piece appeared five months ago and is about three miles from government listening post GCHQ. Since then campaigners have been fighting to keep the artwork in place on the corner of Fairview Road and Hewlett Road. \"The application includes the phone booth and the working satellite dish to make sure these two things are not removed without listed building consent,\" said Mr Kaveh, who is hoping to buy the house and turn it into a \"Spy Museum\". \"But you can't put a working satellite dish on a listed building, so to get around the council's rules I've said we will disconnect it.\" If the application is approved, it would mean any unauthorised work affecting the listed mural would be a criminal offence. In June, the owners of the house claimed the artwork had been sold and workmen arrived to remove it. But Cheltenham Borough Council issued a temporary stop notice preventing further removal work from taking place on the Grade II* listed building. A spokesman for the council said: \"As yet, we haven't received an application for listed building consent for the Cheltenham Banksy but we will be happy to discuss details if and when this is received.\"", "summary": "A Banksy mural on the wall of a Cheltenham house could be listed under a bid being submitted to the council."}
{"article": "Helen Winter told an employment tribunal she had used MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy, on \"several occasions\" and let two young clients stay at her flat. She is also accused of offering MDMA to one of the young people and taking it in front of them, which she denies. She could face being struck off. Ms Winter admitted she was guilty of misconduct and that her fitness to practice is impaired at a hearing at the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPS). She also admitted testing positive for cocaine in a routine drugs test for Kids Company in 2014. Kids Company collapsed in August amid claims of financial mismanagement and has faced a series of damaging allegations since then. The charity, which is now under the control of administrators, is being investigated by officers from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse team of the Metropolitan Police Service. Daniel Mansell, the presenting officer, told the HCPS hearing concerns were raised in Kids Company about the registrant's drug use and \"inappropriate interaction with service users\". He said Ms Winter went to the Hidden club in Vauxhall, south London, with her colleague Nicci Shall in January 2014 having purchased some MDMA on the way. Ms Shall told the hearing they were in the toilet when they saw the two young people known as Client C and Client D, both in their early 20s. It is alleged she offered the drug to Client C, who accepted - which Ms Winter denies. Ms Shall told the hearing: \"Helen Winter offered client C and me a dab of MDMA, which I declined. Helen Winter and client C consumed the MDMA.\" She said that after she left the club she felt \"awful\" about what she had witnessed and wanted to tell her boss, but was persuaded not to with Dr Winter telling her the clients had \"had a good time and nothing had come of it\". She told the hearing: \"I went to colleagues and they advised me not to take it any further. I stupidly followed their advice and I regret that.\" An internal investigation was carried out after she reported the matter to the charity's chief executive, Camilla Batmanghelidjh, but she raised concerns about the accuracy of the subsequent report. She said: \"I do not feel that the investigation report, compiled by witness B, accurately reflects my account of events. \"I challenged the accuracy of the report but was informed by Kids Company that it was an internal document and should remain confidential.\"", "summary": "A psychologist working at Kids Company has admitted taking illegal drugs in the company of young people she met through the charity."}
{"article": "Gary Gallacher was 13 years old when he began his campaign of terror and degradation in 1995. He threatened his victims with a knife before beating and raping them, the High Court in Edinburgh heard. Judge Lady Scott warned Gallacher, who is now 34, he would only be released when he no longer posed a threat to the public. She told him: \"You have no remorse. You blame your victims and you do not care about the harm you have inflicted. You take no responsibility. You have apparently no wish to change. \"You have been convicted on 25 charges, involving three victims, which constituted a very serious and sustained course of conduct consisting of physical and sexual violence.\" His trial earlier this year heard how Gallacher, who has a history of violence, had first struck in Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow. He continued to offend for 17 years while living across the city and later in Ayrshire. His crimes did not stop until 2012. His first victim told how Gallacher had bound her hands with her school tie and raped her, despite her protestations that she was too young to have sex. During another attack, Gallacher held a knife to her neck and told her she belonged to him. Gallacher's second victim, who was also a teenager at the time, told his trial how she was slapped, punched, kicked, stamped on and pulled by the hair. He also brandished a knife at her and repeatedly struck her with it, leaving her with scars. Gallacher's third victim told his trial how he had assaulted her on her 17th birthday and had also bitten and throttled her. Lady Scott imposed an order for lifelong restriction on Gallacher and warned him he faced imprisonment for an indefinite period. The judge ordered he must serve at least five years in jail but told him there was no guarantee he would be released at the end of that period. Hearing that he posed a high risk of reoffending, she said he would only be freed when he no longer posed a threat to the public. In sentencing, the judge said she had taken into account that he was a child when his first offences took place and that he suffered from a muscle-wasting disease. Gallacher was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely. Det Insp Gillian Faulds, who led the investigation, said: \"Gary Gallacher is a very dangerous individual who carried out a campaign of violence on three partners who will no doubt be affected by the experience for the rest of their lives. \"Despite the horrific abuse the women suffered, they managed to find the strength to speak to police and testify in court to ensure that he was held to account. I would like to thank the women for their bravery in coming forward.\"", "summary": "A violent rapist who first struck as a teenager more than 20 years ago has been jailed for life."}
{"article": "In a statement, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said it was an \"exceptionally busy\" night. Crews stopped a bonfire spreading to an apartment block near Belfast's Sandy Row, but the heat cracked its windows. Bonfires are traditionally lit in loyalist areas on 11 July, marking the Twelfth of July commemorations. Between 18:00 BST on Tuesday and 01:00 BST on Wednesday, NIFRS dealt with a total of 213 emergency calls. During its busiest period, its regional control centre handled one 999 call every minute. Assistant chief fire officer Alan Walmsley told BBC Radio Ulster that the two most serious bonfire-related incidents were both in Belfast. They were at Wellwood Street, off Sandy Row, and at the Bloomfield Walk/Ravenscroft Avenue site in the east of the city. Mr Walmsley said glazing was badly damaged when the Sandy Row bonfire came \"very close\" to a ten-storey apartment block in Wellwood Street. A number of residents who were inside the Victoria Place flats at the time called the fire service amid fears about the heat of the bonfire. \"All the glazing [on the apartment block] facing the bonfire has been damaged and cracked,\" said Mr Walmsley. \"If our crews had not been on the scene working so hard, there is no doubt that fire would have spread into that building.\" Lucy Ryan was inside the apartment complex at the time. She told BBC News NI: \"We were standing on the first floor, looking out onto the bonfire and saw it all collapse. \"Obviously we felt the heat and we saw the fire was literally coming right over to the building, so we were like 'right, we have to get out'. \"We just left down the stairwell and as we were leaving to get out, that's where we saw all the windows were cracked.\" Earlier this week, Belfast City Council withheld funding earmarked for a children's street party in Sandy Row, reportedly over concerns about the height of the bonfire. On Wednesday morning, part of Wellwood Street was closed due to safety concerns over the damaged building. The Trafficwatch Northern Ireland service said a lane closure \"is likely to be in place in the street for a number of days between Great Victoria Street and Sandy Row\". Overall, firefighters were deployed to a total of 133 incidents overnight, which was a rise of nearly 50% on the same period in 2016. Despite this, the fire service said it \"maintained normal service delivery throughout the evening, attending a range of operational incidents including property fires, special service calls and other emergency incidents\". Mr Walmsley said: \"Our crews worked extremely hard last night in extremely punishing conditions and I would just like to place on record my thanks to them.\" He said two fire crews were attacked as they left the scene of a bonfires in Belfast and Larne, County Antrim. \"After working so hard at Wellwood Street for a number of hours to protect properties, as our crews were leaving one of our appliances came under attack by local youths. \"The same situation happened in", "summary": "Firefighters responded to 40 bonfire-related incidents across Northern Ireland overnight, an increase of 21% on the Eleventh Night last year."}
{"article": "Roedd ei brawd yn gofyn iddi gysylltu gyda'r awdurdodau i gael help. Roedd Gareth yn un o nifer gafodd eu dal ynghanol yr ymosodiadau sydd wedi eu disgrifio gan yr heddlu fel rhai \"terfysgol\". Fe ddaeth un o'r ymosodwyr mewn i'r bwyty gyda chyllell. Neges destun gafodd Llinos i ddechrau. \"O'n i yn teimlo yn s\u00e2l...I feddwl mae mrawd i reit ynghanol y sefyllfa yma, mae jest yn hynod o frawychus.\" Fe ffoniodd hi'r heddlu a siarad gyda swyddogion Heddlu De Cymru. Roedden nhw wedyn yn trio cysylltu gyda Heddlu'r Met. Ar yr un pryd roedd hi'n anfon negeseuon at Gareth. \"O'n i jest yn adrodd yn \u00f4l i'm mrawd i, jest yn dweud mae'r heddlu yn dweud bod ti yn neud y peth iawn. \"Arhoswch yn fanna, arhoswch yn saff, peidiwch dod allan tan mae'r heddlu yn cyrraedd. Arhoswch yn dawel, trowch ff\u00f4n chi ffwrdd. Ac mae'r heddlu ar y ffordd.\" Mae'n dweud bod y profiad wedi bod yn \"swreal\". \"Pan mae rhywun ti'n caru mewn sefyllfa mor fregus a ti ddim cweit yn si\u0175r beth sydd yn digwydd, mae o jest yn uffernol o scary. \"Ti ddim yn gwybod be i wneud. Ti ddim yn gwybod sut maen nhw mynd i ymateb. \"O'n i ddim yn gwybod beth oedd y peth cywir i ddweud wrtho fo, i aros yna neu i fynd.\" Roedd cael cyngor gan yr heddlu yn gysur meddai a gweld bod nifer o swyddogion o gwmpas yr ardal yn ceisio helpu'r cyhoedd. Fe wnaeth hi siarad gydag o wedyn ar \u00f4l iddyn nhw fynd i'r ysbyty. \"Mae o wedi bod yn lwcus. Mae o yn sylweddoli hynna a'r peth pwysig oedd gadael i bobl wybod bod nhw yn saff.\"", "summary": "Cafodd Llinos Griffin neges gan ei brawd, Gareth, nos Sadwrn yn dweud ei fod wedi cloi ei hun mewn t\u0177 bach yn Borough, Llundain am ei fod yn ofni am ei fywyd."}
{"article": "The warning by Age UK and Carers UK came as the charities released figures showing there were 1.2m carers over 65 - a 25% rise in the past decade. The biggest increase though has been seen in the over 85s, with the numbers more than doubling to 87,000. The charities said these older carers needed better support. This issue includes NHS funding, GP access and social care, particularly of older people. Policy guide: Where the parties stand The majority of carers over 65 are looking after a partner, although some are looking after elderly parents, or grandchildren, or relations with disabilities, according to the charities. The research by the charities - based on Census data from 2001 and 2011 and their own analysis - estimated the care provided by older carers was worth \u00c2\u00a315bn a year. It warned that despite the growth in numbers, few of the older carers were being offered support by the state. Last year just over 175,000 were given assessments by their local councils. One in three carers aged 65 to 74 provide over 50 hours of care a week, but for the over 85s group that rises to more than half. More than half of the younger age group said they were not in good health, compared to 40% of those who do not have caring responsibilities. Feelings of depression and anxiety were cited by one in three carers aged 65 to 74 and nearly half of the older age group. The BBC has launched an online guide to the care system for the over-65s. The \"care calculator\" covers residential care and the support provided in people's own homes, for tasks such as washing and dressing. Users can submit their postcode and find out how much each service costs where they live in the UK. There is also a dedicated BBC Cost of Care website, with news stories, analysis and video. Dave, 90, is typical of the generation of older people who find themselves caring for loved ones. The former tram driver has been looking after his wife Ethel, who has poor eyesight and limited mobility, for the last 20 years. He does not get any help. \"We like to be independent and between us we manage to get by. We just accept this as the way it is. You just get on with it don't you?\" Carers UK chief executive Helena Herklots said: \"Caring is something that touches all of us at some point in our lives but this research shows that the number of older people are caring for others at a time when they are more likely to need care themselves. \"Action is needed to ensure that older carers have the support they need so they don't have to care alone.\" Councillor Izzi Seccombe, of the Local Government Association, said: \"Councils recognise that informal carers do a challenging job in very difficult circumstances.\" She said local authorities were doing their best to support them and she urged carers to come forward for help, saying that they did not always realise they were entitled to", "summary": "The number of older carers in England is rising, with signs the pressures of looking after loved ones is damaging their health, research suggests."}
{"article": "Nemia Kenatale and Leone Nakarawa, plus two penalty tries, helped the Pacific Islanders lead 26-10 at half-time, earning a bonus point before the break. Uruguay had not scored a World Cup try since 2003, but Carlos Arboleya and Agustin Ormaechea crossed in each half. Fiji eased away in the final quarter with three more tries, as Uruguay were reduced to 14 men as Ormaechea saw red. Uruguay now travel to Manchester for their final pool match on Saturday against hosts England, who have also already been eliminated from the tournament. Fiji always faced a tough task to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for a third time, having been drawn alongside Australia, England and Wales in the 'Group of Death'. But there were encouraging signs in each of the three defeats against their illustrious opponents, with their trademark brand of rugby - unpredictable and free-flowing - complemented by tighter defence. It meant they were expected to brush aside a Uruguayan side who had looked out of their depth in crushing defeats against Wales and Australia. However, Fiji produced a patchy performance against the South Americans. Moments of attacking brilliance, particularly when second row Nakarawa dummied his way through to run in from 30 metres, were countered by lapses in concentration at the back. Nevertheless, it was more than enough to earn a well-deserved first win of the tournament as Tevita Cavubati, Kini Murimurivalu and Nemani Nadolo crossed in the final 20 minutes. Following two try-less defeats against Wales and Australia, Uruguay coach Pablo Lemoine set his team the task of scoring their first of the tournament against Pool A's other tier-two side. In fact, Uruguay had not scored a World Cup try since 2003 - when Lemoine himself crossed the line in the 111-13 defeat by England. And they managed to end that barren run when hooker Arboleya battered his way over the line from close range. The moment sparked wild celebrations among the Uruguay camp - and the biggest cheer of the night from a record 30,048 crowd at a rain-soaked Stadium MK. It gave Los Teros, who qualified for the first time since 2003 by beating play-off opponents Russia, renewed confidence against a Fijian side who have now conceded a try in each of their 28 World Cup matches. Uruguay managed to double their try tally when Ormaechea spotted a gap to dive over after team-mate Andres Vilaseca kicked forward on the chase. Scrum-half Ormaechea will miss Uruguay's final match against England on Saturday after becoming the first player to be sent off at the 2015 World Cup. The 24-year-old was sin-binned for an illegal tackle leading to Fiji's first penalty try, then received a red card for reacting angrily to Cavubati's score. Uruguay coach Pablo Lemoine: \"I am really proud of my team, it was a fantastic performance but we made two or three mistakes which cost us. I am pleased to see my record go and it is fantastic to score two tries. I think we were unlucky not to score more. \"I watched the TMO after Ormaechea's red", "summary": "Fiji ended an encouraging World Cup campaign with a seven-try win over Pool A minnows Uruguay in Milton Keynes."}
{"article": "The foxhound was deliberately run over near Conwy in February after police could not bring it under control. The review said no action should be taken against the officers involved. But it also recommended the force should introduce new procedures for dealing with similar incidents in future. Traffic police drove at the dog at high speed on the dual carriageway between Llanfairfechan roundabout and the Conwy tunnel in the early hours of 22 February. Firearms officers were sent to the scene, but there was concern they would not be able to get a safe shot. The dog had gone missing from a hunt and police said the owner supported the force's decision. The force voluntarily referred the incident to the Independent Police Complaints Commission because of the level of public concern. The IPCC determined that North Wales Police should continue with its own investigation and advised on the makeup of the review panel, which included a vet, a representative of the RSPCA and a senior officer from the Metropolitan Police's Dog Support Unit. The review has also recommended that patrol vehicles should carry slip leads and nets, which may have helped in this case. Officers should get expert advice from dog handlers and vets if a similar situation happens again, it said. Deputy Chief Constable Gareth Pritchard said: \"It is regrettable that the dog died in this way and I fully understand the level of public concern. \"I am grateful to the panel who gave their time and expertise to carefully consider all aspects of the incident and for their diligence in coming to their conclusions and recommendations, which along with the learning points are being put in place by the force.\"", "summary": "Officers were justified in using a patrol car to kill a dog running loose on the A55, a review for North Wales Police has said."}
{"article": "They said in advance of their trip that if necessary, they would take the search into their own hands. All debris thought to be from the plane has so far been found in east Africa. The plane disappeared on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014 with 239 people on board. It is thought that missing jet is most likely to have crashed into the southern Indian Ocean. Campaigner Grace Subathirai Nathan, whose mother was on the plane, is making the self-funded journey with six other MH370 relatives - three from Malaysia, two from China and one from France. \"It has fallen into our hands to take on this search upon ourselves,\" she told reporters at Kuala Lumpur airport. \"After repeated requests for mobilisation of a search along the east African coastline, nothing has been done to date.\" The families of those on board the flight say that the search for wreckage has not been systematic and that some possible findings appear to have been ignored. The search for MH370 has concentrated off Australia's west coast, but no debris has been found there. It is due to be suspended early next year unless it makes a significant new discovery. So far, at least six pieces have been found in east Africa that are considered certain or highly likely to have come from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight. The relatives say they will hand out brochures when in Madagascar that will provide advice to villagers on how to recognise aircraft debris. Their trip will last until 11 December, a statement posted on Facebook by the group Voice 370 said. Voice 370 said last month that it had \"no other choice except to take it upon ourselves to do something to find answers and closure\". Malaysia is in charge of co-ordinating the collection of any suspected debris, most of which has been sent to Australia for examination. The Malaysian authorities in September responded to criticism of delays in retrieving suspected debris, arguing that they were acting on possible discoveries and that everyone should \"allow the experts to conduct the verification processes\".", "summary": "Relatives of those who died on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are travelling to Madagascar to lobby for the search for debris from the missing aircraft to be expanded."}
{"article": "Aberdeen engineer Sean Sangerman, 25, caught the incident on his dash cam on the B9119 near Garlogie on Monday morning. It showed the oncoming vehicle - believed to be a dark blue Nissan Qashqai - with only a small circle of snow cleared from the windscreen. Police Scotland has been made aware of the footage. Mr Sangerman said: \"I have no idea what would cause someone to put themselves and other road users at risk in such a dangerous and reckless manner. \"What they are doing is outrageously silly and dangerous - there is no way that they are able to see the road properly through a gap of that size. \"They would have been driving almost blindly in conditions that were quite treacherous - snow, ice, slippy roads and so on.\" The number plate could not be made out in the footage. The Highway Code states that before motorists set off they must be able to see, so all snow and ice must be cleared from windows.", "summary": "A motorist was filmed driving with the windscreen almost completely obscured by snow in Aberdeenshire."}
{"article": "Captain John Rankin got the Doonhamers off to the perfect start with a seventh-minute opener from the edge of the area. Derek Lyle then turned in from close range following a corner. Jean-Yves Mvoto gave Rovers hope with a 61st-minute header but John Hughes' side could not find a way back. Home goalkeeper Lee Robinson made a couple of good saves to deny Rovers midfielder Chris Johnston, before Ryan Hardie spurned the chance to level when his header cleared the crossbar. Match ends, Queen of the South 2, Raith Rovers 1. Second Half ends, Queen of the South 2, Raith Rovers 1. Attempt missed. John Rankin (Queen of the South) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left from a direct free kick. Jim Atkinson (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Iain Davidson (Raith Rovers). Substitution, Queen of the South. Ross Fergusson replaces Stephen Dobbie. Iain Davidson (Raith Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Iain Davidson (Raith Rovers). Kyle Jacobs (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jason Thomson (Raith Rovers). Lyndon Dykes (Queen of the South) wins a free kick on the right wing. Attempt missed. Declan McManus (Raith Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Attempt saved. Darren Brownlie (Queen of the South) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Corner, Queen of the South. Conceded by Declan McManus. Substitution, Queen of the South. Daniel Carmichael replaces Dom Thomas. Attempt missed. Ryan Hardie (Raith Rovers) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Attempt saved. Chris Johnston (Raith Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt saved. Declan McManus (Raith Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Corner, Queen of the South. Conceded by Declan McManus. Attempt blocked. Dom Thomas (Queen of the South) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Ross Callachan (Raith Rovers). Kyle Jacobs (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Craig Barr (Raith Rovers). Lyndon Dykes (Queen of the South) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Iain Davidson (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Stephen Dobbie (Queen of the South). Substitution, Raith Rovers. Chris Johnston replaces Ryan Stevenson. Foul by John Rankin (Queen of the South). Mark Stewart (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt saved. Dom Thomas (Queen of the South) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Corner, Queen of the South. Conceded by Jean-Yves Mvoto. Substitution, Queen of the South. Lyndon Dykes replaces Derek Lyle. Corner, Raith Rovers. Conceded by Darren Brownlie. Foul by Dom Thomas (Queen of the South). Declan", "summary": "Queen of the South kept their slim play-off hopes alive with a win against Raith Rovers, who remain without a win in 16 games in all competitions."}
{"article": "United are reported to have agreed an \u00a318.9m fee for the keeper and Sir Alex Ferguson hopes to wrap up a deal soon. Former United forward Forlan told BBC Sport: \"David will become a top player because he has a lot of ability. \"But he's only just had his first full season as Atletico's number one and is a young guy with little experience.\" Last month, Ferguson said he regarded De Gea as the natural replacement for Edwin van der Sar, who retired after United's Champions League final defeat by Barcelona, and admitted he had been tracking the Spaniard for \"quite a while\". De Gea is currently playing for Spain at the European Under-21 Championships in Denmark, and says he wants to wait until the end of the tournament before signing a deal with United. Forlan, 32, who played for United from 2002 to 2004, has been hugely impressed with De Gea since the Spaniard forced his way into Atletico's team towards the end of the 2009/10 season. \"There's no doubt that David will become a very, very good player, because he has the talent,\" Forlan said. \"He is tall, strong on crosses, a good shot stopper and distributes the ball very well. \"I suppose he is similar to Van der Sar in a lot of ways. Even though he is very young, he gives a lot of confidence to his defenders and has a lot of talent.\" Forlan joined United for \u00a37.5m from Argentine side Independiente, but failed to cement a regular starting place at the club. He famously went 27 games before scoring for his new side and only hit the net 10 times in 63 games before moving to Villarreal. David is from a little town outside Madrid, has been at Atletico since he was very young and doesn't speak any languages other than Spanish He admitted he does have concerns that De Gea, who came through the youth ranks at Atletico, could become homesick in Manchester. \"You never know for sure whether a player will adapt to a new country until he gets there,\" the Uruguayan said. \"It's true that I was also young when I joined United, just 22, but you can't compare our situations. \"I knew the language and had already left my country, having moved to Independiente when I was only 19. So it was not such a big step for me to go to United. \"David is from a little town outside Madrid and has been at Atletico since he was very young. He doesn't speak any languages other than Spanish. He is going over with his girlfriend and family though, which will help.\" Forlan revealed that De Gea had been hungry for insights into life with the English champions. \"I told him that Manchester United is a great place to experience as a player and that I had a great time there,\" he added. \"The manager and staff are fantastic and the fans were always very supportive of me, even when I wasn't scoring. I made some good friends there and settled in", "summary": "Diego Forlan expects his Atletico Madrid team-mate David de Gea to be a big hit at Manchester United - if he can adapt to life in England."}
{"article": "The man in his 30s was found with serious head injuries in Haig Avenue, Chatham at about 22.55 BST on Tuesday. Police believe he was attacked during a disturbance in Glencoe Road and Magpie Hall Road, minutes earlier. A 26-year-old local man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder remains in custody. Kent Police have also held a 27-year-old woman, also from the town, on suspicion of assisting an offender. Det Insp Ivan Beasley said: \"The victim remains in a very serious condition in hospital with life-threatening injuries.\"", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man was critically injured in a \"disturbance\" involving several people."}
{"article": "City had effectively been building a home waiting for Guardiola to move in and the man any club in the world would want in charge was finally ready to take up residence after leaving Bayern Munich. What was not part of the plan was a slump in form that raises the possibility of Guardiola taking charge with City in the Europa League - a prospect that must now be considered as Manchester United closed to within a point of Pellegrini's fourth-placed side with a 1-0 win at Etihad Stadium on Sunday. What has been happening to City's season to leave them in this perilous position? This is an easy accusation to make and can be supported by the fact City have won only three games out of 11 since Guardiola's arrival was confirmed in an announcement in February - but is it actually true? City have won a trophy - the Capital One Cup at Wembley against Liverpool - since then and it would be doing Pellegrini's squad a kindness to suggest they have only become indifferent and below-par since it became known Guardiola was on his way. They have also made club history by reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time with victory over two legs against Dynamo Kiev - but the signs of decline were in evidence well before 1 February. Manchester City have not been at their best for any period since they began the season with five straight Premier League wins. They had already lost five league games before the Guardiola announcement was made. City won their first three away games in the Premier League but only two of the next 11 and have not won back-to-back league games in five months. The rot set in long before they started getting ready to put Guardiola's name on the manager's office door. It is hard to believe City's players have been dwelling on the Spaniard's arrival during games and in an uncharacteristically prickly post-match media conference after the United loss, Pellegrini was at pains to deflect suggestions Guardiola was providing an unwelcome distraction. He said: \"I don't think I have lost any control. The attitude of the team was excellent. I repeat - I am happy with attitude of the players.\" Guardiola's impending arrival may have focused minds on City's shortcomings - but this was a team showing signs of struggle and decline well before he was confirmed as Pellegrini's successor. Manchester City are only one point ahead of Manchester United and West Ham even though they still lie fourth, and 15 points behind leaders Leicester City having played a game less. The rest of the season is not about winning the title but finishing in the top four - an embarrassing state of affairs for a club with City's aspirations and scale of ambition. And perhaps the most tell-tale statistic of why they are where they are comes in their record against the current top eight. City have played 11 matches against them, winning only one, drawing three and losing seven for a meagre", "summary": "When Manchester City announced that Pep Guardiola - the world's most coveted and celebrated manager - would succeed Manuel Pellegrini in the summer, there was not a cloud on the club's horizon."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The four-time Olympic champion returned to the velodrome last year in a bid to qualify for his fifth Olympics. \"It's an evidence-based selection he's involved in,\" Sutton told BBC Sport. \"Brad has to go out and produce in London which will determine whether he makes the road to Rio or not.\" Wiggins, 35, is set to team up with Mark Cavendish in the non-Olympic madison at the Worlds, which run from 2-6 March and will be broadcast live on the BBC. Wiggins, who has won seven Olympic medals on the track and road, will also race in the four-man team pursuit, which is his target for Rio. As for Cavendish, who partnered Wiggins to win the madison at the 2008 World Championships, the 30-year-old aims to represent Britain in the six-event omnium at this summer's Olympics. \"As things stand right now, he'll be on the start line in London,\" Sutton said of Wiggins. \"There are six guys in the mix at this moment in time. Brad's one of the strong guys in that group.\" Sutton believes that the 2012 Tour de France winner can rise to the occasion in front of a home crowd. \"Like everybody else, Brad is definitely under pressure, but Brad's the ultimate professional,\" he said. \"Brad would de-select himself if he didn't think he could do the job, but I'm quite sure he can.\" Sutton added that selection for Rio was far from settled. \"There's a foot in the door for anybody who goes to London,\" he said.", "summary": "Sir Bradley Wiggins \"must produce\" at March's World Championships in London if he is to make the track team for the Rio Olympics, says British Cycling's technical director Shane Sutton."}
{"article": "The offence occurred in the first-round, second-leg match against Rwanda, which Uganda won 2-1 to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory. However, Uganda's Aheebwa James had different dates of birth on his passport and his inter-clubs licence. Rwanda have been reinstated and will take on Egypt in the second round. The Rwandan Football Federation had challenged the eligibility of Tumwesigye Frank, Aheebwa James, Lwalirwa Halid and Kizza Martin. Only James was found to have different birth dates: 19/5/1998 on the passport, and 27/3/1997 on his Confederation of African Football Inter-clubs licence. Although both dates place James within the age limit for the competition, the rules state that both dates must match.", "summary": "Uganda have been disqualified from qualifying for the 2017 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations for fielding an ineligible player."}
{"article": "Police were called to Deerhurst House, on Haymerle Road, in Peckham, on Friday afternoon. The man, aged in his 20s, was treated by paramedics but died at the scene. His family have been told and a post-mortem examination will be held on Sunday. Scotland Yard said no arrests had been made and appealed for witnesses to contact the force.", "summary": "A man has been stabbed to death outside a block of flats in south London."}
{"article": "Kenneth Starks, of Strachur in Argyll and Bute, was also put on the sex offenders register for 18 months. A prevention order was placed on him, restricting him from approaching or being alone with children under 16. Starks was previously found guilty of three charges of sexual assault at the DG One leisure centre in 2014. He was convicted of swimming towards children in the pool and touching them. The retired teacher was also found guilty of a breach of the peace.", "summary": "A 64-year-old man found guilty of sexually assaulting youngsters in a Dumfries swimming pool has been ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Robertson pointed to the spot - allowing County to tie the game - after Alex Schalk dived in the box, with no contact from the Danish defender. Rodgers revealed the Scottish FA's head of refereeing, John Fleming, called him this week to discuss the incident. \"I really respected that - he didn't have to,\" the Celtic boss said. \"Don Robertson doesn't have to ring me or apologise to me, John Fleming did that. \"All I would say to Don Robertson is make sure you apologise to Erik Sviatchenko, because it wasn't a penalty. But I'm sure he will learn from it - we've seen enough poor decisions in the Champions League over the last week or so. \"We have to help referees and help them become better because mistakes happen, but in circumstances like that you have to get them right or you lose the trust of the players.\" Schalk accepted a two-match suspension for simulation, while Robertson will be one of the officials behind the goal for Celtic's Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers on Sunday. Rodgers, who labelled the penalty award a \"horrendous\" decision, has no issue with his involvement. \"Do I think he should be involved in Sunday's game? Listen, we will all make mistakes but he needs to get back out on the field and as long as he doesn't make the same one as he did in the match against Ross County, then I'll be happy enough,\" Rodgers said. \"You have to respect that you don't have the facilities up here that they have in other countries, in particular down south. They're not full-time. The guys up here, I think they're doing their very, very best to educate referees, put them out there in order to perform. So you probably don't have a massive pool of referees that you can put into a game such as this here. \"Don's qualified into the Uefa panel now, so he's going to make mistakes, you always hope they're never costly, but he's got to go again. And if he's involved this weekend, then good for him.\"", "summary": "Brendan Rodgers says referee Don Robertson should apologise to Erik Sviatchenko for awarding a penalty that cost Celtic victory over Ross County."}
{"article": "The 18-year-old has played 18 games since making his debut in the 2-0 loss to Leeds in January and made his first start against Rotherham a week later. Brereton came off the bench to score his first Forest goal in the dramatic 2-1 win over Aston Villa in February. \"It is a great club to be at and I can't wait to find out what the future holds,\" he told the club website. \"It was good to break through into the first team. It was tough as well but people believed in me and I was given my opportunity and thankfully I took it.\" Brereton joined Forest from Stoke in 2015 and is an England Under-19 international. Colin Fray, BBC Radio Nottingham's Forest correspondent After a summer of positivity so far for Forest fans following the takeover by Evangelos Marinakis, this is more news that they wanted to hear. Brereton burst brilliantly onto the first-team scene in 2016-17, and there was concern that he might be stolen away from Forest by one of the host of Premier League clubs that have been linked with him. There is huge excitement about Brereton as a player. He already has pace and power in abundance, he is a menace to defenders and has proved he can make the step up to senior level in terms of goalscoring too. His injury-time winner against Villa was one of the highlights of last season. To get his new contract finalised is another very positive step by the new owners. Brereton is one of the most exciting talents to have played for the club for years. Happy Forest fans can now look forward to watching him develop for a few more seasons or, at worst, seeing the club receive a major transfer fee if he does leave.", "summary": "Teenage Nottingham Forest striker Ben Brereton has signed a new contract which will keep him at club until 2021."}
{"article": "Captain Jennings gave Wrexham the lead against the run of play with a looping header from Blaine Hudson's cross. Dominic Vose had two chances to extend the lead while Joe Devera hit the post on his Boreham Wood debut. James Russell kept the home side in the game, making crucial saves to deny Dominic Vose and substitute Mark Carrington. The victory sees Gary Mills's side move up to third in the table and five points behind leaders Forest Green, who lost 4-1 at Macclesfield. Wrexham manager Gary Mills told BBC Radio Wales: \"I love the one nils, especially away from home. It should have been four or five. It could have come back to bite us. \"It's the league we're in - it's difficult. We lost on Tuesday and we've gone again here and picked up a result. It's important when you lose to bounce back. \"It's not easy when you have a disappointment like the other night because we shouldn't have lost the game and we've come here and put it right.\" Match ends, Boreham Wood 0, Wrexham 1. Second Half ends, Boreham Wood 0, Wrexham 1. Foul by Matt Whichelow (Boreham Wood). Blaine Hudson (Wrexham) wins a free kick. Corner, Boreham Wood. Attempt missed. Rob Evans (Wrexham) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Substitution, Boreham Wood. Matt Whichelow replaces Charlie MacDonald. Attempt missed. Adriano Moke (Wrexham) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Corner, Boreham Wood. Corner, Wrexham. Attempt saved. Mark Carrington (Wrexham) header from the centre of the box is saved. Substitution, Wrexham. Lee Fowler replaces Dominic Vose. Attempt missed. Luke Howell (Boreham Wood) header from the centre of the box is too high. Corner, Boreham Wood. Foul by Jamal Fyfield (Wrexham). Charlie MacDonald (Boreham Wood) wins a free kick. Foul by Connor Jennings (Wrexham). Conor Clifford (Boreham Wood) wins a free kick. Attempt missed. Dominic Vose (Wrexham) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right. Corner, Wrexham. Offside, Wrexham. Kayden Jackson tries a through ball, but Kayden Jackson is caught offside. Foul by Charlie MacDonald (Boreham Wood). Jamal Fyfield (Wrexham) wins a free kick. Substitution, Boreham Wood. Junior Morias replaces Sam Cox. Substitution, Wrexham. Mark Carrington replaces James Gray. Corner, Wrexham. Attempt saved. Sean Newton (Wrexham) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved. Substitution, Wrexham. Kayden Jackson replaces Wes York. Attempt saved. Dominic Vose (Wrexham) right footed shot from outside the box is saved. Foul by Billy Clifford (Boreham Wood). Dominic Vose (Wrexham) wins a free kick. Attempt missed. Conor Clifford (Boreham Wood) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Connor Jennings (Wrexham) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Connor Jennings (Wrexham). Luke Howell (Boreham Wood) wins a free kick. Sam Cox (Boreham Wood) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Sam Cox (Boreham Wood). Dominic Vose (Wrexham) wins a free kick. Substitution, Boreham Wood. Billy Clifford replaces Josh Hill. Second Half begins Boreham Wood", "summary": "Connor Jennings scored the only goal of the game as Wrexham beat Boreham Wood in the National League."}
{"article": "All of the managerial movements for October will appear below, followed by the full list of each club, league-by-league. To read the list for September, visit the ins and outs page.", "summary": "BBC Sport tracks all the manager ins and outs as well as listing all the current bosses in the Premier League, Scottish Premiership, English Football League and National League."}
{"article": "The idea is to create a pyramid for club cricket that will raise standards on and off the pitch. Andrew Watson, an executive director on the Yorkshire Cricket Board, was one of the key thinkers behind the decision. \"We had a national playing survey for three years,\" he said. \"Stronger players and the stronger clubs wanted more competitive cricket and the other players from other leagues wanted more regional cricket, so they didn't have to travel so far. We engaged every league in Yorkshire with that.\" Under the old system, there were two premier leagues - the North Yorkshire League and the South Durham League. The Yorkshire league has been split into two to form Yorkshire League North and Yorkshire League South, with the Bradford League added in. There are then partner leagues beneath these and promotion and relegation are both possible. The clubs are now coming to the end of their first year under this system. The top two teams from each of the premier leagues will feature in an end-of-season champion of champions play-off, with the final taking place in Abu Dhabi in October. One long-standing club affected by this change is Pudsey Congs - former player and club spokesperson Ralph Middlebrook believes the move will bridge the gap between league cricketers and professionals, as clubs that win promotion to one of the premier leagues must also meet ECB ground standards. \"The standard of cricket is going to improve and the standard of pitches is going to improve,\" said Middlebrook. \"There are certain factors that are mandatory on clubs. You must have under-11s, under-13s, under-15s. You must have covers. You must have Clubmark, which is the ECB standard for everything, from child welfare through to development plans. \"It's going to give people who are keen to be professionals the chance to go to a club that's on the verge of the first-class game. \"And it's not just about excellence. It's about the other clubs lower down being able to find their own level.\" He continued: \"If you just want to be a local club, with people in the locality playing and supporting cricket in their area, you can do that. Not all clubs want to be Premier League clubs with the professional standards they would have to provide. \"If you're thinking of being a pro, you'd better go to a decent club with a decent pitch and see if you can hack it.\" Ringing these changes could be difficult for sides with limited resources, but the Yorkshire Cricket Board have a support network in place for clubs facing the transition. There are five development managers and 10 community officers in Yorkshire, and Cricket Development Groups can help clubs work towards Clubmark. There are talks in place to look at implementing this system throughout the country. \"I think ECB and cricket nationally is watching Yorkshire,\" Watson explained. \"We have got 12% of all cricket in the country, so we're the biggest output area. To reorganise the leagues as we've done has taken a lot of discussions - it's taken over 200", "summary": "Amateur cricket in Yorkshire received a major overhaul in 2016 with the launch of the new Yorkshire Premier Cricket system."}
{"article": "The Pilgrims have won nine of their last 10 league games and are five points clear at the top of League Two. Last season's beaten play-off finalists beat Yeovil 4-1 on 1 October and have not lost in the league since 13 August. \"I've seen us in training and I've seen us perform and I still think we've got another gear in us,\" summer signing Bradley told BBC South West. After last season's disappointment at Wembley, manager Derek Adams added 14 new signings and two more players on loan. Former Crawley captain Bradley continued: \"We're definitely capable of promotion. \"I've been part of different League Two squads up and down the country and I can tell you that if we play to our potential every week, we continue to listen to the manager and take on instructions, then this team is more than capable of automatic promotion. \"I wasn't here last season and don't have any reminders about Wembley and what happened. \"I don't care about that if I'm honest, all I care about is keeping clean sheets and making sure this club is getting where it needs to be. At the minute that's where we are - top of the table and on course for a successful season.\"", "summary": "Plymouth Argyle defender Sonny Bradley says the League Two leaders still have better performances in them."}
{"article": "The non-native corn snake was spotted by a \"shocked\" council worker as he sorted through the rubble in a remote area off Mill Lane in Setchey, Norfolk. It is now being cared for at the RSPCA's East Winch centre. Manager Alison Charles said \"abandoning\" the snake was a \"callous way to treat a pet\". Tim Borodka, who found the reptile on Friday, said: \"It gave me quite a shock when I suddenly saw the snake slither away from me. \"I have come across lizards and wild grass snakes before, but nothing like this.\" Ms Charles said the snake would have been unlikely to survive in the wild if Mr Borodka had not put it in a box and taken it to the King's Lynn rescue centre. \"The snake was found so far from any homes and amongst fly-tipped rubbish so it seems likely that it was abandoned.\" Corn snakes are native to parts of North America and can grow up to 6ft (1.8m). The 3ft (0.9m) snake that slithered past Mr Borodka will eventually be rehomed at a specialist centre. \"We would encourage people who are thinking about taking on an exotic pet to research the needs of the particular species thoroughly and ensure they can meet them at all times,\" Ms Charles added. Last year the RSPCA was called in to collect 807 exotic pet snakes. More than 450 of these were thought to be former pets that had either escaped or been deliberately dumped or released.", "summary": "An exotic snake had a lucky escape after apparently being fly-tipped at the side of a road with a pile of kitchen cupboards."}
{"article": "The film follows versions of the three previous books in the Narnia series. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe came out in 2005, followed by Prince Caspian in 2008 and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 2010. Sony-owned TriStar Pictures is joining The Mark Gordon Company, The CS Lewis Company and Entertainment One to make the film, according to Deadline. Together, the previous three films in the Chronicles of Narnia series have made more than $1.58 billion (\u00c2\u00a31.2 billion) at the worldwide box office. David Magee, Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Finding Neverland and Life of Pi, is reportedly working on the script. According to Mark Gordon, the film will \"introduce this new, magical chapter of the Narnia franchise to fans around the world, both old and new.\" The Silver Chair sees Eustace Scrubb - the character Will Poulter played in Voyage of the Dawn Treader - return to Narnia. There he and a classmate, Jill Pole, embark on a quest to find a lost prince who is being held captive deep underground. Doctor Who actor Tom Baker and Star Wars' Warwick Davis were among the cast of a six-part BBC adaptation first shown in 1990. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "CS Lewis's magical realm of Narnia is to return to the big screen with a film of his 1953 novel, The Silver Chair."}
{"article": "Adults are regarded as having allowed organ donation unless they have opted out. In the last year, there have been 160 organs transplanted and 39 were through deemed consent. Wales' Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said numbers were encouraging and the change had been \"good news\". In 2016, up to September, there were 42 deceased organ donors, broadly in line with previous years. A woman who had a double-lung transplant last Christmas has written an emotional thank-you letter to her donor's family - as Wales marks the anniversary of a major new law. Although numbers of donors naturally fluctuate year on year, the Welsh Government says it is confident that earlier hopes of a 25% increase in the number of donors will be reached in future. \"There's a much greater awareness of organ donation itself,\" Mr Gething said. \"More people are having those conversations with their loved ones about whether they want to opt in or to simply leave it as a point of deemed consent. \"It makes a real difference then to have that conversation at that point in time when it becomes a possibility and makes it much easier for health staff too.\" He said on its own measures it had been a success but there was still more to be done and it could be several years before the full impact of the law change was apparent. 160 organ transplants in Wales 39 organs from patients under deemed consent 226 patients on transplant list - Sept 2016 6% have opted out of the system Consultant Dr Chris Hingston, clinical lead for organ donation at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, said: \"We've seen a big impact at the bedside in terms of families approaching us to ask about organ donation, but equally families when we asked them if their loved ones wished to become a donor actually know the wishes. \"Even if that's not to become a donor, so they're refusing, but they're confident that that's the right decision for their loved ones. \"As a clinician that's all I ever wanted - that there wasn't a grey area where there's indecision and difficulty for families.\" Bill, 67, [whose surname we are not using] was admitted to the critical care unit at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff after suffering a stroke and a fall. His daughter Karen said: \"Dad had talked about organ donation. \"It's the last serious conversation that we'd had, not knowing that in a few weeks time, that was going to have to happen. \"It was his decision and I wasn't going to challenge it because it was his decision. \"I think I would have coped with it a lot worse if I hadn't have had the transplant to focus on. \"It's like he still had a job to do, even though he couldn't do anything, he was still doing something. \"He was looking after those organs before they could be given to somebody else. \"It's made losing him easier, because it's like something good has come out of it, and I can't think of any", "summary": "More organs are being donated and more lives saved a year after Wales became the only nation in the UK to introduce a new donation law, say ministers."}
{"article": "The news came after US equity firm Blackstone said it was selling a Sydney office building to the group for A$415m ($327m; \u00a3218m). Gold Fields House is in the city's prime central business district and overlooks the Sydney Harbour. The firm said it plans to build a luxury hotel as well as residential and retail outlets in the area. \"We look forward to creating a new Sydney landmark,\" said Dalian Wanda in a statement on Monday. Wanda group is backed by Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin and is the country's largest property conglomerate. The recent announcement is the latest in a series of international acquisitions for the Chinese firm. It has already agreed to invest nearly $2bn in London and Madrid hotels and properties in the last two years, according to Reuters. Last week, Wanda said it was buying a 20% stake in Spanish football club Atletico Madrid for \u20ac45m ($52m; \u00a334m) - making it the first Chinese company to invest in a top European football club. The group also owns US cinema chain AMC and luxury British yachtmaker Sunseeker. Hong Kong listed shares of Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties were up 3.4% after the deal was announced.", "summary": "Chinese property giant Dalian Wanda is set to invest $1bn (\u00a3667m) in a development near Sydney Harbour."}
{"article": "The League Two club applied to build an 11,000-seater stadium - that could be expanded to hold 20,000 - on the site of Wimbledon greyhound stadium. Merton Borough Council had recommended it for approval and councillors unanimously approved the plans. The original Wimbledon club left Plough Lane in 1991 because of legislation requiring all-seater stadiums. Wimbledon FC, as it was known then, shared Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park until 2003 when it was given permission to relocate about 70 miles (112km) north to Milton Keynes and was later renamed MK Dons. Many fans protested against the move and decided to form AFC Wimbledon as a non-League club. The side rose back to league status and currently plays at Kingsmeadow in Kingston upon Thames, The AFC Wimbledon Supporters Trust has agreed to sell its lease at Kingsmeadow to Premier League Chelsea to help fund the new stadium. The Plough Lane planning application that has been approved also includes 602 residential units, along with retail and commercial space and a leisure club. AFC Wimbledon's chief executive Erik Samuelson said in a message on the supporters' trust website: \"This is an important step in a journey we started some years ago. \"We have a long way to go and many major hurdles to clear but we want to build a stadium that is embedded in the community and operate it in an inclusive way.\" The Greyhound Board of Great Britain, which grants greyhound racing licenses, said it was worried about the future of the sport in London if the Wimbledon track goes. A spokesman said: \"Wimbledon is the last track within the M25 and we think it is important there is a track here in London, because greyhound racing is still the fifth most popular sport in this country.\"", "summary": "AFC Wimbledon has been given permission to build a new stadium close to its spiritual home in Plough Lane."}
{"article": "Its debut was the second biggest April opening in history, behind only Furious 7's $147.2m (\u00a3104m) launch in 2015. According to the studio, Jon Favreau's film also made an estimated $136.1m (\u00a396m) outside the US and Canada. Comedy sequel Barbershop: The Next Cut came a distant second, with opening weekend takings of $20.2m (\u00a314.2m). Disney has achieved success of late with transforming its classic cartoons into live-action remakes, including Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty makeover Maleficent. The Jungle Book is is a mixture of live action featuring Neel Sethi as Mowgli, with the rest of the footage created with animation. It features computer-generated versions of such familiar characters as Baloo the bear, Kaa the snake and Shere Khan the tiger. Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson and Idris Elba lend their voices to the roles, with Christopher Walken and Sir Ben Kingsley voicing other characters. Slapstick comedy The Boss slipped to third place in its second weekend in cinemas, taking $10.2m (\u00a37.2m) between Friday and Sunday. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Disney animation Zootopia - released as Zootropolis in the UK - round out this week's top five.", "summary": "Disney's new version of The Jungle Book has taken a big bite out of the US box office, topping it with $103.6m (\u00a373.1m) in its opening weekend."}
{"article": "The change, introduced on 1 May, means google.ps now displays \"Palestine\" in Arabic and English under Google's logo. Using the word Palestine is controversial for some. Israeli policy is that the borders of a Palestinian state are yet to be agreed. In November, the UN gave Palestine the status of \"non-member observer state\". The decision by the General Assembly was strongly opposed by Israel and the United States. Previously, Palestine only had \"observer entity\" status. It followed an unsuccessful Palestinian bid to join the international body as a full member state in 2011 because of a lack of support in the UN Security Council. Palestinians in general seek recognition for the state they are trying to establish and the adoption of the name Palestine. Israel considers any formal use of the word Palestine as pre-judging the outcome of currently stalled peace talks. In much of Israel's official terminology the West Bank is referred to as Judea and Samaria. In a statement given to the BBC on Friday, Google spokesman Nathan Tyler said: \"We're changing the name 'Palestinian Territories' to 'Palestine' across our products. We consult a number of sources and authorities when naming countries. \"In this case, we are following the lead of the UN, Icann [the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers], ISO [International Organisation for Standardisation] and other international organisations.\" The Palestinian Authority (PA) welcomed Google's decision. \"This is a step in the right direction, a timely step and one that encourages others to join in and give the right definition and name for Palestine instead of Palestinian territories,\" Dr Sabri Saidam, advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, told the BBC. \"Most of the traffic that happens now happens in the virtual world and this means putting Palestine on the virtual map as well as on the geographic maps,\" he added. Dr Saidam said that since the UN vote on 29 November, the PA had written to international companies, including Google, asking them to replace their usage of \"Palestinian Territories\" with \"Palestine\".", "summary": "Internet giant Google has changed the tagline on the homepage of its Palestinian edition from \"Palestinian Territories\" to \"Palestine\"."}
{"article": "The 13 Premier League clubs in the fourth round made 98 changes to their line-ups, an average of 7.5 per team. Championship sides facing lower-league opposition also rotated players, with Leeds making 10 changes, while Brighton and Newcastle made nine. \"Clubs care about money while fans care about trophies. That's very unfortunate,\" Shearer told BBC Sport. \"It's just crazy, I don't understand it. I'm all for bringing kids into the team but not seven or eight of them. Six rounds from the third round to the final, it's not asking a lot is it?\" The rotation of players in the cup competition proved a talking point as Liverpool made nine changes and were beaten at Anfield by Wolverhampton Wanderers. On Sunday, Premier League sides Hull and Watford both rotated their squads and were knocked out by Championship Fulham and League One Millwall respectively, while an unfamiliar-looking Leeds were eliminated by non-league Sutton. However, seven top-flight sides who made five or more changes to their starting line-ups did make it through to the last 16. On Twitter, Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp showed a \"lack of knowledge of the depth in English football and respect\". Match of the Day pundit Phil Neville believes the changes are \"making the FA Cup better\", adding: \"It's been fantastic to see the upsets so far. Jurgen Klopp has to find out about those kids. He has a massive academy. If you don't play them, you don't know.\" Premier League sides have made an average 2.06 changes to their side from one league fixture to the next this season, a much lower figure than the average of 7.5 made over the FA Cup fourth-round weekend. But 14 clubs from the top tier are scheduled to play again in the league on Tuesday, with the remaining six in action 24 hours later. Southampton boss Claude Puel - who made 10 changes in defeat at Arsenal - said he would \"do the same again\". Watford's Walter Mazzarri - who made seven changes for the loss at Millwall - said he was \"sorry\" and referenced a focus on Tuesday's Premier League trip to Arsenal, adding: \"I want a team that in the next 16 games fights for every ball.\" But former Arsenal striker Ian Wright said he could not understand Mazzarri's move, with Watford 14th in the league. \"I don't know what else they are playing for,\" said Wright. After defeat at non-league Sutton United, Leeds United boss Garry Monk admitted his rotation \"backfired\" as he kept an eye on getting the \"balance right\" for Wednesday's Championship fixture at Blackburn. There are now just seven Premier League teams guaranteed a fifth-round spot, while Leicester will contest a replay with Derby. At this stage in 2015-16 and 2014-15, 10 were left in the competition. Managers often like to use the line that \"we take each game as it comes\". But as the season enters February, with key fixtures, a busy Easter period and league run-ins on the horizon, it seems many of them are looking", "summary": "Clubs making wholesale changes are \"cheating fans\" out of an FA Cup run, according to BBC pundit Alan Shearer."}
{"article": "The Welsh region top Pool Two after beating Grenoble 59-7 away on 9 December - a third successive bonus-point win. \"We've got to keep our focus in terms of not being complacent,\" warned backs coach Gruff Rees. Wing Hanno Dirksen and Canada forward Tyler Ardron could return from injury. Dirksen has been out since May with a knee injury, and will play in the British and Irish Cup if he does not make the senior squad. Ardron has been missing for more than two months with a thumb injury. \"There'll be a big aspect of rotation, but a healthy share of players who played last weekend will figure again,\" Rees added. \"There are players who need their load to be managed, people like Alun Wyn [Jones] and Justin Tipuric get the week off and there'll probably be a couple of others.\" Tipuric's absence means Sam Underhill is likely to make only his third start of the season, after missing the opening weeks with a shoulder injury. The 20-year-old was touted as a potential England call-up if he had been fit- although coach Eddie Jones would have had to bend RFU rules about not picking players based outside England. \"It was [flattering], but you don't want to get ahead of yourself because any international call-up is a reward for performance,\" said Underhill. \"I think it's out of my hands, if it happens it happens and if it doesn't, it doesn't. \"[England] isn't the only option, but it's my ambition. It's where I grew up, where I played rugby as a kid. I'm an England fan, I enjoy supporting them, so that's my ambition.\"", "summary": "Ospreys will rest Wales forwards Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric for the home European Challenge Cup game against Grenoble on Saturday."}
{"article": "A large number of rail operators are not running any services, with only a limited service operating on others. Labour said that in opposition the Tories had \"attacked the Boxing Day rail shutdown\", but done nothing about it while in government. The Department for Transport said it was for train operators to decide on the level of service on specific days. Rail operators that are not running services on Boxing Day include Arriva Trains Wales, c2C, CrossCountry, East Midlands, Grand Central, Great Northern, Great Western, London Midland, Northern Rail, South West, Thameslink, TransPennine Express and Virgin. The Christmas period also sees 200 sets of rail engineering works being carried out, with London, Manchester and Cardiff among the cities hit, and Heathrow Express is also suspended for six days. Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said: \"Tory ministers' handling of the Boxing Day rail standstill is making it much harder for families and friends to visit one another this Christmas break. \"In opposition the Tories attacked the Boxing Day rail shutdown. They've now had more than six years to do something about it but haven't. \"Their lack of action, even despite the chaos of previous years, gives the impression they don't really care about it at all. The Tory hypocrisy on this issue is astounding.\" A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: \"Deciding the level of service on specific days is a matter for train operators. \"But we know some passengers want to travel on Boxing Day, and that's why we have worked with the rail industry to ensure there are limited services on some franchises on that day, and that the scope for Boxing Day services is considered when we are planning future franchises. \"Network Rail and train companies have ensured that a large part of the railway will remain open over the Christmas/New Year period and alternative routes are provided where the lines are closed for essential engineering work, and that these are communicated properly to the public.\" Travellers are also being urged to check weather conditions before setting off as Storm Conor descends on northern parts of the UK. A yellow \"be aware\" warning has been issued for western and northern Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England. After a lull following disruption caused by Storm Barbara, high winds and snow are expected to sweep across parts of northern Scotland, peaking on Boxing Day when gusts could reach 90mph.", "summary": "Labour has accused the Conservatives of \"hypocrisy\" over the Boxing Day \"standstill\" on the rail network."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old centre-back makes the move from Portuguese top-flight club subject to international clearance. Igor Rossi told Hearts' website: \"I am a leader, I play aggressively, with passion, and I like the ball at my feet to play from the back. \"From what I have seen, this is the Hearts way.\" Igor Rossi spent four years in Portugal after moving from Brazilian club Internacional, where he was part of the side that won the 2010 Copa Libertadores. But he only made two starts and two substitute appearances for their first team last season, while he made 10 appearances for Maritimo's second string in the Portuguese second tier. Igor Rossi revealed that Hearts' director of football, Craig Levein, was pivotal in bringing him to Robbie Neilson's side. \"I had seen Scottish sides in Europe, particularly Celtic and the Scottish national side, and, when I was aware of Hearts' interest, I read up quite a bit about them and saw that they won the league by a huge margin over Rangers, so I was very impressed,\" he said. \"Robbie was very impressive and he explained to me his ambition for the club, where he expects us to be in the future and how he wants the team to play. \"Craig also spoke very well to me and I was immediately convinced that I should come to Edinburgh and play for the Hearts. \"I believe I will bring good experience from my five years playing in the Portuguese Division 1 and in the Europa League. \"I want to help the club challenge in every tournament we play in and I want to help my new team-mates. \"I'm also hoping to score some goals as I'm good in the air.\"", "summary": "Hearts have added to their defensive options with the signing of Igor Rossi Branco on a one-year deal after the Brazilian's exit from Maritimo."}
{"article": "The Duke of Rothesay will be joined by newly elected MSPs, diplomats and church leaders at St Giles' Cathedral. The service traditionally takes place on the evening before the first sitting of a new parliamentary term. This year's ceremony includes a humanist blessing for the first time. The Prince will meet with Holyrood's party leaders after the service. The Reverend Calum MacLeod, minister of St Giles' Cathedral will lead the evening service, and Dr Angus Morrison, moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, will deliver a sermon. Guests will be greeted by music from a quartet of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland, while musicians from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland will perform during the service, as will the cathedral's choir. Departing Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick, who will make a reading during the event, said it would be a \"modern\" service including representatives of \"many faiths\". She said: \"It is an honour to take part in a tradition as historic as the Kirking of the Scottish Parliament, a ceremony which was resumed when Parliament reconvened in 1999. \"It will be my pleasure to welcome His Royal Highness the Duke of Rothesay.\" Humanist Society Scotland chief executive Gordon MacRae said he was \"delighted\" that there would be representation for non-religious people at the service for the first time. He said: \"As Scottish society changes it is only fair and proper that representatives from the large group in society that seek to lead ethical and fulfilling lives without religion are included in the country's important ceremonies.\" The new session of the Scottish Parliament will formally begin on Thursday, when MSPs will be sworn in by Ms Marwick in the Holyrood chamber. An election will then be held to choose a new presiding officer, with the formation of a government and the election of a first minister the following week.", "summary": "Prince Charles is to attend an interfaith service for the Kirking of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh."}
{"article": "The world number five was the 2013 runner-up and he proved it was no fluke by reaching the final four at last year's World Championship. And he told BBC Sport staying in a cottage a short drive away from Sheffield has helped him stay calm prior to another attempt at winning snooker's showpiece event. \"It is ideal really,\" said Hawkins, who needed to call on all his powers of relaxation as he saw a 9-4 lead slowly whittled away in his 10-9 first-round win over Matthew Selt. \"It's in the countryside, it has unbelievable views and on a lovely day it feels perfect - away from all the hustle and bustle of Sheffield and the snooker-mania. \"I get fed up with staying in hotels and if you are going to be here for a week or two you want to be as comfortable as possible. \"I stumbled across it a couple of years ago online and as long as I am playing at the Crucible I will always try to stay there.\" The eagerly awaited tranquil trip was very nearly a mini-break this year, with Hawkins coming perilously close to wasting his money before finally shaking off Selt's comeback. Avoiding defeat in that match means Ronnie O'Sullivan remains the only man to have beaten Hawkins at the Crucible since 2012. But the run to the 2013 final, where he lost 18-12, and last year's 17-7 defeat in the last four mean that although the title still eludes him, Hawkins did at least get full value from his countryside retreat. And the Kent-based, London-born left-hander said this season's tough Sheffield opener may do him some good - as long as there is no repeat when he starts his second-round, three-session match against Mark Allen on Friday. \"It gives me a lot of confidence and shows I can do it under the utmost pressure,\" the 'Hawk' said. \"I just hope I just don't have to do it again. \"If you can get through the first couple of rounds playing really well and get through quite easy, and conserve some energy for the later rounds, then it is a massive advantage. \"Last year I came through some really tough battles and when I played Ronnie in the semi-finals I was absolutely wiped out. \"I had nothing left in the tank whatsoever. It was the first time I have ever felt like that. \"I went quite far behind and just wanted him to finish me off. I just couldn't wait to get out of there. It's mentally draining and not a nice feeling to have.\" At least Hawkins had three full days off after Monday's nerve-jangling win over Selt. And the 36-year-old is guaranteed to be match sharp when he faces world number 12 Allen. He knows he needs to be, against one of the most attacking players on the circuit. \"It just gets tougher and tougher from now on,\" said Hawkins, who has only beaten the Northern Irishman once in nine previous meetings. That win was in their last encounter, a 5-1 success at the", "summary": "Barry Hawkins says the picturesque serenity of the Derbyshire countryside has helped him relax and find his best form at the Crucible."}
{"article": "The President's press secretary, Jay Carney, has said that he welcomed the Prime Minister's call for Britain to remain in the European Union, adding that the US believed the UK was stronger for being in the EU, and the EU was stronger for having the UK as a member. In the modern version of the special relationship, what Carney called the essential relationship, Britain is valued as an ally precisely because it is one of the leaders of the biggest economy in the world. Some in Washington think Mr Cameron's speech threatens that role and introduce more unnecessary uncertainty to an already uncertain world. Until recently, the promise of a referendum from Mr Cameron was seen in Washington as just another phase in the rocky relationship between the UK and continental Europeans. But now alarm bells are ringing. The White House doesn't care about the EU's internal organisation, and Europe is hardly its biggest concern anyway, but Mr Cameron's promise is definitely an unwanted irritation. Assistant Secretary of State for European affairs Phil Gordon has been unusually blunt. He is publicly saying that referendums could turn countries inwards. \"We have a growing relationship with the EU as an institution, which has an increasing voice in the world, and we want to see a strong British voice in that EU. That is in America's interests. We welcome an outward-looking EU with Britain in it,\" he said. President Obama repeated this view in a phone call to Mr Cameron. The Americans are worried for several reasons. They fear the debate that will rage for the next few years will undermine Britain's voice in the EU and diminish its power. Indeed, insiders say that has already happened - they find other EU members aren't taking Britain seriously. While US officials would agree with Mr Cameron's push for a more competitive, less rule-bound Europe, they fear he will now be less able to achieve it. There is internal politics too. There is an argument inside the administration over whether or not to seek a free-trade agreement with the EU. Those who want to go ahead may fear their position has been undermined. They may feel that Mr Cameron has given ammunition to those who argue it is not worth the bother. Some suggest it would be an irony if such a deal was negotiated - and Britain found itself outside the new free-trade area. Although the prime minister clearly intends to sell a deal that keeps Britain inside the EU there are fears that he will fail. The Obama administration values the European Union as an ally that largely shares its vision, and acts with it in the Middle East, over Iran and North Africa. Officials will fret over the next few years that Britain really could leave and that would badly weaken the EU. At the risk of hurting British egos, they simply don't see Britain - especially with a declining defence budget - as anything more than a medium-sized power in its own right. As one insider put it to me: \"At the moment", "summary": "The Obama administration has made no bones about it - it wants a strong Britain within a strong Europe."}
{"article": "John Larkin said there should be no further police investigations, inquests or inquiries into any Trouble-related killings that took place before the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. Mr Larkin said his proposal was not a formal amnesty, but was a logical consequence of the Agreement. \"I do think it's important to allow Richard Haass to do his work about parades, about flags and about dealing with the past. \"Clearly the dealing with the past part is the most difficult of the three and the most difficult to unlock. \"The second point I would make is that we are all democrats who believe in the rule of law, who believe in the independence of the police and prosecuting authorities, and they should if they are able to, be able to bring cases. \"I think it's rather dangerous to think that you can put some sort of block on that. But of course we are all interested in ways in which people can reconcile and come to terms with the bloody past, so that they can build a viable future and a shared future for Northern Ireland.\" \"The question of the past is difficult, because it is dealing with victims on all sides of the atrocities. \"I don't think it would be helpful of me to comment on the personal submission made by the attorney general in Northern Ireland, who is in statutory office, and I have to respect his views in this context. \"I think it would be difficult for families on either side of the dark time in Northern Ireland if you were to follow, for instance, that advice and put in place what the attorney general recommended.\" \"I think what the attorney general has proposed is an amnesty. \"There are 3,000 unsolved murders in Northern Ireland and those families are entitled to the right to pursue justice. \"This process must be victim-centred. It must be the victims who decide how they wish to proceed, not politicians, not law officers. \"In a democratic society, it is the victims who have the right to determine how they should move forward.\" \"This issue is much bigger than simply the issue of prosecutions. \"Whatever mechanisms are agreed in the future they need to be victim-centred. The views of victims must be central to any effort to deal with the legacy of the past. Their voices must be heard and respected and all victims must be treated on the basis of equality. \"As it stands there is no single view from victims and survivors and it is unlikely that there will be one in the future. Some families seek truth, others seek a judicial process.\" \"I am deeply suspicious about the timing of this. The timing is strange given that there is an active debate going on centred on dealing with the past. \"I am shocked at the lack of consultation particularly with victims, never mind the executive. I can't believe he didn't understand the hurt and pain he would cause amongst victims. \"There is no doubt that we have to find a way of dealing with", "summary": "Politicians and public figures have been reacting to a call by Northern Ireland's attorney general for an end to prosecutions for Troubles-related killings."}
{"article": "The deal is for the remainder of the current season, with a view to a long-term extension for both players. Hardaker, 24, has scored 67 tries in 155 games for Leeds and was named Man of Steel in 2015, but he requested a move to the NRL earlier in June. Segeyaro, 25, has played in only four league games this season. The Papua New Guinea-born player won the Dally M Hooker of the Year award in 2014, having scored 10 tries in 25 games. \"Zak goes with out best wishes and I am pleased for him that he has been able to fulfil his ambition of playing in the NRL,\" Leeds head coach Brian McDermott said. \"When Zak came to us to request a move, it was always going to be important that we were able to strengthen our group. \"In James Segeyaro, we have a great opportunity to bring in a highly-rated player.\"", "summary": "Leeds and England full-back Zak Hardaker has joined NRL side Penrith Panthers with immediate effect in a swap deal for hooker James Segeyaro."}
{"article": "Hooker Hartley, 30, will find out on Wednesday if he will be available for the Six Nations next year after he was sent off for the third time in his career while playing for Northampton. In total, Hartley has served 54 weeks of suspension during his career. \"I think Dylan's got credit in the bank,\" Ritchie told BBC Sport. \"I think most people would say it's been a fantastic year. We've had 13 wins out of 13 and Dylan has made a huge contribution and he should be allowed to continue that.\" Former England head coach Stuart Lancaster dropped Hartley from his 2015 World Cup squad after the player headbutted Saracens' Jamie George. But he was reinstated as captain when Eddie Jones succeeded Lancaster in November 2015, and England remain unbeaten under the Australian. Hartley returned to his club in October, following the autumn internationals, and came on as a replacement in Friday's 37-10 defeat by Leinster in the European Champions Cup. But after only six minutes on the pitch he was shown a red card for a swinging arm on Sean O'Brien and will now appear at an independent hearing to find out his punishment. \"Obviously it's disappointing when he gets sent off but we'll wait and see what happens,\" RFU chief executive Ritchie added. \"If he's eligible to be in contention for the Six Nations then it's a matter for Eddie. \"He's been a great leader and his performances on the pitch, and the way he's helped Eddie with the team... I think he's done a fantastic job. \"Ever since Dylan's been involved in the set-up, he has been the perfect ambassador on and off the pitch.\" On the same weekend as Hartley's card, Wasps' Kurtley Beale was sin-binned for a high tackle on Connacht's Niyi Adeolokun - a decision which prompted Wasps director of rugby Dai Young to call officiating \"a bit of a joke\". In response to Young's comments, Ritchie said: \"We need to look at high tackles and we need to be aware that concussion is a major challenge for the game. \"It's right that World Rugby have increased some of the tariffs in those disciplinary matters. I don't think it's going soft but those areas around the head we should be rigorous about.\" Hartley's club Northampton Saints have been under scrutiny after an incident involving Wales wing George North. TV replays appeared to show North lying motionless after a fall in Saints' recent game with Leicester, but he returned to play after passing a pitch-side assessment. A concussion review group has now been formed to investigate the handling of the case and RFU boss Ritchie said: \"They will come to a conclusion by the end of the week and we should learn lessons from that, where there are ones to learn. \"Concussion is definitely a big challenge. We have to address it head on.\"", "summary": "Dylan Hartley should continue as England captain despite his latest disciplinary issue, according to Rugby Football Union boss Ian Ritchie."}
{"article": "Footage captured Simon King's camera showed a man climbing over a fence and making off across a garden at a property in Herne Hill, south London. Nigel Batton, 43, was convicted of one count of burglary and one count of attempted burglary at Woolwich Crown Court. Batton, of Marischal Road, Lewisham, was sentenced on Monday. The burglary took place at a property in Hollingbourne Road in Herne Hill. The footage, which showed Batton in a nearby property's garden, was captured on Mr King's camera, which streams live on his website, at about 03:45 BST on 12 January 2014. After it was released by police, a number of people contacted officers and identified Batton. Police said a scarf left at the scene of the crime contained Batton's DNA and a cardigan worn by the burglar in the video was also found at Batton's home address, Det Con Marie Hamilton, from Southwark police, said: \"The images from the fox family camera were brilliant and together with the forensics we have been able to ensure that Batton has been brought to justice.\" Mr King has featured in various BBC programmes including Springwatch, Big Cat Diary and Planet Earth.", "summary": "A burglar who was filmed by a BBC wildlife presenter's \"fox camera\" has been jailed for four-and-a-half years."}
{"article": "Police say it was a suicide attack on a foreign military convoy which was travelling through the area. A health ministry official said nine Afghans were among the dead. A senior Nato official confirmed that three American contractors had been killed in the attack in the Macrorayan district. No group has said it carried out the attack, although in recent months Kabul has been regularly targeted by the Taliban in a series of bombings. The explosion took place not far from Kabul airport and the presidential palace. Witnesses said that children were among the injured and some foreigners were trapped in a destroyed vehicle. An interior ministry spokesman quoted by the AP news agency said the blast destroyed more than a dozen civilian vehicles. The bombing, close to a civilian hospital, is the latest in a series of recent deadly attacks following the announcement of a new Taliban leader. Earlier this month, a Taliban suicide bomber attacked a checkpoint near the entrance to the international airport in Kabul, killing five people. Before that, there were three deadly attacks in the city - on a police academy, a Nato base and an Afghan army base that killed at least 50 people. The Taliban has stepped up its campaign of violence in recent months, taking advantage of the warmer weather of spring and summer. It has made some military gains, especially in northern Afghanistan.", "summary": "An explosion has rocked the diplomatic area of the Afghan capital, Kabul, police have said, with at least 12 people killed and 60 injured."}
{"article": "Foster, a former European 5,000m gold medallist and a Commonwealth champion at 10,000m, began his commentary career in 1980 and has since gone on to cover nine summer Olympic Games for the BBC. \"I have loved every minute of my time working for BBC Sport,\" said Foster. It just seems the right time and the right place - at a World Championships in the UK - to say thank you and goodbye \"It has been a privilege and I am very lucky to have done what I have done since my competitive career finished.\" The BBC's director of sport Barbara Slater said: \"Brendan's knowledge, instinct, tone, timing and skill have been wonderful to listen to, and he has given all of us so many great moments. \"His words and iconic commentaries will be heard for years to come.\" Foster, 69, was named BBC Sports Personality Of The Year in 1974 after winning gold over 5,000m at that year's European Championships in Rome, as well as setting a new world record over 3,000m at his home track in Gateshead. After retiring from the track he became one of the leading voices of the BBC's athletics coverage, taking in every Commonwealth Games since 1982 and every World Athletics Championships since the inaugural event in 1983. He has also been ever present at the London Marathon since its inception in 1981, with this year's event on 23 April to be his 37th and last. Foster said: \"My very first commentary was shortly after the 1980 Olympics at a cross-country event at Gateshead and that's when I started to work with the greatest sports broadcaster of all time, David Coleman. \"David was just so professional and diligent and he taught me so much. After David retired, Steve Cram took over and working with Crammy for almost 20 years has been so special too. \"We have had so many special days, and those recently with Sir Mo Farah winning golds galore, particularly at the Olympic Games, are commentaries that stick out in the memory as we have witnessed true greatness. \"It's also been an honour to work with so many great people who have been a part of the BBC Athletics team - both in front of and behind the camera.\" Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "BBC commentator Brendan Foster is to retire following August's World Athletics Championships in London."}
{"article": "Although Hibs lost on penalties after a 1-1 aggregate score, the experience was one Laidlaw had not dared dream of. He last played in a 5-4 loss to Annan Athletic in April 2015 while on loan at Elgin City from Raith Rovers. \"It's a big difference playing at Borough Briggs compared to playing away to Brondby,\" said the 24-year-old. Having returned to Raith, where he failed to dislodge first-choice keeper Kevin Cuthbert, he suffered a torn kidney in an innocuous training ground incident last December. \"There was a concern that, with the severity of the injury, I might never get back to play football,\" acknowledged Laidlaw. \"It took six months to get back and I'm just delighted that I'm fit again. \"My main aim was to get back to training but obviously I'm delighted I got the chance to play and I think I did myself justice.\" Laidlaw's inclusion came at the expense of Otso Virtanen, whose first-minute mistake in the first leg led to the costly loss of an away goal to Brondby. \"I feel for Otso,\" added Laidlaw. \"I've been there myself many a time when I've made a mistake and dropped out the team. But I know he's a really good goalkeeper. \"I see him in training every day and I really rate him. He's not in the Finnish under-21 team for nothing so he'll bounce back from it, definitely.\" Laidlaw produced two outstanding saves against Brondby to help his team take the Danes to penalties. And though that should be enough to ensure he keeps the number one jersey in the short term at least, it's not something he's had a chance to reflect upon. \"I'm not really looking into that,\" he stressed. \"I'm just glad I played and did really well. \"I'm not looking at the next few games or the start of the [league] season. I'm just concentrating on doing well in training and taking it from there.\"", "summary": "Ross Laidlaw admits he had to pinch himself as he made his Hibs debut in their Europa League second qualifying round second leg win over Brondby."}
{"article": "This means the number of extra deaths from December to March fell to traditional levels after the spike seen during the winter of 2014-15. The extra deaths last winter represent a 15% increase on the average for the rest of the year, according to the Office for National Statistics data. Death rates rise in the colder weather because of more respiratory illnesses. The winter before last there were nearly 44,000 extra deaths - the highest since 1999. Experts blamed that on the flu vaccine being less effective than previously. But during the most recent winter, flu attacked younger groups. Dr Anne Campbell, of the ONS, said: \"One of the key factors behind the lower excess mortality this winter was a fall in the number of deaths among the elderly. \"This was mainly due to the most prevalent strain of the flu virus impacting younger people rather than older people, who are more at risk.\"", "summary": "There were 24,300 excess deaths in England and Wales last winter - about half the number of the previous year."}
{"article": "The government has announced contracts with Asian companies worth $4.5bn billion dollars. President Ali Bongo signed the agreements on the eve of the country's 50th anniversary of its independence from France. The projects will revamp infrastructure and create about 50,000 jobs. Gabon's oil output has been declining for years and the new deals are presented as the first steps towards diversification. The largest deal is the with OLAM, a Singapore-based company which plans to develop a huge palm oil plantation in the south east. The government wants to become the leading palm oil producer in Africa. In terms of infrastructure, the OLAM deal involves the construction of a refinery, and there are plans for a possible port. Another agreement was signed with the Indian company M3M, to build 5,000 low-cost housing units over the next two years. Ramky Infrastructure, another Indian construction company, will build 1,000 kilometres of tarred road over the next three years in a $1.5bn project that will be jointly financed by the Gabonese government. Gabon has already attracted a number of Asian investors, notably Malaysian and Chinese companies, but most of them were interested in the mining and timber sectors.", "summary": "Gabon has signed deals to diversify its economy in an attempt to be less reliant on its dwindling oil reserves."}
{"article": "Mae'r cyfarfodydd yn Nulyn ddydd Llun yn rhan o ymchwiliad gan Bwyllgor Materion Allanol y Cynulliad - ar yr un diwrnod ag y mae llywodraeth y DU yn dechrau trafodaethau ffurfiol ar Brexit. Mae pryderon y gallai ffin \"feddal\" rhwng Gogledd Iwerddon a'r Weriniaeth yn dilyn Brexit olygu bod cwmn\u00efau cludo yn osgoi rheoliadau llymach posib ym mhorthladdoedd Cymru. Dywedodd y prif weinidog Carwyn Jones y gallai hynny arwain at golli swyddi. Bron i flwyddyn ers y refferendwm, bydd cynrychiolwyr o lywodraeth y DU ym Mrwsel ddydd Llun ar gyfer dechrau'r trafodaethau i adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Bydd Michel Barnier, prif drafodwr yr UE, yn cyfarfod ag Ysgrifennydd Brexit llywodraeth y DU, David Davies ym Mrwsel, i drafod sawl mater gan gynnwys statws mewnfudwyr, y bil fydd yn rhaid ei dalu i adael, a ffin Gogledd Iwerddon. Dywedodd Mr Davis fod \"ffordd bell o'u blaenau\" ond ei fod yn darogan \"partneriaeth ddwfn ac arbennig\" yn dilyn y trafodaethau Mae'r BBC ar ddeall y bydd y trafodaethau yn canolbwyntio ar amodau'r broses o adael yr UE yn gyntaf, cyn symud ymlaen i'r berthynas rhwng y ddwy ochr wedi hynny yn hwyrach ymlaen. Ar yr un pryd yn Nulyn, bydd Gweinidog Trafnidiaeth, Twristiaeth a Chwaraeon llywodraeth y Weriniaeth, yn ogystal \u00e2 chynrychiolwyr o'r Gymdeithas Allforio Wyddelig, ymysg y rheiny fydd yn cyfarfod ag Aelodau Cynulliad. Wrth lansio papur ar Brexit a Datganoli yr wythnos diwethaf, dywedodd Mr Jones nad oedd modd datrys y mater yn ymwneud ag Iwerddon eto. Ychwanegodd fod gan Gymru ddiddordeb yn y ffin rhwng Gogledd Iwerddon a'r Weriniaeth, oherwydd y ffin forol roedd Cymru ei rannu \u00e2'r ynys. Rhybuddiodd hefyd y byddai ffin heb rwystrau rhwng y gogledd a'r de, tra bod tollau ym mhorthladdoedd Cymru, yn annog masnach i osgoi mynd i'r cyfeiriad hwnnw. Gallai cwmn\u00efau cludo \"fynd drwy Cairnryan yn yr Alban, drwy Lerpwl neu fynd drwy Ogledd Iwerddon ac yna i lawr, yn hytrach na defnyddio Caergybi, Abergwaun a Phenfro\". \"Felly fe allen ni golli swyddi os nad ydyn ni'n ofalus,\" meddai. Dywedodd y prif weinidog fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn gweithio gyda llywodraeth Iwerddon i drafod y mater.", "summary": "Bydd Aelodau Cynulliad yn cwrdd \u00e2 gwleidyddion a chynrychiolwyr busnes o Iwerddon i drafod yr effaith posib y gallai Brexit ei gael ar borthladdoedd Prydain."}
{"article": "1D will continue as a four-piece for their world tour and will still record their fifth album later this year. Zayn said \"My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band.\" \"I'd like to apologise to the fans if I've let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right.\" The remaining members of One Direction said: \"We're really sad to see Zayn go, but we totally respect his decision and send him all our love for the future.\" If this news has upset you then click here to get some advice to help you. I'm quite upset but happy because maybe Zayn will do good on his own but I'm upset because now there are only 4 boys in 1D. Emily, Edinburgh, Scotland I never liked 1D in the first place so I think that Zayn is better off out of the band! Rebecca, Coventry, England I am quite upset about the news but I am glad he made the right decision for him. Sophie, Cork, Ireland Zayn is not my favourite but 1D won't be the same without him. You will be missed! Abi, Gillingham, England I'm so upset to hear that he is leaving. Zayn was my favourite member of the band but I will support him no matter what. I hope the rest of the band have a good future. Sarah, London, England I actually loved One Direction when I was younger, but now I'm in love with 5SOS. It's really sad to see Zayn go. It just won't be the same. Nafseen, Buckinghamshire, England Zayn Malik is the glue of the band. He is the one who holds 1D together. It will not be the same without poor Zayn. Maisie, Kent, England I think that we will hear more from Zayn as a solo artist but I am upset. Martha, Sale, England One Direction have a lovely voice but now Zayn's left the four might sound horrible. George, West Yorkshire, England I think One Direction should get Olly Murs to join them because they are amazing already and Olly would bring it up to a whole new level! Harriet, West Yorkshire, England Although Zayn is not my favourite, it will not be the same without him. I will miss him. Nancy, Portsmouth, England I'm so happy he's left! Ben, Northumberland, England I am really upset that Zayn is leaving One Direction because he was my favourite band member. Amelia, London, England Zayn was my favourite member of the band. It will never be the same without him! Lilly, Weston-super-Mare, England I feel sad that Zayn is leaving because he was my favourite. Melina, Glasgow, Scotland I didn't really like Zayn but I love Niall. The band might be better in the future. Jessica, Darlington, England I'm sad that Zayn has gone but I don't think he's the best member. Beth, England I feel let down because Zayn said on The X Factor", "summary": "Zayn Malik has left One Direction, the band has said in a statement."}
{"article": "Dons manager Derek McInnes says the midfielder, whose existing deal ends in the summer, has had a long desire to play in England, and will \"probably\" leave Pittodrie. McInnes told the club's online video channel RedTV Pawlett, 26, had been made a \"good\" offer by Aberdeen. MK Dons are managed by former Hearts head coach, Robbie Neilson. Since making his Aberdeen debut in early 2009, Pawlett has made more than 200 appearances for the club, scoring 20 goals.", "summary": "Aberdeen have confirmed Peter Pawlett is likely to sign for MK Dons at the end of the season."}
{"article": "Hall, 23, had to recover from cruciate knee ligament damage at the start of the season after rejoining the U's. The former West Ham trainee netted the winner for his side as they came from behind in a 2-1 victory on Sunday. \"I didn't even dream of having days like this while I was recovering,\" Hall told BBC Radio Oxford. Oxford's win was their fourth in a row in all competitions, moving them to within six points of the League One play-offs. \"I'm just thankful to be involved,\" Hall said after his third goal in his past three league games. \"I'm quite religious and I said my prayers during some tough times out injured. \"To go out there and put in the performance I did and score the goal was tremendous.\" Hall's winner from long-range came shortly after Liam Sercombe had cancelled out Fankaty Dabo's first-half opener. \"When I hit it, I thought I'd caught it too sweetly,\" he admitted. \"But, then it took a sweet dip into the net and it was a crazy feeling after that.\"", "summary": "Oxford United midfielder Rob Hall says he is \"thankful\" to have played his part in a derby victory against Swindon Town, after overcoming injury."}
{"article": "The coalition government planned to reduce fees for litigators in two stages, with an 8.75% cut in 2014 and an 8.75% cut this year. Legal aid minister Shailesh Vara said the latest cut will come into force in England and Wales on 1 July. He said concerns had been \"very carefully\" listened to. Inquiries had reassured the government that \"legal aid reforms so far have not had any substantial negative impact on the sustainability of the service,\" he went on. The decision to scrap cuts to advocacy fees for barristers will be offset by alternative savings in the criminal justice sector, Mr Vara said. The minister also said plans to bring in new contracts for duty solicitors will go ahead. In March, lawyers lost a court appeal against the plans to cut the number of duty solicitor contracts at magistrates' courts and police stations in England and Wales from 1,600 to 527. Andrew Caplen, president of the Law Society which represents solicitors, said he was \"deeply concerned\". \"The administration of justice is a fundamental duty of government and access to justice is an essential part of that responsibility,\" he said. \"Criminal legal aid solicitors are critical for ensuring that anyone accused of wrongdoing has a fair trial and yet few young lawyers see a future in this work, which is of extreme concern.\" The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, welcomed the decision to protect advocacy fees. But it added it had \"grave concerns\" about solicitors' fee cuts and the dual contracting scheme, which are \"likely seriously to damage access to justice\". Criminal Bar Association chairman Tony Cross said he regretted the decisions to \"impose further fee cuts on hard-pressed litigators\" and to press ahead with the new duty provider contracts. Mr Vara said: \"The changes we are pressing ahead with today are designed to ensure that we have a system of criminal legal aid that delivers value for money to taxpayers, that provides high quality legal advice to those that need it most, and that puts the profession on a sustainable footing for the long term.\" He said there would be a review of the cuts to fees and the new contracts in July 2016.", "summary": "The government is to press ahead with a cut in fees for solicitors in criminal legal aid cases, but has shelved similar plans for barristers."}
{"article": "The actor, on his fourth outing as 007 in Spectre, had told Time Out magazine that he would \"rather slash [his] wrists\" than make a fifth Bond film. But he told the BBC: \"I'm quite straightforward and I say things when I feel it and then I change my mind. \"I'm just like everybody else. People latch onto things. There's not a lot I can do about that.\" Spectre, which is released on Monday, sees Bond battling a criminal syndicate led by Franz Oberhauser, played by Christoph Waltz. A preview screening in London on Wednesday to film critics and journalists was greeted with applause and cheers. Among the five-star reviews were the Telegraph's Robbie Collin, who said Spectre combined \"hold-your-breath action and ghosts of 007's past\". Speaking to the BBC's Lizo Mzimba on Thursday, Daniel Craig said he and director Sam Mendes had wanted to celebrate Bond but \"didn't want to look back and copy what's been done before\". He acknowledged that most Bond fans have a \"very particular memory about certain Bond movies\" and that it would be \"unwise to ignore all of that\". The actor said that having a producing credit on the film was \"the high point\" of his career. \"I knew when I accepted the role that it would turn my life upside down and it did. There's no getting away from it. \"I'm still enjoying it much more than I ever did because I've been allowed to bring what I know to the role. I've been involved with every aspect of film-making.\" Asked if he had made a decision about carrying on as Bond, Craig added: \"No - this is what's going on at the moment. I'm enjoying this.\"", "summary": "Daniel Craig has said he has not made any decisions about whether he will carry on playing James Bond."}
{"article": "A year after a safety alert was first issued by Whirlpool, mystery shoppers for Which? were told that registering for a repair or replacement could take six to 12 weeks. Whirlpool said it has now repaired two-thirds of the machines affected. And it has told the BBC that waiting times can be as little as one month. Fires have been caused by excess fluff, which can catch on the heating element. On one occasion earlier this year, a machine, awaiting a repair, caused a huge tower block fire in west London which left families homeless and needed 120 firefighters to bring under control. Some five million affected machines were sold in the UK, under the Creda, Indesit and Hotpoint brands, between April 2004 and September 2015. Whirlpool has been undertaking a repair programme and offering discounted replacements to anyone with an affected dryer. There has been criticism of the speed of these modifications and of the company's advice that the machines can still be used as long as they are not left unattended. At times earlier in the year, there were cases of people being told they must wait well over a year for an engineer to visit. Now Which? has criticised the company for call handlers quoting six to 12 weeks for customers to simply receive an ID number. A customer ID number needed to be issued before anything could happen in the repair or replacement process, the consumer group said. \"It is absolutely unacceptable that one year on, Whirlpool customers are still seeing slow, poor service and potentially receiving incorrect and dangerous advice,\" said Alex Neill, from Which?. \"Its modification programme is clearly not progressing as fast as it should.\" However Whirlpool said it was making good progress with repairs. \"To date, 1.46 million consumers have registered their affected dryers with us. Of these, we have already resolved more than one million cases,\" a spokesperson told the BBC. \"We are now able to resolve customer cases in as little as one month from the date of them registering their appliance with us for a modification, depending on location.\" Emma Drackford, from charity Electrical Safety First, said: \"We believe that [Whirlpool] should put their customers' safety first and advise people not to use their machine, whether the consumer is in attendance or not. It is simply too dangerous.\" Whirlpool said its priority was the safety of its customers and it was doing everything it could \"to ensure that the tumble dryer modification programme is carried out in a safe and timely manner\". In a recent letter to the Commons Business Select Committee, it said: \"We have made significant progress in improving our response times. \"From the moment of registering an affected dryer with us, in the vast majority of cases customers are now contacted within a few days to offer an estimated modification date. The maximum waiting time for this, in exceptional circumstances, is two weeks,\" wrote Whirlpool UK managing director, Maurizio Pettorino.", "summary": "Households with fire-prone tumble dryers are still being told they may wait up to three months to register for a repair, a consumer group has said."}
{"article": "He told the Conservative conference the deficit was still too large and would need to be tackled \"in due course\". But he said the Brexit vote may cause \"turbulence\" and business confidence would be on a \"bit of a rollercoaster\". He said that it was \"common sense\" to invest to support growth and jobs. In his conference speech, Mr Hammond said his predecessor's deficit reduction policies \"were the right ones for that time\" but that times had changed since the vote to leave the EU, which he said had caused uncertainty for business. \"When times change, we must change with them,\" he said. \"So we will no longer target a surplus at the end of this Parliament. But make no mistake the task of fiscal consolidation must continue. \"The British people elected us on a promise to restore fiscal discipline. And that is exactly what we are going to do. But we will do it in a pragmatic way that reflects the new circumstances we face.\" His speech came against a background of the pound falling to its lowest level against the dollar since early July, after the timetable for starting Brexit negotiations were set out on Sunday. Addressing the party faithful he said that as part of a new \"flexible and pragmatic\" plan, the details of which will be fleshed out in next month's Autumn Statement, there would be greater scope for investment to boost the economy, including extra borrowing of \u00a32bn to speed up the construction of new homes. Mr Hammond said the government would use \"all the tools at its disposal\" to increase the amount of new housing stock \"because making housing more affordable will be a vital part of building a country that works for everyone\". Analysis by Laura Kuenssberg, BBC political editor Out with the deficit hawks - in with the conservative pragmatists. That might not, well, quite catch on. But there is certainly a sense of down with the old regime at the Tory conference today. Philip Hammond isn't just a totally different character to the former occupant of the job, George Osborne, but he is intent on junking a fair bit of Mr Osborne's approach too. His targets for getting rid of the deficit are being ditched. Let's face it, George Osborne missed them time and again in any case, but it is politically a big shift for Mr Hammond and Mrs May to tear up the previous borrowing rules, when balancing the books was the central mission of the government they were all part of. Instead, there will be a new \"framework\" but sources close to Mr Hammond believe that setting specific targets is a fool's errand. But given that Mr Osborne's target was extremely unlikely to be met, the political change is perhaps bigger than what it means in practice. Asked whether the public investment plan and the refusal to set out a timetable for eliminating the deficit marked the end of the \"age of austerity\", Mr Hammond told the BBC a \"credible plan\" was still required to get the public finances into", "summary": "Chancellor Philip Hammond has said he will prioritise spending on new homes and transport rather than following his predecessor George Osborne's aim to balance the books by 2020."}
{"article": "Severe weather warnings are in place for Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning. An amber warning for heavy rain has been issued, valid from 21:00 GMT on Tuesday until 07:00 GMT on Wednesday. The warning is the second highest that can be issued and means people should be prepared for disruption. A yellow warning for gale and severe gale force winds is in place from 15:00 GMT until 08:00 GMT on Wednesday. South easterly wind gusts of 55 to 65 mph - perhaps 70 mph along coastal areas - may cause damage to trees and possibly the electricity network. Larges waves will bring dangerous conditions to coastal roads. A yellow warning for rain is also in place from 19:00 GMT to 1500 GMT on Wednesday. Between 20 to 40 millimetres of rain is expected widely, with up to 70 millimetres over the hills and mountains. This comes on top of Monday night's rain and is likely to cause some further flooding. NIE has warning of possible damage to the electricity network, especially in exposed locations. Of the 5,800 homes without power, 4,000 are in the Enniskillen area. NIE said emergency crews were working to restore power to all customers. The Rivers Agency said its engineers have been checking river levels and clearing drains to try to mitigate any possible flooding. Agriculture Minister Michelle O'Neill said many staff in the agency had come off their Christmas holidays to help and were ready to respond to requests for assistance. \"Government departments, local councils and drainage authorities are all working closely with many staff put on standby for the next 24 hours,\" she said. \"We will continue to monitor river levels overnight as well as ensuring culvert inlet grilles are clear of all debris. \"There is a risk that with strong winds forecast for overnight, wind-blown debris can block rivers and grilles.\" Andy Sinclair, from the fire and rescue service, said: \"Last night was probably unexpected and tonight we've got the weather warnings. \"We are prepared as an organisation to ensure that we've got our people that are properly trained with the resources and the equipment to get out there and deal with it. \"Our advice to people is to stay away and avoid driving through flood water.\" Police also issued a warning to motorists: \"Due to anticipated severe weather conditions, high winds, heavy rain and predicted high tides over the next 36 hours, motorists should be mindful of the dangers posed along all coastal roads. \"The areas of Newcastle promenade, Ards Peninsula and the coastal route between Warrenpoint and Rostrevor should be treated with caution. Please observe all road closed signs.\" All P&O ferry crossings between Larne and Cairnryan have been cancelled from 13:30 GMT. Stenaline is also warning of possible delays on its route between Belfast and Cairnryan. Services have been suspended and it is anticipated they will resume at 07:30 GMT on Wednesday. A number of roads are closed on Tuesday after heavy rainfall caused flooding on Monday night. In Londonderry, a woman was trapped in her car in the Rosemount area, but", "summary": "About 5,800 homes are currently without electricity across Northern Ireland as Storm Frank brings heavy rain and gales in from the west."}
{"article": "Suppliers in England and Wales faced 106,693 complaints in 2014-15, a drop 13.4% compared to the previous year, the Consumer Council for Water said. About 60% of gripes were about billing and charges, the figures showed. The watchdog applauded the companies for their efforts, but said there was still room for improvement. It called on suppliers to improve their service by providing \"clear, accurate and timely\" bills. It added that speed in fixing reported leaks was still a source of frustration for customers. \"We expect the water industry to continually try and improve its services to customers and many water companies deserve credit for rising to that challenge year after year,\" said Tony Smith, chief executive of the Consumer Council for Water. \"However, the gulf between the best and worst performers remains unacceptable.\" Southern was the worst performing company for complaints per 10,000 connections, as it has been since 2012-13, although its complaint levels did fall by nearly 13% compared with the previous year. \"We are disappointed not to have made more progress on reducing complaints,\" said director Simon Oates. \"We have spent \u00c2\u00a313m to upgrade its billing system, which will help customers to manage their accounts online. Once this system has bedded in, we expect that we will see complaint numbers start to fall.\" Four companies - Anglian Water, Affinity Water, Portsmouth Water and Hartlepool Water - recorded increases in complaints compared with the previous year.", "summary": "Complaints made to water companies have fallen for the seventh successive year, but are still dominated by worries about bills."}
{"article": "The 41-year-old Finn was appointed this week, having played for the club between 1997 and 2000. \"We have the Latin guys who have strong blood and are passionate,\" said Caixinha from Portugal. \"Maybe we just needed to add someone from further north who can add a little bit of ice to calm down things from time to time.\" Having been chosen ahead of other former Rangers players such as Barry Ferguson, John Brown, Kevin Thomson and Alex Rae, Johansson will join Caixinha's compatriots Helder Baptista, Pedro Malta and Jose Belman. Caixinha told RangersTV: \"We had a fantastic list of candidates and it really was really a pleasure. \"We tried to fill three major points and it wasn't an easy decision. \"First of all, we wanted someone with a Rangers past. The second point was of course to know the Scottish reality of football and the third, which was also important and which makes all the difference, is to align with our dynamic, our processes and our methodologies. \"We chose Jonatan and we believe in him. He will be a good assistant to add to our team because he's a quality guy, he is a hard worker and he is clever. \"I want all of the assistants to share with me the responsibility of what it means to be managing this club.\"", "summary": "Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha believes Jonatan Johansson will bring a cool head to the Ibrox coaching staff."}
{"article": "5 November 2015 Last updated at 17:26 GMT It is a staggering number, and represents double the figure reported in April. What is more it appears to dwarf the billion views YouTube clocks up daily, although it is not a true like-for-like comparison. Facebook's aggressive push into video will surely delight advertisers who can promote their products alongside popular clips. But YouTube star Tom Ridgewell - who has nearly four million followers on YouTube - told the BBC he was not convinced that Facebook was a big threat to Google's service.", "summary": "More than eight billion videos are now viewed on Facebook every day, according to the social network."}
{"article": "Staff are dealing with an \"internal incident\" involving a male inmate overlooking the perimeter wall. A prison service spokesman said: \"A prisoner at HMP Cardiff has climbed an internal fence. Staff are working to ensure he comes down with no injuries.\" A prison officer was standing on Adam Street monitoring the inmate at the jail in the Adamstown area of the city. Four men were arrested in Cardiff prison in June after an explosive device \"erupted\". Officers also had to deal with an \"isolated incident\" on Christmas Day 2016, a week after four prisoners barricaded themselves into a cell.", "summary": "An \"incident is ongoing\" at Cardiff prison, the Ministry of Justice have confirmed."}
{"article": "At the age of 18, Cuthbert won three gold medals at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics - the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relays. Known as Australia's \"golden girl\", she went on to win gold in the 400m at the Tokyo Olympics eight years later. She passed away in Western Australia on Sunday night after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. End of Twitter post by @AthsAust Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull led tributes on social media calling the runner an \"inspiration and a champion on and off the track\". Friend and former Olympic sprinter Raelene Boyle said Cuthbert had won medals with \"humility and distinction\". \"A lot of the athletes today could take a great deal of learning out of the way she did it,\" Boyle told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Cuthbert, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1969, was a torchbearer at the Sydney Olympic Opening Ceremony in 2000. \"Athletics Australia is saddened to confirm the passing of Olympic legend Betty Cuthbert, our thoughts with her family and friends,\" Athletics Australia announced on Twitter. Cuthbert, who set nine world records during her career, was the first Australian to win triple gold.", "summary": "Australian sprinting legend and four-time Olympic gold medallist Betty Cuthbert has died aged 79."}
{"article": "Yet, at its heart is a plan to cut \u00a312bn from the welfare bill - a move that will affect the lives of millions of people. To Mr Osborne's supporters, this Budget is a seminal moment in a shift from reliance on the state to rewarding hard work, particularly with a new pay guarantee. To his critics, it is a hammer blow to the financial lives of struggling families across the country. But what - in practical terms - does it mean for you? As predicted, there will be big changes to the system of tax credits. Only the lowest-income families will be able to claim tax credits. Together with changes to entitlement to Universal Credit, this will cut \u00a32.9bn from the welfare bill in the next financial year and \u00a33.4bn a year by 2020-21. For example, the income threshold for tax credits is to be reduced from \u00a36,420 to \u00a33,850. Larger families, particularly, will be hit by tax credit changes if they have children from April 2017. Claimants will see child tax credits and Universal Credit limited to the first two children. Here is some context: at present about 870,000 families claiming tax credits have three or more children - about one in five families receiving tax credit. However, it will only be those larger families making a claim, or having more children, from April 2017 that will be affected. In addition, many working age benefits will be frozen for four years, such as tax credits and local housing allowance, but excluding maternity pay and disability benefits. This is a cut to the welfare bill of \u00a34bn a year by 2020-21. The benefits cap - the maximum amount a household can receive in benefits - will be reduced. For those living outside of London it will drop to \u00a320,000. For those living in London, where housing costs are higher, the cap will be \u00a323,000. Landlords are going to take a big hit, but not immediately. Tax relief on mortgage interest payments on residential property will be restricted to the basic rate of tax. This will be phased in over four years from April 2017. This means that landlords, who get a tax break by using mortgage interest to reduce their taxable profits, will have less opportunity to do so. Landlords in London, where rents and property prices are highest, are likely to be hit the hardest. The share prices of house builders have taken an immediate hit, partly because a number of homes may be put onto the market by reluctant landlords following the chancellor's announcement. In other housing announcements, rents in the social housing sector will be reduced by 1% a year for the next four years. However, housing association tenants in England who earn more than \u00a330,000 per household - or \u00a340,000 in London - will have to pay up to the market rent. Housing benefit will not be paid automatically to 18 to 21-year-olds. Insuring a home will get more expensive, by an average of \u00a39.48 a year, as a result of changes to insurance premium tax. July", "summary": "This Budget is \"bold in building the aspirations of working people\", according to Chancellor George Osborne."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 16 July 2015 Last updated at 07:09 BST Later this year, Britain's first European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake will be blasting off to the International Space Station, where he will live for six months. As part of his mission the UK Space Agency are running lots of different activities for kids to find out more about space. We caught up with some of those taking part at a special space conference to see what they love about space.", "summary": "From rovers to rockets, the UK Space Agency has been showing us how the UK has helped with space exploration."}
{"article": "Speaking to presenter Kirsty Wark, an emotional Allen described how she was stalked by Alex Gray intermittently for seven years, although she was unaware of his identity for much of that time. She tells how she gave the police letters which he had sent to her, and how police refused her request for a photograph of her stalker so she could have some idea of what he looked like. Eventually she was shown one, albeit briefly. In October 2015, he finally broke into her house while she and her children were in bed. The Metropolitan Police said it took stalking \"extremely seriously\" and sought to put victims at the heart of any inquiry. You can hear Allen's abridged story here. Below, we print more extracts from her 25-minute interview with Wark. Early in 2009 I played a concert at Koko which is a relatively small venue in Camden. I was on stage singing and during the concert I saw - often people hold banners up or messages for me - and I saw this banner that said \"I wrote The Fear, where's my money\" and I immediately knew that it was him and that was quite terrifying because I didn't know if he had a weapon on him ... Also I was the only person in the building that knew who he was and that was a really isolating moment for me, knowing that he knew that I knew but nobody else knew. I finished the song and then ran to the side of the stage where my assistant, who had been there, was on the side of the stage and said \"Vicky, that's him. Can you call the police.\" They came and installed a panic alarm at my flat. (She had no cause to use it). They came back and took it after six months - I didn't think there was much point in my objections. I knew what the answer would be - which was \"it's been six months, there hasn't been any contact, we're going to take the alarms away now\". I believe it was in 2012. They [the police] said \"no\" at first and we pushed them for a photograph and they came over and showed us a photograph and then took it away. I assumed that they would call me into the police station and there would be a line up but they didn't. I knew the outcome of the bail hearing might be that he's out on bail so I wanted to be there for that bail hearing on the off-chance he was released. I didn't quite trust the system to call me and find me if he was released so I wanted to make sure for myself that a) it was the right person and b) that he wasn't going to be released and, if he was, that I knew about it straight away. I kept asking the police where are these letters, were they adding them to the indictment because, as far as I was concerned, that built our case for stalking but it", "summary": "The singer Lily Allen has spoken to BBC Newsnight about her experience of being stalked and how she believed the police response was to \"victim-shame\"."}
{"article": "Resuming in a strong position at 182-3, the tourists were bundled out for 242 in a dreadful morning session in Dubai. Joe Root, Ben Stokes and the out-of-form Jos Buttler fell victim to Wahab Riaz's pace, before Yasir Shah's leg-spin bamboozled the lower order. By the close, Pakistan reached 222-3, a lead of 358 runs, with Misbah ul-Haq 87 not out and Younus Khan 71 not out. After coming so close to winning the first Test, and contesting the first two days of this match fiercely, this was a hugely disappointing day for the tourists - and one that seriously imperils their chances of getting a result in this series. Alastair Cook's men will have to hope they can dismiss the hosts quickly on day four, then set about a huge run chase - but their chances of avoiding defeat on a turning fourth-innings track with the wily Yasir in operation appear slim. England's chances of getting close to, or even overhauling, Pakistan's first-innings total of 378 were always likely to depend on the influential Root - unbeaten on 76 overnight. But the day got off to the worst possible when the Yorkshire batsman swished at a wide delivery from Wahab and was caught behind for 88. From then on, England's increasing over-reliance on Root and Cook was horribly exposed as the remaining six wickets tumbled for only 30 runs. Wahab, bowling with real hostility to exploit England's uncertainty against genuine pace, had Stokes (4) and Buttler (0) caught behind in quick succession in a superb spell of 3-15 in nine overs. Then it was over to Yasir - bowling in tandem with Wahab for the first 18 overs of the day - who justified his status as the world's top-ranked spin bowler with a display of high-class leg-spin. Memories of England's awful performances against spin on their last tour of the UAE were revived as Adil Rashid (0), Jonny Bairstow (46) and Mark Wood (1) all perished with poor shots to Yasir. After conceding a first-innings lead of 136, England desperately needed early wickets, and their seamers got two quick breakthroughs. James Anderson dismissed Shan Masood (1) for the fourth time in the series before Shoaib Malik (7) was bowled trying to drive Mark Wood. But England could not capitalise on that good start as their spinners struggled. Mohammad Hafeez smashed Moeen Ali and Root for sixes before he was caught at slip off Wood for 51. That brought first-innings centurion Misbah to the crease with Younus - a partnership with a combined age of 78 and one that has thwarted England throughout this series. Playing cautiously against the seamers and looking to dominate the spinners, the duo - who have now put on a fifty partnership in nine out of the last 10 occasions they have been at the crease together - batted England further and further out of contention. To win, the tourists will have to surpass the highest-ever fourth-innings chase at Dubai - 137 - and record at least the fifth-highest run-chase this century. While Stokes is averaging", "summary": "England require their best-ever fourth-innings run chase to beat Pakistan in the second Test after a dire third day."}
{"article": "Kingsley Burrell, 29, died from cardiac arrest after being arrested following a disturbance in Birmingham in 2011. An inquest in 2015 found restraint had been a factor in his death. The officers have also been charged with perverting the course of justice. Constables Paul Adey, 36, Mark Fannon, 45, and Paul Greenfield, 50, have been suspended by West Midlands Police. The charges relate to evidence given during Mr Burrell's inquest, the force said. More updates on this story and others in Birmingham \"After investigation by the IPCC, the matter was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions who has authorised the charges,\" it said in a statement. The officers, who are all based at the Birmingham West and Central police station, will appear at the city's magistrates court on 31 October. Mr Burrell was arrested and sectioned after calling police claiming two men has put a gun to his head. Days later he died from after a cardiac arrest at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. An initial investigation by the CPS found in July 2014 there was insufficient evidence to prosecute anyone over Mr Burrell's death. But an inquest a year later concluded prolonged restraint and a failure to provide medical help had contributed to his death. The CPS relaunched a second investigation after the IPCC found there was a case to answer for gross misconduct against three officers, on the grounds of honesty and integrity. Mr Burrell's family, who have held several protests demanding answers over his death, said the decision had been \"a long time coming\". \"The Burrell family welcome today's decision to prosecute the three officers concerned, in the belief that they must be publicly held to account for their actions in the circumstances surrounding the death of Kingsley,\" it said in a statement. \"This has been a long time coming and the fight for Justice for Kingsley continues.\"", "summary": "Three police officers have been charged with perjury following the death of a student in custody five years ago."}
{"article": "It is the social networking giant's biggest acquisition to date. WhatsApp has more than 450 million monthly users and is popular with people looking to avoid text messaging charges. In a statement announcing the deal, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg described WhatsApp's services as \"incredibly valuable\". WhatsApp allows users to send messages over internet connections, avoiding text messaging fees. The company claims it is currently registering one million new users a day. It makes money by charging users a subscription fee of $1 per year, although it offers a free model as well. The deal to buy it includes $4bn in cash and approximately $12bn-worth of Facebook shares, plus an additional $3bn in stock to WhatsApp's founders and employees at a later date. On a conference call to discuss the deal, WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum said he planned to operate the firm \"independently and autonomously\". He will also become a member of Facebook's board of directors. \"We're excited and honoured to partner with Mark and Facebook as we continue to bring our product to more people around the world,\" Mr Koum said in a statement. Mr Zuckerberg said the prospect of a deal was first floated just 11 days ago. By Richard TaylorNorth America Technology Correspondent That Facebook bought WhatsApp is less of a surprise than the sheer amount it has been willing to pay for it. Some are seeing the $19bn price tag as further evidence of swollen valuations of companies as the sector experiences what may yet prove to be another dotcom bubble. WhatsApp does give Mark Zuckerberg inroads into international markets and, as importantly, to a younger demographic. But what is less clear is whether the finances will add up in the long term. WhatsApp has reiterated its commitment to an ad-free service, opting to charge users a mere $1 per year. Under this scenario, it will need to continue its growth trajectory to ensure any financial return to Facebook. But Adverts are pivotal to Facebook's own business model - and the pressure for it to monetise its new WhatsApp user base in the same way may prove too tempting to resist. The Facebook founder said he believed WhatsApp was on track to have a billion users, but insisted he had no plans to place advertising on WhatsApp's interface, saying he did not think ads were the best way to make money from messaging systems. Once the deal is finalised, Mr Koum and co-founder Brian Acton are set to become Silicon Valley's newest billionaires. WhatsApp has about 50 employees in total. Cathy Boyle, a senior analyst at research firm eMarketer, said WhatsApp was valuable to Facebook for several reasons beyond advertising, including its younger user base and its popularity overseas. \"WhatsApp actually has greater penetration in a lot of international markets than Facebook,\" Ms Boyle told the BBC. She added that it was notable that Facebook's chief financial officer David Ebersman referred to the telecommunications industry when discussing the firm's purchase. \"WhatsApp is trying to siphon the billions that the telecom industry would make from [traditional SMS text messaging]\" she", "summary": "Facebook has bought messaging app WhatsApp in a deal worth a total of $19bn (\u00a311.4bn) in cash and shares."}
{"article": "Four earlier severe flood warnings for England have been lifted but a storm surge is expected on the Forth later. Commons environment committee chairwoman Anne McIntosh described the flooding as a \"major event\". Meanwhile a search is continuing for Harry Martin, 18, last seen approaching a Devon coast path on Thursday. It is believed he had been going to take weather-related photos near his home in Membland, Newton Ferrers. The Isle of Portland, once home to the Royal Navy and Olympic sailing events, knows its coastline only too well and the damage the sea can do. Sirens are in place which raise the alarm when flooding starts. So far the only sound has been the crashing of the waves. Rest centres were opened and manned last night, amid fears staff would not be able to reach the island and the causeway would be inundated. The road was closed for a time, cutting Portland off, but in the early hours the most serious state of alert was lifted. With rain following the winds battering the coast the biggest concern is now inland. About 120 local people have joined professional search and rescue teams to look for the teenager. Ms McIntosh said her committee had looked at a recommendation to move electricity substations to higher ground, and added that \"a couple\" had been caught in the current flooding. She also said that more frequent rehearsals were needed between flood events, and urged people to heed government warnings to stay away from sea fronts and rivers. On Friday, hundreds of homes were flooded, and residents were evacuated in Dorset and Aberystwyth. Earlier, the Environment Agency had issued a severe flood warning - meaning \"danger to life\" - for Westbury, Broadoak and Newnham on the Severn Estuary in Gloucestershire. Severe flood warnings had also been in place on the tidal Severn from Elmore to Rodley due to strong winds which could cause defences to be overtopped, and at Minsterworth and Quedgeley. In Dorset, a severe flood warning had been issued for Iford Bridge Home Park in Bournemouth In Scotland, where a number of flood alerts and warnings are in place, local authorities and the environment agency Sepa have warned of a possible large storm surge on the Forth on Saturday afternoon. The greatest danger will be at about 16:00 GMT with low-lying areas affected around the Firth of Forth, and inland at the River Esk in Musselburgh. In other developments: The Environment Agency's John Curtin urged people to check the flood risk in their area via its website and Twitter. \"We would again remind people to avoid coastal paths and promenades which could be dangerous,\" he said. On Friday, a tidal surge caused flooding in western and southern Scotland. Residents in Chiswell and Portland in Dorset were evacuated ahead of high tide on Friday night. In mid-Wales, about 100 people took shelter for high tide at a school in Aberystwyth and a community centre eight miles (13km) away in Borth, where waves peaked at up to 6ft (1.8m). Rebecca Davies, pro vice-chancellor of Aberystwyth University, said", "summary": "Further stormy weather is expected across many parts of the UK as coastal communities already hit by flooding begin to assess the damage."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Shaw, 20, will have an operation on his return to Manchester, the club said. He received oxygen while being treated on the pitch for 10 minutes after Hector Moreno's tackle. \"It is awful. It was a very bad tackle. He had the oxygen mask on and was crying in the dressing room,\" said manager Louis van Gaal. Mexico defender Moreno sent his \"strength\" to the left-back and wished him a \"fast recovery\". The 27-year-old, who broke his leg during last year's World Cup, added: \"I've been through this before and I know how it feels.\" Shaw moved to Old Trafford from Southampton in June last year in a \u00a331m deal and made 20 appearances in an injury-interrupted first season. He has started all of United's eight games this season, as well as playing in England's European Championship qualifiers against San Marino and Switzerland. Yet with just nine months to go until Euro 2016, Shaw has suffered a broken tibia and fibula. When Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey suffered a similar injury against Stoke in 2010, he was ruled out for nine months. The Welshman tweeted: \"Fingers crossed for Luke Shaw. Get well soon.\" Less than an hour after suffering the injury, Shaw wrote on Twitter: \"Thank you everyone for your messages, words can't describe how gutted I am, my road to recovery starts now, I will come back stronger.\" Former PSV player Memphis Depay scored the opener for the visitors in Eindhoven, before Moreno headed in an equaliser on the stroke of half-time. Luciano Narsingh then nodded home in the second half to secure victory. Mexican centre-back Moreno escaped censure for the challenge on Shaw, and Van Gaal was unhappy referee Nicola Rizzoli took no action. \"A boy who came to Manchester United at 18 years old, it was very difficult, and the next season he plays fantastic and then that happens like this,\" said the Dutchman. \"When I say it is a red card and penalty, you will say I am a bad loser. Every word I say is taken in the wrong way. It was in the 18-yard box and it was very bad tackle with two legs. \"I'm not a doctor so I cannot say, but when you have a double fracture it is four to six months. But you can never say that in advance. \"He won't play in the group stage, I don't think. I hope he will play again this season.\" PSV manager Phillip Cocu expressed sympathy for Shaw, and said Moreno had not intended to hurt him. The former Netherlands midfielder said: \"We are all sorry about Shaw's injury. \"Hector is a player who went for the ball and was not out to injure anyone but it didn't look good.\" Analysis from chief football writer Phil McNulty: The serious injury sustained by Luke Shaw is not only a devastating blow to the 20-year-old, who had made such an outstanding start to this season, but also to Manchester United and manager Louis van Gaal. Before the start of the", "summary": "Full-back Luke Shaw suffered a double fracture of his right leg in Manchester United's 2-1 Champions League loss at PSV Eindhoven."}
{"article": "Parent Kori Doty - a non-binary transgender person who identifies as neither male nor female - aims to allow the child to discover their own gender. The health card has been issued with a \"U\" in the space for \"sex\", which could be for \"undetermined\" or \"unassigned\". Kori Doty is fighting to omit the gender from the birth certificate. The parent gave birth to Searyl Atli in November at a friend's home in British Columbia. Kori Doty, who prefers to use the pronoun they, argues that a visual inspection at birth is unable to determine what gender that person will have or identify with later in life. They want to keep Searyl's sex off all official records. \"I'm raising Searyl in in such a way that until they have the sense of self and command of vocabulary to tell me who they are, I'm recognising them as a baby and trying to give them all the love and support to be the most whole person that they can be outside of the restrictions that come with the boy box and the girl box,\" the parent was quoted by CBC as saying. Kori Doty, a community educator who is part of the Gender-Free ID Coalition, said that those who feel different to the gender designation assigned at birth face several problems later in life trying to change their documents. \"When I was born, doctors looked at my genitals and made assumptions about who I would be, and those assignments followed me and followed my identification throughout my life,\" Kori Doty said. \"Those assumptions were incorrect, and I ended up having to do a lot of adjustments since then.\" In the case of Searyl Atli, the parent said that the authorities have refused to issue the birth certificate without a gender designation and so the parent has applied for a judicial review of the case. The family's lawyer, barbara findlay, who chooses to spell her name without capital letters, told Global News: \"The assignment of sex in this culture is done when a medical person lifts up the legs and looks at the baby's genitals. But we know that the baby's own gender identity will not develop for some years until after they're born.\" Canadian media reported that the baby's health card could be the first in the world to not have a gender designation.", "summary": "An eight-month old Canadian baby has been issued a health card without a gender marker, in what could be the first case in the world."}
{"article": "The vessel - believed to be \"The Harvester\", from Milford Haven - got into trouble on rocks at St David's Head at about 14:30 BST on Thursday. The rescued man was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead, while the search for a second man was scaled back on Friday afternoon. Wreckage from the boat has been found over a four mile (6.4km) area. Dyfed-Powys Police sergeant Gareth Walters called it a \"tragic incident\". Alex Smith, National Maritime Operations controller for the Coastguard said: \"Despite an intensive search including the helicopter, RNLI lifeboats and Coastguard rescue teams we have been unable to locate the remaining missing crew.\" Five lifeboats, a coastguard helicopter using thermal image cameras and cliff teams have been involved in the search. Speaking to BBC Radio Wales earlier on Friday, Jim Phillips, from the RNLI in St Davids, said a member of the public on the coastal path saw the boat smashed on a rock with two people in the water at about 14:40 BST. The vessel was about a mile (1.6km) out to sea near Abereiddi. Mr Phillips said by the time rescuers got to the scene it had sunk and all that was left on the water's surface was debris. Dyfed-Powys Police appealed for any witnesses to come forward.", "summary": "A fisherman has died and another is still missing after a boat sank in Pembrokeshire, police have confirmed."}
{"article": "Eamon Bradley, from Benview Estate in Coshquin, was arrested in October 2014, after he returned from Syria. He is charged with providing training in the making or use of firearms in Syria. He is also charged with possessing a grenade in Syria with intent to endanger life. The charges relate to dates between 4 January and 28 October 2014. Mr Bradley was arrested at his then home in Melmore Gardens in the Creggan area of Derry. A solicitor told Londonderry Magistrates Court that she was still awaiting the results of investigations being carried out by members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland's E-crime branch. She said the investigating officer was now in receipt of a number of computer downloads that contain 9,000 images, all of which have to examined forensically. A four-week adjournment in the case was granted and the defendant was released on continuing bail.", "summary": "Nine thousand images are to be inspected in the case of a Londonderry man charged with committing terrorist offences in the Middle East."}
{"article": "Unite union members had warned of strikes over bonus pay, but it has now been agreed that interim bonuses will be paid out until the end of August. A long-term settlement will also be considered by union officials and EDF Energy, which is behind the scheme. Hinkley Point C is expected to be operational in 2025. Unite officer, Jerry Swain, said the interim agreement was \"crucial\" in providing a \"breathing space\" and \"creating the opportunity for a long-term solution\". \"I am pleased that following consultation with our stewards and members that we have been able to agree a clear path forward,\" he said. \"And that the prospect of industrial action, which is always a last resort, can be taken off the agenda in order to allow the panel to deliberate.\" Nigel Cann, of EDF, said it has created a \"very competitive reward structure\" for its workforce. \"We are pleased that these interim arrangements allow constructive dialogue to continue to finalise this important agreement,\" he said. \"Unite has been a constructive partner in the discussions to date and I look forward to this continuing throughout the construction of the Hinkley Point C power station.\"", "summary": "The threat of industrial action by workers building the Hinkley Point nuclear power station has been averted due to an interim pay deal."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Russia, Olympic silver medallists in 2008, led 10-7 after the first half and, although France fought back to 14-14, the Russians would not be denied. Norway, gold medallists at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, beat the Netherlands 36-26 to clinch the bronze medal. There could still be Olympic glory for France as their men's side - Olympic champions in 2008 and 2012 - play Denmark for the gold medal on Sunday. Find out how to get into handball with our special guide. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Russia beat France 22-19 to win women's handball gold at Rio 2016."}
{"article": "The annual competition was expanded from two teams to six in 2015, with the top three Super League clubs facing their Southern Hemisphere counterparts. But the format may now revert to one match featuring the two champions - Cronulla Sharks and Wigan Warriors. NRL clubs completed a 3-0 whitewash over Super League teams in 2016. Reports suggest a number of other NRL clubs are set to reject any invitation to take part in the competition. Storm chief executive Dave Donaghy said: \"We've decided that staying in Australia will provide our team with the best possible preparation for the 2017 NRL season. \"Having treasured past visits to the UK in 2008, 2010 and 2013, we thoroughly value the concept of the World Club Challenge. However, a regular NRL season is already incredibly taxing and, as a non-Sydney team, our players travel more than most. \"We have committed to playing two trial matches in Australia which we believe will serve as a better lead-in for the team.\"", "summary": "NRL runners-up Melbourne Storm have rejected the opportunity to play in the 2017 World Club Series, preferring to stay in Australia during pre-season."}
{"article": "The game was originally scheduled for 14 November at Stade Yves-du-Manoir but was called off following the Paris attacks the night before. Warriors lost at home to Northampton Saints on 21 November and face Scarlets in their next pool match on Saturday. Racing 92 host pool leaders Northampton on Saturday. Warriors' home Pro12 match against Leinster last weekend was postponed because of rain and a new date has yet to be announced.", "summary": "Glasgow Warriors' postponed European Rugby Champions Cup Pool 3 match against Racing 92 has been rearranged for Saturday 9 January at 13:00 GMT."}
{"article": "The army, navy and air force accused the men of committing acts of sedition and rebellion, and attacking the honour of the armed forces. The soldiers say the armed forces discriminate against indigenous Bolivians, a claim the military denies. Protesters are calling for a meeting with President Evo Morales. The protest began on Tuesday with 500 soldiers, but grew to about 1,000 on Thursday. Non-commissioned officers and sergeants dressed in camouflage uniforms - some with their wives - marched through Bolivia's main city, La Paz, along with Aymara indigenous leaders who support their demands. \"Today we are victims of persecution, intimidation, and threats that target our families,\" a protest leader, Johnny Gil, told Reuters news agency. The protesters are demanding reforms so that non-commissioned officers can be promoted beyond the rank of sergeant and get access to equal training opportunities to become career officers. They also want the end of what they see as discrimination in the areas of salaries, housing and health care. President Morales, himself an Aymara, called for \"discipline\" within the forces. \"We are talking about armed forces that are ready to defend our homeland. If there is no discipline, there are no armed forces in Bolivia,\" he told a news conference in La Paz. But another protest leader, Marcela Shiriqui, accused him of \"only listening to military leaders\". \"All we have done is to ask for equal treatment within the forces and an end to discrimination. We will continue with our protest,\" she told Bolivia's Erbol radio station. The military rejected what it called an \"excuse\". \"Discrimination is not an excuse for sedition and to orchestrate a coup d'etat,\" Chief of Armed Forces Victor Baldivieso told Bolivia's state-owned Abi news agency. On Wednesday, Defence Minister Ruben Saavedra said the country's armed forces were changing and that in 2015 enlisted soldiers and sergeants would be able to receive scholarships to study to become officers. Bolivia's 38,000 strong armed forces have about 10,000 non-commissioned officers, according to the AFP news agency.", "summary": "Bolivia's military chiefs have ordered the dismissal of 702 servicemen who have been protesting to demand better working conditions."}
{"article": "After the US sportswear company took action, Swiss watch maker Tag Heuer was quick to end its association with the five times Grand Slam winner, and German luxury car marque Porsche said it was postponing any planned activities with her. Sharapova revealed on Monday that she had tested positive for the banned substance meldonium at the Australian Open in January, and faces a ban from tennis of up to four years. Big-name global companies have been attracted to the Russian star for her mix of athleticism and glamour since she won Wimbledon in 2004 at the age of 17. According to US business magazine Forbes, the 28-year-old is now the world's top-earning female sports star, raking in a total of $29.7m last year. Tellingly, the vast majority of that money - some $23m - came from endorsements. And it is the biggest of those endorsements - her eight-year, $70m deal with Nike, which runs until 2018 - that is now under threat. Sharapova is the latest Nike athlete to become embroiled in controversy, with a number of big names before her being dropped, while others have been retained but had the value of their deals slashed. These dropped include cyclist Lance Armstrong, convicted athlete Oscar Pistorius, and boxer Manny Pacquiao, while those in the latter category reportedly include Tiger Woods. Karen Earl, chairman of the European Sponsorship Association, says: \"I can't help feeling that Nike has been burnt before; they have stayed with people like Lance Armstrong in the past, and maybe they are just being rightly cautious now. \"The use of a suspension is interesting - basically they are saying they will sit and see how things go. Given their recent experiences that is probably a sensible move. I think they have done the right thing this time round. Nike can now have the option of jumping either way,\" she tells the BBC. Meanwhile, Tag Heuer has been more blunt and \"decided not to renew the contract with Ms Sharapova\", while Porsche has been more cautious, preferring to put its activities on hold. Now all eyes will be on her other commercial partners - Avon Cosmetics, Evian, Head and skincare brand Supergoop, to see what they do, or whether she is now a tarnished brand for sponsors. Sharapova also has her own confectionery business, Sugarpova, launched in 2011, with sales last year of more than three million bags of sweets. \"These other sponsors will be thinking about what they should do now,\" says Mrs Earl. \"In the short-term her continued appeal to sponsors will depend on what action is taken by the tennis and doping authorities. \"In the longer term if all seems to be forgiven, and she is not out of the game for longer than the one year that is being talked about, then it might not matter to them as much. Mrs Earl adds: \"But if she is not seen to be forgiven by tennis, then sponsors will find her less appealing. It all depends what happens in the next few weeks.\" The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has", "summary": "As Nike suspends its relationship with tennis superstar Maria Sharapova not only is one of the most lucrative sports partnerships under threat, but so too could be her phenomenal brand appeal to sponsors."}
{"article": "Rose, 36, has played in 21 events since the PGA Tour season began in October, including Europe's Ryder Cup defeat. The world number 11 was in discomfort because of a disc herniation at The Players Championship in May. \"I have decided to take the next eight weeks off for rest and recovery. At this point in my career, it's important to invest in my body,\" he said. \"This time off is crucial for me to return to peak performance.\" The Englishman's Olympic win arrived after a number of players withdrew from the Games, citing concerns over the Zika virus and congestion in their season schedule. The gold represented the only win of his season and he will now miss next week's British Masters and the European Tour's Race to Dubai finale in November. Rose is one of four players to take turns in hosting the British Masters each year, along with Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and 2016 host Luke Donald.", "summary": "Olympic champion Justin Rose will miss the rest of the 2015-16 season to fully recover from a back injury."}
{"article": "Events company Sincura Group, which controversially removed another Banksy mural in Tottenham, said it would exhibit the work before selling it for about \u00c2\u00a3500,000. Director Tony Baxter said the mural on a printing shop in Great Eastern Street would be removed by Sunday. \"It's a very iconic piece,\" he added. A man who works in the printing shop said in 12 years he had not seen the Banksy mural because it has been covered with boards. \"I've seen pictures of what this building was like with it on about 15 years ago. Everybody's curious,\" he said. Mr Baxter said the mural had become damaged with paint peeling away and would be restored before it was sold. An image of Girl and Balloon painted onto the cardboard backing of an Ikea frame sold for \u00c2\u00a373,250 in 2012. Last week, a developer expected to buy a block of offices from Camden Council was told it must remove a Banksy stencil of a rat and return it to the authority before the sale. In the last year, two London Banksy murals have been removed from buildings - an image of a boy hunched over a sewing machine in Wood Green and another showing two children playing with a \"no ball games\" sign in Tottenham. A spokesman for Banksy declined to comment.", "summary": "A famed stencil image of a girl with a balloon by graffiti artist Banksy is being removed from the wall of an east London shop and sold."}
{"article": "Beyond the fascinating coincidence in the date - there will surely be further speculation on this - the decision by Hess's heirs was surprising. They wanted to commit his mortal remains to the waves and organise a funeral at sea for a man whose mystique and influence on the far-right was strongly linked to the existence of his grave in the Bavarian village of Wunsiedel. He was already one the most interesting figures in post-war Germany, being the only high-ranking Nazi serving a life sentence imposed by the Nuremberg war-crimes court - Albert Speer, for instance, was released in 1966. Hess owes his ambiguous fame to the circumstances of his death. He was found hanged in a summer house in Berlin's Spandau Prison, where he had spent the previous 20 years. The official version - contested by right-wingers of all stripes - was that he committed suicide to end his long imprisonment. For the German and international far-right movement, this was clear evidence that the powers that be had tried to suppress the truth about an \"anti-German\" plot dating back to the war years. According to this version of events, the Allied forces - notably the British secret service - ignored the true purpose of Hess's flight to Britain in 1941. He was taking a peace plan to Churchill, he told his interrogators. This idea made Hess the perfect figure to portray the Nazis as victims, rather than aggressors. Britain had started World War II to destroy Germany, and Hess was captured in Scotland to crush the peaceful intentions of Nazi Germany. Even the fact that Hitler declared him insane did not dent this legend. Moreover the resurgent Nazi scene in recent years has gradually recognised the potential of this myth to attract young people susceptible to tales of injustice. What started as a tiny demonstration of a handful of Nazi activists in the 1990s had turned into thousands regularly filling the streets of Wunsiedel by early 2000s. Everybody who looked at such scenes - including myself and my academic colleagues - felt uncomfortable. Most of the demonstrators were young and dressed like average heavy-metal kids - until you looked at their T-shirts and tattoos. The Hess myth, modernised to satisfy a desire for victimhood, made the Wundsiedel commemorations alluring to young people. But it also led the Constitutional Court to ban the event in 2005, as the potential for the recruitment of new blood into the Neo-Nazi movement got increasingly obvious. However the court order had limited effect on such gatherings, which continued less frequently and at a smaller scale elsewhere. But then Hess had become a kind of right-wing Che Guevara, with his portrait on shirts, buttons and posters. In the end the family agreed to terminate the lease on the grave. Thus an event that many would have thought highly improbably until now became reality on Wednesday evening. What might be the consequences of this startling decision? Firstly, it is no coincidence that the relatives and officials chose to eliminate every physical trace of a figure with a vast", "summary": "On Wednesday 20 July 2011 - the anniversary of the attempt on Hitler's life in 1944 - the public was informed that the grave of Rudolf Hess, the \"Fuehrer's deputy\", had been razed before daybreak."}
{"article": "A 36-year-old man has been charged with causing a dangerous article to be on a road. Another man, 46, has been charged with riotous behaviour. Both are due to appear before Belfast Magistrates Court 28 July. A crossbow was among items seized after the PSNI dispersed what they described as \"a large crowd of men\". A police spokesperson said: \"Reports suggested some of the males were masked and may have been armed with weapons such as hammers. \"Officers attended and dispersed the crowd seizing a number of items including a crossbow.\" Pictures from the Castlemara estate show a burning bonfire and police officers removing tyres and pallets from the road. At least one fire appliance was in attendance. The DUP MLA for the area, Gordon Lyons, said: \"People in Carrickfergus are very disappointed at the disturbances that look place last night. \"It's not what we want to see in 2016.\"", "summary": "Two men have been charged following disturbances in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, on Friday night."}
{"article": "The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) said it will offer advice to women concerned about any symptoms after taking abortion medication. A spokesman said \"restrictive abortion laws\" on the island are forcing women to order pills over the internet. Anti-abortion campaigners have dismissed the helpline launch as a \"dangerous publicity stunt\". Although abortion it is not currently illegal on the island, the law states the procedure can only be carried out in the event of a criminal offence or on mental health grounds. According to the UK Department of Health, 105 women travelled from the Isle of Man to England in 2015 to terminate pregnancies. However, while most women from the UK can have an NHS-funded abortion, those from the island have to pay for both the procedure and travel expenses. BPAS spokesman Katherine O'Brien told the BBC that there are many who cannot afford to make the journey and are \"increasingly resorting to buying medication online.\" \"We are concerned that, because they are committing an illegal act, women may not always seek help when they need it. \"It's really important they have access to the same follow up care and the same nurse led advice that all other women do\". The Termination of Pregnancy (Medical Defences Act) 1995 makes it illegal to \"procure the miscarriage of a pregnancy, except in certain circumstances\" - with fewer than 10 terminations carried out on the island each year. Peter Williams from the Humanity and Equality in Abortion Reform (HEAR) campaign said: \"There is no evidence to suggest widespread use of abortion pills in the Isle of Man. \"We are concerned that this attention-seeking initiative could endangers the lives of women by promoting the use of online abortion pills\". A spokesman for the Manx government said a review of the current act is included in the Isle of Man Government's legislative programme. \"We recognise that there are circumstances where a woman or couple will decide that terminating a pregnancy - whether on medical grounds due to concerns about the health of the mother or because of a condition diagnosed in the foetus - is the right course of action for them. \"The Department [of Health and Social Care] understands the difficulty such a decision can pose.\"", "summary": "A telephone helpline has been set up in the Isle of Man for women who have bought so-called abortion pills online."}
{"article": "Capita shares had fallen more than 14% on Thursday after the outsourcing group issued its second profit warning in three months, and by midday on Friday they had lost a further 3%. However, overall the market was up, with the FTSE 100 index rising 18.75 points to 6,950.30. MedicClinic International was the biggest riser on the index, up 4.1%. The FTSE 100 is on track to record five consecutive days of gains. Financial stocks have helped to bolster the market this week, but there were signs that this rally was coming to and end with Prudential down 2.5% and Barclays dropping 2%. In the FTSE 250, shares in Euromoney fell 5.7% after Daily Mail and General Trust said it would cut its holding in the company to about 49% from 67%. On the currency markets, the pound edged up 0.1% against the dollar to $1.2595, and rose 0.5% against the euro to \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.1913.", "summary": "The FTSE 100 remained on track for its best week since July, but shares in Capita continued to fall."}
{"article": "The review panel says WHO was too slow to act to get on top of the deadly virus which has now killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa. And it calls for an urgent overhaul of the organisation. WHO says it has plans for reform. It has already admitted that it waited too long to declare Ebola a public health emergency of international concern. WHO Director General, Margaret Chan, admitted in May it had been \"overwhelmed\" by the Ebola outbreak, saying it \"shook this organization to its core\". The disease began spreading in December 2013, but it took until August 2014 for WHO to sound the alarm. By that point, more than 1,000 people had died of the virus. The death toll now stands at more than 11,000. According to the report, WHO lacked a culture of rapid decision-making. In the early stages of the Ebola crisis, messages were sent about the seriousness of the situation but these \"either did not reach senior leaders or senior leaders did not recognise their significance\". \"There seems to have been a hope that the crisis could be managed by good diplomacy rather than by scaling up emergency action,\" the report says. WHO was also criticised for failing to keep governments and the public up to speed about the extent and severity of the outbreak. But the review praised WHO for playing a critical role in pushing forward work to find new treatments and cures for Ebola. And it said WHO should be given the job of leading future health emergency responses - be that for Ebola or an outbreak of pandemic flu, for example. The report suggests an immediate contribution from all member countries towards a $100 million special outbreak response fund, and says WHO should establish a Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response. The panel's head, Dame Barbara Stocking, former chief executive of the charity Oxfam, said the WHO must now be made fit for the task. \"To me, coming from somewhere like Oxfam which is an emergency culture, you are very much, if you like, on the front foot. You are always trying to prevent a situation coming through or grab it when it starts and really get it under control very fast and those are some of the internal changes that have to be made at WHO.\" The WHO said it was \"already moving forward\" on some of the panel's recommendations including the development of the global health emergency workforce and the contingency fund. It will be up to member states to make these voluntary financial contributions. Dr Joanne Liu, President of MSF International, questioned how the recommendations would translate to real action on the ground. \"We have seen so many reports calling for change, with everyone focused on how to improve future response and meanwhile, with 20-25 new Ebola cases per week in the region, we still don`t have the current epidemic under control. On Ebola, we went from global indifference, to global fear, to global response and now to global fatigue. We must finish the job,\" she said. Dr", "summary": "The Ebola crisis proves the World Health Organization (WHO) lacks the \"capacity and culture\" to deal with global health emergencies, says a damning independent report, commissioned by the WHO itself."}
{"article": "Government air strikes in recent days have pounded rebel-held areas of Aleppo, where more than 250,000 civilians are trapped. Britain's permanent representative to the UN said the attacks had \"unleashed a new hell on Aleppo\", which he described as war crimes. In the middle of the conflict there are at least 100,000 children, aid agencies estimate. On Sunday, Save the Children warned that approximately half the casualties being treated in eastern Aleppo were children. It said injured children were dying on the floors of hospitals due to shortages of equipment and medicines. \"Across the board things have never been worse for Syrian children,\" the group's humanitarian emergencies spokesperson, Caroline Anning, told the BBC. Rawan has reportedly lost her entire family, including four siblings, Sky News reports. But why are children so badly affected in the battle for Aleppo? Syria's population, like that of many other countries in the region, is relatively young, with an estimated median age of 24.1. About half of the nearly five million refugees who have fled Syria are children. But eight million children remain in the war-torn country, according to Unicef. In eastern Aleppo, Save the Children estimates about 40% of the besieged population are children. While this means the recent casualty numbers it reported appear to be roughly proportionate with the population, it is out of step with what should be happening in a war zone. In war, you should expect to see a much higher population of adult males being killed in frontline action, Ms Anning says. \"But what we have seen in Aleppo in the last couple of days is totally indiscriminate bombing from the air,\" she says. \"So children are impacted just as much or more than adults in those situations.\" These tactics, combined with a continued siege preventing anyone from leaving the area, has created one of the worst situations for Syrian children in more than five years of war. When bombs rain down on densely populated urban areas like eastern Aleppo, there is nowhere to escape. And children are inherently vulnerable. \"They will often be playing outside, their movements will sometimes be less predictable, they may not instinctively run from danger,\" Hannah Stoddard, advocacy director for the War Child charity says. This is compounded by the fact that school and hospitals, places where children are more likely to be present, are being targeted by the Syrian government. In terms of injuries, children are also at greater risk. Blood loss is more devastating for them and fractures occur more easily. The images of Alan Kurdi, Omran Daqneesh and now Rawan Alowsh might have captured fleeting global attention, but they are by no means exceptional cases that happened to be captured on film. Rescue teams are finding children every day under piles of rubble. \"What pictures don't show is the mental scars that [these] children carry with them,\" says Ms Stoddard of War Child, which works with Syrian refugee children in Jordan. \"In the majority of cases, these children have lost one or more family members. They may be the sole survivor.\" An immediate", "summary": "The haunting cries of five-year-old Rawan Alowsh, pulled alive from rubble in Aleppo by her ponytail, have reminded the world once again that behind the politics of Syria's civil war are millions of vulnerable children."}
{"article": "Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine and Marlon Samuels are others who could also be available. West Indies' policy has been to only select players if they feature in the same format in domestic cricket. And many have chosen not to play in West Indian one-day competitions. That is because they often clash with lucrative overseas leagues such as the Big Bash. The West Indies will travel to England next month, beginning a three-match Test series with a day-night match at Edgbaston on 17 August. The squad for that series will be missing a host of big names as it has already been selected. Following the Test series, the teams will meet in a Twenty20 match at Chester-le-Street on 16 September before the first of five one-day internationals at Old Trafford on 19 September. In a statement, Cricket West Indies (CWI) said the \"amnesty\" with the players' union was \"part of a wider strategy to be more inclusive and to improve player relations\". In 2014, a tour of India ended abruptly because of a dispute over pay, while the West Indies missed out on qualifying for the Champions Trophy earlier this year. \"We recognise that it is highly unlikely that we will now automatically qualify for the 2019 World Cup,\" said CWI chief executive Johnny Grave. \"So whilst the qualifying tournament has yet to be confirmed by ICC, we may only have eight ODIs against England and New Zealand in the next six months to prepare. \"It is crucial that we can have our best-performing Windies players available for selection in these important games.\"", "summary": "Chris Gayle is among the West Indies players who could now play in this year's one-day series in England after a \"temporary amnesty\" between their union and the team's cricket board."}
{"article": "1 June 2016 Last updated at 00:03 BST Teams of riders charge together, firing their riles in unison. But now for the first time, women have been taking them on... and winning! Sahar Zand travelled to Morocco to meet the girls of Fantasia.", "summary": "For centuries the Berber men of North Africa have proved their worth in the high octane, dangerous sport of Fantasia."}
{"article": "The 20-year-old France international was fined and suspended until Monday for missing Thursday's training, but the ban has been extended indefinitely. Dortmund met with Barcelona's representatives but the Spanish club did not meet their valuation. The German club say that Dembele moving to Barca is \"not currently likely\". Dortmund director of football Michael Zorc said: \"Our focus now is on preparation for the Bundesliga opening match in Wolfsburg [on 19 August]. Dembele, of course, has the opportunity to complete an individual training session outside the group.\" Dortmund signed Dembele on a five-year deal from Rennes in May 2016.", "summary": "Borussia Dortmund have suspended forward Ousmane Dembele \"until further notice\", three days after the club rejected a bid from Barcelona."}
{"article": "Colin Ferrie, 52, of Waters Walk, Apperley Bridge, Bradford has also been charged with possessing a class C drug. He will appear at Leeds Magistrates' Court on 18 August alongside Scott Pendlebury, of Daisy Fields, Bradford, who is charged with the same offences. It follows claims made by the Mail on Sunday newspaper last year about Dr Ferrie's alleged drug taking. West Yorkshire Police said a 23-year-old man, from Bradford, who was also arrested as part of the investigation, had been released from bail and would face no further action. Another man who was interviewed under caution after voluntarily attending at a police station will also face no further action. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said Dr Ferrie, a consultant paediatric neurologist specialising in epilepsy, no longer worked there.", "summary": "A former children's doctor from Leeds General Infirmary has been charged with possession of cocaine."}
{"article": "Blake Govers scored a hat-trick for the hosts, including a last-minute winner from a penalty corner. Two Ashley Jackson goals put Britain 2-0 ahead, but Govers scored twice and Matthew Dawson once to put Australia in front, before Sam Ward made it 3-3. Saturday's opening match ended 2-2, so the hosts hold a 1-0 series lead going into Tuesday's final Test in Perth. It was the second time in two days that GB had squandered a winning position against the world's number-one ranked team. \"Our performance today was littered with inconsistency,\" said GB head coach Bobby Crutchley. \"We had some decent spells, but suffered too many turnovers in possession. We will be looking for improvement in the third Test.\"", "summary": "Great Britain surrendered a two-goal lead to lose 4-3 to Australia in a dramatic second Test in Narrogin."}
{"article": "The first minister has been reflecting on Scottish government proposals for a fresh ballot on the issue in the wake of the general election result. It saw the SNP lose 21 seats at Westminster after the party's share of the vote fell from 50% to 37%. But the party's 35 seats meant it remained the largest in Scotland. The first minister called in March for a second independence referendum to be held in the autumn of next year or spring of 2019, once the results of the Brexit deal are known. She has insisted a vote was needed to give Scots an alternative to a \"hard Brexit\" after nearly two-thirds of voters in Scotland backed the UK remaining in the EU. But she has faced calls from opposition parties to ditch her plans - while some figures from her own party have called on her timetable to be \"parked\". Ms Sturgeon discussed a referendum when her cabinet team met in Edinburgh on Tuesday morning. Her spokesman said afterwards: \"There was a discussion led by the first minister on an independence referendum and related issues. \"That forms part of the process she laid out after the election and she will continue to consult with government and party colleagues, and will lay out her views on the way forward in due course.\" When asked if this would be before Holyrood breaks up for the summer recess at the close of business on Thursday of next week, he stated: \"I think it is likely before then.\" The spokesman added there was not \"an exact timetable\" for when any announcement would be made. In the immediate aftermath of the general election, Ms Sturgeon conceded her plans for a second independence referendum were \"undoubtedly\" a factor in the results. She said at the time: 'We will reflect on these results, we will listen to voters and we will consider very carefully the best way forward for Scotland, a way forward that is in the interests of all of Scotland.\" Scottish Secretary David Mundell said at the weekend that he can see \"no circumstances\" under which an independence referendum could be held before the Holyrood elections in 2021. Responding the comments by Ms Sturgeon's spokesman, Scottish Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said: \"It's welcome that Nicola Sturgeon will set out her thinking in the next couple of weeks. \"She now has to tell Scots what they want and need to hear - that plans for a second referendum on independence are unequivocally off the table.\" Labour and the Liberal Democrats also called on Ms Sturgeon to shelve her plans - arguing that another referendum was not wanted by most Scottish voters. And Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Will Rennie said: \"After a clear message from the electorate a few weeks ago the first minister must take independence off the table or be seen to be ignoring the will of the people of Scotland.\"", "summary": "Nicola Sturgeon is \"likely\" to make a statement on her independence referendum plans by the end of next week, her spokesman has said."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old scored 11 goals in 50 matches in all competitions last season as his side won the Ligue 1 title. United have so far added defender Victor Lindelof to their squad as they attempt to improve on last year's sixth place in the Premier League. \"Manchester United is a great team and I would think about it,\" Fabinho said. \"If [Manchester United manager Jose] Mourinho invites me it would be very tempting,\" he told Brazilian television channel Esporte Interativo. \"But I would have to talk with my agent and Monaco to make the things right.\" Fabinho joined Monaco in 2013 on loan from Portuguese side Rio Ave and made his move permanent in 2015, when he also won the first of four caps for Brazil. But having claimed the Europa League, Mourinho is being linked with several players in order to build a squad capable of dealing with the added fixtures. Tottenham's Eric Dier and Nemanja Matic at Chelsea have been linked with a move to Old Trafford, as has Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata. United have strengthened their backroom staff in hiring Juventus scouting manager Javier Ribalta, who was at the Italian club with Morata. Ribalta worked on deals for Dani Alves and Sami Khedira while at Juventus, who have secured six straight league titles.", "summary": "A move to Manchester United \"would be very tempting\", says Monaco midfielder Fabinho, who has been linked with the Old Trafford club."}
{"article": "The seven-hour standoff started after police tried to execute a warrant for the arrest of Korryn Gaines. Gaines, who was armed with a shotgun, was shot dead in her apartment while her 5-year-old son watched. Police said her followers on Facebook encouraged her not to give in. According to Facebook's policies, accounts can be suspended if law enforcement believe individuals are at risk of harm. Police Chief Jim Johnson has said their decision to request a de-activation was based upon the fact Gaines had a gun and a child was present during her standoff with officers. Gaines' social media accounts have been restored. But two videos are missing and are being withheld for violating Facebook's standards - which include a provision against inciting violence. Videos posted on Gaines' Instagram appear to show her talking to her son during the standoff. In one clip, Gaines questions her son about the situation unfolding outside, with a police officer visible through her open door. \"What [are the police] trying to do?\" she asks the boy. \"They're trying to kill us,' he replies. Officers claim Gaines threatened to shoot them if they entered her apartment and that she fired shots several times. Gaines' mother, Rhonda Dormeus, told The Baltimore Sun her daughter ignored pleas to surrender. Ms Dormeus believes she might have been able to help calm her and end the situation peacefully had she been allowed to speak with her. Gaines had a history of mental health problems, including anxiety, her former doctor said in an interview. \"I do feel like they didn't want to hurt her,\" Ms Dormeus said, referring to the police. \"But I don't feel like they exhausted all the means of negotiation.\" The initial warrant for Gaines' arrest related to a traffic stop charge dating back to March.", "summary": "A woman killed in a police standoff outside Baltimore tried to live stream the siege but authorities successfully had her social media accounts deactivated."}
{"article": "Kellingley Colliery is set to close in 2015 with the loss of about 700 jobs. Workers, MPs, and union leaders marched through Knottingley and held a rally at Kellingley Social Club. In August, Business Secretary Vince Cable said giving government funds to keep the mine open \"wouldn't be good value for money\". UK Coal announced plans in April for a managed closure of the colliery due to \"extremely difficult trading conditions\" and in September secured \u00c2\u00a34m from government to support the plan. Chris Kitchen, from the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), said: \"Kellingley has about 30 years worth of coal and we know that we're going to be burning coal in this country to generate electricity... the majority of that now is imported. \"It's not that we're trying to keep Kellingley open for some kind of historic reason, there's a use for the fuel and there's a use for the fuel going forward that's mined at Kellingley.\" A report prepared for the NUM said the mine could remain open until 2018 with help additional from the government. Labour MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford Yvette Cooper said: \"If the government doesn't act fast it will be too late. \"The cost of keeping Kellingley open is going up week after week because there's been no investment in new faces. Yet the government is just dragging its feet trying to kill off the pit by stealth.\" A government spokesman said: \"We have now received a plan from the company and will look carefully at their proposal, bearing in mind that we must make sure that taxpayers receive value for money.\"", "summary": "Miners at a North Yorkshire coal mine set to close this year have staged a rally to call on the government to provide funds to keep it open."}
{"article": "George Barker was found at the Double K Gym in Stable Lane, Bexley, south-east London, at about 09:40 GMT on Monday. Officers want to hear from anyone who saw, spoke or knows where the 24-year-old was during the weekend before. They specifically want to know where he spent Sunday evening into Monday and where he was before he went to the gym. Mr Barker, of South Darenth, in Kent, died of stab wounds to his chest and abdomen. He was the father of a week-old baby girl. Det Ch Insp Laurence Smith, who is leading the murder investigation, said Mr Barker had been a regular user of the gym and had arrived there at about 09:15, and was attacked shortly after. \"Our enquiries so far have led me to believe that there were five men inside the gym who were waiting for George Barker to arrive. \"Following the brutal assault on George the men left the gym and I am appealing to anyone who saw the men arriving in Stable Lane prior to the murder, or saw them leaving, to contact the police,\" he said. Det Ch Insp Smith added that he \"retained an open mind as to the motive\" for the killing.", "summary": "Detectives investigating the murder of a man who was stabbed outside a gym are appealing for information regarding his movements prior to his death."}
{"article": "Mason has joined Championship rivals Wolves on a three-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee. Hudson played alongside Mason, who scored 22 goals in 60 league starts since joining Cardiff from Plymouth in 2011 \"I wouldn't want to see him leave my squad,\" Huddersfield's Hudson said. Former Republic of Ireland Under-21 forward Mason had been a target for Wolves in the summer. \"For me it's a strange one why they would need to sell to a rival club, especially another team looking to push into the play-offs,\" Hudson added. \"I think he's a great player, his movement and the way he ghosts in and out of games. He always hits the target when he gets a chance. \"If he's playing week in, week out I think he's probably going to be one of the top-scorers in the league.\" Wolves' Wales midfielder Dave Edwards, who will be out for 12 weeks after having surgery on a foot injury, says Mason would be a \"much needed addition\" to the squad. \"We're a bit low on numbers at the moment, especially in the forward areas,\" Edwards told BBC Wales Sport. \"I've always been impressed every time I've seen him. \"I thought he played very well at Molineux a few weeks ago when we were beaten 3-1 [by Cardiff]. \"He works hard for the team and hasn't got a bad goalscoring record either. He'll be great for us.\"", "summary": "Former Cardiff City captain Mark Hudson does not understand why striker Joe Mason has been sold to Wolves."}
{"article": "The body of Wendy Mann, 26, was found on her kitchen floor in West Bromwich in August 2015. Leroy Sterling, 63, of Guns Lane, denies murder and the earlier attempted murder of her lover, Trevor Tyndale, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard. Pathologists found multiple fractures in her neck, a pattern \"commonly found in people strangled,\" the jury heard. Mark Haywood QC, prosecuting, told the court Ms Mann's brother became worried when he could not contact her. He went with his wife to his sister's first floor flat on Chapel Street where they found her body. More on this and other stories from Birmingham and the Black Country The prosecution alleges Mr Sterling attempted to murder Mr Tyndale on 11 July 2015 after learning of his ex-partner's relationship. The two men went drinking at Mr Sterling's flat where the prosecution claims the defendant attacked Mr Tyndale, 52, with a blow to the back of the head. Mr Sterling continued the attack, \"forcing a knife into his neck, trying to choke him\", the jury heard. The prosecution told the court Mr Tyndale managed to escape Mr Sterling's flat and later went to hospital where he had an emergency operation for his injuries. Mr Tyndale did not inform police about who attacked him fearing his affair would become known to his own wife, Mr Haywood claimed. The trial continues.", "summary": "A mother-of-three was strangled by her ex-partner after she began a new relationship, a court has heard."}
{"article": "The singer sought damages from the force, and the BBC, over media coverage of a police raid on his home in 2014. On Friday, lawyers told High Court judge Mr Justice Mann that Sir Cliff and the force had come to terms. The BBC, which is still disputing the claim for damages, said it \"had a duty to report\" the investigation. Sir Cliff said live BBC coverage of the police search of his home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, invaded his privacy. He sought \"very substantial\" compensation from both South Yorkshire Police and the BBC. In a statement on Friday, a BBC spokesman said: \"The BBC's responsibility is to report news stories that are in the public interest.\" The corporation said the \"extensive disclosure of historical child sexual abuse\" by other celebrities made the investigation - and a subsequent police decision to search his home - a worthy news story. \"A search happened, and because it did, the BBC reported it - just as any other media organisation would have and did,\" the spokesman said. South Yorkshire Police had already apologised \"wholeheartedly for the additional anxiety caused\". The force learned of the sex offence allegations in July 2014, searching Sir Cliff's Berkshire flat the following month. In June 2016, the Crown Prosecution Service announced Sir Cliff would face no charges. The star's lawyers said he suffered \"profound and long-lasting\" damage from coverage of the search, and from being publicly named as a suspected sex offender. They also say South Yorkshire Police contravened guidance on \"relationships with the media\".", "summary": "Sir Cliff Richard and South Yorkshire Police have settled a legal fight over reports naming him as a suspected sex offender."}
{"article": "The suspended Uefa president, 60, was banned by the world governing body's ethics committee in December, along with its president Sepp Blatter. Both were found guilty of breaches surrounding a \u00a31.3m ($2m) \"disloyal payment\" to Platini. Blatter's appeal against his own ban is due to be heard on Tuesday. The former France international and the Swiss have both denied any wrongdoing. Platini was also fined \u00a354,000 ($80,000) after being found guilty of breaching Fifa's code of ethics. Both Platini and Blatter said the payment was made following a verbal agreement between the pair when the Frenchman worked for Blatter from 1998 to 2002, though it was not paid until nine years later. The Fifa appeals committee, which is chaired by president of the Bermuda Football Association Larry Mussenden, has the power to reduce, increase or overturn the ban. The ethics committee's investigatory chamber has confirmed it is appealing against the sanctions imposed on Platini and Blatter on the grounds that they are too lenient. Uefa said last month that it will not hold an election for its presidency until Platini's appeals process has been concluded. Platini had at one stage been favourite to succeed Blatter as Fifa president, but the opening of ethics proceedings against him and subsequent ban ended any chance of that happening. Fifa's presidential election is due to take place on 26 February. On Friday, the committee banned the governing body's former secretary general Jerome Valcke for 12 years for multiple breaches of the code of ethics.", "summary": "Michel Platini's appeal against his eight-year ban from all football-related activity will be heard by Fifa's appeals committee on Monday."}
{"article": "Residents will be moved from their homes in the south-western province of Guizhou to prevent interference with the telescope's electromagnetism. The project's lead scientists told China's state news agency that the telescope would further the search for intelligent life in the universe. It will dwarf the world's current largest such telescope in Puerto Rico. The 500m-wide Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) is due to be operational this year. Provincial officials have vowed to relocate 9,110 residents living within five kilometres of the listening device by September, the official Xinhua news agency said. The relocations will \"create a sound electromagnetic wave environment\", the news agency cited regional official Li Yuecheng as saying. Residents will reportedly receive 12,000 yuan (\u00c2\u00a31,280; $1,800) in subsidies for their troubles, with some getting extra support for housing, it said. FAST, built at a cost of 1.2bn yuan, will dwarf the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico as the world's largest radio telescope, which is about 300m in diameter. Wu Xiangping, director-general of the Chinese Astronomical Society, said the telescope's high level of sensitivity \"will help us to search for intelligent life outside of the galaxy\", Xinhua reported. In the past China has relocated hundreds of thousands of people to make way for large infrastructure projects such as dams and canals. Many have complained of poor compensation. As well as upping investment in astronomy, Beijing is accelerating its multi-billion-dollar space exploration programme, with plans for a permanent orbiting station by 2020.", "summary": "China is preparing to relocate nearly 10,000 people to make way for the world's largest radio telescope."}
{"article": "The club said the 25-year-old would be out for \"a number of weeks\". Forrester sustained the injury in the Scottish Challenge Cup final win over Peterhead on Sunday. Earlier this week, he signed a new contract to stay at Ibrox until 2019 after helping Rangers win the Championship.", "summary": "Rangers winger Harry Forrester will miss Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic after a scan revealed he has a hairline fracture of the leg."}
{"article": "Two of them did not march to police lines at the junction of Woodvale Road and Woodvale Parade on 12 July, the point at which the Parades Commission said the parade must stop. In the previous three years, the Orange Order arrived in force, with hundreds of members, supporters and bandsmen. But, on Tuesday, fewer than 20 members of Ballysillan lodge, and a small number of supporters, arrived at a police barrier erected across the road. They clearly expected the other lodges to join them, and waited for an hour and a quarter for them to do so. The assembled media were told repeatedly by Orange, loyalist and police sources that Ligoniel True Blues and the Earl of Erne lodges were on their way. But they never came. At 20:30 BST, looking visibly frustrated, members of Ballysillan LOL 1891 walked away from police lines and dispersed. The lodge and the Orange Order have since rejected any suggestion it was deliberately left out on a limb for opposing a deal with a nationalist residents' group in Ardoyne to end the parade dispute. The proposed deal collapsed earlier this month after Ballysillan made it clear it would not back it, while the others said they would. Gerald Solinas, a spokesman for Ballysillan, said it was simply because the other lodges would not have made it to the police barrier before the 20:30 BST cut-off point imposed by the parades commission. The Orange Order has backed this claim and insisted what happened was not the result of a deliberate decision to isolate Ballysillan. But the BBC has established that a deliberate decision was taken to keep the three lodges apart. There are more than 100 lodges within Belfast County Grand Lodge Each of them is a member of one of nine districts. Traditionally all lodges within each district walk together. However, that has not happened in north Belfast since this disputed parade was prevented from completing its return leg past the Ardoyne shop fronts in July 2013. Since then, the three lodges involved in the dispute have marched together in solidarity, despite being members of different districts. Ballysillan LOL 1891 is member of District Number Three, Ligoniel True Blues LOL 1932 part of Number One, and the Earl of Erne LOL 647 is a member of District Number Four. In the three previous years the lodges were given special allowances by their governing body, Belfast County Grand Lodge, to walk together close to the head of the Twelfth parade. That changed this year. Instead, the lodges decided they would parade as part of their own districts, and not together. Each year one of the districts leads the parade. This year it was the turn of District Number Three, so Ballysillan helped lead the way. The other districts then followed in numerical order, with the Earl of Erne, District Number Four, directly behind them. Districts five, six, seven, eight and nine then followed, before going back to District Number One, which meant Ligoneil was towards the back of the parade. The Orange Order claim that the", "summary": "Tuesday marked the first time since a stand-off over a disputed Orange Order parade in Belfast started in July 2013, that the three lodges involved have not spoken with one voice."}
{"article": "The festival showcases films on climbing, mountain biking, skiing, kayaking and adventure travel. The tour's Scottish destinations are Edinburgh on Saturday, Inverness on 12 and 13 February, Pitlochry on 14 February and Glasgow on 10 May. The films include The Ridge - featuring Skye-born cyclist Danny MacAskill - Sun Dog, Touch, All My Own Stunts, Arctic Swell and Wild Women: Faith Dickey and Into the Empty Quarter.", "summary": "Canada's Banff Mountain Film Festival is about to begin its latest world tour, which includes dates and venues in the UK and Ireland."}
{"article": "Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Hayes said the Ms Pinkney was \"an incredibly strong candidate\". If she is approved, Pinkney will take over from Andy Marsh. Ms Pinkney is currently the Deputy Chief Constable of Sussex Police. Hampshire is currently being run by acting chief constable Graham McNulty. She said: \"I am delighted to have been selected as the preferred candidate, and it will be an honour to have the opportunity of serving alongside them.\" She received the Queen's Police Medal in the 2016 New Year's Honours List. Mr Hayes added: \"Olivia was an incredibly strong candidate and will bring a wealth of operational experience and strategic leadership to the chief constable role.\"", "summary": "Hampshire could have its first female Chief Constable by 11 March after Olivia Pinkney has been named the force's preferred candidate."}
{"article": "BitTorrent Sync uses peer-to-peer technology to send information between users' PCs. It eliminates the need to upload data to a third party's computer servers, as is the case with services such as Dropbox, Google Drive and SkyDrive. But one analyst said businesses were unlikely to be tempted by the idea. Davies Murphy Group's Chris Green said companies would worry about their lack of control over the new process even though it did not rely on a third-party's data centre to update what might be sensitive files. But he said it might appeal to some members of the public for private use. BitTorrent is an eight-year old San Francisco-based company offering a range of free-to-use products designed to make it easy and quick to send large files over the internet. They work by co-ordinating the process so that devices downloading material also share small pieces of already-accessed data with others in order to share the load. Although the technology has become associated with media piracy due to its use by some media-sharing sites, BitTorrent itself is a legal company that makes money by licensing its technology and brands to business customers. It began testing the new tool at the start of the year. The facility is categorised as alpha - signalling it is still being tested and may be unstable - but the firm announced on its blog that it was now ready to invite the public to try it out. It suggested users might find it quicker and more private than the alternatives. \"Since Sync is based on P2P [peer-to-peer technology] and doesn't require a pit-stop in the cloud, you can transfer files at the maximum speed supported by your network,\" it said. \"Your information is never stored on a server in the cloud; your data is protected by encrypted keys. Your files belong to you, and stay on the devices of your choice.\" To prevent unauthorised access to shared data, the software generates a private key for each synched folder on the original device. This is made up of at least 32 characters and must be entered into all the other devices to which the information is sent to in order for the files to be accessible. One of the benefits of synching software is that it allows a user to ensure any changes made to a document on one machine are copied to all their other devices. In its current state, BitTorrent Sync achieves this by noting the change and then copying the whole updated file to other computers, replacing any earlier version. This means it may be less efficient in some cases than some of the cloud-based services that can detect which parts of a file have been changed and only copy over those bits of the data. However, BitTorrent has indicated that it too hopes to introduce \"differential sync\" later this year. The technology has the potential to disrupt the nascent file-synching industry. Although Dropbox, Google, Microsoft, Apple, SugarSync and others offer a limited amount of free storage on their services, they make money by charging customers who", "summary": "Developers of the BitTorrent file-sharing process have opened an experimental data-synchronising tool up to the public."}
{"article": "It was a repeat of the Lingfield Oaks Trial 1-2 as the 14-1 winner beat Architecture, ridden by Frankie Dettori for Hugo Palmer. Harlequeen was third, with Turret Rocks in fourth place. Earlier, the \u00a31,000 purchase Mrs Danvers scooped a first prize of nearly \u00a3123,000 by winning the Super Sprint at Newbury. Seventh Heaven, a daughter of prolific stallion Galileo, put behind her a below-par display at Epsom to give O'Brien his fifth success in the fillies' Classic. However, his main hope - the Ribblesdale Stakes winner Even Song - was well-beaten despite being sent off the 4-5 favourite. Mrs Danvers retained her unbeaten record when defeating 22 rivals at Newbury. Jockey Luke Morris pushed the Jonathan Portman-trained filly to the front two furlongs out and the 9-2 joint-favourite won by one and a quarter lengths, with Stormy Clouds second and Clem Fandango third.", "summary": "Seventh Heaven, ridden by Seamie Heffernan, sprang a surprise to win the Irish Oaks for trainer Aidan O'Brien."}
{"article": "It has been reported that the Pirates of the Caribbean actor will also have a brief cameo in the first film, a spin-off from the Harry Potter Franchise. It is not yet known what role Depp will play in the fantasy series, which will revolve around a fictional author mentioned in the Harry Potter stories. The first Fantastic Beasts film opens in the UK and US on 18 November. Depp is known for playing Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, which will continue next year with a fifth instalment. The 53-year-old was seen earlier this year reprising his role as The Mad Hatter in Alice Through the Looking Glass, a sequel to 2010's Alice in Wonderland. Last month Harry Potter creator JK Rowling revealed she had planned scripts for a total of five Fantastic Beasts films. Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Holliday Grainger has joined the cast of a TV series based on Rowling's Robert Galbraith crime novels. The British actress will play Robin, the assistant to private detective Cormoran Strike, in the BBC One adaptation, which is set to begin shooting this month. Rowling, who has written three novels under her Robert Galbraith pseudonym, said she \"couldn't be more delighted\" about Grainger's casting. Grainger, who appeared earlier this year in Coast Guard drama The Finest Hours, said her character's \"strength and intelligence\" would be \"a joy to explore\". War and Peace actor Tom Burke will play Strike in the seven hour-long dramas to be drawn from Rowling's Career of Evil, The Silkworm and The Cuckoo's Calling books. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Johnny Depp is set to have a role in the second Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film, due out in 2018."}
{"article": "The adult male rhino was shot dead and its horn was cut off. Just hours earlier, the royal couple came within 50 yards (metres) of a rare one-horned rhino during their safari. The 430 sq km (166 sq mile) park, in the north-eastern state of Assam, is home to the world's largest concentration of one-horned rhinos. Wildlife poachers pose the biggest threat to the animals, killing them for their horns. The animal is currently listed as \"vulnerable\" by conservation groups. Seven rhinos have already been killed in 2016, while 20 were poached in 2015. Kaziranga is estimated to be home to 2,400 one-horned rhinos out of a global population of 3,300. The national park is also home to elephants, water buffalo, the endangered swamp deer and tigers.", "summary": "A rhino was killed by poachers in India's Kaziranga national park on the same day the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge toured the sanctuary."}
{"article": "The two parties have reached a mutually satisfactory agreement and the legal case has been dropped, according to a statement given to Screen Daily. They producers had claimed her last-minute departure caused delays on the Natalie Portman-starring Western. The Scottish film-maker had previously denied reports she was being sued. Ramsay's last film, an adaptation of the novel We Need to Talk About Kevin, starring Tilda Swinton, premiered to critical acclaim in competition in Cannes in 2011. The film also earned her a Bafta nomination and the best director prize at the British Independent Film Awards. Jane Got a Gun will tell the story of a woman who asks an ex-lover for help in saving her husband from a gang who want him dead. Jude Law and Bradley Cooper also left the production shortly after Ramsay. The film will now be directed by Gavin O'Connor, with a cast including Ewan McGregor and Joel Edgerton. \"Jane Got a Gun Production LLC and Lynne Ramsay announce the pending civil action and all other disputes between the parties associated with Jane Got a Gun Motion Picture have been resolved privately and to their mutual satisfaction,\" said the statement published by Screen Daily. It was not revealed whether the resolution involved a financial settlement. Ramsay herself has yet to comment. Several sources claimed the disagreements involved delays and control of the film's final cut, with the Hollywood Reporter claiming Ramsay had not been presented with an approved schedule, script or budget days before shooting was set to begin. In November, the Hollywood Reporter also published court papers, in which it was claimed Ramsay \"was repeatedly under the influence of alcohol, was abusive to members of the cast and crew and was generally disruptive\". Ramsay later issued a statement saying she had not been served with that particular lawsuit. \"The allegations as recently reported are simply false,\" the statement added. \"Lynne looks forward to presenting the truth about this situation in the proper forum.\"", "summary": "Director Lynne Ramsay has settled a legal dispute with the producers of the film Jane Got a Gun, which she quit days before shooting began last year."}
{"article": "Security forces were deployed on Monday morning and heavy gunfire was heard in the streets The Ninjas were a major anti-government force in the 1997-99 civil war. The violence comes weeks after Denis Sassou Nguesso won a third presidential term in a poll that the opposition said was marred by \"massive fraud\". At least one police station and a government building were attacked in the Makelekele district. The Ninjas were loyal to former Prime Minister Bernard Kolelas, the father of Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas, who stood in the presidential election in March and got 15% of the vote. Mr Sassou Nguesso, in power for more than 30 years, won the election with 60% of the vote. Reuters news agency reports that on Monday morning young opposition supporters were chanting \"Sassou, leave!\" in Makelekele , which is in the south of the capital city.", "summary": "The Congolese government has blamed attacks on government buildings in the capital, Brazzaville, on the Ninja militia group."}
{"article": "Habibur Chowdhury, paid Mohammed Manik just over half the minimum wage to work a 72-hour week. Chowdhury's Ashiana restaurant was raided in June 2015 following a tip-off about illegal immigrants working there. He later told police he had nothing to do with the restaurant and claimed not to know who Mr Manik was. His defence agent described 60-year-old Chowdhury as \"wilfully blind\" when it came to checking the Bangladeshi national's papers. Mr Manik told Home Office investigators he \"felt exploited\" by Chowdhury. Depute fiscal Eilidh Robertson previously told Dundee Sheriff Court that Mr Manik had applied for asylum but had been refused. She said: \"He couldn't support himself and was living in Glasgow. \"He explained his predicament to a friend who put him in touch with the accused who offered him a job in Dundee.\" The court was told Mr Manik was paid cash to work six days a week for 12 hours a day. Miss Robertson said: \"He was paid \u00a3300 a week regardless of how much he worked.\" Chowdhury, of Dundee, admitted employing someone who had not been granted leave to enter or remain in the UK. Sheriff Alastair Brown imposed a restriction of liberty order confining Chowdhury to his home address from 19:00 to 07:00 every day for six months. Sheriff Brown said: \"It seems reasonably clear that the UK government and a significant proportion of the UK public is exercised about immigration. \"The laws are there to protect the vulnerable. \"The picture I get from your record, this offence and your attitude to the social workers preparing reports in this case is of a man who regards regulatory rules with an arrogant attitude that they don't apply to him unless he so chooses.\"", "summary": "A Dundee restaurateur who paid a failed asylum seeker \u00a34 an hour to run his kitchen has been placed on a six-month curfew."}
{"article": "More than \u00a3100m is being spent on redeveloping Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland and creating an open-air historical show called Kynren. The Ernst & Young report, commissioned by the Auckland Castle Trust, suggests the projects will attract 430,000 visitors a year by 2020. Kynren is due to open on 2 July. Report author David Smith, said: \"The potential economic output for the town, County Durham, and the wider North East is considerable. \"It is refreshing that this regeneration of a historically important market town will be based on predominantly private sector funding. \"The figures in the report are prudent. But we took the view of what could be the optimum outcome, and we said up to \u00a320m a year for the expected total economic impact of all the planned projects. \"However, if they get the support from visitors, retailers and other businesses, then it could be far more.\" David Ronn, managing director of the Auckland Castle Trust, said: \"This is the first time we've had hard economic data on what the advantages will be. \"The vision since the trust took over Auckland Castle in 2012 has always been to create job and business opportunities for this area. \"The purpose of the independent report is to be clear about what those benefits will be, and to encourage support from those who have an interest in the county and the town.\"", "summary": "The redevelopment of a County Durham town could generate \u00a320m a year for the region's economy and create more than 400 jobs, a report says."}
{"article": "Crafted in the shape of the letter Y for Yorkshire, the trophy will be handed to the winner of the inaugural event, which runs from 1 to 3 May. It has been designed and made by Thomas Fattorini Ltd - a company originally founded in Yorkshire in 1827. Earlier this month, Sir Bradley Wiggins confirmed his intention to ride in the race. The trophy was unveiled at Brudenell Primary School in Leeds earlier. Tom Fattorini, director of sales and marketing, said: \"We do business internationally, supplying trophies to the likes of FIFA, and when we were invited to support the production of the Tour de Yorkshire trophy and medals we felt it was a perfect fit given our Yorkshire history.\" The Tour will begin on 1 May with a stage from Bridlington to Scarborough, followed by Selby to York on 2 May, and Wakefield to Leeds on 3 May. There will be more than 500km (310 miles) of racing through Yorkshire over the three days.", "summary": "The trophy to be presented to the winner of the Tour de Yorkshire has been unveiled."}
{"article": "Ecologists from the National Trust plan to release the new colony into Malham Tarn, England's highest freshwater lake. It will be the first time voles have been in high Yorkshire Dales in 50 years. Vole numbers have dropped by almost 90% in recent decades, and they have become one of the UK's most threatened mammals. The animals being released have been bred in captivity and will be introduced in batches over five days. They will spend two days in cages along the banks of the lake, before the cage doors are opened on the third day. Ecologists will place apples and carrots on floating rafts near the cages to tempt the voles out into their new environment. Once fully introduced into the wild, they will largely eat grass, reeds and roots. Roisin Black, a National Trust ranger at Malham Tarn, said: \"In the rest of Europe, water voles are common. In Britain, the creatures are incredibly rare. \"We know water voles have thrived at Malham Tarn in the past and thanks to work by the National Trust, the habitat here is perfect for water voles again.\" The UK's water vole population was decimated in the 1960s, largely by American mink that had escaped from fur farms. Water voles live in burrows dug into banks along slow-moving rivers, streams or ditches. The population has been unable to recover, largely due its natural habitat being destroyed by intensive farming, pollution and flood plains being concreted over. Mink have not been seen in the region of Malham Tarn for 10 years. Rangers say they will closely monitor the area for any signs of the predators by setting devices that can capture their footprints. Ecologists hope the voles being released at Malham Tarn will improve the local ecosystem, saying their burrowing should provide the space for rare species of moss and liverwort to thrive. They will also be food for struggling predators such as barn owls and otters. National Trust rangers will monitor the colony over the coming year. They should produce between two and five litters every year, with up to eight pups in each litter. If the water voles in the reintroduction project flourish, ecologists say they plan to breed and release another 100 next year.", "summary": "About 100 water voles are to be released in the Yorkshire Dales."}
{"article": "The pilgrims had been travelling through Mastung in Balochistan province on their way to the Iranian border when the attack happened. Several other people were injured, some critically, Pakistani media reported. No group has admitted carrying out the attack but police say they believe the motive was sectarian. Sunni and Shia extremists have frequently clashed and launched attacks on each other over the past 20 years. Bus driver Khushal Khan said his vehicle was stopped by eight to 10 men driving in two jeeps that came from the opposite direction. Mr Khan said the men ordered everybody out of the bus and made them stand in a line before spraying them with AK-47 rifle bursts. Women and children were among the 45 passengers. He said some managed to run away but others were shot. Six passengers who were injured were taken away for treatment. Police said the bus had come from the provincial capital Quetta and was heading for the border town of Taftan. It was the deadliest attack against Shias in Pakistan since a suicide bomber killed at least 57 people at a Shia rally in Quetta in September 2010. Shia Muslims are a minority in Pakistan. At least 13 people were killed when a suicide bomber struck in the car park of a Shia mosque in Quetta - capital of Balochistan province - during the Eid festival at the end of last month. The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says that responsibility for most attacks has been claimed by the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) sectarian outfit, a predominantly Punjabi group with links to al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Police in Balochistan have over the years arrested a number of LJ activists in connection with these attacks. Some of them have been sentenced to death or imprisonment by the courts. Our correspondent says both police and the Shia community believe the mastermind behind most of the recent attacks was an LJ commander, Osman Saifullah, who was arrested in 2006 but escaped from a maximum security anti-terrorism prison in the cantonment area of Quetta in 2008. Buses leave Quetta every day to carry pilgrims to the Shia holy sites in western Iran and parts of southern Iraq. They have been a target for many attacks by sectarian militants in recent years.", "summary": "At least 26 Shia Muslim pilgrims have been killed by a group of gunmen who opened fire on a bus in western Pakistan, officials said."}
{"article": "They say diesel emissions have been poorly controlled. And indoor air pollution has been overlooked. Tobacco still poses the biggest indoor threat, but wood-burning stoves, cleaning products and air fresheners can contribute. Mould and mildew in poorly ventilated rooms can also cause illness. \"Being indoors can offer some protection against outdoor air pollution, but it can also expose us to other air pollution sources,\" the report says. \"There is now good awareness of the risks from badly maintained gas appliances, radioactive radon gas and second-hand tobacco smoke, but indoors we can also be exposed to NO2 [nitrogen dioxide] from gas cooking and solvents that slowly seep from plastics, paints and furnishings. \"The lemon-and-pine scents that we use to make our homes smell fresh can react chemically to generate air pollutants, and ozone-based air fresheners can also cause indoor air pollution.\" Co-author Prof Jonathan Grigg said there was now clear evidence that air pollution - largely from factories and traffic - was linked to heart disease and lung problems, including asthma. \"As NHS costs continue to escalate due to poor public health - asthma alone costs the NHS an estimated \u00c2\u00a31bn a year - it is essential that policy makers consider the effects of long-term exposure on our children and the public purse,\" he said. Prof Grigg said the public could also help by: Drivers 'exposed to highest levels of pollution' Prof Stephen Holgate, asthma expert at Southampton University and chairman of the reporting group, warned against complacency. \"We all have a part to play to cut environmental pollution. We can't see it, smell it or taste it, which is why people do not necessarily think we have a problem,\" he said. Is there a danger from scented products? \"When you see cars piling up on the way to school taking their children, the fumes directly from the vehicle in front are being vented straight into the car behind, and exposing their child - and yet we are ignoring this,\" he added. Prof Holgate called for authorities to monitor pollution levels more closely, build new homes away from busy roads and consider closing particularly polluted roads at certain times. He also advised people to open and close windows in the home several times a day. \"It's amazing that we are now living in these tight, sealed homes that we are frightened of opening the window and letting a bit of fresh air in,\" he told BBC Radio Four's Today programme. A spokesman from the Chemical Industries Association said: \"This report should be seen as a significant contribution to an important debate. Chemical and pharmaceutical businesses take their responsibilities extremely seriously in both the production and use of their products, with due regard to the health of their employees and the public at large. \"Improving air quality is central to that responsibility and we will continue to be proactive in meeting our regulatory requirements and delivering innovative solutions that seek to minimise the risks of exposure.\"", "summary": "Outdoor air pollution is contributing to about 40,000 early deaths a year in the UK, say the Royal Colleges of Physicians and of Paediatrics and Child Health."}
{"article": "Alistair Darby, who is currently chief operating officer at Marston's, will take up the top job at M&B in October. He will become M&B's first permanent chief executive since Adam Fowle resigned back in March 2011. M&G owns the All Bar One, Harvester, Toby Carvery and O'Neills chains, with more than 1,500 outlets overall. Mr Alistair Darby will take over the chief executive role from Bob Ivell who has been combining it with his position as chairman on a stand-in basis since October of last year. Mr Ivell said the appointment of Mr Darby had followed an \"extensive and rigorous\" search process. He added: \"I am confident that we have secured the right person for the role and that drawing on his wealth of operational and brand experience.\"", "summary": "Pub and restaurant group Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) has appointed the director of a rival company as its new chief executive."}
{"article": "The Spanish midfielder, 30, joined Watford from Fiorentina on a four-and-a-half-year deal in January 2016. He played 17 times in all competitions during his first season. But in August 2016 he moved to Valencia on a season-long loan, returning to Spain where he had previously played for Atletico Madrid, Valladolid, Mallorca and Celta Vigo. Guizhou Hengfeng Zhicheng currently sit 11th of the 16 teams in the Chinese Super League after 16 games of the season. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Mario Suarez has left Watford to join Chinese side Guizhou Hengfeng Zhicheng FC for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "The 5m (16ft) wide, 3m (10ft) deep crater appeared on Saturday night under the northbound carriageway near the Gateshead MetroCentre. The road, which carries about 90,000 vehicles a day, was immediately closed between junctions 67 and 68. Highways England said repairs had been completed and the road had reopened. The hole was thought to be related to former mine workings. Tyne Tunnel tolls on the nearby A19, which were suspended during the repair process, are now back in force. The latest travel news can be found here.", "summary": "A sinkhole which opened up on the A1 on Tyneside and brought delays to tens of thousands of motorists has been repaired, highways officials have said."}
{"article": "Residents claim they have seen gangs wielding weapons speed through pedestrianised areas near Thomas's Battersea School in south-west London. CCTV footage shows them weaving among restaurant tables, threatening diners and passers-by. Prince George is due to start the \u00c2\u00a36,110 a year school in September. \"There are break-ins every night, residents are being terrorised every other day either by riding on pavements or at people,\" said one local, who was too scared to be identified. \"When police are called their response is 'there's nothing we can do'.\" \"The police don't chase them so it's almost a licence to commit crime,\" said another resident, who also wanted to remain anonymous. Staff at Thomas's declined to comment on the moped incidents or on any security measures being put in place. CCTV footage gathered by the Press Association from business website LondonLovesBusiness.com shows one incident where thieves on a motorbike tried to kick someone off their bicycle before breaking in to a car directly outside the school on Battersea High Street. Residents said the gangs, who are believed to live locally, hide their faces with balaclavas and are dressed in black. The vehicles are believed to be stolen and the number plates are either blacked out or removed. Insp Guy Osborne, of the Battersea Safer Neighbourhoods Team, said Wandsworth Police were \"very aware\" of moped-enabled crime, and called the issue \"a borough priority\". He said officers were giving crime prevention advice and were working with moped manufacturers to make them harder to steal. He added that incidents involving weapons had not been reported. Moped-crime is a London-wide issue which is increasing. A BBC investigation found that crime involving mopeds in the city had increased by more than 600% between 2014-16. On Friday, moped gangs armed with hammers were photographed outside the BBC's Broadcasting House in central London and on Sunday, the Met released footage of a gang knocking down and breaking the leg of a tourist as they tried to steal his watch.", "summary": "Moped gangs armed with machetes have been terrorising people in the streets close to Prince George's future primary school, locals have said."}
{"article": "The incident happened earlier outside an Edinburgh University building where a student occupation is underway. A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal. It follows footage posted on social media showing an altercation between a security guard and a student. The university said it \"deeply regretted the unfortunate incident\". About 30 students have been occupying a university building in protest at its \"failure to commit\" to divestment from fossil fuels. Eric Lai, one of the occupiers inside, said: \"We have been repeatedly told that the university supports our right to protest, but that couldn't feel further from the truth.\" \"The university have posted dozens of guards to the doors, and have now taken to intimidation and violence to shut us up. It is hard to imagine a more inappropriate way to handle student protest.\" \"The university need to immediately change their approach, allowing open access to the building and engaging with the politics of why we're here, rather than just covering their ears to both the demands of students and staff, and the desperate urgency of tackling climate change. \"Until they move their money out of fossil fuels, we're going nowhere.\" An Edinburgh University spokesman said: \"The university is aware of, and deeply regrets, the unfortunate incident that is currently being played on social media. The matter is now in the hands of the police. \"We continue to support the right of students to peacefully and lawfully demonstrate and the University is using private security outside its buildings in Chambers Street in order to secure the safety of staff and students during the occupation.\" \"We are constantly reviewing our security arrangements to make sure that they are appropriate to the circumstances in what is an evolving situation.\"", "summary": "Two men have been arrested by police in connection with a disturbance in Chambers Street in Edinburgh."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old son of Saints director of rugby Jim scored a try in his first two matches for Saints and has made a total of nine appearances. Fellow backs Tom Collins, George Furbank, Rory Hutchinson, Sam Olver and Howard Packman have also signed deals. As have forwards Will Allman, Sion Bennett, James Fish, Lewis Ludlam, Alex Moon, Jordan Onojaife and Josh Peters. Of the group, England Under-20 wing Collins, 21, is the most experienced in a Saints shirt, having made 27 first-team appearances. Scotland Under-20 centre Hutchinson, 20; England Under-20s 21-year-old fly-half Olver; England Under-20 wing Packman, 20 and England Under-20 second row Onojaife, 20, are the others in the group to have played for Northampton's first team. \"The Saints academy is doing its job, identifying and bringing through local talent. \"There are some highly-rated players in that group - some who've already made an impact in the first team such as Tom Collins and Harry Mallinder. \"The challenge for the club and the players is for more of them to make the step up now and break into the match-day 23 - something which has been difficult this season without an Anglo-Welsh Cup.\"", "summary": "Northampton Saints centre Harry Mallinder is among 13 youngsters to sign new deals with the club."}
{"article": "Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said his party would oppose it, unless they were promised a second referendum on the UK's Brexit deal with EU leaders. Several Labour MPs are also willing to vote against it, despite the Labour Party pledging not to do so. The government says Lib Dem and Labour MPs are \"trying to thwart and reverse the referendum result\". With the support of Conservative MPs and the support or abstention of most Labour MPs, the bill is well placed to pass through the Commons. But the opposition of some MPs is likely to embolden critics in the House of Lords. The Liberal Democrats have long called for a referendum on the outcome of the government's negotiations with EU, but only now have they said they will definitely vote against Article 50 if their demand is not met. Mr Farron, whose party has eight MPs in the Commons, told BBC Radio 4's Today: \"Article 50 would proceed but only if there is a referendum on the terms of the deal and if the British people are not respected then, yes, that is a red line and we would vote against the government.\" For Labour, shadow minister Catherine West, former leadership contender Owen Smith and south London MP Helen Hayes all made clear they were prepared to vote against Article 50 - which begins formal exit negotiations with the EU - if amendments were not accepted. Former Labour minister David Lammy and shadow transport minister Daniel Zeichner have said they would oppose Article 50. Opposition whip Thangam Debbonaire said she would also vote against it, if a vote were held imminently. The SNP's 54 MPs may join them. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said they will not vote for anything that undermines the will of the Scottish people, and has previously said they will vote against a bill to write EU provisions into British law to prepare for Brexit. Dulwich Labour MP Hayes said she was prepared to defy Labour whips to oppose the measure unless the government promised a second referendum. She said: \"I had somebody in my surgery last week who was in tears because of Brexit and I see genuine distress amongst my constituents about what this path means. \"I would not be representing them if I voted to trigger Article 50 on the basis of no information from the government about the path that they would then take us on.\" In posts on Twitter and Facebook earlier this week, shadow Foreign Office minister Catherine West wrote: \"As I have said before, I stand with the people of Hornsey & Wood Green, and I will vote against Brexit in Parliament.\" Owen Smith confirmed to Today that if his bid for a second referendum failed, he was likely to oppose the bill. The SDLP's three MPs will also oppose the measure. Ministers said MPs voting against Article 50 would effectively be trying to re-run the referendum in the hope of a \"different answer\". \"Parliament voted by a margin of six to one to put the decision on whether to", "summary": "Liberal Democrat, some Labour and SDLP MPs have told the BBC they are prepared to vote against triggering Article 50."}
{"article": "The 35-year-old, who missed the second half of last season with a knee injury, has committed to Swiss Indoors until 2019. Federer, who returned to action in January, won his first Grand Slam title since 2012 and his 18th in total with victory in the Australian Open. \"Playing in Basel is always a highlight of the year,\" he said. He has won Swiss Indoors seven times since making his debut in the tournament in 1998. He is scheduled to return to action next week at the Dubai Duty Free Championships. \"If I am spared again by the injuries, I am convinced that I am still capable of beating the best players in the world in the big tournaments,\" he said in January. Tennis correspondent Russell Fuller Federer's first appearance in his home tournament was in 1998, where as a 17-year-old he was beaten in straight sets by Andre Agassi. There is, of course, no guarantee Federer will be on the Order of Play in 2019, but this is another reminder of his long-term thinking. He missed the last six months of 2016, not just to allow his knee to recover, but also with preservation of his body in mind. At one stage, the conversation revolved around whether Federer would make it to the Rio Olympics. It is time to start the debate about Tokyo. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Roger Federer has signed a three-year deal to play at his hometown event in Basel until the age of 38."}
{"article": "Plaid is cooperating with Labour's minority government from opposition. Ms Wood said there was \"ongoing discussion\" about whether it was better to formally share power, with members genuinely torn over the \"dilemma\". But Plaid Cymru AM Neil McEvoy said that the agreed official position was against coalition and \"reports to the contrary surprise me\". The South Wales Central AM is due to speak at a fringe meeting at Plaid Cymru's conference on Saturday in opposition to joining Labour in the Welsh Government. But Ms Wood told BBC Wales that her party was \"actively considering this all the time\". \"This question of how best Plaid Cymru can play a role that protects Wales' best interests,\" she said. \"We have taken the view thus far that we can use this minority government situation to get as many of our manifesto commitments through and to influence other aspects like legislation, like the debate on Brexit. \"But we have also taken the view that the government deserves opposition as well and scrutiny and we can't afford to leave it just to the parties of the right to do that.\" \"That could change as time goes on, but as things stand at the moment the compact has served us well and the fact that we've managed to deliver \u00c2\u00a3119m worth of our commitments in the budget shows that it's working quite well for us at the moment.\" The compact was the agreement Plaid made with Labour to allow Carwyn Jones to return as first minister, a week after he and Ms Wood were deadlocked in a vote to take the top job. The two parties have a \"good working relationship\", she said, but there remained big differences between them over Brexit. Ms Wood added: \"I think people [in Plaid] are genuinely torn between the two views of whether or not they [Labour] are so bad at governing that we should be in there helping them, or they are doing such a bad job they need to be held to account with a strong opposition. This is the dilemma. \"I think that's the conundrum for most members.\" Simon Thomas, who represented Plaid Cymru in the compact negotiations, stressed what he saw as the success of the arrangement, while accepting that some in his party were pushing for a place in government. The Mid and West Wales AM said: \"Though there's always been, and always will be in Welsh politics, discussion about coalitions we have an actual relationship with the Welsh Government which I want to see work because I think it's delivered in the budget process. \"I think we need to maintain that going forward as the most appropriate method for challenging the government and holding them to account whilst, of course, not being in coalition with them.\" Plaid will use its conference in Llangollen to demonstrate t secured concessions in this week's draft budget including more money for higher education and medical training. As a result, Plaid plans to abstain on voting on the budget, which will allow the Labour-led Welsh Government's spending plans to pass. However,", "summary": "Plaid Cymru is \"actively considering\" whether to seek a coalition with Labour, leader Leanne Wood has said."}
{"article": "The former first lady and widow of former President Hafez al-Assad died in hospital, the presidency tweeted. Reports say she was ill for many years and travelled frequently to Germany for treatment before 2012, when she was blacklisted by the EU. Marrying Hafez in 1957, she had five children, three of them still alive. The rise of the Assads She was born into a wealthy family from Syria's Alawite minority from Latakia and rarely appeared in public after her marriage. However, she is believed to have stayed close to Bashar and the other children. She was later reported to have left Syria to join her daughter Bushra in the United Arab Emirates. Bushra moved there after a bomb killed her husband, Deputy Defence Minister Assef Shawkat, in 2012. Mrs Assad is survived by Bashar, Bushra and Bashar's younger brother Maher, a general in the Syrian army. Bashar's older brother Bassel, who had been groomed to take over the presidency, died in a car accident in 1994. The other brother, Majd, died of an unspecified illness in 2009, according to state media.", "summary": "The mother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Anisa, has died at the age of 86 in the capital Damascus, his office announced."}
{"article": "It will determine whether irregularities were committed and the election should be held again. Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer narrowly lost to the former leader of the Greens, Alexander Van der Bellen, by less than a percentage point. The court heard from about 90 witnesses during two weeks of public hearings. The Freedom Party argues that the way postal votes were handled was among numerous irregularities that culminated in its defeat to the Greens by just under 31,000 votes. It says that postal ballots were illegally handled in 94 out of 117 districts. Austrian far right challenges presidential poll result Is Europe lurching to the far right? Europe's nationalist surge, country by country Is populism a threat to Europe's economies? If elected Mr Hofer would have been the first far-right head of state of an EU country, Preliminary results in the vote count suggested he had a narrow lead but that disappeared after about 700,000 postal votes were counted. The party also claims it has evidence that under-16s and foreigners were allowed to vote. Mr Van der Bellen was eventually declared the winner of the largely ceremonial post with 50.3% of the vote against Mr Hofer's 49.7%. The president elect is due to be sworn in on 8 July. His lawyer insisted that any irregularities that did exist had a negligible impact on the ballot. Correspondents say that if the Constitutional Court disagrees with him, the election would be invalidated - a move that would send shockwaves throughout the country. Such a ruling would also mean that Austria would be compelled to hold another vote in the coming months. If a new election is ordered, departing President Heinz Fischer will be replaced on a temporary basis by three parliamentary officials, including Mr Hofer.", "summary": "Austria's Constitutional Court is due to rule on the far-right Freedom Party's challenge to the result of last month's presidential run-off vote."}
{"article": "Both panellists wrote articles attacking the other in the aftermath of the BBC show. On his blog, comedian and campaigner Brand called the UKIP leader an \"an end of the pier, end of the road, end of days politician\". Mr Farage wrote on the Independent website that Brand had been exposed as a \"messiah with feet of clay\". The two men were joined on Thursday night's show by Conservative Communities Minister Penny Mordaunt, shadow international development secretary Mary Creagh, and Times columnist Camilla Cavendish. In an often heated debate, with members of the audience yelling at each other and the panel, Brand called Mr Farage a \"pound shop Enoch Powell\" during a section on immigration, with the UKIP leader responding by saying he believed the UK was \"overcrowded\". The barbs did not stop when filming ended, as Mr Farage said the performance of the \"sometime comedian turned banker-basher\" had been \"limp\". He wrote: \"Mr Brand will swan around and tout long-discredited, even conspiratorial, theories about the City of London, and 'who owns politicians' - but actually he had very little to give.\" For his part, Brand said Mr Farage was \"worse than stagnant, he is a tribute act, he is a nostalgic spasm for a Britain that never was; an infinite cricket green with no-one from the colonies to raise the game, grammar schools on every corner and shamed women breastfeeding under giant parasols\". The breastfeeding reference followed a row over Mr Farage's suggestion that some venues might ask mothers to \"perhaps sit in a corner\" to feed their babies. Both men praised the audience of Question Time, which was filmed in Canterbury. Brand, who was urged to stand for Parliament by one man in the crowd. added: \"The only worthwhile sentiments, be they raging or insightful, come from the audience\". Other questions focused on the NHS, grammar schools and trust in politicians. The programme was watched by an average of 3.5 million viewers, with the audience peaking at 4.6 million at the start. This was nearly a million higher than the previous week's episode, but well below the 7.9 million viewers who watched ex-BNP leader Nick Griffin's appearance on the show in 2009. The encounter also triggered plenty of debate on social media, with 106,000 tweets during the show - compared with 22,000 the week before.", "summary": "Russell Brand and Nigel Farage have continued to trade insults following their Question Time clash."}
{"article": "Karen Williams and Patty King said the musician was given \"foreign substances to induce his premature death\" by his business manager Laverne Toney. Lawyers for King's estate said the claims are unfounded and disrespectful. Nevada's Clark County Coroner said it would investigate with the Las Vegas Police Department's homicide division. \"At this point, we don't have evidence that these allegations of foul play will be substantiated,\" Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg said. \"However, we are taking them very seriously and will be conducting a thorough investigation. \"We are co-ordinating our investigative efforts with the homicide division of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. I expect the investigation will take a minimum of six to eight weeks.\" However a statement from the Las Vegas Police Department said: \"Until such time as the Clark County Coroner determines Mr King's death to be from other than natural causes, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is not moving forward with any investigation.\" King died in his sleep at his Las Vegas home on 14 May, aged 89. At the time, his doctor and the coroner said he had died of a series of small strokes connected to his Type 2 diabetes. But the guitarist's daughters alleged that King's personal assistant Myron Johnson and Toney gave him medication to induce diabetic shock. The women added that \"King was sequestered from all family members\" in the week before his death, and that Toney and Johnson were the only people with him. Toney, who is the executor of King's estate, shrugged off the daughters' claims. \"They've been making allegations all along. What's new?\" she told the Associated Press. A lawyer for King's estate also dismissed the accusations as \"ridiculous\". \"I hope they have a factual basis that they can demonstrate for their defamatory and libellous allegations,\" Brent Bryson said in a statement. Earlier this year, Patty King, Karen Williams and a third daughter, Rita Washington, went to court accusing Toney of neglect, but the case was dismissed because of a lack of evidence. King was born on 16 September 1925 to sharecroppers and worked in the cotton fields as a child before picking up the guitar. Considered one of the world's greatest players, he was known for his sharp single notes and vibrato on the electric guitar he christened Lucille. Known for songs such as The Thrill Is Gone, Three O'Clock Blues and Darlin' You Know I Love You, he influenced generations of guitar players, and was inducted to both the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was married twice and had 15 natural and adopted children, 11 of whom are still alive. His funeral is scheduled to be held on Friday in Mississippi. The Clark County coroner said his investigation would not delay the service.", "summary": "US authorities are investigating the death of blues legend BB King after two of his daughters claimed he was poisoned."}
{"article": "Lloyds Banking Group said the faults were not caused by any external upgrade work or cyber attack. Many customers found their debit cards were declined and about 3,500 ATMs were not working for three hours. The technical fault has now been fixed, and the banking group has apologised to those affected. The hardware failure came on a normal day for the banking group, it said. \"We were in 'business as usual' mode - and there was no maintenance or update activity on the system at the time,\" said a spokeswoman for Lloyds. By Kevin PeacheyPersonal finance reporter, BBC News This is not the first bank to suffer from a computer failure, and it certainly won't be the last. New technology will put even more strain on the banks' creaking IT systems, which were built to run a very different banking system decades ago. So how do we cope as consumers? The irony is that the more we embrace the digital wallet, the more emergency cash we may need to carry for when these systems crash. \"We are working with our suppliers to understand what caused the hardware failure, but there is no evidence that it was as a result of an external intervention or attack on our systems. \"We continually review and update our systems as necessary and make significant investment to do this.\" The chief executive of TSB, Paul Pester, said on Sunday that its customers' debit card transactions had been affected after problems with two out of seven IT servers. He tweeted an apology and replied to some comments personally. Lloyds Banking Group serves about 30 million customers and is the largest retail banking group in the UK. TSB has about five million UK customers and is in the process of being split from Lloyds Banking Group. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the City watchdog, said it had been in contact with Lloyds and would be updated on how customers had been affected. Not everyone who tried to use their cards suffered problems, and Lloyds said that online customers were unaffected. UK banks have suffered a series of IT problems over the past few years. In December, an estimated 750,000 customers at the Royal Bank of Scotland group were unable to use their credit and debit cards for several hours. Leanne Seaward, 29, from Verwood in Dorset, said she discovered she had problems when she went to pay for her weekly supermarket shop at about 16.15 GMT on Sunday. \"It was a little embarrassing, I put my card in and it kept saying transaction void. I thought it was because I am in the process of switching banks, so assumed they might have closed my account without telling me. \"Luckily I had my husband with me so he was able to pay, but if I was getting petrol and on my own it could have been a completely different matter.\" Your experiences A week later, NatWest - which is part of the group - said that it was hit by a cyber attack. A deliberate attempt to disrupt services by", "summary": "A hardware failure was the cause of the shutdown of some Halifax, Lloyds, Bank of Scotland and TSB cash machines and debit cards on Sunday."}
{"article": "Bale, 26, has not played since injuring his calf in Real Madrid's 5-1 win against Sporting Gijon on 17 January. Liverpool expect Allen, 25, to be out \"for a while\" with a hamstring injury. Wales assistant manager Osian Roberts is \"hopeful\" Bale will be fit but said: \"The most important thing is the injury clears up because it can re-occur.\" Bale is expected to miss Real's Champions League game against Roma on Wednesday after suffering a minor setback in his recovery. \"Time will tell over the next two or three weeks how that develops as Gareth steps up his rehab, and we'll take it from there,\" added Roberts. \"He's got some key games coming up for Real Madrid and it's important for us that he's fully fit for such an important tournament in the summer. \"Both ourselves and his club will have Gareth's best interests at heart. It's important that the injury fully heals and he doesn't come back too early.\" Wales host Northern Ireland at Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday 24 March before facing Ukraine in Kiev four days later as part of their preparations for Euro 2016. Allen is likely to miss Liverpool's League Cup final against Manchester City on Sunday 28 February after his penalty against Stoke in the semi-final shootout secured their place at Wembley. \"Joe has been unlucky with injuries. As far as the friendlies are concerned it's going to be tight. Time will tell,\" said Roberts. \"There's no need to rush him back. We know what Joe can do. \"The important thing is that the injury is fully healed and he can have a run of games before the end of the season.\" Roberts was speaking at a Football Association of Wales grassroots coaching conference at Dragon Park in Newport.", "summary": "Wales are unsure if forward Gareth Bale and midfielder Joe Allen will be fit for their friendly matches against Northern Ireland and Ukraine in March."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 19 June 2015 Last updated at 12:11 BST Drone footage produced by Chester Unlocked has revealed hidden craftsmanship such as the Chester Imp carving high up in one of its windows. Other iconic landmarks in the city will be filmed throughout the year.", "summary": "A history project has given a glimpse of Chester cathedral which has not been seen for centuries."}
{"article": "The scheme, called Project Griffin, is aimed at workers in busy or crowded places, including the hospitality industry and the health service. It will outline the threat of terrorism and teach people what to do if they are caught up in a terrorist incident. It will also help them recognise and report suspicious activity. The industry self-delivery scheme has been rolled out by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), with the aim of reaching one million people across the UK. Police Scotland is inviting public limited companies and key public sector partners to register for the scheme. Local counter-terrorism advisors will provide briefings to trainers from registered companies and organisations, who will be able to feed the information back to colleagues. Police Scotland has called for increased vigilance from Scottish communities, in particular the public and business sectors, following recent high-profile terrorist attacks in Europe. Last week, it announced plans to increase its number of armed police officers by about a third following warnings the country would not be able to cope with a major terror attack. However, the force stressed there was no specific terror threat to Scotland. Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins, from Police Scotland's operational support division, said: \"The threat level for the United Kingdom against international terrorism remains at severe. \"This means the threat of an attack is considered to be highly likely. \"The threat level to the United Kingdom from Northern Ireland related terrorism was raised on 11 May from moderate to substantial. This means an attack is a strong possibility. \"Businesses and organisations can play a crucial role in keeping staff and the public safe through the Project Griffin self-delivery scheme. \"Companies are best placed to explain to their staff what action they can take to enhance security and how to respond if the worst happens. I would urge companies and partners to sign up.\" Police Scotland has included a \"Red Stop Button\" on most pages of its website to enable people to report the presence of terrorist or extremist material, or discussions online. Ch Insp Ronnie Megaughin, deputy director of the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, said: \"This extension of Project Griffin, which will enable a greater number of businesses to ensure their staff are sufficiently aware and prepared for an act of terrorism, is most welcome. \"Whilst being prepared and knowing what to do is vital, it is equally important that as many people as possible who work in busy places are aware of the threat and are better equipped to recognise and report suspicious activity. \"Self-delivery of Project Griffin modules will enable businesses to contribute to the safety of their own staff and also to the wider safety of the public.\"", "summary": "Scottish businesses and organisations are being urged to sign up for a scheme to keep their staff and the public safe in the event of a terrorist attack."}
{"article": "Following a judicial review, Lord Jones said ministers reached their decision on SSE's Stronelairg project \"in breach of environmental obligations\". Landscape charity the John Muir Trust sought the review after the wind farm was given planning consent last year. The trust said the turbines would \"destroy the character\" of wild land. Stuart Brooks, the John Muir Trust's chief executive, said the charity was \"delighted\" with the review's result. The Mountaineering Council of Scotland and National Trust for Scotland have also welcomed the judicial review. SSE said it was \"disappointed\". The court heard that Scottish Natural Heritage had objected in principle to the wind farm's proposed site. Lord Jones said: \"If the ministers did take into consideration SNH's objection in principle to any wind farm development at Stronelairg, they have given no reason for rejecting it, and the decision is defective on that account.\" The public was also denied an opportunity to comment on a revised planning application for the proposed wind farm, the judge said. He said the government's decision to give consent should be set aside. Energy Minister Fergus Ewing granted permission for SSE Renewables' project in July last year. It was said at that time the wind farm could generate enough electricity to power 114,000 homes. The operators also said it would bring \u00c2\u00a330m-worth of benefits to the region. However, the John Muir Trust said the development would \"destroy the character\" of an area of wild land in the Monadhliath Mountains. It lodged a petition to the Court of Session asking for a judicial review of his decision. SSE had sought permission for up to 83 turbines at Stronelairg near its Glendoe hydro electric scheme above Fort Augustus. However, in April 2013, Highland councillors voted 11 to three in favour of raising no objection on the understanding the project was reduced to 67 turbines. Following the judicial review, Mr Brooks said: \"This is great news for all those who love Scotland's wild land and wish to see it protected. \"A financial appeal brought a tremendous level of support from over a thousand well-wishers, allowing the trust to proceed. \"Lord Jones has now decided the trust's court action was well-founded.\" A spokesperson for SSE said: \"We are disappointed with the result of the judicial review of the consent decision for Stronelairg wind farm. \"We will now review the judgement in detail and consider our options accordingly.\"", "summary": "A judge at the Court of Session has said the Scottish government's decision to approve a 67-turbine wind farm near Fort Augustus was \"defective\"."}
{"article": "Chris Sane left South Gloucestershire Council days before it emerged the cost of building the North Fringe to Hengrove route had risen \u00a34.6m since November. Amid months of traffic delays, the construction bill is now \u00a316m higher than forecast two years ago. Mr Sane resigned on 30 June for \"personal reasons\", the council said. \"We can confirm that Chris Sane has now left South Gloucestershire Council, with effect from 30 June,\" a spokeswoman said. \"Alternative arrangements have been put in place to cover this role in the interim.\" Earlier this week, a report to the council's cabinet authored by the now former head of transport revealed construction delays were behind the rising costs of the MetroBus route, which runs from Cribbs Causeway to the north of Bristol, through the city centre to Hengrove in south Bristol. South Gloucestershire will need to spend an extra \u00a39.8m above its original \u00a330.5m contribution to the scheme to cover the increased costs. The report recommended the extra cash is taken from the highways maintenance budget over the next 10 years. Commuters have been enduring roadworks associated with the scheme in the city centre, on the M32 and various other locations in South Gloucestershire.", "summary": "The man in charge of delivering a major part of Bristol's MetroBus network has resigned from his role."}
{"article": "Martina Zupan, a fourth-year product design student, designed and produced the product called \"Colleggtion\". The process to make the disposable circular plate with tearaway cutlery currently has a patent pending. Ms Zupan, 26, hopes to develop her idea into a business when she finishes her studies. The product is one of hundreds of exhibits at Edinburgh Napier's More Than A Degree Show. The student believes her tableware could help highlight the opportunities that upcycling waste eggshells can bring. Ms Zupan said: \"The idea literally came to me one day as I was making scrambled eggs in the house and after some extensive research I found that despite eggshells carrying a range of beneficial components, very little was actually being done to upcycle waste product. \"I tested eggshell powder in a range of formats - including adding it to muffins, into plaster for egg cups and even cement and other resins but it was the tableware idea that really caught my imagination.\" She added: \"I think I've managed to produce a sophisticated product that has the potential to highlight a new method of producing sustainable tableware and cutlery - it's been really exciting to work on.\" Richard Firth, programme leader for the product design course, said: \"Martina's commitment, determination and drive to try and try again has been rewarded in a design project that is truly unique with the potential to achieve real change with regard to how we think about materials, design our products and how we engage with producing our products within the 21st Century.\" Edinburgh Napier's More Than A Degree Show is an annual showcase of creative talent from its School of Arts and Creative Industries and School of Computing. The exhibition runs at the university's Merchiston campus and is open to the public from 19-28 May.", "summary": "An Edinburgh Napier University student has created a range of tableware made from upcycled eggshells."}
{"article": "She inherited the East Londonderry seat from David McClarty after his untimely death from cancer, following in his footsteps as a liberal unionist working hard on the bread and butter concerns of her constituents. She was perhaps best known for a speech during last year's Stormont crisis, in which she pronounced that the House of Cards was falling down and hoped the \"jokers at the top\" would never get back up. Having secured a seat via the assembly's co-option system, some whispered that Ms Sugden wouldn't survive her first election. But she proved the doubters wrong, getting 3.270 first preference votes and ensuring the Ulster Unionist party didn't make a comeback. It might have been assumed that she would dedicate herself to consolidating her position as a grassroots politician, and when the Ulster Unionists announced they were going into opposition, she spoke approvingly of the move. But then Alliance decided to dig their heels in around a demand for reforms to Stormont's controversial petition of concern vetoes, and the DUP and Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in started to look in a different direction for a justice minister. In contrast to Alliance, Ms Sugden did not present Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness with a five-point wish list. Sitting in her new ministerial office, she told me she didn't think that was appropriate. Instead, she hopes to achieve change incrementally by building relationships with her new executive colleagues. For example, she wants Stormont politicians to have an \"open and fair discussion\" about the fact that Northern Ireland women are still travelling to Great Britain to have abortions, and hopes to achieve \"some constructive change\". Similarly on same sex marriage, I asked if she would now bear some responsibility if the DUP vetoes another Assembly motion, given that Alliance had been looking for such vetoes to be radically restricted. Ms Sugden acknowledges she would be disappointed, but again believes that a \"subtle approach\" is more likely to pay dividends. She promises to have conversations with her executive colleagues \"behind closed doors\" in an effort to get them to change their minds on the issue. She knows there may be occasions on which the two big parties are tempted to overrule her. But she says that if they do so, it will impact on them as she was their nominee for the job, and she vows not to be a \"sitting duck\" for either the DUP or Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in. It's no secret the last few days have been very difficult ones for the 29-year-old MLA. Not only has she faced a political dilemma, but her family has been dealing with the trauma of a motorcycle accident which left her brother-in-law very seriously injured. As the daughter of a prison officer, she knows about the need to take security precautions, but she describes the inevitable risks of taking the justice post as \"life changing\". Ms Sugden describes the last week as perhaps the toughest of her life. But flicking through her \"first day brief\", she hopes to move forward on a more positive note.", "summary": "Until the Assembly broke for the election campaign, Claire Sugden was an occupant of what used to be called the \"naughty corner\"."}
{"article": "Rebecca Allen, director of Education Datalab, says research has found \"incredibly reliable\" marking available overseas costing \u00c2\u00a32 to \u00c2\u00a33 per hour. Dr Allen says there needed to be more radical approaches to cutting workload. But heads' leader Brian Lightman said he would have \"serious concerns\" about regularly outsourcing marking. Mr Lightman, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union, said: \"Marking of pupils' work is an integral part of the professional duties of a teacher.\" Dr Allen, speaking at an Education Media Centre event, suggested that even though all political parties backed the idea of cutting workload for teachers, there were few practical measures to achieve this and \"radically different ways\" should be considered. She said schools should consider re-thinking some of the most time-consuming activities, such as marking pupils' work. \"We've got to look elsewhere. We can't just say things like 'paperwork'. I think we need to be realistic and think in radical ways about things like marking,\" said Dr Allen, who is also reader in the economics of education at the UCL Institute of Education. Marking remained popular with parents and was seen as providing evidence for inspections and so teachers were likely to remain under pressure to carry on with large amounts of marking. As such she suggested that there needed to be more imaginative ways of tackling the workload. One approach could be to \"outsource marking\". She said research projects had found accurate marking could be carried out overseas, in countries such as India, for about \u00c2\u00a33 per hour or less. Another approach likely to be explored was using computer technology, she said. There have already been some experiments with outsourcing the marking of vocational qualifications, with candidates' answers being scanned into a computer system in the UK to be checked by staff in India. But heads' leader Mr Lightman said: \"Whilst we would agree that technology can, in appropriate cases be used to process some assessments, I would have serious concerns about outsourcing routine marking. \"Teachers need to see pupils' work themselves so that they can fully understand the degree to which their pupils have understood what has been taught. \"Schools must be resourced adequately to provide them with the time to do this. \"The unnecessary workload surrounding marking has been caused by a high stakes accountability system which places teachers under intense pressure to provide 'evidence' to justify their assessment decisions.\" Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: \"Teachers don't just look at the rightness or wrongness of the student's answer - they want to understand and support the student's learning process. Outsourcing doesn't help at all with assessment for learning.\" Teachers' unions have frequently complained that excessive workload is one of the major problems for the teaching profession. It has been blamed as a barrier for recruiting teachers and a reason for those leaving the profession. And earlier this year, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg promised that they wanted to find \"decisive measures\" to \"tackle the root causes of unnecessary teacher workload\".", "summary": "Teachers could reduce their workload by outsourcing the marking of pupils' school work to staff overseas, suggests a leading education researcher."}
{"article": "The UN says the arms were part of legitimate consignment for its mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Drugs tests carried out on a substance found around some of the UN vehicles were negative, the police said. The vehicles were allowed to be reloaded on board before the ship left, but the police have retained the arms. The rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, which were among the weapons found inside the UN vehicles, would be delivered under Kenyan escort to Indian peacekeepers in DR Congo, Mombasa County police commander Francis Wanjohi said. He said it would be too dangerous for the MV Hoegh Transporter to continue its journey if it was common knowledge there were weapons aboard, because of the threat of piracy. The ship had been sailing from Mumbai in India, but its final destination is unknown. The BBC's Ferdinand Omondi in Mombasa says the dramatic midnight raid on the vessel after it had docked on Thursday night involved several elite Kenya police units, including the narcotics squad and the criminal investigation department. The whole port was shut down and people asked to leave as it searched the ship, he says. The UN's Nairobi office said the misunderstanding over the weapons, often stored in vehicles for to avoid damage in transit, was down to a clerical error. It said although the weapons were not declared in the manifest, a separate declaration accompanying the military vehicles was attached. A UN spokesman further explained new vehicles often had anti-humidity powder put around tyres for long shipments. Hoegh Autoliners, the owners of the ship, were contemplating suing the state for damages and defamation, a lawyer representing them in Kenya, said. \"The hullabaloo was so much ado about nothing,\" Cliff Ombeta told Kenya's Star newspaper. UN's mission in DR Congo is one of the organisation's biggest peacekeeping operations, with nearly 20,000 personnel.", "summary": "A Norwegian ship detained in Kenya's Mombasa port for more than a week on suspicion of carrying drugs and illegal weapons has been released."}
{"article": "In an unexpected decision, the BOJ eased monetary policy on worries that lower oil prices would affect consumer prices. The central bank will increase the pace at which it expands base money to 80 trillion yen ($726bn; \u00c2\u00a3454bn) a year, instead of 60-70 trillion yen. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed up 4.8% at 16,413.76 after the news. It had hit a seven-year high of 16,455.84 in mid-afternoon trade after rising by more than 5%. The dollar rose 1.2% to 110.68 yen, the highest since January 2008. Several pieces of data out of Japan in the morning showing a weaker economy also failed to dent investor sentiment. The country's annual core consumer inflation eased for a second straight month in September, while its jobless rate rose in the same period. Household spending also fell more than expected last month, adding to evidence that the central bank would probably maintain its massive stimulus programme. Asian shares, meanwhile, were already up after positive economic data from the US showed strength in the world's largest economy. Data showed the US economy grew at an annual rate of 3.5% in the third quarter. The news came a day after the Federal Reserve announced the end of its monetary stimulus programme. Greater China shares followed the uptrend, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng index closing up 1.25% at 23,998.06 points. On the mainland, the Shanghai Composite closed up 1.3% at 2,420.9 points. In Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 closed up 0.9% at 5,526.60 points, following Wall Street's gains overnight. Shares in heavyweight miners BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto rose 0.8% and 1.8% respectively. In South Korea, the Kospi was up 0.3% at 1,964.43 points.", "summary": "Japan led Asian shares higher after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) surprised markets by announcing more stimulus measures."}
{"article": "Manager Archibald has guided the Jags to finishes of 10th, ninth and eighth over the last three campaigns. \"On and off the pitch, he's had a big influence,\" striker Doolan told BBC Scotland. \"It's no surprise that people are taking notice of that and hopefully we can keep hold of him.\" Archibald is no longer on the short-list for the managerial vacancy at English League One outfit Shrewsbury and Doolan is pleased the 38-year-old decided he had \"unfinished business\" at Firhill. \"Alan is a massive figure round the club and he symbolises all that's good about Partick Thistle,\" he said. \"He's built something here that's long-lasting.\" Doolan is unconcerned about his own lack of league goals so far this season. The 29-year-old scored against Airdrieonians in the Scottish League Cup in August, but none have followed in the Premiership. \"I'm there to score goals and that's what I've done year in, year out,\" said Doolan. \"You pull on your experience from years gone past and there have always been times when you haven't scored - it's nothing to panic about.\" Doolan's strike-rate has reached double figures in each of his last six years at Firhill. The former Auchinleck Talbot man had only scored twice at this stage last season but went on to net another 12 before the end of the 2015-16 campaign. Thistle are still waiting on their first Premiership win since beating Inverness Caledonian Thistle on the opening day of the league season. In what is their fourth consecutive season in the top flight, the Maryhill men are 11th in the Premiership - level on six points with bottom club Dundee - but Doolan feels it is far too early to read anything into that position. \"Look at the league table; it's so tight,\" he said ahead of the weekend game with Ross County. \"One win and the full outlook of the season can change, so we're going into Saturday with high hopes. \"We've set standards across the years that we've been in the Premier League and it's up to us to maintain those standards and surpass them. \"It's testament to the club that now we're not considered the yo-yo team.\"", "summary": "Kris Doolan has stressed the importance to Partick Thistle of holding on to Alan Archibald after a failed approach from English club Shrewsbury Town."}
{"article": "BBC Radio Norfolk's Nick Conrad made the comments during a phone-in about the ex-Sheffield United footballer. The comments provoked 46 complaints and the BBC and the presenter apologised. Watchdog Ofcom said his comments \"were offensive\" and \"not justified by the context of the show\" but the BBC had taken steps to limit the offence. Evans, a Welsh international, was jailed in April 2012 for raping a 19-year-old woman at a North Wales hotel. Speaking on his mid-morning programme last November, Conrad said he thought women \"need to be more aware of a man's sexual desire\" and \"it's very difficult for many men to say no when they are whipped up into a bit of a storm\". \"If you don't wish to give out the wrong signals it's best probably to keep your knickers on and not get into bed with him,\" he said. Ofcom investigated the comments that \"victims of rape could be 'partially responsible' for the crime committed against them\", in relation to news about convicted rapist Ched Evans. \"Having carefully reviewed all the material, Ofcom found Conrad's comments were offensive and weren't justified by the context of the show,\" a spokesman said. He said the BBC \"took steps to limit offence\" in the programme by including a \"significant\" live contribution from a representative of the End Violence Against Women Coalition. Conrad apologised later making it clear \"women and victims were in no way to blame\". After Ofcom announced its decision, a BBC spokesman said: \"We note the findings.\" At the time, a spokesman described Conrad's comments as \"very ill-judged\". Evans was released last year after serving half of his sentence. He apologised \"for the effects\" of his actions in 2011 shortly after Oldham Athletic withdrew their offer to sign him as a player in January. The club decided against the deal following threats made to sponsors, staff and fans. Evans continues to maintain his innocence over his rape conviction.", "summary": "A BBC presenter who said women should \"keep their knickers on\" during a live debate about convicted rapist Ched Evans will face no action by Ofcom."}
{"article": "\"It is absolutely clear businesses where they have discretion over investment, where they can hold off, are doing so - you can understand why. \"They are waiting for more clarity about what the future relationship with Europe will look like,\" he said. The second round of Brexit negotiations take place in Brussels on Monday. Mr Hammond's comments came as a Confederation of British Industry (CBI) survey suggested that 42% of UK firms believe Brexit has hurt their investment plans. The CBI called on the government to quickly secure a future EU trade deal. Barclays eyes Dublin expansion post-Brexit What do businesses want from Article 50 talks? Trade explainer: Single market and customs union Reality Check: 'Red lines' on Brexit Mr Hammond said that government ministers were becoming increasingly convinced of the need for transitional arrangements to reduce disruption as the UK leaves the EU. \"Five weeks ago the idea of a transition period was quite a new concept, I think now you would find that pretty much everybody around the cabinet table accepts that there will be some kind of transition,\" he said. \"We're into a real process now with the start of negotiations and I think you'll find the cabinet rallying around a position that maximises our negotiating leverage and gets the best possible deal for Britain.\" He said a transitional arrangement was \"right and sensible both for the UK and EU\" and could potentially take a \"couple of years\". Analysis: Joe Lynam, BBC business correspondent When companies make a big investment, they tend to make a big splash about it. Press releases issued, stock exchanges advised and ministerial blessings acquired. But when businesses decide NOT to invest in new staff, a new production line or even a new product, we rarely get to hear about it. Companies pausing or cancelling investment - for whatever reason - is counter-factual. So surveys and anonymous polling are the next best way to gauge the corporate mood. Although some Brexiteers regard the CBI as a pro-EU vassal, its survey showing two-fifths of companies pausing their investment plans because of Brexit is not an outlier. It chimes with similar reports from the British Chambers of Commerce, Deloitte and the Institute of Directors. And who would blame firms for holding off? If their biggest market could soon be in or out of the Single Market, in or out of the Customs Union, and beholden or not to the ECJ, it does matter for their future investment plans. Brexit minister David Davis is due in Brussels on Monday for the next round of talks with EU officials. Ministers have talked of a transitional period after the UK leaves the EU to avoid a \"cliff edge\" scenario, but the length and precise arrangements have yet to be decided. Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics show, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said any transitional period should be \"very time-limited\", and should allow the UK to strike new trade deals - something it is unable to do as part of the EU's customs union. Mr Fox accepted it was not", "summary": "Chancellor Philip Hammond has told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that businesses are holding off from investing in the UK because of uncertainty about Brexit."}
{"article": "This year's winner will be announced in December, but all four nominated works will be on display until January. In its four-star review, London's Evening Standard said: \"The display of work by the four contenders efficiently captures art's current mood.\" Mark Hudson in The Telegraph also gave the nominees four stars, but added: \"Michelangelo it certainly isn't.\" \"There's plenty to exasperate the sceptic and give even the most receptive gallery-goer a headache,\" he added. \"None the less, this is one of the strongest Turner Prize shows in ages.\" The Guardian's Adrian Searle said the show was \"perhaps the most peculiar and baffling Turner prize show I can remember\". \"I haven't enjoyed being so confounded and perplexed in a long time,\" he added. But Rachel Campbell-Johnston from The Times gave the nominated works two stars, commenting: \"This year's Turner display is nothing if not idiosyncratic.\" She added the meaning of some of the artworks is not immediately clear when looking at them. \"You have to start with the written explanation and then work out how their objects illustrate their ideas. \"That's why I would like Helen Marten to win, she produces the most visually intriguing pieces of the four candidates.\" The Guardian also tips \"the inscrutable, endlessly inventive\" Marten to win, saying she \"makes life feel less bare, more rich, more absorbing\". The BBC's arts editor Will Gompertz said the same, adding that her artworks are \"sort of time capsule stories containing an arrangement of clues that help the viewer solve a riddle\". The Turner Prize exhibition is at Tate Britain from 27 September until 8 January 2017. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Art critics have given broadly positive reviews to this year's Turner Prize exhibition at Tate Britain."}
{"article": "However, Sutton insists his statement is not a criticism and that Sir Chris Hoy has had similiar problems. He said: \"Nicole's become one of these people that most people do in life - they don't cope with success.\" Road race gold medallist Cooke says there were no examples for her to emulate after the 2008 Games. Cooke won the 2004 Giro D'Italia Feminile, plus the La Grande Boucle F\u00e9minine in 2006 and 2007 among numerous podium finishes before making history at the 2008 Games by becoming Wales' second woman Olympic gold winner. Sir Chris [Hoy] won't mind me saying the guy crumbled for 12 months after all that success because of the change in lifestyle. He couldn't cope Since the euphoria of that triumph, Cooke has been unable to reach the heights she previously enjoyed. Sutton, the former Welsh cycling coach and 1978 Commonwealth Games team pursuit gold medallist, says like track cyclist Sir Chris and Sydney 2000 Games 1km time trial gold medallist Jason Queally, Cooke's performances have dipped. \"In our sport or whatever sport or whatever, if you get beat, what do you do?\" Sutton said. \"You get up the next morning, you start training again and you change because you know you have to change, but you train and you change. \"When you win - most people, they can't cope with success. \"That's not a criticism, I'm just saying it from the likes of Jason Queeley, I've seen it with the likes of Sir Chris Hoy. \"Sir Chris won't mind me saying the guy crumbled for 12 months after all that success because of the change in lifestyle. He couldn't cope.\" Cooke does not deny Sutton has a point, but points to a lack of guidance from within the sport in the wake of her Beijing triumph. She told Wales at the Olympics: \"There were so many steps along the way where you could look at any little phase of my career and say 'I could have done that better'. \"But who was there to advise me? \"No one had ever done it before. No other British rider had become world number one. Between 2001 and 2009, Nicole Cooke (left) won an unprecedented nine consecutive British national road race titles. However, in 2010 Emma Pooley took the honours with Lizzie Armitstead second. In 2011, Armitstead won the title ahead of Cooke. In 2012 the race was won by Sharon Laws with Cooke sixth. British Olympic Dreams on BBC One/iPlayer \"No other British rider had won a World Cup. No other British rider had won the Tour de France [La Grande Boucle F\u00e9minine], no other British rider had won the Giro D'Italia and no other British rider had become Olympic champion [or] world number one. \"So if there was a book written on how to do that, well I would have been very happy to have it. \"But there wasn't a book so I had to do the best I could and yeah, it was part of the journey.\" Even so Cooke has the chance to defend her title after", "summary": "Team GB cycling head coach Shane Sutton says 2012 Olympics hopeful Nicole Cooke did not cope with her gold medal success at the 2008 Beijing Games."}
{"article": "The bank, which is owned by the Swiss federal government, said the loss could affect its ability to pay a dividend this year. Those dividends are traditionally used to pay for public services. Switzerland shocked markets in January when it abandoned its four-year currency peg to the euro. The move saw the Swiss franc skyrocket in value as investors piled into the currency over fears of a renewed eurozone debt crisis despite the imminent onset of quantitative easing by the European Central Bank (ECB). The continued strength of the Swiss franc is hurting exports from the country which are down 2.6% this year. The tourism industry has also reported fewer visitors and retailers are also struggling. The first-half loss was almost entirely - 47.2bn francs - the result of losses on foreign exchange positions, which occurred in the weeks that immediately follow the bank's decision to remove the currency peg against the euro. Since ending the 1.20 francs per euro cap, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) has intervened in the currency market by buying euros to weaken the franc, which currently hovers at around 1.06 francs per euro. The bank, which also has several private shareholders, warned that its full-year results would rely heavily on developments in the gold, foreign exchange and broader financial markets. \"Strong fluctuations are therefore to be expected, and only provisional conclusions are possible as regards the annual result,\" the central bank said in a statement. The SNB said euro-denominated assets made up 42% of its investment portfolio at the end of June, unchanged from the end of March, and 32% was held in US dollars, also unchanged. Peter Hegglin, the head of Switzerland's 26 canton finance directors, said he was \"not going to assume\" that the first half loss would mean the SNB would not be paying a full year dividend, suggesting the bank could still reverse its fortunes.", "summary": "The soaring value of the Swiss franc against the euro has led Switzerland's central bank to report a first half loss of 50bn francs (\u00c2\u00a333bn)."}
{"article": "The court made the decision after a case was brought by protester Samira Ibrahim. She accused the Egyptian army of forcing her to undergo a virginity test after she was arrested during a protest in Tahrir Square in March. Human rights organisations say the Egyptian military has used the practice widely as a punishment. \"The court orders that the execution of the procedure of virginity tests on girls inside military prisons be stopped,\" judge Aly Fekry, head of Cairo administrative court said, according to Reuters. The ruling was greeted by cheers from hundreds of activists inside the courtroom. Activists had demanded that the authorities prosecute anyone responsible for subjecting protesters to such tests. Earlier this year, an Egyptian general was quoted as acknowledging that the military had conducted such tests, saying that they were used so women would not later claim they had been raped by authorities. Human rights groups say such tests are a degrading form of abuse and the general's justification a legal absurdity.", "summary": "A Cairo court has ordered forced virginity tests on female detainees in military prisons to be stopped."}
{"article": "The 36-year-old was due to captain the county in their final four Division One fixtures, but has been asked to rest a hamstring injury by Cricket Australia. \"We are naturally disappointed that Adam cannot return,\" said managing director of cricket Angus Fraser. \"He is a fine player and a highly respected member of our squad. His presence will be missed.\" Voges has played 18 Tests for Australia and featured in all three games of their recent series defeat by Sri Lanka. He had made six Championship appearances for Middlesex before that tour, scoring 388 runs.", "summary": "Championship leaders Middlesex will be without Australia batsman Adam Voges for the remainder of the 2016 season."}
{"article": "The Elephants have a friendly this weekend's against the Netherlands and a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at home to Guinea a week later. Gervinho, who plays for Chinese side Hebei Fortune, missed January's Nations Cup with a knee injury. Coach Marc Wilmots has also had to replace Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha with Fulham's Gohi Bi Cyriac. The two-time African champions are rebuilding after an embarrassing group stage exit in Gabon early this year. The friendly against the Netherlands is Wilmots' first game in charge of the Elephants.\u202c \u202aIn August, they resume their World Cup qualifying campaign away in Gabon. The Ivory Coast head Group C with four points from their first two matches.\u202c", "summary": "China-based Gervinho has been recalled to the Ivory Coast squad as late replacement for injured Salomon Kalou."}
{"article": "The company said staff who walk out in the ongoing dispute over the role of conductors would be paid the money when industrial action came to an end. The RMT union described it as \"another outrageous and bullying attack on staff fighting for public safety\". General secretary Mick Cash said staff were \"signing away basic human rights\". Passengers on Southern services have suffered months of delays and disruption caused by the industrial action over the introduction of Driver Only Operated trains. The next 48-hour walkout takes place next week, with further strikes planned in the run-up to Christmas and over the new year. Mr Cash said it was \"despicable\" that Southern \"felt it necessary to try and hoodwink staff\" into signing an agreement with the \"sole purpose to stop lawful industrial action\". In a statement, Southern said: \"Passengers have had to endure 17 days of strikes so far with 11 more to come, causing misery and hardship to people's work and family lives. \"We feel we cannot make these payments to conductors who are planning to take industrial action. \"They will be paid once the industrial action is over.\"", "summary": "Southern rail has been accused of bullying after it asked staff to sign a pledge not to strike in exchange for getting backdated holiday pay early."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old scored 23 goals in 39 appearances last season to help Hibs to the Scottish Championship title. Former Scotland Under-21 international Cummings moved to Easter Road in 2013 and in total struck 69 times in 148 matches in all competitions. He also helped Hibs lift the Scottish Cup in 2016 and moves to a side managed by former Rangers boss Mark Warburton. \"It is a massive club and I played against the manager's team a couple of years ago and I like the way they played,\" Cummings told the Forest website. \"I had a couple of mates in his team then and they only said good things about him so I am looking forward to playing under him. \"I want to play football and score goals and the way that the manager's teams play, they normally create a lot of chances so I feel that I am in the right team to create chances and hopefully I can get a few goals.\" Cummings signed a four-year contract at Hibs last July following the Edinburgh club's first Scottish Cup win in 114 years. \"Jason goes with our very best wishes,\" said chief executive Leeann Dempster. \"He made a major contribution to our season in gaining us promotion back to the Premiership.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Nottingham Forest have signed striker Jason Cummings from Hibernian for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal."}
{"article": "The complaints were raised at a board meeting of the East of England Ambulance Service held in Norwich. Essex paramedic Ian Harvey told how a pregnant woman was recently taken to hospital by car because an ambulance was unavailable. The ambulance service said it would be considering the concerns raised. Mr Harvey, and fellow Essex paramedic David Taylor, claimed there was \"widespread bullying of workers\" and that managers \"don't care about frontline staff\". Mr Harvey said waits for a fully-equipped ambulance - rather than a rapid response vehicle - could vary between two minutes and two hours. Mr Harvey said: \"This is a service which impacts on the public greatly, it is life or death.\" Responding to concerns, board chairman Paul Remington, said: \"It's vital to have a discussion, however uncomfortable\" A spokesman for the ambulance service said the two Essex paramedics had been \"asked to share their concerns and listen to how the trust is going forward in the future\".", "summary": "Ambulance management in the east of England have been told they are running a \"flimsy excuse for a service\" by their own paramedics."}
{"article": "One has attracted global celebrities and sports stars, and has been followed mile-by-mile on TV and at the roadside by millions of people. The other is lucky to get a solitary figure on a street corner cheering it on. But the differences between the official Olympic torch relay and the amateur Real Relay do not end there. While the official flame is stopped in its tracks every night, the Real Relay continues 24 hours a day as part of its non-stop journey around the British Isles. And later it will move in front of its official counterpart in Dover. \"The Real Relay was conceived when we saw that the Olympic torch was spending a lot of time in the back of a van,\" says Kate Treleaven, one of the organisers. \"We sensed a missed opportunity and set out to recruit real grassroots runners from around the British Isles to run all the way around the Olympic torch route.\" Instead of the golden Olympic torch carried on the official route, runners carry a metre-long baton which has a GPS tracker inside so people can follow the runners' progress. There are 672 stages of 10-to-12 miles in the relay, which started at Land's End in Cornwall on 28 May - 10 days behind the official one - and concludes at the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, five days ahead of the torch relay. By the time it reaches London more than 2,000 runners will have taken part, covering 7,377 miles on foot, over 55 days and nights. In pictures: The Real Relay The Real Relay has had little publicity but word of mouth has seen it take off, Ms Treleaven says. She believes the tradition of a stripped-back relay without any \"road support crew, sponsors and razzmatazz\" is what appeals. Unlike the Olympic torch, which caught a train up Snowdon, the Real Relay ran up the biggest mountain in Wales, along with the other three highest peaks in Northern Ireland, England and Scotland. Runners are told where to begin and end their leg, but plan their own route which must take in each community listed on the Olympic torch route. But is it in competition with the official torch relay? Ms Treleaven says it is not an \"anti-Olympic torch uprising\" but a chance for those not involved to feel \"a little bit closer to it\". And unlike the torch relay, the challenge is raising money for the charity CHICKS, which provides free, week-long respite breaks for disadvantaged children. Each runner donates \u00c2\u00a310 to the charity and the organisers believe they will raise well over \u00c2\u00a310,000 in total. Barbara Shuttleworth, 54, ran the Real Relay's 400th stage through Manchester on a Saturday night, taking in Salford's Media City, Old Trafford and Moss Side. The leg ended on the \"Curry Mile\" in the centre of Rusholme, where restaurant-goers cheered on Mrs Shuttleworth, who ran with her husband Duncan, among others. \"They were very good-natured but it was pretty surreal,\" says Mrs Shuttleworth, who runs an accountancy business. She adds: \"I love the torch relay and", "summary": "A group of amateur runners following the route of the Olympic torch look set to overtake it later on - but unlike the official relay, they are running every step of the way."}
{"article": "Officers said the 24-year-old had been detained in police custody in connection with a serious sexual assault in Queen's Park on 30 March. The park, at Pollockshaws Road and Balvicar Street, was cordoned off while police investigated the incident. A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal, Police Scotland said.", "summary": "Police investigating the rape of a 37-year-old woman in a popular Glasgow park have arrested a man."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old, who is yet to play in a competitive international, has won two caps, both in friendly matches against the Netherlands. \"He doesn't want to play international football, which is a disappointment from our point of view,\" said Wales manager Chris Coleman. \"But he's made that decision, and we have to abide by that.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Wales are third in World Cup qualifying group D, four points behind leaders Serbia. They travel to Serbia for their next qualifier on Sunday, 11 June after naming a youthful pre-match training camp that included Exeter's 16-year-old Ethan Ampadu. Coleman added: \"We'll get on with the squad of players, the squad who want to play and represent Wales. \"There's nothing we can do with Paul, who's decided that international football is not the path he wants to go down.\" Newcastle-born Dummett was included in a pre-Euro 2016 training camp but was not selected in the squad for the tournament in France. He has not featured at all during the current World Cup qualifying campaign. \"Sometimes you have to be patient especially because the team we have at the moment has been hugely successful,\" Coleman added. \"It's a shame because he's a good player. I haven't spoken to Paul. His agent rang me up to give me the news. \"I was disappointed, but if he doesn't want to persevere with it then that's his choice. We've got to look after the players who want to play for us.\"", "summary": "Newcastle United defender Paul Dummett has made himself unavailable to play for Wales."}
{"article": "In an interview with Mexican daily Excelsior, he called Mr Trump's rhetoric \"strident\". He added that \"that's how [Italian fascist leader] Mussolini got in, that's how Hitler got in\". The Mexican leader also said that Mr Trump had hurt US-Mexico relations. Donald Trump has said that if he is elected he will build a wall along the US-Mexico border to keep migrants from crossing into the US illegally. The Republican candidate has also insisted that Mexico would pay for the border wall, which President Pena Nieto dismissed out of hand. He said there was \"no scenario\" under which Mexico would ever pay for such a wall. Mr Trump, who has made the fight against illegal immigration the main plank of his campaign, outraged Mexicans last June when he called undocumented Mexican migrants \"criminals\" and \"rapists\". President Pena Nieto said Mr Trump offered \"very easy, simple solutions to problems that are obviously not that easy to solve\". \"And there have been episodes in human history, unfortunately, where these expressions of this strident rhetoric have only led to very ominous situations in the history of humanity,\" he said. \"That's how Mussolini got in, that's how Hitler got in, they took advantage of a situation, a problem perhaps, which humanity was going through at the time, after an economic crisis,\" he added. President Pena Nieto, who had up until now avoided commenting on Mr Trump's candidacy, insisted he would be \"absolutely respectful\" of the US political process. His predecessors in office, however, have been more outspoken. Former President Vicente Fox used an expletive on live television when he said Mexico would not pay for the border wall proposed by Mr Trump. Felipe Calderon, who governed from 2006 to 2012, also dismissed the idea saying: \"Mexican people, we are not going to pay any single cent for such a stupid wall!\"", "summary": "Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has compared the rhetoric of US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to that of German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler."}
{"article": "After starting eighth on the grid, Rea led by lap three following a stunning couple of opening circuits as he moved ahead of Kawasaki team-mate Tom Sykes. Northern Irishman Rea was 2.88 seconds clear of England's Sykes at the finish with Welshman Chaz Davies in third. The success was defending champion Rea's ninth win of the season. Despite being eighth and seventh on the grid, Kawasaki rider Rea and Sykes were able to produce pace which none of the other competitors could live with. Rea's ride maintained his sequence of podium finishes at the American venue going back to 2014 as he extended his championship lead over Sykes. The championship now takes a five-week break until the next round in Germany and Rea said he was \"going to enjoy the flight home now\". \"What a way to go into the summer break and what a day for Kawasaki. A one-two again,\" added Rea, 30. Davies, who finished 4.847 seconds behind Rea in Sunday's race, is 115 points adrift of Rea - champion for each of the last two years - with Marco Melandri a further 37 points back. The winner's fellow Northern Irishman Eugene Laverty earned a creditable sixth place on his Milwaukee Aprilia after crashing out of Saturday's race one, while England's Alex Lowes finished in ninth spot. Ducati rider Davies won race one on Saturday in front of Rea and Sykes.", "summary": "Jonathan Rea extended his lead at the top of the World Superbike standings to 59 points after dominating race two at Laguna Seca in California."}
{"article": "Earlier this month, Songbird, which owns 69% of Canary Wharf Group, advised its investors to reject the offer. On Wednesday, it said it still believed the 350p per share offer was too low. \"The offer does not reflect the full value of the business, its unique operating platform and its prospects,\" it said. Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and US investor Brookfield Property Partners made the offer. QIA already owns 29% of Songbird, but had to persuade the next three biggest shareholders, New York-based Simon Glick, sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp and Morgan Stanley, who own more than 50% between them to accept the offer. Songbird said it was now its understanding that \"each of the major shareholders intends to accept the offer\". It also said the board had been in discussions with a number of parties \"with a view to achieving a higher offer\", but said it now believed none would be forthcoming before the 29 January offer acceptance deadline. Canary Wharf was established 25 years ago as the new financial district in London, and is home to some of the world's biggest banks including HSBC and Barclays. In the UK, Qatar owns Harrods, Chelsea Barracks and the Shard, Europe's tallest skyscraper. QIA was founded in 2005 by the state of Qatar to help its economy by investing in a diverse array of businesses, outside of the country's huge oil and gas resources.", "summary": "A Qatari-led bid has won the battle to take over London's Canary Wharf complex after three of its major shareholders agreed to accept the \u00c2\u00a32.6bn offer."}
{"article": "Arthur Simpson-Kent left the UK on 19 December after the deaths of Ms Blake, 43, and their two young sons, Zachary, aged eight and Amon, aged four. Their bodies were found buried in the garden of their family home in Erith, south London, on 5 January. Mr Simpson-Kent is due at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday. Ms Blake, who played Frankie Pierre in 56 episodes of EastEnders in 1996 and 1997, died from neck and head injuries, post-mortem tests found. She had been suffering from motor neurone disease. Her sons also died from head and neck injuries. Four days after their bodies were found, police officers arrested Mr Simpson-Kent on a beach in Ghana. He was remanded in custody in Ghana on 12 January and appeared in Kaneshie Magistrates' Court in Accra. Mr Simpson-Kent was arrested after locals recognised him from a social media photo and tipped off police. The Met was criticised over delays in its investigation after it emerged officers spoke to Mr Simpson-Kent at the family home on 16 December. They returned two days later to find the house empty. But it was not until early January that the bodies of Ms Blake and her sons were found in the garden. The Met's handling of the case is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.", "summary": "The partner of EastEnders actress Sian Blake, whose body was found in their garden, is to be flown back from Ghana to the UK later, prosecutors have said."}
{"article": "The Mesh Oversight Group report also said complications caused by the implants should be recorded so that experts fully understood the risks. Vaginal mesh implants are used to treat stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. But some women said they left them in permanent pain and unable to walk. The research - seen exclusively by the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme - aims to address concerns over the use of mesh devices. What's the issue with mesh implants? Mesh implants 'as dangerous as asbestos' Faulty implants end women's sex life Prof Keith Willett, who wrote the foreword to the report, said it contained three key recommendations: The report says: \"Adverse events involving mesh as a medical device must be reported and clinicians must bear this responsibility.\" It also says surgeons undertaking surgery for stress urinary incontinence \"must be able to demonstrate they are performing these operations regularly\". It says that where a mesh is being used to treat pelvic organ prolapse \"this should not be offered routinely for the first surgical intervention\". The plastic meshes are made of polypropylene - a material also used to make certain drinks bottles - and are manufactured by many different companies. They are used to ease incontinence and to support organs such as the vagina, uterus, bowel, bladder or urethra which have prolapsed after childbirth. The MHRA says, for the majority of women, the use of vaginal mesh implants is safe and effective. But some can cut into the vagina, causing severe discomfort. Currently in the UK, there are around 100 types of vaginal mesh implants.", "summary": "An NHS England report on vaginal mesh implants has recommended better support and communication between patients and doctors over the devices."}
{"article": "Ferres took over from Richard Wright in July and has cited an inability to push through initiatives as the reason for his departure. \"As chief executive I believe I have a moral obligation to everyone associated to the Tigers,\" he said. \"Since the board is not in a position to support the multitude of changes I believe must take place, I feel I have no option but to offer my resignation.\" We look to the future and a real opportunity now exists for somebody new to come into the chief executive's role and drive the club forward He added: \"I would like to thank the fans for their fantastic support and indeed the staff for their hard work in implementing the new membership scheme. \"The club requires significant investment in order to continue and I truly hope the board can secure the necessary financial support in the coming months.\" Castleford chairman Jack Fulton said in a statement: \"I would like to thank Steve for his efforts during his time at the club and wish him well for the future. \"For over 20 years I have supported this club financially to a substantial amount with the aim of keeping it going as a Super League club ready for the day when it can support itself. \"While disappointed by Steve's resignation, this position remains unchanged. We look to the future and a real opportunity now exists for somebody new to come into the chief executive's role and drive the club forward.\" The Tigers have started the new Super League season with one win and two defeats from their opening three matches.", "summary": "Castleford chief executive Steve Ferres has resigned with immediate effect."}
{"article": "The party said 40,000 primary age children were taught in classes of 36 or more in England in 2016, blaming \"broken promises\" by the government. But the Tories said Labour's attacks were \"a massive own goal\". They said the Labour-led Welsh government had overseen increases in class sizes in Wales. Mr Corbyn, who insisted on Thursday that he could defy the polls and \"change the direction\" of the election, has used Labour analysis of Department for Education figures to focus on education. He said: \"The prime minister herself has said that super-sized classes are proof of a school system in a crisis. \"And that's what we've got on the Tories' watch. \"School leaders and teachers have said Tory cuts to school budgets will mean class sizes will be forced to grow even larger. We cannot risk our children's education in this way.\" In his speech, Mr Corbyn appeared to confuse some of the statistics released earlier by his party, inadvertently overstating the number of children in large classes. He told supporters: \"500,000 children in England - half a million children - are now being taught in super-sized classes of over 36\". The half a million figure is for class sizes of 31 - 34. A Labour spokesman said Mr Corbyn had mixed the figures up. A Conservative spokeswoman dismissed Mr Corbyn's comments and pointed out that the number of infants in large classes had risen by 18% in three years in Wales. \"Of course we are not complacent about the situation in England,\" she added. \"There is more to do and that's why we are spending a record amount on schools - something we can afford to do because of our careful management of the nation's finances.\" Elsewhere on the campaign trail on Friday, Mr Farron will challenge Tory MPs who supported staying in the EU to oppose a so-called hard Brexit. He will add: \"If these Tory MPs reject these principles and back a hard Brexit manifesto, then people will know that on the biggest issue of the day they went missing in action.\" Chalk and cheese. Black and white. Night and day. Yin and yang. Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn are not, repeat not, cut from the same cloth. Their fundamental beliefs differ enormously. Their solutions for society's problems are poles apart. Politicians in opposing parties are sometimes friends across the boundaries. But it is hard, extremely hard, to imagine the Labour leader and the Tory leader ever quietly enjoying a pootle round the Berkshire countryside of a weekend, or a cappuccino in Islington in a quiet moment. But right at the start of this election - whisper it - there is something significant they share. Read Laura's blog in full", "summary": "Labour says children are being crammed \"like sardines\" into \"super-sized\" school classes, as it focuses its general election campaign on education."}
{"article": "The country has also been subject to economic sanctions by the West over its involvement in the crisis in Ukraine. Russia will spend most of the cash on federal loans, pensions and recapitalising its banks. The country will also make public spending cuts. Over the next three years most spending, apart military and social programmes, will be hit. Earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund forecast that Russia's economy will contract by 3% this year and 1% in 2016. Russia's government will spend about one trillion roubles to recapitalise banks through the issue of government bonds. The plan includes a separate scheme to help recapitalise some banks with 250bn roubles, while 300bn roubles will be provided to Vnesheconombank, the state development bank. There will be an extra 200bn roubles in state guarantees to finance investment projects, and regional governments will get 160bn roubles in federal loans. Meanwhile, the government has proposed public spending cuts of 10% this year and 5% over the next two years. The cuts have yet to be approved by the Russian parliament.", "summary": "The Russian government is to spend at least 2.34 trillion roubles ($35bn, \u00c2\u00a323bn) to try to stave off an economic crisis, following a collapse in oil prices and the value of the rouble."}
{"article": "Click here to see an enlarged version of the artwork \"It's a cross I bear, it's an albatross I have to deal with,\" he says. It is a fairly stark, somewhat surprising admission from Sir Peter Blake, sleeve designer of The Beatles' 1967 albumSgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. \"What vaguely depresses me still is that I'm known pretty much as 'Peter Blake - who did the cover of Sgt Pepper' when I've done so much else,\" he says. \"Every so often I manage to forget it but it comes back all the time.\" What makes the revelation even more surprising is that Sir Peter has set aside any misgivings he has about his most famous work on the sleeve of arguably the Fab Four's greatest album, to create a new poster reimagining the image to mark both his 80th birthday and designer Wayne Hemingway's Vintage Festival. Gone are cutouts of actress Marilyn Monroe, comedians Lenny Bruce and WC Fields to be replaced by Amy Winehouse, Kate Moss, artists Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst and musicians Eric Clapton and Noel Gallagher. Sadly, gone too are The Beatles themselves. \"I don't own the copyright,\" he explains. \"Part of everything that went wrong at the time was that my agent signed away any kind of royalties and the copyright so we had to ask Apple Corps - The Beatles' management - for permission and they didn't want it to be associated with advertising.\" Apple Corps have yet to comment on Sir Peter's claims. Instead, Sir Peter has used what he called \"family, friends and icons\" on the latest poster. Though he has craftily managed to get round the Beatle-ban by including not one but three McCartneys. Longtime friend Sir Paul is in there, alongside designer daughter Stella and her sister, photographer Mary. Alongside the McCartneys are an array of faces - from food, represented by restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King and chefs Delia Smith and Rick Stein, to Kate Moss and Paul Smith from fashion and Noel Gallagher, John Peel and Paul Weller for music. Late singer Amy Winehouse also gets a nod, Sir Peter fondly recalls his first memorable meeting with her. \"It was after a South Bank Show lunch at the Savoy and we went into the American Bar after the lunch,\" he says. \"We were thrown out because Jamie Cullum was playing the piano, Amy was singing and we were singing along around the piano and we got chucked out. I really liked her very much and admired her and was very sad at what happened. \"It was memorable to be staggering out with Jamie and Amy,\" he adds. From the art world, sculptor Grayson Perry makes an appearance in full drag and contemporaries Emin and Hirst are present. Sir Peter is quick to defend Hirst from recent criticism, notablyby the critic Julian Spaldingwho questioned the artist's credentials. \"I admire Damien enormously, I think he added a great deal to the excitement of the art world and I think that he is a very interesting artist,\" he says. \"I think", "summary": "British artist Sir Peter Blake has recreated the iconic album sleeve for The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on his 80th birthday."}
{"article": "Ms Davies appeared as Mrs Perks in the Railway Children and as Marj in the valleys-based comedy Stella. Tony Gardner, who appeared in Stella, wrote on Twitter: \"Terribly saddened to hear Deddie Davies has died. She was a truly wonderful person.\" Karen Paullada, who also appeared in the Sky 1 series, wrote: \"Sad times in this happy Christmas period.\" Stella star and co-creator Ruth Jones paid tribute to her \"remarkable\" co-star. She said: \"Deddie had been ill for a long time and I saw her about a month ago and showed her the Christmas special on my laptop. \"She loved working on Stella. She said it kept her going and she was massively loved by all the cast and crew. \"She was one of those rare people who didn't possess a grain of self pity and whose company always brightened your day. \"A highly intelligent, joyful, talented and spectacularly spirited woman, who was an inspiration to us all.\" She added Ms Davies would be \"unspeakably missed\". Ms Davies had been a well-known face on TV screens since the 1970s, appearing in shows including The Forsyte Saga, The Bill, Upstairs, Downstairs, Grange Hill and Whitechapel. Her agents, Brown, Simcocks and Andrews, said the actress also dedicated her time working with charities safeguarding the elderly and also \"going undercover\" to reveal issues in care homes. Kelly Andrews, part of the team who represented Ms Davies for about 20 years, said: \"She was extremely professional, but she was extraordinary fun and joyous to be around. \"She saw the best in everyone. She wasn't just an actress but an activist - she really cared about it.\"", "summary": "Tributes have been paid to Bridgend-born actress Deddie Davies, who has died at the age of 78."}
{"article": "South Thanet's MP Craig Mackinlay held his seat while facing a charge over election expenses in the 2015 poll. Mr Mackinlay has insisted he has done nothing wrong. However, the party suffered a shock in Canterbury where Sir Julian Brazier lost his seat after 30 years to Labour's Rosie Duffield. Latest general election updates from across the South East Full coverage of general election 2017 Full England results breakdown Find the result where you live In Ashford, Damian Green MP held the seat and the Tory member also grew his share of the vote. Tracey Crouch held Chatham & Aylesford, and Gareth Johnson held Dartford for the Conservatives. The leader of Medway council's Labour group, and Labour candidate in Chatham and Aylesford Councillor Vince Maple said: \"Here in Medway, across all our three constituencies, we've seen big increases in our vote. \"We've seen people very disappointed with Theresa May who have voted Conservative for perhaps 30 years, and they maybe haven't voted for us, but they certainly haven't voted for the Conservative Party.\" Dover was listed as a Labour target, but Charlie Elphicke held it with an increased majority of 6,437. Both Labour and the Conservatives increased their shares of the vote by just over 9%. Mr Elphicke said; \"It's brilliant we have increased our majority [in Dover]. I'm looking forward to getting more investment and to make our corner of Kent even more successful.\" Folkestone & Hythe, a safe Conservative seat, was held by Damian Collins, who has also increased his majority. Rehman Chishti also held Gillingham & Rainham for the Conservatives. Paul Clarke, the former Labour MP for the constituency said: \"There's clearly something to build on and we could be having another general election in much less than the five-year period.\" In Gravesham, Conservative Adam Holloway held the seat, Helen Whately held Faversham & Mid Kent, and Tory Helen Grant retained control of Maidstone & the Weald. North Thanet was held by Roger Gale with an increased majority. He said the election had been fought under \"very trying circumstances\". \"I think it's a tribute to the British people and to democracy, that irrespective of party politics we have gone on to hold a free and fair election in the teeth of those who have tried to stop us doing so.\" Mr Gale said. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon held Sevenoaks for the Tories with 32,633 votes, a 63.7% share, and Kelly Tolhurst kept Rochester & Strood. Gordon Henderson also held Sittingbourne & Sheppey for the Tories. Tom Tugendhat held Tonbridge & Malling for the Conservatives with 36,218 votes, a 63.6% share of the total. Mr Clark has held Tunbridge Wells, a Tory seat since its creation in 1974. The Tunbridge Wells member was appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy last year. Canterbury has been the story of the night in Kent. It's a seat that has been Conservative Sir Julian Brazier's since 1987, with the party holding it for the past 100 years, but it seems a surge in young voters may have tipped it to", "summary": "The Conservatives have held nearly all constituencies in Kent, where sitting MPs including cabinet member Greg Clark have kept their seats."}
{"article": "The gulf in class between the teams was evident as Bernard Brogan's goal helped the Dubs lead 1-13 to 0-6 by half-time. Dublin led by 13 when Fermanagh scored a dubious goal as Sean Quigley pushed Stephen Cluxton over his own goal-line. Paul Flynn quickly netted for Dublin although Tomas Corrigan hit a late second Erne goal after a mix-up. Corrigan's goal came in injury-time as Cluxton and a Dublin defender left the ball to each other after a Fermanagh shot had been blocked which allowed Corrigan to nip in and slam into the empty net. Media playback is not supported on this device The three late goals lifted the atmosphere at Croke Park with Dublin fans annoyed by Quigley's controversial goal and Fermanagh's supporters delighted by the spirit shown by their team. Peter McGrath, rightly, praised his team's refusal to submit to the heavy defeat that looked likely for the majority of the contest. But while Dublin Jim Gavin will note his team's late sloppiness, the job in hand of qualifying for a semi-final meeting with either Mayo or Donegal on 30 August had been achieved. Some bookmakers had rated the Dubs as 1-200 to win Sunday's contest and pundits had suggested that a Fermanagh victory would have represented the biggest shock in GAA history. In the event, Fermanagh had 59% of the possession in the first half but were still decidedly second best as Dublin's pace, movement and shooting, had them chasing shadows for the most part. Quigley's first score cancelled out late Dublin inclusion Paddy Andrews's opening point but two Ciaran Kilkenny efforts helped the Leinster champions lead 0-4 to 0-1 before Brogan netted a glorious opening goal. Brogan was given far too much space by marker Niall Cassidy as he was picked out by a glorious long ball from Jack McCaffrey before coolly slotting past Thomas Treacy. Fermanagh did fire eight first-half wides but several of the shots were speculative whereas the Dubs were able to work the ball into genuine scoring positions seemingly at will. Barry Mulrone did show his colleagues how to hit the target as he struck a couple of fine efforts from play. However, Dublin's slick play was emphasised by their 1-13 first-half total all coming from play as Brogan hit 1-4 and Dean Rock and the impressive Diarmuid Connolly both contributing 0-2. It was largely more of the same in the third quarter with free-taker Rock, Brogan and Andrews all on target on multiple occasions. Media playback is not supported on this device Brian Fenton's point in the 59th minute increased Dublin's advantage to 1-21 to 0-11 as the game seemed to be petering out only for Cluxton's controversial own goal to stir some passions. Quite how the Fermanagh goal was allowed to stand is anyone's guess as Quigley clearly pushed a bemused Cluxton over the line with the umpire eventually waving his green flag after consulting with referee Padraig O'Sullivan. Quigley's subsequent laughter indicated his amazement that the goal had been allowed to stand. Dublin, however, didn't see the funny side and", "summary": "Dublin earned their expected place in the All-Ireland Football semi-finals as they clinched a comfortable 2-23 to 2-15 win over a battling Fermanagh side."}
{"article": "On Saturday, she became the first British woman to win a world title when she took gold in the 1500m. And on Sunday the 26-year-old added a gold in the 1000m, bronze in the 3000m and claimed the overall title. The Scot had previously won eight world championship medals but never gold. \"I was mainly focused on the 1000m, so winning the 1500m was a bonus for me, as I haven't raced that distance in so long,\" Christie said. \"I don't think my competitors would have expected that either. \"This year I have really changed my mindset, it was win or lose. I risked losing to win, taking each distance one at a time this weekend. \"I have been physically capable for a long time, and I have shown I am mentally ready now.\" The world titles represent an impressive resurgence from Christie, who said she was considering her future in the sport after being disqualified from all three of her events at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Livingston-born Christie also finished fourth in the 500m final on Saturday. She has been focusing on the shorter distance events this season and had already set a new 500m world record of 42.335 seconds. Meanwhile at the World Freestyle Ski and Snowboard Championships, Zoe Gillings-Brier finished ninth in the snowboard cross. She only gave birth to a daughter last August and missed out on a chunk of pre-season training. Gillings-Brier, who does not receive UK Sport funding, told BBC Sport: \"I loved every minute of it. Back on a big course with all the best competitors. Hopefully I'll get some great training in the summer.\" American Lindsey Jacobellis landed her fifth world title in a photo finish with France's Chloe Trespeuch. On her first appearance in the competition, 19-year-old Welsh competitor Maisie Potter went out in the snowboard cross quarter-finals.", "summary": "Elise Christie has become a triple world champion after victory in the 1000m, 1500m and the overall title at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Rotterdam."}
{"article": "The House of Lords spent two days debating the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, with many members voicing their concerns. But it rejected an amendment aimed at wrecking the bill by 242 votes, moving it a step closer to becoming law. The BBC's Norman Smith said plans were on course for the first same-sex weddings to take place next summer. The bill would allow couples, who can currently form civil partnerships, to marry. If it passes into law, religious organisations would have to \"opt in\" if they wished to offer gay weddings, except the Church of England and Church in Wales, which would be banned in law from doing so. Peers were allowed a free vote on the amendment, tabled by crossbench peer Lord Dear, which would effectively have wrecked the government's plans. It was defeated by 390 votes to 148. Shortly afterwards, the bill - also backed by Labour leader Ed Miliband - was given a second reading without a vote taking place and will now go forward to more detailed scrutiny by peers. The result was greeted with cheers from supporters of same-sex marriage gathered outside Parliament. During the debate, Lord Dear insisted the change would \"completely alter the concept of marriage as we know it\". The bill was \"ill thought through\", had no democratic legitimacy and was \"fatally flawed\", he said. But equalities minister Baroness Stowell of Beeston called the legislation a \"force for good\" which would strengthen marriage. She said it protected both religious freedom and freedom of speech. Baroness Royall, Labour's leader in the Lords, said marriage had a \"special status in our society\": \"I firmly believe that our society will be strengthened when more couples are able to choose to make a lifetime commitment to each other and when all members of our communities are able to celebrate their identity and relationships within the institution of marriage.\" After the vote, Culture Secretary Maria Miller posted on Twitter: \"Great result in @UKHouseofLords tonight, overwhelming support from Peers from all sides.\" Ben Summerskill, chief executive of the gay rights group Stonewall, said he was delighted, adding: \"Britain's 3.7 million gay people don't deserve to be second class citizens in their own country. \"A tough fight lies ahead and we'll continue to work tirelessly every single day to get equal marriage through the Lords.\" Peter Tatchell, who co-ordinates the Equal Love campaign, said: \"This is a victory for love, marriage and equality. \"We are another step closer to our goal of equal marriage. It signals that the House of Lords accepts the principle that we should all be equal before the law.\" But Colin Hart, campaign director for the Coalition for Marriage, said that 148 peers had \"chosen to register their profound opposition to the gay marriage bill\". He added: \"The government may have won the vote today but what was clear from the debate was the huge opposition to almost every part of the bill. \"We will continue to campaign to save traditional marriage and today's vote and the concerns expressed by many peers mean we will be", "summary": "Peers have voted by more than two to one to back government plans for same-sex marriages in England and Wales."}
{"article": "Children have been taken hostage, forced to watch torture and even participate in beheadings, it says; others have been killed while fighting. It says it suspects there are \"reasonable grounds\" to believe chemical weapons have been deployed. It urges foreign powers not to increase the availability of arms in Syria. The issue of arms has been high on the international agenda of late, with the EU lifting an embargo on the sale of arms to Syria while Russia has insisted it is going ahead with the sale of an advanced S-300 surface-to-air missile defence system to Syria. On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the contract had not yet been fulfilled and Russia did not want to \"disturb the balance in the region\". He said he was \"disappointed\" by the EU move. Meanwhile, a civilian died when shells exploded near the Russian embassy in Damascus, according to the UK-based activist group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Russia is an ally of President Bashar al-Assad and Syrian rebels have targeted the embassy several times since the uprising against his regime began two years ago. The international powers are struggling to set a date for a peace conference on Syria, where the conflict is believed to have cost at least 80,000 lives. The UN Commission of Inquiry has so far been barred from Syria and was forced to rely on first-hand accounts from the country. Its report says it \"documents for the first time the systematic imposition of sieges, the use of chemical agents and forcible displacement\" in Syria. \"War crimes and crimes against humanity have become a daily reality,\" it says. Syria chemical weapons allegations The report accuses both sides of abuses, but says rebel actions did not \"reach the intensity and scale\" of abuses committed by government-allied forces. Syria's UN ambassador Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui has rejected the report, saying the commission is \"excessively exaggerating their conclusions and outcomes\" while it \"totally neglects the substantial events, or even marginalises them\". \"The Committee, despite our warnings, insisted on using sectarian language which is rejected by all brackets of the Syrian society.\" In the four months covered by this report - between 15 January and 15 May 2013 - investigators documented 17 suspected massacres, out of a total of 30 since the conflict began. Sieges - with civilians trapped in their homes and reliant on their captors for food, water, medicines and power - are now being used systematically as weapons of war by government forces and affiliated militia and in some instances by anti-government forces, says the report. Civilians are now becoming the victims of forced displacement by both sides, where they are threatened with attack if they do not leave the area. The report documents new violations of children's rights on top of being routinely killed, detained and displaced. In one attack by government forces on Sanamein, Deraa on 10 April, \"children were forced to watch the torture or killing of parents\". In another incident in April, this time in Rastan, Homs, checkpoint personnel \"threatened to shoot two girls aged nine and", "summary": "Syria's war has reached \"new levels of brutality\", the UN says, with evidence of fresh suspected massacres, sieges and violations of children's rights."}
{"article": "The Legged Squad Support System - referred to by some as \"the big dog\" - is capable of carrying 400lbs (181.4kg) of equipment over rugged terrain. But the US Marines now say its petrol-powered engine is too noisy for them to use in battle. Google has long said it planned to move away from its military contracts. The LS3 was developed by Boston Dynamics - a robotics firm acquired by Google in 2013 - as part of a tie-up with the Pentagon's research arm, the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa). The robot can follow troops on foot through rugged terrain, carrying their gear. It can also interpret verbal and visual commands. However, after a major field trial in 2014, flaws in the robot also became apparent, according to Kyle Olson, a spokesman for the Marines' Warfighting Lab. \"There was the challenge of seeing [its] potential... because of the limitations of the robot itself,\" he told Military.com. \"They took it as it was: a loud robot that's going to give away their position.\" The machine, which has a gas-powered engine, is said to emit a lawnmower-like noise that would be unviable in combat situations. It is also thought to be difficult to repair. In response, Boston Dynamics did create a quieter, electric-powered alternative, called Spot. But despite successful trials in September 2015, the Marines have decided not to take it forward either. This, they said, was because Spot is smaller, can only carry up to 40lbs, and lacks the automation capacity of the LS3. Google said as far back as 2013 that it planned to move away from its military contracts, which it inherited as part of its acquisition of the company. The tech firm has said it intends to develop robots for use in manufacturing and industry instead. Noel Sharkey, co-director of the Foundation for Responsible Robotics, told the BBC: \"Spot ... lacks the autonomous operation of Big Dog, but that really is not so much of a problem and would not require a vast amount of research. \"The problem is that to take the extra steps need to upgrade the battery-driven Spot to the level of Big Dog could require a couple of years development or more and thus a new Darpa contract. \"So, what this looks like is a face saving statement by the Marine Corps to make it look like they are dumping Google/Boston Dynamics before they they got dumped themselves.\"", "summary": "The US army says it has mothballed plans to deploy a robot developed in conjunction with Google because it is \"too loud\"."}
{"article": "Despite a rip-roaring 2015, something peculiar happened this month: Apple's stock value dropped to below $100 for the first time since October 2014. That was down from a high of just over $132 last May. As I write this, it's rallying on account of some decent rumours - but it's on Tuesday we'll truly know if 2016 is going to be a tough one for the tech giant. On the one hand, we're expecting an amazing Christmas with record-breaking revenues, yet again. But it's Apple's guidance for what to expect in the months to come that investors will be eagerly awaiting. It's here where the company outlines its worries, the issues that keeps it awake at night (or at least, stressed out in the boardroom). Troubled investors are expecting Apple to say this: For the first time, sales of the iPhone are in decline. Decline! The iPhone! That's a big deal. According to the latest figures Apple has shared - from October - sales of the smartphone make up 63% of the company's entire revenue. That's before you factor in all the people who then go on to buy apps, subscribe to Apple Music, and do any number of other things with their phone from which Apple takes a cut. Its other major products don't even come close. The Mac range has bucked a huge industry-wide decline but still only accounts for 13%. The iPad, meanwhile, represents 8% - though this may get a boost thanks to the recently launched iPad Pro, the bigger version that comes with a keyboard and little stylus. Apple's major new product of recent times has been the Apple Watch. Yet we're still none-the-wiser about how successful that has been, as its performance is lumped into the \"other\" category, which includes sales of the iPod, Beats headphones and various other things. Collectively, the \"other\" products were worth 6% in total. The watch will have likely been a good performer at Christmas, so Apple may begin to shed some light on how well it is doing. But we'll have to wait and see. The reliance on the iPhone is what worries investors most. Apple has plenty of repeat business - once hooked in, data shows people are far more likely to stick with Apple than change to another brand like Samsung - but it's now seeing a plateau when it comes to bringing in new customers. Which is why China is so important. Apple now makes more money in China than it does in the whole of Europe, and it's well on course to overtake the US. \"If China falls so does Apple,\" says Apple investor Daniel Ives, from FBR Capital Markets. \"They've really bet the house on the China growth opportunity.\" Almost all of Apple's gains last year were thanks to Chinese expansion - new stores, and new customers who, until fairly recently, had to make do with awful knock-off imitations of the real deal. But instability in the Chinese economy has rocked global markets. If China continues underperforming, it may be hard for Apple to continue", "summary": "Apple's investors are spooked."}
{"article": "Gwyn Llywelyn will return to read the news bulletins - as he did on the station's first morning in 1977. Hywel Gwynfryn, Dei Thomas and Richard Rees will join Aled Hughes for the morning to share anecdotes, and there will be clips from the first programme Helo Bobol. Celebrations continue all day with Bore Cothi, Tommo and Geraint Lloyd. It will also mark the end of Radio Cymru's pop-up station Mwy, which was launched in the run-up to the 40th birthday.", "summary": "Some of BBC Radio Cymru's first presenters will return to the station on Tuesday for its 40th anniversary."}
{"article": "West Wales and the Valleys qualify for more than \u00c2\u00a32bn in EU aid between 2014 and 2020, due to low levels of wealth. But the money - which has been paid ever since 2000 - will come to an end once the UK leaves the European Union. The Conservatives' manifesto says the party aims to create a \"Shared Prosperity Fund\", with Welsh ministers to be consulted on the details. The campaign document says the current EU scheme is \"expensive to administer and poorly targeted\", pledging its replacement will be \"cheap to administer, low in bureaucracy and targeted where it is needed most\". The manifesto, published on Thursday, states: \"We will use the structural fund money that comes back to the UK following Brexit to create a United Kingdom Shared Prosperity Fund, specifically designed to reduce inequalities between communities across our four nations. \"The money that is spent will help deliver sustainable, inclusive growth based on our modern industrial strategy.\" Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Mark Williams said EU aid had been essential \"in creating and safeguarding jobs, bringing our infrastructure into the 21st Century in many parts of the country, and providing opportunities for new entrepreneurs\". \"Liberal Democrats would launch a \u00c2\u00a3100bn package of additional infrastructure investment for the UK, to create jobs, build homes, and invest in the green economy to create an economy that works for everyone,\" he said. Plaid Cymru has promised to demand that Wales continues to receive \"every single penny\" of the money it currently receives from the EU, once the UK leaves the bloc.", "summary": "A new fund to replace EU economic aid will be created by the Conservatives if they win the general election."}
{"article": "Marian Brown, 17, was shot dead in disputed circumstances in June 1972. Her family claim she was killed by shots fired by soldiers. The witness, know as 'Soldier B', told Belfast Coroner's Court that his Army unit exchanged gunfire with one gunman. Soldier B said he fired all 20 rounds in his rifle. A barrister for Marian Brown's family, told the witness: \"You emptied your magazine.\" She added that his actions were \"an exceptional state of affairs\". Ms Brown was pregnant at the time of her death, and during a previous hearing, the inquest was told she had just kissed her teenage boyfriend goodnight before the pair were caught up in gunfire. On Thursday, the court heard Soldier B was 18 when he first arrived in Northern Ireland, a few months before the shooting. On the night Ms Brown was killed, he was part of a Royal Anglian Regiment patrol which had set up a vehicle checkpoint in the Roden Street area of Belfast. The commander of his unit claimed in evidence last week that a number of gunmen fired at the soldiers. However, Soldier B told the court there was one gunman. He also told the court that he did not shout a warning. When asked by a barrister how he felt when he was told that Marion Brown had been killed, he replied: \"Not very good.\" Soldier B added: \"Too many young people were killed out there.\" The inquest will reconvene in August.", "summary": "A soldier fired all his ammunition around the time an innocent teenager was killed in west Belfast in 45 years ago, a coroner's court has heard."}
{"article": "People living in and around Aviemore in the Cairngorms say the water tastes bad and some have blamed it for aggravating skin conditions such as eczema. Councillor Bill Lobban wants an investigation to check for a link between the water and skin complaints. Scottish Water said it would look at enhancements to the treatment process. There have been complaints about the water's taste since the supply came on stream four years ago. A public meeting in Kincraig, near Aviemore, on Tuesday, which representatives from Scottish Water attended, heard from consumers who believe the water has aggravated skin conditions. After the meeting, Highland councillor Mr Lobban said skin complaints did appear to be on the rise in the area. He told BBC Radio Scotland: \"I am not a doctor or a scientist so I cannot tell if it is directly attributable to the water or not, but it is something that requires serious investigating. \"It should not be a question of Scottish Water saying basically 'this is a medical problem, go to your doctor'. \"This should be more about Scottish Water liaising with NHS Highland to find out if there potentially is a problem or not.\" Scottish Water said it already worked closely with health authorities, including NHS Highland. A spokesman said: \"If a health authority has any concerns over the safety of a water supply, it can impose restrictions on water use, until such times as the matter is investigated and dealt with. \"No restrictions have been imposed in this area and we can reassure customers the water is absolutely safe to use.\" The spokesman said the company recognised that \"a small number of customers in the Aviemore area\" have found the water is not to their taste. He said: \"We want everyone to enjoy the look and taste of their water and continue to liaise closely with the local community, as we work to resolve their concerns. \"That's why we are proposing further enhancements to the treatment processes we use, and are proposing switching to a process called chloramination. \"This is a very well established process and one in four Scottish Water customers currently receive chloraminated water - including those in Inverness, Aberdeen, much of Edinburgh and some other parts of the Highlands and Islands.\"", "summary": "Scottish Water has said a water supply which has prompted complaints about its quality is safe and \"complies 100%\" with standards."}
{"article": "The incident happened at about 15:30 BST on Friday on the Albertbridge Road. The man who died was Patrick McDermott from east Belfast. Police have appealed for information in relation to the incident.", "summary": "A 79-year-old man has died after being struck by a lorry in east Belfast."}
{"article": "The typical price of \u00c2\u00a3260,000 grew at the fastest rate for nearly four years. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said prices rose strongly across the UK, with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all picking up pace. London, where prices were up 18.7%, remains the driving force behind the housing revival. But excluding London and the South East of England, the cost of a home was still 6.3% higher than 12 months before. The governor of the Bank of England said he would take prompt action, if action was needed. Writing in the Bank's annual report, Mark Carney said: \"We will not hesitate to take further proportionate and graduated action as warranted,\" Carney said. He added that the Bank's Financial Policy Committee, which is meeting today, had announced measures in November to reduce stimulus to the housing market.\" In March, the ONS calculated that the annual rate of increase had fallen back slightly to 8%, so the April figures shows the market accelerating once again. April house price inflation was 10.4% in England, 3.3% in Wales, 4.8% in Scotland and 2.6% in Northern Ireland - all higher than the previous month. First-time buyers continue to experience more rapid price increases than people moving house. A rise in London house prices of 18.7% in the year to April is more than 20 times as fast as the average rise in pay (up 0.9%). Even if you strip out London and the south-east of England, prices nationally are up 6.3%. BBC housing calculator We need a reliable measure of what house price inflation is doing to the cost of living. Do we have it? Not exactly. The ONS leaves housing costs out of its Consumer Price Index on the grounds that a house is an asset, not something you consume. But for many people - especially younger people - housing costs are by far their biggest single cost. The ONS answer until now has been to produce another statistic, CPIH, which includes housing costs. Yet, even as house prices roared away, CPIH didn't rise but actually dropped, from 1.6% to 1.4%. How? Because it measures owner-occupiers' housing costs by looking at what they would pay if they rented. Not the mortgages people actually pay. And the numbers assume that housing costs make up just 15% of the average expenditure. But ask young people whether they spend just 15% on housing - and you'll get a funny look. Many older people may have paid off their mortgages. The statistics mask gaping differences between the generations. Perhaps younger people could use an alternative measure of the cost of living that reflects their reality - where housing costs are by far the biggest burden. Campbell Robb, the chief executive of Shelter, said: \"Each rise in prices means more people stuck living in their childhood bedrooms, or trapped in the cycle of moving from one expensive rented home to the next. \"This is a problem that the government can fix. We need a new generation of quality part-buy, part-rent homes, and to make sure that small builders can", "summary": "House price increases accelerated in April, rising by 9.9% compared with the same month a year ago, according to official figures."}
{"article": "The investors, Filmyard, includes construction magnate Ron Tutor and investment firm Colony Capital. Disney has been negotiating with potential buyers for months to sell the division, which has made films such as Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love. Earlier this week, Disney bought the social gaming developer Playdom. \"Although we are very proud of Miramax's many accomplishments, our current strategy for Walt Disney Studios is to focus on the development of great motion pictures under the Disney, Pixar and Marvel brands,\" Disney's chief executive Robert Iger said. Disney wants to concentrate on these family-orientated divisions, which produce popular films such as Toy Story, that also come with highly profitable merchandising opportunities. \"Disney has been very smart with its film strategy,\" media analyst Theresa Wise told BBC World Business Report. \"One of the big issues with movies is very few films break even... so they need other revenues. Disney has the fantastic ability to sell family films and all the merchandise that goes with it. Disney has owned Miramax since 1993 when it bought the firm from Hollywood heavyweights Harvey and Bob Weinstein. The Weinstein brothers, who recently attempted to buy it back from Disney, named the film company after their parents Miriam and Max.", "summary": "Entertainment giant Walt Disney has announced the sale of its Miramax film division for about $660m to a group of private equity investors."}
{"article": "Some \u00a385,000 was spent by the council to improve a nine mile (14.5km) section of the A4059, between Aberdare and Abercynon, which is prone to flooding. It was part of a \u00a323m scheme to improve roads in the area. Council leader Andrew Morgan said road improvements \"continue to be a key priority when it comes to allocating our financial resources\". The road, known locally as the \"Letty Turner's bends\" has also had its drainage system improved. Councillor Morgan said: \"We will be investing over \u00a323m in highways improvements, infrastructure and strategic projects over the next three years - this is on top of the \u00a353m we have already invested since 2011 meaning that by 2018/19 we will have invested over \u00a376m in these key areas in recent years.\"", "summary": "Work to help prevent flooding on a main road in Rhondda Cynon Taff has been completed."}
{"article": "A selection of photos from across the African continent this week:", "summary": "Images courtesy of AFP, AP, EPA and Reuters"}
{"article": "He is set to double UK funding to fight cybercrime to \u00c2\u00a31.9bn over five years. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence says RAF Tornados attacked a group of more than 30 IS fighters in Iraq on Monday. And on Sunday, an RAF Reaper drone provided surveillance for a French air strike on an IS target in Syria. MPs rejected possible air strikes in Syria against President Bashar al-Assad's government in 2013, but in a later vote approved military action against IS in Iraq. Downing Street has confirmed that Prime Minister David Cameron will attend a football match between England and France at Wembley Stadium later, where armed police are being deployed. He is giving a statement in the Commons at 12:30 GMT. Mr Osborne's speech came after IS said it was behind Friday's attacks in which 129 people were killed in bars, restaurants, a concert hall and at a stadium in Paris. The victims included Briton Nick Alexander from Essex. Among the latest developments: Could Paris attacks happen in the UK? Will England fans sing La Marseillaise? Mr Osborne - who visited the GCHQ listening station in Cheltenham - said IS has already proved its ability to exploit the internet \"for hideous propaganda purposes\", including for radicalisation and operational planning. But the chancellor warned that IS was also seeking to hack key UK infrastructure in a bid to kill people. Mr Osborne also said GCHQ is monitoring threats to 450 companies in areas such as defence, energy and water supply. \"From our banks to our cars, our military to our schools, whatever is online is also a target,\" Mr Osborne said. \"The stakes could hardly be higher. If our electricity supply, or our air traffic control, or our hospitals were successfully attacked online, the impact could be measured not just in terms of economic damage but of lives lost.\" He added: \"They do not yet have that capability. But we know they want it, and are doing their best to build it.\" Mr Osborne said the public needed to follow \"basic rules of keeping themselves safe\" online. This could be achieved, he added, by installing security software, downloading software updates and using strong passwords. \"The starting point must be that every British company is a target, that every British network will be attacked, and that cyber crime is not something that happens to other people.\" Mr Osborne also announced the creation of a new National Cyber Centre to bring together the country's leading experts. Other planks of the UK's strategy will include an Institute For Coding, increased investment in the National Cyber Crime Unit, and apprenticeships for cyber-security specialists. BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said much of what the chancellor planned to announce was not new, but it was clear that the government wanted the public to know it had decided to make cyber security a top priority. Digital warfare How can cyber-weapons be so destructive? Speaking at the Lord Mayor of London's Banquet on Monday night, Mr Cameron said the UK must now show the same resolve it displayed against Adolf Hitler", "summary": "Islamic State militants are trying to develop the ability to launch deadly cyber-attacks on UK targets such as air traffic control or hospitals, Chancellor George Osborne has said."}
{"article": "Irfan Rabbani will join the SNP opposition group on the council, which Labour controls with a majority of 15. The 49-year-old said he would not be standing in the local elections in May although he would be campaigning for other SNP candidates. Mr Rabbani has represented Glasgow's Pollokshields ward since 2007. He had been a Labour member for 20 years.", "summary": "A Labour councillor in Glasgow who had been de-selected by the party has defected to the SNP."}
{"article": "Gabriel, 25, injured an ankle against Manchester City, leaving them short of defenders for their Premier League opener against Liverpool on Sunday. Per Mertesacker is out for five months with knee trouble and Laurent Koscielny only returned to training on Monday. The Gunners are working on a deal to sign Mustafi, 24. Mustafi, part of the Germany squad that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016, began his career at Everton but made only one senior appearance for the Toffees, as a substitute in a Europa League match in December 2009. He joined Sampdoria in 2012 and played 44 league matches for the Italians before moving to Valencia two years later. Arsenal have made just the one defensive signing this summer - England Under-21 international Rob Holding from Bolton for a fee believed to be about \u00a32m. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Arsenal defender Gabriel has been ruled out for six to eight weeks, increasing the likelihood of a bid for Valencia centre-back Shkodran Mustafi."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old defensive midfielder has joined the Premiership leaders on a four-year deal after a \u00a32.8m fee was agreed with Russian club Krasnodar. \"All I'm interested in at the moment is really progressing,\" Kouassi said. \"I really feel this is the best place for me at the moment to progress, to become better.\" Captain Scott Brown played his 400th game for Celtic in Wednesday's 1-0 league win over St Johnstone and Nir Bitton, Callum McGregor and Liam Henderson have also played in central midfield areas this season, with Stuart Armstrong and Tom Rogic tending to play further forward. \"I'm not getting worried about it,\" Ivorian Kouassi said through an interpreter. Media playback is not supported on this device \"At the moment, since I haven't played for a wee while, I need to get back to full fitness then after that the coach is going to decide. \"When you play alongside players with such experience, you learn a lot. I expect players such as Scott Brown to really help me and maybe guide me. \"There's lots of great players that have come to Celtic before. It's got a great, great coach at the moment.\" Uncapped at senior level, Kouassi played in the Europa League with Krasnodar and has watched Celtic playing in the Champions League, including this season's matches in Group C, which also contained Barcelona, Borussia Monchengladbach and Manchester City. \"It's something that I'm really, really happy about because it's the top,\" Kouassi said on the prospect of playing in next season's tournament. \"It's the best you can get in European football. \"This is going to have an impact. Celtic is not a small club so hopefully, this will have an impact on my international career with Ivory Coast.\"", "summary": "New Celtic midfielder Eboue Kouassi is \"not getting worried\" about the competition he faces for a place in Brendan Rodgers' team."}
{"article": "Real manager Zinedine Zidane has said he cannot guarantee Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema will stay at the Bernabeu this summer. That has prompted reports Manchester United could rekindle their long-standing interest in the 28-year-old. \"It's a ridiculous, stupid story,\" agent Jonathan Barnett told BBC Sport. Bale was hampered by injury last season and lost his place to Isco, but previously flourished under Zidane and was rewarded with a place on the 30-man shortlist for the 2016 Ballon d'Or. However, with Real linked with a 180m euros (\u00a3160m) move for 18-year-old Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe, there have been reports that they will look to move on one of Bale, Ronaldo or Benzema. Asked about the trio on Thursday, Zidane said: \"I want everyone who is here now to stay but anything can happen right up until 31 August.\" United first tried to sign Bale before he joined Tottenham from Southampton in 2007 and reignited their interest before his move to Spain four years ago. Instead, though, the Welshman joined Real from Tottenham for a then world record fee of \u00a385m. He extended his contract in October 2016, committing him to the Bernabeu club until 2022 and on improved terms reportedly worth \u00a3600,000 per week, \u00a3350,000 after tax. Despite helping Real win three Champions League titles in four years - scoring in the 2014 final win over rivals Atletico Madrid - Bale's time in Spain has been mixed. During his second season, he struggled with calf injuries, was jeered by some Real supporters and faced criticism from sections of the Spanish media as Carlo Ancelotti's side failed to win a trophy.", "summary": "Speculation linking Gareth Bale with a move away from Real Madrid is \"ridiculous\" and \"stupid\", according to the Wales forward's agent."}
{"article": "More than two-thirds of those who took part in the poll opposed replacing the current method for electing MPs with the alternative vote (AV) system. Mr Clegg told the BBC the result was \"very clear\" and promised to \"move on\". The No to AV campaign said voters had safeguarded first-past-the-post \"for the next generation\". More than 19 million people took part in the referendum on whether to keep first-past-the-post, where voters put a cross next to their preferred candidate, with AV, which sees candidates ranked in order of preference. These preferences could have been used to decide the outcome in constituencies where no candidate wins more than 50% of votes cast. The Conservatives backed keeping the existing system, while Mr Clegg's Liberal Democrats urged change and Labour was split on the issue. Overall turnout for Thursday's referendum was 42%, with 6,152,607 voters backing the proposal and 13,013,123 rejecting it Mr Clegg said: \"I wish I could say this is a photo finish but it isn't and the result is very clear. \"I'm a passionate supporter of electoral reform but we've got to accept this. If, in a democracy, you ask someone a question and get an overwhelming answer, you just have to move on.\" He added: \"This is a bitter blow for all those people like me who believe in the need for political reform.\" Prime Minister David Cameron said the referendum was always going to be a \"difficult moment\" for the Tory-Lib Dem coalition, but added that the result had been \"clear\". He added that the government would continue to deal with the problems facing the UK in a \"decisive\" way. Labour leader Ed Miliband, who supported a move to AV, said the public had \"delivered a clear verdict which I accept\". But he said elections still had to change in a way which made \"people feel more included in our politics\". The AV referendum campaign has been marked by strong words of criticism between the two camps. In a speech accepting his side's victory, No to AV campaign chairman Matthew Elliott said the result was \"clear signal from every part of the country that people want to keep our simple, fair and effective system for electing MPs\". He added: \"I personally believe this result will settle the debate about changing our electoral system for the next generation.\" However, Katie Ghose, who ran the Yes to Fairer Votes campaign, which called for AV, said: \"The referendum hasn't been the debate on issues of democracy that people would have hoped for. \"Too often the debate has been about party politics and the public has been shut out of discussing how we choose our MPs.\" She added: \"Over five million people voted for change - a tribute to our campaigners.\"", "summary": "The public's overwhelming rejection of a change in the voting system is a \"bitter blow\", Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said."}
{"article": "Pupils at The Joseph Whitaker School in Rainworth, Nottinghamshire, broke the record at their first attempt with a speed of 478.1mph (769.4km/h). However, later, a different car they had built went even faster and hit an average speed of 533.1mph (857.9km/h). The footage from the Rolls-Royce runway in Hucknall will now be sent to Guinness for verification. If the speed is verified, it will have smashed the existing record held by Samvir Thandi and the Heathland School in Middlesex, whose car reached 287.6mph (462.84 km/h) in March. The Young Engineers tweeted: \"We have a confirmed 478.1mph average by Red Shift! Well done to all the young engineers - world record holders!!\" However, after a further attempt with a car they had nicknamed Insanity, the team went on to set an even bigger record. Phil Worsley, the teacher in charge of the Young Engineers club, said: \"When people watch our rockets they don't anticipate the speed, their heads lag behind the car. \"[The pupils] are absolutely amazing. The most amazing bunch of people I've ever worked with.\" The cars, which are about 45cm (17in) long and constructed from carbon fibre, run on titanium wheels and are guided by a 250m (820ft) steel cable. All parts have been stuck together with strong glue and at the end of each run, the cars come to a stop using small parachutes. The pupils have been working on the project for about a year.", "summary": "A team of schoolchildren's rocket-powered model car has broken the world speed record, it is claimed."}
{"article": "Police urged people in the Antrim Road area to remain vigilant and report any suspicious objects. A police spokesman said searches were carried out after the reported attack on Saturday evening. However, nothing has yet been found.", "summary": "Searches have been carried out in north Belfast after police received information that an explosive device was thrown at one of its patrols."}
{"article": "Ross MacLean had the best opportunity of the first half, seeing his shot saved by Killie goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald when one on one. Louis Moult had a similar chance in the second half, but again could not find a way past MacDonald. Well's Scott McDonald fired wide, while Killie's best chance came through a Souleymane Coulibaly overhead kick. Media playback is not supported on this device Kilmarnock opened impressively, just like they did at Aberdeen in midweek, with Jordan Jones creating the biggest threat on the left wing with his positive running. Twice he provided Rory McKenzie with shooting opportunities with neat low crosses to pick him out. His first effort was blocked by Stephen McManus with Killie players claiming for a penalty suggesting it came off his arm. The second was a left foot strike which was saved by Craig Samson. The home captain Keith Lasley got lucky when he tried to clear from his own penalty spot. His clearance struck his Killie counterpart Stevie Smith as he tried to close him down and the ball flew inches wide of Samson's left hand post. Motherwell then became a threat at the other end. Craig Clay, who spoke in midweek about his disappointment that he has yet to score for the Fir Park side, really should have opened his account from 10 yards but fluffed his shot wide of MacDonald's left hand post. McLean also fired wide after playing a one-two with Louis Moult. With manager Mark McGhee watching from the directors box due to a two-match touchline ban, assistant James McFadden was in charge of proceedings in the home technical area. McFadden looked calm in the role but will have wished his players could have shown the composure he regularly displayed in front of goal. McLean had only MacDonald to beat after latching onto a through pass from McDonald, but the Killie goalkeeper reacted quickly diving to his right to save superbly. Lionel Ainsworth had the final and best chance of the half but he blasted wide from eight yards when it looked easier to score. The early part of the second half was bereft of chances until Moult seemed to get himself clear of the Killie defence, but just as 'Well's top scorer was preparing to release his shot a perfectly timed tackle from Scott Boyd denied him the opportunity. Ivorian striker Coulibaly likes the spectacular and he tried a trademark overhead kick from the angle of the six yard box, but it ended high over the bar. McDonald was next to miss-fire after being set up by Richard Tait. The full-back concluded a positive run by playing the ball into the path of the striker just inside the box, but the Australian's right foot effort flew wide of the post. So we witnessed the first goalless encounter between these sides in five years and while the goalkeepers will be happy with their clean sheets will be the front men who will be asking questions of their finishing. Motherwell manager Mark McGhee: \"It wasn't a great performance but I think", "summary": "Motherwell were left to rue missed chances as they were held to a goalless draw at home to Kilmarnock."}
{"article": "Both teams have to play inter-county matches six days after the Ulster final at Owenbeg and Armagh were reported to want a new date set for the decider. However, the Orchard county have said the fixture will be fulfilled. On Saturday, Armagh play Donegal in the Nicky Rackard series and Antrim take on Carlow in the Christy Ring Cup. \"It is not ideal and we do not have the depth of squad that Antrim have,\" said Armagh hurling manager Sylvester McConnell. \"It presents us with a dilemma - which competition to prioritise. \"We did not formally request that the provincial hurling decider be deferred, and we will definitely play this Sunday's match.\" Antrim have been Ulster champions for 15 years in a row.", "summary": "Sunday's Ulster Hurling Championship final between Antrim and Armagh will go ahead as scheduled despite concerns over fixture scheduling."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Fox initially showed neat footwork to avoid a challenge from Alfredo Morelos. But he then delayed making the clearance, allowing the striker to steal the ball from his toes and roll it into an empty net for 2-0. \"He feels low enough about it. He's a great professional and will bounce back,\" McIntyre told BBC Scotland. \"He's made a glaring mistake today, he knows that and doesn't need me to tell him. \"The mistake is what it is - Scott knows he has to do better there - and the other two goals were preventable. He doesn't need to say anything. \"He's been fantastic in my time here and produced save after save that's won us points.\" Morelos had already powered a header beyond Fox before the goalkeeper's error of judgement, with Rangers dominating the first half in Dingwall. The hosts improved after the interval, with Thomas Mikkelsen reducing the deficit with a header before Eduardo Herrera made the points safe for the visitors with a late finish. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I don't think we were brave enough in possession of the ball,\" said McIntyre. \"We took too long to make our passes and we didn't get enough pressure on Rangers. \"We've had a lot of plaudits in my time here when we've come up against the big boys, but today I felt we went into our shells in that first half and that's the first time I have had to say that to the team as a group. \"The second half was a lot better and it had to be. We made the system change, but it's nothing to do with systems, it's about being brave, taking the ball in tight situations. \"I felt we fed their support the way we gave the ball away in areas of the pitch and that just gathers momentum for Rangers.\" County have gone three games without a win, but McIntyre had still been pleased with aspects of their previous play. \"I described our first-half performance against Motherwell last week as one of our best in my time here, that's probably the worst,\" he added. \"There was a lack of belief there and, when you give the ball away as much as we did, a few players went into their shells, it's as simple as that. I can't hide from that. \"It's not good enough and I won't accept that type of first-half performance. The players are fully aware of that. \"They show a reaction by getting a goal back and being better, but it's a long way back when you concede the kind of goals we conceded.\"", "summary": "Ross County manager Jim McIntyre is backing goalkeeper Scott Fox to recover from the error that gifted Rangers a goal in Sunday's 3-1 defeat."}
{"article": "The Northern Irishman edged ahead of Welsh rival Chaz Davies on the last of the 22 laps to clinch his third successive win in Australia. Rea's British and Kawasaki team-mate, Englishman Tom Sykes, was third. \"It was a little bit like a bicycle race and no-one wanted to put their nose in front,\" Rea, 30, said. The champion's victory - his 39th in WSB - ended Davies' six-race winning streak from 2016. Rea is one of four riders to clinch back-to-back Superbike titles but is aiming to become the first to win three in a row. He still lies two titles behind Carl Fogarty's record of four championship successes. Toomebridge man Eugene Laverty, who is back in the series after two campaigns in the MotoGP paddock, finished eighth on his Milwaukee Aprilia. There will be a second Superbike race at Phillip Island on Sunday.", "summary": "Defending world champion Jonathan Rea has won the opening race of the 2017 Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island."}
{"article": "A major crossing point is the Oresund strait bridge between Malmo in Sweden and the Danish capital Copenhagen, made famous by TV series The Bridge. The checks have irritated commuters who travel daily between the two cities. More than 163,000 asylum seekers arrived in Sweden in 2015 but that number fell to 29,000 last year. The falling number of arrivals means the checks on buses, trains and ferries are no longer necessary, the government says. But while ID checks at border points with Denmark are being scrapped, border controls elsewhere will continue to be tightened, it says. Interior Minister Anders Ygeman also said more surveillance cameras would be used on the Oresund bridge, in addition to vehicle x-rays. Meanwhile, the European Commission recommended that temporary border controls introduced in Germany, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Norway during the migrant crisis be phased out in the next six months. \"The time has come to take the last concrete steps to gradually return to a normal functioning of the Schengen Area,\" EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos told journalists, referring to the passport-free zone. In November 2015, Sweden began allowing police to check people entering Sweden from other states in Schengen. \"The government's conclusion is that border controls are still needed and need to be strengthened,\" Mr Ygeman was quoted as saying by The Local news website, hours before the EU Commission's announcement. The real story of 'The Bridge' The measure mandating identity checks on passengers travelling between Denmark and Sweden by bus, train and ferry was last extended in February and expires on 4 May, with the government to let it lapse, Swedish media report. An estimated 20,000 commuters daily cross the Oresund bridge.", "summary": "Sweden is ending identity checks on border crossings with Denmark that were instituted early last year as thousands of migrants arrived seeking asylum."}
{"article": "Yvonne Kershaw, a 64-year-old grandmother from Petworth in West Sussex, landed the Virgin Atlantic flight from Cancun in Mexico. Mrs Kershaw joined the airline in 1990 and was granted command of the Boeing 747 aircraft three years later. She said it had taken passengers a few years to get used to seeing a woman coming out of the flight deck. \"I suppose normally they would expect to see a silver-haired fox flying the aeroplane in command,\" she added. \"Breaking down those barriers wasn't easy but nobody ever said it would be. \"What you need is passion about your job, determination and skill.\" Mrs Kershaw learned to fly at the age of 19 and after flying small aircraft around Europe and north Africa she gained her commercial pilot's licence and flew executive jets. When she joined Virgin Atlantic its fleet included only four 747s. \"It's such an iconic aeroplane and it's what I wanted to fly. For decades it was the largest aircraft in the world and the most loved by everybody,\" she said. Mrs Kershaw has captained more than 2,000 flights with more than 18,000 flying hours in the jumbos. She said she was \"slightly tearful\" after landing her final flight and would miss the role \"enormously\". \"With long-haul it's not a job, it's a way of life, because you spend so much time away from home with crew. They become part of your extended family.\"", "summary": "The UK's first woman jumbo jet pilot has retired after landing at Gatwick Airport for the last time."}
{"article": "World number 10 Walden, 33, will meet England's Judd Trump in Sunday's final at Beijing University over 19 frames. It will be a second final in a week for Walden, who lost 10-6 to Mark Allen in the Players Championship on Sunday. World number seven Trump whitewashed Scotland's Stephen Maguire 6-0 in the second semi-final to reach his second ranking final of the season. Trump, 26, who was beaten 10-9 by Kyren Wilson in the final of the Shanghai Masters in September, won the opening frame with a 100 break and then raced to a 4-0 interval lead as Maguire, 35, struggled with his potting. Trump then cleared with 31 in frame five to move to the brink of victory, before completing the victory with a break of 46 in the final frame. Earlier, Walden edged a tight match against four-time world champion Higgins with a 131 break in the decider. Walden is aiming for the fourth ranking title of his career and a fourth tournament victory in China, following his wins at the 2008 Shanghai Masters, the 2012 Wuxi Classic and the 2014 International Championship. The China Open is the final ranking event before the World Championship, which begins in Sheffield on 16 April.", "summary": "Ricky Walden is through to the China Open final after a 6-5 semi-final victory over Scotland's John Higgins."}
{"article": "\"I assume it's going to be for Kalinda but I never take it for granted,\" she says. \"Yes, people still recognise me from Bend it Like Beckham or East is East so it's often fun to try and guess where they will know me from, from their reaction.\" After working mostly in America since 2009, Panjabi is back this weekend for the British Academy Television Awards, where she will present a trophy and represent The Good Wife, which is nominated. And, she confesses, to stock up on salad cream. The Baftas will be a very different experience from when she first started getting invites to award ceremonies. \"I think the first time I went to the Emmys (in LA),\" she recalls, \"I was on the red carpet and I was nominated [for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series] and I was so thrilled and nobody recognised me.\" \"All the photographers put their cameras down and that was probably one of the most daunting experiences I've had because I just wanted the red carpet to open up and swallow me!\" As fate would have it, everything worked out and on that night in 2010 when she won and \"that's when the photographers finally wanted to take a photo of me,\" she laughs. Playing a pathologist alongside Gillian Anderson in BBC One's The Fall has increased her profile further, but Panjabi has recently made a bold career move. The 42-year-old has walked away from the primetime US TV show, produced by Ridley Scott, that critics and audiences still love after six years. \"I decided two years ago,\" she admits, \"I felt it was the right time\". While proclaiming her love for the character of fiercely loyal Kalinda, something had changed. \"I've been really lucky at being professionally very satisfied and happily employed,\" Panjabi explains. \"But one of the things I love most is being able to develop that character and create something that is so different from me and I think, after six years, I feel if I continue playing her I wouldn't have that equilibrium.\" Kalinda's exit takes place on TV in America at the same time as Panjabi will be partying at the Baftas in the UK this Sunday evening. Without giving away exactly what happens, she reveals her last day on set was spent in a bar. \"Everybody was a little sad,\" she says, \"we had tequilas and we all celebrated and then I got up on the bar in my boots and thanked everybody\". \"And then I just walked out.\" How delightfully like Kalinda. Panjabi even swiped the character's trademark boots and leather jacket. Kalinda's goodbye sounds slightly less traumatic than when Josh Charles (Will Gardner) was written out of the show in 2014, shot and killed in a tense courtroom scene. Some of us may still be reeling from the shock of that incident playing out on the small screen, watching a beloved character snatched away too soon. Panjabi says it was \"heartbreaking\" filming those scenes and remains proud of how the cast and crew kept it such", "summary": "Despite spending the past six years playing Kalinda Sharma on Emmy-award-winning The Good Wife, Archie Panjabi has learnt not to second-guess how people may recognise her."}
{"article": "Thuli Mandonsela, who has vigorously pursued Mr Zuma in her seven years as anti-corruption tsar, told Reuters that legal action was behind the delay. Mr Zuma applied for a court order to ban the publication on Thursday. The report addresses allegations that a wealthy Indian-born business family has had undue influence on his government. The Guptas have been accused of dismissing and appointing ministers, a form of corruption referred to in South Africa as \"state capture\". The family strongly denies all the allegations, as has the president. Ms Madonsela had been planning to release the findings on Friday, her last day in her role as public protector. But with legal action preventing her from releasing the report before, Ms Madonsela says she has now given \"for safe-keeping\" to Baleka Mbete, the speaker of parliament. \"I'm not the whistle blower. I'm the one who investigates what the whistle blowers tell me,\" she told a press conference in Pretoria, at which she reiterated several times that she was not able to discuss the findings of the report. Former Finance Minister David Van Rooyen has filed a separate legal application to block publication of any aspects of the report involving allegations against him. When Thuli Madonsela's daughter asked her over breakfast how it felt to be \"South Africa's biggest tell-tale\", the public protector just smiled. It was an understated reaction from the woman likely to go down in history as the person who rattled President Jacob Zuma more than any other figure in contemporary South Africa, exposed the growing fissures in the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and went from being a shy trade unionist to an internationally feted global leader. Ms Madonsela's inquiries over her years in office as public protector have led to the sacking of some of the most senior figures in the country. She has investigated police chiefs, opposition politicians - and even the president himself over multi-million dollar security upgrades to his private Nkandla home. Read Karen's full profile The controversial appointment of Mr Van Rooyen, who lasted just three days in the post before standing down, is one of the key lines of inquiry in the investigation, the BBC understands. The report allegedly contains evidence based on mobile phone records that Mr Van Rooyen was at the home of the influential Gupta family hours before his shock appointment as finance minister, according to details of the report leaked to the BBC. Markets panicked over Mr Van Rooyen's controversial appointment, which followed the sacking of his respected predecessor Nhlanhla Nene, causing the South African currency to plunge to record lows. Critics of Ms Madonsela claims she has exceeded her powers and is on a mission to try to topple President Zuma but she maintains she's just doing her job. In a previous report, she found that Mr Zuma had \"unduly benefitted\" from the use of taxpayers' money to build a cattle enclosure, amphitheatre, swimming pool, visitor centre and chicken run at his home in Nkandla. Last month, he repaid about $500,000 of the $23m total cost of these upgrades. In", "summary": "A corruption investigation expected to contain damning allegations against South African President Jacob Zuma will not be published on Friday, as planned."}
{"article": "The Lynx UK Trust wants to import up to six of the cats from Sweden to Kielder Forest in Northumberland. With a public consultation over, the trust said the five year trial plan would go to Natural England by September. It has been criticised by some residents and sheep farmers. The scheme would see four to six lynx wearing radio tracking devices with Kielder chosen due to its dense woodland and low number of roads. The trust said the animals would help control deer numbers as well provide a tourism boost. Dr Paul O'Donoghue from the trust told the Guardian the lynx \"belongs here\" and is an \"intrinsic part of the the UK environment\". He also told the paper he hoped the lynx could be in the forest by the end of the year. Sheep farmers fear the animals could target their livestock although the trust said the cats would hunt in woods rather than fields. The trust did admit, however, that some sheep could be killed but farmers would be \"generously compensated\" for any losses. Phil Stocker, chief executive of the National Sheep Association, said there were several hundred sheep farmers around Kielder, any one of whom could be affected by the lynx. He said valuing a sheep was complex and, money aside, there were major welfare concerns. Mr Stocker said people would not accept animals facing \"unnecessary pain\" and one sheep being attacked by a lynx could cause major stress and possible damage to others in the flock. He said the UK no longer had the \"landscape\" for the lynx to be \"genetically sustainable\" and it would not be in the cat's interest to be reintroduced into an environment that, thanks to roads and industry, has changed so much since the cat existed here.", "summary": "Plans to reintroduce the Eurasian lynx 1,300 years after it became extinct in the UK will be submitted soon, campaigners have said."}
{"article": "The interest rates are linked to inflation - and are set to rise by about a third from 4.6% to up to 6.1%. It will come in the autumn alongside an increase in tuition fees to \u00a39,250 for universities in England. The Department for Education is also trying to sell off more student loan debt to private investors. An education department spokeswoman said that rates for the autumn are \"not confirmed\" until September. But for those taking out loans since 2012, the rate is based on the RPI (retail prices index) measure of inflation in March, which was published on Tuesday. This showed an increase to 3.1% compared with 1.6% last year and 0.9% the previous year. Interest is charged while students are still at university at the level of RPI plus 3% - which would mean charges on tuition fees and maintenance loans of 6.1%. The increase would mean a higher cost in interest charges before students had even graduated. After students leave university, interest rates are linked to earnings, which will rise up to 6.1% for an income of \u00a341,000 and over - based on RPI plus 3%. For students who were at university before 2012, the loan rates will remain unchanged. There has been increasing attention paid to the level of interest charged on student loans. The Intergenerational Foundation think tank has highlighted that while the focus has been on the headline tuition fee, the amount that it actually costs students in repayments including interest charges will often be much higher. Before the forthcoming interest rate increase, students earning \u00a341,000 per year were forecast to make repayments of \u00a354,000 on tuition fees. This figure was without including the amount students also borrow for living costs such as accommodation - and without any amount outstanding when debts are written off after 30 years. The foundation's report on tuition fee interest was called \"The Packhorse Generation\" to describe these increasing levels of debt. The government is also in the process of trying to sell off the student loan book to the financial markets. In February it announced that loans to students in England between 2002 and 2006 will be put up for sale, to be followed by other pre-2012 loans, with the aim of raising \u00a312bn. The scale of debt owed by students for loans for tuition and maintenance has continued to climb. In England, the amount owed last year had reached \u00a376bn, compared with about \u00a334bn in 2011. The National Union of Student president, Malia Bouattia, said the rising levels of debt would cast a long financial shadow over young people's lives. \"Graduates wanting to access the housing market, save and start pensions after university are already struggling to do so and this step will only disadvantage them further,\" she said. A Department for Education spokeswoman said: \"Our student funding system is sustainable and fair, with affordable loan rates based on income. This means no individual will see their repaymen\u200ets rise as a result of interest rates increasing. \"Rates are set each year in September and are not confirmed before", "summary": "Millions of students and former students in England and Wales will face a sharp increase in interest rates on tuition fees and maintenance loans."}
{"article": "The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that six women and a child were among those who died in the raids on al-Heisha overnight. The IS-held village has been the target of a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters seeking to capture Raqqa. A coalition spokesman confirmed that it had conducted strikes in the area. But Col John Dorrian told the AFP news agency that \"more specific information is needed to conclusively determine responsibility\" for any civilian casualties. A coalition statement said seven strikes near the town of Ain Issa, about 14km (9 miles) west of al-Heisha, on Tuesday had engaged six IS tactical units and destroyed three fighting positions, a vehicle, and a car bomb facility. A spokeswoman for the Kurdish-Arab alliance, the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), dismissed the reports of civilian casualties as \"IS news\". On Sunday, the SDF announced that it had begun a campaign to isolate and ultimately take control of Raqqa, which IS has controlled for almost three years. The initial report of the air strike on al-Heisha, about 40km (25 miles) north of Raqqa, came from the anti-IS activist group, Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently. It said 23 people had been killed and identified all but four of them. On Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory said 20 had been killed and about 30 others wounded in the attack. The SDF said some 200 families had fled al-Heisha. One of the residents who escaped, Saada al-Aboud, told AFP: \"[IS] fighters brought heavy weapons to our village and stayed among us so that if there were strikes they would hit us.\" \"They wouldn't let us leave. We had to escape by running out into the fields, with our children and old people. What else could we do? We left everything behind.\" The Syrian Observatory says at least 680 civilians, including 169 children, have been killed since coalition air strikes began in Syria two years ago. However, the coalition has admitted responsibility for only 55 civilian deaths in both Syria and neighbouring Iraq between August 2014 and July 2016. Last month, Amnesty International said some 100 civilians appeared to have been killed in three coalition air strikes in June and July 2016 around Manbij, north-west of Raqqa, during an SDF operation to drive IS militants out of the town.", "summary": "A US-led coalition air strike killed at least 20 civilians in a village north of so-called Islamic State's Syrian stronghold of Raqqa, activists say."}
{"article": "Except that this girl is a robot: a robot girlfriend programmed by a sociopathic billionaire. And she is a robot who may just want a mind of her own - with a master who won't relinquish control. The film is out in UK cinemas now. Written by Alex Garland, author of The Beach, it's a thriller starring Domhnall Gleeson as computer programmer Caleb, Alicia Vikander as robot Ava and Oscar Isaac as Nathan, the billionaire. It explores some of our deepest fears about artificial intelligence (AI). Ex Machina's robot, Ava, is not the only type of AI we should find unsettling, Garland told Newsbeat. He said: \"AI that is in control of stock markets, in control of healthcare systems, factories, maybe military drones. It is different from Ava but you can be scared of that.\" These are the type of AI that led inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk to declare AI as \"the most serious threat to the survival of the human race\". The SpaceX boss has donated $10m (\u00c2\u00a36.6m) to keep AI friendly. Dr Stuart Armstrong is a member of a research centre which looks into the big questions surrounding AI - the Future of Humanity - at Oxford University. He is also an adviser to the Lifeboat Foundation, which is tasked with a small matter: safeguarding humanity. He told Newsbeat about a future world which he says is far more likely to happen than anything shown in Ex Machina. It is potentially far more terrifying, he reckons. \"AI could outsmart us technologically, it could come up with designs of things far beyond what we could come up with and then build them. \"It could outsmart us on the internet; say hack into every single computer in the world and copy themselves into it. \"It could outsmart us socially which is a particularly scary avenue. \"Maybe humans' social skills are not nearly as special or uncrackable as we like to think. It could seduce us. \"It could have super economic skills. \"It could guess the stock market better and accumulate quantities of cash. \"It doesn't need to have all these skills. \"If you have a general intelligence in one area it is often transferable to other areas. \"If you can accumulate huge amounts of money then you can buy lots of hackers or buy lots of computing power or technological research. \"Similarly if you have technological research you can sell this and accumulate financial resources.\" Meanwhile, he says films portraying AI in human terms, particularly portrayals of AI like the Terminator, are \"ridiculous\". He explains: \"If you want to build a mechanical army to destroy the world, the human frame is probably one of the worst designs that you could go for. I would go for mosquito-sized drones with legs or something like that. \"Every single AI in movies I've ever seen is a human mind with some minor modification. They seem to be emotionally repressed humans. That's the model.\" Much of what we might expect AI to be like will be beyond human experience, argues Armstrong. \"It is very possible", "summary": "Ex Machina is your standard film script of boy meets girl."}
{"article": "The man, in his 50s, is believed to be from the Maidstone area of Kent. The clockwise carriageway leading to the Dartford crossing will remain shut until further notice following the crash between junction 30 and junction 31, police said. The arrested female driver, aged in her 30s and from Romania, remains in custody and is being interviewed. Paramedics attended and both carriageways were shut to allow an air ambulance to land. Police said they were now carrying out an investigation. The slip road from Grays on to the clockwise carriageway is also closed. Motorists are advised to seek an alternative route, although the anti-clockwise carriageway has now reopened. Traffic congestion is very heavy but vehicles initially caught at the scene of the collision have been released, police said.", "summary": "A lorry driver from Romania has been arrested after a motorcyclist died in a collision on the M25 in Essex."}
{"article": "Peter Gogarty said perpetrators knew anything disclosed in confession would not be revealed to authorities. He told the BBC it was effectively a \"get-out-of-jail-free card\". It follows the final public hearings in an Australian inquiry, which has heard evidence of abusers confessing knowing their actions would not be divulged. The issue of mandatory reporting has split Australia's Catholic Church, with archbishops differing on whether information given by a child victim during confession should be relayed to police. \"What they are doing is saying we are more prepared to protect an offender than we are to take care of this child,\" said Mr Gogarty, who was 12 when he was abused by a priest in New South Wales. \"If the royal commission [inquiry] has shown us one thing, it is that a paedophile does not stop until they die or are physically incapable of molesting any more.\" The inquiry, established in 2013, gathered evidence from 4,440 people who said they were victims of abuse at Catholic institutions in Australia. Mr Gogarty said the church had been slow to respond to the claims. \"The church in Australia has treated this like a nasty public relations disaster,\" he told the BBC. \"I don't think they understand the depth of the disaster they have created and the work they need to do to fix it.\" Francis Sullivan, head of the church's Truth, Justice and Healing Council, said the institution had recognised its \"shameful\" role in enabling and covering up abuse in the past. He admitted that evidence at the inquiry had \"corroded the credibility of the church\", and said it had already paid hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation to victims. However, Mr Sullivan said confession should not be altered to make priests report abuse to the police. \"I think it would be a tragedy if the privileged communication in the confessional is abolished,\" he said. \"The Catholic Church says that when it involves the seal of confession then that information is sacrosanct - that the priest is bound by that.\" Mr Sullivan said he favoured a system where a perpetrator confessing abuse was advised to report the crime themselves. \"I think its incumbent on the priest to say to the person - if you are sincere about this, if you want to absolved - then going to the authorities is part of the exercise,\" he said. Mandatory reporting of abuse has been one of the key issues under consideration by the royal commission, which has heard allegations of abuse at more than 4,000 public organisations in Australia. The commissioners are due to submit their final report and recommendations in December.", "summary": "An Australian child abuse survivor has called on the Catholic Church to reform its laws on confession to ensure crimes are reported to police."}
{"article": "The three-day tie begins on 7 April, five days after the Miami Open, which is played outdoors on a hard court. World number one Andy Murray, who sat out Britain's 3-2 victory over Canada in the Davis Cup World Group first round, is expected to play in Miami. Britain beat France in the quarter-finals in 2015, when they won the title for the first time in 79 years. Murray, 29, said earlier this month he expected to return against France after a break following his fourth-round exit from the Australian Open. Rouen's Palais des Sports can accommodate 5,200 spectators.", "summary": "Great Britain's Davis Cup quarter-final against France in April will be played on an indoor clay court in Rouen."}
{"article": "Some farmers will have experienced a 10p a litre drop in the price in the 10 months to Christmas. Aled Jones, National Farmers' Union's milk committee chairman, said they were finding it \"extremely difficult\". Two independent inquiries into the industry's future in Wales are due to report in 2015. THE INCOME GAP Mr Jones, who farms at Llanfaglan near Caernarfon, added that over months the price drop can mean a gap in income of tens of thousands of pounds. \"It's only now that the cuts are beginning to really bite,\" he told BBC Radio Cymru's Manylu programme. \"Ten pence a litre for a farm producing a million litres is a hundred thousand pounds less revenue - and that is not a big farm. \"Some feed costs and fuel prices have come down - but not to the extent of \u00a3100,000 - no way.\" WHY HAS THE PRICE COME DOWN SO QUICKLY? SUPERMARKET PRICE WAR Farmers have seen a drop in price at the same time as a supermarket war to offer milk for the cheapest price. Iceland - with its roots on Deeside - claims to sell the cheapest milk at 89p for four pints. In a statement, Iceland told BBC Wales it had not changed the price it pays for its milk, only the price it charges to its customers. \"We are operating in the most competitive food retail market in the UK any of us can remember, and decided to make a major investment of our own margin to help our customers by offering them really compelling value on one of the essentials they buy every day.\" DECLINING NUMBERS The number of dairy farmers in Wales has dropped substantially over the last decade - by 40%. DairyCo estimates the current number to be 1,833. CASE STUDY - LEAVING THE INDUSTRY Lyn Thomas from Llanpumsaint near Carmarthen gave up milking 12 months ago, ending a three generation family tradition. With no children he felt he could not justify the investment of thousands, which was needed to modernise his equipment. \"Just to put a new milking parlour in would have cost me between \u00a350,000 and \u00a370,000,\" he said. \"I would have had to buy more cattle and get more land for those animals. The minimum investment would have been between \u00a3150,000 and \u00a3200,000.\" CASE STUDY - JOINING THE INDUSTRY Others are investing, expanding or joining the dairy industry for the first time. Rhys Williams and his young family moved to a farm on the Lleyn Peninsula 18 months ago and decided milking was the only way forward. \"I feel very strongly that farmers have to help themselves first and there is room for a lot of businesses to shave their costs,\" he said. \"Agriculture has changed beyond belief over the past 10 to 15 years. It's become much more of a business.\" A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD? Aled Jones from the NFU says that for the industry to survive, the two-year voluntary code of practice between the farmers and processors needs to extend to retailers as well. \"We need to have a far", "summary": "A dairy industry leader in Wales has called for more fairness in the supply chain following a dramatic drop in the price farmers get for their milk."}
{"article": "2 December 2015 Last updated at 09:51 GMT One in 10 engineers are in South Africa are women - but Ms Moosajee wants that proportion to be much higher. Thousands of girls are going through the organisation's fellowship programme, which includes practical workshops in skills development, training and networking. She says: \"It's such a proud moment for me to have these girls come up to me and say: \"Naadiya, you have changed my life. I'm an engineer because of you.\" WomEng is currently working across South Africa and Kenya, with the aim of replicating its programmes across Africa and the globe. Women of Africa is a BBC season recognising inspiring women across the African continent. The first series, Africa's Unsung Heroes, introduces eight women who are making a difference in their country - and beyond. Read more here", "summary": "South African civil engineer Naadiya Moosajee co-founded non-profit organisation WomEng to help develop the next generation of female engineers in Africa."}
{"article": "Flintshire factory cleaner Trevor Fletcher, 60, fell unconscious at work in Deeside's Toyota Manufacturing UK. Prompt life-saving action from colleagues kept him alive until the air ambulance team arrived from Welshpool. Dr John Glen, an anaesthetist on board, said teamwork at all stages had helped to save Mr Fletcher. He works at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Denbighshire and also with the Emergency Medical Retrival and Transfer Service Cymru. He said: \"The patient was given first aid and CPR by a colleague, a defibrillator was on hand, paramedics arrived to give more intensive resuscitation and insert a tube to help him breathe. \"The helicopter was able to reach him quickly and had an expert on board, and finally he was flown directly a specialist cardiac centre. \"Without all these stages, he probably won't have made it - if he had, he would be in a bad way, and certainly not up and about in a few weeks, cracking jokes.\" Once Mr Fletcher was stabilised, he was flown to the North Wales Cardiac Centre at Glan Clwyd where he was treated at a specialist laboratory, and then transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital in the Wirral to be closer to his family. Once he recovered, Mr Fletcher, who lives in Birkenhead, travelled to Welshpool where the air ambulance is based, to meet Dr Glen and the team to say thank you. \"I hadn't been feeling well for a while, with a cough, and finally went to see my GP, who gave me antibiotics and said there was a problem with my chest,\" he said. \"I didn't realise it at the time, but it was actually pneumonia, which was only confirmed when I was at Glan Clwyd. \"I was at work and said to my colleagues I felt unwell and was going out for some fresh air. \"When I didn't come back they went to find me and a security guard found me unconscious. \"Really, the first I knew was waking up in Arrowe Park hospital. \"It's thanks to the doctors on the helicopter, and all the medical staff in the two hospitals, that I am alive now and I am able to go back to work, plus spend time with my family.\"", "summary": "A man who was \"dead\" for almost an hour after suffering a cardiac arrest has visited the flying doctors who saved him to say thank you."}
{"article": "Film studio Warner Bros is looking for a girl between the ages of eight and 12 to play the character of Modesty. \"Modesty is a haunted young girl with an inner strength and stillness,\" the studio said. \"She has an ability to see deep into people and understand them.\" The casting call will take place at the Excel Centre in London on Saturday. The chosen youngster will star opposite Eddie Redmayne in what is bound to be one of the biggest film releases of next year. Rowling has written the screenplay for the film, which is based on a Harry Potter spin-off book she published in 2001. Redmayne will play \"magizoologist\" Newt Scamander, who writes a Hogwarts School textbook about the weird and wonderful fictional creatures he encounters. Hopeful actresses have been invited to start queuing from 09:00 BST on Saturday. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is expected to be released on 18 November 2016. Writing on her Facebook page in 2013, JK Rowling said: \"Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for 17 years, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world. \"The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt's story will start in New York, 70 years before Harry's gets under way.\"", "summary": "An open casting call is to be held to find a girl to star in JK Rowling's Harry Potter spin-off film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."}
{"article": "28 September 2012 Last updated at 08:44 BST From stranded sailing boats to drifting dinghys - it's estimated they've saved more than 130,000 lives. But they now have a new 1.5 million pound tool to tackle even the toughest rescues. And Joe couldn't wait to try it out!", "summary": "For almost 200 years a group of volunteers called the RNLI have been taking the plunge into the seas around the UK."}
{"article": "The existing Langlands School building, which is based at Loreburn Park, is in a poor condition, according to the education department. They have proposed moving it to a new joint campus serving the north-west of the town. It is part of a wider scheme known as a the Dumfries Learning Town project. According to a report to Dumfries and Galloway Council's education committee, the school for secondary age pupils would be known as New Langlands School. It would be part of a campus at Alloway Road which would also incorporate Maxwelltown High School, and Lochside and St Ninian's primaries. Officers have recommended a formal consultation on the plan. They said parents and staff have reacted positively to the proposal during initial informal discussions.", "summary": "A Dumfries school for children with severe and complex needs could be relocated to a new \"learning campus\" under new council plans."}
{"article": "Sir Tim Berners-Lee was speaking to the BBC following the news that he has been given the Turing Award. It is sometimes known as the Nobel Prize of computing. Sir Tim said moves to undermine encryption would be a \"bad idea\" and represent a massive security breach. Home Secretary Amber Rudd has said there should be no safe space for terrorists to be able to communicate online. But Sir Tim said giving the authorities a key to unlock coded messages would have serious consequences. \"Now I know that if you're trying to catch terrorists it's really tempting to demand to be able to break all that encryption but if you break that encryption then guess what - so could other people and guess what - they may end up getting better at it than you are,\" he said. Sir Tim also criticised moves by legislators on both sides of the Atlantic, which he sees as an assault on the privacy of web users. He attacked the UK's recent Investigatory Powers Act, which he had criticised when it went through Parliament: \"The idea that all ISPs should be required to spy on citizens and hold the data for six months is appalling.\" In the United States he is concerned that the principle of net neutrality, which treats all internet traffic equally, could be watered down by the Trump administration and the Federal Communications Commission. \"If the FCC does move to reduce net neutrality I will fight it as hard as I can,\" he vowed. The web's creator also said he was shocked by the direction the US Congress and Senate had taken when they voted to scrap laws preventing internet service providers from selling users' data. He said privacy online was as important as the trust between a doctor and a patient. \"We're talking about it being just a human right that my ability to communicate with people on the web, to go to websites I want without being spied on is really, really crucial.\" Last month, in an open letter marking the 28th anniversary of the web, Sir Tim warned about the problem of fake news spreading online. He repeated those concerns and said there might be a design flaw in some web services: \"Fake things, false things tend to propagate more than truth and in a way maybe hatred tends to propagate in some cases more than love.\" He added that everyone had a responsibility to address this issue, including the major technology companies. \"People who have created those various social networks need to sit back and look at the way they are being built,\" he said. Sir Tim said it was a \"massive honour\" to win the Turing Award, which is given by the Association of Computing Machinery. The prize, now in its 50th year, is widely recognised as the most prestigious in computing. Past winners include Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn, considered the \"fathers of the internet;\" and the artificial intelligence pioneer John McCarthy. The citation for Sir Tim Berners-Lee reads: \"For inventing the world wide web, the first", "summary": "The web's creator has attacked any UK plans to weaken encryption and promised to battle any moves by the Trump administration to weaken net neutrality."}
{"article": "McLaren's engine partner Honda says the two-time champion will receive a five-place grid drop for using too many examples of a specific engine part. Honda expects further penalties when it finalises its plans for the race after Friday practice. As Alonso is likely to qualify on the cusp of the top 10, a back-row start appears inevitable. Honda, struggling with performance and reliability, is keen to try to avoid penalties at the Hungaroring in two weeks' time because it expects it to be one of the most competitive races for McLaren. \"It will not change too much if we take a small penalty or a big one,\" Alonso said. \"Maybe it is better to take the big one and arrive in Hungary with a little bit more safety.\" Hungary is one of the tracks where engine performance is least important in overall pace, whereas Honda will struggle at Silverstone because of the high-speed nature of the track and the fact that the lack of braking around the lap exposes the engine's relative lack of effectiveness of hybrid energy recovery and deployment. Alonso and team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne had already amassed a total of 110 grid-place penalties even before the Silverstone weekend as Honda struggles to get to grips with F1 technology. The first engine part that has been changed on Alonso's car for this weekend is the energy store - or battery - of his hybrid system, of which Alonso has already used the maximum permitted number of four this season. Media playback is not supported on this device Alonso will be using the newest-spec internal combustion engine - known as Phase Three. This new engine also included a new-spec MGU-H - the part of the hybrid system that recovers energy from the turbo - aimed at solving a weakness in the bearing that has led to a series of failures this season. But this new-spec MGU-H failed on Saturday morning in Austria and Alonso had to have a Phase Two specification engine fitted for the rest of the weekend because there was not enough time to fit an old MGU-H to the new-spec engine. Alonso will start the Silverstone weekend with a Phase Three internal combustion engine fitted with a Phase Two MGU-H and Honda has yet to reveal what other changes it will make after that.", "summary": "Fernando Alonso is poised to start the British Grand Prix from the back of the grid following fresh engine penalties."}
{"article": "Mrs Foster said: \"We would like to see the petition of concern got rid of\". Any vote in the assembly can be made dependent on a petition of concern if it is supported by 30 MLAS - meaning the motion will only pass if it has cross-community support. The purpose is to protect one community from legislation that would favour another. Mrs Foster added: \"I think we need to talk about, maybe after the election, getting rid of the petition of concern altogether.\" If a petition of concern is presented to the assembly speaker, any motion or amendment will need cross-community support. In such cases, a vote on proposed legislation will only pass if supported by a weighted majority (60%) of members voting, including at least 40% of each of the nationalist and unionist designations present and voting. Effectively this means that, provided enough MLAs from a particular community agree, that community can exercise a veto over the assembly's decisions. A valid petition requires the signatures of 30 MLAs. Introduced as part of the Good Friday Agreement, the procedure was originally designed as a way to safeguard minority rights in the assembly. However, its use has become controversial, and the DUP have been criticised for using the mechanism to stop votes on same-sex marriage being passed, and for preventing motions of no confidence going through. According to figures compiled by an investigative website, The Detail, over a five-year period from 2011 to 2016 the petition of concern procedure was used 115 times. The DUP was the only party with more than 30 MLAS so it presented petitions without other party support. Over the five years, they signed 86 petitions, while the SDLP and Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in signed 29. The Green Party endorsed four, Alliance three, and the Ulster Unionists two. Speaking to BBC Northern Ireland, Arlene Foster made it clear that she wanted to see change \"We talk a lot about the petition of concern and our opponents talk a lot about the petition of concern,\" she said. \"We would actually like to see the petition of concern got rid of for everything, but I think our opponents would like to keep it for the things they want to to use the petition of concern for and not allow us to use it.\" Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has called for reform of the petition of concern. She said the veto was the main reason developments such as same-sex marriage had not yet been introduced in Northern Ireland. \"We need to get it back to its original intent and away from what it has become, which is used and abused to protect parties' selfish interests,\" Mrs Long said.", "summary": "DUP leader Arlene Foster has told the BBC she would like to see the petition of concern scrapped at Stormont."}
{"article": "At present the practice is used only in adults, but researchers say it should be applied to children too. Their paper is based on a trial of nearly 1,500 children at 14 intensive care units in England. The researchers said cutting infections would also save the NHS money. When patients are admitted to intensive care in hospital a tube, called a line or central venous catheter, is inserted into large veins in the body to deliver drugs, food or fluids. But bacteria are often attracted to these plastic tubes, making them one of the main reasons for infections in the patient's bloodstream. These infections can lead to damage to the brain and other organs, and cases of septic shock. They can also occur when blood clots form in and around the tube. In studies on adult patients, coating the catheters both inside and out with low levels of antibiotics or the blood-thinning drug heparin was found to reduce infections by 70-80%. This study, from the UCL Institute of Child Health, and Great Ormond Street Hospital, is the first to be carried out in children. It found that only 1% of patients using an antibiotic-coated catheter developed infections in their bloodstream, compared with 4% of patients using a standard tube. The study called this \"a significant decrease\" on normal levels of infection in paediatric intensive care units. Quen Mok, consultant in intensive care at Great Ormond Street Hospital and one of the study authors, said the tubes should now be used on children. \"Bloodstream infections can be dangerous for children who are already very sick. \"They can make conditions worse and even cause death, so ways to reduce the infection risk to our patients in intensive care would be very welcome.\" Although the antibiotic-coated catheter was found to reduce infection numbers in children under 16 years old, a catheter coated in a blood-thinning drug showed no signs of cutting infection rates. And death rates in intensive care were not reduced by the use of antibiotic-coated tubes. Tubes coated with antibiotic are more expensive than standard tubes but the researchers said adopting them would still prove cost effective because they would result in shorter hospital stays and reduce the costs of treating infections in intensive care.", "summary": "Fewer children would develop infections in intensive care if the plastic tubes used to deliver drugs straight into their veins were coated in antibiotics, a study in The Lancet suggests."}
{"article": "They are accused of conspiring together, and with others, to sell goods in 2012 that contained wholly, or in part, a mix of beef and horsemeat. Ulrik Nielsen, Alex Ostler-Beech and Andronicos Sideras will appear at City of London Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, 27 September. The charges follow an investigation led by the City of London police.", "summary": "Three men have been charged with fraud for allegedly conspiring to sell horsemeat as beef."}
{"article": "He had major surgery on his hand in November last year and feared missing out would give his rivals at his weight an advantage in racking up Commonwealth Games qualifying points. But, after testing his right hand in the semi-finals of Saturday's Championships, he then came through the final in a terrific contest against Glasgow's Jack Turner. Their bantamweight title bout was last on the card on finals night, but it was certainly worth waiting for. \"I was up at 06:00 BST just buzzing to fight, I couldn't wait,\" said McGregor. \"I wanted to get weighed in so I could refuel and we didn't get to do that until 12:00, so it was a long wait. \"It's midnight now and I'm just out the ring, so it's been a long day, but it's been worth it. I'm delighted with the result.\" McGregor, who fights out of Meadowbank Boxing Club and is on the Great Britain performance programme, sealed his second successive Scottish title and is now hoping to add another British title to his name next month. \"I think I'm among the favourites for that title,\" he said. \"I won the Scottish last year and also won the British. \"I did the double last year and I'm looking to do the exact same. I'm completely confident of doing that.\" If he does, he will almost certainly make the Scottish boxing team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia - and that's a prize others are also targeting. Aqeel Ahmed is determined to make up for what he calls \"an unsatisfactory\" Glasgow 2014 and he certainly impressed as he retained his men's flyweight title. The Keir Hardie Boxing Club fighter now goes to the British Championships in Wales hoping to do something no Scottish amateur boxer has ever done before - win three consecutive British titles. And then, he hopes, a chance to redeem himself in the Gold Coast. \"I stayed amateur to have another go at the Commonwealth Games,\" Ahmed explained. \"I missed out on a medal in Glasgow and I know how much I've improved. I'll be disappointed if I don't medal in the Gold Coast and my target is quite high going to the next Games. \"My ultimate goal is a gold medal in the Gold Coast.\" Aberdeenshire middleweight John Docherty claimed a sixth national title in a row and hopes to go one better at next month's British Championships after taking silver last year. \"On a good performance, on a good day, I reckon I'm the best in Britain to tell you the truth,\" he said. \"Last year, I performed really badly and came second, beaten on a split [decision]. \"I'm definitely aiming for the gold medal and then the big aim is Australia next year. \"I've won the Youth Games. Now I want to add the senior title to that.\" The Commonwealth Games are also on the minds of Scotland's leading female boxers. After winning her fourth Scottish women's bantamweight title, Stephanie Kernachan, of Cleland Boxing Club, is eager to make Scottish boxing history. No", "summary": "Edinburgh boxer Lee McGregor admits there was a time he thought he would not make this year's Scottish Championships."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old matched Gallacher's 18-under-par target by dint of an eagle on the 16th and a birdie on the last. Gonzalez almost chipped in on the 18th to win the tournament outright. But it was Fleetwood who prevailed in the play-off with the sole birdie on 18 to clinch his first European Tour win. \"I loved it, it was fantastic,\" he told BBC Scotland. \"It was a nice play-off to be part of. They are two really nice guys, Ricardo and Stevie. I hit two great golf shots and two good putts and that's all you can do. \"To win my first Tour event feels absolutely amazing. It's a lifetime goal that's been taken care of and hopefully I can move on and win some more. To call yourself a European Tour winner is just awesome.\" I love Scotland and I love this golf course. The people carried me around today. They were absolutely brilliant Gallacher looked out of contention when he ran up a triple-bogey seven on the 11th in a rollercoaster final round, but bounced back with birdies at 14 and 16 before holing from 15ft for an eagle at the last. Gonzalez, joint leader with Southport's Fleetwood after Saturday, will be left to rue how close he came to making an eagle from the bunker to prevent the play-off, which was played on the par-five final hole. The trio found the middle of the fairway off the tee but Gonzalez over-hit his second shot, Gallacher found a bunker to the right of the green and Fleetwood found the edge of the putting surface. Bathgate's Gallacher failed to get up and down and carded a par five, while Gonzalez three-putted. Fleetwood's third shot shaved the edge of the hole but stayed within 3ft, and from there he claimed his maiden Tour victory. He said: \"I love Scotland and I love this golf course. The people carried me around today. They were absolutely brilliant. It was fantastic to have the support.\" The victor was accompanied during his rounds, and while posing with the trophy, by his family dog. Fleetwood added: \"Maisy is 14 so she is getting on. She has supported me through all my tournaments - amateur, county, England. \"Scotland are nice about it. They let the dogs walk the course, most of the time. Any time we can get a tournament in Scotland, Maisy always comes. She has a great time. \"She got diagnosed with cancer a couple of weeks ago and we don't know how long she's got left. This might be her last time.\"", "summary": "Englishman Tommy Fleetwood held his nerve to win the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in a play-off with Scotland's Stephen Gallacher and Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina."}
{"article": "The Conservative group of eight councillors has joined forces with six of the independent members. The council leader is independent George Alexander, with Conservative James Allan as convener. Nine SNP councillors were elected in Moray at the recent local elections.", "summary": "Moray Council's new administration has been confirmed as a Conservative and independent coalition."}
{"article": "\"First you exit then you negotiate,\" Cecilia Malmstrom told BBC Newsnight. After Brexit, the UK would become a \"third country\" in EU terms, she said - meaning trade would be carried out based on World Trade Organisation rules until a new deal was complete. A recent trade deal with Canada took seven years to negotiate. The Canadian agreement will also require ratification by all EU countries, adding another one to two years before it takes effect. WTO rules restrict the circumstances in which countries discriminate in favour of each other in trade. Otherwise, they must apply to each other the tariffs they apply against the rest of the world. Ms Malmstrom, the EU Trade Commissioner, underlined that detailed talks to shape the UK's new trading relationship with the EU should not start until after the process of leaving politically, under an Article 50 process lasting up to two years. \"There are actually two negotiations. First you exit, and then you negotiate the new relationship, whatever that is,\" she said. \"The referendum - which of course we take note of and respect - has no legal effect. First there has to be notification, which the next prime minister will do, I hope swiftly. And then that process can start.\" There is concern in the City that having to do business for years under WTO rules could be disastrous for the UK's service industries. Asked whether sticking to such a process wouldn't harm the economies of all EU members, Ms Malmstrom replied: \"Yes, but the vote was very clear.\" She said she was \"saddened\" that the UK - which has traditionally defended the principle of free trade - is leaving the EU. Fearsome challenge Under EU law, the bloc cannot negotiate a separate trade deal with one of its own members, hence the commissioner's insistence that the UK must first leave. It is also against EU law for a member to negotiate its own trade deals with outsiders, which means the UK cannot start doing this until after it has left the EU. Taken at face value, these rules mean the UK cannot conduct its own trade talks for up to two years - a fearsome challenge to any prime minister trying to deliver Brexit. EU officials say the UK's options will soon refine themselves into a Norway-style package that keeps Britain within the single market - subject to EU rules and regulations - or a bespoke \"third country\" deal on the pattern of Canada's. They agree that because British businesses are already compliant with EU rules and regulations, choosing to remain within the single market would be \"a little quicker\", than negotiating a deal like Canada's. But even a Norway-style single market access deal, they caution, could take years to negotiate, leaving the UK trading on WTO terms in the meantime. Watch Mark Urban's interview in full on BBC Newsnight at 22:30 on BBC Two", "summary": "The European Union's top trade official says the UK cannot begin negotiating terms for doing business with the bloc until after it has left."}
{"article": "The 15-year-old disappeared in 1994 after a school disco in County Donegal. Norman Baxter, a retired PSNI detective superintendent, took over the inquiry for a few weeks in 2002. He offered a frank and damning assessment of how the Arkinson family had not been helped. When he took over the inquiry, the schoolgirl had been missing for eight years and Mr Baxter told the inquest the status of the investigation was \"vague - neither closed nor active\". He said he was determined to progress it, with the help of other committed officers already working on the case. Speaking of Arlene, Mr Baxter said: \"I would say she was a forgotten victim. That's quite a terrible thing.\" He added: \"I think it's terrible that a 15 year old vanishes and, after a period of statutory obligation, you park it and move on.\" He told the inquest how he was able to charge the prime suspect Robert Howard with her murder within two months of taking over, despite his team having uncovered no major new evidence. Mr Baxter explained he had worked on other similar cases and observed other inquiries where murder charges had been pressed, even without a body. \"My predecessors took the view that if there's no body, there's no murder charge,\" the retired officer said. Changes in how police viewed such cases meant that he was able to charge Howard with Arlene's murder on 24 May 2002. The court heard that Howard lost control after he was charged and began to suggest that he might help officers locate Arlene's body. Within hours, Mr Baxter said, Howard had indicated to him that he might cooperate with the police and had asked where he might serve his sentence. The former officer described Howard during that meeting as \"extremely agitated\", \"totally dishevelled\" and \"very very unsettled.\", telling the court that \"he certainly had lost control\". After being told he would likely be kept in Belmarsh prison on remand, the court heard that Howard asked if he might be allowed to serve his sentence at Maghaberry prison in Northern Ireland, which he thought offered better conditions. By this time he had also been charged with the murder of 14-year-old English schoolgirl Hannah Williams in 2001. Her body had been found in Kent in 2002, a few weeks before Howard was brought to Northern Ireland to be interviewed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Mr Baxter said he had viewed the site where Hannah's body had been buried, and had cooperated closely with Kent Constabulary. At one stage, he added, Kent Constabulary told him him they had considered dropping charges connected to Hannah Williams if Howard had cooperated with the PSNI in finding Arlene's body. Mr Baxter told the court he did not believe this idea had been communicated to Howard. He said Kent Constabulary had carried out \"a pre-emptive arrest and charging\" of Howard, hoping to hold him until the PSNI could charge him with the murder of Arlene Arkinson. Later, new stronger evidence emerged in the Hannah Williams case and Howard was ultimately", "summary": "A senior detective who briefly led the inquiry into the disappearance of Arlene Arkinson has told an inquest that Robert Howard could have been charged years earlier."}
{"article": "External overnight trips went up by 5%, reaching 2.3 million, due to a large influx of British people. However, tourism numbers from the Republic of Ireland continue on a deep downward spiral. In 2015 they slumped by 18% on the previous year, with the problem now being looked at by a \"recovery task force\" at Tourism Northern Ireland. Overnight trips by visitors from across the border totalled 320,000 in 2015, while in 2012 there were 430,000 overnight trips made. In 2014 a report for Stormont said an \"image problem\" may explain the fall, but the weakness of the Euro last year will not have helped. The Department for the Economy's new statistics show that the Giant's Causeway remains the most popular visitor attraction. In 2015 it had over 815,000 visitors.", "summary": "Visitor numbers to Northern Ireland hit an all-time high in 2015, according to new tourism statistics."}
{"article": "Jeff Varner, who is appearing on Survivor: Game Changers, made the revelation about his team-mate Zeke Smith on Wednesday's episode. Varner told the show's presenter and his team-mates: \"There is deception here,\" before turning to Smith and asking: \"Why haven't you told anyone that you're transgender?\" He has since apologised on Twitter. Several other contestants quickly defended Smith after Varner's comments, telling the former news anchor his actions were \"so wrong\" and that he \"didn't have to do that\". Smith had previously shared his history with Varner privately but had not intended to reveal he was trans on the show. In an article for The Hollywood Reporter published after the episode aired, Smith criticised Varner and said he was \"not wild about [viewers] knowing that I'm trans\". He wrote: \"In calling me deceptive, Varner invoked one of the most odious stereotypes of transgender people, a stereotype that is often used as an excuse for violence and even murder. \"Varner is saying that I'm not really a man and that simply living as my authentic self is a nefarious trick. \"In reality, by being Zeke the dude, I am being my most honest self - as is every other transgender person going about their daily lives.\" Smith added that he doesn't believe Varner, who is gay, did it because he hates trans people, and praised his Survivor team-mates for the way they reacted. \"I think he hoped others would believe that trans people are fraudulent. What's great is that nobody bought it. \"It's important people see he lost that fight. The message should be clear that hate will always lose.\" In a Twitter message posted after the show aired, Varner offered his \"deepest most heart-felt apologies to Zeke Smith\". He wrote: \"I was wrong and make no excuses for it. I own responsibility in what is the worst decision of my life.\" Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "A contestant on a US TV show has been outed as being transgender by one of his fellow competitors."}
{"article": "On Wednesday, the 25-year-old admitted an online banking fraud, in which a woman lost more than \u00a32,000. However BBC Essex understands that is unrelated to his situation at Southend. \"We will not allow any matter to bring the club into disrepute. We will take a balanced view and come to a decision once all of the information is understood,\" chairman Ron Martin said. \"I have supported Nile, along with (manager) Phil Brown and the other players,\" Martin added. \"We all would like to see him succeed on and off the pitch, both as player and person.\" Southend say they will consider their options, but claim they are unlikely to release any more information until next week.", "summary": "Southend United say striker Nile Ranger is facing suspension by the League One club after a \"breach of discipline\"."}
{"article": "Richard Gray, 36, is accused of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence near Heene and St Mary's Primary Schools in Worthing. Mr Gray was charged on Thursday and pleaded not guilty on Saturday at Brighton Magistrates' Court. The defendant, of Cortis Avenue, was remanded in custody and will appear at Hastings Magistrates' Court on 15 May. He has also denied possessing of a knife in Victoria Park. Police said a man reported being shown a firearm close to Victoria Park and Norfolk Street in Worthing, at 14.15 BST on Thursday. A woman said she was shown a gun in a bag in Stoke Abbott Road at 21:10.", "summary": "A man has denied brandishing a plastic gun and a knife near two schools."}
{"article": "Stan Hollis was awarded the medal for his actions during the storming of the Normandy beaches on 6 June 1944. A campaign to have a permanent memorial to him created in his home town saw a bar dedicated to him in February. Middlesbrough Council has now granted planning permission for a bronze statue near the cenotaph on Linthorpe Road. The statue, which will be almost 7ft (2.2m) high and cost about ??150,000, is to be funded by donations to The Stanley E. Hollis VC Memorial Fund. Brian Bage, the fund's chairman, said it was \"good news\" as it had \"taken us two years to get this far\". He said the fund needed a final ??30,000 to complete the bronze figure. Hollis was a 31-year-old sergeant major with the Green Howards when he took part in the assault on Gold Beach. As his company moved inland, he captured several gun positions and rescued two colleagues, taking more than two dozen prisoners in the process. As a result, he was the only one of almost 62,000 British troops to be awarded the Victoria Cross on the day of the World War Two landings. Three months after D-Day, Sgt Maj Hollis was wounded in the leg and returned to England, where he was decorated by King George VI at Buckingham Palace. He died in February 1972 and is buried in Acklam Cemetery in Middlesbrough.", "summary": "A statue honouring the only man to win the Victoria Cross on D-Day will be built in Middlesbrough after receiving council approval."}
{"article": "This species is well-known for its clever tool tricks, but studying its behaviour in the wild is difficult. These tiny cameras peer forwards beneath the birds' bellies and record precious, uninhibited footage. As well as glimpsing two crows making special foraging hooks, the team was able to track their activity over time. This \"activity budget\" offers a rare insight into the natural lives of New Caledonian crows - but it has not yet solved the mystery of precisely what drives these birds to use tools. That is the \"big money question\" according to senior author Christian Rutz, from the University of St Andrews in the UK. \"Why is it that New Caledonian crows use tools but other corvids don't? I think the answer to that lies in looking at their time budgets and figuring out how important tool use is in their everyday lives - what kinds of prey sources they tackle with tools,\" Dr Rutz told the BBC. In nearly 12 hours of \"crow cam\" footage from 10 different birds, described in the journal Biology Letters, he and his team actually caught surprisingly little tool time on camera. \"Out of total observation time, only about 3% was spent making or using tools,\" Dr Rutz said. And only four of the 10 subjects picked up a tool at all. Instead, the crows spent considerably more time foraging with their beaks. And when one of the four tool-users did reach for a twig, the decision was often rather baffling. For example, the birds spent a lot of time tearing strips from paperbark trees in search of grubs. Their sturdy beaks are perfectly good for this task. \"But every now and then, they suddenly switch into tool use - in the very same trees, in a very similar foraging context,\" Dr Rutz said. \"We don't understand what is happening there.\" Meanwhile, there were two moments in particular that made the team, sifting through hours of shaky crow-cam video, very happy indeed. Two different crows filmed themselves not just wielding sticks but making - and using - hooks: a known party trick of New Caledonian crows, never before caught on video except in cages or at baited feeding sites. \"When we got that footage it was a proper high-five moment in the field camp,\" Dr Rutz said. From lab experiments and previous brief sightings through binoculars, the team knew that the birds made these hooks. They snap off one branch from a forked twig and leave a small part of the main stem attached to the end. But now they had video evidence of it happening unprompted, in the wild. \"We were keen to get close-up video of birds making these tools under completely natural conditions,\" said co-author Jolyon Troscianko from the University of Exeter. \"New Caledonian crows are notoriously difficult to observe, not just because of the challenging terrain of their tropical habitats, but also because they can be quite sensitive to disturbance.\" Key to the research effort, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, was a new design for the team's", "summary": "Ecologists have used a tail-mounted \"crow cam\" to catch wild New Caledonian crows in the act of making and using hook-shaped tools."}
{"article": "All-rounder Procter, 28, hit 822 runs and two centuries batting at three during 2016 and played in every County Championship game. Spin bowler Parkinson, 19, made his Red Rose debut in June against Warwickshire where he took a first innings' 5-49. \"I couldn't be happier to sign a new deal. I've really enjoyed my first full season as a professional,\" he said. Procter added: \"Playing for Lancashire is all I've ever wanted to do, so to sign a new two-year contract is fantastic. I've enjoyed the responsibility of batting at the top of the order this summer.\"", "summary": "Lancashire pair Luke Procter and Matthew Parkinson have both signed new two-year contracts."}
{"article": "She bought the turquoise and gold ring for \u00a3152,450 at auction last year, outbidding the Jane Austen's House Museum. Culture minister Ed Vaizey put an export bar on it until 30 September. After worldwide donations the museum has since raised enough money to buy the ring and its bid has been accepted. Contributions to the Bring the Ring Home campaign, set up by the museum in Jane Austen's former home, included an anonymous donation of \u00a3100,000 in August. The museum, in Chawton, Hampshire, was given until December to raise a further \u00a349,000. Mary Guyatt, curator of the museum, said it had been \"stunned by the generosity and light-footedness\" of those who had supported the bid. Mr Vaizey added: \"It's clear from the number of people who gave generously to the campaign just how admired Jane Austen remains to this day.\" The museum already displays two other pieces of jewellery owned by the writer - a turquoise bracelet and a topaz cross. The ring is accompanied by papers documenting its history within the author's family. It passed first to her sister Cassandra, who then gave it to her sister-in-law Eleanor Austen on her engagement to Jane and Cassandra's brother, the Reverend Henry Thomas Austen. It remained in the family until Clarkson bought it at auction. The ring will now go on display at the museum in the New Year. On hearing the museum had been successful in raising funds to purchase the ring, Ms Clarkson said: \"The ring is a beautiful national treasure and I am happy to know that so many Jane Austen fans will get to see it at Jane Austen's House Museum.\" The museum said it hoped to welcome Ms Clarkson there in the future. Austen, who lived most of her life in Hampshire, is one of English literature's most celebrated authors. Fans are celebrating the 200th anniversary of her novel Pride and Prejudice this year. Although out of copyright and available free on e-readers, it is estimated that Pride and Prejudice sells up to 50,000 copies each year in the UK.", "summary": "US singer Kelly Clarkson has been thwarted in her bid to take a ring which once belonged to Jane Austen out of the UK."}
{"article": "This was the question posed in the final moments of this year's Munich Security Forum by its chairman, Wolfgang Ischinger. This year's Forum was all about war and peace and, like the famed Tolstoy novel, all about Russia. Its principal setting is the divided and devastated Syrian city of Aleppo where Russia's intensive bombing is tilting the balance of power towards the Syrian military as it moves to encircle the rebel-held east. Tens of thousands of Syrians, desperate to escape the frightening violence, have already fled towards the Turkish border. No-one can be sure how this story will end. But Western and Arab backers of the Syrian opposition are alarmed and angry as the plot unfolds. A crucial meeting, which brought together all the outside players in Syria's tangled conflict on the eve of the Forum, cast a long shadow over the three-day annual gathering, which usually focuses on trans-Atlantic relationships. Many kept discussing how Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was able to emerge from five hours of difficult talks last Thursday without yielding to demands to stop the Aleppo bombing. Moscow is accused of mainly striking Western-backed opposition forces rather than terrorist groups including so-called Islamic State. Sources say Russia's top diplomat argued that if other groups fighting alongside the extremists ended up in the bombers' sights, that wasn't Russia's problem. Sixteen Arab and Western foreign ministers as well as international organisations sat around that table last Thursday. They clinched what was, on paper, an ambitious agreement: a cessation of hostilities within a week, the delivery of urgently needed aid to besieged areas within days, and a call to return to peace talks that had broken down last month in Geneva. But, no sooner was it hailed as a breakthrough, came the realisation that Russia's military campaign around Aleppo and other strategic areas would remain. \"How were the Russians allowed to do that?\" a European defence minister fumed in the corridors of the elegant Bayerischer Hof hotel, which was fizzing with fury over Moscow's manoeuvres. \"Foreign ministers deal with words but we deal with the military consequences,\" he told me in a not so subtle jab. Since the meeting, at least three hospitals and two schools in northern Syria have been hit in missile strikes, killing scores of people - attacks condemned by France and Turkey as war crimes. Russia has said it \"categorically rejects\" accusations of war crimes over the bombing of hospitals. \"The Russians have all the cards,\" a Western defence official explained with a resigned nod to the Russians' expanding military presence in Syria since they unleashed their bombing last September and turned the tide of war in President Bashar al-Assad's favour. Another observer spelt it out. \"In the space of just four months Russia went from nothing in the past 25 years to being the key player in Middle East power politics with military capabilities and the political will to back it up,\" explained a senior European diplomat attending the Forum. \"Gulf Arab states look at their allies and bemoan the fact that they don't deploy the", "summary": "\"Is the message from Munich a message of continued fighting, or are we going to be capable, in the course of this year, of giving peace a chance?\""}
{"article": "The argument from a stunningly successful Leave campaign that \"it was our money anyway\" clearly worked. This story is full of huge political miscalculations, most notably at Downing Street. But the biggest in Wales must be the decision by Welsh Labour to leave it so late to start campaigning to remain in. By the time they did get out onto the streets of the south Wales valleys, and cities like Newport and Swansea, it was too late. The narrative of a crisis in immigration had been set and it was like trying to turn round an oil tanker. There are all sorts of strands but this was about class and money more than anything. Leave campaigners told us repeatedly the Vale of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire were the most Euro sceptic in Wales, and yet they, and Cardiff, voted to remain. These are the parts of Wales that regularly top league tables for affluence. The so-called \"left-behind\" communities across Wales had their say. As one pundit said this morning, it was the \"masses\" against the \"classes\". And so this morning, huge questions about the role of a Labour party that has traditionally represented them.", "summary": "This is an extraordinary rejection of the EU in Wales, especially in the areas which have received the most EU cash - the south Wales valleys."}
{"article": "Joshua, 27, knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in May to add the WBA title to the IBF strap he already held. But Tyson - a two-time world heavyweight champion - has warned the position can be \"a crown of thorns\". In a wide-ranging interview with BBC Radio 5 live boxing's Mike Costello, Tyson outlined his belief in Joshua's ability, gave his views on a potential Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor bout and offered insight into the man who turned him into the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Tyson describes Joshua as a \"happy fighter\" who is \"fast for a big guy\", and his admiration grew when the Briton survived the first knockdown of his career to stop Klitschko in the 11th round at Wembley Stadium. He places huge emphasis on the heart Joshua showed to \"finish the job\", insisting such grit is the most important quality in the sport. \"Joshua has the potential to do a lot of things,\" said Tyson, 50. \"He's got the look and throws a lot of hard punches. But there is so much pressure on him. I was in Dubai and there are big posters of him there.\" Tyson was stopped from entering the UK in 2013 because of previous convictions, one of which saw him serve three years of a six-year jail sentence imposed in 1992 for raping a teenage beauty-pageant contestant. In a career packed with incident, he also regained the WBC world title after his spell in jail, bit the ear of Evander Holyfield during a 1997 bout and filed for bankruptcy in 2002, three years before his final fight. He told 5 live's boxing podcast: \"The heavyweight championship will drive people crazy, you know that right? It's like a crown of thorns. Everyone wants to use you for something. It's like being the President of the United States. \"Joshua can't get the big head. He has to focus on fighting. When you start focusing on money, girls or whatever it is, it's going downhill. No religion, nothing, you can do those things when the fight is over. Let's see if he can handle that stuff. \"It's his time. I could be wrong, I'm not the gospel of boxing but he impressed me with Klitschko.\" A similarity between Tyson and Joshua can be drawn as both men found boxing after difficult spells in their youth. By his own admission, Tyson lived in the \"hell hole\" neighbourhood of Brownsville in Brooklyn, New York. Joshua meanwhile, pled guilty to possession of cannabis with the intent to supply just over a year before he won Olympic gold in 2012. Tyson, whose father had left and mother had died by the time he was 16, found Cus D'Amato - who became his legal guardian, taught him to read and write, and coached him on the road to boxing stardom. His new book, 'Iron Ambition', focuses on his relationship with D'Amato, who Tyson says forced fighters to visualise success and believe in themselves. \"I never had a father figure but I knew what it was like to have a father being with", "summary": "Anthony Joshua must prove he can handle the pressure and distractions of holding world heavyweight titles, says former champion Mike Tyson."}
{"article": "Ambulances and firefighters were called to the scene after a smell of smoke was reported shortly after 15:30 BST. A generator that was inside a marquee has been turned off. A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said up to 40 people were being checked but no-one appeared to have become seriously ill. \"Nobody has been taken to hospital yet and we're not sure that anyone actually will [need] to be taken to hospital,\" John McPoland added. He said firefighters called for ambulance staff at about 16:00 BST after a number of people at the circus complained of feeling unwell. \"We responded with three rapid response paramedics, one of our HART (Hazard Area Response) teams, two A&E crews and a patient care vehicle. \"The first paramedic on the scene gave us a situation report that no-body seemed too seriously ill as a result of the incident, and he just wanted further personnel there to help him check everybody out,\" Mr McPoland said.", "summary": "Paramedics have treated a number of people for the effects of breathing in fumes at a circus in Carrickfergus, County Antrim."}
{"article": "Wales is leading the way among the UK nations and is aiming to become one of the top recycling nations. But Llanelli AM Lee Waters said the push to achieve targets could create \"unintended consequences\". The Welsh Government said there was no evidence waste collection frequency changes led to more fly-tipping. Mr Waters said Carmarthenshire council was doing things with \"the best of intentions\" but which were having \"knock-on consequences\", such as a policy involving the collection of just four bin bags every fortnight. \"Some families are trying to get around that by putting their bin bags in front of neighbours' houses,\" he said. \"And when that's being reported, they're being prosecuted, quite rightly, but to avoid that they are then fly-tipping,\" he said. Mr Waters said Carmarthenshire has some of the best recycling rates in the country but now it was time to tackle \"the hard bits\", including people who do not want to co-operate. \"But I think there's a judgement for us all to reach about how far do we want to push this because, if we push it too far, too fast, we're going to create unintended consequences,\" he said. \"So, we may well hit our litter targets but we'll also create fly-tipping problems and broader littering problems which will increase costs.\" Christine Clarke, who lives near Llanelli town centre, has experienced problems with people dumping black bag waste in the lane behind her house. \"It's been horrendous,\" she said. \"We've had rats running around and it's not just this lane, it's all the back lanes in Llanelli.\" A Carmarthenshire council spokesman said fly-tipping was not unique to Llanelli, however, it was \"working hard\" to address issues there. He said: \"Although generally street cleanliness is good, there are hotspot areas in the town centre, such as the rear lanes which are prone to fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour. \"Unfortunately, as soon as they are cleaned up, it is not long before they are back in the same mess yet again.\" A new taskforce will meet for the first time next month, with the aim of bringing together environmental and enforcement officers, councillors and police in finding a long-term solution. Other areas in Wales are seeing similar problems, such as Conwy county where many residents are said to be unhappy with the council's decision to move away from a fortnightly general waste collection to one every three weeks. Clwyd West Conservative AM Darren Millar said: \"When bin collections were fortnightly, support was good and Conwy increased its recycling rates so it became one of the best in the country - all credit to the council for that. \"Unfortunately, there's less support now due to that increasing to collections every three or four weeks, which is having disastrous consequences as we're experiencing a massive increase in roadside litter and fly-tipping. \"In addition, there are issues now with people burning waste and pest control.\" A Conwy council spokesman said: \"Three-weekly refuse bin collections and a trial of four-weekly bin collections were introduced in Conwy from September. \"The move came after a study found", "summary": "Implementing stricter recycling policies too fast across Wales could lead to fly-tipping problems, an assembly member has warned."}
{"article": "The Iraq Historic Allegations Team (Ihat) has decided not to proceed in 57 cases, the MoD said. A further case was stopped by the military's prosecuting authority. The news follows a call by PM David Cameron to \"stamp out\" what he called \"spurious\" legal claims against British troops returning from action overseas. Ministers had been asked to draw up plans to curb claims, including by restricting \"no win, no fee\" arrangements, Mr Cameron said. Lawyers say no-one is above the law, and many abuse cases have been proven. Ihat was set up to review and investigate allegations of abuse made by Iraqi civilians against UK armed forces personnel in Iraq during the period of 2003 to July 2009. It currently lists more than 1,300 allegations under investigation, ranging from murder to low-level violence. Conservative MP Richard Benyon, a member of the Commons Defence select committee, said innocent veterans were being unfairly targeted. He told The Sun: \"It's an intolerable burden for people who have served their country well to face this knowing they're innocent.\"", "summary": "Investigations into nearly 60 allegations of unlawful killing against UK soldiers in Iraq have been dropped, the Ministry of Defence says."}
{"article": "She unveiled a White Paper detailing \u00a31.3bn investment in new prisons over the next five years, and plans for 2,100 extra officers, drug tests and more autonomy for governors. Labour said the announcement was \"too little, too late\", saying earlier staff cuts had created a \"crisis in safety\". Unions have raised concerns about a rise in violence and suicide in jails. The Prison Officers Association (POA) warned on Wednesday that jails were facing bloodbaths unless more staff were recruited and retained. Addressing MPs in the Commons, Ms Truss said the prison system was under \"serious and sustained pressure\", with missed opportunities in the past to introduce reforms. She is promising a zero-tolerance approach toward attacks on prison staff and says body-worn cameras will be rolled out across the prison estate to increase officers' confidence. The cost to society of reoffending by former prisoners was estimated to be \u00a315bn a year, Ms Truss said, adding: \"We owe it to our hard-working prison staff to reverse these trends. We owe it to prisoners and their families. And we owe it to our communities and victims of crime.\" She said: \"My starting point is to refocus the system so everyone is clear that safety and rehabilitation is the purpose of the prison system... \"Governors and staff cannot lead and manage change in an environment where they fear violence. Likewise, offenders cannot be expected to turn their life around while they are dependent on drugs or in fear of being assaulted.\" The debate about a growing crisis in the prison service has increasingly focused on staff shortages, with officer numbers having fallen from about 25,000 to 18,000 since 2010. The 2,100 extra officers announced in the White Paper are in addition to 400 new staff announced by Ms Truss last month, which means a total of 2,500 new recruits joining the service. They are due to be in place by the end of 2018 at a cost of \u00a3100m a year, but will still leave staffing short of the levels seen before 2010. The number of prisoners has risen slightly over the same period. By Danny Shaw, home affairs correspondent This is a White Paper of two halves. It is about restoring stability to prisons through improved security - and the recruitment of more staff. But levels will still be below those in 2010 and there are doubts as to whether enough people will be willing to stay in the job when the salary - starting at \u00a320,500 - can be bettered in less stressful and dangerous environments. The other half is about long-term reform, by empowering prison governors and holding them to account, ideas first set out by Liz Truss's predecessor, Michael Gove. But whereas Mr Gove spoke about \"hope\" and \"redemption\", Ms Truss emphasises the need for \"evidence\" and \"data\". She wants a system where each prison's performance is measured and monitored, where inspectors have greater powers, and where the justice secretary can intervene, if necessary, by closing failing institutions. It's an ambitious plan which may drive up standards, but could also lead to", "summary": "Prisons in England and Wales are to see their biggest overhaul in a generation, Justice Secretary Liz Truss has said."}
{"article": "The attacker, who was caught assaulting the woman in Holloway, north London, was jailed for six years by Blackfriars Crown Court. The case went ahead under the assumed name Aurilien Cheyroux, as the authorities could not confirm his true identity, other than him being French. The judge ruled he should be deported once his sentence was served. Passers-by saw \"Cheyroux\" partially-dressed and struggling with a woman on Caledonian Road in the early hours of 1 March, the court heard. He ran off, but was caught by witnesses and held until police arrived. The woman told the witnesses she was uninjured and left the scene before police arrived. The attacker told police he was a French national and gave the name used in the trial. But after taking finger prints the French authorities said the information was incorrect. They were unable to establish a true identity. Det Const Kip Malek said: \"This is a highly unusual case where we have been unable to trace the victim and the man who has been convicted is under an assumed name. \"Despite this we have been able to get a conviction and that is due to the brave members of the public who witnessed the attack and took it upon themselves to pursue this man and contact us.\" Cheyroux was found guilty of attempted rape but had previously pleading guilty to sexual assault. Det Insp Neil Smithson added: \"I am still keen to ascertain his identity. Equally, if you were the victim of this offence please contact us.\"", "summary": "A man has been jailed for attempted rape despite police not knowing who he is or finding his victim."}
{"article": "The company has made an all-stock deal worth as much as $2.8bn (\u00a31.9bn). Tesla shares fell 10% in extended trading after the announcement while SolarCity jumped 23%. California-based Tesla is known as a pioneer in electric cars but since last year has also been selling batteries that can power homes and businesses. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk described the deal as a \"no brainer\". He said it would transform Tesla into the \"world's only vertically integrated energy company offering end-to-end clean energy products\", from solar panels and home storage batteries to electric vehicles. Elon Musk is under serious pressure to make Tesla profitable. The path to that goal is two-fold. The cars may eventually bring in serious money, but the outlay needed to fund the manufacture of the vehicles is far greater than what sales are bringing in. But while Tesla is considered to be a carmaker first and foremost, the real money might be in selling energy technology. Its enormous Gigafactory, opening this summer, will be able to make batteries for much more than cars. The SolarCity purchase was always on the cards. Musk is already the firm's chairman and biggest shareholder, and the company's chief executive, Lyndon Rive, is Musk's cousin. Some are questioning why Tesla had to buy SolarCity rather than just work closely with it. SolarCity has struggled lately, and so some are calling this a Tesla-financed bailout.", "summary": "US electric carmaker Tesla has offered to buy solar panel company SolarCity in a bid to expand its clean energy business."}
{"article": "After fighting the battle at a London employment tribunal, former driver and GMB union branch secretary Steve Garelick said he was \"beside himself with joy\". The ruling found drivers for the cab service should not be treated as self-employed and have the same working rights as other staff. And although the case focused on Uber, Mr Garelick believed it would not just be drivers who saw the benefits. \"This is for anyone who works in this type of economy,\" said Mr Garelick. \"You could be a cleaner that works through an app, but now you have the right to a quality of life. \"It is so important to workers. I think what we have done here is ensure employment rights for the future. I couldn't be happier.\" Uber has more than 30,000 drivers across the UK who it described as \"independent contractors\" or self-employed. Bosses of the mobile app company, which lets customers order taxis over their smartphones, said their status did not entitle them to the benefits of employees and is to appeal against the decision of the tribunal. But the drivers said they were being treated unlawfully. The Central London Employment Tribunal ruled in the drivers favour, with the GMB union saying that outcome of the case could have \"major\" implications for other staff at the firm. One of the drivers who took the case up in court was James Farrar. Averaging just \u00c2\u00a35.03 an hour when working over the summer, the London driver said his finances were \"really starting to bite\" without the security of employed workers' rights. Speaking to the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire show before the ruling Mr Farrar said: \"If you want to cover your costs and keep the family afloat, you have got to work a lot of hours with Uber. \"You can turn on the app and work whenever you want. You can stop whenever you want and go home. The only problem is that if you are not working, you are not earning, and the earnings are so much lower than I expected. \"It's well below minimum wage.\" Khaled Mohamed-Hadg, who drives for Uber in London, said he will be following Mr Farrar's suit and taking up his case with the GMB as well. \"I am very happy with this decision,\" he said. \"It is very important, because we are happy to play our part in helping the economy, but we want to be treated fairly and paid fairly. \"If you drive so much because you earn so little, if its bad for your health. I know people who drive 12 or 15 hours a day to make the money and don't even make minimum wage, so this could make all the difference to them. This summer, two Uber drivers took the company to an employment tribunal with the help of the GMB Union. James Farrar and Yaseen Aslam argued that they were \"employed\" by Uber, which under employment law would entitle them to certain rights, including sick and holiday pay. But the company insists it was simply a technology platform that links supply", "summary": "Campaigners have hailed a landmark ruling giving Uber drivers the right to the minimum wage, paid holiday and sick leave."}
{"article": "There will be 50,459 performances of 3,314 shows from 49 countries in 313 venues during August. The Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world and has been held in the city every August since 1947. Its programme includes theatre, dance, circus, comedy, music, musicals, opera, cabaret and variety, children's shows, exhibitions, events and spoken word. Fourteen new venues will host shows this year and overall there is a 3.8% increase on last year's programme. Kath M Mainland, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: \"Every year we think we know what it's going to deliver, but every year it surprises, delights, amazes and inspires. The Fringe is a festival like no other.\" She said the festival, which runs from 7 to 31 August, was \"completely open access\", where artists don't need to wait for an invitation to take part. \"There's no curator, no vetting, no barriers,\" Ms Mainland said. \"Just incredible talent from almost 50 countries all over the world.\" Fiona Hyslop MSP, Scottish government cabinet secretary for culture, Europe and external affairs, said: \"This year's programme shows once again why the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is one of the most important events in the international cultural calendar.\" This year, 21 shows will be part of the Made in Scotland programme, a curated showcase of music, theatre and dance, made and produced in Scotland. Well-known comedians putting on shows at the festival this year include Jo Brand, Ed Byrne, Sue Perkins, Fred MacAulay, Patrick Kielty, Paul Merton, Alan Davies, Trevor Noah, Marcus Brigstocke, Mark Thomas and Reginald D Hunter. There will also be 250 street performances each day on the Royal Mile and The Mound.", "summary": "Edinburgh Festival Fringe has announced its biggest ever line-up for this summer."}
{"article": "The 38-year-old former Manchester United and West Ham player joins the Blues after a spell with Notts County. Carroll, who has won 42 international caps, will link up with former Northern Ireland team-mate and current Linfield boss David Healy. \"He's obviously a player I know very well and he will bring with him considerable experience,\" said Healy. Carroll made his Northern Ireland debut against Thailand in 1997 and is expected to be in the squad for the Euro 2016 finals in France. Linfield finished second in the league last season and were beaten in the Irish Cup final by Glenavon. \"His experience will be of enormous benefit to the goalkeepers and indeed our entire squad,\" added Healy. \"I'm looking forward to working with him once his international commitments are concluded in the coming weeks.\"", "summary": "Northern Ireland goalkeeper Roy Carroll has signed for Premiership club Linfield on a one-year deal."}
{"article": "We asked voters to think about a broad range of issues, from the key devolved public services to the thorny matter of a further independence referendum. There is a real \"don't rock the boat\" feeling to the results. Voters do not want to see significant changes to the existing settlement around public spending and the key public services, albeit that proposals for additional help to children from poorer backgrounds and first-time buyers receive modest support. From the full range of issues posed in the poll, the single most popular proposition is to guarantee that NHS spending in Scotland will be increased by at least the same rate as that in England, achieving a score of 8.3 out of 10 on average. Support for this measure is strikingly strong throughout the population; men and women, young and old, rich and poor all broadly support this proposal in equal measure. There has been significant debate in recent years about the long-term affordability of some of the key decisions on public services. But as far as voters are concerned there is little appetite to change the status quo. Indeed, maintaining the principle of free higher education for Scottish students is seen as almost as important as high NHS spending, with an average score of 8.1. As one might expect, this proposal receives greater support from the young (8.8 among those aged 16-24) but actually has broad support throughout the population. Voters are similarly sceptical about changing the current policy on prescription charges. With an average score of 5.3, the proposal to introduce prescription charges to those of working age is among the least popular. And it is interesting to note that there is not just naked self-interest in response to this proposal, since although it receives an average score of just 4.5 among those aged 16-24, those who are retired and would therefore not pay charge are not hugely in favour either, giving an average score of 5.5. All of which points again to a reluctance to be too radical with the current set up. In policy proposal terms, the poll identifies a number of other potential areas where parties may find some traction in the coming weeks. The idea of giving additional funding to schools with high numbers of children from poorer backgrounds receives moderate support with an average score of 6.7 out of 10, while the proposal to give first-time buyers an additional \u00a33,000 towards their deposit receives an average score of 6.5. Both of these are a nod towards some support for innovative ideas for resolving issues of significant public concern but, in truth, do not receive the same levels of support as the core issues around the NHS and higher education. Despite significant coverage of the possibility of a second independence referendum in the event of the UK voting to leave the EU, there is, at best, lukewarm support for such an eventuality among voters, with an average score of 5.6. Unlike many of the other issues in the poll, there is a significant disagreement among different sections of voters on", "summary": "The second part of our poll for BBC Scotland gives further clues on voter priorities ahead of the Holyrood election in exactly one month from now."}
{"article": "The Science Museum Group announced it would transfer the collection to the Victoria and Albert Museum. It said the move will help create \"the world's foremost single collection\" on the art of photography and help the media museum focus on science and technology. Bradford South MP Judith Cummins said she was \"shocked\" and \"dismayed\". The transfer includes the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) archive, which features key historical objects from the medium's development. Fewer than 10 items from the RPS collection are currently on permanent display in Bradford but the majority can be viewed by appointment. The archive will join the V&A's existing collection of 500,000 photographs to create an International Photography Resource Centre. Bradford will retain the Kodak collection, the Daily Herald Archive and the Impressions Gallery. Jo Quinton-Tulloch, director of the media museum, said it would focus on inspiring future generations of scientists and engineers in the fields of light and sound. She added: \"We retain millions of objects in our photography, cinematography and television collections which will help us make these scientific principles tangible and exciting.\" The media museum currently holds more than 3.5 million items, including the world's earliest known surviving photographic negative, the earliest television footage and the camera that filmed the first moving pictures in Britain. It was under threat of closure in 2013 and visitor numbers have fallen from a peak of nearly a million in 2001. Ms Cummins said: \"We need to make sure this isn't cuts or closure by stealth. \"I want to see the museum stay in the city, it's a national museum and it needs to stay where it belongs - in Bradford.\"", "summary": "A 400,000-strong photography archive is to be moved from Bradford's National Media Museum to London."}
{"article": "Alcohol Concern said many young people recognised more alcohol brands than those of ice cream or cake products. It is calling for new rules on what alcohol adverts can mention and it also wants them banned in film trailers. Advertising body Isba said there was no strong evidence to suggest advertising influenced young people to drink. Alcohol Concern's report was based on research by its Youth Alcohol Advertising Council (YAAC) - a group of young people in England and Wales who review alcohol advertising and issue complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) when they discover content deemed to be irresponsible. Three of their 13 complaints so far have been upheld. In its report, Alcohol Concern said it had found \"numerous\" examples of inappropriate advertising and high levels of alcohol brand recognition among the young. It called for new rules restricting what adverts could mention about an alcohol product, arguing that only characteristics such as strength, origin, composition and means of production should be described. The charity also demanded a ban on alcohol advertising in the trailers of films shown in cinemas with less than an 18 certificate. It urged the ASA to operate in a \"more proactive way\", instead of \"depending on complaints from the public\" before looking into advertising code breaches. The ASA should be able to levy \"meaningful\" sanctions including fines for serious non-compliance, it added. In a statement, the ASA said it was \"not unheard of for an anti-alcohol lobby group to call for further restrictions on advertising\". \"The ASA will continue to take a proportionate approach, regulating effectively alcohol ads across media, including online, against strict rules that are designed to protect young people,\" it said. \"The Department of Health's own figures show, encouragingly, that fewer young people are drinking.\" The Alcohol Concern report called for statutory and independent regulation of the alcohol and advertising industries and a review of the way digital and online content is regulated. In May, figures released by the broadcasting regulator Ofcom suggested children saw an average of 3.2 alcohol adverts per week in 2011 - compared with 2.7 in 2007. It called for the UK's advertising regulators to reassess the rules that limit children from being exposed to alcohol advertising on TV. Ian Twinn, from Isba, which represents advertisers, told BBC Radio 5 live there was a lack of well-researched evidence to show that advertising influenced young people to drink alcohol. \"What the advertisers are doing is trying to influence adults to drink their brand, not young people,\" he said. \"Underage drinking is declining in this country, where we have alcohol advertising, and in France it is going up, where they've banned it.\" Without alcohol sponsorship of sport and music, parents and children would find it much more difficult to afford events, he added. Alcohol Concern chief executive Eric Appleby said: \"Children and young people are seeing more alcohol advertising than in the past and are better able to recognise alcohol brands than those of cakes or ice cream. \"This has to be a wake-up call to the fact that the", "summary": "Alcohol advertising should be banned at music and sports events to protect young people from excessive exposure, a charity says."}
{"article": "The draw was made at Hampden on Sunday evening following Aberdeen's 1-0 quarter-final win over Partick Thistle at Pittodrie. Celtic sealed their spot by coming from behind to beat St Mirren 4-1 earlier in the day. On Saturday, Rangers beat Hamilton 6-0 and Hibs saw off Ayr United 3-1. The semi-final ties will be played on April 22/23. Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes expects a tough match against Neil Lennon's Hibs, but admitted to a slight sense of relief over the draw. \"If we are all being honest, Celtic are the strongest team by a long way,\" he told BBC Radio Scotland. \"So it is a good draw and Hibs will probably see it as a good draw. \"Hibs have done really well and are holders and this is the type of game you want to be involved in. \"If you look at the level of player Hibs have got, the experience of the manager and the fact they won the cup last year and have that experience, there shouldn't be too much between the teams. \"If we are deemed to be favourites, so be it and we just have to do our business on the pitch.\" Celtic and Rangers meet in the league on Sunday, with Brendan Rodgers' team having won the three matches between the sides so far this season. They followed a 5-1 win at Celtic Park with a 1-0 League Cup semi-final win and a 2-1 Premiership victory at Ibrox. Hibs beat Rangers 3-2 in last season's final to lift the Scottish Cup for the first time in 114 years. They have played Aberdeen 32 times in the Scottish Cup, winning nine times, losing 13 times with 10 matches ending in draws.", "summary": "Celtic and Rangers will meet in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden, while holders Hibernian face Aberdeen in the other last four match."}
{"article": "The Welshman, 31, led Team Sky in the Giro in May, but his hopes were ended when a police motorbike caused a crash on the Blockhaus climb on stage nine. Thomas was forced to withdraw from the race, but he is fit to support Chris Froome's bid for a fourth Tour title. The Tour, which begins in Dusseldorf in Germany, runs from 1-23 July. Spaniard Mikel Landa, who was also involved in the crash at the Giro but recovered to finish 17th, is also in the squad. Britons Ian Stannard and Peter Kennaugh are notable omissions, along with Wout Poels. Dutchman Poels, who played a major role in Froome's victory 12 months ago, suffered a significant knee injury in February and only returned to race at the Route du Sud earlier this month. Stannard and Kennaugh were both in the Sky team in the traditional Tour warm-up race, the Criterium du Dauphine, but have been overlooked in the final selection. That means there are three Britons in the squad, with Froome and Thomas joined by road captain Luke Rowe. Froome is aiming to win the Tour for a third straight year, and fourth overall, following victories in 2013, 2015 and 2016. \"We're ready as a team and I can't wait for the Tour to start now,\" said the 32-year-old. \"Honestly, I just love it. It's a feeling that you don't get from any other race.\" Team: Chris Froome, Sergio Henao, Vasil Kiryienka, Christian Knees, Michal Kwiatkowski, Mikel Landa, Mikel Nieve, Luke Rowe, Geraint Thomas.", "summary": "Geraint Thomas has recovered from the injuries he sustained at the Giro d'Italia to be named in Team Sky's squad for next month's Tour de France."}
{"article": "3 June 2016 Last updated at 10:28 BST Many people choose to go to university to learn about subjects they enjoy. They also hope it will help them find better jobs when they leave. We already know that many more girls than boys go to university when they leave school. This new research suggests that, already by the age of 13, more girls than boys want to go to university. A study by the Sutton Trust charity looked at the views of more than 3,000 pupils in England. At age 13-14, almost 65% of girls said they thought it was very important to go to university, compared with 58% of boys. Why is there a gender difference? Children have been telling Newsround their opinions.", "summary": "Teenage girls are more likely than boys to think that going to university is a good idea, new research suggests."}
{"article": "Arriva Rail North staff will walk out for three days from 8 July, while Merseyrail staff will strike on 8, 10 and 23 July, the final day of The Open. Workers at Southern also plan to walk out on 10 July. The RMT is in dispute with the rail companies over driver-only-operated trains which they say would be unsafe and lead to widespread job losses. The strike will also clash with the British Style Collective, the Clothes Show's big event in Liverpool from 7 - 9 July. RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said any responsibility for disruption to services lay with the companies and their refusal to enter meaningful talks with the union. \"It is that flagrant disregard for the safety issues at the heart of the dispute which leaves us with no option but to press on with the campaign of strike action,\" he added. However, Richard Allen, deputy managing director for Arriva-run Northern, said he was \"deeply disappointed and hugely frustrated\" by the announcement of further action. \"Only this week we wrote to RMT again, urging them to engage in meaningful modernisation talks with us. \"We have been clear that for all our conductors we are prepared to guarantee jobs and current pay, and continue with annual pay reviews, if we can reach agreement with RMT,\" Mr Allen said. He added fresh industrial action would not solve the dispute. Merseyrail's managing director Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde criticised the timing of the strike which he said was designed to \"cause maximum disruption to people attending the last day of the Open Golf at Royal Birkdale\". Mr van der Velde claimed the company \"brought several new initiatives to the table in the last round of talks, the RMT is unprepared to work with us to find middle ground\". \"While we, as always, will do our best to minimise disruption, our passengers should not be made to suffer at the hands of the RMT, and the Liverpool City Region should not be caught in the cross-fire of a national dispute directed by unions in London.\" The latest strike announcement comes as a long-awaited report into the troubled Southern rail franchise has blamed the unions for widespread disruption over the last year.", "summary": "Train passengers across England are to be hit by further strike action, RMT officials have said."}
{"article": "Proud went under 46 seconds for the first time, beating his own record in the men's 4x100m freestyle with 45.97. Aimee Willmott won her fourth medal with 400m individual medley gold. Lizzie Simmonds, who set a British record in the 100m backstroke on the opening night, took gold in the 200m in a season's best 2:00.91, just outside her own British record. Proud, 21, of the Plymouth Leander team, broke Mark Foster's 14-year-old short-course 50m freestyle British record on the opening day, clocked 46.69 in the 100m freestyle and on Sunday added the 50m butterfly with a time of 22.39 seconds. Willmott, 22 - who also won gold in the 200m IM and 400m freestyle, plus silver in the 200m butterfly - captured the 400m title in 4:28.26, an impressive six seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Stockport Metro's Liam Selby took gold in the men's 50m butterfly with a narrow victory in a time of 23.56. Anna Hopkin of Bath University lowered the personal best time she posted in the morning heats to win 50m freestyle gold in 24.44. A superb anchor leg from Rebecca Turner guided the City of Sheffield, also featuring Maya Westlake, Darcy Deakin and Ellie Faulkner, to gold in the women's 4x100 freestyle relay in 7:53.70. Calum Tait finished more than a body length ahead of the next placed swimmer in the men's 200m breaststroke, posting a personal best 2:05.42. The women's 200m freestyle final went down to the final touch but it was Loughborough University's Sophie Smith who touched first to take gold in 1:56.03, only 0.02 seconds outside her lifetime best. In the men's 200m freestyle final, Loughborough University's Adam Barrett won in a season's best 1:43.72.", "summary": "Ben Proud claimed his fourth British record of the ASA National Winter Meet on the final day in Sheffield."}
{"article": "The Guardian reported that the victim had been held up at gunpoint while enjoying a night on the town in the early hours of Tuesday morning. A spokesman for the British Olympic team confirmed an \"incident of theft\", adding: \"All members of our delegation, including the individual concerned, are accounted for, and are safe and well.\" GB took 366 athletes to Rio. They have since been reminded of security protocols including not to wear official GB kit outside of the Olympic Village and not to take local taxis, according to the Guardian. It said a letter from GB officials stopped short of issuing a curfew on athletes, but warned them not to carry any valuables and to inform team management of any plans to stay in Rio overnight. United States swimmers Ryan Lochte, James Feigen, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger have claimed they were robbed in a taxi at gunpoint in Rio on Sunday but police have queried their accounts.", "summary": "A Team GB athlete has been robbed while returning to their accommodation at the Olympic Games in Rio."}
{"article": "The RFU announced on Tuesday that the Exiles had not met the governing body's criteria to be granted a new licence. However, Welsh believe they had satisfied the requirements. The club, who went into liquidation last month, say they will \"deal with the ramifications\" of the announcement before deciding whether to respond. A phoenix entity, named Rugby 1885 Limited, had been granted a temporary licence on 22 December to play their last two league games after Welsh went into liquidation, although the club were deducted 20 points. On expelling the club from the second tier, the RFU stated the Old Deer Park side were unable to provide a bond or show evidence they would be able to pay rugby creditors in full. Welsh said they had worked \"very closely\" with RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie, director of professional rugby Nigel Melville and legal and governance director Angus Bujalski in order to to meet the conditions. The Richmond-based club were a Premiership side as recently as 2015, when they were based at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford but were relegated after losing all 22 games. Welsh have suffered financial difficulties since then and had hoped to secure investment from a United States-based group, but that deal collapsed in November. Exiles coach Sonny Parker criticised the RFU of acting \"through self-interest\" and announcing the decision with \"no regard to those impacted\". The former Wales international, who is backs coach and team manager, said the decision to remove them from the Championship was made public before players and coaches were informed. \"I can live with no licence but not allowing us time to speak to players and staff is unforgivable,\" the 39-year-old said in a statement on Twitter.", "summary": "London Welsh are \"extremely disappointed\" by the Rugby Football Union's decision to expel them from the Championship and the professional game."}
{"article": "Witness D, now in his 40s, told the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry he was too scared to report the abuse he suffered to the authorities. He was in the home from 1981 until he left care in 1984. His testimony suggested there was widespread abuse of residents by other residents. Much of his evidence was too graphic to repeat but on two occasions he said he witnessed violent sexual attacks on female residents. The perpetrators were older male residents and in one attack, were accompanied by an older male, Witness D said. He said he was sexually abused by two members of staff, William Gilbert and Phil Le Bais, and was also physically abused by Morag Jordan. Gilbert and Le Bais were never charged and are both dead while Jordan was jailed in 2010 for other abuse offences at the home. Witness D said he left care a broken child and the incidents he described were the tip of the iceberg. Consensual sex between teenage residents was so common that it made abuse easy, he said. He told the inquiry: \"It was a normal thing that was happening. You'd see it happening and little was done about it.\" He said he was also regularly abused by an older male he called Child X, but had never reported him to police. The man said he still refuses to name his attacker because he remains scared of him. Asked if there was anything he would like to say to the authorities now, Witness D said: \"The general public do not realise how bad it was at Haut de la Garenne. \"I hope they have learned that just because you are in a care home does not mean you have done something wrong.\" The inquiry continues.", "summary": "Consensual sex and sexual abuse were both common at the Haut de la Garenne children's home in the 1980s, a care inquiry has heard."}
{"article": "The Pope appealed to Catholics and Lutherans to \"mend\" history and look with honesty at the past, \"recognising error and seeking forgiveness\". By tradition, on 31 October 1517 the German theologian Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of a church. The papal visit kicks off a year of events to mark the quincentenary. Pope Francis and Lutheran leaders presided over an ecumenical prayer service in Lund cathedral in southern Sweden on Monday. The leader of the Roman Catholic Church praised the Reformation for helping to give greater centrality to scripture in the church's life. Luther's pamphlet attacked excesses and abuses within the church, and his actions and writings were hugely significant in the schism which developed in Western Christianity, which became known as the Reformation. Luther was subsequently excommunicated, but his teachings spread throughout northern Europe. Decades of religious wars in Europe followed. The Church of Sweden is part of the Lutheran branch of Protestantism, though the country is largely secular. In a joint statement, the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation said that both partners \"are no longer strangers\" and that their joint goal was to bring members of the two churches together at the Eucharistic table. Pope Francis has previously praised Luther for his fight against corruption and greed in the church of the time. He has also criticised his own church, calling on it to shun greed.", "summary": "Pope Francis has taken part in events to commemorate the anniversary of the Protestant Reformation during his trip to Sweden."}
{"article": "Pettini and Aadil Ali put on 104 for the second wicket, while Tom Wells hit 67 off 44 balls as Leicestershire reached 363-7 from their 50 overs. Warwickshire opener Sam Hain made 103 from 107 balls, adding 118 for the fourth wicket with Tim Ambrose (83). But no other batsman was able to score 30 or more as the visitors were bowled out for 260 in the 44th. Leicestershire's total was their highest in limited-overs cricket against another first-class county, beating the 344-4 set against Durham in a 45-over competition in 2004. The Foxes have now won two of their opening three games in the competition, while defending champions Warwickshire have lost twice in their first three games. Leicestershire all-rounder Tom Wells told BBC Radio Leicester: \"We knew it was a good pitch and that we needed to start well, but Mark Pettini and Cameron Delport complement each other really well up at the top of the order and they gave us momentum. \"Aadil Ali has come into the team and taken his chance, and those three set the platform for us to come in and have a dip at the end. \"The way the game is going these days you never know if you've got a defendable score. People are chasing down scores of 400, but we knew a couple of tight overs could build a bit of pressure, and in the end that told - and Aadil's catch running back to dismiss Sam Hain was brilliant. Warwickshire coach Jim Troughton told BBC WM: \"In the last couple of games, we've been chasing above-par scores. It hasn't gone well with the ball, and scoreboard pressure has got the better of us. \"It's not for want of the guys putting in the work and trying to nail the skills, but we have to get them right as soon as we can so we give ourselves a better chance with the bat. \"The wicket may have got a little bit tired as the day went on, but they played good shots, came at us hard and, with Pettini scoring a big hundred, guys could play around him. That's how you get to a big total like that.\"", "summary": "Mark Pettini hit a career-best 159 from 135 deliveries to help Leicestershire beat Warwickshire in the One-Day Cup."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Tests were scheduled in Samoa and Tonga in June, but they have confirmed games could yet be moved to New Zealand. The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) say it wants to play on the islands, but will pursue alternatives if guarantees over player welfare are not met. \"There is no issue with Samoa as a venue,\" World Rugby told BBC Wales. Wales are scheduled to play against Samoa on 24 June 2017 at Apia Park, Apia. The sport's governing body helps tier two countries meet costs of hosting tier one nations. World Rugby helped with appropriate medical cover when New Zealand played Samoa in Apia in 2015. A delegation from World Rugby is scheduled to travel to Tonga and Samoa to assess whether facilities in each country are fit for purpose. \"Several other international sides have played in Samoa successfully in recent years,\" World Rugby explained. \"As regards Tonga, a new venue is due to be constructed there and we need to assess whether it will be completed in time for the fixture to take place as planned. \"In addition, from a due diligence point of view, we will be conducting a site visit in Tonga within the coming weeks to ensure that other facilities in Tonga are of the appropriate level to host a match of this nature. \"This would include accommodation, training facilities and medical provisions. As always, our number-one priority is player welfare. \"No decision has yet been taken on this. By way of contingency, it is possible the match could take place in Auckland if we cannot proceed with Tonga.\" The original itinerary for Wales' tour was thought to include a third Test in Fiji, but BBC Wales understands this is no longer part of the schedule. Fans and travel companies are currently in a state of limbo, with hundreds having registered for the tour. Wales last toured the Pacific Islands in 1994. The WRU say it expects a final decision to be made by the end of October. A spokesman for the Samoan Rugby Union said: \"At this stage we can't comment as the match has not yet been confirmed by World Rugby.\" The Tongan Rugby Union has also been asked to comment, but has not yet responded.", "summary": "World Rugby have moved to allay fears that Wales's 2017 South Pacific tour is in doubt because of concerns over facilities and medical cover."}
{"article": "The Independent Monitoring Board report said between September 2013 and August 2014 less-experienced officers were supported by fewer senior officers. Board chairman Nick Adams said he was concerned senior staff were leaving while cheaper employees are taken on. The Ministry of Justice said new prison officers were being trained. The spokesman said after receiving extensive training, they are mentored by an experienced staff member for at least a year. The report said there were also \"significantly fewer\" officers on each wing to care for and manage prisoners. It said the reduction of experienced supervising officers has had a \"significant negative impact on the care and safety of prisoners\". Observations by board inspectors suggest the \"incidence of bullying, low-level violence and disobedience by prisoners has increased\". Nick Adams, chairman of the monitoring board, said: \"There have been very large cuts to budgets available to the prison service. \"One way to reduce the cost is to pay off large numbers of experienced staff and employ younger people starting on lower salaries.\"", "summary": "Budget cuts are leading to a large drop in the number of experienced officers at Chelmsford Prison, harming the care of inmates, a watchdog has warned."}
{"article": "De Villota lost her right eye at Duxford Airfield while testing for Marussia and died a year later aged 33. The HSE said the driver's family had been informed of its decision. Manor Grand Prix Racing, which operated Marussia and now runs the Manor team, has yet to comment. De Villota, the daughter of 1980s F1 driver Emilio de Villota, was injured when the MR-01 race car she was driving hit a support truck on 3 July 2012. She had been driving at up to 200mph (322km/h), but was travelling considerably slower at the time of the crash. It was the first time the Spaniard had driven the car for Oxfordshire-based Marussia, which folded in 2014. Despite losing her eye, she was cleared to drive again in early 2013, but died the following October \"as a consequence of the neurological injuries she suffered\". Soon after the crash, Marussia said an internal investigation \"excluded the car as a factor in the accident\". An HSE spokesman said: \"The investigation is now complete and no enforcement action is being taken. \"Both the company [Manor Grand Prix Racing] and the DP's [deceased person's] family have been informed.\" He said HSE had investigated \"all reasonable lines of enquiry\". I was due to interview Maria and was standing with her mechanics when she came back in after a test run. Her car slowed for it to be reversed into the pits, but at the last second it suddenly accelerated again. By the time it hit the tailboard at the back of a truck, it was doing 30 or 40mph. I could see the collision impacted directly on her helmet and I feared the worst. It took almost an hour for ambulance staff to feel confident enough to take her out of the car. It was an awful moment. I was surrounded by people who knew her very well, including family, friends, engineers and her manager. Asked whether driver error had caused the crash, the spokesman said it was \"not appropriate to disclose\". He added: \"However, as with all accidents there are a number of underlying causes.\" Speaking in October 2012 after leaving hospital, De Villota said: \"I want to keep fighting because I believe so strongly in women being part of motor racing.\"", "summary": "No action is to be taken against a former Formula 1 team after test driver Maria de Villota suffered a severe crash in Cambridgeshire in 2012, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said."}
{"article": "The 5.2cm (two inch) solid silver Declaration Pound dates from 1643, a year after the English Civil War broke out. It was struck in Oxford, at a new mint created to launch an official currency under Royalist control. The coin's owner, from Dorset, took it into a Dorchester auction house, unaware of its significance. Timothy Medhurst, a coin specialist at Duke's Auctioneers, said: \"The coin has been handed down through several generations to the current owner, who had no idea of its value. \"It is a coin which is rare to find and it will cause a stir in the coin collecting world.\" Its owner does not know how long it has been in their family or where it originally came from. The coin marks Charles I's attempts to regain his failing power from the Parliamentarians led by Oliver Cromwell. A legend inscribed on the back of the coin in Latin reads: \"Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered\". It is seen as a declaration of the king's power and his belief in absolute monarchy. The coin will be auctioned at Duke's on 12 March. According to the National Archives, \u00a31 in 1640 would have been worth \u00a385.80 in 2005.", "summary": "An \"extremely rare\" \u00a31 coin is expected fetch up to \u00a350,000 when it is auctioned off."}
{"article": "While selling bloodstock to help pay his way through a PhD, he met the woman that would change his life - both personally and professionally - in 2010. At the time, Lucy Wiegersma was getting over the heartbreak of missing out on the 2008 Olympics in Beijing - an injury to her horse meant she had to forgo her place on the British team. \"Lucy came to see one of the horses I had for sale,\" remembers McCarthy, who had always been a showjumper. \"She quite liked the horse and she wanted to come back and see more and then she asked me out for dinner. That's how I ended up here.\" The 38-year-old Tipperary native is now a long way from home. 'Here' is a farm in rural Devon where the Wiegersmas breed and train some of the best three-day event horses in the land. A former showjumper in his youth, McCarthy is now eyeing a place in the Irish three-day eventing team for Rio 2016. \"I guess he wouldn't have got involved in the sport if he hadn't have met me, but he's got a huge amount of natural talent and determination,\" says his now wife Wiegersma. \"From when I set him off at his first event, it's all been his will that he's got this far.\" As well as missing out on Beijing in 2008, the 2006 national champion also had heartbreak four years ago in London when she was first reserve for the British side which won a team silver medal. \"I'll get there one day,\" she tells BBC Sport about her Olympic prospects. But having had a baby in April 2015, Lucy has taken a back seat as her husband has come to the fore, having seen him rise from 101 to 65 in the world rankings. It leads to a fascinating dynamic - the man who has fallen into the sport could go the the Olympics before his wife who has worked on getting there since she was a girl. \"I'm very new to the sport and it's very exciting. I'm getting the opportunity to do things that I wouldn't possibly have got in showjumping,\" he says. \"She's delighted to see me come in and do so well in a short time, I think she gets a big kick out of that.\" But Lucy says she can see a time where they could be competing against one another. \"Our careers have kind of crossed at the right moment,\" she explains. \"I've been taking a natural step backwards over the last couple of years and he's only really come into his ascendancy in the last year, so we've not really been competing against each other at the top level, yet. \"But I'm hoping to come back to it, so we'll have that joy to come in future years I hope. \"He's a fascinating person to watch on a horse. He has a huge amount of technical skill from years and years of showjumping, but he's not had so much experience cross country. \"He's very natural at cross", "summary": "They say that your whole life can turn on one chance event or meeting, and nothing could be truer for Irish rider Padraig McCarthy."}
{"article": "The Community union said it expected to hold talks on the industry generally with the steel company this week. Union officials said they expected Tata's Port Talbot plant to be \"high on the agenda\" as concerns grow over potential job losses. Some 4,000 people are employed at the works, and Tata employs 6,000 in Wales. It puts ??200m a year into the economy in wages. Tata Steel Europe, which employs 17,000 in the UK, is in the throes of a wide-scale reorganisation of its business, prompted by a slump in the price of steel. Alan Coombs, the president of the steelworkers' union Community, and chairman of the multi-union group at Port Talbot, told BBC Wales: \"Without doubt there'll be restructuring on the cards - that's if we are in a position to restructure. \"There is concern that we are running out of time\". Mr Coombs said the steel industry was changing quite rapidly, and he thought job losses were \"inevitable\" at Port Talbot - the UK's largest steelworks. He said there was always a knock-on effect from Port Talbot on other parts of the steel industry in Wales. A spokesperson for Community added: \"These reports of potential job losses at Port Talbot should serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing steel crisis and the urgent need for government to deliver upon the agreed steps to protect this vital foundation industry. \"We need a level playing field for UK steel makers, especially on issues like business rates and energy costs.\" Councillor Tony Taylor, who represents the Aberavon ward in Port Talbot and worked at the steelworks for 44 years before retiring last year, said there had been rumours about potential job losses in the area \"for weeks\". \"The government needs to help the industry now,\" he said. \"It's OK for AMs and MPs to talk the talk, but we need to see action before it's too late. \"We have to keep the steel industry going in Britain - it's too important to lose.\" There have been waves of job losses in the steel industry in the UK, which the sector has blamed on cheap Chinese imports and a collapse in prices. In October, Tata Steel announced nearly 1,200 roles were to be axed in Scunthorpe and Lanarkshire.", "summary": "The future of the Port Talbot steelworks will be discussed when Tata Steel bosses meet union officials in the coming days, the BBC has been told."}
{"article": "Mr Murphy, who was hit by eggs on Thursday, claimed the Yes Scotland campaign was organising \"mobs\" to intimidate him and undecided voters. The campaign for independence condemned \"all forms\" of abusive behaviour. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and Prime Minister David Cameron also spoke out against the egg attack. Mr Murphy, the shadow international development secretary, has been on his 100 Towns in 100 Days tour, on behalf of the Better Together campaign to keep the Union. After being egged while speaking in Kirkcaldy, Fife, the Scottish MP said he was suspending the tour for 72 hours to take police advice on the safety of continuing. In the meantime, he also called on \"Yes\" campaigners to \"call off their attack mobs\". Mr Murphy said his claims had been backed up by footage released by Better Together, which the campaign described as a compilation of several 100 Towns in 100 Days events, including dates in Ayr, Motherwell and Glasgow. In the footage, the MP is seen being loudly jeered by members of the public, some of whom accuse him of being a \"traitor\", \"parasite\", \"terrorist\" and \"quisling\". Mr Murphy told the BBC the first 70 dates of his tour had been \"good fun\" and \"passionate\", but recently had taken a \"sinister turn for the worse\". \"In the past 10 days or so, the Yes Scotland campaign has organised mobs to turn up at every meeting that I'm taking part in to try and silence undecided voters and to try and intimidate me,\" said the Scottish MP, who pointed to evidence on social media sites to support his claims. \"This isn't about people throwing eggs, this is about a mob mentality trying to silence a quiet patriotic majority. \"It won't work. It turns off undecided voters and it embarrasses the vast majority of good, decent 'Yes' campaigners.\" The egg incident was witnessed by Allan Crow, editor of the Fife Free Press newspaper, who tweeted that \"Yes\" supporters had chanted over Mr Murphy as he attempted to speak. The prime minister, who has been campaigning in Scotland, said people who threw things at politicians had no place in the democratic process. \"I think the responsibility for the people doing these things lies with the people doing these things,\" said Mr Cameron, who was visiting a Royal Navy supplier in Midlothian. \"I've always thought that it isn't right to throw eggs at people - I had one myself in Cornwall once, it's an interesting experience - and I'm sure other party leaders would take the same view.\" The prime minister added: \"It's a vigorous debate with lots of argument, there's nothing wrong with a bit of heckling but throwing things isn't necessarily part of the democratic process.\" Mr Salmond said people had \"every entitlement to peaceful protest\", but added: \"People shouldn't throw eggs at somebody full stop, that's something that happens in elections. \"I remember John Prescott getting a bit energised about it in a UK election. It shouldn't happen - I don't think it's at the serious end of things - but it shouldn't", "summary": "Labour MP Jim Murphy has suspended his Scotland-wide tour ahead of the independence referendum, citing \"co-ordinated abuse\" from \"Yes\" voters."}
{"article": "Shock 2015-16 Premier League winners City also have a Champions League last-16 tie with Sevilla on the horizon. Rams assistant boss Powell told BBC Radio Derby: \"The season they had was quite unique, it won't happen again. \"They're now having their Champions League excursion and that's something we aspire to.\" Powell, who reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup as a Derby player in 1997, ended his career with Leicester in 2010, before briefly being part of the Foxes' coaching staff. He is excited by the prospect of facing the Foxes on Friday and said their current struggles, coupled with Derby's home advantage and impressive form in the Championship, made the televised tie a tight one. The Rams have lost just three of their matches since Steve McClaren became boss in October, while Leicester have lost 11 of their 22 Premier League matches this season. \"It's going to be some game,\" Powell added. \"People may say Leicester are the favourites. But with home advantage, and what Leicester are going through, it's an opportunity for us to take advantage.\" After stints in charge of Charlton and Huddersfield, Powell returned to Derby in May as number two to Nigel Pearson and retained that role when McClaren took over. Having been a player, coach and caretaker-manager of both East Midlands rivals, Powell said he could see parallels between the clubs. \"For passion, and for supporting your team, they are very similar,\" he said prior to the fourth-round tie at Pride Park. \"Up until quite recently, their history was kind of similar as well. \"But of course Leicester have surpassed what most clubs, apart from the traditionally big clubs, have done.\"", "summary": "Chris Powell hopes Derby County can emulate his ex-club Leicester City's achievements as the East Midlands duo prepare for Friday's FA Cup meeting."}
{"article": "It happened at 09.30 BST on Saturday at the junction of Cheapside and Bridlesmith Gate, blocking both roads. Police cordoned off the scene but said clearing it was complicated due to overhead power lines. There are no reports of injuries. Services were suspended between Nottingham Station and Royal Centre until shortly before 13:00 with continued disruption to the timetable. A nearby branch of Barclays bank was evacuated as a precaution.", "summary": "A tram and a lorry have collided in Nottingham city centre."}
{"article": "Since then, the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine has been rolled out across 130 countries and halved the number of new cervical cancers. The HPV vaccine also protects against cancers in the throat and mouth in both men and women. Prof Ian Frazer said the vaccine could eradicate cancers caused by HPV within 40 years. \"It helps not only control cervical cancer but also the oropharyngeal cancer - the cancers inside the mouth that are caused by these viruses,\" Prof Frazer, chief executive of the Translational Research Institute, said. \"If we vaccinate enough people we will eliminate these viruses because they only infect humans. And in Australia there's already been a 90% reduction in infections in the 10 years the programme has been running.\" HPV is a very common virus that lives on our skin and other areas of the body, including the mouth, genital areas and anus. It can be passed through skin-to-skin contact and genital contact. The virus is most often passed during vaginal and anal sex, but can also be transmitted through oral sex. \"The papilloma viruses that cause cancer are very common indeed,\" Prof Frazer said. \"Most people get rid of the virus themselves without knowing they've contracted it, but 1% of the population that get it get persistent infection that lasts over five years. If they do that they've got a very good chance they'll get a cancer.\" Prof Frazer, the late molecular virologist Dr Jian Zhou and a research team used genetic engineering to build a virus replica to create the vaccine. With millions of doses of the vaccine administered worldwide, the number of new cases of cervical cancer has reportedly halved. \"We know that 170 million doses of vaccine have been given out,\" Prof Frazer said. \"If you do the sums on that, one in a hundred people were going to get a cancer that could kill them.\" Some parents have reservations about their children being vaccinated on the grounds that it may encourage promiscuity. Others object to vaccinations over safety fears. \"In countries like the US where the vaccine isn't so widely taken up, that's a little bit disappointing because cervical cancer still kills several thousand women in the US,\" he said. \"Then, of course, we've got the problem of the 250,000 people that die from cervical cancer in the developing world.\" Researchers are continuing to refine the effectiveness of the vaccine and ensure more widespread inoculation. \"We're moving from a vaccine that protects against two common strains of the virus that cause cancer to a vaccine that protects against nine common strains,\" Prof Frazer said. \"If we get that rolled out we will eventually get rid of all cancers that get caused by this virus.\"", "summary": "The world's first cancer vaccine was administered in Australia exactly 10 years ago."}
{"article": "Leaders from both nations confirmed a conclusion had been reached after talks that spanned more than two years. The deal is expected to be signed on Monday and covers 17 areas such as e-commerce, Chinese officials said. China is South Korea's largest trading partner and their bilateral trade grew to $228.9bn (\u00c2\u00a3143bn) in 2013. South Korea has been running a trade surplus with China since 1993, and the surplus was $62.8bn last year, according to South Korean data. \"South Korean and Chinese leaders today declared an effective conclusion of the FTA at a summit meeting held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing,\" said a statement from Korea's presidential office, referring to a meeting of South Korean President Park Geun-hye with China's President Xi Jinping at the Apec summit. Local media reports said the deal included a move to remove tariffs on over 90% of goods in the next two decades. With China and South Korea the world's first and seventh largest exporters respectively, a tie-up between the two is key for the region's economic growth. South Korea, Asia's fourth largest economy, already has trade agreements with the European Union and the US.", "summary": "China and South Korea are set to sign a free trade agreement that aims to remove most barriers to trade between the countries."}
{"article": "The former Real Madrid youth player has been on goalscoring form for Atletico Malagueno, Malaga's reserve team, who top Group 9 of the Spanish third tier. Kilmarnock's Greg Taylor and Celtic's Jamie McCart, on loan at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, are the new additions in defence. St Mirren's Stephen Mallan is among the new crop of midfielders. Motherwell's Dom Thomas and Celtic's Joe Thomson are rewarded for their loan spells with Queen of the South in the Scottish Championship by being included in the squad for the friendly at Paisley 2021 Stadium on 28 March. St Mirren's stadium will be a familiar venue for Celtic's Paul McMullan, who had a spell there on loan before his present stint with Dunfermline Athletic, and the Buddies' Lewis Morgan, who are the new forwards along with Harper in Scot Gemmill's squad. Wolves' Jack Ruddy, who began his career with Real Murcia, is one of two uncapped goalkeepers. The other is Devlin Mackay, who is on loan to Berwick Rangers in Scotland's League Two from Kilmarnock. Goalkeepers: Ryan Fulton (Liverpool, loan to Chesterfield), Devlin Mackay (Kilmarnock, loan to Berwick Rangers), Jack Ruddy (Wolverhampton Wanderers) Defenders: Alex Iacovitti (Nottingham Forest), Zak Jules (Reading, loan to Motherwell), Jamie McCart (Celtic, loan to Inverness CT), Jordan McGhee (Hearts, loan to Middlesbrough), Liam Smith (Heart of Midlothian), Greg Taylor (Kilmarnock) Midfielders: Chris Cadden (Motherwell), Liam Henderson (Celtic), Stephen Mallan (St Mirren), James Jones (Crewe Alexandra), Dominic Thomas (Motherwell, loan Queen of the South), Ruben Sammut (Chelsea), Joe Thomson (Celtic, loan to Queen of the South) Forwards: Ryan Hardie (Rangers, loan to Raith Rovers), Jack Harper (Malaga CF), Oliver McBurnie (Swansea City), Paul McMullan (Celtic, loan to Dunfermline Athletic), Lewis Morgan (St Mirren), Craig Wighton (Dundee)", "summary": "Malaga forward Jack Harper is among 10 uncapped players named in the Scotland Under-21 squad to face Estonia."}
{"article": "Usually there are nine cases of microcephaly, the condition linked to the virus, in Brazil's Pernambuco state each year. When Dr Vanessa van der Linden examined five cases in two weeks at the end of August last year, her concerns were raised. Brazil is at the centre of the Zika outbreak and has reported around 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly since last October alone. Here are some of the questions you have been asking Dr van der Linden on the BBC News Facebook page. \"It was strange to see such a high number of babies with small heads being born all of a sudden,\" Dr van der Linden says. Within a few weeks in August and September last year there were 20 cases in two of the state's hospitals, she says. That is more than twice the number usually reported in a whole year. \"We tried to explore what happened to the babies. The patterns of our tests pointed to a congenital infection, one that we had not seen before.\" Dr van der Linden says that microcephaly is often misunderstood as disease. \"Microcephaly is only a symptom, it is not the disease. The disease is what causes damage to babies' brains and results in small heads,\" she says. Microcephaly can have different causes, including genetic disorders and infections like syphilis or toxoplasmosis, Dr van der Linden says. \"When we examine a baby with microcephaly, we analyse their brain scans. Some malformations, such as scars in the brain, point us towards congenital infections.\" The link between microcephaly and the Zika virus has not been confirmed. Doctors also found that some babies who died had the virus in their brain and it has been detected in placenta and amniotic fluid too. According to Dr van der Linden, there are still more questions than answers about the Zika virus. But she says that future pregnancies are probably not affected by having contracted the virus previously. At present, doctors estimate that the virus only stays in the body for two weeks. \"After a Zika infection, it is likely that women will develop immunity to the virus. That would mean that there is no risk of contracting Zika during a future pregnancy,\" Dr van der Linden says. Several Latin American and Caribbean governments have advised women to delay pregnancies for up to two years. The WHO has not recommended travel bans with affected countries, but says it is drawing up advice for pregnant women. The symptoms of microcephaly depend on the severity of the condition, Dr van der Linden explains. \"There are some babies with a mild form of microcephaly who develop normally.\" The most severe cases cry a lot, are very agitated and barely sleep, she says. \"The virus causes the damage during the pregnancy. The baby is born with the consequences and we cannot reverse those,\" Dr van der Linden says. There is no cure for microcephaly, she explains, and what can be achieved in terms of treatment depends on the severity of the condition. \"For some babies, rehabilitation can only improve the quality of", "summary": "One of the first doctors who identified the likely link between the Zika virus and thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains has been answering your questions."}
{"article": "Alistair Roy missed a good chance to give the hosts the lead early on, pulling his shot wide. Jonathan Page tested Shire's Richard Barnard with a close-range header and nodded another effort over. Kinnaird fired in what proved to be the winner after increased pressure from the home side in the second half.", "summary": "Lloyd Kinnaird's second-half strike helped East Stirlingshire defeat East Fife on the opening day of the Scottish League Two season."}
{"article": "Food sales increased in February but overall Scottish sales declined year-on-year by 1.9%. The Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) said 2017 had \"got off to a somewhat sluggish start\" following a second successive month of falling sales. It suggested consumers were responding to a combination of moderate wage growth and rising overall inflation. SRC director David Lonsdale said: \"In recent months we've seen a polarisation in the performance of food and non-food categories, which continued in February. \"Food sales continued to edge up, helped by good sales of wine and chocolates for St Valentine's Day as well as stronger demand for grocers' meal deals, which perhaps hints at less eating out during the period as consumers reined in spending. \"By contrast, non-food categories fell back once again, particularly clothing, footwear and household appliances, though there was continuing interest in mobile phones, wearable technology and a revival in gaming products.\" He added: \"These figures suggest Scottish consumers are maybe beginning to tighten their belts and acknowledge the strain from rising overall inflation and moderating wage growth, with council tax set to creep up soon too.\"", "summary": "Scottish retail sales fell last month as consumers started to \"tighten their belts\", according to new figures."}
{"article": "The former Deputy Chief Constable was confirmed in the top job at a meeting of Strathclyde Police Authority in Glasgow on Monday. The post vacated by Mr Corrigan will now be filled by former Assistant Chief Constable Rhuaraidh Nicolson. In turn, his position will be filled by Chief Superintendent Russell Dunn. Mr House was appointed last week to head up Scotland's new single police force, which comes into being in April next year. He has already said that as many as 3,000 support staff could be lost as he seeks to merge eight forces into one.", "summary": "Campbell Corrigan has been named acting Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police following Stephen House's appointment to head Scotland's new single force."}
{"article": "Abdul Nabi, 30, is described as black - of Asian appearance - about 5ft 7in tall and skinny, with short curly hair. Anyone who spots him has been asked to call 999. Officers were searching land around Midpark Hospital and Maidenbower near the Crichton university and business complex. Premises in the immediate area were alerted. The search subsequently moved on to the Calside and Georgetown areas of the town and pupils at Georgetown Primary School had their sports day interrupted. Police dogs and the police air support unit also joined efforts to try to trace Mr Nabi. \"This is a missing person inquiry and we want the public to be alert, however not alarmed,\" said a spokesman. \"We are asking that if he is seen he is not approached and you contact the police.\" Insp Rory Caldow said officers had been carrying out a large-scale search since about 12:30. \"We did have early concerns that he may have been in possession of a knife, however we understand that this is not now the case,\" he said. \"Mr Nabi is a vulnerable missing man and our concern for the safety of the public centres on the uncertainty of his reaction should he be approached. \"We ask the public to be vigilant and report any sightings, without making an approach to him, on the 999 emergency number.\"", "summary": "Police have warned the public not to approach a man reported missing from a psychiatric hospital in Dumfries."}
{"article": "Chester's Ryan Lloyd cancelled out Kieran Murtagh's first-half opener, but Joey Jones gave Woking an interval lead and Chigozie Ugwu added a third in the second half. Visiting goalkeeper Jon Worsnop was forced to push Woking right-back Jake Caprice's dangerous low cross on to the post in the ninth minute before Murtagh fired the home side ahead with a 25-yard drive into the bottom corner. The visitors were back on level terms within eight minutes when midfielder Lloyd glanced home Johnny Hunt's cross, but Woking went in at the break 2-1 ahead as Max Kretzschmar's ball was headed in by Jones in the 28th minute. Worsnop parried Kretzschmar's header and Woking substitute Zak Ansah fired into the side netting before the Cards went 3-1 ahead in the 75th minute through Ugwu's powerful drive. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Woking 3, Chester FC 1. Second Half ends, Woking 3, Chester FC 1. Gozie Ugwu (Woking) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Woking. Fabio Saraiva replaces Ismail Yakubu. Substitution, Woking. Charlie Carter replaces Max Kretzschmar. Goal! Woking 3, Chester FC 1. Gozie Ugwu (Woking). Zak Ansah (Woking) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Chester FC. James Akintunde replaces Jordan Chapell. Substitution, Woking. Zak Ansah replaces Charlie Penny. Evan Horwood (Chester FC) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Jon Worsnop (Chester FC) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Chester FC. Elliott Durrell replaces Blaine Hudson. Substitution, Chester FC. Sam Hughes replaces Johnny Hunt. Second Half begins Woking 2, Chester FC 1. First Half ends, Woking 2, Chester FC 1. Max Kretzschmar (Woking) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Goal! Woking 2, Chester FC 1. Joey Jones (Woking). Johnny Hunt (Chester FC) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Goal! Woking 1, Chester FC 1. Ryan Lloyd (Chester FC). Goal! Woking 1, Chester FC 0. Keiran Murtagh (Woking). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Woking saw off Chester to secure their first National League win of the season."}
{"article": "The world number seven will feature alongside seven other players, including Maria Sharapova. All matches in the event, which begins with a round-robin stage, comprise a single tie-break to 10 points. \"Tie-breaks provide so many pressure-filled moments and it will be fascinating to see who handles it best,\" said Konta, 25. The winner of the inaugural women's tournament will receive $200,000 (\u00a3161,000), with an additional $100,000 (\u00a380,547) donated to a charity working to combat domestic violence. The men's tournament, which features US Open champion Stan Wawrinka and world number seven Kei Nishikori, runs alongside the women's event. Britain's Andy Murray has reached the final of the past two events, losing to compatriot Kyle Edmund in London, and Austria's Dominic Thiem in Vienna.", "summary": "British number one Johanna Konta will play in the first women's Tie Break Tens event, in Madrid on 4 May."}
{"article": "\"I love writing, cooking and baking. I'm enjoying what I'm doing and I don't want it to be taken away from me,\" the Junior Bake Off judge told the BBC. When asked if Channel 4 had approached her about the show, which is moving from BBC One, she told Newsround: \"No.\" Channel 4 signed a three-year deal earlier this month with Love Productions, which makes the programme. But judge Mary Berry will not move after she quit The Great British Bake Off last week out of loyalty to the BBC, a few days after presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins also decided not to make the move to Channel 4. Paul Hollywood is the only Bake Off star to have agreed to stick with the show and switch to Channel 4, so there is speculation as to who will present and judge the show. It was announced last month that Hussain, who won in 2015, was to judge the CBBC junior version of the show, alongside chef and food writer Allegra McEvedy. Channel 4 will begin airing the programme in 2017, starting with a celebrity special in aid of Stand Up To Cancer. Hussain was asked by BBC Breakfast about her views on Bake Off changing channel, but responded by saying: \"It's old news. \"Change happens, change comes, wherever it [the show] goes I just want it to do well, whatever happens, wherever it goes.\" But when asked about the importance of Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins to the show, she said: \"Mel and Sue are so important to the show. Every time I was falling apart they'd come and say, 'It's just cake, come on you can do this.'\" She added it is \"the least competitive competition in the world\" and that \"you like each other, there's camaraderie in the competition, you don't see that anywhere else.\" She said: \"You want to win and do really well and you want everyone to do well as well.\" The BBC and Channel 4 clashed over Bake Off on Tuesday at the Royal Television Society London Conference. James Purnell, the BBC's director of strategy and education was in a debate with Channel 4's chief creative officer Jay Hunt. Hunt said: \"I understand that you feel aggrieved about Bake Off although it is worth remembering the BBC lost Bake Off. Channel 4 didn't take Bake Off.\" Purnell told her: \"You have a remit which you describe yourself as 'born risky'. I think there's real questions about whether buying Bake Off qualifies for that.\" The Great British Bake Off began life on BBC Two in 2010, where it became a firm favourite with viewers before moving to BBC One in 2014. Last year's final was the UK's most watched television programme of the year, with 13.4 million viewers tuning in to see Hussain win the competition. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain said she has had \"no offers\" from Channel 4 to join the show."}
{"article": "The 33-year-old has suffered persistent hamstring trouble in the last year and was ruled out of the recent Test series with India to have more surgery. After his latest injury setback, he admitted his career could be in doubt. National selector Rod Marsh said Clarke would be replaced if he was not fit by Australia's second World Cup match, against Bangladesh on 21 February. Clarke, who made his international debut in 2003, is not expected to feature in the preceding one-day tri-series against England and India which begins on 16 January. The Australians begin their World Cup campaign against England in Melbourne on 14 February, and play Bangladesh a week later. \"We have said that if Michael has not recovered by our second match of the tournament against Bangladesh on 21 February, we will replace him in the squad,\" said Marsh. \"He understands that and is working tirelessly with medical staff to get back to fitness. \"Our medical staff are pleased with his progress and he continues to undergo thorough rehabilitation work with a view to being ready to play an important role in the World Cup.\" A stand-by for Clarke has not been announced, although Marsh said that if the captain became unavailable, regular deputy George Bailey would lead the side in his absence. Marsh also said Western Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh is on track to be fit for the start of the World Cup. \"Mitchell is progressing well with his rehab and we expect him to be available at some stage during the tri-series with the aim to have him well prepared for the World Cup,\" he said. Elsewhere in the squad, Brad Haddin is preferred to Matthew Wade as wicketkeeper, while Nathan Lyon misses out in favour of Xavier Doherty for the solitary spinner's slot. Lyon has played just eight one-day internationals, but made a late push for selection with 23 wickets in four Tests against India. Australia are seeking a record fifth World Cup after winning the tournament in India in 1987, England in 1999, South Africa in 2003 and the West Indies in 2007. Australia World Cup squad: Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey (vice-capt), Patrick Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson. Click here for a list of all the World Cup squads", "summary": "Michael Clarke has been declared fit to captain co-hosts Australia at the World Cup which begins next month."}
{"article": "Hiroute Guebre Sellassie, the new UN envoy for the Sahel, said Nigeria, Libya and Mali were worst affected. But overall \"terrorist acts\" in the Sahel and the Maghreb had increased by 60% in 2013, she said. Her report said extreme poverty and unemployment were part of the problem. Last year there were 230 terror incidents in the Sahel and Maghreb, Ms Sellassie, who was appointed as the UN Sahel envoy in May, said in his report which he presented to the UN Security Council on Thursday. This was an \"alarming increase\" of 60% compared with 2012 - the highest annual total in the region for the past 12 years, she said. The deterioration of the political and security situation in Libya; the political impasse and security challenges in Mali, where French and African troops ousted Islamist militants from northern towns last year; and increasing attacks and kidnappings by Nigeria's Boko Haram militants continued affect civilians and local economies, the report says. For most people, the extremism highlighted in this report is hidden until something spectacular happens. Reporters like myself take some responsibility for this. I only went to Mali, for example, when the French army dramatically expelled violent Islamists from the northern towns in early 2013; when I visit Nigeria, it is invariably for a Boko Haram crisis. But the slow-burning background factors that can feed extremism are there all the time. Chronic unemployment makes young men particularly vulnerable to radicalisation, the UN report says. It is estimated that across west and north Africa, only about 30% of people have access to modern courtrooms - and so the possibility of justice if they are wronged. The report also says, extraordinarily, that only a little over a half of all children in the region are officially registered as having been born - surely the most basic prerequisite to becoming a participating citizen. The increase in violence has coincided with a UN plan to tackle insecurity and underdevelopment in the region - called the Integrated UN Strategy for the Sahel - that began two years ago. Unemployed young men were particularly vulnerable to religious radicalisation, Ms Sellassie said. \"Organised criminal groups take advantage of the vast and porous borders of the countries of the region, making effective patrolling extremely difficult,\" the report said.", "summary": "The growth of Islamist violence in the Sahel is threatening the stability of the entire region that runs south of Africa's Sahara Desert, a UN envoy has told the Security Council."}
{"article": "The UNESCO World Heritage Site is under threat from landslides and slippage which could seriously damage the historic iron bridge and gorge. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: \"It is vital that we do not let places like Ironbridge Gorge deteriorate or slide out of sight.\" The world's first iron bridge was built there in 1779 by Abraham Darby III. Mr Pickles described the area as a monument to the industrial revolution and \"a testament to British ingenuity and ambition\". Telford and Wrekin Council has welcomed the government grant but has said that \"around \u00a380m\" will be needed to fully protect the gorge. The council said the money will help the Council undertake work between the Jackfield Tile Museum and the Boat Inn. The work, which will involve drilling and grouting old mine workings and strengthening slopes and the river banks, will take four years, the council said. A spokesman said land instability in the gorge \"is nothing new\" with reports of ground movement being recorded over the past 235 years. Councillor Richard Overton said: \"The bill we face to do this is beyond our means, so we are pleased that Government has found this money to go towards tackling this most pressing need.\" The council said it has spent more than \u00a316m on tackling land instability in the gorge since 2001. Cracking was first reported on the iron bridge as early as 1784, and it has needed constant repair and maintenance. The bridge suffers structurally due to land movement in the valley it was built in. There were plans in the middle of the last century to demolish the original bridge and build a new one. In 1967 the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust was set up to preserve the remains of the Industrial Revolution in the six square miles of the Ironbridge Gorge. Between 1972 and 1975 \u00a3147,000 was spent on repairing the bridge, re-enforcing it and resurfacing it. More than 550,000 visitors now come to the 10 Ironbridge Gorge museums every year from all over the world.", "summary": "Funding of \u00a312m has been promised by the government to help preserve the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire."}
{"article": "Wednesday's win for the Asian champions from South Korea means they claim fifth place in Japan ahead of Sundowns. Kim Bo-kyung, Lee Jong-ho and an own-goal from Ricardo Nascimento gave Jeonbuk a 3-0 lead before half-time. Percy Tau scored for Sundowns early in the second half before Kim Shin-wook's header sealed the win. Sundowns lost to Japanese champions Kashima Antlers 2-0 in their other game on their debut at the tournament on Sunday.", "summary": "African Champions League winners Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa lost again at the Club World Cup going down 4-1 to Jeonbuk Motors in Osaka."}
{"article": "As well as the tech giant, the inquiry centres on Hachette Livre, Penguin, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holzbrinck. The Commission said it would focus on alleged illegal agreements restricting competition in the EU. The UK's Office of Fair Trading has already carried out a similar inquiry. The character and terms of agreements that the companies made with agencies are to be examined for breaches of EU rules on cartels, the Commission said. The Office of Fair Trading has now finished its own investigation, but continues to work closely with the Commission, which is extending the scope of the inquiry across the whole of Europe. The Commission carried out \"unannounced inspections\" on the companies in March 2011 as part of its investigations at premises in several European countries. Apple's iBook store, which supplies e-books to the company's iPad tablet computer and the iPhone, is likely to come under scrutiny. The EU announced an investigation into Google for potential anti-competitive behaviour in November.", "summary": "Apple and five publishers are to be investigated over anti-competitive practice in the e-book market, says the European Union's anti-trust watchdog."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old was jailed for six years last March for sexually touching and grooming the 15-year-old fan. He was refused leave to appeal his conviction and sentence in July, but launched a second bid late last year. A panel of three appeal judges turned down the former Sunderland player's latest bid. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. If you want to receive Breaking News alerts via email, or on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App then details on how to do so are available on this help page. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts.", "summary": "Ex-England footballer Adam Johnson has lost a Court of Appeal challenge against his conviction for sexual activity with a schoolgirl."}
{"article": "Kurdish elements of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) would be equipped to help drive IS from its stronghold, Raqqa, a spokeswoman said. The US was \"keenly aware\" of Turkey's concerns about such a move, she added. Turkey views the Kurdish rebels as terrorists and wants to stop them taking more territory in Syria. The Pentagon later said US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis had spoken by phone to his Turkish counterpart, Fikri Isik, but gave no details of the conversation. Turkish officials have not yet responded publicly. SDF forces, which comprise Kurdish and Arab militias, are already being supported by elite US forces and air strikes from a US-led coalition. The US has previously supplied light weapons and armoured vehicles to the Arab element of the SDF, known as the Syrian Arab Coalition. The SDF is currently battling IS for control of the city of Tabqa, an IS command centre just 50km (30 miles) from Raqqa. The Kurdish fighters are from the Kurdish Peoples' Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey sees as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a group it has been fighting for decades. Last month, Turkey carried out air strikes on YPG positions in Syria which it described as \"terrorist havens\". The US believes the Kurdish fighters will be essential to Raqqa's downfall. The Pentagon sees them as the most disciplined and organised of the anti-IS groups but Turkish opposition has meant Washington has had to tread a fine line. The imminence of the fight for the city means delay is no longer an option and the Kurds will be getting a range of equipment. US sources say they have received assurances from the Kurds that they will leave Raqqa to be governed by Syrian Arabs after the battle. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is due in Washington next week - he will not be a happy visitor. A Pentagon source told the BBC the equipment would include ammunition, small arms, machine guns, heavy machine guns, construction equipment such as bulldozers and armoured vehicles. The source added that the US would \"seek to recover\" the equipment afterwards. No timeline has been given for when the weapons would start to be supplied. \"We are keenly aware of the security concerns of our coalition partner Turkey,\" said Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White, who is travelling with Mr Mattis in Lithuania. \"We want to reassure the people and government of Turkey that the US is committed to preventing additional security risks and protecting our Nato ally.\"", "summary": "US President Donald Trump has approved supplying weapons to Kurdish forces fighting so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria, the Pentagon says."}
{"article": "The date was 23 February 1957, an era now dim in the memory. Harold MacMillan had just become prime minister following the Suez crisis. The Reverend Martin Luther King of Montgomery, Alabama, graced the cover of that week's Time magazine for the first time. In Coatbridge that weekend, the weather was bad, with a blizzard blowing in, but as she stepped out into the street, Moira was wrapped-up well, in her navy school coat and a knitted hat. She was a slight, pretty girl with fair hair and blue eyes, something of a tomboy, who enjoyed swimming and playing marbles. The Co-op in Laird Street was a short distance from Moira's gran's house in Muiryhall Street, but there is no evidence that Moira ever arrived at the shop. As the hours and then the days passed the people of Coatbridge, horrified by the mystery of the missing girl, searched and searched but not a trace was ever found. Moira's family never saw her again and, for many years it seemed likely that no-one would ever know what had happened to her. Townsfolk criticised the efforts of the police and, in the absence of hard evidence, suspicion fell, unfairly, on Moira's family. In fact officers did have one important lead - witnesses had seen Moira boarding a local Baxter's bus. But detectives appear to have failed to follow it up properly. Had they done so, they would have discovered that the bus driver was Alexander Gartshore, who was on bail at the time facing charges of raping his children's babysitter. Gartshore, a freemason in a lodge where many local policemen were also said to be members, had long been suspected of being a \"flasher\" in local parks. On 23 January 1957 he had been charged with \"having carnal knowledge of a minor and other offences of a sexual nature.\" In February Moira went missing. In April, Gartshore was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison. But it was not until his estranged daughter, Sandra Brown, discovered this terrible family secret that the search for the truth really began. Even then it took many more years to find it. Recalling events in her book \"Where There is Evil\", Mrs Brown describes how, in 1992, she confronted Gartshore about his failings as a father. To her astonishment, she writes, he told her that his own father \"wouldn't forgive me for Moira Anderson\". \"Grandpa was always convinced I'd done it,\" he told his daughter. \"He said to me tae tell the polis where I'd put the wee lassie. \"...I was the driver of the bus the day she went missing. I told Grandpa I didn't even know her, but she got on my bus, in all the snow. I was the last tae speak tae her. I was the last person tae see her...\" Horrified by the conversation, and suspecting that she now knew the killer, Mrs Brown began a long campaign to bring her own father to justice. When he was interviewed by police in 1992, Gartshore claimed that Moira had boarded his bus", "summary": "It was a bitter, snowy Saturday evening when Moira Anderson left her grandmother's house in Coatbridge to buy some butter."}
{"article": "The permanent structure will replace a temporary barrier which has been in place since 2013. Work on the trap is a collaboration between Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and the City of Edinburgh Council. Construction will begin on Monday and is scheduled to last until March 2016. The trap consists of a wall about 3ft (1m) high, topped with metal railings. HES director of heritage management Barbara Cummins said: \"It's important that the public are assured that we have no immediate concerns regarding the rock face, however as impenetrable as the castle rock might appear, it's not immune to the effects of the weather. \"The constant freeze and thaw during the winter months can open up cracks in the rock face, which then allows a plant known as valerian to take root. \"Once this germinates the bulb expands and, over long periods of time, this process can cause rocks to fracture and fall.\" There will be some traffic and parking restrictions on Johnston Terrace while the work is carried out. Ms Cummins added: \"At the moment we have a temporary structure in place which offers significant protection, and we supplement that by having our highly trained staff abseil down the rock on a regular basis to carefully remove loose fragments from the surface. \"Whilst these measures help to minimise the risk of rock falls, the regular monitoring and scaling is time consuming and ultimately disruptive to visitors to the castle and drivers on Johnston Terrace, which has to be closed whilst work is being carried out. \"The new rock trap will enhance our current risk control arrangements and reduce disruption in the process.\"", "summary": "A new rock trap is to be constructed at Edinburgh Castle."}
{"article": "United boss Louis van Gaal is trying to strengthen his squad after they finished fourth in the Premier League. Germany international Schweinsteiger, 30, and 29-year-old Spain player Ramos are among those who interest him. Ramos' contract with Real expires in 2017, while Schweinsteiger's Bayern deal runs until 2016. Scorer of Real's injury-time equaliser in their Champions League final victory over Atletico Madrid in 2014, Ramos has made 445 appearances for the club since joining from Sevilla in 2005. He has 128 Spain caps and was in the starting line-up as they won Euro 2008, Euro 2012 and the 2010 World Cup. Schweinsteiger also has a World Cup winners' medal - starting for Germany in their victory over Argentina last year. He has been with Bayern all his career and won his eighth league title in May. He also won the Champions League in 2013. Real's interest in goalkeeper David De Gea will be used by United in their attempt to sign Ramos. Van Gaal said at the end of last season it would not be easy to keep De Gea - United's player of the year for the second successive year. The 24-year-old Spain international has refused to extend his contract beyond 2016. The Red Devils have been linked with several potential replacements during what Van Gaal said could be a \"rough\" summer for some of his players given the changes he anticipated. \"A club like Manchester United has to be like that,\" said Van Gaal in May. \"When you purchase other players you get a stimulus.\" Van Gaal is particularly keen to recruit a right-back, central defender, central midfielder and striker. United, who have already bought PSV Eindhoven winger Memphis Depay for \u00a331m, are also interested in Tottenham forward Harry Kane. Barcelona full-back Dani Alves also interested them, but he has signed a new deal at the Nou Camp.", "summary": "Manchester United are interested in signing Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger and Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos."}
{"article": "The nine members of the team, who will compete across the four events, all won medals at last year's World Championships while two have already won Paralympic gold in the sport. Tom Aggar won single sculls gold in Beijing while Pam Relph was part of the victorious mixed coxed four in London. Rachel Morris will compete in her second sport after winning handcycling gold in Beijing and bronze in London. The 37-year-old double amputee transferred to rowing in 2013 and won silver at the 2015 World Championships in France. Relph, 26, is the only remaining rower from her 2012 boat and teams up with debutants Grace Clough, James Fox, Daniel Brown and cox Oliver James. The boat is unbeaten since the 2011 Worlds and the current crew are two-time World champions. \"The team that has been selected is far stronger than any I have been a part of in my six years of rowing for GB,\" Relph said. There is also a new look in the double with Laurence Whiteley and Lauren Rowles hoping to make an impact in their first Games. Whiteley, 24, spent two years waiting for a suitable partner to come along but his patience was rewarded when wheelchair racer Rowles, 18, who has just finished her A Levels, tried out early last year. The partnership yielded a silver medal at the 2015 Worlds in their first major competition together. Squad: Tom Aggar, Rachel Morris, Laurence Whiteley, Lauren Rowles, Pam Relph, Grace Clough, James Fox, Daniel Brown, Oliver James.", "summary": "Great Britain have named an experienced rowing squad for the Rio Paralympics."}
{"article": "Butane hash oil is made using large amounts of the flammable gas, which can explode with devastating consequences. A BBC investigation has learned of two deaths and 27 people being injured across the UK since 2014, as a result of making the drug. The warning comes on the same day a Glasgow man was jailed for more than six years after his drug lab exploded. Butane hash oil (BHO), which is illegal in the UK, is also known as honey oil, dabs or shatter. It is pure and strong and made by using solvents to strip out of cannabis plants one of the active ingredients of the drug - THC. Producers often use butane gas, which can ignite and cause a fireball. It has become popular in the US, especially in states where cannabis has been partly decriminalised. In Colorado there were more than 30 explosions linked to BHO in 2014 alone. Now there is evidence that it is coming to the UK. \"They're using the butane as a solvent to extract the products they require,\" explains John Galvin from Fire Investigations UK. He demonstrates how the production process works. The gas is heavier than air, sticks to clothes and pools on the floor. Mr Galvin also explains that it takes very little to ignite it. \"Flicking a light switch, or it could be a fridge switching on and off,\" he adds. Several people were badly injured and a dog and cat were killed when a home-made drug lab exploded, causing damage estimated at \u00c2\u00a31m to a Glasgow tenement, a court has heard. Scott Peden, 30, was bidding to make a super-strength form of cannabis at the flat in Tollcross when the equipment caught fire and blew up on 21 March. He has been jailed for six years and four months. The High Court in Glasgow was told gas released during the drug-making process ignited and caused an explosion, possibly due to a light being turned on. Windows and the front door of the flat were instantly blown off in the blast. Passing sentence, judge Lord Armstrong told Peden that he had shown \"gross irresponsibility\" and that his actions had had \"traumatic and devastating consequences\". Man jailed over drugs lab explosion There were just four injuries from production of the drug in the UK between 2010 and 2014. Alex Fraser, who has been campaigning for medicinal use of cannabis to be legalised, says BHO is becoming increasingly popular. \"It's huge - comparative to last year, it's 10 times bigger and I expect it will be 10 times bigger next year.\" But he fears more people may try to make it themselves and get injured. An explosion at house in Birmingham in November 2014 left one man dead. The house was destroyed and hundreds of butane canisters were found in the property. West Midlands Fire Service investigator James McDonald calls the people who make BHO \"YouTube chemists\". There have been six explosions in his area since 2014 - two in the last month alone. His message is simple: \"Do not try this... the", "summary": "A highly dangerous method of producing super-strength cannabis is emerging in the UK, police and firefighters say."}
{"article": "The British Medical Association (BMA) Wales questioned GPs about their workload and work-life balance and plans to stay in post or not. It said GPs had voiced serious concerns over the sustainability of practices, with more than 80% worried. The Welsh Government said it was launching a major recruitment drive. Last month, the BMA said a crisis facing GP services in some parts of Wales was getting worse, as figures suggested a spike in the number of practices being handed back to health boards to manage. The BMA is launching a campaign, An urgent prescription for general practice in Wales, as the report is published. The survey was sent to all its GPs in Wales and 244, or a fifth of those asked, responded, with a relatively even response rate across the country. The BMA said it was \"confident\" the level of response would have delivered \"representative results\". Of those, 65, or 27%, said they were considering a career change and nearly 14% (13) were planning to work abroad within the next 12 months. Worries about understaffing were high up the list, with some practitioners considering reducing their working hours to cope with growing pressures. More than 60% of respondents said they did not have a good work-life balance, with 58% saying that balance had worsened over the past year. Three-quarters said the health of staff within their practice had already been negatively affected by the workload, and nearly half would not recommend a career in general practice. Dr Charlotte Jones, chairwoman of BMA Wales' GP committee (GPC) said: \"There is a significant gap between the demand placed upon general practice and its capacity. \"The profession is forced to try and cope with inadequate resources, an unsustainable workload and a workforce under considerable strain, across the whole of Wales. \"The survey findings have identified clear trends in GPs' areas of concern and highlights just how immediately action needs to be taken. GPs continue to remain committed to the profession but for it to turn around, they need the tools, resources and support of Welsh Government.\" A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: \"As the BMA are aware, we will be launching a major national and international recruitment campaign at the end of October to market Wales and NHS Wales as an attractive place for doctors, including GPs and their families, to train, work and live. \"We continue to invest in primary care and will shortly be entering into discussions with GPC Wales about changes to the General Medical Services Contract.\" The report was released the same day as a conference on rural primary care is being held in Gregynog Hall, near Newtown, Powys, hosted by Montgomeryshire Medical Society, to discuss what it called a crisis in GP services in many rural parts of Wales and the UK. Dr Michael Lewis, a Welshpool GP, said: \"Recruitment campaigns have had little or no success, so together Powys Teaching Health Board and general practices are looking at new ways of providing primary care. \"This often depends on working with other healthcare professionals or new technology and has", "summary": "More than a quarter of GPs surveyed in Wales are considering leaving the profession, a report by a doctors' group has said."}
{"article": "Firefighters, police and ambulance crews were called to the property in Hollington Old Lane, St Leonards, at 02:00 BST. The man was recovered from the house but was later pronounced dead, Sussex Police said. An investigation is being carried out by East Sussex Fire and Rescue and police but the cause of the blaze is not being treated as suspicious.", "summary": "A man has died in a fire on the first floor of a house in East Sussex."}
{"article": "Police said it was discovered at Maeve House in the New Lodge area on Monday after a report from a member of the public. Army bomb disposal experts were called to the scene and the suspected explosives taken away. The explosives are said to be enough to make three under-car booby-trap bombs. Det Insp Stuart Griffin said considerable inconvenience had been caused to residents and he thanked them for their co-operation. \"Thankfully these suspected explosives are no longer in the public domain,\" he added. The find comes two years after a similar discovery at Maeve House. Two and a half kilos of the explosive was found in a cupboard at the building in May 2014. Speaking about the latest seizure, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said he was \"hugely relieved and delighted that these explosives have been recovered and made safe\". \"I'm disappointed but not surprised that there are still people within our society who believe that they have the right to attempt to point us all back to the past through attempts to kill people,\" he told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster.", "summary": "One and a half kilograms of what is believed to be Semtex plastic explosive have been found at a block of flats in north Belfast."}
{"article": "His refusal came after Tory MP Sir Nicholas Soames said he had \"vilely traduced\" the former home secretary. But Mr Watson told the Commons he was \"right to demand that guidelines were adhered to\", and said abuse survivors had been \"belittled for too long\". Lord Brittan died unaware that police had dropped a rape inquiry against him. The Crown Prosecution Service found in July 2013 that there was not enough evidence for a prosecution over the claim Lord Brittan had raped a 19-year-old female student in 1967. Mr Watson later called for a full review of all abuse allegations made against the peer, who died in January. Defending his conduct, Mr Watson told the Commons he was right to raise the issue. \"I understand MPs feel aggrieved Leon Brittan was interviewed by the police and they are angry with my use of language but I am sure they would also agree that when someone is accused of multiple sexual crimes by numerous completely unrelated sources the police have a duty to investigate, no matter who it is,\" he said. Mr Watson made reference to remarks made by Prime Minister David Cameron earlier, who urged him to \"examine his conscience\" over his actions, after Lord Brittan's brother called for an apology over \"unfounded accusations\". \"I think we all need to examine our consciences in this House, we presided over a state of affairs where children have been abused and then ignored, dismissed and then disdained. \"If anyone deserves an apology it is them,\" Mr Watson added, to cries of \"shame\" from the Conservative Party benches. Sir Nicholas, who had demanded an apology to Lord Brittan's family in a point of order, said afterwards that Mr Watson's statement was a \"non-apology\" and that his conduct was \"completely unacceptable\". \"He has become the witch-finder general,\" he told BBC Radio 5 live. \"I really do think we have got to bring some order to this debate which is running out of hand.\" Meanwhile, BBC News has obtained a letter written by Mr Watson to the Director for Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders in April 2014 about the rape allegation against Lord Brittan. In the letter he said he was \"driven to the unpalatable conclusion that the identity of the alleged perpetrator - Leon Brittan - may in some way have influenced treatment of the case\". Mr Watson also made it clear he was writing the letter following complaints from the alleged victim over the way the case had been handled and urged Ms Saunders to look at it again. The BBC also understands that four Conservative MPs have asked Home Affairs Select Committee chairman Keith Vaz to put Mr Watson's actions on the agenda when it meets on Tuesday. The prime minister told LBC radio: \"The House of Commons select committees are quite rightly going to ask him some questions so I'm sure he should answer those questions and examine his conscience about whether he's said enough so far.\" On Friday Mr Watson admitted he should not have repeated a claim that Lord Brittan was \"close to", "summary": "Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has refused to apologise for demanding that police investigate sex abuse claims against the late Lord Brittan."}
{"article": "Khalid Alahmadi, 23, took advantage of the 19-year-old's \"vulnerability and intoxication\" on 24 September 2015, a jury heard. She said she recalled becoming conscious while slumped against a tree as Mr Alahmadi was pressed against her. He denies sexual assault and the trial at Newport Crown Court continues. On Tuesday, the jury was told the alleged attack took place in Gorsedd Gardens in front of the national museum in Cardiff. The student told the court she spent the night with friends at the Tiger Tiger nightclub. She said she recalled meeting people and dancing, but because of the amount she had drunk, she had a limited recollection of what happened at the end of the night. Prosecution barrister Matthew Cobbe told the jury Mr Alahmadi became aware of the woman's \"vulnerability and intoxication and took advantage of that\". He said Mr Alahmadi intentionally touched the woman in a sexual way without consent and without believing she consented. When interviewed by police, the woman said she had been \"very drunk\" and \"unable to hold myself up\". She said when she came to, she ran away and the man made no attempt to follow her. When she arrived at a friend's house, she said what had happened and her friend contacted the police.", "summary": "A student has described coming to as a man was attacking her in a Cardiff park after a night out during freshers' week."}
{"article": "It comes as the Sun reported thousands of pounds of Foreign Office aid was spent on a TV gameshow and on finding female mates for an endangered fish. The Foreign Office said most of its aid promoted prosperity and stability, but the review would ensure every penny represented \"value for money\". The UK government's total overseas aid budget last year was \u00a312bn. About 87% of the government's aid budget is managed by the Department for International Development, with the remaining money distributed by other departments - including the Foreign Office. The government says international aid is used to help an estimated 1.4 billion people around the world living in poverty. A list published by the Foreign Office showed almost \u00a314,000 for its aid budget was spent producing a gameshow for Ethiopian television that aims to teach young people there about British values. A project to measure the carbon footprint of the Dakar rally cost more than \u00a313,000. According to the Sun, almost \u00a37,000 was used in an anti-litter drive in Jordan, while a project to promote \"safe and responsible\" use of Facebook in Laos, south east Asia, cost \u00a3970. A project to help find female mates for endangered Mangarahara cichlid fish in Madagascar cost \u00a33,400, the paper said, while \u00a35,000 was allegedly spent on workshops about Shakespeare's Hamlet, in Ecuador. BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said a source close to the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told him there had \"clearly been a lack of scrutiny on some expenditure\". A Foreign Office spokesman said: \"The Foreign Secretary has ordered a review so that we can be sure that every last penny of the FCO's aid spending around the world is effective and represents value for money. \"Building closer relationships with growing economies is important. \"The vast majority of aid spending promotes UK prosperity and broader stability but there will be a crackdown on projects that cannot show taxpayers' cash is being spent wisely.\" In March, legislation was passed making it a legal requirement for 0.7% of UK's annual national income to be spent on international development. The private members bill was originally tabled by former Scottish Secretary Michael Moore in the Commons and received Royal Assent on 26 March.", "summary": "The Foreign Office has launched a review into whether its overseas aid is being used \"effectively\"."}
{"article": "The promotion of Trollope, 43, was confirmed on Wednesday with Dalman promising him full control of the first team and funds to bolster his squad. Trollope worked as Slade's assistant from February 2015 and has been told the Bluebirds hierarchy expect a top six finish. \"It is not us taking the cheap option,\" Dalman told BBC Radio Wales Sport. \"It could turn out to be a very expensive option.\" Slade has taken up a new role as head of football, in which he will oversee scouting, among other duties. Trollope will not report to Slade, and has already started to change his backroom staff with coach Scott Young being moved from first team duties. Dalman believes Trollope's appointment underlines Cardiff's commitment to stability and has explained the club will allow the former Bristol Rovers manager to be his own man. \"We have [had] stability over the last 18 months. The team is not far off, let's be honest about that,\" he said. \"Paul is absolutely able to bring in his own coaching team, it is entirely up to him how he builds that and I will support him with club resources.\" Dalman entirely dismissed the notion the club missed a trick by appointing from within. \"First of all, we interviewed candidates from outside of the club as well, and some very, very good candidates actually. I was genuinely very surprised and impressed by the number of people who have shown interest,\" he said. \"We felt that when you look at the history of the club and the disruptions and difficulties that we have had, we felt continuity was important. \"And the resources we are about to have we want to put into the squad, rather than anywhere else. There will be money available for Paul, absolutely.\" Trollope has been told clearly he is expected to finish in the top six next season after the Bluebirds finished this campaign eighth in the Championship. \"We need to get promoted and we will do the best that we can,\" Dalman said. \"It is challenging, especially with the teams coming down - Aston Villa, Norwich City and Newcastle United, these are not the sort of teams you take lightly. \"I think Paul has a real task ahead of him, but you've got to expect us to be at least in the top six, if not in the top four, if we make the investments we are planning to make.\" Trollope will not be reporting to Slade as he takes control of all aspects of the first team at Cardiff City Stadium. \"Russell has now gone to head our football side; he will be helping us with all football matters, apart from the first team,\" said Dalman. \"Paul Trollope will report directly to our CEO Ken Choo and very much has a free hand. \"And that is the big significant change, that we are allowing Paul to express himself on the pitch. I think he will do a good job for us.\"", "summary": "Chairman Mehmet Dalman says Paul Trollope is not a \"cheap option\" to succeed Russell Slade as Cardiff boss."}
{"article": "29 May 2016 Last updated at 00:05 BST It lasted 300 days and as many as 800,000 troops were killed, wounded or went missing.", "summary": "France is commemorating the 100th anniversary of The Battle of Verdun, World War One's longest battle."}
{"article": "The beavers were temporarily captured for testing from the River Otter in Devon, where they have been living wild for at least three years. Tests revealed they were free of bovine TB and a parasitic tapeworm. Devon Wildlife Trust said it was \"delighted\" the animals had returned to the river. DNA tests also confirmed the animals were Eurasian beavers, a species found in the UK before being hunted to extinction several hundred years ago, rather than North American beavers. Evidence emerged in 2014 they had produced young, known as kits, and ministers said they intended to trap the beavers, test them for disease and rehome them in captivity. The move was opposed by wildlife experts, who put forward plans for a five-year trial monitoring them in the wild, with the support of local people, and Natural England, who gave the scheme the go-ahead subject to the mammals being found clear of disease. The five beavers - two adult pairs and one kit - have been temporarily homed in captivity in Devon with access to water and artificial lodges. Devon Wildlife Trust's Peter Burgess said: \"Today's re-release means that these beavers are back where they belong, in the wild on the River Otter. \"We're delighted and relieved they've coped very well with a short period in captivity and have been given a clean bill of health. \"They've tested free of serious infectious diseases and we're now looking forward to starting the next phase of our work: studying the long-term effects of these wild beavers on the local landscape, on local communities and local wildlife.\"", "summary": "The only wild beavers in England have been released back into their river home after being given a clean bill of health."}
{"article": "In 2014/15 just over 48% of babies were being breastfed at the time of the first child health review visit at about 10 days old. The figures have been published by ISD Scotland. They showed a rise in the number of babies fed a mix of both breast and formula milk since 2005/06. Earlier this year the Scottish government hosted a summit aimed at encouraging more mothers to breastfeed their babies. The report from ISD Scotland, which compiles health statistics for the government, looked at rates for babies born in the last financial year. It said there is good evidence that breastfeeding in infancy has a protective effect against many childhood illnesses. It said breastfed infants were also likely to have a reduced risk of infection while other probable benefits included improved cognitive and psychological development, and a reduced risk of childhood obesity. Reporting its key findings, the publication concluded: \"Across Scotland, the overall breastfeeding rate has remained at a broadly similar level over the last decade.\" In 2014/15, 48.3% of babies were breastfed at the first visit review. This rate included 35.2% of babies who were exclusively breastfed and 13.1% who were fed both breast and formula milk. This compares with the figures for a decade ago when 38.3% were exclusively breastfed and 6.4% were mixed fed. The statistics for last year also showed that by the time of the six to eight week health review the breasting rate had fallen to 38%. The World Health Organization recommends all children are exclusively breastfed up to six months, and breastfeeding alongside other appropriate foods continues up to and beyond two years. In other findings, the report highlighted a \"clear association\" between low levels of breastfeeding and deprivation. Mothers in the least deprived areas were nearly three times as likely to breastfeed exclusively at six to eight weeks compared with mothers in the most deprived areas. But there has been an increase over the last decade in overall breastfeeding rates in the most deprived areas at the first visit from 26% to nearly 33%, the statistics showed. Researchers also found that mothers who did not smoke were about three times more likely to breastfeed than smokers. Breastfeeding rates were also found to vary by geographical area in 2014/15. Exclusive breastfeeding rates ranged from 24.3% in NHS Lanarkshire to 59.4% in NHS Shetland, for example.", "summary": "The overall breastfeeding rate in Scotland has stayed relatively static over the last 10 years, despite efforts to highlight the benefits."}
{"article": "The 54-year-old, who led the Royals to promotion to the Premier League in 2012, succeeds Steve Clarke. \"My gut feel was really important for coming back. It just felt right and I'll do everything I can to be successful,\" McDermott said. He left Reading in March 2013 after just over three years in charge. He rejoins the Royals, who are 13th in the Championship table and seven points outside the play-off places. Wednesday's 2-1 defeat at Hull was the club's fourth in a row. At the time of McDermott's departure, the club were in the top flight relegation zone. He then spent 13 months as Leeds manager before scouting for Arsenal. McDermott admitted he spoke to Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe about football's \"never go back\" philosophy. \"I rang Eddie about it, look what he's done back at Bournemouth,\" he added. \"I haven't come back (to Reading) for sentimental reasons, it's professional. \"We've got some really strong players and there's a great squad out there who will all work together. \"We need to get some momentum, that's the most important thing. This league is all about momentum. \"If you can get a result on Saturday, you can roll on and get one on Tuesday.\" Former AFC Wimbledon manager Terry Burton will join Reading as McDermott's assistant manager. Chairman Sir John Madejski described McDermott's return as \"the best Christmas present the club could have wished for\". \"I'm proud we've got Brian back,\" he said. \"He will get a great reaction from the fans on Sunday (against Blackburn).\" Media playback is not supported on this device McDermott first joined Reading as chief scout during Alan Pardew's spell in charge in 2000, having previously managed non-league sides Slough and Woking. He first took charge as caretaker manager in December 2009, replacing Brendan Rodgers, with the club languishing just above the Championship relegation zone. The former Arsenal midfielder was given the job on a full-time basis a month later, before steering the Royals to a ninth-placed finish. A year later, Reading lost out in the Championship play-off final to Rodgers' Swansea side, before gaining promotion to the top flight in 2012. Reading also enjoyed considerable cup success under McDermott, reaching the FA Cup quarter-finals in 2010 and 2011. McDermott's first game back as Royals boss will be Sunday's visit of Blackburn.", "summary": "Reading have appointed Brian McDermott as their new boss on a two-and-a-half year deal, just under three years after he was sacked by the Championship club."}
{"article": "Portsmouth Police tweeted residents took refuge on the roof of the building while awaiting rescue. People were told to avoid the area as firefighters from Hampshire Fire and Rescue worked to get the blaze on the fourth floor under control. The fire was put out shortly before 15:00. Hampshire Fire and Rescue tweeted \"everyone was safe\". The people on the roof were advised to wait until the smoke had dispersed to come down. The fire service said it is believed the fire started in the kitchen. An onlooker tweeted it was \"chaos\" in the area as the car park at Gunwharf Quays - a waterfront shopping outlet - was closed. People living in nearby buildings were advised to keep windows and doors shut.", "summary": "Firefighters tackled a large fire in a high-rise building in the Gunwharf Quays area of Portsmouth."}
{"article": "Maguire is tied for 24th place on level par after a three-over 74 which included two birdies on the front nine and five bogeys on the inward nine. Meadow, 24, posted a level-par 71 to remain one over in equal 24th position. South Korean Inbee Park leads on 11 under. Lydia Ko of New Zealand and the USA's Genna Piller are two behind. China's Shanshan Feng is a further shot adrift on eight under. Northern Irishwoman Meadow began round three with a bogey at the first, but was boosted by four consecutive birdies from the fourth to the seventh holes. A double bogey at the eighth was a major setback for the County Antrim golfer and two further dropped shots and a birdie followed in her second nine. Cavan woman Maguire, 21, and Meadow had carded impressive rounds of 65 and 66 respectively in their second rounds on Thursday to move up the leaderboard. Maguire finished top amateur at the recent British Open when she shared 25th place. Meadow, 24, finished third in the US Women's Open in her first season as a professional in 2014 but has struggled over the last 18 months. The death of her father from cancer last year was a devastating blow for the Ulsterwoman and she has dropped to 473rd in the world rankings. Meadow was a late inclusion in the Olympic field after the Dutch pair Anne Van Dam and Christel Boeljon were withdrawn from the 60-strong field for not meeting their country's qualifying criteria of being in the world's top 100.", "summary": "Ireland's women's golfers Stephanie Meadow and Leona Maguire lie well off the lead after Friday's third round of their Olympic Games competition in Rio."}
{"article": "It is the work of street artist Joe Caslin, who rose to public attention during last year's same-sex marriage referendum in the Republic of Ireland. The Belfast artwork is similar in style to another huge mural of his in Dublin, which depicts two young men embracing. The artist said he felt the time was right to take the campaign to Belfast. \"Northern Ireland is the only territory now on the islands of western Europe that doesn't have same sex marriage - and it's same-sex marriage not civil partnership,\" he told BBC Radio Ulster. \"Through the work that I did in Dublin last year with the referendum and the large piece we put up on George's Street, I felt it was an ideal time, coming up to the Pride Festival that takes place this weekend, to reignite that conversation.\" The street artist, from County Roscommon, also works as an art teacher at a secondary school in County Offaly. He said he received a positive reaction from many members of the public in Belfast who stopped to watch him work on the mural in Hill Street. The new mural, entitled Love Wins, features an embrace between two women who live in Belfast. \"They travelled to America to get married last year,\" the artist said. The pair could not have held the ceremony in their home town. Same-sex marriage became legal in England and Wales in March 2014 and in Scotland, the first gay weddings took place on 31 December 2014. In May 2015, the Republic of Ireland became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage through a popular vote, with the law taking effect in November last year. Earlier this month, a couple from the Isle of Man became the first to change their civil partnership into a marriage on the island. The Northern Ireland Assembly has held a number of votes on the issue and last year, for the first time, a majority voted in favour by the narrowest of margins. MLAs supported the motion by 53 votes to 52, but it was blocked after the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) deployed a petition of concern that required the proposal to achieve a cross-community majority. Those who oppose same-sex marriage have argued that marriage should be between a man and a woman. They have claimed legalising same-sex marriages undermine family law and a child's right to father and a mother.", "summary": "A five-storey mural depicting a married lesbian couple has been painted on a city centre building in Belfast, as part of the same-sex marriage campaign."}
{"article": "\"We're not going to default, they'll have to invent a new term to define what's happening,\" said President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner last week, deep in denial, as the deadline loomed for the country to meet its obligation to the so-called \"vulture funds\". Thanks to a US court decision, Argentina is required to pay $1.3bn (\u00a3766m) to investors who bought its bonds at a big discount after its economic meltdown and previous default in 2001-02. It failed to do so by 30 June and a 30-day grace period has now expired. But the government resisted that course of action, because it feared that it could lead to the unravelling of other debt deals that it struck with most of its creditors. As a result, a second default has now occurred, and the outcome could be painful for an economy that is already in recession. Last time around, Argentina was left unable to repay or service more than $100bn of debt. The resulting default meant that it has not been able to borrow further money on the international markets since then. Two successive restructuring deals, in 2005 and 2010, covered the overwhelming majority of bondholders, who agreed to accept about one-third of what they were originally owed. However, hedge funds NML and Aurelius Capital Management snapped up a large chunk of the remaining distressed debt at low prices and are now pressing to be paid the full face value of their holding. Their case against the Argentine government has been trundling through the US judicial system for some time. But Buenos Aires didn't expect the crunch to come so soon. President Fernandez's government fully expected the dispute to go all the way to the US Supreme Court, which would have bought the country more time. But in June, the Supreme Court declined to hear Argentina's appeal against the decision of a lower court that made it liable for the money. Under that court's ruling, Argentina cannot use the US financial system to keep paying the restructured bondholders unless it also pays the \"vulture funds\". And there are other hold-outs from the previous restructuring deals who could now follow the hedge funds' example and press for the full face value of their bonds. From Argentina's point of view, there is a legal obstacle to its acceptance of the hedge funds' terms: a clause in the deals with the restructured bondholders, known as Rufo (rights on future offers). This clause, which expires at the end of the year, states that Buenos Aires cannot favour the hold-outs over those who accepted the restructuring deals. Given the choice, Argentina would have liked to spin out the negotiations with the \"vulture funds\" until 2015, when the clause will no longer apply. But the US courts refused to comply, seeing the restriction as one of Argentina's own making that could be circumnavigated if the government wanted to. And after all, why should the Argentine government put itself out? As Capital Economics emerging markets economist David Rees points out, the default will have a \"negligible\" direct impact on it. \"The", "summary": "Right from the start, the Argentine government's attitude to its debt dispute with US hedge funds made it all but inevitable that the country would fail to reach a compromise."}
{"article": "Lisa Passey and Wayne Dale left son Kian Dale in an upstairs bath seat for at least 13 minutes, Worcester Crown Court was told. Ms Passey was with a friend downstairs and Mr Dale was \"socialising\" and using his computer\". Ms Passey, 28, and Mr Dale, 45, both deny gross negligence manslaughter See more stories from across Herefordshire and Worcestershire here Opening the prosecution, Jonas Hankin QC, said: \"When, finally, Wayne Dale went upstairs to the bathroom, baby Kian had drowned.\" Mr Hankin said that family friend Jeanette Morgan had visited the then-couple's home in Kyreside, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, on 26 September 2015. She and Ms Passey \"drank coffee together and smoked cigarettes\" in the sun on the patio, before Mr Dale joined them, he said. Mr Hankin added: \"She asked him to burn a copy of the UB40 album, playing in the kitchen, which he did.\" After Kian was discovered lifeless in the water, Ms Passey dialled 999 telling the operator her baby had \"drowned in the bath\", the court heard. The court heard Mr Dale, of no fixed address, told police officers he \"had a beer, rolled a cigarette outside and burned a CD\" and that he had only left his son for \"a couple of minutes\". A post-mortem examination found the child's death was consistent with drowning, including what was believed to be soap bubbles in his lungs. Ms Passey, of Tenbury Wells, initially claimed she had not run a bath, but twice changed her account, the prosecutor alleged. The trial continues.", "summary": "A couple left their 13-month-old son alone in a bath where he drowned as they entertained a friend, a court heard."}
{"article": "The list of MPs who will chair Labour policy committees reads like a who's who of Mr Corbyn's internal critics. They include pro-Trident MP John Woodcock who reportedly turned the air blue at a Blairite event as he summed up his views on Mr Corbyn's leadership. The annual Parliamentary party departmental committee elections normally pass without controversy. But this year there appears to have been a concerted effort by Corbyn-sceptic MPs to gain control of one of the party's policy making mechanisms, according to grassroots website Labour List. Particularly as only four of the 17 posts were contested - although that may be because most of Corbyn's Labour allies already have roles as shadow ministers. Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie, who has said Mr Corbyn's economic policy would result in \"higher inflation and higher cost of living\" which would hit \"the very people we should be standing up for\", will chair the Parliamentary Party's Treasury committee. Ian Austin, who tweeted \"I'm getting a little tired of the self-indulgent comfort-zone fantasy that Corbyn could ever persuade mainstream voters to make him PM,\" will chair the party's education committee. Shabana Mahmood, who quit the shadow cabinet, because she \"strongly disagreed\" with Mr Corbyn's economic policies, will chair the justice committee. Other Corbyn critics to be appointed to committee chairs include Caroline Flint, Tristram Hunt, Ivan Lewis, Mike Gapes and Emma Reynolds. They will have the power to stand in for shadow ministers at the despatch box, although this is rarely used, and influence policy decisions behind the scenes. Who chairs Labour backbench committees doesn't usually make the headlines - but then there has rarely been such a gulf between a leader and many of his own MPs. The lack of support for Jeremy Corbyn at Westminster was underlined by the fact that all but two of the successful candidates backed either Liz Kendall or Yvette Cooper for leader - and none backed him. Mr Corbyn had said he wanted these positions to become more influential - and that is exactly the intention of the new chairmen and women, too. Nine of them will serve on Labour's National Policy Forum. John Woodcock - who is now the Parliamentary Labour Party's defence chairman - said he will remind his leadership that MPs were elected on a policy of retaining the nuclear deterrent. And the new Treasury chairman Chris Leslie has denounced both his leader - and the shadow chancellor's - economic policies. Mr Corbyn is at odds with his many of his centre-left MPs in key policy areas, including the renewal of Trident, the welfare cap and military action in Syria. But he has vowed to open up the party's policy making process to its members, the vast majority of whom voted for him to be leader. This has sparked fears among \"moderate\" MPs that their views will be sidelined. \"Many MPs feel the agenda of many of Corbyn's backers is less about Jeremy, more about a left realignment of the party,\" writes an anonymous columnist on Blairite website Progress. \"This would be achieved with manifestos", "summary": "Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn could be facing a new battle after \"moderate\" MPs seized key policy making positions."}
{"article": "Protesters shouted \"democracy\" and waved banners criticising planned changes to laws on surveillance. The measures would expand government access to digital data and allow for greater surveillance by police. The EU is investigating whether the new legislation violates its standards. The conservative Law and Justice Party was elected with a majority last October - the first time since democracy was restored in 1989 that a single party won a mandate to govern alone. \"We want to keep our democracy and freedom,\" one of the organisers said. \"Our privacy, intimacy is under threat, we can be followed, watched over both in our homes, and online,\" Mateusz Kijowski, leader of the Committee for the Defence of Democracy, told the protesters. One banner carried in Warsaw read: \"You're supposed to listen, not listen in.\" Another sign said \"Happy New Year 1984\", an apparent reference to the authoritarian state portrayed in George Orwell's novel 1984. In Warsaw, the estimated 10,000-strong crowd gathered in front of the office of Prime Minister Beata Szydlo before marching to the palace of President Andrzej Duda. The EU is carrying out a preliminary assessment of whether curbs to the power of the constitutional court and moves to put public media under government control violate the bloc's principle of the rule of law. Ms Szydlo told EU lawmakers this week that her government had not breached EU or Polish laws and had a mandate to overhaul the country's laws.", "summary": "Thousands of Poles have taken part in marches in Warsaw and other cities to protest about plans of the conservative government, which they say will curtail privacy and freedom."}
{"article": "Trescothick made 153 and Abell hit 131 - his maiden first-class hundred - as they put on 272 for the first wicket. Cooper struck 118 at number three and James Hildreth made 71 as the hosts built a huge first innings lead of 329. Somerset, who led eighth-placed Hampshire by five points at the start of play, have eight bonus points. Hampshire on the other hand have only taken one batting and one bowling bonus point from the game. Resuming on 147-0, Trescothick and Abell took the hosts past Hampshire's first innings total of 240 before Abell was trapped lbw by Gareth Berg. Skipper Trescothick, who signed a new one-year deal with the county on Wednesday, struck 29 fours in his 261-ball innings which came to an end when he was bowled by West Indies paceman Fidel Edwards. Cooper then continued the fine work of the openers in glorious batting conditions as he brought up his first century for Somerset off just 103 deliveries and put on 142 with Hildreth. Hildreth passed 1,200 Championship runs for the season before he was bowled by Liam Dawson (3-130) shortly before the close on a day in which 422 runs were scored.", "summary": "Marcus Trescothick, Tom Abell and Tom Cooper all hit centuries as Somerset piled up 569-5 on day two against relegation rivals Hampshire at Taunton."}
{"article": "It is under suspicion of meddling in the democratic process, of hacking computer systems and spreading disinformation with the alleged aim of helping a pro-Moscow candidate win the vote. We heard such accusations this year in France and last year in America. Indeed, the US intelligence community has already concluded that Russia ran a campaign to influence the presidential election. So, what about Britain's general election? Is the UK vote in the crosshairs of the Kremlin? Has it already been targeted by Russia's foreign intelligence service? Last month UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said there was a \"realistic possibility\" Russia might try to meddle. Has it? Does Moscow really care who wins the keys to Number 10? I suspect not. In the run-up to the American and French presidential elections, it was clear that the Kremlin did have preferences. The Russian state media was full of praise for candidates Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen, and scathing of candidates Hillary Clinton and Emmanuel Macron. Hardly surprising when you consider that both Mr Trump and Ms Le Pen promoted closer ties with Moscow. But ahead of Britain's election, the Russian media hasn't come down on one side or the other. Indeed, there hasn't been much coverage at all of the campaign. So why not? \"In Russia we don't see Great Britain as a fully independent country,\" says political analyst Sergei Markov, who is close to the Kremlin. \"We see it as part of America: a very junior, junior partner of Washington.\" In other words, in the eyes of the Kremlin, Britain is irrelevant. Ouch, that hurts. But that is only part of the story. Crucially, a UK vote has already given Russia the result it wanted - last year, when Britain voted to leave the EU. Ahead of the UK referendum, the Kremlin officially remained neutral. But state media here were clearly backing Brexit. Britain leaving was viewed as a body blow to the EU; that, in turn, was seen as a good thing for Russia, which has been on the receiving end of EU sanctions. Welcome to the world of the zero-sum game. But away from the corridors of power here, are ordinary Russians interested in the UK election? Do they even know that Britain is going to the polls? To find out I drove to the town of Reutov on the edge of Moscow. It's twinned with Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. There I chatted to the ballet teacher at the local youth centre, to a workman on the street, to young mums pushing their prams round the statue of Vladimir Lenin - founder of the Soviet state - and to pensioners on park benches. Everyone I spoke to knew a great deal about Britain. \"It's the home of football\", Ilya told me. \"Big Ben\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 the Queen\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Five o'clock Tea,\" said Ekaterina. But of the people I spoke to, no-one knew that the UK was holding an election. Indeed, no-one could tell me the name of our current prime minister. Perhaps that isn't so surprising when you consider that since the turn of", "summary": "These days, it feels like every time there is an election in Europe - or in America - Russia is cast in the role of bad guy."}
{"article": "They rang during a minute's silence at 15:06 BST, the moment the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest was halted on 15 April 1989. Victims' families were joined by supporters and players at a memorial service at Liverpool's Anfield stadium. Thousands of people sang the club's anthem You'll Never Walk Alone in memory of the 96 fans who died. Actress and Liverpool fan Sue Johnston read the lyrics of The Beatles song In My Life before embracing Margaret Aspinall and Trevor Hicks, who both lost children at the disaster. They were recently given CBEs by the Queen for their efforts to secure fresh inquests into the deaths of the 96 Liverpool fans. Mrs Aspinall, who chairs the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said at the service: \"We can't go away from here and see a job part done. We will get it done.\" Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and his Everton counterpart Phil Jagielka also released 96 red balloons at the event. During the minute's silence, flags on civic buildings flew at half-mast and the Mersey Ferry sounded its horn while barriers at the Mersey tunnels were lowered. Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said: \"We will never forget those who died at Hillsborough, and this is a day for us to unite as a city and remember each one and also their families and friends left behind.\" Before the service, a Liverpool fan said: \"We are a band of brothers - it is sort of a nice thing to come here every year because all of us are mourning altogether, but it is an emotional day too.\" The new inquests into the deaths of the 96 Liverpool fans will resume on 20 April at Birchwood Park, Warrington. They started in March 2014 and are expected to continue until early 2016. BBC News: Profiles of all those who died", "summary": "Bells in Liverpool tolled 96 times as the city remembered those who died 26 years ago in the Hillsborough disaster."}
{"article": "With just one game remaining and only the group winners to qualify, Nigeria cannot make up their five-point deficit to table-toppers Egypt. Ramadan Sobhy's 65th-minute winner puts Egypt on the verge of qualification. Egypt face Tanzania in June and will book their place in Gabon with any result better than a 3-0 defeat. Nigeria won the Nations Cup in 2013 but have now suffered back-to-back eliminations in qualifying. They threw everything forward to find an equaliser on Tuesday and came close when West Ham winger Victor Moses crashed a shot against the post in the 84th minute. The match in Alexandria became a virtually all-or-nothing tie for Nigeria after Chad withdrew from the group on Sunday, citing financial difficulties, and all results from their matches were erased. That left only three teams in Group G and in accordance with the rules of the Confederation of African Football only the winner would qualify for the finals. Egypt have seven points with one match to play, against bottom club Tanzania, who have only one point but two games remaining. To have any chance of qualification Tanzania would need to beat Egypt by a better scoreline than the 3-0 defeat they suffered in Egypt last June because head-to-head records would come into effect if the sides finished level on points. Tanzania would still have to beat Nigeria in their final match in September.", "summary": "Nigeria have failed to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations after falling to a 1-0 defeat in Egypt in their Group G match on Tuesday."}
{"article": "But experts said the schemes were doomed to fail. The campaigners are protesting against a congress vote to repeal a key internet privacy law earlier this week. They said the SJR34 resolution, which would let companies continue to sell user data without their consent, would infringe people's privacy. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the order soon. One campaign, run by Adam McElhaney, has raised $146,732 (\u00c2\u00a3117,698) in four days on the crowd-funding platform GoFundMe - 9,648 people have made donations. Mr McElhaney said he planned to \"turn the tables\" on all of those who had voted to ditch the law. \"I plan on purchasing the internet histories of all legislators, congressmen, executives, and their families and making them easily searchable at [my website] searchinternethistory.com,\" he said \"Anything they have looked at, searched for, or visited on the internet will now be available for everyone to comb through,\" he added. Mr McElhaney's site is also inviting votes on which politician's data should be purchased first, with Speaker of the House and Republican Paul Ryan topping the list. Another campaign, run by actor Misha Collins, has raised $62,000 towards a $500m target. He said: \"Since congress has made our privacy a commodity, let's band together to buy their privacy,\" \"This GoFundMe [campaign] will pay to purchase the data of Donald Trump and every congressperson who voted for SJR34, and to make it publicly available.\" But several reports suggested the plans were technically illegal. The US Telecommunications Act prohibits the sharing of \"individually identifiable\" customer information except under specific circumstances. Marketers may access user browsing data, but only in aggregate, for the purposes of targeted advertising. And internet service providers (ISPs) would suffer huge brand damage if they sold off identifiable personal data. Mike Masnick, founder of the Techdirt blog, said: \"Here's the real problem: you can't buy congress's internet data. \"You can't buy my internet data. You can't buy your internet data. That's not how this works.\" On Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted to repeal the Obama-era law, which required ISPs to obtain permission before sharing personal information - including location data. The law was set to take effect at the end of this year. Supporters of the move to repeal the law said it would increase competition, but critics said it would have a \"chilling effect\" on online privacy.", "summary": "The organisers of two privacy campaigns say they plan to buy, then sell, the internet browsing histories of some of America's best-known politicians."}
{"article": "Wilkinson, 21, who has recently been on loan at Newport, would be eligible to play in the League Two play-offs should Portsmouth be involved. He is not available for Pompey until after Easter, when he returns from Republic of Ireland Under-21 duties. Wilkinson made 12 appearances for Newport and has previously spent time with Torquay, Oldham and Barnsley. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Portsmouth have signed striker Conor Wilkinson on loan from Bolton Wanderers until the end of the season."}
{"article": "The officials say that the acting deputy justice minister, Abdulkarim Fares, was stopped in his car by a number of gunmen dressed in black. Two security guards and another man - identified either as another ministry official or Mr Fares's driver - were also abducted, said reports. The identity of the kidnappers is not known. Kidnappings happen regularly in Baghdad - either motivated by financial gain or to achieve political ends.", "summary": "An Iraqi government minister has been kidnapped in north-eastern Baghdad, said security sources."}
{"article": "Romania face action after fans set off fireworks and threw objects, with Albania accused of the same offences in addition to allowing a pitch invasion. The charges mean that eight of the 24 teams competing in the tournament are the subject of disciplinary probes. Albania won the Group A match 1-0 to maintain slim hopes of progressing while eliminating Romania.", "summary": "Uefa has opened proceedings against Albania and Romania after incidents in Sunday's Euro 2016 match in Lyon."}
{"article": "Defender Rodgers, on loan from Hull, headed home on 45 minutes, while substitute Husin, who signed from Crystal Palace on Tuesday, had an easy tap-in to secure a vital three points for Stanley and plunge Kevin Nolan's side deeper into trouble. The first chance fell to County striker Jon Stead when he raced free onto a ball forward, beat keeper Marek Rodak and fired goalwards only for Mark Hughes to scramble the ball out for a corner. Stanley then had two good chances but were denied both times by the fingertips of goalkeeper Adam Collin. He spectacularly kept out a long-range Sean Clare strike and minutes later he prevented an own goal as Richard Duffy got to the ball first in a challenge with Billy Kee. The Reds took the lead just before the break when Sean McConville got the ball on the left and floated in a cross which Rodgers headed home from close range for his first Stanley goal. County pressed at the start of the second half with Adam Campbell's low drive blocked from their best chance. Rommy Boco could have increased Stanley's lead but was once again denied by Collin at the near post, while Kee's fierce strike was well held by the goalkeeper. Former Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi came on for the Magpies on 69 minutes after signing a short-term deal, but it was Stanley who had the final say on 80 minutes. Substitute Jonny Edwards charged forward, forcing a good save out of Collin but he could only push it out to Husin who tapped home on debut to give Stanley their first home league win since October. Report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Accrington Stanley 2, Notts County 0. Second Half ends, Accrington Stanley 2, Notts County 0. Jonathan Edwards (Accrington Stanley) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Richard Duffy (Notts County). Corner, Notts County. Conceded by Harvey Rodgers. Billy Kee (Accrington Stanley) hits the bar with a right footed shot from the centre of the box. Sean McConville (Accrington Stanley) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Adam Campbell (Notts County). Tahvon Campbell (Notts County) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Noor Husin (Accrington Stanley). Corner, Notts County. Conceded by Harvey Rodgers. Attempt missed. Jon Stead (Notts County) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Delay in match Richard Duffy (Notts County) because of an injury. Goal! Accrington Stanley 2, Notts County 0. Noor Husin (Accrington Stanley) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Corner, Notts County. Conceded by Mark Hughes. Foul by Seamus Conneely (Accrington Stanley). Michael O'Connor (Notts County) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Accrington Stanley. Conceded by Richard Duffy. Attempt saved. Jonathan Edwards (Accrington Stanley) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Corner, Accrington Stanley. Conceded by Matt Tootle. Foul by Shola Ameobi (Notts County). Seamus Conneely (Accrington Stanley) wins a", "summary": "Loan players Harvey Rodgers and Noor Husin secured Accrington a home win over Notts County in their League Two relegation battle."}
{"article": "Firefighters have been tackling a major blaze at the building on the Electra Road in Campsie for more than three days. The fire has burnt out enough to allow contracts to dismantle the building, owned by River Ridge Recycling. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) is still investigating the cause of the blaze. Hundreds of tonnes of industrial waste was inside the building, and the fire service said the intensity of the fire made it difficult to deal with. Eleven appliances are at the site and the operation is expected to continue into the weekend. A NIFRS spokesman said: \"Demolition has begun on site by contractors who are removing the roof and external panels of the building. \"This will give firefighters better access to the seat of the fire to continue to extinguish the fire.\" Residents in nearby houses have been advised to keep windows and doors closed due to the smoke plume coming from the fire. \"Windy conditions remain on the weather forecast and people need to be vigilant to a change in wind direction, keeping windows and doors closed,\" the spokesman added. Road closures near the site remain in place.", "summary": "A Londonderry recycling plant destroyed in a fire that began on Wednesday morning is being demolished."}
{"article": "Tozer, 26, spent 2015-16 at Yeovil, who he joined from Northampton. The Plymouth-born player said: \"It has been a bit of a whirlwind with the deal being sorted out so quickly, but I'm delighted to get the deal done and over the line.\" Newport manager Warren Feeney said: \"He has experience at this level which will be a great benefit for us.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Defensive midfielder Ben Tozer has joined League Two's Newport County on a one-year deal."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Brendan Rodgers' side needed three points against fifth-placed Hearts to be confirmed as champions after Aberdeen hammered Dundee on Friday. And they did so with a hat-trick from Scott Sinclair and goals from Stuart Armstrong and Patrick Roberts. Unbeaten Celtic have dropped just four points so far during their campaign. \"My job when I came in was to win it in the best way we possibly could,\" said Rodgers. \"We have had many outstanding performances, but we have only just begun because there's still an awful lot of development in this team. That's the real exciting part.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Celtic are still on course to win the domestic treble, having beaten Aberdeen in November to win the League Cup, while they face rivals Rangers in the Scottish Cup semi-finals later this month. The last time the club won all three major Scottish domestic trophies in one season was 2000-01 and the feat has only been achieved once since - when Rangers claimed a treble in 2002-03. \"The run we're on is incredible,\" said Rodgers in an interview with Football Focus prior to Sunday's title-clinching victory. \"In terms of the treble, we never really mention it. Obviously the supporters can dream, which is great, but we have to just think about performing and playing well.\" Celtic could also became the first team to go a full 38-game Scottish Premiership campaign unbeaten. The last time a Scottish side went a full season unbeaten was Rangers in 1898-99, while Celtic did the same the year before - but the season only lasted 18 games. Media playback is not supported on this device Former Liverpool boss Rodgers was appointed in May 2016 to replace Ronny Deila, who quit at the end of last season after two mixed years in charge. Deila led Celtic to back-to-back titles but failed to deliver success in Europe, losing to Maribor and Malmo in the last round of Champions League qualifying and also finishing last in their Europa League group in 2015-16. Rodgers' first major task was to qualify for the Champions League group stages, only for Celtic to suffer arguably the worst defeat in their history against Gibraltarian part-time side Lincoln Red Imps in the second qualifying round first leg. After winning the second leg to progress, they needed a stoppage-time penalty from Moussa Dembele to edge past Kazakh side Astana in the third qualifying round before hanging on away to Hapoel Beer Sheva of Israel to reach the group stages. Once there, they suffered their heaviest European defeat in a 7-0 thrashing by Barcelona but recovered to secure two draws against Premier League side Manchester City and a draw at German side Borussia Monchengladbach. \"We need a couple of players in order to compete at Champions League level - we had some really good performances but there is certain dynamic, power and technique we need,\" Rodgers told Sky Sports after Sunday's title win. Media playback is not supported on this device A summer clearout led", "summary": "Celtic have won a sixth consecutive Scottish Premiership title with eight games to spare after thrashing Hearts 5-0 at Tynecastle on Sunday."}
{"article": "Eight hectares of farmland near Derby will be used for natural burials marked by wooden plaques, carvings, trees or flowers instead of headstones. The Locko Park estate said the cemetery will be screened by trees and would \"make the greenbelt greener\" and provide an income for the estate. Erewash Borough Council unanimously approved the plans on Thursday. Biodegradable coffins will be used at the site, next to the Bartlewood Lodge pub in Ockbrook. The popularity of green burials has surged in recent years. In 1993 there was just one in the country, now there are more than 270. Estate managing agent William Gagie said it would help the site \"diversify\" from its farming income. \"It is agricultural land and ultimately it will be converted to what appears to be woodland with no structures above ground other than planting of trees,\" he said, Mr Gagie said: \"It's less formal than a traditional cemetery, it probably appeals to people who are not of traditional faiths.\" Councillor Howard Griffiths said the council had to compulsorily purchase land in Breaston in 1998 to provide more grave spaces after the closure of one of its cemeteries. He said as well as creating more burial space the natural cemetery would improve rather than damage the greenbelt. Mr Griffiths said: \"I think it'll make it more revered because people will be buried in the ground and people will come here to visit. \"It'll probably protect the ground from development in the future so I'm quite happy this use is coming to this area.\" Work is due to be completed by the autumn.", "summary": "A natural cemetery for 11,000 burials has been approved for greenbelt land in Derbyshire."}
{"article": "Ed Balls, widely tipped for the Treasury brief, will be shadow home secretary, while Yvette Cooper is shadow foreign secretary. On the crucial issue of the deficit, Mr Johnson said the government was cutting spending too far and too fast. But he acknowledged his lack of economic experience, saying he was being \"chucked in the deep end\". Asked by the BBC what his first move would be in the job, he joked that it would be to \"pick up a primer in economics for beginners\". He said he would draw on the experience of other colleagues who had served in the Treasury and it was a \"glorious thing\" about British politics that politicians had to learn quickly on the job. Government plans to cut spending by 25% in many departments risked \"creating mayhem\", he stressed. \"These are cuts of a scale which we have never seen before,\" he said. \"I believe the government is cutting too fast and too deeply.\" \"There is an alternative,\" he added. \"The government is saying there is no alternative. They are saying it is unavoidable. It is avoidable.\" During the election, former Labour chancellor Alistair Darling called for the deficit to be cut in half over four years but Ed Balls has since said this is too aggressive and needs to be done more slowly. Asked which camp he was in, Mr Johnson told Sky News that Mr Darling's policy remained the \"starting point\" for his thinking but Labour had lost the election and needed to \"reassess\" its position on all key issues. \"I never agreed that Alistair's proposals were over too short a period,\" he said. \"I think he got it just about right. But nothing is preserved in aspic. There have been developments since the election and we need to take all those into account.\" BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson said Ed Miliband's decision to appoint Mr Johnson as shadow chancellor was a \"sign of his relative weakness in the party\". Mr Johnson is a \"loyalist by instinct\", who is not likely to come up with an alternative economic policy, but he will be able to unite the party after a divisive leadership contest and \"deploy his wry humour and connection with the real world to portray George Osborne as an out-of-touch rich kid,\" added Robinson. Your views on shadow cabinetFull shadow cabinet listChallenges facing Alan Johnson The ex home secretary is a former postman and trade union leader, who held a string of top jobs when Labour was in government, and was a vocal supporter of David Miliband during Labour's leadership contest. But Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said his economic record and views were \"a bit of an unknown\" and he seemed like a \"caretaker appointment\". \"It's a very surprising appointment. Ed Miliband said he wanted to move on to a new generation of Labour politicians but Alan Johnson is frankly from the last generation,\" he told the BBC News Channel. He said Mr Johnson would now have to say whether he would deliver on Ed Milband's promise of a shadow spending review and", "summary": "Alan Johnson has been named shadow chancellor in a surprise move by new Labour leader Ed Miliband."}
{"article": "Bashir Naderi, 20, has lived in Wales for 10 years, after his mother paid traffickers to bring him to the UK. His deportation was temporarily halted by a judge hours before he was due to board the plane in October and a 14,000-signature petition was handed into the Home Office in January. But girlfriend Nicole Cooper said they are \"devastated\" his leave to remain in the UK has been refused. She added their solicitor delivered the news on Wednesday but the couple are still waiting to see the Home Office documents. The Home Office said it did not comment on individual cases. \"I was in work and my mum rang me at 3pm to say the solicitor had contacted Bash,\" Miss Cooper told BBC Wales. \"We had a call from the solicitor giving more detail, she was in London. It was that he hadn't been granted leave by the Home Office. We're waiting to see the document she received. \"Bash's solicitor is still fighting this, there are grounds for another appeal.\" Mr Naderi fled from Afghanistan at the age of 10 after his father was killed by the Taliban. He went to school in Cardiff and speaks with a local accent. \"He's not taken it well,\" added Miss Cooper. \"He is devastated and has been upset about the whole thing. \"We genuinely weren't expecting it, we thought we had a good chance.\" Among the thousands of people to sign the petition were Welsh singers Charlotte Church and Cerys Matthews, as well as local MP Jo Stevens.", "summary": "A bid to stop a Cardiff man from being deported to Afghanistan has failed."}
{"article": "The Foreign Office announcement comes one year after the reopening of the British Embassy in Tehran. \"This is an important moment in the relationship between the UK and Iran,\" Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said. Nicholas Hopton, a former British ambassador to Qatar and Yemen, will take up the role of ambassador. The British embassy in Tehran was closed after it was stormed and ransacked by protesters in November 2011. The embassy was reopened in August 2015 by then-British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and the two countries resumed ties on Charge d'Affaires level. \"The upgrade in diplomatic relations gives us the opportunity to develop our discussions on a range of issues, including our consular cases about which I am deeply concerned,\" Boris Johnson said in a statement. \"I hope this will mark the start of more productive co-operation between our countries, enabling us to discuss more directly issues such as human rights and Iran's role in the region.\" Mr Hopton joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 1989 and was the British ambassador to Qatar from 2013 to 2015. He also served as the British ambassador to Yemen and at the British Embassies in Paris, Rome and Rabat. By Caroline Hawley, BBC diplomatic correspondent Ever since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the relationship between Iran and Britain has been rocky, to say the least. It hit a low five years ago, when protesters tore down the flag at the British embassy and ripped up pictures of the Queen after Iran's parliament voted to expel the British ambassador. Today's upgrading of ties - which amounts to the full restoration of diplomatic relations - is symbolically important. It is the culmination of months of steady improvement following last year's nuclear deal. The lifting of sanctions has created new business opportunities for Britain, but politically there will, no doubt, be bumps in the road ahead. London and Tehran don't see eye to eye on Iran's role in the wider Middle East or on human rights, and the continuing detention of dual national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe - arrested by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in April - remains a source of great concern to Britain. The development follows the arrest of at least six people with dual nationality who are being held in Iran for alleged security offences. One of them, British-Iranian charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, was arrested in Tehran in April while she was trying to return to the UK after a holiday with her two-year-old daughter Gabriella. Iran does not recognise dual nationality, and does not allow consular access to those who are being held. Prime Minister Theresa May spoke with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani about the cases over the telephone last month. Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe has not yet been informed of any charges brought against her, her husband said.", "summary": "The UK has appointed an ambassador to Iran for the first time since 2011, as part of its aims for \"more productive co-operation\"."}
{"article": "Colin Trotman, 46, of Wetherell Road, Hackney, and Reynold Dyett, 55, of Elderfield Road, Clapton, have appeared at Basildon Crown Court. The offences, which include rape and sexual grooming, are alleged to have taken place in Southend between July and November 2012. Both men deny all the charges against them. Julia Faure Walker, for the prosecution, told the jury the men regularly drove from London to Southend, where they bought alcohol for teenage girls before getting them to perform sexual acts. It was alleged they knew some of the girls were under the age of 16. Mr Trotman is accused of three charges of rape, two charges of sexual activity with a child and one charge of conspiracy to meet a child following sexual grooming. Mr Dyett is accused of four charges of sexual activity with a child, one charge of sexual abuse and one charge of conspiracy to meet a child following sexual grooming. The trial, expected to last up to four weeks, continues.", "summary": "Two men have gone on trial accused of a string of sexual offences involving underage girls in Essex."}
{"article": "In total, 2.2 million patients were not seen within the target time in 2015-16 - more than double the one million figure in 2013-2014. The Royal College for Emergency Medicine (RCEM) says there is a \"large and systemic problem\" caused by a lack of hospital beds. NHS England said hospitals were under pressure but continuing to cope. Some hospitals publish live waiting times and current patient levels to dissuade people who do not really need A&E from coming. Live coverage from A&E unit 1,271 waits of 12 hours or more, 2015-16 260 waits of 12 hours or more, 2013-14 Dr Simon Howse, policy research manager at RCEM, said there was no evidence more people were wrongly using A&E compared with a decade ago. \"In any health system some people turn up who are not in great need but studies show the level of unnecessary visits in the UK is very, very low.\" The problem in hospitals, he said, was \"a large and systemic problem\" in which \"hospitals are being asked to do something they are not resourced to do. \"They are trying to treat a growing and more needy population with fewer and fewer beds. \"There has also been continuous growth in people over 75 years old with complex needs and they tend to take longer to treat than, say, a 25-year-old.\" In terms of hospital beds per capita, he said, the NHS in England now has fewer than Chile, Estonia and Turkey. Across England in 2015-2016, 85% of patients were seen within four hours. The lowest level was at The Hillingdon Hospitals in London at 68%. But Dr Howse warned some hospitals were currently recording - in figures not yet published - rates in the 50s and 60s. These rates matter, he said, because \"people are being seriously put at risk\" at rates of below 80%. Neil Carvey, of Leatherhead in Surrey, was advised to go to accident and emergency by a GP after he awoke shivering and in pain following an operation on his spine last December. His partner Ivanel Petrenkov told how they ended up waiting 16 hours at Epsom Hospital on Christmas Day despite there \"being barely anybody there\". It has since emerged Mr Carvey suffered a spinal infection as a result of complications. He is still in hospital. Mr Petrenkov, who has friends who work in health care, said: \"We have lost all faith in accident and emergency.\" The hospital trust - which has seen a 97% rise over three years in patients waiting more than four hours, disputes the couple's 16-hour wait claim, saying: \"During December, no patient waited in A&E for 16 hours to be seen.\" A spokeswoman for the hospital said it had \"an excellent track record\" of meeting a 95% target for dealing with patients within four hours. \"That said, in recent weeks we have seen unprecedented levels of demand on our services and in some cases, that has meant some people have experienced longer waiting times,\" she said. The largest increase percentage-wise in waits of four hours or more were seen at", "summary": "The number of patients waiting four or more hours at A&E has risen more than 300% at some hospitals, it has emerged."}
{"article": "Photographer Daniel Freeman made the ultimate road trip across America to follow in the footsteps of photographers such as Stephen Shore, William Eggleston and Robert Frank. Starting in Boston, on the east coast, and ending on the west in Oakland, California, Freeman deliberately avoided the big cities, instead visiting the small towns of everyday America. In order to show the USA in an novel way, Freeman took his photographs at night, often using his car headlights to illuminate details in his nocturnal portraits. \"Travelling the darkened, seemingly endless highways of America is vastly more rewarding than travelling in the UK, largely because one can travel great distances between towns,\" said Freeman.. \"This allows clarity of the night sky with minimal interference from light pollution.\" Desert locations became a particularly good subject. One photograph of an art installation of cars deep in the Nevada desert saw Freeman risking bites from coyotes, snakes and scorpions to get the perfect shot. One image taken in Joshua Tree National Park captures its distinctive trees against the backdrop of a night sky with no light pollution. Freeman also photographed the towns he passed through at night, when they were empty of people. He enjoyed the atmosphere of these small towns. He said: \"Many shops are independently owned boutiques with fewer chain shops than in our towns, and there is a feeling that a community is built around these businesses.\" Capturing the power of lightning in the state of Utah was a triumph for Freeman. Setting out to photograph with no real plan, he came across a huge bolt of lightning. He said: \"Within minutes, I pulled on to the forecourt of an abandoned petrol station.\" \"Flashes appeared at least once every 10 to 15 seconds, and this storm lasted about an hour, so by the time I had finished, I had gone from being under pressure to capture the shot, to a more blase approach. \"Instead of shooting several hundred frames, I shot about 40 frames, of which around 25 had lightning in some form.\" \"The following day, I passed both petrol stations as I was leaving town, both looking utterly bland in the light of day, void of all the magic the night sky had bestowed up them.\" Returning to what he sees as the UK's \"congested roads and limited views of extensive darkness\", Freeman is already planning to go back to capture more of America's nocturnal views.", "summary": "All photographs by Daniel Freeman."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 7 August 2015 Last updated at 17:15 BST The company's chief Elon Musk hinted at the device in December, describing it on Twitter as a \"solid metal snake\". After the firm revealed a video of the charger in action he joked that it \"does seem kinda wrong\". At the moment the gadget is just a prototype and the company has no plans to sell it in the near future.", "summary": "An electric car charger that can find its own way into a vehicle has been unveiled by Tesla Motors."}
{"article": "Clare Mackintosh said it was \"a dream come true\" to see I Let You Go named best crime novel at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival. She beat five authors, including Robert Galbraith - the crime-writing pseudonym of Harry Potter author JK Rowling. Author Val McDermid was also honoured with an outstanding contribution award at the festival she helped to set up. Oxfordshire-based Mackintosh, who spent 12 years in the police force before leaving in 2011 to become a full-time writer, said she had been an unpublished author when she first came to the festival in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. \"I would like to thank my publishers and agent for supporting me, everybody who has read and recommended I Let You Go, and the crime writing community for their endless encouragement,\" she said on Thursday. McDermid, a co-founder of the festival who won its best novel award in 2006, said it was \"unlike any other in its warmth and generosity\". The 61-year-old Scot said the outstanding contribution award meant \"a huge amount\". \"This year sees the publication of my 30th novel and I can't think of a better way to celebrate that,\" she went on. Rowling congratulated her \"friend and colleague\" McDermid on her \"justly deserved\" award and said she had \"been showing us all the way for a long time now\". She added that the author's \"favourable review\" of her work as Galbraith had provided \"one of Robert's proudest moments\". \"She received a thank you note in fake handwriting, only to receive one two weeks later in my real handwriting when I was unwillingly unmasked.\" Mark Billingham, another crime novel of the year nominee, called McDermid \"the Queen of Crime\", adding: \"Long may she reign over us\". McDermid, he went on, had \"represented this genre quite brilliantly all over the world, both in person and through her novels, which have earned her legions of fans and a place among the very greatest crime writers of all time.\" Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "A former police officer's debut novel has won the \u00c2\u00a33,000 main prize at one of the UK's top crime-writing festivals."}
{"article": "The Carrickfergus rider's hat-trick at last year's meeting took his tally of successes over the Triangle circuit to 15, level with the late Robert Dunlop. \"I will just do what I do every year - stay relaxed, enjoy the event and see if I can win some races,\" said Seeley. \"It would be great to break the record but it's not getting any easier.\" The 36-year-old will be on board BMW machinery for the Briggs RAF Reserves team for the Superbike and Superstock races, but will switch to a Gearlink Kawasaki for the Supersport outings. Seeley will hope to extend a remarkable record of having one at least one race at the international road race meeting for eight consecutive years. Media playback is not supported on this device Among his main challengers at this year's event will be fellow British Superbike competitor, Peter Hickman, who will hope to make up for lost time after missing last year's races through injury, following an impressive debut in 2014. Since then, the GB Moto Kawasaki rider from Lincolnshire has clinched maiden wins at the Ulster Grand Prix and Macau Grand Prix, as well as a success in the opening round of the 2016 BSB series at Silverstone. Yorkshire's Ian Hutchinson will be joined on the Moneymore-based Tyco BMW outfit by Ryan Farquhar for the Superbike races. Meanwhile New Zealander Bruce Anstey rides for the Padgett's Honda team for the sixth consecutive season and could add to his tally of 11 wins over the 8.97-mile course, with his best chances likely to come in the Superbike and Supersport classes. Aside from Seeley, Northern Ireland's hopes of a home success in the four-stroke classes are headed by the Dunlop brothers, Michael and William, along with diminutive Fermanagh rider Lee Johnston, assuming he has recovered sufficiently from a crash at the recent Scarborough Spring Cup meeting. Media playback is not supported on this device Michael and William boast four wins apiece at the seaside circuit, with Johnston having taken his third North West win last year thanks to a thrilling victory in the Superstock race. Neither of the Dunlops managed to occupy the top step of the rostrum at any of the international road meetings last season, while Johnston went on to add a treble at the Ulster Grand Prix to his triumph at the North West. Other English riders likely to figure prominently include 13-time winner Michael Rutter, Honda challenger John McGuinness, Dean Harrison, Ivan Lintin, James Hillier, Gary Johnson and Martin Jessopp. Conor Cummins spearheads the Manx contingent, in the absence of the injured Dan Kneen who is replaced in the Mar-Train Yamaha team by former MotorGP star Jeremy McWilliams. Austrian native Horst Saiger aims to become the first rider from outside the United Kingdom, Ireland or New Zealand to win a race at the North West. KMR Kawasaki duo Farquhar and McWilliams will be among the favourites in the two Supertwins races, having clinched a win apiece 12 months ago. Tuesday 10 May - Roads close from 09:15 BST to 15:00 BST for practicing Thursday", "summary": "Alastair Seeley goes into this year's North West 200 with the aim of securing the one win he needs to become the most successful rider ever at the event."}
{"article": "House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said the executive orders, which bypass Congress, \"undermined liberty\" and would be challenged in court. Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said that, if elected, he would reverse the measures. In an emotional address on Tuesday, Mr Obama accused the gun lobby of holding the country hostage. Wiping away tears, he recalled the 2012 Sandy Hook primary school shooting in which 20 children and six adults were killed. President Obama's executive actions involve: He previously told the BBC that the failure to tackle gun control had been the greatest frustration of his presidency. Why Obama is powerless - the roadblock at Congress Are you mad or criminal? - the question a gun seller asks Texas women and their firearms - a photographer taught to shoot at an early age Do tighter gun laws work? - a state where guns are a way of life Guns at home - the question parents hate to ask before a playdate However, the largest gun lobby group, the National Rifle Association (NRA), said Mr Obama's steps would not have prevented any recent mass killings in the US. \"Rather than focus on criminals and terrorists, he goes after the most law-abiding of citizens,\" said Mr Ryan, a Republican. \"His words and actions amount to a form of intimidation that undermines liberty.\" Correspondents say the announcement is already shaping up to be an issue in the 2016 presidential election. Donald Trump said that he would \"un-sign\" the measures if elected to the White House - a sentiment echoed by other Republican presidential candidates. Senator Ted Cruz tweeted that the executive actions were unconstitutional, with a link to sign up for his campaign correspondence on a web page that says \"Obama wants your guns\". Former Florida governor Jeb Bush, also a Republican candidate, tweeted that he would repeal the actions and protect the Second Amendment. Leading Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton tweeted: \"@POTUS is right: We can protect the second Amendment while protecting our families and communities from gun violence. And we have to.\" President Obama announced the law change at the White House, surrounded by survivors and relatives of victims of shootings. \"The gun lobby may be holding Congress hostage right now, but they can't hold America hostage,\" he said. Gun violence is significantly higher in the US than in other advanced countries, killing about 30,000 people each year. Sales of guns in the US appear to have risen recently amid speculation that the White House was going to tighten the law. Shares in gunmaker Smith & Wesson rose to their highest value since 1999 ahead of President Obama's announcement. Congress has been reluctant to pass any laws restricting gun ownership, facing pressure from gun owners and the NRA.", "summary": "Leading US Republicans have denounced President Barack Obama's move to tighten gun controls."}
{"article": "United manager Jose Mourinho is keen on the 22-year-old, who can play at centre-half or right-back. A group from Benfica is reported to have travelled to England on Monday to discuss a potential transfer with the Premier League club. United have not commented but Vitoria said: \"If there are exits we will find solutions.\" Reports suggest he would become the club's most expensive defender of all time, costing between \u00a338m and \u00a342m. Their record is England international Rio Ferdinand's \u00a329.1m move to Old Trafford from Leeds in 2002. Lindelof, who has 11 caps for Sweden, played in Benfica's Portuguese league game against Rio Ave on Wednesday, their last game for two weeks. His agent Hasan Cetinkaya told Swedish media there was \"a bid on Benfica's table\" and that he would be meeting with the club, but refused to comment when asked specifically about an offer from Manchester United. Mourinho, who spent more than \u00a3150m on players in the summer, is keen to make changes to his squad during the January transfer window. Although the Portuguese has said he will not force anyone out, midfielders Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger are the most likely to depart, along with Memphis Depay. France international Schneiderlin, 27, has attracted interest from Everton, as has Netherlands winger Depay, although Italian side Roma are another club keeping an eye on the 22-year-old. Former Germany captain Schweinsteiger spoke to MLS outfit Chicago Fire, with other US clubs also keen on taking the World Cup winner, who has returned to first-team training after being frozen out by Mourinho at the start of the season.", "summary": "Benfica coach Rui Vitoria has not ruled out Sweden defender Victor Lindelof joining Manchester United next month."}
{"article": "Read our team guides to find out who has hit the fastest World Cup fifty, which team has taken all 10 opposition wickets in each of their first seven games, and who former England captain Michael Vaughan sees as the key players. New Zealand squad: Brendon McCullum (captain), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, *Matt Henry, Luke Ronchi (wk), Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori, Kane Williamson. *Matt Henry replaced the injured Adam Milne on 23 March. Coach: Mike Hesson South Africa squad: Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), AB de Villiers (capt & wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Vernon Philander, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir. Coach: Russell Domingo Australia squad: George Bailey, Michael Clarke (capt), Patrick Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson. Coach: Darren Lehmann India squad: Ravichandran Ashwin, Stuart Binny, Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Akshar Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav. Coach: Duncan Fletcher All statistics correct as of 22 March 2015.", "summary": "Fourteen teams started the 11th World Cup in Australia and New Zealand - only four now remain to contest the semi-finals."}
{"article": "It is the last day of the Indian prime minister's tour of China and he is meeting some of the heads of Chinese industry. He will be hoping that they will be able to drive forward his signature policy, 'Make in India'. But one year into his term as prime minister and many say Mr Modi is showing some distinctly undemocratic tendencies as he tries to foster a manufacturing boom in India. At the end of April, India cancelled the registration of nearly 9,000 foreign-funded non-governmental organisations (NGOs), saying they didn't comply with the country's tax codes. And the Indian government has singled out the environmental pressure group, Greenpeace, for special attention. The reason why says a lot, both about Mr Modi's ambitions for India and his attitude to dissent. This week Greenpeace won a small victory. On Wednesday the government lifted its ban on activist Priya Pillai travelling abroad. In January she was stopped from travelling to the UK to testify to British MPs about the effects of coal mining in India. But the war is far from over. The charity says it will have to close down in a matter of weeks unless the Indian government lifts the financial freeze it has imposed on the NGO. A secret report from India's Intelligence Bureau, leaked last year, explains why India's government has such a beef with the environmental charity. It said campaigns headed by Greenpeace and other NGOs had drained three percentage points off the nation's annual growth rate. Greenpeace wouldn't claim to have been anywhere near that influential but its campaign against the coal industry does strike at the heart of the 'Make in India' policy. Coal is the main source of power in India and is central to the BJP government's plans to boost industrial production. It is also the most polluting of all fossil fuels and a key driver of climate change. And, when it comes to coal, India compares poorly even with China, as Mr Modi's visit highlights. China's coal use of coal has been falling steeply, helping stall world growth in CO2 emissions. Meanwhile India's CO2 emissions are forecast to rise rapidly. According to the International Energy Agency, India is set to double its coal consumption by 2035 and become the world's largest coal importer by around 2020. Almost half of the 1,200 new coal-fired power stations proposed around the world are in India according to the World Resources Institute. That's why campaigning against the coal industry in India has been a priority for Greenpeace. The charity's campaigns have stopped coal mining in some of India's forest areas. The NGO will also have earned the government's ire by its relentless attack on two of India's corporate behemoths, Coal India and the Adani Group. Coal India is the biggest coal company in the world and India's fifth largest company. The Adani Group is the third biggest coal company in world and its head, Gautam Adani, is known to be close to the Indian prime minister. But the Indian government's attempt to muzzle Greenpeace and other NGOs has", "summary": "Narendra Modi is probably celebrating the first anniversary of his landslide victory with a Chinese meal."}
{"article": "It follows an interview with Fox News in which he also claimed that there are \"Muslim religious police\" in London who \"beat anyone who doesn't dress according to Muslim, religious Muslim attire\". His comments triggered thousands of tweets using the hashtag #foxnewsfacts. PM David Cameron said the interview made him choke on his porridge. But Mr Emerson is not the first to get his facts wrong. Here are some other common #fails when it comes to understanding Islam. Back in October, political comedian Bill Maher made some pretty controversial remarks surrounding Islam on his HBO show, Real Time with Bill Maher. The city's population estimated at 1,073,045 Christian: 494,358 Muslim: 234,411 Sikh: 32,376 Hindu: 22,362 Buddhist: 4,780 Jewish: 2,205 Other: 5,646 No religion: 206,821 Religion not stated: 70,086 Source: Census 2011 Maher has been critical of organised religion throughout his career, concentrating particularly on Islam. But this recent debate on the topic got pretty heated when actor Ben Affleck appeared on the panel and called the host's view \"gross and racist\". One of the main things people complained about was that Bill Maher was pretty quick to suggest all Muslims have the same belief system. Although there are several basic beliefs in Islam, there are different groups of Muslims such as the Sunnis and Shi'ites. The differences within Islam started when the Prophet Muhammad died and there were disagreements about who should lead the Muslim community. Sunnis and Shi'tes have different versions of the Hadith (the book of Muhammad's sayings) - which means they have a slightly different understanding of Islam. Overall, Islam is a diverse religion and there are different interpretations of the Qur'an. A basic issue in this statement is that people often don't fully understand what the garment is. A burka, sometimes spelled burqa, is the all-enveloping cloak, often blue, with a woven grill over the eyes, that many Afghan women wear. On the day that France became the first European country to ban the full-face Islamic veil in public places, the Today programme reported: \"About 2,000 are said to wear the full veil and even that is a generous estimate according to some charities.\" Other veils which cover the body and face are called niqabs and hijabs - the latter is often simply called a headscarf because a woman's full face is visible. See the difference between all the veils No. Only if you live in Saudi Arabia where the law is being reviewed. In November, a member of the king's advisory council said the country was considering proposals to allow women to drive. The recommendations from the Shura Council to change the law would apply only to women over 30 - and they would only get to drive before 8pm. Nevertheless, such a move would represent a major victory for activists after years of rejection of any review of the ban. Earlier this year, a woman reportedly received 150 lashes for being caught driving. But Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that forbids women from getting behind the wheel. The literal meaning of Jihad", "summary": "US terrorism \"expert\" Steven Emerson has apologised for describing Birmingham as a \"Muslim-only city\"."}
{"article": "The 49-year-old led the Bantams to the League Cup final and promotion to League One during a near five-year spell in charge which ended last June. But he was enduring a miserable afternoon when his rattled side conceded two goals to Charlie Wyke inside the first 16 minutes. Wyke profited from two errors from Bolton goalkeeper Ben Alnwick to take his tally to three goals in four games since signing from Carlisle. Alnwick then failed to keep out Wyke's low left-footed effort and, having raced to the edge of his area, was lobbed by Nicky Law to allow the prolific striker a simple tap-in. Madine missed two chances to halve the deficit - but he and David Wheater both netted in the second half to earn the automatic promotion hopefuls a precious point. After Wheater lashed home in the 62nd minute following poor defending, former Sheffield Wednesday striker Madine silenced the hostile crowd by heading home 12 minutes later. Bradford, who stay fifth, six points behind third-placed Bradford, almost won it late on, only for substitute Timothee Dieng's shot to cannon back off a post. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Bradford City 2, Bolton Wanderers 2. Second Half ends, Bradford City 2, Bolton Wanderers 2. Foul by Timothee Dieng (Bradford City). Tom Thorpe (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt saved. Conor Wilkinson (Bolton Wanderers) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt saved. Gary Madine (Bolton Wanderers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Tom Thorpe (Bolton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Romain Vincelot (Bradford City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Tom Thorpe (Bolton Wanderers). Conor Wilkinson (Bolton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card. Tony McMahon (Bradford City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Conor Wilkinson (Bolton Wanderers). Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Conor Wilkinson replaces Adam Le Fondre. Attempt missed. Charlie Wyke (Bradford City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Corner, Bradford City. Conceded by Mark Beevers. Corner, Bradford City. Conceded by James Henry. Attempt saved. Viv Solomon-Otabor (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by Tony McMahon (Bradford City). Gary Madine (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Bradford City. Jordy Hiwula-Mayifuila replaces Mark Marshall. Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Romain Vincelot. James Meredith (Bradford City) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Tom Thorpe (Bolton Wanderers). Foul by Josh Cullen (Bradford City). Derik (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Bradford City. Alex Gilliead replaces Nicky Law. Timothee Dieng (Bradford City) hits the right post with a left footed shot from the centre of the box. Foul by Charlie Wyke (Bradford City). Derik (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, Bradford City. Conceded by Mark Beevers. Romain Vincelot", "summary": "Gary Madine netted a 74th-minute equaliser to earn Bolton an unlikely draw and prevent former Bradford City boss Phil Parkinson from tasting defeat on his return to Valley Parade."}
{"article": "The Scarlet arrived in the country on Monday after interrupting a holiday, before coming off the bench in Tuesday's 40-7 loss to the Chiefs. He replaces the injured George North, with Liam Williams moving to the wing. \"I've been asked to do a job on the weekend and hopefully I'll be able to do it,\" said Patchell. \"It's been a bit of a whirlwind few days, but I'm looking forward to the challenge on the weekend. \"It's a really exciting thing to look forward to and I'm sure Saturday night will be bouncing and it will be a great atmosphere to play in front of.\" Wales, beaten 39-21 by New Zealand at Eden Park, are looking for a first win over the All Blacks since 1953. Patchell, 23, trained with the Wales squad before the defeat by England at the end of May, but was not included in the initial tour squad. But injuries to North and Gareth Anscombe (hip) meant former Cardiff Blues back Patchell was given the call from the Wales camp while on holiday in north Wales. \"This Saturday, I wasn't meant to be doing much, probably watching the game,\" he said. \"I was actually driving to north Wales with my housemates when I got a phone call telling me I'd probably be required, but thought that I'd be flying on Sunday. \"And then I got a phone call when we were on the first tee at the golf club, saying can you leave the boys in north Wales. \"So I left my two housemates stranded on the first tee, jumped in the car and drove back to Cardiff.\" It is the first time Wales coach Warren Gatland has picked Patchell, with his previous two caps coming on the 2013 tour to Japan when Robin McBryde and Shaun Edwards were in caretaker charge. Patchell is glad to be part of the camp again having missed out on previous Wales squads. \"I'm very, very fortunate that it has come around,\" he said. \"Injuries put me out of a couple of them and for whatever reason - form, selection - I didn't quite become a consistent member of the squad as I'd hoped I would. \"It's a great opportunity to be back here.\" Wings Tom James and Eli Walker started against the Chiefs, but Gatland said his fringe players missed a chance to impress in Hamilton with Patchell subsequently getting the nod for Saturday's game in Wellington. \"He was potentially unlucky not to be on the tour in the first place and we watched him play 15 for the Blues on a number of occasions and we've been impressed with him,\" said Gatland of Patchell. \"He's quick, he's got a big boot on him and we think he can do a job for us. \"He brings a physical element, he's an intelligent rugby player and he's pretty excited about the opportunity.\"", "summary": "Rhys Patchell says he has had a \"whirlwind few days\" after being named full-back in Wales' team to play world champions New Zealand on Saturday."}
{"article": "Notices have been attached to piles of bags in Oxford city centre which belong to people sleeping rough. Green Party councillor David Thomas said it was an \"outrageous\" bid to \"intimidate\" the homeless. Oxford City Council said the abandoned bags posed a hazard by blocking fire exits and lockers were available to those who sought help. The notices issued by the authority said prosecution could follow if the items were not removed. More on this and other stories from across the South of England Neo, who sleeps rough in Oxford, said he had his possessions confiscated by the council. \"Most of the stuff which was taken was stuff that the public donated... it's a shame,\" he said, adding he now carries his possessions around in a trolley. Oxford City Council said those issued with notices had two days to collect their belongings, and everything was taken by the owners except \"a soiled duvet and pieces of cardboard\" which were removed. The local authority also said homeless people who engage with aid services could access lockers to store their belongings. However, Ashley, another homeless man from Oxford, said the lockers were not big enough. \"What Oxford needs is a just a space for stuff to be stored\" he said.", "summary": "Homeless people who keep possessions in doorways in Oxford have been warned they face fines of up to \u00a32,500."}
{"article": "Playing their game in hand on Southend, Millwall climbed up to sixth as the striker won and scored a penalty during the second half. Gregory had missed two late spot-kicks in Saturday's 0-0 draw at Oldham, effectively costing Millwall two points in their pursuit of promotion. His response not only secured the two further points he may have felt he owed Millwall, but came as victory began to look beyond their reach. The hosts started with some promise, when in the opening minutes striker Harry Smith's shot was routinely saved by Luke McGee and then when Shaun Williams struck just over the crossbar. It was then that Peterborough began to respond. Marcus Maddison tested Millwall goalkeeper Tom King with a 25-yard free-kick, and then the hosts prematurely began to tire. Playing their eighth fixture in February, Neil Harris' team - who have not conceded a goal since January 21 - also looked short of inspiration until Gregory's show of determination. The 28-year-old won possession in the 54th minute, broke down the left wing on the counter-attack, and carried the ball into the penalty area until being brought down by Anthony Grant. A one-time strike partner of Jamie Vardy at Halifax, Gregory then showed admirable belief to again take responsibility, this time beating the diving McGee by finishing into the bottom left corner. Millwall's defence remained resilient thereafter, securing the result that leaves Peterborough five points behind the top six. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Millwall 1, Peterborough United 0. Second Half ends, Millwall 1, Peterborough United 0. Shaun Williams (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Ryan Tafazolli (Peterborough United). Bradden Inman (Peterborough United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Fred Onyedinma (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Bradden Inman (Peterborough United). Substitution, Millwall. Shaun Hutchinson replaces Ben Thompson. Corner, Peterborough United. Conceded by Tony Craig. Shaun Cummings (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Michael Bostwick (Peterborough United). Marcus Maddison (Peterborough United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Shaun Williams (Millwall) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Marcus Maddison (Peterborough United). Ben Thompson (Millwall) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Marcus Maddison (Peterborough United). Substitution, Millwall. Callum Butcher replaces Lee Gregory. Substitution, Peterborough United. Lee Angol replaces Michael Smith. Attempt missed. Craig Mackail-Smith (Peterborough United) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Attempt blocked. Marcus Maddison (Peterborough United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Michael Smith. Attempt saved. Jake Cooper (Millwall) header from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the top left corner. Corner, Millwall. Conceded by Ryan Tafazolli. Attempt blocked. Chris Forrester (Peterborough United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt saved. Ben Thompson (Millwall) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Tony Craig (Millwall) wins a free kick on the left wing.", "summary": "Millwall returned to the League One play-off places with a home win over Peterborough after Lee Gregory redeemed himself from the penalty spot."}
{"article": "The bowl, which was excavated in 1988, had already been reconstructed three times when it was smashed by a skull at Colchester Castle in September. Work is under way to restore the \"50 or 60\" fragments to their former glory. \"Normally you'll work on something once and won't see it again, but perhaps it just likes to be in the limelight,\" said conservator Emma Hogarth. The \"awkward\" object, which dates from the time of the Roman conquest in 43AD, was discovered at a late Iron Age British-Roman burial site in Stanway, near Colchester. \"It's not a very common type - you can see an example of it in a wall painting in Pompeii,\" Ms Hogarth said. It was \"absolutely smithereened\" when found - a technical term - and was pieced together by Ms Hogarth's predecessor. After some pieces fell off and were stuck back on, the bowl was completely taken apart and put back together in 2014 as part of a major refurbishment of Colchester Castle. \"It had been on display for a year in its lovely new form, but unfortunately the skull was determined to destroy it,\" Ms Hogarth said. \"When it happened, my colleagues worked out where the pieces fell in the case. It's all a bit CSI.\" Roman bowl's mishaps: A potted history 1988: Excavated from burial site in Stanway near Colchester and reconstructed for the first time 1999: Some pieces fall off while the bowl is on display after glue dries out, before being stuck back on 2014: Bowl is completely taken apart and restuck by project conservator during refurbishment of Colchester Castle September 2015: After a year on display, the bowl is smashed to bits after a mount holding up a Roman skull breaks, and the skull drops on to the bowl Ms Hogarth is using a photo to try to restore the bowl, something she described as being \"like a jigsaw puzzle\". \"You get your eye in as to break edges and think, that looks like it matches there, and lay them out roughly as you think they go back. \"What you do is a dry run using masking tape - very low-tech - and then depressingly you take it apart and start from the bottom and work up with adhesive.\" Ms Hogarth said she is hoping to finish putting the bowl back together in the new year, at which point it will go back on display in the castle underneath the infamous skull. And how will she react if the bowl comes into her hands for repairs again? \"I think I might resign,\" she said.", "summary": "A Roman glass bowl has caused museum staff a headache after having to be put back together four times."}
{"article": "Council officers have advised against a self-rising barrier due to technical challenges and environment constraints. The walkway with glass panels would cost about \u00c2\u00a315m to install. A Dumfries and Galloway Council report said a significant amount of work had been done to address public concerns over visual impact and loss of parking. It is the latest attempt to find a compromise solution to tackle flooding from the River Nith in the town. Analysis: Giancarlo Rinaldi, BBC news website south Scotland reporter The time has come, surely, for the words to end and action to start. It will probably never be possible to come up with a solution to the Whitesands flooding which pleases everybody but most people agree something should be done. Anyone who has lived in Dumfries for any length of time knows it is a chronic problem which dates back for decades. The issues must have been aired well enough by now to allow the construction phase of some kind of scheme to begin. Otherwise, we will just have to accept - like previous generations - that it is something Dumfries must learn to live with. More than 5,500 people signed a petition against plans to build an embankment along the waterfront. Now a 1.3m (4ft 3in) raised walkway is being suggested with a 1.2m (4ft) glass wall on top. It comes after the latest round of public engagement events which found 83% of people in favour of some kind of flood protection scheme in the area. However, the questionnaire used to gauge opinion did not ask people outright which of the two remaining options they would prefer. That has led to accusations from some respondents that the survey was designed to give the council the result it wanted. Environment, economy and infrastructure committee chairman, councillor Colin Smyth, said: \"After a consultation process that has stretched on for three years, it is now time for councillors to take a decision and make clear the way forward. \"We know that options such as dredging and flooding upstream have been thoroughly investigated and, unfortunately, simply do not provide a solution. \"However, councillors will have the opportunity to consider options that not only will tackle flooding but also regenerate the Whitesands.\" He also stressed that \"as a direct result of the extensive public consultation\" their proposals had \"changed significantly\". What do you think? Is it time for the talking to stop and some kind of flood protection project be put in place on the Whitesands in Dumfries or should the scheme be scrapped completely? Email your thoughts todumfries@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "A raised walkway has been recommended as the \"optimal solution\" to long-standing flooding problems in the Whitesands area of Dumfries."}
{"article": "Phillips, part of Wales' squad for the November Tests, suffered the injury in Scarlets' loss to Ospreys on Saturday. The 27-year-old, capped three times, was on the bench in Wales' historic victory against South Africa. But Scarlets scrum-half Gareth Davies is fit again after a knee injury. Once-capped Davies could face Ospreys in the Pro12 on Saturday after playing in Llanelli RFC's 58-21 Welsh Premiership win over Bridgend last weekend. Davies was injured in Scarlets' 26-13 Pro12 win over Newport Gwent Dragons on Sunday, 5 October, ruling him out of Wales' November Tests. The 24-year-old made his Wales debut as a replacement on their June, 2014 tour to South Africa having shone for the west Wales region last season. Wales begin their Six Nations campaign at home to England on Friday, 6 February, before ending the tournament away to Italy on Saturday, 21 March. Phillips was an unused replacement against the Springboks and Fiji during the autumn campaign and won his last international cap against Tonga in November 2013. He will undergo surgery on his right shoulder on Friday, 2 January after being replaced just before full-time in the 17-15 defeat at the Liberty Stadium. Fellow Scarlets hooker Ken Owens, who deputised for then-injured Richard Hibbard in South Africa, is also yet to return after undergoing neck surgery in September. \"Ken's still a few weeks away - we're not putting a deadline on that,\" said Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac. Gloucester's Hibbard was unable to play in Wales' November win against the Springboks because the game was played outside World Rugby's Test window. That gave Ospreys hooker Scott Baldwin the chance to play in the 12-6 win.", "summary": "Scarlets hooker Emyr Phillips is likely to miss Wales' Six Nations campaign as he prepares to undergo surgery on a dislocated shoulder, which will sideline him for up to 12 weeks."}
{"article": "What are the figures behind this? The number of police officers in England and Wales has already fallen by about 16,000 since 2010 because of cuts in Home Office funding. Labour's sums are based on assumptions about the amounts all unprotected government departments are likely to have to be cut to meet the targets for cutting the deficit, which were set out in the Budget. The Conservatives are yet to set out plans for the next three years of funding for the Home Office. Labour says it has identified \u00c2\u00a3800m of savings that could be made in police forces, which would prevent the loss of 10,000 jobs that it says the Conservatives would have to cut in the next three years. Labour's figures assume that all departments will be cut by the same amount. Of course, when the next government has its spending review, it could decide to make much more severe cuts to some departments than others. Labour says it will save \u00c2\u00a3800m by doing things such as scrapping the elections for police and crime commissioners, which are due to take place next year, and making people pay the full cost when they apply for a gun licence. The Conservatives respond that scrapping commissioners and other measures would not save as much as Labour claims and that they have already announced plans to increase the fees for gun licences. The biggest proposed savings come from making it compulsory for police forces to buy things together to increase their negotiating power. The Conservatives say that already happens in a lot of cases but that Labour has overestimated the potential savings. The Tories also point out that, despite the falls in police numbers over the past five years, crime has fallen. The two things may be unrelated and crime has been falling since the late 1990s. So it is difficult to demonstrate either that if the Conservatives were to win the election they would cut 10,000 police staff over the next three years or indeed that Labour's plans would prevent that happening. What this argument does highlight is how tight a timetable the next government will be working to. Departments only have spending plans laid out for a year from now. The previous government did not manage to have a spending review until 20 October 2010. There is frantic contingency planning going on all over the civil service. And we know the police are preparing for further cuts. What's the truth behind the politicians' claims on the campaign trail? Our experts investigate the facts, and wider stories, behind the soundbites. Read latest updates or follow us on Twitter @BBCRealityCheck", "summary": "Labour says it is going to protect 10,000 police jobs, which would otherwise have been lost over the next three years."}
{"article": "The jet was shot down by a Russian-made missile over eastern Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 on board. The West and Ukraine say Russian-backed rebels were responsible but Russia accuses Ukrainian forces. The families' claim is based on the violation of a passenger's right to life, News.com.au reported. The claim is for 10 million Australian dollars ($7.2m; \u00c2\u00a34.9m) for each victim, and the lawsuit names both the Russian state and its president as respondents. Jerry Skinner, a US-based aviation lawyer leading the case, told News.com.au it was difficult for the families to live with, knowing it was \"a crime\". \"The Russians don't have any facts for blaming Ukraine, We have facts, photographs, memorandums, tonnes of stuff.\" Mr Skinner said they were waiting to hear from the ECHR whether the case had been accepted. The Kremlin said it was unaware of the claim, the Interfax news agency reported, but a senator with Mr Putin's party is quoted in state media as saying it was \"legally nonsensical and has no chance\". There are 33 next-of-kin named in the application, the Sydney Morning Herald reported - eight from Australia, one from New Zealand with the rest from Malaysia. Sydney-based law firm LHD Lawyers is filing the case on behalf of their families. Flight MH17 crashed at the height of the conflict between Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russian separatists. A Dutch report last year concluded it was downed by a Russian-made Buk missile, but did not say who fired it. Most of the victims were Dutch and a separate criminal investigation is still under way.", "summary": "Families of victims of downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 are suing Russia and its President Vladimir Putin in the European Court of Human Rights."}
{"article": "The clubs had voted in favour of the increase by a majority of seven to five at a meeting on Wednesday. In addition, clubs can have two marquee players - up from one - with exemptions for new or returning players as well as some under the age of 21. The 12 teams will be able to spend \u00a31.9m next year, \u00a32m in 2019 and then \u00a32.1m in 2020. It is below the Australian National Rugby League cap of \u00a34.25m for 2017, while, in rugby union, the English Premiership cap is \u00a37m. Super League's chief commercial officer Roger Draper says the increase will put clubs in a stronger position to compete to bring some former league players back to the sport from rugby union, such as Kyle Eastmond, who left St Helens to join Bath in 2011, and Chris Ashton, an ex-Wigan player currently at Toulon. When asked by BBC Radio Manchester if this is an attempt to target union players, he replied: \"Yes, there are rugby union players out there and returning talent. \"There is speculation around Kyle Eastmond and Chris Ashton, those sort of players, who have made an impact and want to come back into rugby league as well.\" Wigan Warriors owner Ian Lenagan voted in favour of the new proposal and said: \"We need the best players playing in our competition and when all of the proposals that were voted through are looked at together, the decisions that were made will provide Super League clubs the opportunity to do that.\" However, Wakefield coach Chris Chester told BBC Radio Leeds the changes will make things tougher for his club. \"I think it's divisive and it will make the gap between the top and the bottom wider. I find it bemusing,\" he said. \"There won't be any marquee players at Wakefield Trinity for the foreseeable future. It's something we won't be using.\" Marquee players New and returning players Sign up for rugby league news notifications on the BBC Sport app", "summary": "The Rugby Football League has approved plans to raise the salary cap in Super League from \u00a31.825m to \u00a32.1m by 2020."}
{"article": "The unnamed man was left stranded on Townshend Island, off the coast of Queensland, for three days after the crocodile sank its teeth into his boat. He told authorities he fended off the animal before paddling to the island, where he stayed for three days. He was rescued by helicopter on 6 August after activating a locator beacon. \"He was very fortunate,\" a spokeswoman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority told AFP. \"It didn't pierce the kayak. He said he was running on adrenaline [to get to the island].\" The man was prevented from leaving the island by bad weather and a low tide. He activated his rescue beacon after running out of provisions. Saltwater crocodiles are the world's largest living reptiles. They have become more common in Australia since becoming a protected species in 1971. Read more:", "summary": "A man whose kayak was attacked by a saltwater crocodile has been rescued from an island in Australia."}
{"article": "The motion signed by 24 MPs said fares in London are \"the most expensive in the world\" and since 2008 the cost of a single bus journey has jumped by 50%. It comes as passengers saw on average a 4.2% increase in fares this January, across the Tube, buses and trams. The mayor's office says \"every penny\" from fares is invested in improvements. The motion, which is led by Eltham MP Clive Efford, said: \"London commuter fares have become the most expensive in the world and are an ever increasing pressure on Londoners' household budgets while real wages are falling and bills are rising.\" A zone one to six travel card is now \u00c2\u00a3400 more expensive, the MPs note, in addition to a 56% rise in bus fares over the last five years. The MPs also urged \"the Mayor of London to use his discretion to freeze fares at RPI for 2014, easing the pressure on ordinary Londoners during the current cost of living crisis\". A spokesperson for mayor Boris Johnson, said: \"Every penny from fares is invested in improving transport for Londoners, resulting in one of the biggest and most reliable transport systems in the world. \"He (the mayor) will make a decision on fares for 2014 later this year but has publicly stated that he is determined to bear down on them as much as possible.\"", "summary": "Labour MPs in London have signed a Commons motion calling for transport fares in the capital to be frozen at the rate of inflation for 2014."}
{"article": "She had arrived at a running club meeting in Kings Heath when three men demanded she hand over her car keys before using a stun device on her, police said. She alerted a passing van and the men ran away. She was left \"shaken, bruised and with burns\", the club said. There were similar reports between 5 and 10 February. Read more Birmingham and Black Country stories. West Midlands Police said there were six reports of alleged assaults involving \"small stun devices\" in Moseley, Kings Heath and Acocks Green. It is not yet clear whether the incidents are linked. Four teenage boys, two aged 15 and two aged 16, were arrested and bailed in connection with a robbery in Acocks Green on 5 February. Witnesses are being urged to come forward. A post on Kings Heath Running Club's Facebook page said: \"There was a serious incident prior to club run last Thursday. \"It was an attempted car theft by three young men who demanded a runner's car keys. \"She refused and an electric Taser device was used on her during a physical struggle. \"She was shaken, is bruised and has seen a doctor who has assessed the burns left by the Taser. \"This was a random event - the runner took no risks in parking her car on a well-lit road next to the school.\"", "summary": "A woman was attacked with a stun device during a car-jacking in Birmingham - the sixth such attack in as many days."}
{"article": "Warnock was appointed on a short-term contract on Thursday, three days after Neil Redfearn's dismissal. Kevin Blackwell, who has worked with Warnock since 1986, will join him at Rotherham as assistant coach. \"This is the 14th time I've retired and my 15th comeback, but I do enjoy it,\" Warnock told BBC Radio Sheffield. \"I didn't expect to be here this time last week, but that's football. I've never been a manager just to do things for the sake of it. \"I was probably the best bet for them - my wife hasn't been so well but she told me to go for it, and that's what I'm going to do.\" Rotherham are 22nd in the table and without a win in five games, and Warnock's primary task is to save them from relegation. \"I'm only here for 12 weeks and I'm not going to change everything in 12 weeks. I need to get results as soon as possible,\" he said. \"I think when I finish football, the fans will remember that when I've left a club, I don't think I leave them in worse-off situations. \"They all have memories of what I've done and enjoyment, and that's what football is about, not falling asleep watching your team play.\" The 67-year-old has been without a managerial role since December, when he left Queens Park Rangers after a spell as temporary boss. \"We know it is going to be difficult, but there will be some players at Rotherham now who will really give me satisfaction,\" he added. \"They are a genuine bunch - there's no bad eggs as far as I can see. The club is the most important thing and we all have to be singing off the same hymn sheet.\"", "summary": "Rotherham United manager Neil Warnock said he does not leave clubs \"in worse-off situations\" after taking charge until the end of the season."}
{"article": "Ben Gilkes, 25, of Stratford Road, Sparkhill, will appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court, West Midlands Police said. A man was arrested on Friday after the child was taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital with serious head injuries, police said. The baby remains seriously ill since the assault in Hall Green on Friday, they added.", "summary": "A man is due in court charged with an assault on a four-week-old baby boy."}
{"article": "The man in his 30s had been returning to work from a cafe in Market Street when he was hit by a Cazza's cab at 14:20. Police Scotland said he had now regained consciousness and his injuries were not life-threatening. The man is being treated at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.", "summary": "A City of Edinburgh Council official is being treated in hospital after being knocked down by a taxi outside their offices in the capital."}
{"article": "After a two-hour storm delay in Ipoh before Saturday's 2-2 draw with India, Sunday's kick-off was put back an hour because of further bad weather. GB wasted no time when the match began, goals from Barry Middleton, David Goodfield and Sam Ward putting them 3-1 ahead. With 11 minutes left, Japan were only 4-3 down - Tom Carson scoring GB's fourth - but Alan Forsyth settled it. Japan were considered the outsiders as the lowest-ranked team - at 16th - in the event but claimed a 1-1 draw with hosts Malaysia on Saturday. GB now have four points from two matches, level with India, who recorded a comfortable 3-0 win over New Zealand earlier on Sunday. The six-team tournament comprises round-robin, four-quarter matches and, for the first time, video referrals are available. Defending champions Australia, who drew with New Zealand in their opening match, thrashed Malaysia 6-1 and top the table ahead of Britain and India on goal difference. Britain's next match is against Malaysia on Tuesday. The British side will revert to individual nations in June for the World Cup qualifying tournament in London, with England and Scotland in action. Find out how to get into hockey with our special guide.", "summary": "Great Britain beat Japan 5-3 at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia."}
{"article": "Archibald Shaw, 81 of Ardrossan, carried out the sexual abuse in Kilmarnock and Newton Stewart between 1982 and 1990. The High Court in Glasgow heard that he refuses to accept his guilt. But judge Bill Dunlop QC told Shaw that the evidence against him was \"overwhelming\". He said: \"You carried out an appalling catalogue of perverted, predatory behaviour towards two children. \"You stole their childhood and affected the quality of their adult lives. \"I can never understand why, while you are violating children, you don't think these people will become adults and one day will bring you to account.\" Judge Dunlop said that, but for Shaw's age, he would have imposed a longer sentence. Shaw was placed on the sex offenders' register for life. His seven-year sentence will begin after he finishes a 21-month sentence for stalking a 15-year-old girl. Solicitor advocate John Keenan, defending, told the court that Shaw had a heart condition and did not expect to be released from custody. Shaw's victims, who are now in their 40s, went to the police after hearing on the radio that he had been convicted of stalking the schoolgirl. Advocate depute Paul Brown, prosecuting, said: \"The accused has previous convictions for sexual offences against children.\" Shaw was found guilty of eight charges of sexual abuse, including rape. Many of the offences took place in a caravan. Shaw would ply his young victims with alcohol and make them watch pornographic videos before abusing them. He raped his 11-year-old victim again on various occasions when she was aged between 16 and 19. Shaw claimed that he had had consensual sex with the girl once she turned 16, but the jury did not believe him. In evidence, his victims said he ruined their childhoods. One of them said: \"He said if we ever told what had happened to us we would be taken away from our families.\" The jail term was welcomed by NSPCC Scotland which praised Shaw's victims for coming forward to report his \"heinous\" crimes. A spokesman for the charity said: \"This sentence sends out the strong message once again that child abuse will not be tolerated, no matter when the offences took place, and we hope this case will encourage others to speak out about abuse they have suffered, knowing they will be listened to and supported.\"", "summary": "A pensioner has been jailed for seven years for raping an 11-year-old girl and attempting to rape a 10-year-old more than 30 years ago."}
{"article": "Hodson, 35, from Wigan died after the incident at the Joey's Windmill section of the Northern Ireland circuit. His brother Rob Hodson was involved in the crash but was not seriously hurt. Templepatrick man Lynd, 36, suffered his injuries in a crash on Wednesday while a third serious accident led to Thursday's Dundrod 150 being abandoned. The condition of the rider involved in Thursday's second crash is unknown. That incident happened in the National Challenge event and led to roads being closed for two hours as police investigated the incident. The earlier National race was immediately red-flagged and the Hodson brothers were taken to hospital after being treated at the scene. Jamie Hodson's death was later announced shortly after 22:00 BST. An experienced rider, Jamie Hodson was the reigning Manx GP Supertwins champion, and this year achieved a top-10 finish in the Isle of Man TT Lightweight race. The organisers of the event, the Dundrod and District Motorcycle Club, offered their sincere condolences to the Hodson family and friends and asked for their privacy to be respected. Thursday's Dundrod 150 meeting was part of the Ulster Grand Prix meeting which concludes with Saturday's main day of racing at the circuit.", "summary": "English rider Jamie Hodson died in a crash at the Dundrod 150 on Thursday while Northern Irishman Stephen Lynd is critically ill after another incident."}
{"article": "", "summary": "Our selection of some of the best news photographs taken around the world during the past 24 hours."}
{"article": "The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has found that the refusals have hit high profile hospitals in Cambridge, Newcastle and Manchester. A Freedom of Information request to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) found more than 2,341 refusals. The government said the MAC was reviewing its refusal policy. The RCN asked for the number of applications to allow overseas (non-European Union) nurses to work in England between April and November 2015 and the number refused. It found that East Lancashire Hospitals NHS had the highest number of refusals with 300 out of 300 applications. The research found that Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals and North Cumbria University Hospitals both had about 240 refusals. Nursing was temporarily placed on the MAC shortage occupation list (allowing more overseas nurses) in December. Janet Davies, chief executive of the RCN, said: \"These figures show that when nursing is not on the list, many trusts are unable to recruit enough nurses, which could have an impact on patient care.\" Catherine Morgan, director of nursing at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, told the BBC she had been prevented from recruiting a number of overseas nurses. \"It is frustrating because we are running a hospital and do want it to be safe, and we had the opportunity to recruit from India and the Philippines and we had nurses keen to come over but haven't been able to bring them over,\" she said. A Department of Health spokesman said: \"The MAC is currently reviewing the shortage occupation list. Staffing is a priority and there are already more than 8,500 more nurses on our wards since 2010 and 50,000 more nurses in training. \"We want more home-grown staff in the NHS and our recent changes to student funding will create up to 10,000 more nursing, midwifery and allied health professional training places by 2020.\"", "summary": "Thousands of nurses were denied permission to work in England last year, despite hospitals facing staff shortages, new figures show."}
{"article": "Their analysis of stool samples in a study of more than 3,600 twins found evidence that some of this bacteria is inherited. What is contained in faeces bacteria could therefore partly explain why obesity passes down through families. The study is published in Genome Biology. The research team extracted information from study participants about the human faecal microbiome - the bacteria present in faeces samples - and compared these to six different measures of obesity, including body mass index (BMI) and different types of body fat. iWonder - What does your poo say about you? The researchers found the strongest links with visceral fat, where participants with a high diversity of bacteria in their faeces had lower levels of visceral fat. This type of body fat is bad news because it is stored in the stomach area around important organs such as the liver, pancreas and intestines and is linked with higher risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Dr Michelle Beaumont, lead study author from the department of twin research and genetic epidemiology at King's College London, said although the study showed a clear link, it was not yet possible to explain why it existed. One theory is that a lack of variety in faecal bacteria could lead to the domination of high levels of gut microbes which are good at turning carbohydrates into fat. Dr Beaumont said: \"As this was an observational study we cannot say precisely how communities of bacteria in the gut might influence the storage of fat in the body, or whether a different mechanism is involved in weight gain.\" And she indicated more research was needed to investigate how microbes in our guts and in our faeces can influence our health. But there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that gut bacteria may play a role in obesity. It is known that at least 50% of human faeces is made up of bacteria shed from the gut. Dr Beaumont said that eating a broad diet including a variety of different types of food - much like that of the early hunter-gatherers - could increase the diversity of microbes in our faeces. If the theory that microbes are passed on down the generations is correct, she said they may play an important role in how fat develops around the body and the health risk it presents.", "summary": "The make-up of the bacteria found in human faeces may influence levels of dangerous fat in our bodies, say researchers from King's College London."}
{"article": "The Perpignan flanker, 32, last featured for the Scots in their Rugby World Cup win over United States in Leeds in September. Former Edinburgh and Gloucester player Strokosch has been involved with the Scotland squad since 2006. \"I've been lucky enough to fulfil my childhood dream of representing Scotland,\" he said. \"Wearing the thistle has been the greatest honour and responsibility of my life outside of raising my children.\" After breaking through in club rugby at Boroughmuir, Strokosch turned professional with Edinburgh in 2004 and moved on to Gloucester three years later. He has been playing in France since 2012. His Test career started with a substitute's appearance an autumn series defeat by Australia. Strokosch featured in eight consecutive Six Nations campaigns up until this year's tournament and his two international tries came against Canada and Italy. \"I treasure every memory from my time with the squad,\" he added. \"I believe that the group we have now are among the most talented that I've seen have the potential to achieve great things for Scottish rugby. \"I would have never achieved anything without the support over the years, particularly from Bob Easson, Carl Hogg, Dean Ryan, Shaun Longstaff, my parents and my wife Kirsty.\" And Scotland head coach Vern Cotter, said: \"On behalf of the Scotland squad and management I'd like to thank Alasdair for his commitment to the Scotland jersey over the past nine years. \"For almost a decade he has quietly gone about his business with exceptional professionalism, with a lot of the hard work put in - often in the less glamorous and combative areas of the park - going unseen. \"We wish him all the very best in the remaining days with Perpignan where I know he's committed to doing everything he can to ensure their return to the Top 14 before finally hanging up his boots.\"", "summary": "Back-row forward Alasdair Strokosch has retired from international rugby after 47 Test appearances for Scotland."}
{"article": "There had been suggestions that the former Liverpool boss might opt for a man who has working knowledge of the Scottish game or even the club itself but he's gone for a man he knows and trusts. Davies, 31, may now be one of the youngest coaches in Scottish football but he's actually spent more time in the dugout than on the pitch. The defensive midfielder showed promise and captained the Reading youth team - a team managed at that time by Rodgers. He also represented Wales at youth level before he was forced to retire aged just 19 due to injury. His coaching journey to the east end of Glasgow involved time in New Zealand, Swansea, Liverpool and most recently, Reading. He describes himself as a strategist and someone who likes to work with young players and spoke at length about his new role. \"Straight away you notice the size of Celtic from the outside but Brendan's unveiling was just sensational. It's a great feeling to be up here now and experience a bit more of Glasgow. This is such an exciting challenge for all of us. We've got a real focus now that we have to bring success consistently and we're looking forward to building that.\" \"I've obviously worked with Brendan for a long time and I think we as a staff bring a lot of experience. Me personally, I've got a big interest in the tactical side of the game and enjoy looking at strategy but I also like to work with players and trying to improve them as individuals.\" \"He's excellent. All the big players that Brendan's worked with rate him very highly. I saw what Luis Suarez said about him recently and that's just testament to how players feel. He's got really human qualities that players warm to. He's really open and likes to be very close to his players and I think they feed off that as people. On the football side his knowledge and attention to detail is second to none - on all aspects of the game.\" \"Yeah, that's started. I think the one thing we've done already is analyse the past. We've looked at where we think the team is at. We've looked at all the goals scored and goals conceded last season. It's not until we get everyone back that'll we'll get a proper feel for the players and how we want to shape it moving forward.\" \"With all due respect to the previous management team, it maybe wouldn't be right to go into detail. We've just looked at areas of the team where we think we could potentially improve or areas that are strong. We've been looking at it objectively without the emotion of how it's been.\" \"Well, when we nearly won the league with Liverpool, we played lots of different systems. The most important thing isn't the system itself but rather the style of play. Whether we play with one or two up front, the most important thing is assessing what's important to win games.\" \"It's something we'll look at", "summary": "The thousands of Celtic supporters who were on hand to hail the arrival of Brendan Rodgers were understandably absent when his assistant, Chris Davies, met the media."}
{"article": "The plant in Lincolnshire will burn straw grown within a 50-mile radius and release only the carbon dioxide that the wheat absorbed from the air. The six-week \"hot commissioning\" process for the Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant began this week. This involves firing the boiler and releasing high pressure steam, which cleans the newly-built plant system. The plant is currently burning gas oil, but straw is due to be added next week. David Fisher, director of projects at Eco2, which is constructing the plant, said: \"Today is a milestone. It's the first firing of the boiler. \"In terms of the construction process we are a little way ahead of the original project programme so it's all going very well so far.\" He said he was confident that the plant would go into production in January or February. As well as feeding electricity into the National Grid, the plant will provide free heat to public buildings in Sleaford town centre, including the swimming pool and the council offices. Ash produced by the plant will be recycled as crop fertiliser. The location was chosen because it is in a concentrated region of straw production, which will reduce transportation costs. Some people living nearby have opposed the power station, saying it will be an eyesore and lorries bringing straw will clog the roads. However, planning permission was granted in 2008.", "summary": "A straw-fired power station described as \"virtually carbon neutral\" has been fired for the first time."}
{"article": "Adrenaline will kick in, and that's a good thing - it helps you concentrate harder, move quicker and react faster. When you're feeling good out on court, it's as though you're not going to miss and the other guy is going to have to find something special. That's what the best players do; they make you play those extra balls. I like those moments, they help me focus better. I was behind against Milos Raonic in the Queen's Club final last month but once I got back into the match, I didn't feel like I was going to give him any mistakes. It was similar at the end of the first set on Monday against Nick Kyrgios. He played a couple of great points on the first two set points but then on the third one I managed to just nick it. I got enough balls back in play to get it done. When nothing's really going on in the match, like in the middle of the second set against Nick, it's much harder to concentrate than at 6-5, 0-30. You're aware of the importance of the points, so your mind is right there in the moment. It can be easy to rush or go for a shot that's not there when opportunities come and go so fast, and you need to make sure you can control your mind. Not everyone is able to do that, but the more you experience those situations, the more you're able to calm yourself. I've played Jo-Wilfried Tsonga a couple of times at Wimbledon and they both came down to a few points at key moments, so let's hope the adrenaline pulls me through again on Wednesday. Media playback is not supported on this device When I leave the All England Club in the evening I don't immediately switch off from tennis, I usually start thinking about the next match. I drive myself to and from the club and on the journey home my thoughts turned straight to playing Tsonga - the Kyrgios match just isn't relevant at that moment. When a tournament is finished I'll reflect on it as a whole and speak with my team. Right now, in the middle of the tournament, they'll say 'you did this well' or 'you did that well' or 'this could be better'. Then it's about concentrating on the next one and what we're going to do. There is a bit of domestic life on my off days, around coming in to practice. I went and put petrol in the car the other night because I needed to refill before the drive in. I stacked the dishwasher, that's kind of my job, and otherwise pretty much just help out with the family. I haven't taken the bins out for the last few days, but I do my bit! When I was younger it was much more difficult to stop myself getting carried away with how I was playing or who I was playing. When I hadn't won a Grand Slam it was like, 'This is my chance. I", "summary": "Big matches against the best players turn on fleeting chances, and if you want to win Wimbledon, you have to relish those moments."}
{"article": "The proceeds will be used to pay down debt and help revitalise its UK business. Homeplus is being bought by MBK Partners, a South Korean buyout firm set up a decade ago. It has partnered with a Canadian pension fund and Singapore's Temasek Holdings for the deal. Dave Lewis, chief executive of Tesco, said: \"This sale realises material value for shareholders and allows us to make significant progress on our strategic priority of protecting and strengthening our balance sheet.\" After tax and other costs the sale will produce \u00a33.35bn in cash for Tesco and is expected to be completed before the end of the year. Retail analyst Nick Bubb said the main aim was to reduce its debt mountain and avoid a rights issue. \"Interestingly, however, Tesco say that the disposal will also give it the financial flexibility to buy some UK store freeholds,\" he added. Bruno Monteyne, an analyst at Bernstein and a former senior Tesco supply chain executive, said the deal would allow the company to qualify for a top credit rating once more from the ratings firm Moody's in 2017-18. The Homeplus deal is the first major disposal since Tesco reported a record pre-tax loss of \u00a36.4bn for the year to February. That compared with annual pre-tax profit of \u00a32.26bn a year earlier. It was the biggest loss reported by a UK retailer and one of the largest in the country's corporate history. It's not quite money down the back of the sofa, but the chief executive of Tesco has been hunting for bits of the business he can sell ever since arriving at the beleaguered supermarket last year. He needed to get rid of assets to fend off speculation that the supermarket's debt - which was standing at over \u00a320bn - was becoming a problem. The South Korean sale goes some way to alleviating the business's balance sheet strain. Speculation was growing that without significant sell-offs Tesco might need to raise fresh capital from shareholders - never a happy prospect. Tesco's debt now stands at \u00a317bn, including pension liabilities, so Mr Lewis still has some way to go. Read Kamal's blog in full Tesco - the UK's biggest supermarket chain and the world's third largest retailer after Walmart and Carrefour - has faced challenges on several fronts in recent years. Hard discounters such as Aldi and Lidl have been eroding the market share of the big four supermarket chains, while Tesco has struggled with excess floor space in out-of-town superstores. Shoppers have moved away from doing one big weekly shop at such stores in favour of topping up more frequently from high street convenience stores. Writing down the value of Tesco's property portfolio accounted for about \u00a34.7bn of its record annual loss. In July 2014 Tesco appointed Mr Lewis as chief executive to replace Philip Clarke and he started in October. Before he took over, the retailer said in September that it had mis-stated profits by \u00a3250m - a figure that was raised to \u00a3263m a month later. After an initial rise, shares in Tesco were down 0.4%", "summary": "Tesco has sold Homeplus, its South Korean business, for \u00a34.2bn as the troubled supermarket chain seeks to shore up its balance sheet."}
{"article": "New manager Gary Mills will hope to succeed where Brian Little, Dean Saunders, Andy Morrell and Kevin Wilkin have failed by guiding the club back into the Football League. Wrexham are about to embark on their eighth season in non-league but with Mills' pedigree at this level, Dragons fans hope it will be their last. Defeat to North Ferriby United in the FA Trophy final sealed the fate of Kevin Wilkin, sacked for his side's failure to mount a serious promotion challenge rather than the Wembley defeat. The Dragons finished the season strongly under caretaker boss Carl Darlington but he opted against the role full-time and Wrexham appointed the experienced Gary Mills. Mills wasted no time in making changes to the squad with experienced heads and Racecourse favourites such as captain Dean Keates and Neil Ashton among those released at the end of last season. The former Gateshead manager, assisted by former Tottenham player Darren Caskey, has signed 10 players and a further two on loan during the close season. Despite the wholesale changes, the former Nottingham Forest man has been pleased by the new-look squad's progress during pre-season. Last season's top-scorer Louis Moult has left for Motherwell and the pressure will be on replacement James Gray to score the goals. The presence of centre half Manny Smith - so impressive in his first season at the club - is also a major boost. Many Wrexham supporters were unhappy with the manner of midfielder Lee Fowler's departure to big-spending Fleetwood Town in 2012. But the 32-year-old Welshman has returned to the Racecourse on a one-year contract and Mills has shown his faith in the former Coventry City and Wales Under-21 player by making him captain. Fowler has a big void to fill following the departure of former skipper and midfield general Keates. Title - 10/1 Relegation - 40/1 Manager sacking - not available Odds supplied by BetVictor Media playback is not supported on this device Mills knows how to get teams promoted - he guided York City to a play-off final win in 2012 - and the former European Cup winner brings a no-nonsense approach to the job. It will be interesting to see how the new-look squad takes shape during the opening weeks of the campaign but Wrexham should be among the front-runners. National League: 4th FA Cup: Second round. Gary Mills: \"I'm always going to feel the expectation but it doesn't affect how I work. I love expectation because it keeps you on your toes. I don't want to be at a club with no expectation - that's easy, we can all do that.\" \"All I can promise is that I give everything that I've got. Promotion of course is the goal. Do I want to win the league? Yes of course I do - If I don't then I want to finish in the top five, get to Wembley and win it. \"No matter how we get out of this league we've got to get out.\" Former Wrexham midfielder and BBC Wales pundit Mickey Thomas: \"Gary Mills plays a", "summary": "The sense of optimism at Wrexham ahead of the new National League season is reflected by the increase in season ticket sales at the north Wales club."}
{"article": "The message, \"Curry my yougrt (sic), oil my AK-47\", was spray-painted on a wall outside DUP councillor George Duddy's house. Part of the graffiti refers to comments made in the Northern Ireland Assembly when DUP MP Gregory Campbell said: \"Curry my yoghurt can coca coalyer.\" Mr Duddy said: \"This is a personal attack on me and my family.\" \"There have been almost 30 incidents like this in the Coleraine area in the past year,\" he told BBC Radio Foyle. \"They come like thieves in the night and do what they do. They aren't man enough to come and make comments to my face.\" He added: \"There is only so much security around your home you can take. I will not be moving from my home. \"We have met with the PSNI recently but they haven't been making progress in catching anyone due to lack of evidence. \"People should come forward and report what they know. \"I have made it quite clear before that if people have an issue with me they should come and speak to me.\" Last month, Mr Campbell, who is MP for East Londonderry, began an address to the assembly with: \"Curry my yoghurt can coca coalyer\" in imitation of the Irish sentence \"go raibh maith agat, Ceann Comhairle\" which translates as \"thank you, Speaker\". Northern Ireland First Minister and DUP leader Peter Robinson has condemned the attack. \"The repeated attacks on Councillor Duddy's house represent a campaign of hatred and intimidation against a public representative,\" he added. SDLP MLA John Dallat said on Monday: \"Councillor Duddy should be allowed to represent in the area without these attacks. \"The people doing this need caught.\"", "summary": "The police have said graffiti sprayed on the home of the mayor of Coleraine is being treated as a hate crime."}
{"article": "Aidy Boothroyd's side fell behind to a Martin Chrien header in the first half. Alfie Mawson scrambled in an equaliser before a powerful Nathan Redmond strike gave England victory. The Three Lions are top of Group A on four points and will guarantee a place in the last four by beating hosts Poland in Thursday's final group game. Only the winners of each of the three groups go through to the semi-finals, along with the best runner-up. A 90th-minute Poland equaliser against Sweden in the other group game on Monday simplified the situation for England. If Sweden had held on for victory they would be level on points and goal difference ahead of Thursday's decisive fixtures. Relive England's win against Slovakia England reached the European Under-21 Championship final in 2009 but their record since has been hugely disappointing. They failed to get out of the group stage in 2011 and 2013 and looked in real danger of another early exit after a drab first 45 minutes against Slovakia in Kielce. After managing just one shot on target in the 0-0 draw with Sweden in their group opener, England again looked lightweight in attack. They were ponderous in possession and lacked invention. Their chances of scoring appeared even more unlikely when Slovakia closed ranks after going ahead, Chrien's header looping over Everton's \u00a330m goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. But a half-time alteration brought with it a change of fortunes. Norwich forward Jacob Murphy replaced Mason Holgate at right-back and within five minutes he produced the cross that led to Mawson's equaliser. The goal resulted in Slovakia - looking for a win that would move them onto six points and in command of the group - abandoning their cautious approach in search of a winner and that played into England's hands. A failed Slovakia attack led to England breaking three against two, and Redmond did well to cut inside his marker before driving an effort into the far corner with the help of a deflection. It was a far from convincing England performance but nevertheless a satisfying result in an intimidating atmosphere. England now have their destiny in their own hands - beat Poland on Thursday and they are into the last four. However, it could have become very complicated if Sweden had held on to their 2-1 lead in the closing stages of the game against Poland. If they had taken the three points in that game and both England and Sweden won their final group fixtures by the same scoreline they would both have been level on points, goal difference and goals scored. That meant it would have been down to disciplinary points and, finally, coefficient ranking to determine the group winner. As it was, Dawid Kownacki coolly converted an injury-time penalty to earn Poland a draw and keep the host nation's hopes of a place in the last four alive. They must beat England on Thursday to have a chance of progressing. BBC Radio 5 live's chief football correspondent Ian Dennis: I thought it looked bleak for England at half-time but to their", "summary": "England are one win away from a place in the European Under-21 Championship semi-finals after coming from behind to beat Slovakia on Monday."}
{"article": "Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (Hial) runs sites in the Highlands, Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland, Argyll and Dundee Airport. Inverness was the company's busiest site with 657,661 passengers - 6% more than the previous year. Sumburgh had an 8% increase in passenger numbers and Barra 14%. However, Dundee's passenger numbers were down 17%. Barra's runway is a strip of beach, which Hial said added to the appeal for tourists visiting the island. Hial said because it was a publicly-funded company, it had historically operated at a commercial loss in order to sustain its lifeline services. In 2014-15, the group recorded an operating loss of \u00a3442,000 compared to \u00a33.8m on the previous year. It said the improved performance was due to Scottish government subsidies returning to normal levels of \u00a320.1m in 2014-15 from \u00a314.9m in 2013-14.", "summary": "The operator of Scotland's 11 regional airports handled more than 1.4 million passengers in the 12 months to March 2015, according to its annual report."}
{"article": "About 270 undergraduate students at the university's medical school are affected. The university said the clinical examination they sat earlier this year had now been declared \"void\". It emerged that a handful of students had shared information about the exam using social media. The students responsible are now facing a disciplinary and fitness to practise process and the fresh exam has been timetabled for early May. In a statement, a university spokesman said: \"After consultation with the senate of the University of Glasgow the affected examination has been declared void and a new clinical examination will be set for all final year students. \"This decision has been made in an abundance of caution to ensure that the skills of our students are rigorously and fairly tested before they graduate in medicine.\" The new exam will take place at the beginning of May, with any resits resulting from that paper to be taken later the same month.", "summary": "Final-year medical students at Glasgow University will have to resit an exam after evidence of \"collusion\" was uncovered."}
{"article": "These are some of the scenarios being mooted by an increasingly excited blockchain community. The technology that underpins the cryptocurrency Bitcoin is nothing new - it's been around for decades. It's just an encrypted database that's distributed across a computer network. But what makes it different is it can only be updated when everyone on that network agrees, and once entered the information can't be overwritten, making it extremely secure and reliable. And trust, as we know, underpins most business transactions. \"Blockchain, for perhaps the first time, presents a legitimate threat to the status quo,\" says Terry Roche, head of financial technology research at financial advisory firm, Tabb Group. The tech has spawned a new generation of start-ups looking to find new, related applications, from peer-to-peer lending to smart contracts. For example, OpenBazaar is a way people can sell anything to anyone, anywhere in the world using bitcoins. Unlike with eBay or Amazon, users don't visit a website but download a programme that directly connects them with other potential buyers and sellers. \"Our goal is to unbundle the incumbent marketplaces around the world by offering a more private, secure and flexible option that isn't controlled by any one corporate interest, but rather, by the users themselves,\" developer Brian Hoffman tells the BBC. According to OpenBazaar, cutting out the middleman means there are no fees, no restrictions, no accounts to create, and you only reveal the personal information you feel comfortable sharing. The software is now in its testing phase and has been downloaded nearly 20,000 times in the last three weeks. Other decentralised marketplace concepts include Syscoin, which is also a digital currency. Another major development exciting the industry are smart contracts, programmes that can automatically verify that contract terms have been met, and, once that has been done, authorise payment - all in real time without any need for middlemen. The results are then indelibly recorded in the blockchain database. Some believe - perhaps fancifully - that such contracts could remove the need for lawyers one day. Companies like San Francisco-based SmartContract and Hedgy are already building businesses based on the concept, which could have applications in the financial, property and commerce markets. By incorporating smart contracts with the \"internet of things\" (IoT) - smart devices hooked up to the internet - blockchain tech could have uses far beyond the financial sector, says Emmanuel Viale, a managing director of Accenture's Technology Labs. \"You could have a wearable fitness tracker that would send the number of calories or steps taken to the blockchain. The data is encrypted and my identity is anonymised. The same with home medical devices,\" he says. \"The Blockchain would create a link with health professionals - whether coaches, doctors or healthcare institutions - and the smart contract could trigger needed services - whether it's a fitness regime or treatment for a chronic disease.\" In another example, start-up Hellosent thinks smart contracts and IoT devices could be used to monitor deliveries of fine wines. Sensors would continuously measure the temperature and humidity of the wine in transit, then if", "summary": "Imagine a world where you can vote in an election with your phone, where you buy a house in a matter of hours, or where cash simply doesn't exist."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Last Saturday the club were forced to cancel the opening meeting at their new \u00a38m home because of the track state. Manchester's Lord Mayor opened the venue on Saturday but the sell-out 5,000 crowd went home disappointed. The Aces lost to Poole Pirates in the play-off final last season. \"The contractors who built the track and built the stadium have had to do some remedial work on the track because of the problems we had,\" chief executive David Gordon told BBC Radio Manchester. \"Those works we anticipated would have been completed for the Good Friday meeting but unfortunately the track is still unsatisfactory. \"We didn't build the track, the contractor built the track. It appears that the problem was in the sub base of the track, not in the shale of the track. \"Speedway tracks are a very, very specialised surface and when they start to break up it makes it very dangerous for the riders.\"", "summary": "Belle Vue Aces have postponed their opening Elite League fixture of the season against Wolverhampton because of continuing track concerns at the National Speedway Stadium."}
{"article": "Americans Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien are in talks about taking a \"controlling interest\" in the club. Guidolin, 60, has led Swansea to Premier League safety since joining in January, but his contract expires at the end of the season. \"We spoke about the future. Nothing is decided,\" said Italian Guidolin. \"We spoke about the team, the players, many things, but not about the takeover. I don't know what [impact] it will have. \"I confirmed to him I would prefer to stay here if possible. Now I'm waiting for his decision, but I'm happy.\" Swansea reached the 40-point mark synonymous with Premier League survival by beating Chelsea 1-0 on Saturday, although the prospect of American investment has since dominated the agenda at the Liberty Stadium. Jenkins and vice-chairman Leigh Dineen will stay on at Swansea in an executive capacity if the takeover goes through. Jenkins has said a deal would not affect Swansea's managerial plans. Garry Monk was sacked as head coach in December and, after Alan Curtis' temporary spell in charge, Guidolin was appointed. The former Udinese manager said: \"This is not my job. It is difficult for me to say something about this situation. \"This is an important club for me. I like the kindness of the people, the Premier League; my wife and family is happy. \"But I don't know if my future is here or another part of the world. I don't know anything about the agreements.\"", "summary": "Swansea boss Francesco Guidolin has discussed his future with chairman Huw Jenkins, but does not know if the potential takeover will affect his job."}
{"article": "Stoke-on-Trent City Council said raising council tax by 3% would pay for extra social care and launched a consultation on its budget proposals. The council, led by a coalition of City Independents and Conservatives, also said 202 jobs could go to save \u00a361m. Labour councillors criticised the budget as \"attacking the most vulnerable\". More on this and other stories from Stoke and Staffordshire The authority last increased council tax rates in 2012. The 3% rise means council tax for a Band D property would increase from \u00a31,183.46 in 2016-17 to \u00a31,218.96 in 2017-18. The plans could see six children's centres moved into other council buildings or schools, which the council says would save \u00a33m. Other proposals include a \u00a31.5m refurbishment of Hanley market and building a \u00a39.5m multi-storey car park near Stoke railway station and Staffordshire University. It also says raising rates will help to pay for 230 carers to help look after older people, while more than 100 of the planned redundancies will be from the Co-Operative Working scheme set up in February to help vulnerable people. Council leader David Conway said the council was not closing children's centres and that said raising tax rates was \"the right thing to do\". \"We have to save \u00a361m over the next three years - we have to do it, we have to manage the business,\" he said. Mohammed Pervez, leader of the Labour opposition and former leader of the authority, said the budget would reward more affluent parts of the city instead of helping its poorest residents.", "summary": "More than 200 jobs could be lost and council tax could rise under budget plans."}
{"article": "However, Thursday's incident in which more than 700 people died, took place near to the bridge as crowds thronged to carry out one of the chief rituals of the pilgrimage. The annual Hajj sees about two million pilgrims moving around a small area of land, making several visits to the Grand Mosque at Mecca and to nearby Mina. On the first day of Hajj, travellers head for Mina and spend a night there before leaving at sunrise on the 8 mile (13km) journey to Mount Arafat. At sunset, pilgrims travel to Muzdalifah where they gather stones and pray until sunrise before journeying back to Mina. In Mina, they throw seven stones at the largest of the three Jamarat pillars, which stand at the place where Satan is believed to have tempted the Prophet Abraham. After this they travel to the Grand Mosque in Mecca, then return to Mina cast more stones and make their way back to Mecca. The Jamarat pillars have been the scene of several previous fatal crushes when crowds flocked onto the bridge where they are situated. The tragedies have led to the site being completely redesigned. A decade ago, the pillars were exactly that - obelisks sitting in circular surrounds. But after 251 people were killed in a stampede in February 2004, the pillars were remodelled as walls, making them easier for the crowd to flow around. The new wall-shaped pillars and their oval-shaped basins allowed people to get on and off the bridge more swiftly. However this did not prevent a further disaster in 2006 when an accident at one entry ramp to the bridge caused a crush in which 345 people died. In the following years, the Saudi authorities spent $1.1bn completely overhauling the site, turning it into a multi-level complex with 11 entrances and 12 exits, pedestrian tunnels, escalators and emergency escape routes. The bridge was widened to 80 metres and it is designed to handle 300,000 pilgrims an hour along its 950-metre length. The upper layer has a canopy to protect visitors from the strong sunlight and the building's air conditioning is backed by water sprinklers that can reduce the temperature to about 29C. Pilgrims are given schedules to visit the Jamarat bridge, but with two million crowded into Mina's tent city, crush and panic are constant dangers. Thursday's fatal incident took place on streets which lead to the bridge, as two massive lines of pilgrims converged on each other at right angles. Criticism is growing of Saudi Arabia's handling of the situation, with Iran accusing the Saudi government of \"incompetence\" and urging it to \"take responsibility\" for the deaths. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who chairs the Hajj committee, has begun an immediate inquiry into the tragedy, and has promised fast results.", "summary": "The Hajj has a history of deadly crushes but had been largely problem-free since Saudi Arabia overhauled the key Jamarat bridge site almost a decade ago."}
{"article": "Becky, 16, was killed by her step-brother during a sexually-motivated kidnapping at her home in Bristol on 19 February last year. Her aunt, Sarah Broom, said relatives plan to mark Becky's \"big birthday\" - her 18th - in June with a party. They also hope to start a charity to help those whose relatives go missing. Nathan Matthews was jailed for life for Becky's murder, to serve a minimum of 33 years , while his girlfriend Shauna Hoare was given a 17-year sentence for manslaughter. Ms Broom said the family had struggled to \"return to normality\" after her killers were jailed. \"It was really strange finishing the trial, you kind of miss it because that has been your fight and then when it's done, you're kind of lost,\" she said. \"Where do you channel all that now? We've tried to put it into events, fundraising and just trying to build happy memories as well. \"We threw her a party for her 17th birthday. We went to her grave and sang Happy Birthday.\" Becky's uncle Sam Galsworthy said: \"It's destroyed us all but it's also brought us closer together. We're closer than we've ever been I think.\" The couple said community support during Becky's disappearance had been \"amazing\", and said she \"couldn't have had the funeral or headstone\" without it. Becky was reported missing on 19 February 2015 and her remains were found in suitcases in a shed, in Barton Hill, nearly two weeks later on 3 March. Ms Broom spoke about the \"desperation\" they felt during the search for their niece, and said the family was aiming to set up a charity in Becky's name to help others whose loved ones go missing. \"We found the expense of just poster printing and arranging our own searches, we're just an ordinary family and we didn't have the resources. \"Our aim is to make it easier for another family,\" she said.", "summary": "The family of murdered teenager Becky Watts has vowed to mark the \"sad milestones\" of her life with \"happy memories\" a year after her death."}
{"article": "Belfast Magistrates' Court heard Catherine Strong subjected the elderly victim to a drunken attack as she lay in bed at their home in the city. Strong, 49, of Argyle Street, Belfast, pleaded guilty to common assault on her mother. She also admitted five assaults on police officers and police representatives. When challenged by care workers who called at the house she was said to have become abusive and repeatedly shouted that her mother was dying. Ordering full reports before she passes sentence, District Judge Fiona Bagnall said: \"If those care workers had not come in goodness knows what might have happened.\" A prosecution lawyer told how one of those who called at the home on 10 January had looked into the area where the victim's bed is located. She saw the pensioner - believed to be in her late 70s - lying on her back with her feet hanging off the edge of the bed onto the floor. \"The defendant was standing over her mother holding a pillow in one hand,\" the prosecutor said. \"She was repeatedly striking her mother on the face and upper chest with the pillow.\" The assault was said to involve pressing the pillow down on the victim's face for up to a second at a time, before lifting it up for the same period of time and then repeating the action. In total the incident witnessed lasted for less than 30 seconds, the court heard. It was stressed that the care worker believed Strong was beating her mother, but was not trying to suffocate her. Strong, who was described as pleasant when sober but abusive when drunk, had been in an emotional state in the previous weeks. She had repeatedly stated that her mother was dying, Judge Bagnall was told. During the commotion at the house she also claimed she had been trying to put a pillow behind her mother's back. She has cared for her mother since she had a stroke 12 years ago. On the day of the incident Strong had drank a litre and a half of cider, but claimed to be more tired than drunk. Strong also insisted she had a good relationship with her mother involving the pair joking and messing around, the court heard. After hearing the details Judge Bagnall stressed the seriousness of the offence against a \"vulnerable, elderly lady in care, a member of the family\". Pointing out that immediate custody could be imposed, she warned: \"Be under no illusion, I'm taking this as having a fairly sinister set of facts.\"", "summary": "A woman who repeatedly pressed a pillow on her stroke-victim mother's face has been warned she could be jailed."}
{"article": "Communities Minister Lesley Griffiths said planning would start two months before an inmate was due for release. Shelter Cymru welcomed the introduction of measures to prevent homelessness. Campaigners have voiced frustration that prison leavers are still being housed in B&Bs a year after a woman was killed by a homeless ex-offender. A review is taking place into the mental health support given to Matthew Williams, 34. He died following his arrest for attacking Cerys Yemm, 22, at the Sirhowy Arms Hotel in Argoed, Caerphilly county, in November 2014. Ms Griffiths said the national pathway was the first of its kind in the UK and was set up following the Housing (Wales) Act, which gives local authorities a duty to prevent homelessness. It clarifies and co-ordinates the roles and responsibilities of all authorities involved with people leaving custody. \"Wales has been recognised for the forward-thinking approach we have taken to preventing homelessness,\" said Ms Griffiths. \"The National Pathway puts us ahead of the rest of the UK in terms of our efforts to prevent prison leavers from becoming homeless or ending up in B&Bs. \"The Pathway is already being used by some organisations, with very positive results.\" Jennie Bibbings, campaigns manager for Shelter Cymru, said the introduction of homeless prevention services into prisons was a step in the right direction. But she said ministers had a \"huge task\" on their hands co-ordinating the work of all the agencies involved. \"Some prison leavers still aren't getting their homelessness dealt with in a timely way,\" she said. \"We're concerned that they no longer have priority for accommodation from local authorities - they have to prove they are vulnerable,\" she added.", "summary": "Prisoners at risk of becoming homeless on leaving jail are to be given more support to find a secure home, amid concern about their rehabilitation."}
{"article": "The suspect, 28, handed himself in at an east London Police station on Friday, the Met said. He arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and was bailed until mid-August. Images of three men still wanted over Tuesday's attack were released by the force. Bottles and other objects were thrown at the coach as it got stuck in traffic en route to the stadium. The disorder left four policemen injured and West Ham said it would ban for life any fan found responsible. Two men, aged 18 and 47, who were arrested for pitch incursion have been bailed to return on a date in late May. A 20-year-old man who was arrested for throwing bottles at police officers has been bailed to return on a date in August.", "summary": "A man has been arrested in connection with an attack on Manchester United's team bus outside West Ham's Boleyn Ground."}
{"article": "The 81-year-old driver of a Fiesta suffered multiple injuries in the crash on the A4064 between Llangeinor and Brynmenyn on Saturday at 15:05 BST. He is being treated at Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales. His 75-year-old passenger also needed hospital treatment for head injuries. The Vauxhall Astra driver was taken to Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend. He has been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Police are appealing for witnesses.", "summary": "A 24-year-old driver has been arrested after a crash which left two other men hurt, one seriously, in Bridgend."}
{"article": "Jetstar and Virgin cancelled all their flights between Australia and Bali's Denpasar airport, hitting the school holiday season. It is the second day of flight disruptions due to continued eruptions from Mount Raung. Some of those affected by the Bali closure have been speaking to the BBC about their situation: Erika Fitzgerald, who was on holiday in Bali, said she was due to start a new job near Sydney on Monday but will not make it back in time. \"My main concern at the moment is getting back for that,\" she said. Instead of flying direct, she is now trying to get on a flight to Singapore on Saturday then three connecting flight back to Sydney. \"If we hadn't taken the four flight option we wouldn't have been able to get back till Sunday 19 [July],\" she said. Janan Jedrzejewski said she had booked a Bali villa with a private pool as part of a post-breakup retreat. \"I wanted to go get my nails done and get mud baths and go back looking fabulous,\" she said. But when she arrived at the airport on Thursday night Jetstar staff told her the flight had been cancelled. \"I used to work for the airlines so take in my stride, [it's] better safe than sorry, but I'm trying to cancel my villa,\" Ms Jedrzejewski told the BBC. Jake Powell said he managed to get back to Australia but his parents are stuck in Bali for another 10 days and may not be able to make a claim for the delay through their travel insurance. \"[Mum] was supposed to fly back tonight to Sydney and catch a connecting flight to Newcastle so I could pick her and Dad up tomorrow at 1pm,\" Jake told the BBC. Wendy Robertson, 78, was hoping to return from Bali feeling relaxed, but has instead been stuck with little information about when she and her eight-year-old grand-daughter, Ashley, will get home. \"I have run out of my medications for blood pressure and diabetes,\" she told Fairfax. \"I have to take them every day, I only brought a supply for six days. \"I am in a hiatus. There is no information. All I got was a recorded message. I was told I can arrange to confirm my booking online but I am 78-years-old. I [can't] access online.\" How long will this go on? Forecasters say the situation is somewhat unpredictable as it is a matter of waiting for Mount Raung to stop erupting. \"This volcano has been erupting for about a week and it's been streaming ash constantly,\" Chris Davies from Darwin's Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre told the BBC. \"It's not an explosive eruption, just a constant stream and because the summit is so high it doesn't take much ash to interfere with flights. \"The most dangerous aspect for aviation is that modern jet engines pull in so much air and the ash concentrates in engines and turns into a kind of molten glass. \"The ash melts, coats inside of the engine and affects fuel flow, so in the worst case scenario", "summary": "Travellers to and from Australia have been left stranded or unable to go on holiday after an erupting volcano forced Indonesia to close five airports on Friday."}
{"article": "It was dropped this year after being sited next to the town's Loreburn Hall for a number of editions. It was said at the time the festival had \"outgrown\" the venue and needed to look at other options. However, it is now planned to bring it back to the Whitesands car park for the 2018 event from 18 to 28 January. They also plan to introduce two new \"strands\" to the event - a comedy festival and a fringe festival. Tickets for a number of events have already gone on sale with more line-up announcements expected in the coming months. The comedy festival will take place at the Easterbrook Hall with the fringe festival at smaller venues around the town. Graham Main, executive producer of the town's Electric Theatre Workshop which runs Big Burns Supper Festival, said the audience had made it \"very clear\" they wanted the Spiegeltent back. It will be surrounded by a brand new festival village with additional bars and fringe performance spaces, themed around a \"Winter Garden\" concept.", "summary": "Organisers of the Big Burns Supper say they have \"listened to their audience\" by bringing back the Spiegeltent venue to the Dumfries festival next year."}
{"article": "Shauna Hoare told Bristol Crown Court her relationship with Nathan Matthews was \"not happy\" in February, when the 16-year-old died. Ms Hoare also told the jury she was angry after hearing her boyfriend had confessed to killing his stepsister. Becky's dismembered body was found in a shed in Bristol in March. Mr Matthews, 28, has admitted killing and dismembering Becky, but denies murder and conspiracy to kidnap. Ms Hoare, 21, was asked by her barrister Andrew Langdon QC whether she was in a \"happy relationship\" with Mr Matthews in February this year. \"No, it still wasn't happy. Again it was better than it had been before, but he was still controlling, he was still quite angry at me most of the time, so it wasn't good,\" she replied. \"Normally he would call me fat a lot of the time or make mean jokes about about my weight.\" Ms Hoare told the jury she was \"angry\" at Mr Matthews after hearing of his \"confession\" following their arrests because \"he had lied the whole time\". She said she was also angry at \"the pain it would have caused his mum and anyone else, and not understanding his reasons for doing any of it\". The court also heard from James Ireland, 23, who denies assisting an offender, who said he had never seen Mr Matthews until 23 February when he gave him a lift. Mr Ireland told the court he used a work van to help Mr Matthews and his own work colleague Karl Demetrius to move boxes and bags from Mr Matthews' home in Cotton Mill Lane. He said he helped the pair to load the van and then helped them unload the items into a shed at the Barton Court home of 29-year-old Mr Demetrius - who has admitted assisting an offender. Sean Hammond, defending, asked: \"If you had any idea that the bags were to do with the disappearance of Becky Watts, would you have had anything to do with them?\" Mr Ireland replied: \"No.\" Mr Hammond said: \"You now know you were involved in moving packages containing the body parts of Becky Watts - how does that make you feel?\" Mr Ireland replied he was \"upset, shocked and distraught and disgusted\", and said it had \"ruined\" his life. Mr Matthews, of Hazelbury Drive in Warmley, South Gloucestershire, admits perverting the course of justice, preventing lawful burial and possessing a prohibited weapon. Ms Hoare, of Cotton Mill Lane in Bristol, denies murder and conspiracy to kidnap, a weapons charge, perverting the course of justice and preventing a burial. Another man, Donovan Demetrius, 29, denies assisting an offender. The trial continues.", "summary": "The woman accused of murdering Becky Watts has said her co-accused boyfriend was \"controlling and angry\" in the weeks before the teenager was killed."}
{"article": "Tomasz Nowak, 33, of Kirkcaldy, was involved in a collision with a van on the Perth to Blairgowrie Road at about 16:00 on Sunday. The crash happened at Old Scone, near Perth Racecourse. Police have appealed for witnesses. Police Scotland said a report had been submitted to the procurator fiscal.", "summary": "A motorcyclist killed in a crash on the A93 has been named by police."}
{"article": "The 'scrambler' fell from Bristley Ridge, between Tryfan and Glyder Fach at about 15:00 GMT on Saturday. Two climbers tried to rescue the man but could only secure him to the rock face, Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue told BBC Wales. He was airlifted to Ysbyty Gwynedd where he was pronounced dead.", "summary": "A man has died after falling a \"considerable distance\" from a Snowdonia mountain."}
{"article": "Joel Richards, 20, was left at Birmingham's City Hospital on Sunday where he died from his injuries. A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder at a service station on the M40 on Monday evening. West Midlands Police also stopped a car on the motorway near Oxford and arrested three men and a woman on suspicion of assisting an offender. Supt Tom Chisholm said: \"This continues to be a fast paced inquiry and we have made five arrests over the bank holiday weekend. \"However, our work is not done and we continue to investigate the circumstances that led to this young man's death. \"We will still continue to liaise with Joel's family and our thoughts remain with them as they continue to come to terms with their loss.\"", "summary": "Five people have been arrested after a man left at a hospital died of stab wounds."}
{"article": "The alleged offences took place in the town between 2004 and 2011 and involved girls aged between 11 and 17. Twenty-seven men appeared before magistrates accused of offences against 18 people, including rape and trafficking. Two women are charged with child neglect. In all the 29 defendants face a total of more than 170 charges. Protestors shouted abuse as the defendants arrived at the town's court. Live updates and more stories from Yorkshire One defendant, Amere Singh Dhaliwal, 34, is charged with 54 separate counts, including 21 counts of rape. Other charges faced by the accused include trafficking with intent to engage in sexual exploitation, sexual activity and supply of drugs. Most of the defendants came from Huddersfield, but others came from Bradford, Dewsbury, Dudley, Manchester and Sheffield. They appeared in groups before district Judge Michael Fanning during a lengthy court sitting and are next due to appear at Leeds Crown Court on 11 May. The defendants: Amere Singh Dhaliwal, 34, of Holly Road, Huddersfield is charged with 54 offences. He is charged with 21 counts of rape, 14 counts of trafficking, as well as inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault, sexual touching, possession of indecent images of a child, racially aggravated assault and inciting a child into prostitution. Raj Singh Barsran, 33, of Caldercliffe Road, Huddersfield is charged with sexual touching and rape. Abdul Rehman, 29, of Darnley Drive, Sheffield is charged with rape, trafficking, supplying drugs, supply of a controlled substance with intent to engage in sexual activity and sexual touching. Nasarat Hussain, 28, of Upper Mount Street, Huddersfield is charged with three counts of rape, attempted rape and inciting a female to engage in sexual activity. Irfan Ahmed, 32, of Yews Hill Road, Huddersfield is charged with six counts of trafficking, sexual assault, making indecent images of a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. Zubair Ahmed, 30, of Blackmoorfoot Road, Huddersfield is charged with rape and possession of extreme pornography. Mohammed Riswan Aslam, 29, of Huddersfield Road, Dewsbury is charged with two counts of rape. Mohammed Kammer, 32, of West View, Huddersfield is charged with two counts of rape. Mohammad Nahman, 31, of West View, Huddersfield is charged with trafficking, sexual assault, and two counts of rape. Hamzha Ali Saleem, 37, of Seymour Grove, Old Trafford, Greater Manchester is charged with three counts of trafficking. Zahid Hassan, 28, of Bland Street, Huddersfield is charged with eight counts of rape, five counts of trafficking, racially aggravated assault, supplying drugs, inciting a child into sexual activity, child abduction and attempted rape. Mohammad Azeem, 31, of Wrose Road, Bradford is charged with three counts of rape. Sajid Hussain, 32, of Grasmere Road, Huddersfield is charged with three counts of rape, facilitating the commission of sexual activity on a child and inciting a child into sexual activity. Mansoor Akhtar, 25, of Blackmoorfoot Road, Huddersfield is charged with rape, attempted rape and two counts of trafficking. Mohammed Asaf Akram, 31, of Springdale Street, Huddersfield is charged with seven counts of rape, three counts of trafficking, child", "summary": "Twenty-nine people have appeared in court as part of an inquiry into child sex abuse and neglect in Huddersfield."}
{"article": "\"Unprecedented pressure\" at Yeovil District Hospital means 80 operations have been cancelled in two weeks. A temporary ward with 24 extra beds was opened in February to cope with winter pressures - but that is also full. Deputy chief executive Jonathan Howes told the BBC: \"Every part of our capacity has been filled.\" The 345-bed hospital serves a population of about 185,000 - largely in south Somerset, North and West Dorset and parts of Mendip. It has already been on \"black alert\" - meaning there are not enough beds to cope with numbers coming in to A&E - twice this winter, in January and February. Dr Howes said the pressure was partly explained by the area's ageing population, many of whom have \"multiple conditions\". There has also been \"respiratory conditions\" circulating in schools and workplaces. \"That, combined with pressures felt in other parts of the system so that we can't discharge people from hospital, has caused the acute crisis right now.\" \"We are always under pressure but the last fortnight has seen the busiest period in our history. \"This has been an on-going issue, we have had the highest number of attendances in our emergency department on record, up in the 170s - we normally see about 130. This has been sustained over the last fortnight. \" With the \"added pressure\" of the Easter weekend ahead, the hospital is urging people to \"think carefully\" before going to A&E - as a \"significant number\" of those who have been in casualty could have been treated elsewhere, at minor injuries units, GP walk-in centres or by calling 111.", "summary": "A Somerset hospital has declared its third \"black alert\" of the winter as doctors say they are dealing with the \"busiest fortnight in our history\"."}
{"article": "The Fox Valley shopping centre at Stocksbridge, north Sheffield, started construction more than two years ago. It has been built on the 28-acre former Outokumpu steelworks site. The development, which features a large mural by local artist Pete McKee, was opened by the actress Joanna Lumley. McKee has also collaborated on a large bronze statue called Granddad Fox at the site. Samuel Fox founded a wireworks in Stocksbridge in 1842 and the name has been adapted by the new centre. The artworks feature umbrellas as the site was a base for their manufacture. More than 100 houses are also being built on a neighbouring site. The site close to the A616 Stocksbridge bypass has been developed by Dransfield Properties Ltd, with a further phase to be opened in September.", "summary": "A \u00a350m shopping centre has opened on the site of a former steelworks creating up to 900 jobs, according to the developers."}
{"article": "Under the proposed scheme, personnel would no longer be able to sue the MoD for negligence. Compensation would instead be awarded by an MoD-appointed assessor. The MoD said the proposals, which are being consulted on until next week, would lead to \"better compensation\". But Colin Redpath, whose son was killed in Iraq, told the BBC the proposal was \"wrong\". In 2007, Lance Corporal Kirk Redpath, a keen drummer in the Irish guards, died when a roadside bomb exploded next to his lightly-armoured Snatch Land Rover in Iraq. He was one of some 37 servicemen and women killed in Snatch Land Rovers in Afghanistan and Iraq. After a five-year struggle, his father Colin won a Supreme Court ruling allowing him the right to sue the MoD. That claim he brought is only now close to a conclusion. He said: \"At the end of the day, they are an employer. \"The fire brigade, the police, the ambulance service, they all have to go out with equipment that works. And the right equipment. That should be the same for a soldier. \"If not, then what the MoD are saying is that we could send our boys and girls out with broomsticks. It wouldn't matter. There's no comeback.\" The MoD's proposals cover battle and the preparations for it, and include: There is already a concept of \"combat immunity\" which means decisions taken in \"the heat of battle\" cannot be second-guessed by the courts. Claims in negligence cannot be brought in relation to battlefield acts or omissions. The MoD is proposing to widen the concept of combat immunity to include all deaths and injuries in combat, including where the failings occurred far from the battlefield, for instance in failing to provide adequate equipment. Conservative MP and former army soldier Iain Duncan Smith said he supported the proposals after growing concerned about the use of courts to assess combat issues. He added: \"It doesn't seem to me like the courts are the right place to be. \"Issues surrounding combat are often very difficult to judge against a standard common law process. I think dragging things through the courts satisfies only lawyers.\" In July 2016, Sir John Chilcot's Iraq Inquiry Report identified numerous MoD failings in preparing for the Iraq War which were described as \"wholly inadequate\". They included being slow to respond to the threat from improvised explosive devices and delay in replacing the poorly-armoured Snatch Land Rovers. Chilcot identified a failing to have in place a system for identifying gaps in capability. Lawyers say that without the duty of care owed to service personnel there is a real danger that the lessons of Chilcot will not be learned. Some solicitors who have represented service personnel in actions against the MoD make the point that the duty of care owed to soldiers puts their safety at the centre of the defence agenda. The Law Society of England and Wales says that without it, MoD officials making decisions on equipment and procurement know that cases will not be heard by an independent judge. It argues that facts will not", "summary": "The father of a soldier killed in Iraq has criticised proposals by the Ministry of Defence to scrap the legal duty of care it owes to service personnel in the course of combat."}
{"article": "He said it was \"very clear\" his party accepted the referendum result. Some shadow cabinet members are reportedly considering voting against triggering the UK's EU exit negotiations. The Supreme Court will announce next Tuesday whether the government needs to seek Parliament's approval. Ministers say they already have enough powers under the Royal Prerogative to go ahead with Brexit. But campaigners argue that starting Brexit in this way would be undemocratic and unconstitutional. In June's referendum, 51.9% of voters backed leaving the EU, while 48.1% supported remaining in the 28-nation group. Mr Corbyn said: \"It's very clear the referendum made a decision that Britain is to leave the European Union. It was not to destroy jobs and living standards or communities, but it was to leave the European Union and have a different relationship in the future. \"I have made it very clear that the Labour Party accepts and respects the decision of the British people. We will not block Article 50.\" Asked if that meant he would be imposing a three-line whip - the strongest available sanction - on Labour MPs, requiring them to back Article 50, he said: \"It means that all Labour MPs will be asked to vote in that direction next week or whenever the vote comes up.\" The Guardian reports that four shadow cabinet ministers and several junior Labour spokespeople were considering defying Mr Corbyn and voting against Article 50 being invoked. The Supreme Court's decision on whether a vote needs to take place follows a government appeal against a High Court ruling last autumn that MPs and peers should have to vote give their approval. Following Mr Corbyn's comments, Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas said he was \"trying to deny Labour MPs the chance to make their own principled choice on one of the most important decisions of the UK's recent history\". And Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said Mr Corbyn was \"actively helping\" the government in its plans to leave the European single market, \"at a huge cost to jobs and prosperity\".", "summary": "Jeremy Corbyn says he will ask his MPs to vote for the Article 50 Brexit process to begin, if the government is forced to seek Parliament's approval."}
{"article": "Two separate trials of people accused of intending to supply nitrous oxide at music festivals were stopped after the courts heard the drug is exempt. This now raises questions as to whether the new law will need to be amended. The Psychoactive Substances Act was introduced last year to deal with the problem of new manufactured drugs. Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is taken by hundreds of thousands of people every year as a recreational drug. But the gas is also used by doctors for its pain-relieving properties. A subsection of the Psychoactive Substances Act exempts medical products defined as \"restoring, correcting or modifying a physiological function by exerting a pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action\". A man was tried at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday for intending to supply nitrous oxide at a music festival in Derbyshire. But prosecuting barrister Adrian Fleming told the court that the Crown's own expert witness, Professor Philip Cowen, \"is expressing the firm view that nitrous oxide, as the legislation is currently worded, is an exempt substance\". Meanwhile a judge at Taunton Crown Court, where two people were on trial for intending to supply nitrous oxide at Glastonbury Festival, came to the same conclusion. In that second case, Judge Paul Garlick said \"nitrous oxide is plainly capable of coming within the definition of an exempted substance\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 and in my view, on this evidence, it plainly is an exempted substance\". The two court cases have prompted a full review of the legislation by the Crown Prosecution Service. The Psychoactive Substances Act was designed to deal with a wave of new manufactured drugs, often called legal highs, by banning any substance which \"by stimulating or depressing the person's central nervous system... affects the person's mental functioning or emotional state\". The law specifically exempts alcohol, tobacco or nicotine-based products, caffeine, food and drink and medicinal products as defined in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. It is that last exemption that led the case to collapse. The drug charity, Release, has described the law as \"fundamentally flawed\". Its executive director, Niamh Eastwood, said: \"The CPS must urgently drop all prosecutions under the Psychoactive Substances Act and review cases where defendants have previously pleaded guilty.\" Mr Fleming told Southwark Crown Court that \"Professor Cowen has expressed the clear view that nitrous oxide falls within the definition because of its analgesic effects\". \"That may not have been the intention of those who framed the act, but the subsection clearly covers nitrous oxide.\" The judge, David Tomlinson, instructed the jury to find the defendant - who cannot be named for legal reasons - not guilty. Stressing that the hearing was not a \"test case\" and offered no precedent, Judge Tomlinson said the not guilty verdict could mean that either there was \"a very lucky defendant or a number of other defendants will have their convictions quashed\". It is understood about 50 people have pleaded guilty to supplying nitrous oxide under the legislation, but this is the first time a defendant has contested the charge. Some lawyers are suggesting other substances may also", "summary": "A law banning so-called legal highs in the UK is to be reviewed after the collapse of the first ever contested cases under the new legislation."}
{"article": "Apple shares climbed 6.5% after the tech giant's latest results beat expectations, despite seeing a dip in iPhone sales. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index climbed 29.76 points to 5139.81. The Dow Jones fell 1.58 points to 18472.17, while the broader S&P 500 slipped 2.6 to 2166.58. Investors were not expecting the Fed to alter interest rates, but markets were looking for clues as to the timing of any rate moves in the future. The Fed said household spending was \"growing strongly\" and the unemployment rate had decreased for the last two months, but inflation was still below its target rate. Coca-Cola was the big loser on the Dow, falling 3.3%. The company cut its sales forecast for the year and said it was taking steps to address declining demand for its soft drinks. Twitter shares plunged 14.5% after the company reported a $107m loss on Tuesday. Aerospace company Boeing saw its share price rise 0.8%. Despite reporting its first loss since 2009, the company beat revenue expectations.", "summary": "(Close): US stock markets were little moved after the Federal Reserve kept rates unchanged, but strong results from Apple helped lift the Nasdaq."}
{"article": "The post on his Twitter account on Sunday night provoked an angry reaction on social media and was later deleted. Mr Adams has said his use of the word was ironic and not intended to offend but admitted it was \"inappropriate\". He added that attempts to suggest that he is racist are \"without credibility\". The Sinn F\u00e9in leader's initial tweet appeared to compare the experience of a character in the film Django Unchained to the treatment of nationalists in Ballymurphy in west Belfast. Speaking at a press conference at Connolly House in Belfast, he said: \"I have acknowledged that the use of the N-word was inappropriate. That is why I deleted the tweet. \"I apologise for any offence caused.\" Ten people were killed in Ballymurphy during a series of shootings by paratroopers in 1971. Django Unchained is set before the American Civil War and focuses on racism, slavery, violence and murder. Mr Adams said he is opposed to racism. \"I stand over the context and main point of my tweet, which were the parallels between people in struggle,\" he said. \"Like African Americans, Irish nationalists were denied basic rights. \"If anyone is genuinely offended by my use of the N-word, they misunderstand or misrepresent the context in which it was used. \"For this reason I deleted the tweets. \"I have long been inspired by Harriet Tubman, Fredrick Douglass, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, who stood up for themselves and for justice.\" Belfast man and former republican prisoner Tim Brannigan, who is of mixed race and who knows Mr Adams, said he was \"shocked\" that he had used the term. \"Gerry and Sinn F\u00e9in won't need me to tell them just how toxic it is and the sort of reactions it gets,\" he said. \"I don't think that you can equate what was happening in Belfast in 1965 with slavery. \"I posted about [US President Barack] Obama's speech to the White House correspondents' dinner, and his opening line was: 'There are some jokes white people can't make.' \"I think Gerry has been caught out by that.\" Politicians from several rival parties have criticised Mr Adams' remarks on Twitter. The DUP's Nelson McCausland said that having \"compared himself to Rosa Parks only a few weeks ago Gerry Adams has now moved from the bizarre to the indefensible\". \"That he would delete the tweet, then claim that his use of it was \"ironic\" before being forced to say it was \"inappropriate\" demonstrates very clearly the mess the Sinn F\u00e9in president put himself in,\" he added. Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Mike Nesbitt said: \"I find it extraordinary that the leader of a political party can even think to utter the words that he did.\" He added: \"To try to liken the fight against slavery to what was happening in Northern Ireland in the 1960s is contemptible.\" SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the tweet demonstrated \"a staggering deficiency in judgment\". \"Using the language of slave owners is never appropriate,\" he said. \"If a similar remark had been made by any other political leader", "summary": "Sinn F\u00e9in president Gerry Adams has apologised for using the 'N-word' in a tweet comparing the plight of slaves in the United States to the treatment of Irish nationalists."}
{"article": "His father said he had been suffering from frontal lobe dementia, which had worsened in recent months. John Berry originally formed the Beastie Boys as a hardcore punk band with three friends in 1981 and came up with the name for the group. He played guitar on their first EP, Polly Wog Stew, but left before they achieved commercial success. Berry attended the Walden School in New York with fellow band member Mike Diamond, known as Mike D. The pair were later joined by Adam Yauch and Kate Schellenbach and released their debut EP in 1982. When Berry left the group, he was replaced by Adam Horovitz, known as Ad-Rock, and the band took a new direction as a rap group. Schellenback also left the group before the release of their 1986 album Licence To Ill, which debuted at number one in the US. The group became a huge commercial success, recording a total of eight studio albums over 25 years, which collectively sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. Four of them reached number one in the US, while their 1998 album Hello Nasty topped the album chart in the UK. Their best-known hits include (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!), Intergalactic, and Ch-Check It Out. Seven of their albums achieved platinum sales status and the band toured with Madonna in 1985. Beastie Boys remained a three-piece until Adam Yauch's death from cancer in 2012. In the same year, Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Billboard declared them the biggest selling rap group since the magazine began recording data in 1991. Horovitz read a speech written by Yauch at the ceremony, which mentioned Berry as a formative member of the band's early years. Frontal lobe dementia is a form of dementia that occurs when the frontal lobes of the brain begin to shrink. It is an uncommon form of dementia and is thought to affect about 16,000 people in the UK. Frontal lobe dementia is distinct from Alzheimer's disease and comes on earlier in life, usually between the ages of 45 and 65. Symptoms include problems with behaviour, language and thinking. The frontal lobes of the brain are involved in behaviour regulation. The disease can alter a person's character - they may become impulsive and lose their inhibitions or become less outgoing and socially isolated. Source: Alzheimer's Society and NHS Choices Mike D later confirmed that he and Ad-Rock would not continue with Beastie Boys, out of respect for Yauch. After he left the band, Berry went on to play guitar in several other bands - including Even Worse, Big Fat Love, Highway Stars and Bourbon Deluxe.", "summary": "John Berry, a founding member of rap group Beastie Boys has died at the age of 52."}
{"article": "The two girls were \"touched inappropriately\" during a visit to the attraction, in Windsor, Berkshire, last Thursday, police said. A 22-year-man, from Bracknell, has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and is currently in custody. Thames Valley Police previously described the offences as \"extremely rare\". Detectives have appealed for any witnesses to come forward. The assaults happened between 12:15 BST and 12:30 at Castaway Camp in the Pirate Shores area of the attraction, the force said. A Legoland spokesperson said the parks' management were \"deeply shocked\" by the incident.", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting two six-year-olds at the Legoland theme park."}
{"article": "Profits at the retail partnership, which also owns Waitrose supermarkets, were held back by greater investment and by matching prices of competitors. Profit before tax and bonuses was \u00c2\u00a3353.8m for the year to 28 January, down 3.8% from the previous year. The bonus pool for the firm's workers was \u00c2\u00a3165.2m or 14% of salary, down from 18% last year. The partnership is owned by its 77,217 staff, who receive a share of any profits at the end of the company's financial year. Despite what the firm called \"difficult economic conditions\", total sales at its John Lewis department stores grew 3% while those at its Waitrose supermarkets rose 8.6%. Like-for-like sales, excluding VAT and the effect of new store openings, rose by 3% at Waitrose, but fell at its department stores by 0.6%. The partnership said it had created 4,400 net new jobs in the year, with a further 1,900 expected this year. \"Profound changes are taking place in the retail sector and importantly this was a year when we upped the pace of innovation and investment,\" said chairman Charlie Mayfield. \"That came at the price of some short-term profit, but leaves us in a good place at the start of this year.\" The trust-owned partnership said it opened 29 new Waitrose stores last year, as well as a new John Lewis department store in Stratford, East London. The firm has been rolling out new store formats, including Waitrose convenience stores at petrol stations, and John Lewis \"at home\" stores, which specialise in homewear. Waitrose continued to expand its online operation with a new warehouse in Acton, West London, while online sales at John Lewis increased by 26.3%. However, the company was forced to spend \u00c2\u00a323.8m on its \"Never Knowingly Undersold\" promise due to price competition on the High Street.", "summary": "John Lewis has reported a fall in annual profits and cut its staff bonus for the first time in three years."}
{"article": "The university's students union is behind the scheme, which has been running across a number of its campuses. Research has suggested that interacting with dogs can help reduce stress and help improve concentration levels. Hundreds of UU students have spent time petting and playing with the dogs. On Wednesday, four dogs spent the afternoon at the students union at Jordanstown. The union's officer for student affairs, Hannah Rooney, said that students faced many pressures at exam time, and the dogs helped to reduce that. \"Students really enjoy the dogs, and it's good fun for the dogs themselves,\" she said. \"It a bit of distraction as it's something we don't get on campus every day, you don't have dogs all the time. \"So it's a way to relieve stress and get out of that mindset students are in with exams coming up. \"We've run this at our Magee and Coleraine campuses and the feedback from students has been great. \"They'd want a puppy room all the time if it was possible.\" The dogs were provided by volunteers from Northern Ireland Assistance Dogs. They train and provide medical alert dogs to adults with medical conditions, such as diabetes. Danielle O'Neill was one student who was revising for exams but called in to spend time with them. \"Being with the dogs just relaxes you and gives you five minutes to put your mind onto something else other than exams and studying,\" she said. \"It gives your hand a bit of a break from writing too!\" Other UK universities, including Bristol, Nottingham, Aberdeen and Central Lancashire have also offered similar schemes in recent years.", "summary": "Dogs have been bringing relaxation and calmness to students revising for sitting exams at Ulster University (UU)."}
{"article": "The move is the latest in a string of takeovers in Italy by cash-rich Chinese buyers. The takeover gives ChemChina access to technology to make premium tyres and gives Pirelli greater access to the Chinese market. Pirelli shares were 2.56% higher at \u20ac15.62 on Monday on the news. ChemChina's tyre making unit, China National Tire & Rubber, is to buy the 26.2% stake in Pirelli owned by Italian investment firm Camfin. It will then launch an offer for the remaining shares. Camfin said the bid would be launched by a consortium controlled by ChemChina but also part-owned by Camfin investors, who include Pirelli boss Marco Tronchetti Provera, Italian banks UniCredit and Intesa Sanpaolo, and Russia's Rosneft. The offer will be launched at \u20ac15 per share, valuing the group at \u20ac7.1bn excluding net debt of almost \u20ac1bn. Following reports of the deal on Friday, shares in Milan-listed Pirelli hit a 25-year high, closing at \u20ac15.23. Current Pirelli chief executive Tronchetti Provera, who started working for tyre maker in 1986 after marrying a member of the Italian family that founded the firm, will remain in his post. Previous Chinese acquisitions in Italy include stakes in power grid firms Terna and Snam, turbine maker Ansaldo and luxury yacht maker Ferretti.", "summary": "Chinese state-owned China National Chemical (ChemChina) is to buy Italian tyre maker Pirelli in a deal which values the firm at \u20ac7.1bn (\u00a35.1bn)."}
{"article": "The man, who is 22 years old, is charged with procuring the drugs for his co-defendant, a 21-year-old woman. The woman is charged with taking two drugs which are commonly used to bring about a miscarriage or abortion. At Belfast magistrates court on Monday, there was an application to adjourn the case. The man's solicitor said there had had been a lot of unacceptable delay in the case and that it was quite stressful for his client. The case was adjourned until 23 January. In Northern Ireland, unlike the rest of the UK, abortion is only allowed if a woman's life is at risk or if there is a permanent or serious risk to her physical or mental health.", "summary": "A solicitor for a man accused of procuring drugs intended to cause an abortion has protested about delays in dealing with the case."}
{"article": "A selection of baseball-related tweets were featured in the ad, which was shown during the live coverage of baseball's season-ending World Series. However, text appeared so quickly in the lively sequence that some took to the web to express bewilderment. The ad was made to promote \"Moments\", which highlights trending stories on the social media platform. One Twitter user tweeted, \"That Twitter commercial was *really bad*. Can't imagine anyone feeling invited to use the service or see the value after seeing the spot.\" And blogger John Gruber described it as \"incomprehensible\", going so far as to say: \"Someone should be fired.\" Some were positive about the broadcast, though. \"That Twitter commercial is pretty cool,\" tweeted one viewer. Twitter has recently been struggling to continue to attract large numbers of new users to its network - a problem which some say is because of the slightly esoteric nature of the platform. \"I'm a baseball fan [\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6] I've been on Twitter since 2007 and to be honest I had trouble making sense of it,\" said digital entrepreneur George Nimeh, at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership. \"I can't imagine what it would be like for someone who is unfamiliar with what Twitter really is. It was really fast, it was kind of a mish-mash of different stuff.\" Mr Nimeh added that while Twitter's user figures showed strong year-on-year growth a few years ago, that growth had slumped to less than 20% early in 2015. \"I think Twitter's fundamental problem is they've never been able to very simply and succinctly explain to people who are not familiar with Twitter what it is - and this particular ad this commercial does nothing to help,\" he told the BBC.", "summary": "The first television advertisement campaign by Twitter has left some American viewers confused."}
{"article": "New York, London, Milan and Cape Town are some of the cities that come to her mind when asked where she would like to see her designs 10 years from now. As a matter of fact, some of her clothes were already shown in the UK capital last year, during the Africa Fashion Week, but she is convinced that this is just the beginning. \"Everywhere where fashion is, I want to be there, and I see myself making it. I'm not doubting on that one. I dream big and I'm dreaming in colour,\" she told the BBC's series African Dream. According to the designer, her passion for fashion was already there as a child when she loved to play with fabrics in the southern city of Blantyre, where she grew up. \"I'd say fashion, I was born with it. I started when I was young, at the age of six. My mum would bath me and dress me, and I would totally change the design of the dress,\" she remembers. \"As I grew older, people liked what I was designing, what I was wearing, so that inspired me and I started working on other people.\" She had two second-hand sewing machines that belonged to her mother and she started off with a tailoring business, when she was 24, but she says that fashion designing was still \"a mere hobby\". That hobby, however, helped her to launch her career when she won the Malawi Fashion Edition (FAME) award as country's best fashion designer three years ago. \"I never thought I was a designer until 2010 that I had a lot of clients and I'd design for Miss Malawi, I'd design for quite a lot of people,\" Mrs Alfonso told BBC Africa's Raphael Tenthani. These days her studio - located in her house in an upmarket suburb of the capital, Lilongwe - is a bastion of activity as people organising weddings and other events troop to her for advice. Although designer clothes are not cheap anywhere in the world, Mrs Alfonso says that her prices depend on the client that she is working for. If the product is going to Europe, for example, she knows that she can ask for more money if she uses higher quality fabrics. Back home, however, she can be more flexible with her pricing. \"Our economy right now is not really doing well so\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I always use any reasonable resources to accommodate my country, for the people that can't afford the other fabrics, but I still design the same design,\" she explained. Recently, Malawi's currency, the kwacha, lost almost half its value and this has put a strain on the running of businesses. Also, the inflation rate is hovering at around 33% while bank-lending rates are at about 40% in the southern African country. All these factors are presenting extra challenges for people who, like Mrs Alfonso, want to expand their businesses. \"I'm having problems with raising the money to have massive production\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 to be able to reach my goal, I still need extra 10 machines,\" she said. \"The", "summary": "Malawi's Lilly Alfonso dreams about her future in colours as vibrant as those of the clothes she makes."}
{"article": "First of all she was sacked as chair of a committee which gives advice on how millions of pounds of EU aid is spent in Wales. And if that was severe, she responded in kind. Most of those in Cardiff Bay appear to be genuinely surprised at the nature of the language she used in her statement. It's been well documented but worth reflecting again on what she wrote: \"The events of the last 24 hours have confirmed in my mind there is an unhealthy culture at the top of the Welsh government which does not allow for rigorous debate and reflection on the best use of public funds. \"Independent thought is not tolerated by AMs and if someone does step out of line, they are ruthlessly dealt with. This is not a good way to make difficult decisions.\" Ouch. Her fellow Cardiff Central politician, the Labour MP Jo Stevens, has come out in support but Labour AMs I've spoken to are not lining up to agree with her. But was the decision to sack someone who you'd hardly consider to be a high-profile rebel an over-reaction by Carwyn Jones? I'm told it's because this wasn't the first time she'd criticised government policy in public, and done it in a way which hadn't been reflected in internal discussions. I took that to mean they didn't see it coming. The sacking could also be a reflection of the sensitivity of the subject area. Jenny Rathbone had described spending nearly \u00a320m on preparatory work for an M4 relief road, before a final decision, as appalling. It was interesting that in the Senedd this week Carwyn Jones was highly critical of the proposal for a cheaper alternative to upgrade the southern distributor road. Until this point he has largely left the arguments on the project to his Economy Minister, Edwina Hart, but as a result of her decision not to stand next year I suspect we can expect the first minister to be more outspoken on the subject. The Welsh government wants to show that it's deadly serious about the motorway, and while I'm told it wasn't foremost in the first minister's mind, the sacking of an assembly member for criticising the plan is one way of demonstrating that commitment. There was a bad tempered exchange in the Senedd. The first minister insisted it was about a failure to follow collective responsibility. The opposition parties were concerned that the chair of a committee that's supposed to scrutinise the way government spends millions of pounds of public money has been sacked for not agreeing with the government. His response was to say that the committee she used to chair, the European Programme Monitoring committee, advises rather than scrutinises. The Lib Dem leader Kirsty Williams asked whether her successor, Mick Antoniw, would be long in the job, considering that he holds similar views to Jenny Rathbone on the merits of a \u00a31bn new M4 relief road. Presumably he will have to bite his tongue on the subject now he's bound by the same rules as ministers in", "summary": "Jenny Rathbone's criticism of Labour's plans for a new \u00a31bn motorway around Newport certainly had consequences."}
{"article": "The welfare cap was breached when the government was forced into a U-turn on cuts to tax credits last year. Today, the rule on reducing debt has also been broken. With the UK economy slowing, public sector net debt as a proportion of gross domestic product will rise this year, the Office for Budget Responsibility says. That leaves the chancellor with one rule still extant - a budget surplus by 2020. Matt Hancock, the Cabinet Office minister, insisted to the BBC that the rule will not be breached. And Mr Osborne has staked his reputation on it. To get there, the government is going to borrow a lot more over the next three years. Around \u00a338bn more according to the think tank, the Resolution Foundation. And then plan for large tax cheques to arrive - largely from major businesses - by the next election. The Budget Red Book says that in 2019-2020, business tax payments will increase rapidly. Changing the timing of corporation tax payments will bring in nearly \u00a36bn, the Treasury predicts. Commercial stamp duty reform should bring in \u00a3560m and restricting corporation tax relief nearly \u00a31bn. The \u00a33.5bn spending cuts to government departments will also kick in that year. The Treasury argues that the changes, allied to lower debt interest payments, means the government can hit a surplus by 2020. Watch those numbers closely and remember they are only forecasts. The chancellor is staking an awful lot on them turning out correctly.", "summary": "George Osborne set himself three fiscal rules - to cap welfare spending, to bring down debt as a proportion of national income and to produce a surplus by the end of the Parliament."}
{"article": "Cardiff were 2-0 ahead with five minutes left before the Clarets clawed their way back to 2-2, leaving the Bluebirds 10th in the Championship. With only five goals in eight games - all from set-pieces - Slade recognises his team must improve in attack. \"I thought we were a threat in open play. We've just got to be more ruthless in the box,\" he said. \"I thought we were creating chances, even in the second half I think [Joe] Mason went through once or twice. On another day, we'd probably finish those. \"We've got to be scoring more goals when we get those opportunities in open play. \"It is really really hard to take. We were the better side for long periods and the better side didn't win.\" Second-half substitute Mason was the last Cardiff player to score in open play, tapping in for the opening goal when Slade's side drew 1-1 at Brighton on 3 October. It was from the reliable source of set-pieces that Cardiff built their 2-0 lead against Burnley, Aron Gunnarsson nodding in from Joe Ralls' free-kick and Peter Whittingham's corner finding the head of Sean Morrison. Seemingly coasting at 2-0 up with only five minutes left, Cardiff capitulated as Burnley fought back with a close-range strike from Rouwen Hennings and an own goal by Matt Connolly. It was Connolly's injury-time aberration which most dismayed Slade, as the former Queens Park Rangers centre-back dragged Michael Keane's header over his own line. \"The second goal was just bizarre. It was going a mile wide but then it came off Matthew and rolled right into the net,\" said Slade. \"It was a crazy equaliser. You could see how much it hurt the players who had worked so hard to get the better of a very good team. \"That goal is the difference of being between sixth and tenth and it's pretty hard to take.\"", "summary": "Manager Russell Slade says Cardiff must be more ruthless after they threw away a two-goal lead to draw with Burnley."}
{"article": "The chef from York, North Yorkshire, went missing on 18 March 2009 at the age of 35. It was recently revealed that four men held as part of the police investigation would not face charges. Speaking to BBC Look North, Joan Lawrence said: \"I have no instinct whatsoever that she isn't alive\". Her comments come on a legal milestone which states a person may be legally declared dead after being missing for seven years. The previously arrested men, who are all in their 50s and from the York area, were held last year as part of a review of the initial investigation into the case. North Yorkshire Police said up to 20 detectives and police staff had worked full-time on the review for more than two years at a cost of nearly \u00c2\u00a3800,000. Officers believed the investigation had been compromised by the \"reluctance of some, and refusal of others, to co-operate\" with the force. Mrs Lawrence said she was constantly surrounded by \"reminders\" of her daughter, whatever she was doing. She said: \"Sometimes I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall, but I get through every day. \"There's somebody out there who knows something, but I have no instinct whatsoever that she isn't alive, I've had no cut-off feeling at all. \"In my opinion she's being held somewhere against her will and I want people to imagine if it was their child, how would they feel?\" Claudia Lawrence disappearance timeline About 100 police officers were dedicated to the investigation at its height, but the figure has since dropped. Martin Dales, a friend and spokesman for Miss Lawrence's father Peter, said: \"It seems that we're all back to square one. \"It's really quite depressing especially as someone is clearly withholding the information needed.\" A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: \"The investigation team will continue to thoroughly assess any new leads and information. \"We remind those who we suspect are withholding key information about Claudia that we will not give up our quest to find the truth.\"", "summary": "Seven years on from the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence, her mother has said she thinks she is alive and \"being held somewhere against her will\"."}
{"article": "Dickenson, 23, scored four goals in 78 appearances for the Gills across two seasons after joining from Brighton. He was released by the League One side in May and joins on a two-year deal. Ex-Millwall trainee Peter, 19, has signed a one-year deal after spending the season half of 2015-16 on trial with the U's Under-21 side. He will be available for both the under-21 side and first-team as John McGreal makes his fifth and sixth signings since becoming U's boss. Forward Denny Johnstone, midfielder Courtner Senior and defenders Luke Prosser and Ben Wyatt have all joined. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Colchester United have signed former Gillingham versatile left-back Brennan Dickenson and ex-Chelmsford City centre-back Dexter Peter."}
{"article": "Prince Philip is renowned for speaking his mind - often explained as his attempt to lighten the mood - and that outspoken nature has at times led to controversy with some of those remarks teetering on the edge of being offensive. Here are some of his most famous quips. 1966: \"British women can't cook\". 1969: \"What do you gargle with, pebbles?\" To Sir Tom Jones after a Royal Variety Performance. 1981: \"Everybody was saying we must have more leisure. Now they are complaining they are unemployed.\" During the 1981 recession. 1984: \"You are a woman, aren't you?\" In Kenya after accepting a small gift from a local woman. 1986: \"If you stay here much longer you'll all be slitty-eyed.\" To a group of British students during a royal visit to China. 1988: \"It looks like a tart's bedroom.\" On seeing plans for the Duke and Duchess of York's house at Sunninghill Park. 1992: \"Oh no, I might catch some ghastly disease.\" In Australia when asked to stroke a koala. 1993: \"You can't have been here that long, you haven't got a pot belly\". To a Briton he met in Hungary. 1994: \"Aren't most of you descended from pirates?\" To a wealthy islander in the Cayman Islands. 1995: \"How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test.\" To a Scottish driving instructor. 1996: \"If a cricketer, for instance, suddenly decided to go into a school and batter a lot of people to death with a cricket bat, which he could do very easily, I mean, are you going to ban cricket bats?\" In response to calls to ban firearms after the Dunblane shooting. 1997: \"Bloody silly fool!\" Referring to a Cambridge University car park attendant who did not recognise him. 1999: \"Deaf? If you are near there, no wonder you are deaf.\" Speaking to a group of young deaf people in Cardiff who were standing near a steel band. 1999: \"It looks as if it was put in by an Indian.\" Referring to an old-fashioned fuse box in a factory near Edinburgh. 2001: \"You're too fat to be an astronaut.\" To 13-year-old Andrew Adams who told Prince Philip he wanted to go into space. 2002: \"Still throwing spears?\" Question put to an Australian Aborigine during a visit. 2002: \"You look like a suicide bomber.\" To a young policewoman wearing a bullet-proof vest on Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. 2009: \"There's a lot of your family in tonight.\" After looking at the name badge of businessman Atul Patel at a Palace reception for British Indians. 2009: \"Well, you didn't design your beard too well, did you?\" To designer Stephen Judge about his tiny goatee beard. 2010: \"Do you have a pair of knickers made out of this?\" To Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie Pointing while pointing to some tartan in Edinburgh. 2010: \"Do you work in a strip club?\" To 24-year-old Barnstaple Sea Cadet Elizabeth Rendle when she told him she also worked in a nightclub. 2012: \"I would get arrested if I unzipped that dress.\" To 25-year-old council", "summary": "The Duke of Edinburgh's public engagements often produce memorable one-liners that can make some people chuckle and others cringe."}
{"article": "Host Neil Patrick Harris opened the ceremony with a joke about honouring \"Hollywood's best and whitest. Sorry, brightest\". So why has the repeat situation created such a toxic row, with prominent figures Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett Smith and Michael Moore leading a boycott, and others like George Clooney and Oscar winner Lupita Nyongo speaking out? And what are the possible \"dramatic steps\" that Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Ampas) president Cheryl Boone Isaacs has promised the organisation will take to review its operations? Film critic Tim Robey believes a festering wound has grown since both the director and star of the Martin Luther King biopic Selma were ignored - despite great critical acclaim - last year. \"There was a feeling going round that because they [Academy voters] had given awards to Twelve Years a Slave the year before, for some reason they thought they were 'off the hook'. So Selma got a terrible handling, really.\" Profile of the average Oscar winner How to win an Oscar How to become an Academy member Oscars 2016: Nominations list David Oyelewo, who didn't get nominated for his lead performance in Selma, revealed on Monday that Isaacs called him in for a meeting after last year's awards \"to talk about what went wrong then\", though it's not known what specific ideas they discussed. The quickest fix would be to get an approved panel to draw up a longlist of nominations for voters to choose from, as many book prizes do. However, it would open up new arguments about who is on the panel and the controversial issue of affirmative action and so-called \"positive discrimination\". It also doesn't guarantee who gets on the shortlist. Both Tim Robey and Tim Gray, awards editor of Variety magazine in Hollywood, say making the shortlists longer would help. If this year's Best Picture shortlist had featured the 10 films allowed instead of just eight, it might have included the hotly tipped Creed or Straight Outta Compton. Diversifying the overwhelmingly white, male and over-50 membership has been much discussed and has been attempted in earlier recruitment drives. Bafta in the UK broadened its membership criteria a decade ago to attract younger people from newer digital and online creative industries - though that hasn't really resulted in much more diverse nominations. But Ampas is an honour society in which experienced industry professionals nominate others in categories for membership and awards. Actors nominate the acting shortlists, directors nominate directors and so on, before voting is opened up for the final winners. Trying to stop retirees from voting or at least nominating is one possibility, but it would mean an acrimonious internal fight. However, anyone who gets nominated for an Academy Award is automatically eligible for membership. Tim Robey says: \"It would be a much more elegant solution to the problem to nominate the worthy performances. Once you're nominated you become a member of the club.\" This would still take time to feed through to making a notable difference in voting results though. Tim Gray suggests releasing information on how many votes each", "summary": "Last year they were making jokes about the lack of any black or Latino performers in the acting categories at the Academy Awards ceremony."}
{"article": "More than 62% voted in favour of amending the country's constitution to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. It is the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage through a popular vote. Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said it was a \"small country with a big message for equality\" around the world. The referendum was held 22 years after homosexual acts were decriminalised in the Republic of Ireland. Same-sex marriage is now legal in 20 countries worldwide. BBC Ireland correspondent Chris Buckler said the atmosphere at Dublin Castle, where thousands of people gathered to watch the results being announced, was more like a festival than a referendum result. Counting began at 09:00 BST on Saturday, and the final result was declared shortly before 19:00 BST. Cheers and applause greeted the announcement of the results by the returning officer R\u00c3\u00adona N\u00c3\u00ad Fhlanghaile. The turnout was more than 60%, and the outcome seemed clear a short time into the count, with prominent \"no\" campaigners declaring defeat early on. The Republic of Ireland has a written constitution which can only be changed by referendum. Now that the proposal has been passed, a marriage between two people of the same sex will have the same status under the Irish constitution as a marriage between a man and a woman. They will be recognised as a family and be entitled to the constitutional protection for families. Civil partnerships for same-sex couples have been legal in Ireland since 2010, giving couples legal protection which could be changed by the government. However, married gay people will now have a constitutional standing that can only be removed by another popular vote. Reaction to 'yes' vote In total, 1,201,607 people voted in favour of same-sex marriage, while 734,300 voted against. Out of 43 constituencies, only the largely rural Roscommon-South Leitrim had a majority of \"no\" votes. Many people returned to the Republic of Ireland from abroad to cast their votes. Minister for Health Leo Varadkar, who earlier this year came out as the Republic of Ireland's first openly gay minister, said the vote showed that the \"traditional cultural divide\" between rural and urban areas had vanished. \"This is really Ireland speaking with one voice in favour of equality,\" he told Irish broadcaster RTE. Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, said if the referendum was an affirmation of the views of young people, the church had a \"huge task in front of it\". \"I think really the church needs to do a reality check,\" he told RTE. \"I appreciate how gay and lesbian men and women feel on this day, that they feel this is something that is enriching the way they live. I think it is a social revolution.\" Voters were asked whether they agreed with the statement: \"Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.\" In 2010, the Irish government enacted civil partnership legislation, which provided legal recognition for gay couples. But there are some important differences between civil partnership and marriage, the critical one being that marriage", "summary": "The Republic of Ireland has voted overwhelmingly to legalise same-sex marriage in a historic referendum."}
{"article": "Albinism is an inherited condition that results in the absence, or near absence, of pigmentation in the eyes, skin and hair. Many people living with albinism are subject to negative public attitudes, persecution and violence. Dingwall's project began with portraits of Thando Hopa, a legal prosecutor using her visibility to address the negative perceptions surrounding albinism. More recent work features Sanele Xaba, a young model with albinism, and uses specific elements to create symbolic meanings. \"They are not about race or fashion, but about perception, and what we subjectively perceive as beautiful,\" says Dingwall. \"I wanted to create a series of images that resonate with humanity and make people question what is beautiful. \"To me diversity is what makes humanity interesting and beautiful.\" Drawing on elements from nature, Dingwall aims to alter the viewer's perspective. \"The butterfly unquestioningly embraces the changes of their environment and their body,\" says the photographer. \"For this reason, butterflies have become symbols of growth, surrender, transition, celebration, resurrection and fragility.\" In images such as Cerasinus and Indicum, Dingwall paints with light, using bold colours that neutralise the perception of skin tone. Albinism is particularly prevalent in Tanzania, with one in 1,400 affected, according to a 2006 BMC Public Health report. This compares with one in 20,000 in Western countries. Since 2000, at least 75 people with albinism have been killed in targeted attacks in Tanzania. Many are killed because potions made from their body parts are believed to bring good luck and wealth. All photos: Justin Dingwall", "summary": "South African photographer Justin Dingwall's portrait series Albus explores the aesthetics of albinism and perceptions of beauty."}
{"article": "The Powys community, near Brecon, which has about 1,000 residents, is the only ward in Wales where no-one wants to stand as a councillor. It is set to go unrepresented on Thursday as voters across Wales go to the polls for the local elections. But why does nobody want to represent Yscir? Elsewhere in Wales, there are 92 uncontested seats, where councillors will be returned without any votes being cast, but Yscir currently stands alone as being unrepresented. Incumbent Gillian Thomas, one of several independent councillors in Powys, is retiring and, so far, no-one wants to replace her. And the impending void is news to some people. Retired couple Tess and Brian Birtles, of Aberyscir, had not heard their ward would be left without a voice. Mr Birtles, a former communications firm boss, said he was disappointed, adding: \"Powys could have done more to encourage people to stand in the ward, because ultimately it will mean that we're not represented at the local government.\" Still, he does not want the job himself. \"I'd find it immensely frustrating,\" he said, \"because it doesn't seem very much is done by the councils these days apart from cutting services and reducing costs.\" \"It's quite sad\", Mrs Birtles added, speculating people might not want to stand \"because we're not suffering the austerity measures that some areas are experiencing\" with many of the residents retirees. People, in Yscir, she said, were \"living the good life\". But that is not to say they all think it is rosy in the garden. There have been complaints about changes to waste services, while the decision to close Welsh-medium stream at Brecon High School has also sparked debate. Ms Thomas, 79, said it was \"not good for democracy\" no-one had put their name forward. \"When I won the last election I said that would be my last term,\" she said. \"My age is getting on, and I want to do things I want to do.\" Ms Thomas, who had previously had a farm in the ward before moving to Brecon, said she had found the job \"very rewarding\". \"When my husband died very suddenly at an early age, it really saved me that I had an outside interest,\" she said. So, what is putting people off taking up the cudgels in Ms Thomas' absence? \"I think it's quite big shoes to fill,\" said Valerie Davies, who has lived with her husband, Peter, in Aberyscir for eight years. She said the lack of a willing replacement was a \"sad reflection\" on the community, but also questioned who would want to join a club \"being continually attacked by the rest of the populace\". Mr Davies - 35-year army veteran who, like his wife, is now retired - said most people's dealings with the council concerned planning. \"It wasn't advertised or publicised that nobody was standing,\" he added. He said he might consider it, but added: \"The dealings I've had with parish councils over the years, it always ends up looking a bit petty.\" What about younger residents? Eliot Lawrence, 32, of nearby Cradoc,", "summary": "It is picturesque, with stunning views of Pen y Fan and a charming rural setting, but Yscir has a unique problem."}
{"article": "Anne Morgan was the last member of his family to see the County Down teacher alive before he was murdered and secretly buried by republicans in 1985. Investigators from the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR) have been searching an area near Rouen since Monday. Ms Morgan was shown the site by the chief investigator on Friday. She appealed for anyone with information about her brother to come forward. \"If you know anything about Seamus' disappearance, if you know anything about this site in France, please come forward, even at this late stage,\" she said. \"It would be beneficial for me, for my family, for all the ones who are at home in Newry, please come forward. \"If anyone else has information concerning any of the other families we need that information and the commission needs that information to follow through with other searches.\" This latest search began in a forest at Pont-de-l'Arche after new information on the whereabouts of Mr Ruddy was passed to the ICLVR from the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP). The group has close links to the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), which killed Mr Ruddy. Sources in the IRSP claim Mr Ruddy went willingly with INLA members from Paris to the wooded area, where there was an arms dump. What happened among the group is not clear but Mr Ruddy was shot dead. He was buried in a shallow grave. Sources claim that INLA members returned to the spot the following day, removed the arms cache and buried Mr Ruddy where it had been been. It is understood that former INLA and IRSP members travelled to northern France last year to try to pinpoint the spot where the Newry man was buried. Ms Morgan has said she knows the names of the people who killed her brother. There have been previous searches for his remains, but the latest information is thought to give Mr Ruddy's family their best hope yet of finding him. The Disappeared are those who were abducted, murdered and secretly buried by republicans during Northern Ireland's Troubles. Mr Ruddy is one of four people out of 16 Disappeared whose bodies have never been found. The others are Columba McVeigh, Joe Lynskey and Army Capt Robert Nairac.", "summary": "The sister of one of the Disappeared, Seamus Ruddy, has arrived at the site of a dig for his remains in France."}
{"article": "The proposed ban arises from a Fifa investigation into the organisation of international friendlies in South Africa in 2010. Former Zimbabwe FA executive Jonathan Musavengana and former Togo coach Banna Tchanile are facing life bans. The pair are charged with alleged bribery and corruption violations. Fifa's investigatory chamber of its Ethics Committee will now pass its findings to the panel's adjudicatory chamber. It has also proposed Nematandani be fined at least $10,400 (\u00a37,980). In December 2012 Nematandani - then serving as Safa president - was suspended by Fifa who found \"compelling evidence\" that friendly internationals were fixed by Far East betting syndicates. A Fifa investigation discovered that Safa was infiltrated by convicted Singaporean match-fixer Wilson Perumal and his Football 4U organisation. Perumal organised referees for the games against Thailand, Bulgaria, Colombia and Guatemala, the outcomes of which were found to have been pre-arranged to benefit an Asian betting syndicate. In January 2013 Nematandani was reinstated as Safa president but not exonerated and he was replaced the following September after failing to earn a nomination in Safa elections, which were won by Danny Jordaan.", "summary": "Former South African Football Association president Kirsten Nematandani is facing a minimum six-year ban for alleged ethics violations."}
{"article": "Representatives from the west of Norway have been in the isles to discuss how expertise can be shared. They believe knowledge built up in Scandinavia through work in the oil and gas sector could prove key to the next stage in developing technologies. Orkney is a major Scottish hub for renewables. In January, plans for a \u00c2\u00a36.5m research and innovation campus in Stromness in Orkney took a step forward after the organisations driving the project agreed funding. Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Orkney Islands Council are behind the venture. The campus is aimed at supporting sectors including marine renewables.", "summary": "A partnership is being formed between the energy sectors in Orkney and Norway to look at ways they can work together to develop marine renewables."}
{"article": "The central bank's past efforts to spur growth have disappointed investors and there is expectation of more monetary easing from the meeting on Thursday. Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.5% to close at 17,353.28. Embattled Mitsubishi Motors again saw its shares tumble, losing 9.6% over the day. The Japanese car maker is engulfed in a scandal over falsifying fuel efficiency. In China, the mainland benchmark Shanghai Composite closed 0.6% higher at 2,964.70 while in Hong Kong the Hang Seng ended up 0.5% at 21,407.27. In South Korea, the Kospi index finished the day up 0.3% at 2,019.63, despite the country reporting its slowest quarter of economic growth in nine months. In the January to March period the economy grew by 0.4% compared with the previous quarter, which was in line with expectations. On an annual basis, the economy expanded 2.7%. In Australia, traders were equally cautious, and the ASX/200 index fell 0.3% to 5,220.64.", "summary": "Japanese shares fell for a second day as investors remained cautious ahead of a key Bank of Japan meeting later this week."}
{"article": "The resignations of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, newly-appointed Prime Minister Khaled Bahah, and the entire cabinet were quickly followed by reports that the parliament had rejected their requests. Given Yemen's mercurial political playing field, another new configuration could be just around the corner. The tension from four days of fighting and negotiation between the rebels and Yemeni security forces seemed to have reached a resting point, with President Hadi and Houthi leaders reaching an agreement on Wednesday. That agreement essentially saw Mr Hadi capitulate to rebels' demands in exchange for a ceasefire, release of a kidnapped presidential adviser, and the withdrawal of rebel forces from some key positions in Sanaa. Yet a day later, the presidential adviser had not been released and rebels still surrounded the presidential palace and Mr Hadi's private residence. Judging from their mass resignation, Mr Hadi and his government decided that operating under the rebels' thumb was untenable and found little reason to believe the Houthis would ever fulfil their end of the bargain. Either they have given up entirely, or they are now playing their strongest card. The Zaidi Shia movement, whose traditional stronghold is the northern province of Saada, led massive anti-government rallies over the summer and then suddenly infiltrated the capital with its heavily-armed militia and tribal supporters, taking de-facto control Sanaa by mid-September. The government, political parties, and the Houthi movement signed the Peace and National Partnership Agreement (PNPA) on 21 September, but it has largely gone unimplemented. Over the past year, Houthi leaders rightly concluded that they can use military might to change the political map and balance of power in their favour. The true extent of Houthi ambition is unclear; but the fact that they did not kick Mr Hadi out of the presidency or claim the premiership indicates they prefer to control from behind the scenes by placing their members in ministries and high-level government positions. This allows them to consolidate power, but without being saddled with ultimate responsibility. But the resignations of Mr Hadi and Mr Bahah now turn the table on their strategy. Sadly, the rebels' tactics affirm the power of the gun over the power of persuasion, and it marks a massive setback for the democratic transition process that began in 2011 with a youth-led uprising against longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a new government, and a successful National Dialogue Conference that produced agreement on the country's most pressing problems. The Houthis were included in the 10-month national dialogue process, and their representatives actually participated quite constructively in the working groups. But they were ultimately unhappy with the agreement of a six-state federal system they perceived would erode their power and autonomy. Since they did not win that fight politically, Houthi fighters set out to change the facts on the ground. They systematically pushed into new territory, aggressively picking fights with tribal militia, government forces, and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) militants, and established some degree of control in at least nine of Yemen's 22 provinces. The latest conflagration in Sanaa was prompted by the newly-drafted constitution,", "summary": "Less than 48 hours had passed after the latest agreement between the Houthi rebel movement and the Yemeni government, and the ground had shifted once again."}
{"article": "Paintings and Victorian marble statues held at Carbisdale Castle, a former youth hostel near Ardgay, have been valued at a total of ??500,000. The art is to be sold at an auction in London next month. Organisers of the petition on the website change.org want the works should remain in the local community. They said because the castle and its contents were gifted to SYHA, the association should not be selling off the art to make a profit. More than 700 people have signed the petition so far. SYHA shut Carbisdale Castle in Sutherland four years ago because of rising repair costs. A former stately home, it was known as Castle of Spite because of the part it played in a family feud. The property is also said to be haunted by a ghost called Betty. SYHA said it would invest money raised from the sale of the castle's artworks in its network of youth hostels. The 17 sculptures and 36 Italian and Scottish 19th Century paintings will be offered for sale at an auction in London on 20 May. Auctioneers Sotheby's have put a combined value of ??500,000 on the art. White marble sculptures from the 1800s to be sold include Andromeda by Florentine sculptor Pasquale Romanelli and Nymph at the Stream by Scottish artist David Watson Stevenson. It will be the first time in more than a century that the Victorian sculptures have been put on the market.", "summary": "A petition has been started opposing the sale of artworks by the Scottish Youth Hostel Association (SYHA)."}
{"article": "The teenager, who is thought to have been trafficked to Russia before ending up in Scotland, was found by a member of the public on 16 January. He is now in the care of West Dunbartonshire Council's social work department. Police have appealed to anyone who has information to contact them. The case emerged at a meeting of the council's community planning management board, according to a report in the Dumbarton Reporter. Police Scotland has since confirmed the details. Ch Supt Grant Manders told the meeting the teenager had been found on a footpath near Overtoun House. He said: \"A young Vietnamese boy - 16 years old - came into our care having been trafficked from Vietnam to Russia. \"Smashing wee boy escaped his traffickers up in West Dunbartonshire and was found cowering in the bushes having escaped from wherever he might have been going.\" It is thought the boy ran for about an hour from the site of his escape before being found. Det Con Andy Docherty said: \"He was found in quite a distressed state. \"We quickly established that he was of Vietnamese origin and he stated that he was subject to a human trafficking. His welfare is paramount. \"Inquiries are ongoing.\"", "summary": "A 16-year-old Vietnamese boy was found \"cowering\" in bushes in Dumbarton after escaping from human traffickers, police have said."}
{"article": "The collision involving a black Peugeot 206 happened on the B9013 Sheriffston to Orton road, near Altonside, at 21:10 on Monday. Two men aged 30 and 19 were seriously injured and are being treated at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. A 23-year-old woman suffered fractures and another 19-year-old man sustained minor injuries. The road is currently closed and police have appealed for witnesses.", "summary": "Four people travelling in the same car have been injured in a serious crash in Moray."}
{"article": "A Haystack in the Evening Sun had not previously been authenticated because the work is largely unknown and the artist's signature is covered by paint. However researchers at the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland uncovered the signature using a hyperspectral camera. It also revealed the date of the work's creation - 1891. The special camera used by researchers studied the painting's elemental composition by measuring X-ray fluorescence. That allowed them to \"see\" below the surface, and analyse the materials used to create the work. \"The camera is principally operating as a scanner, which scans one line at a time,\" researcher Ilkka Polonen said. \"When the camera is moved using the scanner, an image of the whole picture can be obtained.\" An analysis of the pigments and canvas fibres also confirmed the painting was by the Impressionist. The artwork is currently owned by Finland's Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation, which acquired it in the 1950s through a London art broker. The institution said the authentication means the artwork is the first Monet painting to be held in a Finnish public collection.", "summary": "An oil painting thought to have been created by French Impressionist Claude Monet has been proven to be genuine through scientific testing."}
{"article": "Theresa Villiers and Charlie Flanagan both attended a meeting to review the implementation of the Fresh Start deal negotiated in November last year. Both the British and Irish governments said the momentum created by the agreement must be maintained. Mrs Foster became Northern Ireland's first female first minister on Monday. The Democratic Unionist Party leader took over from Peter Robinson, who confirmed his resignation in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Mrs Foster is the youngest person to hold the most senior post in Northern Ireland politics. Speaking after Thursday's meeting, Mrs Foster said she was \"absolutely delighted\" by how the Fresh Start agreement had been implemented. \"Good progress has been made and we'll continue to make that progress,\" she added. She said the legacy of Northern Ireland's Troubles had been discussed and that there was a need to talk to victims' groups. Earlier, Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said \"significant progress\" had been made since the Fresh Start agreement was made, but \"substantial challenges\" remained. She added: \"Work continues with victims' representatives and others on finding a way forward to address the legacy of Northern Ireland's past.\"", "summary": "Arlene Foster has had her first meetings since becoming first minister with the Northern Ireland secretary and the Irish foreign minister."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old world record holder equalled the Olympic record - set by Czech Roman Sebrle at Athens 2004 - by scoring 8,993 points in Rio. France's Kevin Mayer took silver with 8,834, while Canada's Damian Warner secured bronze with 8,666. \"To win two Olympic golds in a row like Daley and Mathias is very special,\" said Eaton. \"One day, I'm going to have to meet Daley, shake his hand and thank him for giving me something to chase after. \"My throwing has been bad in the past, but I really got after the discus and shot here. Can I do three in a row? Maybe you should ask Daley.\" Eaton was the overwhelming favourite to follow Thompson's achievement from 1980 and 84 and is the third multi-eventer, alongside American heptathlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee, to win back-to-back Olympic titles. He has dominated the event since 2011, claiming back-to-back world titles and twice setting new world records along with his Olympic success. No British athlete competed in the 10-discipline event. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox. Find out how to get into athletics with our special guide.", "summary": "American Ashton Eaton has become the third man to retain the Olympic decathlon title, winning in Rio to emulate Great Britain's Daley Thompson, and the USA's Bob Mathias."}
{"article": "A hacker, or hacking group, published via Twitter what they said were records of 9,000 DHS employees. According to technology news site Motherboard, the hacker has said he will soon share the personal information of 20,000 DoJ employees, including staff at the FBI. The news site said it had verified small portions of the breach, but also noted that some of the details listed appeared to be incorrect or possibly outdated. In a statement, the DHS told journalists: \"We take these reports very seriously, however there is no indication at this time that there is any breach of sensitive or personally identifiable information.\" The Department of Justice also downplayed the breach's significance. The hacker is understood to have used simple human engineering to bypass one stage of the authorities' security systems. Motherboard quoted the hacker, who explained: \"So I called up, told them I was new and I didn't understand how to get past [the portal]. \"They asked if I had a token code, I said no, they said that's fine - just use our one.\" The security of government systems was put under scrutiny last year when it was discovered that data on more than five million people was stolen from the Office of Personnel Management. Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC and on Facebook", "summary": "US authorities have acknowledged a data breach affecting the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security - but downplayed its severity."}
{"article": "CCTV images of Francesca Galelli and Molly Curtis, both 13, were circulated by Cambridgeshire Police. But the force issued a correction after it emerged the girls were not responsible for the theft from a branch of Superdrug in Ely. Sgt Phil Priestley said police had made an \"innocent mistake\". He said: \"We always want to be clear and transparent if we get things wrong, and we definitely want to ensure that people know that Francesca and Molly are good people from lovely families, and this wasn't their fault\". Cambridgeshire Police have revised district CCTV policies to prevent such mistakes from happening in future.", "summary": "Two \"completely innocent\" teenage girls who were wrongly identified on police social media as prime suspects in a shop theft have received an apology."}
{"article": "Iain Stuart, 41, from Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire, was among those killed in the crash off Norway in April. An investigation into the cause is continuing. An internal Statoil investigation into the company's approach to helicopter safety has said a clearer strategy needs to be developed. The Airbus Super Puma helicopter was flying to Bergen from the Statoil-operated Gullfaks field. Air accident investigators found a fatigue crack was the \"most likely\" cause of gearbox failure. The Statoil report suggested the organisation of helicopter safety efforts within the company appeared to be complicated and said more staff should be recruited to its flight safety department. It also recommended Statoil should consider ways of better information sharing between the helicopter operators and manufacturers. Mr Stuart worked for the oil field services company Halliburton.", "summary": "An oil company's report into an offshore helicopter crash which killed 13 people has warned industry cost-cutting must not compromise safety."}
{"article": "People holding candles and torches observed a minute's silence at the start of the main event in Copenhagen. Two people were killed and five police were injured in attacks on a free speech debate and a synagogue. The gunman was later shot dead by police. He did not appear to be part of a wider terror cell, Denmark's PM said. Earlier on Monday, two men were charged with providing and disposing of the weapon used in the attacks and helping the gunman to hide. The gunman was named by local media as Omar El-Hussein. The national flag flew at half-mast on official buildings across the capital on Monday. Floral tributes have been placed by mourners at the site of the two attacks. Some also put flowers at the place where police shot the suspect dead. One told Danish TV2: \"I did it because I am Muslim and because I knew him.\" As dusk fell on Monday a vast crowd gathered for the Copenhagen event, held on a square near the cultural centre where one of the attacks took place. A police spokesman said the crowds numbered about 30,000. Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt told the audience that an attack on the Jews of Denmark \"is an attack on Denmark, on all of us\". She also again vowed that Denmark was determined to safeguard its values. The prime minister earlier told a news conference the attacker was a Danish-born man aged 22. \"He was known by the police for several criminal acts, including severe violence, and he was also known to be linked to a criminal gang in Copenhagen. \" \"But I want to also make very clear that we have no indication at this stage that he was part of a cell.\" Omar El-Hussein: homegrown radical The two suspects being held by police appeared in a closed custody hearing on Monday. Michael Juul Eriksen, a defence lawyer for one of them, said they denied the charges. Omar El-Hussein was released from prison two weeks before the attacks after serving a sentence for grievous bodily harm. Danish intelligence chief Jens Madsen acknowledged that El-Hussein had been \"on the radar\" of his services. Mr Madsen said investigators were working on the theory that he could have been inspired by the shootings in Paris last month. The attacks on the Charlie Hebdo magazine, a kosher supermarket and a policewoman claimed 17 lives. In the first of the two shootings on Saturday, at a free-speech debate in the east of the city, film director Finn Norgaard, 55, was killed. In an audio recording of the shooting, the gunman can be heard interrupting the debate and firing dozens of shots. Hours later, Dan Uzan, a 37-year-old long-time member of the Copenhagen synagogue, was shot dead while on security duty outside the building. Eighty people were celebrating a girl's bat mitzvah, or coming of age, in a hall behind the synagogue at the time. The gunman fled by car but was traced by police to the city's Norrebro district. He opened fire when confronted and was fatally shot by", "summary": "Tens of thousands of people have gathered in towns and cities across Denmark to commemorate the victims of weekend gun attacks in the capital."}
{"article": "Officers stopped the 92-year-old man close to junction six on the M74 near Motherwell and Hamilton in Lanarkshire on Saturday afternoon. The pensioner was pulled over after a police car signalled him to stop near Strathclyde Park at about 14:25. Police were alerted after reports from concerned members of the public. The man was taken home.", "summary": "An elderly man was pulled over by police for driving his mobility scooter on a busy motorway."}
{"article": "The Conservatives, now with a majority at Westminster, have pledged to replace the Act with a British Bill of Rights. They want to give UK courts and Parliament the \"final say\" on human rights issues rather than Strasbourg. Asked about the impact of such a change on Wales, Mr Jones told assembly members: \"It would make us look like a Banana republic, frankly.\" The Human Rights Act came into force in 2000, bringing the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law. Critics say the Act has led to \"perverse\" judgements, including a ruling that found the UK's blanket ban on prisoners voting was unlawful. But during Tuesday's First Minister's Questions, Mr Jones said: \"Most countries in Europe including Russia are signatories, are members of the European Convention. \"The European Convention was drafted by British lawyers; it's a British invention, and there's a complete lack of understanding of history in Whitehall at the moment,\" Mr Jones added. Under the Conservatives' plan, the European Courts would not be able to require the UK to change British laws, with its judgements being treated as \"advisory\" rather than binding. Instead, the UK's Supreme Court would be \"the ultimate arbiter\" on human rights matters. Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams accused Conservative ministers of wanting to \"put us in the same category as Kazakhstan in terms of how we view human rights\". \"Liberal Democrats stopped the Tories scrapping the Human Rights Act and we are determined to keep fighting these plans,\" she said. The European Convention created basic human rights and freedoms for every citizen in Europe. They include the rights to life, liberty and security, a fair trial, respect for private life, and freedom of expression. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: \"The Government was elected with a manifesto commitment to replace the Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights. \"Ministers will be discussing their plans on this and making announcements in due course.\"", "summary": "Scrapping the Human Rights Act would \"make us look like a banana republic\", First Minister Carwyn Jones has warned."}
{"article": "Cleveland Potash, at Boulby, has begun consultation with about 220 workers, with a further 140 contractor roles to be cut as well. Parent company ICL UK described the move as \"painful\" and warned a similar number of jobs could go in 2018. Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Labour MP Tom Blenkinsop described it as \"devastating news\". ICL UK cited a \"reduction in the level of economically-feasible potash reserves at Boulby, which the company estimates will be depleted by 2018\". The plant, which currently employs about 1,100 people, will produce another fertiliser, called Polysulphate. Peter Smith, executive vice President-Potash of ICL, said: \"In recent months we encountered geological problems which have affected previously high-yielding areas of the mine. \"In addition, our exploration programme, validated by independent consultants, confirmed further geological difficulties, which means that we have only a very limited level of economically feasible potash reserves. \"The reality of our potash reserves running out by 2018 means that we must develop a new business strategy if we are to continue mining at Boulby.\" ICL UK said it would invest ??20m this year in the site's infrastructure with a potential further ??20m to increase production of Polysulphate from an estimated 200,000 tonnes this year to one million tonnes by 2020. Mr Blenkinsopp said: \"It's truly devastating news for those miners and their families. \"It just seems to be everywhere you look, we are seeing huge amounts of redundancy in our industry and it's surely unprecedented, and all within the borough of Redcar and Cleveland.\" Anna Turley, Labour MP for Redcar, said: \"This is yet another blow to the community, who have already been subjected to thousands of job losses from the closure of SSI in Redcar in the last few weeks.\"", "summary": "Hundreds of jobs are set to be axed at a North East potash mine."}
{"article": "Asif, 33, and Butt, 31, were banned along with Mohammad Amir after spot-fixing incidents during a Test against England at Lord's in August 2010. Amir, 24, is back in the Test team but Asif and Butt are yet to be recalled. \"We are waiting for them to prove their case,\" said Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan. \"They'll have to knock the door down before they are considered.\" All three men were jailed for their parts in the incident, which saw Amir and Asif deliberately bowl no-balls as part of a betting scam. Khan added: \"Amir, from day one, has admitted his faults and apologised. \"The other two didn't admit from day one, only once they were sentenced by the court did they admit. There is a difference there.\" Amir was given a muted reception at Lord's on Friday as he bowled for the first time in a Test since being banned.", "summary": "Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt have been told they must \"knock the door down\" before they are considered for a return to the Pakistan team."}
{"article": "The charges relate to alleged forced miscarriages suffered by one victim. Ariel Castro, 52, was arraigned in court earlier for the kidnap and rape of Amanda Berry, 27, Gina DeJesus, 23 and Michelle Knight, 32. Ms Berry escaped on Monday and was able to raise the alarm. On Thursday, Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty said the murder charges were based on evidence from Michelle Knight that Mr Castro had impregnated her, then physically abused and starved her in order to induce five miscarriages while she was being held captive in his house in Cleveland. \"I fully intend to seek charges for each and every act of sexual violence, rape, each day of kidnapping, every felonious assault, all his attempted murders, and each act of aggravated murder he committed by terminating pregnancies that the offender perpetuated against the hostages,\" Mr McGinty told a news conference. \"My office will also engage in a formal process in which we evaluate to seek charges eligible for the death penalty. \"This child kidnapper operated a torture chamber and private prison in the heart of our city,\" he added. Earlier in the day, Mr Castro appeared in court in Cleveland, handcuffed and dressed in blue overalls. He did not enter a plea. He is charged with four counts of kidnapping, covering the three initial abduction victims and Jocelyn, Ms Berry's six-year-old daughter, who was apparently conceived and born in captivity. The former school bus driver also faces three counts of rape, one against each woman. Bail was set at $8m (\u00c2\u00a35.1m), meaning he will remain in custody. He has been placed on suicide watch and will be kept in isolation, his court-appointed lawyer Kathleen DeMetz told reporters. According to CBS News, Mr Castro confessed to his crimes in a long, hand-written letter found in the house, which investigators believe may have been intended as a suicide note. In the 2004-dated letter he said he had been raped as a child by his uncle and was also abused by his parents, a law enforcement source told the US network. Mr Castro reportedly called himself a \"sexual predator\", but he also asked to donate all his money to his victims after his death. Meanwhile, Mr Castro's mother asked for forgiveness from her son's alleged victims. \"I have a sick son who has committed something very grave. I'm suffering very much,\" Lillian Rodriguez told reporters on Thursday. \"May those young ladies forgive me.\" Ariel Castro's two brothers, Pedro and Onil, also appeared in court on unrelated charges. They had been arrested, but police found no evidence linking them to the crime. Pedro Castro was fined $100 for public drinking, while two minor counts against Onil Castro were dropped. On Thursday, Mr Castro's daughter, Arlene, who was one of the last people to see Gina DeJesus before she disappeared in 2004 aged 14, wept during a TV interview. Describing herself as \"disappointed, embarrassed, mainly devastated\", she apologised to Ms DeJesus. The three women were all abducted after accepting rides from Mr Castro, according to a leaked police report. They told officials they", "summary": "Ohio prosecutors have said they plan to seek aggravated murder charges that could carry the death penalty against the man suspected of imprisoning three women for about a decade."}
{"article": "With more than 3,000 listed places of worship in Wales, the Welsh government said many were under threat. New activities will be encouraged to save the buildings, either as religious centres or with an alternative purpose. Deputy Culture Minister Ken Skates, visiting St Giles parish church in Wrexham, said it was \"always a shame\" to see \"cherished buildings neglected\". The Grade I listed church hosts community groups and religious services, and received Welsh government funding to restore its tower.", "summary": "An action plan has been launched to save historic religious buildings from neglect as their congregations dwindle."}
{"article": "Titanic Quarter Ltd has now taken on fresh borrowing of up to \u00c2\u00a375m from Danske Bank. The Davidson Kempner fund took control of the loans in 2014 as part of a deal with Ulster Bank. It came at a time when Ulster Bank was working to drastically reduce its property loan book. Most of those loans were sold to US funds which are generally not intending to build long term relationships with borrowers. James Eyre, the commercial director of Titanic Quarter, said the refinancing deal with Danske was an important step. \"We are delighted to be back working with a local bank and to have significant additional financial support from the shareholders which reinforces their commitment and confidence in Titanic Quarter,\" he said. He suggested that it could mean that work begins on various stalled developments. \"These long-term facilities will optimise Titanic Quarter's strategy to progress further planned developments including Grade A offices, media, hotels, residential, leisure and tourism,\" he added. Ciaran McLaughlin, corporate banking manager at Danske Bank, said: \"Danske Bank is pleased to have agreed long term facilities with Titanic Quarter on its existing investment assets, which are strategically important to the city. \"It was an easy decision for Danske Bank to get involved given the significance of the project.\"", "summary": "The firm developing Belfast's Titanic Quarter has repaid loans which were held by a US investment fund."}
{"article": "The member for Hollinwood replaces Jim McMahon who won the Oldham West and Royton by-election last month. Cllr Stretton, who has served as deputy leader since 2014, was chosen over Cllr Arooj Shah, who represents St Mary's ward. She was elected in 2010 and is chair of the health and well being committee.", "summary": "Oldham Council will be led by a woman for the first time in its history, after Jean Stretton was selected by Labour councillors."}
{"article": "The news is likely to further dampen expectations of rise in interest rates any time soon. Earlier this month, the Bank of England said that the outlook for global growth had weakened, which was depressing the risk of inflation. Following this report, many economists forecast that rates would not rise until well into next year. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. If you want to receive Breaking News alerts via email, or on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App then details on how to do so are available on this help page. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts.", "summary": "UK inflation as measured by the Consumer Prices Index remained at -0.1% in October, figures show."}
{"article": "Mr Abbott announced the news that Queen Elizabeth II's husband would receive the country's top honour on 26 January - Australia's national day. He said the Prince's life of \"service and dedication\" should be honoured. But many commentators say the move raises grave questions about Mr Abbott's judgement. They have suggested he is out of step with mainstream opinion - as well as his own party. Mr Abbott re-introduced knighthood and damehood honours last year, nearly 20 years after they had been discontinued. \"What was the Prime Minister thinking?\" asks an editorial in The Australian. \"It seems his political colleagues didn't get a chance to talk him out of it.\" The paper describes Prince Philip as a \"symbol not just of another time but another country\", who is \"celebrated by Brits for his howlers and gaffes\". The editorial says Mr Abbott risks further alienating core Liberal supporters at a time when he was under fire for ignoring them. \"With the odd decision to ennoble a member of the British monarchy, Mr Abbott gives those who would lampoon him a right royal charter.\" Australia's honours system The Sydney Morning Herald shares the view of many critics that Mr Abbott is under the spell of Britain, Australia's erstwhile colonial ruler. \"It is as though he is caught in a bygone era of deference to the old country,\" an editorial in the paper says. As a contrast, the paper praises the Labor opposition leader, Bill Shorten, who last weekend called for Australians to recognise that their country would be better off as a republic. Australia is a parliamentary democracy that retains Britain's monarch as its head of state. The Herald ultimately takes a pragmatic view, arguing that Mr Abbott's actions will show the electorate his true colours. \"In one sense his blind spot on the monarchy will do Australia good in the longer term,\" the paper says. \"It will offer voters a clear choice: to be part of a nation that evolves democratically or one that remains locked in a colonial past.\" HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich, KG (Knight of the Garter), KT (Knight of the Thistle), OM (Order of Merit), GBE (Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire), AC (Companion of the Order of Australia), QSO (Companion of The Queen's Service Order), PC (Privy Counsellor). He also holds many foreign orders and decorations, as well as honorary appointments and ranks in the Armed Services. Several papers stress that the knighthood may come to be seen as a tactical mis-step, weakening Mr Abbott's position as a leader. He is already under fire from party backbenchers for major policy u-turns. \"[The knighthood] gains no ground for the government and only invites ridicule,\" says an editorial in The Telegraph. \"This government is in a position where every step must be a winning move. It has no political capital to waste.\" But however damaging the knighthood proves to be, commentators say it is unlikely by itself to be Mr Abbott's downfall. \"An MP from the conservative right", "summary": "The Australian press has expressed scorn and bewilderment over PM Tony Abbott's awarding of a knighthood to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old moves south for a reported \u00a312m, and has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract. The Ghana international made 24 Premier League appearances in 2015-16 as the Foxes won their first title. But he has started only one league game this season and has not featured at all since the 5-0 Champions League defeat at Porto on 7 December. Schlupp, who can play in defence, midfield or attack, was left out of Ghana's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon. He began his career at Leicester - making 150 appearances for the club, scoring 15 goals - and had a loan spell at Brentford during 2010-11. West Brom boss Tony Pulis had been interested in Schlupp, who joins a Palace side 17th in the Premier League. The Eagles, one point above the relegation zone, visit West Ham on Saturday, a game Schlupp is available for. Allardyce said: \"He will bring strength and experience to the defence and will be a major asset for the club.\" Sunderland manager David Moyes had earlier confirmed the club had rejected a bid from Palace for Netherlands defender Patrick van Aanholt. This site is optimised for modern web browsers, and does not fully support your browser", "summary": "Sam Allardyce has made versatile Leicester player Jeffrey Schlupp his first signing as Crystal Palace boss."}
{"article": "They include Kazakhstan's Ilya Ilyin, a four-time world champion who also won gold in the 94kg category at the Beijing Games in 2008. The others are Kazakhstan trio Zulfiya Chinshanlo (53kg), Maiya Maneza (63kg) and Svetlana Podobedova (75kg). If all four are disqualified, Kazakhstan would drop from 12th to 23rd in the 2012 medal standings. Six other lifters who competed at the 2012 Games also tested positive after hundreds of samples were reanalysed. Among them are Russia's Apti Aukhadov, who won silver at 85kgs, Ukraine's Yuliya Kalina, who took bronze at 58kgs, and Belarusian Marina Shkermankova, who won bronze at 69kgs. Completing the group of doping positives are Azerbaijan's Boyanka Kostova and Belarus duo Dzina Sazanavets and Yauheni Zharnasek.", "summary": "Four London 2012 Olympic weightlifting champions have tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs."}
{"article": "Mitzi Steady, four, Robert Parker, 59, Philip Allen, 52, and Stephen Vaughan, 34, died in the crash in Bath in 2015. Bristol Crown Court heard Matthew Gordon, of Grittenham Haulage Ltd, did not know the brakes had to be tested four times a year. Mr Gordon, 30, of Dauntsey, Wiltshire denies 14 charges against him. Driver Phillip Potter, 20, denies causing the deaths by dangerous and careless driving. The lorry hit several pedestrians, including Mitzi from Bath, and a car containing Mr Allen and Mr Vaughan, both from Swansea, and Mr Parker, from Cwmbran, south Wales. The trial has previously heard Mr Gordon had been told the truck had faulty brakes by other employees. The jury heard Grittenham Haulage did not have a transport manager in its employ at the time of the crash despite it being a legal requirement. Mr Gordon said he thought he had \"six months grace\" to find one. He said that during that time, checks had been done on the vehicles and he would be alerted to any problems by the drivers either verbally or by text. He agreed that he had pleaded guilty at Bath Magistrates Court in August last year to eight offences of failing to keep his tachograph records up to date - and 33 similar offences by his company. Mr Potter, also of Dauntsey, is also charged with causing serious injuries to Karla Brennan and Margaret Rogers - Mitzi's grandmother - by dangerous driving. He denies a total of 10 charges against him. Peter Wood, 55, from Brinkworth, Wiltshire, a mechanic who carried out safety checks on the truck, denies four charges against him. The trial continues.", "summary": "A haulage company owner whose tipper truck killed four people when its brakes failed admitted he \"used to stay away from paperwork\", a court heard."}
{"article": "Keighley MP Kris Hopkins has written to police asking them to investigate. An audit by PKF Littlejohn LLP found the council had made decisions \"without consideration of its legal powers\" and may have taken \"unlawful actions\". The council's decision to develop a new civic centre came in for heavy criticism in the audit report. Auditors said the council may have broken the law by trading via the civic centre museum shop. The audit also picked up on \"mathematical errors\" in budget documents which \"could potentially have influenced decisions made in respect of funding required for 2013-14\". In response to Mr Hopkins' letter, West Yorkshire Police's temporary chief constable Dee Collins said investigators from the economic crime unit would be contacting the auditors. She said: \"Once this review and assessment is completed, we will be in a stronger position to understand if any criminal offences have taken place within the town council.\" Mr Hopkins said: \"I have been a long-standing critic of Keighley Town Council and, alongside a number of tireless and committed local residents, have raised countless concerns about its reckless and arrogant approach to spending public money. \"This report confirms in graphic detail that our fears were well-founded.\" Keighley Town Council said it had received independent legal advice that found the council had not acted outside the law. Mayor Graham Mitchell added: \"There is no evidence of criminality whatsoever in the report.\"", "summary": "Keighley Town Council could be investigated by the police after an audit found \"significant weaknesses\" in local governance."}
{"article": "Mr Mortazavi, considered a close aide of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was taken to Tehran's Evin prison, the semi-official Fars agency reported. Until January, he was head of Iran's wealthy social welfare organisation but was removed under pressure from the Majlis - Iran's parliament. Mr Mortazavi, 45, was placed under US sanctions in 2010. He and other officials were accused by Washington of \"sustained and severe violations of human rights\". By Mohammad ManzarpourBBC Persian Saeed Mortazavi's arrest could be considered a turning point in Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's tenure as Iran's Supreme Leader. Having risen from obscurity as a young judge, Mr Mortazavi was instrumental in the mass culling of reformist newspapers during former President Mohammad Khatami's administration. He later gained further notoriety for his involvement in the case of Zahra Kazemi, an Iranian-Canadian photojournalist who died in custody following her arrest in 2003. More recently, Mr Mortazavi was accused in connection with the abuse and killing of post-election protesters in the Kahrizak detention centre. It is unlikely that Mr Mortazavi's arrest could have come without the supreme leader's approval. Whatever red-line Mr Mortazavi may have crossed to trigger this chain of events, his arrest marks the end of an era of impunity, long enjoyed by the Islamic state's most loyal enforcers. Analysts say his arrest could be the result of disputes between President Ahmadinejad on one hand and parliament and the judiciary on the other. The arrest was \"possibly\" in connection with allegations of torture and the deaths of prisoners after the controversial 2009 election, Fars reported. A few days after he was removed last month as head of the social welfare fund, he was rehired by President Ahmadinejad, but this time as official caretaker of the same organisation, angering some lawmakers. While defending the former prosecutor in parliament, Mr Ahmadinejad accused the head of parliament and the head of the judiciary of corruption, which analysts say might be one of the reasons behind Mr Mortazavi's arrest. Mr Ahmadinejad's controversial re-election in 2009 - and the violent suppression of subsequent opposition protests - has widened the rift between conservatives and reformists within Iran's political establishment. Correspondents say parliament has been hostile to Mr Ahmadinejad for most of his second four-year term which expires in August. Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani is a likely frontrunner in the race to succeed Mr Ahmadinejad.", "summary": "Iranian police have arrested former Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi, Iranian news agencies say."}
{"article": "The Tory manifesto says elderly people requiring care in their own homes would have to meet the cost - but would be allowed to keep \u00a3100,000. Mrs May says the changes will secure the social care system and ensure fairness \"across the generations\". But a Tory think tank says it could be the \"biggest stealth tax in history\". John Stanley, of the Bow Group, told BBC News: \"The impact on the core vote will be awful - what I call the 'Tory Shire'. \"Those shire Tories who work hard, play the game, live life by the rules. They're going to wake up Monday around the family copy of the Daily Mail asking themselves what on earth has just happened.\" Under the Conservative plans, set out in its general election manifesto, nobody who has assets of less than \u00a3100,000 will have to pay for care, which can include everything from help with daily tasks, such as washing and dressing, through to round-the-clock support. Currently anyone with assets of over \u00a323,250 is expected to pay the full cost of their care. If you are in a care home or nursing home, the value of your house can be taken into account. But that is not the case if you receive care in your own home. Under the Tory plans the value of your home may be factored in, although the money will not be taken from your estate until after death. This means some people could face losing their home after they die and will not be able to pass it down to their children. Mrs May has said the policy is fair because it protects elderly people from the fear that they will lose everything to pay for care. But some Conservative activists say the policy has not been properly thought through and is causing anxiety among elderly voters. A Conservative candidate, who did not want to be named, told the BBC they had asked party bosses to explain how homes will be valued, when savings are taken into account, and what happens to people who live in shared accommodation. There are also concerns that it will have an unfair impact on people living in the North and Midlands, where property prices are lower - and that some people may find they can't go afford to return home after hospital treatment. Conservative candidate Sarah Wollaston told BBC News: \"If you are somebody who has quite a large asset in your home but you might be living on a very fixed low income - that might make it very difficult for you to go home if you couldn't afford special care. \"I think it's very important that there is a period of grace to help them safely get home from hospital.\" Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has accused the Conservatives of \"forcing those who need social care to pay for it with their homes,\" labelling the policy a \"dementia tax\". Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said \"elderly people the length of Britain will shudder at these care cost proposals\". Get news from the BBC", "summary": "Tory plans to shake-up the funding of social care in England are likely to go down badly with the party's core voters, Theresa May has been warned."}
{"article": "The Outlaws' assistant head coach has been asked to assist with the pre-match warm-up at his home ground. Franks, 38, who played a solitary one-day international, in 2000, described the call as a \"pleasant surprise\". \"It's a wonderful opportunity to see England's best prepare for a very exciting series,\" he said. \"It's an opportunity to pick some brains and look at the best players and how they go about their work, because the best coaches learn from the players.\" Franks' senior international experience to date is limited to a wicketless nine overs and just four runs with the bat in a defeat by the West Indies, also at Trent Bridge. But, after a stint in 2015 coaching the United Arab Emirates. he has developed a growing reputation as a coach at Nottinghamshire, and was promoted to become Peter Moores' first-team assistant in November,", "summary": "Nottinghamshire's Paul Franks will join England's coaching staff for the Test match against South Africa at Trent Bridge in July."}
{"article": "And President Donald Trump has threatened to \"send in the Feds\" if the \"totally out of control\" city cannot halt the \"carnage\". But, now, Chicago has spent $1m (\u00c2\u00a3800,000) on ShotSpotter, installing hundreds of sensors in high-crime areas across two of its districts. And whenever a gun is fired, police officers are immediately given the exact location via a smartphone app. Nearly 100 US cities are now using ShotSpotter - but, despite its success, some remain unconvinced. Dover, the second largest city in Delaware, for example, has said the $195,000 annual cost could be better spent elsewhere. Quincy in Washington and Charlotte in North Carolina have also decided the technology is not for them. But ShotSpotter chief executive Ralph Clark said some of the cities that have signed up have seen a 35% year-on-year drop in gunfire. \"We are seeing thousands of incidents,\" he told the BBC. \"These are not homicides or woundings, but they are still serious crimes. \"These gunshots are not coming from thousands of people messing about, we are finding that it is from a few serious criminals - the authorised shooters in gangs who are using it to intimidate people, protect their turf.\" \"The biggest lever in reducing gun violence is to de-normalise it, and people are now seeing the police respond to these incidents, and they can see that the police are serving and protecting their communities.\" Three years ago, Chicago made a $2m investment in a predictive policing algorithm, which calculated potential victims of gun crime based on two variables, including how many times they had been arrested with others who later became gun crime victims. Developed by the Illinois Institute of Technology, the system generates a heat list of people most likely to kill or be killed. But according to a recent report from non-profit organisation The Rand Corporation, the investment has had little effect and simply means those on the watch list are more likely to be arrested. The Chicago Police Department countered that the report did not represent the prediction model as it currently worked and denied the system was deficient. Fresno Police Department, in California, recently tested software known as Beware - which sifts through address-specific public data and individuals' public postings to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter - to alert first responders on the way to a 911 emergency call. The platform, built by security company Intrado, colour codes people's threat level as green, yellow or red. But one member of the city council told the Washington Post that his threat level was yellow, due to a previous occupant of his address. \"Even though it's not me that's the yellow guy, your officers are going to treat whoever comes out of that house in his boxer shorts as the yellow guy,\" he said. The software proved too controversial, and in April the council decided not to renew its contract. Rob Kitchin, an expert on smart cities from Maynooth University, Ireland, said: \"There is this idea that technology can solve the problems of a city. \"People are treating cities as if there are", "summary": "Chicago has one of the highest murder rates in the US, with 51 homicides in January alone."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device If ever the people in charge decided I was the man they wanted then I would be delighted The Tottenham boss also said he did not hold any grudges at being overlooked. Redknapp had been the favourite to succeed Fabio Capello since the Italian quit in February. \"No problem,\" Redknapp said. \"I wish him [Hodgson] all the best. He's a great guy. I've got a great job here (at Spurs). I don't hold grudges.\" The Tottenham manager spoke to BBC Sport at Spurs' training ground on Monday morning after the FA made its approach to Hodgson on Sunday. The West Brom boss is due to be holding talks over the role, and is expected to be appointed in the next 48 hours. Redknapp added: \"I'm very happy to be doing what I am at Tottenham. \"I suppose it's all dragged on a bit [selection process] but it's no problem and I'll just get on with my job here and we are looking for a good end to the season. \"I like Roy, he's a top man and a good guy and I wish him great success. \"England have some fantastic players and I'm looking forward to the Euros. Life couldn't be better: the sun is shining, I'm in good health and I'm a very lucky man.\" Redknapp had received widespread backing in football since Capello's departure and the approach to Hodgson surprised many. Media playback is not supported on this device In February Hodgson himself said: \"Harry's receiving all the backing from virtually all quarters, but it's up to them to decide what they want to do and I don't think it's right for people like myself to say: 'I'm interested or I'm not interested' in the job because I've no idea what the FA have got in mind and what they want to do. \"I think it's right to keep one's options open,\" he added. Redknapp had described the England job as the \"ultimate job for an Englishman\". \"You have to look at the whole thing and realise just what a tough job it is,\" he said in February. \"No-one has a magic wand. They've all found it very difficult. Whoever takes that job has a real job on his hands. \"At my age (65) I have to do what's right for me. Whatever decision, my family will come first now. If the opportunity comes I will look at it in then.\"", "summary": "Harry Redknapp has wished Roy Hodgson well after the Football Association approached the West Brom manager for the England role."}
{"article": "His comments came on the eve of the 99th anniversary of the mass deportation of Armenians in 1915. Turkey denies Armenian claims that up to 1.5 million people were killed and that it constituted an act of genocide. Mr Erdogan said the events of 1915 had \"inhumane consequences,\" and expressed hope that those who died were at peace. By Guney YildizBBC World Service Prime Minister Erdogan is not under political pressure in Turkey to apologise. But by offering these unprecedented condolences, he will go down in history as the first Turkish prime minister to do so. Previously, Mr Erdogan has gone a step further and apologised for the genocidal massacres against Dersim Kurds. He sees these killings as the crimes of secularist nationalists and does not link them to his government. The Armenian government has yet to respond to the latest statement. But some think it will not change the status quo as it fell short of acknowledging the Armenian deaths as a massacre and accepting the Ottoman government's role. Turkey's rapprochement attempt with Armenia collapsed just after it started in 2009. The border between the two countries has remained closed since 1993. This statement needs to be accompanied by concrete actions to bring about a thaw in relations between the governments in Ankara and Yerevan. Turkey maintains that many of the dead were killed in clashes during World War I, and that ethnic Turks also suffered in the conflict. The exact nature of what happened remains highly contentious and has continued to sour relations between Turkey and Armenia. In his message, Mr Erdogan stopped short of using the term \"genocide\" to describe the mass killings. Mr Erdogan struck a conciliatory tone in his statement on Wednesday, in which he offered Turkey's condolences to the grandchildren of Armenians who lost their lives in 1915. In the statement, which was translated into nine languages including Armenian, he described the events of World War I as \"our shared pain\". \"Having experienced events which had inhumane consequences - such as relocation - during the First World War, (it) should not prevent Turks and Armenians from establishing compassion and mutually humane attitudes among towards one another,\" he said. He said \"millions of people of all religions and ethnicities lost their lives in the First World War\". But he said it was \"inadmissible\" for Armenia to use the 1915 events \"as an excuse for hostility against Turkey\" and to turn the issue \"into a matter of political conflict\". It is the first time a Turkish leader has formally offered condolences for the mass killings. He also repeated calls to set up a joint historical commission into the events surrounding the killings - a request that has so far been denied by the Armenian authorities. There has been a slight thaw in relations between Turkey and Armenia in recent years. The governments of the two countries agreed to normalise relations in October 2009, but peace efforts have since stalled and the border remains shut. Last year, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called the 1915-16 events a \"mistake\" during", "summary": "Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered condolences for the first time for the mass killings of Armenians under Ottoman rule during WWI."}
{"article": "The boss of Total, speaking to the BBC this week, gave a pithy insight into the market - that they used to think $100 per barrel was effectively a price floor, and now it feels more like there's a ceiling. And yet neither is true, he added. The price goes up and down, no-one can be sure where and when. While it stays under the $60 zone, there's a lot of adjustment still to go in the Scottish oil and gas sector, as we learned from the latest Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce survey. It found nearly two-thirds of contractors reduced staffing in the past year. In the next year, 15% said they expected to boost hiring, but 30% said the cuts would go on. Just over quarter of the sector's contractors are more confident about the year following the survey, and 50% less so. But they're being resourceful. Even though the moratorium in Scotland may be made permanent, 70% expect to move into fracking and other unconventional drilling. Some 61% anticipate being involved in renewable energy and 85% in decommissioning over the next five years. The woes of the oil and gas sector help explain a lot about what's going wrong with the Scottish economy and jobs market. The figures out this week were described as \"unsettling\" and \"an amber light\" by the Federation of Small Businesses. That's something of an understatement. The unemployment rate is higher - 6.2% to the UK rate of 5.1%. Wales is at 4.8%, so it's not all about the rich south-east. The only nation or English region to have a higher rate than Scotland is the English north-east, with 7.9% unemployment. The gap, which was a permanent feature for the Scottish economy last century, has not been this wide since 2004, the point at which the Scottish economy began an unprecedented period of convergence with the UK's, if not bettering it. But it's the job creation figures that are more striking. In the first quarter of this year, compared with the last quarter of 2015, the Labour Market Survey suggests there were about 97,000 new jobs across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In the same period, Scotland lost 53,000 jobs. Since the first quarter of last year, the rest of the UK has seen employment growth of 454,000. If Scotland were performing like the rest of the UK, it should have nearly 10% of those. Instead, it lost 45,000 jobs over the year. The Resolution Foundation think tank puts it in the context of the downturn. Last autumn, Scotland at last reached the employment rate before the crash, back in 2008. It has now fallen below it again. Unemployment went up by less than 2,000 during the year to January-March. That was while the UK total fell by 139,000. So the other factor explains a lot - the rise in the economically inactive, people, aged 16 to 64, who tell the Labour Force Surveyors that they are not available for work. Among those aged under 65, the numbers looking after family, in full-time education and with", "summary": "Brent crude has been flirting with the $50 mark, and the prospect of a further rise towards a sustainable level in the sixties dollar range."}
{"article": "The 48-year-old singer and actor Joshua Sasse, 28, announced their engagement earlier this year. The couple subsequently vowed to postpone their nuptials until same-sex marriage becomes legal in Australia. Dressed in \"Say I Do Down Under\" T-shirts at the Arias in Sydney, the pair urged the change to come next year. \"We're here to introduce a shining light in the Australian music industry,\" Minogue told the audience on Wednesday night. \"But we're also here to say thank you to everyone who has supported Josh's campaign for equality.\" Sasse, who founded the \"Say I Do Down Under\" campaign, said: \"This is more than a movement, this is people's lives and we want to say to every single member of the LGBT community that you are not alone. \"You have a voice and if we all stand together we can bring Australia back on the right side of history and make 2017 the year that we can all say 'I do' down under.\" Australian pop star Sia also used the awards night to address the issue, sending a same-sex marriage campaigner to collect her award for best female artist. The Australian government's plan to settle the same-sex marriage debate through a public vote early next year was blocked by the Senate two weeks ago. Critics said a nationwide campaign would be expensive, unnecessary and unleash a torrent of homophobic rhetoric. Sasse's \"Say I Do Down Under\" campaign, along with other lobby groups, is now pushing for parliament to change the law. His campaign has attracted celebrity supporters including Chris Martin, Ellie Goulding and Sir Ian McKellen.", "summary": "Kylie Minogue and her British fianc\u00c3\u00a9 have called on Australia to legalise same-sex marriage in an appearance at the nation's top music awards."}
{"article": "They include several Brazilians, two Americans, a South African, an Australian, a Briton and a French man. The accused were employed at the time by the companies involved - Brazil's Samarco and Vale, and BHP Billiton. In November 2015 a mine dam burst, killing 19 people and polluting miles of Brazil's waterways. According to the lead prosecutor in the case, Jose Leite Sampaio, the companies were aware there was a risk of collapse but ignored it. They immediately rejected the charges and said they would defend their staff. Mr Sampaio accused Brazilian mining company Vale, Anglo-Australian giant BHP Billiton and iron ore producer Samarco, which they co-own, of pursuing profits rather than attending to safety. \"Security was always of secondary importance. The increase in production at Samarco sought to compensate for the falling value of the ore in order, not only to maintain, but also to boost profits and dividends,\" Mr Sampaio said in a televised news conference near the site of the disaster. Vale said in a statement that it \"vehemently rejects the charges\" and that it would defend its staff members. It said the evidence showed there was no knowledge the dam could fail before the collapse. BHP said it \"rejects outright the charges against the company and the affected individuals. We will defend the charges against the company, and fully support each of the affected individuals in their defence.\" Before the case can go to trial, the charges need to be approved by a judge. Millions of tonnes of muddy mine waste were released on 5 November 2015 when a dam collapsed. A village was flattened and drinking water was affected for hundreds of thousands of people. The sludge eventually pooled out into the Atlantic Ocean. The disaster drew comparisons with the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, as the Brazilian authorities sought redress for the environmental devastation from the companies it deemed responsible. The mining companies have managed to reach a deal with Brazil's environmental authorities to set up an institute that will help clean up the pollution and rebuild some communities for the next 10 years. But prosecutors tasked with finding the guilty parties are less willing to compromise. In a 273-page document, they blamed top managers, accusing them of merely using \"bandages\" to deal with a serious threat. Prosecutors also want the accused to respond to a popular jury, assuming these charges get the go-ahead from the judge. The companies responded by accusing prosecutors of ignoring the evidence against those claims. As the Samarco tragedy approaches its first anniversary, it seems that this case will still drag on for years to come. The accused include Ricardo Vescovi, who was chief executive of Samarco at the time of the disaster. Under Brazilian law qualified homicide is similar to, but more serious than, a manslaughter charge. The accused, if found guilty, could face sentences of up to 54 years.", "summary": "Brazilian prosecutors have filed homicide charges against 21 people a year after an iron ore mine disaster in the state of Minas Gerais."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old won the last of his 34 caps against New Zealand in 2013. \"I had a phone call from Eddie before he picked the England squad saying I need to get back to the running rugby and get hands on the ball in the wide channels,\" said Foden. \"That's the first time anyone's ever told me that from England - it was always the other way around.\" He added to BBC Radio Northampton: \"They always said my counter game was good and I was good with ball in the wide channels but the rest of the game needed working on so it was quite bizarre for him to turn around and say that to me.\" Saints, losing Premiership semi-finalists last season, have struggled for form this term and are currently seven points off fourth-placed Harlequins in sixth. And Foden said his conversation with Jones was linked to the problems his club side have had. \"It just shows where we are as a Northampton back-line, we haven't been firing,\" he added. \"Individually, I haven't been getting the ball in the wide channels and doing what I used to do in a Northampton Saints shirt. \"Hopefully that will light a fire for a few of us - I think Luther [Burrell] had the same conversation as well.\"", "summary": "Northampton full-back Ben Foden says England head coach Eddie Jones has told him to \"get back to running rugby\"."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old suffered up the injury late on in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Championship leaders Burnley. After being recalled early from loan at League One side Millwall, he was making his first Wolves start in five months. But there is now a chance he may not play again this season, after being ruled out for a minimum of four weeks. \"We will have to see how he progresses,\" said Wolves medical chief Phil Hayward. \"He has sustained an injury to his left quad and scans have revealed it to be a grade two injury. \"He has a chance to be back and available before the end of the season. He will be out for probably four to six weeks.\" Wolves boss Kenny Jackett is now without eight first-team players. Striker Nouha Dicko, wingers Razak Boukari and Jordan Graham and defender Ethan Ebanks-Landell are all out for the season, while centre-half Mike Williamson, winger James Henry and midfielder Dave Edwards are also absent. Edwards, who is on course to return from his broken foot next month, is still hopeful of being fit for Wales' Euro 2016 campaign this summer. Williamson and Henry could return sooner, having been lined up to resume training following the Easter weekend. Beacuse of the international break, Wolves do not have a game until Saturday 2 April when they host former manager Mick McCarthy's Ipswich Town.", "summary": "Wolves midfielder Jed Wallace has become the Championship club's latest injury casualty and will be out for up to six weeks with a thigh strain."}
{"article": "About 100 people were involved in the incident towards the end of Didcot Town's Southern Football League game against Hereford FC. Didcot said it was \"very disappointed\", while Hereford - leading 2-1 at the time of the abandonment - said it was \"deeply concerned\". BBC commentator Bill Rennells said \"fists were flying everywhere\". A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: \"A 19-year-old man from Hereford was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence, and a 19-year-old man from Hereford was arrested on suspicion of common assault.\" Both men have been bailed until April. About 800 people attended Saturday's match, with the majority supporting the visiting Hereford team. Didcot manager Andy Ballard called it a \"very bizarre day\". He added: \"I do have to commend the referee, he made a fantastic decision to call the game off. \"He couldn't guarantee the safety of the players, the supporters and everybody in the ground, so he made a very tough call, but I think it's the right one.\" Hereford FC were formed in 2015 after former Football League club Hereford United were wound up in London's Royal Court of Justice the previous year. They are the best supported team in the Southern League, with an average home attendance this season in excess of 2,700. In a statement, the club said: \"It goes without saying that Hereford FC does not condone unlawful behaviour of any sort and club officials will be working very closely with the local police, Didcot Town, the stewards who were in attendance, the FA and the Southern League to establish the relevant facts, secure all available evidence and conduct a thorough investigation.\" Mr Rennells, a journalist since the age of 14, said: \"It's something I've never ever seen before in my 71-year career. There were people being held back, and some people trying to stop it.\"", "summary": "Two men were arrested after a violent pitch invasion caused a football match to be abandoned."}
{"article": "This marks the end of the Welsh government's Open Doors 2015 event. Caernarfon Castle, Gwynedd, Ruthin Jail, Denbighshire, Caerphilly Castle, Strata Florida Abbey, Ceredigion, and St David's Bishop's Palace, Pembrokeshire, are all involved. Deputy Tourism Minister Ken Skates said he hoped it had sparked an interest to explore \"our fascinating heritage\".", "summary": "Heritage sites across Wales have free entry this weekend as part of a scheme to get people interested in history."}
{"article": "The Torquay United goalkeeper has yet to make his debut for the National League side, but no-one else at the club can claim to have faced the kind of players the Gibraltar international has. In the eight caps he has won for the fledgling football nation, Robba has come up against world champions Germany, Euro 2016 winners Portugal as well as Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. \"It's hard to get my head around it. How the hell am I playing against the European champions? It doesn't make sense,\" he tells BBC Sport. But since Gibraltar's acceptance as an international footballing nation in 2013, Robba and his team-mates, who had previously relied on the Island Games to give them 'international' matches against the likes of Jersey, the Isle of Man and Shetland, now find themselves on the same stage as World Cup golden boot winner Thomas Muller. \"The whole team pinches themselves while we're there, because most of them are semi-pros at most,\" says Robba. \"We've got a few professionals, but even the professionals think 'what are we doing playing against the European champions?'\" But from the heights of having four put past him by Portugal in Porto and 'narrowly' losing 4-1 to Greece in midweek, Robba will come back down to earth with a bump on Saturday as he returns to the bench for Torquay United when they host York City in the National League. It is the 24-year-old's first professional deal and he is understudy to the club's United States goalkeeper Brendan Moore. But Robba hopes that playing full-time will help ensure that he is the one who gets the nod for the Rock's big matches. \"It's my first year that I've tried to be a professional, so I have to adapt and I'm still adapting and still trying to get used to it,\" he says of the switch from part-time to full-time football. \"I'm hoping that this can cement my number one place in the long term in the Gibraltar squad and the line-up. \"It's between me and Jordan Perez, who played against Greece, who's a good goalkeeper himself and played well against Greece. \"I've come to Torquay to try and do my best. Brendan's a really good keeper and a really good guy - I try and push him and he tries and push me. That's football, that's what you do. \"Good competition makes us all better and it's the manager's choice who plays.\" How long Robba has to wait to make his debut in England is unclear, but his manager at Torquay, Kevin Nicholson, says he has potential. \"Jamie's come in done great for us, trained well and he's keen to show what he can do,\" Nicholson said. \"Brendan's been doing very well, so he'll keep his spot, but I know that Jamie won't give up.\"", "summary": "In the space of 10 days one footballer will go from taking on the European champions to warming the bench in the fifth tier of English football - welcome to the world of Jamie Robba."}
{"article": "The suspects - from Doncaster, Warminster, Northampton and London - are being questioned by Scotland Yard's e-Crime unit. Their arrests are part of a wider operation involving UK law enforcement and the FBI. At the same time, 14 suspected members of Anonymous appeared in a US court. Authorities around the world have been rounding up suspects following a wave of attacks by both groups on major corporations and government institutions. Amazon, PayPal, the CIA, US Senate and the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency have all suffered either intrusions or denial of service attacks, designed to take their websites offline. In the latest round of British arrests, police detained 20-year-old Christopher Weatherhead from Northampton and 26-year-old Ashley Rhodes from Kennington, near London. The pair are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on 7 September. Detectives also arrested a 24-year-old man from Doncaster, and a 20-year-old from Wiltshire for conspiring to commit offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. In the United States, a mass court appearance saw 14 suspected Anonymous members appear before a judge in San Jose, California. All of them denied being involved in a denial of service attack on PayPal's website in December 2010. Anonymous had publicly declared its intent to target both PayPal and Amazon for, what the group perceived as, their complicity in isolating whistle blowing website Wikileaks. Following the leaking of confidential US State Department memos, PayPal stopped processing donations to Wikileaks, while Amazon kicked the site off its web hosting service.", "summary": "Four men have been arrested in separate parts of the UK by police investigating the hacker groups Anonymous and LulzSec."}
{"article": "The incident was reported at 13:45 BST on Saturday. The Air Ambulance Northern Ireland airlifted the boy to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children where he is in a stable condition. The callout was the first mission for the helicopter and its crew. The air ambulance team is currently working through final preparations including training and familiarisation flights ahead of an official media launch of the service planned for early August. However as a result of the serious nature of the incident, the aircraft was tasked to bring the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) doctor and paramedic to the scene. Glenn O'Rorke, the operational lead for HEMS, said that the service will provide a doctor-paramedic team, for the whole of Northern Ireland, which will provide rapid interventions at the scene of where people have been injured before transferring patients to the appropriate hospital. \"It will make a huge difference to patients' lives and their outcome, it will improve their quality of life after injury because we will be there in a very short period of time,\" he said. The campaign for the HEMS was begun by the late Dr John Hinds. Northern Ireland was previously the only part in the UK without such a service.", "summary": "An 11-year-old boy has been seriously injured following an incident involving a tractor in the Castlewellan area of County Down."}
{"article": "Keshi will be best remembered as a coach but he also had a successful career as a player at club and international level. Winning the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria was the highlight of his international playing days. As a player he had stints in Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Belgium, France and United States of America. Keshi began his professional career with now-defunct Nigerian side ACB of Lagos and his hometown club New Nigeria Bank of Benin City. His first move abroad was not to Europe but to Ivory Coast where he won the domestic cup with Stade Abidjan in 1985 and 1986, before moving to their local rivals Africa Sports. He became known as the \"Big Boss\" during his playing days as he was one of the first Africans to move to the European leagues in the 1980's. Belgium was his first port of call when he joined Lokeren, which in later years became a popular destination for other African players. Keshi's compatriots Victor Ikpeba and Sunday Oliseh as well as Ghana's Nii Lamptey also played for Lokeren. It was at another Belgian side where Keshi really thrived, spending four years at Anderlecht a side that he also captained. While at Anderlecht he won the Belgian Cup in 1988 and 1989 before helping them to the league title in 1991. After that success, he moved across the border to French second division side RC Strasbourg and is fondly remembered for scoring the second goal in a 4-1 win over Rennes on 13 May 1992 which secured the team's promotion to the top flight. The following season saw Keshi and Strasbourg finish in eighth place - their highest ever finish in the top division - before he made a swift return to Belgium with Molenbeek that summer. His return to Belgium was not the success he had hoped for and he eventually moved to the United States to play for Jaguar Bay, San Jose and Sacramento Scorpions. He eventually ended his playing career in Malaysia with Perlis in 1995. Keshi earned more than 60 caps for Nigeria and won the 1994 Nations Cup with Super Eagles, although injury prevented him from playing in the final against Zambia. He made two appearances, including as captain for their semi-final win over Ivory Coast on penalties, but the Nigeria coach at the time, Clemens Westerhof, refused to risk playing him in the final. Later that year Keshi, was part of Nigeria's squad at the World Cup in the United States but another injury meant he played only once in the final group match against Greece. Once his playing days were over he made the United States his home and went into semi-retirement. His first coaching experience came when his daughter's elementary school were looking for a coach and she demanded that her father helped out and gave his number to the principle. And so began his journey into coaching as he declared: \"I was reborn and discovered it was something I could do.\" It sparked his dream of one day coaching Nigeria but before", "summary": "African football is mourning the death of former Nigeria coach and captain Stephen Keshi, who passed away aged 54."}
{"article": "The Reds had their capacity reduced to zero earlier this month when the council revealed they did not have a required safety certificate holder. The Championship club have now been granted their certificate but the City Ground will only be able to hold 24,357 people - a reduction of 6,088. Forest begin their 2016-17 campaign at home to Burton Albion on 6 August. The initial delay was because the council were not satisfied that a suitable person was found to fill the role as certificate holder - a legal requirement for sports clubs - but this issue has now been rectified. \"We are pleased that Nottingham Forest has now put forward a suitable person to take on the crucial role of safety certificate holder,\" said Nottinghamshire County Council's Robert Fisher. \"However, the council and our Safety Advisory Group partners need to be confident that the club is fully supporting the certificate holder to fulfil their role and unfortunately a number of concerns remain.\" A statement from Forest said: \"The club will continue to work in partnership with the council in order to address the outstanding issues to ensure that the safety factor is restored to full capacity as quickly as possible.\" The Reds, who host Premier League Hull City in pre-season game on Saturday, had attendances higher than 24,357 three times last season - against Derby County in November (25,114), the visit of Leeds United in December (27,551) and the FA Cup fourth-round tie with Watford (24,703). Fisher added: \"We require evidence to demonstrate that safety matters are discussed in senior management meetings at the club. \"We also await an action plan for improvements to the facilities for visiting disabled spectators and an up-to-date written safety policy outlining roles at the club. \"As a consequence of this, a restriction on spectator capacity is required until these issues are resolved. \"The council is continuing to work closely with the club to see that an appropriate action plan is carried out to address remaining issues, so we are able to restore the club's previous full capacity status over the coming weeks.\"", "summary": "Nottingham Forest's capacity has been reduced by 20% by Nottinghamshire County Council to fewer than 25,000."}
{"article": "Despite being relegated to League One, Mowbray says that he has the backing of Blackburn's owners, Venky's. \"They've been very supportive and I think they are going to give us some financial support, to ensure that we have a very strong season next year,\" he told BBC Radio Lancashire. \"They are basically telling me that those decisions will be mine. There is no pressure to sell any players.\" Mowbray replaced Owen Coyle as manager at Ewood Park in February, but could not save Rovers from being relegated from the Championship on the final day. The 53-year-old has experience of managing in the third tier having been in charge at Coventry City before Blackburn. \"What I know now is it's a really difficult league,\" he added. \"There are some big strong powerful men in that league. It's a job for men, not for boys, which I found out at Coventry City.\"", "summary": "Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray says he is under no pressure to sell players."}
{"article": "But even from the road below the village you can see the buildings are shattered, roofs collapsed, more reminiscent of a war zone than the Umbrian countryside. Nearly a year on from the earthquakes which devastated this region of central Italy, visitors have just been allowed back into the so-called \"zona rossa\" near Castellucio, although not the village itself. The red zone marks areas still regarded as too dangerous to visit but an exception was made for people to see \"La Fioritura\". This is a spectacular showing of wild flowers in the meadows of the Piano Grande. We joined a convoy of around 40 cars to be taken through army road blocks high up into the Sibillini mountains. Village after village showed the impact of the earthquakes that hit this region, first in August 2016 and then again in October. These villages look as if the earthquake had just happened, instead of nearly a year ago. Most of the people who lived there have been moved to hotels on the coast. We left our cars on top of a high ridge and trekked for two hours down on to the plain, overlooked by the jagged peak of Monte Vettore, which marks the boundary between Umbria and Le Marche. A deep, black crack could be seen high up on the mountainside which had appeared after the earthquake. As we came down on to the plain, extraordinary splashes of colour came into view, reminiscent of an Impressionist canvas. Meadows were tinted red with swathes of poppies, others bright blue with cornflowers. Normally there would be 10,000 visitors a day to photograph the splendours of the Fioritura, we were told. This year it is in the hundreds. There are more beehives than people in the fields. The 16 sq km (6 sq miles) Piano Grande - literally the big plain - was once a glacier lake and is surrounded by mountains. It is here that the farmers of Castelluccio plant their lentils, a crop that has become famous amongst foodies around the world. This year they were only allowed in by convoy to prepare for the season ahead. No-one is allowed up into what has become a ghost village. It was once the highest inhabited village in Italy at 1,452m (4,760 ft). Below what has been his home for generations, Lorenzo Caponecchi is selling lentils and wild peas in a stall by the side of the road. I wondered why it was taking time for rebuilding to begin. Was it because these were such old buildings or was it a question of money? No, said his partner Monia Falzetti angrily. \"It's the state and the politicians. There is plenty of money from the EU but we aren't seeing any of it.\" Other former inhabitants of Castelluccio are so angry at the lack of help that they believe visitors should not be allowed into the Piano Grande. It is the tourism of rubble, they proclaim. But the local mayor told La Repubblica that the flowers of the Piano Grande do not just belong to the people", "summary": "From a distance Castelluccio looks the same as it has done for 1,000 years, a beautiful hilltop town in the midst of one of Italy's most celebrated plains, the Piano Grande."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 24-year-old from Newport beat Charly Suarez of the Philippines on a split decision in his opening bout on day one of competition. Cordina will face Hurshid Tojibaev of Uzbekistan in the round of 16 on Tuesday (15:30 BST). \"They had it as a split decision but I thought I won every round,\" he said. \"The first one is normally my shaky one and it was against a tough opponent in Charlie Suarez.\" The 2015 European champion expects another tough contest against the 26-year-old Tojibaev who has fought as a professional and qualified for the Olympics through AIBA Pro Boxing ranking. The Uzbek scored a unanimous points win over Hakan Erseker of Qatar in his first bout. \"As soon as the draw came out I said I have one of the hardest routes of anyone in the 60kg,\" added Cordina. \"But you have to beat them all to win the gold and that's what I'm planning on doing. \"I know a bit about Tojibaev and I've seen a couple of his bouts and I'm more than capable of beating him. \"He's going to be very wary of me because I'm a European champion. It is what it is and the best man will win on the day. \"Being the European champion everyone is going to be looking at me as well as the likes of the Cubans and the Russians - it's good.\"", "summary": "Welsh boxer Joe Cordina believes he has got his \"shaky\" first fight out of his system and has set his sights on lightweight gold in Rio."}
{"article": "Chasing a modest 130 in a game reduced to 20 overs per side by rain, the hosts were set for a historic triumph with 20 needed off 16 balls and Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara at the crease. However, Morgan's departure for 33 was the first of four wickets to fall for three runs in eight balls as England were struck by a bout of nerves. They finished on 124-8 after James Tredwell missed the last ball of the innings with six required for victory. 1979 World Cup: Lost to West Indies by 92 runs 1987 World Cup: Lost to Australia by seven runs 1992 World Cup: Lost to Pakistan by 22 runs 2004 Champions Trophy: Lost to West Indies by two wickets 2010 World Twenty20: Beat Australia by seven wickets 2013 Champions Trophy: Lost to India by five runs Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took 2-14 and slow left-armer Ravindra Jadeja 2-24 to complement his vital unbeaten 33 off 25 balls in India's 129-7. England are left to reflect on a fifth defeat in a major final - and another agonising loss in the Champions Trophy showpiece after going down to West Indies in 2004 - following the sort of woeful batting display that many thought had been consigned to the past. A jubilant India, meanwhile, can add the Champions Trophy to the World Cup they won in 2011. They - and the thousands of India fans among a sell-out crowd - also owe a debt of thanks to the International Cricket Council, which extended the close of play by more than an hour to allow the match to finish at 20:30 BST. The manner in which England floundered against spin - two batsmen were stumped, albeit one, in Ian Bell, despite replays suggesting otherwise - took the gloss off a fine performance with the ball. Bopara's 3-20 was therefore in vain, while his dismissal for a punchy 30 - what looked like being the game's most pivotal innings - is likely to be remembered as part of an infamous collapse. A fifth-wicket stand of 64 between Morgan and Bopara aside, England were rarely comfortable during a pursuit that was undermined when Alastair Cook edged Umesh Yadav to first slip in the second over. \"India have been the team of the tournament and nobody can begrudge them this victory. Thank goodness the close of play time was extended because we had a fantastic game of cricket. It was a remarkable over from Ishant Sharma and it was that which turned the match around.\" Jonathan Trott, criticised for his strike-rate in this tournament, batted like he had a point to prove in making 20 off 17 balls, only to over-balance as he attempted to work Ashwin to the on side. Mahendra Dhoni completed a smart stumping off a leg-side wide. Joe Root swept Ashwin to short fine-leg and Bell was stumped - some replays suggested his foot was grounded - when he dragged his foot out pushing at man of the match Jadeja, leaving England 46-4. Bopara hit two huge leg-side sixes and Morgan", "summary": "England's search for a global one-day title goes on after they collapsed to a five-run defeat by India in a pulsating Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston."}
{"article": "The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has been granted permission by Westminster City Council to replace the Warner Stand at the London ground. The MCC said the new structure, which includes a 135-seat restaurant with views of the ground, will improve sight-lines and accessibility. Work is set to begin on the \u00c2\u00a321m project at the end of the 2015 season. The redevelopment must first be approved by the club's membership, with the committee set to seek approval at a special general meeting in the summer of 2015. The current Warner Stand was built in 1958 and its replacement is the first phase of development in the 15-year Masterplan for Lord's, which was unveiled last May. MCC chief executive Derek Brewer said the club \"wants Lord's to be the world's finest cricket ground and this new stand combines the best in architecture with world-class facilities to help achieve that\". \"Lord's celebrates its 200th birthday this year and we have a duty to ensure any changes made to the ground will stand the test of time and bring long-term benefits.\" He added the MCC, who remain the guardians of the laws and spirit of cricket, will continue to consult with local residents in St John's Wood about the ground's redevelopment.", "summary": "Plans to redevelop a stand at Lord's, the home of cricket, have been given the go-ahead."}
{"article": "Broad, 29 - the world's top-ranked Test bowler - was drafted in after Liam Plunkett suffered a thigh injury. Plunkett, who had been brought in to replace the injured Steven Finn, will instead try to prove his fitness ahead of the subsequent Twenty20 matches. Broad has not featured in an England limited-overs squad since the World Cup in March 2015. England's first one-day international in South Africa is a day-night match in Bloemfontein on 3 February. Broad took six second-innings wickets for 17 runs in the third Test in Johannesburg to help England to a series win,", "summary": "England bowler Stuart Broad has been called up to the one-day squad for the series in South Africa."}
{"article": "The suspect used to work at the home, near Montpellier, a source close to the investigation told AFP news agency. Prosecutor Christophe Barret said the motive was not clear but it was not linked to \"Islamist terrorism\". France remains in a formal state of emergency since a wave of terrorist attacks last year. The suspect, 47, was arrested near his home, about 10 miles (15km) from Montferrier-sur-Lez, the town where the attack was carried out. He worked at the home several years ago, and is now unemployed, the source said. Witnesses said the assailant was armed with a shotgun and a knife when he entered the home on Thursday night. A nurse raised the alarm after escaping from the home but when police arrived they found the body of the dead woman gagged and tied up outside the building. The 54-year-old woman, who worked in the home, has not been named. The home caters for former missionaries with past service in Africa, as well as several nuns. Residents \"are very elderly with an average age of 75 although some are over 90\", a local councillor said, adding that many need assistance to walk.", "summary": "A former soldier, suspected of stabbing a woman to death in a retirement home for former missionaries, has been arrested in France."}
{"article": "The former owner of BHS, said it was \"wholly untrue\" that he had tried to pressurise the regulator. He also attacked statements made by MP Frank Field, calling them \"untrue, totally inaccurate and unhelpful\". Sir Philip said: \"I would like to apologise sincerely to all the BHS people involved in this sorry affair.\" He was responding to press articles suggesting he had been putting pressure on the Pensions Regulator by saying he would help plug the BHS pensions gap if it dropped an investigation into the retail chain's collapse. He also reacted angrily to statements in the House of Commons on Wednesday by Mr Field, chairman of the Work and Pensions Committee, that Sir Philip was unwilling to reach a pension fund settlement. \"I stated at the [Work and Pensions Select Committee] hearing that it was my intention to try to find a solution, which is a voluntary one, and that is still my aim,\" he said. \"Contrary to all the coverage I have been working on this issue on a daily basis.\" He said that he and his executives, had been co-operating with the Pensions Regulator for some 17 to 18 months. \"Since before the company was sold in March 2015, it was always our intention to find a plan for the BHS pensioners that was better than the Pension Protection Fund and that remains the case today,\" he said. The retail tycoon sold BHS for a \u00a31 just over a year before it went bust in April with a pension deficit of \u00a3571m.", "summary": "Sir Philip Green has hit back at suggestions that he is attempting to \"blackmail\" the Pensions Regulator over plugging the \u00a3571m BHS pension deficit."}
{"article": "Mohammed Haji Sadiq taught for 30 years at Cardiff's Madina mosque and abused four girls as a form of punishment. He was found guilty of eight sexual assaults on a child under 13 by touching, and six indecent assaults after a trial at Cardiff Crown Court. The court heard Sadiq, of Cyncoed, \"took advantage of his position\". He had denied the charges involving four girls aged between five and 11 and blamed \"politics\" in the mosque for the accusations. But sentencing him, Judge Stephen Hopkins QC told Sadiq: \"Children called you 'uncle' as a mark of respect. You are a man in my judgement of some cunning.\" He added: \"Beneath the veneer there is a dark and deviant side.\" Sadiq, who was a part-time Imam, sexually assaulted two girls under the age of 13 by touching, and indecently assaulted two other girls over a decade between 1996 and 2006 at the Woodville Road mosque. He abused them if they made a mistake while reciting the Koran and would use a stick as a form of punishment in class, hitting people over the hand or hard on the back. Some of his victims said they were afraid to attend the mosque because of his abuse. One said she had attempted to take her own life because of the abuse. In victim impact statements read to the court, others said they felt they could not tell anyone about the abuse because of the culture they grew up in. The court heard one victim feared the consequences of speaking out following Sadiq's conviction. She said: \"Due to my religion it was very difficult, almost impossible to tell anyone what had happened\". She added: \"In the Muslim religion we do not talk about personal matters\". Another victim said it was \"not acceptable\" in her culture to talk about what was happening at the mosque. She said: \"I remember the relief I felt when I told my mother, and she believed me and went to the police. \"In my family honour is very important, but my family have been very supportive\". Sadiq has had no involvement in the mosque since 2006 when it burnt down and was re-sited elsewhere in the city. He was cleared of one indecent assault after his trial last month. In addition to his jail sentence, he was issued with a sexual harm prevention order and will have to register as a sex offender. Det Ch Insp Rob Cronick of South Wales Police praised the \"immense courage\" of the victims who came forward. \"As a result of the verdict and today's sentence I believe there may be members of the community who may now feel confident enough to speak to the police or our support agencies,\" he added. A spokesman for the children's charity NSPCC said: \"This was an appalling breach of trust and Sadiq has rightly received a significant prison sentence for these heinous offences.\" A Muslim Council of Wales spokeswoman said: \"We applaud the bravery and courage of the young women who now, as adults, pursued the case and pursued justice.", "summary": "An 81-year-old former Koran teacher who was convicted of a string of child sex offences has been jailed for 13 years."}
{"article": "The Jersey hoard was found in a field by metal detectorists Richard Miles and Reg Meade in 2012. The leather purse is about the size of an average palm and is described as an important find by senior conservator Neil Mahrer. He said they have so far removed some 40,000 coins and this was the first bag they had come across. Mr Mahrer said: \"It is made of leather, it looks like it is either made of one sheet or bootlace strands. \"It is about 8cm across and 4cm deep. It is joined at one side to two rings that could have been for fixing it to a belt.\" The team from Jersey Heritage have been working for the past 18 months on removing the coins one at a time. There are an estimated 70,000 coins in the hoard. Mr Mahrer said: \"The really important thing that might change our ideas is when we get to look at the coins themselves as we don't know the significance of the purse to the people who buried the hoard.\" He said they would be removing all the coins surrounding the purse so they could then remove it with the earth in a single block. The previous major find from the hoard was a selection of gold jewellery. Mr Mahrer said: \"Since removing the gold torques we thought we were in a coin-rich areas but seeing this it looks like we're in a rich seem of surprises again. \"Finding a purse where the whole thing is intact with the coins inside is pretty rare.\"", "summary": "A rare purse has been found in the middle of one of the world's largest hoards of celtic coins."}
{"article": "The German, in a 2015 Ferrari for the first time after his move from Red Bull, headed Sauber's Marcus Ericsson. The new Mercedes made an ominous debut, with Nico Rosberg third fastest after completing a remarkable 157 laps. Fernando Alonso managed only six laps as McLaren began their engine partnership with Honda. Alonso was 18 seconds off the pace as the team struggled to get the car and engine running together - just as they had when they tried to run the engine in a 2014 car at a post-season test in Abu Dhabi in November. McLaren played down the situation, saying the car had been kept in the pits by \"a few niggly problems\". Alonso seemed unperturbed, writing on his Twitter account: \"First laps. So proud of my team. Happy.\" The two-time champion hands over to Jenson Button on Monday as the two McLaren drivers alternate throughout the four days of the test. Meanwhile, McLaren chief executive Ron Dennis added that the car's livery - standard silver and black for now - would change at some point during the year, although he would not say when. Vettel's fastest time was a one minute 22.620 seconds lap and his position at the top of the time sheets was a mirror of the same test last year, when his new team-mate Kimi Raikkonen set the pace for Ferrari. The Italian team went on to have their worst season for more than 20 years, precipitating a series of sackings of top managers. The team lost its president, two team principals, and several senior design engineers by the end of 2014 and are not expecting to be competitive at the start of this year. Ericsson's pace for the struggling Sauber team underlined the relative meaninglessness of headline times in testing, when it is impossible to know what specification the cars are running in. But there was no escaping the fact that Mercedes had a successful first day. Rosberg completed more than twice as many laps as any other driver and was able to lap at will in the one minute 23 second bracket. World champion Lewis Hamilton was not allowed to drive as each team is only allowed to run one car per day. The team that dominated last season, winning 16 of the 19 races, is again a strong favourite this year. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo was fourth fastest, 0.232secs behind Rosberg, but Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey said he did not expect the team to be able to challenge Mercedes for the championship this season. \"It was a decent first day, usual new car niggles, a battery issue and an engine problem, but nothing major so far,\" Newey said. He said the Red Bull, running in a temporary camouflage livery, was \"hopefully a decent step forward from last year\", but he added that a title challenge would be \"extremely difficult, in truth. \"The Mercedes power advantage was about 10% last year and that is not something Renault can close in one season. we are still going to be on the back", "summary": "Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel set the pace on the first day of pre-season testing as Mercedes impressed and the new McLaren-Honda struggled."}
{"article": "4 June 2014 Last updated at 21:59 BST The government is so concerned about the lack of cover that it is introducing a new scheme that will force insurers to offer policies at affordable rates. But that doesn't come in until next year. Clinton Rogers reports from the village of Moorland.", "summary": "Volunteers are rebuilding several uninsured homes on the Somerset Levels after floods that cost the West Country millions of pounds."}
{"article": "The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has written to legal representatives of most of the families after a request to David Cameron. Two sisters of one victim have rejected the offer. Thirteen people died after members of the British Army's Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights marchers in Londonderry on 30 January 1972. The MoD has confirmed it intends to resolve the claims as quickly as possible. It is not yet known who exactly will be compensated and by how much. The letter from the law firm Madden and Finucane, representing many of the families, asked the government what steps it was taking to \"fully compensate\" the families for \"the loss of their loved ones, the wounding of others, and the shameful allegations which besmirched their good name for many years\". In a statement an MoD spokesperson accepted that members of the armed forces had acted wrongly and that the government was \"deeply sorry\". The statement confirmed that compensation would be paid \"where there was a legal liability to do so\". \u2022 All the parents of those killed on Bloody Sunday have died \u2022 Many of those wounded are now dead \u2022 Most of the dead were young, single, with no dependents \u2022 The MoD has proposed a points system to avoid discrimination \u2022 Some families have already been compensated \u2022 One MoD letter states that previous compensation payments will be deducted from any new payment When the prime minister presented the Bloody Sunday report to parliament in June last year he apologised and said the shooting by the Army was both \"unjustified and unjustifiable\". Quoting those words, Madden and Finucane solicitors wrote to Mr Cameron in January of this year asking him what the government intended to do \"to fully compensate their clients for the loss of their loved ones and the wounding of others\". The Ministry of Defence has now written to the lawyers saying that it would like to resolve the compensation claims as quickly and efficiently as possible. In a statement to the BBC, the MoD said that it acknowledged the pain felt by the families for nearly 40 years and that members of the armed forces \"acted wrongly\". East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell said the prime minister had opened \"what may be a pandora's box\" as a result of his \"desire to bring closure\" through his statement last year on Bloody Sunday in the House of Commons. He said clarity was needed with regard to the MoD's response on the issue. \"We need to see what the extent of that commitment is in relation to other relatives of other victims who may also feel aggrieved they haven't received adequate compensation,\" he added. The question of who will be compensated in relation to Bloody Sunday could be a complicated one. Some families have indicated that they are not going to seek compensation until a soldier is prosecuted. Meanwhile, Kate and Linda Nash, who are sisters of one of the victims William Nash, have described the government's offer of compensation as \"repulsive\" and said they would not accept payment", "summary": "The government is to pay compensation to the families of those killed and wounded on Bloody Sunday."}
{"article": "By reaching a settlement, Google will avoid criminal prosecution in the US for profiting from the adverts. The $500m represents the firm's revenues from the adverts and the revenues generated from the sale of the drugs, federal investigators said. Google said it should it not have allowed the adverts. \"We banned the advertising of prescription drugs in the US by Canadian pharmacies some time ago,\" the company said in a short statement. \"However, it's obvious with hindsight that we should not have allowed these ads on Google in the first place.\" The US Justice Department said controls over selling the drugs were inadequate. \"While Canada has its own regulatory rules for prescription drugs, Canadian pharmacies that ship prescription drugs to US residents are not subject to Canadian regulatory authority, and many sell drugs obtained from countries other than Canada which lack adequate pharmacy regulations,\" the department said. It added that the higher price of the drugs reflected the fact that some could be bought without a doctor's prescription.", "summary": "Internet giant Google has agreed to forfeit $500m (\u00c2\u00a3306m) for publishing online adverts from Canadian pharmacies selling illegal drugs to US customers."}
{"article": "Substitute Padraig McNulty netted the only goal of the contest late on. Derry were defeated 2-12 to 1-18 by Galway at Celtic Park, Niall Loughlin's late goal proving a mere consolation as their winning league start was ended. Cavan recovered from a 1-9 to 0-5 half-time deficit to see off Meath 1-20 to 1-13 in Navan, Eamon Wallace and David Givney scoring the goals. Seanie Johnston was a regular points-scorer for the visitors as they mounted a stunning second-half comeback. A bad day for Meath was compounded in the latter stages when their goalkeeper Paddy O'Rourke was red-carded. Laois had not beaten Tyrone in the league in over a decade, and early indications pointed to this game being a tight affair, but ultimately the Red Hands kicked on for victory thanks to a strong second-half display. Tyrone started brightly with points from Mark Bradley and Darren McCurry, but Laois drew level but he 10th minute, following scores from Paul Cahillane and Gary Walsh. Tyrone edged in front again by the 14th minute with Barry Tierney placing them 0-3 to 0-2 in front. However, Laois hit a purple patch, registering four of the next five points with John O'Loughlin taking two fine scores from play during this spell. Ahead by two points with 11 minutes to go before the interval, Laois looked good, but rued six first-half wides, with Tyrone defending well through the likes of Tierney, HP McGeary and Justin McMahon. Tyrone ended the half with four unanswered points, with Ronan O'Neill and Tiernan McCann on target to level the tie in the 27th minute. Despite Tyrone also being wasteful with seven first half wides, they took the lead at the break. The visitors shaded a 0-8 to 0-6 interval lead, with late points from Niall Sludden and O'Neill in injury-time. Tyrone added a further four unanswered points on the restart, as they totally controlled proceedings. O'Neill and Tiernan McCann added to their tally, while Mattie Donnelly registered two fine back-to-back scores from play, as Mickey Harte's side powered to a double-scores 0-12 to 0-06 lead. Laois's first score in 20 minutes arrived from the boot of John O'Loughlin, but Tyrone were sharper. An injury to Ronan O'Neill halted Tyrone's momentum, with a score from Laois substitute Ruairi O'Connor cutting the gap to five points entering the final quarter. Donnelly and Donal Kingston traded points, before less than a minute after his introduction McNulty had the ball in the Laois net to ensure a 1-14 to 0-09 lead. Indeed Laois kicked five unanswered points in response to the Dungannon clubman's goal, with brothers Donal and Paul Kingston on target. However, Tyrone held out to claim a deserved win, with keeper Michael O'Neill denying an equalising goal from Niall Donoher, after a well-placed save, and an O'Connor late scoring chance blocked. Derry went into their game unbeaten after victories over Fermanagh and Cavan, but without manager Damian Barton on the sideline after he was handed an eight-week suspension. Five unanswered points helped Galway to a 0-6 to 0-2 lead by the 15th minute", "summary": "Tyrone kept up their unbeaten run with a 1-14 to 0-14 Football League win over Laois in Division Two in Portlaoise."}
{"article": "Terrier-cross Molly took months to recover from a skin condition after being neglected by her previous owner. Vets then discovered she had a third degree heart block which could potentially shorten her life. Big-hearted members of the public rushed to donate to the appeal, launched by the RSPCA's Coventry branch. Read more West Midlands stories Since Molly, who has featured on Channel 5's The Dog Rescuers, was signed over to the RSPCA, areas of hair loss she suffered from her skin condition have regrown. However, she suffered her latest setback when her \"heart rate plummeted dangerously slow\" on the day she was being neutered. Danni Holder, kennel supervisor at the Coundon Wedge Drive centre, where Molly has been since May 2016, said: \"Molly's heart is beating too slow and if she doesn't have the pacemaker fitted her heart will become worse and will lessen her lifespan. \"She has been on such a journey and we would love her to have the happy ending to her story that she deserves.\" When the charity launched its appeal on Thursday morning, Ms Holder said: \"We are appealing for people to help us in our appeal to fundraise \u00a32,500 for this so we can mend Molly's broken heart.\" Donations flooded in and by 13:30 GMT on Thursday the charity had raised more than its original fundraising target.", "summary": "A \u00a32,500 charity appeal to fit a rescue dog with a pacemaker has smashed its target."}
{"article": "France visit Murrayfield eight days later and England travel to take on Scotland on 24 February. Away matches against Ireland (10 March) and Italy (17 March) complete Scotland's campaign. Former Glasgow Warriors boss Townsend, who won 82 Scotland caps as a player, has replaced Vern Cotter and takes charge of next month's summer tour. The Scots face Italy in Singapore on 10 June then take on Australia in Sydney a week later before a final Test against hosts Fiji on 24 June. And Townsend's side will face the Wallabies again in their autumn series, after Tests against Samoa and New Zealand. In this year's Six Nations, Cotter's third in charge, Scotland recorded wins over Ireland, Wales and Italy - their best championship since 2006. Click here to see the full sets of 2018 & 2019 Six Nations fixtures", "summary": "Gregor Townsend's first Six Nations match as Scotland head coach will be away to Wales on 3 February 2018."}
{"article": "Alice Wheeldon was convicted 100 years ago, on 11 March 1917, of planning to kill Lloyd George as she opposed World War One. Two of her great-granddaughters came from Australia for the vigil. One has cancer and says she is battling against time to clear her name. Deirdre Mason said: \"Get on with it, finish it, sort it out and I will be happier. \"It has been a 100-year injustice. Even now it is worthwhile repealing it, quashing the convictions and showing British justice has some integrity.\" Deirdre and her sister Chloe Mason are pushing to have a submission to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which will decide whether the case can go before the Court of Appeal. They want to clear the names of Mrs Wheeldon, her daughter Winnie Mason and son-in-law Alfred Mason, who were all convicted of conspiracy to murder. Mrs Wheeldon was a shopkeeper in Derby but had become the focus of government attention, along with her four children, because of their anti-war activities. A man called Alex Gordon pretended to sympathise with them, but he was an MI5 spy who claimed they were plotting to kill Lloyd George with a poisoned dart. Campaigners claim the evidence was fabricated in order to discredit the family and the anti-war movement, and that the MI5 agent was known for mental instability and dishonesty. Laurence Marshall, Mrs Wheeldon's great-great-great-nephew, said: \"I know we say the past is another country but even then a court case like that should never have been allowed. \"She should never have been put to trial in the first place.\" Mrs Wheeldon went on hunger strike and served only nine months of a 10-year sentence. However, the family were social pariahs and Mrs Wheeldon died in 1919. Liz Smith, whose grandmother knew Alice, was among those attending the vigil. \"My grandmother used to take food to her after dark because there was a lot of hatred in Derby for the Wheeldons,\" she said. \"People were very fearful of being seen to help them out, but she did go and help them out.\"", "summary": "Relatives of a suffragette jailed for plotting to poison a prime minister have held a vigil outside the Royal Courts of Justice as part of their campaign to clear her name."}
{"article": "They have also beaten up people wearing red T-shirts, the colour of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC), a BBC reporter at the scene says. Protesters are calling for electoral reform ahead of polls in 2018. President Robert Mugabe, 92, says he intends to stand again. Leaders from 18 opposition political parties called for Zimbabweans to march through Harare as part of a so-called \"mega demonstration\". The High Court ruled on Friday morning that the planned opposition march could go ahead, a day after police warned that unauthorised demonstrations would not be tolerated. Public protests have proliferated in recent months, focusing on the dire state of the country's economy. Most of these have come under the banner of the #ThisFlag movement, inspired by charismatic pastor Evan Mawarire, who has urged non-violent protest over perceived corruption and economic mismanagement The country's economic crisis has worsened recently, leading to a chronic cash shortage and delays paying civil servants. Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo blamed a demonstration that ended violently on Wednesday on foreign elements. \"We cannot sit idly while our country is being torn apart by unruly foreign-sponsored agents,\" Zimbabwe's state-run Herald newspaper quotes him as saying.", "summary": "Police in Zimbabwe have fired tear gas and water cannon at opposition supporters who had gathered for a protest march in the capital, Harare."}
{"article": "Babur Karamat Raja, 41, from Sutton Coldfield is accused of attacking the 40-year-old in Sutton Coldfield on Friday. He has also been charged with assault, attempt child destruction and possession of a knife. Mr Raja is due to appear before Birmingham magistrates on Monday. Police said the woman is in a stable condition in hospital and her baby girl - born following the alleged attack - continues to do well. The victim's family praised five men who went to her aid before paramedics arrived. In a statement released by police, they said: \"We'd all like to express our heartfelt thanks to everybody who helped her on Friday afternoon. \"Your fearlessness and selfless actions saved both their lives and we are overwhelmingly grateful to you all.\"", "summary": "A man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after a pregnant woman was stabbed in a West Midlands street."}
{"article": "Ali Mahmod, of Newbolt Court, Felling, was found semi-conscious on Sunderland Road at about 15:00 BST on 2 May and later died. Gary Pitt, 22, of Falstone, Leam Lane, is due to appear at Gateshead Magistrates' Court later. A 26-year-old man has been released with no further action, Northumbria Police said.", "summary": "A man has been charged with manslaughter following the death of a 42-year-old in Gateshead."}
{"article": "The country accounted for more than a million submissions, according to an annual report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (Wipo). It said the figure was \"extraordinary\". Many of the filings were for innovations in telecoms, computing, semiconductors and medical tech. Beijing had urged companies to boost the number of such applications. But some experts have cast doubt as to whether it signifies that the country is truly more inventive than others, since most of China's filings were done locally. A patent is the monopoly property right granted by a government to the owner of an invention. This allows the creator and subsequent owners to prevent others from making, using, offering for sale or importing their invention into the country for a limited time. In return they must agree for the patent filing to be publicly disclosed. Read our guide to the world's patent system A total of 2.9 million patent applications were filed worldwide in 2015, according to Wipo, marking a 7.8% rise on the previous year. China can lay claim to driving most of that growth. Its domestic patent office - the Property Office of the People's Republic of China (Sipo) - received a record 1,101,864 filings. That was more than its Japanese, South Korean and US equivalents combined. But Chinese inventors were more reticent about seeking patent rights abroad. According to Wipo, they filed just 42,154 applications outside their borders - Huawei and ZTE, two smartphone and telecoms equipment-makers, led the way. By comparison US-based inventors sought more than five times that figure. And Japan, Germany and France also outnumbered the Asian giant. One patent expert, who works with Chinese firms but asked not to be named, said the disparity in the figures was telling. \"What's called a patent in China is often a species of design, and these are the things they are getting copious amounts of,\" he said. \"This is probably innovation at its thinnest. I've seen some of these things and they are typically around parts of machinery on production lines. \"The detail of what they are applying for means they would be unlikely to have the necessary degree of novelty to be granted a patent worldwide.\" In Europe, creating a new look for a manufactured object is not enough to qualify it for a patent - there must also be a technical aspect featuring a new process, improvement or concept that would not be obvious to a skilled person in the field. In China, however, creating a distinctive new design - based on an object's shape, pattern and/or colour - is sufficient, so long as the product can be sold or used independently of other parts. The US also affords similar patent rights. Part of the reason so many applications were made locally was that China set itself a target to boost patent filings five years ago. Sipo declared at the time that it wanted to receive two million filings in 2015. The government supported the initiative with various subsidies and other incentives. As such, its tally of just over one million applications in a", "summary": "China-based inventors applied for a record-setting number of patents last year."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old blamed \"hurtful\" and \"false\" accusations he influenced the club's decision to sack the Italian. Ranieri left in February, nine months after winning the Premier League, with the club 17th in the table. His successor, Craig Shakespeare, later denied reports of a player revolt. \"It is terrifying,\" Vardy said. \"I read one story that said I was personally involved in a meeting after the Sevilla game when I was actually sat in anti-doping for three hours. \"But then the story is out there, people pick it up and jump on it and you're getting death threats about your family, kids, everything.\" Vardy said he was able to \"get on with it\" but added: \"When people are trying to cut your missus up while she's driving, with the kids in the back of the car, it's not the best.\" BBC Sport understands some Leicester players were summoned to meet the club's chairman after a 2-1 Champions League defeat by Sevilla, and Ranieri's fate was sealed by the negative reaction. With Shakespeare in charge - first as caretaker and later on a deal until the end of the season - the Foxes have won four successive matches, moving up to 15th, six points above the relegation zone. That run includes a 2-0 victory in their last-16 second leg with Sevilla which leaves them as England's only representative in the quarter-finals. \"If there was an issue, you went and did it in the gaffer's office or you went and did it on the tactics board, because he was happy for you to come in and put your opinion across,\" Vardy added of Ranieri's time in charge. \"The stories were quite hurtful to be honest with you. A lot of false accusations were being thrown out there and there was nothing we, as players, could do about it. \"We just had to put it to the back of our minds and concentrate on the football.\"", "summary": "Leicester striker Jamie Vardy says he has received death threats and his family have been targeted since Claudio Ranieri was sacked as manager."}
{"article": "Gerald Sunnie received cheques worth tens of thousands of pounds from three pensioners. He then forwarded the money to \"individuals across Europe\" while keeping a share of the cash. He was convicted of a \u00a333,000 money laundering charge under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Sunnie initially became involved after being \"deluded\" into thinking that he had won a \u00a3200,000 American lottery prize that had not turned up. Sunnie started taking in cheques that he was told were to cover \"European tax liabilities\" on his winnings, passing the money on after taking his portion of it. The 58-year-old's bank accounts were closed down due to \"fraudulent activity\" and he was twice told by Trading Standards officers that he was helping to facilitate an international fraud. But he started up his activity again in August 2013, taking in dozens of cheques from three elderly victims over the course of the next year. He told his trial that a man from the fraudsters he was passing the money to had called him two weeks earlier saying his \u00a3200,000 winnings were still on the way, and that he still expected a cheque to come through his door. Sunnie's lawyer Gary McIlravey admitted that his client was \"deluded\". Depute fiscal Muhammad Sadiq, prosecuting, said: \"It's clear he may have been a victim at first, but he did then benefit by processing payments on numerous occasions after being told it was a scam.\" Sheriff Simon Collins QC convicted Sunnie of money laundering, saying a large number of vulnerable people had been defrauded out of a large sum of money. The sheriff added: \"By any standard the arrangement he entered, even from the outset, was obviously a scam. \"He was told it was a scam and that he was taking part in a fraud and his bank accounts were closed. \"He processed nearly \u00a352,000 but claimed not to have made even inquiries of those involved in these arrangements. This stretches credulity.\" He said Sunnie's role had been \"key\" to the scam, that his motivation was \"clearly personal gain\" and that he had shown \"little or no remorse\".", "summary": "A \"deluded\" money launderer who helped run a lottery scam that targeted elderly victims has been jailed for six months."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Uruguayan, 27, who is serving a four-month ban for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup, will sign a five-year deal. Suarez, who scored 31 league goals last season, will travel to the Spanish club next week for a medical. \"Luis is a very special talent and I thank him for the role he has played,\" said Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers. Suarez - last season's Premier League top scorer and winner of the PFA and Football Writers' Player of the Year awards - signed for Liverpool from Ajax in 2011 for \u00a322.7m, and had four years left on his contract. The move to Barcelona takes him closer to his wife Sofia's family. \"I hope you can all understand why I have made this decision,\" said the striker, who is banned from \"all football-related activity\" until the end of October as he serves his third suspension for biting an opponent. \"This club did all they could to get me to stay, but playing and living in Spain, where my wife's family live, is a lifelong dream and ambition. I believe now the timing is right.\" Suarez thanked the \"wonderful\" Liverpool fans in a letter - tweeted from his account - for supporting him \"in good times and bad\". When he is eventually eligible to play again, Suarez is expected to wear the number nine shirt in a formidable Barcelona front line including Argentine Lionel Messi and Brazilian Neymar. The club is looking to rebuild under new coach Luis Enrique after its first season without a major trophy in six years. If the transfer fee is confirmed at \u00a375m, it will be the third biggest in football history after Gareth Bale (\u00a386m Tottenham to Real Madrid, 2013) and Cristiano Ronaldo (\u00a380m Manchester United to Real Madrid, 2009) \"It is with a heavy heart that I leave Liverpool for a new life and new challenges in Spain,\" said Suarez. \"Both me and my family have fallen in love with this club (Liverpool) and with the city, but most of all I have fallen in love with the incredible fans. \"You have always supported me and we, as a family, will never forget it. We will always be Liverpool supporters.\" Media playback is not supported on this device In his statement, released on Liverpool's official website, Suarez concluded: \"Thank you again for some great moments and memories. You'll Never Walk Alone.\" The transfer means Liverpool do not have to deal with the fall-out from a Suarez suspension for the second season running. They supported the player after another biting attack - on Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic at Anfield in April 2013 - which led to a 10-game ban, and he signed a new contract in December. \"The club have done all they can over a sustained period of time to try to keep Luis at Liverpool,\" added Rodgers. \"It is with great reluctance and following lengthy discussions we have eventually agreed to his wishes to move to Spain for new experiences and challenges. We wish him and", "summary": "Liverpool have agreed to sell striker Luis Suarez to Barcelona for a fee thought to be about \u00a375m."}
{"article": "The unnamed 29-year old suffered multiple, severe stab wounds to her head and body in what police described as an \"extremely brutal\" attack. She was attacked yards from her home after getting off a bus in Krithia Road, Dagenham, at 21:40 GMT on Monday. Police say they believe the attack was carried out by a stranger but are \"keeping an open mind\". Passers-by attempted to help the woman, who remains in a critical condition in a hospital in east London. Due to the nature of the attack investigators do not have a description of a suspect at this point and there have been no arrests. Police appealed for two women who stopped to help the victim, or anyone else with information, to contact them. DCI Gary Holmes, of Homicide and Major Crime Command, told BBC London: \"This is a really brutal and horrific stabbing of a young lady coming home from work. \"That attack has left her in a terribly critical condition, currently in hospital in a life threatening condition and we are desperate to locate the person who committed... that attack.\"", "summary": "A woman in east London has been left fighting for her life after an apparently random knife attack."}
{"article": "Neville, a former Manchester United and Everton player, was criticised for his lack of emotion and \"monotone\" style. In response, Neville told BBC Radio 5 live the TV role was \"a lot harder than I thought it was going to be\". Despite the complaints, the BBC said the footballer would continue to play \"a key role throughout the tournament\". A spokesperson added Neville - who is currently a coach for Manchester United and has received broadcast training - was \"an important, well-respected member of our team\". Neville told sports presenter Mark Chapman he welcomed the feedback on his performance: \"In terms of the content I got out, I thought [it] was quite good. \"But the feedback is that I need to show a bit more excitement, so I think you'll see that more on Thursday night in the highlights show. \"I will get better - it was my first live gig and I'm just glad I helped everyone get to sleep back home!\" The England v Italy match attracted an average 11.5 million viewers, peaking at 15.6 million just before half-time making it one of the most watched programmes of the year so far. Viewers also took to Twitter to criticise Neville, with several joking England physio Gary Lewin - who was stretchered off after injuring his ankle - had \"fallen into a coma\" listening to him. Neville responded saying: \"1st live co-comm last night - sometimes u have to take the criticism - it will only make me better- thanks for the feedback (ahhahaha)!\" BBC Radio 5 live broadcaster Danny Baker was among his critics but said the BBC should share the blame. \"Phil Neville has acknowledged he wasn't great during England commentary - but what were the BBC doing giving him that game to 'learn his craft'?\" he said. Neville's next World Cup appearance is as a BBC TV studio guest for Monday night's game between Iran and Nigeria. The complaints come four months after more than 300 people complained over the corporation's quality of commentary during a snowboarding final at the Winter Olympics. Viewers complained after Aimee Fuller, Ed Leigh and Tim Warwood cheered when a competitor fell, putting the UK athlete in a bronze medal position.", "summary": "The BBC has received 445 complaints from viewers about Phil Neville's BBC One commentary on England's World Cup match against Italy."}
{"article": "But the 24-year-old, whose spinal cord and vertebrae are closer together than is normal, set his sights on becoming the best Twenty20 player possible. The Sussex fast bowler, who regularly bowls in excess of 90 miles per hour, is in the squad for England's T20 game against Pakistan on Wednesday after making his debut against Sri Lanka in July. Mills' condition means that he is unable to play in longer formats of the game, as lots of bowling can aggravate his spinal cord. He has not bowled with a red ball for 18 months and it is unlikely that he will return to multi-day cricket. \"If this is going to be all I am doing now for the rest of my career, I want to do it right. I want to play in the big games and play to the highest level that I can,\" Mills told BBC Sport. \"I miss having a short leg, three slips and a gully sometimes, but on the flip side of that I can't say I miss doing 96 overs in a day. \"I am at peace with it, it's been 18 months since the reoccurrence of my back injury. I'm over it and I am grateful I can still play and I can still play to a good level.\" The Yorkshire-born paceman played in 12 of Sussex's 14 T20 Blast group matches this season, taking 15 wickets at an average of 19.73. \"You want to be renowned as one of the top players. As soon as a tournament comes up or a team is being selected, you want to be one of the guys immediately spoken about,\" he added. \"I'm still a few years off that, I've only just turned 24. I'm not naive thinking I'm there yet but if I am only going to do this for the next few years then that's what I want to work towards being. \"I am quite lucky that when I got injured again I was a better Twenty20 bowler than I was a four-day bowler,\" Mills said. \"If it was the other way round, then I probably would've had to think a lot harder about retiring. \"It's given me a chance to accelerate my development. Everything I do now in terms of cricket is to be the best Twenty20 cricketer I can be. \"It is hard for the other guys who have to flip between playing County Championship, 50-over and Twenty20 cricket - they've got to practice three different skills whereas I just practice one thing.\" Although the condition does not affect the bowler on a day-to-day basis, he has to manage it to prolong his career. Therefore, Mills has had to hone his training and approach in the build-up to games to ensure that he does not miss time. \"I haven't changed anything with my bowling, just away from it, making sure all the other stuff I do gives me the best chance of doing much as possible and to the best of my ability,\" he added. \"It was a lot of trial and error, I", "summary": "You could have forgiven Tymal Mills for retiring and moving on from cricket when he was diagnosed with a congenital back condition in 2015."}
{"article": "Mike Petter quit his post ahead of the publication, due on Friday, of a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report on Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust. He said leaving his post had been a \"very difficult decision\". Problems came to light at the trust when 18-year-old Connor Sparrowhawk drowned in a bath at a care facility. An inquest found neglect contributed his death, at Slade House in Oxford, in 2013. A report commissioned by NHS England, published in December 2015, discovered that only 272 of the 722 deaths in the trust over the previous four years were investigated. The trust was issued a warning notice by the CQC following an inspection in January. In a statement Mr Petter said: \"The trust has recently undergone a significant amount of scrutiny in some service areas and, given the challenges it faces, I feel it is appropriate for me to allow new board leadership to take forward the improvements. \"I have been involved in Southern Health since the trust was formed in 2011 as a non-executive director and since August 2015 as chairman. \"It is with great sadness that I now leave the organisation. \"I offer my support and best wishes to all our staff whose dedication and commitment I am continuously impressed by.\"", "summary": "The chairman of a health trust under fire for not properly investigating the unexpected deaths of patients has resigned."}
{"article": "The comments sent the value of the US dollar higher, which hit the price of oil and other commodities. This affected shares in mining companies, who were among the biggest fallers in the UK market. The FTSE 100 fell 112.45 points to 6,053.35. Fresnillo dropped 7% and Anglo American dropped 4.5%. Shares in oil companies were also lower, with Royal Dutch Shell down about 4%. In the FTSE 250, shares in travel company Thomas Cook sank nearly 19% after it said summer bookings had fallen. The company said holidaymakers were avoiding Turkey because of safety fears, while travel to Belgium had also seen a \"sharp decline in demand\" after the Brussels attacks. The travel sector was also under pressure following the news that an Egyptair flight carrying 66 passengers from Paris to Cairo had disappeared. Shares in travel firm Tui dropped 1.7%. On the currency markets, the pound was boosted by news of stronger-than-expected retail sales growth in April. Sales volumes rose 1.3% from the month before, according to official data. The pound was down 0.1% against the dollar at $1.4584, and 0.03% higher against the euro at \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.3017.", "summary": "(Close): The market dropped sharply as investors reacted to comments from the Federal Reserve which suggested a US rate rise could come as soon as June."}
{"article": "The unit at Glenfield Hospital was threatened with closure in 2012 with the nearest service in Birmingham. A series of changes have now been proposed by NHS England following a national review into children's heart services across the country. University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust said the changes would see the unit move to Leicester Royal Infirmary. On Thursday, NHS England unanimously agreed the proposals and indicated it expected the new system to be up and running in hospitals by April 2016. Presenting the review, Ian Dodge at NHS England, said it had been \"conclusive, open and transparent and rigorous\". He said: \"Our analysis shows these proposals are affordable and deliverable, bearing in mind existing workforce constraints. \"These are national standards and we expect national standards to continue to apply.\" Rob Sissons, health correspondent, BBC East Midlands Today At one time this unit was going to shut and it would have been the end of services in Leicester. Now there is talk of it surviving but it will need collaboration between Glenfield and other units up and down the country. The recommendations passed this morning mean they will have to go from two surgeons to four and they will have to build up their case load. It won't be a walk in the park but the hospital says they think the service can survive. Kate Shields from University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust said the review would push them to provide excellent services for children and their families. \"We have worked for a really long time to show that we can sustain heart services in Leicester and we are now at the point where we feel that we have been listened to,\" she said. She added the trust was already working on the proposals submitted by NHS England. The hospital wants to move all children's heart unit onto one site at the LRI in the next three years and increase the number of procedures it carries out within the next five years.", "summary": "Children's heart services in Leicester have been secured after a new vision was approved by a national board."}
{"article": "Alan Barnes, who is visually impaired, was left too afraid to return to his home in Low Fell, Gateshead, after the attack on 25 January. Mr Barnes, 67, broke his collarbone when he was pushed to the ground. Following reports of the attack, Katie Cutler set up the Help Alan Barnes online donation page on Go Fund Me. During the meeting at Mr Barnes's sister's house, Ms Cutler presented him with chocolates and a card, and he told her she would be a friend for life. When she set up the page, Ms Cutler's aim was to raise \u00a3500 but that was quickly passed and by noon on Saturday it had reached \u00a3100,000. The total passed \u00a3279,000 shortly after 08:00 GMT on Monday, by which time more than 20,000 donations had been made. The donations have come in from the UK, Canada, Holland and many other places around the world, with many praising Ms Cutler for setting up the page. Ms Cutler, a beautician, said it showed \"there are so many lovely people out there\". \"This person that hurt Alan is just a minority.\" Mr Barnes, who has lived with disabilities from birth after his mother contracted German measles when she was pregnant, said it was \"just unbelievable\". \"I've heard of fundraising for charities but I've only got a fractured collarbone, I didn't expect that sort of response,\" he said. \"Thank you doesn't really seem to answer it, does it?\" Stephen, who donated \u00a35, said: \"So sorry this has happened to you dear friend, I know it's not a lot, but hope it goes a long way.\" Rupert wrote: \"There are bad people in this world, people that wouldn't think twice of abusing a vulnerable man. \"But as this shows, those people are engulfed by good, caring and loving people that stand against these morals.\" There have also been offers of practical help from plumbers, electricians, bathroom and kitchen fitters, carpet layers and people donating furniture, Ms Cutler said. She also wrote on the fundraising site that businesses and schools had told her they were holding fundraising events for Mr Barnes. Mr Barnes's family said that the money would go into a trust fund for him.", "summary": "A woman who set up a fundraising page for a man who was mugged outside his home has met the victim as donations approached \u00a3300,000."}
{"article": "Irons will read TS Eliot's Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats poems on Radio 4, seventy-eight years after their first broadcast on Christmas Day. Calendar Girls will be performed by the cast of The Archers with the addition of Sian Philips. And Mary Berry has invited Radio 2 into her home to share recipes and music. On Christmas Day in 1937, nearly two years before the book was published, five of TS Eliot's Practical Cats poems were broadcast as readings by Geoffrey Tandy on BBC Radio. This year, Oscar-winning actor Irons will read the original five poems along with the further ten which make up the Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats. Also on BBC Radio 4, is the premiere of Calendar Girls, a radio version of the highly successful film and stage play. It will be performed by the cast of The Archers as part of their Ambridge amateur dramatics performance in a full separate programme. Actress Sian Phillips will join the cast and she called the role a gift. \"Had I been asked to name a most wonderful, surprising Christmas gift, never could I have conjured up an invitation to spend Christmas in Ambridge. When I heard those words I cried an immediate and joyful 'Yes!' After all I'm at home in Borsetshire... What a gift!\" Actor Michael Sheen and lawyer Miriam Gonzalez Durantez are the first guest editors to be announced for the Today programme over the festive period. Gonzalez Durantez will be joined by The Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Begum and Jamie Oliver to discuss the issues of encouraging children to eat a healthy diet. Meanwhile Liza Tarbuck will join The Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry for lunch at her house on Christmas Eve for BBC Radio 2. They will share her favourite Christmas recipes and share the music that sound-tracked her childhood. Berry said she was \"looking forward to showing Liza around my kitchen and sharing a few of my family traditions, including my recipe for the perfect mince pies, which really are quite special\". Also on Radio 2 are shows hosted by Paul O'Grady, Alan Carr and Christmas lunch with Kylie Minogue, where she will play her favourite festive songs. And Paul Gambaccini will celebrate 50 years of The Sound of Motown with a rare interview with the founder of Motown Records, Berry Gordy. On Radio 3, actor Alec Baldwin and Eddie Izzard will share their favourite classical music in separate programmes on Essential Classics on Radio 3. Radio 4 Extra has been given exclusive access to the Queen of Crime's personal Dictaphone tapes which will be broadcast in Agatha Christie: Speaking Her Own Words. On 6 Music Roisin Murphy, Laurie Anderson and electro artist Peaches have been announced as the station's Three Wise Women, taking control of the playlist. Across Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Sunday 27 December they will present their own two-hour shows and select their favourite 6 Music programming for the year for the rest of the evening and overnight. The Chemical Brothers will also join Lauren Laverne", "summary": "Jeremy Irons reading TS Elliot, Mary Berry and the radio premiere of Calendar Girls are among the highlights of BBC Radio this Christmas."}
{"article": "Members of the EIS and FELA voted by 96% to 4% to accept the offer, which was negotiated through the National Joint Negotiating Committee (NJNC). They had first voted for industrial action in December 2015 and about 4,000 lecturers went on strike in March. Lecturers said pay varied by up to \u00c2\u00a310,000 a year at different colleges. EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: \"Members in colleges across Scotland have given their overwhelming approval of the pay offer. \"This pay agreement shows what can be achieved by a group of employees standing together, through their union, to protect their rights.\" John Kelly, President of EIS-FELA said: \"While this very clear ballot result settles this particular issue over pay, specifically the top of the salary scale for unpromoted lecturers across Scotland, there is still much work to do to agree the detail of all national pay scales. \"We are hopeful that constructive negotiations can move the process forward, so that further industrial action is not necessary in the future.\"", "summary": "Further education college lecturers have approved a national pay offer in a trade union ballot after months of dispute."}
{"article": "Jason Matthews, 40, of Wolverhampton, parked his Saab before the Greater Manchester Marathon on 19 April. He said he went back at the weekend and spent the \"best part of five or six hours looking around Trafford Park\". Mr Matthews said he had now been told the car was found in the Salford Quays area after a man who saw a newspaper story about it went looking for it. The marathon runner said it was only his second time in Manchester and he was following diversions while driving his Saab 93 Sport. He said after the marathon he spent about 90 minutes or longer looking for the car and went to police and registered it as a missing vehicle. Mr Matthews, who works in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, said he was told on Tuesday afternoon that a man had found the car after reading an article in the Manchester Evening News. He said: \"I'm very grateful.. It's a big burden off my shoulders. \"(But) now I've got the trouble of going up there on the train to retrieve it.\" He said he would make a donation to a nominated charity and would see if the man who found it \"has a charity in mind\". Mr Matthews said: \"It's something I'm going to do out of courtesy. Someone's taken the time to look for it.\"", "summary": "A marathon runner has been without his car for eight days after forgetting where he parked it before the race."}
{"article": "The director was handed the Against the Current award at the Off Camera film festival on Friday. The 81-year-old, who grew up in the city during World War Two, said he was \"extremely touched\" by the honour. He is due back in court in Krakow for another hearing on 22 May. Polanski has been wanted by US police since 1977, when he fled the country fearing a lengthy jail sentence after being charged with having sex with a 13-year-old girl. The Rosemary's Baby director was held in Switzerland in 2009 after travelling to Zurich to pick up a prize at another film festival, but the extradition bid failed and he was eventually allowed to return to his home in France. 1977: Polanski is charged in the US with the rape of a 13-year-old girl. He also faces charges of sodomy, child molestation and giving drugs to a minor. 1978: Fearing that he may face a lengthy jail term, Polanski flees to the UK and then to France. A citizen of France, he is protected by the country's limited extradition with the US. 2009: The US rejects Polanski's request for the case against him to be dismissed. On a visit to Switzerland later that year, he is at first imprisoned and then placed under house arrest, as the authorities consider a US extradition request. 2010: Swiss authorities decide against extraditing Polanski, freeing him from house arrest. 2014: Polanski is questioned by prosecutors in Poland, acting on a US request. He agrees to comply with the Polish justice system as it examines the matter. 2015: The director attends a hearing behind closed doors in February. He is due back in court on 22 May. If the US extradition request is approved the case will be passed to Poland's justice minister. During Friday's ceremony at the festival, Polanski also pressed his palms into plaster for the hall of independent cinema stars. \"This is my city. Years spent in Krakow undoubtedly shaped my artistic soul,\" said the director, according to Hollywood Reporter. Festival organisers said the Rosemary's Baby director \"defies labelling\" and has never followed fashion, according to Radio Poland. \"To American cinema he brought European doubts and non-compliance. To European cinema - American respect for the audience, discipline and professionalism.\" Polanski has been to Poland several times in recent years and attended an extradition hearing there in February, which was held behind closed doors. The BBC's Adam Easton in Warsaw said at the time that many believe the authorities will be reluctant to agree to the US extradition request, as Polanski is regarded as one of Poland's greatest living artists. He plans to make his next film in the country - an adaptation of Robert Harris's thriller An Officer and a Spy.", "summary": "Roman Polanski has been given one of Poland's top film awards in Krakow, where he is also facing a US extradition request over 1977 charges of having sex with a 13-year-old girl."}
{"article": "Brownlee, 28, won Olympic gold at London and Rio, and has not ruled out bidding for a third win at Tokyo 2020. \"I'm going to pursue things away from Olympic triathlon; it's important I have a different focus,\" Brownlee said. \"I've been to three Olympics and I can't say I won't definitely be at a fourth.\" Ironman triathlons consist of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile cycle and a full marathon - almost four times further than an Olympic triathlon. \"All triathletes have the ambition to do the almost mystical Ironman World Championships in Hawaii,\" added Brownlee, who beat his brother Jonny into second place at the Rio Games. \"It's very unlikely that I could do it in the next two years, but I could build up my endurance then maybe go back to it after Tokyo as a 32-year-old.\" Brownlee has also revealed his mixed feelings over the attention that followed his decision to help his brother over the finish line at September's season-ending World Series event in Mexico. Leading with 700m left, Jonny, 26, began to weave over the road in hot and humid conditions in Cozumel. Third-placed Alistair caught his brother, propping him up for the final couple of hundred metres before pushing him over the line in second place. \"Both Jonny and I were really quite uncomfortable with the attention that came out of that day, especially while Jonny was in intensive care and the jury were deliberating on whether we should be disqualified,\" he said. \"The scale of the after-effect was incredible and, to be honest, completely baffling. We were both embarrassed at first and wanted to turn down all the attention, but we realised it gave us a platform to talk about triathlon and encourage people to get active. \"The whole Mexico thing brought us to the attention of a lot of people who probably didn't know what triathlon was. So I think now that we can look back on it with the benefit of hindsight, it was probably a good thing - although I'd still have preferred Jonny to have won the race.\"", "summary": "Double Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee is to take two years out from the sport to train for the World Ironman Championships in Hawaii."}
{"article": "The baby, named Sion by officers, was recovered from the River Taff on 23 June. It is believed he died at birth. The force said its main concern was to provide the mother with the emotional support she may need. Police also want to find Sion's mother so he can be \"laid to rest with his family name\". Det Insp Mark O'Shea said: \"With the passing of time we hope that Sion's mother, or a family member, may feel more comfortable to come forward and enable us to support them and allow Sion to be laid to rest with his family name. \"We understand that Sion's mother has been through a traumatic time and I can reassure you that we have professionals in place with specialist skills who can provide you with support.\" Suzanne Hardacre, head of midwifery at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said staff understood the mother might be frightened to come forward but urged her to get in touch. \"We are here to help you. We have a range of health care professionals available to give you any emotional support or medical attention you may need. Any care you receive from us will be in total confidence.\" \"Please contact us on this telephone number 02920 742679 anytime of the day or night, we want to make sure you are ok.\"", "summary": "The mother of a newborn baby who was found dead in a Cardiff river has been urged to come forward as police say the boy will soon be buried."}
{"article": "The rain hindered Connacht's running game and Munster hooker Rhys Marshall's second-half try was the crucial score. Ian Keatley kicked Munster's other 11 points including two first-half penalties as they led 6-3 at the break. Jack Carty slotted Connacht's three penalties as they failed to capitalise on several good attacking positions. The key phase of the match was a two-minute period midway during the second half - as Marshall finished off a line-out maul to score after Connacht had squandered a chance of their own when Tom McCartney had been dispossessed following a poor pass from Denis Buckley. As Munster broke quickly, Keatley's superb crosskick found a charging Andrew Conway and after Buckley had been bundled into touch near his own line, the visitors mauled their way to the crucial try. Helped by a wind advantage, Connacht had the majority of possession in the first half but while Rory Parata, Matt Healy and Carty went close to scoring tries, the Munster line was not breached as the champions suffered their seventh defeat of the campaign. Because of the IRFU's player management programme, Munster boss Rassie Erasmus had to leave out stars Conor Murray, CJ Stander, Simon Zebo, Donnacha Ryan and Peter O'Mahony as he made 11 changes from the Boxing Day win over Leinster. The absence of in-form fly-half Tyler Bleyendaal might have looked an even bigger loss for Munster but his replacement Keatley went on to produce an impressive display for the visitors. Connacht went into the contest with more than 20 members of their squad ruled out but Pat Lam was still able to parade a starting line-up that included Ireland internationals Tiernan O'Halloran, Matt Healy, Kieran Marmion, Finlay Bealham and Niyi Adeolokun. After Keatley's early penalty, the Munster fly-half was nearly caught out as he attempted to shepherd a Carty grubber kick over his own line, with Marmion's attempt to get the touchdown only ruled out after a prolonged viewing by the TMO. As Connacht failed to exploit their wind advantage and decided edge in the scrum, Munster led 6-3 at the break as Keatley restored his side's lead just before the interval. Carty's levelling penalty on 50 minutes spurred Connacht to produce more pressure but the turnover which led to Munster's try proved to be the key moment of the match. After Keatley's successful conversion, his further drop goal extended Munster's lead to 16-6 and while Carty's late penalty left only seven between the teams, Connacht had to settle for the losing bonus point as the sin-binning of Dave Kilcoyne and Duncan Williams came too late to upset the visitors. Connacht coach Pat Lam: \"There were just too many errors in possession. Dropped balls and turnovers. \"There was a lot of heart and the boys hung in there. \"The key moment of the game was (in the second half) when we were one metre from their line and we turned the ball over and they went down the other end to score. These big games come down to little margins.\" Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus: \"I'm very", "summary": "Munster extended their lead at the top of the Pro12 to five points as they beat defending champions Connacht in a battle of attrition in a wet Galway."}
{"article": "Flynn's side are 22nd in League Two, two points above Hartlepool in the final relegation place. A win will ensure the Exiles remain in the EFL, but if Pools beat title-chasing Doncaster Rovers, they could return to the National League. \"If we win, it's going to be the biggest party in Newport for a long time,\" Flynn told BBC Radio Wales. He continued: \"I'm not going to pull any punches or dress it up, it is the biggest game [in their modern history] for so many reasons. It means so much to the club and amazing fans and to me.\" Newport were beaten 2-1 by Carlisle United on Saturday after leading in the 12th minute in a game which could have wrapped up their EFL survival. Flynn says the game against Notts County will be difficult to watch but believes his side can take the win they need to stay up. \"It's going to be horrendous, it's going to be nerve-wracking but I really think the boys are going to deliver because they've been brilliant and I can't ask for much more so I'm quietly confident but it will be a stressful time,\" he said. \"We've had some unbelievably tough games considering the league and position we were in but they've answered everything and every time we've lost, we've had a good response so I'm hoping we'll get one on Saturday.\" Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Newport County boss Mike Flynn says their game against Notts County is the biggest in the club's recent history."}
{"article": "The Syrian leader also said the army faced a shortage of soldiers. A day earlier, he declared an amnesty for draft-dodgers and deserters. The conflict is thought to have left more than 230,000 dead and displaced millions. Vast areas are no longer under government control. Syria's conscript army was once 300,000 strong, but has been roughly halved by deaths, defections, and a rise in draft-dodging, AFP news agency said. The Syrian leader said the army did not have the manpower to defend the entire country, especially as rebel groups were receiving increased support from outside - a reference to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar. \"Sometimes, in some circumstances, we are forced to give up areas to move those forces to the areas that we want to hold onto,\" Mr Assad said in a televised speech to dignitaries in Damascus. \"We must define the important regions that the armed forces hold onto so it doesn't allow the collapse of the rest of the areas.\" The BBC's Jim Muir - in neighbouring Lebanon - says it has been evident for some months that Syrian government forces have been focusing on defending certain key areas while not doing everything they might to defend outlying regions where the army is really overstretched. This year, the Syrian military has lost the north-western provincial capital Idlib, parts of the south, and Palmyra in the north-east, which was taken over by militants of Islamic State. Bashar Assad said he was sure the army could defend the core areas where it was consolidating - meaning Damascus, the cities of Homs and Hama and the coast. But other big cities such as Aleppo in the north and Deraa in the south may come under question, our correspondent says. However, Mr Assad pledged to fight on and ruled out the prospect of any negotiated settlement at the moment. \"The word defeat does not exist in the Syrian army's dictionary,\" he said, adding that \"collapse\" was not on the cards. \"We will resist and we will win.\" The Syrian army, which is fighting rebels and jihadist groups, began a recruitment drive at the start of July to try to tackle its manpower shortage. At least 70,000 men have avoided military service, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. More than 80,000 soldiers and pro-government militiamen have been killed since the start of the conflict in March 2011.", "summary": "The Syrian army has been forced to give up some areas in order to retain others in the war against rebels, now in its fifth year, President Bashar al-Assad has acknowledged."}
{"article": "Human Rights Watch (HRW) said at least 72 civilians had been killed in the strikes and the bloc needed to bear responsibility where appropriate. But Nato's spokeswoman said the campaign was conducted \"with unprecedented care and precision\". She said Nato \"did everything possible to minimise risks to civilians\". \"But in a complex military campaign, that risk can never be zero,\" spokeswoman Oana Lungescu acknowledged. She added that the alliance \"looked into each credible allegation\" of harm to civilians and \"confirmed that the specific targets struck by Nato were legitimate military targets\". Aircraft from the US, the UK and France conducted most of the 9,658 strike sorties last year, targeting forces loyal to Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. The point of the Nato air campaign in Libya last year was to protect civilians, so how many innocent people died is still a sensitive issue, BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall reports. In its report published on Monday , the US-based HRW said it had examined in detail evidence of claims of civilian deaths from eight separate Nato strikes. In one instance, it said a first bomb killed 14 people and a second, moments later, killed 18 more who had rushed to help victims. \"We're calling for prompt, credible and thorough investigations,\" HRW's Fred Abrahams, the main author of the report, told BBC News. Mr Abrahams says Nato refuses to acknowledge the deaths and has offered no compensation to families. \"Until now, Nato has taken a position of denial,\" he said. \"I think it will lead to unnecessary civilian deaths in the future if Nato refuses to look at what went wrong and make corrections.\" In March, another human rights organisation, Amnesty International, said it had documented 55 cases of named civilians, including 16 children and 14 women, killed in air strikes. It said Nato had failed to investigate these cases thoroughly. Source: Nato Adel Ebsat, a relative of three victims who died from an air strike near the eastern town of Zlitan, told the BBC he had repeatedly asked the Libyan government to launch a case against Nato and for an investigation to be carried out. But there appears to be a reluctance by Libyan officials to hold Nato accountable for any civilian deaths that may have been caused by air strikes, the BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli reports. Most Libyans feel that the alliance helped the country succeed in its uprising against Col Gaddafi, which toppled and killed him last year, our correspondent says. The overwhelming belief, she adds, is that countless deaths were avoided because of the West's intervention. Nato has stressed that it is ready to co-operate with the new Libyan authorities in assessing what further action is appropriate. However, the alliance says it cannot take responsibility because it has had no presence on the ground to confirm the deaths.", "summary": "Nato has hit back at a report urging the alliance to investigate fully the deaths of civilians in air strikes in Libya last year."}
{"article": "Opener Lumb made 105 as Notts reached 274-5 from a weather-reduced 42 overs. Chasing 252 from 37 overs after further rain, Paul Collingwood (69) and Michael Richardson (64) kept Durham in touch. Richardson then fell to Harry Gurney (5-51) with two balls left, but Keaton Jennings hit a six and a four to win it, taking them to 254-8. The hosts had looked unlikely victors heading into the final over, requiring 12 runs but having not found the boundary for 35 deliveries. Their task looked even harder when Richardson was dismissed by Gurney, only for number nine Jennings to club the next ball for six and then squeeze the final delivery for four. Earlier, Lumb had continued his recent fine form by compiling a 101-ball 105 that featured 12 boundaries. The 36-year-old, who has not represented England since 2014, followed up scores of 184 and 133 against Northants and Warwickshire in his previous two One-Day Cup innings with a third successive century.", "summary": "Michael Lumb's third straight One-Day Cup ton could not stop Nottinghamshire slipping to a last-ball two-wicket defeat by Durham at Chester-le-Street."}
{"article": "The Assembly Speaker says support for the Commonwealth is not part of his personal politics. However, he said he wanted his approach during his time as Speaker to be about \"respect\". He did not comment on whether Ireland should become part of the Commonwealth. \"In upholding the independence and impartiality of the Speaker, my approach during my time in office is going to be one of respect,\" he added. \"Involvement in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association has naturally not been part of my political life in the past. \"However, I will represent all sides of the House as any Speaker should and I intend to respect and acknowledge the culture and traditions of all sides of the assembly chamber. \"Taking up this position is a first step in demonstrating that approach. I look forward to hosting next week's event to mark Commonwealth Day and its theme of encouraging youth participation in our democratic system.\"", "summary": "Sinn F\u00e9in's Mitchel McLaughlin has announced he will take up the position of President of the NI Assembly Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)."}
{"article": "An Institute of Directors report hailed the business model as a blueprint for success and indicated that the UK could learn from the Manx example. According to government figures, the estimated value of the Isle of Man space industry for the three years to 2013 will reach \u00c2\u00a31.1bn. Many investors have been attracted by the 0% rate of corporation tax. The report, published in London on 18 May, said: \"The Isle of Man shows how quickly a powerful niche can be built by a very small player.\" It adds: \"In the new space economy, you can be small and succeed. You don't need astronauts to be in the space business.\" There are currently 30 space companies located in the Isle of Man out of a international total of 54.", "summary": "The Isle of Man has been praised for \"building a powerful niche\" within the global space industry."}
{"article": "Euan Johnston, 26, was in the driver's seat of a black Audi RS4 estate when he was shot, on Shields Road, near Scotland Street, at 23:45 on Tuesday. He died a short time later at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. A passenger in the car was not injured. Police said Mr Johnston was shot at multiple times by the occupant of a dark-coloured Audi Q5. Det Supt Jim Kerr, from Police Scotland's major investigations team, said Mr Johnston, from the Maryhill area of Glasgow, had been for a meal and was travelling home, with one other person in the car, when he was shot at multiple times in a pre-planned attack. The other person in the car, who was not injured, was being treated as \"a significant witness\", the detective said. He also revealed that an Audi Q5 that had been found in the city's Possil area. The officer said the investigation team was \"interested\" because it was the same kind of vehicle that had been seen driving from the scene. The lead detective said Mr Johnston, who would have turned 27 next week, was \"known to police\" and when asked to elaborate, said: \"It would be unfair really but we have had dealings with him in the past. \"At the end of the day this is a man going about his night-time business with his friend in the car and he's been shot, and nobody expects something like that.\" When asked if the shooting was linked to gangs or drugs, Mr Kerr said: \"There could be an association or particular motive but we're keeping our options open at the moment in relation to that.\" Describing the shooting, Det Supt Kerr said: \"The man had just stopped at a pedestrian crossing on Shields Road, just south of its junction with Scotland Street, when he was approached by the Audi Q5. \"Someone from that vehicle shot him and then the car sped off in a northerly direction on Shields Road and turned east into Scotland Street towards the Kingston Bridge. \"This was obviously a targeted attack. Although it was quite late at night, this can be a busy area and there could have been a number of people walking by or in vehicles.\" Det Supt Kerr said no-one else was injured but the shooting had been witnessed by members of the public. \"This is a shocking incident and something that no one should have to witness,\" he said. \"At this time there is no description of anyone in the suspect car, however, officers are currently checking CCTV in the area in an effort to trace its movements and specialist officers will carry out forensic tests on the car.\" The detective said that additional officers were on patrol in the Tradeston and Kinning Park areas of the city, close to where the shooting happened. He added: \"I would urge anyone with information or any concerns at all, to speak to them there. \"A major inquiry has been set up by Greater Glasgow Division and the major investigations team and other specialist resources from across", "summary": "A man who was murdered in a late night car shooting in Glasgow was targeted in a pre-planned attack, police have said."}
{"article": "Two-thirds of England's schools face real-term budget cuts during this Parliament, according to the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR). It comes as a newspaper report says the Department for Education is to be hit with \u00a32bn worth of spending cuts. The DfE said it was vital schools used the funds to help disadvantaged pupils. This year schools in England received \u00a3623 for every pupil on free school meals - a total of \u00a32.5bn by the end of this Parliament. Jonathan Clifton's analysis for the think-tank of how schools use the coalition's flagship pupil premium argues that it is \"not additional money\" for the majority of schools. He said: \"Over the next three years, schools face a cut in their main budget on the one hand, and an increase in their pupil premium funding on the other. \"The Institute of Fiscal Studies has calculated when these are taken two things are taken into account, the majority of schools are expected to see a real-terms cut in their per-pupil funding. \"They conclude that around 65% of primary schools and 80% of secondary schools will see a real-term cut in their budget between 2010-11 and 2014-15.\" At the same time a minority will see a substantial increase in their budgets, it says. He continued: \"Many schools are struggling to maintain their existing level of provision, and are unable to fund additional or innovative activities. \"Perhaps unsurprisingly, those schools that report they have 'significantly' changed the way they support disadvantaged pupils tend to be the same schools that have seen an increase in their budget.\" The fact that the pupil premium is not ring-fenced means that is \"subject to competing demands\", and the school league tables system often means schools focus their resources to ensure pupils get at least C grades in GCSEs. He also highlighted how politicians talk interchangeably about the pupil premium being used to support pupils who are falling behind and those on free school school meals. But last year only 23% of low attaining pupils at the end of primary school were on free school meals, and only 26% of pupils on free school meals were low attaining. He also calls for the extra funding to be tied to a strong professional infrastructure to ensure the best results are achieved. The report calls for the greater share of the money to be re-targeted at primary schools to ensure that more pupils are starting secondary school with adequate standards in English and maths. It also suggests that money aimed at secondary school pupils who are falling behind, known as the \"catch-up premium\", should be re-named a \"catch-up entitlement\" to ensure it reaches the correct pupils. A DfE spokeswoman said: \"The coalition has protected schools funding, while also ensuring that every disadvantaged child benefits from the pupil premium, which will be worth \u00a32.5billion a year in 2014/15. \"It is vital that schools use this funding effectively to raise disadvantaged pupils' attainment and close the unacceptable gap with their peers. \"While schools are free to use this funding in the way they think will", "summary": "Schools are facing increasing pressure to spend money aimed at very poor pupils, known as the pupil premium, to plug holes in budgets, a report says."}
{"article": "John Henry Jones, from Trevor, near Llangollen, went missing in 1970. His family came forward after the reconstructed face of a man found buried in Staffordshire in 1971 was shown on the BBC's Crimewatch. But Det Insp Dan Ison, of Staffordshire Police, said DNA tests showed the man was not Mr Jones. Work had been carried out by a dental expert which suggested similarities between Mr Jones's teeth and the man found in Burton-upon-Trent. \"While the DNA test has not resulted in an identification of the body found in Burton, we have been able to rule Mr Jones out of our enquiries,\" Det Insp Ison said. \"Forty-six years have passed, but the investigation remains open and we'd ask people to check the image and contact us if they have new information.\"", "summary": "An unidentified body found buried in a shallow grave 46 years ago is not a missing man from Denbighshire, detectives have said."}
{"article": "Hibs trailed Celtic 1-0 at half-time, but the home side hit back through a 27-minute Abi Harrison hat-trick. Stirling University held Glasgow for 54 minutes before Hayley Lauder, Sarah Crilly and two from Haley Rosen sealed the visitors' victory. Elsewhere, Glasgow Girls beat Jeanfield Swifts 5-3. Hearts Ladies against Hutchison Vale was postponed, with a date still to be re-arranged for the tie. The semi-final draw will take place at Hampden Park on Monday.", "summary": "Holders Glasgow City and last year's runner's up Hibernian have both made it through to the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup."}
{"article": "Mr Mackay confirmed that the Scottish government was considering a second independence referendum to keep Scotland in the EU. He also told BBC Scotland a 9.5% budget deficit would not be an obstacle. But the Scottish Conservatives said the SNP was \"in denial\" about the economic challenges facing Scotland. And Scottish Labour said it was becoming \"increasingly clear\" that the promises made by the SNP ahead of the 2014 independence referendum were \"completely misleading\". The EU stability and growth pact urges member states to keep deficits below 3% of gross domestic product (GDP). Government figures for 2015/16 showed Scotland had a \u00a314.8bn deficit when a geographic share of North Sea revenue was included, up from \u00a314.3bn in 2014/15 . This compares with an overall UK deficit of \u00a375.3bn or 4% of GDP. The UK's government's Scottish secretary, David Mundell, said the figures showed that being part of the UK protected Scottish living standards. But Mr Mackay rejected the argument, saying \"independence is one of the options that we are considering to secure Scotland's place\" in the EU. He insisted that Scotland's deficit was not a barrier to EU membership, arguing that the UK was running a deficit of more than 10% after the financial crisis. The finance secretary told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: \"Take the financial year 2009/10. Coming out of the financial crisis, the UK deficit in terms of relative to GDP was over 10%. \"No-one suggested the UK was bankrupt then and would have to exit the EU.\" The Scottish Conservatives said the minister's comments showed the SNP was \"in denial\" about the economic problems that would face an independent Scotland. Finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said: \"We were told the SNP was going to start being honest about the damage independence would cause to Scotland. \"Instead Derek Mackay showed this morning that the plan is still to shut their eyes as tight as possible in the hope everyone else does too. \"If ever an independent Scotland did seek EU membership, it would need to convince other EU nations that it had a plan to bear down on the huge deficit we're running. The last thing the EU would want is to take on the risk of another bail out. \"So Nicola Sturgeon needs to be straight with people - if she wants to make the case for independence within the EU, what would be the price of that be in higher taxes and reduced spending?\" Mr Mackay insisted that Scotland's large deficit showed that \"UK economic policy isn't working for Scotland\". and that an independent Scotland \"would be able to make different choices and pull different economic levers to accelerate growth\". He also said the Scottish government had \"put in place a \u00a3100m economic stimulus to support the economy, and that was new investment\". But Scottish Labour economy spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: \"The \u00a3100m Nicola Sturgeon announced was from a previous SNP government underspend, it's not new money - someone should have told the finance secretary. \"It's embarrassing that the man in charge of the accounts doesn't know", "summary": "Scotland's large economic deficit would not disqualify the country from European Union membership, according to Finance Secretary Derek Mackay."}
{"article": "Police Sgt Nicholas Peacock told Mr Cipriani's trial he \"appeared to be drunk\" when he was brought into Hammersmith police station last June. He was breathalysed and found to be nearly twice the drink-drive limit in June last year, his trial heard. The 28-year-old's defence have argued the case should be thrown out. They told Westminster Magistrates' Court there was a \"lack of evidence\" against the Sale Sharks star, who denies drink-driving in Fulham, west London. Sgt Peacock told the court Mr Cipriani's eyes were glazed and \"he smelt of intoxicating liquor, appeared to be drunk to me, and was upset and tearful.\" More on this story and other news from London The court previously heard claims police gave Mr Cipriani special treatment and delayed breathalysing him in a move the rugby player believed was \"calculated to assist him\". Mr Cipriani was breathalysed after crashing his Mercedes into a taxi and found to have 67 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath - nearly twice the drink-drive limit in England and Wales of 35 micrograms. But Sgt Peacock said delays are common, particularly at shift changeover, as was the case when Mr Cipriani was brought in. He also said the sports star was kept outside in a part of the station precinct known as \"the cage\" in order to stop other detainees recognising him. \"The concern is that if you have a well-known person and they are seen by other people, that information can potentially be leaked to the press,\" he said. Philip Lucas, defending, told the court there was not \"sufficient\" evidence the breathalyser test in the police station was working properly and called for the case to be dismissed. The move came after the prosecutor and district judge raised concerns that legal proceedings were being \"filibustered\" and the case \"derailed\" by \"unnecessarily complicated\" legal submissions made by Mr Lucas. The case was adjourned until Friday.", "summary": "England rugby star Danny Cipriani was \"tearful and upset\" after he was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving, a court has heard."}
{"article": "There were 33 defendants present in the Cairo courtroom to hear the verdicts, while the rest were out on bail. Family and friends of the defendants cried in shock outside the courthouse, reports said. The decision to hand over the islands to Saudi Arabia sparked a backlash among many Egyptians. It was made by Egyptian president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi during a rare visit by Saudi Arabia's King Salman, during which the Saudi king announced plans for aid and investment in Egypt. Critics says President Sisi \"sold\" the uninhabited islands, Tiran and Sanafir, in return for the investments. Saudi-Egyptian island deal sparks anger But the Egyptian government maintains that the islands always belonged to Saudi Arabia, and were only being looked after by Egypt since the 1950s. Both secular and Islamist activists called for people to demonstrate against the transfer of the islands. Police dispersed the protests in April, arresting dozens of people, many of whom were later charged with participation in illegal rallies. Mr Sisi has faced increasing criticism in recent months on a range of issues, including Egypt's lacklustre economy. The president, a former army general, previously enjoyed broad support after winning the election in 2014, but has faced increasing discontent.", "summary": "Egypt has sentenced 51 people to two years each in prison for protesting against a decision last month to cede two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia."}
{"article": "Sgt Patrick Swanton said: \"There has been enough tragedy and there has been enough bloodshed.\" Seven people remain in hospital and 170 are in custody. About 50 weapons were recovered from the scene. Sgt Swanton said the fight may have started when someone's foot was run over in a car park. There was also anger that an uninvited gang had shown up at a meeting between other gangs, hosted by the restaurant Twin Peaks. On Tuesday morning, police continued to pore over the multiple crime scenes - the restaurant areas, the bar, the toilets and the car park. Police are keeping members of the rival gangs in different parts of the jail, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported. Three of the men arrested were mistakenly charged with lesser offences and were released on Tuesday after posting a $50,000 (\u00c2\u00a332,000) bond. Texas officials said all three men were arrested again and are being held on more serious charges. On Monday night, they began removing motorcycles and other vehicles from the area. Tow trucks are requiring a heavy police escort when they move the vehicles away from the scene. Around 80 cars or pickup trucks still need to be carried away. The restaurant meeting was meant for a coalition of invited bike groups and the organisers had requested the outdoor seating area for the event. A bike gang which was not invited to the meeting showed up, and a \"disturbance in the parking lot\" followed, according to Mr Swanton. That incident sparked the larger gun battle, which ultimately left nine people dead. The names of the deceased have not been released, because family members are still being notified. Mr Swanton would not say how long the shoot-out lasted, but said that police responded \"within seconds if not within at least a minute\". He said that police were not inside the restaurant because they \"were not welcomed by management\". The sergeant said that the \"credible\" threats made against law enforcement in recent days are diminishing. \"We think that those threats are toning down a bit. We appreciate that,\" he said, but noted that police are asking for \"cooperation from known criminal bike gangs\".", "summary": "Police in Texas are calling on members of rival motorcycle gangs to stop fighting after a deadly weekend shoot-out in Waco left nine dead."}
{"article": "It is one of the oldest tools in the book to get rid of someone who is either too powerful, too dangerous or too inconvenient. But most assassins choose a straight-forward method: Julius Caesar was stabbed to death, Abraham Lincoln was shot. It is now being speculated that the death of Kim Jong-nam - Kim Jong-un's oldest half-brother - may have been another one. If that proves true, its rumoured method - which supposedly saw two female assassins placing a poison-laced handkerchief over his mouth as he walked through the airport - puts his assassination among a select list of those killed by people who have chosen a more unusual route. Alexander Litvinenko's death is arguably the most high profile assassination of recent years. The former KGB agent became ill on 1 November 2006, hours after having tea at the upmarket Millennium Hotel in Mayfair with two fellow former agents. After his death, those agents would become the main suspects in his murder. When Mr Litvinenko was admitted to hospital on 3 November, he told doctors he had been poisoned. Later, he would personally name Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he was responsible for \"everything that happened to him\". Meanwhile, his hair began to fall out and his organs began shutting down - but doctors at London's University College Hospital could not find a cause. Eventually, it fell to scientists at Britain's top-secret nuclear research site at Aldermaston in Berkshire to discover what was killing Mr Litvinenko from the inside: Polonium 210, a particle which was used in the first nuclear bombs, and is 100% deadly. There was nothing doctors could do. Mr Litvinenko, who told the BBC's Russia service he had been looking into the assassination of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya the previous month when he was attacked, died on 23 November. Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov was waiting for a bus on Waterloo Bridge on 7 September 1978 when he felt a stab in his thigh. Mr Markov, 49, looked back to see a man with an umbrella running away and taking a taxi. It was only later, after finishing a day's work for the BBC's Bulgarian service and having returned home to south London, that he became unwell. Mr Markov, an opponent of Bulgaria's then-Communist government, died four days later. He had, officials later discovered, been poisoned with ricin which appeared to have been injected into his thigh, possibly by the umbrella. No one was ever charged with his murder, one of the most notorious of the Cold War, but Mr Markov had his own theories, telling doctors he believed the KGB had played a role in the attack. J\u00c3\u00b6rg Jenatsch was a one-time preacher who went on to be a politician and leading figure during Switzerland's 30 Year War. But for all his achievements in life, it is probably Mr Jenatsch's death in 1639 in a hostel in Chur which is most memorable. Mr Jenatsch, who had recently been knighted for his services, was having a party during the town's carnival when a group turned up and asked to", "summary": "There is nothing new about a high-profile or outspoken person being assassinated."}
{"article": "The government allowed councils to increase council tax by 2% this year to spend on care - and most have done so. But, according to a survey of all 151 social care directors, there is still a shortfall of nearly \u00a31bn. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services said councils had no option but to reduce the services. Directors in charge of care for older people and adults with disabilities indicated in the annual survey only about half of this shortfall could be met by efficiency savings. Instead, they said, 39% of the shortfall would have to be covered by cuts to services, with those provided to the elderly most at risk. This could lead to day centres being closed, fewer hours of help being provided in people's homes and an increase in rationing resulting in a cut in the number of people actually getting services, the ADASS said. The rest of the savings will be met by other measures, such as increasing the fees people are charged - unlike with NHS services, people can be asked to make a contribution to the care they get. ADASS president Harold Bodmer said: \"We have been arguing for some time that adult social care needs to be given the same protection and investment as the NHS. Services are already being cut, and the outlook for future care is bleak. \"We are at a tipping point where social care is in jeopardy.\" \u00a319.7bn will be spent on care services in 2016-17 \u00a313.8bn will come from council funds - 1.2% more than last year \u00a35.9bn will be raised from charges, the NHS and other sources \u00a3940m short of what is needed The funding councils get from ministers for services has been cut this year. But, to help protect social care in particular, Chancellor George Osborne gave them permission to raise council tax by up to 2% if the income was to be used for care services. He said this would put the sector on a sound financial footing after years of budgets being squeezed. But the ADASS survey indicates that despite 95% of local authorities raising council tax, there is still a shortfall in the budget. Directors said \u00a313.8bn had been set aside for social care in 2016-17 - a 1.2% increase in cash terms on the previous year. Another \u00a35.9bn is expected to come in from other sources, such as fees people pay and the Better Care Fund, a separate pot of money largely funded by the NHS, to which councils have access. But that still leaves the sector \u00a3940m short, the survey indicates. ADASS said this was because of the increasing pressures from the ageing population and the cost of meeting the National Living Wage, which was brought in in April and is estimated to cost councils more than \u00a3600m this year. Richard Humphries, of the King's Fund think tank, said the findings should be of \"huge concern\". But a Department of Health spokeswoman said the council tax precept would raise more money in time - local authorities can increase it by 2%", "summary": "Care services are facing cuts this year as rises in council tax have failed to plug the gaps in budgets in England, town hall chiefs are warning."}
{"article": "The Dutch-owned firm suspended deliveries last month after losing funding. It had been delivering about 3m letters every week in the three cities, in direct competition with Royal Mail. The private equity arm of Lloyds bank decided not to invest, triggering a review. Parent group PostNL said the firm had begun a consultation with affected staff \"to minimise the impact of the decision\". The company also pointed out it would continue to collect 80m items a week to be fed into the Royal Mail system for final delivery. A statement released by PostNL said: \"Following the termination of the discussions on the proposed investment in Whistl UK to fund the further rollout of its current end-to-end (E2E) activities, we have assessed alternative scenarios for Whistl's E2E operations. \"Further to this assessment, it has been decided to end Whistl's E2E operations. \"Whistl remains committed to further developing its successful activities in the UK, including downstream access (DSA) service, door-drop media, packets and parcels and logistics.\" About 1,800 workers were employed by Whistl, with many on zero-hours contracts. Whistl is the second largest postal operator in the UK.", "summary": "Postal business Whistl has confirmed it is ending its home delivery service in London, Liverpool and Manchester, putting up to 1,800 jobs at risk."}
{"article": "The supervised injection site opened in Vancouver in 2003 with a federal exemption permitting illegal drug use. Its supporters say it has helped prevent overdoses, reduced infections, and curbed crime and open drug use. But the federal government said in 2008 that the facility should close, arguing it promoted addiction. The top court issued its unanimous 9-0 decision on Friday. Addicts must bring their own drugs to the Insite facility, where they are supplied with clean needles and sterilised water. They inject at 12 stainless-steel alcoves with mirrors on the walls so nurses on a raised platform can see them. The court said in its ruling that in the clinic's eight-year history, \"Insite has been proven to save lives with no discernible negative impact on the public safety and health objectives of Canada\". \"The risk of death and disease to injection drug users is grossly disproportionate to any benefit that Canada might derive from presenting a uniform stance on the possession of narcotics.\" Correspondents say the ruling suggests the right of a province to provide healthcare supersedes the federal government's right to enforce drug laws. It is thought that the Supreme Court's decision could pave the way for similar facilities to open in other parts of Canada. The ruling was welcomed by users of the facility and healthcare professionals alike. A crowd celebrated on the street outside Insite. \"Addiction-related drug use is a health issue and not a criminal justice issue,\" Debra Lynkowski, chief executive of the Canadian Public Health Association, told reporters. \"Collectively, we have the responsibility to protect the health of all Canadians, no matter what their situation.\" But Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq was disappointed with the decision. She told the Canadian parliament: \"Our government believes that spending more money on treatment and to help people get off drugs is the best investment we can make.\" She added that the government would be reviewing the court's decision. The facility has been operating under the constitutional exemption to Canada's Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. But the federal government refused to renew the exemption in 2008, arguing that \"harm-reduction\" programmes diverted funding from addiction-treatment programmes. The Supreme Court's ruling supports a decision made in 2008 by the Supreme Court of British Columbia. As of 2009, there were 65 injection facilities in 27 cities in Canada, Australia and western Europe, according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal.", "summary": "North America's only legal drug-injection site can stay open, Canada's Supreme Court rules, in a defeat for the country's conservative government."}
{"article": "In the latest mishap, US citizens Bob Weise and Steve Shapiro, both 71, had to seek help in Hayle Harbour, Cornwall, when their sailing boat tipped over, causing a fire on board. Veteran sailor Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is among those criticising the pair. The duo previously told BBC News they were experienced enough for the trip. The boat, named Nora, left Norway in July and is aiming for the US state of Maine. Sir Robin said: \"This is no longer a joke. \"It costs between \u00c2\u00a36,000 and \u00c2\u00a38,000 every time a lifeboat is launched. These guys are costing the RNLI a fortune. \"They need to frankly pack it in or, I hate to say it, get the hell out of our waters.\" James Instance, from Falmouth Coastguard, said he was not aware of anyone being rescued so many times in a short space of time. Peter Haddock, Hayle harbourmaster, said he was worried about the sailors' safety and that of emergency services. Mr Haddock said he raised the alarm on Tuesday after seeing smoke coming from the vessel's forward hatch and described the pair as a \"catastrophe waiting to happen\". Fire crews extinguished a \"small fire\" on the 18-tonne yacht, which Mr Shapiro said was caused by a candle, and that \"otherwise there was no real damage\". Mr Shapiro, a screenwriter and author from California, said he had been sailing since he was nine and \"people had a right to be angry\". \"But it's not justifiable, we have the right to the services as much as anybody else. \"The volunteer organisations volunteered to come out, it was their decision.\" Mr Shapiro is accompanied by Mr Weise, who is an ex-US Army helicopter pilot and Vietnam veteran. The RNLI and Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) refused to comment on how much the rescues would have cost. A spokeswoman for the MCA said: \"Search resources are always used in incidents where people report seeing someone in trouble. \"We would always urge people to call 999 and ask for the coastguard if they're in danger or think someone else might be in distress. \"We never put a price on human life. If we get a 999 call we respond and treat it as an emergency.\"", "summary": "Two yachtsmen who have been rescued nine times in seven months have been described as a \"catastrophe waiting to happen\" and urged to \"leave UK waters\"."}
{"article": "Police said the 61-year-old man had left his own vehicle when he was struck by the lorry shortly after 13:00. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The eastbound carriageway was closed at Junction 3 while emergency services attended, but has since reopened. Police said they were attempting to establish the full circumstances of the incident.", "summary": "A man has died after being hit by a lorry on the M8 at Livingston in West Lothian."}
{"article": "The South Africa-born 30-year-old claimed 6-66 on his debut against Nottinghamshire at Old Trafford. Wagner, who had a stint with Northants in 2014, joined the Red Rose as their overseas player for the 2016 campaign. \"It's a great club and a great place. I always had something for Lancashire when I played here for Ormskirk in 2008,\" he told BBC Radio Lancashire. \"I came to watch quite a few games for Lancashire and when England played here as well, so I love the ground and everything about it. \"For me to come over here was an easy decision and to come and play a part in such a special club is pretty awesome. I'm lucky to be here.\" Wagner's figures were the best by a bowler making his Lancashire first-class debut since 1923.", "summary": "New Zealand seamer Neil Wagner has spoken of his pride at being able to play for Lancashire this season."}
{"article": "The president should not be \"afraid\" to choose his heir and his word would be \"final\", Grace Mugabe said. Mr Mugabe is the world's oldest ruler, and his Zanu-PF party has nominated him to stand for re-election next year. But rival factions have been vying to strengthen their position as concern about his health mounts. Mr Mugabe looks increasingly frail, and has been on three medical trips to Singapore this year. However, his aides have played down fears about his health, saying he goes to Singapore only for specialised eye treatment. \"President, don't be afraid. Tell us who is your choice, which horse we should back,\" Mrs Mugabe told a meeting of Zanu-PF's women's wing, AFP news agency reports. \"If you tell us the horse to back, we will rise in our numbers and openly support that horse. Why should our horse be concealed?\" she added, in a speech switching between English and local language Shona. Mr Mugabe was present when his 52-year-old wife made the comments, but did not respond. She has been rumoured as a potential successor, as has Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mr Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, and is expected to defeat his main rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, in next year's poll. The opposition says the electoral commission is biased and will rig the poll in Mr Mugabe's favour. Last year, Zanu-PF youth leader Kudzai Chipanga said that \"it was written in the Bible that he [Mr Mugabe] won't just rule the country but would die in office\". In February, Mrs Mugabe said her husband was so popular that if he died, he could run as a corpse and still win in an election.", "summary": "Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, 93, has been urged by his wife to name his successor in order to end divisions over who the next leader will be."}
{"article": "The US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) said the 35-year-old failed to provide details of his whereabouts for testing on three occasions within 18 months. He will be stripped of any result he achieved from 17 November, 2012, the date of his third failure to comply. Gold: 2004 Olympic 200m, 2001 World Indoor Championships 200m Silver: 2008 Olympic 200m, 2004 Olympic 4x100m relay, 2004 World Indoor Championships 60m Bronze: 2001 World Championships 200m But his agent said Crawford retired after missing out on London 2012. Crawford failed to qualify for last year's Olympics after finishing seventh in the US trials final. \"He's 35 years of age, and has moved on,\" his representative Kimberly Holland told Reuters. \"Unfortunately, his announcement wasn't enough, as he had to complete retirement paper work to be removed from the testing pool.\" Crawford also won silver in the 200m and the 4x100m relay at the Beijing Olympics. When Usain Bolt won the first of his Olympic 200m titles in 2008, Crawford originally finished fourth, but was given the silver medal after Wallace Spearmon and Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles were disqualified for running out of their lanes. Crawford later gave his medal to Martina, who would have been the first Olympic medallist from his country. In 2003, he took part in a US television programme that saw him race against a zebra and a giraffe. He beat the giraffe but lost twice to the zebra after demanding a rematch following a false start. Crawford won the Olympic 200m title in 2004, clocking a personal best of 19.79 seconds to defeat compatriots Bernard Williams and Justin Gatlin. Usada said his ban would begin from 17 April, the date he received the sanction.", "summary": "America's Shawn Crawford, the 2004 Olympic 200m gold medallist, has been banned for two years for not complying with out-of-competition drugs testing."}
{"article": "Moses John, 14, and Pauline Watson, 46, vanished in May 2015 from their home in Northampton. It is believed Ms Watson has links to various parts of London. Moses, who has special educational needs, was at the centre of family court proceedings, in which children are not normally identified. For more stories, visit BBC Northamptonshire Live Northamptonshire County Council, which has responsibility for Moses's welfare, said the judge, Mr Justice Michael Keehan, had agreed to disclose the identity of the boy because of the level of concern about his well-being. Police said Moses was about 5ft 9ins (1.75m) tall, while his mother was about 5ft 7ins (1.7m) tall. The pair had a \"very close relationship\" and were rarely seen apart. Police say Ms Watson has links to London boroughs including Croydon, Islington, Merton, Sutton, Southwark and Lambeth. Speaking at the High Court, Mr Justice Keehan said: \"I am gravely concerned for his welfare so long as his whereabouts, presumably in the care of his mother, remain unknown.\"", "summary": "A teenage boy who disappeared with his mother a year ago has been named by a High Court judge in an \"exceptional\" attempt to trace him."}
{"article": "A brick was hurled through the window of the house, followed by a petrol bomb and a pipe bomb, which did not explode. Supt Gordon McCalmont said it was a \"reckless act at the hands of what we believe to be a loyalist paramilitary gang\". A meeting to discuss ongoing tensions in the area was held on Tuesday. On Saturday night, shots were fired at a house at nearby Rossdowney Drive where a toddler was asleep in a upstairs bedroom. The latest attack happened at about 10:30 BST on Monday, and the victim said he did not know why his house was targeted. \"I don't know why anyone has anything against me because I don't really know anybody,\" said Andrew Logue. The 62-year-old, who is originally from Carndonagh in County Donegal and has been living in the mainly unionist estate for three months, said he was still in shock. \"I couldn't believe someone would do that to the likes of myself,\" he told BBC News NI. \"It doesn't bother me what religion you're from. We all get cut, we bleed the same colour.\" On Tuesday night, political, community, religious and statutory leaders in the area issued a joint statement after discussing the ongoing tensions. \"For those who are responsible for the use of violence against any of our people or any part of our city, we say 'put away your guns and bombs and bring to an end the misery that you are imposing on our community',\" they said. \"The city has always shown leadership in how it deals with community tensions and, following today's meeting, everyone has reaffirmed their commitment to ensure that this city speaks with one voice and if you hurt one of us, you hurt us all. \"We would appeal to anyone who has any information in relation to any of the recent attacks to give that information to the PSNI.\" Earlier, Supt McCalmont said the bomb had been left \"in the heart of the local community\". \"This was a concerning attack that took the form of a brick hurled through a window, followed by a petrol bomb and then a pipe bomb,\" he said. \"Thankfully, the pipe bomb didn't explode, or we could have been looking at something very different today.\" After the attack, a number of people were moved out of their homes to a local community centre. Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in MP Elisha McCallion called on community leaders to defuse the situation. \"An urgent approach involving all the relevant agencies and community representatives is required in order to address this issue before someone is seriously injured or even killed,\" she said. Foyle DUP MLA Gary Middleton described the attack as \"reckless and senseless\". \"Paramilitary activity has no place in our society today and those who still continue to cling to criminality and violence are to be unequivocally condemned for their actions,\" he said. SDLP councillor Martin Reilly said it was \"a despicable attack\" that could have had devastating consequences. \"Those behind this depraved attack have no place in our city. Their violence has been rejected by people", "summary": "Police are investigating a possible sectarian motive for an overnight attack in Londonderry's Waterside area."}
{"article": "The group wants to hold the events on 4 March in Locharbriggs - where it is based - and nearby Dumfries. Dumfries and Galloway Council's licensing panel is being asked to issue permission for both events. However, a parish priest in Dumfries has objected to the march saying it has \"no reason whatsoever, historical or otherwise\" to be held in the town. The council has to be consulted by anyone wishing to hold any public procession. The Locharbriggs Loyal Orange Lodge wants to stage one march through Dumfries at 15:30 on Saturday 4 March lasting for about 45 minutes. It would follow a route along New Abbey Road, Laurieknowe, Galloway Street, Buccleuch Street, High Street, Shakespeare Street and Nith Place before ending at the Dock Park. The second procession - starting at 18:00 - would take place for about half an hour through Locharbriggs. It has been estimated that 75 people would take part in the Dumfries procession and 50 people in the Locharbriggs one. Fr Jim Hayes of St Teresa's RC church has made a representation against the marches. He said he was \"dismayed\" to see a procession being brought into the \"heart of Dumfries\". He said he hoped marches of this kind by \"any group of any persuasion\" would \"disappear from Scottish life altogether\".", "summary": "An Orange Lodge in southern Scotland is seeking approval for two processions to mark its 25th anniversary."}
{"article": "Normally, clocks are put forward an hour on the last Sunday in March, and then put back an hour on the last Sunday in October. In 2016, summer time will last from 27 March to 30 October. During that time, we move our clocks forward by an hour - so, if you normally get up at 8am, it will feel like 7am. The change is called 'daylight saving', and the idea is to make the most of natural daylight, by arranging for the hours of the day when we do the most things to happen when it's light. Starting the day earlier means that mornings are darker, but it stays light for longer in the evenings. It was first done in the UK in 1916 - 100 years ago - during the First World War. The aim was to save fuel, and give people more time to work in the fields. Now, some people think that we should have British Summer Time all year round.", "summary": "At 1am on Easter Sunday, the clocks moved forward by one hour, marking the start of British Summer Time."}
{"article": "His return comes after an invitation of fellow co-founder Jack Dorsey, who was brought back as chief executive in 2015. Mr Dorsey has been trying to reboot Twitter, which claims more than 300 million monthly users, but has struggled to turn a profit. Twitter's stock bounced nearly 2% on the news. Mr Stone said he will focus on the culture of the company. \"I'll shape the experience internally so it's also felt outside the company,\" he wrote. \"More soon.\" Mr Stone left Twitter in 2011, after the exit of fellow co-founders. He went on to start the publishing platform Medium and a search app, Jelly Industries, which Pinterest acquired this year. Twitter co-founder talks about the future of social media Dorsey: Twitter will take time to fix After a recent visit to Twitter, Mr Stone said he couldn't turn down the chance to work there again. \"When I stood next to Jack addressing the crowd of employees, I felt the energy, and I was overcome with emotion,\" he wrote in a post on Medium. \"I realised in that moment that Twitter was the most important work of my life.\" Mr Dorsey also shared the news on Twitter, writing: \"Excited to have Biz's energy and heart back at Twitter! #BizIsBack\"", "summary": "Twitter co-founder Biz Stone has said he plans to rejoin the social media site in the next few weeks."}
{"article": "Unite said workers at the Atomic Weapons Establishment's (AWE) two Berkshire sites would strike for 12 days over a pensions dispute. AWE, which builds the UK's Trident submarine warheads, said it had put \"resilient measures in place\". It added that its pension scheme was \"very competitive\". The walk-out of around 700 workers at Aldermaston and Burghfield in June, July, August and September will bring the number of strike days since November to 30. Unite regional officer Bob Middleton said: \"We know that our members' action has caused serious disruption to the production of the Trident warheads. \"We also know that convoys to Scotland carrying the missiles have been limited.\" The dispute centres on Unite's claim that promises about pensions were broken after the scheme was moved to the private sector in the 1990s. An AWE spokesperson said: \"We are actively seeking to re-engage with Unite to find a positive resolution to this dispute.\" The union Prospect agreed a pension settlement for its AWE members in February.", "summary": "A union claims strikes have resulted in \"serious disruption\" to the UK's nuclear weapons programme as it announced further industrial action."}
{"article": "Since George Osborne applauded Google's tax agreement with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) two weeks ago, public sentiment has been mounting against what many feel are unduly favourable tax arrangements for the world's multinationals. In front of MPs, Google's president for Europe, Matt Brittin defended the company's UK tax arrangements. Its public stance has been that: \"Governments make tax law, the tax authorities independently enforce the law, and Google complies with the law.\" In which case, the authorities in the UK and beyond seem to be concluding that what's required is a change in the law. Chancellor George Osborne has already instigated a clampdown on the way multinationals shift their profits to different jurisdictions to pay less tax, known as the \"diverted profits tax\". HMRC has said that the new tax, which came into effect in April last year, is aimed at capturing tax from organisations that don't pay corporation tax on their profits in the UK. Google, says HMRC, has paid the taxes that it is supposed to pay. Which, say critics, suggests this new tax doesn't go far enough. Last month, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) successfully brokered an agreement designed to improve the current system. All 31 of its member countries, which include the US, Bermuda and Guernsey, have agreed to share information on the tax international firms pay, leaving them less room for moving their profits into low tax jurisdictions. But the plan would still require implementation at national level. At the heart of the agreement is the concept of transparency, in particular what is known as \"country-by-country reporting\". This would force companies to tell the tax office of each country in which they operate, how many staff they employ there, what their revenues and profit are and how much tax they pay. The European Commission has proposed EU member states do the same. If its plan is approved, which experts say is unlikely as any direct tax measures require unanimity, it could eventually be turned into law by individual countries. The Commission has said it is also looking separately at whether these accounts should be opened up to public scrutiny and will publish its findings in the spring. If such scrutiny were ever implemented, it could be a powerful incentive for firms to change, says Richard Murphy, professor of international political economy at London's City University. \"If multinationals feel that they are out of the public eye, then they feel they can carry on the same way with the tax authorities - and nothing changes. \"It is only by having their affairs in the public eye, when everyone can see the choices they are making and the press can have a field day, that you have behavioural change.\" The prospect is already making investors nervous, according to Prof Murphy: \"Investors are crucial to this. They are beginning to question which companies are free-riding. If there is public scrutiny of their accounts that represents a real risk, it could result in a real change in perception of those companies.\" Momentum appears to be building behind", "summary": "When Google's European boss, Matt Brittin, appeared before the House of Commons' Public Accounts Committee on Thursday he faced a wave of indignant questioning from MPs."}
{"article": "M\u00e1ir\u00eda Cahill won a by-election to fill the seat left vacant after Jimmy Harte of the Labour party resigned. Labour candidate Ms Cahill won 122 of the 188 valid votes cast by serving senators and members of parliament. Last year, she told the BBC she had been raped by an IRA man when she was 16, with the organisation forcing her into silence to protect itself. The man she accused of raping her was prosecuted but later acquitted of all charges against him after two separate court cases in 2014. Earlier this year, Northern Ireland's Public Prosecution Service apologised to Ms Cahill after a report into how it handled her allegations found delays in her case had been \"unacceptable\". Ms Cahill is a member of one of the Irish republican movement's most prominent families. But on Thursday, ahead of the by-election, she told Irish state broadcaster RT\u00c9 she no longer considers herself a republican. She said she was \"deeply sorry\" for her involvement in the dissident group Republican Network for Unity, adding that it coincided with a vulnerable point in her life. \"I didn't think about it at the time and I've had a lot of reflection since\" she said. After her election, Ms Cahill said she would invite sex abuse organisations to the senate to discuss support for victims. \"I want to use my time [in the senate] to continue to work for victims of abuse,\" she said. \"That is the issue that has brought me to where I am today and it is the issue that I will continue to campaign on during my time as a senator. \"I also want to use my time to explore ways of engaging young jobseekers in this country and to help change their lives for the better.\" Ms Cahill had been the favourite to win the by-election. The other candidates who stood were Fianna F\u00e1il's Keith Swanick, who received 38 votes, Sinead Burke of Sinn F\u00e9in, who won 18 votes, and independent candidate Gerry Beades, who received 10.", "summary": "A Belfast woman who has accused the IRA of a sex abuse cover-up has won a seat in the Irish senate."}
{"article": "Tourists may have caught a glimpse of the future monarch in uniform riding his horse Wellesley in The Mall. As Colonel of the Irish Guards, Prince William inspected the troops ahead of the parade on 17 June. More than 6,000 spectators watched the inspection in Horse Guards Parade. There were more than 200 military horses on parade and 400 musicians. Trooping the Colour has commemorated the birthday of the sovereign for more than 250 years. It also functions as a display of army drills, music and horsemanship. The Duke of Cambridge became the Colonel of the Irish Guards in 2011. The last time the battalion trooped the colour in front of the Queen was in 2009.", "summary": "The Duke of Cambridge has taken part in the military rehearsal for the Queen's Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, for the first time."}
{"article": "Victoria and South Australia are experiencing higher than expected numbers of mice, the CSIRO said. The agency characterises a mouse plague as more than 1,000 mice per hectare (2,471 per acre). If conditions bring enough food, the population could hit that number within months, researcher Steve Henry said. \"We had a terrific spring this year which lead to record crops,\" Mr Henry told the BBC. \"Those conditions that lead to great crops are also really favourable for mice.\" The CSIRO could not give a current figure for mice per hectare, but said data from traps and anecdotal evidence pointed to a population spike. About five mice per hectare would be considered normal, Mr Henry said. Mouse plagues regularly occur only in Australia's grain belts and a province in north-west China, the CSIRO said. Victoria and South Australia occupy a large part of the Murray-Darling Basin, a fertile region accounting for almost 40% of Australia's agricultural income, according to the government. Outbreaks of mice create a significant financial hit to farmers who are forced to buy costly bait and often re-sow crops. Mr Henry said outbreaks also led to stress in rural communities. \"It's the fact that they are invading people's houses, they're in their vehicles, everywhere they turn around there's a mouse,\" he said. \"People in the cities are aghast when they have a mouse in the house. These people in the country, they're jamming up every crack in their house with steel wool to stop the mice from getting in.\" Mice were introduced to Australia by European settlers. They have few natural predators and face little competition from native wildlife.", "summary": "Australia's science agency has warned that spring rains have created ideal conditions for a mouse plague in the country's breadbasket."}
{"article": "The decision comes as some clinicians warned it could put patients at risk. The unit would carry out complex vascular surgery for potentially life-threatening conditions like abdominal aortic aneurysms. However, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said this only represented about 20% of its vascular treatments. The health board insisted the majority of its vascular services would still be carried out at the other hospital sites across north Wales, including Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor and Wrexham Maelor Hospital. \"Currently, around 300 complex vascular surgery operations are carried out each year in North Wales - representing about 20% of our vascular activity - and we are committed to continuing the majority of our work at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and Wrexham Maelor Hospital,\" said Dr Evan Moore, the board's executive medical director. \"Units such as these - which provide a hub for major vascular arterial operations - are being created across the UK, and there is strong evidence that such sites improve clinical outcomes and patient safety, whilst attracting the best staff and help to develop the best infrastructure.\" Vascular medicine covers a wide range of medical procedures and interventions, from screening for risks of aneurysms - where weakened walls of major blood vessels could burst - to treating varicose veins, stroke prevention and helping ensure dialysis patients can continue their treatment. But speaking ahead of the announcement, one consultant physician at Ysbyty Gwynedd raised concerns. \"This is an integrated service, and other aspects of what we do here would be threatened - radiology, urology and gastroenterology to name just a few,\" Dr Mahdi Jibani told BBC Wales. Ken Jones of the North Wales Kidney Association added: \"If this service goes, it will cost lives, there's no two ways about it.\" Arfon assembly member Sian Gwenllian said it represented \"yet another example of services creeping eastwards\". But Dr Moore argued that far from hitting services at other hospitals in the region, vascular services would benefit from a specialised hub. \"Hubs such as the one we have planned, built on the considerable knowledge, skills and practices already here, would protect connected services at these locations. \"These include outpatient consultations, investigations, diagnostic procedures, varicose vein and day case surgeries. It will also ensure strong support for other services such as accident and emergency, urology surgery and renal therapy.\"", "summary": "Health chiefs in north Wales have confirmed plans to site a specialist vascular unit at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Denbighshire."}
{"article": "City had led 2-0 from the first leg after their European debut on Thursday. Defenders Jennifer Beattie and Lucy Bronze fired in from first-half corners to extend the new English champions' lead, as they controlled possession. Beattie headed in her second after the break, before Isobel Christiansen slotted in City's fourth late on. Nick Cushing's side have now kept 19 clean sheets in 24 matches in all competitions so far in 2016. Scotland centre-back Beattie opened the scoring with a low volley from a right-wing corner on 23 minutes and rose unmarked to head in from another right-wing cross after the break. Striker Jane Ross had also clipped the inside of the post before Bronze - who netted in stoppage time at the end of the first leg - had drilled home from close range before half-time. Christiansen's neat fourth added to the margin of victory, after Zvezda striker Daryna Apanaschenko had struck the crossbar with their best effort of a one-sided tie. Zvezda - who reached the last-16 stage in both of the past two seasons and finished second in the Russian league in September - had not lost a home Champions League match since 2009. Manchester City Women: Bardsley, Bronze (Corboz 77), Stokes, Beattie, Houghton (c), Asllani (Middag 53), Scott, Duggan, Christiansen, Ross, Walsh. Subs not used: Hourihan, Parris. Zvezda: Zvarich, Kurochkina, Pozdeeva, Pantyukhina, Orlov, Apanaschenko (c), Makarenko, Andrushchak, Nurgalieva, Kipyatkova. Referee: Riem Hussein Attendance: TBC", "summary": "Manchester City reached the last 16 of the Women's Champions League as a 4-0 victory in Russia sealed a dominant, 6-0 aggregate win over Zvezda 2005."}
{"article": "The number of Welsh MPs will fall from 40 to 29 at the next general election as part of a move to reduce the number of MPs across the UK from 650 to 600. The changes are being made as a result of rules that require broadly equal numbers of voters in each constituency. Welsh constituencies currently have, on average, fewer voters than English ones. Changes that would have cut the number of Welsh MPs from 40 to 30 were blocked by the Liberal Democrats during the coalition government after an outcry from Labour MPs. Stand by for a repeat of that row. Today's revised proposals are based on new figures on the electoral register. The average number of voters in each constituency, according to the Office for National Statistics, is 54,300 in Wales, 66,700 in Scotland, 68,200 in Northern Ireland and 70,100 in England. The Boundary Commission for Wales said it would publish \"initial proposals\" for Welsh constituencies later this year, to be followed by a period of consultation. The new map will be drawn with the goal of ensuring each seat has between 71,031 and 78,507 electors. The average size of the electorate per constituency across the UK is 74,769, with the electorate of each constituency having to be within 5% of that - meaning each must have between 71,031 and 78,507 voters. Under the proposals, England will lose 32 MPs, Northern Ireland one and Scotland six to create a smaller House of Commons.", "summary": "Wales will lose more than a quarter of its MPs under a review of parliamentary constituencies."}
{"article": "Solomona scored 40 tries in the 2016 season, including a record total of 40 in Super League. Tigers chairman Steve Gill said in October that the 23-year-old Samoan was not for sale and would be returning to the club on 7 November. BBC Sport understands Solomona has held talks with rugby union side Sale. The Premiership club declined to comment on the story.", "summary": "Castleford Tigers are to take legal action against winger Denny Solomona after he failed to return to the club for pre-season training."}
{"article": "Mark Jennens, 40, was accused of manslaughter when his mother died after a row at their West Midlands home over Christmas dinner in 2015. The prosecution argued he threw her to the floor causing a fractured hip. But after a jury cleared him, he said: \"For the first time in 18 months I can look myself in the eye in the mirror.\" Mr Jennens, of Brierley Hill, was the carer for his 78-year-old mother, who suffered from lung cancer. He admitted the pair had a difficult relationship. \"She was a Jekyll and Hyde. She could be lovely or she could be evil, you never quite knew what you were getting,\" he told the BBC. Describing what happened on Christmas Eve, he said she fell after he picked her up by her arms in a \"tragic accident\" following their dispute. \"My mother has been a difficult character and I'd been her sole carer for 10 years,\" he said. \"She was being aggressive as per usual. Thousands of times she has been aggressive before. \"And this one time I wanted to cry to be quite honest. So I went to pick her up to put her outside the door for two minutes so I could sit there and have a sob. \"Well she went [fell] over and I phoned the police and ambulance.\" His mother was taken to Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, but later contracted pneumonia and died on 18 January 2016. Mr Jennens said he was \"absolutely gobsmacked\" after he was arrested shortly after. \"Next thing you know I'm being done for manslaughter,\" he said. During his trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court, it was reported the prosecution described what happened as \"a cascade of events all led from a fractured hip which she suffered at her son's hands.\" But Mr Jennens' defence barrister argued there had been a \"break in the chain of causation\" when Hazel was incorrectly administered Salbutamol in hospital two days before she died. The jury cleared Mr Jennens in less than 90 minutes. \"It was never prison that bothered me,\" he said. \"No matter how difficult a relationship you've got with your mum you are always going to love them. \"My mum had terminal lung cancer,\" he said, adding the family didn't know that his mother had been told a year before she died she had six months to live. He believes the case should never have been brought and that there were many gaps, including unanswered questions about her medical care. \"Now the jury has come back unanimously after an hour-and-a-half it confirms there was no case to answer,\" he said. Mr Jennens said his family had \"never doubted me for a second\" and shared his relief. \"I'm more relieved for my sisters because in hindsight I think they have suffered more than me,\" he said. He said he had been under enormous stress looking after his mother and has called for changes to aspects of social care. His mother had refused help from social service which meant he was not able to get a \"vital bit", "summary": "A son cleared of killing his mother has spoken of his relief, saying: \"Who wants the stigma of being known as 'the bloke who kills their mum?'\""}
{"article": "In November 2014, Charlie was training in Sweden when she lost control of her skis, veering off course into the forest and landing on a boulder. After a year of rehabilitation, she is back in Austria training. Following a race on Sunday, she has now been launched up the rankings for alpine slalom skiing to number 84. Charlie, who has skied since she was seven, fought hard to get back in the game, and managed to make it to the world skiing championships just 11 weeks after the crash. And last Sunday, when competing in a race in Austria, she achieved a result that has pushed her into the top 100 skiers in her category in the world. Back home in Perth this week, she said: \"It's been a turbulent journey. I've had a lot of ups and downs over the last year. \"After making it to world championships, I had a good few races back in Europe and I made loads of personal bests. \"But by the time we got to March, I had more back problems than I'd ever had before. \"It wasn't happening that well for me.\" Charlie said that before her accident, making it into the top 100 was still her goal and now - just over a year later - she's delighted to have made that happen. \"We've come out this season with everything we were looking to get,\" she said. \"It's quite rewarding to have that after after a long periods of constant rehab and recovery and things going wrong.\" She added: \"We knew what kind of result I'd need to be able to get into the top 100. \"On Sunday, I had a race in Austria that I won by 1.4 seconds or something like that. Immediately we knew that that was going to be a good enough result to get me into the top 100. \"I was number 84 and it was really cool to see that next to your name. \"There's still a lot more work I want to do - I want to be number one in the world. \"Everything was really worth it in the end.\"", "summary": "Just over a year after breaking her spine, Scottish skier Charlie Guest has made it into the list of the world's top 100."}
{"article": "The world number two dropped serve in the first game of the match but was rarely troubled by the American in his first outing since GB's Davis Cup semi-final victory over Australia on 20 September. Murray, 28, said: \"I played well, moved well and it was a good start for me.\" He will face another American, John Isner, in the third round. Isner's 6-3 7-6 (7-5) victory over Belgian David Goffin prevented a dress-rehearsal meeting between the world number 16 and Murray before next month's Davis Cup final. World number one Novak Djokovic also reached round three, beating Slovakia's Martin Klizan 6-2 6-1. Rafael Nadal also made it through but had a much tougher time. It took Nadal two hours and 43 minutes to overcome Croatia's Ivo Karlovic 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-4). Looking ahead to facing Isner, Murray told Sky Sports: \"I think he quite likes the conditions here because it's quick and he's a tough guy to play against.\" After starting slowly against Johnson, Murray broke the American's serve three times to claim the first set. The Scot encountered greater resistance in the second set and two double faults in a row helped gift Johnson two break points at 3-3. But a precise drop volley allowed Murray to see off the danger. With Johnson serving at 4-5, a lob set up three match points and Murray clinched it at the second opportunity when the American sent a forehand long after one hour and 16 minutes. Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios could be facing another fine after being given his second code violation of the tournament. The Australian smashed away a loose ball and nearly hit a linesman after losing the second set in a 1-6 6-4 6-4 defeat by Japan's Kei Nishikori. Kyrgios, 20, was fined $1,500 (\u00a3984) on Tuesday after calling the tournament a \"circus\" and complaining about the ball kids during his win over Andreas Haider-Maurer. He could trigger a 28-day ban if he incurs $5,000 (\u00a33,256) in fines before February - a penalty stemming from the suspended ban he received for a sexual comment about Stan Wawrinka's girlfriend during a match in August.", "summary": "Britain's Andy Murray had a comfortable 6-2 6-4 victory over Steve Johnson in his opening Shanghai Masters match."}
{"article": "The 14% fall in net income to $4bn (\u00c2\u00a33bn) was not as bad as feared. In June, chief executive Michael Corbat warned of a 25% fall in net income. Consumer banking in North America had a weak quarter. Net income fell 22%, hit by falling sales and higher costs. But its trading operations were strong in the April-to-June period, with a 10% increase in revenue to $4.7bn. In particular, the bank's bond trading business did well, reporting a 14% increase in revenue to $3.5bn. Citigroup attributed the rise to more activity from its big clients. However, banking analyst Christopher Wheeler from Atlantic Securities believes that business saw a boost in trading activity following the UK's vote to leave the European Union. In a statement accompanying the results, Mr Corbat said: \"These results demonstrate our ability to generate solid earnings in a challenging and volatile environment, again highlighting the resilience of our institution.\" Rival banking giant Wells Fargo reported a 3.5% fall in quarterly net income to $5.17bn, which was in line with market expectations. Wells Fargo profits were hit by the company making extra provisions for loans going bad.", "summary": "Citigroup's profits fell in the second quarter because of weakness at its consumer banking business."}
{"article": "Hayley Court was employed by South Yorkshire Police (SYP) just after the hearings began in 2014. Documents seen by BBC News show she was told a \"performance issue\" was her \"failure\" to \"redress the imbalance\" in the media's reporting of the inquests. SYP said her claims of \"unethical practice\" were \"not substantiated\". Ms Court, 30, was taken on as the force's Hillsborough communications specialist with a salary of more than \u00c2\u00a350,000 but has since left. She said when she took the job she had hoped to illustrate the SYP force of 2014, when the inquests began, was not the same as it had been in 1989 - the year of the disaster. But she said \"very quickly\" she felt like she \"had been fed a line\". \"I felt like I had been told my job would be one thing, but actually it was something very different.\" She said she felt \"very foolish\" and \"naive\". \"I felt like I was then part of the problem, which couldn't have been further from what I was trying to achieve by accepting the role in the first place. And I felt that I was letting people down by continuing to be part of it.\" Ms Court spent around four months doing the job and went daily to the coroner's court in Warrington, Cheshire. But after raising concerns within the force about her role she became ill with anxiety and depression and was signed off work. Her job involved writing daily reports about the hearings, which were sent to former and serving South Yorkshire Police officers, as well as liaising with reporters covering the inquests. Jurors ruled 96 Liverpool fans who died at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final had been unlawfully killed. They also criticised SYP's planning for the match and highlighted a catalogue of failures by senior officers on the day. The stadium was also said to have contained \"defects\" that contributed to the disaster, and Sheffield Wednesday FC and South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service were criticised. The supporters were exonerated of any blame. Ms Court sat in on meetings between South Yorkshire Police's legal team during the inquests. Describing her impression of their approach to the case, she said: \"If [SYP] was going to be found partly responsible for what happened, then all the other interested parties should be found partly responsible as well. \"And if that meant perpetuating the comments about fans being drunk, if that meant perpetuating comments about fans forcing gates, then that is how they were going to do it. \"No-one could have failed to see that SYP was going to be found largely responsible for what happened at Hillsborough, and I think it was more about if there is less responsibility that we can take, then we should seek to make sure that is the outcome.\" She said she was \"surprised\" that the force was \"still perpetuating this defensiveness\", despite issuing an apology for police failures in 2012, more than a year before the inquests began. Ms Court claimed she was repeatedly told to tell the media what \"line\" they", "summary": "A former South Yorkshire Police press officer claimed she was asked to \"spin\" news during the Hillsborough inquests, the BBC can reveal."}
{"article": "A planned December bout fell through because the fighters \"ran out of time\", said Klitschko's manager Bernd Boente. \"That'll be the biggest heavyweight fight for years,\" former world champion Klitschko, 40, told German newspaper Bild. The WBA has yet to state whether its vacant title would be on the line. Promotor Eddie Hearn initially blamed confusion over the titles on offer and a \"minor injury\" to Ukrainian Klitschko for the failure to arrange a December date. Find out how to get into boxing with our special guide. Klitschko, who will turn 41 in March, lost his WBA WBO and IBF belts to Tyson Fury in November 2015. Two attempts to stage a rematch collapsed because the Briton suffered an ankle injury and was then declared \"medically unfit\". Fury has since vacated his WBO and WBA titles. Joshua won the IBF belt with victory over Charles Martin in April. \"I want to box in March or April against IBF world champion Anthony Joshua,\" said Klitschko. \"I've never thought about stopping, not once, after the defeat and losing my belts. Know someone who volunteers in sport and deserves recognition for their efforts? Give them the chance to shine by nominating them. \"As long as I can perform in the ring, am fit and motivated, I'll keep going. There will be a couple of big, spectacular fights with me in the ring.\" Joshua, 27, has won all of his 17 fights since turning professional following his gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics. He is expected to find an alternative opponent for his 10 December fight at Manchester Arena. Former British champion David Price tweeted that he is \"coming to knock you out\", while American Eric Molina has also reportedly been contacted about a bout.", "summary": "Wladimir Klitschko says he wants to fight British heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua in \"March or April\"."}
{"article": "Steven Preston went missing on 18 September 1992 from his home in Wirral. New information suggests Mr Preston, then 23, may have \"been murdered and buried in a specific area near junction 5 of the M53\", said Supt Ian Hassall. Officers are carrying out an \"extensive land search\" in the Eastham area of Wirral, Merseyside Police said. Supt Hassall said Mr Preston was last seen by his mum, Isobel, as \"he waved from his bedroom window to her when she left for work at 08:45\" BST from their home in Heath Road, Bebington. \"Isobel said there had been no arguments and Steven had left home without his jacket or prescription for medication he was on\", he said. He was reported missing five days later but was never found. \"Today a painstaking search is being carried out following information recently obtained by detectives, which suggest that Steven may have been murdered and buried in a specific area of land near to junction 5 of the M53 motorway\", Supt Hassall added. Mr Preston's sister, Jane, said she was \"anxious to find out what happened to her brother after all these years.\" She said he was \"a gentle, kind and funny lad\" who \"didn't have a nasty bone in him.\" \"He adored my mum and it destroyed her when he disappeared. She knew instantly that he wouldn't have just left and never contact her again and that something awful must have happened to him\", she said. Supt Hassall appealed for information, saying: \"Sadly, Steven's mother, Isobel, and half-brother, Michael Connolly have died since his disappearance, never knowing what had happened to him. \"A young man in 20s doesn't just leave home and vanish into thin air. Somebody, somewhere must know where he is, or what happened to him.\"", "summary": "New information suggests a man who disappeared almost 25 years ago may have been killed and buried on land in Merseyside, police say."}
{"article": "Works by Matisse, Picasso, Gustav Klimt and Ben Nicholson will be offered at auction at Christie's in February, as well as Sting's Steinway piano. The auction house said the couple had collected the works \"with passion and knowledge\" over 20 years. One painting, Nicholson's March 55 (amethyst) could fetch up to \u00a3500,000. The British abstract painter's 1955 work previously hung in the music room at their house in Queen Anne's Gate. It will be auctioned alongside Robert Mapplethorpe photographs, Matisse's Jazz series and Picasso's lithograph Le Corsage a Carreaux. Prints by Georges Braque and Rene Magritte, as well as well as more contemporary artists such as Carsten Holler, will be auctioned alongside 20th century furniture and lighting by Post-War masters including Yves Klein. Andy Waters, head of private collection sales for Christie's London said the Queen Anne's Gate home had \"effortlessly combined luxury, rarity and colour\". \"Each work of art was carefully chosen and the resulting collection is a testament to Sting and Trudie Styler's informed eye for art and design,\" said Waters. The couple, whose four children are now grown up, decided to sell the works after buying a new home in London's Battersea power station development. A Christie's spokesperson said they felt it was \"time for a change\". More than 200 separate lots are due to be auctioned on 24 February 2016, with estimates ranging from \u00a31,000 to \u00a3500,000. Christie's said the collection also demonstrated the couple's support for young contemporary artists. It includes works by Emily Allchurch and Giles Alexander and a \"striking\" series of panels by Russian artist Veronica Smirnoff, specially commissioned for the staircase of the house.", "summary": "Musician Sting and wife Trudie Styler are selling more than 200 items from their art collection, previously housed in their former family home in London."}
{"article": "The Yemeni troops, along with a force of local tribesman, were backed by the United Arab Emirates and US forces. The US views Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) as the most dangerous wing of the terror group. AQAP has taken advantage of the chaos of the Yemeni civil war to expand in the oil and gas rich south. The aim of the mission was to \"degrade\" AQAP's abilities, Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said. But local people said the militants did not put up a fight, and simply melted away into the mountains. As a result, the province's main cities are said to be under government control for the first time in years.", "summary": "Forces backing Yemen's government have reportedly driven al-Qaeda fighters out of the main cities of the southern province of Shabwa."}
{"article": "The tournament saw the leading 24 after Saturday's third round playing a series of six-hole knockout stroke play games. Santos remarkably holed from 255 yards for his albatross on 18 to beat Chile's Nico Geyger at the last-16 stage. But Santos soon exited and 23-year-old Sciot-Siegrist beat Italy's Alessandro Tadini in the final at Galgorm Castle. The unique format saw the players competing over the 17th, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and 18th holes at the Ballymena venue. University of Louisville graduate Sciot-Siegrist played the six shootout holes in three under par as he birdied both par threes and also the closing hole after two putting from 25 feet following a nerveless approach shot. The Paris native, whose mother hails from Dublin, was earning his first Challenge Tour triumph as he denied Tadini, 43, a fifth success on Europe's second-tier circuit. Tadini led after the first hole in the decider after chipping in from off the green but former US collegiate star Sciot-Siegrist bossed the remaining five holes as he fired to within eight feet on both the par threes. \"It's amazing,\" said the 23-year-old Frenchman. \"It's my first full season as a pro so I am so happy because I've been working really hard this winter and holding this trophy, I don't know how to describe it, it's just pure joy.\" Not surprisingly, Sciot-Siegrist lauded the event's format which was a slight tweaking of the final-day match play format used at the Perth World Sixes in Australia earlier this year. \"It's great to change the format from what we usually play and I really enjoyed it.\" Sciot-Siegrist, who was ranked as the world's 22nd best amateur, had earlier looked set to bow out against England's Tom Murray at the last-16 stage before an eagle three at the last gave him victory. However, moments later there was astonishing drama at the closing hole as Santos, trailing Geyger by one, took victory in the second-round match as he holed out for his albatross. However, the Portuguese player then exited at the quarter-final stage against Germany's Christian Braeunig. That left Braeunig facing Sciot-Siegrist in the last four and after chipping in for eagle from the length of the 18th green to bring the encounter to a play-off, the German looked favourite as he faced a two footer at the first tie hole with the Frenchman eight feet away. However after Sciot-Siegrist holed, Braeunig's drilled tiddler lipped out to send the Frenchman into the final. Tadini, who has been back and forth between the European Tour and the Challenge circuit since first earning his main card in 2003, progressed to the decider after beating Scotland's Bradley Neil by four shots in the first semi-final. Earlier, a closing Tadini eagle in the quarter-finals had ended the hopes of Austria's Matthias Schwab, who had led the 24 qualifiers after the the 54 holes of stroke play. Santos ended Cormac Sharvin's hopes early on Sunday morning after playing their six-hole match in three under par which left him three strokes ahead of the Ardglass man, the only Irishman to", "summary": "France's Robin Sciot-Siegrist won the Northern Ireland Open as Portugal's Ricardo Santos carded an albatross on a dramatic shootout Sunday."}
{"article": "The arrests come after more than 5,700 complaints about the websites were made to the Advertising Standards Authority and Citizens Advice. Most were linked to alleged scams over fees charged for tax return, driving licence and passport applications. Those held last week under the Fraud Act are on police bail, trading standards officials have announced. An awareness campaign is also being launched by the government warning people to look out for the misleading internet sites, whose URLs often contain fragments of official web addresses, such as \"govuk\" or \"directgov\". Official government services can be found by searching on the gov.uk website. Richard Lloyd, executive director of consumer organisation Which? said the copycat websites mislead people into paying potentially hundreds of pounds for services that should be free. The National Trading Standards Board said it was making it \"as difficult as possible\" for online hoaxers to operate. Its chairman Lord Harris said: \"We have been working with search engines such as Google and Bing to remove adverts from online search results and we continue to gather intelligence across the country to help tackle this issue. \"We urge you to avoid unofficial websites which could leave you out of pocket or at risk of identity theft.\" Consumer affairs minister Jo Swinson said: \"It's great that it's becoming easier and more common to use the internet to order official documents such as passports or tax discs, but people should be aware of rogue websites that are out there trying to exploit them and take their hard-earned cash and even put them at risk of identity theft. \"The enforcement action which the National Trading Standards eCrime team has taken demonstrates the government's commitment to tackling these scammers. We will not let them get away with misleading consumers.\"", "summary": "Five people have been arrested as part of a crackdown on websites made to look like official government sites."}
{"article": "The European Union has approved significant changes to data laws, aimed at putting individuals back in charge of their information. It is the biggest shake-up to privacy regulation for 20 years, according to experts. The changes would make privacy \"a board-level issue\", one lawyer said. Peter Church, a technology lawyer at Linklaters, said it would make businesses \"start taking these issues a lot more seriously\". US technology companies already have an uneasy relationship with European regulators, with both Google and Facebook facing big fines - Facebook over its use of cookies and Google over its privacy policy. Although this new law will not come into force until 2018, the changes meant the tech giants would have to \"pay more attention to what regulators are saying\", said Mr Church. The new draft policy, in discussion since 2012, will need to be ratified by the European Parliament next year. Other changes include: Jan Philipp Albrech, chief negotiator, said of deal: \"This would be a major step forward for consumer protection and competition and ensure Europe has data protection rules that are fit for purpose in the digital age.\" Stewart Room, head of data privacy at PwC, said: \"The scale and breadth of the EU's changes to privacy rules will deliver unprecedented challenges for business and every entity that holds of uses European personal data both inside and outside the EU. \"Most companies will be shocked at the scale of the new rules and the work that needs to be done before the laws take effect in two years - it is not much time for the magnitude of the internal changes that will be required.\"", "summary": "Technology companies could face fines of up to 4% of their global annual turnover under new European rules on data protection."}
{"article": "Reports in Australia say that it could knock as much as \u00c2\u00a3200m (A$425m) off its value. The parent company of the bank plans to float the Glasgow-based lender in Australia later this year. Chancellor George Osborne announced he was phasing out the bank levy. He also announced plans to introduce an 8% surcharge on bank profits, in addition to corporation tax. That knocked share prices of smaller UK banks which are already traded. A bank analyst at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia calculated that would knock A$425m off its valuation, and suggested that could push National Australia Bank (NAB) to sell off a larger stake in order to meet its target for raising capital. A spokesman for the NAB was reported by the Melbourne Herald Sun saying the move would have no impact on the parent bank's earnings. A spokesman in Glasgow for Clydesdale Bank, which includes the Yorkshire Bank brand, declined to comment. Clydesdale Bank is seen at the Melbourne headquarters and in the Australian media as a drag on NAB, having amassed a large portfolio of bad property loans, and the high costs of redress for mis-selling financial products. The new NAB chief executive, Andrew Thorburn, has made it a priority to split Clydesdale, handing up to 80% of it to NAB investors and selling the remainder on London and Australian exchanges. Earlier this week, senior staff at NAB in Melbourne set out the case for investing in the spun-off UK bank, to institutional investors in Australia. They portrayed it as one of the so-called challenger banks which is best placed to take on the British market's 'big five'.", "summary": "The surcharge tax on bank profits announced in the Budget is being seen as another blow for the sale of Clydesdale Bank."}
{"article": "The car bonnet would be sticky so that if it hit a person, they would stick to the car. This would stop the them falling back onto the road after the collision, which could injure them even more. Google's idea is aimed at driverless cars but could be used on regular cars too. Don't worry, the sticky layer would be covered by a special coating, so flies wouldn't get stuck to the car too. It is just an idea at the moment but it could be something we see on our roads in the future!", "summary": "Google's got a new idea to keep pedestrians safer on the roads - having sticky cars!"}
{"article": "Moi Ali, who quit the board amid a row over meetings being held behind closed doors, told Holyrood's public audit committee she felt she was bullied. MSPs and the police watchdog are looking into transparency at the SPA. Current board members defended Mr Flanagan, saying there was a \"changing atmosphere\". The public audit committee has held a series of sessions on transparency at the authority, with one MSP, Alex Neil, decrying an apparent \"secret society\" within the board. He previously told Mr Flanagan that \"it's not the Kremlin you're running\". In the latest session, witnesses included Derek Penman, HM chief inspector of constabulary in Scotland, Ms Ali, and a group of current board members. Ms Ali left the board amid a row with Mr Flanagan over whether meetings should be held behind closed doors. She said Mr Flanagan had told her that expressing disagreement publicly was a resignation matter, and told MSPs that her \"removal from the board was straightforward punishment for speaking out\". She said it had been a \"really horrendous experience\", and said she did not believe it would have happened to her if she was a man. Asked by Labour MSP Monica Lennon if she felt Mr Flanagan was fit to continue as chairman of the SPA board, she replied: \"He's not fit to continue on any public board.\" However, board members defended Mr Flanagan and the authority, with Iain Whyte characterising it as \"an improving board and an improving organisation\". And George Graham said he didn't recognise the characterisation of the board presented, saying \"we are listening and we are ready to adapt our approach\". He said there was a \"changing atmosphere\" at the SPA since Mr Flanagan took over, saying the board was \"much more engaged\" with \"a clearer sense of purpose\". And he defended having meetings behind closed doors, saying there needed to be \"clear space to discuss difficult and complex issues\". He said: \"If we got the balance wrong and we need to do more committee work in public then we will do that. But every board needs at least some private space to make decisions and discuss some of the difficult, complex issues policing is going to face.\" Mr Neil clashed repeatedly with the sitting board members, describing scrutiny by non-executive directors as \"wholly inadequate\". He said he was not left with a lot of confidence that the members were \"doing the proper job\" and holding the chairman to account. However, Mr Graham replied: \"There are an awful lot of good things that we do. The focus on a singular point, or failure if you want to call it that, I think is a poor characterisation of what we're doing.\" SNP member Mr Neil also said he wanted Mr Flanagan to come back to give evidence to the committee again over what he called a \"PR disaster\". In the previous session, the chairman said the authority had made \"significant steps forward\" over the past year.", "summary": "A former Scottish Police Authority board member has claimed its chairman Andrew Flanagan is \"not fit to continue on any public board\"."}
{"article": "The North East county have been demoted after accepting a \u00a33.8m financial aid package from the ECB. \"The ECB have to hold their hands up and look at the system they have created,\" said Vaughan. Counties currently have to bid to stage international matches at their grounds. Durham reportedly paid \u00a3923,000 to stage England's Test match against Sri Lanka in May, which ended in victory for the home side. But they have now lost the right to stage Test cricket at the Riverside and will start next season with a 48-point deduction. Durham finished fourth in Division One last year and their relegation means Hampshire, who were second bottom, have been reinstated. \"The decision has been coming,\" Vaughan, who also represented Yorkshire, told BBC Radio 5 live. \"For many years, there have been a few counties who have gone through financial difficulties. \"These counties get put under so much pressure to bid for the right for a Test match and one-day games. \"In this case, Durham have found it difficult to find investment. This could be a lot worse for them. The ECB bailed them out.\" Vaughan said he had \"never liked\" the process of counties bidding to host international matches. \"I never understood it,\" he said. \"It was taking money out of the pot and putting counties under too much restraint and pressure to sell tickets.\" In a statement, the ECB said it had helped Durham because of the \"unprecedented seriousness\" of their situation. Former Durham and England fast bowler Steve Harmison said \"nobody comes out of this looking very good\". He added: \"I don't think the ECB have helped Durham in the last 12-18 months and there has been mismanagement from a Durham point of view.\" Lancashire director of cricket Ashley Giles, England's former T20 and ODI coach, said the ECB's policy of trying to \"create competition\" in order to spread Test cricket throughout the country had \"backfired a little bit\".", "summary": "Durham's relegation to Division Two of the County Championship is a warning to others but the England and Wales Cricket Board is also at fault, says former England captain Michael Vaughan."}
{"article": "The Rams are 10th in the Championship, nine points adrift of the top six. Scotland international Bryson said: \"This season's not been good enough. The players must take responsibility. \"If we don't make the play-offs this season we have to build for next season and put things right.\" Derby face QPR at Pride Park on Friday in their second game under new manager Gary Rowett. Another match against London opposition follows on Tuesday, when the Rams are away to play-off rivals Fulham. \"I don't think we can have any more slips,\" Bryson added. \"The gap is too big. In this league, if you go on a run and win three or four in a row then you never know. \"The games coming up are basically must-win for us if we are going to have any chance. You have to believe. \"We still have eight games to get a wee bit of pride in the season because it's not been the best.\"", "summary": "Derby County's players must show pride in the last eight games of a season of underachievement even if they fail to reach the play-offs, says midfielder Craig Bryson."}
{"article": "Nicolas Sagar was working as a pianist on the island and had gone swimming. It is believed he got in to difficulties and drowned. The 33-year-old was found at Maho Beach by tourists who could not resuscitate him and called emergency services. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene on Sunday morning and his body was identified later that day. Mr Sagar's parents are working with the Home Office to repatriate their son's body and arrangements are still being made for his funeral. Police on the island said there appeared to be no suspicious circumstances and that the incident was a tragic accident. Mr Sagar, who was also involved in acting and musical directing, previously worked in musical theatre in London and on cruise ships. He was expected to continue his travelling by visiting Barbados on Monday. 'Regular swims' Kelly Sagar, the deceased's father, said: \"He was a wonderful son. The piano was his great love; from the age of eight, the only thing he wanted to do was play piano and sing. \"He was never happier than when he was sitting at the piano with a pint resting on top. \"He was travelling the world doing what he loved. \"Nick worked in the evenings and liked to spend his days on the beach. He'd go swimming there quite often and it appears that on this occasion he got in to difficulty. \"He will be missed terribly.\" Mr and Mrs Sagar said they had been comforted by messages posted on their son's social networking site.", "summary": "A musician from Alloa has died after drowning off the coast of the Caribbean island of St Maartens."}
{"article": "If the team had to change the gearbox as a result of damage from Silverstone, Rosberg would be hit with a five-place grid penalty in Hungary this weekend. Mercedes said Rosberg would run the gearbox in practice on Friday at the Hungaroring \"to make sure it is OK\". A spokesman added: \"We are optimistic that it will be.\" Rosberg was demoted from second to third place at Silverstone after Mercedes were found to have broken rules restricting radio information given by teams to drivers as they tried to help him fix the problem. The German heads into the weekend with a one-point championship lead over team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes have not won the Hungarian Grand Prix since the start of their domination of F1 following the introduction of turbo hybrid engines in 2014. Hamilton holds the record, jointly with Michael Schumacher, for most wins at the Hungaroring, with four victories. Rosberg has never finished higher than fourth at the track. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Mercedes say they are \"optimistic\" Nico Rosberg will avoid a grid penalty after the gearbox problem that afflicted him at the British Grand Prix."}
{"article": "The woman contacted security staff after her waters broke at the Intu Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex. Although an ambulance was called and arrived quickly, the baby girl was delivered before they got to the scene on Thursday evening. Paul Lancaster, regional manager of Intu, said the woman had been in \"distress\" but was now \"doing well\". Staff at Primark provided towels for the woman on the second floor of the shopping complex. She was screened off as she gave birth to her daughter, whose name is understood to be Deborah. \"In 23 years we've never had a birth at the site,\" said Mr Lancaster. \"Plenty of ladies have broken water and gone off to hospital and no doubt a couple of babies have been conceived here. \"It all happened rather quickly before the ambulance could get there. They responded really quickly. \"We didn't think it was immediately going to happen but the baby was born on the spot.\"", "summary": "A shopper ended up giving birth outside a Primark store after she suddenly went into labour."}
{"article": "Researchers, who have carried out a four-year review of the literature, say the evidence of damage is now \"conclusive\". The scientists say the threat to nature is the same as that once posed by the notorious chemical DDT. Manufacturers say the pesticides are not harming bees or other species. Neonicotinoids were introduced in the early 1990s as a replacement for older, more damaging chemicals. They are a systemic insecticide, meaning that they are absorbed into every cell in a plant, making all parts poisonous to pests. But some scientists have been concerned about their impact, almost since the moment they were introduced. Much of the worry has surrounded their effects on bees. There's been a well documented, global decline in these critical pollinators. Many researchers believe that exposure to neonicotinoids has been an important destabilising factor for the species. In 2011, environmental campaigners, the IUCN, established an international scientific taskforce on systemic pesticides to look into the impacts of these chemicals. The members have reviewed over 800 peer reviewed papers that have been published in the past 20 years. Their assessment of the global impact says the threat posed goes far beyond bees. In their report, to be published next month, they argue that neonicotinoids and another chemical called fipronil are poisoning the earth, the air and the water. The pesticides accumulate in the soil and leach into water, and pose a significant problem for earthworms, freshwater snails, butterflies and birds. The researchers say that the classic measurements used to assess the toxicity of a pesticide are not effective for these systemic varieties and conceal their true impact. They point to one of the studies in the review carried out in the Netherlands. It found that higher levels of neonicotinoids in water reduced the levels of aquatic invertebrates, which are the main prey for a whole range of species including wading birds, trout and salmon. \"There is so much evidence, going far beyond bees,\" Prof Dave Goulson from the University of Sussex told BBC News. \"They accumulate in soils, they are commonly turning up in waterways at levels that exceed the lethal dose for things that live in streams. \"It is impossible to deny that these things are having major environmental impacts.\" The scientists are very worried about the prophylactic use of neonicotinoids, where seeds are coated in the chemicals and the plant grows up with the ability to destroy pests already built in. \"It is a bit like taking antibiotics to avoid getting ill,\" said Prof Goulson, one of a team of 29 scientists involved in the research. \"The more they are used, the stronger the selective pressure you place on pest insects to become resistant to them. Using them as prophylactics is absolute madness in that sense.\" The task force argues that with neonicotinoids and fipronil making up around a third of the world market in insecticides, farmers are over-relying on them in the same way as they once became over reliant on chemicals like DDT. \"We have forgotten those lessons and we're back to where we were in the", "summary": "Neonicotinoid pesticides are causing significant damage to a wide range of beneficial species and are a key factor in the decline of bees, say scientists."}
{"article": "During the election campaign, David Cameron talked about how the government needs to save \u00a31 from every \u00a3100 it spends - so 3% should put it well ahead of where it needs to be. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Today's announcement highlights why that 1% cuts figure was not entirely helpful. The first problem is that things get more expensive, even at a time when the official measure of inflation is negative. The National Health Service gets more expensive every year because the population is growing and ageing and because as medical science advances there are more things that can be treated. Indeed, the government has promised an extra \u00a38bn above inflation to the NHS by 2020, which will presumably have to be made up through further cuts in other departments. Education spending is protected for children aged five to 16 in terms of cash per pupil, so rising pupil numbers would also need to be made up for by cuts elsewhere. And international aid is protected and will rise in line with the amount the economy grows. There are other areas of spending that the government will struggle to cut. Although the amount it is borrowing each year is falling, the total amount it has borrowed is still increasing, which means interest must be paid on more money, albeit at a very low interest rate. The cost of public sector pensions keeps growing as more civil servants retire and live longer. And the state pension is triply protected, rising by inflation, wages or 2.5%, whichever is the higher. To deal with all this, the government is planning to cut \u00a312bn from the welfare bill and save \u00a35bn by cutting back on tax avoidance, but most of the rest comes from cutting spending in unprotected departments. And 3% cuts would not be enough. The Institute for Fiscal Studies reckons that the current plans to cut spending by 1% for the next two years and then freeze it for a third will actually mean cuts for unprotected departments averaging 5.4% a year for three years. Which is not to say that the government will not be able to achieve such cuts. The last government was fairly successful at achieving the cuts it targeted, although it may be a bit harder this time because any easy cuts have presumably already been made and this government has a relatively small majority if any of its cuts are controversial on the backbenches. But it is important to distinguish between the 1% figure we heard during the election and the 3% we heard today.", "summary": "The chancellor announced today that Whitehall departments have found \u00a33bn of savings this financial year, which is equivalent to around 3% of unprotected departmental spending this year."}
{"article": "A spokesman said it was the longest tunnel found to date and was meant for use in attacks on Israeli civilians. The military wing of Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, dismissed the find, saying the tunnel was not new. The tunnel is longer than one which Israel announced it had discovered last October which reached 1.7km (1 mile). Militants have repeatedly tried to penetrate Israel using tunnels under the heavily secured border, managing to use one in a raid which killed two Israeli soldiers and saw a third, Gilad Shalit, kidnapped in 2006. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not say when or where the latest tunnel was found, but that it had thwarted a potential attack. \"This advanced tunnel was intended to pose a direct link and threat to Israeli territory, and enable Hamas terrorists to reach and harm Israeli civilians,\" said spokesman Lt Col Peter Lerner. \"Tunnels such as this are built to assist terrorists in the execution of terror attacks. In the past Gaza terrorists have utilised such tunnels to Israel for infiltration, detonation and abduction of Israeli citizens.\" The IDF said it was still investigating the tunnel, which it said ran for hundreds of metres inside Israel - without giving a precise figure. However Hamas' military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, disputed Israel's claim. A spokesman noted \"there was no military or intelligence achievement by the enemy\", adding that \"this tunnel is not new. \"It is an old tunnel that Israel exposed two months ago and jihad fighters worked to rebuild it.\"", "summary": "The Israeli military says it has uncovered a tunnel dug by militants from the Gaza Strip which runs hundreds of metres under Israel."}
{"article": "Needing another 132 for victory with eight wickets in hand on the final day at Grace Road, Wells finished unbeaten on 90 as Sussex strolled home on 234-5. Anchored by Wells' 190-ball innings, Sussex never looked in any trouble despite losing three wickets. Sussex have now won back-to-back games, while Leicestershire are still winless. Their successive victories have come under new captain Chris Nash after Luke Wright stepped down from the role at the start of the month. Wells has been instrumental in both wins, scoring 155 in the innings victory over Worcestershire, before his match-winning knock in this game. Sussex head coach Mark Davis told BBC Radio Sussex: \"In our other two wins this season we've been ahead of the game - but here we've come from behind to show loads of character, skill and guts. It was nice to see. \"A couple of individuals will take the headlines, but it was a proper team performance.\"", "summary": "Luke Wells continued his superb batting form to guide Sussex to a five-wicket win over Leicestershire in Division Two of the County Championship."}
{"article": "Stephen Kavanagh also said the airline only entered into a pricing arrangement for flying out of the airport. BIA is suing Aer Lingus for \u00a320m in damages over the switch to George Best Belfast City Airport in 2012. Proceedings centre on a dispute over the terms of a deal said to have been reached back in June 2007. It followed months of negotiations as the airline sought to establish a base outside the Republic of Ireland. Issues under discussion were said to include charging rates and \u00a3900,000 in launch support for the three Airbus A320s over the first three years. According to BIA, the airline then moved its Belfast operation in breach of a binding 10-year contract. But giving evidence at the hearing on Thursday, Mr Kavanagh rejected that assessment. Asked about claims his company was under an obligation to stay at Belfast International for 10 years, he replied: \"Aer Lingus saw a pricing proposal, based on an initial three aircraft base. \"That was what informed our business case development and analysis, and that is the basis upon which we operated from December 2007 until we left Aldergrove. \"The pricing was adhered to and paid in full.\" A barrister for Aer Lingus, further questioned him on a dispute over whether the airline suffered financially from its time at BIA. \"I can be absolute and categorical that Aer Lingus lost a significant amount of money in its operation at Belfast Aldergrove,\" he responded. \"In terms of our profit, the negative was 44m [euros]. In terms of those costs which directly applied to the operation of the base it was 21m [euros].\" The difference between the two figures was partly based on corporate overheads, he said. \"Without hesitation the operation was loss-making,\" he said. \"The objective was not just to avoid losses, the objective was to generate a positive return on invested capital. \"So, not only were we far short of breaking even, but we were very much failing in our investment proposition.\" The judge was told the situation was in \"stark contrast\" to other Aer Lingus bases effectively subsidising losses in Belfast. The airline chief said BIA was made aware of what was happening. Out of nine routes launched at the airport, five were ultimately cancelled due to the losses, the court heard. Mr Kavanagh described Aer Lingus's relationship with BIA during the initial years as a partnership both sides were trying to make work. Referring to talks back in 2007, he said: \"The discussions were based on pricing proposals [for] an initial three aircraft base.\" The case continues.", "summary": "Aer Lingus lost up to 44m euros (\u00a332m) from having a base at Belfast International Airport (BIA), its chief executive has told a court."}
{"article": "The blue Peugeot bike was hit by a blue Jaguar X-type at the Carr Lane East and Dwerryhouse Lane junction in Norris Green, Liverpool, on Wednesday 13 January. The 27-year-old motorcyclist was left with internal injuries and remains in a critical condition in hospital. A 39-year-old man is in police custody. An investigation is ongoing and a number of lines of enquiry are being pursued, police said. Detectives are continuing to appeal for witnesses. Det Ch Insp Mark Kameen said: \"We believe that someone could have information that could help us with our investigation and we would urge anyone who hasn't already contacted us to get in touch. Any information they have could be vital.\" Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crimestoppers.", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a crash between a motorcycle and a car which left the rider in hospital."}
{"article": "Instead of the familiar 0700 jingle-and-bulletin that got us moving kettlewards, listeners to the news channel France-Info have had to endure 21 days of recorded messages and music. Non-striking journalists periodically manage to put together short sequences on the station, but it is a pale shadow of the real thing. Masses of listeners are defecting to private channels such as RMC and Europe 1. And there is the same empty airtime on the six other channels that operate from Maison de la Radio in Paris (France Inter, France Bleu, France Culture, France Musique, FIP and Le Mouv'). No-one can remember a strike at Radio France lasting this long, because no strike ever has. There is a reason for that. For decades Radio France has enjoyed the status of a cosseted state asset. Constantly lauded - its mission of public service placing it above reproach - the corporation never felt the stern hand of reform. But now the country's coffers are empty. There is no more buying off the protest with a sneaky handout from the culture ministry. Today the years of accumulated waste and inefficiencies cry out for an overhaul. A report a couple of weeks ago from the French treasury watchdog, the Cour des Comptes, showed the scale of the problem. From 2004 to 2013, expenditure at Radio France went up 27.5% - with no increase in audience. Salary costs went up by 47% because at a time of growing pressure on jobs everywhere else Radio France took on 20% more staff. Because of the layers of accumulated privileges (often negotiated with unions after previous strikes), the 5,000 workers enjoy up to 68 working days off a year - more than 13 weeks. There are 388 staff members who are paid union representatives - a whopping 8% of the workforce. Renovation of Radio France's landmark Seine-side headquarters was supposed to cost 262m euros (\u00c2\u00a3191m, $285m). Instead it is costing 575m euros. Changing all this requires a mix of vision, toughness and dialogue, but the man whose job it is might have been purpose-picked to antagonise the unions. Radio France's new president Mathieu Gallet is handsome, young, energetic - and right-wing. One of his previous jobs was in the culture ministry under President Nicholas Sarkozy. Mr Gallet has warned that the corporation's annual deficit of 21m euros is unsustainable. He wants a voluntary redundancy plan to shed 300 or so jobs. He says that Radio France's two orchestras are one too many; that the separate news rooms at France Inter, France Info and France Culture need to be integrated; and that the network of local stations at France Bleu should commission shared material. But all this has merely infuriated the unions at Radio France. The hardliners there mainly represent technicians, although many journalists have also stopped work. The strikers have made it quite clear that they want Mr Gallet to go. And usefully they have discovered that even as he was advising drastic cuts at the corporation, he spent 100,000 euros doing up his personal office there. It is the sort of", "summary": "For three weeks the morning ritual for millions of people in France has been rudely interrupted by a strike at one of the country's great public sector institutions: Radio France."}
{"article": "Based on the 1993 comedy film with Bill Murray, the show will be directed by the Old Vic's new boss Matthew Warchus. Other plays in his inaugural season include Ibsen's The Master Builder, starring Ralph Fiennes, and Pinter's The Caretaker, with Timothy Spall. Warchus is taking over from Kevin Spacey, the Old Vic's artistic director for 11 years. He said his first season - which also includes a stage adaptation of Dr Seuss's The Lorax and a dance production of Jekyll and Hyde - reflected a \"something for everyone\" approach. He aims to up the number productions per year through shorter runs, and hopes three or four will transfer to the West End or go direct to Broadway via a new partnership with big-name producers Scott Rudin and Sonia Friedman. Groundhog Day reunites Warchus with three of the creative team behind the hit musical Matilda - composer and lyricist Tim Minchin, choreographer Peter Darling, and designer Rob Howell - who will work with the film's co-writer Danny Rubin. It tells the story of grumpy TV weatherman Phil Connors who is sent to the small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and gets stuck in a time loop, having to live the same day over and over again. In an interview with the BBC, Warchus described the show as \"an intelligent mainstream Broadway classic\" that was ideal for the Old Vic. \"It needs a large audience and a large stage, and I wanted to start it in this country, so it's the perfect match.\" He added that the film had made him laugh and cry. \"It is really about how little time you have to become the best version of yourself. It's sophisticated meaty stuff in a romantic comedy package.\" It will premiere in June 2016 before going to Broadway. The opening production of the new season in September is Future Conditional, by Tamsin Oglesby, a new play set in a school starring Rob Brydon as a teacher with a cast of 23 \"young performers\" as his class. Warchus will direct. That will be followed in October by Eugene O'Neill's American drama The Hairy Ape, directed by Richard Jones. Warchus will also direct The Master Builder, with Ralph Fiennes as architect Halvard Solness in a new adaptation by David Hare, and also Timothy Spall in Harold Pinter's 1960 classic The Caretaker. Plans for future seasons include the first revival of Art by Yasmina Reza, a 50th anniversary production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard, and a new musical based on the 2014 film Pride, about a group of gay and lesbian activists who supported striking miners in the 1980s, which Warchus directed. Warchus is also introducing a new ticketing scheme, which will make half of all seats at the first five previews of each production available for \u00a310. \"It's not just about young people,\" Warchus said. \"We'll be trying to guide or nudge those tickets to people who are new theatre goers.\"", "summary": "A new stage musical of Groundhog Day is to have its world premiere at the Old Vic in London next year."}
{"article": "Last year, National Grid said it would use underground cables instead of pylons between Anglesey and the mainland in Gwynedd. It said this would protect the Menai Strait's natural beauty. The tunnel will be based on a network of power tunnels in central London. Plans to connect Wylfa Newydd at Cemaes Bay to a substation at Pentir, Gwynedd, have been controversial, with campaigners concerned about the impact of pylons. Aled Rowlands, external affairs manager for National Grid, said: \"We are going to be using the same type of technology [that we are using under the River Thames] to go underneath the Menai. \"When we've listened to local people and to those specialist bodies, they've asked us to preserve the natural beauty that's already there. \"This option is more expensive than just putting cables across the top, but we think it's worth it. \"We are looking at probably over \u00a3100m just for this cable tunnel to take the link from Anglesey over to the mainland and into the National Grid. \"Here in London, we are digging through London clay. There are very different conditions around the Menai, with some rock and some limestone and some other things, so it's going to be a real engineering challenge for us. \"But at National Grid we do have an expertise in that. \"This project for 34km [in London] has taken about eight years. We think it will be... four or five to build those 4km from Anglesey across to Gwynedd.\" Plaid Cymru MP for Arfon Hywel Williams and AM Sian Gwenllian have met with National Grid bosses to push for undergrounding the remaining 1km of electricity connection, for which pylons are currently proposed. The National Grid has published an interactive map showing the proposed routes of the power cables.", "summary": "A tunnel under the Menai Strait, which will contain cables linking Wylfa Newydd nuclear power station to the National Grid, is set to cost \u00a3100m and take up to five years to complete."}
{"article": "Managing director of ITV Studios Kevin Lygo will replace him next month. Fincham said it was \"time to do something different\" but added that while he had \"no firm plans\", he would consider a return to the indie sector. ITV's chief executive Adam Crozier paid tribute to Fincham as a \"great creative partner\" and added that he was \"delighted\" by Lygo's appointment. Julian Bellamy, managing director of ITV Studios in the UK, will succeed Lygo. Lygo and Bellamy start their new roles on 1 February, with Fincham staying until the end of March to complete the process of handing over the role. Fincham, former controller of BBC One, said: \"This is a personal decision that I have been thinking about for a good while. \"By the time I leave at Easter I will have been a channel controller at the BBC and ITV, amazing as it seems, for 11 years. Quite simply, it's time to do something different.\" He said he had worked at ITV \"during a period of great revival\", and added: \"I haven't made any firm plans for the future yet, but I wouldn't rule out a return to the indie sector - I ran TalkBack for a lot longer than I've been on the broadcasting side and that indie heart has never quite stopped beating. \" His commissions for ITV include Downton Abbey, Broadchurch, Long Lost Family and The Only Way is Essex. Crozier said: \"Peter came to see me in September to say that he wanted to step down and whilst I am sorry to see him leave, eight years is a long time and I fully respect his desire for a new challenge.\" He added Lygo was \"perfectly placed to lead the commissioning team as we enter this next exciting phase\". Lygo - Channel 4's former director of television - said: \"I've had a terrific time over the last five years building ITV Studios in the UK and internationally into the success story that it is today, but the chance to become director of television of the UK's biggest commercial broadcaster was just too good to miss.\" ITV also announced David McGraynor, ITV Studios finance director, was to become the chief finance and operating officer of the studios division.", "summary": "ITV director of television Peter Fincham is leaving the post after eight years, it has been announced."}
{"article": "Business rates, charged on property in England, are due to change in April for the first time in seven years. Calculations by consultancy Gerald Eve suggest changes to the rateable value of schools mean some will face 40% bill increases. The government said its own figures suggested state schools overall would see a 2% fall in rates. Andrew Altman, a specialist schools partner at Gerald Eve, said the firm estimates that the total rates bill for schools in England is about \u00a3791m. But it estimates that this could rise by \u00a3131m to about \u00a3922m by 2021-22 as the revaluation changes work through. The figures amount to a rise of about 17% by 2021, said Mr Altman, but this \"hides the fact that about a quarter of schools could see actual rate increases of about 40% in the first year\". Mr Altman said he feared that council-run schools would be particularly badly hit as academies have their costs, including rates, met fully, directly from Whitehall. He said that he expected many schools to appeal against their new business rate rises and questioned why public sector properties were subjected to business rates at all. \"It's circular. It's all public money. It's a very expensive tax to collect and appeal,\" he added. National Association of Head Teachers' general secretary Russell Hobby said a sharp increase in business rates would \"add to the perfect storm school leaders are experiencing. \"It cannot be right that more and more of the money to schools is being taken back to central and local government.\" Mr Hobby said schools were already having to find money, which would otherwise be spent on pupils, to fund the Apprenticeship Levy which also comes into force from April, as well as staff insurance contributions and pension costs. \"The burden on schools is becoming too much,\" he added, urging the chancellor to \"act in next month's Budget to ensure schools have the resources they need\". In a statement, the Department for Communities and Local Government said it did not recognise the Gerald Eve figures and state schools would see a 2% fall in their bills - equivalent to \u00a316m a year. \"The revaluation of business rates means nearly three-quarters of properties will see no change or a fall in their bills,\" said a spokesman. The National Day Nurseries Association said its members, who operate as small businesses, feared their business rates could double. Research late last year by the Lambert Smith Hampton commercial property consultancy estimated rises of 45%, or higher in more affluent areas. NDNA chief executive Purnima Tanuku said these rises would be \"a huge burden\" when nurseries were already facing \"severe financial pressure\" due to the national living wage and uncertainty surrounding the financial viability of the government's plan to double the number of free childcare hours for working families.", "summary": "A sharp rise in schools' business rates could push some budgets beyond breaking point, say head teachers' leaders."}
{"article": "The carrier reported a pre-tax loss of \u00a319.9m in the year to 31 March, despite revenues rising 13.4% to \u00a3707.4m. Flybe said it would start to reduce the size of its fleet after it saw slowing growth in consumer demand. However, it insisted the current year was going well and efforts to turn a profit again were well underway. Flybe has struggled in the past year with a series of costly mistakes, including running too many loss-making routes and failed joint ventures. An aggressive expansion plan increased capacity on the airline by 12.3% to 12.7 million seats, but passenger numbers only rose 7.6% to 8.8 million. Six Bombardier Q400 aircraft will be cut from the fleet next year. But the City appeared pleased with the company's future plans to return to profit, with shares up 6% to 35p in early trading. The company said in a statement: \"Despite the substantial progress in reducing the size of legacy fleet orders in 2015/16, Flybe has still seen significant capacity growth in a market where we witnessed slower growth in consumer demand. \"New routes and increased frequencies were targeted to cover marginal costs in the early years of operation, but do not contribute significantly to overall profitability. \"The capacity growth therefore had a negative effect on profitability.\" It added: \"We will make Flybe a sustainable business that operates the best routes and at the best times to suit the needs of our customers.\" Its focus will be on improving its UK routes in particular, and expanding relations with regional airports. In addition to the over-capacity problems, a major IT upgrade hit profits by \u00a34.8m last year and the company warned that an extra \u00a36m would have to be spent cancelling costly contracts.", "summary": "Regional airline Flybe has hit turbulence, running up a near \u00a320m loss after previous expansion plans proved too ambitious."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Ashton Hewitt went over to put the hosts in the lead while Angus O'Brien kicked the Dragons further ahead. Two Jack Carty penalties put Connacht back into the game at the break before Hewitt touched down once more. O'Brien's two drop-goals extended their lead but Niyi Adeolokun's try set up a tense finale for the Dragons. The hosts had led Connacht by 15 points in the second half but a late resurgence by the Pro12 champions - Adeolokun showing tremendous pace to go over with just over 10 minutes left to play - ran them close. The Dragons' win, their first in the Pro12 since beating Zebre in September, ended a run of seven consecutive defeats against Connacht, while the Irish province slipped to a second successive defeat after their loss to Leinster. Kingsley Jones' side were without four players who are part of Wales' autumn international squad with Hallam Amos and the uncapped Cory Hill for the Test against Australia on Saturday. Meanwhile, Tyler Morgan remains with Wales although he is not in the matchday squad, while Leon Brown is training with Rob Howley's squad while not being a full member. Dragons head coach Kingsley Jones told BBC Radio Wales: \"It was critical. We've had a difficult start but some good performances at home. If we get the right results our way, we're only a few points behind those eighth and seventh places. \"To get that tonight going into the Anglo-Welsh games was really critical for it. For an hour I was pretty composed and I'm a pretty composed coach but the last 10 minutes my legs were trembling. \"We finished well in a few games at home lately. It was a tight affair and Connacht are a very good side - they'll play to the death and from anywhere and can hurt you from nothing.\" Newport Gwent Dragons: Tom Prydie; Pat Howard, Sam Beard, Jack Dixon, Ashton Hewitt; Angus O'Brien, Sarel Pretorius; Phil Price, Thomas Rhys Thomas, Brok Harris, Nick Crosswell, Rynard Landman, Lewis Evans (capt), Ollie Griffiths, Ed Jackson. Replacements: Rhys Buckley, Sam Hobbs, Lloyd Fairbrother, Matthew Screech, Nic Cudd, Tavis Knoyle, Geriant Rhys Jones, Adam Warren. Connacht: Tiernan O'Halloran; Niyi Adeolokun, Bundee Aki, Peter Robb, Stacey Ili; Jack Carty, Caolin Blade, JP Cooney, Shane Delahunt, Conor Carey; Quinn Roux, Andrew Browne; Eoin McKeon, Jake Heenan, John Muldoon (capt). Replacements: Dave Heffernan, Saba Meunargia, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, James Cannon, James Connolly, Conor McKeon, Shane O'Leary, Cian Kelleher, Referee: George Clancy (IRFU) Assistant referees: David Wilkinson (IRFU), Jason Bessant (WRU) Citing commissioner: Jeff Mark (WRU)", "summary": "Newport Gwent Dragons won just their second game in the Pro12 this season as they overcame a late Connacht comeback at Rodney Parade."}
{"article": "The pupil was on a bus carrying 21 students from Barton-under-Needwood in Staffordshire when it crashed in Birmingham. She was confirmed dead at the scene in the Castle Vale area of the city. The teenager was a pupil at John Taylor High School. Tributes have been paid to Holly, with one person writing on social media: \"Absolutely heartbroken for Holly Brown. \"To her family and friends, know that pupils from John Taylor, past and present are devastated RIP.\" A second teenage girl was taken to hospital with minor injuries and others were treated at the roadside. John Taylor High School has tweeted its thanks for support during the \"desperately sad time\". End of Twitter post by @johntaylorhigh West Midlands Police said the minibus was also carrying four adults - the driver and three teachers. No arrests have been made. Police said that both drivers were assisting with the \"detailed and thorough\" investigation. Police are investigating whether or not all those on board were wearing seat belts. Birmingham City Council confirmed one of its bin lorries was involved in the crash and they \"will be fully co-operating with all investigations\". In a statement, it said: \"We are deeply saddened by the death of a teenage girl... on Kingsbury Road and our thoughts are with her family, friends and all those affected.\" In a letter home to parents, the school's headteacher explained there had been a fatal accident involving one of its Year 9 pupils and said it would offer any students struggling with the news support and comfort. Principal Mike Donoghue said: \"Our thoughts, at this very tragic and sad time, are with the family, their friends and the pupils and staff involved. \"I am sure that you will join everyone at John Taylor High School in supporting our community in every way you can.\"", "summary": "A 14-year-old girl who died after a minibus carrying school pupils on a field trip collided with a bin lorry has been named in reports as Holly Brown."}
{"article": "Patrick Mugadza announced last week that the 92-year-old head of state would die on 17 October this year. His lawyer, Gift Mtisi, told the BBC that he was relaying a \"message from God. Police would have to prove that God didn't say it\". Mr Mugabe mocks frequent rumours of his death, saying he has been resurrected more often than Jesus Christ. Mr Mtisi said his client had initially been charged with undermining the authority of the president, then \"criminal nuisance\" and finally \"insulting people of a certain race or religion\". He said Mr Mugadza was laughing about the charges and would plead not guilty. \"I'm still at pains to find the criminal part of it,\" Mr Mtisi told the BBC. He added the pastor had no regrets about making the prophesy: \"He's admitting to the facts. He says he didn't lie - that's a message from God. Police will have to prove God didn't say it.\" Mr Mugadza of the Remnant Church held a press conference last week at which he announced his prophecy of Mr Mugabe's forthcoming demise. He was arrested at the magistrate's court in Harare where he was appearing on separate charges of wearing the national flag. This was made an offence last year, after another Pastor, Evan Mawarire, launched a campaign urging Zimbabweans to reclaim their flag. This is not Pastor Mugadza's first brush with the law. In 2005, he was arrested and detained for nearly a month after holding a placard telling Mr Mugabe his people were suffering under his rule. And on Zimbabwe's independence day last year, he gave a sermon while tied to a lamppost in Harare's main shopping mall, saying the act symbolised the lack of freedom in the country. Last September, the president was rumoured to have died after he reportedly cut short his attendance of an AU summit to fly to Dubai for a health check. Mr Mugabe later joked about the rumours, saying he indeed died but was only resurrected.", "summary": "A Zimbabwean pastor who predicted the death of President Robert Mugabe has been arrested, his lawyer says."}
{"article": "Connie Jennings, 96, died following the crash on Friday morning, near Murthly on the A9. Ms Jennings was from West Yorkshire. She was a passenger in a Mazda CX5 which collided with a D&E Coaches single-decker bus. The driver of the car, a woman in her 60s, sustained less serious injuries. No one else was hurt in the crash.", "summary": "Police have released the name of a woman who died after a collision between a car and a bus in Perthshire."}
{"article": "The discovery was made during an unannounced visit to HMP Bronzefield near Ashford, Surrey, in April. Nick Hardwick, the chief inspector of prisons, said it amounted to \"cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment\". The prison's director said it would only segregate a prisoner if it felt there was no other option available. Charlotte Pattison-Rideout, director of HMP Bronzefield, Sodexo Justice Services, said the prison had taken on board the recommendations made in the report and had already started to address them. She added that the prison's policy was always to seek reintegration where possible. Mr Hardwick said some of the issues identified in the report needed \"a fundamentally different approach\" at national level. In the inspection report, he said: \"We were dismayed that the woman who had already been in the segregation unit for three years in 2010 was still there in 2013. \"Her cell was unkempt and squalid and she seldom left it. \"Although more activities had been organised for her and better multi-disciplinary support was available, she still had too little to occupy her. \"Her prolonged location on the segregation unit amounted to cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment - and we use these words advisedly.\" Mr Hardwick said the treatment and conditions of other women held for long periods in segregation was \"little better\". He said: \"Much of this was outside the prison's direct control and required a national strategy for meeting the needs of these very complex women - as exists in the male estate.\" But he added that Bronzefield itself needed to do more to \"ameliorate the worst effects of this national failure\". The report calls for a policy to help manage women \"with complex needs who cannot be supported in the prison's normal location\". Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: \"This shocking case of treatment, which appears to amount to torture, in an English prison should shame ministers who tolerate the over-use of custody for women and consequent poor treatment. \"Her Majesty's chief inspector is absolutely right that specialist care outside of the prison walls needs to be developed for the handful of women who pose particular challenges.\" The report said arrangements for transporting prisoners to and from the prison were unacceptable. The report said women were carried in vehicles with men and spent long periods in the van, possibly because they had to wait while male prisoners were dropped off first. Some complained they felt unsafe on the trip, it added. Positives identified by the inspectors included practical resettlement services; good reception, first night and induction arrangements; and very good support for women with substance misuse problems throughout their prison stays. Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: \"The Chief Inspector reports that staff are doing their best to respond to the needs of women at Bronzefield, many of whom are in poor mental and physical health, addicted to drugs and drink and traumatised by separation from their children. \"But why in this day and age are women with such complex needs transported like cattle and dumped in prison,", "summary": "An inmate at a women's prison was held in segregation for more than five years, an inspection report has revealed."}
{"article": "British producer Ronson got his first number one with Uptown Funk on 14 December, and the single has now claimed the final top spot of 2014. It was released five weeks early after it was performed by Fleur East on The X Factor, later topping the iTunes chart. Haenow had topped the Christmas chart with OneRepublic's Something I Need. Uptown Funk had dropped one place to make way for the former van driver's track over Christmas. Fellow Briton Ed Sheeran, who scores a 12th week at the top of the album charts, held on to number three in the singles chart, with Thinking Out Loud. American singer Taylor Swift moved up three places to fourth with Blank Space, while former X Factor star Olly Murs dropped one to fifth with Up, his collaboration with Demi Lovato. The only new entry went to Alesso featuring Tove Lo with Heroes (We Could Be). Sheeran's album logged sales of 211,000, his second biggest one-week sales tally since the LP's release back in June. The top five was completed by Sam Smith, Murs, George Ezra and Take That, who all held their positions.", "summary": "Mark Ronson's collaboration with Bruno Mars has reclaimed the number one spot in the singles chart, pushing X Factor winner Ben Haenow down to number two."}
{"article": "Mr Deby took power in a coup in 1990 and later introduced elections. A referendum in 2005 scrapped a clause restricting presidents to two terms, but Mr Deby said that if he gets re-elected he will reinstate it. In the last year, Burundi, Rwanda and Congo-Brazzaville have all changed their constitutions to allow their presidents to run for office again. Africa Live: BBC news updates Mr Deby said on Tuesday that reinstating term limits would provide \"vitality\" to the democracy. \"We must limit terms, we must not concentrate on a system in which a change in power becomes difficult,\" he told the ruling party. \"In 2005 the constitutional reform was conducted in a context where the life of the nation was in danger,\" he added. Africa's longest-serving leaders: The arrogance of power The Mobutu and Gaddafi effect", "summary": "Chad's President Idriss Deby has announced he will run for a fifth term in April's elections."}
{"article": "The Serbian club had been banned for three seasons because of the issue. European football's governing body Uefa said Partizan had broken rules on unpaid debts three times in the past five years. However a Court of Arbitration for Sport statement said Partizan had provided \"new evidence\" to show it had paid its tax bills. The statement added: \"On this basis, the parties have agreed the exclusion imposed by (Uefa) shall be deemed to have been made conditional on the club's timely payment of the other overdue payables identified as at September 30, 2016. \"Taking into account the fact that FK Partizan has satisfied this condition, the club will be eligible to compete in future Uefa club competitions.\"", "summary": "Partizan Belgrade have had their European ban lifted after providing evidence they had cleared unpaid debts."}
{"article": "Their name, \"luk thep\", literally translates as \"child angels\" and people believe they bring good fortune and they are pampered by their owners as if they were children. But the privileges lavished upon them have also drawn a backlash and warnings from Thai authorities. After purchasing a doll, the owner brings it to a monk who conducts a prayer and an anointing ceremony known as \"plook sek\". Such prayers are normally used to bless lucky amulets, which are also popular in Thailand, where ancient beliefs in magic are still prevalent. In the case of \"luk thep\", it is often seen as a way of animating the doll, where a wandering spirit is invited to inhabit it and give it a soul. Thai Smile Airways made news this week when it said passengers could purchase tickets for the dolls who would get their own seats, snacks and drinks. But officials have since stepped in: \"Based on international aviation rules, passengers are people. So airlines aren't allowed to sell tickets for dolls,\" a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand was quoted as saying in The Bangkok Post. Passengers can buy a second seat under their names and place their \"luk theps\" there, he added. At least one eatery in Bangkok has cashed in on the trend. Neta Grill said earlier this week it is offering meals for \"luk theps\" at child rates, adding that the restaurant is \"open to all worshippers\". Several owners told BBC Thai that the doll was more than just a talisman, they treat them like their own children. \"My daughter wants a sister and friend. In her school, her friends also have luk thep... so my daughter wants to have one like other people,\" one buyer said. Doting owners have been known to splash out on expensive accessories and jewellery for their dolls. Anthropologist Asama Mungkornchai from Pattani's Prince of Songkla University said the dolls appear to be particularly popular with middle-class women, and could \"fulfill the need for motherhood\" among such owners. But the fact that many say they need it for good luck and wealth also highlights \"a current sense of insecurity among the Thai middle class, especially when it comes to the economy\", she added. On Monday, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha urged Thais not to get carried away with the trend and not to buy the dolls if they cannot afford them, reported broadcaster Thai PBS. The price of a doll can range from 1,500 baht (\u00c2\u00a329, $42) to tens of thousands of baht. The police have also expressed concern that doll sellers have been evading import taxes, and that the dolls could be used to smuggle drugs if they were allowed on planes. Earlier this week, police in Chiang Mai intercepted a doll loaded with 200 tablets of the popular recreational drug \"yaba\". Even religious questions have been raised about the appropriateness of conducting Buddhist rituals on the dolls. The trend has sparked a backlash online, with some criticising owners as being superstitious. But the National Office of Buddhism told Thai PBS the \"plook", "summary": "A craze for eerily lifelike supernatural dolls has swept Thailand in recent months."}
{"article": "David Lee Cartwright, from Cefn Mawr, Wrexham, was travelling towards Mold where he worked at the town's Tesco store when the incident happened on Tuesday evening at Pontblyddyn. He died at the scene. North Wales Police are appealing for witnesses to the crash involving his red Volkswagen Bora on the A541 road at 21:50 GMT.", "summary": "A 31-year-old man who died after his car crashed on a Flintshire road has been named by police."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old Welshman, who competes in the F42 category, managed 16.14m with his penultimate throw against his able-bodied rivals, finishing fifth. It beat his previous best of 15.93m set at last year's championships. Davies is aiming to compete in the shot at the Rio Paralympics after his discus event was removed from the competition. The Bridgend man, who has limited functionality of his right leg with missing bones and no muscle or ligament growth, took gold in the discus at London 2012 and bronze in the shot and is the current European and world champion in both events.", "summary": "Paralympic champion Aled Davies improved his own shot put world record at the British Indoor Championships in Sheffield."}
{"article": "The suspects, 16 and 18 years old, ran away when officers arrived at their house in Broken Arrow, outside of the city of Tulsa. A child at the home was taken to hospital and is in critical condition. Another child was found unhurt. Police are investigating the deaths as homicides. The dead include both adults and children, Broken Arrow police Sgt Thomas Cooper said. Authorities say they responded on Wednesday night to a 911 call where someone called 911 but did not speak on the phone. Mr Cooper said the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation is assisting in the investigation. \"It appears that the two suspects fled out the door sometime during our arrival. We had a canine track, and they were apprehended,\" Mr Cooper said. The house where the two teens were arrested was large and fairly expensive for the area, according to property records. Helen Hoagland, a neighbour, told the AP news agency that two parents and five children lived in the home and that the children were home-schooled. She said the mother was very strict. \"We have a great neighbourhood. That's just crazy; it's absolutely crazy,\" Ms Hoagland said. Mr Cooper said Broken Arrow is \"relatively safe\", calling the crime \"unprecedented\" for the area, which has a population of about 103,000.", "summary": "Two teenagers have been taken into custody after five relatives were found stabbed to death inside their home in Oklahoma."}
{"article": "Thomas Condliff, who weighs 22 stone (140kg) and has type 2 diabetes, is challenging a decision to refuse him a gastric bypass operation. NHS North Staffordshire says he does not meet its criteria for weight loss surgery. Decisions about exceptional funding are based on medical factors alone. Mr Condliff, 62, was initially refused funding for a gastric bypass operation because his weight/height ratio (Body Mass Index) fell below the threshold set by his local primary care trust. At 22 stone his Body Mass Index (BMI) is about 43, but in North Staffordshire only patients with a BMI over 50 are routinely treated with weight loss surgery. A decision to refuse him funding as an exceptional case was upheld in an earlier court hearing. Now Mr Condliff is taking his legal battle to the Court of Appeal in a case that has implications for many other areas. NHS North Staffordshire makes its decisions for exceptional funding on the medical condition of the patient, and rules out considering their personal circumstances. As a result of his diabetes Tom Condliff has lost the sight in one eye, and he also has kidney problems. He can no longer stand or walk for more than a short time and relies on his wife, Lana, to help him wash and dress. He says that during his legal battle his quality of life has worsened, and even an extremely calorie-restricted diet has failed to help him lose weight. \"I've been given about a year to live by one of the specialists. I feel more and more poorly each day, my diabetes is way out of control.\" Having failed to overturn the initial decision to refuse a gastric bypass, he is now resting his hopes on asking the courts to compel the NHS to take into account the impact on his life and that of his family. \"My wife barely goes out, because she doesn't want to leave me. It's awful just being locked indoors. It doesn't matter where you live, how nice it is, it's still a cage. \" In the two-day hearing, the Court of Appeal will hear evidence from both sides on whether Article 8 of the Human Rights Act should be applied to how the NHS makes decisions on funding. It sets out the broad right to a family life. In common with many other primary care trusts, North Staffordshire has a policy of only considering medical evidence when it makes decisions about exceptional funding. The trust says it is part of a commitment to deal with all patients in a fair and even handed manner. In order to be granted exceptional funding a patient has to show he would have a greater than average medical benefit from any treatment. If Mr Condliff was successful, the PCT would have to look again at his case, but could still reach the same decision. It might also open the door to further legal challenges. Although this will not be considered by the court the case also highlights the variation in funding for weight loss surgery. The guidelines for", "summary": "The Court of Appeal will consider if a patient's personal circumstances should influence the NHS when it decides whether to fund treatment."}
{"article": "Llanelli MP Nia Griffith said \"everything\" will be discussed in the wake of the loss of the English safe seat. She failed to give Mr Corbyn her full support in a BBC Radio Cymru interview. Mr Corbyn has said he will not step down in the wake of the loss to the Conservatives. Copeland had been held by Labour for more than 80 years - the Tories' Trudy Harrison won with 13,748 votes to Labour's Gillian Throughton's 11,601. Speaking on Post Cyntaf, Ms Griffith said: \"The Conservatives are very strong at the moment so there'll be a lot of questions raised now within the party. \"What's important now is discussing the whole thing and what happened in Copeland. Why has it happened and what is the best way forward?\" Asked if the loss raised questions about Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, she said: \"There will be a lot of discussion about every aspect of our party now and that will probably form a part of it\". When asked if she would resign to trigger another leadership ballot, she added it was important the party rebuilds and needs to be better prepared for future elections. Meanwhile Gerald Jones, a Labour shadow Welsh minister, told BBC Radio Wales the result was \"a significant set back for us as a party and one that we have to now rebuild from\". The Merthyr Tydfil MP said the Labour party has to \"take stock\" with a \"lot of work to do\". Mr Corbyn said while it was \"a day of disappointment in Copeland\" he would not be quitting as Labour leader. Asked if he would fall on his sword following the defeat, he said: \"No. I was elected leader of this party - I'm proud to lead this party.\"", "summary": "Jeremy Corbyn's future will form part of discussions around the fall out of the Copeland by-election, Labour's shadow defence secretary has said."}
{"article": "Out of 39 mental health trusts that provided figures for their crisis teams, 27 had seen their workload increase - 70%. And some had seen referrals rise by as much as 60% - but without a comparable rise in funding. NHS England said an extra \u00c2\u00a3400m would be spent on crisis resolution teams. BBC Radio 5 live contacted all 54 mental health trusts who run crisis teams in England. One of them, East London NHS Foundation Trust, revealed its crisis team had seen referrals increase from 7,057 to 11,368 last year, a 60% rise in demand. Camillo Parra-Braun's wife, Mariana, died by suicide at the age of 32 in October last year. Mr Parra-Braun had contacted the City and Hackney mental health home-visit team twice that day because of concerns about his wife's deteriorating mental health. He was told they were unlikely to be able to see them before 17:00 and more likely nearer 19:00. If he had urgent concerns, they said, he should contact the police. But help came too late for Mariana. Mr Parra-Braun said: \"And after I learned of her death, my phone rang, and it was the crisis team, and they told me they would be arriving around 19:00.\" A statement from East London NHS Foundation Trust said: \"We would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Mariana Pinto and everyone who has been affected by this tragic event. \"Following the incident, the trust subsequently carried out a thorough review into the care and treatment of Mariana Pinto which involved meeting with family to discuss the case and establish their concerns. \"The patient's family were also given the opportunity to contribute to the report.\" In 2014, a report for NHS England acknowledged the system was \"stacked against\" mental health. And last year a further report for NHS England said the majority of crisis teams \"are not currently sufficiently resourced to operate 24/7, with caseloads above levels that allow teams to fulfil their core functions\". Staff working within teams were too scared to speak publicly, but one person told BBC News anonymously: \"Our referrals are increasing all the time. \"And no, we do not have enough money to deal with [the] increase in referrals. \"The CCG [Clinical Commissioning Group, which allocates NHS funding locally] simply does not have any money.\" An NHS England representative said: \"NHS investment in mental health services is rising faster than for other services and this includes an additional \u00c2\u00a3400m invested in crisis-resolution home-treatment teams from this year so that all areas are able to offer 24/7 emergency care to those who need it.\" In January, the government published its response to a taskforce report into the state of mental health services. It said that it would accept the recommendations in full and would deliver \"additional investment of \u00c2\u00a31bn a year by 2020-21 to improve mental health services\". \"As the prime minister has said, it is this government's ambition to tackle the burning injustices that persist in our society, including the inequalities caused by poor mental health and the continued inability", "summary": "Services for people who are suicidal or self-harming are facing unprecedented demand in England, a BBC Radio 5 live investigation has found."}
{"article": "Rhys Bennett, who was 12 at the time, was chased by the dog in a Leicestershire park, pulled to the ground and bitten on his face and body. The dog handler said he had released the dog because he did not realise Rhys and his friends were children. Leicestershire Police confirmed that an out-of-court settlement had been made. However, the force has not apologised to Rhys or his family - despite this being the reason his mother began the compensation claim. The attack happened on 13 October 2007, and the family's solicitor said the time it had taken to resolve the claim had added to the trauma. Updates on this story and updates from Leicestershire \"This has been a truly traumatic experience for my client,\" said Dianne Collins of Nelsons Solicitors. \"The police dog handler concerned said that he did not recognise the people running away as children and if he had known he would not have released the dog. \"However, every other officer who was present that day did identify the 'runners' as children - and yet the dog handler still released the dog.\" Rhys was playing with three friends in his local park in Sapcote when they tried to get into a derelict pavilion that had been boarded up. Someone called the police and the children fled when officers arrived. The dog handler released the dog and it chased the children, pulling a girl to the ground by the wrist, releasing her and reattaching to her side. The dog then released the girl and attacked Rhys. \"It was terrifying. I couldn't move,\" said Rhys, who is now a 20-year-old engineering student. \"The dog's teeth bit into my lip and there was blood gushing everywhere. I was so scared. \"I was taken to hospital and it was all a bit of a blur.\" As well as surgery to his face he needed counselling. He became too afraid to leave the house alone and could not even look at dogs for several years. \"Following the attack I was petrified of dogs and would cross over the road if one was walking towards me,\" he said. \"I'm less scared now, but I will never forget that day in 2007 and how scared I was. I was only 12.\" The matter was set for a three-day trial this week but Leicestershire Police accepted the family's offer to settle for \u00a310,000 shortly before the trial was due to start. \"No admission of liability was received nor was an apology - which was all that Mrs Bennett really wanted at the beginning of the claim,\" said Ms Collins. \"Rhys had never been in trouble with the police before and has never been in trouble with the police since.\" Leicestershire Police said in a statement: \"The training, deployment and management of police dogs within Leicestershire Police is constantly reviewed and developed in order to maintain the highest possible standards of professionalism.\"", "summary": "A man who needed facial reconstructive surgery after being attacked by a police dog as a child has been given \u00a310,000 in compensation."}
{"article": "Winch operator Paul Ormsby and winch man Ciar\u00e1n Smith have been missing since Rescue 116 crashed off the County Mayo coast on 14 March. The Irish Coast Guard said the search would now also cover coastline along Counties Donegal and Galway. Four people were on board the helicopter when it came down. Capt Dara Fitzpatrick died after she was rescued from the sea hours after the crash. The body of her co-pilot, Capt Mark Duffy, was later recovered from the wreckage. On Sunday, the wreckage of the helicopter was lifted from the Irish Sea but the two missing crew members were not found. The Irish Coast Guard, writing on social media, said underwater searches would resume on Thursday, weather permitting. The extension of the search comes after the sister of Ciar\u00e1n Smith appealed for fishermen along the Irish coast to join the search. Orla Smith said that local knowledge could be crucial in finding the two men. An investigation into what happened to the helicopter is continuing. The Air Accident Investigation Unit has said there was no indication of any mechanical problems in the seconds before the impact. It is thought the inquiry into the cause of the crash on 14 March will now focus on operational issues.", "summary": "The search for two Irish Coast Guard crew members missing since a helicopter crash has been extended along the Irish coast."}
{"article": "The firm failed to meet a deadline to provide fuel tank safety instructions to airlines, among other issues, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Boeing has agreed to pay the fine and take action to improve certification. The agency said it \"does not allege that these issues created unsafe conditions\". \"It is imperative that everyone complies with our aviation system's high safety standards,\" said US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. \"This agreement is an important step toward ensuring that Boeing fully meets all applicable compliance standards going forward.\" The other violations involve Boeing's delay in addressing incorrectly shaped fasteners used on airliners, as well as production quality control problems. FAA administrator Michael Huerta said: \"Boeing has agreed to implement improvements in its design, planning, production and maintenance planning processes, and has already implemented several of these improvements.\"", "summary": "Aircraft maker Boeing is to pay a $12m (\u00a38m) fine for \"multiple pending and potential enforcement cases\", the US air regulator has said."}
{"article": "The Fringe act Dolls, who work with the Cirk La Putyka, carried out the stunt above traffic on Friday. Josa Koelbel and Bellina Sorensson, from the Czech Republic, dangled from the bridge in a bid to promote their show at the Underbelly Lafayette tent. Edinburgh City Council said the performers had failed to apply for a licence. An Edinburgh city council spokeswoman said: \"The council was not made aware of this performance which was not permitted or authorised.\" A Police Scotland spokesman said: \"Any artistic performance, event or demonstration where public safety considerations are required must obtain an appropriate licence from the City of Edinburgh Council. \"Failure to obtain the necessary licence may result in a joint inquiry by the police and council licensing board into the matter.\" The circus was not available for comment.", "summary": "A police investigation has been launched into a Fringe trapeze stunt from an Edinburgh city centre bridge."}
{"article": "Teresa Kidd, 44, admitted stealing the cash from Glasgow-based Maclay Murray and Spens LLP, where she worked as a purchase ledger supervisor. Glasgow Sheriff Court heard how she duped bosses into signing documents that paid money into bank accounts owned by her and her then partner. Sentence on Kidd was deferred and she was remanded in custody. Sheriff John McCormick told her: \"This was a complex fraud perpetrated repeatedly by a trusted employee at a firm of solicitors in Glasgow over a period of some five years.\" He also told her: \"A custodial sentence is almost inevitable.\" Kidd, a grandmother, from Cumbernauld in North Lanarkshire, admitted embezzling the cash between October 2006 and November 2011. The court heard how she joined the lawyers firm in 1987 where she \"became a trusted member of staff\" and was promoted to purchase ledger supervisor. Procurator fiscal depute Lesley Chambers told the court: \"As such she was responsible for making payments to creditors, clients and other beneficiaries using money withdrawn from the corporate bank account of Maclay Murray and Spens.\" The court was told Kidd was in charge of staff within the purchase ledger team. Mrs Chambers said that cash paid out would be drawn up on a \"purchase run document\" with a list of creditors, the amounts paid and the relevant bank details. This was signed off by the financial controller who carried out random sample checks on outgoing payments. A senior member of staff would check that the amounts tallied up with the outgoing details. The court was told: \"Faculty services limited regularly provide the service of advocates to Maclay Murray and Spens and as such they would subsequently submit invoices to them. \"The invoices to them were typically for a four-figure sum although in this particular case sometimes they rose to \u00a310,000 and \u00a311,000.\" Mrs Chambers said that for some reason, unlike most invoices, those submitted by the faculty services did not include their bank details and employees had to manually input the details. Kidd \"exploited this\" and only targeted invoices relating to the faculty services to carry out her crime. She \"double submitted\" invoices to the law firm, one with the correct bank details so the cash was paid to faculty services, and a second invoice with her personal bank details. Mrs Chambers added: \"This practise of double submitting came to light on January 12, 2012.\" An investigation into the matter was carried out and Kidd accepted full responsibility for what she had done.", "summary": "A financial worker is facing a jail term for embezzling \u00a3176,696 from one of Scotland's top legal firms."}
{"article": "The Insolvency Service said enough coal would be bought to keep the ovens alight as talks with \"interested parties\" continue about their future. A spokesman said a further decision would be made next week. The steelworks are with receivers after owners SSI UK went into liquidation, blaming a slump in global steel prices. A statement from the Insolvency Service said: \"A decision has been made to buy sufficient coal to keep the Redcar Coke Ovens going until the weekend, enabling the Official Receiver to continue discussions with interested parties about purchasing assets in working order. \"A decision about purchasing further coal to keep the ovens operational beyond the weekend will be taken at the end of this week.\" The government has promised an \u00c2\u00a380m aid package to help the 1,700 workers who have lost their jobs.", "summary": "Coke ovens at the SSI Steelworks in Redcar will remain lit until at the least the weekend, the site's receivers have confirmed."}
{"article": "Mae'r Ysgrifennydd Addysg, Kirsty Williams wedi dweud mai cau ysgolion ddylai fod y cam olaf, ar \u00f4l ystyried yr holl effeithiau ar y gymuned leol. Am y tro cyntaf, bydd ysgolion gwledig yng Nghymru yn cael eu diffinio'n benodol, gyda Llywodraeth Cymru yn ffurfio rhestr o 'ysgolion gwledig' er mwyn eu diogelu ymhellach. Bydd newid hefyd i'r Cod Trefniadaeth Ysgolion, sef y drefn sy'n rhoi arweiniad wrth wneud penderfyniadau am ysgolion. Mae'r Ceidwadwyr yn dweud nad ydy'r rheolau'n mynd i'r afael \u00e2 diffyg buddsoddiad, tra bod Plaid Cymru'n dweud bod rhaid \"cydnabod y gost ychwanegol i gynghorau\". Dywedodd Mrs Williams bod ysgolion gwledig \"yn galon i'w cymunedau\" ac y dylen nhw gael \"gwrandawiad teg\". Yn y gorffennol, mae cynghorau sir wedi cau rhai o ysgolion gwledig sydd \u00e2 nifer bach o ddisgyblion ar draws Cymru, gyda nifer o rieni'n brwydro yn erbyn y penderfyniadau. Mae Mrs Williams hefyd yn annog ffederaleiddio ysgolion ac y bydd rhaid i lywodraethau lleol egluro pam mai cau'r ysgol yw'r cam mwyaf priodol i'w gymryd. Bydd rhaid hefyd ystyried yr effaith ar addysg y plant a threfniadau teithio'r disgyblion. Er mwyn rhoi cyfle i gymunedau gymryd rhan yn y broses o benderfynu, bydd rhaid i unrhyw ymgynghoriad gael ei gyhoeddi ar ddiwrnod ysgol. Dywedodd Kirsty Williams: \"Mae'r cynigion hyn yn cryfhau'r Cod Trefniadaeth Ysgolion er mwyn sicrhau bod cynghorau'n gwneud popeth yn eu gallu i gadw ysgol wledig ar agor cyn penderfynu ymgynghori ynghylch cynnig i gau'r ysgol. \"Os cynhelir proses ymgynghori i gau ysgol, mae'n rhaid ystyried pob dewis ac awgrym sy'n deillio o hynny cyn gwneud penderfyniad. \"Mae'n bosibl fod hynny'n cynnwys ffurfio ffederasiwn gydag ysgolion eraill neu gynyddu defnydd y gymuned o'r adeiladau er mwyn gwneud yr ysgol yn fwy hyfyw.\" Y llynedd, cyhoeddodd Kirsty Williams grant newydd gwerth \u00a32.5m y flwyddyn ar gyfer ysgolion bach ac ysgolion gwledig. Dywedodd Llyr Gruffudd, llefarydd Plaid Cymru ar addysg, ei fod yn croesawu'r cyhoeddiad ond fod angen sicrhau fod digon o gyllid ar gael. \"Os ydi'r llywodraeth am fynnu cadw ysgolion bach ar agor, rhaid hefyd cydnabod y gost ychwanegol i gynghorau mewn cyfnod o gynni a thoriadau\", meddai. \"Byddaf yn gofyn am sicrwydd na fydd y Cod newydd yma'n golygu arian yn cael ei golli i'n hysgolion mwy trefol. Mae \u00a32.5m yn gyfystyr \u00e2 \u00a3110,000 i bob sir yng Nghymru - eith hynny ddim yn bell iawn.\" Ond beirniadu'r rheolau newydd wnaeth llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr, Darren Millar. \"Mae diffyg gweithredu ar ran Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru i atal cau ysgolion wedi achosi torcalon a thrafferthion i ddisgyblion, rhieni ac athrawon - heb s\u00f4n am niwed i'r economi wledig. \"Fydd y mesurau yma'n gwneud dim i wneud yn iawn am y boen sydd wedi'i achosi'n barod, na mynd i'r afael \u00e2'r tanfuddsoddi parhaol, sef y rhwystr mwyaf i gadw ysgolion gwledig ar agor.\"", "summary": "Mae rheolau newydd yngl\u0177n \u00e2 chadw ysgolion gwledig ar agor wedi cael eu cyhoeddi gan Lywodraeth Cymru."}
{"article": "The report on business trends from the accountancy and services group BDO said the UK economy was already showing signs of slowing ahead of the EU vote. Manufacturing had the gloomiest outlook, and job creation in the economy slowed to a two-year low. BDO's Peter Hemington said uncertainty prompted by Brexit had also disrupted investment in the UK economy. The report shows business output, which reflects company orders for the next quarter, slipped to 99 last month, compared with 99.7 in May and 100.6 in April. Meanwhile, business optimism also slid, falling to 98.9 in June from 99.4 in May. But Mr Hemington added: \"In all likelihood, whatever arrangements the UK eventually arrives at with the EU won't look very different from what we have at the moment. \"So businesses cannot afford to get caught up in the hysteria. They need to hold their nerve and continue to invest in the UK. \"We are at a crucial moment where we must be sensible in protecting the UK economy. We need a plan of action now that gives businesses the added confidence to progress with investment plans.\" BDO's research is based on the results of the UK's main business surveys", "summary": "Uncertainty around Brexit has dragged UK business output and optimism to three-year lows, a report suggests."}
{"article": "A house and a number of cars in the city's Hazelbank area have been targeted in recent days. It is believed youths fill a drain pipe with mud before launching it like a catapult at homes and vehicles. Sinn F\u00e9in councillor Eric McGinley has called on those involved to stop immediately. \"Apart from the mess which has been created, there is a very real danger that an accident will occur if passing cars are struck by this debris,\" said Mr McGinley, \"When motorists are targeted it can cause damage to the car and could scare a driver into crashing, so there are very serious implications. \"Drivers have been in touch telling us that these incidents were taking place over the weekend.\" Mr McGinley made a further appeal to parents in the area to be aware of where and what their children are up to. \"These muck bombs are going to detract from the general appearance of the area,\" said Mr McGinley. \"So, parents need to impress upon their children the dangers of their actions. \"I've been in contact with the housing executive about this and they have given me assurances that the mess will be cleaned up as quickly as possible,\" he added. A spokesperson for the Housing Executive said: \"There is a tenancy at this property and a number of issues have arisen, which we are currently working to resolve. \"We have taken measures to protect our property.\"", "summary": "Drivers are being put in \"very real danger\" by youths throwing so-called muck bombs in Derry, says a local councillor."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 30 January 2015 Last updated at 11:48 GMT But visitors to Niagara Falls in North America got a shock when they saw adventurer Will Gadd climbing UP a frozen section. Niagara Falls is actually a collection of three waterfalls - he made it up an icy part of Horseshoe Falls, the biggest one. Will said: \"I've been ice climbing for 30 years now and this is the coolest thing I've ever done.\" Watch Hayley's clip to see Will in action.", "summary": "When you think of waterfalls, you tend to picture stuff going down..."}
{"article": "Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of sight loss in the developed world. Patients are usually treated with ongoing monthly injections directly into their eyes. Australian and Chinese researchers believe gold nanoparticles could help better deliver drugs to the eye. Their study, published this week in the chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie, tested how a hydrogel filled with gold nanoparticles reacted when exposed to light. The researchers found the gel softened and released a dose of sight-restoring drug when it warmed by a only few degrees under the light. The process reversed when the light disappeared, hardening the gel and preventing the drug's delivery. The biological activity of the protein-based drug was \"highly retained\" after its release, the study said. Researcher Johan Basuki, from Australia's government-backed CSIRO, hoped the new drug delivery system would let AMD patients have injections less frequently - potentially once every six months. \"The idea is to develop a 'drug reservoir' that can be implanted in the eye and then use visible light to trigger the drug that is embedded in the hydrogel,\" Dr Basuki said. \"To do that we are using gold nanoparticles which have been known as a safe, inert, non-reactive component in the biomedical field.\" Nanoparticles, typically 1000 times thinner than a human hair, are too small to see with a microscope. The preliminary safety tests were conducted on rabbits, but further research is needed before human trials will be considered. The joint project between CSIRO and independent Chinese researchers is seeking investors to take research to the next stage. \"In order to understand the function in the human body, I think we need to do a long-term study,\" Dr Basuki said. \"The beauty of this versatile system is that the components are already FDA-approved, so they are safe for clinical use.\" Researchers are also investigating possible uses for the technology in agriculture, to fight cancer, and for use in personal care.", "summary": "Gold nanotechnology could help reduce the number of injections needed to treat a common form of blindness, researchers believe."}
{"article": "If you have a picture you would like to share, please see below the images for details on how to submit yours.", "summary": "Each day we feature a photograph sent in from across England - the gallery will grow during the week."}
{"article": "Tunnicliffe, 24, worked with Wigan boss Warren Joyce when he was coming through the Manchester United youth system. Browne, 19, made his professional debut in the Europa League this season and has also played in the EFL Trophy. \"Marcus is a young player with great potential and will strengthen our group,\" said manager Joyce. \"Ryan has got a terrific attitude first and foremost. He has built up considerable experience now in this division and we are confident he can be a really positive influence to the group in the immediate future.\" Both players are available for Wigan's Championship game against Brentford on Saturday. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "Wigan Athletic have signed midfielders Ryan Tunnicliffe and Marcus Browne from Fulham and West Ham on loan until the end of the season."}
{"article": "They studied 156 stroke patients with different patterns of brain injury. More of those with insular cortex damage successfully gave up smoking and reported fewer withdrawal symptoms than the other stroke patients. Experts say targeting this brain area may help other smokers quit. Most stop smoking medicines currently on the market work by blocking the brain's reward pathways in response to nicotine. And patches and gums aim to lessen cravings by supplying a controlled dose of nicotine as the person weans themselves off tobacco. But post-graduate researcher Amir Abdolahi and colleagues believe the insular cortex could be a valuable new target for quit smoking aids. Therapies that could hone in on this area of the brain and disrupt its role in addiction, potentially with new drugs or other techniques such as deep brain stimulation or transcranial magnetic stimulation, should be explored, they say. \"Much more research is needed in order for us to more fully understand the underlying mechanism and specific role of the insular cortex, but it is clear that something is going on in this part of the brain that is influencing addiction,\" Dr Abdolahi said. The research findings are published in two medical journals - Addiction and Addictive Behaviors. The patients in the study were smokers who had been admitted to hospital because of a stroke. Medical scans revealed that 38 of them had suffered damage to the insular cortex, while the remaining 118 had damage to other parts of the brain. All of the patients were encouraged by their doctor to quit smoking. The researchers followed the patients for three months to see how many actually quit, and how easy they had found it. A few dropped out of the study. Of those remaining, almost twice as many patients with strokes in the insular cortex successfully abstained from smoking for three months (22 out of 32 patients, or 70%) compared with those with strokes in other parts of the brain (38 out of 103 patients, or 37%). And they suffered less from withdrawal symptoms such as cravings, hunger, rage, sleeplessness and anxiety. The findings support those of earlier work by Dr Antoine Bechara, from the University of Southern California, who reported that stroke patients with damage to the insular cortex had said their body had \"forgotten the urge to smoke\". The insular cortex lies deep in the brain and has widespread connections to surrounding regions. Experts believe its primary role is to do with desires and emotions.", "summary": "A particular region of the brain may drive smoking addiction, say scientists who found stroke survivors with damage to their insular cortex more easily kicked the habit."}
{"article": "About 170 people are set to climb the Brecon Beacons peak on Saturday. The washing line is visiting well-known sites across the UK throughout June. The chief executive of Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, said she wanted people to talk about the \"taboo subject\" of baby death. Dr Clea Harmer said the campaign was also aimed at \"provoking debate and discussion as to why do so many babies die and what can be done to reduce this number\". The charity said the UK was three times slower than some European countries at lowering the baby death rate and families were often sent home with poor explanations of why their baby died. A babies remembrance service is to be held for bereaved parents at the Wenallt Chapel at Thornhill Crematorium in Cardiff on Sunday.", "summary": "A washing line pegged with 15 babygrows is to be carried up Pen Y Fan to raise awareness of the number of babies who die shortly before, during or after birth in the UK each day."}
{"article": "The surrogate says they deliberately left Gammy behind, but took his healthy twin sister. The couple deny this. It later emerged that the man had previously been convicted for child sex offences. Officials say they have now managed to reach the couple, but have no major concerns at present. The contact follows days of speculation over the couple's whereabouts. In a separate discovery, nine babies were found in a Bangkok flat, with a lawyer claiming they were all surrogate babies fathered by a Japanese businessman. Child protection officers reached the Australian pair after trying for the past few days. Western Australia Child Protection Minister Helen Morton told Fairfax Radio on Thursday: \"We've had telephone contact with the family and we're in the process of putting other arrangements in place.\" The department had no \"major\" concerns at present, but would consider how to ensure the safety of the baby girl, Gammy's sister, she said. She urged the media to give the family \"privacy and confidentiality\" in the meantime, adding that at this stage there was no evidence of anything illegal about the surrogacy arrangements. According to court documents, the man was convicted in the 1990s for the sexual assault of several young girls. However, his adult son, who did not wish to be named, told local media that the man was a \"good father\" who had changed. \"He's just got a massive heart. He's made mistakes, we've accepted it... he's made up for them,\" he said. The case of baby Gammy has made international headlines and caused uproar in Australia. Besides Down's syndrome, the six-month-old has a congenital heart condition and a lung infection. Surrogate mother Pattharamon Chanbua, who has been looking after Gammy, said the couple had asked her to have an abortion when she was told of the child's condition four months after becoming pregnant. She said she refused, as it was against her Buddhist beliefs. Abortion on the grounds of foetal impairment is illegal in Thailand. Ms Chanbua, 21, has said the father met the twins, but only took care of the girl. The parents have told local media in Australia that they did not know of his existence, and claimed that the allegations made by Ms Chanbua are lies. Meanwhile, Thai authorities say they have found six boys and three girls, all aged two or younger, in a condominium in Bangkok. The children were accompanied by several nannies and a pregnant woman. A Thai lawyer told police he was representing a Japanese man, who was father to all the surrogate babies, telling the Bangkok Post that the surrogacy arrangements were all legal. Deputy national police chief Aek Angsananont told Reuters news agency: \"We are questioning the nannies, as well as asking for co-operation from the Japanese embassy, to help conduct DNA testing. \"If the Japanese man admits that all the children are his babies, we would ask him why he wanted to have so many babies.\" Commercial surrogacy is not illegal in Thailand, although the authorities are now seeking to tighten regulations. Thailand is a popular destination for surrogacy", "summary": "Australia's child protection services have contacted a couple accused of abandoning a baby with Down's syndrome to his surrogate mother in Thailand."}
{"article": "Rex Tillerson, who has no previous political experience, will be visiting countries in the shadow of North Korea's nuclear programme. Global superpower China may be the key to that problem, and to stability in the region, but relations with the US are strained at the moment, partly over comments Mr Tillerson himself has made. His first true test as a diplomat is a potential powder keg. So is the former oil boss up to the task? Rex Tillerson has kept a remarkably low profile in his first month or so in office, giving no press briefings in six weeks, and sticking to prepared statements. Any hopes that reporters might see him in action on this Asia trip were dashed, however, when it emerged he wouldn't be bringing the state department press corps along. Instead, Mr Tillerson will be taking a single reporter from a conservative website, the Independent Journal Review - because of the small plane being used, the state department said. The journalist, Erin McPike, recently wrote about Tillerson in a piece on \"Exxon Mobil's special treatment from the White House\". The trip is seen as important because Mr Tillerson will be trying to conduct high-level diplomacy in a region shaken by his president's public comments. Donald Trump has tweeted that China needs to be \"taken on\" and decried the country's \"military complex\" in the South China Sea. The president has said that South Korea \"makes a fortune on us\" while the US defends it, and has accused Japan of \"currency manipulation\". Such remarks have led to uncertainty in the region about the direction of US foreign policy, something Mr Tillerson will have to deal with. Mr Tillerson's trip starts with Japan, which is likely to be the easiest leg of the journey. He is scheduled to meet the foreign minister, as well as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe - who Trump has already met, and \"had a great time\" with. But the military threat from North Korea is likely to dominate the discussion. The secretive isolationist nation has continued its development of nuclear weapons despite sanctions and threats from the international community. Two nuclear explosion tests and more than 20 missile launches in the past year have increased tensions. Both Japan and South Korea, which are US military allies and host US troops, are within missile distance of North Korea. But it is China, as North Korea's only ally on earth, which holds the power to affect change. Donald Trump has accused China of ignoring the North Korea situation, and essentially allowing it to worsen. But Beijing has taken relatively strong steps in recent weeks. Early in March, it asked Pyongyang to stop its missile tests to \"defuse a looming crisis\", and earlier dealt its ally a severe economic blow by banning coal imports. Mr Tillerson is likely to urge China to do even more. But at the same time, he'll have to smooth over another row that the US is involved in. The United States has deployed the Thaad missile defence system (that's Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) in South", "summary": "The new US secretary of state is heading off on his first trip to Asia, where diplomatic tensions run high."}
{"article": "Researchers studied more than 1,000 fossils of the Montsechia Vidalii species as part of the study. The plant resembled a pond-weed but bore fruit containing a single seed - the defining characteristic of a flowering plant. The scientists say it grew in Spanish lakes more than 125 million years ago. \"A 'first flower' is technically a myth, like the 'first human',\" botanist David Dilcher says in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. \"But based on this new analysis, we know now that Montsechia is contemporaneous, if not more ancient, than Archaefructus,\" a similar aquatic plant found in China. Scientists have known about the Montsechia Vidalii species for a long time. Its fossils were first discovered more than a century ago in the limestone deposits of the Iberian Range in central Spain and in the Montsec Range of the Pyrenees. But Mr Dilcher said many of the fossils were misinterpreted, because Montsechia \"possesses no obvious 'flower parts' such as petals or nectar-producing structures for attracting insects\".", "summary": "Botanists in the US say an ancient plant that grew underwater in what is modern day Europe may have been the world's first known flowering plant."}
{"article": "Police found the injured 18-year-old after they were called to Hertford Road, Enfield, on Saturday at 22:30 BST over reports of a fight. He was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead an hour later. Two others also suffered stab wounds. In a separate incident, a man was shot and stabbed to death in broad daylight near Bow Road Tube station. The victim, 41, was killed in Eagling Close on Saturday afternoon in what police described as a \"violent murder\". Two men have been arrested and are in custody at east London police stations. The two teenagers who were stabbed in Enfield were found in Palmers Lane. The 17 and 19-year-olds were taken to hospital but their injuries are not being treated as life-threatening. Scotland Yard said no arrests have been made and have appealed for witnesses. In another incident earlier, a man was taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition after being stabbed in the head and neck in Enfield. Police said they believe the victim, who is thought to be aged in his 30s, was attacked following an \"altercation\" with a group of men in Exeter Road. No arrests have been made.", "summary": "A man has been stabbed to death and two others injured during a large brawl in north London."}
{"article": "According to reports, he was a member of the firm's UK team. He was understood to have been attending the Cannes Lions event, an annual gathering of people in the advertising and marketing industry. In a statement, Google said: \"We lost a loved and respected member of our team. We are deeply saddened and our thoughts are with his family and friends.\" No further details about the employee have been made public out of respect for his family.", "summary": "A Google executive has been killed in an accident in Cannes, France, the search company has confirmed."}
{"article": "Spanish forward Jose Callejon scored the winner for the Naples-based club, who are now one point behind second-placed Roma with four games left. The top two qualify for the Champions League group stage. Inter are now without a win in six league games and are in seventh spot in the Serie A table. Earlier, Roma lost 3-1 to Lazio in the Derby della Capitale to leave leaders Juventus four points away from being crowned champions of Italy for a sixth successive season. AC Milan's hopes of securing a Europa League third qualifying round spot were dented as they were held to a 1-1 draw away at relegation-threatened Crotone. Milan, who are sixth, finished the game with 10 men after Slovakia midfielder Juraj Kucka was dismissed in the 90th minute. Palermo secured only a fourth league win of the season to stave off relegation for at least one more game. The next-to-bottom side beat eighth-placed Fiorentina 2-0 but are still 10 points from safety with four games to go. Former Roma striker Mattia Destro scored twice as Bologna hammered Udinese 4-0 while there were also wins for Chievo, Cagliari and Sassuolo. Match ends, Inter Milan 0, Napoli 1. Second Half ends, Inter Milan 0, Napoli 1. Attempt saved. Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by \u00c9ver Banega with a cross. Foul by Arkadiusz Milik (Napoli). Roberto Gagliardini (Inter Milan) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Amadou Diawara (Napoli). Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Faouzi Ghoulam (Napoli). Antonio Candreva (Inter Milan) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. Arkadiusz Milik (Napoli) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Arkadiusz Milik (Napoli) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Marco Andreolli (Inter Milan). Attempt blocked. Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Substitution, Napoli. Arkadiusz Milik replaces Dries Mertens. Corner, Inter Milan. Conceded by Kalidou Koulibaly. Substitution, Inter Milan. Marco Andreolli replaces Jeison Murillo. Attempt missed. Marko Rog (Napoli) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left misses to the left. Assisted by Dries Mertens. Offside, Napoli. Kalidou Koulibaly tries a through ball, but Jos\u00e9 Callej\u00f3n is caught offside. Attempt blocked. Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Marko Rog (Napoli) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Marko Rog (Napoli). Danilo D'Ambrosio (Inter Milan) wins a free kick on the right wing. Substitution, Inter Milan. \u00c9ver Banega replaces \u00c9der. Substitution, Napoli. Allan replaces Marek Hamsik. Attempt saved. Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Danilo D'Ambrosio with a cross. Attempt missed. Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli) right footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Dries Mertens. Attempt blocked. Marek Hamsik (Napoli) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.", "summary": "Napoli increased the pressure on Roma in the race for a Champions League group stage place with a narrow victory at Inter Milan."}
{"article": "Addicks supporters have staged a series of protests aimed at the Belgian businessman in recent months, prompting a statement claiming some fans \"want the club to fail\". \"Whether you like protests or not, the fans feel they need to be heard,\" Powell told BBC Radio London. \"They want answers and, quite clearly, they are not getting them.\" Some Charlton fans have formed a campaigning group called CARD (Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet) which is calling for the the Belgian to sell the club. Several protests took place at their last home match against Middlesbrough including a mock funeral, beach balls being thrown onto the pitch to halt the game and a walk-out by supporters in the second half. Last month Duchatelet, who has a network of clubs around Europe, told the South London Press he has \"empathy\" for the fans, but was not prepared to sell. Powell had three stints as a player at The Valley and was manager when Duchatelet took over the club in January 2014 - only to be dismissed in March that year. \"They made the statement last week which I don't think any supporter could understand,\" Powell, 46, added. \"It quite clearly shows there is no synergy between the owners, the higher management and the fans. \"I don't know what will happen. I'm sure many thousands of Charlton fans would like that question to be answered. \"The only person who can answer that question in Roland Duchatelet - but he hasn't. I think it is right for him to say 'This is my plan for your football club.'\"", "summary": "Former Charlton boss Chris Powell says fans deserve to know what owner Roland Duchatelet has planned for the club."}
{"article": "John Radford is in a critical condition after being airlifted to hospital following the incident last week. The 69-year-old is the chairman of Huddersfield and District Cyclists and was promoting a campaign calling for better investigation of road accidents. Two men have been arrested and bailed in connection with the collision. The route passed the scene of Mr Radford's accident on the Huddersfield Road in New Mill. The ride was organised by Mr Radford's two daughters. His daughter Helen Gorman said the last week had been \"horrendous\" and that she hoped the ride would raise awareness of cycle safety. Ms Gorman said: \"If this and the campaigning can stop any other family going through what we've been through this week, and what we are going to have to go through over the next few months if dad pulls through, if it helps anyone else then it will be worth it.\" The ride raised money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. West Yorkshire Police said a 21-year-old man and a 43-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of causing injury by dangerous driving. The pair have been released on bail.", "summary": "Hundreds of cyclists took part in a charity ride in Huddersfield to support a cyclist who was left in a coma following a collision with a car."}
{"article": "Work to build the Pontio centre at Bangor University began in 2012 - and it is already a year late opening. The new centre houses a theatre, digital cinema, students' union, bars and restaurant and business innovation spaces. A full programme of artistic events is due to get under way from December. Prof Jerry Hunter, the university's pro vice chancellor, said it was a \"great pleasure\" to finally make public some of the \"fantastic facilities\" on offer. \"It has been a difficult journey, but now we have created a transformational centre for innovation in science and the arts in Bangor,\" he said. The centre is on the site of the former Theatr Gwynedd which closed in 2008, and was demolished to make way for the new project. But it has been blighted by delays along the way, and a planned autumn 2014 opening had to be abandoned.", "summary": "A \u00a350m arts and innovation centre project in Gwynedd is finally getting its finishing touches, university officials have said."}
{"article": "Dyfed-Powys PCC Christopher Salmon has called on the Welsh government to adopt the same plans floated in England. It follows a report in The Times that PCCs would replace fire authorities under UK government plans to be announced next month. The Welsh government said it would be better to devolve policing. Mr Salmon welcomed the initiative and said: \"Joining up budgets and accountability is the best way to join up services for the public. \"Bringing emergency services together will help local areas innovate to improve safety for the public. \"Wales must not be left behind. \"Fire and rescue services are currently under Cardiff control [Welsh government]. I call on our partners in the Welsh government to demonstrate their commitment to devolution and explore ways to devolve fire and rescue services to PCC areas in Wales.\" A Welsh government spokesperson said: \"We fully support greater co-ordination between the emergency services, but we do not believe that giving police and crime commissioners responsibility for the fire service in Wales is the best way to achieve that. \"Devolving responsibility for policing to the Welsh government would allow us to facilitate closer joint working across all three blue light services better than passing responsibility for fire and rescue services to PCCs.\"", "summary": "The control of fire services in Wales should be offered to police and crime commissioners (PCC), it has been argued."}
{"article": "The Irish News says in the last three years the equivalent of 15,000 tins of beer have been seen seized from the streets of Belfast's Holylands. The paper says in the same period 1,800 complaints of anti-social behaviour have been made. These included drunkenness, verbal abuse and \"loud partying\". Police and other agencies are preparing for large crowds coming to the area on St Patrick's Day, it adds. Both the News Letter and Mirror lead with intra-loyalist violence in Carrickfergus. \"Loyalist war warning\" is the Mirror's front page headline. The paper says there are fears that the murder of loyalist Geordie Gilmore will spark a feud within the UDA. Police have dismissed claims that they have lost control of paramilitary gangs in the area, the paper adds. Meanwhile, the News Letter leads with the fact that one of the bullets fired during the murder of Mr Gilmore passed through the door of a nearby house. Inside, the paper reports that police are concerned by the possibility of retaliation by associates of Mr Gilmore. It also quotes local MP Sammy Wilson, who says he fears a serious escalation in the feud and urged young people thinking of getting involved to think of their future. Writing in the Belfast Telegraph, Jim McDowell says that the UDA's motto is Quis Separabit: Who shall come between us. \"Now, once again, they only have to look in the mirror to find the answer,\" he says. The front page of the Telegraph features claims of bullying at the NI Prison Service. It says that that an industrial tribunal has heard that former Maghaberry deputy governor Gary Alcock made tapes of a prison service director allegedly bullying him. Mr Alcock claims he was treated badly because he was chairman of the Prison Governors' Association. He told the tribunal that the alleged bullying left him \"terrified, anxious, lying awake in a pool of sweat in my bed\". All four papers also feature the tragedy of the Irish coastguard helicopter crash, in which Capt Dara Fitzpatrick was killed and three other crew members remain missing. The Belfast Telegraph says Capt Fitzpatrick helped to save many lives in Northern Ireland. Both The Irish News and News Letter say she was well-known for her starring role in a fly-on-the wall TV show about the service. The Mirror says the helicopter showed no signs of being in trouble before it went missing 10 miles off the coast of County Mayo. Finally, plans for Northern Ireland's first green burial site have prompted fears of paganism in County Down, the papers report. A group called Down to Earth is behind the proposal close to the spot were St Patrick was buried in Downpatrick. However, all four papers report that some residents in the area have raised concerns about \"pagan elements\", potential contamination of Lough Money and the upkeep of the site. Down to Earth's Ciara Campbell Crawford says she thinks \"people are afraid of the unknown\" and that people of faith would be welcomed to the site. \"It is just a calm and peaceful place where", "summary": "Binge drinking in an area of south Belfast, a loyalist feud in Carrickfergus and claims of bullying make the front pages on Wednesday."}
{"article": "Sturridge, 25, is not in Hodgson's latest squad after suffering a thigh strain on England duty last month. Reds boss Brendan Rodgers criticised England's handling of the player, and did not want him to be called up for games against San Marino and Estonia. \"It's simply a fact, an unfortunate fact, that he's not recovered,\" Hodgson said of Sturridge's absence. \"There's no problems or conflict there at all.\" Sturridge has missed Liverpool's last six games but there is a chance he could return on Saturday, against West Brom in the Premier League. But Rodgers said he would not be able to play in the Euro 2016 qualifiers with San Marino on Thursday, 9 October and three days later against Estonia. \"I've had good communication with Roy and we spoke at length on the situation,\" said Rodgers, whose side were beaten 1-0 by Basel in the Champions League on Wednesday. \"It was amicable. There is no issue. \"We had agreed it was probably too soon for Daniel to meet up with England irrespective of whether he was involved this weekend or not. \"Every individual player is different. I respect he (Hodgson) had work to do internationally but my thoughts are with Liverpool players and what their needs are. \"Daniel hasn't trained with the team at all since the injury with them and it was probably not the right time to go with them. \"I've not spoken to Daniel. My focus is on Liverpool, it is not on England. I spoke to him about being available for Liverpool but I can't think about England when he is not ready to play for Liverpool.\" Hodgson said there had been \"no question\" of selecting Sturridge for the double-header. \"He's not played for Liverpool at all since picking up the injury with us. As I understand it he's still got some work to do before he's fully fit,\" Hodgson said. \"It's a great blow to us, Liverpool and the player, because he was anxious to be a part of these two games.\" Sturridge has made 16 appearances for England since making his debut almost three years ago, scoring five goals - his most recent coming in the 2-1 defeat by Italy at the World Cup in June. England won their opening Euro 2016 qualifier 2-0 against Switzerland last month.", "summary": "England manager Roy Hodgson has rejected talk of a rift with Liverpool over injured striker Daniel Sturridge."}
{"article": "John Fleming, of Anstruther-based ICS Fisheries Ltd, stole nearly \u00a3500,000 during the six-year scam. He reclaimed VAT on expenses his business had never incurred. Fleming, 59, from Balmullo, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge under the Value Added Tax Act committed between May 2007 and July 2013. His lawyer said he had managed to pay back the cash in full by selling property he owned, but a sheriff said the scam was too serious for him to avoid jail. Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told Dundee Sheriff Court: \"The business owned by the accused is involved in the sale of fish, which is zero-rated for VAT. \"As a result, the accused is lawfully entitled to claim back any VAT incurred by him in the expenses involved in the sale of this fish. \"All invoices showed exorbitant levels of haulage costs being claimed by him against his alleged purchase of huge quantities of fish. \"The accused's computer was later analysed and it was uncovered that these false invoices had in fact been created by the accused on it before he had submitted them on to his accountants and induced them to make the false claim on his behalf.\" Defence solicitor David Bell said: \"It appears the haulage company were not charging VAT and he was assuming it was included and was claiming it back. \"He then realised they were not adding VAT and he spotted the loophole and then exploited it over a lengthy period. \"He employs six people in the business and fears it will fold without him as he is heavily involved.\" Sheriff Alastair Carmichael jailed Fleming saying: \"This was a fraud carried out by you on public funds, so it was a fraud on the whole community.\"", "summary": "A Fife fisheries boss who faked invoices to scam \"astronomical\" sums from the taxman has been jailed for two years and eight months."}
{"article": "A hospital trust official emailed mid Wales politicians to say it had failed to recruit foreign nurses because it could not get Home Office approval. Nursing is not on the Shortage Occupation List, giving priority to migrants with specific qualifications. UK ministers said they took independent advice on the list and the long-term aim was to \"train our own nurses\". Health Minister Mark Drakeford said: \"We have argued in favour of including nursing on the list. It seems essential to me. It is just a wrongheaded focus on the wrong issue that is leading them to refuse to do that. I've argued as well for a separate Welsh Shortage Occupation List.\" Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust, which serves mid Wales patients, could not recruit the nurses because it had been unable to get certificates of sponsorship from the Home Office, according to the email. Trust Communications director Adrian Osborne sent the message to MPs and AMs in mid Wales, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. He wrote: \"Alongside our local recruitment and training programmes, we had also implemented an international recruitment programme focused on the Philippines. \"This has faced delays as we have not been successful in securing Certificates of Sponsorship from the Home Office to bring these nurses to our wards. \"This is because nursing is neither on the Shortage Occupation List, nor do these posts secure enough points for them to be a priority for the Migration Advisory Committee.\" Lib Dem AM William Powell has written to the UK government calling for a change to the policy. \"The Tories' irresponsible and illogical attitude to immigration is contributing to an NHS staffing crisis in Wales,\" he said. \"What kind of government wants to stop vitally needed nurses coming to work in our country? This is reckless in the extreme. \"Of course we need to be training nurses in this country and we need a clear strategy to train our workforce for the future, but patients need support now, not in ten years' time.\" In a letter to Mr Powell, Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said: \"The UK government believes that in the past it has been too easy for employers to bring in workers from overseas rather than take the long-term decision to train our workforce here at home. \"The long-term aim is that we train our own nurses in this country. \"A number of health professional jobs, such as doctors in emergency medicine, are recognised shortage occupations, but the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recently recommended against adding nurses to the Shortage Occupation List.\"", "summary": "The UK government's immigration policy is contributing to an NHS staff crisis, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have said."}
{"article": "The victim, a 33-year-old man, was left in a serious condition in hospital after a \"violent attack\" on Friday, police said. A 29-year-old man has now been arrested in connection with the incident and is due to appear at Paisley Sheriff Court later. The incident took place after the victim left a friend's flat in Argyle Street at about 18:30 on Friday. He returned to the flat around 01:20 on Saturday, having suffered serious injuries. The man was rushed to the town's Royal Alexandra Hospital for treatment and police appealed for information.", "summary": "A man has been arrested over an attempted murder in Paisley."}
{"article": "It appears to tell a simple story from an American high school, but also has a hidden meaning revealed at the end. The unexpected message has propelled the short film to more than two and a half million views on YouTube in just three days. Spoilers follow below - you may want to watch the video to the end first. It was created by the Sandy Hook Promise group, set up by family members of the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting. On December 14, 2012, 20 children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School by 20-year-old Adam Lanza, who had killed his own mother earlier that morning. He was a former student of the school. \"When you don't know what to look for or can't recognize what you are seeing, it can be easy to miss warning signs or dismiss them as unimportant,\" said Nicole Hockley from Sandy Hook Promise, whose son Dylan died in the shooting. \"Everyone has the power to intervene and get help. These actions can save lives.\" In the aftermath of the 2012 shooting, Barack Obama called for action on gun control, despite the political difficulties. But three years later, he called gun control the greatest frustration of his presidency, as the US Congress repeatedly blocked moves to tighten restrictions. The gun control movement reached a peak in the summer when more than 200 Democratic politicians staged a sit-in at the House of Representatives to demand a vote on restricting firearm purchases, in the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida. The Gun Violence Archive non-profit organisation maintains a \"mass shooting tracker\" of attacks where four or more people were shot in a single incident. It estimates that so far in 2016, 425 people have been killed in 362 mass shootings in the United States. It says there were 333 mass shootings last year, and 275 two years ago. The new President-elect Donald Trump, however, frequently expressed support for the second amendment - the right to bear arms - during his campaign, saying his rival Hilary Clinton wanted to abolish it. On one occasion, he caused a significant controversy when he suggested gun rights supporters could somehow stop Ms Clinton's campaign. In May, the National Rifle Association, a pro-gun lobby, endorsed Mr Trump for president.", "summary": "A video telling the story of two schoolchildren forming a friendship - with a twist - has gone viral online."}
{"article": "Replays showed the Wales international was onside when he struck during Monday's 0-0 Premier League draw. Rugby officials have access to instant replays of incidents during matches. \"To look at a video for 20 seconds would maybe have changed the outcome of the game,\" said Ramsey, 24. He added: \"We can take a leaf out of rugby's book. They do it really well. \"You see on the screens, they go up there for 20 seconds and they get the decision right in the end. Football can learn something from that.\" Ramsey's effort would have given the Gunners an early lead at Emirates Stadium on Monday. Television replays indicated he was in line with Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel when he collected Santi Cazorla's pass and finished past keeper Simon Mignolet. Speaking after the game, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said assistant referee Simon Bennett had got the decision wrong. It was the second time in two games the Reds have benefitted from a contentious offside decision. On 17 August, what proved to be striker Christian Benteke's winner against Bournemouth at Anfield was wrongly allowed to stand despite team-mate Philippe Coutinho being in an offside position. Football's lawmakers the International Football Association Board delayed trials of video technology for at least least 12 months at a meeting in February. The Dutch FA had wanted to extend its trial of having a video official in the stadium watching replays and advising the referee on key decisions via a headset. Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke said at the time: \"It's a question of making the biggest decision ever in the way football is played.\"", "summary": "Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey wants football to follow rugby's lead on video technology after he had a goal controversially disallowed for offside against Liverpool."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old has scored six goals in 25 games since initially joining Wycombe on loan in July and has now signed a three-and-a-half-year deal. Harriman, who is equally capable in defence or midfield, made just three first-team appearances for the R's. \"He's got everything you want from a professional,\" boss Gareth Ainsworth told the club website. \"He gives his all, he's got bags of ability and he's a great character to have around the club. \"To be able to keep him here is a fantastic piece of business and I'm grateful for the support of the board who have enabled me to make Michael a permanent signing.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League Two side Wycombe Wanderers have signed utility man Michael Harriman from QPR for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "Argentina said dialogue and diplomacy were the only ways to promote democracy in Venezuela. Venezuela's foreign minister said Mr Trump's words had been hostile and disrespectful and risked destablising Latin America. Violent demonstrations since April have left more than 120 people dead. President Nicolas Maduro's new constituent assembly - which can rewrite the constitution and could override the opposition-controlled parliament - has been widely criticised as anti-democratic. Mercosur - which includes the region's largest economies Argentina and Brazil as well as Paraguay and Uruguay - indefinitely suspended Venezuela's membership last week. Other Latin American countries also condemned Mr Trump's comments, including Mexico, Colombia and Peru, which said Mr Trump's threat was against UN principles. Peru has been a fierce critic of Mr Maduro's government. On Friday Peru expelled Venezuela's ambassador after Caracas sent an \"unacceptable\" response to regional condemnation of its new constituent assembly. Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has urged Mr Maduro to resign and called him a dictator. On Friday evening Mr Trump told reporters the US had \"many options for Venezuela, including a possible military option if necessary\". \"The people are suffering and they're dying,\" he added. The US recently imposed sanctions on President Maduro, branding him a dictator. The White House later said that Mr Maduro had requested a phone call with the American president. In response, the White House said Mr Trump would gladly speak to his Venezuelan counterpart, when democracy had been restored in the country. The Venezuelan opposition accuses Mr Maduro of trying to cling on to power, but he says the new assembly will bring peace to the country.", "summary": "The South American trading bloc Mercosur has condemned President Trump for saying he was considering military action in the Venezuela crisis."}
{"article": "A suicide attacker detonated a vehicle and a fierce gun battle followed. Officials say the attack is now over and the area has been cleared. A Taliban spokesman said the group carried out the attack. It comes a week after it said it was launching its \"spring offensive\", warning of large-scale attacks. Tuesday's bombing happened during the morning rush hour in Pul-e-Mahmud, a busy neighbourhood where homes, mosques, schools and businesses nestle close to the Ministry of Defence, other ministries and military compounds. Soldiers and security officers are reported to be among the casualties, but the majority are civilians. The blast shattered windows up to 1.6km (one mile) away. The Associated Press quoted a police officer as saying it was one of the most powerful explosions he had ever heard, and he could not see or hear anything for 20 minutes after. It appears the initial blast cleared the way for Taliban fighters to enter the area - a commonly used tactic. \"One of the suicide attackers blew up an explosives-laden truck in a public parking lot next to a government building,\" Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi told AFP news agency. \"The second attacker engaged security forces in a gun battle before being gunned down,\" he added. Hours after the assault was declared over, another blast rocked Kabul. Police told a BBC reporter in Kabul it was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED). \"It was as huge as in the morning,\" said Afghan MP Elay Ershad. \"So everyone [is] scared of this situation.\" Casualties are high because the assault happened in a densely packed neighbourhood during rush hour. Usually the Taliban does not say it is behind such attacks, which cause large numbers of civilian deaths. But today they did because the target was high-profile and it appears that, for them, hitting the target was worth the civilians killed and wounded. What we hear less of are similar planned attacks that are foiled by the Afghan security forces, and there are plenty. But preventing such attacks altogether is next to impossible. The country has been at war for three decades, explosives are easily available and bomb-making skills are common. The Taliban's \"spring offensive\" is part of a propaganda war. The group fights all year round and so do the Afghan security forces. It is the story of the past 37 years. In a statement on its Pashto-language website, the Taliban said several militants successfully breached the defences of the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan's main spy agency which protects high-ranking government officials It is unclear precisely how many attackers were involved and the Taliban have been known to exaggerate details. The presidential palace - only a few hundred metres from the blast - condemned the attack \"in the strongest possible terms\". \"Such cowardly terrorist attacks will not weaken the will and determination of Afghan security forces to fight against terrorism.\" A tweet from President Ghani's office's official account suggested the attack \"clearly shows the enemy's defeat in face-to-face battle with ANSDF\" - the Afghan National Security and Defense Forces. But", "summary": "At least 28 people have been killed and 329 injured in a huge explosion in the centre of the Afghan capital Kabul, police and officials say."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Carey's penalty in the second period of extra-time sealed a 1-0 win at Newport County in a dour second round replay. \"We're going to go there and try and get a result,\" 27-year-old Carey said. \"No-one will give us a shot at getting a result, but we've showed we can battle as a team and it's the FA Cup so you never know.\" The win meant the Pilgrims, who were beaten in last season's League two play-off final, reached the third round of the FA Cup for just the second time since 2010. \"My whole family are mainly Liverpool fans, so I'm sure some of them will make the trip over,\" added the Irishman, who is rated as one of Argyle's top players, having scored 10 goals in 27 games this season. \"It's a great win for the club and as a team we stuck together and dug it out. \"We're getting stronger and harder to beat, we had our bad patch, but hopefully we can go on a run now because we're full of confidence and we've started to learn how to grind games out. \"The main aim this season is to get promoted - we can enjoy that day (at Liverpool) when it comes - but first of all we need to go back to the league and rack up more points and that's what we'll do, but the FA Cup won't be a distraction whatsoever.\" Argyle striker Ryan Donaldson will miss the tie at Anfield with a broken jaw. The 25-year-old was injured in an accidental clash in training ahead of the Newport replay. \"It's really disappointing for him as he'd got himself into the side,\" boss Derek Adams said. Fellow forward Jimmy Spencer is also on the sidelines after he broke his ankle in a training ground slip.", "summary": "Liverpool-supporting Plymouth Argyle midfielder Graham Carey hopes they can cause an FA Cup upset when they visit Anfield in round three."}
{"article": "DJ Derek, whose real name is Derek Morris, also appeared at the Big Chill and numerous gigs across the UK. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed Mr Morris was reported missing on Thursday and a search for him is under way. Mr Morris's niece, Jennifer Amy, said his disappearance is \"completely out of character\". She said: \"I've left numerous messages for him and he hasn't got back - if he goes away he always lets me know. \"His friends have been in touch to say he hasn't been in contact. \"We're all extremely worried.\" And Bristol's elected mayor, George Ferguson, said on Twitter: \"DJ Derek is a legend - I'll do all I can to spread word across #Bristol.\" Geoff Barrow, from the band Portishead, has also tweeted his support while Bestival founder and DJ Rob da Bank hoped one of his \"favourite ever\" DJs would be found. DJ Derek's disappearance is trending on the social networking site. Mr Morris launched his DJ Derek career in his mid-30s after working in the accounts department of confectionery firm Cadbury's. In 2006, he told the BBC's Inside Out that he left the firm after years of \"domestic hell\" before starting work as a DJ in a Bristol pub. Over more than 40 years he established himself as a fixture on the city's clubbing scene. As well as playing at Glastonbury, he has also released his own compilation album and appeared in a Dizzee Rascal video. In 2012 he won the Lord Mayor's medal for his \"outstanding\" contribution to the music scene in the city. Speaking to BBC Radio 4 after he was given the award, he said he finished most sets with the Bob Marley classic One Love. He said: \"It's a perfect signing-off record for a reggae set - let's get together and feel all right. So next time, people, let's get together and feel all right.\" He played his final set before retiring at a London show in 2013.", "summary": "A 73-year-old DJ who played sets at Glastonbury has gone missing, his family has said."}
{"article": "The bank earned \u00e2\u201a\u00ac69.3m (\u00c2\u00a349m) last year, compared to just \u00e2\u201a\u00ac2.9m in 2013, when it was hit by bad investments and clean-up costs. Last year the management was replaced as part of an overhaul ordered by the Pope to stamp out corruption. The bank has promised to improve its returns to customers. \"The main focus is on fundamentally improving our overall client service standards and further professionalising our asset management services,\" IOR chairman Jean-Baptiste de Franssu said in a statement. As part of the overhaul, the bank pledged to screen all its accounts, bringing in anti-money laundering experts to carry out the task. As a result it has closed more than 4,000 accounts since May 2013, most of which were dormant, but 554 of which were closed because they did not meet the bank's new standards for clients. The IOR moves money around the world to finance Catholic missions and provides banking services for the Pope, clergy and religious orders.", "summary": "The Vatican bank, officially known as the Institute for Religious Works (IOR), has seen a sharp jump in its profits for 2014."}
{"article": "It will feature in Sunday's first episode of the new series of the long-running programme, which was recorded at Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire. Expert Fergus Gambon said it was \"unique\" and \"one of the most important English baby houses in existence\". The doll's house was built in 1705 and is extremely well preserved. In a first for the programme, a camera crew went to film at the home of the object's owner, after just a few dolls were taken to the recording, which took place in May. Mr Gambon, who is the son of actor Sir Michael Gambon, said: \"As soon as I saw the dolls I recognised the importance of it. \"And it is quite a large object, it's extraordinarily fragile, it's not something that you can just shove in the back of the car and bring over. \"So if we wanted to show the viewers what the house was like, this was really our only chance.\" The doll's house is well preserved, with the dolls in their original clothes, and was made on the Isle of Dogs for a Miss E Westbrook. It has been in the owner's family ever since, being passed down the female line for generations. Mr Gambon said he had known of the existence of the doll's house after having seen photographs of it in a book from the 1950s. \"I saw the dolls first and I recognised them immediately from the pictures,\" he said. \"The extraordinary thing about the Westbrook is the fact that it's remained in the family since it was made, and it is essentially a little time capsule.\" The Antiques Roadshow at Tewkesbury Abbey will be shown on Sunday August 28 at 20:00 BST on BBC One.", "summary": "An early 18th Century doll's house, described as \"of national importance\", has been valued by the BBC's Antiques Roadshow at more than \u00a3150,000."}
{"article": "Denis McAinsh, of Glasgow, will stand trial alongside Alexander Chaplin, 51; Barry Jeffrey, 32; and Michael Chaplin, 50, all of Dundee; and James McGing, 50, also of Glasgow. All deny charges of supplying cannabis over a period of more than a year. A warrant was issued for a sixth man - Dean Holmes, 46, of Dundee - after he failed to appear in court. All six men face an allegation that they were concerned in the supply of cannabis between August 2013 and September 2014 at addresses in Dundee, Berwick railway station, the M90 near Glenfarg in Perthshire, and other locations unknown. Alexander Chaplin and Dean Holmes face a further charge of producing cannabis at addresses in Dundee, while Barry Jeffrey is also accused of dealing cocaine in the city. Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC continued the case to a further pre-trial hearing next week.", "summary": "A 75-year-old is one of six men set to stand trial in Dundee accused of dealing drugs in Scotland and England."}
{"article": "The department, which employs 247 staff, said it plans to shut the office by 2018 but has not said how many, if any, redundancies there may be. It said the decision was aimed at cutting costs by creating a combined central HQ and policy centre in London. PCS, the union, say a further 100 jobs in the UK are threatened by the move. Permanent secretary Martin Donnelly said the move was intended to \"modernise the way we work, reduce operating costs and deliver a simpler, smaller department that is more flexible and responsive to stakeholders and businesses. \"The decision to close Sheffield by 2018 has not been taken lightly. \"We will provide comprehensive support to all those facing a potential change or loss of job.\" However, he said the department was planning to create \"around six business centres\" across the country. The department currently employs about 2,500 people in total across 10 locations. Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, said: \"The business department is supposed to lead the way in helping local economies grow after the recession, yet it is retreating from towns and cities across the country. \"We do not accept the need for these offices to close and for jobs to be at risk and will be opposing these moves.\" The union has not said where the other 100 jobs could be lost. Julie Dore, leader of Sheffield City Council, described the plan as \"appalling\" and said she would be writing to the Secretary of State to \"make it clear that this is unacceptable\". Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat MP for Sheffield Hallam, said the decision \"flies directly in the face of the Northern Powerhouse agenda\".", "summary": "Nearly 250 jobs have been put at risk after the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills announced it will close its office in Sheffield."}
{"article": "The result meant The Bees are without a win in their last four matches and they have slipped to 18th in League Two. Allen told BBC Radio London: \"I thought it was a slow start but Orient started very well. As the game grew, we got stronger and stronger. \"Second half we were the dominant team, but I don't think we created too much. We had to keep our concentration.\" Barnet lost 5-1 at Portsmouth the previous weekend and then drew 2-2 with Morecambe. \"We've had a long week,\" added Allen. \"We played well at Portsmouth but ran out of legs. Losing 5-1 hurts and hurts anyone with a brain. \"On Tuesday night against Morecambe we played very well and were very dominant. \"But we freshened it up here and brought some new players, with fresh legs into the squad.\"", "summary": "Barmet manager Martin Allen says his side did not create enough chances in their 0-0 draw with Orient."}
{"article": "About 76 properties at Lakeminster Park, near Beverley, were granted planning permission as holiday homes. Retrospective permission for people to live there all year-round was refused in 2012 by East Riding Council. That decision was upheld at an inquiry in 2013 but an error by a planning inspector meant the government ordered a new inquiry. The planning inspector had failed to take into account the National Planning Framework. East Riding of Yorkshire Council said its refusal of planning permission and enforcement notices remain in force. More than 120 people will no longer be able to live in the chalets permanently if the fresh inquiry rules in the council's favour. The new inquiry is expected to last up to 12 days.", "summary": "A second inquiry into the future of people living in holiday chalets all year round in East Yorkshire has begun."}
{"article": "Acting Insp Marlene MacDonald said residents of the town had complained of reckless driving, including racing, noisy exhausts and horns being blared. Officers will monitor for speeding and use a decibel meter to check car exhausts do not breach noise levels. Police said Operation Route would involve officers going out on patrol and setting up inspection check points. Acting Insp MacDonald said: \"It is recognised that the vast majority of road users in Thurso are considerate and respectful of others. \"However, there are a small minority who repeatedly and continually drive in an anti-social manner.\" She added: \"This culture of constant cruising around the Thurso town centre, whilst creating excessive noise through loud exhausts or the unnecessary revving of engines and general poor driver behaviour, will no longer be tolerated.\"", "summary": "Police are to begin a month-long operation against anti-social behaviour by some drivers in Thurso."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Seventeen-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer did not face a single break point as he beat Frenchman Gasquet 6-3 6-3 6-1 in just 87 minutes. Wawrinka made almost as short work of Andy Murray's conqueror Kevin Anderson, beating the South African 6-4 6-4 6-0. Top seed Novak Djokovic will face holder Marin Cilic in the other semi. Federer has won 16 of his 19 meetings with compatriot Wawrinka, but lost the most recent in this year's French Open quarter-finals and found his wife's courtside conduct called into question after a bad-tempered encounter at last year's World Tour Finals in London. However, he said he was relishing the chance to meet his friend and Davis Cup team-mate in the last four. \"Stan played a wonderful match against me in Paris,\" he said. \"He can consistently bring the power on forehand, backhand, and serve out almost anybody when he gets hot. \"It is cool for us to have two Swiss in the semi-finals.\" Anderson's win over Murray in the previous round was built on relentless aggression off the ground as well as his powerful serve, but he could not replicate those tactics against Wawrinka. Anderson hit less than half the number of aces and less than a third of the number of winners that he managed against Murray. By contrast, Wawrinka put together his most impressive performance of the tournament after making relatively heavy weather of beating Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Hyeon Chung in the opening rounds. \"Stan didn't make it easy,\" Anderson said. \"He was taking time away from me. He was swinging out and I was just a step slow.\" While Wawrinka said his relationship with Federer off the court was still good, he added his countryman's demeanour on court had been changed by their increasingly competitive meetings. \"Before it was only me,\" Wawrinka said. \"I was nervous because I knew I wasn't at his level, for sure. \"Now I think we can see that he was also nervous every time we play each other the past few years. That's a big difference, because that shows how much he knows that I can play at his level.\" \"Seeing all those big serves coming down meant I felt I had more time. \" Roger Federer says everything seems easier on return when compared to playing John Isner in the last round. \"I needed a shirt change after the fifth game the other night. Don't think Roger changed his shirt all match.\" John Isner returns the compliment on Twitter. \"Hopefully nine to 10 hours.\" As well as clocking up time on the practice court, Federer advocates getting some serious sleeping done to reach the top.", "summary": "Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka will meet in an all-Swiss semi-final at the US Open after impressive wins over Richard Gasquet and Kevin Anderson."}
{"article": "The protesters stormed the Congress and set fire to the building. The authorities have arrested four police officers after a protester, Rodrigo Quintana, was killed. Political leaders on Saturday paid their respects to the dead man. His body was laid out at the headquarters of the opposition Liberal party in the capital, Asuncion. They condemned the killing and called for an investigation into his death. Around 200 protesters were detained but many have since been released. The protesters had taken to the streets following a private meeting of 25 senators - a slight majority of the house - which approved a bill to amend the constitution. Paraguay was controlled by military ruler General Alfredo Stroessner, who seized power in a coup, from 1954 until 1989. The current constitution, created in 1992 after the dictatorship, limits the head of state to a single five-year term. Protesters were angered by the bill which would have allowed President Cartes' to remove the restriction and run for re-election. An opposition senator, Desiree Masi, called the move a coup and called on supporters to resist it. The bill must also be approved by the other house of parliament - the chamber of deputies - where President Cartes' party holds a majority. President Cartes' term is due to end in 2018.", "summary": "Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes has sacked the interior minister and the chief of police after violent protests on Friday against a bill that would allow the president to run for a second term in office."}
{"article": "Phil Gormley said he would be \"foolish\" to rule out more armed police following the Paris terror attacks He suggested armed police on routine duties may be appropriate in certain circumstances. The current UK threat level for international terrorism is \"severe\" meaning an attack is highly likely. Mr Gormley's predecessor, Sir Stephen House, withdrew armed police from routine patrols following a public outcry about police with guns attending minor incidents. In a briefing at Police Scotland's Tulliallan headquarters on his second day in the job, the chief constable said Police Scotland \"needs to have a very careful look\" at armed policing. \"There are lessons to be learned post-Paris around tactics, techniques, the numbers of officers that we have got and their deployment,\" he said. \"So that is a question that constantly needs to be revisited as the threat level around serious and organised crime alters and the threat level around CT (counter-terrorism) alters.\" When asked if he will rule out more armed police in Scotland, he said: \"I would be foolish to do so, wouldn't I? \"If the threat from CT and serious organised crime demands that we increase our armed capacity to protect the people of Scotland, then I will need to do that.\" He said a decision on deploying armed police on routine patrols \"depends what those routine duties are and it depends on the context that they are operating in\". He added: \"If the threat level is sufficiently high that we need armed officers to protect the public, then that is what we will need to provide.\" Mr Gormley said he respected the Scottish government's decision to maintain its commitment to having 1,000 more police officers than the SNP inherited when it came to power. But he warned choices would have to be made to protect citizens that involve new techniques and technology as well as police officer numbers and the right mix of resources. He said Police Scotland \"do need to think about what capabilities we need for the future\" in relation to police officer numbers. \"Some of that will absolutely be about people, and some of it will be about skills, technical kit and investment,\" he said. \"Choices will have to be made. I don't want to get into a specific conversation about numbers, but I do think in the next five to 10 years the sorts of demands that police all over the UK will face will require both people and investments and new techniques and technology.\" Mr Gormley backed the existing programme of control room closures, which has been slowed down following a damning inspection in the wake of two deaths after a crash on the M9 last year. He also pledged to close Police Scotland's spiralling \u00c2\u00a325m budget gap before the end of this financial year in April.", "summary": "Scotland's new chief constable has said he will deploy more armed police officers if the threat from terrorism or serious crime renders it necessary."}
{"article": "But the town, in northern China's Hebei province, is actually devoted to waste recycling. Mountains of glass bottles and scraps of plastic crowd every available space. Sitting in the middle of it all is a boarding school. Not one for the wealthy but, like many boarding schools in China, a school for the sons and daughters of local farmers and migrant workers. Poor families send their children here, hoping they'll get an education that will elevate them above the grime and dirt pervading this place. The Zhang family sent their teenage son there after a visit from recruiters. \"We were told the school was one of the best out here. It was supposed to have military-style discipline and good teachers,\" Mr Zhang explains. Those were empty promises, they now say. Last December, a teacher at the school - a man named Li Jian - was sent to prison. For years, he had abused the Zhangs' son and several other teenage boys. We've changed the family's name to protect the boy's identity. Li Jian admitted to forcing the students back to his home. There, they were bound and gagged, tortured and raped, a court heard. Li Jian threatened his victims with death if they told anyone what took place in his apartment. As the abuse stretched on, the boy became extremely depressed. \"He used to cry and refuse to return to school,\" his mother remembers. \"At first, we didn't understand why. My husband became very angry. But now we know. Our son was suffering.\" Eventually, the boy became the first to speak up. \"The situation was getting worse so I told my parents,\" he whispers. \"But the memories still haunt me.\" Li Jian, the teacher, was in charge of discipline at the school. In court, the boys testified that Li would pick on the students who made mistakes during the school's morning exercise drills. Those are the ones he would bring back to his home for \"extra instruction\". Li received a prison sentence of two years and 10 months. China has no laws banning male rape over the age of 14. The victims could not prove the sexual abuse started before they were 14, so the court only found Li Jian guilty of detaining his students. Frustrated with China's piecemeal child abuse laws, the victim's families are appealing for a harsher punishment. They're pushing Li Jian to pay compensation so the boys can receive costly psychological counselling. They feel other parts of the system, too, failed their sons. When the Zhangs first went to the police station to report the crime, police there appeared to be familiar with Li Jian, who had worked at other boarding schools in the province before coming to Erliban village. \"When we said the teacher's name, the officer said \"Li Jian? That creep is doing it again!\" So they knew about this before but didn't do anything to stop him,\" Mr Zhang fumes. The police ignored our repeated interview requests. School officials refused to answer similar allegations from the victims' families and several teachers that the school had", "summary": "At first glance, Erliban village appears to be covered in rubbish."}
{"article": "The defending champions have been criticised in recent times for a series of uninspiring displays. Victory at Hearts on Saturday will seal a fifth straight title, should Aberdeen fail to secure maximum points. \"The players know there is a good game coming up and of course we want to do it tomorrow,\" said Deila. \"We are in a great position. We know it is going to be a great atmosphere and nothing would please me more than to do it tomorrow.\" Celtic enjoy a nine-point lead over Aberdeen with four matches remaining and also have a vastly superior goal difference. However, Hearts, in third place, have made life difficult for Celtic this season, earning two draws in the league. \"If we win, it's essentially over,\" added Deila, who will leave at the end of the season. \"Training has shown a lot of energy and now everything is about winning the games that are left. \"It's so important to be together now and see what we can achieve. \"Five-in-a-row is fantastic and it's something to build on. Hopefully, tomorrow we can start and the club can get to 10-in-a-row. \"It's always emotional when you achieve something. The road to it is fun, but getting over the line is emotional for everybody.\" When the possibility of him returning to Scandinavia to manage one of their top teams and then meeting Celtic in European competition was put to Deila, he joked: \"It could be Real Madrid as well, you never know, we will see. \"If I came back here with another team it would be fun. But that is not in my mind right now.\"", "summary": "Manager Ronny Deila says he expects the lure of securing the Premiership title this weekend will help raise the performance of his Celtic players."}
{"article": "She wore it to his 45th birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden in New York, but the garment was so tight she had to be sewn into it. Monroe died less than three months later, and the president died in 1963. The dress was sold in 1999 for $1.26m but Julien's Auctions thinks it could fetch up to $3m (\u00c2\u00a32.2m) this November. The dress, made of silk gauze and covered in thousands of rhinestone beads and sequins, will go under the hammer in Los Angeles on 17 November. Before then, it will be on show at Mana Contemporary in Jersey City, New Jersey, and the Museum of Style Icons in Newbridge, Ireland.", "summary": "The flesh-coloured dress Marilyn Monroe wore when she breathlessly sang Happy Birthday to President John F Kennedy in 1962, is to be auctioned."}
{"article": "In the year to October 2015, 135 transgender hate offences were recorded, compared with 108 last year. The Met said the rise was partly explained by more people reporting such crimes, and urged any victims of transphobia to come forward. One London-based LGBT charity said the real number of offences was higher. The Met figures also show that homophobic crime has risen by 21% - from 1,421 offences in 2014 to 1,724 in 2015. Melanie Stray, from LGBT charity Galop, told the BBC this type of crime was still being underreported. She said: \"The figures that are being reported in London in a year, we have clients that experience that themselves in a year. \"I think it's the everyday stuff that happens - people couldn't report all of it because they'd spend their lives speaking to the police.\" Commander Mark Chishty from the Met stressed the need for victims to contact the police in every instance, saying: \"However mundane you think it is, it's very serious to us. \"It's important that we tackle this so we start curbing this type of behaviour within society - it's not tolerable, it's not part of our values and we want to deal with it.\" The Met recently formed a special hate crime senior partnership group between the police and community representatives, working alongside its dedicated LGBT Liaison Officers.", "summary": "A 25% increase in hate crimes against transgender people has been recorded in London this year, according to figures released by the Met Police."}
{"article": "The International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board approved moving the track cycling and mountain bike events to an existing venue in Izu. Both were due to be in temporary venues - track cycling in the Ariake district and mountain biking at Sea Forest. The changes to the programme will bring savings of \u00a366m to the Games budget. Earlier this year, the Japanese government scrapped plans for a \u00a31.3bn Olympic stadium designed by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid - the designer of the London 2012 aquatics centre. A new plan costing about 60% of the original is expected to be agreed. Sea Forest will still host the canoe sprint and rowing events, plus the cross-country and eventing elements of the equestrian programme. An IOC statement said: \"The athlete experience will be guaranteed, as all athletes and team officials whose events will be at Izu will have the option to stay in the main athletes' village before and after their competition. \"During the competitions, they will stay at a satellite village located close to the event venues.\" International Cycling Union president Brian Cookson said his organisation had embraced the IOC's cost-cutting programme and the UCI would work with local authorities to build on the sport's legacy in Japan. All sports have now been assigned venues for Tokyo 2020 except football, with a decision on that expected after next year's Rio Olympics.", "summary": "Cycling events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be held 75 miles away from the city as part of a \u00a31.2bn programme of cuts."}
{"article": "The Ivorian's agent, Dimitri Seluk, said this week that he would \"listen to any offers on the table\" this summer. Pellegrini dismissed the speculation, suggesting the 32-year-old midfielder should \"think in the present\". \"Yaya is mentally absolutely involved in this season, and not thinking about his future,\" he said. \"I know what Yaya thinks. He wants to continue being the same important player that he has been for this team in other years.\" Manchester City sit third in the Premier League table, one point behind Arsenal and Leicester City, and travel to West Ham for Saturday's late kick-off at 17:30BST.", "summary": "Yaya Toure is focused on Manchester City's season and will not be distracted by transfer speculation, according to manager Manuel Pellegrini."}
{"article": "Paul Doyle, a Translink Metro driver based at the Falls Road depot, stopped in November to give the man a winter coat he had bought for him. He received the special award from the National Campaign for Courtesy. The charity described him as a true inspiration whose generosity had touched the hearts of the nation. Mr Doyle's act of kindness was witnessed by passengers - one of whom posted to Translink's Facebook page. The post was shared on Facebook by AnnaMarie McDaniel. She wrote: \"Couldn't believe how kind the bus driver was, such a thoughtful act\". The post was seen by more than 65,000 people and was shared more than 3,700 times. Mr Doyle noticed the young man outside while out driving during his shifts and was concerned by his lack of suitable clothing in cold and often wet winter weather conditions. He decided to buy the man a warm coat and give it to him the next time he passed by in his bus. Paul received a special certificate from Paul Smith, from National Campaign for Courtesy, who said: \"I came across Paul's story while reading the 'Metro' newspaper on my daily commute through London - just as his act of kindness went viral. \"Paul is a true inspiration,\" he said. \"It shows how even one simple act of generosity can be so powerful it touches the hearts of an entire nation and raises the profile of a serious societal issue. \"Kindness has a knock-on effect. Paul tells me that both he and other Belfast bus drivers have observed that car drivers are more patient since this story went viral. \"On behalf of the National Campaign for Courtesy, I would like to thank Paul and officially recognize his exceptional thoughtfulness.\" On receiving his award, Mr Doyle said: \"It's brilliant - I'm pleased I've made more people think about people in need out there. \"I'm blown away by the reaction - my passengers are still talking about it.\"", "summary": "A Belfast bus driver who stopped his bus to give a homeless man a winter coat has won a national award for his kindness."}
{"article": "On Monday, thermometers reached 32.5C (90.5F) in north-west London - hotter than Rome, Ibiza or Miami. But on Tuesday, while much of the country continued to bake, a weather front cutting across the British Isles meant temperatures in Newcastle struggled to get above 16C. The Met Office has issued a level three amber heatwave warning until Thursday. The warning, which is one step down from a national emergency, covers the whole of Britain and means \"there is a 90% probability of heatwave conditions\". Public Health England (PHE) repeated its advice on how to \"beat the heat\", urging people to practise common sense by staying cool, drinking plenty of water and avoiding sunburn. It also urged people to look out for others who may be in high-risk groups such as people with underlying heart and lung conditions, older people, babies and young children. Dr Angie Bone, Head of PHE's Extreme Events team, said: \"Some people in these groups may not be able to take steps to keep themselves cooler - so if you're able, ask your friends, family and neighbours if they need any support.\" The RSPCA urged pet owners to walk their dogs in the morning or evening when it was less likely they could burn their paws and to keep fish tanks out of direct sunlight. BBC weather presenter Chris Fawkes said: \"Wednesday is probably going to be the hottest day of the heatwave with temperatures of up to 34C. If we do see highs of 34C - that would be the hottest June day we would have seen for 40 years.\" The heatwave, however, is due to come to an abrupt end after thunderstorms, predicted on Wednesday night and into Thursday, bring fresher air in from the Atlantic.", "summary": "A weather warning has been issued as temperatures are predicted to reach 34C (93F) in parts of England on Wednesday."}
{"article": "They only confirmed 23 deaths at the Zasyadko coal mine. Ukraine's officials say as many as 33 people may have died. There are fears the rebels lack the resources to deal with the disaster, the BBC's Tom Burridge reports. Zasyadko was the scene of Ukraine's worst mine disaster nearly eight years ago, when 101 people were killed. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has demanded access to the mine for government rescuers and police. The mine is close to a front line where the pro-Russian rebels have been battling Ukrainian government troops. However, Ukraine's mine unions head Mykhailo Volynets told a Ukrainian TV channel there had been no fighting in the area in recent days. While Ukraine's economy has significantly shrunk since fighting began in April, many coal mines continue to operate in the conflict zone. Mining safety standards are poor, and there are frequent accidents. 18 November 2007: 101 miners killed after a methane explosion at Zasyadko Mine, Donetsk 11 March 2000: 80 killed after a methane explosion at Barakova Mine, Luhansk region 4 March 2015: 33 feared dead after suspected methane gas blast at Zasyadko Confusion surrounded the death toll in the hours after the blast, which occurred more than 1,000m (3,200ft) underground at 05:20 local time (03:20 GMT). In the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev, speaker Volodymyr Hroisman announced that 32 people had been killed and called for a minute's silence. However, he later retracted the figure, saying instead that one person was dead and the fate of about 30 others was unknown. The rebels said 23 miners were confirmed dead. But the Ukraine-controlled Donetsk regional administration said later on Wednesday that 33 people died, and nine bodies had already been recovered. It is known that, at the time of the blast, 230 people were in the shaft. About 200 have now been accounted for. The sister of one miner who was in the pit at the time of the explosion, Alexei Novoselsky, stood at the entrance to the mine, in tears, Reuters reports. \"Tell me, are there survivors?\" she asked a passing rescue worker. \"Why are you concealing the truth?\" A welder at the mine, who gave his name as Oleg, said: \"I've been down the pit for 23 years, and this is the fourth explosion that I can recall. \"If they didn't get them out straight away, then later they will only retrieve bodies. An explosion is a terrible thing.\" The mine is one of Ukraine's biggest coal producers. At the end of last year, the mine was reportedly still supplying coal to coke and chemical works owned by Ukraine's wealthiest businessman, Rinat Akhmetov, in Donetsk region. In the old coal-mining area of Donbas, the Zasyadko mine is one of the newest. It started operations in 1958 and is now said to be part-owned by Yukhym Zvyahilsky, a local leader with money and influence who was once an acting prime minister of Ukraine and is now an MP. The mine is also one of the most dangerous. It is deep and it has particularly hazardous levels of methane. The year", "summary": "A suspected methane gas blast at a mine in a rebel-held area of east Ukraine is believed to have killed at least 30 people, the rebels told the BBC."}
{"article": "After seizing alleged collaborators of the gang, including the mother of the leader \"El Tequilero\", the locals have recorded video messages for the gang. \"In return for my husband's life, I will deliver your mother,\" says the kidnap victim's wife in one video, which has been broadcast on local TV. Police have been sent to the village. \"We have your mother here, mister known as El Tequilero,\" says Yadira Guillermo Garcia, whose husband, an engineer, was seized by the gang, addressing the gang leader. \"I request an exchange.... I want him safe and sound.\" In another video, residents of San Miguel Totolapan, carrying guns, explain that they have suffered for too long from the violence and intimidation meted out by El Tequilero and his gang, which is feared for carrying out mass kidnappings. \"They have humiliated us, they have killed our families and we won't let it happen again,\" one of them says. Police have been trying to track down El Tequilero, whose real name is Raybel Jacobo de Almonte, for weeks now. At the end of November, police used helicopters to search the mountainous area in Guerrero state where he is believed to be hiding but failed to catch him. The governor of Guerrero state, Arturo Astudillo, said more than 200 police officers and soldiers had been sent to San Miguel Totolapan to defuse the stand-off. He said the villagers had released five of the people they were holding but that El Tequilero's mother was not among them. Guerrero state officials said that a team had been set up to negotiate between the vigilantes and the gang. \"The goal of the team is to ensure that no injury is done to the missing person, nor to the mother of the head of the Tequileros gang, who has apparently been taken by the self-defence forces,\" a statement read. Guerrero state is a hotbed of gangs and violent crime, where local gangs fight for control of the opium trade, and disappearances and kidnapping for ransom are common. In a number of towns and villages, residents have created vigilante groups in response, but human rights groups say these have only further contributed to the spiral of violence.", "summary": "Vigilantes in a Mexican village have seized the mother of a local gang leader and proposed swapping her for a kidnap victim taken on Monday."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 21 December 2014 Last updated at 18:39 GMT Thieves broke into the family's home in Bangor just days after the burial of eight year old Chloe who suffered from a rare condition. Christmas presents were also stolen when the robbers gained entry to the house in the Sinclair Avenue area on Friday night. BBC Newsline's Martin Cassidy reports.", "summary": "A young mother has appealed for the return of a laptop containing the last photographs of her terminally ill child."}
{"article": "Flight testing suffered a tragic setback last October when Virgin's Enterprise spaceship broke up in flight over California's Mojave desert, killing one of its test pilots. Newsnight has spoken to several Virgin customers or \"future astronauts\", two of them on camera. One, Norwich-based Richard Burr, says he was originally told he would fly in 2007 or 2008, but is sympathetic to the company and has no intention of asking for a refund. Another, Texas stockbroker BJ Bjorklund, told Newsnight that doubts about Virgin's ability to succeed in getting its customers into space caused him to decide he was \"just going to back out of this programme\". Mr Bjorklund, one of the company's first 100 \"founder astronauts\" got his money back late last year. After the October accident, Virgin Galactic chief executive George Whitesides said the company would be flight testing its replacement spacecraft by April 2015. This hope has not materialised either and even plans to resume flying trials before the end of the year now appear to be in doubt. Asked when the company might get someone into space, Mr Whitesides told Newsnight: \"I am hesitant to give a specific date because I want to give our flight test team the time that they need to do it right.\" The company insists that safety is its paramount concern. Many test flights will be necessary before paying customers fly. As to when that commercial service might actually be ready, one former Virgin Galactic employee told Newsnight: \"I can't say whether it will be two years or whether it will be five\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 They have a huge, huge, way to go.\" A customer who did not want to go on camera, and has not yet asked for a refund, told Newsnight: \"Like most customers we're really not very confident\" that the spaceship will fly as advertised. But he said he wouldn't ask for a refund \"until there's absolutely no hope\". A report by the US National Transportation Safety Board on the causes of Virgin Galactic's accident is expected imminently. There has been speculation about whether the crash resulted from pilot error or a fault in the craft's braking or \"feathering\" system. Asked whether Virgin Galactic has made changes to its new craft in anticipation of the NTSB findings, Mr Whitesides said its design was \"basically the same\" as the crashed Enterprise. Mr Whitesides told Newsnight that the precise amount invested in the ambitious plan was confidential but amounted to \"hundreds of millions\". Doug Messier, editor of the Parabolic Arc space blog, has told Newsnight that $600m (\u00c2\u00a3392m) of Virgin money has so far been spent. A further sum of up to $380m has been made available by UAE investment fund Aabar. Mr Messier says: \"This programme's claimed four lives already and it's had four powered flights and they haven't gotten anywhere near space in 10 years.\" In addition to the test pilot lost last October, three engineers were killed in an accident on the ground in 2007.", "summary": "Virgin Galactic's planned commercial space service may still be years away from taking flight, and its chief executive admits, \"we've got work to do, that's for sure\", in a Newsnight report on the project."}
{"article": "The former astronaut cheered as the United States won the women's gymnastics team title on Tuesday and saluted the special quintet, one of whom was the extraordinary Simone Biles. Biles, the innovator, the ground-breaker, is a gymnast who comes along every other generation or so - a 19-year-old hailed as the most talented anyone has seen. She is already a superstar of her sport and, by the time the Olympic flame is extinguished, is likely to orbit the same space as the planet's most recognisable stars. This 4ft 8in gymnast from Texas, placed into foster care because of her mother's struggles with drugs and alcohol and adopted when she was five by her maternal grandfather and his wife, has already won two Olympic golds at her debut Games. She could win five. She is expected to win five. She is almost untouchable. It is the end of June, at the American national championships in St Louis, and the Olympics are fewer than two months away. Biles is in the middle of her floor routine. Watching on is 2008 Olympic all-around silver medallist Shawn Johnson. The reigning champion spots Johnson in the crowd, cheekily winks at her and flashes a smile, before continuing to perform vertigo-inducing somersaults. No-one else would have the chutzpah. No-one else looks like they're having so much fun. The athlete herself says it is her ability to enjoy the spotlight which sets her apart. \"It's how it works best for me and how I get success out there,\" she says. But cheer and calmness are not the only attributes that separate the ebullient American from the rest. It has been three years since Biles, her sport's first black female world champion, entered an all-around competition and did not win. No female gymnast has ever had her power, reached such soaring heights, been so consistent and performed jaw-dropping routines with such joy. \"I would make the case that she's the best athlete in Rio,\" says ESPN's TJ Quinn. The differences between the three-time world champion and the others are not subtle. She is faster, stronger - her powerful run allows the teenager to include more elements in her routine than competitors who have to go further before they can start tumbling. On the floor, the girl described as having legs made by Nasa can leap a foot or two higher than her rivals. Her coach Aimee Boorman has said her pupil has exceptional \"air sense\", the innate ability to know where she is in mid-air. Biles is also bolder and more consistent, too. Small and light, her compact body is also perfect for her sport. \"She's certainly doing the most difficult work we've ever seen,\" says Christine Still, a gymnastics coach and member of BBC Sport's commentary team. \"In terms of performance and her ability to perform again and again, she's the best I've ever seen.\" As a child, Biles would watch older girls and copy them with ease. According to her coach, she will learn a new skill in three days, while most gymnasts take months or years to", "summary": "It made sense that Buzz Aldrin, a man who has walked on the moon and lived without gravity, was in Rio to watch a teenage compatriot defy the earth's forces like no other athlete in history."}
{"article": "The man was wearing headphones as he worked in his home in Westfield Street in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, when the attacker struck on Wednesday. He managed to call police when he regained consciousness and nothing was taken from the house. Police said he was hit on the back of the head and treated in hospital for a minor head injury. Any witnesses are urged to contact police.", "summary": "A man knocked unconscious while he was doing DIY at his home came round to find racist graffiti on the wall."}
{"article": "The announcement came at the annual meeting of the International Football Association Board (Ifab) on Friday. Ifab is also reviewing the order of penalty shootouts, as there is a \"clear advantage\" to going first. It also confirmed that clubs will be allowed to use a fourth substitute during extra time from the quarter-finals of this season's FA Cup. Proposals for sin-bins for yellow-card offences and rolling substitutions at lower levels of football, to be introduced from June, were also approved at the Wembley meeting. It is a move to \"encourage more people to take part\" in youth and amateur leagues. Ifab is made up of world governing body Fifa and the four British home associations - the FAs of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - and is responsible for deciding on law changes. Friday's meeting, which was chaired by Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn, also agreed a strategy to improve player behaviour. That could lead to captains being the only players permitted to speak to referees about \"major incidents\". The FA Cup quarter-finals will take place from 11-13 March, including Manchester United's Monday night trip to Premier League leaders Chelsea. The trial of a fourth substitute in extra time is a first in England, though the format was used at last year's Copa America and the Rio Olympics. Glenn said the rule change will bring \"extra intrigue and interest\" to the ties. \"From a technical point of view, it will be interesting to see how managers use the chance to make an additional substitution in such high-profile games and the impact it has on the final result,\" he added. Fifa president Gianni Infantino attended Friday's meeting and said the aim is for video assistant referees to be used at the World Cup in Russia next year. He confirmed the technology will be used at this June's Confederations Cup and May's Under-20 World Cup. Video assistant referees will review \"match-changing\" situations before informing the on-field official. Video replays were first used at international level during a friendly between Italy and France in September and then again during an friendly between Italy and Germany in November. The system has been tested in six other countries, including in the third-tier United Soccer League in America and the Dutch Cup. Its first use in a Fifa competition was during December's Club World Cup. Glenn said it would be too early for the technology to be used at August's Community Shield. He added it was a question of \"when, not if\" the system is introduced to English football. Ifab is considering changing penalty shootouts, citing the example of a tennis tie-break to combat the \"statistically proven advantage\" of the team that goes first. Teams alternate in shootouts, but Ifab says research shows the first team taking kicks has a 60% chance of winning. It is seeking trials in the lower levels of football that would see one team take the first penalty, then the teams alternate two kicks at a time. \"We believe that approach could remove that statistical bias and this is something that", "summary": "The Football Association wants to test a video assistant referee system from next season's FA Cup third round."}
{"article": "European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has said it would be \"extremely difficult, if not impossible\" for Scotland to join. Jim Currie, a former European Commission director general, said Scotland had a right to membership. Mr Currie was giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament Europe committee. He also warned there could be tough negotiations on Scotland's share of the UK's EU opt-outs, in the event of a \"Yes\" vote in the 18 September referendum. Mr Currie said: \"We would be talking about a territory which is currently part of a full member state. \"We're dealing with people who would have certain rights as EU citizens and which would be very difficult to take away, and nobody would want to. \"The bottom line for me is that it would be dealt with in a pragmatic way, and it would involve inevitable negotiations which would be rather tough.\" Mr Barosso has said he doubted Scotland could obtain the agreement of all of the EU's 28 members states, which would be a requirement for entry. He previously told the BBC's Andrew Marr show: \"We've seen that Spain has been opposing even the recognition of Kosovo, for instance, so it's to some extent a similar case because it's a new country and so I believe it's going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, a new member state coming out of one of our countries getting the agreement of the other.\" Commenting on Mr Barosso's words, Mr Currie said: \"The statement he made was extremely unwise and I also think it was inaccurate.\" He added that he thought \"Kosovo was an unfortunate example\" for the European Commission president to use. Spain has seen a dramatic rise in support for Catalan independence in recent years, leading to speculation that Madrid could oppose Scotland's EU membership as it does not want to encourage the movement in Catalonia. However, the Spanish government has not indicated that this would be the case.", "summary": "Claims that an independent Scotland may not be able to join the EU were \"unwise and inaccurate\", a former senior European official has said."}
{"article": "The Crues commence the defence of their title against Ballymena United on 6 August, with the Blues travelling away to play Ballinamallard United. Newly-promoted Ards host Cliftonville in their opening fixture of the season. Also on 6 August, Glenavon play Carrick Rangers, Glentoran host Dungannon Swifts and Coleraine play Portadown. A round of midweek league matches is scheduled for Wednesday 10 August. Portadown will begin the season with a 12-point deduction handed out for a registration breach involving Peter McMahon. The publication of the fixtures was delayed because of Warrenpoint Town's appeal against their Premiership relegation, which was rejected at an arbitration hearing. The club appealed the IFA's decision not to impose a penalty on Carrick Rangers after then manager Gary Haveron incorrectly served a ban. A successful appeal would have left Carrick relegated and Warrenpoint taking part in a promotion/relegation play-off. Full list of 2016-17 Danske Bank Premiership fixtures (Dates and kick-off times are subject to change by NIFL)", "summary": "Irish Premiership champions Crusaders will face last year's runners-up Linfield in the third round of fixtures of the 2016-17 campaign on 13 August."}
{"article": "Boxer Hasan Karkardi was banned for six months for taking part but will not appeal against his punishment. Blackwell had retired after suffering a bleed on the skull in March and spending a week in an induced coma. But he subsequently sparred with Karkadi and was again left in a coma. The British Boxing Board of Control said Wilkins' conduct was \"detrimental to the interests of boxing\". Wilkins and Karkadi were both set to appeal after releasing a joint statement on Thursday, before the latter changed his decision. Blackwell was placed in an induced coma in March after losing his British middleweight title fight with Chris Eubank Jr. Despite not having a licence to fight, and despite him being advised not to return to the ring, Blackwell sparred with Karkardi, 29, on 22 November at a boxing club in Devizes, Wiltshire. It left Blackwell in a coma for the second time and requiring surgery to reduce swelling on his brain. A family member has told BBC Sport that although Blackwell is out of the coma he is still unable to walk, and is a year away from making a full recovery.", "summary": "Trainer Liam Wilkins will appeal against his licence being withdrawn for the sparring session in November that left retired fighter Nick Blackwell in a coma for the second time in a year."}
{"article": "In a personal interview with blog Humans of New York, she said she was told at the admissions exam she should forfeit her place so a man would not be drafted and sent to Vietnam. She also revealed that as a young woman she learned to \"control her emotions\". The Democratic candidate was criticised this week by the Republican party chairman for not smiling enough. Reince Priebus was accused of sexism when he said Mrs Clinton had appeared to be defensive and angry when she was questioned by veterans at an event in New York on Wednesday. Her Republican rival Donald Trump has also criticised her looks, saying he does not \"look presidential\" enough. How do you 'look presidential'? On the Humans of New York Facebook page, Mrs Clinton said she felt pressured into not going through with the law school exam. \"My friend and I were some of the only women in the room. I was feeling nervous. I was a senior in college. I wasn't sure how well I'd do. And while we're waiting for the exam to start, a group of men began to yell things like: 'You don't need to be here.' And 'There's plenty else you can do.' It turned into a real 'pile on.' One of them even said: 'If you take my spot, I'll get drafted, and I'll go to Vietnam, and I'll die.' And they weren't kidding around. It was intense. It got very personal.\" She said that she can sometimes be perceived as \"cold or unemotional\" but she had learned to control her emotions when she was younger. \"That's a hard path to walk. Because you need to protect yourself, you need to keep steady, but at the same time you don't want to seem 'walled off.'\"", "summary": "Hillary Clinton has said she was singled out as one of the only women applying to go to Harvard law school."}
{"article": "Dr Alan Parker, a senior lecturer at Cardiff University, will lead a team to examine and alter the Ad5 virus. In its original form it can can cause airways infections and is usually spread through coughing and sneezing. But Dr Parker will use new technology to see if it can be genetically modified to destroy cancer cells. Ovarian cancer is the sixth most-common cancer among women in the UK, with around 7,400 women diagnosed each year and around 4,100 women dying from it annually. \"Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage and five-year survival has remained stubbornly unchanged, at around 40%, for almost 25 years,\" Dr Parker said. \"Using viruses as a way to treat cancer is becoming more common and we're already seeing that some are showing great promise. \"People often think viruses are bad. However, they can actually be 'trained' to be an effective cancer treatment.\" He said he often compares the complex research to the children's film How to Train Your Dragon. \"At the beginning of the film the dragon comes across as being destructive and deadly, but one of the characters then trains the dragon to be a force for great good,\" Dr Parker added. \"It's very similar to viruses. The viruses we use in their original form can cause a cough or cold. \"We want to understand how the virus infects cells so we can engineer or 'train' the virus to be a force for good by identifying and killing cancer cells.\" The research is estimated to take between five and 10 years to complete and, if successful, it is hoped it could also treat other forms of the disease including breast, prostate and pancreatic cancers. Ruth Amies, Cancer Research UK spokeswoman for Wales, said: \"We hope this research will improve our understanding of ovarian cancer and help lead to the development of new treatments in the future, which could ultimately improve survival for those diagnosed with the disease.\"", "summary": "A Cardiff scientist is to explore whether viruses can be \"trained\" to tackle ovarian cancer after being given a \u00c2\u00a3250,000 Cancer Research UK grant."}
{"article": "RSPB Scotland said video footage shot at the Perthshire estate showed an osprey attempting to rebuild a nest. However, festival organiser DF Concerts said the video did not correspond with reports from their ornithologist monitoring the site. Police were called to the scene on Monday and are investigating. Consultations are ongoing over a planning application to host the annual music festival at Strathallan, which has drawn a mixed response from locals. Ospreys are a protected species and cannot be disturbed while nesting. DF Concerts had hoped to encourage the birds to move to a specially constructed new nest further away from the festival site, having been unable to gain access to remove the old nest entirely. However, the group's tactic of flying a flag from a cherry picker near the old nest was criticised by nature groups and local campaigners. RSPB Scotland called in the police after the video footage emerged on Monday, stating that the nest was now \"active\", and the cherry picker was later removed. A spokeswoman for DF Concerts said it had been taken down while they awaited further information. She said: \"We've seen a copy of the video referred to by RSPB and it does not correspond with the ongoing monitoring from our ornithologist onsite. \"We are fully aware of and compliant with the legal protocol and as such, we have asked the police and RSPB to seek further information so that the video's authenticity can be fully examined.\"", "summary": "Police and nature groups are examining a video purporting to show an osprey attempting to nest near the proposed T in the Park site at Strathallan Castle."}
{"article": "MP Damian Collins has asked the body to investigate whether the payment breached bribery laws. The \u00a33.9m payment was made to the FIA for entering into an agreement with the teams and sport's commercial arm. The FIA says the payment was remuneration \"for its regulatory role\" and denies wrongdoing. Collins, chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Parliamentary select committee, said he was \"very concerned\" about why the sport would need to make a payment to its governing body and regulator as part of the so-called Concorde Agreement, which was signed in 2013. \"That's why I've written to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) asking them 'do they feel there was a breach of the Bribery Act and does it warrant investigation'?\" he told ITV. An SFO spokesperson told BBC Sport: \"The Serious Fraud Office is reviewing material in its possession in relation to these allegations. All matters referred to the SFO are assessed against criteria to establish whether they may fall within its remit to investigate.\" The FIA confirmed in a statement that it had received the payment and explained: \"The Concorde Implementation Agreement entered into by the commercial rights holder of Formula 1 and the FIA in 2013 introduced a new governance structure for Formula 1 and redefined certain conditions applicable to their relationship, in particular to ensure that the FIA be properly remunerated for its regulatory role. \"Within this agreement, a lump sum payment of $5m (\u00a33.9m) was made to the FIA as part of the global consideration received in connection with the renegotiation of the terms of the agreements between the commercial rights holder and the FIA, and of the Concorde Agreement, at that time. \"Following its approval, the Concorde Implementation Agreement came into force and this sum was paid to the FIA and properly accounted for. No individual received any payment out of this sum. Any allegation to the contrary would be defamatory.\"", "summary": "The Serious Fraud Office is \"reviewing material\" relating to a payment made by Formula 1's commercial rights holder to the sport's governing body the FIA."}
{"article": "Maria Pridmore, 36, was jailed for three years in August after she admitted a string of frauds. They included obtaining more than \u00a316,000 in housing benefit, council tax benefit and income support. Pridmore, who was described in court as a \"Walter Mitty\" fraudster, also stole over \u00a330,000 from four women. She appeared by video-link at Lincoln Crown Court from Drake Hall prison in Staffordshire where she is serving her sentence. The court heard Pridmore, a former drug addict, benefitted by \u00a356,679 from her crimes but had no available assets which could be confiscated to pay back her victims. Judge Simon Hirst ruled that in the circumstances a nominal sum of \u00a31 should be paid. Pridmore made news in 2012 when she gave birth to a daughter after previously suffering 14 miscarriages, a stillbirth and the death of an infant son. At her sentence hearing, the court heard the former nurse had been claiming to be a lone-parent with dependent children in order to get benefits, but at various times failed to declare she had moved or was living with her then partner as man and wife. Pridmore also pocketed more than \u00a330,000 from friends and two elderly women, and used the bank details of one of her victims to pay for a \u00a360 taxi fare to attend a court hearing. She stole almost \u00a38,000 from one victim, an 84-year-old vulnerable woman. Pridmore, of Angel Lane, Holbeach, Lincolnshire, previously admitted seven charges of benefit fraud between August 2010 and March 2013, 19 charges of fraud and theft between January 2013 and May 2016 and stealing her father's flat-packed kitchen in April 2015.", "summary": "A woman who pocketed over \u00a350,000 by claiming false benefits and targeting vulnerable people has been ordered to pay back a token amount of \u00a31."}
{"article": "The 40-year-old German replaces Alex Neil, who left the club in March. Farke, who spent his playing career in Germany's lower leagues, replaced Huddersfield boss David Wagner at Dortmund's second team in 2015. Norwich's sporting director Stuart Webber was part of the Terriers' backroom team when Wagner joined. Edmund Riemer, Farke's assistant at Dortmund, has been appointed assistant head coach at Carrow Road. \"I had a really good time with Borussia Dortmund, but Stuart Webber has told me all about Norwich City, its traditions and history, and I know what a great club it is,\" Farke told the club website. \"The more I know about Norwich City, the more excited I get. I'm very glad to be here and can't wait to get started.\" Norwich finished eighth in the Championship table this season, 10 points outside the play-off places.", "summary": "Championship club Norwich City have appointed Borussia Dortmund reserve-team coach Daniel Farke as their new head coach on a two-year deal."}
{"article": "New South Wales on Tuesday unveiled changes to its high school syllabus for the first time in 18 years. The new focus eschews \"social context\" teaching - which had drawn criticism - for more in-depth, critical thinking. It comes after an international study in December showed Australia's maths and science ranking had tumbled. The changes address recent criticism over a lack of rigour, said Tom Alegounarias, the head of the state's Education Standards Authority. \"We reviewed the whole [syllabus], we looked at what the community is demanding for now and in the future,\" Mr Alegounarias told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. \"The major shift is towards greater depth, rigour, and mastery of content learning.\" One of Australia's leading scientists, quantum physicist Michelle Simmons, recently attacked what she called attempts to \"feminise\" the teaching of physics. Prof Simmons said learning by essays rather than formulas, in an apparent attempt to interest more women the subject, was a mistake. \"There is a big cost in this type of thinking,\" she said in an address last month. Education officials said these concerns had been addressed, with the new curriculum putting \"more science in science\" by focusing on its mathematical bases. Maths will now include more statistics and algorithms, such as those used by internet search engines. In English, texts will no longer be studied through themes like \"journey\" or \"discovery\" but examined for their individual merit. In history, subjects such as the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution will be explored in depth, rather than focusing on a breadth of topics. The new curriculum will be introduced from next year.", "summary": "Australia's most populous state will focus on better preparing students for university and employment in a major overhaul of its school curriculum."}
{"article": "The board of Walgreens will now seek shareholder approval for the \u00c2\u00a39bn deal to go through. Walgreens bought a 45% stake in the company in 2012 and now wants to buy the remaining 55% stake. The firm said it would not use the deal to alter its current tax structure, and expects the merged company to be based in Chicago. Boots will remain at its UK headquarters in Nottingham. The pharmacy chain has long been a mainstay of the UK retail scene, with 2,487 stores across the country. It employs more than 60,000 people in the UK, including more than 6,500 pharmacists. The impact of the buy-out on jobs is not yet clear. Walgreens has said it will look to make cost reductions of $1bn over three years at \"corporate, field and store-level\" across all of its businesses. However, it will also invest \"across core businesses at suitable returns to drive organic growth\". Walgreens shares slumped 14% on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. Investors had expected the firm to move its headquarters abroad in order to cut its tax bill. \"We are excited to move forward with the next important step in becoming a new kind of global health care leader,\" said Walgreens chief executive Greg Wasson. The new combined company will be called \"Walgreens Boots Alliance\", and its headquarters will be in the Chicago area, Walgreens said. Mr Wasson will become chief executive of the new company, and Stefano Pessina, who is currently executive chairman of Alliance Boots, will report to Mr Wasson. Walgreens, which started out in Chicago in 1901, had 248,000 employees in 2013. It has 8,231 shops across all 50 US states and the federal District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands. Walgreens said it had thoroughly evaluated moving its headquarters abroad for tax purposes, but that the move would not have been feasible under current US tax rules. A move would have put it at too much risk from scrutiny by the US tax authority, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the company said. \"We took into account all factors, including that we could not arrive at a structure that provided the company and our board with the requisite level of confidence that a transaction of this significance would need to withstand extensive IRS review and scrutiny,\" Mr Wasson said. In addition, public opinion may have been against a move for tax purposes, the company added. In May, pharmaceutical company Pfizer dropped a bid for UK company AstraZeneca following an outcry that it was partly motivated by a wish to buy the firm for tax reasons. Being domiciled abroad is attractive for US companies because of the relatively high rate of US corporation tax compared with other countries. Analysis Kim Gittleson, BBC business reporter, New York The first time I walked into a Boots in London, I was in search of something to soothe a scratchy throat - British dampness having taken its toll. I scouted the shelves, only to be perplexed when there seemed to be just a handful of lozenges", "summary": "High Street chemist Alliance Boots is to be bought up by US pharmacy giant Walgreens."}
{"article": "The latest march, in central Istanbul, was one of the demonstrations prompted by the recent murder of a 20-year-old Turkish woman. Ozgecan Aslan, a university student, was killed in an attempted rape. \"The way of thinking that 'a woman wearing a miniskirt deserves rape' is sick,\" said Ali Erkazan, who represented the men wearing the skirts. \"We demand, as democratic and intellectual men of this country, freedom for women, free expression, opportunities for women, and equal rights for women as for men.\" Men and women marched through the streets carrying photographs of Aslan, whose body was found on 13 February in a riverbed in the southern province of Mersin. She had last been seen two days earlier on a minibus, the driver of which has since confessed to killing her and mutilating her body, Turkish media reports. He was arrested along with his father and one other man. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Groups of men in Turkey are wearing skirts to protest against violence towards women."}
{"article": "That is the finding of a survey carried out by the pollsters, Ipsos Mori, for BBC Northern Ireland's political programme, The View. In the wake of June's EU referendum result, Sinn F\u00e9in demanded that the secretary of state should call a border poll as provided for under the Good Friday Agreement. The Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin also reported a sharp rise in the number of people from Northern Ireland applying for Irish passports. However, this survey reveals that less than a fifth of the people interviewed by Ipsos Mori say the Brexit decision has influenced how they would vote in a referendum to decide whether Northern Ireland remains in the UK or joins the Irish Republic. More than 1,000 people were interviewed by the pollsters face to face at locations across Northern Ireland between mid-August and early September. A third of those interviewed (33%) want the government to call a border referendum. However, more than a half (52%) oppose such a move. Opposition was strongest among those with a Protestant background with 72% against holding a border poll. If such a poll is held, a clear majority of people, 63%, say they will vote for Northern Ireland to remain in the UK, while only 22% would support a United Ireland. Some 13% of those polled don't know how they would vote, whilst another 2% would not participate in a border poll. The same question was asked for the BBC by Ipsos Mori three years ago. A direct comparison with that survey shows a slight decrease in support for staying in the UK, estimated at 65% in 2013, two points higher than the latest figure - which is within the margin of error so not statistically significant. Ipsos Mori reported a 5 point increase in support for a United Ireland (22%), which was just 17% in the 2013 survey - an increase which is regarded as a significant change. The overwhelming majority of those with a Protestant background (88%) would vote to stay in the UK. More than third of those with a Catholic background (37%) would also opt to stay in the UK, similar to the 2013 figure of 38%. More than four out of 10 people with a Catholic background (43%) would back a United Ireland, up 8% on the 2013 figure of 35% - an increase which is regarded as statistically significant. People were asked whether the result of June's EU referendum had changed their views on Northern Ireland's constitutional future. Some 83% said the Brexit decision had not altered their position, while 17% indicated it had changed their thinking. Those whose views had been influenced by the EU result were slightly more likely to be female, from a Catholic background and drawn from the affluent AB social classes. In the immediate aftermath of the EU referendum, the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that a second Scottish independence vote was \"highly likely\". Earlier this month, Ms Sturgeon asked SNP activists to take the lead in what she described as a \"new conversation\" on independence. In the past,", "summary": "More than eight out of 10 people in Northern Ireland say the UK's decision to leave the European Union has not changed the way they would vote in a future border poll."}
{"article": "The two sides meet on Saturday with Wasps on top of the Premiership and Saracens two points behind in third, with Exeter sandwiched between them. The winner will guarantee themselves a home semi-final in the play-offs. \"When the fixtures came out, I looked at this one and thought 'this will have a prize on it',\" said the 49-year-old. \"It has proved to be the case.\" Wasps, who have headed the table throughout 2017, secured a second successive play-off semi-final despite losing at Harlequins last weekend. But they are level on points with Exeter - and a Saracens victory at the Ricoh Arena could leave the club in third position. \"We targeted 75 points at the start of the season, which on average would have given us a top-two finish in previous seasons,\" said Young. \"We've exceeded that, but we still have Exeter and Saracens around us.\" The Coventry-based side, who have won all 10 league matches at the Ricoh this season, are the only side in the competition with a 100% home record. But Saracens have only lost one of their past 12 meetings with Wasps, and beat Young's side in the Champions Cup semi-final last season on their way to the title. \"It's a new experience,\" added former Wales international Young. \"There's lots of talk about the weekend, and lots of people have already written us off. \"These players are not used to being in this position, and I'd be lying if I sat here and said there weren't going to be nerves. \"But this is what the hard work is all about. Through pre-season and right throughout this season, to arrive at this spot and make a big impression.\"", "summary": "Wasps director of rugby Dai Young says he always expected their final game of the league campaign against Saracens to have special significance."}
{"article": "Dujardin, 30, and Valegro won individual and team dressage gold for Britain at London 2012 and have since won World and European titles. But, she says, the Olympics in Brazil next summer will be the horse's last. \"This will be Valegro's retirement after Rio so I want to go out there and want to enjoy every last minute,\" Dujardin told BBC Points West. Media playback is not supported on this device Dujardin partnered Valegro to victory in London as the two performed to movie themes including The Great Escape and Live And Let Die. And the Gloucestershire rider says she is hugely excited at the prospect of defending her title, while admitting the Games in Brazil represents a huge logistical challenge. \"He's got to stay fit and healthy and get ready for the flight,\" she said. \"It's a 16-hour flight and he needs to acclimatise. \"I'm really, really excited heading towards Rio. We get to go out in February and have a look around and fingers crossed it all goes well. \"Hopefully it won't be too hot, it's their winter time so high 20s.\" Dujardin also says she will not let the pressure of being Olympic champion affect her. \"I just take it all on board,\" she said. \"I try not to let that all bother me. Riding Valegro always makes you smile so I enjoy it.\"", "summary": "Double Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin says her horse Valegro will retire after the Rio Games in 2016."}
{"article": "About 12,000 people attended Saturday's Ar Waith Ar Daith (Work On Tour) performance in Cardiff Bay. Walk the Plank's production involved dance, aerial artistry, storytelling and pyrotechnics. Before the performance, two slate plaques will were unveiled. The plaques had been engraved with poetic lines created by two school pupils, Charlotte Hunt from Harlech, Gwynedd, and Lena Mikulova from Cardiff. School pupils from across Wales were invited to come up with their own verse for the plaques on the theme of what it means to be Welsh or living in Wales, taking inspiration from the words by poet Gwyneth Lewis which are on the front of the centre.", "summary": "The 10th birthday of Wales Millennium Centre has been celebrated with an \"outdoor theatrical spectacle\" involving 700 people."}
{"article": "Labour donor and ex-parliamentary candidate Michael Foster was challenging Mr Corbyn's inclusion without having to get MPs' nominations. Mr Corbyn called the court case a \"waste of time and resources\". Mr Foster said he would not be challenging the decision: \"We wanted the courts to adjudicate... they have.\" It means the leadership contest - between Mr Corbyn and challenger Owen Smith, a former work and pensions spokesman - will continue as planned, with the outcome due on 24 September. Under the party's rules Mr Smith had to win the support of 20% of its MPs and MEPs to trigger a contest. In the end, he secured 162 nominations after the other potential challenger Angela Eagle, who also initially passed the threshold for nominations, withdrew from the race. At a highly-charged meeting earlier this month, Labour's National Executive Committee decided that, as an incumbent, Mr Corbyn was entitled to a place on the ballot paper without having to go through the same process. Reacting to the court ruling, Mr Corbyn said: \"The National Executive interpreted the rules to say that a challenger has to be challenging somebody, therefore the incumbent is there. And I am the incumbent. A challenge has been mounted, therefore I do not require any nominations. \"The National Executive decided that was the position, somebody took the case to the High Court - we've spent some time in the court on this and we got a complete vindication today - and the leadership election now goes ahead.\" Mr Corbyn lost a motion of no confidence in his leadership last month. In the vote, which was not binding on him, 172 out of Labour's 231 MPs opposed Mr Corbyn while 40 voted in his favour. However, the Labour leader retains the support of many party members and activists who will vote in the election. The legal challenge was brought by Mr Foster, who unsuccessfully stood as a Labour candidate at last year's general election in the Cornish seat of Camborne and Redruth, coming second to the Conservatives. In his 17 page judgement, Mr Justice Foskett said the court's decision was on a narrow point of law and unaffected by political considerations. He said his interpretation of Labour's leadership rules was that \"the leader would not in that situation (where there is no vacancy) be someone who was a 'challenger' for the leadership and, accordingly, would require no nominations in order to compete in the ballot to retain his/her position as leader\". It concluded: \"Accordingly, the judge accepted that the decision of the NEC was correct and that Mr Corbyn was entitled to be a candidate in the forthcoming election without the need for nominations.\" Reacting to the judgement, leadership challenger Mr Smith said he was pleased, saying the court had \"done the right thing\". \"This now puts to bed any questions about the process, so we can get on with discussing the issues that really matter,\" he added, saying he looked forward to debating his rival \"as often as possible about our plans for Labour's future\".", "summary": "A judge has rejected a challenge to Labour's decision to allow Jeremy Corbyn to automatically stand for re-election as leader."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 16-year-old beat Anne Keothavong's record as the youngest British player to play in the Fed Cup in February. Swan won her first two titles on the second-tier ITF tour in 2015, and made her WTA debut at Birmingham in June. \"There's a few big grass tournaments before Wimbledon so I'm hoping I get to play in some of them, whether it's qualifying or main draw,\" she said. \"There's a chance I might get a Wimbledon main draw wildcard, but I'm not sure about that yet. \"Definitely I'll keep working towards that and it'll be amazing if I can make my Grand Slam debut this year.\" Swan also said she hopes to improve her results in Junior Grand Slam tournaments in 2016. The Bristol-born player is ranked number 12 in the world at junior level, and reached the final of the Australian Open junior tournament in 2015. \"My goal this year in juniors is to try to do really well in the Grand Slams. I'd like to aim to win a Grand Slam, which would obviously be amazing for me,\" she continued. \"On the women's tour, I just want to keep working on my ranking and try to do the best I can in all those tournaments, and maybe be able to get into qualifying for the Australian Open next year.\"", "summary": "British world number 512 Katie Swan says she hopes to earn a wildcard entry into the main Wimbledon draw this year."}
{"article": "The Sky Blues had warned the academy would be under threat if the rugby club got council permission for the facility at the Alan Higgs Centre. The football club said it was \"not against\" Wasps having a facility in the city, but was \"bitterly disappointed\". Wasps has said the football club could share the proposed centre. Coventry City, which leases the land from Coventry Sports Foundation (CSF), has said any reduction in hours its youth players could use facilities may diminish the status of its development programme in the eyes of the Football Association. Football club chairman Tim Fisher said: \"Nobody can tell us what will happen with regard to the scheduling or the facilities that accommodate the academy today. \"We've got nine players in and around the first-team group who all came through the academy.\" The planning application was approved with conditions, including over parking and roofing materials. Wasps Group CEO David Armstrong said it understood \"sensitivities regarding the location\". He said the football academy had been offered \"use of the indoor kicking barn facility on a commercial basis during set periods\" and was keen to hold discussions with the club \"about how this may work\". Mr Armstrong said it was open to further talks \"with CSF and CCFC about any other ways we might be able to assist\" with the academy's future. A council spokesperson said: \"In this case the application seeks to use existing sport and leisure facilities for sport and leisure purposes - planning committee can't make its decision on whether this should be rugby or football. \"If the owners of the site that is currently used by the academy wanted to change that use it would be a private matter between the two parties and is not a planning consideration.\" CSF has said it repeatedly invited the football club to meet about the academy's future and that the football club chose not to attend a meeting set up with Wasps last month. \"The offer to sit down and discuss the matter is still very much on the table,\" a spokesman said.", "summary": "Plans for rugby club Wasps to build a training centre on the site of Coventry City FC's youth academy have been approved."}
{"article": "The 57-year-old, from Montrose, was killed north of Dunkeld, near Jubilee Bridge, in Perthshire. Several other stretches of the A9 have been the scene of fatal and serious accidents this year. November was marked by the death of a couple in a two-car crash near Dalwhinnie. Care assistant Dennish Michael and nurse Manju Dennish, both 32 and from Inverness, were originally from India. Earlier in the month, the parents of a five-year-old boy and three-year-old girl were taken to hospital after a crash near Calvine, in Perthshire. In October, three people were killed in a collision near Pitlochry involving four cars. Firefighters described the accident as a \"scene of carnage\". Denny couple James Forbes, 73, and his 66-year-old wife wife Anne died when their car was involved in a crash with another car. The driver of the other car - John Potter, 63, from Scarborough - also died at the scene. In a separate accident, Roy Greene, 41, a joiner from Kilsyth, died in a collision between a van and tipper truck near Auchterarder. August saw the deaths of motorcyclist Peter Corris, 54, and wife Jacqueline Corris, 53, from Leyland, Lancashire. The crash which also involved a car happened three miles south of Dalwhinnie. Another motorcyclist, Fergus Cooney, 41, from Helmsdale, died in hospital after coming off his bike at Daviot. Mother-of-two Sharon Topping, 38, from Moodiesburn in Glasgow, was killed after her motorbike hit the central reservation on the A9 near Pitlochry. The accident happened just hours after buying her first motorcycle. Her 40-year-old husband Stephen, who was travelling behind her on his own motorbike, collided with her bike and was injured. In May, two men were injured after a coach with 37 people on board crashed north of the Berriedale Braes. And in April, 13 elderly holidaymakers were hurt when their coach collided with a lorry near Dalwhinnie. The same month also saw one of Scotland's most promising chefs was killed in a motorbike crash just hours before he was awarded a top accolade at the Scottish Hotel Awards. Ryan Young, 38, who was nominated in three categories at the prestigious awards, died after his bike collided with a 4X4 vehicle. A 44-year-old pedestrian also died after being struck by a lorry a mile north of Dunkeld. Wintry weather affected travelling conditions earlier this year. In February, lorry driver Andrew Raeside, of Kirkintilloch, died after his cab plunged 40ft (12m) from a bridge into a loch. He was driving south on the A9 when his fuel lorry jack-knifed as he was crossing Coronation Bridge at Faskally. Eight people were hurt in January in two multi-vehicle accidents. Five cars were involved in a collision during blizzard conditions three miles south of Dalwhinnie, while the other earlier accident happened at the Cromarty Bridge.", "summary": "The death of lorry driver Gordon Cooper in a crash involving three articulated lorries on Thursday was the latest in a series on the A9 this year."}
{"article": "Dominic Colella was called out on 9 March 2013 when the 85-year-old man collapsed in a queue at a London branch of the store. A colleague told a disciplinary hearing Mr Colella had returned to the ambulance with two \"full bags of shopping\" after 20 minutes. He did not attend the hearing. Giving evidence to the Health and Care Professionals Council, fellow paramedic Yvonne Purves said the elderly man had passed out in M&S and then regained consciousness before being moved into Mr Colella's ambulance. She told the panel she had wondered where her colleague had gone after waiting for some time in the ambulance. \"The wife was understandably anxious about what had happened to her husband and was wondering why we weren't leaving to go to hospital,\" she said. \"He then came back with two full bags of shopping and loaded them in to the front of the ambulance and flippantly said 'do you want to go to hospital then?'. \"Obviously, I wanted to go to hospital some time ago. I waited 20 minutes for Mr Colella while alone in the ambulance,\" she added. On another occasion, Mr Colella is alleged to have got a hair cut instead of taking a head injury patient to hospital. The panel heard Mr Colella, who faces two counts of misconduct, did not turn up at the hearing because he was working. He has since resigned from the London Ambulance Service. The hearing continues.", "summary": "A paramedic shopped in Marks and Spencer while an elderly patient with severe blood poisoning waited in an ambulance, a conduct panel has heard."}
{"article": "The searchable digital collection will include images taken using glass plate photography 160 years ago. Glasgow-born climber, keen photographer and founder of Rab mountain clothing, Rab Carrington, has been helping to head up the project. It will be officially unveiled at the Kendal Mountain Festival in November. Among the oldest images that will be available to the public in the archive were taken by brothers George and Ashley Abraham of the Lake District in the late 19th Century. Pictures of Gwen Moffat, Britain's first female mountain guide, will also feature. Other photographs have been provided by climbing clubs, including the Alpine Club and Fell and Rock Climbing Club. Mr Carrington told BBC News Scotland online that one of the features of the archive would be that it would show the changes in climbing styles over the centuries. He said: \"We have already obtained permission to put a range of images from the Alpine Club and Fell and Rock, and the Abraham Brothers family will be making a strong contribution. \"The Climbers Club have also chipped in with some 1950s images of Gwen Moffat climbing in the style of that day. \"We will now be seeking to have further representation from private individuals depicting Himalayan achievements from the 1970s right up to getting cutting edge first ascents from 2010s. \"The archive will show how styles of climbing have changed over the last 150-160 years, from the use of hobnail boots to plimsolls and bare feet to the footwear worn by today's climbers.\"", "summary": "A National Archive of Historic Mountaineering Images is to be launched by the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) later this year."}
{"article": "Wales will appear in their first semi-final of a major tournament when they play Portugal in Lyon at 20:00 BST. The winners of that game will face either France or Germany in Sunday's Euro 2016 final. Fan zones have been set up around Wales, including at Cardiff's Principality Stadium which will hold 27,500 fans who obtained tickets. An extra 7,500 tickets made available for the Cardiff venue sold out on Wednesday morning in just over an hour. Those who have secured tickets have been advised to arrive early as extra security measures are in place which may delay entry to the stadium. Westgate Street in Cardiff will close from 18:00 until 23:30 and Arriva Trains Wales is adding capacity to services where possible. But Mark Jones, the Blackwood student who campaigned for a Cardiff fan zone, did not manage to get a ticket. \"It's not just gutted for myself but I'm gutted for what seem to be the vast majority of fans who haven't been able to get a ticket and had been to the previous games,\" he said. \"I can't understand why the council can't open Coopers Field [where the fan zone previously was] as well.\" There will also be fan zones in Singleton Park, Swansea, Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Denbighshire, Aberystwyth, Anglesey, Newport, Pontypridd and Wrexham. One of the many proud Welshmen watching tonight will be Michael Davies - the head teacher at Joe Allen's former school, Ysgol Y Preseli in Crymych, Pembrokeshire. He said: \"His performances have been quite inspirational - he's the man that brings everything together in terms of the Welsh midfield.\" Insurance giant Admiral is closing its Cardiff, Swansea and Newport offices at 19:00 instead of the usual 22:00 so the 600 employees in those sites can watch the game, with staff outside Wales covering customer calls. Prince Charles has sent a message to the team, saying: \"Throughout the whole championship, you have set an inspiring example of teamwork and sportsmanship and I have no doubt that in this latest game you will continue to give your country even greater cause for pride.\" First Minister Carwyn Jones said, after waiting 58 years for a place in a major football tournament, \"Euro 2016 really is turning into a dream come true for Wales\". Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns added: \"You have to look to the fairytale triumph of Leicester City Football Club for something similarly inspiring. This Welsh team truly are the history boys.\" At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, David Cameron said: \"They have played superbly and we wish them all the best.\" The Football Supporters' Federation Cymru said it expected more than 20,000 Welsh fans to head to Lyon. John Welch, 57, who has made the trip from Australia, said he was \"getting goosies\" thinking about the game. Mr Welch, originally of Cardiff but now of Perth, flew from Australia to Lyon after his wife, Jacqui, surprised him with a flight ticket. The father of five said he was desperate to \"be here and taste the atmosphere\" - even if it was just in the city's fan", "summary": "Thousands of Wales fans have travelled to France for the biggest football match in the nation's history."}
{"article": "Simon Brown, 24, from East Grinstead, West Sussex, hit his head on a signal gantry on 7 August. The hearing in London was told that passenger Kirstin Duffield heard a \"loud thud\". In a statement read by the coroner, she said she found Mr Brown with an injury that was \"not survivable\". The train from Gatwick to London Victoria was travelling at about 60mph when the incident happened near Balham, south London. Mark Young, from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), told the hearing Mr Brown's head was out of the window with no evidence to indicate why. He said Mr Brown suffered a fatal head injury as a result of striking a signal gantry. Ms Duffield said she saw Mr Brown had collapsed in the corridor after she stood up from her seat, but saw he was still breathing. \"There was a lot of blood on the floor and around his head. There was a massive trauma to the top of his head,\" she said. She said it became apparent there was nothing she could do for him. The inquest heard Ms Duffield got off the train at Wandsworth Common after the alarm was raised and the driver had been alerted. She said she saw \"blood splatter\" on the outside of the carriage, but had not seen Mr Brown with his head out of the window. Mr Brown's mother, Jane Street, said her son had a passion for railways and \"was neither reckless nor ignorant of the dangers of that environment\". In a statement, she said her son first volunteered on the Bluebell Railway as a nine-year-old and had recently become an engineering technician with Hitachi Rail Europe in Bristol. Mr Brown's father, Mike Brown, said his son had been due to move in with his girlfriend and he had \"never seen him so relaxed, happy and enthusiastic about his future\". Questioned about findings by the RAIB, Mr Young said the distance between the window and gantry was found to be 26cm while the train was static. He said it complied with standards for existing structures but was less than an industry-recommended minimum for new structures. He also said it had been found the distance between the gantry and a moving carriage could have been as little as 68mm. He said the window opposite the guard's compartment was not intended for passenger use, although it was accessible to anyone on the train and open when the train left Gatwick. A yellow sticker on the door warning people not to lean out of the window was \"in a rather cluttered environment\" among many other signs, he noted. The inquest continues.", "summary": "A man who died on the Gatwick Express was found by another passenger with a \"massive trauma\" to his head, an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "Stephen Dodd tweeted an image of solicitors Asif Bodi and Abubakar Bhula on prayer mats in a stairwell. He captioned the tweet: \"Muslims praying at half time at the match yesterday. Disgrace.\" The Premier League club reported the tweet to Merseyside Police following a number of complaints. A number of social media users shared the photograph, taken during Liverpool's FA Cup quarter-final against Blackburn on 8 March. In a statement it said police had now referred the issue back to the club, which was \"currently in the process of determining the appropriate action to take\". It added: \"Liverpool Football Club would like to remind its supporters that it does not tolerate any form of discrimination and is committed to ensuring that the club and Anfield provides a welcoming and safe environment for all fans regardless of race, religion, gender, age, disability or sexual orientation.\" The club said a further statement would be made in due course. Speaking last month, Mr Bodi, 46, from Preston, told the Liverpool Echo: \"We have a small window in which to pray, a bit like the transfer window in football. Once that closes the chance has gone. \"That day, the time came for prayer and the window would have closed before the game finished so we did it at half-time. \"Most people are absolutely fine with it...but it only takes one or two people to react in the wrong way and you could have a nasty situation.\"", "summary": "Liverpool FC is considering what action to take against a supporter who branded two Muslim fans \"a disgrace\" for praying during half-time at a match."}
{"article": "But you get to appreciate the area's natural beauty whilst wading across lily covered creeks and trekking deep into the forest, accompanied by birdsong. Welcome to the Niger Delta before the oil. \"I'm on the plank now so walk right behind me,\" a guide said as we squelched across a muddy swamp trying not to sink in too deep. After walking for about an hour and a half from the village of Kalaba in Bayelsa state, I caught the first glimpse of an expansive tranquil lake through the trees. On the shore are shelters made of wooden poles draped in material. Every two years several families set up a camp at Lake Masi where they fish for just three months. \"After preparing the nylon and woven basket nets we go into the lake and drive the fish into one area,\" Woloko Inebisa told me. \"By fishing every two years we allow the fish to grow large. If we fished every year there would only be very small fish here,\" the 78 year old told me as two men in dug out canoes adjusted the nets inside a section of the lake that had been fenced off with cane reeds. Smoke drifted across the camp as women dried the fish over home made grills above smouldering fires. \"I will use this money to pay my children's school fees, to buy books for them, to buy their school uniforms and to do everything for them,\" said mother-of-three Ovie Joe. When these families return to their villages they will continue to grow crops but will have raised some capital from the fishing season. \"We have water for drinking and plenty of fish. But I'm not just here to feed my stomach - I'll save up money for when I go back to the village,\" Mr Inebisa said. Just a few kilometres away near Taylor Creek is a very different picture. An oil spill from June 2012 has left the ground covered in a dark sludge and the trees are all blackened by fire. Environmentalists believe local contractors often pay youths to set fire to the area where the spill has occurred. This can reduce the spread of the oil but has other detrimental effects on the environment. Despite extensive flooding late last year the oil has not dispersed and there are still signs of the rainbow sheen on the surface. Your ears also tell you all is not well - there is hardly any birdsong as the pollution has sucked the life out of the area. \"When I walked here the crude oil was spilling out so fast I couldn't even get near the spill point itself,\" said Samuel Oburo, a youth leader from Kalaba. Running through this area is an underground pipeline belonging to Nigeria AGIP Oil Company - which is partly owned by the Italian oil giant, Eni. It says numerous leaks near Taylor Creek were all caused by people breaking into the pipe - sabotage. On 23 March Eni issued a statement announcing the closure of all its activities in the area", "summary": "A pristine paradise - these are not words you often hear to describe the Niger Delta in southern Nigeria."}
{"article": "Surfing began somewhere in the distant past of Polynesian culture and by the mid eighteenth century, Captain James Cook sailed to Hawaii and saw locals climbing onto wooden boards and speeding along the waves. Eventually, a craze for wave riding spread and now it's thought at least 36 million people worldwide identify themselves as surfers. They all, however, face an inescapable truth: perfect, surfable waves don't always show up where and when they're wanted. \"Most of our good surfing waves around the world are adjacent to big expanses of ocean,\" says Dr Mark Davidson of Plymouth University, an oceanographer with a special interest in waves and surfing. The best surfing waves start life in stormy seas far from shore. Winds whip the surface into peaks which race away from the storm centre and over time transform into swell that rolls along under its own steam. Like fine wines, the best waves take time to mature. These water-borne pulses of energy continue their long journey towards land, sorting themselves out as they go, becoming less choppy and more refined - and bigger. That's why world-class surf rolls to shore in spots like Hawaii, Bali and Portugal. Elsewhere, where there isn't a wide ocean delivering well-matured swell, people are attempting to improve the waves. The aim of artificial surfing reefs is to enhance smaller waves into a surfable break. \"There's no magic here, you don't create waves,\" says Dr Davidson. \"The idea is that you can focus waves, a bit like light travelling through a lens,\" he says. A reef - natural or otherwise - acts as a magnet for swell, concentrating the waves' energy and making a bigger, more powerful break. That's the theory, anyway. One of the newest artificial surfing reefs was installed on England's south coast, at Boscombe close to Bournemouth. Here in the English Channel, where long-distance swell is distinctly lacking, waves are driven by local winds which produce choppier, smaller surf. In a bid to improve the quality and consistency of Boscombe's waves, Bournemouth Borough Council paid \u00c2\u00a33.2 million to install an artificial surf reef. The football pitch-sized reef consists of sand-filled geotextile bags that were designed to raise the seabed and magnify existing waves. But when the reef opened in 2009, it was a crashing disappointment for local surfers. \"It didn't produce the right shape of wave,\" says Mark Davidson. He was brought in to assess the reef's performance, which he did by surfing it with a GPS unit fitted inside his wetsuit. \"That allowed me very accurately to evaluate my ride length, the peel angle of the waves and how fast the wave was breaking,\" he says. Dr Davidson concluded that the reef was no good for surfing. It kicked up steep, dumpy waves that collapsed over his head rather than breaking gradually, peeling from one side to the other. Boscombe's surf reef is not the first to fall short. According to Davidson, of the 12 artificial surf reefs built worldwide, none have worked. \"As yet we still don't have a successful example in generating a quality", "summary": "For centuries, people have been lured in by the thundering power of surf."}
{"article": "John Jones, 50, from Rhos, Neath Port Talbot, was given 16 pints at Morriston Hospital, Swansea, after losing a leg in a forklift accident in 1990. But one of the donors had hepatitis C, and Mr Jones died in 2012. Recording a narrative verdict, assistant coroner Paul Bennett said infection and cirrhosis killed Mr Jones. Dr Stephen Field, medical director of the Welsh Blood Service, offered \"sincere condolences\" to Mr Jones' family. He said when Mr Jones received his transfusions there was no test available for hepatitis C. Testing was introduced throughout the UK a year after his operation. He added: \"Securing the safety of the blood supply is the number one priority of the Welsh Blood Service.\"", "summary": "A father-of-three died more than 20 years after receiving infected blood, an inquest hears."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device British Cycling have produced this guide that will help you choose the right bike. Inspired to get back on your bike? Take a look at this handy guide to find ways to get into cycling.", "summary": "Not having the right bike can be very uncomfortable - and potentially damaging, so finding the correct bike fit is very important, especially if you cycle regularly."}
{"article": "These are the words of judge Karin Jung, who gave two 1860 Munich fans the choice to buy Bayern merchandise for a fan they attacked - or spend 15 months in jail. The defendants, who refused to name a third person involved when they ripped the jacket, shirt and straw hat off the Bayern fan last year, opted for the pride-swallowing trip to the rival club store. \"I thought about what would be really painful to them, and doing something like this really bothers this type of people,\" Jung - who got the victim's consent for the quirky sentence - told Bild newspaper. This was no cheap shopping trip though as according to their lawyer, the accused parted with around \u00a3350 each in compensation as well as handing over a Bayern hat, scarf and jersey in court.", "summary": "\"I wanted to show that football is football and not a battlefield.\""}
{"article": "Alibaba was taken off the list four years ago, but US authorities say the firm's online platform Taobao is used to sell \"high levels\" of fake goods. The company has rejected the allegations, insisting it polices its market place better than in the past. The firm also suggested the \"current political climate\" in the US might be why they are back on the list. US President-elect Donald Trump had, during his campaign, repeatedly accused Chinese firms of stealing intellectual property. Alibaba Group President Michael Evans said he was \"disappointed\" by the decision and questioned whether it was \"based on actual facts or was influenced by the current political climate.\" The Chinese online retailer and its market place Taobao have long been accused of being a platform for counterfeit goods. Taobao said earlier this year it had tightened controls on its sale of luxury goods, requiring sellers to show proof of authenticity. In May though, Alibaba was suspended from the International Anti Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC) watchdog over piracy concerns. Some members, including Gucci America and Michael Kors, had threatened they would leave the IACC in protest at Alibaba's membership. Alibaba - by far China's biggest online retailer - floated on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2014 and broke records by raising $25bn.", "summary": "Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is back on the US's \"notorious markets\" list over counterfeit goods sales."}
{"article": "Patients who suffered persecutory delusions were encouraged to step into a computer-generated Underground train carriage and a lift. The simulations allowed the study's 30 patients to learn social situations they feared were actually safe. The research at Oxford University, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, was funded by the Medical Research Council. Members of one group of patients were told to use their normal defensive behaviour, such as avoiding eye contact. The rest of the patients were encouraged to lower their defences and try to learn they were safe by approaching computer characters (avatars) and standing toe-to-toe or staring at them. This group, who fully tested out their fears, showed the biggest reduction in their paranoid delusions. More than half of them no longer had severe paranoia at the end of the testing day. The first group, who used their defences, also saw some reduction in the level of severe paranoia. The study was led by Prof Daniel Freeman, a clinical psychologist at Oxford University's Department of Psychiatry. He told me: \"At the heart of paranoia is the unfounded belief that people are under threat. \"With virtual reality we can help the person to re-learn that they are safe, and when they do that, the paranoia melts away.\" The Oxford team estimate that around 1-2% of the population have severe paranoia at some point in their lives, typically associated with a mental health disorder such as schizophrenia. Patients have such a strong sense of mistrust that they avoid contact with people and may rarely leave home. The study was small and the patients had just one half-hour session of virtual reality with no long-term follow-up. However, Prof Freeman said the results were \"exceptionally good\". He added: \"I think this a glimpse into the future of mental healthcare. There is a revolution underway in virtual reality with many headsets becoming available. \"As these become more affordable we will see them used not just in clinical settings, but in people's homes.\" Toby Brabham, aged 45, was diagnosed with schizophrenia more than 20 years ago, and has experienced severe paranoia. He told me: \"I used to experience persecutory voices - they would be having a go at me. I would avoid going out and when I did it was with my head down so I avoided eye contact. It was very isolating.\" Toby is now being successfully treated, and agreed to test out the virtual reality system for the BBC. Afterwards he said: \"If I go on a Tube train or lift now I will certainly remember the virtual reality experience and I think it will be helpful in reducing any feelings of anxiety that I may have.\" Dr Kathryn Adcock, head of neurosciences and mental health at the Medical Research Council, said: \"Virtual reality is proving extremely effective in the assessment and treatment of mental health problems. \"This study shows the potential of its application to a major psychiatric problem.\" Brian Dow, at the charity Rethink Mental Illness, said: \"It's exciting to see cutting-edge technology used innovatively to treat what can be an", "summary": "Virtual reality has been used to help treat severe paranoia."}
{"article": "Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras came to power on a wave of public anger over austerity measures, and he is urging the Greek people to vote against austerity once more in a snap referendum on the country's debt crisis to be held on Sunday. Meanwhile tens of thousands of people took part in anti-austerity demonstrations across the UK in June despite the government's insistence that austerity measures are vital to cutting the deficit. Many countries decided to cut spending and put up taxes to deal with the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis. Were they right? Has austerity worked? Four experts offer their assessment. Former BBC economics editor Stephanie Flanders is now chief market strategist for JP Morgan Asset Management. \"In 2009 we suddenly found ourselves in a much steeper recession than people thought, and the impact was suddenly very clear on the public finances. It pushed up budget deficits all over the world - particularly in the UK - by tens of billions. \"No one was making any money or paying any tax, meanwhile the unemployment numbers were going up quite quickly and that was pushing up costs. There was a moment leading up to the G20 summit in London in 2009 where leaders said 'we've got to have a global co-ordinated stimulus'. \"They were all on one side saying, 'we've got to not worry too much about borrowing going up, because governments are the only ones who can afford to do this at a time when households and companies are also cutting back'. \"[As a result] you saw the start of a recovery in most countries, and at the same time these horrendous borrowing numbers were coming in which we hadn't ever seen in peace time. And there were mutterings: 'Hang on, we're going to face an awful lot of pain to get that down, shouldn't we start doing that now?'. \"So they faced that dilemma: 'we've saved the economy, how quickly do we start to raise taxes again and cut spending to get our public finances in order and how quickly can we afford to do that without hurting this still fragile recovery?' \"If you think the economy is going to carry on growing, then you want to take a bit of that growth and start to put it back into the government coffers. \"You want to have taxes going up, certainly some plans to rein in spending, but of course the contrary argument is you can't assume that growth, because some of it is coming from what you're doing to prop up the economy. \"Unless you know that there's going to be other demand out there to make up the gap, you might face the economy slipping back into recession and then the borrowing is going be even worse. \"If the international lenders start to worry about whether you're going to pay it back, they start to charge you more interest, and if they charge you more interest, then your interest rates of course go up, and that pushes up your borrowing as well - you might be", "summary": "At the heart of the current Greek debt crisis is an old debate - is it better to cut spending and raise taxes in an economic downturn, or spend your way out of it?"}
{"article": "Keith Barrow quit as leader of the Conservative-run Shropshire Council and as a councillor when an allegation was made in November. He later admitted to failing to comply with the council's code of conduct by not declaring a conflict of interest. However, West Mercia Police said a \"thorough and detailed investigation\" found no case to answer. Updates on this story and more from Shropshire Det Insp Mark Glazzard said: \"Following receipt of a complaint in November 2015, a thorough and detailed investigation was conducted...into an alleged offence under the Localism Act 2011. \"This investigation has concluded, and no further action will be taken into this matter.\" Previously, West Mercia Police said it had received a complaint regarding \"misconduct in public office involving a man from Shropshire\". The BBC understands the complaint relates to Mr Barrow. The former council leader stood down after failing to declare a relationship with the director of an accountancy firm appointed to work with the authority's private company, IP&E. He apologised and also resigned as director of IP&E, following the findings of an internal investigation. Shropshire Council did not wish to comment.", "summary": "A complaint against a former council leader has been disregarded by police."}
{"article": "The direct funding scheme for school sport, announced last year, is going to be extended for a further five years. Each year primary schools will continue to receive \u00a38,000, plus \u00a35 per pupil. As well as promoting good health, Mr Cameron says, school sport has an important role in building \"confidence and a sense of achievement\". The funding - the Primary PE and Sport Premium - provides money directly to primary school head teachers, carrying on the sporting legacy of the Olympics. There have also been repeated warnings about childhood obesity and lack of exercise. The funding is meant to improve sports lessons, such as paying for specialist coaching, equipment or to help after-school clubs. It was announced last year as a two-year initiative to run until 2015-16, but Mr Cameron has said he wants to keep this funding for another five years - beyond the general election. \"Sport is so important because it encourages children to be active, lead a healthy lifestyle, make friends and, of course, have fun,\" Mr Cameron said. \"But quality school sport has benefits that spread right across the curriculum and beyond - it develops confidence and a sense of achievement, it teaches young people how to rise to a challenge, and nurtures the character and skills that will help them get on and succeed in life.\" Sports presenter Clare Balding said that sport could also help academic results in school. \"As well as increasing fitness, it has been shown to help concentration as well as being a key factor in appreciating team work and a healthy lifestyle,\" she said. Olympic champion Mo Farah said sports could make an important difference to young lives. \"The help I got at school was a key part of how I got to where I am today and so it can make a big difference,\" he said. The funding announcement was also welcomed by representatives of football, rugby, tennis and cricket. Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said annual funding of about \u00a39,000 per school would not \"add up to a great deal\" for schools without a dedicated PE teacher. She said primary schools had suffered from the withdrawal of the \u00a3160m per year which had been provided through the School Sports Partnerships. There have been repeated calls to improve school sport, with Ofsted warning last year that there was too little strenuous exercise in PE lessons. The cross-party Education Select Committee also reported that many schools lacked the facilities needed for youngsters to get involved in sport. A Labour spokesman criticised the government's record on school sport: \"David Cameron has jeopardised our Olympic legacy by removing the requirement that primary children do two hours of sport per week.\"", "summary": "Primary schools in England are going to share an extra \u00a3150m per year sports funding until 2020, Prime Minister David Cameron has announced."}
{"article": "They were among a 30-strong crew on a Greenpeace ship that was protesting against oil drilling in the Arctic. The group was arrested last month after two of the protesters tried to board an oil platform owned by the Russian state-controlled firm Gazprom. Greenpeace has called the charges \"irrational, absurd and an outrage\". The 14 activists were taken from jail to the Murmansk office of the Investigative Committee, the Russian equivalent of the FBI, the BBC's Daniel Sandford reports from Moscow. There they were formally charged with \"piracy of an organised group\", an offence that carries a 15-year prison sentence. Those charged include Kieron Bryan, a freelance video producer from London; Anthony Perrett from Newport in Wales; Alexandra Harris, originally from Devon, and Philip Ball from Chipping Norton. Greenpeace said more activists are expected to be formally charged on Thursday. The group's international executive director, Kumi Naidoo, said the charges were \"extreme and disproportionate\". \"A charge of piracy is being laid against men and women whose only crime is to be possessed of a conscience. This is an outrage and represents nothing less than an assault on the very principle of peaceful protest,\" Reuters news agency quoted Mr Naidoo as saying. Mr Naidoo said the way Russian officials had treated the protesters represented \"the most serious threat to Greenpeace's peaceful environmental activism\" since the bombing of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in New Zealand in 1985, when the group was campaigning against French nuclear testing in the Pacific. Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously said the activists were \"not pirates\", but may have broken international law. The Investigative Committee said earlier this week that peaceful aims would not justify what it has described as an \"attack\" that posed a threat to the rig and its personnel. Last month the Greenpeace ship approached the Prirazlomnaya platform, Russia's first offshore oil rig which is scheduled to start operating by the end of the year. Two activists tried to climb up onto the platform and tie themselves onto it, in an attempt to draw attention to the issue of the expansion of oil and gas exploration in the Arctic Ocean. They were detained after a short skirmish in inflatable dinghies in which armed Russian FSB officers in balaclavas fired warning shots into the water. Greenpeace has released cameraphone images it says show the moment Russian security forces boarded the Arctic Sunrise ship. The ship, with its crew comprising 18 nationalities, was then towed to Murmansk. Mr Bryan's parents, Andy and Ann, from Devon, said they were very worried. \"Our son is a very kind, caring individual and environmental issues have always been very close to his heart,\" they said. Andy Bryan had spoken of his shock at the actions the Russians had taken against what he said was a peaceful organisation.", "summary": "Fourteen Greenpeace activists, including at least four from the UK, have been charged with piracy by the Russian authorities."}
{"article": "The experiment will begin when the first round takes place on Saturday 24 September. It is an initiative being introduced by the Scottish FA after recent talks with the International Football Association Board. Previously, teams could only use three of seven substitutes in Scotland's premier cup competition. The fourth replacement will only be available if a tie is level after 90 minutes and goes to extra time. There are no plans for the format to be introduced by the Scottish Professional Football League, but it could be used in next season's League Cup in Scotland. The SFA announced the extra substitute plan as Hibernian captain David Gray made the first-round draw at Edinburgh College. One preliminary-round tie remains to be played without the availability of an extra substitute after Scottish Junior Cup winners Beith Juniors and West Superleague champions Auchinleck Talbot drew 2-2 at Bellsdale Park on Saturday. Talbot host their West Superleague rivals this coming Saturday with Highland League outfit Strathspey Thistle now preparing for a journey south to face the victors. East Superleague champions Bonnyrigg Rose and North Superleague champions Banks O'Dee both face a trip to the Highlands to face Turriff United and Keith respectively. East of Scotland champions Leith Athletic host Cumbernauld Colts, who finished fourth in last season's Lowland League. Beith Juniors or Auchinleck Talbot v Strathspey Thistle BSC Glasgow v Rothes Civil Service Strollers v Hawick Royal Albert Clachnacuddin v University of Stirling Dalbeattie Star v Wick Academy Deveronvale v Gretna 2008 East Kilbride v Vale of Leithen Edinburgh University v Whitehill Welfare Forres Mechanics v Lossiemouth Fort William v Brora Rangers Gala Fairydean Rovers v Fraserburgh Girvan v Huntly Inverurie Loco Works v Buckie Thistle Keith v Bank's O'Dee Leith Athletic v Cumbernauld Colts Nairn County v Preston Athletic Selkirk v Linlithgow Rose Turriff United v Bonnyrigg Rose Ties will be played on Saturday 24 September.", "summary": "A fourth substitute will be available in extra time for the first time in this season's Scottish Cup."}
{"article": "Harrison played the 1962 Rickenbacker 425 guitar on British TV shows like Ready Steady Go! in 1963, prior to the band's US invasion in 1964. The Beatle, who died in 2001, also used the instrument during the recording of I Want to Hold Your Hand and This Boy. He bought the guitar during a visit to the US. Its pre-sale estimate was up to $600,000 (\u00a3356,000) said auction house Julien's. It topped the previous sale of a VOX guitar played by both Harrison and Lennon in May last year which fetched \u00a3269,000) but fell far short of the record $965,000 (\u00a3591,000) set by a Bob Dylan guitar in December. The auction also included a handwritten placard with doodles signed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono from their 1969 anti-war protest in Montreal, which fetched $187,000 (\u00a3111,000). A Hofner bass guitar rented by Sir Paul McCartney in the mid-1960s sold for $125,000 (\u00a374,000). A white jumpsuit worn by Elvis Presley during a 1971 concert fetched $197,000 (\u00a3117,000).", "summary": "An electric guitar played by The Beatles' George Harrison has sold for $657,000 (\u00a3390,000) at an auction in New York."}
{"article": "Residents living near Queens Park in Bolton reported hearing a repetitive \"loud tapping\" in the early hours this week leaving council officials baffled. One resident even recorded the sound, the Bolton News reported. Police officers called to investigate \"suspicious banging\" eventually traced the noise to construction work on a nearby railway line. Complaints began on Monday 28 November with the sound being heard for up to four hours a night. Bolton Council, which runs the park, said it had \"no idea\" where the noise was coming from. \"We don't do anything in the park at night,\" said a spokesman. Greater Manchester Police said they were called at 04:08 BST on Tuesday by a resident on Mayor Street who reported \"suspicious banging\" in the park. \"The noise was traced to industrial work being carried out on the railway tracks. \"The incident has now been closed.\" The Bolton to Lostock railway line runs just south of Queens Park.", "summary": "A mystery surrounding a \"banging noise\" heard coming from a Greater Manchester park at night has been solved."}
{"article": "The woman, 20, of Brecon, Powys, admitted neglect of the 15-month old while she went out at Christmas. Neighbours raised the alarm when they heard cries, Merthyr Crown Court heard. Judge John Curran said: \"You may have gone back to the house on occasions but the fact is you neglected her for a very long time.\" The court heard how the woman left the girl in the cot and would go home every day to give the baby breakfast cereal and a microwave meal before going back to a friend's flat to continue partying. Prosecutor Michael Hammett said that police officers alerted by neighbours found the house to be cold and dark, and with all its rooms in a mess. \"The house was in a state of disarray with rubbish, dirty clothes, empty wine bottles, beer cans and dirty nappies strewn over the floors,\" he said. \"One of the officers went into the bedroom and found the little girl subdued in her crib. \"There was no heating on in the house and she was partly covered by a blanket.\" Mr Hammett said the officers took the girl to the nearby police station to be cleaned up and fed. \"When they gave her food and drink she grabbed them as if she had been starved,\" she said. The mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told police she had been back to the house on four occasions to feed the child but then left her home alone again. When police entered the mother's home in Brecon, Powys, the girl had been on her own for more than 24 hours, the court heard. She was examined by a doctor and found to have severe nappy rash which was bleeding. The single mother admitted neglect and wept as she was jailed for 15 months. Geraint Jones, defending, said: \"The mum hopes to rebuild her relationship with her little girl very slowly when she leaves prison.\" Passing sentence, Judge John Curran said: \"You may have gone back to the house on occasions but the fact is you neglected her for a very long time. \"Your daughter was left in the dark and cold, she was hungry and thirsty and had not been changed for days.\" Andrew Flanagan, chief executive of the NSPCC, said: \"It's extremely depressing that a mother could leave a baby alone, in a cold house, with no food or water for such long periods. \"But sadly child neglect is an all too common occurrence with around 21,000 children currently on a the child protection register in Britain for this very reason.\" He said thankfully the neighbours raised the alarm, which showed the need for vigilance. \"The message to anyone worried about a child is clear: don't wait until you're certain - call the NSPCC or social services without delay,\" he added. Des Mannion, NSPCC National Head of Service for Wales, added: \"Last year 1265 children in Wales were subject to a child protection plan because they were at risk of harm from neglect and it has been the top reason why children", "summary": "A mother has been jailed for 15 months for leaving her baby daughter at home alone every day for a week while she went out drinking."}
{"article": "The case - which has seen the faces of the judges involved splashed across newspaper front pages - began its proceedings through the Supreme Court on Monday. There, the UK government will appeal against the ruling of the High Court, which said MPs should be able to vote on the starting-whistle to leave the European Union. They will be joined by a number of other parties which are intervening, including the Scottish and Welsh governments. In a nutshell, it is over whether ministers can use executive powers to start the process of leaving the EU without consulting MPs. Ministers hold what are known as royal prerogative powers which allow them to take decisions without Parliament's approval. The case brought by claimants - the investment manager Gina Miller and hairdresser Dier Dos Santos - was that the government cannot use these powers to override rights enshrined in acts of Parliament. High Court judges agreed, but the UK government rejects this argument and has appealed to the Supreme Court. The BBC legal correspondent Clive Coleman explains the case in more detail here. The Welsh Government has been allowed to intervene in the case, arguing that triggering Article 50 would \"significantly change\" how devolution works. Permission to intervene means ministers will have their case heard in front of Supreme Court judges. Counsel General Mick Antoniw argues that triggering Article 50 changes the powers of the assembly and the Welsh Government, and that this cannot be done without a vote in Parliament. The Welsh Government claims a large number of its functions come from EU law and will \"be lost upon the UK's withdrawal from the EU Treaties\". Separately, the counsel general's case sets out that triggering Article 50 will effectively circumvent the Sewel Convention, a set of rules that mean any attempt to change a law in a devolved area of policy needs the consent of AMs. Mr Antoniw does not ask state that the assembly has a legally enforceable right to veto any Westminster legislation authorising Article 50 to be triggered, but said instead that using executive powers to start the process would \"short-circuit\" the convention. The UK government's skeleton argument has rejected the counsel general's view, saying the additional issues raised \"do not provide any tenable basis\" on which to uphold the High Court decision. UK ministers argue that the Sewel Convention is a \"political\" convention that covers the legislative functions of the Westminster Parliament, and not a \"legal principle\" that can be tried in a court of law. They argue that the issue is irrelevant anyway, because the matter of whether consent is needed for legislation concerning EU withdrawal does not tell you anything about the legality of the government using executive powers to trigger Article 50. The conduct of foreign relations \"is a matter expressly reserved\" in the devolution legislation to the UK government, the document argues. The UK government says devolved legislatures \"have no competence over it\" and that \"prerogative power to withdraw from treaties is deliberately unaffected\". Welsh devolution legislation assumes that the UK is a member of the", "summary": "It is difficult to think of a court case in recent years as politically charged and controversial as the legal row over whether MPs should vote to trigger Article 50 - the process to start Brexit."}
{"article": "About 250 people have been allowed to travel from the south for three days of meetings at Mount Kumgang resort. Another group attended reunions earlier this week. For most of those attending it is the first time that they have had any contact in over 60 years. Millions of people ended up separated from loved ones by the physical division of the Korean peninsula. The reunions taking place this week are only the second round in the past five years. One of those travelling to the resort was the mother of a man who South Korea said was abducted by the North in 1972. The South Koreans were chosen using a computerised lottery system from among thousands who applied. Often accompanied by family members, they travelled in a convoy of buses from South Korea to meet their relatives. Given their age and the infrequent nature of these reunions, they are unlikely to ever see each other again.", "summary": "A group of mainly elderly South Koreans have met relatives in the North, in the second of two organised reunions for family members separated by the 1950-53 Korean War."}
{"article": "Dylann Roof, 21, appeared in court in Charleston to face nine murder charges. He showed no emotion as relatives of the victims addressed him directly. \"I forgive you\" said one victim's daughter, fighting back tears. Police are treating the killings at the African-American church on Wednesday night as a hate crime. And the Justice Department says it is investigating whether it might have been an act of domestic terrorism. It said in a statement, the shooting was \"designed to strike fear and terror into this community\", and the department was considering all possibilities. At a Charleston sports arena, thousands gathered on Friday evening to remember the victims with prayers and songs. Also on Friday, the Roof family released a statement through their lawyer. \"Words cannot express our shock, grief and disbelief as to what happened that night. We are devastated and saddened by what occurred,\" the family wrote. \"We have all been touched by the moving words from the victims' families offering God's forgiveness and love in the face of such horrible suffering.\" In court in Charleston on Friday afternoon, Mr Roof spoke to confirm his name, age and address and said he was unemployed. Then relatives were invited by the judge to come forward and speak. A woman who identified herself as the daughter of Ethel Lance said: \"You took something very precious from me. I will never talk to her ever again. \"I will never be able to hold her again, but I forgive you. And [may God] have mercy on your soul.\" Anthony Thompson, a relative of Myra Thompson, told Mr Roof to repent and to turn to Jesus Christ. \"I forgive you and my family forgives you,\" he said. Also speaking in court was Felecia Sanders, who survived the attack on Wednesday night by playing dead. Her son, Tywanza, was fatally wounded. \"We welcomed you Wednesday night in our Bible study with open arms. You have killed some of the most beautifulest people that I know. Every fibre in my body hurts ... and I'll never be the same,\" she said to Mr Roof, who appeared via a video feed. The victims of the Charleston shooting Meanwhile, one of Mr Roof's friends, Christon Scriven, told the BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan that Mr Roof had considered a university as a potential target. Mr Scriven said Mr Roof \"wanted to shoot that school up, UCA University of Charleston. It's 3 miles up the street from that church\". But Mr Scriven, who is black, did not think Mr Roof would actually follow through. \"So how do you take it serious?\" he said. \"How many friends do you have in your lifetime that's killed somebody?\" Court documents have revealed new details about the shooting. Mr Roof entered the church just after 20:00 local time (01:00 BST) on Wednesday night and remained with the worshippers for nearly an hour before launching his attack. All of the victims were hit multiple times, the documents said. Before leaving, Mr Roof stood over one person who was not shot and \"uttered a racially inflammatory statement\". That person", "summary": "Relatives of some of the nine churchgoers shot dead in South Carolina have addressed the suspected gunman in court and said they forgive him."}
{"article": "The US tennis player's announcement that she is 20 weeks pregnant means she won her record-breaking 23rd and most recent Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open while eight weeks into her pregnancy, at the age of 35. On social media, the revelation has prompted both men and women to claim she is the GOAT - greatest of all time - and worthy of immense admiration. Women queued up to express their comparatively shameful attempts at exercise. \"Sometimes I get a little winded when I try to just talk and walk at the same time,\" one tweet gasped. Pregnancy alters woman's brain 'for at least two years' The plain fact is that doing anything much during the early stages of pregnancy can be a challenge. Getting out of bed? Possibly. Making it to work? Maybe. Eating breakfast? Forget it. And that's because the female body is undergoing a massive physiological transformation. Even before any kind of bump is visible, hormones are surging and raging, causing dramatic changes in the way the body functions. During the early weeks, most women experience fatigue at some point caused by rising levels of hormones progesterone and oestrogen. The advice is usually to rest - but clearly not in Serena's case. Many women also suffer from nausea or morning sickness, which doesn't conveniently end at midday, and a small number of women are affected very severely, needing hospital treatment. Vomiting or retching is a daily hazard for the majority, sometimes before a test has even confirmed the pregnancy. But even if Serena was lucky enough to sail through the first few weeks unscathed by nausea, she would still have had other physical changes to contend with. These include the breasts becoming tender and swollen very early on, a need to go to the loo more often and sudden aversions to food and odours. During pregnancy, the amount of blood in the body increases, causing the kidneys to process extra fluid that ends up in the bladder. Pregnancy hormones can also cause constipation and heartburn as the body gears up to cater for a growing foetus. And research shows that from the fifth week of pregnancy, Serena would have experienced substantial changes to the cardiovascular system, which delivers blood supply to the foetus. Exercise is a good thing and is not dangerous for your baby, the NHS Choices website says, and it encourages women to keep active for as long as it's comfortable to do so. Serena's fitness levels and training regime may well have helped her through those early stages. However, a woman's brain undergoes a bit of rewiring too. A recent study found that pregnancy reduces grey matter in some parts of the brain, helping women bond with their baby and prepare for the demands of motherhood. In fact, the researchers said the scale of the brain changes during pregnancy were akin to those seen during adolescence. And that could explain why so many women experience mood swings during the early stages. So Serena could have been forgiven for being more than a little distracted", "summary": "As one male tweeter put it: \"Serena Williams won a grand slam while she was pregnant so every man should probably shut up about everything forever.\""}
{"article": "Former Priory Federation chief executive Richard Gilliland, 64, was accused of misusing school credit cards to buy personal items and suppressing the results of a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check on his son. The group's ex-finance director Stephen Davies, 58, faced three fraud charges. The pair were found not guilty in a trial at Lincolnshire Crown Court. The Priory Federation runs four schools in Lincoln and Grantham. The trial previously heard Mr Gilliland bought items on school credit cards, including videos and condoms. He said he was always owed money by the federation and used its credit cards to make his own purchases as \"an off-setting exercise\". Mr Gilliland was also accused of suppressing the results of a CRB check so his son Kia Richardson - who had served a jail term for outraging public decency - could work at an equestrian centre run by the Priory. He told the court colleagues were fully aware of his son's \"troubled past\". Speaking after the trial, Mr Gilliland said: \"It has been very hard to deal with, very emotional, but I am pleased with the result.\" Mr Davies described the trial as \"interesting\", adding he was confident of the result as he had \"done nothing wrong\".", "summary": "Two former senior members of staff at a Lincolnshire schools academy group have been cleared of fraud charges."}
{"article": "It comes after shopkeepers claimed their trade was being affected by the abuse of regulations. They have blamed the removal of the police traffic warden service more than two years ago. A council report on the possibility of introducing its own wardens will be considered next month. Councillors were told this week that the impact of the removal of the old service had not been as big as was generally perceived. It was claimed parking habits had \"not actually changed significantly\". However, a petition from regeneration group Future Hawick said there had been a \"marked increase in the abuse of parking regulations\". Now letters will be sent out reminding people in the area of the parking regulations and notices put up in Hawick Town Hall encouraging staff and visitors to use off-street parking. Councillor Alec Nicol said a full report on the issue of on-street parking would be considered next month. \"There are some things that could be done immediately which may alleviate some of the issues in the short term,\" he added.", "summary": "Letters are to be sent to businesses and residents on Hawick High Street reminding them of the 30-minute parking limit in the area."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old, who's doing a PhD in astronomy and space at the University of Birmingham, is down to the last 600 of 200,000 applicants for the Mars One mission. If she gets through, she'll spend the next 10 years training for the project. The mission aims to send teams of four to the red planet every two years from 2025, until 40 people are living there. The Dutch project is privately funded and needs to raise around \u00c2\u00a34bn to send up the first group. So far it's raised around \u00c2\u00a3500,000 (so it's 1/8000th of the way there). It's one of several projects aiming to put the first humans on Mars, but this one plans to let a reality TV show decide who goes and broadcast life on Mars. Maggie, who lives in Coventry, is one of several Britons shortlisted for the mission and we had a lot of questions for her. \"If we were to come back it would cost a lot more money. \"You'd have to transport a lot more fuel and there's nowhere to launch rockets from on Mars. \"There are also health risks with coming back to earth because the long term effects of the low gravity on Mars will affect our bone density and muscles. \"Astronauts who go to the International Space Station are pretty much disabled when they come back, they have to learn to walk again. \"It might be that our bones are so brittle, that just the impact of landing on earth would crush our bodies.\" \"It's true I'll never be able to see my family and friends ever again in person, but I'll be able to see their pictures, I'll still have access to the internet. \"I can write emails home and talk as humans do all over the world. \"That'll be good enough for me because the people I'd go to Mars with I'd have spent 10 years with. \"That's pretty much half my life so far so they'll pretty much be my new family and friends.\" \"At first they thought I was crazy and didn't really believe it was true. \"Now they're a little bit scared. Everyone keeps telling me \"don't go getting selected\". \"My mum still doesn't think it's real, she keeps joking with me saying: \"When are you going to move out? When you go can I have all your money?\" \"If I really did go I think my mum would be quite upset. \"She's only got one daughter, but I did go away to university for a whole year and it wasn't that bad because I called home every day.\" \"I do feel a little bit guilty because if I get selected I'll have the choice of whether to leave everything behind or not. \"That is kind of scary for me just having the choice. \"In some ways I think at least I've tried to go to Mars and if they don't select me at least I don't have to make the choice.\" \"That would be horrible. \"I won't be able to contact home or have any communications with", "summary": "Next week, Maggie Lieu will find out if she'll have to give up EVERYTHING for a one-way trip to Mars."}
{"article": "The Spaniard pounced to drive low into the corner from Zlatan Ibrahimovic's pull-back as United set up a home tie with West Ham. Paul Pogba had hit a post moments earlier as the game came alive in the second period, following a first half in which neither of the bitter rivals managed a shot on target. City boss Pep Guardiola made nine changes to his side, who are now six games without a win in all competitions - his worst run as a manager. Their best chance arrived early on when Kelechi Iheanacho headed over from six yards, while second-half substitutes Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero made little impact. Victory was United's second in five matches, and only Jose Mourinho's fourth win in 18 meetings with Guardiola. Former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager Mourinho said on Wednesday his life in Manchester is \"a bit of a disaster\". His words and United's poor form created a sense that defeat at Old Trafford would prompt tough headlines, and Mourinho admitted recent displays influenced his choice to make only four changes and retain key names. United, far from at their best, scored during their only spell of quality in the opening 10 minutes of the second half as Ibrahimovic - anonymous in the opening period - profited from Nicolas Otamendi's missed header to square for Mata. There remain areas of concern for United. Luke Shaw was constantly outwitted by Jesus Navas and again there was no place in the 18-man squad for \u00a326m summer signing Henrik Mkhitaryan. But while Guardiola said the competition was his \"lowest priority\" before kick-off, Mourinho perhaps took the chance to shift United's momentum. Guardiola said City must be \"more clinical\" after they ended the night without working David de Gea once - the first time they have not had a shot on target in a game since 2012. City, who are top of the Premier League, had an early penalty appeal turned down when Michael Carrick tangled with Aleix Garcia. The wholesale changes made for the tie may blur detailed analysis of just what is amiss in recent weeks, but a switch to a 4-4-2 formation after two league games where a back three was used perhaps shows Guardiola has not yet settled on the way forward at City. He could also face more time without captain Vincent Kompany, who, making only his second start of the season, asked to be replaced at half-time because he was tired. Kompany suffered a groin strain in September but has been dogged by thigh and calf issues, prompting his playing time to fall from around over 2,700 minutes in 2013-14 to 1,700 last season. There were some positives for Guardiola as 19-year-old full-back Pablo Maffeo made made some key interventions but if City fail to win on Saturday they would be seven matches without a win, a dire run not endured since 2004. Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho on responding to Sunday's 4-0 league defeat at Chelsea: \"We were on a good run of results but it was a big defeat - numbers", "summary": "Juan Mata struck to win a tight Manchester derby as United knocked out EFL Cup holders City to reach the quarter-finals."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 15 March 2015 Last updated at 10:37 GMT Georgina Harwood took to the sky above Cape Town, watched by her family and friends. She did the skydive to raised money for charity. \"It was definitely a very special, exhilarating experience\", she said. It's not the first time Georgina has jumped out of a plane. She did her first skydive in 2007 when she was aged 92. Now she's planning on going diving with sharks as her next adventure.", "summary": "A daredevil gran has celebrated her 100th birthday by going skydiving in South Africa."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old's feat - a rare \"hat-trick\" for any goalkeeper - was key in the Terrors' 3-1 away win at East End Park on Saturday. \"I think judging the run-ups is a massive thing these days,\" said United's summer signing from Rangers. \"You can kind of sound out players the way they're going with their run-up.\" Grimsby Town's Walter Scott saved three penalties in one match in 1909, while Manchester United's Gary Bailey did likewise in 1980 and Huddersfield Town's Matt Glennon in 2007. But a spokesman for the Guinness Book of Records suggests that Bell's chances of being featured because all three saves took place in one half is likely to be thwarted as it only recognises achievements in a country's top league. Bell insisted that, while he has enjoyed the personal publicity, his priority was three points as United chase Scottish Championship leaders Hibernian. \"It was an incredible game,\" he told BBC Scotland. \"You don't expect to face three penalties, especially in one half. \"It's nice getting positive media attention, but it was a vital three points for us. We've been up and down this season, so we're hoping that can kick-start our season.\" The score was 0-0 when Bell palmed away Gavin Reilly's first attempt and he then managed to block less convincing efforts from Nicky Clark and Paul McMullan to cancel out Simon Murray's opening goal. \"The first penalty I managed to get a good hand to,\" he recalled. \"I was actually going to my left-hand side and Gavin Reilly put it down the middle and I managed to put it away. \"In the build up to the second penalty, I actually got injured making a one-on-one save on Gavin Reilly, so I managed to dust myself down and saved Nicky Clark's penalty and then the third one just put the icing on the cake. \"I think, with the third penalty, the run up was always going to go one side, so you do your homework on those kinds of things.\" Bell, who has one Scotland cap, was a team-mate of Clark's until the summer, when they were both released by Rangers after their title win and promotion. \"He was a bit gobsmacked and texted me later on that night just saying 'well done',\" said Bell when asked about Clark's response to his save. \"Obviously he was gutted with the result for Dunfermline, but he was delighted for me saving three penalties in one game. \"I knew Nicky's favoured side, but then it's a game of poker because he knows that I know his side, so I had to go with the way he normally goes and he did go that way and thankfully I went early enough because he put enough power on it to get it in the corner.\" Despite the victory, Ray McKinnon's side remain in fourth place, seven points adrift of Hibs. \"I was just delighted with the way the game went and that we managed to get the three points, which was vitally important for us,\" added Bell. \"We've brought 10 new players", "summary": "Studying his opponents' penalty style and run-ups helped Dundee United's Cammy Bell save three spot-kicks in one half against Dunfermline Athletic."}
{"article": "At \u00c2\u00a3233bn the new stealth fighter is the most expensive weapons order ever placed, due to fly with the RAF and on the new British Navy carriers. British test pilots have already been putting it through its paces, but the hotly awaited first appearance in UK skies was cancelled after an engine fire grounded the whole fleet. A life size model is on display - and people queued around the block to gaze into the cockpit. So imagine my amazement when at the back of one of the trade halls I found the stand of the Martin-Baker company - and the seat of an F35, which they were happy for visitors to try out for size. This is the real thing, not a mock-up, as fitted to the amazing planes now flying in the States, if not here. Martin-Baker are a company based in Buckinghamshire. They are famous around the world, but still family owned, and test their products in nearby Oxfordshire. They started making aeroplanes after the war until Captain Valentine Baker was killed in a flying accident. His partner Sir James Martin dedicated the company to finding a way of enabling pilots to escape an aircraft safely in an emergency. Since then they've saved an amazing 7,500 lives as airmen were able to escape their doomed planes. It's always a last resort - but one-in-10 of the seats they have made has been used for a successful ejection. The latest design is fully microprocessor controlled. It is not straightforward firing out of a jet which could be flying at high speed thousands of feet up or stationary on the ground when disaster strikes. The new seat incorporates side air bags to protect the pilot's head as he flies through the canopy. Martin-Baker seats are acknowledged throughout aviation as top quality, at the cutting edge, yet the company is still run by the two engineer sons of the founder. It's an example of all the small firms in the UK working on what amounts to nearly 15% of the total value of the F35. In fact everything the pilot touches is Made in Britain. And it's a win for the Chancellor - with as much money projected to come back in tax revenue from manufacturers as the MoD has spent on its share of the order. So I can say I've sat in the seat of a world beater. OK the rest of the plane was missing, but knowing the history of that seat made it a huge thrill nonetheless.", "summary": "A major disappointment for the crowds flocking to Hampshire for the Farnborough Airshow was the non-appearance of the new American-built F35 fighter plane."}
{"article": "Ms Coyle said it would be \"daft\" for the show to be a \"perfect replica\" of the real world. But she added it was \"important to ask whether the BBC can do more in its popular output to provide an authentic portrayal of life in modern Britain\". The population of EastEnders was also younger than in real life, she said. Ms Coyle is in the running to be head of the BBC Trust after Lord Patten stepped down due to ill health. The BBC's audience council in England compared the population of Walthamstow in east London with Walford, the fictional home of EastEnders. The figures suggested there were nearly twice as many white people living in Walford - E20 - as in real life E17, while the population of EastEnders tends to be younger than their real-life counterparts and more likely to have been born in the UK. It is not the first time that Black, Asian and minority ethnic representation (BAME) in EastEnders has been called into question. The soap's former boss, John Yorke, said EastEnders \"may be significantly white compared with the real East End\" back in May 2011. At the time, he added that it was \"considerably more multicultural than it was even five years ago and is easily the most multicultural show on telly now\". The BBC responded to Ms Coyle's comments by saying: \"We agree with the trust that EastEnders has one of the most diverse casts on British television and that it would be daft to suggest that the programme needs to be a perfect replica of a particular postcode. \"As announced by [director general] Tony Hall last week, the BBC has plans to lead the industry on diversity, both on and off screen.\" Ms Coyle also asked for improvements in BBC One's output across the board. Speaking at the London School of Economics, she said that according to BBC research, BBC One, the home of EastEnders, \"plays it too safe in parts of its peak-time schedule\". \"BBC One is greatly appreciated. But it can sometimes feel too predictable. Its viewers expect still more from it,\" she added. The BBC said that the channel reaches 76% of the population, or 44 million people each week. \"These audiences are clearly finding a huge amount that informs, educates and entertains them,\" it said. \"We continually strive to deliver new and original programmes and it has been our consistent ability to do this over the years which has made BBC One Britain's most-watched and loved channel.\" The BBC Trust will set out in more detail what it would like the corporation to do next month. Ms Coyle also said it was a priority for the BBC to increase the number of women on air. Her comments follow the BBC's announcement last week to have greater BAME representation on and off air. The BBC will put \u00c2\u00a32.1m into a fund intended to help BAME talent, on and off screen, to develop new programmes. BBC targets call for about one in six people (15%) on-air to be from BAME backgrounds within", "summary": "BBC soap EastEnders is \"almost twice\" as white as the real east London, Diane Coyle, the acting head of the BBC Trust, said in a speech in on Monday."}
{"article": "\"I've been sitting on these banks for the last 25 years and this is the most bodies I've ever seen,\" says 53-year-old Krishna Ghimire, one of the temple's many priests. Pashputinath, which spans the banks of the Bagmati River, is the most revered Hindu temple in Nepal. This is where the dead are cremated - on ghats (cremation grounds) that jut out over the muddy water. Earthquake victims arrive here a dozen each hour. On Sunday, there were nearly 200 cremations. More than 100 are expected on Tuesday. \"Yesterday was so depressing,\" says the priest. \"Nearly 20 bodies arrived in the same vehicle and there was no space along the banks of the river to keep them, so we had to stack them up, one on top of each other until the bodies that were already burning had finished,\" he says. \"We even had to store some in the nearby forest.\" The Nepalese government has been providing free firewood to families to help speed up the cremation process. \"It is part of our larger strategy to avoid the possible outbreak of disease which might be caused by bodies lying around,\" says Lakshmi Dahal, the spokesman for the Ministry of Home Affairs that has been co-ordinating the relief mission. As the sun begins to heat up the day, large crowds filter through the ancient buildings that make up the temple complex. People are coming here not just to cremate their dead, but to give thanks to Lord Shiva (a Hindu god) for having survived. The temple itself has survived. Long cracks now snake their way down a few of its walls, but it was spared serious damage. Tekra Limbu wishes the same was true for Kathmandu's other monuments. He is here to cremate six members of his family, including his daughter and brother, who were on a family outing to the famous Dharahara Tower when it came crashing down on Saturday. \"They had just reached the top when the earthquake hit,\" he says as he and his relatives follow their procession of bodies. \"Four of them had just flown in from Singapore where they were working as policemen,\" he says. Mr Limbu was trying to call his family all Saturday. \"Finally, when the security forces starting digging through the rubble that night, they found my brother's mobile phone which was still ringing,\" he says. \"They told me to come here and identify the bodies.\" That night, he drove the 200km (125 miles) from his home in eastern Nepal to the capital, Kathmandu. He is stoic about his loss. \"I'm sad, but in a disaster like this, what can you do?\" he says as he walks, grim-faced, towards the line of pyres being readied for his family. A few metres along the river bank, agonising cries of pain overwhelm the quiet chants of priests and chimes of temple bells. Shyam Kumari Bhandari is here to cremate her elder sister who died when her family's seven-storey guesthouse was violently shaken by the quake. \"She was on the top floor and we think she died of", "summary": "At Kathmandu's Pashputinath temple, the morning air is heavy with birdsong and the smoke from funeral pyres."}
{"article": "The $620m (\u00c2\u00a3395m) he made before tax means he has topped Forbes' list of the biggest earners in music in 2014. Not only that, but he has now also got the Forbes record for the highest earnings in a single year by any musician. The majority of his cash has come not from record sales but from Apple's purchase of Beats, the company he founded, for $3bn (\u00c2\u00a31.9bn). Best known for their headphone range, Beats also makes technology used in car audio systems and has a music streaming service known as Beats Music. Priced about $300 (\u00c2\u00a3191) in the US, Dr Dre, if he were so inclined, could buy more than two million sets of his Studio headphones with his earnings. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Dr Dre has taken home an enormous amount of money this year."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old joined the U's from Rotherham United in February of 2016 after an initial six-week loan spell. Maguire, who has played for Scotland twice, scored 17 goals in 54 appearances for Oxford last season. \"He had many offers to consider so we are delighted he has chosen us,\" boss Lee Clark told the club website. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Bury have signed Scotland international striker Chris Maguire from fellow League One side Oxford United on a two-year contract."}
{"article": "Peter Allott, the 36-year-old deputy head at St Benedict's, has been charged with possessing, showing and making category A indecent images of children. He is also accused of two counts of possession of extreme pornography, the National Crime Agency said. He appeared before Ealing magistrates earlier and was remanded in custody. Mr Allott is next due to appear in court on 23 December at a venue to be confirmed. St Benedict's is a co-educational school for junior and senior school pupils. Last year 1,092 pupils were registered at the school. In 2010 Lord Carlile conducted a separate and unrelated inquiry into the \"terrible legacy\" of 21 cases of historical sex abuse at the school since 1970. The Independent Schools Inspectorate said in 2014 St Benedict's had a proactive approach to safeguarding which had improved since a previous inspection in 2012.", "summary": "The deputy head of a fee-paying Catholic school in Ealing has been accused of possessing the most extreme category of indecent child images."}
{"article": "The error was made by RingGo payment system, which is managed by City of Edinburgh Council's contractor NSL. Motorists who tried to use RingGo on Tuesday will have their tickets cancelled. The council said it clearly stated on its website and parking machines that 27 December was a paid parking day. The council said about 300 motorists had been affected by the blunder. A council spokeswoman said: \"Details relating to parking restrictions during the festive period are advertised very clearly through our website and social media and are provided on ticket machines throughout the city. \"We are aware, however, that there was an error for a time with the RingGo payment service managed by our contracted partner NSL. \"We are liaising with NSL to ensure that RingGo users who were issued with a parking ticket, due to the system failure on Tuesday, have their tickets cancelled.\" An NSL spokesman said: \"NSL has confirmed that parking restrictions and charges in the city of Edinburgh do apply on Tuesday 27 December and Monday 2 January as stated on all Pay and Display machines and on the City Of Edinburgh Council's website. \"Full enforcement procedures apply on both dates in order to maintain safe and fair access for anyone visiting the shops and facilities in and around the city centre. \"The company has confirmed that it has been made aware of an incorrect instruction on the RingGo app and RingGo website and has asked for the instructions to be amended as a matter of urgency.\"", "summary": "Hundreds of drivers have been issued parking tickets after an app wrongly told them they could park for free in Edinburgh on the day after Boxing Day."}
{"article": "The organisations behind the complaint say it is the biggest constitutional complaint in German history. They say the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta) deal violates democratic principles and will give too much power to multinational companies. But the German economy minister says a ruling in favour of the petitioners would be \"a catastrophe\". The Constitutional Court in the south-western city of Karlsruhe is due to rule on the emergency appeal on Thursday. The deal has already been agreed after years of negotiations - but if this petition is successful, correspondents say, it is extremely unlikely to be signed as scheduled at the end of October. Protests in Germany against transatlantic TTIP and Ceta trade deals EU Commission refuses to revise Canada Ceta trade deal Belgian province may sink EU-Canada trade deal Three activist groups gathered more than 125,000 signatures which they passed to the court in 70 boxes of documents in August. They are Compact, Foodwatch and More Democracy. Their legal objection to the deal is that parts of it can come into force even before national parliaments have ratified it, thus breaching the German constitution. \"Not a single parliament elected by me - neither the Bundestag nor the European Parliament - was given a mandate to negotiate for Ceta,\" says Roman Huber of More Democracy. Its most visible opponent on Tuesday was German Economy Minister and Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel. He has already battled to win his Social Democratic Party (SPD) round to the deal. He told the court that a successful challenge to Ceta would undermine Germany's credibility, reported Die Welt news website. \"I do not want to imagine what that could mean for Europe,\" he told the court. Activists fear that the deals could water down European standards in the key areas of workers' rights, public health and the environment. They say it will open up new areas for privatisation and give corporations new powers to make profits. They say it would give corporations the ability to sue governments through a special corporate court if they try to implement policies or regulations that could reduce the profits a company is expecting to make - for example, by increasing the minimum wage. Opponents also point to the complexity of the deal - suggesting that many deputies won't have read the 1,500-page document in full. Some argue that Ceta will allow many of the provisions in TTIP - the controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership deal between the US and Europe - in through the back door. In August, Mr Gabriel was among leading European politicians who acknowledged that opposition meant the TTIP deal was effectively dead in the water. The court in Karlsruhe is due to rule on Thursday. If it rejects the complaints, European ministers are scheduled to approve the deal on 18 October, paving the way for it to be signed at a summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on 27 October. But if it fails the whole process could be upended, Mr Gabriel and Ceta opponents such as the Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern agree. Some, such", "summary": "Germany's highest court is hearing a challenge to a planned EU-Canada free trade deal from some 125,000 citizens."}
{"article": "Shirley Taylor said the bees took residence in her Nissan car parked outside her front door in Watt Street, on Sunday. Chairman of the Beverley Beekeepers' Association, Chris Coulson, has been trying to lure the swarm out of the vehicle since. He said it was not clear what had attracted the bees to the vehicle and it could take a while to clear them. Mrs Taylor said the bees had arrived on Sunday when she received a message from a neighbour warning her to be careful of her car when she got home. \"I just went indoors and closed all the windows and the neighbours did as well,\" she said. \"It has been a bit of a hair-raising experience. \"There were thousands all over the place and I have been stung and my daughter and granddaughter also got stung. \"It is like Nightmare on Watt Street.\" Mrs Taylor said: \"I did ask 'why pick on my car?' but my husband, who is a bit of a joker, said it was because of all the Bee Gees CDs in the car.\" Mr Coulson said bees usually swarm when their hives get too large and a colony breaks away to form a new one. However, he said he had never seen such a large swarm descend on a car before. \"These cars have all kind of recesses and the bees seem to have gone into every one they could find. \"We are trying to make them fly. In the box on top of the car we have young bees, some eggs and things like that and the bees in the car will hopefully try to cover those to make sure they don't die.\" He said he hoped they could remove the bees and find them a \"more acceptable\" new home.", "summary": "A swarm of up to 20,000 bees has taken over a car in Hull."}
{"article": "And what a missed opportunity. This is a fairytale accomplishment, a final happy ending after decades of trying to write their own chapter into rugby league's history book. But it is also a sad tale of rugby league manufacturing its own bad timing. Classy Cas - a phrase first coined in the 1960s because of their playing style - have had great teams in the past and great players. But they have never won the league. Four or five years ago they seemed to be a club heading towards oblivion, stopping off at various financial crisis points along the way. Enter Steve Gill as chief executive and Daryl Powell was appointed as head coach of Castleford in May 2013, and the sat-nav was reset for success. This year they will win the league - for the very first time - by a mile and with a smile. They will do it by playing the kind of rugby that entertains. A matchday 'down the lane' as the old timers still call the rebranded Mend-a-Hose Jungle, is one of rugby league's most pleasurable experiences. It is a carnival on and off the field. Yet chances are that few outside Castleford will truly recognise their achievement. The regular season has now finished - the Tigers finished 10 points clear at the top. They have beaten every one of their opponents in Super League, in most cases twice. They have often destroyed their opposition, finishing the year with a points difference of +391. To put that into context, runners-up Leeds had a points difference of only +76. They are scoring more than 13 points a game more than their closest rivals. And yet, they have not been given any silverware yet. The bizarre situation is that Cas will only be mathematically crowned League Leaders a couple of weeks into what is, effectively, a new competition. The game goes into the Super 8s after next week's break for the Challenge Cup semi-finals. It is a difficult task trying to explain to the non-rugby league fan that this is when the 12-team Super League and Championship clubs are split. The top eight in Super League play off over seven weeks, but only the top four at the end of that mini league have a chance of reaching the Grand Final. The bottom four in Super League find themselves up against the top four from the Championship in a prolonged relegation/promotion play-off. This will culminate in a one-off Million Pound Game play-off between the fourth and fifth-placed teams from that mini series to determine who is in which league next year. But to add to that confusion, in amongst all those games and all the hype of the race for the Grand Final, the League Leaders Shield will be handed out. And no-one outside Castleford will really give a damn about it by then. It is a travesty that such a big deal will be missed by the sporting world at large. Cas deserve much greater recognition. Of course, they will get that recognition if they win the Grand", "summary": "Castleford will be handed rugby league's League Leaders Shield in just a few weeks' time - what a story!"}
{"article": "The 38-year-old, who lifted the One-Day Cup at Lord's last weekend, is retiring at the end of the season. Notts says the decision will allow the club to look to the future. \"Chris and I have had a chat. We agree that this a great fit for everyone as we prepare for a T20 campaign\", said head coach Peter Moores. Moores' son, 20-year-old Tom, will keep wicket for Notts as they begin their Twenty20 campaign against Yorkshire at Headingley. \"The thinking is that it allows us to plan ahead for the future, with Chris due to retire in September, yet it enables Chris to pass on his vast experience and knowledge to our players,\" Peter Moores added. \"He's excited about taking on this new role. It's a good opportunity for him to develop his coaching skills and allows Chris to rest and recharge his batteries after a very busy period. \"He'll be fresh and ready to captain the side when the County Championship matches restart in August.\"", "summary": "Notts Outlaws wicketkeeper Chris Read will be part of the club's coaching staff rather than play in this season's T20 Blast, which begins on Friday."}
{"article": "An incident happened at Premier Stores on Union Street in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Police Scotland said both men had also been charged in relation to an alleged assault and robbery of a 35-year-old man on Justice Street. They were expected to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court later.", "summary": "Two men, both aged 22, have been charged in connection with an alleged attempted robbery at a convenience store in Aberdeen."}
{"article": "The bill, which will give the Senedd new powers, has been revised from its original draft amid worries it may reduce assembly powers. But Mr Jones has expressed \"considerable concern\" that four months after the law's publication a number of issues have not been resolved. The Wales Office said discussions would continue with the Welsh Government. The Wales Bill has already been debated in the House of Commons and is now being considered by the House of Lords as part of the process of the law entering the statute book. It will establish a new system for how the assembly makes laws, defining what is held back to Westminster in a list of reservations. Ministers had revised the bill from a previous draft following criticism that it would reduce the assembly's powers, but AMs have warned that even the revised version threatens a roll-back in capabilities. The committee stage of the proposed law's passage through the House of Lords is due to start on 31 October. Ahead of the debate, the Lords Constitution Committee suggested the Wales Bill could create a \"recipe for confusion\" and could lead to more Welsh bills ending up in the courts. AMs could refuse their permission for the Wales Bill to become law by voting against a legislative consent motion (LCM). The convention is not legally binding. In a letter to Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns, Mr Jones wrote that \"the UK government has publicly acknowledged\" the bill can only proceed to royal assent if the assembly has resolved to give its legislative consent to the UK Parliament. He said: \"I will be looking to you to use your influence within the UK government to secure the necessary amendments so that the Welsh Government can commend the bill to the assembly. \"We are certainly not yet in that position, but I stand ready to discuss further with you as necessary.\" Mr Jones said the issues included addressing those around a Welsh legal jurisdiction, and the number and breadth of reservations. In particular, Mr Jones called for reservations on teachers' pay along with alcohol licensing, sale and supply to be removed from the bill. \"The judgement on whether to recommend that the assembly should give its legislative consent will inevitably be heavily influenced by the way the UK government deals with these matters at committee and report stages in the Lords,\" he said. The Lords Constitution Committee said changes are needed to make sure the assembly's powers are not \"inadvertently reduced\". Lord Lang, the chairman of the committee, said: \"The list of reservations is so extensive, and the legal tests that govern the assembly's powers so complex and vague, that it could be a recipe for confusion and legal uncertainty. \"The outcome is likely to be increased litigation as the courts are asked to decide exactly where the boundaries of the assembly's authority lies.\" A Wales Office spokesman said: \"The Wales Bill provides a historic opportunity for the Welsh assembly to secure more powers and create a stronger, clearer fairer devolution settlement for Wales. \"Discussions will continue with the", "summary": "The Welsh Government is not yet ready to commend the Wales Bill to AMs, First Minister Carwyn Jones has said."}
{"article": "Thanet Council began work two weeks ago at All Saints Church in Birchington but some stones have been left broken. One resident, Janice Taylor, said it looked as if \"hooligans and demolished the place\". Thanet Council admitted the work could be \"upsetting\" but said it was in line with national guidelines. These are determined by the Ministry of Justice and its Burial and Cemeteries Advisory Group. The work also has the approval of the vicar of Birchington, the Rev Done Witts, the authority said. Ms Taylor said she was appalled by how the work had been left. \"It looks like an act of vandalism has occurred. \"It doesn't look as if the council has come in here to do work, it looks as if hooligans have come in and demolished the place.\" Mr Witts said: \"It's just that it looks untidy in the meantime until the council sorts it out.\" The council said there were more than 100,000 memorials across cemeteries in Thanet, many of which were more than 100 years old. It said the testing was being done to ensure the gravestones did not pose a danger to the public. \"The council appreciates the sensitivity of this work with every effort made to advise those affected,\" it said in a statement. \"It has produced a question and answer leaflet to guide plot owners through what could be a potentially upsetting time.\" It also said a team at Thanet Crematorium were available to advise on \"all aspects of the Memorial Stability Programme\".", "summary": "A Kent council has been accused of leaving gravestones and memorials looking as if they have been vandalised after carrying out safety checks."}
{"article": "The 37-year-old and two girls aged 13 were found at a property in Grove Road, Chadwell Heath at 13:10 BST on Tuesday. Shighi Kotuvala and sisters Niya and Neha Rethishkumar had not been seen since Sunday. Their father, Pullarkattil Rethish Kumar, 44, who was missing from the address, was found hanging at Woodford Reservoir in Walthamstow. Formal identification is yet to take place. Post-mortem examinations are due to take place later, but Scotland Yard said the three female bodies had no signs of visible injuries. The family's neighbour, Zoya Habibani, 24, described the family as \"really friendly\" and garage owner Bobby Singh, 41, said they were \"very reserved\" and \"polite\". He said: \"I hope someone finds out the answers. I hope they rest in peace as well.\" The Metropolitan Police said it was initially called to the property on Monday night after concerns were raised about the family's welfare. There was no response or signs of a disturbance at the house so the officers left. They returned on Tuesday and broke into the property and found the bodies of the woman and the two girls. Det Supt Kenny McDonald said: \"At this stage in our ongoing investigation we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths. \"We are making extensive enquiries to trace next of kin, who we believe to be outside of the UK.\" The Met said as part of its \"routine\" it had referred its response to the Directorate of Professional Standards and the Independent Police Complaints Commission.", "summary": "A mother and her twin daughters have been found dead at a house in east London, police have said."}
{"article": "NASUWT NI president Susan Parlour made the comments during a speech to members at the union's annual conference. She also said the Education and Training Inspectorate, which carries out school inspections, was \"not fit for purpose\". The NASUWT is one of the largest teaching unions in Northern Ireland. Its members are currently engaged in rolling strike action over pay and workload, along with members of the INTO union. National officer Justin McCamphill also spoke at the union's annual conference in Belfast, warning of further strike action if devolution was not restored. Teachers were prepared to fight for adequate budgets for schools and against the erosion of teachers pay, he said. In October 2016, all teaching unions in Northern Ireland rejected an offer that saw pay frozen in 2015-16 and a rise of 1% for 2016-17. Ms Parlour was heavily critical of what she called \"political myopia and a penny-pinching approach to education\". \"The so-called fresh start agreement, rather than living up to the positive promise of its name, has brought stagnation and rot to classrooms,\" she said. She also claimed that front-line services, including those for children with special educational needs, had suffered due to budget reductions. \"This clearly suggests that we have politicians here in NI who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing,\" she said. \"While these cuts were being imposed mercilessly on our schools, let's not forget that our government saw fit to send millions of pounds up in smoke in the flawed RHI scheme.\" In January, former Education Minister Peter Weir said that schools needed an extra \u00c2\u00a3240m over the next three years just to maintain current spending levels. He also warned that schools faced making \"redundancies and savings\". \"Efficiencies in and of themselves will not be enough to avoid the sort of pain that will be there if there is no new money at all,\" he warned. Subsequently, 15 primary school principals from County Down wrote a joint letter to parents warning their schools were facing \"financial disaster\".", "summary": "Further cuts to the education budget will make Northern Ireland's education system \"unsustainable,\" a teachers' union leader has said."}
{"article": "South Yorkshire Police inspector Stephen Ellis told how a crush started outside the stadium on 15 April 1989. He told the jury he feared someone would be killed before a gate was opened relieving the throng outside. Ninety-six fans died following the crush at the FA Cup semi-final game. Insp Ellis, who was in charge of officers meeting Liverpool fans as they arrived in Sheffield, told the inquests that at 14:30 that day it was \"just a normal football match\". He told the jury he had escorted a group of around 400 Liverpool supporters from Wadsley Bridge train station into Leppings Lane in time for the 15:00 kick off. But by 14:40, he noticed things had changed and it was \"mayhem\", the inquests at Warrington, Cheshire heard. He said: \"They were running towards me, away from the turnstiles, pushing their way through, shouting, screaming \"get the match delayed\" that sort of comment.\" A group of officers on horseback tried to block access to the turnstiles, the jury heard, which was effective for a short while. At 14:46 a police Land Rover arrived in Leppings Lane, he said. Mr Ellis said he climbed on to the roof of the vehicle and shouted through a loudspeaker at fans to stop pushing. \"People [were] getting crushed against the turnstiles and down Leppings Lane as far as I could see, which was maybe 400m before the road bent out of sight. Profiles of all those who died 'It was wall to wall supporters coming towards me, coming towards people in the turnstile area that were getting crushed. He said the horses were having difficulty as they had no space either. Mr Ellis told the inquests he saw a man \"trying to protect his daughter\". \"He had got his feet up against the the wall four feet off the ground. He was pushing back with his shoulders and pushing back with his legs. \"He stood up with his arms by his side, unable to move, pinned up against the wall near the turnstiles.\" He also saw a young fan dive under a police horse, he told the jury. \"He cleared something like three metres without touching the ground and landed on his hands on the other side and then climbed up and started pushing to try and get into the turnstiles.\" The jury heard he was worried somebody was going to get killed or seriously injured and that even if more officers or horses had been deployed they would not have helped the situation. \"It was too late; there were too many people there to have controlled by that time and still they were coming down Leppings Lane and Catchbar Lane.\" He told the inquests at sometime after 15:00 the crowd cleared after Gate C was opened. He told the jury: \"I didn't even know this gate existed, let alone had been opened. \"I didn't know where they had gone.\" Mr Ellis said he continued to watch for a \"couple of minutes\" and fans were still \"diving over the turnstiles\". \"There was no reason for them to", "summary": "Liverpool supporters at Hillsborough were \"gripped by mania\" and \"frantic\" to get into the ground as kick off approached on the day of the disaster, the jury at the new inquests has heard."}
{"article": "The programme, coming a decade after the original Planet Earth was broadcast, has been, by all accounts, a truly extraordinary series. Ratings show the series has been watched by all age groups, with surprisingly large numbers of young people tuning in to watch the programme live every week. The series has become Internet Movie Database's highest-rated television programme of all time. Here are just a few of the things we've learned from Planet Earth II. 1. Flamingos don't get sunburned In the Mountains episode, we saw flamingos become trapped in ice overnight, only to be freed when the sun finally came up. Later, we saw them gather together in a group to go on parade in a peculiar courtship ritual - providing BBC One with some excellent new idents in the process. 2. Sloths like to swim (especially if there is a pretty sloth waiting at the other side of the lake) Sadly the female sloth being pursued in the Islands episode already had a baby and therefore wouldn't be mating again for another six months - but full marks for effort to this enthusiastic chap. 3. Sir David Attenborough can present from a hot air balloon at the age of 90 The prospect of going to a freezing cold climate, climbing into a hot air balloon and trying not to shiver too much as a camera is pointed at you would be daunting for most of us. But not, apparently, for Sir David, who is still able to do this with ease despite being in his 10th decade. 4. Watching iguanas being pursued by snakes is more exciting than any James Bond car chase we've ever seen Watching animals chase other animals in this series can be a confusing experience - do you root for the animal being pursued, because you don't want them to die, or the predator giving chase, because you don't want them to starve? Either way - there's no denying such encounters are extremely exhilarating (and traumatising). 5. Men are more attractive when they tidy up a bit The Wilson's bird-of-paradise in the Jungles episode set an example to us all. The brightly-coloured bird tidied up all the leaves from one patch of the forest floor so his bright feathers would stand out more and attract a mate. Far be it from us to suggest that humans could learn from this, of course. 6. Baloo and The Jungle Book were fairly accurate depictions of bear scratching behaviour You're a bear. You've got an itchy back. What do you do? Make extremely creative use of the trees around you, of course - proving in the process that The Jungle Book was more than just a children's film, it was a documentary. 7. A giraffe can win in a battle with a lion Because prey is so thin on the ground, desert lions hunt whichever animals they come across. As giraffes are relatively common here they are an important prey species. But one particular giraffe in the Deserts episode gave a lioness a run for her money, not quite", "summary": "About 10 million of us have been tuning in to BBC One's Planet Earth II every Sunday for the past six weeks."}
{"article": "The directive, which came into force last weekend, was widely condemned and ridiculed across the country. Affecting women in eastern Libya, it prohibited those under the age of 60 from travelling abroad without a male guardian. The authorities had said the ban was for security, not religious, reasons. A military official claimed it was because some women travelling abroad were in contact with foreign intelligence. The authorities presented no evidence to back up this claim. The freezing of the travel ban was announced by the director of East Libya's civil society commission, Abir Mneina, who had held talks with the military chief of staff of Libya's eastern region, Abdelrazzak al-Naduri, on Tuesday. She told the BBC that officials had been asked to cancel the ban but agreed only to freeze it temporarily and carry out a review. \"He [Mr al-Naduri] said... there are security implications that need to be considered. We said fine, if there are specific security issues then we understand and support that because we are in a state of war and this is an important matter for us all,\" said Ms Mneina \"So that's why we finally agreed that the directive will be reviewed to ensure that there are no violations against rights and freedoms\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Our main aim is to get the order cancelled completely. \"I think we are headed on the path of it getting cancelled. We said that if it is not cancelled we are already preparing a legal statement that will be taken to court.\" A source in the office of Eastern Libya's chief of staff, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed to the BBC that the order had been frozen. He said the ban was being reviewed because \"it may have generalised the matter too much\". Libya has been in chaos since Nato-backed forces overthrew Col Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011. Eastern Libya is governed by an administration based in al-Beyda that is not recognised by the international community. It is is under the control of commander Khalifa Hafter who is leading the battle against Islamist militias. Libya's internationally recognised government is based in the capital, Tripoli. The travel restrictions highlighted the growing political divide in Libya, with each side enforcing its own rules in the area it controls.", "summary": "The authorities in eastern Libya have ordered a temporary freeze on a controversial travel ban on Libyan women under the age of 60."}
{"article": "Former US Open champion McDowell, 37, has fallen to number 83 in the world and was not one of Clarke's three wildcard selections for Hazeltine. \"G-Mac is a good friend and I was speaking to him frequently during the qualifying process,\" said Clarke, 48. \"It was very difficult, but he is just not firing on all cylinders right now.\" McDowell has played in the last four Ryder Cups - holing the winning putt in 2010 at Celtic Manor - and Clarke said it would be strange not having his compatriot around Europe's Ryder Cup team later this month. But he has been impressed by the reaction of the Portrush-raised player to his disappointment of missing out on the team for the first time in a decade. Media playback is not supported on this device \"The messages he has sent show the class of the man,\" said Clarke. \"He has been wishing us all the best and volunteering to help in any way he can.\" The European captain also says he is not worried that six of his team have not played in the Ryder Cup before. Danny Willett, Thomas Pieters, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Andy Sullivan, Matt Fitzpatrick and Chris Wood will make their debuts in Minnesota from 30 September to 2 October. \"The Ryder Cup will be different to anything they have played in before, but they aren't rookies anymore really,\" added the former Open champion. \"They play all over the world and I have confidence that the guys will go over there and perform. \"The Americans are desperate to win the cup back but I believe in our team.\"", "summary": "European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke admits it was difficult to leave his close friend Graeme McDowell out of the team to face the United States."}
{"article": "And now an eight-year-old Swansea schoolboy is to quiz him about how it felt via Twitter. Rhys Maguire-Stokes was among 25 pupils from Blaenymaes primary at a live link-up with the International Space Station on Tuesday. It was one of 10 UK schools - and the only one from Wales - at the event in Liverpool. While there was not time for Rhys to ask his question live, it has been tweeted to the astronaut to answer. Class teacher Amy Smith said Rhys was chosen to be the school representative to ask Maj Tim as he floated 264 miles above Earth: \"How did it feel to walk in space?\" \"It's a shame there wasn't time for him to ask his question live but we've tweeted Major Peake and will wait for his answer,\" she said. \"The kids have had a fabulous day and as soon as they saw Major Peake on the screen, their faces just lit up.\" Mrs Smith entered the school into a competition run by the Times Education Supplement's website to be one of those gathering at the World Museum, as part of the \"Cosmic Classroom\" event. The feed was then relayed to other schools around the country; in all 10,000 children were taking part. As well as answering pupils' questions, Maj Peake also demonstrated a number of scientific activities in space, which the children could copy in their classrooms. \"He was absolutely brilliant and did lots of tricks for them, showing how he floated and doing tricks with water to make it go into bubbles,\" said Mrs Smith, who took pupils from years 4 and 5. \"The children were very excited and have been since the moment they were told they were going. \"I think it's fantastic for him to take time out of his mission in space to talk to the children and he has really inspired them. A few of them are now saying they want to go into space too and be able to float.\" The children have been studying space as a topic since Christmas and will be holding a class assembly and creating a class book to mark their time with Maj Tim. The European Space Agency astronaut launched to the orbiting platform on 15 December and is due to stay aboard until June. The International Space Station is currently above the south Atlantic He described his first walk in space as \"exhilarating\".", "summary": "Major Tim Peake made history when he became the first British person to walk in space."}
{"article": "Fly-half Sam Davies is released with Rhodri Jones, Rory Thornton, Olly Cracknell. Nicky Smith and James King. They will return to the Wales camp on Sunday to prepare for the Six Nations game with Ireland on 10 March. The other Welsh regions play on Saturday and will not receive players from Rob Howley's squad, with Wales playing just six days later.", "summary": "Ospreys will be boosted by six Wales squad members for their Pro12 match with Edinburgh on Friday, 3 March."}
{"article": "Age: 44 Nominated for: Blue Jasmine The character: Jasmine is a wealthy New York socialite who suffers a humiliating fall from grace after her husband is arrested for financial fraud. Oscar record: The Australian actress has picked up five previous Academy Award nominations, including two nods for the role of Elizabeth I, whom she portrayed in 1998's Elizabeth and its 2007 sequel The Golden Age. She won the best supporting actress Oscar in 2005 for playing Hollywood star Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator. The critics said: \"Blanchett, who has played Blanche in Streetcar on stage, is the film's glory. She is miraculous at finding the bruised heart of this bullying elitist. This is Blanchett triumphant, and not to be missed.\" Peter Travers, Rolling Stone Age: 49 Nominated for: Gravity The character: Dr Ryan Stone, an astronaut coping with the loss of her four-year-old daughter, is left adrift in space after a devastating accident. Oscar record: Bullock's one previous nomination converted to an Oscar statuette for her leading role in The Blind Side in 2010. The critics said: \"Bullock inhabits the role with grave dignity and hints at Stone's past scars with sensitivity and tact, and she holds the screen effortlessly once Gravity becomes a veritable one-woman show.\" Justin Chang, Variety Age: 79 Nominated for: Philomena The character: Philomena Lee is an Irish Catholic woman who was sent to a convent when she became pregnant as a teenager in the 1950s, and saw her child given up for adoption. A meeting with a journalist in later life prompts a search to find the son she lost. Philomena Lee is still alive today. Oscar record: Dame Judi has previously landed a total of six Academy Awards nominations. She won for her second nomination, playing Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love. Famously, she appeared on screen for only eight minutes. The critics said: \"Ms. Dench's Philomena Lee glows with the radiance of someone serene in her faith despite inhumane treatment by the church. That she makes you believe her character has the capacity to forgive, provides the movie with a solid moral centre.\" Stephen Holden, New York Times Age: 39 Nominated for: American Hustle The character: Sydney Prosser is a confidence trickster who is forced to take part in an FBI sting operation to root out corrupt politicians. Oscar record: Has already picked up four nominations all in the best supporting actress category, most recently for 2012's The Master - but has yet to collect a golden statuette. The critics said: \"Sydney Prosser is played with a gleam of pure self-harming passion by Amy Adams.\" Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian Age: 64 Nominated for: August: Osage County The character: Violet Weston, a family matriarch suffering from cancer with a penchant for taking prescription drugs and doling out searing insults to her loved ones. Oscar record: Streep has collected a total of 17 nominations from previous years, with three wins. One for best supporting actress in Kramer vs Kramer (1980) and two for best actress: Sophie's Choice (1983) and, almost 30 years later, as Margaret Thatcher", "summary": "A look at the best actress winner and her fellow nominees at the 86th Academy Awards."}
{"article": "The first Grand Slam of the 2016 season runs from January 18-31 and the baby is due in mid-February. Asked if he would withdraw from the final in such a scenario, the 28-year-old Scot said: \"I'm going to fly home. \"I'd be way more disappointed winning the Australian Open and not being at the birth of the child.\" Murray, a double Grand Slam winner, said the current plan is to compete in the Australian Open and then take February off to spend time with Kim and the baby. He was speaking while competing in the Hopman Cup event in Perth, where he partnered Heather Watson to a 2-1 win for Great Britain against France on Monday. Murray put Great Britain ahead when he defeated Kenny de Schepper 6-2 6-2 in the men's singles. Watson lost to Caroline Garcia 6-3 5-7 6-3 in the women's singles to level the tie. Murray and Watson then beat De Schepper and Garcia 6-2 5-7 10-6 in a mixed doubles match decided on a champions tie-break.", "summary": "British number one Andy Murray says he would leave the Australian Open early if his wife, Kim, goes into early labour with their first child."}
{"article": "With the Women's Big Bash League over, Heather Knight reflects on another winter down under, pays tribute to one of her predecessors as England captain, is \"put to shame by a 105-year-old\", and looks ahead to a trip to Rwanda. We've played some brilliant cricket but have been a little bit inconsistent through the year. Saying that, we've managed to punch above our weight for a second year in a row and make it to the semi-finals, despite many predictions to the contrary. I've really enjoyed my time in the WBBL once again. It's definitely grown since last year with more publicity, more coverage and it's great to see some bigger crowds too. The double-headers with the men's Big Bash League are, I think, definitely the way forward until the competition grows enough to stand by itself - although it would be great to see the time gap between the end of the women's matches and the start of the men's games reduced, in order to get more people to come to both. The live online streaming of every WBBL match, outside of the TV broadcast fixtures, has been a very good addition, with highlights of every game available freely, and the social media presence has also been great. Unfortunately I got roped into embarrassing myself with my woeful singing, featuring in the Hurricanes' rendition of Taylor Swift's \"Shake It Off\" on the WBBL Pitch Perfect show with Aussie comedian Bobby. Note: the costumes were to try to mask our dreadful voices! I think there is a lot that can be learned from the WBBL to take into the ECB's second season of the Kia Super League this summer. Having two expanding domestic competitions in Australia and England will only help the global development of the women's game, so hopefully the Super League will bounce off the back of the second WBBL, and of course the ICC Women's World Cup on home soil in June and July. I was deeply saddened to hear the news about Rachael Heyhoe Flint passing away, as she was an incredible lady who I was lucky enough to have met on several occasions. She managed the MCC team that I played in against the Rest of the World back in 2014 at Lord's, and I remember her being thrilled that the game was being played - for obvious reasons, after she had fought so hard to play at the home of cricket herself. On that day, she brought along her old England blazer and she was massively chuffed it still fitted her, 50 years later! The things she has done for women's cricket are remarkable, and as a current group of players, we owe her a massive amount. Talking of past England players, I had the absolute privilege of meeting Eileen Ash, the oldest living Test cricketer (male or female) for some filming before I left for Australia, and she is easily one of the most extraordinary ladies I've ever met. She's 105, does yoga every week and I've met teenagers who have a lot less energy", "summary": "The second edition of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) has come to an end and unfortunately for the \"Lilac Ladies\", my Hobart Hurricanes side, it's ended at the same stage as last year with a semi-final loss."}
{"article": "Basharat Hussain of no fixed abode, was arrested at Manchester Airport by South Yorkshire Police as part of an investigation into allegations of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham. The offences are alleged to have been committed between 1996 and 2001. He is due to appear at Rotherham Magistrates' Court on Thursday. The force said he has been arrested on suspicion of gross indecency towards a child, inciting a child to commit gross indecency, procuring a female to have sex with a man, indecent assault, rape, false imprisonment and procuring a female to become a prostitute. Mr Hussain was apprehended after a warrant was issued for his arrest.", "summary": "A 38-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of committing 15 sexual offences, including allegations of rape and false imprisonment."}
{"article": "Ministers are urging people, especially those from ethnic minorities, to sign up as a donor as their new year's resolution for 2016. About 25% of people on the UK transplant waiting list are from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. But only 5% of donors are from these communities, making it harder to find suitable organ for transplant. A transplant is much more likely to be successful if the donor and recipient have the same ethnic origin. The shortage of suitable organs means people from minority ethnic communities wait, on average, twice as long as the general population for organ transplants. Muhammad Azam, 43, waited two months on the organ donor register before his life-saving liver transplant in December 2014. The father-of-two, from Edinburgh, was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 2006 and in 2012 he was told his chance of survival relied on a liver transplant. He said: \"I was constantly exhausted and was even unable to walk at times because I felt so weak. It was a miserable existence.\" Since his transplant, Mr Azam has been able to return to work and his life has completely transformed. He said: \"After the operation I just felt instantly better than I had in months. \"Since then my recovery has been fantastic. Two days after the transplant I was able to walk around again and within nine days I was allowed to go home to recuperate. \"I think there can be misconceptions surrounding organ donation and religion, but actually all major religions in the UK support it in principle. \"I'd encourage anyone who hasn't done so already to join the NHS organ donor register. It's the most generous thing anyone could ever do for another person. \"It really is the greatest gift of all.\" A three-year programme delivered by the Scottish government and Kidney Research UK has recruited \"peer educators\" from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities who act as champions for organ donations within their communities. Public Health Minister Maureen Watt said: \"It is a reality that we need more donors from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities if we are to be able to help people like Muhammad get a new lease of life.\"", "summary": "A plea has been made to give others \"a second chance at life\" by registering to become an organ donor."}
{"article": "But this wasn't any ordinary political programme. To investigate what the women of Scotland want from the independence debate - never mind the outcome - we decided to have an all-female cast of contributors. This wasn't to alienate the good men of Scotland but to ensure we crammed the programme with as many disparate female voices as possible. The spark for \"What Women Want\" was a poll by the influential Scottish Social Attitudes Survey that highlighted a sustained gender gap in voting intentions. Who? Voters in Scotland will go to the polls to vote on their country's future. What? They will be asked the yes/no question: \"Should Scotland be an independent country?\" When? The vote takes place on Thursday, 18 September, 2014. For as long as the organisation has asked a question about independence - about 15 years - women have been less keen on voting Yes by a consistent six or seven percent margin. Combine that with the disproportionate number of women who say they are undecided, and you have a societal grouping that could prove pivotal for September's outcome. We wanted to get to the root of why so many women felt unable to make a decision and why, among those who'd professed an opinion, so many felt independence wasn't the road to travel. It's easy for people like me who've been interviewing politicians on the referendum debate since Adam was a boy to assume every word of it is fed into Scotland's homes to be analysed and debated, but that's clearly nonsense. Normal people have other priorities, and it could be argued that because so many women have families or are carers, our lives tend to be more fragmented. It's not that we work any harder, let's just say we often have more plates spinning than men. On the search for women from all walks of life a night at the bingo proved an eye-opener and a humiliation. You would imagine that hearing a number and marking a card is fairly straightforward. It's not. Trailing three numbers behind the caller was a bit disconcerting; having the elderly lady next to me take over my card while marking three of her own, was downright embarrassing. When I wasn't interrupting their games the women at the bingo were keen to tell me how they felt they weren't being served by the Yes and No campaign. Time and time again I heard a plea for transparency in the debate and a hope that the politicians would stop shouting at each other and provide some facts. Whether or not there are facts to be had in this most crucial of decisions is debatable in itself, but as far as the women we spoke to are concerned, at least some straight talking wouldn't go amiss. The programme also decided to tackle head on the hypothesis that women are more risk averse and therefore prone to sticking with the status quo, i.e. the UK. Try telling the ladies of Edinburgh's Auld Reekie Roller Girls, who meet on a Friday night and knock lumps out of", "summary": "When I started making a documentary about women and the independence referendum little did I know that Maw Broon, a night at the bingo, paramedics at the roller derby, cleaning out my gutters and learning of Nicola Sturgeon's unfamiliarity with her kitchen would all play a part."}
{"article": "Investigators allege that Mr Virzi received a $10m-kickback (\u00c2\u00a36.5m) from a company which won a lucrative irrigation contract, which he denies. The company's executives were arrested days ago trying to leave Panama. Mr Virzi is the latest in a series of high-ranking officials from former administrations to face investigation. In January, the Supreme Court appointed a special prosecutor to investigate claims that former President Ricardo Martinelli had inflated multi-million dollar contracts during his time in office from 2009 to 2014. Mr Martinelli denied the allegations and said they were part of a political vendetta waged against him by his successor in office, Juan Carlos Varela. Mr Varela, who was elected last year, campaigned on a promise to clean up Panamanian politics. The investigation into Mr Virzi centres around allegations that he received $10m from a company hired by the government of Mr Martinelli to build a huge irrigation system in the Tonosi region of Panama. At the time of the alleged payment, Mr Virzi was no longer vice-president but investigators said he still had close links with the government. On Monday, Mr Martinelli defended Mr Virzi, whom he referred to by his nickname, Pipo. The former president said that \"for 40 years we have conducted all kinds of legal business with Pipo Virzi, buying, selling, renting and borrowing. Why is this getting so much negative attention?\". The irrigation system was never built and the company's chief executives are under arrest. Mr Virzi has been charged with money laundering and corruption.", "summary": "A court ordered on Wednesday that Panama's former Vice-President Felipe Virzi be held while he is investigated for alleged corruption."}
{"article": "Grant, 29, made 24 appearances for Vale this season, but moves to the ABAX Stadium on a two-and-a-half-year deal. Striker Mackail-Smith, 32, has scored only five goals in 40 games for Luton since joining the club in August 2015. He scored 99 goals in 212 games for Posh from 2007-2011, before returning for a one-month loan spell in 2014. The Scotland international has made six appearances this season, with three of those coming in the EFL Trophy. \"Unfortunately we haven't seen the best of Craig due to his injuries, but with a prolonged run of games I'm sure he'll be an asset,\" Luton manager Nathan Jones said. Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony said on Twitter that Mackail-Smith had insisted that he would pay back his wages if he was not fit to play whilst on loan. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "Peterborough have signed Port Vale midfielder Anthony Grant for a \"six-figure fee\" and Luton's Craig Mackail-Smith on loan to the end of the term."}
{"article": "The theme was frugality when the party's disciplinary watchdog issued a raft of tweaked guidelines for its 88 million members last October. Even though the wording was vague, Wednesday's statement on how these guidelines should be enforced remained well within the spirit of the party's ongoing austerity drive. It is all in the name of stamping out corruption, but the perceived intrusion into life's most significant rituals sparked a backlash online. It is part of traditional Chinese custom for guests at such events to give cash to the bride and groom or to the grieving family. At weddings, gifts are seen as wishing the couple good luck, whereas at funerals the money is seen as a way of paying condolences and it also helps out with funeral expenses. Wedding and funerals are seen as key indicators of one's social status in Chinese culture, and there is an emphasis on holding extravagant affairs. Now, members are discouraged from using their power to \"hold large parties\" and using the \"manpower and resources\" that come with one's position, such as employees or service staff, at such events. They also cannot use weddings and funerals \"as vehicles to make money\", so the custom of giving and receiving money at these events is frowned upon. The watchdog noted that sometimes members could hold events \"on a very large scale or invite lots of guests\" where in the process they would receive \"large sums in gifts\". In smaller villages weddings and funerals can last days and involve mass processions. So the guidance noted that such events cannot \"disturb or obstruct daily production, lives, work, business, teaching, research, traffic and any other regular orders\". It added for good measure that they also cannot \"injure or kill people\" or \"violate the interests of the country, collective and people\". Members are encouraged not to adhere blindly to their local cultural customs, although the watchdog stressed this did not mean a total ban on local traditions. \"Members, particularly those in the leadership, must note that they could cause a bad impression among the public, and so should observe customs while also organising simple and regular weddings and funerals,\" it said. But the explanation cut no ice among some, as a backlash took place online. On microblogging network Weibo, many users complained of the rules as being too overbearing and draconian. \"The enforcing of rules has become askew, even normal citizens are being regulated now,\" said one user. \"Holding a wedding can damage the country's interests? Are you referring to a marriage with the Dalai Lama?\" mocked another.", "summary": "China's Communist Party this week set out the thinking behind recent guidance on weddings and funerals for party members."}
{"article": "Zoo staff cared for the injured bird and it is being returned to its owner in south Wales. 'The Pit Man' had failed to return from a race in the south of France five weeks ago. Owner Craig Dewar, from Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent, said he was \"thrilled\" his bird had been found. Zoo worker Justin Aird said: \"I was just giving a public talk about how the meerkats stand sentry duty to look out for birds of prey when suddenly there was a commotion overhead. Moments later, the pigeon dropped out of the sky and landed nearby.\" Staff found the bird's identity tag and contacted Mr Dewar. Zoo curator Colin Northcott said: \"Obviously the bird was very shaken and had sustained some minor injuries but he was very lucky to have fallen where he did. \"If it had been anywhere else, even in a more remote part of the zoo, the buzzard would surely have finished him off.\" The bird got its name as it always flies home over the site of the former Six Bells Colliery in Abertillery. Mr Dewar said: \"I was thrilled to hear that he'd been recovered. I just can't believe that he will be back with us soon.\" The Pit Man will be able to give his wings a rest on the journey home as he will be couriered back by a specialist.", "summary": "A racing pigeon feared lost has turned up after plummeting out of the sky into Dartmoor Zoo in Devon following an attack by a bird of prey."}
{"article": "The American was among many who played both their first and second rounds on a calmer Friday and he followed a three-under 67 with a 69 to reach four under. Spain's Sergio Garcia shot a 70 in round two to stay two under at halfway, alongside American Scott Piercy (70). Andrew Landry led on four under after round one but is scheduled to start his second round at 12:11 BST on Saturday. However, Saturday's tee times could change because the light faded with 27 players unable to complete their second rounds. England's Lee Westwood, who posted a three-under 67 when he completed his first round early on Friday, is, like Landry, among half of the field who are scheduled to play their second and third rounds on Saturday. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, Masters champion Danny Willett, Scotland's Russell Knox and Ireland's Shane Lowry will also play their second rounds on Saturday. Lowry had a two-under 68 in round one while Knox had a level-par 70. Willett had a 75 and is flirting with the cut as he is tied for 56th with McIlroy the wrong side after a seven-over 77 left him tied for 94th with the top 60 plus ties making the cut. The world number three, who won the US Open in 2011, told BBC Sport he would \"need a 66\" to get back in contention on Saturday. Johnson, who had a putt to win last year's US Open but took three to hand the title to Jordan Spieth, followed his bogey-free opening round with another nine holes without a dropping a shot. Starting on the 10th, he birdied the par-three 13th to go to four under but gave that back with his first and only bogey of the tournament so far on the first. A birdie on the sixth, after several missed opportunities, was reward for a disciplined and patient round and he parred his way in to finish just before sunset. \"I'm in pretty good shape, so the physical part's no problem,\" said Johnson after completing 36 holes in a day. \"But mentally you've got to make sure you stay sharp all day, because you can't go to sleep on any shot out here. \"I hit so many good putts today that I thought were going in, and burned the edge or lipped out. That's just how it goes, these greens are tough.\" Johnson's playing partner Garcia started his second round with a bogey-five on the par-four 10th but a birdie on the 17th saw him get back to two under par. However, bogeys on the 18th and first dropped him back to level par but birdies on the second and sixth kept him in the hunt for his first major. The Spaniard, who is not renowned for his ability with the putter, made a superb scrambling par with a 50-foot putt at his last hole, the ninth. Westwood is the leading Englishman but he is yet to play his second round and is scheduled to tee off at 13:28 BST on Saturday. Andy Sullivan was among those", "summary": "Dustin Johnson holds the clubhouse lead midway through the second round of the storm-delayed US Open at Oakmont."}
{"article": "Crane driver Dempsey Nibbs killed his partner of 30 years after he suspected her of having affairs, the court heard. Judith Nibbs, 60, described as \"bubbly and happy\", had predicted her own death, telling colleagues, \"If I'm not in on Friday, I might be dead\", jurors were told. Mr Nibbs, 69, of the Charles Estate in Hoxton, denies murder. The court heard that Mr Nibbs carried out the act because he thought his partner was a \"snake\", and said he had killed her while \"defending himself\". Crispin Aylett QC, prosecuting, said the couple's relationship had soured in the spring of 2014 as Mr Nibbs suspected his partner of infidelity. Ms Nibbs had confided in her sister and a colleague at Meals on Wheels that her partner had threatened to kill her and grabbed her by the throat. During a row on 7 April, she had taunted Mr Nibbs with details of her infidelities, saying: \"I have had sex eight times.\" On the night of 10 April, Mr Nibbs attacked her in their Hoxton flat and knocked her out, Mr Aylett said. \"Having attacked his wife, the defendant then took up a kitchen knife and cut off her head,\" he said. The court heard how Mr Nibbs disposed of remains down the lavatory, before writing a suicide note to his son and ringing police to tell them they would find \"a couple of dead bodies\" at his home. The trial heard that Mr Nibbs shown no signs of mental illness in the wake of the killing. Ms Nibbs's former workmates described her as a happy, joyful, bubbly and open-minded woman. The trial continues.", "summary": "A jealous man beheaded the mother of his two children in an act of \"pure hatred\", the Old Bailey heard."}
{"article": "The Ocean's Eleven stars will premiere '50s-set crime comedy Suburbicon at the event, which Damon stars in and Clooney co-writes and directs. Damon will also be seen in festival opener Downsizing, directed by Alexander Payne. After premiering three major Academy Award winners in a row, Venice is seen as a good luck charm for the Oscars. Previous films to debut at the event include Birdman and Spotlight, which went on to win the Academy Award for best picture. Last year's opener La La Land was also named best picture - but only as the result of an envelope mix-up. In Suburbicon, Damon character tries to understand the dark mysteries of his seemingly peaceful town along with wife Margaret, played by Julianne Moore. In Downsizing, which also stars Kristen Wiig, Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Sudeikis, he plays a man who literally shrinks himself in search of a better life. Guillermo Del Toro will debut his other-worldly fairy-tale The Shape of Water. Set against the backdrop of America's Cold War era, it stars Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon and Octavia Spencer. Darren Aronofsky will also premiere his latest film Mother!, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem. The director said he was \"excited\" to be unveiling the horror film, which will also screen at Toronto. Chinese contemporary artist and activist Ai Weiwei will also be competing in the festival with his film Human Flow, a film about the global refugee crisis. Spanning 23 countries over the course of a year, the film focuses on both the scale of the crisis and its personal human impact. Weiwei said: \"There is no refugee crisis, only a human crisis. The border is not at Lesbos, but really it is in our hearts and minds.\" Jane Fonda and Robert Redford will be celebrated with the Golden Lion lifetime achievement award at the festival. Netflix film Our Souls at Night, in which they both star, will be premiered out of competition. Alberto Barbera, the festival's artistic director, called Fonda \"one of the great protagonists of contemporary international cinema\" and Redford \"a thoughtful, instinctive actor with a keen sense of detail.\" New to this year's festivities is Venice Virtual Reality, billed as the first competition for VR works at a major film festival. The 74th edition of the Venice Film Festival runs from 30 August to 5 September. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "George Clooney and Matt Damon are set to bring some Hollywood glitz to this year's Venice Film Festival."}
{"article": "Russell, 28, was part of the side that won April's World Twenty20 and will be available for four matches in June. Tahir, 37, will then link up for the final seven games and is set to play in six County Championship fixtures. \"Andre is one of the leading T20 players in the world right now,\" said director of cricket Mick Newell. Russell has taken 180 wickets in T20 cricket at an average of 26.13, and has 12 half-centuries with the bat with a strike rate of more than 165 runs per 100 balls. Newell added: \"Looking at our line-up, there was certainly scope to add a hitter into the middle order, as we did in 2015 with Darren Sammy. \"In Andre's case it's an added bonus that he's a very effective fast bowler as well.\" Tahir played three matches for Notts towards the end of last season. He has taken 150 wickets in international and domestic T20 cricket at 20.82, with an economy rate below seven. \"We've seen many times how valuable a world-class leg-spinner can be, in all formats of the game,\" said Newell. \"Imran enjoyed his time here last year, he wanted to come back, and we're only too happy for him to do so. \"Having him available will also allow us to make the most of some of the drier pitches in four-day cricket at the back end of the summer.\"", "summary": "Nottinghamshire have signed West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell and South Africa leg-spinner Imran Tahir for their T20 Blast campaign."}
{"article": "Moffat netted from close range and added to that with a shot into the bottom left corner. Aidan Nesbitt's strike halved Morton's deficit before the interval. However, the visitors could not find an equaliser in the second period meaning the Pars went above Ayr United and Dumbarton. Match ends, Dunfermline Athletic 2, Morton 1. Second Half ends, Dunfermline Athletic 2, Morton 1. Michael Moffat (Dunfermline Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Jamie McDonagh (Morton) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Michael Moffat (Dunfermline Athletic). Lee Ashcroft (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Thomas O'Ware (Morton). Attempt missed. Ross Forbes (Morton) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Foul by Lee Ashcroft (Dunfermline Athletic). Kudus Oyenuga (Morton) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Dunfermline Athletic. Farid El Alagui replaces Nicky Clark. Foul by Nathaniel Wedderburn (Dunfermline Athletic). Caolan McAleer (Morton) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Kallum Higginbotham (Dunfermline Athletic). Mark Russell (Morton) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Paul McMullan (Dunfermline Athletic). Jamie McDonagh (Morton) wins a free kick on the right wing. Attempt saved. Nicky Clark (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Gary Oliver (Morton) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Rhys McCabe (Dunfermline Athletic). Substitution, Morton. Caolan McAleer replaces Andy Murdoch. Attempt missed. Kallum Higginbotham (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is high and wide to the right from a direct free kick. Jamie McDonagh (Morton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Nicky Clark (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Jamie McDonagh (Morton). Foul by Ryan Williamson (Dunfermline Athletic). Aidan Nesbitt (Morton) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Nathaniel Wedderburn (Dunfermline Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Nathaniel Wedderburn (Dunfermline Athletic). Michael Tidser (Morton) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Michael Moffat (Dunfermline Athletic). Andy Murdoch (Morton) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Dunfermline Athletic. Conceded by Jamie McDonagh. Lee Ashcroft (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Kudus Oyenuga (Morton). Foul by Rhys McCabe (Dunfermline Athletic). Ross Forbes (Morton) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, Dunfermline Athletic. Conceded by Andy Murdoch. Foul by Nathaniel Wedderburn (Dunfermline Athletic). Jamie McDonagh (Morton) wins a free kick on the right wing.", "summary": "Michael Moffat's double moved Dunfermline Athletic off second bottom in the Scottish Championship as Greenock Morton lost in Fife."}
{"article": "The visitors led at the break through Helder Costa's penalty after Dave Edwards was felled by Jon McLaughlin. Burton piled on the pressure after half-time and levelled when former Wolves winger Michael Kightly marked his debut by tapping in from two yards. Woodrow hooked in the winner deep in injury time after Wolves failed to clear a corner. Burton's win means they remain three points clear of the Championship relegation zone after third-from-bottom Blackburn also snatched a late victory over QPR, while Wolves drop to 18th after Nottingham Forest's injury-time win over Aston Villa. In a scrappy first half of few chances, Lasse Vigen Christensen, on loan from Fulham like Woodrow, volleyed over Tom Flanagan's cross, while Wolves striker Nouha Dicko saw a shot tipped around the post by McLaughlin. The visitors finally took the lead five minutes before the break when Costa drilled his spot-kick high into the net after McLaughlin brought down Edwards. But Paul Lambert's side struggled to create anything of note after the break as Burton dominated. Carl Ikeme tipped a Kightly shot around the post and a free-kick over the bar before the winger, who joined on loan from Burnley on deadline day, finally claimed the equaliser by converting Marvin Sordell's pass. And Nigel Clough's side, who grabbed an injury-time equaliser when the two sides drew 1-1 at Molineux in September, got the winner when Woodrow turned in Flanagan's header from close range in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Burton manager Nigel Clough: \"It's about time we had one go in our favour. We have had enough heartaches to last us three seasons in the first 20-odd games. \"It's about the first time anything has really broken for us in the last minute in the penalty area. The corner has come in and just dropped to two of our lads and Cauley has ended up putting it in. \"The two new lads get the goals and it makes a difference when you can bring a few bodies in during January. \"We have created a few chances throughout the season, but it's nice now to have people who can finish them off.\" Wolves head coach Paul Lambert told BBC WM: \"In the first half I thought we did a lot with the ball. We got the lead and it gives you something to go with at half-time \"But in the second half we were not the same and we allowed Burton to come back into the game. \"The first goal is poor from our point of view, because it's too easy for them to get through our defence. For the second, our marking was not good enough at the set play. \"We have set ourselves such a high standard so the disappointment is there for everybody today. Sometimes you need a reality check, and today we just weren't good enough.\" Match ends, Burton Albion 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1. Second Half ends, Burton Albion 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1. Goal! Burton Albion 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1. Cauley Woodrow (Burton Albion) left footed shot from very close range to the", "summary": "Cauley Woodrow scored an injury-time winner as Burton Albion fought back from a goal down to beat Wolves."}
{"article": "5 November 2016 Last updated at 10:55 GMT Meet Emily and Gabby, two students at Weir High School in West Virginia. They took some time to show the Newsround cameras around their high school. So is it a cool as it looks in the movies? Check out the video to get an inside peek. And watch out for more from those cheerleaders and footballers next week with all the latest on the US Election.", "summary": "You will probably have seen them in some of your favourite films, but what is it like in a real American high school?"}
{"article": "Champagne tastes like sheet metal after the third glass. Sunbathing gives you cancer. And the ubiquity of Henry Moore sculptures in English market towns in the 1970s put me off his work for a quarter of a century. Back then, in Harold Wilson's Britain, Moore's monumental stone figures and giant abstract casts had the same worthy municipal feel as the local town hall. Any conurbation large enough to support a Boots, a cinema and a public convenience seemed compelled to plonk an enormous Moore sculpture on a prize piece of public real estate. His misshapen family groups and huge pierced boulders of bronze were like those fashionable avocado bathrooms - not nearly as groovy as the older generation thought. More Abigail's Party than the Sex Pistols. I wasn't alone in wanting no more Moore. In 1967, he offered the Tate Gallery \"20 or 30 major pieces\". Fellow artists were less keen, saying it was wrong to devote so much space to a single living artist (Moore had insisted his gift be on permanent display, which would have taken up a sizable chunk of the Tate's sculpture galleries). The Tate declined - and the artist gave the work to a grateful Art Gallery of Ontario instead. That was then. Forty years later, I have aged, and so have Moore's sculptures. They have fared much better than me - they look terrific now. Maybe it's their sense of calm permanence in our superficial, super-fast world, or my romanticising of Moore's post-war vision of modernity. Either way, it was a pleasure to spend yesterday at his old home in Perry Green, Hertfordshire, which is now The Henry Moore Foundation. He was a sincere and dedicated artist who knew he wanted to be a sculptor aged 11, had his first commissions in his teens, and went on to excel at the Leeds School of Art. There he met and befriended another aspiring young sculptor called Barbara Hepworth, who, like Moore, was inspired by the Yorkshire landscape of their birth. He read widely, immersed himself in art and drew on influences far and wide, from primitive African artefacts to Parisian Cubism. His intellectual and technical wherewithal enabled him to successfully incorporate all these ingredients into harmonious, pleasing forms that feel both ancient and modern. It's what gives his work such broad appeal and why it can be seen in hundreds of cities around the world - there is something in it for everyone. His drawings of sheep and apple trees have an intensity and energy that feels kinetic. You'll see plenty of the real thing if you sit at his old oak desk in the little shed with a picture window that looks out onto the fields of sheep that frequently wander over to look at you. There are some good drawings from his student days, which you can see in an exhibition opening this Saturday at the Foundation called Becoming Henry Moore. There are plenty of sculptures, too, in the exhibition and dotted about the 70 acres of landscape, which the canny Moore used as a", "summary": "You really can have too much of a good thing."}
{"article": "Some 13,000 people have left the area since Thursday, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says. The evacuation deal also includes government-held parts of Idlib province besieged by rebels. The UN envoy for Syria says there are plans for peace talks on 8 February. Some 7,000 people are still trapped in Aleppo, according to the Syrian Observatory. Conditions there are grim, with no access to food and shelter and minimal medical facilities. Among those evacuated on Monday were 47 children trapped in an orphanage, children's charity Unicef said in a statement. Some were in a critical condition because of injuries or dehydration, the organisation added. The evacuees also included seven-year-old Bana Alabed, whose home in eastern Aleppo was bombed and whose appeals for peace on Twitter were heard worldwide. In a video she expressed relief at escaping the \"endless bombardment in Aleppo\". After leaving Aleppo city, the evacuees will be moved to parts of Aleppo and Idlib provinces. The operation restarted late on Sunday. It had stalled after armed men set fire to buses that were about to transport the sick and injured from the mainly Shia, government-held villages of Foah and Kefraya in Idlib province. The Syrian Observatory said that 500 of the 4,000 villagers left the areas on Monday. A rebel representative said hundreds of people would also be evacuated from Zabadani and Madaya, two army-besieged rebel towns near the border with Lebanon, as part of the deal. At the UN Security Council, the 15 members managed to overcome disagreements between Western nations and Russia and unanimously approved the resolution. It requested the \"UN and other relevant institutions to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring\" of the mass evacuations from Aleppo. Syria's envoy Bashar Jaafari spoke out against council members who he said had hidden agendas and intended \"to legitimise foreign interference, the changing of legitimate governments by force, or even using military force\". For monitors to be deployed in Aleppo, they need permission from the Syrian government. Meanwhile, a gunman killed the Russian ambassador to Turkey in Ankara. The attacker, identified as a police officer, shouted \"Don't forget Aleppo\". Leaders of both countries, who brokered the deal for the evacuations, said the attack was a \"provocation\" aimed at hurting bilateral ties, and vowed to investigate the killing. It was not clear if the gunman acted alone or had links to any group.", "summary": "The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution calling for UN officials and others to monitor the mass evacuations from rebel-held east Aleppo and the safety of civilians still there."}
{"article": "A pair of early strikes set them on their way. Defender Moussa Diarra netted his first goal in Barrow colours, not long after Danny Livesey had hit the bar. Within three minutes, the Bluebirds' new goalscoring machine, Byron Harrison, grabbed his 12th goal since signing from Chesterfield in the summer. Harrison nearly made it 3-0 when he hit the woodwork in the second half. Instead, Akwasi Asante went down the other end and was more clinical with his finish. Jamey Osborne then hit the bar as Solihull rallied strongly, but the push was ultimately fruitless. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Barrow 2, Solihull Moors 1. Second Half ends, Barrow 2, Solihull Moors 1. Substitution, Barrow. Lindon Meikle replaces Jordan Williams. Jamey Osborne (Solihull Moors) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Barrow. Andy Haworth replaces Alex-Ray Harvey. Substitution, Solihull Moors. Harry White replaces Eddie Jones. Substitution, Barrow. Akil Wright replaces Richard Bennett. Eddie Jones (Solihull Moors) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Solihull Moors. Omari Sterling-James replaces Darryl Knights. Nick Wilmer-Anderton (Barrow) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Goal! Barrow 2, Solihull Moors 1. Akwasi Asante (Solihull Moors). Second Half begins Barrow 2, Solihull Moors 0. First Half ends, Barrow 2, Solihull Moors 0. Jack Byrne (Solihull Moors) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Jordan Gough (Solihull Moors) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Goal! Barrow 2, Solihull Moors 0. Byron Harrison (Barrow). Goal! Barrow 1, Solihull Moors 0. Moussa Diarra (Barrow). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Barrow took their incredible run of form to 18 matches unbeaten with a 2-1 home win over Solihull."}
{"article": "The Quick-Step Floors rider had won five stages of this year's race to lead the green points jersey classification. Kittel injured his right shoulder in the crash on a flat section of road, 20km into the stage. Australia's Michael Matthews, who was nine points adrift, will take over the lead and hold a virtually unassailable 160-point advantage over Andre Greipel. The points classification, which rewards consistently high finishes, had been providing a terrific sub-plot to the race. World champion Peter Sagan had won the five previous green jerseys and was attempting to match Erik Zabel's record of six. However, the Slovakian was disqualified from the race for causing Britain's Mark Cavendish to crash out on stage four. That left Kittel, who is a pure sprinter, in the jersey and he built an advantage of more than 100 points over Matthews. Team Sunweb rider Matthews is a better climber and can therefore pick up points at intermediate sprints on more mountainous stages - as he did on stage 17 - and he had whittled the lead down. It would now appear as though Matthews just needs to stay on his bike to Paris to win the jersey. There are 60 intermediate sprint points available plus 50 points for the winner of the 21st and final stage, which is likely to be a sprinter, such as Germany's Greipel. However, Greipel will not be able to pick up any points in the mountain-top finish on stage 18, and is unlikely to win stage 20's individual time trial.", "summary": "Germany's Marcel Kittel has abandoned the Tour de France after crashing on Wednesday's stage 17 in the Alps."}
{"article": "The 10,000-year-old remains of 27 people found west of Lake Turkana show that they met violent deaths. They were left to die there rather than being buried. Many experts have argued that conflict only came about as humans became more settled. These people, by contrast, were apparently nomadic hunter-gatherers. The archaeologists, who have been working on the site at Nataruk since 2012, discovered that the victims were clubbed or stabbed to death in a single event. The dead included male and female adults, as well as children. The evidence, published in the journal Nature, does not reveal exactly what happened but the fact that so many people died at the same time suggests it was the result of \"some sort of conflict\", according to Cambridge University Professor Robert Foley. Nataruk records what is, for now, the oldest scientifically-dated case of conflict between two nomadic hunter-gatherer groups. Nevertheless, its significance is not its age, but the fact that it involved these groups, who had few possessions to fight over. Nataruk establishes definitively that inter-group violence can and did arise regardless of whether the populations were settled. All it needed was moments of food abundance, causing groups to grow in size, putting pressure on the resources. Then the benefits of stealing from another group could outweigh the costs of the conflict that might ensue. Nataruk was an important place because it was at the edge of a super lake beach which would have attracted all land animals to drink, as well as giving access to fishing grounds, while other parts of the shore of Lake Turkana (the forested Kerio Delta, for example, or the rocky whole southern edge) would not have that. It is believed that the group was attacked by rival hunter-gatherers armed with wooden clubs and arrows or spears tipped with sharpened obsidian, a rare black volcanic rock. Speculating on the causes of the attack, Marta Mirazon Lahr, who led the Nataruk study, said the \"massacre may have resulted from an attempt to seize resources... whose value was similar to those of later food-producing agricultural societies, among whom violent attacks on settlements became part of life\". Today, the area where the bodies were found is scrubland, but the researchers say that 10,000 years ago it would have been fertile and very close to the shoreline of the lake. Many experts have argued that conflicts only arise \"once people have things worth fighting over, [such as] herds of livestock, stores of grain... things that you can both defend and attack,\" Professor Foley told the BBC's Newsday radio programme. It has been assumed that hunter-gatherers were less likely to engage in such conflicts because they can move away, but the Nataruk find shows that \"before we have settled life, groups were competing over resources\", Professor Foley added.", "summary": "Archaeologists say they have unearthed the earliest evidence of warfare between hunter-gatherers to be scientifically dated, at a remote site in northern Kenya."}
{"article": "1502 - Christopher Columbus lands in Honduras. Hurricane Mitch wiped out homes in Tegucigalpa, killed thousands Mitch: A path of destruction 1525 - Spain begins conquest of Honduras, which is accomplished only in 1539 after bitter struggles with the native population and rivals representing Spanish power centres in Mexico, Panama and Hispaniola. 17th century - Northern coast falls to British buccaneers; British protectorate established over the coast until 1860 while the Spanish concentrate on the inland area. 1821 - Honduras gains independence from Spain but becomes part of Mexico. 1823 - Honduras joins the United Provinces of Central America, which also include Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Independence and US economic control 1840 - Honduras becomes fully independent. Late 19th-early 20th century - US becomes economically involved in Honduras, with the United Fruit Company controlling two-thirds of banana exports by 1913. 1932-49 - Honduras under right-wing National Party of Honduras (PNH) dictatorship led by General Tiburcio Carias Andino. 1963 - Colonel Osvaldo Lopez Arellano takes power after leading a coup. 1969 - Brief but costly war with El Salvador over heavy immigration and disputed border. 1974 - Lopez resigns after allegedly accepting a bribe from a US company. 1975 - Colonel Juan Alberto Melgar Castro take power. 1978 - Melgar ousted in coup led by General Policarpo Paz Garcia. 1980 - General Paz signs peace treaty with El Salvador. Civilian rule, war with Nicaragua 1981 - Roberto Suazo Cordova of the centrist Liberal Party of Honduras (PLH) is elected president, leading the first civilian government in more than a century. But armed forces chief General Gustavo Alvarez retains considerable power and Honduras becomes embroiled in various regional conflicts. US-run camps for training Salvadorans in counterinsurgency are set up on Honduran territory. 1982 - US-backed Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries, or Contras, launch operations to bring down Nicaragua's Sandinista government from Honduran territory. 1982-83 - General Alvarez responds to increasing political unrest by ordering the detention of trade union activists and left-wing sympathisers. Death squads are allegedly used to eliminate subversive elements. 1984 - General Alvarez is deposed amid anti-American demonstrations in Tegucigalpa. US-run training camps for Salvadoran counter-revolutionaries are shut down, but the government continues to cooperate with the US administration's anti-Sandinista activities in return for substantial economic aid. 1986 - Another Liberal Party man, Jose Azcona del Hoyo, elected president after the law was changed to stipulate a maximum one-term presidency. Human rights abuses 1987 - Amnesty granted both to military and left-wing guerrillas for abuses committed during early 1980s. 1988 February - An Amnesty International report alleges an increase in human rights violations by armed forces and right-wing death squads. 1988 August - Inter-American Court of Human Rights finds Honduran government guilty of \"disappearances\" of Honduran citizens between 1981 and 1984. 1989 January - General Alvarez is assassinated by left-wing guerrillas in Tegucigalpa. 1989 February - Summit of Central American presidents in El Salvador reaches agreement on demobilisation of Nicaraguan Contras based in Honduras. 1990 January - Rafael Callejas sworn in as president; proceeds to introduce neo-liberal economic reforms and austerity", "summary": "A chronology of key events:"}
{"article": "Midway through the first half Ross Hannah had a chance to put Barrow ahead, but his shot was blocked by Michael Ihiekwe. Andy Cook's excellent volley from 25 yards out, his 19th league goal of the season for Rovers, broke the deadlock and he almost doubled the advantage just before the break. Barrow levelled in the 63rd minute when Moussa Diarra attacked the ball from a free-kick that was spilled for Inoh Effiong to tap in moments after coming on. Six minutes later Akil Wright's interception fed Williams, who stunningly found the top corner from 20 yards. Match report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Barrow 2, Tranmere Rovers 1. Second Half ends, Barrow 2, Tranmere Rovers 1. Substitution, Tranmere Rovers. Cole Stockton replaces Jay Harris. Substitution, Tranmere Rovers. Connor Jennings replaces Adam Mekki. Jay Harris (Tranmere Rovers) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Tranmere Rovers. Andy Mangan replaces Ritchie Sutton. Goal! Barrow 2, Tranmere Rovers 1. Jordan Williams (Barrow). Goal! Barrow 1, Tranmere Rovers 1. Inih Effiong (Barrow). Substitution, Barrow. Inih Effiong replaces Ross Hannah. Substitution, Barrow. Akil Wright replaces Dan Rowe. Second Half begins Barrow 0, Tranmere Rovers 1. First Half ends, Barrow 0, Tranmere Rovers 1. Goal! Barrow 0, Tranmere Rovers 1. Andy Cook (Tranmere Rovers). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Jordan Williams' screamer gave Barrow victory over high-flying Tranmere at Holker Street and moved the hosts two points off the National League play-off places."}
{"article": "Francis Benali, who made more than 300 appearances for Southampton FC, ran a marathon and cycled 75 miles (120km) each day for a fortnight in October. The city council unanimously approved a motion giving him honorary freedom of the city at a special meeting earlier. Benali, 47, described receiving the honour as \"a complete surprise\". \"It's just wonderful to be thought of,\" he added. The honour was awarded in recognition of Benali's fund raising achievements for charitable causes, as well those as a player and coach at Saints, the authority said. It confers no rights or privileges, such as driving sheep through the city, and is \"purely ceremonial\", it added. The 1,000-mile (1,600km) route linking 44 football clubs took him to south Wales, the Midlands and the North-West, before crossing the country and returning via East Anglia and London. He raised more than \u00c2\u00a3390,000 for Cancer Research. Benali received a standing ovation from fans when he arrived at St Mary's Stadium at half-time during a home match against Burnley on 16 October. It followed another challenge in 2014 which saw him running between 20 Premier League stadiums and raising more than \u00c2\u00a3265,000 for charity. As a result he was presented with the Barclays Spirit of the Game award in December 2014, acknowledged as the Cancer Research UK Flame of Hope Award Winner 2015, Fundraising Volunteer of the Year and also the Just Giving Celebrity Fundraiser of the Year 2015. Other individuals to have been given the honour in Southampton include former Saints managers Ted Bates and Lawrie McMenemy, former player Matthew Le Tissier, and World War One prime minister David Lloyd George.", "summary": "A former Southampton footballer who ran and cycled to every Premier League and Championship stadium in two weeks has been granted the freedom of the city."}
{"article": "Schools and offices in northern cities are expected to close on Friday afternoon as the storm nears. The typhoon was 450 km (280 miles) southeast of Yilan county on Friday morning, Taiwan's weather bureau said. In 2009, Taiwan was hit by Typhoon Morakot, which left hundreds dead in floods and mudslides. Typhoon Soulik, which was earlier classed as a \"super typhoon\", weakened overnight and has been downgraded to a medium-force typhoon. However, it still had wind speeds of around 173 km/hour (100 mph) on Friday morning. It is expected to hit north and northeast Taiwan on Friday, before moving onto mainland China's eastern provinces on Saturday. Hundreds of soldiers are on stand-by for emergency response operations and 102 military camps have been prepared as emergency shelters, the Central Emergency Operations Center said. In a statement, the centre also warned that some areas of Taiwan were prone to landslides. \"The central region of Taiwan has experienced two earthquakes with magnitude six or above on 27 March and 2 June, [and] loose soil after seismic activities are potential disaster areas under heavy rainfall,\" it said. It advised that fishing boats return to the shore before the typhoon hit, and asked members of the public to avoid mountain and coastal areas. More than 2,000 tourists were evacuated from Taiwan's Green Island, near the city of Taitung, on Thursday as a precaution. Some flights to Taiwan have been disrupted, with both Cathay Pacific and China Airlines announcing cancellations or planned cancellations. Typhoon Soulik is expected to arrive in mainland China's eastern provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang on Saturday. Local authorities have been asked to implement emergency response plans, China's state-run news agency Xinhua reported. Typhoons are common during the summer in parts of East Asia, where the warm moist air and low pressure conditions enable tropical cyclones to form.", "summary": "Taiwan is braced for the arrival of Typhoon Soulik, a tropical hurricane expected to bring strong winds and torrential rain to the island."}
{"article": "The proportion of ambulances hitting the target response time of eight minutes for the most urgent calls fell well below half in December. The target for responding to Category A calls is 65% - but in December it was just 42.6%. It was down from 51.0% in November 2014 and from 57.6% from December 2013. The statistics were the subject of angry exchanges at Prime Ministers Questions, with David Cameron describing them as the \"worst on record\" and blaming \"catastrophic cuts and mismanagement\" of the Welsh NHS by Labour ministers. Labour leader Ed Miliband accused Mr Cameron of having a \"war on Wales\" and using the Welsh NHS for political propaganda. Tracy Myhill, interim chief executive at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: \"We completely appreciate that this presents an unacceptable level of service delivery across the whole health and social care system.\" \"There are a number of mitigating factors that we need to consider. \"Firstly, we took more than 40,000 calls in December, which is a record high for us and well above what we projected for that month. \"Secondly, when you break down our 'Red' calls into Red 1s (immediately life-threatening, e.g. cardiac arrest) and Red 2s (serious but less immediately time critical, e.g. suspected stroke), we performed much better on the higher acuity Red 1 calls (57.9%) than the Red 2 calls (40.6%). \"While this is still not where we'd like performance to be, it demonstrates that we are still reaching the majority of our most critically ill patients within eight minutes.\" Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething said the ambulance service needed to urgently improve its response to emergency 999 calls. Leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies has called for \"urgent action\" to address the \"alarming decline\" in ambulance response times. Plaid Cymru health spokeswoman Elin Jones said paramedics were facing pressures caused by the \"lack of integration of health and social care and the lack of planning\". Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said the figures were \"absolutely appalling and the Welsh Labour government should be ashamed.\" A Welsh government spokesperson said the figures demonstrated the immense pressure the Welsh Ambulance Service was under throughout December. \"The demand on the service was unprecedented, with the service receiving 40,147 calls during the month, or around 1,295 a day,\" the spokesperson said. \"They are nevertheless disappointing and there is no complacency about the need to improve performance.\" The figures come as police forces across Wales said they took patients to hospital more than 100 times last month.", "summary": "Ambulance response times for the most urgent calls in Wales are the worst on record, new figures show."}
{"article": "The scam, which involves drawing the salaries of non-existent civil servants, is widespread, a BBC correspondent in Nigeria says. But the government has recently been cracking down, removing thousands of \"ghost workers\" from its payroll. Nigeria is Africa's biggest economy. It is the continent's top oil producer, but its economy is currently under huge strain due to the recent collapse in oil prices. The state has been able to save millions of dollars as a result of an ongoing verification of its workforce, the auditor general for Bauchi said. Abubakar Gabi said that thousands of workers and pensioners did not appear for an exercise aimed at rooting out ghost workers and claimants.", "summary": "Children as young as eight are being paid teaching salaries by the state as part of identity fraud in the north-eastern Nigerian state of Bauchi, officials have found."}
{"article": "At least five vehicles are believed to have been involved in the collision at J18 Charing Cross. Emergency services are at the scene and traffic is being directed off at J17, down Newton St and back on at J19, before the Kingston Bridge. Have you taken any photographs of this incident? Send them to us at newsonlinescotland@bbc.co.uk Please ensure when filming or photographing an incident that you make your safety and the safety of others a priority. If you submit an image, you do so in accordance with the BBC's Terms and Conditions.", "summary": "The westbound M8 motorway has been closed in central Glasgow following a serious crash."}
{"article": "25 November 2015 Last updated at 12:29 GMT The waiters had to balance trays of glasses and bottles filled with water, while running down a 300 metre course. The waiter who won, Kento Sasamoto, took just 49 seconds to complete the race. Watch this clip of the waiters racing.", "summary": "More than 120 waiters have taken part in this year's Waiters' Race in Japan."}
{"article": "In October, the figure had fallen to 6.4%, having previously peaked at 9.3% in June. The average price of a UK home in November was \u00c2\u00a3218,000, according to the ONS and Land Registry data. The ONS said the figures, which include cash sales, continued the \"strong growth seen since the end of 2013\". The local authority which saw the sharpest increase was Rutland, England's smallest county by population size, where prices rose by 20.7% over the 12 months. By contrast the biggest drop in prices - a fall of 7.8% - was seen in both Aberdeen and Inverclyde, to the west of Glasgow. Where can I afford to live?", "summary": "House price inflation picked up to 6.7% in the year to the end of November, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS)."}
{"article": "Tony Barrow represented the band between 1962 and 1968 and also wrote sleeve notes for their early albums, as well as the strip cartoon for the Magical Mystery Tour booklet. Mr Barrow died on Saturday night, aged 80, at his home in Morecambe. He had also represented other Merseybeat acts such as Gerry and the Pacemakers and Cilla Black. Born in Crosby in 1936, Mr Barrow was poached from the Decca record group in 1962 by The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein. Beatles expert Spencer Leigh said he was an unassuming cog in the band's success and had the \"unusual\" task for a press officer of reining in the publicity they received. \"The majority of press officers are trying to get publicity for their performers but The Beatles had so much publicity that he was trying to draw it back at times.\" \"He had to be with Brian Epstein, who was a very temperamental manager - Tony told me that he'd been sacked at least a dozen times by Epstein, but he always took him back the next day\", he said. Mr Barrow was with the band when they met Elvis Presley for the first and only time, at his Beverly Hills mansion on 27 August 1965. He said they were \"initially put off by the fact that the press might be involved\" but ended up jamming with the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Mr Barrow went on to set up his own PR company, representing Wings and managing Lyn Paul of the New Seekers and Helen Shapiro, before retiring in 1980. He is survived by his widow, Corinne, and his two sons.", "summary": "The Beatles' former press officer, who coined the term 'The Fab Four' to describe the band, has died."}
{"article": "The bookmaker says this strong performance is in part due to \"sporting gods\" being on its side. It cites a run of \"bookie friendly\" results, like that of the European Championship, where England and Northern Ireland exited early. Ladbrokes, which plans to merge with rival Coral, says a run of \"customer friendly\" results will follow. It says it is in talks with potential buyers for around 400 stores it has to sell for the merger to go through. The results show that customers are responding positively to the company's new strategy \"at a time when the sporting gods have generally been on our side and we've enjoyed some helpful bookmaker friendly results\", said chief executive, Jim Mullen. \"History would strongly dictate that such a run of results in our favour would see customer staking suffer, but encouragingly these numbers firmly buck that trend and combine strong staking and a good margin.\" \"However, 130 years of experience in sports betting has shown us that we will endure a run of customer friendly results and margins will normalise,\" he added. Ladbrokes, the UK's second-biggest bookmaker, announced its planned \u00a32.3bm merger with Gala Coral, the third-biggest, in July last year. The deal will make it the largest bookmaker in the country, but last month the Competition and Markets Authority said it had identified 642 local areas where the merger would hit competition. It said the two companies must sell between 350 and 400 shops for the merger to be cleared. Ladbrokes has about 2,150 outlets in Britain and 77 in Northern Ireland. Coral runs 1,850 shops in Britain. In its results statement, Ladbrokes said it was \"engaging\" with potential buyers and remained hopeful that a competitive process could be completed by the end of September. It would then look to begin \"significant\" restructuring of the businesses before the end of the year. Ladbrokes' shares were up 5% in morning trading.", "summary": "Ladbrokes has reported a \u00a325.2m profit for the first six months of the year compared with last year's \u00a351.4m loss."}
{"article": "The offence referred to Aki's behaviour to and remarks directed toward referee Ian Davies during and after Connacht's defeat by Leinster on 15 April. The 27-year-old will miss his side's remaining Pro12 games of the regular season against Scarlets and Munster. Aki will also sit out Connacht's Champions Cup play-off match on the weekend of 19-21 May. The Kiwi can return to play from Monday, 22 May so he would be available to return for the following week's play-off final should Pat Lam's side progress. Aki faced a two-man disciplinary panel on Thursday via video link after a misconduct complaint was made against him by the disciplinary officer of Pro12 Rugby. He received a warning about his behaviour from Davies in the 76th minute of the 37-24 loss in the interprovincial derby and then further remonstrated with the Welsh referee after full-time. If Connacht remain in eighth place in the Pro12, they will face the English Premiership's seventh-placed team. If they were to win that game, as it stands, they would face the winner of the encounter between the seventh-placed Top 14 side and Cardiff Blues for a place in Europe's premier club competition next season. Aki will become eligible to play for Ireland under the three-year residency rule in October 2017.", "summary": "Connacht centre Bundee Aki has been banned for three matches after admitting a charge of misconduct."}
{"article": "Speaking near Traitor's Gate, at the Tower of London, Robin Tilbrook said a deal between the two parties would be \"against the English\". He also criticised UKIP for not being interested in English nationalism. The party is fielding 35 candidates at the general election. In the past it has campaigned for an English Parliament but now says it wants to see a fully independent England, as well as withdrawal from the EU. The party chose the Hung, Drawn and Quartered Pub, near the Tower of London, to launch its campaign, saying it would send a \"message from history for those that might want to conspire against English interests\", said Mr Tilbrook. \"We say that the prospect of a Labour/SNP government, perhaps backed up by Plaid Cymru - and there has been some talks, we gather, with Sinn Fein... will be an anti-English conspiracy of a government and therefore we can start to talk about treason,\" he said. The SNP has said it is prepared to work with Labour - perhaps as part of a \"progressive alliance\" with Plaid - to keep the Conservatives out of government, although Labour has ruled out a formal coalition and has described links with Sinn Fein as \"absolute rubbish\". Plans to film an interview with Mr Tilbrook at Traitor's Gate had to be abandoned after officials from the Tower put a stop to it. But the party, which claims to be the only one offering a \"voice to the English\" at the general election, was able to unveil a defector from UKIP. Graham Moore said he had been due to stand for Nigel Farage's party at the general election but jumped ship at the start of the year because UKIP \"have no interest in England whatsoever\". He is now standing for the English nationalist party in Erith and Thamesmead, east London. The English Democrats are fielding fewer candidates than they did at the 2010 general election but are concentrating on areas where they have support, including a full slate in South Yorkshire. They are also standing in the border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the most northerly constituency in England, and Monmouth, in Wales, where they are campaigning for a local referendum on whether the area should become part of England again. Mr Tilbrook said the party was \"consolidating our position as the English nationalist party\", and wanted to be ready to capitalise if UKIP's progress came to a \"juddering halt\" at the election, offering a home to \"those people in UKIP who are basically English nationalists\". The party is also campaigning against Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem plans to give more self-government to the English regions, arguing that it would a \"shame\" to sacrifice England's unity for a \"last gasp attempt to save the Union\".", "summary": "The leader of the English Democrats warned about an \"anti-English conspiracy\" between Labour and the SNP as he launched the party's general election campaign."}
{"article": "Patrick McClean is ruled out while Ryan McBride, Aaron Barry, Dean Jarvis and Conor McDermott are all struggling to be fit and face late fitness decisions. Derry lie third in the table, six places above their opponents. The Candystripes have taken just one point from the previous two league matches between the sides this season. \"I respect Finn Harps immensely and I expect it to be a fantastic derby occasion,\" said Shiels. \"Their manager Ollie Horgan has done a fantastic job on a limited budget. They will go into the game with no fear but it's of paramount importance that we win. \"I'm always loathe to predict the outcome of derby matches as there are so many twists of fate involved and so many things can go against you, including the rub of the green with decisions.\" The Brandywell men face an important encounter with second-placed Cork City on Monday night but the Derry boss is keen to adopt the old maxim of 'one game at a time'. \"I always say that the most important game is your next one so we will be concentrating solely on Finn Harps to begin with. \"We will just drive on and hope that our luck changes a bit in terms of performance and outcomes. \"We have played well in our last three games but only took a point apiece from the clashes with Sligo Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic, and lost to Limerick.\" There will be live commentary of the game on BBC Radio Foyle 94.1FM and the BBC Sport website from 20:00 BST.", "summary": "Derry City have injury concerns over a number of players ahead of their Premier Division derby against Finn Harps at Finn Park on Friday night."}
{"article": "The national service was held in Cardiff, with a march from King Edward VII Avenue to the Welsh National War Memorial in Alexandra Gardens. Among the other towns and cities holding services were Aberystwyth, Bangor, Swansea, Wrexham and Newport. Volunteer Brian Thomson, 64, from Holyhead, Gwynedd, represented the RNLI at the service at London's Whitehall. First Minister Carwyn Jones was among those attending the event in Cardiff, while Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns was at a ceremony at the Cenotaph in London. Mr Jones said: \"It is important we take the opportunity to pay tribute to those who lost their lives, paying the ultimate price for our freedom. \"Those who fought bravely for our futures must never be forgotten.\" Among the crowd in Cardiff was couple Robert and Wendy Barnett, from Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan, who are both former members of the armed forces. \"It's important to remember former colleagues at this time,\" said Mr Barnett, a former member of the Royal Logistic Corps. For the third year, falling poppies will be projected on to Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben in London, from dusk on Remembrance Sunday. In addition, this year will see a series of war poems alongside them from the poet laureate or national poet from the four nations of the United Kingdom. National poet of Wales, Caernarfon-based Ifor ap Glyn, will see his poem Terasau projected as part of this. Mr Glyn said: \"Terasau was inspired by a visit to the military cemeteries of the Somme, the humbling scale of loss and the near impossibility of 'knowing' the men who lie there.\" On Friday, Wales fell silent on Armistice Day, which marks the ending of World War One, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. The Royal British Legion's area manager for Wales, Ant Metcalfe, said: \"This year marks the centenary of the Battle of the Somme, which ended on 18 November 1916. \"The impact of the battle was felt deeply in every community in Wales, particularly the casualties at the battle of Mametz Wood, where around 4,000 men from the 38th (Welsh) Division died or were injured. \"The Royal British Legion ensures the memories of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country will live on.\"", "summary": "Services have been held across Wales to honour those killed in war as part of Remembrance Sunday."}
{"article": "\"I am not a fan of discrimination and bullying of anybody on the basis of race... religion... sexual orientation or gender,\" he said. Mr Obama is on his way to visit his ancestral home of Kenya and he will also go to Ethiopia. He said the trip showed US commitment to fighting terror in East Africa. In the wide-ranging interview with the BBC's North America editor Jon Sopel before he left Washington, President Obama also said: Read the full transcript of his interview It will be Mr Obama's first visit to Kenya since becoming president. He will also become the first US leader to address the African Union when he travels on to Ethiopia on Sunday. With hours to go till Mr Obama lands in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi is in lockdown with many streets closed and people opting to stay at home. At the scene - Milton Nkosi, BBC News, Nairobi Nairobi's streets - notorious for their long traffic jams - are empty. This is because of one of the largest security clampdowns the Kenyan capital has ever seen. There is visible policing almost everywhere and security convoy sirens have been booming across the city all day. President Obama is seen as Kenya's son - and this is a homecoming. But while Kenyans are happy and excited about his first visit as US president, they are paying the price of having their movements restricted. Mosques have had to open and close early to avoid many road closures. Some businesses have had to shut early to avoid being trapped. But it is a price they are happy to pay to host the most powerful man in the world. This is Mr Obama's fifth trip to Africa as president, but despite his close family links to Kenya, he has faced criticism in some African countries over the legalisation of gay marriage in the US. However, the president told the BBC he would not fall silent on the issue. The US leader also agreed that some African governments, including Kenya's, needed to improve their records on human rights and democracy. However, he defended his decision to engage with and visit those governments. \"Well, they're not ideal institutions. But what we found is, that when we combined blunt talk with engagement, that gives us the best opportunity to influence and open up space for civil society.\" Obama on Africa: \"I'll be the first US president to not only visit Kenya and Ethiopia, but also to address the continent as a whole, building off the African summit that we did here which was historic and has, I think, deepened the kinds of already strong relationships that we have across the continent.\" \"A while back, when we started looking at strategies to reach out to the Muslim world, to reach out to developed countries, a common theme emerged, which was people are not interested in just being... patronised. And being given aid. They're interested in building capacity.\" \"We welcome Chinese aid into Africa. I think we think that's a good thing. We don't want to discourage it.", "summary": "US President Barack Obama has told the BBC he will continue to deliver his \"blunt message\" to African leaders about gay rights and discrimination."}
{"article": "The man was admitted to a hospital in Glasgow in the early hours after showing possible symptoms of the virus. He was taken to the Brownlee Centre for infectious diseases at Gartnavel Hospital at about 02:20. A spokesman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said the results were expected on Tuesday afternoon. A year after the outbreak in West Africa was officially declared, the virus has killed more than 10,000 people. Most deaths occurred in the worst-affected countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.", "summary": "A Scottish man has been tested for the Ebola virus after returning from west Africa but health officials said it was \"very unlikely\" he would be positive."}
{"article": "Raiders broke into the house in Old Glamis Road between 18:55 and 19:35 on Tuesday. A full list of the items of jewellery stolen and details of the foreign currency have not yet been released by police. Officers have asked anyone who was in the area at the time to come forward.", "summary": "Police are appealing for information after a safe containing foreign currency and jewellery was stolen from a house in Dundee."}
{"article": "14 June 2016 Last updated at 08:14 BST The first is a slimmer version of its Xbox One console, the Xbox One S, which will launch in August. The second is Project Scorpio, which will offer virtual reality and 4K gaming, and will be released by Christmas 2017. E3 is a huge gaming show that happens every year and it's where lots of tech companies announce their latest games and consoles. BBC reporter Chris Foxx is at E3. He has what you need to know about the latest Xbox news...", "summary": "Microsoft has announced two new Xbox consoles at the E3 gaming show in Los Angeles, America."}
{"article": "Vicki Williamson, 36, of Dundee, was charged with causing the death of Liam Thornton, 26, on 12 August 2014. He died when Ms Williamson's Corsa was involved in a collision with another car on the A956 at Aberdeen's Charleston flyover. A jury at Aberdeen Sheriff Court found the charge against her not proven by a majority verdict. During the trial, the court heard that the slip road leading off the A90 was in a \"poor\" state of repair. It was worn in places and had a noticeable dent in the road which was often \"greasy\" in wet conditions. Ms Williamson told the court during her evidence that she felt as if she had skidded on black ice and her car failed to react to her trying to steer out of the way of the other car. She was seriously injured in the crash and spent 11 weeks in hospital recovering from broken ribs and a broken pelvis. A four-year-old child was also injured in the incident. Ms Williamson wept as the jury found the case against her not proven. She had previously admitted driving with a defective tyre which was marginally under the 1.6mm limit and fined 80 pounds yesterday. She was also given three points on her licence.", "summary": "The case against a woman accused of causing her partner's death by careless driving has been found not proven."}
{"article": "Officers from North Wales and Dyfed-Powys police forces have tweeted photographs of sheep which have been injured or killed in dog attacks. A rural crime team has published a montage of distressing pictures. The caption reads: \"This needs no words or music. Just time to reflect on the devastating impact an irresponsible dog owner can have.\"", "summary": "Police are urging dog owners to be responsible following attacks on sheep ahead of the lambing season."}
{"article": "Major Peake was on the International Space Station when he received the news he would become a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for services to space research and scientific education. The knighthood for Sir Rod, whose own stellar career has seen him sell more than 100 million records over six decades, is for services to music and charity. \"Forces sweetheart\" Dame Vera Lynn joins the elite Companions of Honour in recognition of her services to entertainment and charity. And Downton Abbey actress Penelope Wilton is made a dame for services to drama. There are CBEs for England cricket captain Alastair Cook, former footballer Alan Shearer and broadcaster Janet Street-Porter, and OBEs for TV presenters Ant and Dec and actor Brian Blessed. Twelve famous faces in Birthday Honours In pictures: Entertainment figures on list Dame Vera Lynn 'surprised' by accolade The lists in full The UK's first official astronaut, Maj Peake is due to return to Earth this month after a six-month mission and said he was \"honoured to receive the first appointment to the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George for extraordinary service beyond our planet\". The honour is usually given for \"serving the UK abroad\". Stewart, 71 - now officially Sir Roderick - said: \"I've led a wonderful life and have had a tremendous career thanks to the generous support of the great British public. This monumental honour has topped it off and I couldn't ask for anything more.\" Of the 1,149 people recognised on the list, 70% are being honoured for work in their communities, either in a voluntary or paid capacity. The youngest person on the list is 21-year-old apprentice Gary Doyle, who receives a British Empire Medal (BEM) after taking gold at the World Skills event for his \"extraordinary plumbing and heating prowess\". The Cabinet Office said it was the \"most diverse\" since the Order of the British Empire was founded in 1917. Women make up 47% of the total, 8.2% are from a black and minority ethnic background and 5.2% consider themselves to have a disability. However, Vote Leave has accused David Cameron of \"abusing the honours system\" - pointing out 22 prominent supporters of the campaign to remain in the EU are on the list, which goes to the prime minister for approval. But a government spokesman said the honours were unconnected to the EU referendum, adding the names were selected by independent committees \"well before\" the date of the vote had been announced, and also included prominent supporters from the Leave side. 1,149 people honoured 70% for outstanding working in their communities 47% are women 8% are from black or minority ethnic backgrounds 5% are disabled Dame Vera, 99, whose songs buoyed the spirits of millions during World War Two, said: \"I felt very greatly honoured to be given a damehood and never expected to receive anything else.\" Also becoming a Companion of Honour is Lord Smith of Kelvin. A former BBC governor, he has overseen the process of devolving more powers to Scotland, and is recognised", "summary": "Singer Rod Stewart has been knighted in a Queen's Birthday Honours list that also recognises the achievements of British astronaut Tim Peake."}
{"article": "The incident in Portrush, County Antrim, happened in the early hours of Sunday, 26 June 2011. It was captured on CCTV, during which the man hit the woman a number of times with the bar. Another woman appeared to join in the assault. The Police Ombudsman's Office said the footage shows a police car containing two officers stopping in the middle of the road close to the assault. It said an officer got out of the car and approached the man. He dropped the bar and was then punched three times to the head by the officer before being arrested. Police referred the incident to the Police Ombudsman's Office for independent investigation after another officer became concerned at the level of force used by their colleague. During their investigation, Police Ombudsman investigators viewed the CCTV footage and obtained all relevant police documentation. The Police Ombudsman, Dr Michael Maguire, noted that the CCTV footage was inconclusive as to whether the man did strike out first, as claimed by the officer. However, he said the footage did clearly show that the man was \"involved in previous fighting\" and had committed a serious assault on a woman. He indicated that as the man did not provide a statement, there was no evidence to refute the officer's account. \"Man A was subjecting a defenceless female to a serious assault,\" Dr Maguire said. She was in considerable danger and there is no doubt immediate action was required to prevent her sustaining further injuries or worse.\" He concluded that the force used by the officer was \"proportionate in the circumstances\" and made no disciplinary recommendations. A file was also submitted to the Public Prosecution Service, which directed that the officer should not be prosecuted in relation to the incident.", "summary": "The Police Ombudsman has concluded a police officer was justified in punching a man who had subjected a \"defenceless\" woman to a beating with what appeared to be a metal bar."}
{"article": "Tariq Hameed Karra described government policy as \"brutal\" and condemned his People's Democratic Party for its state-level alliance with the BJP. He quit his party and resigned from parliament. More than 80 people have been killed since wide-scale riots erupted in early July. The mass closure of mosques in Kashmir hampered the festival of Eid al-Adha this week. \"For the first time in history, the people of Kashmir were not allowed to offer Eid prayers. Certain shrines and even the Grand Mosque were locked,'' Mr Karra told reporters on Thursday. \"Kashmiri blood is being spilled on the walls, lanes and drains of the valley,\" he added. The demonstrations were sparked by the killing of a popular militant leader, Burhan Wani, 22, in a gunfight with the army. Disputed Kashmir is claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan and has been a flashpoint for more than 60 years, causing two wars between the neighbours. Within the disputed Muslim-majority territory, some militant groups have taken up arms to fight for independence from Indian rule or a merger with Pakistan.", "summary": "An MP from the ruling party in Indian-administered Kashmir has resigned to protest against the way authorities' have handled weeks of political unrest."}
{"article": "The event consists of three strokeplay rounds and two cuts, before the top 24 play off in six-hole matchplay duels. \"It will be a mindset thing where you've got to realise that the strokeplay is just a qualifier to get into Sunday,\" said Oosthuizen. \"It's a bit like when I played the qualifying school.\" Oosthuizen is effectively the defending champion having won the event's predecessor - the Perth International - at the same Lake Karrinyup Country Club venue last season. Find out how to get into golf with our special guide. The 34-year-old South African believes that the format will create a climatic final day's action as the final 24 take each other on in a knockout matchplay tournament. \"You'll see probably a few more riskier shots which you wouldn't see in stroke play. It should be a very exciting Sunday,\" added Oosthuizen. The top eight go straight into the last 16, while the remaining 16 will be drawn together in head-to-head matches to decide the other eight spots. From there it is straight knockout until there is a winner. According to the World Super 6 website, any knockout matches 'not decided after six holes of matchplay will be decided by playing the new shootout hole'. The 'shootout hole' will be 90m long and see 'a new tee placed adjacent to the 18th fairway and utilising the 18th green'. Media playback is not supported on this device The new-look tournament is part of a drive to reverse the decline in the number of people playing the sport. In England, there were 860,900 adults playing in 2009-10 compared to 740,000 in 2014-15 according to Sport England. The British Golf Industry Association is attempting to make courses more family friendly.", "summary": "Former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen says he will need a different mindset for the inaugural World Super 6 event that begins in Perth on Thursday."}
{"article": "But did you ever stop to think what this means? What are terms and conditions, and why do you have to agree to them? Read on to find out more. Terms and conditions are rules you have to agree to before you can use certain products or services, like social media. Last year, Newsround found out that many of you have signed up to have social media accounts. The companies that run these networks - for example, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or WhatsApp - all have their own terms and conditions that you have to agree to before you can have an account with them. For example, they might say that you have to be a certain age to have an account, or that the company is allowed to use any pictures you post however they like. You might hear of terms and conditions being referred to as Ts and Cs. You aren't allowed to use these sites without agreeing to the terms and conditions. So many people - including adults - don't read them because they just want to get on and use the site or app. They don't think that there's any point wasting time to go through them, which means they don't know what they've agreed to. Also, the list of rules can be extremely long and complicated - and written in technical language - which can make them difficult to understand. This means that many people may not know what they've actually agreed to. It is important to make sure you understand what you are agreeing to so that you know exactly what you've signed up for. You don't want to get a nasty shock later because you didn't fully understand something that you'd agreed to a while ago. Jenny Afia, a lawyer who knows all about terms and conditions, says that to make sure you don't get caught out: \"Get help from parents or teachers to understand what the terms and conditions mean.\" \"It's important to be aware of what you're signing up to.\"", "summary": "When you sign up to have a social media account, you may have to tick a box saying that you agree to the terms and conditions."}
{"article": "Three men were injured in the blast at the premises on Plumpton Road in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, last October. Two of them, Jashar Lamallari, 37, and Ardian Lamallari, 42, both from Wood Green, London, later died in hospital. Simon Thomerson, 40, from Southerland Avenue in Maida Vale, London, has been charged with two counts of manslaughter by gross negligence. He also faces charges of breaching health and safety laws. More news from Hertfordshire The explosion happened at about at 16:40 BST on 3 October. At the time Hertfordshire Police said the unit was unoccupied, but it was believed the men had been carrying out some work on the building. Mr Thomerson was released on bail and will appear before magistrates in St Albans on 16 August.", "summary": "A man has been charged following the deaths of two brothers in an explosion at an industrial unit."}
{"article": "The former Ireland head coach, 53, had endured a difficult time since taking charge in April last year. A year ago, he was suspended and then reinstated following comments he made about team selection. Joel Garner, Henderson Springer and Roddy Estwick will lead the team when they face Pakistan in three T20s, three ODIs and three Tests in the UAE. The first match - a T20 game - takes place on 23 September in Dubai. The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) cited \"differences in culture and strategic approach\" with Simmons. The former all-rounder had questioned the omission of all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard from the one-day squad last year. He was suspended by the WICB, who said Simmons had appeared to \"question the legitimacy of the selection process\". The departure of Simmons follows the sacking of Curtly Ambrose as bowling coach and Darren Sammy as T20 captain. West Indies are currently third in the world T20 rankings but lie eighth in both Tests and one-day internationals respectively.", "summary": "Phil Simmons has been sacked as West Indies coach just five months after their stunning World T20 triumph."}
{"article": "Seven crews from the New Forest and Dorset battled the blaze in Sopley, Christchurch at 17:41 GMT on Thursday. Fire officer Sandy Thompson said the firefighters did a \"fantastic job in salvaging most of the contents of the house whilst fighting the fire from outside\". The cause of the blaze is not yet known and an investigation is under way. Derek Slade, a resident of Sopley all his life, called the fire \"absolutely terrible\". He said: \"We opened the front door and couldn't see across the road for smoke. It was absolutely chaotic. \"I told them I'd get a florescent jacket and stand on the corner to direct the traffic because it was a gridlock. \"Everybody chipped in and sorted it out. \"It gets you choked because it was a lovely place. It's a shock.\" Mr Thompson praised neighbours who helped the firefighters. \"Once furniture was removed from the house, several villagers joined in the salvage operation,\" he said. \"It was a really good effort by all the local neighbours, and the furnishings were moved to a safe outbuilding. \"During the fire the chimney stack had become unstable so it wasn't safe for our crews to fight the fire from inside.\" The cause of the fire is not thought to be suspicious.", "summary": "Fire crews fought an \"intense\" blaze in Hampshire after the roof of a thatched cottage caught fire."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Elis Ligtlee of the Netherlands led from the front to win gold, with Australian Anna Meares in third. James, 24, missed the London Games and then had the best part of 18 months out with injury and health issues. \"I was so desperate for that medal,\" the Welsh star told BBC Sport. \"I can't believe it happened.\" She was last with one lap to go but found a way around the outside to force her way into second on the line to win Britain's fourth medal on the track. It was a second medal in two Olympic kierins for GB after Victoria Pendleton won the event in London, where it made its debut. The silver medal came just minutes after Laura Trott became the first British woman to win three gold medals as she won team pursuit gold with Joanna Rowsell-Shand, Elinor Barker and Katie Archibald in a new world record time. Abergavenny-born James, who was watched by her boyfriend George North, the Wales and British and Irish Lions rugby player, told BBC One: \"I came in with good form and I love the keirin and I love racing. \"Once I got through the first round, I just wanted to enjoy the day. \"It was so special, I have 10 of my family here. My mum has never been on a long-haul flight before. \"I have had so much support from British Cycling, it has been a tough two years and I couldn't have done it without everyone's help.\" North later tweeted: \"Words can't describe how proud I am! Everything she's been through. What an absolute hero.\" James underwent an operation in 2014 to remove potentially cancerous cells following a routine smear test. That scare was followed by keyhole surgery on a shoulder injury and then months of rehabiltation for a long-term knee injury.", "summary": "Britain's Becky James bounced back from a serious knee injury and a cancer scare to take silver with a late surge in the Olympic women's keirin in Rio."}
{"article": "3 February 2016 Last updated at 10:35 GMT Since she started the J Mobile Laundry Service just over a year ago in the capital, Kampala, Ms Mayanja has built up a workforce of more than 30 women. J Mobile's work has not gone unnoticed, and was recognised by US President Barack Obama at his Young African Leadership Initiative summit last year. Ms Mayanja has ambitions of developing the company and strongly believes that women can make a big difference in the world of business. Women of Africa is a BBC season recognising inspiring women across the continent. The second series, Africa's New Businesswomen, introduces eight female entrepreneurs who are finding success in their country - and beyond. Read more here", "summary": "Jamila Mayanja runs a door-to-door laundry service in Uganda which helps its employees save enough money to launch their own businesses."}
{"article": "The plans are part of reforms which would see the House of Commons reduce from 650 MPs to 600. A public consultation is now under way and final proposals will not be made until 2018. Under the proposals: England would change from 533 seats to 501, losing 33 constituencies but gaining one when the Isle of Wight is divided into two seats. Wales would lose 11 of its 40 seats, leaving it with 29. This is the biggest proportional change across the nations and reflects that fact that many of the Welsh constituencies have low numbers of registered voters. It would be the biggest single change to Wales' electoral map since the Boundary Commission was created in 1944. Scotland, which will announce detailed proposals next month, would change from 59 seats to 53. Northern Ireland has already unveiled its plans which see its constituencies reduce from 18 to 17. In England, all but 68 of the current 533 constituencies will see some change with 33 being abolished entirely. The Isle of Wight will become two constituencies meaning that the net reduction in seats is 32. Some of the changes are minor with single wards swapping constituency or boundaries simply becoming aligned with local authority divisions. The North West loses seven constituencies and 14 of the current 75 remain unchanged. The West Midlands loses six constituencies and seven remain unchanged. London loses five constituencies - so will end up with 68 rather than 73. Four constituencies remain unchanged. Jeremy Corbyn's seat Islington North is being divided between two new seats - Finsbury and Finsbury Park and Stoke Newington. Every single constituency in Wales will change and 11 will disappear under the proposals. Sixteen existing constituencies would be wholly contained within new ones. Full proposals have been published by the Boundary Commission for Wales. Each constituency in the UK should contain roughly the same number of eligible voters, the so-called \"electoral quota\" which is reached by dividing the total electorate of the UK by the number of required constituencies. After excluding the Isle of Wight and two Scottish island constituencies, the quota currently stands at 74,769, based on the electoral register as it stood on 1 December 2015. This cut-off date has caused some controversy because the switch to individual electoral registration meant that 770,000 names dropped off the list. However, the Electoral Commission has said that it is unclear how many of those were eligible voters and how many were just people who were no longer eligible through moving house or other reasons. The list also does not reflect those who registered to vote ahead of the EU referendum in June. Apart from the Scottish constituencies of Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Orkney & Shetland and Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross, all the smallest constituencies are in Wales. The proposed reforms will see Wales reduced from its current 40 seats to 29 with no constituency left unchanged. Full results service This map shows the areas with the biggest change in electorate between the 2010 and 2015 general elections. As it shows change in numbers", "summary": "Detailed proposals for massive changes to parliamentary constituencies have been announced."}
{"article": "Adam Szurgocinski, 26, died after being found at Jubilee Road on 14 September. Rafal Palinski, 29; Pawel Wegorzewski, 20, and Jaroslaw Owczarczyk, 32, have been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. Dariusz Bogusz, 32, has been charged with perverting the course of justice. Two others have previously been charged with murder and remanded in custody. Mr Palinski, of Fenland Road, Thorne, Mr Wegorzewski, of Jubilee Road Mr Owczarczyk of Raby Road and Mr Bogusz of Jubilee Road are expected to appear in court later. Sebastian Gurski, 30, of Ramsden Road, Hexthorpe, and Mateusz Halabura, 25, from Doncaster, were both remanded in custody.", "summary": "Three men have been charged with the murder of a man who died from a serious neck injury in Doncaster."}
{"article": "She was performing in Verona in Italy when she spotted a woman in the audience with a tripod and camera filming her. Talking to the woman in the crowd, Adele said: \"Can you stop filming me with the video camera because I'm really here in real life and you can enjoy it in real life, rather than through your camera. \"Can you take your tripod down, this isn't a DVD, it's a real show and I'd really like you to enjoy my show because there's lots of people outside who couldn't come in.\" The encounter was filmed by another fan in the audience, who posted it on Twitter. Video courtesy of Madreeeh.", "summary": "Adele has stopped a concert mid-way through to tell a fan to stop filming her."}
{"article": "He was due to open in the Arthur Miller play Death of a Salesman at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton on 10 April, but died three days beforehand. The theatre said the role of Willy Loman would now be taken by TV and film actor Nicholas Woodeson. Shows in Northampton have been postponed and the play will now open in Cambridge in May, ahead of a UK tour. Pigott-Smith died at the age of 70, a month after collecting an OBE for services to drama. More news from Northamptonshire He had been rehearsing the role of Willy Loman in Miller's play which was expected to open at the Northampton theatre ahead of a tour including Cambridge, Bath, Exeter, Edinburgh and Oxford. A spokesman for the Royal & Derngate said the decision to proceed with the production and tour of Death Of A Salesman was made after consulting the \"acting company, creative team and touring partners\". Pigott-Smith's replacement, Woodeson, is well-known for roles in a number of dramas including Taboo, The Living and the Dead, Rome, Mapp and Lucia, and also for film roles including in the Bond movie Skyfall. The play will now open at Cambridge Arts Theatre on 4 May. Ticket-holders for the postponed run in Northampton would be offered a refund, or tickets for the rescheduled run at the Royal & Derngate at the end of the tour, organisers said.", "summary": "Theatre directors have confirmed a show will go on despite the death of its star, the actor Tim Pigott-Smith."}
{"article": "Shipping containers are a common feature of the Kenyan landscape. You'll find these steel boxes converted into comfortable homes, clinics and offices. Others are turned into shops and granaries to store farm products. But now shipping containers have entered the sphere of learning. Starting this year, national examinations materials will be stored in secure shipping containers and placed under 24-hour armed police surveillance. This is just one of the many new tough measures that the government is introducing to curb cheating in national exams. In a country where people often rely on well-connected relatives and friends to succeed, education is everything. Such is the thirst for personal development that around 20:00 on weekday evenings, you'll find the streets of Nairobi and other urban centres teeming with people of all ages going home from class. Evening classes are a popular way for Kenyans to acquire a second or third degree with the hope of rising higher in life. Competition for promotion or for the few job opportunities that become available is intense, leading to a desperate desire for more and better academic qualifications. Joseph Warungu: \"There is a crisis of trust in Kenyan society.\" This pressure to succeed starts at primary school. As a result, cartels have emerged to take advantage. Working with some of the former national examinations council officials, police officers and teachers, these cartels have found a way to get hold of exam papers and sell them to desperate students and parents. But last year things got out of hand as the cheating reached industrial proportions. More than 5,000 primary and secondary school students had their exam results cancelled; the national examinations board was disbanded and some senior managers fired. Nearly 200 people including police officers were arrested and charged over exam malpractices. There is a crisis of trust in Kenyan society. The government cannot trust the teacher to prepare the students for exams without cheating. The teacher cannot trust the government to oversee the exams without cheating. The student cannot trust himself to pass the exam without cheating. And so in comes the tough steel containers to try and safeguard trust. This year the government is not taking any chances. By the time national exams begin in November, invigilators will have been vetted afresh. Head teachers will now be held personally liable for any incidents of cheating that occur in their schools because they will have the sole responsibility of collecting from, and returning, the exam materials to the containers at central distribution points. The government is so confident of the measures it has taken that the cabinet secretary for education gave this warning: \"I want to tell all children in candidate classes, that they better prepare for the exams. The monkey business that has been going on shall never happen again\". But education is not the only sector suffering from the trust deficit. Governance is badly hit. Recently, a group of more than 30 elected County Assembly members, who were planning to impeach their Nyeri county governor in central Kenya, decided to spend the night inside the County", "summary": "In our series of letters from African journalists, Joseph Warungu, a former high-school teacher, examines the measures the Kenyan government has put in place to tackle cheating in national exams, which begin in early November."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Canada's Denis Shapovalov struck the ball in anger and hit Gabas during his game with Kyle Edmund, defaulting the match to hand the tie to Great Britain. The International Tennis Federation said the 17-year-old's actions were \"unintentional\" but fined him \u00a35,600. The ITF says the surgery was successful and Gabas is now recovering at home. The Davis Cup World Group first-round tie in Ottawa was poised at 2-2, with Edmund leading 6-3 6-4 2-1 in the final match, but Canada's hopes ended when Shapovalov was disqualified. He later apologised to Frenchman Gabas in the match referee's office and said he was \"incredibly ashamed and embarrassed\". Gabas went to Ottawa General Hospital as a precaution, but no damage to the cornea or retina was found. On his return to France he had an X-ray, which revealed a fracture of the orbital bone under his left eye. \"I am now concentrating on rest and rehabilitation so I can be back on court in the near future,\" said Gabas.", "summary": "Umpire Arnaud Gabas has had surgery to repair a fractured eye socket after he was hit with a ball during Britain's Davis Cup win over Canada last week."}
{"article": "It happened on the Letterkenny to Ballybofey Road, near Convoy, at 07:00 BST on Friday. The car she was driving collided with a lorry. The driver of that vehicle was uninjured. The road is currently closed and diversions are in place.", "summary": "A woman in her 20s has died in a collision between a car and a lorry in County Donegal."}
{"article": "Oswald 'Ossie' Bradley was swimming to an island in Bessbrook Pond to remove two Irish tricolour flags from trees. It is claimed Mr Bradley intended to replace them with a union flag when he got into difficulties. Police are not treating the death as suspicious. Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in MLA Mickey Brady last week called for the removal of the flags after they appeared on the island. A teenage boy managed to bring Mr Bradley ashore at about 17:00 BST on Monday where attempts were made to resuscitate him. Emergency services took him to Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry, about four miles away, where it was announced that he had died. Ulster Unionist MLA Danny Kennedy said the death was devastating news for the man's family and the village of Bessbrook. \"This is a very tragic outcome to controversies surrounding flags in this village,\" Mr Kennedy said. \"This is too high a price for any family and community to pay. \"The entire Bessbrook community will join with me in showing our sympathy and support for the whole family circle. \"He was highly respected and liked within the Bessbrook community. I counted him as a personal friend and I am deeply upset by his untimely and tragic death.\" Dominic Bradley of the nationalist SDLP, who knows Bradley family, said the village was in shock. \"I think the action that he undertook yesterday was probably uncharacteristic of him, from what I hear from friends of his,\" said the assembly member. \"Bessbrook is a mixed community, Catholics and Protestants live side-by-side and, generally speaking down through the years, community relations have been very good. \"I believe some local councillors and the police have arranged for the flags to be removed.\" Mr Bradley was a member of the County Armagh victims' group Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR). He was involved in the campaign seeking justice for the victims of an IRA gun attack near his village, that became known as the Kingsmill massacre. FAIR's chaplain Pastor Barrie Halliday, who knew Mr Bradley personally for more than 30 years, said he \"loved\" the union flag and displayed it at his house. \"Some people say it was totally out of character but maybe we need to take it in context of his great interest in working along with the Kingsmill families - a tragedy of nearly 40 years ago that's going on today. \"Obviously he was affected by it and disappointed by a lack of movement in every area concerning this. \"It had been playing on his mind and it was just something he couldn't stand it any longer - a tricolour being up over the village,\" the pastor added. Last week, Mickey Brady of Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in said last the flags could be seen as intimidating by Protestant residents in the village. He said the flags could be considered by some as \"overtly sectarian, intimidating and threatening\". \"The issue is one that is causing contention because obviously, in Bessbrook particularly, there is a mixed community,\" he said. \"I think you have to respect the culture and nature of the", "summary": "A 68-year-old man has drowned in an incident at a lake in County Armagh."}
{"article": "Mario Borghezio, who belongs to the Northern League party, condemned Mr Breivik's violence, but backed his stance against Islam. The Northern League is a partner in PM Silvio Berlusconi's government. Mr Borghezio's comments in a radio interview sparked outrage, with opposition calls for the MEP to resign. Mr Breivik's justification for killing 76 people was that he wanted to inflict maximum damage on Norway's governing Labour Party because of its failure to clamp down on immigration. \"Some of the ideas he expressed are good, barring the violence. Some of them are great,\" Mario Borghezio told Il Sole-24 Ore radio station. He agreed with Mr Breivik's \"opposition to Islam and his explicit accusation that Europe has surrendered before putting up a fight against its Islamicisation\". The Northern League is an avowedly anti-immigration, regionalist Italian political party, key to the governing coalition, and known for its anti-Islamic rhetoric. The controversy sparked swift reaction from fellow MEPs. \"My heart goes out to the victims of the atrocities that took place in Norway last week, and to their families. There can be no excuses, no justifications. This was nothing but an act of pure and unmitigated evil,\" said Nikki Sinclaire. Ms Sinclaire resigned last year from the European Parliament umbrella group, Europe of Freedom & Democracy (EFD), which included her UK Independence Party, as well as Italy's Northern League. She cited the racism of Northern League members in making her decision. \"Mr Borghezio's reported comments are shocking and, if accurately reported, reprehensible. They are in no way reflective of UKIP's position or that of the EFD Group,\" said a UKIP spokesman. But Mr Borghezio is not the only right-wing politician to express sympathy with the ideas of Anders Behring Breivik. A member of France's far-right National Front party has been suspended after writing a defence of the Norwegian attacker on his blog. Jacques Coutela described Mr Breivik as \"the main defender of the West\", comparing him to Charles Martel, a seventh century leader who halted Islamic expansion in western Europe. \"The reason for the Norway terror attacks: fighting the Muslim invasion, that's what people don't want you to know\", read the post. Mr Coutela stood as a National Front candidate in local elections in March. \"He was suspended today pending a party disciplinary committee,\" said Steeve Briois, the Front's general secretary. Meanwhile, the leader of the English Defence League (EDL), Stephen Lennon, said the mass killing in Norway was a wake-up call. \"What happened in Oslo shows how desperate some people are becoming in Europe,\" said Mr Lennon, who was convicted earlier this week of leading a brawl involving 100 football fans. \"It's a ticking time bomb. If they don't give that frustration and anger a platform as such and a voice - and a way of getting emotion out in a democratic way - it will create monsters like this lunatic.\" The EDL is also known for its strong stance against immigration. Mr Breivik has posted admiring comments online about the EDL. The League leadership is checking his claims to have contacts among its members.", "summary": "An Italian MEP has described the ideas of Norway's self-confessed mass killer, Anders Behring Breivik, as \"good\" and in some cases \"excellent\"."}
{"article": "The communities and local government committee said the eight biggest firms built more than half of all new homes. MPs said the government should do more for smaller builders who do not have the scale to bid for big projects. But the Home Builders Federation, which represents large and small businesses, said only big firms could spread the risks large-scale projects pose. The committee also said local authorities should prepare land for home building. That would include providing the infrastructure needed, such as roads and public transport. \"The housing market is broken, we are simply not building enough homes,\" said Clive Betts MP, chair of the committee. \"Smaller builders are in decline and the sector is over-reliant on an alarmingly small number of high-volume developers, driven by commercial self-interest and with little incentive to build any quicker. \"If we are to build the homes that the country so desperately needs, for sale and for rent, then this dominance must end.\" Government promises more affordable homes Labour promises to build one million new homes The committee found that smaller builders struggled to obtained land for development, as local authorities focused on large sites which only big companies could afford to take on. The Homebuilders Federation said: \"We fully support the committee's call for measures to assist smaller builders, encourage new entrants and scale up specialist housing sectors, such as the retirement housing market. \"The vast majority of the big increases in housing supply in recent years have come from the larger, mainstream builders - but we need more builders of all sizes and specialisms if we are to tackle our acute housing shortage.\" In February the government promised to build more affordable houses and help people buy and rent, after admitting the current market was broken. The housing strategy for England included giving councils powers to pressure developers into starting building on land they own. Ministers also pledged to make renting more \"family-friendly\" with longer tenancies offered. However, Labour called the measures announced \"feeble beyond belief\".", "summary": "MPs have called for an end to the dominance of big home-building firms to fix the \"broken\" housing market."}
{"article": "The 58-year-old took charge in December after Dean Smith's move to Brentford, with the club third in the table. But form dipped after winning his first three matches and he has left the club following Saturday's loss to Barnsley. \"The players' performances over the past month have not gained the points they deserved,\" said O'Driscoll. \"This is a different phase of the season and, as we have repeatedly seen, teams have recognised the team's strengths from the first half of the campaign and prepared to counter that when facing us. \"But the players deserve enormous credit for adapting, finding different ways to play and maintaining their performance levels even, at times, in the face of frustration and disappointment.\" Despite their poor run of form, the Saddlers are only five points off the automatic promotion places and have a seven-point cushion above Coventry, just outside the play-off places in seventh. After Smith left for the Championship, they spent three matches under the joint-caretaker management team of physio Jon Whitney, goalkeeping coach Neil Cutler and former Bristol Rovers, Cheltenham and Colchester boss John Ward before O'Driscoll's appointment. \"It's a decisive move from Walsall to relieve Sean O'Driscoll of his duties only three months in. But it really wasn't working out. \"Also the Saddlers are making the change when there's still a chance of promotion - even automatic isn't out of question. \"We could well see existing coaching staff carrying the club forward for rest of season under the canny eye of John Ward.\"", "summary": "Walsall have parted company with head coach Sean O'Driscoll after just 16 games despite sitting fourth in League One, after a winless six-game run."}
{"article": "He plans to put all local police units under federal control. The students, all trainee teachers, went missing in September after joining a protest in Iguala, Guerrero state. Their disappearance sparked mass protests, with many still unconvinced by the official explanation that the students were murdered by a drugs gang. In a televised speech, President Pena Nieto said that \"Mexico must change\". He announced proposals for a series of constitutional reforms that would allow the country's 1,800 municipal forces to be dissolved and taken over by state agencies. The reforms would also enable Congress to dissolve local governments infiltrated by drug cartels. The overhaul would begin in Mexico's four most violent states, he said - Tamaulipas, Jalisco, Michoacan and Guerrero. Guerrero is where the 43 students vanished on 26 September. They had been attacked by local police in Iguala after attending a labour rights demonstration. Under President Pena Nieto's plans, the thousands of local police forces would come under the control of the 31 federal state governments, and the capital. Corruption within the police force, especially the municipal police, is rife. Officers are often offered money or threatened by the country's powerful drugs gangs. Key proposed reforms: The proposals would also seek to simplify the way in which crimes are currently dealt with at a federal, state or local level. Some local police forces refuse to deal with federal crimes such as drug trafficking. The reforms are due to be presented to Congress next week. President Pena Nieto had faced widespread criticism over the students' disappearance, despite vowing to track down those responsible. Relatives of the missing have led mass protests across the country to express their anger at the government. The official explanation offered by the Mexican authorities is that the students were murdered by a drugs gang. The gang was said to be in collusion with the mayor of Iguala, Jose Luis Abarca, who has been arrested facing accusations that he ordered police to confront the students on the day of their disappearance. Investigators said that municipal police officers confessed to seizing the students, and later handing them over to the gang. However, the families of the students, and their supporters, say they are not convinced by the official version of events. They say they will not believe the students are dead until it has been officially confirmed by Argentine forensic scientists working on the case. Forensic tests are being carried out on bodies found in mass graves in Guerrero. In recent years thousands of people have gone missing or been killed after being caught up in drug-related violence. Several killings or suspected kidnappings have been reported in the past week:", "summary": "Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has announced plans to overhaul the country's municipal police forces after the disappearance of 43 students."}
{"article": "DeFranco's family said the musician died on Wednesday evening at a Florida hospital. His wife, Joyce, said his health had been poor in recent years. DeFranco, a member of the American Jazz Hall of Fame, performed at venues around the world for 75 years and also recorded many albums. The musician conducted the Glenn Miller Orchestra for eight years from 1966 to 1974. He was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and and later a Living Jazz Legend in a Kennedy Center ceremony. And DeFranco won the Playboy All-Star award for top jazz clarinettist in the world 16 times. \"We have received condolences from around the world,\" DeFranco's wife told AP. She said her husband's influence on music will last long beyond his lifetime. Leading jazz clarinettist Ken Peplowski said: \"Buddy DeFranco almost single-handedly was the clarinettist who moved the harmonic and rhythmic language forward from where Benny Goodman left off into the much more adventurous territory of bebop and beyond, while never forgetting his roots in swing music. \"He was also unfailingly kind and supportive to every other clarinettist who came after him.\" Other top music stars he played with included Art Tatum, Ella Fitzgerald and Tony Bennett. Originally named Boniface Ferdinand Leonardo De Franco, the musician was born in Camden, New Jersey, but raised in south Philadelphia. He learned to play the mandolin at five, and took up the clarinet four years later. He began his career as a teenager in Philadelphia and he went on to play with some of the major bands of his era including ones led by Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Gene Krupa and Charlie Barnett. Later, composer Nelson Riddle was so impressed by DeFranco he wrote the musical Cross Country Suite in 1958 for him. Legendary singer Nat King Cole, also introduced DeFranco when he premiered the work at the Hollywood Bowl. Now, the annual Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival is held each spring at the University of Montana. DeFranco's family have asked that contributions in his memory be given to the festival so it can continue. As well as his wife Joyce, the clarinettist is survived by his son Chad DeFranco.", "summary": "Renowned jazz clarinettist Buddy DeFranco, known for working with Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday and other well-known musicians, has died aged 91."}
{"article": "An agreement has been reached to remove compulsory unit assessments from all National 5 and Higher courses. The EIS said the move will \"lighten the assessment burden for pupils and teachers\". The industrial action had threatened to disrupt work for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said: \"I can confirm that EIS Council has now agreed to suspend our programme of industrial action in relation to excessive SQA-related workload. \"The agreement that has now been reached at the CfE (Curriculum for Excellence) management board, based on a proposal submitted by the EIS, is a significant victory for teachers and pupils in our secondary schools. \"The changes that have been agreed, to permanently remove compulsory unit assessments from all National 5 and Higher courses, will ease the assessment burden on pupils and teachers and create time and space for deeper learning and teaching in our classrooms.\" Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: \"This is welcome news from the EIS and I am delighted that they have confirmed suspending a programme of industrial action in relation to teacher workload. \"Over the past few months, I have listened carefully to what teachers, parents, young people and others have had to say on workload, and have responded positively with a range of actions to help reduce workload pressures. As part of this, I have now announced the removal of mandatory unit assessments from National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses. \"This will significantly reduce the workload for our teachers, giving them more time to focus on what is most important - teaching our young people - while maintaining the core principles of Curriculum for Excellence.\" Mr Swinney added: \"\"I am glad that the EIS have recognised these efforts and I hope that together we can move forward to ensure that teachers in Scotland have more time to teach, and contribute to closing the attainment gap.\"", "summary": "The teaching union EIS has suspended a programme of industrial action over the workload faced by teachers in relation to examinations."}
{"article": "The home side led 19-3 at the interval thanks to a blistering first-half performance and tries from Christian Wade, Tommy Taylor and Dan Robson. Tigers fought back to within three points after Peter Betham's try. After Dan Cole was sin-binned, Jimmy Gopperth's penalty secured the win. The win took Dai Young's side back to the top of the Premiership table after Saracens' draw against Exeter on Saturday, with Leicester in fifth place after a third successive defeat. However, Wasps, and England head coach Eddie Jones, will be concerned that flanker James Haskell, who was out for seven months because of injury, walked back off the pitch after appearing to be momentarily knocked out when tackling Freddie Burns. Tigers will come away from the match with many positives under head coach Aaron Mauger, which did not look likely during the first-half blitz from Wasps. Wade scored his ninth Premiership try of the season early on, before Taylor was put over in a drive and Robson crossed following a fast break out by man of the match Thomas Young. After the break Tigers came out strongly, and after Betham finished off a move started by Tom Brady, Burns' penalty made it 19-16. But Cole's yellow card for being offside helped the hosts regain some impetus, and Gopperth's kick from the resulting penalty made it a six-point game. Tigers made late changes in search of a potentially decisive try, but poor handling from Betham and George Worth in particular cost them dearly. The match attracted Wasps' best Premiership attendance of the season of 27,930, with the club having been watched by well over 50,000 supporters in two successive games at the Ricoh Arena for the first time. Wasps: Beale; Wade, Daly, Eastmond, Bassett; Gopperth, Robson; Mullan (capt.), Taylor, Moore, Symons, Myall, Young, Thompson, Hughes. Replacements: Johnson, McIntyre, Swainston, Gaskell, Haskell, Simpson, Cipriani, Miller. Leicester: Burns; Thompstone, Betham, Roberts, Brady; O Williams, B Youngs; Genge, T Youngs (capt.), Cole, Slater, Fitzgerald, M Williams, Evans, O'Connor. Replacements: McGuigan, Bateman, Cilliers, Kitchener, McCaffrey, Harrison, Worth, Smith. Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys (RFU) For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "James Haskell lasted just 35 seconds of his comeback game because of a head injury as Wasps held off a revival by Leicester, who were playing their first game since Richard Cockerill's sacking."}
{"article": "Travis was convicted in September of indecently assaulting a woman and given a three month sentence suspended for two years. A hearing at Southwark Crown Court heard that he had racked up a taxi fare bill of \u00a34,456 during his trials. He was awarded travel costs, limited to the value of a day return train ticket and \u00a350 for a taxi, and hotel costs. Stephen Vullo QC, representing Travis, made the defendant's costs application and said his client had been \"financially devastated\" by trials in February and September last year. \"He has no money left whatsoever,\" he said. \"He is now below zero.\" Mr Vullo also claimed \u00a3630 in hotel accommodation, and \u00a3246 for travel to legal conferences, and asked for a total of \u00a35,332 towards Travis's costs. Judge Leonard ruled that Travis could claim the costs of a daily return train ticket from Aylesbury to Marylebone, which the judge said cost \u00a361.40, as well as \u00a350 a day for reasonable taxi costs from the station. He allowed the hotel costs. Referring to Travis's back problems, Judge Leonard said: \"His infirmity was such that the benefit from the train, to get up from his seat rather than remain in it, is something that could only have been achieved on a train, not a car.\" The defence estimated that Travis travelled from his home in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, to court on 37 days, which means he could be entitled to \u00a34,121.80. The number of days will be confirmed with the court at a later stage. Prosecutor Joshua Munro argued the costs were not \"reasonable\" expenses for the taxpayer to fund. Travis was cleared of 12 counts of indecent assault after a trial in February 2014. The jury was unable to decide on verdicts on an additional count of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault and a retrial was ordered. The Crown Prosecution Service added one more count of indecent assault, the offence of which he was eventually convicted, on the indictment for the September 2014 trial. Travis was cleared of the indecent assault on which he was retried, and after a second jury was unable to reach a verdict on the sexual assault charge, Judge Anthony Leonard QC, directed a not guilty verdict.", "summary": "Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis was \"financially ruined\" by his lengthy legal battles, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Krissoni Henderson accused Noor Alneaimi of being a prostitute and a non-believer, Birmingham Magistrates' Court heard. He also called police officers arresting him \"disgusting atheists\". Mr Henderson, 31, will be sentenced on Tuesday. He had denied using religiously aggravated threatening words or behaviour. More on this and other stories from Birmingham and the Black Country Ms Alneaimi, 38, told the court she had heard the defendant shouting abuse at a passer-by on New Street, Birmingham, on 4 July before he turned to her and made a comment about her \"tight\" jeans. \"He directed the conversation to me and started saying you are a 'kafir' [an Islamic term for a non-believer],\" she said. \"He said 'You shall burn in hell, look at your jeans they are so tight. You will burn in hell for wearing such clothes'.\" Ms Alneaimi told the court she was \"astounded and absolutely terrified\" by his behaviour, leading to her filing a complaint with West Midlands Police. Footage from cameras worn by officers visiting Mr Henderson's flat, on Brook Street in Birmingham, showed the defendant shouting at officers, including calling one a \"filthy disgusting beast\" and a \"statue worshipper\". He also shouted \"Allahu Akbar\" before he was arrested, the court heard. During his trial Mr Henderson said Ms Alneaimi may have \"targeted\" him and been trying to seduce him, saying she may have been attracted to his muscles. Mr Henderson declined to confirm his religion, saying his beliefs are \"to love people regardless of what they wear\".", "summary": "A street preacher who told a woman she would \"burn in hell\" for wearing tight jeans has been found guilty of religiously aggravated threatening behaviour."}
{"article": "In November 1990, Margaret Thatcher went to Paris for a summit on European security. In her absence, her opponents got their act together and within days she was out of power. Twenty-six years on, the new prime minister will travel to Hangzhou in utterly different circumstances. Mrs May's party may still be divided over Europe but she has the double fortune of a political honeymoon and a divided opposition. Yet this, her first outing at a truly global summit since she became prime minister, will be a big moment, a chance to meet key world leaders and establish relationships that will help shape her premiership. I understand that Mrs May is preparing to hold separate, private meetings with President Obama of the United States, President Putin of Russia, President Xi Jinping of China and Prime Minister Modi of India. She will be keen to meet them and begin informal discussions about post-Brexit trade. They will be keen to meet her, a rare European leader who is likely to remain in office for some years to come. And what a lot they will have to discuss. With President Xi, there will be the small matter of Mrs May's decision to delay approval of the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant in Somerset, something in which China has invested billions of pounds. After years when George Osborne wrapped his arms around Beijing, Mrs May will have to explain her caution and the security concerns of some of her officials. With Mr Putin, there will be the tricky matter of EU sanctions over Ukraine, manoeuvring in the Baltics by Russia and those many incursions by their jets into British airspace. And with Mr Modi, the prime minister will have to smooth over concerns about her decision to make it harder for Indian students to come to Britain in an attempt to cut migration numbers. Yet amid these tensions, Mrs May will try to step up her diplomatic campaign to convince the international community that Britain is not turning in on itself after the vote for Brexit. Her officials talk of forging a new global role for the UK and using the G20 to highlight opportunities that will arise for the rest of the world once Britain leaves the EU. Britain, she will tell her counterparts, is open for business. The question, of course, is what this new role for Britain will be. The Foreign Office is still scratching around for ideas, but no-one yet can tell me what this great new global role will be. There is no money to spend on big initiatives and there is little appetite for military intervention. Sources at the heart of government insist that a lot is being done already. They point out that since the referendum to leave the EU, Britain has deployed hundreds more troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, Estonia and Poland, Somalia and South Sudan. It has reaffirmed its commitment to the Trident nuclear deterrent - something Mrs May did herself in the House of Commons. And the UK has also promised once again to spend 2%", "summary": "When Theresa May steps on to the global stage for the first time this weekend at the G20 summit in China, she will be hoping not to repeat what happened the last time a female British prime minister attended an international conference."}
{"article": "In a police interview played in court she said the 16-year-old \"knew how to work people\". Becky's stepbrother Nathan Matthews, 28, and his girlfriend, Shauna Hoare, 21, deny murder. Earlier the jury visited the house in Bristol where it is alleged the teenager was killed by her stepbrother. The ten women and two men spent 16 minutes inside the house at Crown Hill, in the St George area of the city. They also visited another property where her body was allegedly dismembered, and the garden where her body parts were discovered. In the police interview, recorded before Ms Hoare was arrested, she told detectives Becky had recently \"bonded\" with her stepbrother who had been helping her to buy a mobile phone. \"Nathan had this thing that if he heard her coming down the stairs he would hide behind the door and jump out at her and she jumped every time,\" she said. The prosecution alleges Becky was killed at the family home in Crown Hill on 19 February. Her body was taken to Mr Matthews' and Ms Hoare's home in Cotton Mill Lane where it was allegedly dismembered. Body parts were later found at an address in Barton Court. Mr Matthews of Hazelbury Drive in Warmley, South Gloucestershire has admitted manslaughter but denies murder and conspiracy to kidnap. He has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice, preventing burial of a corpse and possessing a prohibited weapon. Ms Hoare of Cotton Mill Lane in Bristol, denies murder, conspiracy to kidnap, perverting the course of justice, preventing burial of a corpse and possessing a prohibited weapon. Two other men on trial, Donovan Demetrius, 29, and James Ireland, 23, deny a charge of assisting an offender. Karl Demetrius, 29, and Jaydene Parsons, 23, previously pleaded guilty to assisting an offender after body parts were found in their shed, but both said they were unaware of what the packages contained. The trial at Bristol Crown Court continues.", "summary": "The woman accused of murdering Becky Watts told police the teenager was good at manipulating people and was an attention seeker."}
{"article": "Asha Philip, Desiree Henry, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita ran a British record of 41.77 seconds in Rio's Olympic Stadium. The US, who only qualified for Friday's final at the second attempt after dropping their baton, won in 41.01, the second-fastest time in history. Silver medallists Jamaica ran 41.36. Jamaica's Elaine Thompson narrowly missed out on matching compatriot Usain Bolt's sprint treble after her victories in the 100m and 200m. \"Wonderful experience. My first Olympics. Two golds, a silver, I can't complain,\" she said. GB's first medal in the event since winning bronze at Moscow 1984 capped a remarkable reversal in fortunes after they failed to reach the final at London 2012. Philip, the oldest member of the quartet at 25, said: \"We came here to get a medal and we delivered. We had a lot of pressure to get this, but we had so much trust and faith in these girls.\" Henry, 20, said: \"I cannot believe it. This was my first Olympics and I wanted to go out and enjoy it but also to get a medal. To do it I had tears in my eyes. Thank you to everyone who has made this happen.\" Asher-Smith, also 20, said: \"We have worked unbelievably hard. Out of all the teams I think we worked the hardest. This is for the entire nation.\" Daryll Nieta, 19, said: \"I am speechless. I am so proud of our team. We absolutely smashed it.\" Find out how to get into athletics with our special guide. Chief sports writer Tom Fordyce Fabulous from the GB quartet. Having spent the day with them as they trained at Loughborough, there was no missing that this is the tightest of teams - true friends, proper racers. Philip in the mother role, Asher-Smith as head girl, Henry the loud one, Neita the kid. Together history makers. Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, English Gardner and Tori Bowie were allowed to compete in the final after running again - on their own - following Thursday's semi-final. The baton was accidentally knocked out of Felix's hand by Brazil's Kauiza Venancio as she prepared to hand over to Gardner for the third leg. The US successfully appealed, and ran only two tenths of a second short of the world record at the second attempt. Bartoletta and Felix were part of the US team that clocked 40.82 to win at London 2012, and Felix has become the first woman to collect five athletics gold medals. \"It's very special. It was great to join these women tonight. It's just a very unique experience,\" Felix said of her milestone. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Great Britain won an Olympic medal in the women's 4x100m relay for the first time since 1984, claiming bronze as the United States retained their title."}
{"article": "Soldiers from both sides shared an impromptu ceasefire in Ypres, Belgium, on Christmas Day 1914. Graham Brookland of the Army FA said the match would \"commemorate the occasion in an extremely good spirit\". The game, played at Aldershot Town FC in Hampshire, ended in a 1-0 win for the British Army. Several thousand events have been held across the UK to mark the Christmas truce football match as part of Football Remembers Week. Every team in the Premier League and Football League have marked the centenary of World War One at recent matches. The famous \"Christmas truce\" of 1914 Source: Imperial War Museum", "summary": "The British and German army football teams have played a match to commemorate 100 years since the World War One Christmas truce."}
{"article": "Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said she is not sure if it is a cause of the decline or a symptom revealing more longstanding economic problems. Technological changes and an aging workforce also contribute, she said. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that prescription drug abuse costs $78.5bn (\u00c2\u00a361.5bn) annually. This is due to costs related to health care, lost productivity, and criminal activity. About 91 Americans die every day after overdosing on opioids. \"I do think it is related to a decline in labour force participation among prime-age workers,\" Ms Yellen said after a question from Senator Joe Donnelly, a Democrat from Indiana. \"I don't know if it's causal or if it's a symptom of long-running economic maladies.\" Ms Yellen also noted that the US has seen an unusual rise in its death rate. \"It's obviously a very serious and heartbreaking problem,\" she said. It was Ms Yellen's second day of testimony before lawmakers, who asked questions about monetary policy, prospects for economic outlook and other issues. Economists have puzzled over the fall in labour force participation rates, the share of people working or looking for work. For the over-16 civilian population, they have declined from a peak of about 67% in the late 1990s to less than 63% today, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Among men, the rates have fallen from about 80% in the late 1960s to less than 70% today. They have risen among women from about 42% to nearly 57% during that time. Ms Yellen on Wednesday said she believed an aging population was a major factor in the overall decline. She also said men with less education have been particularly affected by technological changes that reduce jobs in some industries. Some economists also argue that video games are to blame. Ms Yellen's remarks came on the same day that top US prosecutor Jeff Sessions announced charges against more than 120 people, including doctors, related to prescription drugs. The charges were part of a more sweeping crackdown on Medicaid fraud.", "summary": "Widespread opioid abuse is tied to a fall in the share of Americans working or looking for work, the head of the US central bank said on Thursday."}
{"article": "Dr George Daniels, who died in 2011, was responsible for some of the field's most important advancements which he passed to his apprentice Roger Smith. A film will focus on their relationship and how the work developed the art of British watchmaking. It will be played at the George Daniels lecture at City University. In a career spanning 60 years, Sunderland-born horologist Daniels perfected the 32 skills needed to make a watch from scratch by hand. The most successful of his inventions, the co-axial escapement, won him international acclaim and is regarded by experts as one of the most significant horological developments in 250 years. Mr Smith, who followed Mr Daniels to work in the Isle of Man, said he was an \"inspirational mentor.\" \"He was the first person in history to hand make a watch with a great technical level and extraordinary beauty from start to finish.\" City's George Daniels Professor of Scientific Instrumentation, Professor Ken Grattan, said: \"Roger has risen from being an outstanding apprentice of the legendary George Daniels to being the legatee and torchbearer for his watchmaking excellence.\" Daniels' attended City University London's predecessor, the Northampton Institute, and believed his outstanding success as a horologist was linked directly to his time as a student. His educational trust set up following the sale of his personal collection of clocks has helped 20 students through doctoral studentships and undergraduate scholarships at the university.", "summary": "Leading watchmakers have gathered in London to celebrate the \"unique collaboration\" between two leading horologists from the Isle of Man."}
{"article": "But make no mistake - these are crucial, perhaps even momentous, times for South African politics. A status quo that has survived for 20 years of democracy is finally beginning to crack. There is a chance this could be a good thing for South Africa - that a clumsy consensus that served the country well in the years after apartheid is no longer fit for purpose, and that a more nuanced, contested form of democracy may now take over. But the governing African National Congress (ANC) does not see it like that, warning loudly that \"fascists\" and \"racists\" are threatening the survival of the institutions that have kept this country stable since 1994. Much now depends on the way the ANC - after two decades of unchallenged power - deals with a more robust opposition in parliament, the erosion of a key political alliance with the trade union movement, and the dawning possibility that it may soon lose power in two of South Africa's nine provinces - and one day at a national level too. Thursday's fighting in parliament can be traced directly to two immediate factors - one is the recent influx of MPs from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party. They are unapologetically rowdy and populist, and have energised - not always in a constructive way - an institution that many South Africans, numbed by the ANC's overwhelming majority, had apparently stopped caring about. The second factor is called Nkandla - the scandal about the lavish tax-payer-funded renovations to President Jacob Zuma's private home that will not disappear. Although many senior ANC figures have privately expressed deep unease about the issue, the party has publically rallied around the president in strident fashion. The last straw - well, one of many - came in the shape of an ad-hoc parliamentary committee that exonerated Mr Zuma of any personal wrongdoing, after opposition members had left it in frustration. The ANC then used its majority to adopt the committee's report on Thursday. South Africa's opposition is usually divided in parliament - and outside - to the advantage of the ANC. But Nkandla has seen political rivals united against the governing party with unusual vigour and co-ordination. It could be a sign of things to come - an opposition coalition one day strong enough to challenge the ANC's majority. All of which helps explain why the current chaos in South Africa's trade union movement is also giving the ANC real cause for concern. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has been in a strategic tri-partite alliance with the ANC and Communist Party - an arrangement that helped keep stability and achieve some progress in the labour market for decades. But a combination of factors - including falling membership, political rivalries, and incidents like the Marikana mine killings of 2012 - have led to a deep split, with the biggest trade union, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), now expelled from Cosatu. A more competitive, vibrant trade union movement - decoupled from its leaders' increasingly cosy pact with government -", "summary": "From the outside it might seem like relatively minor stuff - scuffles and anger in South Africa's parliament, and defections and splits within a trades union federation."}
{"article": "The indecent images on Ben Lewis's phone were discovered by a worker at LL Camps in Bushey, Hertfordshire. Co-owner Tal Landsman, who is on trial accused of child cruelty, did nothing when he was informed, jurors at St Albans Crown Court heard. Mr Landsman, 26, denies one charge of cruelty to a person under 16. He is accused of the offence between 31 July and 7 August 2015. Prosecutor Ann Evans told the jury Lewis had pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images. Lewis has admitted three counts of making indecent images and one of taking indecent images. On the first day of Mr Landsman's trial, LL Camps worker Sandra Vicente told the court Lewis, 26, had given her his phone and PIN so she could play music at a children's party on 1 August. Afterwards, a colleague asked to look at some photos Lewis had taken of him, but she then clicked on the deleted images. She first saw pictures of small children, naked and on a beach, and then saw some taken in a \"changing room\". \"I would say they were aged three to four,\" she said. \"I felt my brain was polluted. I felt sick.\" That night she said she told Mr Landsman, of Crambus Court, Admiral Drive, Stevenage. The prosecution alleges Mr Landsman, who was one of the camp's safeguarding officers, did nothing and allowed his friend to keep working. She called the police three days later after Lewis came to her with a three-year-old girl, who he said he had found in the toilets and had wet herself. The prosecution told the jury when Ms Vicente spoke to Mr Landsman he said would sort it and she should not tell anyone. Later that night Mr Landsman messaged her and asked if a \"million per cent categorically\" the picture she had seen was taken in the camp's changing rooms and she replied, \"Yeah\". \"In an effort to protect his friend, he did nothing about what he had heard, and allowed the parties and activities to keep running the camp until eventually Ofsted moved in and closed the place down on August 6,\" said Mrs Evans. The case continues.", "summary": "Naked photos of three and four-year-old girls were found on the mobile phone of a children's summer camp owner, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Nyom also revealed that after initially rejecting his country's call-up he changed his mind - but coach Hugo Broos told him there was no place for him. After winning the trophy on Sunday, Broos said those Cameroonian players not there would rue their decision. \"Let him know that I don't have any regrets,\" Nyom told BBC World Football. The 28-year-old was one of seven Cameroon players to decide to miss the tournament, with Liverpool defender Joel Matip another high-profile absentee. After Cameroon beat Egypt 2-1 in Sunday's final Broos suggested \"it was their decision, but maybe they are saying now to themselves 'why didn't I go with them?'\" However, Nyom is adamant he made the right choice. \"I heard what Broos said. It made me laugh because he knew what happened and he knew why I was not there. \"It's true, at first I didn't want to go, but afterwards I changed my mind. But he knew that and he knows what he told me, so I have no worries, no regrets. \"If before the tournament they had told me 'Cameroon is going to win and you are not part of the squad', I don't mind because I'm happy I'm playing for my club - it's much more important for me. \"If I had been there, it could stall my club career.\"", "summary": "West Brom's Cameroonian defender Allan Nyom has insisted he has no regrets about not being part of the Africa Cup of Nations-winning squad."}
{"article": "The 52-year-old is returning to Formula 1 from his position as technical boss of Audi's World Endurance Championship programme, which ends this season. Swiss Zander previously worked for Sauber between 2006 and 2007, and has held senior design positions in a number of other F1 teams. His most recent F1 role was as deputy technical director of the title-winning Brawn team in 2009. He also previously worked for Honda, Williams and BAR. Sauber have faced financial problems in recent years and are currently last of the 11 teams in this year's world championship. But the Swiss team have hopes of moving up the grid next season following their takeover earlier this year by a Swiss finance group called Longbow. Zander said: \"One of my tasks will be to define a stable and efficient technical organisation that evolves the potential of creativity and, therefore, the basis for the development of successful Formula 1 cars. \"Initially we obviously want to improve and establish ourselves as a team in the mid-field. It is a challenge which I await with excitement and enthusiasm.\" Team principal Monisha Kaltenborn said: \"This is a very important step in order to guide the team into a new and successful era. \"Zander fits well into our team. He has a lot of know-how in Formula 1, as well as in motorsport in general. \"In our factory in Hinwil, he will have the possibilities to work technically at a very high level. We are convinced we will make progress with him.\" Zander joined Audi in 2010 and led the team to five consecutive wins in the Le Mans 24 Hours from 2010-14.", "summary": "Sauber have appointed Jorg Zander as their new technical director."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old Newtownards woman was third in her heat in a time of 11.57 seconds into a slight head wind. That was outside her own Irish record of 11.40 and the Rio Olympic Games qualifying standard of 11.32. Should Foster fail to make the final, Friday's race will be her last chance to attain the Olympic qualifying mark. Northern Ireland's Olympic Games qualifiers Ciara Mageean and Kerry O'Flaherty will not open their Amsterdam challenges until Friday when Christine McMahon and Ben Reynolds will also be in action. Other Rio-bound Northern Ireland athletes Paul Pollock, Kevin Seaward and Breege Connolly will run in the half-marathon events on Sunday as part of an Irish squad which will also include North Belfast's Glady Ganiel. Meanwhile Ireland's Marcus Lawler has qualified for the semi-final of the men's 200 metres.", "summary": "Northern Ireland sprinter Amy Foster has reached Friday's semi-finals of the women's 100m at the European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam."}
{"article": "The Lib Dem MP for Bristol West said pubs in parts of the city were closing because of the decline of the \"white working class\" and the arrival of migrants from Somalia and elsewhere. He said reports of his remarks had been \"twisted\" to suggest a focus on race. He had simply been proposing derelict premises should be converted, he said. The comments were made as Mr Williams was outlining a government proposal to protect community pubs. The plan involves changing the law to prevent places listed as assets of community value being demolished or having their use changed without planning permission. Some campaigners had called for the government to go further and impose a blanket ban on the redevelopment of all pubs without planning permission. Arguing against a blanket ban, Mr Williams told MPs: \"In my own constituency, lots of pubs have closed - but it is usually because of demographic change. \"Some parts of my constituency, which had a 'white working-class community' 20 or 30 years ago, are now populated primarily by recently arrived Somalis and other people. \"Obviously the pubs in those areas have closed, and some have been converted to other uses, but some of them are still derelict. \"What the government is proposing is to look at the public houses that are genuinely popular and valued by the community now, giving them protection that is already allowed in the Localism Act and further enhancing that protection in terms of the planning laws, saying you cannot convert this pub into another use or demolish it without planning permission.\" Some reports, including one in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, with the headline \"'Somali immigrants' cause pub closures\", had taken his comments out of context, Mr Williams said. \"There was no value judgement in what I said. It was simply an observation,\" he told the BBC. \"Some pubs in the Barton Hill and Redcliffe area of my constituency have closed because of the arrival of a non-drinking Muslim population to the area. \"I could have made a point about pubs closing because of the decline of a factory or a football stadium - both of which also apply to my constituency,\" he said. \"I was simply saying there was no point us giving blanket protection to all pubs, as some people suggest. \"But what we are announcing is powers for people across the country to protect their much-loved pubs by triggering a planning application if they are listed as a community asset.\" Mr Williams rejected any suggestion his comments had been motivated by a negative view of migration. \"I have consistently argued that immigration is a good thing,\" he said. \"That is my view as a Liberal.\"", "summary": "Communities Minister Stephen Williams has defended his remarks in Parliament about the threat to pubs in his constituency from population changes."}
{"article": "On arrival, they find their iPads and smartphones suddenly only serve for taking photos which, to their dismay, can't be immediately posted to their Instagram or Facebook accounts. Whether Snapchat-obsessed millennials or email-addicted workaholics, they stare at their phones in disbelief, waiting in vain for the familiar \"4G\" symbol to appear, as the realisation dawns that an enforced digital detox is upon them. Conversely, plenty of travellers to Cuba relish the chance to disconnect from the office emails and the constant barrage of WhatsApp alerts and tweets. Yet what for the tourist is either a temporary inconvenience or a welcome offline breather is a very different reality for ordinary Cubans. For years, it felt to many on the island like the internet was something happening elsewhere, to other people. Recently though, it is easier, and cheaper, to get online in Cuba than it used to be. There are now more than 240 public access wi-fi spots dotted around the country and the price for an hour of internet access, while still expensive by international standards, has dropped by more than half, to $1.50 (\u00a31.20) for an hour. It is now a common sight to see people sitting with their laptops or phones in parks and public plazas connecting with their families abroad via video-chat technology. In the latest development, the state telecommunications company, Etecsa, has installed internet connections in around 2,000 homes in the capital's colonial district, Old Havana, as part of a two-month pilot scheme. Among the lucky few is Jose Antonio Ruiz. His modest apartment in one of the neighbourhood's newer buildings is part of the government's domestic online experiment. As a private business owner who rents rooms to tourists, Mr Ruiz has found the new \"luxury\" helped him in two main ways. First, he says, he can advertise his apartment more easily on popular accommodation websites like Airbnb, and answer his clients' emails much more promptly than before. Secondly, he can offer his guests a unique service giving him a competitive advantage over other guesthouses. \"The guests are really pleased when you tell them we have internet,\" Jose Antonio explains. \"They relax as they know they can check their flights from here, read their emails or contact their families.\" During the pilot, the connection is free but once it's over the government is expected to publish prices, so users can choose whether to keep the service or live without it. It hasn't yet been confirmed but it is believed it will cost around $15 (\u00a312) for 30 hours at the slowest speed of 128 kilobits per second, and up to $110 (\u00a390) for the fastest - two megabits per second. With the average wage in Cuba about $25 (\u00a320) a month, those prices would be prohibitively expensive for many Cubans. Jose Antonio's connection is not fast enough to stream video, for example. Still, it is an improvement on the dial-up connections that some state employees have at home and he says he'd pay to keep it as it's enough for what he needs. One day, though, those needs could", "summary": "No matter how much you warn visitors to Cuba that they'll be offline during their stay, they often won't believe it until they actually arrive in Havana."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old becomes the second youngest player after Tiger Woods to reach the landmark total since 1945. Berger began three shots behind Spieth but hit birdies in his last six holes for a three-under-par 67. Spieth, Masters and US Open champion in 2015, saved a par 70 with a superb chip that set up an easy putt on the 18th. The American then holed from the same bunker in the first round of the play-off to go one shot ahead. Berger had a chance to level and force another hole with a challenging putt, but the 24-year-old shot wide. \"It was a battle. I got really lucky, but that was awesome,\" said Spieth. \"The putter kind of let me down a little through the round but Michael (Greller, Spieth's caddie) kept me in it when I was losing it out there.\" Berger described the closing stages as \"Jordan doing Jordan things\". \"I've played great today, but obviously I wanted to win. I'm kind of speechless right now,\" he added. England's Paul Casey scored a one-under-par 69 for a share of fifth, while Northern Ireland's four-time major winner Rory McIlroy capped a mixed showing over the four days with a six-under-par 64 for joint 17th. Defending champion Russel Knox of Scotland scored a final-round three-over-par 73 to finish level overall.", "summary": "Jordan Spieth won the Travelers Championship by edging out Daniel Berger in a play-off with a chip shot from the bunker for his 10th PGA title."}
{"article": "ScotNursing says it is only able to fill around 40% of available shifts, whereas in the past it was able to fill 90%. The company is calling on former nurses to consider doing occasional shifts. The Scottish government said it had taken measures to support nurses, and increase the numbers of nurses and midwives working in the NHS. ScotNursing chief executive Ann Rushforth said the problem was down to the lack of school leavers joining the profession. She said: \"It takes four years to train a nurse. Sadly school leavers these days don't seem to want to be nurses. They want to be veterinary nurses and supermodels.\" Mrs Rushforth urged nurses who are still registered but may have taken a break to have a family or to work in a care home to consider updating their clinical skills. \"People can make a significant difference by doing just one shift a month,\" she said. \"There are hundreds of vacancies we can't fill but this work still has to be done by someone. People may not realise they're not getting the support they should have.\" During the general election campaign, both the Scottish Labour Party and the Scottish Conservatives promised to employ an extra 1,000 nurses in Scotland. However, Mrs Rushforth said the problem is a severe shortage of qualified staff. \"Nurses are not like instant coffee. You can't just make them. In particular, nurses willing to do occasional shifts have become as rare as pandas.\" ScotNursing is in discussion with further education establishments about offering easy routes for nurses to update their skills. Nurses must work a minimum number of hours per year and have completed appropriate training in order to work in the NHS. ScotNursing said occasional shifts can help them achieve this. In September last year there were 58,000 nurses and midwives employed in the NHS in Scotland, compared to 55,000 in 2005. Figures from the NHS statistics department, ISD, suggested an extra 429,000 people were seen as inpatients and outpatients over the same period. This indicates there is only one extra nurse for every 143 attendances. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned that health boards are under \"tremendous pressure\" to fill vacancies, but that staff numbers are failing to keep pace with the increase in patient numbers. Director of RCN Scotland Theresa Fyffe said: \"There is no doubt that there simply aren't enough nurses to fill the gaps. \"This is a result of growing patient demand, significant cuts to the number of nursing students recruited in 2011/12 and 2012/13 and high rates of retirement from the nursing workforce. \"And the withdrawal of return-to-practice programmes over the years makes it difficult for nurses to come back to the workforce. However, where these programmes are still available they are one way of filling these gaps. \"Ultimately, though, what we need is for health boards to robustly apply the nursing and midwifery workforce and workload planning tools. This is the only way in which we will get the right number of nurses with the right skills working in the right places.\"", "summary": "Scotland's biggest nursing agency has warned there are not enough qualified nurses in Scotland to fill rota gaps."}
{"article": "Brompton Cemetery, where suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst is buried, is to be given \u00a36.2m to restore its landscape and monuments. Along with West Norwood - which will receive \u00a34.8m - it is one of London's \"Magnificent Seven\" cemeteries. The historic burial grounds were created in London's suburbs from 1832 to reduce overcrowding. Highgate and Kensal Green are also among the \"Magnificent Seven\". More on this and other London news stories Brompton Cemetery's chapel, which was built in the style of St Peter's Basilica in Rome, will be one of the monuments renovated with the funds. The north lodge will be turned into a cafe and visitor centre. Sara Lom, of The Royal Parks Foundation, described the graveyard as \"a beautiful monument to our nation's history\". \"It's a final place of rest for notable figures and unsung heroes in equal measure,\" she said. The funding, made up of \u00a34.5m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and a further \u00a31.7m from The Royal Parks and The Royal Parks Foundation, will also be put towards conserving wildlife habitats. Brompton has 39 acres of green space and is home to 221 species of moth, 42 species of beetle and 18 species of butterfly. The cemetery neighbours Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea Football Club, and Gus Mears, who formed the club in 1905, is buried there. Chairman of the Friends of Brompton Cemetery Arthur Tait said it would become \"a hub for volunteering, training, and a place of relaxation for children and families while still being a haven for those who want peace, quiet and beauty\". Royal Parks Board member Wesley Kerr said the \"marvellous communal green space\" was as much for the living as for the dead. \"It is architecturally astonishing, full of magnificent sculptures, monuments and buildings set in a very beautiful designed landscape,\" he said. Brompton and West Norwood, which both still hold burial services, are among 12 parks and cemeteries to have received funding across the UK. Friends of West Norwood Cemetery said the \u00a34.8m investment would be spent on improving the cemetery's drainage, footpaths and entrance gates. It said the money would also be used for works on an area reserved for the Greek Orthodox community - known as the \"necropolis\" or \"cemetery within a cemetery\". Source: The Friends of West Norwood Cemetery", "summary": "Two \"magnificent\" Victorian cemeteries in London are to receive multimillion-pound facelifts."}
{"article": "A total of 2,488 medals, each weighing 500g, have been produced - with 812 gold, 812 silver and 864 bronze. They were made with \"sustainability at their heart\", say organisers. The gold medals are free from mercury, the silver and bronze medals are made from 30% recycled materials, and half of the plastic in their ribbons is from recycled plastic bottles. The designs feature laurel leaves - a symbol of victory in ancient Greece - surrounding the Rio 2016 logo, and organisers say they celebrate \"the relationship between the strengths of Olympic heroes and the forces of nature\". In line with the ecological theme of the Games, the podiums on which the athletes will receive the medals are made from organic materials and have been designed to be reused as furniture after the Games. There are 2,642 Paralympic medals: 877 gold, 876 silver and 889 bronze and each has a device inside that uses tiny steel balls to make a sound when they are shaken, allowing visually impaired athletes to identify the colour by increasing in volume from bronze to gold. The bronze medals have 16 steel balls and make the lowest sound, the silver medals have 20 balls and the golds have 28, producing the loudest noise. All of the medals also have the words 'Rio 2016 Paralympic Games' written on them in Braille.", "summary": "Rio 2016 organisers have revealed the medals that will be competed for at this summer's Olympics."}
{"article": "Fraserburgh-born Blake Glover arrived in Nagasaki in 1859, helped found Mitsubishi, and contributed to the modernisation of Japan. Aberdeen City Council wants to turn Glover House into an \"ideas hub\". The proposals will go before the council's finance, policy and resources committee on Tuesday. Council leader Jenny Laing said: \"Thomas Blake Glover is regarded as the founder of modern Japan and here in the north east we remain very proud of his achievements. \"By transforming his family home in the Bridge of Don area into a research and development facility for future industries and technologies, we are potentially developing ideas which will help us diversify our own economy and attract inward investment. \"It will also help us cement partnerships with Japanese companies. \"Our aim is to use the home of the Scottish Samurai as a springboard to widen our skills base and to encourage innovation as we look to the years beyond North Sea oil and gas.\" Mitsubishi gifted Glover House to Grampian Regional Council in 1996. The property is now under the control of Aberdeen City Council.", "summary": "The Aberdeen family home of the so-called \"Scottish Samurai\" Thomas Blake Glover could be turned into a \u00a32m research hub."}
{"article": "The distasteful adjective - a favourite of Great British Bake Off presenting duo Mel and Sue - has topped polls in the UK, US and Canada, according to those behind the global survey. Oxford University Press said \"no\", \"Brexit\" and \"British\", joined moist as the UK's four most-despised words. More than 10,000 people have responded to the survey so far. \"Moist\" - dubbed by comedian Miranda Hart the \"queen of all words\" - also leads the way in the US, Canada and Australia, also coming second in the poll of Dutch opinion. \"No\" is least popular in the early running in the Netherlands and Germany, while \"love\" and \"sorry\" find the least favour in India. Dan Braddock, from Oxford University Press, said this was the first time Oxford Dictionaries - which focuses on current English usage - had tried such an experiment and \"we're not entirely sure what to expect yet\". \"We thought for a long time about the question to open with, but we decided to go down the negative route,\" he said. \"We thought people were more likely to have strong opinions about a negative subject matter.\" He said the publisher hoped to collect 30,000 replies by the end of the project. Despite the poll's findings, \"moist\" does not appear to be universally despised. On Wednesday's edition of The Great British Bake Off, host Mel Giedroyc remarked that it was her \"favourite word\" as she urged contestants to produce a \"sumptuous\" drizzle cake.", "summary": "\"Moist\" is the early front-runner in a search to find the most-hated word in the English language."}
{"article": "The annual event sees dancing lions, acrobats and floats parade from Shaftesbury Avenue to Trafalgar Square. The new year, also known as the Spring Festival, is based on the lunar Chinese calendar so it changes each year. Each year is marked by one of 12 animals that appear on the Chinese zodiac. This year is the year of the Rooster. The event in London is said to be one of the biggest outside Asia.", "summary": "Thousands of people have taken to the streets of central London to celebrate Chinese New Year."}
{"article": "It has shared details of the mission that led to America's most-wanted man being found five years ago in Pakistan. But reaction has been largely negative, with one Twitter user calling the move \"grotesque and embarrassing\". Others posted memes and gifs of people rolling their eyes and putting their heads in their hands. The CIA's other tweets mostly concern historical trivia and artefacts. How the lives of Osama Bin Laden's neighbours changed forever Legacy of Bin Laden's death Who was Osama Bin Laden? Bin Laden's death: How it happened Have we been told the truth about Bin Laden's death? The leader of al-Qaeda, who was thought to have ordered the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington, was shot dead at a compound in Abbottabad, in May 2011 after evading capture by the US and its allies for nearly a decade. Speaking on the fifth anniversary of his death, CIA director John Brennan said the United States had destroyed a large part of al-Qaeda. Bin Laden had a great symbolic and strategic significance, he told CBS, and it was important to remove the man responsible for the 9/11 attacks. He said removing the head of the self-styled Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, could have a great impact but added that counter-terrorism agencies were confronting not just an organisation but a phenomenon, and the challenge would continue for many years. \"I think it has had a resonance, unfortunately, that has appealed to the hearts and souls and minds of individuals who have been misled by their narrative of it being a religious banner,\" he said.", "summary": "The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been criticised online for live-tweeting the killing of Osama Bin Laden as if it were happening today."}
{"article": "The polls are currently neck-and-neck between the left-wing Syriza, led by former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, and the right-wing New Democracy, led by Vangelis Meimarakis. The vote was called by Mr Tsipras last month in an attempt to give him a popular mandate following his controversial agreement with European creditors in exchange for a vital third bailout package. However, with any future Greek government now committed to those agreed austerity measures, the main feature of this election is indifference and confusion among the electorate. The elections are also taking place in a climate of economic malaise, with the economy having suffered substantially in the first half of 2015 due to political uncertainty and consumer anticipation of further austerity. This election, organised by a caretaker government, will take place under a closed-list system, meaning individual candidates do not campaign, since the order of preference in constituency lists is determined by party leaders. Under Greek electoral law, 250 of the 300 seats in parliament are allocated, according to proportional representation, to each party that clears a 3% threshold, with the winning party receiving a 50-seat bonus. If all parties running were to clear the threshold, a vote share of about 40% would be needed to gain an outright majority (151 seats). But the share needed for a majority drops according to how many parties fail to enter parliament. Based on previous Greek elections, it is expected that about 10% of votes will go to parties that remain outside parliament, reducing the majority vote share to about 36%. It seems very unlikely that any of the two major parties will manage to cross this threshold. Polls close at 19:00 local time (17:00 BST), after which all major Greek TV stations will broadcast their exit polls. Unless results are very close, it will be safe to gauge the critical aspects of the result (which party comes first, which parties enter parliament, distribution of seats) by about 22:00 local time. When the elections were called, a Syriza majority was not out of the question. However, the party suffered a split following its pro-austerity turn, giving rise to a new anti-austerity party - the Popular Unity (LAE) - which competes with the Communist Party (KKE) for the vote to the left of Syriza. Mr Tsipras, the dominant figure in Greek politics since he came to power, has been tarnished by disagreements with his old comrades, making a further split in his party a possibility after the election. The pro-European centre-left is less fragmented than in recent years, as the party of former Prime Minister George Papandreou will not contest these elections. This leaves PASOK and To Potami as the sole representatives of this camp. The right wing of the political spectrum includes: New Democracy has conducted a much more enthusiastic campaign than many expected and is benefiting from the down-to-earth style of its interim leader, Vangelis Meimarakis. Opinion polls paint an image of a neck-and-neck race. However, most voters who have not declared their intention yet are old Syriza voters and it would be a major surprise were", "summary": "The Greek election on 20 September will be the third vote in 2015 (after the general election of January and the referendum in July) and the fifth general election in six years."}
{"article": "It was felt the team, ranked fifth in the world, was not a credible medal challenger for the Tokyo Paralympics. \"Since London we have made massive progress and I believe we are good enough to medal in Tokyo,\" vice-captain Gavin Walker told BBC Radio 5 live. It follows a similar campaign by fencing, which also lost its funding. Wheelchair rugby has been awarded more than \u00a36.3m over the last three Paralympic cycles and while Great Britain have won golds at European level over this time, they have never won a World Championship or Paralympic medal of any colour.", "summary": "Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby has launched a fundraising campaign after losing its appeal against the removal of UK Sport funding."}
{"article": "The announcement was made on the official Star Wars Twitter page. Fans will have to wait for more details to be released as the makers of the films are keeping things top secret so nothing gets given away. It is believed the film will focus on what's been going on with Luke Skywalker, one of the biggest characters in the series. The Last Jedi will take place directly after the events of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens', which ended with Rey (Daisy Ridley) finding Luke. Will Luke be the last Jedi in the title? But, fans will have to wait until December to find out exactly what this film has in store for Rey, Luke Skywalker and the rest of the rebels. Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be released on 15 December 2017.", "summary": "'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' will be the title of the latest instalment of the popular sci-fi series."}
{"article": "In 2006, a court found them to be the leaders of a group of nine Australians arrested in Bali with more than 18lb (8.3kg) of heroin. Their families say they were rehabilitated while in prison, but Indonesian President Joko Widodo rejected their clemency pleas, saying there can be no compromise on the issue of death sentences for drug traffickers. He has described the drug trade as a scourge that kills up to 50 Indonesians each day, though correspondents say the statistics he used have been called into question. Indonesia's National Narcotics Agency puts the figure at 33 a day. Chan and Sukumaran recruited seven Australians to travel to Bali in 2005 to bring heroin back to Australia. Balinese police swooped on the group after a tip-off from Australian police. Four of the seven mules were arrested at Denpasar airport with heroin strapped to their bodies, while Sukumaran and three others were detained at a Kuta hotel in possession of heroin. Chan, arrested at the airport, was not carrying drugs. Convicting them in February 2006, the court said the pair were guilty of \"illegally exporting first-class narcotics in an organised way\". It said Chan and Sukumaran had provided money, airline tickets and hotels to the seven mules. \"There are no mitigating factors. His statements throughout the trial were convoluted and he did not own up to his actions,\" Judge Arief Supratman said of Chan. Another judge, Gusti Lanang Dauh, said Sukumaran \"showed no remorse\". Multiple advocates for the pair said they became very different in jail to the young men sentenced to death by the court. Chan, 31, ran Bible study classes in Bali's Kerobokan jail, while Sukumaran, 33, became a keen artist. The son of restaurant owners, and a former part-time cook, Chan also ran a cooking school in Kerobokan prison. And he featured in a documentary seeking to educate secondary school students about the dangers of drug taking. The film includes a six-page letter written by Chan entitled \"Dear Me: The Dangers of Drugs\". In it he writes: \"Dear Me, when you are older you will be in a Bali prison and you will be executed. This happened to you because you thought taking drugs was cool.... Your family and friends are heart broken... Underneath you are not a bad person.\" He also addresses young people in the film. \"I have missed weddings, funerals, just the simple presence of my family. The hurt and pain that I don't just put onto myself, but my family, is agonising,\" he says. \"My life is a perfect example of an absolute waste. That does not have to be [the case] for you.\" The director of the film, Malinda Rutter, met Chan in prison and said he was a transformed man. \"He's funny, articulate, he is charismatic and has a very caring personality,\" Ms Rutter told News Limited. She said that his unhappy childhood led him into criminal activity. \"He was a really troubled kid and he wanted to be tougher and bigger than the other kids,\" she said. Chan tells the documentary that he", "summary": "Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran have been executed in Indonesia for drug-smuggling."}
{"article": "Takata has been hit by a huge recall of faulty and potentially deadly airbags used worldwide by carmakers. It has been linked to 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries. The shares dropped following a report from Bloomberg citing unnamed bidders. Reports emerged last week that Takata was looking for private equity groups and other car part makers as investors to help it with its financial situation. However, on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that several bidders were considering a push for bankruptcy protection instead as it might mean lower repayments to debt holders. The move would mean the company being put under administration so it can be restructured with the help of new investors. Through this process, future investors can be relieved of some of the company's debts and obligations. Takata has paid out $70m (\u00a348m) in fines from US regulators so far over the faulty airbags. In May, the company reported a net loss of 13.1bn yen ($128.7m, \u00a399m) for its financial year ending in March.", "summary": "Takata shares have fallen almost 12% after a report that potential bidders are considering bankruptcy proceedings for the company to mitigate their liability following the firm's airbag scandal."}
{"article": "There was an initial outbreak at Weston General Hospital before Christmas and then a fresh outbreak afterwards. Uphill and Berrow wards are now both open and the Ashcombe maternity unit is fully open for expectant mothers. A third ward, Kewstoke remains closed and still has restrictions in place, hospital bosses said. When there was an increase in emergency admissions over the Christmas and new year period, eight out of 12 beds in the maternity unit were used for admissions but now it has returned to being fully used by the maternity unit.", "summary": "Two wards at a Somerset hospital have been reopened to admissions after an outbreak of norovirus at the end of December."}
{"article": "Shaw was a team-mate of Croft's in Glamorgan's County Championship winning side of 1997. The 44-year-old will support the seconds and first team as well as the academy squad. \"As far as I'm concerned this will always be my club,\" Shaw said. \"There's some good young players coming through, so to build on this and help their development towards the first team is great news.\" Shaw was previously appointed head coach at the county in 2007 but was subsequently replaced by Matthew Maynard. Former captain Croft, 45, was elevated to the top role after the December departure of Toby Radford. Shaw, who had already been working with Glamorgan's academy youngsters, joins Steve Watkin, David Harrison and Richard Almond in Croft's coaching team.", "summary": "Former Glamorgan wicketkeeper Adrian Shaw has joined the Welsh county's coaching team under new head coach Robert Croft."}
{"article": "The Samoa international, 26, moved to the Sharks in January on an initial short-term deal before signing a two-year contract soon after. Iaone predominantly played as a number eight or blindside flanker in New Zealand but has started two Premiership games this season at openside for Sale. \"It's a new role for me, I don't really play seven,\" he told BBC Sport. \"From where I'm from I usually play six or eight because sevens back home are a lot fitter than what I am. \"For myself I guess I could add another string to my bow saying I can cover seven now.\" Ioane, who played for the Highlanders in Super Rugby, was given some time off before the start of the season after he played twice in the Rugby World Cup for Samoa. One of the biggest differences Ioane has noticed since his move to England is the preparations before the game. \"The boys love their tin here, they love their weights,\" he added \"I've come from a place where weights are part of the week, but it's not overly focused on, here the lads are a lot bigger than what the lads are like back home. \"I guess because of the fields and the conditions it becomes a forward-orientated game here so I'm about this same size as some of the academy boys. \"If it affected my game then I might have to get bigger, but I like playing at the weight I am - for me the bigger I get the harder it is for me to get around the pitch.\"", "summary": "Sale Sharks forward TJ Ioane is happy with the challenge of adapting to the openside flanker position this season."}
{"article": "It was Englishman Fleetwood's first win since 2013, while Scotland's Jamieson took his maiden title in 2012. The \"desert swing\" continues at the Qatar Masters on Thursday and Jamieson is one of eight Scots competing. \"It's not always going to be the big names that are winning everything,\" he told BBC Scotland. \"You're always going to have the marquee players, but there are a number of other guys who can go and win tournaments. \"Four rounds is a long stretch to play good golf for and you've got to manage your game well. If you can keep it together on the day, you're not swinging it as well and still throw in a low round, you're always in with a chance.\" Jamieson, 33, finished joint-36th in Abu Dhabi, which was the best placing from the seven Scots in action there. That came a month after his tied-fourth finish at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Leopard Creek, South Africa, meaning his 2017 season has got off to an encouraging start. The end of the 2016 European Tour season was a strain for Jamieson, who narrowly kept his card by finishing 107th in the Race to Dubai. \"My main goal is to knuckle down early in the year so I can push for bigger and better things as the year goes on,\" said Jamieson, whose European Tour title came at the Nelson Mandela Championship four years ago. \"The last two years for me have been a bit of a struggle compared to my first few years on tour. \"Until the last two years I had never experienced that pressure before and it was pretty uncomfortable - it's not something I would like to endure every year.\" The Qatar Masters is held at Doha Golf Club and the tournament has been running since 1998. It is a par-72 course measuring 7,348 yards, with the par-five ninth hole the longest at 639 yards. South Africa's Branden Grace successfully defended his Qatar Masters title in 2016 to make it two consecutive wins at the tournament, but has opted not to play there this season. Scotland's Paul Lawrie claimed the title in 1999 and 2012, with countryman Andrew Coltart winning the inaugural Qatar Masters in 1998. Yes. Eight of them, including Jamieson and Lawrie. East Kilbride's Marc Warren will aim to build on his promising opening round in Abu Dhabi last week, as will Aberdeen's Richie Ramsay. Cockburnspath's David Drysdale also continues his steady start to the season in Doha, with Linlithgow's Stephen Gallacher aiming to improve on last week by making the cut this time around. Clydebank's Scott Henry is back on the European Tour for 2017 and is in the Qatar Masters field, as is Grantown on Spey's Duncan Stewart. Germany's two-time major champion Martin Kaymer plays in Doha for the first time since 2014 and in-form world number 10 Alex Noren, from Sweden, also features. US Open champion of 2010 - Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell - begins his 2017 European Tour season in Doha. The winner of the Qatar Masters gets a cheque for just", "summary": "Scott Jamieson has been heartened by Tommy Fleetwood's triumph at last weekend's Abu Dhabi Championship as he bids for a second European Tour title."}
{"article": "Whitton Primary School, near Knighton, opened in a village barn in 1724, before re-opening as a school house in 1767. The closure is due to low numbers, and the cost per pupil being \"significantly above the county average\" Powys council said. Residents objected to the closure of the 15-pupil school. The council's cabinet approved the closure in July 2014, but following objections it was referred to Education Minister Huw Lewis, who upheld the decision. Wealthy benefactor Dame Anna Child left her \u00c2\u00a3500 fortune to build a school in the \"village she loved\" after she died in 1703. \"She wanted to provide a salary for someone to teach the children in the parish,\" said Graham Skipworth, chairman of governors for the school. The school is funded by the local authority but is backed up by the Dame Anna Child's Endowed School Trust. The trust raised money from the 147 acres (59 hectares) of farmland surrounding the school which it purchased three centuries ago. Funds raised have been used to support staffing to improve teacher to child ratios, as well as purchasing extra computer suites for the classrooms. Now it will now be used to provide parents of the children leaving with uniforms for their new schools.", "summary": "A Powys village school funded by an aristocrat for 291 years will close on Friday."}
{"article": "The Daily Telegraph claimed Black had advised undercover reporters how to bribe officials at other clubs. During an internal investigation, Southampton requested the Telegraph provide them with evidence. In a statement, it said: \"There is no evidence of any wrongdoing, as such the club now considers the matter closed.\" The statement added: \"Despite numerous requests to provide the club with any evidence relating to the allegation against Mr Black, none has been forthcoming. \" Black, 54, joined the Premier League club in June as assistant to manager Claude Puel. The former Aston Villa caretaker manager and Aberdeen striker denied the allegations.", "summary": "Southampton have concluded there is \"no evidence\" to support allegations of wrongdoing made by a newspaper against its assistant manager Eric Black."}
{"article": "He will now go to prison immediately to serve the five-year term that he was given in March 2014. It will be Mr Anwar's second spell in jail on charges which he has always argued have been politically motivated. Mr Anwar is widely seen as the only man who can break the governing coalition's dominance, correspondents say. \"I maintain my innocence. This to me is a fabrication coming from a political conspiracy to stop my political career,\" Mr Anwar told the court. He told the judges: \"You have become partners in crime in the murder of judicial independence,\" prompting them to get up and walk out of the room, AP news agency reported. Mr Anwar tweeted a statement later in the day, saying he would not be silenced. His daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar, herself a politician, told the BBC that the opposition would hold a meeting on Tuesday evening to discuss \"the next course of action\". She said she hoped her father's jailing would galvanise both the opposition and the electorate. \"I hope Malaysians will wake up... the only way to ensure normal... justice takes place is through the ballot box,\" she told the BBC World Service's Newsday programme. In this most recent case, Mr Anwar was accused of having sex with a male political aide in 2008. Sodomy is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia, though very few people are ever prosecuted. He was cleared by a High Court of the charges in 2012 because of a lack of evidence. The government then appealed and his acquittal was overturned. It is Mr Anwar's appeal against this ruling that has now been rejected. The popular politician was previously imprisoned for six years for sodomy and corruption after being ousted as deputy prime minister in 1998. He was freed in 2004 and went on to lead his three-party alliance to unprecedented gains in the 2008 and 2013 elections. In the latter, the ruling Barisan Nasional, which has been in power since 1957, suffered its worst-ever result. Reading the verdict, Judge Arifin Zakat said there was \"overwhelming evidence\" against Mr Anwar and upheld the conviction. The court subsequently reaffirmed the five-year jail sentence, as a few hundred of Mr Anwar's supporters protested outside. Ahead of the verdict, Mr Anwar, 67, said there was \"no reason whatsoever for them to ever consider putting me to jail\". \"I am innocent,\" he said. \"Now in the event there's a political decision to put me in jail, I understand the system, I've served time in prison... But then this is a price I have to pay.\" At the scene: Jonathan Head, BBC News, Putrajaya There were tears and hugs for the Malaysian opposition leader from his family after his conviction was confirmed by the Federal Court. He had half expected this verdict, but, at the age of 67, has been dreading it too. For 16 years Anwar Ibrahim has dominated Malaysian opposition politics, and for almost as long he has been fighting the same judicial battle against charges he and most human rights groups have always said were politically-motivated. He", "summary": "Malaysia's top court has upheld opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's conviction for sodomy after rejecting his appeal."}
{"article": "The leaks from a secret BND report suggest that its monitoring station at Bad Aibling spied on France's presidential palace and foreign ministry, and the European Commission. The US National Security Agency also allegedly spied on some European firms. German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere denies claims of a cover-up. The BND reportedly collected information on European firms at Washington's behest to check if they were breaking trade embargos. According to the reports, the BND did not target German or US officials in the surveillance, as they are protected by a BND-NSA agreement signed in 2002. However, it has emerged that the German government knew about NSA spying on European arms businesses as early as 2008. The government found \"shortcomings\" in the BND's operations, German TV reports. Minister under pressure - by the BBC's Jenny Hill in Berlin: Yesterday the tabloid newspaper Bild printed a picture of Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere - his nose elongated to Pinocchio proportions. \"Herr de Maiziere!\" the accompanying headline screamed. \"You lie with impunity!\" There's outrage here that Germany - for so long seen as the victim of American espionage - may have helped US spies to target other Europeans. And pressure is building on the government to reveal how much it knew. As the former minister in charge of the chancellery, Thomas de Maiziere was directly responsible for Germany's foreign intelligence agency, the BND, in 2008. And that is when, it's claimed, the BND first told the chancellery that its agents were now helping the NSA to spy on European aviation, aerospace and defence companies. Mr de Maiziere has denied all knowledge, and maintains that he hasn't deceived anyone. But he says that - because the information is all classified - he is unable to comment publicly. Yet there are questions about who else was aware. Another German newspaper devoted its front page to a \"wanted\" poster. Among the mugshots of politicians and civil servants was Chancellor Angela Merkel herself. Spy scandal turns tables on German government Mr de Maiziere denies having had any knowledge of malpractice at German intelligence. But he called for the internal BND report to be presented to a parliamentary committee, \"the sooner the better\". The huge scale of NSA surveillance in Europe - including joint spying operations with the UK's GCHQ - was revealed in 2013 by US whistleblower Edward Snowden. There was outrage in Germany because of the scope of NSA spying, which allegedly included snooping on Chancellor Merkel's mobile phone conversations. The revelations strained German-US diplomatic ties. Last July Germany expelled a CIA official based at the US embassy, as reports surfaced of several Germans having spied for the NSA. Germany's leftist Die Linke party accused the German government on Wednesday of \"lying\" in connection with NSA activities. German media reports speak of NSA attempts to spy on Airbus and Eurocopter, now known as Airbus Helicopters, via the BND.", "summary": "Germany's national intelligence agency, the BND, spied on top French officials and the EU's headquarters on behalf of US intelligence, German media report."}
{"article": "HMP Birmingham prisoners Demehl Thomas and Moysha Shepherd, both 25, are accused of boasting about drug dealing and violent assaults on rival gang members in the video, police said. The pair are charged with making a sound recording in jail under the 1952 Prison Act. They will appear via video link before magistrates in the city on Thursday. West Midlands Police, which described the video as a \"selfie rap\", said it believed the prosecution against Thomas, formerly of Vernolds Croft in Highgate, and Shepherd, of Hampstead Road, Handsworth, was the first of its kind. Insp Nick Dale, said the law was intended to \"minimise the potential\" for a camera or recording device to be used inside prison \"and possibly compromise security or pose a threat to the safety of prisoners and staff.\"", "summary": "Two inmates have been charged with making a \"selfie\" rap video using a mobile phone smuggled into a jail."}
{"article": "The world number three almost holed his approaches to the last two holes to leave tap-ins for birdie and eagle. The Northern Irishman carded 70 and trails Andy Sullivan of England. A fog delay of almost three hours on Friday had seen round two spill into Saturday, when play was again delayed because of mist. \"I needed that,\" said 26-year-old McIlroy, who is on eight under par. \"I knew 18 was a good chance and 17 was downwind so I would be going in with a wedge, but I didn't quite expect to do what I did on 18. That was nice. \"It glossed over a pretty average round to be fair. But when you are not at your best, to be able to come away with a 70 and keep in touch with the leaders, I'm happy with that.\" McIlroy, whose 268-yard five-wood approach to the 18th appeared to graze the edge of the hole, added: \"I've never had an albatross and my dad's had one or two so that would have been nice.\" American amateur Bryson DeChambeau finished alongside McIlroy after adding a 72 to his opening 64, with world number five Henrik Stenson part of a seven-strong group on seven under. Rickie Fowler's finish was not quite as spectacular as that of playing partner McIlroy, although the world number six did clatter the flag with his approach to the 16th and also birdied the 18th to finish six under. In contrast, the final member of the group, world number one Jordan Spieth cut a frustrated figure as he finished with five straight pars to card a 73 and finish three under.", "summary": "Rory McIlroy is two shots off the lead after a spectacular finish to his second round at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Saturday."}
{"article": "Kervezee, who had just two first-class scalps previously, removed captain Ed Joyce (82), Matt Machan (55) and Luke Wright (21) either side of lunch as the hosts collapsed from 129-1 to 194-5. Spinner Sachithra Senanayake then took 4-50 as Sussex were bowled out for 290. Requiring 247 for victory, the visitors reached 47-0 at stumps with first-innings centurion Richard Oliver on 23. Worcestershire's batsman will be hoping there is no repeat of their second-innings collapse in the defeat against Yorkshire, when they were skittled for just 100, as they search for a first win since their return to Division One of the County Championship. After Charlie Morris had Luke Wells caught at slip by Alex Gidman in just the second over of the day, Joyce and Machan shared a second-wicket stand of 119 as Sussex looked to be taking control. The turning point came just before lunch when off-spinner Kervezee trapped Scotland batsman Machan lbw and then had Wright caught at short leg and Joyce snaffled in the slips as he continued his spell after the interval. Ben Brown (44) and Ashar Zaidi fell either side of the tea break and Sri Lankan Senanayake bamboozled the tail as Sussex lost their last five wickets for just 57 runs. Worcestershire openers Oliver and captain Daryl Mitchell (16 not out) then batted confidently for 14 overs to leave their side needing 200 more for victory on the final day. Worcestershire's Alexei Kervezee: \"I must admit it was a surprise when Daryl (Mitchell) asked me to bowl and I was delighted with how it went. \"I have tried to bowl a bit quicker and there was some rough to aim for and I'm pretty chuffed to have got Joyce and Wright out - they are not a bad couple of scalps for my first Championship wickets. \"All the bowlers contributed then our openers did well to get through that spell before the close so we are in a good place.\" Sussex all-rounder Luke Wright: \"We would have liked to set a few more but we've seen that the odd ball does something out of the ordinary and we've seen throughout the game that wickets do fall in clusters. \"We've still got a great chance because the bowlers always feel they are in the game. \"I got a ball that popped up off a length which I wasn't expecting and it won't get any easier to bat on the final day.\"", "summary": "Part-time bowler Alexei Kervezee took three wickets for Worcestershire to set up a tense final day against Sussex."}
{"article": "The 41-year-old replaces former Scotland team-mate Graham Alexander, who was dismissed on 30 September. Pressley was sacked by Coventry City in February after almost two years in charge, following a seven-game winless run that left them in the relegation zone. He recently rejected the chance to talk to Scottish side Dundee United about their vacant managerial position. Pressley has been working as a coaching for the Scottish Football Association and had just agreed to look after the Scotland Under-17 team on a one-off basis for a three-match round of qualifiers. In a recent interview with BBC Radio Scotland, after being linked to the role at Dundee United, Pressley said: \"I have built up a very good reputation in England and I have a burning desire to manage at the elite level. \"That's not an arrogance. That's a belief. In order to do that, I think you have to manage in a country like England.\" The former Hearts and Rangers centre-back started his coaching career at Falkirk in 2010, leaving the Bairns three years later to take charge of Coventry. He kept the Sky Blues in League One in his first full season in charge despite serious financial difficulties which resulted in the club being docked 10 points for going into administration. He was fired the following year with Coventry 21st in the table, in a season when they were beaten at home in the first round of the FA Cup by non-league Worcester City. Meanwhile, Fleetwood have confirmed that assistant manager Chris Lucketti will remain in his role, while Pressley's former Coventry assistant Neil MacFarlane has joined the coaching staff.", "summary": "League One side Fleetwood Town have appointed Steven Pressley as manager."}
{"article": "Captain Lee Wallace's struck to give the home side the lead just after the quarter-hour mark. And Martyn Waghorn doubled their advantage shortly before the break, turning in Barrie McKay's pass. Nicky Law added a third with a shot high into the net as Mark Warburton's side claimed their tenth win in all competitions. Having scored five goals in each of their last three matches, Rangers were keen to maintain their impressive goal haul but their second half performance failed to match the tempo displayed in the opening 45 minutes. The hosts were unchanged for the first time this season and in-form Waghorn quickly garnered their first scoring opportunity with barely five minutes gone as he pounced on a defensive error to test Darren Jamieson but the goalkeeper reacted well. Livingston, the only side in the Championship without a league win this season, responded with their first chance when a Myles Hippolyte free kick found the head of Declan Gallagher but his header picked out keeper Wes Foderingham. It was from a free-kick that Rangers took the lead after 16 minutes The pre-planned move broke down but the ball rebounded to Wallace who, from 30 yards, struck the ball cleanly with his left foot low in to the bottom corner for his fourth goal of the season - equalling his tally for last season. Livingston were without the suspended Ben Gordon and lost his replacement Craig Sives to injury inside 25 minutes, with Morgyn Neill replacing him. The bottom side did not dwell on their misfortune and only a flying save from Foderingham kept out Liam Buchanan's powerful shot. Rangers, fuelled by the guile of Nathan Oduwa and the lively front play of Waghorn, dealt Livingston a decisive blow five minutes from half-time. Oduwa was involved in the build-up, Waghorn holding up the ball and rejecting all passing options to work his way free and precisely angle a low shot beyond Jamieson. If a second half onslaught was expected it did not appear as Rangers failed to match their earlier intensity while Livingston never gave up but never seriously threatened the home goal. Kenny Miller, who appeared as a substitute in the first ever meeting of these sides in 2001, came off the bench and slid a pass into the path of fellow substitute Law who angled his shot high into the net for his first goal of the season. Match ends, Rangers 3, Livingston 0. Second Half ends, Rangers 3, Livingston 0. Attempt missed. Myles Hippolyte (Livingston) left footed shot from the left side of the box is just a bit too high. Kenny Miller (Rangers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Kenny Miller (Rangers). Myles Hippolyte (Livingston) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Livingston. Kieran Gibbons replaces Scott Pittman. Nicky Law (Rangers) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Darren Cole (Livingston). Delay in match (Livingston). Attempt missed. Dean Shiels (Rangers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. James Tavernier", "summary": "Rangers made it six wins out of six in the Scottish Championship with a comfortable victory over Livingston."}
{"article": "So often repeated are the words of the Swedish diplomat Dag Hammarskjold, the organisation's most beloved secretary general, they have come to serve as a mission statement of sorts. Additionally, they function as a crude benchmark against which the work of the United Nations can be judged. When the organisation was formed in 1945, in the aftermath of World War Two and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, \"hell\" would have been the outbreak of a third global conflict and nuclear Armageddon, neither of which has come to pass. But in those post-War years, as the full horror of the Holocaust was uncovered, \"hell\" also meant genocide, a word which had only just been coined: the systematic massacre of thousands of people because of their ethnicity, religion, race or nationality. Here, the UN has not always been able to halt the descent into the abyss. To its member states' eternal shame, on some occasions it has been a bystander to genocide. In any historical ledger, Rwanda and Srebrenica stand out as ghastly failures. During the Rwanda genocide, UN peacekeepers deployed in the country concentrated on evacuating expatriates and government officials, failing to intervene as 800,000 Tutsis and sympathetic Hutus were slaughtered. In Srebrenica in July 1995, more than 8,000 Muslims, mainly men and boys, were massacred by Bosnian Serb forces, which barged past Dutch soldiers wearing the distinctive blue helmet of the UN peacekeepers as if they weren't there. What made the massacre all the more horrifying was that the Muslims had sheltered in enclaves deemed \"safe areas\" under the protections of the UN. In some conflicts, such as Yugoslavia, the UN was slow to respond. In others, such as Vietnam and the Iraq war, it was sidelined. Its efforts to broker peace talks during Syria's civil war, now in its fifth year, have always ended in failure. Now, a third UN envoy, the Italian diplomat Staffan de Mistura, is trying, without success so far, to break the impasse. Peace has also proved elusive in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one of the UN's first major dilemmas following its formation in 1945 and a long-running bugbear. Sometimes the UN has been part of the problem rather than the solution. Blue-helmeted peacekeepers have been accused of a litany of sexual abuses, most recently in the Central African Republic. In Haiti, peacekeepers from Nepal were the source, the evidence suggests, of a cholera outbreak that has killed more than 8,000 people - though the UN refuses to accept any legal liability. While the UN sees itself as a force for democratisation, it is a ridiculously undemocratic organisation. Its locus of power is the Security Council, where the five permanent members - the US, Britain, France, China and Russia - still wield crippling vetoes. The Security Council, like amber encasing an extinct insect, preserves the influence of the victors from World War Two, freezing a moment in a time. Tellingly, when Franklin Delano Roosevelt coined the phrase the \"United Nations,\" he was referring not to the countries of the world but rather the Allied powers. Germany", "summary": "\"The UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell.\""}
{"article": "Many have now taken refuge in the Evangelical Church in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya. The Coptic Church has condemned the attacks, saying they were aimed at \"dividing\" Egyptians. On Sunday, Islamic State militants released a video, warning of more attacks on Egypt's Christian minority. The Copts - who make up about 10% of the country's 90 million population - have often been targeted by Islamists in recent years. Most of the Islamist militant attacks of recent years have been focused on the Sinai peninsula, where an IS-linked jihadist group is active, but the capital Cairo has also suffered a string of attacks in the past two years. About 250 Christians with their belongings were now in Ismailiya's church, deacon Nabil Shukrallah said on Friday. \"They've come running with their children. It's a very difficult situation. We're expecting 50 or 60 more,\" he told the AFP news agency. Meanwhile, refugees said they were now \"scared of our shadows\", adding that they \"are being targeted in an ugly way\". Many of them were from the city of El-Arish, where at least seven Christians have been killed. Egypt has seen a wave of attacks by militants since 2013 when the military overthrew President Mohammed Morsi, an elected leader who hailed from the Muslim Brotherhood, and launched a crackdown against Islamists. Some of Mr Morsi's supporters blamed Christians for supporting the overthrow. In December, a bomb explosion in the Coptic Christian cathedral in killed at least 25 people. The Coptic Orthodox Church is the main Christian Church in Egypt. While most Copts live in Egypt, the Church has about a million members outside the country. Copts believe that their Church dates back to around 50 AD, when the Apostle Mark is said to have visited Egypt. Mark is regarded as the first Pope of Alexandria - the head of their church. This makes it one of the earliest Christian groups outside the Holy Land. The Church separated from other Christian denominations at the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) in a dispute over the human and divine nature of Jesus Christ. The early Church suffered persecution under the Roman Empire, and there were intermittent persecutions after Egypt became a Muslim country. Many believe that continues to this day.", "summary": "Dozens of Coptic Christian families in Egypt have fled North Sinai province after a number of killings in recent weeks by suspected Islamist militants."}
{"article": "Gatlin beat Jamaica's Asafa Powell - who ran 9.94secs - with fellow American Tyson Gay third in 9.98secs. Former Olympic champion Gatlin, 34, who led from the blocks, heads the Diamond League 100m standings after also winning in Shanghai earlier this month. Femi Ogunode, fastest man in the world this year, was fifth in 10.02secs. Great Britain's Laura Weightman came sixth in the women's 1500m. Weightman, 24, clocked a time of four minutes 03.04 seconds in a race won by Kenya's Faith Kipyegon in 3:56.41. Britain's Tiffany Porter, 28, finished seventh in the women's 100m hurdles behind winner Kendra Harrison. American Harrison finished in 12.24secs, a new American record and the second fastest time in the history of the event. In the women's high jump at the event in Eugene, Britain's Isobel Pooley, 23, finished eighth after clearing 1.88 metres.", "summary": "Justin Gatlin ran his fastest time of the year to win the 100m at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting in Oregon in 9.88 seconds."}
{"article": "The inquiry, which is investigating claims of child abuse in Jersey's care system back to 1945, has heard evidence from 203 witnesses. The next phase, in May, will hear from those who worked in children's services and those accused of abuse. Chairman Frances Oldham thanked all those who had come forward and contributed to the work of the inquiry which started in 2014. The now closed Haut de la Garenne children's home is among the island institutions at which accounts of abuse have been heard by the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry. Ms Oldham said: \"Whilst there have been some positive accounts, most of what we have heard has related to painful and damaging experiences. \"The first phase of the inquiry has been slow and painstaking, not least because of the difficulty many of the victims have had to wrestle with emotionally in terms of firstly giving a statement and then deciding whether to give evidence in public. \"We must establish the truth about how mistreatment of children remained hidden for so long and what was done when concerns were raised.\" Chief Minister Ian Mr Gorst has set a deadline of December 2016 for the inquiry to conclude its investigations.", "summary": "Jersey's child care inquiry has completed the first phase of evidence."}
{"article": "It marks the 20th anniversary since the start of the campaign to preserve Gwrych Castle, near Abergele. It was 1997 when 12-year-old Mark Baker began his campaign to safeguard the building's future. Since then he and volunteers have saved sections and signed a lease to look after a large part of the grounds. Gwrych Castle was built between 1812 and 1822 by Lloyd Hesketh Bamford-Hesketh as a memorial to his mother's ancestors, the Lloyds of Gwrych. By 1989 it was sold to an American and although there were plans for its future, it began to fall into decline. Travellers moved onto the site for two years before finally being forced to leave in 1997. Mark Baker, now Dr Baker, an architectural historian, said he felt compelled to try to save it after walking by it daily on his way to school. His campaign to set up Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust attracted the attention of the local newspapers and won support of community leaders. Today, the registered charity has a 25-year lease for five acres (two hectares) of the site. This has enabled it to begin restoration of the first section of the castle, the Countess's Writing Room in the Gardener's Tower. Although the formal gardens are regularly opened, from this month visitors can explore the grounds themselves for the first time. Dr Baker said public access had always been his \"main aim\". To celebrate the trust's 20th anniversary, other events are also being held, including a Medieval festival on 19-20 August.", "summary": "A Conwy county castle being restored by a community group after years of neglect is opening its doors daily to the public throughout August."}
{"article": "The Scot, who retired from racing last year, is joining forces with UK motorsport authority the MSA for the scheme. The former Williams test driver said: \"I knew I wanted to give something back when I stopped racing.\" The scheme will start with motorsport, but there are plans to expand it into other male-dominated environments. Wolf said: \"I never set out to become a role model but somehow I did. \"The opportunities are out there. We aim to inspire female talent to ensure in the long term our sport is diverse.\" It will be officially launched at the Autosport International Show at Birmingham's NEC on Thursday 14 January. Wolff spent three years involved in test and development work at Williams, and took part in four practice sessions at grands prix over the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Before that, she spent seven years driving for Mercedes in the German touring car championship (DTM).", "summary": "Susie Wolff is launching an initiative aimed at increasing the number of women involved in motorsport."}
{"article": "The veteran act failed to decide which members would be on stage for the concert on 10 April. They said on their website the \"memory of those times\" would not be served by a reunion of the original line-up. Other inductees who will be honoured in New York include Nirvana, Peter Gabriel and Linda Ronstadt. Musical acts are eligible to be elevated to the Hall of Fame 25 years after their first release. Kiss, famous for their elaborate stage make-up and costumes, first formed in 1973, including current band members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. Originals Ace Frehley and Peter Criss subsequently quit the group, which continued with different musicians. Their statement continued: \"To bring this to a quick end, we have decided not to play in any line-up, and we will focus our attention on celebrating our induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. \"This is understandably an emotional situation where there is no way to please everyone.\" Speaking to US rock DJ Eddie Trunk, Frehley claimed Simmons and Stanley had rejected a reunion with their original bandmates. \"It's very frustrating. It's what the fans wanted, it's what the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame wanted, and it's not gonna happen,\" he said. The band's statement denied that they had ever scotched a reunion with Frehley and Criss, This would have marked the original quartet's first performance together in more than 13 years, at the end of a reunion which lasted from 1996-2000. Frehley and Criss have not confirmed if they will attend the ceremony.", "summary": "Rock band Kiss have pulled out of their performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in a disagreement over their line-up."}
{"article": "The other suspects left in a car which was waiting outside the Co-op in Market Street, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, on Thursday night. During the police arrest, the man, aged 29, fell ill and was taken to hospital. His death is being treated as unexplained and a post-mortem examination will take place later. The Independent Police Complaints Commission have begun an investigation into his death. Police were called just after 22:00 BST on Thursday to reports of a group of men threatening staff with a baseball bat and golf club, and demanding cash. Officers arrested the suspect, who then fell ill at the scene and was taken to Queen's Medical Centre, in Nottingham, where he died on Saturday morning. A 24-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of GBH has been released pending further investigation.", "summary": "A suspected robber who was stopped by members of the public when a gang threatened and demanded cash from shop workers has died in hospital."}
{"article": "How can it in a country divided into two \"ethnic entities\", governed by 14 prime ministers and with three presidents acting as head of state? But even by Bosnia's bizarre standards, it is going through challenging times - with the notion of its continued existence once again a live topic. The president of the majority ethnic-Serb Republika Srpska (RS), Milorad Dodik, has called a September referendum challenging the authority of Bosnia's National Court in the RS. Mr Dodik also has a policy of RS secession from Bosnia by 2018. Meanwhile some Croat nationalists are upset that they share the other entity (the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina) with Bosniaks (the majority-Muslim ethnic group). Mr Dodik has lent his support to the idea of a third entity - which would, not coincidentally, leave RS as the largest of the three. Emphasising the enduring anger among some Bosniaks - 20 years since the war ended - the recent commemorations at Srebrenica saw Serbia's Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic come under verbal and physical attack. To the outsider it looks as though Bosnia might be on the verge of breaking up. But things here are never quite as they seem. Mr Dodik has been making secessionist noises for years now. There was an attempt at a referendum in 2011, before international pressure forced a retreat. And Serbia has given no encouragement to the RS leader - in fact Prime Minister Vucic has urged Mr Dodik to reconsider the referendum. A Sarajevo-based political analyst, Kurt Bassuener of the Democratisation Policy Council, believes the affair is really a challenge to the international community's authority in Bosnia. \"This is Dodik testing the systems to see what the reaction will be,\" he says. There is also a gap between the rhetoric of political leaders and the feelings of the large number of Bosnians who feel stranded in a malfunctioning state. Protests across Bosnia last year indicated widespread anger towards politicians - widely viewed as enriching themselves at the expense of the people. But come election time, the same old faces were voted back in. There are several reasons why this may have happened. No compelling leaders emerged from the protest movement. None of the political parties made a credible effort to appeal to voters of all ethnic backgrounds. And a patronage system means some people fear they will lose their jobs if they vote \"the wrong way\". But the roots of all the trouble go back to the peace agreement signed in Dayton 20 years ago. This set in place the divisions and patronage networks which still persist - and Kurt Bassuener insists that international figures have to take responsibility for changing it. \"This is an oligarchy that we identify as a democracy because we midwifed it,\" he says. \"People in this country are very reasonable and problems could be solved. The hurdle which needs to be cleared is changing the beneficiaries of the system into change agents. But they're not going to rise to the occasion by themselves.\" The role of the considerable international presence in Bosnia is a", "summary": "Business as usual is a concept which does not apply to Bosnia."}
{"article": "Emergency services were alerted to a possible sighting of a man falling into the River Kent at Staveley Road in Kendal at about 10:00 GMT. Meanwhile, Pooley Bridge, on the B5320 near Penrith, has collapsed, according to reports. There are currently 47 severe flood warnings in place for Kendal, Keswick, Cockermouth, Carlisle and Appleby. The BBC is running a Local Live page providing updates on the weather and flooding. Flooding started on Saturday as Storm Desmond brought more than a month's worth of rain in just 24 hours. Cumbria Police declared it a major incident and said all emergency services were stretched. Water is receding in many places although torrents of water are now reaching towns like Carlisle, downriver from the areas hit worst overnight. The government's emergency Cobra committee met to oversee the deployment of troops and other resources in Cumbria to help people after the floods. Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said the level of rainfall had been \"unprecedented\" and billions of pounds will be spent on improving flood defences. About 4,000 homes are without power and Electricity North West will start planned outages for a further 5,000 at a time from 16:00 GMT to protect the overall supply to 60,000 homes after floodwaters hit a substation in Carlisle. The planned outages are expected to last up to three hours. Carlisle's hospital is running on a back-up generator and the trust that runs it, North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, has declared an internal major incident. The West Coast main rail line north of Carlisle will remain closed for several days after 8ft of water flooded the railway. The depth of the water, about two miles north of Carlisle station, has reached its peak but is not expected to clear until Tuesday. About 200 homes were evacuated in Keswick after the water overwhelmed flood defences which had been built following major floods in 2009. Mayor Paul Titley said: \"We'd rather have a one-in-100-year flood every 100 years, not every six - we were a bit surprised to get another one so soon. \"I think the [flood defences] did work, but they were completely overwhelmed by the amount of rainwater we had. \"The river was 5.4m above ground - in 2009 it was 4.6m.\" Water levels are now believed to have peaked across Cumbria with about 2,000 homes and premises expected to have been flooded. The forecast for Sunday night is largely dry with patchy rain. However there are yellow warnings for rain from about 17:00 on Monday until Tuesday morning. A Met Office spokesman said: \"Whilst this rain will neither be as heavy nor as prolonged as recent rain, please be aware that in view of the saturated nature of the ground and high river levels further localised flooding and disruption to transport is possible.\"", "summary": "Search teams are trying to find an elderly man thought to have fallen into floodwater in Cumbria."}
{"article": "The special, called The Return of Doctor Mysterio, will be shown on BBC One on Christmas Day. It sees The Doctor working together with a superhero called Doctor Mysterio to save New York from a deadly alien threat. The dynamic duo will be joined on their quest by an investigative journalist, played by actress Charity Wakefield. The mysterious Doctor Mysterio will be played by actor Justin Chatwin, and the episode will be written by Steven Moffat. Writer Steven Moffat said: \"I've always loved superheroes and this Christmas Doctor Who dives into that world. My favourite superhero is Clark Kent. Not Superman, Clark Kent.\" Matt Lucas, who said he would return to Doctor Who earlier this year, will also appear in this episode.", "summary": "This year's Christmas special episode of Doctor Who, will see the Doctor teaming up with a superhero."}
{"article": "Keith Towler has backed a decision to make the council answerable to a board under Welsh government control. It follows a controversy after claims that children were locked in the rooms. Mr Towler said he had already been given a \"cast-iron guarantee\" the rooms were now out of use. Education Minister Leighton Andrews announced that the council must answer to the Pembrokeshire Ministerial Board after he said he had \"little confidence\" in certain senior council officers. The issue of how Pembrokeshire safeguards some children has led to a major row with the Welsh government. A complaint was made in June 2009 about children being locked in the room, which had no natural light or ventilation, at the pupil referral unit in Neyland. Mr Towler told BBC Radio Wales that the \"time-out\" room at Neyland was \"no longer being used nor any room like that\". \"I've had an absolute cast-iron assurance that the room will never be used again. \"The door has been taken off and it's not being used. \"Families need to know that it's unacceptable and that the situation will never happen again in Pembrokeshire,\" he added. He added that he had met Pembrokeshire council and he felt that \"some progress\" had already been made, but the intervention by the education minister was important. \"(Answering to the special board) is a necessary step by Leighton Andrews,\" said Mr Towler. \"The position I've taken is we've got to make sure all the procedures are as safe and as robust as they can possibly be for children and the Welsh government and the council working together will help to achieve that.\" On the improvements he had seen Mr Towler said: \"The council is working to make sure that everybody understands what listening to children really means in a safeguarding sense\". He added that \"internal matters\" resulting from when allegations of abuse were made had still to resolved, and he would not comment on those at the moment. \"It's clear the right things are happening and I've met with one of the families involved in the (pupil referral unit) in Neyland to try to get a feel of how local people are feeling.\" Mr Towler said there would be no summer leave for people working to put things right at the council. \"Parents need to be reassured things are being done on the right level,\" he said. Last September, ministers sent a panel of experts called the Pembrokeshire Ministerial Board into the council, after issuing the local authority with a final warning. Mr Andrews said on Monday what the board and a range of inspectors have since told him \"do little to allay our concerns\". Council leader Jamie Adams said the local authority was \"making good progress\" on the issue. \"We remain committed to doing everything that can reasonably be expected to keep children in Pembrokeshire safe.\"", "summary": "The children's commissioner for Wales says families need to know pupils will never again be put in padded \"time-out\" rooms after a row in Pembrokeshire."}
{"article": "Lawyers for the 15-year-old have also begun proceedings against Google and Twitter. The lawsuit centres on publicity surrounding his arrest last month by police probing a major hack into the phone and broadband provider's website. Details of the case emerged after some reporting restrictions were lifted. The three newspapers defending the action - The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail and The Sun - all gave undertakings to protect the boy's identity pending the outcome of the case. The judge at the High Court in Belfast also granted injunctions against Google and Twitter in a bid to remove any online references to the teenager's name and address, and images or information about his physical appearance. The boy was among four people to be detained in connection with the TalkTalk hacking probe. He was interviewed on suspicion of offences under the Computer Misuse Act before being released on bail. Since then, his lawyers have issued writs claiming negligence, misuse of private information, defamation, breach of confidence and data protection. As part of their action, they took legal steps to secure the removal of material published about the boy and where he lived. The court heard that his family has had to move home after the publicity around his arrest. It was claimed that he could be identified from newspaper articles and photographs that appeared at the time. A barrister for the boy said the content contributed to his client being \"stigmatised\" within his community. He said the teenager's name also featured in tweets and online searches. During one of a number of hearings in the case, a lawyer for the Daily Mail rejected claims that it had revealed his identity. She said the newspaper altered the boy's appearance and changed his hair colour in the photo it used. She said his name and address had not been published, and added: \"It's our client's view that they did not identify the plaintiff.\" A temporary ban on reporting on the application for an injunction was imposed over fears that it could trigger further internet searches. But after steps by Google and Twitter to remove the information, reporting restrictions were relaxed. An order prohibiting the publication of any material that could lead to the boy being identified remains in place. The case is due to be heard again next month.", "summary": "A boy arrested in Northern Ireland over a cyber-attack on TalkTalk is suing three national newspapers for an alleged breach of privacy."}
{"article": "The match will go ahead despite the Board of Control for Cricket in India threatening to cancel the match over a financial dispute with the courts. Lancashire batsman Hameed, 19, will become only the second teenager to play Test cricket for England since 1949. Ben Duckett, who opened in the recent Test series against Bangladesh, will replace Gary Ballance at four. \"We have all been hugely impressed with the way Haseeb has gone about his business on this tour. Nothing seems to faze him,\" said captain Alastair Cook. Hameed, who scored 1,129 runs at an average of 52 in County Championship Division One this summer, was called up for the Test tour of Bangladesh in October but did not play in the 1-1 series draw. All-rounder Ben Hollioake, who was 19 when he played against Australia in 1997, is the only other teenager to appear in a Test for England since 18-year-old Brian Close made his debut in 1949. Left-hander Ballance, 26, has been dropped after scoring only 24 runs in four innings in Bangladesh. \"I feel sorry for Gary,\" said Cook. \"They were tough conditions in Bangladesh and ultimately it's about how many runs you score. \"I still think he's a fine player and one who I think will play again for England and do well.\" The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) threatened to cancel the opening Test - the first to be held in Rajkot - unless judges ended a freeze on its bank accounts. Last month, the supreme court ruled that the board must obtain prior approval from a special panel investigating its governance in order to release funds to state associations which host Tests. However, the supreme court has released \u00a370,000 so the match can go ahead. Media playback is not supported on this device Cook, 31, will break Michael Atherton's record of 54 Tests as England captain during the opening game of the five-match series. He hinted in a recent interview with the Cricketer magazine that this series could be his last as captain, but said on Tuesday he was not thinking of anything beyond the India tour. \"I have always said to (England director of cricket) Andrew Strauss we will take every series as it comes,\" said Cook. \"It could be two months, it could be a year, it could be six months, it could be anything. For me, it's about concentrating on this series.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Former England captain Michael Vaughan said Cook could step down after the series in India, or after the Ashes tour of Australia in 2017-18. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live's Tuffers and Vaughan Cricket Show, he said: \"These next six or seven weeks are not crucial for Cook. \"He is breaking records and he has four or five years left as a batsman, if his mind wants to play that long. \"I do get the sense that he will get to the stage, whether it's the end of India or the Ashes in a year's time, where he will say,", "summary": "Teenage opener Haseeb Hameed will make his England debut against India in the opening Test in Rajkot on Wednesday."}
{"article": "Teleperformance provides outsourced customer service for well-known brands and government organisations. The jobs will be created by 2018 and will generate ??12m in salaries for the local economy. They will have an average salary of ??14,700. Invest NI is offering financial backing of ??2.5m. The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) offered ??249,500 worth of support with pre-employment training for 100 people. Teleperformance opened its first call centre in Bangor in 1998 and now has 182,000 employees across 270 centres in 62 countries. It currently employs nearly 2,000 people in Bangor and Newry. Finance Minister Arlene Foster said the reinvestment by Teleperformance was \"a significant endorsement for Northern Ireland\". \"The job opportunities created will not only benefit people in Enniskillen but also those in the surrounding areas,\" she said. \"There will be a wide variety of roles appealing to those looking to develop their career, and those looking to return to work. \"There will also be opportunities for young people, who will benefit greatly from training and skills development as they begin their working career.\" Alistair Niederer of Teleperformance said the firm was delighted to be \"growing its presence\" in Northern Ireland. \"It is our philosophy to transform passion into excellence and Northern Ireland had proven to be a great place for us to do this,\" he added. Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry said the new jobs would \"provide a variety of opportunities, offering flexible meaningful employment in a range of positions and the opportunity to develop important, transferable skills\".", "summary": "A call centre company is to create 800 new jobs in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 35-year-old striker received his 'Guldbollen' - Golden Ball - award on Monday at a ceremony in Stockholm. The statue will go outside Stockholm's Friends Arena, where Ibrahimovic scored four goals against England in 2012. Ibrahimovic said: \"It's huge for me. Most people do not get a statue until they have passed away.\" The Swede has won the award every year since 2007 - and also came top in 2005 before losing out to Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg a year later. Ibrahimovic retired from international football after Euro 2016. He scored 62 goals in 116 games for Sweden and has won the domestic league title in four different countries. \"After all the hard work for 15 years in the national team - and 20 in my club career - it feels like it is appreciated,\" added Ibrahimovic, who joined United in the summer from French champions Paris St-Germain. \"The guy from Rosengard [a district of Malmo where the majority of residents come from an immigrant background] will get his own statue in the capital. A big thank you to everyone.\" Swedish Football Association president Karl-Erik Nilsson said: \"The statue is a way for us to thank Ibrahimovic for his amazing efforts for Swedish football, but it is also a symbol for everyone to always be reminded and inspired by all he has done.\"", "summary": "Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic will have a statue erected in his honour after being named Sweden's top player for a 10th successive year."}
{"article": "Nine laptops were taken during a break-in to Pitcoudie Primary School on Sunday 20 November. Police said two men aged 24 and 22 were detained and charged in connection with the theft following inquiries by local officers. They are due to appear at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court later.", "summary": "Two men have been charged after an \u00a38,000 raid on a Glenrothes primary school."}
{"article": "Today Mr Vij is one of the best-known chefs in Canada, a regular on the country's TV food shows, and the author of best-selling cookery books. People queue around the block to eat at his three Indian restaurants in Vancouver. And his curry ready meals are stocked at supermarkets across the country. Yet all the success, and his multi-million dollar fortune, almost didn't happen. For back in 1994, when Mr Vij opened his first restaurant in Vancouver, aged 30, his refusal to serve the standard dishes available in most Indian eateries in Canada meant that customers were very thin on the ground. And despite being backed by an investment of 23,000 Canadian dollars ($19,000; \u00c2\u00a312,500) from his father, the restaurant - Vij's - came close to having to shut down in its first 12 months. Mr Vij, now 50, says: \"It was like I had hit rock bottom. I had reached the point where I had no more cash.\" Things were so bleak that he had to encourage customers to order dishes that had a higher profit margin. \"If they ordered a chicken curry, I would say 'order the lamb', because I knew that the profit on the lamb was maybe a dollar more,\" he says. \"So if at the end of the day, even if we just made $10 more, it was $10 in my pocket.\" Thankfully, Mr Vij soon found out how vital good reviews are for restaurants. In the months that followed, a string of food critics penned very positive reviews about Vij's, praising both its upmarket Indian cuisine, and the good service. This resulted in diners arriving in ever greater numbers. So much so that within a few years Vij's needed to relocated to a much larger premises. And Mr Vij has never looked back. Born in the Indian city of Amritsar to a relatively wealthy family, as a child Mr Vij wanted to be a Bollywood actor, before gravitating towards a career as a chef. Aged 19 he left the country to train in classical cooking in Salzburg, Austria. Upon graduating, he got a job at a hotel in Banff, a small town in the Canadian province of Alberta, nestled in the Rocky Mountains. It was there he remained until opening his own restaurant in Vancouver. With Mr Vij's wife Meeru Dhalwala also heavily involved in the business, a second restaurant opened in 2004, followed by a third in Vancouver, and another in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. There is also a mobile food cart that moves around Vancouver, and a factory kitchen which makes the ready meals. And a new restaurant will soon open at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, the first place that Mr Vij worked in Canada. As Mr Vij's restaurants became increasingly well known, he started to be invited onto cookery TV shows, which further increased his profile. He has also been a judge on the Canadian version of the Dragons' Den entrepreneurship show, and with his wife, written two cookbooks. He gets a little uncomfortable when asked to talk about how", "summary": "It was a determination never to serve chicken tikka masala that almost stopped the career of celebrity chef Vikram Vij just as he was starting out."}
{"article": "The Slough-headquartered company, which owns Durex, agreed to buy K-Y from Johnson & Johnson in March 2014. K-Y and Durex hold almost three-quarters of the market share in supermarkets and national pharmacies. Therefore, the deal could lead to higher prices, says the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). \"Consumers and retailers differentiate between these two products to some extent,\" said CMA inquiry chair Phil Evans. However, the overlap in the market meant that the acquisition could reduce competition and raise prices, he added. CMA is inviting responses to their findings. It will publish its final decision by 18 August. K-Y started as a prescription product in 1917 and switched to over-the-counter in 1980. It has a \"very high trust score amongst women\", says Reckitt Benckiser.", "summary": "Reckitt Benckiser's possible acquisition of the K-Y brand \"could lead to higher prices for personal lubricants\", says a UK regulator."}
{"article": "Cambridge Tory Chamali Fernando's lawyers have demanded an apology from Lib Dem candidate Julian Huppert. Ms Fernando claims she was misquoted in criticism by Mr Huppert after a debate in the city where they both spoke. He confirmed receiving a legal letter and said he was taking advice. Mr Huppert said: \"I have received a letter from Chamali Fernando's solicitor threatening legal action. \"I have instructed a solicitor and I am taking legal advice on this matter.\" Ms Fernando said she had answered a question at the hustings about the way mental health was treated, with particular reference to the holding of mentally-ill people in police cells. She said at the time: \"I would like to see more training for legal professionals and police officers. \"Maybe something as simple as there are certain conditions which are more common where people can wear a wristband to identify they have a condition, so then we can perhaps spot it earlier, and ensure we can deal with it. \"There are a variety of measures we can look at, but again this is something where we need to work together.\" Her agent Chandila Fernando said the candidate was demanding an apology and Mr Huppert had been given until 16:00 BST on Tuesday to respond. Rupert Read from the Green Party, Daniel Zeichner from the Labour Party, Keith Garrett of Rebooting Democracy and Patrick O'Flynn from UKIP are also standing for the Cambridge seat at the General Election.", "summary": "A parliamentary candidate who suggested people with mental health issues could wear identity wristbands to prevent communication issues has threatened legal action against a rival."}
{"article": "Ecotricity wants to build 16 turbines on land near Duns in Berwickshire where there is an \"isolated landscape\" and \"high wind speeds\". Councillors have also been asked to reject plans for an eight-turbine development at Larbrax Moor, near Leswalt in Wigtownshire. However, planners have recommended they approve proposals for a nine-turbine wind farm near Glenluce. Ecotricity will apply to the Scottish government for permission to build at Inch Moor, near Duns. The firm said it wants to build turbines that measure 126.5m (415ft) in height. It claims the project could meet the energy needs of about 36,500 homes. Meanwhile, Dumfries and Galloway Council planners have recommended that Brookfield Renewable's plans for Larbrax Moor are refused. They claim it would have a \"significant and adverse impact on the landscape\". There are 10 wind farms either operational or under construction within a 30km (19 miles) area of the site. Scottish Natural Heritage has also raised \"significant and serious concerns\" about the impact of the project on the landscape. In papers submitted to the council, the developer claimed the project would generate 20MW of electricity over its 25-year lifespan. The turbines would be 100m (328ft) high and they would stand on a 558 hectare (1,379 acres) site. The application has drawn 59 letters of objection, including those from the South Rhins Community Development Trust and Wigtownshire Chamber of Commerce, and 134 in support. Plans for the wind farm near Glenluce are expected to be approved by the same council. Under plans submitted by WilloWind Gass, the turbines would fill a gap between the operational Artfield Fell wind farm and the Airies wind farm, which has been approved but not implemented. Planners have recommended it is approved, subject to strict conditions.", "summary": "Plans for three wind farms in the south of Scotland have been revealed."}
{"article": "Woolf Works - based both on her life and the novels Orlando, The Waves and Mrs Dalloway - will premiere in summer 2015, choreographed by Wayne McGregor. McGregor told the BBC the piece would \"break the rules\" of narrative ballet. The season will also include new works by Hofesh Shechter and Philip Glass, whose chamber opera The Trial is based on the Kafka novel of the same name. The Czech author's original story tells of Josef K, who is arrested and tried for a crime without ever being told what the charges against him are. Glass, who has worked with Music Theatre Wales on the piece, said: \"I think of my pocket operas as neutron bombs - small, but packing a terrific punch\". McGregor, who is the Royal Ballet's resident choreographer, said he had been inspired to apply Virginia Woolf's narrative style to full-length ballet. \"Her writing lends itself to the breaking of rules, in terms of how words are organised, or thoughts are organised. I thought that was a perfect filter to create something new.\" \"We're going to be able to find a way of mashing up, splicing and going back-and-forward through periods of time in a way that will hopefully be really evocative, and a different way of experiencing ballet\". Israeli choreographer Shechter is described by the ROH as \"one of the UK's most exciting contemporary artists\". However, The Guardian's dance critic, Judith Mackrell, has suggested his choreography is \"the physical and aesthetic opposite of the Royal's classical style\". The first collaboration between the two will be unveiled as part of a triple bill in March 2015. Other highlights include an evening of works by Frederick Ashton, founder choreographer of The Royal Ballet. The programme will feature Scenes de ballet, Ashton's own personal favourite amongst his works; Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan; A Month in the Country and Symphonic Variations, which he created for his muse Margot Fonteyn. Carlos Acosta's Don Quixote will be revived, while the Christmas production will be Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which will also be screened live in cinemas on 16 December. Manon, one of the company's signature ballets, will open the season, marking the 40th anniversary of Kenneth MacMillan's original production. \"Manon is a firm favourite with audiences and, I have to say, the dancers,\" said Royal Opera House director Kevin O'Hare. \"Every ballerina would love to be Manon, so we have a huge range of dancers portraying that role.\" Female choreographers' works are appearing at the venue's second, smaller venue, The Linbury, where Kate Prince, Kristen McNally and Shobana Jeyasingh will all premiere new works. The opera programme includes Placido Domingo in Verdi's I due Foscari, as well as Stephen Gould and Nina Stemme taking the title roles in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. At a press launch for the new season, one reporter challenged the institution over the programme, noting that almost half of the performances stemmed from three composers - Verdi, Puccini and Rossini. \"It's true,\" said Kasper Holten, the Director of Opera at ROH. \"But we have to", "summary": "A ballet inspired by Virginia Woolf will be the centrepiece of the 2014/15 season at the Royal Opera House."}
{"article": "There is almost nothing the new American president does not want to change - policy, tone, foreign relations, the press pool. Mr Trump has told his cabinet nominees to be bold and be bold now. He wants a shake-up of US government and he wants it soon. That is why his first 100 days will be so definitive. He has set the timetable for an ambitious agenda and in the next three months we will find out how much he can really shift. There is a lot happening in Europe also during this 100 days. Britain is beginning the formal process of Brexit and the Dutch will hold elections which could herald the next step in the transatlantic populist march. And of course, the French will gear up for their own election in which the National Front will be the focus of much attention. It is an extraordinary time on both sides of the Atlantic. This exceptional moment demands examination and analysis. So the BBC is launching 100 Days, a daily programme that gives us the chance to look at these global shifts. In many ways, the inauguration of Donald Trump marks the beginning of the test of the populist experiment. Now he owns the problems he campaigned against. Can his bold approach work, who will benefit and who won't and how will he engage with the rest of the world? Every day for the next 100 days, with Christian Fraser in London and me in Washington, we will try to answer those questions. As he left office, President Obama had a veiled warning for his successor - if you're going to try to change things and bring in bold ideas, make sure you're aware of the consequences. He also suggested that the weight of office would soon settle on Mr Trump's shoulders and cause him to look carefully and humbly at what he has taken on. Mr Trump goes into the White House as the least popular incoming president on record. He won't like that. We know from his election campaign that he watches polls closely and however hard he tries to dismiss them as \"phony\" or \"lying,\" they matter to him. His low ratings today give him a powerful incentive to do better. That could mean a combination of both working on his tone (something which appears to be unpopular with large sections of the American public) and pushing hard with his agenda (much of which also seems to be popular with many Americans). That too, will make this a fascinating time. Some of this is under Mr Trump's control, but some of it is not. The Republican Party will have a big impact in making his first 100 days successful - they can boost his legislative agenda or kill it. The party owes Mr Trump a lot, he has just handed them Congress, the White House and the Supreme Court, that will win him a lot of favours. But many Conservatives do not agree with everything he wants to do and, if his poll numbers stay low, they will", "summary": "Donald Trump has promised to take Washington by storm."}
{"article": "The Argentina captain had said that rumours of him moving clubs at the weekend were \"lies\". But the 27-year-old said \"nobody knows what the future holds\" at Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony in Zurich. He lost out to Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo as world footballer of the year for the second year in a row. Messi was asked if he thought he would end his career at Barcelona. \"I'm not sure what's going to happen,\" he said. \"I don't know where I'll be next year although I've always said I want to end my career at Barcelona.\" It had been suggested La Liga's record goalscorer might leave the club following reports of a training-ground row with manager Luis Enrique, who took over last summer. He has spent his entire career at the Nou Camp, winning three Champions Leagues and six La Liga titles as well as four world footballer of the year awards, since making his debut in 2004. He is contracted until 2019. After scoring in Sunday's 3-1 victory over Atletico Madrid, Messi said: \"I have no intentions of leaving for any team, not Chelsea nor Manchester City. \"I'm tired of all the things that people have been saying.\"", "summary": "Barcelona forward Lionel Messi says \"I don't know where I'll be next year,\" but he says he does want to stay at the La Liga club."}
{"article": "The West Indies all-rounder also described WICB president Dave Cameron as \"arrogant\" and \"very immature\". West Indies won the World Twenty20 by beating England in a dramatic final on Sunday. But Bravo, 32, says his team turned up for the tournament without their kit being ready and says they played the entire event without caps. \"We get to India, our names were not even printed on the uniforms,\" he said. \"Our manager had to leave our camp to get names and numbers printed.\" Media playback is not supported on this device The comments will do nothing to ease the tension between players and the WICB, who are already in involved in a long-running pay dispute. T20 captain Darren Sammy also criticised the WICB during the post-match presentation after his side's thrilling four-wicket win over England in Kolkata. Bravo told CNC3, a Trinidad and Tobago television channel, that the players faced a lot of criticism in the run-up to the World Twenty20 tournament. \"A lot of people come down on the players,\" he said. \"They questioned our commitment. They questioned whether we really committed to West Indies cricket or is it just the money. \"A lot of people don't understand the sort of thing we go through as players dealing with our board.\"", "summary": "Dwayne Bravo has described the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) as \"the most unprofessional\" in the world."}
{"article": "Cavendish, 30, is looking for more qualification points at the event in Germany from 28-29 August in order to compete for GB in the omnium in Rio. Coach co-ordinator Iain Dyer said: \"He made a very promising start back on the track in Derby and he'll be looking to continue building on that form.\" Cavendish won the Madison with Bradley Wiggins at the Derby Revolution.", "summary": "Mark Cavendish will continue his bid to gain a track place at the 2016 Olympics by riding at the Dudenhofen GP."}
{"article": "The striker's only goal this season, having been transferred from Derby County, came in the 5-1 win over Malta. \"Of course, for a striker, I think it is always a bit of a concern, but I don't really think too much about that,\" he said of his goal drought. \"This can probably be a little bit of a release for me.\" Martin has played six times for his English Championship club since scoring one and also winning a penalty in Attard. \"Coming away on international duty away from the pressures of club level and try to perform here, it is a different set-up, a different vibe and a different feeling,\" said the 27-year-old. \"So hopefully I can use this as a bit of a catalyst for me and I can continue that and take it back to club level.\" Scotland coach Gordon Strachan surprised many observers - including the player himself - by handing a starting place to Martin as he earned his ninth cap against Malta. \"I think I was perhaps a bit fortunate to start the last game,\" the striker said ahead of Saturday's home qualifier against Lithuania. \"I wasn't expecting it really. \"I think there were others in line for it who were just as deserving. \"Leigh Griffiths was unfortunate with the injury he had, especially with the start of the season he had and how he played last season.\" Martin is hopeful that his style of play will again be what Strachan is looking for against Lithuania. \"I felt like I did okay and I managed to score and won the penalty for us somehow,\" he said. \"I've had a few opportunities now - done okay in some and not so well in others - but I think there's more to come from myself. \"It is about consistency of performance and, if I keep getting picked, hopefully that will come. \"We'll have to see how the manager thinks, but hopefully I've done enough.\" Martin admits that the Scots will be favourites to beat Lithuania but warns that the visitors will prove tricky opponents. \"Perhaps the public think that Lithuania aren't going to be too good and we know different to that,\" he said. \"I think they are going to be an extremely tough team, but I think, after such a convincing result in the first game away from home, a full crowd will be expectant of a win on Saturday.\"", "summary": "Chris Martin hopes that his goal in Scotland's last World Cup qualifier will be enough to retain his place despite a barren spell with Fulham."}
{"article": "Cheshire Police released the statistic as they launched a campaign to urge male victims to report abuse. Officers said they were raising the issue in the run-up to Valentine's Day, \"when relationships are at the forefront of everyone's mind\". Information about help will be in GP surgeries, community centres, shops and sports centres. Assistant Chief Constable Phil Thompson said: \"Domestic abuse knows no boundaries and it can happen to anyone at any time regardless of gender, age and sexuality. \"Men in particular find it hard to speak out if they are being abused, but we want to reassure anyone who may be suffering at the hands of another, that domestic abuse is an issue that we take extremely seriously - whatever time of the year. \"Traditionally the emphasis has been on female victims of abuse but it is important to highlight the fact that many victims of domestic abuse are also men. \"By bringing this important issue to the front of people's minds we hope that it will encourage any men to have the confidence in contacting us if they want to end the cycle of abuse.\"", "summary": "One in five victims of domestic violence in Cheshire is male, police have revealed."}
{"article": "This time, the death toll was lower than that seen in the December 2014 attack on Peshawar's Army Public School (APS), though at least 19 innocent lives were lost. The area where the attack took place is located close the tribal region of Mohmand where a strong force of native militants has been operating, its control of territory waxing and waning with the fluctuating intensity of military operations. While their control of territory has shrunk considerably, their fighters still have access to 'safe-houses' in the valley where they can feed and rest before embarking on a mission. Investigations into the APS attack last year led to the arrest of men who ran such 'safe-houses' in Peshawar and its outskirts, hosting the attackers and providing them with food and transport. Likewise, officials believe the militants who stormed the Bacha Khan University campus on Wednesday morning probably walked out of a similar safe-house in the area and, under cover of thick fog, scaled the back wall of the sprawling campus to launch the attack. TV pictures showed anxious relatives crowding the area around the front gate of the university, searching for information about the fate of their children. Students who came out through the gate spoke of gunfire, explosions and stampedes. Many in the three hostels on the campus said they locked themselves in their rooms. Others hid in the bathrooms or latched up their classroom doors. But most of them were herded out of the compound safely by the university's security guards who were apparently aided by the fog, which gave them an advantage over the attackers due to their better knowledge of the premises. The local police also arrived promptly on the scene, and helped confine the attackers to a couple of blocks on the premises. They were soon joined by the army. However that did not stop alarm spreading rapidly across the country, with frustrated voices raising questions over the army's claims to have dismantled the militant infrastructure. \"Those who said 2016 was the year of the end of militancy should explain these attacks,\" well-known Geo TV talk-show host Hamid Mir commented, without naming army chief Gen Raheel Sharif who had made these remarks recently. Many say a recent spike in militant attacks indicates that while some Taliban groups have fragmented, they still have sanctuaries in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region and are able to share resources. And they have access to funds and weapons. Some in the Pakistani establishment blame India for picking up their bills, while others blame elements in the Afghan government. Delhi and Kabul have routinely denied such accusations in the past. But ethnic Pashtun nationalists - who inhabit the north-western region - and many political groups in Sindh and Balochistan provinces in the south, believe the fault lies with the selective nature of Pakistan's own action against militants. \"Militant attacks have continued because we failed to fully implement the national action plan (NAP) that was drawn up in the aftermath of the APS attack,\" Mian Iftikhar Hussain, a former minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and a leader", "summary": "People in Pakistan woke up on Wednesday to yet another devastating attack on an educational institution in the Peshawar valley region."}
{"article": "These businesses are a cherished local species. Take the Denroy Group in Bangor, employing 200 people making plastic products as diverse as hairbrushes and plane parts. Its growth - and that of the wider economy - is all about external markets and it feels a UK exit from the EU is too much of a risk for business. It is not alone. Internal polling by three local business bodies suggests a majority of each of their memberships oppose a so-called Brexit. \"The uncertainty of an exit worries us,\" said Kevin McNamee, the finance director of the Denroy Group. \"It would mean new UK arrangements with the EU. \"If the UK has to renegotiate trade deals are they going to involve tariffs which impacts on our sales and competitiveness?\" But business supporters of a Brexit, such as William Wright of Wrightbus in Ballymena, argue the UK should see a bigger picture. Free of the EU collective, they say, the UK could strike its own trade deals not just in Europe, but in other world markets. Former Northern Ireland secretary of state Owen Paterson said: \"We have an opportunity if we leave to really expand trade in the wider world.\" Figures from the Department for the Economy reveal Northern Ireland sold products and services to the value of \u00a366bn in 2014. Leaving aside what we sell to ourselves (\u00a343bn), Great Britain is our next biggest market (\u00a313bn). Exports to the EU were worth nearly \u00a36bn and to the rest of the world \u00a34bn. It is those kinds of figures which are occupying minds in a good many boardrooms - if not necessarily the factory floor. \"You might get a different story there,\" admits Denroy's Kevin McNamee. The priority issue at this referendum may divide boss and worker, but what they have in common is one vote.", "summary": "Much of the EU referendum debate in Northern Ireland has been around the economy and what is at stake for exporters."}
{"article": "The game set a new record for the most-watched event in US television, beating last year's audience of 112.2 million. Viewing peaked at 120.8 million during the last quarter, which saw the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24. Some 118.5 million watched Katy Perry's half-time show - three million more than last year's show with Bruno Mars. Ratings compiler Nielsen said the 12-minute performance - which also featured Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliot - attracted the biggest half-time audience since 1991. NBC, which broadcast the game, said the actual audience was likely to have been higher because official ratings did not count people watching in locations such as sports bars. An additional 600,000 viewers watched the game with Spanish-language announcers on NBC's Universo cable network. NBC Sports also offered a live stream to computers and tablets - attracting an average 800,000 people, according to Adobe Analytics. After the game, an estimated 26.5 million people kept their TVs on NBC to watch an episode of James Spader's crime drama The Blacklist, making it the most-watched scripted programme on the network in more than a decade. Next year's Super Bowl will be played in Santa Clara, California, and will be broadcast by CBS.", "summary": "An estimated average of 114.4 million people watched Sunday's Super Bowl on NBC, according to initial figures."}
{"article": "\"His condition is considered stable\" and \"it is too early to make any predictions about his future health,\" Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva wrote on her Instagram account. Ms Karimova-Tillyaeva pleaded for people to \"refrain from speculations\". Mr Karimov, 78, has been leader of the former Soviet republic since before independence in 1991. In an unusual move on Sunday, the Uzbek government admitted he was receiving treatment but did not give details. The BBC's Abdujalil Abdurasulov says that the announcement caught many by surprise in authoritarian Uzbekistan, a country where any information about the president's health is treated like a state secret. President Karimov is known to have had health issues, but the government has never previously issued a statement about his health. It has become a tradition in Uzbekistan for the president to dance during major holiday festivities. By doing so Mr Karimov sends a message to the nation that he is fit and healthy. Everyone was expecting the president to attend Independence Day celebrations - perhaps the government's confirmation that he is in hospital was a necessary move to prepare the public for his non-appearance. Tashkent-based human rights campaigner Surat Ikramov says that most people are too afraid to talk openly about Mr Karimov's hospitalisation in one of the most repressive countries in the world. \"Any vocalisation that Mr Karimov's power is not absolute is seen as a threat to the entire system,\" says Human Rights Watch spokesman Steve Swerdlow. \"Even if he survives this illness or whatever it is, this is an acknowledgement of [Mr] Karimov's mortality, and of the fact that the system is about to change.\" Uzbekistan opens up on president's health Profile: Islam Karimov The Kremlin said on Monday that it deeply regretted Mr Karimov's illness. It refused to comment on whether there was concern in Moscow that it could enflame uncertainty in Central Asia's most populous country, which borders Afghanistan. \"The Kremlin wishes a quick recovery to the president of Uzbekistan,\" spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. \"We would like to receive only positive news about the president's health.\" Mr Karimov was last seen on state TV on 17 August, meeting the South Korean interior minister. Independence Day celebrations - which the president would always attend - are to be held on 1 September. In her message, Ms Karimova-Tillyaeva, who serves as Uzbekistan's ambassador to Unesco in Paris, asked people \"to show respect to our family's right to privacy\". There have been a number of occasions when the president was rumoured to have a stroke or a heart attack. The last time it happened was just before the 2015 presidential election, when Mr Karimov was not seen in public for several weeks - fuelling rumours about his poor health.", "summary": "Uzbek President Islam Karimov is in intensive care after suffering a brain haemorrhage, his daughter says."}
{"article": "Resuming with a 12-4 lead, O'Sullivan took the frame he needed at the second attempt and faces Stuart Bingham next. Shaun Murphy beat Joe Perry 13-5 to reach the last eight, while Judd Trump defeated Marco Fu 13-8 to set up a match against China's Ding Junhui. Australia's Neil Robertson ended with a 145 break to beat Ali Carter 13-5. With O'Sullivan and Robertson holding such commanding leads, the evening session comprised of just four frames, and took about 40 minutes to complete. Welshman Stevens, runner-up in 2000 and 2005, looked to be struggling with a neck injury in the final session, but still managed to make a break of 63 to reduce the deficit against O'Sullivan. But the damage had been done in the first session and a 77 break saw O'Sullivan, 39, reach the last eight for a 17th time. \"I built up a good lead so was happy just to come back for that,\" he said. \"When you have won it five times and won everything, you don't really get that excited. I am just happy to still be playing.\" Stevens said: \"I took a bit of hammering really. I made a couple of mistakes and before you know it he has capitalised on it.\" Murphy, who completed the 'Triple Crown' of World, UK and Masters titles in January, comfortably beat Perry in their last-16 encounter. The 2005 winner was 12-5 ahead overnight and made a break of 68 to progress to face Anthony McGill in the next round on Tuesday (10:00 BST). With champion Mark Selby exiting from his side of the draw, the Englishman is confident of repeating his feat of 10 years ago, when he won the event as a qualifier. \"I am playing the best snooker of my life,\" said the 32-year-old. \"Being 12-5 in front is difficult to approach but I tried to prepare in exactly the same way as I would normally do and hope I got the chance to get over the line.\" Perry said: \"Shaun is a great front-runner and I never recovered from a bad start. The game can turn around, but at 7-1 you are just trying to get some pride and make it respectable.\" Trump, beaten in the 2011 final by John Higgins, showed no nerves when close to the winning line against Hong Kong's Fu, stroking in a superb 133 break to advance. \"If I continue playing like that I will be tough to beat,\" said Trump, 25. \"My game is there, it is just whether I can keep it up for the rest of the tournament.\" Robertson compiled a stunning 145 break - the highest of the tournament - to beat Englishman Carter and faces Barry Hawkins next. It was his fourth century in a match he dominated. \"Comebacks have happened before but being 10-3 up, I wanted to win with a session to spare. An 11-5 lead I was happy with though,\" said Robertson. \"Someone will need to make a 147 to beat my high break now, and I am very pleased to win the", "summary": "Five-time winner Ronnie O'Sullivan reached the quarter-finals of the World Championship with a 13-5 victory over Matthew Stevens at the Crucible."}
{"article": "The Royal College of GPs Wales also warned politicians not to use the NHS for political gain in the run up to next May's vote. It has highlighted six areas it wants to see addressed \"if general practice is to continue to survive... and provide a high level of service\". The college is unveiling its manifesto at the Senedd. Its key points include: Chairwoman Dr Rebecca Payne said: \"Every day GPs and practice teams work hard to make a difference to patients' lives. \"It's vital that their contribution is recognised and appreciated by politicians from all parties. \"We need robust commitments from all political parties to secure a sustainable, effective, patient-centred health service and to protect the NHS for the future.\" She said the general practice \"family\" needed to be expanded so other medical staff, including practice nurses and pharmacists, could help \"alleviate the intense pressure we are under\".", "summary": "A doctors' body is calling for 400 extra GPs by 2020 as its manifesto is launched ahead of assembly elections."}
{"article": "In November, the Chancellor scrapped planned major cuts in police funding, announcing budgets would be protected in real terms, as long as council tax precepts were raised. Seventy extra officers will now be recruited. Police Commissioner John Dwyer said a public consultation supported the rise. The force had expected \u00a330m of budget cuts over the next four years but - as long as council tax also rises in future years - is now forecasting a funding increase of \u00a31.1m by 2020. Mr Dwyer said the new budget would \"ensure the constabulary had the resources necessary to protect the people of Cheshire\". The number of police officers in the county will now increase to 2,053. Residents in Band D properties will see taxes rise by \u00a35 from April, meaning the portion of the bill payable to the police will be \u00a3161.23. The force's council tax precept has increased in two of the past four years.", "summary": "Cheshire Police is to raise its share of council tax by 3.2%, after the government announced a 1.4% cut to police funding."}
{"article": "Swiss-born Mira Andres, of Aberystwyth, will get \u00c2\u00a31,000 and exhibit at Swansea's Elysium Gallery after winning the ESPY International Award 2015. The University of South Wales graduate was recognised for her composition, The Black Crows of Borth. It was inspired by the women who once walked the coastal path to Aberystwyth to sell herring and cockles. Ms Andres, 28, who works as a freelance photographer and designer, said: \"I'm very honoured and pleased to have won and I'm looking forward to exhibiting more of this work.\" She was chosen as winner by judges Helen Sear and Peter Finnemore, two leading Welsh artists who have represented Wales at the Venice Biennale exhibition.", "summary": "A Ceredigion photographer has won an international competition with a series of pictures taken in Borth."}
{"article": "Police also believe the house in which Owen Creaney was allegedly beaten to death was cleaned by the time searches were carried out, prosecutors said. Mr Creaney, 40, from Lurgan was found dead at Moyraverty Court in Craigavon. Details emerged as bail was refused to a woman jointly accused of carrying out the killing last weekend. Shauneen Boyle, 23, of Edenderry Park, Banbridge, denies a charge of murdering Mr Creaney sometime between 4 and 5 July. Mr Creaney's body was discovered on Saturday in a bin outside the home of Ms Boyle's co-accused, 27-year-old Stephen Hughes. Post-mortem examinations revealed Mr Creaney, described as frail and vulnerable, died from severe chest injuries and possible head injuries. Ms Boyle and Mr Hughes were both interviewed more than 20 times and each blamed the other for the killing, the court heard. Prosecuting counsel said police went to the Moyraverty Court address and asked permission to search it. Officers spotted blood on the walls and believed the property had been recently cleaned, she said. It was alleged that Ms Boyle later informed police they should look in the bin where the body was ultimately found. Following her arrest she claimed to have provided care and assistance to Mr Creaney by visiting him and offering water, the court heard. But the prosecutor said no professional medical assistance was sought. She revealed that a witness in the investigation has claimed Ms Boyle confessed to have \"gone mad\" by punching and kicking the victim. Questioned by the judge about the state of forensic evidence, the barrister claimed it was limited because Mr Creaney had been showered at the time the injuries were inflicted. The court also heard the victim may have lay in bed for up to 48 hours after the alleged attack. Refusing bail, Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan said: \"There's a prima facie case in relation to her involvement in this crime, and there's clear and demonstrable evidence of a risk of violent activities if she were to be released from custody.\"", "summary": "A murder victim found dumped in a wheelie bin was showered after being subjected to a violent assault, the High Court has been told."}
{"article": "The upper house cleared Mr Kuroda after he won approval from the lower house on Thursday. Mr Kuroda has said he will do whatever it takes to bring inflation up to 2%. Japan has seen 20 years of intermittent falling consumer prices, which analysts say has hurt its economy. The upper house also voted to approve the appointment of Kikuo Iwata and Hiroshi Nakaso as deputies to Mr Kuroda, who is leaving his current job as president of the Asian Development Bank. All three were nominated by new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who came into office on the promise of bringing Japan's economy out of its prolonged slump. Mr Kuroda, who has long been a critic of the central bank's policies, is a supporter of Mr Abe's plan to ease monetary policy and increase government spending. \"This is kind of an experiment,\" said Masayuki Kichikawa from Bank of America-Merrill Lynch. \"It's worth trying,\" he adds. Mr Kuroda and Mr Iwata have said they are in favour of buying government debt with longer maturities in order to achieve the central bank's new inflation target of 2%. Deflation, or falling prices, discourages investment and spending by businesses and consumers, and makes debts more difficult to repay. The three will take control of the central bank after current governor, Masaaki Shirakawa, steps down on 19 March. Mr Kuroda's stance marks a stark contrast to that of Mr Shirakawa, who was not a proponent of aggressive monetary easing. In the run-up to the change of the leadership, the Japanese economy has been showing positive signs. The yen has fallen more than 20% against the US dollar, which is a relief for exporters. A strong yen makes them less competitive abroad. The stock market has also surged, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 index rising 27% in the last three months. The economy expanded slightly in the last quarter of 2012, instead of an expected shrinking, as Japan emerged from its latest recession.", "summary": "Japan's parliament has approved Haruhiko Kuroda as governor of the Bank of Japan, who is expected to push for monetary stimulus to boost growth in the world's third-largest economy."}
{"article": "Christina Haycock, 49, of Mold, Flintshire, caused council offices and courts to be evacuated, Caernarfon Crown Court was told. She admitted making a bomb threat to Flintshire council on 22 January. Defence counsel Jade Tufail said she wanted an apology \"from those who were supposed to protect her at the time\". The court heard Haycock, a criminology and criminal justice graduate who had been in care from the age of three, told a council phone operator: \"Shire Hall has got a bomb in it so I would tell them to get out.\" Prosecutor Elen Owen said the call caused council staff, judges, magistrates and other court users in Mold to be evacuated with an estimated cost of tens of thousands of pounds. Judge Philip Harris-Jenkins said: \"In the circumstances of this case, because of the gravity of the offence, the disruption it caused, I am afraid I am not going to be in a position to suspend the sentence.\"", "summary": "A woman who made a bomb hoax call because she wanted a council to apologise for her treatment as a child in care has been jailed for a year."}
{"article": "Powys, Torfaen, Swansea and Anglesey all switch off a proportion of their lights for all the night, with a further 10 counties switching off for a period of time overnight. Many have taken the decision to save money, and more councils are expected to follow suit. Councils do not have a statutory duty to provide street lighting. Stuart Davies from Wales County Surveyors Society said: \"It's being driven from a financial perspective. There's huge financial pressures facing the councils so they're having to look at all areas of expenditure. \"There's no duty to provide lighting so it's one area they're looking at to reduce the costs and also to reduce the amount of carbon generated.\" Pembrokeshire council said it has saved \u00c2\u00a3160,000 in annual energy bills as a result of switching off all lighting late in the evening since 2011 apart from town centres and areas with anti-social behaviour issues. Simon Nicholas, who campaigns for street lighting, told BBC Radio Wales: \"Part of the problem is there doesn't seem to be any central government or regional government guidance on this and it's a fairly chaotic situation with different authorities doing different things. \"My main concern surrounds LED [lighting] technology which has a lot of promise but unfortunately there are a lot of downsides to LEDs. There are better ways to save money than to go towards an LED solution or to switch off lights completely.\" He said Cardiff had concluded it would be wasteful to throw away its existing lighting so had reduced the wattage of its bulbs from 70W to 50W and dimmed lights at night by 50%. \"Studies show people don't particularly notice the dimming up to 50% particularly if it's between midnight and 6am,\" he added. In total, 53% of the 358,494 lights in Wales are switched off or dimmed at night. Powys switches off the highest proportion of lights for the whole night (15%) and switches off a third for some of the night but does not dim any others. Swansea and Rhondda Cynon Taf both dim three-quarters of their lights, and Cardiff just under 60%. Merthyr is the only county that does not switch off or dim any of its lights and has no plans to do so in the future. The information came from a Freedom of Information request from the Confused.com comparison website. All the Welsh councils responded to the request.", "summary": "More than half of Wales' street lights are switched off or dimmed at night, data gleaned from councils has found."}
{"article": "A sound defensive display helped Atletico earn a 1-0 first-leg advantage over Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday. Atletico, the 2014 Spanish champions, knocked out La Liga title rivals Barcelona in the last eight. Allardyce said: \"'He defends too much' - that's what he'd get here.\" Bundesliga leaders Bayern dominated the second half after Saul Niguez's sublime solo goal had given the La Liga side an early lead, but Atletico's defence blunted their attack. Allardyce, whose own methods have been labelled as dour in the past, added: \"It's an art, defending - everybody has forgotten that. It's a tactical art to be able to sense danger and block people's crosses and get your toe in without fouling them now and they are very, very good at it indeed. \"The whole team buys into it. You see Fernando Torres on the edge of his own box defending. You never saw that at Liverpool or Chelsea. \"That's how good the manager is and that's why they are successful. They are successful because they concede fewer goals than everybody else and only need one to win. \"Now, everybody can say 'well, that's not entertaining', but everybody is eulogising Simeone's tactics now. I wouldn't think they would do that in the Premier League so much.\" Atletico are only behind Barca in La Liga on head-to-head record with three games left. Sunderland have collected three clean sheets in their last four games and the manager said extending that defensive record over the four remaining league matches was key to relegation survival. The Black Cats - who moved out of the relegation zone last weekend but only on goal difference - play Stoke on Saturday. \"At the moment, if we keep those clean sheet ratios going in the next four games, I am convinced we will stay up,\" added the 61-year-old.", "summary": "Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone would be labelled \"boring\" if he were managing in the Premier League, says Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce."}
{"article": "Police said it happened near a garden centre at Rogers Farm on the A24 near Findon, West Sussex. The 79-year-old victim died at the scene, at about 20:40 BST on Thursday. A murder investigation is under way. The suspect, described as a tall, skinny, white man in his 30s, is thought to have been driving the car in front of the man who was stabbed. The attacker is said to have shoulder-length, wavy brown hair and was thought to be driving a pale \"old-style\" car. It is believed the victim was travelling alone and that he was stabbed more than once. Det Ch Insp Karen Mizzi said: \"Officers have been urgently making inquiries overnight to trace the suspect. \"We need to hear from witnesses who saw the collision, the suspect or the car involved, particularly if anyone filmed the incident or saw anyone filming it.\" Laura Muchmore, 21, who works in the garden centre close to the scene of the stabbing, said: \"It's especially shocking that the victim was an old man. \"Findon is a really lovely little village. It's so picturesque and it's not known for this type of crime.\" Edmund King, president of the AA, described it as a \"horrific and tragic incident\". He said: \"Thankfully, such brutal 'road rage' attacks are generally a rare occurrence on our highways. \"It appears that some drivers do react differently when they are behind the wheel than they would if they were walking down the street. \"They almost feel that the car empowers them but in reality it does not.\"", "summary": "A manhunt is under way for a driver who stabbed another motorist to death after a collision between their two cars."}
{"article": "Pamela Ramsey Taylor, who runs a local non-profit group in Clay county, will resume work on 23 December, the Charleston Gazette-Mail said. The screen grab of the post was widely shared online. Local mayor Beverly Whaling resigned over the controversy, after she posted \"Just made my day, Pam\" to the comment. The Gazette-Mail quoted a letter from the acting director of the non-profit group as saying Ms Taylor would resume work at the Clay County Development Corp on 23 December. In her Facebook post, Ms Taylor had said: \"It will be refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified first lady in the White House. I'm tired of seeing a Ape in heels.\" A petition calling for Ms Taylor and Ms Whaling, the mayor of the town of Clay, to be sacked collected more than 85,000 signatures. Clay town has a population of just 491 and has no African American residents, according to the 2010 census. More than 98% of Clay County's 9,000 residents are white. The Clay County Development group, of which Ms Taylor is the director, is partly funded through state and federal grants, and the group provides services to elderly and low-income residents. The state commissioner, Robert Roswall, warned at the time that the agency risked losing funding over the issue. The controversial Facebook post spread across US and international media outlets. Ms Whaling issued a written apology, saying that her comment was not intended to be racist. \"I was referring to my day being made for change in the White House! I am truly sorry for any hard feeling this may have caused! Those who know me know that I'm not in any way racist!\" Clay's town council issued a brief statement apologising to Mrs Obama and condemning the \"horrific\" post and said \"racial intolerance isn't what this community is about\". Ms Taylor told local news outlet WSAZ, which first carried the story, that she acknowledged her Facebook post could be \"interpreted as racist, but in no way was intended to be\", and that she was expressing a personal opinion on attractiveness, not the colour of a person's skin. She told the news station she was considering legal action for slander against unnamed individuals. The state voted for Donald Trump in the presidential election, giving him 68.7% of ballots cast.", "summary": "A woman suspended after calling First Lady Michelle Obama an \"ape in heels\" in a Facebook post is set to return to work in West Virginia, local media say."}
{"article": "The Cabinet Office said the election for the vacant seat, planned for 4 May, would now take place on 8 June as part of the nationwide polling day. MPs will be asked to formally overturn the writ for the poll. The proposed by-election would have created the anomaly of taking place after Parliament had been dissolved. The by-election was caused by the death of long-serving Labour MP Sir Gerald Kaufman in February. Commons Leader David Lidington told MPs there was no statutory provision allowing for the cancellation of a by-election when a general election was in progress. But he said a precedent was set in a similar situation in 1923, when a by-election writ was regarded as having been superseded. The Commons vote would enable Manchester's acting returning officer Joanne Roney to cancel the by-election.", "summary": "A by-election for the Manchester Gorton constituency is set to be cancelled after the House of Commons backed a June general election."}
{"article": "Rob Hughes, 31, of Croydon, south London, has no memory of the assault in Crete in June 2008, but an eyewitness identified Joseph Bruckland, 22. Mr Bruckland, from Hookwood in Surrey, and five other British men deny charges of grievous bodily harm. Mr Hughes suffered severe memory loss and did not remember his family. He was left with brain damage after being beaten and left for dead outside a nightclub in Malia. Neil Philippart, who was called as a witness by the prosecution, told the court he saw Mr Hughes being hit with a bottle and fall to the ground. Mr Philippart was asked by the judge to identify which of the defendants struck that blow. He turned round, looked at Mr Bruckland and said it was him. Mr Bruckland shook his head when the allegation was made. He will be called to give evidence later. The other defendants are Curtis Taylor, Daniel Bell and Sean Branton, of Horley; Surrey; Benjamin Herdman, of Worth, West Sussex; and George Hollands, of Reigate, Surrey. The trial in Heraklion, Crete, continues.", "summary": "One of six men accused of beating a former Oxford United footballer into a coma has been identified in court in Greece as the main offender."}
{"article": "The recipient, Wolfang Rangger, who lost his right leg in 2007, said: \"It feels like I have a foot again. It's like a second lease of life.\" Prof Hubert Egger of the University of Linz, said sensors fitted to the sole of the artificial foot, stimulated nerves at the base of the stump. He added it was the first time that a leg amputee had been fitted with a sensory-enhanced prosthesis. Surgeons first rewired nerve endings in the patient's stump to place them close to the skin surface. Six sensors were fitted to the base of the foot, to measure the pressure of heel, toe and foot movement. These signals were relayed to a micro-controller which relayed them to stimulators inside the shaft where it touched the base of the stump. These vibrated, stimulating the nerve endings under the skin, which relayed the signals to the brain. Prof Egger said: \"The sensors tell the brain there is a foot and the wearer has the impression that it rolls off the ground when he walks.\" Wolfgang Ranger, a former teacher, who lost his leg after a blood clot caused by a stroke, has been testing the device for six months, both in the lab and at home. He said: \"I no longer slip on ice and I can tell whether I walk on gravel, concrete, grass or sand. I can even feel small stones.\" The 54-year-old also runs, cycles and goes climbing. Another major benefit was a reduction in excruciating \"phantom limb\" pain felt by Mr Rangger for years following the amputation. Prof Egger said the brain now received real data rather than searching for information from the missing limb. The Austrian research team unveiled their results at a press conference in Vienna. But they have yet to publish details in a medical journal. Last year an international team created a bionic hand which allows the amputee to feel sensations from their fingers. Their study was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Dr Alastair Ritchie, lecturer in Biomaterials and Bioengineering, University of Nottingham, said the Austrian announcement was exciting but not as groundbreaking as the work already done for the arm and hand.", "summary": "Scientists in Austria have created an artificial leg which allows the amputee to feel lifelike sensations from their foot."}
{"article": "The new regulations - which permit drilling from outside the protected areas - were approved by 298 to 261. Opposition parties and campaigners criticised the lack of a Commons debate - and accused ministers of a U-turn as they previously pledged an outright ban on fracking in national parks. The government said its plans would protect \"our most precious landscapes\". Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom also said there had already been \"enormous debate\" on the subject. MPs overwhelmingly rejected a bid to suspend drilling for shale gas in a Commons vote in January, during which ministers also pledged an \"outright ban\" on fracking in national parks. Labour has said the government's plans, contained in a draft regulation, represent a U-turn on this commitment, and called for stronger safeguards. The proposals, first set out in July, would only allow fracking 1,200m below national parks, Areas of Outstanding National Beauty, the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads and World Heritage Sites. The drill rigs would have to be positioned outside the boundaries of the protected areas. Q&A: What is fracking? Sites of Special Scientific Interest, which are designated to protect wildlife or geology, are not mentioned. MPs opposed the passing of the draft regulation when it was read out in the Commons on Tuesday evening. Because this happened after the conclusion of the day's main business, parliamentary rules required the vote to be deferred - until Wednesday. Under this process of so-called deferred divisions, MP voted on the proposal by filling in ballot papers with the result announced later by Deputy Speaker Natascha Engel. Shadow energy secretary Lisa Nandy accused ministers of using a \"parliamentary backdoor\" to try to approve the \"weak regulations\" without debate. She said: \"Fracking should not go ahead in Britain until stronger safeguards are in place to protect drinking water sources and sensitive parts of our countryside like national parks.\" The vote to allow fracking under national parks is the latest stage of the political battle over drilling for shale gas, writes BBC political reporter Tom Moseley. MPs voted in January to continue with fracking, and David Cameron declared last year the UK was going \"all out\" for shale gas - but it remains a controversial issue in the Commons. This is particularly true for MPs - including many Conservatives - facing fracking, and vocal anti-fracking campaigns, in their constituencies. In January the government said there would be an outright ban on fracking in protected areas. But that was under the Tory/Lib Dem coalition, and in July the new Conservative administration unveiled new guidelines allowing drilling at least 1,200m under ground. These were the regulations approved in today's deferred division - sparking accusations of a U-turn from Labour, which wants a moratorium on fracking until \"we can be sure it is safe\". Four Tories voted against the government including London mayoral candidate and environmental campaigner Zac Goldsmith and Sarah Wollaston, whose Totnes seat includes Dartmoor national park. Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said the government had shown a \"complete lack of regard for protecting some of the most beautiful scenery in the UK", "summary": "MPs have voted to allow fracking for shale gas 1,200m below national parks and other protected sites."}
{"article": "The 16-year-old was reported missing on 19 February. Body parts were found at a house in the Barton Hill area of Bristol on 2 March. Organisers said although the walk \"won't bring Becky back\" it will help \"give this beautiful young girl the send-off she deserves\". Becky's stepbrother Nathan Matthews, 28, has been charged with her murder. Friends have sold wristbands, T-shirts and balloons to help support her family. The walk started at 11:00 GMT on The Centre and is making its way to Castle Park where balloons are due to be released in her memory. Earlier this week, Mr Matthews, from Warmley, Bristol, appeared by video link at Bristol Crown Court. He has yet to enter a plea to the charge and was told a provisional trial date had been set for October. His girlfriend, Shauna Hoare, 21, who is charged with perverting the course of justice, also appeared by video link. Four other defendants have been charged with assisting an offender.", "summary": "Hundreds of people are taking part in a fundraising walk in Bristol to remember Becky Watts who was killed last month."}
{"article": "Discussions began last week in a bid to resolve the political row at Stormont. The crisis was triggered when police said they believed IRA members had been involved in the murder of a former IRA man in Belfast last month. Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said finding resolution in the negotiations would be \"very difficult\". But she added that the parties had \"established a sound basis on which to take forward the discussions with greater intensity\" this week. She said the \"impact of paramilitary organisations\" was the matter on the agenda for Monday's round of talks. That is one of the primary issues on the table during the cross-party negotiations. Stormont's finances - a major factor is the implementation of welfare reform - is the other main matter on which the parties are trying to find resolution. Ms Villiers had said the opening week of talks had been \"useful and intensive\" and that she was encouraged that the parties had shown a commitment to dealing with the impact and legacy of paramilitary activity. In August, police said they believed IRA members had played a part in the murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr. Chief Constable George Hamilton said the IRA was still in existence, but added that the organisation was not engaged in terrorism. The claims led to a breakdown in trust between Sinn F??in and unionist parties. The Ulster Unionists withdrew from Northern Ireland's ruling executive, with three Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) ministers also later resigning, and DUP leader Peter Robinson stepping aside as first minister. Unionists agreed to join the talks when the government ordered an independent review of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland earlier this month.", "summary": "Talks between Northern Ireland's five main political parties have moved into a second week, with the focus on paramilitary groups."}
{"article": "Esther Kidemba died after apparently jumping from a building during a drill at the private Strathmore University in the capital, Nairobi. Gunshots were fired during the drill, causing panic on the campus. Militant Islamist group al-Shabab killed some 150 people in an attack on Garissa University College in April. Strathmore University Vice-Chancellor John Odhiambo said he offered his deepest condolences to the family of Ms Kidemba, who was a staff member, and an \"unreserved apology to every student, parent, family, colleague and stakeholder for the unfortunate outcome of the security drill\". Strathmore would pay for the medical expenses of 30 students and staff injured during the drill, and would arrange post-traumatic counselling, he added. The drill had been carried out by the university's security team in co-ordination with local police to assess how they would deal with any attack, a statement by the university said. On Monday, Nairobi police chief Japheth Koome said all the proper procedures had been followed for the mock security exercise, Reuters news agency reports. But in his reaction, police chief Joseph Boinett said: \"This must not happen again.\" Kenya's security forces were on high alert to deal with threats, and drills should be conducted only with the authorisation of the \"highest security office in the country\", he added. April's day-long assault on Garissa University College in north-eastern Kenya was the deadliest by al-Shabab in the East African state. In 2013, at least 67 people were killed in an attack by the al-Qaeda-linked group, which is headquartered in neighbouring Somalia, on the upmarket Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi. Al-Shabab says it is opposed to the presence of Kenyan troops in Somalia. The troops are part of an African Union (AU) force helping the weak Somali government fight the militants who want to establish Islamic rule in the country.", "summary": "Kenya's police chief has warned universities not to carry out security drills without his approval following the death of a woman on Monday."}
{"article": "Stuart Price, died on Sunday after colliding with a black Jaguar car in Colliery Lane, next to the junction with Murton Lane, in Easington Lane. Northumbria Police said the Jaguar driver , who stopped his car - was left shaken but uninjured by the crash. Mr Price, 24, of Murton, County Durham, was pronounced dead at the scene and police are appealing for witnesses.", "summary": "A cyclist has died in a collision with a car near Sunderland."}
{"article": "25 November 2016 Last updated at 07:57 GMT It was given to the London museum in 1905 by a rich business man and the giant skeleton has been amazing visitors for many years as they enter the museum's main hall. It isn't a real dinosaur but a life size plaster replica of the skeleton of a Diplodocus. Now Dippy is on the move on a trip around the UK, watch this video to find out more.", "summary": "Dippy the Diplodocus is one of the Natural History Museum's most recognisable residents."}
{"article": "Andrew Skelton, 43, leaked details of nearly 100,000 supermarket staff after he was accused of dealing legal highs at work, prosecutors said. He then tried to cover his tracks by using a colleague's details to set up a fake email account. Skelton, of Water Street, Liverpool, denied three charges of fraud but was found guilty at Bradford Crown Court. At his trial the jury heard how he abused his position as a senior internal auditor at the firm's Bradford head office. He sent information about staff salaries, bank details and National Insurance numbers to several newspapers and posted it on data sharing websites, in a data breach which cost the company more than \u00c2\u00a32m to rectify. David Holderness, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: \"Andrew Skelton's motive appears to have been a personal grievance over a previous incident where he was accused of dealing in legal highs at work. \"The potential loss to his victims and the sheer quantity of potentially compromised data was very significant and could have resulted in employees' identities being stolen. \"The sentence imposed today sends out a very clear message that we will robustly prosecute serious fraudsters such as Skelton who believe they are above the law.\"", "summary": "A Morrisons employee who posted staff data on the internet over a grudge has been jailed for eight years."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called to reports of an incident at Daldowie Crematorium, off the M74, near Uddingston, at about 12:30. The two men were taken to Wishaw General Hospital for treatment. There is no update on their condition. Police said inquiries were ongoing and there was no truth in social media speculation about a firearms incident.", "summary": "Two men have been taken to hospital following a disturbance at a crematorium in Glasgow."}
{"article": "Earlier, Secretary of State Theresa Villiers said EU rules do not permit part of a country remaining within the European Union. In Northern Ireland, the majority of voters (56%) voted for the UK to stay in the EU in last week's referendum. But overall, the UK voted to give up its EU membership by 52% to 48%. \"I believe that the mandate that we got during the course of the referendum to remain puts us in a very special place,\" Mr McGuinness, the deputy first minister, said after meeting Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan . \"It's quite clear that Scotland will make that same case. \"Theresa (Villiers) has to understand, as far as we in Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in are concerned, this is not a done deal, there is still a lot to be played for in the time ahead and we will be asserting the rights of those people who voted to remain in Europe.\" Earlier, speaking ahead of a British-Irish meeting to discuss the political way ahead after the referendum result, Ms Villiers said: \"The EU rules are very clear - membership is at member state level, it's a national question.\" She added: \"This decision has been made - the people of the UK have voted to leave the EU. Ms Villiers hosted Mr Flanagan to discuss the fallout from the EU referendum result. Mr Flanagan said the meeting was a welcome opportunity to discuss the referendum result. \"I reiterated the government's commitment to the stability and prosperity of Northern Ireland and how we will seek to highlight the need for the EU to take account of the Northern Ireland dimension in upcoming negotiations in order to minimise any negative impact that may arise as a result,\" he said. Northern Ireland Executive ministers were also meeting to consider the implications of Brexit and the potential impact on their government departments. The politicians meeting at Stormont are deeply divided about the issue. Both Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in and the SDLP have said they do not want to be \"dragged out of the EU\" on the basis of English votes. But First Minister Arlene Foster and and her Democratic Unionist Party campaigned for a Leave vote She said: \"The campaign is over, the decision has been taken, and now it is our job to go ahead and to represent the people of Northern Ireland in terms of the negotiations that are going to take place now. \"That's certainly my focus, to get the best deal for Northern Ireland in terms of the Brexit from the European Union,\" she said. Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon travelled to Brussels on Wednesday to seek to protect her region's relationship with the EU. Gibraltar, which, like Scotland and Northern Ireland, voted to remain in the EU, has signalled it wishes to explore its options..", "summary": "Martin McGuinness has said he does not accept Northern Ireland cannot maintain any kind of special status within the EU after the UK withdraws from it."}
{"article": "Kent Police said the man, from West Sussex, sustained a serious injury when his Ford Focus came off the road in Hoath Way on Friday. He was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital but died on Saturday evening. Police said the car left the carriageway before mounting a grass verge and overturning. No other vehicles were involved. It is not yet known why the man lost control of his car.", "summary": "A 67-year-old driver has died in hospital after he crashed his car in Gillingham."}
{"article": "Patrick Clarke said he was standing down from Newry Mourne and Down District Council on medical grounds. In the past two years, the councillor, from Castlewellan, had been convicted of sexually assaulting a woman at a hotel in Newcastle. He was convicted of two further charges of defrauding community groups. He also forced his way into a neighbour's house armed with a hammer. Last month, he became the first councillor in Northern Ireland to be the subject of an adjudication hearing by the Local Government Commissioner for Standards. He admitted breaching the councillors' code of conduct and could face a range of possible sanctions including disqualification as a councillor for up to five years. The hearing was adjourned to next week for a decision on what punishment the Independent councillor may face. But he is now submitting his resignation saying he was suffering from depression and \"alcohol issues\" adding he has now accepted he has to address his problems. Mr Clarke, who was elected as an Alliance councillor but later resigned from the party, apologised to his family, friends and the electorate.", "summary": "A councillor with convictions for sexual assault and fraud has quit politics after admitting breaching the local government code of conduct."}
{"article": "Roedd yr Aelod Cynulliad Mike Hedges wedi mynd i gangen yn Abertawe ddydd Sadwrn gyda'i ferch er mwyn newid statws ei chyfrif i un myfyriwr, gan ei bod hi'n mynd i'r brifysgol ym mis Medi. Ond pan ofynnodd y banc am dystiolaeth ei bod wedi cael ei derbyn i'w chwrs, fe wnaethon nhw wrthod y llythyr UCAS gafodd ei gyflwyno - am ei fod yn y Gymraeg. Dywedodd Mr Hedges, AC Dwyrain Abertawe, ei bod hi'n \"annerbyniol\" fod y llythyr wedi ei wrthod. Dywedodd mudiad Dyfodol i'r Iaith bod yr achos yn dangos yr angen i gynnwys y sector preifat mewn rheolau iaith newydd. Mewn sylwadau ar Twitter dywedodd nad oedd yn \"beth mawr i ofyn\", a'i fod yn ragor o dystiolaeth bod \"ffordd bell i fynd cyn bod gennym ni Gymru ddwyieithog\". Mewn sylwadau pellach wrth BBC Cymru Fyw, dywedodd: \"Fe wnaethon nhw jyst ddweud mai dyna oedd polisi'r cwmni ac na allan nhw ei dderbyn. \"Mae'n annerbyniol ac yn anghywir. Petai e jyst yn fater o fod heb aelod staff oedd yn siarad Cymraeg yn y gangen y diwrnod hwnnw, neu fod angen ei anfon ffwrdd a'i fod yn cymryd hirach, bydden i'n deall. \"Ond dyw hi ddim yn iawn nad oedden nhw'n fodlon derbyn y ddogfen mewn unrhyw ffordd.\" Dywedodd David Williams o Gymdeithas yr Iaith fod y digwyddiad yn \"dystiolaeth bellach o'r angen i estyn hawliau iaith i weddill y sector breifat, gan gynnwys y banciau\". Ond mae Lloyds wedi pwysleisio eu bod nhw'n derbyn gohebiaeth yn y Gymraeg, ac mai camgymeriad oedd y digwyddiad gyda Mr Hedges a'i ferch. \"Mae'n wir ddrwg gennym am ein camgymeriad y tro hwn,\" meddai llefarydd ar ran y banc. \"Rydym wrth gwrs yn cydnabod cynigion UCAS yn y Gymraeg fel cadarnhad, ac mae gennym ni nifer o staff Cymraeg eu hiaith sy'n delio \u00e2 chwsmeriaid. \"Byddwn yn gwneud yn si\u0175r, yn syth, bod ein holl gydweithwyr yn ymwybodol o'r canllawiau cywir i'w dilyn, fel na wnaiff hyn ddigwydd eto.\" Yn siarad ar y Post Cyntaf ddydd Llun, dywedodd cadeirydd gr\u0175p pwyso Dyfodol i'r Iaith bod yr achos yn dangos bod angen cynnwys y sector preifat mewn deddf iaith newydd. Dywedodd Heini Gruffudd: \"Mae'r amser wedi dod erbyn hyn i ni efelychu'r hyn sy'n digwydd yng Nghanada lle mae 'na ddeddfau iaith penodol am fyd busnes yn gyffredinol. \"Nes ein bod ni'n g'neud hynny bydd y sefyllfa yn aneglur i fanciau a phob math o fusnesau stryd fawr eraill.\" Yn siarad ar raglen Taro'r Post, dywedodd Comisiynydd y Gymraeg bod ei swyddfa wedi cysylltu gyda'r banc wedi'r digwyddiad. Dywedodd Meri Huws: \"Er ein bod yn deall fod Lloyds wedi ymddiheuro am y mater dan sylw, rydym wedi gohebu \u00e2'r banc i ofyn am eglurhad o'r sefyllfa ac am gyfarfod i drafod y camau nesaf. \"Byddwn hefyd yn defnyddio'r achos fel enghraifft i atgoffa'r banciau am statws swyddogol y Gymraeg yng Nghymru, ac am yr angen i gynnig gwasanaethau Cymraeg a pharchu dewis iaith eu cwsmeriaid.\"", "summary": "Mae banc Lloyds wedi ymddiheuro ar \u00f4l i staff wneud \"camgymeriad\" wrth wrthod derbyn llythyr yn y Gymraeg gan gwsmer."}
{"article": "Doctors in Atlanta have told the 91-year-old the tumours in his brain are being treated successfully and there are no signs of further cancer growth. However, the spokeswoman said that doctors will continue tests. Mr Carter, who served as president of the US from 1977 to 1981 and won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, announced his illness in August. He said then he would receive radiation and chemotherapy for four tumours that had formed in his brain. Media reports have suggested that Mr Carter was not experiencing any pain or discomfort during the treatments, and that his work with The Carter Center had not been scaled back. The former president had been planning to travel to Nepal this month for volunteer work, but the trip was cancelled due to \"civil unrest\" in the country.", "summary": "Former US President Jimmy Carter is responding well to cancer treatment, according to his spokeswoman."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Only two of the six last-16 ties on the two show courts were women's singles matches. \"I was looking forward to playing on one of the two big courts,\" Kerber said after her defeat by Garbine Muguruza. \"Maybe I will talk to them. This is not my decision at the end. It's the decision from all the others.\" Meanwhile, French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, 20, also queried the scheduling of her match against Elina Svitolina on one of the outside courts. Asked if she was surprised, she said: \"I mean, yes. Also, Elina is number four in the world. I think our match was a very interesting match for the people to watch. But I thought we would play on a bigger court.\" World number one Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Venus Williams were given Centre Court for their last-16 matches with British women's number one Johanna Konta and former men's champions Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic on Court One. Wimbledon chief Richard Lewis stated the schedule was based on fans' demand. \"I wouldn't say it's favouritism. I would say it's taking the marquee matches,\" he said. Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide. \"It's not about male or female, in the end it's about which matches you feel the public and broadcasters want to see.\" Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live, three-time champion Chris Evert questioned the lack of \"equal representation\". \"I think all women would like to see three of each to go along with the equal prize money,\" said the American. \"Fortunately for men's tennis and unfortunately for women's tennis this year the top four men are of very high marquee value, and it's hard to say that Djokovic should be on court two. \"But then I wonder about that argument because in the past there have been years when the women have been more attractive to watch, been bigger names, and they've still gone with the four men and two women.\"", "summary": "World number one Angelique Kerber said she was \"really surprised\" her Wimbledon match was put on court two as Monday's scheduling faced criticism."}
{"article": "Holyrood's public audit committee has written to the justice secretary saying SPA chairman Andrew Flanagan appeared to have \"behaved inappropriately\". The letter follows a series of heated evidence sessions at parliament, which saw one MSP tell police bosses \"it's not the Kremlin you're running\". Mr Flanagan insisted the group has made \"substantial progress\" over 12 months. MSPs have been conducting an inquiry alongside a separate probe by HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland Derek Penman into the governance of the SPA and concerns about transparency. The letter from the committee, which was addressed to Justice Secretary Michael Matheson and copied to Mr Flanagan, is highly critical of the chairman and the running of the board. It reads: \"We are writing to set out our very serious concerns about the standards of governance at the SPA, following our recent evidence sessions. \"In particular, we consider that the chairman of the SPA board, Mr Andrew Flanagan, would appear to have behaved inappropriately on occasion and in a manner not in keeping with relevant Scottish government guidance. \"We consider this to be unacceptable, particularly in relation to a public body that performs such a vital role.\" The committee were particularly critical about a row over meetings being held behind closed doors, which saw one board member, Moi Ali, quit. She told members that she felt she had been bullied, describing her exit from the board as \"a really horrendous experience\". The letter notes: \"It appears to us that Mr Flanagan treated Ms Ali in an inappropriate manner, to the degree that she felt obliged to resign from the board.\" While members acknowledged there would be times when public bodies would have to discuss matters in private, they said the \"default position for such an important body is that its committees should meet in public\". And they said it would be \"entirely unacceptable\" for the SPA to repeat the situation where private meetings were held to discuss governance with no notes being taken, saying there was \"a clear need for a culture shift within the organisation so that there are far fewer private meetings\". On the matter of transparency, they said some of the board's \"decisions on basic operational matters have been inexplicable\", and said SPA board members \"should be far more critical in how they question or challenge some of the decisions made by the chair of the board\". In response to the letter, a spokesman for the SPA said: \"As board members outlined this week, the SPA is listening to public and civic concerns and has already signalled it is ready to adapt its approach at the next public board meeting. \"In addition, HMICS is currently looking at governance within the SPA and we are working closely with the inspectorate to facilitate that review. Its findings and recommendations will further inform our approach to improved governance and transparency.\" During his appearance at Holyrood in April, Mr Flanagan insisted the group had made \"substantial\" progress over the past year, adding: \"I believe I am doing an effective job.\" He said: \"I think we've made", "summary": "MSPs have voiced \"very serious concerns\" about how the Scottish Police Authority is run."}
{"article": "She vowed to \"keep fighting... to come back to government if the impeachment request is accepted\". Ms Rousseff is accused of manipulating government accounts, which she denies. The Senate will decide whether to start an impeachment trial next week. If that happens she will be suspended from office for 180 days. Recent polls conducted by Brazil's major newspapers suggest that a majority of the 81 senators will vote in favour of the trial. In the wide-ranging interview with the BBC's Wyre Davies, President Rousseff also said: \"Yes, I believe, indeed, that I am a victim. And, of course, yes I am innocent. And at the same time, I am an innocent victim,\" Ms Rousseff said. \"What we in the government believe and what my supporters believe is that the ongoing impeachment process is illegitimate and illegal. \"Because it is ultimately based on a lie, i.e. an indirect election under the guise of an impeachment process.\" And the president stressed: \"What we will do is to resist, to resist, and to resist. And further fight to ensure that we will come out victorious on a merit basis and resume office.\" Ms Rousseff is accused of manipulating budget figures in 2014 to make her government's economic performance appear better than it was - ahead of her re-election. The president has defended her government's fiscal measures as common practice in Brazil. Dilma Rousseff, who I've watched and observed closely over recent weeks as the likelihood of impeachment has loomed closer, seemed more relaxed and prepared to smile than she's been for some time. She's never come across as a supremely confident politician with a zeal for the hurly-burly of politics, especially in Brazil's brutal deal-making party system. Perhaps, in one way, the president has become resigned to her immediate fate - that the Senate will vote to subject her to a full impeachment trial, triggering her suspension from the presidency for up to 180 days. On the other hand, Ms Rousseff sounded more determined than ever to fight on - to come back after suspension, and resume the last two years of her term in office. The president is absolutely convinced of the unfairness and illegality, as she puts it, of the case against her. On the wider matter of corruption in her government, she insisted that she knew nothing of the rampant corruption at the state oil giant Petrobras, despite being the former chairman of the board. Last month, the lower house of Brazil's Congress comfortably approved starting impeachment proceedings against her. The Senate is expected to vote on the issue next week. If she is impeached, Vice-President Michel Temer will take over as interim president. Ms Rousseff has accused him of being one of the ringleaders of the \"coup\" attempt against her. Last month, a Supreme Court judge ordered the lower house of Congress to create a commission to analyse whether impeachment proceedings against Mr Temer should go ahead over allegations that he manipulated government accounts to hide a growing deficit. Mr Temer rejects the accusations. Senate vote on trial: A simple majority", "summary": "Brazil's beleaguered President Dilma Rousseff has told the BBC she is an \"innocent victim\" and she will fight on as possible impeachment looms."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Goals from Gareth Furlong, Luke Hawker and Rupert Shipperley secured the win in Belfast. They play Scotland on Sunday before facing France in their final group game on Tuesday, A top-two finish in the eight-team tournament would lift them in the rankings and give them a chance of a first World Cup appearance. The World League is a series of tournaments held over a two-year period with the latest edition running from Saturday 11 to Sunday 19 March in Belfast. The final group standings decide the knockout fixtures and the two teams who reach the final will go through to the next round of the World League in London in June.", "summary": "Wales men's hockey team beat Poland in their opening game in the of the World League 2 tournament."}
{"article": "John Pottinger, 21, admitted causing the death of 39-year-old George Armour by dangerous driving, when he appeared at the High Court in Glasgow. The incident happened on the B9074 at Hamnavoe in June last year. The victim was thrown up and over the bonnet of the car. Sentence was deferred on Pottinger until next month. The court heard Pottinger was \"pretty drunk\" after attending a disco at the Burra Hall. Advocate depute Paul Brown, prosecuting, told the court: \"The disco finished at around 01:00 and people from the hall made their way outside. \"Amongst those leaving the disco was the now deceased Mr Armour who had attended the disco with members of his family.\" Pottinger decided to go to a party on a nearby island, and was persuaded to drive his Volkswagen Golf, taking four teenage friends with him. Mr Brown added: \"The accused was then seen by a witness to be sitting in the driver's seat of his vehicle drinking and trying to start his car. \"He managed to moved the vehicle a short distance partially on to the road but stalled in the middle of the carriageway. \"He tried to restart the car and stalled around eight times.\" An onlooker drove the car a short distance for him before he got back in and made off in the direction of Scalloway. He drove off with \"smoke billowing\" and bouncing his car over speed bumps. Two of his friends told him he was going too fast and shouted at him to slow down as they approached the brow of a hill immediately before the collision. Mr Brown told the court: \"The front seat passenger said that the vehicle at this point bumped up on the left-hand verge and he could see a man, who was the now deceased Mr Armour, walking on that verge away from them. \"The car continued on the verge and struck Mr Armour who was thrown up and over the bonnet of the vehicle.\" Pottinger did not stop and continued down an embankment and into a field and, despite cries to stop, kept driving. It was only when one of his friends pulled the handbrake that the car stopped. The passengers got out the car and ran back to Mr Armour, but Pottinger drove off. When police later approached him, Pottinger asked them: \"Just tell me is he dead?\"", "summary": "A car driver has admitted knocking down and killing a man in Shetland after a day of drinking."}
{"article": "Finance Secretary John Swinney has vowed not to increase taxes for low paid workers. His draft budget is being debated for the first time at Holyrood. Both Labour and the Lib Dems have called on him to increase income tax in Scotland to 1p above the UK rate. The budget for 2016-17 marks the first time Holyrood ministers have been required to play a part in determining income tax rates in Scotland. The two opposition parties said a rise was necessary to provide almost \u00a3500m of additional funding for education and other services. With the Scottish rate of income tax due to come into effect from 6 April, Deputy First Minister Mr Swinney has pledged to keep payments in line with the rest of the UK. In addition, he said his draft budget would give up to 51,400 low paid workers a pay rise, by uprating the living wage and extending this to social care workers as part of the local government settlement. Speaking ahead of the budget debate, Mr Swinney said: \"I will not penalise those on low incomes, and I certainly won't increase their tax bill. \"Our budget will see an additional \u00a3250m invested in social care, around \u00a313bn for health, it will freeze council tax for a ninth consecutive year, protect police budgets, invest \u00a3690m in housing, allocate over \u00a31bn for higher education, and protect the pupil-teacher ratio, helping improve attainment.\" Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has tabled an amendment to the budget, calling for the Scottish rate of income tax to be set at 11p, a penny more than the rate proposed by the SNP administration. Labour argues this cash would help avoid cuts to schools and other vital local public services, with Ms Dugdale insisting the new tax raising powers must \"not lie unused on the shelf\". She has written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saying she is willing to work together on the issue. Labour's plans for a 1p rise in income tax were unveiled days after the Scottish Liberal Democrats proposed increasing the levy to help fund education. The party's leader Willie Rennie said: \"As it stands, this SNP budget will deliver the harshest cuts to education in a decade and responsibility for those will lie squarely on the shoulders of John Swinney and his SNP colleagues. \"John Swinney has spent all of his political life calling for increased powers for the Scottish Parliament. Well now he has them. Now he could use them. But instead he's decided to undercut George Osborne on tax.\" The Scottish Conservatives have said they would resist an increase in taxes in Scotland. The Scottish Greens said Labour's plan was \"complex and costly\". Read more here", "summary": "MSPs will take part in a showdown vote later on income tax as opposition leaders challenge the Scottish government to raise extra money to protect public services."}
{"article": "The prediction came as the High Street chain unveiled its annual results for the year to 30 January, showing a modest rise in profits. Pre-tax profit was \u00a3836.1m, up from \u00a3782.2m a year earlier. Next said the year ahead \"may well be the toughest we have faced since 2008\". The firm's shares suffered their biggest one-day fall since December 2008, shedding \u00a310.05 to \u00a356.55. Next, which has more than 500 stores, also downgraded its sales forecast for the 2016-17 financial year. Previously it had expected growth of between 1% and 6%, but it said it now expected it to fall within a range of minus 1% to plus 4%. Next said it believed there might be a \"cyclical move away from spending on clothing, back into areas that suffered the most during the credit crunch\". It added that according to the latest figures available for consumer spending, \"it can clearly be seen that growth in experience-related expenditure, such as eating out, travel and recreation, was much stronger\" than in the clothing sector. The retailer said its Next Directory online division had seen slowing growth. \"Partly this is as a result of competitors catching up with our delivery and warehousing capabilities; partly as a result of changes in the ways customers are shopping online,\" the firm's statement added. It said its priorities included upgrading the online business while developing and expanding its UK retail store network. \"In many ways, we have more to do than ever before with complex challenges to our working practices across product, marketing and systems,\" Next said. \"It may well feel like walking up the down escalator, with a great deal of effort required to stand still. \"It will not be the first time we have felt this way, and our experience is that the effort put into improving the business in tough times can pay handsome rewards when conditions improve.\" Next said it expected international online sales to grow by 25% in the coming year, to about \u00a3205m. It said this rate of growth was \"significantly lower\" than last year, because it had now opened in all its target territories, including China. \"In addition, two of our largest markets, Russia and Ukraine, have both suffered significant currency devaluations,\" the firm said.", "summary": "Retailer Next has seen its shares fall 15% after it forecast that 2016 would be a \"challenging year\" for its business, \"with much uncertainty in the global economy\"."}
{"article": "The prosperity index was compiled by the Legatum Institute and is based on data from 170 locations across the country. According to the organisation, prosperity was measured by average incomes and happiness levels. The Black Country borough of Sandwell was ranked second-last in terms of prosperity. In addition, Blackpool, Liverpool and East Derbyshire were ranked in the bottom five. With the exception of the Outer Hebrides, the top five most prosperous areas in Britain are in London, according to the index. The findings are based on local GDP figures from 2011 and the Office for National Statistics well-being data from 2013-14. Sian Hansen, executive director at the Legatum Institute, said: \"The data shows that Wolverhampton is the least prosperous part of the UK because its citizens report the lowest levels of satisfaction with their lives. \"Some of the most prosperous areas of the country are those where, regardless of their income, people have the opportunity to lead healthy, fulfilling and prosperous lives.\" Wolverhampton residents and workers were split about the study's findings. \"I think it's a bit harsh to be bottom,\" said 23-year-old Shane Parker, from Coseley. \"It's not as bad as some people think, there are places in Birmingham that are much worse. Angela Scrivens, 42, from Bilston, said: \"I think the town itself is quite dull, but the people can be quite happy. \"It's gone through a rough patch lately, but the town centre is being done up, and hopefully that will bring in more jobs and people.\" Sharon Kiteley, 47, from Dudley, said: \"Whenever I've looked around I've always seen happy smiling faces, so I can't believe it's come last. Responding to the findings, the leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council, Councillor Roger Lawrence, said: \"Whilst it's fair to say that Wolverhampton took a battering during the recession, we're now seeing some really positive signs of recovery. \"The data used is from 2011 and 2013-14. Wolverhampton's come a long way since then and as we approach 2016 there's a lot going on in our city.\"", "summary": "Wolverhampton is the least prosperous area in the UK, according to findings from an international think-tank."}
{"article": "A special service was held at St George's Hall on Wednesday evening to remember the 96 football fans who died in 1989. These people tell us why they came to pay tribute. Two of the messages... \"I pray that all those who were lost in the Hillsborough accident are always remembered and respected. I also pray that the innocent fans who got the blame will get justice.\" \"We will never forget you. You will never walk alone.\" Libby says: \"Everyone is overwhelmed and so happy about the outcome. They want everyone to know that it wasn't the fans' fault.\" Joe says: \"He's always cried because it's such a touching story.\" Zac says: \"They've been waiting for justice for a long time and they've finally got it... It's important for them to never forget about what happened.\"", "summary": "Children and teenagers have been among the thousands of people remembering the Hillsborough disaster victims in Liverpool city centre."}
{"article": "Flora Day attracts thousands to the Cornish town of Helston every May. But the event coincides with swans nesting at Coronation Lake, which can be \"very disturbing\" for the birds, Heston Town Council said. Last year a swan laid eggs on the edge of the road, leading to an area being fenced off. Photographer Rebecca Wilbur floated the idea of hiring security to protect them during the event. The council has backed the plan and a social media campaign has raised \u00a3310 to cover the cost of employing guards to protect swans and their eggs. More on this story, plus other Devon and Cornwall news Councillor Dave Potter said: \"When it gets very busy, it's very disturbing for the swans at that very critical time of their cycle.\" Mute swans nest in April and May. Flora Day normally takes place on 8 May. It involves couples dancing through the streets and in and out of homes and shops to \"drive out the winter and welcome spring\".", "summary": "Bodyguards are to be hired to protect nesting swans at an annual gala."}
{"article": "Shares in the company more than halved in April when Imagination said that Apple was to stop using its technology. The US company uses the UK firm's chip technology in its iPhones, iPads, and iPods under a licensing agreement. Imagination said it had received interest from suitors in recent weeks so had begun a formal sale process. It added it was now in preliminary talks with potential bidders. In April, Imagination said that Apple, which accounts for about half of Imagination's revenues, was planning to stop using its technology within \"15 months to two years\". At the time, it questioned whether Apple would be able to develop its own computer chip designs without breaching Imagination's patents. Last month, Imagination announced it had started a dispute resolution procedure with Apple over licensing payments. In its latest update, the company said it remained \"in dispute\" with Apple. Separately, Imagination said the sale process for its MIPS and Ensigma businesses - which was announced in May - was \"progressing well\", with indicative proposals received for both units. News of the sale sent shares in Imagination up 15% in early trade to 142p. However, the share price still remains nearly 50% below the level it was at before Imagination announced it was being dropped by Apple.", "summary": "UK chip designer Imagination Technologies - which is in dispute with Apple, its largest customer - has put itself up for sale."}
{"article": "The art deco building had a \u00a34.2m refurbishment in 2013, reopening with a cinema, cafe and gallery. But the cinema closed in March, while the pavilion closed three days a week, prompting campaigns for them to reopen. Prof Tony Hazell, of Penarth Arts and Crafts Ltd (PACL), which runs it, said the pavilion had not been run in a sustainable way. He said his team had opened on \"full throttle\" in December 2013, running the landmark building on the Victorian pier seven days a week, 12 hours a day, 362 days a year. \"It probably wouldn't be sustainable on a commercial basis, let alone a charity one,\" he added. Mr Hazell said the decision to close the cinema - the only one on a pier in the UK - was taken after figures from previous years showed it did not attract as many visitors in the summer months. In addition, the cafe was closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays because it was not making enough money to cover costs. But after reviewing the business and receiving \u00a3126,000 in lottery money, he said the pavilion and its cafe would reopen either five or six days a week from the middle of the summer. It will probably remain closed every Monday. He also said the cinema would welcome visitors again from September \"if not before\". \"We are now looking for new ideas about how to raise more revenue,\" he said. \"At the end of the day, this building is run as a charity and people don't really donate as much to a building as they might to an animal charity. \"We only have a small team of paid staff and we rely a lot on volunteers. But, yes, we will survive.\" However, campaigner Andrew Jones, 52, who started a petition to reopen the cinema - signed so far by more than 1,700 people - said he did not have faith in PACL. \"There has been a complete wall of silence in Penarth from PACL,\" said Mr Jones, who lives in Penarth. \"The cinema shut down very suddenly, with just a notice put on their website, which not many people saw,\" he added. \"I certainly don't believe cinema attendances fell that much in the summer.\" Vale of Glamorgan council, which runs the pier and leased the pavilion to PACL for 125 years on a peppercorn rate, said it had \"provided significant amounts of both financial and professional\" support to the charity. It gave \u00a3800,000 towards the renovations - in addition to money from the Heritage Lottery Fun - and a \u00a3100,000 grant in its first year of trading to help support the group. \"Since this grant came to an end professional support has been provided by the council to help PACL improve their approach to business planning and financial management,\" a spokesman added. \"Having supported them to such an extent the council is keen to see the organisation flourish and to continue to provide facilities that we know are greatly valued by the local community.\" Penarth Pier opened in 1895 and was voted pier of", "summary": "Fears over the future of the renovated Penarth Pier Pavilion are unfounded, the charity running it has said."}
{"article": "Mr Trudeau toasted the two nations as \"siblings\" at a state dinner. Mr Obama raised his glass at the White House to the \"great alliance\" and joked about Mr Trudeau's previous jobs. \"If things get out of hand, remember the prime minister used to work as a bouncer,\" said Mr Obama. In a joking reference to Canadian-born presidential candidate Ted Cruz, Mr Obama said: \"Where else could a boy born in Calgary run for president of the United States?\" A lavish state dinner was held for Mr Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, featuring poutine, Nanaimo bars and white chocolate snowballs. During Mr Trudeau's toast, he referred to the 25,000 refugees from Syria who have arrived in Canada in the past four months, saying that \"diversity can be a source of strength\". More than half of US governors oppose allowing refugees to settle in their states. A new life in Canada for Syrian refugees Can Trudeau be what Obama couldn't? What Canadians make of the US election After a private meeting at the White House, Mr Trudeau said he had learned a lot from \"my friend Barack\", who he described as \"a man of both tremendous heart and tremendous intellect\". Earlier, Mr Obama said the two leaders share \"a common outlook\" and that Mr Trudeau had brought \"new energy and dynamism not only to Canada but to the relationship between our nations\". He added that the US and Canada were \"blessed to be neighbours\". The leaders have pledged co-operation on liberalising investment and trade, promoting clean energy and preventing foreign fighters from travelling to the Middle East. Mr Trudeau came bearing gifts for the First Family: a pair of Canadian-made dog boots called \"Muttlucks\" for the pet dogs, a beaded cape for Mrs Obama, an aboriginal statue for Mr Obama, and scarves for the president's daughters. Ahead of the meeting, a joint statement on environmental cooperation announced that the US and Canada would cut methane emissions by 40-45% below 2012 levels, by 2025. They also agreed to set \"world class\" standards on commercial activities in the Arctic, including oil and gas exploration. US-Canada relations had previously suffered because of energy issues, when Mr Obama's administration opposed the Keystone XL pipeline, which was meant to transport oil from Canadian tar sands in Alberta to the US Gulf coast. President Obama, 54, sees in the young leader a man who shares his progressive politics, as well as his early rhetoric of hope and change, the BBC's Barbara Plett-Usher reports from Washington. Mr Trudeau's optimistic election platform has led many to draw comparisons with the beginning of Mr Obama's presidency and some American liberals to draw envious comparisons with the US's political scene. As Donald Trump solidified his position as front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination earlier this month, there was even a spike in internet searches about how to move to Canada. In Washington, Mr Trudeau chose his words carefully after being asked by reporters for his views on US-Canada relations under a Donald Trump or Ted Cruz presidency. He said he looked forward", "summary": "US President Barack Obama and Canada's new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have lavished praise on each other during the first official visit by a Canadian leader in nearly 20 years."}
{"article": "A new personal savings allowance of \u00a31,000 will be introduced in April next year, removing the first \u00a31,000 of savings income from income tax. From later this year, people will be able to move money in and out of Isas without infringing their tax free contribution limit. And a new \"Help to Buy\" Isa will be launched to help people save for a deposit. As announced a few days ago, the government will consult on letting people who have bought annuities with their pension pots sell them, in return for a lump sum. Mr Osborne said the new personal savings allowance would come into effect in April 2016. This would, he said, create tax-free banking for almost the entire population. However, higher-rate taxpayers will benefit from a smaller personal savings allowance of only \u00a3500. Users of the BBC News app tap here for the Budget Calculator. And anyone earning more than \u00a3150,000 a year will not receive the benefit of the new savings allowance at all. This change, along with more flexibility for Isas, will cost taxpayers more than \u00a31bn in 2016-17 and more than half a billion pounds each year thereafter. An important knock-on effect of these changes will be that from next April, banks and building societies will no longer deduct 20% income tax automatically from savings held outside an Isa. The chancellor hailed this as a major piece of tax simplification. \"People have already paid tax once on their money when they earn it. They shouldn't have to pay tax a second time when they save it,\" he said. \"With our new personal savings allowance, 17 million people will see the tax on their savings not just cut, but abolished.\" Richard Lloyd of the consumers' association Which? said: \"The tax break and new flexibilities on savings will prove popular with the millions who have got a raw deal on their savings in recent years. \"But there are still many savers whose money is languishing in extremely poor paying accounts, so the financial industry must now play fair and help people get a better return.\" On the new Isa rules for what he called a \"fully flexible Isa\", Mr Osborne explained that so long as Isa money is taken out and replaced during the same tax year, such a move would not count towards the annual Isa contribution limit, which is due to rise in any case to \u00a315,240 this coming April. \"If you take that money out, you lose your tax-free entitlement, and so can't put it back in,\" he said. \"With the fully flexible Isa, people will have complete freedom to take money out, and put it back in later in the year, without losing any of their tax-free entitlement.\" However, this new flexibility will apply to cash Isas only, and not to stocks and shares Isas. Mr Osborne said the change would be scheduled for this autumn after consultation. Iain McCluskey of accountants PwC said: \"The very significant Isa allowance increase over this Parliament has meant that many savers already pay no income tax on their savings.", "summary": "Four big planned changes to encourage saving were outlined by the chancellor."}
{"article": "He made the statement in a video for the Church of Scotland. Mr Salmond, who is now the SNP MP for Gordon, also said that he believed all denominations had a key role to play in society. The Scottish Secular Society said the politician's remark was \"controversial and divisive\". But a spokesman for Mr Salmond later clarified that the former first minister had been \"talking about faith, not religion\". Mr Salmond, who is the SNP's foreign affairs spokesman at Westminster, was featured in the video alongside the Rev Stuart MacQuarrie, the Church of Scotland's chaplain to the University of Glasgow. The clergyman had been at Holyrood to deliver the first \"time for reflection\" of the new parliamentary year. Mr Salmond recalled that he was a champion for the chamber event, which features religious and humanist speakers. Speaking during the three-minute video, he said: \"I am biased, of course, because I am a Church of Scotland adherent and I prefer people of faith to people of no faith or people who have lost their faith. \"All denominations have a key role to play in society and we are very fortunate in Scotland because we have a tremendous ability, among religions and denominations, to come together and support good causes.\" The chairman of the Scottish Secular Society, Spencer Fildes, said he was unhappy with Mr Salmond's comment. He said: \"For Alex Salmond to say he prefers people of faith is a controversial comment to make. \"With one sentence he has separated the religious and none religious, affording special place to the religious in his own world view; preferring one half of the country to the other. \"It's an incredibly ill-thought and divisive comment to make.\" Gordon MacRae, chief executive of Humanist Society Scotland, also said he believed Mr Salmond's comments had been \"deeply innapropriate\". He added: Non-religious people in Scotland constitute a larger group than any single religious denomination, and non-religious humanist wedding ceremonies are now one of the most popular ways for couples in Scotland to celebrate their love.\"", "summary": "Scotland's former first minister Alex Salmond has revealed that he prefers \"people of faith to people of no faith or people who have lost their faith\"."}
{"article": "Ben, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, was 21 months old when he disappeared on the Greek island on 24 July 1991. Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Kerry Needham said she had been warned to \"prepare for the worst\". Police searches have entered a third week after it emerged he may have been accidentally killed by a digger driver. Mrs Needham said: \"I think it really now is a case of finding him not alive. \"We can't live another 25 years like this, my parents can't and I can't. \"It's not the best solution but it will eventually lay it to rest for us, we're all extremely tired and distressed.\" She added: \"Twenty-five years living and not knowing where your child is is torment. \"I don't like to say it, but then at least we would know and it would be closure and he can be laid to rest and we can remember him as he was.\" Mrs Needham said it was an \"agonising wait every day\" for news from the police. She said: \"Unfortunately it looks like it's going to be a bad outcome but we'll just try to get on with everything.\" About 60 items found in the search are being sent back to the UK for analysis, with police extending their stay to search a second site 750m away from where he was last seen.", "summary": "The mother of missing toddler Ben Needham has said she now believes her son is likely to be found dead after disappearing on Kos 25 years ago."}
{"article": "After seven years away from the studio, Janet Jackson releases a new album, Unbreakable, on Friday. It comes after a tumultuous decade in which her brother, Michael, died; and her music was banned by some US radio stations after a Super Bowl \"wardrobe malfunction\". Unbreakable feels like a response to those events, as well as some happier ones, in particular Jackson's 2012 marriage to Qatari businessman Wissam Al Mana. Over 17 tracks, the singer talks about grief and depression, but also about love, loyalty and compassion. Most importantly, she stresses, friends will pull you through the hard times. The record reunites Jackson with producers Jam and Lewis, who rescued her from bargain bin ignominy in 1986, and masterminded all of her most successful albums, from Control to janet and beyond. Speaking to the BBC from New Orleans, Jimmy Jam revealed the stories behind the star's signature songs, and picked his highlights from the new album. Janet's first single with Jam & Lewis, What Have You Done For Me Lately presents the singer as a fierce, independent woman, ruthlessly dismissing her feckless boyfriend. \"You ought to be thankful for the little things,\" she scolds, \"but little things are all you seem to give.\" Originally, What Have You Done For Me Lately was going to be a track on an album Terry and I were working on - our own album. The rest of the Control album was totally done but [record label executive] John McClain said: \"Hey guys, I just need one more song.\" The lyric came up because of a relationship Janet had gotten out of [her marriage to soul singer James DeBarge, which was annulled a year earlier]. The concept was basically, \"he used to do nice things for you, but what has he done for you lately?\" All of the songs we did with Janet on the Control record had a lot of attitude. She always had a lot of attitude in the parts she played on TV and we thought that was missing in her previous albums. So, with Nasty, with Control, with a lot of the songs on the album, we tried to bring that out: Really aggressive tracks, really hard-hitting tracks, because we knew she could pull them off. The Rhythm Nation album opens with a triptych of songs calling for action against poverty, racism and illiteracy. Among them is State of the World, which captures Janet's growing horror as she witnesses homelessness, drug dependency and prostitution right on her doorstep. We were trying to do something like Marvin Gaye's What's Going On - although we never could hope to achieve that - but we wanted to make people aware of what was going on, in a way where you could dance to it. On that record there were a lot of metallic sounds, a lot of trash cans and glass breaking - the sort of things that were the sonic landscape of the streets. Did we worry about front-loading the album with a big social message? No, we weren't concerned. Maybe if the record company actually", "summary": "Janet Jackson's chief collaborator, Jimmy Jam, reveals the secrets behind their biggest hits and talks about her new album, Unbreakable."}
{"article": "Bodelwyddan Castle re-opened on Friday with 45 new garden lodges a new lounge, dining area and entertainment facilities. Owner Warner Leisure Hotels said the work provides capacity for an additional 10,000 guests to stay each year. Landscaped gardens and ponds have also been created.", "summary": "One hundred new jobs have been created following a \u00a37m investment at a Grade II-listed hotel in Denbighshire."}
{"article": "Matty Russell gave Wolves the perfect start but Joe Mellor's converted score gave Widnes a narrow lead. Peta Hiku put Warrington back in front before they eased clear through Kevin Brown's score against his former club and a second from Russell. Both sides will now play in the Qualifiers as they bid to retain their top-flight status for next season. Huddersfield's win over Leigh Centurions last week meant Warrington, last year's beaten Grand Finalists, knew they would not make the Super 8s this season but they will go into the Qualifiers with confidence after three successive wins. Widnes, who in contrast have now lost four games in a row, could end up finishing bottom of the regular season table if the Centurions beat Salford on Friday. The two sides will face each other again in the Qualifiers, with the Wolves having won all three of this season's meetings in Super League and Challenge Cup. Warrington coach Tony Smith: \"It was a good workout and timely for us. I thought we were a bit rusty the way we were playing in the first half and we were rushing things and trying to throw passes when we didn't need to instead of taking control of the ball and maybe taking the tackle and putting on a better play. \"But we got hold of things in the second half and our defence also got better which enabled to do more with the ball and come up with some good combinations.\" Widnes coach Denis Betts: \"Overall I'm disappointed we didn't stay in the fight. You want to win these games and be successful moving forward but you want to respect the process that is going to keep us in Super League which we failed to do in the second half. \"We were patchy again. It was a great 40 minutes and we probably could have asked a few more questions with some of our kicks but we were solid which we haven't been over the last couple of weeks. \"We just failed to apply the pressure when we had the ball in the second half, we dropped the ball twice on their line and gave a penalty away and didn't really get back into the game. \"We now have a two-week break and then have seven games in a mini-season and it gives us the chance to right a couple of wrongs when we feel we have let ourselves down by losing close games.\" Warrington: Ratchford, Russell, Hiku, Atkins, Lineham, Patton, Brown, Cooper, Clark, Sims, Jullien, Hughes, Philbin. Replacements: Currie, G. King, Savelio, Smith. Widnes: Thompson, Armstrong, Chamberlain, Runciman, Marsh, Mellor, B. Walker, J. Chapelhow, Johnstone, Dudson, Whitley, Olbison, Cahill. Replacements: Gerrard, Burke, D. Walker, T. Chapelhow. Referee: Robert Hicks (RFL)", "summary": "Warrington overturned a half-time deficit to end the regular season Super League campaign with a win over Widnes."}
{"article": "Former Russian anti-doping agency worker Vitaly Stepanov made the claims on CBS network's 60 Minutes programme. He said he was told of a cover-up by Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Moscow's anti-doping laboratory. Russia's sports ministry said it was \"certain about transparency of doping control\" in Sochi. Rodchenkov was not interviewed by the programme, which was broadcast on Sunday, but 60 Minutes journalists said they had listened to recordings of him speaking to Stepanov. The BBC has been unable to independently verify the allegations made in the programme. Stepanov said Rodchenkov told him that agents from Russia's security service, the FSB, \"worked as doping controls officers during the Sochi Games\" and \"tried to control every single step of the anti-doping process in Sochi\". He further claimed he had been told four Russian gold medallists at the Games were using steroids. The World Anti-doping Agency (Wada) has said it will investigate the new allegations. Russian athletes have already been banned from international competition by the sport's world governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), after a Wada commission report alleged \"state-sponsored\" doping in the country. The same report said Rodchenkov was complicit, asking for and accepting bribes and destroying blood and urine samples. He later resigned from his role as head of the Moscow lab. Stepanov and his wife, banned athlete Yuliya Stepanova, were the main whistleblowers in a series of German television documentaries in 2014 which alleged \"99%\" of Russian athletes were doping. Those claims led to the Wada independent commission being set up. The IAAF is meeting next month to assess whether Russia has done enough to tackle its doping culture before being allowed to take part in August's Olympic Games in Rio. A spokesman for the Russian sports ministry said a full investigation had been carried out into \"all relevant parties\" since Stepanov's original allegations and it had agreed a 'road map' with Wada to \"guarantee the independence and transparency of the doping control in Russia\". It added: \"We are also certain about transparency of doping control during the 2014 Olympic Games. In addition to Russian specialists, the labs and doping control stations in Sochi had foreign experts. \"Furthermore, a team of independent observers managed the doping control operations on daily basis during the Games.\"", "summary": "A whistleblower has alleged undercover Russian intelligence agents posed as anti-doping staff to cover up cheating at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics."}
{"article": "In his first full news conference, he insisted the package would not breach European Union budget deficit limits. Mr Renzi said income tax would be reduced by a total of 10bn euros ($14 bn; \u00a38bn) annually for 10m low and middle income workers from 1 May. The 39-year-old said his agenda was the most ambitious Italy had ever seen. By Alan Johnston BBC News, Italy The press conference was classic Matteo Renzi. Despite the high seriousness of the subject at hand, he was entirely relaxed - fast, fluent and joking. He was in his element. As always making the answers to Italy's problems seem obvious and easy. And perhaps this whirlwind of a young politician really will, as he promises, \"change the nation\" in just a hundred days. But there always seems to be a certain lack of detail in Mr Renzi's pronouncements. And nagging questions about how everything will be paid for. Large numbers of Italians will have their doubts about their inexperienced new leader. His plans sound a little too good to be true. But all the same, many of those looking on will very much hope that Mr Renzi might just find a way to deliver. \"This is one of the biggest fiscal reforms we can imagine,\" the former mayor of Florence told reporters after a cabinet meeting that approved the measures. Italy is struggling to emerge from its longest post-war recession and Mr Renzi has made clear that job creation and growth, rather than austerity, will be the focus of his government. He said the detail of the tax cuts would be set out in the government's annual forecasting document released next month, and made clear the budget deficit goal would be raised, while insisting that it would stay below the EU's ceiling of 3% of GDP. Italy is currently aiming to keep its deficit to 2.5%, after 3% in 2013. \"We will respect our European commitments,\" he said, adding that he expected EU authorities would take note of Italy's reform efforts in judging its public finances. He said the tax cuts will be financed by reductions in central government spending, extra borrowing, and by resources freed up thanks to the recent fall in Italy's borrowing costs. Italy's regional IRAP business tax will also be cut 10%, to be financed by increasing tax on income from financial instruments - excluding government bonds - from 20 to 26%. His predecessor Enrico Letta paid off around 22bn euros ($30.5bn; \u00a318.5bn) of the state's debts to private suppliers in 2013, and Mr Renzi promised to pay off the remaining 68bn euros ($94.5bn; \u00a357bn) by the end of July, though he did not explain how he would pay for this. The Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan later admitted Italy would have to obtain permission from European authorities if its plan to pay off these debts leads it to breach EU borrowing limits. \"I won't disguise the fact that we don't have a very clear idea of how much the debt arrears which can actually be mobilised amounts to,\" he told a news", "summary": "Italy's new Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has proposed a sweeping package of tax cuts, in a bid to revive the country's economy."}
{"article": "Iftikhar Ahmed, 52, broke down at Chester Crown Court as he denied killing his daughter, or having anything to do with her murder. His wife Farzana Ahmed, 49, also denies murdering the 17-year-old in 2003. On Monday, the jury was told Mrs Ahmed had changed her account, claiming she saw her husband beat Shafilea on the night of the alleged murder. She also claimed he had threatened to do the same to her and their other children if she ever asked him what happened to Shafilea after she disappeared from their Warrington home. Asked by Tom Bayliss QC, defending, how he felt about his wife, Mr Ahmed said: \"I love her to bits.\" He said that had not changed, even after she changed her story. By Nick RavenscroftBBC North of England reporter For weeks, Iftikhar Ahmed has sat in the dock while the jury has heard the accusations against him - including by one of his own children - picked over. Today was his chance to stand up and make his case. To say more than the two word \"not guilty\" plea that he offered the court at the start of the trial. He spoke in a quiet voice. Mainly steady but at times straining with emotion - most notably when his barrister asked him about the effect on his family of his daughter Shafilea's disappearance. \"The family was devastated,\" he said. Sitting 10 feet away listening is his wife of 25 years. Until this week they have spoken as one - that they both knew nothing about Shafilea's death. This week, that ended when Farzana Ahmed changed her evidence. Responding to a question asking whether he would ever hurt his daughter, Mr Ahmed said \"no\". He was then asked if he was responsible for Shafilea's death. Again Mr Ahmed replied \"no\". He then added: \"We were devastated to find out that she had left home in the first place.\" When he was asked how he felt when his daughter's body was found, Mr Ahmed struggled to respond, before adding in a strained voice: \"We couldn't believe it when we heard.\" The run-up to the trial, Mr Ahmed said, had made them \"come closer\" as a family. \"We have been fighting to achieve justice for our daughter Shafilea,\" he added. Mr Bayliss asked Mr Ahmed if he believed he would ever know what happened to Shafilea. Mr Ahmed responded: \"We were hoping so but I don't think we ever will.\" Mr Ahmed then described Shafilea to the jury, calling her \"talented and athletic\". He added: \"Education-wise, she was absolutely brilliant - her best subject was art, she liked making mosaics. \"She was a character in herself. Very bubbly, very talkative, everything a child should be.\" Mr Ahmed told the court he \"totally agreed\" with his daughter's ambition to become a solicitor. He said that it was because of her studies that he had refused to discuss a marriage proposal for Shafilea made by a \"distant uncle\" on behalf of his son. He added that he did not know where the 17-year-old had", "summary": "The father of Shafilea Ahmed has told a court he was not responsible for her death."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Adams, 33, beat China's Ren Cancan - who she beat to win gold at London 2012 - in Thursday's semi-final. The Leeds woman lost the first of four two-minute rounds, before coming back to win the final three. She will face France's 10-time national champion Sarah Ourahmoune in Saturday's gold-medal match (18:00 BST). \"Another gold-medal fight - I can't wait. This is what I've been training for for the last four years. I'm excited,\" she told BBC Sport. It is guaranteed to be GB's first gold or silver boxing medal at Rio 2016, although super-heavyweight Joe Joyce could also reach his final. The 30-year-old Londoner meets Kazakhstan's Ivan Dychko in Friday's semi-final ahead of Sunday's gold-medal bout. Defeated semi-finalists do not fight again and both receive bronze medals. Joshua Buatsi won Team GB's first boxing medal in Brazil by securing bronze at light-heavyweight. Adams has achieved virtually everything there is to achieve in boxing, having already won Olympic, European and Commonwealth golds. But she showed her determination to add another Olympic title - becoming the first Briton to defend her crown after middleweight Harry Mallin in 1924 - by coming from behind against Ren. Ren, a three-time world champion, took the opening round on all three judges' scorecards, but Adams came out aggressively in the next to pin back her 30-year-old opponent with her powerful left jab. She knocked Ren off balance as she restored parity at the halfway stage, also going on to win the final two rounds 10-9 across the board. \"Four years is a lot of time to for a boxer to change and strengthen their weaknesses so I just had to go and stick to the tactics,\" Adams said. \"The jab won me the fight, it just paid off. I am always nervous and you need that nervous energy to give you the adrenaline.\" Anthony Joshua, 2012 Olympic super-heavyweight champion on BBC TV: \"I am sure Nicola will be familiar with Sarah Ourahmoune - the French and British spar a lot together. \"I think Nicola will control her with jabs and keep busy to not give her an opportunity to attack.\"", "summary": "Nicola Adams continued her bid to become the first British boxer to retain an Olympic title for 92 years by reaching the women's flyweight final."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Harte's current three-year deal has now expired following the county's 0-18 to 1-11 All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Kerry on Sunday. However, Harte made clear following the game that he intends to continue on for a 14th year in charge. \"My intentions are to be helping build this team into something even better than they are now,\" said Harte. \"That would be a very good place to be.\" Harte was appointed to the Tyrone job in the autumn of 2002 and has guided the Red Hands to All-Ireland triumphs in 2003, 2005 and 2008. Earlier this summer, there was some speculation over Harte's future in the role but his team's run to this year's All-Ireland semi-finals appears to have ended any doubts about his position. The Tyrone boss made no attempt to hide his disappointment after a contest on Sunday that he believed his side could and possibly should have won. Along with many, Harte felt his team should have been awarded a second penalty shortly after Peter Harte's spot-kick had levelled the game when Padraig McNulty appeared to be bundled over by Aidan O'Mahony. But Harte accepted that the controversial penalty decision could have been academic if his team had taken a couple of the four glorious goals chances that they created in the contest. \"We didn't take the chances that were presented to us in the way that we ought to have done. \"I thought we were harshly done by for not getting a second penalty and I think a few of those frees, when we got back into the game, after being under the cosh a bit, we needed those scores. \"That would have made a big difference. \"I thought we were as good as them on the day but they have result and that's what will be remembered in history.\"", "summary": "Mickey Harte has indicated that he plans to remain on as Tyrone football manager in 2016."}
{"article": "The 18-year-old initially joined the National League club on a month-long deal, and has started four games in all competitions for The Spitfires. Odoffin is working under Eastleigh manager Martin Allen, who gave him his Barnet debut before the defender moved to Molineux in January 2016. He is yet to make a senior appearance for the Championship club. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "Eastleigh have extended the loan of Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Hakeem Odoffin until the end of the season."}
{"article": "Healthwatch Oxfordshire went live on 1 April to represent consumers' views in health and social care after taking over from Oxfordshire LINk. The body appointed to run it, Oxfordshire Rural Community Council, said it had only three weeks to launch. The county clinical commissioning group said the situation was \"only a small concern\". Healthwatch Oxfordshire is part of Healthwatch Network, a network of 152 community-focused local watchdogs. The county council did not appoint any of the bidders who applied to run it, and awarded a temporary one-year contract three weeks ago to Oxfordshire Rural Community Council. Its chief executive, Linda Watson, said they were trying to recruit staff as quickly as possible. She said because of this short amount of time the body was still working out \"how it is we're going to run the service and what we're going to operate\". Dr Stephen Richards, chief executive of Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said the situation was \"only a small concern\" but that the \"sooner Healthwatch can be fully staffed and up and running the better for all of us\".", "summary": "A newly launched independent health watchdog has no staff or dedicated phone line yet, the BBC has learned."}
{"article": "One of the victims, as well as sources quoted in a UN report, all accuse Lt Col Kibibi Mutware of links to New Year's Day rapes in the town of Fizi. There have been numerous cases of mass rape in DR Congo's conflict but this is believed to be the largest single incident allegedly involving the army. Lt Col Kibibi has denied the charges. He said that the soldiers who raided the town had disobeyed orders. From an everyday fight between two men over a woman, violence escalated into a brutal punitive expedition by a group of government troops against the population of Fizi. \"A soldier was killed here right beside the hospital,\" explains Dr Faise Chacha, the head of Fizi hospital. \"That started the panic and all our patients fled. We came back at 0500 the next morning and we started taking in people who had been stabbed and others - women - who had been raped.\" Dr Chacha and the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres have treated 51 rape victims so far, but they expect more as women who fled the attacks slowly return home. As in previous cases of rape in DR Congo, many victims are expected to keep their plight secret to avoid being abandoned by their husbands and families. Two of them agreed to talk anonymously after medics told the BBC they had been raped. \"I was raped in front of my four children,\" one of them told the BBC. \"I'm ashamed, very ashamed. If I meet two or three people who are having a discussion, I assume they are talking about me, even though it is not the case.\" The other woman was able to identify her attackers. \"It was 1900 [in the evening] and those who raped me were members of the military,\" she said in a low voice, her body wrapped in a colourful cloth. \"There were four of them - Kibibi and his bodyguards. They stole all our belongings and our money.\" This woman was not the only one accusing Lt Col Kibibi, current commander of the 43rd sector in the army's Amani Leo (Peace Today) operation against rebel groups which still roam eastern DR Congo eight years after the country's war officially ended. Several people who live near the hospital said they saw him ordering his troops to attack the population to avenge their dead comrade. An internal report by investigators sent to Fizi by the UN peacekeeping mission Monusco and seen by the BBC also quotes local leaders and police sources who accuse Lt Col Kibibi of directing the atrocity. Monusco sent patrols from the day after the violence from its Baraka base, just over one hour's drive away, and has maintained a 24-hour presence in Fizi since 5 January, which has encouraged the population to come back. Lt Col Kibibi is a strong man with a small moustache and a boonie hat. When I met him, he was sitting behind a table on which only two mobile phones and one walkie-talkie were visible. Speaking in the thatched hut from which", "summary": "An army commander in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been accused of leading the recent mass rape of at least 50 women."}
{"article": "The Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee Scheme allows lenders to offer loans to people offering a deposit as low as 5% thanks to government support. The scheme is set to be closed at the end of the year. Use of the scheme has declined, while mortgage lenders have reported that business in general is up sharply. Lending to people with a 5% deposit, at a similar if not cheaper price, is available outside of the scheme. In a letter to Chancellor Philip Hammond, the Bank's governor Mark Carney said that closing the scheme as planned would not cause lending to dry up. \"Given the decreasing usage of the scheme over time, the [Financial Policy] Committee judges that the closure of the scheme would be unlikely, in current market conditions, to affect significantly the provision of finance to prospective mortgagors, including high loan-to-value borrowers,\" he wrote. The move is unlikely to affect other Help to Buy schemes, which include equity loans to buy newly-built homes, as well as the Help to Buy Isa savings scheme which is aimed at those saving for a deposit. In its review of the Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, the Financial Policy Committee (FPC) said that the scheme accounted for 3% of total mortgage lending in the first quarter of the year. In 2014, it accounted for 6% of such lending. It accounted for 25% of lending in the first three months of the year to those offering a deposit of less than 10% of the value of the home to be bought, compared with 70% in 2014. There had been fears when launched that the scheme would create an unstable housing market bubble, but the FPC said that it had not posed a risk to financial stability. It added that the scheme had not driven up prices in general, nor on the houses bought through the scheme. There was a cap on loans which meant borrowers were only allowed up to 4.5 times their income. This, said the committee, had prevented a long list of highly indebted borrowers from building up. The health of the mortgage market was stronger in August, separate figures from lenders have revealed. Mohammad Jamei, senior economist for the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), said: \"Widely voiced fears in recent months about the housing market have proved to be wide of the mark.\" He said that there had been a post-referendum lull, but lending had rebounded in August, partly as a result of stimulus from the Bank of England - including a cut in interest rates. The CML said that gross mortgage lending in the UK totalled \u00c2\u00a322.5bn in August. This was 7% higher than the previous month and 15% higher than the same month a year earlier. It was the highest level of lending during any August since 2007, the CML said. Where can I afford to live?", "summary": "A major scheme designed to prop up the UK housing market is no longer needed, the Bank of England has told the government."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Simon Mignolet replaced 23-year-old Karius, who was criticised by pundits, including ex-Manchester United players Gary and Phil Neville, after errors against West Ham and Bournemouth. \"I'm not interested in public pressure, I'm interested in the boy,\" said Klopp. \"There's no reason to push him through the situation, he loses confidence.\" The German boss added: \"Karius has a lot of things that other goalkeepers want to have. We want to develop the players - we don't want to convince people that he's not bad. \"I know him really well and he's much better than he has been in the last two games. It's a situation which Liverpool have as a long-term project.\" Klopp signed Karius from his former club Mainz for \u00a34.7m in the summer and the German has played 10 Premier League games, keeping three clean sheets. However, a fumble for Bournemouth's late winner on 4 December prompted comments from Gary Neville, while former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said the keeper was \"yet to convince\" and needed \"massive improvement\". Media playback is not supported on this device Karius defended himself in an article and Klopp also questioned the pundits, comments he now says were \"not serious\". \"I only want to show how it feels when you get criticised without doing anything wrong,\" added the 49-year-old. \"The pundits need to know how it feels.\" Klopp said he has \"no time frame\" for when Karius will return to the starting XI, leaving open the possibility Mignolet may play again in Monday's Merseyside derby at Everton (20:00 GMT kick-off). The Belgium international, 28, made three saves as Liverpool dominated at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday, including turning a powerful Viktor Fischer shot round the post when the score was 1-0. The Reds moved second in the Premier League table after the victory, which featured two goals from Adam Lallana and Divock Origi's fifth goal in as many games. Gary Neville's brother Phil told BBC Radio 5 live: \"I don't think we are the only ones that have criticised Karius. My criticism of him was not for his performance on Sunday or over the last couple of games, it was for the newspaper interview he did and the comments he made about Carragher and Gary. \"Maybe when you are going through a tough period, I would give him the same advice I got which is to keep your head down, don't do any press interviews until you have a good few games and wins under your belt. Then you can do your interviews. \"My advice was not that this goalkeeper is no good. The decision to leave him out last night - to take him out the firing line - was the right one and it was justified in the performance of Mignolet. Karius is a young goalkeeper. He will bounce back.\"", "summary": "Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has backed Loris Karius to be a \"long-term\" success, despite dropping the keeper for the 3-0 win at Middlesbrough."}
{"article": "The first openly gay man to officiate at the highest level in the game was giving evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee's inquiry into homophobia in sport. Mr Owens advised youngsters receiving abuse to either report it, tell their parents or \"try and share that abuse\". But he agreed that was often not easy. Explaining his own own experience of being bullied, as a 12-year-old, Mr Owens said: \"You feel it's your own fault. You feel a sense of weakness. \"You feel a sense of shame and embarrassment that you are a weak person because you are not able to deal with this. \"You're not the weak person, the weak person are the people who are doing the bullying and the abuse.\" Mr Owens said that rugby was not a homophobic sport and that his experience in the sport had been hugely positive. He said that there were some issues, but when rugby was aware of problems \"it does all it can to eradicate them\". \"When you have people chanting homophobic abuse then there has to be zero tolerance in the way that they deal with those people,\" he added.", "summary": "A zero tolerance policy is needed on homophobic online bullying, international rugby referee Nigel Owens has told MPs."}
{"article": "The chancellor told me that despite a short term economic shock to the economy of Britain leaving the European Union, it was now time to explore \"new opportunities\" across the world. \"What we now need to do is get on with it in a way that minimises the economic impact on the UK economy in the short term and maximises the benefit in the long term,\" Mr Hammond said, admitting that there had been \"global disappointment\" about the Brexit vote. Chinese state media reported earlier in the month that the Chinese Ministry of Commerce wants to do a UK free trade deal. Mr Hammond has now revealed that Britain is also keen. It will be the first time the UK has embarked on such a major project with the second largest economy in the world. And will raise concerns about cheap manufactured goods entering the UK more easily. In return for greater access to the UK for its manufactured products and investment, China would reduce barriers to Britain's service industries like banking and insurance as well as UK goods. That would be an important source of export income for Britain. \"The mood music that I have heard here is very much that this will mean more opportunity for countries like China that are outside the European Union to do business with Britain,\" Mr Hammond said. \"And as Britain leaves the European Union and is not bound by the rules of the European Union perhaps it will be easier to do deals with Britain in the future.\" I asked if that could mean a free trade deal, bilaterally agreed with China which invested over $5bn (\u00c2\u00a33.8bn) in the UK in 2014. \"Definitely I could see such a thing,\" Mr Hammond told me at the meeting of G20 finance ministers in Chengdu, China. \"We already have a strategic partnership with China. \"We have hugely increased our trade with China, investment both by British companies into China and by Chinese entities into the UK. \"That's about as far as we can go while we are members of the European Union. \"But once we are out of the European Union then I have no doubt on both sides we will want to cement that relationship into a firmer structure in a bilateral way that's appropriate. \"That's something we will have to explore in the future.\" Mr Hammond said it would be \"certainly appropriate\" to start discussing a new deal over the next \"couple of years\" and the issue was raised here at Chengdu. What might a deal - which could only come after Britain had officially left the EU - look like? Senior government sources have told me that officials are looking at New Zealand's free trade agreement with China which took four years to negotiate and came into effect in 2008. Care would have to be taken over security concerns and the possibility of China \"dumping\" cheap imports in the UK - for example steel. As well as a positive reaction from China, Mr Hammond said that he did not believe that the EU was", "summary": "Philip Hammond has begun discussions with China on an ambitious free trade deal which could see greater access for major Chinese banks and businesses to the UK economy."}
{"article": "An East Midlands Ambulance Service crew found the bin when they tried to leave for hospital in Leicester. Waste fluid had leaked into the cabin, forcing the vehicle to require a deep clean. The ambulance was taken out of service and a second ambulance was called. EMAS said the action could have put lives at risk. The crew was responding to a call in Narborough Road, Leicester, in the early hours of Monday. Police were notified and the ambulance was returned to service the next day. Tim Hargraves, an EMAS manager based in Leicestershire, said: \"This behaviour is disgusting and can ultimately put lives at risk as this vehicle was taken off the road. \"Our crews work long hours in challenging circumstances and deserve to be treated with respect. \"We will work with Leicestershire Police to support enquiries.\" A Facebook post on the EMAS page received more than 1,500 messages of support and was shared more than 4,000 times.", "summary": "A wheelie bin of rubbish was dumped on the front seats of an ambulance as medics treated a patient in the back."}
{"article": "Itoje, 22, helped England complete the Six Nations Grand Slam and was part of the squad that secured a 3-0 series whitewash of Australia down under. England captain Hunter, 31, was ever-present throughout 2016. New Zealand fly-half Beauden Barrett won the men's player of the year award. Barrett, 25, is the fifth successive player from the world champion All Blacks to receive the award, after Dan Carter (2012 and 2015), Kieran Read (2013) and Brodie Retallick (2014). Itoje, his Saracens and England team-mates Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola, New Zealand's Dane Coles and Ireland's Jamie Heaslip were also shortlisted. Itoje is currently injured and missed England's 37-21 win over South Africa on Saturday. Steve Hansen was named coach of the year, and his All Blacks were team of the year having set a new record for winning 18 successive Tests. South Africa's Seabelo Senatla and Australia's Charlotte Caslick were respectively the men's and women's sevens players of the year. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "England forward Maro Itoje was named breakthrough player of year and compatriot Sarah Hunter won women's player of the year at the World Rugby awards."}
{"article": "At the height of his career in the 1970s, Martin Lacey was known as the \"man that fear forgot\" - being the only one to put his head inside a lion's mouth. That was just part of his work to run the now-closed Great British Circus, which has also included breeding more than 120 tigers at his home in Keal Cotes. Now aged in his 70s, Mr Lacey plans to retire, with most of the tigers will now go to his sons' circus in Germany. His work has included starring in the children's TV show Magpie and training some of the tigers used in the Esso adverts. He said he had enjoyed a fantastic career and \"had certainly done his bit\" to help with tiger conservation. \"This year we've had 12 cubs in Lincolnshire and 12 in Germany,\" he said. \"Most will go to my sons' circus, but we are able to let any surplus go to zoological gardens, which reduces the need to bring in any animals from the wild. \"We are definitely doing well in the conservation stakes - we also bred reindeer here this year, and that's not easy.\" However, changes in public attitudes to performing animals mean he has faced criticism in recent years. The UK government has announced that a ban prohibiting the use of wild animals in circuses in Britain would come into effect in 2015. Under the terms of the draft Wild Animals in Circuses Bill, the ban will cover any creature not normally domesticated in Britain. The RSPCA said public opinion has been against the practice for some time because \"lions and tigers performing do not have a place in today's society.\" However, Mr Lacey says his tigers enjoy the highest standards of care and described the animal's time in the circus ring as \"organised play\". \"They run and jump - just as they would in the wild,\" he said. \"I believe there is a mass of support for animals in entertainment and people should have the freedom of choice - you can only watch so many jugglers before it gets a bit boring. \"We are breeding them specifically for work and are looking for intelligent animals. \"Just as some strains of Alsatian look fantastic but are a little bit thick - our animals have to be intelligent and look good as well.\" However, the closure of the Great British Circus in 2012 was welcomed by the Captive Animals Protection Society. Director Liz Tyson said: \"The door is firmly closing on the inherently cruel and unethical practice of using animals in circuses in this country.\" But, Mr Lacey said: \"We've wiped out 90% of the wild population of tigers, so the only place you are going to find these wonderful creatures is in a zoo or circus. \"The only other alternative is stuffed in a museum and I know which I'd like my great, great grandchildren to see.\" The Lacey family currently has about 80 big cats in its care, including Indian tigers and white lions. He said: \"As well as providing shade for", "summary": "Following the birth of the first tiger at London Zoo in 17 years, a former circus owner talks about his life breeding tigers in rural Lincolnshire."}
{"article": "Mr Anwar, a criminal defence solicitor, received almost 4,500 votes from students. The only female nominee, Lady Hazel Cosgrove, received the second highest number of votes at 1,400. Mr Anwar will take over from intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden who has served three years in the role. Sir Vince Cable came third on 535 votes, with right-wing journalist Milo Yiannopoulos fourth on 533. \"It's a tremendous result - a landslide victory\", Mr Anwar said. \"For me, it just encompasses the fact that students at Glasgow University do care. \"They've sent a message of unity against hatred and bigotry. They want their voices to be heard - they've fought for far too long and have been ignored.\" He added: \"They've entrusted me to be an active, working rector. \"I intend to keep all my pledges in the manifesto to fight for students, all students, to fight for the issue of mental health, to fight over rocketing rents, to fight over the issue of Brexit and to ensure that no student should suffer in silence at this university and that they get the backing and funding and support of everyone at this campus.\" First Minister Nicola Sturgeon offered her congratulations to Mr Anwar on Twitter.", "summary": "Human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar has been elected as the new rector of the University of Glasgow."}
{"article": "She poked home the opening goal from a tight angle before Jill Scott doubled City's advantage with a header. Ross completed her brace before Georgia Stanway made it 4-0 at the break. Steph Houghton's foul on Rachel Williams in the box allowed Jess Clarke to pull one back from the spot, only for Isobel Christiansen to add a fifth. After Christiansen netted with a half-volley from 25 yards, the visitors went close to another when Tessel Middag saw her chip come back off the crossbar in the last of 11 minutes of injury time. Both sides lost players to injury, as City defender Abbie McManus was stretchered off with an ankle problem and County's Fern Whelan left the field in a neck brace after a collision with Nikita Parris. The Magpies defender was quickly cleared of serious injury. Victory ensured City maintained a one-point lead at the WSL 1 summit, with Chelsea - who have played a game more than the Sky Blues - temporarily going top earlier on Sunday following a 4-0 win over bottom side Doncaster. Defeat left Notts sixth in the table with eight points from nine games. Nott County Ladies manager Rick Passmoor: \"We lost it in the first half, when you come to Meadow Lane you expect to face intensity, but we let Manchester City take the game by the scruff of the neck. \"We're disappointed and it's frustrating that the intensity we showed at the start of the second half wasn't there from the start. \"Today was not to our standard, we recognise other teams have stronger teams, but they usually have to come here and fight. Today, City didn't have to do that.\" Manchester City Women striker Jane Ross: \"We're very happy, it's always difficult to come here, but getting that early goal really settled us and we were able to go on from there. \"We performed really well in the first half, we were clinical with the chances we created and we worked on that. We went out with a game plan and executed it well.\" Notts County Ladies: Walsh; Buet, Bassett, F Whelan (Krantz 71), Turner; Moore, Potter, Crichton (Luik 78); White, Williams (A Whelan 78), Clarke. Substitutes not used: James, Hassall. Manchester City Women: Bardsley; Bronze, Houghton, McManus (Stokes 63), Campbell; Walsh, Scott, Christiansen (Middag 78); Parris, Ross, Stanway (Duggan 84). Substitutes not used: Hourihan, Corboz, Tynan, Toone. Attendance: 1,627 Referee: Rebecca Welch Match ends, Notts County Ladies 1, Manchester City Women 5. Second Half ends, Notts County Ladies 1, Manchester City Women 5. Tessel Middag (Manchester City Women) hits the bar with a right footed shot from the centre of the box. Offside, Manchester City Women. Megan Campbell tries a through ball, but Nikita Parris is caught offside. Attempt missed. Jill Scott (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Jane Ross. Foul by Tessel Middag (Manchester City Women). Jade Moore (Notts County Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Lucy Bronze (Manchester City Women) is shown the", "summary": "Jane Ross scored two first-half goals as Manchester City inflicted Notts County's heaviest defeat to stay top of the Women's Super League One table."}
{"article": "Matthew Jillard, of Bordesley Green, said he had been visited by police more than 40 times in the past 18 months, often in the middle of the night. He said police confused his house in Repton Road with a nearby address in Repton Grove. West Midlands Police said it had taken measures to stop it happening again, but Mr Jillard said they had failed. The 38-year-old labourer said in Christmas week police had mistakenly called at his house five times, disturbing the friends and family he had staying with him, including one call at 0300 GMT and one at 0500 GMT. \"I just don't know what to do. Nine out of 10 times they are really apologetic. \"When my girlfriend rang Police HQ at Lloyd House the gaffer there said he knew all about it because they had seminars about not getting it wrong. \"We used to get post for the address in Repton Grove but that has stopped after we contacted them. \"We've put up signs, we've tried to get them to change their records. Some officers have said it is their sat-nav because they're not always that accurate. \"I really don't know what more we can do.\" A police spokeswoman said: \"West Midlands Police can confirm that officers have attended an incorrect address in Repton Road on several occasions. \"Officers have been in regular contact with the occupier to apologise for the mistakes. A number of measures have been put in place to stop this from happening again.\"", "summary": "A man from Birmingham is being plagued by police calling at his house in error, due to an address mix-up."}
{"article": "Clinton's book is a memoir, but it reads like a draft \"of a potential 2016 convention speech\", according to a Wall Street Journal reporter. Regardless of the politics behind it, the memoir, which will appear on 10 June, is likely to do well. The publisher, Simon and Schuster, has printed a million copies. Here are some facts about the book. One possibility was The Scrunchie Chronicles: 112 Countries and It Is Still All About My Hair, Clinton says, according to the New York Daily News' Lisa Marsh. Clinton's struggle to come up with the right title shows that she is a conscientious writer - and has a sense of humour. Perhaps even more important Clinton is thinking about her image, says Marsh, adding that on the book cover she looks like Tina Brown - \"tanned, rested, ready and with perfect highlights\". In Clinton's case, Marsh argues, this means that she looks presidential. In a video released on Facebook, she explains what she means by hard choices, saying that everyone faces difficult choices - and challenges - in their life, such as how to find a good job and then how to keep it. In addition, she says, they face choices about education and \"whether to get married, whether to stay married\". True - but the title she rejected sounds more fun. The book is not for Washington insiders It is written for the common man - or woman, she says. \"While my views and experiences will surely be scrutinised by followers of Washington's long-running soap opera - who took what side, who opposed whom, who was up and who was down - I didn't write this book for them,\" she says, according to Politico. \"I wrote it for Americans and people everywhere who are trying to make sense of this rapidly changing world of ours,\" she writes. She says she is hoping to reach out to those \"who want to understand how leaders and nations can work together and why they sometimes collide, and how their decisions affect all our lives\". But maybe not at first. Rather than disdaining Washington insiders, as she claims, she has catered to them, at least in the early stages. An advance copy of her book was sent to a consummate insider, journalist Mike Allen, according to NPR News. On 9 June, the day before the book is available, she will do an interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer. It is the first of many interviews and appearances that are designed to promote the book and Clinton's views. That weekend she will sign books at Costco, a warehouse store and one of the nation's most important tastemakers. Part of the book is personal. In an excerpt that appears in Vogue magazine, she writes about her mother, Dorothy Rodham, who grew up poor and started working as a housekeeper at age 14. Much of the memoir, however, focuses on her work at the state department. It seems designed to appeal to potential voters, describing the work she has done in the government. She has not declared her candidacy", "summary": "In Hard Choices, Hillary Clinton is coy about her marriage and other personal matters - but forthright about the role she played in Benghazi."}
{"article": "Elgan Varney, aged 32, is accused of raping Hannah Stubbs, who was a student at Keele University. The 22-year-old committed suicide at her home in Stafford in August 2015. She was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, an inquest ruled last month. After her death, her family said Hannah \"could well be here today if things had been dealt with differently.\" Ch Supt Jon Drake of Staffordshire Police said: \"After we received the allegation of rape, specially-trained officers conducted an investigation into the incident. \"They did their best to support Hannah while the investigation progressed, but tragically, Hannah took her own life. \"Following a review by the Crown Prosecution Service, Elgan Varney of Wye Road, Newcastle, was charged with rape.\" A statement from Hannah's family said: \"Hannah's death has left a sense of loss that is impossible to put into words. \"We will remember her as a beautiful daughter who loved life, enjoyed spending time with her friends and family and was passionate about helping others. \"She is very much missed. We can and do thank all those who tried to reach out to Hannah, her family and friends and those medical professionals and individual staff at Keele University who tried to make a difference.\"", "summary": "A man has been charged with the rape of a student who killed herself while detectives investigated the alleged crime, police say."}
{"article": "After the beheading of journalist James Foley by Islamic State militants in 2014, then-President Barack Obama intensified the US campaign against the group, expanding the air war to Syria. Foley wasn't the only reason, but one of them. What then to make of President Trump's cryptic tweet after news that Otto Warmbier had passed away? The 22-year-old student returned from captivity in North Korea with severe brain damage, due to an injury that apparently occurred shortly after he was sentenced in March 2016. Amid a chorus of outrage from lawmakers and officials, Mr Trump declared that China's President Xi Jinping had failed to use his influence to rein in the pariah state. Eyebrows rose. Did this signal that the president was giving up on China and preparing for direct action against North Korea? No, he was not, according to Defence Minister James Mattis. Furious about Warmbier's fate, the president was \"expressing the frustration of the American people\", he said, with a regime that \"provokes and provokes and provokes\". In the meantime, the core strategy continues: pressing China to use its prodigious economic and diplomatic leverage to squeeze North Korea into submission on ending its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. But that's been tried for a long time, and it hasn't worked. True, Beijing is growing more concerned about the behaviour of its rogue neighbour, yet it remains loath to pursue sanctions severe enough to destabilise the regime. Warmbier's imprisonment and death have highlighted both the seriousness of the North Korea problem and the lack of good answers. \"I think we need to tighten the sanctions, I think we need to focus more on the human rights abuses, I think we need to do more in terms of putting pressure on North Korea,\" Ohio Senator Rob Portman said at the funeral. \"But we also have to have a line of communication open to this country. As barbaric as they've proven to be, that was one of our problems: we didn't have that ability to communicate.\" It was communication through a back channel dealing with American prisoners that led to Warmbier's release. North Korea experts hoped this might develop into something more. But his condition, and his death, seems to have shut that door for now. In the meantime, the State Department and Congress are considering banning Americans from travel to, or at least tourism in North Korea. None of that, though, was on the agenda at the funeral, where the town focused on celebrating the life of a popular, talented young man, rather than looking back in anger. \"Part of what made him such a vibrant life was that he was willing to go out and explore and try and find out more things,\" said family friend Gretchen Tash. \"And that's what took him to North Korea, because he was exploring what's in the world and how do I fit into it and make the world a better place.\" Warmbier's father called him a fighter, and some of his friends believe that the core of his spirit held on, until he felt", "summary": "It's no small thing when an American prisoner dies horribly."}
{"article": "20 November 2016 Last updated at 11:57 GMT Dorothea Weber hid Hedwig Bercu for 18 months during the occupation of the Channel Islands in World War Two. Hitler's forces continued to search for Ms Bercu and the pair survived on Mrs Weber's rations and by fishing at night. For her act of \"extraordinary courage\" Mrs Weber was posthumously awarded the \"Righteous Among the Nations\" by the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre.", "summary": "A woman who risked her life to save her Jewish friend from the Nazis has been honoured by the state of Israel at a ceremony in Jersey."}
{"article": "Fewer than half of the country's population has internet access and those who do can often experience slow connections. The country's premier also urged telecoms companies to cut fees, including data roaming charges. It was not revealed how much money would be invested. Besides the government investment, Premier Li Keqiang also urged telecoms companies to cut their prices and up their speeds, according to China's cabinet the State Council. He also said they should cut data roaming charges for Chinese tourists, although he acknowledged that it was ultimately for the market to decide. He did, however, announce a round of investment infrastructure improvements to the same end. \"China has more cell-phone users than any other country, but its internet service speed ranks below 80th in the world due to underdeveloped information infrastructure,\" the premier said, according to a release from the State Council. He added that \"speeding up the construction of information infrastructure will boost investment and support\" in China, as well as helping \"mass innovation\". Telecoms firms should make rapid moves to cut prices and increase urban broadband speeds by around 40%, according to Mr Li. China's investment in broadband could benefit global network equipment makers such as Ericsson and Nokia Oyj's Alcatel-Lucent, as well as home-grown players like Huawei Technologies and ZTE. Mr Li did not say how much investment would be needed, but officials have previously earmarked around 2tn yuan ($322bn, \u00c2\u00a3204bn) to improve China's broadband infrastructure by 2020. China's internet penetration rate was only 47.9% last year, with connectivity especially low in smaller cities and rural areas. This compares with about 75% of people in the United States. In the UK, 73% of households have broadband access, Ofcom said in December 2014. The Chinese cabinet's statement added that the nation would look to open up the telecoms market and encourage increased competition, including through expanding a pilot scheme for broadband services this year. \"There is still not enough competition, which has led to telecoms fees being relatively high while there is still a lot of room to improve the quality of service,\" the statement said, citing an official at China's official State Information Centre.", "summary": "China is to accelerate the development of its high-speed broadband network to raise speeds but cut prices, its State Council has said."}
{"article": "The alleged victim, now in his 40s, was under 16 when he was at Grafton Close Children's Home, during the 1980s. The man told the jury at Southwark Crown Court how Father Anthony McSweeney performed a sex act on him and then took out a camera. Fr McSweeney, 68, of Pease Pottage, West Sussex, denies abusing boys at the home in Hounslow, west London. The priest, of Old Brighton Road North, denies four counts of indecent assault, three counts of making indecent images of a child and one of taking indecent images of a child. The alleged victim told the court the incident took place in a flat at Grafton Close belonging to John Stingemore. The jury has been told that he abused boys during his time as the home's manager. He was due to be tried alongside Fr McSweeney but was found dead in his home last month. When the alleged victim was asked why he did not tell anyone at the time what had happened, he replied: \"Who would I tell? There was no-one else other than the staff. \"It would only get reported to Mr Stingemore. \"I felt a bit ashamed as well.\" The alleged victim also described how the priest fondled him over his clothes as he sat on his lap while playing video games, and offered to help him wash as he was having a bath. During cross-examination, Stephen Spence, defending Fr McSweeney, put it to the man that he was not telling the truth, which he denied. The trial, which is expected to last two weeks, was adjourned until Wednesday.", "summary": "A Roman Catholic priest took photographs of a boy after sexually abusing him, a jury has been told."}
{"article": "Marcos Rojo put Argentina ahead from Lionel Messi's free-kick and Javier Pastore made it 2-0 with a low shot. Lucas Barrios pulled one back from 20 yards, but Angel Di Maria then netted twice, slotting in from Pastore's pass and then converting a rebound. Sergio Aguero headed in a fifth and Gonzalo Higuain blasted in a sixth. It was an impressive victory from Gerardo Martino's side as La Albiceleste moved into the Copa America final for the third time in four competitions and will play Chile in Santiago on 4 July. Although he did not score, it was another influential performance from skipper Messi, who had a hand in three of the six goals. His free-kick led to Rojo opening the scoring in the 15th minute and then the four-time World Player of the Year created the second with a jinking run before setting up the impressive Pastore. Paraguay, 85th in the world rankings, had recovered from a two-goal deficit in their group game against Argentina, which ended 2-2. Barrios, who scored a last-minute equaliser in that match, netted again, just before half-time with a fine effort from 20 yards out. But there was to be no fightback this time. Early in the second half, Pastore released Di Maria who slid the ball underneath goalkeeper Justo Villar. Argentina made it four as Messi led a counter attack and set up Pastore, whose shot fell to Di Maria to finish into an open goal. Di Maria's cross was then headed in by Manchester City striker Aguero before substitute Higuain scored a stunning sixth to complete the rout.", "summary": "Argentina remain on course to win their first Copa America title since 1993 after thrashing Paraguay to set up a final against tournament hosts Chile."}
{"article": "The mandarins in Whitehall call it The Settlement - as if funds were being bestowed by some aged aunt on her poor country cousins. Of course, in the town halls they see it the other way around - business rates collected in the shires of England on behalf of the squire, who might deign to pass some back to help education or the care of the poor. This year devolution has rocketed the process into the modern world. Councils are asking for flexibility and the ability to plan ahead. So Secretary of State Greg Clark is offering a four-year deal and has loosened restrictions on the deals councils can do. Now they can behave like any modern corporate body, choosing whatever they want to invest in, borrowing money at market rates, even varying the rates of pay for their staff. By the end of the four years councils will keep 100% of business rates collected, but that grant from central government is getting a lot smaller, in many cases disappearing altogether. For some that won't matter. East Hampshire District Council is blessed with the opportunity to build new houses, especially around the former military camp of Bordon. The New Homes Bonus payments, plus income from charges and investments means it can cut council tax this year by 2%. Leader Ferris Cowper says this is a statement of intent: \"Our financial strategy is radical and unique. \"Where many councils cope with a drop in income by raising taxes or cutting services we have decided to go a different way.\" At the other extreme the Isle of Wight Council says it simply cannot provide services required by law on the settlement announced this week. Leader Jonathan Bacon, an Independent leading a ruling Independent group, welcomed Greg Clark's promise to visit the island as part of a review. \"I cannot see any way the council can set a lawful, balanced budget for 2017/18 based on the current planned funding allocations from government. The review must, therefore, be completed in the next six months for the council and the island to have a sustainable future and must result in us receiving the funding we currently lack,\" Mr Bacon said. Labour picked up on the extra money for shires, claiming 85% of additional funding was going to Conservative councils. But the claim was rejected by Hampshire leader Roy Perry. He said: \"Under the initial allocation announced just before Christmas, the Revenue Support Grant for Hampshire was just \u00a3139.80 per dwelling - a reduction of 37% on the previous year, whereas Metropolitan areas such as Barnsley were allocated \u00a3288.70 per dwelling, and Manchester \u00a3441.23. \" The Secretary of State Greg Clark is something of a smiling assassin, conducting the debate to win parliamentary approval in the face of a threatened Conservative rebellion with the easy charm of a game show host. We have the call from the banker who's found \u00a3300m pounds to buy off dissent. Deal, or no deal? The next decision councils face is whether to risk the four-year deal or continue to negotiate an annual", "summary": "The annual sharing out of cash for local services is always fraught, and never seen as fair."}
{"article": "Its assessment follows North Korea's publication of pictures showing its leader Kim Jong-un observing a missile test launch from a submarine last week. South Korea says the test is \"very serious\" but that the technology is still at an \"elementary stage\". North Korea has said it is developing nuclear war-heads. Following the the launch, Mr Kim said his country now possessed a \"world-level strategic weapon capable of striking and wiping out in any waters the hostile forces infringing upon [North Korea's] sovereignty and dignity\", state media reported. On Monday, South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok urged North Korea to stop developing the weapons. \"We judge North Korea's underwater test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile to be very serious and a matter of concern. We urge North Korea to immediately stop developing SLBMs (submarine-launched ballistic missiles), which hinder the stability of the Korean peninsula and northeast Asia.\" South Korea is taking the test launch seriously. It and the United States are contemplating installing a missile-defence shield at huge cost, but this would be ineffective if submarine-launched missiles could get under it. It's not clear if any missiles would be nuclear-tipped, though North Korea has said it is developing nuclear war-heads. The submarine test indicates that it is moving faster than previously thought in its quest for potent weapons capable of striking at very short notice. In April, a US think-tank claimed satellite pictures taken earlier this year suggest North Korea may have restarted one of its nuclear reactors. The Institute for Science and International Security says images of the Yongbyon plant show patterns of melting snow indicating new activity. Yongbyon's reactor was shut down in 2007 but was restarted in 2013.", "summary": "The South Korean government has said that North Korea could have a submarine fleet capable of launching missiles in fewer than five years."}
{"article": "The northbound accident was at 02:30 BST between junctions 11 and 12, near the Oxfordshire and Warwickshire border. Motorists were held on the road overnight. It reopened at 14:30 BST. West Midlands Ambulance Service said: \"Sadly nothing could be done to save the driver of one lorry, a man, and he was confirmed dead on scene.\" The statement added: \"A second lorry driver, a man in his 50s, was found to have sustained minor arm injuries and neck pain. \"He was given treatment by ambulance staff before being discharged on scene. \"A third patient, with minor injuries, was treated by our South Central colleagues.\"", "summary": "One man was killed and two people were injured in a crash involving three lorries and a car on the M40."}
{"article": "The route, which goes through the East Midlands, was due to be electrified but rising costs have halted the project. Jon Ashworth, Labour MP for Leicester South, said people in the region feel let down by the decision. Alberto Costa, Conservative MP for South Leicestershire, said he wanted to work with Mr Ashworth on the issue. Mr Ashworth said: \"Experts in the rail industry were warning about this back in November and it was in the Conservative Party manifesto. \"Cabinet ministers came to the Midlands to marginal seats and made these promises. \"That's why people feel let down.\" Mr Costa said he was giving Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin time to speak with professionals ready for an update on the project. He said: \"Jon [Ashworth] and I stand as one, we want to see this and I'm happy to work with him on this.\" Mr McLoughlin is due to be questioned by MPs over his decision on Monday.", "summary": "The government is under pressure to reverse its decision to pause the \u00a3500m electrification of the Midland Mainline."}
{"article": "In just one day, more than 672,000 people have read the story after seeing it on their social media accounts. The shooting at Garissa University by the Somali militant group al-Shabab left 147 people dead. One person later died from their wounds. But the story was written in April 2015. 86% of viewers saw the story on Facebook. The story has even appeared on the BBC news website under current \"most read stories\". Many people seem to think that this is a recent attack, one that happened after the Orlando shootings, and began sharing the story on social media. Readers have felt sadness and shock at what they thought was another recent tragic attack based on religious motives. Leon Sousa tweeted the story, writing: \"OMG another attack, what is going on in the world, these poor people, my thoughts and prayers with the families.\" Others criticise western media organisations for not covering the attack. Terry Mendez posted the link on Facebook, asking: \"Why isn't this in the news 147 students murdered in a Kenyan university?\" Some social media users began commenting that the story was not appearing in mainstream media because the attack took place in Africa, and the victims were predominantly black. Kevin Falkenberg wrote on Facebook: \"If these kids were gay or white you would be reading this in English and seeing it posted all across your FB\". One of the earliest mentions of Garissa can be traced to Spanish-speaking Facebook users. It's possible that articles raising issues of race were then shared which then highlighted the Garissa attack. Users began sharing an article in Spanish about the difference between the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando targeting gays, and the assault on Garissa University against Christians. They then also started to post links to an old article from when the attack happened in 2015. But many thought that the attack had taken place after the Orlando shootings. Sanis Jimenez, from the Dominican Republic, commented on Facebook in Spanish about the lack of coverage on Garissa. He posted that the attack appeared not to seem as important to people because those who died were mainly poor and black. Leonel's Lozano-Lmc in Panama echoed his remarks, writing that that black and poor people seemed less important to the world. Facebook was unable to comment on why this particular story has become so popular on its platform, as a number of factors are involved in why certain stories are shared and not others. One possible reason for a large number of shares comes from Facebook's list of trending topics. Justin Osofsky from Facebook explains that this list is a way to help people discover major events. In a blog post detailing how the feature works, he says: \"This list is personalised - meaning different people will see different trending topics depending on their location, the pages they have previously liked, feedback provided by the user and what's trending on Facebook overall\". This is not the first time the story about the assault on the university in Garissa has had a resurgence.", "summary": "Following the shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, USA, people have been sharing a BBC news story about an attack in Kenya."}
{"article": "The army agent, who was given the codename Stakeknife, has been named by the BBC as west Belfast man Fred Scappaticci. He has denied he was an agent. Northern Ireland's director of public prosecutions wants the new investigation to look at what information the army, MI5 and the Royal Ulster Constabulary's Special Branch received from Stakeknife. The families welcomed the news but said they did not want the Police Service of Northern Ireland to lead any investigation. Shauna Moreland's mother Caroline was taken from her west Belfast home and murdered by the IRA in 1994 after being accused of being an informant. Her killing came just weeks before the IRA ceasefire. She left behind three young children. Shauna described the announcement as a \"step forward\". \"I believe if she was an informant her handlers would have been able to step in and save her and if she wasn't an informant, Stakeknife's handlers would have known what was happening,\" she said. \"There was also a police report that went missing on my mummy. She was reported as a missing person, so where was that investigation?\" Ms Moreland said she wanted to know the truth about what happened to her mother. She said he wanted \"evidence one way or another whether she was or was not an informant and for the people who were involved in her murder to be held accountable\". Frank Mulhern's son Joseph was shot dead by the IRA in 1993 on suspicion of being a Special Branch informant. Mr Mulhern said he wanted the case to be investigated by an international team of detectives \"who would be totally free from any pressure from the security services here\". \"My son died a very violent death and he didn't need to die,\" he said. \"There must have been other RUC informants there who could have said where my son was being held. They may very well have even known he was going to be taken away by the IRA beforehand. \"They must have reported this to their handlers, but the handlers must have done nothing. \"I want justice for my dead son, I want the involvement of the state security forces brought to light and I want the people who covered up my son's and other murders to face the courts.\"", "summary": "Some families of IRA murder victims have been giving their reaction to the announcement that the army's most high ranking agent within the IRA is to be investigated about the murder of at least 24 people."}
{"article": "Crowds lined the route of the 24-hour torch relay which began in Stoke Mandeville on Tuesday night. The relay ran more than two hours late but reduced breaks made up time. A splinter flame was taken to the Stadium in case the delays were not overcome but the opening ceremony ran late and the flame made it on time. A late-finishing ceremony in Stoke Mandeville and the time required for multiple exchanges of the flame between team members were blamed for the timing slipping throughout the relay. Organisers Locog cut down on breaks and reduced the number of photo opportunities and a late-running opening ceremony meant the the flame was used to light the cauldron in the Olympic Stadium. Crowds gathered in the market square in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, to watch the start of the relay and thousands more turned out overnight along the route to cheer on the torchbearers. After arriving in London, the flame, which is being carried by 580 torchbearers, was taken up the steps to Britain's first traditional Hindu temple, the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir temple in Brent, where a torch was lit at about 08:30 BST. Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent, took part in a ceremony which involved pulling apart string made up of different threads and colours to \"allow\" the Paralympic torch through. He said: \"It was a very special moment. We have been waiting since 6.30am and the thrill and excitement is just fantastic. I don't think there has ever been a setting like this, for an Olympic or Paralympic flame.\" By Damon RoseBBC News The Paralympic Games are being talked-up a lot this year. Channel 4 has put a lot of marketing and production effort into bringing the Games to a wider audience than before, with over 500 hours promised to UK viewers. Important figures in sport and politics have stepped up to tell us that the Games will \"dazzle\" and \"inspire\". Seb Coe said those watching the sports would be \"blown away\". But will we all want to see TV coverage of the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi? Or the next summer Games at Rio 2016? And is there a worldwide clamour to push this recently unearthed disability agenda across the globe, or are we just feeling it more because it's our Games? The significance of London 2012 Paralympics will be in the legacy and it might take a little while before we can fully appreciate the impact of that. Read more on BBC Ouch! disability blog In Maida Vale a team of torchbearers was cheered by crowds as the flame was carried over the Abbey Road crossing, made famous by The Beatles album cover. At London Zoo in Regent's Park the flame was held aloft in the penguin enclosure by torchbearers Adam Hollick, John Craig, Fiona Forsyth, Charlie Humphrys and Aruna Mahtani. All members of the team, who were previously unemployed and have disabilities including spinal cord injury, blindness and impaired mental health, have trained and qualified as gym fitness instructors. Former boxer Michael Watson, wheelchair racer Dame Tanni Grey Thompson and Paralympic swimmer", "summary": "Thousands of people turned out to welcome the Paralympic flame as it travelled to the Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony of the Games."}
{"article": "There were also golds for James Crisp, who won his fifth European title in the S9 100m backstroke, while Ollie Hynd led home a GB one-two in the S8 400m freestyle with Josef Craig taking silver. Hannah Russell (S12 50m freestyle) and Stephanie Millward (S9 100m backstroke) added silvers to the GB medal haul. Rodgers beat her previous best of 36.01 seconds, set in 2012, with an impressive 35.90 to triumph by 2.82secs and take her third consecutive title. The 32-year-old, who missed out on a medal in the event at London 2012, is benefiting from a new butterfly technique where she uses just one arm and although most of her main rivals are from outside Europe, she was pleased with her time. \"I've been working quite hard on that one,\" she said. \"Last week was a bit of a mixed bag for me at trials so it's really nice to come out and get a good time. \"It's great to see the hard work paying off. If PBs and records happen all the time then you take it for granted but it's such an amazing feeling.\" Sheffield's Crisp, 33, who won his first European title back in 1999, used all his experience over the second 50m to finish 0.8secs ahead of Poland's Patryk Biskup with team-mate Lewis White finishing fourth at his first major championships. \"I kind of see the last 19 years as a bit of a warm-up to this year,\" he said. \"This is the year that counts and it's good to know I am there or thereabouts and fighting for the medals still. \"I have to change my training a little bit now I am in my thirties but I feel strong and fit.\" S8 400m silver medallist Craig was competing just a day after being disqualified from the S8 100m freestyle final because his tattoo breached advertising regulations. He returned to the pool on Monday with the design covered up.", "summary": "Susie Rodgers improved her own S7 50m butterfly European record to win one of three golds for Great Britain on day two of the IPC Swimming Open European Championships in Madeira."}
{"article": "Without a national uniform to wear because he was competing under the Olympic flag following Kuwait's suspension from the Rio Games, he decided to don an Arsenal shirt. Whether he knows the football club's nickname is the Gunners is doubtful. Nevertheless, the top helped him win Olympic bronze in the men's skeet. Asked why he had worn it, he replied: \"I don't know, I just bought it.\" Some didn't waste any time cracking a few jokes at Arsenal's expense. Christopher Flux suggested on Facebook that they could do with a sharp-shooter of their own, while Ash Dolan \u200ftweeted his surprise that Al-Rashidi finished third and not fourth, which has often been the side's fate in recent times. The Gunners were second to champions Leicester City in May but have finished fourth on six occasions in the last 11 seasons.", "summary": "It seemed like the ideal solution but the significance was perhaps lost on Abdullah al-Rashidi."}
{"article": "Lesley Griffiths said the risk would not fall in coming weeks, and spring wild bird migration could increase the chances of further cases. On Monday it was confirmed that a wild duck died from the disease in Conwy, following cases in south Wales. On Tuesday, Ms Griffiths told AMs that more cases were likely to be found. Public health officials have stressed that the risk to humans is \"very low\". Ms Griffiths previously announced the extension of an all-Wales avian flu prevention zone until 28 February 2017. Similar measures have been introduced in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. \"Work is in hand, with Defra and the Scottish Government, to consider what the exit strategy might be for lifting the prevention zone,\" she said in a statement. \"I cannot stress enough the need for those who keep poultry flocks and other domestic birds to remain alert for signs of the disease, to contact their private veterinarians if they have any concerns and to practice the highest levels of biosecurity,\" Ms Griffiths added.", "summary": "The risk of more cases of avian flu in poultry and other captive birds may increase in the weeks ahead, Wales' rural affairs secretary has warned."}
{"article": "Kitchen units, a hob, fridge freezer, dishwasher and sink were taken from the site in Crocketford. The theft happened at the Ottersburn development in the village some time between Friday and Tuesday. The units taken were Porter Alabaster rigid cabinets and the total value of the goods taken about \u00c2\u00a37,500. Police have asked anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the area to contact them. PC Victoria Thomson said \"Clearly this theft would have taken a bit of time and a large vehicle to remove all the units and appliances. \"We are keen to hear from anyone who may have been in the area of the Ottersburn development over the weekend to give us a call if they saw or heard anything suspicious.\"", "summary": "Thieves took everything - including the kitchen sink - in a raid on a house under construction in Dumfries and Galloway."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old was a key part of the Foxes side that won the Premier League in 2015-16, but asked to leave the club amid interest from the Blues. Chelsea have also signed defender Davide Zappacosta from Torino on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee. However, striker Fernando Llorente opted for Tottenham instead of a move to Stamford Bridge. And Everton midfielder Ross Barkley changed his mind about joining Antonio Conte's side. Leicester expect to confirm the signing of Adrien Silva, 28, from Sporting Lisbon on Friday for \u00a322m as a midfield replacement. Drinkwater played in 35 of Leicester's 38 league games in their title-winning season and formed an impressive midfield partnership with N'Golo Kante, who joined Chelsea last July. He has yet to play this season because of a thigh injury. The playmaker, who joined Leicester in 2012 from Manchester United, has won three England caps since making his international debut in March 2016. \"I'm delighted to be a Chelsea player and can't wait to get started,\" said Drinkwater. \"It has been a long journey to get here but I am very happy and am looking forward to helping the club win more trophies.\" Zappacosta has been capped four times by Italy, with Blues boss Conte handing him his first call-up to the national squad in May 2016. The 25-year-old full-back joined Torino from Atalanta in 2015 and made 29 Serie A appearances last season. \"I hope I can show my quality to the coach, my team-mates and the supporters,\" said Zappacosta. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Chelsea have signed midfielder Danny Drinkwater from Leicester City for \u00a335m."}
{"article": "Appearing at The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, she said: \"However you look at it, he is me.\" Rendell, made a peer in 1997, said she gave Wexford many of her habits as well as her hatred of corporal punishment and a memory for birthdays. She also paid tribute to the late actor George Baker who played Wexford on TV series The Ruth Rendell Mysteries. The 80-year-old, from West Lavington, Wiltshire, died of pneumonia on Friday following a recent stroke. \"Where would Wexford have been without George?\" Rendell said. The actor had \"made the popularity and the character - a lot of it was George,\" she added. \"It was a marvellous achievement as an actor to make him more and better than the author intended,\" she told the festival. The Ruth Rendell Mysteries ran for 12 series in the 1980s and 1990s on ITV. She said that, like her, Wexford liked to walk around in London, read poetry and was tolerant - \"but not of cruelty or indifference or callousness\". Rendell's latest novel, The Vault, sees Wexford come out of retirement to try to crack an unsolved crime. Speaking to the BBC, Baker's daughter, Ellie, said her father \"absolutely loved Wexford and he loved being Wexford... and he loved the whole thing. It was a joy to him.\" His third wife, Louie Ramsey, who died earlier this year, played his wife Dora in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries.", "summary": "Author Ruth Rendell has admitted that her famous creation, Ch Insp Reginald Wexford, is based on her."}
{"article": "His victory in the small West African nation's presidential poll is arguably an even bigger shock than that of fellow property mogul in the US, Donald Trump. Mr Barrow's opponent Yahya Jammeh, has ruled the country for more than two decades, but said if God willed it, his presidency could go on for \"a billion years\". Before the 51-year-old was chosen in September as the candidate to represent seven Gambian opposition parties at the election, he had spent 10 years working in property, having started his own estate agency in 2006. In the early 2000s, he lived in the UK for several years, where he reportedly worked as a security guard at the Argos catalogue store in north London, while studying for his real estate qualifications. British media have even reported that while guarding the shop on Holloway Road, he made a citizen's arrest on a shoplifter, which resulted in a six-month jail term. It was also during that period that Mr Barrow chose to support Arsenal FC, at that time his local club. Despite the uncertainty over whether the disputed election, he recently shared a picture on Twitter of him wearing the north London club's jersey and declared support for the team: \"You can change your politics, but never can you change your favourite football team! Thank you \u00e2\u20ac\u201d @Arsenal! #Gambia #Arsenal\" He was born in 1965, the same year his country gained independence from British colonial rule, in a small village near the market town of Basse in the east of the country. Throughout his campaign, he pledged support for an independent judiciary, as well as increased freedom for the media and civil society. Six things about Adama Barrow: He described his opponent as a \"soulless dictator\" and promised to undo some of Mr Jammeh's more controversial moves. \"We will take the country back to the Commonwealth and the International Criminal Court (ICC),\" he said. A devout Muslim, he also criticised the lack of a two-term limit on the presidency and condemned the jailing of political opposition figures. Speaking to the BBC three days before the election, Mr Barrow said that Gambians \"had been suffering for 22 years\" and were ready for change. He scorned the achievements of his opponent, who boasted of having brought The Gambia out of the stone age with his education and health programmes. More on President Jammeh's rule: The hospitals President Jammeh had built had \"no drugs... or quality doctors\", the schools \"no teachers, no chairs... no good educational materials\", he said. They were \"white elephant projects\". Although he became treasurer of the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) party in 2013, Mr Barrow was not a household name in The Gambia. He was described as \"little-known\" even by one of the local media outlets supporting him. In an interview with a local media, Mai Ceesay, a former female UDP youth leader, describes Mr Barrow as industrious and humble, calling him the perfect candidate: \"He is humble, kind and industrious man who breaks the deal. He is down to the earth,\" she said. In his", "summary": "Adama Barrow, a successful property developer who has never held public office, has defied the odds to score a shock victory in The Gambia's elections."}
{"article": "With 196 teams left in the competition, non-league clubs up and down the country will look to continue their journey on the road to Wembley in the third qualifying round - and they are just two wins away from a potential televised first-round match against a Football League club. From a taxi driver who once outshone Wayne Rooney to a double hat-trick scoring 37-year-old and the son of a Champions League winner, BBC Sport takes a look at some of those aiming to keep their hopes of FA Cup glory alive. As Wayne Rooney prepares for England's Euro 2016 qualifier against Estonia on Sunday, Stefan Moore, a player once regarded as highly as the Manchester United striker, will be in FA Cup third qualifying round action for Conference North side Leamington, who host local rivals Worcester City. Moore, 31, played in the Premier League for Aston Villa and also turned out for Queens Park Rangers and Leicester City, but dropped into non-league football five years ago. Also the owner of a taxi firm, it is perhaps not the life Moore envisaged when he upstaged Rooney in the 2002 FA Youth Cup final between Villa and Everton. \"You get a lot of negative articles about him being a taxi driver, but they always fail to mention that he owns the company,\" says Leamington boss Paul Holleran. \"He is an excellent pro on and off the pitch. He is someone the players look up to, he is someone the fans enjoy watching and speaking to. \"Probably the reason he dropped down the ladder as quick as he did is because he loves playing football. He didn't want to be in the reserves, he didn't want to be on the bench. He just loves to play.\" If ever there was proof that age is just a number, then Iyseden Christie's exploits in the FA Cup recently is it. The former Mansfield Town and Leyton Orient striker, who turns 38 next month, hit a double hat-trick for Halesowen Town - who play in the eighth tier of English football - in a 7-1 win against Ellistown & Ibstock United to secure his team's place in this weekend's third qualifying round. \"Everything that came my way ended up going in,\" Christie says. \"I scored with my head, left foot and right foot, so it was the perfect hat-trick, except it happened twice!\" Christie's goal-scoring feat is reminiscent of George Best grabbing six in a FA Cup fifth-round win for Manchester United against Northampton 44 years ago. \"Iyseden had scored three by half-time and when he went into the dressing room he looked at me and said 'don't take me off boss',\" says Halesowen Town manager John Hill. \"At that stage I reckon he was thinking about a double hat-trick. \"It is good because it is special for him, and it has brought some great publicity to the club. \"Every now and then people just need a reminder of how great the competition is and Iyseden scoring six goals at 37 does that.\" Media playback is not supported", "summary": "A World Cup winner, the oldest club in world football and a team named after a country are just three of the 540 sides to have exited the FA Cup since qualifying got under way in August."}
{"article": "Here are some of the most memorable quotes from the billionaire businessman and Newcastle United owner's appearance: On the growth of Sports Direct: On ending sexual harassment in the workplace: \"Simple as that fellas. Not just fellas, girls. Sorry.\" He said he would change unfair practices but added: When asked about his offer to fly MPs to the firm's headquarters in his helicopter: \"There are far too many of you. You wouldn't get very far.\" As the list of allegations were put to him: When asked about BHS: Oh, I can't resist it. 100% I wanted to buy BHS. After that revelation, he pleaded: \"Please don't ask me any more questions or else I'll get shot.\"", "summary": "Sports Direct's Mike Ashley has been grilled by MPs about the working practices at his firm after a series of allegations."}
{"article": "The signage on Anderson Street in Merkinch is part of a phase of work in the construction of the city's new flood alleviation scheme. Local resident Sarah Mackay said: \"A no entry sign is a no entry sign, you don't need nine signs to say no entry.\" The contractor involved said they were needed for the number of access points. Another resident, David McCall, said: \"Everyone can see the road's closed. \"Why do you need signs taking up the pavement?\" A spokesperson for the contractor McLaughlin and Harvey said the traffic management system was drawn up by another firm and approved by Highland Council. The spokesperson added: \"The reason there are so many signs on that section of Anderson Street is that there are a lot of access points.\"", "summary": "Eight no entry signs and an illuminated road closure sign to mark an Inverness one-way system have been described as unnecessary by people who live there."}
{"article": "Members of the RMT union will walk out for 48 hours from Sunday 7 August, 24 hours on Thursday August 11 and over the weekend of 13/14 August. The RMT is against the increased use of trains on which the driver opens and closes the doors at stations. ScotRail has said such operations are already common on the network. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: \"Recent rock-solid strikes on ScotRail have been supported by the travelling public who understand that the staff are fighting for the basic principles of rail safety. \"In spite of this, Abellio/Scotrail continue to ignore the strength of feeling amongst their staff and passengers over the extension of driver-only operation.\" ScotRail says 59% of customers already travel on a train where the doors are safely opened and closed by the driver, and insists that the job, pay and conditions of conductors are guaranteed. Phil Verster, managing director of Scotrail Alliance, has previously said: \"This industrial action by the RMT is not about safety, it's not about a second person on a train and it's not about jobs or pay and conditions. \"It is about modernisation of the railway and preparing us for a railway that Scotland can be proud of for the next 40 or 50 years.\"", "summary": "Workers on ScotRail are to stage a fresh wave of strikes in a long-running dispute over the increased use of trains without guards."}
{"article": "David Mundell argued that it was time for Holyrood to \"end its dominance\" over Scottish life. And he said Westminster was \"setting the pace\" in breaking up the \"central government monolith\". The Scottish government said it had a \"dynamic agenda of shifting power\". It also said Mr Mundell had \"no credibility\" when it came to devolution, given his opposition to amendments to the Scotland Bill. And it urged Mr Mundell to look at how Westminster was handling local authority affairs south of the border before criticising the situation in Scotland. Mr Mundell was speaking in Glasgow days after council leaders warned that Scottish finance secretary John Swinney's latest budget plans would be \"catastrophic\" for jobs and services in Scotland's local authorities. Mr Swinney has allocated \u00c2\u00a310.3bn for local government as part of his spending plans for 2016, which local government body Cosla said amounted to a \u00c2\u00a3350m cut. There is almost an iron rule of local government - when in opposition people call for more decentralisation, and when in government they tend not to decentralise as much as they claimed they would. It strikes me that in their different ways, although both parties are in government, they are playing out that kind of line. Both Mr Mundell and Mr Swinney are, in a sense, talking up what they have done that they think fits with the agenda of localism. So David Mundell, and indeed the chancellor and the government in England, are talking about devolution to local authorities. But there was no mention of the requirement, for example, that Manchester should have a mayor before it got those accumulated authorities for Greater Manchester. That is throwing aside the democratic decision of people who lived in and around Manchester when they actually voted on having a mayor a while ago. Similarly, Mr Swinney is talking about about giving the power to local authorities to \"vary\" business rates. A more accurate word would have been giving them the power to \"reduce\". If you were genuinely giving power and authority and accountability to local authorities, you would enable them to reduce and/or increase business rates. So (both governments) tend to play up what they are doing well and be quiet about these areas where centralisation and control sits at the heart of what is going on. The Scottish secretary argued that councils' concerns about the future mean it is time for an \"honest and frank\" debate about the way forward for them. His proposals would see local authorities given greater control over areas such as health, transport and policing, with towns and cities also having more say over their own affairs. Mr Mundell said: \"The interminable debate about Scotland's constitutional place within the UK has drowned out debate about how power and responsibility is distributed within Scotland. \"The referendum was decisive and an obsession with independence can no longer be an excuse to ignore this issue. It's time for Holyrood to step up and send real powers to the people. \"There is a revolution going on in local government across the rest of the United", "summary": "Scottish cities, towns and villages risk being left behind other parts of the UK unless they are given greater control over their own affairs, the Scottish secretary has claimed."}
{"article": "Kim Eacott's terrier, Scally, had \"separation anxiety\" and would bark constantly at her Hereford cottage. Angela Waring, of Crickhowell, Powys, was held jointly responsible by a judge in the noise nuisance complaint as she owned the home. She has contested the decision at London's Appeal Court, which will make a ruling at a later date. Mrs Waring paid for her daughter's cottage despite the pair having fallen out. The court heard Scally barked incessantly when Miss Eacott was not at home in 2011 and 2012, prompting neighbours Bryn and Diane Cocking to file a claim the noise was \"unreasonable in its frequency and duration\". Mrs Waring said she offered to take Scally to a \"dog whisperer\" to try to calm him down, despite not being on speaking terms with her daughter. In Worcester County Court in 2013, judge Daniel Pearce-Higgins upheld the Cockings' noise nuisance claim. Miss Eacott was ordered to pay \u00a33,500 in damages and her mother \u00a31,000. Both were hit with a \u00a331,000 legal costs bill. Mrs Waring has asked the court to rule that she was not responsible for her daughter, so should not have to pay for her failing to control Scally. Hamish MacBean, for Mrs Waring, said she had done her best to defuse the row and wrote to her daughter, telling her: \"If Scally barks when you are not there, there is a dog whisperer in Abergavenny who can cure him in a gentle way.\" The court heard their relationship was so strained Mrs Waring had been advised by police not to talk to her daughter following a harassment complaint. Catherine Doran, for the Cockings, said: \"Were it not for Mrs Waring's failure to abate the nuisance, Mr and Mrs Cocking would not have had to issue a claim at all.\" Lady Justice Arden argued Mrs Waring had \"turned a blind eye\" to the problem. The court heard Scally has since been put down. Appeal Court judges reserved their decision until an unspecified future date.", "summary": "A woman is fighting a \u00a330,000 legal bill after her daughter's yapping dog prompted legal action by neighbours."}
{"article": "The book claimed 38% of an online vote, beating rivals including How Tea Cosies Changed the World and God's Doodle: The Life and Times of the Penis. The title, written by Reginald Bakeley, gives practical advice on how to banish fairies from your home. More than 1000 people voted in the poll for the website welovethisbook.com. The Diagram Prize was set up by Bruce Robinson in 1978 to prevent boredom at the annual Frankfurt Book Fair, with Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice the inaugural winner. Diagram Prize administrator Philip Stone, charts editor for The Bookseller - welovethisbook.com's sister website - said: \"People might think it is just a bit of fun, but it spotlights an undervalued art that can make or break a work of literature. \"Books such as A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time all owe a sizeable part of their huge successes to their odd monikers.\" He added: \"The kind of niche, off-beat publications that often appear on the Diagram Prize shortlist might not make their writers or publishers rich beyond their wildest dreams, but the fact writers still passionately write such works and publishers are still willing to invest in them is a marvellous thing that deserves to be celebrated.\" Bookseller diarist Horace Bent said: \"In Goblinproofing One's Chicken Coop the public have chosen a hugely important work regarding the best way to protect one's fowl from the fairy realm's most bothersome creatures. \"Everyone knows well the hazards cats, dogs and foxes hold for owners of chickens, not to mention red mite, but the public has recognised the need to illuminate this hitherto under-reported nuisance.\" The award was accepted by the book's US editor Clint Marsh, who said: \"The Diagram Prize celebrates the playfulness that is at the heart of much of the world's best book publishing. \"Reginald and I take this as a clear sign that people have had enough of goblins in their chicken coops. Our campaign against the fairy kingdom continues.\" The other titles shortlisted for the Diagram Prize were How to Sharpen Pencils, Was Hitler Ill? and Lofts of North America: Pigeon Lofts. Previous winners include Greek Rural Postmen and Their Cancellation Numbers, Highlights in the History of Concrete, Bombproof Your Horse and last year's recipient Cooking with Poo.", "summary": "A publication named Goblinproofing One's Chicken Coop has been named as the winner of the Diagram Prize for oddest book title of the year."}
{"article": "The coin, said to date from the dawn of English Christianity, was unearthed in East Grafton by a metal detectorist. Richard Bishop, from auctioneers Spink and Sons, said the final sale price was a \"magnificent achievement\" for such a \"small but perfectly formed gold thrymsa\". Wiltshire Museum bought the coin after a fundraising campaign. It features a head motif with a Christian cross and is believed to have been struck in modern-day France. Experts believe it was in circulation just after the burial of King Raedwald at Sutton Hoo around AD 625. Only five examples of this type of coin have ever been found. Wiltshire Museum director David Dawson, said they were \"delighted\" to have bought the \"important coin\", which he said will help experts understand the importance of the Vale of Pewsey and the Kingdom of Wessex in the Saxon period. The museum had donations from all over the world, including grants from Arts Council England, Victoria and Albert Purchase Grant Fund and the Art Fund. Stephen Deuchar, director of the Art Fund, said: \"Very few coins of such quality exist... It's a wonderful addition to the museum's collection.\"", "summary": "An \"excessively rare\" Saxon gold coin that was discovered near a Wiltshire village has been sold for \u00a321,600."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old has agreed a two-year deal with the Lions, with the option of a further 12 months. Former Bury and Rotherham United wide man Worrall scored nine goals in 84 appearances during two years with the Shrimpers. \"David adds something different to the team and has good delivery,\" Millwall boss Neil Harris told the club website. Worrall is the club's first signing since their play-off final defeat by Barnsley at Wembley. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Millwall have signed David Worrall following the winger's departure from League One rivals Southend United."}
{"article": "Passengers who have booked flights on the route are currently being taken by bus to Edinburgh Airport. The airline said the decision was due to an \"ongoing review\" of its operation at Dundee Airport. The service, Dundee Airport's first non-chartered international route, was launched in May. It has been rerouted via Edinburgh since 10 November. Dundee West MP Chris Law said at the time he was optimistic that rerouting the flights was a short-term issue. A FlyBe spokeswoman said: \"Due to the ongoing review of Flybe's operation at Dundee Airport, flights to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport will continue to operate via Edinburgh Airport until further notice. \"Passengers are being contacted and advised of the arrangements put in place to facilitate their transfer between the two airports. \"Flybe sincerely apologises to customers for any inconvenience resulting from this disruption. \"The airline remains committed to working with Dundee Airport to resolve this as quickly as possible.\" The route is FlyBe's fourth under the UK government's \u00c2\u00a37m regional air connectivity fund. The airline previously announced the service would begin operating on Saturdays from November due to popular demand.", "summary": "FlyBe's new daily Dundee to Amsterdam service has been rerouted \"until further notice\", the airline has confirmed."}
{"article": "Mosaab, his wife Nada and their three children are getting used to life in Scotland. They are among hundreds of Syrian people who fled the war and have started new lives with refugee status. The BBC has agreed not to use their surnames because they fear speaking out may put their family members still in Syria at risk. Mosaab was a tiler and self-employed lorry driver in Syria. Before the war, he says life was good, living together in peace. They would take trips to the coast and go to the countryside to pick olives straight from the tree. \"I lost friends in the war, our house was destroyed and I was fleeing from place to place looking for a shelter, \" he says. \"Even when I moved to a new place seeking safety for my children, after a while they started bombing there too so I decided to leave for a new country so at least my children would not to hear the sounds of explosions. \"I and my wife were swapping shifts to take care of my children during the night in case they woke up scared from the sounds of explosions.\" The family fled to Lebanon, paying bribes to the border guards. Mosaab hired a car to work as a taxi driver there until they were offered safe passage to Scotland. They are now building new lives for themselves in Clydebank. I ask him what would have happened if he hadn't fled their home in Homs? \"We would be dead,\" he replies. He describes the difference between Syria and Clydebank as \"Hell and Paradise\". Mosaab's eldest daughter, Amal, is twelve. She has learned her first hundred words of English. It won't be long before she can join the rest of her class at her local secondary school. \"I would like to say to the Scottish people 'thank you' - and I hope we will be a good example for the Scottish people,\" she tells me. \"I am so glad to live in Scotland and meet Scottish people. I am happy because they settled us with Scottish neighbours to learn their language. \"We just miss our families and relatives because we are far away from them but the nice way in which the Scottish people have treated us fills that space in our lives.\" Scottish families in their block of flats have given the children scooters to play on. A group of women called Knit for Unity has made them hats and scarves to keep them warm. Volunteers at the Maryhill Integration Network have been helping them to settle in. Syrian, Munir Enkideh, is one of them. He is well-placed to give them advice on starting a new life here because he did the same himself three years ago. He offers them Halal meat, Syrian bread and friendship. The family have only praise for the community in Clydebank. Amal says fish and chips are delicious! Mosaab now feels they can look forward to a future: \"We hope to have safety and success and that the Scottish people accept us in", "summary": "A Syrian refugee family who arrived in Scotland before Christmas have spoken exclusively to the BBC about the suffering they fled - and thanked their new community for the warm welcome they have received."}
{"article": "Louise Kelton, 57, has been formally sworn into the post, which holds legendary status in the United States. It is the oldest federal law enforcement office in America and marshals track down some of the country's most wanted fugitives. Ms Kelton, who moved to Louisiana aged 23, is marshal for the Middle District of Tennessee. She was born on a US air force base in Wales to an American serviceman and a Welsh mother, and was brought up in the Butetown district of the capital, where her mother and brother still live. In 1978, she gave up her job as a physiotherapist and moved to Louisiana, where her father was from. She only intended to stay in the States for year but ended up studying and graduating with honours from Texas Southern University in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. She said: \"My dad was an American serviceman and I just wanted to see where he was from. \"Basically my idea was to come over here for a year and bum around and then come back home, but I ran out of money money in Nashville, so I got a job.\" Ms Kelton also holds a master's degree in Public Service Management from Cumberland University, Tennessee. She spent 33 years with the Metro Nashville police department, rising through the ranks from patrol officer through sergeant, lieutenant, captain and finally commander of the city's North Precinct before becoming deputy chief five years ago. Marshals are also charged with protecting the federal courts and their officers, transporting prisoners and serving arrest warrants. The role was most famously portrayed by John Wayne and Tommy Lee Jones in Hollywood movies such as True Grit and The Fugitive. She is only the second black woman to hold the post. Ms Kelton's mother and brother still live in the Cardiff home she grew up in. Brother, David Watkins, said: \"She's a very high achiever. I've always been proud of my sister. She's my big sister.\" Former teacher and family friend Betty Campbell said: \"She's made us feel really really proud.\"", "summary": "President Barack Obama has nominated a physiotherapist from Cardiff to become a US marshal."}
{"article": "Selkorinn Choir sang in wind and rain outside a window of the ward where Groa Petursdottir is a patient. She missed four of the group's performances in Scotland after falling ill. Staff at the hospital kept the arrangements of the hospital gig a secret from her. Patients from other wards, including the children's ward, were also able to watch the performance from their windows. The choir had to leave for home after completing its Scottish tour without Ms Petursdottir. She said of their surprise performance: \"It was very nice of them and a lovely surprise. I was very moved.\"", "summary": "An Icelandic choir has performed a surprise gig at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness where one of its members has been receiving treatment."}
{"article": "A surge in the \u00c2\u00a360 charges followed a change in government guidelines which said such absences were only permitted in \"exceptional circumstances\". But the policy was thrown into confusion in May when the High Court ruled a single holiday did not break rules on regular attendance. Now Derbyshire County Council has said only extreme cases will be fined. In the 2014/2015 school year, Derbyshire County Council handed out nearly 3,200 of the \u00c2\u00a360 per child, per week fines - the fifth highest number in the country. The High Court ruling, which is the subject of an appeal, left education authorities having to decide how to apply the existing rules and subsequently a number of court cases were abandoned. Derbyshire County Council has confirmed its \"interim arrangements\", which state if attendance is above 94% - equivalent to missing 11 or 12 days - over the previous 12 months, only a warning letter will be issued. Katherine Boulton, the council's service director for schools and learning, said: \"We strongly recommend that pupils should not be taken out of school during term time. \"But there are always exceptional circumstances and the council believes these measures are fair and proportionate.\" Craig Langman, of campaign group Parents Want A Say, said: \"This is great news. We have heard of some parents who were facing action, checking on the progress of cases against them, only to be told their child's attendance now comes within acceptable limits. \"But this is the first instance I know of where a education authority has clearly stated new guidelines. It's a great step and we encourage others to follow suit.\"", "summary": "Fines for taking children on holiday in school term time are being largely abandoned by a local authority."}
{"article": "The cuts affected power stations and public transport, including Istanbul's tram and metro systems. A crisis centre has been set up at the energy ministry. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said all possible causes are being examined, including terrorism. The cut hit at 10:36 (07:36 GMT) on Tuesday morning. Power cuts were reported in at least 40 of Turkey's 81 provinces. Traffic lights stopped working in several parts of Istanbul and Ankara during the outage, causing traffic jams, while rescue teams were called to help people trapped in lifts or stuck underground at metro stations. By Tuesday afternoon, electricity returned to parts of Istanbul. Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said about \"80% of Istanbul's electricity has been restored\" and he expected power to return to the rest of the country soon. Istanbul's transport company said all of its routes were back up and running. Turkish TV also reported that power had been re-established in the cities of Edirne, Tekirdag, Erzurum and Trabzon. \"Our main target right now is to restore the network. This is not an incident that we see frequently,\" Mr Yildiz told Turkish media. Turkey suffers from sporadic electricity cuts but locals say they cannot remember such a nationwide cut for a generation, reports the BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul. One of the few cities unaffected by the power cut was Van in the east of the country, where electricity is supplied from Iran.", "summary": "A massive power cut has hit dozens of provinces across Turkey, with officials saying a break in connections with mainland Europe could be to blame."}
{"article": "Steven MacLean's second half finish deservedly earned three points and means the visitors leapfrog Motherwell, who lost to Aberdeen. \"It's a 38 game league,\" Wright told BBC Scotland. \"We try and prepare them for the whole season and the last few seasons we've tended to finish strong.\" Saints have won both matches since the Premiership split in half for the final run in and visit Motherwell next weekend. \"Last season after the spilt we were unbeaten and that's difficult to do as you're playing against the sides that have been at the right end of the table all season,\" added Wright. Media playback is not supported on this device \"We have a tough game coming up against Motherwell but we're in a nice position at the minute with three games to go. \"We knew it would take a good performance coming up here, particularly with the result Ross County got last week at Celtic \"Throughout the 90 minutes we controlled quite a huge chunk of that and never looked in any real danger. \"We passed the ball well, defended well, got the goal at the right time and had not too many problems to deal with so I'm a happy manager.\" The only disappointment for Wright was another injury to Chris Millar who had to be replaced before half-time after suffering a calf injury. \"Chris has a problem,\" explained Wright. \"It's not the problem that's hampered him this season, it's a calf problem as well. \"It doesn't look too serious so hopefully he'll get back for a couple of the games we've got left.\" Ross County manager Jim McIntyre saw his hopes of finishing fourth severely dented and was in no mood to gloss over an abject performance from his side. \"We were really poor,\" he said. \"I would put that up there as the poorest performance this season. \"It looked as if we had nothing to play for. St Johnstone looked as thought they wanted it more. \"It was a scrappy goal to lose the match but the best team won. \"For the first time this season we didn't have a period in the game where you thought 'we're going to get a goal here'. \"We just had most of the players off the pace of the game, it's as simple as that. We didn't start well and we didn't recover from that. \"We've got professional pride and placing money to play for and that's still achievable but it's going to take a hell of a lot better performance than what we saw today.\"", "summary": "Manager Tommy Wright is sure St Johnstone can hang on to fourth place in the Premiership after picking up a 1-0 win at Ross County."}
{"article": "McIlroy and US Open runner-up Shane Lowry opted not to compete for Ireland due to fears over the Zika virus, which has links to defects in newborn babies. \"The shame for Rory is I really think he would have benefited from being around other athletes,\" McGinley said. With Graeme McDowell also absent, Padraig Harrington and world number 291 Seamus Power will represent Ireland. Three-time major winner Harrington, 44, and wife Caroline, who have two children, plan to watch as many other sports as possible in Rio after the golf tournament is over. \"It's really good for the heart and the soul to be involved with so many other athletes where it's the most important thing in their game,\" said McGinley, who captained Europe to Ryder Cup victory over the United States at Gleneagles in 2014. \"I think Padraig is going to come back a better person for it and the Irish team are going to benefit a lot from having Padraig around. \"The Olympics will really stand them in good stead when they come away and back into the golfing environment again, having experienced other sports and seeing how other people approach it and also bouncing ideas off trainers and all kinds of experts who are going to be down there. \"To be part of the biggest sporting event in the world is an opportunity that I'm certainly looking forward to.\" World number four McIlroy 27, has spoken about his desire to start a family in the near future, saying: \"My health and my family's health comes before everything else. \"Even though the risk of infection from the Zika virus is considered low, it is a risk nonetheless and a risk I am unwilling to take.\" Golf is returning to the Olympics after a 112-year absence but three of the world's top four players - Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and McIlroy - plus major winners including Adam Scott and Louis Oosthuizen have chosen not to play. The Olympics take place from 5 to 21 August. We've launched a new BBC Sport newsletter, bringing all the best stories, features and video right to your inbox. You can sign up here.", "summary": "Ireland's Olympic golf captain Paul McGinley says Rory McIlroy could have learned from playing in the Rio Games."}
{"article": "His side won the Championship title on a dramatic final day of the season. Watford's draw against Sheffield Wednesday and Bournemouth's 3-0 win over Charlton saw the Cherries claim top spot and confirm promotion. \"I do think we deserve it,\" said Howe. \"In my opinion we have been the best team this season and led the division for the longest time.\" He continued: \"It's fitting reward for the players - once again they were magnificent. We've consistently been the best team. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I'm delighted the players can call themselves champions and we leave here on a real high and it's fully justified.\" Watford led the league by a point going into Saturday's final round of fixtures but Atdhe Nuhiu's late equaliser denied them three points and the Cherries took advantage at The Valley. With promotion all but sealed heading into the game, two goals from Matt Ritchie and one for Harry Arter earned the victory that earned the title. \"It's a fantastic feeling and not something we expected turning up here today,\" added Howe. \"We wanted to do our job and be professional and take care of things. \"We were hopeful of a favour from Sheffield Wednesday and I did feel that was going to be a difficult game for Watford. When we played them very recently they never gave up that day. We are thankful for that bit of help.\" Howe's side will now celebrate their historic promotion, and contemplate a first season in the top flight of English football, with a bus parade on Monday. Bournemouth's 37-year-old manager will then turn his focus to next season's Premier League campaign, and he says the majority of his side will be given a chance to prove themselves in the top flight next term. \"You can see from my track record with these guys that the guys that have performed so well will get an opportunity to perform,\" he said. \"I don't believe in wholesale changes in the close season. I don't believe in not giving the players a chance to show whether they are good enough. \"Ultimately they have to take that opportunity. We stuck with the majority of the squad from League One to the Championship. There will be subtle changes, there will be players coming in, there will be players leaving, but the core group will remain the same.\"", "summary": "Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe says his side fully deserve to end the season as second-tier champions."}
{"article": "The All Party Parliamentary Group on Hunger warns too many children have to survive on crisps and energy drinks when school kitchens are closed. One group had to drop out of a summer football scheme because they had not eaten a meal in days, its report says. The Department for Work and Pensions says it is committed to tackling child poverty and disadvantage. According to the report, children at risk of holiday hunger include an estimated: For both groups, school holidays place extra burdens on family budgets in terms of food, fuel, activities and childcare. The report says this is sometimes \"compounded\" by a shortage of skills to cook and shop on a budget. It claims the loss of free school meals adds between \u00a330 and \u00a340 per week to parents' outgoings for one child. The Family and Childcare Trust told the inquiry that three out of four local authorities do not have enough childcare in the school holidays. Parents working on zero-hours contracts were said to be particularly vulnerable to the higher costs of childcare. Evidence during the two-month long inquiry to the group, included children reported to have vomited from lack of food, while others were being fed flavoured water or cereal as their parents could not afford proper meals for them. Referring to the group which had to drop out of playing football, the report says: \"Their bodies simply gave up on them,\" says the report. Too many children return to school malnourished, sluggish and dreary, says the report. They are often weeks or months intellectually behind their better-off classmates who have a more wholesome diet during the holidays, it adds. It urges the government to set aside 10% of the tax on sugary drinks, due to start next year, to allocate \u00a3100,000 to every council to fund schemes to ensure that children are properly fed during the school holidays. It claims the cost of providing free meals and activities during holidays can be \u00a31.50 per child per day. The report urges ministers to impose a statutory requirement on local authorities to run schemes delivering \"free meals and fun\" for children during school holidays, with voluntary groups \"in the driving seat wherever possible\". In the \"fifth richest country in the world, too many children are stalked by hunger,\" said committee chairman Frank Field in his foreword, describing the evidence as \"staggering\". While highlighting examples of those tackling the problem, he said \"abolishing hunger during school holidays is beyond the ability of individual community groups and volunteers alone\". Dr Philippa Whitford, a vice chair of the group, said that losing access to free school meals during the holidays could \"simply be the final straw which overwhelms some families' ability to keep their children fed and, particularly, nourished\". \"Hidden hunger does not just result in underweight children... those who are eating a stodgy low-protein diet, with no fresh fruit or vegetables, can end up both obese and yet malnourished,\" she said. In its response to the report, the Department for Work and Pensions also said the employment rate was the joint", "summary": "Going hungry in the school holidays is a growing problem for up to three million UK children, MPs and peers say."}
{"article": "Abdul Hafidah was stabbed after he was hit by a car at about 17:15 BST on Thursday. He died later in hospital from a stab wound to the neck. Police believe he had been chased by a group of men near Greenheys Lane before being hit by the blue Vauxhall Corsa on Moss Lane East and then stabbed. A 19-year-old man is being questioned, Greater Manchester Police said. Two other people have been arrested in connection with Mr Hafidah's death. A 19-year-old man from Moss Side , who was arrested on suspicion of murder on Sunday after handing himself in at Longsight police station, remains in custody for questioning. A 17-year-old boy earlier arrested on suspicion of attempted murder has been bailed pending further inquiries. Officers are appealing for anyone with dash-cam or mobile phone footage of the incident to pass it on to them via dropbox or by calling at their local police station.", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering an 18-year-old man in the Moss Side area of Manchester."}
{"article": "This one-street market town, sitting on the border of the Kavre and Sindhupalchok districts towards the border with Tibet, was packed full of Saturday shoppers when the quake hit. Now it is quiet. Birds sing, villagers try to move rubble with their hands and, overhead, the hum of high-flying aid helicopters punctuates the air. \"They are flying in the sky, but no-one has come up to now,\" says Prakash Bhandari, who works as a waiter in Kathmandu but returned to see if he could help his home village. \"We are suffering. What to do?\" he asks. Despite having one of the largest casualty figures from Saturday's earthquake, this area has received little or no aid. Villagers say they need tents and food, and that they are worried about disease. They dug up the bodies of the people they knew with their bare hands. But Saturday was a busy shopping day and they think that there are many more people under the rubble that they do not know. \"We will die if there's no help from the government and other organisations,\" says Dhan Bahadur Shresthra who used to run the local pharmacy and was helping patients when the quake struck. \"I worked as a medic in the army for 25 years so I know that if we don't have clean water or food to eat, then there could be an epidemic,\" he says. Further up the hill, villagers have taken matters into their own hands. In a hamlet that is now nothing more than mounds of red earth and wood, 22-year-old Anjali Majhi has hired an excavator to search for the body of her two-year-old daughter. Just before the quake hit, Ms Majhi had shouted at her daughter for bothering her and had sent her off to play with neighbours. Now she says she will not rest until she can give her a proper funeral. \"We've found all the adults who died here and we've given them the last rites. I hope I can do the same for my daughter, otherwise I'll never forgive myself,\" she says. But Ms Majhi is not sure whether she will find her child. The owner of the excavator did not charge her to hire it, but he did make her pay for the fuel. It is running out now and she cannot afford to buy another tank. A few hundred metres away, across terraces of corn, men who have shaved their heads in mourning carry two bodies, shrouded in white, down to the river for cremation. These were found earlier in the day after another group of villagers hired the excavator for a few hours. It is the only help this area has seen since the quake ripped their lives apart. Then, out of nowhere, a bus arrives carrying dozens of Nepali volunteers. They are followers of the self-styled guru Master Godangel who stands at the roadside in robes of white and garlands of flowers and promises to help with food and shelter. \"I feel really upset about this government, I feel really, really upset,\" he says.", "summary": "There is little left in Deupur Sipaghat Kavre other than mounds of splintered wood and shattered bricks."}
{"article": "Burke became the most expensive Scottish player ever when moving to Germany from Nottingham Forest for \u00a313m last month. The 19-year-old winger came on for his Leipzig debut with 21 minutes left. He set up a great chance that Timo Werner missed moments before crossing for fellow substitute Keita to score. Leipzig are fifth and Dortmund eighth in the early Bundesliga table, with most teams having played twice. Match ends, RB Leipzig 1, Borussia Dortmund 0. Second Half ends, RB Leipzig 1, Borussia Dortmund 0. Corner, Borussia Dortmund. Conceded by Marvin Compper. Attempt blocked. Adri\u00e1n Ramos (Borussia Dortmund) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Andr\u00e9 Sch\u00fcrrle. Corner, RB Leipzig. Conceded by Marc Bartra. Attempt blocked. Andr\u00e9 Sch\u00fcrrle (Borussia Dortmund) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Corner, Borussia Dortmund. Conceded by Willi Orban. Goal! RB Leipzig 1, Borussia Dortmund 0. Naby Keita (RB Leipzig) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Oliver Burke. Hand ball by Adri\u00e1n Ramos (Borussia Dortmund). Substitution, Borussia Dortmund. Adri\u00e1n Ramos replaces Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Substitution, RB Leipzig. Naby Keita replaces Dominik Kaiser. Andr\u00e9 Sch\u00fcrrle (Borussia Dortmund) hits the bar with a left footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Lukasz Piszczek. Foul by Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 (Borussia Dortmund). Marcel Halstenberg (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Offside, RB Leipzig. Diego Demme tries a through ball, but Emil Forsberg is caught offside. Attempt blocked. Marcel Halstenberg (RB Leipzig) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Dominik Kaiser with a cross. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Marvin Compper (RB Leipzig) because of an injury. Corner, RB Leipzig. Conceded by Roman B\u00fcrki. Attempt saved. Timo Werner (RB Leipzig) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Oliver Burke. Attempt missed. Timo Werner (RB Leipzig) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right. Andr\u00e9 Sch\u00fcrrle (Borussia Dortmund) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Diego Demme (RB Leipzig). Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 (Borussia Dortmund) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Diego Demme (RB Leipzig). Offside, Borussia Dortmund. Lukasz Piszczek tries a through ball, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is caught offside. Substitution, Borussia Dortmund. Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 replaces Gonzalo Castro. Substitution, Borussia Dortmund. Raphael Guerreiro replaces Mario G\u00f6tze. Corner, RB Leipzig. Conceded by Lukasz Piszczek. Attempt blocked. Timo Werner (RB Leipzig) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Dominik Kaiser. Substitution, RB Leipzig. Oliver Burke replaces Yussuf Poulsen. Substitution, RB Leipzig. Emil Forsberg replaces Marcel Sabitzer. Attempt missed. Marvin Compper (RB Leipzig) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Dominik Kaiser following a set piece situation. Marc Bartra (Borussia Dortmund) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Marc Bartra (Borussia Dortmund). Yussuf Poulsen (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick on the right wing. Attempt", "summary": "Scotland's Oliver Burke marked his RB Leipzig debut by setting up a late goal for Naby Keita to secure a 1-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga."}
{"article": "About 110 boats, including civilian vessels, took part in the search for Paul Ormsby and Ciar\u00e1n Smith. The co-ordinated search took place along the Irish west coast on Saturday. Both men have been missing since Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 crashed off on 14 March. Four people were on board the helicopter when it came down off the County Mayo coast. Capt Dara Fitzpatrick died after she was rescued from the sea hours after the crash. The body of her co-pilot, Capt Mark Duffy, was later recovered from the wreckage. Last Sunday, the wreckage of the helicopter was lifted from where it crashed near Blackrock Island but the two missing crew members were not found. Saturday's search involved the Irish Coast Guard, RNLI, Irish Air Corps, Irish Naval Service and Irish Civil Defence, along with more than 80 civilian boats. However, the extensive search, which stretched over hundreds of square miles from County Donegal to County Mayo, failed to find any sign of the two men. Inshore boats worked close to the coastline and larger vessels further out to sea. Helicopters searched from the air while a shoreline effort was assisted by search and rescue volunteers from across the Republic and Northern Ireland. Search teams from Counties Down, Wicklow, Dublin, Donegal, Claire and Tipperary were among those who took part. The search came days after an appeal from a sister of Ciar\u00e1n Smith for help from fishermen and coastal communities in searching for the men. Speaking after the search, Orla Smith said the support show by the fishing communities had given the families renewed hope and that there were no words to thank those involved in the search. An investigation into what happened to the helicopter is continuing. The Air Accident Investigation Unit has said there was no indication of any mechanical problems in the seconds before the impact. It is thought the inquiry into the cause of the crash on 14 March will now focus on operational issues.", "summary": "A major sea search described as one of the biggest in Irish state history has failed to locate two Irish Coast Guard crew members missing since a helicopter crash."}
{"article": "We are not talking about some Hollywood A-lister or pop-chart diva going on holiday. We are not even referring to Team GB's track and field stars. Britain's equine athletes helped win five medals at London 2012 but a 5,700-mile journey to Rio makes beating that tally a little trickier. Does a horse get jet lag? Travel sickness? Plans for this trip began as early as 2013, with everything from in-flight bacteria to leg room considered. In all, there will be more than 300 horses competing in Rio, with some 200 of them travelling from hubs in Stansted, Liege and Miami. So how hard is it to get a horse to Rio? Imagine walking up to check-in and dropping six tonnes of food on the conveyer belt. The excess fee alone would be big enough to count as carry-on luggage. But these superstar horses do not travel light. Each horse has an individual limit for the flight which includes its own weight plus items such as water buckets, tack bags and rugs. As well as all that food, there's nearly 10 tonnes of equipment and several tonnes of haylage (normal hay with a higher moisture content) for the flight. There will be 34 horses on board when the first flight leaves Stansted on 30 July, with a combined weight of more than 17 tonnes and a combined value running into millions of pounds. An animal weighing 515kg (81st) probably did not get its photos done in a booth at the post office, but at that sort of value, you can rest assured they each have a passport detailing health history and every mark on their body. Passport stamped? Time to board. If you get fed up waiting in line to board, spare a thought for these horses, for whom the process can take between two and four hours. Why so long? Because this is the crucial part. A \"nervy\" time, according to Yogi Breisner, eventing performance manager for Team GB. Horses are loaded into stalls on the ground and then levered up into the plane. It's not uncommon for them to get spooked and any bumps or scrapes are most likely to happen now. After four years of work, much is on the line. Each stall is designed to accommodate three horses but it's important these Olympians travel in the equine equivalent of business class so Team GB horses fly two to a stall. Some travellers might prefer the space entirely to themselves but the horses are generally happier in pairs, according to British Eventing team vet Liz Brown. \"You get some that are very anxious travellers while some really attach to the horse they are with,\" she said. \"We wouldn't put two anxious horses next to one another.\" And according to the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, the seating (or standing) plan will also ensure stallions are at the front of the plane away from the mares. The horses will stand for the duration of the 12-hour flight. But it may be more restful than the average ride in a horsebox over", "summary": "They need a lot of luggage, plenty of in-flight attention and like many long-haul travellers, a good companion by their side."}
{"article": "Gordon Henderson, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, received 30% burns to his body and spent 10 days in intensive care after the accident on 26 July. \"I can remember vividly. It really was terrifying,\" said the Conservative MP. \"I hope it teaches everybody else a very valuable lesson. Do not ever use petrol on a bonfire.\" More news from Kent Mr Henderson said he had recently built a brick container for bonfires in his garden at Eastchurch, Kent. \"I built the bonfire and I put the petrol on it but I hadn't taken into account the build-up of fumes,\" he said. \"When it went up it was like a bomb exploding in my face because there was a three-sided container and all the force came to me. \"My hair caught light but with the rest of me it was the heat that caused the burns.\" Mr Henderson's wife Louise cooled him down with a garden hose and took him Sheppey Community Hospital. An air ambulance was then called to fly him to Tunbridge Wells Hospital, from where he was taken to the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead. \"I realised then that if they were taking me to East Grinstead, which is a fantastic burns hospital, that it was something really serious,\" he said. Kent Fire and Rescue Service said it urged people not to use petrol to light bonfires or barbecues. \"Use firelighters or rolled-up newspaper and wood but please don't put flammable liquids on bonfires,\" said community safety spokesman Charlie Smith. \"The burns that can result from these fires can be really nasty and they can take a long time to heal.\"", "summary": "An MP has said he is still suffering flashbacks after a bonfire he doused with petrol to set it alight exploded in his face."}
{"article": "The minor injuries unit at Tenby Cottage Hospital was closed as part of a shake-up of health services back in 2013 leading to public demonstrations. Hywel Dda University Health Board hopes the new nurse-led walk-in service will open in July. The board said the unit would provide \"convenient access\" for residents. St John Ambulance Service will provide treatment for minor injuries over the Easter period.", "summary": "Plans to open a new minor injuries unit in Pembrokeshire have got a step closer - four years after protests against the closure of the previous one."}
{"article": "He told the BBC's Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg that it was the \"very worst time\" for Britain to take such an \"enormous economic gamble\". But ex-Conservative leader Michael Howard said the UK should have the \"self-belief\" to go its own way. He said the EU was \"outdated, flawed and failing\" and an Out vote would force its leaders to think again. The prime minister's official spokesman said Mr Cameron had \"huge respect for Michael Howard but on this issue they disagree\". The UK will hold a referendum on on 23 June on whether to retain its EU membership or to leave. Lord Howard, who led the Tories between 2003 and 2005, when he was a close political ally and mentor of Mr Osborne and Mr Cameron, said it was not the PM's fault he had not been able to secure \"fundamental and far-reaching reform\" of the EU. He blamed EU leaders for imposing a \"rigid straitjacket of uniformity\" across the continent. He told Radio 4's Today programme that, as the world's fifth largest economy, the UK would prosper outside the European Union, arguing that \"the Germans would still want to carry on selling us their BMWs and the French would still want to carry on selling us their wine\". \"So it is in everyone's interest to want to have an agreement that allows each of us to have access to each other's markets.\" Michael Howard was never the most popular politician with the public, but many of his party's grassroots felt he shared their views when he was home secretary. His catchphrase was \"prison works\". And perhaps more importantly, they still feel a debt of gratitude for his willingness to take over his party's leadership just after the Conservatives had fallen to a new nadir in the polls under Iain Duncan Smith. So they will give him a hearing. If a local Conservative association member is wavering over whether to vote to leave the EU, it will undoubtedly be reassuring to them that they don't have to - in David Cameron's words - \"link arms with Nigel Farage\". Instead, they can now grasp the extended hand of friendship from their former leader. Read more from Iain Lord Howard rejected suggestions that negotiating a trade-based relationship with the EU, similar to that which Norway and Switzerland have, would leave the UK with the \"worst of all worlds\" - with reduced access to the single market but still bound by a lot of EU rules and regulations. \"Norway is a country of five million people. We are a country of 65 million people. We won't have Norwegian-style agreement with the EU, we will have a British style agreement. \"We need a bit of self-belief and national self confidence. We are a great country - everyone wants access to our market. We won't be supplicants.\" If the UK voted to leave, he suggested it could force EU leaders into negotiating a \"different\" kind of agreement with the UK, which could then be put to voters in a second referendum - a sequence of events that", "summary": "Chancellor George Osborne has said if Britain voted to leave the EU it would cause a profound economic shock."}
{"article": "She met senior figures from the agricultural and food industries at the Royal Welsh Show near Builth Wells. Ms Griffiths said she had seen a \"real readiness to work together\". With farming fully devolved, Ms Griffiths said it was a chance to create policies and regulations \"tailor-made for Wales' unique needs\". She told BBC Wales she wanted to hear about the best of EU regulations but she was aware of concern among farmers who voted for Britain to leave over \"red tape\". Ms Griffiths held a meeting with representatives of Wales' rural affairs and environment sector to discuss the implications of Britain's impending withdrawal from the EU at the show on Monday. Speaking before the meeting, she said: \"I can't see how there wouldn't be a subsidy scheme, so while it's very uncertain, there are things that will have to happen.\" Country Land & Business Association Cymru chairman, David Wynne-Finch, said the rural economy could thrive outside the EU \"but only if our specific needs and opportunities are addressed in all aspects of planning and implementation of Brexit\". Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood said \"we need to ensure that the level of support afforded to Welsh farmers in direct payments is at least as much after we leave the EU as it is now\". Under the current EU Common Agricultural Policy, Wales receives approximately \u00a3250m per year in direct payments to farmers in addition to more that \u00a3500m between 2014-2020 to run a rural development programme. Ms Griffiths said she wanted to use Royal Welsh Show to reassure the industry and said it was an opportunity to \"forge a new, distinct path for Wales' farming food and environmental sectors\". She added: \"At the moment we're still in the EU, all the regulations and the funding are there, and we will ensure that we get that funding out as quickly as possible.\" She said First Minister Carwyn Jones had already given her his assurance he would seek guarantees from the UK Government that Wales will not be financially worse off as a result of the UK leaving the EU. \"I believe the long term prospects for Welsh agriculture remain strong and I am committed to using this week to listen to the industry and ensure these views and ideas form the basis of our negotiations with the UK government over the terms of the UK's withdrawal from the EU,\" Ms Griffiths added. The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society's President for 2016, Richard Jones, said this year's show was taking place at a time of unprecedented uncertainty for rural Wales. \"We don't know where this will lead us - hopefully to a better place,\" he said.", "summary": "Brexit gives the chance for a \"made-in-Wales\" approach to farming in the future, Rural Affairs Secretary Lesley Griffiths has said."}
{"article": "The demonstrators expressed their anger over the handling of the case by President Enrique Pena Nieto. The president's popularity rating has dropped to its lowest point since he took office two years ago. The students disappeared after clashing with police in the town of Iguala on 26 September. The case has shocked Mexicans as allegations of police collusion with drug gangs surfaced during the investigation into their disappearance. In October, Mexico's attorney general ordered the arrest of Iguala Mayor Jose Luis Abarca. Many of the protesters carried placards calling for the president to step down, says the BBC's Will Grant in Mexico City. In Guerrero state, where the students disappeared, they set cars on fire and smashed windows, our correspondent adds. On Monday, President Pena Nieto submitted a package of ten reforms aimed at tackling the crisis to Congress for debate. Some of the more controversial proposals include replacing all 1,800 municipal police forces with state-level units. The president also wants extra powers to shut down local governments considered to have been \"infiltrated\" by drug cartels. Mr Pena Nieto has announced he will travel to Iguala later this week. He has not visited the town since the students went missing. The students had travelled from a teacher training college in Ayotzinapa to the town of Iguala in Guerrero state to protest against what they say are discriminatory hiring practices for teachers which favour urban students over rural ones. Police opened fire on the students, who were in buses travelling back from Iguala to their college. Three of them were killed and three more people in nearby vehicles also died. A busload of the students attempted to flee but were chased by municipal officers who then took them to the local police station. Some of the officers, who have since been arrested, told investigators they then handed the students over to a local drug gang called Guerreros Unidos (United Warriors). The leader of the gang, who has also been detained, said that he had been told by one of his men that the 43 were members of a rival gang. He then reportedly ordered that they be \"made to disappear\". Members of the gang have told investigators they killed the students and burned their bodies at a rubbish dump. Remains found at the site have been sent for testing to a laboratory in Austria. 26 Sept: Students from a teacher training college in Ayotzinapa travel to Iguala to protest and raise funds Night of 26 Sept: Police stop the students, 6 people are shot dead, 43 students disappear 30 Sept: Iguala mayor Jose Luis Abarca asks for leave from his post, which is granted 4 Oct: Mass graves are found near Iguala containing 28 bodies 19 Oct: Federal police are deployed to Iguala and replace the municipal force 22 Oct: Mexico's prosecutor general says an arrest warrant has been issued for Mr Abarca, his wife and the town's police chief 23 Oct: Guerrero state governor Angel Aguirre resigns 29 Oct: President Enrique Pena Nieto meets the relatives of the missing students and promises", "summary": "Protesters in Mexico clashed with police following a largely peaceful rally in support of 43 students who went missing in September."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old joined Saints from Huddersfield Giants in 2013 and was contracted until the end of 2017. Former Castleford back Dawson, who operates mainly at winger or centre, scored 16 times in 70 outings. \"Matty is at a time in his career when he needs to be playing regularly,\" said Saints chief executive Mike Rush. \"Therefore when the opportunity for him to move to Leigh came up it made sense for the both player and the club to agree to the transfer.\"", "summary": "Championship winners Leigh Centurions have signed St Helens utility back Matty Dawson for a five-figure transfer fee on a two-and-a-half-year deal."}
{"article": "Matthew Taylor, a former adviser to Tony Blair, said it was \"fair\" that self-employed people paid more tax. But there still needed to be a \"small differential\" as there were differences in rights over issues such as pensions and parental leave. That would rule out further National Insurance rises for the self-employed. Mr Taylor also said it was likely there would be reform of employment laws to change the way companies such as Deliveroo and Uber, which use self-employed workers, operate. What the Budget means for you At a glance - Budget key points Think tank backs National Insurance rise \"Tax rises are never popular, but as tax rises go, this is pretty fair,\" Mr Taylor told me. \"It's economically rational and it strengthens the long term resilience of the tax base. \"So if you are going to raise taxes, it is a pretty good way to do it.\" \"The government has left a small differential so that employed people will pay 12% of their salary in National Insurance, self-employed 11%,\" said Mr Taylor, who is also the chief executive of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. \"That recognises that there is still [a] small difference in entitlements - that seems to be pretty fair - I don't think there needs to be more reform in that area.\" The Chancellor is facing controversy after he announced that the National Insurance rate for the self-employed would increase by 1% next year and 1% in 2019. That will raise about \u00c2\u00a32bn more for the government by 2022. The move has been attacked for penalising entrepreneurs who have set up their own businesses. But Mr Taylor said it was right that the self-employed chose that route because it gave them autonomy rather than tax advantages. He also said that the self-employed would be helped by the abolition of what is called National Insurance Contributions 2, which was announced in 2016. \"Self-employment is great and most people who choose it, choose it because it gives them flexibility - not because it gives them tax benefits,\" he said. \"There is an outdated element to our system - which is where people who are self-employed pay lower national insurance contributions because they get fewer benefits,\" he said. \"But last year the government said that self-employed people would get access to pensions and yesterday the Chancellor said they would get access to paid parental leave. \"That means there is virtually no difference in the entitlements that employed people have and self-employed people have. \"This gap [in tax] is no longer rational; it no longer serves a purpose.\" Mr Taylor said he understood why the government had not tackled firms who have been criticised for gaining a tax advantage by using self-employed people. Companies that use self-employed workers, such as Deliveroo and Uber, do not pay National Insurance contributions for their employees or pension contributions. Mr Taylor said it was likely that there would have to be reform. \"Over the medium to long term we shouldn't be taxing employment, we should be taxing labour,\" he", "summary": "The man reviewing the new world of work for Number 10 has told the BBC that controversial tax increases for the self-employed go far enough."}
{"article": "Vidot, 26, joined Salford in November 2015 and the Samoa international scored six tries in 10 games during an injury-affected season. The former Brisbane three-quarter also had a trial with World Wrestling Entertainment in 2015. \"We understand that family is hugely important,\" head coach Ian Watson said. \"Daniel provides a lot for his loved ones, and we were never going to stand in his way when he said he wanted to go back.\" Vidot added: \"I've really enjoyed my time here, it wasn't an easy season with injuries but I really gave it my best shot. \"It's a decision made purely for my own reasons and has nothing to do with anyone at the club.\"", "summary": "Salford Red Devils have released winger Daniel Vidot to return to Australia, with National Rugby League side Gold Coast Titans reportedly keen."}
{"article": "Launching their local election campaign, Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies said he wanted \"decisions taken as close as possible\" to communities. The Conservatives currently run Monmouthshire with Lib Dem support. Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said the row over a UKIP AM joining the Tory group was not being raised by voters. The campaign launch took place on Thursday in Dinas Powys, in the key Conservative target of the Vale of Glamorgan, currently run by Labour as the largest party. The Tories hope to benefit from consistently high opinion poll ratings for Prime Minister Theresa May. But Mr Davies has been at the centre of a furious row, after announcing the defection of AM Mark Reckless from UKIP to the Conservative assembly group despite Mr Reckless not being a Tory party member. Mr Reckless's previous defection as an MP from the Tories overshadowed the UK party's last conference before the 2015 general election. Senior party figures agree there is little to no prospect of him becoming a Conservative Party member anytime soon. Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said the row over Mr Reckless was not being raised by voters on the doorstep. \"Potholes are more important than personalities,\" he told BBC Wales. Mr Cairns added that the relationship between the UK Government and Mr Davies was \"positive and professional\", despite reports that senior figures disagreed with his welcoming of the former UKIP AM. At the campaign launch, Mr Davies said councils should be more open to the people they served. \"Time and time again, whether it be the planning system, whether it be exorbitant council tax increases that people have had to face, they believe that Labour-run councils - along with Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats - haven't been listening to them,\" he told BBC Wales. \"Welsh Conservatives promise to listen, promise to deliver, and above all will make sure that we're held to account when we get into county halls across the length and breadth of Wales.\" Earlier, he told the BBC's Good Morning Wales programme that high pay in local government \"drove people around the bend\", and questioned why some officials in county halls were paid more than the prime minister. The party's local government spokeswoman Janet Finch-Saunders said Labour and Plaid Cymru-led councils \"continue to hold back our communities with a complacency that has seen our high streets deteriorate, picturesque green spaces diminish, and council tax bills spiralling out of control\". The Conservatives currently have 104 council seats in Wales, behind Labour and Plaid.", "summary": "Welsh Conservative councils would offer fairer council tax bills, promote better recycling and revitalise high streets, the party has pledged."}
{"article": "In his closing speech, Mr Farron will say the NHS needs to be put on a sustainable footing to save it \"lurching from crisis to crisis\". He will also call for a merger of NHS and care services to ensure people \"don't slip through the net\". And on education, he is expected to pledge to abolish primary SATs. Mr Farron will also seek to put pressure on the government to spell out \"what Brexit really means\" and demand a new referendum on the terms of the final deal. Addressing party delegates in Brighton, on the final day of Lib Dem conference, Mr Farron will say more money is needed to put the health service on a sustainable footing and ensure that patients, now and in the future, can get the treatment and care \"that they deserve\". \"We need to face the hard truth that the NHS needs more money - a lot more money - not just to stop it lurching from crisis to crisis but so that it can meet the needs and the challenges it will face in the years ahead,\" Mr Farron will say. The party has put together a panel of senior doctors and experts to examine the case for a \"dedicated NHS and care tax\". Mr Farron will tell conference: \"If the only way to fund a health service that meets the needs of everyone is to raise taxes, Liberal Democrats will raise taxes.\" Tim Farron will seek to use his keynote conference speech to position the Lib Dems as the only alternative to the Conservatives. The Lib Dems are celebrating a surge in people joining the party. But that increase hides the huge task they face to rebuild their parliamentary representation at Westminster where they currently have eight MPs. The Lib Dem leader is expected to recall his own experiences battling for a better home for his grandfather, who had Alzheimer's, and call for a merger of NHS and care services. \"We all deserve to know that, no matter what happens, we will be cared for properly and treated with dignity and respect,\" he will say. \"It's not civilised to let people slip through the net.\" He will add: \"If the great Liberal William Beveridge had written his blueprint today, when people are living to the ages they are now, there is no doubt that he would have proposed a National Health and Care Service. \"So let's today decide to do what Beveridge would do. Let's create that National Health and Care Service.\" On education, the Lib Dem leader will say the current system is not focused on developing young people for later life but rather \"on getting them through the wrong kinds of tests\". He will say he wants schools to be places \"where children are inspired to learn, not stressed out by tests\". \"So I want to end the current system of SATs in primary schools that are a distraction from the real education that professional teachers want to give their children; that weigh heavy on children as young as six and add nothing", "summary": "The Lib Dems are prepared to raise taxes to fund an NHS \"that meets the needs of everyone\", Tim Farron is to tell his party's annual conference."}
{"article": "Sandra Brown believes her father, Alexander Gartshore, murdered 11-year-old Moira Anderson and hid her body in Old Monklands Cemetery in 1957. She was speaking as a police operation continues at the grave where the child's body may be hidden. Mrs Brown said she hoped the operation would bring closure to Moira's family. Moira Anderson vanished during a trip to the shops in Coatbridge. Bus driver Gartshore, a child rapist who died in 2006, has been linked to her disappearance. Moira's family believe she may have been killed and buried at Old Monklands Cemetery in the family plot of Sinclair Upton, an acquaintance of Gartshore. Speaking to journalists at the cemetery on Wednesday, Mrs Brown said: \"My father was every bit as much of a paedophile as Jimmy Savile ever was. \"My sad conclusion is that Moira is not the only child in the central belt of Scotland who suffered this fate. \"Whether we find her or not, we know we've looked. I hope to see results in the next few days.\" Mrs Brown said the exhumation was \"very much the end of the road\" as she did not know where the investigation could go if Moira's body was not found. She said it was her belief that there was a \"paedophile ring\" operating in the area at the time the schoolgirl went missing. The children's protection campaigner, who was a childhood friend of Moira, said she believed other victims of abuse may have come from care homes, with the cases never being reported. Mrs Brown said that when she first raised the issue of a paedophile ring in the area in the early 1990s, she was treated with \"scorn\". She added: \"Given recent events with Mr Savile, people are now realising that this is not a modern phenomenon. It has gone on for a long time.\" Mrs Brown, who has received an OBE for services to child protection, set up the Moira Anderson Foundation in 2000 to tackle sexual abuse of young people. In 2006, she published the book, \"Where There is Evil\", which outlined her belief that her father had murdered Moira Anderson. The digging at the Upton family burial plot began on Tuesday under the supervision of Strathclyde Police and is expected to last four days. A radar imaging scan of the plot in 2007 uncovered inconsistencies in the soil which may indicate the presence of an additional body.", "summary": "The daughter of a man who is suspected of murdering a schoolgirl 55 years ago says her father was \"every bit as much of a paedophile as Jimmy Savile\"."}
{"article": "The Commerce Department said retail sales jumped 0.6% last month, the biggest increase since December. In addition, the retail sales figures for June were revised to show a 0.3% rise instead of the previous estimate of a 0.2% drop. In response, the dollar hit a near three-week high against a basket of major currencies. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones rose 5.28 points to 21,998.99, the S&P 500 index dipped 1.23 points to 2,464.61 and the Nasdaq fell 7.22 points to 6,333.01. Shares in Coach sank 15% after the handbag maker's full-year sales forecast fell short of analysts' expectations. The company said it expected revenues for the 2018 financial year to be between $5.8bn and $5.9bn, whereas analysts had been predicting a figure above $6bn. Dick's Sporting Goods plunged 23% after sportswear retailer's sales and profits in the second quarter came in below expectations.", "summary": "Wall Street shares ended Tuesday little changed, but the dollar rose on the back of strong retail sales figures."}
{"article": "In a nod to Mr Trudeau's fondness for statement socks, he wore Canada-themed mountie and maple leaf print ones to welcome his first foreign visitor. Mr Trudeau opted for a more subtle striped pair on his first official engagement in the Republic of Ireland. The Canadian premier is in the country for a three-day visit. Away from talk of socks, trade issues are set to dominate the agenda, with the Canada-EU free trade deal expected to be a focal point of talks between the two leaders. Mr Trudeau arrived in Dublin with his wife, Sophie Gr\u00c3\u00a9goire, and their youngest son, Hadrien, on Monday. He is in Europe for a key G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany later this week. Mr Trudeau is also due to meet Irish President Michael D Higgins at his official residence. The visit was arranged in May when Mr Varadkar's predecessor Enda Kenny met the Canadian leader in Montreal. On that occasion, Mr Trudeau wore special Star Wars themed socks, as it coincided with the widely-celebrated Star Wars Day on 4 May.", "summary": "Irish Taoiseach (PM) Leo Varadkar has engaged in some \"sock diplomacy\" in his first meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Dublin."}
{"article": "Rehoboth Baptist Chapel, next to the Regent Circus development in Swindon, was closed in January 2014 because of damage to its ceiling and walls. Repairs by developer ISG had been expected to start two months ago. The BBC has asked ISG for a comment but the company has not responded. The chapel and people living near the Regent Circus complex, which opened fully in February, said they had been reassured by ISG at a public meeting in March 2014 that the damage would be \"put right\". Tracy White, from residents group Back Garden, said the company had offered nearby residents a property survey and had also agreed to write to all those affected. She said when she had contacted ISG to confirm whether \"the letter was actually circulated to residents\" she had received no reply. Ms White said: \"At that meeting, ISG's director made a public commitment to rectify any problems that the surveys identified. \"We know that there are residents on Cross Street whose properties back on to the development that have no access to their garages and back alley, which has remained closed off with fencing for nearly two years. \"We were also led to believe repair work would begin in February and March, and that concrete underpinning would start in April. \"Again, nothing has happened with this work.\" Rehoboth Baptist Chapel has been hiring nearby St Mary's church for its congregation since the chapel closed last year.", "summary": "A chapel which closed more than a year ago when cracks appeared during the construction of a nearby retail complex is still awaiting repairs by the developer."}
{"article": "The fact that Europe's most-wanted man was able to evade capture for three days, crossing several borders to get from Germany to Italy, has raised questions about security. The missing piece in the puzzle hangs over where Amri headed immediately after the attack. Dutch police are investigating whether the Netherlands was Amri's first stop, before he went on to Paris and then Italy. Their suspicions are centred around a Sim card found in Amri's backpack issued between 20 and 22 December in one of three possible Dutch cities - Breda, Zwolle and Nijmegen, Italian media reported. Police believe he was spotted on CCTV in Nijmegen station and was probably handed the Sim card there. In the aftermath of the attack German police searched a refugee centre in Emmerich, just across the border at Nijmegen. Train tickets found on Amri after he died show he travelled through France. The first was for a journey from the city of Lyon to Chambery, in the French Alps, on Thursday afternoon. CCTV footage has been released of him at Lyon-Part-Dieu station, before he apparently boarded a train to leave the city. Another train ticket, for later that day, was from Chambery for Milan, with some reports that he stopped in Turin on the way. Police have produced a picture of Amri at Milan central station, three hours before was shot dead. The fugitive is said to have arrived at in Milan at 01:00 on 23 December. From the main station, he made his way to the suburb of Sesto San Giovanni. Investigators are trying to find out if the gunman was in contact with anyone in Italy, and what his next destination was should he have evaded capture. He had around \u00e2\u201a\u00ac150 (\u00c2\u00a3128) in cash, according to reports, and no food or extra clothing in his backpack. One theory is that he was aiming to take a bus to the Balkans or southern Italy. But by the time he arrived in Milan, it was clear the authorities had lost his trail. It was only a routine police stop that led to his death: he drew a gun, wounding an officer before being shot dead by another. While inquiries continue, foremost on many people's minds is the question of apparent security failures. Germany issued a European arrest warrant for Amri on 21 December. Pictures of the suspect, along with his various aliases, were widely publicised. France - which boosted security following attacks in 2015 - further reinforced checks at key transport hubs. Opposition politicians including centre-right presidential candidate Francois Fillon and Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right Eurosceptic National Front, were quick to criticise what they said was the failure of the authorities to stop Amri from entering the country.", "summary": "Anis Amri, the jihadist who rammed a lorry into a crowd at a Berlin market on 19 December, died days later in an exchange of fire with Italian police in Milan."}
{"article": "In a series of Facebook comments, Sonny Truyen suggested Singapore was an undesirable place to live due to the unavailability of the smartphone game. He also wrote that Singapore was filled with \"stupid people\". Several Singaporean web users contacted his employer, real estate website 99.co, expressing anger at his posts. During a dispute with another Facebook user, Mr Truyen wrote that \"the average IQ\" in Singapore would fall if he left the country, and that \"locals can't even read\". Darius Cheng, chief executive of 99.co, apologised for Mr Truyen's comments in a blog post, and said his employment contract had been terminated. Pokemon Go: All you need to know Nintendo's shares soar on Pokemon Go's success Pokemon Go player finds dead body Pokemon Go's UK launch is \"paused\" \"Sonny, as an SEO specialist, has only started consulting for us for a week before the incident happened,\" Mr Cheng wrote. \"We are a proud Singaporean company and do not condone such language or behaviour, hence we have since terminated his engagement once the incident came to light.\" Responding to the online anger at Mr Truyen, Mr Cheng also asked readers not to spread \"messages of hate and division, but instead embrace our diversity\". \"Anyone labelled a 'Foreign Talent' was heavily criticised\" online after the incident, he said. \"I am sure we all have Australian or Vietnamese friends - how would they feel if they read it?\" Large numbers of Western expats live in Singapore and Mr Truyen is not the first foreigner to be fired amid a social media furore. In 2014, British banker Anton Casey posted a YouTube video complaining about the \"stench\" of Singapore's public transport system, which he said was full of \"poor people\". Mr Casey lost his job and was forced to flee the island nation. Australian executive Amy Cheong was also sacked and fled Singapore in 2012 after posting racist comments on Facebook after she was kept awake by a wedding being held near her home. Authorities in Singapore are known to take strong action against public comments that are considered to breach standards of decency. Mr Truyen told Mashable: \"It was disappointing the lengths Singaporeans went at to attack me and deny [me] any chance of making amends for my actions.\" He has deleted his social media accounts, saying it was a \"very big error in judgement to negatively label an entire country over Pokemon\".", "summary": "An Australian has been sacked after a profanity-laden rant on Facebook, where he complained that the game Pokemon Go is not available in Singapore."}
{"article": "The man, from Aberdeen, was charged after \"suspicious incidents\" in the Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Montrose areas. A report has been submitted to the procurator fiscal. Sgt Andy Peerless, of Police Scotland, said: \"The information provided to us from the public was vital.\"", "summary": "A 46-year-old man has been charged after a police appeal about someone asking women for a piggyback while they were out running."}
{"article": "In a career spanning six decades, he released more than 70 albums and amassed nine Grammy awards. His melodic songs found success in the pop charts with hits including Galveston, Rhinestone Cowboy and Wichita Lineman. And he also made a foray into acting, notably alongside John Wayne in the film True Grit. Glen Travis Campbell was born in Pike County, Arkansas, on 22 April 1936, the seventh of 12 children. His father was a sharecropper, a tenant who paid his rent with a proportion of the crops that he grew. His first guitar cost $7 from a Sears catalogue and he whiled away the time teaching himself to play. \"We didn't have power in the house, but we did have an old battery radio. And whenever I heard a new song, usually on a local country station, I'd learn it.\" His proficiency led to an offer to join a band fronted by his uncle, Dick Bills and the Sandia Mountain Boys. There were appearances on local radio and a spot on a children's TV channel. Campbell moved to Los Angeles in 1960 and became a member of a group of musicians named The Wrecking Crew, who backed artists such as Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. His first solo chart entry, Turn Round and Look at Me, reached 62 in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961. He also played a pivotal role in the producer Phil Spector's famous Wall of Sound technique. \"When I met Phil, he was knocked out by my playing,\" Campbell later recalled. \"He was like a child with a new toy.\" For three months in 1965 he toured with the Beach Boys, filling in for singer Brian Wilson, who had experienced a breakdown. His big break came in 1967 with the Jimmy Webb song By the Time I Get to Phoenix, which reached number two in the US Country charts. Campbell's partnership with Webb was to be a fruitful one, as hit followed hit. Wichita Lineman went to No 1 in the US and also broke him in Britain where it reached the Top 10 in 1968. \"Jimmy used to write in the studio as I was recording,\" said Campbell. \"When he sang me the parts of Wichita Lineman he'd written, I knew it was a hit.\" The song collected a Grammy and became much requested by US soldiers fighting in Vietnam. He followed it up with Galveston a year later, which again charted on both sides of the Atlantic. In January 1969 he started hosting his own primetime TV show, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. The show, which ran for three years, made him a huge star and his fame encouraged a glittering roster of stars to appear with him. Johnny Cash, Roger Miller, Willie Nelson and the Monkees were among the artists who were guests on the show. He was also invited by John Wayne, a long time Campbell admirer, to appear in the Western True Grit. He won a Grammy for his performance of the film's title song. His biggest hit came in", "summary": "Glen Campbell was one of the most successful country singers of his generation."}
{"article": "It will bring together British, Irish and German naval representatives, along with 200 descendants of those killed. The event is being held on the centenary of the Battle of Jutland, the biggest and deadliest sea battle of the war, when 6,000 men in the Royal Navy were killed - 358 were Irish. The commemoration will take place on HMS Caroline. It is the only remaining ship from the 1916 battle off the coast of Denmark. The battle was fought between 31 May and 1 June 1916 and involved about 250 ships. It saw the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet, based at Scapa Flow in Orkney, clash with the German High Seas Fleet. The centenary of the battle will be marked in Scotland, where a service in Orkney will be attended by German President Joachim Gauck along with the Princess Royal. Representatives of all the nations connected to the battle, including Ireland, will attend that service. A service of remembrance will also take place on board HMS Duncan at Jutland Bank, the site of the battle. There will be a live stream of the ceremony on the BBC News NI website from 12:20 BST on Tuesday.", "summary": "Belfast is to host a special all-island commemoration for Irish sailors who died in World War One."}
{"article": "So these tiny ducklings have been given a helping hand to get into the water at the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington DC, USA. The pool is near the famous Capitol building - home to the US government. Two new ramps have been installed to help the junior ducks get to the water. It's been done by the people who look after the historic buildings and grounds. The ducklings seem to think they're waddley good, but not everyone's happy. One politician is going quackers about the bill, saying the ramps are a waste of money! See what you think.", "summary": "Life's tough when you're small."}
{"article": "The centre at Milton, Stoke-on-Trent, is licensed to hold about 500 tonnes of recyclable waste, but last December the Environment Agency estimated there were about 6,000 tonnes. The agency wants excess waste gone by July and said progress has been made. Owner Hanbury Plastics Recycling Ltd (HPR) said it was applying to increase its licence to hold 3,000 tonnes. Resident June Grimes said: \"[We] shouldn't have to put up with the smells and the issues as these sites bring when [they're] put on your doorstep. \"What we want to see happen is this site completely cleared and relocated to a suitable industrial site.\" Ms Grimes filmed images on her mobile phone of drivers trying to negotiate Milton's narrow lanes and bridges. She added: \"We have got heavy goods [vehicles], left hand drive, coming on our roads where our children walk to go to school and they're that big, they're mounting the pavement as they're going down.\" A spokesman for the owners said it was the best way to deal with plastics, otherwise they would end up in landfill. HPR said it was planning to double the workforce to 60 over the next few years. An agency spokesman said it issued the company with a notice in December to remove excess waste from the firm's site. He said: \"Since that time, we have carried out regular checks to ensure that the company is working to remove the waste by the end of June 2014. \"To date, the company have made progress and moved waste from the site. We will continue to monitor progress and then decide on the best course of action once the deadline has been reached.\"", "summary": "Residents are calling for a recycling collection centre to be closed after it was told to remove excess waste."}
{"article": "Union leaders are due to hold talks with rail bosses on Tuesday in an effort to resolve their dispute over changes to the role of guards (OBS). They claim that on specific dates in January and February an average of three trains a day ran without an OBS. Southern said a train could run without a guard \"in exceptional circumstances\". The RMT said new figures showed that on nine days this year, when there was no industrial action, at least 26 trains did not have an on-board supervisor or second member of staff in addition to the driver. It said this equated to three services a day, which would be 1,000 a year. RMT agrees to meet Southern bosses Will the government take over Southern trains? General secretary Mick Cash said: \"That's 1,000 journeys where a disabled passenger may not be able to get on or off the train or where passengers and the driver are at increased risk from anti-social behaviour or if something goes wrong, such as a derailment or fire.\" He added that members feared the figures were \"the thin end of the wedge\" and instances were \"far more widespread and increasing\". \"Guaranteeing a second member of safety critical staff on every train is the only way you can guarantee access for all and a safer journey for passengers,\" Mr Cash said. In response a Southern spokesman said: \"We said we would roster a second person to every train that had one before, and we are. \"However we also said in exceptional circumstances when an on board supervisor is unavailable we will run the train, rather than cancel it, because it is in passengers' interests to do so.\" The drivers' union Aslef has been balloting its members on a deal aimed at resolving its dispute with Southern, with the result due on Thursday.", "summary": "The RMT union has claimed the equivalent of 1,000 Southern rail services per year are operating without a second member of staff on board."}
{"article": "The closure of Imperial Tobacco's Horizon factory in Nottingham was announced two years ago and will lead to over 500 job losses. Most of the staff will leave next week, with 70 staying on for 18 months as part of the \"decommissioning process\". The site's closure has been blamed partly on attitudes to smoking. Chris Needham, regional organiser for the GMB trade union, said at its height, the firm employed 7,000 staff and made 52 billion cigarettes each year. Mr Needham said operations would move to Poland and Germany, which will increase profits by \u00c2\u00a3320m. \"We're talking about generations that have been manufacturing in Nottingham since 1860,\" he said. \"The Horizon factory has been part of Imperial Tobacco, worldwide, producing profits in the billions.\" Mr Needham said 16 to 17 billion cigarettes - or \"sticks\" as they are known by staff - were produced last year. \"The issue is about quantities,\" he said. \"And the stigma of smoking has been one of the major factors. \"They [the company] are moving to the Asian markets where the stigma is not as great. Iraq, Syria, Russia, China - these are places I'm sure will be targeted by Imperial Tobacco.\" Janet May Dangerfield, who worked at the firm in the 1970s after she left school at the age of 15, expressed her sadness at the firm's demise. \"I'm very shocked and sad because I always thought that would always be there,\" she said. \"I can remember my first day. I was very nervous but straight away, all the older ones - I think they were called the 'front girls' and 'second front girls' - took me under their wing.\" When she moved into the \"vast\" Horizon factory, Mrs Dangerfield said the size of the site made her and other employees look like \"little mice\". Bosses at the factory previously blamed falling sales and an increase in the illegal tobacco trade for their decision to move out of the UK. History professor John Beckett, from the University of Nottingham, said the business was actually a \"major contributor\" to the funding required for the city's Queen's Medical Centre. \"It's been in decline ever since the first reports in the 1950s that smoking was bad for your health,\" he said. \"Gradually, much of the production has been moved abroad, much of it into countries where it's cheaper such as Poland... and the demand here has almost collapsed.\" A company spokesman confirmed the plans for closure, but did not offer anyone to comment on the latest developments.", "summary": "The last pack of English-made cigarettes has rolled off the production line as the country's only tobacco factory prepares to shut."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old, from St Austell, was arrested on suspicion of robbery on Thursday and remains in police custody. A string of robberies and attempted robberies took place at shops in Reawla, Cubert, Scorrier, Porthtowan and Lanner over the last three weeks. Police said isolated premises were targeted and a knife had been used to threaten staff.", "summary": "A man is being questioned by police over a series of armed robberies which took place across Cornwall."}
{"article": "It was decided that the surface at the Silverlake Stadium was unsafe during an 08:45 GMT inspection on Tuesday. Eastleigh must now wait until Saturday's visit of struggling Woking as they look to record their first league win of 2017. They are 12th in the National League table, eight points adrift of the play-off places and two behind Macclesfield.", "summary": "Tuesday's National League game between Eastleigh and Macclesfield has been postponed because of a frozen pitch."}
{"article": "Echoing criticism from the UK, Canada and Australia, the US state department urged Egypt to \"redress the verdict\". The reporters, Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy, Egyptian Baher Mohamed and Australian Peter Greste, were convicted of \"spreading false news\". Mr Greste was deported to Australia this year and was tried in absentia. State department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement: \"We urge the government of Egypt to take all available measures to redress this verdict, which undermines the very freedom of expression necessary for stability and development. \"The freedom of the press to investigate, report, and comment - even when its perspective is unpopular or disputed - is fundamental to any free society and essential to democratic development.\" Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop said she was \"dismayed\" by the sentences. Ms Bishop said she had spoken with Mr Greste and would \"continue to pursue all diplomatic avenue with my Egyptian counterpart\" to clear Mr Greste's name. Reaction: Peter Greste speaks to the BBC On Sunday, Mr Greste said again that he was innocent. \"There was never any evidence to confirm any of the allegations against us,\" he said. \"We will continue to fight this, using any available means open to us. This is a matter of natural justice.\" The UK Minister for the Middle East and North Africa Tobias Ellwood said: \"I am deeply concerned by the sentences handed down today against journalists in Egypt. \"These sentences will undermine confidence in Egypt's progress towards strong long-term stability based on implementing the rights granted by the Egyptian constitution.\" Canada demanded Mr Fahmy's \"full and immediate release\". Mr Fahmy's lawyer, Amal Clooney, called on Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to issue a pardon to the journalists. \"The verdict today sends a very dangerous message in Egypt,\" she told reporters. \"It sends a message that journalists can be locked up for simply doing their job, for telling the truth and reporting the news.\" She said she would push for her client, who has given up his Egyptian citizenship, to be deported to Canada. The three journalists are accused of aiding the banned Muslim Brotherhood group but they strenuously deny the allegations. They were originally sentenced in July 2014, with Mr Greste and Mr Fahmy receiving seven years and Mr Mohamed getting 10 years. But their convictions were overturned in January this year and they were freed in February to await retrial. Mr Greste's lawyer, Chris Flynn, said the men's re-trial \"was a sham and was miscarried at every step\". He also urged President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to intervene. Giving the verdict on Saturday, judge Hassan Farid said the three men were not registered journalists and had been operating from a Cairo hotel without a licence. He handed three-year sentences to Mr Greste and Mr Fahmy but gave Mr Mohamed an additional six months. It is unclear how long Mr Fahmy and Mr Mohamed will now serve. They were in prison for about a year before being freed.", "summary": "The US has said it is \"deeply disappointed and concerned\" at the three-year jail sentences passed in Egypt on three al-Jazeera journalists."}
{"article": "The \u00c2\u00a325,000 prize went to London-based architecture and design collective Assemble, who have overhauled 10 houses in the area. Judge Alistair Hudson said they were \"part of a long tradition of art working in society\". But some questioned whether they should have been eligible for the prize. Speaking after the announcement on Channel 4, author and broadcaster Muriel Gray said: \"I think it's changed the nature of the Turner Prize because I don't think it is modern art. \"I think it's socially responsible, beautiful architecture. But it's a very peculiar year.\" Assemble comprise between 14-18 members and were joined by Liverpool residents at the ceremony in Glasgow. They were presented with the prize by Kim Gordon from US band Sonic Youth. Faced by the collective's massed ranks on stage, she joked: \"I'm not sure who to give the cheque to.\" Assemble were surprise inclusions on this year's shortlist and now join the likes of Damien Hirst, Grayson Perry and Steve McQueen among the ranks of Turner Prize winners. Will Gompertz, Arts Editor Assemble winning the Turner Prize last night points to a trend happening in the art world, which connects to Theaster Gates winning the Artes Mundi prize earlier in the year. Both are trading in the name of \"art\" to fulfil a community-based social enterprise. They are leveraging the value we place on the word \"art\" and work artists produce, to enable them to raise the funds to do the regeneration work that motivates their activities. Gates is trying to regenerate Chicago and Assemble are tying to do something similar in Toxteth. Is it art? Does it matter? If somebody turning on and off lights can win the Turner Prize, why shouldn't somebody trying to re-energise a neglected part of an inner city win? Assemble are all in their mid-20s and all but three members studied architecture together. Group member Lewis Jones has described the collective as \"the real antithesis of the conventional model of a Turner Prize nominee being a single genius artist\". They have impressed the Turner Prize judges and Liverpool residents alike by working closely with locals to develop imaginative designs for the interiors of the terraced houses in the Granby Four Streets area of Toxteth. They have created mantelpieces using brick and rubble construction waste from the streets; ceramic door handles fired in barbecues fuelled by sawdust left over from building work; as well as hand-decorated tiles and hand-pressed terracotta lamps. Working with the Granby Four Streets Community Land Trust, those fixtures and fittings have been used to refurbish 10 derelict houses on Cairns Street. Jones said: \"Only a few years ago you'd go around and stuck on the front of each house would be a sign saying, 'All objects of value have been removed from this property.' So I guess this has been part of putting those things back in.\" They have even proposed turning one ruined house into a glass-roofed winter garden. Assemble arrived after \"20 or 30 years of cynical, top-down regeneration attempts\", he said. They have also used the profile of the Turner", "summary": "A regeneration scheme for derelict houses in Toxteth in Liverpool has won Britain's leading contemporary art award, the Turner Prize."}
{"article": "The IoD is calling for pay strategies to be rethought, if they are rejected by 30% of shareholders. Remuneration should then be put to a fresh vote, it said. Despite some high profile rebellions in recent months, executive pay is usually approved at annual general meetings, the IoD added. \"There is still a pressing need to rebuild public trust in big business, to work in the long-term interests of investors and employees, rather than the short-term interests of managers,\" said Oliver Parry, head of corporate governance at the IoD. \"Now is the time for sensible reforms which increase transparency and draw more engagement from shareholders.\" At present, shareholders have a binding vote on future remuneration policy once every three years. If the policy is rejected by 51% of shareholders, it must be revisited. The IoD is arguing that threshold should be lowered to 30%. Shareholders also have a retrospective, non-binding vote on executive pay every year, and company annual general meetings often see vociferous criticisms of executive pay. In April last year, BP shareholders, for example, rejected a pay package of almost \u00c2\u00a314m for chief executive Bob Dudley at the oil company's annual general meeting. However, the vote was non-binding. In November last year the government outlined its plans to make companies justify high levels of executive pay. Among the measures under consideration were pay ratios, which would show the gap in earnings between the chief executive and an average employee.", "summary": "Investors should be given a bigger say over executive pay to help rebuild trust in business, the Institute of Directors (IoD) has said."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old from Bradford has also yet to complete a race on the Triangle circuit. Harrison, who will compete for the Silicone Engineering team, won two races at last weekend's Scarborough Gold Cup. \"I want to see some chequered flags this year - if I could get on a podium I would be over the moon,\" he said. He added: \"That's what I'm aiming for, that's the plan. Anything more would be a bonus. \"Last year I fell off a couple of times and still to this day I don't know what happened. \"I don't want to go and break down or not finish. I want to get there and crack on with it. \"I want the bikes to be good and just keep going and going and going.\"", "summary": "Yorkshire rider Dean Harrison is targeting a first top-three finish at the North West 200 next month."}
{"article": "The alleged assault happened on 2 July but her parents discovered it only a few days ago after she complained of stomach ache and was taken to hospital. Meanwhile, hundreds of parents have protested outside the school, pulling down its gates and shouting slogans. Police have registered a case, but they are yet to make any arrests. The BBC's Andrew North in Delhi says it's the latest in a series of sexual assault cases that have made headlines in India. Figures show more rapes are being reported in general, which is a sign that the crime is being taken more seriously, our correspondent reports. But India's sluggish judicial system means it can take years for victims to get justice. New Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised a zero tolerance approach on crimes against women, but violence and discrimination against women remain deeply entrenched in society. The girl was allegedly raped by a security guard and a gym teacher, but as there are multiple guards and gym instructors in the school, police say they are trying to identify the guilty, BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi reports from Bangalore. As news of the incident became public, hundreds of parents gathered outside the school, protesting against the alleged insensitivity of the school management. \"They have handled it very shoddily,\" said Vivek Sharma, parent of a boy studying in the school. On Thursday, school chairman Rustom Kerawala addressed a meeting of the parents where he offered his \"sincere apologies\" and promised \"full co-operation\" with the police investigation. Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus. The brutal crime led to massive outrage in the country and forced the government to introduce tougher anti-rape laws, including the death penalty in rare cases. But the law appears to have failed to act as a deterrent. Statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau for 2013 show one rape was reported every 21 minutes.", "summary": "A six-year-old schoolgirl has allegedly been raped by two staff members at a prominent school in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, police say."}
{"article": "A US judge said the plaintiffs could pursue claims that the film unit of the Sony corporation had been negligent. The plaintiffs are seeking to hold Sony liable for not bolstering security after previous breaches. \"We are pleased that the court has properly recognised the harm to Sony's employees,\" said lawyer Michael Sobol. Many Sony employees had their personal details made public in 2014 when a group calling itself Guardians of Peace leaked data from the studio's computers. The attack was described as an act of revenge motivated by Sony's release of The Interview, a comedy about an assassination attempt on North Korea's leader. The nine plaintiffs claim Sony Pictures Entertainment violated a California confidentiality law by spurning security measures to stop the theft of employees' salary and health data, Social Security numbers and other sensitive information. Without ruling on their action's merits, US District Judge Gary Klausner said Sony had created a \"special relationship\" with its employees by requiring them to provide personal information to be eligible for salaries and benefits. The former workers said Sony's negligence caused them economic harm and that the hack had been \"an epic nightmare, much better suited to a cinematic thriller than to real life\". The Interview, starring James Franco and Seth Rogen as journalists recruited by the CIA to assassinate Kim Jong-un, was initially withdrawn from cinemas but was later made available online.", "summary": "Sony Pictures Entertainment has failed in an attempt to dismiss a legal action brought by nine ex-employees over the cyber hack that crippled the studio."}
{"article": "Mary Susan Torley, 60, from Workington, was found guilty by West Allerdale magistrates, of assaulting a resident in her care in October. The 54-year-old resident with onset dementia was dragged by her clothing against her will causing her to fall. Torley was sentenced to a monitored curfew for 12 weeks, \u00c2\u00a3620 costs and a \u00c2\u00a360 victim surcharge. She cared for three vulnerable adults at a private care facility, which has since closed, on Windmill Close in Cockermouth. A co-worker in the home witnessed the incident and reported it to Cumbria Police.", "summary": "A private care home worker who assaulted a vulnerable resident with Down's Syndrome has been sentenced."}
{"article": "Misty the duckling's mysterious disappearance has stressed out other ducks in the group, who were so upset they refused to eat for two days. Owner Chris Gunnill said there had been no sign of a fox and cannot explain where Misty has gone. He has asked people in Lowton, Greater Manchester, to look be on the lookout for the missing bird. \"The other ducks were dead depressed for two days,\" he said. \"They were quacking and they didn't eat.\" Misty, an Indian Runner duck, disappeared on Wednesday and would now be about twice the size it appears in the photos. The duckling was living at Lime House in Lowton, where Mr Gunnill runs a garden project for adults with learning disabilities and mental health issues. \"We only had one duckling left from only two hatched as the other eight eggs were still-born deaths, so you can see how important this one little duckling was to us. \"It's a mystery, as we have no clues to its disappearance.\" The chickens and ducks are kept for their eggs, Mr Gunnill said. He said the birds also help to calm people down. \"When you've got someone with a mental health issue, you stick a chicken in someone's hands or duck near them and it can potentially calm them down straight away,\" he said.", "summary": "A reward of free range eggs for life is being offered for the return of a pet duckling missing for almost a week."}
{"article": "Davies, 27, who will rejoin Scarlets for the 2016-17 season, missed the World Cup with a serious injury. He made a try scoring comeback after seven months out in Clermont's European Champions Cup win over Exeter. \"There is a goal but at the moment I'm just concentrating on making sure I'm playing well for Clermont,\" he said. \"I'd love to get back in the Six Nations squad but it's down to me to make sure I keep working hard in training and perform consistently. \"First things first, I've got to get through a whole game - I only lasted 67 minutes on Saturday.\" Wales begin their Six Nations campaign in Ireland on 7 February. Before the tournament starts, Clermont have six games, including three in the European Champions Cup. Clermont's bonus-point win over Exeter Chiefs threw Pool Two wide open, with all four teams still in with a chance of qualification to the quarter-finals. Ospreys are top with Clermont in second place ahead of their meeting at the Liberty Stadium in January. Clermont, last season's beaten finalists, won 34-29 when the sides met in November. With a game in hand over their rivals, Davies says the French team are in a good position and confident of progressing to the last eight. \"The group as it stands at the moment is quite evenly balanced,\" Davies told BBC Wales Sport. \"The Ospreys have done extremely well picking up those bonus points when they've come to France twice. \"They're playing some good rugby and ran us close when they came to Clermont. \"We know we've got a game in hand and we have every confidence we can qualify and move forward through the latter stages. \"It's going to be a tough ask but I do feel we've got plenty of quality in our squad to make a stamp on this European competition this year.\"", "summary": "Wales centre Jonathan Davies admits he needs to work on his form and fitness but hopes to feature in the Six Nations."}
{"article": "A so-called Special Area of Conservation (SAC) has been created in the Inner Hebrides and Minches. The facility is the largest conservation area for the marine species in Europe. Scientists warned earlier this year that numbers of harbour porpoise were falling because of difficulties with catching food and breeding. They had called on the Scottish government to act and introduce protected sites for the animals. Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said she was pleased to designate the first SAC and added: \"This will help maintain the favourable conservation status and provide protection to the species and their habitats.\" WWF Scotland director Lang Banks welcomed the move and said he was hopeful more such sites would be established in future. He said: \"It's fantastic news that Europe's largest Special Area of Conservation for harbour porpoise is to be located off the west coast of Scotland. \"We've long called for greater protection for this species and we look forward to working with the Scottish government and others to ensure that this site contributes to a coherent and well-managed network of marine protected areas.\"", "summary": "A new conservation area has been set up in waters off the west of Scotland to help protect harbour porpoise."}
{"article": "The veteran striker, 37, ran on to a long clearance and steered a shot past keeper Jason Steele in the 88th minute. Rovers' Ben Marshall had the only effort on target in the first half, a free-kick that went straight at home keeper Frank Fielding. Chances continued to be at a premium after the break until Wilbraham secured City's fifth home win of the season. The home fans stood in tribute to the late Gerry Gow in the 64th minute, and were on their feet again when their penalty appeals were turned down after Scott Golbourne's shot appeared to hit Darragh Lenihan's arm. Marvin Emnes saw a shot blocked as Rovers slid to a fifth away league defeat of the season. City, who have now won four of their last six games, move above Birmingham into the play-off spots in sixth, while Blackburn drop back into the bottom three. Bristol City boss Lee Johnson: \"It was a tough game for us. I consider Blackburn to be in a false position and they will be very disappointed not to have taken something. \"I was happy to reach half-time not one or two goals behind. But we were more like ourselves in the second half and deserved the bit of luck with the goal. \"Blackburn had blocked a lot of our shots and by the law of averages a deflection was due to go our way.\" Blackburn Rovers manager Owen Coyle: \"I am gutted for the players and our travelling supporters. A performance like that would normally earn you three points, let alone one. \"We should have been ahead at half-time and my only concern is the small errors that can make all the difference in a close game. \"The goal came from our corner and one long ball forward after we concede a free-kick. We should have defended the situation better, but it was still an unfortunate deflection. \"I can't recall Jason Steele having to make a difficult save. The level of performance was so high and it's a huge disappointment to come away with nothing.\" Match ends, Bristol City 1, Blackburn Rovers 0. Second Half ends, Bristol City 1, Blackburn Rovers 0. Charlie Mulgrew (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Aaron Wilbraham (Bristol City). Joe Bryan (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Craig Conway (Blackburn Rovers). Attempt saved. Ben Marshall (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Corry Evans. Charlie Mulgrew (Blackburn Rovers) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Bristol City 1, Blackburn Rovers 0. Aaron Wilbraham (Bristol City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lee Tomlin following a set piece situation. Lee Tomlin (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Corry Evans (Blackburn Rovers). Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Scott Golbourne. Attempt missed. Tammy Abraham (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left following a", "summary": "Aaron Wilbraham struck late on as Bristol City edged past Blackburn Rovers at Ashton Gate."}
{"article": "Patients in England and Wales will be offered extra checks using a mobile device that records blood pressure over 24 hours, says the watchdog NICE. A quarter of patients may find visiting a GP stressful, leading to misdiagnosis and being given drugs they do not need. The move could save the NHS \u00a310.5m a year, predictions suggest. High blood pressure (blood pressure of 140/90mmHg or more) affects about a quarter of all adults in the UK. It is a leading risk factor for heart disease or stroke and costs the NHS about \u00a31bn a year in drugs alone. Currently, most patients found to have high blood pressure for the first time are given a formal diagnosis if their blood pressure is raised at two subsequent visits to the doctor. They may then be prescribed medication to lower their blood pressure. Research suggests, however, that about a quarter of patients actually have \"white coat\" hypertension - where blood pressure is raised temporarily due to stress. Now, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has advised doctors in England and Wales to move towards \"ambulatory\" monitoring of patients at home, using a device that automatically takes blood pressure readings every 30 minutes day and night. Around one in 10 GPs are already offering ambulatory monitoring, either directly or by referring patients to a hospital specialist. The new guidelines were issued at the same time as the publication of a research study in The Lancet. One of the authors of the paper, Professor Richard McManus of the University of Birmingham, said: \"This research shows that ambulatory blood pressure monitoring at the time of diagnosis of high blood pressure would allow better targeting of treatment and is cost-saving. \"Ambulatory monitoring is already available in some general practices and we have shown that its widespread use would be better for both patients and the clinicians looking after them. \"Treatment with blood pressure lowering medication is usually lifelong and so it is worth getting the decision to start right in the first place.\" It is expected to take about a year to implement the advice at a net cost of about \u00a32.5m. However, in the long-term the costs will be recouped, say experts, eventually saving about \u00a310.5m a year. Cathy Ross, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said the number of people with high blood pressure in the UK was \"staggering\". \"Some 12 million people are diagnosed with the condition and it is estimated another 5.7 million people have it but are unaware. It's a major risk factor for heart disease and strokes so it's crucial we do all we can to get people diagnosed and properly treated as soon as possible. \"This new guidance will refine the way we test and treat people for hypertension, particularly by helping to identify people suffering from 'white coat hypertension'. \"It doesn't mean that current methods aren't working, only that they can be improved further. Anyone currently concerned about their blood pressure or treatment should speak to their GP or practice nurse.\" Professor Bryan Williams from the", "summary": "Patients thought to have high blood pressure should have the diagnosis confirmed at home, according to new guidelines."}
{"article": "Mark Carney told the Guardian the financial sector could be worth 20 times the UK's economic output in 25 years. He said: \"If the UK financial system thrives in a post-Brexit world... it will be 15 to 20 times GDP in another quarter of century. \"Well then you really have to hold your nerve and keep the focus.\" Carney was speaking to the Guardian to mark the 10th anniversary of the start of the global financial crisis in August 2007. He said the UK could not return to the pre-crisis light-touch regulation in order to attract business after leaving the EU. The governor has previously said the UK after Brexit could be the \"investment banker for Europe\". He said: \"We have a financial system that is [now] ten times the size of this economy\u2026 It brings many strengths, it brings a million jobs, it pays 11% of tax revenue, it is the biggest export industry by some token\u2026 all good things. \"But it's risky.\" \"We have a view\u2026 that post-Brexit the level of regulation will be at least as high as it currently is and that's a level that in many cases substantially exceeds international norms. \"The problem you have is that the same issues re-emerge under different labels\u2026 and the progress that's been made\u2026 is gradually chipped away.\" Mr Carney's comments come as US regulators begin formal proceedings to loosen regulations brought in after the financial crisis to curb the way banks took high-risk bets on the financial markets.", "summary": "The governor of the Bank of England has said the banking sector could double in size but still needs tough regulation."}
{"article": "NSPCC Cymru said just two children were reported to North Wales Police in 2013, rising to four in 2014 then 28 in 2015. Most of those reported - 24 - were aged 15 or under while 10 were 16 or 17. Des Mannion, head of service at NSPCC Cymru said: \"It is very worrying that more children are sharing explicit images of themselves.\" He added: \"Although the figures in north Wales are relatively small, the fact that there has been a sharp increase in the number of cases reported to police is a concern.\" The NSPCC wants children to be warned about the dangers of sexting through compulsory online safety lessons and wants to see the next Welsh Government implement a plan for this. While the majority of these types of images were shared via mobile phones, they were also sent using apps such as Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. Mr Mannion added: \"We are very concerned that children are putting themselves at risk of exploitation or bullying in this way. \"Children need to be taught about the dangers of sexting and how the consequences can be devastating if they lose control of an image.\" In February, police in England and Wales began producing new guidelines designed to avoid \"criminalising\" children caught sending indecent images to each other.", "summary": "A rise in under-18s being reported to the police for distributing indecent images of children has raised concerns over 'sexting'."}
{"article": "The proposal is one of several contained in a Scottish government commissioned review. Other recommendations include a new National Wild Fisheries Unit and scrapping the system of \"closed days\" for salmon fishing. Environment minister Paul Wheelhouse said he would consult on the findings. An independent panel led by former Scottish Natural Heritage chairman Andrew Thin was asked to look at ways of modernising the management of Scotland's wild fisheries. The panel's report contains 53 recommendations for change. It suggests a \"small National Wild Fisheries Unit\" be created within government to provide strategic direction and regulation. The strategy would be delivered through \"locally empowered Fisheries Management Organisations\" (FMOs). The report notes that salmon fishing has previously been the principal driver of policy but suggests the new system takes an \"all species approach\". The FMOs could be formed out of existing district salmon fisheries boards and fisheries trusts. The report makes no firm recommendation on whether a rod licensing scheme should be introduced in Scotland, but says \"serious consideration\" should be given to the idea, with any money raised re-invested in angling. It calls for a ban at the earliest opportunity on the killing of wild salmon unless a licence is granted. Applicants would need to demonstrate sustainability. The system of \"closed days\" for salmon fishing is outdated and ineffective, it argues, and should be abolished except for certain coastal netting operations where stocks benefit from periods of closure. The system of \"closed seasons\" should be reviewed and extended to all species, based on scientific evidence, and brought under the control of the new national unit. It suggests a new Angling For All programme be developed to encourage participation with an emphasis on young people and links with the tourism strategy. Environment and Climate Change Minister Paul Wheelhouse said angling alone was worth \u00c2\u00a3134 million to the Scottish economy. He said: \"This independent review was tasked with considering the requirements of a modern, evidence-based management system that is fit for purpose in the 21st century and is guided by the conservation needs of our wild species. \"We need to ensure we have a robust and sustainable system so our fish thrive and people can continue to enjoy wild fishing and the socio-economic benefits that flow from it for generations to come.\" Mr Wheelhouse said he would study the report in depth and consult on proposals to implement a new management system.", "summary": "The killing of wild salmon could be banned, except under licence, under measures aimed at protecting Scotland's wild fisheries."}
{"article": "Warburton wants to use the spur of helping Blues qualify for Europe to secure his spot on the three-Test tour in June. Four successive wins have put the Blues just a point outside the Pro12 top six. \"That is how I approach it, making it show that I am worthy of a place in the Welsh team,\" Warburton told BBC Wales. The eighth-placed Blues have two games remaining, starting with the Judgement Day showdown with Ospreys on 30 April at the Principality Stadium. They then visit direct rivals Edinburgh, currently sixth and a place ahead of Muster, on the final day of the campaign on 7 May. \"I have felt like the last two games for the Blues have been a trial for Wales if I am honest, there are some pretty big personal battles all across the field,\" Warburton said. \"You get a lot of respect for performing well in Welsh derbies, individually and as a team and for me personally, I have felt the need to prove myself all over again in a Blues shirt after the Six Nations. \"I still feel I have a point to prove when it comes to Welsh selection because I want to make sure you can go into the New Zealand tour, hopefully having your hand held up as one of the form players.\" Dual contract star Warburton says a return to his beloved Blues has been the perfect way to get over Wales failing to win the Six Nations. \"I still felt I was chasing a little bit of match fitness. I was disappointed with the way the Six Nations went,\" he said, \"I did okay, but didn't do as well as I would have wanted and I really felt like I owed the Blues some big performances. \"Because I'd had two-and-a-half games after the World Cup and before the Six Nations, which isn't enough really and I just wanted to play a lot more rugby than that for the Blues. \"I am a Blues boy, it runs in the family. We are fans more than anything.\" Warburton is relishing the prospect of returning to perform in front of a bumper crowd on Judgement Day, saying the experience is likely to be unforgettable for his teammates who do not play international rugby. \"So few people make it to play professional rugby and then get to play in a massive occasion such as Judgement Day,\" he said. \"Only the international boys get to play in front of crowds like that and even then, it's a handful of times a year. \"So for the boys who don't play international rugby, to go to the Principality Stadium makes it a massive occasion. \"It's great for all the boys, but especially them.\"", "summary": "Sam Warburton says he is considering the remainder of the Pro12 season to be a 'trial' for selection on Wales' summer tour to New Zealand."}
{"article": "So-called mathematics anxiety was found especially in countries which were more developed and where males and females were considered more or less equal. University of Glasgow researchers looked at achievements, attitudes and emotions around maths and found girls showed more negative emotion about it. Data was collected from 500,000 15-year-olds in 68 countries. Mathematics anxiety is defined as \"negative feelings experienced during the preparation of and engagement in maths activities\". Academics, led by Dr Gijsbert Stoet, from Glasgow University's school of education, said it did not seem to matter whether the girls' mothers worked in related fields and that efforts to attract more women into science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects had largely failed. Dr Liberty Vittert, a lecturer at the School of Maths and Statistics at University of Glasgow, told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that mathematics anxiety could hamper future job prospects. Dr Vittert said: \"When I was about 14, I had a maths teacher who called my parents into school to say that I couldn't do maths and I should stop and there was no point in further continuing with it. \"It really stops you with jobs if you stop with maths young. \"So I pushed through and I had an undergrad in pure mathematics from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and now I have my Phd. So I think it's very important, but I think there's a lot of pressure on young girls to not do some subjects.\" Asked if maths had caused her anxiety at school, she said: \"Absolutely. I think when you have teachers or other authority figures telling you that you can't do something, of course it creates huge anxiety. \"And clearly there are pressures on a young girl not to do these things.\" She added: \"If you think about maths, there is always a right or a wrong answer. Whereas in some subjects such as English, there aren't always right or wrong answers. \"So if you can't get that exact answer, the teacher can just say, 'Well you don't know what you're doing, you're not smart.' \"Whereas maybe you just don't quite get it. In English you can have varying levels of understanding.\"", "summary": "Girls are \"more afraid\" of mathematics than boys in 80% of countries, according to a new study."}
{"article": "\"Even in Hollywood there seems to be a kind of anger about the remake,\" Niels Arden Oplev said in an interview with the Word and Film website. Sweden's Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace starred in the original film, released in the UK earlier this year. Britain's Daniel Craig and newcomer Rooney Mara co-star in the US version. Currently shooting in Stockholm, the remake is being directed by David Fincher of Fight Club and The Social Network fame. It is due out in cinemas in December 2011. In Larsson's novel and its two sequels, an investigative journalist joins forces with a female computer hacker to solve crimes. Both sequels have been filmed in Sweden with Nyqvist and Rapace reprising their roles as Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander. According to Word and Film, Oplev is concerned that Mara's peformance will overshadow Rapace's. \"The Sony PR machine is trying to make their Lisbeth Salander the lead Lisbeth Salander,\" he is quoted as saying. \"That's highly unfair because Noomi has captured this part and it should always be all her,\" he goes on. \"That's her legacy in a way I can't see anyone competing with. I hope she gets nominated for an Oscar.\" The Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo film made \u00c2\u00a32.2m in the UK and $10.1m (\u00c2\u00a36.2m) in the US. Its follow-up, The Girl who Played with Fire, came out in August, while a third film, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, is released this month. Larsson did not live to see his Millennium trilogy of crime novels become an international publishing sensation. The Swedish author and journalist died of a heart attack in November 2004 at the age of 50.", "summary": "The Danish director of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has questioned why an English-language version is being made of Stieg Larsson's best-selling novel."}
{"article": "He was also something of a rock legend, his mutton-chop whiskers, facial wart and high microphone position making him one of the most recognisable figures in the business. He is credited with introducing punk sounds into the heavy metal mix, paving the way for a generation of thrash metal and speed metal followers. Offstage he gained a reputation for a prodigious intake of drugs and alcohol as well as a sex life as frantic as his music. Lemmy was born Ian Fraser Kilmister in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, on 24 December 1945. His father, a former chaplain in the Royal Air Force, separated from his mother when Lemmy was just three months old. \"I don't recall what my first word was,\" he later told the Seattle Times. \"But it was very loud.\" Tributes paid to Motorhead frontman The young Kilmister acquired the nickname Lemmy while at school, although he purported to have no idea where it came from. It was later suggested that it referred to his constant pleas to \"Lemmy a quid until Friday,\" as he struggled to service a growing addiction to slot machines. His mother remarried when he was 10 and the family moved to north Wales, where Lemmy completed his schooling and took on a number of jobs including a stint at a local washing machine factory. Having become enamoured of a girl from Stockport who was holidaying in the area, he followed her back to her hometown and became involved in the local music scene. He spread his wings with a band called The Rockin' Vickers, who released three singles and rocked the Manchester music scene while dressed in clerical gear. Lemmy moved to London in search of fame and fortune, where he had a stint as a roadie with Jimi Hendrix and briefly played in progressive rock band Opal Butterfly. In 1972 he was recruited as bassist for the space-rock band Hawkwind, despite having played only rhythm guitar before. It helped him develop a distinct style of bass playing, which added a great deal to Hawkwind's sound. He also sang lead vocals on the band's biggest hit, Silver Machine, after a previous effort by the band's usual vocalist was deemed too weak. \"It sounded like Captain Kirk reading Blowing in the Wind,\" Lemmy later recalled. \"They tried everybody singing it except me. Then, as a last shot they said, 'Try Lemmy.' And I did it in one take or two.\" Lemmy's tenure with Hawkwind ended abruptly when he was busted for drug possession on a tour of Canada in 1975. He later claimed that his dismissal was due to 'pharmaceutical differences', his preference for amphetamines being in stark contrast to the rest of Hawkwind's love of more hallucinogenic substances. Despite the falling-out, Lemmy had fond memories of his time with the band. \"In Hawkwind I became a good bass player,\" he told Classic Rock magazine in 2012. \"It was where I learned I was good at something.\" Lemmy decided to form his own band, \"so that no-one can fire me again\", and adopted the name Bastard, until it", "summary": "Lemmy, who has died aged 70 after being diagnosed with cancer, was the frontman and only constant member of Motorhead, one of the loudest bands in rock music."}
{"article": "4 January 2015 Last updated at 10:51 GMT People living near the area reported hearing loud banging noises coming from the Screggagh wind farm for around two days. Debris from the turbine has been scattered over hundreds of metres but no one has been hurt. It's not clear what caused the collapse but bad weather isn't thought to be a factor, as there were no storms or high winds at the time. The company who operate the wind farm are now investigating. Turbine 3 was one of eight turbines on the wind farm and is worth more than half a million pounds.", "summary": "An 80-metre tall wind turbine has collapsed on a mountainside in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland."}
{"article": "He worked under Billy Reid at Hamilton Academical, and advised Reid to move to Swansea City when the club wanted him to replace Paulo Sousa five years ago, but Reid chose to stay. He is now an assistant manager in Sweden's second tier. Neil is ambitious, and has always indicated a desire to test himself at the highest level. So he was always likely to accept the offer to succeed Neil Adams at Carrow Road. Reid was his friend, but also the man who shaped his career. Neil was a right-back when he pitched up at Hamilton from Mansfield Town in 2005; Reid restored him to a holding midfield role because of two significant qualities: his tenacity and his ability to read the game. Those traits have served Neil well. He only became Hamilton player-manager in April 2013, when Reid stepped down. Since then, he has guided the club to promotion - via the play-offs last summer - and to an eye-catching campaign in the Premiership, which has included topping the table in October. For perspective, no side in the top division has a lower wage budget. Hamilton regularly field a team in which half of the players have come through the youth ranks, and he led the team to their first win at Celtic Park since 1938. Following that 1-0 win, Neil gathered all of the players and club officials in the dressing room and urged them to make the most of the moment, and to build on it. The display and result were typical of Neil - not least because he was booked in the second half, while still amongst the substitutes. He has a steely edge, and can occasionally be overly aggressive. That tends to generally be controlled, though, and the spikiness will be required as he tries to impose his authority on the Norwich squad. Many of the players will be around the same age as Neil - who is 33 - and most will have played at a higher level and earned more money from their careers. In a world where wealth and kudos are commodities, Neil must find a way to display leadership and motivation without compromising his principles. \"He's very calm and won't be fazed,\" said the former Rangers midfielder Derek Ferguson, who regularly reports on Hamilton games for BBC Scotland and whose youngest son is a youth player at New Douglas Park. \"I did my B coaching badge with him. He has an edge and that's really important.\" The victory over Celtic was also typical of Neil because he was not prepared to limit his players or alter his tactical approach. Reid would often make Hamilton more defensive when they played bigger clubs, but Neil urges his players to have belief in their abilities and to trust in their game plan. The approach has worked, which is why Neil became Norwich's choice to replace Adams. Reid believes that his protege will succeed, remarking on him being \"grounded\" and that there is \"no chance he will be overawed by the challenge down there\". Reid has", "summary": "New Norwich City manager Alex Neil has learned from the successes and mistakes of his mentor."}
{"article": "Fred Stobaugh, whose wife Lorraine died in April, has no previous musical experience and wrote the song on a whim for a competition. He submitted his handwritten lyrics by post and, although the contest was online-only, the organisers were so moved they put the words to music. Oh Sweet Lorraine is number seven on US iTunes and has 1.9m YouTube views. Billboard magazine said the song had sold 6,000 copies so far, placing it at number 49 in its rock digital songs sales chart. The track is also in the iTunes charts for Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Luxembourg. \"Oh sweet Lorraine,\" the chorus begins, \"I wish we could do all the good times over again.\" Stobaugh does not perform the song himself - on his original submission, he wrote: \"I don't sing, I would scare people, haha!\" Vocals are provided instead by Jacob Colgan, whose Green Shoe Studio organised the original contest. A documentary about the recording of the song, uploaded to YouTube in July, explains how the recording came about. \"What made Fred's entry so special to us was, one, it's an online contest. People are supposed to upload their videos,\" Colgan says in the clip. \"But, instead of a video, we received a very large manila envelope. Well, I was excited to see what it was. Lo and behold, it was a letter from a 96-year-old man who said, 'I've written a song for my wife'. \"He sounds like a sweet guy,\" he continues, \"but, as I'm reading through the letter, I begin to realise that his wife had just passed away a month earlier.\" Stobaugh says the song, his first, came to him out of the blue. \"After she passed away, I was just sitting in the front room one evening by myself\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6it just [came] to me. I kept humming it.\" The finished recording is a simple, country-tinged lullaby. The documentary shows Stobaugh overcome with emotion as he hears it for the first time, covering his face with his hand as he tells Colgan: \"It's wonderful, it's wonderful\". \"She was just the prettiest girl I ever saw,\" he says of meeting Lorraine in 1938. \"Real timid-like. I just fell in love with her right there.\" \"I really, really miss her.\"", "summary": "A 96-year-old who wrote a song for his late wife has made the US iTunes top 10, alongside Katy Perry and Lady Gaga."}
{"article": "The GMB union said women care workers, cleaners and janitors had been subject to pay discrimination in comparison with their male counterparts. The union said improved offers had now been made which put members in line for \"significant equal pay awards\". The council described the offer as a \"positive step\" in ending the dispute. North Lanarkshire Council Leader Jim Logue said: \"I have made it clear since becoming council leader that we will settle equal pay claims where these are justified. \"I am pleased to say this agreement in principle, which is subject to further discussion, with the GMB union, is a positive step towards that aim. \"This is a major milestone which I hope will mark a departure from the confrontations of the past. We have negotiated in a sensible and constructive manner with the GMB and its legal advisers to reach agreement.\" Councillor Logue said the council had paid about \u00c2\u00a3100m in equal pay claims in recent years and wanted to resolve the issue. GMB Scotland organiser Hazel Nolan said fresh negotiations began after \"a recent change in leadership at the council\". \"Improved settlement offers subsequently followed, meaning GMB Scotland members can now look forward to significant equal pay awards,\" she said. \"The new council leadership immediately recognised the need to resolve this inequality and their willingness to work with GMB Scotland in negotiating a proper settlement means our members are at last getting justice. \"Our 'Equal Pay Now' campaign was organised after our members, including home care workers, cleaners and janitors, were forced into a protracted dispute with North Lanarkshire Council's previous leadership over pay discrimination in comparison with their male counterparts.\"", "summary": "An agreement in principle has been reached to end a long-running equal pay dispute between North Lanarkshire Council and about 200 female staff."}
{"article": "Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remains a frontrunner. Her main rival, Senator Bernie Sanders, apologised for his campaign's accessing of voter information compiled by Ms Clinton's team. \"Not only do I apologise to Secretary Clinton, I want to apologise to our supporters,\" he said. Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is also taking part in the debate in Manchester, New Hampshire. Gun control and the fear of terror attacks in the United States were tackled early in the debate. \"Guns in and of themselves will not make America safer,\" said Hillary Clinton. \"Arming more people\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 is not the appropriate response to terrorism.\" Ms Clinton said that Republican rhetoric - especially from Donald Trump - was \"fanning the flames of radicalisation\". But Mr O'Malley accused of two rivals of \"flip-flopping\" in Washington over gun ownership restrictions. For his part, Mr Sanders said US foreign policy needed to focus on destroying the so-called Islamic State (IS or Isis) group, not removing Bashar al-Assad from power in Syria. \"It is not Assad that is attacking the United States,\" he said. \"First priority: destroy Isis,\" he said. Mr Sanders also criticised Qatar, saying that \"instead of spending $200bn on the World Cup, maybe they should pay attention to Isis on their doorstep\". Bernie Sanders said that on two occasions there were computer breaches - which he said were the fault of the software vendor - in which his campaign could see proprietary data from Hillary Clinton's campaign and that they alerted party officials \"quietly\". He said his campaign \"didn't run to the media and make a big deal about it\". He said that the most recent breech involved inappropriate behaviour by one of his staff members, adding that person had now been dismissed. He said that the Democratic Party's decision to temporarily suspend his campaign's access to the strategically crucial database was \"an egregious act\". The Sanders campaign on Friday filed a lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee in a federal court to restore its access to the voter data. Strategically important information on voters is contained in the database, which campaigns use to decide strategy. That data takes on a crucial role as campaigns prepare for early primary voting in just over a month's time. Forbidding the Sanders campaign from accessing the database will significantly hamper its ability to reach out to new Democratic voters, says the BBC's Anthony Zurcher in Washington. The DNC maintains the database and charges campaigns for access. Primary voting begins in early February.", "summary": "Candidates seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for the US presidency have begun their last debate of the year in New Hampshire."}
{"article": "The world number one responded to a post on Instagram that described the American as \"very average\". Spieth replied: \"Couldn't be further from the truth troll. Go do research before hating.\" Defending champion Spieth bogeyed five of his first seven holes to trail the leaders by seven strokes on two over. The 22-year-old shot 30 under par to win the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in January but his form has slumped recently, with a missed cut in the Northern Trust Open followed by a 17th-place finish in last week's WGC-Cadillac Championship. World number two Rory McIlroy backed his rival, posting on Twitter: \"No, he's not TW (Tiger Woods), he's not slumping and he's not done. He's a double major winning 22 year old. He'll be just fine!!\" Spieth, 22, also took exception to a post on the PGA Tour's official Twitter account that he thought used one of his remarks out of context. It highlighted a joke from the his post-round interview when asked whether he could accept having an occasional off day. The PGA post, later deleted, read: \"What good is kicking the door other than hurting my foot and [having to] withdraw?\" Spieth responded: \"Seriously? That's the quote you're going to use out of that article?\" He later explained: \"I was a little upset. It made it seem like I was OK with getting hurt and withdrawing. I was frustrated with that.\" There were signs of encouragement for the Masters and US Open champion after his dreadful start as he recovered for a second round of 68, two shots inside the cut. \"Today was all about the cut,\" he said. \"I actually did pretty well to make six [at the first hole]. I thought it was really strong what we did after that. For the first 20 holes to be at six over and we finished at two over, [there are] only positives going forward.\" Steve Stricker holed a 150-yard shot for an eagle two in a 66 as he moved into the joint lead on five under with fellow American Will Mackenzie (67). They lead compatriots Daniel Berger (68) and Bill Haas (67), and Canada's Graeme DeLaet (66), by one stroke. England's Danny Willett is level par after a one-over 72, while Ian Poulter is one over after a level-par 71 and Scotland's Russell Knox improved to to two over with a 69. Luke Donald joined Knox after also firing a two-under 69. However, Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell (72) and Martin Laird (75) were among those who missed the cut.", "summary": "Jordan Spieth defended himself after being called \"garbage\" by an internet \"troll\" as he narrowly made the cut at the Valspar Championship in Florida."}
{"article": "Women's rights activists held a rally outside the parliament building in Warsaw, with more action expected on Monday. Poland's MPs rejected a near-total ban on abortions on 6 October after mass protests against the move. But there are new proposals to outlaw abortions in cases where foetuses are unviable or badly damaged. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the governing Law and Justice Party (PiS), has said his socially conservative party is working on a new restrictive bill. In an interview on 12 October (in Polish), he said: \"We will strive to ensure that even in pregnancies which are very difficult, when a child is sure to die, strongly deformed, women end up giving birth so that the child can be baptised, buried, and have a name.\" Why the outcry over abortion laws in Poland? The Catholic country already has among the tightest abortion laws in Europe. Currently the procedure is only permitted when there is severe and irreversible damage to the foetus, or a serious threat to the mother's health, or when pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. The draft law that went before Poland's parliament earlier in October called for women who had abortions to be punished with a five-year prison term. Doctors found to have assisted in an abortion would have also been liable for jail time. But it was defeated after nationwide \"Black Monday\" protests that saw tens of thousands of people dressed in black - most of them women - take to the streets. Women also stayed away from work and school and refused to do domestic chores, in a protest inspired by a women's strike in Iceland in 1975. Sunday's street protests are expected to continue on Monday, when some women are also planning another strike. Activists warn that more restrictions on abortion would drive the practice further underground. Estimates say there are already far more illegal abortions than legal ones in Poland - between 10,000 and 150,000, compared with about 1,000 or 2,000 legal terminations.", "summary": "Polish protesters have launched fresh demonstrations against efforts to further tighten abortion laws."}
{"article": "Oliver Scullion died at the Hilden Brewery in Lisburn, County Antrim, on Thursday. It is understood the boy was crushed under a metal tank. His grandfather said: \"Oliver was a beautiful child, full of life and enthusiasm for everything he did.\" The family announced the cancellation of a planned beer festival at the site. In a statement released on behalf of the Scullion-Hanna family, Oliver's grandfather Seamus Scullion thanked \"all who are supporting us at this heart-breaking time\". \"It is difficult to come to terms with life without him. We will miss him more than words can express,\" he added. \"Under the circumstances, we regretfully have to cancel the Hilden Beer and Music Festival, due to take place on 28, 29, 30 August.\" Oliver was the son of brewery manager Owen Scullion, who was also hurt in the accident. The family have appealed for privacy. The Health and Safety Executive said on Thursday that it had been notified of the child's death and was investigating the circumstances.", "summary": "The grandfather of a four-year-old boy who was killed in an accident at their family-run brewery has said he will be \"missed more than words can express\"."}
{"article": "It includes the Buckskin area of Basingstoke, where more than 80 homes were evacuated in February 2014 after groundwater flooding. Hampshire County Council can now access a \u00c2\u00a32.1m fund a year earlier than originally expected from 2016-17. Schemes for Romsey and Winchester can now access funding immediately rather than having to wait until 2020. Many residents in Buckskin were unable to return to their homes until the following winter after more than 77 million litres of water had to be pumped out. An independent report recommended a review of the area's drainage system and the \"setting up [of] a threshold at which point actions should be taken\". Hampshire County Council has already started the first phase of a feasibility study to mitigate flooding. The funding is subject to the approval of a business case. Cleansing and repairs to the existing infrastructure in Buckskin has already started while an electricity substation has been moved.", "summary": "Central government funding has been brought forward for a number of flood defence schemes across Hampshire."}
{"article": "What is Brexit? What happens if the UK votes to leave? And, uh, what do the letters EU stand for again? So here are some basics. The EU is the European Union. The people of the United Kingdom may - or may not- want to leave. Like the US, the EU has a flag. They both have their own currencies. They control their external borders and their citizens have an unlimited right of movement within their internal borders. They regulate immigration. And, perhaps, the forces that have led the UK to consider withdrawing from the EU could also be at play in the US. No, seriously. Here are handful of ways the EU and the US are similar enough to merit such consideration, and a few reasons why they aren't. A disliked bureaucratic elite? One is a distant, meddlesome, too-powerful government on the banks of the Potomac River. The other is a distant, meddlesome, too-powerful government on the banks of the Zenne (that's a river in Belgium). While Washington and Brussels may not have much in common geographically or culturally, they are united in the derision often directed their way. The governments in Washington and Brussels have sweeping powers to issue regulations on things like the environment, immigration, trade and commerce - which has led to resentment and distrust from those who view their power as illegitimate or overreaching. US conservatives regularly campaign against Washington bureaucrats and big-government politicians who impose their legislative priorities on the states. While he was running for president last year, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker called the capital city area \"68 square miles surrounded by reality\". Meanwhile Brussels is a \"job-destroying machine\" full of arrogant elites, according to pro-Brexit MP Michael Gove. It's not easy being a political punching bag, but it's the burden both cities have to bear. Separatist attitude. Both the US and the EU have their share of peoples with distinct regional identities that make playing nice with a strong central government a bit of a stretch. Everyone by now is familiar with Brexit. But what about Texit? Residents of the US state of Texas have always had a bit of attitude and an independent streak - it probably comes from flying their own flag for nine years after winning independence from Mexico. Although they gladly joined the US back in 1845 in exchange for relief from war debt, there are some in the Lone Star State who, like the pro-Brexit crowd, think it's time to go it alone once again. The Guardian recently spoke with some Texans who think a UK withdrawal from the EU would serve as a shining example for their state and could lead to greater interest in a Texas secession referendum. \"At a cultural and spiritual level there are a lot of similarities,\" Daniel Miller of the Texas independence movement told the Guardian. \"A fiercely independent spirit. Keep calm and carry on. The stoicism. There's a sense that when you're pushed, you don't just crumple like yesterday's newspaper, you stand up for what you believe in. We are easygoing, we", "summary": "As the Brexit referendum debate approaches its day of judgement, many Americans have been left with a number of questions."}
{"article": "The opinion was issued by Juliane Kokott, an Advocate General to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). It came after a Belgian court sought clarification on what is banned by EU anti-discrimination laws. In the Belgian case, a receptionist was fired for wearing a headscarf to work. Samira Achbita claimed she was being discriminated against on the grounds of her religion. The opinion by Juliane Kokott is not a binding ruling and judges at the ECJ - the EU's highest court - are now considering what final guidance to issue. BBC Europe Correspondent Damian Grammaticas says they will confine themselves to the legal principles and will leave any decision on the specific case to the Belgian courts. \"A ban on wearing headscarves in companies may be admissible if the ban is based on a general company rule which prohibits political, philosophical and religious symbols from being worn visibly in the workplace. Such a ban may be justified if it enables the employer to pursue the legitimate policy of ensuring religious and ideological neutrality,\" the opinion from the advocate general said. She added: \"While an employee cannot 'leave' his sex, skin colour, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age or disability 'at the door' upon entering his employer's premises, he may be expected to moderate the exercise of his religion in the workplace.\" Ms Achbita had worked for the security firm G4S in Belgium for three years when she insisted on being allowed to wear a headscarf. She was dismissed because the company bans the wearing of any visible religious, political and philosophical symbols. Ms Achbita took the company to court backed by a Belgian racial equality group but the case was dismissed by two lower courts. Belgium's court of cassation then referred the case to the EU's top court for clarification. The wearing of headscarves, and more controversially the Islamic veil, has caused controversy across Europe. In France, where the separation of state and religion is enshrined in law, a ban on Muslim headscarves and other \"conspicuous\" religious symbols at state schools was introduced in 2004. However, last year Germany's highest court struck down a ban on headscarves for state school teachers.", "summary": "Employers in the EU may be able to ban Muslim staff from wearing headscarves to work as long as it is part of a general prohibition on all religious symbols, a top EU court adviser says."}
{"article": "Richard Pennycook told BBC Radio 5 live that the group had been \"let down\" by its former management. However, recent changes to its structure and governance should rectify that situation, he said. The organisation had been \"undermanaged\" in the past, according to Mr Pennycook. \"We let the co-operative movement down in a fairly significant way, after 150 proud years where the Co-op had a reputation for doing the right thing.\" It now needed to become \"better at business\" and return to making profits, he said: \"Just applying good management disciplines and taking out costs can improve profitability.\" It had been necessary to go through the \"painful\" process of selling some businesses to repair the balance sheet, Mr Pennycook said. The group is focusing on its grocery shops and funerals, and retains a 20% stake in the Co-operative Bank, which is now controlled by US hedge funds. The Co-op was second to Tesco in the convenience food market, he said, and the quality of its products had increased markedly: \"We can absolutely compete with the best.\" Mr Pennycook was appointed as the Co-op's interim chief executive early last year before assuming the role permanently. Allan Leighton, chairman of the Co-operative Group, is in the process of rebuilding the board after being appointed in February as its first independent chair. His appointment followed the record \u00c2\u00a32.5bn loss for 2014 that was caused largely by the crisis in the group's banking business. The former Royal Mail chairman will preside over his first annual meeting of the Co-op on Saturday. Co-op members will vote on appointing three directors to the board. They are: former Labour minister Hazel Blears; Ruth Spellman, chief executive of the Workers' Educational Association; and Paul Chandler, former chief executive of the fair trade group Traidcraft. Mr Pennycook said he was both \"surprised and delighted\" that three candidates had been found. \"The first principle of the governance reform is that anybody going onto the board had to have the requisite skills and experience,\" he said. However, he said the Co-op was yet to take its seat on the board of the Co-op Bank. An external candidate may be appointed to the position if no one on the Co-op board had the necessary skills, Mr Pennycook said. \"We don't know yet whether we will have somebody on our group board with the qualifications to go on to the banking board. If we do, then that would be the right solution to take up our seat. If it happens that we don't, then we'll seek to appoint an independent suitably qualified non-executive,\" he said. \"We would hope in future years that we have a healthy pipeline of a people who we'd like to represent on the board.\" Despite no longer owning the Co-op Bank, Mr Pennycook said it and the Co-op Group shared a name and many members. Co-operative ethics and values had been enshrined in its governance and he said it could no longer be called the Co-operative Bank in the future if that were ever to change.", "summary": "The chief executive of the Co-operative Group has blamed past mismanagement of the organisation for the problems it has faced."}
{"article": "In a BBC interview, Debbie Engels said the government chose \"its allies over protecting its own citizen\" by refusing to prosecute Mrs Mugabe, 52, on assault charges. The Department of International Relations granted Mrs Mugabe diplomatic immunity on 19 August, which meant she could travel back home with her husband, President Robert Mugabe, who was in South Africa for a summit of regional leaders. \"I half-expected it but when you hear the news it still comes as a shock,\" Ms Engels said. Mrs Mugabe made headlines after the model laid a complaint with police, accusing the first lady of hitting her with an electrical extension cord on 13 August, almost a week before the first lady was granted immunity. The alleged assault took place after Mrs Mugabe found the model and some of her friends in a plush hotel room where the first lady's two sons - Robert Mugabe Jr, 23, and Chatunga Bellarmine Mugabe, 20 - live in Johannesburg's affluent Sandton suburb. According to the young woman, they were guests of the sons, whom they had met the previous day, and they were having drinks when Mrs Mugabe stormed in. \"She hit us with so much hate. Like, I don't understand why she attacked us like that. Until this day my friends and I don't understand why this woman attacked us the way she did for no reason at all,\" she told me. This is not the first time that the Mugabe family's behaviour in South Africa has made headlines - in July, the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper reported that the pair had been evicted from a luxury apartment block in the same area after a brawl with some of their guests. Zimbabwean newspapers reported that their first lady had to make an \"emergency\" trip to South Africa to find \"secure accommodation\" for their two sons. Mr and Mrs Mugabe's sons, who apparently have a taste for the finer things in life in the form of champagne and designer clothes, have a reputation for partying hard. They are studying in Johannesburg and, according to local papers, the two have not been doing well in their studies, unlike their father, who boasts several university degrees. Partying is not a crime - though it could incur the wrath of parents, especially if it is overdone. But beating up someone certainly is, and Ms Engels's lawyers laid a complaint of \"assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm\" against Mrs Mugabe. Although the case failed to get to court, Ms Engels' lawyers say the fight is not over. The rise of Grace Mugabe The Engels family has an ally in former state prosecutor Gerrie Nel, who secured a murder conviction against disgraced Olympic star Oscar Pistorius after he shot dead his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day 2013. Now working for the mainly Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum, Mr Nel says he has taken up Ms Engels' case for free and is planning to challenge the government's decision to give Mrs Mugabe diplomatic immunity in court. \"If the review application is successful (and there are", "summary": "The mother of 20-year-old Gabriella Engels, the South African model who has accused Grace Mugabe of assaulting her, says she is disappointed and angry with President Jacob Zuma's government for giving the Zimbabwean first lady diplomatic immunity."}
{"article": "The six-month trial in Aberdeen and Ayrshire saw 22 people warned their partners had history of domestic abuse. Disclosures can be triggered by victims, friends, relatives, social workers or police officers. The disclosure scheme, known as Clare's Law, will be rolled out across the country later this year. It was named after Clare Wood, who was strangled and set on fire by George Appleton, her violent and obsessive former boyfriend, in Salford, Greater Manchester, in 2009. Appleton had a history of violence and harassment against women which Ms Wood did not know about. Her father, Michael Brown, has campaigned for people to have the right to ask for information about partners, and for the police and other agencies to have the power to take the initiative and tell someone if there are grounds for concern. Mr Brown, who is originally from Aberdeen, welcomed the introduction of Clare's Law in Scotland. He said: \"It is heartening to see the success of the pilots and to know that the people given these disclosures will now hopefully not be victims of domestic abuse. \"Saving lives and protecting people has to be our ultimate aim, this is what makes all of our efforts worthwhile.\" Mr Brown was accompanying First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scotland's chief constable, Sir Stephen House, on a visit to Edinburgh Women's Aid, as they confirmed that the disclosure scheme will be extended across the whole country. Ms Sturgeon said: \"There is no excuse or place for domestic abuse in Scotland and we need to do all we can to ensure we protect people from what is an abhorrent crime. \"The victims of this unacceptable behaviour are predominantly female but males are also targeted; we must make sure that everyone is offered protection and information which reduces the risk of harm. I firmly believe that people who have concerns that their partner may have a history of domestic abuse should be able to find out.\" Police Scotland figures show that the number of domestic abuse incidents reported in Scotland from 1 April 2014 - 31 March 2015 increased by 1,076 to 59,471 compared to the same period the year before. The authorities hope that the disclosure scheme could play a part in protecting hundreds of potential victims, although there is an acceptance that disclosing information will not by itself solve the problem of domestic abuse. Police Scotland Chief Constable, Sir Stephen House, said: \"By expanding this scheme, there is the potential to protect hundreds of people and to stop them become the victims of abusers, either directly or indirectly. And it is a clear signal to those who would abuse others that they cannot hide and their abusive history will be disclosed if it means protecting others. \"This has to be one part of a long term approach to supporting victims which ensures that their experiences and the long term effect of disclosure on the people who ask is measured. Working with our partners, we will continue to support people through the disclosure process and to prevent people becoming victims of this terrible", "summary": "A trial scheme which allows people to be told if their partner has been violent in the past is to be extended across Scotland."}
{"article": "Inverness-based creative industries conference and festival, XpoNorth, has announced the films to be screened during the two-day event in June. Held annually, XpoNorth shows feature-length and short films made in Scotland, elsewhere in the UK and abroad as part of its wider programme. This year's festival received almost 3,000 entries from a total of 112 countries. The films will be screened during the event, which will be held on 7-8 June. Scottish films to be shown include two documentaries by Highlands-based filmmakers. Caithness-based David Graham Scott's The End Of The Game tells the story of a journey from Caithness to Africa. Scott, a committed vegan, made the journey in the company of his neighbour Guy Wallace, a former big game hunter. Tristan Aitchison, who lives on the Black Isle, was also inspired by Africa for his documentary. His film, Sidney & Friends, explores growing up living as an intersex or transgender person in what he described as \"one of the most conservative and intolerant regions in the world\". Other Scottish entries include Woman Up by Katrina Brown, of Aviemore. Her film follows Eilidh, who before discovering she had a talent for mountain biking, would describe her feelings about doing sport in front of others as like \"standing on a stage naked under a spotlight\". Also from Scotland is Greg McCarron's The Old Croft, an animated film about the construction, ruin of and later rebirth of a 150-year-old croft house in the Shetland Islands. The international films to be shown include Sweden's Fomo Sapiens, Turkish-made Fastaqim, USA entry A Slice of Life, German-made Kaska and French film Half Time.", "summary": "All images are copyrighted."}
{"article": "It meant the unemployment rate held steady at 4.8% in the period, remaining at an 11-year low. Average weekly earnings excluding bonuses rose by 2.6% - a slight increase on the previous month. But economists warned there were signs the labour market had started to \"cool off\" since the Brexit vote. In total, there were 31.76 million people in work, which was \"slightly down on the record set recently\", said ONS senior statistician David Freeman. \"The labour market appears to have flattened off in recent months,\" he said. Fewer people looked for work, leading to lower unemployment but also a rise in \"economic inactivity\", which measures people without a job who are not seeking or available to work. There were 8.91 million people of working age who were economically inactive - 76,000 higher than in the previous period. \"Today's data provides the clearest evidence yet that the jobs market has started to cool off since the Brexit vote,\" said John Hawksworth, chief economist at PwC. The number of people in work was \"flat\", whereas before the 23 June referendum it had been \"rising strongly\", he said. The Bank of England and other economists have forecast that unemployment is set to rise amid uncertainty over the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Although there is nothing too dramatic about these monthly figures, there does seem to be a trend developing. As the ONS says, \"the labour market appears to have flattened off in recent months\". That means jobs are not being created at the same impressive rate recorded in recent years. While unemployment is down by a small amount, there have also been small increases in the number of people claiming unemployment benefit and a fall in the number in work. That has been possible because of a rise in what is called economic inactivity, which covers large numbers of people including those who are ill, have taken early retirement, or just not looking for a job. The fact that average earnings are increasing by 2.6% a year also suggests that the labour market is tightening - forcing companies to pay more to attract or keep staff. Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green said it was \"too early\" to conclude Brexit uncertainty was affecting the labour market. \"We are in a broadly flat situation, but it's a flat situation at a very low level of unemployment,\" he told the BBC. Going into next year's Brexit negotiations, \"it's extremely encouraging that our labour market is so resilient\", he added. The UK has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the EU, behind only Germany and the Czech Republic. That was helped by more women in work - rising to a record high of nearly 15 million - and the addition of 129,000 self-employed workers to 4.75 million, according to the ONS figures. Surveys continue to indicate more UK jobs will be created and suggest \"any further deterioration in the labour market\" will not be severe, said Paul Hollingsworth, UK economist at Capital Economics. \"The combination of the weakest employment data since mid-2015 and the fastest", "summary": "UK unemployment fell slightly to 1.62 million in the three months to October, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS)."}
{"article": "That is how Mohammad Mallak, editor-in-chief of Syrian magazine Saiedet Souria, describes his colleague Naji Jerf. \"He was a smiling man, energetic. He was laughing all the time\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\" Last month, Jerf, a 38-year-old Syrian anti-Islamic State (IS) activist and journalist, was shot in broad daylight with a silenced pistol in the middle of a busy Turkish street. He was murdered in Gaziantep, a city near the Syrian border, now home to nearly 300,000 Syrians. He was about to leave Turkey with his family for France, where he had been granted asylum. Soon after his death, Reporters Without Borders released the visa application letter Jerf wrote to the French ambassador in Turkey. \"I now live in the Turkish city of Gaziantep and my safety is more and more difficult after an increase in the threats to me and my family - above all because I am a secularist and belong to the Ismaili minority, which is targeted by the jihadis.\" Jerf's journalism and activism made him a target in Syria, the reason he fled across the border to Turkey in November 2012. \"Naji was one of the first people who was trying to document what is happening in Syria,\" says Mohammad Mallak. \"The regime wanted him.\" \"At 2012 we began to see that our friends were being taken and got killed by the regime,\" he adds. \"We knew that if they took a friend that they would call the family in two days to deliver his dead body.\" Once in Turkey, Jerf made two anti-IS films. One of them, about IS in Aleppo, was broadcast on the Saudi-run al-Arabiya channel in September 2012, to an audience of at least 12m, according to the channel. Mr Mallak says that after the release of this documentary, the threats against Jerf, who had two young daughters, increased. \"He was afraid. He knew that they were planning to do that. But he didn't believe they could do it. Still, he was saying that he knew that they would shoot him. One day he said, 'But I am afraid of the sound of shooting.'\" From Turkey, Jerf also worked with the prominent anti-IS group, Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS), reporting on the IS abuses in the northern Syrian city. He had just finished a film about Raqqa shortly before his death. The film has not yet been released. Jerf also used his base in Gaziantep to train citizen journalists in Syria, as he had done with RBSS before leaving Syria, according to Mr Mallak. \"Naji trained more than a thousand citizen journalists,\" he says. \"We trained face to face, we trained via Skype and created tens of journalists' committees to cover the war. We taught them how to make a TV report, radio report, how to write for the news\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\" Turkey, which shares a 900km (560 miles) border with Syria, quickly became a haven for hundreds of Syrian media outlets from 2012, with the majority of journalists based, like Jerf, in border towns like Gaziantep. But the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said recently that Syrian journalists", "summary": "\"He was reliable, generous and a great friend\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\""}
{"article": "A woman unwittingly wore an engagement ring hidden inside a necklace by her partner for a year and a half. Anna only found out her boyfriend Terry had hidden the ring in the piece of jewellery when he broke it open to propose to her at Smoo Cave in the Scottish Highlands. The large coastal cave complex near Durness in Sutherland had been on a \"bucket list\" of places the Australian couple wanted to visit. Anna and Terry have asked for their surnames to be kept out of the public domain because of the media attention their engagement has attracted since telling family and friends. While Terry proposed to his girlfriend back in November last year, it has only now started to gain worldwide interest from news websites and magazines. Terry made the necklace from Tasmanian Huon pine and the inside of a sea shell. It was hollow inside and this was where the ring was hidden. He gave the necklace to Anna as a gift to mark the first anniversary of their relationship. Terry said: \"She wore it every day and everywhere we went, and pretty much never took it off. \"There were some occasions where I was really worried. \"At one point, I thought she was going to trade it with a blacksmith at a market - the blacksmith loved the necklace, and she loved the blacksmith's work - but luckily I didn't need to crash tackle her. \"My biggest moment of panic was when we went through airport security the first time. I hadn't thought about the fact that she might be asked to put it through the x-ray, which could have very quickly turned into an airport security proposal.\" When they finally visited Smoo Cave, Terry came up with a story to get Anna to take the necklace off and break the pendant open to reveal the ring. Terry said: \"She stood there dazed for a second, trying to work out what was going on, and then it dawned and she said 'yes' with all the excitement in the world. \"After she calmed down she suddenly stopped moving, stared at me and said: 'Wait... it's been in there the entire time?!! I could have lost it you idiot'. \"She was quite a hilarious mix of happy and angry.\"", "summary": "All images are copyrighted."}
{"article": "Police said the attacker was a 58-year-old white man armed with a handgun but did not release any further details. Witnesses said the man opened fire about 20 minutes into a screening of a film at the Grand Theatre in Lafayette. Hours earlier, US President Barack Obama told the BBC that gun law reform had been his \"greatest frustration\". Police chief Jim Craft said officers responded to reports of a shooting at about 19:30 local time (00:30 GMT). Mr Craft said nine people were taken to a local hospital with injuries ranging from critical to non-life-threatening. The gunman's identity is known to police, Mr Craft added, but is not being released at this time. \"We don't know whether it was a random act, whether it was a domestic situation,\" Mr Craft said. The police chief said that the gunman did have a criminal history but that it was \"pretty old\". Dozens of emergency vehicles were dispatched to the scene of the shooting in Lafayette, a city of about 120,000 people. One witness said she heard a loud bang like a firecracker and saw a man standing up and shooting during screening of the film Trainwreck. \"He wasn't saying anything. I didn't hear anybody screaming either,\" Katie Domingue told local newspaper The Advertiser. About 100 people are thought to have been in the building at the time of the shooting. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who arrived at the scene late on Thursday night, told reporters: \"We will get through this. We are a resilient community.\" \"This is an awful night for Lafayette. This is an awful night for Louisiana. This is an awful night for the United States,\" he added. US comedian and actress Amy Schumer, who stars in Trainwreck, tweeted: \"My heart is broken and all my thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Louisiana.\" The shooting comes as a jury deliberates the death penalty for a gunman who attacked a cinema in Colorado three years ago. James Holmes, 27, killed 12 people and wounding 70 others in July 2012 at a screening of a Batman film near Denver.", "summary": "A gunman has opened fire at a cinema in the US state of Louisiana, killing two people and injuring nine others before shooting himself, officials say."}
{"article": "It was a role he relished and he often returned to it over a period of four decades. He was a consummate character actor who took on a wide variety of roles on stage, screen and television. And despite playing Johnny Speight's infamous creation for such a long time, he managed to avoid being typecast as Britain's favourite bigot. Warren Mitchell was actually born as Warren Misell on 14 January 1926 in north London. His father, Monty, was English, while his mother Annie, who died when he was 15, was of Russian descent. He was chosen, aged five, to play Tiny Tim in his primary school's production of A Christmas Carol but never made the stage. His Orthodox Jewish grandmother vetoed the idea when she learned he would be breaking Jewish dietary law by eating Christmas pudding containing suet. In later years he developed a pathological loathing of Christmas, referring to it as \"all that sentimental crap\". However, his interest in acting grew and, at the age of seven, he was enrolled in Gladys Gordon's Academy of Dramatic Arts in Walthamstow, east London. He also developed a love of football, becoming a staunch supporter of Tottenham Hotspur. He did well at school and went on to read physical chemistry at University College, Oxford, where he met Richard Burton, who encouraged his interest in acting. They joined the RAF together in 1944 and Mitchell was sent to Canada to train as a navigator, although the war ended before he saw active service. Mitchell enrolled for a two-year course at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, spending his evenings performing with the left-wing Unity Theatre in London, where he met his wife, Connie. Because she was an Anglican, Mitchell's Jewish father initially refused to have Connie in the house, but he eventually came round to the idea of his son marrying outside his faith. Mitchell was an atheist for most of his life and a keen supporter of the British Humanist Association. He changed his name in 1951 when he stood in for the DJ Pete Murray as a presenter on Radio Luxembourg. \"They said, 'You can't have a name like that, nobody's ever going to write in their request to Warren Misell',\" Mitchell later explained. By now he had become a competent character actor in straight and comedy roles, while premature baldness gave him the ability to play a wide age range. After appearing in the popular radio show Educating Archie, he got his TV break in 1955 in a number of episodes of Hancock's Half Hour. He became a TV regular with roles in shows such as The Avengers, Danger Man and The Saint. He also appeared in sitcom, notably with Charlie Drake in the BBC production Drake's Progress, which ran in 1957. By then he had already made his film debut, an uncredited role in the wartime drama The Battle of the River Plate. It was the first of many screen appearances although, with his baldness and command of eastern European accents, he was often cast in minor roles, usually as", "summary": "Warren Mitchell never completely distanced himself from his most famous character, Alf Garnett."}
{"article": "Claire Rafferty and Danielle Carter are recalled to a 23-player squad. The Lionesses qualified for next summer's finals with a 7-0 defeat of Serbia in June. They host Estonia at Meadow Lane on 15 September before concluding their campaign in Leuven on 20 September. Sampson said: \"We may have qualified for the Euros but our focus for our last two qualifiers is absolute. \"We know we face two challenging matches but our focus is two wins to go to the Netherlands as group winners.\" England are two points clear of second-placed Belgium in Group 7. England women's squad: Goalkeepers: Karen Bardsley (Manchester City), Siobhan Chamberlain (Liverpool), Rebecca Spencer (Chelsea). Defenders: Laura Bassett (Notts County), Lucy Bronze (Manchester City), Gilly Flaherty (Chelsea), Steph Houghton (Manchester City), Claire Rafferty (Chelsea), Alex Scott (Arsenal), Demi Stokes (Manchester City), Casey Stoney (Arsenal). Midfielders: Mille Bright (Chelsea), Isobel Christiansen (Manchester City), Jade Moore (Notts County), Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal), Jo Potter (Notts County) Jill Scott (Manchester City), Fara Williams (Arsenal). Forwards: Karen Carney (Chelsea), Danielle Carter (Arsenal), Rachel Daly (Houston Dash), Gemma Davison (Chelsea), Nikita Parris (Manchester City).", "summary": "England women's coach Mark Sampson has named uncapped midfielder Millie Bright in his squad for this month's Euro 2017 qualifying double-header against Estonia and Belgium."}
{"article": "The flight was from Aberdeen to Wick. More follows.", "summary": "A flight is returning to Aberdeen International Airport after an emergency was declared."}
{"article": "The town of Tonbridge is celebrating the end of World War II in Europe with four days of events next month. Pam Mills, of the Royal British Legion, is trying to locate as many people as possible from photos of an original street party held in the town on 8 May. They show children \"in fancy dress with smiles on their faces\", she said. \"You look at it and you instantly smile and you think, 'that's great, let's do it again'.\" The black-and-white photos show residents from the Ives Road, Audley Avenue, Clare Avenue and Pembroke Road areas. Ms Mills has been using social media and local contacts to get in touch with people connected to the original street party, which will be recreated with an afternoon tea party on 7 May at The Humphrey Bean pub in Tonbridge. One of the residents at the VE Day party was Billy Gowin, 82, who was 11-years-old. He said he remembered the day well because his older brother Ted, who was in the Royal Engineers regiment and had been missing, returned home from a German prisoner of war camp just hours before the start of the party. \"My brother was guest of honour at the party... he judged the tug-of-war and lit the bonfire in the evening,\" he recalled, adding that it was a \"very exciting day\" as his mother knew that her other sons would also be coming home. BBC South East are collecting viewers' memories, photos and films of VE Day. Please email: southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or call: 0345 300 3747.", "summary": "Organisers of a Kent street party to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day are arranging a reunion with people who attended a party in 1945."}
{"article": "Until 13 March, he was Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires. Analysts did not see him as a favourite for the job of succeeding Benedict XVI, and his advanced age - at 76, he is just two years younger than Benedict at the time of his election in 2005 - may have surprised those expecting a younger man as the 266th Pope. However he appeals to both Church conservatives and reformers, being seen as orthodox on sexual matters, for instance, but liberal on social justice - though far from being a \"liberation theologist\". He was born on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires, of Italian descent. According to his official Vatican biography, he was ordained as a Jesuit in 1969 and went on to study in Argentina and Germany. As a young man he had a lung removed because of an infection, but his health is currently said to be good. He became a bishop in 1992 and Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998. At the 2005 conclave, he was seen as a contender for the papacy. His election took many by surprise in his home city, where many had thought his age ruled him out, says the BBC's Marcia Carmo in Buenos Aires. But any surprise soon gave way to the jubilant blaring of car horns on the streets. As Cardinal Bergoglio, his sermons always had an impact in Argentina and he often stressed social inclusion, indirectly criticising governments that did not pay attention to those on the margins of society, our correspondent says. Francesca Ambrogetti, who co-authored a biography of him, told Reuters news agency that part of his public appeal lay in his \"sober and austere\" humble lifestyle. In Buenos Aires, he lived in a simple flat. When in Rome, he often preferred to keep his black robe on and is also said to have re-used the cardinal's vest used by his predecessor. On the morning after his election, BBC Rome correspondent David Willey reported, the new Pope slipped out of Vatican City in a motorcade of unmarked vehicles to pray in a Roman Basilica. On the way back to the Vatican, he insisted on settling his bill at a hotel for clergy in the centre of the Italian capital, where he had been staying until the Conclave began on Monday. For the Church establishment, it is a novelty to have a Jesuit in charge - members are supposed to avoid ecclesiastical honours and serve the Pope himself. As a Jesuit, he is a member of perhaps the most powerful and experienced religious order of the Catholic Church, who are known as expert communicators, writes David Willey. It appears that few who know him doubt his conservative credentials. This is how Monsignor Osvaldo Musto, who was at seminary with him, described him in a BBC News article back in 2005: \"He's as uncompromising as Pope John Paul II, in terms of the principles of the Church - everything it has defended regarding euthanasia, the death penalty, abortion, the right to life, human rights, celibacy of priests.\" His views", "summary": "Born in Argentina, Pope Francis is the first Latin American - and the first Jesuit - to lead the Roman Catholic Church."}
{"article": "Made by local volunteers, it gives a simulated experience of flying over the Milford Haven waterway. It has taken two years to build and has been funded by a grant from the Ministry of Defence. A large-scale model of an entire flying boat was also unveiled at Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre. The RAF's Air Officer for Wales, Air Commodore Adrian Williams, said: \"Pembroke Dock is really important to the history of the Sunderland, and although there's a full-scale Sunderland aircraft in the RAF Museum at Hendon, what we've done here in Pembroke Dock is really unique.\"", "summary": "A centre which celebrates Pembrokeshire's wartime history has unveiled a full size replica cockpit of a Sunderland flying boat."}
{"article": "The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) has rated 295 institutions bronze, silver or gold according to their standard of undergraduate teaching. Bangor University was awarded gold, while five other colleges got silver. One - University of Wales, Trinity St David - got bronze. Aberystwyth University and University of South Wales opted not to take part. Across the UK, 59 institutions got gold, 116 silver and 56 bronze. Others received a \"provisional\" ranking, where there was not enough data for a full assessment. Bangor's vice chancellor John G Hughes said the ranking \"reflects its impressive performance\". The TEF is administered by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and degree providers could choose whether or not to take part. They were assessed on a range of measures, including teaching quality, student satisfaction, drop-out rates and whether students go on to employment or further study after graduating. A gold award means a university is of the highest quality found in the UK, providing \"consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students\", while the silver award was given for consistently exceeding \"rigorous national quality requirements for UK higher education\" and bronze was awarded to those that met these national requirements. Those awarded a bronze or higher are now set to be able to raise tuition fees, which currently stand at around \u00c2\u00a39,000. \"Bangor has maintained a strong commitment to the delivery of high quality student experience for many decades,\" Prof Hughes added. \"Not only do we link research and teaching, but we also provide personalised pastoral care, and provide variety and experimentation in our teaching and learning. \"We strongly believe that students deserve to be exposed to, and to be stretched by, the rigour and intellectual challenges of problem solving within their disciplines.\" Dr Mirjam Plantinga, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student Experience at University of Wales Trinity St David, said: \"We are pleased that the panel has recognised good levels of student satisfaction with academic support, and assessment and feedback. \"Together with a focus on employer engagement and our distinctive culture, our TEF result reflects positively on the key values that underpin the UWTSD student experience\".", "summary": "Only one Welsh university got the highest possible score in a new ranking of degree teaching standards."}
{"article": "In court last year Christopher Anthony admitted damaging the Grade II-listed building during work in 2008. The judge ruled Mr Anthony could not afford to pay the council's legal bill but gave permission for the issue to be revisited within a certain time frame. Officials have now said Mr Anthony's circumstances have not changed and the order had been allowed to lapse. The Hippodrome has been derelict for some years when much of the roof and part of the exterior walls collapsed in 2008. In April 2010 developer Mr Anthony, of Bishops Stortford, was given a conditional discharge after admitting ordering work on the building without permission. Since then the council has carried out \u00a343,000 worth of stabilisation work on the structure. A spokesman said: \"Derby City Council intends to recover the cost of the works carried out on Macklin Street and we are reviewing Mr Anthony's financial circumstances to assess the available options.\"", "summary": "Derby City Council has decided not to pursue the owner of the Hippodrome Theatre for \u00a317,000 in legal costs."}
{"article": "The heart of the design shows a group of soldiers lifting a comrade, with his outstretched arms hinting at the crucifixion. The artist, Nicholas Mynheer, said this represents \"an act of compassion and service to others\". The window will be dedicated at a service on 10 July. Mr Mynheer said it was a privilege to produce a window for \"such a splendid building as Southwell Minster\" and to spend time in his life entirely dedicated to considering the Great War. \"It was to be a truly humbling experience as I started to get an inkling of the stupendous sacrifice by all involved,\" he said. \"Initially, I felt overwhelmed by the accounts of sheer horror - mind numbing cruelty - and yet ever so gradually, amidst the darkness, little glimmers of hope appeared; of one man helping another, love overcoming hatred, and it was this that I realised I had to depict in the design.\" Southwell Minster is in Nottinghamshire, but it was the mother church of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire at the time of the war. Mr Mynheer said the sacrifice was not just made in the trenches and at the war front, so those at home are also reflected in the window. Beneath the central group of soldiers a woman hangs up washing, blown by the gathering storm. This represents the women and others who remained at home, but also Mary at the foot of the cross.", "summary": "A window commemorating the sacrifice of people from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in the First World War has been installed at Southwell Minster."}
{"article": "Nicholas Briggs, 28, went missing from HMP Leyhill in South Gloucestershire last Thursday. He is serving an 18-month sentence for domestic assault and was arrested by Gwent Police on Sunday night. A second inmate, Anthony McCormick, 52, who absconded at the same time, and who was handed a life sentence in 1998 after being convicted of rape, handed himself into police on Friday.", "summary": "A second inmate who absconded from an open prison has been arrested."}
{"article": "The cabinet was named shortly after parliament voted for Mr Abe as PM, following his party's emphatic poll victory earlier this month. The Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner have a two-thirds majority in the lower house. Mr Abe vowed \"bold\" economic policies to tackle deflation and said he would strengthen ties with the United States. Mr Abe, who was also PM in 2006-07, chose another former premier, Taro Aso, for the key role of finance minister. Analysts say the cabinet includes a number of Mr Abe's close allies as he eyes the task of pulling Japan out of a prolonged economic slump. Mr Abe told a news conference in Tokyo: \"With the strength of my entire cabinet, I will implement bold monetary policy, flexible fiscal policy and a growth strategy that encourages private investment, and with these three policy pillars, achieve results.\" He also said he would step up Japan's alliance with the United States. The former trade and industry minister, Akira Amari, has been named as minister for economic revival and veteran Toshimitsu Motegi was chosen for the post of trade minister. Some reports say he will be put in charge of energy policy in the aftermath of last year's Fukushima nuclear disaster. Mr Abe is seen as a hawkish, right-of-centre leader. His previous term in office ended ignominiously amid falling popularity. He resigned on grounds of ill health. But he returns to power at a critical moment and is Japan's seventh premier in six years. The grandson of a former prime minister and son of an ex-foreign minister, Mr Abe, 58, has pledged to take a tough line in a territorial row with China. China has urged the new government to take \"practical steps\" to deal with the dispute over islands in the East China Sea. Mr Abe has also called for Japan's pacifist constitution to be revised and patriotic sentiment nurtured. The LDP crushed the governing Democratic Party (DPJ) in the 16 December poll. DPJ leader Yoshihiko Noda stepped down shortly afterwards. The DPJ was elected in 2009 on its promise to increase welfare spending and break ties between the bureaucracy and big business. But its failure to deliver on the economy and response to the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami lost it support. This time round Mr Abe campaigned on a platform promising an end to years of economic stagnation, with more public spending and a looser monetary policy. But some economists say there is little new in Mr Abe's policies, or \"Abenomics\" as they have been called. He has also said he would allow nuclear energy a role in Japan's future despite last year's disaster.", "summary": "Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has unveiled his cabinet as he begins the task of economic revitalisation."}
{"article": "A drab first-half saw little goal threat at either end despite the Welsh side dominating proceedings. In a brighter second period, Wrexham goalkeeper Shwan Jalal pulled off good saves from two Andrai Jones' headers. The hosts took all three points when right-back Edwards sneaked in to force home a cross from Paul Rutherford on 88 minutes. Wrexham manager Dean Keates told BBC Radio Wales: \"It was the perfect result. Performance-wise it was not where we wanted to be, but I would say it was all about getting the result today not about the performance. \"They worked hard, it was a bit scrappy, a bit nervy. But we got the goal and it was all about the three points in the end.\" Match ends, Wrexham 1, Southport 0. Rob Evans (Wrexham) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Second Half ends, Wrexham 1, Southport 0. Goal! Wrexham 1, Southport 0. Kai Edwards (Wrexham). Substitution, Wrexham. George Harry replaces Jordan White. John Rooney (Wrexham) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Southport. James Caton replaces Ben McKenna. Second Half begins Wrexham 0, Southport 0. First Half ends, Wrexham 0, Southport 0. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "A late goal from Kai Edwards gave Wrexham a first win in four National League games as they saw off Southport."}
{"article": "Inter are 12th in the Serie A table after a 1-0 loss at Sampdoria on Sunday, their fourth defeat in five league games. Former Netherlands defender and ex-Ajax boss De Boer, 46, was heavily linked with vacancies at Premier League clubs Everton and Southampton in the summer. Inter visit Southampton in the Europa League on Thursday (20:05 GMT). Youth team coach Stefano Vecchi will take charge of the first team for that fixture. De Boer tweeted that \"to carry out this project needed more time\" and thanked Inter supporters for their support. Before joining Inter, De Boer had taken Ajax to four successive Dutch titles but lost out to PSV Eindhoven on the final day of last season. He signed a three-year contract with Inter in August, replacing former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini. It is six years since Inter won the treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League under Jose Mourinho, now Manchester United boss, but since coming second in 2011 they have finished sixth, ninth, fifth, eighth and fourth. They are now looking for a ninth manager since Mourinho left in the summer of 2010. Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez, Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri and Watford boss Walter Mazzarri have all coached at the San Siro in the past six years. Former Inter Milan midfielder Paul Ince on BBC World Service I feel sorry for Frank. He's a top manager. He didn't get much time. Sometimes when you're at a big club, you don't really get the time. The results haven't been great. One of the major things that hasn't helped him is AC Milan have done well under Vincenzo Montella. Inter of the last three or four years haven't been the Inter of old. They don't attract the best players like Juve, Roma and Napoli. I feel since [former owner] Massimo Moratti sold his major stake, they haven't been the same. They've gone through so many managers in the past six or seven years. When I was there in 1995-96, it was full of Italian players who cared about the club and fans. I watched their game the other day and they only had about three Italian players.", "summary": "Inter Milan have sacked manager Frank de Boer after just 85 days in charge of the Italian club."}
{"article": "The former international moved to Linfield last summer but he had limited game time at Windsor Park because of injury and was eventually released. Clingan's cross-channel career included spells at Norwich City, Coventry City, Nottingham Forest and Kilmarnock. The midfielder, who won 39 Northern Ireland caps, lined out for Glenavon in a pre-season friendly against Loughgall on Saturday. Glenavon open their Irish Premiership campaign with a contest away to Warrenpoint Town on Saturday.", "summary": "Glenavon have signed ex-Northern Ireland midfielder Sammy Clingan."}
{"article": "Dale Farm head David Dobbin was speaking as the processing firm unveiled a new \u00a32.5m cheese packing line at its County Tyrone plant. It ends a \u00a37m investment at Cookstown that created 60 jobs. He said the industry wanted a free-trade deal giving access to EU markets. Mr Dobbin added that a couple of future investment projects would depend on the outcome of trade negotiations with the EU. But he said the bulk of them would go ahead regardless. As much as \u00a370m worth of sales is being generated by the Cookstown plant. Much of the cheese is destined for customers in Britain, with the rest serving markets in Europe, the West Indies and the United States. Mr Dobbin said the company was \"well-hedged\" in relation to future trade arrangements. He said any tariffs would make imports more expensive, allowing UK companies to sell more produce to the domestic market. If a free-trade deal was concluded with the EU, Dale Farm could continue to grow its European business, he added. Economy Minister Simon Hamilton attended the launch of the facility that received more than \u00a3500,000 pounds of public money. He said he was keen to work with companies to help them overcome the challenges and seize opportunities the UK's withdrawal from the EU would present. Mr Hamilton added that agri-food is a key element of the Northern Ireland economy and one that had \"defied the odds\" during the downturn. Earlier this month, the first and deputy first ministers wrote to the prime minister calling for an open trading arrangement with the EU and highlighting the importance of agri-food to the wider Northern Ireland economy.", "summary": "Twenty million pounds of investment in one of Northern Ireland's biggest agri-food companies is set to go ahead regardless of the outcome of negotiations over Brexit."}
{"article": "The man posted a picture of himself holding the baby out of a window in a high-rise building with the caption: \"1,000 likes or I will drop him.\" It prompted other social media users to demand his arrest for child abuse. He was charged with endangering the baby's safety following his arrest on Sunday, police said. The child was dangled out of the 15th-floor window of an apartment block in the capital, Algiers, news site Al Arabiya reported. The man, who is a relative of the child, denied he put his life at risk, saying the image had been altered by social media users, Algeria's privately owned Ennahar TV reported. \"The picture was taken in a balcony with protective barriers. These were removed,\" he was quoted as saying. The child's father urged the court to forgive the man, saying he had just been playing a game. However, the judge ruled against him, saying the picture was clear and the child's life was in danger. Articles shared on social media about the incident got thousands of mostly angry reactions, reports BBC North Africa correspondent Rana Jawad. Many Algerians insulted the man, and praised the authorities for arresting him and sentencing him, she adds. Earlier reports incorrectly described the convicted man as the child's father.", "summary": "A court in Algeria has sentenced a man to two years in prison for dangling a baby out of a window in order to attract \"likes\" on Facebook."}
{"article": "His comments come after his government accused the UN of hiding rebels and guns at their camps - which it denies. More than 70,000 civilians are seeking shelter at UN bases across South Sudan after fighting broke out last month. The UN says both government soldiers and rebels have committed atrocities in one of the world's poorest countries. What started out as a political dispute between Mr Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar on 15 December has escalated into full-scale conflict, with reports of ethnic killings. Around 500,000 people have been displaced and the UN estimates that considerably more than 1,000 have been killed. The UN is in the process of deploying an extra 5,500 peacekeepers to South Sudan, to bring its forces up to 12,500. Read Mark's full report Mr Kiir made his comments, broadcast on national TV, following the weekend capture of Bor from rebel forces. The South Sudanese army also says it has recaptured the key town of Malakal after days of heavy fighting, though this is disputed by the rebels. Friction with the UN followed an attempt on Sunday by the information minister to forcibly gain access to the UN base in Bor, where they believed armed rebels were hiding. In a statement, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said he was \"alarmed\" and \"disturbed\" by the threat to staff of the UN Mission in South Sudan (Unmiss). \"We did not know that when the Unmiss was brought to South Sudan, they were brought as a parallel government with the government in South Sudan,\" Mr Kiir said. \"They fell short of naming the chief of the Unmiss as a co-president of the Republic of South Sudan. \"If that is the position of Ban Ki-moon, he should make it clear that he wants the UN to take over South Sudan.\" Mr Kiir added that the UN should allow the government to search for guns among those seeking shelter in the camps - and hand over any guns, uniforms and government vehicles already in UN hands. The Unmiss spokesperson told the BBC the UN was impartial and had a \"zero tolerance policy towards weapons\" in its camps. \"When people come to our sites with weapons, uniforms - military equipment of any sort - it has been given to us to make sure that the site have a civilian nature,\" Ariane Quentier told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme. Ms Quentier said the UN was in discussion with the government about handing over such confiscated items and denied that the UN was sheltering rebels. \"It is very clear that we have a number of people that we cannot check individually but just the mere fact that we have 70-80% women and children is a clear indication that we're not sheltering rebels,\" she said, adding that she was sure relations with the government would improve. \"Like in every love story there are ups and downs - we may be a bit down these days but we are very confident that things will come back to normal.\" Mr Kiir also accused other humanitarian", "summary": "South Sudan President Salva Kiir has accused the UN peacekeeping mission of acting like a \"parallel government\" in his country."}
{"article": "For many pundits the move comes as a surprise, because M-Pesa has been a huge success in other African states - especially in Kenya where it was launched in 2007. The service allows people without bank accounts to transfer money quickly, easily and safely using their mobile phones. According to a World Bank report, only 12% of Africans with bank accounts use mobile money services. However, this is not the case in South Africa. Mobile phone usage is high - nine in 10 South Africans own a mobile phone - and a third of these are smartphones, according to figures from the Pew Research Center. Yet South Africa has the most technologically advanced, financially liquid and accessible banking system on the continent. About 75% of adults in the country have bank accounts, a survey done by technology research body FinMark shows. In a statement, Vodacom Chief Executive Shameel Joosub said the success of M-Pesa in South Africa hinged on \"achieving a critical mass of users\". But Vodacom has struggled to find the customers. That is the problem. M-Pesa was launched in South Africa in 2010, perhaps with the hope of capturing the energy and excitement of a nation hosting the football World Cup. Trading on its position as the leading mobile operator in the country, Vodacom thought it could build an M-Pesa customer base of 10 million in three years. However, six years on the service only has 76,000 active users in South Africa, although many more have been registered. M-Pesa: The mobile wallet Source: Vodacom Jambo pesa! (Hello, money! in Swahili) A few reasons have been cited for its failure. Vodacom had to partner with a bank to provide the financial service on its platform. Nedbank was its choice - and although it is one of the largest banks in South Africa, the perception is that it caters for middle-class and high-income earners. These customers already have an array of banking services and platforms through which to conduct their business. South Africa is also a country where banks have actually made significant inroads in both urban and rural areas. Though untested, it is said that there is a bank, branch or ATM within a 20km (12-mile) radius in any urban or rural settlement. So the challenge in South Africa is not about access. Rather it is the ability to use various technologies to support how people save, spend and invest their money. In this regard, banks in the country are focused on developing new financial products that will enhance savings schemes and pension funds. Mobile phone operators, on the other hand, are working towards opening more secure platforms - for instance linking banks, hospitals, retailers, insurers, municipalities and revenue services. There is definitely still a case to be made for getting the unbanked population to open up accounts. And statistics show this is the trend. A 2015 KPMG report revealed that South African banks are growing at an annual rate of 7% and to date the industry has assets worth $361bn (\u00c2\u00a3250bn). The prospects for financial services are good. Vodacom remains", "summary": "South Africa's largest mobile phone operator Vodacom has announced it will be scrapping its M-Pesa mobile money transfer system in Africa's second-biggest economy."}
{"article": "The Rift headset will be released early next year. Until now, only a \"developer\" version had been sold. The deal with Microsoft, the tech giant that makes the Xbox, means Oculus owners will be able to stream Xbox One games to the headset and see them as if they are being viewed on a huge \"home cinema\" screen. The new headset will compete with rivals such as Sony's Morpheus and HTC's Vive.", "summary": "Oculus Virtual Reality (VR) has revealed its new headset for customers, and revealed it will come with an Xbox One controller."}
{"article": "Bruce Rourke's collie attacked the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at a Scotmid store in Castle Street, Tayport, on 5 January.. Rourke, 57, from Tayport, pleaded guilty on summary complaint to a charge under the Dangerous Dogs Act. Dundee Sheriff Court heard the girl was with her mother, who was using an ATM outside the shop. At the same time Rourke was tying up the dog a few feet away. The animal lunged at the girl before biting her on the body. She was taken to Dundee's Ninewells Hospital and given antibiotics as a precaution but suffered permanent injury. Sheriff Alastair Brown deferred sentence until next month and said he may make an order for the dog to be destroyed.", "summary": "A \"dangerously out of control\" dog could be put down after it bit a 10-year-old girl outside a Fife shop."}
{"article": "For an overview of our coverage on Red Button and the website - plus network TV and radio please visit this page. BBC Radio 5 live and sports extra schedule BBC local radio online commentaries", "summary": "Details of forthcoming live BBC Sport coverage."}
{"article": "Mr Su was a vice-chairman of China's parliamentary advisory body. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said he had used his position to obtain \"large bribes\". State media had announced in June 2014 that the government was investigating him for corruption. The CCDI statement (in Chinese) said that Mr Su had been expelled from the party and relieved of all positions. It added that his behaviour had \"resulted in serious violations of the law\" and that \"the issue of his alleged crime, clues, and evidence have been handed to the legal authorities for them to take action\". It said that Mr Su had abused his position of authority, receiving \"large sums of illegal bribes\" which resulted in \"huge losses of government assets\". The statement did not give figures. Mr Su, who was previously the top Communist Party official in Jiangxi province, was also found to be \"chiefly responsible for the serious corruption problem that has emerged in Jiangxi\". Chinese media reported in November last year that several officials from a city in Jiangxi said to have links to Mr Su were arrested. He was one of 23 vice-chairmen with the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which was seen as a prestigious position. The conference advises China's legislature, the National People's Congress. China has been conducting a widespread crackdown on corruption since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012, and has arrested dozens of officials and others in the private sector. The authorities have also gone after those who have fled the country, and extradited hundreds of suspected \"economic criminals\" back to China last year. Mr Su is considered to be among the most senior government figures caught in the dragnet, along with former security chief Zhou Yongkang who was arrested in December.", "summary": "Former senior official Su Rong has been expelled from the Chinese Communist Party for corruption and faces prosecution, said the country's top anti-corruption body."}
{"article": "He won the Lightweight and 350cc Junior Classic races, either side of Swallows' 16th win in the 850cc Classic. The event, featuring bikes made before 1972, is a TT curtain-raiser and takes place at Billown Circuit. Meanwhile, Vince Biggs and Vicky Cooke won both of the Billown event's sidecar races. Jamie Coward, Iain Robertson and Steve Ferguson also won races at the Pre-TT Classic which has been staged at Billown each year since 1988.", "summary": "English rider Mike Hose claimed two wins at the Pre-TT Classic in the Isle of Man on Monday to move level with Bill Swallow's tally of 16 victories."}
{"article": "The visitors, set 269 to win, opened with a stand of 87 between Mark Wallace (50) and Jacques Rudolph. But spinners Graeme van Buuren and Jack Taylor and seamer Craig Miles claimed eight wickets between them in the hour before tea. Taylor wrapped up the victory with the final two wickets after the break. It was Gloucestershire's first championship victory at their Bristol headquarters for more than two seasons. Meanwhile Glamorgan captain Jacques Rudolph confirmed that South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn, currently playing in the Indian Premier League is trying to complete visa formalities to allow him to sign for part of the T20 Blast campaign. Gloucestershire spinner Jack Taylor said: \"It was a bit strange, it wasn't spinning too much but we stuck the ball in the right area. \"They were coming hard, looking to chase the runs and we didn't shell any chances, we took the catches that came our way. \"They needed three and a half an over and we knew if we bowled tight, it would be difficult for them. \"They got off to a good start but G (van Buuren) came on and took three quick wickets which was just what we needed, really great.\" Glamorgan captain Jacques Rudolph told BBC Wales Sport: \"When Mark (Wallace) and myself had that partnership upfront, I genuinely thought we had a great chance of winning this game. \"It was a crazy session, we lost ten wickets for around sixty runs on a fairly flat wicket and it's important we have a good look at ourselves. We got ourselves into a winning position and threw it away, we can't afford to do that. \"It was poor execution, we had guys caught on the boundary, at mid-off and mid-on, and it's difficult to explain. \"It's hard work at the moment, but we have to re-group and start afresh. I have been in positions like this before and you have to be a bit careful about over-analysing stuff, we've got to stick to the basics.\"", "summary": "Gloucestershire earned their first win of the season as Glamorgan collapsed in spectacular fashion on the final afternoon."}
{"article": "Ond eleni roedd ergyd i'r trefnwyr ar \u00f4l clywed na fydd un o gymalau ras beicio broffesiynol y 'tour series' yn cael ei chynnal yn ystod yr \u0175yl. Roedd y cymal Cymreig wedi'i gynnal yn Aberystwyth am chwe blynedd yn olynnol hyd at y llynedd - ond eleni dyw'r daith ddim yn ymweld \u00e2 Chymru o gwbwl. Er hynny, gyda chymorth noddwyr lleol a grant o \u00a320,000 oddi wrth Gyngor Ceredigion mae trefnwyr yr \u0175yl seiclo wedi llenwi'r bwlch ac yn addo g\u0175yl gystal ag erioed yn Aberystwyth ym mis Mai. Dywedodd Clint Middleton, sy'n gyfrifol am farchnata'r \u0175yl: \"Mae'n bwysig i ni fod yr \u0175yl yn tyfu i fod yn rhywbeth sydd o fudd nid dim ond i ni fel seiclwyr ond hefyd ar gyfer y gymuned a'r economi leol. \"Ry'n ni wedi bod yn mesur gwerth yr \u0175yl - ac mae'r nos Wener, noson fwya'r \u0175yl, werth oddeutu \u00a3300,000 i'r economi yn Aberystwyth, gyda phobl yn aros dros nos, yn bwyta'n lleol ac yn prynu pethau yn y dref.\" Y nos Wener oedd noson y cymal yn y 'tour series' - ond er gwaetha ei absenoldeb o'r \u0175yl eleni, mae'r trefnwyr wedi llwyddo i ddenu ras broffesiynol arall i'r dref i lenwi'r bwlch. Fe fydd timau proffesiynol yn cystadlu ar hyd yr un ffyrdd o gwmpas yr hen goleg a'r castell ac mae'r trefnwyr yn dweud na fydd y gynulleidfa yn gweld gwahaniaeth o ran y cyffro o gymharu \u00e2'r chwe blynedd ddwethaf. \"Mae'r \u0175yl yn ehangu bob blwyddyn\" meddai Nia Peris, aelod arall o bwyllgor trefnu'r \u0175yl, \"ac mae gennym ni bethau eto eleni oedd yn boblogaidd iawn y llynedd fel y ddringfa i fyny allt serth Cefn Llan. \"Hefyd mae gennym ni ras ar ben ei hun i ferched am y tro cyntaf - fe fydd yn cael llwyfan cyfartal gyda ras y dynion a bydd y wobr ariannol yr un peth hefyd. \"Mae'r clwb seiclo lleol - sy'n 65 oed eleni - yn ffynnu. Mae tua 150 o aelodau sy'n oedolion ac mae 'na adran iau newydd sy'n cynnwys rhwng 40 a 50 o aelodau. \"Mae gennym ni lefydd i ymarfer oddi ar y ffyrdd gyda'r plant iau ond mae rhai yn gorfod mynd lawr i Gaerfyrddin er mwyn cael trac pwrpasol ar gyfer ymarfer pellach. \"Byddai'n braf iawn cael mwy o adnoddau seiclo yma yng Ngheredigion.\" Mae galwadau ers blynyddoedd gan seiclwyr yn Aberystwyth, ac yn y canolbarth yn ehangach, i sefydlu felodrom yn yr ardal. Hyd yn hyn dyw'r galwadau ddim wedi arwain at unrhyw ddatblygu ar y ddaear tra bod buddsoddiad wedi'i wneud mewn cyfleusterau yn y de a'r gogledd. Ond nawr mae'n debyg fod ymdrechion o'r newydd i ddatblygu trac pwrpasol yn Aberystwyth. Pe bai hynny'n digwydd fe fydd gan drefnwyr yr \u0175yl seiclo yn Aberystwyth reswm arall i ddathlu.", "summary": "Mae G\u0175yl Seiclo Aberystwyth wedi tyfu i fod yn ddigwyddiad pwysig sy'n cyfrannu cannoedd o filoedd o bunnoedd i'r economi leol."}
{"article": "Lily Hartley was in Bradford Royal Infirmary when two rings, which had belonged to her late husband, were taken. Her granddaughter, Emma Hartley, reported the theft on Facebook and said the rings had sentimental value. Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it \"sincerely apologised\" to the family. A spokesperson added they were \"fully investigating the matter.\" Read more about this and other stories from across West Yorkshire West Yorkshire Police said it had been alerted to the theft relating to Mrs Hartley and also a second one at the hospital. Officers said it believed two victims, both women in their 80s, had items of jewellery taken between the 26 and 29 March.", "summary": "Hospital bosses have apologised after a woman in her 80s had jewellery stolen whilst in hospital."}
{"article": "Claim: Leaving the EU would make an average holiday for four people to the EU \u00a3230 more expensive in two years. Reality Check verdict: It would be reasonable to expect a weaker pound to make foreign holidays more expensive, but it is hard to predict a precise figure. Actually, only the starting point of this analysis comes from the Treasury - Monday's document from the Treasury predicted that if we left the EU, the pound would be 12% weaker in two years than it would have been if we had stayed in. The 12% figure is not excessive compared with other predictions. Some banks have been forecasting much more severe declines in sterling if the UK leaves the EU. The next step was to get the Office for National Statistics to work out the average cost of a holiday for four to various destinations, based on the International Passenger Survey. Then, you work out how much extra that holiday would cost if the pound was worth 12% less. And the result you get is that the average eight-day stay in the EU for four people (that's any group of four, not necessarily a family) would cost an extra \u00a3230 due to currency movements. In addition to the currency effect, the release from Downing Street also refers to the chances of air fares increasing following a Brexit, which the Reality Check team has considered before. We concluded that leaving the EU could lead to an increase in fares, but that the impact could be reduced or even avoided depending on what agreements the UK reached with the EU and other countries. The release also refers to the cost of mobile phone calls if roaming fees are not abolished. From next year, mobile phone roaming charges will be abolished across the EU, saving UK customers up to 38p per minute on calls. But if Britain left the EU, it is possible the UK and Brussels could agree a new deal. Read more: The facts behind claims in the EU debate", "summary": "Prime Minister David Cameron has warned: \"If we were to leave, and the pound were to fall, which is what most people expect and what the Treasury forecast, that would put up the cost of a typical holiday for a family of four to a European destination by \u00a3230.\""}
{"article": "The 22-year-old, who had a loan spell at Rotherham earlier this season, has agreed a deal with the Addicks until the summer of 2019. Forster-Caskey scored nine goals in 82 appearances for the Seagulls after making his debut aged 16 in 2010. \"Jake is a real talent who has shown his quality in the Championship,\" boss Karl Robinson told the club website. Former England Under-21 international Forster-Caskey worked under 36-year-old Robinson last season during two loan stints at former club MK Dons. He is Charlton's second signing of the January transfer window, and his arrival at The Valley came after winger Ademola Lookman left the Addicks to join Premier League side Everton in an \u00a311m deal. Meanwhile, Brighton under-23 midfielder Jack Harper has moved to Spanish side Malaga for an undisclosed fee. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League One side Charlton Athletic have signed midfielder Jake Forster-Caskey from Brighton for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "Oliver Jones, from Innellan, was crossing the A815 which runs through the village when he struck by a Renault truck at about 16:15 hours on Tuesday. He was taken by ambulance to Dunoon General Hospital and later transferred to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow where he died. The 56-year-old man who was driving the tanker was not injured. Police have appealed for witnesses.", "summary": "Police have released the name of a 12-year-old boy who died after being hit by a tanker in Argyll and Bute."}
{"article": "Currently no British companies are involved, despite Ethiopia approaching the UK for assistance at the start, and the project being constructed according to official UK railway industry standards. The centrepiece of the new rail system is the planned line between Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, and the neighbouring country of Djibouti. So far about a quarter of the preparation work has been completed on this key route, which will enable land-locked Ethiopia to access Djibouti City's port on the Horn of Africa coast. Meanwhile in Addis Ababa, construction of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) - similar to London's Docklands Light Railway - will give the capital its first mass transit system, transforming mobility in a city where nearly 90% of the population travel on foot, or by squeezing in to buses and taxis. Both projects began in early 2012 and are joint ventures between the Ethiopian government and Chinese companies that successfully bid for the $3.3bn (\u00c2\u00a32.2bn) Addis-Djibouti contract, and the $500m LRT project. \"I was hoping that by now there would have been more input from UK companies,\" says John Pearson, a British railway engineer with more than 40 years' experience. Mr Pearson has since 2009 been technical adviser to the Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC), which is overseeing both projects. He describes the present lack of British involvement as unfortunate and something that needs to be addressed by UK government. In 2008, ERC general manager Getachew Betru visited the UK to explain Ethiopia's railway infrastructure plans. Mr Pearson, who met Mr Betru during his visit, decided to move to Ethiopia after being impressed by the project. Also, Mr Pearson hoped to promote British businesses within the Ethiopian railway sector. However, no other UK interests followed him to participate in what he calls \"one of the most important transport infrastructure projects for Ethiopia and East Africa\". The British embassy in Addis Ababa tried on many occasions to promote business opportunities offered by the railway infrastructure's development, according to Dessalegn Yigzaw, its trade development manager. But Ethiopia still has an image problem, Mr Yigzaw says, with UK companies failing to believe business is possible while associating the country with famine and drought. Mr Pearson echoes this sentiment, saying that UK companies remain nervous about participating in major projects in sub-Saharan Africa. While he acknowledges some companies have had bad experiences, he says this should not hold others back as the UK has capacity-building skills Ethiopia needs. Insufficient short-term profit margin is most likely putting UK companies off coming to Africa, says Manaye Ewunetu, managing director of London-based ME Consulting Engineers that specialises in Africa and the Middle East. \"It might not look like a mistake now,\" Mr Ewunetu says, \"but in the long term it could look like a mistake.\" The Addis-Djibouti corridor has always been an important strategic route for Ethiopia. The new 781km route eastward to Djibouti - offering the shortest distance from Addis Ababa to a seaport - is expected to haul 11.2 million tonnes of freight in its first year of operation in 2016, rising to 24.9 million tonnes", "summary": "Across the Ethiopian countryside 2,000km (1,243 miles) of railway is being built, the first phase of an endeavour to create a new 5,000km network."}
{"article": "Some go on to become major charities - the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, established after the racially aggravated murder of the teenager, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Others flourish briefly and then fold. But how does setting up a charity or trust help the families at the heart of the tragedy? The Williams family, from Wellington, Shropshire, lost their teenage daughter in May. The body of the 17-year-old was found off the Nant-y-Garth pass, near Wrexham, days after she had gone missing from home. Jamie Reynolds, 22, of Avondale Road, Wellington, Shropshire, has appeared in court charged with her murder. After Georgia's death, friends quickly raised enough for a memorial bench, but so many people had pledged money that the Georgia Williams Trust was formed to create a lasting legacy. \"It has been really heartwarming to see people getting involved, organising events and reading all their supportive comments,\" said her father Steve Williams. \"[The family] have been able to take a lot of comfort from what people have said and how they remember her.\" He added: \"The trust will ultimately be used to enable young people of Telford and Wrekin to access enrichment activities - whether that be canoeing, rock climbing, tennis, flying or something else and also to encourage young people to volunteer.\" Richard Langton, chair of the trust, recognises how it has helped the family and is determined to keep close ties with them. The Charity Commission said when people set up a new charity - especially in response to a tragedy - they are often overwhelmed by the generosity of others. With time donations naturally decline and many small charities find it hard to get enough money for their cause. The commission strongly advises people to ask themselves whether they can make sure that when they set up a charity it is sustainable, otherwise they \"risk letting beneficiaries down\". The Charity Commission \"We hope that the charity can provide a positive focus for the family at this incredibly hard time for them and give them some comfort to know that there is a positive legacy, that Georgia's name will live on,\" the West Mercia Police inspector said. \"We will continue to work closely with the family - we have a trustee in Scarlet Williams, Georgia's sister, who'll be working with us to make sure we stay on track to deliver from the charity what the family wanted.\" Mr Langton said the challenge was to build a charity that can survive \"beyond these few incredibly painful months\". The trust already has 5,200 followers on Facebook and 500 followers on Twitter, and Mr Langton is now appealing for those people to \"get in touch and get involved\". Ann Oakes-Odger knows first-hand the \"desperate emotion\" that parents experience when they lose a child, and also how having something positive to focus on after the tragedy can help. Her son, Westley, died after being stabbed in the neck while standing at a cash machine in Colchester, Essex, in September 2005. Two brothers were convicted in 2006 of his manslaughter and murder. She successfully", "summary": "Every year charitable trusts are set up in memory of people who have met violent or tragic deaths."}
{"article": "Tear gas was used near the Idomeni crossing, where more than 11,000 refugees and other migrants are camped out on the Greek side of the border. Aid organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said it had treated around 300 injured people. Balkan states closed off the migrant route to northern Europe this year. \"The indiscriminate use of chemicals, rubber bullets and stun grenades against vulnerable populations... is a dangerous and deplorable act,\" Greek government spokesman George Kyritsis said. MSF said authorities had fired tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades at those trying to force their way into Macedonia. \"Two hundred people were treated for respiratory problems caused by tear gas, mostly men but including women and some children under the age of five,\" MSF spokesman Jonas Hagensen told the BBC. More than 30 people were treated for rubber bullet wounds, he added, and a further 10 people said they had been beaten by Macedonian police. Some 30 people had been treated for shock and other injuries; seven had been sent to hospital with more serious wounds. Sunday's unrest reportedly began after a group of migrants approached the fence to ask Macedonian border guards to open it and let them pass. When their demand was rejected, they were joined by others, some of whom were carrying packed bags. Migrants could be seen running from clouds of tear gas just inside the Greek border, as well as hurling stones across the fence. 152,461 in 2016, up to 7 April 37% of 2016 arrivals are children 53% arrive on Lesbos 366 died on Turkey-Greece route 853,650 arrivals in 2015 An unnamed Macedonian police official told AFP: \"Greek police are using tear gas near the border with Macedonia. It is calm so far on the Macedonian side of the border.\" However, Reuters news agency, also quoting an unnamed Macedonian police official, said migrants had thrown stones at the Macedonian police. \"The police fired tear gas in response,\" the official said. \"The migrants were pushing against the fence but standing on the Greek side of the border. The fence is still there, they have not broken through.\" This week Greece began deporting migrants who do not qualify for asylum, under an EU deal with Turkey. More than 300 people, many of them Pakistanis, were sent to Turkey by ferry from the Greek islands. In addition, nearly 100 were deported via Greece's land border with Turkey, AFP reports. The International Organisation for Migration said the rate of arrivals had dropped in the first week of April, with 5 April the first day since last year that no arrivals were recorded. More than a million undocumented refugees and other migrants have entered the EU by boat from Turkey to Greece since early last year, generating an unprecedented crisis for the EU's 28 member-states. A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee", "summary": "Greece has condemned the action of Macedonian police to disperse hundreds of migrants at the border between the two countries."}
{"article": "With five matches remaining, the Daggers are 11 points from safety and could go down on Saturday if they lose at play-off hopefuls Leyton Orient. The Hatters took the lead seven minutes before half-time when Ruddock's shot went in off the underside of the bar. Jamie Cureton's shot was cleared off the line and Oliver Hawkins hit the bar as Dagenham failed to find a leveller. Luton picked up their first win in four, but remain six points off the play-off places.", "summary": "Pelly Ruddock's second goal of the season for Luton all but condemned Dagenham to relegation from League Two."}
{"article": "Kerem Demirbay was given a second yellow card in his side's Bundesliga 2 match against FSV Frankfurt last week. Demirbay reportedly told female referee Bibi Steinhaus women have no place in football while leaving the pitch. \"This is what happens when young players make mistakes,\" Fortuna said on Facebook. Turkish youth international Demirbay, who was made to referee the girls' game by his club, is still awaiting sanction by the German FA for his comments but has repeatedly apologised. \"I am extremely sorry for having said what I did to Ms Steinhaus,\" Demirbay said earlier this week. \"I should never have said this sentence and it does not reflect my image of women.\"", "summary": "A Fortuna Dusseldorf midfielder was made to referee a junior league girls' game as punishment for insulting a female referee."}
{"article": "The little girl sustained two injuries in 2013 - a bite mark to her face aged nine months, and a fracture to her upper arm when she was 13 months old. A Crown Court judge branded the offences by her 30-year-old father as \"appalling\". He was given a 12-month prison sentence which will be followed by two years on licence upon his release. The 30-year-old man, who lives in the Ards Peninsula, was found guilty of two charges - being cruel to a child and causing her grievous bodily harm. He told the court he could not cope with parenting, and claimed that the more his daughter cried, the more stressed he became. Belfast Crown Court heard that the child's father has Asperger's Syndrome, which the judge accepted may have impacted on how he dealt with stress. However, the judge said that whilst his condition may be relevant to explain some of his behaviour, the offences were serious and as such attracted a custodial sentence. Also appearing in court was the child's mother, who was made the subject of a two-year probation order after she admitted a single charge of child cruelty. The judge said that she failed, as a mother, to protect her child from the risk of harm posed by her partner, given she was aware of the first incident where her daughter's face was injured. Neither the child's mother nor her father can be named in order to protect the identity of the little girl, who the court heard is now living with a family member and is \"thriving.\" The court also heard that the couple broke up sometime between the first and second assault as the father still had access to his daughter. The judge told the 30-year-old: \"Such appalling offences against a helpless and vulnerable baby cannot be treated lightly.\" During sentencing on Friday, it emerged that the father has had no contact with his daughter since the second assault and is unlikely to do so, while the child's mother has limited access.", "summary": "A man who assaulted his baby daughter on two separate occasions in the family home in west Belfast has been jailed."}
{"article": "Bydd y cynllun yn cefnogi bron i 15,000 o siopau, bwytai, tafarnau a chaffis meddai Llywodraeth Cymru. Y bwriad yw cynnwys busnesau sydd wedi gweld cynnydd yn eu cyfraddau busnes o ganlyniad i'r ailbrisiad gan Asiantaeth Annibynnol y Swyddfa Brisio, fydd yn dod i rym ar 1 Ebrill. Cyfraddau busnes ydy'r dreth mae cwmn\u00efau yn ei dalu am eu hadeiladau, ac mae yna bryderon y bydd y cynnydd o achos ailbrisio yn gwneud bywyd yn anodd i rai - gyda rhai busnesau yn credu y byddan nhw'n mynd i'r wal. Bydd cwmn\u00efau sy'n gymwys i gael yr arian yn derbyn hyd at \u00a31,500 tuag at eu cyfraddau - a bydd angen iddyn nhw gysylltu gyda'u cynghorau lleol i weld os ydy'r cymorth ar gael iddyn nhw. Wrth gyhoeddi'r manylion, dywedodd yr Athro Drakeford: \"Mae rhai manwerthwyr ledled Cymru yn pryderu am y cynnydd yn eu hardrethi o ganlyniad i'r ailbrisiad gan Asiantaeth y Swyddfa Brisio. \"Rydym felly'n darparu swm pellach o \u00a310m i helpu busnesau yn y cymunedau hynny y cafwyd effaith andwyol arnynt. \"Mae'r cynllun newydd hwn yn ychwanegol at y cynllun rhyddhad trosiannol gwerth \u00a310m, a fydd ar gael hefyd o 1 Ebrill, a'r toriad o \u00a3100m mewn trethi ar gyfer busnesau bach yng Nghymru a ddarperir gan ryddhad ardrethi busnes bach. \"Mae gwaith eisoes ar y gweill i ddatblygu cynllun rhyddhad ardrethi parhaol ar gyfer busnesau bach newydd ar gyfer 2018. Rydym yn gwrando ar yr adborth yr ydym wedi'i gael er mwyn i ni wneud y cynllun mor deg, rhesymol a thryloyw \u00e2 phosib.\" Mae'r gronfa yn rhan o'r fargen rhwng Llafur a Phlaid Cymru a chafodd ei chyhoeddi cyn y Nadolig. Dywedodd llefarydd Plaid Cymru ar yr economi, Adam Price fod ei blaid yn falch o allu \"cynnig y \u00a310m ychwanegol yma i gefnogi busnesau sydd wedi eu heffeithio gan yr ailbrisio diweddar mewn cyfraddau busnes, fel rhan o'r cytundeb diweddar ar y gyllideb rhwng Plaid Cymru a Llywodraeth Cymru\". \"Ond rhaid i Lywodraeth Llafur Cymru anrhydeddu'r addewid a wnaeth yn ystod etholiad y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol a delifro cynllun rhyddhad cyfraddau busnes tecach yng Nghymru sy'n gorfod cynnwys asesiadau ailbrisio mwy cyson,\" meddai. Wrth ymateb i'r cyhoeddiad, dywedodd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig fod cwestiynau'n parhau dros bwy fydd yn gymwys i dderbyn yr arian. Dywedodd Nick Ramsay AC: \"Tra rydym yn croesawu'r arian ychwanegol mae cwestiynau'n parhau dros bwy sy'n gymwys i'w dderbyn a'r hyn sy'n cael ei ddiffinio fel 'Stryd Fawr', ac mae'n bell o fod yn eglur fod yr arian yma'n cael ei dargedu tuag at fusnesau sydd wedi eu heffeithio gan yr ailbrisiad diweddar. \"Rhaid i'r cynlluniau hyn fod mewn lle ymhen wythnosau, sy'n rhoi pwysau sylweddol ar awdurdodau lleol. \"Dyma pam fod ymateb poenus o ara' deg Llafur i'r ailbrisio wedi bod mor siomedig, gan ychwanegu at y poen meddwl sy'n cael ei deimlo gan y rhai sydd wedi eu heffeithio fwyaf.\" Ychwanegodd fod angen trafodaeth sylfaenol am y math o gynllun sydd ei angen yn y dyfodol.", "summary": "Mae'r Ysgrifennydd Cyllid, Mark Drakeford wedi cyhoeddi manylion cynllun gwerth \u00a310m sydd wedi ei anelu at gynnig cymorth ariannol ar gyfer busnesau'r stryd fawr o fis Ebrill ymlaen."}
{"article": "Ogier's win in the three-day road gravel event in New South Wales was his seventh of the season as the French driver beat Volkswagen Polo R team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala by 12.3 seconds. The 31-year-old said: \"It's an amazing season, the best I've ever done.\" Ogier joins Sebastien Loeb (nine), Juha Kankkunen and Tommi Makinen (both four) in winning three or more world titles. Volkswagen's 1-2 in Australia secured a third manufacturers' crown for the German team. Ogier won the final seven speed tests to take victory in Australia, overhauling Northern Ireland's Kris Meeke, who had led on the second day before going on to finish third, more than half a minute behind the winner. The 11th round of the championship takes place in France from 1-4 October with the 13th and final round, the Wales GB Rally, being staged from 12-15 November.", "summary": "Sebastien Ogier secured his third successive World Rally Championship with victory in Rally Australia."}
{"article": "The Bible records that three wise men took him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold we all know, but where on earth does one find the other two in the present day? The search for them led me to Wajir in north-eastern Kenya. Half an hour's drive from the town there is a 20-acre (eight-hectare) plantation of myrrh trees and boswelia, the tree that produces frankincense. Hareth Hassan has been tending the trees for 15 years since inheriting the plantation from his father. \"We treasure these trees because their resin has many medicinal uses,\" he says. \"We spray it in our homes to repel snakes and insects. Also when someone gets sick, we apply it on them, for example when you feel pain on the hand. And if you break a limb, before correcting it, we apply myrrh on the affected area.\" Frankincense - locally it is chewed as gum, ground into powder and burnt as incense, used as a perfume and for a wide range of ailments; commercially it is used as an essential oil in perfume, cosmetic and flavour industries Myrrh - Egyptians used it for embalming mummies, and in the Bible it is said to have been mixed with wine to be used as a painkiller for Jesus; locally used as an ink in Islamic schools, burned to repel insects and snakes, as a medicine; commercially used in perfumes, flavours and cosmetics (such as stomach remedies, mouthwashes and toothpaste) Four collectors arrive carrying an axe and recycled plastic containers. They walk around the farm looking for resin that is ready for harvesting. They also make shallow cuts on the tree trunks and branches to stimulate the production of myrrh resin. Mr Hassan works closely with Ambia Osman, an officer from the Kenya Forests Service. \"These trees grow naturally and so it's important to conserve them,\" says Ms Osman, who says she teaches the collectors not to overtap the resins. \"But they don't make much because they sell it raw,\" she adds. We drive back to Wajir town, a small but busy business centre. Ms Osman shows us several shops that stock myrrh, frankincense and other natural products. In one of the shops, the trader brings us a sack containing brown lumps of myrrh. They look like dried fruit. \"A kilogram of myrrh goes for $8 (\u00c2\u00a35.40),\" says the shopkeeper. Sometimes it can sell for as little as $4. \"They would be making much more if we had a factory in Wajir to add value to the product,\" says Ms Osman. One of the few factories that does process frankincense is in the capital, Nairobi. A strong, sweet scent hits me as I walk into Lubanchem Limited in Nairobi's industrial area. The factory is the brainchild of a pharmaceutical chemist Sadqa Haq. \"My father brought home some frankincense in 1997 and that's when I got the idea to set up a plant to extract it,\" she says. Two of her employees spread pieces of raw frankincense on the floor and start sorting them. \"We do the sorting and put", "summary": "A Christmas tradition that can be traced back to the story of Jesus's birth in Bethlehem is the exchange of gifts."}
{"article": "RGU said a downturn in the regional economy due to the falling oil price had affected the university's income. It also reported a reduction in demand for courses from students from oil-producing countries. RGU said the aim was for the savings to be made through a voluntary redundancy scheme. Prof Ferdinand von Prondzynski, principal of the university, said: \"RGU will embark on a period of re-profiling its workforce to address the financial challenges and our strategic needs, allowing us to pursue ambitious targets for the successful, sustainable development of the university. \"We will continue to make a leading contribution to economic growth here and across Scotland, widening access to higher education, and the availability of high value knowledge and skills for the economy and society.\" An additional \u00a32m of savings are to be made via operational costs.", "summary": "Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University (RGU) is to cut staff costs by \u00a34m - meaning about 100 jobs are expected to be lost."}
{"article": "Operations will not stop until the area is cleared of all \"terrorist concentrations\", the army said. Air strikes continued into the early hours of Thursday. The army says 17 soldiers were among those killed after militants launched near-simultaneous raids on military checkpoints in Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah. Local reports put army casualties higher. The attack was one of the largest co-ordinated assaults in the area yet by Islamic State's (IS) local affiliate, Sinai Province. The peninsula has been under a state of emergency and a curfew since October, when dozens of soldiers were killed in a militant attack. Separately on Wednesday, security officials said nine members of the now banned Muslim Brotherhood, including former MP Nasr al-Hafi, had been killed in a police raid on a flat in western Cairo. The security situation in Egypt has worsened since the assassination of the public prosecutor, Hisham Barakat, three days ago in the capital. Analysts said the car bomb attack that killed Mr Barakat also bore the hallmarks of Sinai Province, which was known as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis until it pledged allegiance to Islamic State in November and changed its name. In a statement, the army said it had killed \"100 members of the terrorist elements\" and injured them in \"large numbers\" in fighting in North Sinai. It said the operation left 17 soldiers, including four officers, dead. By late on Wednesday, an army spokesman said the situation was \"100% under control\" and militants had withdrawn from Sheikh Zuweid. Brig Mohamed Samir said: \"The forces on the ground are completely under control. The group who were captured are being interrogated by the investigation team.\" Eyewitness earlier reported seeing militants roaming the streets of the northern town of Sheikh Zuweid, clashing with armed forces. Five army checkpoints were also targeted by car bomb attacks. The town's main police station came under mortar and RPG fire, and militants reportedly planted bombs along a road leading to a nearby army camp. Egypt sent F-16s jets to bombard the militants in several locations. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said his country sent its \"condolences to the government and people of Egypt for the fallen Egyptians slain by IS terror\". He added: \"We see IS at the gates, across the border in the Golan, across the border in Egypt... We must stand up to all the forces of militant Islam, those led by Iran, those led by IS.\" Since October, police and army patrols have been stepped up to deal with militancy in Sinai - which has been on the rise since the military overthrew Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July 2013. At least 600 police and armed forces personnel have since been killed. A buffer zone along the border with Gaza was also created and underground tunnels - which the military says were used to smuggle weapons from the Palestinian enclave - have been destroyed. Following the deaths in Cairo, the Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement saying that several of its leaders had been \"murdered... in cold blood\" and urged Egyptians to \"rise in revolt\" against the actions of", "summary": "Egypt has vowed to rid its Sinai Peninsula of militants after major clashes with Islamic State fighters there killed more than 100 people."}
{"article": "Janet Norridge, 34, was reported to Cardiff Prison governors after being spotted in the crowd by a colleague at the 2011 tournament event. The inquest in Newport heard she was suspended from work and took her own life after losing an appeal. The hearing was told her parents later won an employment tribunal. A coroner is writing to the director of Her Majesty's Prison Service demanding a review of the way officers are treated during disciplinary proceedings. The inquest heard Ms Norridge had ambitions of becoming a prison governor but was hit by a health scare - a relative had died of bowel cancer and she tested positive for a gene which gave her an 80 per cent chance of also getting the disease. The inquest was told she went to the doctor and was given three weeks off work to come to terms with the shock. But Ms Norridge went out with friends to see a live TV screening at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff of a 2011 Rugby World Cup match where she was seen by the colleague. Friend Rebecca Rolls told the inquest: \"She was interviewed by her employers who charged her with misconduct and lost her job. \"This destroyed Janet. She was so proud of her job and her profession.\" Ms Norridge's mother Joanne said her daughter was \"right in her feeling that she was unfairly dismissed\" and that she suffered \"unbelievable cruelty\" by the prison authorities. An employment tribunal in London two years later found in favour of Mrs Norridge and her husband John, ruling that prison officials had made an error in law by sacking their daughter, the inquest was told. Gwent coroner David Bowen, returning a conclusion of suicide, said: \"The tribunal ruled her dismissal was unfair however at the time of her death that ruling was in the future and not known to her. \"She felt she had been unfairly dismissed - that was the matter that playing on her mind.\" A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: \"Our thoughts are with the family of Janet Norridge following this tragedy. \"We have noted the coroner's comments and will respond to his recommendations in due course.\" If you have been affected by the issues in this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or find support online.", "summary": "A prison officer killed herself after being sacked for watching a Rugby World Cup match while on sick leave, an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "Seven people deny conspiracy to defraud at Cardiff Crown Court after six insurance claims worth \u00a3144,000 were made between 2009 and 2011. Stephen Pegram, 49, of Blackwood, Caerphilly county, was paid \u00a34,200 when his car was written off. Nicola Cook, 41, of Hengoed, received \u00a35,500 in a separate injury claim. Mr Pegram said he \"was shocked\" to discover claims had been made for other accidents on High Street, Pengam, where he crashed in July 2009. After prosecutor Christopher Clee suggested the crash he was involved in did not happen, he said: \"It was a genuine accident. \"I don't know if he drove into me or if it was an accident. But it happened.\" Ms Cook received her money after claiming for neck and back injuries when she was a back seat passenger in a crash in Oakdale in August 2009. She told the court she needed physiotherapy afterwards, saying \"it was a genuine collision\". \"I heard a thump on the vehicle... I was shocked.\" Mr Clee said all seven defendants were involved in insurance fraud following collisions \"that did not happen\". The case continues.", "summary": "Two people accused of falsely claiming nearly \u00a310,000 in a so-called crash for cash scheme have denied lying about accidents."}
{"article": "Kadiza Sultana was 16 when she left Bethnal Green along with two friends. Her family's lawyer, Tasnime Akunjee, told BBC Newsnight they heard a report of her death in Raqqa a few weeks ago. But he said they had not been able to independently confirm it because of the nature of information from Syria. Who are Britain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s jihadists? The Britons signing up for Jihad Mr Akunjee said the teenager had grown disillusioned and wanted to leave IS and return to the UK - but had decided not to risk being captured and facing a \"brutal\" punishment from the terror group. He told the programme the family were \"devastated\" and that it was a \"great loss to us all\". Kadiza Sultana and schoolfriends Shamima Begum and Amira Abase, both 15 at the time, flew from Gatwick to Turkey on 17 February 2015 after telling their parents they were going out for the day. The Bethnal Green Academy pupils later entered Syria and were thought to be living in Raqqa, a stronghold for the so-called Islamic State. They had been studying for their GCSEs at the school in Tower Hamlets, east London - where they have been described as \"straight-A students\". Mr Akunjee said Kadiza had expressed a desire to return. He said: \"The problem with that was the risk factors around leaving are quite terminal also, in that if ISIS [IS] were able to detect and capture you then their punishment is quite brutal for trying to leave. \"In the week where she was thinking of these issues a young Austrian girl had been caught trying to leave ISIS territory and was by all reports beaten to death publicly, so - given that that was circulated in the region as well as outside - I think Kadiza took that as a bad omen and decided not to take the risk.\" Mr Akunjee added: \"I think she found out pretty quickly that the propaganda doesn't match up with the reality.\" Recordings of phone calls between Kadiza and her sister Halima, who is in the UK, were filmed by a freelance journalist for ITV. In them, Kadiza said the man she had married had been killed, and that she wanted to return to the UK. She also said she \"felt scared\". She added: \"You know if something goes wrong, that's it. You know the borders are closed right now, so how am I going to get out?\" A fourth girl from the school is believed to have travelled to Syria in December 2014. Kadiza's family issued a statement shortly after she went missing. In it they said: \"In your absence, we, as a family, are feeling completely distressed and cannot make sense of why you left home. Due to the speculation that you may be travelling towards Syria, we are extremely worried about your safety. \"We would like to emphasise that we are not angry with you and you have not done anything wrong. We just want you all to return home, safe and sound.\" Sara Khan, co-founder of the counter-extremism organisation Inspire, told BBC", "summary": "One of three schoolgirls who left east London last year to join so-called Islamic State (IS) is believed to have been killed in a Russian air strike in Syria, her family solicitor has said."}
{"article": "The Wrestler star, 62, defeated Elliot Seymour - a former California Golden Gloves champion 33 years his junior. Rourke sent Seymour to the canvas twice in the second round before the referee stopped the fight. The Oscar nominated actor was an amateur boxer before finding fame in Hollywood movies such as 9 1/2 Weeks. The organisers of the match said the boxers were receiving \"large amounts of money\" in fees but declined to give details. \"I'm very happy to be back to the boxing ring. Thank God for letting me do this\", Rourke said ahead of his fight with 29-year-old Seymour. He refused to go into detail about his motivations for returning to the ring, but told Russian TV boxing had \"sort of saved me from myself\". The actor is reported to have lost more than 33lbs (15kg) for the fight, weighing in at 179.2lbs (81.3kg), the same as his rival. Seymour is ranked 256th in the United States and before the fight with Rourke had one knockout and nine losses in 10 bouts. Rourke returned to boxing as a professional in the 1990s and was undefeated in eight fights, with six wins and two draws. However he suffered a number of facial injuries, which required surgery and changed his appearance. In 2008 Rourke won a Bafta and Golden Globe for his role in the film The Wrestler, which told the tale of a former wrestling professional who decided to return to the sport. He was also nominated for a best actor Oscar, but lost out to Sean Penn in Milk.", "summary": "Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke has won an exhibition boxing match in Moscow after returning to the ring for the first time in 20 years."}
{"article": "Lucien P\u00c3\u00a9rot, 69, who had been drinking, choked on a 44g (1.5oz) beef rib he could not chew, reportedly because he had several teeth missing. Olivier Boudin, 38, who had a pre-existing genetic heart condition, had a heart attack seeing his friend die. There had been intense speculation over what had happened after their bodies were discovered last Thursday. The men had been sharing a meal in Perot's garden in Authon-du-Perche, south-west of Paris, and drinking heavily. P\u00c3\u00a9rot was found to have 2.4g/l of alcohol in his blood. One was found sitting on a chair and the other lying down, prosecutors said. The two men had grown close and developed a \"father-son\" relationship, local residents said. Many were relieved to discover that they had died of natural causes, reports said. \"It's clear that it did not involve an external intervention,\" one neighbour told Le Parisien newspaper. \"They did not have enemies, lived simple lives and were not types who would get themselves killed by the mafia,\" she added.", "summary": "Post-mortems in France have explained the mystery of how two men found dead together after a meal perished."}
{"article": "The seven-year-old girl, whose mother drank excessively while pregnant, was born with severe brain damage. The Court of Appeal ruled in December that the girl, now in care, was not legally entitled to compensation. Permission to appeal was refused because an arguable point of law was not raised, the Supreme Court said. An application was made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority on her behalf on the basis that the girl was the victim of crime because her mother had administered a noxious substance to her. The case was originally brought by a council in north-west England, which cannot be named for legal reasons. The Court of Appeal rejected a decision of the First Tier Tribunal awarding her compensation. Foetal alcohol syndrome Heavy drinking during pregnancy can lead to foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) when alcohol passes across the placenta from the mother to the developing foetus. The foetus cannot process alcohol effectively until the liver is fully developed and the high levels of alcohol can affect the development of organs and the brain. Children with FAS are born with a range of disabilities, are often shorter than average and some have learning and behavioural difficulties. People with the syndrome can have differences in their facial features such as a flat nose bridge, a small head and a thin upper lip. It is thought that foetuses are most at risk during the first three months of pregnancy when organs are forming - but damage can occur at any time. The NHS recommends that pregnant women should not drink at all - adding that those who choose to have a drink should have no more than two units of alcohol once or twice a week.", "summary": "A child born with foetal alcohol syndrome has been refused permission to take her case for criminal injuries compensation to the UK Supreme Court."}
{"article": "Following two recounts, AM Byron Davies gained the seat with 15,862 votes - a majority of just 27. Labour's Liz Evans received 15,835. Political expert Richard Wyn Jones, from Cardiff University, told BBC Wales it was \"a bitter blow\" for Labour who had held the constituency for nearly 100 years. The win has taken the tally of Tory-held seats in Wales to 11. \"I'm absolutely delighted that the people of Gower have put their faith in me,\" Byron Davies said. Meanwhile, Stephen Kinnock, the son of former Labour leader Neil, has become an MP after Labour held on to Aberavon. Elsewhere, the party also held Neath, Llanelli and Swansea East. Conservative Stephen Crabb retained his Preseli Pembrokeshire seat where he has been a MP since 2005. Labour's Geraint Davies kept Swansea West and Plaid Cymru's Jonathan Edwards held Carmarthen East. Tory Simon Hart held Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire.", "summary": "The Conservatives have won the constituency of Gower - a seat Labour has held for more than 100 years."}
{"article": "Eight former officers are suing South Wales Police after being cleared of charges relating to the investigation of Lynette White's murder in 1988. The corruption trial collapsed in 2011. A hearing in Cardiff was told there was \"no intention\" to uncover the truth behind the wrongful conviction of the Cardiff Three. Former officers Graham Mouncher, Thomas Page, Richard Powell, John Seaford, Michael Daniels, Peter Greenwood, Paul Jennings and Paul Stephen are suing the force for misfeasance in public office, false imprisonment and trespass. Leslie Thomas QC said allegations of pressurising a witness into giving a false statement against Mr Page were \"easily rubbished\". He said one witness voluntarily accompanied Mr Page to the police station and had made no allegation of ill treatment \"or anything improper\". Cardiff's Civil Justice Centre was told officers investigating allegations of corruption misidentified Mr Page as someone intimidating a witness in an interview, but he \"simply wasn't there\". On Monday, the court heard that murderer Jeffrey Gafoor may not have acted alone when he killed Ms White in a flat in Cardiff's docklands on Valentine's Day. Tony Parris, Stephen Miller and Yusef Abdullahi - who became known as the Cardiff Three - were wrongly jailed for life in 1990 for the murder and freed in 1992 after their convictions were quashed. The hearing continues.", "summary": "A police corruption probe into a prostitute's murder \"ignored\" evidence which did not match preconceived theories, the High Court has heard."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old, part of Britain's C1 team event winners on Friday, finished more than two seconds ahead of the Czech Republic's Tereza Fiserova in Tacen, Slovenia on Saturday. \"To win two golds this weekend is really exciting,\" said Woods. It was a second European singles gold medal for Woods after her 2015 success.", "summary": "Britain's Kimberley Woods won a second Canoe Slalom European Championships gold medal in two days with victory in the C1 women's canoe singles."}
{"article": "Dr Helen Nicoll, 53, was pronounced dead at the house in Frog End, Great Wilbraham, Cambridgeshire on 5 June. Her husband Stephen Nicoll, 53, was arrested on suspicion of murder before being released with no further action. The opening of an inquest into her death heard the cause of her death was compression of the neck consistent with hanging. Opening and adjourning the inquest into Dr Nicoll's death, coroner David Morris said Mr Nicoll had discovered his wife hanging from a banister with what looked like a ski jacket belt around her neck. 'Devastating loss' He had cut her body down. Mr Morris said he was satisfied there was no third party involvement in her death. Further toxicology tests were ordered \"with reference to alcohol\" and a full inquest was scheduled for 20 August. Cambridgeshire Police were called to reports of a sudden death at the couple's home at about 06:30 BST. A post-mortem examination on Monday revealed Mrs Nicoll died from asphyxiation. Mr Nicoll has said his wife had \"taken her own life\" and spoke of his family's \"devastating loss\". The couple had three children and worked together in their clinic in Hurst Park, Cambridge while Mr Nicoll also practises in London's Harley Street.", "summary": "A dentist who was found dead by her husband at their home died as a result of hanging, an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "The money is owed by non-resident parents and has built up over 23 years, with figures showing about 1.2 million people are owed child maintenance. The Department for Work and Pensions said a new system was \"actively pursuing\" unpaid child maintenance. But Janet Allbeson, from the charity Gingerbread, called for parents waiting for money to receive compensation. The latest figures, revealed by the Victoria Derbyshire programme, show the vast majority of unpaid maintenance money was accumulated under the Child Support Agency (CSA) - which was set up in 1993. The system was replaced in 2012 after mistakes were made with assessments and absent parents were not tracked down. However, a further \u00a393m of unpaid child maintenance has already developed under the new Child Maintenance Service (CMS) system. It comes as the findings of a Work and Pensions Committee inquiry into CMS are due to be published next week. MPs on the committee are expected to be highly critical of the new scheme. Laura Riley, from Sheffield, has a 10-year-old son, Louis. His father has been assessed by the CSA and should be paying child maintenance. However, Laura says she has been chasing money for nine years and that he now owes more than \u00a39,000. \"At the beginning when I first moved up to Sheffield it was really tough because I just didn't have the money to look after [Louis] properly,\" she said. \"Instead of doing fun things I'd just take him to the park, with the same picnic every day and a book. I did my best, but I would have liked to have done more. \"I've sent letters and letters. At one point, I sent one every single week,\" she added. \"It's been a massive headache. I just felt like I was getting fobbed off to be quite honest. \"They asked for bank details, said they'd get the money off him and put it in my bank, and it just never happened. It's been like a massive battle for years trying to get the money out of him.\" Louis's father is Gary Lawford, a children's entertainer in Brighton. She says attempts to get money from him have proved to be \"completely unsuccessful\", adding: \"I've realised it's not quite as easy as you think.\" The CSA has taken enforcement action on three occasions, but they have not been able to recover any money. \"As his father, he has a responsibility. You don't just have the child; you raise them, you support them, and he's not doing that,\" she added. The Victoria Derbyshire programme contacted Mr Lawford about the allegations but he declined to comment. When couples split up, they are both still expected to contribute towards the upbringing of their children. If parents can't agree how much one should pay, a government agency decides on child maintenance. The Child Support Agency was set up in 1993 to ensure that non-resident parents contributed towards the cost of bringing up their children. However, it was dogged by problems and has since been replaced with the Child Maintenance Service. CMS - which was introduced in", "summary": "There is a UK backlog of more than \u00a33.8bn in uncollected child maintenance payments, figures have revealed."}
{"article": "Many clubs are facing a major financial crisis and have not paid salaries for several months. The footballers' union says the strike will go on until the players received what they are owed. The strike involves players of more than 200 Argentine clubs. The two matches postponed were Rosario Central v Godoy Cruz, in the city of Rosario, and San Lorenzo v Belgrano, in Buenos Aires. The crisis began after senior officials at the Football Association (AFA) were implicated in a corruption scandal involving television broadcasting rights. The season should have resumed a month ago after the summer recess. But the crisis led the AFA to delay the start until this Friday. To try to avoid the strike, the government of Mauricio Macri made a $22m (\u00c2\u00a318m) payment on Thursday to the Argentine Football Association. The money was owed as compensation for the cancellation of a contract with the government, which held the broadcasting rights until this year. But the players' union says the money is not enough. They said most club presidents had spent and borrowed more money than they should have. The death in 2014 of Julio Grondona, who was president of the Argentine Football Association for 35 years, triggered the crisis. He was also vice-president of Fifa, the world football's governing body. The United States authorities who investigated corruption at Fifa labelled Mr Grondona \"the number one conspirator\". But analysts in Argentina say he guaranteed the functionality of Argentine football. Many believe, however, that his absence will allow a perhaps tortuous but necessary clean-up of the game, says the BBC's Daniel Pardo in Buenos Aires.", "summary": "The Argentine Football Association has postponed two top division matches that were due to take place on Friday following the collapse of negotiations to call off a players' strike."}
{"article": "A number of recommendations to prevent a repeat of the problems caused by Storm Desmond in Cockermouth last December, have been outlined. A total of 466 properties were flooded when water from the Cocker and Derwent rivers \"overwhelmed\" defences in a number of locations. The Environment Agency and Cumbria County Council drew up the report. Among its recommendations is a call to consider increasing the flow of water through Gote Bridge and identifying a way to trap debris upstream of the town to avoid causing a critical obstruction. Damage to the riverbank at Cockermouth Castle and fallen trees led to blockages at the bridge, the report stated. A review of the resilience of \"critical\" transport and power supply infrastructure, such as the way the Jennings Brewery substation was affected, is also to be undertaken. The report's findings will be discussed at a public meeting at the town's Christ Church on Monday. The flooding of 5 and 6 December, which saw \"36 hours of intense rainfall\", was the fourth time the town has been severely hit since 2005. The water level was recorded as 4.476m at the South Street footbridge. Improvements to defences in the south of the town following floods in 2009 lessened its impact, the report found. Separately, a review of the performance of the existing Cockermouth Flood Risk Management Scheme is under way and expected to be completed next month.", "summary": "Floods that affected nearly 500 properties in a Cumbria town had \"overwhelmed\" defences, a report said."}
{"article": "Water UK, which represents all major UK water suppliers, said the shale gas extraction method posed a threat if not \"carefully planned and carried out\". It also warned fracking's \"huge\" use of water could cause shortages in areas of low supply, like South East England. Shale gas company Cuadrilla said there were no proven cases of aquifers being contaminated by fracking. Dr Jim Marshall, of Water UK, called on fracking firms to hold \"upfront discussions\" with water companies \"before fracking becomes widespread in the UK\". He said the water industry was not \"taking sides\" in the fracking debate, but wanted to ensure \"corners are not cut and standards compromised, leaving us all counting the cost for years to come\". Fracking - short for \"hydraulic fracturing\" - involves drilling deep underground and releasing a high-pressure mix of water, sand and chemicals to crack rocks and release gas stored inside. Water companies are worried the process could contaminate drinking water aquifers that lie above shale gas reserves. Water UK said this could happen by gases such as methane permeating into water sources from rocks where it was previously confined, chemicals getting in through cracks created by the fracking process, or by poor handling of waste water on the surface. A spokesman for Cuadrilla, which is carrying out test drilling in Lancashire, said: \"There have been over two million hydraulic fracture treatments carried out globally, the majority in the US, and from that activity we are not aware of one single verified case of fracturing fluid contaminating aquifers.\" The spokesman said the firm, which also wants to drill at a site in West Sussex, was \"committed to the highest standards of well integrity\". He added that Cuadrilla was in \"regular contact\" with water suppliers and its supply of water \"will never be prioritised over peoples' houses or farming\". A joint report by the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering published last year said the risks could be managed effectively through \"strong regulation\". Joseph Dutton, of Leicester University, told the BBC fracking presented \"minimal danger\" of water contamination if done properly, as the cracks it created were far deeper underground than aquifers. He said leaks in well casings near the surface, caused by \"poor workmanship\" or the tremors associated with fracking, were the most likely cause of contamination. Current EU and UK regulations \"should ensure\" no such incidents take place, Mr Dutton said - but he said the government \"wants to speed up the process\" and warned that loosening environmental controls, as happened in the US, would increase the risks. Mr Dutton said the amount of water used in fracking varies, but each well uses at least a million gallons. The Department for Energy and Climate Change said water companies \"will assess the amount of water available before providing it to operators\". Speaking about the risk to water quality, a spokesman said there was \"no evidence to date from the US of fracking causing groundwater contamination\". He said the Environment Agency would regulate use of chemicals in the UK on a \"site-by-site basis and would", "summary": "Drinking water could be contaminated with methane gas and chemicals due to fracking, water companies have warned."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old left the Blues for French Top 14 side Toulon in 2014 but his contract expires in the summer. The Wales international full-back was sat in the stands at the Cardiff Arms Park as the Blues beat the Dragons 27-16 in the Welsh derby on Boxing Day. \"It was great to see him and I know he was quickly back on the plane to his duties in France,\" Wilson said. Blues chief executive Richard Holland said earlier in December that they offered Halfpenny a deal to bring him back to Wales. Speaking after Toulon beat Scarlets in France in the European Champions Cup earlier in December, Halfpenny said he was \"weighing up\" his options. \"Leigh's obviously got a lot of colleagues and friends from his time with the Blues at the Arms Park,\" Wilson continued. \"Being home for Christmas I'd imagine with the derby being on his doorstep it was a natural game for him to go and watch.\" Halfpenny, who has won 66 caps for Wales, played for Blues for six years before his move to France two years ago. \"I saw him briefly after the game and had a catch up. It's been well documented and I think everybody would like to see Leigh back in Wales,\" said Wilson. \"Those things are very much ongoing.\"", "summary": "Cardiff Blues head coach Danny Wilson says it would be good to see Leigh Halfpenny return to Wales"}
{"article": "Seka Ritchie, 32, and Tracey McLean, 29, are accused of killing Alexander Duncan at his home in Leith on 16 April 2015. It is claimed the 59-year-old was hit with a bottle and stabbed with a knife or similar item. Prosecutors also allege the pair robbed Mr Duncan of his wallet and its contents. They also face charges of attempting to defeat the ends of justice and attempting to pervert the course of justice. Ms Ritchie is further accused of four separate assaults in Edinburgh between 2010-2013. Lawyers for the pair entered not guilty pleas on Friday during a short hearing at the High Court in Glasgow. Judge Lord Burns set a trial due to start next June in Edinburgh. The case will last about 10 days.", "summary": "Two women are to stand trial charged with murdering and robbing a man in his Edinburgh flat."}
{"article": "Jason Kenny, Philip Hindes and Callum Skinner beat Poland by 0.051 seconds. Britain's women's team pursuit and team sprint squads both took silver, beaten by Canada and Russia respectively, and the men's team pursuit won bronze. Mark Cavendish is fourth halfway through the omnium after second places in the scratch and elimination races and a 16th in the individual pursuit. The Manxman, who is yet to win an Olympic cycling medal, is aiming to qualify for the track cycling team at the Rio Games in August but faces stiff competition from Ed Clancy and Jon Dibben for the omnium place. Olympic champion Laura Trott leads the women's omnium at the halfway stage, from USA's Sarah Hammer and Belarus' Tatsiana Sharakova.", "summary": "Britain's team sprint squad started their Olympic year with victory at the Track Cycling World Cup in Hong Kong."}
{"article": "Dame Margaret Hodge and Ann Coffey confirmed the move in a letter to the Parliamentary Labour Party chairman. The motion has no formal constitutional force but calls for a discussion at their next PLP meeting on Monday. The chairman will decide whether it is debated. If accepted, a secret ballot of Labour MPs could be held on Tuesday. By early Friday evening, seven other Labour MPs were on record as backing the motion. Asked if he will resign, Mr Corbyn, who campaigned on the losing Remain side, said: \"No, I'm carrying on. \"I'm making the case for unity, I'm making the case of what Labour can offer to Britain, of decent housing for people, of good secure jobs for people, of trade with Europe and of course with other parts of the world. \"Because if we don't get the trade issue right, we've got a real problem in this country,\" he told Channel 4 News. By BBC political correspondent Iain Watson \"It may be brutal, it may be bloody, but he has to go. We have no choice.\" That's the view of a former Labour minister who's plotting to oust Jeremy Corbyn. But there was no immediate support from the current frontbench. Labour's shadow cabinet met for nearly three hours this morning and there were no explicit calls for the leader's resignation. But there was sustained criticism of the way Jeremy Corbyn had conducted the referendum campaign and what was seen as his failure to address concerns about immigration, and one source insisted: \"He was not enjoying the confidence of the room.\" Read more from Iain here Shadow chancellor John McDonnell dismissed the motion of no confidence, saying Mr Corbyn had a mandate to lead the party and predicted that even if Labour MPs forced a fresh leadership election, party members and supporters would back Mr Corbyn again. Mr Corbyn's critics accused him of being half-hearted in calling for Labour voters to unite behind Remain. Dame Margaret Hodge said Mr Corbyn should resign because the EU referendum had been a \"test of leadership\" that he had \"failed\". This left Labour voters \"not getting a clear message\", she added. Dame Margaret is the MP for Barking and the former chairwoman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee. Ms Coffey is the MP for Stockport. Mr McDonnell denied that Mr Corbyn was responsible for the vote to leave the EU, and added that a general election looked likely before the end of the year, because a new Conservative leader would want to seek a mandate. Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie said there were \"failures\" in Labour's campaign, saying he would need \"an awful lot of persuading to have confidence in Jeremy's leadership into a general election\", while former minister Ben Bradshaw said he would support the no confidence motion. Labour MP Stephen Kinnock has also come out in support of the motion, accusing Mr Corbyn of a \"lacklustre\" campaign. However, an online petition on the website of campaign organisation 38 Degrees calling for \"a vote of confidence in Jeremy Corbyn after Brexit\" has attracted over", "summary": "Two Labour MPs have submitted a motion of no confidence in their leader Jeremy Corbyn for failing to give party voters a clear message on the EU referendum."}
{"article": "Bono, who worked with the MP on the Make Poverty History campaign, dedicated Ultraviolet (Light My Way) to her memory. \"She lived her life championing the lives of others,\" he told the audience at London's Twickenham Stadium. Mrs Cox, 41, was shot and stabbed in June last year during the EU referendum campaign. The tribute was one of several moments when U2 paused to acknowledge global events, including the recent terror attacks in Manchester and London. For their encore, the band asked Noel Gallagher on stage to sing Don't Look Back In Anger, which became an unofficial anthem of resilience in Manchester after a suicide bomber killed 22 fans outside an Ariana Grande concert in May. Gallagher also dedicated the song to the victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster. A day earlier, U2 had invited 50 of the firefighters who tackled the blaze to watch their rehearsals and soundcheck. And Bono echoed Jo Cox's maiden speech to Parliament - \"we have more in common than that which divides us\" - as he made a plea for tolerance towards immigrants. \"Us Irish are immigrant people,\" he said, \"and of course we came here into this great, Great Britain and we thank you for giving us safety and sanctuary for all these years. \"We hope it won't stop.\" It was a testament to U2's experience and sincerity that these moments did not overshadow or unbalance the evening; which was, at heart, a celebration of their career-defining album The Joshua Tree. Written against the backdrop of the Cold War, The Joshua Tree reflected the two sides of the American dream, with the Irish band seduced by its glamour but repelled by what bassist Adam Clayton called \"the bleakness and greed\" of the Reagan era. Thirty years later, it remains an eerily relevant ode to a divided America. \"It seems like we have come full circle from when The Joshua Tree songs were originally written, with global upheaval, extreme right wing politics and some fundamental human rights at risk,\" said guitarist The Edge earlier this year. So while most bands revisit classic albums as an exercise in nostalgia (or luring back lost fans), U2 seemed energised, even hungry on this anniversary jaunt. The tour itself boasts technology that would have been unthinkable in 1987 - from the sampled instruments that bolstered their sound; to the 200-foot, 8K LED video wall that formed a backdrop to the set. At the start of the show, however, U2 spurned both those luxuries. The video screens were set to standby as Larry Mullen, Jr strode onto a small, tree-shaped satellite stage and launched into Sunday Bloody Sunday's instantly-recognisable drum riff. He was soon joined by his bandmates, who played a four song pre-history of The Joshua Tree, facing each other in a circle, like the Dubliners who put on their first London shows 38 years ago, using \u00c2\u00a33,000 they'd borrowed from their families. Performing without spotlights or video screens in the broad daylight was a brave move in front of 80,000 fans - but it brought the best out of", "summary": "Rock band U2 paid an emotional tribute to murdered MP Jo Cox as they brought their Joshua Tree tour to the UK."}
{"article": "Their first meeting, which came after more than two years of severe tensions over a territorial dispute, included a public handshake with no signs of warmth. Making brief mentions of the \"awkward handshake\", most papers have given prominent coverage to the meeting. \"The icy relations between China and Japan now appear to have finally entered the thawing season,\" says the Xinhua News Agency. Describing the talk as \"momentous\", \"landmark\" and \"of historic significance\", state-run media outlets remind Tokyo that it must \"honour its commitment and join China with concrete actions to fully restore the heat and vigour of bilateral ties\". \"China's agreement to the meeting is a clear manifestation of Beijing's magnanimity and sagacity. Given the geographical proximity, economic intertwinement and cultural affinity between the two nations, a healthy China-Japan relationship benefits both sides,\" it says. Echoing similar views, the Global Times notes that Mr Abe \"was received with courtesy\". \"Mr Xi received the Japanese leader with etiquette. Mr Abe should be clear that in Eastern culture, etiquette and commitment are closely connected. As China gives out etiquette, it also requires commitment,\" it says. The paper urges Mr Abe to \"remain committed to the four point agreement\", and asks both countries to \"respect each other and not hurt each other's feelings\". A front-page commentary in the overseas edition of the People's Daily, however, observes the \"lack of warmth\" during the handshake and explains that this reflects the reality of the icy Sino-Japan ties. \"Although the meeting is lacking in warmth, but it still carries weight as it points to the correct direction for Mr Abe... It has created a possibility for the bilateral relationship to move on the right track,\" adds the article. Stressing that it is was Japan's decision to initiate the meeting, the commentary praises China for handling the arrangement with \"appropriateness\". \"Now that Mr Abe was granted his wish to meet with Mr Xi, what will happen next after Mr Abe left Beijing? If Tokyo observes the consensus reached, the bilateral ties will continue to improve, if not troubles will keep on coming,\" says the article. Meanwhile, several media outlets have been discussing China-US relations against the backdrop of Mr Xi and President Barack Obama's scheduled meeting on Wednesday. Noting that officials have released little information on the meeting's agenda, the China News Service expects \"surprises\" from the summit. While the venue of the meeting has not been revealed, Ruan Zongze, president of China Institute of International Studies, feels that the \"Xi-Obama summit\" will be China's version of \"Annenberg Retreat\". Mr Xi and Mr Obama had met at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in California last year. The informal setting was seen as a chance for the leaders of the world's largest economies to build rapport and seek breakthroughs in diplomacy. The news agency states that the two leaders will focus on \"the new model of major power relationship\", a concept Mr Xi proposed last year. Analysts interviewed by the Global Times, however, point out that the talks are \"unlikely to make headway on issues such as human rights,", "summary": "Papers urge Japanese PM Shinzo Abe to \"honour his words\" after he met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) summit in Beijing."}
{"article": "BBC business editor Simon Jack said Corrado Sciolla was expected to resign shortly. BT's shares plunged 21% after revealing the Italian scandal would cost far more than the \u00a3145m initially anticipated. It also warned it would affect its results for the next two years. The investigation of BT's Italian business, which included an independent review by accountancy firm KPMG, found improper accounting practices and \"a complex set of improper sales, purchase, factoring and leasing transactions\". It added: \"These activities have resulted in the overstatement of earnings in our Italian business over a number of years.\" From 2006, Mr Corrado was chief executive of BT Italy before his remit expanded in 2011 to include France. In January 2013, he was appointed as president of BT's Continental Europe operation, where he reported to Luiz Alvarez, the chief executive of the company's global services business. In addition to its problems in Italy, BT also said the outlook for the UK public sector and international corporate markets had \"deteriorated\". As a result, BT now expects operating profit for the current financial year to be \u00a37.6bn, compared to previously guidance of \u00a37.9bn, and revenue to be flat. It also forecasts that both sales and profit will be flat for the year to March 2018. BT's shares dropped sharply as soon as trading began, and by midday were down 18% at 313.55p. BT has an estimated one million small shareholders after becoming one of the first state-owned business to be privatised under Margaret Thatcher's government. George Salmon, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: \"With the group's net debts pushing \u00a39.6bn following the acquisition of EE, and a review of the how to fund the \u00a39.5bn pension deficit coming up in June, there were already a few jitters around the stock, so this was the last thing the group needed.\" Allegations of \"inappropriate behaviour\" at BT's Italian operation first emerged last summer before the company began conducting an investigation in October. BT group chief executive Gavin Patterson said: \"We are deeply disappointed with the improper practices which we have found in our Italian business. \"We have undertaken extensive investigations into that business and are committed to ensuring the highest standards across the whole of BT for the benefit of our customers, shareholders, employees and all other stakeholders.\" It's a bad day at the office for BT chief executive Gavin Patterson. He is \u00a32m poorer, as his 2.8 million shares are down 72p each, or nearly 20%. That's after the shares were hit by a double whammy of a bigger-than-expected hole in its Italy accounts and lower-than-expected business from the public sector and international corporates. It's not just him. Nearly a million small shareholders are also out of pocket today. As one of the biggest privatisations of the 1980s, BT still has a small army of people who bought the shares and have held them ever since. Nevertheless, owning BT shares since privatisation has been a pretty good experience over the last 30 years. The share price has quadrupled in that time, but that is not the whole story: BT", "summary": "The boss of BT's Continental European operation is to resign after the firm was forced to write down the value of its Italian unit by \u00a3530m after years of \"inappropriate behaviour\"."}
{"article": "23 May 2016 Last updated at 17:21 BST He has since become the Turkish leader's right-hand man. Here we trace his rise to power. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "summary": "New Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim's political career began while he managed Istanbul's ferry bus network at a time when current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was mayor."}
{"article": "Initially, the Variable Speed Limit (VSL) will operate west of the Brynglas tunnels as far as junction 28. Sensors in the road detect traffic build-ups and automatically adjust the speed limit to keep vehicles flowing. Speed limit changes are displayed to drivers via electronic signs on the verge of the motorway. From June the system will operate over eight miles between J24 (Coldra) and J28 (Tredegar Park). Tim Shallcross of the Institute of Advanced Motorists said the system was already working well in other parts of the UK, including the M25 near London and the M42 in the Midlands. \"The idea is it stops people trying to switch lanes to overtake and it smooths the traffic flow, everybody carries on travelling at a lower speed,\" he said. \"These are mandatory speed limits so if you exceed them then you will be prosecuted.\" The assembly government said the eight mile stretch of motorway was the busiest road in Wales and suffered from an above average accident rate. Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said: \"Ultimately, it will improve connectivity for Wales and this is essential to the economy. \"It will not only make for better travelling now, but will also encourage more sustainable travelling in the future.\" Average speed cameras have been in operation along the stretch of the M4 since September 2009. The cameras trigger penalty notices when the 50mph limit is exceeded. More than 6,500 drivers have been issued with tickets according to figures in December 2010.", "summary": "A system to keep traffic moving along a busy stretch of the M4 near Newport has begun by varying speed limits in response to road conditions."}
{"article": "The report said there is a fear of failure within the PSNI college in east Belfast, with \"an unhealthy leaning towards punitive discipline\". It describes the Garnerville regime as \"pseudo-militaristic\", with students marching to and from classes. The PSNI has now ended some of the practices identified in the report. The review, led by an officer from Police Scotland, was ordered after 54 student officers were found to have cheated in an exam and ordered to repeat the 22-week training programme. While they said there were many examples of good practice, the review team said it was \"significantly concerned by certain elements of the prevailing culture\". The report, obtained by the BBC, says the college failed to provide a safe and supported learning environment. It reveals that a number of disciplinary investigations are now under way into allegations of \"potential individual misconduct\". The culture within Garnerville is described as \"more associated with a pseudo-militaristic training environment\". \"Student officers and trainers have detailed how the first day of the residential process can involve students performing press-ups in uniform and running distances in business attire,\" the report adds. It notes that military style drill training is incorporated throughout the curriculum, and that student officers routinely march when moving around the college. The review team says students are forced to take part in military style \"show parades\" as a form of punishment, sometimes in response to a mistake or poor performance by an individual. They reveal that examples of when such punishments were applied for what it calls \"infractions against unreasonably high standards\" included water drips in sinks and dust on floors. In response to the report, Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd, who recently took charge of the training college, said: \"We have, I think, in an attempt to raise our standards, lost our balance. \"That which was designed to make people pay attention to detail has lost its balance and become unacceptable. \"We have acknowledged that within the report and we have a plan to deal with those things going forward and make the situation better for the future.\" The PSNI has ordered an immediate end to the practice of students marching to and from classes and the use of \"show parades\" as a form of discipline. Groups of students will no longer be referred to as \"squads\", but as \"classes\". Formal drill practice will continue, but the amount of such training will be reduced, and the focus will be on preparing for ceremonial occasions like the passing out parade to mark the graduation of new officers. The review recommends a change to the way students are tested and assessed. It says there is a \"fear of failure\", with students led to believe that a single mistake or individual failure could result in the loss of their job. There is also criticism of a culture of long working hours, with students saying their working day regularly began at 7.30am and ended at 11.30pm. However, the report says the current course content for the 22-week training course is \"considered fit for purpose\". It also says", "summary": "The training regime for new police officers in Northern Ireland is at times like a military-style boot camp, according to an internal PSNI review."}
{"article": "He was repeatedly asked by MPs for evidence of his claim and a Muslim group has made an official complaint. The 22 March bomb attacks at Brussels airport and Maelbeek metro station left 32 dead and hundreds more wounded. Separately a new report says one bomber worked at the airport for five years. Mr Jambon, whose centre-right nationalist New Flemish Alliance is the largest party in parliament, has been broadly criticised for telling a newspaper that a significant section of the Muslim community danced after the attacks, One political opponent, Katja Gabriels, warned him that a member of the government could not make such generalisations and insult a whole section of the community. Others called for facts and figures to back up his remarks. \"For days now people are focusing on the word 'significant' and talking about how many instances, how many police reports etc. I'll tell you straight: I don't have police reports. There are some, but not many,\" Mr Jambon told MPs. \"Everyone knows that these things happened. Do we have to wait for an official police report to confirm the existence of these facts?\" He also reminded his colleagues that stones and bottles were thrown at police after they arrested Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam, four days before the Brussels bombings. One police officer told Flemish TV that he had witnessed three separate incidents after the Brussels attacks of young people laughing and making a V-for-victory sign with their fingers. But he said he had not seen anyone dancing. Meanwhile a report citing sources by Flemish broadcaster VTM (in Dutch) said airport suicide bomber Najim Laachraoui had worked for five years for a company that operates at the facility until late 2012, shortly before he travelled to Syria to join so-called Islamic State. Laachraoui, 24, blew himself up with Ibrahim el-Bakraoui little over an hour before el-Bakraoui's brother, Khalid, attacked the metro with a suicide bombing in the heart of Brussels' European quarter. The federal prosecutor told the BBC it had no comment on the report \"because we don't have this information\". Laachraoui has emerged as the bomb and weapons expert in both the Paris and Brussels attacks. He would have had a security pass and would have known about airport security, VTM said. The report also spoke of a secret prayer room used by radicalised employees at the airport which was shut down by police shortly before the attacks. Separately, another of the Paris attacks suspects, Salah Abdeslam, was accused on Thursday of attempting to murder four police officers who were wounded in Brussels a week before the March bombings. Algerian Islamist Mohamed Belkaid was killed in a shootout when police raided a flat on 15 March, but Salah Abdeslam and another suspect, Amine Choukri, escaped. They were arrested three days later. Salah Abdeslam is expected to be extradited to France shortly, and the Belgian accusation is not expected to affect his transfer because he has not been placed under an arrest warrant.", "summary": "Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon has come under fire for saying that a \"significant part of the Muslim community danced\" in response to the Brussels bomb attacks."}
{"article": "John Addy, 67, who used to run a gay nightclub in Huddersfield, told Radio 4's You and Yours he was inspired by Tory MP Crispin Blunt's admission in a Commons debate that he uses poppers. The drug, which is popular with gay men, is to be banned on 1 April under the Psychoactive Substances Bill. Policing Minister Mike Penning said the medicines regulator was reviewing it. Speaking about Mr Blunt's intervention in the Commons, Mr Addy, who runs the firm Liquid Gold, said: \"Until now we've stayed in the background to see what was going to happen. \"But when he made that statement I thought we make the product and we should give him all the support we can.\" Mr Addy, who previously ran the Gemini nightclub, said he noticed clubbers would bring the liquid in having got it from pharmacists. When he sold the club in 1981 he went into business manufacturing them to other gay clubs, but now Liquid Gold trades across Europe to wholesalers. What are poppers? In 1999, the Medicines Control Agency brought a test case against manufacturers on the basis that poppers containing isobutyl nitrite were medicines, and therefore required a product licence for sale and supply in the UK. The case was not successful and the defence sufficiently argued the products did not cause significant harm. Mr Addy said: \"This was an important test case and a five-day trial. The evidence was put forward to the jury. \"They came back with a sensible answer and that's why I'm surprised this has surfaced at the moment.\" He has called on the government to consult with him, and is now in discussions with his lawyers over the April ban. An amendment excluding poppers from the new Psychoactive Substances Bill was defeated in the House of Commons. Policing Minister Mr Penning said poppers had been mentioned on 20 death certificates since 1993. In a statement to Radio 4, Mr Penning added: \"The landmark Psychoactive Substances Bill will fundamentally change the way we tackle new psychoactive substances - and put an end to the game of cat and mouse in which new drugs appear on the market more quickly than government can identify and ban them. \"We will work with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and others on the evidence for the use of poppers and we intend to respond before the summer recess.\"", "summary": "A man who makes two million bottles of the popper recreational drug a year says he will fight plans to ban them."}
{"article": "The Daycare Trust says nurseries in disadvantaged areas, where lower fees are charged, are more likely to raise childcare ratios. The charity also suggested increasing childcare ratios was risky. The government says the changes are not compulsory and it wants to improve the quality and affordability of childcare. It is due to make a further announcement on affordability soon. But it had argued that relaxing the staff to child ratios for certain age groups could enable nurseries to reduce their costs and therefore be more affordable, and has proposed allowing the ratio of staff to children aged two to three to be raised from one to four, to one to six. But the charity, which recently merged with the Family and Parenting Institute, says plans to alter ratios are likely to \"exacerbate differences in quality that affect low income groups\". This is because providers in most disadvantaged areas unlikely to be able to command the kind of high nursery fees that are charged in more affluent areas, it says. As a result, it argues, children from low income families are more likely to be cared for by providers who are looking after more children per member of staff. Chief executive Anand Shukla said: \"The proposed changes to ratios will foster a two-tier quality system because parents can only choose the best childcare they can afford. \"We know from our focus groups that parents want generous ratios. Parents on higher incomes will demand that providers stick with generous ratios, but parents on low incomes won't have that choice. \"The result will be that children from low income families will be more likely to receive childcare from providers with the highest ratios and get less attention and support from staff.\" He added that there was a vicious circle where parents, particularly those on low incomes, found that working did not make financial sense because of the high cost of childcare. The charity's analysis of childcare costs suggests they are continuing to rise across the board. Next week it is set to give further details of how prices have risen across the board. The warning comes after the Pre-School Learning Alliance condemned the planned changes at a conference on childcare. Its chief executive Neil Leitch said: \"Never in the past 12 years have I seen so much hostility towards a single initiative as this one. Why? Because we believe it entirely conflicts with the aim of putting the child first.\" He said a recent survey for his organisation had found that 94% of group day care providers thought the quality of their childcare would diminish if ratios were altered. \"Yet, you would think that given around 70% of costs relate to staff wages, providers would be rushing out of their nursery doors jumping for joy at the prospect of increasing revenue - but it's the reverse.\" The Department for Education stressed that the more flexible ratios would only be possible where there were highly qualified staff. A spokesman said: \"We are reforming the childcare system so that providers have more flexibility when they have highly", "summary": "Plans in England to increase the child to nursery worker ratio could lead to a two-tier system, with a drop in quality in poor areas, a charity warns."}
{"article": "The book was returned after American owner Marshall Whitehead decided to track down the family of the original owner. It was eventually handed to Donald Mackechnie, 66, at his home in Glasgow. The Bible had originally belonged to the great-grandfather of Mr Mackechnie's grandmother. Mr Whitehead, who was gifted the pocket-sized book in 2001 by an amateur Bible collector from Cleveland, Ohio, had rediscovered it when moving home in May. Noting that the Bible bore the name Alexander MacDonald of Inverness with the date 1 January, 1866, he decided to track down the descendants of Mr MacDonald, who was born in 1825 and worked as a ship master, wine merchant and grocer. After contacting Highland Council, he was put in touch with Anne Fraser, a historian at the Highland Archive Centre who created a MacDonald family tree. Mr Whitehead then used social media to track down Mr Mackechnie's daughter Mairi in Glasgow, who alerted her Islay-raised father. The Bible, which had a four-leaf clover tucked within its pages, was hand-delivered to Mr Mackechnie by Alistair Begg, a pastor at Mr Whitehead's church in Ohio who is originally from Glasgow and was visiting relatives in the city last month. Mr Mackechnie, clerk to the board at St Columba Gaelic Church of Scotland in Glasgow, said: \"There was a knock on the door one day and this chap was standing there. \"I almost fell on the floor when he explained what he was giving me. I could not believe it, it was such a shock and a surprise. \"The whole family are delighted and over the moon to receive his previously unheard of family heirloom. \"It does not even enter your head that this kind of thing could ever happen - it is quite amazing.\" Mr Mackechnie, a retired mechanical design draftsman, said the story of the Bible's return to Scotland is \"fascinating and shows there are still kind people in the world\". Mr Whitehead, who chose the book from a collection of more than 100, said he believes it is not a coincidence that it has been returned to the family of the original owner. \"I am very pleased that this keepsake treasure of the MacDonald family, located in Cleveland, Ohio, was safely returned to Mr MacDonald's native homeland,\" he said. \"It would not have happened if it had not been for the tireless effort of Anne Fraser and the kind gracious act of my senior pastor, Alistair Begg.\"", "summary": "A 151-year-old Bible has been returned to the Scottish descendants of its original owner after making a 3,500 mile journey from the US."}
{"article": "For the past decade or so, I have been writing stories about the return of trains to the Borders but, of course, the struggle started long before that. Indeed, you could argue that the battle really began back in 1969 - or even earlier - when the Waverley line through the region was closed. On the night when the final train set off from Edinburgh there was a demonstration in Galashiels station. There were also protests at Melrose and Hawick. Despite the opposition, the sound of a train pulling up at a station would be absent from the Scottish Borders for the next four decades and more. There were regular rumbles of discontent in between times and they started to take more solid form at the end of the 20th century. In 1999, the Campaign for Borders Rail was formally launched at a Burns Supper in Melrose Station. It subsequently gathered thousands of signatures on a petition pressing for a route to the region to be reopened. And, in 2000, an independent study concluded that the reopening of the Borders rail link could be financially viable. The gears of progress were slowly clicking into motion and, five years later, a Holyrood committee supported the case for reopening the line. Then, in 2006, the bill was approved which would pave the way for work to finally begin. At that time a \u00c2\u00a3155m price tag was attached to the project with a forecast opening in 2011. However, there were soon problems in meeting both that deadline and budget and it emerged that both would be missed. By 2008, the estimated costs had risen to between \u00c2\u00a3235m and \u00c2\u00a3295m and the opening date was pushed back two years. Work officially started in 2010 but there were still a few twists and turns in store. Three groups were selected to submit tenders for the work but as companies dropped out of the process that plan had to be scrapped. Instead, the Scottish government decided that Network Rail could take the project forward. Despite these apparent setbacks, the major clearance and constructions works continued along the length of the line from Tweedbank to Edinburgh. All along the route, there were now clear indications that transport between the capital and the Borders was being transformed as stations, bridges and new road layouts slotted into place. And, although the completion deadline was once again put back to 2015, the reality of the scale of the scheme was really starting to sink in. Then, last year, a symbolic moment was reached as the track laying began. As machines slowly rolled along the route, it became clear that the decision which had so incensed many people nearly half a century ago would finally be reversed. Some have said it does not go far enough and would like to see the line extended back to Carlisle where it used to reach. Others have concerns about turning south east Scotland into a commuter belt for Edinburgh or question how much effect it will have in more remote parts of the Borders. But what", "summary": "It has been a long journey and not always a straightforward one."}
{"article": "Woodward, who led England to victory at the 2003 tournament, described the risk of \"one stupid tweet\" to squad harmony as \"the new enemy\". Hosts England start their 2015 campaign against Fiji on 18 September. \"If you allow one player to be distracted, it can all come tumbling down,\" said the 59-year-old. Speaking to the Radio Times, Woodward added: \"We didn't have to worry about it in 2003. I've had the conversation with Stuart Lancaster. \"Don't let the players be distracted. It could be the media, their family, sponsors, ticket requests, anything.\" England have reportedly handed their World Cup squad social media guidelines, keen to avoid any unnecessary distractions. Meanwhile, Rugby Football Union chief executive Ian Ritchie has refused to be drawn on what Lancaster needs to achieve at the World Cup to retain his job as England coach. \"I'm not going to deal in hypotheticals,\" he said. \"I think we should be going into every game trying to win it and I think that's what we'll try and do. \"We are in here to try and win the event, we will worry about the hypotheticals afterwards. \"Knowing the squad and the coaching set-up, they are all very focused on doing their very best to win and I think we have a chance of doing that.\" Listen to 'Woodward's World Cup' on BBC Radio 5 live on Wednesday, 9 September from 21:00 BST.", "summary": "Former England head coach Sir Clive Woodward has warned current boss Stuart Lancaster that social media could derail his side's World Cup campaign."}
{"article": "Mrs Clinton is the highest-ranking US official to visit South Sudan since it gained independence last July. A UN deadline for the nations to resolve disputes over their border and oil transit fees passed on Thursday. South Sudan is the second stop of Mrs Clinton's seven-country African tour. The row over oil has led to huge economic problems in both countries - South Sudan has suspended all oil production, accusing Khartoum of stealing its exports, while austerity measures have sparked weeks of protests in Khartoum. \"We need to get those [oil] resources flowing again,\" Mrs Clinton told reporters after talks lasting more than an hour with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir. \"A percentage of something is better than a percentage of nothing,\" she said, according to the Reuters news agency. At independence, the South took three-quarters of Sudan's oil with it but all the pipelines still flow north. \"While South Sudan and Sudan have become separate states, their fortunes and their futures remain inextricably linked,\" Mrs Clinton said. \"Both countries will need to compromise to close the remaining gaps between them.\" Ms Clinton's visit to South Sudan came nearly a month after the new state celebrated its first anniversary of independence, which was brought about by a 2005 peace deal between Sudan and the then southern rebels. The two countries came close to all-out war in April, when South Sudanese troops briefly occupied the disputed oil-rich border area of Heglig. Negotiations between the two countries in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, aimed at resolving all outstanding issues, are currently stalled. Arriving from Senegal via the Ugandan capital Kampala, Mrs Clinton spent only a few hours in Juba before returning to Uganda. Remarks by Mrs Clinton in Senegal which seemed to criticise China's involvement in Africa were met with a stinging rebuke by the Chinese state media on Friday. In a speech in Dakar on Wednesday, Mrs Clinton said the United States was committed to \"a model of sustainable partnership that adds value, rather than extracts it\". The official Chinese news agency Xinhua said in a commentary: \"Whether Clinton was ignorant of the facts on the ground or chose to disregard them, her implication that China has been extracting Africa's wealth for itself is utterly wide of the truth.\" Chinese investment in Africa has surged in recent years. Beijing says it does not interfere in other countries' domestic politics, leading to accusations that it turns a blind eye to human rights abuses and democratic shortcomings. After returning to Kampala later on Friday, Mrs Clinton met Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni. \"We deeply respect the role that President Museveni has played in his country's history,\" Mrs Clinton told reporters before leaving South Sudan, the Reuters news agency reports. However, she also made reference to what critics say is Mr Museveni's increasingly authoritarian behaviour. \"Our position is that there has to be a constitution that sets forth the rules that everyone has to follow... So that it's not about... strong men, it's about strong institutions,\" Ms Clinton said. Ms Clinton had also been expected to press", "summary": "US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on the two Sudans to settle the disputes that have brought them close to war, as she briefly visited the South Sudanese capital, Juba."}
{"article": "The Terriers made 10 changes for the trip to St Andrew's having sealed a Championship play-off place, but the EFL said the result would stand. Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray later questioned Town's line-up. Rovers, who occupy the final relegation place, are two points behind Harry Redknapp's Blues with one game to play. The EFL said in a statement: \"We have today written to Huddersfield Town to request their observations in relation to team selection during their recent Championship match with Birmingham City and, as per our regulations, the EFL executive will refer the matter to the board if it is deemed appropriate to do so. \"It should be noted, however, that the result of Saturday's game will stand in all circumstances and any potential action would be taken against Huddersfield Town directly.\" Blackpool and Wolves were fined for fielding much-changed teams in Premier League matches in 2010 and 2009 respectively. Earlier this season 12 League One and Two teams were fined for playing weakened sides in the Checkatrade Trophy, although that competition had specific regulations regarding team selection.", "summary": "The EFL has written to Huddersfield to \"request their observations regarding team selection\" for Saturday's 2-0 defeat by Birmingham City."}
{"article": "Work by artist Yvette Vanson will go on show at The National Coal Mining Museum for England, near Wakefield. The strike, which ran from 5 March 1984 to 3 March 1985, saw tens of thousands of miners walk out in protest at plans to close scores of pits. A museum spokesperson said the exhibition was intended to \"celebrate miners globally\". Gwendolen Whitaker from the museum said the exhibition was \"a powerful insight into the real lives of mining communities\". The exhibition will also screen Ms Vanson's film The Battle for Orgreave. On 18 June 1984, British Steel's coking plant at Orgreave, South Yorkshire, saw some of the worst violence. About 10,000 striking miners clashed with 5,000 police officers, which led to 93 picketers being arrested with 51 picketers and 72 police officers injured, according to South Yorkshire Police. In 1984 there were 170 working collieries in Britain, employing about 190,000 people. Now just three deep mines remain, employing about 2,000 people Two of those mines, Kellingley in Yorkshire and Thoresby in Nottinghamshire, are due to close, leaving just the employee-owned Hatfield Colliery in South Yorkshire. The National Coal Mining Museum is at Caphouse Colliery, where shafts to work coal date from at least 1789. By 1985 the colliery's coal was exhausted. It opened as a museum in 1988 and was granted national status in 1995.", "summary": "A new exhibition to mark the 30th anniversary of the end of the miners' strike has opened."}
{"article": "International development minister Alasdair Allan claimed Brexit will cause \"immeasurable harm\" to Scotland. He said further damage could be inflicted by limiting the number of people who can come to the UK. The UK government said the immigration system takes Scotland's needs into account. The Scottish government has vowed to oppose any changes to the rules which create barriers for businesses by preventing them from taking on the staff they need. The number of people living in Scotland is projected to grow by 7% between 2014 and 2039, with 90% of the rise in the next decade expected to come from inward migration. In a letter to the UK Home Affairs Select Committee's inquiry into immigration policy, Mr Allan said a \"key priority\" in tackling Scotland's ageing population was attracting working-age migrants to the country. He said: \"That is why we need the UK government to deliver an immigration system that meets Scotland's needs - because we depend heavily on new Scots to support our economy and communities. \"However, net migration targets and caps are too blunt an instrument to address the complex needs of our economy. \"The UK government's focus on arbitrarily reducing net migration figures, irrespective of the value migrants bring, what skills shortages they could address or what contribution they could make, is wrong for Scotland and is harming our economic prospects.\" The UK government has already rejected a call to consider devolving immigration powers to Scotland and changing visa arrangements to encourage students from other countries to stay on north of the border after graduating. A Scottish Affairs Committee report recommended UK ministers consider \"sub-national migration powers\" for Scotland and a tailored post-study work scheme. The UK government response, published on Friday, stated it \"does not intend to reintroduce a general post-study work scheme for Scotland\" and stressed the immigration system is \"designed for the whole of the UK\" but takes Scotland's needs into account.", "summary": "Any moves by the UK government to limit immigration could \"seriously harm\" Scotland's economy, a Holyrood minister has warned."}
{"article": "Hugh Cushnaghan, 63, from Irvine in Scotland, is due before Preston Magistrates Court on Tuesday, Lancashire Police said. The un-named victim was found with a stab wound following reports of an altercation at a property in Fishwick Parade, Preston on Sunday morning. He was taken to hospital, but died a short time later.", "summary": "A man has been charged with murdering a 50-year-old man who died following a stabbing in Lancashire."}
{"article": "The union Unite said all but two of 75 \"operatives\" based at the Port of Grangemouth had voted for action in a ballot. The workers include crane drivers and loaders. It is understood that about 20 engineers who are also based at the site are not involved in the action. The strike is due to start at 00:01 on Tuesday. Unite said the action had been called after port owner Forth Ports announced changes to shifts. The union said the new rotas, which affect night shifts and weekend work, amounted to \"a de facto pay cut\". Forth Ports has yet to comment on the action. A Unite official said: \"We are ready and prepared to negotiate with management.\" Grangemouth currently handles more than 150,000 containers annually, with daily sailings to Rotterdam, Antwerp, Felixstowe and Hamburg.", "summary": "Workers at Scotland's largest container port are to begin a two-week strike on Tuesday in a dispute over rotas and pay."}
{"article": "An inquest into the killing of Azezur Khan, 21, at a cemetery in south-east London heard that police were asked to attend by the mother of Joel Morgan, the 17-year-old being buried. However no officers were assigned. An inquest jury at Southwark Crown Court said local police failed to liaise and share information. Returning a narrative verdict, a jury spokesman said the force had failed to recognise \"that you don't need a named perpetrator and named victim for there to be a threat to life\". Mr Morgan, who was a member of the Lambeth GAS gang, was killed in a car crash. His mother had asked police to attend the funeral because it was in a patch controlled by two rival gangs, the Peckham Young Guns and the Peckham Boys. His friend Mr Khan was in Forest Hill Road outside Camberwell Old Cemetery when he was caught in an exchange of gunfire. The killers have not been found. The jury spokesman said: \"If all relevant information regarding the funeral and gang activities were linked, the Metropolitan Police Service would have put in place a different policing plan, raising the level to either a higher risk or critical. \"If there was a visible police presence at or in the vicinity of the burial service, it may have deterred gang members.\" He said communication errors were \"prevalent\" and officers failed to liaise with each other to carry out their policing plan. Coroner Andrew Harris said he could find no systemic failings in the Met's intelligence gathering systems, but he did question its policy on threat to life. He said: \"I'm not clear that we can be confident that the Met Police has addressed this policy, and that is a considerable concern. \"Given the level of violence in this borough, I can't be satisfied that this has been dealt with.\" A Met spokeswoman said it acknowledged the jury's findings. \"Similar issues were highlighted by an independent investigation conducted by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, and their recommendations were acknowledged and implemented in 2012. \"Since Mr Khan's murder there has been considerable change in the way the Met deals with intelligence. \"We will now take time to consider in detail the findings of the inquest.\"", "summary": "An inquest jury has criticised the Metropolitan Police for failing to send officers to a funeral where a young mourner was shot dead in 2011."}
{"article": "Cardiff council will discuss the plan for Waungron Road, Fairwater, which it said would cut bus travel times. However, councillor Neil McEvoy said the plan was just about getting the Local Development Plan (LDP) approved. Cabinet member Ramesh Patel said the council wanted an attractive viable public transport alternative. A Liberal Deomcrat-led coalition spent \u00a31m upgrading the site in 2008/09 but it was shut in 2014 by the current Labour council, which said it was not financially viable. It said the interchange would be \"vitally important\" for a new public transport route across the city. But Mr McEvoy claimed the council had kept its plans quiet. \"In politics whenever you don't want to do something you just say we can't afford it,\" said Mr McEvoy. \"But this is not a question of finance. This is just about getting the LDP approved.\" In a statement, Mr Patel said the interchange would cut journey times by allowing people to travel between east and west Cardiff by bus without driving into the city centre. The site is also next to Waungron Road railway station, which he said would allow more commuters to use both buses and trains. The LDP is being examined by the Welsh government's planning inspector. The council said any proposals for strategic transport sites across the city would go through the full planning process, with consultation.", "summary": "A row has broken out over a bid to create a bus interchange on a closed recycling site, seven years after it had a \u00a31m revamp."}
{"article": "The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said production dipped 1% last month against October last year, to 151,795 units. However, exports rose for the 15th month in a row, with 122,765 cars built for overseas markets, a 1.7% rise. This offset a 10.9% fall in production for the home market. Exports accounted for 80.9% of UK production in October. The SMMT said the UK motor industry remained strong, with production up by 9.2% so far this year, and more than 1.4 million vehicles produced. SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: \"October's figures underline the export-led nature of the industry, with eight out of 10 cars built for overseas customers. \"Despite model changes which have ended the consistent growth pattern of the past year or so, we are still on track for a record number of exports.\" Concern about the UK car industry's position in a post-Brexit world has prompted executives to urge the government to help shield the sector from any deterioration in trade relations. Government promises of \"support and assurances\" to Nissan helped persuade the Japanese carmaker to build both the new Qashqai and the X-Trail SUV at its Sunderland plant. Mr Hawes said in a statement on Thursday: \"Given this dependence on global trade, it is crucial that British-built cars remain attractive to international buyers and exports are not subject to additional tariffs, costs and other barriers to successful trade. \"It is also essential government ensures there is economic stability and a competitive business environment to ensure we continue to attract the global investment that is behind this performance.\"", "summary": "UK car manufacturing slipped in October for the first time in 14 months amid slower domestic demand, according to the industry's trade body."}
{"article": "BBC Studios and Post Production (S&PP) has delayed the start of its 15-year lease of the revamped Studios 1, 2 and 3, which were to re-open next year. S&PP will remain at Elstree, its home since moving out of TVC in 2013. Anna Mallett, CEO of the BBC subsidiary, said it was \"in everyone's interests\" to wait for two years. \"We are a 24/7 operation and it's absolutely vital to us that our customers have an excellent experience in our studios,\" she told Ariel, the BBC's in-house newspaper. The delay, she said, would avoid possible noise or access issues affecting programmes at TVC, affectionately known as \"the doughnut\", while construction work is completed. Although studio refurbishment work is on track, the developer's broader plans for the Wood Lane site have evolved and its construction programme has been extended as a result. Former studios 4 to 8 will not be part of the redevelopment by property developers Stanhope, which bought Television Centre from the BBC in 2012. Last month S&PP extended its deal with Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, from which it hires two large stages and the George Lucas production gallery space. The Voice, Children in Need and Sky's A League of Their Own are among other programmes to have made use of the recently upgraded facilities.", "summary": "Programmes like BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing will not be filmed at London's Television Centre (TVC) again until 2017 - two years later than planned."}
{"article": "Brenda Donaldson, from Crook of Devon, was driving a Citroen Xsara which was involved in a collision with a Ford Transit flatbed at about 07:10. The Kinross to Crook of Devon road was closed in both directions. The male driver and passenger from the Ford van were treated for minor injuries at the scene.", "summary": "A 55-year-old woman who died following a crash between a car and a van on the A977 in Perthshire on Friday morning has been named."}
{"article": "Pauline King, who was in her 80s, died of injuries from a sustained attack at her home in The Avenues in Norwich. She was found on Sunday afternoon. Alexander Kerry, 23, of Kinghorn Road, Norwich, has been charged with murder and one count of sexual assault. He will return to Norwich Crown Court for a plea and case management hearing on 22 May.", "summary": "A man accused of the murder and sexual assault of an elderly woman in Norfolk has been remanded in custody."}
{"article": "Wilbraham denied the Rams a second league win this term when he finished from Bobby Reid's low cross. Aden Flint's poor back header allowed Anya time to chip in the opener. And the Rams will rue missed chances and the brilliance of former goalkeeper Frank Fielding for the failure to win. Fielding made excellent second-half saves to deny James Wilson, Matej Vydra and substitute Darren Bent. Derby were also on top before the interval, with Vydra shooting off target, Will Hughes sending a header just wide and Wilson also volleying wide. The hosts rarely threatened with Abraham shooting over with their best chance. Anya's cool finish finally ended Derby's miserable run of four league games without a goal and they looked set for maximum points despite their wastefulness. However, Abraham and Reid combined to tee up Wilbraham who had a simple talk of scoring from a couple of yards out. Bristol City manager Lee Johnson: \"I'm so pleased for Frank Fielding. Someone said well done in the dressing room afterwards and there was a spontaneous round of applause from the players because they all love him. \"He is so supportive to the other players even when things are not going right for him. He has had a difficult year recovering from injury but looked back to his best. \"Aaron Wilbraham is another player the whole squad respect. He polices the dressing room with his stature and remains an important member of the squad.\" Derby County boss Nigel Pearson: \"The reality is that it is a very big opportunity lost for us. We have created clear-cut chances that we have spurned at 1-0. \"When that happens it just takes a lucky break or a bit of good play with the opposition throwing extra men forward and we paid the penalty. \"You could see by the players' reaction at full-time how disappointed they were. We continue to stutter as a direct result of not converting the chances we are making. \"We have good players and to be fair to the lads we have had some very good performances over the last few games.\" REACTION: Derby County manager Nigel Pearson speaks to BBC Radio Derby Match ends, Bristol City 1, Derby County 1. Second Half ends, Bristol City 1, Derby County 1. Offside, Bristol City. Jamie Paterson tries a through ball, but Aaron Wilbraham is caught offside. Goal! Bristol City 1, Derby County 1. Aaron Wilbraham (Bristol City) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Bobby Reid. Bobby Reid (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Will Hughes (Derby County). Attempt saved. Matej Vydra (Derby County) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Tom Ince. Attempt missed. Aden Flint (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Tammy Abraham with a headed pass. Offside, Derby County. Andreas Weimann tries a through ball, but Matej Vydra is caught offside. Foul by", "summary": "Aaron Wilbraham tapped home an injury-time equaliser for Bristol City after Ikechi Anya looked set to earn victory with Derby County's second Championship goal of the season."}
{"article": "It comes in response to North Korea's recent nuclear test and missile launch. The measures would for the first time require UN member states to inspect all cargo to or from North Korea. The US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, said it would be the strongest set of sanctions imposed by the Security Council in more than 20 years. A vote is expected at the weekend. North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket in February and a nuclear test in January were widely condemned as a flagrant violation of UN resolutions. Carrots or sticks for North Korea? North Korea's missile programme A world leader in dramatic rhetoric How potent are the threats? China also condemned North Korea's actions but it has previously been reluctant to endorse sanctions that could threaten its neighbour's stability. \"For the first time in history, all cargo going in and out of the DPRK (North Korea) would be subjected to mandatory inspection,\" Ms Power said after presenting the draft resolution measure to the Security Council. \"These sanctions, if adopted, would send an unambiguous and unyielding message to the DPRK regime. The world will not accept your proliferation. There will be consequences for your actions.\" Ninety per cent of North Korea's trade is with China but the proposed sanctions do not prohibit that trade. They might make it harder to do business if inspections of North Korean ships became bureaucratic and burdensome, but as it ordered the cargo China already knows the contents of coal ships from North Korea. Where sanctions might bite is with aviation fuel. An effective block on fuel for Air Koryo would dent the tourist trade - and 30,000 Chinese tourists visit North Korea every year (though Air China also flies into Pyongyang). There is a bigger question and that is whether sanctions are the best way of bringing change. One American professor in a Korean university said sanctions were like \"punishing a masochist\". China may be more on board with the US now because it can see that North Korean progress towards deliverable nuclear weapons is relentless, and it might think that the US ultimately will simply not tolerate this. On this reading, the argument in Beijing may be: \"we'd better stop them now before the US does it later\". On top of that, the Americans are talking about installing a sophisticated anti-missile shield in South Korea. This would see far into Chinese airspace. There may be some negotiation going on where Washington promises Beijing to hold fire on the radar system in return for serious Chinese pressure on Pyongyang. Thursday's announcement followed weeks of negotiations between the US and China that culminated in talks in Washington this week between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The North insists its missile programme is purely scientific in nature, but the US, South Korea and even its ally China say such rocket launches are aimed at developing inter-continental ballistic missiles. The North's nuclear test in January, which it claimed was a test of hydrogen bomb technology, was its fourth", "summary": "The US, backed by China, has submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council aimed at imposing tougher sanctions on North Korea."}
{"article": "Instead of eight hours a day of painting and decorating, he asked his son and business partner if he could cut down a little - to just seven hours a day. But when big jobs needed to be finished, he still finds himself putting in extra hours up his ladder to get it done. \"I think I'd stagnate if I had to stay at home,\" he says. \"I feel sorry for people that have to retire.\" And a growing number feel the same way. According to official figures, there are 32,000 people in the UK who are in their 80s and still hard at work, a figure that has increased by more than half in the past 10 years. And as the post-war baby boom generation reach their mid-60s, it's becoming increasingly common to work past what used to be the official retirement age. Just over one million people are still working past the age of 65, and 324,000 of those are 70 and over. Maureen Rose (above left), 72, is a psychiatric nurse. She and her colleague, 68-year-old support worker Anne Wilson, work at a mental health unit in Surrey. It can be physically challenging work and involve unsociable hours but that doesn't put them off. \"I love my work, love it,\" says Maureen. \"I've been doing it all my life. I love the patients and I feel, with my experience, I've got a lot to offer.\" The NHS is reviewing employment for older workers, but Anne does not believe they are denying openings to the next generation. \"We're saying 'yes we can do it. We're mature, we're old but we're not written off.\" There are still some jobs you can't do. For example, the danger of sudden medical problems means that airline pilots cannot fly internationally past the age of 65, and if they are over 60, they must have a co-pilot who is under 60. But better lifestyles, better diets and better medicines mean that many people now reach their pension age in good health, with every chance of more healthy years ahead. Not everyone wants to fill those years with Bingo and bowls, though. For Bob, staying in work is not a problem, as he's his own boss. But for big employers, it's not so simple. The NHS is Europe's biggest employer, and it makes extensive use of older workers. In England there are 1,453 GPs, 1,207 hospital doctors and 14,816 nurses and support staff still practising past their 65th birthday. It's conducting an extensive review of the issues raised by working longer. Its research so far suggests that over-65s in good health are just as capable as their younger counterparts. Extending the working life of staff helps to fill skill shortages. But would older workers require easier shift patterns? Is that fair to their younger colleagues? And how do you evaluate if someone is no longer up to the job? These are all unanswered questions. The government is certainly keen to see more older workers. Compulsory retirement in the UK was abolished in 2011, and the state", "summary": "As his 80th birthday approached, Bob Hooker decided to slow down a little."}
{"article": "The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) added 19 Singaporean terms and 13 Hong Kong terms in its latest update. \"Wah\" is an expression of delight or surprise, \"shiok\" means cool, and \"yum cha\" is a type of Chinese brunch. Additions also include \"blur\", which means confused or ignorant, and \"sabo\", which means to harm or play a prank on. The dictionary included formations of English that are mostly used in Singapore or Hong Kong. For example, \"compensated dating\", a Hong Kong term, refers to the practice of teenage students providing companionship or sex in exchange for money or gifts. And \"Chinese helicopter\" is a derogatory term referring to a Singaporean whose schooling was conducted in Mandarin Chinese and has limited knowledge of English. The OED records the meaning and development of the English language. It says that, for a word to qualify, there must be \"several independent examples of the word being used, and also evidence the word has been in use for a reasonable amount of time\". Hong Kong English words: Char siu: roast pork marinated in a sweet and savoury sauce Dai pai dong: an open-air food stall Kai fong: a neighbourhood association Wet market: a market for the sale of fresh meat, fish, and produce Singapore English words: Ang moh: A light-skinned person, especially of Western origin or descent; a Caucasian Hawker centre: A food market at which individual vendors sell cooked food from small stalls, with a shared seating area for customers Chilli crab: A dish consisting of crab cooked in a sweet and spicy gravy containing red chillies and tomato Killer litter: Objects thrown or falling from high-rise buildings, endangering people Read more: The rise of Singlish", "summary": "Several Singaporean and Hong Kong English terms, including \"wah\", \"shiok\" and \"yum cha\", are now officially recognised as acceptable English."}
{"article": "It was jockey Ryan Moore's second win in the race, having ridden O'Brien's previous winner Gleneagles, in 2015. Barney Roy (7-2) was second ahead of third-favourite Al Wukair (11-2) in the first Classic of the 2017 Flat season. Frankel's offspring Dream Castle and Colts Eminent were fifth and sixth respectively over the mile distance. The 1,000 Guineas, for fillies, takes place at Newmarket on Sunday at 15:35 BST. Churchill, last season's champion two-year-old, was sitting third at the halfway stage and managed to get the first run on his main rivals as he won by a length from Barney Roy. Moore said Churchill, who was making his three-year-old debut at Newmarket, had \"everything you want in a racehorse\". \"He has a magnificent mind, he travels, has speed and loads of class,\" Moore told ITV Racing. \"He was always racing comfortably - he was there a little bit early. \"He always feels like there's more when you ask him.\" O'Brien added: \"I was very worried about it being his first run. He's a big horse and we knew he would come on for the run. Ryan gave him a lovely ride. \"Everyone at home was very happy with the horse which is why we took the chance to come first time, so I'm delighted.\" BBC racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght Am I the only one to feel a slight sense of anti-climax? Obviously, Aidan O'Brien's latest record-breaking feat is a testament to the prolific skills and brilliance of himself, the rest of the Coolmore team, and, of course, of champion stallion Galileo, Churchill's father. But as a race, I'm not sure. It was hardly the potentially epic showdown billed; the time wasn't great, and the first seven finished within about three lengths. Churchill was good rather than sparkling, though it was his first run of the season. A word for Barney Roy who stumbled at a crucial moment late on.", "summary": "Churchill, the 6-4 favourite, won the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket to give trainer Aidan O'Brien a record-breaking eighth win in the Classic."}
{"article": "In a letter to Pope Francis this month, Krzysztof Charamsa accused the Church of making the lives of millions of gay Catholics globally \"a hell\". He criticised what he called the Vatican's hypocrisy in banning gay priests, even though he said the clergy was \"full of homosexuals\". Pope Francis has yet to respond. Until 3 October, Monsignor Charamsa held a senior post at the Vatican at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the department that upholds Roman Catholic doctrine. The Vatican immediately stripped him of his post after he held a news conference in a restaurant in Rome to announce that he was both gay and in a relationship. Roman Catholic priests are meant to be celibate. At the time, the Holy See said the priest's decision to come out on the eve of the Vatican's synod on the family had been \"irresponsible, since it aims to subject the synod assembly to undue media pressure\". The Polish priest has released to the BBC a copy of the letter he sent to the Pope, written the same day as the announcement, in which he criticises the Church for \"persecuting\" and causing \"immeasurable suffering\" to homosexual Catholics and their families. He says that after a \"long and tormented period of discernment and prayer\", he had taken the decision to \"publicly reject the violence of the Church towards homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and intersexual people\". The 43-year-old says that while the Roman Catholic clergy is \"full of homosexuals\", it is also \"frequently violently homophobic\", and he calls on \"all gay cardinals, gay bishops and gay priests [to] have the courage to abandon this insensitive, unfair and brutal Church\". He says he can no longer bear the \"homophobic hate of the Church, the exclusion, the marginalisation and the stigmatisation of people like me\", whose \"human rights are denied\" by the Church. The priest goes on to thank Pope Francis - who is thought to have a more lenient attitude on homosexuality than some of his predecessors - for some of his words and gestures towards gay people. The Pope recently met a gay former student of his during his recent visit to the US, and has previously said that gay people should not be marginalised in society. But Krzysztof Charamsa says that the pontiff's words will only be worthwhile when all the statements from the Holy See that are offensive and violent against homosexuals are withdrawn. He also urged the Church to annul a decision taken by his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, to sign a document in 2005 that forbids men with deep-rooted homosexual tendencies from becoming priests. The Polish priest terms \"diabolical\" Pope Benedict's statement that homosexuality was \"a strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil\". The priest writes that LGBT Catholics have a right to family life, \"even if the Church does not want to bless it\". He later criticises the Vatican for putting pressure on states which have legalised equal or same-sex marriage. He also expresses his fears about the impact his coming out may have on the treatment", "summary": "A senior Vatican priest, stripped of his post after admitting being in a gay relationship, has launched a scathing attack on the Roman Catholic Church."}
{"article": "A 35-year-old woman had to be cut out of a pair after her calves ballooned in size, the medics said in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. She had spent hours squatting to empty cupboards for a house move in Australia. By evening, her feet were numb and she found it hard to walk. Doctors believe the woman developed a condition called compartment syndrome, made worse by her skinny jeans. Other hidden health risks in your wardrobe Who, What, Why: Are skinny jeans bad for your health? Compartment syndrome is a painful and potentially serious condition caused by bleeding or swelling within an enclosed bundle of muscles - in this case, the calves. The condition caused the woman to trip and fall and, unable to get up, she then spent several hours lying on the ground. On examination at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, her lower legs were severely swollen. Although her feet were warm and had enough blood supplying them, her muscles were weak and she had lost some feeling. As the pressure had built in her lower legs, her muscles and nerves became damaged. She was put on an intravenous drip and after four days was able to walk unaided. Other medics have reported a number of cases where patients have developed tingly, numb thighs from wearing the figure-hugging low-cut denim trousers - although the chance of it happening is still slim for most people. Priya Dasoju, professional adviser at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said: \"As with many of these warnings, the very unfortunate case highlighted is an extreme one. \"There's no need to ditch the skinny jeans just yet, simply avoid staying in the same position for too long and keep moving throughout the day. If you do suffer any prolonged pain you should of course seek help, but no-one should be alarmed by this warning or change the cut of their jeans.\"", "summary": "Skinny jeans can seriously damage muscles and nerves, doctors have said."}
{"article": "The US-based campaign group says Kigali's reputation for being tidy comes at a price. HRW says it has documented the illegal detention of thousands, including street children and sex workers. Rwanda's Justice Minister Johnston Busingye denied there were unofficial detention centres in the country. Mr Busingye added HRW \"seeks to spread falsehood and speculation\" but that the allegations will be investigated. He said the centre where people were being taken was for short stays only before long term rehabilitation. HRW says in its report, based on research carried out over four years, that people are transported from the capital's streets to a vast former garage which was used to interrogate genocide suspects after 1994. The organisation says the rounding up of street vendors, beggars, homeless people, street children, sex workers and petty criminals reflects an unofficial policy of keeping those considered undesirable away from the public eye. HRW says detainees are held there in deplorable conditions for periods ranging from a few days to several months. Former detainees told HRW of routine beatings for actions as trivial as talking too loudly or not standing in line to use the toilet. Carina Tertsakian, who put together the report, says the Rwandan authorities should immediately close the detention centre and release all the detainees. \"If some of these detainees are suspected of committing a criminal offense they should be brought to justice according to the law,\" she added. Rwanda's justice minister told HRW in 2014, and said again on Thursday, that the place where people were taken provided rehabilitation and avoided \"unnecessary incarceration\". \"While HRW insists that Rwanda should charge drug addicts and other criminals with serious crimes that carry jail terms, the country has instead chosen to focus on rehabilitating and reintegrating them to offer the chance for a better life,\" he said.", "summary": "Rwandan police are arbitrarily detaining vulnerable people picked up on the streets of the capital, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW)."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 13 May 2014 Last updated at 13:00 BST The mechanical hands have joints and fingers like real hands. They are very sensitive and can be used to pick up delicate objects like eggs. The new arms make it easier for people who have lost a limb to care for themselves and do everyday tasks like doing up zips.", "summary": "New high tech robotic arms which can be used for delicate tasks have been approved for use by people in America."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Louloudis, 23, missed the event in 2012 as he competed for Great Britain at the London Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the men's eight competition. Cambridge will again have the heavier crew, at 5.25 kilograms per man more. And for the first time in its 90-year history, the women crews compete on the same day and course as the men. Racing along the River Thames from Putney to Mortlake, Cambridge will have the heavier team in the women's Boat Race, 0.9 kg per rower more than Oxford. Oxford are the reigning men's champions after powering to their fifth triumph in seven years in 2014.", "summary": "Constantine Louloudis will go for a fourth Boat Race win in five years for Oxford when they face rivals Cambridge in April live on BBC TV."}
{"article": "He will star in the project, translated as Stalin's Sofa, which will be directed by actress Fanny Ardant, said The Hollywood Reporter. The film is based on French author Jean-Daniel Baltassat's 2013 novel. Depardieu was presented with a Russian passport by Vladimir Putin in 2013 after moving to avoid higher taxes in his native France. Mr Depardieu's move to Russia came after he criticised French President Francois Hollande's plans to raise taxes to 75% for those earning more than 1m euros (\u00c2\u00a3817,400). The actor accused the government of punishing \"success, creation and talent\". In 2011, he played the lead role in the film Rasputin, a Franco-Russian production about the life of eccentric monk. He also recently announced a movie about WW2 French fighter aces who flew alongside Red Air Force pilots over the Eastern Front. Josef Stalin, the supreme ruler of the Soviet Union for more than 25 years, helped the allies defeat Nazism. But his regime of terror caused the death and suffering of tens of millions. The new movie, to be produced by French/Portuguese company Leopardo Filmes, is to be set in the 1950s Soviet Union and will centre on a young artist commissioned to create Stalin's monument.", "summary": "French actor Gerard Depardieu is to play Russian dictator Josef Stalin in a new film, according to reports."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Diana Taurasi and Lindsay Whalen scored 17 points apiece for USA, gold medallists for the eighth time in 10 appearances. Victory extended USA's Olympic winning streak to 49, dating back to the bronze-medal match at Barcelona 1992. Spain's silver was their first Olympic medal of any colour in women's basketball. The world's third-ranked team had lost 103-63 to the United States in the group stage. Spain's Alba Torrens scored a game-high 18 points, but USA were comfortable winners, leaving coach Geno Auriemma in tears. Victory brought a fourth consecutive Olympic gold for Taurasi, captain Sue Bird, and Tamika Catchings. Earlier, Serbia won bronze by beating France 70-63. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox. Find out how to get into basketball with our special guide.", "summary": "USA won their sixth successive Olympic women's basketball title, beating Spain 101-72 at Carioca Arena."}
{"article": "The San Francisco-based company's stock fell more than 18%. That suggests investors were disappointed with its decision to take on more capable Android and Apple-powered watches by selling its own device at a cheaper price. Huawei, Misfit and Withings were among other big brands to unveil new wearables at the Las Vegas show. Huawei expanded its Android Wear-powered smartwatch family with two models targeted at women. Misfit announced a small activity-monitoring metal cylinder that is designed to be worn alongside bracelets and watchbands. And Withings revealed a budget-priced tracker with an e-ink display. Fitbit may be the bestselling fitness tracker brand, but company-watchers have doubts about its move into new territory. \"It's an aggressive and risky move,\" commented Daniel Ives from FBR Research. \"Fitbit has been massively successful in its own niche of the market, and the jury's out on whether the Blaze smartwatch is the right move at the right time.\" About 91.5 million smartwatches, sports watches and activity-tracking wristbands were shipped in 2015, according to tech research firm Gartner. It predicts that number will rise to 116.4 million units this year. The Blaze watch provides notification alerts and can control what music a wirelessly-connected smartphone is playing via its colour touchscreen. But like the rest of the firm's line-up, its focus is on health. It can track sleep and workouts, automatically detecting what activity the user is engaged in from a range of exercises including tennis, football, basketball, treadmill running and Zumba. It can also display on-screen workouts from Fitstar - a popular app - measure the user's heart rate and last up to five days between charges. Unlike the firm's earlier Surge \"super watch\" it does not include its own GPS chip, so it must be paired with a phone to provide location-tracking data. The central module costs $200 (\u00c2\u00a3136) and can be swapped between a range of octagonal-shaped wristbands and straps that will cost between $30 and $130. That makes it cheaper than the Apple Watch and devices running Google's Android Wear operating system. The question is whether consumers will prefer to spend more to have the ability to tap into a large library of third-party apps. \"When you compare Fitbit to companies like Apple and Google it doesn't have the software talent to offer a fully-fledged mobile operating system,\" commented Daniel Matte from the Canalys consultancy. \"But at this price point it's pretty good value and is a natural next step for the firm.\" But another analyst questioned the wisdom of entering the smartwatch sector. \"If I were an investor, I would ask 'what competitive advantage does Fitbit bring to the table?' and 'do we want to compete against Apple, Google and Samsung?'\" said Julie Ask from Forrester Research. \"Having an app ecosystem, and ease of use is so important in this sector.\" Misfit's Ray represents the opposite approach. The aluminium pod can be worn on a strap or around the neck, and runs for up to six months at a time using replaceable batteries. It does not feature a screen, but has an LED that flashes", "summary": "Fitbit's shares plunged following the announcement of its first colour smartwatch at the CES tech show."}
{"article": "The Revd Peter Low, 65, downloaded a collection of images, some of which depicted the most serious category of abuse, Chelmsford Crown Court heard. He pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children and one count of possessing prohibited images of children. The Diocese of Chelmsford said it was \"appalled\" and online abuse of children \"is not tolerated by the church\". Low, of Crescent Road, Heybridge, admitted possessing 55 indecent images, nine of which were said to be at the most serious level, and 124 prohibited ones. LIVE: Updates on this story and other Essex news The clergyman, of the United Benefice of Heybridge with Langford in Essex, will be sentenced on 2 May. As part of his bail conditions he must not have unsupervised contact with under-18s. A spokesman for the Diocese of Chelmsford said Low remained suspended from all his duties as a vicar. He would face a church investigation after sentencing, he said. The spokesman added: \"The diocese is appalled that a clergyman has fallen so far short of the standards expected by the church. \"The diocese strives to uphold the highest standards in safeguarding policy, training, practice and disciplinary action. \"The online abuse of children destroys childhoods and devastates society. \"It is not tolerated by the church.\"", "summary": "A vicar has admitted possessing dozens of indecent images of children."}
{"article": "Hart, 62, became Leeds academy director last September, but left the Elland Road club earlier this month. \"He's someone I would love to bring to the club for lots of reasons,\" Jones told BBC Three Counties Radio. \"I've always gone to him for advice and I always wanted to work with him again. He's someone I respect highly.\" Hart previously worked with Jones at Charlton Athletic. \"Probably one of my best years in football was with him at Charlton,\" Jones continued. \"He's been a bit of a mentor for me. If there's a possibility that we can do something then that would be a really good addition to our team.\"", "summary": "Luton Town manager Nathan Jones hopes to recruit former Nottingham Forest boss Paul Hart to work alongside him at Kenilworth Road."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old, world champion in 2013 and twice a world cup series winner, is named pending a recovery from hand and wrist injuries sustained in February. Senior academy rider Paddy Sharrock is set to make his elite level debut. In the junior women's event, Beth Shriever heads to Rock Hill with five wins in the junior women's class of the UEC BMX European Cup so far this year. Kyle Evans, who won the seventh round of the UEC BMX European Cup in Verona over the weekend, has also been selected. Olympic podium coach Grant White is confident Phillips will overcome injury sufficiently and said: \"Having worked with Liam for nine years and helped him develop into one of the world's best, I am confident in his ability to perform at this event despite setbacks and the team at British Cycling are doing all they can to aid his recovery.\" Elite Men: Kyle Evans, Liam Phillips Paddy Sharrock Junior Women: Beth Shriever, Blaine Ridge-Davis Junior Men: Kye Whyte Find out how to get into cycling with our special guide.", "summary": "Liam Phillips has been included in the Great Britain squad for the UCI BMX World Championships in South Carolina."}
{"article": "The firm also revealed a range of new virtual reality headsets to encourage users to interact with their creations. One expert said the moves would help prepare consumers for more radical augmented reality features, which are still under development. Microsoft also unveiled its first all-in-one desktop, the Surface Studio. It features what is said to be the thinnest ever LCD touchscreen and has an accompanying dial controller, which can be placed directly on the display or used at its side. An on-stage demonstration of the 3D Paint application showed how a stylus could be used to draw 2D-graphics that were automatically given depth by the software. Photographic elements could also be added to the design, and parts could be animated. To create 3D models of real-world objects, Microsoft said it was developing a smartphone app that works by waving the handset around the desired item. The finished creation can be added to Powerpoint presentations, shared on Facebook and other online sites or placed within a virtual reality environment. \"VR is hot with consumers at the moment, and Microsoft is making sure it is not missing the boat from an ecosystem perspective and leaving it all to Google,\" said Carolina Milanesi, a consumer tech analyst at Creative Strategies. \"3D also resonates with consumers. Focusing on creating content and sharing that content is a good way to have them start to think about mixed-reality, preparing them for the HoloLens headset.\" Microsoft revealed Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo will manufacture new Windows 10-compatible virtual reality headsets, which fill the wearer's view with computer-powered images. It said the lowest-cost model would be $299 (\u00a3245). That is several times cheaper than the video games-focused Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets already on sale. They offer a staging post until the firm launches a consumer edition of its HoloLens headset. The kit superimposes graphics over real-world views, moving them in turn with the wearer's head movements so that they appear to be part of the environment. Versions of the HoloLens are already on sale, but cost between \u00a32,719 and \u00a34,529, and are currently targeted at developers. The Creators Edition of Windows 10 is due for release early next year and will be provided as a free upgrade for computers already running the software. Its other new features include: Microsoft began the final stretch of its New York event by unveiling a new laptop, the Surface Book i7, which it said offered twice the graphics power of the last model and up to 16 hours of battery life. But it dedicated most of the section to the new Surface Studio desktop computer. The machine features a touchscreen held to a box below by two adjustable chrome arms. Microsoft claims the display is \"best in class\". Its 192 pixel-per-inch resolution is slightly lower than that of the top-end iMac. But it compensates for this by being an inch larger than Apple's model, as well as appearing to be substantially thinner thanks to most of the machine's guts being placed at its base. The PC is sold with a wireless", "summary": "New 3D creation and editing tools are being added to the next edition of the Windows 10 operating system, including a revamped version of Paint."}
{"article": "The Craigneuk-based mixed martial arts fighter will take on Brazilian Luis Henrique Da Silva at the 18,000 capacity Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, just the fourth Scot to make the step up to the UFC. The 29-year-old has signed a four-fight deal with what he calls the \"Champions League of MMA\", a far cry from his days at Tynecastle. It is a stage he didn't even aspire to until he found he was reducing opponents to tears. \"The truth was I wasn't good enough,\" Craig said of his attempts to forge a career in football. \"I knew that myself so I went into the role of coaching football. \"I was OK, it was enjoyable, but I really missed the competitive side, I missed having some sort of competition. I started messing about with martial arts and found that I was really good at it. \"It was never a case of 'I'm going to be in the UFC one day'. I was driving up and down the length and breadth of Britain fighting in various competitions in regards to jiu-jitsu. My coach said to me 'there's an opportunity, do you fancy it?' and it was down on a show in Sunderland. \"I always remember the guy I fought was Gary Sivills, and he was the top guy down that way. He had a really good record, he then wanted to fight for a British title, and he was using me as some cannon fodder, a stepping stone. He was expected just to walk through me. I had no pressure at all, I was going in as underdog. \"I took four or five friends down with me, and I beat him in like a minute and 37 seconds. I went to speak to him afterwards and he was sobbing his eyes out and I couldn't work out why. \"It wasn't until I then beat a guy called Karl Moore as a pro in my first fight in BAMMA (British Association of Mixed Martial Arts). He was touted as being the next big thing, and it went two rounds. I remember the same thing, him crying. \"I thought about all the guys I've fought and they'd all been trying to get to this one point. All these guys are trying to make it to the UFC, and I've stopped them. I understand the pressure they were under.\" By day Craig teaches with Skillforce, an educational charity that helps pupils engage with school and make the most of their lives. Now, after eight wins from eight fights, all within the distance, he has been noticed by the UFC and is set to fight on the same stage that has has turned Irishman Conor McGregor into a global superstar. Craig will not get an easy introduction to life in the UFC against the kickboxing skills of Da Silva, but after sparring with Scottish boxers Stephen Simmons and Jay McFarlane, Craig is confident he can end the Brazilian's 12-fight unbeaten run. \"The UFC is the pinnacle, everyone wants to fight there,\" Craig told BBC Scotland. \"It's going to", "summary": "On Saturday, Scotland's Paul Craig will complete a remarkable journey from the Hearts youth team to the Ultimate Fighting Championship."}
{"article": "Claire Darbyshire, 36, killed 67-year-old Brian at their home in Wykeham Green, Dagenham, east London, on 2 September last year. Afterwards, she claimed they had made a suicide pact as his illness had become \"intolerable\". But following an Old Bailey trial, a jury found Darbyshire guilty of murder. Sentencing her, Recorder of London Nicholas Hilliard QC said he accepted that she believed it was an act of mercy. He said the key to the case was that she failed to establish her father had agreed she would also kill herself in a suicide pact. He said: \"I accept your evidence that your father did raise the question of ending his own life and he wanted to do that and wanted your help to do so.\" But he told her she had unlawfully killed her father behind \"closed doors\" and no defence to murder applied. Darbyshire, who was born male but has lived her life as a female, has already spent five months on remand in a men's prison awaiting trial. Widower Mr Darbyshire developed MS in 1995 and in 2014 the defendant took over as his sole carer. Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC told jurors that Mr Darbyshire, a retired Ford stock controller, had not expressed any suicidal thoughts or complained about being in pain to nurses who visited him. Medical records revealed he had episodes of \"bad temper and aggression\", but had never tried to kill himself. Darbyshire complained to a friend about having to look after him and appeared to be stressed. After the killing she caught a train to the Dover area, having texted the district nurse to visit \"asap\". On 3 September, Darbyshire approached a National Trust worker on cliffs for help and ended up with support services in Canterbury. Five days later she mentioned the suicide pact for the first time. She said they had both taken an overdose on 1 September, which failed to work, before she suffocated her father. On the morning of 10 September - eight days after the killing - police discovered Mr Darbyshire's body in his bed with a suit, teddy bear and various handwritten notes nearby. Following her arrest, Darbyshire told police she had planned to hand herself in the next day and a signed account was found among her belongings. In mitigation, Paul Keleher QC told the court that by 2015, Darbyshire and her father were \"living a life which most people would regard as intolerable\". He also discussed a report about her time in custody, saying she had thought about self-harm when she first arrived in prison but \"the kindness of strangers... brought her to the realisation that life was not desperate\". He added: \"The prison will continue to support in terms of her ongoing transformation.\" Det Insp Sarah McConnell from the Met Police's Homicide and Major Crime Command said: \"The reclusive lifestyle that Brian and Claire Darbyshire had lived for a number of years means it is difficult to fully understand their precise situation.\" She said the unanimous verdict of murder \"has been welcomed by the remaining family of", "summary": "A carer found guilty of murdering her MS-suffering father has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of four years."}
{"article": "Having survived a tight lbw appeal early on, the former England captain went on to reach three figures off 202 balls with 16 fours. The Essex opener shared a 134-run second-wicket stand with Tom Westley but fell for 110 as he pulled a short ball from Dean Elgar to James Hildreth. But, Westley's unbeaten 86 ensured the visitors chased down 255 in 84.1 overs. In his first competitive match since stepping down as skipper of the national side, Cook rarely looked troubled while at the crease. Resuming overnight unbeaten on four, Cook signalled his intent by hitting two boundaries from the first over of the day before Craig Overton was convinced the England batsman had been trapped lbw only for umpire Graham Lloyd to remain unmoved. Despite 30 wickets falling in the first two days, the hosts' bowlers struggled and Nick Browne shared an 82-run opening partnership with the England opener before being caught behind off Jamie Overton for 35. Cook batted on unfazed, as new Somerset captain Tom Abell ran out of options, and left the visitors requiring just 39 runs to win when he was dismissed. A rejuvenated Westley, who made just 10 in the first innings, saw Essex home as he drove seamer Lewis Gregory to the boundary.", "summary": "Alastair Cook's masterful century guided Essex to an eight-wicket victory over Somerset at Taunton."}
{"article": "Among them were customers at the Salt House Bar in Galway, who were celebrating when something out of the ordinary happened. \"I was cleaning up glasses and felt a drip on my head and we noticed that it was raining from the roof,\" said Liam McEvoy, who was working in the bar. He went upstairs to the storeroom and discovered a keg had burst. \"When 20 litres of beer comes out of the keg there's a lot of it, so it spread across the floor upstairs and started to come through in a few different spots,\" he said. Liam said staff cleared up the spill pretty quickly, but that did not stop some of the beer from raining down on customers in the bar. \"It was unfortunately just over two tables of girls, so we just gave them umbrellas and let them get on with their day,\" he said. \"At first everyone was a bit unsure what was happening, but it was St Patrick's Day so nobody was really going to complain or go home and they got a bit of a laugh out of it, getting served with umbrellas up in the pub even if it's bad luck. \"I think beer from the roof was strange enough, let alone having superstitions.\" Eventually the drips subsided, but the female drinkers had got quite used to the novelty of using umbrellas indoors. \"I think the girls started to enjoy it so they kept them up for about half an hour, even though they probably only needed them for a few minutes,\" he said.", "summary": "Irish people around the world raised a glass or two in honour of their patron saint on St Patrick's Day."}
{"article": "Hayes, 29, has scored six goals in 22 matches for the Scottish Premiership side this season, including one in the Europa League. He won the 2010 Scottish First Division title with Inverness and then the 2014 Scottish League Cup with Aberdeen. Cardiff have already signed utility player Greg Halford from Championship rivals Rotherham and striker Ibrahim Meite from non-league Harrow Borough. Now they are trying to add Hayes, who has two caps for the Republic, as manager Neil Warnock looks to revamp his squad in the January transfer window.", "summary": "Cardiff City are targeting Aberdeen's Republic of Ireland winger Jonny Hayes."}
{"article": "Jason Lawrance, 50, of Liphook, Hampshire, used two profiles to meet his victims from five English counties, Derby Crown Court heard. He must serve at least 12 and a half years before being eligible for parole. Judge Gregory Dickinson, said he was \"devious, manipulative and highly dangerous to women\". Lawrance committed three attacks months after marrying his wife who he met via the site. Updates on this story and more from Derbyshire The assaults took place between June 2011 and November 2014 in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire. Lawrance, a self-employed builder, was found guilty on Wednesday of five counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault following a two-week trial. Sentencing him, Judge Dickinson said: \"I am compelled to the dreadful conclusion that you enjoyed raping women. \"After these terrible crimes you acted as if nothing had happened. \"Given the chance you will rape again. I do not know when it may be safe to release you into the community.\" The court heard Lawrance's parents and three children were \"devastated\" by his convictions, however his wife is standing by him. During the trial, jurors were told Lawrance used two pictureless profiles - keepitstraighttoday and straightmanlooking - to contact several thousand women, but was keen to talk to them offline. Derbyshire Police began investigating in November 2014 after officers received a call from a woman who said her friend was raped by Lawrance. Officers found that in June 2011 he drove a woman down a remote country lane near Crick in Northamptonshire and raped her in the back of his van. Two years later he sent a woman a message saying \"Boo! xx\" 24 hours after attempting to rape her at her house in Spalding, Lincolnshire. The jury was told he had consensual sex at a woman's house in Buxton, Derbyshire, in November 2013, but the following day raped her despite her \"screaming hysterically\". He then sent her a text message reading: \"When you were crying out for me to stop I couldn't, I'm so mad at myself xxx\" and another saying \"I was disgusted with myself for hurting you. I am so sorry. I am too rough for you xxx xx\". A year later, in 2014, he raped two women in hotel rooms in Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire. Judge Dickinson said Match.com and police could learn lessons from the case after it came to light that four victims had previously reported his behaviour to the website but his profile was not removed. Police said they hoped the case would get safety messages across for people using online dating sites. Det Ch Insp Allison Rigby, from Derbyshire Police, said: \"Jason Lawrance is a prolific, serial rapist who preyed on women.\" Police said he contacted women who were divorced or widowed, and many were lonely and vulnerable. During the trial it also emerged Lawrance was arrested by Lincolnshire Police in 2013 after one of his victims reported she had been raped at her home. He was released on bail after officers said they had \"insufficient evidence\" to", "summary": "A \"sexual predator\" who raped five women and attacked two more after meeting them on internet dating site Match.com has been jailed for life."}
{"article": "It was Guiseley's first league victory since 30 April - and the manner of it was enough to see the club trending on Twitter. The game featured seven goals, a 37-minute delay when the lights went out and an angry fan marching on to the pitch to confront York City boss Jackie McNamara. York, relegated from League Two last season and backed by more than 700 fans for the away trip, dropped to 20th with a fourth straight defeat. Guiseley remain bottom with six points from 14 games. The visitors led through Matt Fry's header, only for Guiseley to scores twice in three minutes through debutant Jake Cassidy and Alex Purver. Purver added a third, Jordan Preston made it 4-1 and, after the floodlight failure plunged the ground into darkness, Jermaine Hylton, another debutant, and Rob Atkinson completed the rout. The game, which started at 19:45 BST, finished at 22:35. Match ends, Guiseley 6, York City 1. Second Half ends, Guiseley 6, York City 1. Goal! Guiseley 6, York City 1. Robert Atkinson (Guiseley). Substitution, Guiseley. Adam Boyes replaces Jermaine Hylton. Substitution, Guiseley. Michael Rankine replaces Jake Cassidy. Substitution, Guiseley. Nicky Clee replaces Connor Brown. Substitution, York City. Kaine Felix replaces Justin Johnson. Goal! Guiseley 5, York City 1. Jermaine Hylton (Guiseley). Substitution, York City. Fraser Murdoch replaces Scott Fenwick. Substitution, York City. Yan Klukowski replaces Ben Clappison. Second Half begins Guiseley 4, York City 1. First Half ends, Guiseley 4, York City 1. Goal! Guiseley 4, York City 1. Jordan Preston (Guiseley). Jordan Preston (Guiseley) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Guiseley 3, York City 1. Alex Purver (Guiseley). Goal! Guiseley 2, York City 1. Alex Purver (Guiseley). Goal! Guiseley 1, York City 1. Jake Cassidy (Guiseley). Goal! Guiseley 0, York City 1. Matt Fry (York City). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "National League bottom club Guiseley came from behind - and overcame a floodlight failure - to thrash Yorkshire neighbours York City at Nethermoor."}
{"article": "In the capital, Hanoi, demonstrators sang patriotic songs and held up placards opposite the Chinese embassy. Tensions have been running high after Vietnamese ships clashed with Chinese vessels guarding an oil rig in a contested area of the South China Sea. The protests appear to have the Vietnamese government's approval. The country's communist authorities have broken up previous anti-China demonstrations because of fears that they may be hijacked by pro-democracy activists, says the BBC's Asia Pacific editor, Charles Scanlon. Nevertheless, he says, Hanoi has also used the demonstrations to communicate its anger over what it sees as Beijing's aggressive infringement of Vietnamese sovereignty. The protesters opposite the Chinese embassy on Sunday included war veterans and students. \"This is the largest anti-Chinese demonstration I have ever seen in Hanoi,\" a war veteran named Dang Quang Thang told the AFP news agency. \"Our patience has limits. We are here to express the will of the Vietnamese people to defend our territory at all costs. We are ready to die to protect our nation,\" he is quoted as saying. Large anti-China protests were also seen in other Vietnamese cities. Earlier this month, ships from the two countries collided near a Chinese oil drilling platform in the South China Sea. China has warned Vietnam to withdraw its ships from waters, off the disputed Paracel Islands, that it claims as its own. But Vietnam - which also claims that stretch of sea - accused China of having sent 80 vessels, including navy ships, to support an oil drilling operation. It released video footage to back its claim that Chinese ships had rammed Vietnamese vessels. The US has accused China of provocation, and warned that the dispute could destabilise the region. The issue was also discussed by foreign ministers at the 10-member ASEAN summit of south-east Asian Nations in Myanmar (also known as Burma). .", "summary": "Hundreds of people across Vietnam have protested against China's role in a sea dispute - the largest rallies of their kind recently in the communist country."}
{"article": "The writer, who had cancer, died in Los Angeles on Christmas Day his son, Paul Johnson, said. Johnson also penned the first Star Trek television episode, shown in 1966. But he was best known for Logan's Run, which was made into a 1976 film starring Michael York and was nominated for two Oscars. Set in a dystopian future and co-written with William F Nolan, the story told of a society where young people live idyllic lives, but are executed when they reach the age of 30 to prevent overpopulation. York played Logan 5, a so-called Sandman who tracks down those who try to escape their fate. Jenny Agutter, Peter Ustinov and Farrah Fawcett also starred in the film. The film was nominated for best cinematography and art direction Oscars and won a special achievement Academy Award for its visual effects. It also spawned a short-lived US TV series in 1977 starring Gregory Harrison in the lead role. 'Loved his fans' Johnson was revered among fans of the sci-fi genre for his work, which also included a collaboration with Ray Bradbury on the 1962 Oscar-nominated animated short film Icarus Montgolfier Wright. \"Please emphasise how much he loved his fans, and judging by the overwhelming response I've received, from hundreds of people, known and unknown, he made quite an impact on them,\" Paul Johnson told The Associated Press. Prior to Logan's Run, Johnson created several episodes of 1960s TV series The Twilight Zone. They included Kick the Can, where a group of elderly care home residents turn back their biological clocks and relive their childhoods by playing a children's game, and Nothing in the Dark, which starred a young Robert Redford as a kindly version of the Grim Reaper. The writer also penned the story of Ocean's 11, the 1960 film about a Las Vegas casino heist which starred Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Dean Martin. It was remade in 2001 starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon and paved the way for two sequels, released in 2004 and 2007. As well as his son, Johnson is survived by a daughter, Judy Olive, and his wife, Lola Johnson.", "summary": "Science-fiction writer George Clayton Johnson, who co-wrote the 1967 dystopian novel Logan's Run, has died aged 86."}
{"article": "Airbus increased revenue by 6% in the third quarter to \u20ac14bn (\u00a310bn; $15.4bn) compared with \u20ac13.3bn the year before. The company benefited from the strong dollar and growing sales across all its products. Airbus plans to increase production of its A320 to 60 a month in 2019, from 42 now, capitalising on growing sales. Shares in Airbus rose 4.6% in early trading following the news. The company's order intake increased 42% in the first nine months of 2015 compared with a year earlier. Airbus did \u20ac100bn in sales of commercial aircraft and \u20ac4bn of helicopters sales. The firm also announced a \u20ac1bn share buy back to be completed by mid-2016. Airbus said the increased production of A320s would help off set some of the issues it has had delivering other aircraft. In a statement, chief executive Tom Enders said \"We are strongly focused on programme execution given our key operational challenges with the A350 and A400M ram-ups.\" Airbus has struggled to keep up with demand for its A350. Both the A350, and the A400M military aircraft, have carbon fibre structures that improve fuel efficiency.", "summary": "European aircraft maker Airbus is planning to ramp up production of its A320 following a profitable third quarter earnings."}
{"article": "The Vikings looked set for only a third win this season when tries from Chris Houston, Rhys Hanbury and two from Patrick Ah Van opened up a big lead. But Jansin Turgut got a try back for Hull 30 seconds before the break. Full-back Jamie Shaul got two of Hull's five unanswered second-half tries, with Carlos Tuimavave, Albert Kelly and Danny Washbrook also crossing. A fourth successive win for Lee Radford's side, in which Marc Sneyd added four conversions and a drop goal, lifted them back to second in the Super League table. Widnes, already without the injured Corey Thompson, who announced on Thursday that he will leave at the end of the season, lost centre Chris Bridge after just 90 seconds. But scrum-half Tom Gilmore, who also converted three of their four tries, was the inspiration behind their first-half show. Two tries in two minutes either side of the break, the second from Shaul triggered by Josh Griffin's half-time arrival, proved the turning point for Hull. Tuimavave was put over for try number three by a deft pass from stand-off Kelly, who then found a gaping hole to romp in from 50 metres for his 12th try of the season, Sneyd adding the extras to level the scores with 15 minutes left. Shaul then crossed for his second with a typical bursting effort as Widnes' defenders ran out of energy, and Sneyd dropped the goal which left Widnes needing two scores before Washbrook had the final say with a simple score. Widnes head coach Denis Betts told BBC Radio Merseyside: \"If we had points for winning halves, we'd be in a lot better position. These past few weeks we've won the first halves in games but not got anything out of them. \"It was the best 40 minutes of the year for us. Then we stopped doing everything. Our shape dropped, our talk dropped off. We had a great lead and energy but then don't turn up in the second half. \"They have got some good players, Jamie Shaul, Albert Kelly, Marc Sneyd, Carlos Tuimavave, but we let them back in. We were chasing shadows. \"Chris Bridge knocked himself out in the tackle. He had his head slammed to the ground and he's still a bit dazed. That means we had one rotation less. We looked really tired in the second half and it showed.\" Hull FC boss Lee Radford told BBC Radio Humberside: \"We gave ourselves a really difficult job to do because of the start we made. But we scored before the break and that gave us a chance. And we could have made it even easier in the end as we bombed some chances. \"We were out-enthused in every department in the first half. We showed the lads some clips at half-time why we were in the situation we were in. \"We needed something more and we needed some energy and we eventually got it. We wanted to get Albert Kelly carrying the ball a bit more and he managed to do that. \"The group know comebacks like", "summary": "Hull FC produced one of the comebacks of the season as they hit back from 22-0 down to win at bottom club Widnes."}
{"article": "Gray was a Scotland age-grade international and worked for Scottish Rugby in various coaching roles between 1994 and 2006. He said working with the senior team is \"something special indeed\". Head coach Vern Cotter added: \"We're looking forward to adding his experience and passion to the group.\" Scotland begin the tournament at home to England on 6 February then visit Wales and Italy before hosting France and finishing in Ireland. Elaborating on his new role, Gray commented: \"The defensive breakdown is an area highlighted by the coaches as an area for improvement, for which I've been given a very specific brief to work alongside defence coach Matt Taylor for the seven-week period of the Six Nations. \"It's a great honour and I'm looking forward to joining up with the squad in camp in St Andrews this Sunday.\"", "summary": "Richie Gray has joined Scotland's Six Nations backroom staff as a consultant after three years as South Africa's specialist breakdown coach."}
{"article": "George Osborne will consider that he has scored not one but two direct hits - no cuts to working tax credits and no cuts to police budgets. The former, of course, is largely due to the defiance of the House of Lords (Mr Osborne was ridiculed by Labour's Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, describing it as a climb-down). The latter may or may not be connected with that leaked letter from an unnamed police chief to the Home Office warning about the dire consequences of cuts in police budgets of 20% just at a time when community policing and intelligence-gathering were at a premium because of the counter terrorism agenda. The chancellor was equally determined to present himself as George (if not Bob) the Builder with his \u00c2\u00a34bn push for private developers to deliver 400,000 new affordable homes to buy. There will be some scepticism about this, and not just on the Opposition benches. Could this be yet another missed target bearing in mind that, as Mr McDonnell pointed out, the construction industry is in recession? In the Midlands, building developments are severely hampered by a shortage of bricklayers. One major local initiative which will receive a general welcome from all sides in politics will be Mr Osborne's confirmation that the long-awaited 670-bed super hospital in Sandwell is on the list of three new hospitals. It will take over services currently provided by Birmingham City and Sandwell hospitals. A \"flat cash\" settlement for local authorities guarantees that the agony for local councils will extend throughout the lifetime of this parliament. This will be the stark backdrop for councils preparing to set their budgets for next year. Labour MPs including Gisela Stuart (Birmingham Edgbaston) complain that local government is being redefined, forced by budget cuts to withdraw from important areas of their work, with only the voluntary \"third sector\" left to fill the gap, or so it's hoped. Will this be offset by his further encouragement for the local leaders who signed up in Coventry last week for the West Midlands Combined Authority's \"devo deal\"? The chair of the shadow authority which paves the way for it, the Conservative leader of Solihull Council, Bob Sleigh, told the BBC he is delighted the \u00c2\u00a38bn of devolved spending power already announced will enable the new authority, complete with elected \"metro\" mayor, to deliver the \"big ticket\" items - transport, housing, skills and business growth. It will certainly concentrate the minds of councils outside the \"core\" authority area who have so far stood aloof from the West Midlands Combined Authority. Places like Warwickshire, where nearby Coventry and the Coventry and Warwickshire enterprise partnership have signed up for it while the county council has not. The government clearly believes its \"Devolution Revolution\" is finally gaining momentum towards its vision of the new authority at the centre of a bigger Midlands \"economic engine\", connecting the East and West Midlands in the way that the Northern Powerhouse is connected from Merseyside to Humberside. The Treasury's official map of its regional spending settlements shows East and West Midlands united, together, joined-up,", "summary": "Chancellors love springing surprises, especially if they manage to shoot some of the opposition's foxes at the same time."}
{"article": "Jayden Stockley, Adam Rooney and Wes Burns all scored in the last 20 minutes. \"You see the goal threats we have and we've got Miles Storey to add to that,\" McInnes told BBC Scotland. \"Tonight I thought we were so industrious, tenacious, and played the game how it needed to be played.\" Stockley's header broke the deadlock, and was his first goal for the club since signing in the summer. Burns had sealed a loan switch from English Championship side Bristol City hours before the game, and the Welshman scored just a minute after coming off the bench. \"It was always my intention to get another striker on next to Rooney for the second period of the game,\" said McInnes. \"Jayden's goal is magnificent. Rooney is typical Rooney.\" McInnes also hailed his defence as they kept a clean sheet for the first time in Europe this season. \"Defensively they deserves a lot of plaudits,\" he said. \"They've taken a kicking recently with mistakes and lack of concentration. \"It was important we didn't chase the game willy nilly. We drew 0-0 here with Groningen and Shkendija and that was enough or us. \"The goal we conceded to Fola Esch, that was the goal that nearly put us out of the tournament. Although the performance was poor over there, that was the goal that gave the opposition the hope and incentive. \"It's very important to keep clean sheets at home in Europe, and I think we're capable of scoring over there which makes it more difficult for them. They have to play with that concern while they try and chase the game.\" He added: \"We're confident going on the road. Last week was not like us. In Europe we've picked up some good results, we've always been quite compact and disciplined and been able to counter. \"We did nothing last week apart from give the opposition hope that they could win. But tonight there was some good performances and it was a good night's work for us.\"", "summary": "Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes hailed the attacking threat of his side as they beat Ventspils 3-0 in the Europa League second qualifying round."}
{"article": "The figure is a big increase on the 89 child abductions reported by Unicef last month. Their latest statement blamed a militia group allied to the government. South Sudan is in a state of civil war with forces loyal to President Salva Kiir pitted against rebels led by former Vice-President Riek Machar. The campaign group Human Rights Watch has accused both sides of using child soldiers. Unicef said the boys were abducted by the Shilluk Militia, under the control of Johnson Oloni. The government has previously said it has no control over the group. \"We fear [the children] are going from the classroom to the front line,\" said Unicef's representative in South Sudan, Jonathan Veitch. Witnesses report seeing children as young as 12 carrying guns, according to the UN. The seizure of the boys happened in an area known as Wau Shilluk, in oil-rich Upper Nile state. The UN believes 12,000 children were used as child soldiers across South Sudan last year. About 1.5 million people have been displaced by the fighting in the country and 2.5 million are facing severe food shortages.", "summary": "Hundreds of boys in South Sudan have been kidnapped and forced to become child soldiers, the United Nations children's agency says."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old is the only uncapped player in the 25-man squad announced on Tuesday. Defender Aaron Hughes and striker Jamie Ward are included but are injury doubts for the 14 November game in Bucharest. McNair's Old Trafford team-mate Jonny Evans is out injured and has yet to feature in the qualifying campaign. He missed the first qualifying game in Hungary because of suspension and an ankle injury ruled him out of the victories over the Faroe Islands and Greece. Media playback is not supported on this device Northern Ireland have made a magnificent start to the qualifying series, winning their opening three games for the first time. They are two points ahead of the second-placed Romanians. McNair, who has featured three times for United this season including Saturday's derby defeat by Manchester City, has been brought in as cover for Hughes who picked up an ankle injury playing for Brighton. \"I've been hugely impressed with Paddy - he's come into a difficult situation at Manchester United and there is a lot of media attention,\" said Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill. \"The manager has come in and spent a lot of money so it is encouraging to see the likes of Paddy given a chance. \"He's played in difficult circumstances, with the defence a bit makeshift at times and it's difficult for a young player to come into that. Media playback is not supported on this device \"But he's acquitted himself very well, he's around the Manchester United first team and I'm looking forward to having him in the squad.\" West Brom midfielder Chris Brunt returns to the squad after missing the games against Greece and the Faroe Islands, but Hull defender Alex Bruce has a hamstring injury. Northern Ireland squad: Goalkeepers: R Carroll (Notts County), A Mannus (St Johnstone), M McGovern (Hamilton Academical). Defenders: A Hughes (Brighton), C Baird (West Bromwich Albion), G McAuley (West Bromwich Albion), R McGivern (Port Vale), C Cathcart (Watford), C McLaughlin (Fleetwood Town), L McCullough (Doncaster Rovers), R McLaughlin (Liverpool), P McNair (Manchester United). Midfielders: S Davis (Southampton), C Brunt (West Bromwich Albion), S Clingan (Kilmarnock), C Evans (Blackburn Rovers), O Norwood (Reading), B Reeves (MK Dons), P McCourt (Brighton), N McGinn (Aberdeen). Strikers: K Lafferty (Norwich City), J Ward (Derby County), J Magennis (Kilmarnock), B McKay (Inverness Caledonian Thistle), Will Grigg (MK Dons).", "summary": "Manchester United defender Paddy McNair has been named in the Northern Ireland squad for the first time for the Euro 2016 qualifier away to Romania."}
{"article": "Charlie ran on to the pitch during New Zealand's lap of honour at Twickenham stadium last night. Sonny Bill Williams intervened as a security guard tackled the 14-year-old fan. The New Zealand centre took Charlie with him on his lap of honour before giving him a surprise he will not forget. Williams handed over his Rugby World Cup winners medal in front of a stunned crowd. He told New Zealand News afterwards: \"I was walking around doing a lap of honour with the boys and a young fella came running out and he got smoked by the security guard, like full-on tackled him. I felt sorry for the little fella.\" It's a Rugby World Cup final souvenir that Charlie wont forget.", "summary": "New Zealand player, Sonny Bill Williams, gives his Rugby World Cup winning medal to a stunned 14-year-old fan."}
{"article": "Conte encouraged Blues fans to make more noise in the closing stages, with reports claiming Mourinho told the Italian at the final whistle that his actions had \"humiliated\" United. But Conte said: \"I've been a player too and I know how to behave. \"I always show great respect for everyone, including Manchester United.\" Goals from Pedro, Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante ensured Mourinho's first return to Chelsea since he was sacked last year ended in bitter disappointment. Mourinho, 53, received a relatively warm welcome at Stamford Bridge, although the match ended with the Portuguese boss seemingly having harsh words with Conte. The 47-year-old Italian had urged the home fans to raise the noise levels in appreciation of his team's performance - because he could only hear the travelling United fans. Media playback is not supported on this device Reports in the Italian media claimed Mourinho told Conte: \"You don't celebrate like that at 4-0, you can do it at 1-0, otherwise it's humiliating for us.\" Neither manager confirmed what was said in their post-match media conferences. \"There was no incident, it was just a normal thing to do. I wasn't mocking anyone, I wouldn't do that,\" said Conte. \"Today it was right to call our fans in a moment when I was listening to only the supporters of Manchester United at 4-0. \"The players, after a 4-0 win, deserved a great clap. It's very normal. \"If we want to cut the emotion we can go home and change our job.\" United were aiming to go above their hosts into fifth with a victory at Stamford Bridge, but were instead left to reflect on their heaviest Premier League defeat since the 6-1 drubbing by Manchester City in October 2011. It was also the heaviest defeat for Mourinho in all competitions since Real Madrid's 5-0 defeat by Barcelona in November 2010. United conceded after just 30 seconds when Chris Smalling's hesitation allowed Pedro to score the opener, with Cahill adding another 20 minutes later before second-half strikes from Hazard and Kante sealed an easy victory. \"To the millions of fans we have around the world they have a bad feeling and I am so sorry for that,\" said Mourinho. \"I have to apologise as the leader of the dressing room and the only thing I can say is I'm 100% Man Utd, not 99% for Man Utd and 1% for Chelsea. \"I feel deeply the situation but there is only one answer, training on Monday and keep fighting.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Chelsea endured a miserable campaign as they tried to defend their Premier League title last season, started badly under Mourinho - who was sacked in December when they were 16th - before rallying under interim manager Guus Hiddink to finish 10th. Conte, the former Italy and Juventus coach, was appointed to restore their fortunes and sees his side one point adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City after Sunday's win against United. \"We wanted to show our ambition and give the satisfaction to our fans and", "summary": "Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says he was \"not mocking anyone\" after appearing to antagonise Jose Mourinho in Manchester United's 4-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge."}
{"article": "The BFI praised the 46-year-old's \"mesmerising screen presence\" which \"has captivated audiences since her earliest roles\". The actress won Academy Awards for her roles in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine in 2014 and in 2005 for The Aviator. She will be awarded the honour at the London Film Festival's annual awards ceremony on 17 October. The BFI described Blanchett as \"a fearless and subtle actress\". \"She has the rare gift of seeming utterly to inhabit the characters she plays and has an amazing ability to convey complex layers of emotion to stunning effect,\" it added. Blanchett shot to global fame playing Queen Elizabeth I in 1998 film Elizabeth, followed by roles in The Talented Mr Ripley, The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The actress has two films receiving their UK premiere at the London Film Festival - Carol and Truth. Truth, which also stars Robert Redford and Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss, tells the true story of CBS journalist and 60 Minutes producer Mary Mapes, who risked her career to find the \"truth\" and expose a story on the then US President George W Bush. It will be screened as the Fellowship special presentation film. Set in 1950s Manhattan, Carol sees Blanchett play a woman trapped in a loveless marriage who falls for a younger woman, played by Rooney Mara. Previous recipients of the Fellowship include Tim Burton, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes and Stephen Frears. Al Pacino and Mel Brooks have also been awarded the honour in the past year. Suffragette, starring Meryl Streep and Carey Mulligan, will open the London Film Festival on 7 October, while Danny Boyle's Steve Jobs biopic will bring it to a close on 18 October.", "summary": "Oscar-winning actress Cate Blachett is to receive the BFI Fellowship for her contribution to film."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old joins from Belgium's Royal Mouscron to become the club's sixth signing of the summer. Matulevicius has 33 caps, and scored seven goals in 30 appearances for Royal Mouscron last season. \"I've always watched British football and the style of play will suit me,\" Matulevicius said. \"It's more physical and you need to have a lot of fight in every game.\" The 6ft 3in centre-forward joins Danny Swanson, Simon Murray, Efe Ambrose, Ofir Marciano and Steven Whittaker in committing his immediate future to Hibs on their return to the Scottish top-flight, \"I am very happy to now be a part of this club,\" Matulevicius said. \"It's a big step in my career and I will do everything I can to make it a successful season for us. \"It's a big club with a big history and I'm really happy to be here.\"", "summary": "Hibernian manager Neil Lennon has signed Lithuanian international striker Deivydas Matulevicius on a two-year contract."}
{"article": "The victim, 20, was found at a house in Crawley after paramedics were called about 03:00 BST. He was found in Spencers Road, having sustained stab wound to the abdomen, and died a shortly afterwards in hospital. Two men aged 24 and 22 and two 20-year-old men, all from Crawley, were detained and are in custody. A police guard has been set up in Spencers Road and officers are speaking to residents in the area following the death of the man, who came from Mayfield.", "summary": "Four people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was found with serious injuries."}
{"article": "Tyson Fury was one of the more recent, glaring examples of how daft the whole concept can be. The boxer might be heavyweight champion of the world but he has a very strange view of it. Fame and success might bring money and profile, but not always respect. You need something extra for that. In the grand scheme of sport's descent into the gutter, Fury is a relative innocent. From cheating athletes to corrupt sporting teams and nations to institutionally crooked associations, so much has poisoned professional sport. But then along comes somebody who inspires awe for all the right reasons and makes you refocus on the good guys rather than the bad. The admiration for Andy and Jamie Murray at the Australian Open - and beyond - is vast, but it is the life story of Helensburgh's Gordon Reid that stands out above all others, even if he's never likely to get a fraction of the attention of his more glamorous countrymen. As of Saturday morning UK time Reid became the Australian Open wheelchair champion. En route, he beat his doubles partner, Shingo Kunieda, the world number one who had won eight of the previous nine Australian Open titles. In the final, Reid, ranked fifth in the world, beat Belgium's Joachim Gerard, the world number four. Media playback is not supported on this device Reid won two doubles Grand Slam titles last year, and though he fell at the final hurdle in Melbourne, Saturday brought his first singles crown. It's not just talent or hard work that got him there. Where he is a beacon of positivity and a hugely inspiring figure - not just for our kids but for everyone - is his strength of character in the face of cataclysmic adversity. Reid is only 24. As a six-year-old he fell in love with tennis. At 12, he contracted a neurological condition in his spine called transverse myelitis that put him in hospital for six months and in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Before he had even left hospital he had started thinking about competing as a wheelchair tennis player. Twelve years old, remember. Twelve! In an interview last year he spoke of his mindset. \"You can focus on what you can do instead of worrying about things you can't do and what's been taken away from you,\" he said. He spoke of his \"dark moments\" and \"periods of my life where I was quite down and finding it quite hard, but I think tennis has definitely been a big help to me and helped me overcome a lot of the hurdles that have been placed my way. It was just about making the choice of not letting the condition defeat me and just trying to turn things back around.\" As glorious as his game is, his words are just as powerful. Reid is a beacon of brilliance and, yes, a role model, in every sense. Jordan Rhodes is on the cusp of a move up the pecking order of the Championship, from Blackburn in 18th place", "summary": "The notion of sportsmen and sportswomen being deemed worthy role models for our children has taken such a battering over the years that you wonder why some people still persist with it."}
{"article": "FRHI Holdings owns three of the world's most famous hotel brands: Fairmont, Raffles and Swiss\u00f4tel. It has 155 hotels in 34 countries, with 42 in North America, including The Plaza in New York. AccorHotels, which owns the Novotel and Ibis chains, said the purchase would give it a better-balanced profile. The owners of FRHI include the Qatari Investment Authority and the Kingdom Holding Company of Saudi Arabia. They will become major shareholders in Accor, with stakes of 10.5% and 5.8% respectively. Accor will pay for the acquisition by issuing 46.7 million new shares, worth about \u20ac1.8bn based on Wednesday's closing price, and a cash payment of \u20ac786m. The French company already owns luxury hotel brands including Sofitel and Pullman, as well as the mid-market Novotel and Mercure, as well as the budget Ibis and hotelF1 chains. It said the deal would increase profits from the second year after the deal was completed, with \u20ac65m in revenue and cost savings expected. Sebastien Bazin, chief executive of AccorHotels, said: \"It offers us robust and global leadership in luxury hotels - a key segment in terms of geographic reach - growth potential and profitability, for long-term value creation.\" \"We are positioning ourselves as a key player in the current industry consolidation process while maintaining substantial leeway to implement our transformation plan.\" The deal is the latest consolidation in the global hotel industry after Marriott International made a $12bn takeover of Starwood Hotels & Resorts to create the world's largest hotel operator. FRHI was put up for sale earlier this year by its owners. It was reported in September that London-listed InterContinental Hotels Group was considering making a bid, but none materialised. Sheikh Abdulla Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al-Thani, chief executive of the Qatar Investment Authority, said it looked forward to becoming a significant shareholder in Accor. The QIA will get two seats on the Accor board, while Kingdom Holding will have one.", "summary": "The owner of hotels including the Savoy in London and Raffles in Singapore has been bought by Accor for \u20ac2.6bn (\u00a31.9bn)."}
{"article": "18 December 2015 Last updated at 15:36 GMT Speaking from the International Space Station, he said life in orbit \"was absolutely spectacular\". He arrived at the station on Tuesday after blasting off from Kazakhstan on a Soyuz rocket.", "summary": "UK astronaut Tim Peake says his first three days in space have been better than he imagined."}
{"article": "She was performing her sell-out tour at the SSE Hydro on Friday night when a chain fell from the production rigging onto a woman in the audience. She was taken to hospital \"as a precaution\", a spokesman for the venue said. Adele later tweeted: \"I'm so sorry to hear that someone got hurt at my show tonight. \"It's being investigated to ensure it won't happen again. X\" A spokesman for the venue said: \"The lady was attended to by our own medical team and then taken to hospital as a precaution. \"The safety of every member of our audience is paramount and we are currently working with the promoter's production team to establish why this happened and to ensure it does not happen again.\" Stuart Duffy, who was at the show, said the lights came up and other spectators were moved. He posted a picture on Twitter of the rigging that appeared to have malfunctioned. Adele will perform a second show at the 13,000-capacity arena on Saturday. Her album 25 stayed at the number one spot for the 12th consecutive week, denying rock band James - who had been leading the chart earlier in the week - the top spot.", "summary": "Pop star Adele has apologised after a fan was injured by a falling chain at a concert in Glasgow."}
{"article": "Richard Cushworth and his Salvadoran wife Mercedes Casanella say a DNA test has confirmed the boy they are raising is not their son. Local media say their child has now been found, after testing other babies born at the hospital on the same day. The doctor, who denies any wrongdoing, is being prosecuted by the authorities. At a hearing in the Central American country on Monday, a court ruled the case against Dr Alejandro Guidos should proceed and ruled that he could not leave the country. It also ordered that a new DNA test should be carried out following a request from Dr Guidos' lawyers. Mr Cushworth and Ms Casanella, who attended the hearing, had originally travelled to El Salvador in May to have their baby in his mother's homeland. But Ms Casanella says she became suspicious because the skin colour of the baby she was handed to take home was darker than that of the boy she saw after giving birth and their features were different. When the couple returned to their home in the US they eventually decided to have a DNA test which they say confirmed the baby was not theirs. Mr Cushworth, who is originally from West Yorkshire, said: \"God has given us this child and somehow, somebody has taken him from us, and we want him back. \"It's a horrible situation for me, for her (his wife) for my family, her family. A child is an experience you have for a lifetime... this is a life-long injury that's very, very deep, and it's horrible.\" Francisco Meneses, the couple's lawyer, said: \"We don't have anything against the people who were involved during the baby's birth, but we want all these people to put their hands on their hearts because from the doctor who performed the surgery, the paediatrician, anaesthesiologist, and the two nurses who were in the delivery room, it's very important for them to tell us what happened.\" Ms Casanella says she is prepared to continue looking after baby Jacob if his mother cannot be found. She says she is not seeking financial compensation but that she will not rest until she gets her baby back.", "summary": "A British father and his wife have accused a doctor at a hospital in El Salvador of swapping their newborn son at the request of child traffickers."}
{"article": "About 1,200 people died and 771 survived when the British liner was torpedoed by a German submarine on 7 May 1915 during World War One. One of the largest ships in the world, it was sailing from New York to its home port of Liverpool when it was sunk off the coast of Ireland. A minute's silence will be held at 14:10 BST - the time of the attack - at a service in Liverpool. The disaster provoked outrage especially in Britain, with rioters targeting German businesses in Merseyside, Manchester and London. Public opinion in the US, which had been officially neutral, was said to have changed after the death of about 130 Americans, although it was another two years before the country declared its official entry into the war, in 1917. Ian Murphy, from Merseyside Maritime Museum, said: \"In 1915, Lusitania was the world's most famous ship and the jewel in Liverpool's crown. \"Her sinking sent shockwaves around the globe and was said to have influenced America's entry to the war.\" About 600 people onboard the Lusitania had links with Merseyside. The Reverend Dr Crispin Pailing, rector of Liverpool, said: \"A significant number of the crew and passengers had Liverpool connections - there is hardly a street in the Vauxhall area that wasn't affected.\" The ship's owner Cunard has commissioned a memorial plaque, which will be dedicated later during a service at Liverpool Parish Church. Actors Joe McGann and Roy Carruthers will read first-hand accounts from survivors. A painting by the artist Anthony Brown, whose great-grandfather was on the Lusitania's final voyage, will be put on display for the first time. The service will be followed by a walk of remembrance to the Lusitania's salvaged propeller, now located at the city's Pier Head. The disaster will also be commemorated at Cobh in the Republic of Ireland, where many victims were buried after the sinking. Last weekend, a service was held in the Isle of Man from where a fishing boat rescued about 150 people.", "summary": "The centenary of the sinking of the Lusitania will be commemorated later."}
{"article": "With three days of campaigning until polling day, parties are concentrating on key seats. High profile campaigning was put on hold on Sunday by all the main parties, except UKIP, following the London Bridge terror attack. Both the First Minister Carwyn Jones and Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood will be in north Wales. The Welsh Labour leader will start the day in the Ynys Mon constituency, where his party faces a stiff challenge from Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives, and will finish in Wrexham. Ms Wood is also campaigning on Anglesey. For the Conservatives, both Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns and Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies have visited the constituency of Gower.", "summary": "Leading Welsh politicians have resumed general election campaigning on Monday following the terror attack in London."}
{"article": "It says that 750,000 visitors who came to the UK last year experienced a football game, spending \u00c2\u00a3595m in total, or the equivalent of \u00c2\u00a3776 per fan. The most popular stadiums for overseas visitors were those of Manchester United, Liverpool, and Manchester City. The biggest number of football visitors were from Ireland, Norway and the US. Other countries whose residents showed a passion for English football were Germany, Holland, Japan, China, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates. Popular clubs for overseas visitors also included Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, while many people also made a visit to Wembley Stadium. The greatest proportion of inbound visitors going to a football match was between January and March. \"Not only do some of the best players in the world want to play in Britain, but their international fans want to follow them here to savour the atmosphere of a match,\" said Patricia Yates of Visit Britain. Visit Britain introduced a Premier League section on its website earlier this year. Its football visitor report was based on a question it sponsored on the 2010 Office for National Statistics International Passenger Survey - a survey of passengers entering and leaving the UK.", "summary": "The boom in foreign players at Premier League teams is being matched by interest from overseas football fans, says tourist authority Visit Britain."}
{"article": "A judicial review into the project's funding has been dismissed, allowing the Championship side to press ahead. \"It's like an early Christmas present,\" Groves told BBC Radio Cornwall. \"The good news means that we can now crack on at the beginning of next year with getting the refinancing [of the club] organised.\" Pirates have been attempting to make progress with their proposed 6,000-capacity ground for several years, but it has been complicated by Cornish football side Truro City also wanting to build a new stadium. Asked when work on the prospective stadium will start, Groves added: \"That's the question - my guess is sometime in the middle of next year. \"The first stage is refinancing and recapitalising the Pirates, the second is around the stadium design and building a sustainable business, and the third phase is around a rugby partnership.\" The rugby partnership is with Super Rugby franchise Waikato Chiefs, whose chairman Dallas Fisher is visiting England in January. Groves says there could be potential for player swaps with the New Zealand side in future. \"That is an idea going forwards, probably a couple of years down the track,\" he said. \"I would describe it more like IP [intellectual property] swap - coaches, and maybe one or two players. \"The first thing we've been focusing on at the moment is steadying the ship. I don't think people realised how bad the financial situation was at the end of September - the Pirates were pretty close to going into bankruptcy or administration.\"", "summary": "Cornish Pirates director Colin Groves has estimated that work on the Stadium for Cornwall will start \"in the middle of 2017\"."}
{"article": "EDF Energy has made the deals despite the UK government reviewing the plans and not yet giving final approval for the nuclear plant. The French firm said it was \"highly positive\" the plant would be built. Those opposed to the nuclear build said EDF was attempting to \"twist\" the arm of the government. More on the Hinkley contracts and other news from the West Earlier this month EDF agreed to invest in the first new UK nuclear plant in 20 years, and was poised to exchange contracts with the government. But hours after the decision was announced by the French energy firm, the government said it would review the plans and make its decision in the autumn. Roy Pumfrey, of the campaign group Stop Hinkley, said: \"They're trying to bounce the British government into not having a pause, but perhaps even having the Prime Minister returning from holiday in Switzerland to say, 'All right, we'll give in, we'll go ahead with it'. \"I cannot believe the British government is going to have its arm twisted by them. \"Whilst [the supply chain contracts] will be locally beneficial, they are relatively small beer to the \u00a318bn value of the project.\" Commercial director for Hinkley Point C, Ken Owen, said: \"I'm highly positive that Hinkley will be built and my job on the project is to get the supply chain equipped and ready to go.\" He said the contracts were for a mixture of services, and 660 jobs would be created locally. Mr Owen said: \"We're not just building a power station, we're servicing a mini-city. We've got 5,500 people per shift, per day. We have to look after the catering, the welfare. \"We're building the largest hotel in the UK - 1,500 beds per night - and the management of that is being done by local businesses.\" The total value of contracts for South West firms now stands at \u00a3450m.", "summary": "Contracts worth \u00a3250m for the proposed Hinkley C power station have been announced but a campaign group claims the deals are \"jumping the gun\"."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device In January the 26-year-old was forced to play out of position for then-club Swansea when Francisco Guidolin took over as coach from the sacked Garry Monk. But he responded brilliantly. To vote for the BBC African Footballer of the Year follow this link His positive attitude, consistently good performances and goals played a part in helping the Swans stave off relegation from the Premier League. Ayew scored two crucial goals in a 3-1 win over Liverpool to help earn a result which finally confirmed Swansea's safety after a nerve-racking 2015-2016 campaign. In total Ayew notched 12 goals in 35 appearances and his impact was recognised when he was named the newcomer of the year at the club's end-of-season awards. His form was so impressive that, in August, the Hammers broke their transfer record to bring Ayew to east London at a cost of \u00a320.5m. Ayew was then seriously injured on his league debut, but after a two-month absence he returned to action at the end of October. And it is \"the hunger in Ayew's eyes\", as seen by former Ghana international Yaw Preko when they first played together, that could drive Ayew on to show his worth this coming season. In international football, Ayew continued to be Ghana's main man in 2016. He was on the scoresheet and put in a man-of-the-match performance in the 2-0 win over Mauritius which booked the Black Stars a place at next year's Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon. Ayew has been used to dealing with the pressure and expectation that comes with being the son of Ghana legend Abedi Pele Ayew, who is widely rated as one of the finest African players of all time. Ayew senior played 73 times and scored 33 goals for the Black Stars and helped them win the 1982 Nations Cup and finish runners-up in 1992. He also won the 1993 European Champions League with Marseille, having lost in the final of the European Cup two years earlier. Ahmed Brynes, a coach at Ghanaian side Nania FC where Ayew first began to follow in his father's footsteps, has made a fascinating prediction. \"When Ayew was only about 14, he was already performing magic and he was even saying 'I want to be better than my father',\" Byrnes told BBC Sport. \"I told him, 'look, your father has just raised the bar too high for you'... but he replied 'I will overcome it' and I believe with time he's going to overcome it.\" Abedi Pele Ayew was named BBC African Footballer of the Year in 1992. Ayew junior emulated that feat in 2011 - could this be the year he surpasses it?", "summary": "West Ham and Ghana forward Andre Ayew has shown he is not a man to shrink in the face of adversity."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old was getting off the Southeastern train at West Wickham, Bromley, when the doors shut on her. The driver did not see the woman on CCTV and moved off, dragging her along. She then fell under the train. Southeastern said it had offered support to the woman after the \"terrible incident\" in April 2015. The report was carried out by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB). A Southeastern spokesman said the company had offered to help the woman \"as much as possible since the accident\". Read more on this story and others from London The woman had tried to free the stuck bag strap but she was pulled along when the train moved and fell underneath it, resulting in \"life-changing injuries\", the report said. Investigators found she was able to open the doors two seconds after the driver had begun the door closure procedure, but was given no indication that they were about to shut. The RAIB recommended all operators who have trains which use power operated doors should make modifications to ensure passengers always had a safe amount of time to use them. They also said drivers should watch train doors while they are closing, as well as checking all doors are shut correctly. Neither the driver, who was a trainee, or their supervisor saw the woman on platform monitors and only found out about the accident later. Southeastern said it had \"worked very closely\" with the RAIB and has \"complied with all the recommendations and learning points they have made\". A spokesman said this included altering the doors on Southeastern trains to ensure they always remain open for a safe period of time.", "summary": "A woman was seriously injured when her bag got caught in a train door, dragging her along the platform and on to the track, a report has revealed."}
{"article": "It is thought to be related to possible cases of personation, where people pretend to be someone else and cast a vote, then the real person turns up. The 10 suspect votes were cast at a variety of different polling stations across the city. Glasgow City Council said police had been called earlier on Thursday. Each ballot paper has an individual number attached to it, so officials will now have to sort through the ballots and attempt to find these 10 papers. They will then be removed, and kept separately from the more than 486,000 ballot papers being counted in Glasgow. Colin Edgar, head of communication at Glasgow City Council, said the search for the ten ballot papers \"will not delay the count\". Police Scotland said any crime committed would be appropriately investigated. A spokesman added: \"Police Scotland takes the safety and security of the independence referendum extremely seriously and is working with partner agencies including local authorities to ensure the integrity of the ballot.\"", "summary": "Officials at the referendum count in Glasgow have said they are investigating 10 cases of suspected electoral fraud at polling stations."}
{"article": "The Department for Education is imposing a legal duty on councils to provide financial support for those who want to stay longer with foster carers. The government has pledged \u00c2\u00a340m over the next three years to fund the plan. A care charity said the measure was the most significant reform for children in care in a generation. It will be introduced during the third reading of the Children and Families Bill next year. Children and Families Minister Edward Timpson, whose own family fostered nearly 90 children, said: \"I know from the many foster children I grew up with how crucial it is for them to be given sufficient time to prepare for life after care. Rhiannon was fostered by David and Lisa when she was 16. She is now studying for her A-levels. But as her 18th birthday approached, she was unsure how much longer she would be able to stay. \"The run-up to my 18th birthday wasn't very nice. \"Not knowing what was happening was very stressful and I was crying quite a lot to Dave and Lisa in the evenings about what was going to happen. \"But now I know that they're here for me and it's brilliant.\" After discussions with the council, she will now be able to live with the family until she has finished university. \"For me it's important because you know you've got somewhere to stay, somewhere to go back to. You've got the family support that's always there for you.\" Her foster parent David says the change will give young people a \"better opportunity for the future\". \"A growing number of local authorities already offer young people the choice to stay, but with little financial support it can be challenging for their foster families. \"Now all councils will have to follow their example, and we are giving them \u00c2\u00a340m towards the cost. \"This will allow the 10,000 young people leaving stable and secure homes to make the transition from care to independence when they are ready, rather than when their council tells them to.\" Speaking to Radio 5 live about the run-up to her 18th birthday Rhiannon Wickham said: \"Not knowing what was happening was very stressful and I was crying quite a lot to [my foster parents] in the evenings about what was going to happen. \"But now I know that they're here for me and it's brilliant.\" The Who Cares Trust, which campaigns for and supports children in care and young people leaving care, said the move was \"absolutely fantastic news for thousands of young people in foster care\" and represented \"the most significant reform to the support children in care are given in a generation\". Chief executive Natasha Finlayson said: \"Time and again we hear from young people who are extremely anxious about having to leave their carers when they turn 18 and effectively no longer having somewhere they can call home, especially when the average age for young people who aren't in care to finally leave home is 24 to 27. \"It is excellent news that the government has agreed that", "summary": "Children in care in England will be able to stay with their foster families until their 21st birthday, rather than having to leave at 18, ministers say."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old helped the Bears win the One-Day Cup last season, scoring 257 runs at an average of 64.25 in 10 appearances in the competition. Evans joined Warwickshire in 2010 and also won the County Championship in 2012 and the T20 Blast in 2014. Sussex head coach Mark Davis described Evans as \"player of great ability\". He added: \"He plays in all formats of the game and is a brilliant acquisition for the club. I believe Laurie's best years are in front of him, and he is driven to achieve his undoubted potential.\" Evans has predominantly played white-ball cricket for Warwickshire, but has scored 2,926 runs at an average of 34.02 in first-class cricket. He had a spell on loan with Northamptonshire in 2016. Bears first-team coach Jim Troughton said: \"Laurie has played an important part in our white-ball cricket for several years, but has been unable to secure a regular place in the team for first-class cricket. \"Whilst it's naturally disappointing that Laurie has decided that he no longer wants to play for Warwickshire, we do not wish to stand in the way of his ambitions in the game and we wish him the very best in his career with Sussex. \"We are also aware that he has been keen to move closer to his family in London and being based on the south coast will work better for him.\"", "summary": "Sussex have signed batsman Laurie Evans on a three-year contract after Warwickshire released him a year early from his deal at Edgbaston."}
{"article": "Nicholas Edwards wrote to her in 1985 to complain about plans to cut the budget for regional development grants. The money was widely used to attract investment and jobs to Wales. The archives also show UK Treasury concern at overfunding of Scotland and Northern Ireland under the Barnett formula, a political issue to this day. In the mid-1980s, Wales secured one fifth of inward investment into the UK despite having only 5% of the population. But with the then Conservative government trying to cut public spending, the Treasury tried to cut back regional spending in England. That could have hit the Welsh Office budget and the secretary of state Nicholas Edwards joined his Scottish counterpart George Younger to protest. In a letter to the Treasury chief secretary (and fellow Welshman) Peter Rees - copied to the prime minister - Mr Edwards complained about the implications for his budget. He wrote: \"I agree strongly with the points George Younger has made in his letter. They apply equally in the three territories. The political effects in Wales, as in Scotland, would be most damaging.\" Mr Edwards demanded to be present at meetings between the Treasury and Department for Trade and Industry when the issue was discussed. The archives do not record any reply and Mr Edwards - now Lord Crickhowell - cannot recall the episode. But, in another parallel with today's politics, the archives show Treasury concern at overfunding of Scotland and Northern Ireland under the so-called Barnett formula that is also used to calculate changes in the Welsh budget. Peter Rees, later Lord Rees of Goytre, wrote to Mrs Thatcher: \"Even our predecessors never saw it as any more than a stop-gap arrangement on the road to political devolution, certainly not as the permanency it has now become. \"Be that as it may, the block system is now publicly construed, in the territories, as apolitical entitlement to public expenditure. The longer we let it run the harder it becomes to challenge that perception, and the greater the risk of political repercussion when we do. \" MP David Willetts, then a Downing Street adviser, wrote: \"Scotland and NI have their snouts well and truly in the public expenditure trough. The challenge is to find a politically acceptable way of putting them on the same diet as the English.\" The files reveal that the Treasury considered suspending the formula. Mr Rees wrote to Mrs Thatcher: \"The 'fallback' approach to securing savings is to suspend the operation of the comparability formulae for the Scottish and Northern Ireland blocks - though not for Wales, where over-provision is not suspected.\" Thirty years on, the UK political parties have vowed to keep the formula as part of a deal to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom. Mrs Thatcher's ministers considered launching the controversial poll tax in Wales before England, according to other files just released. The documents released by the National Archives also show Conservative government advisers feared a repeat of the 1984-85 miners' strike the following winter. They also revealed there were plans to hide art treasures in", "summary": "Margaret Thatcher was warned by her Welsh Secretary that funding cuts would have \"most damaging\" political effects, newly-released UK cabinet papers show."}
{"article": "Mr Maduro issued a decree to convene a constituent assembly amid continuing anti-government protests. The president says a new constitution will bring peace to Venezuela, but the opposition says it is a ruse to delay holding elections. More than 50 people have been killed in protest-related violence since 1 April. Mr Maduro signed the decree at a rally attended by thousands of his supporters. He said the assembly would be made up of 540 members, some of whom would be elected at local level while the rest would be chosen from various groups such as students, workers, farmers, pensioners, and indigenous people. The National Electoral Council later said that elections for the constituent assembly would be held at the end of July. The move was immediately denounced by the opposition-controlled National Assembly. National Assembly leader Julio Borges called it \"nothing more than an evil announcement meant to divide, distract, and confuse Venezuelans further\". He said there would be more \"street action\" and called for a march opposing the constituent assembly to be held on Wednesday. Fifty-five people have been killed in protests since the beginning of April. The unrest was sparked by a Supreme Court ruling on 29 March stripping the National Assembly of its powers and transferring those powers to the court. The Supreme Court suspended the most controversial paragraphs three days later, but the ruling united the hitherto divided opposition and spurred them into action. The opposition says the Supreme Court ruling and Mr Maduro's call for a constituent assembly are attempts by the president to cling on to power beyond the end of his term in 2019. They say that he has become increasingly authoritarian since he was elected in 2013, blocking their attempts to hold a recall referendum and delaying elections for governors. On Tuesday, National Electoral Council head Tibisay Lucena also announced that the gubernatorial elections would be held on 10 December, a year after they were originally due. Some Venezuelans reacted on social media saying that they had lost all trust in the electoral body and demanded fresh general elections rather than regional polls.", "summary": "Venezuela's President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro has pressed ahead with plans to create a citizens' assembly to draw up a new constitution."}
{"article": "IS said they were killed in revenge for Turkish killing of Muslims. Turkey launched a campaign against IS in northern Syria in August and is currently fighting IS around the group's stronghold of al-Bab. The video has not been independently verified. There has so far been no comment from Turkey. The Turkish army previously reported losing contact with two soldiers in northern Syria last month but it is unclear whether either are the men in the video. At least one of the purported victims appears to have been captured by the group as far back as September 2015. Turkish officials did not immediately respond to the publication of the video late on Thursday. IS released the video through a number of its online accounts and through the messaging app Telegram. It showed the two men, dressed in camouflage, caged in open countryside. The pair, collared and chained, were taken from the cage and made declarations to camera before being killed. Several reports suggested that Turkey had limited access to social media sites such as Twitter and YouTube following the release of the footage. However, many users reported no interruption. Earlier this week, 16 Turkish soldiers were killed near al-Bab, in the biggest loss for Turkish forces fighting the IS group in the region.", "summary": "So-called Islamic State (IS) has released a video online which claims to show two captured Turkish soldiers being burned alive."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 3-1 win at Solitude means David Healy's Blues finish the campaign two points ahead of Crusaders who had held the title for the last two years. Crusaders ended their title challenge with a 6-1 win over Glenavon at Seaview but in the end it was not enough. It is Linfield's first title triumph since they did the double in 2012. They are one match away from another double as they face Coleraine in the Irish Cup final on 6 May. Linfield may have lifted the County Antrim Shield in February, but this will go down as a first major managerial success for Northern Ireland record scorer David Healy. He took over as Linfield manager in October 2015 and saw his team end the season runners-up in the league and beaten by Glenavon in the cup final. Clinching the title in his first full season seemed unlikely in mid-February when Crusaders were nine points ahead. But Linfield went on an amazing run picking up 43 points from a possible 45, to take advantage of Crusaders' slip-ups. Linfield were trailing at half-time after Daniel Hughes headed Cliftonville into a 13th-minute lead but Linfield bounced back in style after the break. Waterworth pounced for a close-range equaliser and followed that with a brilliant individual strike which turned out to be the title clincher. The former Glentoran striker made it 3-1 on the hour with a penalty after he was fouled by Chris Ramsey who was sent-off. With Cliftonville losing, Ballymena's draw against Coleraine lifted them into fourth place, meaning they will have home advantage against Dungannon in the semi-finals of the Europa League play-offs. Cliftonville will host Glenavon in the other semi-final, with the matches being played on Monday, 8 May. Carrick are seeking a new manager as they prepare for the promotion/relegation play-off games after Aaron Callaghan quit minutes after their 4-1 defeat away to Ballinamallard United.", "summary": "Andrew Waterworth scored a second-half hat-trick as Linfield beat Cliftonville to clinch the title on a dramatic final day of the Irish Premiership season."}
{"article": "She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that people should take more notice of their surroundings. Measures such as the closure of railway stations in Munich on New Year's Eve would become more likely. Such moves showed \"prudence and proper caution\" by authorities, she said. Official guidance is that members of the public should be \"alert but not alarmed\" about the threat of terrorism. But Lady Neville-Jones, former head of the Joint Intelligence Committee, said people were not as vigilant as they could be. \"I think being alert is very important,\" she said. \"I am alarmed by the number of people I see wandering along the street entirely engaged in their mobile telephones and with their ears plugged in to music. \"They're not aware of their surroundings - you need to be aware of your surroundings.\" When interviewer John Humphrys said that was \"how we should be able to lead our lives\", she added: \"Maybe, but I do think you need to take some personal responsibility.\" Two railway stations which were closed in Munich in response to a suspected terror threat reopened on Friday after German officials said there was no sign of an imminent attack. Lady Neville-Jones said: \"I do think we are going to have to get used to what we have seen yesterday in Germany - that is to say alerts which close places of public functions, and higher levels of security in big public gatherings. \"That is prudence and proper caution on the part of intelligence and the police authorities.\" Authorities have a responsibility to take information seriously, even if the wider picture is not clear, she said. \"It's a very bold government or policeman who chooses not to take precautions in such circumstances,\" said Lady Neville-Jones. \"I think the population on the whole would prefer them to be cautious and occasionally have closed something that it turned out wasn't necessary, but how do we know, rather than take the risk of exposing people to dangers on which they have information, even if it's not complete and on which they can't necessarily totally rely.\" But she said UK cities were unlikely to be locked down in the way Brussels had been over recent terrorism concerns. She told Today: \"I would hope that that would not be something that would happen in the UK. \"I do think that counter-terrorism and both the intelligence side of it and the policing side of it, and well done, are matters which are bred of long experience and of great skill and I think that in this country we do have both of those things and we have very close co-operation between both police and agencies and I think they understand how to use information. \"I don't think those skills are nearly so widespread on the continent. So I think we shouldn't conclude that what happened there is necessarily the technique that would be adopted here.\"", "summary": "Former security minister Baroness Neville-Jones says she is \"alarmed\" by people using mobile phones in public instead of being more alert to the risk of a potential terrorist attack."}
{"article": "The killings, reminiscent of the brutal days of apartheid, have left many South Africans anxious about the direction of the country, 18 years after it became democratic under the now-retired Nelson Mandela's leadership. The fact that no-one in responsibility has yet resigned - the government minister in charge of the mining industry, the police chief, the CEO of Lonmin, which is listed on the Johannesburg and London stock exchanges, and trade union leaders - shows the lack of accountability in South African society. The strike and subsequent violence at the mine shows that the expectation of many black people that their lives will improve in democratic South Africa has largely been dashed. It is true that the African National Congress (ANC) - the liberation movement now in government - has provided low-cost housing, education, health care and other services to the poor, but it has not done enough of this. In many parts of South Africa, basis services are either non-existent or of a low standard. People who can afford it rely on the private sector for education, health and security by employing armed guards to protect their homes and businesses. 'Despair and frustration' Last year, South Africa replaced Brazil as the most unequal society, with the gap between the poorest and richest individuals the highest in the world. Since apartheid ended, the overall wealth distribution has not changed much. The majority of black South Africans are still impoverished while white citizens are generally better off. South Africa does not have a system based on meritocracy, which rewards hard work and excellence. As a result, a small black elite, from the ranks of the ANC and its trade union ally, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), has become fabulously rich through shares in long-established white companies, winning government contracts and holding top posts in the public sector - all under the guise of black economic empowerment. Source: Statistics South Africa There has been no genuine effort to lift black South Africans out of poverty by giving them quality state education and technical skills, or to help small businesses grow. Neither has economic growth been accompanied by serious moves to diversify the economy - from exporting raw materials to developing industries that would boost employment. The impact of the global economic crisis has made things worse. Economists estimate that between 2007 and 2009 nearly one million jobs were lost, while the chief executives of top companies continued to get huge bonuses. Poor South Africans are caught up in a sense of despair and frustration, which explains the frequent protests over a lack of services in residential areas and now the violence at the Lonmin-owned mine. But South Africa's leaders seem to believe that the country's mineral wealth - gold, platinum and diamonds, among others - will see it through its economic problems. They are being complacent - and risk social upheaval on a scale they will not be able to manage. William Gumede is Honorary Associate Professor, Public and Development Management at the University of the Witwatersrand and author of Restless", "summary": "The massacre last week at the Lonmin-owned platinum mine in South Africa's North West province, which left 34 miners dead and 75 injured when police opened fire on striking workers, shows a colossal lack of leadership at almost all levels - the government, trade unions, business and the police."}
{"article": "It will be the first public engagement for maritime expert Jeffrey Mountevans, who is the 688th mayor to fill the position, representing the city in financial and business matters across the world. Since 1215 every newly-elected Lord Mayor has to leave the City of London and travel through to Westminster to swear loyalty to the Crown. The procession has moved from river barges, or floats, to horseback and then to a parade surrounding the State Coach. Hundreds of thousands of spectators join the Lord Mayor on the streets of London in what is said to be the world's largest un-rehearsed parade. This year's pageant is set to be 7,000 strong, including featuring more than 170 horses, 140 vehicles, Taiko drummers, vintage steamrollers, tractors, fire engines, armoured vehicles, the Batmobile, a replica of Noah's Ark and a tank. To celebrate the show's 800th birthday, the St Mary-le-Bow church bells will ring out a special 800-change at 12:00 GMT. Artwork for this year's show was created by British pop artist Sir Peter Blake, who also drew the album cover for the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.", "summary": "A historic carnival will mark the 800th anniversary of the role of Lord Mayor of the City of London next Saturday."}
{"article": "Seven people died and more than 50 were injured in the incident in south London, but experts say tram accidents are incredibly rare. Andrew Braddock, from trade body UK Tram, said the accident should be \"set in the context of an extremely safe mode of transport\". \"You are 15 times safer travelling on a tram than you would be in a bus, 24 times safer than you would be in a car,\" he said. \"We had a dreadful incident in Croydon yesterday, there's absolutely no getting away from that, but it's extremely rare.\" British Transport Police are investigating whether the Croydon tram was exceeding speed limits and the possibility the driver may have fallen asleep or blacked out. The crash is believed to be the first involving fatalities on board a tram in the UK since 1959, when two women passengers and the driver died when a tram caught fire in Glasgow after a collision with a lorry. Deaths from tram derailments are rare around the world. Several people died and around 50 were injured when a tram overturned in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in August 2011, while around 30 were killed and 50 injured when a tram derailed in eastern Ukraine in July 1996. Trams were phased out in the UK at the end of 1962 with the closure of the Glasgow network, leaving Blackpool's as the only one running. A new generation of tramways began with the opening of the Manchester Metrolink in 1992, and there are now also networks in Sheffield, Birmingham, London, Nottingham and Edinburgh, and about 300 worldwide. There were no trams in London between 1952 and 2000, when the London Tramlink opened. Mr Braddock described trams as being like a \"bus on rails\", travelling at similar speeds and peaking in cities at about 50mph. Powered by electricity through overhead wires, drivers control the vehicle using a lever - usually with their left hand - pushing forward to accelerate, backwards to brake and with a neutral stopping point in the middle. But unlike trains, trams are not fitted with systems that apply brakes automatically if they are going too fast or jump a light. The key safety feature is a vigilance device, known in the railway industry as the \"dead man's lever\" - a device that brakes automatically if the driver is incapacitated. Mr Braddock said: \"On the tram control lever there is a button which the driver presses at least every 30 seconds. If that button is not pressed the brakes are applied automatically. \"It makes no difference if the driver is powering up or braking, he has to keep pressing that button. It's a routine that you get into.\" If the driver lets go, the lever springs back to the neutral position, automatically applying the brakes. There is also an emergency stop button, bringing the tram to an immediate stop in the eventuality of an emergency such as a car or pedestrian suddenly appearing in front of it. There were 112 accidents involving trams in the year to the end of March, according to", "summary": "After the deadly tram crash in Croydon earlier this week, industry experts have stressed that it remains one of the safest forms of public transport and advised against \"panicking\" by hastily imposing new precautions."}
{"article": "The tournament kicks off next month, and the national team is continuing its series of warm-up matches in preparation, but the build-up has been affected by a dispute between the players and the Scottish Football Association. The squad has refused to fulfil any media duties - including with the SFA's in-house team - or participate in any filming with the tournament's broadcast partner, Channel 4. The players have also declined to work with sponsors or participate in some mandatory Uefa media events. The Scottish FA will meet representatives of the squad on Wednesday in an attempt to negotiate an end to their dispute. In short, the squad has raised complaints over financial, commercial and equality issues. Maximum impact, with Euro 2017 approaching, but also because qualifying for the finals of a major tournament brought the matter to a head. There is no way to judge the stance of either side in the dispute, since they are making no comment, either on or off the record. The details of the grievances have not entered the public domain. \"We can confirm that we are in discussions with the Scotland women's national team players regarding terms and conditions ahead of the Women's Euros in the Netherlands next month,\" said a spokesman for the SFA. \"Recent discussions have been positive and we are hopeful that an agreement will be reached in the near future.\" The SFA received \u00a3265,000 for the team reaching the finals, and would bank another \u00a3175,000 should they make it as far as the quarter-finals. However, the squad has also taken part in an extensive build-up to the finals, including two friendlies against Denmark in Cyprus in January, one month before playing in the Cyprus Cup. Since finishing the qualifying campaign in September last year, Scotland have played six friendlies, as well as four Cyprus Cup matches, and have one final friendly against the Republic of Ireland to play, all of which required SFA funding. There are no match fees - which is exactly the same situation with the men's team, who receive a bonus to be shared amongst squad members should they qualify for major finals. However, the home-based players do receive a bursary to cover loss of earnings for the build-up to a participation in the Euro 2017 finals. The players also receive daily allowances while they are with the national team. It came to a head in recent weeks, with PFA Scotland engaged by the squad to negotiate with the SFA on their behalf, but discussions began late last year to try to reach a resolution. The head coach has insisted on being an independent figure, without supporting either side. Signeul points out that the men's national team head coach, Gordon Strachan, does not get involved in the negotiation of terms and conditions, with a player being appointed by the squad to represent them. \"It is between the SFA and the players and I don't think Gordon has anything to do with this either, it's nothing to do with us coaches,\" Signeul said. The Republic of Ireland's women's team threatened", "summary": "The Scotland Women's squad for the Euro 2017 finals in the Netherlands was due to be revealed on Tuesday, but the announcement has been postponed for a week."}
{"article": "Posting a picture of a letter addressed to \"Mrs Clegg\" on Instagram, she noted the \"irony\" of the situation. The event, on 8 March, is designed to \"celebrate women's success\", she added. Ms Gonzalez Durantez is a lawyer specialising in international and EU trade law. She wrote: \"The irony of being invited to speak at an International Women's Day event to celebrate women's success, addressed to me as 'Mrs Clegg'.\" Ms Gonzalez Durantez set up the Inspiring Women group, which recruits women with successful careers to visit and speak to girls at state schools in England. This is not the first time she has criticised the way she is perceived or described. Last year she told Marie Claire magazine: \"I find people say of me 'She wears the trousers' and as you can see, it is true, I have very nice trousers. \"Or if my husband and I share the school run, it's me who has forced him, dragged him away from his work. \"But when people, or in my case the media, are using that label on you, they are not saying you are strong, they are saying you should get back in your box. You should make the dinner and have his slippers ready with a gin and tonic.\"", "summary": "Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, whose husband is former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, has complained after being invited to an International Women's Day event in her married name."}
{"article": "But he blamed French and German \"intransigence\" and pressure from Eurosceptic Conservatives for putting the PM in \"a very difficult position\". Initially Mr Clegg said the coalition was united over the use of the veto. But he told the BBC he had \"made it clear\" to Mr Cameron it was \"untenable\" for him to welcome the move. Sources close to Mr Clegg have told the BBC he \"couldn't believe it\" when he was told the summit in Brussels had \"spectacularly unravelled\". The prime minister blocked changes to the EU's Lisbon Treaty at an EU summit, arguing that the proposed changes were not in the UK's interest. It now looks likely that all 26 other members of theEuropean Union will agree to a new \"accord\"setting out tougher budget rules aimed at preventing a repeat of the current eurozone crisis. As leader of the Liberal Democrats, Mr Clegg is far more pro-European than his Conservative coalition colleagues. By Nick RobinsonBBC Political Editor More from Nick Robinson Q&A: Cameron and the EU Interactive: How will euro crisis end? He told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme: \"I'm bitterly disappointed by the outcome of last week's summit, precisely because I think now there is a danger that the UK will be isolated and marginalised within the European Union. \"I don't think that's good for jobs, in the City or elsewhere, I don't think it's good for growth or for families up and down the country.\" He said he would now be doing \"everything I can to ensure this setback does not become a permanent divide\". The deputy PM said he had learned of the veto in a phone call from the prime minister at 0400 GMT, shortly before Mr Cameron gave a press conference announcing it publicly. Asked what his reaction had been, the Lib Dem leader said: \"I said this was bad for Britain. \"I made it clear that it was untenable for me to welcome it.\" The new accord will hold eurozone members to strict budgetary rules including: Mr Cameron has said he was seeking certain \"safeguards\" from Europe on protection of the single market and the UK's financial services industry. By Robert PestonBusiness editor, BBC News More from Robert Peston But French President Nicolas Sarkozy called those demands \"unacceptable\". Mr Clegg said unwillingness to negotiate from France and Germany, combined with \"outright antagonism to all things European\" from parts of the Conservative Party, had left Mr Cameron in a difficult position. \"He couldn't come back to London empty-handed because self evidently, if he'd done so, he wouldn't have been able to get whatever had been agreed through the House of Commons so all we would have had would have been a delayed crisis.\" On Friday, a spokesman for Mr Clegg said he had been \"consulted throughout\" the 10 hours of unsuccessful negotiations in Brussels - a claim backed up by Foreign Secretary William Hague. He told the BBC the Lib Dem leader was fully \"signed up\" to the decision to veto the proposed treaty. Mr Cameron will make a statement in the House of", "summary": "Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg says David Cameron's veto of EU treaty changes was \"bad for Britain\" and could leave it \"isolated and marginalised\"."}
{"article": "Gary Sweet said talks have started with Luton Council, which bought the stadium in 1989. Writing in the club's programme, he said: \"We have a strong desire to put the ownership of Kenilworth Road back into the hands of the club.\" He also said neither the future redevelopment of the ground or the club's relocation could be ruled out. Mr Sweet revealed his plans for the club in Saturday's programme notes to update what he called the \"faithful support\". Citing the club's \"23 heroic supporters\" whose delayed coach journey to Grimsby for last Tuesday night's fixture saw them arrive at the ground to find the Hatters already three goals down, he said the directors \"thrived on such committed support\" and it was this drove them on to achieve a stable club. He said either option to achieve this \"stability\", would take a while to become a reality and due to \"commercial delicacy\" any plans would not yet be made public. \"Realistically, given current market conditions, any such plans would take a number of years to reach fruition,\" he said. \"These [plans] would also be dependent upon one location delivering a long term formula to support the club's sustainability.\" Mr Sweet also stated he was aware short-term improvements to the ground would be needed. \"We are assessing plans to enable us to increase our capacity, and to modernise a part, or parts, of the stadium,\" he wrote. Luton Borough Council said that as a landlord it was in discussions with the club about \"a number of issues\". \"Within those discussions, the club has identified as one of many options, the possibility that they may be interested in buying the freehold of the site at a point in the future,\" a statement read. \"Currently the site is not on the disposal list and does not have a purchase value attached to it.\" Mark Chapman, from the supporters club, said buying back the ground would be \"progress in the right direction\" if the club had aspirations to get back to \"at least\" Championship football. \"It then gives them an asset that they can then use to raise finance if they are to move,\" he said. \"The existing facility, as much as we love it, is antiquated and I personally can't see that there is any way they could build it up to a capacity of 20,000 on the current site.\"", "summary": "Luton Town FC have begun talks to buy back its ground, the managing director has confirmed."}
{"article": "Wolves almost took the lead when Nathan Byrne latched on to Bjorn Sigurdarson's cross, but David Button saved. Brentford fought back as Alan Judge hit the outside of the post from long range before Swift's deflected shot put the hosts in front before half-time. Sergi Canos found Brentford's second from an acute angle before Swift stabbed in a second from close range. Prior to Swift and Canos extending the hosts' lead, Kevin McDonald could have forced an equaliser for Wolves when he drove a shot from 20 yards that forced Button into a fine low save. Brentford, who came into the game on the back of a winless run of three matches, moved up three places to 11th in the Championship. Wolves slip to 15th with their last three points coming in their 3-2 win against Fulham on 12 January. Brentford manager Dean Smith: Media playback is not supported on this device \"It was a really good performance matched by the result and a clean sheet too. We wanted to start on the front foot with three ball carriers and I thought we did that. \"We have conceded sloppy goals in previous weeks from our point of view so this will give the lads a lot of confidence. We won't rest on our laurels though because it's tough every week in this league.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Wolves boss Kenny Jackett: \"The games come thick and fast and we need to make it more competitive and closer than today because by the end they were three goals better than us. \"It wasn't a good feeling on the side and we didn't get anything out of the game. We have difficult games coming up and need to find resolve and character to change things around.\"", "summary": "John Swift scored twice for Brentford as the Bees stretched Wolves' winless run to seven matches."}
{"article": "The singer-songwriter is one of 85 people from Northern Ireland who have been recognised for their achievements. The Belfast-born musician, whose full name is George Ivan Morrison, will be known as Sir George. He described his new title as a \"huge honour\". Some of the 69-year-old star's biggest hits include Brown Eyed Girl, Moondance and, fittingly, Here Comes the Night. His knighthood has been granted for \"services to the music industry and to tourism in Northern Ireland\". In a statement on Friday, Morrison said: \"Throughout my career I have always preferred to let my music speak for me, and it is a huge honour to now have that body of work recognised in this way. \"I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the fans who have supported me on my musical journey.\" Morrison was born into a working-class family in east Belfast in 1945 but his exceptional talent has made him a global recording star. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes him as \"one of the greatest singers of all time\". The son of Harland and Wolff shipyard worker, he grew up in a small terraced house in Hyndford Street, in the shadow of the shipyard's famous cranes. His father's extensive record collection exposed the younger Morrison to a huge range of American musicians, including Hank Williams, Ray Charles, and Muddy Waters. Those early influences filtered into Morrison's own eclectic style which mixes soul, blues, jazz and country music with pop and rock. As well as selling millions of records worldwide, he has won six Grammys and a Brit award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. His relationship with stardom and the media has not always been comfortable. In 1993, he became the first living recipient not to attend his own induction ceremony at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, more recently he has accepted other accolades in person, including honorary degrees from both of Northern Ireland's universities. Last year, he was granted the freedom of his native city and celebrated the honour by playing a free concert at Belfast's Waterfront Hall. In total, 53 men and 32 women from Northern Ireland have been honoured by the Queen for their achievements in a range of fields and for their contribution to public life. The second highest honour, Companion of the Bath (CB) was given to the top civil servant at Stormont's Department for Social Development, William Haire, while the chief executive of Belfast Harbour Commissioners, Robert Adair, becomes a Commander of the British Empire (CBE). Also honoured is one of Northern Ireland leading exponents of the Chinese lion dance, Yuk Shan Lui. PSNI Assistant chief Constable Will Kerr receives an OBE. Former East Antrim MP Roy Beggs is awarded an MBE, as is BBC news cameraman Peter Cooper, who recently retired after 40 years. Other recipients include:", "summary": "Van Morrison has been given a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours list."}
{"article": "Surgery was suspended for two weeks in March last year at Leeds General Infirmary's paediatric heart unit after data suggested a higher death rate than average. A year-long review has concluded it was safe. It also said some families of very sick children had received poor care and some parents say they still have questions. Siobhan Casey's four-year-old daughter, Mylee, died in March 2013 after an operation to remove a build-up of muscle on her heart. Mrs Casey, from Rossington, near Doncaster, said she was told the surgery was not complicated and was low risk. \"Mylee went down for the surgery. When she came back four hours later they tried to wake her up but she never woke up. \"Two days later I was told she was brain dead. \"I still do not have answers to how or why that happened. I am still waiting for an inquest to be held.\" Mrs Casey said she was grateful parents were now being listened to and said the recommendations were a \"step forward\". \"I think that they are accepting there have been some mistakes and they are doing their best to ensure no other parents go through what we have. \"I am trying to keep an open mind. It is positive and a step forward, but sadly I don't have a lot of faith in the trust at the moment.\" Michelle Elliot, whose daughter Jessica was left with brain damage following a stroke as she awaited a heart transplant, said her family were let down by the unit. Mrs Elliot, from Doncaster, said she was told the 12-year-old was not \"sick enough\" to be put on the transplant list. She had a stroke just a few days after being put on the list. She was given a transplant in Newcastle, but remains disabled by the stroke. \"We are living with this every day,\" Mrs Elliot said. \"She [Jessica] had a dream, a wish, with one of the charities to go to Florida, which has been pending for two and a half years for when she got better. \"When I said 'we can go on this now' she said 'Mum would you want to go in my body. I am not going anywhere' and that really hurts.\" Mrs Elliot said she was pleased the trust's director had said he was \"profoundly sorry\" for what had happened. \"It is a relief. It is a relief to be believed. It is a relief to be hopefully able to move on. \"Until the recommendations [in the report] are in place and we can see that they are working it is only a small step though. \"The mortality report is not a clean bill of health. There is a lot of work to be done,\" she said. Richard Graham from Ripon said his family had had a very different experience of the unit. \"When my son was three years old there was a problem with the function of his heart - it was cardiomyopathy, which means his heart was beating too fast and not pumping blood efficiently,\" he said.", "summary": "Some parents of children treated at a heart surgery unit that was temporarily closed last year have said a report into its safety is a \"relief\"."}
{"article": "The south coast side have never featured in the last eight and will now host eight-time winners Liverpool at the Goldsands Stadium. Derby have a home tie against Premier League leaders Chelsea, while League One Sheffield United welcome high-flying Southampton. Newcastle, who knocked out holders Manchester City, travel to Tottenham. The ties will be played in the week beginning 15 December. Sheffield United reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup last season and are enjoying another good cup run after knocking out MK Dons in the previous round. Championship leaders Derby are rewarded for coming from 2-0 down to beat Fulham 5-2 with a home draw against the Premier League leaders. Bournemouth - the third of the non-Premier League sides left in the competition - eliminated West Brom on Tuesday. Full quarter-final draw: Derby v Chelsea Tottenham v Newcastle Bournemouth v Liverpool Sheffield United v Southampton", "summary": "Championship side Bournemouth will play Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup."}
{"article": "UnitingCare started to supply older people and adult community healthcare in April, but pulled out of the contract earlier in December. It was a consortium of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. NHS England is to commission the investigation. As reported by the Health Service Journal, NHS England is seeking answers about the circumstances leading up to the termination of the contract. Lord Prior of Brampton, minister for NHS productivity, said it would also consider how similar contracts \"will be managed and assured in the future\". The contract was meant to run for five years, but older people's services have been transferred back to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CPCCG). UnitingCare was selected to run the service by CPCCG after a lengthy procurement process and from a shortlist of three organisations. It said it was not \"financially sustainable\" to continue with the contract. Dr Neil Modha, chief clinical officer at CPCCG, said: \"The CCG will be conducting an internal review to begin shortly and advice from other parties will form part of the review. \"We will of course work closely with NHS England on any review that they commission. Our current priorities are to ensure continuity of services following the ending of the contract on 3 December.\" Labour peer Lord Hunt said he was \"very concerned\" about the impact the \"extraordinary\" series of events was having on patients. \"I'm going to be pressing NHS England to make sure the review is made public,\" he said. \"People locally have every right to know what went wrong, who is responsible, and what is going to happen.\" What did the \u00a3800m five-year contract cover?", "summary": "The collapse of an \u00a3800m NHS out-sourcing contract is to reviewed by independent experts."}
{"article": "Portuguese national Antonio Pedro De Olivera Alves, 44, was convicted in his absence at Stafford Crown Court of raping the 12-year-old girl. He was sentenced to an 11-year jail term in 2013, and a warrant for his arrest was issued. Alves, who was arrested in South America earlier this month, will face extradition proceedings, police said. More on this and other Staffordshire stories Prior to raping the girl, Alves befriended her by posing as a teenager. He was charged in January 2013 and convicted in June the same year. Staffordshire Police worked with the UK National Crime Agency and Brazilian authorities to catch Alves, who was arrested earlier this month. He will remain in custody until the Brazil High Court rules on his expected extradition to the UK, said police. At the time of arrest, Alves lived at Aneurin Bevan Place in Rugeley and worked in Stafford.", "summary": "A child rapist who fled the UK has been arrested in Brazil after three years on the run."}
{"article": "The Migration Watch report said a \"cautious estimate\" for annual net migration by 2035 was 265,000, with 60% of migrants coming from the EU. It said there was complacency about the impact of rapid population growth which it said \"could change the UK forever\". Remain said leaving the EU and damaging the economy was not the answer. Immigration has been a key battleground in the referendum campaign ahead of the vote on EU membership on 23 June. Net migration to the UK rose to 333,000 in 2015, according to Office for National Statistics estimates released in May - the second highest figure on record - figures which the Leave campaign argue illustrates the inability of the UK to control migration while being in the EU. Migration Watch, which campaigns for reduced migration, has now looked over a 20-year period at the impact on net migration in the event the UK votes to remain in the EU on 23 June. This issue covers immigration and free movement within Europe. Net migration is the difference between the number of people coming to the UK for at least a year and those leaving. It said the figure of 265,000 excluded the possibility of Turkey joining the EU altogether and took the average of the high and low migration scenarios. Under its low migration scenario, net migration from the EU would fall to 135,000 by the end of the period and only a small number of refugees who have already arrived in other parts of the EU would relocate to Britain. In this scenario the government would successfully reduce non-EU net migration to 100,000 a year and British emigration would remain at 50,000 a year, leading to total net migration of 205,000. For the high scenario, net migration from the EU would rise to 220,000 by 2031. In this scenario, non-EU migration would remain at 150,000 per year and British emigration would remain at 50,000 net per year, leading to net migration to the UK to 320,000 in 20 years' time, it said. Lord Green of Deddington, chairman of Migration Watch UK said: \"This report is a final wake-up call. Even leaving aside the prospect of Turkey joining the EU, it shows that net migration could still be running at 265,000 a year in 20 years' time. \"This would bring our population to 80 million within 30 years. If we remain in the EU there will be nothing to stop a continuing rapid increase in our population. This would change our country for ever against the express wishes of a very large majority of our fellow citizens.\" Vote Leave said the report confirmed its estimates of future migration levels from the EU and demonstrated that the \"only way to take back control of our borders\" was to leave the EU. But the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants said the report failed to take account of the \"essential contribution\" that migrants make to UK industry and the public services, pointing out that they pay more in taxes than they take out. In response to the", "summary": "A group that wants lower immigration has forecast if Britain votes to remain in the EU, net migration will exceed 250,000 a year for at least 20 years."}
{"article": "Pollster Kellyanne Conway becomes campaign manager and Stephen Bannon of Breitbart News the CEO. Paul Manafort remains campaign chairman, but analysts say he has effectively been demoted. Mr Trump told AP the new leaders were \"terrific people... they're champs\". Mr Trump has seen his poll ratings slip since the party conventions last month. He trails Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton both nationally and in key battleground states. The team shaping Trump's campaign The latest shake-up comes just 82 days before the election. On his website, Mr Trump said: \"I have known Steve and Kellyanne both for many years. They are extremely capable, highly qualified people who love to win and know how to win.\" The Associated Press news agency said the details of the new hierarchy were hammered out at a lengthy senior staff meeting at Trump Tower on Tuesday and that more senior appointments were expected in the coming days. At a campaign rally in Ohio on Tuesday, Mrs Clinton said the changes would make little difference to the race. \"He can hire and fire anyone he wants... They can make him read new words from a teleprompter. But he is still the same man,\" Mrs Clinton said. Battered in the polls, Donald Trump has shaken up his campaign yet again, but don't expect a kinder, gentler candidate anytime soon. Many senior Republicans want him to rein in his impulsive outbursts and soften his rough edges to appeal to more voters, especially women and independents. However, Mr Trump's appointment of Stephen Bannon, an unabashed right-wing firebrand, to lead his campaign seems to signal that more controversy is ahead, not less. The reshuffle suggests that while he recognises a change is needed, the New York billionaire won't be the one changing. \"I don't wanna change. Everybody talks about, 'Oh well, you're gonna pivot, you're gonna' - I don't wanna pivot. I mean, you have to be you. If you start pivoting, you're not being honest with people,\" Mr Trump said. The new appointments come ahead of the Trump team's first major TV advertisements, due to start this week. Although Mr Manafort stays in his job, analysts say the new appointments, which come two months after campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was sacked, represent a demotion. The Washington Post cited Trump campaign aides as saying Mr Trump respected Mr Manafort but felt \"boxed in\" by people \"who barely knew him\". Mr Manafort, a former adviser to George HW Bush and Bob Dole, only joined the Trump campaign in March. The executive chairman of Breitbart has himself described his role there as \"virulently anti-establishment\", views that have led the website into staunch support of Mr Trump. An article in Bloomberg in October last year described Mr Bannon as \"the most dangerous political operative in America\" - a phrase Mr Trump's own website was happy to repeat in announcing his appointment. He will temporarily step down from Breitbart to work on the campaign full time and is expected to lead a highly aggressive strategy. Mr Trump has been pressed by some Republicans to tone down his", "summary": "Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has overhauled his campaign team for the second time in two months, with two new leaders."}
{"article": "The Eastern Europeans are a coming force in rugby union and have aspirations of playing in the Six Nations. They are 12th in the world rankings - two places above Italy - but have played top-tier nations only four times outside of World Cups. Wales will also face New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in November. Wales won three of their four autumn fixtures in 2016, beating South Africa, Japan and Argentina after losing to Australia. Georgia have won the Rugby Europe Championship - Europe's second-tier competition below the Six Nations - for the last six seasons in succession. They have already qualified for the 2019 World Cup in Japan having finished third in their group in the last tournament in England. That campaign included a win over Tonga, while Georgia have also beaten Fiji and drawn with Samoa during the last year.", "summary": "Wales will play Georgia for the first time at the Principality Stadium in the 2017 autumn series."}
{"article": "Hywel Dda University Health Board is the first in Wales to launch the \"Push the Button\" system to curb smoking at Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire hospitals. It enables people to anonymously push a red button which triggers an announcement reminding them hospitals are smoke-free. The policy also includes e-cigarettes. The bilingual messages were recorded by pupils at Pembrokeshire's Wolfscastle school and the buttons can be found near the main entrances to Bronglais, Glangwili, Prince Philip and Withybush hospitals. Teresa Owen from the health board said: \"While the majority of staff, patients and visitors to our sites respect this policy, some people continue to smoke on-site. \"Everyone has the right to breathe fresh air, especially when visiting a health care facility and we regularly receive complaints about people smoking on our sites.\"", "summary": "A PA system is being launched at hospitals in mid and west Wales to discourage smokers from lighting up."}
{"article": "The match ignited with three late first-half goals, the first coming in the 35th minute as Jack Parkinson curled in superbly off the post for the visitors from Mitch Pinnock's corner. Gateshead broke away to equalise straight from kick-off when Wes York was on hand to tap in after Jones' point-blank shot was saved. Jones then collected Paddy McLaughlin's cross superbly to put the hosts in front in the 44th minute. McLaughlin made it 3-1 three minutes into the second half, but Ricky Miller halved the deficit after 57 minutes with his 10th goal of the season. Sam Jones fired his second past Mitch Walker two minutes later to restore the two-goal lead but missed out on a hat-trick when he hit the crossbar with a penalty. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Gateshead 4, Dover Athletic 2. Second Half ends, Gateshead 4, Dover Athletic 2. Substitution, Dover Athletic. Sammy Moore replaces Chris Kinnear. Mitch Brundle (Gateshead) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Gateshead. Gus Mafuta replaces Nyal Bell. Substitution, Gateshead. Reece Styche replaces Wes York. Wes York (Gateshead) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Aswad Thomas (Dover Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Ricky Miller (Dover Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Goal! Gateshead 4, Dover Athletic 2. Sam Jones (Gateshead). Goal! Gateshead 3, Dover Athletic 2. Ricky Miller (Dover Athletic). Goal! Gateshead 3, Dover Athletic 1. Patrick McLaughlin (Gateshead). Second Half begins Gateshead 2, Dover Athletic 1. First Half ends, Gateshead 2, Dover Athletic 1. Goal! Gateshead 2, Dover Athletic 1. Sam Jones (Gateshead). Goal! Gateshead 1, Dover Athletic 1. Wes York (Gateshead). Goal! Gateshead 0, Dover Athletic 1. Jack Parkinson (Dover Athletic). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Sam Jones hit a brace as Gateshead beat Dover at the International Stadium."}
{"article": "The singer-songwriter, 74, will play her seminal album Tapestry in full, followed by a selection of other hits. It will be the first chance to see the King play the UK since her City Streets tour reached the Albert Hall in 1989. \"I can't wait to perform Tapestry from beginning to end for the first time... in the heart of one of my favourite cities,\" said the star. ] The concert takes place on 3 July, with headliners on other nights including Take That, Florence + The Machine and Kendrick Lamar. Speaking to BBC 6 Music, the singer said it \"actually wasn't my idea\" to play the album in full, but \"no-one has ever thought to ask [before] and I loved the the idea.\" \"I'll be adding other songs because it would be a very short set if I only did Tapestry,\" she continued. \"I might actually even have it on my social networks where people can offer up their favourites and see if we can get a consensus and help me figure out which songs to add.\" \"The whole thing is very exciting to me,\" she added. \"I'm really looking forward to it.\" Recorded in the hippie utopia of Laurel Canyon in 1971, Tapestry featured a dozen classic songs, including It's Too Late, I Feel The Earth Move and You've Got A Friend. Intimate and emotional, the record made King a star - but avid fans knew she had already been an enormously \u00adsuccessful \u00adsongwriter for more than a decade, writing hits like The Loco-Motion, Pleasant Valley Sunday and I'm Into Something Good with her lyricist \u00adhusband Gerry Goffin. She put her own stamp on some of those earlier songs - including (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman and Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - on Tapestry, which spent 15 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 and was, until Thriller, the world's biggest-selling record by a solo artist. Side one Side two Tapestry also became the cornerstone of King's career as a performer and, more recently, of her jukebox musical Beautiful, which opened in London last year. Reflecting on the album's impact, King told the BBC: \"I think the songs speak to people's humanity - to their deepest feelings of love and longing. \"And with all the tumult in the world at any given moment, it's nice to touch that humanity.\" Support for the UK gig will come from Don Henley, formerly of The Eagles, and King's own daughter, Louise Goffin. Tickets go on general sale from Friday, 11 March, priced between \u00a360 and \u00a3249.", "summary": "Carole King is to play her first UK concert in more than 25 years at the BST festival in London's Hyde Park."}
{"article": "World Ranger Day (31 July) is dedicated to the men and women who put themselves on the frontline to protect our wildlife from one of the biggest armed scourges of the 21st Century. Some estimate that gangs of poachers kill two or three rangers every week in game reserves across Africa. It has become a bitter battle against poaching. If the elephants and the rhinos could release press statements on their respective international days, they would tell you that the killings of their kind have multiplied since 2006. And even though some recent studies suggest the killing of elephants has slowed, some experts believe that the decline in deaths could be down to fewer elephants being alive to poach. Organised criminals with sophisticated GPS systems and deadly arms seem to stop at nothing to get tusks and rhino horns to sell in Asian markets for millions of dollars. It is the rangers who stand between them and the killers. Farai Sevenzo: \"It is no surprise that South Sudan's protracted rebellions have affected animals and the men and women who try to protect them\" A recent WWF survey of game rangers in Africa found some rangers barely had the equipment, including boots, to fight poachers in Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo and were regularly abandoned as a low priority of governments. Of those surveyed, 75% said they had been threatened by community members for the work they do in protecting wildlife and a staggering 54% said they would not want their children to become rangers - which is bad news for those elephants, rhinos and gorillas slowly dwindling to extinction. Just two weeks ago the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority put out a tender for the supply of new vehicles for its directors and an advert for two new executives just when its working rangers, toiling to stop poachers in 45C heat, had not been paid for three months. Members of a parliamentary committee on the environment noticed the lack of priorities and were not impressed. More on poaching in Africa: The war on elephants Does burning actually destroy ivory? Can drones tackle wildlife poaching? My daughter the gorilla It is also clear that the pressure on a ranger can come from their own, so it is little wonder that some of them are turning from game keeper to poacher just to stay alive. Zimbabwe has managed to capture two of its most-wanted poaching suspects in the last week, according to the state-run Chronicle newspaper. Altogether 10 suspects were arrested in separate operations, though its report shows the difficulty of tracking down poachers. The tools of their trade may be simple - the paper lists some being arrested with a couple of rifles, a silencer, ammunition, a knife, a torch and a getaway car - but their collusion with local chiefs makes them more lethal to animals and rangers alike. It is no surprise that the deaths of elephants and rangers in DR Congo were at the hands of armed militias, and that South Sudan's protracted rebellions have affected animals", "summary": "In our series of letters from African journalists, film-maker and columnist Farai Sevenzo looks at those most in danger in the battle against poachers in Africa."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Sterling played centrally and netted a hat-trick, while striker Bony scored twice, in a 5-1 win over Bournemouth. \"We had to do something different,\" said Pellegrini. \"With his movement we thought Raheem could be dangerous. \"He also missed three or four goals but he did very well.\" Aguero, 27, is set to be out for a month with a hamstring problem while Silva, 29, is also likely to miss the Champions League visit of Sevilla on Wednesday and the first Manchester derby of the season against United at Old Trafford next Sunday (kick-off 14:05 GMT). Sterling's first-half hat-trick was the first of his career, while Bony, who admitted he contracted malaria in pre-season, doubled his City goals tally since his \u00a328m move from Swansea in January. But Pellegrini said he was pleased with England international Sterling's finishing. \"I am happy because we changed Sterling's position and played him in the middle, with Bony in front of him,\" added Pellegrini. \"We felt it was better for him to be near Bony and also near the box. \"When we bought Raheem in the summer I said we are buying a 20-year-old who is very young and needs to improve. He is not a striker but he can improve his finishing and, today, he did.\" Sterling, whose best scoring record was 11 goals with Liverpool last season, said he had been doing extra work on his finishing. The \u00a344m signing, who has now scored five goals in 11 City appearances, said: \"In training I have been working on one-on-one situations in a few sessions. \"It is something I will keep working on and hopefully I will get better at it.\" Bony also praised Sterling's performance after the Ivory Coast striker scored his first goals of the season. \"We talked a lot in training this week,\" the 26-year-old said. \"I know he is very quick and I told him if I jump you have to run, there is no need to think about if I win the ball or not. \"When we have the ball I look to show myself, it worked today. I am happy about the result and happy he scored three goals.\" City skipper Vincent Kompany remained on the bench against Bournemouth, with Pellegrini saying the defender was not yet ready to return despite playing for Belgium on Tuesday. Belgium manager Marc Wilmots' decision to play Kompany angered Pellegrini after the 29-year-old picked up a calf injury against Juventus on 15 September. But Pellegrini said his omission on Saturday was for fitness reasons only. \"We finished playing with Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala in the last game and they did very well,\" the City manager added. \"He was on the bench because he played for Belgium on Tuesday and couldn't work on Wednesday and Thursday. I think working just one day after one month injured is not enough to play again.\"", "summary": "Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini praised Raheem Sterling's combination with Wilfried Bony as the pair proved able deputies for injured duo Sergio Aguero and David Silva."}
{"article": "Hamza, who is now in his late 20s, was named an official member of al-Qaeda in 2015 and is seen as a possible successor to his father. Since then, he has called for attacks against western capitals. The US State Department said it was notifying the international community that \"Hamza bin Laden is actively engaged in terrorism\". The official sanction blocks him from any business dealings with US companies or holding property on US soil. Hamza is the son of the former al-Qaeda leader and Khairiah Sabar, one of Osama's wives who was captured during the 2011 raid on his father's Abbotabad compound in Pakistan. Hamza was not in the compound with his parents during the raid, in which Osama Bin Laden was killed. Ayman al-Zawahiri, an eye surgeon who helped found the Egyptian Islamic Jihad militant group, took over leadership of al-Qaeda after his death. In August, Professor Fawaz Gerges, an expert on Middle East politics, told BBC Radio 4 that Hamza was \"the new face of al-Qaeda - he is charismatic, he is very popular with the rank and file\". \"He was his father's favourite son - everyone, even for the last ten years, has been talking about Hamza succeeding his father.\" In 2015, al-Qaeda released an audio message from Hamza, which called on followers in Kabul, Baghdad and Gaza to wage jihad, or holy war, on Washington, London, Paris and Tel Aviv. He now joins his half-brother Saad on the US sanctions list as a \"specially designated global terrorist\" - someone who threatens national security or the safety of US citizens. The US State Department said the sanction was a \"powerful tool.\" Individuals and groups sanctioned under the programme range from offshoots of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) to the so-called Islamic State, among thousands of others.", "summary": "Hamza bin Laden, a son of Osama bin Laden, has been officially designated a global terrorist by the United States."}
{"article": "The firm said the US Department of Justice (DoJ) had launched a criminal investigation, while other regulators are running civil investigations. It added that possible losses from all its the legal proceedings could total $5.9bn (\u00c2\u00a33.7bn). A number of other banks, including HSBC, RBS and Barclays, have recently set aside sums to cover similar probes. Global lenders, such as Citigroup and UBS, are also being investigated over the alleged rigging of foreign-exchange rates. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday, JP Morgan said that it was co-operating with authorities, and currently engaged in discussions aimed at \"resolving their respective investigations\". But, the firm added, \"there is no assurance that such discussions will result in settlements\". As well as the criminal investigation by the DoJ, JP Morgan revealed it also faces civil investigations by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and \"other foreign government authorities\". Last year, JP Morgan Chase agreed to a record $13bn settlement with US authorities for misleading investors during the housing crisis.", "summary": "JP Morgan Chase, the largest bank in the US, has revealed it is under investigation over currency trading."}
{"article": "Nancy McAdam has been presented with a British Empire Medal after earlier in the year being named in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. Ms McAdam, who lives on a croft on the Black Isle, is a longstanding member of the Scottish Dementia Working Group. With others she founded Highland Dementia Working Group and Inverness Dementia Memory Group. She was presented with her honour by Janet Bowen, Lord Lieutenant of Ross and Cromarty, incorporating Skye and Lochalsh. Ms McAdam said: \"I am simply thrilled. It is a great honour to get a British Empire Medal.\" Ms Bowen said: \"I was delighted to be able to present Nancy with her medal in recognition of the impact she has had on her community. \"I have learned so much from Nancy, particularly how it is possible to live well with dementia. \"I greatly admire how she came to terms with her diagnosis. Nancy is a wonderful example to us all.\"", "summary": "A woman has been recognised for her work with charities helping people with dementia."}
{"article": "The 50-year-old was driving a Vauxhall Corsa when it was struck by a Jaguar S-Type at about 10:20 on Saturday in Irvine. Two men are thought to have then abandoned the Jaguar before getting into a black Mercedes driven by a third man. The 50-year-old is being treated at Crosshouse Hospital, where he is in a stable condition. Police have appealed for witnesses to the crash, which was on Long Drive near the Newmoor Roundabout, to contact them. Det Insp Mick Carr said: \"A man requires hospital treatment following a serious road traffic collision. From what we understand, following the collision, two men abandon the Jaguar car and enter a black Mercedes car, driven by a third man. The men then leave the scene of the road traffic collision, heading north along the B7081. \"Our inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and we are yet to trace the black Mercedes which left the area. \"Anyone with information surrounding this collision is asked to contact police. If you witnessed the crash and have not yet contacted police, please contact officers with any information you may have.\"", "summary": "A man has been seriously injured in a hit and run collision in Ayrshire."}
{"article": "It comes as City Hall published figures it said showed Southern rail services were the worst in the UK. Sadiq Khan also repeated his call for the government to give him emergency control of Southern services. The government said it did not \"routinely publish\" official advice given by civil servants. Earlier this month Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the government would not devolve control of suburban rail services to TfL but that he wanted it to be \"closely involved\" in developing services. That went against indications from his predecessor Patrick McLoughlin, who had earlier this year appeared to suggest services operated by Southern, Southeastern and South West trains could be devolved to TfL once their current franchises ended. A spokesman for the mayor told the BBC: \"Londoners deserve to know why the government has backtracked on their promise to give London control of services which would have led to fewer delays, a better service and passenger fares frozen. \"If the government really believes they have made the right decision, they should have no problem with publishing the advice as soon as possible.\" On Tuesday, transport minister Lord Ahmad told the House of Lords the government would not publish the advice it received after seeing an advance copy of TfL's business plan in October. He added the government's analysis \"highlighted a number of uncertainties in the business case, particularly around the operational risks associated with splitting the franchise and around the benefits being claimed [by City Hall]\". But on Thursday the mayor repeated his demand that City Hall be given emergency control of the Southern Rail franchise as he published train punctuality figures he said both the government and Govia - the owner of the Southern Rail franchise - should be \"utterly ashamed\" by. The figures showed 57% of trains on Southern Rail's Mainline and Coast line arrived at their destination on time in the five weeks to 10 December. The figures also showed 62% of trains across all Govia's franchises, which include Govia Thameslink train services and the Gatwick Express, arrived at their destination on time in the same five weeks. That was the worst period of performance for any train operator since 2005, City Hall said. It added not all of Govia's rail franchises had been affected by strike action and yet it ran five out of six of the least reliable train lines in the whole country and was missing its reliability target by 28%. But a spokesperson for Govia said the punctuality figures reflected \"the significant impact\" of \"wholly unjustified industrial action being taken by Aslef and the RMT\". They added ongoing additional knock-on delays were the result of continued work at London Bridge. The spokesman said: \"We're sorry - our passengers deserve better and, together with Network Rail, we're working hard to improve performance.\" The DfT has previously said it is not within Mr Grayling's powers to strip Southern of its franchise. Mick Cash, leader of the RMT union, which will stage another 48-hour strike on Southern Rail services beginning on New Year's Eve called the latest performance", "summary": "London's mayor has challenged ministers to publish advice they received over possibly devolving suburban rail services to Transport for London (TfL)."}
{"article": "In an interview with the UK's ITV, Mr Trump said he was not anti-Muslim, but \"anti-terror\". He was reacting to remarks by UK Prime Minister David Cameron that his call for Muslims to be banned from the US was \"divisive, stupid and wrong\". Mr Trump made the call last year, when he was not the party's front-runner. He insisted that when he called for an immediate temporary ban on Muslims being allowed into America, there had been criticism only from politicians. Millions of people from all over the world had called in, he said, saying \"Donald Trump is right\". Asked whether he would re-phrase those comments in the light of the controversy they caused, Mr Trump said: \"It got people thinking. Whether it's good for me or bad for me, I don't really care.\" 21 things that Donald Trump believes How Trump captures the White House Trump softens stance on Muslim ban Can Trump really change his image? \"Something very bad\" was going on that people pretended didn't exist, Mr Trump said. The world had a tremendous problem with radical Islamic terror, the New York billionaire said. \"If you look at it world-wide, the world is blowing up. And it's not people from Sweden that's doing the damage, okay?\" It is up to Muslims to turn in people they suspected of extremism, he told ITV. \"They have to work with the police. They're not turning them in. If they're not playing ball, it's not going to work out.\" Referring to Mr Cameron's criticism, Mr Trump also said it looked like he was not going to have a good relationship with the UK prime minister. He also criticised the new Mayor of London Sadiq Khan for calling him \"ignorant\". The New Yorker is one of the least politically experienced nominees in US history, having never held elected office. Many senior Republicans have refused to back him. All other Republican rivals have dropped out of the campaign. Protests have plagued his campaign, with particular focus on his plan to build a wall on the Mexican border and deport 11 million undocumented immigrants. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton appears closer to the nomination, having secured more delegates than Bernie Sanders.", "summary": "The presumptive Republican candidate in the US presidential election, Donald Trump, has called on Muslims to work with the police and \"turn people in\"."}
{"article": "We take a look at some of the winners and losers on the UK high street this Christmas. UK's largest supermarket, Tesco, reported a rise in sales over Christmas. UK like-for-like sales were up 1.3% from a year earlier in the six weeks to 9 January. The upbeat results were welcomed in the City and are being seen as part of the turnaround promised by chief executive Dave Lewis, who took over in September 2014. However, the grocer still faces tough competition from discount chains, and it reported a 1.5% fall in sales for the 13 weeks ending 28 November. Britain's biggest department store chain posted an impressive 5.1% rise in like-for-like sales in the six weeks to 2 January, with products in its technology category leading the field with a rise of 9.6%. Online sales were up more than a fifth and accounted for 40% of total sales. (Like-for-like sales, which measures performance at stores open for more than 12 months, is the measure preferred by analysts as it is the most accurate picture of a retailer's performance.) Waitrose, its food retailing business, falls into the other category, however - see the Losers below. Newsagents and stationary retailer, WH Smith, reported a 2% increase in like-for-like for the 20 weeks to 16 January. Sales at its travel arm, which has shops at airports, railways stations, motorway services, and hospitals jumped by 12%.. High Street stores reported a 2% rise in like-for-like sales during the five weeks to 2 January. The business, which has been going for 224 years, said profits were boosted by the recent trend in colouring books for adults. The department store had a reasonably good Christmas, with a 3.7% rise in like-for-like sales for the nine weeks to 9 January. The retailer said it made fewer discounts and kept tight control of clothing stock, such as winter coats, to reflect the unseasonably warm winter. Like-for-like sales at the department store rose by 5.3% in the six weeks to 2 January, which chief executive Nigel Oddy said underlined its strategy of improving both stores and its online offering, and developing its in-house brands. Britain's fourth-biggest supermarket reported better-than-expected sales, with like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, up 0.2% in the nine weeks to 3 January. Analysts had expected a decline of as much as 3%, suggesting that its revival strategy is paying off. The retailer said trading over the key Christmas period was \"very positive\", with like-for-like sales across all its sportswear brands up 10.6% in the five weeks to 2 January. As a result, it said underlying full-year profits could be up to 10% higher than current market expectations of \u00c2\u00a3136m. Record food sales in the run-up to Christmas was not enough to save the high street stalwart, with like-for-likes falling 2.5% in the 13 weeks to 28 December. Food was up 0.4% for the period, but general merchandise - which includes its clothing - sank by 5.8%. Neil Saunders from retail consultants Conlumino commented: \"It is timid and it is wedded to this kind of 'we have to be", "summary": "Unseasonably warm winter weather, the inexorable rise of online shopping and consumer reluctance to pay full price has added up to a fairly dismal festive season for some retailers."}
{"article": "Footage of the training sessions shows the animals being dragged around a New South Wales farm by top players from the King's School in April. Animal rights activists and some farmers have condemned the activity. King's School, famed for producing national rugby stars, initially defended the training exercise. Headmaster Tim Hawkes had said the task was \"not dissimilar to that undertaken by shearers\" and that no animals were harmed. \"The two rugby coaches were assured by the farmer beforehand that the activity was safe and all the more so because he would be supervising it carefully,\" Dr Hawkes said in a statement issued to the Australian Broadcasting Corp, which uncovered the video. But in a later statement, he said he was \"appalled at the decision\". \"Regardless of whether it was supervised, or that no animals or boys were harmed, it was totally inappropriate.\" The footage was reportedly posted to a private Facebook page by a teacher, but had since been removed. The head of the RSPCA in New South Wales, Steve Coleman, called the training exercise \"horrific\". \"What I just saw was behaviour that can lead to similar behaviours towards humans. There's a lot to be said about violence in general,\" Mr Coleman told ABC.", "summary": "An elite Sydney boys' school is being investigated for animal cruelty after a video emerged of students crash tackling sheep during rugby drills."}
{"article": "A European Parliament probe alleged on Monday that funds for the group of MEPs that UKIP belongs to had wrongly been spent \"for the benefit of UKIP\". It said the group should repay \u00c2\u00a3146,696 of the funds intended for European Parliament business. The Electoral Commission is now looking into \"whether there has been any breach of UK election law\". In response to the news a UKIP spokesman said: \"We are confident we will be found to be in the clear.\" The European Parliament investigation claims that the UKIP-dominated grouping - the Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe - broke rules banning the use of the funds on \"financing of national political parties, financing of national election campaigns and candidates or referendum campaigns\". In a statement the European Parliament Bureau said: \"The activities of the ADDE which were found to breach the rules for European party financing, were nine opinion polls held in the UK ahead of the 2015 general elections as well as ahead of the EU referendum in 2016, and a report on these polls. \"The expenditure linked to the services of three consultants was considered non-eligible by an external auditor and by the Parliament's administration.\" When the European Parliament allegations first emerged last week, a spokesman for the ADDE group accused the parliament of \"harassment\", with UKIP MEP Roger Helmer adding: \"Call it revenge for Brexit if you like.\" BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said it was understood the Electoral Commission inquiry related to whether UKIP spent some of the European money on the Brexit referendum. UKIP would face a possible fine up to \u00c2\u00a320,000 if it was judged to have accepted \"impermissible donations\".", "summary": "The Electoral Commission has opened an investigation into UKIP's finances after allegations it misspent EU funds."}
{"article": "Action on Junk Food Marketing analysed 750 adverts shown during the X Factor on ITV and the Simpsons and Hollyoaks on Channel 4 over 20 hours. It found one in 10 promoted fast food restaurants, confectionery or supermarket 'junk food'. But the government said advertising was not to blame for childhood obesity. The analysis, which was carried out by researchers at the University of Liverpool, found that unhealthy food items accounted for 11% of all adverts and around half of all food adverts. They said the most frequently shown adverts for unhealthy food products came from supermarkets such as Aldi and Morrisons, followed by fast food chains such as Dominos and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Chocolate manufacturers like Lindt and Cadbury and brands such as Clover and Flora Buttery were also included on the \"unhealthy\" ads list. The researchers looked at adverts shown during 10 hours of X Factor programmes and another 10 hours of early evening Channel 4 programmes during the run-up to Christmas 2013. The campaign group Action on Junk Food Marketing, whose members include the Children's Food Campaign and the British Heart Foundation, said children's TV viewing peaks around 20:00 but laws to protect children from targeted advertising only cover children's programmes, which tend to be broadcast earlier in the day. Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: \"Parents don't expect their children to be bombarded with ads for unhealthy food during primetime TV, but that's exactly what happens. \"Even when the show is over, junk food marketers could be reaching out to young people online. A lack of regulation means companies are free to lure kids into playing games and entering competitions - all with a view to pushing their product.\" Prof Mitch Blair, officer for health promotion at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said advertising junk food during family-friendly programmes like the X Factor is known to work. \"Not only are children and young people easily influenced and parents worn down by pester power, but food companies wouldn't spend huge amounts of money if it wasn't effective.\" Campaigners want the ban on \"junk food\" advertising to be extended to 21:00. \"Children should not be commercially exploited and the advertising industry must take some responsibility for helping tackle the growing problem of childhood obesity,\" Prof Blair said. The government said advertising was just one aspect in determining children's choice of food and one part of the package aimed at tackling childhood obesity and poor diet. It added that it was keeping \"this area under review\". The Advertising Association went further saying the report was \"lobbying dressed up as science\" and the current rules on advertising were working. Communications director Ian Barber added: \"The UK's evidenced-based approach to the advertising rules works, balancing sensible protections with the freedom to advertise, allowing companies to compete - to the benefit of us all - and providing important funding for free-to-air TV.\" But there is general agreement that with around one-third of UK children now overweight or obese, encouraging families and children to eat healthier diets", "summary": "Children are being exposed to TV adverts promoting unhealthy food which should be banned during primetime family viewing, says a campaign group."}
{"article": "Burton began the brighter with their best chance falling to Chris O'Grady, but his shot was blocked on the line. For the second game running, the home side switched off in first-half stoppage time and an unmarked Connolly headed home to put Wigan ahead. The 19-year-old defender, who joined on loan from Everton before the game, nodded in his second after the break. England Under-19 international Connolly's move - which is for the remainder of the season - was confirmed by Wigan in time for him to make the trip to the Pirelli Stadium. The Liverpool-born teenager, who spent a month on loan at Barnsley last season, came through Everton's academy. And he helped his new club to their first victory over Burton Albion and back-to-back wins following victory in the FA Cup against Nottingham Forest. The Brewers have now lost their past four home games in the Championship and sit just one point above the relegation zone. Wigan remain 23rd, but are now just three points behind them. Burton manager Nigel Clough: \"It's a frustrated dressing room because we have given away two of the softest goals we have given away all season. \"The timing as well is difficult. I think that is three in recent games just before half-time, in added time, and that is something that has to be addressed. \"Both penalty areas, which is where it really counts, they were better than us today.\" Wigan manager Warren Joyce: \"It's a great win but it's just three points and there is still a long way to go in the season. \"Today, Burton could have scored a couple of goals but the way the defenders put their bodies on the line consistently you sometimes earn a little bit of luck when you are that brave.\" On new signing Callum Connolly: \"He's a player I've known about for a long time. \"Obviously when you are looking at the make-up of players and looking at their attributes and qualities, we are not a big side and its important in this league that you have got full-backs that can head the ball as well. \"Every credit to the kid today, enthusiasm and bravery gets us the points.\" Match ends, Burton Albion 0, Wigan Athletic 2. Second Half ends, Burton Albion 0, Wigan Athletic 2. Offside, Wigan Athletic. Sam Morsy tries a through ball, but William Grigg is caught offside. Damien McCrory (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Michael Jacobs (Wigan Athletic). Corner, Burton Albion. Conceded by Dan Burn. Attempt missed. Kyle McFadzean (Burton Albion) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Matthew Palmer with a cross following a corner. Corner, Burton Albion. Conceded by Shaun MacDonald. Attempt blocked. Tom Naylor (Burton Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt blocked. Jamie Ward (Burton Albion) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Chris O'Grady. Attempt missed. Matthew Palmer (Burton Albion) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.", "summary": "Callum Connolly scored twice on his debut as Wigan narrowed the gap to fellow relegation rivals Burton Albion."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old won the Chengdu event in China and will now compete in her first World Series triathlon of the season in Yokohama, Japan on Saturday. \"For me the weekend was about getting back into racing and refocusing more than the victory itself,\" she said. \"Winning gives me a bit more confidence going into the World Series.\" Saturday's event is raced over an Olympic distance which includes a 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride and 10km run - four times the distance of the race in Chengdu. The 2013 world champion will compete alongside fellow Briton Vicky Holland, who pipped her to Olympic bronze in Rio, and 2016 world champion Flora Duffy of Bermuda, who are also competing in the World Series for the first time this season after overcoming injuries. \"The level at the World Series is that much higher than the World Cup,\" said Stanford. \"The field is pretty stacked and that's exciting that you go out there and actually get to test yourself against the best that triathlon has to offer. \"It's definitely going to be hard and not as easy as it was at the weekend. I don't think the victory will come quite as smoothly. \"I just want to go out there and do an Olympic distance, see where I'm at and what we have to work on for the rest of the season.\" The Chengdu event consisted of two events held over two days and Stanford, who had not raced on the World Cup circuit since 2011, did not expect victory. \"The format of the race was unusual and I wasn't sure at all how I would do. You could have finished first or last in that situation. \"I made some smart decisions whilst I was racing. I stayed quite calm which is important in that sort of race which is so fast. \"It's very quick decisions in the heat of the moment and I managed to make good decisions at the right time and that helped me to the top of the podium.\" Swansea-born Stanford, who finished fourth at last summer's Olympic Games in Rio, has endured a difficult few months. \"I got a small tear in my Achilles back in November and recovery from that hasn't been straightforward,\" Stanford told BBC Wales Sport. \"I didn't do any proper running until end of February, so it hasn't been smooth at all. It hasn't been my best winter of training and that's why I really surprised myself at the weekend.\" Stanford missed out on the 2014 Commonwealth Games through injury and has her sights set on the Games at the Gold Coast next April. \"The main aim for this season is to make sure I confirm my selection for the Commonwealth Games next year,\" Stanford said. \"I was absolutely devastated to miss out on the Commonwealth Games in 2014. To sit on the sidelines and watch was pretty tough. \"It's been a lifelong ambition of mine to represent Wales at the Commonwealths. \"It definitely came onto my radar before the Olympic Games ever did. \"It will be", "summary": "Welsh triathlete Non Stanford is confident she can make the most of her first ever World Cup win following a winter disrupted by injury."}
{"article": "The 33-year-old Chile international arrived with a reputation for fancy footwork but is now, to some, thought of as being a shot-stopper who does not stop shots - something Everton took full advantage of when they scored with every effort they had on target in Sunday's 4-0 win. City's defence admittedly did not do much to help him at Goodison Park, but Bravo has now conceded a total of 23 goals from the 57 shots on target he has faced in the Premier League this season. \"It looks like people are playing City and thinking if they hit the target, they will score,\" MOTD2 pundit Phil Neville said in his analysis after watching Bravo's latest less than convincing performance. \"It is not even as if they are all going into the corners of the net - he is being beaten in the central areas of his goal too.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Do the stats back up that belief Bravo should have done better? According to Tom Worville, a data scientist at football analysts Opta, the answer is a resounding yes. Using an historical database built using information such as the build-up, distance, angle and placement of more than 250,000 shots, Opta can evaluate 'Expected Goals' - the quality of any chance a player has, and how likely it is to be saved. Or, in Bravo's case, whether it should have been... Based on the historic quality of those 57 shots on target against City, only 16 should have beaten Bravo, not 23. The \u00a315.4m summer signing from Barcelona has conceded 6.7 goals more than he should have done, putting him in the bottom five of the 23 Premier League keepers to have faced more than 100 shots in 2016-17. It gets worse for Bravo when Opta focus on his current eight-game run that has seen him concede 14 goals from 22 shots on target. \"Of those 22 shots, we get an 'Expected Goals' figure of 7.33 - so he has conceded nearly double than expected in that time,\" added Worville. \"It's a huge deficit, and the figures are pretty damning. \"I'm hesitant to jump to the conclusion that Bravo is a poor goalkeeper - we know that he isn't - but he's having a terrible time at the moment.\" Most keepers are having a better time right now, including all of Bravo's counterparts at other top-six clubs. It is a 12-goal swing from Bravo's figures to those of Burnley's Tom Heaton, the Premier League's top performer by Opta's calculations. Heaton has saved almost five 'expected' goals this season - enough to give him the edge over the likes of Tottenham's Hugo Lloris and Arsenal's Petr Cech, who average around three apiece. David de Gea has 'saved' one goal for Manchester United while Liverpool's Simon Mignolet has conceded one more than expected. All of them are doing much better than Bravo, though. Few City fans thought that allowing Joe Hart to leave for a season in Serie A was a good idea back in August. It is possible", "summary": "For many, Claudio Bravo's first five months in English football were neatly summed up by the caller to the BBC's 606 phone-in last weekend who dubbed the Manchester City goalkeeper a 'false no. 1'."}
{"article": "Zoo staff are helping the rare sea turtle to recovery after it got a little bit lost last year. Menai is an Olive Ridley turtle, which are usually found in much warmer waters around Mexico. It's thought that Menai was knocked off course for thousands of miles by strong currents. Vets are giving her lots of checks to make sure she is healthy and they say she is recovering well.", "summary": "Menai the turtle was found washed up on a beach in Wales in November, and was rescued by wildlife experts in Anglesey."}
{"article": "A high resolution microscope at a \u00a37m new laboratory at Newcastle University has found evidence of microbes in 400-million-year-old basalt rock recovered from the Pacific Ocean floor. The rock is similar to those found on Mars and scientists will now study an actual piece of Martian rock. It is hoped that the detailed analysis will detect similar traces. The team at the Surface Engineering and Analysis Laboratory used a \u00a31.5m Helium Ion Microscope, which analyses the surface of structures with a resolution five times higher than most other microscopes. It identified organic compounds in microscopic tunnels in basalt recovered from the Ontong Java plateau deep in the Pacific. The compounds are believed to be finger-like tubule structures made by microbes millions of years ago, and have never been analysed so closely by scientists, the university said. Head of the laboratory, Prof Peter Cumpson, said: \"What we have detected is the trace left behind by living systems: the biological fingerprint which even after 200 million years is still visible, albeit only with a very, very good microscope. \"If we can find those in this [Mars] rock and we can compare with the earth samples then I think we have made a big step - a very convincing step - forward which shows that at one time life - a simple life - was present.\"", "summary": "Scientists believe they could be a step closer to finding out whether there was life on Mars."}
{"article": "The politicians will attempt to craft a deal from a draft negotiating text signed off by delegates here on Saturday. Poor countries warned the talks would fail if the rich tried to limit their right to grow to protect the climate. One delegate said the poor could not accept starvation as the price of a successful deal in Paris. Negotiators have taken four years to produce the draft text of a long-term agreement. The ministers will have just five days to turn that text into a deal acceptable to all 195 parties here. That will not be easy. The document at the moment runs to 48 pages and contains more than 900 square brackets, used to signify areas of disagreement. Some delegates are concerned that too much is being left to the politicians. \"All the difficult political issues remain unsolved, and will be solved by the ministers,\" said Miguel Arias Canete, the European Union's Climate Commissioner. \"Next week is the week of compromise; it's a difficult week,\" he told a news conference. There are still disagreements over whether this deal will be completely legally binding or whether just parts of it will be. There are splits over what the long-term goal of the deal should be. Many island nations want the text to reflect the fact that if the world warms more than 1.5C, their homes may be lost to rising seas. Other countries favour a two-degree goal. Another key issue is the question of differentiation. When the UN climate convention was signed back in 1992, the world was divided into developed and developing countries. The richer countries now want the new Paris deal to reflect how the world has changed. \"Developed countries and now many developing countries acknowledge that the world has changed,\" said Michael Jacobs, a climate adviser to British Prime Minister at the time of the Copenhagen talks in 2009, Gordon Brown. \"There are many different kinds of countries, and they want developing countries to act as well as developed. That kind of binary division cannot be in an agreement that is signed.\" But the idea of a change does not sit well with many of the leading developing nations. China criticised any attempts to change this division in the talks about the final deal. \"We cannot accept starvation as a price for the success of this agreement,\" said Gurdial Singh Nijar of Malaysia, who was speaking for the Like Minded Group of countries in these talks that includes China, India and Saudi Arabia. \"The world has changed? Yes, the world has changed but not in the way that you intend to use it perhaps as a subterfuge to undermine the basic precepts of the convention. \"We cannot accept that because to accept that is to destroy our societies,\" he said to applause. There are concerns over finance as well, as the richer countries want to expand the base of donor countries if there is to be an increase in the promised $100bn from 2020 to help the poorer countries cope with climate change and ease their transition to", "summary": "Ministers from all over the world gather in Paris on Monday in a final push for a new global climate compact."}
{"article": "Medical sources told the BBC that at least eight people, including civilians, have been killed and more than 20 injured. A new UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) still lacks authority and the country remains volatile. The French Foreign Ministry said it was \"very worried by the escalation of violence\". The BBC's North Africa Correspondent, Rana Jawad, in neighbouring Tunis, said two of the city's largest and most heavily armed militias are fighting an alliance of hard-line Islamists and militias loyal to rival political authorities. Libya is still politically divided as rival administrations attempt to assert their power. Clashes are said to be continuing in two main districts in the south of the capital. Tanks and pickup trucks armed with rocket launchers were reportedly deployed in several districts. Witnesses told the BBC that people stayed at home on Friday morning and many businesses stayed closed. The new government in Tripoli has not commented on the clashes. East and central: West: Guide to Libya's militias Profile: Khalifa Haftar Rogue general divides Libyans", "summary": "Rival militias are battling one another in Tripoli in the heaviest fighting in the Libyan capital for two years."}
{"article": "Justice Secretary Ken Clarke said the government would also consult on axing 54 County Courts. Some 300 magistrates' courts deal with minor crimes, crown court committal hearings and licensing applications. The Magistrates' Association says it is unsurprised by plans to close underused courts but warned ministers against eroding local justice. Mr Clarke also announced there will be a review in the autumn of the \u00c2\u00a32bn legal aid bill, saying that more had to be done to cut costs. Closing the courts will save the government at least \u00c2\u00a315m a year in running costs, plus an extra \u00c2\u00a322m in maintaining the buildings. The courts earmarked for closure make up 30% of the 540 in England and Wales. In a written ministerial statement to MPs, Mr Clarke said: \"I will ensure that we keep courts in the most strategically important locations, communities continue to have access to courts within a reasonable travelling distance, that cases are heard in courts with suitable facilities and that there is an overall reduction in cost.\" Mr Clarke said that the number and location of all courts no longer reflected how populations had changed and how easy or difficult it was for people to reach them. Although the consultation is coming the day after the Budget, the government has been seeking to cut the costs of magistrates' courts for some time. Over the past decade an increasing proportion of minor offences have been dealt with out of court, such as through fixed penalty notice fines. Some courts only sit for half a day at a time, but require staff for longer hours. The courts also have indirect costs related to transporting lawyers, police officers and defendants to and from the buildings. \"When public finances are under pressure, it is vital to eliminate waste and reduce costs,\" said Mr Clarke. \"At the same time we should also take the opportunity to think afresh about how we can provide more modern court services. \"We increasingly use the internet and e-mail to communicate and access services and we travel further to work, for leisure and to do our weekly shop. Providing access to justice does not necessarily mean providing a courthouse in every town or city.\" John Thornhill, chairman of the Magistrates' Association, said the service had experienced three years of cuts, meaning victims were waiting longer to see justice done. He said: \"The magistracy still has a very significant contribution to make. The Association has already proposed innovative and cost effective procedures for delivering community justice. \"We look forward to discussing such proposals with the government to develop a cohesive justice system in which crucial decisions on dealing with those who offend against fellow citizens.\" There are almost 29,000 magistrates in England and Wales, volunteers drawn from the local community and they deal with nine out of 10 cases that come before the courts. Most cases are heard by three magistrates who only receive expenses and allowances to cover loss of earnings. District judges also appear at magistrates' courts to deal with more complex cases that do not need to be", "summary": "The Ministry of Justice is planning to close 103 magistrates' courts in England and Wales."}
{"article": "3 July 2016 Last updated at 12:00 BST BBC reporter Imogen Sellers spoke to Commander Phil Richardson, from 815 Naval Air Squadron, about its history ahead of its decommissioning in March. Enthusiasts were also given the chance to meet Ed Sutton, from the US Air Force Reserve, and Major Darius Stachurski, from the Polish Air Force, which was taking part for the first time.", "summary": "Aviation fans were able to see the Lynx helicopter fly for the last time after 40 years of Royal Navy service."}
{"article": "Launching on 10 November, it'll show a range of on-demand programmes including interviews, Live Lounge performances and documentaries. There will also be a 15-minute weekly wrap up show hosted by Chris Stark called ICYMI (In Case You Missed It). The Official Chart Bite will be another weekly show presented by YouTube stars Jack and Dean. The station says the move will make the network's distinctive content available to even bigger audiences of young people. Radio 1 and 1Xtra's controller Ben Cooper said: \"If you love music, if you love star studded interviews, then you will love Radio 1's new programmes. \"I can't wait for us to represent visually the energy and diversity of young people's culture in UK society.\" Each week, a Radio 1 DJ will also put together their top five things to watch on BBC iPlayer. Other content available for the launch of Radio 1 on BBC iPlayer includes three track Live Lounge sessions and exclusive interviews from Royal Blood and Taylor Swift. There will also be a 2011 Live Lounge special from Adele featuring six tracks from the archive as well as a 20-minute programme featuring highlights and never before seen footage of Zoella and ThatcherJoe during their recent Internet Takeover. A collection of three programmes from Radio 1's Teen Awards, including Dan and Phil's round-up of the event, will also appear on the station's section of the catch-up service. Performances from Radio 1Xtra Live in Birmingham and two special interviews, 1Xtra's Semtex meets Rick Ross and Trevor Nelson meets Mary J Blige, will also be made available after the launch. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Radio 1 has announced some of the content which will appear on the station's section of BBC iPlayer."}
{"article": "The woman, aged in her 40s, was found at Shrewsbury Transport Ltd in Featherbed Lane in Shrewsbury, at about 08:00 GMT on Christmas Eve. A 45-year-old man from Shrewsbury was arrested and has since been released on bail, West Mercia Police said. A post-mortem examination is taking place. The woman has not yet been formally identified, the spokesman said.", "summary": "A man arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman's body was found at a Shropshire business has been released on bail."}
{"article": "Becky, 16, was reported missing on 19 February. Body parts were found at a house in the Barton Hill area of Bristol on 2 March. Nathan Matthews, 28, from Warmley, appeared by video link at Bristol Crown Court charged with her murder. Mr Matthews, who has yet to enter a plea to the allegation, was told a provisional trial date had been set for October. His girlfriend, Shauna Hoare, 21, who is charged with perverting the course of justice, also appeared by video link. Four other defendants have been charged with assisting an offender. Jaydene Parsons, 23, appeared via video link, while James Ireland, also 23, appeared in person. Karl and Donovan Demetrius, both 29, did not appear.", "summary": "The stepbrother of teenager Becky Watts is set to stand trial for her murder."}
{"article": "The new limits come as the scandal-hit Japanese carmaker prepares to appoint Carlos Ghosn as chairman. The firm wants to raise the cash limit on executive pay from 960m yen (\u00c2\u00a36.7m, $8.4m) to 2bn yen. There could also be non-cash rewards worth 1bn yen. The new salary caps need approval by shareholders. They are due to vote on that at an extraordinary meeting on 14 December. Shareholders will also be asked to approve the appointment of Nissan and Renault boss Carlos Ghosn as chairman, and three other new executives with experience at Nissan. If approved, the total annual pay packages of all 11 executives on the company's new board could amount to more than $290m. Mitsubishi Motors says the new salary caps are designed to attract outside talent to the company. Its reputation was hit badly after it admitted in April to falsifying the fuel efficiency of several models. The admission led to a suspension of sales of the vehicles and prompted a sharp drop in Mitsubishi Motors' share price. Mitsubishi has suffered heavy losses resulting from the scandal. It has forecast a net loss of 145bn yen for the current financial year. In May, Nissan helped to bail out Mitsubishi Motors by taking a 34% stake in its smaller rival.", "summary": "Mitsubishi Motors is proposing higher salary caps that could triple the annual pay packages of its top executives."}
{"article": "He brought a smouldering intensity to films such as Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. A man of striking good looks he escorted some of the world's most beautiful women. But he quit acting to become a ubiquitous presence at the world's most exclusive gaming tables. Michel Demitri Shalhoub was born in Alexandria on 10 April 1932 into a family of Lebanese ancestry. His father was a wealthy timber merchant specialising in exotic woods. His mother was a noted society hostess with King Farouk a regular visitor, before he was deposed in 1952. The young Shalhoub studied at the British Victoria College in Alexandria where he showed himself to be academically gifted with a particular talent for languages. He went on to graduate from the University of Cairo with a degree in mathematics and physics before joining the family business. But he harboured ambitions to be an actor and, much to the disappointment of his father, went to London to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada). During the 1950s he appeared in a number of Egyptian films, rapidly becoming a star in his own country. He also married the Egyptian actress Faten Hamama, converting from his Melkite Greek Catholicism to Islam so the union could take place. When David Lean was looking to cast a film about TE Lawrence, he picked out a photograph of Sharif and gave him a screen test. Sharif's first on-screen appearance as Ali, riding across the sands out of a shimmering heat haze towards the camera, was one of cinema's most stunning debuts. Lawrence of Arabia made him a truly international star. The film earned seven Oscars and nominations for both Sharif and his co-star, Peter O'Toole. He followed this with another intense portrayal, that of the eponymous Doctor Zhivago, in Lean's 1965 Russian epic, based on the novel by Boris Pasternak. With his black eyes and famous gap-toothed smile, Sharif was depicted as a type of Rudolf Valentino of the 1960s. He later called this a triumph of hype over accuracy, but he certainly escorted some of the world's most glamorous women. \"I don't know what women are attracted to,\" he said, \"but certainly I have no notion about having any sex appeal.\" Sharif admitted to falling madly for his co-stars, among them Ingrid Bergman, Catherine Deneuve and Ava Gardner. But, disillusioned with the regime of Colonel Nasser in Egypt, he began spending more time away from his native country. The Egyptian authorities were also angered by Sharif's role in Funny Girl, alongside co-star Barbra Streisand. The actress was a vocal supporter of Israel and the Egyptians threatened to withdraw his citizenship when it emerged the pair were having a relationship. Sharif's career failed to fulfil its early promise, and the actor was the first to admit he squandered his talent in pursuit of easy money. He spent his time drinking away the days with O'Toole and other renowned hell-raisers. The evenings he spent gambling, a passion he inherited from his mother. To fund his hedonistic lifestyle, not least his debts at the", "summary": "Omar Sharif was the most famous Egyptian actor of his generation."}
{"article": "A species of midge was able to release large volumes of nutrients into the soil, changing the way native species had lived and evolved, a UK team found. They added the species was well-suited to thrive in the extreme conditions. Details of the research were presented at the British Ecological Society's annual meeting in Birmingham. A team from the British Antarctic Survey said the invasive species, the non-biting midge Eretmoptera murphyi, effectively removed one of the brakes on the way that the native community had developed. \"In terms of function, their job is litter turnover - they help things decay in the soil - and the population density of this thing in the area where it has been introduced is responsible for more litter turnover than the community that was already there,\" explained co-presenter of the research Peter Convey, of the British Antarctic Survey. \"So basically it is bringing a function into an ecosystem that is not very active already. In principle, it can be a fundamental change in the way that ecosystem works.\" Speaking to BBC News before the presentation, Prof Convey warned: \"If you widen [this issue] beyond this particular species then probably the biggest risk is that we could drive locally or generally extinct some of the unique species that already exist in part of the Antarctic.\" He said that in a different project, the team had been looking at the tiny flies' evolution. \"Its native home is sub-Antarctica in South Georgia, and it has been on [the island] for several tens of millions of years. \"South Georgia is its own tectonic plate that has been moving away from South America for 30 or 40 million years. \"The Antarctic peninsula is another tectonic plate of a similar sort, and there are things on there that have got a similar multi-million, if not multi-tens of million-year histories.\" But Prof Convey explained that just because the two areas were located in a similar region, it did not mean the transfer of species between them did not have lasting consequences. \"You are looking at almost distinct bio-geographic regions, which have got their own distinct biodiversity. \"So if you transfer things between them - you have things like this fly that is pre-adapted - you also bring potentially new functions into the ecosystem.\" The threat of introducing a growing number of invasive species into the Antarctic's long-isolated ecosystems is increasing; the team highlighted that about 5,000 scientific staff and 30,000 tourists were visiting the continent each year. Prof Convey said: \"When people visit the Antarctic - whether that be tourists or people like me - we stop in the sub-Antarctic first, then we go on. So the biggest perceived risk at the moment is that people get a lot of mud on their boots, and then two days later you are in the South Orkney Islands, mud drops off boots - so the things are able to colonise the area. \"And then another day later, the ship reaches Elephant Island, which is at the tip of Antarctic peninsula, and then another day later", "summary": "An invasive species has the potential to drastically alter Antarctic ecosystems that have been isolated for millions of years, research suggests."}
{"article": "It was uncovered by archaeologists working in the villa's north range in Gloucestershire. Other finds include two 4th Century Roman coins and a bone pin, and more of a mosaic which was first unearthed during a dig last year. Experts said they had also found evidence of an earlier villa, beneath the 4th Century one. National Trust archaeologist Martin Papworth said the tile was found in the changing rooms of the late Roman baths. \"The top tile that we came across had lots of imprints on it and we think that they're deer footprints. \"The tilers used to lay their tiles out to dry when they made them out of clay before they fired them and made them vulnerable to any animals walking around to put their prints on them. \"This looks like perhaps a Roe deer walked across and mucked up the surface of the tile, but it's quite nice to see it.\" He said more of a mosaic, first unearthed last year, had been found. \"They had put concrete down in the 1960s to mark where walls had been found, and we expected there to be no mosaic there at all, but in the grassy islands between the concrete we found this amazing mosaic which had been missed in the 1960s. \"Now we know it was part of a great reception hall 18m (60ft) long by 6m (20ft) wide. It's really exciting. It's patchy, but there are some large parts of it [remaining].\" He added that one of the 4th Century coins featured a Chi-Rho early Christian symbol, and was likely to be from the first Christian Roman emperor Constantine the Great.", "summary": "A deer hoof print has been found on a 1,600 year-old roof tile during a dig at Chedworth Roman Villa."}
{"article": "It took Kenya 140 tournaments to break their duck and they are only the second African nation after South Africa to win a World Series leg. Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta said on Twitter: \"Join me in congratulating the Kenya Sevens Rugby Team on their remarkable win.\" Rugby Sevens will feature for the first time in this summer's Olympics in Rio. Kenya, who have qualified for the Olympics in the men's and women's event, opened up a 20-0 half-time lead over the favourites with two of their four tries from Collins Injera. Fiji, coached by former England Sevens coach Ben Ryan, briefly rallied after the break, but Kenya held firm and scored two further tries to seal a convincing win. Kenya have shot up to seventh in the standings after their 22-point haul in Singapore, with Fiji extending their lead at the top to eight points over South Africa with two rounds remaining in France and England. South Africa, beaten narrowly by Fiji in the semis, finished third after thrashing Argentina 28-0. Samoa landed the second tier Plate title after causing another upset in beating New Zealand, Scotland edged United States to land the Bowl and Russia crushed Wales to win the Shield. Have you added the new Top Story alerts in the BBC Sport app? Simply head to the menu in the app - and don't forget you can also add alerts for your rugby union team, cricket scores, football and more.", "summary": "Kenya shocked Fiji 30-7 in the final of the Singapore Rugby Sevens to claim their first World Series title."}
{"article": "Borough councillor for Rowner and Holbrook Patrick Bergin said his motivation had shifted following the EU referendum to \"managing the exit\". Mr Bergin said he formally announced his decision \"before anyone was aware\" that UKIP leader Diane James had stepped down. He said he would continue to represent his ward as a Conservative councillor. He said: \"I know that to help the people in my ward and be part of decision making and take Gosport forward, I can only do so by being an active member of a group who have the vision to take Gosport forward. \"That group is the Conservatives.\"", "summary": "A UKIP councillor in Gosport has announced he is defecting to the Conservative Party."}
{"article": "The islands, located off the coast of Cornwall, began the scheme two years ago to protect eggs and baby birds from being eaten by brown rats. Numbers of manx shearwaters and storm petrels had declined by 25% on St Agnes and Gugh in 25 years. But colonies are recovering thanks to the rat eradication measures. Poison placed in an agricultural pipe was positioned in 1,000 locations on the islands in order to kill the vermin. According to international protocols, the islands could not be officially declared rat-free for two years after the last sign of rat was detected - making them officially free of the rodent on 13 February. Jaclyn Pearson, from the RSPB Isles of Scilly seabird recovery project, said the seabird population was already starting to recover. \"Straight away we saw results,\" she said. \"The baiting was done in winter 2013, and in September 2014 we had 10 Manx Shearwater chicks. That's the first time in living memory that chicks have survived and it's clearly because of the removal of the rats. \"We didn't think we would have an uptake of storm petrels so quickly as they hadn't nested on the island for a long time, but we recorded five in 2015. \"So already the results are clear and they're beginning to bounce back.\" A questionnaire among residents shows they're delighted with the results, the RSPB said. The project cost \u00c2\u00a3700,000 and was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Union. Wildlife Management International Limited (WMIL) from New Zealand was contracted to carry out the rat removal phase from November to March in \"the most humane way\".", "summary": "Two of the Isles of Scilly have been declared \"rat free\" after a scheme to protect sea birds saw more than 3,000 rodents culled."}
{"article": "The deal, which is worth about \u00a397m, was confirmed at the SNP's annual conference in Aberdeen by Transport Minister Derek McKay. Ferguson's had previously been named as the preferred bidder for the contract. The firm was saved by businessman Jim McColl's Clyde Blowers Capital after it went bust on 15 August. Mr McColl is one of Scotland's wealthiest people. Originally formed in 1902, Ferguson's employed 77 staff at the time of the administration appointments.", "summary": "Ferguson's shipyard on the Clyde has won a Scottish government contract to build two new ferries."}
{"article": "The new console will be released in the UK on 3 March and will cost UK gamers \u00c2\u00a3279.99. There are more than 80 games currently being developed for the console, but big names like Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda have been confirmed. In October 2016, we got our first proper look at the console, and we compared it to some of the other top consoles available.", "summary": "Nintendo has revealed lots of new details about its brand new console, the Nintendo Switch."}
{"article": "As Republican National Committee head Reince Priebus has pointed out, the rules are the rules, and they aren't a secret. But Mr Trump is right that there are forces coalescing to stop him. And as of Sunday night - with the announcement that presidential candidates John Kasich and Ted Cruz are co-ordinating their efforts in upcoming state primaries - those forces aren't so silent anymore. Neither Mr Cruz nor Mr Kasich can win the 1,237 delegates necessary to secure the Republican nomination for themselves. Their only hope is to deny Donald Trump that opportunity as well. And now, at last, their campaigns are publicly acknowledging that they need each other's help to do so. As the two campaigns explained in dual press releases, Mr Cruz will focus on Indiana on 3 May, while Mr Kasich will be given free rein to challenge Mr Trump head-on in the Oregon and New Mexico contests over the following weeks. This announcement comes just days before Mr Cruz and Mr Kasich are likely to receive a thorough drubbing in a handful of states in the mid-Atlantic, including delegate-rich Pennsylvania. By Wednesday morning Mr Trump could have put considerably more distance between himself and his two opponents. So this accord may be an early effort to push the focus past the next round of voting and on to more friendly contests. Indiana, one of the last big prizes of the primary season, is shaping up to be a pivotal battleground. A recent poll shows Mr Trump with a comfortable lead in a three-way race that narrows considerably if Mr Kasich is taken out of the equation. Given the rules in Indiana - 30 delegates to the candidate who wins a statewide plurality and three delegates to the top finisher in each of the state's nine congressional districts - every bit of help Mr Cruz can get to edge past Mr Trump will be invaluable. Independent groups backing the #NeverTrump efforts are pouring resources into the state in the hopes that a massive advertising blitz will dent the New York mogul's image. It worked for them in Wisconsin two weeks ago, although those efforts also benefited from a state Republican Party unified in opposing Mr Trump and a conservative media that had been relentlessly bashing him for months. The atmosphere in Indiana is much more muddled. Republican Governor Mike Pence is not endorsing any candidate, and the local talk radio hosts aren't as virulently anti-Trump. This unite-to-defeat-Trump strategy has been kicked around for months, of course. When Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker ended his presidential bid last September, he urged his opponents to follow his lead and \"clear the field\" for a candidate with a \"positive, conservative message\" - ie not Mr Trump. The Wisconsin Cassandra was universally ignored. In early March, former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney called for exactly such an accord between non-Trump candidates, with each focusing on states where they could win and voters acting accordingly. Shortly before his Florida primary flameout, Senator Marco Rubio's campaign announced it was ceding Ohio to Mr Kasich, perhaps", "summary": "For the past few weeks Donald Trump has been railing against what he calls a \"rigged\" and \"crooked\" Republican nomination process and silent efforts to deny him the party's presidential bid."}
{"article": "The Hoyer Group's diesel carrier came to a halt on the northbound hard shoulder at junction 16 for Stoke-on-Trent at about midday but the rear later burst into flames. The motorway has reopened with one northbound lane closure and there are delays, said North West Motorway Police. The driver of the tanker was unharmed. A Hoyer Group spokesman said: \"A detailed investigation will be undertaken to establish the cause of the incident and any learnings.\"", "summary": "A fuel tanker broke down and then caught fire forcing the closure of a stretch of the M6 in Staffordshire."}
{"article": "The killing of General Athanase Kararuza and his wife were \"shameful acts,\" he said. Their daughter was also wounded in the attack outside her school in the capital, Bujumbura. More than 400 people have been killed in unrest since Mr Nkurunziza announced a year ago his bid for a third term. He won elections in July, after surviving a coup attempt and mass protests to demand that he steps down. General Kararuza was the latest in a string of high-ranking army officials who have been targeted by unidentified gunmen. \"He energetically fought against the coup plotters last year and exceptionally contributed in strengthening peace and security during and after elections,\" Mr Nkurunziza said in a statement. General Kararuza's bodyguard was also killed in the shooting. Security forces have also been accused of killing opponents and dumping them in mass graves by rights group Amnesty International. Shortly after the attack in Bujumbura, the International Criminal Court announced that it was starting a preliminary investigation into the violence in Burundi. This will decide whether a full-blown investigation will take place, which could result in charges against those accused of being behind the violence. BBC Great Lakes reporter Robert Misigaro says the killing is a blow for President Nkurunziza because it shows that he cannot guarantee the safety of his officers. On Sunday, the Minister for Human Rights Martin Nivyabandi survived a grenade attack as he was coming out of church. Although both opposition and government forces are ethnically mixed, some fear that the violence could descend into a repeat of the genocidal killings which the country has previously experienced. Mr Nkurunziza is the former leader of a Hutu rebel group which battled a Tutsi-dominated army for many years until he came to power in 2005 as part of a peace deal. The African Union had said it would send a 5,000-strong peacekeeping force to the country even if the government did not accept it but it has since back-tracked.", "summary": "Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza has given the security forces a one-week deadline to find the killers of a senior general shot dead on Monday."}
{"article": "The incident happened just before 19:00 BST at Bill's restaurant on Stuart Street and a lamppost was also knocked down. It is understood one of the casualties was a pedestrian. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said no-one was trapped in the incident.", "summary": "Two people have been taken to hospital after a car crashed into a restaurant in Cardiff Bay."}
{"article": "The on-loan Bristol City striker fired home after a one-two with Bobby Grant. Fleetwood goalkeeper Chris Maxwell saved Michael Bostwick's penalty after Shaquile Coulthirst was fouled by Eggert Jonsson, whose second-half header sealed victory. Victory lifted Fleetwood into 19th, one point above the relegation zone.", "summary": "Wes Burns scored his fifth goal in eight games as Fleetwood Town beat Peterborough to move closer to League One safety."}
{"article": "The environmental group obtained 248 pages of classified documents from the TTIP trade talks, aimed at clinching a far-reaching EU-US free trade deal. Secrecy surrounding the talks has fuelled fears that US corporations may erode Europe's consumer protections. But the EU's top trade official denied any agenda to lower EU standards. \"I am simply not in the business of lowering standards,\" said EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem in her blog, after the Greenpeace leak was published. TTIP's supporters say a deal would create many new business opportunities. TTIP stands for Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. It would harmonise regulations across a huge range of business sectors, providing a boost to exporters on both sides of the Atlantic. The 13th TTIP negotiating round took place last week and the European Commission says it hopes to achieve a deal later this year. That could avoid any political risk posed by the US presidential election in November. The EU's chief negotiator, Ignacio Garcia Bercero, said some of Greenpeace's points were \"flatly wrong\", and stressed that the leaked text \"is not a reflection of the outcome of the negotiation\". Mr Bercero said \"it is not correct to say the US is pushing for lowering of the level of protection in the EU\". Greenpeace Netherlands says it obtained classified documents covering two-thirds of the areas discussed. \"These leaked documents confirm what we have been saying for a long time: TTIP would put corporations at the centre of policy-making, to the detriment of environment and public health,\" said Greenpeace EU director Jorgo Riss. \"We have known that the EU position was bad, now we see the US position is even worse.\" Greenpeace says the texts reveal that the US wants to replace the EU's \"precautionary principle\" for potentially harmful products with the less strict US approach, which aims to manage risks rather than avoid them altogether. The precautionary principle can force a manufacturer to prove the absence of danger from a product. It applies, for example, to genetically modified organisms (GMOs), whose possible risks to the ecosystem and the food chain are hotly debated. The US permits cultivation of more than 170 GM plants, whereas only one type - a maize variety - is approved for commercial cultivation in the EU. Mr Bercero denied any intention to weaken the precautionary principle. Greenpeace says the TTIP texts do not refer to the global commitment to cut CO2 emissions, as agreed at the Paris Summit on global warming. Yet the European Commission had pledged to make environmental sustainability part of any TTIP deal. There is also widespread concern in the EU about the role of commercial arbitration courts, independent of national courts, where firms can sue governments. It is one of the thorniest issues in the TTIP talks. There are fears that big US corporations could put excessive legal pressure on some EU states. The threat of being sued could have a \"chilling\" effect on legislators, forcing them to water down welfare protections, critics argue. The Commission and many politicians argue that TTIP would bring major benefits for the US", "summary": "EU standards on the environment and public health risk being undermined by compromises with the US, Greenpeace has warned, citing leaked documents."}
{"article": "The number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits now stands at 43,500. It reverses June's increase in the number of jobless - which had been the first jump in 28 months. However, Northern Ireland's unemployment rate of 6.5%, remains above the UK average. The figures also show that long-term unemployment continues to be a problem in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland's rate of 59% is well above the UK average of 31%, while youth unemployment is also higher. Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell welcomed the fall in unemployment claimants, but said the levels are back to where they were a year ago. \"The latest figures reiterate the continued challenges faced by the Northern Ireland labour market and the impact of continued uncertainty in global markets,\" he said. \"The Northern Ireland unemployment rate [6.5%] is above that for the UK [5.6%], however, it continues to compare favourably to the April 2015 rates for the European Union [9.6%] and the Republic of Ireland [9.8%]. \"In the face of these challenges it is important local businesses continue to seek new foreign investment and export opportunities.\"", "summary": "Unemployment in Northern Ireland fell by 400 in July, according to the latest government figures."}
{"article": "The Tories have promised \u00a34bn extra but this equates to a \u00a31bn rise in real terms, the independent think tank says. When growing pupil numbers are taken into account, investment per pupil will fall 2.8% by 2022, the IFS says. Labour has pledged to increase spending per pupil by 6% over the course of the next Parliament. The IFS says this would require an increase of around \u00a34.8bn in real terms or 2017-18 prices. The Liberal Democrats' plans protect per pupil spending over the course of the Parliament in real terms at the present level (for 2017-18). This would require \u00a32.2bn extra investment. Presently, the schools budget is \u00a340bn a year. Luke Sibieta, associate director at the IFS, said: \"\"The commitments made by each of the main parties would imply quite different paths for school spending in the next Parliament. \"Labour would increase spending per pupil by around 6% after inflation over the course of the Parliament, taking it to just above its previous historic high in 2015. \"Proposals from the Conservatives would lead to a near 3% real terms fall in spending per pupil over the Parliament, taking it back to its 2010 level.\" The analysis of the headline figures comes as parents are preparing to hold events in different areas of England to highlight the cash crisis facing schools. The IFS has previously said schools are currently facing the first real terms cut for 20 years. Head teachers have been complaining of the tough decisions they have had to make about staffing and resources.", "summary": "A new Conservative government would leave schools in England worse off financially than they currently are, the Institute for Fiscal Studies says."}
{"article": "In China, Google's DeepMind artificial intelligence program took on and beat the world champion of the complex game of Go, reducing him to tears. Nineteen-year-old Ke Jie described the AI computer as \"perfect, flawless, without any emotions\". But in airports in the UK and elsewhere last weekend tears were also being shed over computers. In this case, though, the primary emotions were frustration and rage over the chaos caused when British Airways' IT system collapsed, leaving thousands of passengers going nowhere and their baggage stuck they knew not where. What is striking about both these cases is how difficult human beings found it to explain exactly what was happening inside the brains of the computers. DeepMind's AlphaGo is largely self-taught - it was shown the basic rules of Go and then it spent time looking at millions of games and playing against itself, coming up with moves that astounded professional players and its creators. BA's computers were not so smart. The company says its problems began when there was a power surge at a data centre at Heathrow Airport in London. That shouldn't have been more than a temporary hitch - in fact one expert told me it should not have even set the lights blinking at the data centre - but it seems to have triggered a chain reaction which took out the entire system. That meant the sea of complex data about passengers, baggage and aircraft movements was effectively frozen - and it took 48 hours to unfreeze it and get the airline working again. Any major organisation is likely to have both a backup system to switch to when things go wrong and a disaster recovery plan, which should be rehearsed on a regular basis. But in British Airways' case neither appears to have worked as it should. The trade unions blame cost-cutting and the fact that BA outsourced much of its IT operation to India last year. The bosses deny that and say they are now clear what went wrong - but so far, have been unable to give an explanation that seems satisfactory to people with expertise in how data centres and major IT operations work. But what is clear is that ever more areas of our lives are dependent on vast computer systems, often now hosted in data centres owned by companies like Amazon and Microsoft. These systems have become essential to industries from banking to travel to healthcare and they are helping them become more efficient - sometimes by getting much of the work done in countries like India where costs are lower. They are also making life better in all sorts of ways - just think of how time-consuming it used to be to book a flight or apply for a place at university and how much paper was involved. But now we are beginning to find out just how helpless we feel when, for whatever reason, the computers fail. In Britain, doctors whose computers froze during the recent ransomware attack had to turn patients away. In Ukraine, there were power cuts when hackers", "summary": "In the last week, we have seen the best and worst of computer technology."}
{"article": "She also understands why athletes get into trouble because \"sometimes your mind isn't 100% as all you're thinking about is training\". According to the Daily Mail, Mo Farah missed two tests before winning double Olympic gold for Britain in 2012. The Mail says the second one came at Farah's home in February 2011, when he claimed not to have heard the doorbell. Nine UK athletes missed two tests in the same year as Farah did. Yet UK Anti-Doping chief executive Nicole Sapstead told BBC Sport that it is \"not common\" for an athlete to miss a test. Farah's gold medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m at London 2012 were among the defining moments of the Games. At the time, UK Anti-Doping rules stated that an athlete who missed three tests in any 18-month period could face a ban of up to two years. That meant Farah could have been ruled out of his home Olympics with one more breach of the regulations. The rules have since been amended and athletes who now miss three tests in a 12-month period can be banned for four years. Sotherton said top-level athletes are tested up to 20 times a year and have to know three months in advance where they are going to be. \"You are never free of drug testing,\" said the 38-year-old, who won Olympic bronze at the 2004 Games in Athens. \"I've been tested nine times in six weeks before - at my house, at the track, at my partner's house. \"But a missed test doesn't mean you are doping. It may mean you have been a little bit careless. That doesn't make you a drugs cheat. \"I was very organised and I made a slip of a number by one day. That's how a missed test can happen.\" Sotherton's sentiments were echoed by Jenny Meadows. \"It is very difficult to work out where you are going to be three months in advance,\" said the former European indoor 800m champion. \"You do have to remember, of course, where you said you would be and make sure you are at that place. Even this week I was out of the house before my testing slot should have started.\" While European and Commonwealth 800m silver medallist Lynsey Sharp spent one hour every day for two weeks sat in a Boston cafe while on holiday because the doorbell did not work in her rented apartment. \"There is not a lot of room for mistakes,\" said Sharp. \"I do think we have great system but it can make it difficult for athletes.\" Michael Rimmer, who won an 800m silver medal at the 2010 European Championships, said he had missed tests in the past and has suggested athletes are tagged so the testers know where they are at all times. But Michele Verroken, a sports ethics and anti-doping adviser, said there had to be \"an element of surprise\" to testing. \"There is no obligation on the testing agency to test you in just that hour because athletes would manipulate the system and provide you with a clean", "summary": "Former Olympic heptathlete Kelly Sotherton says one missed drugs test \"doesn't mean you are doping\"."}
{"article": "Seaman William Williams was awarded the medal for his part in sinking a German U-boat during World War One on 7 June 1917. The new stone will be unveiled in Amlwch during a ceremony marking the centenary on Thursday. His family and local officials will be among those attending the service at Amlwch Port's park at 11:00 BST. Seaman Williams was on board the Q-ship HMS Pargust. Q-ships were disguised as merchant navy ships which would lure German U-boats in and then counter attack with their hidden weapons. HMS Pargust was torpedoed and Seaman Williams held the ship's heavy gun port in place for about 30 minutes until the U-boat surfaced and they could open fire. It was the first ship to receive the Victoria Cross (VC) from King George V and Seaman Williams was unanimously chosen by his crewmates to receive the medal. After his service in World War One, he returned home to Amlwch and later settled in Holyhead. He died in October 1965. Anglesey council chairman Richard Jones, who will unveil the memorial stone, said he \"gallantly served his country\". \"We're proud to say he was from Amlwch and pleased to honour him with a new centenary commemoration stone,\" Mr Jones added. The ceremony forms part of a centenary commemoration scheme honouring 628 recipients of the VC during World War One.", "summary": "The only man from an Anglesey town to be awarded the Victoria Cross is being honoured with a commemorative stone."}
{"article": "Sharron Singer, 47, suffered \"significant\" injuries to her arms and legs after she was bitten on Tuesday morning in Wrangle, near Boston. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said her life had been \"in danger\" and urged owners to be responsible. Lincolnshire Police said the dog had been seized and put in a kennel. More on this and other stories across Lincolnshire Mrs Singer, who remains in hospital, needed four hours of reconstruction surgery and skin grafts to repair muscles, tendons, nerves and ligament damage to her arm, the CWU said. The CWU said: \"Sharron's life was in danger when this attack took place and we are just relieved that she survived. Her life however will never be quite the same. \"I only hope the physical and psychological damage sustained in this attack can be repaired, but it won't be 100%.\" A union spokesperson said the dog was \"of a powerful, athletic breed\". Lincolnshire Police is investigating but said no arrests have been made. It could not confirm the breed of dog that was seized. Royal Mail said the safety and welfare of its staff was \"paramount\" and confirmed deliveries to the house had been suspended. Morag Turnbull, spokesperson for Royal Mail, said: \"Our thoughts are with her and her family at this distressing time. Both Royal Mail and the union appealed for \"all dog owners to be more responsible and to control and restrain\" their pets during deliveries.", "summary": "The Royal Mail and a union representing postal workers have urged dog owners to \"control and restrain\" their pets after a postwoman was attacked."}
{"article": "The Scotland full-back, 30, joined the Warriors in 2009 from London Welsh and has since played more than 100 games. \"I've witnessed huge growth at the club and we're now selling out Scotstoun for the majority of our home games and it's a great place to play rugby,\" he said. Meanwhile, 24-year-old full-back Glenn Bryce, who has made 13 appearances, will join Edinburgh in the summer. He joins team-mate Duncan Weir in switching to the Warriors' Scottish rivals. Bryce told the Warriors website: \"It was a really hard decision to leave Glasgow but I'm hoping to kick on at Edinburgh and play as regularly as possible next season. \"Getting involved during the Rugby World Cup period for Glasgow was a high for me. I've loved my time at the club.\" Murchie captained Warriors to a 12-6 win over Leinster on Friday as the defending champions continued their push for a Pro12 play-off place. He joins Jonny Gray, Finn Russell, Pat MacArthur, Fraser Brown, Alex Allan, Sila Puafisi, Ali Price, Ryan Wilson, Rob Harley and Chris Fusaro in committing his future to Gregor Townsend's team. \"Peter has made a huge contribution to the club over the last seven years, so it's great news that he's staying with us,\" said the head coach. \"He sets the standard for the squad in how to conduct yourself as a professional and works very hard to improve as a rugby player.\"", "summary": "Peter Murchie has signed a new one-year contract with Glasgow Warriors, keeping him at Scotstoun until May 2017."}
{"article": "The government plans to raise fees above \u00a39,000 for universities in England with \"high quality\" teaching. But Exeter has announced that the increase will also be applied to current as well as new students. The Liberal Democrats say they will table an amendment in Parliament to \"stop this outrageous practice\". Exeter students have used social media to express their irritation at the increase. Tim Quine, Exeter's deputy vice-chancellor, said: \"The decision to charge \u00a39,250 has not been taken lightly, but follows four years in which tuition fees have been frozen, while the costs of delivering a world leading education have continued to rise.\" But Labour's education spokesman Gordon Marsden said Exeter's raising fees, before the increase had been approved by Parliament, was a \"concerning and disturbing development\". Mr Marsden said students signed up for degree courses on the assumption that fees would not change - and that universities which introduced such increases would face \"criticism for changing the goalposts in an unethical manner\". John Pugh, Liberal Democrat education spokesman, said the increase for current students was \"completely unacceptable\". On the last day before the parliamentary summer break, the government published details of plans to allow universities to increase fees to \u00a39,250 from 2017-18, scrapping the maximum upper limit introduced during the controversial trebling of tuition fees in 2012. The plan would allow universities assessed as having \"high teaching standards\" to increase fees in line with inflation, calculated as 2.8% for next year. Universities had begun to advertise these higher fees for students about to apply this autumn, for next year's courses. But Exeter is also applying the increase to students already at the university. The measure is permitted under the government's proposals, but many other universities have so far not made a decision on whether to charge higher fees for students who entered when the legal maximum was set at \u00a39,000 per year. The University of Nottingham has promised current students, and those about to start this autumn, that there will be no increase above \u00a39,000 for the duration of their courses. Exeter's website says that the increase for new and current students is \"subject to approval from the government that we meet the criteria in the Teaching Excellence Framework\". The Teaching Excellence Framework is the system being created to measure the quality of teaching in universities. For the first year, no universities have failed to reach the necessary quality threshold. There was controversy over whether the university fee increase had been properly debated in Parliament. Opposition MPs were angry that the higher fees were being announced before the Higher Education Research Bill, currently before Parliament, had been approved. The government said the cap on fees could be lifted legitimately, via a statutory instrument, and that a vote would still be required if there was a challenge from MPs. Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have warned the government that they intend to block the planned increases and there were warnings that ministers had tried to \"sneak out\" the fee changes. Universities had been accused by MPs of \"disgraceful arrogance\" in advertising", "summary": "Exeter University has told its current students that their tuition fees are going to be increased to \u00a39,250 from autumn 2017."}
{"article": "Firstly, there's an Anniversary Update on the way. With that, some enhancements to Cortana and the web browser, Edge - as well as an attempt to reinvent the stylus. Secondly, there's only one month left before the Windows 10 free upgrade offer ends. After that date, it will cost $119 (\u00c2\u00a389). In a phone call with the BBC, head of Windows Yusuf Mehdi said more than 350 million devices were now being powered by Windows 10. It has undoubtedly been a strong first year. Aside from the backlash from some users who felt Windows 10 was being forced upon them, the operating system is generally regarded as a welcome return to form for the company that still powers the vast majority of the world's desktop and laptop computers. \"Customer satisfaction is at an all time high,\" Mr Mehdi told me. \"We've had over 135 billion hours of usage since the launch.\" He'll be hoping to convince many more users to take advantage of the free update before the deadline hits. The lofty goal, set out by Microsoft 12 months ago, is to achieve more than a billion devices running Windows 10 within the next two years. When Windows 10 was launched, the big news was that it would be made available as a free upgrade for Windows 7 or 8 users, on any device with hardware capable of running it. At a time when Microsoft was well and truly left behind by the smartphone boom, the Windows 10 strategy, put into action by the then-new chief executive Satya Nadella, was certainly a bold move. A year on, we're starting to be able to look at whether Mr Nadella made the right call. \"Despite progress towards the one billion goal, Microsoft faces the reality that consumer engagement is far greater on mobile than PC or tablet and this continues to be a significant disadvantage,\" said Geoff Blaber from CCS Insight. Mr Blaber suggests Microsoft is already well down a path that has it placed as a company now almost entirely focused on businesses rather than general consumers. \"Over 300 million devices is solid progress for Windows 10 and Microsoft has successfully turned the tide of public opinion in the wake of Windows 8,\" he said. \"Nonetheless, Microsoft's future is moving towards a far greater focus on enterprise than consumer. \"Microsoft is successfully transforming Windows into a service and creating the platform for a future that's likely to be more about enterprise services, cloud and artificial intelligence than consumer computing.\" When I interviewed Mr Nadella last year, I put it to him that people had historically only used Windows begrudgingly. It was the operating system at school, at work, and on the only computer you could afford. It was the only comment that had the usually ice-cool Mr Nadella a little riled. With Windows 10, he insisted, people would come to not just need Windows, but want it. Perhaps even love it. The usage statistics show Microsoft has done well in getting people on Windows 10. But to what end? The company is still", "summary": "It's almost a year since Microsoft launched Windows 10 - which means two things."}
{"article": "The FTSE 100 index closed 2.27% higher, while the FTSE 250 closed up 1.68%. The pound fell 1.2% against the dollar to $1.3264 after Mr Carney said a deteriorating outlook meant action from the Bank was likely during the summer. Shares in the US rose, with both the Dow Jones and S&P 500 index up by 0.6% in morning trading. The past few days have seen huge swings on the world's financial markets as traders and investors struggled to assess the impact of the UK's vote to leave the European Union. After two days of heavy falls following the vote, shares spent two days recovering, and on Wednesday, the FTSE 100 ended above the level it had closed at last Thursday. However, the FTSE 250 index - which contains more UK-focused companies - still remains well below its pre-referendum level. \"The blue chip [FTSE 100] index is stuffed full with big international firms and it is these companies propelling the rise. The heavy weighting towards these groups is very misleading,\" said Joe Rundle, head of trading at ETX Capital. \"The likes of Fresnillo, Randgold, AstraZeneca, Royal Dutch Shell, British American Tobacco - these are hardly dependent on, or reflective of, the UK economy. They're listed in London but their earnings come from abroad. \"There is a key distinction. UK-focused firms are doing much, much worse. Easyjet, Lloyds, Barclays, RBS, Barratt, Taylor Wimpey - they've all recorded 20% losses since the Brexit vote.\" Shares in RBS were one of the biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 on Thursday, dropping 4.8%. The pound is well below the $1.50 rate it touched last Thursday before the outcome of the referendum became clear. As well as falling against the dollar after Mr Carney's speech, it also tumbled 1.1% against the euro at \u00e2\u201a\u00ac1.1962. Analysts continued to warn that the recent market recovery might only be temporary. \"The odds may be against them, but investors are hoping that the worst is over for currencies and equities,\" Kathy Lien, managing director of foreign exchange strategy at BK Asset Management, said in a note. \"But considering there's been no additional clarity on the terms of Brexit or the outlook for the UK economy and global economy since Britain's decision to leave the European Union on Friday, we don't see fundamental support for the recent moves.\" Analysts at Swiss bank UBS have cut their end of year forecast for the FTSE 100 to 5,500 from 6,500. \"We see a significant amount of uncertainty around the UK over the next few months. We do not know who the prime minister will be, or when, or if, Article 50 is invoked and there are even possibilities of a general election given the current fluidity of UK politics,\" UBS said. The price of gold was little changed at $1,318.10 an ounce on Thursday. The precious metal is viewed as a safe investment in times of uncertainty and gold price hit a near two-year high of $1,358.20 on Friday in the wake of the referendum.", "summary": "UK shares have risen and the pound has fallen after Bank of England governor Mark Carney hinted at fresh stimulus measures after the Brexit vote."}
{"article": "Michael Gove and Boris Johnson said the pledge was \"corrosive of public trust\" while Britain remained in the EU. But Number 10 said their claim was an \"attempt to distract\" from the fact that an EU exit would be \"disastrous\". It comes amid growing Tory turmoil over the EU, with some MPs threatening a post-referendum leadership challenge. Meanwhile, a survey of economists has suggested that nine in 10 of those who responded believe leaving the EU would be damaging. There are less than four weeks to go until the UK decides whether to stay in or leave the European Union on 23 June. John Pienaar: Tory division escalates EU referendum: All you need to know Issues guide: Explore the arguments Immigration is one of the key battlegrounds in the referendum debate - and it is the focus of an open letter to Mr Cameron, published in the Sunday Times, by Mr Gove and Mr Johnson, who say the government's pledge to get migration below 100,000 was unachievable. Net migration - the difference between the number of people coming to the UK for at least a year and those leaving - rose to 333,000 in 2015, according to Office for National Statistics estimates. The figure for EU-only net migration was 184,000, equalling its record high, and 188,000 for non-EU. This issue covers immigration and free movement within Europe. Mr Johnson and Mr Gove said: \"Voters were promised repeatedly at elections that net migration could be cut to tens of thousands. \"This promise is plainly not achievable as long as the UK is a member of the EU and the failure to keep it is corrosive of public trust in politics.\" They also said they were \"particularly concerned about the impact of free movement in the future on public services\". \"Class sizes will raise and waiting lists will lengthen if we don't tackle free movement,\" they wrote. In response to the letter, Number 10 said: \"This is a transparent attempt to distract from the fact that the overwhelming majority of economists and businesses believe leaving the single market would be disastrous for jobs, prices and opportunities for people.\" By John Pienaar, deputy political editor The Brexiteers point is that EU open borders make immigration control impossible. Its effect, though, is to accelerate a descent into internecine warfare which now threatens to make the Conservatives ungovernable if the referendum ends in anything but a decisive victory for the Remain campaign. So bitter has the conflict become, so taut the tension between the rival factions, that angry Eurosceptic Tories talk privately of challenging the prime minister's position even if Britain votes to stay inside the European Union. Read more from John Pienaar The row over the migration target comes as the Conservative in-fighting over the EU referendum intensifies. David Cameron and most of his cabinet are campaigning for a vote to stay in the EU, but about half of his MPs support an exit. Conservative Leave campaigner Andrew Bridgen told 5 live's Pienaar's Politics that as many as 50 Tory MPs were ready to back a", "summary": "David Cameron must accept the failure of the government's manifesto pledge to reduce migration into the UK, two leading Vote Leave MPs have said."}
{"article": "What is a customs union and why does it matter? A customs union is a form of trade agreement between two or more countries. It means they decide not to impose tariffs (taxes on imports) on each other's goods and agree to impose common external tariffs on goods from countries outside their customs union. Setting common external tariffs is what distinguishes a customs union from a free trade area. A free trade area allows member states to trade feely with each other while still being able to set their own tariffs on goods from the rest of the world. The purpose of a customs union, like that of other trade agreements, is to make it easier for member states to trade. Customs unions reduce administrative and financial trade barriers (such as customs checks and charges) and enhance economic cooperation. However, they also limit the freedom of their individual members to strike their own trade deals. The European Union is the biggest customs union in the world if you work it out by adding up the economic output of all its members. Article 28 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union states that all trade in goods between EU countries must be free of customs duties and that member states must apply a common customs tariff for goods imported from outside the EU. That means that all goods that have been imported into an EU country can then be moved freely within the EU without further customs checks. The EU customs union includes the 28 EU member states as well as Monaco. The EU also has customs union agreements - which vary in scope, such as type of goods covered - with Turkey, Andorra and San Marino. So, you do not have to be a member of the EU's single market to be in a customs union with the EU. Norway, on the other hand, is part of the European Economic Area (EEA), which gives it access to the single market, but is not in the EU's customs union. In practice, this means that while most goods that originate in Norway can still be traded tariff-free to the rest of the European single market, products coming through Norway into the single market are subject to further checks. There are some customs checks on the border between Norway and Sweden even though they are both part of the single market, to check for products originating outside Norway. A good example of this was the attempts to smuggle garlic into Sweden. The customs union can be seen as one tool to help achieve one of the four freedoms of the EU, namely free trade in goods between member states. The remaining three freedoms - free movement of services, capital and people - help tackle non-tariff barriers, which is vital in boosting trade, particularly in services. Trade in services is arguably more important to the UK than trade in goods, as services make up almost 80% of the UK economy. A customs union would have limited impact on trade in services. The government", "summary": "The Financial Times is reporting that Trade Secretary Liam Fox is putting pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May to pull out of the EU customs union as part of an eventual deal to leave the European Union."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Competitive video gaming generated \u00a3400m in revenue in 2016, has a global audience of about 320 million, and will be included in the 2022 Asian Games. \"We have to look at it because we can't say, 'it's not about Olympics,'\" Paris 2024 co-president Tony Estanguet said. \"The youth are interested, so let's meet them,\" he told the AP news agency. \"I think it's interesting to interact with the IOC and the esports family to better understand what the process is and why it is such a success. \"There is some time to look at it, to interact, to engage. I don't want to say 'no' from the beginning.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Paris' hosting of the 2024 Games - and Los Angeles' in 2028 - is set to be officially ratified at an IOC congress in Lima, Peru in September. The 2024 programme will start to be shaped in 2019, and a decision on what sports are to be added in Paris will be taken after the 2020 Games in Tokyo. \"We will spend some time after Lima to engage with new people and stakeholders,\" Estanguet said. \"The IOC will have the last say if they want esports on the programme. Let's discuss among ourselves.\"", "summary": "Esports could be added to the Olympic Games programme in 2024, with the Paris bid team keen to discuss the issue with the International Olympic Committee."}
{"article": "The Southern Front, an alliance of rebel groups, announced that the base, known as Brigade 52, was \"liberated\" in an attack on Tuesday morning. The base, outside the town of Harak, is one of the largest in Deraa province. Officials have not commented, but if confirmed its fall would be the latest in a string of defeats suffered by the government in the past three months. At the start of April, the Southern Front captured the Nasib border crossing with Jordan, days after another rebel alliance seized the capital of the north-western province of Idlib. The jihadist group Islamic State meanwhile took the strategically important central town of Tadmur and the neighbouring ancient ruins of Palmyra last month. A spokesman for the Southern Front, Maj Essam al-Rayes, told the AFP news agency that at least 2,000 rebel fighters had overrun Brigade 52 in a \"short and quick\" assault launched at dawn on Tuesday. \"This base was one of the main lines of defence for the regime forces. It was a nightmare, because they used it to shell all the areas to the east of the province,\" he said. The base also lies near a main road running from the capital, Damascus, to the Jordanian border. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said the battle had killed 20 troops and pro-government militiamen, as well as 14 rebels. Government forces had now withdrawn to the nearby village of al-Dara, it added. Ahmed al-Masalmeh, an opposition activist in Deraa, told the Associated Press that the rebels had also captured the nearby village of Mleiha al-Sharqiya on Tuesday. There were no reports about the status of Brigade 52 on state media. However, the Sana news agency earlier said air strikes in the area had killed at least 40 members of al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, al-Nusra Front. Rebel positions in Mleiha al-Sharqiya, Karak and Harak were targeted, and attacks elsewhere in Deraa province were repelled, a military source was quoted as saying.", "summary": "Rebels in Syria say they have captured a major army base in the south of the country."}
{"article": "The airport said its \u00a316bn plan for expansion included addressing flooding from Thames tributaries that burst their banks early in 2014. The Environment Agency, which has plans to meet Heathrow bosses in the next week, said it was \"very encouraged\". \"I believe this scheme will happen,\" said spokesman David Murphy. In February last year, flooding affected homes and businesses along the river in Berkshire, Surrey and the London boroughs of Kingston and Richmond. The River Thames defence scheme involves reducing the flood risk between Datchet and Teddington by building a flood channel and improving three weirs. The government announced in its autumn statement it would contribute \u00a3220m towards the scheme, with businesses and utility companies being asked to chip in. Leader of Surrey County Council David Hodge has said Heathrow would be one of those asked to contribute. Heathrow said its expansion plan included a \"once-in-a-generation\" opportunity to address issues like flooding from nearby rivers, particularly the Colne and Wraysbury. \"We will work and support the Environment Agency and local authorities in developing better flood alleviation schemes to protect homes and property located away from the airport.\" The Airports Commission is currently considering three options for expanding airport provision in south-east England. It is due to make its final recommendation to the government in the summer. Mr Murphy, Environment Agency executive for the River Thames scheme, said: \"One of the key factors of expansion at Heathrow will be to manage water associated with that development. \"This whole area has many rivers many lakes and therefore water management is incredibly important because of the potential for flooding which we saw last year.\"", "summary": "Heathrow airport could be among businesses contributing to a \u00a3300m River Thames defence scheme if it gets the go-ahead to expand."}
{"article": "The Argentina midfielder was sent off in the 84th minute after he reacted angrily to a James McClean challenge. Watford said his punishment was excessive and that he had been wrongly dismissed, but the latter was rejected by the Football Association. Pereyra will now only miss Saturday's game against Everton.", "summary": "Watford's Roberto Pereyra has had his suspension reduced from three matches to one following his sending off in Saturday's 3-1 defeat by West Brom."}
{"article": "Organisers have announced that the event's poultry competition has been called-off after a vet discovered a case of infectious bronchitis. A spokeswoman for the show said \"birds under suspicion\" had been removed but it was with \"great regret\" it has had to cancel the poultry competition. Roger Thomas, who had birds that he was showing, said it was \"disappointing\". The show, the largest agricultural event in the West country, started on Wednesday and runs until Saturday in Shepton Mallet, Somerset. Alan Lyons, head of shows, admitted it was disappointing but said there had been a \"great day judging on the Wednesday\" with \"record entries\". \"It is very disappointing for the show and all the competitors in the poultry show but we take our bio-security measures very seriously,\" he said. Infectious bronchitis, according to the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, is an \"acute, highly contagious\" viral respiratory disease with \"high morbidity\".", "summary": "Up to 1,200 birds have been removed from the Royal Bath and West Show due to a suspected outbreak of disease."}
{"article": "Two lionesses escaped not long after midnight and were spotted on main roads in the city by morning. Nairobi residents have been urged to stay away and report any further sightings to a free telephone line. \"Lions are dangerous wild animals. Don't confront them when you encounter them,\" KWS's Paul Udoto tweeted. The KWS spokesman told the BBC that reports in the Kenyan media that six lions were on the loose were exaggerated. The BBC's Abdinoor Aden in Nairobi says the park is separated by a main road from densely populated neighbourhoods in the south of the city. Mr Udoto said he was concerned that people would try and tackle the lions themselves, as has happened in the past. In 2012, four cubs had to be placed in an orphanage after a similar incident led to the killing of their mother. One of the lionesses currently on the loose has left her cubs in the park, Mr Udoto said. Answering a question on Twitter from a worried mother, Mr Udoto advised her to keep her children inside until the lions had been safely returned to the park, adding such incidents were the \"perils of born town lions\". It is estimated about about 30 lions live in the park.", "summary": "The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is hunting for at least two lions which have escaped from Nairobi National Park bordering the capital, Nairobi."}
{"article": "Urrvashi Singh claimed midwives from Trafford General Hospital did not carry out thorough checks, which led to son Dilraj developing further illness. Hospital bosses settled proceedings but have not admitted liability. The court heard the trust was working with the family's legal team on the payout to cover Dilraj's care costs. Seven-year-old Dilraj developed a jaundice-related brain disease called Kernicterus and has been left blind, unable to speak and with cerebral palsy. Ms Singh said that during two home visits she told midwives \"something wasn't right\" but they did not check her son for jaundice. When Dilraj lost weight and returned to hospital he was diagnosed and Ms Singh was told he had an hour to live. Eddie Jones, a specialist brain injury lawyer at JMW Solicitors, said: \"The real pity of this case is that the brain damage sustained by Dilraj was entirely preventable if he had been given the right treatment at the right time. \"Jaundice is a common condition in newborns and, whilst in rare cases the consequences can be serious, it is treatable. Sadly, the mistakes made have had a catastrophic impact on Dilraj's life and the lives of the rest of his family.\" This case is one of a number of similar claims across the country, he added. Ms Singh, 37 and from Stretford, said she had to give up her job as a nursery nurse to care for her son and has called for a national screening programme to identify cases. She said: \"More needs to be done to ensure that midwives are alert to the signs that babies such as Dilraj are in danger of contracting Kernicterus. \"There were opportunities missed to help my son. If only the link between jaundice and the risk of brain damage had been made early enough, something could have been done.\" In 2006, the government's former Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson, called for a national Kernicterus register and routine screening to prevent the condition occurring. A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said there is currently no such register as it is a very rare condition. \"We screen for rhesus disease which is the main cause of severe neonatal jaundice which can lead to Kernicterus. This is led by midwives,\" she said. \"All midwives should be fully aware of the signs of neonatal jaundice and what to do about it.\" A spokesman for Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: \"Following detailed investigations into the circumstances surrounding Dilraj's treatment, a compromise was reached in respect of liability. \"We are satisfied that a settlement has been reached and we wish Dilraj and his family well for the future.\"", "summary": "A mother whose son was left brain damaged after midwives allegedly failed to act on signs of jaundice has won compensation at the High Court."}
{"article": "There's a mask. The conversation can lack substance or value. Dean Windass, the former Aberdeen, Bradford and Hull striker, is different. There are topical reasons to seek out the 47-year-old. His son, Josh, recently signed for Rangers. Dean was, and remains, something of a cult hero at Pittodrie, where he played 20 years ago. He's also a character; sure to have tales aplenty of japery, dressing room banter and on-pitch battles to delight. He does, but there's a lot more to his story. Media playback is not supported on this device Windass has battled severe depression for much of his life, mostly under the radar. It started when he was 12, with his parents divorcing. He couldn't cope. With Aberdeen, only manager, Roy Aitken, and fitness trainer Stuart Hogg, in whom Windass confided, had any idea. \"Nobody knew,\" Windass told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound programme. \"I didn't tell anybody. Going into the changing-rooms, I should've been an actor really. That's how it escalated. \"When I'd go out and have a drink, I'd cry all the time. I remember seeing a councillor when I played for Aberdeen. Stuart Hogg took me because I'd never expressed my feelings to anybody. \"When I was on the pitch, everything was all right. \"I never spoke about it. I was always the Jack the Lad in changing-rooms, but then when I was coming home, I was crying. I didn't know how to express my feelings.\" There's a large photograph on his kitchen wall looking over his shoulder as he stands on a city balcony, admittedly drunk, lapping up the adoration of Hull supporters. His goal in 2008, at the age of 39 in front of 86,000 fans, sent the Tigers into England's top flight via the play-off final at Wembley. A local hero, he was living the dream, or at least you'd expect that to be the case. The years that followed were tinged with depression, alcohol and attempts to take his own life after divorcing from his wife and losing his father suddenly. \"I was trying to block everything out and was drinking quite heavily then,\" he said. \"I tried to commit suicide with tablets and tried to hang myself. I'm not proud of that today as I've got two great kids. \"I asked for help and ended up in Tony Adams' Sporting Chance clinic for 26 days. \"It was scary, I was scared stiff. Every time I spoke to a counsellor, I cried, every day. \"It got better and better the more I spoke about it. I got through it. It's the best 26 days of my life, because it saved my life.\" The move to Aberdeen over a decade earlier came about with Hull, during his first spell at the club, facing closure over an Inland Revenue bill. Windass was the main asset and had to go or the gates to the stadium would shut. Martin O'Neill resigned as manager of Norwich City after he was denied the funds to sign Windass. Roy Aitken secured him shortly after. \"The deal was done by Friday", "summary": "Sometimes as a journalist, you encounter a current or former footballer and depart with a feeling of disappointment; a sense that they're not really telling you what they think or feel."}
{"article": "The North's official news agency said on Tuesday the plan involved firing medium-to-long-range rockets at Guam, where US strategic bombers are based. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, flying into Guam, said there was no imminent threat from North Korea. He also defended President Donald Trump, who on Tuesday threatened Pyongyang with \"fire and fury\". Mr Tillerson said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not understand diplomatic language, and a strong message was needed that he would understand. \"I think the president just wanted to be clear to the North Korean regime that the US... will defend itself and its allies,\" he said. On Wednesday, Mr Trump tweeted that the US nuclear arsenal was \"more powerful than ever before\", but added he was hopeful \"we will never have to use this power\". The recent exchanges mark a sharp rise in rhetoric between Washington and Pyongyang, but China has urged calm. A foreign ministry statement quoted by Reuters called on all sides to avoid words or actions which might escalate the situation and to make greater efforts to resolve the issue via talks. The UN recently approved further economic sanctions on North Korea, which Pyongyang said were a \"violent violation of our sovereignty\", warning the US would \"pay a price\". On Wednesday, the official KCNA news agency said North Korea was \"carefully examining the operational plan for making an enveloping fire at the areas around Guam\" using its domestically made medium-to-long-range Hwasong-12 missiles. The news agency reported a military statement issued on Tuesday, which probably came in response to US military drills in Guam. However, there has been no indication that any attack on Guam by North Korea is imminent. In a message to the public, the governor of Guam Eddie Baza Calvo said there was currently \"no threat\" to the island and the Marianas archipelago, but that Guam was \"prepared for any eventuality\". North Korea's statement is the latest stage in a heating up of rhetoric and tension. Pyongyang, which has tested nuclear devices five times, launched two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in July, claiming it now had the ability to hit mainland US. On Tuesday, media reports in the US claimed the North had achieved its goal of making a nuclear warhead small enough to fit inside its missiles. While not confirmed, this was seen as one of the last obstacles to North Korea being a fully nuclear-armed state. A report in the Washington Post, citing US intelligence officials, suggested North Korea was developing nuclear weapons capable of hitting the US at a much faster rate than expected. A Japanese government defence white paper also said the weapons programme had \"advanced considerably\" and that North Korea possibly now had nuclear weapons. North Korea's missile programme explained In response, President Trump warned North Korea to stop threatening the US, saying they would be \"met with fire and fury like the world has never seen\". However, veteran US Senator John McCain was sceptical about Mr Trump's statement, saying he was \"not sure that President Trump is ready to act\". On the streets", "summary": "North Korea has said it is considering carrying out missile strikes on the US Pacific territory of Guam."}
{"article": "He joins 13 other contenders in the crowded race. Mr O'Leary, who appears on the reality show Shark Tank in the US and Dragon's Den in Canada, has been seriously exploring a bid since December. He has drawn comparisons to Donald Trump for both his TV and business background and his boastful tendencies. Former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper stepped down as party leader in November 2015 after losing the federal election to the Trudeau Liberals. Conservatives pick their new leader on 27 May. Mr O'Leary, a Montreal-born investor and entrepreneur, is pitching himself as the business-minded, fiscally conservative candidate in the packed field of hopefuls. \"I am a successful Canadian businessman with a great deal of international experience,\" Mr O'Leary said in a media statement. \"I am the only candidate who can beat Justin Trudeau.\" He is also positioning himself as the only contender who can stand up to US President-elect Donald Trump on cross-border issues like trade. While he has repeatedly praised Mr Trump and his tactics in interviews, Mr O'Leary has avoided the anti-immigrant rhetoric used by the American real estate magnate during the campaign and has said he does not support many of his policies. Mr O'Leary, born to Lebanese and Irish immigrants, has also criticised a proposal by fellow Conservative leadership contender Kellie Leitch to screen all immigrants for \"Canadian values\" as \"un-Canadian\". Still, there are inescapable similarities between the two celebrity businessmen. Mr O'Leary is a self-promoting political outsider with no experience in elected office. He can be pointed on Twitter and has taken to referring to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a \"surfer dude\" on the social platform. The Shark Tank cast member is known to float unconventional ideas, including a recent proposal to let people buy seats in the Senate, the un-elected upper house of Parliament. He has been publicly toying with the idea of running to lead the Conservative party for months. Other candidates have been taking shots at him on the campaign trail, including Lisa Raitt, a veteran politician who launched a \"Stop Kevin O'Leary\" website earlier this month and has targeted him for his \"irresponsible populism\". He has also been criticised for not speaking French, one of Canada's official languages. Bilingualism is convention among the country's political leaders. Over seven millions Canadians, mostly in the province of Quebec, speak French as their mother-tongue. The Canadian mogul made his run official the day after the French-language only leadership debate in Quebec City. Rona Ambrose, a former Cabinet minister, is serving as interim Conservative leader until the party election in May.", "summary": "Canadian businessman and reality TV star Kevin O'Leary is running for the leadership of the federal Conservative party."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 23-year-old beat her Games record, clocking eight minutes 18.11 seconds. England's Sophie Taylor, 18, won gold in the 100m breaststroke final, with team-mate Ollie Hynd, 19, taking the Para-sport 200m individual medley SM8. Aimee Willmott, 21, and Adam Peaty, 19, added silvers for England in the 200m butterfly and 50m breaststroke. And England's Adam Barrett, 21, ended the session with bronze in the 100m butterfly. Welsh celebrations were perhaps more pronounced given Carlin, from Swansea, was the first woman from her nation to win a Games swimming title since Pat Bevan in the 200m breaststroke in Christchurch in 1974. It was Wales' fourth swimming medal of Glasgow 2014 and Carlin now has a complete set of Commonwealth Games medals, having won silver and bronze in Delhi in 2010. \"I'm just so happy to come away with the gold,\" she said of a race in which Scotland's Hannah Miley, 24, and Camilla Hattersley, 19, were fifth and seventh respectively. New Zealand's Lauren Boyle, 26, took silver and Canada's Brittany MacLean, 20, bronze. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I can't believe it, I really can't,\" added Carlin. \"I put everything into my training this year. The support has been overwhelming and obviously I'm just so glad.\" Harrogate's Taylor, meanwhile, had trailed at the turn in the 100m breaststroke but roared back to beat Australia's Lorna Tonks, 25, and Alia Atkinson, 25, of Jamaica in a time of 1:06.35. Scotland's Katie Armitage, 18, was eighth. Uttoxeter's Peaty - who won the 100m breaststroke on Saturday, could not quite produce a similar comeback in the 50m breaststroke, finishing two hundredths of a second behind world-record holder Cameron van der Burgh. The 26-year-old South African's time of 26.76secs enhanced the Games record he set in the semi-finals. Scotland's Mark Tully, 22, was denied bronze by just one hundredth of a second, third place going to Cristian Sprenger, 28, of Australia. Tully's team-mates Ross Murdoch, 20, and Joe Welstead, 24, were sixth and seventh respectively. Middlesbrough's Willmott - who was runner-up in Thursday's 400m individual medley behind Miley - claimed her second silver in the 200m butterfly. Canadian Audrey Lacroix, 30, earned gold and Australia's Maddie Groves, 19, took bronze, with the Welsh duo of Alys Thomas, 23, and Jemma Lowe, 24, fourth and fifth respectively. Scotland's Miley finished sixth. England's fifth swimming medal of the night came with bronze from Barrett in the 100m butterfly. The Reading athlete qualified fastest for the final but could not thwart South Africa's Olympic champion Chad le Clos, 22. Clos added to his gold in the 200m, silvers in the 50m and 4x100m free and bronze in 4x200m free, in a Games-record time of 51.29secs. Joseph Schooling, 19, won bronze for Singapore and England's James Guy, 18, was sixth. In the other two events Australians filled the podium, with England's 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly champion Fran Halsall denied a third medal at Tollcross when she finished fourth in the 100m freestyle. Australia's Cate Campbell, 22, posted a Games", "summary": "Jazz Carlin became the first Welsh woman to win Commonwealth Games gold in the pool in 40 years when she eased to victory in the 800m freestyle."}
{"article": "2 May 2015 Last updated at 10:24 BST One of the top things many voters want politicians to do is to protect the National Health Service (NHS). But why do people think it's so important? Martin's been to the Great North Children's Hospital in Newcastle to find out.", "summary": "On May 7 it's the general election, where adults across the country will decide who they want to run the UK."}
{"article": "Members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews have been sending their replies to a postal ballot on whether to admit women to the club for the first time in its 260-year history. The result will be made known in the early evening of Thursday when a statement will be issued by the Fife-based organisation. If, as expected, the vote favours the admission of women it will be a significant step forward for the game. While it won't make any practical difference to the thousands of female golfers in the UK, it will help one of the game's governing bodies perform its duties free from rising criticism that was undermining its authority. Golf has been regarded as out of step with modern society because several men-only clubs hold positions of great influence - none more so than the Royal and Ancient, which in 2004 spawned the limited company that runs the Open Championship and acts as rule-maker for the game. The championship committee that organises the Open is made up by members from the Royal and Ancient Golf Club. Provided there is the anticipated \"yes\" vote, this means women will have a route to become involved in the running of golf's oldest and most revered tournament. It is a significant move because the club will regain a moral authority that was slipping from its grasp. \"We've done this really because of our governance role in the game,\" said R&A chief executive Peter Dawson when he announced the ballot in March. \"Sport has been changing, society has been changing and golf is part of that. We think it's time this change is made. \"You can always ask that question: 'Why now? Why not 10 years ago?' The R&A have been considering this. It's been on our agenda, on our radar, for quite some time,\" Dawson added. \"The feeling is as society changes, as sport changes, as golf changes, it's something the R&A needs to do.\" Back in March, Dawson stated a \"no\" vote would be \"undesirable\". Indeed, were the move to be rejected it would leave many questioning the R&A's right to have any future influence on the running of the game. During the ballot process, Dawson has been at pains not to be drawn any further into the debate. He did not want to say anything that might upset the membership. Originally the vote, which would have required a two-thirds majority, was scheduled to take place at the club's annual business meeting. That's why they had no choice but to use the same date as the Scottish referendum. However, it soon became clear that this was a matter for the entire club, not just the 300 or so members who typically attend the business meeting. Therefore a postal ballot of all 2,400 members was organised and only a simple majority is required to enact the historic move. Too many recent Opens have been overshadowed by the men-only issue. Whenever the championship has been played at St Andrews, Muirfield, Royal St George's and Royal Troon, it has detracted from the", "summary": "While Scotland decides its future on 18 September, the result will be published of another significant vote by one of the country's historic sporting institutions."}
{"article": "The Taliban have come close to the city in recent fighting, leaving it cut off and displacing tens of thousands. A BBC correspondent who has flown into Kunduz has heard gunfire and artillery exchanges not far from its centre. Afghan officials say foreign jihadists trained by the Islamic State (IS) group are fighting alongside the Taliban. Provincial governor Mohammed Omer Safi told the BBC that the bodies of 18 foreign fighters, including three Chechen women, had been found. Security forces and Taliban have been involved in a stand-off for about a week after the insurgents launched an offensive on Kunduz at the end of April. The insurgents are currently said to be massed in the Gul Tepa district on the southern outskirts of the city. This is the first positive confirmation by a senior government official that Islamic State is operating alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan. Until now, particularly in the south of the country, IS fighters have often clashed with the Taliban. But the governor said that the battle for the north is different, and here IS fighters are \"supporting the Taliban, training the Taliban, trying to build the capacity of the Taliban for a bigger fight\". And, he said, they were more violent because they wanted to die in battle as martyrs. As well as from Afghanistan's immediate northern neighbours, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, the dead came from Chechnya and Turkey. They were wearing black headbands marked with the same Islamic verses used by IS in Syria and Iraq. Battle heralds militant tie-up Correspondents say the advance is the most serious threat to a provincial capital in years. Afghan army and police are involved in the fighting but there is no substantial help from foreign troops. The BBC's David Loyn in Kunduz says Afghan forces are thinly spread in this region, and as well as this determined assault on Kunduz the Taliban and their allies have also attacked remote outposts in the mountains of Badakhshan further east. Reports said at least 13 police were killed in the attacks. Governor Safi said the Afghan forces in Kunduz did not have enough air power and their helicopters lacked the armaments they should have. Only a few thousand Nato troops remain in the country, largely in training roles, after their combat mission ended in December. They have turned down several requests to assist with air strikes. People displaced by the fighting are spread across the city and rural areas of the province of Kunduz. The prolonged fighting could lead to a bigger problem if there is a failure to bring in the harvest this month, our correspondent says. Kunduz supplies half of Afghanistan's rice crop, so delays could have a far-reaching impact, he adds. International aid agencies are trying to assist the displaced, with the World Food Programme preparing emergency kits of flour, pulses, cooking oil and high-energy biscuits for 500 families, spokesman Wahiddullah Amini told Reuters news agency.", "summary": "The Afghan government has launched a major offensive against Taliban forces near the north-eastern provincial capital of Kunduz."}
{"article": "The Netherlands paceman led the way with his four-wicket haul. Surrey slumped to 93 all out with only the Curran brothers, Sam and Tom, reaching 20. Craig Meschede and Dean Cosker claimed two wickets apiece as Surrey fell apart and Glamorgan strolled to an eight-wicket win with 46 balls to spare. Glamorgan's new opener David Lloyd hit 31 and captain Jacques Rudolph was 34 not out. Surrey chose to bat but their opening stand of 28 was the highest partnership of the innings, with seven wickets then falling for 32. They were further hindered by veteran Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood retiring hurt with a calf injury without scoring. Glamorgan's next match is also in the T20 Blast, at home to Essex on 1 June, while Surrey travel to Somerset in the Championship on 28 May. Man of the match Van der Gugten told BBC Wales Sport: \"I thought as a team we bowled really well, we kept them to a low total and our batters just did the job very professionally. \"A couple of wickets went my way, anyone could have taken a bagful but luckily it was my night. [South Africa pace bowler] Dale Steyn coming will strengthen our group and we're looking forward to working with him.\" Glamorgan captain Jacques Rudolph told BBC Wales Sport: \"The last two years we've come down here we've had very good performances, as far as clinical performances that's as good as you're going to get. Our bowling was outstanding and Timm van der Gugten again was unbelievable and we backed it up well with the batting. \"Surrey's top three batters can be very dangerous, I continuously tried to attack and get wickets, and it's nice to get some confidence in the dressing room. \"As far as I'm aware Dale Steyn [currently in India] is very keen to play on Wednesday (against Essex), Timm van der Gugten has shown with a bit of extra pace the kind of X-factor we need in our team. With him and Dale in the same team, we can be really excited about that.\"", "summary": "Glamorgan won for the first time since July 2015 with Timm van der Gugten taking four wickets as they thrashed Surrey in their opening T20 Blast game."}
{"article": "After four weeks in the White House, he said \"incredible progress\" had been made, having signed some two dozen executive actions and put his signature to several bills. He also fired his scandal-hit national security adviser and an acting attorney general, who defied his seven-nation travel ban, which later suffered an appeals court defeat. So what has President Trump achieved so far? In the weeks and months to come, we'll be tracking the progress he makes on his agenda and how it is received by the American public. One way President Trump is able to exercise political power is through unilateral executive orders and memoranda, which allow him to bypass the legislative process in Congress in certain policy areas. He wasted little time in taking advantage of this privilege, quickly moving to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, cut business regulations and push ahead with completing the construction of two controversial pipelines. While it may appear that President Trump has been signing executive actions at an unprecedented rate, he has signed less than President Obama did during the same period in office. Mr Trump has used many of these actions to deliver on some of his campaign promises, but many of his promises cannot be fulfilled by executive action alone. For example, his first executive order was designed to limit the effect of the Affordable Care Act, better know as Obamacare, but his promise of repealing and replacing it can only be enacted by Congress. In-depth: The executive actions Trump has taken What are presidential executive orders? When Mr Trump took the oath of office on 20 January he did so with the lowest approval rating of any incoming president. He dismissed those polls as \"rigged\" but the strength of the opposition to him was evident when hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets the day after his inauguration. Most presidents begin their term with strong approval numbers, but President Trump has bucked that trend. While both George W Bush and Barack Obama were enjoying approval numbers in the 60s after one month in office, Mr Trump is around the 40% mark. Donald Trump: Unchained and unapologetic Mr Trump won the election with low approval numbers so it's unsurprising they're still low, but the scandal over his team's contacts with Russia and his controversial travel ban have kept them falling. Do the numbers matter? Maybe not, for now. Republicans control both the House and Senate so in theory he can pursue his legislative agenda without worrying about his ratings - as long as he keeps his Republican colleagues on side. But if his ratings stay low or fall further, expect some dissenting voices to emerge in the party as Republicans start to worry about midterm elections in 2018. For now though, there are signs that many of Mr Trump's supporters are happy with his progress - some we spoke to in Pennsylvania said he was doing \"a fabulous job\". You can hear their views here. Russia: The scandal Trump can't shake How and why did Trump's key adviser resign?", "summary": "Donald Trump came into office promising to change the face of American politics and transfer power \"back to the people\"."}
{"article": "The producers of Spectre have confirmed that the screenplay was taken as part of a cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment in November. In a statement on the film's official website, Eon Productions said they were concerned the script may be published online. Spectre is due to be released in November 2015. The statement said: \"Eon Productions, the producers of the James Bond films, learned this morning that an early version of the screenplay for the new Bond film SPECTRE is amongst the material stolen and illegally made public by hackers who infiltrated the Sony Pictures Entertainment computer system. \"Eon Productions is concerned that third parties who have received the stolen screenplay may seek to publish it or its contents.\" Filming for Spectre began this month after the title and cast were unveiled in London. A new car was shown off, but few details were given about the plot for the film. A Sony spokesman denied reports that the cyber attack had forced the studio to stop production. \"Productions are still moving forward,\" Robert Lawson told the Reuters news agency. The Bond franchise is a valuable asset for Sony Pictures, with Skyfall making $1.1 billion (\u00c2\u00a3640m) worldwide. On November 24 hackers disabled the computer network at California-based Sony Pictures. They also released salary and Social Security numbers for thousands of Sony employees - including celebrities North Korea has denied being behind the attack in retaliation for a film depicting the country's leader but praised it as a \"righteous deed\". The FBI has confirmed that it is investigating.", "summary": "An early version of the script for the new James Bond film has been stolen by hackers."}
{"article": "A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 23 and 30 June. Send your photos to scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk or via Instagram at #bbcscotlandpics", "summary": "All pictures are copyrighted."}
{"article": "Yr Egin, being built in Carmarthen by University of Wales Trinity St David, will be ready in late spring 2018. University chiefs told the Welsh Affairs committee they hoped the site would ultimately be oversubscribed. Vice-chancellor Medwin Hughes said he hoped Yr Egin would reach 60% capacity within the next two months but conceded it would need more companies on board. \"The \u00a33m of upfront rent from S4C helps with cash flow for two to three years but we could need more than 60% capacity to break even,\" he told the committee on Monday. As part of its contract with the University, S4C will also be paying \u00a360,000 in annual service charges. Brecon and Radnorshire Conservative MP Chris Davies told the committee there had been an \"untidy smell around\" the project and \"a fog\" surrounding the relationship between the university and the Welsh-language broadcaster. Mr Hughes denied it, saying: \"There has been a clear and consistent message between S4C and the University. \"As with any large agreement there are confidentiality agreements. In the main, the engagement between S4C and the University has been presented in an appropriate manner.\" MPs had summoned university leaders amid concern over a gap in funding gap for the project. Earlier in March the Welsh Government committed \u00a33m with after the University realised that the amount of European funding available to them would not be enough. In February, First Minister Carwyn Jones told AMs that S4C promised that the move from Cardiff would be at no cost to the taxpayer.", "summary": "The building which will be S4C's new headquarters has no other tenants signed up yet, MPs have been told."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old, her three sons and daughter are due to be evicted on Boxing Day due to rent arrears. Miss Morgan, from Lampeter, Ceredigion, said her family will get a Christmas thanks to assistance from a charity. \"I don't know where me and my children are going to be on Boxing Day but I'm trying to stay positive,\" she said. Miss Morgan and her children, who are all under six, will have Christmas dinner at Victoria Hall in the town cooked by Home Start Ceredigion, which helps people from across the region. The charity also collects donated toys, books and gifts, meaning Miss Morgan's children will have presents to open. \"The children just want Santa to come, so that's my main thing at the moment is to make sure they have a good Christmas Day. \"Then they think 'we've been good this year' because they have - they've had a really really tough year.\" Home Start Ceredigion's manager Sharon Morris said: \"We're trying to help as many families as we can because people don't realise that this kind of poverty and homelessness isn't just in cities it is going on in rural areas. \"People get into debt and it's difficult to get out of it.\" Miss Morgan said the council was not able to help until she is actually homeless and she has a viewing for another home, but it is an uncertain time. \"Me and the kids don't know where we'll be on Boxing Day - we might be sleeping outside my front door, we don't know.\" If she cannot find accommodation, Miss Morgan and her children will try and get help from a refuge in either Cardigan or Borth. Despite this, she said she is trying to be upbeat and said her family will enjoy their Christmas. \"All I want for them is to enjoy two hours out of the day where we can be a family and enjoy other people's company and not be on our own.\"", "summary": "As families across Wales enjoy their Christmas Day, mother-of-four Michelle Morgan faces the prospect of being homeless the next day."}
{"article": "Plymouth-born centre-back Ellis, 28, has made just 12 appearances since joining the Cumbrians from Shrewsbury on a permanent basis last summer. It is his second spell at the New Lawn, having spent the 2009-10 season with Rovers on loan from Torquay United. The deal follows fellow defender Charlie Clough's move to Barnet for an undisclosed fee on Monday.", "summary": "Carlisle United have loaned defender Mark Ellis to Forest Green Rovers for the remainder of the season."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old made one appearance for Vale, in their 2-1 defeat by Carlisle in the EFL Cup first round on 9 August. \"Having moved to England from Portugal over the summer, the striker has found it difficult to adjust to life in the country,\" a club statement said. The former Sporting Lisbon player will now return to Portugal.", "summary": "Port Vale have terminated the contract of Portuguese striker Carlos Saleiro, just six weeks after he signed for the League One club."}
{"article": "Not just any old building, mind you, but one with a gleaming metallic facade and sharp angles, the first residential property in Europe by architect Daniel Libeskind. \"We haven't set a price yet,\" says silver-haired softly spoken developer Nikolaus Ziegert. Sapphire is still a construction site - but on a whistle-stop tour, it's easy to see its appeal to foreign wealthy buyers. In many ways, this $43m (\u00c2\u00a329m) development symbolises the gentrification of the city. It's certainly set tongues wagging, dividing opinion in the historical district of Mitte. The luxury property market is red hot in this neighbourhood. Almost everywhere you look from the roof of Sapphire, there are cranes at work, constructing a new Berlin. Just over a decade ago, Berlin's mayor declared the city \"poor but sexy\", a reputation that helped attract innovative and creative businesses. But now, with its fortunes rapidly changing and the gentrification this brings, is Berlin in danger of becoming a victim of its own success? Its population has been growing fast, and in the past five years so have rents, pricing some local residents out. For Mr Ziegert, business is booming. He set up his property company 30 years ago in West Berlin, when the city was still divided, with just three employees. Now, he has a turnover of some $300m, and 180 staff. Mr Ziegert enjoys being chauffer driven in a vintage Maserati. But he doesn't fit the stereotype of a brash property developer. He is aware of the tensions development can create. \"Gentrification has to be seen from two angles,\" he says. \"Of course, the first is that of the tenant. \"In Berlin, when the prices rise, people feel insecure. \"On the other hand, gentrification also means change and progress. \"And even if it's unpleasant for some, it remains very important for the city that investment comes in.\" In many ways, Berlin is still a city of two halves. On the one hand, there is an incredibly fast-growing community of hi-tech start-ups. On the other, the city's unemployment rate is more than 10%, compared with just 6% for the rest of Germany. Michael Plaumann lives in a homeless shelter in Neukoelln, an area earmarked by developers as the next property hotspot. To supplement his unemployment benefit, he sells a homeless newspaper on the trains of Berlin. \"It's very difficult for me to find my own apartment for myself,\" he says. \"That's why I've been living in a shelter for a while already, because the apartments have become very expensive, and for as someone who receives benefits, it is just too expensive.\" The $900 (\u00c2\u00a3600) cost of his shelter accommodation is covered by his benefits. Should he find an apartment of this own, he'd be unable to claim the full rent because of a cap, which could price him out of his neighbourhood. \"I want to live in my neighbourhood. That's Neukoelln. I've been there for 15 years,\" he says. \"What bothers me is that in Berlin, more and more neighbourhoods are becoming ghettos. Berlin is not changing for the better.\" Lisa Jaspers earns", "summary": "How many millions would you pay for a penthouse apartment in a futuristic new development with a panoramic view of Berlin?"}
{"article": "He was regarded by critics as one of the greatest Caribbean poets. The writer's collections include In A Green Night: Poems 1948 - 1960 and his epic work, Omeros, which draws on Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992 and the TS Eliot Prize for Poetry in 2011. His winning collection for the TS Eliot Prize, White Egrets, was called \"a moving, risk-taking and technically flawless book by a great poet\" by the judges. The Nobel Committee, announcing his prize, said: \"His poetry acquires at one and the same time singular lustre and great force... Walcott's style is melodious and sensitive.\" Derek Walcott found that he was often defined as a black writer. That is not how he saw himself. He was, he said, first and foremost, a Caribbean writer. Dante, Shakespeare, Chaucer and Yeats were all addressed and reassessed through his Caribbean-focussed literary lens. As was Homer - in 1990 - when he wrote his epic poem Omeros - in which Achilles finds himself relocated to the West Indies. His great skill, and gift to literature, was the way in which he used his unique poetic voice to explore and explain the world from a largely unseen perspective. He was never parochial or nationalistic, quite the opposite in fact. Derek Walcott was a master at using the specific to identify common ground and universal themes, illuminating both the individual and the collective. The poet won many other prizes, including a MacArthur Foundation award - the so-called \"genius grant\". Walcott said at the time: \"It's nice to get it, because it gives you four or five years of a great deal of security - the tough thing is when it's finished! \"It has a very bad connotation, this idea of a 'genius' - I'm not denying the fact that I'm prodigious, I'm not denying the fact that I wrote well... to me it's a gift. I feel blessed that I was gifted.\" Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in 1992, he said he had written as far back as he could remember and recalled his mother, a schoolteacher, reciting Shakespeare at home. His father, who died while he was still an infant, had also written poetry, he said. \"I heard that kind of sound at home from when I was very young,\" he said. \"I always knew that was what I wanted to do - to write, particularly poetry.\" Born in 1930, he studied at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, before moving to Trinidad in 1953, where he worked as a theatre and art critic. He published his first collection, 25 Poems, at the age of 18. He was also an accomplished painter and playwright. The Cultural Development Foundation of St Lucia paid tribute to Walcott, saying in a statement: \"The world has lost one of its noted literary icons. \"Our sympathies extend to St Lucia as a nation, who without doubt are proud and honoured to call him a true son of St Lucia. \"He was very vocal about the", "summary": "Nobel laureate poet Derek Walcott has died aged 87 at his home on the Caribbean island of St Lucia after a long illness, local media reports say."}
{"article": "The Gunners lost 3-2 at Old Trafford and 2-1 at home to Swansea to slip six points behind leaders Leicester. \"Sometimes we lack the mentality that we are already winning 1-0 when we go out on to the pitch,\" Sanchez told Directv Sports before the United match. \"We lack this hunger to believe that we can be champions.\" Sanchez added: \"If we go out onto to the pitch with hunger to become champions, to win the Premier League or the Champions League we can achieve it. \"I remember a game against Manchester United last year. The lads looked hungry for silverware as we took to the pitch. \"We crushed them in the first 20 minutes and went 3-0 up. We were hungry and brimming with confidence that day.\" Arsenal have only three wins from 11 games in all competitions and are third in the league. Speaking after Wednesday's loss to Swansea, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger also said his side's loss of form \"looks a bit\" like a confidence issue. \"I am worrying about our results,\" he said. \"We don't dream. We have to be realistic and come back to what we do well... the basics. \"The players are very down but we have to respond. We have to focus on our job and remind ourselves that we have some quality as well.\"", "summary": "Alexis Sanchez said Arsenal lacked the self-belief to win the Premier League even before their back-to-back defeats by Manchester United and Swansea."}
{"article": "Pathologist Prof Guy Rutty said David \"Les\" Ross, 39, had probably been rolled \"in a foetal position\" when he was attacked on 17 December 2012 at Corby's Village Inn Express. Sitting at Kettering Magistrates' Court, coroner Anne Pember recorded a verdict of \"unlawful killing\". Mr Ross's family said his death was \"a senseless act of violence\". Northamptonshire Police are treating his death as murder and an investigation is ongoing. No-one from the force attended the inquest. Mrs Pember said Mr Ross was well known in Corby, where he had previously worked as a taxi driver and nightclub bouncer, and had opened the Rubix nightclub in the weeks before he died. Leanne Martin, who worked at the Village Inn Express in The Jamb, told the inquest Mr Ross had asked to stay in the hotel because his own house in Chelveston Drive had been broken into. Another worker at the hotel, Paige Lindsay, said she had discovered Mr Ross's body \"on his back with his feet towards the door\". Paramedic Michael Rowlatt told the inquest Mr Ross had been wearing boxer shorts and a white vest or t-shirt. He said there had been blood on the carpet and on the bed side cabinet. Prof Rutty said Mr Ross had injuries to his face, chest and arms. He said some of the wounds might have been from a fight the previous night, but that others were caused by a \"ring on a fist\". A statement from his family said they are \"torn apart with grief\" by an attack \"carried out in a cowardly manner\". It said: \"There are people still walking around in Corby who know what happened to David, who attacked him and why.\"", "summary": "A nightclub owner found dead in his hotel room had suffered injuries to his face, chest and arms, an inquest heard."}
{"article": "If a glut of recent studies are to be believed, its days are definitely numbered. Various reports suggest it is haemorrhaging users, that teenagers find it boring - one survey even comparing it to an infectious disease. Such surveys, usually accompanied by a picture of boss Mark Zuckerberg looking sad, are picked up widely by the press and equally vigorously pulled apart by Facebook. So when researchers at Princeton used Google search data to predict Facebook would lose 80% of its users within three years, the social network hit back. Its in-house data scientists used the same methodology to predict the university would have no students by 2021 and the world would run out of air by 2060. \"As data scientists we wanted to give a fun reminder that not all research is created equal - and some methods of analysis lead to pretty crazy conclusions,\" they said. The Princeton report's comparison of Facebook to an infectious disease missed the mark, thinks Nate Elliott, analyst with Forrester Research. \"One of Facebook's greatest strengths is its practice of regularly adding new features and functionality to its site; this both ensures it infects new users and also makes sure existing users don't become immune to its charms,\" he said in his blog. He also pointed out net measurement firm Comscore's data that showed that 89% of US 18- to 24-year-olds used Facebook in November 2013. \"Facebook claims far more young users than any other social network - indeed, probably more than any other media property on Earth,\" he added. Some surveys are harder for Facebook to shake off, though. Digital agency iStrategylabs used Facebook's own social advertising data to extrapolate that three million US teenagers had left Facebook in the past three years. It was echoed by earlier research conducted by the Pew Internet Centre research, which reported that teenagers were put off Facebook because of their parents. The fact that notoriously capricious teenagers don't want to hang out in the same digital space with their parents will hardly come as a surprise to anyone who knows any. Parents can be embarrassing on Facebook - they post pictures of their offspring that they find hilarious but their children don't, they add ill-advised comments to their children's status updates and they often fail to understand the basic etiquettes of online discourse. It has led, concluded Pew, to teenagers maintaining lower profiles on Facebook while spending the majority of their time on services such as WhatsApp or Snapchat. But while the report noted a 25% drop in the number of younger users, it indicated that there was an 80% surge in users with an age of 55 and above. So is it a case that as Facebook gets older, so does its core audience? \"The demographic has shifted and it is a positive thing when it come to ad revenues. These older users have more spending power than young teens,\" said Ovum analyst Eden Zoller. But she added Facebook could not afford to be complacent about its younger members because if they could be persuaded to", "summary": "The candles on Facebook's 10th birthday cake will barely have been blown out before someone somewhere starts speculating on whether it will ever make 11."}
{"article": "Stenny beat Rangers under-20s 3-1 while Turriff's Andrzej Kieczkowski got the only goal against Montrose. The Fifers' tie with hosts Arbroath went to extra-time but Paul McManus' penalty secured them a 3-2 win. On Tuesday, Airdrieonians, Albion Rovers, Brechin, Celtic U20, Elgin, Forfar Athletic, Queen's Park, Peterhead and Stranraer all progressed. At Central Park, on-loan Hearts forward Nikolay Todorov put League Two Cowden ahead but Jack Aitchison levelled for Celtic U20 before Paul Crossan fired the winner, with Chris Turner then sent off for the hosts. Aberdeen U20 also had a player dismissed, Sam Roscoe red-carded early in their 3-1 defeat by Forfar with Josh Peters netting twice for the visitors. Andy Jackson scored a brace in Brechin's 4-1 defeat of Cove while Leighton McIntosh completed Peterhead's comeback as they recovered from a two-goal deficit to beat Brora 3-2. Elgin beat Hearts U20 2-0 and Albion Rovers were winners by the same score against Hamilton U20. Airdrieonians beat Motherwell U20 while Craig Malcolm netted four of Stranraer's seven goals at home to Spartans, who scored one in reply. Partick Thistle U20 led Queen's Park through Michael McMullin but John Carter scored on 88 minutes to force extra-time. The hosts had David Syme sent off before penalties ensued, Gregor Fotheringham netting the decisive kick for the Spiders. Colin McMenamin and Alan Cook scored for Stenhousemuir against Rangers U20 before Robby McCrorie's own goal and Ryan Hardie's consolation. Aberdeen U20 1-3 Forfar Athletic Brechin City 4-1 Cove Rangers Elgin City 2-0 Hearts U20 Peterhead 3-2 Brora Rangers Partick Thistle U20 1-1 Queen's Park (aet, 5-6 pens) Albion Rovers 2-0 Hamilton Academical U20 Cowdenbeath 1-2 Celtic U20 Motherwell U20 1-2 Airdrieonians Stranraer 7-1 Spartans Arbroath 2-3 East Fife (aet) Turriff United 1-0 Montrose Rangers U20 1-3 Stenhousemuir", "summary": "Wins for East Fife, Stenhousemuir and Turriff United completed the second round of the Scottish Challenge Cup."}
{"article": "Stephen Probert, 56 and his partner Joanne Winder, 40, both died following a crash on the A470 near Llanrwst., Conwy county, on Easter Sunday 2015. Lawrence Lougher, 29, of Addlestone, Surrey, was found guilty of causing the deaths of the Colwyn Bay couple by careless driving. He was jailed for 12 months at Caernarfon Crown Court. The court heard Lougher failed to check for the overtaking motorcycle when turning his BMW across the road. Mr Probert died at the scene and Ms Winder died at Ysbyty Gwynedd two days later. The court previously heard that Lougher was originally told he would not face prosecution, but there had been a review. As well as the custodial sentence, he was banned from driving for two and a half years.", "summary": "A man has been jailed for causing the deaths of a motorcyclist and his passenger."}
{"article": "The Highlands and Islands have been enjoying a lengthy spell of fine, sunny weather. Michael MacDonald, of Invergordon RNLI, captured the calm conditions and sunset on Monday during a training session for the crew. The training in the Cromarty Firth took the volunteer crew close to a number of North Sea oil and gas rigs and platforms anchored in the firth.", "summary": "All images are copyrighted."}
{"article": "Nikki Haley said her country would not stand by when chemical weapons were used, as it was in its \"vital interest\" to stop their proliferation. Syrian ally Russia accused the US of encouraging \"terrorists\" with its unilateral actions. Moscow has promised to strengthen its ally Syria's anti-aircraft defences. It is also closing down a hotline with the US designed to avoid collisions between their air forces over Syria. At least six people are reported to have been killed in the US missile strikes early on Friday. US officials say the base was used to launch a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians on Tuesday. According to Idlib's opposition-run health authority, 89 people, including 33 children and 18 women, died in the suspected nerve agent attack in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun. Syria denies using nerve gas. Ms Haley told an emergency session of the UN Security Council that America had acted to ensure Syrian President Bashar al-President Assad would never use chemical weapons again. \"We are prepared to do more but we hope that will not be necessary,\" she said. \"It is in our vital national security interest to prevent the spread and use of chemical weapons.\" She blamed Iran and Russia for standing by the Syrian government when it committed crimes. \"Strengthening Assad will only lead to more murders,\" she said. Russia's deputy ambassador to the UN, Vladimir Safronkov, described the US strikes as \"illegitimate\". \"When you take your own path, this leads to horrible tragedies in the region,\" he told the Americans. UK ambassador Matthew Rycroft said the strikes were a \"proportionate response to unspeakable acts\". Cruise missiles fly low and have a relatively small radar cross-section so they are difficult to destroy with air defences. Russia may seek to improve Syria's surface-to-air missile system in the wake of this US attack but it would be very much a case of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. Syria used to have a highly effective national air defence system based on Soviet-era radars and missiles but it has been significantly weakened in the wake of the civil war and the loss of territory by the regime. Look at the ease with which the Israelis carry out strikes against Hezbollah arms convoys and weapons stores in Syria. Russia has some of its most modern surface-to-air missile systems at its air base in Syria and radars with a huge reach but, for whatever reason, they too have not deterred Israeli strikes. Their presence makes air strikes by manned US aircraft unlikely and for Washington the Tomahawk cruise missile will remain the weapon of choice Two US Navy destroyers in the Mediterranean Sea fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Shayrat airfield in western Homs province at about 04:40 Syrian time (01:40 GMT). They targeted aircraft, aircraft shelters, storage areas, ammunition supply bunkers and air defence systems at the Syrian government-controlled facility, according to the Pentagon. It said the base was used to store chemical weapons and that \"every precaution\" had been taken to avoid casualties. The Russian military", "summary": "The US envoy to the UN has warned America may take further action after bombarding a Syrian air base suspected of using chemical weapons."}
{"article": "The 69-year-old man was cut free from his white Ford Transit van after the collision on the southbound carriageway at Cilfynydd at 12:25 BST. The Wales Air Ambulance was called and the road was closed in both directions, causing delays between the Abercynon roundabout and Pontypridd town centre. The man is in a \"stable condition\". The northbound carriageway of the A470 re-opened at about 14:05 while the southbound lanes opened at about 18:20.", "summary": "A man is in hospital with serious injuries following a crash between a lorry and a van on the A470 in Rhondda Cynon Taff."}
{"article": "Lisa Passey, 28, and her former partner Wayne Dale, 45, left 13-month-old Kian Dale and a two-year-old child alone while the pair entertained a friend, a court heard. Earlier, Passey told Worcester Crown Court she had been \"stupid\" to leave Kian unsupervised for 15 minutes. Passey, from Tenbury Wells, and Dale, will be sentenced on 25 April. They were also found guilty of child cruelty with wilful neglect. More on this and other stories on Hereford and Worcester Kian Dale had been left in an upstairs bath seat in the couple's home in Kyreside, Tenbury Wells, on 26 September, 2015, Worcester Crown Court was told. Passey was with a friend downstairs while Dale was \"socialising\" and \"using his computer\". When he went upstairs to check on Kian he had drowned. Prosecutors said Passey and her friend had been drinking coffee and smoking outside. After Kian was discovered lifeless in the water, Passey dialled 999 telling the operator her baby had \"drowned in the bath\". The court heard Dale, of no fixed address, told police officers he \"had a beer, rolled a cigarette outside and burned a CD\" and that he had only left his son for \"a couple of minutes\". A post-mortem examination found the child's death was consistent with drowning, including what was believed to be soap bubbles in his lungs. Ms Passey, of Tenbury Wells, initially claimed she had not run a bath, but twice changed her account, the prosecutor alleged.", "summary": "The parents of a toddler who drowned in a bath have been found guilty of manslaughter."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The British tennis player had just reached his first ATP final and moved to number 51 in the world rankings. But that was not enough to get a photograph with former England cricket captain Kevin Pietersen, who turned down Evans' request when they met outside a restaurant in Melbourne this week. However, the 26-year-old might soon be the one getting asked for selfies after his stunning start to the Australian Open. Evans caused a shock when he reached the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time with a 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-3) win over Australian 27th seed Bernard Tomic on Friday. The Birmingham-born player will pocket at least $130,000 (\u00a379,000) for reaching the fourth round, regardless of whether he beats France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. But the British number three was a little rankled by the snub from the batsman, 35, who is in Australia to play for Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League. \"There was some serious rage for about 20 minutes after that happened,\" said Evans. \"He didn't want me to have my picture with him. Quite funny, isn't it, how things work out? He was my favourite cricketer until that point. \"I think he was worse for wear, That was his excuse when he replied [on Twitter]. It was so embarrassing, as well. He didn't even just say, 'No'. He handed me off, as well.\" However, it appears the two made up after the win over Tomic, with Evans tweeting a picture of himself at a Melbourne Stars game in the BBL on Saturday. BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller asked if he had got the tickets from Pietersen and Evans replied with the message of \"sure did\". Immediately after winning the final point of the match against Tomic, Evans was overcome with emotion and was seen pointing up to the sky. He later revealed it was a tribute to his former coach Julien Hoferlin, who died of cancer last year. In 2014 Hoferlin criticised Evans, saying tennis was just a \"brief interlude in his life\". Speaking after his victory on Friday, Evans told the BBC: \"When he [Horferlin] coached me I didn't give 100% at the time and there was off-court stuff he wasn't happy with. \"I wish he could have seen what happened tonight, he would have been proud of my efforts. He always said I could do it and that I should be playing top-40 tennis. Tonight was for him.\" Evans managed to overcome being distracted by an unruly spectator at the Hisense Arena. \"This guy was coughing as I was throwing the ball up, as well as screaming at me when I was losing points,\" he said. Evans was also asked about comments from Tomic's father and coach, John, who once told him he was not good enough to train with his son. The British number three said Tomic Sr congratulated him in the changing room after the match. \"It was nice of him,\" added Evans. \"I didn't have a problem with him at all,", "summary": "Four days ago, Dan Evans was not exactly a household name."}
{"article": "Matthew Stockdale claims he was repeatedly cut up and shunted three times by the other motorist. He said he made six 999 calls and was connected to three police forces. Northamptonshire Police, which took the first call, has apologised for the communication failures, saying it plans to interview the lorry driver. The force says it is carrying out a \"live investigation\", but no arrests have yet been made. Bedfordshire Police is due to interview Mr Stockdale. Dashcam footage of the encounter, recorded on the M1 near Northampton on 11 November, shows the lorry hitting Mr Stockdale's car. \"I honestly thought I was going to die,\" he wrote in a police statement. \"My life literally rushed before my eyes. Whilst that sounds dramatic, I can honestly say I have never felt fear like it. I began shaking uncontrollably.\" The former special constable said he was driving southbound towards his home in Northampton when a lorry began flashing him, sounding its horn and driving up to the rear of his car. Footage shows the lorry apparently bashing his car as it passed at about 20:40 GMT, and repeating the action 14 minutes later. Mr Stockdale then called 999 and was connected to Northamptonshire Police. After the second incident, he was connected to Thames Valley and then Bedfordshire Police. Despite assurances from all three forces that help was on the way, he said no-one arrived. Mr Stockdale, who runs a dashcam company, followed the lorry to a depot in Dunstable where an ambulance took him to hospital with neck and shoulder pain. Bedfordshire Police had called the paramedics and one of its officers arrived at the hospital nearly three hours after the first call was made. Footage shows Mr Stockdale stayed in the middle lane for some time, which motorists can be fined for, but he said he was about to move over when the lorry driver began to \"intimidate\" him. The Northamptonshire force said it could not attend because officers trained to deal with such incidents were in pursuit of a stolen car. The force has seen the footage and an investigation is under way but no arrests have been made yet, a spokesman confirmed. Supt Dennis Murray, who is in charge of the force's control room, said: \"What we should have done was contact the other forces... that's a failure on our part, for which I apologise to the driver of that vehicle.\" The lorry driver, who lives in Bedfordshire, was employed by Wincanton hauliers through an agency. A spokesman confirmed he is \"no longer conducting deliveries\". Liability for the car damage has been accepted by the firm's insurers.", "summary": "A driver who says he was \"deliberately and repeatedly rammed\" by a lorry has criticised police for failing to respond to his calls for three hours."}
{"article": "Members of the armed services accompanied the hearse as it arrived at the library in the Simi Valley city. The funeral takes place on Friday. Nancy Reagan died at the age of 94 last Sunday. Her 52-year marriage to Ronald Reagan was once described as the US presidency's greatest love affair. Mrs Reagan, who died of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles, was praised by President Barack Obama's family and other senior US politicians and foreign leaders. From 1981-89 she was one of the most influential first ladies in US history, initially criticised for an expensive renovation of the White House, but later becoming a much-loved figure. Nancy Reagan: Her husband's greatest supporter Praise for 'devoted' First Lady Mrs Reagan will be buried next to her husband at the presidential library. Like her husband, Mrs Reagan was a former Hollywood performer who made it all the way to the White House. As Nancy Davis, she was an actress during the 1940s and 1950s and married Mr Reagan, a prominent film actor, in 1952. She served as first lady of California during her husband's stint as California governor from 1967 to 1975 before moving into the White House after his decisive victory over Democrat President Jimmy Carter in 1980. As first lady, she sought to emulate the style of one of her predecessors, Jackie Kennedy. To this end, she extensively redecorated the White House, and accepted designer dresses worth $1m (\u00c2\u00a3703,000) and a 4,732-piece set of china worth $209,000. But this spending spree provoked an outcry from some outraged by what they saw as profligacy and waste while millions of Americans were losing their jobs. Public opinion was also swayed by accusations that Mrs Reagan had a frosty personality, often consulted astrologers, and ordered the dismissal of White House chief of staff Donald Regan in 1987. \"I see the first lady as another means to keep a president from becoming isolated,\" she once said. Mrs Reagan's best-known project as first lady was the anti-drugs \"Just Say No\" campaign. After her husband died of Alzheimer's disease in 2004, she became a champion for Alzheimer's patients, raising millions of dollars for research and breaking with fellow conservative Republicans to argue for stem cell research.", "summary": "The coffin of former US First Lady Nancy Reagan has been placed in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California for public viewing."}
{"article": "Giglia won gold in the C1-3 3,000m cycling race on the opening day of the games, beating American Jamie Whitmore into second place. She said she had taken \"extra motivation\" from 10-year-old Alasdair Rowan, who suffered a stroke in July and is now recovering. At the time of the last Paralympics in London, Giglia was a sports instructor. But in January 2013, four months after the games had ended, she had a stroke and brain haemorrhage, leaving her with restricted movement down her right side. Cycling formed part of her recovery and she told the BBC in August: \"I never dreamed I would get to this level, but it has allowed me to turn what was a bad situation into a good one. \"It gives me something to live for and I hope what I am doing can give other people hope that they can do something with their lives.\" Giglia, who lived in Stratford-upon-Avon before moving to Manchester where British Cycling is based, dedicated her Paralympics victory to other stroke patients trying to come to terms with the effects and, in particular, to one 10-year-old schoolboy who had inspired her. Writing on her Instagram page before the race, she said: \"My Paralympic Games kicks off tomorrow and every race I compete in I'm dedicating to individuals and their families who are all currently dealing with the after effects of a stroke!!! \"Tomorrow is the 3km pursuit and is dedicated to a strong and determined young man going by the name of ALASDAIR ROWAN who is on his road to recovery and given me extra motivation to succeed...This one's for you Alasdair.\" Alasdair's father, Lee, told the BBC that Giglia had asked his wife, Fiona, if she could dedicate the race to their son after they were put in touch by charity Different Strokes. Giglia is a patron of the charity. Alasdair, then aged nine, had a stroke in July after suffering an aneurism. He has since returned home following an emergency operation and a month-long stay in hospital, and is hoping to return to school soon. Mr Rowan said the family had been cheering Giglia on to victory and had been filled with \"nervous excitement\" when they saw her carrying a picture of Alasdair as she was about to be interviewed. Mr Rowan, from Bulkington, in Warwickshire, said he was pleased that she had used the interview to raise awareness about young stroke patients. \"A lot of people think strokes only happen to older people - that certainly is not the case. Alasdair is younger than normal but he's not unique.\" Giglia began her cycling career after she was spotted at a British Cycling talent identification event and joined its development programme in May 2014. She had her first major success in international competition at the Newport Para-cycling International in early 2015, when she won silver in the individual pursuit and bronze in the 500-metre time trial. Following this performance, she was selected for her debut UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, and finished fourth in the time trial", "summary": "Megan Giglia, who won Britain's first gold medal at the Rio Paralympics, says sport gave her something to live for after she suffered a stroke and a brain haemorrhage aged 27."}
{"article": "The 28-year-old played 138 times for the club and represented Scotland Sevens between 2006 and 2014, including last year's Commonwealth Games. \"A difficult time has been made easier as it's not been a decision,\" said Grant. \"You just have to get on with it, accept things and move on.\" Grant joined Edinburgh in 2009 after beginning his Scottish rugby career as an apprentice with Border Reivers. A recipient of the John Macphail Scholarship in 2008, he broadened his experience playing with Auckland University in New Zealand, having played through Scotland's age grades, and went on to be part of the Scotland A team that secured a 35-0 victory over England Saxons in 2012. \"It's been a pretty emotional time, having to come to terms with the fact I have to stop playing due to injury but I have no regrets,\" added Grant. \"I'm really proud of what I've done, what I've achieved and what I've contributed.\" Head coach Alan Solomons said: \"Roddy's retirement is a sad day for both the club and Scottish rugby. \"I've been fortunate, over the years, to coach some terrific young men; Roddy is right up there with the best of the best. His contribution to the club has been immense, both on and off the field. He is a leader of men and the ultimate pro. \"He has the heart of a lion, an unbelievable work-rate and he knew our systems and his role within them to perfection. Roddy never had a bad game. He is certainly one of the most consistent players I have ever coached. \"We will miss him - he is one of a kind.\"", "summary": "Experienced Edinburgh flanker Roddy Grant has been forced to retire after failing to recover from a knee injury suffered at the end of last season."}
{"article": "A report said Britain had fallen short so far in its moral responsibility to help those fleeing conflict and is \"turning a blind eye\" to their plight. The coalition of 13 aid agencies said Europe's overall response to the migrant crisis was inadequate and the UK should show more leadership. The organisations include Oxfam and the Refugee Council. They point to the fact that more than half of last year's asylum claims on the continent were made in Germany and Hungary compared with just 3% in then UK. The groups suggest Britain could devise a new humanitarian visa that would let those at risk claim asylum remotely from their country of origin, or from a transit country, rather than risking their lives on flimsy boats. The report also expresses concern that reception centres in hotspots such as Greece and Italy are beginning to resemble detention centres run by military personnel. This lacks humanity and stigmatises those seeking help as if they are a security threat, it says. British Refugee Council chief executive Maurice Wren accused European leaders of lacking the \"political leadership and moral courage\" to tackle the crisis. \"Today we're presenting a roadmap for change which prioritises saving lives, solidarity and safe passage,\" he said. \"European governments, including the UK, must take a long hard look at themselves and ask is this the best they can do? We say that it doesn't have to be this way.\" According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 135,000 migrants reached Europe by sea between January and March this year despite the creation of a European naval patrol in the Mediterranean and Aegean.", "summary": "The UK needs to do more for refugees on the move in Europe, an alliance of non-governmental organisations has said."}
{"article": "Leah Washington, 17, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was one of five people who suffered severe injuries on the Smiler ride on 2 June. A Twitter campaign - #Get1DToLeah - called for the pop band to contact her. Friends said Ms Washington would be \"elated\" at the news. Sara Stuart, who helped start the campaign, said she had been to the Royal Stoke Hospital to visit the teenager, whom she described as a huge fan of the band. \"She's seen them so many times,\" Ms Stuart said. \"It's really given Leah something to aim for and really look forward to once she's recovered.\" The campaign has received thousands of retweets. \"The support has been overwhelming. It made me so happy that so many people were supporting one of my closest friends.\" She said the message \"would make Leah's day and aid her recovery\". She added her friend had tickets to see the band in concert in Cardiff on Saturday but was unable to go because of her injuries. The band are currently in Europe as part of a world tour. \"After visiting her yesterday and knowing how upset she was that she missed seeing them on Saturday, we decided we would try and get in touch with them to see if they were prepared to visit her or send her a video message,\" she said. \"She would love this.\" The band's agents said the band's four members - Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson - had filmed a video message for Ms Washington. \"Unfortunately because of their schedule they can't visit her in hospital, but they have offered Leah tickets to a forthcoming concert of her choice when she has recovered, and will be delighted to meet her backstage then,\" they said. Band member Louis Tomlinson has already sent her his best wishes. He said he was thinking about her and hoping she was back home soon. Ms Washington's boyfriend, 18-year-old Joe Pugh, from Barnsley, is being treated for two broken knees and \"extensive\" hand injuries at the Royal Stoke University Hospital. The couple were in the front row of the Smiler ride, alongside Daniel Thorpe and Vicky Balch, when it hit an empty carriage last week. Chanda Chauhan, 49, from Wednesbury, who was sitting in the second row of the ride, was taken to hospital with internal injuries. The crash left 16 people trapped 25ft (7.6m) above the ground for about four-and-a-half hours.", "summary": "The stars of One Direction have filmed a video message and offered to meet a teenage girl whose leg was amputated following a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers."}
{"article": "It seemed fitting that, when in the 1980s the authorities wanted someone for a pre-recorded radio announcement telling Britain that it was under nuclear attack, they turned to him. It meant, he observed with typical wryness, that he became known as \"the voice of doom\". He was born in Cairo on 23 August 1945 and spent his first 14 years in the Middle East and Cyprus, listening to the BBC World Service and the forces radio network BFBS (which rebroadcast BBC plays and comedies). After dabbling with acting - he appeared with the New Shakespeare Company, the Royal Shakespeare Company and at the Open Air Theatre in Regents Park, London - he joined BFBS as an announcer. According to a BBC biography he then travelled around the Middle East for five years, before joining BBC Radio 2. He read the news and presented Nightride. He transferred to BBC Radio 4 in 1974 after a month with the fledgling commercial station Radio Hallam in Sheffield, and remained with the network until 1 January 2013, as a continuity announcer and newsreader. In 1988 he became the station's chief announcer despite a sometimes chippy relationship with BBC management. Occasionally that became evident on air. In the 1970s a new controller of Radio 4 invented a programme called Up to the Hour, a miscellany of items presented by one of the continuity team, which interrupted the Today programme. It wasn't popular. One morning Donaldson introduced it with the words: \"This is Donald Peterson to take you Up to the Hour, drive you out to work or send you round the dial to Radio 2. And if you're staying, you're very brave!\" His duties included reading the Shipping Forecast, presenting the Six O'Clock News, and reading out funny snippets from newspapers on The News Quiz. His other interests include walking - usually to pubs to discuss politics and religion, and swimming - sometimes across tiny bays to tavernas, to talk about Mediterranean cookery and books.", "summary": "Peter Donaldson had one of the most distinctive voices on Radio 4 - warm and resonant, a voice of benign authority with just a hint of humour."}
{"article": "Simon Walker, head of the Institute of Directors (IoD), told the BBC that Sir Philip Green had a moral responsibility to the retailer's staff. The IoD normally promotes the cause of business, but Mr Walker said there were still many unanswered questions. Sir Philip is due to give his side of the story to MPs later this month. It was announced on Thursday that the department store will be wound down with the loss of up to 11,000 jobs after efforts to find a buyer failed. BHS, sold by Sir Philip last year for \u00a31 to former racing driver Dominic Chappell, went into administration in April. Mr Walker told the BBC's Today programme that the collapse of BHS \"has the potential to be deeply damaging to the reputation of British business\". He said: \"We spend a lot of time agonising about the loss of trust in the business community, and I think we can see why this is. I think there is a lamentable failure of behaviour and there are a lot of questions that need to be asked.\" Asked if he could defend Sir Philip's handling of the company, Mr Walker replied: \"No, I can't.\" Sir Philip, he said, has \"moral responsibilities\" over the demise of the firm and plight of the pension scheme. The billionaire owner of the Arcadia retail empire has been accused of taking money out of BHS while the pension fund sank deep into deficit. Mr Walker said: \"You can't just get yourself off the hook by selling a business to someone who's been bankrupt three times and is a former racing driver with no retail experience.\" He acknowledged that \"BHS was probably going to fail anyway\", but added: \"It's the manner of its failure and the fact that it ends up dumping huge liabilities on to the taxpayer that is a problem, and it is the lack of due diligence in selling it (to Mr Chappell)... something's wrong\". Two Commons select committees are holding hearings into the demise of BHS, and Sir Philip, Mr Chappell and other directors are due to give evidence later this month. Sir Philip said on Thursday that he was \"saddened and disappointed\" by the biggest retail collapse since Woolworths in 2008. A spokesman said the owner of the Topshop chain had hoped to see the company sold as a going concern. 163 stores to close 11,000 jobs at risk, including: 8,000 members of staff and 3,000 non-BHS employees who work in the stores Arcadia advisers have previously said that the business was sold to a company, not an individual, and that they were presented with a credible business plan. BHS's administrators Duff & Phelps said on Thursday that they had failed to find a buyer and that all 163 stores would be holding closing sales over the coming weeks. The jobs of 8,000 members of staff are likely to go, while a further 3,000 jobs of non-BHS employees who work in the stores may also be at risk. John Hannett, of the retail union Usdaw, said there were \"serious questions about", "summary": "A business leader has accused the former owners of BHS of \"lamentable failures\", saying its collapse has fuelled public distrust of UK plc."}
{"article": "Owen Jenkins' body was found in the River Trent near Beeston Marina and Beeston Weir following a major search on 10 July. On 23 July, hundreds of bikers took part in a ride to the weir as part of a tribute to the schoolboy. The funeral service took place at Bramcote Crematorium on Saturday. Hundreds of people lined the streets as the funeral procession passed. A crowd applauded Owen's coffin as it approached in a horse-drawn hearse, then cheered \"hip hip hooray\" three times. His mother Nicola Jenkins, who urged mourners to wear purple and red tops, her son's favourite colours, said the service was a chance to celebrate his life. Writing about Owen on her Facebook page, she said: \"You will always be remembered for your heroic actions, you gave your life to save others. \"We will always have you in our hearts forever.\" Owen's cousin, Paige Staniforth, said after the service: \"He would have been so embarrassed that loads of people are here for him but he deserves it, he really does. \"He deserves the world and more. It's just heartbreaking that he's gone.\" A major search operation was launched following reports a boy had gone into the River Trent off Riverside Road at about 18:00 on 10 July. The rescue operation included seven fire engines, 28 police officers and three boats, but about four hours later Owen's body was found. It later emerged that he had fallen in the river while saving a girl who got into difficulty. A Facebook post by the boy's rugby team, Nottingham Casuals RFC, said Owen was loved by his teammates and everyone he came into contact with. Ian Brierly, head teacher at Chilwell School where Owen was a student, described him as an \"enthusiastic and gregarious young man\". Anna Soubry, Conservative MP for Broxtowe, who said Owen had \"lost his life in the Trent trying to help others\", has called for government action to co-ordinate safety measures around open water.", "summary": "Hundreds of people have paid their respects at the funeral of a 12-year-old \"hero\" who died while trying to rescue a girl from a weir."}
{"article": "The Ministry of Public Security said 1,168 cultural relics worth more than 500m yuan ($80m; \u00a352m) had been found. The artefacts are thought to be illegally excavated in Niuheliang, a Neolithic archaeological site in north-eastern Liaoning province. The ministry said the activities of the looters had severely damaged the site. Among the artefacts was a coiled jade dragon, one of the earliest known depictions of the mythological creature, authorities said. Unesco says the Niuheliang archaeological site, which dates back 5,500-5,000 years, was a burial and sacrificial centre in the late Hongshan period. State media described the recovery as the biggest operation of its kind since the founding of modern China in 1949. The date of the recovery operation was not provided, but the ministry said in a statement that 1,000 police officer were involved. The looters were said to be split into 10 gangs that were responsible for everything from the excavation to the selling of the relics, according to China Daily. Four archaeologists are also thought to be involved, the newspaper said. \"Artefacts are sold at a fast speed and traded frequently in a short time,\" said Cai Binghui, a police officer who was involved with the case according to China Daily.", "summary": "Police in China have taken 175 people into custody in what authorities are calling the country's biggest ever operation to recover stolen artefacts."}
{"article": "However, the discourse has mostly centred around the \"maharajas\" or kings, many of whom are still wealthy and influential. Although there have been prominent maharanis (queens) like Gayatri Devi of Jaipur, who was instrumental in promoting girls' education in India, and featured on a Vogue list of \"most beautiful women\", many of India's royal women have been out of the spotlight and not much is known about them. A photography studio, Tasveer, is now trying to change that - as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations, it has collected portraits of Indian queens and princesses and is showing it in an exhibition, titled \"Maharani: Women of Royal India\". Tasveer said the pictures were sourced from the archives of the Museum of Art and Photography, royal collections from across the subcontinent and other institutional and private collections both in India and abroad such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Portrait Gallery in London, and the Amar Mahal Museum and Library in Jammu.", "summary": "India's royalty lost their official powers when the nation gained independence in 1947, but there is still a great sense of romance and fascination with the men and women who once ruled large tracts of the country."}
{"article": "The rider, who is believed to be a 47-year-old man from the Askam area, was riding a Triumph motorbike when he collided with a Scania HGV shortly before noon on the A595 near the Askam brickworks. Cumbria Police said the biker died at the scene. The 52-year-old man driving the HGV was uninjured. The road was closed for several hours and police are appealing for witnesses.", "summary": "A biker has died after a collision with a lorry in Askam-in-Furness."}
{"article": "Steven Finn (3-27) reduced the hosts to 136-4 after England had set them 416 - the second highest chase ever - to win. Earlier, Jonny Bairstow hit 79 - his best Test score for three years - and Joe Root 73 as England reached 326 in their second innings. England are heavy favourites to earn a rare away win, but key batsman AB de Villiers remains unbeaten on 37. He was reprieved six overs before the close when Bairstow missed a tough chance to stump him off the bowling of Moeen Ali. Alastair Cook's men have won only one of their last 15 overseas Tests, but they have consistently outplayed the world's top-ranked Test side in this match. The Proteas, meanwhile, have concerns over captain Hashim Amla, who again failed with the bat, and talismanic fast bowler Dale Steyn, who did not bowl after injuring his shoulder on the third day. England resumed on 172-3, 261 runs ahead, looking for quick runs to set South Africa a challenging target, and in that context Bairstow's rapid innings was extremely valuable. Playing with impressive fluency on a wicket on which scoring has generally been difficult and slow, the Yorkshire batsman struck nine fours and three sixes. It was a significant knock from Bairstow, who is still seeking to establish himself as a permanent fixture in this England side ahead of rival wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler. But he could not record his maiden Test century, holing out off part-timer Stiaan van Zyl - who finished with 3-20 - as he unselfishly tried to accelerate with a declaration in prospect. Earlier, Root added just 13 runs to his overnight score before edging Kyle Abbott to slip, continuing a pattern of failing to convert fifties into hundreds - the number four has just three centuries in 2015, despite having passed 50 13 times. Ben Stokes' lean run with the bat continued as he edged Piedt to slip for five - the eighth time he has failed to pass five in his last 13 innings - but Chris Woakes contributed 23 in a useful cameo. The hosts began well with the bat, with first-innings centurion Dean Elgar and Van Zyl cracking eight boundaries in the first nine overs as they raced to South Africa's first 50 partnership for the opening wicket in nine innings. But Stokes removed Van Zyl just before tea, nipping a delivery between bat and pad. Then it was over to Finn, who continued his fine wicket-taking form since being recalled to the side in the summer with a superb burst in the evening session. First he induced the out-of-form Amla to chase a wide delivery and edge behind, then he had Elgar slash a full delivery to Root, who held a sharp catch at second slip. And in the final over of the day, he ended the resistance of Faf du Plessis, producing a beautiful delivery which squared the batsman up and was edged to Cook at first slip. Finn now looks a heavy favourite to retain his place ahead of Woakes if James Anderson", "summary": "England need six wickets on the final day to complete victory in the first Test against South Africa in Durban."}
{"article": "Gavin Rothery almost put the visitors ahead with a powerful close-range strike which was inches over. Managerless Harriers battled gamely and went close when Elton Ngwatala's fine shot struck the post. But from a late corner, Liam Dickinson connected with Jake Lawlor's header and volleyed Guiseley to a victory which left the hosts 14 points from safety.", "summary": "Guiseley consigned bottom side Kidderminster Harriers to their seventh straight defeat in the National League."}
{"article": "The males of the extraordinary semi-aquatic mammal - one of the only kind to lay eggs - have venomous spurs on the heels of their hind feet. The poison is used to ward off adversaries. But scientists at the University of Adelaide and Flinders University have discovered it contains a hormone that could help treat diabetes. Known as GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), it is also found in humans and other animals, where it promotes insulin release, lowering blood glucose levels. But it normally degrades very quickly. Not for the duck-billed bottom feeders though. Or for echidnas, also known as spiny anteaters - another iconic Australian species found to carry the unusual hormone. Both produce a long-lasting form of it, offering the tantalising prospect of creating something similar for human diabetes sufferers. Lead researcher Prof Frank Grutzer told the BBC's Greg Dunlop why the researchers had decided to look at the platypus and its insulin mechanisms: \"We knew from genome analysis that there was something weird about the platypus's metabolic control system because they basically lack a functional stomach.\" They are not the only animals to use insulin against enemies. The gila monster, a venomous lizard native to the US and Mexico, and the geographer cone, a dangerous sea snail which can kill entire schools of fish by releasing insulin into the sea, both also weaponise the chemical. \"That's obviously something that can be powerful in venom,\" Prof Grutzer said, though he stressed it was not what had led them to the discovery. \"It was really coincidental,\" he said. He emphasised that much more research was needed before the discovery could, if ever, lead to a human treatment: \"An important experiment is going to be putting this it into mice and see how it affects blood glucose levels. That's certainly very high on our priority list. \"But to get to a drug is a very long journey. We still have to learn a lot more about how this platypus hormone actually works.\"", "summary": "Platypus venom could pave the way for new treatments for type 2 diabetes, say Australian researchers."}
{"article": "The ICM survey found 34% rated the Tory leader and 23% his Labour rival. UKIP leader Nigel Farage was preferred by 8% and Lib Dem Nick Clegg 5% - although 21% answered \"none of them\". Prof Roger Scully of Cardiff University said if Mr Miliband was behind Mr Cameron in such a \"Labour bastion\" as Wales, he could struggle elsewhere. However, he added: \"Margaret Thatcher won an election in 1979, despite being generally behind James Callaghan in opinion ratings,\" referring to the first of four consecutive Conservative victories over Labour. People were asked to disregard their own party preferences when naming the leader they thought would make the best prime minister. Support for further devolution of power to the assembly fell to 40%, from 49% in September. Around one third of those questioned - 33% - said the assembly had sufficient powers, up by 7 percentage points. Four percent said it should have fewer powers - up 2 points - with 13% wanting to scrap the assembly altogether - up 1. Support for independence had doubled from 3% to 6%. \"There is a divide now between those who are reasonably happy with things as they are, and the somewhat larger group who would like things to go somewhat further, but not as far as independence,\" Prof Scully said. Asked to pick which institution they thought was most likely to improve things for themselves and their family, 38% chose the assembly, 26% the Westminster Parliament, 20% their local council and 6% the European Union. Prof Scully said this showed \"a sort of broad, residual goodwill\" towards the assembly. As for Europe, nearly two-thirds - 63% - said they would prefer the UK to stay in the European Union, with 33% wanting to leave. On university tuition fees subsidised by the Welsh government, nearly two-thirds of those polled backed support for students attending any UK university, while 37% said they should only be supported to study at Welsh universities. BBC Wales' education correspondent Arwyn Jones said: \"It's not hugely surprising that so many people in Wales are in favour of the Welsh government's tuition fee grant. \"It's the most generous offer to students of any part of the UK. \"The main opposition to the policy comes not from the public, but from the universities in Wales and opposition parties in the assembly. \"They say that over \u00c2\u00a390m is \"lost\" to them every time a student from Wales goes to study in England. \"Last week, a report by the independent Higher Education Policy Institute disagreed with that view. \"It pointed out that \"arguing that the main problem is that institutions are losing money assumes it was theirs to lose in the first place and that they have first claim on the sums at stake. That is contestable. \"There is a review of the policy at the moment, but it won't report back for another year. \"One model being considered is that only students who choose to study in Wales would get the grant - our poll suggests that 37% of people in Wales would support", "summary": "More Welsh voters think David Cameron would be a better prime minister than Ed Miliband, according to a new poll for BBC Wales."}
{"article": "Poverty is deep and widespread, but Bangladesh has in recent years reduced population growth and improved health and education. Formerly East Pakistan, Bangladesh came into being only in 1971, when the two parts of Pakistan split after a bitter war which drew in neighbouring India. Bangladesh spent 15 years under military rule and, although democracy was restored in 1990, the political scene remains volatile. Islamist extremism has been rising in the usually tolerant country. The low-lying country is vulnerable to flooding and cyclones, and stands to be badly affected by any rises in sea levels. Population 162 million Area 143,998 sq km (55,598 sq miles) Major language Bengali Major religion Islam, Hinduism Life expectancy 69 years (men), 70 years (women) Currency taka President: Abdul Hamid Abdul Hamid, formerly the Speaker of parliament, was elected unopposed to the ceremonial post in 2013. Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina Sheikh Hasina started a third term as prime minister in January 2014 after her Awami League won elections boycotted by the opposition amid an ongoing political crisis. Politics has long been dominated by bitter rivalry between two women: Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Both have been prime minister at various times since 1991. Their hostility stems in part from differences over who played a greater role in the country's independence struggle - Hasina's father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, or Khaleda Zia's husband, General Ziaur Rahman. They sank their differences when military ruler Hossain Mohammad Ershad was in power from 1982 to 1990, but they have been uncompromising rivals ever since. Four bloggers who criticised religious fundamentalism were murdered in 2015. One of them was reportedly on a hit-list of bloggers published by a Bangladeshi Islamist group at the end of 2014. Some key dates in the history of Bangladesh: 1947 - British colonial rule over India ends. A largely Muslim state comprising East and West Pakistan is established, either side of India. The two provinces are separated from each other by more than 1,500 km of Indian territory. 1971 - Independence after a nine-month war, with India backing the Bengali nationalists against Pakistan. 1973 - First parliamentary elections give the Awami League a landslide victory. 1975 - A military coup sees founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members killed, putting an end to civilian rule. 1979 - Second parliamentary elections brings former army chief Ziaur Rahman's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to power. 1981 - Ziaur Rahman assassinated during abortive military coup. 1982 - General Ershad assumes power in army coup. He suspends the constitution and political parties. 1991 - Fifth parliamentary elections, brings the BNP under Zia's widow, Khaleda Zia, back to power. The country returns to a parliamentary system of government.", "summary": "Bangladesh is one of the world's most densely populated countries, with its people crammed into a delta of rivers that empties into the Bay of Bengal."}
{"article": "James Kelly is attempting to repeal the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act. The consultation on his Members' Bill attracted 3,248 responses. Mr Kelly said 71% were \"fully supportive\" of repealing the section of the law covering behaviour at football. And he said there was 62% support for scrapping the section covering offensive communications. Mr Kelly said this compared with 24% who indicated they were fully opposed to repealing the football part of the act, and 21% the communications sections. The vast majority of those who responded were individuals, many of whom expressed concerns that the legislation was infringing on freedom of speech and expression and unfairly criminalising fans. Several people appeared to misunderstand the question, and indicated they were \"fully opposed\" to repealing the act before later suggesting they were in favour. Labour said these respondents had subsequently been given an opportunity to clarify their position, with the final figures taking these clarifications into account. Celtic was the only football club to respond, with its response saying that it \"remains supportive\" of the Scottish government's commitment to addressing unacceptable behaviour. But it also said it retained \"significant concerns\" over potential discrimination against football supporters and confusion in applying and enforcing the law. Of the 21 organisations that responded, ten were supporters groups including the Celtic Trust, Club 1872 and Fans Against Criminalisation - all of which were in favour of repeal. Glasgow City Council also indicated it believe the law should be repealed. But LGBT campaign groups Stonewall Scotland and the Equality Network said repealing the act would send a message that prejudiced and threatening behaviour at football is acceptable, with Stonewall calling for a review of the legislation to examine whether improvements could be made. The act, which came into force in 2012, criminalised offensive and threatening behaviour, including sectarian behaviour, related to football matches and any communications containing threats or incitement to religious hatred. The SNP used its majority in the last Scottish Parliament to pass it - but Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Greens all back its repeal. Mr Kelly said: \"The SNP were arrogant to bulldoze this piece of legislation through Holyrood in the first place. Every other party opposed it. \"Academics, lawyers, football clubs and football fans opposed it, yet the SNP wouldn't listen and used their then majority in the Scottish Parliament to rail-road the Football Act through. \"Having lost that majority, and faced with clear public support for repeal through the consultation process, it would be incredibly arrogant if the SNP do not now think again.\" But a spokeswoman for the Scottish government said the country continues to have a problem with abusive behaviour at football games. She said: \"A hardcore minority is souring the atmosphere for the majority of football supporters and critics of the Act seem to think our only option is just to accept this contempt for fans and players. \"Not one viable alternative to dealing with the unacceptable scenes of violence and abuse we continue to see at matches has been put forward in the entire debate", "summary": "The majority of responses to a consultation on Scotland's football sectarianism laws are in favour of scrapping the legislation, the Labour MSP behind the move has said."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old, who scored 10 goals in 50 appearances for the U's last season, has signed a three-year contract with the Championship side. O'Dowda made his Republic of Ireland debut against Belarus in May, and scored in Oxford's Johnstone's Paint Trophy final defeat by Barnsley. \"He's a real emerging talent,\" said Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson. \"Callum isn't exactly under the radar because there was a lot of interest in him, so we're delighted he's joined us - we believe he can continue the progression he has already shown.\" O'Dowda, who had two years left on his contract with hometown club Oxford, had missed the start of their pre-season tour to Spain because of \"illness\". The fee could rise to \u00a31.6m, with Oxford owed a percentage of any future sale. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Bristol City have signed Oxford United winger Callum O'Dowda for a fee of at least \u00a31m."}
{"article": "Behind glass screens high in the cavernous stands some will sip champagne as a galaxy of expensive stars including Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Marcos Rojo are introduced to the home support for the first time. Millions will watch around the globe. Around the pitch advertisement boards will promote multi-national companies, many of whom will have paid handsomely for the privilege. Fifteen miles to the east, another team called United and representing Manchester will be kicking off the second half of their first match on the long road to Wembley. Like those at Old Trafford, they will wear red shirts, white shorts and black socks. However, in the slightly more compact surroundings of Stalybridge Celtic's Bower Fold ground (capacity 6,500) there will be no millionaire superstars and no private boxes, although sponsors can watch with everyone else from the comfort of the clubhouse. Merseyside outfit Prescot Cables, named so because of a nearby cable company, will provide the opposition in front of a crowd of around 1,400 in a match held on Sunday not because of TV demands but because the landlords are at home on Saturday. Those in action will be on an average of \u00a3150-a-week and have jobs of their own. Fans will be able to stand on a terrace and mix with the players in the bar after the final whistle. The atmosphere is incredible. I could take my grandmother - it's what football should be like. Welcome to the world of FC United of Manchester. The rebel club, set up in protest at the Glazer family's debt-burdening ownership of United, will be 10 years old next year. In November, they will end almost a decade on the road by coming home to a new 5,000 capacity stadium in Moston, a working class urban suburb in north east Manchester. These are exciting times and yet, according to general manager Andy Walsh, it could have been different had a 2005 phone call to Sir Alex Ferguson shortly before the American family's controversial takeover prompted a different response. Walsh said: \"We had it on good authority from our friends in the city that the banks who were lending the Glazers the money to buy the club would have pulled out had they not had the continuity of Sir Alex and (chief executive) David Gill in control of the club. \"I was a member of the independent supporters' association at the time and would speak to Sir Alex from time to time. If players do not fit the attitude of this club they do not cross the line. \"It was decided that I should call him and ask him to resign. It wasn't an easy conversation and ultimate respect to him for speaking to me. He listened to what I had to say but said that he did not want to jeopardise the livelihoods of all the staff he had brought to Old Trafford. \"It was a high-risk strategy and, although it seems ridiculous now, we were close to getting a deal on the table that would have given supporters ownership", "summary": "In front of 75,000 paying customers at a packed Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, Manchester United will parade up to \u00a3149m worth of new talent as they take on QPR in the biggest league in the world."}
{"article": "The men stole money from the TSB bank on Dunearn Drive on 29 January before escaping on bicycles. The six-minute film shows them pointing what appears to be a handgun at staff before filling green bags with cash. Officers have appealed for information about the two men, at least one of whom is believed to be Eastern European. Staff were threatened by the men with the gun and a crowbar, which can also be seen in the footage. No-one was injured in the raid. After leaving the bank at about 10:40, the two men cycled off along Alford Avenue and were spotted a short time later on Cawdor Crescent. Both were white, roughly 30 years old and were wearing dark-coloured baseball caps. One suspect, who was about 5ft 9in (1.75m) tall, was wearing dark blue jogging bottoms with a distinctive white logo, which police have established is that of Mordex, a Polish brand associated with bodybuilding. Det Insp Colin Robson, who is leading the investigation, said he hoped the footage could jog the memory of people in the area. He said: \"I can reassure the local community that we're working tirelessly to track down these men and will exhaust all avenues of inquiry. \"While the answer to their identity remains unknown, it may lie in the local community and I would urge anyone who views this footage, which is being shared nationally, and who recognises them or their description to contact police immediately.\"", "summary": "Police have released the full CCTV film from a Kirkcaldy bank which was held up by two armed men in January."}
{"article": "The issue of immigration loomed large in the south-western state, the biggest prize in the latest round of contests. Polls showed that Mr Trump's anti-immigration message resonated with the state's conservative voters. With Arizona's growing Latino population, Mrs Clinton continued her success by courting minority voters. Keeping his campaign in the race, Democrat Bernie Sanders decisively won caucuses in two smaller states, Idaho and Utah. The Utah Republican caucuses were won by Texas Senator Ted Cruz. He also received a welcome boost with the endorsement of former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who pulled out of the race last month. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump effectively held serve in Tuesday's slate of primaries and caucuses. Both posted sizable wins in Arizona, which - thanks to the state's population - balanced out losses elsewhere. For Mr Trump to have a realistic path to securing the Republican nomination before the party's convention he needed Arizona's winner-take-all primary. The state proved to be fertile territory for the front-runner's anti-immigration, border-security pitch. Mr Trump is still on pace to near the magic delegate number of 1,237. Unless momentum changes significantly, it's going to be a nail-biter. The New Yorker's Utah loss was notable for its size, denying him any delegates there and proving that while Mr Trump has broad appeal among Republicans, that does not extend to the state's sizeable Mormon population. There's only one Utah, however, and many more states ahead that could be friendlier to Mr Trump. Mrs Clinton's comfortable win over Bernie Sanders in Arizona was more surprising, as the Vermont senator had invested considerable resources there. He dominated the smaller Utah and Idaho caucuses, however - offering further proof of his appeal in states with a less diverse voter pool. Mr Sanders made little, if any, headway in the delegate count, however. He needs more big wins, without setbacks like Arizona - and soon. During a victory speech in Seattle, Mrs Clinton addressed the terrorist attacks in Brussels on Tuesday, pushing back against the Republican candidates' response to the bombings. Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Trump reiterated his plan to ban Muslims from travelling to the US and suggested that the US should torture terrorism suspects. \"We live in a complex and dangerous world,\" Mrs Clinton said. \"And we need a commander-in-chief that can provide leadership that is strong, smart and above all steady in taking on these threats. The last thing we need are leaders who incite more fear,\" she said, alluding to Mr Trump. The Republican primary in Arizona was a winner-take-all race, adding 58 delegates to Mr Trump's sizable lead. Primary results 22 March - Complete results from Arizona, Idaho and Utah Trump struggles to win over Mormons - Unlike other religious groups, Mormons aren't sold on the front-runner Who is funding the US election? - Money is a big issue in the 2016 US presidential race Could Hillary Clinton face jail time? - The case of David Petraeus may signal how she will fare The property tycoon's win complicates efforts by Mr Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich to stop", "summary": "US presidential front-runners, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, have continued their winning streaks, taking Arizona."}
{"article": "United ended a run of four derby defeats with a convincing 4-2 win at Old Trafford that left City with their sixth loss in their last eight games. Pellegrini, 61, said: \"It is my responsibility and the only way we can change this is by winning games. \"I am not talking about my position. It is not important.\" City won the Premier League title last season and were level on points with leaders Chelsea in January, nine points above rivals United. But they are now four points below United in fourth and face being dragged into a fight to secure Champions League football next season as Liverpool could close the gap to just four points with victory against Newcastle United at Anfield on Monday. Pellegrini added: \"The only way to explain our run is that we don't have the results. We lost many points, not only in this game which was a very difficult one, but in others too. \"We played very well for 20 minutes but we must not play just for 20 minutes, we must play for the whole game in the same way. \"We are concerned but now we must try to win the next game at home to West Ham. We have been first or second the whole year and now we are fourth but United and Arsenal have to play against Chelsea. We have 18 more points to play for. We must not be dramatic.\" City faded after taking the early lead through Sergio Aguero and Pellegrini conceded that United's stirring comeback may have affected his team's fragile spirit. \"Maybe it is something we can be concerned by,\" he said. \"It is easy when you are two goals in front to play with more trust than the team that is two goals behind. \"We made important mistakes for the second goal and the third was offside but the result was a fair one.\"", "summary": "Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini took full responsibility for his side's alarming slump but refused to discuss his long-term future."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called to the scene, in the Inverclyde town's Union Street, at about 20:30 on Sunday. Firefighters used hydraulic cutting equipment to free some of the injured. Four men and one woman were then treated by paramedics at the scene. It is understood two men sustained head injuries and another man was treated for a leg injury. One of the men was taken to Inverclyde Royal Hospital.", "summary": "Five people have been injured after a car and taxi collided in Greenock."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Muguruza beat American five-time champion Venus Williams 7-5 6-0 in Saturday's final and is expected to rise to number five in the new world rankings on Monday. The 23-year-old is now a double Grand Slam champion, having won the French Open last year. Martinez told Sportsweek: \"She has the potential and she can win more.\" Spaniard Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon champion, added: \"She is very happy with her game. She beat the world number one, Kerber, and she can go all the way.\" Muguruza was ranked 15th in the world before Wimbledon but both she and Britain's Johanna Konta, who lost to Venus Williams in the semi-final, are expected to rise above former world number one Serena Williams, who is pregnant with her first child. Muguruza beat German world number one Angelique Kerber in the last 16 and seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter-finals on the way to the title. She was beaten by Serena in the 2015 Wimbledon final, and was determined to avoid a repeat against her sister Venus. \"I didn't want to lose this time because I know the difference. I'm so happy,\" she said. \"I'm happy that once again I see myself winning a Grand Slam, something that is so hard to do.\"", "summary": "New Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza can be the best player in the world, says her coach Conchita Martinez."}
{"article": "Glamorgan will resume on 101-2 after being set a mammoth victory target of 554, although bad light wiped out the final session on day three. \"We're behind the eight-ball as we have been for most of the game,\" he said. \"We caught a bit of a break with bad light helping us out in the last session so we've got eight wickets to bat it out.\" Wallace added: \"It's still a good pitch as Kent's batsmen showed and our batsmen showed at the start of our second innings, so we're very capable of batting out for a draw.\" James Kettleborough (52 not out) and Colin Ingram (42 not out) halted Kent's victory march with a stand of 78 after Glamorgan again lost early wickets. Earlier Kent had cruised to 451-2 before declaring just after lunch on day three, with Rob Key hitting 158 and Joe Denly making 161 not out. The target of 554 left Glamorgan needing far in excess of their previous best fourth-innings championship chase of 367. Stand-in skipper Wallace welcomed Kettleborough's highest score for the club after being out of the championship side since May. \"Ketts's performances for us in the first-class game this year have shown he's got the ability to be a first-class opener,\" Wallace told BBC Wales Sport. \"He's just been getting to 20 and getting out without quite being able to kick on. Luckily this game he's got to 50 and hopefully there's plenty of batting ahead of him tomorrow.\" Glamorgan managed to hold on for a draw after starting the final day with one wicket down in Canterbury in May, so Wallace knows they face a similar task in the return fixture. \"There are still good balls out there, you've got to be on your mettle as a batsman and the first half-hour tomorrow will be hard work but it's a good surface. \"We put ourselves in this position, we didn't bat well enough in our first innings and that let them dictate the play, \"Bbut we're confident of being able to do that (bat through the day).\"", "summary": "Captain Mark Wallace says Glamorgan are \"very capable\" of salvaging a draw on the final day against Kent in Cardiff."}
{"article": "Mr Farron was one of the few who held onto his seat in last week's election, while the rest of his party lost almost 50 seats. He said he felt a sense of anger the election had been fought \"on the politics of fear\". He is seen as one of the frontrunners to become the next party leader. The Liberal Democrats have set in motion a two-month contest to succeed Nick Clegg after they said a new leader would be elected in July. Mr Clegg is stepping down after a slew of Lib Dems lost their seats including top figures Vince Cable, Simon Hughes and David Laws. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Farron added: \"You always feel anger when you see dozens of mates basically and colleagues lose their seats having had an outstanding record locally and nationally. \"And I guess a sense of anger - if that is the right word - against an election that was fought and indeed sadly won on the basis of the politics of fear. \"When one looks back at the election and you realise that the best asset David Cameron has is the SNP and the best asset the SNP has is David Cameron. \"This was an election fought basis of people terrified of the other. Fear is hugely motivating factor in elections, I'm sad to report.\" Mr Farron and his colleague Norman Lamb are seen as the frontrunners to take Mr Clegg's place. Greg Mulholland, one of the party's remaining eight MPs, said a new leader must be chosen quickly. \"We must not - and will not - wait till July to have a new leader in place. We need strong leadership now,\" he said. Several senior party figures, including former Liberal leader Lord Steel, have warned it could take decades for the party to recover from its worst election result in its history. The party has been left with a handful of MPs, including one in Scotland, one in Wales and one in London, following a series of defeats which some activists have blamed on Mr Clegg's decision to take the Lib Dems into coalition with the Conservatives in 2010. Nominations for leader will open on 13 May and close on 3 June. Ballot papers will be sent out on 24 June and must be returned by 15 July. The winner will be declared on 16 July. Neither Mr Farron, a former party president, nor Mr Lamb, a former health minister, have declared themselves as candidates. However, they are regarded as the leading contenders and both are expected to stand. Tom Brake, who served as a minister in the last government, has ruled himself out of the running and said the contest must act as a catalyst for debating the future direction of the party. \"What will happen during that contest will be that there will be an opportunity to talk about what went wrong and what sort of strategy do we put in place,\" he told the BBC's Sunday Politics. He said he was not backing anyone at this", "summary": "The Liberal Democrat Tim Farron says his party must \"turn our anger into action\" and rebuild from the bottom upwards."}
{"article": "He greeted an 80,000-strong crowd at Newcastle Civic Centre with the words \"Haway the lads\" to deafening cheers. President Carter wanted to recruit people for an exchange programme between the north-east of England and his home in Atlanta, Georgia. His visit on 6 May 1977 is being remembered and celebrated with film footage and talks at the civic centre. Mr Carter's wife Rosalynn had set up the Friendship Force to give people in different countries the chance to stay in each others' homes. In July 1977, hundreds of people from the region jetted off to Atlanta, among them former BBC Look North television presenter Mike Neville. He said: \"Few of us had been to America before - also we were on a jumbo jet and one had never landed at Newcastle Airport before, which was a thrill in itself. \"It was a buzz, I don't think anybody slept the night before. It was just a total, utter thrill. \"The reaction when he got off the plane in America was unbelievable, the crowd cheered and screamed.\" Democrat Mr Carter became the 39th president when he was elected in 1976. He chose to visit Tyneside just a few months in to his term. He left office in 1981.", "summary": "It is 40 years since US President Jimmy Carter visited Tyneside on his first foreign trip."}
{"article": "The NCS aims to prepare teenagers for work through team building activities and community projects. It has run in England since 2011 and a pilot scheme began in Wales in 2014. Mr Cameron, visiting Snowdonia, said it was a \"fantastic opportunity\" for young people. The intention is that graduates on the scheme, called Teach First, lead teenagers on group activities and challenges like mountaineering, canoeing and abseiling. More than 1,700 graduates joined Teach First in England and Wales this year, and the intention is for all to be involved in the volunteer scheme by 2017. Visiting an outdoor education centre in the Conwy valley on Friday, Mr Cameron said: \"NCS is a fantastic opportunity for young people from different backgrounds to come together to gain life skills and give something back to their local community. \"Teach First's mission to break down social barriers makes its teachers ideal volunteer mentors to engage with and inspire young people on NCS. \"This fantastic partnership will create thousands more opportunities for young people to benefit from NCS.\" The NCS is a key part of Mr Cameron's \"Big Society\" agenda, encouraging the growth of volunteering and promoting so-called social enterprises. The prime minister urged the Welsh government to consider taking up the scheme and offering it across Wales. A report on the Welsh pilot - examining whether it duplicates or complements existing schemes - is expected shortly. The UK government has been embroiled in controversy this week after one high-profile charity, Kids Company, closed its doors after ministers said they wanted to recover a \u00c2\u00a33m grant. There have been suggestions that Mr Cameron himself had been \"mesmerised\" by the charity's founder Camila Batmanghelidjh, and had over-ruled civil service concerns over continued funding for the organisation.", "summary": "Graduates who do a two-year teaching scheme will be expected to volunteer with the National Citizen Service (NCS), Prime Minister David Cameron has announced."}
{"article": "Antony Kay gave MK Dons the lead after the break when he headed Robert Hall's corner but Clucas restored parity directly from a curling set-piece. In a first half of few chances, Hull came closest when Mohamed Diame headed Isaac Hayden's cross just wide. Diame tried his luck again with a neat turn and shot in the box but he fired straight at Dons keeper David Martin. The result means Hull move above Brighton into third place in the Championship, but have recorded just one win in their last seven matches in all competitions. Steve Bruce's side could have leapfrogged Middlesbrough and moved into the top two with a win by virtue of goal difference. MK Dons, who have never won against Hull, remain in 21st place and a point above the relegation zone. Media playback is not supported on this device Hull City manager Steve Bruce: \"We're frustrated but we didn't play anywhere near well enough in the first half. We've played better in the second half. \"First half we didn't move the ball quick enough and gave the ball away in bad areas. \"At the end of the day I pick the team but I scratch my head and ask why we've played like that in the first half. We've got to take away the nerves and a little bit of edginess which may be creeping in.\" MK Dons manager Karl Robinson: \"I thought it was a handball that led to it [Sam Clucas' goal]. They are a team, the officials, and referees get slated up and down the country. As a group of four they should be judged and he wasn't assisted right today and that was disappointing. \"I thought there were two completely different halves. I thought the first half we dominated and moved the ball unbelievably well. \"For a team where we are to come to the KC Stadium and perform the way we did was excellent. Second half, playing one of the best teams in the league, we knew how hard it was always going to be. I thought my players' application was sensational.\"", "summary": "Sam Clucas' second-half free-kick gave promotion-chasing Hull a point as they drew with lowly MK Dons."}
{"article": "The Wales and Northampton winger was injured against Leicester on Saturday. TV replays appeared to show him lying motionless before he recovered to pass a mandatory pitch-side assessment. Northampton said they had not had access to full television footage of the incident before allowing North to rejoin the action later in the match. Rules dictate that any player with confirmed or suspected concussion should be permanently removed from a game. Immediately after Saturday's contest, Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder said North, 24, had not been knocked out. Premiership Rugby and the RFU have revealed that a Concussion Management Review Group (CMRG) met on Tuesday to assess the incident. A statement said the group could decide to issue a warning or even recommend a misconduct charge against the club or an individual. Wales international North fell heavily in a mid-air tackle that led to Leicester's Adam Thompstone being sin-binned. He left the field for a mandatory head injury assessment by the club's doctor. North was passed fit and returned to the action. After the game, North said on Twitter he was \"OK\", adding: \"I landed on my neck and was worried about it. Thanks to the medics for checking me out properly. I can't help but feel I won't be looking left or right for a few days.\" On Saturday, Mallinder said: \"Our doctors and medical staff are really clear that if anyone gets knocked unconscious or has had a knock where they look like they are unconscious, they need to come straight off. \"It's as simple as that. You don't go to be assessed - you are off straight away. George has had some previous issues so he took it steady. \"The doctor was very, very happy even as he walked off that he was just going to go for an assessment and thankfully he could come back on.\" A club statement said that North was \"communicating immediately with attending medics\" and \"complaining of neck pain\". It added: \"Significant neck injury was excluded on the field but on review of video footage pitch side, the team followed World Rugby protocols and used a Head Injury Assessment given the potential mechanism for head injury. \"George was fully assessed by the doctor and passed fit to return to play.\" But Northampton then released another statement on Tuesday, which said: \"It is important to note this video footage is not always the full range of replay angles available to the TV viewing audience at home. \"If evidence suggesting a loss of consciousness had been available to the medical team at the time of assessment, George would not have been allowed to return to the field of play.\" Chris Jones, BBC Radio 5 live rugby union reporter This is turning into a very significant story, with Northampton saying that their medics did not have access to all of the television footage to review North's fall, so rather than withdraw him permanently from the field, they took him off for a head injury assessment, which he subsequently passed. But if it is the case that the", "summary": "Premiership Rugby and Rugby Football Union officials have held an urgent meeting to assess the handling of George North's latest head injury."}
{"article": "Currently such energy users - already the most vulnerable to debt - face a charge of up to \u00a3900, said Ofgem. As many as 4.5 million people use prepayment meters for electricity, while 3.5 million use them for gas. Consumers who pay in advance also face higher energy bills, although from April 2017 these prices will be capped. The proposal was welcomed by the charity Citizens Advice. At the moment, energy suppliers must try to come to an agreement with consumers who fall into debt. If that cannot be achieved, they can apply to a magistrates court for a warrant to install a prepayment meter. If given permission to do so, they are allowed to charge for the cost of putting it in. Such charges are typically \u00a3400, but can be as high as \u00a3900 when court costs are included. However, some suppliers do not charge anything. Ofgem is suggesting that the maximum fee should be between \u00a3100 and \u00a3150. For particularly vulnerable consumers, such as those in financial hardship or those with health issues, it says there should be no charge at all. \"It's deeply unfair that struggling customers get hit with high warrant costs when they're already grappling with debt, doubly penalising them,\" said Rachel Fletcher, Ofgem's senior partner for consumers and competition. \"Where they are needed, our proposals will protect customers by limiting prepayment meter warrant charges for all customers and removing them for the most vulnerable.\" Gillian Guy, the chief executive of Citizens Advice, welcomed the idea. \"Capping the warrant charges and ending them altogether for vulnerable customers will help to stop people being pushed further into debt when they are already struggling to manage their costs,\" she said. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has ordered a price cap on energy charges for prepayment customers from April 2017. The precise level of the cap has not yet been set, but such households are set to save \u00a375 a year as a result. The Ofgem consultation will last until 9 November 2016.", "summary": "Consumers who are forced to have prepayment energy meters put in should face a maximum installation fee of \u00a3150, the regulator has proposed."}
{"article": "It is a question not only considered by the politicians but also by plenty of businesses and workers in holiday towns like Tenby in Pembrokeshire. The market here can trace its history back about 700 years and, while many tourist shops are seasonal, the stalls are open all year and rely on local customers. Its only remaining butcher Gernot Braun can sense just how confident shoppers are feeling. He said: \"We had a pleasant, busy time over Easter, the weather was fine, people were happy. Now it's a quieter time but it's the start of the season so it should be a busy time for us again. \"I don't know if people are spending more - we haven't seen an increase in turnover. People have still got a bit of money.\" He said it was about the same as five years ago and had not got any worse. \"I think that's a positive sign for the British economy.\" The prices we pay for many goods are barely going up at the moment but it has not been like that for all of this parliament. At the beginning of 2010, prices were rising at 3% a year. The recession meant small wage rises but despite earnings picking up a little, the increases are now back at that 2010 level. So this gap between rising prices and wages means some feel less well off than five years ago. But there is also the argument that had wages gone up as much as prices, more jobs would have been lost by employers struggling to keep up. 'We just about make ends meet' Tenby is in the Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire constituency which had an unemployment rate in 2014 of 4.4%, compared with 6.8% for Wales as a whole. However, many of the jobs around Tenby are linked to tourism and are often minimum wage. Speaking to people in the town, the impression you get is that for many, money is still tight. Chris Osborne, whose family has owned a hotel on the seafront for three generations, said people were still wary in terms of spending but there was a \"little bit of feeling better\". \"There are early indications, but I don't think anyone's getting too excited,\" he said. \"So much of our economy depends on tourists - they're coming from other parts of UK where perhaps they're seeing benefits of recovery. \"But if you look around Tenby you will perhaps see more shops empty than you'd expect to see at this time of year.\" \"There's a degree of more disposable income spend - it's going in the right direction. Cautious optimism is the name of the game\". He said he still had to be prudent and had not been able to give his staff a wage rise for some time but wanted to hear if there was a real chance for reduced VAT for tourism businesses and less red tape. Almost all the parties are promising that if they are elected, we will be allowed to earn more before we start paying income tax.", "summary": "The recession is behind us but are we feeling better off?"}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Currie's anticipated appointment was confirmed at Shamrock Park on Monday evening as his five-year stint as Ards manager came to an end. The Portadown native, 44, emerged as the club's preferred candidate over the past week. Currie, who has been handed an 18-month contract, takes over a side that are 13 points adrift at the bottom of the Premiership table. Portadown started the season with a 12-point deduction for making irregular payments to players and were also handed a number of fines, in addition to being prevented from signing players on professional deals this season. Despite the team's predicament, the new manager described his appointment as the \"pinnacle for me\". \"I was in a strong position and a secure job at Ards, but my heart led me here. The lure of coming home and managing my hometown club was too strong,\" said Currie at the news conference confirming his appointment. \"We're going through a tough time at the moment but I want to bring a smile back to this club. \"Our first priority is doing our utmost to stay in the league and we want to give it a real rattle.\" Currie has arrived from Ards with long-term assistant Jay Willis while Trevor Williamson will remain part of the backroom team. One of the new manager's first acts has been to recall former Linfield striker Mark McAllister to the first-team squad. Back in September, then manager Pat McGibbon told McAllister that he was no longer part of the club's plans. However, Currie believes the striker can be an asset to the squad. \"He's looking forward to playing and getting himself fit,\" said the new manager. \"We've got some good defenders and some good midfielders but I think we need to inject a bit of pace into the last third of the pitch.\" A statement from Ards on Monday night said that the North Down club had received \"an amount of compensation from Portadown for Currie's services\" but that there would be \"further discussions between the two clubs\". The Ards statement added that first-team coach John Bailie will act as their caretaker manager as the club decides how to go about appointing a successor to Currie. Vinny Arkins stepped aside as interim Ports boss last Thursday, having been in caretaker charge of the crisis club since previous manager McGibbon resigned in mid October. Arkins was not in contention to succeed McGibbon as he does not hold a Uefa A coaching licence. After playing 19 games in the Irish Premiership campaign, Portadown are cut adrift at the bottom of the table on minus one points, which leaves them 13 points behind 11th-placed Carrick Rangers.", "summary": "Niall Currie has been unveiled as the new manager of Portadown."}
{"article": "More than 6,800 people have been killed and 35,000 injured since March 2015, the majority in air strikes by a Saudi-led multinational coalition that backs the president. The conflict and a blockade imposed by the coalition have also triggered a humanitarian disaster, leaving 80% of the population in need of aid. The conflict has its roots in the failure of the political transition that was supposed to bring stability to Yemen following an uprising that forced its longtime authoritarian president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to hand over power to Mr Hadi, his deputy, in November 2011. Mr Hadi struggled to deal with a variety of problems, including attacks by al-Qaeda, a separatist movement in the south, the continuing loyalty of many military officers to Mr Saleh, as well as corruption, unemployment and food insecurity. The Houthi movement, which champions Yemen's Zaidi Shia Muslim minority and fought a series of rebellions against Mr Saleh during the previous decade, took advantage of the new president's weakness by taking control of their northern heartland of Saada province and neighbouring areas. Disillusioned with the transition, many ordinary Yemenis - including Sunnis - supported the Houthis and in September 2014 they entered the capital, Sanaa, setting up street camps and roadblocks. In January 2015, the Houthis reinforced their takeover of Sanaa, surrounding the presidential palace and other key points and effectively placing Mr Hadi and his cabinet ministers under house arrest. The president escaped to the southern port city of Aden the following month. The Houthis and security forces loyal to Mr Saleh then attempted to take control of the entire country, forcing Mr Hadi to flee abroad in March 2015. Alarmed by the rise of a group they believed to be backed militarily by regional Shia power Iran, Saudi Arabia and eight other mostly Sunni Arab states began an air campaign aimed at restoring Mr Hadi's government. The coalition received logistical and intelligence support from the US, UK and France. The rise of Yemen's Houthi rebels Meeting the Houthis - and their enemies After more than a year-and-a-half of fighting, no side appears close to a decisive military victory. Pro-government forces - made up of soldiers loyal to President Hadi and predominantly Sunni southern tribesmen and separatists - were successful in stopping the rebels taking Aden, but only after a fierce, four-month battle that left hundreds dead. Having established a beachhead, coalition ground troops landed in Aden that August and helped drive the Houthis and their allies out of much of the south over the next two months. Mr Hadi and his government returned from exile at the same time and established a temporary home in Aden. But in the past year, despite the air campaign and naval blockade continuing unabated, pro-government forces have been unable to dislodge the rebels from their northern strongholds, including Sanaa and its surrounding province. The Houthis have also been able to maintain a siege of the southern city of Taiz and to continue firing missiles and mortars across the border with Saudi Arabia almost daily. Jihadist militants from al-Qaeda in the", "summary": "Yemen, one of the Arab world's poorest countries, has been devastated by a war between forces loyal to the internationally-recognised government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and those allied to the Houthi rebel movement."}
{"article": "The UK National Screening Committee has backed the test, saying it would reduce anxiety for expectant mothers. The move would prevent thousands of invasive procedures, in which one in every 200 women loses her baby. The test analyses tiny fragments of the baby's DNA that end up in the mother's blood, to look for abnormalities. Down's syndrome is a genetic condition that typically causes some level of learning disability and characteristic physical features. The NHS offers screening to women 11 to 14 weeks into their pregnancy. At the moment, an ultrasound scan, the mother's age and other factors such as smoking are combined to assess the likelihood of a baby having Down's. Anyone with a greater than one-in-150 chance of having a baby with Down's is offered an amniocentesis, in which a needle is used to extract a sample of amniotic fluid surrounding the foetus. But it is a risky procedure, which will give a negative result in the overwhelming majority of cases. The new non-invasive prenatal blood test (NIPT) will be offered to women instead. Down's syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21, and it is this extra DNA from the baby that the test spots in the mother's blood. If the test is positive, doctors will still recommend an amniocentesis, but the invasive procedure will become unnecessary for the majority of women. The UK National Screening Committee, which advised health authorities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, has recommended non-invasive pre-natal testing is introduced. Dr Anne Mackie, the director of programmes at the UK National Screening Committee, told the BBC News website: \"I think it has the potential to make a great deal of difference. \"It will give more accurate results and reduce anxiety in a significant number of people.\" The new screening plan will be rolled out gradually as it is still uncertain how popular the test will be among women and how effective it will be for other conditions such as Edwards' and Patau's syndromes. But estimates suggest between 3,000 and 5,000 amniocenteses each year will no longer be necessary. Great Ormond Street Hospital conducted trials to assess how non-invasive prenatal testing could be used on the NHS. It indicated many women who would have refused the amniocentesis chose to have the safer test. Prof Lyn Chitty, who led those trials, told the BBC: \"I'm very pleased that they've made the decision to introduce it into NHS maternity care for all women, we know many are going to the private sector for it at the moment. \"For those getting reassurance, it's great and they can enjoy the rest of their pregnancy. \"For those with a positive diagnosis, we have to put measures in place to support them.\" She said the testing \"might\" lead to an increase in abortions but her study showed \"many are using it to prepare for the birth of a baby with Down's syndrome\". The National Screening Committee says it is aware there may be an impact on abortion, but the voluntary test was there to give women information and it", "summary": "Pregnant women in the UK should soon get a safer and more accurate test for Down's syndrome on the NHS, to reduce the risk of miscarriage."}
{"article": "Reich's Grammy-winning 1988 work was performed at Edge Hill station, with passenger trains rolling in and out of Liverpool on both sides of the stage. About 1,200 people watched on the station's Victorian carriage ramp. The US composer introduced the show, which is one of a number of events to celebrate his 80th birthday on Monday. Edge Hill station was on the world's first passenger train line, and George Stephenson's Rocket passed through when the Liverpool to Manchester line opened in 1830. The station provided the backdrop for Thursday's performance of Different Trains, performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra. The work was inspired by Reich's own childhood train journeys across the US and trains that transported Jews to World War Two concentration camps around the same time. \"If I had been born in Stuttgart or in Brussels or Budapest, you and I wouldn't be having this conversation,\" he told BBC 6 Music. Artist and film-maker Bill Morrison used archive film from the era to create a film to accompany the Edge Hill show, which was staged by arts organisations Metal and the Liverpool Biennial. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "The world's oldest active train station has hosted a live performance of composer Steve Reich's Different Trains, as real trains rumbled past."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device After a draw against Argentina and loss to the Netherlands, GB needed a win to retain realistic gold medal prospects but conceded within the first minute. Stacey Michelsen capitalised on slack defending before defender Crista Cullen left on crutches with a leg injury. \"We're gutted about the result,\" forward Sophie Bray told BBC Sport. \"We created the chances and just couldn't put them away, but ultimately you probably learn more from a loss.\" Having faced the two strongest teams in the tournament already in Argentina and Netherlands, GB were hoping to secure their first win at the 2016 Champions Trophy campaign against the world number four side. However, despite the best efforts of Bray, Lily Owsley and Susannah Townsend, GB could not find a way past New Zealand keeper Kayla Whitelock. Britain need to win their remaining two matches and hope for an unlikely sequence of results between the other five nations to go in their favour in order to reach Sunday's gold medal final. A more realistic aim is the bronze medal match, which would be achieved by defeating both USA on Thursday and Australia on Saturday. GB head coach Danny Kerry told BBC Sport: \"I actually thought we played well for three quarters today and they need to be tournament resilient and not be too down.\" Kerry said it was \"too early to say\" how serious Cullen's injury is, but with the Olympic team due to be revealed in just a week's time, it will be a concern.", "summary": "Britain's hopes of a first women's Champions Trophy title look over after a disappointing 1-0 defeat by New Zealand in London."}
{"article": "Phil Nunnerley, 69, was on a bus from the England v Fiji match at Twickenham when he collapsed last Friday. He has launched an appeal in a bid to track down his \"saviour\", who performed CPR for 15 minutes. Mr Nunnerley, from North Somerset, said the only clue to the rescuer's identity was his Gloucester Rugby Club shirt. \"I remember nothing of it, from the moment I got on the bus until I woke up in the ward. I was oblivious to it all,\" said Mr Nunnerley. \"I had a man there who worked hard for 15 minutes with CPR and I owe my life to him and would dearly like to thank him.\" Mr Nunnerley's partner, Rosemary Henderson, who accompanied him to the match, put out the appeal on Facebook. The couple, who are from West Harptree in the Chew Valley, were sitting apart as it was a busy bus. But she noticed he \"didn't look quite right, he seemed to be nodding off and going to sleep\". She shook him but he did not respond, causing her to panic and call out for help. \"A man came forward and said I'm a doctor,\" she said. \"He obviously recognised that Phil had had a heart attack, and immediately said get him onto the floor.\" They were \"extremely lucky\", she said, as there was a nearby ambulance crew who met them when they arrived at the hospital car park to take over. She now wanted to learn CPR as a result of her partner's ordeal, she added.", "summary": "A rugby fan who suffered a heart attack while returning from the World Cup opener is seeking a mystery doctor who helped to save his life."}
{"article": "Hearts dominated the first half, Jamie Walker scoring a third-minute penalty after Kevin Gomis brought him down. Callum Paterson headed home Don Cowie's free-kick early on the resumption. But Dundee captain Darren O'Dea drilled home to cut the deficit, Paul McGowan smashed home the equaliser before Paterson headed into his own net. Victory, their fourth in eight games, lifted the Dark Blues into seventh place, while fourth-placed Hearts are now without a win in four. Winger Walker has been the subject of much discussion this season with his twisting runs regularly inducing defenders into rash challenges inside the box. And once again he earned his team a penalty after being played in by Bjorn Johnsen. The 23-year-old picked himself up to send Scott Bain the wrong way for his fifth successful spot-kick, and eighth goal, of the season. Walker was ably assisted by Paterson, who Hearts director of football Craig Levein said earlier this week will not be leaving the club in January unless they receive a seven-figure offer. When the Scotland full-back headed home Don Cowie's free-kick three minutes into the second period, his eighth goal of the season and 37th for the club overall, the visitors looked destined for all three points. The home fans made their frustrations known as a fifth home defeat of the season loomed. Manager Paul Hartley responded by replacing midfielder Mark O'Hara with Paul McGowan, and the momentum of the game changed. O'Dea pulled one back with a rare right-foot strike after the Hearts defence failed to clear the ball from their own box. With confidence visibly growing, McGowan latched onto a ball from Craig Wighton and clipped the ball over the advancing Jack Hamilton to draw Dundee level. A neck injury to Hearts midfielder Don Cowie, who was stretchered off after a delay of seven minutes and taken to hospital, appeared to adversely affect the visitors. The 1400 Hearts fans who made the trip to Dundee could barely believe their team's collapse when the hosts completed their comeback in the 93rd minute, Haber getting up to meet a Tom Hateley free-kick from close range, only for Hearts defender Paterson to direct a header into his own net. Hearts should have been out of sight at half time. Paterson, Walker, Arnaud Djoum and Krystian Novak all came close to adding further goals to Walker's opener, and Cathro must wonder what his players have to do to get that first win of his tenure. They have two more opportunities in the next week before the winter break, with Kilmarnock - on Tuesday - and Aberdeen - next Friday - both visiting Tynecastle. Dundee boss Paul Hartley: \"The first half we were really poor, the game could have been dead and buried. That's the worst we have been for a long time. \"The second half we showed a real grit, determination and desire to stay in the game at 2-0 down and we always thought we would get chances. Once we got the goal back to make it 2-1 we could feel momentum building. \"I'm really proud", "summary": "Dundee came from two goals down to stun Hearts with an injury-time winner and leave Ian Cathro still waiting for his first win as head coach."}
{"article": "Sir Richard Gozney will be paid around \u00a3100,000 a year as the Queen's latest representative on the island and live in Government House. A Celtic League spokesman said using public money to fund the position \"was outrageous at a time of austerity\". A government spokesman said the full cost of the role is \u00a3400,000 a year including all associated salaries. Mr Gozney, a former governor of Bermuda, became the Isle of Man's 30th Lieutenant Governor when he was sworn in on 27 May. He succeeds Adam Wood who stepped down in April after five years. Bernard Moffatt, of the Celtic League said the position was a \"relic of the colonial past\" and \"could not be justified.\" Sir Richard represented the Isle of Man in Orkney at a commemoration to those who lost their lives at the Battle of Jutland, a key naval engagement of World War One. He said: \"Because of the Isle of Man's strong and heroic maritime and naval history, Government and I thought it right to accept the invitation.\" The Lieutenant Governor acts as the representative on the Isle of Man of the Lord of Mann, currently Queen Elizabeth II. No Manx-born person has ever been appointed to the role.", "summary": "The \"huge costs\" of having a Lieutenant Governor for the Isle of Man \"cannot be justified,\" a nationalist group said."}
{"article": "New financial reports filed by the Trump campaign on Thursday show it more than doubled its spending last month, jumping from $30 million in August to $70 million in September. Mr Trump has in the past bragged about running his campaign on the cheap, but his strategy looks to be changing as election day gets closer. He is still being outspent by Hillary Clinton's team though, with her campaign blowing just over $80 million in September. One interesting aspect of the reports is that they show a clear difference in how each campaign approaches the race. For instance, a detailed look into the figures by the Washington Post found that the Trump campaign had just 168 people on its staff, while Mrs Clinton had 815 staffers. A notable item on the Trump expenses was a $100,000 payment to its former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, settling the remainder of a severance pay package thought to be $500,000. After leaving the Trump campaign in June, Mr Lewandowski picked up a job at CNN sticking up for his former boss. On Thursday, the Trump team lost another of its core members, with national political director Jim Murphy \"stepping back\" from the campaign because of personal reasons. With that announcement coming just a few hours after campaign manager Kellyanne Conway abruptly walked out of a CNN post-debate interview, it looks like it's been a testing few days for Team Trump. Meanwhile, the focus might have been on the third presidential debate this week but that hasn't stopped Wikileaks from continuing to release more emails allegedly sent between Hillary Clinton's staff. We've got a round-up of some of the bigger revelations here, but one you might have missed on Wednesday was that the Clinton camp went through a list of 85 possible campaign slogans before settling on \"Stronger Together\". The New York Times has the full list, but here's a few of the more questionable ones: With classics like that, it's little wonder these two candidates have failed to inspire many Americans. That lack of inspiration was laid bare in a focus group the BBC's James Cook joined in Las Vegas on Wednesday night to gauge their reaction to the debate. Find out who they thought had won the clash here: The surprise winner of the night, however, appears to have been Janet Jackson. When Donald Trump called Mrs Clinton a \"nasty woman\" it sparked outrage (and ridicule) online and seemingly had lots of viewers eager to listen to Jackson's 1986 hit Nasty. Music streaming service Spotify tweeted on Thursday: \"Who's jamming to that nasty groove? It's you lot, with streams of Nasty up 250% since last night\". Go on, get your groove on. 83% The number of Donald Trump supporters who believe if Hillary Clinton wins the election it is likely to have been the result of voter fraud, according to an Economist/YouGov poll. Hillary Clinton heads to Ohio, where state polls have her neck-and-neck with Donald Trump. She has an event at a community college in Cleveland. Her running-mate Tim Kaine is in neighbouring Pennsylvania", "summary": "With 18 days remaining before Americans go to the polls, the Trump campaign finally decides to splash the cash, Janet Jackson emerges as winner of the third debate, and Ivanka Trump defends her father."}
{"article": "Ch Supt Alan Spiers said call handling would move from its control room in Dundee to its national service centre in central Scotland in that month. The processes to close control rooms in Aberdeen and Inverness would take place from August to October, he said. Highland Council has raised concerns about the loss of local knowledge once the Inverness service shuts. Council leader Margaret Davidson said the local authority \"was convinced that it was safer\" that calls from within Highland, a region about the same size of Belgium, were handled locally. Ch Supt Spiers told BBC Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that Police Scotland acknowledged that were concerns about the restructuring. But he said the current set-up of call handling was not \"practical or sustainable\" for a national force, and its change programme would be carried out with due regard to proper \"governance, measures and independent assurances\". Control rooms in Inverness and Aberdeen were originally scheduled for closure in 2015. However, that original closure plan was halted after an HM Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC) investigation began into a crash on the M9 in July which was not followed up by police for three days. John Yuill and Lamara Bell died after the crash near Stirling. In November, weaknesses in Police Scotland's roll-out of its new national call-handling system were highlighted in an HMIC report. Derek Penman said the oversight of the project was inadequate and made 30 recommendations. Ch Supt Spiers said the force was working through through those recommendations and would have this work completed by June. He said: \"They are at different stages of completion. We also said we would go much further than what the recommendations have said. \"We have also stated the remaining phases of our reform programme would only proceed when the police authority and HMIC were completely assured that staff, systems and procedures and processes were in place.\"", "summary": "Police Scotland will be ready to begin a process of changing its system for handling calls from June this year."}
{"article": "The project to develop the church and restore the former medieval monastic complex and the former courts at the abbey is estimated to cost \u00a33.2m. The grant means work can start on the monastery buildings, and it is hoped that they will open in September 2013. The remaining funds will be raised by the Abbey to complete the restoration works. The lottery money will also be spent on creating new exhibition spaces, meeting rooms and educational areas for children. The Abbey's Rector, Canon Graham Usher, said: \"We are tremendously grateful to the HLF for its support for our mission to restore and redevelop the former monastery buildings to create a resource for the whole community.\"", "summary": "Hexham Abbey has been granted \u00a31.8m by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to contribute towards restoration work."}
{"article": "Lachie Turner and Cowan-Dickie both grabbed first-half braces, with Gareth Steenson kicking nine points as the hosts led 29-13 at the break. Rob Buchanan went over in response and Tom Swiel converted having landing two earlier penalties. Cowan-Dickie competed a treble before Charlie Walker and Danny Care replied and Tomas Francis saw red for Exeter. Francis was sent off with eight minutes remaining, kicking out at a ruck and catching Care with his shin. Defeat is Quins' second in three games, with their only triumph to date this season coming against newly-promoted Bristol. The loss was also compounded an injury to Jack Clifford, who left the field in the second half. Quins led only briefly, thanks to the boot of Swiel as he landed two penalties after Turner's opening try. Turner grabbed a second and Cowan-Dickie his first before Buchanan went in for Quins' next score. Cowan-Dickie went over to secure a bonus-point before the break and another score by the England hooker helped put the game beyond the visitors' reach, despite tries from Walker and Care and a late numerical disadvantage. Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter: \"We have been under a bit of pressure after two losses but it was fantastic to win and get a bonus point as well. \"We did enough and scored some good tries but we are frustrated by our second-half performance. \"We should have controlled territory a bit better than we did but I am pleased with the character shown by us. \"We were far from being at our best but I am not that upset that Quins came back into it. They are a successful Premiership side and they have got some dangerous players, who can score some good tries.\" Harlequins director of rugby John Kingston: \"We gave away two soft tries in the middle of the first half when we were 6-5 up. \"One of them was a simple overthrow and the second came from poor tackling from the first phase. \"It was very difficult to come back from there and we didn't start the second half as well as we would have wanted. It was a question of too little, too late and the bottom line is that we were punished for too many errors at key points. \"We have to alienate those errors, but Exeter did take every opportunity that came their way.\" Exeter: Turner; Woodburn, Devoto, Slade, Whitten; Steenson (capt), Chudley; Moon, Cowan-Dickie, Holmes, Welch, Parling, Armand, Salvi, Waldrom. Replacements: Yeandle, Hepburn, Francis, Atkins, Dennis, Lewis, Hill, Short. Red card: Francis (71). Harlequins: Brown; Yarde, Marchant, Stanley, Walker; Swiel, Care (capt); Marler, Buchanan, Sinckler, Twomey, Horwill, Robshaw, Wallace, Clifford. Replacements: Ward, Lambert, Collier, Merrick, J Chisholm, Dickson, Lang, Alofa. Referee: Matthew Carley.", "summary": "Luke Cowan-Dickie scored a hat-trick as Exeter Chiefs beat Harlequins to record their first win of the season."}
{"article": "The match was abandoned in the second half after a brawl involving players and staff, with Russia's Igor Akinfeev having earlier been struck by a flare. The Montenegrin FA (FSCG) has been charged with holding a match that was not played in full, while both the FSCG and Football Union of Russia have been charged with the throwing of fireworks and other missiles by fans. Russia have lodged a formal complaint with Uefa, demanding they be awarded victory from a match that was 0-0 when it was abandoned by German referee Deniz Aytekin. Goalkeeper Akinfeev was stuck on the head by a flare in the first minute of the Group G clash at the Gradski Stadion, leaving the field on a stretcher. He was taken to hospital in the Montenegrin capital with a neck injury and minor burns, but was discharged after an examination determined he had no major injuries. Following a delay of more than 30 minutes, the match restarted but it was abandoned on 67 minutes when fighting broke out after Russia midfielder Roman Shirokov's penalty was saved and team-mate Dmitri Kombarov was struck by a missile. Russia and Montenegro, who included Manchester City striker Stevan Jovetic in their starting line-up, are tied on five points in the group.", "summary": "Uefa has charged the Montenegrin and Russian football associations following the abandonment of Friday's Euro 2016 qualifier in Podgorica."}
{"article": "But, after her, who are the world's other longest-reigning monarchs? King Bhumibol's death means that in addition to Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries, Elizabeth II can add \"world's longest-reigning living monarch\" to her long list of titles. Elizabeth became Queen on 6 February 1952 on the death of her father King George VI. She was 25 at the time and on tour in Kenya with her husband Prince Philip. She was crowned the following year, on 2 June 1953. The Queen became the UK's longest-serving monarch on 9 September 2015, surpassing the 63 years, seven months and two day-long reign of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. Elizabeth II has been married to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, for 69 years, 64 of which she has been Queen. Her son, Prince Charles, is the longest-serving heir apparent in British history. At the beginning of both her reign, and that of the late Thai king, Joseph Stalin was leader of the Soviet Union and Harry Truman was the United States president. United Kingdom country profile One of the world's richest men is the next longest-reigning royal and he heads one of the world's few absolute monarchies. Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei, came to the throne on 4 October 1967 following the abdication of his father, Sir Haji Omar Ali Saifuddin. He presides over the tiny state, which is surrounded by the state of Sarawak in Malaysia and abutting the South China Sea. It has one of the world's highest standards of living thanks to rich oil and gas reserves. The royal family possesses a huge private fortune and its subjects pay no taxes. As well as being the Sultan, Bolkiah is the prime minister; heads the defence and finance ministries; is a general in the armed forces; an honorary admiral in the Royal Navy; and a police inspector general. He lives in the biggest palace in the world, the Istana Nurul Iman, which has 1,788 rooms. Brunei country profile Affectionately known to her country as Daisy, Queen Margrethe II is Denmark's first queen and its second longest-reigning monarch since King Christian IV (12 April 1577 - 28 February 1648). Margrethe's father King Frederick IX and his wife, Ingrid of Sweden, had a family of three girls and they enjoyed much popular support. In 1953, following a referendum, a new act of succession was passed to allow a woman to ascend the throne. She became Queen when her father died on 14 January 1972. A heavy smoker, an artist, and now aged 76, she largely retains Denmark's affections. In 2012, she marked her 40th Jubilee as Queen Elizabeth II marked her Diamond Jubilee. Queen Margrethe said she had no intention of standing down to allow her son Crown Prince Frederik to take over, as \"you are handed your job as the old king or queen dies\". She said she was inspired at her own proclamation by Queen Elizabeth's statement on her coronation 19 years earlier that she would dedicate herself to serve the nation. Although she is the first Queen of Denmark,", "summary": "The death of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej means Queen Elizabeth II of Britain and the Commonwealth Realms becomes the world's longest-reigning monarch."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old played in 51 games last season for the Saddlers, who suffered a 6-1 aggregate defeat by Barnsley in the League One play-off semi-finals. He becomes Alan Stubbs' first signing being named Millers boss on 1 June. Former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international Forde joined Walsall from Wolves in 2014, and has also previously played for Scunthorpe United. Meanwhile, Stubbs' former assistant at Hibernian, Andy Holden, has joined Rotherham as first-team coach. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Championship side Rotherham have signed Walsall winger Anthony Forde on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "David Cameron said the UK government had delivered on the so-called ''Vow'' and was now moving ahead with the Scotland Bill at Westminster. Speaking to BBC Scotland ahead of the Conservative conference, he said the SNP had to stop arguing about process. He said: \"The SNP cannot point to a part of the Vow that hasn't been kept.\" Mr Cameron said the tangible benefits of last year's referendum and the vote against independence were that the UK was ''stronger together'' and that Scotland was benefitting from a growing economy. He said 175,000 jobs had been created in Scotland over the past five years. \"There was clear result in the referendum but as we said during that campaign, people in Scotland would get the best of both worlds - part of the United Kingdom but with a powerhouse parliament in Edinburgh\", he said. \"That is what we are delivering, and the Scotland Bill as promised has been making its way very, very swiftly through parliament to fulfil all those pledges in full.\" Ahead of his party's conference, which begins in Manchester this weekend, Mr Cameron said it was \"crucial\" that the Scottish Parliament took up the powers it will get in April and when the Scotland Bill gets through. He said: \"I think what we now need to hear from the Scottish National Party is how they intend to use the powers. \"I get frustrated sometimes that the debate is always about the process. We have delivered on every aspect of the process, the SNP cannot point to a part of the Vow that hasn't been kept. \"We promised there would be power to have welfare powers - it is there. \"We promised there would be power to have tax powers - they are there. \"The Vow has been delivered. Now we need to hear from Scotland's politicians - well, how do you use these powers? What sort of different taxes, different welfare arrangements do people want to put in place? \"It is the outcome that matters rather than the process.\" The prime minister also defended plans to curtail the voting rights of Scottish MPs at Westminster, so-called English votes for English laws, saying it was a matter of fairness. He said: \"What we are planning to do is just have a fair system where, when it is English issues, that the English MPs have the decisive say. \"I think it is only fair in a devolved system where you have a powerhouse parliament in Scotland where quite rightly on Scottish housing, on Scottish health, Scottish education, English and Welsh MPs have no say whatsoever.\" Mr Cameron re-affirmed that the UK government would go ahead with a ''like-for-like'' replacement for Trident with four new nuclear submarines. The submarine fleet and missles are based at Faslane on the Clyde. He said it was the ''only way for a credible deterrent''. Mr Cameron said what Labour and the SNP did was up to them, but he described new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's stance as ''complete and utter chaos''. He said: \"Britain's national secuirty would be", "summary": "The prime minister has said that Holyrood can become a ''powerhouse parliament'' but the SNP must spell out how it plans to use its new powers."}
{"article": "Gunmen stormed the al-Jawhara shopping centre in Baghdad al-Jadida on Monday evening, after setting off a car bomb. When security forces stormed the building, two assailants detonated explosive belts, while two others were shot dead, police sources say. At the same time, 20 people died when two bombs exploded north of Baghdad. Security sources said an improvised explosive device was detonated at a tea shop in the town of Muqdadiya, which is some 80km (50 miles) from the capital. A second device blew up as medics rushed to the scene to treat the wounded. Later, five civilians were killed when a car bomb exploded in exploded in the south-eastern Baghdad suburb of Nahrawan, police and medics say. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombings in Muqdadiya and Nahrawan, but IS said in a statement posted online that it was behind the attack on the Baghdad shopping centre, which is located in a predominantly Shia district. The Sunni Muslim jihadist group, which controls large swathes of northern and western Iraq, said it had targeted \"rejectionist heathens\" - its derogatory term for Shia. Seven people, including two policemen, were killed by the car bomb blast at the start of the attack, police and medics told the Reuters news agency. Another five were shot dead as the militants stormed the building, while six died when two of the assailants detonated their explosive vests, the sources said. Interior ministry spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan denied initial reports that people had been held hostage by the militants, according to Reuters. An interior ministry source meanwhile told the BBC that several attackers might have escaped, contradicting a claim by a police source that four had been arrested.", "summary": "The jihadist group Islamic State (IS) says it targeted Shia Muslims in an attack on a Baghdad shopping centre, which reportedly killed 18 people."}
{"article": "He was addressing thousands of people in the capital, Kigali, as Rwanda began a week of official mourning to mark the 20th anniversary of the genocide. Many people were overcome by emotion during the ceremony, with some suffering fits. At least 800,000 people - mostly ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus - died at the hands of Hutu extremists. The killings ended ended in July 1994 when the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a Tutsi-led rebel movement, marched into Kigali and seized control of the country. Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and Mr Ban lit a torch which will burn for 100 days - the length of time the genocide lasted. A diplomatic row has prompted Rwanda to bar France's ambassador, Michel Flesch, from attending the event, AFP news agency reports. By Charlotte AttwoodBBC Africa, Kigali It began with just one, and then scores of chilling screams echoed around the stadium. It may be 20 years down the line, but for many here, the wounds are still too fresh to bear. Paramedics went up and down the terraces, comforting and removing those who could not cope with the memories. I saw one man being carried out during the dramatisation of the recent history of Rwanda. The play itself was a very clear depiction of the government's interpretation of what caused the tragic episode in the country's history. Half-way through, a jeep drove in carrying the \"colonialists\" who marched onto the stage. They swapped their colonial straw hats for the blue helmets of the UN and then deserted the people, leaving a bloodbath in their wake. Soldiers - representing the governing RPF - troop in to rescue a devastated population. The week of mourning began with a wreath-laying ceremony at the national genocide memorial, followed by the lighting of a flame at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, where UN peacekeepers protected thousands of people during the genocide. The torch has been carried across the country for the past three months, visiting 30 districts and passing from village to village. Thousands of people packed the stadium, having queued for hours through the fog, reports the BBC's Charlotte Attwood from the scene. Many of them reacted with uncontrollable emotion to the stories, speeches and performances recalling the genocide, our correspondent says. Some of them had to be led out of the stadium while others had fits, she adds. Traditional mourning songs were broadcast over the sound systems. There was also a dramatisation of Rwanda's recent history, which our correspondent says was a clear depiction of the government's interpretation of events. In the play, a jeep carrying \"colonialists\" arrives, who swap their straw hats for UN blue helmets. They then desert the people, who are saved by the governing RPF. UN personnel in Rwanda during the genocide showed \"remarkable bravery\", Mr Ban told the crowd, according to AP. \"But we could have done much more. We should have done much more,\" he said. \"In Rwanda, troops were withdrawn when they were most needed,\" he added. \"One year later in Srebrenica, areas proclaimed 'safe' by the United Nations were filled", "summary": "The UN is still ashamed over its failure to prevent the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, UN chief Ban Ki-moon has said."}
{"article": "Steyn left the pitch mid-over twice on day three and was taken for scans but they showed no sign of a muscle tear. The world's top-ranked bowler had a morning fitness test at Kingsmead but again felt discomfort. The 32-year-old will have more tests to see if he will be fit for the second Test, which starts on 2 January. The doubts over Steyn's fitness added to the problems for South Africa, who trailed England by 261 runs before the fourth day of the series opener and were facing a struggle to save the game. The right-arm bowler had only just returned to the Proteas side after missing the majority of their tour of India with a groin injury. South Africa have also been disrupted by speculation about the future of star batsman AB de Villiers. The 31-year-old, who is also keeping wicket during this Test, said on Monday that he was looking to ease his workload amid rumours he is considering retiring. \"There are a lot of rumours flying around I hear, but for the last two to three years the only talk I've been doing is to keep myself fresh and to have a bit of rest here and there,\" said De Villiers, who is ranked the number three Test batsman in the world. \"It's always been the most important thing for me to enjoy my cricket. It's just important to look at the schedule and for me maybe not to play all kinds of cricket. \"That's the only thing that I've been talking about. To keep myself fresh and to keep enjoying the game. I love representing my country and nothing has changed.\"", "summary": "South Africa pace bowler Dale Steyn will not bowl again in the first Test against England because of a right shoulder spasm."}
{"article": "A wet outfield caused a delayed start and after a failed inspection at 11:30 BST, lunch was taken early. Rain put paid to a planned inspection at 13:00 BST, and the umpires confirmed there would be no play after a further check two hours later. Play will resume on Sunday with Lancashire 123-4, trailing by 57 runs.", "summary": "There was frustration for Lancashire and Middlesex as rain prevented any action on day two, with play at Southport abandoned at 15:00 BST."}
{"article": "Totton College, in Hampshire, has been seeking a merger partner to tackle its \"growing financial challenges\". Green, Labour and Lib Dem candidates in the local and parliamentary elections have set up petitions calling for help in securing the college's future. The Conservatives said the petitions were a bid to score political points. Funded by central government's Education Funding Agency the college, near Southampton, announced last week it would scrap A-Levels, focussing instead on vocational courses. It would not comment on speculation ex-offenders charity NACRO was a potential merger partner. The first petition, against the transfer of college facilities to NACRO, was launched by David Harrison, a Liberal Democrat councillor and campaign manager for New Forest East parliamentary candidate Bruce Tennent. It has been signed by more than 800 people. A counter-petition, by New Forest East Labour Party and candidate Andrew Pope, signed by about 40 people, accused Mr Harrison of \"scaremongering\". Last week, New Forest district candidates Joanna Tidbury and Helen Field launched their own petition, although it did not mention their Green Party affiliation. \"We didn't want it to be party political,\" Ms Field said. Conservative parliamentary candidate Julian Lewis said: \"The Education Funding Agency have been working tremendously hard to find a viable partner to enable the college to continue. \"I deplore any attempt to make party political propaganda points or to start scare stories at such a sensitive and difficult time.\" Mr Tennent admitted he was \"apprehensive\" about a potential NACRO merger, but added: \"I would want Totton College to offer the community as wide a range of vocational qualifications as possible and not narrow that offering to a core audience. \"It may well be that with the help of NACRO... that this can happen, so I welcome their potential financial support of the college.\" Green Party parliamentary candidate Sally May said: \"I know Hampshire County Council has got a huge amount of money and I think this is a case where they could bail them out. \"I've been told by a county councillor that's not possible but I don't see why. Maybe I have a simplistic view of money.\" UKIP's Roy Swales said: \"I will support any effort to retain this college and maintain its links as a community educational asset.\" The college's acting principal Jo Landles said the decision to scrap A-Levels had been taken \"with great regret\". \"We believe that by making a clear decision now, we are giving prospective students sufficient time to consider their options,\" she said.", "summary": "A financial crisis faced by a sixth-form college is the result of coalition cuts, according to petitions launched by the local Labour and Green parties."}
{"article": "The Hatters are currently fifth in the fourth tier under the 43-year-old, who is in his first managerial job. \"I'm not a fly-by-night. I want to build something here,\" the Welshman told a Supporters' Trust evening. \"I want to be here long-term. I love the club. I love you the fans.\" The former Brighton and Yeovil defender added: \"I promise you we will do you proud. I'm not here as a stepping stone. The club is too big for that.\" Jones replaced John Still at Kenilworth Road in January 2016, and has won more than half of his games in charge to push Luton towards League One for the first time since 2007-08. The club recently bought land to build a new stadium at Power Court, and are also moving to a new training ground, which Jones has likened to \"going from a tent to the Ritz\". \"We have a top Championship environment at the club in terms of how we train and our infrastructure,\" he said. \"We will achieve what we want to do. We will go to the next level and the one after that. It won't be long until we're a Championship club.\" And ahead of Saturday's match against play-off rivals Stevenage, he said his ambitions and those of the club were concurrent. \"I want to be the best manager in the world, and until I get there I won't stop trying. I may never get there, I might not get anywhere near. But until I exhaust every resource then that's what I want to do. It's ambitious, but you have to have ambition. \"With God's will, I've been able to choose a career path and not had to go to certain places I didn't want to, and I've moved because I've wanted to. \"So far I did that here and I picked a wonderful club, and a wonderful club picked me and trusted me and took a gamble on me because a year ago, who knows what could have happened. But it's been a good fit. \"I love the club and I want to take the club forward. I want to move forward myself and look, if I'm here in 20 years' time and we're a Premier League club, that'll be fine by me.\"", "summary": "Luton Town boss Nathan Jones has set his sights on becoming \"the best manager in the world\", but insists he is not using the League Two side as a stepping stone."}
{"article": "However, much of the attention will fall on Sinn F\u00e9in's Martin McGuinness, who recently tried and failed to win the role currently held by Mr Higgins. Mr McGuinness, a former IRA man and life-long republican, will be among the monarch's guests at Windsor Castle. He met the Queen in 2012, but the visit still holds challenges for Sinn F\u00e9in. The UK state visit marks another significant milestone in Anglo-Irish relations and further fascination for those who have followed Mr McGuinness' long journey from paramilitary to politician to palace guest. BBC News looks back at the significant events and political choreography affecting Sinn F\u00e9in's relationship with royalty. The government deploys the Army to Northern Ireland following widespread civil unrest and violent sectarian clashes between Catholics and Protestants. The deployment, known as Operation Banner, was to become the longest continuous campaign in the Army's history. Martin McGuinness, aged about 20, joins the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and quickly becomes an influential figure within the paramilitary organisation in his native Derry. Interviewed by the BBC during a walkabout in the city, a baby-faced McGuinness does not correct the correspondent when he described him as the \"Officer Commanding for the Derry part of the IRA Provisional operation\". Martin McGuinness is sentenced to six months in prison by the Republic of Ireland's Special Criminal Court, after he was caught in a car containing large quantities of explosives and ammunition. He tells the court he is \"very proud\" of his IRA membership. The Queen's cousin, Lord Louis Mountbatten, is killed by an IRA bomb while on holiday in County Sligo in the Republic of Ireland. Two of his relations and a 15-year old local boy are also killed in the explosion. Hours later, 18 soldiers are killed in a double IRA bombing at Warrenpoint, County Down. It is the highest death toll suffered by the Army in a single incident in Northern Ireland. Martin McGuinness is elected to the British House of Commons as a MP for Mid Ulster. Adhering to Sinn F\u00e9in's long-standing policy of abstentionism, he refuses to take his seat or swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen. The Good Friday Agreement is signed in Belfast following years of intensive peace talks between political parties in Northern Ireland and the British and Irish governments. Martin McGuiness was Sinn F\u00e9in's chief negotiator during the deliberations. The accord paves the way for devolution through a new power-sharing coalition of unionists and nationalists at Stormont. Martin McGuinness, who left school at the age of 15 without any formal qualifications, is appointed as education minister at the Northern Ireland Assembly. The IRA releases a statement saying it has \"formally ordered an end to the armed campaign\". The paramilitary organisation, believed to be responsible for more than 1,700 deaths over a 35-year period, says it it now committed to \"exclusively peaceful means\". Martin McGuinness becomes deputy first minister of Northern Ireland after an election that followed a power-sharing agreement between Sinn F\u00e9in and the Democratic Unionist Party. He forms an unlikely political relationship with his former foe Ian Paisley,", "summary": "The Queen is hosting the first ever UK state visit by an Irish president, as Michael D Higgins begins a four-day diplomatic mission to Great Britain."}
{"article": "Spectacular photographs of the solar phenomenon have been shared around the world, but how do you know when it's going to appear and how do you capture it for posterity? Grabbing that perfect shot of the lights is a combination of luck, timing and a bit of know-how, according to David Costley, a keen amateur photographer who took a time-lapse video of the skies above the medieval ruins of Dunluce Castle on the north coast of County Antrim. \"It's really about timing, making sure the clouds are clear and that there's no light pollution,\" he says. \"That's why Dunluce is such a good place - you've got a direct view north and it's good to get that clear line of sight.\" He says he has seen people take good shots of the lights using just their mobile phone camera, but better equipment is needed to get the best results. \"In terms of equipment, any DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera will do with eight-second exposure settings to get the nice detailed structures in the aurora,\" he says. \"Because it's moving, if you have any longer exposure it all becomes one big green blur so it's good to get a short exposure and put the sensitivity settings up as high as you can.\" Images of the light show along the north coast have travelled around the world, according to Eoin McConnell, a tourism ranger who was one of many amateur photographers chasing a glimpse of the aurora. \"The photos have gone mad on the internet, which is good as it promotes tourism here which is why I do it - Discover NI and Tourism Ireland retweeted and shared them so they have gone worldwide,\" he says. \"You need a tripod to take aurora photos as you can't hold a camera steady enough for the long exposure. \"You also need plenty of practice, as night photography is quite tricky - it's hard to focus on anything in the dark.\" It's not just the hardened aurora chasers who managed to get great photos of the Northern Lights at Dunluce Castle, according to Maureen Kane, who says she has only begun learning about night photography. \"When the lights started to dance, so did I - it was just amazing to watch,\" she says. How the Aurora Borealis occurs The Northern Lights are caused by the interaction of the solar wind - a stream of charged particles escaping the Sun - and our planet's magnetic field and atmosphere. Find out more While the phenomenon is not a new one, social media and websites devoted to forecasting its intermittent appearances have made it easier than ever before to experience the light show close to home. Ronan McLaughlin says he set up the Aurora Alert Ireland Twitter account (@Aurora_ireland) because there was a lot of misinformation on the internet. A veteran aurora-spotter, he is from the most northerly point in Ireland, Malin Head in County Donegal, and first saw the lights in 1988 when he was aged 12. \"I remember when I wrote an article in 1994 for a", "summary": "The Aurora Borealis - better known as the Northern Lights - have once again been providing a light show above the skies of Northern Ireland."}
{"article": "Arjen Robben opened the scoring for the champions when he drilled home after good work on the wing from Franck Ribery. David Alaba made it 2-0 in first-half injury time when he curled a free-kick in. Max Kruse pulled one back when he shook off Alaba before finishing, but the 15th-placed hosts could not equalise. Bayern remain three points above RB Leipzig, who beat Hoffenheim 2-1. Match ends, SV Werder Bremen 1, FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen 2. Second Half ends, SV Werder Bremen 1, FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen 2. Attempt missed. Thomas Delaney (SV Werder Bremen) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen). Florian Kainz (SV Werder Bremen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Zlatko Junuzovic (SV Werder Bremen). Attempt saved. Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Renato Sanches. Corner, FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen. Conceded by Fin Bartels. Maximilian Eggestein (SV Werder Bremen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Maximilian Eggestein (SV Werder Bremen). Foul by Douglas Costa (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen). Fin Bartels (SV Werder Bremen) wins a free kick on the right wing. Offside, SV Werder Bremen. Felix Wiedwald tries a through ball, but Lamine San\u00e9 is caught offside. Foul by Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen). Florian Kainz (SV Werder Bremen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Douglas Costa (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Xabi Alonso following a fast break. Foul by Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen). Niklas Moisander (SV Werder Bremen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, SV Werder Bremen. Florian Kainz replaces Santiago Garc\u00eda. Attempt missed. Serge Gnabry (SV Werder Bremen) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the right misses to the left. Assisted by Fin Bartels. Foul by Renato Sanches (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen). Zlatko Junuzovic (SV Werder Bremen) wins a free kick on the right wing. Substitution, FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen. Douglas Costa replaces Franck Rib\u00e9ry. Foul by Xabi Alonso (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen). Santiago Garc\u00eda (SV Werder Bremen) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Offside, SV Werder Bremen. Niklas Moisander tries a through ball, but Serge Gnabry is caught offside. Zlatko Junuzovic (SV Werder Bremen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Zlatko Junuzovic (SV Werder Bremen). Santiago Garc\u00eda (SV Werder Bremen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern M\u00fcnchen) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Santiago Garc\u00eda (SV Werder Bremen). Attempt blocked. Joshua Kimmich (FC", "summary": "Bayern Munich remain three points clear at the top of the Bundesliga after beating Werder Bremen."}
{"article": "Cafodd yr heddlu a pharafeddygon eu galw yn dilyn adroddiadau o ffrwgwd ym Mynwent y Gorllewin yn Nhrel\u00e1i am 14:45 ddydd Llun. Fe wnaeth tri dyn ddioddef anafiadau yn ystod y digwyddiad rhwng unigolion oedd yn \"adnabod ei gilydd\" meddai Heddlu De Cymru. Nid yw'r anafiadau'n rhai sy'n golygu fod eu bywydau mewn perygl ac nid yw'r heddlu wedi arestio unrhyw un. Dywedodd Cyngor Caerdydd fod staff yr awdurdod yn cynorthwyo'r heddlu ond nid oedd y fynwent wedi ei difrodi. Cafodd dau ddyn eu cludo i Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru yn y brifddinas, ac fe gafodd dyn arall ei gludo i Ysbyty Frenhinol Morgannwg.", "summary": "Mae tri o bobl wedi eu hanafu yn dilyn digwyddiad mewn mynwent yng Nghaerdydd."}
{"article": "The 5 June game was cancelled despite a vote in favour of it going ahead. Out of nearly 12,000 fans, 52% were in favour and 48% against the idea, a fundraiser for the Ladies' team said. The club said it was responding to supporters' comments and fan feedback on social media. The Hammers are moving to the Olympic Stadium after 112 years at Upton Park. The club said in a statement: \"West Ham Ladies played under the lights at the Boleyn Ground back in March when they faced Tottenham Ladies and dialogue remains open between West Ham Ladies and the club with regards to the hosting of future fixtures.\" The match, between West Ham Ladies and a West Ham 'All Stars' team, was the brainchild of Jack Sullivan, the son of West Ham co-chairman David. West Ham Ladies Joint-Chairman Stephen Hunt said: \"Obviously the Ladies are disappointed but myself and Jack Sullivan will get together over the summer to see what else we can do in the future.\" West Ham beat Manchester United 3-2 on Tuesday, 10 May and then held a 45-minute celebration after full-time, involving fireworks and former players. Eastenders actor Danny-Boy Hatchard, who plays Lee Carter in the BBC One soap opera, was among those backing the Ladies' game.", "summary": "A West Ham Ladies' match has been called off so that the men's win over Manchester United can remain as the last public fixture played at Upton Park."}
{"article": "But the government wants the economy to pick up speed or risk missing its target of becoming a developed nation by 2020. Malaysia's economic performance has been \"relatively sluggish\" over the last decade, a government report stated. It blames this poor performance on low labour productivity. The problem was identified more than a decade ago when the country began to face stiff competition in exports from low wage countries like China. At that time, Malaysian leaders said they had to move towards a knowledge-based economy. This led to the construction of a hi-tech city near Kuala Lumpur called Cyberjaya. Billed as the \"Silicon Valley of the East\", this was the first city to be fully connected with high-speed internet using fibre-optic cables. Officials also hoped that tax incentives and an English-speaking workforce would lure foreign companies to help turn Malaysia from a low-cost to a hi-tech producer. US computer maker Dell was one of the companies that took up the offer. Pang Yee Beng, managing director of Dell Cyberjaya, says it makes sense to be based there. \"Ultimately we are looking for a place where we can get consistent service in terms of IT infrastructure,\" he says. \"We needed a place where politically or security-wise it was stable, and then when you set up a complex facility like this you really need government support to make it happen.\" Today, Dell's operations in Cyberjaya include a customer call centre and a technical support team for its global operations. The four-storey complex sits in the same cluster as other multinational companies like IBM, Hewlett-Packard and AMD. But critics say Cyberjaya hasn't become the success that Malaysian leaders had in mind. An advisor to the Cyberjaya project, TJ Singh, says the government originally wanted to attract innovative global giants who could in turn mentor Malaysian companies, especially in the area of software. \"What they wanted were local companies that were world class,\" says Mr Singh. But that didn't happen. Mr Singh says more and more multinational companies took advantage of Cyberjaya's cheap land and set up back offices for their global operations. It has succeeded in creating a big service industry, says Mr Singh, but not exactly the type of innovation that government leaders wanted to take place in Cyberjaya. Analysts say many companies end up doing their research and development overseas, partly because they cannot find the right talent. In 2010, a World Bank report estimated that about one million Malaysians were living abroad. A third of them are well educated and mainly ethnic Chinese and Indians. Economists with the World Bank say ethnic minorities feel discriminated against by the government's preferential policies for the Malays. Malaysia practices affirmative action for the Malay-majority, granting them priority in university scholarships and government jobs. These are efforts to redistribute wealth to the Malays, who are historically poorer than other ethnic groups. But in a bid to help Malays catch up, Malaysian politicians have also flip flopped on the language of instruction for sciences and maths, switching from Malay to English and then back again. Opposition lawmakers", "summary": "Malaysia's central bank is forecasting economic growth of between 5% and 6% this year, which in the current global climate is better than other economies in South East Asia."}
{"article": "Patrick Sookhdeo, 68, of River Street, Pewsey, Wiltshire, is accused of one count of indecent assault on a woman aged 16 or over in Plaistow, east London, in 1977. The Metropolitan Police said Mr Sookhdeo was arrested following an investigation by Newham detectives. He was bailed to appear at Thames Magistrates' Court on 4 April.", "summary": "A man has been charged with carrying out a sexual assault on a woman almost 40 years ago."}
{"article": "BBC Wales has learned an agreement has been struck to end the dispute. It had been claimed a spelling error by officials at Companies House in Cardiff had led to the demise of engineering firm Taylor & Sons. Companies House records had been amended to show Taylor & Sons had been wound up in 2009. But the failing business was another firm called Taylor & Son - with \"Son\" in the singular. Taylor & Sons dated back to 1875 and more than 250 people lost their jobs when it went under, and former co-owner, Philip Davison-Sebry, claimed \u00c2\u00a38.8m in damages over the mix-up. In January 2015 the High Court judge ruled in Mr Davison-Sebry's favour and found Companies House, when entering a winding up order, owed reasonable care to ensure the order was not registered against the wrong company. Companies House began an appeal against the ruling in January last year, arguing the case set a \"dangerous precedent\". A full appeal was listed for this month, but BBC Wales has learned an agreement was reached last spring. A spokesperson for Companies House said: \"We have agreed confidential terms of settlement and this case has now concluded.\" No further details are being disclosed by either party.", "summary": "A multi-million pound court battle over a spelling mistake said to have led to the collapse of a Cardiff company has been settled."}
{"article": "The pair were said to have fallen on to tracks at Ealing Broadway at 18:10 BST on Tuesday. Police said they were treating the deaths as \"unexplained\" and had not yet identied the victims. Heathrow Express services were suspended, while First Great Western said there were delays of up to 90 minutes to and from Paddington. British Transport Police said: \"We were called at 6.10pm to Ealing Broadway station following reports that someone had been hit by a train. \"We attended along with the Metropolitan Police, London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade and discovered two people had been struck and killed by the train. \"We're still working to determine the identities of the deceased or how they came to actually be on the tracks.\" The force said the train was London-bound. Last night, commuters took to Twitter to express their concern. Girl_about_town tweeted: \"Just changed at Ealing Broadway. Rammed with firemen and policemen. Sadly two deaths, apparently.\" Thomas Clements wrote: \"Forensics still on the track at Ealing Broadway. Just witnessed an utterly horrific scene. Feel for the people who have to deal with it now.\" Tom Kimber tweeted: \"So the train I'm on has hit two people at Ealing Broadway. A sad business.\" A spokesman for First Great Western said: \"We are doing all we can to help the police with their investigation into this terrible incident.\"", "summary": "Two people, one believed to be a child, died when they were struck by a First Great Western train in west London."}
{"article": "Police, councils and the NHS recorded scores of missing items, including computers, mobile phones, Blackberries and USB data sticks. The call for action came from the Lib Dems who obtained the information. The Scottish government said public services were responsible for storing their own information. The Lib Dems said that between December last year and June, seven NHS areas recorded a range of missing equipment, including patient files and details of more than 100 people on a needle exchange programme. Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS board reported the theft of eight laptops, six hard drives and three PCs. This included two laptops stolen from the paediatrics department at Yorkhill Hospital in March of this year and a PC stolen from the X-ray viewing room at the Western Infirmary in April. Meanwhile, Strathclyde Police reported an unencrypted USB stick containing investigation files as missing. Lost or stolen equipment among local authorities included five laptops from a children and families establishment in Edinburgh which contained the details of 10 people. West Dunbartonshire Council also lost 60 personal computers from schools. Most equipment missing from councils was either encrypted or contained no personal details. Last January, the Lib Dems called for an urgent review into data loss after reporting that scores of laptops, PCs and memory sticks containing confidential data had been lost by councils and health boards in recent years. The party said that while almost all files were encrypted, the public would be rightly worried that their personal data was at risk. Lib Dem justice spokesman Robert Brown said: \"Central government, local councils, NHS boards and the police hold a great deal of information on all of us. Our data is in their hands and we need to know they are taking this responsibility seriously. \"The government is not in control of the situation. They need to get a grip on this right now.\" A Scottish government spokesman said it took data security \"very seriously\" and had set robust standards for the storage and transmission of data. He added: \"We expect the same high standards of public sector bodies. However, it remains the responsibility of individual police forces, local authorities and health boards to ensure that personal or sensitive information is stored securely.\"", "summary": "Scottish ministers have been told to \"get a grip\" of data control as new claims emerged of equipment being lost or stolen from the public sector."}
{"article": "The 36-year-old from Carrickfergus had been level on 15 with the late Robert Dunlop going into Thursday's races. Seeley broke away to win the opening Supersport race ahead of runner-up Ian Hutchinson and Martin Jessopp. The Supertwins race was abandoned after a two riders were injured in a high-speed crash. Dungannon rider Ryan Farquhar and Dan Cooper from Stroud came off at Black Hill and were taken to hospital. Forty-year-old Farquhar sustained chest and pelvic injuries, while Cooper, 28, had shoulder injuries. Record-breaker Seeley has won at least one event at the North-West for nine years in a row. He has also won at least one Supersport race in each of seven consecutive years from 2010 to 2016. The Supersport event provided a thrilling start to racing at the 2016 North West. Ballymoney's Michael Dunlop, a four-time winner at the North West, did not make it off the grid because of mechanical problems. Seeley surged into an early lead but some exillerating action saw Fermanagh rider Lee Johnston, Yorkshire man Hutchinson and Michael's brother William Dunlop all take turns at the front. Seeley, Hutchinson and Jessopp all broke the class lap record on the final circuit. \"The North West put me on the map when I first came here and now to be mentioned in the same sentence as the Dunlops is unbelievable,\" said an elated Seeley. \"It was a typical Supersport race. We managed to get a break and clinch the 16th win.\"", "summary": "Alastair Seeley has broken the record for wins at the North West 200 road races by achieving his 16th career win at the international meeting."}
{"article": "Donkeys have been \"over-exploited\" and their numbers needed to be kept at a sustainable level, the government said. China is a big importer of donkey skins from Burkina Faso, using them to make traditional medicines. In Burkina Faso, donkeys are commonly used to transport goods, though some communities eat their meat. The surge in exports has put pressure on the local market, with the price of donkeys rising, says BBC Afrique's Abdourahmane Dia. The price of the animal's hide has risen from about $4 (\u00c2\u00a33) a few years ago to $50, he adds. Gelatin made from donkey skin is highly prized in China as a medicinal tonic, thought to nourish the blood, boost the immune system and act as a general pick-me-up. It is sometimes referred to as one of the \"three nourishing treasures\" (zi bu san bao), along with ginseng and the antlers of young deer. The most famous donkey gelatin is produced in Dong'e County in north-eastern Shandong Province, where it is traditionally made with the local well-water. Donkey gelatin is sometimes mixed with walnuts, goji berries and other tonic foods and sold in dark, gummy slabs that can be eaten as a snack. Health and longevity is a Chinese national obsession, and tonic foods like this are often lavishly packaged and presented as expensive gifts. Aside from gelatin, donkey meat is a delicacy in some Chinese regions, especially in the north of the country. Here, the lean meat is often simmered in a richly-spiced broth, and then cooled, sliced and served with a refreshing dip of chopped garlic and vinegar. The meat has a fine, dense texture and a marvellous flavour that's a little reminiscent of beef. In northern Hebei province, one famous snack is the lu rou huo shao, in which chopped, spiced donkey meat is mixed with fresh green chilli and stuffed into a layered pastry - its name is sometimes translated into English as a \"donkey burger\". Donkey meat may also be made into soups and stews. As the Chinese middle classes have grown richer, demand for donkey gelatin and other tonic delicacies has soared - in January the New York Times reported that a shortage of donkey gelatin had encouraged a boom in imitation products. The ban also covers the hide of horses and camels, Burkina Faso's director for public veterinary health Adama Maiga told the AFP news agency. The government would also be \"regulating\" the slaughter of the animals, he added. Last month, an abattoir set up by French and Chinese businessmen in a village on the outskirts of the capital, Ouagadougou, was ransacked by residents protesting against the stench coming out of it and the air, water and land pollution it was causing, AFP reports. Burkina Faso, a poor West African state, has about 1.4 million donkeys. Exports of the skin rose from 1,000 in the first quarter of 2015 to more than 18,000 in the last quarter, the Burkinabe authorities say. Nearly 65,000 skins were exported in the first six months of this year, mostly to China. Its donkey population has been", "summary": "Burkina Faso has banned the export of donkey skins as a sharp increase in sales to Asia is threatening the animal's population."}
{"article": "About 200 people have been killed in the protests since November, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. The unrest began over government plans to expand the capital's administrative control into the region. The government later dropped the plan, but protesters dismissed the decision as \"too little too late\". Oromia is Ethiopia's largest region, surrounding the capital, Addis Ababa. Many people in the region complain of being politically and economically marginalised in a country where the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition has ruled since 1991. New York-based HRW said, in a report, that anti-government protests had decreased in the last few weeks, but the \"crackdown continues\". \"Almost daily accounts of killings and arbitrary arrests have been reported to Human Rights Watch since 2016 began,\" it added. HRW said thousands of people had been detained without charge since November. But Ethiopia's Communications Minister, Getachew Reda, told the BBC that it was a \"stroke of magic\" for HRW to release a report \"from half way across the world\". He acknowledged that there had been trouble, but said attacks on public buildings were carried out by armed gangs \"who are trying to stir up emotions in the public\". Mr Getachew said that HRW has been \"churning out report after report\" on Ethiopia without a presence in the country, and its allegations against the security forces were an \"absolute lie\". At the last census in 2007, the Oromo made up Ethiopia's biggest ethnic group, at about 25 million people out of a population at the time of nearly 74 million.", "summary": "Ethiopia has dismissed allegations it is violently suppressing protests in its restive Oromia region as an \"absolute lie\"."}
{"article": "FW Capital, a subsidiary of Finance Wales, wants to manage part of a \u00c2\u00a3400m fund for firms in the north of England. Plaid Cymru's Shadow Economy Secretary Adam Price was critical, claiming it could boost Welsh companies' rivals. But FW Capital said any profit it makes in England would help cover Finance Wales's overheads back in Wales. The firm has had a team of fund managers operating from offices in the north west and north east of England since 2010. Finance Wales said its board and management in Cardiff were fully aware of FW Capital's decision to bid for a slice of the Northern Powerhouse work, for which it has been shortlisted. Mr Price said it was \"perplexing to say the least that this practice [of work outside Wales] is continuing\", following a Welsh Government review in 2013. \"The whole purpose of creating this lever, this additional bit of institutional fire power, is to give Welsh businesses a competitive advantage,\" he added. \"If you're doing the same on the other side of the border you're potentially negating your work in Wales.\" The 2013 review by business expert Prof Dylan Jones-Evans questioned whether Finance Wales was doing enough to help the Welsh economy, and recommended the creation of a development bank. Ministers have pledged to set one up, and Finance Wales has submitted plans. Despite Prof Jones-Evans's criticism, the assembly's finance committee approved FW Capital's work in England in a separate report in 2014, saying Wales benefited from the profit it generated. Finance Wales chief executive Giles Thorley said the group's priority \"is and will always be supporting businesses in Wales\". He said FW Capital was run \"on a profitable basis by local fund managers\" and \"brings valuable management fees to the Finance Wales Group making a sizeable contribution to central overheads in Wales\". \"We're looking forward to working with Welsh Government on the plans to become a Development Bank for Wales,\" he said. \"Our focus remains on helping businesses in Wales to grow and succeed,\" Mr Thorley said.", "summary": "A Welsh government-owned investment company has defended a decision to compete for business as part of England's Northern Powerhouse."}
{"article": "At close, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 27.47 points, or 0.4%, at 6,772. The price of Brent crude slid fell 3.57% to $46.52 a barrel on worries that oil producers would fail to agree limits on output. Shares in oil giants BP and Royal Dutch Shell were both down by about 2%. Shares in UK housebuilders were trading higher on the back of stronger-than-expected mortgage lending figures. Bank of England figures showed 67,518 mortgages were approved in October, a seven-month high. Barratt Developments shares rose 2.28% while Persimmon climbed 1.95%. Shares in BT Group saw big moves after telecoms regulator Ofcom ordered it to make its Openreach business legally separate. BT shares fell 1.4% in early trade, but then recovered to stand about 1.16% higher by close. Ofcom said BT had failed to voluntarily address competition concerns, adding it would notify the European Commission of its plans to force the legal separation of Openreach, which runs the UK's broadband infrastructure. The regulator wants Openreach to become a distinct company with its own board, with non-executives and a chairperson not affiliated with BT. However, it has resisted calls to split Openreach off entirely. \"Ofcom isn't really saying anything radically different today in terms of the actual meat of the changes,\" said Neil Wilson, from ETX Capital. \"What's concerning investors is the detail of the separation, such as the transfer of pension liabilities and budget autonomy - BT's pension black hole has ballooned to top ??10bn and this is a concern for investors.\" On the currency markets, the pound rose 0.64% against the dollar to $1.2497, and was 0.67% higher against the euro at ???1.1774.", "summary": "Oil companies weighed on the London market as energy shares were hit by a fall in oil prices ahead of the meeting of Opec oil producers on Wednesday."}
{"article": "In the Commons, the Conservative majority of 12 looked paper-thin, and susceptible to all manner of rebellions from a variety of different quarters: in the Lords, the Conservatives, for the first time in their history, faced the prospect of governing without a majority of peers behind them. But as 2016 dawns, those whips may be breathing just a little easier. By normal standards, the government should be having rather a hard time at the moment, with its somersault with triple salko over tax credit cuts, its latest postponement of a decision on Heathrow expansion (supposedly a vital infrastructure issue), not to mention the increasingly nasty internal sniping over David Cameron's EU membership renegotiation. But sitting on a double-digit opinion poll lead, ministers can, instead, contemplate Labour's disarray, the Lib Dems' near disappearance and the SNP's enthusiasm for sniping at Labour, as well as them. When ministers come to propose the renewal of Trident, for example, they can expect a number of Labour MPs to support them, or at least abstain. And if Jeremy Corbyn seeks to overrule his MPs on this issue, by polling Labour Party members, the internal bitterness in the Parliamentary Labour Party will doubtless deepen, and a couple of shadow cabinet members could well depart. It's an example of how a controversial decision will be masked by a Labour split. The most troublesome issues for government should be those where most opposition parties are united against them and where 10 or more Conservative MPs are prepared to break ranks. Take the Investigatory Powers Bill, where Tory civil libertarians like David Davis are deeply unhappy about the internet data powers the government wants to take. Mr Davis is a seasoned parliamentary guerrilla, capable of causing real trouble with a combination of tactical streetsmarts and a proven ability to work with opposition MPs - he has an excellent working relationship with one Tom Watson, now deputy leader of the Labour Party. They might be able to engineer a Commons defeat for the government on some aspect of the Bill, perhaps to require judicial warrants for intercepts, but this is only possible if Labour can present a united front. Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham at first seemed to welcome the draft Bill, which is being scrutinised by a special parliamentary committee, and then raised questions afterwards - a performance that smacked of internal disagreement. And that in turn raises questions about whether Labour has the flexibility to support the Bill in general while attempting to defeat the government on a key part of it. We shall see. And what about their lordships' House? The government is attempting to re-write the rules on secondary legislation, after its stinging defeat on tax credits in October. But that defeat masked an interesting fact - that the government is starting to win a few more contentious votes in the Lords. Shortly after that tax credit vote, it defeated a move to postpone a switch to individual voter registration, largely because a few Labour peers failed to turn out. More recently the government whips have seen off", "summary": "After the election, the numbers in both Houses of Parliament looked pretty daunting for the government whips."}
{"article": "Muhammadu Buhari's second coming as Nigeria's president one-and-a-half years ago was greeted with a lot of hope and excitement. There was a collective sigh of relief when he took over from the lacklustre Goodluck Jonathan, who symbolised everything that was wrong with the then ruling party. Eighteen months down the line, many Nigerians are openly asking whether the 73-year-old president has what it takes to lead Africa's most populous state, given the enormous challenges that the country faces. While the president has gained some kudos for his efforts to tackle corruption and for the fact that the military now has the upper hand in the fight against militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which at one point held large swathes of territory in the north-east, little success has been recorded in other areas. As President Buhari has said, he had the misfortune of coming to power at a time when very low oil prices meant the import-dependent and oil revenue-reliant country was paying a high price for its expensive habits. \"Nearly halfway into his four-year term, Mr Buhari is yet to make some key appointments to drive his vision\" Nigerian leaders, and especially Mr Jonathan's government, never planned for the vagaries of oil prices, which have plummeted from more than $100 (\u00a379) a barrel in 2014 to just above $30. Mindless corruption ensured that the extra income was carelessly spent and even money allocated for purchasing arms to counter Boko Haram's insurgency was allegedly pocketed by individuals or diverted to political campaigns. Mr Buhari admitted he felt like absconding from the job when he found how bad the situation was when he took office in May 2015. Having won the election on his fourth attempt, Nigerians expected the former military ruler to have an idea or two about how to fix the country's main challenges: Poor infrastructure, lack of electricity and high unemployment. Now some of his supporters are beginning to lose patience. Even his wife took the unprecedented step of criticising him publicly in a BBC interview where she said she might not support him again if he ran for another term in 2019. Nearly halfway into his four-year term, Mr Buhari is yet to make some key appointments to drive his vision. It took him six months to assemble a cabinet and, eight months after the death of one government minister, that post remains vacant. With many key officials yet to be replaced, there is an air of tentativeness in the operations of many government departments. It is in the area of the economy that there is even more dissatisfaction given the recession that the country is experiencing. The unofficial devaluation of the local currency, the naira, higher food prices and job losses have all made life more difficult for families. Many people just manage to have a meal a day. The following phrase trended among Nigerians on social media recently: \"We are no longer asking President Buhari to develop Nigeria. At this point we are only asking him to return Nigeria to the state it was before he became president.\"", "summary": "In our series of letters from African journalists, Mannir Dan Ali, editor-in-chief of Nigeria's Daily Trust paper, looks at why the Nigerian president is finding it hard to please anyone."}
{"article": "East Lindsey council introduced charges at 13 sites in 2013 in a bid to offset government funding cuts. The authority is now consulting on the introduction of an overnight parking charge across all its managed sites. Deputy leader Graham Marsh said free parking was re-instated after feedback from businesses and the public. More on this and other local stories in Lincolnshire He said: \"I can see the logic for it [charging] - trying to get a consistent strategy across the district - but it didn't work and different areas have different needs.\" Mr Marsh said it was hoped the changes would be a permanent measure. The council announced in December it was considering a \u00c2\u00a32 overnight parking charge on all paid car parks in the district, but this is yet to be implemented. Mr Marsh added: \"We need to assess what impact it will have, and realistically will it raise sufficient money for what it costs?\" The authority is currently trying to make savings of \u00c2\u00a36m by 2019/20.", "summary": "Free all-day car parking has been re-instated at 10 sites in Lincolnshire, three years after it was scrapped to save money."}
{"article": "Sexual orientation details are stored by the MoD but kept anonymous, and recruits have the option to \"prefer not to say\". A spokesman said the MoD, which introduced the new measure in November, \"encourages diversity at all levels\". Openly-gay soldiers have been allowed to serve since 2000. The spokesman said: \"The MoD proudly encourages diversity at all levels. Service personnel are now encouraged to declare their sexual orientation. \"Although this is not mandatory, collecting this data will give us a better understanding of the composition of our armed forces and help ensure our policies and practices fully support our personnel.\" Recruits are also invited to say how open they feel they can be regarding their sexual orientation. The gathered information is not visible on individual personal records or to chain of command or managers, with names removed before the data is collated to make sure no one can be identified. The MoD said there was no specific drive to recruit more lesbian, gay or bisexual personnel.", "summary": "The Ministry of Defence is now asking recruits to the armed forces whether they are gay in a bid to improve diversity in the military."}
{"article": "Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram created the work called Maya using more than 5,000 photographs of his daughter. Mr Jerram said he was inspired by the \"billions of images uploaded to the internet every year\". The piece has been installed on platform three, where Mr Jerram's daughter saw it for the first time. 'Coloured stickers' Mr Jerram, who is the artist behind Play Me I'm Yours, which has seen pianos appear on city streets around the world, said: \"From a distance, people coming through the station may be almost concerned to see what looks like a young girl stood by herself, but as they move closer, she will pixelate just like a computer image does. \"There's a certain distance when standing in front of the sculpture that the pixels disappear and the image of the girl comes together. \"The sculpture goes ping - it's really fun.\" The artwork was made by scanning Mr Jerram's daughter using an Xbox Kinect. Her head was scanned at the Machine Vision Laboratory at the University of the West of England where Mr Jerram is a visiting Senior Research Fellow. Both scans were then combined and pixelated into cubes, called voxels. The model was then made from precision-cut sheets of aluminium. Finally more than 5,000 coloured stickers were printed and fixed on to the aluminium. The sculpture is part of a series of Bristol Temple Quarter Commissions, designed to engage people with the new Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone. The aim is to encourage artists and audiences to explore the area, engage with its history and its future.", "summary": "A sculpture of a girl which appears to fragment as the person looking at it moves closer has been installed at Temple Meads railway station."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old has been offered wildcards into the WTA tournaments in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome. She will need another if she is to play at Roland Garros, and unless she makes a flying start when her career resumes, her presence at Wimbledon will be in the hands of the All England Club. The reputation of the Grand Slams is linked intrinsically to the integrity of the sport. Will they take the view that once a ban is served, a decorated former champion like Sharapova should be entitled to unlimited invitations to the world's best events? Or will they share the view of Andy Murray and Caroline Wozniacki that, after a doping ban, players should not be offered shortcuts into tournaments? A former Grand Slam champion is currently free to accept as many wildcards as they wish, but that is a rule which is likely to be reviewed, according to the WTA's chief executive. Steve Simon has also said - in an interview for BBC Sport in Los Angeles - that he is not personally in favour of changing the rule, as a doping ban \"should not wipe out a career's worth of work\". Murray believes that ideally a player should be made to work their way back after a ban by accumulating ranking points in smaller tournaments. Wozniacki was even more direct with her language when she addressed the subject here in Indian Wells. \"When someone has been banned for drugs and something that is performance enhancing, I think that you deserve a second chance like everybody else. People make mistakes, but I think you should fight your way back from the bottom,\" the former world number one Wozniacki said. Other players, like Venus Williams and Simona Halep, believe Sharapova is deserving of wildcards, but it may be that a Grand Slam champion who serves a doping ban loses the right to unlimited wildcards in the future. \"Every rule gets looked at and reviewed, and I'm sure this may be one of them,\" WTA chief executive Simon told me. \"If the members wish us to look at the rule, we will - that's how our system works. \"My personal opinion is that it shouldn't be adjusted unless we decide to not provide it at all and change the entire wildcard rule. I think the suspension is in place to deal with an action that occurred - I don't think it should wipe out a career's worth of work, and in essence that's what people are saying. \"Maria has served a 15 month suspension, has had no income, has lost all of her ranking as well as her Australian Open winnings from 2016 - so she's served a significant penalty for her actions.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Sharapova will make her return in Stuttgart on Wednesday 26 April, which is the very day her ban expires and two days after the tournament begins. This has upset Angelique Kerber, the German who has won the title for the past two years and will return to the top of the world", "summary": "Maria Sharapova will return from her doping ban in Stuttgart in six weeks time, but her participation at the French Open and Wimbledon remains in significant doubt."}
{"article": "\"This was a pretty shameful day for Washington,\" Mr Obama said at the White House. \"But this effort is not over.\" Fifty-four senators backed the plan, but that was six short of the 60-vote hurdle needed to clear the chamber. Gun rights groups hailed the defeat of the measure, arguing it would violate the right to bear arms. The proposal, put forward as an amendment to a broader gun bill, sought to widen the current checks to include online and unlicensed gun show dealers. President Barack Obama is campaigning for tighter gun laws after 26 people died in a school shooting in Connecticut in December. In remarks at the White House with a family that lost a son in the Newtown massacre by his side, Mr Obama vowed to continue efforts on tighter gun restrictions. \"If this Congress refuses to listen to the American people... then the real impact is going to have to come from the voters,\" Mr Obama said, calling on those who supported the plan to let their senators know how disappointed they were. Mr Obama argued those who voted against the Manchin-Toomey plan had been led only by politics. \"Most of these senators could not offer any good reason why we wouldn't want to make it harder for criminals and those with severe mental illnesses to buy a gun.\" Meanwhile, former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a vocal supporter of gun control after she was shot in the head in 2011 while meeting constituents in Tucson, in an attack that killed six people, accused lawmakers of \"cowardice\". \"These senators made their decision based on political fear and on cold calculations about the money of special interests like the National Rifle Association, which in the last election cycle spent around $25 million on contributions, lobbying and outside spending,\" Ms Giffords wrote in the New York Times. The expanded system of background checks, which had been the centrepiece of the president's agenda, was blocked by most Senate Republicans and some Democrats. The New York Times accuses the Senate of failing Americans, saying for 45 of them the carnage of Sandy Hook Elementary School is a forgotten tragedy. Commentator Charles Krauthammer tells Fox News in video carried by National Review Online that the amendment would not have stopped Sandy Hook happening. The Washington Post says the Senate has \"misfired badly\". \"An inglorious conclusion,\" is the view of the Huffington Post. Plans for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines have already been removed from the gun-control bill, amid lack of political support. Similar measures failed as amendments on Wednesday. A recent poll by CNN/ORC suggests that 86% of Americans support expanded background checks, but recent AP opinion surveys show support for generally stricter gun laws has dipped from a high of 58% in January to 48%. Patricia Maisch, a survivor of the 2011 Arizona shooting that killed six people and severely injured former Representative Gabby Giffords, shouted \"Shame on you!\" from the Senate gallery as the bill was blocked. The plan was considered as an amendment to a larger gun-violence bill", "summary": "President Barack Obama has lashed out at senators who blocked a bipartisan plan to support expanded background checks on firearms."}
{"article": "South Wales Police has confirmed that the matter is closed and that the three complainants have been told. The force said it has informed Operation Hydrant, which oversees allegations of historical child sex abuse against high-profile people. Lord Tonypandy, who was born in Port Talbot, died of cancer in 1997 aged 88. Then known as George Thomas, he was a Labour MP in Cardiff from 1945 to 1983. The methodist preacher was also Secretary of State for Wales from 1968 to 1970 and was Commons Speaker between 1976 and 1983. Allegations of historical child sexual abuse were made against him four years ago. A man, now in his fifties, living in Australia, alleged that Lord Tonypandy had sexually assaulted him in Cardiff when he was nine years old while he was staying at the boy's parents home in the 1960s and 1970s. Other allegations against him included that he sexually assaulted a 16 or 17-year-old boy on a train between Newport and London in the 1960s. There were also claims he inappropriately touched someone on a train from London to Aberystwyth in 1959. On Wednesday, South Wales Police said its investigation has come to an end and that no further action would be taken. \"These allegations have been investigated proportionately by South Wales Police in line with national guidance,\" it said in a statement. \"The force takes all allegations of sexual abuse seriously no matter when the alleged offence took place and encourages any victims of sexual abuse to come forward, in the knowledge that they will be listened to and their allegations taken seriously.\" Friends and people who knew Lord Tonypandy have previously said they found the allegations difficult to believe.", "summary": "An investigation into sex abuse claims made against the former Speaker of the House of Commons Viscount Tonypandy has ended."}
{"article": "A US law prevents the government from selling arms to countries which fail to tackle human rights abuses. Mr Buhari met President Barack Obama in Washington on Monday to seek further assistance. Boko Haram has killed some 10,000 people since 2009 and has also kidnapped hundreds of girls and women. Last month, human rights group Amnesty International said that some 8,000 men and boys had died in Nigerian military custody after being detained as suspected militants. The military rejected this allegation, Nigeria's president promised an investigation but there have been no further details. The US has previously promised some $5m (\u00c2\u00a33.2m) in military assistance to the regional coalition helping to fight Boko Haram, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State. However, Mr Buhari heavily criticised the US, especially the Leahy Law, which links military sales to human rights. The Nigerian military did \"not possess the appropriate weapons and technology which we could have had if the so-called human rights violations had not been an obstacle,\" he told the United States Institute of Peace on Wednesday. \"Unwittingly, and I dare say unintentionally, the application of the Leahy Law Amendment by the United States government has aided and abetted the Boko Haram terrorists.\" In the latest suspected Boko Haram attack, at least 29 people were killed in bomb blasts at two bus stations in the north-eastern city of Gombe on Wednesday. At least 11 people were earlier killed in the Cameroonian town of Maroua, just over the border from Gombe. Boko Haram last year seized a huge area of north-eastern Nigeria, before being beaten back by a regional coalition, including Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Mr Buhari was elected in March, partly on a pledge to defeat Boko Haram. Why Boko Haram remains a threat Who are Boko Haram?", "summary": "The US has \"aided and abetted\" the Boko Haram Islamist militant group by refusing to provide weapons to Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari says."}
{"article": "While many elderly and disabled people in the UK are used to visits of just 15 minutes from a carer, Buurtzorg employs qualified nurses who stay as long as they think is necessary. \"We focus on craftmanship,\" said the founder and director of Buurtzorg, Jos de Blok. \"If you, as a nurse, have a good education then you know how to organise your work yourself. In a team with 10-12 nurses you can be responsible for all the patients in a neighbourhood.\" There are no managers and patient satisfaction is the highest for any care organisation in the country. The costs per client are 35% less than the Dutch average. Buurtzorg has also been voted the Netherlands' best employer three years in a row. \"Before they introduced me to Buurtzorg, I was with another organisation and that was rubbish,\" said 83-year-old Fred de Smet, from Utrecht. He has been receiving care from Buurtzorg nurses for several years following a stroke, heart problems and leukaemia. \"They treat me well, they take care of me. You are a human with them and they don't start saying, we only have X amount of hours or so many minutes to change my support stockings or shower me.\" As well as organising social care, some of the nurses in Amsterdam run a radio show, called Radio Steunkous - which translates to \"radio support stocking\". \"Our motto is that everyone can be each other's support stocking,\" said nurse and presenter Ellie Lakerveld. \"Our goal is to provide another form of healthcare. A lot of people we visit are bound to their houses or their beds, and radio plays an important part in their lives.\" Radio Steunkous runs features which might be of interest to those receiving care, mingled with classic songs from previous decades. Buurtzorg itself recreates a system from a past era. \"This is the way I worked in the 80s,\" says Jos de Blok, who was a community health nurse. \"We didn't have management then. We were responsible for everything. Give trust to the nurses, they have intrinsic motivation.\" Mr de Blok hopes to encourage other countries to adopt his model. He arrives in Scotland only a few days after returning from Japan, which also has a care system based on short visits. \"I understand how these systems developed through the years because it's what we had in Holland. \"But it becomes more and more difficult for nurses to do the work in a way they are satisfied. The way it's organised with many management layers makes it even worse. Then you get this vicious circle. Control becomes more. The pressure on costs becomes higher. It's not the solution.\" Buurtzorg started in 2007 with four nurses but now has 9,300 nurses in 800 locations across the Netherlands. \"They make full use of the time they've got with you,\" said Mr de Smet. \"They have time to have a coffee with you. It's very cosy and very good. I wouldn't want it any other way.\"", "summary": "The founder of a Dutch care system has travelled to Scotland to speak to health professionals and the Scottish government about his not-for-profit care company."}
{"article": "Mr Barroso headed the EU executive from 2004-2014 and will help the bank deal with the impact of Brexit. It is a powerful player in the City of London. European Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly has written to Mr Barroso's EU successor, Jean-Claude Juncker, raising concerns. The City is a key hub for EU business. French politician Michel Barnier, the man who pushed through major EU reforms in financial services after the 2008 financial crash, will head the European Commission team in the Brexit negotiations. Mr Barnier was financial services commissioner under Mr Barroso and some reforms, including caps on bankers' bonuses, met with British resistance. The UK government is preparing for painstaking talks on the terms for withdrawing from the EU. There are fears that Brexit could harm the City's pre-eminent role in European finance. Prime Minister Theresa May insists that \"Brexit means Brexit\" and is widely expected to trigger Article 50 - the withdrawal mechanism - next year. Mr Barroso joined Goldman Sachs in July, in a highly controversial move. He respected the EU's mandatory 18-month cooling off period before moving. Critics say it exposed once again a Brussels \"revolving door\", in which elite EU officials move to lucrative jobs in business, deploying their inside knowledge and expertise. Transparency campaigners have launched an online petition, signed by more than 62,000 people. The petitioners want Mr Barroso to lose his Commission pension. Goldman Sachs donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to pro-EU campaigners, and said last month that Brexit could force it to restructure some of its business. Ms O'Reilly told Mr Juncker: \"Public unease will be exacerbated by the fact that Mr Barroso has publicly stated that he will be advising on the UK's decision to leave the EU. \"In this context, has the Commission considered issuing guidance to current Members, to Chief Negotiator Barnier and to staff in relation to how and whether they will engage with the former Commission President in his new role? \"Such advice is important given the need to ensure that their work is not affected by any possible failure on Mr Barroso's part to comply with his duty to act with integrity.\" Ms O'Reilly investigates complaints about EU maladministration, and can order the release of documents, but cannot impose penalties.", "summary": "A top EU official has questioned the European Commission's ethical standards over the new role of ex-Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso at US investment bank Goldman Sachs."}
{"article": "It comes after the special rapporteur on torture said some aspects violated the convention against torture. Australia detains all asylum seekers who arrive by boat, holding them in offshore processing camps. Rights groups have criticised conditions on Manus Island, where asylum-seekers are held. In a new report to be tabled to the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, the rapporteur, Juan Mendez, investigated allegations of torture and abuse in more than 60 countries. In Australia, he highlighted some cases where the authorities had failed to provide adequate detention conditions, end the detention of children, or prevent escalating violence and tension at Manus Island. This meant Australia had violated the right of the asylum-seeker to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, the report said. The Australian government has rejected the report. When asked about the UN's findings, Mr Abbott told reporters: \"I really think Australians are sick of being lectured to by the United Nations, particularly, given that we have stopped the boats, and by stopping the boats, we have ended the deaths at sea.\" He said hundreds had drowned at sea as the people-smuggling trade flourished under the previous government. Mr Abbott said stopping the flow of people coming to Australia by boat, mostly through Indonesia, was the \"most humanitarian, most decent, the most compassionate thing you can do\". \"We have stopped the boats and I think the UN's representatives would have a lot more credibility if they were to give some credit to the Australian government for what we've been able to achieve in this area,\" Mr Abbott said. When asked about conditions on Manus, Mr Abbott said: \"All of the basic needs of the people on Manus Island are being met ... everyone's needs for food, for clothing, for shelter, for safety are being more than met.\" One of the allegations investigated by Mr Mendez is the intimidation and ill-treatment of two asylum-seekers after they gave statements about violent attacks at Manus. He found their rights were in fact breached. He also found that two government changes to immigration legislation risk violating international laws prohibiting torture. The report found violations in more than 60 other countries including in the US for the 30-year imprisonment of a mentally ill man on death row. It also raises alarm at the proposed deportation of several individuals from the UK to countries that engage in torture. Australia asylum: Why is it controversial?", "summary": "Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said the country is \"sick of being lectured\" by the UN over its treatment of asylum seekers."}
{"article": "Rescuers earlier ended efforts to find the body of Jeffrey Bush, 36, whose bedroom was engulfed by the 6m (20ft) hole on as he slept on Thursday night. Sinkholes are common in parts of Florida, although most are quite small. Experts are trying to ascertain how far the underground cavity reaches and whether more homes are at risk. All homes near to the house in Seffner - a suburb of 8,000 people 25km (15 miles) east of central Tampa - have been evacuated. Officials have created a 100ft-wide safety zone fearing the top of the sinkhole is growing. The house covers most of the hole, and a local official said crews would try to move the building forward to enable surviving family members to retrieve their belongings from it. \"We don't know, in fact, whether it will collapse or whether it will hold up,'' said Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill. On Sunday, the demolition crews left standing only a few walls of the house. They were proceeding as carefully as possible to salvage at least some of the home's contents for five survivors. A Bible, family photos and a woman's purse were among the items saved. The demolition is expected to be completed on Monday and experts would then examine the hole. Just before the crews started their work, 35-year-old Jeremy Bush, who had tried to save his brother, was seen praying outside the house. Five people escaped unharmed, after hearing a loud crash and Jeffrey Bush screaming as the earth crumbled below the house. Jeremy Bush said he jumped into the chasm to dig his brother out but failed. He was later rescued by police. Rescuers then used listening devices and cameras at the scene, but found no signs of life. \"There's no way of possible survival,\" said fire rescue spokeswoman Jessica Damico on Saturday. Mr Bush told reporters that someone had visited the four-bedroom house some weeks ago to check for sinkholes and other issues but found nothing wrong. \"And a couple of months later, my brother dies. In a sinkhole,\" he said. Florida state law requires home insurers to provide coverage against sinkholes. Experts say much of Florida sits on a system of limestone caverns which are subject to water erosion, causing them to collapse.", "summary": "Demolition crews have partially razed the home of a man presumed dead after he was swallowed up by a sinkhole in Florida."}
{"article": "The freeze will cost \u00a3640m over four years, less than the \u00a31.9bn over five years cost projected by Transport for London during the election campaign. Mr Khan will review TfL's layers of management, cut agency staff, review projects and freeze salaries of top managers to make savings. Travelcards, monthly Oyster cards and daily caps are exempt from the freeze. The Liberal Democrats have criticised the mayor for breaking his fares freeze promise as the benefits will not be felt by passengers using travelcards. \"Not what he said in his campaign,\" said Lib Dem London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon. Conservative group leader Gareth Bacon said: \"Sadiq Khan was asked about his fares freeze thousands of times during the mayoral campaign. \"Not once did he mention that this freeze would not include travelcards.\" Mr Khan said he could only freeze TfL fares, not those under the control of Department for Transport. \"Londoners currently pay some of the highest public transport fares anywhere in the world,\" the mayor said. \"My fares freeze on TfL services will make life easier for millions of people and will ensure that London becomes a more affordable city for all.\" London's transport commissioner, Mike Brown, said the savings needed to deliver a fares freeze for two years had been found, and the rest of the money could be found in the autumn. \"For the first two years it is enshrined. The money is there. \"Over the summer... all the money will be found. We will achieve this.\" The new mayor will:", "summary": "Most passengers will pay the same fares in 2020 as they do now, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced."}
{"article": "Dean Price went into the River Esk at Longtown after his seven-year-old daughter, Delilah, slipped and fell into the water on 30 June. The 32-year-old, from Walsall, got into difficulties and disappeared. His body was found hours later following an extensive search of the river. The South Cumbria coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death. Geoff Maxwell, an off-duty retained firefighter who was working nearby, managed to rescue the girl. He was praised by coroner David Roberts, who said: \"On behalf of the public generally, I would like to thank you for your selfless act.\"", "summary": "A man drowned while trying to rescue his daughter from a river in Cumbria, an inquest has found."}
{"article": "Detectives realised the scale of the online library after a drugs raid on his home in Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff. The 36-year-old Lostprophets singer had encrypted files to cover his trail as a \"determined\" paedophile. But experts from GCHQ, the UK government's intelligence headquarters, accessed the files allowing police to present evidence so \"overwhelming\" that Watkins had no choice but to plead guilty rather than face a trial, says the officer whose team brought him to justice. South Wales Police Det Ch Insp Peter Doyle revealed that officers recovered a total of 27 terabytes of data storage from computers and devices found in Watkins's possession. In addition, the \"very multi-media and computer savvy\" Watkins made extensive use of cloud-based storage to hide his paedophile images from prying eyes. Watkins had used a reference to child abuse as his password. On average, one terabyte drive is capable of holding 472 hours of broadcast quality video or 150 hours of high-definition recording. The 27 terabytes Watkins held dwarfed the data storage held by South Wales Police, which has 2,862 officers and 1,631 support staff. Watkins has begun a 35-year sentence after admitting 13 offences including the attempted rape of a baby. His two co-defendants - mothers of the abused children - were also jailed for 14 and 17 years. He had \"furiously denied\" the charges before changing his plea at the last minute. In mitigation, the singer has claimed that his substance misuse had left him with no memory of his \"prolific\" abuse. But police say the scale and nature of his online paedophile collection suggests the judge's description of him as \"committed and determined\" is accurate. Det Ch Insp Doyle said: \"Clearly he was man who used encryption tools. He was a man who went to some lengths to conceal what he was storing. \"He went to some considerable lengths to try and hide his wrongdoing. \"That takes some time to unravel and unfold but unravel it, we did. Which is why we are where we are today.\" A link-up with Interpol has led to police following Watkins's trail overseas along the route of Lostprophets tours, he said. Officers are also liaising with counterparts in the Boston and Los Angeles offices of the US department of homeland security. He added: \"It would be true to say that we have used high-level experts to assist us when it was needed. \"The bottom line is that if we need someone to crack a password for us then people, at a high level, have said 'Yes, we will help you'. \"There is a message there to people. That message is: you can encrypt away as much as you like. But do not think you are safe. \"There are people who will find a way into the device and you will be brought to book.\" As Watkins was led away to begin his sentence - 29 years in jail followed by six years on licence - Det Ch Insp Doyle said he could not explain Watkins's change of plea, so avoiding a trial. He said: \"I have", "summary": "Jailed paedophile Ian Watkins was so \"tech savvy\" his collection of child abuse photos and films amounted to data almost five times the size of the police force that arrested him."}
{"article": "Developers Extreme said the \u00c2\u00a355m scheme for the Peak Parkway site would also provide an ice rink, other leisure facilities and housing. The site has been confirmed as North East Lincolnshire Council's preferred location for the stadium. One opposition councillor said the development is too large and in the wrong area. Ian Barfield, Liberal Democrat councillor, said: \"It just makes my heart sink. \"It is not a question of the town not needing economic development. It just does not need it on what should be an area of green space dividing the town.\" Read more about this and other stories from across East Yorkshire and Humber Extreme Leisure said a number of consultations will be held before any planning application is submitted. Alistair Gosling, the company chairman, said: \"This will provide inbound investment, local employment and better facilities for the locals and visitors of North East Lincolnshire.\" About 320 full-time jobs could be created, excluding construction jobs, he added. John Fenty, from Grimsby Town FC, said he was delighted with the proposals and was looking forward to the day \"when the ground was broken\". The Labour leader of North East Lincolnshire Council said news of the deal was \"very positive\". Councillor Ray Oxby added: \"We have made it clear from the start that where there's the potential for public assets and resources to be involved, we must follow a strict and proper process to make sure we get the right result for the whole area.\"", "summary": "Grimsby Town Football Club has signed a deal with a leisure provider to build a new 14,000-capacity stadium."}
{"article": "The club are close to appointing the former Ajax and Inter Milan boss, 47, to succeed Sam Allardyce, who led Palace to 14th in the Premier League in May following a relegation battle. \"The Champions League is not realistic but with good organisation you can stay in the middle,\" De Boer said. \"With a great season, maybe you could sneak European football.\" Between 2010 and 2016, De Boer coached Ajax, winning the Eredivisie for four consecutive seasons between 2011 and 2015. But the former Netherlands international has been out of work since he was sacked by Inter Milan in November 2016 after only 85 days in charge. \"It's always been one of his desires to come to the Premier League,\" added Ronald. \"It's the biggest league in the world - not necessarily the best - but the most exciting for sure. Frank wants to be part of that and hopefully he gets that opportunity with Crystal Palace. \"As it stands now, I know that both sides want to go with each other but there are just little things to discuss.\" De Boer was appointed as Inter boss two weeks before the start of the 2015-16 season after Roberto Mancini left by mutual consent. He had never previously coached or played in Italy and led Inter to just four league wins in his opening 11 games, leaving them 12th in the Serie A table. \"Falling down on your face sometimes helps you to move forward,\" said his brother. \"It's so difficult to step into a team who are not at all fit and have an average age of 28, just two weeks before the start of the season. It is very difficult to change the philosophy. \"But he learned he needs a good pre-season to get a proper idea of what his squad is about. \"He is more than capable of doing well with any team and also with Crystal Palace if he decides to sign with them.\"", "summary": "Frank de Boer could help Crystal Palace to the Europa League if he takes charge at Selhurst Park, says brother Ronald."}
{"article": "The object was found in the Velsheda Way and Alliance Avenue area in Ardoyne. Police closed the Ardoyne Road and Alliance Avenue during the alert. Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in councillor Gerry McCabe told the BBC that he had been informed by the PSNI that a device had been thrown at a police vehicle. \"They have informed me that families have been evacuated though I can't confirm exactly how many families have been evacuated.\" Mr McCabe added that \"there are some people in the area who are sick and elderly and they need some serious medical attention\". \"It's unacceptable to think that these people are going to be disrupted by mindless idiots who think it's OK to throw a device at a police vehicle in a built-up area like Ardoyne.\"", "summary": "A security alert in north Belfast has reportedly ended after a suspicious object was declared a hoax."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Haskins was awarded the belt after Randy Caballero was stripped of his title after weighing in five and a half pounds over the limit for last Saturday's fight, which had been due to take place at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Bristol-based manager, Chris Sanigar, told BBC Points West about his future hopes for 32-year-old Haskins.", "summary": "Britain's Lee Haskins could return to Las Vegas for a big pay day after winning the IBF world bantamweight title without throwing a punch."}
{"article": "Grimsby Town said it \"fully supports the letter\" issued by fan group the Mariners Trust to Stevenage FC. The Mariners Trust made the allegations about the treatment of some fans after the two sides met on Saturday. Stevenage FC said it implemented \"a full, 100% compliant, searching regime\" after fears of \"the potential for anti-social and un-cooperative behaviour\". More on this and other Grimsby stories In response, Grimsby Town said that after being contacted by the Hertfordshire club it reassured them \"that risk issues would be minimal\". The club added: \"It was suggested to Stevenage that positive engagement would result in a fun and issue-free day and that the only small risk they faced was a chance of smoke bombs from a small section of younger supporters aged 15-25, as this happened at Chesterfield.\" \"GTFC does not condone searching of minors (under 13s) or the questioning of females about the contents of their underwear.\" The letter from the supporters' group alleged stewards asked some female fans \"if they could feel their bras\" if they told them they were were underwired. It claimed the searches were \"in full view of male stewards, fans and police\" and described them as \"a gross invasion of privacy\". The fans group also said children as young as five were subjected to full body searches and supporters had items confiscated that were not listed as being banned, such as \"contact lens solution, cough sweets and medication\". Stevenage FC said the searches were implemented because \"after liaising with Grimsby Town's safety officer, the police and others, it was indicated that prohibited items were likely to try to be brought into the grounds and could be passed onto those deemed less likely to be searched, such as women and younger supporters\". Grimsby Town said it would be raising the issue with Stevenage.", "summary": "A football club has criticised searches of its female supporters who were asked to show their bras to security staff."}
{"article": "Parliament President Martin Schulz urged Saudi King Salman \"to free him, so he can accept the prize\". Mr Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in jail and 1,000 lashes in Saudi Arabia for \"insulting Islam\". Earlier this month he also won the Pen Pinter Prize for championing free speech. The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded by the European Parliament since 1988 to individuals or organisations for their contribution to the fight for human rights and democracy. It is named after the Soviet scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov. Mr Badawi, author of the website Free Saudi Liberals, was convicted of insulting Islam in 2012 and fined \u00c2\u00a3175,000. He received the first 50 lashes of his sentence in January, but subsequent floggings have been postponed. In June, Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court upheld the verdict despite a foreign outcry. \"This man, who is an extremely good man, an exemplary man, has had imposed on him one of the most gruesome penalties,\" Mr Schulz told a packed European Parliament assembly in Strasbourg, France. \"I call on the Saudi king to immediately free him. Relations depend on human rights being respected by our partners... they are not only not being respected but are being trodden underfoot.\" Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the European Parliament's Liberal bloc, said: \"The European Parliament has sent today a strong political and humanitarian message to Saudi Arabian authorities.\" Mr Badawi's wife Ensaf Haidar, now living Canada with their children, said the award was a \"message of hope and courage\". \"I thank the European Parliament,\" she told AFP news agency. Mr Badawi was one of three nominees for this year's prize along with assassinated Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov and the Venezuelan opposition movement Mesa de la Unidad Democratica. Previous winners include Nelson Mandela, Myanmar activist Aung San Suu Kyi and Pakistani education campaigner Malala Yousafzai.", "summary": "Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, whose flogging sentence caused an outcry, has been awarded the European Parliament's Sakharov human rights prize."}
{"article": "Italian diplomat Filippo Grandi, who took over the post from Portugal's Antonio Guterres this year, was speaking on a visit to Lebanon. Mr Grandi also urged the EU to do more for Syrian refugees outside Europe. EU leaders have warned of a crisis after more than a million migrants entered illegally last year. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls told the BBC this week: \"If Europe can't protect its own borders, it's the very idea of Europe that could be thrown into doubt.\" On Friday, his Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte, warned: \"When spring comes and the numbers quadruple, we cannot as the EU cope with the numbers any longer.\" The new UN High Commissioner for Refugees has been meeting refugees in camps in Lebanon and Jordan. Speaking to the BBC's Quentin Somerville, Mr Grandi said: \"Europe can absorb more genuine refugees if it would be better organised among the different member-states. \"However, we understand the predicament. It is a social and political predicament which is very serious.\" The EU is drawing up plans to share the \"burden\" of refugees more evenly among member states, scrapping a controversial rule that means they must claim asylum in the first country they arrive in. Hungary, one of the most vocal critics of migration policy, has dismissed the crisis as a \"German problem\" since Germany is where those arriving in the EU \"would like to go\". Mr Grandi also urged the EU to \"do more for the countries of first asylum\" so there would be \"less motivation for people to flee further away\". Katya Adler: Germans struggle to cope with influx Teaching migrants how to behave Migrants feel chill of tighter borders Europe's migrant crisis", "summary": "EU states could take more genuine refugees from Syria if they worked together better, the new head of the UN refugee agency has told the BBC."}
{"article": "The UK government announced in the Queen's Speech in May last year that it would bring forward a bill. Two Scottish sites have announced plans to bid for the spaceport licences - Prestwick airport and Machrihanish. However, the government said there was currently no timetable for the introduction of the bill. There is a growing market for launching small or nano satellites which could be used for communications such as broadband. The Scottish sites want to tap into this market and also lay down the infrastructure for future developments such as space tourism. Legislation concerning space is reserved to Westminster. The UK's government's Department for Transport (DfT) is responsible for the Modern Transport Bill, which would set regulations for driverless cars as well as allowing UK aerodromes to access space. It told BBC Scotland that it had been working hard on the bill but parliamentary time had been limited by events such as Brexit and the discussions over triggering Article 50. A spokeswoman for the DfT said: \"The final date for the introduction of the Modern Transport Bill will be announced in due course. \"We are creating the legislative and regulatory framework to allow the development of spaceports in the UK. It will be for the market to decide where the first spaceport will be established.\" Prestwick airport's director of spaceport development Richard Jenner said it had done a lot of work in preparation for applying for a spaceport licence. He said the airport was now waiting for the regulations to \"clarify\" what was needed to become a spaceport. He told BBC Scotland: \"If the delay's only short I don't think it's a big problem at all. \"As I understand it, the UK government are still very committed to launching the first rocket by 2020 and they are very keen for us to progress so I don't think there's any change in their intent. \"I think it's just a delay due to the parliamentary process.\" Prestwick commissioned a report in 2015 which said it would cost between \u00c2\u00a31m and \u00c2\u00a33.5m to get the airport to the standard to meet US spaceport regulations. Mr Jenner said the airport would need to make some modifications but it was confident it already had most safety measures in place. Also based at the South Ayrshire airport is a company called Orbital Access, which is developing a hybrid aeroplane and rocket system. It plans to use a wide-body carrier aircraft, with special modifications to carry a rocket under its body. The launcher rocket would be released at altitude and fired into space to deliver the payload. This system could be used at any of the spaceports which get a licence. Campbeltown airport at Machrihanish on the Kintyre peninsula has also announced a technical partnership which is looking at how to develop a spaceport. The Machrihanish plan is being put together by DiscoverSpace UK, which has signed a memorandum of understanding will tech firms QinetiQ and TelespazoVEGA. DiscoverSpace UK's managing director, Tom Millar, told BBC Scotland it would look to develop its plans over the next six months.", "summary": "Plans for legislation to enable the development of the UK's first commercial spaceports have been delayed by Brexit, BBC Scotland understands."}
{"article": "The Saracens winger, 28, was cited for making contact with the eyes of Ulster's Luke Marshall in a European Champions Cup game. The suspension came just a week after he was recalled to the England squad, 18 months after his last appearance. Ashton pleaded not guilty at a hearing on 20 January and is appealing against the level of the sanction. He received the full written decision of the independent disciplinary hearing judicial officer on Friday, 22 January. England begin their Six Nations campaign in Scotland on 6 February and end it on 19 March in France, with Ashton's ban finishing on 28 March. Head coach Eddie Jones said he would wait for the outcome of any appeal before naming a replacement. However, Bath wing Semesa Rokoduguni has been called up as cover and the 28-year-old will join up with the England squad until a final decision is made on Ashton's case.", "summary": "Chris Ashton will appeal against a 10-week ban that would rule him out of England's entire Six Nations campaign."}
{"article": "Two quickfire Omar Bogle goals just before half-time gave Grimsby control. Forest Green fought back after the break and Keanu Marsh-Brown's superb goal reduced their deficit after Jon Parkin had missed from six yards. But Grimsby - playing in the play-offs for a fourth consecutive year - struck a late third through Nathan Arnold. Paul Hurst's side, who lost to Bristol Rovers on penalties in last year's final, had seen Arnold's long-range strike tipped onto the post shortly before taking the lead at Wembley. Bogle then glanced in Jon Nolan's free-kick via Rovers' Darren Carter's back to open the scoring, before volleying in from six yards on the rebound to double Grimsby's lead just one minute later. Forest Green introduced substitute Parkin at half-time and the 34-year-old former Preston striker's presence changed the game. Parkin could only hit the side netting from Forest Green's best chance, inside the six-yard box, before Marsh-Brown's sweet, dipping strike gave them hope. But Forest Green, who had finished nine points above Grimsby in the league table, could not find an equaliser despite a spirited fightback. Rovers, who sacked manager Ady Pennock one week before the start of their semi-final against Dover to \"boost their chances in the play-offs\", had set a fifth-tier record of nine consecutive wins to start the season, before being beaten to the league title by Cheltenham Town. Having finished in their highest-ever league position in second, they were led at Wembley by caretaker boss Scott Bartlett, while next season's manager, Mark Cooper, offered guidance from the dugout. But the Nailsworth club - who had hoped to make their home town the smallest settlement to ever host a Football League club - saw their promotion hopes dashed in the play-offs for the second year running. Arnold, who had a low shot saved with 15 minutes to play, completed the win in stoppage time, tucking in on the rebound to end Forest Green's hopes of a late twist. The promoted Mariners return to Wembley on 22 May for the FA Trophy final against FC Halifax. Media playback is not supported on this device Grimsby boss Paul Hurst told BBC Radio Humberside: \"I'm quite relaxed. I feel quite calm. It's a fantastic achievement. \"Those players, rightly so, will go down in the club's history. \"It's far from job done yet - we want to make sure that we're a Football League club for a long time to come and, if possible, see if we can move the club even further forward.\" Forest Green Rovers striker Jon Parkin told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: \"It was just a mad five minutes in the first half that put us on the back foot. \"In the second half, we've come out and had a real go. (We had) a couple of chances, should have scored and it's a totally different game. \"But that's the difference - they took their chances, we didn't.\"", "summary": "Grimsby Town returned to the Football League after a six-year absence with victory over Forest Green Rovers in the National League promotion final."}
{"article": "Hamilton was 0.029 seconds quicker than team-mate Valtteri Bottas, and a second clear of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel in third and fourth. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was fifth, just 0.250secs behind Raikkonen. McLaren-Honda's dismal season of unreliability continued, with Fernando Alonso sent into a spin by a major engine failure on his first lap. Alonso spun to a halt in a cloud of smoke with oil pouring from underneath the engine after it failed coming out of Turn Two on his first lap. The Spaniard then left the track to go back to his hotel. Honda blamed the failure on \"an oil leak\" and said Alonso would be back out with a new power-unit in second practice. Alonso posted a tweet saying: \"Keeping the body active,\" accompanied by an emoji with a halo and a photograph of himself with his trainer playing tennis. Honda have a small upgrade on the engine for this weekend but said the one he was using had previously run in Australia and China and in Bahrain until qualifying. In lovely spring sunshine and under a beautiful blue sky north of Barcelona, the teams spent the session evaluating the upgrades they have brought to this race. All the teams have new aerodynamic parts, as is traditional at this first European race of the season, and the most striking are on the Mercedes. The silver cars have a narrower nose, under which is fitted a unique new snow-plough style aerodynamic shaping device, as well as new parts all the way along the side of the car. So far, they appear to be working well, and Hamilton and Bottas traded times throughout the session, rarely separated by more than a few hundredths of a second. Hamilton arrived in Spain determined to make amends for a poor weekend two weeks ago in Russia, where he finished fourth and Bottas won. Bottas, by contrast, has made it clear that his focus has shifted to trying to win every race after an up-and-down start to the season in which he has been alternately impressive - with his first win in Russia and first pole in Bahrain - and not, such as when he spun behind the safety car during the Chinese Grand Prix. The two men are separated by 10 points in the championship, with Hamilton ahead and 13 points behind Vettel. Ferrari also have a series of aerodynamic changes on their car, as do Red Bull, who are hopeful their upgrade will clos the one-second gap that has separated them from the front-runners so far this season. It is too early to make any conclusions about relative pace, not least because Vettel's session was disrupted by a gearbox problem on the pit straight. He managed to pull of into the pit lane exit, from where the car was recovered and the Ferrari mechanics were able to repair the car and send him out again to set his fastest time.", "summary": "Lewis Hamilton set the pace as Mercedes impressed in first practice at the Spanish Grand Prix."}
{"article": "A graphic joking about a murdered sex worker, and another about infecting a partner with a sexually transmitted disease were posted on the attraction's Twitter feed. Critics said the collection of images was sexist and offensive. Merlin Entertainment said it was \"very sorry\" for the campaign and has deleted the tweets. The group said it had wanted to run a \"dark Valentine campaign\" to promote the London Dungeon, in which visitors are taken on a tour through London's dark history. But many Twitter users complained that many of the images tweeted were in poor taste and inappropriate for a family tourist attraction. Rebecca Reid, a columnist for the Telegraph, said: \"The biggest issue here is taking violence against women and turning it into a joke or a cheap marketing ploy.\" She told the BBC: \"Just because these rapes and murders happened in the past doesn't mean they are fair game. \"Violence, rape and murder are all still a very brutal reality of life for modern day sex workers and these flippant tweets show no awareness or respect for that.\" Merlin Entertainment said: \"Our brand tone of voice tends to divide audiences. However, we recognise that we've upset some people and for that we're very sorry.\"", "summary": "The London Dungeon tourist attraction has apologised for a promotional Twitter campaign that backfired."}
{"article": "City paid their Premier League counterparts \u00a325m for the Ivory Coast forward two and a half years ago. No fee has been agreed as yet and talks may continue into next week but it is anticipated Bony will return to south Wales for less than half that sum. Bony made 46 appearances in his first 18 months as a City player, scoring 10 goals. But 26 of those appearances were as a substitute and he was loaned to Stoke by manager Pep Guardiola last season. Bony joined Swansea from Vitesse in 2013 and scored 25 goals in 54 games before joining City in January 2015.", "summary": "Swansea City are close to securing the return of striker Wilfried Bony from Manchester City."}
{"article": "There were suggestions that Yorkshire spinner Adil Rashid, yet to play a Test this year, might come into the side. But batsman James Vince was passed fit after a dislocated finger, while England will stick with four seam bowlers and Moeen Ali's off-spin. England have won successive matches to take a 2-1 lead into the final Test. Leg-spinner Rashid has been released to play for his county Yorkshire in Thursday's T20 Blast quarter-final against Glamorgan in Cardiff. Nottinghamshire pace bowler Jake Ball was the other player in the 13-man squad omitted from the final XI. Rashid took 5-64 on his debut against Pakistan in October and had been tipped to play only his fourth Test, given that he is expected to feature prominently during the winter tours to the spin-friendly conditions of Bangladesh and India. But England skipper Alastair Cook said he was happy with his five-man attack, who each took two wickets in the second innings at Edgbaston as the hosts won by 141 runs. Worcestershire all-rounder Moeen, 29, took the final wicket with a smart caught and bowled and now has 75 wickets from his 29 Tests, at an average of 41.05. \"I think the pitch will turn but our four seamers are bowling well and Mo took a massive stride in that last game,\" Cook said. Asked about Rashid, he added: \"If we were 3-0 up it might have been different but the series is very much alive. \"We stuck with Mo because he's such a valuable member of the side with the runs he has scored and in the last game he bowled really well. \"Adil is clearly going to get a chance in the winter, he's still got one-day cricket here to keep that international experience going and when he gets that chance he's got to take it.\" If England can avoid defeat at The Oval they will hold the series trophies against all nine of their Test opponents for the first time. Victory could bring the possibility of a return to the top of the Test rankings for the first time since 2012, but that is dependent on various permutations in other current series around the world. How can England get to number one? Try the ICC Test rankings predictor (external site) \"It shocked me a little bit when someone told me it could happen because I thought we're still a way off that,\" Cook told BBC Sport. \"To become the number one side in the world you have to win consistently away from home and possibly be a little more experienced across the board. \"In 2011-12, every guy had close to 50 games and you could name that 12 if everyone was fit. \"We're not quite at that situation, there's a few more places up for grabs, there's a lot of talent but I feel we need to work a bit harder to get there because there is a lot more for this side to do.\" England: Alastair Cook (capt), Alex Hales, Joe Root, James Vince, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes,", "summary": "England have kept the same team that won at Edgbaston for the final Test of the four-match series against Pakistan, which starts at The Oval on Thursday."}
{"article": "The comment follows an incident where a senior clergyman was injured by a young eagle as he tried to scare it away after it attacked one of his geese. The SGA has called for a public inquiry into the impact of the reintroduction of the birds on the east coast. RSPB Scotland has described the small child claim as \"alarmist nonsense\". The Scottish government said it was not aware of any attacks by sea eagles on children in other countries and did not think a public inquiry was necessary. In a letter to the Scottish government, the SGA warned that the attack on the Very Reverend Hunter Farquharson in Abernethy, in Perthshire, could be the first of many. The association has asked for the formulation of an \"exit strategy\" if the sea eagles turn out to have an adverse effect on social, economic or leisure activities. In the letter, the SGA said: \"These creatures are being released into what is a comparatively densely populated area so they will come into contact with humans on a daily basis. \"That will instil habituated behaviour and remove what should be a healthy fear of humans. \"There are reports of buzzards which have obviously undergone this desensitisation and this has resulted in them attacking people. This could pose a serious threat in the future. \"Will these very large creatures differentiate between a small child and more natural quarry?\" The Perth-based SGA represents gamekeepers, stalkers, ghillies, wildlife managers and rangers. Association committee member Bert Burnett said the group did not have a problem with sea eagles on Scotland's west coast. He said: \"As far as we are concerned these sea eagles seem to be doing fine and not posing a threat.\" However, Mr Burnett said more consultation was needed on the release of the birds on the east coast. He added: \"Some might think this is gamekeepers making a fuss for some obscure reason. \"That's not the case. It is a genuine concern and it is a concern felt by other people out there other than gamekeepers.\" On the micro blogging website Twitter, RSPB Scotland tweeted: \"Alarmist nonsense from the SGA. \"Sea eagle could soon be eating small children. Surely ScotGov won't take this seriously.\" A spokesman for RSPB Scotland said the Perthshire incident was unfortunate and regrettable but that the bird had reacted as other wild animals might do when cornered. He said the SGA claim about eagles, the UK's largest bird of prey, targeting small children as ridiculous. With a wing span of 8ft, the white-tailed sea eagle is the UK's largest bird of prey. It was completely wiped out in Britain in the early 20th Century and only returned when a reintroduction programme began on the island of Rum in 1975. Mull, Wester Ross and Skye also now have established populations. In August this year, a new batch of 16 young sea eagles were released in Fife. A Scottish government said the raptors were widespread in many parts of Europe, including densely populated areas. A spokeswoman said: \"We are not aware of any attacks", "summary": "The Scottish Gamekeepers Association has raised concerns about whether sea eagles could differentiate between children and their natural prey."}
{"article": "But there are still many real problems and concerns for Rio 2016 organisers with two weeks before the opening ceremony in the Maracana Stadium. The biggest of those worries is the return of violence and crime to the streets of the so-called \"Marvellous City\" after years of steady progress in a positive direction. The worrying reverse is most notable in the favelas, or shantytowns, that skirt Rio's more affluent south zone. What has gone wrong in Brazil? In favelas like Santa Marta, Pavaozinho and Babilonia the much-heralded Police Pacification projects (UPP) have stalled, drugs gangs have moved back in and people are again being killed. Babilonia is one notable case because the favela overlooks the tourist beaches of Leme and Copacabana, where Olympic events including beach volleyball and the triathlon will take place. Until recently it was regarded as one of the safest and coolest destinations in the city; with hillside bars overlooking the beach offering the best seafood and beer in town to visitors and steady employment for locals. But as Lieutenant Carlos Veiga leads us on a patrol through the favela's steep, narrow alleyways, he tells me how things have deteriorated badly in recent months. \"It's dangerous, particularly at night and the gangs often shoot at our patrols,\" says the UPP commander here. Bodies have been found in the nearby mata, or forest - the result of clashes between the two drugs gangs vying for control of the favela complex. Locals who have enjoyed and benefited from the relative calm of recent years echo each other's concerns about a return of violence and many residents worry that after the Olympic Games the financially-broke state government will cut the pacification programme, abandoning the favelas to their fate. If the situation is bleak in the smaller favelas like Babilonia, it can sometimes seem like all-out war in the bigger conurbations of Complexo do Alemao and Mare. There are shootings on a daily basis, bringing a halt to traffic on the main road between the airport and the city. An eye-watering number of people - almost 2,000 - have been murdered in Rio this year already. Many victims of violence are killed by police, either in crossfire or shot dead by a military police force which is accused of being trigger happy and too eager to execute suspected criminals rather than arrest them. But the police are victims of violence too. \"Welcome to Hell\" was the slogan that greeted arriving travellers at Rio's international airport recently. The protestors were policemen, complaining about unpaid salaries and the deaths of colleagues in the city's brutal drugs wars. \"There have been more than 50 policemen and women killed this year - another one this week,\" says Carlos Braga. The recently retired civil police inspector added: \"I am not safe. I cannot even guarantee my own safety. We police officers have to hide our badges and our guns. There will be a big amount of foreigners here yet the government can't even pay the police to protect them!\" After the city's high profile and sometimes outspoken Mayor", "summary": "The spectre of an Olympic Games plagued by the Zika virus may be waning, as the cold spell sweeping through southern Brazil deals with disease-carrying mosquitoes more effectively than any repellent."}
{"article": "Hat-tricks by half-time, a caretaker managerial debut to dream of and a familiar face back on the scoresheet with his hometown club, BBC Sport picks out some of the day's headlines. Birmingham 4-2 Bristol City Reading striker Orlando Sa claimed the honour of the season's first Championship hat-trick as the Royals thumped Ipswich 5-1 at home on Friday. Not to be outdone, Birmingham's City Clayton Donaldson thought he would get in on the act less than 24 hours later against Bristol City. Inspired perhaps by Cristiano Ronaldo bagging five for Real Madrid, Donaldson put Blues 2-0 ahead after just 20 minutes. After City clawed one back, he restored the home side's two-goal cushion from the penalty spot. The 31-year-old had started every league game this season, but had failed to find the net before Steve Cotterill's side arrived at St Andrew's. Not a bad afternoon's work. Middlesbrough 2-0 MK Dons It was a Championship signing that raised several eyebrows in the summer, England international Stewart Downing returning to his hometown club Middlesbrough from West Ham. Just as MK Dons looked set to frustrate Aitor Karanka's men at the Riverside, Downing popped up to break the deadlock and bag his first goal of his second spell. His trusted left foot was the source of this goal as he curled an effort into the bottom corner beyond Dons keeper David Martin. Fellow summer addition David Nugent wrapped up the points with nine minutes remaining with his first goal for the club. Oldham 1-5 Peterborough Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony pressed the sacking button last weekend to bring Dave Robertson's brief stint in charge of the Posh to an end after just one win in the first six matches. Earlier in the week, MacAnthony claimed he has a four-man shortlist for the position, but he might want to rip it up straightway and give the job to caretaker manager Grant McCann. The former Northern Ireland international saw his side romp to a 5-1 win at Boundary Park thanks to two goals apiece from Souleymane Coulibaly and Lee Angol. \"I thought they were all superb goals,\" McCann told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. \"I said to the players, me being greedy, if we had believed in ourselves we could have got more, but I'll settle for that. \"I didn't single anyone out in the changing room - to a man, we were exceptional. \"They took the messages that I gave to them onto the pitch - they definitely expressed themselves and played with a real freedom. I thought we were very good.\" While it may have been a good afternoon for Grant, it proved a decisive one for Oldham manager Darren Kelly. He parted company with the club shortly after the final whistle. Yeovil 1-1 AFC Wimbledon It's not been much fun for Yeovil Town recently. Their physio's treatment table has easily been the busiest location at Huish Park. Glovers manager Paul Sturrock said he would struggle to fill the substitutes' bench as he named a full team of unavailable outfield players for the visit of AFC Wimbledon.", "summary": "A full programme of Football League fixtures returned on Saturday following the international break and there was no shortage of headlines across the three divisions."}
{"article": "A leak at Llanfairpwll on Sunday morning affected supplies to some customers there and in parts of Gaerwen, Porthaethwy and Llangefni. A spokesman said: \"Our team is working on the leak and we hope that all supplies will be back to normal this morning.\" Welsh Water apologised to customers for any inconvenience.", "summary": "Parts of Anglesey have been left without water after a leak, Welsh Water has confirmed."}
{"article": "A police watchdog inquiry into circumstances surrounding the death of Bijan Ebrahimi, who was wrongly branded a paedophile, has been completed. Mr Ebrahimi was beaten to death near his Bristol home, despite making numerous calls to the police. Files on a call handler and a dispatch supervisor have been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) previously sent the CPS a file of evidence relating to three Avon and Somerset police constables and a PCSO. An IPCC spokeswoman said in total 18 police officers and staff members, who had some involvement in the force's dealings with Mr Ebrahimi in the days leading up to his murder, had been investigated. \"I have provided the acting chief constable with a report detailing our findings as to whether or not those individuals have a case to answer for either misconduct or gross misconduct and should face disciplinary proceedings,\" she added. The IPCC is also looking at police contact with Mr Ebrahimi dating back six years prior to his death. This part of the investigation is continuing and Mr Ebrahimi's family, who say they are \"desperate\" for answers, are being regularly updated on progress. Acting Chief Constable John Long of Avon and Somerset Police said he was \"grateful for the thoroughness of the IPCC report\". He said his intention was to \"address the matters of misconduct, the service failure that took place and the lessons to be learnt in a prompt, firm and direct manner\". Lee James, 24, who admitted Mr Ebrahimi's murder in July 2013, was jailed for a minimum of 18 years last November. Stephen Norley, who admitted assisting an offender, was jailed for four years.", "summary": "Prosecutors are to decide whether to charge two police civilian staff over events leading up to a murder."}
{"article": "The Republican presidential nominee suggested on RT that Democrats were behind claims Russian intelligence agencies had hacked their computers. Mr Trump has faced a backlash since praising Russian President Vladimir Putin at a Wednesday night forum. His Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, accused him of being unpatriotic. Mr Trump was interviewed on Thursday night by Larry King, a former CNN host who now presents a show on RT America, a Russian-funded TV network. Trump and Putin: The new bromantics? When King asked him about reports that Russia is trying to disrupt the US election, Mr Trump was sceptical. \"I think it's probably unlikely,\" he said. \"I think maybe the Democrats are putting that out. \"I hope that if they are doing something, I hope that somebody's going to be able to find out, so they can end it, because that would not be appropriate at all.\" A Trump spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, suggested Mr Trump did not realise King's show was part of a Russian-backed network. \"Mr Trump recorded a short interview with Larry King for his podcast as a favour to Mr King,\" she said. Why Trump strikes a chord with Russians \"What Larry King does with the interview content is up to him. We have nothing to do with it.\" Back in the late 1980s and 1990s, Larry King was a titan of US political media. A guest spot on his television call-in show provided current and aspiring candidates a way to reach a national audience in a low-stress, friendly environment. Donald Trump, back when he was just a larger-then-life real-estate developer and New York socialite, was a regular on King's programme. It's not entirely surprising then that the Republican nominee accepted an interview request from his long-time friend. That, however, is when Mr Trump's staff should have done a bit of research, found out the interview would be broadcast on RT and told their candidate to come up with a scheduling conflict and politely pull out. Given the heat Mr Trump has taken recently for showering praise on Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian-owned RT is the last outlet he should be on. This is either another example of the Trump team's questionable advance work or - perhaps more troubling - its judgement. No matter the explanation, the story re-enforces the politically damaging perception that Mr Trump is uncomfortably chummy with the Russian government. Private cyber-security analysts have blamed Russian intelligence agencies for electronic break-ins into Democratic Party computers that emerged in leaks over the summer. Earlier this week Defence Secretary Ash Carter said the US would not ignore Russia's \"efforts to interfere with our democratic processes\". During a televised forum on Wednesday on national security, Mr Trump complimented Mr Putin for having \"great control over his country\". Mr Putin has offered kind words for Trump in the past, too, describing him as \"a talented man\". The Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Corker, offered words of caution for Mr Trump on Thursday. \"One has to be a little careful to let flattery affect one's judgment,\" he told CNN.", "summary": "Donald Trump has told a Kremlin-funded TV network \"it's probably unlikely\" that Russia is trying to influence the US election."}
{"article": "The striker, on loan at the Kirkcaldy club from the Foxes, scored the only goal in the first-leg at Starks Park. \"I said to the boys, it's the year of the underdogs and we're the underdogs going into this,\" said Panayiotou. \"Leicester had nothing to lose and we had nothing to lose.\" The 21-year-old came off the bench after 65 minutes and powered in a header from a corner 10 minutes later. \"I've been texting and congratulating everybody [at Leicester], but I can't get carried away with that,\" he added. \"I need to do my job now, we need to get promoted and if we do that, I'll be the happiest man alive.\" Panayiotou's mood was in stark contrast to Alan Stubbs' demeanour after the match. His Hibs side dominated the game for long spells and created a number of chances, but were left to rue poor finishing and a momentary lapse of concentration at the back. The visiting manager was also frustrated with the match officials throughout, but particularly for a claim for handball inside the Raith penalty area only moments before the goal. Referee Kevin Clancy did not award the spot kick, much to Stubbs' annoyance. \"At this stage in the season, in this format, you want the best officials,\" Stubbs said. \"I'm afraid the officials got it horribly wrong. \"Our frustration comes from conceding from a set piece, we've lost concentration and we should have dealt with it. The other frustration is not taking some of the opportunities we've had. \"The pitch is a leveller, it's a very difficult surface to play on. But the pitch is not the reason we've not won the game. The reason is we missed some chances and we switched off at one set piece. \"It's half-time [in the tie], but we've made it more difficult than it should have been. We know what we've got to do, we were going to be on the front foot anyway and look to really take the game to Raith. \"We've got an opportunity at home to come through the tie and it just makes for a rip-roaring occasion. I just hope the officials get it right.\" Raith manager Ray McKinnon felt the result was a reward for the character of his side, and praised his players for their attitude and approach. \"The game was exactly how we thought it would pan out, and the longer we stayed in the game we thought we would get our chance,\" he said. \"Fair play to the lads dug in and ground out another result. \"I've got very good characters in that dressing room, they don't want to lose, they're determined to win. \"It's going to be an extremely tough game [at Easter Road], they're going to throw everything at us. We need to do what we do, work hard. There's nobody getting carried away here.\" McKinnon also reiterated that speculation about an impending approach for his services by Dundee United will not disrupt his preparations. \"My focus is solely on Raith Rovers and I'm determined to give it everything,\"", "summary": "Harry Panayiotou revealed that Leicester City's Premier League triumph was an inspiration for Raith Rovers' Premiership play-off quarter-final victory over Hibs."}
{"article": "The 10km (four miles) sq area housing government buildings became off-limits to the public as a security measure in the wake of the 2003 US occupation. It is the latest in a series of steps by Mr Abadi to ease sectarian tensions and crack down on corruption. Baghdad has seen weeks of protests over poor services and abuses of power. Earlier this month, in a rare show of unity, the Iraqi parliament backed Mr Abadi's programme to abolish top government posts and cut spending. On Friday, the prime minister issued instructions to lift restrictions on the Green Zone. It is not clear when the plan will be implemented. The compound, in the Karkh district on the west bank of the Tigris, is surrounded by concrete walls and heavily guarded by checkpoints and tanks. It houses former palaces of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and was the administrative headquarters of the US occupation authorities. Several foreign embassies, including those of the US and UK, are situated there. Most Iraqis have been excluded from the Green Zone unless they have special permission, and large bribes have been paid to get round stringent entry procedures, according to AFP news agency. The zone has been targeted by bombings and rockets over the years, and the fortification measures were aimed at making it more secure, although attacks in Baghdad are still commonplace. Mr Abadi also ordered the removal of barriers and checkpoints set up on main roads and sidestreets in Baghdad and elsewhere by prominent figures and militias. The order to lift the restrictions is part of a series of measures to defuse tensions and root out corruption. A panel will also be set up to recover state property appropriated by elites which are found to have been illegally obtained. In recent weeks, thousands of Iraqis have taken to the streets in Baghdad and other cities to protest against the failure to provide basic services and against corruption. They have been backed by Iraq's preeminent Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and powerful Shia militia leader, Moqtada Sadr.", "summary": "Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered officials to open up to civilians the heavily-fortified area of Baghdad known as the Green Zone."}
{"article": "Victor Sorochenko, the head of Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee, said it was too early to conclude what caused the crash on Saturday. He told reporters debris was found across a 20sq km-wide area of Sinai. So far 163 bodies have been found. Russia is observing a day of mourning after its worst air disaster. Mr Sorochenko spoke after visiting the site of the debris, near the village of Hasana. Jihadists allied to so-called Islamic State in Sinai, where such groups are active, had made a claim on social media that they had brought down flight KGL9268. But Egyptian Prime Minister Sharif Ismail said experts had confirmed that a plane could not be downed at 9,450m (31,000ft), the altitude the Airbus 321 was flying at, by weapons the militants are known to possess. President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi also urged caution on Sunday, saying the investigation into the cause was a \"complicated matter\" that could take months. Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov said no evidence had been seen that indicated the plane was targeted, and IS has not produced pictures or video footage to substantiate its claim. Analysis by BBC Monitoring found that a video purporting to show the downing of a plane did not appear to be an official IS clip, and was not shared on official IS channels. Three airlines - Emirates, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa - have decided not to fly over the Sinai Peninsula until more information is available. Two smaller carriers, flydubai and Air Arabia, also said they would re-route flights. British Airways said it regularly assessed the safety of its routes. BA said it would not confirm flight routes, but that it \"would never fly a route unless it was safe to do so\". The plane came down early on Saturday, shortly after leaving the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for the Russian city of St Petersburg. Russian and French investigators have joined the Egyptian-led probe, along with experts from Airbus, which is headquartered in France. Egyptian officials said some bodies had been recovered within a radius of 5km on Saturday, but that of a three-year-old girl was found 8km from the scene. One un-named official told Reuters the plane appeared to have split in two, with one part burning up and the other crashing into a rock. The plane's black boxes have been found and sent for analysis, officials said. Russia's transport regulator said on Sunday it is to check all the airline's A-321 planes, but Kogalymavia this would not affect their operations. Egypt's civil aviation minister Hossam Kamal said there had been no sign of any problems on board the flight, contradicting earlier reports that the pilot had asked to make an emergency landing. The widow of the plane's co-pilot told Russian TV her husband had complained about the aircraft's technical condition. The plane was carrying 217 passengers, including 25 children, Russian transport authorities said. There were seven crew members on board. Most of the passengers were Russian, but at least three were Ukrainian and one Belarusian. The first bodies to be returned to Russia are expected", "summary": "A Russian airliner which crashed in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, killing all 224 people on board, broke up in mid-air, a Russian official says."}
{"article": "Scottish winger Matt Williams' early touchdown caused shudders round a soaking wet Sixways. But the home side responded with four tries, allied to 18 points from the boot of stand-off Ryan Lamb. Flanker Sam Lewis scored a hat-trick of tries, while winger Dean Hammond also crossed the whitewash. Lamb kicked three of his four conversion attempts, as well as two key first-half penalties - and two more late in the game. Full-back Peter Lydon got the Exiles' other try, which he converted, along with a first-half penalty for a 10-point haul. Scottish trailed by five points from Saturday's first leg, only for that advantage to be wiped out inside the first six minutes. Jamie Stevenson's blindside run set up right wing Williams to score in the corner. But that turned out to be the nearest this contest got to a Scottish gain as Warriors eventually rallied and started to tick the right boxes. Two Lamb penalties in the space of three minutes were followed by a Sam Lewis pushover try in the left corner, from which Lamb was also successful with the conversion. Peter Lydon did reduce the deficit at the interval to 13-8 with a penalty, but two tries in four minutes at the start of the second half killed the contest. All Blacks winger Cooper Vuna, switched to full-back following an early injury to Ben Howard, set up Hammond, converted by Lamb before Lewis crashed over in the right corner, from which Lamb missed his first kick of the night. Lydon converted his own try to bring it back to 25-15 on the night, before Lewis's third try, again converted by Lamb. Lamb landed two more penalties before injury-weakened Warriors brought the biggest roar of the night with the late introduction of 17-year-old schoolboy Jamie Shillcock at scrum-half. Warriors: Howard; Hammond, Grove, Mills, Vuna; Lamb, Bruzulier; Rapava Ruskin, Creevy, Schonert, Percival, Thomas, Mike Williams, Lewis, van Velze (capt). Replacements: Annett, Fainga'anuku, Rees, Cox, Shillcock, Fatiaki, Biggs. London Scottish: Lydon; Matt Williams, Moffat, Gidlow, Doneghan; Newton, Stevenson; Lilley, Kwasnicki, Prescott, Phillips, Thomas Brown, Gillanders, Best, Bright (capt). Replacements: Hallam, Stephenson, Rae, Chisholm, Walker, Heeks, Millar. Attendance: 6,658", "summary": "Worcester Warriors booked their place in the Championship play-off final, but they had to come from behind to beat London Scottish on the night."}
{"article": "The mix-up happened after repair work was carried out in Cliffords Mesne, Gloucestershire, leaving dozens of residents without a connection and others with different numbers. BT Openreach has apologised and says it is working to put things right. Resident Rob Wadley, 73, said: \"There was a lot of hilarity about it but also a serious side to it.\" He said the problem - caused by a damaged cable running through \"some quite dense trees\" - affected the entire village of 100 houses. \"They completed [the repair] in two days and when they reconnected all the homes, everyone had someone else's number,\" he added. \"Some had no phones and some had someone else's number. We got a telephone call for the local town councillor. We soon found out.\" Another resident, John Franklin, 65, said: \"If you take our next-door neighbour, she is an elderly lady and has one of these emergency buttons. Her family use it to get in touch so it was quite serious as far as she was concerned. \"There are some people who work from the village and they were very cross. One fellow said he was losing \u00c2\u00a31,000 a day.\" A spokeswoman for BT Openreach said: \"We're sorry for the problems experienced by a handful of customers in Cliffords Mesne this week. \"The issue arose whilst we were carrying out essential maintenance to one of our overhead cables, and we're working hard to put things right as soon as possible. \"We would encourage anyone affected to contact their service provider as we are updating them regularly.\"", "summary": "Villagers were left with their neighbours' phone numbers by bungling telephone engineers."}
{"article": "For the last eight months the government has been consulting on how best to ease congestion: its solution is a new piece of road, which drivers will pay to use. The trunk road links the country's largest container port in Felixstowe, with the M1 and M6 motorways, from where goods are whisked to the rest of the country. That's after spending many an hour in gridlock on the 130 mile length of the A14. The stretch through Cambridgeshire between Cambridge and Huntingdon is particularly busy and that's where the changes will happen. South Cambridgeshire MP, Andrew Lansley, welcomed the news: \"We all know we need the A14 to be rebuilt. In tough times, if it's going to happen it can't just be paid for by the government - people who are using the road will have to dig into their pockets. \"The A14 has stopped Cambridge from growing and it's an impediment day by day to people going about their business,\" he added. The plan to upgrade this vital artery through the region will cost up to \u00c2\u00a31.5 billion. More then 100,000 vehicles a day travel through Cambridgeshire, a quarter of them heavy good vehicles. Delays frustrate motorists and cost businesses a fortune. John Bridge from Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce gave the plan a cautious thumbs up. He said: \"The business community is somewhat concerned about tolling but I think we believe it's a necessary evil if it is the only way we can get the road upgraded.\" While the local MP for Huntingdon, Jonathan Djanogly (Con) had warmer words: \"The east of England needs this road to develop the area and without it, particularly as the economy picks up, it's going to be an increasing problem, so it's important we get on with it.\" For many years there's been talk about improving this road but every time, drivers hopes have been dashed. The last scheme, backed by Labour, was dropped by the coalition because it was too expensive. A toll road is obviously attractive to the government as it doesn't have to pay for the upgrade. Private finance will stump up the money and and motorists will pay. \"HGV's can take the toll road and everyone else can use the local access roads,\" says Andrew Lansley. \"The government hasn't got a limitless supply of money. We need to think of innovative and exciting solutions, which this is.\" The eastern region suffers from poor transport links, particularly east to west. No doubt this will go some way to help. The government says it wants construction to start in six years time. Isn't that after the next general election?", "summary": "The government has announced that our most congested road, the A14, will be tolled."}
{"article": "Michelle O'Neill told the BBC she still intends to publish the plan later this month, with an indicative budget. On Thursday, Mrs O'Neill said there was \"no longer an executive in place to agree a budget for an elective-care plan\". But she had talks on Friday with the finance minister about the funding. The Stormont institutions face collapse following the resignation of Martin McGuinness as deputy first minister. On Friday, the health minister said she \"remains committed\" to publishing the strategy to tackle waiting lists which she said were \"totally unacceptable\" to her. She added that the amount of money needed was \"sizeable\" and that she was still in conversations with Mairtin O'Muilleoir looking at all the issues involved. While the health minister says she will push ahead with publishing the plan, as there is no budget or executive in place, its implementation will be more difficult.", "summary": "The health minister has given further clarification around the publication of a new strategy to tackle hospital waiting times in Northern Ireland."}
{"article": "He wants to transfer the remaining 91 detainees to their home countries or to US military or civilian prisons. But Congress is deeply opposed to terror suspects being held on US soil and is expected to block the move. The prison costs $445m (\u00a3316m) to run annually and closing it was a 2009 promise from President Barack Obama. Human rights campaigners have repeatedly complained about the prison in Cuba, which has held 780 detainees since it opened in 2002. The president told reporters on Tuesday it undermined national security. \"This is about closing a chapter in our history,\" said Mr Obama. \"It reflects the lessons we've learned since 9/11 - lessons that must guide our nation going forward.\" But Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio was scathing in his criticism, saying Guantanamo prisoners do not belong on US soil. \"These are literally enemy combatants,\" he said, adding he would ship terrorists straight to Guantanamo \"to find out what they know\". Life after Guantanamo prison Will Guantanamo prison finally close? There are four main components in the White House plan: It estimates the move would save up to $180m (\u00a3128m) a year in cost savings. The president, who will complete his second and final term in January, said it was important not to pass the problem on to his successor. \"Keeping this facility open is contrary to our values. It undermines our standing in the world. It is viewed as a stain on our broader record of upholding the highest standards of rule of law.'' President Obama has tried for years to close Guantanamo. He and his deputies say that it hurts the reputation of the US and that militants use \"the infamous orange jumpsuit\", as one senior administration official described it, as a recruiting tool. But members of Congress have baulked at Mr Obama's plan to close the prison, saying they believe it should remain open - and they don't want any detainees to be transferred to the US. Representative Mike Pompeo of Kansas, for example, said the prisoners should \"stay right where they are\". Lately, though, White House officials said that lawmakers, or at least some of them, seem more receptive to the idea. A senior administration official told reporters that there's \"room for conversation\". That's important since Mr Obama has less than a year to close the prison - and for him time is of the essence. Guantanamo Bay is located on an American naval base in south eastern Cuba. Former US President George W Bush opened it to accommodate foreign terror suspects after the 9/11 attacks on the US. One of the key complaints from human rights groups is that many detainees have been held there without charge or trial. White House officials said they could not give any names of people being held, but the New York Times has its own list. The Obama plan does not specify where in the US detainees would go. But the Pentagon has considered 13 different locations in the US, including seven prisons in Colorado, South Carolina and Kansas, and six other places", "summary": "The White House has presented to Congress a plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, one of the president's long-standing goals."}
{"article": "The Environment Department published its Island Development Plan setting out planning policy for the island. It took three years to produce and includes proposals for increasing the amount of affordable housing and the regeneration of old vinery sites. Environment Minister Deputy Yvonne Burford claimed the plan balances the improving the economy with environment. If approved by the States, housing developers building five or more units would be required to make up to 30% available as affordable accommodation. Before the draft Island Development Plan is adopted by the States it will be subject to independent review by two planning inspectors.", "summary": "Housing developers could be made to make 30% of a development affordable housing under new government plans."}
{"article": "The Cardinals took the lead through Matt Robinson's third goal of the season, a fine long-range effort. Gateshead levelled just before half time though, Ryan Bowman converting a penalty after James Curtis was fouled by Brian Saah. Robinson was denied by Gateshead goalkeeper Sam Russell late on as neither side could find a winner. The result leaves both sides near the middle of the table, with Gateshead eight points from the play-offs with three games to play and Woking safe from relegation despite a winless run that stretches back to January. Woking boss Garry Hill told BBC Surrey: Media playback is not supported on this device \"You are always happy with a point but you want to win games and I felt over the 90 minutes if any team was going to win or deserved to win it was going to be us. \"The frustrating part was in the last five games we have been 1-0 up and 2-0 up in those ones. We are giving away cheap goals and we've invited teams back in the match from experienced players.\"", "summary": "Woking's winless run in the league extended to 13 games after Gateshead came from behind to earn a point."}
{"article": "Natalie Putt left her home in Thornleigh, Lower Gornal, on 1 September 2003, leaving her 11-week-old son at the house with relatives. It was the last time anyone reported seeing the 17-year-old. West Midlands Police said the case remained open and any credible information would be investigated. Det Sgt Matt Morgan said: \"It remains a missing persons' inquiry as there is no evidence she's been murdered and certainly nothing to suggest she was suicidal at the time she vanished.\" Natalie had been out with a friend the day before she went missing. An 18-year-old man was arrested in 2004 in connection with her disappearance but was later released without charge. Police sealed off private land in Wombourne, south Staffordshire, earlier this year after someone recalled seeing a man digging near stables where Natalie is understood to have kept horses. Det Sgt Morgan said: \"Forensics teams carried out extensive searches and archaeologists used specialist radar equipment to reveal any buried items, or [reveal] whether land had been disturbed. \"Nothing suspicious was uncovered though and the search was called off after three days.\" Natalie was described as white, of slim build, and just over 5ft (1.5m) tall She was wearing a pendant necklace with the words \"someone special\" engraved on it.", "summary": "Information is being sought over a teenage mother who went missing in the West Midlands 10 years ago this month."}
{"article": "The relaunch featured Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc driving Reliant three-wheelers from London to Blackpool and actor Jesse Eisenberg and chef Gordon Ramsay tackling the Top Gear track. The new hosts were signed up after the old team left after an infamous fracas between lead presenter Jeremy Clarkson and a producer. Initial ratings for the episode will not be known until Monday morning. However, Evans said earlier in the week he would be \"disappointed\" with anything fewer than five million viewers for the show's first episode. The presenter opened the show saying: \"Welcome to Top Gear with our all-new, improved audience.\" Clarkson was fired from Top Gear in March last year after he punched a producer following a row about the provision of food late at night while filming on location. Evans made a jibe about the incident at the start of the episode, adding: \"We don't make jokes about catering on this show any more.\" Another joke referencing Clarkson's departure was made when Evans bragged he had \"won custody\" of masked driver The Stig. The revamp featured many of the same elements the show is best known for including a profile of a supercar and a head-to-head challenge between the presenters. The Guardian's Stuart Heritage commented on the similarities during a film profiling the new Dodge Viper ACR saying: \"It's well shot. It's got the same unearned swagger. It's presented by a man in a car comparing stuff to stuff, then leaving a pause, then accelerating, then shouting. It is identical.\" Unlike previous series, the \"star in a reasonably priced car\" segment was updated to feature two \"stars in a rally cross car\" compete on a new Top Gear track including an off-road dirt track, water section and a jump. Eisenberg and Ramsay were the first to tackle the course, with Ramsay scoring the faster time of the two. Alex Robbins, the Telegraph's motoring journalist, said he was not sure if the format should have been changed: \"One of the best bits about this section was the juxtaposition of celebs in something deeply forgettable. The Mini doesn't work for that remit, because it's just a bit too cool. \"I mean, you could imagine Eisenberg in a Mini in LA. The entertainment value of seeing him in something dreary has been lost,\" he said. He concluded the show was \"a solid first effort\", but added \"it could have done with less of the gimmickry and more space to show off the cars themselves\". In his commentary, the Independent's Christopher Hooton said: \"The budget and production values were pretty much the same/as high [as previous series] and the show felt very similar, but the original trio were its heart and it needed to take more of a departure without them, not trade off past glories.\" Meanwhile the Huffington Post's Caroline Frost said: \"Matt LeBlanc's laid-back style when left on his own gives a glimmer of hope.\" The Daily Mail's Quentin Letts said LeBlanc was \"a success\" and the show was \"reasonably entertaining\". But he added: \"It has lost its spark of genius. It", "summary": "Motoring show Top Gear has returned to BBC Two with its new line-up of hosts."}
{"article": "Under the rules, racegoers will also have to wear skirts or dresses of \"modest length\" falling just above the knee or longer. For men, a waistcoat and tie will be compulsory in the enclosure and cravats will not be allowed. Organisers said the decision was part of a move to restore formality. The annual week-long event in June attracts about 300,000 visitors each year. The popularity for elaborate fascinators, which are a cross between a hair accessory and a mini hat, continued last year after the Duchess of Cambridge wore a feathered one on her first official engagement in Anglesey. In the less formal grandstand, which is open to the public, it will now be compulsory for women to wear a hat or fascinator. In previous years, when female racegoers were simply advised that \"many ladies wear hats\". Strapless or sheer-strap tops and dresses will also be banned. For men, a suit and tie will now be obligatory. Ascot spokesman Nick Smith said: \"It is probably fair to say the dress code hasn't necessarily been enforced quite as rigorously as we might have liked. \"There is no doubt our customers would like to get back to a situation where it is universally acknowledged this is a formal occasion and not an occasion where you might dress as you would at a nightclub.\" Charles Barnett, Ascot's chief executive, said the intention was to be \"as helpful as possible\" to visitors and to help racegoers in understanding what is \"cherished\" about the dress code at Royal Ascot. \"It isn't a question of elitism and not being modern in a world where there is less and less requirement to dress smartly - far from it,\" he said. \"We want to see modern and stylish dress at Royal Ascot, just within the parameters of formal wear.\" The less formal Silver Ring will not be affected by the changes.", "summary": "Women will have to wear hats, not fascinators, as part of a tightening of the dress code in Royal Ascot's Royal Enclosure this summer."}
{"article": "Kenya also won six silver and three bronze medals, with Jamaica and the US in second and third place respectively. Their final gold medal was won by Asbel Kiprop in the 1500m. President Uhuru Kenyatta tweeted: \"Our young people have once again shown that they are as good as the world's best and brightest.\" \"I'm so proud of myself to become a member of this exclusive club of three-times world champions,\" said Kiprop after his victory. His was part of a strong Kenyan performance its traditional domains of middle- and long-distance running, with gold medals for David Rudisha in the men's 800m Vivian Cheruiyot in the women's 10,000m and Ezekiel Kemboi and Hyvin Jepkemoi triumphing in the men's and women's 3,000m steeplechase respectively. Nicholas Bett won in the 400m hurdles and Julius Yego became the first Kenyan field event athlete to win a medal at the championships with victory in the men's javelin. On Wednesday it was announced that two Kenyan athletes at the championships had been suspended after failing drugs tests.", "summary": "Kenya has come top of the overall medal table at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing for the first time, with seven gold medals."}
{"article": "On the one hand it expects price changes to be zero or even negative - or well below the 2% target - for longer than it predicted back in May (and actually nought over the next couple of months). But the Bank also expects inflation to return to target on the basis of interest rates that could rise a bit faster next year than it had been anticipating. That said, don't panic if you have a mortgage - the Bank's forecasts are based on the assumption that the interest rate it controls, Bank Rate, will rise just 0.25% in the first four months of next year and could double from 0.5% to 1% by the end of 2016. So if banks and building societies simply pass on this increase in their borrowing costs to customers, mortgage rates would rise by 0.5% next year. But if inflation is too low, why on earth would accelerated rises in interest rates do anything but reinforce the stagnation or even fall in prices? It's because the Bank of England reckons that what is bearing down on inflation is temporary in nature, and is foreign in origin. Or to tell you what you know, the big deflationary influences are the collapse in oil prices and the softness of food prices. A few months ago, it looked as though we were through the downward phase of the energy price cycle. But there has been another lurch downward in the oil price in recent weeks. And a 3.5% increase in the price of sterling relative to other currencies since May - which makes imports cheaper - means inflation could turn to deflation again in the next couple of months (though not growth-destroying, toxic deflation - or at least not yet). By contrast, wage rises are now accelerating (yes yes - about time too). And although there is no sign yet that companies are passing on those wage increments in the form of sharply higher prices for their goods and services, the Bank believes wage growth will start to push inflation back to target by the end of the year. In fact one member of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee, Ian McCafferty, this week voted for an increase in the interest rate of 0.25% , because of \"his view that demand growth and wage pressures were likely to be greater, and the margin of spare capacity smaller, than embodied in the Committee's collective August projection\". And here lies the central uncertainty for the Bank of England about the British economy: whether a recent faint rise in unemployment represents a serious weakening in the economy, or skills shortages. For what it's worth, businesses are telling surveys that they still have considerable appetite to hire. That implies they can't get the people with the abilities they need - and that they will have to start to pay more for growth. So the notion - implied by the Bank of England's pronouncements - of interest rates being set to rise at a time when employment has stopped growing may be a painful one,", "summary": "There is what to many will look like a contradiction at the heart of the Bank of England's voluminous pronouncements on inflation and interest rates."}
{"article": "The League Two newcomers fell behind on 27 minutes when Joshua Mullin headed in a free-kick from Nicky Cadden. Mullin then provided a neat cross for Daniel Mullen to knock in right on the stroke of half time. Mikey Miller crashed a shot against the woodwork as the visitors from League One continued to dominate before Liam Buchanan made it 3-0 from close range. Ousman See went close for the hosts but was denied a landmark goal by a smart save from Liam Kelly. Livingston move up to second place in Group G, behind St Mirren, who have two wins from two.", "summary": "Edinburgh City's first competitive match as an SPFL side ended in League Cup defeat to Livingston at Meadowbank."}
{"article": "The British duo dominated from the start as they finished 2.62 seconds ahead of France with Germany in third. Two other Coleraine men Alan Campbell and Peter Chambers failed to reach the A finals in their events. Single sculler Campbell and lightweight four team member Chambers will compete in B finals on Sunday. The lightweight pairs is a non-Olympic class but the performances of Cassells and Scrimgeour could put them in contention for promotion to one of Britain's Rio berths for next year. Earlier this season, Cassells and Peter Chambers won the European title in the lightweight pairs class. Chambers and his team-mates could only manage fourth in their lightweight four semi-final with Campbell fifth in his single sculls semi-final in Aiguebelette. The Coleraine men will attempt to secure Olympic Games spots in Sunday's B deciders. The top five finishers in the lightweight four B final will clinch places in Rio for their countries while Campbell, 32, will need a top-three finish in his B decider to book a British berth in Brazil. 2002 Olympic bronze medallist Campbell, who missed out on selection for last year's World Championships, was always going to be up against it in Friday's semi-final. London Olympics winner Mahe Drysdale powered to victory in 6:45.08 which left him ahead of this year's European champion Damir Martin of Croatia with 2008 Olympic gold medallist Norwegian Olaf Tufte edging out Belarus's Stanislau Shcharbachenia to take the final qualifying spot. Campbell was a further 3.21 seconds back in fifth spot. Chambers and his British team-mates Jonathan Clegg, Mark Aldred and Chris Bartley were never really a factor in their semi-final as they finished 7.33 seconds behind Switzerland with France and Italy also progressing to the A final. The British quartet's performance continued their recent struggles after they also failed to make the A final at the recent Lucerne World Cup regatta. Richard Chambers and Will Fletcher will race for Britain in the lightweight double sculls final on Saturday. Ennisillen woman Leonara Kennedy and her Irish team-mate finished a distant fifth in the final of the non-Olympic women's four final on Friday.", "summary": "Coleraine rower Joel Cassells and his British team-mate Sam Scrimgeour have won the lightweight pairs gold medal at the World Championships in France."}
{"article": "The ministers were speaking after they met in Cardiff to discuss the implications of the EU referendum vote. Voters in Scotland and Northern Ireland opted to remain in the EU in the referendum, while Wales voted to leave. Northern Ireland Finance Minister M\u00e1irt\u00edn \u00d3 Muilleoir described the meeting as \"positive\". \"We want to speak with one voice to the chancellor - when we speak together, in a united fashion, we speak for 10m people,\" Mr \u00d3 Muilleoir said. \"So despite the fact that we voted in the north of Ireland to remain, the Scottish voted to remain, the Welsh voted to leave, despite that, I think we have made common cause today around some issues we want to bring to the chancellor's table. \"We do seek resolution, particularly around this austerity agenda hampering our economic growth.\" His Welsh counterpart Mark Drakeford said all three nations relied on EU funding. \"All three of us have to be determined to hold the United Kingdom to account in delivering the promises that were made to people that money would come in Wales' case to Wales - and that Wales would be better off, not worse off, as a result of leaving the European Union,\" Mr Drakeford said. \"That's a common cause for us all,\" he said. Scottish Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said: \"We want the UK government to respect our position. \"We will be issuing a letter to the UK government and we call upon them to give us some financial stability and ensure that we are represented in discussions going forward. \"So maybe with a new prime minister we'll get a new attitude from the UK government.\"", "summary": "Finance ministers from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have said they should be included in the UK's negotiations to leave the EU."}
{"article": "A gala opening will be held on 25 July following a \u00c2\u00a312 million renovation project, with Bellowhead the main act. Cardigan Castle is believed to have been home to the first ever recorded Eisteddfod in 1176. Some locals believe it is a \"gross faux pas\" to enlist an English group to play at such an historical cultural event. The renovated castle- which has new accommodation, a cultural centre and restaurant- hopes to attract over 30,000 visitors in its first year. Organisers the Cadwgan Trust have enlisted Welsh group 9Bach to support Bellowhead, who it describes as 'one of the best live acts in the UK' for the near sell-out 800 crowd. A pressure group was set up to protest. It is called The Friends of Rhys ap Gruffudd - who was the ruler of the old kingdom of Deheubarth in 1176 when the first Eisteddfod was held. Spokesman Hefin Wyn urged the Cadwgan Trust to rethink, saying that an English act headlining an event of such historical and cultural significance was a \"gross faux pas\". He said: \"Perhaps they are suffering from cultural and historical amnesia. They haven't grasped how important the occasion is.\" Local Councillor John Adams Lewis told BBC Wales that \"there is tremendous talent in the locality and some of those should be taking part.\" In a statement, Sue Lewis from the Cadwgan Trust said that there would be a \"superb programme of events\" at Cardigan Castle over the summer that would feature \"national performances\" and \"up-and-coming local talent.\"", "summary": "A row has erupted in Cardigan over plans to invite an English folk group to headline the opening concert at the historic town castle."}
{"article": "Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors rated almost every aspect of care at Sunderland's Hylton Medical Group as \"inadequate\". The group, which operates two sites for 5,240 patients, came out of its first spell in special measures a year ago. Clinical commissioners described the rating as \"disappointing\". Alison Holbourn, deputy chief inspector of general practice at the CQC, said: \"We found that people were not getting the high quality of care which everyone should expect to receive from their GP. \"Following improvements at a previous inspection in April last year, the practice has been unable to sustain these and they now return to special measures. \"We remain particularly concerned about the effectiveness of the service the practice provides to patients.\" Ms Holbourn added: \"There were no audits taking place, so staff had no way of knowing if the services provided to patients were improving their outcomes. \"Following this inspection we also found fresh concerns around leadership. We weren't confident the practice was providing effective clinical leadership or that leaders had a comprehensive understanding of the practice performance. \"I do not believe that the practice is likely to resolve its challenges without external support. \"Where necessary, another inspection will be conducted within six months and if there is not enough improvement we will move to close the service and remove the provider's registration.\" David Gallagher, chief officer at Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group, said: \"It is disappointing the practice has received this rating, but we continue to work with NHS England and other partners to help the practice team tackle the issues that have been raised and make the necessary improvements. \"Patients at the practice can continue to use the service in the usual way, and we would encourage anyone who is concerned about the report to contact the practice.\"", "summary": "A GP practice has been warned it could be closed down after inspectors placed it in special measures for a second time."}
{"article": "And when it came to digital technology there was a Commodore 64 home computer. She's come a long way from that Tyrone childhood and now, based in Silicon Valley, is one of the most powerful women in the technology industry. She recently became the first independent board member of Slack, a business communications platform. Her day job is chief financial officer for Square, a payments business. She led Square's stock market flotation in 2015 and it now has a market capitalisation of more than $8bn (\u00a36.2bn). She was back home last week for the launch of a project which is being supported by various members of Northern Ireland's tech diaspora. They have funded the conversion of Belfast Ormeau Baths building into a co-working space for freelancers and small businesses. She hopes it will allow for \"the serendipity of bouncing ideas off different people. It's about creating that nugget of an idea that really works. \"You're going to get a bunch of folks with an entrepreneurial streak all in the same place, digging deep to push their own companies forward but they're going to be talking to one another.\" She works alongside one of the world's best known tech leaders, Jack Dorsey, the founder of both Square and Twitter. \"Jack is a phenomenal entrepreneur, what's special about working with someone like that is you see their creative process in action, you see how spontaneous it is,\" she said. \"Seeing something in action in is what gives him his next best idea or gives me my next best idea so my hope is that Ormeau Baths can become that little catalytic point.\" Her route to the top took her through corporate heavyweights McKinsey, Goldman Sachs and Salesforce after an engineering degree at Oxford. But at the root of that are her school days at Strabane Grammar. \"I was lucky in that I was very interested in math and science at school and that was really encouraged,\" she said. \"You hear a lot today about how girls maybe don't get involved in those sorts of subjects. I never found that at school and in fact with all my best friends we were all mad about maths and science. \"There was never a sense that there was no job we shouldn't aspire to.\" Square's main business is helping small firms to take payments through a card reader and app. Its largest market is the United States and it has been operating in the UK for just seven weeks. \"So far, so good,\" Sarah said. \"This is a market which has all the hallmarks of a market which should work for Square. \"A vibrant small business economy, very technology forward compared to the US and a very innovative spirit and that's usually the sort of business which will embrace all the products that Square will bring to market.\"", "summary": "Growing up in Sion Mills, Sarah Friar's introduction to engineering was dismantling and reassembling her mum's vacuum cleaner."}
{"article": "The younger girl was found with life-threatening injuries near an address in Alness Drive, in the Woodthorpe area of the city. She was taken to hospital but died a short time later, North Yorkshire Police said. The teenager remains in police custody and is being questioned by officers, the force added. A spokesman said officers found the seven-year-old after police were called at about 16:30 GMT. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the girl's death continues, he added. Earlier, the York City and East policing team posted a message about the incident. In a tweet, they said: \"Difficult late shift for all York staff with tragic death of a seven-year-old. Thoughts go out to family members.\"", "summary": "A 15-year-old girl has been arrested after the death of a seven-year-old girl in York, police have said."}
{"article": "Forecasts were predicting a 4.1% fall in exports, but a weakening currency may have boosted the lagging sector. Imports also beat expectations in yuan-dominated terms to only fall 4%, compared to forecasts of a 7.9% slump. The jump in exports was the first rise since June last year as the sector has been battered by slowing demand and slumping commodity prices. For the year, exports fell 1.8%, while imports tumbled 13.2% from 2014. China's customs spokesman Huang Songping said at a news conference in Beijing that the country's exports fell last year due to weak external demand. Trade figures in US dollar-denominated terms came out later in the day and were also better-than-expected. Exports fell 1.4%, compared to forecasts of an 8% fall, while imports declined 7.6% against expectations of an 11.5% decline. The country's central bank had been aggressively weakening the yuan guidance rate -the rate the bank fixes for the currency on a daily basis - last week in an attempt to boost the sector. But the depreciation of the yuan sparked fears that other countries in the region would also start to devalue their currencies to compete with China on exports and that rattled global markets. This week, it has set the yuan rate steady in attempt to calm volatility in equity markets and soothe fears that China's economy may be slowing faster than anticipated. The world's second largest economy is already expected to have grown at its slowest pace in a quarter of a century last year, with Beijing targeting 7% growth. But many economists have warned that the Asian giant may undershoot that target as key sectors such as exports, manufacturing, property and consumption struggle to gain momentum. However, Wednesday's closely watched better-than-expected figures could go a long way to ease fears about the Chinese economy at a time when attention is focused on how authorities are handling the market volatility. The benchmark Shanghai Composite index was up 0.7% to 3,044.52 after the data was released.", "summary": "Chinese exports defied expectations in December to rise 2.3% from a year ago in yuan-denominated terms."}
{"article": "David Warner and Steve Smith both hit centuries as Australia reached 371-6 in their 50 overs at Kingsmead. But an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 107 by David Miller (118 not out) and Andile Phehlukwayo (42 not out) saw the Proteas home with four balls to spare. South Africa now have an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. Their 372-6 eclipsed India's score of 362-1 - also against Australia - in 2013. The highest successful one-day international run chase was also made by South Africa, who hit 438-9 - against Australia - in Johannesburg in 2006. Eight of the top 10 successful ODI run chases have now been achieved against Australia. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "South Africa completed the second-highest run chase in one-day international history as they beat Australia by four wickets in Durban."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Last week, the Reds rejected a \u00a390m bid from the Spanish giants for the 25-year-old Brazil attacking midfielder, who then submitted a transfer request. Coutinho has missed the opening two games of Liverpool's season with a back injury, but the club has repeatedly stressed he is not for sale. Despite that, Barca have previously said they are \"close\" to signing him. On Thursday, responding to Barcelona general manager Pep Segura's claim that a deal was close, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said: \"I don't know why other people are saying what they are saying. \"I don't even know them - especially this guy. I've never even met him.\" The La Liga side have moved for Coutinho after selling Brazil team-mate Neymar to Paris St-Germain for a world record transfer fee of \u00a3200m. Coutinho signed a new five-year deal at Anfield in January, which did not include a release clause. He is also set to miss Saturday's home Premier League match against Crystal Palace (15:00 BST kick-off). Liverpool's instant dismissal of Barcelona's third offer is further hard evidence of the determination within the club that they will not be forced into selling their prize asset under any circumstances. Fenway Sports Group, and manager Klopp, remain unmoved by Barcelona's increased financial inducements - as well as a transfer request from a player who has clearly had his head turned. Liverpool regard this latest bid, understood to be about \u00a3114m, as irrelevant because their stance, as it has been from day one, is that Coutinho will not be sold. But questions remain. Will Barcelona take the hint and walk away? Will Coutinho, sidelined by a back injury, accept his dream move will not come to fruition and eventually return to the fold? Will his unhappiness increase at the prospect of a switch to the Nou Camp slipping away? For all the noises coming out of Barcelona that a move is \"close\", it remains as far away as the day they made their first approach. Liverpool's mood has not altered.", "summary": "Liverpool have rejected a third bid from Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho - believed to be in the region of \u00a3114m."}
{"article": "It features the Welsh dragon, the English lion, the Scottish unicorn and a stag for Northern Ireland. Rt Rev Gregory Cameron has also been able to incorporate his initials. The final batch of round \u00a31 coins for public circulation were struck at the mint in Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taff, in December. A new 12-sided \u00a31 coin, billed by the Royal Mint as the \"most secure coin in the world\", is to be introduced in 2017. Rt Rev Cameron, an amateur artist and coin collector, said: \"I am absolutely delighted and proud that I have designed the very last commemorative round pound coin. \"In my design, the four heraldic beasts are equal - each has its quarter of the coin. \"There is also some cross-over - parts of each beast cross over into the next. That makes it more dynamic and also symbolic as it shows four separate nations, all an equal part, yet interlinked as they protect Britain's sovereignty, the Crown. \"As a Welshman, I put my initials GKC under the dragon.\" Royal Mint commemorative coins director Anne Jessopp said the commemorative \"farewell\" pound was all the more special, given it was the last.", "summary": "A final commemorative round \u00a31 coin has been struck using a design created by the Bishop of St Asaph following a Royal Mint competition."}
{"article": "The move came hours after it said it would abolish zero-hours contracts for its directly employed, casual retail staff. It will now employ them for at least 12 guaranteed hours a week instead. However almost all staff at the firm's troubled Shirebrook warehouse are agency workers and are not eligible. Sports Direct said the workers' rep would \"give workers a voice at the highest level and to help ensure that all staff are treated with dignity and respect\". It is not clear how the representative will be chosen, but it is expected that he or she will be elected. The retailer's founder, Mike Ashley, said the board move will offer a \"great benefit\" and provide \"input [that] is invaluable\". \"I think it will be the one no-brainer that Sports Direct should have been doing,\" he said in a video interview released by Sports Direct on Tuesday night. \"I want to be the pioneer who gets it done... I am going to make it happen.\" Investors: Sports Direct needs a new chairman Sports Direct workers share their experiences Earlier in the day, in a report commissioned by the firm, Sports Direct apologised for conditions at Shirebrook and admitted \"serious shortcomings\" in working practices. The retailer has been under mounting pressure to overhaul its operations. It commissioned its legal advisers Reynolds Porter Chamberlain to carry out the review after MPs accused the firm of not treating staff like humans, with working practices closer to \"that of a Victorian workhouse than that of a modern high street retailer\". The firm's offer of guaranteed hours will apply to the firm's 18,250 casual staff who work in its stores. The 4,059 warehouse workers supplied by agency staff, will not qualify for the offer. Just 400 of the firm's warehouse employees are on permanent contracts. In football, like most sports, timing is everything. Mike Ashley, the billionaire owner of Newcastle United and controlling shareholder of Sports Direct, knows this all too well. The release this morning of the independent review comes just a day before he faces irate shareholders at the annual general meeting. They, and trade unions, are baying for blood, and while the report may not mollify them, it changes the nature of the headlines the day before the showdown. The investigation is surprisingly hard on the company. Many had predicted a whitewash, as the law firm involved, Reynold Porter Chamberlain, does other work for Sports Direct. In a statement the company also promises a review of its corporate governance, and to engage with shareholders. That olive branch will probably come too late to change the tally at tomorrow's meeting, where chairman Keith Hellawell will almost certainly face the ignominy of having a majority of independent shareholders vote against his appointment. More from Dominic: Sports Direct review Profile of Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley Sports Direct 'needs a new chairman' Sports Direct staff 'not treated as humans' Last year an investigation by the Guardian newspaper revealed that warehouse staff were subject to lengthy security searches which, in some cases, resulted in their pay falling below the", "summary": "Sports Direct, the retailer under fire for the treatment of its staff, says it will now put a workers' representative on its board."}
{"article": "In a statement, President Trump said visas would once again be issued once \"the most secure policies\" were in place, and denied it was a Muslim ban. The move has been widely condemned. Sixteen state attorneys general have said the order is unconstitutional. Several federal judges have temporarily halted the deportation of visa holders. Live: Protests over ban Mr Trump's executive order, signed on Friday, halted the entire US refugee programme for 120 days, indefinitely banned Syrian refugees, and suspended all nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries. Those who were already mid-flight were detained on arrival - even if they held valid US visas or other immigration permits. It is not known how many others were turned away at airports overseas as they tried to board flights to the US. Thousands gathered at airports around the country to protest on Saturday, including lawyers who offered their services for free to those affected. Further demonstrations were held on Sunday, including protests outside the White House and Trump Tower in New York. As well as the ban on all refugees, travellers who have nationality or dual nationality of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen are not permitted to enter the US for 90 days, or be issued an immigrant or non-immigrant visa. This includes those who share dual nationality with allied countries, including the UK, although Canada has been told its dual nationals are not affected. But there remains much confusion. The UK foreign office put out a statement saying that only those dual nationals travelling from one of the blacklisted seven countries would be subject to extra checks - those travelling between the UK and US would not be affected. However, one Scottish veterinary student - who travels on an Iranian passport - was unable to fly home from her holiday in Costa Rica because she was told her transit visa for the US was no longer valid. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said US green-card holders - legal residents - would also not be affected, but some have been detained since the order came into effect. Mr Trump tweeted early on Sunday that the US needed \"extreme vetting, NOW\" but later, in a statement, tried to offer more reassuring words, saying: \"This is not about religion - this is about terror and keeping our country safe. \"We will again be issuing visas to all countries once we are sure we have reviewed and implemented the most secure policies over the next 90 days,\" he said. Mr Priebus rejected criticism that the implementation of the order had been chaotic, and said only 109 people, out of 325,000 travelling, had been detained and \"most of those people were moved out\". \"We've got a couple of dozen more that remain and I would suspect that as long as they're not awful people that they will move through before another half a day today,\" he told US media on Sunday. But they have failed to allay concern among some in their Republican party. The Republican chair of the US Senate Foreign Relations committee,", "summary": "The Trump administration is standing firm over its ban on immigration from seven countries despite court rulings and mass protests against it."}
{"article": "Last month's blast at Wood Treatment Ltd reduced the Bosley mill to rubble. Will Barks, Derek Moore and Dorothy Bailey were identified as victims, but Jason Shingler, 38, remains missing. While Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service say they have now handed the investigation over to police, a search and rescue team will stay at the site. Small fires were still burning at the site until last week, but a fire service spokesman said these have now been extinguished. He added that crews would return to the area if any hidden or smouldering fires were uncovered. Temperatures reached 1,000C in the blast and it was described by rescue workers as the \"worst incident of its kind\" in a decade. The Bosley Disaster Appeal Fund has raised more than \u00c2\u00a353,000 for the families of the victims and workers left without jobs. In a statement last week the mill's owners said they \"could not predict\" when the factory would be operational again. An investigation into the cause of the explosion continues.", "summary": "Firefighters have left the site of the Cheshire wood flour mill which was destroyed in an explosion that left three people dead and a fourth missing."}
{"article": "Amateur metal detectorists Jim Wills and Dennis Hewings first unearthed the coins in Ipplepen, Devon, in 2009. Now archaeologists have uncovered a Romano-British settlement which had trade links to the rest of the Empire. Dr Sam Moorhead, from the British Museum, said the site raised \"a whole series of new questions\" about Roman Devon. The Ipplepen Archaeological Project, which began its 2016 fieldwork just two weeks ago, has involved the University of Exeter, the Portable Antiquities Scheme run by the British Museum, Devon County Council and Cotswold Archaeology. Until now there was little evidence of the Romans outside of Exeter, which is 20 miles north-east of Ipplepen. It had been thought that rural areas had not been particularly affected by Roman influence, a spokesperson for the University of Exeter said. However, the discovery of \"significant amounts\" of Roman pottery made in other parts of the Empire and imported into Britain has demonstrated the rural site's connections to the rest of the Roman world. \"The presence of these kinds of vessels demonstrates that the people living here... adopted Romanised ways of eating and drinking\" including \"a taste for Mediterranean products such as wine and olives\", Danielle Wootton, the Devon finds liaison officer for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, said. But the site was \"puzzling\" when compared to other known settlements in neighbouring counties such as Somerset, where a greater amount of coins, brooches and pottery had been found, she said. \"We are wondering whether the Dumnonii, the tribe who lived in the area now known as Devon, still retained their traditional identity rather than becoming entirely Romanised\", Ms Wootton said. In previous years the team have discovered a Roman road, as well as pot holes which had been repaired. \"Until recently, who would have thought that Ipplepen village was once 'plugged in' to the Roman empire?\", Ms Wootton added.", "summary": "The boundaries of the Roman Empire have been expanded following the discovery of Roman coins in a rural village."}
{"article": "Patients at Royal Stoke University Hospital were taken outside in their beds when a fire broke out in the main building on Wednesday evening. The incident followed a fire in toilets at Staffordshire University earlier in the day, police said. Thomas Ashcroft, 39, of Musgrave Crescent, Sheffield, has been charged with two counts of committing arson with intent to endanger life.", "summary": "A man has been charged with arson after fires at a hospital and university."}
{"article": "24 August 2016 Last updated at 17:01 BST These are little beads made of plastic that can be found in face scrubs and other cosmetics. They can cause lots of harm to the environment and wildlife. Jenny's been finding out more.", "summary": "Politicians in the UK have said that plastic microbeads should be banned across the world."}
{"article": "Det Con Chris Maitland, 40, faces 14 charges, including sexual touching of a girl aged under 13 and making indecent images of a child. The officer appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier and was remanded in custody. He is next due to appear at Southwark Crown Court on 15 April. Det Con Maitland, who works in the force's Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, was originally arrested in November on suspicion of possession and distribution of indecent images of children. He was arrested again on Tuesday on suspicion of sexual touching of a young girl in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, in October 2005. It is alleged the officer, of no fixed address, possessed 818 images and videos, ranging from the most serious category A to the lowest category C. He also faces five counts of taking an indecent image of a child and seven of making an indecent image of a child. Mr Maitland is currently suspended from duty.", "summary": "A Met Police detective working in a child abuse investigation unit has appeared in court accused of a string of child sex offences."}
{"article": "Angus MacNeil, chairman of the House of Commons energy committee, has called for the project to be re-examined. It follows a letter that EDF chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy sent to his staff, saying the project needed more funding from the French government. The UK government said it was \"committed\" to Hinkley Point. But Mr MacNeil, an MP for the SNP, said the government needed to urgently rethink its support for the proposal. \"It's something that has to be looked into very carefully and very soon because it is a huge obligation and a lot of eggs in quite small baskets,\" he said. \"The Chinese are involved, the French involved, the UK are involved. They need to take a step back because other places have decided not to go ahead with this stuff.\" In his letter to EDF staff, Mr Levy said: \"We are currently negotiating with the French state to obtain commitments allowing us to secure our financial position. \"I am sure that this project is a good project for the group and that in the near future, all the conditions will come together for it to be definitely launched. \"It is clear that I will not engage EDF in this project before these conditions are met.\" The company, which is 85% owned by the French government and owns 58 reactors in France, is expected to finalise in April how it will fund the project. It has postponed the decision a number of times. The plan was delayed in January, reportedly owing to funding difficulties. But Mr Levy highlighted in his letter that China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN), which will own 33.5% of the project, was investing about 8bn euros (\u00a36bn). He also expressed his confidence in EDF to manage \"very large projects\". Pressure is mounting as the \u00a318bn cost of the Hinkley project is more than the entire value of the firm. And there is scepticism as the British government has agreed to pay more than twice the current wholesale price of energy once the plant is producing - \u00a392.50 per megawatt hour for electricity, against \u00a337 per megawatt hour. But Prime Minister David Cameron has backed the plan, calling Hinkley Point a \"pillar of (the UK and France's) bilateral relationship\". Simon Taylor, an economist at Cambridge University, said the letter from Mr Levy showed he was looking for reassurances from the other stakeholders. He said it would be \"very embarrassing for the French government to cancel this\" but a pull-out from the UK side could also \"cast doubt on the UK's entire energy policy\" and jeopardise future projects. By Simon Jack, BBC News business editor Imagine British Gas owners Centrica were in financial trouble after sinking billions into a French power station. And then imagine that the bill for rescuing it fell on to taxpayers. That is essentially the risk facing EDF and the French government. The dangers to the company's financial integrity are great enough to prompt EDF's chief financial officer to resign in protest, the French equivalent of the National Audit Office to issue stark warnings and", "summary": "Fresh doubts have arisen over plans by French Energy firm EDF to build an \u00a318bn nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point, Somerset."}
{"article": "Dear Colleague I am writing to clarify the Government's position with regard to the changes to National Insurance contributions (NICs) for the self-employed, announced in last week's Budget. As I set out last Wednesday, the gap between benefits available to the self-employed and those in employment has closed significantly over the last few years - most notably by the introduction of the new State Pension in April 2016, worth an additional \u00c2\u00a31,800 to a self-employed person for each year of retirement. It remains our judgment that the current differences in benefit entitlement no longer justify the scale of difference in the level of total NICs paid in respect of employees and the self-employed. Colleagues will be aware that there has been a sharp increase in self-employment over the last few years. Most commentators believe that at least part of the increase is driven by differences in tax treatment. HMRC estimates that the cost to the public finances of this trend is around \u00c2\u00a35bn this year alone and the parallel increase in incorporation will cost more than \u00c2\u00a36bn a year by the end of the Parliament. This represents a significant risk to the tax base and thus to the funding of our public services. The measures I announced in the Budget sought to reflect more fairly the differences in entitlement in the contributions made by the self-employed and addresses the challenge of sustainability of the tax base. The Government continues to believe that this is the right approach. Since the Budget, however, there has been much comment on the question of commitments made in our 2015 manifesto. Ahead of Autumn Statement last year, the Prime Minister and I decided that, however difficult the fiscal challenges we face, the tax-lock and spending ring-fence commitments we have made for this Parliament should be honoured in full. I made this clear in the Autumn Statement speech. As far as National Insurance contributions are concerned, the locks were legislated for in the National Insurance contributions (Rate Ceilings) Act 2015. When that Bill was introduced, it was made clear that the lock would apply only to Class 1 contributions (employer and employee). The measures proposed in the Budget fall within the constraints set out by the tax-lock legislation and the spending ring-fences. However, in light-of the debate over the last few days it is clear that compliance with the \"legislative\" test of the Manifesto commitment is not adequate. It is very important both to me and to the Prime Minister that we are compliant not just with the letter, but also the spirit, of the commitments that were made. In light of what has emerged as a clear view among colleagues and a significant section of the public, I have decided not to proceed with the Class 4 NIC measures set out in the Budget. There will be no increases in NICs rates in this Parliament. We will continue with the abolition of Class 2 NICs from April 2018. The cost of the changes I am announcing today will be funded by measures to be announced in the", "summary": "Here is the full text of Chancellor Philip Hammond's letter to Conservative MPs explaining his decision to drop National Insurance increases announced in last week's Budget."}
{"article": "Look around the world and every other major football club has a women's team, or plans for one. Two of the biggest, men's Champions League finalists Real Madrid and Juventus, are about to set up theirs. Most of those teams are fully integrated with the rest of the club and being backed financially too - a few miles from Old Trafford, for example, Manchester City's commitment to their women's side is clear. Media playback is not supported on this device Southampton are the only other Premier League side not to have an affiliated women's team, although they have just announced a new under-21 team for next season, giving a pathway for the young female players in their girls' sides - something United's girls do not have. Locally, nationally or globally, whichever clubs United compare themselves to, they are allowing themselves to be left behind. I don't understand why. When people have talked about this issue in the past, they have focused on how, with the club's vast resources and worldwide profile, a United team would help develop the women's game. That is still true, but it now works the other way too - United are missing out on an easy way of engaging with their huge female fanbase, in Manchester and further afield, and promoting the importance of women in the make-up of their club. A women's team would do all of that. The game is growing fast and other clubs have demonstrated they believe it is a big commercial asset, at very little cost. Why do United think differently? When the BBC asked United last week about the prospect of them forming a women's team, the club responded by saying: \"It is a matter that is under review and a detailed analysis is currently being undertaken.\" Taken in isolation, that reply gives the impression it is an issue being actively discussed by the club. The problem for me with just accepting that is the case and leaving them to get on with it is that United have been saying the same thing for several years now, since 2013. Whoever asks them about a women's team - and many people from United fans to MPs and national newspapers have done so down the years - United's stock reply is the matter is \"under review\". Hearing it repeated again and again makes it feel like a brush-off. The BBC's request for an interview was turned down but, if I was given the chance to ask United any questions, I would like to know who is actually carrying out this review and analysis. Who have they been talking to since 2013, what have they found out so far, is there any evidence a review has been happening - and, crucially, when is it likely to end? Media playback is not supported on this device United did have a women's team until the Glazers scrapped it in 2005, with a spokesman saying \"it was not part of their core business\". I can actually understand why they may have made that decision at the time -", "summary": "I think it is shocking that in 2017 a club the size of Manchester United does not have a women's team, and what is even worse is they will not properly explain their position."}
{"article": "It happened at HM YOI Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire on Friday morning, Thames Valley Police said. An online prison blog said 30 inmates took part in the \"mass brawl\". Police said the injured people had since been released from hospital. The Prison Service said it was investigating the incident with police. Officers were called to \"a report of disorder\" at the young offender institution in Bierton Road at about 11:00 BST, but \"officer deployment was not required at the incident\", a spokeswoman said. \"Seven prison officers and one prisoner were taken to hospital for treatment.\" The incident came to light in an online blog on Prison UK. Author Alex Cavendish, a former prisoner, said he was passed the information via \"reliable, professional sources inside the system\". \"A mass brawl broke out yesterday morning... Prisoners were attacking each other with weapons - and staff,\" the informant said. He described the incident as \"horrific\". \"Staff were trying to save their lives and got battered. Some were seriously injured. Another officer was on the landing unconscious. \"We had ambulances and fire service in, trying to help alongside our healthcare department. \"The wing has been brewing for a while,\" he added. A Prison Service Spokesman confirmed that \"an incident involving a number of prisoners took place on Friday 21 July\". \"We do not tolerate violence against our hard-working staff. Where incidents like this occur, we will always work closely with the police to push for the strongest possible punishment,\" he added. The incident is being jointly investigated by the Prison Service and Thames Valley Police.", "summary": "Seven prison officers and one prisoner were taken to hospital after \"disorder\" at a young offender institution, police have said."}
{"article": "UK universities also do well lower down the tables, with 18 in the top 100 and 10 from London alone in the top 400. John O'Leary, part of the board that compiled the latest ranking and editor of the Times Good University Guide, says a greater emphasis on research has helped make world-beaters of a handful of UK universities. Mr O'Leary told BBC News: \"UK universities are improving the effectiveness of their research. All but three of the UK's top universities achieved higher citation rates than last year, though they still trail the big US institutions like Harvard, Stanford and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. \"There are now three sets of international rankings for universities - all of them use citations among their main measures. Leading universities are increasingly aware of their international position and academics always want to produce research that is cited by others. American academics tend to cite other Americans, which gives them an edge. \"Increasing the number of academic citations is one of the ways that UK universities have improved this year, but they also do very well in most of the other measures including their reputations amongst other academics. \"UK universities genuinely have a very high reputation all over the world.\" Cambridge University, now in second place, was top of the whole table in the two preceding years. University College London (UCL) rose from seventh to fourth place within the past year. Prof Malcolm Grant, provost of UCL, said the ranking would help confirm London's position as a global leader in something other than banking. \"Higher education, science, research, technology and health are all remarkable strengths of London, every bit as strong as financial services,\" he said. \"What is remarkable for London is to be the only city in the world to have two top 10 universities. Mr O'Leary said UCL in particular had done a lot better than in previous years in terms of the number of times its research had been cited in academic journals. He said UCL's increasing focus on research followed a massive increase in the number of postgraduates at the university in recent years. In 1995-6 there were 4,270 graduate students at UCL. By 2011-12 that number had grown to 11,000, a move Mr O'Leary said would have brought in more international students and boosted both the university's income and the effectiveness of its research. Mr O'Leary said teaching in English also gave UK universities a big advantage, particularly in attracting international students. He added: \"Per dollar, the UK has for sometime had the most productive university system in the world.\" Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group of research universities, said: \"It is important to nurture leading research universities within a genuinely diverse education system where a range of institutions with different missions and strengths are fostered. \"The country does not need - and certainly cannot afford - all universities to be research-intensive. \"In these difficult economic times, our institutions have made every pound work hard. Against the odds, with 1% of the world's population, 14% of the world's most", "summary": "The United Kingdom punches above its weight in terms of the international reputation of its universities, with four in the top six of the latest rankings from QS."}
{"article": "Mr Rusbridger, who was the editor-in-chief for 20 years until last summer, was due to start the role in September. He said newspapers had been \"battered by turbulent and economic forces that were difficult to foresee last summer\". The current chair of the Scott Trust, Liz Forgan, will remain in post until her successor is appointed. Mr Rusbridger will also resign as a trustee. In an email to Guardian staff, published by Buzzfeed, he said he had a \"fantastically interesting new life in Oxford\" to look forward to. He wrote: \"I have been on the Trust long enough to understand its role. \"We all currently do our journalism in the teeth of a force 12 digital hurricane. It is surely obvious to anyone that changed circumstances will demand dramatically changed solutions.\" Ms Forgan said: \"Alan Rusbridger's contribution to the Guardian over 20 years as editor-in-chief is immeasurable. \"He has been the creative leader of this place and an inspiration to generations of journalists. His decision reflects his enormous integrity and his dedication to the Guardian.\" Mr Rusbridger joined the Guardian in 1979 as a reporter and became editor in 1995, succeeding Peter Preston. Under his management, the paper moved from its office in London's Farringdon to Kings Cross and embraced digital journalism. Mr Rusbridger also changed the size of the newspaper from broadsheet to Berliner format. Mr Rusbridger was succeeded at the Guardian by Katharine Viner, the paper's first female editor-in-chief.", "summary": "Former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger will not become the head of the Scott Trust, which owns the Guardian Media Group, he said on his Twitter account."}
{"article": "At a UN oceans summit, delegates from China, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines said they would work to keep plastics out of the seas. Some of the promises are not yet formalised and environmentalists say the measures proposed are not nearly urgent enough. But UN officials praised the statement. Meeting in New York, they said it was part of a clear international shift against ocean pollution. Eric Solheim, the UN's environment director, told BBC News: \"There are quite encouraging signs, with nations taking the ocean much more seriously. Of course, there is a very long way to go because the problems are huge.\" It is estimated that 5-13 million tonnes of plastics flow into the world's oceans annually. Much of it is ingested by birds and fish \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and fragments of plastic have even been found in organisms at the bottom of the ocean. A recent paper said much of the marine plastic often originates far from the sea \u00e2\u20ac\u201c especially in countries which have developed consumer economies faster than their ability to manage waste. The Helmholtz Centre in Leipzig, Germany, estimated that 75% of land-borne marine pollution comes from just 10 rivers, predominantly in Asia. Reducing the plastic loads in these rivers by 50% would reduce global plastic inputs by 37%, it said. Tom Dillon from the Pew Charitable Trusts, which campaign on oceans, urged China to move quickly. He told BBC News: \"For thousands of years the Maritime Silk Road was a pathway for export of Chinese culture and influence. Will the ocean be a vehicle for export of Chinese pollution, or a new culture of conservation and sustainability?\" A report to the UN conference from the Thailand government says most marine plastic debris is land-based, caused by inefficient waste management and poor handling of plastic wastes. In Thailand, the total amount of garbage finding its way into the sea was estimated at 2.83 million tonnes in 2016 - of which 12% was plastic. The Thai government says the nation has established a 20-year strategy to tackle the problem, including developing financial incentives for keeping plastic out of the sea and encouraging eco-packaging design and eco-friendly substitutes for plastics. In Indonesia, the government is starting a mass education programme for schoolchildren, and in the Philippines new laws are being developed. Part of the challenge is finding substitutes for plastics. An international prize for smarter materials and design for packaging was launched recently by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Follow Roger on Twitter @rharrabin", "summary": "Nations responsible for much of the world's ocean plastic pollution have promised to start cleaning up their act."}
{"article": "The Electoral Commission said the wording proposed by ministers - \"should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union?\" - could be perceived as biased to the status quo. It has proposed adding the words \"or leave the European Union?\" The government has said it will accept the changes although the final decision will be made by Parliament. However, the development has been welcomed by those campaigning to exit the EU. The vote on the UK's membership of the European Union is due to take place before the end of 2017. If the changes were made the options for voters in the referendum would be \"Remain a member of the European Union\" or \"Leave the European Union\" rather than the Yes/No options in the existing wording. The watchdog said it was recommending the rethink after consulting members of the public, campaigners and academics. While in its current form, the question was \"easy for people to understand and answer\", the watchdog said that by only setting out the \"remain\" option and the \"yes\" response, it could \"encourage voters to consider one response more favourably than the other\" - that option being the status quo. This, it warned, could potentially raise issues about the legitimacy of the eventual result, particularly in the eyes of those campaigning to leave the EU. The amended question, it argued, \"would not cause comparable concerns about neutrality, whilst also being easily understood\". \"Any referendum question must be as clear as possible so that voters understand the important choice they are being asked to make,\" said its chair Jenny Watson. \"We have tested the proposed question with voters and received views from potential campaigners, academics and plain language experts.\" \"Whilst voters understood the question in the Bill some campaigners and members of the public feel the wording is not balanced and there was a perception of bias. \"The alternative question we have recommended addresses this. It is now for Parliament to discuss our advice and decide which question wording should be used.\" Ms Watson said it was standard practice for the watchdog to recommend changes to referendum questions and it showed the process was working normally. MPs will consider the issue when they return from their summer recess next week as part of legislation paving the way for the vote. But ministers said they would table changes to the EU Referendum Bill to enact the new wording. \"The prime minister's objective has always been clear - to give people a very clear and simple choice,\" a No 10 spokeswoman said. \"We believe that will still be achieved with the recommendation from the Electoral Commission today.\" UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the change was welcome, tweeting: \"I'm in no doubt that the Yes/No offering was leading to great confusion and that Remain or Leave is much clearer. That, combined with a more explicit question, is the right direction of travel.\" Should the wording be changed, it will cast doubt on the approach of the embryonic Yes and No campaigns. Although the campaigns have yet to be formally launched, it", "summary": "The elections watchdog has recommended a change to the question to be put to voters in a future EU referendum."}
{"article": "The tent was still there when I left but the VIPs will not now be coming. The plan was for government officials to spend today signing a raft of documents including the key contract which guaranteed EDF a reward of high prices of \u00c2\u00a392.50 per MWh for the financial risk they are taking with this mammoth project. But hours after EDF's board voted to approve the \u00c2\u00a318bn power plant on Thursday, the government launched a further review of the project. This stunning new development came all the way from the top of government and the timing seemed calculated to cause maximum impact. EDF executives were taken completely off guard, the post-Brexit run of major investment is abruptly halted and what precious entente cordiale in Anglo-French relations there is left after the EU referendum result seems diminished. Is it a genuine pause for a new government to read the small print of a project that is two administrations old, or a signal of a potential change in policy? If so - what is plan B? The nuclear fleet is not getting any younger, renewables are not yet placed to take the strain in January when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow. If it's an attempt to get better terms it's a poker game where the stakes are very high.", "summary": "Down at Hinkley Point yesterday, I watched the EDF Energy staff erect the party tent in preparation for the arrival of VIPs invited to toast the final piece in the nuclear power station puzzle."}
{"article": "The suspect was tracked down at the Underground station for Heathrow Terminals one, two and three. Earlier, armed officers carried out a search on a Victoria line train at King's Cross St Pancras Underground station following reports of an incident at Finsbury Park. The victim suffered cuts to his body and face and was taken to hospital. British Transport Police said his injuries were not thought to be life-threatening. A spokesman told the BBC armed officers attended because they had been on patrol nearby. The Victoria line was suspended in both directions for around 15 minutes. It has since reopened but is severely delayed, a Transport for London spokesman said. Liam O'Hare, who was at Finsbury Park at the time of the incident, told BBC London he saw an altercation between two men on the southbound Victoria line platform. He said: \"One of the guys ran off in a different direction, and one boarded the train but was immediately helped off as he was clearly injured. \"He was bleeding, there was a puddle of blood on the train floor and people had to step over it.\" He added that other passengers reported seeing one of the men holding a blade, but said he had not seen it himself.", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm after an assault on a 63-year-old man at Finsbury Park."}
{"article": "The \"drinkable book\" combines treated paper with printed information on how and why water should be filtered. Its pages contain nanoparticles of silver or copper, which kill bacteria in the water as it passes through. In trials at 25 contaminated water sources in South Africa, Ghana and Bangladesh, the paper successfully removed more than 99% of bacteria. The resulting levels of contamination are similar to US tap water, the researchers say. Tiny amounts of silver or copper also leeched into the water, but these were well below safety limits. The results were presented at the 250th national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston, US. Dr Teri Dankovich, a postdoctoral researcher at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, developed and tested the technology for the book over several years, working at McGill University in Canada and then at the University of Virginia. \"It's directed towards communities in developing countries,\" Dr Dankovich said, noting that 663 million people around the world do not have access to clean drinking water. \"All you need to do is tear out a paper, put it in a simple filter holder and pour water into it from rivers, streams, wells etc and out comes clean water - and dead bacteria as well,\" she told BBC news. The bugs absorb silver or copper ions - depending on the nanoparticles used - as they percolate through the page. \"Ions come off the surface of the nanoparticles, and those are absorbed by the microbes,\" Dr Dankovich explained. According to her tests, one page can clean up to 100 litres of water. A book could filter one person's water supply for four years. Dr Dankovich had already tested the paper in the lab using artificially contaminated water. Success there led to the field trials which she conducted over the past two years, working with the charities Water is Life and iDE. In these trials, the bacteria count in the water samples plummeted by well over 99% on average - and in most samples, it dropped to zero. \"Greater than 90% of the samples had basically no viable bacteria in them, after we filtered the water through the paper,\" Dr Dankovich said. \"It's really exciting to see that not only can this paper work in lab models, but it also has shown success with real water sources that people are using.\" One location gave the paper a particularly tough challenge. \"There was one site where there was literally raw sewage being dumped into the stream, which had very high levels of bacteria. \"But we were really impressed with the performance of the paper; it was able to kill the bacteria almost completely in those samples. And they were pretty gross to start with, so we thought - if it can do this, it can probably do a lot.\" Dr Dankovich and her colleagues are hoping to step up production of the paper, which she and her students currently make by hand, and move on to trials in which local residents use the filters themselves. \"We need to get it into people's hands to", "summary": "A book with pages that can be torn out to filter drinking water has proved effective in its first field trials."}
{"article": "Midfielder Mooy scored a 25-yard winner for the Championship leaders. But Monk was furious Mooy was still on the pitch, believing the Australian should have been given a red card and not a yellow for a lunging tackle on Liam Bridcutt in the first half. \"Two-footed, off the ground, totally out of control,\" Monk said of the foul. \"I don't want to talk about referees. But if you see that and you can't tell me that's a sending off, I don't know what is. \"It was a horrendous tackle that he made.\" Huddersfield head coach David Wagner said Mooy's tackle was not worthy of dismissal in England, but would have been a straight red-card offence in his native Germany. \"In England no red card. Germany, red card,\" said Wagner, whose side are top of the table by four points after five wins from their six league matches. \"But we are not in Germany, we are in England. This is what I've learned. This was a pretty hard, British challenge. \"It came too late, but I didn't think for one second it would be a red card because I've been 10 months now in British football and I know, this was not okay, he was too late. Yellow.\"", "summary": "Leeds boss Garry Monk said Huddersfield matchwinner Aaron Mooy should have been sent off for a \"horrendous\" foul in the west Yorkshire derby at Elland Road."}
{"article": "The police report said the girls killed themselves \"out of shame\" after one of the sisters was seen with a boy. But the girls' parents had accused the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of \"trying to fudge the case\". Rights groups and their relatives said many questions remained unanswered. The lower-caste cousins, thought to have been 14 and 15, were found hanged from a mango tree on 28 May 2014 in Uttar Pradesh. The initial reports that the girls had been gang-raped and murdered by a group of men from the same village sparked global outrage. A local post-mortem examination initially confirmed multiple sexual assaults and death due to hanging. But in December, the CBI filed a \"closure report\" in court, saying investigators had studied \"around 40 scientific reports\" and \"questioned over 200 people\" and come to the conclusion that the elder girl had \"an intimate relationship\" with one of the three men and that the other girl, her younger cousin, was \"facilitating the relationship\". The girls killed themselves after they were found by a neighbour and because they were afraid of facing their families, the report added. It accused the families of filing a false complaint of rape and murder and requested that the case be closed. The girls' relatives accused the CBI of conducting \"a shoddy investigation\" and filed a \"protest petition\" in a local court in Badaun town. On Wednesday, the special court that deals with cases of sexual offences against children rejected the CBI report and also summoned the main suspects in the case to the next date of hearing. A CBI spokesman said they were yet to get the detailed court order and would comment only after studying it, the Indian Express newspaper reported. Three men arrested in connection with the case and two policemen accused of \"dereliction of duty\" were freed on bail in September.", "summary": "An Indian court has rejected a federal police report which had ruled that two teenage girls found hanging from a tree in India last year took their own lives and were not gang-raped and murdered."}
{"article": "From 2019-20, the Football League wants a fifth division with 20 teams in each. Initial reaction was one of outrage from some clubs at how they found out about the plan. Given 90% - 65 out of the 72 - of the Football League clubs need to vote in favour, that seems like a mistake. The Football League insisted it sent documentation on its proposals to all member clubs on Thursday lunchtime, but senior officials of two Championship clubs say they were unaware of the proposals until they were reported by the media. The positive argument put forward for reducing the number of teams in each league is that there would be less need for midweek games, when attendances are smaller. It would also reduce the number of away games and, as a result, the travel costs of both clubs and supporters. \"That is an utterly ridiculous argument,\" said one Championship chairman. \"For the best-supported clubs, four home league games amounts to between \u00a31.5m and \u00a32m in gate receipts. For away games, our bill is around \u00a32,000 each time. \"So, basically what they are saying is give up over \u00a31m and you will save \u00a38,000. Are you being serious?\" In 1994-95, the Premier League needed to reduce from 22 clubs to 20. It was managed in one season, by relegating the bottom four clubs and promoting only two from the First Division. The process continued down to the Third Division, which expanded from 22 teams to 24. Reducing a league from 24 to 20 could be done with four relegated clubs and none promoted, five and one, six and two or seven and three. Then you would need to reduce the third tier by eight and the fourth by 12. The best eight National League sides could make up the rump of League Three. An even more radical option would be for eight Premier League reserve teams to be asked to make up the numbers. It is the kind of idea FA chairman Greg Dyke proposed in 2014 - only for it to be instantly rejected by the Football League. However, the presence of eight well-supported 'reserve' teams may widen interest and could be a way of filling the gap in funding created by those eight fewer games. There are various ways of getting there, but the brutal fact is four Championship clubs are going to get axed from the division. Current solidarity payments for Championship clubs not in receipt of parachute payments are \u00a32.3m. For League One clubs it is \u00a3360,000 and League Two \u00a3240,000. When the new \u00a35.1bn Premier League TV deal comes into force in August, Championship clubs will get a solidarity payment equivalent to 30% of a third-year parachute payment. League One and League Two clubs will receive 4.5% and 3% of a third-year payment. If the current \u00a310m third-year parachute payment remained the same, there would be a difference of around \u00a32.5m. \"Why would anyone who had a chance of being relegated from the Championship vote for that?\" said the same chairman. \"It is the ultimate turkeys", "summary": "The Football League faces a problem getting plans ratified that would lead to the game's biggest shake-up since the Premier League was formed in 1992."}
{"article": "Chief executive Leeann Dempster and Director of Football Operations George Craig performed a rigorous process before appointing Alan Stubbs two years ago, and a similar project is now under way to find his successor. The bottom line for the successful candidate is they must lead the Edinburgh club out of the Championship and back into Scotland's top flight - or be deemed a failure. So who are the likely options for the Hibs board, and what are their chances of succeeding Stubbs at Easter Road? Neil Lennon (current odds: 7/1) Took Celtic job in 2010 and led them into Champions League group stages, famously beating Barcelona, and won three league titles. Left in the summer of 2014 and after a short spell out of the game, appointed Bolton boss. But constant financial issues saw Wanderers plunge to the bottom of the English Championship, and Lennon left in March, less than halfway through a four-year contract. Recently lost out to Brendan Rodgers for the Celtic job. Stuart McCall (current odds: 5/1) Currently in a part-time role as a member of Gordon Strachan's backroom team with Scotland. Linked with a number of managerial posts since leaving Rangers last summer. Had a successful four-year spell as Motherwell boss, leading them to a second-place finish in the Premiership and winning the Manager of the Year Award. Began his managerial career at Bradford City before returning north to take on the job at Fir Park. John Hughes (current odds: 9/4) Life-long 'Hibee' who has played for, captained and managed the club previously, finishing fourth in the top flight in his one full season before a fall-out with the board saw him leave five months later. May find it difficult to turn it down if asked again, but while chairman Rod Petrie remains, a return seems unlikely. Led Inverness to Scottish Cup success and a third-place finish, but left last month amid rows over budgets with the board. John Collins (current odds: 16/1) Played over 160 games for the club in a six-year spell between 1994 and 2000 before leaving for Celtic. Returned to Easter Road in his first managerial job when Tony Mowbray left in 2006, leading the club to a League Cup triumph in 2007, but soon left amid player complaints to the board about his management style. Spent the past two seasons as assistant to Ronny Deila at Celtic. Mixu Paatelainan (current odds: 33/1) A fans' favourite in two spells as a player, best remembered for scoring a hat-trick in a 6-2 win over city rivals Hearts in October 2000. Returned to Easter Road as boss in 2008, and led them to a top-six place. But after his first full season, he left by mutual consent, although departed on a high with another win over Hearts. Most recently boss of Dundee United, but sacked after their relegation from the Premiership this season. Alex McLeish (current odds: 5/1) McLeish took over a struggling Hibs side in February 1998 and despite an upturn in fortunes, they were relegated from Scotland's top flight. Guided them back at the", "summary": "In the past 10 years only Tony Mowbray has lasted more than two years as manager of Hibernian."}
{"article": "Amina Al-Jeffery, 21, from Swansea, who has dual British and Saudi Arabian nationality, claims Mohammed Al-Jeffery locked her up after she \"kissed a guy\". Her lawyers have taken legal action in London in a bid to protect her but her father has denied the claims. The judge said a ruling on the case would be issued in public. Barristers Henry Setright QC and Michael Gration, representing Miss Al-Jeffery, have asked Mr Justice Holman to look at ways of coming to her aid. The judge has been analysing the case in the Family Division of the High Court in London and the hearing ended late on Thursday. Lawyers are due to file final documentation on Monday and Mr Justice Holman is scheduled to deliver a ruling on Wednesday. Mr Justice Holman has said there are reasons to be very concerned about Miss Al-Jeffery's welfare. And he rejected an application from Mr Al-Jeffery for restrictions to be placed on what journalists can report. The judge has been told Miss Al-Jeffery left Swansea and moved to Saudi Arabia at her father's insistence four years ago. He has heard that Miss Al-Jeffery's mother and siblings are back in south Wales. Neither Miss Al-Jeffery nor her father, an academic who is in his 60s, have been at the court hearing. Barrister Marcus Scott-Manderson QC, representing Mr Al-Jeffery, told Mr Justice Holman at the end of proceedings on Thursday that Mr Al-Jeffery wanted \"reporting restrictions\". But Mr Justice Holman said: \"No. Afraid not.\" He said there were good reasons for staging the hearing in public - even though it was in a family court - and allowing journalists to report freely. Mr Justice Holman said the case involved the welfare of an adult who was a British citizen. \"I happen to think that the case raises issues that require to be ventilated in public,\" said the judge. \"I dare say the publicity is extremely disagreeable to the father.\"", "summary": "A father accused of imprisoning his daughter at their home in Saudi Arabia has failed in a bid to limit reporting of the case."}
{"article": "The performance will be overseen by Chic's Nile Rodgers, who produced Bowie's hit album Let's Dance in 1983. \"The tribute will be a multisensory testament to the icon's incredible artistry and a reflection of his limitless creativity,\" said the Recording Academy in a statement. Gaga has previously credited Bowie as an inspiration. \"He's sort of like an alien prince,\" she once told chat show host Alan Carr. \"Every morning I wake up and I think, 'What would Bowie do?'\" \"We had already booked Lady Gaga on this year's show, but when David passed - almost in a single moment - we knew we had to change direction,\" said Ken Ehrlich, executive producer of the Grammys. \"We immediately spoke and agreed that she should be the one to honour David. She's perfect for it.\" The Grammys will be held in Los Angeles on 15 February. Gaga is nominated for best song written for visual media, thanks to her Diane Warren-penned ballad Til It Happens To You, from the documentary The Hunting Ground. Other performers on the night include Adele, Kendrick Lamar, James Bay, Ellie Goulding and Carrie Underwood. During his career, Bowie was nominated for 11 Grammys but only won once - when Jazzin' for Blue Jean was awarded best video in 1985. He also received a lifetime achievement prize in 2006. The star died of cancer on 10 January, just days after releasing his new album, Blackstar. It will be eligible for honours at next year's Grammy ceremony. A Bowie tribute is also planned for the Brit Awards, which take place on 24 February. Details have yet to be announced, but media reports suggest that Noel Gallagher, Bono, Adele and Damon Albarn have been invited to take part.", "summary": "Pop star Lady Gaga is to honour David Bowie with \"an experiential tribute\" at this month's Grammy Awards."}
{"article": "The proposals include replacing the college grants with bursaries and creating one States-run secondary school spread across four sites. The department has dismissed suggestions of closing one of its four secondary schools and called for the rebuild of two schools to go ahead. The selective system was criticised in two reviews released in 2012. Education Department proposals The review of secondary education found a lack of accountability and called for the creation of school governing bodies, while in the primary sector it found reading ability had declined. Education Minister Robert Sillars said: \"[The 11 plus] is not an appropriate way to determine the future of our children's secondary education. \"It fails to deliver equality of opportunity, fairness or the sort of social mobility that was originally intended.\" The written exams assess academic potential and help decide which pupils are offered places at the Grammar School or the grant-supported colleges. Deputy Sillars said: \"We have designed our own solution for Guernsey. We do not have to slavishly follow what they do elsewhere. \"We are aiming to keep what is good about our education system but address some of the problems of inequality and fairness presented by our current selective process.\" The Treasury and Resources Department has questioned the lack of costings in the report and suggests the costs of an executive head teacher and increased transport spending would see costs rise to \u00c2\u00a33.5m above current levels. It said there was an \"absence of compelling evidence\" the proposals offer value to the Guernsey taxpayer. The department has previously advocated the closure of one secondary school and increasing the size of the other three. The proposals will be debated by the States in March.", "summary": "The 11 plus exam could end in 2019 under an overhaul of Guernsey's secondary education system."}
{"article": "Murray, 30, is in the same half of the draw as 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka, who he beat in last year's semi-final. Second seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic faces Spain's Marcel Granollers, and is in the same half as nine-time champion Rafael Nadal. The tournament starts at Roland Garros in Paris on Sunday. Seventh seed Konta, who is chasing a first win in the Grand Slam event, having lost in round one in the previous two years, is up against the world number 109 from Taiwan. Defending women's champion Garbine Muguruza opens against 2010 winner Francesca Schiavone and could face a semi-final against world number one Angelique Kerber, who starts against Ekaterina Makarova. Romania's world number four Simona Halep, who is battling to be fit after tearing ankle ligaments, starts against Slovakia's Jana Cepelova and is in the same half of the draw as Elina Svitolina, who beat Halep in the Italian Open final last weekend. Petra Kvitova is set to announce later on Friday whether she will play in the French Open, six months after she suffered serious hand injuries when she was stabbed by an intruder in her home, with the Czech drawn against American Julia Boserup. Konta is the only British player in the women's singles after Heather Watson lost 6-0 6-3 to the Netherlands' Richel Hogenkamp in the third round of qualifying on Friday. The 26-year-old has played Hsieh twice before, with the Briton winning their last match in Vancouver in 2013 and Hsieh winning on grass at Eastbourne in the same year. Last year's runner-up Murray has won his two previous meetings with world number 85 Kuznetsov - in the third round of the 2014 US Open and again on hard court in Beijing last year. The other British men in the draw all avoided seeded players. Kyle Edmund, ranked second in Britain and 50 in the world, takes on Portugal's Gastao Elias, who is 75 places below him. Dan Evans plays Spanish veteran Tommy Robredo, while Aljaz Bedene starts against American Ryan Harrison. Former British number one Greg Rusedski Murray has played a bit too much tennis. He got shingles, and all of a sudden he was back on antibiotics leading up to French Open. Physically he is not in the right place. When you are not winning matches, your mental side starts to affect you, so it's a combination of the two areas. I don't expect that much from him. I think his focus will probably be on defending his Wimbledon title. It's going to be a hard one. Halep was the one everyone was looking at as favourite but she has had an ankle injury. If Konta can get her movement on the clay right she has got a shot, the women's event is wide open. BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller Nadal, Djokovic and Dominic Thiem have all been drawn in the other half, but that does not feel especially relevant to Murray just now. He has lost half of his clay matches so far this year and is seeded to face Juan", "summary": "World number one Andy Murray will play Russia's Andrey Kuznetsov in the French Open first round while fellow Briton Johanna Konta faces Hsieh Su-wei."}
{"article": "He made the comments after winning the US Open doubles title with Brazil's Bruno Soares. Judy Murray has said the new sporting and housing development would deliver \"big\" for tennis and the community. More than 1,000 objections have been lodged with the authority against the development on green belt land. Jamie Murray was asked how he felt about his success and that of brother Andy. He said: \"It is amazing what we've been able to do, being from a country with no history of tennis at all. \"It is quite amazing thinking about it and I get quite emotional talking about it. \"I think my mum especially has done some amazing things, and I hope for everything that she's done for us and for tennis in Scotland that she's able to get this tennis club built. \"We want to leave a legacy of what we're doing and it's the best way to do it. I hope the Scottish Government back her plans. I guess we'll probably find out in a few days I think. Golfer Colin Montgomerie also supports the development, although he is no longer closely involved in the plans for the centre, which would be on land between Dunblane and Bridge of Allan. The plan consists of a 12-court tennis venue, golfing facilities, a hotel and spa, and 19 luxury homes. Stirling Council's planning and regulation panel rejected a planning application in December. Planning officers said it should be refused because it was sited on greenbelt land. They also said there was not enough affordable housing proposed and added the residential element was contrary to Scottish planning policy, because residents would have to travel for basic amenities and services. On Wednesday Judy Murray told the hearing that she was keen to find a site suitable for a tennis centre in a \"central location\" of Scotland. Ms Murray said: \"For me being a Dunblane person, when this site was mentioned to me it ticked all of the boxes.\" She added that it would \"deliver tennis on a big scale and serve the local area too\". Ms Murray said the tennis facility would not be viable without the golf academy and housing. \"Tennis doesn't stack up by itself - it has to have other things around it,\" she said. She told the public inquiry the Park of Keir development team involved her and property firm the King Group but there was no \"formal\" business partnership Mark Ruskell, Scottish Green Party councillor for Dunblane and Bridge of Allan, previously spoke against the proposal. Mr Ruskell said: \"It would have been totally wrong to rip up our democratically-agreed local plan to make room for executive housing on this treasured greenbelt area. \"For over 25 years, local communities have fought against development at Park of Keir. Judy Murray had a good idea but it was in completely the wrong location. I'm sure that sporting legacy can be secured elsewhere.\" The developers lodged an appeal with the Scottish government in March. The hearing, by the Scottish government's planning and environmental appeals division, will continue to take", "summary": "Jamie Murray has urged the Scottish government to back his mother Judy's plans for a tennis centre near Dunblane."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 32-year-old Ivory Coast midfielder becomes only the third player, after Nigerians Nwankwo Kanu and Jay-Jay Okocha, to receive the honour twice. Football fans voted for Manchester City's Toure, who first won in 2013, ahead of Yacine Brahimi, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Andre Ayew and Sadio Mane. \"I am very proud. To receive this dedication from the fans is unbelievable,\" Toure told BBC Sport. \"Also I want to pay tribute to the other nominees. African football is growing up, becoming much better and we have fantastic young players coming through now.\" Toure described all five nominees as \"champions\". He added: \"I am delighted and very happy. And as an African player, I want to lead all my younger brothers to be successful in the future. \"When I was a kid I was always dreaming of being an important player. I have sacrificed a lot. \"I will continue to try to win a trophy every year, I will fight to win a personal trophy.\" Two of the beaten nominees have won the award before, Algeria's Brahimi in 2014 and Ghanaian Ayew in 2011. Gabon's Aubameyang was on the shortlist for the third year running, while Senegalese Mane made it for the first time. Toure has been nominated for the award seven times and his second win ensures his year ends with a trophy, just as it began when he led Ivory Coast to glory at the Africa Cup of Nations. He captained the team in Equatorial Guinea and opened the scoring in the semi-final to put his side on course for a 3-1 victory over Democratic Republic of Congo. Toure was a key influence as his country ended a 23-year wait for their second Nations Cup title, overcoming Ghana in a penalty shootout in the final. It was Toure's first trophy with the national team in his sixth Nations Cup tournament, having lost in two finals - in 2006 and 2012. There was less success for Toure with Manchester City, who failed to defend their English Premier League 2014 title and finished second to Chelsea. But Toure remains a powerful presence in the heart of the midfield and contributed seven goals for City in the calendar year. Vera Kwakofi, Current Affairs Editor, BBC Africa, said: \"Yaya Toure's leadership for country and club offers an example for many young footballers aspiring to emulate his career. \"We are pleased that as the BBC we are here to celebrate and share in this moment with his fans around the world.\"", "summary": "Yaya Toure has been voted the BBC African Footballer of the Year 2015."}
{"article": "6 February 2017 Last updated at 17:15 GMT This year features many famous faces and locations from around the world. You may recognise Pikotaro, who became an internet legend with his song Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen. Even the President of the United States, Donald Trump, makes an appearance. The biggest sculpture is a frosty version of the Arc de Triomphe - a famous monument in Paris. They even raised a French flag in front of it in a special ceremony. Check out the video to see some super snow sculpting skills", "summary": "The Sapporo Snow Festival has started in Japan, featuring its famous collection of snow sculptures!"}
{"article": "Riot police in Rio de Janeiro had encircled the area early on Saturday expecting a court order to evict them. The building is meant to be demolished as part of preparations for next year's World Cup. Community leaders said they were ready to fight back with bows and arrows. Campaigners say the eviction and demolition of the historic building - Rio's former indigenous museum, built in 1862 - are unnecessary. The community, known as Aldeia Maracana (or Maracana tribe), settled in the disused building six years ago. 'Tourist attraction' Brazilian authorities say the area needs to be cleared for the circulation of fans during the 2014 World Cup. Rio's governor Sergio Cabral recently said the demolition was being demanded by the Fifa, the international football federation. But Fifa's office in Brazil issued a letter denying the claim, says the BBC's Julia Carneiro in Rio. There are plans to build a car park in the area. A nearby state school is also due to be demolished, despite protests by parents. Several matches will be played in Brazil's biggest and most famous stadium, including the World Cup final. When it reopens, in the next few months, it will have a total capacity of 78,000 spectators. Maracana will also host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Olympics. The old Indigenous Museum, which belongs to the federal government, is in urgent need of repair. More than 20 families live there, planting traditional herbs and tobacco. Campaign groups have tried to save it and keep the indigenous community where it has lived for the past six years. The community hoped to be able to showcase their way of life to tourists during the World Cup. Opposition legislator at the Rio de Janeiro Assembly Marcelo Freixo said tourists \"would rather see a historic building next to the stadium than a car park or fast food joint\". A legal battle has been going on for months. The local authorities have failed to get the court order, but campaigners expect the local authorities to continue pursuing the eviction in the next few days.", "summary": "A Brazilian indigenous community that has been facing eviction from a building next to the Maracana football stadium has celebrated the police's decision to leave the area."}
{"article": "Roberts' low finish came after team-mate Christian Burgess was cautioned twice inside a minute, firstly after a tussle with Francois Zoko and then for fouling Ryan Dickson. Zoko had earlier pounced on poor Pompey defending from a corner to put the Glovers ahead at the far post. Portsmouth stay in the play-off places, with Yeovil still next to bottom. Portsmouth manager Paul Cook told BBC Radio Solent: Media playback is not supported on this device \"It's a fantastic point, but never ever at any stage were we playing well in the game or we were in control of the game. \"I thought Yeovil were excellent on the day. It was a difficult game for us, but the reality of it was we never played well and we have dug ourselves a point and at the end of the season I think we will look at that point as a good point. \"We just weren't at it today like we were last week. As a manger it always comes down to me, I accept that, but when you're trying to change a culture of a club it is hard.\"", "summary": "Gary Roberts rescued a point for 10-man Portsmouth with an equaliser at relegation-threatened Yeovil Town."}
{"article": "A BBC team and some tourists were on the volcano when the explosion happened. BBC science reporter Rebecca Morelle described the experience of \"Running down a mountain pelted by rocks, dodging burning boulders and boiling steam\" and says they had \"a very narrow narrow escape\". The emergency services thankfully got everyone off the mountain safely with no serious injuries. Rebecca Morelle said a volcanologist who was there at the time had told her it was the most dangerous incident he had experienced in his 30-year-career. Lava flow mixed with steam had caused a huge explosion, which pelted the group with boiling rocks and steam, she said. Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, it's been erupting for the last three weeks. Mount Etna erupts a few times a year.", "summary": "Mount Etna on the Italian island of Sicily has erupted."}
{"article": "Harvey Horn, Pat McCormack and Lawrence Okolie each secured wins to complete a 3-2 scoreline in Miami. In an exciting finish to the contest, heavyweight Okolie's fight went to a split decision in the deciding bout. World Series Boxing offers fighters a route to Rio 2016 via an Olympic qualifying event in Bulgaria in May. Team GB topped the boxing medal table at London 2012, with three gold medals, one silver and one bronze. The Lionhearts' next match is away to the Morocco Atlas Lions on 5 February in Casablanca. The team's first home fixture will be against the Mexico Guerreros at York Hall on 18 February.", "summary": "The British Lionhearts made a winning start to their latest World Series of Boxing campaign, with an away victory over USA Knockouts."}
{"article": "The rules of the Orange Order prohibit members from attending Catholic Masses. Mr Elliott and the former UUP deputy leader Danny Kennedy publicly attended the funeral of Constable Kerr in Beragh on Wednesday. Both are members of the order. Mr Elliott is a former county grandmaster of Fermanagh. When asked about their attendance an order spokesman told the BBC: \"It is important that the Kerr family know they have widespread support throughout the community and the Orange Order offers sincere sympathy to them on the loss of their brave son.\" A former Ulster Unionist leader and Orangeman David Trimble attended a funeral Mass in Donegal for some of the victims of the Omagh bomb in 1998 without any action being taken. Away from public gaze, it is known that members do attend the funerals of Catholic friends without censure. It appears the leadership intends the same thing to happen on this occasion as well.", "summary": "The Orange Order will take no action against UUP leader and Orangeman Tom Elliott for going to Ronan Kerr's funeral Mass, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "Chanel Purchase, 21, of Sheerness, Kent went on social media after the attack to search for his photograph, and he was arrested the following day. James Huggett, 22, of Minster, attacked her after they met outside a nightclub and he walked her home in April 2014. He denied the attack but was convicted of attempted rape at Maidstone Crown Court last week. Miss Purchase, who has waived her anonymity, said the attack happened in her own road. She said she screamed and he ran off, and when she got in her brother rang the police. After police visited her house to take a statement and swabs, she spent three hours searching for his picture on Facebook, even though she did not know his name. \"He had told me a few friends that I may know. I did know a few. I thought if I can find a picture, and they would be on his friends' Facebook [pages], she said. She said she persisted because she did not want him to be on the streets and she felt unsafe with him out there. Miss Purchase emailed a picture of Huggett to police and he was arrested hours later. Det Con Gavin Humphrey, from Kent Police, said Miss Purchase responded to what must have been a horrifying ordeal with a incredible bravery and determination. He said her efforts in identifying Huggett allowed police to secure his arrest within seven hours of the incident. Huggett, of Woodland Drive, is due to be sentenced in January following pre-sentence reports.", "summary": "A woman who used Facebook to track down the man who tried to rape her has seen him brought to justice."}
{"article": "Reporters said they appeared healthy but a little distressed after their long journey. A circus surrendered some of the lions, while others were taken in raids. The US-based group Animal Defenders International (ADI), which was behind the action, says almost all the lions have had teeth or claws removed. They would not survive in the wild. The lions are being transferred by land to the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary, a 5,000-hectare reserve in northern South Africa. There, the lions will have drinking pools, platforms, toys and veterinary care. \"This is a hugely important rescue mission because it does make a statement around the world about the way people treat animals,\" ADI spokeswoman Jan Creamer said. \"These lions have suffered tremendously.\" The first group of nine lions was collected in Colombia's capital Bogota on a cargo plane, which then flew to Peru's capital Lima to pick up 24 more animals. \"It will be hugely satisfying to see these lions walking into the African Bush,\" ADI Vice-President Tom Phillips was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. The lions were freed after the use of wild animals was banned in Peru in 2011 and Colombia in 2013. The 5,000-hectare (12,355 acres) Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary is on private land and already houses six other rescued lions and two tigers. The lion habitats there would be steadily expanded over the coming months as the lions became familiar with their new life and were introduced to each other, said ADI.", "summary": "More than 30 lions rescued from circuses in Colombia and Peru have been flown to South Africa to start a new life in a sanctuary."}
{"article": "That was just below its record performance achieved the previous year, although 2015 included a one-off gain from licensing fees. Turnover was up 14% to \u00a3447m while employee numbers were up by 12% to almost 4,000. Almac operates across the world, with more than half its staff based in Craigavon. The company said 2016 had seen \"significant investment\" on expanding its US HQ at Souderton, Pennsylvania. Almac also recently announced a \u00a35m investment at its global HQ campus in Craigavon to build an additional lab and office facility. Further investment is being planned as part of its global expansion strategy and will be announced throughout the year. In January the firm bought a factory in the Republic of Ireland as a direct result of Brexit. A major part of the Craigavon-based business is making products for big drugs firms. It told a Commons committee its customers need it to have a guaranteed presence in the EU for regulatory reasons. Group chief executive Alan Armstrong said: \"2016 was a very successful year for Almac as we continued to deliver upon our global expansion strategy including investment of around \u00a331m in new facilities, equipment and resources.\"", "summary": "Almac, the Craigavon-based pharmaceutical firm, made a pre-tax profit of almost \u00a327m in 2016."}
{"article": "The total population is now estimated to be less than 500 breeding pairs. The situation is even worse south of the border where the iconic bird of prey is said to be heading to the brink of extinction. The latest survey found 460 breeding pairs in Scotland in 2016 compared with more than 500 when the previous study was carried out six years earlier. The RSPB, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Scottish Raptor Study Group, along with a range of other UK partners carried out the survey. It found Scotland remained a major stronghold for hen harriers, with 80% of the UK population. However, having a breeding population of fewer than 1,000 birds makes the species vulnerable to the effects of habitat degradation and, in some areas, wildlife crime. The west Highlands continue to provide a home for the majority of Scotland's breeding harriers, while Orkney and the Hebrides were the only areas of the country to show a slight increase in the number of the birds. A major project aimed at maintaining their population has also been carried out at Langholm Moor in Dumfries and Galloway. Duncan Orr-Ewing, head of species and land management at RSPB Scotland, said: \"The hen harrier is an indicator of the health of our upland environment, and the fact that its population continues to decline is of major concern. \"The hen harrier is a high priority for our conservation work and urgent steps need to be taken to tackle illegal killing of this species and to improve their moorland breeding habitats.\" Eileen Stuart, SNH's head of policy and advice, said the decline was a \"serious concern\". She said they were committed to working with others to tackle wildlife crime throughout the country. \"There is a very concerning trend of a long term decline in the number of breeding hen harriers in Scotland,\" added Wendy Mattingley of the Scottish Raptor Study Group. \"For the population to begin to recover and expand over all suitable habitat, the intensively managed grouse moors of east and south Scotland must produce successful breeding hen harriers again. \"The hen harrier is a wonderful spectacular raptor and more action must be taken to ensure that its future is secure.\" Tim Baynes, director of the Scottish Moorland Group, said the decline was disappointing but said it would be working to better understand the reasons behind poor breeding and help to rebuild the harrier population. Simon Wotton, lead author of the study, described the survey as a \"monumental effort\". \"We hope these results will convince everyone in a position to help hen harriers to take positive steps to ensure their protection and rebuild the country's population for people to enjoy for generations to come,\" he said.", "summary": "Hen harrier numbers have fallen by 9% in Scotland since 2010, according to the latest national survey."}
{"article": "The healthcare policy has serious IT issues, prompting the joke: \"In 2008 my slogan was: 'Yes we can.' In 2013 my slogan was: 'Control-alt-delete.'\" And he ridiculed media commentators for their apparent obsession with Mr Putin's bare chest. Dozens of celebrities, journalists and politicians were at the dinner. The roll-out of healthcare.gov, Mr Obama's main policy initiative of his second term, provided much of the humour. The president made several references to computer malfunctions. \"Does anybody know how to fix this,\" he asked, pretending that the overhead projector had failed to work. Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who quit as a result of the IT issues, stepped up and said: \"I got this. I see it all the time.\" The president used Mr Putin as a way of lampooning some conservative commentators and political opponents. \"Last year [conservative commentator] Pat Buchanan said Putin is headed straight for the Nobel Peace Prize... to be fair they give those to just about anybody these days. So it could happen,\" he said. Mr Obama was given the award in 2009 having been nominated for it after less than two weeks in office. \"[Republican] Mike Huckabee and [conservative commentator] Sean Hannity keep talking about his bare chest, which is kind of weird.\" The charity event is traditionally used by presidents to ridicule their opponents, but also laugh at themselves.", "summary": "Barack Obama has used the annual White House correspondents' dinner to crack jokes about his healthcare policy, his political opponents and Vladimir Putin."}
{"article": "The significance of General Muhammadu Buhari's victory should certainly not be underestimated. An electorate that has savoured the rich experience of ousting an incumbent by the mere act of voting cannot easily be persuaded to forget it. And that must surely be a contagious experience on a continent where, it is often said, roughly one in five people are Nigerians. Besides, this was no \"people's revolution\" - something that the continent's remaining strongmen could loudly dismiss as a dangerous threat to the natural order of things. Instead Nigeria's election was something much more prosaic, and more subtle - a challenge to entrenched autocracy. It was, despite the disruptive efforts of a few, a very ordinary thing: A peaceful, modern, well-monitored, uncontestable transfer of power. Nothing to be feared. A casual precedent that should echo loudly around the region. \"It establishes a link between performance and accountability - knowing that if you don't perform you can be thrown out of power by the electorate, not by the military,\" Adekeye Adebajo, from the Centre for Conflict Resolution in Cape Town, told me by phone. \"It's an incredibly powerful incentive for better governance in the future. \"It sends a strong signal to the rest of the continent. There will be autocrats in Khartoum, in the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda, who are thinking of staying on in power. They won't welcome this.\" The election also gives Nigeria more credibility and clout within the West African grouping Ecowas, at the African Union, and internationally, as the continent seeks to shrug off the enduring influence of former colonial powers like France. Nigeria's leaders can no longer be dismissed as hypocrites when they lecture neighbours like Mali, Niger, Guinea and Guinea Bissau, on the need to keep the military out of politics. That can only be a good thing for African democracy. On a more nuts and bolts level, these past few days have been a valuable reminder of quite how difficult it is becoming to rig an election. Social media, fingerprint scanners, and an army of young volunteer observers armed with mobile phones have all played their role - as they have done in other recent African elections - in limiting the possibilities of ballot stuffing and other shenanigans. That's not to say people didn't try to rig this election - and won't in the future. But once the data is out there - posted online - it becomes much harder for the backroom cheats to cook the books. Five reasons why Goodluck Jonathan lost Profile: Muhammadu Buhari Then there's President Goodluck Jonathan's abrupt decision to accept defeat - a move made, I'm told, without consulting some key officials and against the wishes of many in his party. It was a bold, selfless move that may well have saved many lives in Nigeria. It will go down as a new milestone for African democracy, and may help redeem Mr Jonathan's presidency, at least partially, in the eyes of his many critics. Does that mean Nigerian democracy is safe? Perhaps not. A new man may be coming to power.", "summary": "After the anxiety and drama of the past few days in Nigeria, it is tempting to get carried away by the impact of this ballot - what it represents for both Africa's largest democracy and for those countries on the continent still wrestling with the notion that power can change hands without the world coming to an end."}
{"article": "Mae'r RSPCA yn dweud bod 11 o bobl wedi eu herlyn am beidio cadw at eu gwaharddiad yn y tair blynedd ddiwethaf. Ond maen nhw'n pryderu y gallai'r ffigwr fod yn llawer uwch. Yn \u00f4l yr elusen gallai cofrestr ganiat\u00e1u i berchnogion siopau anifeiliaid a chanolfannau ail gartrefu anifeiliaid weld beth yw cefndir person sydd eisiau prynu anifail. Mae Llywodraeth San Steffan yn dweud bod yna system gofnodi yn bodoli yn barod gan yr heddlu, ac y gall unigolyn ofyn i swyddog i wirio os ydyn nhw'n pryderu. Maen nhw hefyd yn pryderu y gallai cofrestr agored \"annog pobl i gymryd y gyfraith i'w dwylo eu hunain\". Mae'r RSPCA yn dweud bod 228 o bobl wedi eu herlyn yng Nghymru am droseddau yn erbyn anifeiliaid ers 2013. Ond mae'n rhaid i'r cyhoedd fod yn ymwybodol bod y troseddwr wedi eu gwahardd rhag cadw anifeiliaid yn y lle cyntaf, ac yna rhoi gwybod i'r elusen am y mater. Byddai cofrestr yn ffordd effeithiol o wneud i bobl feddwl ddwywaith cyn troseddu ac yn atal dioddefaint anifeiliaid, meddai'r mudiad. Ym mis Ionawr cafodd Frank Lewis, 18 oed o Groeserw ger Port Talbot ei ddedfrydu am ddwyn cathod o warchodfa er mwyn i'w g\u0175n allu eu hela a'u lladd. Roedd wedi dwyn yr anifeiliaid o warchodfa T\u0177 Nant. San Steffan Yn \u00f4l yr Aelod Seneddol lleol Stephen Kinnock, mae angen gwneud yn si\u0175r nad yw pobl fel Frank Lewis yn troseddu yn erbyn anifeiliaid eto. Mae wedi gofyn cwestiwn ysgrifenedig i'r adran berthnasol o fewn llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig am y mater. \"Mae angen i ni wneud yn si\u0175r ein bod ni'n gallu atal rhywbeth fel hyn rhag digwydd eto. Mae'n rhaid bod 'na ffordd o wneud hyn, bod gyda chi gofrestr ond eich bod chi ddim yn torri'r gyfraith diogelu data.\" Mae'r RSPCA yn dweud bod yna dystiolaeth o'r UDA sydd yn awgrymu bod cysylltiad rhwng troseddwyr sydd yn cam-drin anifeiliaid ac yna yn troseddu yn erbyn pobl, mater sydd hefyd yn pryderu Mr Kinnock. \"Oherwydd hynny fe fyddai'n beth da o safbwynt atal trosedd i gadw cofrestr fel eich bod chi'n gallu bod yn llym yngl\u0177n \u00e2 chosbi pobl sydd yn troseddu yn erbyn anifeiliaid, a hefyd cadw golwg arnyn nhw rhag ofn eu bod nhw'n troseddu yn erbyn pobl,\" meddai. Mae galwadau hefyd wedi bod i gael cofrestr yng Nghymru gan yr AC Plaid Cymru, Bethan Jenkins. Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran adran amgylchedd, bwyd a materion gwledig Llywodraeth y DU bod yr heddlu yn cadw cofnod o droseddwyr trwy system gyfrifiadurol genedlaethol, ond bod angen gwneud \"gwell defnydd o'r gronfa ddata\" a rhannu gwybodaeth yn well. Mae'r llefarydd hefyd yn dweud bod modd i berson ofyn i'r heddlu os oes ydynt yn poeni, a bod yr heddlu yn gallu edrych ar y system i weld os yw'r unigolyn wedi cyflawni troseddau yn erbyn anifeiliaid.", "summary": "Mae elusen wedi galw am sefydlu cofrestr er mwyn cofnodi enwau pobl sydd wedi cyflawni troseddau yn erbyn anifeiliaid, yn dilyn beirniadaeth nad oes ffordd glir o orfodi gwaharddiad ar y troseddwyr."}
{"article": "The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rates the Royal Cornwall Hospital as \"requires improvement\". Chief Inspector Professor Sir Mike Richards said it was \"disappointing\" that \"not enough progress\" had been made its the 2014 report. Hospital bosses insist changes have been made and care is getting better. Read more on this story as it develops throughout the day on our Local Live pages. The other Cornwall NHS hospitals, St Michael's in Hayle and West Cornwall in Penzance, were rated \"good\". The CQC's main concerns about the Royal Cornwall Hospital included: In recent months the trust has been ranked one of the worst in the country for waits in A&E, bed blocking and staff being able to report mistakes. Agency spend is exceptionally high; the hospital spent \u00c2\u00a31.43m on agency workers in March. The Royal Cornwall Hospital also has a higher death rate than would be expected so new chief executive Kathy Byrne has some major issues to deal with. Prof Richards said: \"If the trust is going to pull itself round, it will need a combined determination of the staff, the leadership team and the commissioners.\" Kathy Byrne, the RCHT's chief executive said: \"We don't feel it is a disappointing report. \"I fully accept the CQC's view that in some important areas we have not made enough progress. \"We have acted on all the CQC's \"must do\" recommendations and are seeing better results for patients across the board.\"", "summary": "Cornwall's main hospital has been told it must improve, two years after it was given the same instruction by inspectors."}
{"article": "The would-be thieves - four men dressed in black - struck at a service station in East Delph, Whittlesey at 02:55 BST. Cambridgeshire Police said the cash machine was left at the scene and it was not clear whether cash or anything else was stolen. Fire crews closed the petrol station on safety grounds. Two other trucks were also used in the raid. A red car - possibly an Audi - was seen leaving in the direction of the Dog In A Doublet pub and Thorney, Cambridgeshire Police said. On Saturday, a JCB was used to steal a cash machine from a newsagent's in Harlow in Essex. A police spokesman said it was \"too early to say whether it [the Whittlesey raid] is being linked to others, but we are keeping an open mind\".", "summary": "Ram-raiders using a JCB digger and a forklift truck destroyed a petrol station building in a bid to steal a cash machine."}
{"article": "HMP Kingston is one of six jails in England to be closed by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) as part of spending cuts. Officers left the prison, by marching out the front gate together, at midday. Friends and family were then taken on a tour of the buildings and grounds. Kingston housed around 800 Category C prisoners with indeterminate sentences. The government said the closures would save \u00c2\u00a363m per year in running costs. The MoJ said the closures would result in the loss of 2,600 places from \"old and uneconomic\" prisons. It plans to build a new 2,000-place super prison in London, north-west England or north Wales. Unions have previously claimed up to 300 jobs could be lost in the closure of HMP Kingston and Camp Hill on the Isle of Wight. Some staff from Kingston have already been redeployed to other sites. Lou Ralls, chairman of the Portsmouth branch of the Prison Officers Association, said staff were \"buoyant\" despite the closure. He said: \"The announcement came as a shock as we regarded ourselves as a high-performing prison. We feel a pocket of excellence for the industry and the city has been lost. \"Around 8% of our members have taken voluntary redundancy. \"No compulsory redundancies have happened and 100% of staff who wished to relocate have been handed their first or second choice.\"", "summary": "A Portsmouth prison built in 1877 has closed its doors for the last time."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old Durham paceman fractured a bone in his ankle during a County Championship match against Surrey last month. Wood had already been forced out of the current Bangladesh tour. He is set to miss the five Tests against India, the first of which begins on 9 November, and the one-day series that follows in the new year. England's national physiotherapy lead Ben Langley said the new injury is unrelated to the problems that required two operations last winter. \"It was only when we got him in for a second scan that we discovered he'd been playing on despite having fractured a bone,\" he said. \"There's no reason to think that when he's had this bone fragment removed, he won't be able to get back to bowling as well he has for Durham, England Lions and England in the second half of the 2016 summer.\"", "summary": "England bowler Mark Wood is to have a third ankle operation and is likely to miss the Test series in India."}
{"article": "The 34-year-old has been playing grade cricket for Sydney side Campbelltown. Panesar toured India on three occasions and took 17 wickets when England won 2-1 in 2012, their first series victory there for 27 years. The left-armer will advise Australia's batsmen and slow bowlers before they depart for the four-Test series, which begins on 23 February. Hopefully there will be opportunities to get involved at a county and get back into first-class cricket \"Pat Howard [Cricket Australia's team performance manager] gave me a call and asked if I was available to work with a few players for the upcoming series and I was happy to do that,\" Panesar told the Tuffers and Vaughan Cricket Show on BBC Radio 5 live. \"The hardest role for a spinner is [to] bowl 30 overs in a day, go for three an over, and give [the captain] control from one end and build pressure, and that's going to probably be one of the things [they] are going to ask me.\" He added that coaching is \"something I've always had a passion for\". \"While I've been out here I've been helping the [Campbelltown] under-16s, under-21s and also the grade team, so this is a good opportunity to work with international cricketers,\" he said. \"Coaching is more about getting to know the person as much as talking about the technical side of the game. Once you develop that trust in people's opinions, your coaching becomes that much easier.\" Panesar's stint in Australia is part of a bid to return to his best on the field amid mental health problems. In May 2016 he spoke to the BBC about feelings of anxiety and paranoia that stemmed from a loss of confidence and self-esteem. He spent last summer with Northamptonshire but is without a county for 2017, although he may train with Northants on his return from Australia and has not given up hope of playing at the highest level again. \"From a playing side, I'm trying to get my shoulder a lot stronger, trying to get fitter again,\" he said. \"Hopefully when I get back [to England] there will be opportunities to get involved at a county and get back into first-class cricket. \"I still have international ambitions.\" Before leaving England to head down under, he travelled daily from Luton to Wimbledon to work with a fitness trainer and turned down television offers, with some reports linking him to ITV show I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here. Panesar has taken 167 wickets in 50 Tests for England, the last of which came at Melbourne on the 2013-14 Ashes tour.", "summary": "Former England spinner Monty Panesar is to work with the Australia team before their Test series in India."}
{"article": "The 17-year-old, who cannot be named, was one of three teenagers arrested following the death of Joan Price on the A77 in Ayr on 30 January. At Ayr Sheriff Court Logan Knox, 19, of Girvan, was sent for trial, accused of causing death by dangerous driving. He was also accused of perverting the course of justice. He made no plea and was remanded in custody. Last week John Gribben, 18, of Ayr, was freed on bail after making no plea to similar charges. Ms Price, a 59-year-old musician, from Troon, died at the scene of the collision on the A77 near Holmston roundabout.", "summary": "A teenager arrested after a woman died in an alleged hit and run crash has been freed by prosecutors."}
{"article": "Morgan James Francis Hehir, 20, died after an attack at Pool Bank Recreational Park in Nuneaton on Halloween. Miroslav Holan, 23, of Oak Lane, Bradford, previously pleaded guilty to theft at Warwickshire Magistrates Court. He was given a 12 week prison sentence suspended for 12 months on 31 March. Morgan's possessions were never found and his phone contained irreplaceable photographs and memories, said police. The theft \"caused further distress to Morgan's family\", added Det Sgt Andy Denny of Warwickshire Police. Three men have been charged with Mr Hehir's murder and will go on trial next month.", "summary": "A thief who stole a wallet and mobile phone from a man who lay dying from stab wounds has been sentenced."}
{"article": "Police called to the collision on Long Street in Easingwold, North Yorkshire, found the white BMW 1 Series on top of a red Toyota Yaris. A blue Vauxhall Corsa was also involved in the collision, which happened outside a terraced house near the Horseshoe pub at about 21:30 GMT on Tuesday. The road was closed while the vehicle was recovered. Live updates and more news from across Yorkshire Jade Barnes, who lives a few doors from the scene, said: \"The house the car crashed into is the house of a heavily pregnant lady, so I went to check she was ok. \"We heard a crash but presumed it was people putting the bins out. \"It was only when I saw the emergency services that I knew something awful had happened.\" Police said no one was injured and there were no arrests.", "summary": "A car has crashed into a house and on to the roof of another car."}
{"article": "The world ranking event is part of the new Home Nations quartet of events - any player who wins all four tournaments will receive a \u00a31m bonus. It is the first professional tournament in Northern Ireland since 2008. \"It's brilliant. Everyone's been asking about an event here and now we've got one,\" said Belfast player Joe Swail. The format for the tournament, to take place from 14-20 November, will be a flat draw with all players starting in the first round. Total prize money for each of the Home Nations events will be \u00a3366,000, with the winner to receive \u00a370,000. \"There's definitely an appetite for a ranking event. Belfast is a brilliant place and I think the event will be a great success,\" added the two-time World Championship semi-finalist. \"I feel as if snooker is coming home with these new big events in the UK. \"I know the game is growing massively in China and it's nice to travel. \"But for snooker in the UK to keep improving, it's important that we develop the game at grassroots and it helps the profile of the game having tournaments like this.\"", "summary": "Titanic Belfast is to be the venue for the new Irish Open tournament in November, at which 128 of the world's leading players will compete."}
{"article": "It found the problem was compounded by the force's outdated and disjointed IT systems, one of which was at least 25 years old. But it also praised the \"high quality training\" offered by the force. The review was launched in response to a complaint of racial discrimination made by PC Jim Davies in 2014. It also recorded another allegation of \"racist language\" used by an officer in the same year, which was reduced from gross misconduct to misconduct. And it raised concerns over \"potentially derogatory\" Powerpoint slides used in training, which referred to \"good breeding potential\" and women who \"expect to be hit\". The authors of the review highlighted the absence of an \"ethnicity recording system\" that could properly track people from the Gypsy, Roma and traveller (GRT) communities. They said this problem was made worse by \"elderly\" IT programs, including a DOS-based system at least 25 years old, and a version of Windows that Microsoft no longer supported. It said: \"Without clear ways of tracking GRT populations it is impossible to effectively consider the equality impact on these populations.\" The review was carried out between June 2014 and May 2015 and was led by Professor Margaret Greenfields of Buckinghamshire New University, as well as PC Davies who founded the the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Police Association. Prof Greenfields said the force had \"fully accepted\" the review's recommendations and praised it for \"seeking to go far beyond tokenism or minimum standards of community engagement\". A total of 40 crimes were identified in which members of the GRT community were involved.", "summary": "Thames Valley Police must improve how it records data on Gypsies, Roma and travellers \"as a matter of urgency\", an independent review has said."}
{"article": "The Welsh secretary said Labour had let down west Wales and the valleys. Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Mr Cairns said some areas, which had the most EU funds, voted more heavily to leave. A spokesman for First Minister Carwyn Jones insisted EU-funded programmes had made a \"big difference\" in Wales. Mr Cairns accused Mr Jones of trying to present Wales as \"a victim of the EU referendum\", following the majority vote across the UK for Brexit. \"He seems to forget that Wales voted to leave the European Union too,\" he said. Mr Cairns argued Brexit represented an opportunity to do things better - and warned \"carrying on in the same old way, spending according to the same old plans after two decades is not an option any longer\". \"After all, European structural funds are supposed to be a temporary fix, a stimulus for the most deprived parts of the UK. \"In Wales in 1999 I remember the debate about Objective One money - it was described as a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity'. \"But 16 years on, \u00a34bn later, Labour's mismanagement of the funds has let those communities down. \"So much was their frustration that those areas that had received most European aid were the very same areas that voted in the strongest numbers to leave the European Union. \"If only they [Labour] had focused on the outcomes in the same way that they focused on the money that they were spending in those projects.\" Mr Cairns told the conference the new structure after Brexit \"will give us the opportunity to follow UK priorities, investing in a way that is completely tailored to the Welsh and the UK economy\". The Vale of Glamorgan MP singled out Mr Jones for criticism, but added: \"Whether we like it or not, we must work from that instruction. \"There are new and exciting opportunities for Wales with the UK being the global leader in free trade.\" Mr Cairns argued the new Department for International Trade will be \"fundamental\" to seek out new markets and increase inward investment for Wales. A spokesman for the first minister said there was an \"astonishing paradox\" in Mr Cairns's remarks. \"First he celebrates the good employment figures in Wales, and then he trashes European funding,\" he said. \"The truth is that European funded programmes, like Jobs Growth Wales, have made a big difference to Welsh businesses and job-seekers. \"The reason Wales is out-stripping other parts of the UK doesn't have anything to do with the Tories in Westminster.\"", "summary": "Alun Cairns has launched a fierce attack on the \"mismanagement\" of \u00a34bn of EU grants by the Welsh Government intended to help the poorest areas."}
{"article": "Sources said ministers planned to lay the groundwork for a new Commons vote. The government plans to set out its achievements in Iraq so far with RAF air strikes and training of Kurdish and Iraqi security forces, sources said. The BBC also understands a small force could be sent to Libya. The team of about 20 troops would be sent to help Libya secure its borders - which is seen as a crucial step towards stemming the flows of migrants into Europe. An MoD spokesperson commented: \"The UK, along with international partners, is supporting the process to form a recognised Libyan government and we are developing plans to provide support once this is done; it is too early to discuss the exact nature of this.\" According to sources, ministers intend to argue that the mission to defeat IS now has to turn to Syria, and that the UK should play a role in that effort. Describing the government's plans to increase its military involvement in the region, a source said: \"The government is essentially posing a question: Could we do more? Should we do more? But Syria is where the fight should be taken to.\" Another source added: \"The government will say the campaign in Iraq has been a success. IS has been degraded, land has been taken back. Some of their leaders have been killed. But the problem is across the border in Syria.\" Two years ago MPs rejected possible UK military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government. A new parliamentary vote on the issue is not imminent, but the case will continue to be made throughout September in the run-up to the anniversary of the launch of UK airstrikes in Iraq, sources added. They said any move to extend UK military action to Syria would only involve an extension of airstrikes against IS targets and involvement in coalition special forces operations. The timing of the separate, small deployment to Libya is expected to depend on when Libya can form a unity government, and may be part of a broader effort. Nato is poised to go back into Libya to rebuild the country's defence and military once there is more political stability. Nick Hopkins will have more on this story on Newsnight on Friday at 22:30 BST on BBC Two.", "summary": "Ministers will start to make a case for British military action in Syria next week - with Downing Street keen to take the \"next step\" against so-called Islamic State - the BBC understands."}
{"article": "Dozens more were injured in the accident near the town of Bambari, about 300km (186 miles) north-east of the capital Bangui. Most of the victims are said to be traders heading to a nearby market. Local residents often travel in overloaded lorries due to lack of other transportation in the country. The cause of Wednesday's crash is now being investigated. A local lawmaker said the lorry was travelling faster than normal. \"They were driving fast to make it to the market on time. That's what probably caused the accident,\" Amaseka Topi told Reuters news agency. Dozens of injured people are being treated in Bambari's hospital. There are fears that the death toll could rise further. Years of neglect have left much of the Central African Republic's road system in ruins, and safety regulations are rarely enforced. The poor landlocked country has been wracked by conflict along religious and ethnic lines since 2013.", "summary": "At least 77 people have been killed after a lorry loaded with passengers and goods crashed in the Central African Republic, officials say."}
{"article": "Reial Phillips, linked to Birmingham's Burger Bar gang, was \"at the heart\" of the shootings, targeting rival members of the Johnson Crew, police said. At Birmingham Crown Court he admitted firearms offences and conspiring to sell cocaine and heroin. Police said his actions \"brought fear\" to people in the West Midlands. Ashai Gray, 22, from Tanacetum Drive in Walsall, also admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin and was sentenced to nine years in jail. More updates on this story and others in Birmingham and the Black Country Both men were among 18 the BBC named in March when they were banned from parts of Birmingham for what police then said were their links to \"gun or gang crime\". West Midlands Police said 20-year-old Phillips, of Musgrave Road, Winson Green, and Gray were believed to be the \"armed response\" faction of the Burger Bar gang. The shootings occurred over several months last year and escalated when members of the rivals groups uploaded rap videos online to taunt one another, the spokesman said. Det Supt Mark Payne said: \"For a period of time last year these men and their associates brought fear to the people of the West Midlands through their actions.\" The two gangs took their names from two cafes in Handsworth where black youths congregated in the late 80s and early 90s. Shootings timeline:", "summary": "A man has been jailed for 27 years after seven people were injured in a series of shootings during a feud between rival gangs."}
{"article": "Drivers who get too close to cyclists could end up in court on a charge of dangerous or careless driving. Those caught too near will be advised that bikes should be given as much room as cars. Evidence will also be captured via a bike-mounted camera. The scheme could be repeated across the country. Police officers believe many people are put off cycling on Edinburgh's streets because of the fear of other vehicles coming too close when they overtake. PC Dominic Doyle, of Police Scotland, said: \"A lot of drivers see a person on a bicycle riding on the road in a cycle lane and don't consider that passing them closely puts all road users in danger. \"It could constitute careless or even dangerous driving and you would fail your driving test for that. \"Those drivers that we stop during this operation will be shown how closely they passed the unmarked officer by standing on our specially-designed mat. \"You should allow at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car when passing a person on a bicycle, giving consideration to the maximum speed limit and time and distance available to you.\" A total of 398 cyclists have been injured in collisions in the capital over the past two years, including 62 seriously. One has died. Keith Irving, Cycling Scotland chief executive, said: \"Operation Close Pass is a welcome new initiative by Police Scotland to improve road safety. \"Education and enforcement are essential to making safer roads for everyone, whether we are cycling, driving or walking. \"This initiative is one of the many we need to take to tackle the increase in serious injuries amongst people cycling.\" Ch Supt Andy Edmonston, head of road policing for Police Scotland, said: \"We are constantly working to make Scotland's roads safer for everyone, and I am very pleased to see this innovative approach being piloted in Edinburgh where a large number of people cycle to commute and for pleasure.\"", "summary": "An unmarked police cyclist is taking to Edinburgh's streets to highlight the space cars should give bikes on the road."}
{"article": "York's National Railway Museum (NRM) has launched an appeal to mark the Flying Scotsman's 93rd birthday. The engine, which retired from service in 1963, has been restored for the NRM in a decade-long, \u00a34.2m refit. On Saturday it ventured on to the mainline network for the first time in 40 years as it took a test run through Cumbria and Lancashire. Last month, the locomotive emerged into the East Lancashire Railway's Bury Bolton Street station after the final stages of the work at a nearby yard, thrilling hundreds of rail enthusiasts. It is due to be painted in its new green livery on Wednesday and have its nameplates reattached before making its journey between London Kings Cross and York on 25 February. Public services will begin later this month, alongside an exhibition at the museum. Former fireman John Morgan, from Peterborough, said he was looking forward to seeing the Flying Scotsman steaming between the two cities again. The 77-year-old became a fireman at 16 and worked on some of the most famous locomotives of the age, including the Flying Scotsman and the Mallard, the world's fastest steam train. \"I have a lot of very good memories of 60103 [Flying Scotsman's British Rail number],\" he said. \"I did a lot of trips on the footplate and shovelled a lot of coal. \"There was a lot of interest, even back then. Whenever we'd back up into King's Cross there'd be a crowd of people around wanting to get up into the cab.\" Bob Gwynne, associate curator of collections and research at the NRM, said: \"As we've been planning our highly anticipated Scotsman Season, many people have already approached us with their special connections to the iconic steam locomotive and the famous train it was named after. \"We've heard from crew members that worked on board and their families, and even of some babies born on the train.\"", "summary": "People with links to one of the world's most famous locomotives are being urged to come forward with their memories."}
{"article": "Mr Bashir will travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday, Sudan's Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said. The minister added that he hopes US sanctions against Sudan will be lifted in July, and said he believes the US wants to normalise relations. The US has not confirmed the claim. Economic sanctions were imposed against Sudan in 1997 after the state was labelled a \"sponsor of terrorism\". President Barack Obama signed an executive order easing some of the curbs in January, shortly before leaving office. The White House said the move was intended to acknowledge Sudan's efforts to reduce internal conflict, improve humanitarian access to people requiring aid, and curtail \"terrorism\". Mr Obama had delayed the reduction in sanctions by 25 weeks, to give the Sudanese government an incentive to continue its reforms. Relations between the US and Sudan have not been tension-free of late, however. The country was one of seven included in Mr Trump's proposed travel ban, along with Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. It is not known whether Presidents Bashir and Trump will meet when the US leader arrives in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The visit is Mr Trump's first overseas trip since taking office, and he is scheduled to address the summit on his \"hopes for a peaceful vision of Islam\". In 2009 and 2010, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Mr Bashir for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity related to the conflict in Darfur, which has claimed at least 300,000 lives. He denies the charges, and has successfully evaded arrest for several years. The ICC is based in The Hague, and was established in 2002 to try the world's most grievous crimes, when national courts are unable or unwilling to act. A US official told NBC News that the Trump administration opposes invitations or travel by individuals facing ICC indictments. \"The United States has made its position with respect to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's travel clear,\" the official said. \"While the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, which is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court, we nevertheless strongly support efforts to hold accountable those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, including such acts in Darfur,\" the official added.", "summary": "Saudi Arabia has invited Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for alleged war crimes, to a summit with US President Donald Trump and Arab and Muslim leaders."}
{"article": "The Tory manifesto says elderly people needing care at home would have to meet the costs but could keep \u00a3100,000 after the bill is deducted from their estate. The work and pensions secretary told the BBC it would still be \"a reasonable inheritance\" to pass on to dependants. Labour said the plan would leave people \"on their own\" and should be pulled. The policy scraps a planned \u00a372,000 cap on care costs paid by the individual. The Tories argue that allowing people to keep a \"floor\" of \u00a3100,000 of assets which cannot be touched is fairer. Live updates: Sunday political interviews Reality check: Who could social care changes affect? Tory opposition to social care plans Labour steps up push for pensioner vote Conservative ministers have been defending the policy, arguing PM Theresa May is showing \"bravery\" by tackling the issue, and that a balance has to be struck between costs funded by the individual and those funded by the taxpayer. But Conservative think tank the Bow Group has warned it could be the \"biggest stealth tax in history\", and Labour has accused the Tories of \"attacks on older people\", citing the social care plan as well as curbs on winter fuel payments and the downgrading of the \"triple lock\" on the state pension. Four opinion polls for Sunday newspapers suggest that, while the Conservatives retain a big lead, support for Labour has increased. Elderly voters who own their own homes tend to be fertile ground for Tory support. But a social care plan that would see those people's homes sold off to pay for their care after death - meaning their children couldn't inherit those properties - was always going to be a difficult one to sell to this crucial group of voters. Today Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green defended it saying that \u00a3100,000 was a \"reasonable amount of inheritance\". That's the amount up to which the government would fund a person's care under the plans. But with a lot of properties worth a lot more than that, it has drawn criticism. Labour has taken the opportunity to make its pitch for the grey vote, promising more social care spending and a cap of \u00a372,000 on how much anyone would need to pay, while the Lib Dems have accused the government of introducing a \"dementia tax\". With speculation over whether the cabinet is fully signed up to the Tories' new social care plan, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has been batting off suggestions that the cabinet didn't have a say in a policy that is likely to prove uncomfortable for Tories to sell on the doorstep. On plans to means-test the winter fuel payment - a sum of between \u00a3100 and \u00a3300 for those who reach the state pension age - in England and Wales, Mr Green told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show those \"in genuine need\" would continue to get it and the money saved would go into social care. The exact threshold for cut-off would be subject to consultation, he added. Mr Green said the social care cap system that", "summary": "Damian Green has said the Conservatives will not \"look again\" at plans to fund social care in England, despite fears they will be unpopular with voters."}
{"article": "Jamie Topliss-Yates was struck by a car driven by Zaid Bhamji at the BP garage in Chanterlands Avenue in Hull. Bhamji, 21, received a six-month suspended prison sentence after admitting dangerous driving. Mr Topliss-Yates said he feared the incident had left him with long-term health issues. His head struck the car windscreen as he was thrown over the top of the vehicle and he is waiting to have a brain scan to see if there is any neurological injury. More on this and other Hull stories Mr Topliss-Yates said he had no chance to avoid the car and thought he was going to die. \"Literally the last thing that went through my head before I actually hit the car was to try and brace myself and try and jump on to the bonnet,\" he said. Bhamji was sentenced at Hull Magistrates' Court last week over the incident, which happened on 14 January. It was estimated he was driving at between 20mph and 30mph. Mr Topliss-Yates said he would have liked to have seen the driver jailed as \"a few months inside would have made him stop and think\". \"I was angry for a while because it seemed such a pointless thing to do,\" he said. \"It upset me a little bit that the sentence was a suspended one, because you can't drive at that speed across a petrol station forecourt and think that that's OK.\"", "summary": "A man who suffered a broken pelvis when he was run over at speed on a petrol station forecourt has said he is \"upset\" the driver was not jailed."}
{"article": "Wasilu Umar admitted killing her husband, who was more than twice her age, by concealing rat poison in his food, the police in Kano said. Three other people also died and 10 were taken to hospital apparently after eating the same food. Child marriage is common in Nigeria, especially in the mainly Muslim north. The girl's father had forced her to marry the 35-year-old man, police said. The marriage took place last week, police superintendent Musa Magaji Majia told the Associated Press news agency. The BBC's Will Ross in Nigeria says Islamic police are trying to stop parents from forcing children into marriages against their will and the father could be charged. The teenager is likely to be tried in a juvenile court.", "summary": "A 14-year-old girl in the northern Nigerian state of Kano has confessed to killing the man she was forced to marry, police say."}
{"article": "The Somerset Choices website, run by Somerset County Council, will see approved and vetted carers list the types of services they can offer. The National Care Association said if listed carers fell ill or took holiday, there could be gaps in service. Somerset County Council said steps were in place to mitigate against this. The two-year project - which lists services on a website - has been prompted by the introduction of the Care Act 2014, which came into force in April. By law, councils must develop new markets which can offer a range of choices for those needing care. Nadra Ahmed, chair of the National Care Association, said: \"There is a concern over the continuity of service. \"If these are single employers with 'single' roles, if something happens to them, are we going to find people left at critical periods of time without any support?\" She said there were also issues with how well-trained the self-employed carers were. Gareth O'Rourke, senior manager at the council, said: \"[The service] is for a group of people who have a very good understanding of their needs and a strong understanding of how they want their needs to be met.\" He added those on the register were vetted, insured and met self-employment law criteria. According to Somerset County Council, the number of people likely to need support will rise from 2,392 in 2011, to 2,751 in 2015. In 2011/12, about 58,300 people provided unpaid care. It is not known how many people need care in the county as some pay for it privately and have no contact with social services. Somerset Choices offers services from personal care to dog walking.", "summary": "A council project to boost the number of \"sole trader\" carers for the elderly may leave people without support, a care association has said."}
{"article": "Lochte, Feigen and two other members of the US swimming team said they had been robbed at gunpoint in a taxi in Rio. But police say their account of when they arrived at the Olympic village does not square with CCTV recordings. Local media report that Lochte left Brazil before the order was issued. His Twitter account shows footage of him arriving back in the United States on Monday, Lochte swam in two events at the Rio Games, winning gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay. Feigen, who is still believed to be in Brazil, won gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay. Accounts of what happened to the swimmers have been confusing from the beginning. Lochte first told US TV network NBC about it but International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said reports of the robbery were \"absolutely not true\". The US Olympic Committee (USOC) later confirmed the swimmers' accounts. Lochte himself told police that he and team mates James Feigen, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger had all attended a party in the French Olympic team's hospitality house on Saturday evening. He said that during their return drive to the Olympic village, their cab was stopped by men posing as police officers. One of the men held a gun to his head, Lochte said, and robbed him of his money and personal belongings. But police investigating the case say they have found no evidence of the robbery. They also point to \"inconsistencies\" in the swimmers' accounts. Lochte and Feigen told police they and their fellow swimmers had returned to the Olympic village at 04:00 local time (08:00 GMT). But CCTV recordings appear to show the swimmers returning to the Olympic village at 07:00 local time. They can be seen putting their belongings through a metal detector at the entrance to the village in what appears to be a calm manner. Police say they have not been able to track down the driver who the swimmers said drove them back to the village. They also said that Feigen and Lochte gave different accounts of how many men robbed them. Investigators have requested a search warrant for the rooms the swimmers stayed in with a view to examining Feigen's mobile phone. They said they wanted to trace the swimmers' whereabouts on Saturday night and Sunday morning. The US Olympic Committee (USOC) confirmed that Brazilian police had sought the passports and further testimony from Lochte and Feigen. In a statement the committee said: \"The swim team moved out of the village after their competition ended, so we were not able to make the athletes available.\" The statement said that USOC \"do not make athlete travel plans public and therefore cannot confirm the athletes' current location\" but that they would co-operate with the Brazilian authorities.", "summary": "A judge in Brazil has issued an order preventing US swimmers Ryan Lochte and James Feigen from leaving the country after police queried their evidence in a robbery case."}
{"article": "The Plane Stupid demonstration on 13 July led to delays and the cancellation of 22 flights. The activists, who were protesting against plans to expand the airport, allegedly cut a hole in a fence and chained themselves to railings. Supporters chanted \"No ifs, no buts, no third runway!\" outside the court. Sheila Menon, one of the accused, read a statement outside Uxbridge Magistrates' Court. She said the pollution and noise caused by air traffic at Heathrow was already blighting the area. She said the proposed expansion - recommended by the Airports Commission in its final report last month - was driven by \"wealthy frequent flyers\" rather than ordinary holidaymakers. Plane Stupid's actions were \"reasonable, justifiable and necessary\", said Ms Menon. The activists were charged with aggravated trespass and entering a restricted area of the airport without permission. They were bailed on condition that they do not enter Heathrow or its perimeter, with a trial expected to begin on 18 January.", "summary": "Thirteen climate change activists have pleaded not guilty to charges of trespassing on Heathrow's north runway."}
{"article": "The opposition said it would work to release jailed opposition leaders and address the country's economic crisis. Mr Maduro has announced a cabinet reshuffle but vowed to veto any amnesty law for jailed politicians. The election result is the worst for the Socialist movement founded by late leader Hugo Chavez in 1999. The majority means the Democratic Unity coalition can now make sweeping changes, including replacing Supreme Court judges and making changes to the constitution pending approval in a referendum. It also wants the release of one of its leaders, Leopoldo Lopez, who was given a 13-year prison sentence for inciting violence - a charge critics say was politically motivated. But Mr Maduro said he would block any amnesty law. \"The murderers have to be prosecuted and have to pay,\" he said in a televised address. He said his Socialist Party would hold an \"extraordinary congress\" to find out what went wrong at the election. The opposition meanwhile warned of looming food shortages for Venezuelans. \"We urge the government to stop crying and start working,\" opposition leader Jesus Torrealba said. \"We're just a few weeks away from a very serious problem in terms of food,\" he added. The elections were widely seen as a referendum on President Maduro, the handpicked successor of Hugo Chavez, and the governing PSUV's socialist policies. The opposition accused Mr Maduro's party of mismanaging the economy and of squandering the country's oil wealth. Venezuela has been hit hard by the continuing low price of oil, its main export. It also has the continent's highest inflation rate. Mr Maduro has blamed the situation on an \"economic war\" waged by the opposition. The opposition also accused the government of increasing authoritarianism. The election result also gives stronger momentum to the opposition should it wish to call a referendum on Mr Maduro's future. This could take place only when his presidency reaches its halfway point in April next year. However, some prominent opposition figures want to give Mr Maduro the opportunity to change policies they blame for the country's economic crisis. \"If Maduro doesn't change we'll have to change the government. But the opposition's response to the economic crisis right now can't be more politics,\" Henrique Capriles - who lost to Mr Maduro in the 2013 presidential elections - told AP. The next presidential election is due in April 2019. 100%+ inflation level for 2015 -10% shrinking of GDP in 2015 -6% projected 2016 downturn 18.1% projected 2016 unemployment rate", "summary": "Venezuelan electoral authorities have confirmed that the opposition has won a key two-thirds majority, enabling it to challenge President Nicolas Maduro."}
{"article": "Richard Bullick was giving evidence to the Stormont inquiry into the sale of Nama's Northern Ireland portfolio. Mr Bullick had a series of meetings with Frank Cushnahan and Ian Coulter between September 2013 and April 2014. Mr Coulter was a leading solicitor, while Mr Cushnahan sat on Nama's Northern Ireland advisory committee. It later emerged that both men could have got substantial payments as part of the \u00a31bn deal. Mr Cushnahan advised the Pimco fund after he left his Nama role and was in line to receive a \u00a35m fee if its bid for the portfolio was successful, an Irish parliamentary committee was told. The bid collapsed when Nama learned of Mr Cushnahan's role in March 2014. The portfolio was eventually sold to the Cerberus fund in April 2014. In the wake of that deal, Cerberus indirectly paid a fee of \u00a37.5m to Tughans, the firm where Mr Coulter was managing partner. A large portion of that money was then moved to an Isle of Man bank account under the control of Mr Coulter. He said that transfer was for \"a complex, commercially and legally-sensitive\" reason. The money was later moved back and Mr Coulter left the firm. Richard Bullick said his assumption was that any benefit for the men \"would come from their clients getting freed up from Nama in the longer term\". \"If there was greater economic activity, that would provide the opportunity for both Frank and Ian and their various businesses to do well,\" he said. Mr Bullick said he was not aware of \"the specific names\" of any clients, and only assumed that some of them were in Nama. He added that in his experience, Mr Cushnahan and Mr Coulter had \"always acted in the best interests of Northern Ireland\". Mr Bullick said he did not have information to know if Mr Cushnahan had a conflict of interest in his Nama role. The inquiry also questioned Sinn F\u00e9in adviser Dara O'Hagan, who worked for Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in the run up to the deal. Mr McGuinness previously told the inquiry it was \"totally, absolutely misleading\" for the DUP to say he was being kept informed about the bid from Pimco. He said First Minister Peter Robinson did at some point tell him Pimco had bid and subsequently withdrawn, but not the detail. Ms O'Hagan was asked about an email sent to her concerning the possible terms of a deal under which Pimco would buy the portfolio. She did not pass that email to Mr McGuinness. She explained that was because Nama matters were primarily dealt with by the Department of Finance, and she expected it to produce a formal, detailed executive paper about the matter. Ms O'Hagan said she would have brought it to Mr McGuinness at that stage.", "summary": "A DUP adviser who was \"intensively involved\" in the Nama loans sale process has said he never had \"any understanding\" that two businessmen stood to be paid as part of any deal."}
{"article": "Over the weekend, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Chinese consulate in Istanbul. Tourists have been warned to avoid filming protests or going out alone. China said it has always attached great importance to and fully respects the freedom of Muslim religious beliefs. A statement from the government said accusations in the Western media that religious rites had been banned in western China's Xinjiang province this Ramadan were \"completely at odds with the facts\". Turkish Muslims and Chinese Uighurs share ethnicity and have close cultural and religious ties. Ankara summoned the Chinese ambassador last week over reports that Beijing had banned Uighurs from fasting and worship during the holy month. Hundreds have died in violent attacks in Xinjiang in recent years. China blames the violence on Islamist terrorist groups but Uighur groups say the unrest is being fuelled by Beijing's repressive policies. On Sunday, protesters at the Chinese consulate were pictured burning the Chinese flag and holding banners, one of which said \"Turkey save your Brother - China get out from East Turkestan\". China crushed the short-lived state of East Turkestan in 1949. It established the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in 1955. The Chinese foreign ministry said there had recently been \"multiple\" demonstrations in Turkey targeting the Chinese government and \"several\" Chinese tourists had been attacked. Turkish media reported a group of Korean tourists believed to be Chinese were attacked and tear gas was used by police to disperse protesters. The last year has seen a crackdown in Xinjiang on what China describes as \"terrorism driven by religious extremism\". In some places, the government has banned Uighurs from buying knives and women from wearing veils. Security check points have been set up on roads and near markets and shopping malls. In previous years, students have told the BBC they have been prohibited from taking part in Ramadan fasts, and government departments have restricted civil servants. On microblog Weibo, one Chinese user, Dan Duo Duo 35, said: \"Our policies towards ethnic minorities are still not good enough? They have less strict requirement for university exams, special prayer rooms in airports, and food labelled with Halal. \"The Han people are the disadvantaged one.\"", "summary": "China has issued travel advice to its citizens travelling to Turkey after it said several tourists were attacked in protests over the Chinese government's treatment of ethnic Uighur Muslims."}
{"article": "The cliff collapsed onto the shore at Barton-on-Sea on Tuesday evening. New Forest District Council said an assessment by its coastal scientists had revealed further movement and another landslip \"is highly likely\". While no-one was injured by the collapse, visitors are being asked to avoid the area of the cliff top and the beach below. The area is expected to remain closed until the cliff stabilises.", "summary": "A cliff top and section of beach in Hampshire have been shut following a landslip."}
{"article": "The \u00a319.8m pre-tax loss for the year to May 2016 was largely due to cost of signing big-name players and a payoff for Brendan Rodgers, who was sacked as manager in October 2015. Liverpool signed 12 players in the period, spending \u00a332m on striker Christian Benteke, who has since left, and \u00a329m on Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino. Revenue rose \u00a33m to \u00a3301m. The loss compared with a \u00a360m profit for the previous year, which was largely due to the \u00a375m sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona. The club also made \u00a349m from the sale of Raheem Sterling to Manchester City. Commercial revenue fell \u00a3700,000 to \u00a3116m, but match day income increased by \u00a33.4m to \u00a362m following a pre-season tour to Australia and Asia. The team also reached the League Cup and Europa League finals. Media revenue increased by \u00a31m to \u00a3124m. Chief operating officer Andy Hughes said the club, which has been owned by US firm Fenway Sports Group since October 2010, continued to make \"solid financial progress\". \"We have seen continued investment in the playing squad, the expanded Main Stand, the new flagship retail store opening later this year, fully refurbished retail stores in Liverpool and Belfast, and we are consulting on a proposed development at our academy in Kirkby to bring together the first team and our young players,\" he said. The club said it expected \"significantly improved\" results for the current financial year. It has hired Peter Moore, chief competition officer at gaming firm Electronic Arts, to take over as chief executive in June. The club hopes the 61-year-old - an avid Liverpool fan - can draw on his marketing expertise to boost commercial income.", "summary": "Liverpool Football Club has fallen into the red despite posting record revenue."}
{"article": "The charge relates to a $44m (\u00a329m) payment to German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky of Bayern Landesbank, linked to the sale of a stake in F1. Mr Ecclestone denies bribing Gribkowsky, and says the money was intended to stop the banker from exposing him to a UK tax inquiry. Mr Gribkowsky was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in jail in Munich. Speaking to the Financial Times on Wednesday, Mr Ecclestone said: \"I have just spoken to my lawyers and they have received an indictment. It's being translated into English.\" \"We are defending it properly. It will be an interesting case. It's a pity it's happened.\" Mr Ecclestone has six weeks to respond to the indictment, Formula One Group said in a statement. The charges are related to the 2006 sale of a 47% stake in Formula 1 by Bayern Landesbank, which had acquired it from the bankrupt Kirch media group. Gribkowsky had been in charge of managing the sale to private equity group CVC Capital Partners. Bernie Ecclestone - the man, the myths and the motors CVC has since reduced its stake in a series of deals. It has not commented on the indictment. At his trial last year, Gribkowsky admitted corruptly receiving $41.4m (\u00a326.6m) in bank commissions and a large payment via the Ecclestone family's Bambino Trust. He maintained he had been paid to undervalue the shares. But Mr Ecclestone says he paid Gribkowsky to keep him quiet, believing the banker was planning to give false information to the UK authorities about his tax affairs. Mr Ecclestone said at the time that proving the allegation was false \"would have been very expensive for me\". \"The tax risk would have exceeded \u00a32bn. I paid him to keep calm and not to do silly things,\" he said. Mr Ecclestone has until mid-August to respond to the charges. The court will then decide whether to take the case to trial - it could be heard by mid-September. He faces a possible jail term if found guilty, something he has previously said would force him to stand down as head of F1. His lawyer told the Financial Times the indictment was largely based on statements from Gribkowsky, and that Mr Ecclestone intended to dispute these.", "summary": "German prosecutors have indicted Formula 1 motor racing boss Bernie Ecclestone on a bribery charge."}
{"article": "The fruit can cause overdoses of some drugs by stopping the medicines being broken down in the intestines and the liver. The researchers who first identified the link said the number of drugs that became dangerous with grapefruit was increasing rapidly. They were writing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The team at the Lawson Health Research Institute in Canada said the number of drugs which had serious side effects with grapefruit had gone from 17 in 2008 to 43 in 2012. They include some drugs for a range of conditions including blood pressure, cancer and cholesterol-lowering statins and those taken to suppress the immune system after an organ transplant. Chemicals in grapefruit, furanocoumarins, wipe out an enzyme which breaks the drugs down. It means much more of the drug escapes the digestive system than the body can handle. Three times the levels of one blood pressure drug, felodipine, was reported after patients had a glass of grapefruit juice compared with a glass of water. The side effects are varied depending on the drug, but include stomach bleeds, altered heart beat, kidney damage and sudden death. Dr David Bailey, one of the researchers, told the BBC: \"One tablet with a glass of grapefruit juice can be like taking five or 10 tablets with a glass of water and people say I don't believe it, but I can show you that scientifically it is sound. \"So you can unintentionally go from a therapeutic level to a toxic level just by consuming grapefruit juice.\" The report said: \"We contend that there remains a lack of knowledge about this interaction in the general health care community.\" They added: \"Unless health care professionals are aware of the possibility that the adverse event they are seeing might have an origin in the recent addition of grapefruit to the patient's diet, it is very unlikely that they will investigate it.\" Other citrus fruits such as Seville oranges, often used in marmalade, and limes have the same effect. Neal Patel, from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said: \"Grapefruit isn't the only food that can cause issues, for example milk can stop the absorption of some antibiotics if taken at the same time. \"Although some of these interactions may not be clinically significant, some may lead to more serious outcomes. \"Pharmacists are the best port of call for anyone concerned about how their diet may affect their medication. Information about any interactions would always be included in the patient information leaflet that comes with the medicine.\" A spokesman from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said: \"We encourage patients and healthcare professionals to report any suspected adverse drug reactions to our Yellow Card Scheme. \"You can get more information about the scheme and report online.\"", "summary": "Doctors have warned of a \"lack of knowledge\" about the dangers of mixing some medications with grapefruit."}
{"article": "North Korea will launch the rocket to mark the 100th birthday of its late Great Leader Kim Il-sung in April, state media reported. The US said the launch would threaten regional security and Russia described the plan as a \"serious concern\". The move is seen as violating UN Security Council resolutions. A spokesman for the Korean Committee for Space Technology said that the launch would take place between 12 and 16 April. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called North Korea's announcement \"highly provocative\" and urged the country to abide by its international obligations. \"Such a missile launch would pose a threat to regional security and would also be inconsistent with North Korea's recent undertaking to refrain from long-range missile launches,\" she said in a statement. A US state department spokesperson said it would be \"hard to imagine\" giving food aid to North Korea, as previously agreed, if Pyongyang went ahead with the rocket launch. Neighbour South Korea said such a move would be a \"clear violation\" of UN Security Council Resolutions passed after a similar launch in 2009. \"It would be a grave provocation threatening the peace and security of the Korean peninsula and north-east Asia,\" the foreign ministry said in a statement. Japan is particularly concerned as North Korea's April 2009 rocket was launched over the country. The country's chief cabinet secretary, Osamu Fujimura, told a news conference on Friday that Japan had set up a crisis management taskforce to monitor the situation and was co-operating with the US and South Korea. \"We believe a launch would be a move to interfere with our effort toward a dialogue, and we strongly urge North Korea not to carry out a satellite launch,\" he said. Last month, Pyongyang agreed to suspend long-range missile tests. The agreement was part of a deal for the United States to supply 240,000 tonnes of food aid to North Korea. It also agreed to suspend uranium enrichment and to allow back UN weapons inspectors as part of the deal. In the launch three years ago, Pyongyang said the satellite made it into orbit and characterised it as a test of its satellite technology. The move drew condemnation from the US and South Korea and led to the UN resolutions prohibiting the North from nuclear and ballistic missile activity. Foreign officials said there were no indications that a satellite had reached space and that the launch was a cover for Pyongyang to test long-range missile technology. The launch next month of a ''working satellite'', the Kwangmyongsong-3, is an opportunity for ''putting the country's technology of space use for peaceful purposes on a higher stage'', said a North Korean spokesman. The rocket would be launched from the Solace Satellite Launching Station in Cholsan county, North Pyongan province on the country's west coast. State media also reported that the North has already launched two experimental satellites.", "summary": "The US and regional neighbours of North Korea have condemned Pyongyang's plans to launch a rocket-mounted satellite as an act of provocation."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Claude Puel's side, defending a 1-0 lead from the first leg, should have put the tie out of Liverpool's reach inside the first 45 minutes but Dusan Tadic's close-range shot was blocked by keeper Loris Karius and captain Steve Davis blazed another great chance wildly over. Liverpool raised the tempo in front of the Kop in the second half but Daniel Sturridge wasted their two best chances, Fraser Forster acrobatically hooked an Emre Can shot off the line and the hosts also had a late penalty appeal turned down when substitute Divock Origi tumbled under Jack Stephens' challenge. But Southampton broke clear in the closing moments and Long finished convincingly from Josh Sims' pass to send them into the their first final in this competition since 1979, where they will meet either Manchester United or Hull City - a feat achieved without conceding a goal. Southampton's date at Wembley on 26 February is a rich tribute to this brilliantly run club and their understated French manager Claude Puel. Saints were vastly superior over two legs against Liverpool and, despite the home side's complaints about that late penalty claim, no-one could seriously begrudge them their victory. And it was all done without their talisman and key defender Virgil van Dijk, out through injury. Southampton were dangerous on the break in the first half and then, when they needed to be, were superbly organised, disciplined and determined defensively before breaking for Republic of Ireland international Long to strike the killer blow. Southampton have once more demonstrated their ability, as a club, to take the blows of key departures and still achieve. They lost manager Ronald Koeman to Everton in the summer - as well as important components such as Victor Wanyama and Sadio Mane to Spurs and Liverpool respectively - and have carried on undisturbed with a Wembley appearance as their reward. Liverpool's laboured performance was in stark contrast to the all-action attacking displays that briefly took them to the top of the Premier League earlier this season. Jurgen Klopp's side looked jaded and have lost their way, with only one win in seven games this year, a third-round FA Cup replay victory at League Two Plymouth Argyle. Liverpool look shorn of threat without \u00a334m summer signing Mane, away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal, and lacking an alternative plan when teams as disciplined as Swansea and Southampton have been in inflicting two successive home defeats. Sturridge felt the frustration of Liverpool's supporters for a poor performance and two missed chances, while substitute Origi looks short of confidence. Klopp's decision to play Can and Jordan Henderson together in midfield backfired badly and his decision to leave out Georginio Wijnaldum was questionable. Southampton's players enjoyed every second of their celebrations with their fans in the Anfield Road end as they looked forward to the chance to win their second major trophy, following an FA Cup triumph over Manchester United at Wembley in 1976. Saints had several anxious moments in the second half, especially when goalkeeper", "summary": "Southampton reached the EFL Cup final at Wembley with a fully deserved victory over two legs against Liverpool - crowned by Shane Long's late winner at Anfield."}
{"article": "Seven homes in York - some less than 50 years old - face closure, but two have been scheduled for emptying next year. Grove House on Penleys Grove Street and Oakhaven on Acomb Road are home to 48 residents served by 61 staff. City of York Council promised residents would be offered a range of alternatives including residential or nursing homes, or a place in sheltered housing with extra care provision. A final decision on the closures is expected in October. The authority said: \"We recognise that the closure consultation process can be an unsettling and upsetting one and we will be working closely with them, and their families, to make sure they have the support and advice they need. \"However, we have to keep the aims of the wider older people's accommodation programme in sight.\" The council said staff would be offered redeployment, voluntary redundancy or support in finding employment in the private sector. The public sector union, Unison, said the decision was not \"unexpected\" and it was in talks with the council. Plans to dispose of the care homes have been discussed since 2012. The previous Labour administration had opted to close all its homes and build two specialised units with support for people with dementia and those requiring high dependency care. The scheme was dropped in February when officers decided it was no longer affordable. The current Conservative-Liberal Democrat run authority still plans a phased-closure of all its homes, replacing them with additional sheltered housing places with extra care for people with more complex needs, a new residential home and purchasing additional beds from the private sector.", "summary": "Elderly people face having to move out of care homes deemed out-of-date."}
{"article": "Saints have lost both games against the French side this season, 30-12 in front of their own fans in April and then 33-16 in June in the reverse fixture. Catalans forward Willie Mason was released from his contract this week as he was out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. Half-back Lucas Albert replaces Thomas Bosc in their only change. St Helens (from): Lomax, Turner, Percival, Swift, Walsh, Walmsley, Roby, Amor, Vea, Wilkin, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Tasi, Richards, Thompson, Peyroux, Greenwood, Owens, Fleming, Knowles. Catalans (from): Gigot, Broughton, Duport, Carney, Anderson, Aiton, Casty, Stewart, Horo, Baitieri, Taylor, Bousquet, Pelissier, Mounis, Elima, Yaha, Escare, Albert, Garcia.", "summary": "St Helens have named an unchanged 19-man squad from the one that secured a narrow victory at Warrington."}
{"article": "Mitch Achurch put the visitors ahead within three minutes but former Leeds wing Ben Jones-Bishop cut the deficit. Brad Singleton went over either side of half-time, while Sutcliffe helped to kick Leeds into a formidable lead. As the game drew to a close, Sutcliffe went over himself to help seal Leeds' fifth Super League win of the season. The game marked the return to the side for Zak Hardaker on the wing, the reigning Man of Steel whose future at Leeds is up in the air after the club placed him on the transfer list by request. Despite the victory, Leeds remain bottom of the Super League table after Huddersfield narrowly beat Salford Red Devils 30-31. Meanwhile, Wakefield slip a place to sixth after St Helens beat Hull Kingston Rovers 48-16. David Fifita, brother of Andrew Fifita, who could feature for New South Wales in Wednesday's second State of Origin game, made his debut for Wakefield but was sin-binned just before the break for his reaction to a tackle. Scott Moore returned from a six-match suspension for gouging in their win against Widnes in April, but Wakefield struggled to get back into the game as Leeds rallied. Wakefield Wildcats head coach Chris Chester: \"We needed to keep hold of the ball and we couldn't do that tonight. \"Our discipline let us down and our completion rate was around 50% and you can't afford to do that against Leeds. \"They were the better side and controlled the game a lot better than us. We were second best.\" Leeds Rhinos head coach Brian McDermott: \"I thought the opening exchanges - the first 25 or 30 minutes - was as good as I've seen us this year. \"But then we got a bit scrappy and got involved in handbags. We got back on the horse in the second half and were very strong in that regard. \"The crowd were brilliant again. We'll remember this year for a lot of things and the one thing that I'll remember above all is how strong and solid the fans have been. They've been absolutely fantastic.\" Wakefield: Jowitt; Jones-Bishop, Lyne, Tupou, Johnstone; Miller, Finn; England, Howarth, Anderson, Molloy, Ashurst, Arona. Replacements: Moore, Simon, Walton, Fifita. Leeds: Sutcliffe; Briscoe, Watkins, Moon, Hardaker; McGuire, Burrow; Galloway, Falloon, Garbutt, Achurch, Jones-Buchanan, Singleton. Replacements: Hall, Cuthbertson, Keinhorst, Ferres. Referee: James Child.", "summary": "Liam Sutcliffe kicked eight goals to help Super League strugglers Leeds Rhinos to victory against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats."}
{"article": "Gbagbo, 65, had been charged with undermining state security. Her husband, former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, is awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC). More than 3,000 people died in the violence that followed the presidential poll after the ex-leader refused to accept defeat to Alassane Ouattara. She and her husband were arrested in 2011 after troops stormed a bunker where the pair had taken refuge in the main city, Abidjan. And it was in the same city where Gbagbo - once called the \"Iron Lady\" and known for her fiery speeches - faced trial. She was also accused of disturbing public order and organising armed gangs. She denied witness accounts that accused her of personally distributing arms to the death squads that operated in Abidjan during the five-month conflict. The court unanimously sentenced her to 20 years, which is the sentence for undermining state security. The prosecution had only asked for 10 years - but this had only been for the charge of disturbing public order. The BBC's Ali Bamba in Abidjan says the verdict was delivered in the early hours of Tuesday morning after eight hours of deliberation by the jury. The former first lady remained calm, as she had been throughout the trial, almost as if she knew what was coming, he says. Her daughter from a previous marriage, Marie Antoinette Singleton, told the BBC's Newsday programme that the sentence was unfair and a sign of \"political justice\". \"Why would you want to double it? It's not about justice; it's about getting rid of political adversaries. \"If we say that something wrong happened, it happened on both sides. Nobody looked into bringing all responsible parties to trial,\" she said. Simone Gbagbo's lawyer said they would appeal. \"I was expecting Simone to be acquitted,\" Rodrigue Dadje told the BBC French service. \"There is no proof of her involvement at a personal level\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I am ashamed for the Ivorian justice system.\" The former first lady was on trial with 82 other supporters of her husband - 15 of whom were acquitted. Two former military allies also received 20-year jail terms: Gen Bruno Dogbo Ble, once head of the Republic Guard, and the ex-navy chief Adm Vagba Faussignaux. The other accused got lesser sentences. Before her sentencing, Simone Gbagbo had said that she forgave the prosecution, despite the humiliation she had suffered during the trial. \"I forgive because, if we don't forgive, this country will burn,\" she said. Both sides were accused of atrocities in the conflict that followed the 2010 poll. But our correspondent says despite a promise from President Alassane Ouattara that both sides would face justice, no-one in the president's camp has been charged. Laurent Gbagbo, is facing four charges at the ICC in The Hague, including murder, rape and persecution. The ICC had issued an arrest warrant for Simone Gbagbo too, but this was dismissed by the Ivorian government.", "summary": "Ivory Coast's former first lady, Simone Gbagbo, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail for her role in the violence that followed the 2010 elections."}
{"article": "The system for handling patient calls has been beset with problems and last month it was temporarily withdrawn. But a 2013 internal review described it as a \"particularly strong exemplar of good practice\". The Scottish government said the review was held before a significant testing phase of the project had taken place. The project is more than two years behind schedule. It is also currently running 55% over budget with an estimated cost of \u00a3117.4m, \u00a341.6m higher than planned. NHS 24 has already borrowed \u00a320m from the Scottish government in order to cover the escalating costs. Since the August 2013 Programme and Project Management Centre of Expertise review it has emerged that nobody read through the contract before it was put out to tender. This meant that vital performance measures were left out. On 2 December, MSPs on the Scottish Parliament's Public Audit Committee gasped as they were told that \"human error\" was to blame for a poorly worded contract. Key parts were not copied over to the final version, which meant that contractors were not obliged to meet important performance measures. Committee members described the mistakes as \"incredible\". The following week the Scottish government's most senior policy advisor, Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans, told the Public Audit Committee: \"I would expect team in charge to be clear about what they were signing up to and that the document was fit for purpose.\" Committee convener Paul Martin MSP put it to Mrs Evans that he had signed loan agreements for much less than \u00a375m and they always contained the phrase \"please read carefully\". Mrs Evans said: \"Common sense, apart from anything else, would emphasise the importance of reading the document that one signs.\" It has now emerged that the project was recommended in an internal report as something which could be \"transferable to other programmes\". A Scottish government spokesman said: \"This is a dated review, carried out at a specific point in the project on behalf of NHS 24. \"It was held before a significant testing phase of the project had taken place. \"Since that point, in February 2014, the Scottish government and NHS 24 jointly commissioned Ernst & Young to undertake a review and report of the situation with the Future Programme.\" In October, call-handlers had to resort to pen and paper when the new computer system, designed by BT and CapGemini, ran into \"technical difficulties\". NHS 24 is using its old system until the problems have been resolved. The new IT system is not expected to be ready for use until next summer. Every month the new system is not in place, NHS 24 incurs additional costs of \u00a3450,000. In a statement NHS 24 said: \"This was a complex contract process, which took several years to develop and resulted in very substantial 600-page documents. \"The board had a range of governance measures in place, but this was not sufficient and the risk to the organisation was underestimated at the time. \"While the ultimate responsibility for spending public money lies with the accountable officer, the contractual flaws were part of a systemic", "summary": "A computer project for the NHS 24 telephone helpline which is currently running \u00a341m over budget was praised in a Scottish government report."}
{"article": "Up to 15,000 riders are taking part in the Velothon Wales race through Cardiff, Newport, Torfaen, Monmouthshire and Caerphilly. There had been criticism of road closures, with claims businesses could lose thousands of pounds in trade. Velothon Wales' event director said the area had been quickly cleared. Andy Taylor said: \"We can confirm that a small amount of tacks were discovered at around 9.30am on isolated sections of the route at Belmont Road in Caerleon and 10.02am at High Street/New Road in Caerphilly.\" Velothon rider Mark Tonkin, who travelled from Cornwall to take part in the race, said he witnessed a cyclist getting a punctured tyre from a tack. \"A guy punctured on a downhill piece and he could have taken out 50 riders. They could have been in hospital,\" he said. Mr Tonkin said he could see why people might what to show they were \"upset\" about disruption the event caused. \"But to throw tacks down, to endanger people's lives, is not the way to do it,\" he added. Cyclists and charity fundraisers from all over the UK and Europe are taking part in the event, which also includes a professional race. Earlier, race organisers said road closures meant motorists could face disruption but affected routes would be reopened on a rolling basis to ensure minimum disruption. Amateur riders are taking on either a 140km (87-mile) or 50km (31-mile) route, whilst the professionals tackle a 194km (120-mile) route taking in Caerphilly mountain and The Tumble mountain in Abergavenny. On Thursday, Velothon organisers admitted confusion over who had been consulted about the route, after Monmouth MP David Davies accused them of lying. But while some have criticised the planning of the event, others have said it will be good for the area, including Cardiff where it starts and ends. Mari Williams, of pro-cycling group Cardiff Cycling City, said: \"It's great to see so much attention on cycling in Cardiff. We want Cardiff to be the best cycling city in the UK every day of the year. \"A city that's good for cycling is good for business. Cycling to work boosts productivity, improves staff retention and reduces travel costs.\"", "summary": "Cyclists taking part in a major race in south Wales were forced to carry their bikes for a time after a small amount of tacks were discovered on the route."}
{"article": "Exports dropped sharply by 25.4% from a year earlier, while imports fell 13.8%. The weak data comes on the heels of Beijing registering the slowest economic growth in 25 years. China's National People's Congress, currently underway in the capital, has just revised the 2016 growth target down, predicting a \"battle for growth\". The February trade figures are likely to raise new fears over China struggling to maintain economic growth while implementing reforms and trying to shift towards more services and domestic spending. Customs figures showed exports fell to $126.1bn (\u00c2\u00a388.5bn) last month. That was down 25.4% from a year earlier and worse than an expected fall of about 15%. The poor trade data marks the worst performance since the height of the global financial crisis in May 2009. However, analysts cautioned that the data might have been affected by the longer-than-usual Chinese Lunar New Year holidays. With China often referred to as \"the engine of global growth\", the weaker global demand for its goods is read as an indicator of the general global economic climate. China has often been called the factory of the world, but that narrative may now be changing. As global demand slows down, China is selling less to the world, but it is also buying less from the world. True - Tuesday's trade figures may have been affected by a longer than usual Chinese New Year period last month, which meant workers were on holiday and factory owners may have brought orders forward or delayed them. But these February numbers will continue to put pressure on China's leaders as they grapple with the worst growth rates in 25 years on the mainland.", "summary": "Chinese exports have seen their sharpest drop in almost seven years, adding to concerns over the health of the world's second largest economy."}
{"article": "Brain scans show EPO - used illegally by athletes to boost performance - may help infants when given after birth. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involved almost 500 babies born between 26 and 31 weeks in Switzerland. The researchers are calling for wider trials of the hormone, which is already given to some babies to treat anaemia. Erythropoietin is a hormone that stimulates production of red blood cells. Synthetic EPO is used to treat conditions such as anaemia, where there are fewer red blood cells than normal. It may also be given to premature babies to reduce the need for blood transfusions. In the Swiss study, a team at the University Hospital of Geneva found that premature infants had a reduced risk of brain injury, as assessed by brain scans, when given three doses of EPO shortly after birth. Babies given EPO had lower rates of injury to both the brain's white matter (22% compared with 36% in the control group) and the grey matter (7% versus 19%). \"We found that the brains of the children who had received the treatment had much less damage than those in the control group, who had been given a placebo,\" said Dr Russia Ha-Vinh Leuchter, co-researcher of the study. \"This is the first time that the beneficial effect of the EPO hormone on the brains of premature babies has been shown.\" The researchers are calling for wider clinical trials of EPO to see if it may help protect the brains of premature babies in the critical weeks after birth. Dr Jane Hawdon, a consultant neonatologist at Barts Health NHS Trust, who was not involved with the study, said any treatment that may reduce long term problems in preterm babies warranted further review. \"We should note that the authors are not recommending immediate inclusion of this treatment into routine practice,\" she said. \"It is also important to note that the majority of preterm babies do not sustain significant brain injury.\"", "summary": "The hormone erythropoietin (EPO) could prevent brain injuries in very premature babies, a study suggests."}
{"article": "One person was killed and thousands were evacuated as the fire spread fanned by strong winds. Officials said they would bring charges against the owner of an illegal landfill site, where the fire is believed to have started. Last year, a fire severely damaged Valparaiso, a World Heritage site. National Forestry Corporation Director Aaron Cavieres said the fire had been \"pretty well contained\" and that people who had been evacuated were being allowed to return to their homes. A red alert, the highest there is, remains in effect in case the wind should change and rekindle the fire. More than 500 hectares were burned since the blaze started on Friday. A 66-year-old woman died of a heart attack, thought to have been brought about by the fire. Nineteen firefighters were injured, five of them seriously. The fire was reportedly started at an illegal landfill, where molten metal was dumped. The blaze comes less than a year after 15 people were killed and more than 3,000 homes were destroyed in Valparaiso by another fire.", "summary": "Firefighters in Chile say they have managed to control a huge forest fire around the port cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar."}
{"article": "Albion goalkeeper David Stockdale made a crucial point-blank save to deny Tom Ince in the early stages before Darren Bent glanced a header wide. Tomer Hemed tested Rams keeper Scott Carson with a half-volley after the break and the Israeli then had a goal-bound shot cleared by Cyrus Christie. Stockdale palmed away a low strike from Will Hughes late on to secure a point. Derby threatened in the early stages but Brighton managed to soak up the pressure and eventually created the better openings in what was a tight encounter. On-loan Seagulls striker Glenn Murray had a shot blocked just before half-time and then headed over the bar in the second half. Both sides finished in the top six in the Championship last season before being beaten in the play-off semi-finals, and are expected to challenge for promotion again. Pearson, back in management following his sacking by Leicester in June 2015, won the Championship title with the Foxes in 2013-14. Derby County boss Nigel Pearson: \"I was very pleased with our determination and the fact that the players kept on trying to function as a team. Although we weren't playing at our best and didn't use the ball as well as I would have liked to have done, we worked really hard to protect our own goal. \"We had some very good chances early on, we started the first half very well and they started the second half very well. \"What's important for me with this performance and this result is that if people have the opinion that in the past we may have lost, I was interested and very pleased to see our players work so hard to not allow a tight game to go to the opponents. \"You've got to try and win games but if you can't win them you don't lose them and I think both managers would be saying very similar things.\" Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton: \"I think in the last few years a draw here is going to be a very good result. I thought although we needed David Stockdale to make a couple of very good saves, we edged the chances. \"I thought we had the better of the chances but I thought on the balance of play a draw was probably a fair result. I think what you have with Glenn [Murray] is a player who will be a wonderful signing for us but he's come in on the back of a season last year when he didn't have too many starts. \"But he's a worker for the team so my delight with him is how he's got into those positions and if he does that enough times over a season he will score goals. \"Generally you don't know what you are going to get first game of the season but I thought the application of the team was excellent and apart from winning and goals I think I've got everything I wanted today.\" Match ends, Derby County 0, Brighton and Hove Albion 0. Second Half ends, Derby County 0, Brighton", "summary": "Nigel Pearson saw his first game in charge of Derby end in a goalless draw against Brighton at the iPro Stadium."}
{"article": "The 3,500-seater auditorium is part of a \u00a3500m redevelopment project to transform the city centre. Swansea council has advertised for an operator to run the facility on the former St David's shopping centre site. Officials hope a new arena will attract touring live shows from hit programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor. Swansea council said survey work at the site had been carried out and an outline planning application was due to be submitted in March. Other ideas for the former St David's complex include a caf\u00e9 and restaurant quarter as well as a cinema. The proposals were announced in January alongside a scheme to transform the Civic Centre site into apartments, an aquarium as well as an aquatic sciences research centre. It is hoped the two projects would create 1,700 permanent jobs in the future.", "summary": "A planned indoor arena for Swansea has come a step closer as council bosses begin looking for a firm to run it."}
{"article": "The cyclists pedalled past London landmarks including Big Ben, the London Eye and Piccadilly Circus as part of the World Naked Bike Ride. The riders converged on Hyde Park Corner from six start points. The annual event aimed to highlight the vulnerability of cyclists as road users and to celebrate the human body, organisers said.", "summary": "Hundreds of naked cyclists have taken to the streets of London to protest against car culture and oil dependency."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 25 August 2015 Last updated at 06:50 BST But when the school term ends, families with children who usually rely on this extra support, no longer get those free meals. Ricky's been to a club in Greater Manchester where kids and their parents can come along for free, to get active and learn about how to prepare a healthy and nutritious meal.", "summary": "During term-time some schools provide free meals for families who struggle to afford to pay for healthy foods."}
{"article": "Construction, accounting and IT training will be offered to 1,700 people in Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and Merthyr Tydfil. Finance Minister Jane Hutt said the aim was to increase workers' productivity. The Tories' Shadow Economy Minister William Graham accused Labour of favouring their heartland areas in the run-up to the 2016 assembly election. The three-year Working Skills for Adults 2 project follows a six-year, \u00a310m first phase which covered the same four counties plus Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taff.", "summary": "Working people in four south Wales counties will be given the chance to boost their skills in a \u00a33.8m project."}
{"article": "The A Word focuses on the Hughes family - at first glance, they seem to be living an idyllic life in the Lake District. But Paul and Alison Hughes are beginning to realise that there may be more to their five-year-old son Joe's quirky behaviour than just eccentricity. A diagnosis of autism plunges the family into a disorientating world of medical jargon and new expectations. What is it really like for families to be told by the experts that their child has autism? For Nikki, the dust is still settling. Her eldest son Sam (not his real name) was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in January at the age of six, after a four-year battle to convince people he was not simply badly behaved. \"In some ways it was a massive relief, to know it wasn't just us being incompetent parents,\" she says. \"But in the same moment it's being confirmed that your son has a hidden disability and he isn't going to grow out of his problems. It's bittersweet.\" She describes Sam as an \"angry baby\" who would have tantrums lasting two hours, sometimes culminating in him holding his breath and passing out. He was kicked out of nursery and rejected by childminders. \"It got to the point his behaviour at home was so difficult we were generally worried we couldn't keep our younger son safe - he was hitting and punching, out of control because he was so stressed. At that point I paid to get a diagnosis privately.\" Sam was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, with sensory issues and short-term memory problems. Nikki says: \"Certain noises are unpleasant to him like electric hand dryers which he finds unbearable, but in other areas he's under-sensitive - he jumps on furniture and fidgets because he's not getting enough sensory input to make him feel grounded.\" But there are also challenges which are not medical. \"Sam went the whole of last year without being invited to a party,\" Nikki says. \"If he just had one friend who understood and tolerated him it would make him feel he was part of something.\" This sense of isolation is played out in the programme with Joe always appearing to be on the outside of social interactions. Source: The National Autistic Society The character is played by newcomer Max Vento, a - non-autistic six-year-old who is described as \"simply perceptive\" by the producers. The A Word's screenwriter, Peter Bowker, took great pains in making sure the depiction of autism and the familial trials around it were accurate. He worked with the National Autistic Society (NAS) which tries to help producers and writers make sure that autism is portrayed as accurately as possible. In the first episode the family take Joe to a specialist who observes his interaction through a series of play-tests before giving his diagnosis. Tom Purser from NAS advised the writers: \"We had quite specific points around the diagnostic process to ensure it was accurate and matched the clinical process, but on the other side it was a question of whether it will resonate with other", "summary": "New TV drama The A Word tells the story of a family discovering that their quirky five-year-old son is in fact autistic."}
{"article": "So-called Islamic State (IS) is most prominent in the region, but there are at least two other groups, with possible links to Islamic State's arch-rival, al-Qaeda, worth paying attention to. This is the name of IS' Sinai affiliate. It has claimed responsibility for downing the Russian airliner. Formerly known as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, the group first appeared in September 2011 and rebranded itself with an Islamic State pledge of allegiance in November 2014. It generally targets Egyptian military and security forces in northern Sinai, and has scaled up attacks since July when it claimed an attack on a naval vessel in the Red Sea. The propaganda of this low-profile group suggests alignment with al-Qaeda. It posted a sophisticated video two days before the Sinai plane crash showcasing its strengths, but without any specific threats. Jund al-Islam emerged in September 2013 with a claim of a double suicide attack on the Egyptian military intelligence HQ in the north Sinai town of Rafah, on the border with the Gaza Strip. It has stepped up its propaganda campaign this year, claiming rocket attacks on Israel, and its latest video hints at links with al-Qaeda in Yemen - which has a record of trying to down planes. Online jihadist media operatives have also suggested that al-Qaeda in Yemen has been given oversight of activities in Egypt, among other regional fronts. Not to be confused with established Saharan group Al-Mourabitoun, this Egyptian faction announced itself in July. Its propaganda suggests an al-Qaeda orientation, and veteran jihadist media operatives link it - along with Jund al-Islam - to an al-Qaeda attempt to check the rise of Islamic State in Egypt. Its leader, Abu-Umar al-Muhajir alias Hisham Ashmawi, is a former officer in the Egyptian army, and was a senior figure in Ansar Beit al-Maqdis before it pledged allegiance to Islamic State. In October, Ashmawi issued a call for the killing of Egyptian military officers, and for revenge for the deaths of Palestinians by Israel's security forces. Meaning \"Soldiers of Egypt\", this group appeared in January 2014, and carried out attacks in Cairo over the summer. It has possible al-Qaeda associations, in that the Yemeni and African branches of that network posted eulogies on the death of its leader in April. It also coordinated attacks with Ansar Beit al-Maqdis before the latter joined Islamic State. But Ajnad Misr has repeatedly said that it tries to avoid civilian casualties in its attacks. The Al-Furqan Brigade and the salafist-jihadist Group in Sinai appear to be dormant, beyond issuing online threats against the Egyptian state. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "summary": "The Sinai plane crash has drawn international media attention to Islamist armed groups active in the Sinai Peninsula."}
{"article": "Ahead of the next European elections in 2019, MEPs are getting down to the traditional process of working out each member country's future share of the European Parliament's 751 seats. But this time there is added tension over Brexit and what to do with the UK's 73 seats. The man tasked with co-ordinating a response, Pedro Silva Pereira, told a hearing of the Constitutional Affairs Committee on Wednesday that a portion of the seats should be reallocated as soon as the UK leaves. Seats are supposed to be allocated in a way that preserves \"degressive proportionality\". That means that smaller countries should not receive relatively fewer seats than larger countries, and the number should reflect population changes. And yet no country wants to lose any MEPs. German MEP Jo Leinen suggested that the number of seats be reduced to 700 to show that the EU understood that it had shrunk. Others talk of finally achieving a long-held ambition: the creation of a portion of seats that are voted for transnationally across Europe. That idea was criticised by Max Andersson of the Swedish Greens, who feared it would give more power to the bigger political parties. He also complained that Germany was already overrepresented and would probably be overrepresented again. The most eye-catching proposal came from parliament's Brexit co-ordinator, Guy Verhofstadt. He suggested that Ireland be given extra seats so that Northern Irish citizens with Irish passports could still take part in European election, even though they were no longer strictly part of the EU. The committee will try to reach a consensus after the summer holidays, with a vote in parliament later this year. Then national governments will get involved. The clock is ticking because the European Council needs to schedule the 2019 elections officially - and the member states need time to pass domestic legislation to enable the votes to happen. UK offer to EU citizens 'falls short' Reality Check: Will the UK pay a \u20ac60bn 'divorce bill'? Brexit: All you need to know And what if Brexit is delayed? The UK's departure is pencilled in for the end of March 2019 and the elections will probably be a few months later. The European Parliament's top politicians have said they could not allow a situation where UK voters choose representatives who only serve for a short period, with no purpose. Then they would be talking about MEPs not as turkeys\u2026 but zombies.", "summary": "It is less turkeys voting for Christmas, more turkeys debating how many of them there should be on the farm."}
{"article": "The 33-year-old ended a six-year stay at Bundesliga side Schalke, where he scored 126 goals in 240 games. Huntelaar netted 102 times between 2006 and 2009 in his first spell at Ajax, who lost in the Europa League final against Manchester United this season. \"It is no secret that Ajax are my club. I am very happy to be back here,\" said Huntelaar, who has 76 Netherlands caps. The former Real Madrid and AC Milan front man added: \"I won cups with Ajax but not the league title. The goal is to have that trophy at the end of the season, along with the rest of the team. \"I feel very fit and I'm already looking forward to the end of June when the preparation starts.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has rejoined Eredivisie side Ajax after signing a one-year deal."}
{"article": "The Scots, who top their Euro 2017 qualifying group, host nearest challengers Iceland on Friday evening. Midfielder Little, 25, recently won the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year award and is likely to play a key role for Signeul at the Falkirk Stadium. \"It is a really well deserved award for Kim,\" said Signeul, whose team have five wins from five in Group One. Media playback is not supported on this device \"Every team in the world would like Kim Little in their team. She is such an ambassador for the game and she is a role model for all young girls in this country. \"She is an amazing player and person. She will be very important for us.\" Signeul believes four points from the next two qualifying games will be enough to secure Scotland's place at their first major finals. After facing Iceland, they will travel to play Belarus on Tuesday. Their final qualifier, away to Iceland, is in September. Like Signeul's side, Iceland have a 100% record in qualifying, but the Scots have played a game more. \"It is a chance for us to show how good we are, a chance for us to qualify for the Euros,\" said Signeul. \"We have two games coming up. We need four points to actually qualify. That is what our aim is. \"If we win tomorrow against Iceland, that would be fantastic. However, re-focus, go to Belarus and win there and then we can relax a little bit. \"Iceland are a very strong team. They are physical, tactically very good like their men's team, and technically very good, so it will be a really tough game. \"However, we have a good squad. We have good players, who are also physically very good - maybe not as tall - but who are starting to get taller in the squad. \"I definitely think that we look very good.\"", "summary": "Scotland women's coach Anna Signeul believes any team in the world would want Kim Little in their starting XI."}
{"article": "Aarolina Rutkowska, 35 and of Cross Farm Road in the Peasley Cross area of St Helens, was found not guilty of murder after his trial at Liverpool Crown Court. Mireslaw Kowalczuk, 29, was fatally stabbed in the chest at a house on Cross Farm Road on 27 December. He died in the ambulance on his way to hospital.", "summary": "A woman has been cleared of murdering her partner who was found with stab injuries."}
{"article": "Henry said the black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) community had \"initiative fatigue\". \"Tony Hall's announcement last week is something but with massive respect it's on an old model that doesn't work,\" he added. The BBC wants to increase BAME on-air talent to one in six people by 2017. Speaking at a culture, media and sport select committee hearing, Henry said there had been \"29 initiatives at the BBC in the last 15 years and numbers (of people from BAME backgrounds working in the industry) have gone down\". He added: \"Idris Elba and Chiwetel Ejiofor didn't need more training. They just needed a break.\" Director general Lord Hall's announcement last Friday also included a series of targets for staff representation off-air and several other initiatives. In addition to a \u00c2\u00a32.1m development fund, the BBC is bringing together a group of experts, including Henry, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Asian Network presenter Nihal and Lady Benjamin, to form an Independent Diversity Action Group, chaired by Lord Hall. \"I think the group will be tough-minded,\" Lord Hall said on Friday. \"But it's good to have people who are there to support you, but also say you can do better here.\" Henry was addressing the select committee during its wider review of the future of the BBC ahead of the Charter Renewal in 2016/17. The actor and comedian wants the broadcasting industry to adopt the plan he launched at Bafta earlier this year to increase BAME representation - dubbed the Henry plan - based on the model that media watchdog Ofcom uses to classify programmes made in the nations and regions. In response to his comments, a BBC spokesperson said: \"Last week we set out far reaching plans that we believe will make a tangible difference - we will work hard to deliver them and of course reserve the option of going further if we fall short, but people should judge us on progress over the coming months and years before concluding the need for even more measures.\" Henry's appearance at the select committee comes after the acting head of the BBC Trust, Diane Coyle, said the BBC's flagship soap EastEnders is \"almost twice\" as white as the real east London. The BBC's audience council in England had compared the population of Walthamstow in east London with Walford, the fictional home of EastEnders. Ms Coyle said it would be \"daft\" for the show to be a \"perfect replica\" of the real world. But she added it was \"important to ask whether the BBC can do more in its popular output to provide an authentic portrayal of life in modern Britain\". Referring to her comments that she made during a speech at the London School of Economics on Monday, Henry said: \"EastEnders is the most ethnically diverse of any soap.\" The BBC said: \"We agree with the trust that EastEnders has one of the most diverse casts on British television and that it would be daft to suggest that the programme needs to be a perfect replica of a particular postcode.\" Ms Coyle is in the running to", "summary": "Actor Lenny Henry has criticised the BBC's plans to increase on-screen diversity by 5% in the next three years."}
{"article": "It is understood Arsenal blocked a possible move to Manchester United for Debuchy, who joined the Gunners from Newcastle for \u00a312m in July 2014. The France international, 30, has made just seven appearances for Arsenal this season and not figured since November. The right-back has been allowed to return to France for the chance of first-team football ahead of Euro 2016. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Arsenal defender Mathieu Debuchy has joined Ligue 1 side Bordeaux on loan for the rest of the season."}
{"article": "Dean Saunders, 25, from Basildon, was taken to HMP Chelmsford in December after injuring relatives who tried to stop him stabbing himself. They claim the decision not to detain him under the Mental Health Act and to withdraw continuous observation in prison contributed to his death. The Ministry of Justice said the welfare of inmates was a top priority. Mr Saunders' mother Donna said the way the prison service handled her son's case was \"absolutely appalling\". His father, Mark, said his son \"should never have gone to the prison in the first place\". Mr Saunders was arrested in December on suspicion of attempted murder after his father and brother were stabbed when they tried to stop him cutting his throat. When he was taken to a police station, he again told a doctor he was going to kill himself. But two psychiatrists he saw later were not made aware of his previous suicide attempt. They were unable to make a referral for detention under the provisions of the Mental Health Act as Mr Saunders stated he was too tired to participate in an assessment. This finding was disclosed in a report by The South Essex Partnership University NHS Trust (SEPT) which revealed he was suffering from severe paranoia when he told his girlfriend people were trying to harm him. An initial assessment by SEPT staff decided he posed a risk of harming himself or others. Mr Saunders' parents said when he was taken to Chelmsford Prison they made repeated attempts to alert staff to their son's intention to kill himself. Mrs Saunders said she pleaded with staff to keep him on constant watch instead of switching to half-hourly observations. Her son electrocuted himself in his cell on 4 January and his death is now subject to a report by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman. According to the most recent Independent Monitoring Board report, there has been a 25% reduction in staffing at HMP Chelmsford. Steve Gillen, General Secretary of the Prison Officer's Association, said: \"It would appear Mr Saunders did have mental illness upon his arrival. \"We as a trade union have been on record as saying not enough is being done to divert mentally people from custody.\" He added: \"In 2010 at Chelmsford there were 142 self-harm incidents. By the end of 2015, there were 686 self-harm incidents. \"There's a direct contributory factor in all of this which is the budget cuts and reductions in staffing levels which leads to the tragic loss in life in prisons.\" Ministry of Justice data shows since 2011 there have been 12 suicides at the category B local prison - the joint third highest number in England and Wales. A spokesman said: \"Every day our healthcare staff provide support to thousands of prisoners at risk of self-harm or suicide, frequently saving lives through timely intervention. \"But as the Prime Minister said earlier this year, we must improve the way mental health problems are dealt with in the criminal justice system. \"That is why we are investing \u00c2\u00a31.3bn to transform the prison estate, while also training", "summary": "The family of a mentally ill father who killed himself in prison have described his treatment there as \"despicable\"."}
{"article": "The Tongan-born cousins are set to face-off after Vunipola's man-of-the-match show for England against Ireland. \"A lot's been made of Billy's carrying, and Toby's been absolutely phenomenal in defence for us,\" said Owens. \"So it'll be an interesting battle that'll get the ground shaking!\" Vunipola made 18 carries for a total gain of 96 metres against Ireland, while Faletau was Wales's top tackler with 20 against France. Faletau and the Vunipola brothers, Billy and prop Mako, grew up together in Pontypool before the Vunipola family moved to England. \"They're both world-class number eights who are both at the top of their game at the moment,\" said Owens. Owens says he won't be out to wind-up England captain Dylan Hartley at Twickenham, despite his opponent's poor disciplinary record. Hartley has totalled more than a year in bans for gouging, biting, butting and swearing at an official - missing the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour and the 2015 World Cup as a result. But Owens says he won't try to incite anything if they come head-to-head. \"I don't think you ever go on the pitch to try to wind anybody up, you concentrate on your own game. I've played against him once this season (for Scarlets against Northampton), he's definitely a slightly different character but that's the way he plays the game,\" he said. \"He's right on the edge and that's what makes him the player he is in terms of ball-carrying and being a big tackler.\" The 29 year-old Owens, who has 37 caps but only eight starts to his credit, is trying to claim underdog status for Wales despite their World Cup victory at Twickenham in October. \"They're obviously favourites aren't they, they're top of the table and we're going to their home patch- a new coach comes in, they get a freshen-up and a new environment. \"They've got a more settled side, they're consistent in some of their selections and they've got some good youngsters coming through- some of them quite unknown to us, so we're going to have to be on the money.\"", "summary": "The collision between rival number eights Taulupe Faletau and Billy Vunipola could be a highlight of England versus Wales, according to Welsh hooker Ken Owens."}
{"article": "Its snapshot survey of 900 heads found 90% were struggling to recruit. The government says it is investing \u00c2\u00a31.3bn up to 2020 to attract new teachers where they are most needed. But three-quarters of respondents to the survey said it was now tougher to recruit than 12 months ago. And nearly nine out of 10 said the situation was creating extra work and stress for staff. While some 70% were using more support staff, about a fifth had worked with other schools to share or recruit teachers. Some 41% of those surveyed had arranged for more lessons to be taught by the head or deputy head. The biggest areas of subject shortage were in the key subjects of maths, science and English. Some schools faced difficulties in attracting languages, geography and history teachers. ASCL general secretary Malcolm Trobe said: \"Teacher shortages leave schools with no option other than to use stop-gap solutions. \"Schools have to put teachers in front of classes. \"If they cannot recruit the staff they need, this means using supply staff and non-specialists to cover the gaps. \"While these staff often do a very good job in difficult circumstances, it is no substitute for having permanent teachers who are experts in their subjects. \"Without this supply of teachers, there is a danger that some of the progress which has been made will be lost. \"It will certainly be extremely difficult if not impossible to raise standards further.\" He said schools that struggled to find enough maths or science teachers, for example, would cut down on the number of ability groups they offered. \"This is being done because schools cannot find enough teachers not because it is desirable,\" said Mr Trobe. He urged the government to do more to make teaching a more attractive profession. A Department for Education spokesman said: \"The government is investing hundreds of millions in teacher recruitment, offering generous bursaries and scholarships in Stem [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] subjects, plus backing schemes like Teach First and the National Teaching Service to get great teachers where they're most needed - and... we've given schools unprecedented freedom over staff pay, allowing them to attract the brightest and the best. \"We are committed to raising the status of teaching and want to work with ASCL and the profession to make it an attractive career choice.\" The survey comes after the government missed its teacher recruitment targets in England for the fourth year in a row, leading to shortfalls in many subjects. This followed a shake-up of teacher training in which the numbers to be recruited on traditional post-graduate routes were initially reduced as a new school-based training scheme was introduced.", "summary": "Head teachers in England are having to share staff with other schools as they try to find \"stop-gap solutions\" to fill vacancies, the Association of School and College Leaders says."}
{"article": "Four attackers were seen entering the office, followed by heavy gunfire and several explosions. Five security officers - including a police chief - were among the dead and 26 government officials among the hurt. A spokesman for the Taliban said they carried out the attack. The siege ended seven hours after it began and all four gunmen were killed by the Afghan National Security Forces which had surrounded the area. Police said they rescued the attorney general from his office, which is just 200m (650ft) from the office of the governor of Balkh province. The governor's aide told the BBC that the governor, Atta Muhammad Nur, was at home when the attack began but was taken to his office to monitor the situation. In a statement seen by the BBC, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said: \"Breaking News: This noon suicide [attackers] stormed office of the attorney and appeal court of Balkh province. Heavy casualties for enemy, battle continues.\" The Taliban has targeted Afghanistan's legal system in the past. In June 2013, the group detonated a car bomb in front of the compound of Afghanistan's Supreme Court, killing 17 and wounding 39. And in December of 2014, Atiqullah Raufi, the chief of the secretariat of Afghanistan's Supreme Court, was assassinated by Taliban gunmen in the west of Kabul. The attack in Mazar-e-Sharif comes a day after an American soldier was killed in a fire fight between US and Afghan troops in eastern Afghanistan.", "summary": "Gunmen dressed in military uniforms have stormed the office of the attorney general in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 65."}
{"article": "Mr Watson will stand down at the end of May having pursued three public sector careers. A former teacher and later director of education for Tayside Regional Council, Mr Watson was also employed as chief executive for both Tayside Regional and Angus councils. Mr Watson said he was \"privileged\" to have served the health board. He said: \"I salute the hard work that staff undertake day in, day out and the way in which they have risen to the challenges of transforming services to make them better for patients, their families and carers.\" Mr Watson, who was appointed an OBE in 2003 and Deputy Lieutenant for Angus in 2007, said he had been convinced to apply for the chairmanship of the board by then health and wellbeing secretary Nicola Sturgeon.", "summary": "The chairman of NHS Tayside is to retire after almost 50 years of work in the public sector."}
{"article": "The Slovenia-born 26-year-old beat 30-year-old Czech Rosol 6-2 6-3 in just over an hour. Spaniard Nadal, 29, is the fifth seed and received a bye into round two. British number one Andy Murray also enters at the second round and will play French qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 25, on Tuesday. The 28-year-old Scot is also competing in the men's doubles, where he and partner Dom Inglot progressed to the second round by beating Pablo Cuevas and Marcel Granollers 6-3 6-4. Murray and Englishman Inglot next play Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France and Serbia's Nenad Zimonjic.", "summary": "British number two Aljaz Bedene will play Rafael Nadal at the Monte Carlo Masters after beating Lukas Rosol in round one."}
{"article": "Flint prodded in after Wigan failed to clear a corner to lift the Robins above Blackburn on goal difference. David Perkins went closest for Wigan in the first half when his curling shot from the angle of the box hit the bar. Fit-again Bristol City striker Tammy Abraham was denied by home keeper Matt Gilks, while Flint also headed wide. The result, coupled with Blackburn's 2-2 draw at Norwich, leaves City fourth from bottom, while Wigan are now four points adrift of safety with nine games left to play. In a typically tense bottom-of-the-table encounter, chances were at a premium as Wigan responded to City's stronger start by hitting the bar through Perkins before Omar Bogle forced a fine save from Frank Fielding. The visiting keeper also tipped a Gabriel Obertan header around the post before Gilks smothered Abraham's effort, on his return from a thigh injury, at the other end. Bogle had a snap shot saved by Fielding after the break and Josh Brownhill fired inches wide for City. But Flint finally ended City's run of seven games without a win three minutes from the end when he bundled home from a yard after Abraham had been unable to convert from close range. Wigan boss Warren Joyce: \"It's a cruel way to lose a game. We've looked at the build-up, it's not a corner, and he's in an offside position anyway. \"Having said that, I don't think we played well enough today - although we didn't deserve to lose the game. \"We didn't play with enough quality or enough drive. We didn't win as many individual battles as you'd like to win, and we gave away too many cheap free-kicks, which slows the play down and takes the pressure off them.\" Bristol City boss Lee Johnson: \"We needed that - the run we've been on hasn't been great, to say the least. I'm just delighted to get the win as we had that bit of luck. \"It probably wasn't a corner [for the Flint goal] but we got it and, over the course of the 90 minutes, we were the better side. We had chances in the first half. It's a massive win and the players are buzzing - it's like a nightclub in that dressing room! \"We've need that winning feeling back, especially today, which had a cup final feeling about it. We've only got nine games left and we needed to win it.\" Match ends, Wigan Athletic 0, Bristol City 1. Second Half ends, Wigan Athletic 0, Bristol City 1. Foul by Mikael Mandron (Wigan Athletic). Joe Bryan (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Michael Jacobs (Wigan Athletic). Lee Tomlin (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the left wing. Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Jamie Hanson. Foul by Omar Bogle (Wigan Athletic). Bailey Wright (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Omar Bogle (Wigan Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Gary O'Neil (Bristol City). Goal! Wigan Athletic 0, Bristol City 1. Aden Flint (Bristol", "summary": "Aden Flint scored a late winner as Bristol City climbed out of the Championship relegation zone with victory at fellow strugglers Wigan."}
{"article": "A gunman opened fire on a 33-year-old man in Dornoch Place, Bishopbriggs, at about 15:10 on Thursday. The victim, who was collecting a child from St Helen's Primary, suffered non-life threatening injuries. Detectives are treating the incident as attempted murder. Pupils were being offered support from social workers. Officers said the gunman approached the victim, shot him and then ran off towards Ronaldsay Drive. The suspect was holding a silver-coloured gun and wearing a high-visibility reflective yellow jacket with the hood pulled up. He was described as being in his mid-40s, between 5ft 10in and 6ft tall and of heavy build. Detectives said they were following a number of lines of inquiry. They were keen to hear from anyone with information about a burnt-out grey Volkswagen Golf - registration FR12 PYB - found nearby in Wood Lane which is believed to have been involved in the incident. It was reported stolen in March. Det Supt Stevie Grant said: \" I would appeal to anyone who has seen it either throughout the past few months or around the time of the incident to get in touch.\" A major incident room had been set up at Kirkintilloch Police Office and extra patrols were being made to reassure the public. The victim remains in hospital. Ch Insp Craig Smith said: \"Understandably people in the local community are shocked and alarmed at what happened and I believe a number of young children may have witnessed the incident. \"Police Scotland is working closely with our colleagues at East Dunbartonshire Council, and in particular the social work and education department, to ensure all those affected are provided with the best support possible.\" Armed officers were called to the scene of the shooting, which happened as pupils were leaving St Helens at the end of the school day on Thursday. One woman who lives in the residential area told BBC Scotland that she had heard three bangs which she believed were gunshots. Several streets in the area were cordoned off, and access to the primary school was closed.", "summary": "Police investigating a shooting outside a primary school in East Dunbartonshire said a number of young children may have witnessed the incident."}
{"article": "The number of jobs created was well above analysts' forecasts of about 225,000 new jobs in the month. US employers have added at least 200,000 jobs for 10 months in a row, the longest period of jobs growth since 1995. The number of jobs created has averaged 241,000 a month this year. The Labor Department added that 44,000 more jobs were created in September and October combined than the government had previously estimated. But as in the UK, stronger job creation has yet to lead to a significant increase in salaries. Analysts said the US economy would continue to improve, despite lower global growth expectations. They added that companies hiring temporary workers for the winter holidays could be providing a boost to the overall jobs figure, The US economy is less dependent on exports than Germany, China and Japan, but is more reliant on domestic consumer spending. Delivery firms have announced ambitious recruitment plans. UPS has said it expects to add up to 95,000 seasonal workers, up from 85,000 last year. FedEx plans to hire 50,000, up from 40,000. The National Retail Federation estimates that seasonal retail hiring could grow by about 4% to as much as 800,000. Most recent figures suggest Americans are buying more cars, which is likely to keep factories busy in coming months. Auto sales last month rose to their second-fastest pace this year. Car sales are on track to rise 6% this year from 2013. The economy is expected to slow in the final three months of the year to an annualised growth rate of 2.5%, down from 4.3% from April to September. Meanwhile, the US trade deficit fell slightly in October, as exports rebounded, while oil imports dipped to the lowest level in five years. The deficit edged down 0.4% to $43.4bn, as against a revised $43.6bn in September, the Commerce Department reported. Exports climbed 1.2% to $197.5bn, recovering after a September dip. Imports also rose by 0.9% to $241bn, but that increase was tempered by a 0.6% fall in imports of petroleum, which dropped to the lowest level since November 2009.", "summary": "The US economy added 321,000 jobs in November, while the unemployment rate stayed at 5.8%, official Labor Department figures show."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Serb, 29, was knocked out in the first round of the Rio Olympics tennis tournament by Juan Martin del Potro. He also suffered a surprise defeat by Sam Querrey in the third round of this year's Wimbledon. Djokovic has pulled out of the Cincinnati Masters, which starts on 14 August. \"I am very sad to announce that I won't be able to play this year in Cincinnati,\" he said. \"I have a recurring injury that has taken its toll on my body due to a very busy and active schedule this year. \"I have played many matches and I have to take some rest in order to heal.\"", "summary": "World number one Novak Djokovic says a recurring wrist injury has \"taken its toll\" after a \"very busy and active\" year."}
{"article": "James Lang's penalty with four seconds remaining sealed victory after Ross and James Chisholm crossed for tries to help level the scores 27-27 following Richard Hibbard's sin-binning. Gloucester scored 17 unanswered second-half points, fighting back from 15-10 down to build the game's biggest lead. Hibbard's yellow, however, was costly. Moments after the hooker was sin-binned for a penalty at the scrum, James Chisholm went over to give the Londoners renewed hope of taking something from the game against their fellow top-six hopefuls. A slick passing move, which involved Marland Yarde and Alofa Alofa, put the older of the Chisholm brothers, Ross, over in the 75th minute. And while 21-year-old fly-half Lang was off target with his conversion attempt, a penalty at the scrum with moments remaining allowed him a shot from right in front to win it. It was an enthralling finish to a match which started with Charlie Sharples going over for the hosts, only for Gloucester to be punished for failing to make more of their strong start, as Tim Visser touched down on his return from Scotland duty and Charlie Mulchrone helped edge Quins ahead before the break. Billy Burns landed his third kick of the game to convert David Halaifonua's try and restore the hosts' lead after half-time, with Sharples grabbing his second try of the game as Gloucester quickly built a comfortable lead. The one-man advantage was ruthlessly exploited late on as Quins move to within two points of Northampton in sixth, while a losing bonus point leaves Gloucester ninth in the table and eight points adrift of a European Champions Cup spot. Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys: \"It's a sense of frustration, anger and disappointment after those last six or seven minutes of madness. \"We led by two scores and had to get the basics right but our defence and set-piece went to pieces after we had controlled the second half. \"European qualification is still mathematically possible but we had to get four or five points today and we didn't so it's a massive blow for the squad, especially after a great win over Saracens in our last home game.\" Harlequins director of rugby John Kingston: \"At the end of the first half we led 15-10, but we were much the better side and should have been further in front. They then had a good period but we came back strongly and deserved to win. \"We knew we had to control the environment today as the influence of the crowd is very important here. I thought we managed to do so, for which the leaders in our team must take great credit. \"We've kept our European Cup hopes alive as finishing sixth or maybe seventh will be enough to secure us a spot for next season.\" Gloucester: Marshall; Sharples, Scott, Twelvetrees, Halaifonua; Burns, Heinz (capt.); Thomas. Hibbard, Afoa, Galarza, Thrush, Ludlow, Rowan, Morgan. Replacements: Matu'u, Hohneck, Doran-Jones, Savage, Kalamafoni, Braley, Hook, Trinder. Harlequins: R. Chisholm; Yarde, Marchant, Hopper, Visser; Swiel, Mulchrone; Lambert, Gray, Sinckler, Merrick, Matthews, J. Chisholm, Ward (capt.), Luamanu. Replacements: Buchanan, Owens, Shields,", "summary": "Harlequins scored 15 points in the final eight minutes against 14-man Gloucester to clinch a dramatic victory at Kingsholm."}
{"article": "Ray Nottage and Claire Bath supported the idea of merging Dorset's nine councils into two unitary authorities. But two weeks ago the majority of council members voted against the idea. David Flagg was elected leader of the council following the no-confidence vote at a private meeting of the Conservative group on Monday evening. Mr Nottage said: \"I had already made it clear I would not be standing as leader at the next AGM and there was a difference of opinion in terms of what I think should happen in a local government reorganisation. \"I lost by one vote. I'm extraordinarily disappointed that they've been unable to understand the consequences of the vote against the reorganisation because it's so patently obvious that the service levels are going to collapse with the tsunami of costs which are coming on and the current financial situation of the county. \"I think there is a considerable lack of understanding of the seriousness of the position we are in here in Dorset.\" The proposed reorganisation would see Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch combine into a single authority, with the rest of the county forming a second unitary council. The two unitary plan was rejected by councillors at Christchurch, Purbeck and East Dorset but leaders of the remaining six councils that voted in favour of the proposal have written to the government to express their support of the idea. East Dorset leader Spencer Flower has written to the government urging it not to force through the merger.", "summary": "Christchurch Borough Council's leader and deputy have been ousted by their colleagues after a vote of no confidence."}
{"article": "Almost a third of Susan Harmer's prize-winning flock were left dead or injured at her farm in Offham, near Lewes. Twenty-five were mauled, including a ram and pregnant ewes, in the overnight attack earlier this month. \"Sheep were strewn everywhere, with a pile of them in one corner where the dogs had trapped them and attacked them,\" Ms Harmer said. \"These are sheep which we have for their whole breeding lives - about 10 years - and we get very fond of them. \"They're not just a commodity, they're our livelihood. This is a huge emotional loss.\" Ms Harmer said the attack was the worst her farm had faced this year. She appealed to dog owners to put their animals on a lead before entering a field and to not put them out at night. Sussex Police are investigating the attack, which happened overnight on 4 December, and have urged anyone with information to contact them.", "summary": "The fourth dog attack in a year on a flock of sheep in Sussex has \"wiped out years of work\", a farmer has said."}
{"article": "The Met Office said the warm air brought a risk of lightning, hail, storms and flash flooding later on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. A Yellow \"be aware\" warning is in place from 17:00 until 18:00 on Wednesday. The extent of the thunderstorms is uncertain, but some places could see over 30mm of rain in an hour. Prestwick in Ayrshire had the day's highest recorded temperature at 29C, followed by nearby Auchnicruvie at 28C. Shetland was one of the only places in Scotland not to enjoy the sunshine - with the weather largely cloudy with patchy rain and drizzle. Aberdeen - which was sitting at around 19C at lunchtime - was hotter than Nairobi, Kenya. Heavy, thundery showers are forecast for Tuesday night. The adverse weather could cause disruption on Wednesday morning. Frequent lightning is expected to continue along with high temperatures of 22 or 23C in the afternoon. What's the weather like where you are? Send us your pictures to newsonlinescotland@bbc.co.uk Please ensure when filming or photographing an incident that you make your safety and the safety of others a priority. If you submit an image, you do so in accordance with the BBC's Terms and Conditions", "summary": "Temperatures topped 29C on Scotland's hottest day of the year so far - sparking a warning of overnight downpours and thunderstorms."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called to the incident at Daldowie Crematorium, off the M74, near Uddingston, at about 12:30 on Thursday. Two men were taken to Wishaw General Hospital for treatment. Police said at the time there was no truth in social media speculation about a firearms incident.", "summary": "A 56-year-old man has been arrested after a disturbance at a crematorium in Glasgow."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Neilson, expected to join MK Dons, saw his side lead when Robbie Muirhead converted Bjorn Johnsen's cross. Joe Dodoo volleyed into the Hearts net early in the second half but team-mate Harry Forrester was flagged offside. Jamie Walker centred for an unmarked Muirhead to fire his second as Rangers' defensive frailties were once again laid bare. A late Joe Garner header was nodded off the line by Faycal Rherras to preserve Hearts' clean sheet. Victory meant that Hearts went ahead of Rangers on goal difference, with both sides eight points behind leaders Celtic, who have three games in hand. The Tynecastle men visit Ross County on Saturday when Rangers host Aberdeen, who trail Mark Warburton's side by two points, but have played two games fewer. Media playback is not supported on this device The home side thrived by swarming all over Rangers' fragile defence. Their dominance was built on hustling and harrying the visitors, but rewarded by individuals being shrewd at critical moments. Muirhead provided the finishing touches, but the towering displays came from Johnsen and Arnaud Djoum, whose accomplishment skewered Rangers. Johnsen was unplayable at times, capable of bringing the ball down from head height and deftly flicking it into the penalty area and almost scoring. The tall, gangly figure nearly broke the deadlock with a header that brought a flying save from Wes Foderingham, then was instrumental in Muirhead's opener, with a flick and then the cross that the attacker converted at the back post. Djoum was peerless in midfield, keeping the ball in tight situations and never panicking in the bustle of the hole in front of the Rangers defence. The second goal was a deftly executed counter attack, with Muirhead again finishing at the back post following Walker's delivery from the right. Hearts barely let up and claimed fiercely, but in vain, for a penalty after Rherras went down just inside the box after getting the wrong side of substitute Michael O'Halloran. For Neilson, on his likely swansong as Hearts boss, his side delivered a fitting farewell and the fans sang his name in tribute at the end. James Tavernier was posted missing for both goals, but he was not alone in failing to deliver for the visitors. Only Foderingham - who kept the scoreline at two with a series of saves, including one that pushed a Johnsen second-half shot round the post - rose to the occasion. Matt Crooks made his first start, but for a tall, physically imposing figure, he was unable to make his presence felt in midfield. Rangers, who have kept just one clean sheet away from home on league duty this term, were never allowed to settle in the game, with Hearts pressing whenever Foderingham and the centre-backs had the ball, and the result was a disjointed performance. There was a moment of frustration for the visitors when Dodoo's effort was ruled out, although it appeared an accurate call since Forrester was offside and in the line of sight of Hearts goalkeeper Jack Hamilton. Even", "summary": "Hearts beat Rangers to go second in the Scottish Premiership in what could be Robbie Neilson's last match in charge."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 1 April 2015 Last updated at 16:59 BST Well one man has started using a drone instead. Paul Brennan decided to use one on his brother's farm in Ireland. The little remote controlled aircraft encourages the sheep into their pen. Paul says it take three minutes and 21 seconds to get them from one side of the field to another using the gadget. Jenny's got more on this woolly tech tale... Pictures from Paul Brennan", "summary": "When you don't have a sheep dog, how do you herd your flock?"}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 29-year-old scored a single yuko to beat Graf 1-0 in the first bronze medal match in the weight category. Conway had earlier beaten world champion Gevrise Emane of France but was beaten by Colombia's Yuri Alvear for the right to fight for gold. The Bristol-born judoka won bronze for Scotland at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. \"It hasn't sunk in,\" she told BBC Sport. \"I knew if I was going to come away with a medal I would have to put in my best performances. \"I'm not from Brazil but the crowd have been awesome. I just want to thank everyone.\" Find out how to get into judo with our special guide. Conway suffered shoulder ligament damage during her second-round defeat at London 2012 and had to have surgery. \"This has been my dream since London,\" she added. \"I can't put it into words.\" Great Britain's Gemma Gibbons, who won judo silver at London 2012, tweeted: \"She's only gone and done it. \"Absolutely amazing from Sally Conway. Our Olympic medallist Miss Conway.\" Japan's Haruka Tachimoto beat Colombia's Yuri Alvear by ippon to win the gold medal and Germany's Laura Vargas Koch defeated Spain's Maria Bernabeu by wazari to win the other bronze medal contest. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Briton Sally Conway defeated Austria's Bernadette Graf to win the -70kg judo bronze medal."}
{"article": "A needless foul from Dougie Imrie on Leigh Griffiths brought Celtic a penalty, and the striker stepped up to slot home his 33rd goal of the season. Dedryck Boyata was sent off for a last-man tackle on Accies' Carlton Morris five minutes before the break. Michael McGovern saved a second Griffiths spot-kick, and Brophy's powerful strike rescued Accies a point. They move above Motherwell into ninth in the Premiership table, two points above the relegation play-off place currently occupied by Kilmarnock. Celtic extend their cushion at the top of the table to seven points, but Aberdeen can take advantage of the champions' slip-up by closing the gap back to four points when they host St Johnstone on Saturday. Hamilton were a world away from January's humiliating 8-1 thrashing at the hands of the same opponents, and very nearly took the lead through Ali Crawford. Scott Brown lost out to Morris who put in Crawford though on goal, but he shot over the bar when he really should have scored. Accies had settled into the game after an dominant opening period from the visitors, but fell behind due to a moment of madness from Imrie. Griffiths was in possession but in an unthreatening position and only Imrie will know why he sent the Celtic striker crashing just inside the area. The striker took the penalty himself and fired the ball right down the middle. It was a crazy moment from Imrie, a point Mikey Devlin was presumably making as he squared up to his team-mate in the wake of incident. But suddenly the game was alight. Boyata was sent off for a tackle on Morris. He tried to play the Accies striker offside but mistimed his movement and the forward was in on goal. The lunging challenge ended a clear goalscoring opportunity just outside the box, but the Celtic bench - and their support in a crowd of 5,017 - clearly felt the tackle was legitimate and the defender had touched enough of the ball. Manager Ronny Delia immediately reshaped his 10 men, replacing the returning Kris Commons with Charlie Mulgrew. The flames continued to burn in the second half. Gary Mackay-Steven was through one-on-one with McGovern but could not finish, and Griffiths saw a clever effort fly just past the post. Then came another moment of controversy and another penalty. Ziggy Gordon was spotted wrestling with Mikael Lustig at a corner and referee Craig Thomson pointed to the spot. Again Griffiths stepped up, but this time McGovern produced a fine, diving save to keep the outcome in the balance. It was a costly miss because minutes later home boss Martin Canning introduced Brophy - criticised by some after celebrating his goal in the recent thumping at Parkhead - and the substitute had the desired effect. Celtic failed to deal with a corner and when the ball dropped in the box to Brophy he smashed a finish high into the net to ensure honours were even at the end of a pulsating match.", "summary": "A goal from substitute Eamonn Brophy 17 minutes from the end earned Hamilton a point against 10-man Celtic."}
{"article": "Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis stopped issuing all marriage licences the day after the US Supreme Court legalised same-sex marriage. The American Civil Liberties Union has sued her on behalf of four couples, two gay and two straight. In court on Monday in Covington, Kentucky, Ms Davis said issuing the licences would violate her religion. \"If... I authorise that I'm saying I agree with it, and I can't,\" she said. The state's governor, Steve Beshear, said county clerks must issue marriage licences to same-sex couples immediately after the Supreme Court's ruling. Two clerks in the state refused. They can only be removed from office by the state legislature. US District Judge David Bunning will not rule on Ms Davis' case until August, he said. Mr Bunning could order Ms Davis to issue licenses, impose a fine or put her in jail. Ms Davis wants Mr Beshear to pass a law protecting county clerks and allow people to get marriage licences online. The governor refused to call the legislature back into session to do so.", "summary": "A Christian official has defended her refusal to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples in Kentucky."}
{"article": "Fed up with the way British Airways was handling the issue of his father's lost luggage, businessman Hasan Syed decided to complain about it. But rather than just put out a normal tweet, he paid to have one promoted. Using promoted tweets in this way could represent a new trend, experts believe. The promoted tweet bought by Mr Syed reads: \"Don't fly @BritishAirways. Their customer service is horrendous.\" Promoted tweets are generally bought by advertisers who want to reach a wider audience. The paid-for tweet is given high prominence in the Twitter feed of the relevant company but otherwise acts as a normal message and can be retweeted by others. Mr Syed purchased his paid-for tweet via Twitter's self-service ad platform for an undisclosed sum. He targeted New York and UK markets with the tweet. The decision to highlight BA's customer service came following a trip his parents made from Chicago to Paris at the weekend, during which his father lost his luggage. Six hours after the tweet went live, and was picked up by news website Mashable, it had been read by thousands of Twitter users, retweeted and commented on. But it took another four hours for British Airways to pick up on it: \"Sorry for the delay in responding, our twitter feed is open 09:00-17:00 GMT. Please DM [direct message] your baggage ref and we'll look into this.\" The idea that the ad platform of large corporations can be hijacked by members of the public is an interesting trend, thinks Shashank Nigam, chief executive of aviation consultancy SimpliFlying. \"The implications are tremendous for the future of airline customer service, especially on social media,\" he said in his blog. \"These tools are easy to use and brand detractors have the same access to them as corporations. I'd guess that this cost less than a thousand dollars to buy and Mr Syed targeted it smartly,\" Mr Nigam told the BBC. \"Airlines are going to have to start having 24/7 customer services and maybe they need to train up call centre reps to respond to messages on Facebook and Twitter.\" In this particular case, the tweet appears to have been successful. \"We would like to apologise to the customer for the inconvenience caused. We have been in contact with the customer and the bag is due to be delivered today,\" British Airways told the BBC.", "summary": "In a modern spin on the tale of David and Goliath, a disgruntled customer has found a new way to use social media to take on a big corporation."}
{"article": "Armstrong was stripped of his yellow jerseys for doping by cycling's governing body on Monday. \"The management committee decided not to award victories to any other rider or upgrade other placings in any of the affected events,\" said a UCI statement. American Armstrong crossed the line first every year between 1999 and 2005. The UCI acknowledged that \"a cloud of suspicion would remain hanging over this dark period - but that while this might appear harsh for those who rode clean, they would understand there was little honour to be gained in reallocating places\". The body has also ordered Armstrong and others to pay back all prize money from this period, and has commissioned an independent investigation into the whole Armstrong affair. Pending the results of the report, defamation proceedings against Paul Kimmage, a former cyclist and Sunday Times journalist, have been suspended. The statement added: \"The committee agreed that part of the independent commission's remit would be to find ways to ensure that persons caught for doping were no longer able to take part in the sport, including as part of an entourage.\" Armstrong, 41, and his United States Postal Service team ran \"the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen\", a 1,000-page United States Anti-Doping Agency report concluded. In the report, it was also claimed that Armstrong paid the UCI $100,000 (\u00a362,300) for the fight against anti-doping. Floyd Landis, a former colleague of Armstrong's who now admits to using drugs, claims this was hush money to cover up a positive test for the banned substance EPO that was collected from Armstrong during his victory at the Tour of Switzerland in 2001. The UCI admitted it received money from Armstrong in 2002, but said in 2010 that this was not part of a cover-up. BBC Sport understands that at Friday's UCI management committee hearing there was an attempt by more than one member to force honorary president Hein Verbruggen to resign, but it did not gain enough support and failed. Verbruggen and president Pat McQuaid, who has been asked to resign in an open letter by America's three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond, have come under intense pressure to stand aside in the wake of the Armstrong scandal. There was no attempt to get McQuaid to quit. McQuaid said the governing body are \"determined to turn around this painful episode in the history of our sport\". \"We will take whatever actions are deemed necessary by the independent commission and we will put cycling back on track,\" said McQuaid. \"Today, cycling is a completely different sport from what it was in the period 1998-2005. \"Riders are now subject to the most innovative and effective anti-doping procedures and regulations in sport. \"Nevertheless, we have listened to the world's reaction to the Lance Armstrong affair and have taken these additional decisive steps in response to the grave concerns raised.\" World anti-doping body Wada said it backed the UCI's decision to create an independent review commission. British Cycling president Brian Cookson said: \"The UCI has taken another worthwhile step", "summary": "Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de France titles will not be awarded to any other riders, the International Cycling Union has announced."}
{"article": "The prime minister has said he will set out his case for military action to Parliament later this week but will only call a vote when he believes the government can muster enough support to win. An influential Commons committee urged Mr Cameron earlier this month not to press ahead with a vote on UK air strikes. But their intervention came before the deadly terror attacks in Paris, in which 130 people died, and the UN's subsequent decision to pass a resolution supporting action against Islamic State. Some MPs' minds are said to have changed their minds so where do the parties stand? The majority of Conservative MPs would vote to back extending UK air strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria. Thirty Conservative MPs rebelled against David Cameron in August 2013, when the Commons rejected his first attempt to launch bombing raids on Syria - albeit against the Assad regime rather than IS. A number of MPs who defied their party then - including Charles Walker and Andrew Bridgen - now say they will support the government, Mr Walker suggesting there was \"no room for delay\" in taking the fight to the extremists. But about 20 Tory MPs are still expected to oppose any kind of intervention, arguing that bombing could be open-ended and will not help achieve a political solution to the civil war in Syria. One of the rebels, John Baron, told BBC News British air strikes would have a \"marginal effect\" on the battle against so-called Islamic State and could \"risk escalating the problem\". Total number of Conservative MPs: 331 Labour is split on Syria. Leader Jeremy Corbyn is firmly opposed to military action, arguing for greater efforts to find a \"peaceful solution\". But some of his MPs, including members of his shadow cabinet, have said they would back air strikes if they had proper military and legal justification, including the approval of the United Nations. They say the onus is on the government to come forward with a \"comprehensive\" strategy to stabilise Syria and to tackle extremism, demonstrating why it is in the UK's national interest to intervene. About 20 to 30 Labour MPs are thought to be in favour of air strikes and willing to defy the party leadership over the issue. One of those, Mike Gapes, has said he is putting the interests of the country ahead of party by doing so. Some MPs are pressing for what is called a free vote on the issue - where they won't be instructed to vote in a certain way. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell suggested in the autumn this might be possible but Mr Corbyn has since seemed to rule this out. Total number of Labour MPs: 232 The SNP opposed military action in 2013 but has many more MPs now and can exert real influence. The party says it will listen to the PM's case for military action but remains \"unconvinced\" about the merits of the UK intervening. Foreign affairs spokesman Alex Salmond told the BBC there was \"no shortage\" of countries bombing Syria at the", "summary": "David Cameron has said it is his \"firm conviction\" the UK should join other countries bombing Islamic State militants in Syria."}
{"article": "Front row Faletau, 28, has three caps for his country and will arrive from Championship club Yorkshire Carnegie. Fellow prop Cosgrove, 22, is a former Scotland Under-20 international who is also eligible to play for England, and will arrive from the Pro12 outfit. \"The Championship has some excellent players and Sione is in his prime,\" said interim Bristol boss Mark Tainton. \"Both players were impressed that there's a clear understanding about what we want to achieve, and they're eager to be a part of that.\" Bristol are bottom of the Premiership, seven points from safety with five games remaining.", "summary": "Bristol have signed Tonga international Sione Faletau and Edinburgh's Jack Cosgrove for next season."}
{"article": "Prison officer Adrian Ismay died days after car bombing in Belfast in March. DUP MP Gavin Robinson alleged in the Commons that a police email said checks were resulting in \"too many complaints\" from the suspect's solicitor. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said they \"rigorously enforce all bail conditions set down by the courts\". \"If a person is required to wear an electronic tag as part of their bail conditions, there is no reason for police to duplicate this monitoring unless otherwise requested or directed by the investigating officer or senior police officer or the court,\" a PSNI statement said. The bail checks refer to Christopher Alphonsos Robinson who has been charged with the murder of Mr Ismay, who trained prison officers at Maghaberry Prison. Dissident republicans claimed responsibility for the attack. The accused, from Aspen Park in Dunmurry, west Belfast, was granted bail under strict conditions in May. The conditions including electronic tagging and an exclusion order for an area of east Belfast. Speaking during a Westminster debate, the DUP MP said: \"I received information at the weekend that PSNI chiefs sent an email to their officers not to conduct bail checks because it was generating far too many complaints from his solicitor and offending his sensitivities.\" In response, a PSNI statement said: \"Police will continue to rigorously, but impartially, enforce all bail conditions set by the courts and we will not hesitate to arrest those who breach their bail conditions.\" The House of Commons debate focused on Libyan-sponsored terrorism. The MP said Mr Ismay \"was blown up by a bomb planted by the new IRA containing Semtex, which is presumed - since there have been no recent purchases - that it is of the same origin and extraction, sourced from the Czech Republic, through Libya to the IRA and disseminated through their splinter organisations.\"", "summary": "Police officers have been asked to stop conducting bail checks on a man accused of murdering a prison officer, the MP for East Belfast has claimed."}
{"article": "He was back at the ground for the first time in nearly four years; it was 1,406 days since he was last here for a Champions League game when he wore the famous red, white and black of Manchester United. This time he was in the unfamiliar green kit of Real Madrid for a last-16 tie against United with the score delicately poised at 1-1 after the first leg in Spain. This was to become a bittersweet homecoming for the 28-year-old Portuguese. Ronaldo stayed on the field warming up with his pristine red boots for 16 minutes. His task: to keep his emotions under control and focus on the job of firing nine-time winners Madrid into the Champions League quarter finals. It was all about concentration. Ronaldo never once looked up at the vast Sir Alex Ferguson stand over his left shoulder as he practised shooting from 20 yards just to the left of centre - and finding the net every time. Warm-ups done and it was time for team embraces. High-fives all round. Madrid's players were as one and after a few stretching routines to finish, it was time to head back for the Special One's final instructions - the final team talk from Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho. Ronaldo emerged again at 19:41 GMT. This time the atmosphere was hot, red hot. And at 19:44 there was a special moment as the PA announcer ran through the team line-ups. \"And it's a special welcome back to number seven Cristiano Ronaldo,\" he boomed. Ronaldo waved, thumped his chest, waved again. His head bowed for a respectful moment before putting his hand back on to his chest. Just for a moment, those emotions must have threatened to run away from him. And the Manchester United support welcomed him back with a standing ovation which lasted until after referee Cuneyt Cakir started the match. United had the better of the first half and largely managed to shackle Ronaldo. When Sergio Ramos steered the ball into his own net to give the home side a 1-0 lead on the night, Old Trafford erupted and Ronaldo's head went down. He looked momentarily forlorn. And then the match changed irreversibly. Nani was shown a contentious red card for a high challenge on Real defender Alvaro Arbeloa. Furious United manager Sir Alex Ferguson turned cheerleader from the touchline while Ronaldo - knowing the Red Devils were vulnerable - immediately switched to a more central role. It was emotional, it was unbelievable. I don't have words to explain what I feel With attack-minded midfielder Luka Modric on for right-back Arbeloa, there was much more room for Ronaldo and Real Madrid set about exposing the 10 men of United. When Modric struck with a dipping, 25-yard equaliser, Ronaldo did not celebrate. He was far away to the left and not involved in the move. Three minutes later, he would be. Almost inevitably, it was Ronaldo who secured Madrid's victory when he squeezed Gonzalo Higuain's cross in at the far post to silence the United fans. He held his arms", "summary": "It was precisely 19:13 GMT on Tuesday when Cristiano Ronaldo stepped on to the Old Trafford turf."}
{"article": "British Divers Marine Life Rescue said 18 of the animals were floated back out to sea at about 04:00 on Tuesday. Two more were later floated. However, several of the whales then stranded on the shores of nearby Staffin Island. It was understood that eight of the whales have died and nine remain stranded on the small island. The coastguard said it could be high tide at 19:00 before those animals could be pushed back into open water. It was believed the stranding was caused by a female whale getting into difficulty while calving. The calf died. Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust raised the alarm after seeing whales in distress on Monday afternoon. Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said the Scottish government was offering assistance to the effort to save the whales. He said: \"I am very concerned to hear about this stranding of pilot whales on Skye. \"Marine Scotland and British Divers Marine Life Rescue are currently working hard to alleviate the situation. \"We have a patrol vessel and other staff on-site and I am being kept informed of the situation. \"Sadly it appears that some of the whales have already died and the situation is becoming increasingly difficult as the outgoing tide is leaving the stranded animals out of the water.\"", "summary": "Rescuers have gone to the aid of 21 long-finned pilot whales which stranded on the shore at Staffin on Skye."}
{"article": "The volcano, which had been dormant for four decades, erupted on Wednesday, sending a plume of smoke and ash 10km (6 miles) into the sky. Authorities evacuated people living within a 21km (13 mile) radius. Road workers used lorries to plough through the ash, which lay up to a metre (3ft) deep in some places. As the massive ash cloud drifted south, emergency workers handed out protective masks in a wide area including parts of Chile and Argentina. \"The ash might damage crops, animal feed, bridges, roads, people's work routines, tourism and especially their health,\" Michelle Bachelet, President of Chile's National Geology and Mines Service, said. The first eruption on Wednesday evening lasted about 90 minutes and send a huge mushroom cloud of ash into the sky. Seven hours later the volcano erupted again, this time shooting lava into the air and generating volcanic lightning. There have been no reports of deaths or injuries.", "summary": "Residents and emergency workers in southern Chile have been clearing ash that rained down on towns after an eruption of the Calbuco volcano."}
{"article": "In a letter to The Times, 20 former defence chiefs said to \"abandon\" Britain's four Trident submarines would be \"an enormous gamble\" which could threaten \"the survival of our nation\". Signatories include two retired defence secretaries and two ex-GCHQ directors. A decision on whether to renew Trident is due to be taken in 2016. On Tuesday, Labour's shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker said his party was committed to renewing all four Trident submarines if it wins the election. The Conservatives have also committed to renewing all four missile submarines, while the Liberal Democrats favour cutting to three. The SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens want Trident to be scrapped. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon argued on Wednesday that Britain should strengthen its conventional armed forces instead of \"obsessing\" about nuclear weapons. UKIP has said it would not scrap Trident, but would consider cutting back to three submarines. Among those to have signed the letter are former Labour defence secretaries Lord Hutton and Lord Robertson, the latter an ex-Nato chief, and retired chief of the general staff Gen Sir Mike Jackson. Three previous heads of the armed forces, three ex-Royal Navy chiefs, and two former directors of government communications agency GCHQ are also among the signatories. Analysis By BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale The list of those who've signed this letter is a who's who of those responsible for Britain's security over the past decade and they have a warning as apocalyptic as the weapon they now defend. With the four submarines that carry the Trident missiles coming to the end of their life, they say any further delay in the decision to replace them will in effect end Britain's nuclear deterrent and ruin its credibility abroad. Abandoning the deterrent would, they say, be an enormous gamble and an irresponsible folly. Though both Labour and the Conservatives say they're committed to keeping it, there are fears that political deals, and the significant costs of replacing Trident - at least \u00c2\u00a325bn - could lead to further delays after the election. The Coalition Government had already postponed the main decision to build the next generation of trident submarines until 2016. The open letter addressed to \"the incoming Prime Minister 2015\" said a decision not to renew the fleet would \"effectively end Britain's nuclear deterrent\", and would be \"irrevocable\". \"To abandon Trident now and for good in the hope that no threat will emerge would be to take an enormous gamble on behalf of generations not yet born,\" they said. \"In an uncertain world where some powers are now displaying a worrying faith in nuclear weapons as an instrument of policy and influence, it would be irresponsible folly to abandon Britain's own independent deterrent.\" The decision would affect \"the security and ultimately the survival of our nation\", they said. The UK had made reductions in its nuclear arsenal proportionately greater than any other nuclear weapons power, which represented \"a huge contribution towards nuclear disarmament\", the letter said. \"We should stand ready to do more, but only if it can be proved that it does not compromise", "summary": "A decision not to renew the UK's nuclear deterrent would be \"irresponsible folly\", a group of ex-senior military officials has said."}
{"article": "The run-up was dominated by a row over a Vatican priest who on Saturday announced he was in a gay relationship. Poland-born Krzysztof Charamsa said he wanted to challenge the Church's \"backward\" attitude to homosexuality. He was later dismissed from his post at the Vatican's office in charge of guarding Roman Catholic doctrine. A Vatican spokesman said Monsignor Charamsa's decision to give interviews on the eve of the synod was \"grave and irresponsible\" and would put Pope Francis under \"undue media pressure\". In an interview with the Corriere Della Sera newspaper, the 43-year-old priest said: \"It's time the Church opened its eyes and realised that offering gay believers total abstinence from a life of love is inhuman.\" The controversy has set the scene for what some fear could be a fractious three weeks, says BBC religious affairs correspondent Caroline Wyatt. The Synod - a defining moment for Pope Francis Almost 300 Church leaders - and some lay people - will be discussing such issues as the treatment of Catholics who are gay, and how to approach couples who live together without being married or wish to take communion after being divorced. Analysis: Caroline Wyatt, BBC News It is the most highly-anticipated meeting of the leaders of the Roman Catholic church since the Second Vatican council, some 50 years ago. In his homily today, the Pope spoke of the importance of the family - and perhaps rather pointedly, of the love between a man and a woman. He also said that the wealth of the developed world hadn't led to greater happiness, but to loneliness, and higher rates of abortion and divorce. Many campaigners and more liberal Catholics would like to see a change in Catholic doctrine on issues ranging from homosexuality to contraception. But while some bishops here do want reform, others remain fiercely opposed. In the end, though, the synod is not a democracy. It will be up to the Pope to decide what - if anything - changes, and how the Church applies its teaching to its sometimes errant flock. The Pope has called for a more understanding attitude on sexual issues. After his election in 2013, Pope Francis reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church's position that homosexual acts were sinful, but said homosexual orientation was not. \"If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?\" he said. The issue of homosexuality was also highlighted during the Pope's visit to the US last week. He had a private meeting with a gay former student of his and his boyfriend at the Vatican mission in Washington. The Pope also met Kim Davis, a Kentucky local official who recently gained attention for refusing to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples.", "summary": "Pope Francis has celebrated Mass at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, at the start of a synod of Roman Catholic bishops focusing on family issues."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 25 May 2012 Last updated at 20:09 BST A team of 15 fundraisers is making the 150-mile journey to Tower Bridge to raise funds for the Bristol and Avon Multiple Sclerosis Centre at Bristol's Frenchay Hospital.", "summary": "Three rickshaws have crossed Clifton Suspension Bridge at the start of a bridge-to-bridge charity ride from Bristol to London."}
{"article": "The race was expected to be full of high drama, with drivers squeezing cars through narrow sections and an error or two never far away. What happened? An unexpectedly dull inaugural race. With only a 12-point gap between Vettel and Hamilton at the top of the drivers' championship, can Azerbaijan provide an exhilarating show this time around? Choose your top-10 race result below... Who will finish in the top 10 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix?", "summary": "Baku was the new kid on the Formula 1 block in 2016, presenting fans with the fastest street circuit on the calendar."}
{"article": "A poll carried out on behalf of the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) suggested 68% of Londoners were behind the measure. Boris Johnson said there was \"broad support\". However more than 37,000 people have signed an online petition against the purchase. The cannon will be purchased if Home Secretary Theresa May licences them. The Metropolitan Police and Mayor of London Mr Johnson want to buy three cannon from Germany for \u00c2\u00a390,000. They have been linked to causing broken bones and blindness. Mr Johnson said: \"No-one wants to see water cannon routinely deployed on the streets of London but having carefully weighed up all the evidence, I have concluded there is broad support amongst Londoners for the use of this measure by the police in limited circumstances. \"However, it is critical that Londoners are assured that there are robust safeguards in place before seeing water cannon in action.\" The mayor said he would now write to the Home Secretary to support the request for water cannon. The independent poll conducted by TNS questioned 4,223 people and found 52% said they would have greater confidence in the Met Police's ability to respond to serious public disorder if water cannon were available. In addition the mayor carried out a six-week consultation in January and February to gather the views of Londoners on the use of water cannon. There were 2,606 consultation responses received via email and 4,048 email petition responses. From the email consultation 59 people supported the introduction of water cannon. Concerns were raised by more than 2,500 email respondents and more than 4,000 people responded to the \"Boris: stop the water cannon\" and the \"No to water cannon\" email petitions. Respondents also mentioned a change.org petition with more than 37,000 signatures against the proposals. London Assembly member Jenny Jones, of the Green Party, said: \"He has ignored the members of the public who responded to the consultation, and the views of the Assembly including members of his own party and team, to push ahead with his plans for this weapon.\" Water cannon have been used in Northern Ireland but they are not currently authorised in Britain. The Home Secretary must approve their introduction in England and Wales. An ethics panel, headed by barrister Lord Carlile, will be put in place to look at when water cannon should be used, if they are licensed by the home secretary. She has refused to provide central government funding for the machines in London. A Home Office spokesperson said: \"It is for Chief Constable David Shaw, as the national policing lead, formally to request that water cannon be authorised for use and present the necessary information for the home secretary to make a decision. We await that request.\"", "summary": "The Mayor of London has agreed to support the Met Police's call for water cannon to be purchased."}
{"article": "Doctors are currently treating 24 casualties in four hospitals: 12 are in a critical condition. All are said to be suffering from damage to the throat, lungs and airways caused by breathing in smoke. This is the major priority for doctors, rather than external burns. In fact, the BBC understands that no-one is being treated for burns to the skin or body. However, breathing in smoke can cause damaging internal burns and swelling to the throat, which may not be immediately obvious. The most serious cases will need a general anaesthetic. This means they can be kept well-hydrated using an intravenous drip and kept under close supervision while their airways heal. Most will also be suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, caused by breathing in noxious fumes from the fire. They need urgent treatment with oxygen through a face mask. Breathing in concentrated oxygen this way enables the body to recover quickly when carbon monoxide enters the bloodstream. Babies, young children, pregnant women and people with asthma are most vulnerable to the dangers of carbon monoxide. Most people in big cities have a level of carbon monoxide of between nought and three, and smokers of five or six. After the fire, the Guardian reported that doctors were treating people whose readings were between 10 and 20. In total, nearly 80 people have required hospital treatment for the effects of the fire. At least 30 people are confirmed to have died. While treating the physical effects of smoke inhalation is a priority in the four London hospitals - King's College Hospital, Chelsea and Westminster, Royal Free Hospital and St Mary's Paddington - the psychological impact is not being ignored. Psychiatrists and chaplains have been on hand to help support the injured, relatives and staff. Survivors will have witnessed traumatic sights and many may also have to deal with the loss of loved ones. Prof Sir Simon Wessely, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, recommends turning to friends, family and religious leaders to talk through feelings. \"While mental health professionals are invaluable in times of psychological need, immediately after a traumatic event it is our own strength, and those of our friends and family, that can be the most beneficial. \"Speaking to a mental health professional - a complete stranger - when you are in a state of shock, is not always the solution.\" He said the public could play a part by offering practical support and information to those involved in the fire - as the community of North Kensington has been doing in force in the past few days.", "summary": "Hospital doctors are keeping some casualties from the Grenfell Tower fire unconscious for several days to allow them to recover from the effects of smoke inhalation."}
{"article": "Sean Caffrey hacked into the US Department of Defense system in 2014, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. He accessed and stole the ranks, usernames and email addresses of more than 800 users, as well as of about 30,000 satellite phones. At Birmingham Crown Court Caffrey, 25, of Sutton Coldfield, admitted an offence under the Computer Misuse Act. See more stories from across Birmingham and the Black Country here The NCA said the theft took place on 15 June 2014 and Caffrey was arrested in in March 2015 after intelligence showed the hack originated from his internet connection. Forensic examination of his computers found the stolen data on the hard drives. Officers also found that an online messaging account linked to the attack had been opened and operated under a pseudonym using Caffrey's computers. The Department of Defense said it cost about $628,000 to fix the damage. Caffrey, of Lichfield Road, admitted causing a computer to perform a function to secure unauthorised access to a program or data. He will be sentenced on 14 August.", "summary": "A computer hacker has admitted stealing hundreds of user accounts from a US military communications system."}
{"article": "Confusion about what is covered by insurance policies is one of the reasons that policyholders fail to receive a payout. Wear and tear, as well as damage caused by a lack of maintenance in homes are also key reasons for claims being rejected, an insurers' group said. In contrast, 99% of motor insurance claims result in a payout. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has published the industry-wide figures for the first time, after analysis of claims made during 2013 and 2014. The success rate figures are based on 6.9 million claims handed by 19 insurers, including 4.3 million motor insurance claims, 1.8 million home insurance claims, and 800,000 travel insurance claims. The analysis showed that 79% of home insurance policyholders who made a claim were successful, receiving a typical payout of \u00c2\u00a32,520. Of those whose claims were turned down, some made claims that were valued below the policy excess and others had bought the wrong kind of cover. Many home insurance policies have add-ons that cover certain eventualities, but add extra complexity to renewals. Many were denied due to a failure to maintain their property. For example, roof damage caused by a storm that affects numerous homes in an area is likely to be successful. Roof damage caused because previous faults had been left without the homeowner's attention were less likely to succeed, the ABI said. Policies were designed to cover \"sudden, unexpected and accidental\" events, an ABI spokesman said. Travel insurance claims recorded a success rate of 87%, the ABI said, with an average payout of \u00c2\u00a3884. Reasons for rejection include failure to declare a pre-existing medical condition and failure to prove that belongings have been lost. Motor insurance claims were successful in 99% of cases, with an average payout of \u00c2\u00a32,160. Cases and policies tended to be simpler, leading to fewer denied claims. Huw Evans, ABI director general, said that the figures were published in order to gain greater trust from consumers. \"Contrary to popular belief, insurers want to pay honest claims. It helps nobody when customers have bought the wrong product or have not disclosed important information,\" he said. \"So we will use the analysis we are publishing today to drive awareness campaigns to improve even further the acceptance rates for home and travel. Buying insurance should never just be about getting the cheapest price in the quickest time possible, it should be about ensuring you have the right product for your hour of need.\" The ABI suggested that people take time to read the terms and conditions when buying or renewing home insurance to check exactly what is covered. Disputes between insurers and individuals that are unresolved often end up with the financial ombudsman. In separate figures published on Tuesday, the Financial Ombudsman Service said there were 5,504 inquiries about buildings insurance from disgruntled customers between April and December last year. Some 38% of cases looked at by the ombudsman were upheld in the customers' favour. Cases were dwarfed by the 178,715 enquiries about payment protection insurance (PPI) received over the same period. In PPI cases, 70%", "summary": "More than one in five home insurance claims is unsuccessful owing, in part, to the complexity of policies."}
{"article": "The 39-year-old Zimbabwean has scored over 24,000 runs in all competitions during a 12-year stay with the county, winning seven trophies along the way. He said: \"It deeply saddens me that I have to leave at the end of the season. I have thoroughly enjoyed my 12 years. \"My family have loved every year here, and we feel so privileged to have been associated with this wonderful club.\" Goodwin has scored 48 centuries and averages 49.24 for Sussex in first-class competition. Source: Sussex CCC. Figures correct as of 4 September 2012 In total, he has racked up almost 14,500 runs in 190 matches. He has hit two triple centuries and holds the record for the county's highest innings, a score of 344 not out against Somerset in 2009. Goodwin said it had been \"a privilege\" to be a part of the Sussex side which won the County Championship three times in the space of five seasons, secured back-to-back Pro40 triumphs and lifted the Twenty20 Cup in 2009. He scored the winning runs which won the county's first Championship in 2003 and hit a six off the final ball of the match to win the Pro40 title in 2008. \"To the coaches, support staff and most of all, my wonderful team mates that I have been blessed to play alongside over the years, it has been an honour to have had so much success in winning trophies for ourselves and the club,\" Goodwin continued. \"I feel so humbled to be a part of such a wonderful team, club and ethos and offer huge thanks to so many wonderful sponsors and supporters.\" Sussex cricket manager Mark Robinson paid tribute to the batsman, who played 17 Test matches for Zimbabwe. \"Murray is arguably the best ever batsman Sussex have had and he will be greatly missed,\" Robinson said \"Not only on the pitch, but [also] in the dressing room as well by all those he has helped and supported in his time at the club. \"I would like to thank Murray for the help he has given me, and the great service he has given to this club. I wish him and his family all the very best for the future.\" Despite his previous achievements, Goodwin has struggled for form in the County Championship this year. He has scored 267 runs in 21 innings in Division One this season, leaving him with an average of 13.35 in the four-day game in 2012.", "summary": "Sussex have announced that veteran batsman Murray Goodwin will leave the club at the end of the season."}
{"article": "The Gateway offices are occupied by Citi, the global financial services group. Selling agents CBRE say it is the largest office investment to come onto the market in Northern Ireland in the last decade. In 2014, Ulster Bank sold most of its Titanic Quarter loans to the US hedge fund Davidson Kempner. Such a fund will typically look to get a return on its money within a few years either through asset sales or loan refinancing. The Gateway offices are likely to be attractive to institutional investors such as pension funds.", "summary": "An office development in Belfast's Titanic Quarter has been put up for sale with a price tag of \u00a329m."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The midfielder agreed personal terms with the Canaries this week and, having passed his medical, he has penned a three-and-a-half-year deal. \"He can add goals to our midfield, which I think we need,\" said Norwich manager Paul Lambert. \"He'll get better as a player the higher the level he goes up. If he does that he'll be a great player for us.\" Former England Under-21 international Howson, a product of the Leeds academy, has made almost 200 appearances since his debut in 2006, but his contract was due to expire in the summer. He has featured 22 times for his home town club this season, although he has not played since picking up a knee injury in the 2-0 win over Millwall at the beginning of December. Meanwhile, Lambert has outlined a back injury as the reason for terminating the season-long loan of Manchester United defender Ritchie de Laet five months early. The 23-year-old Belgian has played seven times for the Canaries, but has not featured since the 2-0 Premier League loss to Tottenham on 27 December. \"Ritchie's done great for us,\" said Lambert. \"But he has a back injury which was keeping him out for periods of time.\"", "summary": "Norwich City have completed the signing of 23-year-old Leeds captain Jonny Howson for an undisclosed fee."}
{"article": "Sidibe, who died on Thursday, is known for his black and white studio portraits that captured the lives of young Malians in the 1960s and 1970s. Critics say his photos of Mali's post-colonial period helped people see the West African nation in a new light. In 2007, he became the first African winner of the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the Venice Biennale. People on Twitter describe him as a talent whose images of popular and youth culture still resonate among young photographers across Africa. Sidibe's work captures the lives of young men and women, often showing off a prized possession like a watch or a motorbike. He also captures street scenes and young men seducing girls at parties with a sense of newfound freedom and identity. Sidibe has work in several private and public museums around the world. He became famous around the world after holding his first exhibition in France in 1996 Andres Magnin, Malick Sidibe's close friend and owner of the Parisian gallery which represented him, called the photographer an author \"of thousands of images of tenderness and beauty\". \"A photographer of the young generation of an independent Mali, untroubled, free, modern, full of joy and hope... He was generous, welcoming, loved by all the young people in Bamako.\"", "summary": "Tributes are being paid to the award-winning Malian photographer, Malick Sidibe, who has died at the age of 80."}
{"article": "The building at Devesulu, which houses radar and 12 interceptor missile tubes, appears remarkably similar to the \"sensors and shooters\" that have already been placed on US Aegis warships. It has even been painted in the same battleship grey and is manned and operated by US Navy personnel who will rotate on six-month tours as if they were at sea. They might as well be, because there are few signs of human life nearby. Devesulu is the first land-based ballistic interceptor system to be set up in Europe. At a ceremony attended by Romanian, US and Nato leaders on Thursday it was declared \"operational\". It is now able to fire \"a bullet at a bullet\": the interceptor missile tries to hit a ballistic missile on re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. Work is now starting on building a second base in northern Poland. Together with four US Aegis warships, these Aegis Ashore sites will provide a network that can identify, track and shoot down ballistic missiles fired towards Europe. Turkey already has an early warning radar that activates the Aegis system and will eventually be joined by one in the UK. Dutch and Danish warships are also being fitted with sensors that will plug into the system. It will all be controlled from the US base in Ramstein, Germany. Ostensibly under Nato control, in reality it is the US that is largely driving and funding this programme. So where does the threat come from? Nato's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, says \"many countries are seeking to develop or acquire their own ballistic missiles\". The Middle East region is often mentioned but US officials have been more specific in naming Iran as a potential aggressor. Despite the recent agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme, it is pressing ahead with its own ballistic missile programme. Still, it seems odd to ramp up the pressure on Iran so soon after it's made concessions to the West. As for other \"threats from the Middle East\" it is all rather vague. Strangely, the clearest language from both Nato and US officials is about what the system is not. \"It's not about Russia\" is the prefix to any description of the system. At the Deveselu ceremony the US Deputy Defence Secretary, Robert Work, said: \"I want to make clear - neither this site, nor the site going into Poland - will have the capacity to undermine Russia's strategic (nuclear) deterrent.\" Mr Stoltenberg insisted: \"The interceptors are too few and located too far south to intercept Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles.\" The language, though, appears to be deliberately precise. There is no mention of Russian short and medium range ballistic missiles. Nor is there any denial that the sensors will be able to look into Russian territory. Few would argue the two nations housing the land-based interceptors, Romania and Poland, are more worried about say Iran or North Korea's actions than their biggest and nearest neighbour. There are, of course, plenty of good reasons to play down any potential impact on Russia as tensions are already high. Russia has been flexing its military", "summary": "America's latest addition to its Ballistic Missile Defence System looks out of place surrounded by mile after mile of flat Romanian farmland."}
{"article": "England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) rules need to be altered to remove the right of all 18 counties to play in the new tournament. Essex follow Middlesex in their refusal to support the change. But Durham chairman Sir Ian Botham said his county were fully committed in their support for the new tournament. He said: \"It's financially very sensible to do it and if we prepare properly and come up with the right formula throughout the summer - just look at the success of the Big Bash in Australia and the IPL - then it's proven that the format has great benefit.\" Meanwhile, Essex chairman John Faragher said the County Championship, one-day and T20 competitions \"must be protected\". The changes require the support of 31 out of 41 of the ECB's voting members. Faragher continued: \"We are focused on expanding cricket in Essex, East Anglia and Metropolitan London, ensuring there are opportunities for all age and ability groups, male and female, to be actively involved in the game. \"We believe that as a result of the proposed changes, these opportunities will be reduced, that our income overall will suffer and the first-class game will be diminished, in contradiction to the ECB's objective which is to grow the game in this country - an objective that is unlikely to be advanced by a competition which would exclude large areas of the country from any involvement in it.\" The 41 voting members comprise the 18 first-class counties, 21 recreational boards, the Minor Counties Cricket Association, and MCC - owners of Lord's and therefore Middlesex's landlord. A number of counties have come out in support of the proposals for the new tournament, with Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Somerset, Sussex and Yorkshire all announcing that they will back the ECB rule change, while others including Glamorgan, Hampshire and Warwickshire have been vocal in their support for a city-based competition. Kent have asked their members and supporters to give them further feedback before making a decision, while Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart has expressed concern over the details of the new event.", "summary": "Essex have become the second county to announce their intention to stand against a new city-based Twenty20 competition, planned for 2020."}
{"article": "The prosecutors, from Spain's top criminal court, allege Neymar and his father hid the true value of the player's multi-million-euro transfer from Santos to Barcelona. A Brazilian investment fund that owned 40% of Neymar's sports rights argues it was deprived of its full share. In previous interviews, Neymar, 24, has denied any wrongdoing. Barcelona said it paid \u20ac57m (\u00a343m) for Neymar in 2013, with the player's parents, Neymar da Silva Santos and Nadine Goncalves da Silva Santos, receiving \u20ac40m and his former club, Santos, \u20ac17m. But investigators say the fee was closer to \u20ac83m and Barcelona concealed part of the deal. The club also denies any wrongdoing. The Brazilian third-party investment fund, DIS, alleges it was financially harmed by the transfer when it received \u20ac6.8m of Santos's \u20ac17m fee and argues it was deprived of its full share. Neymar and his parents, along with Barcelona's ex-President Sandro Rosell and President Josep Maria Bartomeu, had all given statements at an earlier court hearing in February. Speaking to O Globo TV in Brazil in February, Neymar said: \"Before saying nonsense - that we hid this, or hid that - they should prove it. \"My father is doing everything to ensure that I can just focus on playing football. He handles the books. But in the moment when you see someone you love suffering, it starts to hurt.\" Neymar and his father also face accusations in a separate case of defrauding the Spanish tax office, while the player faces a tax evasion investigation in Brazil. He denies wrongdoing. Neymar's move to Barcelona FC has been a big success on the pitch. The striker became part of a goal-scoring trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. In 2015, Neymar helped the club win five trophies and came third in the Fifa Ballon d'Or competition. He also scored in the Uefa Champions League final against Juventus. He won the Spanish league and cup double with Barcelona in 2016.", "summary": "Spanish prosecutors have called for Brazil and Barcelona football star Neymar to be tried for fraud."}
{"article": "Under the plans announced by Chancellor George Osborne in July, the minimum wage for over-25s will rise from \u00a36.50 an hour to \u00a37.20 in April next year. It will rise to at least \u00a39 by 2020. The Scottish government said the proposals were \"simply an enhancement of the national minimum wage\" rather than a true living wage. Its Fair Work Secretary, Roseanna Cunningham, also argued that the plan discriminated against under-25s and will bring further complications and inequalities to the national minimum wage structure. But a UK government spokesman said its proposals were an \"essential part of moving to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society where work always pays and the majority of households are better off.\" Ms Cunningham has outlined the Scottish government's criticisms in a submission to the Low Pay Commission's consultation on the proposals. And she called on the UK government to set out a clear plan for moving towards a living wage that \"truly reflects the cost of living\" rather than merely setting an \"arbitrary rate\". Ms Cunningham added: \"The so-called national living wage announced in the UK government budget is not a living wage and should not be referred to as such. \"It is simply an enhancement of the national minimum wage which disgracefully discriminates against the under 25s. \"Employers also do not need further complications in the national minimum wage structure and I would encourage all bodies looking at this to ensure that younger workers are treated fairly.\" The Scottish government promotes a living wage of \u00a37.85 an hour, with businesses north of the border encouraged to sign up to a voluntary accreditation scheme. Ms Cunningham said: \"We are working hard to increase the number of employers paying the living wage. By this I mean the real living wage, which is calculated according to the cost of living. \"There are now over 300 organisations across Scotland that recognise the tangible benefits to their business of being accredited, huge progress in the last 12 months.\" In response, the UK government spokesman said its proposals were expected to directly boost the wages of nearly three million people and would mean a full-time worker would earn \u00a32,000 more per year by 2020. He added: \"For younger workers, the priority is to secure work and gain experience. \"In order to maximise the opportunities for younger workers to gain that experience the national living wage will only apply to workers aged 25 and over. \"The wages of younger workers will continue to be underpinned by the core national minimum wage.\"", "summary": "The UK government's National Living Wage plans have been criticised as a \"misappropriation of the term\" by the Scottish government."}
{"article": "Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead spent \u00c2\u00a3160,000 trying to move 10 caravans from Shurlock Row, Berkshire. Those occupying the land lost appeals and finally a judicial review bid to remain at the site in 2016. The authority said the group had now left voluntarily and an order imposed to restore the site to its original condition within 28 days. Councillor Derek Wilson said residents in the area had been \"waiting for this day\". He added: \"The occupiers were in breach of planning control and we followed every procedure correctly to get to this point as swiftly as was legally possible.\" Grass had been paved over and machinery installed without planning permission following the group's arrival in December 2009, the council said. An enforcement notice was issued ordering them to stop using the land. The travellers lodged an appeal in 2010 which was unsuccessful and they were given until February 2013 to leave but failed to do so. After another unsuccessful appeal, they applied for a judicial review. This was refused by the High Court, the Court of Appeal and finally the Supreme Court in August 2016.", "summary": "Travellers who sparked a Supreme Court legal battle by pitching at a site for more than seven years have left."}
{"article": "Tory PCC Adam Simmonds' plans include employing a chief of staff, four assistant commissioners, and a value for money officer. Under the old police authority, there were seven staff members. The new organisation will have 10 extra posts. Mr Simmonds said a team was vital in overseeing the county force. He said: \"This is not an empire. This is about building something which is brand new. No-one has been PCC for Northamptonshire before. \"The public voted for me to do a job to support frontline policing. I can't do it physically on my own.\" He said his plans had been put forward to the public for consultation. Mr Simmonds said he would be judged on whether he had achieved his objectives of more police and a reduction in drug crime. In a report Mr Simmonds said he hoped to create three new departments, for drugs eradication, faith-based and neighbourhood initiatives, and the protection and security of the county, would also be created. The commission will carry out the work that the previous police authority did of overseeing targets and setting budgets. But the office also has new responsibilities of prevention and taking care of victims of crime. For 2012-13, the budget for Northamptonshire Police is \u00c2\u00a3120.55m - \u00c2\u00a32m less than 2011-12. Savings of \u00c2\u00a320m have to be made over four years. A spokesman for the commissioner said staff would be consulted about the plans in the first four months of next year.", "summary": "The new police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Northamptonshire has denied he is \"empire building\" with his plans for a 17-strong team."}
{"article": "18 February 2016 Last updated at 11:41 GMT The black saloon car hit the man at about 18:50 GMT as he crossed Copyground Lane on 9 February. Police have appealed for the driver and witnesses who came to help the victim, to come forward The man was taken to hospital for treatment and has since been discharged.", "summary": "A 50-year-old man was left with knee injuries after a car hit him in High Wycombe before driving off."}
{"article": "The 15cm high concrete wall is topped with razor wire, miniature US flags and includes 'Keep Out' signs written in both Spanish and English. It was created by LA-based street artist Plastic Jesus and was inspired by comments made by the Republican Presidential nominee last year when he outlined plans to build a wall along the US-Mexico border to stop illegal immigrants. Curious tourists snapped photographs of the Los Angeles structure, while a picture of the unusual artwork posted on the artist's Instagram account received more than 14,000 likes by Thursday morning. One person called the wall \"the most genius vandalism of the star yet,\" while another said it was the \"best thing I've seen all day.\" There were also those who were unimpressed by the Trump-attacking artwork, with one user exclaiming that \"A Trump presidency is what the US needs.\" In an interview with the BBC, Plastic Jesus explained why he had built the 'wall': \"I wanted to create a piece that drew attention to [Trump's] potential policies,\" he says. \"I knew this week was the republican convention and I suppose I was capitalising on the momentum of the convention.\" And so, on Tuesday afternoon he took his tiny wall made from wood and concrete, and placed it on top of Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He says the response to his wall has been largely supportive. \"I went to Hollywood Boulevard yesterday to take photographs and found myself in an absolute bottleneck of people taking photographs of the piece - it's been absolutely crazy.\" The artist, who emigrated to the US from the UK nine years ago, says he's not a fan of Donald Trump, \"In the US you'll interact with immigrants from all over the world and it's one of the things that makes the US so great. Donald Trump's policy proposals are a threat to all of the immigrants.\" Donald Trump received the 2,327th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007 for his work on America's The Apprentice. By Daniel Avis, BBC's UGC and Social News team", "summary": "Donald Trump's controversial call for a \"great, great wall\" on the US-Mexico border has yet to be realised but a tiny, tiny one has been built instead - surrounding his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame."}
{"article": "Jon Trickett, who had been close to Ed Miliband, declined to stand and Diane Abbott, who came last in her previous attempt, was concentrating on her bid to become Labour's candidate for London Mayor. Twice, in 2007 and 2010, John McDonnell tried to get on the ballot to lead his party. Twice he failed to garner enough support from his fellow Labour MPs. He has had a heart attack since - and didn't feel like a third attempt. But Mr McDonnell was a lynchpin of the Corbyn campaign - the \"agent\" that helped persuade 36 MPs, just one more than the minimum necessary to get on the ballot, to support the Islington North MP. Remarkably, this included 14 who \"lent\" him their backing in order to broaden the debate. Mr McDonnell will be hugely influential. He is the chair of the Socialist Campaign Group. He was elected for Hayes and Harlington in 1997 when Tony Blair swept to power but in many ways he formed - with Jeremy Corbyn - an unofficial opposition. He voted against many things which defined the Blair era. He opposed the Iraq war, foundation hospitals, and top-up tuition fees. He had represented the same area of west London on the Greater London Council between 1981 and its abolition by Mrs Thatcher's government five years later, serving as deputy leader to Ken Livingstone. He championed causes which were dubbed \"loony left\" by opponents at the time - from support for women's sections within the Labour Party to campaigning for a united Ireland. He would argue when it came to positive discrimination, and a peace process in Northern Ireland, he was ahead of the curve. He - unlike some on the left - has widespread experience of running things. He was chief executive of the Association of London Authorities and its successor body, the Association of London Government. A former colleague once said life at the ALG was a bit like in medieval times - \"nasty, brutish and short.\" Mr McDonnell is certainly more personally pugnacious than the new Labour leader but is not without charm and certainly not without intelligence. 24 things that Jeremy Corbyn believes A guide to Labour's new leader The Jeremy Corbyn Story Corbyn victory: How did he do it? What Corbyn's victory means for Labour When Jon Cruddas - Labour's former policy chief - suggested swing voters had abandoned the party because it wasn't trusted on the economy, he posted this on his website: \"First, it is unarguable that no modern party leader can win an election if behind in the polls on economic competence. Ed Miliband, sadly, was proof of this truism. Second, deficit denial is a non-starter for anyone to have any economic credibility with the electorate. This was a key finding of the poll recently published by Jon Cruddas, examining why Labour lost the election. \"So let me make it absolutely clear that Labour under Jeremy Corbyn is committed to eliminating the deficit and creating an economy in which we live within our means. Where the Corbyn campaign parts company with", "summary": "Jeremy Corbyn wasn't the left's first choice for Labour leader."}
{"article": "The jet-set \"pseudo-corporate\" lifestyle of Fifa executive committee members has long been a wonder to fans and media alike, but the trappings of an international corporation have unfortunately not come with the sort of oversight that a true business organisation should possess. Mr Blatter's decision to go later this year or early next year, after a continuing investigation by US authorities into allegations of corruption at Fifa is only the first of many steps that need to be taken, according its critics. \"Their current governance model is not fit for purpose,\" Oliver Parry, senior corporate governance partner at the UK-based business body the Institute of Directors, told the BBC website. \"It is not clear, transparent, or open, and people on the outside looking in do not have an understanding of how decisions are reached. There is a complete lack of transparency. \"Bringing in a new man, or woman, is not going to change the problem. There needs to be a root-and-branch re-organisation.\" Fifa's centre of power is its executive committee (ExCo), and the fact that this small body of 24 people (one President, eight Vice-Presidents and 15 members) has such power over global football is a concern for many. Members are appointed for a four year term, from among the six continental Confederations (eg Uefa in Europe) and 209 national football associations around the world. The ExCo meets at least twice a year and among its major powers is determining the dates, locations and format of tournaments, including of course the World Cup. It is this particular function which has aroused so much controversy - over the awards of the 2010 (South Africa), 2018 (Russia), and 2022 (Qatar) World Cups. Mr Parry says - using good corporate practice as a guide - there are three main changes that the IoD would like to see Fifa make: \"This is a massive juncture for Fifa,\" says Mr Parry. \"If they get things right now, they have the chance to make a really positive change to world football for decades to come. \"If they have the appetite and desire, then they have the opportunity to become a beacon for other sports around the world.\" Making sure the executive is held to account over its decisions will be key. Simon Chadwick, who is professor of sport business strategy and marketing at Coventry University Business School, says a reformed Fifa must have clear and published governance rules in place. He agrees there must be a division of powers within Fifa, with a separate board and executive, and says it is crucial that \"those making the executive decisions should be separate from the people responsible for holding the financial purse strings\". In addition Prof Chadwick believes that the membership of any new executive body should be widened \"to include not just members of football associations, but also fan representatives, sponsor representatives and other stakeholders\". Sponsors, who invest millions in supporting Fifa events, have a particular interest in seeing that the sport they are backing is run cleanly, as association with a murkily-run organisation can easily tarnish a corporate", "summary": "No sooner has Sepp Blatter said he is heading for the exit door at Fifa's plush headquarters in Zurich, than urgent questions are being asked about how football's tarnished governing body should reinvent itself."}
{"article": "It shows May driving with a broken arm, Clarkson driving on the Game of Thrones set and Hammond waking up in a buggy to find it has been hoisted into the air. The footage was shown to delegates at the Edinburgh Television Festival. The Grand Tour producer Andy Wilman said: \"Like them or loathe them, they are still doing their thing.\" Wilman, who worked with the trio on Top Gear, followed the presenters from the BBC to Amazon after Clarkson's high-profile altercation with a producer last year. Screening a montage of clips at the festival, he said: \"This is not a trailer but I put something together to show we have been busy. We have been going around the world with big ambition in the films.\" In the footage, May could be seen with his arm in a sling, and Wilman revealed: \"He fell over the night before filming, coming out of a pub. \"He rang me up and said 'I've broken my arm'. His car was automatic so we stuck him on Eurostar, pumped him full of drugs and left him to it. \"He did more damage to it because he had to keep on going but he's falling to bits anyway. We are not in Usain Bolt territory with that body.\" The footage also showed the trio racing Maseratis, a Rolls Royce and a Porsche, as well as Clarkson on a jet ski. Radio Times reporter Jonathan Holmes wrote afterwards: \"From this short tease, The Grand Tour looks like the biggest, brashest, loudest, most extreme version of Top Gear imaginable.\" The first episode will be 70 minutes long and the team have signed up to make 12 shows a year for three years. Wilman said everything was being filmed in 4K and that 90% of the pre-recorded films had been shot. But he rubbished press reports that each episode had a \u00a34.5m budget. The furore that led to Clarkson's sacking after punching a producer during an argument over hot food \"was a perfect storm that was coming\", Wilman explained. \"[Top Gear] got bigger and bigger by accident. We never adjusted to that and were collapsing under the weight of the work we were doing. \"We had [things] like Argentina go wrong, so it was all building,\" he added - referring to an attack on the Top Gear team in the country during filming in 2014. Locals threw rocks at crew members' cars in an apparent protest at a number plate which appeared to refer to the 1982 Falklands war. \"I'm speaking as someone who loves the BBC and there were a lot of people who were great with us and some people there weren't great with us and didn't want us there, so it became a battle,\" Wilman said. \"It became personal and confrontational and when everything went [wrong] in March, that was critical because it was going to be a victory for somebody. \"It wasn't going to be a resolution because I think some people didn't have the will to make it work on the management side, and I", "summary": "The first footage has given a glimpse of what to expect from ex-Top Gear trio Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond's new car show The Grand Tour."}
{"article": "The winner of the award, previously known as the Samuel Johnson Prize, will receive \u00a330,000. It aims to recognise high quality non-fiction works published in English. It is open to books in the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography and the arts. Flanders, now a chief market strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management, said: \"The Samuel Johnson Prize has helped changed the way we think about non-fiction writing in this country, with a yearly reminder that great books truly can come out of anywhere - and anything. \"Personally I'm delighted to be chairing the award in its new incarnation.\" Prize director Toby Mundy said: \"This is the beginning of a very significant new chapter in the story of Britain's most prestigious non-fiction prize.\" Submissions will be accepted from 23 May, with the winner announced on 15 November.", "summary": "Former BBC Economics Editor Stephanie Flanders is to chair the judges of the 2016 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction."}
{"article": "The ruling ends an eight-year legal battle over the documents. The manuscripts were in the possession of the family of Esther Hoffe, the secretary of Kafka's friend Max Brod. The family had argued that it rightfully owned the manuscripts after her death. David Blumberg, chairman the National Library of Israel, said the ruling was \"a celebratory day for any person of culture, in Israel and abroad\". He said: \"The Supreme Court asked the National Library to do its utmost to reveal Brod's estate to the public. The National Library will follow the court's ruling and will preserve the cultural assets by keeping them in the country as well as making them accessible to the general public.\" Before Kafka died of tuberculosis at the age of 41 in 1924, he left instructions that his works should be burned. But Brod ignored his request and published some of them. Those works included The Trial, Metamorphosis and The Castle, which helped turn Kafka into one of the 20th Century's most famous novelists. Brod smuggled Kafka's writings out of his home city of Prague in 1939, saving them from the Nazis. Brod died in 1968 and bequeathed his collection to his secretary Esther Hoffe. She had kept the collection in her Tel Aviv apartment as well as in safety deposit boxes in Israel and Switzerland. The legal battle over who rightfully owned them started after she died in 2007. Some of the deposit boxes were opened at in Zurich in 2010, but their contents were only revealed to an Israeli judge. In 2012, a Tel Aviv family court ruled that Brod had explicitly ordered Hoffe to catalogue and transfer his collection \"to the library of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem or the Tel Aviv municipal library, or any other public institution in Israel or abroad\". The Supreme Court has now agreed with this ruling. A statement on The National Library website said the materials that the National Library will receive include \"correspondences in Kafka's handwriting to Max Brod, Kafka's Paris journals, drawings, and many of Max Brod's works and the letters to Kafka\". \"It is fair to assume that many other treasures are hidden among Max Brod's personal material which will be exposed and catalogued by the National Library. \"As time goes by they will be made accessible in the broadest way for generations to come.\"", "summary": "Israel's Supreme Court has ruled that a collection of unpublished Franz Kafka manuscripts must be transferred from an Israeli family to the country's national library."}
{"article": "Subsea UK chief executive Neil Gordon said capital expenditure cuts and low crude price were starting to bite. But he added that the fundamentals of the sector, which supports 60,000 jobs, remained relatively strong. He was speaking at the start of Subsea Expo in Aberdeen. Subsea firms play a key role in North Sea activities, which have been coming under pressure following a sustained fall in the price of oil. This week accountants PwC said many oil and gas firms would need to transform the way they operate in order to grasp future opportunities in the sector. Its report argued companies should be looking to deploy fresh strategies, including looking to reduce costs \"in a sustainable manner\". Mr Gordon told delegates at Subsea Expo: \"The UK's subsea sector came out of a strong 2013 to a relatively flat second half of 2014. \"The existing order book kept the industry going but, as this dries up and projects are abandoned or postponed until the oil price recovers, we are in for major challenges.\" Mr Gordon said research suggested that overall capital expenditure growth forecasts should start to become more positive after 2016. He continued: \"It is therefore imperative that during this period Subsea UK demonstrates strong leadership by pushing the industry to more quickly adopt innovation and technology. \"We need to better explore how projects are currently delivered and then make the step-change to deliver major efficiencies. \"While subsea companies must speed up the development of new technologies, the industry must be prepared to embrace new technology. \"It has to become less risk-averse and more receptive to supporting field trials and implementation of new technology.\" Subsea UK is urging companies to turn to the National Subsea Research Initiative, which brings academia and industry together to collaborate on getting new technology to market much more quickly. NSRI will be focusing new research and development on a number of themes, including decommissioning methods and techniques, well intervention and small field cluster development.", "summary": "The UK's subsea sector is in for two years of tough times and will only weather the storm if it embraces innovation and new technology, an industry body has warned."}
{"article": "Enda Kenny was making a speech on the implications of Brexit on Wednesday. He said the move posed a serious threat to the Republic's economic prosperity. He also said the negotiations would be the most significant that Ireland had faced as an independent state. Mr Kenny also warned that if no executive was formed after the election on 2 March, Northern Ireland would struggle to have its concerns heard. While the UK as a whole voted to leave the EU, Northern Ireland voted to remain by a majority of 56% to 44%. The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland has been the subject of much discussion following the referendum, as it is set to become the UK's only land border with the EU. \"With the dissolution of the assembly, there is a very real danger that the absence of political leadership in Northern Ireland will lead to a retreat to partisan debate and an even greater marginalization of Northern Ireland's concerns,\" Mr Kenny said. \"The Brexit process will not wait for another round of lengthy talks in Stormont. \"When Article 50 is triggered, the world will move on, and it will move on quickly. \"Of course I will do my best to put forward the interests of the north in the Brexit negotiations.\" Mr Kenny said he would defend the Good Friday Agreement, oppose a hard border, argue for free movement on this island of Ireland, seek EU funding for cross-border projects and protect the rights of EU citizens in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland during negotiations.", "summary": "It is a matter of vital national interest that there is no return to a hard border on the island of Ireland when the UK leaves the European Union, the taoiseach (Irish prime minister) has said."}
{"article": "Above a link to an article about the fund hitting \u00a31m, Dominic Peacock wrote \"I've just donated\", before making an offensive comment. The East Riding of Yorkshire councillor later deleted it and said: \"I shouldn't have put it on in the first place.\" Council leader Stephen Parnaby said he would not tolerate such remarks. Labour MP Mrs Cox died when she was shot and stabbed in Birstall, West Yorkshire, on Thursday. A fund set up in her memory has received more than \u00a31m in donations. Mr Parnaby said: \"Following inappropriate and offensive comments made on social media relating to the sad and tragic death of Jo Cox MP, I have suspended councillor Dominic Peacock from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council Conservative Group with immediate effect. \"I shall be reporting this to a meeting of the full group and my recommendation will be that he be expelled. \"This is not the time for inappropriate remarks, however intended, and I will not tolerate them in my group, and residents should expect their elected representatives to act in an appropriate and compassionate way.\" He said he would be asking the Conservative group to make a donation to the memorial fund. Mr Peacock posted the comment in the Vote Leave Beverley & Holderness, Haltemprice & Howden page on Facebook. A spokesperson for the Vote Leave campaign also condemned the remark, saying: \"These comments are appalling, abhorrent and we believe that he should be thrown out of the Conservative Party. \"He is not welcome to campaign with us.\" Mr Peacock, who is the councillor for Minster and Woodmansey Ward, \"apologised unreservedly\" but declined to comment further when approached by the BBC. His comments have also sparked a series of angry responses on social media. Chevan Ilangaratne wrote on Facebook : \"What an utterly odious and inappropriate comment to make following what was an absolute tragedy for mankind last week.\" Jonathan Ware described the comment as \"absolutely ghastly\", while Tony Green called it \"an absolute disgrace\".", "summary": "A Conservative councillor has been suspended over an offensive Facebook post he wrote mocking fundraising in memory of killed MP Jo Cox."}
{"article": "McIlroy has opted out of the European Tour's flagship event because he does not want to play four weeks in a row. The world number three is returning from a three-week break to defend the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte. \"I am still working on it but I feel better than I did when I put the clubs away for a couple of weeks,\" he said. The 27-year-old is the only member of the world's top five not to win a tournament in 2016. Speaking to the Golf Channel, he added: \"I'd got into a couple of bad habits leading up to the Masters and it's never really a good time to work on them - you are just trying to play golf and shoot a score. \"I took basically a full two weeks off from golf. I went home to Ireland for a week and then had a bit of a break; I was island-hopping for about 10 days, which was nice.\" After the Wells Fargo at Quail Hollow, McIlroy will go on to compete in the Players' Championship and the Irish Open, where he will be tournament host at the K Club. The four-time major winner will play in the Memorial Tournament in the United States a week after the Wentworth event in preparation for the US Open. \"The reason I took three weeks off after Augusta was that I'm not going to have more than a week off [at a time] until after the Ryder Cup in October,\" said the Northern Irishman. \"I'm playing here, next week at the Players, the Irish Open and then it's basically week on, week off from there. \"Memorial, week off, US Open, week off, French Open, week off, Open, week off, PGA, week off, Olympics, week off, Fed Ex Cup, Ryder Cup. \"There's a little bit of travel in there as well so it's a busy stretch coming up and you can't play every week.\"", "summary": "Rory McIlroy has pulled out of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth later in May, but says he is close to removing the \"bad habits\" from his game."}
{"article": "After their defiance of the government on Monday, peers are waiting to see what instrument the government will devise for their punishment. And in particular they're keen to guess whether their former leader, Lord Strathclyde, will place a silken noose about their noble necks, or merely slap their noble wrists. Conservative MPs are not amused about Monday's rebuff: \"they've got to bleed,\" growled one senior Tory backbencher, but the options for punishment are far from simple. Despite the chuntering from sources close to ministers about \"suspending\" the Lords, or otherwise clipping its wings, such extreme constitutional surgery is simply not in the gift of the government. Serious constitutional reform requires passing a bill, and the investment of time and political capital necessary may simply be too great to be worth the bother. The basic problem is that any measure to cut the powers of the Lords has to be approved by, er, the House of Lords. And should peers reject the proposals, the Government could only over-ride them through the cumbersome means of the Parliament Act. Thus the same Lords reform bill would have to be passed by MPs two years running, to become law. There is no real consensus in the Commons about how to reform the Upper House and that would become painfully clear, whatever scheme was laid before it. By immemorial convention, constitutional measures are debated in detail by a committee of the whole House, and to bring the Parliament Act into play, that process would have to be gone through twice. That means two years in which, potentially, weeks of Commons time was devoted to debating constitutional arcana. \"Oh but it can be kept manageable by timetabling the committee stage.\" Really? Without that elusive consensus about the shape of Lords reform, there's a good chance that, for any given reform proposal, enough Conservative MPs would oppose a timetable motion, allowing it to be defeated and tipping the government into the prospect of an open-ended committee stage, lasting for months, not weeks. It was this that caused the Coalition to abandon the Clegg Lords Reform Bill, and it could well happen again. Labour played Clegg pretty mercilessly and seem unlikely to be more sympathetic to any Conservative proposal. No Labour government has ever had a majority in the Lords, and their MPs think the government should suck these defeats up, just as Tony Blair and his predecessors had to. And let's not even think about the consequences for government legislation if peers were really riled. So, if a Lords reform bill of some kind is a politically expensive and difficult exercise, what about creating a new wave of Tory peers to swamp the opposition parties? That would mean more than a hundred. Again, that is difficult, for different reasons. For a start the government has created a lot of new Tory peers already, new noble Lords are being introduced to the House at the rate of four or so a week, there are four more due next week. And it's not a done deal that the Queen would simply", "summary": "As every viewer of the Alec Guiness comedy classic, Kind Hearts and Coronets, knows, when peers are hanged, the execution is performed with a silken cord."}
{"article": "Transport links and water and power supplies in the city of 10 million are severely affected, and some residents are trapped in their homes. Flooding has killed more than 180 people and caused chaos across China. Police in neighbouring Anhui province even warned that alligators from a farm there had escaped due to the flooding. Source: The Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, figures accurate as of 3 July Wuhan's meteorological office released the red alert on Wednesday. It said to expect wind and rain, and flooding in both urban and rural areas. Chinese media is reporting that more than 560mm (1.8ft) of rain has fallen over the past week, the heaviest ever in the history of the city, which is on the Yangtze River. Roads and metro stations were inundated with water, and trains cancelled. The last leg of the journey home for some people leaving Wuhan train station tonight is on foot, wading through the water. A handful of couples passed me as I stood, almost up to my knees in it, at the traffic lights under the highway overpass by the railway station. A few coaches made it through the temporary pond, as did a few lorries. But there was no rush hour traffic in the worst hit suburbs tonight. There is some respite; the rain has stopped for now. But as I write this there are still cars driving the wrong way down a highway slip road because the rain has blocked their route. Water supplies have been cut off in some areas, and one residential district experienced a complete power black-out, according to local media. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, to oversee relief and rescue operations. Meanwhile, China's President Xi Jinping, has ordered the army to step up its relief efforts across the country. Amid the crisis, official figures for the number of dead have fluctuated. On Wednesday state television put the overall toll at about 170. Social media is awash with pictures of torrents of water thundering through metro stations, submerged cars and buildings, and firemen rescuing stranded people from across fast-flowing rivers that had previously been residential streets. Police in Anhui shared a notice from Wuhu County's tourism bureau, which said that alligators had escaped from a farm due to the flooding. The notice said people were still trying to verify how many alligators had escaped. It is not the only animal story to have grabbed the public's attention. On Tuesday a rescue team saved 6,000 pigs which had been stranded at their farm. Photos of farmers emotionally bidding the animals farewell had been widely shared on social media.", "summary": "The Chinese city of Wuhan is on red alert for more heavy rainfall, after torrential downpours overnight left parts of the city submerged."}
{"article": "Trustees of the Cwmaman Institute said they had six-figure debts and were struggling to keep the building open. Opened in 1892 for the local mining community, the building had a \u00c2\u00a33.8m lottery-funded facelift in 2001 unveiled by the Prince of Wales. Trust chairman John Oliver said they were warning groups using the venue it faced closure by the end of the year. \"It's been a struggle for a number of years, and we've been running it on a voluntary basis for the main part,\" he said. \"We hope something will crop up - we've written to Stereophonics but haven't heard back from them yet,\" Mr Oliver added. \"We'd be pleased if they said they could help us.\" Stereophonics - formed in Cwmaman in the 1990s by Kelly Jones, Richard Jones and the late Stuart Cable - played some of their first gigs at the institute before winning international fame. In July trustees sold a neighbouring pub - the Shepherd's Arms - to raise funds as part of the effort to save the venue.", "summary": "Rock stars Stereophonics have been asked to help save a venue where they played some of their first gigs."}
{"article": "The 34-year-old's deal is the third short-term contract he has signed since joining the Championship club last summer after four injury-plagued years. Barker only made five substitute appearances, but helped the Brewers avoid relegation and boss Nigel Clough sees him as a valuable squad member. \"I am not signing as a player expected to play 90 minutes or a couple of games a week,\" Barker told BBC Radio Derby. \"Six months is perfect. Physically I feel no different than I did in my mid-20s. I am fit enough and can still do sessions like everyone else. But I have a reaction with my knee so have to be careful.\" The former Derby County centre-back said his aerial ability means both he and Clough are sure he can continue to contribute. \"There is definitely use for me in certain games,\" Barker added. \"To play 90 minutes is a little bit too much, but you never know. \"If pre-season goes well and I am fit and able that would be lovely, but it is not something the gaffer and me are expecting.\"", "summary": "Defender Shaun Barker has signed a new six-month contract with Burton Albion."}
{"article": "Speaking in advance of their trips, they proposed very different solutions. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said he would be asking US officials to help convince the UK government to take a new approach to welfare funding. But Secretary of State Theresa Villiers will say those blocking welfare reform are putting more strain on the budget. Mr McGuinness travelled to Washington on Monday while Ms Villiers will begin a three-day visit to the US on Tuesday. She will update members of the US administration, members of Congress and senior figures in the Irish American community on the current political situation in Northern Ireland. She said her message during the trip to Washington and New York is that the Stormont House Agreement remains the best hope for building a brighter more secure future. The agreement, signed by Northern Ireland's five main political parties last December, was a wide-ranging deal that addressed some of Stormont's current financial difficulties, after a reduction in its block grant from Westminster. However, Mr McGuinness' Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in party withdrew its support for the bill in March because of a row over the implementation of welfare reforms. The Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in MLA is due to meet influential Irish Americans, representatives of the US State Department representatives and other senior US officials. Speaking on Sunday evening, he said Northern Ireland's political institutions were in an \"extremely grave situation\". \"The institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, which have underpinned the Irish peace process for almost two decades, are facing crisis,\" Mr McGuinness said. He repeated his call for the UK government to change its approach and ensure the institutions are \"politically and economically viable and able to meet the needs of a society emerging from a long and bitter conflict\". \"It is my hope that the US administration - which has been a key ally since the inception of the peace process - can help convince the British government of the gravity of the current situation and to end their current approach which threatens to undermine the incredible progress we have made,\" Mr McGuinness added.", "summary": "Northern Ireland's secretary of state and deputy first minister are taking separate visits to the US to brief the government about the Stormont crisis."}
{"article": "The budding star, coached by Kaiser Chiefs front man Ricky Wilson, beat off stiff competition from Lucy O'Byrne to take the crown. The 29-year-old, from Alva in Clackmannanshire, had been the bookies' favourite to win the final. After his victory was announced, Stevie said: \"I never thought this was possible.\" His debut single - a cover of Lost Stars - has already been released. He has also been asked to perform at this year's T in the Park. The firefighter only ended up on the show after his workmates entered him. Asked what colleagues at his fire station would think, he said: \"I think they're over the moon for me because they all wanted me to go for it. \"A lot of people have saw something in me that I didn't see, and even standing up there I've still got that self-doubt and I think it's going to take a while to click in, to take in, that I've actually won The Voice 2015.\" A spokesman for bookmakers Coral said: \"Stevie has proved a popular winner in this year's series of The Voice as he was well backed to win the show ever since his blind audition. \"All three previous winners of The Voice have struggled in the charts but our odds suggest Stevie could have some success with his debut single and album.\" Ricky Wilson said Stevie had won by simply singing the song and \"connecting with people\". He added: \"Stevie's a typical Scotsman. Although on paper he was the favourite all along, he still felt like the massive underdog.\" You can watch Stevie's winning performance on The Voice here.", "summary": "Scottish firefighter Stevie McCrorie has won the grand final of the BBC show, The Voice."}
{"article": "Efforts to find the family began in August after India accepted the woman, named Geeta, was one of its citizens. Geeta, who has speech and hearing impairments, was about 11 when she is believed to have strayed into Pakistan. Her plight emerged following a Bollywood film Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which told the story of a Pakistani girl who cannot speak and is trapped in India. For most of her time in Pakistan, Geeta has lived at an Edhi shelter home in Karachi, reports the BBC's Shahzeb Jillani. Staff at the charity gave her her name - she is now thought to be about 22. \"The Indian high commissioner has lately sent a family photo to us and Geeta has recognised the family,\" Anwer Kazmi, a senior official at the foundation, told AFP news agency. \"We have showed the picture to Geeta and she says they are her family... We hope she will confirm the family identification during the Skype chat through sign language.\" Geeta was unable to provide a name, address or any documentation to the Pakistani border guards who found her over a decade ago. Nor could she explain how she ended up across the border. Once her travel documents are sorted, she could leave for India as early as 26 October, Faisal Edhi, the son of Pakistan's leading charity worker Abdul Sattar Edhi, said on Thursday. The Edhi Foundation was trying to arrange a Skype call between Geeta and her family, who live in the Indian state of Bihar, he added. It was not clear when the Skype chat would be held. Although it was long thought that Geeta was Indian, it was only in August that the authorities in Delhi accepted her as a citizen - and said she would be brought back home soon. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said then that she would be handed over to her family after a DNA test.", "summary": "An Indian woman stranded in Pakistan for a decade has identified her family in photos sent from across the border."}
{"article": "\"Assessing and reporting major risks does not mean becoming involved in politics; rather it would be political to suppress important judgments,\" he told a House of Lords committee. Mr Carney said the vote was the biggest domestic risk to the UK's financial stability. He added that uncertainty was already hitting the growth outlook. The referendum takes place on 23 June. The governor said that while the Bank of England had not made \"and will not make\" any overall assessment of the economics of the UK's EU membership, assessing the implications were necessary for it to do its job - maintaining monetary and financial stability. \"As with the Scottish Referendum, we will communicate as much as is prudent about those plans in advance of any risk materialising and as comprehensively as possible once risks have dissipated,\" he added. The governor also reiterated he saw \"signs of growing uncertainty about the UK's macroeconomic outlook related to the referendum\". There is the possibility that a vote to leave the EU would \"reinforce existing vulnerabilities\" in the UK economy, including a risk around the UK's trade deficit, he added. \"I think it's safe to say that it [the UK current account deficit] is running at a rate around 5%... and that is remarkably high for a large advanced economy... The risk around the challenge... is that the financing terms change on that current account. Increased cost to the economy - [a] consequence of that is a sharp slowing of the economy.\" Mr Carney also refused to comment in detail on Monday's Treasury report which warned that the UK economy could be 6% smaller by 2010 if it left the EU, but said the report's \"broad approach, to me, makes sense\". He said a vote to Leave \"might result in an extended period of uncertainty about the economic outlook\" which would be likely to affect demand in the short term and could affect the supply side economy. Mr Carney's appearance in front of the committee comes just days after the Bank of England warned the EU referendum could hurt growth in the first half of this year. The Bank warned uncertainty over the EU referendum could cause \"some softening\" in growth in the first half of 2016. It also said sterling had also been affected by the uncertainty ahead of the vote.", "summary": "It is the Bank's duty to talk about EU referendum risks, says Bank of England governor Mark Carney, dismissing accusations the Bank is too political."}
{"article": "Essiedu scooped best performance in a play at the UK Theatre Awards, which reward shows produced outside London. The 26-year-old played Shakespeare's prince in Stratford-upon-Avon. Two musicals from Sheffield's Crucible Theatre - Flowers For Mrs Harris and Show Boat - led the other winners, while Vanessa Redgrave and Sir Ian McKellen received honorary awards. Essiedu said his award was \"a huge honour\" and that the fact he was the RSC's first black Hamlet was \"significant and insignificant at the same time\". He said: \"It's significant in that the RSC is a national organisation that should represent everyone in our country regardless of your creed, colour, religion, sexuality, whatever. \"As such you would expect something like this to have happened before. But I think it was really important that it was happening now and we were really proud of the work that we did.\" Sir Ian McKellen was given an award for his outstanding contribution to British theatre and told the ceremony about the importance of his visits to the three theatres in his home town of Bolton in his youth. \"If it hadn't been for those local theatres, where I did my first theatregoing, I wouldn't be an actor, of course not,\" the 77-year-old said. The number of theatres around the country has declined since then, he said - but he added that the standards in those that now exist, like Bolton's Octagon, were often higher than in the past. Vanessa Redgrave was presented with the Gielgud Award for excellence in the dramatic arts and told the audience she believed theatre \"helps keep society sane\". \"And boy do we need to be kept sane at the moment. And if I've helped along the way,\" she added with a laugh, \"I'm glad.\" Among the other winners, Flowers For Mrs Harris and Show Boat, both directed by Sheffield Theatres' former artistic director Daniel Evans, shared the award for best musical production. Clare Burt won best performance in a musical for Flowers for Mrs Harris, a new musical that was adapted from a 1958 novel by Paul Gallico. Rebecca Trehearn picked up best supporting performance for playing Julie La Verne in Sheffield's production of classic musical Show Boat, which later transferred to the West End. The prize for best new play went to Cuttin' It by Charlene James, a drama about female genital mutilation among teenage girls in the UK. An operatic adaptation of Sarah Kane's innovative and intense play 4:48 Psychosis by the Royal Opera and Guildhall School Of Music and Drama earned the prize for achievement in opera. Choreographer Gary Clarke, who picked up the achievement in dance accolade for Coal, his show about the 1980s mining industry, dedicated it to his home town of Grimethorpe, South Yorkshire, and other mining communities. And a theatre in a restored 18th Century flour mill on the outskirts of Reading, The Mill at Sonning, was voted the UK's most welcoming theatre. The UK Theatre Awards do not cover National Theatre productions or West End shows unless they have transferred from a theatre outside the capital. The", "summary": "Paapa Essiedu, the first black actor to play Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company, has won a top theatre award."}
{"article": "Mr Obama, who is on a three-day visit with his wife Michelle, is meeting PM David Cameron for talks. Mr Obama has told the Daily Telegraph being in the EU magnified Britain's influence across the world. But London Mayor Boris Johnson called his view \"hypocritical\", describing the EU system as \"alien\" to US traditions. Prime Minister David Cameron is hosting Mr Obama at Downing Street. The leaders are holding talks on the fight against so-called Islamic State (IS) and will later be joined by the UK's home, foreign and defence secretaries, and the chancellor. Mr Cameron and Mr Obama are expected to discuss the progress being made in combating IS in Iraq and what more can be done to tackle the group in Syria. The situation in Libya, where the West is considering how to support the newly-established Government of National Accord (GNA) in the battle against IS, will also be discussed. The pair will later hold a joint press conference. Earlier the president and First Lady Michelle Obama attended a private lunch with the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle - the day after the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations. The Obamas brought the Queen a photo album of her many visits with US presidents and first ladies. The album begins with her visit to the United States in 1951. Then known as Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, she toured George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate and met with President Harry Truman at the White House. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will welcome the Obamas for dinner at Kensington Palace on Friday evening. BBC deputy royal correspondent Sarah Campbell The Duke of Edinburgh drove the Queen into the Castle grounds to meet the president and first lady as they disembarked from their helicopter. After a quick chat, there was some discussion over where people should sit, with Mr Obama opting for the front seat. Prince Philip, aged 94, returned to the wheel. This is the third time the couples have met and the first time in the historic surrounds of Windsor Castle. Their last meeting was during a visit in 2011 when the Obamas stayed in Buckingham Palace. In 2009, in what was taken to be a sign of a friendly relationship between the families, the first lady was photographed with her arm around the Queen's waist. In their meetings since, including today, there does seem to be a genuine warmth between the two families. Today's lunch is private. To the frustration of the many journalists covering this visit, whatever the Queen makes of the president's views on Britain in Europe will remain within the castle walls. The president's intervention in the UK's forthcoming EU referendum on 23 June has been hotly debated and sparked claims of \"hypocrisy\" from those who want to leave the EU. They claim the US \"would never contemplate anything like the EU for itself\". In an article for the newspaper, President Obama acknowledged that ultimately the matter was for British voters to decide for themselves. But he also said: \"The outcome of", "summary": "Barack Obama has urged the UK to stick with the EU, as he began his final trip to Britain as US president by having lunch with the Queen."}
{"article": "The Nottinghamshire born athlete, who is a double amputee, set off from John O'Groats in August and headed into Land's End on Monday. The 37-year-old 200m sprinter, who began his career as a marathon runner, said the task had been five years in the planning. He said the challenge had been \"an epic journey\". \"I'm really tired. It has been really tough the last couple of days,\" he said. \"Cornwall is really hilly and the energy levels are wacked at the moment. But I have had a great team around me who have supported me. \"It has been awesome to see people on the way and the support online as well.\" Richard Runs Britain has raised \u00a3105,000 for charities Sarcoma UK and Scope, considerably less than his \u00a31m target. He asked people to run with him at certain points and was joined by several athletes and celebrities along the way. Whitehead said he had been inspired by amputee and sarcoma cancer sufferer Terry Fox, who attempted to run across Canada in 1980. He added: \"Unfortunately he didn't reach his destination but he inspired me to start running myself and after last year's success at the Paralympics I got this once in a lifetime opportunity up and going, and here we are.\" Before his challenge Whitehead said he had wanted to reach out to people of all ages and abilities and encourage people into sport as part of the legacy of the Olympics and Paralympics. He was joined for the last two days of the journey by his wife and seven-month-old daughter.", "summary": "Paralympic gold medallist Richard Whitehead has completed 40 marathons in 40 days."}
{"article": "They say the rapid test, which looks for a chemical in the blood, would reduce stress for patients, save money and ease pressure on hospital wards. Trials on 6,304 people, published in the Lancet medical journal, suggested it was 99.6% accurate. The British Heart Foundation said the test would produce faster answers without affecting patient safety. About one million people attend A&E departments in the UK with chest pain, only for most of them to be sent home after a sometimes lengthy and anxious stay. They have levels of troponin, a chemical released by damaged heart muscle, tested when they are admitted and again 12 hours later. The new test also looks for troponin, but can detect much lower levels and needs to be done only once. So those given the all-clear can go straight home. The study, led by the University of Edinburgh and taking place in Scottish and US hospitals, estimated that two-thirds of patients could be discharged much more quickly. Dr Atul Anand, one of the researchers and a physician at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, told the BBC News website: \"It's really exciting. When you look at patients who come to medical wards with chest pain, 80% are going home 12 hours later. \"This avoids the hassle, cost and patient stress.\" He said the test cost less than \u00c2\u00a310 although not all hospitals currently had the facilities to perform the more sensitive test. However, Dr Anand said it would be \"pretty straightforward\" to introduce and there was a \"clamouring\" to do. Last year the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended the NHS uses the more sensitive troponin testing kit however it is unclear when the NHS will move from a double to a single test. By Dominic Hughes, health correspondent Three years ago I woke in the middle of the night with crushing chest pains and was rushed to my local hospital. Once we reached A&E I was given a blood test, looking for the chemical troponin, but the existing test has to be repeated after at least six hours. So there I lay, waiting anxiously for the result, taking up a valuable bed. Like 80% of people with chest pain, it wasn't a heart attack, just a footballing injury gone haywire. But this new test would have saved me some anxious moments, and freed up capacity in a busy A&E. Prof Jeremy Pearson, from the British Heart Foundation, said: \"A faster, more accurate diagnosis of whether chest pain is caused by a heart attack would be better for patients and save the NHS money. \"No-one wants to be in hospital unless they have to be. \"What's important about this study is that the evidence shows you can quickly and confidently rule out a heart attack without compromising patient safety.\" Follow James on Twitter.", "summary": "A blood test can more than halve the number of people admitted to hospital with a suspected heart attack, say doctors."}
{"article": "Labour MP Julie Cooper's bill to exempt carers from parking charges was stymied by Tory MPs and is unlikely to become law. Ms Cooper said the charges were \"one extra penalty\" carers did not need. Social Care Minister Alistair Burt said local hospitals should make their own decisions but should try to reduce the \"cost burden\" on carers. Mr Burt and backbench Conservative MPs made lengthy speeches in an attempt to kill Ms Cooper's bill by using up the Commons time allotted to it, a tactic known as filibustering. Philip Davies, who spoke for 90 minutes, said Labour MP Julie Cooper's bill was \"unnecessary\" and his colleague, David Nuttall, warned it could divert money away from frontline NHS services. Conservative MP Christopher Chope extended the Tory filibuster by more than 30 minutes with his speech saying the Labour MP's plan would be difficult to police. The level of charges varies between hospital NHS trusts, but the average cost in England is \u00c2\u00a339 per week and in London it can be about \u00c2\u00a3130 per week. Introducing her bill, Ms Cooper told MPs hospital parking charges placed an \"unfair financial burden\" on carers, and represented \"one extra penalty\". She said she had cared for her own mother when she was in hospital. \"Each night when I left tired and distressed I queued up to pay for my parking,\" she said. \"At that time it was costing me \u00c2\u00a340 a week. On one of those days driving out of the car park, it occurred to me that I was lucky because I could afford to pay this charge and I went on to reflect on the matter and I thought what about those people who can't afford to pay.\" Her bill would place a duty on health authorities to exempt carers who are in receipt of, or have an underlying entitlement for, Carer's Allowance and those who have been certified by a clinician as providing, or intending to provide, substantial care on a regular basis. Hospital parking policies are set by individual NHS trusts in England. Mr Burt said carers were \"unsung heroes\" but that it was up to individual NHS trusts to decide how they structure their parking charges. \"A one-size-fits-all central policy is not appropriate for car parking,\" he said. \"However we understand the cost burden on carers that might have to make frequent visits so we encourage hospitals to look at the discounts they can offer.\" MPs have the chance to continue debate on Ms Cooper's bill on another day, but the measure is now unlikely to become law. Department of Health guidelines on hospital car parking charges suggest concessions should be available for carers with relatives who are gravely ill or who have an extended stay in hospital. They also say concessions should be offered to people with disabilities and NHS staff whose shift patterns meant they could not use public transport. A Downing Street spokeswoman said the government had already produced guidance to hospitals on who should be exempted from parking charges but said it was for trusts to decide", "summary": "The government has encouraged hospitals to offer discounted parking for carers as it rejected a bid to change the law."}
{"article": "The ruling comes three years after capital punishment was abolished in the state, but for future crimes only. The supreme court's decision means 11 of the state's inmates still on death row will now be spared. Connecticut has had just one execution since 1976. Thirty-one US states still allow executions. The ruling came in response to an appeal by convicted murder Eduardo Santiago, who was sentenced to death by lethal injection in 2005. \"We are persuaded that... this state's death penalty no longer comports with contemporary standards of decency and no longer serves any legitimate penological purpose,\" it said. It noted a \"freakishness\" in the use of the punishment, with what it said was a wide disparity in its application. Connecticut supreme court judge Richard Palmer said the death penalty amounted to \"cruel and unusual punishment\" and violated the state's constitution. New Hampshire is the only north-eastern state to still keep capital punishment, though its last execution was carried out in 1939. The latest state to abolish the death penalty was Nebraska in 2015. Source: Death Penalty Information Center Why is the US Supreme Court reviewing the lethal injection?", "summary": "A top court in the US state of Connecticut has overturned the death penalty for inmates on death row, deeming it unconstitutional."}
{"article": "After reported lobbying from Spain, the EU's Brexit negotiation strategy is that decisions affecting Gibraltar will be run past the Spanish government. Labour's Keir Starmer said Gibraltar should not be a \"bargaining chip\". Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has insisted Britain remains \"implacable and rock-like\" in its support. Mr Johnson held talks on Friday with Gibraltar's chief minister to reassure him of the UK government's continued backing. Mr Johnson met with Fabian Picardo who said the territory was being singled out for \"unnecessary, unjustified and unacceptable\" discrimination by Spain. An EU source told the BBC the inclusion of the Gibraltar issue in the document triggering Article 50 had come after lobbying from Spain. However, Theresa May had not mentioned Gibraltar once in her 2,200-word letter, starting the Brexit process. Lord Boswell, chairman of the House of Lords EU Committee, said the government must not give the impression that Gibraltar is an \"afterthought\". Sir Keir, the shadow Brexit secretary, has told Brexit Secretary David Davis that Gibraltar's sovereignty and interests must be protected. Clare Moody, Labour MEP for Gibraltar and south west England, told BBC Radio Four's Today programme it was the government's job to \"represent the people of Gibraltar\". She said: \"I was amazed that they failed to do that in the letter they sent on Wednesday. \"It worries me that we are about to enter into the most detailed negotiations that we have known for decades. \"If the government has overlooked the interests of Gibraltar, which is a crucial part of the kind of constitutional arrangements of our membership of the European Union, then what else are they going to overlook as well?\" Christian Hernandez, president of the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce, told the programme that the British government needed to \"stand firm in the face of Spanish bullying\". \"We don't want to be independent from the UK. \"We've made it very clear in the last 100 years, in the last 20 years, in the last 15 years, we want a constitutional relationship with the UK, where we continue to be part of the UK and independence is not something we aspire to,\" he added. Spain has long contested Britain's 300 year-rule of Gibraltar. Gibraltarians, who number about 30,000, rejected by 99% to 1% the idea of the UK sharing sovereignty with Spain, in a vote in 2002. However, Spain has continued to press its territorial claim. Following last June's EU referendum - in which Gibraltar voted by 96% to 4% to remain in the EU - Spain's then foreign minister suggested shared sovereignty could allow Gibraltarians to maintain some of the benefits of EU membership and enable Spain to \"plant its flag\" there. But Alfonso Dastis, his successor, said in January that Spain would not put Gibraltar at the centre of the negotiations and it would be free to leave the EU if it wished. By Matthew Cole, BBC News politics reporter In the months since the referendum, many senior Spanish officials played down suggestions Brexit would be used to press Spain's claims to Gibraltar. A source close to the Spanish", "summary": "The UK has said it will stand up for Gibraltar's interests after the territory accused Spain of using Brexit to forward its territorial aims."}
{"article": "Joe Pugh, 18, and his girlfriend Leah Washington, aged 17, both of Barnsley, were riding on the Smiler on Tuesday. Two carriages crashed on the ride at the Staffordshire theme park, leaving some passengers trapped for four-and-a-half hours about 25ft (7.6m) up in the air. Mr Pugh and Miss Washington and another man and a woman suffered leg injuries. A man who operated the Smiler ride when it opened in 2013, who gave his name only as Mark, has expressed his frustration the accident happened. Meanwhile, Oaks Working Men's Club, in Barnsley, where Mr Pugh works said: \"We at The Oaks WMC would like to extend our prayers and best wishes in the speedy recovery of our barman Joe Pugh and his girlfriend Leah Washington.\" Mr Pugh's friend Alice Holmes spoke of her shock to the BBC's Mark Ansell. She said: \"I text saying 'Are you ok? Smiler has crashed' and I never got a reply. \"I text him again and again and he still didn't reply. Then, this morning I saw a clip on the news and I knew it was him from his outfit because he dresses quite nice.\" The BBC's Declan Wilson spoke to friends of Miss Washington, who said she was the more badly injured. One friend said she had injuries to her legs, hips and hands. Alton Towers said on social media that the park would remain closed on Thursday, as an investigation into the cause of the accident continued. Nick Varney, chief executive of the park's owners Merlin Entertainments, said: \"A full investigation is now under way and we will continue to work closely with the emergency services and the Health and Safety Executive to better understand the cause of this terrible accident.\" The accident happened at around 14:00 BST on Tuesday, leaving 16 people stuck in the air at an angle of about 45 degrees. The park said the carriage carrying the people was travelling at 20mph when it crashed. Four people were airlifted to major trauma centres across the West Midlands. People at the theme park reported hearing \"a loud crash\" when the collision happened. Mr Pugh, a textile design student at the University of Huddersfield, has been sent supportive messages on social media from friends. \"Wishing Joe Pugh and his girlfriend a speedy recovery,\" Kay Eggleston wrote. Ross William Gibson wrote: \"Can't believe when I wrote this I didn't know one of the four was my friend Joe Pugh and his girlfriend. Get well soon pal.\" Mark, who operated the Smiler ride in 2013, said: \"I am frustrated that such a simple error has been made, knowing myself how the system should function and that it is one of the safest rides I've ever worked on. \"One carriage should only be in a certain block section at a time. \"When the empty carriage didn't make it to the next block section after a certain amount of time, the ride should have stopped any other carriages being sent and entering that block.\"", "summary": "Two teenagers have been named as victims of the Alton Towers rollercoaster accident."}
{"article": "Heidi Gannon was born in Wales and her sister Jo Baines was born in England about two hours afterwards. Their mum didn't know she was having twins. A set of twins were born in England and Scotland in 2012 and were thought to be the first to be born in different countries but Heidi and Jo were born much earlier, in 1976. The family has been in touch with Guinness World Records which has confirmed they will update their records. A spokesperson said: \"We were made aware of Ms Baines and Ms Gannon's claim for this record last week and after some research involving our twins consultant we have been able to verify that they are indeed the first twins born in different countries.\"", "summary": "Twins claim world record title as the first pair to be born in different countries - nearly 40 years later."}
{"article": "Calais officials said the man was \"crushed\" by pallets and was found by a Hungarian driver at about 07:00 BST. The Iraqi man was travelling with two other family members, who were unhurt, a spokesman for the Prefecture du Pas de Calais said. He is the 12th person to have died trying to cross the English Channel to reach Britain since late June. Last week, a teenager, thought to be from east Africa, was killed by a freight train near the Channel Tunnel entrance in Calais. Days earlier a man died when he was electrocuted at the tunnel entrance. The situation in Calais is part of a wider migrant crisis across Europe, with huge numbers of people heading north from the Mediterranean.", "summary": "A 20-year-old Iraqi has been found dead in a UK-bound lorry in Calais port, French authorities have said."}
{"article": "Andrew Nay, 39, crashed his Land Rover into the girls' family car as he made a right turn across oncoming traffic on the A509 near Wellingborough. Katrina Raiba, now six, and her sister Karlina, eight, were left paralysed from the waist down. The girls' parents said they would \"never be able to forgive\" Nay. Live: Reaction to sentencing of Andrew Nay Northampton Crown Court was told Nay, a Jaguar Land Rover manager and off-road driving instructor, was tailgating and \"bullying\" a woman who had been driving a Mazda. To get away from him during his pursuit in October last year, she safely turned right onto the B547 towards Little Harrowden. Nay, who was seen laughing with his male passenger, undertook a Mercedes and then, in an attempt to follow the Mazda, made an \"absolutely ridiculous\" turn, the court heard. He hit the family's Vauxhall Signum that was travelling along the A509 in the opposite direction. The girls' parents, Roberts Raibais and Renate Raiba, released a statement saying: \"Andrew Nay's reckless actions had devastating consequences for our two beautiful daughters. \"Katrina and Karlina were happy, active children and he has robbed them of that. We will never be able to forgive him. \"Every day they ask 'when will we start feeling our legs again?' They think it's going to get better and it's too hard to tell them.\" Nay, from Weldon, Corby, admitted four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, but denied he had been chasing the Mazda prior to the crash. Judge Adrienne Lucking QC said: \"This was a prolonged, persistent and deliberate course of very bad driving. \"No sentence I can pass will ever feel like enough for this family.\" The judge told Nay his account of events had been \"incredible and inconsistent\". Sgt Tony Hopkins, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit in Northamptonshire, said: \"This is probably one of the most tragic cases that I think I've had to deal with in my career to date. \"There is no end for the family, this will go on for years and this will affect them for years.\" He added: \"I'm pleased to see that the judge has been able to see through Mr Nay's story, and has been able to see what the witnesses have evidenced to us over the few months, to highlight how long this incident actually went on for.\" Jaguar Land Rover' said in a statement: \"We are deeply saddened by this terrible incident and our thoughts are with the Raiba family. We can confirm that Andrew Nay is no longer an employee of Jaguar Land Rover.\"", "summary": "A driving instructor who left two young sisters paralysed after a \"road rage\" crash in Northamptonshire has been jailed for four-and-a-half years."}
{"article": "CRCC was at the head of a consortium that had won the project last year, which was abruptly revoked shortly after being awarded. The deal was called off over controversy in the bidding process. The Mexican government relaunched the bid earlier this year, but that was cancelled for a second time. The second cancellation of the 130-mile rail link was blamed on budget cuts. The Chinese rail firm gave Mexico's communications and transport ministry (SCT) a list of costs that it had incurred during the bidding process and had requested for compensation. The ministry announced the amount to be paid to the firm on Thursday. If the deal had gone ahead, it would have resulted in Mexico becoming the first Latin American nation to have a bullet train after Brazil and Argentina had postponed their own rail projects.", "summary": "Mexico will compensate China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) $1.31m (\u00a3835,953) for cancelling a $3.75bn high-speed rail contract."}
{"article": "The comments came after Amazon told a US Senate committee that the country's reticence was holding it back. The firm said that, by the time it had been given permission to test one prototype, the drone had already been rendered obsolete. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the congestion of America's airspace justified its slow approach. Paul Misener, Amazon's vice president for global public policy, told the committee earlier this week that permission to conduct outdoor tests on a home delivery drone prototype had taken more than six months to be granted, and came through about a week ago. \"We don't test it anymore. We've moved on to more advanced designs that we are already testing abroad,\" he said. Mr Misener told the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety and Security: \"Nowhere outside of the United States have we been required to wait more than one or two months to begin testing.\" Amazon has previously said it wanted to use drones to deliver packages to people's homes. The flights would cover distances of 10 miles (16 km) or more and would require drones to travel autonomously while equipped with technology to avoid collisions with other aircraft. The case illustrates the frustrations of many industry representatives, who have said that the US regulatory process is not keeping up with rapidly developing drone technology that could generate new revenues and cost savings for a range of industries. The FAA has sought to alleviate some of the frustrations by announcing a new \"blanket\" approval for some companies to fly limited operations, rather than requiring a new permit for each flight. The change affected only flights of up to 200ft (61m) during daylight hours and within a drone operator's line of sight. But concerns over the restrictive US policies could provide an opportunity for the UK, according to Dr Ravi Vaidyanathan, a senior lecturer in robotics at Imperial College London. \"For commercial growth, it probably does provide an opportunity because companies can do more [in the UK], so they can gauge more of the market and the likely impact,\" he told the BBC. A House of Lords committee has called for strict controls to be placed on the use of drones, but also for the flexibility to allow the growth of a burgeoning industry that experts have said could create thousands of jobs. Mr Misener called the approach of the European authorities more \"reasonable\", adding that the US government's \"low level of... attention and slow pace\" was inadequate. However, Dr Vaidyanathan highlighted the \"potential downside\" in reducing regulatory requirements, saying that doing so would create a greater safety risk. And Margaret Gilligan, the FAA's associate administrator for aviation safety, said that US airspace was more complex than that of other countries. She told the Senate panel that regulators could set new standards for autonomous drone operations within a year. The FAA recently proposed rules that would lift the current ban on most commercial drone flights, but several restrictions attached would make package delivery and other business applications unfeasible. Among other constraints, the proposed rules would", "summary": "US regulators' sluggishness over drone testing could be an opportunity for the UK, a leading academic has said."}
{"article": "Victoria Allen, 51, threatened to take Brannel School in St Austell, Cornwall to tribunal over the matter. The dispute was settled out of court earlier. She had told the pupil she did not agree with same sex relationships and she was unhappy that the rainbow emblem was used to represent gay pride. More on the teacher row, plus more Devon and Cornwall news Both parties spent the day behind closed doors at Bodmin Magistrates' Court thrashing out an agreement. A joint statement said head teacher Andy Edmonds \"recognised Victoria Allen's right to share her Christian beliefs with students and has apologised for any upset that Victoria Allen may have felt during the disciplinary process\". Outside the court, Mrs Allen said she was made to \"feel like a criminal\" for sharing her \"personal, Biblical beliefs\". She said she believes the rainbow emblem, often used to represent the gay community, should indicate \"God's promise not to flood the world again\". Mrs Allen said the student asked her a direct question about her personal religious beliefs. \"If a child asks my personal opinion I feel I should give it,\" she said. In the statement, Mrs Allen acknowledged that staff \"should share balanced views\". Libby Powell of the Christian Legal Centre, which supported Mrs Allens' claim, said: \"Vicky was asked a question about her personal opinion. \"We know that there are lots of people who disagree with the Biblical view of marriage and they are free to disagree. \"What we want to say is that there has to be space for the other point of view, Vicky's point of view, to be there as well.\"", "summary": "A school has apologised to a Christian teaching assistant it disciplined for sharing her views on gay relationships with a 14-year-old student."}
{"article": "An 18-year-old man was left with a serious neck injury after the attack in a Glasgow bar in May. The man is described as white, tall, with short brown hair and a protruding nose. At the time he was wearing blue jeans, a white shirt and a khaki green bomber style jacket. Det Con Nikki McPherson said: \"This was a brutal attack that left a man with serious injuries and requiring urgent medical treatment.\" She added: \"It is important that we trace whoever is responsible as soon as possible. \"I would ask anyone who recognises the man in the CCTV image to contact police as he may be able to assist with our inquiries.\" The victim was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital after the attack at The Argosy bar in Paisley Road West, Cardonald. He has since been discharged The attack took place during a party at about 23:00 on 13 May. Det Con McPherson said: \"We would also like to hear from anyone who witnessed this incident and is yet to come forward and speak to police, so please do get in touch.\"", "summary": "Police have issued a CCTV image of a man they wish to trace over an assault with a weapon in a pub."}
{"article": "The incident took place in North Street, close to Charing Cross, shortly before 03:00. The man was taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary before being transferred to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for treatment. Medical staff described his condition as serious. An area of North Street was closed off by police following the incident. Police said they had no description of the suspect. Det Sgt Kevin Browne said: \"From our early inquiries, this was an unprovoked attack on a man making his way home from a night out. \"The 42-year-old man was punched by another man who then made off in the direction of Sauchiehall Street. \"Our inquiries have been continuing through the night. Officers remain at the scene. \"We have been analysing CCTV and speaking to people who were in the area following the incident. \"At this time, we are seeking information from anyone who has information which can help trace the man responsible.\"", "summary": "A 42-year-old man was seriously injured after being punched in an \"unprovoked\" attack in Glasgow city centre during the early hours of Saturday morning."}
{"article": "Shyan Wright wanted the 23-year-old to hide the gun because her \"yard ain't hot\", meaning police were not aware or interested in her home. Wright, from Walsall, typed \"God forbid the children getting close\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6Lol\" when the woman said she had stashed it and eight bullets in her room. Wright, 25, was jailed for five years. She denied aiding and abetting possession of a firearm but changed her not guilty plea to guilty at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday and was sentenced. More updates on this story Wright, from Forrester Street, asked her friend, whose children were aged two and three at the time, in a series of messages on WhatsApp in May 2015. Using the name ShyShy, she said: \"I need a big favour\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6me and my baby father was wondering if you could hold onto a [gun emoji] for a bit. Ur only one I can trust.\", West Midlands Police said. Three days later, she asked her where she had hidden it. When the woman confirmed \"in Ma room\", Wright joked about her children stumbling across it. Officers raided the friend's home weeks later and recovered the weapon. She was subsequently jailed for five years, West Midlands Police said. Detectives did not discover who ShyShy was until a wider gun crime investigation last year uncovered intelligence on Wright. Her home was raided on 2 November when another phone was recovered that was shown to have been used in the WhatsApp conversation. Det Con Damian Forrest, said both women had \"found to their cost the catastrophic consequences of holding on to firearms for someone else\". He added \"The messages 'laughing out loud' about what might happen if they '[the children] found the loaded gun are truly shocking and sickening.\"", "summary": "A woman persuaded a friend to hide a loaded gun in her home and joked over WhatsApp whether her two young children might find it."}
{"article": "While visiting Towers Residential Outdoor Education Centre in Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, the royal couple ascended a climbing wall. Earlier, they visited a photography project run by charity Mind in Caernarfon, Gwynedd. They also saw the work of GISDA which provides training for young people. Twm Griffiths, who works at the charity's training centre in Caernarfon, said the couple were rushed off their feet. He said: \"They didn't have time for a coffee. They have a very busy day.\" Afterwards, the couple visited the Men's Shed in Denbigh, Denbighshire - a social group involved in community projects. The pair chatted with a small crowd outside, including four-year-old Esme who presented Prince William with flowers and asked about Prince George. William said his son was \"loud\" and thanked her for the flowers, which he said he would give to Catherine. Men's Shed director Phil Williams said the couple were given a tour of facilities, including an allotment and a woodwork workshop, and were very interested in the project. Member Alan Maddocks presented them with a gavel and bowl which he carved on a lathe, a skill he has learned since joining the group. \"They were very friendly. On the way out they both shook my hand,\" he said.", "summary": "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been in north Wales to meet organisations which support young people and tackle mental health issues."}
{"article": "Ricky Burlton, 20, from Enfield, London, died after he was hit by a car on the A10 exit slip road at Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. Officers want to question Alexi Shyti, who is thought to have been living under an assumed named at the time. Mr Shyti, believed to have been driving a Rover involved in the crash, fled the country the next day. Albania national Mr Shyti sustained serious facial injuries in the crash on 4 June 2010, and was at Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield when police found him. It is believed Mr Shyti - who told police he was Greek man Georgios Tsoulos - was living in the UK illegally with a fake EU passport. Det Insp Pushpa Guild urged anyone with information on Mr Shyti's whereabouts to contact police. \"We know Aleksi Shyti had been in Albania and would also ask anyone with connections there and who knows where he may be to call us. \"We believe he may have now travelled to Greece and he also has connections to Italy. \"In the UK, he had connections in Hertfordshire, North London and Loughborough in Leicestershire.\" Ricky's mother Dawn said: \"Five years is an extremely long time not knowing what truly happened to our precious son and brother. \"However, the one thing Ricky's mother, brothers and sister have is our unity as Ricky's family to continue with our search to find Aleksi Shyti.\"", "summary": "A fresh appeal has been made in a bid to find a man wanted in connection with a fatal crash five years ago."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Even fewer could have imagined just how the game would ebb and flow, and ultimately provide Aberdeen with their first chance in 17 years to win a cup they treated as their own in the eighties. In 1990, as Alex McLeish lifted the trophy just as Willie Miller had done four times in the preceding decade, it would have seemed inconceivable they would not do so again. But those are the bare facts. And four consecutive losing semi-finals ensured no-one took victory today for granted. And yet Aberdeen began the match with such a sense of authority and superiority that all doubt seemed to have been banished inside the opening 25 minutes. Their desire to press Hibernian paid off in the opening seconds - a swifter reward than Derek McInnes could have possibly dreamed of. But it was a tactic they continued to employ to great effect, snapping into tackles and denying the Hibernian backline and midfield any time or space to develop their game-plan. The ploy looked a masterstroke from McInnes, but then Neil Lennon changed the game with one of his own. The introduction of Grant Holt and a change of shape brought Hibs back from the dead - all of a sudden Hibs were able to play the ball forward and not find it coming instantly back on top of them. Again his goal was a quicker pay-off than Lennon could have hoped for, but his overall impact - in particular his pass for Dylan McGeouch's equaliser - was phenomenal. That equaliser came moments after another tactical switch - this time by Derek McInnes - whose decision to move to a back three appeared to play into Hibernian's hands. The Hibs comeback was a significant test of Aberdeen's resolve. Having been so comfortable for 30 minutes, they were rattled by Holt's goal and at 2-2 the clever money was on the resurgent men from Leith. But Aberdeen's determination to avoid a fifth successive Scottish Cup semi-final defeat kicked in and they clawed their way back into the game. McInnes's assertion that they were deserved winners is a generous one, but they stuck steadfastly to their task and though Jonny Hayes' winner had a huge slice of luck attached to it, Aberdeen now have the opportunity to make amends for a tame League Cup final showing earlier in the season. After the match, Lennon declined to accept the tag of gallant losers, insisting his team were simply losers. It's a harsh assessment but an indication of the standards the Hibs manager demands - and will continue to demand - from his side. Lennon has not amassed the medals he has won as a player and manager by accepting second-best, which is what his side were by some distance in the opening half-hour. But he can take solace - on reflection - in the manner his team dug in to give the country's second-best team quite a fright. He can now turn his attention fully to building for next season's return to the", "summary": "Few observers predicted anything other than a closely-fought match between the Championship winners and the second-best team in the country."}
{"article": "The new Velvet Edition dark chocolate bars go on sale in the UK this month. Instead of the Fairtrade mark, it carries the Cocoa Life certification, set up by Mondelez International, the owner of Green & Black's. Mondelez calls Cocoa Life \"a holistic, cocoa sustainability programme in partnership with Fairtrade\". And unlike all other Green & Black's bars, there is no organic label. Glenn Caton, Northern Europe president of Mondelez, said: \"These beans are not available in organic at the scale required for Green and Black's, but I am proud that they are sustainably sourced, independently verified beans from the Cocoa Life programme, of which Fairtrade will ensure we remain an accountable partner for farmers.\" Green & Black's was founded on the Portobello Road in London by Craig Sams and Jo Fairley in 1991. Three years later, its Maya Gold bar was the first chocolate in the UK to be awarded the Fairtrade mark. It sources its organic cocoa from the Dominican Republic. All its ranges, apart from the Velvet Edition, will continue to be organic and carry the Fairtrade logo, which is considered to be one of the most widely recognised and trusted ethical brands in the world. Mondelez, formerly Kraft Foods, owns Green & Black's through Cadbury's, which bought Green & Black's in 2005, before being bought itself by Kraft in 2010. Its Cocoa Life branding is now rapidly replacing the Fairtrade logo across all its chocolate products. By 2019, Cadbury's entire chocolate range in the UK and Ireland - including Flake, Twirl and Wispa - will display the Cocoa Life logo. Green & Blacks said in a statement: \"Cocoa Life, which is independently verified, means Green and Black's will build more and stronger relationships with farming communities and become an accountable partner, not just a buyer. \" The UK Fairtrade label is administered by the Fairtrade Foundation, an independent non-profit organisation, and appears on some 5,000 products. It claims there are more than 1.65 million farmers and workers in 1,226 producer organisations across the Fairtrade system, which guarantees decent working conditions and a minimum price for produce. Last year, it went into partnership with Cocoa Life to create \"greater scale and impact for cocoa farmers and their communities\". It says the partnership means that five times as much Cadbury chocolate will now be made with sustainably sourced cocoa. Fairtrade admitted: \"The cocoa for Cadbury products in the UK and Ireland under Cocoa Life will not be traded according to the Fairtrade Standards of certification.\" But it insists farmers will not lose out: \"They will instead receive a competitive price for the cocoa, additional loyalty cash payments plus further investments in projects and support to improve their farming practices and implement community action plans. \"The value of all this will be at least equivalent to that previously delivered under Fairtrade.\"", "summary": "Green & Black's, which pioneered organic Fairtrade chocolate, is launching its first UK product without a Fairtrade or organic label."}
{"article": "The furry explorer climbed inside the child's plaything and jammed its head through a small hole at the rear. Despite its owners attempts to free it, the plastic proved too tough and the \"unusual\" emergency call-out was made. Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said the kitten was unharmed but its experience served as a warning against \"diving into your presents too early\". Crews were called to a house in Stanford-in-the-Vale at about midday on Wednesday.", "summary": "A three-month old kitten had to be rescued by firefighters after it got stuck in a toy car."}
{"article": "The men turned up at the pensioner's house in Carluke, South Lanarkshire, at about 12:30 on Wednesday, offering to carry out repair work at his home. After agreeing to the work, the man paid the conmen in cash but they made off without carrying out any repairs. One of the men was white, aged 50 to 59, about 6ft tall, of heavy build and spoke with a Scottish accent. The other man was white, about 5ft 8in, and of slim build. It is believed they may have used a small white van. Det Insp Kevin Jamieson, of Police Scotland, said: \"These people are the scourge of society who prey on the elderly or vulnerable for their own gains. \"My officers are currently reviewing CCTV footage and carrying out door-to-door inquiries to glean any information about these two men who are responsible for this despicable crime.\" He asked anyone who had seen two men matching the descriptions, a white minivan or anyone who may have had the conmen knocking on their doors, to come forward with any information. \"I understand that victims find it difficult to come forward but these people are very expert conmen who can appear to be genuine tradespeople as they can talk in detail about repairs required to properties,\" Det Insp Jamieson said. \"I must urge people to be on their guard when answering the door to people purporting to be genuine workmen. \"To prey on vulnerable people and defraud them of significant sums of money is appalling and I will do everything to find those men responsible.\"", "summary": "A 91-year-old man has been conned out of a four-figure sum of money by two bogus workmen."}
{"article": "Marco Pierre White Jr, 21, had pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false representation on 23 November. He was told he had to undertake 120 hours of unpaid work and pay \u00a32,500 in compensation to his victim. Chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot said she believed goods he had bought with the money were \"sold to buy drugs\". \"There is no doubt this is serious enough for a community order,\" she said while also admonishing Pierre White Jr for \"smirking\" in the dock. Westminster Magistrates' Court heard the former Big Brother contestant admitted making a \"high volume\" of payments on Carina Evans's card after borrowing it to buy food in February. When the card was blocked, he tricked Ms Evans into unblocking it by pretending he had been arrested and needed to pay bail. He then went on to spend about \u00a32,500 during visits to shops including the Apple Store and Sunglasses Hut. He previously pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false representation at Hammersmith Magistrates' Court.", "summary": "The son of chef Marco Pierre White has been ordered to perform unpaid work after he admitted dishonestly using his ex-girlfriend's bank card."}
{"article": "The team has made the most precise map of the \"oldest light\" in the cosmos. Earlier observations of this radiation had suggested the first generation of stars were bursting into life by about 420 million years after the Big Bang. Planck's data indicates this great ignition was well established by some 560 million years after it all began. \"This difference of 140 million years might not seem that significant in the context of the 13.8-billion-year history of the cosmos, but proportionately it's actually a very big change in our understanding of how certain key events progressed at the earliest epochs,\" said Prof George Efstathiou, one of the leaders of the Planck Science Collaboration. The assessment is based on studies of the \"afterglow\" of the Big Bang, the ancient light called the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), which still washes over the Earth today. The European Space Agency's (Esa) Planck satellite mapped this \"fossil\" between 2009 and 2013. It contains a wealth of information about early conditions in the Universe, and can even be used to work out its age, shape and do an inventory of its contents. Scientists can also probe it for very subtle \"distortions\" that tell them about any interactions the CMB has had on its way to us. One of these would have been imprinted when the infant cosmos underwent a major environmental change known as re-ionisation. It is when the cooling neutral hydrogen gas that dominated the Universe in the aftermath of the Big Bang was then re-energised by the ignition of the first stars. These hot giants would have burnt brilliant but brief lives, producing the very first heavy elements. But they would also have \"fried\" the neutral gas around them - ripping electrons off the hydrogen protons. And it is the passage of the CMB through this maze of electrons and protons that would have resulted in it picking up a subtle polarisation. The Planck team has now analysed this polarisation in fine detail and determined it to have been generated at 560 million years after the Big Bang. The American satellite WMAP, which operated in the 2000s, made the previous best estimate for the peak of re-ionisation at 420 million years. The problem with that number was that it sat at odds with Hubble Space Telescope observations of the early Universe. Hubble could not find stars and galaxies in sufficient numbers to deliver the scale of environmental change at the time when WMAP suggested it was occurring. Planck's new timing \"effectively solves the conflict,\" commented Prof Richard McMahon from Cambridge University, UK. \"We had two groups of astronomers who were basically working on different sides of the problem. The Planck people came at it from the Big Bang side, while those of us who work on galaxies came at it from the 'now side'. \"It's like a bridge being built over a river. The two sides do now join where previously we had a gap,\" he told BBC News. That gap had prompted scientists to invoke complicated scenarios to initiate re-ionisation, including the possibility that there", "summary": "Scientists working on Europe's Planck satellite say the first stars lit up the Universe later than previously thought."}
{"article": "The city council has approved plans from the Co-operative Group and Moda Living for the 34-storey Angel Gardens building. It will be built at Shudehill, on a site once home to an 18th Century cotton mill built by Richard Arkwright. Angel Gardens will include more than 450 apartments, resident lounges, a cinema room and a rooftop garden. Developers claim the project will \"change the face\" of the private rental sector and offer its customers \"a lifestyle choice not currently available\" in the city. Angel Gardens is the major residential component of the regeneration of Manchester's urban land, owned by The Co-operative Group and Hermes Real Estate, NOMA. David Pringle, a director at The Co-operative Group, said: \"Angel Gardens will push the boundaries for purpose-built rental accommodation, in a location dubbed by property consultants JLL as the best residential site in the UK, outside of London.\"", "summary": "A block of \"new style\" flats is to be built near Manchester's Victoria station."}
{"article": "He was injured in a tumble from Cernunnos, for his boss JP McManus, at the final fence in the Summer Plate Handicap Chase won by Long House Hall. Geraghty, 36, will see a specialist to determine whether he needs surgery. \"He'll be out for two to three months with that,\" said Irish Turf Club senior medical officer Dr Adrian McGoldrick. The first big meeting in Ireland that Geraghty will miss will be the seven-day Galway meeting, which starts on 25 July.", "summary": "Jockey Barry Geraghty will miss the Galway Festival and is out for at least two months after breaking his right arm in a fall at Market Rasen."}
{"article": "Team boss Pete McGrath believes promotion is a realistic target in what he expects to be an extremely competitive season in Division Two. Down, relegated without a point last year, have not won a league game since an April 2015 success over Laois. But McGrath says his former county have improved and will present a formidable challenge under the lights at Newry. \"Down know they had a poor 2016 but they have been working hard and had a decent McKenna Cup,\" said McGrath who led the Mourne men to their All-Ireland triumphs of 1991 and 1994. \"They are moving in the right direction. Every game is going to be important in what will be a competitive league.\" McGrath has named an experienced side for Saturday night's opener with Teemore's Cian McManus the only league debutant. Down are managed by Bryansford man Eamonn Burns who played under McGrath when Down famously hoisted those two Sam Maguires of the 90s. After going through 2016 without winning an inter-county match, Down shaded a 0-15 to 0-14 win over Derry in the McKenna Cup group stages in January, although they didn't make the last four. The addition of former Irish League player Alan Davidson to the Down panel has borne fruit. Davidson, who played for Ballymena, Glenavon and Newry, took up Gaelic football just a few years ago with the Belfast-based Bredagh club, earning a reputation as an accurate free-taker. He will start at left corner-forward on Saturday night in a Mourne side that includes other league debutants, Ryan McAleenan, Glenn player Shay Millar and Saval's Pat Havern. Meanwhile, Monaghan boss Malachy O'Rourke has named an experienced side for Saturday night's difficult away Division One opener against beaten All-Ireland finalists Mayo. O'Rourke's side includes no league debutants with the likes of Drew Wylie, Colin Walshe, Karl O'Connell, Conor McManus and the Hughes brothers Darren and Kieran all included. O'Rourke, entering his fifth term as the Farney county supremo, will be looking for an improved year after failing to make an impression at Championship level in 2016. Mayo boss Stephen Rochford includes nine players who featured in last year's All-Ireland Final replay defeat by Dublin - Keith Higgins, Paddy Durcan, Colm Boyle, Donal Vaughan, Kevin McLoughlin, Jason Doherty Cillian O'Connor, David Clarke and Stephen Coen. Rochford hands league debuts to Castlebar's Donie Newcombe and 2016 All-Ireland Under-21 winner Fergal Boland. TEAMS Monaghan (v Mayo): R Beggan; F Kelly, D Wylie, R Wylie; C Walshe, N McAdam, K Duffy; D Hughes, K Hughes; K O'Connell, S Carey, G Doogan; C McCarthy, T Kerr, C McManus. Mayo: D Clarke; D Newcombe, K Higgins, P Durcan; C Boyle, S Coen, D Drake; D Vaughan, D Kirby; F Boland, K McLoughlin, J Doherty, E Regan, A Freeman, C O'Connor (capt) Down (v Fermanagh): M Cunningham; R McAleenan, G McGovern, D O'Hagan; G Collins, C McGovern, B McArdle; A Carr, J Flynn; J Murphy, C Maginn, S Millar; A Davidson, P Havern, B O'Hagan. Fermanagh: T Treacy; M Jones, C Cullen, C McManus; D McCusker, R McCluskey, A Breen; E Donnelly, L", "summary": "Fermanagh start their league campaign against Down with their sights set firmly on achieving top-flight status."}
{"article": "Children aged 14 to 17 were sold vaping devices by 246 of the 634 retailers visited between January and March 2016. The operation's report said compliance with rules prohibiting sales to under-18s was \"disappointingly low\". The British Retail Consortium said major retailers had \"rigorous policies and training\" to ensure compliance. E-cigarettes deliver a hit of addictive nicotine and emit water vapour to mimic the feeling and look of smoking. The vapour is considered potentially less harmful than cigarette smoke and is free of some damaging substances such as tar. In October 2015, it became illegal for retailers to sell e-cigarettes to under-18s. The operation, which was funded by the Department of Health, highlighted the wide variety of businesses supplying nicotine e-cigarettes and vaping liquids. Most of the illegal sales (68%) were made at markets and car boot sales. High levels of sales were also found at \"other\" premises, which included independent pharmacies, specialist e-cigarette shops and discount stores. Fewest sales were made by national newsagents, petrol station kiosks and convenience stores, which are generally experienced in the sale of age restricted products and \"specifically in the principle of challenging a young person about their age and asking for proof\", the review said. The operation found most of the vaping liquids were flavoured but some could be considered to be particularly \"child appealing\" - notably bubble gum, cherry cola and chocolate. Trading Standards said the figures should be seen against the results from a 2014 drug survey, which showed that while one fifth of 11-15 year-old respondents had used electronic cigarettes, only 1% were regular users of the products. Leon Livermore, chief executive at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said that while the results were disappointing it was important to consider them in context. \"More than 2.5 million adults use electronic cigarettes and evidence suggests the products are now the most popular quitting aid for smokers in England,\" he said. \"And these products are being sold in a wide variety of retailers and many of them will have little or no experience of challenging age restricted sales.\" He said that where an illegal sale was made, further advice and guidance were given to help the business achieve compliance, but that penalties for the offence can be a fine of up to \u00c2\u00a32,500. Nicola Blackwood, the public health minister, said there was strong support for restrictions from businesses when they were consulted, and added: \"As the school holidays are upon us, this is a timely reminder of their obligations under these regulations not to sell nicotine products to under 18 year olds.\" Commenting on the results of the operation, the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association said it welcomed the introduction of legislation to prohibit sales to under-18s and it was \"disappointing\" that compliance was \"so low\". Chief Scientific Officer Tom Pruen said: \"While e-cigs offer the potential to save many lives by reducing the harm caused by smoking, it is important that they do not form a gateway into nicotine addiction for people, especially teenagers, who do not already use nicotine. \"Fortunately, while teenagers", "summary": "Almost 40% of sellers targeted in an operation by Trading Standards in England were caught illegally allowing under-18s to buy e-cigarette products."}
{"article": "Fe fyddai'r rheiny ar ddyddiau nawddsant y pedair gwlad. Mae Jeremy Corbyn yn credu y byddai hyn yn \"dathlu diwylliant cenedlaethol ein pedair cenedl\". Fel arfer mae gan Loegr a Chymru wyth o wyliau banc y flwyddyn, naw sydd gan yr Alban a 10 sydd gan Ogledd Iwerddon. Mae Llafur yn dweud mai cyfartaledd gwledydd y G20 yw 12. O dan y polisi newydd byddai llywodraethau'r gwledydd datganoledig yn cael penderfynu os y bydden nhw'n cymeradwyo'r gwyliau banc ychwanegol neu beidio. Mae creu gwyliau banc yn un o'r pwerau sydd wedi ei ddatganoli yn yr Alban. Dywedodd ffynhonnell o'r blaid Geidwadol: \"Byddai economi Prydain ar wyliau parhaol pe byddai Mr Corbyn yn cyrraedd Downing Street.\" Newyddion arall yngl\u0177n \u00e2'r ymgyrchu", "summary": "Mae'r blaid Lafur wedi dweud y bydden nhw'n creu pedair o wyliau banc newydd petaen nhw'n ennill yr Etholiad Cyffredinol."}
{"article": "The US sprayed 12 million gallons of the defoliant over jungles between 1961 and 1971 during the Vietnam war. Vietnamese experts say more than three million people have suffered the effects of the herbicide, of which some 400,000 died. The development is being hailed as one of the most significant in relations between Washington and Hanoi. A ceremony to launch the programme was held at the Danang airport where the defoliant was stored before being sprayed over forests hiding fighters from the Viet Cong, guerrillas backed by the Communist government of North Vietnam. US-Vietnam ties have blossomed since diplomatic relations were established 16 years ago and steps to resolve issues left over from the war have formed a cornerstone of progress, say correspondents. \"I think it's fair to say that dioxin contamination and Agent Orange was one of the single most neuralgic issues in the US-Vietnam relationship,\" said US charge d'affaires Virginia Palmer. For years, Hanoi and Washington argued about questions of compensation for victims of the defoliant. But now the US recognises that dioxin, found in Agent Orange, is a highly toxic substance. \"Studies suggest that this chemical may be related to a number of cancers and other health effects in humans\", says the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Five years ago the embassy began to shift the focus to cleaning up dioxin hot spots, clearing the path for swift progress on what had become the biggest remaining war-era issue. The US Congress appropriated an initial $3m (\u00c2\u00a31.8m) in 2007 for the effort and the figure has since risen to $32m.", "summary": "Vietnam and the United States have taken the first step towards cleaning up Agent Orange contamination."}
{"article": "17 March 2017 Last updated at 09:23 GMT A BBC team and some tourists were on the mountain when the explosion happened. BBC science reporter Rebecca Morelle described the experience of \"Running down a mountain pelted by rocks, dodging burning boulders and boiling steam.\" Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, it's been erupting for the last three weeks. Mount Etna erupts a few times a year.", "summary": "The Mount Etna Volcano in Italy has erupted."}
{"article": "The IAAF voted to suspend Russia's federation (Araf) on 13 November after the publication of an independent World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) report that alleged \"state-sponsored doping\". The IAAF has outlined conditions Araf must meet for the ban to be lifted. The Olympic athletics programme begins in Brazil on 12 August. Russia, which said in November it is \"fully committed\" to reforms, will only be reinstated if it fulfils strict criteria, including compliance with all Wada and IAAF anti-doping rules. The athletics federation must cut ties with all convicted dopers, resolve current disciplinary cases and investigate potential cases if it is to be readmitted to competition. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Russia's participation in athletics at the Rio Olympics will be decided when the council of world governing body the IAAF meets on 17 June in Vienna."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device From Popdance to Street Dance, Ballroom to Fitsteps, there is a type of dance to suit everyone, whatever your age, taste, aspiration or fitness level. Before you know it, you'll be getting fit and your energy levels will be soaring! It's easy to get into, effective and a great way to meet new people. Eight Count is by filmmaker Kelly Jayne Gill. You can find out more about Kelly and our other young film makers on the BBC Three Fresh profile page. BBC Three Fresh is a digital space for short documentary films, finding the voices and directors of the future.", "summary": "Members of 8 Steps Dance Group explain why dancing is a fantastic way of expressing creativity and emotion as well as being a great way of keeping active."}
{"article": "A 22-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman have been held following the discovery at Packett Street, Fenton. Staffordshire Police was called to the scene at 10:00 BST. A force spokesperson said post-mortem tests would take place on Wednesday. Formal identification of the child has yet to take place. More on this story and other Staffordshire news Scenes of crime officers have been examining the property and an alleyway behind it. Det Insp Dan Ison said: \"Our thoughts are with the little girl's family at this time. \"This is a very distressing incident and we are doing all we can to support those affected.\" West Midlands Ambulance Service said crews found a child \"who was sadly confirmed deceased\". A spokesman said: \"They also treated a woman at the scene before she was transported to Royal Stoke University Hospital.\"", "summary": "Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a two-year-old girl was found dead at an address in Stoke-on-Trent."}
{"article": "Nearly half the roughly four million children displaced in the region are not in school, according to a new report by the Malala Fund. They risk becoming a \"lost generation\", Ms Yousafzai warned. The BBC's Lyse Doucet was given exclusive access to the report ahead of its release on Friday. Ms Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban after campaigning for education for girls in Pakistan, has been raising awareness of the lack of education for Syrian refugees. A growing number of Syrian girls are already teenage brides, or working in farms and factories, our chief international correspondent reports from the Jordanian capital, Amman. Major donors are under pressure from Syria's neighbouring countries to provide substantial long-term support if they wish to convince Syrian families to stay in the region instead of heading to Europe. \"It's time for the world to match their commitment to get every Syrian child back in school,\" Malala Yousafzai told me in an email. The 18 year-old campaigner for children's rights will be attending the London Conference with 17-year-old Syrian education activist Muzoon Almellehan, whose family recently settled in the UK. \"My generation is not lost,\" she insists. But the longer Syrian children stay out school, the greater the risk they will not return. British officials say it is not a realistic goal to get them back in class by the end of the next academic year. But they are still pushing hard. UK International Development Secretary Justine Greening told me: \"We must ensure Syria's children do not become a lost generation.\" According to the report by Ms Yousafzai's's charitable fund, donors have provided only 37% of the money needed to supply resources such as school places and teachers. It says $1.4bn (\u00c2\u00a31bn) a year is urgently needed to plug the gap. Ms Yousafzai has warned that children are being deprived of education at a time when they begin to form into future doctors, teachers, and engineers. The report comes ahead of next week's Syria Conference in London, where donors will be asked to pledge that all Syrian refugee children in the region should be in school by the end of the next academic year. But even Nordic countries, which have been taking the lead on funding, are indicating that they may need to divert money to educate Syrians arriving in their countries. According to Ms Yousafzai, neighbouring countries are already bearing too much of the cost of educating Syrian refugees.", "summary": "Campaigner Malala Yousafzai has called for more to be done to educate millions of Syrian refugee children displaced within the country and its neighbours."}
{"article": "Matt Smith nodded QPR in front before their former winger Junior Hoilett equalised by blocking goalkeeper Alex Smithies' clearance. Sol Bamba's header gave Cardiff the lead, fuelling a fiery atmosphere at Cardiff City Stadium. The hosts had chances to score a third but held out comfortably for a fifth win from five league games. Their victory, coupled with Ipswich's defeat at home to Fulham, means the Bluebirds are now three points clear at the Championship's summit. There was an expectant crowd at Cardiff City Stadium, but the sense of optimism stemming from the hosts' perfect start to the season was punctured by Smith's opener, as he nodded in from close range after Cardiff goalkeeper Neil Etheridge failed to clear Luke Freeman's cross. Etheridge will have been disappointed with his hesitant effort, though it paled into insignificance compared to his opposite number Smithies' blunder. Under pressure from a poor back-pass by his captain Nedum Onuoha, the QPR goalkeeper's clearance ricocheted off Hoilett and straight into the net. Those two goals were typical of a compelling encounter played at breakneck speed, as entertaining because of its errors and robust challenges as it was because of its goals and chances at both ends. It was fitting too that this battle should include a headed goal from a corner for Bamba, whose aerial duels with his adversary Smith were so brutal that they could have registered on the Richter scale. Cardiff maintained the frenetic tempo in the second half and, buoyed by a vociferous home crowd, they twice went close to a third goal as Hoilett had one effort disallowed for a push before Nathaniel Mendez-Laing struck the crossbar. Kenneth Zohore was then denied by a brilliant close-range save from Smithies as Cardiff continued to press but, with QPR offering little in attack, it was an ultimately simple fifth consecutive league win for Neil Warnock's in-form side. Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock told BBC Radio Wales: \"Obviously I'm pleased. We made hard work of it at times but I was delighted with the way we played. \"We showed a lot of character, played some good stuff on the front foot, created some good chances. I thought [QPR goalkeeper Alex] Smithies was brilliant. \"It's a happy place and I'm really glad we've got two weeks off now [for the international break] without a press conference.\" Queens Park Rangers manager Ian Holloway said: \"We were doing fine when we got in front, we looked pretty comfortable and then it changed when we conceded the first goal, the manner of it, the timing of it. We could have dealt with it better. \"Unfortunately they forced us into a mistake and it knocked the stuffing out of us, got the crowd up. They then go and score from a set-play. \"On the balance of play, that's as good a Cardiff team as I've ever seen. It's going for them at the minute - they're making it go for them. They looked a real solid unit. \"The Bluebirds will be buzzing tonight but we weren't that far off them.\" Match ends,", "summary": "Cardiff City beat Queens Park Rangers in a breathless encounter to stay top of the Championship table."}
{"article": "The 33-year-old world number one is this week ending her 14-year boycott of the BNP Paribas Open in California. Her father accused fans of racial abuse after the then-19-year-old was booed and heckled in the 2001 final. And speaking ahead of her return, the American top seed admitted: \"I didn't think I would come back.\" However, Williams, who last month confirmed she would play in the tournament in a Time magazine interview, said the time \"felt right\" to return. The 19-time Grand Slam winner added: \"There's not one thing that said I should come back, that I should come back in 2015. I didn't even know if I would be playing in this year. \"I just felt like it was the right time for me to come back here and try to be the best that I can be.\" Williams beat Belgian Kim Clijsters in a final marred by the behaviour of some fans who heckled her and her family, apparently in response to sister Venus withdrawing injured from the semi-final between the siblings. The watching Venus was also jeered by the crowd at the final. \"The whole point of me coming back was not to necessarily focus on what happened 14 years ago,\" Serena added. Williams meets Romania's Monica Niculescu on Friday.", "summary": "Serena Williams says she never believed she would return to Indian Wells after suffering crowd abuse at the tournament as a teenager."}
{"article": "Mousinho, 31, has captained the Brewers in all three Football League divisions, but had not played in the second tier before last season. \"The Championship was a bit of an unknown for me,\" he told Burton's official website. \"Now I feel in a better place with that season under my belt.\" Mousinho made 32 appearances in the Championship in 2016-17, starting in Burton's victories over Sheffield Wednesday, Norwich, Huddersfield and Leeds, all sides who finished in the top eight. And while he admits the Brewers will no longer carry the element of surprise, Mousinho says the team, who were playing non-league football less than a decade ago, will be stronger following their maiden campaign at Championship level. \"Maybe a few underestimated us last season and I don't think that will happen again,\" he added. \"It will be a completely different challenge but we have more experience, we know what it takes, what the level is all about and as last season went on we got better and better. \"Next season I think we will be set up well but there will be new challenges and we will relish that.\"", "summary": "Burton Albion skipper John Mousinho says he is relishing a second season in the Championship after signing a new one-year contract."}
{"article": "Small studies by UK and Korean scientists indicated patients were less likely to fixate on food and body image after a dose of oxytocin. About one in every 150 teenage girls in the UK are affected by the condition. The eating disorders charity Beat said the finding was a long way from becoming a useable treatment. Oxytocin is a hormone released naturally during bonding, including sex, childbirth and breastfeeding. It has already been suggested as a treatment for a range of psychiatric disorders, and has been shown to help lower social anxiety in people with autism. And one four-week study in Australia found people given doses of oxytocin had reduced weight and shape concerns. In the first of the most recent studies, published in Psychoneuroendocrinology, 31 patients with anorexia and 33 people who did not have the condition were given either a dose of oxytocin, delivered via nasal spray, or a placebo, or dummy, treatment. They then looked at a series of images to do with a range high and low calorie foods and people of different body shapes and weight. People with anorexia have previously been found to focus for longer on images of overweight people and what they perceive as undesirable body shapes. However after taking oxytocin, patients with anorexia were less likely to focus on such \"negative\" images of food and fat body parts. The second study, published in PLOS ONE, involved the same people and looked at their reactions to facial expressions, such as anger, disgust or happiness. It has been suggested that anorexia can be linked to a heightened perception of threat, and animal research has shown oxytocin treatment lessened the amount of attention paid to threatening facial expressions. In this study, patients with anorexia were less likely to focus on the \"disgust\" faces after oxytocin treatment. They were also less likely to avoid looking at angry faces. Eating disorder expert Prof Janet Treasure, from King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, led both studies. She said: \"This is early stage research with a small number of participants, but it's hugely exciting to see the potential this treatment could have. \"We need much larger trials, on more diverse populations, before we can start to make a difference to how patients are treated.\" Her co-researcher, Prof Youl-Ri Kim, from Inje University in Seoul, South Korea, added: \"Our research shows that oxytocin reduces patients' unconscious tendencies to focus on food, body shape, and negative emotions such as disgust. \"There is currently a lack of effective pharmacological treatments for anorexia. \"Our research adds important evidence to the increasing literature on oxytocin treatments for mental illnesses, and hints at the advent of a novel, ground-breaking treatment option for patients with anorexia.\" Leanne Thorndyke, of the eating disorders charity Beat, said: \"Eating disorders are complex, and a number of risk factors need to combine to increase the likelihood that any one individual develops the condition. \"Brain chemistry and hormonal factors are part of the mix, with adrenaline, dopamine and the various appetite regulating hormones such as ghrelin being active areas for researchers as", "summary": "A hormone released during childbirth and sex could be used as a treatment for the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, scientists suggest."}
{"article": "Dutch customs officials discovered a parcel containing two handguns, ammunition, herbal cannabis and GHB, also known as liquid ecstasy, addressed to a location on Merseyside. The seizure was referred to the National Crime Agency. Officers raided two addresses in St Helens earlier, arresting a 22-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman.", "summary": "A couple have been arrested on suspicion of allegedly importing firearms and drugs into the UK."}
{"article": "Those on the list are \"wanted\" because they have not been punished, even if they have extradition orders against them or have been tried and convicted. In some cases it is unclear whether they are still alive. They remain on the list until it is proven that they are dead. Resident in Austria. Former Croatian police chief, accused of role in deporting hundreds to their deaths. Extradition to Croatia was requested in 2005 but was refused on medical grounds due to dementia. Resident in Syria - possibly dead. Commander of Paris internment camp, deported thousands to death camps under orders of Adolf Eichmann. Convicted in absentia in France but never punished. Resident in Germany. Arrested Jews who were later murdered by Nazi collaborators in Lithuania. Deported from US. Convicted by Lithuania and sentenced to jail - but sentence was not carried out. Resident in Germany. Sentenced to death in the Netherlands for murdering prisoners at Westerbork camp and Groningen prison but sentence commuted to life imprisonment in 1948. Escaped to Germany in 1952. German courts currently considering an arrest warrant issued by Dutch authorities. Resident in Estonia. Accused of participating in murder of Jews. Stripped of US citizenship and fled to Estonia where he has remained under investigation for several years without charge. Believed dead. Doctor who experimented on prisoners at Mauthausen camp. Reports suggest that he may have died in Cairo in 1992, but his death remains unconfirmed due to a lack of evidence. Resident in the US. Accused of participating in the murder and deportation of Jews living in the Lvov Ghetto. Ordered to be deported from the US for concealing his wartime activities. Remains in the US until a country volunteers to admit him. Resident in Germany. Accused of murdering an anti-Nazi newspaper editor. Indicted in Denmark but two extradition requests have now been refused by German authorities. Resident in Hungary. Accused of mass murder of civilians at Novi Sad, Serbia. Convicted in Hungary in 1944 but never punished. A new investigation has led to an indictment against him for war crimes and a trial is scheduled to begin in May. Resident in Germany. Accused of serving as an SS guard at the Treblinka I concentration camp and to have participated in executions. Under official investigation by prosecutors in Germany following the discovery of witness statements about his role at Treblinka. Resident in Germany. Accused of participating in the massacre of 560 civilians in the Italian village of Sant' Anna di Stazzema. Convicted in absentia by an Italian military court in 2005. Has been under investigation in Germany for almost a decade but so far without charge. Resident in Australia. Accused of participating in persecution and murder of Jews. Successfully appealed against extradition from Australia to Hungary, but the decision is under review following an appeal by an Australian government minister. Source: Simon Wiesenthal Center, 2011", "summary": "The Simon Wiesenthal Center, which investigates Nazi war criminals, has published its latest list of its most wanted surviving suspects."}
{"article": "Opposition factions alleged fraud during the first round of voting and there have been widespread street protests. A special commission set up by President Michel Martelly last week is to investigate the electoral process. There were more violent protests on Saturday when the results for the legislative vote was announced. Jovenel Moise, a banana exporter, won the most votes in the presidential elections but with 33% fell short of a majority. He is to face ex-state construction company head Jude Celestin, who came second with 25%. Mr Moise has little political experience but has the backing of current President Michel Martelly. Mr Celestin is seeking the presidency for a second time. Whoever wins will face a daunting task when taking over from Mr Martelly in February. Haiti is the poorest nation in the Americas. Since it was devastated by an earthquake in 2010, the country has relied largely on international donations and foreign aid from the United States and other countries.", "summary": "Haiti's presidential and legislative run-off elections have been postponed, officials have said."}
{"article": "Julie-Anne Wood started her career in her hometown of Milford Haven in 1999. She has now become the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's head of maritime operations and oversees the co-ordination of search and rescue around the UK coast. Up until now the role has always been held by a man. Ms Wood, who started out as a part-time coastguard watch assistant, said what once had been a male-dominated industry had changed. \"[It's] very different these days. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has incorporated women in everything they do,\" she said. \"In my experience, there have been no restrictions.\" Of her new position, she added: \"'It's a huge responsibility and a position that I'm very honoured to hold.\" Before she became a coastguard, Ms Wood ran her own business providing safety training to fishermen and merchant seamen in Wales. When an opportunity to become a coastguard watch assistant came up, she took the job and said she \"never looked back\". Over the next nine years she climbed the ranks and now has one of the most senior roles in HM Coastguard, heading up the National Maritime Operations Centre in Fareham, Hampshire, and the 10 Coastguard Operations Centres around the UK.", "summary": "A coastguard from Pembrokeshire has made history by becoming the highest-ranking woman in Her Majesty's Coastguard."}
{"article": "The Prince of Wales. This country's next hereditary head of state. The man yet to set foot on the soil of mainland China. But this isn't an outright princely boycott. The reality is more complex. When it comes to actively avoiding showcase set pieces involving Chinese leaders, Prince Charles has form. He didn't turn up to one in 1999. He chose instead to dine with the then Camilla Parker Bowles. According to the prince's former aide, Mark Bolland, this was a \"deliberate snub\" because he didn't approve of the Chinese regime and because he was a great supporter of the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama whom he viewed as being oppressed by the Chinese. Back then, the Daily Telegraph was briefed about the reasons for the prince's boycott of the banquet. Sixteen years on, no explanation is being offered for his absence next week. The future king will be in Scotland while, in London, considerable attention will be devoted to the attire of the Duchess of Cambridge and Jeremy Corbyn. It's not often the future queen and the Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition appear in the same sentence about the same subject. What royal officials are happy to talk about is what they call Prince Charles's \"significant involvement\" in the Chinese state visit. He will meet President Xi Jinping and his wife, take part in the formal welcome on Horse Guards Parade, attend a private lunch at Buckingham Palace given by the Queen and, strikingly, have a private meeting with Mr Xi on his home turf, Clarence House. Such a dialogue, aides say, is far more valuable than any small talk that might be exchanged between courses at the state banquet. They argue that the prince is investing a great deal of time in events next week. He is showing an impressive commitment, one insisted, given the reservations he has. The man who once, privately, described some Chinese officials as \"appalling old waxworks\" has moved. And moved significantly. In 1999, he disengaged. Now those around him talk about the heir to the throne engaging with China. The role the country could play in tackling climate change hasn't escaped his attention. To facilitate this engagement, Prince Charles didn't meet the Dalai Lama when he was in the UK last month. The Dalai Lama has talked about the pair being the \"best of friends\". The Chinese view the spiritual leader as a separatist threat. The absence of any encounter between the Dalai Lama and the prince has paved the way for one between the Queen's son and President Xi. The Chinese, diplomatically, are keen to focus on the evolving Charles of today, rather than on how he has been presented in the past. \"We tend to look forward\", one official said. \"We are very happy to be friends with people who want to be friends with us\". The prince - to use much loved modern day-parlance - has been on a journey. There are royal officials who would wish that he had travelled far enough to enable him to attend a state banquet", "summary": "When, next week, the Queen invites her guests in the Buckingham Palace ballroom to stand and toast the People's Republic of China there will be one notable absentee from the state banquet."}
{"article": "EJ has weathered a snow storm and harassment from rival ospreys while incubating her clutch of three eggs. All hatched over the past few days. The RSPB suspects mate Odin, who was bringing fish to the chicks, was frightened off by another male. On Monday, an osprey was at the nest with a fish but the chicks were dead. The bird is thought to have been EJ. RSPB Scotland said she was expected to remain at the nest and guard it against being taken over by other females. It is possible to view the nest site via a webcam. Footage on Monday morning appeared to show the nest had been abandoned. Later, on occasions, an adult osprey was seen at the nest, at one point with a fish. At the weekend, RSPB Scotland said it had decided not to intervene in what it described \"heart breaking\" but natural process playing out at its reserve. EJ, who is 20 years old this year, has been visiting Loch Garten for 15 years and has reared 25 chicks over that time with mate Odin and other males. The nest is in a tree on an RSPB Scotland reserve. EJ and her long-term mate Odin are the most successful breeding pair at the Loch Garten site. Over previous seasons, 17 of their chicks have fledged. Ospreys migrate from west Africa to Scotland to breed and can be seen hunting for fish from rivers and lochs. EJ's breeding seasons have been fraught with drama in the past. Incidents have included eggs being kicked out of the nest by a male bird and battles between EJs and rival females over the nest.", "summary": "All three chicks being raised by a well-known female osprey in the Cairngorms have died, RSPB Scotland has confirmed."}
{"article": "Cardiff and Vale health board said admissions to the University Hospital of Wales will go to a different ward or a different hospital. The board has not confirmed what the infections are. Babies already being treated on the ward will remain there, so it has not closed completely. Ruth Walker, the health board's executive nurse director, said: \"In order to protect very vulnerable babies we will not be taking any planned or routine admissions over the coming days.\"", "summary": "The neonatal intensive care unit at a Cardiff hospital has stopped taking admissions due to a \"cluster of infections\"."}
{"article": "The world's largest maker of passenger jets earned $1.70bn (\u00c2\u00a31.1bn) for the July-to-September period, up from $1.36bn a year ago. Revenue rose by about 9% to $25.85bn, with commercial aircraft deliveries up 7% to 199. The Chicago-based company also raised its 2015 sales and profits guidance. Revenue will be $95-97bn, up from the prior estimate of $94.5-96.5bn. Operating cashflow, Boeing's preferred performance measure, may be $9.5bn for the year, up from the $9bn the company estimated earlier in the year. Boeing's shares rose 2.8% to $142.82 in pre-market trading. Boeing said deliveries had surged on its backlog of orders. It delivered 126 of its narrow-body, short-haul 737 aircraft in the period, up from 120 a year ago. It made more 737 planes than all other commercial models combined. Its commercial backlog stands at $426bn, while it has $46.2bn of defence, space and security orders to fulfil. \"By continuing to profitably deliver on our large and diverse backlog, we are driving strong growth in revenue, earnings and cash flow,\" said president and chief executive Dennis Muilenburg. \"Solid operating performance across our commercial and defence businesses during the quarter also supported our continued investment in innovation and our people, and our commitment to return cash to shareholders.\"", "summary": "Aircraft maker Boeing has reported a 25% rise in quarterly profit, helped by an increase in deliveries of commercial aircraft."}
{"article": "The Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill is the first step towards the national force taking on the responsibilities of British Transport Police in Scotland. Members of the justice committee have endorsed the bill, although they were split on the final recommendation. The Conservatives and Labour both argued against the merger, citing concerns raised by BTP and unions. MSPs agreed to the general principles of the legislation by 66 votes to 44, with the Greens and Lib Dems backing the SNP - although the Lib Dems incidated they would seek to make amendments at committee stage. The Scottish government has long wanted to integrate railway policing services into the single national force, and tabled a bill to that end in December 2016. The Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill would confer extra powers on the Scottish Police Authority and the Police Service of Scotland, but further legislation would be needed at Holyrood and Westminster to transfer staff, properties and cross-border policing functions. A report from the justice committee backed the general principles of the bill, but members were split after hearing the majority of respondents to their inquiries oppose the plans. Witnesses including BTP chief constable Paul Crowther have warned that a merger could prove a \"real challenge\", saying it could cause a \"significant outflow of expertise\", but Police Scotland have said a merger would be \"complicated but not insurmountable\". Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said he was \"very pleased\" with the progress of the bill, adding that the government had \"listened closely\" to concerns. He said: \"Integrating the BTP in Scotland into Police Scotland will further enhance the safety of passengers and railway staff and our plans will provide railway policing which is more accountable to the people of Scotland. \"The bill will also provide more joined up service across our key infrastructure and with local community policing.\" The Conservatives and Scottish Labour have opposed the merger, and voted against backing it in the justice committee and the chamber. However, Lib Dem and Green MSPs on the committee supported the bill and in the chamber, despite some voicing concerns. Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Douglas Ross spoke out against the merger, describing it as an \"utterly needless move, inspired by nationalism rather than national security\". And his Tory colleague Oliver Mundell added: \"This is just another ill-thought out power grab, driven not by logic but by an ideological and constitutional obsession with control. It's change for change's sake.\" Labour's justice spokeswoman Claire Baker said the government seemed \"determined to railroad its bill through parliament\", and called on them to halt the plans. She said: \"We have heard numerous concerns from BTP, staff, unions and railway providers that haven't been fully addressed by the SNP. There are clear operational and serious financial questions that remain unanswered by the government. \"We already have in Scotland a transport policing system that works and serves us well, but this Bill risks that. With concerns over the financial memorandum attached to this bill, this could prove to be a costly way to fix a problem that isn't broken.\" Scottish Green MSP John", "summary": "MSPs are to debate legislation aimed at integrating railway policing into Police Scotland for the first time."}
{"article": "Africa is not a country. It is a continent that feels like it has come of age. Despite the very real problems of poverty, corruption and the sense you sometimes get in some quarters, that no-one is held to account, business types hail Africa as the \"final frontier\". After nearly 12 years reporting this region, for me it feels like a place where one grows up. I have met priests and politicians, warlords and entrepreneurs, gangsters and teachers. Ordinary mums and dads. Each of them has helped to shape my impressions and many have become firm friends. One of the first lessons I learnt in Kenya was survival. There is no safety net here when times get tough. In the early days on a visit to the slum known as Kibera, an elderly lady called me over as she stirred her supper in a thick black cast iron pot. \"Hey sister, where are you from?\" she asked. \"London,\" I replied. \"Yes, but where in London?\" I was rather puzzled as she pressed me further. \"I know London,\" she nodded, sagely. \"In fact, I know Paris and Berlin, too.\" It emerged that this friendly stranger had once been a glamorous stewardess for a international airline. She had drunk the best champagne and visited the fanciest European hotels but when times got hard in the 1980s and the airline folded, she lost her job. She was now selling samosas in the slum to survive. From that day onwards I learnt never to make any assumptions about Africa: a jet-setter one day, a slum dweller the next. It the drumbeat of so many who take the knocks, but reclaim their dignity and survive. Yet, in absolute terms, people are getting poorer in Africa because the population continues to grow. During my time on this continent I witnessed a colleague of mine - away from the BBC - lose two of his three young children. That is never OK. When I arrived in Africa more than a decade ago, Boko Haram in Nigeria did not exist, Somalia's al-Shabab insurgency group had yet to be formed - not to mention the so-called Islamic State - and Sudan was one vast, sprawling country emerging from more than two decades of civil war. I arrived to a continent of 53 states. I now leave behind 54. South Sudan's independence in 2011 marked the newest addition to the globe. The birth pains are still being felt. When I arrived, George W Bush was beginning his second term as US president, oil and gas had yet to be discovered in many parts of Africa and mobile phones were just beginning to open up a world of possibilities from e-commerce to telemedicine. Now, two US presidents later (give or take a week or two), China has become the second-biggest investor in Africa, with India hard on its heels. The brain-drain is beginning to slow down as African talent is being retained, especially in the technology sector. And there is more money flowing back into Africa from remittances, than the entire aid budget", "summary": "As she moves on from her posting, the BBC's Southern Africa correspondent Karen Allen looks back on nearly 12 years of reporting from the continent."}
{"article": "It is to build a replica of the magnificent palace used from 1702 by the kings of Prussia. Where there is now wasteland in the heart of Berlin, the plan is to recreate the courtyards and ornate domes which were once fit for Frederick the Great. Or at least, to create the appearance of them. The plan is to build the facade of the old palace on three sides, with a modern interior and a modern fourth side facing the River Spree. The way a country sees its buildings reflects the way it might like to see itself. Berlin's Nazi past has nearly vanished. The pockmarks from bomb shrapnel all over the city have been filled in. The important buildings of the Hitler regime are car parks or they are used to house exhibitions illustrating the misdeeds. But there is a yearning for the grandeur of the 19th Century. As onlookers at the ceremony to lay the foundation stone put it: \"It's important for German history to build us this kind of castle. \"It's good for the history of Germany to make other people see how it has been here in the past.\" The mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, told the BBC: \"We are rebuilding something that got lost in the troubled history of this city, a city that had to go through two world wars and the communist dictatorship.\" The original palace survived the bombing of the war - just. It remained standing but damaged. What finally destroyed it was the communist regime of the German Democratic Republic. It decided that a royal palace did not quite fit the zeitgeist, applied dynamite and turned it to rubble, using the flattened site to build its parliament. When communism fell, the new authorities decided that the parliament was a pretty ugly and worthless landmark and demolished that too - leaving a gaping space and so room for the recreation of the royal palace at an estimated cost of about 600m euros (\u00c2\u00a3509m; $800m). And that is one reason for the controversy surrounding the scheme. Germany now has a string of big construction projects which are massively over-budget and behind time. Berliners swing between mirth and anger when they discuss the city's new airport. It was supposed to open two years ago but delay after delay means it will not now open until 2014 at the earliest. The cost has soared as steeply as the planes that do not take off from its runways. Currently, the estimate is double the initial budget. On top of that, there are elements of farce such as the trains which have to run to it every day - empty - to keep the lines in good shape (and the money meter clicking away furiously). Then there are the lights in the terminal that cannot be regulated so they shine through the night. Or there is the Elbphilharmonie on the waterfront in Hamburg. This concert hall and five-star hotel in shimmering glass on top of an old warehouse was meant to cost 180m euros and meant to open in", "summary": "Amid much grandeur, President Joachim Gauck of Germany has just laid the foundation stone of one of the country's most ambitious post-war projects."}
{"article": "There has been plenty of EFL activity in the transfer window so far this summer and expect plenty more moves before deadline day arrives on 31 August. With the new season starting on Friday, how well do you know your EFL transfers? Try your luck with our quiz... This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser", "summary": "An ex-England captain, a former Lance Bombardier in the Army and the most expensive signing in Championship history."}
{"article": "Filming for Knights of the Roundtable: King Arthur will begin on Monday and last for six days, Snowdonia National Park Authority has confirmed. The Guy Ritchie film will star Charlie Hunnam as King Arthur and Jude Law as the villain Vortigern. Velocity Productions will be filming in and around Capel Curig, Nant Gwynant and Pen y Gwryd. Meanwhile, Bangor University has just extended its archive about Arthur after Flintshire council donated its Arthurian Collection.", "summary": "Snowdonia's renowned natural beauty is to play a starring role in a Hollywood film featuring Jude Law."}
{"article": "Webber, who arrived from Huddersfield in April, is heading up the search for a permanent replacement for Alex Neil. \"We have a list of candidates, and once their seasons are finished, we can start to accelerate that process,\" Webber told BBC Radio Norfolk. Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill has distanced himself from the role. Neil was sacked by the Canaries on 10 March, with Alan Irvine taking the team on an interim basis for the rest of the season. Webber said he still expected the new head coach to be in place by the end of May. \"We have a clear idea of the type of person it'll be,\" he added. \"Things are a little bit slow because people's seasons are still going on and we have to be respectful of that. \"There's certain rules that we have to adhere by.\" Webber also reaffirmed Norwich's interest in signing Ajax left-back Mitchell Dijks, 24, on a permanent deal, following a successful loan spell, while playing down speculation over Steven Naismith's future at Carrow Road. \"With Mitchell, we have the option to buy him, so to a certain degree it's our call,\" he said. \"We need to agree personal terms and from a financial point of view we need to be creative with the squad, so if that means Mitchell or any other player we're trying to get falls out of that, we can't do it. \"I had a laugh with Steven the other day about what came out of the media in Scotland, saying he was going to be let go on a free. \"It's news to me, and it's news to Steven. He's a good player, we all know that, [with] unbelievable experience at the highest level, in terms of international football. \"He's our player, he's under contract.\"", "summary": "Norwich City's next head coach will come from a shortlist of managers currently in jobs, sporting director Stuart Webber has said."}
{"article": "Supt David Borrie, of Northumbria Police, is said to have simply been told \"don't apply for promotion\" by his chief constable, Mike Craik. Mr Craik has been at the centre of allegations about officers' conduct. The claim was made at a tribunal brought by the force's former head of legal services. Denise Aubrey, 54, was sacked in 2014 for gross misconduct after allegedly disclosing information about an affair Mr Craik was said to be having with his assistant chief constable, Carolyn Peacock, and a second relationship between two further high-ranking officers. Mr Aubrey denies she did so and is claiming unfair dismissal, sexual and disability discrimination, victimisation and harassment. In her witness statement, she said Mr Borrie, who is now 57 and retired from the force, pursued the \"extremely vulnerable\" civilian member of staff, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and \"groped her in the office\". She said: \"On another occasion, he took her for a drink in the afternoon at a pub and then pressurised her into giving him oral sex.\" This happened a second time and eventually an investigation was launched, the tribunal in North Shields heard. Ms Aubrey said: \"Whilst it was felt that a criminal charge would not succeed, he had clearly breached police standards. \"Instead, it was decided to move him but to allow him to complete his service so that he could get his pension. Mr Craik decided to have a 'quiet word' with him and told him 'not to bother applying for promotion'. \"However, the IPCC [the police watchdog] insisted that he received a formal written warning.\" Earlier in the week, the tribunal was told Mrs Peacock's husband, who was also a policeman, punched Mr Craik at a barbecue after learning of the affair. Officers were called to deal with the altercation, but the record of the incident was then said to be deleted - leading to an allegation of a \"cover-up\" by Ms Aubrey's QC, Daphne Romney. Rumours of the relationship began circulating in 2007, Ms Aubrey said. Allegations of a second affair at the force, involving assistant chief constable Greg Vant and Mr Craik's secretary, Juliet Bains, were also raised at the tribunal.", "summary": "A policeman who pressured a vulnerable member of staff into two sex acts was allowed to keep his job so he would not lose his pension, a tribunal heard."}
{"article": "Some people have been waiting up to three hours to clear passport controls, with freight traffic building up on roads approaching the Kent port. A Port of Dover spokesman advised customers to allow plenty of time for their journey. France has been under a state of emergency since last November. The country's National Assembly voted to extend the measure by six months in response to last week's attack in Nice in which 84 people were killed and scores injured when a lorry was driven into crowds. The state of emergency was brought in after terror attacks in Paris on 13 November that left 130 people dead. Latest updates on the Port of Dover and other Kent stories A P&O Ferries spokesperson said: \"We are doing everything we can to allow passengers to begin their journey as quickly as possible. \"If passengers miss their allocated ferry they will be able to board the next available ferry at no additional cost.\" Disgruntled travellers have taken to Twitter to express their dismay. John Hippisley said \"terrible PR for the French Authorities I appreciate the need to protect the border but clearly all tourist not terrorists\". The extra security checks have been causing delays since the early hours. DFDS Seaways advised customers on Twitter at 13:00 BST that they should \"allow 180 minutes to complete the check-in process... the port is very busy\".", "summary": "Thousands of Cross-Channel ferry passengers are facing long delays at the Port of Dover amid heightened French security checks."}
{"article": "Prince Andrew said in a statement he wished to stop \"speculation and innuendo\" relating to his daughters. He said it was \"complete fabrication\" to suggest he wanted titles for any future husbands of the princesses. He added that continued speculation over a split between himself and Prince Charles was \"pointless\". \"As a father, my wish for my daughters is for them to be modern, working, young women, who happen to be members of the Royal Family, and I am delighted to see them building their careers,\" the duke said. \"When they do support the Royal Family in its work this is very much appreciated by my family and, most importantly, by those organisations and to those for whom their participation makes such a difference to their lives.\" While acknowledging there is \"considerable interest\" in the granddaughters of the Queen, Prince Andrew said he \"cannot continue to stand by and have the media speculate on their futures based on my purported interventions, which are completely made up\". The statement was issued via the duke's Twitter account. It came shortly after the princesses' mother, the Duchess of York, urged the media to \"stop bullying the York family\". She was speaking as Beatrice, 28, and Eugenie, 26, became patrons of the Teenage Cancer Trust charity. The duchess and the two princesses visited a specialist teen cancer unit in central London to mark the occasion, meeting young people with the disease. \"Let's focus more on this and less on tittle-tattle gossip,\" said the duchess, who was divorced from Prince Andrew in 1996. By Peter Hunt, BBC royal correspondent Once, personal royal statements were vanishingly rare. Not anymore. After Prince Harry leapt to the aid of his girlfriend Meghan Markle, his uncle has used his personal Twitter account to defend his daughters. And it's significant that the princely views were disseminated this way and not through an official Buckingham Palace statement. There will be those at the palace who will have questioned the wisdom of this move. Not least because there has been tension between Prince Andrew and Prince Charles over the future king's plans to slim down the monarchy when his time comes. Read more from Peter Hunt The Duke of York's statement was issued in response to reports claiming he intended to persuade the Queen or Prince Charles to make any husbands of Eugenie or Beatrice earls. In October, there were claims of a row between Prince Andrew and his brother, said to have been sparked by a wish for his daughters to be given more significant roles within the royal family in future. The statement also comes just over a month after Prince Harry took the decision to issue a statement attacking the media for subjecting his actress girlfriend Meghan Markle to a \"wave of abuse and harassment\".", "summary": "There is \"no truth\" in press claims of a split in the Royal Family over the future roles of Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, the Duke of York has said."}
{"article": "The Belfast woman claims she was 15 when she embarked on a sexual relationship with Mr McPeake. The 72-year-old denies 12 counts of sex offences against her. She made her claim during her third day in the witness box. The abuse is alleged to have happened from summer 2009 until February 2010. She alleged in Belfast Crown Court she became sexually involved with McPeake during a group trip to the Republic of Ireland, and that when the group returned to Belfast, her relationship with Mr McPeake progressed onto intercourse. The woman was questioned at length about the allegations she had made against Mr McPeake. When she was asked about an alleged pregnancy scare, the woman said she \"panicked\" as she was only 15 and that Mr McPeake had lost his temper when she told him. This, and all her other claims, have been refuted by Mr McPeake, who makes the case that no sexual activity occurred between him and the then schoolgirl in 2009 and 2010. A defence lawyer questioned the woman about her claims of sexual activity on two cross-border trips as well as alleged incidents she said occurred at the McPeake School of Music in Belfast, at another music workshop in the city and in his car. Telling the jury it was Mr McPeake's case there was no sexual activity, the lawyer accused the woman of being a disruptive influence during one of the cross-border trips, where she made a nuisance of herself and had to be chastised by Mr McPeake for her bad behaviour. This suggestion was rejected by the woman, who said that at that time they were in a relationship and she was in love with him. She was also asked about comments she made about wanting to wreck his life the way he had wrecked hers, and also comments she made to Mr McPeake's son via Facebook about his father. Breaking down in tears, the woman said she was \"angry and hurt\" about what Mr McPeake had done. She said: \"All I wanted was an apology, to say he was sorry and that he was wrong. I just wanted an apology from him.\" When she was accused by the defence lawyer of making false allegations about Mr McPeake, she answered: \"They are not false, they are true.\" And when she was told by the lawyer \"I have to suggest to you there was no sexual activity between you and the defendant\", she replied \"there was.\" The trial is due to resume on Monday.", "summary": "A 20-year-old woman who claims she was sexually abused by traditional Irish musician Francis McPeake has claimed in court he \"lost his temper\" when she told him she thought she might be pregnant."}
{"article": "Officers described the incident near Blairhill Station, in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, on Sunday night as \"stupid and dangerous\". The shopping trolley was hurled through overhead power lines which could have electrocuted the person. A train hit the trolley, but there was no serious damage to the vehicle or any injuries on board. British Transport Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them. PC Mark Harrington said: \"We believe the trolley was thrown onto the tracks before the train struck it. \"It's incredible that whoever threw it was not electrocuted, as the trolley has gone between the overhead wires. \"This was a stupid and dangerous thing to do and could have had very serious consequences, not only for the person throwing the trolley but also for the driver and all the passengers of the train that collided with it. \"This happened in a residential area so it is likely that someone will have seen or heard people by the tracks around the time of the incident. \"I would like to speak to anyone who has any information that could help with this investigation.\"", "summary": "A person who threw a trolley onto train tracks is lucky to be alive, transport police have said."}
{"article": "Laura Davies, 21, was attacked near the Essex Horse and Pony Protection Society base in Basildon, where she lived and worked. Judge Charles Gratwicke described it as \"a brutal and sick, callous killing\". Jordan Taylor, 22, of Basildon, must serve a minimum of 23 years in jail for murdering Miss Davies just moments after she had ended their relationship. Follow live updates on this story and other Essex news Taylor had denied murder but was found guilty by a jury at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday. Sentencing him to life in prison, Judge Gratwicke told Taylor: \"The jury saw through your lies, and saw you for what you are - a devious, jealous and ruthless individual prepared to unleash extreme violence on anyone who crosses your path. \"This was a brutal and sick, callous killing.\" During the eight-day trial the court heard Taylor and Miss Davies had been together since December 2014. He had moved into the flat which came with her job as a groom at the sanctuary. Miss Davies had told friends she planned to end the relationship on the evening of 3 July last year - the night she was murdered. The kitchen knife Taylor turned on Miss Davies had been used with such force it was bent to a 45-degree angle. The court heard Taylor claimed he stabbed her twice in self-defence after she attacked him. Things went \"foggy\" after that, he said. He said he could not remember most of the attack and denied murdering Miss Davies. However, the Crown Prosecution Service described it as a \"vicious and sustained attack\" carried out by Taylor while he was in a \"jealous rage\" after Miss Davies ended the relationship. Prosecutors said the attack on Miss Davies began in the flat in Pitsea Hall Lane, then continued outside as she fled in her pyjamas. Taylor had denied initially making \"disfiguring\" cuts to Miss Davies' face and left breast as \"punishment\" for trying to end the relationship, before eventually going on to kill her. CCTV footage showed Taylor attempting to hoist Miss Davies' near-lifeless body over a hedge out of view. He was found by police crouching in bushes near her body. Miss Davies died later that night in Basildon Hospital. Taylor was charged with her murder. The jury heard Taylor, a martial arts enthusiast, had tried to control a number of aspects of Miss Davies' life. Her mother Dyanne Lambert told the court he would not allow her daughter to wear short-sleeved or low-cut tops and the couple would often argue. \"She became very quiet and didn't want to talk about what was going on,\" she said. Speaking after Taylor was sentenced, Mrs Lambert said: \"Obviously nothing will bring our Laura back but we are glad that he will be off the streets for a very long time. \"Twenty-three years is long, but it will not bring our baby back.\" Miss Davies' father, John Davies, said: \"We've lost Laura forever and it's very hard to deal with. \"We thank the justice system for all their work and for the sentence,", "summary": "A man who murdered his girlfriend by stabbing her 80 times in a \"jealous rage\" has been jailed for life."}
{"article": "The boy's body was recovered from the River Ericht at Cally Bridge, near Blairgowrie, at about 12:35. He had been reported missing from a property in the nearby Milton of Drimmie area at 11:15. Police, firefighters, a water rescue unit and air ambulance were involved in the search. No details on the child's identity have been released. A Police Scotland spokesman said: \"Around 11:15am today, police in Perthshire received a report of a two-year-old boy missing from a property in the Milton of Drimmie area, close to Bridge of Cally, in Perthshire. \"Officers immediately launched a full search of the area, with assistance from the Police Scotland helicopter and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service personnel. \"Around 12:35pm, the child was located in the River Ericht, close to the property. He was removed from the water by fire personnel and treated by paramedics, who had attended the scene with the air ambulance. \"Tragically, the boy did not survive. His family are being supported by officers at this time.\" Deputy first minister John Swinney, who is MSP for Perthshire North, expressed his sympathy for the family. He tweeted: \"Heartbreaking news from the River Ericht at Bridge of Cally. My deepest sympathies to everyone involved.\" Local councillor Liz Grant, who is provost of Perth and Kinross, said: \"It will be absolutely devastating for the family and the community. \"It is a very small community. Bridge of Cally is a small village. \"The River Ericht is fast, the rivers are all fast coming down through that area, particularly at this time of year.\"", "summary": "A two-year-old boy has been found dead in a river after being reported missing in Perthshire."}
{"article": "The 20-year-old has played three times for the Tractor Boys this term, all in the League Cup, scoring one goal. Yorwerth, a Wales Under-21 international, joined Ipswich this summer after leaving Cardiff City. He is eligible to make his debut for the Reds, who are currently one place off the bottom in League Two, in Tuesday's visit to Newport County. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League Two strugglers Crawley Town have signed Ipswich Town defender Josh Yorwerth on a one-month loan deal."}
{"article": "Recordings released on paid-subscription platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal will now qualify. Nominees previously had to be available on a CD, or downloadable. Grammy members will also vote in fewer categories, the Recording Academy announced. The changes will come into force in time for next February's awards. Bill Freimuth, the Academy's senior vice president of awards, said: \"We noticed that there were a number of higher-profile artists who were choosing - for philosophical reasons as much as anything - to release their music through streaming-only, and we did not want to be exclusionary toward them.\" Some musicians, including Prince and Beyonce, have released debuts exclusively on Tidal, before then releasing them on iTunes and other platforms. Grammy members will also have the number of categories they can vote in reduced from 20 to 15. However all members will still be able to vote in the top four categories: album of the year, song of the year, record of the year and best new artist. Other changes include an update for the best new artist category. Rules now allow a performer who releases at least five singles to qualify. Previously, acts had to release an album to be eligible. Acts can qualify for best new artist until they have released three albums or 30 singles. The best rap/sung collaboration, which was given to rap and R&B acts who team up on a track, is being renamed to best rap/sung performance, and can now be given to solo acts. Best blues album has also been split into two categories: best traditional blues album and best contemporary blues album. Freimuth added: \"The effort here is to protect the integrity of the Grammy Awards, and so sometimes that means typing up some rules, and sometimes that means loosening up some rules, sometimes that means contracting a category, sometimes that means adding a category.\" This year's awards saw Taylor Swift's 1989 win the coveted album of the year award. The singer - who is the first woman to win the award twice - also won best pop vocal album and best music video, for her track Bad Blood. Rapper Kendrick Lamar won the most prizes on the night with five awards. British singer Ed Sheeran also won his first two Grammys for song of the year and best pop solo performance, for his number one hit Thinking Out Loud. Songs need to have been released between 1 October 2015 and 30 September 2016 to be eligible for next year's awards. The nominations will be announced on 6 December.", "summary": "Songs released only on streaming services are to be eligible for Grammy nominations for the first time, as part of changes to the music awards' rules."}
{"article": "Images appeared to show Drissa Traore, Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill and Jeremy Balmy taking the legal high, commonly known as laughing gas, via balloons. Swindon suspended the trio on 7 April and, following a club investigation, a statement said: \"Swindon Town now consider this matter to be closed. \"The three first-team players have been fined for their actions.\" The statement added: \"The trio acknowledge that their actions were wrong and would like to apologise to their team mates, the club's staff and the supporters. \"They are keen to move on from this issue and get back to training to help the team as quickly as possible. All three will be considered for selection once again this weekend.\" Head coach Luke Williams told BBC Wiltshire: \"They will be available (on Saturday) because they will have served their suspension time but the boys will have to earn their right to be back in the matchday squad. \"I should think there's a level of conditioning that they've now lost because they have not been training for a fortnight, so they'll have to be re-conditioned. \"They'll have to show in training every day that they're desperately trying to make up for what they've done.\" Swindon host Chesterfield in League One on Saturday.", "summary": "Swindon Town have fined three players after they appeared to inhale nitrous oxide in a live social media video."}
{"article": "A recording, which a US website claims was Gibson on the phone to Oksana Grigorieva, has emerged. He is allegedly heard verbally abusing her. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said officers will \"review\" the recordings as part of an investigation. A spokesman for Gibson has declined to comment on the claims. \"Anything that is connected to the case we will investigate,\" Mr Whitmore said. Last week, RadarOnline.com posted a recording which it claimed was Gibson. A man can be heard telling Grigorieva he thought she was dressing too provocatively using explicit and offensive language. At one point, Grigorieva accuses the man of \"hitting a woman when she's holding a child in her hands\". He replies that she \"deserved it\". Gibson and Grigorieva are currently battling each other for custody of their 8-month-old daughter. The Lethal Weapon and Braveheart star previously hit headlines over an angry outburst in 2006. Then, a leaked police report quoted him making anti-Semitic comments to a Jewish police officer, who was arresting him for drink driving.", "summary": "US police have said they are evaluating claims that Hollywood star Mel Gibson allegedly hit his ex-girlfriend."}
{"article": "Network Rail said the railway station would be shut between 30 September and 22 October so passenger capacity can be increased. It is part of the rail management company and Liverpool City Region's \u00c2\u00a3340m project to upgrade 10 railways. A spokesman for Network Rail said disruption would be \"kept to a minimum\" and most services would run to and from Liverpool South Parkway instead. Annual passenger numbers at Lime Street station are forecast to double in peak periods by 2043, said Network Rail, and these improvements will enable it to cater for the increased capacity. The work will see two new platforms created, existing platforms remodelled, overhead line equipment to power electric trains installed and tracks upgraded. The six train companies which serve Liverpool have been working on a plan for more than a year to keep customers moving. Network Rail said bus replacement services would be offered when necessary and passengers would be guided to alternative city centre stations. The company's spokesman said the renovation was \"the biggest upgrade of the station since the 19th Century\". \"It will provide passengers with faster, more frequent and reliable train services by 2019,\" he added. Liverpool Lime Street was closed for a week for emergency repair work after a wall collapsed on to the tracks on 28 February. The work is not related to the damage caused by 200 tonnes of debris which fell on tracks in the approach to the station, said Network Rail. Source Network Rail", "summary": "Liverpool Lime Street is to close for three weeks for a major refurbishment."}
{"article": "The first concerns rates - the locally collected property tax paid by businesses and households. The political crisis means the NI Executive has not set its part of the bill, known as the regional rate. James Brokenshire had promised to bring forward legislation to enable a regional rate to be set if there was no political deal by 18 April. That legislation could be passed as early as this week. The bigger issue is the Northern Ireland budget. The executive failed to agree a budget for 2017-18 and so civil servants have been using emergency financial powers since the start of the financial year. However, officials believe that state of affairs is only sustainable for a few months at most. That has led to speculation that Mr Brokenshire could use the House of Commons to pass a Northern Ireland budget. Welfare reform is being cited as a precedent where Westminster legislated for Northern Ireland despite welfare being a devolved power. If Mr Brokenshire is to take that step he will have to move quickly.", "summary": "Northern Ireland has two pressing financial issues on which the Secretary of State could act before parliament is dissolved in early May."}
{"article": "The star joined forces with her cousin, Senator Charles Schumer, to unveil a set of proposals for more stringent background checks on gun buyers. \"The time is now for American people to rally for these changes,\" she said. President Obama recently said the failure to pass gun safety laws was the greatest frustration of his presidency. His comments came on 23 July, just hours before a gunman opened fire on a movie theatre in Lafayette, Louisiana, killing two women and injuring nine other patrons, before taking his own life. John Houser, 59, legally purchased his semi-automatic 40-calibre handgun in Alabama in 2014, following a background check that failed to reveal he had a history of psychiatric problems and had been the subject of domestic violence complaints. Schumer, whose film was playing at the cinema, said the incident sickened her. \"I've thought about these victims each day since the tragedy,\" she said at a news conference at the senator's office in New York. \"People say, 'Well, you're never going to be able to stop crazy people from doing crazy things,' but they're wrong. There is a way to stop them,\" she added. Senator Schumer, a New York democrat, wants to improve background checks by creating financial incentives for states that submit information to a database the FBI uses to screen gun buyers. His bill would also create penalties for states that fail to submit records to the database. He stressed that the proposals were about strengthening the background check system, not putting new restrictions on buyers. He also urged Congress to provide full funding to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which faces a proposed 4.4% cut of $159m (\u00c2\u00a3101m). But with gun ownership a contentious issue in US politics, the senator acknowledged he would struggle to get his bill passed into law. \"We're up against a powerful lobby, so having people like Amy - who people respect and listen to - is a great antidote,\" he said. \"She reaches people that, frankly, I would never reach.\" Schumer, who is known for her raunchy, no-holds-barred sketch show on Comedy Central, said she expected backlash for speaking out about guns, but would not back down. \"I'll handle it the way I've handled it the last 10 years,\" she said. \"I've had death threats and a lot of hate directed toward me. But I want to be proud of the way I'm living and what I stand for.\" The star, who refused to use Houser's name, added: \"Unless something is done and done soon, dangerous people will continue to get their hands on guns. \"We know what can happen when they do. I was heartbroken when I heard about Columbine and Sandy Hook and Aurora and so many other names of places that are seared into our memories. And I was heartbroken again when I heard about Lafayette. \"We'll never know why people choose to do these painful things, but sadly we always find out how. How the shooter got their gun. It's often something that shouldn't have happened in the first place.", "summary": "Comedian Amy Schumer has called for tougher gun control laws in the US, after two women were shot dead at a screening of her movie, Trainwreck."}
{"article": "Brathwaite, 22, had only one Test wicket and three first-class scalps to his name before this game, but captured 6-29 with his part-time off-spin. That helped bowl Sri Lanka out for 206, setting West Indies 244 to win. Brathwaite was then lbw for three with the tourists 20-1 when rain ended play. The Bajan right-hander had only bowled in six of his previous 23 Tests since his debut in 2011, taking a solitary wicket against India in Kolkata for an overall Test bowling average of 137. His previous first-class bowling figures were equally forgettable, with three wickets at an average of 67 in 81 games. But after he came on with Sri Lanka 146-4 to share the spin workload with Devendra Bishoo and debutant Jomel Warrican, Brathwaite took the last six wickets including home skipper Angelo Mathews, who was ninth out for 46. With rain preventing any play after tea, Sri Lanka lead the two-Test series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Galle by an innings.", "summary": "West Indies' Kraigg Brathwaite achieved the best Test bowling figures by an opening batsman for more than half a century on day three of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo."}
{"article": "The British actor plays Martin Luther King in the film about the 1965 campaign in Selma, Alabama, for equal voting rights for African-Americans. The film, out in the UK next week, has been lauded by critics but received no Bafta nominations. The film received two Oscar nominations - for best picture and best original song. \"When it's the best reviewed film of the year, and it's a film of this significance, and you have British company Pathe producing it, and you have four Brits as the main characters of the film, you expect to be nominated for Baftas,\" Oyelowo told the BBC. \"When that doesn't happen it sends an odd message.\" The Oxford-born actor, who now lives in Los Angeles, said he was proud to be a British actor and it was meaningful to him to have his work well-received in the UK. \"For me, you keep it moving, you go on to the next thing, you have to, but I would not say that it is something you just brush off, and go 'OK, that's just happenstance'. It's disappointing.\" Selma has been a long-term project for Oyelowo, who first came across the script when he relocated to LA in 2007. He is best known to British TV viewers for his role as MI5 officer Danny Hunter in Spooks. His recent film appearances include Interstellar, A Most Violent Year, The Butler, Jack Reacher, The Paperboy and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Earlier this week Oyelowo attended Selma's European premiere in London. He was joined on the red carpet by co-stars Tom Wilkinson, who plays President Lyndon Johnson; Colman Domingo, who plays civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy; and director Ava DuVernay. DuVernay, who Oyelowo brought on board to make the film, said at the premiere that it was a \"shame\" that Bafta voters had not acknowledged his performance. \"He's one of the brightest stars to come out of Britain of any colour. But particularly around this performance, that's so transformative, so important, so immersive. I'd have liked to have seen him get that.\" When the Oscar nominations were announced, a week after the Baftas, there was widespread surprise that both Oyelowo and DuVernay missed out in the acting and directing categories. Oyelowo told the BBC that he would be at the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood, on 22 February, to support the film in its best picture nomination. \"We're not underplaying at all that achievement,\" he said.", "summary": "Former Spooks star David Oyelowo has expressed disappointment at the way Bafta has snubbed his new film Selma."}
{"article": "Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said that it was a case of \"the sooner, the better\". Theresa May is seeking the support of the DUP's 10 MPs after losing her majority in the general election. Both sides have been talking, but have not confirmed a deal to support a Conservative minority government. Sir Jeffrey said that the prime minister had been \"moving this process forward\" and was \"engaged\". He added: \"I'll say this about Ulster men and Ulster women, we're no pushover.\" Sir Jeffrey, the MP for Lagan Valley, was speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today after sources told the BBC that the DUP is seeking \u00a32bn in extra funding for Northern Ireland in return for supporting the Conservatives. He described the reported figures as \"wide of the mark\" and \"nonsense\". \"We're talking about funding across a range of issues, certainly some money for health and education and some money for our infrastructure, but certainly the scale that we're talking about is nowhere near what's being speculated in the media.\" He said that would \"become evident\" when the agreement is published. Sir Jeffrey also rejected criticisms that the agreement would affect the British government's neutrality in Northern Ireland's peace process. \"The deal relates to how we operate in Westminster, let me be clear on this - we're not asking the government to take sides on the devolution debate in Northern Ireland. \"We're not seeking to drag the politics of Northern Ireland onto the national stage. I've read stuff about parading and other things, none of this will feature (in an agreement).\" Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has poured cold water on reports that his party was seeking an extra \u00a32bn in health and infrastructure spending to support a minority Conservative government. That was - according to the Lagan Valley MP - \"wild speculation\" and \"wide of the mark\". However, the sources for those reports were reliable. So is it possible the DUP is now seeking to manage down the expectations of its supporters? Read more here. His comments came after political parties in Northern Ireland raised concerns that ongoing DUP-Tory talks are undermining the negotiations on restoring devolution at Stormont. The government has set a 29 June deadline for a Stormont deal but parties are frustrated that the delay in an agreement at Westminster could affect the chances of a deal in Northern Ireland. DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds told MPs on Wednesday evening that his party wants to see the Stormont Executive up and running as quickly as possible. However, Colum Eastwood, leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), claimed the \"chaotic talks\" between the DUP and the Conservatives were holding Northern Ireland politics to ransom. \"We're all, of course, a bit preoccupied by what's going on - or not going on - in London and it's quite clear that the DUP and Tory Party aren't quite sure what they're doing, but they need to get on with it, because it is affecting the process here,\" Mr Eastwood said. \"If people think that anyone is going to sign a deal here without knowing", "summary": "There is a \"very good\" chance the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Conservatives will agree a parliamentary deal by next week, a DUP MP has said."}
{"article": "Lauri Love, who has Asperger's syndrome, worries he will be sentenced to up to 99 years. \"If I went into a US prison, I don't think I'd leave again,\" he told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme. A judge will announce next week whether Mr Love, from Stradishall, Suffolk, should be extradited. Mr Love, who could face trials in three different US states, is accused of hacking into the FBI, the US central bank and the country's missile defence agency. He said the US prison system was \"poor\" at handling people with psychological conditions, who faced widespread bullying. \"The way that mental health is dealt with in America is not in any way therapeutic,\" he said. \"I have Asperger's and I have depression, so suicide is a real risk. \"And if I get a 99-year sentence, it's an absurd length of time, meaning I would die in prison anyway.\" Mr Love calculates this could be the total combined sentence length if he is found guilty of hacking offences in each of New Jersey, Virginia and New York. The Federal Bureau of Prisons says it works to provide education to staff and inmates on suicide prevention. Mr Love told Victoria Derbyshire he could be \"bullied\" into accepting a plea bargain in the US - receiving a shorter sentence in return for admitting one or more of the alleged offences. \"The threat of what might happen to me is always in the background,\" he said. \"I've been scratching my face as a nervous reaction, which has exacerbated my eczema.\" Mr Love, 31, was first arrested at home in 2013 and had computer equipment seized by British police, who then released him on bail. He was not charged in the UK, where the investigation into him was dropped. In England and Wales, the maximum sentence for a computer crime such as those of which Mr Love is accused is two years and eight months. His defence team argues that his depression and Asperger's syndrome - a form of autism - mean he should not be sent abroad, but US prosecutors say he is using his mental health issues as an excuse to escape justice. \"That's offensive to me, as someone who has had problems with mental health for all of my life,\" Mr Love said. \"I really feel for my parents, who have the worry and the stress of this. It's been very difficult for them.\" In 2012. the then Home Secretary, Theresa May, blocked the extradition to the US of Gary McKinnon, a UK hacker with mental health issue, saying he was a suicide risk. Since then, the law has changed, so judges rather than politicians decide on extraditions. Mr Love's case is regarded as the first real test of the new law. A judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court will announce her decision on whether to extradite Mr Love on 16 September. Mr Love said he was \"guardedly optimistic\" he would be allowed to remain in the UK. The Victoria Derbyshire programme is broadcast on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the", "summary": "A British man wanted in the US for allegedly hacking into government computers says he fears dying in jail if he is extradited."}
{"article": "Private domiciliary care firms commissioned by local authorities say there is a recruitment crisis due to competition from hospitals and supermarkets. The UK Homecare Association said there was a \"real sense of desperation\". Public Health Minister Rebecca Evans said action would be taken. Colin Angel - of the UK Homecare Association, the body which represents care companies - told the Week In Week Out programme many of his members were really struggling. \"What we hear in Wales is a real sense of desperation from some providers trying to work out how they can remain in business on the sorts of rates that they are being paid by local councils,\" he said. \"And I think in some parts of Wales, particularly rural areas, we may see care providers handing back work or going out of business even more quickly than in the rest of the country. And that's something that I hope the Welsh Government is going to take seriously.\" Private domiciliary care firms provide 13 million hours of care every year in Wales. One care company in North Wales \"reluctantly\" pulled out of providing care to Conwy council, saying it could not supply the care required for the money the council was prepared to pay. Thirteen of the Wales' 22 local authorities said they had seen contracts handed back to them, when asked by BBC Wales. The proportion with returned contracts - 59% - compares to a UK average of 48%. Cymorth Llaw has provided domiciliary care in north Wales for 17 years and company boss Ken Hogg said it was getting more and more challenging. While the company is not in danger of going bust, profits have been falling. \"There will be difficult decisions to be made. We've made difficult decisions in the past,\" Mr Hogg said. \"We have to stop this crisis in social care and we have to make these professional carers feel valued, not only valued members of society, but also the remuneration that they deserve.\" Last year the company pulled out of providing care in Conwy - which initially paid \u00a314.20 an hour for care. Conwy offered to raise that to \u00a315.00, but the company decided they had no choice but to give up the contract. \"We didn't think that we could provide this level of service for that cost, for that amount of money that Conwy were offering. And we were very, very reluctant to leave, but we had to leave, it was as simple as that,\" Mr Hogg added. Conwy council said it was committed to supporting vulnerable people in communities, despite facing financial challenges. Care worker Amanda Hopewell, of Cymorth Llaw, is paid \u00a37.55 per hour - just above the national living wage. She is on a zero-hours contract, which means the hours she works are not guaranteed. She said she struggled to make ends meet. \"I did look into buying a house about four years ago, but because I didn't have a contract they wouldn't allow me to buy a house or anything like that,\" she said. \"It's hard. You see all your", "summary": "Firms caring for thousands of people living at home in Wales are facing tough financial pressures to stay open, a care companies body has said."}
{"article": "The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said Mr Wells would not be charged in connection with the incident on 23 April in Downpatrick. Mr Wells welcomed the decision as \"an important step forward\". In a statement, the PPS said it was decided that the case did not meet the test for prosecution. \"Following a careful consideration of all the available evidence provided to the PPS by the PSNI, it has been decided that the case does not meet the test for prosecution,\" the PPS statement said. \"Potential offences were considered under the Public Order (NI) Order 1987, in particular an offence under article nine (stirring up hatred). \"Included in the evidence examined by prosecutors was a 30 second video clip which was widely circulated on social media after the event was staged in Downpatrick. \"The police also provided a longer transcript of a recording of the entirety of the man's comments. \"On examining the available evidence for the incident reported, in particular the entirety of the transcript of the man's comments, it was concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prove that any offence was committed.\" In a statement, Mr Wells said he had been \"vindicated\" by the decision. \"This matter has been hanging over me for some time and so I am obviously delighted to have the air cleared,\" he said. \"It was seized upon by opponents of myself and my party and used against us in an entirely unreasonable manner. \"There are many aspects of this incident, and the subsequent campaign, that continue to raise significant cause for concern and which merit further investigation.\"", "summary": "The DUP MLA Jim Wells will not be prosecuted for comments he made about gay marriage during a hustings event for the Westminster election."}
{"article": "On a green surface and in damp, overcast conditions, Australia fell to 8-4 and 17-5 after losing the toss. Vernon Philander took 5-21, Kyle Abbott 3-41 and though Steve Smith ended 48 not out, Australia slumped to their lowest home total against the Proteas. South Africa reached 171-5 by the close for a lead of 86 - Hashim Amla hitting 47, while Mitchell Starc has 3-49. The tourists, without injured skipper AB de Villiers and pace spearhead Dale Steyn, already lead the three-Test series 1-0. This Test is the first time since both made their debuts against England in December 2004 that South Africa have played without either of them. In the absence of Steyn, Philander tore through the Australia top order, starting with David Warner edging a drive to a delivery so wide he could barely reach it. Joe Burns was lbw to Abbott and, after Usman Khawaja and Adam Voges edged behind the wicket, debutant Callum Ferguson was run out by a direct hit from substitute fielder Dane Vilas for three. From five wickets down, Australia needed captain Smith to get past their lowest home total of 58, but they were still shot out for the worst score in a Hobart Test. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Australia were bowled out for only 85 on the first day of the second Test against South Africa at Hobart."}
{"article": "Officer Phil O'Neill did not consider the fact he could not see Daniel Adewole an emergency situation and returned 18 minutes later. The 16-year-old, who had epilepsy, was later found unresponsive in his cell at Cookham Wood in Rochester. Asked if he thought he should have gone back sooner, Mr O'Neill said: \"I do.\" Another officer, Sharon Bignell, told the inquest she had not unlocked Daniel's cell because the teenager \"could have been hiding\" and could have attacked her. The inquest, being carried out by coroner Patricia Harding, continues.", "summary": "A prison officer went for a cigarette when he could not find a teenager who was supposed to be in his cell, an inquest heard."}
{"article": "Last month Oldham denied reports they were set to offer the 26-year-old a contract, or let him train with them, but it is believed they have now had a change of heart. Striker Evans has been without a club since he left prison in October. The Wales international served half of a five-year term for raping a woman in a hotel in May 2011. An online petition against Oldham signing Evans was set up on Sunday and had been signed by almost 19,000 people by 23:30 GMT. Former Oldham player Rick Holden told BBC Radio 5 live he was \"not comfortable at all\" with the possibility of Evans joining the Latics. \"It's one of those crimes that will never go away,\" said Holden, who played 189 games for Oldham between 1989 and 1993. \"I don't see how the chap can survive given the ferocity of football up and down the land.\" Holden, who played 189 games for Oldham between 1989 and 1993, said the club were \"courting controversy\", but added that they had \"a history of taking on these difficult challenges\". Earlier on Sunday, Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor had revealed that an unnamed club would hold a news conference regarding Evans on Monday, although he added that the player has yet to be signed. \"We've had a number of steps forward and a number of steps back. I'm not going to count my chickens,\" Taylor told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek programme. \"If a club are looking to sign him they need to be 100% committed.\" If Oldham were to sign Evans it would not be the first time they have signed a striker who had served a prison sentence. In 2007 they signed Lee Hughes after he had served half of a six-year prison term for causing death by dangerous driving. In November, Oldham chairman Simon Corney told BBC Radio Manchester that he felt people should be given a \"second chance\". \"I believe in the law of the land and my understanding is Ched went away and did his time in prison,\" he said. \"I know this is an argument people don't like but if he was an electrician and came out of jail he is entitled to work again. \"But we have the fact he's a role model. It is a dangerous topic to discuss but we do have to make sure we make the right decision.\" On Evans's release from prison, Sheffield United offered him use of their training facilities. However, the Blades withdrew the offer after a backlash from supporters and club patrons, while more than 160,000 people signed a petition protesting against his return. Hartlepool also ruled out signing Evans after manager Ronnie Moore suggested he was considering a deal for the Welshman. Taylor added: \"Evans is a footballer. He wants to return to society as a footballer, so he does need an employer to take him on.\" Evans maintains his innocence, and an investigation into his conviction by the Criminal Cases Review Commission is under way.", "summary": "Convicted rapist Ched Evans has been in talks about signing for League One club Oldham, BBC Sport understands."}
{"article": "Mr Trudeau emphasised the benefits of Canada-US trade on jobs and the economy in an interview with NBC News. It is a well-worn message for Mr Trudeau, but one he is keen to promote before North American Free Trade Agreement talks launch. Mr Trudeau spoke to the network from New York as he attended Canadian show Come From Away on Broadway. The musical production is based on the true story of how the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, welcomed some 7,000 air travellers stranded in the days after the 9/11 terror attacks when the US closed its airspace. It recently opened in New York City after a successful run in Canada, and its heart-warming storyline was the perfect medium to help transmit Mr Trudeau's message of the importance of the longstanding ties between the two countries. In remarks before the show, Mr Trudeau said: \"We have a friendship between our two countries that are like no other\". His press secretary said on Thursday that \"we embrace the opportunity to highlight how we are there for each other in times of need\". The audience on Wednesday was filled with political glitterati, included Ivanka Trump as a guest, who sat near to UN ambassador Nikki Haley and Mr Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau during the evening's entertainment. Mr Trudeau and Ms Trump had met previously when she helped host a summit on women business leaders and entrepreneurs when the Canadian prime minister visited Washington earlier this year. Mr Trudeau told NBC's Tom Brokaw that there is an opportunity to improve the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) in trade talks. US President Donald Trump wants to renegotiate Nafta, a 1994 trade deal that includes Canada and Mexico. In February, the president said the trade relationship between the two countries only needed \"tweaking\" - a word Mr Trudeau clearly remembers. \"(Nafta) has led to a lot of great jobs for a whole lot of people on both sides of the border and I very much take him at his word when he talks about just making a few tweaks,\" he told the network. \"Because that's what we're always happy to do.\" Trade relations with the US are crucial for Canada and Mr Trudeau and his ministers have repeatedly hammered home statistics over the past few months that underscore the importance of Canada to American commerce. Nearly nine million US jobs depend on trade and investment from Canada, while Canada is the top customer for 35 US states. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is expected to trigger notification to the US Congress to start the Nafta renegotiation by the end of March.", "summary": "Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking his pro-trade message directly to Americans."}
{"article": "Police were called to reports the Stagecoach bus had hit the bridge at Chapel Hill, near the train station, shortly before 14:00 BST. Two people were on board the bus at the time, but were not injured. Chapel Hill has been reopened. Network Rail said train services between Basingstoke and London, which use the bridge, had not been affected.", "summary": "The roof of a double decker bus has been torn off after it struck a railway bridge in Basingstoke."}
{"article": "Dame Angela, 89, won best supporting actress for the role of eccentric medium Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit. The Kinks-inspired musical Sunny Afternoon and drama A View From the Bridge both won multiple awards. Hosted by Lenny Henry, the Oliviers ceremony took place at London's Royal Opera House on Sunday night. Accepting her statuette, Dame Angela said: \"All these years of waiting. I am so infinitely grateful to have this baby in my hands.\" The Murder, She Wrote star, who was born in east London in 1925, recalled how she started her stage career in \"a lovely play\" with Dame Peggy Ashcroft, the title of which she couldn't recall. \"I can't remember a lot of things these days - except I can remember my lines,\" she joked. She added: \"Here I am creeping up to 90 and feeling like a million dollars because I'm in London in this magnificent hall with all you - my roots, where I began.\" The actress's star turn in Blithe Spirit took place at the Gielgud Theatre where her mother, actress Moyna Macgill, made her debut on the same stage in 1918 - when the theatre was known as The Globe. The best actor prize went to Mark Strong, for his brooding performance in Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge, which enjoyed a sell-out run at Wyndham's Theatre and might soon transfer to Broadway. The role of tragic hero Eddie Carbone had lured Strong back to the stage after 12 years in film. \"What's been amazing about doing this play is the young people who that came to see it who all wanted to talk about what they were seeing,\" he said. \"Thousands of years have gone by and we still have this thing called live theatre - and the reason is that we need to be able to compare ourselves to what we see up there and judge ourselves as human beings.\" The play, originally staged at London's Young Vic, also won best revival and best director award for Ivo Van Hove. Penelope Wilton won best actress for Taken at Midnight in which she played the mother of a young German lawyer imprisoned by the Nazis. Accepting her award, she said it was a story \"that needed to be told again\". \"It has a resonance today even though it was about a man who died in 1937 - it's about the importance of democracy and freedom of speech.\" Joe Penhall's play Sunny Afternoon, which transferred to the West End from London's Hampstead Theatre, was crowned best new musical. Stars John Dagleish and George Maguire - who play The Kinks brothers Ray and Dave Davies - were awarded best actor and best supporting actor in the musical category. Ray Davies received a special outstanding achievement award for the Sunny Afternoon score. Picking up his award, Davies described The Kinks as \"four of the unlikeliest pop stars you've ever seen\". He said: \"When you write songs you write about people. Without people we have no plays we have no films. People are the source of my material.", "summary": "Dame Angela Lansbury said she felt \"like a million dollars\" after winning her first Olivier Award for her first West End role in nearly 40 years."}
{"article": "Henry Duncan worked in a commercial bank before taking up the ministry in Ruthwell Parish at the turn of the 19th Century. He started his \"penny bank\" to give parishioners access to savings and interest for the first time. The model was soon adopted around the globe. In 19th Century rural Scotland personal banking was beyond the means of most. All of a sudden somebody in Scotland was giving away free money - the word spread very quickly as you could imagine Commercial banks demanded \u00c2\u00a310 to open an account - unimaginable savings for farm workers and domestic servants paid a fraction of that per year. In Ruthwell, a country parish 10 miles south east of Dumfries, the kirk minister Henry Duncan decided he could change that. He had worked for three years for a bank in Liverpool before turning to the ministry. The cottage where he opened his savings bank - initially for one hour a week on a Thursday evening - is maintained today as a museum by the TSB. Curator Mhairi Hastings said: \"The first account here at Ruthwell you could open with sixpence. \"That brought it into the affordability for ordinary folk like farm workers and servants. \"It gave them the security of somewhere to put their money so they didn't have to hide it somewhere around their house - under their bed or in their sock drawer.\" Ms Hastings said there was another benefit of using the savings bank which proved popular. \"It also gave them access to interest because Henry took the money from Ruthwell and redeposited into a commercial bank,\" she said. \"He got between 5% and 6% interest from them and he paid out between 4% and 5%. \"So, all of a sudden somebody in Scotland was giving away free money - the word spread very quickly as you could imagine.\" The model created by Duncan was copied quickly around the UK and, before long, around the world. Who was Henry Duncan? Source: Savings Banks Museum Last year, Dave Dewar from Dunoon chanced upon the museum. He runs an historical theatre group called Cultural Connections and was so inspired by Duncan and his many life achievements that he wrote a play. \"He's an incredible man and he's largely an unsung hero - people don't know much about him,\" he said. \"He didn't just start the savings bank movement worldwide. He was a geologist, an artist and a newspaper publisher - he owned one of the local newspapers here. \"He was, as they say in Scotland, a man of many parts.\" Henry Duncan, The Banker Who Cared premiered on Thursday night in Ruthwell church where Duncan preached for more than four decades. \"This is where it all started, in this church, so it is an honour really to do it in Henry Duncan's church,\" Mr Dewar said.", "summary": "A play on the life of the Dumfriesshire minister who started the world's first savings bank has been premiered in the church where he preached."}
{"article": "But it's classed as a chemical weapon internationally and is banned for use in war. For this reason critics have questioned its use on the streets and say it can be lethal. Police see it as safer than using force and live rounds. It's not actually a gas. It's a liquid at room temperature and is mixed with other substances to form an aerosol. When it's fired, solid particles are dispersed into the air with the appearance of a smoke cloud. It works by irritating the mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, mouth and lungs - basically, the bits of your body that are responsible for absorption and secretion. There are many different types of tear gas. The most common form is CS gas or to use its full name, o-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile. The CS is taken from the initials of the inventors Corson and Staughton. It is usually fired in a canister to disperse crowds and large gatherings of people, perceived as a threat. Typical symptoms begin about 30 seconds after exposure. You can get a watery, burning sensation in the eyes, breathing difficulties, chest pain, skin irritation and temporary blindness. Professor Alastair Hay, who studies the impact of chemical weapons at the University of Leeds, says that while it is considered a safer option, deaths can sometimes occur. This is often as a result of people being restrained by police where breathing is restricted or when they are subsequently unable to breathe fresh air. Physical exertions such as running and repeated exposure to tear gas can make the symptoms worse. The effects can be even more damaging if a person has asthma or other respiratory issues already. People have also been known to be injured by the metal canisters used to fire the gas into a crowd. The most commonly used remedy is pouring milk over the face. The symptoms usually disappear by themselves after about 30 minutes. Fresh air and steady breathing help reduce the impact of the gas. Blowing your nose, coughing and spitting are also thought to help. Rubbing your eyes can make the symptoms much worse. The chemicals will stay on skin and in clothes, so taking a lukewarm shower and washing the clothes will help prevent any long-term effects. It is prohibited to use any form of tear gas in war under the Chemical Weapons Convention as it is classified as a chemical weapon. However law enforcement teams around the world use it on civilians. Police in the UK are regularly trained in the use of CS spray. They are told they can deploy it only \"when they feel that the offender poses a risk to themselves and/or the police officers and others in the vicinity.\" It is illegal to buy or possess CS gas in the UK, but it is available as a form of self-defence in many other countries including the United States and some European nations. Being in possession of it in the UK is punishable with a minimum of six months in jail to a maximum of 10 years. You can, however,", "summary": "Tear gas has been used in many countries in 2014 and most recently in Ferguson in America to control people protesting over Michael Brown's shooting."}
{"article": "\"I have the all clear as regards my prostate cancer,\" he said \"That has been the case for quite a time now.\" The 80-year-old former chat show host revealed he was receiving radiotherapy for the condition in 2013. Two years on, he said he still needed to have regular tests and have the \"occasional\" blood transfusion. The transfusions, he told the BBC, are \"to deal with a problem with anaemia which I have always had and which was exacerbated by the radiotherapy. \"Hopefully the gap between transfusions will get longer and maybe finally disappear altogether,\" he went on. \"Otherwise I am feeling well and still have the odd gentle workout.\" BBC News asked Sir Michael for an update on his condition after he was quoted in the Daily Mail as saying his doctors had \"got rid of the cancer\". The broadcaster, known to many as Parky, was diagnosed after a routine health check in May 2013 but said at the time he would be \"around for a while yet\". Sir Michael's television career spanned 50 years and saw him interview high-profile guests such as Muhammad Ali and Sir Elton John. He announced his retirement in 2007.", "summary": "Broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson has confirmed he has been given an all-clear by doctors after two years of treatment for prostate cancer."}
{"article": "She was brought into the trauma centre of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) by the police in the early hours of last Wednesday. When I walk in to the nursery, accompanied by her paediatrician Dr Jeeva Sankar, she is awake and fixes her eyes on me. \"This is our baby,\" the paediatrician says. A white band on her left wrist describes her as \"unknown female\". A full-term healthy baby, her tiny face is perfectly formed and it is impossible to not fall in love with her. \"She is beautiful,\" I say. Veena Bahri, the head nurse, laughs: \"Everyone says that.\" As we stand there chatting, the baby begins to bawl. She is hungry. A nurse picks her up, comforts her. She brings out a small steel cup with a long beak, fills it with milk and starts to feed her. The crying stops instantly. With her belly full, she is calm again. Once she is put down on the bed, she rolls her left hand into a fist and sucks on her fingers. A few minutes later, she yawns. \"She's going to sleep now,\" says Dr Jeeva Sankar. While all the other babies in the nursery are being lovingly held by their parents, this one lies alone. She came into the world \"unwanted\" and stares at an uncertain future. \"We received an anonymous call just after 01:00 informing us that a baby was lying on the pavement in Munirka district of south Delhi. The person who called us had been alerted by the baby's crying,\" police official Somnath Paruthi told the BBC. When police reached the spot, they found the infant inside a plastic bag, without any clothes, distressed and crying. The winter season is just kicking off in Delhi and in the past couple of weeks, the night temperatures have dipped. To keep the baby warm, a woman constable wrapped her up in a piece of cloth and they rushed her to the hospital. \"When she arrived, she was somewhat cold and her blood sugar was low,\" said Dr Vinod Kumar Paul, who heads the neo-natal department at AIIMS. Her medical file suggests she is now perfectly healthy. There were no signs of any external injury or abuse. \"We have given her all the mandatory vaccines and since we know nothing about her history, we are testing her for any infections or birth defects,\" Dr Paul says, adding that he expects to find nothing wrong with her. \"The baby's fine, she's happy, she's eating well, smiling.\" In the next few days, when all her test results are in, the hospital would declare her fit to be discharged, Dr Paul said. She would then be produced before a child welfare committee of the state government which would place her in the care of an accredited welfare home. The committee would also order the police to try and track down her parents within a fixed time and if the parents are not found, the baby would be put up for adoption. After her story was published in Indian newspapers, Mr", "summary": "An incubator in the nursery of India's premier medical institute in Delhi has been home to a tiny infant for the past few days."}
{"article": "The news that captain Jean de Villiers, who subsequently announced his retirement from the game, had been invalided out of the World Cup having broken his jaw in their powerhouse victory over Samoa on Saturday came as no surprise to anybody who saw the state the centre was in when he left the field. Nobody from the Scottish camp will admit it, but they must have quietly revelled in what they saw at Villa Park. The attrition was incessant, as everybody knew it would be. The Samoans didn't just hit hard, they hit often and, on occasion, hit dangerously. There is a strong element of the kamikaze about Samoa in the collision. Their unique delights await the Scots, whose coach Vern Cotter could have been excused if he basked in the brutality of the battle while counting the Springbok casualties as they happened. The wince-inducing moments didn't begin and end with De Villiers. In restoring some of the dignity lost in their defeat by Japan, the Springboks shipped some serious physical punishment. When asked later how long his casualty list was, coach Heyneke Meyer turned the question back on the questioner. \"How long have you got?\" he asked. \"How long does this press conference last?\" In the countdown to the Scotland game on Saturday, Meyer has a potential crisis in his midfield. De Villiers is out and his midfield partner, Damian de Allende, is a doubt with an ankle injury. De Allende was forced off early in the second half against the Samoans and was replaced by the young rapier Jesse Kriel, who, in turn, went off after getting a bang in the face and was replaced by De Villiers, the captain forced to retake the field despite the pain he must have been in. It's too early for the medics to make a definitive call on De Allende and Kriel but already Jan Serfontein, the Bulls centre, is on his way to Newcastle to meet up with the Springboks. There is speculation now of an emergency Springbok midfield for the Scotland game - Handre Pollard, a 10, could be put in at 12 instead of De Villiers and either JP Pietersen, a try-scoring wing against Samoa, or Bryan Habana, his world-class opposite wing, could be selected at 13. All of this is a concern for the South Africans, but underlying it is the enormous relief that came with Saturday's performance. They might be bruised, but the clear message from Birmingham is that the Boks are back. To listen to Meyer and the totemic Victor Matfield in the aftermath was to know what kind of week the Springboks endured after the loss to Japan. This was heart-on-the-sleeve stuff in the news conference, not to mention on the pitch. It was painfully honest and emotional at times. At one point Meyer thanked the Lord for blessing his players and staff with the strength to get through the turbulence. What was deeply impressive about the Boks in dismissing the Samoans was their controlled fury. Clearly they were an angry team. Clearly they were under", "summary": "For South Africa, salvation came at a cost."}
{"article": "Juan Jasso was told to \"get back to Africa\" after tackling the trio for using foul language on the Metrolink tram. Beer was also flicked at him. Aaron Cauchi, 19, Robert Molloy, 20, and a boy, 16, had been \"looking for trouble\" when they abused Mr Jasso and two other people on 28 June. Their abuse of Mr Jasso was filmed by a passenger and was widely viewed. Joseph O'Connor, prosecuting at Manchester Magistrates' Court, said the racist attack came just five days after the EU referendum. He said that this resulted in a 41% increase in hate crime, according to government statistics. Trouble first began about 07:45 BST when a passenger heard \"disgusting, vile abuse\" on the tram packed with mothers with babies, schoolchildren and commuters, the court heard. After the trio got off the tram following the confrontation with Mr Jasso, they surrounded Alistair Lambert, \"with their chests stuck out and shoulders back, striking him with a cigarette lighter to intimidate him, said Mr O'Connor. Shortly after, Andrew Guest was cycling to work when he passed the trio and one or more spat in his face and down his body, the court heard. Cauchi, of no fixed address, was charged with two public order offences and assault over what happened on the tram, and two assaults later in Trafford. Molloy, of no fixed address, was charged with racially aggravated assault, common assault and using threatening words or behaviour. The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named, was charged with using threatening words or behaviour and common assault. They are due to be sentenced on Tuesday.", "summary": "Three young males who racially abused a US army veteran on a Manchester tram have admitted going on a \"rampage\"."}
{"article": "Like all such launches, the test took place in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. Pyongyang's press release, issued a day later, indicated that the missile - the Pukguksong-2 - was of the same type as one test-fired from a submarine off the east coast in August 2016. Unlike North Korea's other long-range land-based missiles, the system tested on 12 February used solid fuel. Until now, the country's comparable land-based missile systems have been liquid-fuelled. Pyongyang also announced that the launch vehicle carrying the new missile is indigenously made and uses a continuous or \"caterpillar\" track, rather than wheels with tyres. Previously North Korea has imported and modified foreign-made trucks to transport and launch its missiles. A domestic manufacturing capability will negate the need to convince or fool foreign suppliers into selling these vehicles. Continuous track also suggests that North Korea's intention may be to take the missiles off-road, making it more difficult to detect imminent launches. Missiles using liquid fuel require greater preparation time than those using solid fuel. They also require a larger constellation of support vehicles to accompany each launch vehicle. Both of these considerations make it more likely that an enemy might detect the missile in time to conduct a pre-emptive strike. Solid fuel substantially reduces this vulnerability. North Korea will be able to roll these systems out of concealed storage and launch them with minimal preparation, drastically shrinking the time that an adversary would have to find and kill the missile. The capability thus represents a major step forward for North Korea. There are two ways to launch missiles from their supporting vehicle's canister. In \"hot\" launches, the missile's engines propel it upward out of the canister, while in \"cold\" launches, the missile is ejected from the canister using compressed gas before its engines ignite. A cold eject approach spares the launch vehicle from damage from the missile's ignition, making it possible to reload it and reuse. Kim Jong-un has hit the gas pedal on North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes. In the past 13 months he has conducted two nuclear tests and launched over 20 ballistic missiles, including from a submarine. The demonstration of a long-range, solid-fuelled, land-based system is a continuation of this disturbing trend and one of the first significant foreign policy challenges that US President Donald Trump will be forced to grapple with.", "summary": "On the morning of 12 February, North Korea conducted a ballistic missile test launch from Banghyon air base near the west coast of the country."}
{"article": "Bernadette Marjoram will take over the role held by Pete Leonard, who was responsible for communities, housing and infrastructure. His duties included overseeing Hazlehead Crematorium. Baby and adult ashes were mixed together at the crematorium and given back to relatives of the adult. The parents of infants were told there were no ashes. BBC Scotland revealed in 2013 that no ashes had been offered to the families of infants cremated in Aberdeen over a five-year period. It followed similar revelations about Mortonhall crematorium in Edinburgh, which had been secretly burying baby ashes for decades. A report into the scandal by Dame Elish Angiolini described the practices as \"abhorrent\". It is understood an internal report, shown to councillors in August but then taken back by officials, was heavily critical of Mr Leonard's department in handling the scandal. Mr Leonard did not attend the council meeting which discussed his department's conduct. He has not been back at work since, and is on sick leave. The council confirmed that Bernadette Marjoram had now been appointed to the role of interim director for communities, housing and infrastructure.", "summary": "An interim director has been put in place at an Aberdeen City Council department criticised over the baby ashes scandal earlier this year."}
{"article": "Mr Macintosh and party deputy leader Kezia Dugdale have confirmed that they are standing for leadership of the party when Jim Murphy quits next month. The Eastwood MSP said his supporters were being \"bullied and intimidated\" into withdrawing their backing. Scottish Labour said the leadership contest would be conducted \"fairly\". A spokesman said Mr Macintosh had since withdrawn his allegations about the party. However, Mr Macintosh insisted his comments still stood but had not been aimed at party staff. He has not named those he thinks are responsible. Scottish Labour general secretary Brian Roy said: \"I have spoken to Ken Macintosh and he has withdrawn his allegations about the party. The leadership contest in Scotland will be conducted fairly and openly.\" In response, Mr Macintosh said: \"I am not withdrawing anything. I clarified with Brian [Roy] that the allegations are not against party staff, but against the machine politics which have too much influence in the Labour Party.\" Mr Macintosh, the party's social justice spokesman, ran for party leadership against Johann Lamont almost four years ago and is likely to need nominations from six or seven MSPs to be a candidate in this leadership contest. Ms Dugdale, who is widely regarded as the \"obvious person\" to take on the job, confirmed her leadership bid on Friday. But he claims his backers are coming under \"incredible pressure to withdraw their support\". \"I want to have a contest but I've found the whole weight of the party machine yet again turning against me trying to close down a contest,\" he told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme. \"All the people that have been trying to support me, the party machine has turned on them, and they are being put under incredible pressure to withdraw their support. They are being bullied and being intimidated and pressurised not to support me so we don't have a contest. \"I wouldn't even have put my head above the parapet if I didn't know I had that support.\" Mr Macintosh, who won a majority of member votes in the last leadership contest, said the three-college system used by the Labour Party to elect leaders was \"ridiculous\". \"I want the members to take control of the party,\" he said. \"We need to move to one member, one vote.\" He called for a quick contest, before the summer if possible, that is \"fair and democratic\". By BBC Scotland political correspondent Glenn Campbell Kezia Dugdale already has the backing of twenty Labour MSPs for her bid to become Scottish party leader. That's more than half the Labour team at Holyrood. Many of them would like her elected unopposed. Yet when she announced her intention to stand, Ms Dugdale said she would \"absolutely\" welcome a contest. Ken MacIntosh is offering that challenge. He is likely to require the support of six or seven MSPs to become a candidate. But he claims his supporters are being \"bullied and intimidated\" by what he calls the \"party machine\" in an attempt to avoid a contest. He has not been more specific. There are certainly those who", "summary": "Scottish Labour MSP Ken Macintosh has told BBC Scotland the \"party machine\" is bullying his supporters in an attempt to avoid a leadership contest."}
{"article": "Parliament voted to oust conservative Prime Minister Janez Jansa, after smaller parties left his coalition. He was accused by the anti-corruption watchdog in January of tax irregularities and has been struggling to implement austerity measures to combat the country's financial crisis. MPs asked opposition leader Alenka Bratusek to form a new government. She will become the first woman to lead Slovenia since its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Mr Jansa was elected a year ago, but his government has struggled to contain the country's economic problems. Slovenia joined the European Union in 2004 and the eurozone in 2007, but its banking sector was hit hard by the financial crisis and the eurozone crisis that followed. It is currently in a deep recession, with unemployment at more than 12% and GDP expected to shrink by a further 2% this year. There is speculation that Slovenia will be forced to request an international bailout, as it needs to repay 2bn euros (\u00c2\u00a31.7bn; $2.6bn) of debt in the coming months. Mr Jansa has faced corruption allegations, but also growing public anger and protests over austerity measures. Ms Bratusek, who has previously worked in the finance ministry, has voiced her opposition to austerity, saying her priority will be \"growth and jobs\". She also plans to avoid requesting a Greece-style bailout. \"I say it clear, there will be no Greek scenario in Slovenia,\" she told parliament.", "summary": "The government of Slovenia, beset by economic turmoil and allegations of corruption, has fallen."}
{"article": "The centre-back's existing deal was due to expire at the end of the upcoming season. Morrison, 26, joined the Bluebirds from Reading in 2014, having previously played for Swindon and Huddersfield. He has made 120 appearances and scored 13 goals for Cardiff, who rejected a bid for him from fellow Championship side Sheffield Wednesday in June.", "summary": "Cardiff City captain Sean Morrison has signed a new contract which will keep him at the club until 2020."}
{"article": "Philando Castile was shot in his car in St Paul, Minnesota, on Wednesday as he reached for his driving licence, his girlfriend said in a Facebook Live video taken during the aftermath. His death follows that of Alton Sterling, who was shot dead by police during an incident in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Tuesday. What do we know about the two victims? The 32-year-old had worked in the canteen of a school in St Paul for more than 10 years, his uncle Clarence told media in Minnesota. The JJ Hill Montessori Magnet School in the city listed Mr Castile as a cafeteria supervisor on its website. On his Facebook page, Clarence later re-posted comments by a Minnesota bishop, Divar Kemp, calling Philando Castile \"an a1 genuine man who was killed because he obeyed what the officer asked him\". Mr Castile's cousin, Antonio Johnson, told the Star Tribune newspaper his cousin had graduated with honours from St Paul Central High School. Mr Castile was \"a black individual driving in Falcon Heights who was immediately criminally profiled and he lost his life over it tonight\", he said. He added that Mr Castile was \"very non-confrontational\" and \"a real upstanding citizen\". The Star Tribune said Mr Castile had only minor offences on his criminal record. Little is publicly known about Mr Sterling, 37. The father of five sold CDs and DVDs in the car park in which he died, family members told media in Louisiana. \"If you asked Alton for the shirt off his back, he'd give it to you,\" his aunt, Lorna, told The Advocate newspaper. \"Alton would give you the world.\" One broadcaster, 9News, said Mr Sterling had a long criminal record, that included several battery, drug, and burglary charges. It said he was also arrested in 2009 for resisting an officer and illegally carrying a weapon. But Lorna Sterling said her brother had sought to earn a living after his last conviction in 2011.", "summary": "Two black men have been shot dead by police in the US this week, the latest in a line of similar incidents, many of which have led to protests."}
{"article": "The organisers say more than 3,000 people took part, in spite of a heavy security presence. The government says the protest was illegal. Activists from Bahrain's Shia Muslim majority have been demonstrating against the kingdom's ruling Sunni monarchy since last February. Thursday's march in the centre of Manama was led by a prominent human rights activist, Nabeel Rajab. \"We are using the streets peacefully. We are marching for our rights,\" he told the BBC. One activist tweeted: \"Manama is filled with tear gas, protesters running in all directions, followed by shooting and riot police.\" A government official confirmed to the BBC that the authorities had acted to disperse the march. \"Security forces warned those involved and requested them to disperse, but after they disobeyed orders the security forces took the necessary legal measures,\" the official said. Excessive force Bahrain's Shia Muslim majority has long complained of discrimination and human rights abuses at the hands of security police. The Interior Ministry was heavily criticised in a report by an independent committee of experts released in November. It found that the security police had used excessive force and had systematically tortured detainees while suppressing pro-democracy protests that began in February 2011. More than 40 people were killed during the violence. The report, commissioned by the king, was seen as an attempt to defuse tensions between the government and the predominantly Shia protesters. Ahead of the latest march, the government said it would rebuild 12 Shia mosques that were demolished during last year's unrest.", "summary": "Security police have used tear gas and stun grenades to break up an anti-government march in Bahrain's capital, Manama."}
{"article": "Chuck Erickson has been shooting deer for forty years. \"The kids start hunting round here about the age of eight - supervised by an adult of course,\" he tells me. Chuck uses his late father's old hunting rifle. Chuck is 56; the gun is older than he is. He's killed dozens of deer with it over the decades, and the heads of the finest antlered bucks are displayed on the walls of his farmhouse. \"We used to hunt for meat,\" he says, \"but now we're mostly trophy hunters.\" He thinks around 30% of the population in this part of the state get out into the woods to hunt deer at this time of year. This is Donald Trump country now - blue collar, plain-speaking, patriotic. It is a short drive from Chuck's farm to the former steel city of Johnstown. As you pass through its outskirts you see streets of boarded up houses. The city centre is scarred by the derelict buildings of a once great industry. This is steel and coal territory. But those industries were swept away in the age of global markets and open borders. Donald Trump promised to reverse that dereliction and bring industry back to America. \"We have the best steel-making coal and there's none getting out of the ground,\" Chuck told me. \"That process to make steel can come back to our shores and that would be tremendous for everybody. \"I think he [Donald Trump] can probably bring that back in the first hundred days of his administration.\" He believes that the Trump victory is the start of the re-industrialisation of the United States. Mr Trump's promise to build barriers to reverse this long industrial decline is a retreat to economic nationalism, to protectionism. It turns the page on a forty-year western economic orthodoxy - the liberal market consensus of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. And Donald Trump's victory finds its British echo in the vote, in June, to leave the European Union. In the old industrial heartlands of England and Wales, traditional Labour voters defied their party's advice and voted decisively for the Leave side. The economic revolution that both the US and the UK went through in the 1980s did make both countries richer, in the sense that aggregate wealth grew. It wasn't supposed to matter that that new wealth would be unevenly shared, that inequality would also grow, because wealth at the top would trickle down; a rising economic tide would lift all boats. But not all boats were lifted. There is an irony in this: that the two countries which pursued the deregulating, globalising, free-market reform agenda most vigorously are now the first two countries to have rebelled against open borders. Ferdinand Mount was a senior adviser to Margaret Thatcher in the early part of her premiership. He ran the Number 10 Policy Unit at the time of the 1983 general election - the second of the three that she won. \"It was a transatlantic borrowing really,\" he told me. \"It was Ronald Reagan who believed that a rising tide would lift", "summary": "In late November, in the forests of Western Pennsylvania, the deer hunting season begins."}
{"article": "Wardrobes, beds, sofas, lamps and other pieces from the Athletes' Village in Dalmarnock will be handed over to Glasgow Housing Association (GHA). It will then be passed on to people and charities helping to furnish homes. About 36,000 items are to be distributed after the Games. Some of the furniture will have been used by the likes of Sir Bradley Wiggins, Mo Farah, Eilidh Child and possibly Usain Bolt. It includes items that were previously used at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and relocated for use in Glasgow alongside newly-manufactured furniture such as folding chairs and tables. The plan to pass them on to GHA is part of the legacy programme from Glasgow 2014. About 700 houses in the Athletes' Village will be sold or rented after the Games, and a new 120-bed care home for the elderly will also be established on the site. Glasgow 2014 chief executive David Grevemberg said: \"It's fantastic that the furniture used by the athletes and officials during the Games this summer is going to be distributed to families in need in Glasgow. \"Sustainability is very high on Glasgow 2014's agenda and this is a tangible benefit from the Games to the great people of this city, following the excitement of the sporting events themselves.\" Twelve new training positions at GHA will be created to move and refurbish furniture items. Olga Clayton, director at Wheatley Group, which runs GHA, said: \"We're delighted to support the Commonwealth Games coming to Glasgow and to do our bit to provide a lasting legacy for the people of this city. \"We know many people are finding it difficult financially in these tough times. \"This project will make a big difference to thousands of adults, families and groups who need help to make their house a home.\"", "summary": "Furniture used by some of the world's top athletes during the Commonwealth Games is to be distributed to vulnerable families in Glasgow at the end of the event."}
{"article": "Many researchers thought ministers would sit on this controversial issue. Instead, the chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, has announced that draft regulations will be published within months. She predicts that couples affected by mitochondrial disease could benefit from the treatment within two years, enabling them to have healthy children. So why is this such a significant moment? Firstly the UK will become the first country to allow the technique, aimed at preventing a range of potentially deadly genetic disorders. This will underline Britain's pioneering role in genetics and IVF stretching back to both the discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953 and the birth of Louise Brown, the world's first test tube baby, in 1978. Secondly, the technique itself will result in babies with DNA from three people - two women and a man - and this genetic alteration will be passed down the generations. Once babies have been born using this technique, there will be no going back. A permanent and novel genetic change to members of the human race will have been made. That might sound pretty worrying, and talk of three people's DNA mixed together seems a bit ghoulish at first glance. So is this science overstepping the mark? A public consultation conducted by the fertility regulator, the HFEA, found there was broad support for the technique, once the details had been explained. So let's look briefly at the science. Mitochondria are the energy factories of cells. They contain a tiny bit of DNA and just 37 genes, sitting outside the nucleus which has more than 20,000 genes - including all the crucial genetic material from both parents. Mitochondrial disorders are always passed down the maternal line in the egg, so the technique being pioneered by Prof Doug Turnbull and his team at Newcastle University involves using healthy donor eggs. Put briefly, conventional IVF is performed and then, after fertilisation, the pro-nuclei of the father and mother - you can see them clearly as the two round balls inside the glass tube in the picture above - are sucked out of the developing embryo. This leaves behind the faulty mitochondria. The parents' genetic material is then injected into a healthy donor egg which has had its pro-nuclei removed but still has healthy mitochondria. The scientists believe the resulting embryo should develop normally. It means all the crucial parental genes will be retained, plus a tiny amount of DNA from the female donor. So how much DNA from the second woman is there? There is 1.05 metres of DNA in the nucleus and 0.0054 mm of DNA in our mitochondria. Let's put that another way. If you imagine the DNA in your nucleus - remember this is all the important stuff which makes us what we are - and stretched it from Trafalgar Square to Prof Turnbull's laboratory in Newcastle, you'd have a double helix of 282 miles. Now if you laid all the DNA from the mitochondria alongside it, it would stretch from Trafalgar Square, barely round the corner to the National Portrait Gallery - just", "summary": "The decision of the government to support a ground-breaking technique for preventing serious genetic disease is a bold step for science and society."}
{"article": "Cory Schenkel said on Facebook that his grandfather died on Sunday morning in the city of Boise, Idaho. Kennedy won an Oscar in 1968 for Best Supporting Actor in Cool Hand Luke. As well as the Naked Gun comedies, he also made memorable appearances in Earthquake and Airport 1975. Mr Schenkel said the veteran actor had been in poor health since the death of his wife, Joan, more than a year ago, and had been in a hospice for the past month. Kennedy's daughter, Shannon Kennedy Sullivan, said on Facebook that she hoped people would \"remember all the stories he told and the dumb jokes he loved to tell\". \"He could always get a laugh and I will miss those but will cherish the little strips of paper he use to write them on when the family would go out to dinner.\" Kennedy was born on 18 February 1925 in New York where his father worked as a musician and his mother was a dancer. He served with the US infantry during World War Two, winning several decorations, and in the 1950s he worked for Armed Forces Radio and Television before moving to Hollywood. The 6ft 4in actor quickly became well known for playing tough-guy characters. Mark Wahlberg, the lead in Kennedy's final film, 2014's The Gambler, and Mia Farrow, who starred alongside him in the 1978 film Death On The Nile, were among those who paid tribute to him. Talk show host Larry King, Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane and actor and comedian Albert Brooks also shared their thoughts.", "summary": "US actor George Kennedy, who starred in movies including Cool Hand Luke and the Naked Gun series, has died at the age of 91, his grandson has announced."}
{"article": "David Rees, who chairs the assembly's health committee, said it was \"unable to reach a consensus view\" on the idea. The five Labour members supported curbs on e-cigarettes, claiming their use \"normalises\" smoking behaviour. The idea was opposed by four opposition AMs, while Plaid Cymru's Elin Jones suggested imposing less stringent restrictions than those on tobacco. As the Labour Welsh government does not have an outright majority in the Senedd, it will need some opposition support to get the measure passed as part of the Public Health (Wales) Bill. The plan, intended to come into force in 2017 and the first in the UK, has divided opinion among health and medical groups. Some anti-smoking campaigners have opposed restrictions, saying e-cigarettes help smokers kick the habit. But Health Minister Mark Drakeford has said it is a \"balance of risk\", claiming restrictions on e-cigarettes will deter children from smoking. In a report on Monday, the committee said it agreed with the bill's other proposals, including a licensing scheme for tattoo and piercing parlours, and a ban on intimate piercings for under 16s.", "summary": "Plans to ban the use of e-cigarettes in enclosed public places have divided a group of AMs looking at the proposal."}
{"article": "The London-based musician beat eight-year-old magician Issy Simpson and comedian Daliso Chaponda to become the winner of the ITV talent show. The 32-year-old won \u00a3250,000 in prize money and an appearance at the Royal Variety Performance. ITV moved the final of the show forward by a day to avoid a clash with Ariana Grande's benefit concert for the Manchester bombing victims on Sunday. Myers had previously supported artists such rapper Kanye West. His performance in the final took in a variety of musical styles and included drumming. He fell to the floor after presenters Ant and Dec broke the news he had received the most votes from the public. Judge Simon Cowell said: \"As a talent, as a person, Tokio right now, this was the most important thing for him, I'm thrilled for him.\" Teenage singer Sarah Ikumu had been chosen as the judges' wildcard choice for the final. The other acts taking part were: magician Matt Edwards, The Missing People Choir, singing pensioners the Pensionalities, dance act MerseyGirls, comedian Ned Woodman, singer Kyle Tomlinson, and magic double act DNA.", "summary": "Pianist Tokio Myers has been named winner of Britain's Got Talent."}
{"article": "Lutz Bachmann, 43, is accused of inciting racial hatred in Facebook posts, in which he called refugees \"cattle\", \"scumbags\" and \"filth\". Pegida's rallies have attracted thousands of supporters in Germany. Separately, police arrested five suspects near Dresden accused of attacking migrant hostels and plotting far-right, anti-immigrant terror. Tuesday's police raid in Freital, involving a GSG9 anti-terror unit, was not linked to the trial. Investigators suspect four men and a woman, aged from 18 to 40, of far-right violence against migrants. Three other men were arrested last November. The group is suspected of targeting refugee accommodation in Freital and a left-wing housing project in Dresden with explosive devices in attacks last autumn. Investigators found a cache of banned firecrackers considered so dangerous that the group is suspected of attempted murder. The group is also linked to attacks on a left-wing councillor's car as well as a party office in Dresden. Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said authorities had dealt a \"powerful blow to a regional right-wing terrorist group\". Lutz Bachmann's trial was being held amid tight security in Dresden. The Pegida founder claims it is politically motivated and wore large, rectangular dark glasses in an apparent swipe at German censorship rules. Outside court, supporters held banners reading \"Shame on you! Acquit Bachmann\" while opponents shouted \"Bachmann behind bars\". The movement has spread to numerous countries since its launch in the eastern German city in 2014. There were 1,005 attacks on refugee homes in Germany last year - five times more than in 2014. Mr Bachmann has several previous convictions and has served time in jail before. In 1998 he was sentenced to three years and eight months for several burglaries, but he then fled to South Africa. After extradition, for an invalid visa, he served 14 months in jail in Dresden. In 2010 he was given a two-year suspended sentence for possession of cocaine. Pegida was prominent in demonstrations in Cologne in January after numerous complaints of sexual assaults against women in the city on New Year's Eve. The attacks were largely blamed on people from North Africa who entered Germany illegally or have sought asylum. No trials involving suspects from the Cologne assaults have taken place. Pegida's anti-immigration demonstrations have often been met by counter protests. The court says Mr Bachmann \"disrupted public order\" through his comments, which constituted an \"attack on the dignity\" of refugees. If found guilty, he could face between three months and five years in prison.", "summary": "The founder of Germany's anti-Islamist Pegida movement has gone on trial in Dresden on hate speech charges."}
{"article": "Andrew Bedford, 27, from Huntingdon, was last seen at 18:20 BST on Friday, 28 September 1990 at Factory Bank, off Great Whyte, Ramsey. Three people were arrested at the time but no-one was charged. Specialist equipment is being used to identify disturbances in the earth near Stocking Fen Road in Ramsey. The investigation into Mr Bedford's disappearance was re-launched as a murder inquiry on Friday. Police now believe he was shot dead sometime during the evening he was last seen. Det Sgt Gordon Blair said: \"New intelligence has allowed us to pinpoint this area [Stocking Fen Road] as a viable place to search with a view to recovering potential evidence. \"This could include evidence of how Andrew was killed or where his remains are today.\" Mr Bedford was last seen eating a takeaway in a light blue Ford Cortina car. He was wearing overalls, a khaki jumper, jeans and trainers. He was described as 5ft 8in (1.72m), medium build with mousey blond, curly, shoulder-length hair and had a number of tattoos. The prime suspect for the shooting is now dead, \"but others who were involved have never been brought to justice\", a police spokesman said.", "summary": "Officers investigating a cold case murder of a Cambridgeshire man 25 years ago have started digging an area near to where he was last seen alive."}
{"article": "The tourist attraction on the city's waterfront went to the High Court in 2013 to recover costs to fix problems with the steps, terraces and ceilings. It said it was necessary to shut the museum from 31 December until the end of February for the \"safety and security of collections and visitors\". The \u00a372m museum opened in 2011. It features Ken Dodd's tickling sticks, the skeleton of the 1900 Grand National winner and rare Beatles artefacts. The museum said it has attracted 4m visitors since it opened.", "summary": "The Museum of Liverpool is to close for two months for \"essential works\" to rectify construction and design issues with the building."}
{"article": "You need only look at the looming prospect of (yet another) Bush-Clinton US presidential contest in 2016 to see that there must be something in the idea. And so it is in Saudi Arabia. But, in true Saudi Arabian style, the family business involves a much bigger family and the money involved is that much greater. The bad news, however, is that the family business is set in a dodgy and ever more violent neighbourhood. On top of that, some other long-running family businesses in the area (think Gaddafi and Mubarak) have gone down the pan rather suddenly and somewhat unexpectedly. The critics and enemies of Saudi Arabia's ruling family, and they have plenty both in and out of the country, had been predicting for a while that when King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz died, which he did on Friday, there would be a real possibility of chaos. They had expected the fissures and disputes between rival factions within the ruling family to spill out into the wider world - but that has not happened. And, for now at least, the ruling family have shown that when it comes to it, they know exactly what needs to be done to hang on to power. Saudi Arabia's old ruler was buried and a new king installed on the throne in quick time. And the country declared it was business as usual. Well, not quite. Negotiations between members of the Saudi Arabia's first family about who gets what job must make the fraught negotiations in 2010 to form a coalition government in the UK seem like a walk in the park. The key thing to note is King Salman's appointment of his half-brother, Prince Muqrin, as Crown Prince and next in line to the throne. Prince Muqrin is a former head of Saudi Arabia's intelligence agency and the youngest surviving son of the country's founder. The confirmation of Mohammed bin Nayef as Deputy Crown Prince is another important signal and an attempt to seal the deal for the next generation of grandsons all vying for position in the future. But it's too early to tell what will happen, and the intrigue about the long-term succession will continue. As the past few years across the Middle East have shown, there are no guarantees. Family politics aside, the challenges for the Saudi Arabian rulers continue to multiply, at home and abroad. At home, there are no signs that anyone has found a long-term answer to the country's economic and social problems. Unemployment rates are high and the population is growing, with the young in particular restless and hungry for change. Far too many Saudi Arabians rely on government jobs to make their way, and the country's human rights record continues to attract opprobrium worldwide. Women's rights, or more accurately non-rights, also remain a festering sore, with the ban on women drivers just one item in a long list of restrictions. Meanwhile, beyond the centre of power in Riyadh, things continue to deteriorate from the Saudi Arabian point of view. There are problems with the Shia minority in", "summary": "Power is, in many ways, a family business."}
{"article": "Three women and a man were treated for the effects of breathing in smoke following the fire in Murrayburn Green, Sighthill, on Sunday night. It is thought abandoned furniture was deliberately set alight in the building's common close at about 21:00. Two of the woman were taken to hospital for medical checks. A total of eight homes had been evacuated. Police said they were keen to speak to anyone who could help them trace those responsible. Insp David Ferguson of Corstorphine Police Station said: \"Thankfully no-one was seriously injured in this incident but it could have been much worse. \"I am keen to hear from anyone who was in the area around 21:00 on Sunday night and who might have information that can assist us with our inquiries. \"I'd also like to remind residents not to leave items of furniture or rubbish in communal areas where they can be a target for fire-raising.\"", "summary": "A blaze at a block of flats in an Edinburgh housing estate was started deliberately, police believe."}
{"article": "The Cambridge University medical student, 29, left Blues for Racing 92 in 2013 and joined Quins this season. He was preparing for the Varsity match when Quins posted a bonus-point win at Cardiff Arms Park in November. \"If you're playing against Jamie, you make your tackles,\" said Wilson. Roberts was British and Irish Lions man of the series in their 2-1 Test defeat by South Africa in 2009. The 6ft 4in, 17st 4lb centre also starred as the Lions beat Australia 2-1 in 2013 in a career that has seen him win 74 Wales caps. \"It'll be great for the players to shake hands and catch up with him before and after the game, but during the game it's business as usual.\" Quins also recruited former Ospreys and Wales tight-head prop Adam Jones from Blues before the 2015-16 campaign. Wilson added: \"Our boys will be extremely motivated with a few links there, Adam Jones as well from last year.\" Harlequins have four bonus-point wins and need only a point from the encounter at the Stoop to top the group. They took the extra point in the last minute at the Arms Park, with a try from Danny Care thwarting Blues' hopes of a dramatic late win. \"It's obviously a huge challenge to go to Harlequins and get a win in front of their home crowd, but the boys want to put right the performance at home against a Harlequins side that deserved the win,\" said Wilson. \"Since then we've improved out performances with four wins out of five.\" Blues had a weekend off before the match with the postponement of their fixture against Munster, while Harlequins inflicted a first Premiership defeat of the season on Saracens. Wilson believes the the break will have benefited his side and they will travel \"with confidence that we've played some good rugby to get the results we've had recently\". He added: \"If we can perform to that level, we can cause Harlequins a headache.\" Wales captain Sam Warburton, fellow flanker Ellis Jenkins and Wales full-back-fly-half Gareth Anscombe could all return from injury for Blues.", "summary": "Cardiff Blues' tackling will have to be up to the mark against Harlequins' Wales star Jamie Roberts in their European Challenge Cup away match on Sunday, says head coach Danny Wilson."}
{"article": "Louis and Marie-Zelie Guerin Martin, who lived in France in the 19th Century, were the parents of the much venerated Saint Therese of Lisieux. The couple had nine children, four of whom died in infancy. The remaining five, all girls, became nuns. The youngest, Therese, died of tuberculosis aged 24 in 1897 and was canonised in 1925. Known as \"the little flower\", Therese of Lisieux is widely venerated for the simplicity of her spiritual life. Her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, has inspired generations of modern Catholics. Her parents are being held up as a fine example of a Christian family while bishops from around the world are gathered here to discuss how best to minister to modern families - including divorced persons who remarry, who - under present Church rules - are barred from taking communion. Pope Francis told the 50,000 people attending the ceremony that serving others - not seeking careers - should be the model for today's churchmen. In his homily, Pope Francis said: \"The holy spouses Louis Martin and Marie-Zelie Guerin practised Christian service in the family, creating day by day an environment of faith and love which nurtured the vocations of their daughters, among whom was Saint Therese of the Child Jesus.\" The Pope also canonised an Italian priest and a Spanish nun, both of whom spent most of their lives helping the poor.", "summary": "Pope Francis has conducted the first canonisation of a married couple in a ceremony in St Peter's Square."}
{"article": "But he will kick off a career path that very few of his fellow footballers have ever gone down before this weekend when he will be back on the front cover - this time to highlight his work as an accomplished artist. Former defender Craddock, now 42, was already gaining notoriety for his artwork long before his retirement from football in May 2013. And, although he admits his past footballing connections do still open some doors, his continuing success in this new environment has rarely involved actually painting anything to do with this country's national game. But he has been persuaded by John Hendley and Paul Berry in the club's media department to do the front cover artwork for all of Wolves' home match programmes this season, starting with Saturday's Championship opening day fixture against Middlesbrough. \"They first approached me a few years ago,\" Craddock, who still lives in the same house in the village of Cookley, near Kidderminster, Worcestershire, which he and wife Shelley chose when he first arrived from Sunderland in 2003, told BBC Sport. \"I just didn't have the time or the ideas then. I was still playing, which made it more difficult, so I declined. \"But when they came back to me again I couldn't turn it down a second time,\" added Craddock, who is still a regular at matches at Molineux with the couple's three boys Joseph, Luke and Toby. \"I've had to give it a lot of thought as to what might appeal to the fans. The idea I had was kind of comic-book heroes. But also taking into account that, at Wolves, we already have our heroes on the pitch, the Billy Wrights and all the other legends of the club. \"My regular stuff can take two to three weeks to do. I couldn't do that with these as, with 23 programme covers, that would take me over a year and a half. But I've been working hard for the past four months to get them all ready in time.\" Having met his own personal deadline to get all the covers done in time for the start of the new English Football League season this weekend, Craddock was forced into a rethink when he heard of the plight of his former Wolves team-mate Carl Ikeme, 31, who was diagnosed with leukaemia at the start of July. It is a disease that has touched the Craddock family too. His youngest son Toby was also diagnosed with leukaemia in 2012 at the age of two and a half. Craddock's original choice for the front cover for Saturday's game with Middlesbrough was former West Ham United, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Liverpool and England captain Paul Ince, who put in sterling service late in his career with both Boro and Wolves. But Craddock also wanted to show his support to Ikeme. And the solution was simple. He just went back to his easel and knocked out another picture, in tribute to the goalkeeper. The club will now not only use that as the front cover on Saturday but also", "summary": "Jody Craddock was accustomed to seeing his face on the front cover of the match programme at Molineux during his 10 largely successful years as a Wolves player."}
{"article": "The Swiss will turn 35 during the Rio Games, where he will play in the singles and mixed doubles, although he has not decided on the men's doubles. \"I've planned all of 2016, you know all the way through the Rio Olympics and beyond,\" he said. \"No plans to retire yet. I don't have a definite date even though that would help to make things easier to plan.\" Federer, who has been competing in the International Premier Tennis League in India, added: \"I'm looking forward to next year. \"The Australian Open is obviously a big goal for me. And after that it's going to be a long, tough year. \"So I'm happy I'm feeling fine physically and in good shape and of course, like I say so many times I hope I'm still on tour for a while.\"", "summary": "Roger Federer, the 17-time Grand Slam singles champion, does not intend to retire after next year's Olympics."}
{"article": "A 20th-minute Ryan Curran header looked set to give Harps victory before Josh Daniels' 84th-minute goal was followed by a Rory Patterson strike on 88. But Houston powered in a magnificent header in the first minute of injury-time to level. Nathan Boyle missed a glorious Derry chance with the last kick of the game. Leaders and champions Dundalk are now seven points above the Candystripes after edging a 1-0 home win over Bray on Tuesday evening. Cork City's 1-0 win in Dublin over Bohemians keeps them four points behind Dundalk while Shamrock Rovers move above Derry on goal difference into third spot after beating Sligo Rovers 3-0. With former Brandywell favourite Barry Molloy in fine form for Harps, the visitors were good value for their 20th-minute lead as Curran nodded into the net after a David Scully shot had come back off the woodwork. Derry did improve before half-time with Patterson wasting two good chances and impressive Harps keeper Ciaran Gallagher also denying Ronan Curtis. As Harps retreated into a defensive shell in the second half, Derry dominated possession but they needed the introduction of youngster Daniels to finally breach their visitors. Daniels, who lost five members of his family including his mother and sister in the Buncrana pier tragedy in March, notched his first senior goal for Derry on 84 after good work by the impressive Niclas Vemmelund and Boyle. Youngster Daniels then set up Patterson to strike Derry ahead four minutes later with the shot appearing to take a slight deflection. To their immense credit, Harps refused to give up and a clever Kevin McHugh ball released Michael Funston whose cross was brilliantly headed to the net by Houston from the edge of the penalty area in the first minute of injury-time. Inevitably, there was still time for more drama as Boyle somehow managed to side-foot wide from three yards with the goal gaping after a Vemmelund cross. Derry lost 2-1 against Harps in their Premier Division opener in early March.", "summary": "Derry City dropped to fourth in the League of Ireland table after Sean Houston's injury-time goal earned Finn Harps a dramatic Brandywell draw."}
{"article": "The Global Slavery Index 2013 says India has the highest number of people living in conditions of slavery at 14 million. But Mauritania has the highest proportional figure with about 4% of its population enslaved. The report's authors hope it will help governments tackle what they call a \"hidden crime\". The index was compiled by Australian-based rights organisation Walk Free Foundation using a definition of modern slavery that includes debt bondage, forced marriage and human trafficking. \"A lot of governments won't like hearing what we have to say,\" WFF chief executive Nick Grono told the French news agency Agence France-Presse. \"Those governments that want to engage with us, we will be very open to engaging and looking at ways in which we can better measure the issue of modern slavery.\" The organisation's estimate of 29.8 million slaves worldwide is higher than other attempts to quantify modern slavery. The International Labour Organisation estimates that almost 21 million people are victims of forced labour. India, China, Pakistan and Nigeria have the highest numbers of people enslaved, the charity said. Together with five other countries, they account for three-quarters of the total estimated number of people in modern slavery worldwide. The report said India's ranking was mostly due to the exploitation of Indians citizens within the country itself. While the highest proportion of slaves is in Mauritania, with many people inheriting slave status from their ancestors, Haiti is second in the index and Pakistan is third. The new survey has the backing of world figures including former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Mrs Clinton said that although the index was not perfect, it provided a starting point, according to the Associated Press. \"I urge leaders around the world to view this index as a call to action, and to stay focused on the work of responding to this crime.\"", "summary": "Nearly 30 million people around the world are living as slaves, according to a new index ranking 162 countries."}
{"article": "The challenge has seen the 26-year-old sports therapist, from Oswestry in Shropshire, run marathons every day, starting in Chester on 6 August and ending in Manchester on Saturday. \"I feel like I can keep going. If anything I feel stronger,\" she said. \"If someone suggested running a 54th marathon I probably would to be honest.\" That is not to say there have not been some difficult times along the way. Last week a stomach bug left her vomiting and meant she had to battle through the 26 miles, walking some of the sections. Overall, however, she said the challenge had been a \"fun\" experience. \"I was inspired by Larry Macon who ran across the states,\" Ms Hughes said. \"I didn't really start by wanting to break a record, I just looked at a map of the major cities in the UK and wanting to run in them. \"I've met loads of lovely people and run in some really nice places. Down south, Brighton and Bournemouth were really pretty and the weather was amazing.\" In all, Ms Hughes has covered more than 1,300 miles, running in cities such as London, Liverpool, Wolverhampton, Newcastle, Glasgow and Cardiff. Other runners have joined Amy Hughes along the way and she has had plenty of support, especially on marathon number 50, in her home town of Oswestry, in Shropshire. \"The support was amazing, very emotional. Loads of people came out.\" It was also the first time some of her friends and family had seen her since she started the challenge and hundreds of pupils from the Marches School ran a mile with her. There has also been plenty of backing on Facebook and Twitter, with Paula Radcliffe tweeting her support for Amy's \"amazing and inspirational accomplishment\". \"Someone sent me a picture the other day, saying that last week I'd already run to Italy, which is crazy,\" Amy Hughes said. As well as encouraging children to lead more active lives, Ms Hughes took on the challenge to raise money for the Isabelle Lottie Foundation after a friend's daughter, three-year-old Izzy Wynne, was diagnosed with a form of brain tumour. She is hoping to raise \u00c2\u00a353,000 for the charity. Amy Hughes's record still needs to be validated by Guinness World Records before it is official. In the meantime, she said the only plans she had were \"to chill\" and take plenty of rest.", "summary": "Finishing her 53rd marathon in as many days, Amy Hughes has run into the record books, not only beating the women's record, but the men's as well."}
{"article": "Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty, 36, will be flown on a chartered plane to Mumbai where bariatric surgeon Dr Muffazal Lakdawala plans to operate. The Indian embassy in Cairo initially denied her visa request as she was unable to travel there in person. After the surgeon tweeted to India's foreign minister that changed. India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is herself in hospital awaiting a kidney transplant, was quick to respond with an offer of help. Ms Abd El Aty's family says she hasn't been able to leave home for 25 years now and claims she weighs 500kg. If the claim about her weight is true, then that would make her the world's heaviest woman alive as the current Guinness record holder is Pauline Potter of the United States who weighed 292kg (643lb) in 2010. Dr Lakdawala, who has performed weight reduction surgeries on Indian minister Nitin Gadkari and Venkaiah Naidu, told the BBC that from looking at Ms Abd El Aty's medical reports and photographs, he believes that she weighs at least 450kg. Ms Abd El Aty's family says she weighed 5kg (11lb) at birth and was diagnosed with elephantiasis, a condition in which a limb or other body parts swell due to a parasitic infection, Dr Lakdawala told the BBC in a phone call from Mumbai. \"They said when she was 11, she had gained immense weight because of which she could not stand up and would crawl. \"And then she suffered a stroke which left her bedridden and she has not been able to leave home since then.\" Ms Abd El Aty is cared for by her mother and sister. Dr Lakdawala said Ms Abd El Aty's sister got in touch with him in October and he began raising money to bring her over to Mumbai as her family was too poor and unable to bear the costs of chartering a flight. \"We are expecting to fly her to Mumbai next week as soon as the formalities are over,\" he said. Dr Lakdawala believes that Ms Abd El Aty does not have elephantiasis, but suffers from obesity-related lymphoedema which causes gigantic swelling of legs. \"She would need to remain in Mumbai for two to three months for the surgery and treatment after which she would be able to return home, but it would take two to three years to bring her body weight under 100kg,\" the surgeon said. \"I'm hopeful that I will be able to help her, I won't say I'm confident because I think that would be an exaggeration,\" he added. Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, is used as a last resort to treat people who are dangerously obese and carrying an excessive amount of body fat. In the UK, this type of surgery is available on the NHS only to treat people with potentially life-threatening obesity when other treatments have not worked. Around 8,000 people a year in the UK currently receive the treatment. The two most common types of weight loss surgery are: Where are you on the global fat scale?", "summary": "An Egyptian woman, believed to be the world's heaviest woman at 500kg (1,102lb), will soon be flown to India for weight reduction surgery."}
{"article": "Swindon-based Gaming International Ltd, who run greyhound racing tracks in England and Japan and the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, are currently in the process of buying the club. The Gulls were taken over last summer by a group of supporters after millionaire owner Thea Bristow left. \"We're getting very close to the takeover now,\" Phillips said. \"They want to get a football club on board,\" Phillips told BBC South West. \"I've met them and they're very, very good people. I think we need the investment, we've never hidden that - we've never had enough money to really push forward.\" The club were forced to drastically cut the playing budget, got rid of former manager Chris Hargreaves,closed the youth academy and had to leave their training ground. On the field, the team were 12 points adrift from safety at the bottom of the National League in February, but a run of nine wins in their last 15 league games saw them secure survival on Saturday. \"I was one of the fans that saved the club back in June, but now we need to go forward and we need to get back into the Football League,\" added Phillips. \"If we get back into the Football League it'd make a big difference to our club.\" Phillips is unsure whether he or his fellow directors will remain at the club should the takeover be completed. \"We're not sure how the structure will be, but its conceivable that we'll still be here,\" he said. \"I don't know that for certain yet, but that's a possibility.\"", "summary": "A takeover of National League club Torquay United is close to completion, according to chairman David Phillips."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Australian Robertson, 34, had won the first two frames of the best-of-17 final and extended his lead to 5-2 during the first session in Cardiff. But O'Sullivan, 40, won the next seven frames, sealing victory with a break of 141 to move level with John Higgins on four Welsh Open titles. \"I feel shattered, I need a month of just relaxing,\" said the Englishman. O'Sullivan caused controversy earlier in the week when he turned down the opportunity of a 147 break, making 146 instead. He also spoke about his boredom at tournaments. But he said he had enjoyed a \"fantastic week\" and would now be resting before the World Championships in April. \"That is the one that everyone wants,\" he told BBC Sport. \"I am not eligible for any other tournaments as I did not qualify, so my cue will be chilling out for a month or so.\" The 2007 champion Robertson, who was described by O'Sullivan as \"the best player in the world\", pinpointed the ninth frame as the key moment. \"Once he got his tail up and the momentum it was hard to wrestle it back from him,\" said the world number three. \"Everyone knows he is a terrific front runner and he pulled away and finished the match off in style. I made mistakes and that is what happens when you are put under pressure.\" 36 - Stephen Hendry 28 - Ronnie O'Sullivan, John Higgins, Steve Davis 18 - Mark Williams", "summary": "Ronnie O'Sullivan won seven frames in a row to beat Neil Robertson 9-5 and win his fourth Welsh Open title."}
{"article": "Most of those on board were travelling home from a religious festival in the Andean district of Santa Teresa, according to a local fire chief. Investigators say there were no survivors from Friday night's accident. People often travel by lorry in the Peruvian Andes because of a shortage of public transport. The mayor of the Santa Teresa district, Ruben Pinto, said the search operation was continuing but that children were among the victims. \"The vehicle remains trapped in a gorge of the River Yanatile, there are no survivors,\" chief investigator Juan Carlos Valverde told Peruvian radio. \"At the moment we are carrying out the identification, registration and handing over of bodies to the families who are here.\" \"Regrettably, those who have lost their lives are peasant farmers like us,\" Mr Pinto said. \"The town of Santa Teresa is not prepared for an accident of this scale.\"", "summary": "At least 52 people were killed when a lorry plunged 200m (650ft) off a road into a gorge in the Cusco region of south-eastern Peru, officials say."}
{"article": "Grace Mugabe, 51, was addressing a rally of the governing Zanu-PF party. Mr Mugabe has governed Zimbabwe since the end of white-majority rule in 1980 following a bitterly fought war. His wife, who has often professed her undying loyalty to her husband, has assumed an increasingly high profile. \"One day when God decides that Mugabe dies, we will have his corpse appear as a candidate on the ballot paper,\" Mrs Mugabe told the rally in Buhera, south-east of the capital Harare. \"You will see people voting for Mugabe as a corpse. I am seriously telling you - just to show people how people love their president.\" President Mugabe has been backed by his party to stand again in next year's election, but recently cut back on his public engagements. Grace Mugabe has warned contemporaries of Mr Mugabe from the guerrilla war era that they are not in a position to replace him because they likewise would be too old. \"Anyone who was with Mugabe in 1980 has no right to tell him he is old. If you want Mugabe to go, then you leave together. You also have to leave. Then we take over because we were not there in 1980,\" she said, gesticulating towards herself. Last September, the president was rumoured to have died after he reportedly cut short his attendance of an AU summit to fly to Dubai for a health check. Mr Mugabe later joked about the rumours, saying he indeed died but was only resurrected.", "summary": "The wife of Zimbabwe's 92-year-old President, Robert Mugabe, has said that he is so popular that if he died, he could run as a corpse in next year's election and still win votes."}
{"article": "Contact with flight MH370, carrying 239 people, was lost en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Despite an extensive search no trace has ever been found. The trial system enables planes to be tracked every 15 minutes, an increase on the current 30 to 40 minutes. It uses technology already installed on most long-haul jets. The system is expected to increase the tracking rate to five minutes or less if there is any deviation from a plane's expected route. Australian Transport Minister Warren Truss said the new system was a \"world first\". But he stressed the new technology would not necessarily have solved the mystery of MH370. \"It would have been very difficult, one would imagine, without knowing what precisely occurred in the case of MH370, to have intervened from outside,\" he said. \"But at least it would have tracked the aircraft to within 15 minutes.\" Airservices Australia Chairman Angus Houston, who helped lead the search for MH370, agreed it was \"no silver bullet\". \"But it is an important step in delivering immediate improvements to the way we currently track aircraft while more comprehensive solutions are developed,\" he added. The trial will begin in the Australian city of Brisbane, before being extended to Indonesia and Malaysia. Investigators searching for MH370 are focusing on an area of the Indian Ocean off the coast of western Australia.", "summary": "Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia are to trial a new method of tracking planes, almost a year after a Malaysia Airlines flight disappeared."}
{"article": "Wicketkeeper/batsman Billings is one of eight England players at IPL 2017, double the number who played last year. \"It gives you another platform to progress as a cricketer,\" the 25-year-old told BBC Radio Kent. \"My game's gone from strength to strength, playing international cricket around the world.\" Billings played five games for the Delhi Daredevils in last year's IPL and has been retained for this year's tournament, which runs from 5 April to 21 May. Every franchise this year includes an English player, with Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes, Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, Chris Jordan, Chris Woakes and Tymal Mills also taking part. Billings has also played in the Big Bash, for Sydney Sixers, and the Pakistan Super League, for Islamabad United, and feels the perception of English cricketers is changing as a result. \"Ten years ago, if you said an Englishman would go over and play in an Australian team, people would laugh at you,\" he said. \"I think we had 10 former or current English internationals playing in that, so we've definitely been put on the map. \"I'm really excited for the IPL. It's a fantastic competition, one of the best in the world. \"To have 60,000 people screaming at you and abusing you is a different concept, but it's an amazing experience. \"It's re-energised the game and given it a boost. It's just great fun.\"", "summary": "Kent's Sam Billings believes experience of tournaments such as the Indian Premier League and Australia's Big Bash can only improve English cricketers."}
{"article": "But on the 100th anniversary of the 10 October 1911 rebellion that sprang from the Xinhai Revolution, which ended 2,000 years of imperial rule and ushered Chinese people into a modern era, mention of the ROC is rare - except in Taiwan. In mainland China, the anniversary will be marked by mostly official activities that focus on the revolution and Sun Yat-sen, who inspired it, not the founding of the republic or Sun's principles of democracy. That is because the Communist Party, which had nothing to do with the revolution, does not want to give much credit to the ROC and its founders, the Nationalists (or Kuomintang, KMT). The two sides later fought a bloody civil war that ended with the Kuomintang fleeing to Taiwan in the late 1940s and re-establishing the republic there. But in Taiwan, the government - currently led by the Kuomintang - is sparing no efforts to make sure the world does not forget the 100th birthday of the republic. \"It was the biggest event in China's 5,000-year history and a major change in political system which established the first republic in Asia,\" said the Kuomintang's historical archives director Shao Ming-huang. \"That planted the seeds of rebellion in Asia against foreign forces' control,\" he said, saying one of the reasons why Sun wanted to overthrow the Qing was because it was too weak to fend off foreign invasions. On the island, the anniversary is being celebrated with much fanfare on Monday. A 40-minute fireworks show is planned in central Taiwan. Fireworks will also light up the skies in other areas, including Taipei. Many ordinary people watched the flag-raising ceremony in the morning and the subsequent activities, including a military parade involving more than 1,000 military personnel, 71 aircraft and 168 vehicles. Numerous couples got married in a mass wedding, and President Ma Ying-jeou made a speech. Even tourists were reminded - those arriving on Monday were presented with a centennial souvenir gift. But on the eve of the anniversary, the legacy of the ROC is inevitably debated. Some people blame it for corruption and incompetence which led to it losing mainland China to the Communists in the civil war. And in Taiwan, a still significant segment of the population views the KMT and ROC with resentment because of suppressive rule after relocating to Taiwan in the 1940s. Beijing cautious on centenary It is blamed for the 2/28 Incident in 1947 (an uprising sparked by the beating of a female vendor that lead to deadly riots) and a subsequent crackdown against dissidents known as the White Terror, which led to thousands of people being arrested, tortured, killed or persecuted. Martial law was not lifted until 1987. \"The ROC is a Chinese government exiled in Taipei. It should be out of Taiwan,\" said Tsay Ting-kuei, who is one of a group of people who believe that when Japan lost WWII, Taiwan technically should not have been handed over to the ROC because that was not specified in the treaties signed between Japan and the Western victors in the war. Yeh", "summary": "One of the most important events of the 20th Century was the overthrow of China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing, and the founding of the Republic of China (ROC)."}
{"article": "The sculpture of Themis - the goddess of justice - wearing a sari was less than six months old, but Islamist groups demanded its removal by Friday. They claimed it hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims and it prompted mass protests in the capital, Dhaka. PM Sheikh Hasina agreed to its removal, but secular groups opposed it. Workers came with equipment and a crane at midnight to uproot the controversial statue, the BBC's Bangla service reported. The statue is being removed to maintain peace, said its creator Mrinal Haque. Analysts say this is a sign of the rising tension between Islamic conservatism and liberal values in Bangladesh. Protesters have long asserted that the figure, which held the familiar sword and scales of justice in her hands, amounted to idolatry. In February, conservative Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam led protests and threatened to spread the demonstrations across the country if the statue was not removed. Many of those protesting will have been followers of Hefazat-e-Islam, but observers have also pointed to increasing conservatism among the general public. The tension between such forces and secular voices has been one of the defining themes in Bangladesh over the last few years.", "summary": "Workers have begun to dismantle the statue of a Greek goddess from Bangladesh's Supreme Court complex, after an outcry from Islamists."}
{"article": "The doodle references the artist's famous work of a tiger shark pickled in formaldehyde and was given to an unnamed chauffeur as a tip. \"A great drive,\" wrote the artist along the top of the page. The sale came in the same week that critic Julian Spalding said Hirst's work was \"not art\" and the market for his productions would bottom out. \"The emperor has nothing on,\" he told The Independent. \"When the penny drops that these are not art, it's all going to collapse.\" However, the sale of the Hirst sketch appears to show that some collectors continue to value his output. It was bought by an anonymous bidder during a sale at International Autograph Auctions in London on Saturday, 24 March. Alongside Hirst's sketch, the autograph book also contained signatures from the likes of Alan Bennett, Julie Walters, Alastair Campbell and Ricky Gervais. Comedian David Baddiel also signed the book, writing: \"To Peter, It won't be worth as much as the Damien Hirst.\" The collection was originally valued at \u00a3250-350. An exhibition catalogue signed by Damien Hirst also sold for \u00a3900 at the same auction. A spokesman for the auction house said an unadorned page bearing the artist's inscription would normally raise about \u00a3100. The highest-value lot at the auction was a signed photograph of Marylin Monroe. It was originally given to Jack Cole, who was the star's choreographer on Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Monroe scrawled across the picture in light blue ink: \"Jack - You certainly can - and I'm not mad! Marilyn\". The photo was sold for \u00a320,088, including VAT and buyer's premium.", "summary": "An autograph book containing a sketch of a shark drawn by Damien Hirst has sold for \u00a34,664 at auction."}
{"article": "City had been due to face a winding-up petition on Monday, but Cox told BBC Radio Oxford it will not now be heard. A judge could have passed a winding-up order that would have liquidated the 134-year-old club. Oxford are next to bottom in National League South, having won only one of their eight games so far this season. It has been a turbulent few months for the club, with former club president Thomas Guerriero jailed for fraud in May and managing director Colin Taylor found dead at the club's stadium in July.", "summary": "Oxford City chairman Brian Cox has confirmed that a pending High Court hearing has been called off after the club paid an outstanding tax bill."}
{"article": "Lawro's opponent for this week's Premier League fixtures is UFC star Michael Bisping. Englishman Bisping, who is also starring in new action film xXx: Return of Xander Cage, is a Manchester United fan - and unsurprisingly backs them to beat old foes Liverpool. Media playback is not supported on this device You can make your Premier League predictions now, compare them with those of Lawro and other fans, and try to take your team to the top of the leaderboard by playing the BBC Sport Predictor game. A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points. On FA Cup third-round weekend, Lawro got nine correct results, including three perfect scores from the 32 ties for a total of 180 points. He was up against a trio of YouTubers - Manchester City fan Alex from Blue Moon Rising TV, Tottenham supporter Barnaby from Spurred On and Arsenal fan Reev. Alex came out on top, with 14 correct predictions, including three perfect scores. Those scores do not count towards Lawro's total for the season from Premier League fixtures or appear on the guest leaderboard. All kick-offs 15:00 GMT unless otherwise stated. Tottenham 4-0 West Brom Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Read the match report Burnley 1-0 Southampton Lawro's prediction: 1-1 Read the match report Hull 3-1 Bournemouth Lawro's prediction: 1-2 Read the match report Sunderland 1-3 Stoke Lawro's prediction: 1-1 Read the match preview Swansea 0-4 Arsenal Lawro's prediction: 0-2 Read the match report Watford 0-0 Middlesbrough Lawro's prediction: 1-1 Read the match report West Ham 3-0 Crystal Palace Lawro's prediction: 1-1 Read the match report Leicester 0-3 Chelsea Lawro's prediction: 2-1 Read our match report Everton v Man City (13:30 GMT) Everton have already started their shopping in the January sales and I would expect one of their new signings, Morgan Schneiderlin, to go straight into their midfield on Sunday. Manchester City could have their own new-boy, Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus, involved at some point - but I cannot see Pep Guardiola just throwing him straight in. Goodison Park will be rocking because it is City, and because Everton are signing some players. I am not sure the feel-good factor will be enough for them, though. Lawro's prediction: 1-2 Man Utd v Liverpool (16:00 GMT) Manchester United got a 0-0 draw at Anfield in October in a game that was basically a Jose Mourinho masterpiece. His gameplan was to restrict Liverpool to relatively few chances, and it worked. United will be far more ambitious in attack at Old Trafford, however, and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has some big decisions to make over the fitness of some of his players. If Joel Matip is 75% fit I think Klopp will be tempted to play him, especially if Jordan Henderson is not quite ready. This is a massive game for both teams and I think it will end up with a point apiece. I think Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham would settle for that result too. Lawro's prediction: 1-1 Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris", "summary": "BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson will be making a prediction for all 380 Premier League games this season against a variety of guests."}
{"article": "Dywedodd y byddai ASau Ceidwadol yn San Steffan yn \"senedd o ddefaid gyda bathodynnau glas\". Mae'r addewidion yn y maniffesto Llafur yn cynnwys \u00a31.5bn yn ychwanegol ar gyfer gwasanaethau cyhoeddus Cymru, a chefnogaeth i forlyn llanw Bae Abertawe. Digwyddodd y lansiad yn etholaeth ogleddol Delyn, a hynny wrth i Theresa May lansio maniffesto'r Ceiwadwyr Cymreig yn Wrecsam. Dywedodd Mr Jones wrth dorf o ymgyrchwyr Llafur yng Ngholeg Cambria, Llaneurgain fod \"y blaid gas wedi dychwelyd\". Wrth feirniadu polis\u00efau'r Ceidwadwyr ar ofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru, dywedodd: \"Mae'r maniffesto yn dweud un peth wrth bobl h\u0177n yn y wlad yma. \"Dyma yw eu neges - mae'r Tor\u00efaid yn eich cymryd chi'n ganiataol. Maen nhw'n credu bod eich pleidleisiau chi'n sicr.\" Mynnodd fod angen dwy lywodraeth Lafur ar Gymru i sicrhau bod yr economi yn gweithio \"i bawb, nid ar gyfer yr ychydig ar y top yn unig\". Yn y cyfamser mae p\u00f4l piniwn newydd wedi awgrymu fod Llafur bellach ar 44% yng Nghymru, gyda'r Ceidwadwyr ar 34%. Roedd polau gan YouGov ar ran ITV a Chanolfan Llywodraethiant Cymru yn gynharach yn yr ymgyrch wedi dangos y Tor\u00efaid ar y blaen. Dywedodd Mr Jones fod gan Lafur \"gynllun uchelgeisiol\" ar gyfer amddiffyn, trethi a Brexit. Ychwanegodd y byddai ei blaid yn sefydlu \"partneriaeth go iawn\" gyda llywodraeth Lafur yn San Steffan. Cyfaddefodd fod gogledd Cymru yn ardal ble bydd brwydro agos yn yr etholiad. Ond darllenodd rhai addewidion Llafur ar gyfer y rhanbarth gan gynnwys gwireddu cynllun Wylfa Newydd, a \u00a350m ar gyfer Metro Gogledd Cymru, a thrydaneiddio rheilffyrdd. \"Mae ein maniffesto'n gynllun uchelgeisiol, cynhwysfawr o beth all Llafur Cymru wneud gyda'n gilydd, yn gweithio yn y Cynulliad a San Steffan,\" meddai. \"Trwy gydweithio, bydd Llafur Cymru yn ymrwymo i ddiogelu'r arian fyddai wedi dod i Gymru trwy'r UE. \"Bydd yr arian yna yn cael ei wario yng Nghymru, ac ar flaenoriaethau Cymreig - dim yn cael ei guddio yn Whitehall fel y mae'r Tor\u00efaid yn ei fygwth.\" Mae Llafur hefyd yn dweud, yn dilyn Brexit, y byddan nhw'n sicrhau'r un lefel o gymorth ariannol i Gymru ag y mae'n derbyn gan yr Undeb Ewropeaidd ar hyn o bryd. Wrth ymateb dywedodd arweinydd y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol yng Nghymru, Mark Williams, fod Llafur wedi torri addewidion o sefyll dros Gymru \"dro ar \u00f4l tro drwy bleidleisio gydag UKIP a'r Ceidwadwyr ar y mater unigol mwyaf y mae'r wlad yn ei wynebu\". Ychwanegodd fod y blaid Lafur \"wedi rhoi siec wag i Theresa May ar Brexit, gan alluogi'r Ceidwadwyr i ysgrifennu dyfodol oeraidd a chybyddlyd i'n plant\". \"Ni all y blaid Lafur bellach alw ei hun yn wrthblaid swyddogol,\" meddai. Dywedodd Jonathan Edwards o Blaid Cymru fod y maniffesto Llafur yn cynnwys \"polis\u00efau maen nhw wedi gwrthod gweithredu fel y blaid lywodraethol yng Nghymru\". \"Y realiti yw nad oes y fath beth a 'Llafur Cymru', a bydd y nonsens rhagrithiol yn mynd yn angof unwaith fydd yr etholiad drosto,\" meddai. \"Bydd pob un AS Llafur yn dilyn yr un gorchmynion o'u harweinydd, Jeremy Corbyn a bydd y maniffesto yma'n diweddu lan yn y bin.\"", "summary": "Mae'r blaid Geidwadol \"gas\" wedi dychwelyd, meddai Prif Weinidog Cymru, Carwyn Jones wrth lansio maniffesto Llafur yng Nghymru."}
{"article": "The Conservative-led authority made the announcement as part of plans to save \u00c2\u00a355m during 2011-12. The council, which has nearly 15,000 employees, plans to save \u00c2\u00a37m by cutting senior management, freezing recruitment and renegotiating contracts. Liberal Democrat councillor Keith House said the council was in \"financial chaos\" after it failed to plan ahead. The Winchester-based council employs about 40,000 people. Excluding teaching staff, who will not be affected, there are 14,990 people in 11,182 full-time posts. The cuts represent about 8% of the workforce. It has blamed the cuts on a reduction of \u00c2\u00a330.9m (14.3%) in its government grant, following the Spending Review. Peter Terry, of public sector Unison, called the cuts \"unnecessary\" and said strike action could not be ruled out. \"It's quite devastating news for us, for the staff who work for the county council and for the communities that rely on the council's services,\" he said. \"This council has decided upon itself to roll out four years of cuts into two. \"It's a double whammy and has been made twice as bad for the people of Hampshire.\" Mr House, leader of the council's opposition, said it was \"unrealistic\" for the council to blame the coalition government \"It should have been obvious to the council leadership way before the election that there would be some devastating times ahead,\" he added. \"They should have planned ahead. \"Residents are going to see that some services are going to stop and others will get worse, across the country, month by month, more and more will change.\" Jane Frankum, the council's only Labour councillor, said the authority had chosen to \"cut deeper and faster\" than was really needed. Council leader Ken Thornber told the BBC he expected \"anxious months\" of talks with unions. He reassured residents budgets for child protection, highways maintenance and schools will be protected. Council tax will also be frozen at last year's levels. \"One could point the finger at the last government who spent money that it was going out of style and we could point the finger at the bankers,\" he told the BBC. \"But quite frankly, what I have got to do is to take what the government say should be our reduction and work to it. \"I don't remember in 30 years of service anything remotely like the difficulty we are in at the moment.\" The budget is expected to be approved by the full council on 24 February.", "summary": "Union bosses said 1,200 job losses at Hampshire County Council would lead to \"inferior services\" to communities."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The story of how the clubs intertwine is well documented but takes its roots from 2002, when second-tier side Wimbledon were without a permanent home and deep in financial uncertainty. A consortium led by Pete Winkelman decided to take the club from south London to Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire - after having the controversial move approved by an independent commission. Since then a lot of water has passed under the bridge and neither side can agree on everything that actually happened. But what is true is that the club set up by Wimbledon supporters 14 years ago in protest to the move now finds itself in the same division as Winkelman's MK Dons. More than that, the phoenix club AFC Wimbledon are above MK Dons in the League One table ahead of their first-ever league meeting. They have played against each other in the FA Cup, League Cup and Football League Trophy - but there is something different about a league match. So BBC Sport wanted to find out what fans of both clubs feel going into Saturday's match at Stadium:MK. Media playback is not supported on this device A win could take AFC Wimbledon into the third-tier promotion places - but even a match of this importance cannot tempt some into travelling north for the game. Simon Wheeler, chairman of Wimbledon Independent Supporters' Association, has proclaimed he will never set foot in Stadium:MK, even organising boycotts for teams other than AFC Wimbledon playing in Milton Keynes between 2003 and 2006. Wheeler, who has met Winkelman on a number of occasions, is one of several AFC fans wanting MK Dons to drop the final part of their name, but insists it is up to individual fans whether or not they choose to go to the match. \"Initially with the FA Cup game [the first meeting in 2012], MK were making a big thing about it and trying to build up a rivalry,\" he told BBC Sport. \"Us Wimbledon supporters were saying it's not a rivalry; they have done a lot of damage, caused a lot of pain and done a lot wrong with the way they got their formation. \"Now we are in the same league as them, we are competitive in that league and, more importantly, above them. \"They are effectively having a club set up by the fans, because of the theft of Wimbledon's Football League place, sitting above them in the same league as them. It must be incredibly embarrassing.\" A prominent feeling among AFC Wimbledon fans is to question why Winkelman did not start with a club in non-league and, like them, work their way up. AFC began in the Combined Counties League in 2002, after trialling players on Wimbledon Common, and 14 years later find themselves in League One. \"They were presented with a place in the Championship, a brand new stadium and an eight-division head start over us, all on a plate,\" said AFC Wimbledon season-ticket holder Chris West, another who will not be going to the game. \"Catching", "summary": "Two teams that need no introduction to each other are AFC Wimbledon and MK Dons."}
{"article": "Sunday's blaze in Milton, Stoke-on-Trent, centred on a building containing recycled plastics. The Environment Agency had previously said Hanbury Plastics ,the site operator, had never held an environmental permit. The operation to tackle the fire has been scaled back but it is still burning in places. See more stories from across Stoke and Staffordshire here The blaze at the site, in Leek New Road, Milton, started around 08:00 GMT on 5 February. The EA said the site's owners had been issued with legal notices to clear waste plastics. Staffordshire Fire Service said it is helping police with its investigation. Investigation Officer Ian Broadhead said: \"We have worked closely with Staffordshire Police during the investigation and concluded that the fire was started deliberately.\"", "summary": "A fire at a recycling plant which was storing illegal waste was started deliberately, the fire service said."}
{"article": "But however classy your look, if you want to take care of yourself, you too can find yourself shelling out big bucks like Dolly. What you may not realise is that from low-cost Vietnam to high-rolling Venezuela, the bill can vary hugely. They are the cheapest and dearest nations in e-commerce platform Linio.com's Beauty Price Index. To compile its list, Linio surveyed the cost of cosmetic products and services in 50 countries to find the price of beauty around the world. It looked at three different categories: beauty services, such as hairdos; cosmetic procedures, including Botox and breast jobs; and products, such as make-up and perfume. It found that on the whole, developing nations offer the most affordable beauty services, but show mark-ups on popular cosmetic products. However, Venezuela bucks the emerging market trend. Despite being renowned for its beauty queens, the South American nation is in the throes of economic collapse after years of fiscal mismanagement, and this has caused the cost of looking good to spiral out of control. Apart from that anomaly, the price gap is much as you would expect. The countries where the cost of beauty is higher tend to be in regions that have a higher cost of living in general, such as northern Europe and North America. After Venezuela, the most expensive countries for cosmetic products and services are Switzerland, Norway, Denmark and Finland, with Australia, Sweden and the US close behind. The cheapest places after Vietnam are India, South Africa, Thailand and Egypt. The Czech Republic, Colombia and Panama also score well. The UK comes in on the pricey side, ranking 36th cheapest out of the 50 nations surveyed. \"We hope that our index helps people more confidently interpret variations in costs associated with beauty around the world,\" said Linio's chief executive, Andreas Mjelde. \"Increasingly, the average citizen is a global one, and with a better understanding of global markets comes empowerment to travel, shop and live smarter.\"", "summary": "Country star Dolly Parton once said of her appearance that \"it costs a lot of money to look this cheap\"."}
{"article": "A revamp of the calendar is under consideration with the 2019 US PGA Championship potentially moving to May. That would mean the US major being played in the same month as the European Tour's BMW PGA Championship, which starts at Wentworth on Thursday. This could have long-term implications for the quality of the field. US officials are considering the date shift to try to prevent the climax of the PGA Tour season being overshadowed by the beginning of the American Football season. They want to free up the month of August for the FedEx Cup play-offs to be completed before the start of the NFL campaign which dominates American sports viewing from September onwards. Pelley accepts there could be serious knock-on effects for his tour. \"Right now we are looking at our 2018 schedule but at the same time 2019 and 2020 are in our discussions daily as well,\" he told BBC Sport. \"If there are changes that happen in the US with the majors then we are going to have to adjust and adapt.\" Pelley added that next year's European Tour schedule will follow similar lines to the current timetable, but he cannot guarantee this will remain the case in following years. \"It will depend on what they do in 2019,\" he said. \"The PGA of America says they're going to determine whether the PGA Championship is moved to May by the end of August this year. \"If that's the case we are going to have to look at everything. We have plans right now but there is no doubt that if those changes happen, the 2019 and 2020 schedule will be considerably different to 2018.\"", "summary": "The European Tour \"will have to adjust and adapt\" if radical proposals to alter golf's majors schedule are implemented, says boss Keith Pelley."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Britain's most decorated Olympian was at Drumchapel Sport Hub in Glasgow as agency sportscotland announced that it had surpassed Holyrood's target of 150 community sport hubs in 2016. \"It's fantastic to see that they've actually committed to this,\" said Hoy. \"The target is to try to have 200 community hubs open by 2020.\" There are now 153 operational hubs across the country with at least one in each of Scotland's 32 local authorities. Hubs aim to increase the number of people of all ages participating in sport and physical activity across Scotland. The national agency for sport has also announced a new \u00a36m investment of National Lottery money over the next four years to further develop existing community sport hubs and to help reach the target of new hubs. Hoy told BBC Scotland: ''The community sports hubs are about the community, providing somewhere that people of all the community, of all ages and all levels of fitness, can come and get fit and have fun - improve their lives basically. \"It's about participation, enjoyment and health, but if we create an Olympic champion off the back of it then all the better.\" Hoy, meanwhile, who won six gold and one silver Olympic medals in the velodrome, believes the current British cycling team is looking good ahead of the Rio Olympics. \"The British team are coming on to form at just the right moment,\" he said. \"They've had a lot of criticism, some of which has been unfounded or a little bit harsh. Teams go through transitions and new riders come in to peak at the right time. \"By definition you're going to be off your peak at others times and I think we should be judged by the performances in Rio.\" A knee injury kept Scotland's Katie Archibald from competing for the British team at the World Championships in London this month but she is striving to be fit for Rio, and Hoy certainly hopes that the case. \"Katie is integral to the success of the British pursuit team for the women, and she'll be disappointed that she missed the World Champs,\" said Hoy. \"But it will fuel that passion and that hunger to work hard and make it to the Olympics. \"They (the women's pursuit team) performed well in the final ride by winning the bronze medal and setting the quickest time they'd ever done before but there's more to come and I think once Katie gets back she'll be firing on all cylinders and she help the team.\"", "summary": "Sir Chris Hoy says the commitment shown by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery will help ensure the Commonwealth Games legacy continues."}
{"article": "Analysts said June's hot weather had helped to lift sales at the company, which also includes Argos. The UK's second biggest supermarket said like-for-like sales - which strip out the impact of new stores - grew by 2.3%, excluding petrol. Chief executive Mike Coupe said he was \"pleased\" with the results - its best growth in four years. Laith Khalaf, an analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: \"The recent heatwave helped to boost sales at Sainsbury's group, as customers turned to the Argos website to buy electric fans and paddling pools to keep cool in the hot weather.\" Demand for deals on British strawberries and its summer eating range added to Sainsbury's grocery sales, which were up 3%. Food price inflation also contributed to a rise in sales at the supermarket's checkouts. This is the best quarterly performance by Sainsbury's in years, with sales up across the board. Like the other main supermarkets, inflation is driving some of this sales growth. The boss said the company had managed to \"keep a control over prices\" and that the rise in own label goods had been a big success. Was this a sign of shoppers trading down, for instance eating in instead of eating out? Chief executive Mike Coupe said there wasn't any evidence of a massive change in consumer behaviour although there might be a trend starting to come through. Most striking though is the rise in clothing sales - up by more than 7%, a very strong performance, in stark contrast to its competitors on the high street. A sign, perhaps, that consumers are watching their wallets. Mr Coupe said \"inflation was coming through\", but that Sainsbury's was trying to keep prices down by striking deals with suppliers. He pointed to chicken, milk and broccoli, which he said were cheaper than three years ago. The company's latest sales figures marked an acceleration from the previous quarter when sales grew by just 0.3%. The growth was also slightly stronger than expected, with analysts having forecast like-for-like sales to grow 2%. David Alexander of GlobalData, said: \"Even accounting for a later Easter and Mother's Day, and the inclusion of a buoyant Argos in the figures, the numbers still present a positive picture.\" Widespread media reports have suggested Sainsbury's is lining up Nisa, a convenience store chain and wholesaler, for its next acquisition. George MacDonald, editor of Retail Week, told the BBC that Sainsbury's was \"possibly grabbing on the coat-tails of Tesco which wants to buy another wholesaler called Booker\". However, Mr Coupe declined to comment on any possible Nisa deal, saying it regularly looked at potential tie-ups. \"We are not holding onto anyone's coat-tails - that's just the nature of a large corporation. Most of these conversations come to nothing,\" the Sainsbury's boss told reporters.", "summary": "Sainsbury's has said sales of clothes, summer food and paddling pools helped speed up growth in the past few months."}
{"article": "Nearly 500 Chinese children are reported to have developed dermatitis, blood abnormalities, leukaemia and lymphoma thought to be a result of air, soil and water toxins at their new school. There is widespread media anger, with news outlets prominently reporting that children are experiencing \"serious health problems\" in Changzhou, Jiangsu province. The news has triggered a social media campaign calling for local authorities to be made answerable. Tens of thousands of social media users are discussing the incident, asking why earlier campaigns went ignored. It is not the first time that people have taken to social media in large numbers over toxins endangering children's health in the city in eastern China. 'Take notice' On 17 April, China's national state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported that nearly five out of six pupils at Changzhou Foreign Language School who underwent medical checks had health problems. Its primetime news bulletin contained interviews with parents saying that they have been complaining for months. CCTV posted the report on its Sina Weibo platform, which instantly received tens of thousands of shares, and comments from users calling for \"relevant departments to take notice\". By 18 April, the story had gone viral on social media. It has been the most discussed topic in the past 24 hours, with more than 90,000 Weibo users actively using the hashtag #ContaminatedSchools. Users of the microblog say this is not the first time that health and safety in schools within the city have been a viral talking point. Lujia Cangcang shared a map of the area highlighting that other schools had also been affected. \"Do not just focus on the private schools, there are public schools affected too,\" she said. Her post received more than 100 likes. Yin Yihao adds: \"If I remember correctly, this incident was exposed a year ago, but from start to finish was not given huge exposure [and] was repressed locally.\" Social media users have sparked angry online campaigns about hazardous toxins in Changzhou schools before. In October, thousands of Weibo users set the hashtag #PoisonousTrack trending. According to Sina Jiangsu, a number of parents at schools citywide said that their children had had nosebleeds and dizziness after a new school running track was built using plastic. It added that the \"poorly constructed\" track may have contained toxic toluene, xylene, lead salt and \"maybe even toxic plasticisers\". It also appeared that the incident was not limited to Changzhou. In an online poll of more than 800 users, more than 60% said that a \"large, choking\" smell was coming from plastic running tracks. Some social media users at the time called on supervisors and regulators to reveal safety reports so that users could determine whether this was part of a wider \"fraudulent enterprise\". BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "summary": "The Chinese authorities are investigating reports that hundreds of children have become sick after their new school opened next to a former industrial site."}
{"article": "Maurice Weir told a court he witnessed a \"bloodbath\" when hounds from a local hunt club attacked the birds on his land in Loughgall, County Armagh. He sued the Countryside Alliance over the intrusion by the Kinnego Grange and Canary Hunt Club's dogs in 2009. The judge rejected defence arguments that Mr Weir had fabricated the claim. Giving evidence to the High Court in Belfast, Mr Weir described how he emerged from having lunch on 7 February, 2009 to discover \"a bloodbath\" on his Kinnego Road property, with dead and injured birds lying on the ground and in dogs' mouths. He said up to 15 hounds had broken into his pigeon lofts and aviaries and attacked highly sought after homing pigeons, some who could make their way back to Northern Ireland from France, He had been planning to use the birds to set up a small stud business and sought damages for the killing of his pigeons, consequential loss, the cost of repairing his aviaries and a further payout for distress and injury to feelings. His barrister claimed the hunters were negligent in failing to control their dogs. Lawyers for the Countryside Alliance claimed that no hounds from the hunt came into contact with the birds on the day in question, but the judge ruled that that Mr Weir was an honest witness whose account was corroborated by others at the scene. She ruled that the hounds had been on his property, gained entry to the lofts and aviaries and, on the balance of probabilities, killed the pigeons. She awarded him \u00a359,580 in damages and \u00a32,500 for distress and injury to feelings. \"To these figures will be added the appropriate interest on general and special damages together with costs,\" the judge ruled. The Countryside Alliance has six weeks to decide if it wants to appeal the verdict.", "summary": "A pigeon fancier who lost 59 racing pigeons after hunting dogs strayed onto his property and killed the birds is to receive more than \u00a360,000 in damages."}
{"article": "Wolecki Black, 50, was taken by ambulance to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. The former Glasgow City head coach took over from Gary Bollan in December after the latter had joined Forfar Athletic. Airdrie thanked their physio Kirsty Hughes and Cowdenbeath \"for their prompt and professional response\". Former Montrose player and manager Wolecki Black had initially joined Airdrie in September as director of coaching. That followed a spell working with Edusport Academy - a Scotland-based football academy for young French players - and a highly successful period in charge of Glasgow City. City won four successive Scottish Women's Premier League titles during Wolecki Black's time in charge and also reached the Uefa Women's Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in 2014. Airdrie's 3-1 win at Cowdenbeath's Central Park moved them up to fourth in Scottish League One, just inside the promotion play-off zone.", "summary": "Airdrieonians manager Eddie Wolecki Black is in a stable condition after taking ill during half-time of Saturday's win at Cowdenbeath."}
{"article": "The pair arrive at Ewood Park following centre-half Shane Duffy's departure to Brighton for an undisclosed fee. Williams, 23, made 131 appearances for the Robins, helping the club to the League One title in 2014-15. Hoban, 22, has played 58 games for Watford, scoring twice. Both players, who have Republic of Ireland Under-21 honours, will be available for Saturday's Championship game against Fulham. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Blackburn Rovers have signed defender Derrick Williams for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal from Bristol City, while Tommie Hoban has joined on a season-long loan from Watford."}
{"article": "Dubbed the \"killer of killers\", the long-glanded blue coral snake is known to prey on the likes of king cobras. Venom from the 2m-long (6ft 6in) snake native to South East Asia acts \"almost immediately\" and causes prey to spasm. New research published in the journal Toxin found it targets receptors which are critical to pain in humans and could be used as a method of treatment. Some other stories you may have missed: Can unisex toilets cut down queues? Shanghai finds out First dude or first laddie? What to call Bill if Hillary wins... I divorced my husband to work in the Calais 'jungle' \"Most snakes have a slow-acting venom that works like a powerful sedative. You get sleepy, slow, before you die,\" said researcher Dr Bryan Fry from the University of Queensland. \"This snake's venom, however, works almost immediately because it usually preys on very dangerous animals that need to be quickly killed before they can retaliate. It's the killer of killers.\" Cone snails and scorpions are some of a handful of invertebrates whose venom has been studied for its medical use. However, as a vertebrate, the snake is evolutionarily closer to humans, and so a medicine developed from its venom could potentially be more effective, says Dr Fry. \"The venom targets our sodium channels, which are central to our transmission of pain. We could potentially turn this into something that could help relieve pain, and which might work better on us.\" The snake's venom glands extend to up to one-quarter of its body length. \"It's got freaky venom glands, the longest of any in the world, but it's so beautiful. It's easily my favourite species of snake,\" said Dr Fry. It is the first vertebrate in the world known to have venom acting this way, according to Dr Fry. But the snake is rare: more than 80% of its habitat has been destroyed. \"They're really rare. I've only ever seen two of them in the wild,\" he told the BBC. \"Much of their homes have been cleared to make way for things such as palm plantations in South East Asia. Who knows what else was in that forest that could've potentially saved lives?\" Dr Fry and his team, which comprises researchers from countries including China, the US and Singapore, is set to study relatives to the snake in Singapore. \"We're trying to see if there are any relatives of the long-glanded blue coral snake that would possess any different properties. Some people say the only good snake is a dead snake but we're trying to do the opposite here.\" Reporting by the BBC's Yvette Tan.", "summary": "A snake with the largest venom glands in the world could hold the answer to pain relief, scientists have found."}
{"article": "Lawrence, aged 17 years and 290 days, reached three figures from 146 balls with a boundary off Zafar Ansari. Media playback is not supported on this device He was eventually caught behind after lunch off left-arm spinner Ansari for 161, having hit two sixes and 17 fours. Essex declared at tea on 610-8, a lead of 270, and Surrey were 95-2 in their second innings at the close. Only two players younger than Lawrence, who left school last summer to concentrate on cricket, have scored a Championship hundred - and he is the youngest to do so at The Oval. Kent's Godfrey Bryan made his first Championship hundred in 1920 aged 17 years and 245 days, and Dipak Patel made a century for Worcestershire in 1976, aged 17 years and 270 days. Lawrence, who was dropped on 18 during the second day's play, shared partnerships of 68 and 121 with Essex skipper James Foster (23) and Jesse Ryder (57). And he even faced five deliveries before lunch from Kevin Pietersen, who was pressed into service with his off-spin as Surrey tried to tempt the teenager into an error. He finally departed when he deflected a ball from Ansari into the gloves of wicketkeeper Gary Wilson, but the home attack then came in for severe punishment from Graham Napier and Greg Smith, who added 116 for the eighth wicket. The declaration came at tea after Napier was caught off Jason Roy, having struck three sixes and nine fours in his 73 off 62 balls, leaving Smith unbeaten on 50. Surrey could ill afford the immediate loss of Ansari, who was run out for nought, but the pitch remained benign and Kumar Sangakkara (43) and Rory Burns added 76 before Napier claimed the prized wicket of the Sri Lankan, who edged to Nick Browne at first slip. Pietersen kept Burns (41 not out) company for the for the final eight and a half overs, making just eight from 26 balls as the home side reached stumps requiring another 175 to avoid an innings defeat. Essex centurion Dan Lawrence: \"I went to Australia last winter, which was a great experience, and now I'm getting my chance with Essex. \"When I hit the cover drive off Ansari on 96, I knew it was going for four and I could start celebrating. It was a great feeling. I've had quite a few messages already, especially from my old school friends. \"I don't have many heroes in the game, but I suppose AB de Villiers would be my favourite batsman. \"At Essex we have some great players too - like Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara and Jesse Ryder - and they have all been fantastic to me. \"All the coaches at Essex have been great, and the bowlers like David Masters and Graham Napier have also helped me a lot by telling me how they would look to get me out and things like that. It really helps to know how they think.\" BBC London 94.9's Mark Church: \"A day that Dan Lawrence won't forget in a hurry. It", "summary": "Dan Lawrence became the third youngest batsmen to score a County Championship century on day three of Essex's game against Surrey at The Oval."}
{"article": "The men aged 38, 42, 45 and 46, were arrested after a car was stopped in the Ringfort Road area, in Hazelbank, on Thursday night. They were questioned at Antrim police station. Police said their enquiries were continuing.", "summary": "Four men arrested in Londonderry by police investigating dissident republican activity are released unconditionally."}
{"article": "The screenwriter died surrounded by his family in California on Monday after several weeks of hospice care. His widow Rita Hudis said in a statement: \"He died peacefully at home with myself and Stephen and Kevin, his two sons. \"He did well to reach 93. We will miss him. Our 60th anniversary would have been on the 28 April.\" Hudis was born in London and began his career as a journalist before writing for stage and screen. He wrote the first Carry On film, 1958's Carry On Sergeant, when he was 34. The cast included future Doctor Who actor William Hartnell, Bob Monkhouse, Charles Hawtrey, Kenneth Connor, Kenneth Williams and Hattie Jacques. Hudis went on to pen Carry On Nurse, Teacher, Constable, Regardless and Cruising - the first Carry On film in colour. Carry On films - the Norman Hudis years Carry On Sergeant - 1958 Carry On Nurse - 1959 Carry On Teacher - 1959 Carry On Constable - 1960 Carry On Regardless - 1961 Carry On Cruising - 1962 Carry On Nurse was inspired by stories from his wife, a former nurse. In a BBC interview in 2008, Hudis said: \"I used to call downstairs to Rita and say 'put on the old nurse's cap and tell me something funny'.\" In 2008, Hudis published an autobiography titled No Laughing Matter: How I Carried On. In it, he revealed that he continued to write Carry Ons after he left the series in the early 1960s in the hope that he might be asked back one day, drafting Carry On Under the Pier If Wet and Carry On Shylock Holmes. After moving to the US, his TV writing credits include The Wild Wild West, The Man From UNCLE and Hawaii Five-O. Morris Bright, chairman of Elstree Studios and a close family friend, said: \"Without him we wouldn't have had the Carry On films, because he wrote the first six - and look what that spawned over the years. \"We owe the man a lot. He leaves a great legacy of joy, entertainment and laughter - something we can look back on and say, 'We're very grateful for him'. \"He was a great guy, I shall miss him a great deal.\" Hudis is survived by his widow, two sons, and two grandchildren, Veronica and Cameron.", "summary": "Norman Hudis, best known for writing the first six Carry On films, has died at the age of 93."}
{"article": "Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are both up for actress of the year, while Todd Haynes' film is also one of 10 titles up for the film of the year award. Tom Hardy has three nominations that recognise his roles in The Revenant, Legend and his whole body of 2015 work. Sir Kenneth Branagh will get a special award at the ceremony on 17 January. Carol, which tells of a shopgirl who falls in love with a wealthy socialite in 1950s New York, gets additional nominations for its direction, screenplay, score and cinematography. Marital drama 45 Years comes close behind with six nominations, two of them - actress of the year and British actress of the year - for its star Charlotte Rampling. Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant and Steve Jobs have five nominations apiece, while Brooklyn, Ex Machina and Room have four. Amy Winehouse documentary Amy, meanwhile, achieves a notable hat-trick by being nominated for best film, best British film and best documentary. Other titles up for the film of the year award include Disney/Pixar animation Inside Out, Ridley Scott's The Martian and hard-hitting documentary The Look of Silence. More than 200 titles were put forward for the film of the year award by the Critics' Circle Film Section, whose membership is made up of more than 145 broadcasters, critics and writers. \"There was love for everything from Tangerine and Tangerines to Love, Joy and The Hateful Eight,\" said Rich Cline, chair of the Critics' Circle Film Awards. \"Getting to that final list of nominees certainly wasn't easy this year.\" Last year's awards saw Boyhood named film of the year, with additional prizes going to its director Richard Linklater and cast member Patricia Arquette. Sightseers stars Alice Lowe and Steve Oram will return to co-host the 2016 ceremony at London's May Fair Hotel.", "summary": "Romantic drama Carol leads the field at the London Critics' Circle Film Awards, having received seven nominations from the UK's film reviewers."}
{"article": "The government wants to offer rail season ticket holders a \"free week\" in the wake of criticism of services. ScotRail boss Phil Verster told MSPs talks are ongoing over how the plans will work and how they can be funded. He said he had been told to use money from a rail improvement fund already earmarked for other projects, and \"couldn't vouch\" for it going ahead. The Scottish government said it \"remains absolutely committed\" to the initiative. The \u00c2\u00a33m scheme was announced as part of the Scottish government's draft budget, in a move to compensate passengers after a series of delays and disruptions on the rail network. Appearing before MSPs on the rural economy and connectivity committee, Mr Verster said he first heard of the project \"two to three weeks\" before Transport Minister Humza Yousaf announced it. He told members there were plans to use \u00c2\u00a31.8m from the Service Quality Incentive Regime (Squire) railway improvement fund, which is controlled by Abellio ScotRail alliance and built up through fines and penalties imposed for delays and other infractions. The cash had already been earmarked for \"other initiatives\". SNP MSP Christine Grahame asked Mr Verster if the firm, as a private company, could tell the government \"you're not having it\" over the Squire cash. He told her: \"We are busy discussing this with Transport Scotland and I prefer not to commit to a position yet.\" Ms Grahame said: \"So the scheme might not go ahead because you've not decided 'Yes, we're going to do this'?\" Mr Verster replied: \"I can't vouch for whether the scheme goes ahead or not. I can just comment on whether we will make that decision, and when we'll make the decision in the next couple of weeks in terms of how we will deploy the Squire fund.\" He said talks were ongoing about how the scheme would be funded, and said he had not thought of using the Squire money until it was suggested by the government. Labour MSP Rhoda Grant said: \"This is quite extraordinary. I was going to say this is policy made on the back of a fag packet, but I don't think it's even reached that stage of development.\" Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles said he had assumed the Scottish government would be paying for the free fares scheme. He said: \"It's not new money that the Scottish government is using, it's money that you were going to invest in the railways.\" He said it was \"completely inappropriate\" for the transport minister to ask for the money and it should up to Abellio ScotRail how to spend it, not the government. Mr Verster replied: \"We have a very constructive relationship with Transport Scotland and the Scottish government. A very open relationship. \"Now while we set may priorities of what we think would be best for customers, if Transport Scotland engages with us and makes alternative suggestions, of course we consider that. \"I don't think there's anything inappropriate about that. I think what is important is only one thing and that is customers in the end.\" Mr", "summary": "A government scheme to compensate rail passengers with free tickets may not go ahead unless it is fully funded."}
{"article": "And the classic BBC comedy series Fawlty Towers is being deployed by some teachers in an attempt to give Japanese students an example of spoken English - rather than focusing on written language and grammar. Japan's government and businesses want to use the Olympics to boost tourism and global trade and to present a positive image of Japan to the world. So the government needs to ensure a supply of English speakers to be Olympic volunteers and work in the accommodation, tourism, and retail industries. There is also a demand for professionals, such as doctors and nurses, to speak to visitors or competitors in English. Japan's government has been working to bridge this English language gap. The subject is now taught in school from when students are eight or nine years old and remains compulsory for the next seven years. University students and school teachers have been sent on trips abroad to learn English, and many universities are giving language lessons to prospective Olympic volunteers. There are even proposals to create an \"English village\" in Tokyo, populated entirely by English-speakers, where learners could immerse themselves in the language. But early indications are that progress has been slow, and the country still comes surprisingly far down global rankings of English proficiency. More stories from the BBC's Global education series looking at education from an international perspective, and how to get in touch. You can join the debate at the BBC's Family & Education News Facebook page. Japan is 40th out of 48 countries on the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), and last year it fell from \"moderate proficiency\" to \"low proficiency\" on EF's English Proficiency Index. So why is learning English so difficult for the Japanese? Megumi Tada, an education expert at Hirosaki University, said the main reason is \"the lack of teachers who can effectively use the language\". When the Kyoto Board of Education asked middle school English teachers to take the TOEIC, fewer than one in four teachers reached the threshold for language skills good enough for most social demands and limited work requirements. Ms Tada said that although the government has now introduced English in primary schools, most of the teachers in these schools are not qualified to teach the language. She said a better way to improve English teaching would be to increase the number of trained teachers in primary and secondary schools, and to train them for longer. There are also questions about the way English is taught in schools. The focus tends to be on grammar, vocabulary and writing, which are repeatedly tested in high-pressure exams. As a result, English is rarely spoken in Japanese classrooms. Junnosuke Nakamura, who leads the education company EF in Japan, has said that \"too often in our schools, a Japanese national is teaching English in Japanese, and English must be taught in English\". He said the government's reforms \"have not actually changed anything at a fundamental level\". Helen Bentley, who worked on Tokyo's Olympic bid for communications firm Finsbury, said: \"There are relatively few opportunities to use spoken English", "summary": "Japan is struggling to make sure it has enough proficient English speakers when it hosts the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020."}
{"article": "The announcement was made at the Geneva motor show in Switzerland. The Japanese carmaker said that its \u00a3125m investment would create 2,000 jobs. The government is supporting the project with a \u00a39.3m grant. Nissan said that 400 of the new jobs would be in its Sunderland plant, and it estimates 1,600 jobs will be created in the supply chain. \"When we've looked at the numbers before, it's usually for every one person employed in the facility there is four in the local supply base,\" Trevor Mann, senior vice-president of manufacturing for Nissan Europe, told BBC News. Production of the new compact car is scheduled to start from mid-2013. Nissan plans to build 100,000 of its new Invitation model per year at its plant in Sunderland, where it currently makes about 480,000 of its Qashqai, Juke and Note models per year. The plant is already the biggest car factory in Britain. The company said that the Invitation was designed to compete with cars such as the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo. It stressed that the car unveiled in Geneva was a concept vehicle, but that the key characteristics and styling were already in place. \"The new car's key USP [unique selling point] will be its fuel economy,\" said Kevin Fitzpatrick, Nissan's vice-president for manufacturing in the UK. Source: SMMT 2011 \"It will be fitted with a new generation of engines, which will be built at the plant as well.\" The name of the car will also probably have changed before it goes into production. Business Secretary Vince Cable told the BBC that the news was \"a really great announcement\". He added: \"It is very positive, but you can't see this in isolation, because the other big car companies have also made major commitments to the UK. \"Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, BMW Mini, are all putting in more money and bringing back supply chain.\" The additional investment in Nissan's Sunderland facility will increase its workforce to 6,000, which is a record high for the factory. The employers' organisation, the CBI, also welcomed the announcement. \"The Nissan Sunderland journey is a remarkable story, demonstrating British manufacturing capabilities at their best - excellent training, a committed, skilled workforce and brilliant, determined leadership,\" said CBI director-general John Cridland. Labour leader Ed Miliband said the investment in Sunderland was a result of work done by the last government. \"Government, unions and management worked together, and Peter Mandelson recognised the need for a change in attitude,\" he told the EEF National Manufacturing Conference. \"We see the response today; the new Nissan investment is a culmination of that approach.\"", "summary": "Nissan is to build a new compact model, called the Invitation, at its Sunderland factory."}
{"article": "Car Wheatley, 31, from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, was found guilty of murder at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday. Alexa-Marie Quinn had 66 injuries including a bruise from her stomach to her ankles when she died last year. Wheatley was told he will have to serve a minimum of 21 years in jail before being considered for release. He had been awarded custody of Alexa-Marie in December 2013 - three months before he killed her. He admitted manslaughter, but the jury rejected his plea of not guilty to murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The jury was told Wheatley beat Alexa-Marie with \"hard, sustained, persistent hitting\" after losing his temper. The blows were delivered with such force that fat deposits entered her bloodstream, blocking her lungs, and it was described as the culmination of a period of beatings lasting several weeks. Police found her body on 12 March 2014 and a pathologist said she died from \"extreme blunt-force trauma\". The jury was told that psychiatrists diagnosed Wheatley with multiple mental health disorders. Prosecutor Christopher Donnellan QC said Wheatley dialled 999 on the morning of the fatal attack, but by the time paramedics arrived it was likely Alexa-Marie had been dead for hours. Det Ch Insp Jerome Kent said: \"No child should suffer in this way and it is right that Carl Wheatley, who is a dangerous and violent man, was found guilty of murder and sentenced accordingly.\" Adrian Foster, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: \"Without any eyewitnesses, we needed lengthy and highly technical evidence from top medical experts to help provide an explanation as to why this little girl died.\" Alexa-Marie had been removed from her mother's care some years earlier and had been living with foster parents in Bedfordshire before moving in with her father. Hertfordshire County Council said there would be an independent review of all the care agencies involved in looking after Alexa-Marie. Her mother issued a statement via Hertfordshire Police, in which she was not identified, which said: \"Myself and my extended family have been deeply traumatised by what Carl Wheatley has done. \"How anyone could cause such pain and suffering to someone so young and so sweet is truly beyond me. \"She will never have the chance to make daisy chains or go to a school prom and we will never be able to celebrate happy occasions, such as birthdays, Christmas and Mother's Day, because of what this man has done.\"", "summary": "A man who beat his four-year-old daughter to death has been jailed for life."}
{"article": "The MAC chief executive Anne McReynolds was speaking ahead of a debate at the theatre later that involves members of the main political parties. She said the arts benefit the economy. \"Our politicians understand the arts contribute to wider society in terms of economic renewal, cultural tourism and social regeneration,\" she said. \"The arts are an economic driver in Northern Ireland and yet we're languishing at the bottom of the levels of subsidy and investment compared to other parts of the UK.\" A number of Northern Ireland arts organisations face funding cuts amid pressures on the Stormont budget.", "summary": "A theatre manager in Belfast has questioned why the arts in Northern Ireland receives less funding than other parts of the UK."}
{"article": "The Coptic Orthodox Church is one of Christianity's oldest, founded in Alexandria around 50 AD. But since President Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood were removed from power by the military in early July, Islamist extremists have targeted Egypt's Christian minority, holding them partly responsible. The Coptic Pope, Tawadros II, has received death threats, while several Christians have been killed. At St Mark's Cathedral in Cairo on Sunday, dozens of children gathered for Bible study. Security at the gates was tight, after an attack there earlier this year. Last Tuesday, 10-year-old Jessi Boulus was walking home from her Bible class in a working-class area of the capital when a gunman killed her with a single shot to the chest. For Jessi's parents, the grief is still almost too raw for words. She was their only child. Both try but cannot hold back the tears as they describe their daughter. Her mother, Phoebe, believes that she was targeted purely because she was Christian. BBC Religion: Coptic Orthodox Church \"She was my best friend, my everything. Jessi was just becoming a young woman,\" she says. \"Every woman dreams of becoming a mother, and for 10 years I was lucky enough to be a mum. I'll miss Jessi calling me mum - I know I won't ever hear it again.\" Jessi's father, Boulus, veers between grief and despair, as he recalls the hatred that changed their lives forever. \"Jessi was everything to us. Her killers didn't know that Jessi was my life - my future. They killed our future. I lived for her. We both did,\" he says, unable to conceal his emotion. The couple say that in recent months, Jessi had begun to worry about her own safety, aware of the tensions on the streets. The family had talked about emigrating, but made a conscious decision to remain in Egypt, their home. Boulus, though, says that a climate of increasing intolerance created by Islamic fundamentalism led to his daughter's and other deaths. \"I'm telling you in the West that your taxes and government money go towards supporting the killing here - by funding Islamist political parties.\" Though Muslims and Christians stood together in Tahrir Square in July, radical Islamists have blamed Egypt's ancient Coptic Christian community for helping to remove President Mohammed Morsi from power. At another church in Cairo, St Cyril's, the walls outside are scrawled with graffiti. Inside, Father Antoine Rafik Greiche is praying for his Melkite Greek Catholic flock as he prepares for the evening service. He explains that the cross and the crescent have co-existed, mostly peacefully here, for well over a thousand years, especially in the 18th, 19th and much of the 20th Centuries. But he, too, says radical Islamists are now scapegoating Christians in Egypt, as well as other Muslims who disagree with their views. \"The fall of President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood was a release for Christians,\" he says, explaining that many Muslims and Christians felt that early promises made by the Morsi government were never fulfilled, leading to the mass popular demonstrations against his rule.", "summary": "As tensions rise again in Egypt, the country's Christians are dreading a further backlash."}
{"article": "The charges were laid in 2014 after a number of women complained to Toronto police that Mr Ghomeshi had been physically violent towards them. He denies all the charges, saying his actions were consensual rough sex. If convicted, the 48-year-old - who was sacked by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in 2014 - could be sent to prison for life. At CBC he hosted the popular arts show Q. A crowd of reporters and onlookers met Mr Ghomeshi as he arrived at court in Toronto on Monday. He faces four counts of sexual assault and one count of choking. A number of women earlier accused him of punching, strangling and battering, and three of the alleged victims later became plaintiffs in the case. Throughout the investigation, he denied the allegations and later pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The CBC began an inquiry into Mr Ghomeshi's sexual activities after Canada's Toronto Star newspaper began investigating allegations by an ex-girlfriend that he had engaged in non-consensual, violent sex with her. After being shown \"graphic evidence\" that Mr Ghomeshi had physically injured a woman, the broadcaster fired him in 2014.", "summary": "Canada's former popular radio host Jian Ghomeshi has gone on trial on charges of sexual assault and choking."}
{"article": "One of the most influential Facebook groups calling for people to take to the streets was \"We are all Khaled Said\", set up in memory of a young man alleged to have been killed by police officers in Alexandria in 2010. Yet to date, there have been relatively few reforms and the crisis in Egyptian policing has only deepened. The police are less feared than before the revolution and at the same time less respected than ever. As a result, morale in the force is low. And now, Egyptians are dealing with a security vacuum. Recently there has been a spate of serious crimes of a kind not seen in the past, including armed bank robberies and kidnappings for ransom. Petty theft has risen dramatically. People found it easy to believe that the security forces were either negligent or directly implicated in February's football violence in Port Said that left more than 70 people dead. In an unusually candid interview with a former senior police officer, I heard first-hand why the forces meant to protect Egyptians have become better known for corruption and brutality. \"Egyptian police ruled the country from behind an iron curtain. They controlled all aspects of life,\" says Mahmoud Qutri who retired as a police brigadier in 2001. \"If you wanted to be promoted in a government job then you needed approval from state security, even if you were a low-level employee.\" He explains how police abused their sweeping powers in many ways. \"Much of what I saw was shocking,\" he says. \"Police officers would bully people, torture them, 'sex-up' cases and deliberately send innocent people to jail.\" Mr Qutri gives the example of a father who went to report his daughter missing only to be tortured and imprisoned himself before she returned home of her own accord. In another case, he says, a young army conscript was jailed after being forced to confess to raping and killing a woman who later turned up unharmed. The ex-police brigadier's descriptions of torture methods commonly used by Egyptian security services are most disturbing. \"Police can use finger prints or other technologies in criminal investigations but they don't have enough resources so they use other techniques that save time and money,\" Mr Qutri tells me. \"Usually they cuff your hands and put a bar under your knees and beat your feet. Sometimes they handcuff and hang you on a door until your shoulder breaks,\" he says. \"In Bedouin areas where masculinity means a lot, I have seen men electrocuted on their genitals. They also blow air into a man's anus and jump on the stomach. In state security departments, they might bring someone's wife, sister or daughter and rape her to make him confess.\" Mr Qutri says it was impossible to speak out while he was in his old job but since his retirement he has acted as a whistleblower. In 2004, he evaded censors to publish a book, Confessions of a Police Officer, which led to lawsuits and personal threats. Only since Egypt's popular uprising has he felt freer to call", "summary": "It was no coincidence that Egypt's uprising began on Police Day last year; protesters' original demands included the resignation of the hated former interior minister, Habib al-Adly, and an end to the abuses committed by his security forces."}
{"article": "A total of 58% (1.8m) give Christianity as their belief, a 14% drop since 2001, a larger fall than any English region. But a total of 32% in Wales said they had no religion, the highest total was in Blaenau Gwent with 41.1%; the lowest in Flintshire with 25.4%. The Church in Wales said Christianity is \"no longer the default setting\" for many people but the picture is complex. A quarter of the population in Wales and England as a whole said they have no religion. This was a rise of 10% from 15% (7.7 million) in 2001 to 14.1 million in 2011. Census: Key Welsh data on religion But the proportion in Wales with no religion was higher than across Wales and England as a whole. Those stating that they were Muslim in Wales is 1.5% - up from 0.7% - with the highest proportion in Cardiff (6.8%) and Newport (4.7%). There were also slight increases in the percentage of people who said they were Hindu or Buddhist - both up from 0.2% to 0.3%. There was also a rise in people saying they had other faiths - from 0.2% to 0.4% The percentage who said they were Sikh or Jewish remained unchanged between 2001 and 2011 at 0.1%. The Church in Wales said the figures show that Christianity \"is no longer the default setting it once was for many people in Wales\". But a spokeswoman added that the reasons were complex. \"Today we find people go to church because they want to, not because they feel they have to or because it's the place to see and be seen,\" she said. \"It should also be borne in mind that statistics can't show the whole picture in matters of faith. \"The past few months, for example, have seen people in different parts of Wales turn to churches in their thousands following various tragic events: in Machynlleth, in Ely, in St Asaph. \"People find God when life gets tough and it is the Church's privilege to be there for them whenever and wherever we may be needed.\" Canon Bob Reardon, communications officer for the Catholic diocese in Cardiff, said the faith communities were already aware of the challenges shown up by the figures. \"It's apparent in organised religion there has been a decline but that's not to say there is not a spiritual side to people,\" he said. \"There is still a spiritual dimension to how people live their lives, that is something we all share.\" Meirion Morris, general secretary of the Presbyterian Church of Wales, said that despite \"rumours to the contrary\", the census showed that almost 60% of the population of Wales still considered themselves to be Christian. \"As a bilingual denomination that serves communities across Wales we are aware of this underlying sense of belonging to the Christian tradition,\" he said. \"However, we are also realistic and know that the level of this commitment varies enormously, and that during the last century the life of the church has become increasingly marginalised.\" He said churches were seeking to find \"relevant", "summary": "Nearly one third of people in Wales have no religion, according to census data."}
{"article": "Matilda Winkleman has undergone several operations for severe burns since it happened last year and is now recovering. But what should parents consider when they're buying a fancy dress outfit? Firstly Halloween costumes are classed as toys which means that, by law, they don't have to be as fire retardant as normal children's clothing. Some stores have voluntarily agreed to make theirs as resistant as children's nightwear. BBC News NI tested four costumes bought randomly from a variety of stores. The good news is all four performed well, all self-extinguished and didn't accelerate into a fireball. One costume said on the label it had been subjected to additional fire safety testing and it performed the best. Kevin O'Neill from the Fire and Rescue Service said: \"These are toys. Toys have a lower fire safety requirement. They have a lower fire safety standard. Just be aware of that and take measures. \"One of those measures is to ensure children are wearing clothes under the costume. \"They should be wearing woollen tights for example or a woollen jumper or jeans. That way it gives some protection that if they were to catch fire you've still got a barrier between the garment and your skin\". If the worst does happen, Mr O'Neill said children should know the 'stop, drop and roll' drill. \"Stop what you're doing, get on the ground and roll. Allow the ground to be the means of suffocating a fire and not a person's hands\".", "summary": "The case of TV presenter Claudia Winkleman's daughter, whose Halloween costume brushed by a candle and burst into flames, has put the issue of fire safety firmly in the headlines."}
{"article": "His comments appear to contradict his running mate Mike Pence, who told NBC Mr Trump would \"absolutely\" accept the election result, despite media \"bias\". Mr Trump's adviser Rudy Giuliani has also accused Democrats of \"cheating\". Polls suggest Mr Trump is losing ground in some key battleground states against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Mr Trump has questioned the legitimacy of the election process in a series of tweets, the latest of which said on Monday: \"Of course there is large scale voter fraud happening on and before election day. \"Why do Republican leaders deny what is going on? So naive!\" An earlier tweet said: \"The election is absolutely being rigged by the dishonest and distorted media pushing Crooked Hillary - but also at many polling places - SAD.\" The White House candidate also tweeted: \"Election is being rigged by the media, in a coordinated effort with the Clinton campaign, by putting stories that never happened into news!\" Speaking on NBC's Meet The Press on Sunday, Republican vice-presidential candidate Mr Pence said Americans were \"tired of the obvious bias in the national media\". But he added: \"We will absolutely accept the results of the election.\" \"Elections always get pretty rough,\" he added, but said the US has a tradition of \"the peaceful transfer of power\". Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is Mr Trump's campaign adviser, told CNN's State of the Union he'd have to be a \"moron\" to think that some elections, such as those in Philadelphia and Chicago, were going to be fair. \"I've found very few situations where Republicans cheat... they don't control the inner cities the way Democrats do. Maybe if Republicans controlled the inner cities, they'd do as much cheating as Democrats,\" he said. \"I'm sorry. Dead people generally vote for Democrats rather than Republicans,\" he added. Donald Trump has claimed for months that the election was rigged - but that message is now at the centre of his campaign just as his poll numbers begin to slump. And in doing so he hits at the very heart of American democracy - the idea that elections are free and fair. Mr Trump's tactics allow him once more to paint himself as the anti-establishment figure being victimised by the Washington political elite. It also gives him an excuse if he loses. But where would it leave his supporters? The fear is that the Republican candidate's rhetoric could further divide this country and stoke anger and suspicion among the millions who follow him. If Hillary Clinton is elected, would they accept her presidency as legitimate and if not, what form would those protests take? Mrs Clinton's running mate Tim Kaine blasted Mr Trump's election-rigging claims as \"scare tactics\". He told ABC's This Week Mr Trump was \"swinging at every phantom of his own imagination\" because \"he knows he's losing\". Multiple women have come forward to accuse Mr Trump of groping or kissing them in the past week, following the emergence of a 2005 video tape in which the Republican nominee made obscene remarks about women. He has repeatedly denied the", "summary": "US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said the election is \"absolutely rigged\" by the \"dishonest media\" and \"at many polling places\"."}
{"article": "First, will the Bundestag, the German parliament, back the proposed bailout, absent support from the IMF? The behaviour of Mrs Merkel, in forcing the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras against his wishes to accept future IMF involvement in the bailout, suggests she believes IMF endorsement and involvement is the sine qua non of Bundestag approval. And if the Bundestag says \"Nein\", we are back in the territory of Greece careering towards the euro door marked exit and penury. Second, if the IMF is saying - as it effectively does in its debt sustainability update - that Greece is insolvent without a massive debt write-off, and a write-off that eurozone governments show no sign of embracing, can the European Central Bank in good conscience increase emergency lending to banks, or Emergency Liquidity Assistance? Now Greek banks have been led to believe by the Bank of Greece that the ECB would increase ELA by around 2bn euros either today or tomorrow. If this happens, it will be a significant fillip to the Greek economy. Because the banks are planning to re-open their doors in those circumstances - either tomorrow (now unlikely) or Monday. It would not be banking and business as usual. But some of the economically devastating effects of capital controls - most of which would be retained - would be limited. Here is what the banks will do if the ECB provides just a bit more emergency lending. First, the government committee currently approving - or more accurately not approving - requests by businesses for the banks to finance imports would have its powers transferred back to the banks. Subject to rules, the banks would then start to provide finance again to companies wanting to import goods and raw materials deemed vital to Greece's economic interests. Which means the twin dangers would recede of the economy grinding to a halt for want of imports and of a humanitarian crisis caused by a shortage of medicines and foods. Second, cashiers would start to receive cheques again, and people could withdraw their maximum of 60 euros per account over the counter, and not just at cash machines. To be clear, the 60 euro limit on withdrawals would remain, perhaps for months. And transferring money abroad would remain heavily restricted. But the banks could start to provide some basic support to the economy, rather than almost none as at present. But, to repeat, this limited restoration of banking services is possible only if the ECB turns on the emergency lending tap a small amount today. Absent that, the current draconian controls will remain in place. As it happens, and despite earlier fears at the banks, the existing controls should not need to be tightened for up to 10 days, even with the ECB sitting on its hands. The reason is that the banks have a bit more cash today than they expected last week - because some cash, from supermarkets and petrol stations for example, is being recycled back into the banking system. Although the instinct of every Greek person or institution is to hoard", "summary": "So two more questions about the ramifications of the IMF's trenchant opposition to the current planned structure of a Greek rescue."}
{"article": "His comments were captured in a recording of a closed-door meeting, the Daily Beast reported. The current round of direct peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians appear to be at an impasse. But President Barack Obama has said the US will not abandon its peace efforts. By Paul DanaharBBC Washington bureau chief The US state department is telling everyone that it's no big deal that John Kerry used the 'A' word to describe the impact on Israel if the two-state solution for the Israel-Palestinian conflict collapses. A spokeswoman has pointed out that senior Israeli politicians have also referenced apartheid before when talking about the risks to Israel's reputation. This point though is frankly spin. It is one thing for Israeli politicians to use provocative language in their own political arena. When used by the US secretary of state it adds legitimacy to the debate about whether there is an equivalence between the old South African regime and the situation on the West Bank. Whether the \"apartheid\" reference was a gaffe or deliberate there is no doubt that Secretary Kerry believes Israel's government is stubbornly ignoring his warnings that a failure to agree a peace deal will feed a campaign trying to delegitimise their state. Mr Obama has previously rejected the use of the term \"apartheid\" in discussion of the Middle East peace process, calling it unhelpful and inaccurate. But in remarks before a group of high-ranking officials from the US, Europe and Japan known as the Trilateral Commission, Mr Kerry used the word. \"A two-state solution will be clearly underscored as the only real alternative,\" Mr Kerry said, according to the Daily Beast. \"Because a unitary state winds up either being an apartheid state with second-class citizens - or it ends up being a state that destroys the capacity of Israel to be a Jewish state.\" Mr Kerry also reportedly suggested a peace deal was more likely to come with a change in Israeli and Palestinian leadership, and strongly criticised Jewish settlement construction on occupied territory. The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) condemned his comments as \"deeply troubling\". \"Any suggestion that Israel is, or is at risk of becoming, an apartheid state is offensive and inappropriate,\" it said in a statement. In a statement to the BBC, the US state department noted that Israeli leaders had used the term \"apartheid state\" before, to warn of the consequences of the failure of the peace process. \"Secretary Kerry, like Justice Minister [Tzipi] Livni, and previous Israeli Prime Ministers [Ehud] Olmert and [Ehud] Barak, was reiterating why there's no such thing as a one-state solution if you believe, as he does, in the principle of a Jewish state,\" spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. \"He was talking about the kind of future Israel wants and the kind of future both Israelis and Palestinians would want to envision. The only way to have two nations and two peoples living side by side in peace and security is through a two-state solution. And without a two-state solution, the level of prosperity and security the Israeli and Palestinian people", "summary": "The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, has warned that Israel risks becoming \"an apartheid state\" if a two-state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians does not emerge soon."}
{"article": "The monument, at White Brae, Ligoneil, commemorates three fusiliers from Scotland who were killed in March 1971. John MacVicar, from the local Royal British Legion branch, said paint has been poured over the memorial and on wreaths that had been left by mourners. He said vandals also tried to break the granite in the attack on Tuesday night. The memorial was erected three years ago at the site where the bodies of teenage brothers John and Joseph McCaig, and their 23-year-old colleague Dougald McCaughey, were found more than three decades before. Mr MacVicar, who helped raise funds to build the monument, is the secretary of Oldpark/Cavehill Royal British Legion branch. He said he believed it was a \"sectarian hate attack\". \"This is now the fifth time the memorial has been attacked since it was unveiled in 2009. The damage caused the last time cost in excess of \u00c2\u00a31500 to repair,\" he said. Mr MacVicar claimed: \"There is absolutely no doubt that this is a further attempt by republicans to remove from history the fact that the IRA murdered three young boys, two brothers aged 17 and 18 and the third aged 23 who were unarmed and out for an off duty afternoon in Belfast in 1971 simply because they were in the British Army.\" A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said they had not yet received a report of the attack. Last July, sectarian graffiti was scrawled on the memorial stone. Corner posts, and the surrounding rope were also broken.", "summary": "A memorial to three soldiers murdered by the IRA on the outskirts of Belfast has been vandalised for a fifth time, a local fundraiser has said."}
{"article": "The excluded New York Times said the move was \"an unmistakable insult to democratic ideals\". The bar came hours after President Donald Trump delivered another attack on the media, saying that \"fake news\" was the \"enemy of the people\". The BBC has asked the White House to clarify its exclusion. BBC bureau chief in Washington, Paul Danahar, said: \"We understand that there may be occasions when, due to space or circumstances, the White House restricts press events to the established pool. However, what happened today did not fit into that pattern.\" He added: \"Our reporting will remain fair and impartial, regardless.\" Friday's briefing had been scheduled as an on-camera event in the briefing room but was changed to an informal off-camera event, known as a \"gaggle\", in Mr Spicer's office. Explaining the move to go off-camera, he said: \"We don't generally do, we haven't done briefings when the president's had a major event.\" Mr Spicer said an \"expanded\" pool of journalists had been invited to the gaggle. Pools are not uncommon - the journalists attending then share their reporting with the White House press corps. However, the choice of those attending, including groups seen as friendly to the Trump administration, and the fact that other journalists who asked to attend were refused entry drew condemnation from media groups. White House Correspondents' Association President Jeff Mason said it was \"protesting strongly\". The BBC, CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian, the Los Angeles Times, Buzzfeed, the Daily Mail and Politico were among those excluded. Those allowed into the room included ABC, Fox News, Breitbart News, Reuters and the Washington Times. The Associated Press, USA Today and Time magazine refused to attend as a protest against the move. Both the Washington Post and McClatchy said they were unaware of the exclusions at the time and that had they known, their reporters would not have attended the gaggle. Both said they would not participate in future briefings if the exclusions continued. An anchor for Fox News, seen as supportive of the Trump presidency, also revealed opposition to the move. Bret Baier tweeted: \"We joined w/all networks in a complaint to WH about the incident.\" When asked at the gaggle, Mr Spicer denied CNN and the New York Times had been denied access because the White House was unhappy with their coverage. But he said: \"We are just not going to sit back and let false narratives, false stories, inaccurate facts get out there.\" CNN anchor Jake Tapper said the exclusion was \"not acceptable, in fact it's petulant. And indicative of a lack of basic understanding of how an adult White House functions\". Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron said the White House move was \"appalling\". In an editorial, the LA Times said: \"If the intent was to intimidate reporters into writing fewer things that the administration does not like, and more things that it does, it is doomed to failure.\" The New York Times editorial said: \"That First Amendment can be inconvenient for anyone longing for power without scrutiny. Mr. Trump might want to brush", "summary": "Media groups have reacted angrily after several, including the BBC, were barred from an informal briefing with White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer."}
{"article": "Mr Coulter died after being shot in the head as he and a friend left Jerky Chicken restaurant in Walham Grove, Fulham. The Met said \"it would appear the gunman had been lying in wait\" for the pair to return to their car. Detectives believe the gunman made off on foot towards North End road after shooting Mr Coulter. The victim was shot as he was getting into the front passenger seat of the silver and black Renault Captur. No arrests have been made. A post-mortem examination has been arranged for Thursday. Det Chf Inspr Noel McHugh said Mr Coulter's murder had \"shocked the local community\".", "summary": "Detectives investigating the murder of a 24-year-old man shot in a suspected ambush have named him as Salim Coulter."}
{"article": "England, who have never won the competition, were knocked out at the group stage this year. \"We were a long way off the pace. Unless we focus on it, we will sleep walk our way into the next one,\" Strauss told BBC Test Match Special. \"If we have a core of specialists we can prioritise both teams.\" Test skipper Alastair Cook was removed as one-day captain and replaced by Eoin Morgan less than two months before the World Cup started in February. England won only two of their six group games, against minnows Scotland and Afghanistan. Former England captain Strauss said: \"Our country is generally is quite red-ball focussed, but that doesn't mean it has to be at the expense of white-ball cricket. \"That's one of my focuses - to re-balance it and give more importance to it.\" Only four England players involved in the current one-day series against Pakistan featured in the recent 2-0 Test series defeat. Strauss said one-day specialists would have \"opportunities\" to compete in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), which clashes with the start of the English season in April and May. Asked about the IPL and the Big Bash, Australia's Twenty20 tournament, Strauss said: \"I'm a massive fan. \"If you are an overseas player, what those Twenty20 competitions do is put you under real pressure. \"You have to stand up and deliver and that's a really good experience.\"", "summary": "England director of cricket Andrew Strauss says \"more separation\" of the Test and one-day teams will improve their chances of winning the World Cup."}
{"article": "In 2010, the 34-year-old Englishman was going to meeting after meeting in California's Silicon Valley, trying to secure funding for his business idea - Nutmeg, an online-based investment management business. And the first 45 wealthy investors he pitched to all said no. \"It was horrible,\" he says. \"The feedback was very personal. \"Some investors said they liked the idea, but that I couldn't do it. Others said they didn't like the idea, and some simply said I wasn't good enough. \"It was really brutal, I hugely questioned myself.\" At the time Mr Hungerford, who was in Silicon Valley after completing a Master of Business Administration from nearby Stanford University, was sleeping on the floor of a friend's house, and working out of his garage. \"I was living the entrepreneurial dream that had turned into a horrific reality,\" he says. It was the autumn of 2010 at this point, and Mr Hungerford was running out of money, maxing out his credit cards to cover his living expenses. He says: \"I drew a line in the sand, and said that if I haven't got a 'yes' by December I would go and get a job.\" Then Mr Hungerford secured another investment meeting, his 46th, this time with a man called Tim Draper. Mr Draper may be little known outside of technology circles, but he was an early investor in Hotmail and Skype, and is worth an estimated $1bn (\u00c2\u00a3620m). After listening to Mr Hungerford's pitch, Mr Draper was quick to say yes. Other wealthy investors soon followed suit. \"I felt so vindicated,\" says Mr Hungerford. With \"tens of millions of dollars\" now behind him, he never did need to look through the job advertisements. Instead, he was able to start Nutmeg in early 2011, choosing to return to the UK to launch the firm in London. Nutmeg itself is an investment management business. You give it your savings, and it will invest them on your behalf in everything from shares to property, and bonds to currencies. While there are thousands of such firms around the world, Nutmeg's difference is that it claims to have been the very first to base itself online. So instead of having to phone your investment manager at some big bank in the City of London, or relying on a statement sent to you in the post every six months, you simply log into Nutmeg's website, and you can instantly see your portfolio and how it is performing. In analysing small business growth it is sometimes useful to distinguish between \"lifestyle firms\" and \"growth firms\". The former are set up by individuals who prefer being self-employed to working for someone else, but are essentially looking for a stable income. Growth firms, on the other hand, such as today's successful online firms, are founded by traditional risk-taking, innovative entrepreneurs. They respond positively to new opportunities and incentives to undertake risk, and they are focused on process and product innovation. Joseph Schumpeter - a famous inter-war economist - described these growth firms as the agents of \"creative destruction\". For him they were", "summary": "Nick Hungerford knows a few things about dealing with rejection."}
{"article": "No batsman from Bapchild Cricket Club was able to get off the mark against Christ Church University in Canterbury. \"We couldn't believe it, all they needed to do was hit a wall to get one run,\" Christ Church player Mike Rose told the Crawley Observer. Somerset club Langport set the record for the lowest score when they were dismissed for zero in 1913. Wirral CC were bowled out for three in a Cheshire League Division Three fixture in 2014 - though they had 11 players and were 0-8 at one stage. And Kent village team Saltwood CC scored 216 before bowling Martin Walters out for zero in 8.2 overs during a match in 1964. In first-class cricket, the lowest score ever made is six - by \"The B's\" against England at the old Lord's ground in 1810 - while New Zealand's 26 against England in 1955 remains the lowest total scored in a Test match.", "summary": "A cricket team was bowled out for 0 in just 20 balls in a county six-a-side indoor championships match."}
{"article": "Matthew Llewellyn, 27, of Gilfach Goch, Rhondda Cynon Taff, previously admitted failing to stop at an accident and other offences. Tye Hawkins was left with life-changing injuries after the crash in Mountain Ash, in September 2015. Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard Llewellyn went on to dump the bike and said he was in Scotland at the time. The court heard Tye was crossing the road with his mother from behind a school bus when he was hit by Llewellyn's 600cc Suzuki motorcycle. Llewellyn failed to stop and drove 11 miles (18km) away before ditching the bike and hiring a car to get away. When he was eventually traced two weeks later, he denied any involvement and claimed to have been in Scotland at the time. The court heard another man was arrested as part of the investigation as a result of the false information he gave police. He eventually admitted owning the motorcycle but claimed he had sold it, before later admitting his part in the crash. The court heard Tye suffered a blunt head injury which caused bruising to his brain, along with other fractures and lacerations. He spent 17 days in intensive care and is preparing to spend three months at a specialist brain injury recovery centre in Surrey, which it is hoped will help him regain movement. In a victim impact statement, his mother Clair told the court the months since the crash had been \"the worst of my life\". \"Seeing him struck has haunted me. I have seen changes in Tye, he finds it difficult to concentrate, he hallucinates and needs help to dress,\" the statement added. The court was told Llewellyn had written to Tye's family to express his remorse and admitted leaving the scene was \"totally reprehensible\". Sentencing Llewellyn, Judge Daniel Williams, said he had showed \"no concern for this young lad and every concern for your self preservation\". Llewellyn was sentenced for attempting to pervert the course of justice, driving without insurance and failing to surrender in relation to the crash. He was also banned from driving for 12 months.", "summary": "A motorcyclist who left a 10-year-old boy with brain injuries after a hit-and-run has been jailed for 15 months."}
{"article": "Irishman David Agnew, of Carby Heights in Keady, County Armagh, was arrested at his home on Friday. Police officers entered his house with a warrant and asked him if there was anything they needed to know about. The court heard he indicated there was but when questioned further, he replied \"you'll have to find it\". A police officer told Newry Magistrates' Court that, during the subsequent search, officers found between \u20ac190,000 (\u00a3160,000) and \u20ac200,000 (\u00a3170,000) in a footstool in the living room, and between \u00a340,000 and \u00a350,000 sterling wrapped in bundles of \u00a31,000 in a bedroom. In the roof space, they discovered 2.5kg of white powder, which tested positive as cocaine. Police also found a handgun in the roof space, a magazine loaded with five or six bullets and a silencer. A second silencer was found elsewhere in the house along with a plastic container containing a substance that also tested positive for cocaine. A police officer told the court that during three interviews over the weekend, Mr Agnew had made no comment. Mr Agnew spoke only to confirm his name and address and date of birth. He did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody to appear again via video link next month.", "summary": "A 39-year-old man has appeared in court charged with having cocaine, a handgun and bundles of cash which the police believe were the proceeds of crime."}
{"article": "But most of the Somerset batsmen failed to exploit good batting conditions, Keith Barker and Chris Woakes both picking up three wickets, backed by two from Jonathan Trott, After rallying from 117-4 in a stand of 110 with Peter Trego, Abell made 104. Despite Trego's 94, Somerset missed a third batting point but did take two wickets as the Bears closed on 27-2. Having proved generally below par with the bat on a lovely early summer's day at Edgbaston, the visitors then came out firing with the ball in a lively seven-over session. First they had former Bears skipper Ian Westwood lbw to Lewis Gregory before nightwatchman Boyd Rankin was brilliantly caught off Craig Overton at leg gully by James Hildreth, who had earlier been the only other worthwhile Somerset contributor with 38. After Barker knocked back Marcus Trescothick's off stump and Chris Rogers was caught behind fourth ball inside the first hour, eight batsmen failed to reach 15. An attack which persevered to keep the pressure on all day, was boosted by Trott taking 2-26 in 10 overs. Warwickshire captain Ian Bell, who left the field in mid-afternoon with a hamstring twinge, is expected to be fine to bat on day two. Warwickshire batsman Jonathan Trott told BBC WM: \"They've not got a huge score but it's a decent score on this wicket. There's a bit in it for the bowlers. We've got to fight to get on top. We're going to have to bat well. \"It's been a while since my last Championship wicket, so I was as surprised as everyone else in the crowd. We just needed someone to do a job from that end - the wind was tricky because we've got a lot of bowlers who like to swing the ball away, so I said I'd bowl gun-barrel straight for a bit. A little bit of seam movement helped too. It's always nice to help. \"Tom Abell looks a very talented young player. He's a good all-round sportsman. I've heard he's a good hockey player as well. You can certainly see that in his game. He looks an organised player. He's certainly one for the future, for Somerset and beyond hopefully. Somerset batsman Tom Abell: \"I probably haven't been pulling my weight so far this year if I'm brutally honest, so it was really pleasing to score a few runs. I don't want to be relying on the likes of Tres and Hildy and Chris Rogers at the top of the order. \"It was a real challenge against Barker and Woakes with the new ball. I was just looking to stick in and try and weather the storm. \"It was a big relief for me after the start I've had. I can't speak highly enough of the contributions of Hildy and Tregs, just taking the heat off me a little bit, both being natural strokeplayers.\"", "summary": "Somerset youngster Tom Abell made his second first-class century to help his side post 295 against Warwickshire."}
{"article": "The move comes as part of a campaign by President Xi Jinping to show that the ruling Communist Party (CPC) is cracking down on corruption and waste. Glitzy new government buildings, sometimes in impoverished areas, have been a source of public outrage. The directive forbids luxury makeovers and expansions done under the guise of repair work, Xinhua news agency said. The notice says some departments and local authorities have built huge government office compounds against regulations, tainting the image of the CPC. Among the buildings that have attracted widespread disapproval in recent years is the western-style government office building in the city of Fuyang in Anhui province, in eastern China. It reportedly cost 30 million yuan ($4.89m, \u00c2\u00a33.19m) to build and is referred to as the 'White House' by residents. A state-owned drug company also caused outrage after photographs emerged apparently showing a building decorated to mimic France's Versailles palace, complete with gold-tinted walls and chandeliers. Some government agencies have reportedly built luxury offices in seaside resorts where officials can stay for free or at deeply discounted prices. The ban - described as an \"across-the-board halt\" - includes training centres, hotels or government motels, Xinhua said. It also says government organisations should not receive sponsorship or donations towards construction projects, or collaborate with private companies. \"Banning the building of new government buildings is important for building a clean government and also a requirement for boosting CPC-people ties and maintaining the image of the CPC and the government,\" Xinhua quoted the directive as saying. Tackling corruption has been President Xi Jinping's most high-profile policy since he became China's leader earlier this year. He has warned that \"corruption and bribe-taking by some party members and cadres\" pose \"severe challenges\" to the Communist Party's rule.", "summary": "China has banned the construction of government buildings for five years, according to state media."}
{"article": "Mustakim Jaman, 23, of Hudson Road, Southsea, has been charged under section five of the Terrorism Act 2006. He is the brother of Ifthekar Jaman, who was killed in Syria in December. Mr Jaman is due at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday. Another brother, Tuhin Shahensha, 26, has also been charged with terrorism offences. Mr Shahensha, also of Hudson Road, appeared in court on Friday accused of planning to fight in Syria. He is due to appear at the Old Bailey on 14 November. The two men, of Hudson Road, Southsea, were arrested along with a number of other people in Hampshire and London on 14 October by the South East Counter Terrorism Unit (SECTU). A 57-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman have been released on bail. A 23-year-old woman from Farnborough and a 29-year-old woman from Greenwich, south-east London, have been released without charge.", "summary": "The brother of a Portsmouth man killed while fighting for Islamic State (IS) in Syria has been charged with preparing terrorist acts."}
{"article": "The South African struck 24 boundaries, sharing century partnerships with Luke Wright (60) and Ben Brown (67), as Sussex moved their score on from 74-1. Jofra Archer then smashed four sixes and three fours to score 42 off 14 balls as Sussex declared on 443-6. Leicestershire openers Paul Horton and Arun Harinath reached stumps unbeaten, leaving 389 runs to score on day four.", "summary": "Sussex's Stiaan van Zyl scored an unbeaten 166 as Leicestershire ended day three 36-0 chasing 425 to win."}
{"article": "\"What the co-leader has done is treason, provocation,\" Mr Erdogan said, referring to Mr Demirtas, co-leader of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). At the weekend the HDP and other pro-Kurdish groups called for self-rule in Turkey's mainly Kurdish south-east. Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into those comments. The Turkish military has stepped up operations against the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is fighting for Kurdish self-rule. The army says it has killed more than 200 PKK militants in the latest fighting. The PKK is regarded as a \"terrorist\" organisation by Turkey, the US and EU. The HDP won 59 seats in Turkey's 550-seat parliament in the 1 November elections. It came third, behind Mr Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Republican People's Party (CHP). Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Erdogan said Mr Demirtas and other Kurdish leaders would be \"taught a lesson\" by the people and the law. He accused Mr Demirtas of challenging Article 14 of the constitution, which bans activities deemed to \"violate the indivisible integrity of the state\". On Sunday Mr Demirtas backed a declaration by a Kurdish umbrella group - the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) - which called for \"autonomous regions\" and \"self-governance bodies\". After 30 years of fighting between Turkish security forces and PKK militants, there has been little progress on the Kurdish issue. The AKP has taken some steps towards improving the cultural rights of the Kurds, including on the official use of the Kurdish language, during its 13-year rule. But many of the Kurds' demands, such as the right to an education in Kurdish, have not been met. Self-rule has been discussed for decades. The idea is now being promoted by a legitimate political party, the HDP, and the umbrella organisation DTK. But with the recent upsurge in fighting in Turkey's mainly Kurdish south-east - with government-imposed curfews and Kurdish militias fighting in the streets - there is little room to talk about rights. The declaration, issued in the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir, said the \"rightful resistance\" of Kurds against Turkish state policies \"is essentially a demand and struggle for local self-governance and local democracy\". It called for the \"formation of autonomous regions, to involve several neighbouring provinces in consideration of cultural, economic and geographic affinities\". The PKK has been battling the Turkish military for three decades, in a separatist conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people.", "summary": "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned as \"treason\" a call by prominent Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas for Kurdish autonomy."}
{"article": "The firm, one of the world's biggest fashion retailers, reported net profits of 3.6bn Swedish kronor ($423m; \u00c2\u00a3284m), up 36% from a year earlier. The company said its collections had been \"well-received\" in the December-to-February period. H&M plans to open about 400 new stores in the 2014-15 financial year. \"We have made a very good start to 2015 - in terms of both sales and profits,\" said H&M chief executive Karl-Johan Persson. \"Our attractive customer offering and strong expansion both through stores and online, as well as our work on continuous improvement, are among the reasons for increased market share gains and good profits,\" he added. However, the company warned that it could be hit by currency movements, noting that \"the strong US dollar will affect our sourcing costs going forward\". H&M makes most purchases in US dollars, and has a large share of sales in euros, so some analysts are concerned that margins will be affected by the dollar's appreciation against the euro. In the first quarter, sales increased by 15% in local currencies, and by 25% in Swedish kronor, to 40.2bn kronor. The company said it planned to open new stores in Taiwan, Peru and Macau in the first half of 2015, and in South Africa and India in the second half. H&M also said it planned to open online markets in Portugal, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Belgium in the spring, and Switzerland in the autumn.", "summary": "Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) has said \"strong\" store and online expansion led to improved sales and profits in the first quarter."}
{"article": "The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has issued dozens of warnings, most of them in Tayside. People in the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway have been asked to pay close attention to the weather forecast over Christmas Day into Boxing Day. Warnings were also in place on Christmas Eve covering Strathglass and Callander. Storm Eva is expected to bring further bad weather to areas which have already been badly affected. A weather warning of heavy rain is in place for much of southern Scotland from 15:00 on Christmas Day through to 23:45 on Boxing Day. Many roads across Dumfries and Galloway were affected by surface water or flooding on Christmas Eve and drivers were asked \"slow down and take care\". The A76 Dumfries to Kilmarnock road near to Drumlanrig Castle was reported as \"flooded but passable\". The B724 Annan to Dumfries \"low road\" was flooded with a road closure in place west of Cummertrees. In Dumfries itself, the Whitesands car parks were closed due to flooding in the area. High winds also affected the north of Scotland on Christmas Eve with gusty of 60mph to 70mph forecast and up to 80mph over the Western Isles. Eleven out of 26 Caledonian MacBrayne routes were disrupted but the situation was improving. Passengers were asked to check on the website, on Twitter @calmac_updates and also on the freephone number 0800 066 5400 for regular updates.", "summary": "Many parts of Scotland are at risk of flooding over Christmas after more heavy rain affected the country."}
{"article": "The 16 part-time service personnel have been training alongside about 100 regular troops at the Army Medical Services Training Centre near York. The reservists, from all three armed services, trained in a mock-up field hospital in preparation for flying to Sierra Leone on 20 December. More than 6,000 people have died in the current Ebola epidemic in West Africa. The UK reservists were joined by Canadian military personnel and Danish health workers for their nine-day training at Strensall Barracks. They will take over from clinicians attached to 22 Field Hospital, who have been in country since October, manning a 12-bed facility reserved to treat health workers with the Ebola virus. Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois said UK forces had \"already played a leading role supporting the UK's efforts to tackle Ebola\". \"During my visit to Sierra Leone last month, I witnessed the impressive contribution the military has provided to the fight against Ebola thus far; by treating infected healthcare workers, providing protective equipment training at the Ebola Training Academy, assisting in the build of six treatment units and providing logistical support,\" he said. The number of UK military personnel in Sierra Leone will remain at about 800. The Ministry of Defence said the UK had built facilities in the country for about 700 beds for Ebola patients. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are the countries worst affected by the current outbreak, which was identified as Ebola in March 2014.", "summary": "British military reservists are to join regular troops in Sierra Leone to help tackle the Ebola outbreak."}
{"article": "Recent online leaks showed some officials were receiving over 100 times more than an average public sector worker on about $400 (\u00c2\u00a3305) a month. The cap for government officials is now set for $2,630 and $5,250 for those in the mixed state-private sector. Public anger has already led to the sacking of several bank directors. One of them was paid about $60,000 a month, according to leaked payslips. However, it was not clear whether it was the director's monthly salary or total earnings, including a bonus. Any payment beyond the new limits would now be seen as \"a violation and crime\", government spokesman Mohammad Bagher Nobakht said on Tuesday. The row has also given conservative critics of President Hassan Rouhani new ammunition to attack him ahead of his likely bid for re-election next year.", "summary": "The Iranian government says it will cap salaries of public officials after a row over the high level of pay of some employees."}
{"article": "The Create Your Space programme will allow groups to apply for grants to make changes to their local areas or conserve existing sites. The money comes from the Big Lottery Fund and dormant accounts' funding from bank and building societies. Applicants will be able to seek grants from between \u00a3500,000 and \u00a32m for a seven-year project. The total grants available come to \u00a38.8m. The council areas are Caerphilly, Conwy, Flintshire, Anglesey, Newport, Monmouthshire, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Vale of Glamorgan and Wrexham.", "summary": "Nine councils in Wales are to share nearly \u00a39m to improve natural environments used by local communities."}
{"article": "Molanna angustata is a type of caddisfly that inhabits Wales and England up to the Lake District and Yorkshire. RSPB Scotland trainee ecologist Genevieve Dalley discovered and identified two males caught in a moth trap at Insh Marshes near Kingussie. The flies' larvae live in water and create protective cases. These tubes are made from tiny particles of sand and stuck together with silk. When they have grown to a winged adult they chew their way out of the case and swim up to the surface where they eventually fly away. However, this journey has to be done quickly or predators, such as fish, will eat them. Ms Dalley said: \"It is fantastic to have discovered this new species, especially since it is the first ever record of its kind in Scotland. \"However, there is still a lot of work to be done if we want to fully understand this interesting little creature. \"We don't know why it's never been found in Scotland before - it could be that the species is starting to move north, or it could be that this type of caddisfly has simply gone unnoticed until now.\"", "summary": "A species of insect not previously recorded in Scotland has been found at an RSPB reserve in the Highlands."}
{"article": "Ivor Gifford from Abertillery sent explicit messages to fake profiles set up by a group called The Hunted One, which claims to \"hunt sexual predators\". He claimed he believed everyone on the site was over 18, but a jury at Newport Crown Court found him guilty. Sentencing will take place on 2 June. The court heard two profiles 'Jessie' and 'Jodie' were contacted by Gifford. He repeatedly sent messages and made comments which were of a sexual nature despite being told several times by those behind the profiles they were 11 and 12. Owen Williams, prosecuting, said: \"He was persistent in his attempts. In over 100 pages of messages, you will see that the vast majority refer to a sexual act. \"Mr Gifford graphically describes sexual acts. He sent images of himself naked.\" The court heard the chat logs described Mr Gifford asking if the person he was speaking to had reached puberty yet, and if she would \"dress sexy\" if they met. Mr Williams continued: \"He then went a stage further, having groomed online he made arrangements to meet her. \"Directing a child, who doesn't know how to get from Cardiff to Abertillery, how to get a bus then a train.\" Two members of The Hunted One confronted Gifford at Llanhilleth train station, where he had arranged to meet his online contact. The police were then called and Gifford was arrested. He had denied inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and a charge of online grooming but a jury deliberated for around an hour before finding him guilty. Det Supt Leanne Brustad, head of public protection for Gwent Police, said while officers relied on members of the public to detect crime, it was important not to cross the line into vigilantism. \"Revealing the identity of suspected paedophiles gives the suspect the opportunity to destroy evidence before the police can investigate them,\" she said. \"It also leads to people who have been identified going missing or raising concerns for their safety. \"This can divert significant resources into protecting suspects, which would be better invested in investigating and, where there is evidence, prosecuting them.\"", "summary": "A 92-year-old man has been found guilty of using a chatroom to incite what he believed were 11 and 12-year-old girls to engage in sexual activity."}
{"article": "The weapons were intended for Syrian Kurdish fighters. Small arms, ammunition and other weaponry were dropped in 28 bundles on Monday by the US to help those defending the town of Kobane from IS. A US spokesman said 26 of the dropped equipment ended up in the right hands. The Pentagon says one bundle of weapons was taken by IS fighters while a second stray bundle was destroyed in an air strike. So how did it happen? And could the same mistake be made again? Dr David Betz from the Department of War Studies at King's College London is an expert in strategy, insurgency and counter-insurgency. Newsbeat put these questions to him. Air dropping supplies to forces on the ground is never a first choice. It's costly relative to other means, and though it is a well-established and a long-practised technique, it is also relatively inaccurate, for obvious reasons. It's done when there is no other alternative, most often as in this case, because the supported force is effectively beleaguered. It would seem that Turkey is not permitting supplies to the Kurds fighting in Syria to cross its border. If it were it would be much simpler, more efficient, and effective to do it that way. Often. That is why it's a last resort. Military history is full of instances of surrounded forces being supplied from the air. Think of the Germans at Stalingrad surrounded by the Russians in the winter of 1942-43, the British paras at Arnhem in the Netherlands surrounded by German forces in 1944, American marines at Khe Sanh surrounded by North Vietnamese forces in 1968. Or in a slightly different way the Allied supply of the French Resistance throughout the war. Sometimes it works - often it doesn't. As noted above, it is a well established skill and no doubt armed forces have gotten a lot more accurate over time but there are inherent limitations of accuracy when dropping things on pallets dangling from parachutes into an active combat zone where forces are intermixed in close proximity. Undoubtedly they are deriving propagandic value from it, as the article suggests, but that is not to say they are making it up. I would say all of the above, of course. Weather, enemy action, pilot or navigational error, equipment failure... War is inherently chancy and it makes the simplest things difficult. I wouldn't necessarily characterise the drop as not going as planned. The planners would have known quite well that there was a strong possibility of some items going astray. In fact, they'd know to a good deal of precision what the per cent would be. It goes back to the previous point of having no better option. If the only way of getting however many tonnes of military supplies to the Kurdish forces was to drop them in a way that IS got its hands on a fraction of them it might still be judged worthwhile to do so. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "An Islamic State video which shows militants with US weapons is being investigated by defence experts at the Pentagon, the US defence headquarters."}
{"article": "The matter will be discussed at the International Football Association Board (Ifab) annual meeting at Wembley. Ifab are keen to reach a decision in principle at Friday's gathering. \"The captain should be more than somebody who has a piece of material on their arm,\" Ifab technical director David Elleray told BBC Sport. \"Can we consult them more about how the game should be played? Should we encourage much better relationships between the captains and players? Should the captain also bear more responsibility?\" Former Premier League referee Elleray believes the measures may stop players crowding around referees, as only the captain would have the authority to talk to officials after what he describes as \"major incidents\". \"If that stops six players from each team going to talk the referee that will enhance respect and improve respect for the game,\" he said. \"When I was refereeing, sometimes you could say to a captain 'have a word with Freddy because he's getting quite close to a yellow card' and he could calm him down. \"You could explain decisions to a good captain and he could pass that on.\" Elleray confirmed that discussions have already taken place with an expert panel of players, coaches and referees and that there is widespread support for the plans. Other items on the agenda include a proposal to introduce sin-bins for yellow-card offences. The measure has been tested in Uefa development competitions and some amateur leagues in recent years. If approved, sin-bins will come in at youth and amateur levels and could be introduced to the professional game within two to three years. Ifab will also talk about allowing national associations more freedom to decide on the number of substitutions in a game. The move is intended to help the development of the game at lower levels, \"by promoting and encouraging more people to take part\". Ifab is made up of Fifa and the four British home associations - the FAs of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - and is responsible for making the final decision on law changes.", "summary": "Captains would be the only players permitted to speak to referees about \"major incidents\", should a proposal from football's lawmakers be adopted."}
{"article": "Cafodd y gwasanaethau brys eu galw i'r digwyddiad rhwng Gwesty Penygwryd a Chapel Curig am tua 07:00 fore Iau. Bu farw'r bachgen ac mae dynes 18 oed hefyd wedi dioddef anafiadau difrifol yn y gwrthdrawiad. Mae pedwar arall hefyd wedi'u cludo i Ysbyty Gwynedd ym Mangor gydag anafiadau llai difrifol. Mae Heddlu Gogledd Cymru wedi apelio am dystion, ac yn awyddus i siarad ag unrhyw un welodd gar Renault Clio du yn teithio rhwng Beddgelert a Phenygwryd rhwng 06:30 a 07:00.", "summary": "Mae bachgen 17 oed wedi marw a dynes ifanc wedi'i hanafu'n ddifrifol yn dilyn gwrthdrawiad rhwng car a bws mini ar ffordd yr A4086 ger Capel Curig."}
{"article": "Kieran Davies, 28, had denied murdering Ashley Hawkins, 32, from Barry in Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, who was found dead in a flat in Scotland Street on 2 December 2016 at 05:30. Sentencing was deferred for background reports at the High Court in Edinburgh. Lord Boyd told jurors: \"Murder cases are always difficult.\" He added: \"They are emotionally draining for everybody involved in it.\" Police who were called to the second floor flat at 7 Scotland Street and forced entry found Mr Hawkins dead with catastrophic head injuries. Unemployed Davies was the only other occupant of the locked property and was found topless, wearing jogging bottoms and trainers extensively stained with the dead man's blood. A Reebok top, which Davies had earlier been seen wearing, was found in a washing machine, saturated with the victim's blood, along with brain tissue. The court heard Mr Hawkins had suffered at least 24 blows to the head and a metal pole and broken hammer recovered from the flat could have been used as weapons in the fatal attack. Davies, a prisoner in Edinburgh, was found guilty of murdering Mr Hawkins by repeatedly striking him on the head with weapons and repeatedly stamping and kicking him on the head and body. Police were alerted to the incident in the early hours of the morning after neighbours heard banging and shouting coming from the flat. One teenager was aware of 15 to 20 bangs and screaming which had stopped by the end of the disturbance. The witness was confident that no one left the premises from the end of the banging until the arrival of officers. Police found the front door of the flat was locked and entry was forced and an attempt was made to resuscitate the victim who was lying face down covered with a blanket and surrounded by a pool of blood. Prosecutor David Taylor told jurors: \"When police came into that locked flat there were two people there - one alive, covered in blood and one dead, violently murdered. There is no mystery in this case.\" He said Davies and Mr Hawkins had come to Edinburgh from Wales \"as best of friends\" but added there was evidence that changed and there was friction between them. Davies told police that he had taken Valium and claimed that he also had a needle of heroin and ecstasy. A blood test later proved negative for ecstasy and opiate drugs but gave an indication that he had taken diazepam and cannabis. Mr Stewart told the court that previously consideration had been given to Davies' fitness to stand trial and a psychiatrist who had seen him reported that he suffered from a delusional disorder. Det Insp Stuart Alexander, of Police Scotland's major investigation team, said: \"Davies continued to maintain his innocence throughout the investigation and trial, despite significant evidence of his guilt. \"When officers found him in the flat, he claimed to have no recollection of Ashley's death and has given no explanation for why he took the life of a friend. \"Davies subjected Ashley to a brutal", "summary": "The former best friend of a man found bludgeoned to death in one of the most exclusive streets in Edinburgh has been found guilty of the murder."}
{"article": "Stephen Downing, 55, was jailed for five years after he and his partner Claire Holmes, 26, both of Marsh Green, earlier pleading guilty to supplying the class A drug Downing also admitted mortgage fraud and six counts of money laundering. Holmes, 26, was jailed for two years and six months. Downing, who owned seven houses, a strip of land and business premises in Wigan, has been ordered to pay back nearly \u00c2\u00a3400,000 and Holmes more than \u00c2\u00a35,000. Police searched their home in October 2012 and found cocaine and drug-dealing paraphernalia and large amounts of cash. Officers returned in 2013 and found more cocaine, about \u00c2\u00a345,000 in cash, debt lists and details of drug deals. In 2005 Downing had illegally remortgaged his home and used the money to purchase other properties, the police investigation also revealed. The pair tried to blame the drug dealing on Downing's son and he was charged as a result of this false testimony, Greater Manchester Police said. He was acquitted in January when they changed their pleas. Constable Peter Jackson from Greater Manchester Police said the pair were \"reprehensible\". \"Downing and Holmes were determined to live a lifestyle funded entirely by nefarious means. They made their money by dealing drugs and Downing then tried to hide this by fraudulently purchasing and leasing out a string of properties which supplied him with rental income.\" He said when they blamed Downing's son. it was a \"a perfect of example of the phrase 'no honour amongst thieves'\"", "summary": "A couple have been jailed for dealing cocaine from their home in Wigan and ordered to pay back the money they made illegally."}
{"article": "\"We are on top of it.\" In his time, Hum has worked with Sir Alec Guinness, Joyce Grenfell and Sir Jonathan Miller. He did not share the stage with those greats but instead, as a lighting technician, he was responsible for throwing the spotlight on some of British theatre's leading stars. Now Hum is finally stepping into the spotlight himself - albeit with the aid of a walking stick. He is appearing in Anniversary at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds with four other local people of advancing years from the theatre's senior citizens group Heydays. They are joined by five seasoned professional dancers whose ages range from the 50s to 70s - a section of the population rarely seen in the lithe world of professional dance. What the show's routines lack in athletic abandon they make up for in playful spirit and poignant suggestion. As well as dancing, the participants deliver monologues that reflect on aspects of their lives. \"The memory's not what it was,\" Hum says of learning his lines. \"At one time I'd swallow chunks of texts like a rabbit, but these days I have to hammer it in.\" When Anniversary director Alan Lyddiard left his job as artistic director of Northern Stage in Newcastle in 2005, he thought there would be no shortage of theatre work. But, after returning from travelling as the financial crisis hit, he realised he was wrong. \"I decided I had to create my own work,\" he says. \"I was then approaching 60 and I thought, why don't I try and start a company of people like me - people that were feeling that maybe their careers were sort of coming to an end? \"I thought maybe I could say that their careers were just beginning. \"I thought of myself as an emerging artist at the age of 60, trying to create a new type of theatre. A theatre that was specifically to be created by older people, but for everybody.\" Lyddiard founded Performance Ensemble two years ago and Anniversary is the theatre company's biggest production to date. At 67, does he feel that older performers and artists are neglected by the mainstream? \"A little bit. I feel slightly patronised at times. You know, 'Dear old thing, is he still around?' I feel slightly that people forget. \"I think there is a feeling in the arts that you've always got to be looking for the new, looking for the young, looking for the new ideas. This is why I call myself an emerging artist, because I want to be new.\" Older performers can bring qualities to a show that bright young things simply do not possess, he believes. \"They have an incredible experience of being on a stage, being seen by an audience, having lived a long life and knowing that they have an internal knowledge, an internal understanding, of what is possible. \"They're not necessarily able to stretch their legs quite as high as they used to, but [they are] able to present in performance quality something rich and deep and something that's", "summary": "\"We are not over the hill\" declares 87-year-old James Humphrey Haslem Crawshaw - known to all as Hum - from the stage during rehearsals for his theatrical debut."}
{"article": "How long does it take to drive from Scotland to Russia? James Parker took his camera and found out by driving 9,898 miles in a classic 1972 Morris Minor, raising money for charity on the way. Passing through 19 countries, across three deserts and over two seas, Parker spent 53 days on the road. He particularly focused on capturing male subjects, wanting to find out if gender expectations changed from the West to East. On his journey, Parker realised: \"I was being quite reflective with who I was photographing... I was focusing on situations that I recognised myself in.\" As a result, many of his subjects are young men like himself. He bonded with them over their transportation, \"the bike being a universal object that no language barrier detracts from using.\" Driving such an unusual car was also often a benefit. \"We would stop for a rest and to stretch the legs, next thing we knew, coffee sprung out from nowhere,\" he remembered. \"Ten 'mechanics' turned up, the bonnet was open and it was like a Formula 1 pit crew... albeit with a few more bellies!\" The journey had many highlights for Parker, although he soon realised that driving for up to 10 hours a day could be extremely tiring. Another struggle he encountered was finding fuel and food in remote places. Furthermore, they were stopped by the police regularly, although he said: \"Our lowest bribe was a couple of smokes and a handshake.\" Despite this, \"camping under the stars in the Gobi Desert, getting lost in Istanbul during the attempted coup,\" as well as \"riding a hot air balloon over Cappadocia (Central Anatolia) during the sunrise\" were particularly memorable. Plus - the car never got a puncture.", "summary": "All photographs by James Parker."}
{"article": "Bauer Media, which operates the main regional franchises, cited a 10% growth in the reach of its Clyde 1 station since last summer. The industry figures, known as RAJAR, reported that April to June saw an annual rise for Clyde 1 to 643,000 listeners for part of the average week. That was the highest share of the radio market since 2004. The total number of hours during which people listened to the station, which covers west central Scotland, was up by nearly 7% to almost five million hours in total. Forth 1, covering east central Scotland, had 366,000 listeners in the average week, up 5%, and representing nearly 18% of listeners in the area. It saw a rise of nearly half in the number of hours of listening. Tay FM had 135,000 listeners, and achieved a market share of 21%, its highest since 2011. There was a similar market share for MFR, based in Inverness, and Westsound, covering south-west Scotland. Graham Bryce, managing director of Bauer City Network, said: \"These fantastic results demonstrate our ongoing commitment to, and passion for, local radio across Scotland. \"Our station talent, along with our rich heritage of over 40 years in this sector, guarantee an unparalleled understanding of the market which is particularly reassuring for listeners in times of uncertainty. \"Continuing to grow our listener figures in such a competitive space is a real achievement and allows our advertisers to access highly-engaged and relevant local audiences.\" The RAJAR figures were up for Capital and Heart FM stations. The commercial sector has to compete for audiences with the BBC, from which Radio 2 has continued to have the biggest reach in Scotland. The industry figures, based on a continuing survey of a sample of radio listeners, found that BBC Radio Scotland continued to reach more than a fifth of adults in Scotland. At 20.5% of the audience, that means 929,000 listeners in the average week listening for an average of six hours and 14 minutes. The head of Radio Scotland, Jeff Zycinski, said the share of the audience had remained stable, but that \"time spent with the station, or hours per listener, seems to have taken a bit of a dip\". He linked this to the end of the football season, and said there would be a marketing effort to increase the retention of audiences through the listening day.", "summary": "Scotland's main commercial radio broadcaster has welcomed significant increases in listener figures."}
{"article": "The logo, called Harmonized Chequered Emblem, replaces the first choice which was thrown out last year after the designer was accused of plagiarism. The designer denied stealing the idea. Organisers said the new design used traditional Japanese colours and patterns to represent the intercultural themes of the Games. \"It incorporates the message of 'unity in diversity',\" they said, and the idea that the Games \"seek to promote diversity as a platform to connect the world\". When designer Asao Tokolo found out he had won the re-opened contest he said \"my mind has gone blank\". \"I put a lot of time and effort into this design as though it was my own child.\" The first design was rejected after Belgian artist Olivier Debie alleged it copied his design for a theatre logo. The Games organising committee never agreed to the allegation of plagiarism but said there were too many doubts over the emblem for it to be used. The logo dispute came shortly after Tokyo decided to scrap the designs for the main Olympic stadium because of spiralling construction costs. A cheaper design, by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, was chosen in December last year.", "summary": "Japan's Olympic organisers have unveiled the new official logos of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games."}
{"article": "At least 48 people died in Nepal and 1,100 were hurt in Tuesday's 7.3 magnitude quake, with fears the figures could rise. At least 17 died in India. A US aid helicopter is also missing, with eight people on board. Thousands of Nepalis spent the night in the open. Many have not returned to their homes since a 7.8 magnitude quake on 25 April that killed over 8,000. Tuesday's earthquake was centred about 76km (47 miles) east of the capital, Kathmandu, near the town of Namche Bazaar. A second tremor of 6.3-magnitude hit Nepal 30 minutes later and numerous other aftershocks continued into Wednesday morning. The main quake was felt in northern India, Tibet and Bangladesh. India's home ministry said 16 people had been killed in the state of Bihar, and one more in Uttar Pradesh. Officials in China said one person was confirmed dead in Tibet. Read eyewitness accounts of the quake Nepal's districts of Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk, east of the capital, were initially listed as the worst hit, with officials confirming 26 fatalities, 20 of them in the town of Charikot. But the true extent of the casualties and damage remains unclear. Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam said: \"Many houses have collapsed in Dolakha... there is a chance that the number of dead from the district will go up.\" Regine Kopplow, a German aid worker in Charikot said: \"I saw a woman in the building opposite jump from the third floor who suffered injuries to her leg, elbow and hand. \"People stayed outside, the shaking continued. Some people were crying, hugging each other.\" The US military said a Marine Corps Huey helicopter involved in disaster relief efforts had gone missing while working in the vicinity of Charikot. The Pentagon said there were six US Marines and two Nepali soldiers on board. It said there was as yet no sign of a crash and the craft may have landed safely, amid reports of fuel issues. The Red Cross said it had received reports of many casualties in the town of Chautara in Sindhupalchowk, where it has a hospital and which has become a hub for humanitarian aid. Spokeswoman Nichola Jones said: \"Hundreds of people are pouring in. They are treating dozens for injuries and they have performed more than a dozen surgeries.\" At least two major buildings collapsed in Kathmandu, with at least three people rescued. But there have been other reports of landslides and fallen buildings in towns and villages outside the capital. Save the Children said Gorkha, close to the epicentre of the 25 April quake, had been hit by new landslides. A spokeswoman told the BBC its staff had been \"dodging huge rocks rolling off the hillside\". Residents of Namche Bazaar said there was some damage there but no reports of deaths. The BBC's Navin Singh Khadka says local officials in the Everest region report very few tourists are still in the area following the 25 April quake. Many residents of the capital and other towns spent Tuesday night outdoors, too scared to return to homes. Dipak Koirala,", "summary": "Rescue work is set to resume to find victims and survivors of the latest deadly earthquake to hit Nepal."}
{"article": "Burton, 62, worked briefly as Albion coach under Roy Hodgson before returning to the club in May 2014, to work alongside the club's sporting and technical director Richard Garlick. Day, 60, recruited in July 2014, was with Albion less than a year. \"It was felt changes were required,\" said Albion chairman Jeremy Peace. Since appointing Garlick in January 2013 as 'sporting and technical director' to replace the FA-bound Dan Ashworth, Albion have had four head coaches - Steve Clarke, Pepe Mel, Alan Irvine and Tony Pulis. \"We are looking ahead positively to a new beginning under Tony Pulis after two gruelling seasons,\" Peace told the Albion club website. \"All our focus now is on preparing the squad for a stronger performance. \"I am on record as saying we would be engaged in an on-going review at all levels. In Tony, we have a very experienced and hands-on operator.\" Former West Ham keeper Day was head of scouting and recruitment at Championship side Brighton prior to join Albion, while Burton left his post as Arsenal's head of youth coaching to return to the Midlands.", "summary": "West Bromwich Albion technical director Terry Burton and head of recruitment Mervyn Day have left The Hawthorns as part of an expected summer reshuffle."}
{"article": "Conservative MP Justin Tomlinson has written to the Metropolitan Police after the publication of a photo online by the Guido Fawkes website. Mr Tomlinson told the BBC that road safety was an important issue and the matter should be investigated. Mr Khan, the Labour MP for Tooting, is a former transport minister. The MP, who is thought likely to seek the Labour nomination for London mayor in 2016, was given a national award by road safety charity Brake this year. Mr Khan told the BBC: \"Allegations have been made that I glanced at my phone whilst in my car. \"I understand that a Conservative MP has now reported this matter to the Metropolitan police. Of course I will be fully cooperating with any investigation.\" Mr Tomlinson has written to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe about the alleged incident, reported to have taken place on Monday. \"I would be very grateful if you could investigate this further - road safety is a serious issue and those who make the laws should certainly not be above them,\" he wrote. The Met confirmed it had received Mr Tomlinson's complaint. A spokeswoman said: \"We can confirm that today we have received a letter. We are currently assessing its content.\"", "summary": "Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan has said he will co-operate with any investigation over claims he used his mobile phone while driving."}
{"article": "All 33 crew died when the El Faro disappeared sailing from Florida to Puerto Rico in October 2015. Its wreckage was discovered a month later but search crews were not able to retrieve the black box until now. It is hoped the data will help determine what happened in the final hours before the boat's sinking. \"The recovery of the recorder has the potential to give our investigators greater insight into the incredible challenges that the El Faro crew faced,'' said Christophe Hart, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The black box was found in April this year but only recovered after search crews drove a remotely operated vehicle down to the ship's resting place to remove it. Hearings earlier this year looked at Captain Michael Davidson's decision to leave port with a huge storm brewing, and the safety record of the ship's owner, Tote Services. A panel found that Davidson was aware of the hurricane and had planned a safer route but may have had out-of-date weather advice. The El Faro sent out a distress signal on 1 October, saying it had lost power and was taking on water The ship was eventually found 15,000 ft (4,570m) under the sea. A body wearing a survival suit was recovered shortly after the sinking, as was a heavily damaged lifeboat with no one aboard.", "summary": "Search teams have recovered the black box data recorder from a cargo ship that sank last year near the Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin."}
{"article": "The pilgrims congregated from sunrise at the site and the vast plain which surrounds it, about 15km from Mecca. Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad gave his last sermon at the location. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, which all Muslims are called upon to perform at least once. On Saturday it emerged that Saudi Arabia's top cleric, Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh, would not deliver the traditional Hajj sermon for the first time in 35 years because of health complications. It follows controversy sparked by his remarks that Iranians were \"not Muslims\". The comments came after Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced Saudi Arabia's management of the Hajj. Iran has boycotted this year's pilgrimage., instead endorsing an alternative event on Saturday at the holy city of Karbala in Iraq. Tensions between the two countries have risen after a crush in last year's pilgrimage killed at least 2,426 people, including 464 Iranians, according to an unofficial count. Saudi Arabia and Iran do not have diplomatic relations and are at loggerheads over a series of regional issues including the conflicts in Yemen and Syria. But news of the Ayatollah's absence has not diminished the enthusiasm of the pilgrims. \"It's marvellous,\" Egyptian pilgrim Louza, 45, was quoted as saying. \"I'm here closer to God. It's an indescribable feeling.\" Against a backdrop of other mountains the pilgrims squatted, stood, or climbed up steps constructed into the hill while reciting incantations. \"We feel at ease and are totally benefiting from our pilgrimage,\" Soumaya, 30, from Mali, told the AFP news agency. Her friend, Khadija Bechir, 23. agreed, praising the event for being well organised. Pilgrims come from all over the world to the Hajj but Indonesia - the most populous Muslim nation - has the largest quota. Official figures issued late on Saturday revealed that more than 1.3 million pilgrims attending the Hajj are from outside Saudi Arabia. A vast expanse of white fireproof tents has been pitched at Mina, to accommodate in excess of 2.5 million pilgrims. The stampede in Mina last September is considered to be the worst disaster in Hajj history. It took place as pilgrims were going to the Jamarat Bridge for a stoning ritual which this this year will start on Monday, officials say. Saudi Arabia has consistently downplayed the number of casualties. It has announced an investigation but no conclusions have been released.", "summary": "The annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia has reached its climax with 1.5 million Muslims gathering at Mount Arafat to offer day-long prayers and recitations from the Koran."}
{"article": "The 33-year-old suffered several broken bones after suffering an accident while leading the Superbike race at the Ulster Grand Prix last weekend. Despite his injuries it has been reported that Martin has already signed himself out of hospital in Belfast. A spokesman for Triumph said Martin was \"central\" to their record attempt. The TT racer and television personality from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, is planning to beat the current 376.363mph record (605km/h) in Triumph's 1,000 bhp Rocket III Streamliner. A spokesman for Leicestershire-based Triumph said: \"Guy is a unique talent and having such a pilot is absolutely central to our attempt. \"We wish him a full and speedy recovery and will confirm a new date for our 2016 bid as soon as we can.\" On Monday, Martin tweeted: \"I'm on the mend - few upgrades to me hand& back but feel right enough. All part of the job. Thanks very much for the support as always.\" He is reported to have fractured a vertebrae, his sternum, and a number of ribs in the 100mph crash as well as damaging his throttle hand.", "summary": "A British team has postponed its bid to break a 400mph land speed record after pilot Guy Martin crashed during the world's fastest road race."}
{"article": "The ex-Middlesex captain moved to Lord's from Essex in 2009 and has scored 5,977 first-class runs since making his debut for Kent in 2005. Dexter, 31, has taken 28 wickets in all formats this season and is two scalps short of his 100th first-class wicket. \"It's a bit of a coup for the club,\" elite performance director Andrew McDonald told BBC Radio Leicester. \"It is nice to have someone of Dexter's experience, leadership qualities and skill set join the club. \"What he will offer in all three formats of the game is going to be superb. We felt that the little bit of extra experience was needed for this group to be the real deal next season. \"It is a good sign when players like Dexter approach us. It shows the steps forward we are taking on and off the field.\"", "summary": "Leicestershire have signed Middlesex all-rounder Neil Dexter on a three-year contract from the start of next season."}
{"article": "The 1954 Hague Convention was set up after World War Two but has never been adopted into law by the government. Culture Secretary John Whittingdale says destruction and looting in Syria and Iraq by Islamic State militants shows it is now essential. The UK is the only major nation not to have endorsed the convention. More than 115 countries are party to the agreement, including all United Nations Security Council members, except for the UK. The Hague Convention was meant to ensure nations and armies would not target cultural treasures. The UK was one of the original signatories to the convention but it was never ratified. The 1990s conflict in the Balkans saw the agreement revised and in 2004 the UK said it would ratify when time allowed. Mr Whittingdale says the convention will now become law in the UK \"at the first opportunity\". He said: 'While the UK's priority will continue to be the human cost of these conflicts, I am in no doubt we must also do what we can to prevent any further cultural destruction. \"The loss of a country's heritage threatens its very identity.\" A fund to support future intervention by archaeologists to recover at-risk monuments in Iraq, Syria and Libya is also reportedly to be set up by the government at a summit in September. Professor Peter Stone, a leading campaigner for the convention's adoption, says it was \"fantastic news... as long as there are no further delays\". Shadow culture secretary, Chris Bryant, who says Labour is committed to prompt ratification, said earlier this month that he was \"at a loss to understand\" why the government had not yet acted. The director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, is also among those to have called on the UK to ratify the convention. IS militants have been accused selling Syria's cultural heritage to raise funds, leading to a UN ban in the trade of artefacts from the country. There are fears the militants may destroy the 2,000-year-old Roman-era ruins in Palmyra in Syria, while in Iraq the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud is among the sites they have targeted.", "summary": "A major international agreement designed to protect cultural property during military conflict is to be finally ratified by the UK."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 27 August 2015 Last updated at 00:00 BST That's the good news. The bad news is that the Zano drone which the company hopes to start sending to backers next week will not at first deliver what was promised last year. BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones travelled to Pembroke Dock to find out just how challenging it is to deliver on the promises you make in a crowdfunding project.", "summary": "Europe's most successful Kickstarter project is finally ready to deliver the tiny drone that won more than \u00c2\u00a32.3m in backing last November."}
{"article": "The Central Hotel, often frequented by politicians, was hit by a car bomb and a suicide attack. Gunmen then stormed the hotel mosque and opened fire during Friday prayers. An MP and Mogadishu's deputy mayor were among the dead, the government says. Islamist militant group al-Shabab has said it was behind the attack. The al-Qaeda linked group has been driven out of the country's major towns but still controls many rural areas in the south. The BBC's Mohamed Moalimu in the city says the area around the hotel has been cordoned off. \"First the car bomb exploded at the gate of the hotel, then a suicide bomber blew himself up in the hotel compound,\" police Major Nur Mohamed told Reuters. Information Minister Mohamed Abdi Hayir Mareeye told the BBC that Somalia's deputy prime minister and other ministers had been at the hotel at the time but had survived the attack. An al-Shabab spokesman told BBC Somali analyst Mary Harper it had killed the officials while they were praying because they were \"apostates\". It has previously said it would target members of the government. Earlier this month, al-Shabab shot dead an MP in a drive-by shooting in Mogadishu.", "summary": "Some 20 people, including senior officials, have been killed in an attack on a hotel in the Somali capital, witnesses have told the BBC."}
{"article": "Scrum-half Rhys Webb returns after injury, while former captain Sam Warburton is named on the blind-side flank by interim coach Rob Howley. Props Nicky Smith and Samson Lee come in to the team, with Jake Ball in for the injured Luke Charteris at lock. Bath number eight Taulupe Faletau has failed to recover from a knee injury. Media playback is not supported on this device Scott Williams is preferred at centre to Jamie Roberts, who is on the bench, while Dan Biggar will partner Webb at half-back. The Ospreys scrum-half missed the autumn Tests against Argentina, Japan and South Africa after injuring a knee against Australia on 5 November. Lock Alun Wyn Jones leads the team for the first time since taking over from Warburton as skipper. None of the uncapped players in the extended squad have made the match day 23, with interim coach Rob Howley saying it was important to start the tournament with a win. In fact Howley's starting XV averages more than 45 caps a man. \"We've gone with a lot of experience with 10 out the XV who started against South Africa,\" he said. \"It's important to start well hence the selection you see. \"We've been there as coaches and some of the players have - 2009 comes to mind - when we made a number of changes and given opportunities but we just feel for the start of the campaign we want to start well. \"We believe the Six Nations is going to be about momentum and we wanted to pick a rather experienced team to start the tournament.\" Meanwhile Italy coach, Conor O'Shea, has made five changes from the team that beat South Africa in November for the Wales clash. There are no uncapped players in the Italian squad as captain Sergio Parisse returns to lead the side and win his 122nd Test cap. Italy: Edoardo Padovani (Zebre); Giulio Bisegni (Zebre), Tommaso Benvenuti (Treviso), Luke McLean (Treviso), Giovanbattista Venditti (Zebre), Carlo Canna (Zebre), Edoardo Gori (Treviso); Andrea Lovotti (Zebre), Ornel Gega (Treviso), Lorenzo Cittadini (Bayonne), Marco Fuser (Treviso), George Biagi (Zebre), Abraham Steyn (Treviso), Maxime Mata Mbanda (Zebre), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais Paris, capt). Replacements: Leonardo Ghiraldini (Toulouse), Sami Panico (Calvisano), Pietro Ceccarelli (Zebre), Joshua Furno (Zebre), Francesco Minto (Treviso), Giorgio Bronzini (Treviso), Tommaso Allan (Treviso), Michele Campagnaro (Exeter Chiefs). Wales: Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon); George North (Northampton), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Liam Williams (Scarlets); Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Rhys Webb (Ospreys); Nicky Smith (Ospreys), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, capt), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Ross Moriarty (Gloucester). Replacements: Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Rob Evans (Scarlets), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Cory Hill (Newport Gwent Dragons), James King (Ospreys), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Sam Davies (Ospreys), Jamie Roberts (Harlequins).", "summary": "Wales have made five changes from the team that beat South Africa in November for Sunday's Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome."}
{"article": "The Sheffield Political Economy Research Institute says boosting the number of skilled jobs would stop the north falling further behind the south. Author Tom Hunt said manufacturing was a \"good base to build on\". The government said the research, commissioned by BBC Sheffield, backed the case for its Northern Powerhouse. The findings come from a review of the economies of Sheffield, Brighton and surrounding areas, and Oxfordshire. Published in the week Chancellor George Osborne will deliver his Autumn statement, and just over a month after political leaders in the Sheffield City Region put pen to paper on a devolution deal, the report for BBC Radio Sheffield lays bare the challenge facing the chancellor in kick-starting the Northern Powerhouse. The report compared areas such as employment, wages and economic output in the Sheffield City Region, Oxfordshire and the Coast to Capital (stretching from Brighton to south London) Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP). It concluded Sheffield's weaker performance since the 2008 financial crisis is an \"indication that the decades-long trend of the South of England significantly to outperform the North persists\". The report added: \"In the context of austerity politics and the prospect of further reductions in government spending, the economy of the South of England looks set to continue significantly to outperform the North of England.\" Mr Hunt said the research had used economic indicators including employment and unemployment rates, weekly pay and economic output to see how the three economies performed since the global financial crisis hit in 2008. He said: \"What we saw over the last 10 years is that the Sheffield City Region economy had consistently higher unemployment than the two areas in the south. \"We also saw that pay on average was lower in Sheffield City Region than in the two southern regions and we saw that the economic output for the Sheffield City Region was lower throughout the whole of the last decade.\" He said: \"One of the more surprising elements was when you look at the economic output [gross value added (GVA)] of Sheffield City Region. \"This is an economy which contributes \u00a330bn to the overall UK economy a year, but when you break that down into economic output per person Sheffield City Region comes out 38th out of 39 regions in England. \"The figure per person is around \u00a317,000 a head - only Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have a lower figure.\" He said he one of the main reasons for the low GVA was the number of people in Sheffield employed in low wage and low skilled employment, such as retail, hotels and the restaurant sector. \"Those areas in the south have seen the percentage of people working in that sector decline in the last ten years, but in Sheffield City Region they have stayed flat,\" he said. \"Since 2012 when the economic recovery began to take place most new jobs in Sheffield City Region have been in that retail, hotels and restaurant sector, so what we need in Sheffield City Region are jobs in the higher value sectors such as finance, such as professional", "summary": "An increase in manufacturing jobs in the Sheffield City Region could help close the economic gap between northern and southern regions, a report says."}
{"article": "Speaking in a debate in London, Richard Ashworth MEP said \"we're making ourselves look pretty darned unattractive\" as a partner in the EU. UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has not ruled out a British exit if the EU fails to reform. Many Conservatives want a straight \"in-out\" referendum on the UK's membership. Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to make a key speech on the UK's role in Europe on 22 January. He has not yet given details about the speech, but there is speculation that he will propose a referendum, to be held after the UK election in 2015. Referring to the Conservative ambition to repatriate various powers from Brussels, Mr Ashworth said \"an evolutionary solution\" was the way to proceed, not \"the nuclear option\" of withdrawal. He warned that strident Euroscepticism was giving the impression of a Britain \"snarling like a pitbull across the Channel\". He went on to say that a lot of nations were on the UK's side, including Sweden, Finland and Denmark. In recent days senior politicians in the US and Germany have warned against Britain leaving the EU. But Chancellor Osborne did not rule out a British exit in an interview with Germany's Die Welt newspaper on Friday. \"I very much hope that Britain remains a member of the EU,\" he said. \"But in order that we can remain in the European Union, the EU must change. \"The British people are very disappointed with the EU and people have the feeling that too many decisions are made too far away in Brussels. Our citizens are asking themselves if Europe can really solve their most pressing problems and create jobs and prosperity.\" Mr Cameron's coalition government is now studying areas of EU legislation where the UK may be able to claw back powers. One of its chief concerns is to ease the regulatory burden on small businesses, especially the Working Time Directive and other EU labour and welfare legislation. The government is also considering activating a clause in the Lisbon Treaty that allows the UK to opt out of areas of EU justice and policing next year. Conservative MP Andrea Leadsom is involved in that review, called the Fresh Start project. Speaking in Friday's debate, organised by the pro-EU lobby group Business for New Europe, she said the UK \"needs to be at the heart of the EU\", but also \"needs to articulate a new relationship\" with its EU partners. She said it would be feasible to negotiate a new \"multilateral\" arrangement on justice and policing with the rest of the EU, though conceded that it could be difficult. A leading Conservative Eurosceptic MP, Bill Cash, told the debate participants that \"the people don't know what they've got in terms of legislation\" from the EU. \"There hasn't been a focused debate on the pros and cons [of EU membership] since 1975.\" He said even the widely praised EU single market was \"not working, because new things have been added, increasing the burdens on business\". In the debate former Labour Party leader Lord Kinnock attacked the", "summary": "The leader of the UK Conservative MEPs says stridently Eurosceptic opinions give the wrong impression that Britain is one against the rest in the EU."}
{"article": "JJ McMenamin, 30, had failed to attend court for alleged driving offences. Officers searched Leyburn, North Yorkshire, for the suspect over the weekend, calling in the force helicopter and sniffer dogs. Earlier Mr McMenamin filmed himself walking up to Harrogate police station dressed as the character. Mr McMenamin shared his arrival at the police station on Facebook Live, saying at one stage: \"I'm right outside the cop shop now, let's see how it goes.\" He had previously taunted police in a series of posts and videos on his Facebook page, including sharing a photo of his head superimposed on an image of children's book character Where's Wally with the caption, \"Dude... I'm right here.\" In another video, Mr McMenamin sang along to Kenny Rogers' The Gambler on the car stereo and laughed as he played Lionel Richie's Hello, which contains the line \"is it me you're looking for?\", and the Spencer Davis Group's Keep On Running. In another Facebook post the 30-year-old, originally from Middlesbrough, shared a picture of Where's Wally in a police mugshot, with the caption \"Hide Seek Champion 2016-2017\". A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: \"A 30-year-old man from Middleham has been arrested after he handed himself in to officers at Harrogate police station. \"The arrest comes after extensive police searches for the man over the weekend.\" A warrant was issued for Mr McMenamin's arrest after he failed to appear at Northallerton Magistrates Court on 19 December to face charges of driving while disqualified and driving without insurance. He was due to attend a hearing at the same court on Monday.", "summary": "A wanted man who taunted police by dressing as Where's Wally handed himself in while broadcasting the event on Facebook."}
{"article": "More than 500 complaints have been made to the Environment Agency about the site in Cormongers Lane, Redhill. It said it was monitoring gas emissions and would consider formal action against operator Biffa if it was found to be breaching its permit. Biffa said if did not believe levels of hydrogen sulphide detected posed a threat to human health. Residents have been complaining about the smell from the site, described as like rotten eggs or sewage, for several weeks. Green Party councillor Sarah Finch said it reached its worst levels earlier in the week. \"It smells like normal household gas, sometimes with a tinge of sewage smell,\" she added. \"It is a very unpleasant smell which catches in your throat and can make you gag.\" Paul Bennett, from the Environment Agency, said officers were at the site at least once a day to collect data. The information will be sent to Public Health England to assess whether it poses a risk. \"If Biffa don't keep the gas within the site and we find that they are breaching their environmental permit, then we are going to consider formal action against the company,\" he said. Biffa said it had installed a flarestack as a temporary measure, which would burn off the excess gas. It said a blue or yellow flame may be visible at night. \"This action is being taken with the knowledge of the Environment Agency and is a tried and tested method to increase gas extraction capacity,\" it said. \"Biffa has undertaken monitoring of the odours and provided the results to the Environment Agency. \"Biffa's interpretation of these results is that the levels of hydrogen sulphide detected do not pose a threat to human health.\"", "summary": "The operator of a Surrey landfill tip could face legal action over a smell of rotten eggs coming from the site."}
{"article": "Inspectors said the \"innovative and radical\" work with prisoners' children at HMP Parc, Bridgend, was \"probably the best we have seen\". It opened a 60-bed family interventions unit in 2010. The Prison Officers Association (POA) said more staff and resources would help continue the work. Prison inspectors reported on two unannounced visits they made at G4S-run Parc prison late in 2015 and early this year. They found its work with families encouraged prisoner involvement with the lives of their child. The family interventions unit at the privately-run prison, one of the largest in Wales and England, provides a range of programmes and activities for inmates aimed at helping them to maintain and improve their family relationships. The prison has also worked with Barnardo's Cymru for about 10 years with the aim of making a visit to the jail less challenging for the children of fathers inside. Inspectors said: \"A prison analysis suggested that 69% of prisoners at Parc received regular visits compared with an average of 48% across the rest of England and Wales.\" HMP Parc, which is also a young offenders' institution, houses more than 1,600 prisoners. BBC Radio Wales current affairs programme Eye on Wales was given access to one intervention - a nursery rhyme session for fathers with young children hosted by the prison's charity-sector partner. The men on the Rhyme Time session are inside for a range of offences including violence and drugs. One of them told the programme: \"My daughter was born while I was here, so I haven't had the chance to get a bond with her apart from being on groups like this. \"Through all these visits, the bond has come. Looking to when you actually get out the gates, from me never seeing my daughter on the outside, ever, I know she already knows that I'm her father and someone special in her life.\" The head of the prison's family interventions programme, Corin Morgan-Armstrong, said: \"It's about reducing reoffending and it's about improving the future outcomes of these children, most of whom will have negative, pre-determined outcomes because of their parental situation.\" Prisons Minister Mr Selous said: \"It's important we remember that the families of prisoners have done nothing wrong; partners, wives and children in particular. \"The evidence is that if prisoners manage to maintain strong family relationships they commit less crime when they come out. \"Parc has led the way but we really need to embed this as best practice across all prisons in Wales and England.\" Mark Fairhurst, of the POA, said: \"We welcome any new ideas in to how we can rehabilitate offenders and improve everybody's life, but that comes at a cost and the cost is resource, investment and staff training. \" Eye on Wales is on BBC Radio Wales at 12:30 BST on Sunday, 12 June", "summary": "Using family bonds to promote the rehabilitation of fathers in jail is an idea that should be run in all prisons, minister Andrew Selous has said."}
{"article": "The man was walking along Onslow Road, near the railway bridge at Drumry Railway Station, at about 05:30 on New Year's Day when he was attacked by a group of people. He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where he is being treated in the high-dependency unit. Police said there was no apparent motive. Officers have been reviewing CCTV from the area and discovered that there were a number of people in the area at the time. Det Insp Grant MacLeod said: \"This appears to be a totally random attack, with no apparent motive, leaving a man seriously injured. \"Our inquires have revealed that despite it being fairly early in the morning, there were various people in the vicinity at the time of the attack and I am appealing to these people to get in touch. \"It's possible you can provide information on the suspects which would assist our investigation in locating those responsible for this violent attack.\"", "summary": "A 40-year-old man has serious injuries after being stabbed by a gang in a \"random\" attack in Clydebank."}
{"article": "The neighbours announced on Thursday that they had agreed to re-schedule peace talks which were postponed after the attack on an Indian air base. Islamabad has arrested some members of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) group, which India blames for the attack. Pakistani papers say the arrests saved the talks from breaking down. The four-day assault on the Pathankot air force base in Punjab, close to the Pakistan border, started on 2 January, when a group of gunmen - wearing Indian army uniforms - entered residential quarters on the air base. Some Pakistani papers urged Islamabad to take \"tough decisions\", adding that the arrests of some JeM members was \"just the start\". The Express Tribune commended Pakistan's \"constructive\" response after the attack. Echoing similar views, The Nation said the \"efficiency\" of the Pakistani government's investigation into the Pathankot attack was \"unprecedented\". It added that India was still not ready to \"trust\" Pakistan despite the arrests of some JeM members, but this situation must \"change\" to establish lasting peace. Pakistan Today wondered if Pakistan's \"zero tolerance for terrorism will continue with the zeal being presently displayed\". Some papers argued that both India and Pakistan needed to work together to defeat terrorism. The Daily Times remarked that militants were acting as \"spoilers\" in the India-Pakistan peace process. It added that despite Islamabad's crackdown on JeM, it \"had failed to dismantle the organisation which continues to operate openly in various districts\". Some Pakistan papers urged India to act \"positively\" after Pakistan's decision to investigate the Pathankot attack. The News said the arrests of JeM members was an \"important\" step to improve Pakistan's ties with India. However, it added that it would be good to see some \"cooperation\" from India in \"detecting outfits [groups] on its soil that operate within Pakistan\". Urdu daily Nawa-i-Waqt said India should react in a positive manner to the overtures made by Pakistan. It added that the onus was now on India to work towards the complete restoration of peace talks between the neighbours. Another Urdu daily, Jang, argued that Pakistan had swiftly acted against the suspects of the Indian air base attack. It added the move showed the \"political and military establishment's pledge that the Pakistani soil won't be used for terrorism against India\", and the neighbour must do the same.", "summary": "Pakistani papers have praised Islamabad for overcoming diplomatic tensions with India to continue peace talks efforts."}
{"article": "It is not known who shot Ansar Beit al-Maqdis commander Shadi el-Menei. But several other members of the al-Qaeda-inspired group, which is suspected of a string of recent attacks, were also reportedly killed. The deaths of more than 200 Egyptian soldiers and officials have been blamed on Ansar Beit al-Maqdis since President Mohammed Morsi was ousted in July 2013. Profile: Ansar Beit al-Maqdis There are conflicting reports as to who was responsible for the killing of the militants. Unnamed officials were quoted by AFP news agency as saying security forces opened fire on the men as they were about to carry out an attack on a gas pipeline in central Sinai. A different account came from officials who told the Associated Press that Shadi el-Menei and at least three associates were killed by 15 attackers in revenge for the killings of tribesmen by Ansar Beit al-Maqdis. Islamist groups in the Sinai have stepped up their attacks against Egypt's army and police forces in the past year. The Egyptian army launched a major operation against militants in the Sinai but attacks have continued. However, the security operation has come at a cost to authorities. A police officer died of his wounds on Friday after being shot the previous day by militants near the border with the Gaza Strip. Last week, two army officers and five militants were said to have died in a gunfight during a raid on a warehouse linked to Islamist militants north of Cairo. Officials said the militants in that attack were from Ansar Beit al-Maqdis. The US state department designated the group a \"foreign terrorist organisation\" earlier this year.", "summary": "Egyptian security officials say a key leader of a militant group has been shot dead in the Sinai peninsula."}
{"article": "The Tories took six seats more than at the last election in 2013 despite a high-profile defeat for council leader John Osman. Mr Osman lost his Wells seat to former Liberal Democrat MP Tessa Munt by 95 votes. However, the Lib Dems lost six seats overall compared to 2013. Election 2017: Full results from across England Despite the Somerset losses, Ms Munt told BBC Radio Four she thought her party was \"in full-on bounce back\". UKIP lost all three of its seats on the council, while Labour retained its three seats. Along with the remaining 12 Lib Dem councillors, three Independents and two Greens complete the new council. The Green party took the Frome East and Frome West wards previously held by the Lib Dems. Following Mr Osman's defeat, deputy council leader David Hall is expected to take on the responsibilities of leader until a full council meeting on 24 May.", "summary": "The Conservative Party took 35 out of 55 available seats to retain control of Somerset County Council with an increased majority."}
{"article": "The Imperial College London team hope to overcome the dangerous and common problem of leaving bits of the tumour in a patient, which can then regrow. Early results, in the journal Science Translational Medicine, showed the \"iKnife\" could accurately identify cancerous tissue on the spot. It is now being tested in clinical trials to see if it saves lives. To avoid leaving cancerous tissue behind, surgeons also remove surrounding tissue. They can even send samples off for testing while the patient is still in theatre, but this takes time. Yet one in five patients who have a breast lump removed still need a second operation to clear their tumour. For lung cancer the figure is about one in 10. The team at Imperial College London modified a surgical knife that uses heat to cut through tissue. It is already used in hospitals around the world, but the surgeons can now analyse the smoke given off when the hot blade burns through tissue. The smoke is sucked into a hi-tech \"nose\" called a mass spectrometer. It detects the subtle differences between the smoke of cancerous and healthy tissue. This information is available to the surgeon within seconds. Tests on 91 patients showed that the knife could accurately tell what type of tissue it was cutting and if it was cancerous. Dr Zoltan Takats, who invented the system at Imperial, said: \"These results provide compelling evidence that the iKnife can be applied in a wide range of cancer surgery procedures. \"It provides a result almost instantly, allowing surgeons to carry out procedures with a level of accuracy that hasn't been possible before. \"We believe it has the potential to reduce tumour recurrence rates and enable more patients to survive.\" Trials are now taking place at three hospitals in London - St Mary's, Hammersmith and Charing Cross. Prof Jeremy Nicholson, head of the department of surgery and cancer at Imperial College London, said: \"This is part of what we call precision medicine, we're trying to change the world by very aggressively translating scientific discovery in to the NHS.\" Surgeon Dr Emma King, of Cancer Research UK, said: \"The iKnife is an exciting development to guide cancer surgeons during operations. \"If its usefulness is supported in further clinical trials, it could potentially reduce the time spent in theatre for many patients.\"", "summary": "An \"intelligent\" knife that can sniff out tumours to improve cancer surgery has been developed by scientists."}
{"article": "Northumbria University told Newcastle Crown Court it was \"deeply, genuinely sorry\" as it was fined \u00a3400,000. Sports science students Alex Rossetta and Luke Parkin were each given the equivalent of 300 cups of coffee. They were admitted to intensive care for dialysis after the calculation error led to violent side-effects. Prosecutor Adam Farrer told the court the overdose \"could easily have been fatal\". Peter Smith, defending, said the university wished to \"emphasise that they take the welfare of their students and staff seriously\". The students had volunteered to take part in a test in March 2015 aimed at measuring the effect of caffeine on exercise. They were given 30g of caffeine instead of 0.3g, Mr Farrer said. Death had previously been reported after consumption of just 18g, he told the court. The university had switched from using caffeine tablets to powder, he said. \"The staff were not experienced or competent enough and they had never done it on their own before,\" he said. \"The university took no steps to make sure the staff knew how to do it.\" The calculation had been done on a mobile phone, with the decimal point in the wrong place, and there was no risk assessment. Both men have made a full physical recovery, though Mr Rossetta had reported short-term memory loss, the court heard. The university admitted the health and safety breach at a hearing last month.", "summary": "A university has been fined after two students suffered \"life-threatening\" effects when they were given 100 times too much caffeine in an experiment."}
{"article": "Jose Salvador Alvarenga thanked the president of the Marshall Islands, where he was found late last month, before boarding a flight to Hawaii. He says he left Mexico for a trip in a fibre-glass boat in December 2012 with a friend who died on board. He apparently survived the 8,000 km (5,000-mile) ordeal by catching fish, birds and turtles with his bare hands. For fluids, he claimed to have drunk urine, rainwater and the blood of birds. He was rescued on 30 January by people living on the island of Ebon Atoll. \"Thank you for everything the people of the Marshall Islands have done for me during my stay,\" Mr Alvarenga, 37, said through an interpreter before leaving for Hawaii. He will make his way from there to El Salvador to be reunited with his relatives. President Christopher Loeak presented him with a woven garland, the AFP news agency reports. The fisherman had been due to leave last Friday, but doctors said he needed more rest. The family of his younger friend say they want to speak to Mr Alvarenga to find out more about how their son died, and what happened to his body. Known as Ezequiel, he is believed to have starved after being unable to eat raw birds and fish. Three Mexican fishermen were rescued off the Marshall Islands in August 2006 after what they said was about nine months drifting across the Pacific Ocean. They survived on rain water, seabirds and fish. Castaways from Kiribati, to the south, frequently find land in the Marshall Islands after ordeals of weeks or months at sea in small boats.", "summary": "A castaway from El Salvador who claims he spent more than a year adrift in the Pacific has begun his journey home."}
{"article": "Charting the Fife town's medieval history, they are to be housed in the existing Carnegie library and a disused bank. Fife Council has pledged \u00a36.8m and the project has a first round pass for \u00a32.8m from the Heritage Lottery Fund. A first round pass means it meets the HLF's criteria for funding before detailed plans have been submitted. The project now has up to two years to submit fully developed proposals to compete for a firm award. The buildings would be redeveloped and a new extension added to create a huge development including a museum, art gallery, archive, library and local history services. Colin McLean, head of the HLF in Scotland, said: \"Museums, galleries and libraries are extremely valuable community assets. \"They make a great contribution to people's education, self-identity and enjoyment. \"They keep our history safe for future generations and they impact on the local economy, often as the cornerstone of an area's tourism industry. \"We are delighted to be able to give Dunfermline our support at this stage.\" Jim Tolson, MSP for Dunfermline and West Fife, said he was \"overjoyed\" with the backing. \"HLF's support for this project is crucial to the long-awaited addition of a museum and art gallery in Dunfermline which will benefit both local people and visitors for generations to come,\" he added. Brian Goodall, chairman of Fife Council's housing and communities committee, said: \"The Heritage Lottery Fund's decision to support the development of Dunfermline's new flagship museum is a tremendous vote of confidence in the city. We are delighted with the news. \"Fife Council has itself made a major commitment of \u00a36.8m to delivering this project as part of the council's drive to improve leisure and cultural opportunities for all.\"", "summary": "A new museum and art gallery are set to be built in Fife under multi-million pound plans for Dunfermline."}
{"article": "Lee Johnson, 45, had been a voluntary patient with depression at Maelor Hospital when he hanged himself in February 2016. The witnesses were asked to spell out changes in their working practices following his death. A narrative verdict was recorded and the health board said it fully accepted the coroner's findings. Sgt Johnson, of Pantymwyn, near Mold, served with the West Mercia force and was based in Oswestry. The two day inquest in Ruthin previously heard he had been under investigation for alleged misconduct by the police watchdog, although coroner John Gittins said it was \"not of any great consequence\". He had told his wife Barbara Johnson that he felt safe in the Heddfan unit and was described as a \"model patient\" and eager to engage with anything that would help him get better. But he spoke of suicide when under the influence of alcohol. Sgt Johnson was known to have taken alcohol on two occasions while in the unit, and was suspected of drinking on several other occasions. Mr Gittins said the unit had \"entirely failed to address the risk\" Sgt Johnson posed to himself, especially after consuming alcohol, and that the policy on patients taking alcohol needed to be far more robust. \"As an outsider it is hard to understand how a person can be intoxicated in Heddfan,\" he said. Earlier, Dr Stuart Porter, interim clinical director with Betsi Cadwaladr health board, outlined improvements introduced in an action plan, including more one-to-one sessions, better documentation and liaison with family members. Asked whether the risk to Sgt Johnson had been underestimated in the light of previous incidents when he had been drinking, Dr Porter said: \"Potentially yes, but predicting a risk is difficult.\" Recording his narrative conclusion, Mr Gittins said he felt existing policies were good and would work in practice. Speaking after the hearing, Mrs Johnson, herself a police officer with North Wales Police, said her husband had been desperate to get help. She said she was encouraged by the health board's review but said she felt \"they have not recognised the failings in his care that I believe contributed to his death\". \"I appreciated the coroner seeking reassurance from those staff that the lessons have, in fact, been learned,\" she said. Dr Porter extended the health board's \"sincerest condolences to the family\" and said they \"fully accepted\" the coroner's findings.", "summary": "A coroner recalled six witnesses at the inquest of a police sergeant who died while in a psychiatric unit in Wrexham."}
{"article": "The British Infrastructure Group (BIG) report says a lack of runway capacity at Heathrow is causing \"substantial damage to the industry as a whole\". Both Heathrow and Gatwick are bidding for an extra runway to be built. A Department for Transport spokesman said it was important to consider all the evidence before making a decision. Last month, the then transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said a decision on expansion had been put back until \"at least October\" following the result of the EU referendum. However, BIG - a Commons group led by the Conservative MP Grant Shapps - says a decision should be made immediately, adding that it would show new Prime Minister Theresa May's \"mettle\". It says it has gathered evidence from local and national authorities as well as academics about future airport capacity. The report's recommendations state: \"The problem of capacity at the current hub, Heathrow, is causing substantial damage to the industry as a whole. \"It erodes confidence in the government's stated ambition of growing the economy and our international trade.\" Last July, the independent Airport Commission recommended Heathrow be expanded with a third runway - a 3,500m strip north of the two existing ones - at an estimated cost of \u00c2\u00a318.6bn. But in December the government delayed its decision, saying further work on noise, pollution and compensation needed to be carried out. Then, last month, Gatwick said the UK's Brexit vote showed it was \"clearer than ever that only Gatwick can deliver the new runway Britain needs\". The group of MPs also called for the expansion of regional airports \"for the good of UK plc\". \"Only their expansion can address the coming 'capacity crunch' and deliver sustained growth, underlining the concepts of the Northern Powerhouse and the Midlands Engine and sharing the proceeds of growth across Britain,\" the report says. BIG also calls for infrastructure at regional airports to be \"joined up\" and for airport passenger duty to be made \"progressively lower\".", "summary": "The government must make an \"urgent and immediate decision\" on airport expansion in south-east England, a group of cross-party MPs have said."}
{"article": "Mr Ahmadinejad, a hardliner who served two terms between 2005 and 2013, filed paperwork for the 19 May poll at the interior ministry in Tehran. Last year, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned him that such a move was \"not in his interest and that of the country\". But Mr Ahmadinejad told reporters on Tuesday that had been \"just advice\". Associated Press journalists who witnessed Mr Ahmadinejad register on Tuesday said election officials were \"stunned\" when he submitted the paperwork. President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate who negotiated a nuclear deal with world powers in 2015, is yet to register but is widely expected to seek a second term. More than 120 people, including six women, submitted their names on the first day of registration on Monday, according to local media. Once the process ends on Saturday, the prospective candidates will be screened for their political and Islamic qualifications by the Guardian Council. The clerical body will announce a final list of vetted candidates on 27 April. Speaking after submitting his paperwork Mr Ahmadinejad said he was only helping his former vice-president, Hamid Baghaei, who registered alongside him. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's decision to register is the biggest surprise so far in the presidential election. Ayatollah Khamenei had indicated he did not want Mr Ahmadinejad to stand and it is unusual for anyone in the political establishment to go against the supreme leader's wishes. Those who do tend to pay for it. Hardliners have made it clear they are angry and disappointed. Some have called Mr Ahmadinejad's move \"unacceptable\" and said it will spell the end of his political career. All potential candidates have to be vetted by the Guardian Council and many observers believe Mr Ahmadinejad will not pass this hurdle. But if he does, his entry into the race is likely to take some of the shine off the hardliners' preferred candidate, Ebrahim Raisi. It will also be damaging to President Rouhani - especially with poorer voters who have yet to feel the effects of promised economic improvements following the nuclear deal, and could be swayed by Mr Ahmadinejad's populist rhetoric and promises to bring back subsidies to help people cope with inflation. \"I registered merely to support Baghaei and I will act according to the [supreme] leader's advice,\" he said. \"I'll be serving Mr Baghaei with all my power.\" He added: \"Some people say that the [supreme leader's] advice was meant to completely forbid [me from running], but what the leader said was just advice... I am still committed to my moral promise.\" Ayatollah Khamenei, who holds ultimate power over Iran's civil and religious affairs, said he had told him not to stand because it would \"create bipolar opposites and divisions in the country which I believe is harmful\". The disputed re-election of Mr Ahmadinejad in 2009 triggered the biggest protests in Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Millions of people demanded a re-run, but the supreme leader insisted the result was valid and ordered a major crackdown on dissent that saw dozens of opposition supporters killed and thousands detained. Analysts said Mr", "summary": "Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has registered as a candidate in Iran's presidential election, despite being told not to by the Supreme Leader."}
{"article": "The 20-year-old was granted a work permit by the Home Office after a hearing in London on Tuesday. \"I'm feeling very happy, it's a very important step in my career,\" Coutinho told Liverpool's official website. \"Liverpool is a great club with great players. We've always heard about Liverpool's history in Brazil. I know they believe in me and my football.\" Southampton were also interested in Coutinho, who becomes Liverpool's second signing of the transfer window following the capture of striker Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea at the beginning of the month. Playmaker Coutinho, who has one cap for Brazil, is a product of Vasco da Gama's youth system. He was bought by Inter in 2008, at the age of 16, for \u20ac4m, although the Serie A side immediately loaned him back to Vasco, because foreigners are prohibited from playing professional football in Italy until they are 18. However, he struggled to make an impact when he returned to Italy and spent half a season on loan at Spanish side Espanyol in January 2012 before attracting strong interest from Liverpool. \"We're always delighted when we get the players we go after,\" said Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre. \"It has been a successful transfer window for us, coming off the back of acquiring Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea and now Philippe from Inter Milan. \"I think that bodes well for us for the rest of the season and the future.\"", "summary": "Liverpool have completed the \u00a38.5m signing of Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho from Inter Milan."}
{"article": "Wales were thrashed 40-7 by the Chiefs on Tuesday and scored just one try as the Super Rugby side ran in six. Gatland's men, beaten 39-21 by the All Blacks in the first Test, have scored four tries in their last three games. \"We've spoken about chances that we create and being more clinical,\" he said. Wales have lost 27 consecutive games against New Zealand, with their last win coming in 1953. They are looking for a first win over the All Blacks on their own soil and play Steve Hansen's side at the Westpac Stadium on Saturday, before ending their tour against the Kiwis in Dunedin. Wales wasted a handful of try-scoring chances in Hamilton on Tuesday, while the two-time Super Rugby champions were supremely clinical. \"The disappointment for us was, was there a little bit of white-line fever? There possibly was on a couple of occasions,\" said Gatland. \"You've just to keep being tough on the players and say at this level if you create chances you've got to finish them off and be hard on the players about that. \"Sometimes you don't get many chances to score at this level. \"Every opportunity the Chiefs created they came away with points. We hammered away in their 22 and created some chances and we've come away with nothing, and that's where we've got to improve.\" Gatland admits defence is an issue too, with Wales having conceded 16 tries in their last three matches - a run which started with the 27-13 defeat by England in May. \"For us, the big thing coming down to New Zealand is getting off our line defensively and looking to be more proactive in dominating those collisions defensively.\" he said. \"At the moment we are coming off second best and that's what we have to better at. \"If you win those collisions, you slow the ball down and you stop teams playing a bit more on the front foot. \"We've got to get that right, hopefully over the next few days.\"", "summary": "Wales coach Warren Gatland says his side must be better in attack in Saturday's game against world champions New Zealand in Wellington."}
{"article": "Title-chasing Argyle had stuttered of late with only one win in six games and failed to get a shot on target until their 69th-minute opener when Graham Carey floated a free-kick to the far post from the right-hand edge of the box and Sonny Bradley headed home at the far post. The points were sealed shortly afterwards when Krystian Pearce was booked for a foul on Carey 25 yards from goal and the Plymouth man's free-kick was unstoppable into the top-left corner. Somehow Mansfield had failed to score in a one-sided first half. Inside the first three minutes Ben Whiteman curled wide of the far post and Alex MacDonald forced Luke McCormick to save at his near post after Argyle were caught out by a quickly-taken free-kick. Matt Green was just unable to lift the ball high enough to beat the keeper after reaching Gary Sawyer's short back header after nine minutes. MacDonald wasted two more chances, firing over after great work by Matt Green and tamely volleying at the keeper while Rhys Bennett headed a corner straight at McCormick. Argyle's lone first-half chance came when Carey curled a 20-yard free-kick just wide after 18 minutes. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Mansfield Town 0, Plymouth Argyle 2. Second Half ends, Mansfield Town 0, Plymouth Argyle 2. Attempt missed. Danny Rose (Mansfield Town) header from the left side of the six yard box is just a bit too high following a corner. Corner, Mansfield Town. Conceded by Yann Songo'o. Attempt missed. Danny Rose (Mansfield Town) header from the left side of the box is close, but misses the top right corner following a corner. Corner, Mansfield Town. Conceded by Ryan Donaldson. Attempt blocked. Shaquile Coulthirst (Mansfield Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Foul by Malvind Benning (Mansfield Town). Jake Jervis (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick on the right wing. Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. Gary Miller replaces David Fox. Substitution, Mansfield Town. Alfie Potter replaces Alexander MacDonald. Attempt saved. Shaquile Coulthirst (Mansfield Town) with an attempt from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt missed. Danny Rose (Mansfield Town) header from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left following a set piece situation. Hayden White (Mansfield Town) wins a free kick on the right wing. Ryan Donaldson (Plymouth Argyle) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Ryan Donaldson (Plymouth Argyle). Attempt blocked. Malvind Benning (Mansfield Town) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Foul by Shaquile Coulthirst (Mansfield Town). Ryan Donaldson (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Mansfield Town. Danny Rose replaces Matt Green. Substitution, Mansfield Town. Shaquile Coulthirst replaces Lee Collins. Goal! Mansfield Town 0, Plymouth Argyle 2. Graham Carey (Plymouth Argyle) from a free kick with a left footed shot to the top left corner. Krystian Pearce (Mansfield Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by", "summary": "Two goals in five second-half minutes saw Plymouth earn victory after being given a searching examination by play-off chasing Mansfield."}
{"article": "Dr McBride will combine the temporary role with his current position as chief medical officer. Among Dr McBride's responsibilities as chief executive will be to improve unscheduled care services and elective care, He will also lead the development of a new 10-year strategy for the trust. Announcing the appointment of Dr McBride last month, Health Minister Jim Wells said he was a natural leader and gifted strategist. \"He has been at the forefront of medicine in Northern Ireland for two decades both as an accomplished physician and a highly respected government advisor,\" he said. \"He possesses all the skills and the wealth of experience required to lead Northern Ireland's largest provider of health and social care services.\" The previous chief executive of the trust, Colm Donaghy, resigned in March of this year to become chief executive of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. In July, Bill Maher, the chief executive of the West/North West Hospitals Group in the Republic of Ireland, was offered the top job in the Belfast Trust but turned it down.", "summary": "Dr Michael McBride is beginning work as the new chief executive of Belfast Health Trust on Monday."}
{"article": "The framework agreement, struck after intensive talks, aims to prevent Tehran making a nuclear weapon in exchange for phased sanction relief. Iran and the six world powers involved must now finalise the deal. Iranians have been celebrating in the streets but Israel says the deal threatens its survival. \"This will be a long-term deal, that addresses each path to a potential Iranian nuclear bomb,\" the US President said in a statement after the deal was announced. \"If Iran cheats, the world will know it,\" he said, adding that the agreement was based not on trust but on \"unprecedented verification\". He said that if the deal is finalised, \"we will be able to resolve one of the greatest threats to our security, and to do so peacefully\". According to \"parameters\" of the agreement published by the US state department, Iran must reduce the number of its centrifuges that can be used to enrich uranium into a bomb by more than two-thirds. It also has to redesign a power plant so it cannot produce weapons-grade plutonium, be subject to regular inspections, and agree not to enrich uranium over 3.67% - far less than is required to make a nuclear bomb - for at least 15 years. \"There's new state of the art technology that will be used,\" US Secretary of State John Kerry told the BBC. \"We will have tracking of their uranium from the cradle to the grave.\" There's been celebration through the night across Iran and a hero's welcome for Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. But the deal he's brought home has been dismissed by hardliners who say Iran surrendered too much in exchange for too little. John Kerry also faces a mix of support and scepticism in the US Congress. The loudest condemnation has come from Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu, who insists this deal doesn't block but helps Iran build a nuclear bomb. As hard as it was to reach this preliminary agreement, it will be even harder to draft a final deal by the end of June. But, if negotiators do it, it will be a victory for diplomacy which, they believe will make the world a much safer place. A deal that buys time The framework agreement was announced by the European Union and Iran after eight days of intense negotiations in the Swiss city of Lausanne. Western powers have long distrusted Iran's assertions that its nuclear programme is peaceful. The talks at Lausanne's Beau-Rivage Palace hotel between Iran and the so-called P5+1 - the US, UK, France, China and Russia plus Germany - continued beyond the original, self-imposed deadline of 31 March. The Iranian foreign minister, Javid Zarif, called it a \"win-win outcome\", but warned: \"We have taken a major step, but are still some way away from where we want to be.\" The parties have set a deadline of 30 June to reach a comprehensive pact, but these negotiations are expected to be tougher than those that led to the framework agreement. Even so, there was jubilation overnight on the streets of Tehran. If the deal is implemented", "summary": "President Obama has hailed a deal restricting Iran's nuclear programme as a \"historic understanding\" which, if implemented, will make world safer."}
{"article": "Twenty-two people were killed in the explosion, including an eight-year-old girl. A further 59 people, including 12 under the age of 16, were injured and taken to hospital. Nick Haywood, 46, from Nottingham was waiting for his 16-year-old daughter Caitlin and her friend, also 16, when the explosion happened. He said: \"You could feel it, you could feel the noise. It was incredibly loud. My first thought was to find my daughter. \"People were already starting to filter out. You could tell something was wrong, no-one was laughing or chatting. Some people were running, a bit of mild panic. \"I was trying to get hold of them on the phone but the network was down so I made my way into the arena. Seeing her on the stairs was a huge relief. \"It was like she was almost born again. It was the best moment of my life all over again.\" Caitlin had planned and saved up for the trip for months. She said: \"We were so excited when the day came and we were listening to her music on the train. We were so excited, but it turned out to be be a bad experience. \"When people said [the noise] was a balloon or a speaker, in the back of my head I knew it was a bomb and we needed to get out. \"I thought the next minute people with guns were going to start coming in.\" She said she and her friend were near the front of the stage when the blast took place and she said people were getting crushed as they panicked and ran for the exit. \"As soon as Ariana Grande left [the stage] the lights went out and the bomb went off. That made me think that this person planned it so well.\" Stephanie Hill and her daughter Kennedy were at the concert. She said the police and emergency services entered the building soon after the blast, but she still didn't feel safe. \"The police were all there, there were armed police with... their guns, there were ambulances. \"They were there so quickly it was unbelievable. But we didn't know, even then we didn't know what was going on. \"We were thinking 'oh my God, we're going to get shot'. \"So we ran, we ran and we hid under a bridge for about forty minutes.\" Kennedy said at first the arena was \"scarily still for five or six seconds... then everybody just ran.\" The Manchester community that rushed to help Leah Cassidy, 16, from Radcliffe was at the concert with her friend. \"As the concert finished and we were nearing the tunnel to leave the auditorium, there was a huge bang that shook the whole ground. The whole auditorium went deadly quiet for five seconds and then the screaming began. \"The bomb went off near our tunnel. Because everyone started pushing back from the tunnel we were going to, my friend and I held hands and started to run to the opposite direction. \"As we were running, I saw smoke everywhere and shoes on the", "summary": "Witnesses have described the chaos and horror after a fatal explosion at the concert by US pop star Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena."}
{"article": "A 27-year-old man and a woman, 32, were detained after the 60-year-old victim's body was found at the Forest Gate house, early on Christmas Day. Four people escaped from the house on Field Road before firefighters arrived just before 04:45 GMT. A post-mortem test showed the victim had died from burns and the inhalation of fumes, the Met Police said. Fire crews found his body on the ground-floor of the two-storey house. Police believe \"the fire was started deliberately\" and say they believe they know who the victim was, but formal identification has not yet been made. Twenty one firefighters and four engines tackled the blaze, which was brought under control after about two-and-a-half hours. Det Ch Insp Steve McCabe said: \"I need to hear from anyone who saw anything suspicious in Field Road and the surrounding area in the early hours of Christmas Day.\"", "summary": "Two people are being held on suspicion of murder after a man was found dead following a house fire in London."}
{"article": "Rurik Jutting was held after police found the victims in an apartment in the Wan Chai area. They were called there at 03:42 on Saturday (19:42 GMT). One woman, aged between 25 and 30, was found with stab wounds, and the body of a second woman was found inside a suitcase on the balcony. Local reports said the women were believed to be sex workers. Hong Kong Police said they had detained the man and retrieved a knife from the apartment in the J Residence block ,which is situated in an affluent area and is reportedly popular with professional people working in the financial sector. Assistant district commander Wan Siu-hung told reporters that the woman whose body was in the suitcase had been dead \"for quite some time\" and had neck injuries. Speaking about the other dead woman - who had stab wounds to her neck and buttocks - he said: \"We believe the death was caused by a sharp object which cut the throat of the deceased. \"When police found her she was lying in the living room - the room was messy.\" The two women are believed to be of Asian or South East Asian origin. The South China Morning Post reported that police had found a small amount of cocaine in the apartment and that they were examining the arrested man's mobile phone. The suspect was a former employee of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, local reports also suggested. A resident of the 40-storey block, who said his fellow occupants were mainly expats, told the newspaper: \"It was a shock because you would never expect something like this to happen in Hong Kong.\" A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: \"We can confirm that a British national has been arrested in Hong Kong. \"We are in touch with the local police and stand ready to provide consular assistance.\" Post-mortem examinations are being conducted to determine the causes of the women's deaths. Historically Hong Kong has enjoyed a relatively low crime rate. According to the Hong Kong Police website, there have been 14 homicides between January and July, down from 56 over the same time period in 2013.", "summary": "A 29-year-old British man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the deaths of two women in Hong Kong."}
{"article": "Separation talks could be completed within the two year deadline set out in Article 50, but a future relationship would take longer to negotiate, Sir Simon Fraser told BBC Newsnight. Sir Simon said \"transitional arrangements\" would be necessary. Prime Minister Theresa May will invoke Article 50 on Wednesday. \"It's certain that we won't have resolved everything in the period before the expiry of the Article 50 process,\" Sir Simon Fraser told BBC Newsnight. \"The EU side want to start with negotiating the terms of the separation... And the British side, on top of that, wants to move rapidly to discuss the future relationship - both political and economic - between Britain and the EU. And that is a very complex second set of negotiations.\" Because of the difficulty of defining the future relationship, Sir Simon, who held senior posts in Brussels and Whitehall before becoming the head of the diplomatic service, believes talks will soon shift to the nature of 'transitional arrangements'. This means vital questions about how the UK does business with the EU could be left unresolved far beyond 2019. Many Brexit supporters had hoped informal negotiations with the EU could start before the Article 50 clock begins ticking this week. Negotiations are limited to two years. But Sir Simon said the European Commission has thwarted such plans: \"There has been a very disciplined position across the EU, and I don't think that there has been a lot of informal behind the scenes discussion of the agenda or of the key issues yet.\" Sir Simon is also sceptical that the UK will be able to play off different countries among the EU's 27 countries. \"The UK has got to negotiate with the EU as a whole through the EU's appointed negotiator, which will be essentially led by the Commission.\" He added: \"I think it would be a mistake to try divide and rule because I don't think that that will work.\" While Article 50 allows up to two years to reach an agreement, the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has said he wants the outline of a deal to be ready by autumn 2018, in the hope that it can then go before the European Parliament for ratification and member states for agreement well before the deadline is up. But many diplomats, Sir Simon Fraser among them, believe that there will be no serious political discussions before this autumn, following the German elections. While Brexit dominates national debate in the UK, it is a secondary issue for many European governments. This could lead to delays in negotiations with many governments not taking positions until they have to. Combined with the complexity of the Brexit discussions, many diplomats believe that the UK could find itself close to a \"cliff edge\" without final agreement. Sir Simon said while it was in the interest of both sides to avoid such a scenario, there was a \"risk of political ill will and turbulence - both political and economic\" if a deal is not reached within the Article 50 timeframe. It is for this reason", "summary": "The future relationship between the UK and the EU will not be negotiated within two years, says the former head of the Foreign Office."}
{"article": "Xi Jinping will be the first Chinese president to attend the annual meeting of world and business leaders in the Swiss Alps in its 47-year history. Mr Xi will speak in defence of free trade in his speech at the conference's opening ceremony on Tuesday. Theresa May, the UK prime minister, is expected to meet with the Chinese leader in Davos on Tuesday. She will travel to the Swiss ski resort after delivering a speech giving more detail about her Brexit plans in London earlier that day. And on Friday, Philip Hammond, the UK chancellor, will further outline his vision of the UK's economic relationship with the European Union after Brexit. Meanwhile, Mr Trump, who has spoken out against international trade deals, takes office on Friday. Davos: Are the global elite in retreat? Vaswani: Why is Xi Jinping going to Davos? Davos coverage in full Although the president-elect will not go to Davos, one of his top advisers - hedge fund boss Anthony Scaramucci - will speak about the new US leader's plans on Tuesday. Mr Trump, whose \"America first\" pledge helped him win the White House, has also threatened to hike tariffs on goods imported from China. Mr Xi is taking China's biggest delegation to the elite gathering in Davos, and his appearance is seen as an attempt to present the country as a world leader. His entourage includes some of China's most successful business people, such as Jack Ma, the founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba, and property magnate Wang Jianlin, who runs the conglomerate Dalian Wanda. China's vice foreign minister Li Baodong has said Mr Xi will detail the country's views on how to \"steer economic globalisation towards greater inclusiveness\". Despite the apparent hostility between the US and China, Mr Xi has spoken of a smooth communication channel with Mr Trump's team, and reports suggest the Chinese president would be willing to meet members of the US president-elect's team whilst in Davos. Mr Xi's attendance has been welcomed by WEF founder Klaus Schwab, who said he expects him to \"show how China will assume in global affairs a responsive and responsible leadership role\". Responsive and responsible leadership is the theme for this year's gathering, which comes after a year of dramatic events including the UK's Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump. Mr Schwab has called on attendees to help \"overcome the present mood of divisiveness and negativism\". \"The world is fundamentally transforming technologically, economically, socially and politically. \"There are no simple, ready-made solutions. What we urgently need are pragmatic and future-oriented actions, even in the form of small steps, to provide positive narratives,\" he said ahead of the conference. The World Economic Forum's global risks report, published ahead of the meeting, said \"rising income and wealth disparity\" and \"increasing polarisation of societies\" were two of the biggest risks expected to impact the world over the next decade. The report, which is based on the views of 750 experts, found climate change and the potential for extreme weather events, cyber dependency leaving firms and governments more vulnerable to cyber-attacks", "summary": "China, Donald Trump and Brexit are set to dominate this year's World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Calvin Wellington, Elliot Jenkins, Zak Williams, Josh Ralph, Caleb Aekins and Daniel Brown are the newcomers. Wales start against Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby on Saturday, 28 October. Further group games follow against Fiji on Sunday, 5 November, in Townsville and Ireland in Perth on Sunday, 12 November. The squad features 12 players from Super League clubs, nine players from Championship clubs, 13 players from League 1 clubs and four players from NRL and Australian clubs. \"The train-on squad is a mixture of those who have achieved with us and newcomers who have come to our attention,\" said Kear. \"We want to be able to pick the best squad for the World Cup. \"Ben Flower, Ollie Olds and Rhys Evans are all currently injured. We're giving them every opportunity to recover, go through their rehab and put their hands up for selection.\" WALES: Larne Patrick (Castleford Tigers), Zak Williams (Coventry Bears), Courtney Davies, Steve Parry, Lewis Reece (all Gloucestershire All Golds), Danny Ansell (Hunslet), Sam Hopkins (Leigh Centurions), Michael Channing, Ben Evans, Dalton Grant, Elliot Kear, Rhys Williams (all London Broncos), Josh Ralph (Newcastle Knights), Matty Barron (Newcastle Thunder), Joe Burke (Oldham), Caleb Aekins, Daniel Brown (both Penrith Panthers), Ant Walker (Rochdale Hornets), Craig Kopczak (Salford Red Devils), Matty Fozard (Sheffield Eagles), Morgan Evans, Connor Farrer, Andrew Gay, Christiaan Roets (all South Wales Ironmen), Regan Grace, Elliot Jenkins, Morgan Knowles, Ben Morris, Calvin Wellington (all St Helens), Rhodri Lloyd (Swinton Lions), Jake Emmitt, Dan Fleming (both Toronto Wolfpack), Rhys Evans (Warrington Wolves), Ollie Olds (West Brisbane Panthers), Gil Dudson, Lloyd White (both Widnes Vikings), Ben Flower (Wigan Warriors), Phil Joseph (Workington Town). Wales World Cup group matches: Papua New Guinea v Wales - Saturday, 28 October, Port Moresby Fiji v Wales - Sunday, 7 November, Townsville Ireland v Wales - Sunday 12 November, Perth.", "summary": "Wales coach John Kear has named six uncapped players in his 32-man training squad for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup."}
{"article": "Farmers in the north-eastern Liaoning province, made use of different colours and varieties of rice saplings in order to mimic the 3D effect. The fields are housed as part of a theme park in Shenyang city, which also caters to weddings and camping trips for tourists. The Xibo farmers, an ethnic Chinese group, have an annual tradition of creating patterns on their rice paddy fields. Creating art on their rice fields also serves as a way of praying for blessings. Last year, they produced 13 images featuring different themes of places, animals, and people. Even the legendary Chinese deity Nezha was represented in rice paddy form. The murals set a 2012 world record for the \"largest rice paddy work ever made\". Officials are also hoping that this year's special 3D rice art will attract more tourists to Shenyang city. \"Stunning work,\" remarked a Facebook user. \"Crop circles are so last century.\" \"It's Art Attack! In China,\" said another.", "summary": "3D imagery has now reached China's rice paddy fields."}
{"article": "The poet, from Bellaghy, County Londonderry, died at a Dublin hospital on 30 August 2013, at the age of 74. The inscription on his headstone is a line from Heaney's poem The Gravel Walks, which he used in his 1995 Nobel prize acceptance speech. It reads: \"Walk on air against your better judgement.\" Heaney's memorial is located in a corner of the graveyard adjoining St Mary's parish church in Bellaghy, close to that of his parents and other members of the family. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature \"for works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past\". Heaney previously explained why he chose the quotation to include in his Nobel acceptance lecture, as the Irish News reports. \"A person from Northern Ireland is naturally cautious,\" he said. You grew up vigilant because it's a divided society. My poetry on the whole was earth hugging, but then I began to look up rather than keep down. \"I think it had to do with a sense that the marvellous was as permissible as the matter-of-fact in poetry.\" The former professor of poetry at Oxford University said The Gravel Walks focused on heavy work as well as the \"paradoxical sense of lightness\" when lifting heavy things. It also alludes to a popular traditional Irish reel of the same name. \"I like the in-betweenness of up and down, of being on the earth and of the heavens,\" he added. \"I think that's where poetry should dwell, between the dream world and the given world, because you don't just want photography, and you don't want fantasy either.\" The Gravel Walks, features in Heaney's collection, The Spirit Level, which also includes a poem dedicated to his brother, Hugh, entitled Keeping Going. Hugh told the BBC he regularly visited the grave and encountered people from across the world who travelled to pay their respects to the poet. \"Seamus wrote a lovely poem about myself which I'm very proud of and is very moving,\" he said. \"I suffer from epilepsy and Seamus wrote a poem for me in The Spirit Level called Keeping Going, I was at the launch of the book when he said this is a poem for Hugh. \"That was lovely and I'm very proud.\" Hugh said that what was heartwarming about his brother was that despite his outstanding literary career and stratospheric success \"his feet never left the ground\".", "summary": "A headstone for Seamus Heaney's grave, inscribed with a quotation from one of his poems, has been unveiled ahead of the second anniversary of his death."}
{"article": "City led 2-0 at half-time but lost 3-2 after Kieran Lee's 96th-minute winner. Both teams had a player sent off, with Gary O'Neil dismissed seconds after Lee Tomlin's penalty bounced clear off the post when Johnson's side were 2-1 up. \"There was a turning point in the game. You couldn't make it up, it's like a bad dream,\" he told BBC Radio Bristol. \"What we have showed is that we can go to a real intense environment and really silence everyone, especially for 45 minutes. \"Whether you win or lose, you always learn from it. It's taught me, I know who can't quite handle the pressure and that's interesting.\" City have 10 points after their first seven Championship games of 2016-17, having won their first two matches.", "summary": "Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson says their loss at Sheffield Wednesday showed him which of his players \"can't quite handle the pressure.\""}
{"article": "That is, the credo pushed by successive presidents that the United States is a beacon of democracy, an exemplar of human rights, an indispensable country imbued with special values and beliefs that grants it the moral authority and national self-belief to influence and admonish other countries, friend and foe alike. Donald Trump, rather than being heralded as the leader of free world, has been pilloried. By protesters who took to the streets - and snow - from Australia to Antarctica as part of more than 600 protests worldwide on the first weekend of his presidency. By satirists who came up with the \"Netherlands Second\" viral video - and all its other cheeky iterations - in response to Trump's \"America First\" doctrine. By models at Milan Fashion Week who paraded on the catwalk wearing the now iconic pink pussy hats that first appeared on the Washington Mall at the massive women's march. By graphic designers who have created a gallery of scolding magazine covers, including, most shockingly, Der Spiegel's depiction of the US president holding aloft the severed head of the Statue of Liberty. When Jimmy Kimmel joked during his Oscars opening monologue that Donald Trump had made 225 countries hate America, he was exaggerating. As with all well-aimed satire, however, it contained more than a kernel of truth. It is a measure of Trump's unpopularity that George W Bush, the last US president to attract such international ire, is being rehabilitated in the global mind as a cool-headed statesman and staunch defender of American press freedom. Last year, at the height of the presidential campaign, a Pew Research Center poll suggested that 85% of Europeans have \"no confidence\" in Donald Trump to do the right thing as president. A poll conducted by Gallup International Association suggested that, were the US election to be held in 45 foreign countries, Hillary Clinton would have won a landslide victory in every single one, with the sole exception of Russia. The French President Francois Hollande even said the brash billionaire made people \"want to retch\". Though international leaders are now more respectful, few could be described as being genuinely admiring. It will take more than his speech before the joint session of Congress, in which Trump sought to stabilise his presidency, to assuage global concerns. During his inaugural address, Donald Trump paid lip service to the notion of American exceptionalism, though he did not use the phrase. \"We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example,\" he declared. \"We will shine for everyone to follow.\" But rather than painting a picture of sunny American uplands, his inaugural address sketched out something darker and more dystopian: a country marred by poverty-stricken and crime-ridden inner cities and \"rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape\". The speech will be remembered not for his brief invocation of American exceptionalism, but rather his depiction of \"American carnage\" and his pledge to put \"America First.\" It was bunker America rather than beacon America. In his speech to the joint", "summary": "When a German Chancellor feels the need to explain the refugee convention to an American president, the speaker of British House of Commons says the leader of its closest ally is not welcome to address parliament, China positions itself as the grown-up in the room by chiding him for his blunt Twitter diplomacy and the botched travel ban is denounced not just by US adversaries, such as Iran, but allies, such as France and Canada, is it not time to sound the death-knell of American exceptionalism?"}
{"article": "Craig Melville is said to have sent a number of messages to an unnamed woman a day after the Paris terror attacks. He has already been suspended from his role as an aide to SNP deputy leader Stewart Hosie. Dundee City Council confirmed that its chief executive had received Mr Melville's letter of resignation. In a statement issued to the Courier, Mr Melville said: \"The pressures of the recent deeply distressing allegations are having an adverse effect on the health of my family and I. \"Therefore I do not feel that I am currently able to fulfil my duties as councillor for the aforementioned ward and to continue as convener of the environment committee to the best of my abilities.\" In one message, Mr Melville, who was the city's environment convener, is reported to have referred to the SNP's international development minister, Humza Yousaf. A Dundee City Council spokesman said: \"We can confirm that a letter of resignation from Mr Melville has been received by the chief executive. \"A by-election will be called for the Maryfield ward and arrangements will be made in due course.\"", "summary": "A Dundee councillor currently under investigation for allegedly sending anti-Islamic texts to a Muslim colleague has resigned."}
{"article": "Chris Martin headed the hosts into the lead from Cyrus Christie's cross after Tom Ince had earlier seen a deflected effort hit the Town post. The Terriers had chances to get back in the game but Jamie Paterson dragged a shot just off target from 15 yards. Ince's shot struck the crossbar before sub Johnny Russell wrapped up the victory with a smart curling finish. It was just a third win in 11 matches for the Rams but victory maintains their hopes of pushing for an automatic promotion place. Darren Wassall's men are seven points behind second-placed Middlesbrough having played a game more. Huddersfield were competitive throughout but defeat means they drop to 18th in the table, seven points clear of the relegation zone. The Rams travel to QPR on Tuesday while Huddersfield host Reading, looking for their first win in four matches. Derby head coach Darren Wassall: \"We believe in Chris Martin but what we did do at Brentford [on 20 February] was have a long chat before the game and say we wanted him firing on all cylinders because he's a great asset to the club. Media playback is not supported on this device \"He hadn't scored in open play since October so we decided to leave him out for the Brentford game and he agreed with that decision. Since then, I think it was a weight off his shoulders and his attitude was great. \"He came on at Brentford and scored a wonder goal and he's not looked back since. That's all we've done, we told him we really rate him as a player and he's responded which is full credit to him.\" Huddersfield head coach David Wagner: \"Derby had to produce one of their best performances today to be able to beat us and so we can leave the stadium with our head up. \"I think there were only some small key points that decided this game and those were in Derby's direction which is why we lost. \"It's important that you trust and believe in yourself and sometimes you get what you deserve and sometimes not. Today I think we didn't get what we probably deserved, which was a draw or maybe more.", "summary": "Derby County remain in fifth place in the Championship after a win over Huddersfield."}
{"article": "It excludes the so-called Islamic State (IS) group, the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, and, according to its terms, other UN-designated \"terrorist\" organisations, while including all warring parties that agree to it. The Syrian government says it will observe the cessation of hostilities, but insists that it will continue to fight IS, al-Nusra and \"other terrorist groups linked to them\". The Higher Negotiation Committee, which represents most of the main rebel factions, has given \"preliminary approval\" to the agreement, and is expected to announce its final position soon. Syria's Kurdish groups say they will still fight Islamic State, al-Nusra and the Ahrar al-Sham Islamist group, without clarifying their stance on the ceasefire agreement. Islamic State and al-Nusra control large tracts of land across Syria, where fighting will continue. The city of Raqqa, Deir al-Zour province and parts of neighbouring Hassakeh province, which both border Iraq, are under IS control, and it has a presence north and east of Aleppo, in particular in Al-Bab, Manbij, and Jarablus. In May 2015 it captured the city of Palmyra and extended its control into eastern Homs province, and has a limited presence in the rural areas of eastern Hama. The group is also present in the strategically important Qalamoun mountains north-east of Damascus, where it has clashed with al-Nusra. Al-Nusra Front is present in Aleppo and areas to the south and north-west of the city. It also controls parts of Qalamoun region and Hama province. Unlike IS, al-Nusra is willing to conclude tactical alliances and go into coalition with other groups, such as with the Islamist Jaish al-Fatah in Idlib Province. A question mark remains over the status of these allied groups under the ceasefire terms. No. Russia, Iran and the Syrian government regard Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Islam as terrorist groups. Ahrar al-Sham is likely to be excluded from the ceasefire, given its alliance with al-Nusra in Aleppo and Idlib. But Jaish al-Islam, which controls large areas of the Damascus countryside, has closer ties to the broader Syrian opposition, and any attack on its positions might therefore endanger the ceasefire. The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Women Protection Units (YPJ) are simultaneously fighting various Islamist groups as part of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) campaign. They are fighting IS in Hassakeh province, and al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham around Aleppo. The ceasefire will not have a direct impact on these theatres. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "summary": "The partial ceasefire for Syria brokered by the United States and Russia is scheduled to come into effect on 27 February."}
{"article": "Middlesbrough Council has secured a \u00a33.7m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to restore the Town Hall in Corporation Road. The council is putting \u00a34m into the scheme which will turn the premises into a visitor \"heritage\" attraction. Ivor Crowther, head of HLF North East, said it was a \"stunning reminder\" of the town's proud industrial heritage. Parts of the Grade II listed building will be opened to the public, including the Victorian courtroom, cells and fire station. The plans also include the development of a new cafe, bar, and a new community space. Work is expected to get under way in January and the Town Hall is scheduled to be closed for nearly two years, the council said. Middlesbrough's deputy mayor Dave Budd said: \"The Town Hall is the jewel in Middlesbrough's crown and this project will restore it to its full majestic glory.\"", "summary": "Plans for a \u00a37.7m revamp of a 120-year-old council building have been given the go ahead."}
{"article": "The Reds impressed in last weekend's 2-0 win over Ballinamallard, leaving then eight points behind leaders Crusaders. \"We were fantastic against the Mallards and we have to continue that when we play Portadown,\" said Lyttle. \"We'll never give up on going for the title - our squad is in good shape and we'll just keep going for it.\" He added: \"We are not worried about Crusaders, our focus is only on what we do. \"We have brought in quality players and we have quality players coming back from injury so the squad if getting a bit bigger now. \"Our aim on Saturday is simple - three points and a clean sheet.\" The Ports have bolstered their attack by signing striker Mikey Withers from Lisburn Distillery on an 18-month deal. Crusaders visit Coleraine while third-placed Linfield, who have brought in forward Michael McLellan from H&W Welders, welcome Carrick Rangers to Windsor Park. Ballymena United will be without the suspended Tony Kane for the Ferney Park clash against a Ballinamallard side sitting just one point above the bottom. The Mallards are under pressure from inform Warrenpoint Town, who remain the basement team but are eyeing safety after an unbeaten run of six league games. However, Warrenpoint's game at Dungannon has been called off because of snow while Glenavon's contest with Glentoran has also falling victim to the winter weather.", "summary": "Cliftonville manager Gerard Lyttle hopes to maintain their Premiership title push with victory over Portadown at Solitude on Saturday."}
{"article": "He made the comments during a \"candid exchange\" with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Hangzhou before the G20 summit, the White House said. In July, an international tribunal ruled against Chinese claims to rights in the South China Sea. China dismissed the ruling and said it would not be bound by it. The ruling was made by an arbitration tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which both China and the country that brought the case - the Philippines - have signed. The White House said Mr Obama emphasised \"the importance for China, as a signatory to UNCLOS, to abide by its obligations under that treaty, which the United States views as critical to maintaining the rules-based international order\". Chinese media reports on the meeting between Mr Obama and Mr Xi made no mention of any discussion about the South China Sea. China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including reefs and islands also claimed by other nations, and has caused dismay in the region by building artificial islands and restricting access. Earlier on Saturday, the US and China - together responsible for 40% of the world's carbon emissions - both formally joined the Paris global climate agreement. \"History will judge today's effort as pivotal,\" Mr Obama said. Last December, countries agreed to cut emissions in an attempt to keep the global average rise in temperatures below 2C.", "summary": "US President Barack Obama has urged China to abide by its obligations under an international treaty in its activities in the South China Sea."}
{"article": "Its youth wing was responsible for attacking and killing opposition supporters, the rights group said. The CNDD-FDD party has not has yet commented on the allegation. Burundi is recovering from a brutal civil war that ended with President Pierre Nkurunziza's election in 2005. Speculation is rife that he intends to run for a third term in the June 2015 election, despite opposition claims that this would be in violation of the constitution which imposes a two-term limit. The CNDD-FDD's youth wing, Imbonerakure, has \"strong links to the security services and are responsible for perpetrating human rights abuses with impunity\", Amnesty said in a report. At least one opposition member was shot and killed by two soldiers on the orders of a local official and an Imbonerakure member, Amnesty said. \"Another opposition member had his teeth knocked out during a beating,\" the report said.", "summary": "Burundi's ruling party is waging a \"relentless campaign of intimidation\" against its critics ahead of presidential elections next year, Amnesty International says."}
{"article": "The BBC's Tom Espiner looks at seven unusual ways of getting at least some of the 20 minutes of brisk activity a day being recommended. Sir Stanley Matthews was still playing professional football at 50, but for people of a similar age who might like to ease back into the game, walking football could be just the ticket, according to Surrey Football Association. Walking Football has helped players start kicking a ball again and getting active who have suffered from hip replacements, chronic arthritis - and even heart bypass surgery, says Surrey FA Football Development Officer Chris Cole. Andy Cox plays Walking Football every week in Croydon. \"I never envisaged at the age of 65 I'd start playing football again. I'm fitter now than I was 30 years ago,\" he says. Luton Council and leisure trust Active Luton are two organisations keen to promote the beautiful game at a sedate pace - Active Luton has recently been given \u00c2\u00a340,000 from Sport England for walking football. Active Luton chief executive Helen Barnet says: \"The skills and enthusiasm on show compares to anything you would see on Match of the Day. It is simple to do and play and above all everyone that takes part is always smiling.\" The Walking Football United website's interactive map shows where you can go to find out more. People may think of hula-hooping as primarily being a US 1950s craze, but, hula-hoop based classes are available around the country, with some groups offering circus skills as well. Ellouise Hempstead, of Etrois Dance and Fitness in Newcastle, says: \"Hooping can be a solo activity in your living room, or a social one if you join a hoop class. Either way, it's great to lose body fat, gain muscle tone, boost your energy, improve balance and co-ordination, reduce stress and most importantly have fun.\" Kurling is inspired by the original game of curling, and involves pushing a kurling stone on casters (called \"bearings\") towards a target. The beauty of new age kurling is that you don't need an ice rink to do it, according to Ann McCallum, secretary for the Dover club which practises the sport. \"All you need is just a target, some chairs to sit on, some sticks, and then you're away,\" she says. The Great Britain Kurling Association has more information. \"Double Dutch\" is the name given to jumping two ropes swung by two people, and can be fiercely competitive. However, people can skip at their own pace singly, and even Double Dutch skipping occasionally lets people have a rest, as they hop in and out of the ropes, according to the British Rope Skipping Association. For those people who think that sailing is \"like standing under a cold shower tearing up \u00c2\u00a35 notes\" - as former PM Edward Heath reportedly said of ocean racing - the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) begs to differ. Dinghy sailing, where people sail boats designed for one, two, or more people, is open to all, RYA says. \"It is one of most accessible sports for disabled people and is also one", "summary": "Scientists say a lack of exercise could be killing twice as many people as obesity and are urging people to get more active."}
{"article": "No-one has applied for the job of lollipop man or woman at Broughton Moor Primary School in Allerdale, Cumbria, despite repeated advertisements since January 2011. Cumbria County Council has proposed scrapping the post and reallocating the money to the town's general budget. Traffic calming measures had been installed on the road, it said.", "summary": "A school crossing patrol could be permanently scrapped after a four-year search for someone to staff it failed."}
{"article": "Pakistan accused India of unprovoked firing in which four civilians died and five others were injured. India said one woman was killed and three other civilians wounded in firing by Pakistani soldiers. Pakistan's army also said it shot down an Indian spy drone in Kashmir. Pakistan summoned the Indian ambassador on Thursday to hear a \"strong protest over airspace violation\", the AFP news agency quoting a statement issued by the Pakistani foreign ministry said. The incidents come days after Mr Modi accepted an invitation from Mr Sharif to attend a regional summit in Islamabad next year, signalling a new thaw in a strained relationship. This will be Mr Modi's first visit to Pakistan after he took power last year. India and Pakistan have often accused each other of unprovoked firing along the disputed border. A ceasefire agreed in 2003 remains in place, but the neighbours often accuse each other of violating it. Pakistan's military said four civilians, including a 18-year-old girl, had died and five others were wounded when Indian troops fired across the de facto border in Sialkot region on Wednesday morning. Across the border, Indian border guards said one woman had been killed and three other civilians injured when Pakistani soldiers fired shells which exploded near a border village in Pargwal area on Wednesday. \"It was a blatant, unprovoked cease-fire violation by Pakistan,\" D Parekh of India's Border Security Force told the Associated Press news agency. Meanwhile, India's army and air force have denied that any of their drones had been shot down or crashed in Pakistan, reports said. \"An Indian spy drone was shot down by Pakistani troops which intruded into Pakistan along [the de facto border that divides the region] near Bhimber today. The spy drone is used for aerial photography,\" a statement from the Pakistani military said on Wednesday. But a spokesperson of the Indian army denied the report. \"Some reports of a drone crash in PoK [Pakistan-controlled Kashmir] are being referred to. No drone or UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] crash of the Indian Army has taken place,\" the spokesperson told the Press Trust of India news agency. An air force spokesperson also denied that any of their drones had been brought down. Kashmir, claimed by both countries in its entirety, has been a flashpoint for more than 60 years.", "summary": "At least five civilians were killed as India and Pakistan exchanged fire in the disputed Kashmir region, days after a meeting between leaders of the two countries in Russia."}
{"article": "The six \"astronauts\" wearing bright blue jump-suits and even surgical masks, were paraded before banks of television cameras and hordes of journalists at a news conference before entering their mock spaceship. Amongst the long rows of VIPs at the news conference were senior officials from the United States, China and the European Union. If, as some experts believe, the main aim of the Mars 500 experiment is to publicise the concept of human flight to the red planet, then it has surely succeeded beyond all expectations. \"I am very happy to be part of this project,\" said Diego Urbina, the Colombian-Italian and most extrovert member of the crew. \"It will raise awareness of space flight so hopefully a few years from now there will be a real flight to Mars.\" He confessed that Elton John had been his inspiration. \"I don't know if you know that song Rocket Man,\" he asked. \"I want a future like that\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 where people will be going frequently into space and will be working there and it will be very usual.\" In front of the world's media, all the team spoke confidently about the chances of the experiment being successful - in other words that noone would crack under the stress of such lengthy confinement in such claustrophobic and bizarre conditions and demand to be let out. \"The target is for all six of us to be here for 520 days,\" said the French crew-member Romain Charles who took a guitar with him into the cluster of brown and silver-coloured metal tubes which will be home until November 2011. After the news conference, the six crew disappeared, re-emerging an hour later by the entrance hatch to the mock spaceship, where they put on another high-spirited performance for the media. Finally, blowing kisses and waving to wives, girlfriends and relatives, they walked up the steps and through the entrance hatch. A solemn-faced official slowly closed and sealed it behind them. So now reality bites for the six-member volunteer crew. What will they be thinking as they sit inside their tin cans in north-west Moscow where outside the warm sun shines and the flowers blossom? There is no thrill of a blast-off and flight through space. There are no windows from which to watch the Earth gradually shrink away. And no anticipation of reaching a new world more than fifty million kilometres away. Instead, silent inertia, stale air and tinned food. And everywhere cameras watching their every move, looking out for signs of mental collapse. They have just one thing to cling on to, that they are playing their part in the history of space exploration. That their success in this experiment will mean a human flight to Mars is a step closer. And space experts already believe the first flight could be just 25 years away or even less if there is the political and economic will from countries with advanced space programmes.", "summary": "There was all the pageantry of a real space launch."}
{"article": "Margaret Hughes, 91, died and 400 homes were overrun by water when the River Elwy burst its banks in St Asaph, Denbighshire in November 2012. Work to protect the city from future flooding starts on 10 October. A drop-in session on Wednesday outlines plans which include removing the Spring Gardens Bridge and replacing it with a higher and wider structure. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) hopes this will improve flow capacity downstream and reduce flood water levels in the city. The first phase will cost around \u00a33m and is being funded by the Welsh Government with work scheduled to finish in May 2017. The second phase - set to start in January 2017 - will see flood defences raised and improved in the city and at other locations. Planning permission and funding for the second phase are yet to be finalised. NRW's Tim Jones said: \"Building a flood risk scheme of this scale involves a vast amount of preparatory work - from modelling the flood risk, finding options for a scheme, deciding on a preferred option, working on detailed design and securing all permissions and funding. \"This takes time but we are delighted to be in a position to start building now. \"While we can't always prevent flooding from happening, we believe we have a robust scheme for St Asaph that will significantly reduce the risk and provide effective, long-term peace of mind for people in the city.\" NRW estimates the entire scheme will be completed within 12 to 18 months. Until then, short-term measures to reduce flood risk will continue on the River Elwy. Councillor Denise Hodgkinson said: \"It's very welcome. People who were flooded still can't sleep at night when it rains. \" Unfortunately it's taken a long time to raise the funds and put the right permissions and plans in place. Hopefully they will get it right first time.\"", "summary": "A \u00a37.5m scheme to protect an area devastated by floods almost four years ago is set to get underway."}
{"article": "The campaign was started by pop culture website Junkee, which called it a show of support for Indigenous Australians. It has been inspired by American football player Colin Kaepernick. The player has been refusing to stand for the US anthem before games as a protest against racial inequality. Paul Gorrie, an Indigenous Australian activist involved in the Junkee campaign, said Kaepernick's protest made him think \"why shouldn't we do that here?\" He said the Australian anthem, Advance Australia Fair, \"was written in 1878 when land was still being stolen and black people were still being massacred\". It and the recent deaths of Indigenous Australians in police custody were \"the impacts of our colonial history and the racism that continues to this day\", he said. \"This is a call to action for ALL players to show solidarity by not singing and taking a kneel during the national anthem this weekend at the NRL and AFL grand finals.\" Anthony Mundine, a former rugby league star turned boxer, has since shared the video on Facebook, writing that he has been \"saying this for years\". \"All players Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal should boycott the anthem and start changing Australia's ignorant mentality,\" he wrote. Australian sport, in particular Aussie Rules football, has been marred by racism against indigenous players. Adam Goodes, an Indigenous Australian who played for the Swans and has since retired, was repeatedly booed on the field and last year a rival fan was removed for allegedly telling him to \"get back to the zoo\". Australia has also seen heated discussion on whether it should recognise indigenous people in its constitution, repeal clauses that prevent people of a certain race from voting and allow laws to be made based on race. The campaign has generated a mixed response. Lance \"Buddy\" Franklin, one of the AFL's most high profile Aboriginal players, said there was \"no chance\" he would join an anthem boycott. \"First I've heard of it,\" Franklin said at the AFL grand final parade in Melbourne on Friday. \"Personally I think it's pretty stupid really. It's the Australian national anthem, it's a part of our sport, our history.\" Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has described the campaign as \"divisive\". \"This is a weekend where everyone comes together,\" he told 3AW Radio. \"The two big codes, the NRL and AFL, work hard to be inclusive and embrace modern Australia and all of its diversity. \"Sport is a really wonderful inclusive institution in Australia. It divides us in the sense that we support different teams, but only in a pretty good-natured way, but above all it pulls us together. That's why we should all sing.\" Former rugby league player Joe Williams has been one of the loudest voices backing the campaign. Williams, who is Aboriginal, has attracted controversy before for remaining seated during the anthem, during an Australia Day ceremony recognising his community work. \"Why should we sing something that doesn't represent us?\" he told the BBC. \"Would Malcolm Turnbull feel comfortable if he was made to sing God Save the Queen?\" He dismissed suggestions that the country's biggest", "summary": "Australian sports stars are being urged not to stand for the national anthem during this weekend's major rugby league and Aussie Rules finals, as a protest against racism."}
{"article": "The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) had been facing cuts of \u00a342m, around a third of its budget. But Jane Hutt told AMs \u00a331m of them will be cancelled. HEFCW will now have to find \u00a311m worth of savings. She also set out plans to use \u00a32.5m from reserves to help soften the blow of cuts to three rural councils. Ms Hutt said she would allow HEFCW - which funds Welsh universities - to keep \u00a321.1m which was due to be diverted to tuition fee subsidies, and would give it an extra \u00a310m to support part-time courses and research. In statement, HEFCW responded: \"A cut of 32% to HEFCW's budget would have had a real impact on universities' ability to meet Welsh government priorities. \"We are delighted that the contribution of Welsh universities to the economy and society of Wales has been acknowledged.\" Universities Wales chair Prof Colin Riordan praised ministers for the \"understanding\" he said they had shown for universities' concerns after the draft budget was published in December. \"Whilst the funding outlook for 2016/17 remains unprecedentedly tough, we are now more confident that Welsh universities will be able to manage in the short term until future challenges can be faced,\" he said. The assembly voted on Tuesday to approve the 2016/17 budget, which includes an extra \u00a3278m for the NHS. With Labour in favour and the Tories and Plaid Cymru voting against, the Liberal Democrats abstained, allowing the budget to pass. There was an outcry from opposition parties when plans to cut council budgets by an average of 2% were announced in December, with rural authorities facing the biggest cuts. The Liberal Democrats claimed credit for securing some recompense for the three biggest losers. Ms Hutt told AMs: \"Where we've considered that evidence is compelling we have made some adjustments to our spending plans to support our priorities. \"We are confident that our plans are the right plans to invest in the future of Wales - a clear way forward supporting jobs growth and the services that mean the most to the people of Wales.\" The budget is the result of a two-year deal between Labour and the Liberal Democrats after extra money was allocated to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. Conservative Shadow Finance Minister Nick Ramsay accused ministers of announcing \"piecemeal rises\" to health and education spending. \"This budget is more an attempt to make up for past underfunding than a genuine investment in our vital services,\" he said. Plaid Cymru criticised ministers for being \"committed to spending their entire borrowing capacity\" on a planned M4 relief road around Newport. Finance spokesman Alun Ffred Jones said: \"We will not support a budget, or a government, which we see as failing to meet the needs of all the regions of our country.\" Liberal Democrat Peter Black claimed the budget had been \"significantly improved\" by his party. Examples included \"extra money for poorer pupils, the money which we've brought into cheaper transport for 16-18-year-olds, the extra apprenticeships and the additional capital funding we've had delivered around Wales\", he said.", "summary": "Most of the cuts that were planned for higher education have been reversed, the finance minister has announced, as the Welsh budget was passed."}
{"article": "But such habits can build into controlling behaviours, which leave you in fear every time you open your wallet. Financial abuse, as it is called, can involve your partner spending your jointly-earned money, taking out loans in your name, making you pay the utility bills, or scrutinising every penny you spend. Worse, it can be the fore-runner of even more serious emotional, or physical, abuse. While the vast majority of victims are women, men too can be vulnerable, particularly if they have disabilities. New laws are on their way to try to stop coercive behaviour, including in financial matters, but no one yet knows how effective they will be. So how bad can financial abuse get, and can you detect it at an early stage? Many people have to budget carefully, but Jane (not her real name and age) became the victim of obsessive financial control. She says her former husband - and his mother too - would inspect the fridge to find out whether the milk had been bought in Waitrose, rather than Lidl. \"I would find myself in the shop, thinking this liquid hand soap is 70p in Sainsbury's, but I can get some for 40p in Superdrug - but Superdrug is down the road. The logical thing was to buy the one in Sainsbury's, but I knew my husband and mother-in-law would pull me up.\" All financial decisions - from holidays to furniture - were taken by her husband. \"He chose my car. On one occasion, as we were driving away from my parents' house, he shouted out of the window: 'She got to choose the colour.' It was very derogatory.\" When her husband began to withdraw large sums of money from their joint account to spend on motor bikes, she tried to warn the bank. Eventually her husband used up all their savings, and was declared bankrupt. Jane inherited the debts, and over \u00c2\u00a34,000 of arrears on the mortgage. She now lives with her five year-old daughter in her parents' house. Due to her poor credit rating, she will not be able to get a mortgage - or rent a private flat - for at least six years. A recent report for the TUC and the charity Women's Aid - called Unequal Trapped and Controlled - found that financial abuse was often the first sign of further emotional or domestic abuse. The authors of that report, Marilyn Howard and Amy Skipp, say the ten most frequent signs to look out for are a partner who: Under the Serious Crime Act - which has received royal assent, and which will be implemented later this year - coercive and controlling behaviour between partners will become illegal for the first time. Section 76 of the Act allows for a maximum prison sentence of five years, where someone's behaviour causes alarm or serious distress to their partner. This can include financial abuse. As a result, the Police will be given training in how to spot instances of coercive control. Polly Neate, the chief executive of Women's Aid, believes the law will encourage", "summary": "It can start innocently enough: Perhaps your partner asks to see a receipt for the supermarket shop, or explains that he or she opened your bank statement by mistake."}
{"article": "Danielle Marr, who is in her final year at The Waid Academy in Anstruther, Fife, has joined the RNLI crew in the town as a volunteer on local lifeboats. In addition to her studies, Miss Marr will have to carry a pager and respond to emergency calls throughout the day. She is following in the footsteps of her older brother Anthony. She said: \"I am delighted to join the crew here at Anstruther. \"I've grown up watching my brother volunteer and the difference the RNLI make in our community and I want to be a part in that. \"I've been on a few exercises on both the D-class and all-weather lifeboat and have really enjoyed the experience and look forward to continuing my learning.\" The teenager is not the first pupil at The Waid Academy to be granted permission to leave class and rescue those in difficulties at sea. Station coxswain Michael Bruce joined the RNLI more than 24 years ago when he was at school, and he said he is \"delighted\" to welcome Miss Marr to the station. He added: \"Having just completed her first exercise afloat since being enrolled, Danielle's enthusiasm to learn and become a competent member of the crew was clear to see. \"My team are looking forward to training with Danielle and preparing her for the challenges that will undoubtedly lie ahead. \"On behalf of the RNLI I would like to thank the Waid Academy for their supportive approach to pupils volunteering in the community and the benefits that come from doing so.\"", "summary": "A 17-year-old schoolgirl has been granted permission to leave class to save lives at sea after becoming an RNLI volunteer."}
{"article": "The vast majority of the club's reputed 659 million supporters will never step inside the famed Old Trafford stadium. That's because most of them (85%) live in developing economies around the world, with more than half in Asia, the club says. So how do you make sure these potentially lucrative supporters stay loyal and have a rewarding and engaging fan experience? That's the question the club hopes to answer through its recently-announced tie-up with Indian \"digital transformation partner\", HCL Technologies. \"What our fans have been interested in hasn't changed significantly over 100 years,\" says Man Utd's group managing director, Richard Arnold. \"It's about quality of execution - the right content to the right fans at the right time, in the right language, in the right technology format, through the right medium.\" What that means in practice, however, is a little vague at this stage. Man Utd already \"engages digitally\" with 100 million fans, Mr Arnold says. 659m global fanbase 100m fans interacting digitally 66m Facebook likes 6m Twitter followers \u00c2\u00a32bn club value It has nearly six million Twitter followers and more than 66 million \"likes\" on its Facebook page, plus more than 100,000 users of its app, not to mention an undisclosed number of viewers of its digital cable channel, MUTV. So how do you extend that engagement to the rest of the fanbase? Krishnan Chatterjee, head of marketing at HCL's digital business division, says that what you don't do is try to build a one-size-fits-all app for such a diverse audience. \"How many apps could we build? It could be as low as four or five, or as many as 100 - it's hard to say,\" he tells the BBC. And social media content has to be tailored to suit the cultural differences - not to mention the available internet speeds - of fans in different countries, he adds. The key, says Mr Chatterjee, is keeping fans engaged between matches, given that 95% of them will never enter the stadium. This could mean enabling team sponsors to run competitions and offer prizes, as well as offering the usual game and player stats, and \"build your own team\" functionality. In another example, he says all the data being collected from the players - their fitness levels and running speed - could be incorporated into apps for wearable devices, allowing fans to test their own fitness against that of their favourite players. \"But if I could imagine how a fan will be interacting with the club in five years time then I've already failed,\" Mr Chatterjee concludes. \"We're on an exciting journey, so let's get a lot of ideas on the table and do things no other club has ever done.\" The interaction doesn't always have to be very hi-tech, however. Mr Arnold says that simply giving fans the ability to wish players happy birthday on social media \"turned out to be one of the most engaging pieces of content you can do\". HCL will be setting up a \"United Xperience Lab\" at the Man Utd's Old Trafford stadium, where it will \"explore", "summary": "Football, for most Manchester United fans, is a virtual experience."}
{"article": "VW was the seventh most criticised firm in a top 10 dominated by energy and chemical companies, according to consultancy Sigwatch. Shell was the most criticised by campaigners, followed by Monsanto, which makes genetically modified food. Sigwatch monitored more than 7,500 non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The campaigners ranged from Greenpeace to Occupy to the consumer advocates Which? and groups focused on very specific issues such as airports expansion. Singled out for most praise were Nestl\u00c3\u00a9, Marks & Spencer and McDonald's. But it was the increased criticism of VW which was one of the most striking findings, according to Sigwatch. \"Volkswagen didn't even figure as an NGO target in 2014. By 2015 they were the top seven most hated company in the world as far as NGOs went,\" Sigwatch managing director Robert Blood told the BBC. \"It's entirely because of 'Dieselgate',\" he said, as pressure groups relaunched campaigns against greenhouse gas emissions with a new focus on VW. VW was found in September to have fitted millions of US cars with defeat devices which disguised emission levels in diesel cars. Half of the top-10 most criticised companies on Sigwatch's list were energy firms, because of \"the elephant in the room - climate change,\" Mr Blood said. Top was Shell, but TransCanada, ExxonMobil, EDF and BP also featured. Shell said it would continue to engage with NGOs to ensure a \"high-energy, low carbon, responsible energy future for our planet\". The \"most sensitive\" companies to NGO concerns were food companies and retailers. That included M&S, which was praised for its environmental and animal welfare work, Mr Blood said. \"It knows what its customers want and its customers are Greenpeace supporters,\" he said.", "summary": "German carmaker Volkswagen was one of the \"most disliked\" companies for pressure groups last year following its emissions scandal, a survey has found."}
{"article": "The line, from Edinburgh to Tweedbank, opened last year at a cost of \u00c2\u00a3350m and carried almost 700,000 people in its first six months. That was 22% more than forecast for the route, which serves towns including Galashiels, Stow and Gorebridge. The line's success is the focus of a conference being held in Newtongrange. Allison Cosgrove, from campaign group Railfuture Scotland, organised this weekend's event. She said: \"The Borders reopening has exceeded all expectations, so naturally there's interest from other parts of the country from people wanting to share that success. \"The whole area is beginning to benefit from this project, with a hugely positive impact on local tourism. \"We'll be telling the story from the point of view of campaigners and politicians, as well as looking at the practical challenges of rebuilding the railway.\" The Borders was without any connection to the rail network from 1969 until last year after the Waverly Route was axed in cuts recommended by Dr Richard Beeching in his British Railways reports in the 1960s. A plan to reopen the line was passed in the Scottish Parliament in 2006 with work starting in November 2012 and the first passengers travelling last September. The conference is being held at the National Mining Museum Scotland in Newtongrange, Midlothian, on Saturday. Ms Cosgrove added: \"It's appropriate that we've chosen a venue on the reopened line. \"It's one of a collection of small towns in a forgotten area of Scotland which have been regenerated and reinvigorated. \"Railways are now being talked about in Scotland, thanks to the success of the longest rail reopening for a hundred years.\"", "summary": "Small towns on the Borders railway route have been \"regenerated and reinvigorated\" by the opening of the line, campaigners have said."}
{"article": "The whirlwind, which Australians refer to as a \"willy willy\", made a surprise appearance at the Earthcore festival in Pyalong, north of Melbourne. Olivier Bonenfant, who shot the footage, told the BBC that partygoers immediately started running towards the column of dust and debris. He uploaded the footage to YouTube, dubbing the incident a \"doofnado\". \"Doof\" is an Australian term for a dance party held in the bush. \"It looked pretty fun \u2026 if I wasn't filming I would have run into the Doofnado too,\" the 32-year-old Canadian said.", "summary": "Revellers at an Australian dance music festival were filmed charging into a powerful dust whirlwind on Saturday."}
{"article": "Sir Michael Wilshaw said it was critical to have a national system that identified, trained and nurtured teachers with leadership potential. He has given a paper to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, setting out his thoughts on how to ensure schools have strong leaders for the future. He also said school leaders' pay should be publicised to attract top graduates. Giving evidence to the Commons Education Select Committee, Sir Michael said more must be done to bring on the talent of the future. \"Have we got a national system to identify good people early in their careers?\" he asked. \"We need to make sure we have a national system which identifies good people with potential leadership capabilities and to identify them and move them into leadership positions as soon as possible. \"It's urgent, it's absolutely urgent.\" Good teachers could take on senior positions within a few years, school leaders could earn more than \u00c2\u00a3100,000 a year, and the leaders of multi-academy trusts could be \"very wealthy individuals\", Sir Michael told the committee. \"We should publicise that if you're good and you want to make teaching your career, leadership your career, you can do very well financially,\" he told the MPs. Sir Michael also warned improvements to England's education system would be undermined if more action were not taken to tackle teacher shortages. He said more needed to be done to boost the status of teaching and attract more good candidates. Sir Michael's words come against a backdrop of warnings about teacher shortages, notably from head teacher unions and the National Audit Office. The government has said overall teacher numbers have risen and has blamed unions for \"talking down\" the profession. But Sir Michael said: \"I think what we've got to do as a country is to make sure we get more people applying for teaching and training - and we're not doing that successfully. \"All the great improvements that we've seen over the last few years could be undermined unless we tackle this very serious issue.\" The status of teaching was very high in some other parts of the world and it needed to be the same in this country, the Ofsted boss said. He said it was the job of everyone working in education to help to boost the image of the profession. \"We have to make sure that teaching is seen as a really great job,\" he said. \"We need to say how good the job is. \"So much of what we hear is negative - the workload, it's a difficult job, badly behaved children et cetera. \"We've got to start saying that this is one of the most noble jobs in the world, and we don't hear enough about that.\"", "summary": "The need to recruit good future leaders for England's schools is urgent, the head of Ofsted has said."}
{"article": "Huge plumes of smoke billowed from the site at Belraugh Road, Garvagh, on Tuesday afternoon. The blaze was reported to the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) shortly after 14:00 BST. Six fire engines from Coleraine, Dungiven, Maghera, Ballymoney and Limavady attended the scene. The NIFRS said its fire emergency support service vehicle was also deployed, along with a command support unit from Kilrea and water tanker from Pomeroy. Earlier on Tuesday evening, Alan O'Neill from the NIFRS said the fire had been brought under control. \"When we arrived there was quite a significant amount of vehicles involved and we increased our fire appliances to six at the scene. \"We have been there from shortly after twenty past two and we expect to be there for the next couple of hours.\"", "summary": "Up to 600 vehicles have been damaged during a large fire at a car dismantlers' yard in County Londonderry, firefighters have said."}
{"article": "The video shows two masked men firing a volley of shots into the air as two children stand nearby. It was posted on a YouTube channel called IRSP (Irish Republican Socialist Party) Media Belfast. The channel indicates that the video was filmed at the funeral of Barry McMullan on Monday. The published description of the video reads: \"Irish Republican Socialist Movement lay Comrade Barry McMullan to rest with full honors (sic). Belfast, June 26th 2017.\" Det Ch Insp Gary Reid said: \"Police are aware of the footage showing shots apparently being fired by masked men in west Belfast in recent days. \"An investigation is underway.\"", "summary": "Police have launched an investigation after video emerged of shots apparently being fired at a republican funeral in west Belfast."}
{"article": "Chris Gard and Connie Yates had been expecting their 10-month-old's life support to be turned off on Friday. Great Ormond Street Hospital has since disclosed it is putting plans in place for Charlie's care to allow his family to spend more time with him. On Tuesday, Charlie's parents lost their final legal appeal to take him to the US for experimental treatment. Judges at the European Court of Human Rights concluded that further treatment would \"continue to cause Charlie significant harm\", in line with advice from specialists at Great Ormond Street. He has a rare genetic disease as well as brain damage and is believed to be one of 16 children in the world to have the condition; mitochondrial depletion syndrome. Doctors have said he cannot see, hear, move, cry or swallow. Charlie has been receiving specialist treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital since October 2016. His parents said they had been denied their final wish to be able to take their son home to die and felt \"let down\" following the lengthy legal battle. Alongside a video posted on YouTube on Thursday, Charlie's parents wrote: \"We are utterly heartbroken spending our last precious hours with our baby boy. \"We're not allowed to choose if our son lives and we're not allowed to choose when or where Charlie dies. \"We, and most importantly Charlie, have been massively let down throughout this whole process.\" A spokesperson for Great Ormond Street Hospital said earlier: \"As with all of our patients we are not able to, and nor will we, discuss these specific details of care. \"This is a very distressing situation for Charlie's parents and all the staff involved and our focus remains with them.\" Charlie's parents raised \u00c2\u00a31.3m on a crowdfunding site to pay for the experimental treatment in the US. Ms Yates previously indicated the money would go towards a charity for mitochondrial depletion syndrome if Charlie did \"not get his chance\".", "summary": "Charlie Gard's parents have been told they will be able to spend more time with their terminally ill baby."}
{"article": "Goodes, an Indigenous Australian, is regularly jeered and racially abused by spectators. The #IstandwithAdam campaign was trending on Saturday, with actors like Cate Blanchett offering their support. Some fans have defended the booing, claiming it is not racist, but simply a response to Goodes' performance. Ms Blanchett and other high-profile figures, like actor Hugo Weaving and opposition leader Bill Shorten, have spoken out in support of the 35-year-old footballer. They sent videos to Fairfax Media backing the #IstandwithAdam campaign. During games Goodes has faced derogatory slurs and even been told to \"get back to the zoo\". Other Twitter users said the success of a native Australian should be celebrated rather than derided. The Sydney Swans star has described the abuse as \"shattering\" and is taking time off from the sport. Australian Rules football, or Aussie Rules, is played on an oval pitch, between two teams of 18 players. The Australian Football League (AFL) Players' Association and team skippers released a statement on Friday expressing their distaste for the constant booing, especially during last Sunday's clash at Perth's Subiaco Oval. \"Enjoy the game, celebrate the success but don't boo, jeer or taunt players because of who they are or what they stand for,\" it said. Goodes is a vocal advocate for indigenous issues and wants to see Aboriginal people recognised by the Australian constitution. Others, including cricketing legend Shane Warne, have defended fans' right to boo athletes. \"For me, I don't think that the stuff that they're doing to Adam Goodes is racist,\" he told Triple M radio station. \"It's their prerogative. Australia can have an opinion.\" Separately, one of Australia's wealthiest and most influential businessmen, Crown chairman James Packer, said on Friday he was \"ashamed\" of the whole affair. \"He's a great Australian. He won Australian of the Year, I think he's an amazing role model,\" local media quoted Mr Packer as saying.", "summary": "Social media users have been rallying around Aussie Rules footballer Adam Goodes, after he became embroiled in a racism row with fans."}
{"article": "30 November 2016 Last updated at 08:06 GMT One that has been making news because it's been hard to get hold of is the new 'Hatchimal'. It's a furry toy which hatches out of a plastic egg just like a real bird. But is it any good? We asked some Newsrounders to review it. Check out the video to hear their verdict!", "summary": "Every year Christmas comes around and with it a whole bunch of new toys."}
{"article": "The fighters are said to be \"hiding in fewer than 10 houses\" in the seafront district of Al-Giza al-Bahriya. The pro-unity government force announced its full control of Sirte on Monday, after the last IS-controlled area fell to the UN-backed fighters. However, a spokesman has told the BBC they are not declaring victory yet. The operation's Ahmed Hadia told the BBC: \"They've now taken control of the last area, but that does not mean military operations have ended.\" Mr Hadia said the forces, which have been supported by US air raids, would now focus on \"combing the city\" to find any remaining IS jihadists. Sirte was IS's stronghold following its capture in June 2015, and had repeatedly portrayed it in propaganda as its main base outside of Syria and Iraq. But the group was forced back into just one small neighbourhood in late October by pro-government forces following a seven-month battle for control. According to the Facebook page of the force backing the Government of National Accord (GNA), IS had been using women and children as human shields during the battle. Pictures of their apparent captives emerging from the area, covered in dust, have been shown on Libyan television. \"Today they [forces loosely allied to GNA] helped many women and over 20 children, mostly infants and toddlers, who came out terrified and in dire need of medical and post-traumatic assistance,\" the Facebook page said. It has been a long and deadly battle for the forces who fought to oust so-called Islamic State from Sirte. The end of the battle there will be welcomed by thousands who had to flee their homes, and by the international community. Although this does not spell the end of the radical group's presence in the country, it does significantly weaken it. It is likely that its members will increasingly resort to staging more deadly, isolated attacks. It still has cells operating under its banner in different parts of Libya. In 2015, when IS was driven out from the first Libyan city it ever controlled - Derna - it reverted back to control under a mix of local Islamist militias with links to al-Qaeda. Libya's complex network of local armed groups, and its continued dysfunctional politics, still provide ripe territory in which extremist groups can thrive. In the months ahead, Libya's vast array of politicians and rival administrations will need to start finding tangible solutions to the ongoing civil conflict, which led to Sirte's dramatic fall into IS hands in the first place.", "summary": "Libyan forces are hunting down the last Islamic State (IS) jihadists in the city of Sirte, after ousting them from their former bastion."}
{"article": "The seeds were collected last year during an expedition to a remote location in mountains near Tokyo. Experts suggest that the remaining wild population of Betula chichibuensis is too small to sustain itself unaided. The young trees will be shared with other arboretums in an effort to help conserve the threatened species. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) forecasts a bleak outlook for the tree species in the wild. In its Red List of Threatened Species, it observes: \"The small population and restricted distribution... make it susceptible to natural disaster or disease. \"The species is also self-incompatible, requiring two individuals to be close enough to cross-pollinate one another, making seed production uncertain in small subpopulations.\" It adds that there was also evidence of deforestation and habitat degradation in the area where the remaining trees are found, \"presenting a threat to the survival of this species\". Growing hope During 2014, a team led by researchers from the University of Oxford Botanic Gardens, in conjunction with the University of Tokyo, embarked on an expedition to collect seed samples from the threatened birch trees. Part of the team was Dan Luscombe, a dendrologist from the Forestry Commission's Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest. He told BBC News: \"I guess we got little lucky in terms of being there at the right time. \"It is found in a very, very remote location and it is not an easy place to get to. It has got very, very low viability so we were very lucky that we were able to collect a lot of seeds... as birch seeds shatter and shed everywhere, so once it has done that you will never find it.\" Mr Luscombe estimated that the team were able to collect about 1,000 seeds, from which the team at Bedgebury Pinetum were able to produce about 100 seedlings. \"Ideally, we always grow trees that have been sourced from the wild so we are conserving the gene (resource),\" he explained. \"At the end of the day, we have got these really rare trees and their habitats are highly threatened. If you want to put them back or want to put them somewhere else then you need to know how to grow them.\" The long-term aim of the project is also to plant Japanese birch saplings in arboretums all around the country, as well as working closely with their Japanese colleague to protect the survival of the threatened species in the wild. \"We will share the love so then other arboretums can try growing this species in different climates and soils etc,\" Mr Luscombe added. He also explained that planting samples of the trees in various parts around the UK would reduce the risk of the species being lost to storm damage or disease. There are also plans to plant a grove of the trees, known as a seed orchard, to provide an ongoing supply of seeds.", "summary": "UK scientists have successfully germinated seeds from the critically endangered Japanese Birch, a species that has just 21 known trees remaining."}
{"article": "Victory ended the hosts' own poor run of four consecutive losses and moves them up to sixth in the table. Ben Foden and Tom Wood's tries gave Saints a deserved 14-0 half-time lead. Sale's rugby league convert Denny Solomona marked his Premiership debut with a superb, acrobatic finish before Luther Burrell's late Northampton try. Victory came at the end of a tough week on and off the field for Saints, who avoided any sanctions when a lengthy review into wing George North's latest head injury was published on Wednesday. They were thrashed 60-13 by Leinster in the Champions Cup last Saturday but Foden's early try quickly lifted the mood for Jim Mallinder's side. Stephen Myler was clinical with his boot, converting all three Saints tries and adding a precise, second-half penalty. Sale, who have not won in the league since October, improved in the second half after Mike Phillips was sent to the sin-bin and Solomona's brilliant try got them on the scoreboard, diving over the Saints defence when just inches from the touchline. For the hosts, Louis Picamoles was outstanding, while the impressive Nic Groom had two tries correctly ruled out; one was for a narrowly forward pass and another for letting the ball slip fractionally out of his grasp on the try line. Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder: \"We started well for a change and attacked with accuracy. \"It's disappointing we didn't get a bonus point as we needed Nic Groom to score one of the two tries that were disallowed by the TMO. \"We've got Gloucester next week and then Bristol at home. These are games we are capable of winning and if we do we can move up the table.\" Sale Sharks boss Steve Diamond: \"We are not clicking at the moment as we are panicking under pressure and can't beat anyone at present. \"We've got to keep plugging away but our recruitment is in place for next season when we will have four or five new players. \"We need leaders and direction and hopefully the new recruits will provide this. With 20 minutes to go, I thought we had a real chance of getting a bonus point but we couldn't convert our chances.\" Northampton Saints: Foden, Pisi, Burrell, Hanrahan, Estelles, Myler, Groom, Waller, Haywood, Brookes, Lawes, Day, Wood (capt), Harrison, Picamoles. Replacements: Clare, Waller, Hill, Ratuniyarawa, Gibson, Kessell, Wilson, Tuitavake. Sale Sharks: Haley, Solomona, James, Leota, Charnley, MacGinty, Phillips, Harrison, Webber, Aulika, Evans, Ostrikov, Neild, Lund (capt), Ioane. Replacements: Briggs, Flynn, Longbottom, Mills, Beaumont, Seymour, Mitchell, Arscott.", "summary": "Northampton Saints earned a much-needed Premiership win at Franklin's Gardens to inflict a seventh straight defeat in all competitions on struggling Sale."}
{"article": "Labour had the most councillors on the city council after last week's elections. BBC Scotland revealed that as well as the Conservatives the coalition will rely on the support of three Independents. Labour's Barney Crockett will be the new council leader. The SNP and Lib Dems will form the opposition on the council. A new Independent-Conservative administration will run Moray Council. The Independent councillor for Keith, Stewart Cree, has been chosen as council convener. Meanwhile, the leader of the SNP group on Aberdeenshire Council has fought off a challenge to her leadership. At the group's AGM on Tuesday, Joanna Strathdee was ousted as leader by Rob Merson. BBC Scotland understands that Mr Merson was in post for about an hour before resigning, to be replaced by the former leader. The SNP is the biggest party in Aberdeenshire and is continuing negotiations to form a coalition.", "summary": "Labour and the Conservatives have joined forces to form an administration in Aberdeen."}
{"article": "The lender said that property prices grew by 3.6% in the three months to the end of July compared with the previous quarter. The monthly increase was 1.4% compared with June, making the average home worth \u00c2\u00a3186,332. The figures are at odds with other surveys which suggest a slowdown. This is the first time since September 2007 that the annual change has gone above 10%, according to the Halifax. It accelerated from an 8.8% rise in June. \"While supply remains low, housing demand continues to be supported by a continuing economic recovery, growth in employment, improving consumer confidence and low mortgage rates,\" said Stephen Noakes, mortgages director at the Halifax. The numbers, based on its own mortgage lending, counter the view put forward by rival lender Nationwide, which said prices had started to moderate. The Nationwide's estimate of the annual house price rise slowed from 11.8% in June to 10.6% in July. The year-on-year comparison is calculated slightly differently by the two lenders. The Halifax compares the previous three months with the same three months a year earlier to give a smoother comparison, rather than a direct comparison of the equivalent months as calculated by the Nationwide. The Land Registry has also suggested that seven out of 10 regions of England and Wales showed a monthly fall in prices, although these short-term price changes are often volatile. Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist for IHS Global Insight, said: \"On balance, we take the view that house prices will keep on clearly rising over the coming months but there will be some moderation from the recent peak levels.\" Halifax is part of Lloyds Banking Group, which recently announced that it was moving to reduce its share of mortgages under the government's Help to Buy scheme. Borrowers are now able to raise a maximum of \u00c2\u00a3150,000 through Help to Buy, down from \u00c2\u00a3500,000. Under the scheme, buyers are required to provide a deposit of of 5% of the home's value, with another 20% backed by the government if the buyer fails to keep up with repayments. The Bank of England has also taken action to try to ensure mortgage lending does not reach unsustainable levels. Enter your details into the calculator to find out: Find out more about this calculator", "summary": "UK house prices in July were up 10.2% from a year earlier - the biggest annual change since September 2007, according to the Halifax."}
{"article": "Jill Bennett had been acting head teacher at Priory Primary School in Dudley for a few days before it was put into special measures. In July 2012, inspectors saw a pupil assaulting a teaching assistant who tried to stop a fight. The watchdog's inspector Helen Morrison said it was \"the worst school she had seen\", said current head Ms Bennett. It was then rated inadequate in all four areas assessed by Ofsted. The watchdog said at the time there was: Earlier, the school released its latest inspection, which deems it good in all four areas assessed. Ms Bennett said her motivation to reverse the school's fortunes came because she attended it herself as a child, as did her sisters Glenda and Andrea, and Ms Bennett's own two children, Alex and Megan. She said: \"The area has always been deprived, but I asked myself, 'why couldn't Priory children have good opportunities? \"I told pupils, I was a good student myself, never an A* student, but I was always determined and that's what we would be.\"", "summary": "A school an Ofsted inspector once dubbed \"the worst she had seen\" is now rated good."}
{"article": "Scientists have analysed a cell found in heart scar tissue which could cause increased risk of cardiac arrest. Myofibroblasts cells in patients might increase the likelihood of an electrical \"short circuit\". \"Cells recruited to the heart to repair damaged tissue might also be the cause of post-attack arrhythmia,\" said Prof Chris George. The university's molecular cardiology team has led an international team of experts in the research funded by the British Heart Foundation which has also found myofibroblasts can cause irregular heart rhythms which can lead to sudden death in post-attack patients. In Wales, around 50,000 people alive today have survived a heart attack and the latest findings could lead to an improved diagnosis for victims and better treatments. \"The number of myofibroblasts that infiltrate into damaged areas of the heart is quite amazing,\" said Prof George. \"To be able to also show that there's a link between the number of these myofibroblasts and the onset of arrhythmia lays the foundations for developing new approaches to prevent post-heart attack rhythm problems in patients.\" Ruth Coombs, head of BHF Cymru, added: \"By investing in research in Wales today, we're making tomorrow's tests and treatments for heart conditions possible.\"", "summary": "Research at Swansea University could help predict further attacks and detect problems in heart attack patients."}
{"article": "First a book by Dan Brown, then a Hollywood film, it drew thousands from around the globe to this historic, crumbling building in Midlothian. Reporters like myself were often sent out to see what was happening and I spent a lot of time at the chapel. A decade later, I was keen to find whether it still held the same attraction. Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou and the trappings of Hollywood have long gone from this corner of Midlothian but have they left their mark? I picked a day to visit to try to find out. Not a weekend or a holiday. Just an ordinary day of the week - cold and windy. Back in the mid-2000s, the roof was covered to protect it from the elements and there was a small shop. I remember it was always cold inside the chapel, bitterly cold, even on a warm summer's day. Once inside, the carvings were breathtaking and awe inspiring. Now the roof is revealed after many years of being covered over for repairs. There is now a new visitor centre and a steady stream of tourists eager to see inside. Helen, the Countess of Rosslyn, remembers when Tinseltown came to stay - and never seemed to leave. \"For that reason we are very grateful to the Da Vinci Code and Dan Brown,\" she said. \"What I like to think is that this is another moment in the chapel's long history. \"It was built in the 15th century and what happened at the beginning of the 19th century is very similar to what's happening now. \"It had become rather derelict, badly needed attention and Sir Walter Scott wrote a book, The Lay of the Last Minstrel, which again took one of the chapel's legends as its main point and it had a very similar effect. \"Suddenly people wanted to come to Rosslyn Chapel and that kick-started a whole conservation programme in the 19th century too. \"So the history of the building goes in cycles like that and it's rather lovely that we are just witnessing this latest, very positive chapter.\" The tour guides talk of the deteriorating condition of the chapel, problems with the roof and then \"a little miracle happened\". That miracle was Dan Brown and then Tom Hanks. Visitor numbers rocketed from 34,000 in 2001 to 176,000 in 2006 - the year the film came out. Today numbers still stand at more than 150,000. And it's not just the Da Vinci Code effect: around 40% of visitors to the UK say they were influenced by what they saw on television or film. Tom Maxwell, of VisitScotland, said: \"We've had so many amazing iconic scenes of Scotland on the silver screen over the years. \"You've got the Forth Bridge included in \"The 39 steps\", the west sands of St Andrews featured in \"Chariots of Fire\". \"Coming right up to the modern day you've got Glencoe which is featured in \"Skyfall\" the James Bond movie and also \"Brave\" where the main inspiration for the family castle is Dunnottar near Stonehaven.\" The power of the", "summary": "Ten years ago the phenomenon that was The Da Vinci Code was attracting a growing number of visitors to Rosslyn Chapel."}
{"article": "The observatory claims radio interference from household appliances would pose \"a significant risk\" to the Lovell Telescope's operation. Developers deny their plans would cause an \"unacceptable impairment\" to the observatory, described by Cheshire East Council as \"internationally important\". A government inspector will now hold a series of hearings into the proposals. Cheshire East councillors rejected the plans for 119 homes in Goostrey last year, concluding the proposals would \"result in impairment to the efficiency of the Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope\". In representations to the council, Simon Garrington from Jodrell Bank said: \"Radio interference has an impact on almost all the observations which are carried out. \"Interference is correlated with human activity, whether due to intentional transmissions or unintentional leakage from a wide range of electrical and electronic devices. \"The proposed development itself is likely to generate interference which exceeds the internationally agreed threshold for what constitutes 'detrimental interference' to radio astronomy observations.\" The proposed development site, off Main Road in Goostrey, is 1.95 miles (3.14km) from the observatory. Representing Cheshire East Council, Christopher Katkowski told the inquiry that the protection of Jodrell Bank was \"a matter of global significance\", because the Lovell Telescope's work is \"internationally important\". The inspector, Gareth Jones, admitted that he was \"no expert\" in radio astronomy, but he may be making a visit to the observatory to understand its work as part of the process. Gladman Developments launched an appeal after the council refused its application, claiming there was \"no evidence\" their plans would cause a significant increase in radio interference. The firm argues that the village of Goostrey already produces radio interference, so 119 extra homes would not make an unacceptable difference. Richard Kimblin QC added that the situation may have \"some apparent complexities\" but insisted the developer's case was quite simple: not enough homes are being built in the east of Cheshire. In a statement to Cheshire East Council, the company said it was \"prepared to work with (Jodrell Bank) and consider any reasonable mitigation measures that they might suggest to alleviate their concerns.\" The government planning inspector will make recommendations to Communities Secretary Greg Clark, who will make a final adjudication.", "summary": "A public inquiry into whether a planned new housing development would \"impair\" Jodrell Bank's telescope has begun."}
{"article": "On 5 April 2014 voters went to the polls in a carnival atmosphere, despite heavy rain. But more than two-thirds of cabinet posts are still unfilled. The decision by President Ghani to suspend all provincial governors and police chiefs has led to the further stagnation of government across the country. The reformist governor of Nangarhar province in the east has resigned from the post because he was left without the power he needed to do his job. Nangarhar is in a crucial location, both in terms of security as well as revenue-raising, as it is the gateway to Afghanistan from the Khyber Pass in the east. Its provincial capital, Jalalabad, has been facing increasing attacks from the Taliban and other insurgents in recent months. At a public meeting, a number of elders signed a letter urging the governor, Mullah Ata Ullah Ludin, not to stand down. One said that he was the only person taking on the \"criminal mafia\". Mr Ludin's departure leaves this important province leaderless. He finally insisted he had to step down because he could not make the decisions he wanted. His \"acting\" status meant he was prevented from appointing new teachers, and an order he gave to close a border weighing station was overturned. He had made the decision because trucks were constantly leaving far heavier than had been weighed - and must have paid a bribe for the difference. Apart from the lost revenues, the heavy trucks were damaging the region's roads. He said that if the situation of acting governors and police chiefs was not resolved soon, then the country would \"slide towards instability; people will lose faith in the government and corruption will increase\". It's the same story in the province of Herat, the gateway to Iran, at the western end of Afghanistan's most important trade route. Stagnation here following the suspension from office of most senior officials has provoked the former governor Ismail Khan to actively campaign against President Ghani's government. Khan was a prominent commander in the jihadi war against the Soviet Union in the 1980s. He and other ex-jihadi commanders say they are locked out of government, and are a formidable opposition to the technocratic moderniser who is now president. But President Ghani is also losing support among those who previously backed him. MPs like Helai Ershad say that far from establishing a reformist government, he has had to make alliances with men she described as \"a bunch of mujahidin\". She said that the problems began when the international community persuaded Ghani to share power with Abdullah Abdullah, the opponent he narrowly defeated in a contested election. Since both men have two deputies, there are six separate powerbases to satisfy in making appointments. \"Two different mentalities, how can they work under the same umbrella?,\" she asked. Since there are no political parties in Afghanistan, a country where patronage is the main driver of power, the jockeying for position has gone on. Ms Ershad believes that only 10 of the more than 20 ministers still to be confirmed by parliament will be approved", "summary": "Afghanistan still does not have a full government a year after the presidential election."}
{"article": "Firefighters took more than three hours to douse the blaze in Balaghat district on Wednesday evening. Senior local official Bharat Yadav said the exact cause of fire was not known, but suspected that \"someone might have thrown a burning beedi (cigarette)\". Accidental explosions are common at Indian fireworks factories. Mr Yadav told PTI news agency that the rescue operation was over, and nobody was trapped inside the factory. \"Of the seven injured, five have been rushed to Nagpur [in Maharashtra] for treatment, while two are being treated at a hospital in the district,\" he said. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a compensation of 200,000 rupees (\u00c2\u00a32,396; $3,104) to each the families of each victim. He said the government would also pay for the medical expenses of the injured.", "summary": "At least 23 people have died and seven others were injured in a massive explosion at a fireworks factory in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh."}
{"article": "The government in Havana says those to be freed include inmates due for conditional release next year, as well as a number of foreign prisoners. Those found guilty of crimes against state security will not be eligible, seemingly ruling out several high-profile political prisoners. The Pope will make a three-day visit to the island next week. According to Cuba's state-run newspaper Granma, prisoners were chosen for early release depending on the severity of their crimes, amount of time served, and good behaviour. Among those to be freed are a number of inmates over 60, prisoners under 20 years old with no prior criminal records and inmates with chronic health conditions. No prisoners with sentences for murder, other violent crimes or drug trafficking will be released, the paper said. Pope Francis is expected to meet with Fidel Castro if the former Cuban leader's health allows. The 78-year-old Argentine pontiff is credited with helping bring about last December's diplomatic thaw after the decades-old enmity between communist Cuba and the US. He was directly involved in organising a series of secret diplomatic meetings between the two sides. The Roman Catholic Church has maintained relations with Havana since the revolution and Pope Francis himself is no stranger to Cuba. He was there during Pope Benedict XVI's visit in 2012 and is the author of a book on Cuba.", "summary": "Cuba has said it will release more than 3,500 prisoners in a goodwill gesture ahead of a visit by Pope Francis."}
{"article": "East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said it was called at 18:39 BST and two fire engines were sent to the scene to assist. The i360 pod was carrying a private party, including a heavily pregnant woman, who boarded the pod at about 17:00. It was lowered to the ground about two hours later. The BAi360 Twitter account said: \"Our engineers are resolving the problem & expect it to be working normally soon.\" A local firm of building and quantity surveyors, MacConvilles, tweeted saying: \"Our Director is enjoying the hospitality of the #i360. Technical hitch has halted ride but help is on its way!\" Tim Jones, one of the party organisers, said: \"We weren't very high up when we juddered to a halt and we were told by staff to move to one side of the pod to 'recalibrate the weight' - which made some people a bit nervous. \"It was an interesting experience, and quite ironic as the party was organised by four local businesses who wanted to come together to celebrate the tower's opening.\" \"Only two interactions were made over the two hours and they kept pretty quiet about the free bar and the emergency toilet until we were nearly on the ground,\" he added.", "summary": "A \"technical hitch\" has been blamed for leaving 180 passengers stuck on British Airways's i360 attraction in Brighton."}
{"article": "Made during the reign of King David I of Scotland, the penny was unearthed by a metal detector in a field in the north of England. Experts think it could fetch between \u00c2\u00a38,000 and \u00c2\u00a312,000 when it goes up for auction on 22 September. The penny bears the head of King David I, who ruled Scotland from 1124 to 1153. It is thought to have been struck some time after the Scots invaded England in 1136 to intervene in a civil war over the English throne. The coin will be auctioned in London by international coin specialists Dix Noonan Webb, and the auctioneers have described it as very important. It is one of the first to be struck bearing the head of a Scottish monarch and represents a key moment in the development of independent Scotland. The 54-year-old metal detectorist who found it has asked not to be named. He discovered the coin in a field in County Durham, on the site of a long-lost medieval village after he was given permission to search the area two years ago. He also turned up pennies from the reigns of English kings Edward I and Edward III as well as Elizabethan coins, two modern gold rings and a large number of bullets. The coin was almost certainly dropped in the medieval village which, in the 12th Century, was in an area of Northumbria granted to David I under the Treaty of Durham in 1139. It may, therefore, have lain in the soil for almost 900 years. Hiram Brown, of the Edinburgh Coin Shop, told BBC Scotland: \"This coin is unique because it has an Edinburgh side with David on it, and the other side is Carlisle. It was probably struck in Carlisle. \"David and his son Prince Henry attacked Carlisle and took over silver mines in that area and struck coins. \"They went on to strike coins in many places in Scotland.\"", "summary": "One of the earliest coins ever minted in Scotland is going under the hammer."}
{"article": "Some machines were blown up using \"powerful explosives\", while others were dragged outside and attacked with high-powered saws to access the cash. The seven men were convicted of conspiracy to cause an explosion and burglary at Liverpool Crown Court. They are due to be sentenced on 19 April. The gang, mostly from Merseyside, was caught after a covert police operation. The court was told they carried out 13 raids between February 2015 and February 2016. The attacks happened in Sonnings Common and Woodstock, Oxfordshire; Alsager and Culcheth, Cheshire; Huyton, Merseyside; Hucclecote, Gloucestershire; Swindon, Wiltshire; Bury-St-Edmunds, Suffolk; as well as in Aberdeen, Carnoustie, and Perth. An investigation by TITAN, the Northwest Regional Organised Crime Unit, found the gang stole high-powered vehicles to carry out the raids which they concealed in a special trailer attached to a lorry. The men slept in hammocks inside the trailer which also had fuel containers to reduce the number of times they had to use petrol stations or motorway services, Merseyside Police said. Det Ch Supt Chris Green, head of TITAN, said: \"These individuals believed they were untouchable and they used dangerous tactics in targeting ATM's, which clearly put members of the public at risk.\" Maria Corr, of the Crown Prosecution Service, added: \"These men were ruthless, organised criminals who conspired to cause explosions and burgle banks up and down the country. \"They thought nothing of using powerful explosives to blow up cash machines in residential areas, putting nearby residents in real danger.\"", "summary": "A gang blew up cash machines at banks and supermarkets across England and Scotland stealing hundreds of thousands of pounds, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Donal Hassett, 57, was accused of acting as the property fixer using fake paperwork to rent four homes which were later turned into cannabis factories. He was convicted at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday of conspiring to produce cannabis. The prosecution described their drugs operation as an \"organised, sophisticated drugs syndicate\". Cannabis was produced between January 2015 and March 2016 in four properties across the West Country, the court heard. Hassett, of Southdown Road, Bath, was suspended from the Conservative Party when he was charged. He is currently an independent councillor. Conservative leader Tim Warren said in a statement on Wednesday that \"the party, and he personally, felt very let down by Donal Hassett\". A council spokesman said: \"The council takes this matter extremely seriously. \"We expect the highest standards from all our members and Cllr Hassett's behaviour falls far short of this.\" Hassett was remanded in custody until sentencing. Six others, five men and woman are due to be sentenced for their part in the drugs ring.", "summary": "A Bath councillor has been found guilty of being involved in a cannabis drugs ring."}
{"article": "More than 600 of the 800 employees at Porton Down are at risk of having their jobs relocated to Harlow in Essex. The HPA proposed the move to a single site in 2010 but now the Department of Health wants at least another 12 months \"to fully assess all the details\". Dorothy Fogg, from Unite, said despite uncertainty staff felt more positive. The HPA has been responsible for responding to public health hazards such as swine flu since 2003. In a letter sent to staff, the HPA said the government had requested a \"considerable amount of additional work be done\" on the business case for relocating staff to Essex which will \"add a further year before the case is ready for resubmission\". Dr Christine McCarthy, the executive director of microbiology at the HPA at Porton Down, said employees had \"anticipated a decision with a five year wait and now it looks like it will be six years\". \"This is a very large investment of public funds - especially in the current climate - and they [the government] want as much information as possible to inform the final decision and they want to make the right decision,\" she said. \"But it's putting staff in a very difficult position - they have had two and a half years of uncertainty and this uncertainty is now going to be prolonged for yet another year.\" But Dorothy Fogg, from the Unite union, said staff were also feeling optimistic about the decision. \"There's the uncertainty - they keep being told it will be sorted out year after year which causes frustration - but they're also feeling more positive,\" she said. \"And people are quite hopeful that when they review the case that they will hopefully recognise that it is better to keep the work and the people on site at Porton.\" And MP John Glen said it was \"very good encouraging news\". \"What we're talking about here is spending possibly \u00c2\u00a3300m on a very, very sensitive facility to deal with the most tragic circumstances in terms of public health so I think it's important that they get it right,\" he said. \"But what I think is interesting, in the letter that was sent to staff, is that Justin McCracken [chief executive of HPA] says that a decision in principle has not been made. \"I think that's an admission that the case has not been made and that those who work at Porton should be very reassured.\"", "summary": "Hundreds of staff at the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in Wiltshire are facing another year of uncertainty over the future of their jobs."}
{"article": "Mytravelpass, which is funded by the Welsh government, will entitle 110,000 passengers aged 16-18 to a third off bus fares anywhere in Wales. Transport Minister Edwina Hart said it would make it easier for young people to access jobs and training opportunities. The pass applies to local journeys and longer distance TrawsCymru routes. The scheme is part of a Labour-Liberal Democrat deal struck in September 2014 to pass the Welsh government's budget.", "summary": "A \u00a315m discounted bus travel scheme for young people has been launched."}
{"article": "The new measure comes into force on Friday as police launch their annual winter drink-drive campaign. Previously, police needed reasonable suspicion before asking a driver to take a breath test. The new legislation was passed through the Assembly in April, but this is the first time it has been used by police. The PSNI said there was no safe limit and that motorists should never drink and drive. Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd said the new legislation gave police \"another tool that will hopefully help us to prevent people taking life-threatening, unacceptable, simply stupid risks\". \"Previously, police officers needed a reasonable suspicion about the manner of someone's driving, have seen a moving traffic offence, or been called to a collision before requiring a preliminary breath test from a driver,\" he said. \"The new legislation means we can now establish vehicle checkpoints solely for the purpose of carrying out random breath tests, something which we hope will act as an even more visible, physical deterrent.\" During last year's operation, almost 400 people were caught drink-driving by police. \"Just one drink can impair ability to drive. Considering that in some instances, we have stopped drivers who were so drunk, they could barely stand when they got out of their vehicle, just beggars belief,\" said Ass Chief Const Todd. \"At the other end of the spectrum, we detected some drivers who had gone out socialising and not intended to drive, but their circumstances changed and they decided to take a risk. A risk which inevitably results in a driving ban.\" Police said they would also be working with officers from the Irish police traffic department in border counties. \"In addition to the checkpoints, any driver or motorcyclist we stop, whether for speeding, using a mobile phone, or committing any moving traffic offence can expect to be breathalysed,\" he added. \"So too can anyone involved in a collision or who we suspect may have consumed alcohol or taken drugs.\"", "summary": "Police are to conduct random breath tests at vehicle checkpoints as a result of new legislation in a bid to crack down on drink-driving."}
{"article": "In a series of tweets, Nicola Sturgeon said she would set out the way forward \"in due course after talking to people across the SNP\". And she insisted she would take decisions in the best interests of Scotland, and not just her party. She will face calls at Holyrood later to abandon her plans for a referendum. MSPs are expected to use a debate on the economy to argue that the continuing prospect of another vote on independence would cause damaging uncertainty for businesses. But Scottish government ministers, who did not discuss an independence referendum in their first cabinet meeting since the election, will argue that the main threat to the economy is Brexit. Ms Sturgeon has previously said she will \"reflect carefully\" on her plans after the SNP lost 21 seats in the general election, but had conceded that her call for a second vote on leaving the UK was a factor in the result. She had called in March for a referendum to be held either towards the end of next year or the spring of the following year, \"when the terms of Brexit are known\". On Wednesday morning, the first minister tweeted that much of the media speculation about the implications of the election result for her referendum plans was \"nonsense\". She added: \"I'll set out way forward in due course after talking to people across @theSNP. \"I'll take decisions in best interests, not just of @theSNP, but of Scotland...and not be dictated to by demands for quick headlines!\" She went on to say that her government would focus on trying to influence Brexit talks - and repeated her claim that a \"Tory led hard Brexit is simply not acceptable\" in the wake of the election result. Will the SNP abandon independence? No. Will they abandon a referendum as the conduit through which independence is achieved? Absolutely not. So what are they doing? Well, they may need to change the nature of the language. I think they feel that they didn't get across sufficiently the point that the referendum they want on independence is at the end of the Brexit process. They kept saying: \"When the prime minister says there shouldn't be a referendum now, we agree\". So I think they will try and re-emphasise that. That will not be sufficient for their pro-Union opponents, who will say they don't care how it is rebranded or that it is being placed in contradistinction to Brexit - it is not wanted and it is not needed. Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, who saw the number of Scottish Tory MPs rise from one to 13, has claimed that the SNP's losses in the election meant that \"Indyref2 is dead\". In what will be the first formal chance for MSPs to debate the general election result, the Tories, Labour and the Liberal Democrats will call on the SNP to shelve plans for another referendum. The Holyrood debate on \"opportunities for growth\" follows publication of the State of the Economy report by the Scottish government's chief economist. The report confirmed growth overall in", "summary": "Scotland's first minister has branded speculation about the impact of the general election on her plans for an independence referendum as \"nonsense\"."}
{"article": "Poachers broke into a zoo in Paris and killed a rhino for its horn. The zoo's two other rhinos weren't hurt. ZSL Whipsnade is home to a herd of greater one-horned rhinos and white rhinos. They're kept in secure enclosures guarded by full time security teams who do regular patrols. They told us: \"Our security teams at ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo are aware of this tragic incident, and will be increasing their on-site patrols.\" Rhino horn can be sold illegally in places like China and Vietnam for huge amounts of money. It's believed this is the first time poachers have targeted a rhino in a European zoo. Newsround spoke to several other zoos across the UK who told us they're also looking at increasing or reviewing their security measures. Read Newsround's guide to poaching here.", "summary": "The UK's biggest zoo has told Newsround they are increasing security patrols for their animals, after an incident at a French zoo."}
{"article": "Prashad Sothilingam, 25, of Edghill Road, Mitcham, is accused of murdering 26-year-old Neel Croos in Holborn Way, Mitcham, on 23 November, police said. Mr Croos sustained a serious head injury in a fight involving a large number of men and later died. Two other men were also treated in hospital. Mr Sothilingam was the seventh man arrested over the death and appears at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Monday. He is also charged with the attempted murder of a 29-year-old man on the same day, and charged with violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon. Previously, police arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder. Five other men, aged between 21 and 40, were also held on suspicion of violent disorder. All six have been bailed until a date in early December.", "summary": "A man has been charged with murder after a street brawl in south London."}
{"article": "Ministers have said it would be wrong to give a guarantee without a similar deal for Britons abroad, which they say they will seek in Brexit negotiations. But the Commons backed a Labour motion urging a rethink by 245 votes to two, as government MPs largely abstained. Leading Leave campaigner Boris Johnson was among several Tory rebels to vote against the government. The government had tried to avoid a Commons vote because defeat seemed likely - but Labour forced a division following its opposition day debate. The motion is not binding on the government but it acts as a signal of MPs' views on the subject. Mr Johnson supported Labour's call for ministers to \"commit with urgency\" to giving the estimated three million EU nationals in the UK the right to remain after the country has left the EU. He told MPs: \"I would like to set on record that countless times the Vote Leave campaign gave exactly this reassurance to people from other EU countries that live and work here and it is very disappointing that this is being called into question. \"It think it's absolutely right to issue the strongest possible reassurance to EU nationals in this country, not just for moral or humanitarian reasons, but very, very sound economic reasons too. \"They are welcome, they are necessary, they are a vital part of our society and I will be passionately voting for this motion tonight.\" Home Secretary Theresa May, who backed staying in the EU, has been criticised - including by many Conservative MPs - for failing to guarantee EU citizens already in the UK the right to remain. She has said the issue will play a part in negotiations with the EU, as the UK maps out its withdrawal. Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham accused Mrs May of using EU citizens as \"bargaining chips\". He claimed Mrs May was trying to \"woo\" Conservative Party members in her bid to become the next leader and prime minister. Criticising her absence from the debate, Mr Burnham accused Mrs May of an \"abdication of leadership\". But immigration minister James Brokenshire - who faced criticism from MPs across the political spectrum over the government's stance - rejected the claim it was treating EU citizens as \"bargaining chips\". \"In the approach the government takes and the agreements we make, we will never treat EU citizens as pawns in some kind of cynical game of negotiation chess.\" He said the government's aim was to secure a \"fair deal\" for EU nationals in the UK and Britons living abroad in other European countries. In a statement on Wednesday evening after the Commons vote, Mr Burnham said MPs' decision was \"a victory for common sense and decency\". \"With this emphatic result, it is impossible to see how the government can now reverse what is the clear will of the House of Commons. \"Theresa May should accept the decision of the House and confirm the legal status of EU nationals without delay,\" he added.", "summary": "MPs have put pressure on the government to guarantee EU nationals living in the UK the right to stay after Brexit."}
{"article": "From Afghanistan to the Philippines and beyond, his memorable phrases, his putative skills in the ring and his stand on civil rights are being recounted as a story that transcended the US sports arena to the international political scene. Media have also gone to town with the publication of archive pictures and videos of his high-profile travels. \"When Madras had Muhammad Ali in its corner\" says a headline in the Hindu newspaper website, based in Chennai, formerly known as Madras. Crowds thronged Chennai's Nehru stadium to witness the legend in action in a match against Jimmy Ellis in January 1980. Uzbekistan's online news agency uz24 carries a photo of him visiting in June 1978 when the country was part of the Soviet Union. He had been invited by the Soviet government and then \"decided to go to Uzbekistan to get to know the USSR's eastern cities as he was a Muslim\", the report says. The article also reported his display of humour at Tashkent airport when he was met by Uzbek boxer Rufat Riskiyev, who was the middleweight winner of World Amateur Championship in 1974. When asked whether he knew Mr Riskiyev, Muhammad Ali replied: \"No, I do not know amateurs\". Chinese media highlight his civil rights activism and his refusal to be drafted for the Vietnam war. And the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post says Muhammad Ali met Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1979, reviving interest in boxing on the mainland. Photos showing him praying or holding the Koran have been shared extensively with Arabic hashtags such as #Muhammad_Ali_Clay and #Muhammad_Ali_Clay_passes_away, generating more than 120,000 tweets only a few hours after his death was announced. User @3mmaar1 says: \"The universal love of this legendary champion comes from his humanitarian beliefs and his heroic stances\". Iran's broadcast media and state news agency, IRNA, repeat reports that he had criticised Donald Trump's \"policy towards Muslims\" - referring to Mr Trump's call to ban Muslims from entering the US. State TV said Muhammad Ali \"fought against racism for years\". He had visited Iran and his death \"is a tragedy for the UN,\" the report said. Egyptian state TV said says simply that Muhammad Ali was \"the most famous boxer in the world\". Iraq's private Al-Mada News website describes him as \"the spiritual leader of millions of black Americans and a symbol for hope, dignity and challenge,\" while pan Arab TV channels Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera retell his history as \"a champion\" of people and in the ring. Russia's official Rossiya 1 channel notes that the boxer was \"not only legendary but also a controversial figure\" and \"one of the most unconventional characters in the whole of the 20th Century\". His death is the lead story on most Russian broadcast sources on Saturday, and it is also trending on Twitter in Russia, with media outlets, prominent figures as well as ordinary users re-posting news reports about Ali's death with captions like \"legendary boxer\", \"king of the boxing ring\", \"the greatest boxer of all time\". Nikolai Valuev, a former professional boxer and two-time WBA heavyweight champion,", "summary": "There is no holding back on descriptions of uniqueness in tributes to Muhammad Ali in global media."}
{"article": "Labour's Carwyn Jones said his government would fight Wales' corner, while Conservative Andrew RT Davies promised a \"brighter future\". Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood pledged to share her vision across Wales in 2016, while the Lib Dem's Kirsty Williams said her party was \"up for the fight\". UKIP is also expected to win its very first seats in the assembly in May. Giving his New Year's message, the Welsh Labour leader highlighted the organ donation laws as a defining moment in 2015. \"For me, one of our greatest achievements of the year was Wales becoming the first country in the UK to introduce a new system for organ donation,\" said Mr Jones. He said his government continued to invest \"record amounts\" in the Welsh NHS, while delivering improvements in education, and economic growth that \"continues to outperform the UK as a whole\". He also wished the Wales football team well ahead of the Euro 2016 finals in France. But with a fight on his hand to win outright in May's elections, the Labour leader added: \"We'll never take our foot off the pedal, we'll always fight Wales' corner, striving for the best. The people of Wales deserve nothing less.\" In his address, the Welsh Tory leader said 2016 gave Wales the chance for a \"fresh start\". \"After 17 years with Welsh Labour at the helm, Wales finds itself at a crossroads and there are big decisions ahead,\" said Mr Davies. He said voters had a straight choice between \"the change Wales needs for a brighter future, or sticking with Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party\". Leanne Wood takes her party into the Welsh general election as leader for the first time, stating she will be travelling the \"length and breadth of our country and making the case for Plaid Cymru and sharing my vision for Wales\". \"On that election day, the path Wales chooses will be in your hands. Forward with Plaid or more of the same, from the same old politicians.\" Liberal Democrat leader Ms Williams said Wales was \"crying out for fresh ideas and a government that puts people first\". \"In 2016 our mission will be to show people that we will help them reach their aspirations, that we have a record of delivery for our communities and that our values are needed in the assembly now more than ever,\" she said. But while all four party leaders push their own messages home, they will also be keeping one eye on the challenge from UKIP, and what it may mean come 5 May. Opinion polls have suggested UKIP could win several seats in the Senedd. Their Welsh leader Nathan Gill told his party conference in the autumn that he was \"extremely hopeful\" of winning seven or eight assembly seats. \"I have long predicted Wales will be one of the strongest regions for UKIP in the United Kingdom,\" he said. \"Next May will see that come to fruition.\"", "summary": "The assembly's four party leaders have delivered New Year messages with an eye on the 2016 elections."}
{"article": "Now, as the winter bites, those same unionists are themselves facing charges of trying to \"wipe their hands of any involvement\". This time the accusers are the beleaguered Alliance party, whose offices and councillors have come under attack over their decision to vote in favour of flying a Union flag on designated days only over Belfast City Hall. The two main unionist parties have condemned the carnage in Carrickfergus and the attack on the family home of two Alliance councillors in North Down as \"legally and morally wrong\". But Alliance politicians continue to question these statements, pointing to the decision by both DUP and UUP councillors to distribute 40,000 Alliance-style yellow leaflets as a blatant attempt to ramp up tensions over the Union flag issue. The unionists respond by arguing that Alliance and the two main nationalist parties are themselves to blame. The unionists argue that the flag has flown for decades above Belfast City Hall and the other parties should have left it alone. According to the East Antrim DUP MP Sammy Wilson, Alliance was dangerously na\u00c3\u00afve in not realising that its vote would \"open a Pandora's box\". Both Alliance and Sinn Fein claimed the flag dispute was stoked up as part of a campaign to oust the Alliance MP Naomi Long from her East Belfast seat. Unionists denied this, insisting their defence of the Union flag was a matter of principle. Whatever the truth, there's no doubt that with the involvement of loyalist elements, and others using social media, the protests have taken on a life of their own, spreading well beyond central Belfast. Now unionists at Stormont are calling for the Union flag to be flown 365 days a year over Parliament Buildings - a proposal that seems destined to divide the cross-party commission that manages the Assembly building. The image of an MLA's constituency offices and politicians' homes coming under attack would be shocking at any time. It's even more embarrassing on the eve of a visit by the outgoing US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Like her husband Bill, Mrs Clinton has frequently pointed to Northern Ireland as an example to other trouble spots around the world, evidence there can be a peaceful negotiated way forward. But the violence this week shows how easy it is to stoke latent tensions, and this time the Stormont politicians can't entirely blame a small unrepresentative minority. In contrast to the activities of dissident republicans, this is a dispute in which, one way or another, the main Stormont parties are deeply embroiled.", "summary": "Over the summer the UK government, in the shape of the former Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson, was accused by unionists of acting like Pontius Pilate, washing his hands of decisions on parades."}
{"article": "Wales kick-off their Six Nations campaign against Ireland on 7 February and Henry believes they have previously relied too heavily on strength. Despite lauding Wales for their \"fabulous\" World Cup performance, the 69-year old believes Warren Gatland's side are capable of more. \"There are guys trying to use their brawn rather than brain,\" Henry said. Henry, who won the World Cup in 2011 as coach of the All Blacks, had a spell in charge of Wales between 1998-2002. In an interview with BBC Wales' Scrum V Radio, Henry also had plenty of positive things to say about Wales, stating that both George North and Dan Biggar are world class performers. \"The Welsh have got very good forwards and a very good defensive system,\" Henry added. \"They've obviously got a good coach and the way the play for each other and what they did in the World Cup was fabulous. \"George North is as good a winger as anyone in the world, Dan Biggar is a fabulous 10, one of the players of the World Cup.\" However, despite individual talent, Henry feels Wales are struggling in attack. \"But the attack game, how do they score tries? Well, they've got the players,\" he said. \"But as a 15 they aren't putting it together as an attacking unit and that's the challenge moving forward. Media playback is not supported on this device \"The Welsh defence is very good, they have world class goal kickers, but the attack has always been a bit questionable.\" Henry feels the World Cup group clash against Australia provided the perfect example of Welsh shortcomings. \"I don't want to be critical, but in the Australia game they [Australia] were down to 13 players,\" he said. \"Wales attacked for a long time, had numbers, but didn't use them. \"So you wonder about the intelligence of the attacking game on the field. \"So I guess that is the next step forward.\"", "summary": "Former head coach Graham Henry believes Wales can improve their attacking play by showing more intelligence."}
{"article": "The Tunisian interior ministry said the three, aged between 18 and 27, were members of a \"terrorist cell\", and that they were detained overnight. Tunisian-born Amri, 24, was shot dead by police near the Italian city of Milan in the early hours of Friday. Monday's lorry attack on the market left 12 people dead and 49 injured. The interior ministry statement said Amri's nephew - the son of his sister - had confessed that he had communicated with his uncle via the encrypted chat application Telegram to evade security surveillance. It said the three-member cell had been active in the towns of Fouchana, outside Tunis, and Oueslatia near Amri's hometown of Kairouan, about 150km (95 miles) south of the capital. The statement added that Amri had sent money to his nephew to travel to Germany and join a jihadist group, and encouraged him to pledge allegiance to the so-called Islamic State (IS) group. Meanwhile, intelligence services in Spain are investigating a possible internet communication between Amri and a Spanish resident on 19 December, Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido told radio station COPE. Tunisia has been under pressure to reform its security sector since it suffered from a spate of deadly attacks by IS militants in 2015. With the help of countries including Germany and the UK, counter-terrorism operations and border security management have significantly improved, and the country has not witnessed a major terrorist attack this year. But its nationals have been involved in some of the deadliest attacks to hit Europe this year. The attacks in Nice, and more recently in Berlin, were carried out by Tunisians who had moved to Europe long before IS existed, and neither appeared to have any Islamist ties before they left their homeland. The latest arrests show that even if its nationals get radicalised abroad, that too can contribute to others joining their ranks from here. This is still a country that is contributing the largest number of militants in the region, and authorities here have not figured out how to put a stop to it. Today, it is also facing the prospect of thousands trying to come back here as IS loses ground in some of its biggest strongholds in the region. People worry that the state is ill-prepared to deal with that influx, and there is concern over the threat that this looming reality poses domestically. On Friday, IS released a video showing Amri pledging allegiance to its leader Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi. Amri was shot dead after opening fire on police officers during a routine police check in the Milan suburb of Sesto San Giovanni, after a three-day Europe-wide manhunt. In the summer of 2015, a United Nations report said an estimated 5,500 Tunisians - mostly young people between the ages of 18 and 35 - were fighting in the ranks of terrorist organisations in Libya, Iraq, Syria and, to a lesser extent, Mali. In November this year, the ministry of the interior in Tunis said about 800 fighters had returned to the country.", "summary": "Tunisian security forces have arrested the nephew of the Berlin market attacker Anis Amri and two other suspects, officials say."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old Saracens winger was omitted from the 32-man England squad that will tour Australia next month. Ashton helped his club win the European Champions Cup and reach the Premiership final, but Jones feels Harlequins' Marland Yarde is a \"better fit\". \"There are parts of Ashton's game we're not happy with,\" he told BBC 5 live. \"We've spoken to him about that and if he can fix that then he can get in the squad.\" When asked whether Ashton, who has won 39 England caps, needs to improve defensively, Jones said their conversations were \"private\". Ashton missed this year's Six Nations campaign after being given a 10-week ban for making contact with the eyes of Ulster's Luke Marshall during a European Champions Cup game. He has scored 10 tries since his return, but the England boss suggested 24-year old Yarde, who crossed seven times this season, could have matched that feat given the opportunity. \"Marland's got a good, strong all-round game, great coachability. I think his best rugby is ahead of him,\" added the Australian. \"Ashton's done very well to score a lot of tries in a very strong team. You've always got to look at it in the context of what side they're playing for and the opportunities they have. \"He has done some good work. It's all relative to the strength of the team you're playing in and there are other areas of the game apart from scoring tries.\" New Zealand-born centre Ben Te'o, who will join Worcester from Leinster before the England party leaves for Australia, is one of four uncapped players named in the squad. The 29-year-old switched codes in 2014, having represented Samoa in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and won a National Rugby League title with South Sydney Rabbitohs. Jones, who said Manu Tuilagi is expected to undergo scans on a hamstring injury on Monday, is pleased to have Te'o as an option. \"Ben's a very talented player,\" said the 56-year-old. \"He can play through the line, he's had a great season for Leinster. He's a big guy and he hits hard. \"Since I've taken the English job and known he wanted to play for England and qualifies for England, I've watched him carefully. \"I've kept in contact with him and he presents a great option for us at 12.\" Props Ellis Genge, of Bristol, and Harlequins' Kyle Sinckler have been included in Jones' squad, along with Northampton back row Teimana Harrison. Jones says both of the uncapped props have a \"competitive edge\". He added: \"Both aren't ready to scrummage at Test level but both have got potential, so we need to bring them through. \"Genge is a boy that's not afraid of anything and that's what we need to beat Australia. He's aggressive and he can run with the ball and he's got that bit of an edge about him.\" The former Australia and Japan head coach continued: \"Harrison has been absolutely outstanding for the Saints. \"The robustness of his play, his physicality and his ball carries, his low tackling and his coachability make", "summary": "Chris Ashton needs to \"fix\" parts of his game before he can expect to be selected for England again, says head coach Eddie Jones."}
{"article": "Oil prices jumped 5% at the news, a market overreaction to be sure, but nevertheless a welcome development for producer states. They need to see a turnaround in their government revenues which have been depressed for the last 18 months. But the kingdom's shift in policy indicates that not all is well financially. Indeed the Saudi attempt to maintain market share through maximising output and artificially keeping oil prices low appears to have backfired. Unable to absorb low prices for an extended period, the kingdom has lost some $180bn (\u00c2\u00a3140bn) of currency reserves, as it has had to dig deep into its pockets to cover enormous government spending deficits. In fairness, Saudi Arabia's leadership, under the guidance of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been remarkably open about the extent of the problems. In an interview with Bloomberg magazine in April, the grim reality was laid bare by Prince Mohammed's senior financial adviser: the state was wasting up to $100bn a year in inefficient spending, backhanders and opaque business deals, he said, and would have gone broke \"by early 2017\" unless something radical was done to change course. 72% of revenues come from oil $98bn the budget deficit in 2015 80% increase in petrol prices last year in the country $2.5tn size of state-owned oil giant Aramco $2tn potential value of the sovereign wealth fund the Saudis are creating And so for the nation to remain solvent there was always going to have to be some financial pain - pain which would filter into the real economy and down to the vast body of Saudi nationals employed in government sectors. Government spending would need to be scaled down, and subsidies on everyday goods and services such as power, water and fuel would need to be lifted. Last but not least expenditure on salaries would need to be reduced, which means either people lost their jobs, or they lost their perks. Given that Saudi society builds and cements social relationships around the provision of government jobs, firing people is extremely difficult without causing offence. This meant that public salaries had to be cut, and in June the Saudi government set a target to reduce salary expenditure by 24bn riyals ($6.4bn; \u00c2\u00a34.9bn) a year by 2020. It is no surprise then that on Monday evening a series of royal decrees cut salaries by as much as 20%, shrunk holiday pay and leave allowances and cut bonuses. These cuts all fall broadly within the vision set out by Prince Mohammed earlier in the year. Vision 2030 is the grand plan for restructuring the Saudi economy, diversifying away from hydrocarbon exports by encouraging Saudis to join the private sector, and privatising sections of Aramco, the oil producing behemoth that still drives Saudi income and domestic revenue. But for all its lofty goals, it is unlikely that the vision can ever be fully implemented, and it is sensible to assume that Vision 2030 was never designed to be the panacea for Saudi Arabia's myriad financial woes. Even some leading Saudis have been open about the vision's", "summary": "It has been a dramatic week for the Saudi economy: the country has slashed public spending, and rowed back from its 18-month policy of pumping out oil at near maximum levels by reducing daily production by 350,000 barrels."}
{"article": "Six of the nine people confirmed to have the infection in the past month are linked to a person who contracted it at the Green Gathering festival in Chepstow, Monmouthshire. Since the start of July, measles cases have been confirmed in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Powys. People have been advised to get the MMR vaccine. All cases have links to festivals in England and Wales and Public Health Wales has warned people they should not attend big events without checking they and their children have had the vaccination. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause complications and can even prove fatal. Measles - what to look for:", "summary": "An outbreak of measles has been confirmed in Carmarthenshire, Public Health Wales has said."}
{"article": "David Wagner's Terriers dominated possession, but were unable to break down a determined Burton defence. Marvin Sordell forced a good save from home keeper Danny Ward after the break. And Town defender Dean Whitehead was sent off for a second yellow card before Australia international Irvine converted Sordell's cross to win it. The defeat means Huddersfield are now nine points adrift of Brighton in second, after the south-coast club defeated Blackburn, while Burton moved up to 19th, four points clear of the relegation places. Wagner made five changes after a 4-0 defeat by Bristol City and the home side had 73% of possession in the opening 45 minutes, but although Burton goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin had to push away an angled shot by Jack Payne, they carved out few clear-cut chances. Ward had to be alert at the other end to deny Sordell after the forward cut inside, prompting Huddersfield to send on Nahki Wells and Elias Kachunga to boost their attack. It was Michael Hefele, however, who came closest to a goal when his header was cleared off the line before Whitehead was dismissed after a clash with Tom Flanagan. Irvine then compounded their frustration as he followed his first goal for Australia against the United Arab Emirates in midweek with a crucial winner for Burton. Huddersfield manager David Wagner: \"It's disappointing, not just because of the result but because of our performance, especially with the ball and in the final third. \"We showed a lack of quality and we have made too many wrong decisions. \"Against a difficult opponent an early goal would have helped. In the end wegave them a few counter-attacks and they have scored. The players tried everything.\" Burton manager Nigel Clough: \"There's a lot of euphoria in the dressing room. I don't think anyone gave us a chance. \"It's a big win but by no means a defining win which means we will stay up. \"It's a great start to the week when we said anything we got from these next three games would be a bonus.\" Match ends, Huddersfield Town 0, Burton Albion 1. Second Half ends, Huddersfield Town 0, Burton Albion 1. Goal! Huddersfield Town 0, Burton Albion 1. Jackson Irvine (Burton Albion) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Marvin Sordell following a fast break. John Mousinho (Burton Albion) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Rajiv van La Parra (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by John Mousinho (Burton Albion). Foul by Nahki Wells (Huddersfield Town). John Mousinho (Burton Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Luke Murphy (Burton Albion) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Lucas Akins following a corner. Corner, Burton Albion. Conceded by Christopher Schindler. Attempt blocked. Marvin Sordell (Burton Albion) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Luke Varney. Chris L\u00f6we (Huddersfield Town) is shown the yellow card. Elias Kachunga (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick", "summary": "Substitute Jackson Irvine scored an injury-time goal as Burton boosted their hopes of avoiding relegation with victory at third-placed Huddersfield."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 19 August 2014 Last updated at 11:03 BST Flight engineers Oleg Artemyev and Aleksandr Skvortsov launched a small satellite named Chasqui I. It is a joint project between the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Peruvian government. The two cosmonauts, which is the Russian term for astronauts, are also carrying out maintenance on the ISS during the spacewalk.", "summary": "Two Russian cosmonauts have set off on a spacewalk from the International Space Station (ISS) to launch a nano-satellite."}
{"article": "Peter Higgs, from the UK, and Francois Englert from Belgium, share the prize. In the 1960s, they were among several physicists who proposed a mechanism to explain why the most basic building blocks of the Universe have mass. The mechanism predicts a particle - the Higgs boson - which was finally discovered in 2012 at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at Cern, in Switzerland. Profile: Peter Higgs \"This year's prize is about something small that makes all the difference,\" said Staffan Normark, permanent secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Prof Higgs is renowned for shying away from the limelight, and he could not be located for interview in the immediate aftermath of the announcement. \"He's gone on holiday without a phone,\" his Edinburgh University physics colleague Alan Walker told the BBC, adding that Higgs had also been unwell. \"He is taking a break from all of this, taking some time to relax, because he knows when he comes back he'll have to face up to a media storm.\" But the university released a prepared statement from Higgs, 84, who is an emeritus professor of theoretical physics: \"I am overwhelmed to receive this award and thank the Royal Swedish Academy,\" he said. \"I would also like to congratulate all those who have contributed to the discovery of this new particle and to thank my family, friends and colleagues for their support. \"I hope this recognition of fundamental science will help raise awareness of the value of blue-sky research.\" Francois Englert, 80, said he was \"very happy\" to win the award, speaking at the ceremony via phone link. \"At first I thought I didn't have [the prize] because I didn't see the announcement,\" he told the committee, after their news conference was delayed by more than an hour. Higgs was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, but it was in Edinburgh in 1964 that he had his big idea - an explanation of why the matter in the Universe has substance, or mass. His theory involved a missing particle in the Standard Model of physics, which has come to be known as the Higgs boson. Within weeks, Francois Englert had independently published his own, similar theory, alongside his now deceased colleague Robert Brout. Three other physicists - Gerald Guralnik, Tom Kibble and Carl Hagen - also made key contributions to the theory, and spoke at the announcement of the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012. Hagen has long argued for the name of the particle to be changed, protesting at the \"rock star\" status in which Higgs is held. And Higgs, too, has expressed his discomfort with the attention he has received, preferring to call the particle \"the scalar boson\". In a statement on Tuesday, Kibble, of Imperial College London, said he was \"glad\" the Nobel prize had gone to the work of Higgs and Englert. \"My two collaborators, Gerald Guralnik and Carl Hagen, and I contributed to that discovery, but our paper was unquestionably the last of the three to be published. \"It is therefore no surprise that the Swedish Academy", "summary": "Two scientists have won the Nobel prize in physics for their work on the theory of the Higgs boson."}
{"article": "The former West Indies seamer was injured while playing football during the warm-up in a County Championship match against Yorkshire in April. Edwards, 34, is on crutches following an operation. \"His injury is pretty bad and I think that it would be best to get him right for next season,\" Hampshire coach Dale Benkenstein told BBC Radio Solent. Fellow ex-Windies pace bowler Tino Best has joined the county on a short-term deal in Edwards' absence. Benkenstein admitted the chance of seeing the Barbados duo, both signed as non-overseas players under the Kolpak ruling, sharing the new ball for Hampshire would have to wait. \"You never know, maybe next year,\" he added. \"Fidel is very fit and some people heal quicker than others. \"But, as a fast bowler and with the force he puts through his body, an injury like that might be asking a bit too much from him.\"", "summary": "Hampshire fast bowler Fidel Edwards is set to miss the rest of the season after surgery on a broken ankle."}
{"article": "The Dons can move level with Celtic at the top of the Premiership with victory at Firhill, albeit having played two more matches. \"The players are eager to get back to winning ways,\" McInnes said. \"It's important to keep the games we lose to a minimum and try to make sure we bounce back with three points.\" McInnes stressed that his side will face a stern test against Thistle, and warned the condition of the pitch could also make life difficult. \"They're a good team. They're a team that I admire greatly, how they go and try and win games. I think they're who will still have top six aspirations. \"They are a side who are capable of getting results against anybody so we've got our work cut out. Equally they've got their work cut out against us, and we need to go down there and show what we are capable of. Media playback is not supported on this device \"It'll be a tough game for us. The pitch might be difficult. It might not be pretty on the eye at times for both teams but we have to try and find a way to win.\" McInnes, who confirmed that winger Jonny Hayes will miss up to a month's action with a hamstring injury, expressed his \"surprise\" that no retrospective action has been taken over the penalty awarded to Inverness Caledonian Thistle in Monday's loss in the Highlands. The Dons boss was furious after the Dons' 3-1 defeat, saying Ross Draper had \"conned\" referee Willie Collum to set up the spot-kick converted by Greg Tansey. \"There was anger and frustration at the time but it's done and dusted and we move on,\" said McInnes. \"There's no real merit in us getting involved in that. \"While there is anger from everybody at the club, you just hope that things get dealt with properly.\" Media playback is not supported on this device The penalty was given when Draper and Aberdeen defender Ash Taylor both had their feet up high when challenging for the ball. And the Caley Thistle midfielder was adamant that there had been sufficient contact for him to go down. Draper was quoted saying: \"Just say what you believe. I thought it was a penalty. That's me being honest. If he [McInnes] thinks it's a dive then say so.\" Asked to respond to Draper's remarks, McInnes replied: \"I said what I had to say afterwards and that was clear. I think the incident is clear as well.\"", "summary": "Derek McInnes wants to see his side bounce back from defeat at Inverness and keep their title hopes alive with victory at Partick Thistle on Friday."}
{"article": "The biscuits were taken from Burton's Food Ltd on Ty Coch Way in Cwmbran, Torfaen, on 17 June. The man, from Liverpool, has been charged with theft and allowing himself to be carried in a motor vehicle which had been taken without the owner's consent. He appeared at Newport Magistrates' Court on Thursday. The empty trailer was found in Warrington and vehicles used in the theft have since been seized by police.", "summary": "A 24-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the theft of a trailer containing \u00a320,000 worth of biscuits."}
{"article": "The early election comes after Park Geun-hye became the first South Korean president to be removed from power by impeachment. She is going on trial for charges including bribery, coercion and abuse of power. The BBC takes a look at the five main candidates, their policies and their chances of victory. Moon Jae-in, 64, is the frontrunner and seen as the most likely successor to Park Geun-hye. Latest opinion polls predict him getting just over 40% of the vote. Formerly head of the liberal opposition Democratic Party, Mr Moon ran in 2012 for the presidency but at that time lost to Ms Park. He is now the nominee for the relatively new Democratic Party of Korea. If elected, Mr Moon has promised to draft an additional budget of more than 10tn won ($8.8bn; \u00c2\u00a36.9bn) to boost the economy. Like most of his fellow contestants he stands for a policy on North Korea that focuses on more negotiations rather than aggression. Both he and Ahn Cheol-soo, another candidate, have urged US President Donald Trump to cool his position against Pyongyang and spoken out against any first strike by the United States. He has suggested that a new approach might be required in handling North Korea with the South taking the lead in negotiations, and has voiced concern about Thaad, the massive US missile defence system being installed in the South. The MP for the city of Busan was former President Roh Moo-hyun's chief of staff - and was nicknamed \"Shadow of Roh\". Most recently though, he has come under fire over allegations that the government of then-President Roh consulted North Korea before abstaining from a United Nations vote on a human rights resolution against the North in 2007. Mr Moon has denied the allegations. In the 1970s, as a student activist, he led protests against President Park Chung-hee - Park Geun-hye's father - for which he was imprisoned. A former medical doctor turned software tycoon Ahn Cheol-so, 55, was long seen as the only serious contender to the frontrunner, constantly polling in second place. Latest opinion polls though see him tied at just under 20% with conservative Hong Joon-pyo. Mr Ahn also ran for the job in 2012 but dropped out to endorse Mr Moon and consolidate votes against Park Geun-hye - who went on to win. He is a member of the National Assembly and co-founded the opposition People's Party but resigned from the chairmanship in June over the party's alleged involvement in a kickback scandal. As a potential candidate for the 2017 presidential election, he has also been compared to Bernie Sanders for his recommended reforms to education, welfare and economics. He has said he would strengthen laws to punish white collar criminals, limit pardons for corporate criminals guilty of corruption and bring about more regulations in order to curb the influence of the powerful chaebols (family-run conglomerates). Mr Ahn said he would seek to restart six-party talks aimed at denuclearising the Korean peninsula. Hong Joon-pyo, 62, is the head of the Liberty Korea Party, one of the two factions to", "summary": "South Koreans will head to the polls on 9 May to choose their next president."}
{"article": "The Gunners, who had lost back-to-back league games to rivals Manchester City and Chelsea, went ahead through Jordan Nobbs' fine long-range strike. Midfielder Dominique Janssen's header doubled Arsenal's lead after the break. Emma Follis curled in to give newly promoted Reading hope in the closing stages, but the Royals missed chances and remain winless in the top flight. Spain's Natalia had put the ball in the net for Arsenal with the score at 1-0, but was deemed to have been offside. Reading - who lost their opening game of the season 3-1 at Arsenal in March - rallied in the latter stages and Follis almost equalised in stoppage time but saw her volley go wide. Chelsea Ladies maintain 100% winning start Birmingham Ladies earn first points of the season Arsenal defender Casey Stoney: \"If we had gone away with a draw we would've had to seriously look at ourselves. \"Three points tonight was massive for us to just get a little bit of confidence back and a bit of rhythm back - and also some points, most importantly. \"It should have been more comfortable, given the first half, but also in the second half we had a couple of one-on-ones with the goalkeeper and we haven't taken them. \"But credit to Reading, they never give up, they always fight. They're doing really well considering they're a newly promoted team. They're very difficult to play against.\" Reading forward Lauren Bruton: \"In the last 20 minutes we actually did really well and it's a shame that we didn't start that way. \"It was a tough game and it's just a shame that we had all the pressure in the last 20 minutes, but it wasn't meant to be. \"We were hoping to go in 0-0 at half-time and unfortunately they scored. But we were happy with 1-0 at half-time and we knew we could push them in the second half. It was just a shame that we let in that second goal but we finished so well.\"", "summary": "Arsenal Ladies beat Reading Women for the second time in four league games to go third in Women's Super League One."}
{"article": "Following a delayed start 34 overs were bowled, in which Gloucestershire moved on from 31-0 overnight to 120-1. After a long delay, the two teams came back out under the lights at 21:00 BST, but the visitors remained untroubled. After 21 from Chris Dent, Bancroft got to 69 with Will Tavare still there on 43 as the visitors closed on 150-1. Having begun the day with fears of following on, on his 50th first-class appearance, Tavare's unbroken stand of 88 with Australian Bancroft, who passed his previous season's best of 53, leaves Gloucestershire just 59 runs short of that initial target. But against a Sussex side who are unbeaten in seven matches with Gloucestershire, there is little hope of the visitors improving on their record of just two wins from 18 visits to Hove.", "summary": "Cameron Bancroft made only his second County Championship half-century of the season as Gloucestershire reached 150-1 against Sussex at rain-hit Hove."}
{"article": "Tymal Mills went for \u00a31.4m to Royal Challengers Bangalore, while fellow England bowler Chris Woakes was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for \u00a3504,140. England one-day captain Eoin Morgan has gone to Kings XI Punjab for \u00a3240,066. International team-mates Jason Roy and Chris Jordan were sold to Gujarat Lions and Sunrisers Hyderabad respectively. Batsman Roy, 26, fetched \u00a3120,000, while 28-year-old fast bowler Jordan cost \u00a360,000. Stokes, 25, had a base price of \u00a3240,000 (20 million rupees) but was the subject of bids from Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad before Pune emerged successful. His fee overtakes that of former England duo Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, who were sold for $1.55m (\u00a31.1m) each in 2009. Stokes, Roy, 24-year-old Mills and Woakes, 27, will be playing in the eight-team Twenty20 competition - which takes place between 5 April and 21 May - for the first time. \"It's a life-changing amount of money,\" said Stokes. \"Seven times my base amount - that's mental but pretty cool to think about. \"It was hard to follow on Twitter. I wasn't sure how much a Crore [Indian unit of measurement] was - people were retweeting stuff, and it was complete carnage. \"I'm just seriously excited about getting going.\" Jos Buttler was retained by Mumbai Indians and Sam Billings was kept on by Delhi Daredevils during the first round of 2017 IPL auction held in Bangalore, but batsmen Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow went unsold. \"Great day for English cricket and a few lads in particular. Congrats boys,\" said Buttler. Left-arm pace bowler Mills will be available for the whole tournament as he is limited to playing T20 cricket because of back pain. \"When it finished I did not know how much it was worth,\" he said. \"When I worked it out I could not believe it - it did not seem real. \"It's an amount of money that can change your life. It will for me.\" England's other players may not be available for the 10th edition of the competition because of international commitments as England host Ireland in one-day matches on 5 and 7 May. They then host South Africa in a three-match ODI series, with the games scheduled to take place on 24, 27 and 29 May, before the ICC Champions Trophy starts in England on 1 June. Pune owner Sanjiv Goenka said Stokes was a \"complete player\". We've been lacking this one genre of player,\" he said. \"We have many heroes but this is the one hero that we were lacking. \"We knew he was going to be expensive. We do believe he is going to be there for the first 14 games.\" Stokes helped England reach the final of the World Twenty20 in 2016, but they were beaten by the West Indies after the all-rounder was hit for four consecutive sixes in the final over by Carlos Brathwaite. The Durham player was also part of England's winter tour of India and were beaten 4-0 in the Tests series, 2-1 in the ODIs and 2-1 in the T20 series. He has", "summary": "England all-rounder Ben Stokes became the Indian Premier League's most expensive foreign player when Rising Pune Supergiants bought him for \u00a31.7m."}
{"article": "The steps to Petit Port Bay were shut in May after damage caused by heavy rainfall during storms. An inspection by engineering consultants Frederick Sherrell Ltd will start on Monday and is due to end on 27 March. The department said if no further work was needed the steps should be re-opened for the Easter holiday. Four parking spaces will be suspended in the Petit Port car park for the duration of the works. The bay was previously closed between 2001 and 2005, after a series of landslides made the area too dangerous to access. It was only reopened after new concrete steps, handrails and fencing to contain rockfalls were installed.", "summary": "Steps at a bay in Guernsey could be opened by Easter, according to the environment department."}
{"article": "Fe lwyddodd Josh Griffiths i groesi'r llinell mewn 2 awr 14 munud 49 eiliad. Dyma'r tro cyntaf iddo redeg marathon ac mae'r canlyniad yn golygu y bydd yn ennill ei le ym mhencampwriaeth y byd. Dywedodd fod ei amser yn annisgwyl: \"Wnaeth e erioed groesi fy meddwl i y bydden ni yn rhedeg ym mhencampwriaeth y byd yn yr haf. \"Dw i wrth fy modd.\" Ychwanegodd nad oedd yn si\u0175r o'r hyn roedd wedi cyflawni tan iddo groesi'r llinell. Mae rhedwr arall o'r un clwb, Matthew Rees, wedi cael ei ganmol am helpu cystadleuydd arall i gwblhau'r marathon. Fe afaelodd Mr Rees yn David Wyeth o Fanceinion ac ei helpu i orffen y ras. \"Roedd y ddau ohonom ni eisiau gorffen y ras. Ac mi oedd hi'n bosib i'r ddau ohonom ni orffen mewn llai na tair awr os oedden ni yn gallu croesi'r llinell. \"Felly nes i roi ei fraich e o gwmpas fy mraich i ac fe wnaethon ni gerdded at y llinell. \"Roedd y dorf yn anhygoel.\"", "summary": "Cymro o glwb athletau Swansea Harriers yw'r Prydeiniwr cyntaf i gwblhau Marathon Llundain eleni."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Chris Kane struck six minutes from the end in Perth to claim a hard-fought 1-0 Scottish Premiership victory against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. It was only their second success in the last 12 league matches but was enough to move them on to 39 points - level with fourth-placed Ross County. \"Overall we are having not too bad a season,\" said Wright. \"I mentioned to the players that we are now just two points worse off than we were this time last season. \"Hopefully we build on this now as I think we deserved the win.\" Saints, who have nine games to play, were made to wait for their win with David Wotherspoon having a penalty saved by Owain Fon Williams shortly before Kane's winner. \"I thought we looked more likely to score but we have missed a few penalties and I feared the worst when that happened,\" Wright said. \"But fair play to David as he didn't let that get to him and he had an excellent game and contributed in the build-up to the goal.\" Caley Thistle manager John Hughes reckons his team were responsible for their own downfall in a game they finished with just 10 men. Captain Gary Warren was sent off in the second half for two yellow cards, the second of which was for conceding the spot-kick. \"I said to them at half-time, 'only one team can beat you here and that's yourself' and that's what happened,\" said Hughes. \"There's no way we can feel sorry for ourselves. If we had kept 11 players on the park we might have got something. \"I was a little bit disappointed that even with 10 men we couldn't see the match out and get a draw. \"St Johnstone have thrown the kitchen sink at us and we nearly got the draw even if we lacked a bit of penetration up top. \"We were trying to hang on a bit after Gary was sent off and he was just caught out a couple of times. \"I really feel for the boys as they put their bodies on the line but it didn't work out after putting in so much effort. \"Especially for the goalkeeper as Owain made a great save and I thought at that point it might be our night but it wasn't to be.\" The Highlanders remain ninth, five points clear of the relegation zone and three points off the top six. \"It is very tight in the league at the moment and it is going to be nip and tuck right until the split,\" added Hughes. \"We do still want to get into the top six and while we have had a hard programme there are no excuses. \"There is still a lot to play for this season and I am hoping to have more numbers to pick from in the weeks ahead.\"", "summary": "Tommy Wright insists St Johnstone are on course to equal last season's points tally of 57 despite a recent poor run."}
{"article": "The demonstrators seem oblivious to the searing heat, despite the fact they are dressed in heavy black jackets - a uniform given to them by their union leaders. The atmosphere is almost festive at times - a traditional workers' song blares from speakers, and a few dozen members of the crowd start singing and dancing. Protests such as these with workers demanding a higher minimum wage are now a regular occurrence in big cities in Indonesia, taking place on an almost weekly basis. As the economy has grown, workers, , worried they are getting left behind, want a bigger piece of the pie. Said Iqbal, the head of Indonesia's confederation of trade unions and the man behind many of the protests, has become a hero of sorts for Indonesia's workers. Labelled aggressive and uncompromising by industry bosses, he has helped to secure a 40% jump in the minimum wage in some parts of Indonesia - mainly through a combination of organising massive protests and threatening to shut down factories. But despite this, he wants to keep on fighting. \"What I don't understand is how an Indonesian worker can work for decades and still be poor, while the rich keep getting richer,\" he says. \"We won't stop protesting until there's justice and prosperity for everybody.\" But Indonesian bosses say union leaders like Mr Iqbal are being unrealistic. They complain the economy has started to slow down, Indonesia's reputation has been damaged abroad because of worker protests, and higher wages would see them losing out to other manufacturing rivals. \"The problem is we are competing not just against ourselves - Indonesian companies - we are competing with Vietnam, China, and the new emerging markets like Cambodia - and soon even Burma will open up and compete with us,\" Mr Harijanto, the chairman of the Footwear Association in the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, tells me. He says the government's decision to increase the minimum wage by 40% this year, could set a dangerous precedent and mean workers expect significant wage increases every year. 2011: 1.27 million Indonesian rupiah 2012: 1.68 million Indonesian rupiah 2013: 2.2 million Indonesian rupiah Source: KADIN, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce According to him, the inconsistency in government policy and the higher costs could see some companies go out of business. \"Everybody loses in this situation - the employers, the businesses, the government and the workers,\" he says. \"If we shut down, then no-one has jobs. But we can't keep operating with these higher salaries because we are uncompetitive in comparison to other nations.\" Mr Harijanto says 900,000 jobs will be lost in labour-intensive industries within the next year if the salary raises continue at the pace they have been going, and warns millions more could be affected in years to come. The minimum wage in Indonesia varies from province to province, and depends on the standard of living in each area. For example, in Jakarta, the minimum wage is now 2.2 million Indonesian rupiah a month ($226; \u00c2\u00a3150) but in West Java it is only 1.25 million rupiah, up from 850,000", "summary": "Hundreds of factory workers have gathered in front of the Indonesian Supreme Court building in central Jakarta, their arms raised in anger."}
{"article": "The talks will focus on the practical measures needed to reopen embassies in Havana and Washington. Although relations have improved in recent months a US trade embargo remains in place. Last month President Barack Obama said Cuba would be removed from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. Havana had said it needed to be taken off the list before talks to reopen embassies could begin. In a statement the State Department said it will host a Cuban delegation on 21 May. \"A US Embassy in Havana will allow the United States to more effectively promote our interests and values, and increase engagement with the Cuban people.\" In April, President Barack Obama met Cuban President Raul Castro, the first sit-down talks between the nations' leaders since 1956.", "summary": "The US State Department has said that US and Cuban negotiators will meet next Thursday to discuss re-establishing embassies in each other's capitals."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old sustained the injury to his right knee during last week's EFL Cup fourth-round win over Tottenham. It is not the same knee in which he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in October 2015 that sidelined him for seven months. \"To say we are gutted would be an understatement,\" said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. \"He is such a great boy and has worked so hard that he deserves better luck than this. \"It is typical of Danny's personality, on and off the pitch, that he picked up this injury to his knee when courageously trying to win the ball back for his team by making a tackle. \"But it is this same personality that means he will come back as good and as strong from this latest setback as he has done in the past. \"He is mentally strong, physically strong and will have the very best treatment and rehab possible to make sure when he returns he is ready to play for us at the level we know he is capable of.\" England international Ings will have surgery in London on Tuesday. He joined Liverpool from Burnley in June 2015 for a fee that was later set at \u00a38m by a tribunal. However, injuries have limited him to just 11 appearances for the Reds since then, in which he has scored four times. He made his one and only England appearance as a substitute in the 3-0 Euro 2016 qualifier in Lithuania in October 2015, shortly before he suffered his anterior cruciate ligament injury.", "summary": "Liverpool striker Danny Ings will be out for up to nine months with a knee injury that requires surgery."}
{"article": "In an answer to Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, Education Minister Anne Milton said the total 2016-17 budget for 16- to 19-year-olds in England was \u00a35.9bn. But the Sixth Form College Association said its analysis of the detail showed only about \u00a35.7bn had been spent. The government says it has tackled unfair funding in post-16 education. But the Sixth Form College Association says standalone sixth forms still lose out compared with sixth forms that are part of schools. And leaders of both schools and colleges say they have had to cut courses and reduce student support in response to growing funding pressures. The researchers say the shortfall amounts to a loss of \u00a3164 per student over the course of the year. The association says a survey of its members in standalone sixth-form colleges in October suggested two-thirds had dropped subject courses as a result of funding cuts and increased costs. While the Association of School and College Leaders, which represents secondary school head teachers, reports similar difficulties in school sixth forms. Sixth Form Colleges Association chief executive Bill Watkin said the quality of the education was suffering. \"We urge the Department for Education to ensure that this \u00a3200m under-spend finds its way to colleges and schools in time for the beginning of the academic year in September,\" he said. \"Ours is the last budget in the Department for Education that should be under-spent.\" And Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and Colleges, said schools were being hit across the board by rising costs \"but the situation in post-16 education is even more serious because these pressures come on top of funding cutbacks in the last Parliament\". Ms Lucas, vice-chairwoman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Sixth Form Colleges, said she found it \"hard to understand why \u00a3200m of the sixth-form education budget has not reached the education front line\". \"The government needs to clarify where this money has gone and ensure that it is redirected to school sixth forms and colleges as soon as possible,\" she said.", "summary": "The government has under-spent its sixth-form education budget by \u00a3200m this year, analysis of figures from a written ministerial answer suggests."}
{"article": "James, 19, is the younger sister of double Olympic silver medallist Becky and double world para-cycling tandem pilot champion Rachel. She competes in the women's Under-23 race on Saturday. James believes she can improve on her 15th place in 2016 event, saying \"My big aim is to get top 10.\" The 68th Cyclo-Cross World Championships are being held in Belvaux. \"I got some really good training in over the winter and I feel in top form,\" James told BBC Wales Sport. Race preparations have been affected by a cold snap, which has left the course covered in snow and ice. \"There have been so many people crashing (in training),\" James said. \"There are sheets of ice on some of the corners. \"It's definitely going to level the playing field a little bit. \"People can't just use their strength to ride away from everyone else.\" James watched her sister Rachel win silver in the National Track Championships sprint on Friday evening. Find out how to get into cycling with our special guide.", "summary": "Teenage cyclo-cross rider Ffion James hopes to impress at the World Championships in Luxembourg on Saturday."}
{"article": "Ms Sturgeon, 46, who has no children, revealed that she had a miscarriage while she was deputy first minister. She said she hoped allowing the details to be written about in a new book would challenge assumptions made about women. \"Sometimes... having a baby just doesn't happen - no matter how much we might want it to,\" she added. In the book, Scottish National Party Leaders, Ms Sturgeon spoke about how she lost the baby when she was 40, shortly before the 2011 Scottish parliamentary election campaign period. Ms Sturgeon, who is married to SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, was in the early stages of her pregnancy and preparing to share the news when the miscarriage occurred. She told author Mandy Rhodes that instead of dealing with her grief at home on 3 January 2011 she attended the 40th anniversary of the Ibrox disaster, in which 66 Rangers football supporters were crushed to death. In a statement released following the publication of extracts from the book in the Sunday Times magazine, the first minister said: \"This was obviously a painful experience for Peter and I and while Mandy has known about it for some time, she has always respected our decision not to talk about it publicly. \"I gave her the go ahead to make reference to it now in the hope that it might challenge some of the assumptions and judgements that are still made about women - especially in politics - who don't have children. \"There are many reasons why women don't have children. Some of us simply don't want to, some of us worry about the impact on our career - and there is still so much to do, through better childcare, more progressive working practices and more enlightened attitudes, to make sure we don't feel we have to choose. \"And sometimes, for whatever reason, having a baby just doesn't happen - no matter how much we might want it to. She added: \"For me, as for many women, all of these things have been true at different times of my life - the point is that judgements and assumptions shouldn't be made about what are personal choices and experiences.\" On Sunday morning, Ms Sturgeon also tweeted: \"Thanks for all your kind messages this morning. @PeterMurrell & I really appreciate it.\" In extracts from the book in The Sunday Times Magazine, Ms Sturgeon said she was uncertain if she could have been a mother as well as leading Scotland's devolved government. She said: \"If the miscarriage hadn't happened, would I be sitting here as first minister right now? It's just an unanswerable question. I just don't know. \"I've thought about it but I don't know the answer. I'd like to think 'yes', because I could have shown that having a child wasn't a barrier to all of this, but in truth I don't know.\" Miscarriage Source: NHS Choices", "summary": "Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has spoken for the first time about her \"painful experience\" of losing a baby in 2011."}
{"article": "The concept involves using technology, such as smartphones and software, to help people chose food and drink best suited to their health needs. UHI believes it could offer protection from allergies and too many calories. The idea is similar to the \"internet of things\" which sees domestic products, such as washing machines, being controllable via online tools. Prof Maged Boulos, an expert in digital health at UHI, who is leading the research, said: \"A new breed of automated food scanner apps, devices and methods is emerging which aim at identifying the nature of food and drinks in our diet. \"Methods include barcode scanning, weighing with portable electronic scales, measurement of weight/portion size with smartphone photos and remote food and drink recognition by crowdsourced volunteers or dieticians. \"However, these methods are of limited value if we cannot reason with the identified food and drink items in the context of a user's health conditions and preferences.\" Prof Boulos said increased use of technology to help people make selections of food and drink could greatly improve health. However, he added that it would require further research and funding. Prof Boulos said: \"This will be a huge academic undertaking involving multiple research centres, universities and industry. \"Based on the development of other technologies of similar scale, it will likely require several years and millions of euros of funding to complete an initial base version.\"", "summary": "University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) scientists have been exploring the idea of the \"internet of food\"."}
{"article": "The body of 39-year-old Anayat Bibi was discovered with multiple stab wounds at a house in Vickers Road, in Firth Park, at the weekend. A 42-year-old man from Sheffield is expected to appear before magistrates on Friday. Police said two other men, aged 83 and 20, arrested in connection with the killing remained on police bail. Ms Bibi's body was found by police at about 11:35 BST on Sunday.", "summary": "A man has been charged with the murder of a woman who was found stabbed in Sheffield."}
{"article": "29 December 2016 Last updated at 18:10 GMT Ryan Holmes, 21, has covered more than 2,500 miles so far, running an average of two races a week. His efforts have also raised thousands for Cancer Research in honour of a good friend who is suffering from myeloma. \"It's been challenging at times but it's been a good journey,\" he told BBC South East Today.", "summary": "A Whitstable man is aiming to become the youngest person to run 100 marathons when he completes a race in Deal on New Year's Eve."}
{"article": "The 1-0 win, courtesy of Nicky Cadden's penalty, kept Livi a point clear of Airdrieonians, who have a game in hand and beat Peterhead 4-2 away. Queen's Park moved above Albion Rovers into fifth place by beating Brechin. The Spiders, who won 2-0, are now five points behind third-placed Brechin, with Alloa, who are fourth, inactive. The Wasps, like Stranraer, East Fife and Stenhousemuir, were not in league action, though Stenny beat Forres Mechanics in the Scottish Cup. At Cliftonhill, Ross Dunlop fouled Dale Carrick in the box and Cadden converted the spot-kick in the penultimate minute. There was further misery for the hosts as Alan Reid was sent off in stoppage time following his second booking. Airdrie raced into a three-goal lead at Balmoor with Andy Ryan's strike, Sean McIntosh's header and Iain Russell's finish all coming within the opening 20 minutes. Nicky Riley replied for the hosts before half-time and Leighton McIntosh's penalty following Jack Leitch's foul on Riley further reduced Peterhead's arrears. But Ryan's second effort of the match deep into stoppage time clinched the visitors' win. Brechin City lost ground on the top two after losing at Hampden. Ross Millen opened the scoring from the penalty spot after a first-half foul by goalkeeper Graeme Smith on Dario Zanatta and Ryan McGeever headed home a late Sean Burns corner.", "summary": "Livingston maintained their slender advantage at the top of Scottish League One with a narrow and late victory over Albion Rovers."}
{"article": "Richard Garvie, 30, who stood for Wellingborough and Rushden, bought train tickets using a bank account he knew contained insufficient funds. He said he \"did not set out to defraud East Midlands Trains\". At Corby Magistrates' Court on Friday he was also ordered to pay a \u00a360 victim surcharge and court costs of \u00a3400. Garvie, from Corby in Northamptonshire, denied the offence but was convicted at Wellingborough Magistrates' Court on Thursday 30 April. At the time he told magistrates he ran up a debt in his own name in 2012 because he had been \"desperate to see the people he cared about\" in Berkshire. \"I didn't know I'd get into trouble. I intentionally went overdrawn on my account, that account was then sent to a debt collection agency and the debt was paid off,\" he said. Garvie said he would appeal against the conviction. According to a Labour Party spokesman he resigned on the day of the elections when he lost to Conservative Peter Bone who had been MP for Wellingborough since 2005.", "summary": "A parliamentary candidate for Labour at the May election must pay \u00a3894 compensation and do 60 hours of unpaid work after being convicted of fraud."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old has joined the Cards following a short spell at Eastleigh, who signed him in January after he was released by Portsmouth. Poke made three appearances for Woking while on loan from Southampton - where he started his career - during the 2006-07 season. He has also had spells at Brighton and Torquay United and has been on loan at Oldham, Northampton and Bristol Rovers. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "National League club Woking have signed goalkeeper Michael Poke."}
{"article": "More mothers now need surgery to deliver a baby due to their narrow pelvis size, according to a study. Researchers estimate cases where the baby cannot fit down the birth canal have increased from 30 in 1,000 in the 1960s to 36 in 1,000 births today. Historically, these genes would not have been passed from mother to child as both would have died in labour. Researchers in Austria say the trend is likely to continue, but not to the extent that non-surgical births will become obsolete. Dr Philipp Mitteroecker, of the department of theoretical biology at the University of Vienna, said there was a long standing question in the understanding of human evolution. \"Why is the rate of birth problems, in particular what we call fetopelvic disproportion - basically that the baby doesn't fit through the maternal birth canal - why is this rate so high?\" he said. \"Without modern medical intervention such problems often were lethal and this is, from an evolutionary perspective, selection. \"Women with a very narrow pelvis would not have survived birth 100 years ago. They do now and pass on their genes encoding for a narrow pelvis to their daughters.\" It has been a long standing evolutionary question why the human pelvis has not grown wider over the years. The head of a human baby is large compared with other primates, meaning animals such as chimps can give birth relatively easily. The researchers devised a mathematical model using data from the World Health Organization and other large birth studies. They found opposing evolutionary forces in their theoretical study. One is a trend towards larger newborns, which are more healthy. However, if they grow too large, they get stuck during labour, which historically would have proved disastrous for mother and baby, and their genes would not be passed on. \"One side of this selective force - namely the trend towards smaller babies - has vanished due to Caesarean sections,\" said Dr Mitteroecker. \"Our intent is not to criticise medical intervention,\" he said. \"But it's had an evolutionary effect. \" The researchers estimated that the global rate of cases where the baby could not fit through the maternal birth canal was 3%, or 30 in 1,000 births. Over the past 50 or 60 years, this rate has increased to about 3.3-3.6%, so up to 36 in 1,000 births. That is about a 10-20% increase of the original rate, due to the evolutionary effect. \"The pressing question is what's going to happen in the future?\" Dr Mitteroecker said. \"I expect that this evolutionary trend will continue but perhaps only slightly and slowly. \"There are limits to that. So I don't expect that one day the majority of children will have to be born by [Caesarean] sections.\" The research is published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Commenting on the study, Smithsonian paleoanthropologist Dr Briana Pobiner said there are \"probably many other biological and cultural issues that factor into the Caesarean sections rate, which varies widely across the developed and developing world\". And Daghni Rajasingam, a consultant", "summary": "The regular use of Caesarean sections is having an impact on human evolution, say scientists."}
{"article": "Murphy has made 111 appearances for Leeds since arriving from Crewe for a fee of about \u00a31m in July 2013. But the 27-year-old has played in just one first-team game this season, in a 1-0 EFL Cup win at Luton in August. \"Burton are a very ambitious club and they've proved that in the last few years,\" he told the club website. \"With the manager that's here I've always wanted to try and play for him and hopefully I can help the team do well.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.", "summary": "Burton Albion have signed midfielder Luke Murphy on loan from Championship rivals Leeds United until the end of the season."}
{"article": "Investors Steve Kaplin and Jason Levien, who run sports teams in the United States, are drafting in the former Everton striker as an adviser. The \u00a3100m takeover was agreed subject to Kaplin and Levien passing a Premier League test for prospective owners. But Donovan, now 34, will not take part in Swansea's day-to-day activities. Current chairman Huw Jenkins and deputy Leigh Dineen will retain their roles when the Americans take control but Donovan is seen as ideal to have on the board with football and commercial expertise. Levien, the managing general partner of Major League Soccer side DC United, and Kaplan, head of a capital investment fund and vice-chairman of NBA franchise Memphis Grizzlies, lead a consortium which has bought a controlling stake of 60% in the club. Donovan, who was on loan at Premier League side Everton in 2010 and 2012, is his country's record goalscorer and the second most capped United States international. The former LA Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes forward also had spells in the Germany Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich.", "summary": "Former United States captain Landon Donovan is to be part of the American investment group taking over Premier League club Swansea City."}
{"article": "Pro Rugby America, in a statement, described Pro12 as an \"interloper\" and claimed the league \"does not have a legitimate business plan.\" Pro12 officials held talks about US and Canadian sides being involved, which had been backed by World Rugby. \"It's ridiculous. What they're doing is just disrespectful,\" Pro Rugby America chief Doug Shoninger told BBC Wales. \"I understand Pro 12 is under a lot of stress, a lot of problem, but it's not our problem. And they need to solve that problem where they sit.\" Pro12 is made up of four teams each from Wales and Ireland plus two each from Scotland and Italy. Pro Rugby America is sanctioned by governing body USA Rugby to run a professional rugby division in the United States. The US league started in April with five teams based in Denver, Ohio, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco and Shoninger told BBC Radio Wales they were negotiating a deal with the southern hemisphere Super Rugby league. \"We're bidding on a Super Rugby team,\" he said. \"We're talking to big established countries, ones I feel that have player exchange at academy levels. \"We're very honest about who we are - we have the potential great commercialism and we need the support of the rugby world to build up our infrastructure.\" Pro12 is commercially smaller than the English and French professional leagues, and in August, Scottish Rugby chief Mark Dodson said they were \"seriously investigating\" the possibility of expanding into the American market. The two Italian teams that compete in the league, Zebre and Treviso, have faced calls to be dropped from the Pro12 and were almost expelled in 2015 over money owed to the rest of the teams. Pro12 Rugby declined to comment.", "summary": "Plans for American sides to join the Pro12 have been dismissed by the company running the pro game in the US."}
{"article": "Archaeologists made the discovery at Tresness in Sanday while on a walk in poor weather on Monday. The remains of 14 houses and stone tools, including knives, have been described as \"one of the biggest complexes of Bronze Age settlement in the Scottish isles\". The finds on the beach could be more than 4,000 years old. Archaeologists believe the houses were buried by sand dunes in the second millennium BC - but have recently been exposed by the actions of weather and the sea. Prof Jane Downes and Christopher Gee, of the University of the Highlands and Islands, Prof Colin Richards, of the University of Manchester and Dr Vicki Cummings, of University of Central Lancashire, made the discovery. They were on a sea shore walk to visit a known archaeological site when they spotted the remains of the houses and stone tools. Prof Downes, who specialises in the Bronze Age, said: \"This must be one of the biggest complexes of Bronze Age settlement in the Scottish isles, rivalling the spreads of hut circles in other parts of mainland Scotland.\" The scale of the Sanday has been described as \"unparalleled in Orkney\". The islands are well-known for the Skara Brae Neolithic settlement. Cath Parker, leader of the Sanday Archaeology Group, said: \"This is incredibly exciting. \"The archaeological landscape concealed beneath Sanday's shifting sands never ceases to amaze us. \"I'm sure the local community will relish the opportunity to be involved with any work which stems from this thrilling discovery.\" Important Bronze Age discoveries have been made in recent years in other parts of Scotland. Skeletal remains found at Drumnadrochit on the shores of Loch Ness were identified in February as dating back to the Early Bronze Age. A wrist guard, for use with a bow and arrow, and shards of pottery were among remains found in a burial cist that was uncovered during work to build a new health centre. Evidence of Bronze and Iron Age settlements were found at the site of the new Inverness Campus. The remains of timber-built roundhouses and crop marks were recorded at East Beechwood.", "summary": "Shifting sands have revealed a significant complex of Bronze Age buildings in Orkney."}
{"article": "WWT Washington Wetland Centre has sighted 16 adults and 21 young this year, in comparison to 23 adult birds last year. They have nested by a lake and shingle island which expanded by the centre last autumn. Breeding at the site started in 2006. Reserve manager John Gowland said it was a \"real conservation success story\". \"The high number of youngsters is a positive sign on the success of the improved shingle islands and emphasises the growing confidence of the nesting adults,\" he said. The birds, which are a rare on Wearside, were once declared an extinct breeding species in the UK. The avocet returned in the 1940s and is the emblem of the RSPB.", "summary": "A wildfowl centre has recorded its highest number of rare avocet birds."}
{"article": "It is an important question and the public deserves a straight answer. Yet in the current heated debate it risks being both politicised and blurred by conflation with other issues like the economy, migration and policies towards Russia. So what are the facts? The UK is currently at threat level \"severe\", the second highest on the scale, meaning the government judges a terrorist attack to be \"highly likely\" (but not necessarily imminent). Britain is right up at the top of so-called Islamic State's target list, along with France, Belgium, Germany and Denmark. MI5 and police estimate there to be more than 2,000 individuals living here who have sympathies with or connections to international terrorism, most of it IS-inspired. There are two principal reasons why the UK has not yet suffered the sort of Marauding Terrorist Firearms Attack (MTFA) experienced twice by Parisians last year. One is better intelligence, the other is better borders. That said, no-one in counter-terrorism circles is being complacent that such an attack could not still happen here. After the 9/11 attacks of 2001 and then again after the London bombings of 2005, Britain's counter-terrorism infrastructure was reformed to break down inter-agency barriers and do away with the sort of departmental \"silos\" that, sadly, still exist in many European nations. So Britain's MI5, the domestic security service, works closely with MI6, the external intelligence-gathering agency, GCHQ and the Metropolitan Police. Old rivalries have largely been set aside. Yet in France and Belgium the police and intelligence agencies hardly talk to each other, they share very little. Absurdly, for a Belgian police officer to find out what Belgian intelligence knows about a threat, he or she sometimes needs to learn it from the UK police, who learn it from UK intelligence, who learn it from Belgian intelligence. When it comes to EU-wide counter-terrorism, national intelligence agencies are even less willing to divulge their secrets. On borders, Britain has something that continental European countries do not: A single coastline. British counter-terrorism officials say that because the UK is not part of Europe's Schengen open borders agreement it is considerably more difficult - though not impossible - for terrorists and organised criminals to acquire the sort of powerful automatic weapons, notably Kalashnikovs, used in the Paris attacks last November. A senior EU counter terrorism official admitted to me last year, prior to the migrant crisis, that although the EU's external borders had been strengthened, once weapons had crossed over that border from the Balkans there was little to stop them being moved freely around Europe. The UK's strongest intelligence-sharing and security co-operation relationships are not with Europe, although those still matter. They are with the United States, with its massive eavesdropping and interception capabilities, and the other Anglophone so-called Five Eyes partner nations: Canada, Australia, New Zealand. Nearly all the most important intelligence-sharing with Europe tends to be done bilaterally, country to country, rather than through any EU-wide organisation. Britain also works closely with other partner nations like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.", "summary": "Is Britain more - or less - at risk of a major terrorist attack if it leaves the EU?"}
{"article": "15 June 2017 Last updated at 16:01 BST Carlos is famous for his free kicks. And now you can see what it's like for a footballer to take one in front of a huge crowd. See his point of view as he runs out onto the pitch, watches an incredible Luis Figo goal and hears the crowd roar. Video courtesy of Real Madrid TV", "summary": "Former Real Madrid footballer Roberto Carlos wore a body camera at the legends match against Roma on Sunday 11 June."}
{"article": "Chief prosecutor Tomas Lindstrand said police were \"98% sure\" that the man was Iraq-born Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly. Abdaly, 28, is believed to have died minutes after setting off a car bomb on Saturday. Two other people were hurt. Seven US FBI bomb experts are heading to Stockholm to help the investigation, Sweden's intelligence agency said. Although Abdaly was a Swedish citizen, he had been living in the UK. British police have been searching a house in Luton, north of London, where Abdaly lived. Mr Lindstrand said Swedish police were now trying to work out what the bomber's target had been before he blew himself up prematurely. \"He had a bomb belt on him, he had a backpack with a bomb and he was carrying an object that has been compared to a pressure cooker. If it had all blown up at the same time, it would have been very powerful,\" he said. A car containing gas canisters blew up first in a busy shopping street in the area of Drottninggatan at 1700 local time (1600 GMT) followed minutes later by a explosion in a street about 300m (985ft) away that killed the bomber. Abdaly was named as the registered owner of the car. Mr Lindstrand said they believed the bomber had intended to kill \"as many people as possible\". \"Where he was headed... we don't know,\" he said. \"It is likely that something happened, that he made some kind of mistake [and] part of the bombs he was carrying went off and caused his death. \"This was during Christmas shopping in central Stockholm and he was extremely well-equipped when it came to bomb material. It is not much of a stretch to say he was going to a place with as many people as possible.\" Mr Lindstrand said possible targets included the city's central train station or to Aahlens, a popular department store. In a profile on the Muslim dating website Muslima, Abdaly said he was born in Baghdad and moved to Sweden in 1992, before arriving in the UK in 2001 to study. He said he had got married in 2004 and had two young daughters. \"I want to get married again, and would like to have a big family. My wife agreed to this,\" he wrote. Mr Lindstrand said Abdaly was completely unknown to Swedish security services before the blasts. However, he pointed out: \"He didn't live in Sweden; he lived in the UK. He left Sweden maybe 10 years ago.\" Meanwhile, British police have been searching Abdaly's house in Luton. His wife and children are reported to live in the UK, although their exact whereabouts are not known. It has emerged that Abdaly had attended the Luton Islamic Centre but left after other members accused him of having a \"distorted view\" of Islam. A Swedish news agency has released an audio recording apparently made by Abdaly, in which he says oppression against Muslims in Europe will not be tolerated. He refers to drawings of the Prophet Muhammad and to the presence of foreign soldiers - including Swedes - in", "summary": "A man who blew himself up in Stockholm was carrying three explosive devices and intended to kill as many people as possible, prosecutors say."}
{"article": "In a statement, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) said that airstrikes on Thursday and Friday killed at least 18 civilians. It said the Taliban was also to blame, killing at least seven civilians in a suicide bombing on Saturday. The US military says that it is investigating the air strike incidents. The pilots have been defended by the Afghan government who pointed out that such events are inevitable when the Taliban use civilians as human shields. The UN statement said the air strikes were carried out by \"international military forces\". But US officials say only American planes have recently been in action over the skies of Afghanistan. \"The people of Helmand have suffered greatly due to the armed conflict in Afghanistan, with 891 civilians killed or injured during 2016,\" the statement said. \"This figure was the highest in the country in 2016 outside of Kabul.\" The statement urged all parties to the conflict \"strictly to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law\" to protect civilians from suffering. World powers jostle in Afghanistan's new 'Great Game' Did the UK leave Afghanistan's Helmand too soon? Afghanistan Taliban: Mistrust and fear in battle for Helmand US military officials say aircraft have carried out about 30 attacks in Helmand over the last week. \"We are investigating the allegations and [are] working diligently to determine whether civilians were killed or injured as a result of US air strikes,\" Brigadier General Charles Cleveland told the Reuters news agency. But the families of those killed last week are outraged. \"How could women and children be Taliban?\" one man - who said 11 people were killed in his brother's house in Sangin by an air strike on Thursday - asked a correspondent for Reuters news agency. British forces were stationed in Helmand province since 2006, but left in 2014 when Nato ended its combat mission in Afghanistan. Since then the insurgency has continued unabated, and the drugs trade fuelling it is still booming.", "summary": "The United Nations has said that it is increasingly worried about the high number of civilian deaths in the Afghan province of Helmand."}
{"article": "David Davis said \"some people\" were exploiting practices \"to delay and dispute the outcome\" of the inquiry, which began in 2009. The government said it was a matter for the independent inquiry. It comes amid growing pressure on Sir John Chilcot to set a publication date. The inquiry, which is looking at the reasons for the UK's involvement in the 2003 US-led invasion, held its last public hearing in 2011. The war saw British troops remain in Iraq until 2009 and a total of 179 UK service personnel were killed in the conflict. Sir John this week wrote to families of UK soldiers killed in Iraq saying he understood their \"anguish\" at delays, blaming the \"Maxwellisation\" process - where those criticised are given an opportunity to respond. His response came after some bereaved families threatened legal action. Mr Davis said: \"What appears to be happening is that some people are using the Maxwellisation process to delay and dispute the outcome of Chilcot.\" The purpose of the process, he said, was to give people notice that they were going to be criticised and give them time to prepare for it and correct any errors of fact. He said it was not meant to be a \"process of private dispute and debate between the inquiry and those being criticised in order to influence the conclusion of the inquiry\". Mr Davis told the Telegraph ministers should now act. \"Surely the reasonable action for the government to take now is to say 'there should be a limit in time and money on what can be spent on government lawyers to allow this inordinate delay to continue',\" he said. When the Chilcot inquiry was launched, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said it would take at least a year. Sir John has faced criticism in recent weeks, with Prime Minister David Cameron expressing his frustration at the delays. The government spokesman told the Telegraph: \"This is an independent inquiry and as such Maxwellisation, publication and timing are a matter for Sir John.\"", "summary": "The government should limit the amount of money spent on legal advice for politicians, officials and military figures as part of the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war, a Tory MP has said."}
{"article": "It was over in seconds. The hare disappeared into a hedge and the lurcher slowed down to a trot. No luck for the hare coursers this time. Although the practice is against the law in the UK, the chase was clearly still happening in this field near Walcott - just one of more than 500 reports Lincolnshire Police received in the latter half of 2012. A group of men seen nearby were stopped by officers, and made no attempt to deny what they had been doing, or how they felt about it being illegal. \"We chase and kill the hare but a farmer can take a shotgun on his land and blast the hell out of a hare - is that fair?\" one told police. \"This is diabolical - all this police action is just costing the taxpayer - do you see the four-by-four he's driving around in?\" he added, pointing to the wildlife officer's vehicle. The three men were arrested, and officers also confiscated a lurcher and a greyhound. An hour later, we found the carcass of a hare floating in a ditch a few miles away. An eyewitness told the police a gang of men had let a greyhound off the lead, which easily caught it. \"They leave the hare in the field or in a ditch - they don't have any monetary value at all - they don't even eat them,\" wildlife officer Nick Willey said. \"It's not like the old days where it was one for the pot.\" Hare coursers often bet on their dogs, which are sometimes worth as much as \u00a39,000 if they are successful. \"A massive amount of money is involved... it is the betting that drives them,\" PC Willey said. \"They are not fazed by the law because they don't think they doing anything wrong \"They don't think it should ever have been made illegal.\" Lincolnshire farmer Mark Leggott, who grows vegetables near Coningsby, said: \"I heard once a few years ago that a few cars came on to a farmer's land and the last one was an expensive car with a bookie in it - and he had \u00a320,000 to handle the bets.\" Coursers prefer flat, rural areas where the dogs can see their prey more easily - and tend to hunt in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Cambridgeshire Police has dealt with more than 100 hare coursing calls this season - resulting in dozens of arrests and vehicles being seized. The Hunting Act 2004 made hare coursing illegal and anyone convicted can be fined up to \u00a35,000 by a magistrate - although it is more common for suspects to be convicted for trespassing in pursuit of game - with smaller fines of about \u00a3300. Mr Leggott said he has had a few run-ins with coursers. \"I have confronted hare coursers in my drive and they have spat at me and threatened me.\" Lincolnshire Police's dedicated hare coursing team, dubbed Operation Galileo, feels it is making some headway in tackling the problem, and Mr Leggott agrees. \"The police are doing a great job", "summary": "The flash of brown fur was difficult to see as it raced across the muddy field, but the dog was easy to spot."}
{"article": "There will be no Gatwick Express service and most Southern services will be diverted via London Bridge. Gatwick passengers will be able to use alternative services from Blackfriars or London Bridge. No services will operate between London Victoria and Brighton, but trains between the city and London Bridge will run in the early mornings and evenings. On Sunday, buses will replace trains between Gillingham and Faversham, and between Sittingbourne and Sheerness in Kent. Southeastern said rail replacement buses would also operate between Shepherdswell and Dover Priory on Monday. Network Rail has advised passengers planning to travel over the three-day holiday weekend to check timetables.", "summary": "Rail passengers using the Brighton Main Line will face disruption over the bank holiday weekend from engineering work."}
{"article": "ESPN has been struggling as younger audiences choose outlets like Netflix and Amazon Prime over cable television. In a statement president of ESPN, John Skipper, said though sports viewership was not diminishing cuts were necessary to keep a \"competitive advantage\". Disney, which owns ESPN revised its profit expectations in August after the channel saw a decreases in subscribers. ESPN gets money from cable companies when subscribers buy bundles that include the sport channel. As more people choose cheaper cable packages or opt for online subscription TV such as Netflix, ESPN is having to rethink its strategy. Disney said in August it was considering selling access to ESPN directly to viewers in the way outlets like HBO and Showtime already do.", "summary": "Sports channel ESPN announced it is cutting 300 jobs or 4% of the company's workforce."}
{"article": "The Belarusian challenger was relentless in his pursuit of the 33-year-old Scot in Glasgow but lost a superb battle unanimously on points. Burns made the most of his greater experience to try to quell Relikh, 26. \"Boy, he could whack,\" remarked Burns, who now hopes to finalise a fight against America's Adrien Broner. \"There were a couple of times when he shook me with body shots and head shots, but I managed to hide it from him and I stuck to my tactics and stayed on my bike.\" Broner had intimated that he would be ringside but did not travel across the Atlantic to assess Burns at close quarters. Burns' winning margin seemed generous, with one judge scoring the bout 118-110 and another two putting it, more accurately, at 116-112. Previously unbeaten Relikh, trained by Ricky Hatton and based in Manchester, began in a lively fashion, evidently enjoying the challenge. He chased Scotland's first three-weight world champion around the ring and succeeded in landing some good shots to his ribs. Even by round four, Burns, with 40 wins from 46 bouts prior to this bout, had to use his superior movement and many years of ringcraft to get himself out of tight spots and hope that his opponent would tire. The fifth round offered signs that Burns was finding his range and, although the eager Relikh did not take a step backwards, the Scot scored with blows to the chin. Relikh was becoming more ragged, but he maintained his work-rate with a series of assaults. However, despite the challenger having 19 knockouts in his 21 previous fights, it was Burns who looked the heavier hitter. The pattern continued into the middle rounds as Burns kept his focus to jab away at Relikh and then try to hurt him with body shots. The fight began to turn in Burns' favour by the eighth as he increased the tempo and connected strongly with his right. Relikh had never fought beyond eight rounds and, in the ninth, perhaps becoming increasingly desperate, he threw his shoulder up into Burns' jaw and was reprimanded by the referee. The 10th was the pick of the rounds. Relikh took two thumping shots to the jaw, but his aggression had not lessened and when he landed a big left he appeared to have Burns in trouble for the first time in the fight. The final action was no less engaging with the SSE Hydro crowd roaring Burns on, enough to see him over the finishing line. For Burns, a lucrative defence awaits. Relikh, surely, will fight for another world title. \"Fair play to him, he stuck at it for the full 12 rounds,\" said Burns. \"He was still in there at the end. He'll definitely come again, he's a good fighter.\"", "summary": "Britain's Ricky Burns was given a stern test as he made a successful first defence of his WBA world super-lightweight title against Kiryl Relikh."}
{"article": "Put together in 1973, the band enjoyed UK chart success with Gaelic songs in the 1990s and last year released their 14th and final studio album. Their song An Ubhal as Airde reached number 18 in the charts in 1995. The film, Journey Bound, is a romcom road movie being directed by Ryan Hendrick and starring Clare Grogan, Sylvester McCoy and Karen Dunbar. Runrig founding member Calum Macdonald said: \"It's a refreshing and exciting challenge, so far removed from the familiarity of normal Runrig business.\" Still Game's Ford Kiernan, who also stars in Journey Bound and is an executive producer, said: \"I first saw Runrig perform live at Glasgow University Union in the 1980s whilst I was working there, the place was jumping, the atmosphere was incredible. \"It really is the icing on the cake for us and I'm over the moon they are onboard. They are the perfect musical fit for this quintessential Scottish movie.\"", "summary": "Veteran Celtic rockers Runrig are to appear in a new Scottish film and will also compose the movie's title music."}
{"article": "Marvyn Iheanacho, 39, attacked Alex Malcolm in Mountsfield Park, Catford, on 20 November 2016. Witnesses heard a \"child's fearful voice saying 'sorry'\", loud banging and a man screaming about the loss of a shoe, Woolwich Crown Court was told. Iheanacho, who denied murder, will serve a minimum of 18 years in prison. The jury heard Alex suffered head and stomach injuries and died in hospital two days after the beating. His mother, Lilya Breha, 30, told the court Iheanacho had also attacked her after she tried to call an ambulance when he returned to her flat carrying her injured son. In a tearful interview, she said: \"He (Alex) was bubbly. He was just perfect you know, he was a really, really special little boy. \"He was shy, he was so shy, and very polite. He would always say 'Mummy thank you' and 'I love you Mummy'.\" Ms Breha described Iheanacho as a \"good liar\" and pathetic. Recalling how she met him through a friend after he left prison, she said he had convinced her he was innocent and a good person. She said: \"When I think about it now, to be honest I feel like it was all such a big lie and he just pretended to be a good guy pretty well.\" Prosecutors revealed there had been \"problems with witness interference\" during the trial, with Iheanacho phoning Ms Breha from prison to try to persuade her to back him in court. In a victim impact statement, Alex's father said he would \"never forget seeing him in his hospital bed fighting for his life. That image will stay with me forever.\" \"Just thinking about what's happened and trying to put words on paper is tearing me apart,\" he said. Sentencing, Judge Mark Dennis QC said the killer had a deeply entrenched character flaw that \"leads you to overreact and lose your temper\". \"You used your undoubted strength and simple brute force,\" against a \"completely defenceless\" child, he said. He said Iheanacho, who has a string of previous convictions for violent offences, had given fake and misleading accounts to paramedics, hospital staff and police.", "summary": "A man who battered his girlfriend's five-year-old son to death in a London park for losing a trainer has been jailed for life."}
{"article": "Speaking on RT?? radio, the minister said it would not be possible to get rid of the Health Service Executive structure this year. He said he wanted to focus on reforms that improve GP practices and building and developing hospital groups. Mr Varadkar said the 500m euros overrun in healthcare spending was due mainly to a significant increase in the number of people using services this year. He also said he could not put a deadline on when free GP care for children under six would be available. When asked if it would be in place as promised by the end of this year, he said: \"I can't say that for certain. \"That depends on how the talks and negotiations go with the IMO (Irish Medical Organisation). It is very important to me that we bring GPs with us. \"This is a huge opportunity to put resources back into general practice, I hope they see that, and as well as that, it's an opportunity to change the way we provide healthcare.\" Mr Varadkar said he hoped to have a report from an expert group by the end of this month looking at whether medical cards should be issued to people on the basis of their medical condition. The minister said he would have to see what the group proposed, whether it was affordable and then discuss it in the context of the budget. He also said the issue of tax relief on health insurance was an issue for Finance Minister Michael Noonan.", "summary": "Irish Health Minister Leo Varadkar has said the timeframe for the reform of the country's health service was overambitious from the start."}
{"article": "Moorways had been used only by clubs since it closed to the public in early 2016 due to maintenance costs. Now the city council and clubs have said it is too expensive to continue. It will shut by the end of January. Double gold medallist Ross Davenport tweeted the awards won by Derby swimmers, while others labelled the move \"disgraceful\" and \"ridiculous\". Moorways, which was built more than 40 years ago, has struggled with maintenance and health and safety issues. Its loss was made more acute by the ongoing closure of the main pool at nearby Queen's Leisure Centre, due to structural problems, although two other pools remain open for public use at the centre. Peter Spink, chairman of the City of Derby Swimming Club, said they had met the council several times over rising costs. \"The facility just could not made to be viable in the way it was being operated for any longer,\" he said. \"So we made the decision that we should pull out sooner rather than later so we could stop incurring further costs.\" But former Olympic and Commonwealth swimmer Ross Davenport tweeted: \"So glad the city hasn't produced an Olympic Champion, 2 Olympic, 8 World, 10 Commonwealth & 14 European swimming Medals in the past 10 years!\" Paula West was one of a number of people to reply, saying: \"Derby Clubs can't even access pool time in their own town, having to travel everywhere else #absolutely disgusted\". The council said it regretted the situation but problems with the Queen's Leisure Centre were \"unforeseeable\" and it was working towards plans for a new 50m pool on the Moorways site. However the opening of this has already slipped from 2018 to 2020.", "summary": "A former Olympian says he's dismayed one of Derby's last large council-run swimming pools is about to close."}
{"article": "York Minster Police has been given the same powers as regular police officers within the minster's precinct. Eight constables and the cathedral's head of security were sworn in at a special ceremony on Tuesday. The force, established in the 13th Century, lost its powers in the 1930s when officers ceased to be attested. York Minster is one of only a handful of cathedrals to maintain its own police force. Those that do have a police force include Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral, St Peter's Basilica in Rome, and Washington's National Cathedral in Washington DC. Mark Sutcliffe, Inspector of Cathedral Police at York Minster, said: \"I feel very proud of the whole team for attaining their attestation. \"It has been an important day for everyone involved but also a significant milestone in the history of the force, which has played an important role in life at the cathedral for hundreds of years. \"The attestation and training the officers have completed ensures our cathedral constables have the professional skills and powers necessary to execute their duties.\" Powers were returned to the force following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Chapter of York and the chief constable of North Yorkshire. The memorandum recognises that although security provision inside the minster and its precinct remain the responsibility of cathedral constables, North Yorkshire Police will be responsible for investigating all crime. Any arrested people will be handed over to North Yorkshire Police for transport and processing and the force will be responsible for the submission of prosecution files. The Minster Police constabulary is thought to be the oldest continuing police service in the country.", "summary": "A cathedral police force has been given back the power of arrest for the first time in nearly 80 years."}
{"article": "About 1,000 people attended a rave at Twyford Wood near Bourne in Lincolnshire on 23 May. Police carried out an operation to close it down, which led to 21 officers and a dog being injured. Chelsea Harvey, 21, from Norfolk, admitted dangerous driving and was jailed for 12 months. Harvey, of Ashley Walk, Dereham, drove her Peugeot 206 about 350 metres (1,148ft) at speeds of up to 30mph (77km/h) with PC Rob Bentley on the bonnet, Lincoln Crown Court heard. At one point she was involved in a collision with a camper van, but continued with the officer still clinging on. PC Bentley suffered \"relatively minor physical injuries\" but the court heard the psychological damage had had a lasting impact. James Bide-Thomas, prosecuting, said Harvey, who had two female friends in her car, had been told to stop by PC Bentley, but instead had \"jerked forward violently\" knocking the officer off his feet and leaving him \"spread-eagled\" on the bonnet. Judge Michael Heath, passing sentence on Wednesday, told her: \"If you drive as you did with a police officer on your bonnet for the distance that you did, and at the speed you did, there can only be one sentence that I can impose upon you. That is immediate custody.\" Jonathan Straw, defending, said Harvey works in a centre for deaf-blind people run by the charity Sense. He described her as acting in \"blind panic\" and added: \"She is very sorry for what happened. She didn't intend to hurt anyone. She went out with two friends that day simply to enjoy a party.\" Harvey was also disqualified from driving for a year.", "summary": "A woman drove at a police officer manning a road block and carried on for 350 metres with him \"spread-eagled\" on her bonnet, a court heard."}
{"article": "The plan would see 150 homes built, 37 refurbished and about 280 demolished. The Department for Communities and Local Government ordered the hearing after deciding the plan for Toxteth \"may conflict with national policy\". Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson said it was \"patronising\" for the government to tell residents what they need. The three-week inquiry will hear from the city council, residents, the housing association Plus Dane and the charity Save Britain's Heritage (SBH). A site visit will then take place to look at the extent to which the proposed development \"is in line with Government policy on good design, enhancing the historic environment, bringing back empty homes and supporting healthy communities\". Following the decision to delay the planning process, Mr Anderson said it was \"hugely frustrating and bitterly disappointing for the local community\". \"Residents made clear in no uncertain terms that they backed what has been put forward,\" he said. City councillor Ann O'Byrne said \"the evidence was overwhelming to show that the condition of these properties is such that it would cost more to refurbish them than it would to build new ones\". The current proposal, which will see a small number of the houses saved from demolition, has been backed by residents organisation, Welsh Streets Homes Group (WSHG). A spokesman for WSHG said that for \"further houses to be spared, it would take a leap of faith\", including a \"change of heart\" by the council and Plus Dane and the \"approval of residents on the south end of the site [whose] existing walls are crumbling around them\". \"WSHG wanted to avoid a public inquiry but since it is happening, we will be asking the inspector to encourage all parties back to the negotiating table in search of an agreement that would allow work to begin on site in 2015.\" The housing association Plus Dane has previously warned that any delays to the scheme would \"seriously jeopardise\" the available funding. Save Britain's Heritage, which owns a house in one of the streets, campaigned for the inquiry and wants more of the houses to be renovated, instead of demolished. Jonathan Brown, from the group, said structural engineers had said the houses were \"still solid and viable and estate agents still say that they could sell them\". Designer Tilly Hemingway, who is working on one of the houses in Madryn Street, said the homes had a lot of potential, which would be lost if they were demolished. \"It seems absolutely insane that you'd knock these type of houses down when they are perfect in terms of space standards and they're beautiful,\" she said. The inquiry, which is set to run until 4 July, is due to deliver its findings in a report later in the year.", "summary": "Campaigners supporting a \u00a315m plan for Liverpool's Welsh Streets have protested outside the opening of a public inquiry into it."}
{"article": "The woman alleges the former TV star and artist assaulted her at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London in 1977. The woman told the trial \"it was like a hawk pouncing on his prey\" as Mr Harris spread his hands over her body. Mr Harris, appearing at Southwark Crown Court via video link from Stafford Jail, denies seven charges of indecent assault and one of sexual assault. The woman, who has been disabled since birth, was totally blind and had to walk with a stick when the indecent assault allegedly took place. She was 27 at the time and a jury was told how the incident left her feeling \"absolutely invaded\". In a pre-recorded interview from July 2014, the court heard her recall hearing a door to the hospital room she was in opening and recognising the voice of the TV star, whom she had been expecting to meet. She said she remembered feeling hot air from Mr Harris's nostrils and his beard tickling the back of her neck after he approached \"from absolutely nowhere\", and could tell he was getting excited as his breathing got heavier, the court heard. \"I have never met anyone who could spread their hands across my body so quickly,\" she said. \"They covered all my back really really fast and he got his hands going up both sides of my body and he was saying, 'Well don't you like this then?' and I said 'No I don't like it. Nobody has ever touched me like this, get off'.\" He then allegedly replied: \"Well you can't see me.\" The complainant, who has two full-time carers, went on: \"What annoyed me was that I just could not escape, and being blind I couldn't always tell where he was. \"I was completely and utterly trapped.\" The woman said: \"One (complainant) later described him as an octopus. I thought 'that's exactly what it felt like with his arms and fingers spread as far as he could spread them'.\" The woman said the way he had allegedly taken \"advantage\" of her was \"as degrading as it gets\". She went on: \"No-one has ever behaved like that to me in my life and I want to say even my husband, at his most passionate times, never covered my body in a way that he has done.\" The alleged victim said she repeatedly asked Harris to stop touching her and at one point he replied: \"Don't be like that, I'm only being friendly.\" She then said she grabbed his fingers and bent them back in a bid to stop the entertainer squeezing her breasts. She said he allegedly responded: \"'I can't get to you now'.\" The court heard how after the alleged assault, she spent a while with Mr Harris in the room during which he spent a few moments teaching her how to play the didgeridoo he had brought. Wearing a black suit and black-and-white tie Mr Harris appeared via video link from Stafford Prison where he is serving a sentence for a series of offences of indecent assault carried out on four", "summary": "A blind, disabled woman felt \"utterly trapped\" by Rolf Harris as he groped her, a court has heard."}
{"article": "The ministry is asking for 180.5bn yen ($2.1bn, \u00a31.3bn), some of which an official said would be spent on missile interceptors and fighter jets. The move comes with Japan embroiled in a territorial row with China. It also follows North Korea's recent successful long-range rocket launch. \"We will request 180.5bn yen to be allocated to military spending from a stimulus package,\" a defence ministry spokesman told Agence-France Presse news agency. He said that part of it would fund the purchase of PAC-3 surface-to-air anti-ballistic missile systems and modernise four F-15 fighter jets. The defence ministry spokesman said the funds were needed \"to prepare for the changing security environment surrounding Japan\". The finance ministry has to approve the request before it can be added to the government stimulus package expected later this month. Q&A: China-Japan islands row The request for funds is in addition to news on Tuesday that the new government, which won elections in December, would increase the defence budget request by more than 100bn yen. Officials say the increase would be used for research into a new radar system and maintenance costs for military aircraft. The mooted increase is not large - the defence budget for the year ending in March 2012 stood at 4.65 trillion yen - but it represents a change. For 10 years, Japan's defence budget has been gradually declining. But in the last few months the country has been shaken from two sides, says the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo. In December, North Korea successfully launched a long-range rocket that flew over southern Japan. Much more worrying for Tokyo is China's push to claim disputed East China Sea islands, our correspondent adds. The dispute over the islands, called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese, has rumbled for years. Japan controls the islands but its purchase of three of them from their private Japanese owner in September sparked a renewed row. Since then Chinese ships have been sailing in and out of what Japan says are its territorial waters around the islands, prompting warnings from Tokyo. New Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is known as a conservative, has pledged a strong stance on the territorial issue while also calling for dialogue with China.", "summary": "Japan's defence ministry says it is seeking more funds for military spending, a day after news the government would boost the defence budget for the first time in 10 years."}
{"article": "Brogan Mearns, 13, had not been seen after leaving for a walk from her father's house in the Castlemilk area of the city last Saturday. Police Scotland had expressed concern for her wellbeing. The force said on Friday that the teenager had been traced in Glasgow city centre.", "summary": "A teenage girl who had been missing for almost a week has been found \"safe and well\" in central Glasgow, police have said."}
{"article": "Lord Davies, Britain's former trade minister, said women now accounted for 20.7% of board members in the FTSE 100 firms, up from 12.5% in 2011. He wants women to occupy a quarter of all board positions by 2015. The report also said there was a \"growing recognition\" of the benefits of equality to business. The social and economic benefits of having more women on boards were also increasingly appreciated, Lord Davies' review found. He said: \"The rate of change that we have seen at the heart of our biggest companies over the last three years has been impressive. \"The voluntary approach is working and companies have got the message that better balanced boards bring real business benefits. \"We are finally seeing a culture change taking place at the heart of British business.\" But he said the \"eyes of the world\" were on Britain, and the UK needed to prove it could promote equality on a voluntary basis, not by regulation. Businesses are coming round to having women on boards, Newton Investment Management chief executive Helena Morrissey told the BBC. \"Mysteriously, the chairmen often say that the men behave better when the women are around,\" she said. \"Really the arguments are that you need diversity of thought, diversity of perspective,\" she added. \"This has moved away from being politically correct, this is a move to being regarded as good business sense.\" Lord Davies published a review in 2011 called 'Women on Boards'. He said \"real progress\" had been made in the intervening years, with \"more women than ever before\" in top positions. Business Secretary Vince Cable said the figures showed businesses were getting the right mix of talent \"around their boardroom table\". He said: \"98 of the FTSE 100 boards are now made up of at least one woman and we need fewer than 50 new women appointments to FTSE 100 boards to reach our target of 25% of women on all FTSE 100 boards in the next year. \"This is a huge improvement from where we started just three years ago.\" Mr Cable called for a \"renewed, concentrated effort\" by company chairs and chief executives to \"change the make up\" of their \"top table\". He added: \"More needs to be done to improve the number of women in executive positions. \"These will be the CEOs of tomorrow and businesses still aren't tapping into the vast talent pool available to them.\" Shadow minister for women and equalities Gloria De Piero said the UK was making \"decent progress\" but it was a \"bit early to be celebrating\" as women represented 50% of the population. She said a lack of diversity led to poorer company performance and that Labour would consider introducing quotas if progress was not made. Ms De Piero added: \"But there's also a role for government to play in setting the right example to business. \"With just five women out of 33 in the cabinet, and women only making up 20% of government ministers, David Cameron and Nick Clegg have shut women's voices out of their own top table.\" Maria Miller, minister", "summary": "The boardrooms of top UK companies have undergone a \"culture change\", with a growing number of women in decision-making roles, a report has said."}
{"article": "Alexander was centrally involved at McLaren for more than 40 years after being recruited by driver Bruce McLaren to help set up the team in 1963. He left in 1983, two years after McLaren was taken over by current boss Ron Dennis, but returned in 1989 and worked there until he retired in 2008. \"Tyler was one of the first pillars of our company,\" said Dennis. \"Bruce couldn't have asked for a sturdier pair of shoulders upon which to help build the team's reputation. Quite simply, Tyler lived and breathed McLaren.\" In the early years of the team, Alexander worked alongside Bruce McLaren and fellow American Teddy Mayer in F1, first as chief mechanic and then chief engineer before becoming a director of the company. The company continued under Mayer following McLaren's death in a testing crash in 1970. In the late 1960s, Alexander moved to run the company's successful programmes in the US, first in the CanAm sportscar championship and then in Indycar racing, before returning to F1 in 1979. Dennis took over McLaren in 1981, first running it alongside Mayer before taking total control, and two years later Alexander sold his shares to Dennis and left the company. He returned to the US to join Mayer in running an Indycar team, which recruited as engineer a young Adrian Newey, now Red Bull's chief technical officer and the most decorated design engineer in F1 with world titles at Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. Alexander and Mayer were the joint team principals of the short-lived US-based F1 team Beatrice in 1985 and 1986. After its collapse, Alexander returned to Indycar racing before Dennis re-signed him as McLaren's special projects engineer in 1989. During his final 20 years with the company, McLaren won six drivers' and five constructors' world titles with Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton. In a tribute to Alexander on the McLaren website, Dennis said: \"Tyler was one of the finest of the old school: hardy, humble and wise, leaving a reputation and a legacy that will remain indelible in the history of international motorsport.\"", "summary": "American Tyler Alexander, one of the key figures in the founding of the McLaren team, has died aged 75."}
{"article": "The Iceland midfielder, 27, scored nine goals and assisted 13 to help save the Swans from Premier League relegation. Sigurdsson's fine form has prompted speculation linking him with a move to clubs such as Everton. \"It's a good honour for me. It's always nice when you get voted for by the fans and the players,\" he said. \"It's been a very good season for me personally with goals and assists and a good ending for the team.\" Centre-back Alfie Mawson, 23, was named Swansea's young player of the year having joined from Barnsley in 2016. There were also awards for top-scorer Fernando Llorente and Oliver McBurnie, who is under-23s player of the year. But it was Sigurdsson who dominated Wednesday's awards ceremony at the Liberty Stadium. After playing a starring role in Iceland's improbable run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals, Sigurdsson signed a new four-year contract with Swansea in August. He has continued to impress this season and, despite the Swans languishing towards the bottom of the Premier League table for much of the campaign, Sigurdsson has provided more assists than any other player in the division. As a result, the former Tottenham playmaker continues to be linked with a move away from the Liberty Stadium, though Swansea head coach Paul Clement has said keeping Sigurdsson will be one of his priorities this summer.", "summary": "Gylfi Sigurdsson has been named Swansea City's players' and supporters' player of the year for the second successive season."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old Bath man will have a scan on Saturday. If Watson, who missed the autumn internationals with a broken jaw, is ruled out, then it could present an opportunity to Gloucester's Jonny May. England, Grand Slam winners in 2016, start their title defence at Twickenham on 4 February.", "summary": "England winger Anthony Watson is a doubt for the Six Nations opener against France after suffering a hamstring strain."}
{"article": "The walls in the lobby of his San Diego, California, office are dominated by photos in which he's smiling alongside Republicans - Presidents Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush and George W Bush, and 2008 nominee John McCain. He's donated thousands of dollars to Republican politicians over the past several decades. When the self-made millionaire talks about government meddling in private industry - his car dealerships, currency exchange stores and real estate ventures - he takes a page right out of the Republican playbook. \"In my business 30% is owned by the United States government and 10% is owned by the state of California. I didn't pick them as partners, but they sure know how to mess in my business,\" Mr De La Fuente says. \"It appears that the more people are trying to be productive, the more government tries to disrupt.\" The Rocky De L Fuentes of the world ought to have been easy pickings for a Republican Party whose leaders just over three years ago acknowledged that they were facing a demographic doomsday scenario if they didn't broaden their appeal to the growing numbers of Hispanic voters. Because of population growth rates, if the Republican presidential candidate won the same percentage of the Hispanic vote in 2016 as nominee Mitt Romney did in 2012 (27%), according to a study by Republican strategists, he would have to win 64% of the white vote. No Republican has done that since Ronald Reagan's re-election landslide in 1984. 2012 Mitt Romney reiceved 27% of the Hispanic vote and 59% of the white vote 2008 John McCain received 31% of the Hispanic vote and 55% of the white vote 2004 George W Bush received 44% of the Hispanic vote and 58% of the white vote An even more daunting estimate, from UCLA researchers, finds that if Mr Trump wins the same percentage of the white vote that Mr Romney did (59%) he would have to carry 47% of the Hispanic vote - a number only George W Bush in 2004 approached. If the party were to thrive, Republican National Committee analysts wrote in their 2012 post-mortem, they would have to find a way to make their party more welcoming to minority voters - particularly Hispanics. Immigration reform should be a priority. Outreach efforts must be improved. Off-putting rhetoric should be adjusted. Instead the party nominated Donald Trump. And a few months after Mr Trump launched his presidential campaign with a sweeping condemnation of a Mexican nation that he said allows its drug-dealers and rapists to enter the US, Mr De La Fuente - who was born in the US but grew up and attended university in Mexico - announced he was also running for president. As a Democrat. Since then Mr De La Fuente has used his personal fortune to get on the ballot in dozens of states and has received nearly 60,000 votes - good enough for fourth place behind Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. Mr De La Fuente may be an unusual man with an unusual reaction to Mr", "summary": "Roque \"Rocky\" De La Fuente should probably be a Republican."}
{"article": "On Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Dyson called for an easing of immigration laws to keep more overseas engineers. He also said he would vote to leave the EU to avoid being \"dominated and bullied by the Germans\". The firm has committed \u00a31bn to 100 new products over four years. \"Export is vital for Britain to create wealth,\" said founder and chairman James Dyson. \"In order to export you have to have high technology products that are better than those produced elsewhere in the world.\" To boost UK research and development, engineers who come to study in UK universities should be encouraged to work in the UK after their course has finished, Mr Dyson said. \"One important thing we should do is to keep those engineers in Britain. A lot of them come from overseas, in fact, 90% of researchers at British universities come from overseas, and we must encourage them to stay here.\" \"I would change our immigration laws to allow the right sort of people to stay here,\" he said. In addition, Mr Dyson said he didn't particularly want to stay in the EU. \"I think it's a European Union dominated by Germany, and in our particular field we have these very large German companies who dominate standards setting and energy reduction committees, and so we get the old guard and old technology supported and not new technology. \"I want to keep EFTA - European free trade - and free movement of peoples, but I don't see that we need to be dominated and bullied by the Germans.\" Dyson's \u00a31bn investment plan represents a significant increase in R&D spending at the company, which first made a name for itself selling bagless vacuum cleaners. Since then it has produced fans, heaters and powerful hand dryers for public toilets. Dyson also announced an extra \u00a345m investment in research at UK universities. The company has already made a commitment to spend \u00a35m on a robotics lab at Imperial College London, but there was no indication as to which other institutions would receive funding. In January, the firm said it would invest \u00a3250m to expand its Malmesbury research and development campus, and create 3,000 jobs. Reacting to Dyson's announcement, Prime Minister David Cameron said it signalled that the company was \"looking to the future\", and that its investment would \"help to cement its leading role on the global stage\". Dyson also announced an investment of \u00a3200m for manufacturing expansion in South East Asia. A proportion of the investment will go to its West Park motor factory in Singapore. Dyson faced criticism for a 2002 decision to shift its vacuum cleaner manufacturing to Malaysia with a loss of hundreds of jobs. Mr Dyson said; \"We manufacture where our suppliers are in South East Asia and Singapore.\" He added that his family and firm paid UK taxes. In the past there have been reports of schemes being set up in locations including Malta for tax purposes, then wound down. \"It's quite clear and quite simple,\" Mr Dyson said. \"Our companies are based here in Britain, I", "summary": "James Dyson has told the BBC it's important to keep engineers in the UK to produce hi-tech exports, as he announced a \u00a31bn investment in research and development."}
{"article": "The first minister will say Wales needs two Labour governments to ensure the economy works \"for everyone\". The party says it will deliver tidal lagoons, rail electrification and the Wylfa Newydd Nuclear Plant. It will also create a Development Bank of Wales, if in power in Cardiff and London. The party says it will ensure the level of funding Wales currently receives from the European Union continues beyond Brexit. Welsh Labour has so far been attempting to run a largely separate election campaign, fronted by First Minister Carwyn Jones rather than UK leader Jeremy Corbyn. At a launch for the campaign in Cardiff two weeks ago, Mr Jones made no reference to Mr Corbyn, and three of the five pledges unveiled related to the work of the Labour-run Welsh Government in Cardiff Bay, rather than issues under Westminster control. Speaking at the launch in the Delyn constituency in north Wales later today, Mr Jones will say: \"Our manifesto is an ambitious, comprehensive plan of what Welsh Labour can do, together, working in the assembly and Westminster.\" He will add: \"Working in partnership, Welsh Labour will commit to protecting the funding that would have come to Wales through the EU. \"That money will be spent in Wales, and on Welsh priorities, and not stashed away in Whitehall as the Tories now threaten.\" The first minister will say a Labour government at Westminster would ensure an \"estimated \u00c2\u00a31.5bn extra\" will come to Wales every year. The general election manifesto says Welsh Labour will also work with a UK Labour government to abolish the Severn bridges tolls and hand over responsibility for policing from Whitehall to the Welsh Assembly.", "summary": "Welsh Labour is promising a \"real partnership\" with a Labour government in Westminster as it launches its manifesto on Monday."}
{"article": "The company said Messenger Lite had the \"core features\" of the full app such as the ability to share text and photos. The app will compete with Facebook-owned WhatsApp, which the company says is used by more than a billion people. One analyst said offering a stripped-back service for developing markets would \"drive adoption of services\". \"Targeting users in emerging markets with 'lite' apps is not a new phenomenon,\" said Jack Kent, of the IHS Markit consultancy. \"Companies such as Google and Line also offer streamlined services for users in emerging markets. \"It makes sense to provide streamlined service to drive adoption of services rather than monetise users immediately.\" Facebook was criticised in June after it removed access to messages from its mobile website, in an attempt to steer people to use the Messenger app. Stan Chudnovsky, head of product at Facebook Messenger, said the company found people sent more messages when messenger was offered as a separate app. He told BBC News people also found it easier to discover new features when they were not \"buried\" inside the bigger Facebook experience. The company has slimmed the Messenger Lite app down to under 10MB, so it takes up less space on smartphones with limited storage. That is up to 95% smaller than the full-size Messenger app, which case top 150MB on Android devices. The Lite app will be released for Android devices in Kenya, Tunisia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Venezuela first.", "summary": "Facebook has announced a \"slimmed down\" version of its Messenger app for countries where older smartphones and slower net speeds are more common."}
{"article": "Singer Trevor Grills, 54, and tour manager Paul McMullen, 44, died after being hit by a falling metal door at G Live in Guildford on 9 February 2013. David Naylor, 56, from Bridgnorth in Shropshire, is facing two counts of manslaughter by gross negligence. He appeared at Guildford Crown Court and is due stand trial in September. His lawyer have indicated he would enter not guilty pleas when he next appears at the same court on 11 March. The company which manufactured the doors involved in the incident has been summonsed for breaches of duty imposed by the Health and Safety at Work Act. Express Hi-Fold Doors Limited, of which Mr Naylor is a director, is accused of failing to ensure equipment was safe. Mr Grills, from Port Isaac in Cornwall, and Mr McMullen, from Disley in Cheshire, were at the venue ahead of a performance due to be staged by the 10-piece group.", "summary": "A man charged over the deaths of two members of the Cornish shanty group Fisherman's Friends has appeared in court."}
{"article": "Australia levelled the Ashes series with a 405-run win at Lord's that saw England's top order collapse in both innings and the bowlers struggling. Gary Ballance has now been replaced by Jonny Bairstow in the squad for next week's third Test at Edgbaston. \"This shows nobody is safe in the team,\" said Lyth. \"Gary is averaging almost 50 and he now finds himself out of the side so if you aren't scoring runs you aren't in the side,\" Lyth wrote on his Facebook page. However, the Yorkshire opener believes such competition is \"healthy\" - and says he is in better form than his dismissals for a duck and seven at Lord's showed. \"I played a bad shot in the first innings at Lord's,\" he said. \"Hopefully there is a big score around the corner. I feel in good nick so I'm not too worried.\" The 27-year-old said he was \"gutted\" to see county team-mate Ballance dropped - he averages 47.76 from 15 Test matches, and scored a half-century in the first Test in Cardiff. But Lyth believes Bairstow - another Yorkshireman - will continue his strong domestic form for England. The return of Bairstow will see Ian Bell moved up the batting order to three. Bell has averaged just 14.50 with the bat this summer and there have been suggestions he could also be dropped if he fails to get runs in the third Test. However, Australia batsman David Warner says his camp is wary or writing off the Warwickshire batsman too soon. \"He's got the weight of runs behind him, the experience in the games. I think he's a world class player,\" said Warner. \"He may be out of touch at the moment, but we know what he's capable of, he killed us last time when we were over here, scored a lot of runs and we have to respect that.\" Meanwhile, Australia players are \"very happy\" that batsman Kevin Pietersen is not playing in the Ashes though, according to former England spinner Shaun Udal. Pietersen, 35, was left out after what previous captain and now England and Wales Cricket Board director of cricket Andrew Strauss called \"trust issues\". But the nature of the Lord's defeat means his omission is \"unfair\" on fans and \"ridiculous\", according to Udal. \"That's also the view of three Aussie players I saw at Lord's,\" Udal said. \"They are very happy Kev isn't being picked because, in their words, if he came back the 'chances of Australia winning the Ashes would be reduced'. Udal, who was Pietersen's captain at previous team Hampshire told Kicca.com: \"If that's what the opposition thinks then that speaks volumes.\"", "summary": "England batsman Adam Lyth says every player is at risk of being dropped from the team following their humiliating defeat in the second Test."}
{"article": "Darren McDonald, 40, travelled from Ballymena, County Antrim, to support his team. At Glasgow Sheriff Court he admitting running on to the pitch after the final whistle and kicking the other man on the head or body. McDonald was also given a three-and-a-half year football banning order. He is currently serving a sentence in Northern Ireland and the latest jail term will begin after that ends. McDonald was named and pictured in the media after the game that saw Hibs beat Rangers 3-2 on 21 May. Footage from the match was played to the court and newspaper reports from the time were brought to the sheriff's attention. McDonald was seen clearly wearing a pink T-shirt and had distinctive tattoos. The unknown Hibs fan was on the pitch after the match and was on the ground, having been assaulted by someone else. McDonald ran over to him and pulled his right leg back to kick him but slipped and fell backwards. The court heard that the momentum meant his leg made accidental contact with the Hibs fan's head or body. He then got up and ran off after the attack, leaving the Hibs fan on the ground.", "summary": "A Rangers supporter who kicked a Hibs fan during a pitch invasion at last year's Scottish Cup Final has been jailed for nine months."}
{"article": "James McGowan, 58, denies killing Owen Brannigan by repeatedly stabbing him at a house in Coatbridge, on 28 or 29 November 1999. The High Court in Edinburgh heard recordings of two July 2012 phone calls to a mental health service made by Mr McGowan, who was an expat in Australia. Mr McGowan told an On the Line adviser he had \"crossed a line\". During the phone calls, he told the counsellor he was feeling suicidal. He also spoke of his sons Ryan and Dylan who both played for Hearts. The jury heard how Mr McGowan, formerly of Coatbridge, told the operator that there was something \"slowly eating away\" at him. He added: \"Once you've crossed the line and you jump back... you know you can always go across the line. \"Some people can't go across it and I know I went and done it and it's a frightening thing - a frightening thing to deal with. \"You go 'Jesus, I can't kill people. But I did.'\" He also said: \"I would have been better off getting caught... you know I probably be coming out to join society again as a better person than what I'm doing - because every single frickin' day it's slowly eating away at me.\" The tape recordings were played on the second day of proceedings against Mr McGowan, who was extradited from Australia to Scotland last year. The court heard Mr McGowan had asked the counsellors not to tape the conversations, but they were recorded in error. The recordings were later recovered by Police Scotland officers investigating the death of Mr Brannigan. Mr McGowan and his wife emigrated to Australia in 1980. Prosecutors claim Mr McGowan murdered Mr Brannigan after he travelled back to Scotland for his mother's funeral in November 1999. Murray Macara QC, the solicitor advocate representing Mr McGowan has lodged a special defence of incrimination on behalf of his client. The defence states that a now deceased man called Thomas Stewart was responsible for the alleged murder. Mr McGowan also denies a charge of assaulting Thomas Duggan at a social club in Coatbridge on 28 November 1999. The trial, before judge Lady Scott, continues.", "summary": "The father of former Hearts footballer Ryan McGowan told helpline counsellors he had killed a man, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Evans lost his serve just once as he beat Italian top seed Luca Vanni 7-6 (7-5) 6-4, and he will face Israel's Amir Weintraub in the second round. Ward sent down 16 aces in a 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 win over Canada's Peter Polansky. Elsewhere, Nick Kyrgios suffered a pre-Open scare when he pulled out of his opening match at the Kooyong Classic. The 20-year-old Australian handed Belgian David Goffin victory as he retired with a foot injury. He later tweeted that it was precautionary. The year's first Grand Slam starts in Melbourne on Monday. .", "summary": "Britain's Dan Evans and James Ward both won their opening Australian Open qualifiers to move within two victories of the main draw."}
{"article": "Arpad Kore and Bartosz Bortniczak, both 18, and Jordanna Goodwin, Megan Storey, and Blake Cairns, all 16, died in the crash in South Yorkshire. Their car collided head-on with another vehicle on the A630 near Conisbrough on 15 November, 2014. Doncaster coroner Nicola Mundy ruled that each of the five teenager's deaths was accidental. The other car driver was injured. Jonathan Earp was in a car ahead of the Toyota Corolla at the time of the crash. Giving evidence at the inquest, he said when he got to the vehicle all the teenagers except his friend Arpad Kore were unconscious. \"He was screaming out in pain and begging me not to leave him,\" Mr Earp told the court. He said he was unable to open the car doors and held his friend's hand until the emergency services arrived. Ms Mundy said she agreed with collision investigators that the most likely cause of the accident was that Mr Bortniczak took his foot off the accelerator as he negotiated a right-hand bend, causing a classic case of \"lift-off over-steer\". The car, which had been travelling at about 73mph in a 60mph zone, skidded and was side-on when it hit the Seat. Tests showed the car would have been able to safely take the bend at that speed if the driver had kept his foot on the accelerator. Recording her conclusion, Ms Mundy said: \"It was the most tragic of accidents. Five young people, who had their lives ahead of them, losing their lives in these circumstances. \"I do not think there were any signs of recklessness. It was a mistake and a high price was paid for it.\" The crash happened after the five friends met up with two others - Ben York and Jonathan Earp - who were in a Vauxhall Corsa. The court heard there had been an investigation into whether the cars had been racing after one witness, Michael Staton, said he had seen two unidentified vehicles at traffic lights revving their engines and then \"set off like a dragster start\". Mr York, the driver of the Corsa, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving but never prosecuted. But the coroner said: \"I do not think there's evidence of them racing or being reckless on the road.\" Ms Mundy said she would be writing to Doncaster Council to ask it to consider moving the transition from 60mph to 40mph on the A630 further away from Conisbrough.", "summary": "A teenager has described how his friend, killed alongside four teenagers in a car crash, begged him for help."}
{"article": "Malorie Bantala, 21, was eight months pregnant when she was attacked by two men in Talfourd Place, Peckham, in south-east London, in June. A 20-year-old man has been charged with child destruction and grievous bodily harm with intent. But officers have yet to identify the second suspect. Det Insp David Suddick said: \"The victim has recovered physically from her ordeal, but naturally remains devastated at the loss of her baby. \"Somewhere out there is a very violent individual and we hope the offer of this reward may encourage someone to come forward.\" He added that the victim's white iPhone 5s went missing during the attack and is yet to be traced. Ms Bantala's former boyfriend, Kevin Wilson, of Longfield Estate, Bermondsey, south-east London, is due to face trial in November.", "summary": "A \u00a320,000 reward is being offered to find a \"very violent\" man involved in an attack which resulted in a heavily pregnant woman losing her baby."}
{"article": "The breaches caused rivers of mud to descend on nearby villages in the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais. Eleven people were killed and 12 are missing, presumed dead. Samarco is owned by mining giants Vale, from Brazil, and Anglo-Australian company BHP Billiton. Vale and BHP Billiton \"made all possible effort to prioritise the needs of the people who were in the accident area\" on 5 November when the dams burst, it said in a statement. Samarco says the \"preliminary commitment\" it signed will guarantee payment for \"preventive emergency, mitigation, repair or compensation measures\". The authorities acknowledge that the amount agreed will not be enough to cover the damage to the environment and to the local population. \"This is only a first instalment,\" state prosecutor Carlos Eduardo Ferreira Pinto told O Estado de Minas newspaper. Last week, Brazilian environmental agency Ibama fined Samarco 250m reais (\u00c2\u00a343.6m; $66.3m). Ibama described the dam bursts as \"the worst mining accident in Brazil's history\". The village of Bento Rodrigues was totally destroyed. More than 500 people lost their homes there. Samarco could face even higher fines from environmental regulators for water pollution and damage to local areas. The mud is being tested for potential toxins from the mine. The cause of the dam breaches has not yet been determined, but one of the structures was being extended as part of an expansion project at the time.", "summary": "Brazil mining company Samarco has agreed to pay at least 1bn reais (\u00c2\u00a3170m; $260m) in compensation for the collapse of two dams it used to hold waste water from iron ore."}
{"article": "While global warming seems to have set the polar north on a path to floe-free summers, the latest data from Europe's Cryosat mission suggests it may take a while yet to reach those conditions. The spacecraft observed 7,500 cu km of ice cover in October when the Arctic traditionally starts its post-summer freeze-up. This was only slightly down on 2013 when 8,800 cu km were recorded. Two cool summers in a row have now allowed the pack to increase and then hold on to a good deal of its volume. And while the ice is still much reduced compared with the 20,000 cu km that used to stick around in the Octobers of the early 1980s, there is no evidence to indicate a collapse is imminent. \"What we see is the volume going down and down, but then, because of a relatively cool summer, coming back up to form a new high stand,\" said Rachel Tilling from the UK's Nerc Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM) at University College London (UCL). \"So, what may be occurring here is a decline that looks a bit like a sawtooth, where we can lose volume but then recover some of it if there happens to be a shorter melt season one year,\" she told BBC News. The British researcher is presenting her work this week at the American Geophysical Union's Fall Meeting in San Francisco. Cryosat is the European Space Agency's (Esa) dedicated polar monitoring platform. It was sent up with a sophisticated radar system that enables scientists to work out the thickness of the sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean. In the three years following its launch in 2010, the satellite saw a steady decline in autumn volume at the end of the summer melt. The deep lows in this short series were 5,300 and 5,400 cubic km in 2011 and 2012, respectively. But then came the bounce back, with colder weather over the following two years resetting the minimum. Indeed, Cryosat's five-year October average now shows pretty stable volume - even modest growth (2014 is 12% above the five year-average). Cryosat's view of sea-ice thickness What Tilling and colleagues see in the data is a very strong link between autumn thickness and the degree of melting in a year. \"You might think, for example, that wind conditions would be important because they can pile the ice up and make it less susceptible to melting, while at the same time exposing more water to freeze,\" the University College London researcher explained. \"But we've looked at this and other factors, and by far the highest correlation is with temperature-driven melting.\" Long term that looks bad for the Arctic because average temperatures are climbing. However, the Cryosat team cautions against extrapolating limited observations to predict future trends in Arctic sea ice. Far more data is required, over a much longer period of time. Cryosat: Delivering operational services Scientists would like this information to be acquired by Cryosat. But the Esa mission is currently categorised as a one-off scientific venture with no planned successor. And although", "summary": "Arctic sea ice may be more resilient than many observers recognise."}
{"article": "Manas Kongpan is among more than 60 people convicted in Bangkok of trafficking Bangladeshis and Rohingya Muslims, a minority fleeing Myanmar. Another top former official was sentenced to 75 years in prison. More than 100 defendants were on trial. Muslim Rohingya have been fleeing Myanmar for years, paying people smugglers to help them escape. The arrest of the general in June 2015 was seen as part of an effort by Thailand to close down a human smuggling route through the country. The judge found him guilty of human trafficking and organised transnational crime. A former head of administration in the southern province of Satun, Ko-Tong (also known as Patjuban Aungkachotephan), received a sentence of 75 years in prison. Several other defendants were handed jail terms of similar length. Sentences ranged from four to 94 years. In 2009, Manas told the BBC that Thailand treated migrants humanely after he was accused of ordering more than 1,000 Rohingyas to be set adrift at sea on boats with no engines. Correspondents say he is the first member of the military in army-ruled Thailand to be implicated in the trafficking of migrants. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, head of the country's ruling junta, urged the public not to blame trafficking on military figures. \"There are many people in this human trafficking network,\" he told reporters. \"Don't group all soldiers in the country as one.\" In 2015, thousands of refugees were left stranded at sea as they tried to escape through southern Thailand and on to Malaysia and other destinations. The crisis escalated after international pressure forced the Thai authorities to crack down on the smuggling networks. This led to the smugglers abandoning the refugees, leaving them on their sea and land routes with no neighbouring country willing to take them in. The current trial was sparked by the discovery of mass graves of refugees in jungle camps near the Thai-Malaysian border. Most of those indicted are from Thailand but several citizens of Myanmar (also called Burma) and Bangladesh are also being held. A senior policeman who led an investigation into human trafficking in Thailand, Major General Paween Pongsirin, fled to Australia fearing his life was in danger from influential figures implicated in trafficking in his country. The Rohingya - a distinct Muslim ethnic group who are effectively stateless - have been fleeing Myanmar for decades with Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia the most desired destinations. While they say they are descendants of Arab traders who have been in the region for generations, Myanmar's government insists they are not a genuine ethnic group but rather Bengali migrants. Among the refugees stranded during the 2015 crisis were also many economic migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh.", "summary": "A former Thai general has been sentenced to 27 years in jail for human trafficking at a landmark trial."}
{"article": "First Minister Carwyn Jones and Welsh Language Commissioner Meri Huws will also join the \"Making Welsh Work\" conference at Bangor University. Mr Jones called the event \"timely\" and said having more chances to use the language were key to learning it. Gwynedd council and Natural Resources Wales are among those taking part.", "summary": "The best ways to encourage people to speak Welsh at work will be discussed on Friday by more than 100 delegates from organisations across Wales."}
{"article": "Mother-of-two Rukshana Miah, 35, was found critically injured in Longford Road West, Stockport, Greater Manchester, on August 18. She died in hospital on Saturday. Post-mortem tests showed she had suffered fatal compression to the neck. Mrs Miah's husband, Abdul Kashem Miah, was initially charged with her attempted murder. The 36-year-old, of Florist Street, Shaw Heath, appeared at Stockport Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, but Greater Manchester Police said the charge against him would now be reviewed. In a statement, Mrs Miah's family said: \"Rukshana was a wonderful daughter, mother, sister, aunty, cousin and friend that will be greatly missed by us all.\" Des Howlett, head teacher at Broadoak Primary School in Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside, described Mrs Miah as \"a wonderful and talented teacher.\" He said: \"Rukshana was the heart of the school, an outstanding teacher who was devoted to the success of the children that she taught. \"She always wanted to be the best and for her children to be the best and her belief that anything was possible if you work hard enough had an impact on everyone she met. \"Her loss is absolutely devastating. Ruk was the best of us and will always be remembered. Our thoughts are with Ruk's children and family at this terrible time.\" A statement on the school's website also paid tribute to the Year 6 teacher, and invited parents to sign a book of condolences.", "summary": "A murder investigation has been launched after a teacher died five days after she was attacked at her home."}
{"article": "Emergency services, including an air ambulance were called to Coate Water, Swindon at about 19:30 BST on Friday, after reports a girl had collapsed. Wiltshire Police said the 17-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers do not believe the death to be suspicious. A spokesman said: \"Our thoughts remain with the girl's family and friends at this extremely difficult time.\"", "summary": "A teenage girl has died after suffering a cardiac arrest in a Wiltshire park."}
{"article": "But the focus on the manhunt - and the shock and grief inspired by the attack - cannot hide the fact that there are also major questions about the atrocities and the response which lie unanswered. One set of questions relate to whether France could have detected such a large plot. After attacks in the UK, there are often questions about \"intelligence failures\". The 7/7 attacks in 2005 sparked multiple investigations after it emerged that some of those responsible had been \"on the radar\" of the security services and police. Similar questions were asked after the killing of Lee Rigby in May 2013. The cell behind the Paris attacks appears to have been built around individuals who had gone from France and Belgium out to Syria, received training and then been sent back. Former French intelligence officials acknowledge in this case that there was a failure. Men who were known to the authorities managed to travel and plan and then carry out a deadly attack. Who were the attackers? What is 'Islamic State'? But the reasons for this partly lie in the scale of the challenge France faces. The authorities say they are dealing with 11,000 extremists on their radar. Working out who to follow amidst so many is a challenge for any security service. The problems with travel into and inside Europe's Schengen area pose an additional challenge, along with that of weak information-sharing amongst countries. In the past, attacks were inspired by the so-called Islamic State (IS) but this one was different - it was directed and organised by the group. From the start it was clear that it was highly organised and sophisticated - not the work of so-called \"lone actors\", but a group working together. Abaaoud may have been the ringleader but it is not clear yet if there was further supervision and direction from the top of IS. Learning that could help the process of discovering whether there are other cells who have been sent to undertake similar operations in France or other countries. France does have experienced security services because it has been dealing with the threat of jihadism longer than most. The legacy of the conflict in Algeria always made it a target. In the mid-1990s, a series of attacks rocked Paris with bombs on the subway. These were linked to Algerian groups whose reach often extended to the UK. With figures like Abu Qatada and Abu Hamza radicalising and preaching, the French christened the British capital \"Londonistan\" and chided it for offering a safe haven so long as no violence was directed its way. France sent its spies undercover to try to penetrate the groups in Britain and pushed for more action. British officials only understood the danger after 9/11 though and belatedly began acting. Meanwhile France managed to successfully avoid major attacks in those years at the same time as London and Madrid were hit. Special report: In-depth coverage of the attacks and their aftermath The French Security Service enjoyed a robust reputation for running extensive networks of informers across mosques and the", "summary": "There was applause for the French security services and police in the National Assembly on Thursday when it was announced that they had caught - and killed - the planner of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud."}
{"article": "Iain Henderson, Dan Tuohy and Peter Nelson are the latest to join a long-term casualty list which already includes Tommy Bowe and Jared Payne. Darren Cave is also set to miss the back-to-back games against Toulouse. \"Despite all the injuries, I believe we have the capability to win this weekend,\" said Ulster skipper Best. Ireland star Henderson could miss the remainder of this season after tearing a hamstring in Friday's Pro12 win over Edinburgh with Nelson out for the rest of the campaign after suffering a dislocated foot in the same game. Irish international lock Tuohy will be missing for at least two months after fracturing an ankle against Edinburgh while Ireland centre Cave will be out for a couple of weeks because of a shoulder injury. After the opening Champions Cup home defeat by Saracens, another reverse at Kingspan Stadium would leave Ulster's qualification hopes in trouble but Best is refusing to get too worried. The Ulster captain is calling for a repeat of the kind of committed display which saw them shock Toulouse at the quarter-final stage of the 1998-99 European Cup. Best, as a 16-year-old, was in the stands at the old Ravenhill that day and says the occasion was formative in his decision to commit all his energy to forging a professional rugby career. \"You don't remember much about games from when you were that young. You remember two or three standout moments in the game but ultimately what you remember is the atmosphere and being surrounded by screaming people. \"Those are the sort of moments that make your mind up for you that you will do anything you can to be an Ulster rugby player. \"That's what we want to create again on Friday night.\" Given Ulster's injury crisis and comparatively slow start to the season, Best has acknowledged that there appears to be a sense of pessimism from the club's supporters about the remainder of this season. \"People are very down on us. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I've heard people saying that if Ulster lose on Friday night that we are completely gone from Europe but actually that's not the case, because we will have played only two games. \"Bath lost their first two games last year and still went through - although they were the first team to do that.\" Best believes Ulster must attempt to impose their game on Toulouse early on rather than adopting a cautious initial strategy. \"We have to pick it up. We can't wait to see what Toulouse are doing. \"We have to show them from the off: 'This is what Ulster Rugby is all about'. \"Yes, we have a couple of injuries but that hasn't affected our build-up. We've got to try to force them to have to cope with us.\"", "summary": "Rory Best has urged Ulster not to wallow in their injury woes and instead produce a big performance in Friday's European game against Toulouse."}
{"article": "Construction workers moved fast to fill the hole, which spanned a five-lane street, stretching 30 metres (98 feet) wide and 15 metres deep. The chasm first appeared on Tuesday, 8 November, in a business district of the south-west city of Fukuoka. No one was hurt in the collapse, but local media reported disruptions to electricity, gas and water services. The street reopened at 05:00 Tuesday (20:00 GMT Monday), in time for rush hour. The city's Mayor Soichiro Takashima released a statement apologising for the \"great trouble\", thanking workers for their efforts, and insisting that an investigation into the incident's causes would continue. City officials have said it could have been caused by underground construction nearby.", "summary": "A busy Japanese road reopened on Tuesday, just one week after it was wrecked by a gigantic sinkhole."}
{"article": "RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire was initially named after the nearby town of Stamford. Spitfires, Hurricanes, the V-Bomber Force and Harriers have been based at the airfield. It is now home to the RAF's A4 Force and trainee pilots. A centennial memorial has been unveiled at All Saints' Church in Wittering.", "summary": "An airfield established during World War One as a Royal Flying Corps base for anti-Zeppelin fighters has marked 100 years of active service."}
{"article": "The Dungannon man, one of Ireland's most successful riders, replaces colourful Lincolnshire man Guy Martin in the Northern Ireland-based team. Forty-year-old Farquhar first raced for the TAS-run outfit 10 years ago. \"This is really exciting and has given me a new lease of life. I am more motivated than I have ever been,\" said Farquhar, who has won three TT races. \"I am not jumping ship because I will still be running my Kawasaki team in the Supertwins. \"For Superstock, I will be riding a BMW with a new personal sponsor and on the back of that I have managed to get Guy Martin's Superbike ride at the TT. \"I am proud to be in this situation. It is by far the best package I have had at the start of a season. \"I am up three mornings a week to go boxing training, trying to get myself in the best possible place I can be mentally and physically.\" Farquhar will partner 11-time TT winner Ian Hutchinson in the Tyco BMW outfit for the Superbike and Senior TT events after Martin opted to sit out at least the opening half of the road racing season to participate in a mountain bike challenge in North America. Previously a Kawasaki rider for many years, Farquhar has won two Supersport TT races and the inaugural Lightweight Supertwins class and last rode for Hector and Phillip Neill at TAS Racing back in 2006. He boasts a record 200 successes on Irish roads, making him Ireland's most successful ever national road racer. He will compete at the Mid Antrim 150 and Tandragee 100 races in April and race in the Supertwins class, alongside Jeremy McWilliams, Danny Webb and Canadian Darren James at the North West 200 in May. Cameron Donald will join the team for the TT, riding McWilliams's supertwin in the Lightweight class.", "summary": "Northen Ireland's Ryan Farquhar is to ride a Tyco BMW factory Superbike at this year's Isle of Man TT road races."}
{"article": "A 22-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman remain in police custody. West Yorkshire Police said the 29-year-old victim was found with serious injuries at a home in Coldcotes Crescent, Gipton, in the early hours of Saturday. He was taken to hospital but pronounced dead a short time later.", "summary": "Two people have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a man who was found badly injured at a house in Leeds."}
{"article": "Taylor, 32, registered his 17th ODI century with an unbeaten 102 as New Zealand posted 289-4. It took him past all-rounder Nathan Astle, who made 16 one-day centuries from 1995-2007. Seamers Trent Boult and Tim Southee then restricted South Africa to 283-9 to level the five-match series at 1-1. Former Test captain Taylor also became the country's quickest batsman to 6,000 runs in the 50-over format as he struck eight boundaries in his 110-ball innings. \"Nath was one of my idols growing up so I was fortunate towards the end of his career and start of mine to play with him,\" Taylor said. \"It's a little bit embarrassing from that point of view but records are there to be broken and hopefully someone will beat mine.\"", "summary": "Ross Taylor became New Zealand's leading one-day international centurion as the Black Caps beat South Africa by six runs in Christchurch."}
{"article": "Harry Dunn worked for clubs including Chelsea, Liverpool and Rangers. Police said an 84-year-old man was arrested and charged with a number of \"non-recent sexual offences\". Last year, Police Scotland was among forces across the UK to launch investigations into allegations of child abuse within football after reports from high-profile players. Mr Dunn is understood to have worked with Liverpool and Rangers in the 1980s and later with Chelsea. It is thought he now lives in Edinburgh.", "summary": "A former youth football scout has been arrested by police investigating allegations of historical sex abuse."}
{"article": "Meanwhile, eight African presidents are set to sign a UN-brokered accord aimed at bringing stability to the region. As many as 800,000 people have been displaced since the M23 rebel group took up arms against the Kinshasa government last May. It accuses President Joseph Kabila of failing to honour an earlier peace deal to integrate rebels into the army. The M23 rebels say they want to improve living conditions for the people of eastern DR Congo, but the UN says they are supported by Rwanda, which has been heavily involved in its eastern neighbour since those responsible for the country's genocide fled there en masse in 1994. The UN official said the plan for a 2,500-strong intervention force was at an advanced stage, although it has yet to be approved by the Security Council. The troops would be added to Monusco, the UN's existing DRC peacekeeping mission, mandated to protect civilians. The new brigades would be tasked with preventing rebels from seizing territory, and weakening them through targeted operations. Alongside this rapid reaction force, said a UN official, a broad political plan to bring stability to the region is set to be signed on the side-lines of the AU summit in Addis Ababa by the leaders of the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Angola, the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Tanzania and South Africa. All of these measures were triggered late last year when M23 rebels seized the eastern city of Goma. UN peacekeepers chose not to confront the well-armed insurgents, and suffered a blow to their image. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has been pushing for a comprehensive approach to dealing with the seemingly continuous conflict in the eastern DRC, fuelled by interference from neighbouring states and facilitated by the weakness of the Congolese government and army. UN experts have cited evidence that Rwanda and Uganda are backing M23, although both countries strongly deny the charges. \"Following the Goma crisis there was a realization here that after more than 10 years of UN engagement in the DRC there was a need to look at things differently to break the cycle of violence in the east,\" said the UN official. \"So we tried to go for the heart of the problem and see why these cycles are on-going.\" The framework agreement involves a commitment from Kinshasa to strengthen the Congolese army and pledges of non-interference from its neighbours. It also seeks to address the legitimate concerns of all countries concerned, says the UN official, \"meaning there are legitimate concerns for all countries involved, including Rwanda and Uganda\". The UN intervention force would not be a substitute for the Congolese army, said the peacekeeping official. Rather it would \"create a specific space and time for the political process, and for the army to build at least some capacity.\" The idea would be to recruit African soldiers. Only Tanzania has offered troops so far. The combat brigades would be aided by surveillance drones recently authorised by the Security Council, which are also meant to monitor the borders. The Secretary General will present detailed plans for the", "summary": "The UN wants to set up an intervention force to fight rebels fuelling conflict in DR Congo, says a UN official."}
{"article": "The adaptation of books by Diana Gabaldon tells the story of Claire Randall, a WW2 nurse swept back in time from 1945 to 18th Century Scotland. It stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan and had been available on Amazon Prime, but has now been bought up for More4. Channel 4 said the first season would begin airing later this month. The show has garnered fans worldwide as well as Bafta Scotland and Critics Choice awards. It follows the story of Claire after she falls back in time to become caught up in a Jacobite Rising and the Battle of Culloden. Diana Gabaldon said she had been influenced by her visits to the battlefield near Inverness in the writing of her Outlander books. The US show has built its own private film studio at Wardpark in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, prompting calls to improve studio production in Scotland.", "summary": "Hit Scottish time-travel drama Outlander has been given a slot on UK television for the first time."}
{"article": "Riley's comments came after referee Neil Swarbrick sent off Gareth McAuley instead of Craig Dawson during West Brom's 3-0 defeat at Manchester City. Swarbrick has apologised for the error. \"We need to see what technology we can use to help get referees' decisions more accurate,\" said Riley. \"Football as a whole has to look at it.\" Speaking about Swarbrick's error, Riley - head of the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) - told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek: \"All it takes is a split-second lapse in concentration. \"Neil had four or five elements to judge in half a second and it is that type of situation that would lend itself to technology.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Riley said he had been to the Netherlands with PGMOL performance director Howard Webb, another former referee, to study video assistant technology used in the Dutch league. \"Technology doesn't provide a solution to everything but we can all think of case where a quick reference to a video replay would help us get the decision right,\" he added. Riley also revealed that he had spoken to Swarbrick \"several times\" since the City-West Brom match. \"All referees want to make correct decisions and when you don't do that, you feel you've let yourself and your colleagues down,\" he said. \"We need to make sure the next time Neil referees, he has learned from the experience and will be a better referee because of it.\"", "summary": "Video technology to help referees cut out clear mistakes should be introduced in English football, says referees' chief Mike Riley."}
{"article": "Researchers from the British Trust for Ornithology used data from a 12-year garden bird survey in their study. This revealed that many blackcaps from Central Europe had shifted their winter migration, partly because of the supply of garden food in Britain. The findings are published in the journal Global Change Biology. \"This is the first time that we've shown that feeding birds actually influences the distribution of a bird species across a whole country,\" lead researcher Dr Kate Plummer told BBC News. The northern nightingale Source: RSPB Until the 1950s, there were hardly any records of blackcaps being in Britain in the winter, but in the past 60 years, researchers say, the number has increased \"dramatically\". \"We saw that both [climate change and garden feeding] were driving this shift in migration [from the Mediterranean to Britain],\" Dr Plummer said. \"Where there was a reliable supply of food, blackcaps were more likely to be seen.\" Throughout the 12 year period during which the observations were gathered - by more than 14,000 volunteers submitting a weekly record of the birds in their gardens - blackcaps became more strongly associated with garden food supply. \"So it looks like like they're evolving to adapt to using this big supply of winter food,\" said Dr Plummer. Graham Madge, from the RSPB, told BBC News that it was only because \"people take such a keen interest\" and \"monitor birds in these surveys, that we're able to understand the impacts we're having on birds and wildlife\". \"It's positive news that blackcap numbers are increasing here, but when it comes to house sparrows and starlings, unfortunately [in these same surveys] we're seeing massive declines,\" he added. As for the blackcap's preferred variety of feed - the birds appear to particularly like fats and sunflower hearts. Follow Victoria on Twitter", "summary": "Putting out birdfeed in Britain's gardens is shifting the migration of one particular winter visitor, the blackcap, scientists say."}
{"article": "Andy Clewes had the transplant in Manchester after his friend Helen Crowther agreed to become a donor. The 46-year-old suffered chronic kidney disease since birth and was on the verge of needing dialysis treatment. Mr Clewes and Ms Crowther, 45, are now planning \"a curry and a few beers\" to celebrate the successful procedure, which was carried out in January. \"I've just got so much more energy now,\" Mr Clewes, a radio DJ from Crewe, Cheshire, said. \"There was a time when I could sleep 23-hour days, but now I struggle to get myself off to bed. \"It's hard to describe how it feels. Every now and then you remember how lucky you are to have your mate's kidney.\" Mr Clewes said the pair would like to get involved in charity work to support others in need of transplants - and may even take on an extreme challenge. \"There are a few organisations who do skydives and things like that, and I've never done something like that before,\" he said. \"I think it's something I'd like to look at once I'm fully recovered.\" Although his strength has returned, Mr Clewes will continue to need regular check-ups and medication to prevent his body rejecting the organ. But he added: \"I'm feeling great. I'm exercising. It's really a life-changing step and I don't want to let Helen down.\" Ms Crowther, a charity worker from Runcorn, met her friend at a fundraising event in 2006 and later became \"best woman\" at his wedding. She said: \"I think Andy's a bit worried he might now take on some of my characteristics. \"I think his wife might like that as he might start tidying up around the house a bit more. \"We met up about four weeks after the operation and just fell back into normal every day chatting really. \"We have plans to celebrate properly and knowing Andy it will probably just be a few beers and curry.\" About 3,000 people have kidney transplants each year in the UK and about a third of these are from living donors. You can find more information on the NHS Organ Donation website.", "summary": "A man who was given a kidney by his best friend says he feels \"100% better\" and is considering a charity skydive."}
{"article": "Sidwell made 34 league appearances last season as the Seagulls returned to the top flight after a 34-year absence. The 34-year-old joined Brighton on an initial loan deal from Stoke in January 2016, before joining the club on a free transfer ahead of last season. \"Steve has been a key member of the squad over the past 18 months,\" manager Chris Hughton said. \"Our fans know his qualities well, and his experience, particularly at Premier League level, will be important for us.\"", "summary": "Brighton midfielder Steve Sidwell has signed a new one-year contract with the newly-promoted Premier League club."}
{"article": "Kate and Gerry McCann sued ex-police chief Goncalo Amaral, who led the search for their daughter, following claims he made about them in his book. Madeleine went missing while on holiday in May 2007 and Mr Amaral had suggested the couple had faked her abduction. The McCanns said they were \"delighted\" with the ruling but wanted to emphasise the case had never been about money. In a statement issued by their spokesman Clarence Mitchell, they said: \"It was entirely focused on the effect of the libels on our other children and the damage that was done to the search for Madeleine.\" The former police officer can appeal against the ruling. In The Truth Of The Lie, Mr Amaral alleged Madeleine had died in the family's holiday apartment in Praia de Luz in the Algarve, and that her parents had simulated her abduction and hidden her body. The McCanns, from Rothley in Leicestershire, said the claims exacerbated their anguish and discouraged people from coming forward with information after Madeleine disappeared. Madeleine went missing in the Portuguese holiday resort of Praia da Luz, aged three. Mr Amaral, who initially headed the inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance, was taken off the case in October 2007. His book, published in 2008, has been a bestseller in Portugal. The McCanns were originally seeking 1.25m euros (almost \u00a3900,000) in damages from Mr Amaral, his publisher and a company that produced a documentary based on his book. In a written verdict, a court in the Portugeuse capital Lisbon ruled Mr Amaral should pay Mr and Mrs McCann 250,000 euros each in damages, plus interest in excess of 100,000 euros (\u00a371,500). The court also barred Mr Amaral and his publisher from selling the book or issuing further editions. It also barred the producer of the film from selling the rights to broadcast or distribute it. During the trial, Mrs McCann told the court that when she had first found out about the allegations she was \"quite desperate because of the injustice I felt towards my daughter and our family as a whole\". \"It was very painful to read and I also felt anxious and fearful because of the damage I felt it was doing here in Portugal,\" she said. Portuguese authorities dropped their investigation into Madeleine's disappearance in 2008, but Scotland Yard started a review in May 2011, after Prime Minister David Cameron responded to a plea from the McCanns. In 2013, the Met Police opened a formal investigation, known as Operation Grange, which remains ongoing. In June 2014 police officers used dogs to search several sites in the Praia de Luz resort, as well as \"ground penetrating radar\" to look for disturbed earth, but their searches did not yield any results. In their statement, the McCanns said: \"A lot has changed in the six years since we launched the action and we are pleased that there is still an active investigation in both Portugal and the UK. \"We would like to remind people that there is still an innocent little girl who is missing and that those responsible for her", "summary": "A Portuguese court has awarded the parents of missing Madeleine McCann damages of \u00a3358,000 after a libel case."}
{"article": "The opening session of the Scottish Parliament was largely devoted to ceremony, including swearing in MSPs and electing the presiding officer. Members found time to lodge 51 questions and motions - 28 of them from Willie Rennie on the China agreement. There was controversy about the issue during the election campaign. It emerged during the election period that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had signed the memorandum, potentially worth up to \u00c2\u00a310bn of investment, with SinoFortone and China Railway No 3 Engineering Group. At the time, Lib Dem leader Mr Rennie called for the agreement to be torn up after a parent firm of the engineering group had been blacklisted by Norway's state pension fund over fears of \"gross corruption\". Fears have also been voiced about human rights abuses. Ms Sturgeon said no firm investment plans had been made and insisted that due diligence would be carried out, although a UK advisor to the Chinese firms said specific projects had been discussed and claimed Ms Sturgeon wanted work to begin \"this year\". Mr Rennie lodged a total of 28 questions, all on the topic of the China agreement and government memoranda of understanding. He asked a series of questions about whether government officials were aware of the Norwegian blacklisting, their assessment of the firm's human rights record, what advice was taken before signing the memorandum, and whether the government would suspend the memorandum until it had investigated concerns. The Scottish Parliament website indicated that the questions were likely to be answered on 26 May. Ms Sturgeon has previously said that \"if there were any concerns that said these were deals we should not do, then we wouldn't do them\". A number of other MSPs also lodged questions on their first day back at work after the election. Labour MSP Neil Findlay submitted three motions, one of them on the \"growing number of Scottish citizens identified as being involved in undercover policing scandals\". His motion calls on the UK government to extend the Pitchford inquiry into undercover policing into Scotland, and says that if it does not, the Scottish government should set up an inquiry of its own. Mr Findlay also submitted a motion to welcome the verdict of the Hillsborough inquests, and another calling for directors of companies that take part in blacklisting to be tried in court. Green MSP Mark Ruskell, who has now returned to parliament having lost his seat in 2011, lodged 13 questions on his first day back in the job. Mr Ruskell's questions focused on a series of environmental issues, including the culling of mountain hares and the reintroduction of beavers to Scotland.", "summary": "Dozens of questions about the Scottish government memorandum of understanding with Chinese firms were lodged during the first session at Holyrood."}
{"article": "It followed a huge spike in applications for the non-domestic end of the renewable heat incentive scheme. The investigation will include a check on one in 10 of all schemes approved. The scheme was set up several years ago to encourage domestic and business users to change to biomass heating systems, mostly wood pellets. Industry Minister Jonathan Bell announced on Friday his intention to close it to new applications. On Tuesday, officials told the enterprise committee that \u00a330m would have to come out of the block grant in 2016/7 to pay for it. The renewable heat incentive scheme applies to both home and business users. Businesses get about \u00a324,000 a year over a 20-year term for installing one of the renewable heat systems. The benefits to domestic applicants are less lucrative, with an upfront payment of about \u00a33,500 and \u00a31,200 a year for seven years. Mr Bell told the assembly that the chancellor had limited the amount of money being paid to Northern Ireland out of the UK pot for renewable heat, and that had led to the problem. He said the scheme had been oversubscribed and it had created a \"huge budgetary pressure\" not just for his department, but for the whole of Northern Ireland. Dr Andrew McCormick, the Department of Enterprises's permanent secretary, said there had been a need to \"turn the tap off\" as quickly as possible to contain the overspend. He said it produced a \"very serious financial issue\" and it was the minister's \"judgement that it was necessary to suspend the scheme immediately to prevent that overspend becoming even worse\". The committee was told that \"whistle-blower allegations\" had been received through the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister. These have been drawn to the attention of the regulator Ofgem, which administers the scheme across the UK. Treasury funds covered the scheme up to a certain level, but due to the spike in applications at the end of last year, there was a large funding gap which would have to be covered from the Stormont budget. Nine hundred applications had been received over three years. In a six-week period last Autumn, a further 900 applications flooded in. Dr McCormick said with the scheme closed to new entrants, the funding gap would reduce in future years, but would still be \u00a311m by 2021. Committee chair Patsy McGlone said the sudden closure of the scheme would threaten jobs and businesses. He said one installation company believed it could cost it up to \u00a31m and put 25 jobs at risk. The Ulster Farmers Union told the committee that 50 poultry projects could be at risk as a result of the scheme's closure.", "summary": "An investigation is under way after allegations from whistle-blowers about the operation of a renewable energy scheme that led to a \u00a330m overspend."}
{"article": "But since 2007, when Ian Paisley agreed to share power at Stormont with Sinn F\u00e9in, the DUP has become a party of government. When Ian Paisley became MP in 1970, he stood as a Protestant Unionist, but his party was relaunched as the Democratic Unionist Party in 1971. The party drew support from Protestants and was fiercely opposed to any moves towards involving the Republic of Ireland in Northern Ireland affairs. During the 1990s, the DUP pulled out of talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement in protest against the decision to invite the IRA's political wing, Sinn F\u00e9in, to enter negotiations. The DUP benefited from growing unionist unease over power-sharing and the failure of the IRA to decommission, overtaking the Ulster Unionists at the Northern Ireland Assembly elections in 2003. Nine DUP MPs were subsequently elected. In 2006, the party was a key player in the St Andrews' Agreement in Scotland. A year later, the party made its historic decision to share power with Sinn F\u00e9in. Ian Paisley served as first minister until 2008 when Peter Robinson took over. But, in the most surprising result of the 2010 General Election, Mr Robinson lost his East Belfast Westminster seat to Alliance's Naomi Long. Regaining East Belfast is a key DUP objective in 2015, and it is one of four seats covered by an electoral pact between the DUP and UUP. The DUP currently has eight MPs and is the fourth largest party at Westminster - a fact it highlighted when it was excluded from UK pre-election television debates. The relationship between Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness has never appeared as friendly as that between the deputy first minister and Mr Paisley. It continues to appear strained, notably over the issue of welfare reform. The DUP, which holds the ministry in the Northern Ireland Executive responsible for the implementation of the bill, and Sinn F\u00e9in, whose leadership in the Republic of Ireland has championed an anti-austerity approach, seem to be at loggerheads. It was thought a deal had been done during talks at Stormont in December 2014, but in March - on the day the final stage of the bill was due to pass through the assembly - Sinn F\u00e9in withdrew its support and the bill's passage was halted.", "summary": "For more than three decades, the Democratic Unionist Party was the natural party of protest for unionists in Northern Ireland, the outsiders who challenged the establishment Official, or Ulster, Unionists."}
{"article": "Longford in Hillingdon could be demolished if a third runway is built at neighbouring Heathrow Airport. A hotel is providing accommodation in houses it has bought for asylum seekers, including those from the so-called \"Jungle\" in Calais. The Home Office said it has tried to address residents' concerns. It has said decisions about the use of hotel accommodation, including which premises are used, are a matter for the contractors who bear the cost. It would not say how many asylum seekers were being sent to Longford, but said rooms were used for one or two days before asylum seekers were dispersed into temporary accommodation. BBC London filmed two coaches and three van loads arriving in one day carrying people from Iran, Sudan, Eritrea and Syria. Many of those on board said they had come from the so-called \"Jungle\". Three days later, another two coaches were witnessed arriving. Ray, 85, has lived in Longford for 50 years. He said asylum seekers were accommodated in the houses either side of his. \"They meet and they have conversations in the middle of my front garden,\" he said. \"We don't know where they come from, we don't know what they are and we are living next door to them, albeit they might be very nice people.\" The hotel, Heathrow Lodge, also rents rooms to travellers using the airport. Booking websites confirm a room can cost \u00c2\u00a330 a night per person, less per person if sharing. Neither the Home Office nor the hotel would say how much is paid per asylum seeker. BBC London booked a room and met eight men all staying in one house. They were asylum seekers from Sudan and Eritrea and said a few days earlier they had been sleeping rough in the camp in Calais. Mogdad from Sudan said he had paid a people trafficker 500 euros (\u00c2\u00a3370) in Calais to get to the UK. \"I have no choice,\" he said. \"I have to get away from death.\" Villager Ray said: \"The coaches turn up - about 20, 30 people get off, and they're transferred to all the houses that are around the village.\" Longford resident Leon, said: \"You know, (with) what's going on around the world at the moment, they've got a right to move from dangerous areas, but it's just saturated where I live, with immigrants. \"I chose to live here with the aeroplanes, but I didn't choose to live here with the three to four coaches a day moving in and out, and especially at night-time as well. The villagers insist they are not being racist. Rana Saif, who runs one of the local pubs was born in Pakistan and moving to Longford from Sweden three years ago. \"No racists here,\" he said. He claimed the numbers of asylum seekers staying in the village had hit his takings. \"No-one comes here, when they are standing 20, 80 people outside on the road, on the walls. \"I am going to move from here, as soon as. \"It was good before the immigrants came.\" While the future of the village may", "summary": "Residents of a village near Heathrow Airport say they are being \"overwhelmed\" by people seeking asylum in the UK."}
{"article": "The 39-year-old died at the scene shortly after police had arrived at the house in Cheadle Road, Cheadle Hulme, at about 19:40 BST on Monday. A man, 39, was later arrested on suspicion of murder and Greater Manchester Police said they were not looking for anyone else. \"Our thoughts go out to the family of the woman,\" Det Supt Tony Creely said. He appealed for witnesses or anyone with \"information which could help us with our investigation\" to contact police. \"The investigation is in its very early stages, however, we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the murder,\" Det Supt Creely added.", "summary": "A murder inquiry has begun after a woman was found with fatal stab wounds at a house in Greater Manchester."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 31-year-old completed the 40km route in 44 minutes 42.99 seconds, 45 seconds quicker than defending champion Vasil Kiryienka of Belarus. Spain's Jonathan Castroviejo was third. It was Martin's second gold of the week in Doha, following victory in the men's team time trial in his last race for Etixx-Quick Step. Martin will be leaving the Belgium-based side to join Katusha from 2017. Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara, who is to retire this year and was not competing in Doha, won four titles between 2006 and 2010. \"I want to be world champion every year, so I am so proud I can ride in a world champion suit from next year,\" said Martin. \"I've missed it a lot. \"The course was made for me. I just had fun on the road.\" Commonwealth time trial champion Alex Dowsett was the best of two Britons competing, finishing 12th in 46 minutes 54.07 seconds. Compatriot Steve Cummings was 25th. The women's elite road race takes place on Saturday, with Britain's Lizzie Deignan the defending champion. The men's elite road race is on Sunday, with Britain's Mark Cavendish among the favourites. 2010 Commonwealth time trial champion David Millar on BBC TV: \"That was a phenomenal ride. Tony Martin at his very best. \"The course was flat, there are no surprises, it's just who can hold that power for the longest time. It was the display of a world champion. Nobody could ever have come close to matching that. \"Alex Dowsett will be disappointed in finishing 12th. I think he is capable of doing better. I'm not sure if it was the heat or the distance, because he's an hour record holder and we have seen him up there before. \"But I think it's only a matter of time before we see him up there again.\" Find out how to get into cycling with our special guide.", "summary": "Germany's Tony Martin won a joint record fourth men's individual time trial world title at the Road Cycling World Championships in Qatar."}
{"article": "Police were contacted at about 01:00 BST on Tuesday after the baby had been admitted to Royal Blackburn Hospital. The infant, who had been at a house in Infirmary Street, Blackburn, is in \"a very poorly condition\", a Lancashire Constabulary spokesman said. A man, 21, and a 17-year-old girl, both from Blackburn, were held on suspicion of wounding with intent. They have been bailed until 6 July. The boy has been transferred to the Manchester Children's Hospital.", "summary": "Two people have been arrested after a three-month-old boy was taken to hospital with a bleed to the brain."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 23-year-old Scot, who holds five outdoor and indoor British records, ran a personal best four minutes 19.12 seconds over the distance last year. Budd's mark, set in Switzerland in 1985, is 4:17.57. \"It would be brilliant one month out from the World Championships,\" Muir told BBC Sport. \"To have another British record, and in the London Stadium again, would be fantastic. Fingers crossed I will be able to do something.\" The world record - set by Russian Svetlana Masterkova in 1996 - stands at 4:12.56. At last year's Anniversary Games, Muir broke the British 1500m record that had stood since Dame Kelly Holmes' gold medal-winning run in the 2004 Olympic final in Athens. She expects her return to bring back happy memories. \"The main thing was just how loud the crowd was,\" said Muir. \"I am usually very focused on my race but I was just aware as I came into the final 200m of the crowd getting louder and louder. It was brilliant.\" With the Anniversary Games just four weeks before Muir plans to take on a 1500m and 5,000m double at the same venue in the World Championships, it will also be a chance to maximise home advantage. \"It is really really helpful to know where the call-room, the warm-up areas, the kit drop-off and the toilets are,\" she added. \"Knowing that set-up is one of athletes' biggest worries going into a major championship. \"You want to have everything ready and not have to worry about anything else apart from doing the best you can on the track.\" Alongside leading Britain's next generation of elite athletes, Muir is also training to become a vet. Juggling studying and sport dates back beyond the London 2012 Games, when she organised a placement on a dairy farm so she would finish inspecting the morning milking round in time to watch the Olympic action at home in Kinross. This year she has already squeezed in experience with the Dogs Trust and various local practices around winning 1500m and 3,000m gold at the European Indoors. The rest of the season is dedicated solely to athletics. \"After the disappointment of finishing seventh in Rio, we knew how important the indoor season was for me in the build-up to London,\" she added. \"We wanted to do really well there. We ticked that box pretty well and now everything is building towards London.\" Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Laura Muir will attempt to break Zola Budd's 32-year-old British mile record at the London Anniversary Games on 9 July."}
{"article": "The rapper's announced a 17-date tour starting in Sweden in March and ending in Glasgow a month later. She said: \"It's been way too long since I've seen my European Barbz! We have more than a few surprises in store.\" The 32-year-old will perform nine dates in the UK in cities including London and Birmingham, with special guest, Grammy-nominated R&B star, Trey Songz. He said he's thrilled to be heading to Europe, adding: \"The love I feel overseas is overwhelming and I can't wait to get the tour started to bring fans the best TRIGGA show possible.\" Last month, Minaj apologised after the lyric video for the track Only was accused of containing Nazi imagery. The European leg of The Pinkprint Tour is announced days after Nicki Minaj found out she was nominated for two 2015 Grammy awards - best rap song for Anaconda and best pop duo/group performance for Bang Bang with Ariana Grande and Jessie J. Her album - also called The Pinkprint - is released next Monday. Tickets for the UK shows go on sale at 9am on Friday 12 December. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Nicki Minaj is promising fans the \"biggest and best tour yet\" when she heads to Europe next year."}
{"article": "\"It's interesting as one hand, there's something of Trump about the man,\" says the actor, who plays the leading role in the film, The Founder, which examines the beginnings of the fast food empire as a simple Californian drive-in. Parks and Recreation actor Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch play the brothers. \"The difference is Donald Trump may have worked hard but he certainly had the enormous advantage of being born wealthy, whereas Ray Kroc was not. But Ray is less than ethical at the end of the movie, and I suppose I could say that in certain ways Donald Trump appears unethical,\" Keaton continues. \"Ray Kroc also became this larger than life character at the high point of his wealth, and Trump is unbelievably needy to the point where it's funny - but it's also frightening.\" The Founder is also \"a movie about America and a movie about capitalism\", according to its director, The Blind Side's John Lee Hancock. \"It was definitely about capitalism rather than fast food - the rush to make more.\" It's also about what might have been, unwittingly, modern capitalism's first major corporate takeover. Ray Kroc was a 50-something travelling salesman when he met the McDonald brothers, two businessmen who lost their money in the Depression of the 1930s, but who had built up their own California roadside restaurant. Struck by the fast service, high-quality food, disposable packaging and the family atmosphere, Kroc asks to start franchising the brand, although the brothers are happily committed to their original restaurant and its small workforce. Eventually, Kroc bought the McDonalds name, the company and even built a branch of McDonalds opposite the brothers' original restaurant, putting them out of business. Despite a handshake agreement that the McDonald family was to receive 1 percent of all future profits from the chain, it never occurred. Last year, the company made US $1.31 billion (\u00c2\u00a31.0 billion) in profits and had stores in 118 countries. \"I think it's an interesting take on what the American Dream has become to those watching from outside - that even a million isn't enough,\" Keaton says. \"That it's not enough to lead a good, comfortable life - that you need a billion dollars to have 'made it'. Ray Kroc basically mechanised capitalism - he wanted a billion dollars. \"I always thought that the American Dream, in its simpler form, was 'work hard, have a house, go on vacation.' That's what it was, but it's no longer the perception of it. \"Ray Kroc did actually say 'if your competitor is drowning, stick a hose in his mouth.' Now I'm a fan of hard work, there wasn't a time in his life that my Dad didn't have two jobs. I'm not a fan of sadistic greed, but as an actor it's intriguing.\" As the first 'fast food' chain, McDonalds has gone on to have far-reaching impact, \"and not only in the way we eat,\" Keaton argues. \"It's changed culture beyond food. It basically became the Henry Ford mechanical production line for food, but it's helped build a portable society,", "summary": "Michael Keaton's new role is, he thinks, \"a Trumpian character,\" as he takes on the part of Ray Kroc, the 1950s salesman who wrested the McDonalds name from the restaurant founders, Dick and Mac McDonald, and turned it into a modern day global franchise."}
{"article": "Like every weekend, Mar\u00eda was visiting her parents in Iscuand\u00e9, a municipality on Colombia's Pacific coast. Mar\u00eda and her relatives were in the family's stilt house, typical for this region criss-crossed by rivers, when a speedboat carrying armed men came up the river. Mar\u00eda does not know who the armed men in the boat were, but she does know who started shooting at them from the hill behind her family home: ELN rebels. The ELN, or National Liberation Army, is Colombia's second-largest guerrilla group, and despite being engaged in peace talks with the government, the group is still very much active. About 50 ELN rebels had surrounded the family home without Mar\u00eda noticing. \"I had never seen a shot being fired before, I had heard [shots fired], but had never seen bullets flying; they passed underneath my house, by the sides, everywhere.\" \"The children were crying, my father, too, we were all crying,\" Mar\u00eda says. She started praying but the ELN rebels came into the house and took her and her family up into the hills. The rebels accused her of stashing weapons for the armed group in the speedboat, which Mar\u00eda denied. \"They put a rifle to my head, to my father's head, to the children's heads.\" Eventually, four hours after the shoot-out had started, the rebels let the family go. Scared of returning home, the family moved from their home on stilts to the main town, along with 31 other families from the area where the shoot-out happened. Mar\u00eda and nine other members of her family now live in two rented rooms and share two mattresses. Her father has not been able to work because it is too dangerous to go back to the forest where he made a living logging. \"I am worried, I don't know how we will survive,\" Mar\u00eda says. And she is not the only one. Dozens more families here have been forcibly displaced by a surge in violence in areas formerly controlled by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). The Farc signed a peace deal with the government last year and their members are demobilising in \"transition zones\", where they are handing over their weapons to United Nations monitors. But with the Farc no longer in control, other armed groups are trying to take over their profitable cocaine smuggling and illegal gold mining rackets. The groups clash with each other and the security forces. \"A war has started in the areas where the Farc used to be,\" says local government official Luis Enrique Sinisterra. Nationwide, the levels of violence may have dropped as a result of the Farc peace deal, but the picture here is a different one. Mr Sinisterra says he is not surprised by the rise in violence in Iscuand\u00e9. He argues that what is needed is a stronger presence by the national government. He is not just speaking of the security forces but of investment in education, health, housing and infrastructure. His prediction of what might happen if that investment should not be forthcoming is a bleak one: \"The war will", "summary": "\"You get so nervous you don't know if to run and hide or what to do; we went into the kitchen and hid behind the freezer in the hope that it would protect us,\" Mar\u00eda (not her real name) recalls of the time she and her family were caught in the crossfire between two armed groups."}
{"article": "However, he called for thorough reconstruction of the EU in an attempt to save it. Before Thursday's UK referendum, Mr Soros had warned of financial meltdown if Britain voted to leave. In his latest comments, he said the effects of the decision would damage Britain. \"Britain eventually may or may not be relatively better off than other countries by leaving the EU, but its economy and people stand to suffer significantly in the short- to medium term,\" he wrote on the Project Syndicate website. Mr Soros made huge profits in 1992's \"Black Wednesday\" by betting against the British pound as it crashed out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. Before Friday's vote he warned of a similar meltdown, predicting a Brexit victory would send the pound down by 15-20%. In the event, sterling fell about 10% to a 31-year low. \"Now the catastrophic scenario that many feared has materialised, making the disintegration of the EU practically irreversible,\" wrote Mr Soros in his latest article. \"The financial markets worldwide are likely to remain in turmoil as the long, complicated process of political and economic divorce from the EU is negotiated.\" He said the consequences for the economy would be comparable to the financial crisis of 2007-2008. \"After Brexit, all of us who believe in the values and principles that the EU was designed to uphold must band together to save it by thoroughly reconstructing it,\" he wrote. \"I am convinced that as the consequences of Brexit unfold in the weeks and months ahead, more and more people will join us.\" Brexit: What happens now?", "summary": "Billionaire investor George Soros has warned that Britain's vote to leave the European Union makes the disintegration of the bloc \"practically irreversible\"."}
{"article": "The 16ft (5m) beard statue - a \"symbol of wisdom and learning\" - will stand on the University of Salford's campus. Arts company Engine, who are behind the piece, said the idea came from a 1980s plan to relocate an Eastern Bloc statue of the thinker to Manchester. Engels, who wrote The Communist Manifesto with Karl Marx, lived in the area from the 1840s onwards. The sculpture will depict the nose and whiskers of the father of Marxist theory and be situated on the university's Peel Park campus in 2016, It features a climbing wall at the front, stairs to the rear and a viewing platform at the top, from which climbers can admire the view across Salford. Engine's Jai Redman said the work used Engels' \"signature magnificent beard as a symbol of wisdom and learning\", while the climbing aspect came from a desire to make it an \"interactive piece\". \"We're aren't interested in making 'a hero on horseback', [which is] something Engels would have been horrified by. \"Engels' Beard is a metaphor for how it is an effort and a struggle to pull ourselves out of ignorance [and] a direct representation of how all philosophers 'stand on the shoulders of giants'.\" Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica He said Engels had been chosen as \"a great socialist, thinker and a philosopher, a local historical figure and a champion of the working classes\", who dealt with issues still \"alive and real\" today. \"There is a huge issue in Salford and Manchester, where wage inequality and mass poverty is being seen on levels not experienced here since Engels' time.\" The idea had come from an \"audacious\" plan to relocate a statue of the thinker to nearby Castlefield Basin in the mid-1980s, which \"attracted broad support, but failed to materialise when no suitable sculpture could be found\", he said. The plan was documented in former Hacienda DJ Dave Haslam's book, Manchester, England, where Redman first saw it. He said that ever since, he had been waiting for \"a good opportunity\" to create the statue. Haslam said the climbing wall was \"bizarre and hilarious\" but appropriate as \"we should not be precious about Engels\". \"Engels had a sense of fun. He used to go drinking in Manchester,\" he said. \"Landlords knew him and his friends, and he'd play jokes and get into scrapes.\" The University of Salford's art curator Lindsay Taylor said she was \"delighted that even before work has begun on Engels' Beard, it has engaged public imagination\". \"All great art should provoke and encourage debate. It is entirely appropriate for the university as a place of learning to be involved with commissioning new art on educational subjects.\" Engine said there were no plans to create an accompanying Karl Marx beard sculpture, but added they were \"approaching authorities in Germany to perhaps site the other side of his face in Munich\".", "summary": "The \"magnificent\" beard of socialist thinker Friedrich Engels has inspired a climbing wall sculpture in Salford."}
{"article": "The relegation-threatened Harriers took the lead when Keith Lowe headed in Ben Whitfield's corner, before Harry White drove in a second six minutes later. Arthur Gnahoua added a third with a neat finish from inside the box after great midfield approach play. Kristian Dennis pulled a goal back late on with a free-kick, but Macclesfield have now suffered four straight losses. Kidderminster are now 23rd in the table, seven points from safety.", "summary": "Kidderminster scored three first-half goals to beat Macclesfield and make it three league wins in succession."}
{"article": "The Dragons have lost their last seven in the Pro12 while defending champions Gloucester have lost successive matches in the English Premiership. \"It's a fresh challenge, we go there with nothing to lose and we'll play with no fear,\" said Jones. The Dragons reached the semi-final of the competition in 2015. Gloucester beat the Dragons 45-17 at Kingsholm in the Anglo-Welsh LV Cup semi-final in 2011, after losing 18-12 at Rodney Parade earlier in the campaign. The English side beat Edinburgh in the final of the 2015 Challenge Cup and won all their group matches on the way to the last eight in 2016. But Jones believes his team can rise to the challenge against a Gloucester side unbeaten in their last 15 in Europe despite the Dragons' poor form. \"We've got a terrible record of the highest number of losing bonus points in the league, but we've done well in Europe,\" he said. \"But they (Gloucester) are going to turn up on the back of four defeats as well. We understand that Gloucester will be favourites but we've got nothing to lose. \"Last season we went to England for the first time and won a game of European rugby (at Newcastle), we went to France and won a game of European rugby (against Stade Francais), and this year we've been to France and won (at Castres). \"So going away from home in European competition is not an issue for us.\" Dragons skipper T Rhys Thomas admits the squad have to take their share of responsibility for the recent slump in results. \"It hasn't been where we want to be as a region but the players, we've had an honesty call amongst ourselves and taken a lot of ownership. We feel as though we've let everyone down,\" he revealed. Gloucester have experienced Wales internationals James Hook and Richard Hibbard in their squad as well as back-rower Ross Moriarty, who scored two tries for Wales against Italy. Dragons three-quarter Adam Hughes knows his side will have to close Hook down if they are to stand a chance of upsetting Gloucester. \"He's very dangerous with ball in hand so you never know where he's going to pass or if he's going to go on his own. You've got to stay on him and his kicking game is really good.\"", "summary": "Newport Gwent Dragons director of rugby Lyn Jones says the region have \"nothing to lose\" in their European Challenge Cup quarter-final at Gloucester."}
{"article": "The 34-year-old carded a three-under-par 67 to end on five under alongside American Ricky Fowler at Avenel Farm. Kyle Stanley, 29, beat fellow American Charles Howell III on the first hole of a play-off after both shot a final-round 66 to end on seven under. They also secured places at The Open at Royal Birkdale from 20-23 July. \"Anytime you can play in an Open, that's my favourite tournament of the year,\" said Laird. \"To have the chance to play it anytime is special. I've heard great things about Birkdale.\" Four Open qualifying spots were on offer for the leading four players in the top 12 in Maryland who were not exempt. South Korean Sung Kang, who finished in an eight-way tie for fifth, also qualified. Stanley holed a putt after Howell missed from 10 feet to claim his first on the PGA Tour in more than five years. \"I'm thrilled,\" Stanley said. \"It's a special week. I knew it was just a matter of time.\"", "summary": "Scotland's Martin Laird qualified for this month's Open Championship by finishing tied for third at the Quicken Loans National in Maryland."}
{"article": "In rational, post-Enlightenment Europe, religion has long since been relegated to a safe space, with Judaism and Christianity the safe targets of satire in secular western societies. Not so Islam. The battle within Islam itself between Sunni and Shia, so evident in the wars of the Middle East, and the fight between extremist interpretations of Islam such as those of Islamic State and Muslims who wish to practice their religion in peace, is now being played out on the streets of Europe with potentially devastating consequences for social cohesion. These latest shootings may be the work of \"lone wolves\" but their consequences will ripple across Europe and provoke much soul-searching about the failure of integration over the past decades. Immigrant communities are already being viewed with increasing suspicion in both France and Germany, with their significant Muslim populations, and even in the UK. France has the largest Muslim population in Europe, some five million or 7.5% of the population, compared with Germany's four million or 5% of the population, and the UK's three million, also 5% of the population. In all three, mainstream political parties are being forced to confront popular discontent over levels of immigration and the apparent desire of some younger, often disaffected children or grandchildren of immigrant families not to conform to western, liberal lifestyles - including traditions of religious tolerance and free speech. In the UK, that unease has largely played out on the public stage in a more peaceable manner, in the debate over \"British values\" and the recent Trojan horse schools affair. The fatwa against the writer Salman Rushdie over 20 years ago following the publication of The Satanic Verses, forcing him into hiding for several years, was perhaps the first time the issue impinged on British consciousness, though the attacks of 7/7 were a reminder that extremist violence could also hit the heart of the UK. However, France has already seen much more violence on its streets carried out in the name of religion over the past decades, although it has tried to write off most of its recent \"lone wolf\" attacks as the acts of mentally-unhinged individuals. But some in its Jewish community have responded to increasing anti-Semitism and the killing of Jews in France and Belgium by Islamist extremists by emigrating to Israel and elsewhere. Recent physical attacks on synagogues and Jews in the suburbs of Paris, where Jews and Muslims often live side by side in poorer areas such as Sarcelles, only exacerbated fears that the violence in the name of religion that grips parts of Africa and the Middle East, and which so many flee to Europe to escape, has followed them here. Germany, too, has seen a rising surge of anti-Islam sentiment in its cities, with worries about young radicalised Muslims moving from a concern confined to far right and neo-Nazi parties into the mainstream, as seen in the recent popularity of the Pegida movement, which campaigns against the \"Islamisation\" of Europe. Both political and religious leaders in Germany have spoken out against the movement, and counter-marches have been held,", "summary": "In the heart of Europe in 2015, the killing of cartoonists and journalists for allegedly insulting God still comes as a shock, despite the rising number of such attacks in recent years."}
{"article": "Tuesday's 3-2 victory at Plymouth Argyle ended an eight-game winless run and means the O's are only in the drop zone on goal difference. \"I've got to keep the boys grounded but I've let them be happy because they deserve it,\" he told BBC Radio London. \"I won't get carried away if we win as we're still second from bottom.\" Webb, 33, is the youngest manager in the English Football League and became Orient's fourth boss of the season on 29 January. The former Southend and Hull striker has been forced to rely on young players, with 10 of the squad at Home Park being products of the east London club's academy. After ending a six-game losing streak in his third game in charge against Yeovil on Saturday, late goals from Gavin Massey and Sandro Semedo gave Orient their first victory since beating Crawley on Boxing Day. \"I'm new to management but I have confidence in my own ability and I know how to set up a team,\" Webb added. \"I know what the young players can bring; heart, passion and all the things the supporters want to see. \"It's been a long time since we've been happy after a game but we have a long way to go. There is no point in everyone saying we are playing well and have team spirit if it is only for four games.\" However, the win at Plymouth has been marred by Argyle reporting O's skipper Liam Kelly to the Football Association for an alleged shove on a ball boy. Meanwhile, defender Nicky Hunt picked up his 10th caution of the season and will miss Saturday's visit of fellow strugglers Notts County, who are managed by former O's player-manager Kevin Nolan.", "summary": "Leyton Orient boss Danny Webb wants his squad to remain focused in their League Two relegation battle after recording their first win of 2017."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old has played three times for Leeds, scoring the winner on his debut against Luton Town in the EFL Cup last season. He signed a new three-year contract at Elland Road in 2016-17. Leeds, who have signed Manchester United left-back Cameron Borthwick-Jackson on a season-long loan, have the option to recall Denton in January. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League Two Port Vale have signed Leeds United left-back Tyler Denton on a season-long loan deal."}
{"article": "During the first half of 2015, it received the most - 759 - from German citizens with the second-highest number of 559 coming from the UK. These requests are made under the EU \"Right to be Forgotten\" ruling. It also revealed the number of content removal requests from governments, with the highest - 165 - coming from China. Requests for content removal from other governments were relatively infrequent - the US made 11, with Germany making five, the UK and Russia two each and Austria one - bringing the total to just 186 for the six-month period covered. Microsoft received 3,546 requests for the removal of content from individuals and complied with half of them. The majority of requests are for the removal of links to search results on Bing, although the firm also received requests for the removal of content from other Microsoft services, including OneDrive, Bing Ads and MSN. Such requests were made possible by a controversial ruling from the European Court of Justice in May 2014. This allowed European residents to ask search engines to remove results for queries that included their name if the results were inadequate, inaccurate or no longer relevant. \"This new report illustrates how Microsoft strives to comply with local and intellectual property laws while adhering to our commitment to transparency and free expression,\" the firm said in a blog post. At the time, search engines worried that the ruling would mean they would be inundated with requests while internet rights campaigners raised concerns that the ruling amounted to censorship. All of the major search engines now produce regular transparency reports, partly in reaction to the revelations about government snooping from ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The vast majority of requests for data come from law enforcement agencies and Microsoft also revealed the numbers of these. It received a total of 35,228 for customer information in the first half of 2015, which is a slight increase compared to the number of requests for the second half of 2014. The US made the most requests - 254 - while the UK was second with 183. The vast majority - 67% - of all government requests resulted in the disclosure of subscriber or transactional data with 12% of requests rejected. In 16% of cases no data was found. Just 3% of law enforcement requests resulted in the disclosure of user content - and all of that was done in response to a court order or warrant, Microsoft revealed.", "summary": "Microsoft has revealed for the first time how many requests it has had from members of the public wanting online content about them to be removed."}
{"article": "Construction bosses at the new Queensferry Crossing have come up with a plan by using nearby cranes to install temporary toilets at the top of each of its 206m (676ft) towers. The move has prompted onlookers to ask if they are now the highest toilets in the country. There are about 150 people working on each tower and, of those, a maximum of 12 people work at the very top of the tower at any given time. Each tower has a barge at the base with a number of male and female toilets and washrooms and canteens. The additional temporary toilets on the tower were installed when the towers got to about 120m (394ft) above sea level. Robert Adam, aerial photographer with Historic Environment Scotland (HES) - the new public body formed by bringing together Historic Scotland and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland - was flying over the Firth of Forth recently when he spotted the toilets hundreds of feet above the water. He said: \"The aerial survey team at HES record all aspects of the historic landscape, from architecture to archaeology. \"We've been recording the new Forth crossing since they began building it, and this isn't the first toilet we've photographed - but it's probably the highest.\" A Transport Scotland spokesman said the Queensferry Crossing was one of the biggest construction projects Scotland had ever seen, directly employing over 1,200 people. He said: \"When open to traffic at the end of this year, it will be tallest bridge in the UK and the longest bridge of its type in the world. \"The project is on time and under budget thanks in large part to the efforts of a workforce facing often extreme weather conditions at great heights over the Firth of Forth. \"Taking all this into account, providing a toilet only seems fair. \"In all seriousness, health and safety is the absolute priority on the project and a fundamental part of that is providing appropriate welfare facilities for workers whatever their location.\"", "summary": "What do you do when you are building the highest bridge in the UK but the tower you are working on gets so tall it would take you ages to get to the toilets at the bottom?"}
{"article": "Michael O'Neill, the man who led them to France, talks to BBC Sport about their expectations for the tournament, how they have prepared, and his hopes of creating a 1982 World Cup-style legacy. I'm glad Euro 2016 is almost here. There has been a sense that it is never going to come and you're waiting and waiting. It's a huge thing to be there. When we won our first three qualifying games people really began to think we can do this. Then you feel there is a lot to lose because you feel it is possible. So to deliver qualification for the people of Northern Ireland was a huge achievement by the players. I'm delighted for the players who have had long careers and at times there have been difficult moments in those careers. Their loyalty alone has been rewarded by reaching Euro 2016. My message to the players is this is an experience we all have to enjoy. We don't want to come away with regrets. I don't want the players burdened by expectation but they have to grasp this opportunity. Leicester won this season's Premier League at odds of 5,000-1. Northern Ireland, the outsiders along with Albania, are 500-1 to win Euro 2016. It's amazing how football changes. In our third qualifier we beat Greece and Claudio Ranieri was the coach. He lost his job the following game. For him to come to the Premier League, at his stage of his career, and win it is an amazing achievement - the stuff of fairytales. There are similarities between Leicester and Northern Ireland when you look at the route a lot of the Leicester players took to get to where they are. We have lads who are at Fleetwood Town [Vardy's previous club]. In terms of how we play there are similarities, too. Hopefully the neutrals will see a nice humility and work ethic about our team. While we're realistic enough to think we're not going to win the tournament, hopefully we get that level of support where we get a huge groundswell of people willing us to do well, which takes us as far as we can go. O'Neill managed Scottish third tier side Brechin City from April 2006 until December 2008, when he became Shamrock Rovers boss. He led the Dublin club to two Irish titles and to the group stages of the Europa League. He left Rovers for the Northern Ireland job in December 2011 and recently signed a new four-year deal. I started my managerial career at the bottom. I had to go to a small club in Scotland who were part-time and I was working in financial services. I had an opportunity to go over to Shamrock Rovers. People thought that was a bit of a strange move but I felt it was a good opportunity. I didn't plan to be the national manager when it came around. I was 42 but I said to myself 'why not see where it takes me?'. It's been a huge challenge. There were difficult times in the first two", "summary": "Northern Ireland are preparing for their first ever European Championship finals, where they will face Poland, Ukraine and world champions Germany in Group C."}
{"article": "The latest investment round now sees the company, a rival to Whatsapp, valued at $1.4bn (\u00c2\u00a3767m). China's Tencent and Taiwan's Foxconn were the biggest investors in the latest cash injection. The tie-up with Tencent - the company behind China's messenger giant WeChat - is seen as key to expanding the range of services on Hike. Hike is a messenger app similar to many others, offering services such as messaging, voice calls and stickers. But the Indian app has won over many customers by including features catering to local demands such as higher privacy and the ability to send messages to be received as SMS texts. Given that many mobile phone users in India do not yet have data on their phones, the feature is a crucial advantage over competitors such as Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger. The link with China's Tencent as investor is expected to go beyond mere investment and involve collaboration on technology and knowledge. Judging by the example that the Chinese giant set with WeChat in China, it is likely to set Hike on its way to become an all-in-one app. WeChat in China offers just about everything from messaging to calling, mobile games, food deliveries and online shopping. Hike already offers mobile games, news services, stickers and coupons. \"This shows you that messaging - even in India - can become a gateway to content services,\" Hike founder and chief executive Kavin Bharti Mittal told the BBC. \"So expect us to double down on that path.\" The company already has plans to integrate a payment platform into its services. It is not Tencent's first foray into the Indian market. An attempt to launch their own WeChat app a few years ago was not very successful, despite significant marketing efforts. Hike was originally a joint project between Bharti and Softbank and has rapidly developed into a success story across India. The latest round of investments has added some $175m in funding with the majority coming from Tencent and Foxconn. The new money raised has lifted the company's value to what's referred to as \"unicorn\" status - start-ups valued at more than $1bn. Existing investors in the app, including Softbank, Bharti Enterprise and Tiger Global, also contributed to the latest cash injection. Market leader Whatsapp says it has some 100 million active users in India. In January, Hike said it had more than 100 million registered users, although the number of active users might differ from that figure.", "summary": "Indian messenger app Hike has won fresh money from investors and a key partner from China."}
{"article": "It seems an unlikely meeting - but it is one that Rabbi Alexander Goldberg hopes can be the start of something positive. Rabbi Goldberg, whose great grandparents and great aunt are buried in Northern Ireland, has a special connection to the place. The catalyst for this meeting, however, came from something sinister. In August, 13 Jewish graves, some dating back to 1870, were damaged in an attack at Belfast City Cemetery. The attacks were met with widespread condemnation from the community and politicians. Following the attacks, Rabbi Goldberg felt the urge to reach out to the community - in particular those who carried out the vandalism. \"When I heard about the attacks in Belfast it saddened me so much, I reached out on social media,\" he said. \"I wanted, ideally, to speak to the young people involved and to give them the names and faces, history and culture of the Jewish community in Belfast.\" In early October, he flew to Belfast to meet up with local Sinn F??in representatives, who were all disgusted by the attacks. \"I wanted to show him our frustration and anger with what had happened to the graves,\" said West Belfast MP Paul Maskey. The group stood outside the Jewish cemetery: As a Cohen - a member of the Jewish hereditary priesthood - Rabbi Goldberg could not enter. \"We started to speak candidly about the attack on the graves. All three told me how disgusted they were as were the people living around the cemetery,\" said Rabbi Goldberg. What makes the visit all the more special to Rabbi Goldberg was that his grandparents were descended from Jewish Lithuanian immigrants who had moved to Ireland in the late 1800s. His grandfather, from Cork, met and married his grandmother from Belfast. The Rabbi's father studied in Londonderry before moving to England. Rabbi Goldberg himself got married in the synagogue in Cork. But the meeting turned into an unexpectedly emotional one. Through historian Tom Hartley, Rabbi Goldberg discovered that his aunt Lesbia Smith died in 1910 at seven weeks old. At the time her parents were not wealthy enough to buy a burial plot and she was buried in the paupers' section in an unmarked grave. The daughter of persecuted migrants, she was born into poverty in the slums of Belfast and could only be buried in that section of the Jewish cemetery, where the city would not allow those buried to have gravestones. \"It must have been very hard for them to bury her without one,\" he said. For Mr Maskey and councillor Stevie Corr, the meeting was a positive one and they are looking forward to working with Rabbi Goldberg. \"We've been in touch with Belfast City Council about some potential joint initiatives with the synagogue Rabbi Goldberg is connected with. I don't know yet what form these will take but we do want to restore the graves,\" said Mr Maskey. Councillor Stevie Corr, who is chairing a project to renovate the Falls Cemetery, said he was keen to include the Jewish section. \"Alex has offered to come over", "summary": "On a bright day in October, a Rabbi met a Northern Ireland historian and two West Belfast councillors."}
{"article": "Part of this was unavoidable. The election came close after the March Budget. The new Conservative government wanted to set out a new economic stall and it did so in the July Budget. Then it had a November Spending Review and Autumn Statement. And now this. The Autumn Statement is not meant to be a Budget, but anyone glancing at what it did - a climb down on tax credits, spending cuts, stamp duty increases, an apprenticeship levy and an extension of the Help to Buy scheme - would be hard pressed to tell the difference. Julian McCrae, Deputy Director of think tank the Institute for Government says: \"Osborne said that he would have one proper Budget and then the Autumn Statement would 'foreshadow' it. But it's not worked out like that. These things have a dynamic of their own. They grow. In a sense they are unstoppable.\" And they have reached a prodigious size. Mr McCrae counted 77 measures in Wednesday's Budget, which he thinks is close to a record, although he thinks some of Gordon Brown's Budgets may have come close. He said: \"That is a huge amount of work. 77 things that have to be worked through, 77 things that have to be planned and thought out and put into action.\" Giles Wilkes agrees. He is a former special advisor to Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in the Coalition government. He told Radio 4's PM show: \"From the policy making point of view, policy gets much, much worse when you have a Budget or an Autumn Statement. \"It's a time when the Treasury takes control pretty much of the whole government. Everything gets settled in last minute arguments. \"There's a huge appetite for gimmicks and showy things so the more Budgets you have probably the worse your government policy is, so the last twelve months haven't been good from that point of view\" Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies thinks the problem is deeply ingrained in government: \"There's a problem with the way we make tax and economic policy because it is all done in secret, sprung on us all at once, twice a year. \"We have too many of these and we do them in the wrong way.\" The government has a legal duty to publish two economic forecasts each year. The temptation is that, having done so, it should announce some kind of response. In fact the months since November have seen dramatic changes in the global economic climate with the Office for Budget Responsibility saying the outlook is \"materially weaker\". The Chinese economy slowed dramatically, and the markets had a wild ride through the first two months of the year. It had a direct effect on government policy - for instance market volatility forced the chancellor to put off the sale of the government's remaining stake in Lloyds Bank. When the economic weather is so unpredictable surely government should respond as and when it can. Mr McCrae doesn't think that is what the Budget is about: \"The chancellor", "summary": "The main complaint about Wednesday's Budget is not so much its contents, it's that it's effectively the fourth in 12 months."}
{"article": "Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) said it was to highlight wider problems including teacher redundancies. Powys council's cabinet member for schools, Arwel Jones, said he was \"surprised and disappointed\". The NUT said it represented about half of teachers in Powys and 83.5% of those balloted voted in favour of action. The council is currently consulting on plans to reorganise secondary schools. Mr Jones added: \"Strike action will not deflect our programme but could disrupt the work of school pupils at a crucial time.\"", "summary": "Teachers in Powys are set to go on strike on Thursday in protest over \"excessive workload and cuts\"."}
{"article": "\"Drones are arguably the most hyped product at CES,\" said Ben Wood, from analyst firm CCS Insight. \"A veritable minefield in terms of regulation and safety but as prices tumble expect to see them in a lot more Christmas stockings this year.\" The Consumer Electronics Association, which organises CES, said the drone market should be worth about $130m (\u00c2\u00a386m) in 2015 - 50% higher than 2014. In a few years the trade group expects it to be a billion-dollar market. But not all is stable in the world of drones. Two key issues are dogging the field - regulation and power. In the US the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has very strict rules around their commercial use. Jim Williams, manager of the FAA's integration office, said its regulations for commercial use were strict for good reasons. \"People who are being paid to do a job are more likely to take risks to accomplish that,\" he said. Away from commercial use, there is much anxiety around the world about amateur drones and privacy, as most of the craft come equipped with cameras. The second big worry is battery life. I spoke to several drone companies at CES representing both budget and high-end Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and the average battery life for the craft is about 20 minutes - with some managing just 10 minutes of flight time. One firm claims its devices have a flight time of about 50 minutes. \"One of the biggest frustrations with drones is battery life,\" said Mr Wood. \"It's rare to get more than 15 minutes of use and there seems little prospect of that improving any time soon. \"For prolonged usage, owners are typically obliged to get additional batteries, which means added cost.\" Despite the challenges, drones seem here to stay, and those on show at CES are a good sampling of the current state of the market. Hexo+ raised $1.3m on Kickstarter to fund its UAV - a drone that will fly up to 60m (200ft) above your head and circle around you, giving you an all-round aerial selfie. It has a flight time of 15 minutes and will eventually retail for $1,500. It can self-fly, but will auto-land if it goes out of range of your phone. \"You need zero skill,\" said shareholder Lug Giroud. \"In our selfie culture, everyone wants amazing shots of themselves. We want to give users great images.\" EHang has decided to court the female market by making a version of its popular Ghost drone available in pink. It works for some, apparently. \"Most people think drones are only for males,\" said Kai Jianes, of Ehang. \"But we are finding many female climbers and surfers want to use them to take video while they exercise.\" Whether they want to take that video with something luminous pink remains to be seen. But Ehang's black Ghost, in traditional quadcopter formation, had already become its bestseller, said Mr Jianes. \"The quadcopter format has become mainstream, it's so stable,\" he said. \"It doesn't require space to take off and, it's more energy efficient.\" The", "summary": "Tiny drones, pink drones, selfie-taking drones, military drones, drones that fly themselves - the drone zone at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is positively buzzing - in every sense of the word."}
{"article": "Sandra Charles' spent 375 hours knitting 350 strands out of thousands of recycled label transfers Ms Charles, of Somerset, got the idea while at a recycling centre. Her work is on display with other students' projects at Nottingham Trent University, including lingerie inspired by wartime love letters, and two-dimensional clothing. Ms Charles said: \"I wanted to develop my sculpture work and my knitting. I looked at different techniques and saw arm knitting. \"It's very difficult to describe but basically uses your arms as needles. It took three hours to make each strand at first - I got repetitive strain injury at one point and couldn't do any more for a couple of days.\" Other work includes Chloe Bampton, a fashion design student, who created lingerie inspired by her grandparents' war time love letters. Ms Bampton, from Dullingham, Cambridgeshire, said: \"When you read through their letters you imagine yourself in a different way of life completely. \"They are so romantic. We've lost touch with the era of hand letter writing and courting and I wanted to design lingerie which provided an alternative to the modern day shock element.\" Her grandparents Dennis and Kathleen Algar married shortly before Mr Algar was sent to fight. He spent four years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Meanwhile, South Korean student Dahye Jee designed concept clothing which appears two-dimensional, inspired by vintage paper dolls. All the work is on display until 6 June.", "summary": "A student knitted almost 4,000 ft (1.2km) of waste material using her arms as needles for an art project."}
{"article": "The firm collects data from thousands of smartphone owners via an app. Of the four UK networks, EE was found to have the best 4G connectivity, while Three had the worst. However, Three also had the fastest download speeds when it was connected to 4G, the researchers found. Three was the last operator to roll out 4G in December 2013 and told the BBC it was continuing to extend its 4G network every day. \"Almost everyone now uses a mobile phone service and it's not good enough that the UK is lagging behind so many countries with our 4G network coverage,\" said Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which. The State of the Mobile Network report also noted that O2 had the highest 3G and 4G latency - that's the amount of time data takes to travel along a network, measured in milliseconds. The firms have committed to investing in mobile networks. Last year, EE unveiled a \u00c2\u00a31.5bn three-year network investment plan that included the expansion of 4G and the commitment to reach 99% of the population with \"superfast 4G\". However, mobile phone providers have faced planning issues when creating the necessary infrastructure, said analyst Kester Mann from CCS Insight. \"Network operators will maintain that they are investing millions of pounds each day in network coverage and capacity to satisfy the insatiable demand for mobile data services among UK consumers,\" he said. \"They will also cite tough planning restrictions to allow taller masts to provide wider coverage, a challenge recognised in George Osborne's recent Budget. \"These findings show that, although the UK is a leading market in the uptake of 4G services, there is still plenty of work to be done in network roll-out.\"", "summary": "Smartphone users in the UK can only access 4G's data service about half of the time on average, according to a new report by OpenSignal and consumer watchdog Which."}
{"article": "He is currently the managing director of retail banking for the Ulster Bank group. Mr Donnan replaces Ellvena Graham, who is becoming a non-executive director of the bank. She held the position as \u00e2\u20ac\u017dhead of Ulster Bank Northern Ireland since it was created just over two years ago. Ulster Bank is the largest bank in Northern Ireland and the third largest in the Republic of Ireland. Its chief executive Jim Brown said: \"I would like to wish Ellvena well as she departs her executive role. \"She has always been a positive and energetic influence on the business with a solid understanding of what matters for our people and our business. \"She has also been a great support to me personally.\" Mr Donnan has been with Ulster Bank for about 25 years.", "summary": "Ulster Bank has appointed Richard Donnan as its new boss in Northern Ireland."}
{"article": "Australia's government intends to hold a non-binding plebiscite on whether to allow same-sex marriage, although a date has not yet been scheduled. The Australian Electoral Commission previously estimated the cost of running the plebiscite at A$158m. But research by accounting firm PwC said this figure was too low, as it did not allow for \"total economic costs\". PwC's report said holding a stand-alone plebiscite on a Saturday would cost Australia's economy $A280m in lost productivity. Its impact on the \"mental health and wellbeing of Australian citizens\" would also cost at least $A20m, the report said. Funding the campaigns for and against the proposal would cost a further $A66m, it said. \"The real costs to government, the economy and members of the community to hold a standalone plebiscite are more than three times higher than the numbers commonly quoted,\" PwC Australia CEO Luke Sayers said in a statement. \"Total economic costs have not been considered before and should be part of the debate on the best way to achieve a resolution to this issue.\" But Liberal senator Eric Abetz, an opponent of same-sex marriage, questioned PwC's methodology in calculating the cost of lost productivity. \"Because, quite frankly, to try to take into account and double the figure on the basis of the time taken to vote as being a factor basically says, 'look, let's get rid of democracy; each time people go to the polling booth it costs them $281m',\" he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Senator Abetz has previously indicated that he may not view the results of the plebiscite as binding. The PwC research said that if a public poll were taken concurrently with the upcoming federal election, rather than as a stand-alone vote, it would cost $A113m. A parliamentary vote without a public poll would cost $A17m, PwC said. The stand-alone public vote was initially announced by the former prime minister Tony Abbott. Malcolm Turnbull said he would push ahead with the plebiscite after replacing Mr Abbott as prime minister last year.", "summary": "A stand-alone public vote on same-sex marriage would cost Australia $A525m (\u00c2\u00a3275.5m; $396m), a new report says."}
{"article": "The pair made the announcement through what can only be described as a gushy YouTube video. Set to music during an ultrasound scan, you see the pair with delighted smiles, rubbing noses. The baby is due in May this year. The couple shared the news in the video after rumours of the pregnancy surfaced on Friday in a gossip column. \"Today the media speculated about some big news in our life. So we decided to share it with you ourselves,\" the couple said in the video posted Saturday on the YouTube account of Macklemore's musical partner, Ryan Lewis. Within hours of the video being posted fans of the Grammy-award winner, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, shared tributes and best wishes for the happy couple. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Macklemore and his fiancee Tricia Davis are expecting their first baby together."}
{"article": "Services have taken place across the country to honour all those who have died in conflict. The Queen led the commemorations at the Cenotaph in London. Prime Minister Theresa May and party leaders attended. The Queen laid the first wreath, followed by other royals and politicians. After a remembrance service, veterans and current military personnel paraded down Whitehall. More than 700 soldiers, sailors and members of the RAF lined Whitehall to hear a service led by the Bishop of London, the Right Reverend Richard Chartres. Detachments from units such as the Royal Marines, Household Cavalry and Royal Gurkha Rifles flanked the stone memorial. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon attended the annual wreath laying and Remembrance Sunday service at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh. She said it was \"an opportunity for all of Scotland to join with others right across the world and commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice in conflicts during the last century and more recently\". BBC correspondent Daniela Relph at Whitehall The crowds are 20-people deep in places on Whitehall. Those with a front row position had to start queuing to get through security at first light. People were craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the march past. Whitehall today is a place of shared remembrance. There are those who've come to the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday for the first time. And there are those for whom this is an annual event, something they would never miss. They have come from all over Britain and beyond. Those I spoke to talked of feeling humbled during the 11 o'clock silence. They also said that that being here, in person, was a really moving experience. There are 8,000 people taking part in the march past. Watching it stirs contradictory feelings - it is both a solemn experience and somehow uplifting. No-one here on Whitehall today will ever forget. The Irish Prime Minister and Northern Ireland's First Minister attended a Remembrance Sunday ceremony in Enniskillen, Fermanagh. And there was a National Service of Remembrance for Wales at Cathays Park in Cardiff. First Minister Carwyn Jones said: \"It is important we take the opportunity to pay tribute to those who lost their lives, paying the ultimate price for our freedom. \"Those who fought bravely for our futures must never be forgotten.\" Elsewhere, more than 40,000 knitted poppies have been placed on a Remembrance Day parade route in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. The organisers said volunteers had sent in knitted and crocheted flowers from all over the world. In Croydon, where seven people were killed and 50 injured after a tram derailed earlier this week, special prayers are being said for those affected. Remembrance Sunday The prime minister has said the day is not only about honouring the dead but also for paying tribute to those members of the armed forces currently on active service combating so-called Islamic State. Mrs May said: \"The way of life we enjoy today depends upon the service offered by members of the armed forces and their families. \"Across generations, and in every corner of the UK, today", "summary": "A two-minute silence has been held to mark Remembrance Sunday."}
{"article": "The private member's bill comes amid heated debate among government MPs about whether to change the law or put the matter to a plebiscite. The government's official position is that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has denied government MPs a free vote on any bill legalising same-sex marriage. The bill allows couples, regardless of \"sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status\" to marry. Australia's Marriage Act limits marriage to a union of a man and a woman. The bill was introduced by government backbencher Warren Entsch, one of several government backbenchers who plan to defy Mr Abbott by crossing the floor of the parliament to vote in favour of marriage equality. The ban on a free vote for government MPs means it is likely to fail. Mr Abbott has said the matter should be \"put to the people\" in a non-binding plebiscite after the next general election, due in 2016. Meanwhile, cross bench senators have backed an Australian Greens bill calling for a gay marriage plebiscite before the election. In an impassioned speech, Mr Entsch spoke of how his bill, which has cross-party support, was designed to promote a more inclusive Australia. \"Being gay is not a lifestyle choice,\" the Queensland MP told the parliament. \"This bill does not create different classes of marriage,\" he said. \"A divided nation is what we will be if we continue to allow discrimination in relation to marriage on the basis of a person's sexuality.\"", "summary": "A controversial bill to legalise same-sex marriage has been introduced to the Australian parliament."}
{"article": "It's not difficult to understand why. In her maiden event at this level, the British 400m champion joined an elite band of Scottish athletes. Only five others have won a medal at the World Athletics Championships. Liz McColgan is still the only Scot to have tasted individual success. That 10,000m gold in Tokyo back in 1991 will live long in the memory. Her daughter, Eilish, 10th over half the distance this year, is now hunting down mum's 5,000m personal best. Three Scots have stood on World Championships relay podiums and Clark is one of them. Eilidh Doyle, who took silver along with Clark this time round, and Lee McConnell are serial medallists as part of the 400m relay squad. In the sprint relay, the former European 200m champion, Dougie Walker, helped the British team to bronze in Athens in 1997. An honourable mention for Kirsten McAslan too. Not selected for the final, she nonetheless got a bronze medal two years ago in Beijing for helping the British team through the heats before watching them take third in the final. So half a dozen Scots have World Championships medals on the mantelpiece. We very nearly had two more in London. Media playback is not supported on this device Surely the best Scottish performer was Kilbarchan AC's Callum Hawkins, who followed up a fine top-10 performance at last summer's Rio Olympics with a superb fourth place in the marathon. He might not have seen the crown jewels along the way in an event that started and finished at Tower Bridge, but he was agonisingly within sight of a historic bronze. As it is, no British man has bettered his performance in a World Championships marathon. If Hawkins thought he was close to a medal, spare a thought for Laura Muir. Beaten to the bronze by seven one hundredths of a second. No wonder she collapsed to the track after the photo-finish with South Africa's Caster Semenya, unable and unwilling to look at the giant scoreboard that beamed out confirmation of her agony. Her time will come, though. Don't take my word for it: take Brendan Foster's. The English long-distance legend has made a solemn promise to BBC Scotland: Muir will be a major championship gold medallist within four years. We'll hold him to that, shall we? As well as the two silver medallists, and two fourth-placers, there were other fine performances from by far the biggest Scottish contingent ever to join a British team for the World Athletics Championships. In the 5,000m, Andy Butchart has a tough act to follow after Sir Mo Farah's retirement from the track, but he's finished in the top 10 at the Olympics and now the World Championships and surely has a great future ahead. Perhaps the best gauge of improvement is the contrast between these World Championships and the London Olympics. In 2012, only five Scots competed in track and field. None made a final. Fast forward five years and we have 16 Scots making the team; two winning medals and their compatriots qualifying for seven finals. The", "summary": "Reflecting on a dramatic 10 days in and around the London Stadium, Aberdeen's Zoey Clark claimed she's in shock at what she's achieved."}
{"article": "The final four candidates for Metropolitan Police Commissioner will face interviews with Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Policing Minister Brandon Lewis. The Commissioner is not only the head of policing in London. He or she also has a range of national responsibilities including leading on counter-terrorism, national security policing, protection of the royal family and parliamentarians and major public events. That means the job is not just about how to deploy the 31,000 police officers across the capital - but also how to deal with the complex challenges of keeping Britain and London's streets safe. So who are the final four candidates for one of the toughest jobs in policing anywhere in the world? Cressida Dick is one of the country's most experienced and well-known chief police officers who isn't actually working as one. In 2014 she left Scotland Yard to take up a highly sensitive and undisclosed director-general post at the Foreign Office. If the 56-year-old is selected to be the next commissioner, it will mean for the first time that all three top policing jobs in the UK are held by women: the Met Commissioner, the head of the National Crime Agency and the president of the National Police Chief's Council. Ms Dick joined the Met in 1983 after graduating from Oxford University. She first came to public prominence when she was the senior officer in charge of the operation in July 2005 that led to the mistaken killing of Jean Charles de Menezes as a suspected suicide bomber. When the force was later prosecuted for breaching health and safety laws, the jury in the case said they believed there was \"no personal culpability\" for then Commander Dick after listening to her evidence. In 2009 she became the first woman to be appointed an assistant commissioner in the Metropolitan Police, becoming the national lead for counter-terrorism across the UK. Her other experience includes taking on internal reforms of Scotland Yard and being one of the two senior officers in charge of security at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Sara Thornton became the first chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) in 2015 when it replaced the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo). It is the co-ordinating body for all of the police forces in England and Wales, bringing together all the chief officers to thrash out national policies on everything from investigating murders to modernising the workforce. That means that she has been at the heart of the extremely complex challenges of changing the way police are recruited, trained and prepared for how their role is changing as crime does in the 21st century. She joined the Metropolitan Police in 1986 after studying at Durham University and in 2000 went to neighbouring Thames Valley Police as an assistant chief constable. Seven years later she was made chief constable before becoming vice-president of the NPCC in 2011. Shortly after taking over at the NPCC she warned that in the future the public should not expect to see a police officer after some burglaries. She told", "summary": "The UK's next top police officer will be chosen on Wednesday."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 53-year-old's stock has never being higher after leading the Lions to a thrilling drawn Test series in New Zealand. Gatland extended his Wales contract in 2013, keeping him in charge until the end of the 2019 World Cup. \"My focus is now on Wales, preparing for the World Cup in Japan,\" he said. \"I am a firm believer of what will be will be so I won't be looking too far ahead. I am looking forward to the next few years with Wales and then see what other opportunities are out there.\" Gatland took the reins with Wales in December, 2007, and led them to 2008 and 2012 Six Nations Grand Slams as well as a World Cup semi-final in 2011. Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chief executive Martyn Phillips has said he would be prepared to release Gatland from his contract if the New Zealander wanted to leave. But Gatland - who has been tipped as a future All Blacks head coach - reiterated his intention to see out his current WRU deal. Media playback is not supported on this device \"My focus is on Wales, for the autumn internationals and then looking towards the 2019 World Cup,\" he added. \"I'm definitely finishing up there, unless they decide to get rid of me sooner!\" Gatland coached the Lions to a series win in Australia four years ago and has not ruled out taking charge again - if asked - for the next tour to South Africa. \"You never say never,\" said Gatland. \"If there's a chat and opportunity to think about 2021, to do maybe the three as a head coach, to win two and draw one wouldn't be a bad achievement.\" Lions tour manager John Spencer said he had no doubt Gatland had proved his coaching credentials during the tour to New Zealand. \"You have to be a very shrewd coach to come to New Zealand and achieve what the players have achieved,\" Spencer said. \"Without doubt I think he's the best head coach in the world... I think he's proved that with our guys. \"I don't want to take anything away from Wales, because he's got a job to do there, but I think his achievements on this tour have opened up the future for him. \"It's an incredible achievement to come halfway round the world, to adapt to all the difficulties you have with travelling and then to play back-to-back world champions on their own park, and to be as successful as he has been.\"", "summary": "Wales head coach Warren Gatland says he will honour his current contract after returning from his second stint in charge of the British and Irish Lions."}
{"article": "The girl, aged 15 at the time, was a \"frequent runaway\" and had met a man called David Ayrton on the day of the attack more than 10 years ago. The 34-year-old, now called Davina, denies raping the teenager in a garage in Portsmouth in the autumn of 2004. Portsmouth Crown Court was told the alleged incident happened while two others were asleep in the garage. The teenager, who cannot be identified, stayed there when hiding from her parents. She told the court although she had shouted and sworn at the defendant to stop the attack, her friend and her boyfriend had not woken up. She added that she had \"only drunk a can and a half of Foster's\" and had a clear recollection of the events. The friend who was with her in the garage at the time told the court the alleged victim was a \"vulnerable\" girl at the time. She said she was eventually woken up by the teenager who was \"screaming and crying and asking for help\". The person alleged to be Ms Ayrton was then \"ejected\" from the garage by the girl's boyfriend. The court heard the victim made a complaint to police in December 2004 but had not assisted officers because she was \"anti-police\" at the time. Chris Stopa, prosecuting, said Ms Ayrton has learning difficulties and told a worker at the care home in Fordingbridge where she lives about the incident in 2014. Police then contacted the alleged victim, leading to the prosecution. Ms Ayrton denies one charge of rape between October and November 2004. The trial continues.", "summary": "A teenage girl was raped in a garage by a transgender woman when she was still living as a man, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Called 'Baby Doe\" by Boston police, the four-year-old girl was found by a woman walking her dog on 25 June. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children created the image in the hope that someone who knew her will come forward. She was found with a zebra-print blanket and wore polka-dot leggings. The centre posted an updated version of the image to add a pair of earrings. She is believed to be either white or Hispanic, weighed about 30lbs (13.6kg) and stood 3.5ft (1m) tall. Police believe she died not long before her body was discovered inside a large plastic bag on Deer Island in Boston harbour. A post-mortem examination hasn't yet determined the cause of death, according to the Boston Globe newspaper. Officials said the case has received a massive response on social media and drawn thousands of new visitors to government websites. \"Every now and then we have a case like this, and that probably has a lot to do with the age of the child, the circumstances in which the child was found,\" Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley told the Washington Post. \"Sometimes it touches the hearts of many and it motivates the public to get motivated to help.\"", "summary": "A computer-generated image of a girl who was found dead has been shared millions of times online as US police search for clues about how she died."}
{"article": "Ryan Beal, 20, Brandon Brown, 20, Alexandra Binns, 18, and Terrie Kirby, 16, were killed when the quad bike they were riding was hit by a Nissan 350Z. The Nissan was taking part in a race on the A6201 Hemsworth bypass at the time. Five people deny encouraging dangerous driving while two have admitted causing death by dangerous driving. More stories from across Yorkshire Prosecutor Kama Melly QC said the Nissan was one of a number of vehicles taking part in a high-speed race when the crash happened on 27 September 2015. She told a jury at Leeds Crown Court two groups of people had travelled from Wakefield and Barnsley to use the stretch of road for racing as spectators watched from the sides of the road and a railway bridge. Analysis of the Nissan's sat-nav showed it was doing 140mph at the time of the impact with the quad bike and had reached 144mph on previous runs along the single carriageway road, the court was told. A passenger who witnessed the racing cars said in a statement read to the court by Miss Melly \"that the scene was something like out of the film The Fast And The Furious\". The four people killed were out celebrating Miss Kirby's birthday. The court heard a police investigation found the quad bike had no rear lights and Miss Melly said that other road users were \"very concerned\" with \"the manner in which it was being driven earlier that night\". The prosecutor also said: \"We are not saying that these defendants specifically encouraged that particular piece of driving that caused the deaths of the four on the quad bike. \"It is the Crown's case that the defendants' presence encouraged the dangerous driving that occurred over the course of the evening.\" \"They went knowing what they would see and participate in and went knowing that a group of supporters and enthusiasts being present would encourage the dangerous driving that did occur.\" George Tomlinson, 25, of Hall Croft, Netherton, Wakefield; Nathan Jackson, 21, of Higham Common, Barnsley; Stephen Hebden, 23, of Dodworth Road, Barnsley; Lee Fisher, 29, of Pond Street, Barnsley and Bradley Lockwood, 22, of Rotherham Road, Barnsley, all deny one count of encouraging and assisting in the commission of a dangerous driving offence. The jury was told that the driver of the Nissan, Daniel Raynor, and his front seat passenger, Matthew Todd, have admitted charges of causing death by dangerous driving. The trial continues.", "summary": "Four people died when their quad bike was hit by a car at 140mph as vehicles raced in scenes likened to the film The Fast And The Furious, a jury has heard."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Blues are now one win away from securing their fifth league trophy after beating Middlesbrough 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Monday. Conte, 47, told BBC Match of the Day: \"This is my first season in England in a tough championship. \"I'm delighted for my players, they deserve this. We are showing that we deserve to win the league.\" Chelsea face West Brom on Friday with a seven-point advantage over Tottenham, who play Manchester United on Sunday. The Blues finish their league season with games against Watford and relegated Sunderland. \"Now, we have taken another step to the title. We have to rest well and prepare for West Brom,\" Conte said after Monday's victory, which relegated Boro back to the Championship. \"We must try in the next game to become champions. West Brom will want to play a good game against us, but we are ready.\" Cesc Fabregas was brought into Chelsea's starting line-up after N'Golo Kante was ruled out through injury, and the Spaniard was Chelsea's stand-out player. He provided the pass for Diego Costa's opener and Nemanja Matic's third, and has now claimed 10 assists and four goals in 26 games. Marcos Alonso scored Chelsea's second. \"It's been a difficult year for me. I'm used to playing a lot but I feel I have matured a lot,\" former Arsenal midfielder Fabregas told Sky Sports. \"Many people told me I am not the type of player for Antonio Conte and I should leave but I like challenges. \"I hadn't played every game but I think I have played in the last 20 games. When I have been on the pitch maybe my contribution is better than a full season.\" Former Chelsea and Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said on Match of the Day: \"His interview just shows the calibre of the player. He wants to play week in, week out. \"He has got so much in the locker, his ability on the ball, how he is able to pick out players from anywhere on the pitch is outstanding. \"He may be lacking pace but his reading of the game is still world class. Every time Chelsea want an option or need an outlet, they go to Fabregas. \"He has been the ultimate professional and a huge weapon for Chelsea.\"", "summary": "Manager Antonio Conte says his Chelsea players are worthy of winning the Premier League title."}
{"article": "The Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek usually rescues between 50 and 60 pups over a whole winter but it has already rescued 52. Staff also expect the influx to continue to the end of March, with Storm Henry preparing to sweep in. The stormy conditions are preventing staff from releasing seals back into the wild. Read more on this story as it develops throughout the day on our Local Live pages Sanctuary curator Tamara Cooper said many pups were underweight and had been injured by being dashed on rocks. \"They have come in thick and fast over the stormy period and we are expecting more over the coming months,\" she said. \"Some are only a few months old and they come ashore to rest. \"They are very skinny and need feeding up. We have six ready to go so we are just waiting for a clear spell of weather.\" Storm Henry is predicted to bring treacherous conditions and high winds of up to 90mph to the north of Britain today. Storm Gertrude brought gusts of more than 100mph in places as well as heavy rain and snow. Wildlife experts said an \"extraordinary\" number of dead dolphins have also washed up on Cornwall's shores this month due to recent weather systems. Abby Crosby, Marine Conservation Officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: \"We've had 19 different cetaceans, that's dolphins porpoises or whales, recorded when the last ten yearly average is 11. So we're looking at almost double the January average.\" \"It's a really sad situation, however it's an invaluable opportunity for us to examine these carcasses further to try and work out how they died and find out more about the biology and ecology of these amazing creatures.\"", "summary": "A seal sanctuary in Cornwall has seen a huge rise in the number of injured pups in the wake of Storm Gertrude."}
{"article": "Winner: Boyhood Birdman The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game The Theory of Everything Winner: The Theory of Everything '71 The Imitation Game Paddington Pride Under The Skin Winner: Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything Benedict Cumberbatch - The Imitation Game Ralph Fiennes - The Grand Budapest Hotel Jake Gyllenhaal - Nightcrawler Michael Keaton - Birdman Winner: Julianne Moore - Still Alice Amy Adams - Big Eyes Felicity Jones - The Theory of Everything Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl Reese Witherspoon - Wild Winner: JK Simmons - Whiplash Steve Carell - Foxcatcher Ethan Hawke - Boyhood Edward Norton - Birdman Mark Ruffalo - Foxcatcher Winner: Patricia Arquette - Boyhood Rene Russo - Nightcrawler Keira Knightley - The Imitation Game Imelda Staunton - Pride Emma Stone - Birdman Winner: Richard Linklater - Boyhood Wes Anderson - Grand Budapest Hotel Damian Chazelle - Whiplash Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - Birdman James Marsh - The Theory of Everything Winner: The Theory of Everything - Anthony McCarten American Sniper - Jason Hall Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn The Imitation Game - Graham Moore Paddington - Paul King Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel - Wes Anderson Birdman - Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Armando Bo Boyhood - Richard Linklater Nightcrawler - Dan Gilroy Whiplash - Damien Chazelle Winner: The Lego Movie Big Hero 6 The Boxtrolls Winner: Citizenfour 20 Feet from Stardom 20,000 Days on Earth Finding Vivian Maier Virunga Winner: Ida Leviathan The Lunchbox Trash Two Days, One Night Winners: Birdman - Emmanuel Lubezki The Grand Budapest Hotel - Robert Yeoman Ida - Lukasz Zal, Ryszard Lenczewski Interstellar - Hoyte van Hoytema Mr Turner - Dick Pope Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Into the Woods Mr Turner The Theory of Everything Winner: Whiplash - Tom Cross Birdman - Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione The Grand Budapest Hotel - Barney Pilling The Imitation Game - William Goldenberg Nightcrawler - John Gilroy The Theory of Everything - Jinx Godfrey Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel - Frances Hannon Guardians of the Galaxy - Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou, David White Into the Woods - Peter Swords King, J Roy Helland Mr Turner - Christine Blundell, Lesa Warrener The Theory of Everything - Jan Sewell Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel - Alexandre Desplat Birdman - Antonio Sanchez Interstellar - Hans Zimmer The Theory of Everything - Johann Johannsson Under the Skin - Mica Levi Winner: The Grand Budapest Hotel - Adam Stockhausen, Anna Pinnock Big Eyes - Rick Heinrichs, Shane Vieau The Imitation Game - Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana MacDonald Interstellar - Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis Mr Turner - Suzie Davies, Charlotte Watts Winner: Whiplash - Thomas Curley, Ben Wilkins, Craig Mann American Sniper - Walt Martin, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, Alan Robert Murray, Bub Asman Birdman - Thomas Varga, Martin Hernandez, Aaron Glascock, Jon Taylor, Frank A Monta\u00c3\u00b1o The Grand Budapest Hotel - Wayne Lemmer, Christopher Scarabosio, Pawel Wdowczak The Imitation Game - John Midgley, Lee Walpole, Stuart Hilliker, Martin Jensen Winner: Interstellar - Paul Franklin, Scott Fisher, Andrew Lockley Dawn of the Planet of the Apes -", "summary": "Here is the full list of winners for the 2015 Bafta Film Awards, held at a ceremony in London."}
{"article": "Several publications suggested last week that the president-elect would offer the star a top job in the arts. In a statement, Stallone said he was \"incredibly flattered to have been suggested to be involved with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)\". But the star said he would prefer to highlight issues faced by US veterans. \"I believe I could be more effective by bringing national attention to returning military personnel in an effort to find gainful employment, suitable housing and financial assistance these heroes respectfully deserve,\" the statement said. Stallone, famed for his role in the Rambo and Rocky films, is also an artist. He has created hundreds of artworks and last year exhibited at the Modern Art Museum in Nice, France. In 2013, a collection of his paintings went on display at The Russian Museum in St Petersburg. At the show's opening the star said, if he had the choice, he would spend his life drawing instead of acting. \"I think I'm a much better painter than an actor,\" he said. The Oscar-nominated actor studied art before his film career took off. In an interview with Variety earlier this year, Stallone said: \"I love Donald Trump. He's a great Dickensian character. You know what I mean? There are certain people like Arnold [Schwarzenegger], Babe Ruth, that are bigger than life. But I don't know how that translates to running the world.\" Established in 1965, the NEA is an independent federal agency which distributes government grants to arts organisations. The NEA has come under threat in the past from previous Republican governments, including Ronald Reagan's administration. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Actor Sylvester Stallone has said he is \"flattered\" by reports that Donald Trump may offer him an arts post - but would prefer a role helping veterans."}
{"article": "Analysts and shareholders, uneasy about the multi-billion-dollar project, hoped Paris would be a turning point. The 100-150 seat C-Series is two years late and over-budget. Mr Cromer played down the show's importance for C-Series announcements, saying it provided brand \"momentum\". Bombardier, which has a big operation in Belfast, has seen rivals unveil a series of deals in the show's first two days. Mr Cromer was appointed as part of a wider management shake-up at the Canadian company, and the planemaker has a big presence at Paris show. Cost overruns pushed Bombardier into a loss last year, its first in almost a decade. The company has 243 firm orders for the C-Series - the biggest from Lufthansa's Swiss International - and wants to have 300 by the time it enters service in the middle of next year. \"I think we feel pretty good about being able to achieve that, and potentially beating that target,\" Mr Cromer said. \"The momentum is very tangible right now, and our job is to turn that momentum into sales.\" He said: \"The focus on air shows (for orders) is in some ways unnecessary. Sales is a 365-day job. We will announce deals at the appropriate time.\" But a lack of order news, even small ones, in the last two days - traditionally when planemakers tout their biggest deals - will concern analysts. In April, Rolland Vincent, a former Bombardier director, told Canada's Financial Post that without any \"blockbuster\" orders at Paris, the show \"will be a really dark week for them\". Analysts have urged Bombardier to be more aggressive on price and offer bigger discounts in order to book more orders quickly. But this strategy could further strain relations with some big shareholders, already concerned about mounting development costs, which have reached about $5.5bn - more than $1bn above initial forecasts. Mr Cromer does not seem in any hurry to cut costs for a bigger market share, however. \"Everyone wants to get into the price discussion and say that if you don't cut prices you won't get orders. The fact of the matter is, this is an all-new aircraft that fits into many different airline business plans. Price is just one of the aspects during negotiations,\" he said.", "summary": "New Bombardier president Fred Cromer says the planemaker is still set to meet sales targets for its key C-Series aircraft, despite so far failing to announce orders at the Paris Air Show."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Not Ronaldo, Messi, Bale or Neymar but Luka Modric. Pose the same question 12 months previously and Modric would not even be in with a whisper. \"Gareth is a a great player. He has everything necessary to be one of the best players in the world. It's all on him if he will reach that level. Today, Ronaldo is the best player. It's really difficult to reach his level, but Gareth has all the qualities. He is strong, powerful, quick and he has improved his shooting a lot.\" Recruited by Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur for \u00a333m in August 2012, the Croatia midfielder was in danger of being harshly written off as a high-profile, big-money flop. Appearances were irregular under Jose Mourinho and some Real fans wanted him sold, with readers of the newspaper Marca voting Modric the worst signing of the year. Fast forward to the present day and he is indispensable to Carlo Ancelotti, the hard-to-please Bernabeu crowd are chanting his name - they want Modric to wear the prestigious number 10 shirt instead of 19 - and the queue of suitors is growing. They could be waiting a long time. Many, including former Real sporting director Predrag Mijatovic, believe the 28-year-old is now on a par with Cristiano Ronaldo as the club's most important player. \"I never considered leaving Real Madrid or that it was a mistake to come here,\" Modric, with a look of unbreakable self-belief, tells BBC Sport. \"It was my dream come true when I signed for Real Madrid. I want to stay here for as many years as possible and, if it's possible, finish my career here. \"I really enjoy my life in Spain. Madrid is a big and beautiful city with great parks where I like to walk. There are a lot of squares and museums, historic monuments. But I'm more a home guy, I feel most comfortable there with my wife and kids. We play, watch cartoons, like all families do.\" Modric has never been one to court publicity - \"I don't like to speak much, I rather speak on the field; apart from Real Madrid TV this is my first big interview\" - but when we meet at the club's Valdebebas training complex he could hardly be more relaxed and welcoming. \"It's good for the championship that more teams are involved for the title. Atletico Madrid are having a great season. Everyone is expecting them to fall down but they keep going. There are still a lot of games until the end and we have to continue playing like we're playing at the moment. It will be interesting. I think this March will be crucial for La Liga. It's always nice to have more teams fighting for titles.\" His ripped jeans, shaggy hair and cheeky smile reflect a laid-back, unpretentious, likeable character who is quiet yet bubbly, private yet warm; a gentle Galactico with a kind, conscientious, intelligent personality that endears him to family, friends and the public alike. But underneath lies an unmistakeable", "summary": "If you were to survey followers of Spanish football on their player of the season so far, there is a good chance they would vote overwhelmingly in favour of one name."}
{"article": "Scientists are recruiting 64 healthy adult volunteers for the trial, which is expected to take up to two years. The work will be split equally between London, the Rwandan capital Kigali and Nairobi in Kenya. This early trial is being run by the International Aids Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), a non-profit organisation. The principal investigator, Dr Jill Gilmour, who has worked at the laboratory at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital since its founding in 2001, says she is optimistic that the Aids virus can eventually be tackled with a vaccine. The virus is now 30 years old, and the search for a vaccine has proved elusive so far. However, an American-backed trial in Thailand found in 2009 that a combination of two vaccine prototypes was 30% effective in preventing HIV infection. Follow-up trials are being planned with the aim of improving those initial results. In the IAVI trial, volunteers who are free of HIV and not at risk of catching the infection will receive a combination of two vaccines. One of them is derived from a weakened version of Sendai, a flu-like virus that infects rodents. It will be administered through nasal drops. This is because in the early stages of infection, both HIV and Sendai affect the mucosal tissues, which are found in the nose and also in the genital area. Dr Gilmour said: \"I believe it's not if, it's when we will have an effective HIV vaccine. There is now strong scientific data to support that position. \"We will get there but vaccine development takes time. It's not for the faint-hearted. \"Bear in mind that with polio, it was 45 years from discovering the virus to getting an effective vaccine. \"HIV is a formidable beast with sneaky tricks. It changes every time it divides, so it's highly variable. And it can integrate into your own cells, so your immune system can't see it.\" The trial is early work known as Phase I, meaning that the aim is to ensure the vaccine is safe and induces an immune response. Dr Gilmour added: \"Delivering the vaccine into the nose has public health benefits, because we're not using needles. \"If we see strong immune responses, we go into the larger second phase of testing whether the vaccine is effective in reducing transmission or lowering the load of the virus. \"The Sendai product is modified from a virus which affects rodents, including hamsters. From our perspective, it's a bonus that this virus has lived in the human environment without causing us harm.\" The IAVI laboratory at Chelsea and Westminster handles almost 100,000 blood samples a year and has supported more than 20 other vaccine trials. Its work includes sending test kits to sub-Saharan African countries at the heart of the Aids epidemic, carefully tracking the thousands of blood samples that it holds and ships elsewhere, and ensuring the data and paperwork from trials is rigorously monitored, so the results from different sets of tests can be pooled. Jason Warriner, clinical director at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: \"We welcome investment in the search for a vaccine", "summary": "A fresh effort to find a vaccine for HIV is beginning at laboratories in a London hospital and two centres in Africa."}
{"article": "The Wales Audit Office has criticised how staff handled criminal records checks for volunteers on the council's Kerbcraft programme. At one point, poor record-keeping meant auditors were unable to determine if volunteers had been checked or not. Monmouthshire council said a \"comprehensive and robust\" action plan was being implemented. The report said auditors were \"extremely concerned\" about \"inconsistent, partial and misleading information\" provided by the council in response to their work. \"The council has failed to provide a thorough and coherent evidence-based response to our enquiries and we have received inconsistent information about the chronology of events from officers,\" auditors wrote. There was no suggestion in the report, produced in February this year, of any wrongdoing by a volunteer. Under Kerbcraft, which was introduced by the Welsh Government in 2002 and is run by all 22 Welsh councils, children are taken out of school by trained volunteers to learn skills for crossing roads safely. Monmouthshire received \u00c2\u00a350,000 a year from Welsh ministers to run Kerbcraft, which had been delegated to a private/public joint venture until 2012 when it was transferred to the authority. In June 2015, the scheme was suspended because of concerns over record-keeping. That meant auditors were unable to confirm if volunteers had previously been subject to disclosure and barring service (DBS) checks - which have replaced criminal records bureau checks - or health and safety checks. \"As a result, we consider that children were placed at risk during that time,\" the report said. \"The council held no central record of information relating to volunteers and it appeared solely reliant on verbal assurances from the Kerbcraft co-ordinator that safe recruitment arrangements had been followed by staff operating the scheme.\" Following a council review, Monmouthshire told auditors it had put stronger measures in place - but despite improvements after the scheme restarted in September 2015, auditors found further problems. Staff were not requesting or looking at volunteers' DBS certificates and the council was not following up references for some volunteers. The report found children were \"being put at risk because of continuing weakness\" in arrangements for their safeguarding on the scheme that the council had not addressed at the time the report was published. Opposition councillor and Labour group leader Dimitri Batrouni said: \"It is deeply disturbing that auditors were provided misleading information by the council. \"We are talking about our children's safety.\" From August 2016 and in response to audit office concerns, the council stopped using volunteers on Kerbcraft. A council spokesman said the authority had now adopted an action plan and new procedures had been approved, along with improved governance arrangements. The new policy appears to permit volunteers but limit them to six at once to simplify the checking and recording of information. The council is due to consider a revision to its safeguarding policy on Friday.", "summary": "The way a road safety scheme was run by Monmouthshire council put children at risk, a report has found."}
{"article": "After the game Alan Kernaghan resigned as manager of the Glens. Jamie Gardiner gave the hosts the lead in the first half, with Jordan Campbell adding a second in the 62nd minute. Ciaran Caldwell pulled a goal back, Stephen Park restored the two-goal cushion and Nacho Novo netted what proved to be a consolation late on. Annagh lie bottom of their league, having shipped 12 goals in three games. Glentoran manager Kernaghan had gone into the game under a degree of pressure after a section of Glens supporters had voiced their discontent following a 4-1 league reverse at Coleraine on Saturday. Gardiner completed a fine breakaway by chipping Elliott Morris for the opener in the 19th minute and the County Armagh side had their illustrious visitors in real trouble when Campbell added the second. Caldwell's deflected 25-yard effort three minutes later gave the Glens hope, but that optimism proved short-lived when Park made it 3-1, Novo, Glentoran skipper for the evening, pulling one back from six yards out on 85 minutes. \"The first goal was important for us, it gave us a real lift, and hopefully this result will kick-start our season. We fear nobody,\" Annagh manager Paul Matchet told BBC Radio Ulster's Sportsound programme after the game. Glens manager Kernaghan argued: \"If we had taken the chances we created, we could have won the game by seven or eight. I am frustrated and I feel the fans' frustration.\" Elsewhere, holders Cliftonville began their bid for a fifth straight success in the competition with a thumping 11-1 victory over 2011 winners Lisburn Distillery at Solitude. David McDaid and Stephen Garrett both scored hat-tricks, with Chris Ramsey, Jaimie McGovern, Chris Curran, Jude Winchester and Gary Donnelly also getting their names on the scoresheet. Media playback is not supported on this device The Reds' north Belfast rivals Crusaders were comfortable 3-1 winners over Loughgall, while Portadown hammered Donegal Celtic 6-1 at Shamrock Park. Ballymena United survived an early scare when Chris McFall gave Newington the lead midway through the first half, but Cathair Friel, Allan Jenkins, a Tony Kane penalty and Johnny McMurray replied for David Jeffrey's Braidmen. James McLaughlin scored twice as Coleraine saw off Limavady United 3-0 in the north-west derby, while Carrick Rangers got the better of Ballyclare Comrades 2-0 in the East Antrim derby. Declan O'Brien plundered four goals in Glenavon's 5-0 triumph over Tobermore United, while Andrew Waterworth grabbed his first two strikes of the season in Linfield's 5-0 win against Larne. David Healy's outfit are chasing a first League Cup success since 2008. Ballinamallard United were 3-0 victors over Dundela, Ards defeated Newry City 3-1 and Dungannon Swifts romped hime 6-2 over Sport and Leisure Swifts. Annagh United 3 (Gardiner 19, Campbell 62, Park 72) Glentoran 2 (Caldwell 65, Novo 85) Ards 3 (McComb pen 64, 90; McAllister 83) Newry City 1 (Walker pen 70) Ballyclare Comrades 0 Carrick Rangers 2 (Kelly 57, Sally 90+3) Crusaders 3 (Caddell 6, Heatley 23, Carvill 84) Loughgall 1 (Uprichard 65, Copeland s/o 43) Ballinamallard Utd 3 (Mayse 22, McCartney 61, Laverty", "summary": "Struggling Championship One team Annagh United caused a major shock by beating Premiership side Glentoran 3-2 in Tuesday's League Cup second round tie."}
{"article": "The date was set at a meeting in Irbil chaired by President Massoud Barzani. A statement said voting would take place in the three provinces that make up the region, and \"areas of Kurdistan outside the region's administration\". There was no immediate comment from Iraq's central government, but it has urged Kurds not to hold a referendum. Moves towards outright independence have historically been opposed by the governments of neighbouring Iran, Turkey and Syria, as well as by the US. In April, senior Kurdish official Hoshyar Zebari told Reuters news agency that a \"yes\" vote would not necessarily mean independence would be declared. Mr Zebari said it would merely help Kurds press their case for \"the best deal\" on self-determination once so-called Islamic State (IS) had been defeated in Iraq. Kurdish Peshmerga fighters have played a major role in the US-backed campaign against the jihadist group, which seized large parts of northern Iraq in 2014. But while driving IS militants out of the country, the Peshmerga have taken control of disputed territory claimed by both Kurds and the central government. It includes the city of Kirkuk and the towns of Makhmour, Khanaqin and Sinjar - locations where President Barzani's senior assistant Hemin Hawrami declared voting would take place in September. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said holding an independence referendum now would be neither in the Kurdistan Region's interest nor Iraq's. \"The desire of our Kurdish brothers to create a country of their own is their right... and nobody has the right to deter them,\" he was quoted as saying by the Kurdish Rudaw news agency in April. \"But holding a referendum at this time is not right as the war [against IS] still rages, the region's situation is not suitable, and some neighbouring countries believe this move poses a threat to the nation's security themselves.\" The head of Iraq's ruling Shia coalition, which includes Mr Abadi's Dawa party, meanwhile warned against any \"unilateral\" moves in the disputed areas.", "summary": "Top government officials and political parties in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Region have agreed to hold a referendum on independence on 25 September."}
{"article": "BBC Trust chairman Rona Fairhead wrote to the Welsh-language channel's authority chairman Huw Jones to confirm the arrangement on Wednesday. S4C's current agreement runs to March 2017. The trust had previously pledged to continue this year's level of funding to 2018. In the letter, Ms Fairhead said it was \"the right thing to do\" in recognition of the \"important role played by S4C for Welsh-speaking licence-fee payers\". Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said he was delighted S4C's funding has been protected. \"Many organisations have worked hard to help secure this settlement, which will safeguard S4C's future for many years to come,\" he added. \"S4C plays an important role in Wales, cementing the Welsh language and culture within communities, and I will continue to do everything I can to ensure the channel's continued success.\"", "summary": "Funding for S4C will remain at its current level of \u00a374.5m a year until the end of the current licence fee agreement in 2022."}
{"article": "Ms Philbin has been honoured for her work in sparking young peoples' interest in working in science, technology and engineering. She co-founded the TeenTech organisation, which holds events that introduce school children to technical and creative careers. Ms Philbin has also had a long media career connected to science and tech. Her broadcasting career began in the late 1970s when Ms Philbin presented the pioneering BBC saturday morning children's show Multi-Coloured Swap Shop. From there, she went on to work on the iconic BBC science show Tomorrow's World. During the eight years she worked on that programme, Ms Philbin was first to demonstrate many innovations including car navigation systems, fax machines and mobile phones. More recently, Ms Philbin was a reporter on the BBC's Bang Goes The Theory science show, and has regularly appeared on other radio and TV programmes as an science expert. In 2008, she helped to start the non-profit TeenTech organisation that aimed to give young people a realistic view of what it is like to work in jobs that have a high science, technology, engineering and mathematics component. It regularly runs events that let school children talk to people that work in different technical sectors and lets them get a feel for the techniques, equipment and approaches used in those professions. Ms Philbin said giving children an insight into the ways that innovation and advances occur was important because an increasing proportion of jobs revolved around competence in science, technology and maths. It's hard to think of anyone in the last 30 years who has had quite such an impact on enthusing people - and in particular young people - about technology as Maggie Philbin. People of my generation will remember her as the woman who introduced us to everything from sat-nav to digital cameras on Tomorrow's World. But today she is doing amazing work to get teenagers thinking about learning technology skills through her TeenTech organisation. Having once acted as a judge at the TeenTech Awards, I can testify to Maggie's inspirational qualities, both in showing young people that technology is about creativity as well as consumption, and in persuading companies to back her vision. Other technology figures recognised in the New Years Honours list include:", "summary": "TV presenter Maggie Philbin has been appointed OBE in the New Year Honours list."}
{"article": "Campaigners have for years complained that the data claimed by manufacturers was a fantasy. Now, critics have concrete evidence of the lengths that one of the world's biggest carmakers was prepared to go to hide the truth about its diesel vehicles. That VW's bid to scam the system was revealed in the US, where the diesel car market is very small, underlines that country's more robust approach, says Greg Archer, manager at the international campaign group Transport & Environment. \"They've got a much better system. In Europe, we do not test the right cars in the right way,\" he says. \"In Europe, the cars tested are pre-production models that are specially prepared for the purpose. The industry calls them 'golden vehicles'.\" Europe's tests are governed by the New European Driving Cycle. Despite being called \"new\" the NEDC was developed in the 1970s, and got its last major revision in 1996. Cars are hooked up to measuring equipment, and go through acceleration and deceleration tests to measure carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter, fuel efficiency, and so on. Tests are carried out by independent organisations or at manufacturers' own facilities. Either way, the intention is to create a standardised, controlled environment, where temperatures, tyre pressures, fluid levels, braking, and much else can be monitored. The process is overseen by government-appointed inspectors, who in the UK come from the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA), to ensure there's no corner-cutting. However, the VCA website says it will only \"witness some tests being carried out\". The aim is to replicate driving conditions in a busy European city. And this is where the critics cry foul. Such tests, they argue, replicate little of real-world driving, which is why so many studies have queried manufacturers' emissions data. For instance, according to a report published earlier this month by the UK Committee on Climate Change, between 2002 and 2014 the gap between official and real-world CO2 emissions for new passenger cars increased from about 10% to 35%. Europe's NEDC test involves putting cars through two cycles, one lasting about 13 minutes at an average speed of 12mph, and a second cycle lasting almost seven minutes at an average of 39mph. For Jane Thomas, from Emissions Analytics, one of the leading independent emissions analysts, the NEDC tests are \"very sedate and short. There is no resemblance to real-world driving\". The gentle acceleration, cruising speed, and braking used in the tests would be unrecognisable to most drivers, she says. There is no simulation of prolonged motorway driving, and carmakers use the most optimal settings to improve performance, such as the bare minimum of fuel and switching off air conditioning. She says carmakers might remove windscreen wipers, wing mirrors, and spare wheels, and even tape up doors to reduce drag. \"I don't think manufacturers (in the EU) break the rules, but they do bend them,\" she says. \"Everyone is gaming the tests in Europe.\" Even the VCA, on its website, says that \"because of the need to maintain strict comparability of the results achieved by the standard tests, they cannot be fully", "summary": "The scandal involving Volkswagen cheating car pollution rules in the US has thrown a spotlight on emissions testing - particularly in Europe."}
{"article": "The Team GB pair, who boast 10 Olympic golds between them, tied the knot on Saturday. Announcing the news, Kenny, 28, tweeted a snap of his new wife in bed saying, \"Good morning Mrs Kenny.\" Trott's father added: \"So pleased to announce that my darling daughter @LauraTrott31 married @JasonKenny107 yesterday.\" Kenny's image of his new wife pictured her in bed with their two dogs, Sprolo and Pringle, at her feet. She posted on Instagram: \"The happiest day of my life. With all my family and close friends I married my best friend.\" \"We had the most amazing day and I'm so pleased to finally be able [to] call Jason my Husband\". The pair, who live in a cottage just outside Knutsford, Cheshire, turned down an offer to have the wedding featured in a magazine and managed to keep the details a secret from the press until it had happened. Mrs Kenny's father tweeted his congratulations with two pictures of the happy couple outside St Alban & St Paul Church in Macclesfield. The bride's sister Emma, who was maid of honour at the ceremony, tweeted a picture of Mrs Kenny in her dress and said: \"Couldn't have asked for a better day for my baby sister. #TrottKennyWedding\". Friend and fellow cyclist Dani King, who won gold with the 24-year-old in the women's team pursuit at London 2012, was among the bridesmaids. She retweeted a photograph from the father-of-the-bride, adding: \"And what a day it was too\", next to a red love heart and the hashtag #mrandmrskenny. Another teammate from Trott's world record-breaking team which won pursuit gold at Rio 2016, Joanna Rowsell Shand, said the images were \"beautiful photos\". The couple asked guests to donate to Dementia UK. The reception was held at the Hilltop Country House, near Prestbury Village in Cheshire. In a Facebook post, the venue said: \"While the whole country was talking about the Bake Off tent, Laura Trott &Jason Kenny were sharing their first dance in ours.\" Laura, whose hometown is Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, is a four-time Olympic champion after retaining the team pursuit and women's omnium titles in Rio that she won at London 2012. Jason has seven Olympic track sprint medals to his name - including six golds - making him the holder of the most titles for a Briton alongside former team-mate Sir Chris Hoy. The relationship between the pair began during the build-up to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Trott has said \"it wasn't love at first sight\" when she first met Kenny, who she said never spoke to her in training. Kenny said in response that he \"never said hello to anyone\" and he could not help being \"grumpy\". Kenny's mother Lorraine has said the first time she \"knew something was happening between the two of them was when Jason phoned me up and said, 'I'm bringing Trotty home for a bacon butty.'\" \"We liked her from the off,\" she said. The Bolton cyclist popped the question while sitting on the sofa watching an episode of EastEnders in 2014.", "summary": "Cycling's golden couple, Laura Trott and Jason Kenny, have got married in a private ceremony in Cheshire."}
{"article": "It makes changes to the way users navigate around the console's dashboard and speeds up many common tasks such as checking what friends are doing. It also adds backwards compatibility to the console so it can play many older Xbox 360 games. Initially, 104 older games, including Gears of War and Mirror's Edge, will be playable on the console. The update started to roll out to consoles at 07:01 GMT, but it is being staggered because it needs to be being applied to more than 12 million devices. The big update changes the console's underlying operating system so it works better with Windows 10 - the latest release of Microsoft's flagship software. Before now, the underlying software of the game system was much closer to Windows 8. It changes the dashboard, and a further upgrade next year will add some specific Windows 10 features to the Xbox One such as the Cortana voice-driven query system. It also removes some older features, including the gesture-based control system and menu layout required for the Kinect motion sensor. The addition of backwards compatibility for older games will be activated in an update due to start 12 hours after the first global rollout. The long list of games supported includes a lot of very old titles such as 1992's Wolfenstein 3D, but also some more-up-to date ones such as Assassin's Creed II. Microsoft has said games including Halo Reach, Call of Duty: Black Ops and Skate 3 will be added to the list next year. It is also accepting nominations for games to add to the roster of older titles via its Xbox feedback site. Xbox 360 owners who upgrade to the newer console will get copies of their older games on the Xbox One at no additional cost. Sony has set its face against providing backwards compatibility on its PlayStation 4 console. In October, Sony Europe head Jim Ryan told Europe told Eurogamer that it was a feature that \"was not used very much.\" Early reviews of an updated console suggest it does improve basic navigation tasks. \"It feels like Microsoft is now recovering from its giant Xbox One launch mess, and the company has the right focus for its games console, said Tom Warren on tech news site The Verge. However, he added, the update still had some \"issues\" with multiplayer-gaming and TV integration that had to be addressed in future updates. Microsoft has acknowledged many of these problems on a dedicated support page and given advice about how to troubleshoot and fix them.", "summary": "A big update for Microsoft's Xbox One is due to start downloading to consoles around the world on Thursday."}
{"article": "29 April 2015 Last updated at 16:35 BST BBC News explains their significance - in 60 seconds. Video produced by Mohamed Madi", "summary": "Saudi Arabia's new leader, King Salman, has announced a raft of changes to the royal line of succession."}
{"article": "The Financial Exclusion Committee says banks are failing the customers who need them the most, leaving the poorest to rely on expensive products. It adds that controls on \"rent to own\" products and other high cost credit deals must be introduced urgently. Banks should be required to have a duty of care towards their customers. The report highlights how regulation has been successful in battling abusive practices by payday loan companies. The government asked regulators the Financial Conduct Authority to limit the interest rates they are able to charge. It calls for similar restrictions to be applied to other forms of high cost credit, charges for unarranged overdrafts and \"rent to own\" products. These are products that allow customers to buy items, such as televisions or mobile phones, through rental deals which can cost as much as four or five times the normal price tag. Debt charities say that as high cost loan companies have been pushed out, demand for credit by people in poverty has moved into other areas. The government is urged to appoint a minister for financial inclusion who has to report annually to Parliament on progress made towards addressing financial exclusion. Committee chair Baroness Tyler of Enfield said: \"Too many people still have no bank account or cannot get access to basic or fairly priced financial services. \"The 'poverty premium' - where the poor pay more for a range of services from heating their home to accessing credit - contributes to a vicious circle driving people ever deeper into debt and distress.\" She added that the victims of financial exclusion were \"often the most vulnerable in society - the elderly, the poor or those living with physical disabilities or mental health issues\". \"Action must be taken to ensure the financial system in this country works for all. All too often, disabled customers are being failed by banks who are not adjusting their communications and procedures to serve them properly, she said. The committee had been told of banks contacting deaf people by phone and sending written PIN numbers to blind people instead of using Braille, she added. The British Bankers Association said it was already working closely with the government, the regulator and consumer advocates on a number of the areas highlighted in the report. \"We will consider the report's recommendations in detail and reflect on how they might be adopted by the industry going forward,\" it added. Polly Mackenzie, director of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said: \"For too long it's been assumed that when people with mental health problems get behind on bills, or struggle to stick to their budget, it's because they're lazy or incompetent. \"That's simply not true, and we are delighted to see the Lords committee recognise this and the need for banks to step up and offer support. \"It's time for banks to adapt their services to help support people when they're unwell.\"", "summary": "The banks and financial regulators should do more to tackle the vicious cycle of debt and overcharging, says a Lords committee."}
{"article": "Staunton won the UK Theatre Award for best performance in a musical for her role in the Chichester Festival Theatre's production of Gypsy. Written in the 1950s with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Gypsy opened in Chichester a year ago and has since transferred to London's West End. The show was also named best musical production at Sunday's ceremony. Dame Eileen Atkins and choreographer Matthew Bourne received outstanding contribution awards, while Polly Lister and Joel MacCormack shared the trophy for best performance in a play. Staunton was not present to pick up her award because she was saving her voice on her day off, according to Chichester artistic director Jonathan Church. \"She is, as part of her regime, lying down every Sunday,\" he said. Accepting the award on her behalf, he said: \"UK Theatre embraces the whole range of theatres she feels passionately she created some of her finest performances in. \"And of course the subsidy that enables those theatres to exist is important to her - she wanted that message to be heard.\" Staunton plays Momma Rose in Gypsy, which transferred to London's Savoy Theatre in April and runs until the end of November. Dame Eileen Atkins, who co-created TV dramas including Upstairs, Downstairs and The House of Eliott, said the Shakespeare Guild's Gielgud Award meant \"an enormous amount\". She was presented with the trophy by Sir Patrick Stewart. Other presenters at the ceremony at London's Guildhall included actors Robert Powell, Barbara Windsor, Richard Wilson and Pauline McLynn, who received one of the afternoon's biggest cheers for rounding on \"London-centric critics\". Matthew Bourne said receiving The Stage Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre was \"very significant to me\" because it was a theatre award and not just for dance. \"I've had dance awards before now, if I've had anything, and I'm always thinking that dance is theatre,\" he said. The best new play prize went to Iphigenia In Splott, staged by Sherman Cymru and set in the Cardiff area of Splott. Its writer, Gary Own, described it as the story of \"what happens to an ordinary woman in austerity Britain\". He said theatre, and not TV, was now portraying those struggling to make ends meet. \"In the '80s but I remember on TV there being things like The Boys From The Blackstuff - these really fierce dramas portrayals of how difficult life was becoming for ordinary people,\" he said. \"When this recession started, we expected the big beasts of British drama to show what was happening to people. And it hasn't happened at all. So thank God theatre is still there to shout about what is happening.\" Newcastle Theatre Royal was named the country's most welcoming theatre - following a similar accolade for its backstage team at the Technical Theatre Awards. The UK Theatre Awards do not cover National Theatre productions or West End shows unless they have transferred from a theatre outside the capital.", "summary": "Actress Imelda Staunton has been honoured at an award ceremony for the best theatre created outside London."}
{"article": "As reported in the East Anglian Daily Times, East Bergholt - the birthplace of artist John Constable - may try to \"divorce\" Suffolk in the housing row. Campaigner Peter Dent said Colchester Borough Council, in Essex, was known for its preservation of heritage sites. \"I don't care if Suffolk would miss us. That's their problem,\" he said. \"We've got a Colchester postcode, we've got a Colchester phone number, we would like to give it a try and work with a council that would respect the village and the heritage of Constable Country.\" East Bergholt has been fighting plans for new homes for a number of years. In 2016, residents won a judicial review to block the building of 10 homes. The issue was raised by Mr Dent at an annual parish council meeting in the village, where the chair asked residents for a show of hands to signal their support for the idea of becoming part of Essex. \"Almost everybody, bar one or two, put their hands up,\" said Mr Dent, who reiterated the decision would have to be confirmed by the parish council before a village referendum would be held. Mr Dent, chair of Action East Bergholt, claims Babergh District Council \"ignored the neighbourhood plan\" which residents had spent \"a lot of time and money\" putting together. \"We have fought with them long and hard for the last 18 months, and we are continuing to fight,\" Mr Dent said. \"Frankly, we'd like to move to somewhere where we don't have to battle night and day.\" The chief executive of Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council, said he was \"acutely conscious... many people have lost trust in their district council\". Arthur Charvonia said he has held meetings with the parish council and will shortly meet the East Bergholt Society. \"Repairing relationships and trust will take time... the community will need to judge Babergh District Council by our future actions rather than by my words,\" he added. \"I look forward to supporting East Bergholt to deliver its priorities as set out in its neighbourhood plan.\"", "summary": "Residents of a Suffolk village are considering a fight to become part of neighbouring Essex in their battle to prevent 144 homes being built."}
{"article": "The 33-year-old batsman, England's all-time leading run-scorer across all formats, was given the news by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). ECB managing director Paul Downton said: \"The time is right to rebuild not only the team but also the team ethic.\" \"If England have failed in their attempts to manage him, then so has everyone else.\" Read more from Jonathan Agnew Pietersen responded: \"I will continue to play but deeply regret that it won't be for England.\" He scored 8,181 runs at an average of 47 in 104 Tests, in addition to 4,440 runs in 136 one-day internationals and 1,176 runs in 37 Twenty20s. \"Playing cricket for my country has been an honour,\" said South Africa-born Pietersen, who made his England debut in 2004. \"Every time I pulled on the England shirt was a moment of huge pride for me and that is something that will live with me forever. \"Although I am obviously very sad the incredible journey has come to an end, I'm also hugely proud of what we, as a team, have achieved over the past nine years. I believe I have a great deal still to give as a cricketer.\" Media playback is not supported on this device England were whitewashed 5-0 by Australia in the Ashes Test series and Pietersen, his team's leading run-scorer, was criticised for the manner of some of his dismissals. He said last month he was \"determined to help regain the Ashes\" in England in 2015 and was included in a provisional 30-man squad for the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, starting in March, when limited-overs coach Ashley Giles described him as a \"million-pound asset\". But the ECB have now decided he no longer has a future with England and are due to name their squad for the World Twenty20, plus a limited-overs tour of the West Indies that begins later this month, this week. The ECB said that the England management, which includes Giles, Downton and national selector James Whitaker, agreed \"unanimously\" that Pietersen would not be part of their plans for those trips or beyond. Downton, who took over from Hugh Morris on 1 February, added: \"Clearly this was a tough decision because Kevin has been such an outstanding player for England, as the fact that he is the country's leading run-scorer in international cricket demonstrates. \"However, everyone was aware that there was a need to begin the long-term planning after the Australia tour. Therefore we have decided the time is right to look to the future.\" The ECB's decision, announced via a statement, brings to an end Pietersen's brilliant but controversial career. He is regarded by many as England's best player - his tally of 23 Test centuries is second only to Test captain Alastair Cook in the all-time list - and only six players have played more Tests for England. In his debut Test series in 2005, he helped England win the Ashes for the first time in 18 years, one of four Ashes triumphs in his career. Appointed captain in 2008, he resigned after only five months", "summary": "Kevin Pietersen's England career is over after he was told he is no longer part of the national team's plans."}
{"article": "Belper Town FC thought everyone would realise they were joking when they advertised their next match as being against the Spanish giants. But they received more than a dozen calls from people wanting tickets. Even the club's caterer was taken in and started panicking about what to cook the fictitious opponents. \"I did have a bit of a panic myself because I thought 'blimey what can I feed these lads?\" said Diane Collins. \"They are all into carbs, protein and veg, not like pie and chips that our footballers get.\" After being told it was a joke, she said: \"I was disappointed I wasn't going to see Ronaldo but never mind.\" Belper Town FC play in the North Premier League Division One South - the eighth tier of the English football pyramid. One of the club's directors, Mike Matthews, said: \"Our view as directors is that Real Madrid would merely be the warm-up game for the true match tomorrow against Kidsgrove Athletic. \"We are expecting a big crowd.\" The match was advertised last Tuesday and by the morning of 1 April the club had received 15 phone calls asking for tickets. Three people also asked Mr Matthews for tickets directly - and two of those were serious. \"They were completely unaware of the date and the sheer unlikelihood of the world's most prestigious club visiting Christchurch Meadow,\" he said.", "summary": "A non-league football club has been left red faced after an April Fools' Day joke about playing Real Madrid went wrong."}
{"article": "The man, who is in his 30s, was attacked at the property in Argenta Walk at about 04:00 GMT on Monday. Chief Insp Stephen McCauley said: \"We believe an altercation of some kind has taken place in the house which has led to the man being stabbed.\" He added a number of men \"hurriedly\" left the house. The victim's injury is not believed to be life-threatening.", "summary": "A man has been stabbed in the back during a house party in Ballymena, County Antrim."}
{"article": "The Department of the Environment (DoE) said it had been five years since the first recorded death due to the virus in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) said there appeared to be \"little natural resistance to the virus within the local population\". It said sick squirrels tend to die within 10 days to two weeks. NIEA Wildlife Inspector Declan Looney said red squirrels in Tollymore Forest had \"recovered well\" following the outbreak of the virus five years ago, but this was a \"further blow\". \"Sick red squirrels will appear lethargic, approachable, with painful sores on their faces and paws,\" he said. \"Unfortunately there appears little natural resistance to the virus within the local population and sick animals tend to die within 10 days to two weeks. \"If you have squirrels entering your garden to feed at bird feeders, please either remove these or clean them daily to reduce the spread of the virus.\" The DoE said the disease \"does not affect people or their domestic pets\". A spokesperson from the Forest Service said it was \"not unusual\" for the virus \"to re-emerge some years after the initial outbreak\". \"The fact that the red squirrel population recovered in the intervening years gives us great encouragement that working in partnership with the NIEA and the Tollymore Red Squirrel Group on the implementation of control measures will once again produce a successful outcome,\" they added.", "summary": "There has been a squirrel pox virus outbreak among red squirrels at Tollymore Forest Park in County Down."}
{"article": "Two women told the New York Times that the Republican presidential candidate groped or kissed them. A People magazine reporter also said she was forcibly kissed, while another woman said Mr Trump grabbed her bottom. At a Florida rally, Mr Trump called the allegations \"vicious claims\" that are \"totally and absolutely false\". \"These events never ever happened,\" he told supporters at West Palm Beach. Earlier, he had fired back on Twitter, calling the claims a \"total fabrication\" and denying the People reporter's account. Mr Trump's campaign has also threatened legal action against the NYT. His camp made public a letter to the US newspaper calling its article \"defamatory\" and \"a politically-motivated effort to defeat Mr Trump's candidacy\". The NYT said it was standing by its story. The allegations come less than a week after a video shot in 2005 emerged which showed Mr Trump making obscene remarks about groping women. He apologised for the comments - which were widely condemned - but described them as \"locker-room talk\". Asked during last Sunday's debate whether he had kissed or groped women without their consent, Mr Trump said: \"No, I have not\", and stressed that he respected women. Many of the women said Mr Trump's denial during the second presidential debate prompted them to come forward. Calling the NYT story disturbing, Hillary Clinton's campaign said it \"sadly fits everything we know about the way Donald Trump has treated women\". The New York Times published accounts from two women, Jessica Leeds and Rachel Crooks. Ms Leeds, now 74, said that when she was 38 she sat next to Mr Trump in the first-class cabin of a flight to New York. Once airborne, he lifted the armrest and began to touch her. \"He was like an octopus... his hands were everywhere,\" said Ms Leeds. \"It was an assault.\" Rachel Crooks said she was kissed on the lips by Mr Trump outside a lift in Trump Tower when she was a 22-year-old receptionist at a real estate company there. \"It was so inappropriate,\" Ms Crooks said. \"I was so upset that he thought I was so insignificant that he could do that.\" In People magazine, writer Natasha Stoynoff said an incident took place in December 2005, when she went to interview the Trumps ahead of their first wedding anniversary. Mr Trump said he wanted to show her around their Florida estate, including one \"tremendous\" room. \"We walked into that room alone, and Trump shut the door behind us. I turned around, and within seconds he was pushing me against the wall and forcing his tongue down my throat,\" Ms Stoynoff wrote. Another woman, Mindy McGillivray, now 36, told the Palm Beach Post that when she was 23, Mr Trump grabbed her bottom at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida in 2003. None of the women reported their accounts to the authorities, but said they shared what happened with friends, colleagues or family. Other reports that have emerged: The Trump camp has not reacted to all the claims, but it came out strongly against the NYT report. In addition to", "summary": "Donald Trump is facing a series of allegations of inappropriate sexual contact, after US media reported claims from several women."}
{"article": "Paul Massey was shot five times outside his Salford home on 26 July 2015 in what police believe to be a gang feud. No-one has been arrested over the killing of the 55-year-old security boss, who was jailed for 14 years in 1999 for stabbing a man outside a club. A full inquest is expected after police complete their criminal investigation. The victim's partner, eight other members of his family and detectives attended Bolton Coroner's Court for a brief pre-inquest hearing. Jennifer Leeming, senior coroner for Manchester West, asked the senior officer in the case: \"I understand these inquiries, the inquiries touching on the death of Mr Massey, are still active inquiries and I understand that there's reason to suppose that charges will result, is that right?\" Det Supt Howard Millington, of Greater Manchester Police, replied: \"That's right. We are still providing evidence to the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service).\" Massey was dubbed Mr Big by the late Salford councillor Joe Burrows at a town hall meeting to discuss civil disturbances in 1992. He was jailed in 1999 for 14 years after he stabbed a man in the groin outside a club in Manchester, severing an artery. He was a well-known figure in his home city of Salford and had been involved with security firms operating in Manchester and beyond. A \u00c2\u00a350,000 reward is still on offer for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killers. A further pre-inquest hearing was scheduled for 17 May.", "summary": "Detectives are still gathering evidence into the death of a convicted criminal once branded \"Mr Big\", a pre-inquest hearing has heard."}
{"article": "The Local Government Association is asking that councils in England be freed from restrictions on the ability to borrow to fund new home building. It is also calling for powers to replace every council home that is sold off, as quickly as possible. The government said it was delivering on its commitment to replace all properties sold on a one-for-one basis. But in a submission to the Treasury, the LGA said the scale of the housing crisis demanded that action to fix the lack of affordable housing was taken immediately. \"The government's recent announcement of an additional \u00c2\u00a35bn investment in the form of loans to private sector organisations and for building homes on surplus public land is a welcome step,\" the LGA said. \"However, councils are also well placed to bridge the gap between housing need and future building levels and are keen to see - and support - delivery at speed.\" The LGA wants to hold talks with ministers over whether councils' housing revenue accounts - the accounts covering rents and assets - could be removed from the public sector debt book so as to enable borrowing against these assets. \"This would allow local government to rapidly contribute new homes in the market, meet a wide range of local needs and generate significant medium and long term returns,\" it said. Councils also want powers to replace council homes that are sold off under Right to Buy arrangements. Currently, the government only allows local authorities to keep 30% of the cost for replacement council homes. This means councils cannot build replacements - especially as they are unable to borrow to fund the rest. The call comes as new figures were released on the sales of social housing. These revealed nearly 22,000 social housing dwellings were sold from 2015-16 - 12,557 by local authorities and a further 9,435 by housing associations. The sales amount to about 0.5% of the total stock of four million social houses in England. There was a particular spike in the percentage of housing association homes sold to private firms. This was up 46% and government statisticians said this was likely to be because of housing associations taking a more active approach to managing their assets. The Department for Communities and Local Government said it was delivering on its commitment to replace all properties sold on a one-for-one basis. \"As of June 2016, there had been 7,018 starts and acquisitions. \"This delivers more than a one for one replacement on the 4,369 additional sales since the scheme was reinvigorated in 2012.\"", "summary": "Town hall bosses want urgent talks with the government on how they can rapidly build homes where they are needed."}
{"article": "The B4270 and other local roads are affected, Vale of Glamorgan council has said. The blaze at Llandow Industrial Estate started on Thursday, and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service crews are still on site. Residents are also being advised to keep windows and doors closed. A fire service spokesperson said: \"Our crews are monitoring the fire and will do so over the coming days to ensure that the incident is contained.\" Officials said no asbestos is believed to be at the site. However, Public Health Wales (PHW) said substances in the smoke could cause coughing, wheezing, breathlessness and chest pain. People with asthma and other respiratory conditions may be \"particularly susceptible\" to the smoke and should carry and use their medication. Andrew Kibble of the PHW environmental public health team recommended people stay out of the smoke and if at home, close doors and windows. The council's emergency planning team is working to limit disruption. Local schools have been advised to open as usual, and there is no impact on the local water supply.", "summary": "Drivers have been warned to take care as smoke from a 2,000-tonne rubbish fire near Llandow in the Vale of Glamorgan is being blown over roads."}
{"article": "The Spaniard, 31, lost the first set but fought back to win 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-1 6-4 after three hours and 16 minutes. Nadal saw 13 break points go begging before finally breaking the world number 59 after nearly two hours. He dropped just five more games on his way to a last-16 meeting with Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov. \"All the matches have been very tight - I am very happy,\" said Nadal. \"I don't know how many break points I had before I got the first one. Mentally, I fought a lot until that moment, then I think I played better.\" Nadal could not land a telling return as the break points came and went against Mayer, and the Argentine took advantage by playing a fine tie-break to take the first set. I am in the fourth round now. I don't think much about that. When Nadal finally made the breakthrough at the 14th attempt, at 3-3 in the second set, he screamed \"Vamos!\" and his family and team celebrated in the stands. The Spaniard had won all three previous matches against Mayer and went on to dominate after finally breaking. There was a late flash of resistance when Mayer broke serve with Nadal trying to close out the match, but two games later the world number one sealed victory at 8.40pm local time. Asked about a potential first-ever meeting with 19-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer at the US Open in the semi-finals next week, he said: \"I am in the fourth round now. I don't think much about that. \"It's a long way away. All the matches have been very tough. \"The only thing I am looking for is the practice tomorrow to keep working hard and focus on the match against Dolgopolov.\" Third seed Federer booked his place in the last 16 with a clinical 6-3 6-3 7-5 victory over Spain's Feliciano Lopez.", "summary": "Top seed Rafael Nadal overcame stubborn resistance from Argentina's Leonardo Mayer to reach the fourth round at the US Open in New York."}
{"article": "Apache, a Jack Russell Terrier, was reluctant to leave the Belasco Theatre stage, where Rylance is starring in Richard III and Twelfth Night. \"He made an excellent entrance, but I'll have to teach him a few things about exits!\" said Rylance, winner of two Tony awards. The actor plays the medieval monarch and noblewoman Olivia in the two plays. London's Globe Theatre is staging the productions, with Richard III in the afternoon and Twelfth Night in the evening - a total of six hours of theatre. The company, putting on Shakespeare on Broadway for the first time, is following the Tudor tradition of having an all-male cast playing all of the roles, including the female ones. Rylance, who added that his dog was also making his New York theatrical debut, was called \"astonishing\" in a review by Ben Brantley of the New York Times. \"This is how Shakespeare was meant to be done,\" he added. The two plays and gender-swapping roles allow him to be \"as brilliant in trousers as he is in a dress\", added the review. Marilyn Stasio, writing in Variety, said that Rylance's portrayal of Richard III was \"an assassin consumed less by envy and hatred of his victims than loathing for his own twisted self.\" Stephen Fry, making his New York stage debut as Malvolio in Twelfth Night, was praised for his sympathetic portrayal of the usually malevolent character. The New York Times said: \"Malvolio is refreshingly embodied by Mr. Fry with the complacency and affectation of someone you might recognize from your own office.\" Brantley said that the two productions were \"a source of radiant illumination for the audience, while the bewilderment of the characters onstage floods us with pure, tickling joy. \"I can't remember being so ridiculously happy for the entirety of a Shakespeare performance since - let me think - August 2002.\" He went on to explain this was when he last saw Twelfth Night at the Globe Theatre in London, starring Mark Rylance. Both plays are due to continue at the Belasco Theatre until 30 November.", "summary": "Actor Mark Rylance has made his Broadway Shakespeare debut - but was upstaged by his own dog's performance."}
{"article": "Utopia Coaches, based at Sherburn in Elmet, North Yorkshire, provided services to rural communities between Selby, Drax, Tadcaster and York. The company announced it was going into liquidation in a tweet on Wednesday evening, about an hour after drivers said they received the text messages. Utopia has not responded to the BBC's request for comment. Read more about this and other stories from across Yorkshire Driver Carl Longfield said he left work on Wednesday with no idea the company was going to cease operating. \"I left the depot thinking everything was OK saying, 'see you tomorrow' and I got home and got a text at about 19:55 saying 'thank you very much but we are ceasing trading at 00:01'. \"We had no idea the company was in such a bad state,\" he said. \"The more concern for me is the passengers we have left behind in the remote communities. They relied on our services to get into work, to school, to colleges and they've been left remote.\" Richard Green, another driver, said he felt completely \"deflated\" by the news and said he was also concerned for passengers. \"They relied on us but evidently the company couldn't be bothered about them.\" The drivers met the company's liquidator earlier. They said they were told employees would receive two weeks' pay if they had been with the company for two years or more. North Yorkshire County Council said it was working to offer alternatives for subsidised services, including school bus services. It added it was in discussions with other operators about whether it might be possible to restore some of the company's commercial routes.", "summary": "Bus drivers say they were told by text message their company was closing and they would lose their jobs."}
{"article": "Glen Hunt, from Conars Court in Londonderry, must spend 10 months in prison with a further 10 months on licence The attack happened at his partner's home in the Shankill area of Belfast on 3 September last year. A Belfast Crown Court judge described it as a \"shocking incident\". The court was told that Hunt returned to his partner's home after spending the day watching band parades and drinking. Prior to going home, the father of three got into an altercation with his partner's brother, who he claimed assaulted him. A prosecution barrister said Hunt returned in an \"intoxicated and agitated\" state. Hunt's partner was upstairs, and while in the bathroom she felt a thud to her shoulder. A struggle between the couple then ensued, during which she was pushed into the bath. She them saw Hunt raise his hand, and he struck her twice with a hammer. The barrister said the woman was able to get the hammer from Hunt, adding \"the struggle came to an end when her grandson came into the bathroom\". She left with the toddler, reported the matter to police and later sought hospital treatment for two wounds. She required stitches for a cut to her forehead, and also suffered a chipped tooth and a wound to her lip. Hunt handed himself in to police in Derry three days later, and during interview made the case that he had been assaulted by his partner's brother. He said that when he got home, his partner was on the phone with her brother and that he was \"in fear\". He subsequently pleaded guilty to wounding the woman, and to possessing the hammer with intent to commit assault. The court heard the hammer used was already in the house. It also emerged that while Hunt has a criminal record of 25 convictions, there were no convictions for violent offences. A defence barrister said there was no history of domestic violence between the two, adding that when Hunt returned home drunk after being assaulted, he felt in fear. Passing sentence, the judge said that the woman was traumatised by the attack, and \"continues to feel the after-effects of what was clearly a shocking incident\".", "summary": "A 53-year-old man has been jailed for attacking his partner with a hammer in the presence of her three-year old grandson."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old, who made his debut for the county in 2010, also plays as a right-handed, middle-order batsman. \"We have a great squad and coaching staff and I feel that there is more silverware to come,\" Taylor told Gloucestershire's club website. He has taken 61 wickets in 42 first-class matches so far in his career. Chief executive Will Brown added: \"It is fantastic to see yet another of our young stars commit to Gloucestershire. \"Jack's drive to constantly improve, shown by his hugely improved batting performances, will no doubt keep him as a key member of the squad well into the future.\"", "summary": "Gloucestershire off-spinner Jack Taylor has signed an extended contract with the County Championship Division Two side until the end of the 2019 season."}
{"article": "Cummings was in the right place at the right time to convert David Gray's cross for his first. And the 21-year-old rolled in an opportunistic second from a tight angle when he capitalised on a mix-up in the Buddies' defence. New signings Andrew Shinnie and Brian Graham both came off the bench to make their debuts for Hibs. Graham in particular had a brilliant chance to score his first goal for the Leith side but Saints goalkeeper Scott Gallacher blocked the effort. Former Buddie John McGinn cracked the angle of post and cross-bar late on and any critics of Cummings would say the forward should have gone home with a hat-trick ball. His double here brought his tally for the season to five already, and the deflected cross from energetic captain Gray only needed a left-foot steer into the net. Being in the right place to capitalise was key for Cummings, and 10 minutes later his persistence at pestering St Mirren defender Jack Baird and keeper Gallacher was rewarded. The St Mirren duo left a back-pass to each other and Cummings nipped in to clinically score from a tight angle. Lennon's managerial effect from the sidelines is clear. Fifteen minutes into this match the former Celtic boss was berating Hibs centre-back Darren McGregor for a lack of urgency. Players paid attention to Lennon's demands to \"move it quickly\" and \"get it forward\". Cummings received an earful for a poor second-half pass and Marvin Bartley was rebuked for moaning at the referee. Lennon has got his team by the scruff of the neck. St Mirren's home form under Alex Rae has been better than his predecessors but there was not much for the locals to get excited about on this occasion - indeed some booed at half-time. Baird watched his header sail over and substitute David Clarkson shot narrowly wide, but the impression was Hibs had another gear in them if required. Hibs boss Neil Lennon: \"Jason Cummings is a goalscorer but there's more to his game. \"He got two brilliant goals and could've had a couple more. I thought he got sloppy in the second half and looked a little bit tired. \"If you'd been watching him in the first half you could have had Real Madrid on the phone. But if you'd been watching him second half you would've had Accrington Stanley on the phone - and that's no disrespect to Accrington.\" St Mirren manager Alex Rae: \"The fact is that we dug in and competed in the second half. \"You can't legislate for that second goal. No matter what the preparation is, it's just a miscommunication and it becomes difficult because you're chasing the game. \"We need to stick together as a team and get through this.\" Match ends, St. Mirren 0, Hibernian 2. Second Half ends, St. Mirren 0, Hibernian 2. Andy Webster (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Brian Graham (Hibernian). John McGinn (Hibernian) hits the bar with a right footed shot from outside the box. Attempt missed. Andrew Shinnie (Hibernian) right", "summary": "Jason Cummings' brace against St Mirren helped Hibernian continue their perfect start to the Championship season."}
{"article": "The \u00c2\u00a342m MV Loch Seaforth has been doing berthing trials at pier number three ahead of its introduction to the route. The boat has already carried out trials at Ullpool. Last month, Transport Minister Derek Mackay said he was confident the ferry will be operating by the end of May.", "summary": "A new ferry built to serve on the Ullapool to Stornoway route has berthed for the first time at Stornoway harbour."}
{"article": "If emergency departments are struggling then it is a good bet the entire system is under strain. That is because the A&E stats reflect not only the demand on the system - how many patients are turning up, but also can indicate how quickly patients are moving through the hospital system. So if there are very few beds available on the wards it creates a log-jam in A&E and patients have to wait on trolleys for space to become available. A knock-on effect can be seen in ambulances queuing outside. Problems are made worse if there are delays in releasing patients from hospital because a care package is not in place for them to go home to. That is why many argue making sure social services are properly resourced is a key element in trying to tackle the pressures facing the NHS. And then there is the impact on planned operations. If intensive care units, for example, are full then there are no available beds there for patients who need them to recover from serious scheduled operations. If that is the case - some elective surgery will inevitably get postponed. Late last year, the Welsh Government pledged an extra \u00c2\u00a345m to health boards to try make sure scheduled, elective surgery and treatments are more protected this winter. NHS Wales chief executive Dr Andrew Goodall said it was still too early to tell in terms of numbers but hospitals needed to ensure elective surgery was managed in a \"sensible manner\" as there was a duty to patients. Another interesting thing to note - sometimes the figures show that unscheduled care units actually see a greater number of patients during the summer months - due to trips, slips, falls, bumps and so on. But in winter the NHS often has to deal with more severely-ill patients, for example elderly patients who have breathing problems. These need much more care, spend more time in the system and need more support to get better. COMPARING WALES WITH ENGLAND Historically A&E waits have been longer in Wales than in England. Some experts argue that is because there is a bigger mismatch in Wales between the number of beds available and the demand for them. The difference might also reflect demographic factors - for example the Welsh population as a whole being older sicker and less well-off than other parts of the UK. It is not straightforward comparing Wales with the NHS in England, because the \"clock\" starts differently when patients arrive. For those in Wales, the waiting time starts being recorded as soon as the patient is registered inside the A&E department - or when the ambulance crew notifies the desk they have arrived outside. In England, the arrival time starts when the patient is handed over or 15 minutes after the ambulance arrives at A&E, whichever is earlier. Leaked data for NHS England seen by BBC News shows the figure reached a low of 75.8% on 3 January but had recovered to 82.4% last week. HOW DO DIFFERENT HOSPITALS COMPARE? ARE THINGS GETTING MORE DIFFICULT? Looking", "summary": "Statistics showing the length of time patients have to spend in accident and emergency have been described as taking the temperature of the entire NHS system."}
{"article": "Golden Hillock School was put in special measures last month after criticisms over leadership. It was one of 21 schools inspected by Ofsted over an alleged plot by some Muslims to take over schools. The current governing body was only formed in December, governors said. They said it meant there was not enough time to implement the government's anti-radicalisation strategy Prevent before a visit by Ofsted. Inspectors criticised religious teaching at the school which they said focused almost exclusively on Islam. Current governor Mohammed Shafique said: \"We became a governing body on 4 December. We were in the process of trying to explore a lot of things and all of that came to a standstill on 31 March [Ofsted visit]. \"We have done a lot to give young people a broader experience, I'm sure we could do a lot more. But we haven't been given enough chance to carry those actions through. By Phil MackieNews Correspondent On the day I visited Golden Hillock, two of the three classes I saw were being taught by supply teachers. This was despite the school being barely 60% full due to Year 10 work experience and the end of GCSEs. The governors estimate the school has a 20% vacancy rate which they say has been exacerbated by the Trojan Horse allegations. They told me the number of resignations that were handed in before the end of May ran into double figures. The school has struggled for a long time, although last year its academic results had shown significant improvement. Last year it was advised by the DfE and Birmingham City Council to become part of an academy and was directed towards the Park View Educational Trust, whose schools had been rated Outstanding. Now the governors accept that they may be replaced and the school will be under new management, again, in the autumn. \"To be judged, you need to be given time to actually do something. We were not given enough time to do anything before a judgement was passed.\" The four academies put in special measures last month - Golden Hillock, Nansen Primary, Park View and Oldknow - had until Friday to send in formal responses to the government detailing how they would make improvements, or face losing their funding and being taken over. The city council has already submitted its action plan to the Department for Education (DfE) for the schools which it runs, which were also rated inadequate or given notices of improvement. Mr Shafique said he would be happy to stand down as a governor if someone else could make improvements at Golden Hillock. Fellow governor Mohammad Ashraf said it was difficult to see what the future held for the school. \"The honest answer is we don't know,\" he said. \"I do not know where we're going to be heading towards come September, or next year or even the next few days.\" The BBC has also been told by a former governor, who asked not to be named, that the previous governing body of Golden Hillock opted not to take part in", "summary": "Governors at one of the Birmingham schools at the centre of the \"Trojan Horse\" inquiry have said they were not given enough time to make improvements before a visit by Ofsted."}
{"article": "After a goalless first half, Fleetwood went in front when Bobby Grant's superb long-range effort flew beyond Shrimpers goalkeeper Daniel Bentley. Adam Barrett's header and Jack Payne's 18-yard strike looked to have sealed a Southend comeback, but McLaughlin's close-range header levelled the scores. The draw moved the Cod Army one point clear of the bottom four in League One. But any chance of a late play-off push now looks to be over for Phil Brown's Southend, who drop to 11th, nine points behind sixth-placed Walsall.", "summary": "Conor McLaughlin's late header rescued a valuable point for relegation-threatened Fleetwood at Southend."}
{"article": "The protests led to the departure of the country's former ruler, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and sparked the wider Arab Spring across North Africa and the Middle East. However, despite the removal of President Ben Ali, economic reforms in Tunisia since 2011 have stalled due to continuing political unrest, which dragged on until the end of last year. Yet with a moderate, interim government of independent figures appointed in December, and the country's new constitution being agreed in January, there is now renewed optimism that pro-business changes will be forthcoming, to enable entrepreneurship and small businesses to flourish. The sense of confidence has been strengthened by backing from the World Bank, which last month awarded Tunisia loans totalling $1.2bn (\u00c2\u00a3719m) to help drive economic and political reform. The World Bank said that this figure included $750m \"in support of government reforms to level the economic playing field and promote growth and job creation\", and $100m to increase lending to small and medium-sized companies. For most Tunisian entrepreneurs, reforms to make their jobs easier cannot come quickly enough. Ramzi el Fekih, 46, says the key to helping new businesses launch and grow in Tunisia is a better judicial system. Mr el Fekih is chief executive of Viamobile, a mobile phone banking and payments app. He launched the business in Tunisia in 2009 after returning to the country following 25 years working abroad, including 20 years in the mobile phone technology sector in California. \"The biggest difference between working here and in California is the lack of trust,\" says Mr el Fekih. \"People try to protect themselves, because they have been had before, but it becomes very constraining.\" \"There is so much control, that we can't move, but what we need is a judicial system that punishes people who don't follow the law.\" Mr el Fekih says he would also like to see much less regulation and bureaucracy, complaining that it took him two years to get Viamobile approved by the country's central bank. But despite his frustrations, he says he has no regrets about to returning to his homeland. \"I really believe that there is a huge potential in Tunisia and Tunisian entrepreneurs,\" he says. Mr el Fekih is hoping that now, with the new constitution in place, the Tunisian state will move fast on reforms. His analogy is borrowed from the world of mobile technology. \"What politicians can do is design an easy and accessible operating system, so entrepreneurs can follow and create applications,\" he says. \"Now is the time.\" For fellow entrepreneur Zied Jallouli, 29, the big problem for start-ups in Tunisia is securing financial backing. \"Raising funds here for a big idea is really, really tough,\" says Mr Jallouli, shaking his head. He and his business partner have created a smartphone app called Disrupt CK, which they claim can help people to buy clothes or other consumer goods similar to those they see in a film or TV show. Mr Jallouli says you simply point your smartphone at the television, press the app button, and it will produce", "summary": "Three years ago thousands of Tunisians protested on the streets, demanding, among other things, more economic opportunity."}
{"article": "European Athletics wants historic records rewritten because of a lack of credibility following a doping scandal. \"If that's what it took for the good of the sport then that's the way I would have to go,\" said Warner. GB's Paula Radcliffe, who would lose her 2003 marathon world record, previously dubbed the idea \"cowardly\". Britain's Colin Jackson would also lose his 1994 indoor 60m hurdles world record of 7.30 seconds. Radcliffe said European Athletics' idea was \"heavy handed\", while Jackson said clean athletes \"should not get caught up in this\". \"They [Radcliffe and Jackson] love athletics and understand the greater good is what matters, but we've got to get to a better defined set of proposals, and we're not there yet,\" Warner told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Athletic's world governing body - the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) - will discuss the proposals at a meeting in August. The proposals are a response to last year's McLaren report, which uncovered widespread doping in sport - and athletics in particular. Russian athletes are banned from international competition unless they can satisfy strict criteria to show they are clean. Warner believes some of the records set prior to 2005 were \"iniquitous\", adding: \"Today's athletes can't get close to them because they were drug-fuelled.\" One key proposal from European Athletics is that blood samples must be stored for 10 years after a record is set. The IAAF has stored blood and urine samples only since 2005 and current records that do not meet the new criteria would remain on an \"all-time list\", but not be officially recognised as records. Warner, who took charge of UKA in 2007, also warned this summer's World Championships in London would not be \"100% clean\", stating the battle against doping was \"an arms race\". He will leave UKA after 11 years immediately after the World Championships and has already handed over chairman duties to Richard Bowker.", "summary": "Outgoing UK Athletics chief Ed Warner has backed plans to erase world records set before 2005, adding that athletes affected understand \"the greater good\"."}
{"article": "McCartan, who has now scored seven goals in his last 10 games - five from free-kicks - fired home from 20 yards in the 89th minute to extend Stanley's unbeaten run to 10 games. Grimsby had looked on course for victory thanks to substitute Akwasi Asante's first league goal. Asante, who scored 12 goals for Solihull Moors before signing for the Mariners in January, made space for himself on the right of the penalty area before firing the ball home in the 70th minute. Stanley had hit the woodwork twice prior to that with Hull loan defender Harvey Rodgers firing a long-range effort against a post and Matty Pearson rattling the crossbar with a long-range strike. Dutchman Asante, a 57th-minute replacement for Scott Vernon, almost claimed a winner in the second minute of added time when he was denied by a superb save from Aaron Chapman. Match support supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Accrington Stanley 1, Grimsby Town 1. Second Half ends, Accrington Stanley 1, Grimsby Town 1. Attempt missed. Jonathan Edwards (Accrington Stanley) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Corner, Accrington Stanley. Conceded by James McKeown. Attempt saved. Sean McConville (Accrington Stanley) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Attempt saved. Akwasi Asante (Grimsby Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Attempt missed. Akwasi Asante (Grimsby Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Attempt missed. Matty Pearson (Accrington Stanley) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Attempt saved. Akwasi Asante (Grimsby Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Hand ball by Jordan Clark (Accrington Stanley). Goal! Accrington Stanley 1, Grimsby Town 1. Shay McCartan (Accrington Stanley) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the top left corner. Sean McConville (Accrington Stanley) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Zak Mills (Grimsby Town). Corner, Accrington Stanley. Conceded by Zak Mills. Substitution, Grimsby Town. Shaun Pearson replaces Gavin Gunning. Gavin Gunning (Grimsby Town) is shown the yellow card. Shay McCartan (Accrington Stanley) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Chris Clements (Grimsby Town). Foul by Jonathan Edwards (Accrington Stanley). Zak Mills (Grimsby Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Delay in match James McKeown (Grimsby Town) because of an injury. Corner, Accrington Stanley. Conceded by Danny Andrew. Attempt blocked. Jonathan Edwards (Accrington Stanley) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Attempt missed. Matty Pearson (Accrington Stanley) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Corner, Accrington Stanley. Conceded by Danny Andrew. Substitution, Accrington Stanley. Jonathan Edwards replaces Janoi Donacien. Attempt missed. Jordan Clark (Accrington Stanley) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Attempt blocked. Shay McCartan (Accrington Stanley) right footed shot from", "summary": "In-form Shay McCartan rescued a point for Accrington with a late free-kick in the draw with fellow mid-table side Grimsby."}
{"article": "It is trying to find 25 children who have shown promise to receive master classes from experts. They will receive materials to practice at home and attend six one-day sessions. Artists who have painted the Gwynedd landscape include Gwilym Prichard and Sir Kyffin Williams. The Criw Celf initiative wants pupils who will be starting in year seven in Gwynedd schools in September.", "summary": "Many famous artists have captured Gwynedd's stunning scenery and now the local authority is looking for the next generation of talent."}
{"article": "The Mail calls Spider-Man: Homecoming \"the blockbuster of the summer\", while The Guardian calls it a \"light, snappy and frequently hilarious crowdpleaser\". According to Screen Daily reviewer Tim Grierson, British actor Tom Holland - a former star of the Billy Elliot musical who turned 21 this month - \"makes for a believably underage Peter Parker\". The Hollywood Reporter, though, says \"a charming new lead only goes so far\". Jon Watts' film, writes critic John DeFore, is \"often frustrating\" and \"represents a creative mis-step\" for the Marvel Studios. Largely set in New York, Spider-Man: Homecoming follows on from Holland's introduction to the \"MCU\" - Marvel Cinematic Universe - in Captain America: Civil War. That 2016 film saw Spider-Man - a teenage crime-fighter who can spin webs and swing between tall buildings - participate in a battle between Captain America, Iron Man and other superheroes. The new film sees Spider-Man's alter ego Peter Parker juggling his high school responsibilities with his secret life as a masked vigilante. It is not long before he encounters Adrian Toomes, a villainous arms dealer who has his own alter-ego in the form of wing-sporting marauder Vulture. Previous versions of the Spider-Man franchise featured Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in the title role. According to Digital Spy, \"Spider-Man: Homecoming's biggest achievement is that it makes you forget it's the third different Spider-Man - and second reboot - in less than 20 years.\" \"There's a spontaneous charge to the film, a euphoric innocence, that makes it a much-needed antidote to stale franchise formula,\" raves Rolling Stone's Peter Travers. Variety's Owen Gleiberman, meanwhile, praises the \"sinister, gnashing personality\" Keaton brings to his role while wishing he had been \"given more to do\". \"Homecoming is easily the best Spider-Man film since Sam Raimi's operatic Spider-Man 2,\" concludes Empire's Nick De Semlyen, one of several critics to give the movie four stars out of five. Spider-Man: Homecoming opens in the UK and Ireland on 5 July. Superhero movies are like garishly costumed buses at the moment. If you happen to miss one, there's always another one just around the corner. That's partly down to the way character rights have been divvied up between the studios, who all want a piece of the comic book pie. Spider-Man is a case in point. He was created in 1962 by Marvel, now a subsidiary of Disney. But he's effectively owned by Sony, who have made five Spider-Man films since 2002. The success of the Avengers films, though, has inspired Sony to loan him back to Marvel, allowing him to share the screen with the likes of Captain America and Iron Man. It's a strategy that reaps dividends in Spider-Man: Homecoming, which features Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man in a supporting role and humorous cameos from Chris Evans' Captain America. Yet the film also works satisfyingly as a stand-alone superhero teen movie, mostly thanks to the immensely likeable Tom Holland. The young British actor - not to be confused with Rev's Tom Hollander - has a pleasing boyishness and excellent comic timing in a film that is", "summary": "Reviews are in for the new Spider-Man film, and they're mostly positive."}
{"article": "Parsley, rapeseed, mustard and perilla were found to be affected, although the levels were far from life-threatening. It comes as more countries join Singapore in restricting food imports from the country over fears of contamination from the critical Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The US, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada and Russia have all taken measures. The contaminated vegetables discovered in Singapore had come from the regions of Tochigi and Ibaraki - inside the affected area - but also more worryingly from two other areas, Chiba and Ehime. The radiation levels mean that an adult would have to eat 3.5kg to get the same exposure as from a single x-ray. Singapore has already stopped imports of milk, meat and related products from the affected area of Japan. The US, Australia and Russia have also banned certain foodstuffs from around the damaged nuclear plant. Hong Kong is requiring the Japanese authorities to screen exports, while Canada said it will carry out its own inspections. Both Australia and Singapore have banned agricultural food imports from the regions of Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki and Tochigi. Hong Kong included Chiba on its suspension list - the origin of one of the contaminated samples since discovered in Singapore. Japan's food producers are under pressure after a deadly earthquake caused radiation to leak from the power plant, contaminating produce. Australia's regulator, the Food Standards Australia New Zealand, said it was taking a precautionary measure that was consistent with approaches internationally. Three UN agencies have issued a joint statement saying Japan had been taking the right actions. \"Food monitoring is being implemented, measurements of radioactivity in food are taking place and the results are being communicated publicly,\" said the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization. The bans on food imports from Japan into other countries come after shipments of certain food products from the Fukushima area were halted domestically as well. The government has told people living in Fukushima not to eat 11 types of green leafy vegetable that are grown locally, amid fears of radiation contamination. Producers in the region have been asked not to send their goods to the market. In the Ibaraki prefecture, all shipments of milk and parsley have also been stopped. \"Unfortunately, as the situation is expected to last for the long term, we are asking that shipments stop at an early stage,\" said Japanese Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano. \"It is desirable to avoid intake of the foods as much as possible.\" Analysts say radiation fears are likely to hit domestic demand, as most agricultural produce from Japan is consumed within the country. Nonetheless, the effects of the earthquake and tsunami have thrown a shadow over Japan's exports. Analysts expect a negative impact on export growth in the months to come. The latest figures showed that exports had actually picked up in February. Exports rose 9% in February from the same month last year, according to the Ministry of Finance. However, those figures do not reflect the impact from the earthquake, which struck on 11 March. The expected slump", "summary": "Singapore has reported finding low levels of radioactivity in four vegetable samples imported from Japan."}
{"article": "A tight first half saw Oliver Gildart and John Bateman go over for the home side, with Benjamin Jullien and Ryan Atkins replying for Warrington. Wigan's two-point half-time lead was wiped out when Ben Currie scored in his first game since September 2016 after recovering from a serious knee injury. Two successive Stefan Ratchford penalty goals secured Wire a vital away win. Wigan, who had captain Sean O'Loughlin celebrating his 400th appearance for the club, remain four points behind Super League's top four, while Warrington's victory keeps alive their slim hopes of a top-eight finish with one match to play until the Super 8s split. They must rely on Huddersfield losing their next two games and then beat Widnes on 20 July to avoid the Qualifiers. The hosts went ahead after 68 seconds when Thomas Leuluai's diagonal bobbling kick was picked up by Gildart to go over in the left-hand corner, but Warrington reacted well and Ratchford's short pass saw Jullien force his way through from close range. Despite being outplayed in the first quarter, Wigan went back in front with O'Loughlin found Leuluai, who freed Bateman to run in to the right of the posts. With half-time approaching, Declan Patton's kick to the left-hand corner was pushed down by Tom Lineham for Atkins to reduce Warrington's deficit to two points. Wire, who lost to Wigan in last year's Grand Final, went ahead as Currie dived over from a kick through by Patton, who missed the conversion attempt to go with two earlier failed kicks from Ratchford. But Ratchford was accurate with two successive penalty goals in the last 20 minutes as Warrington ended a five-game streak without a win against the Warriors. Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Wane: \"It was a massive game, the 400th for Lockers (Sean O'Loughlin) and we had loads of reasons to win the game, but I didn't see the desperation. \"We owed him a victory and we didn't get it. That's why I feel bad and really angry. I'm really disappointed and they know that. \"One hundred per cent Warrington deserved to win. They had too much enthusiasm for us which is something you can't practice. They had better line speed and ran harder.\" Warrington Wolves coach Tony Smith: \"Defensively I thought we were outstanding. Wigan are always going to ask questions of you, so to limit them to 10 points was very good. \"The first half try they scored was dubious or I don't know the rules, but I'm glad my boys were able to dig in for each other and come through.\" On Ben Currie: \"Aside from his try, I thought he was terrific. I thought he did everything that was asked of him and more. It showed what a class player he is, while ever there was a need for kick pressure, he was there. He didn't look as if he's been out all year, it's great to have him back.\" Wigan: S Tomkins; Marshall, Gelling, Gildart, Burgess; Williams, Leuluai; Nuuausala, McIlorum, Sutton, Isa, Bateman, O'Loughlin. Replacements: Clubb, Powell, Tautai, Wells. Warrington: Ratchford; Hiku,", "summary": "Warrington kept alive their hopes of a place in Super League's top eight with victory at rivals Wigan Warriors."}
{"article": "The North Wales Health Alliance (NWHA) said a Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board report highlighted serious issues around patient safety. The pressure group said it meant, in some cases, the board risked breaking the law. The board said it was already working on measures to reduce risks. The findings of the annual safeguarding report were presented to officials at the health board last week. It outlined 13 'red' areas of risk, including: The concerns by the NWHA come as the board meets on Thursday to get the latest update on two inquiries into events at Glan Clwyd Hospital's Tawel Fan ward, which closed in 2013. \"A year and a half after going into special measures and receiving additional support, we have to ask whether Betsi Cadwaladr is learning lessons and making improvements?\" stated Marc Jones, from the NWHA. \"These are not trivial issues but are serious risks. The scandal surrounding Tawel Fan should have been a wake-up call regarding the need to take at-risk patients' safety and well-being seriously. \"We do not want to see a repeat of that.\" The health board's own analysis of its safeguarding weaknesses highlighted \"unclear\" policies, little evidence of sharing good practice, and relatively low uptake on safeguarding training. In an independent investigation in May 2015, relatives said patients on the Tawel Fan ward were treated like animals in a zoo. It led to the health board being put into special measures by the Welsh Government, and its former chief executive stepped down. Betsi Cadwaladr board members will be told later that the current inquires into what happened are expected to continue until the summer. Responding to the NWHA criticism, Dr Evan Moore, the board's executive medical director, said \"positive action\" was already under way and have continued since the safeguarding assessment was made in autumn 2016. \"The committee recognised that these had lowered our exposure to the risks in many areas and as a result agreed that the associated risk scores would be reduced. \"The board will consider a detailed report on this in public at its full meeting in March.\"", "summary": "Campaigners have accused a health board of risking patient safety and failing to learn lessons from a mental health ward scandal."}
{"article": "In early May 1945, American and German soldiers fought together against the Nazi SS to free prominent French prisoners of war. It is believed to be the only battle in the war in which Americans and Germans fought as allies. Hans Fuchs remembers how Itter Castle was converted into a prison by the Nazis in 1943. \"We saw everything from our school window,\" he said, \"a double barbed-wire fence\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 and floodlights so that the whole night was lit up like day.\" Schloss Itter, which dates back to the Middle Ages, was a sub-unit of the Dachau concentration camp. It was used for VIP prisoners, prominent politicians and military figures that the Nazis wanted to use as bargaining chips. They included two former prime ministers of France, Edouard Daladier and Paul Reynaud, as well as the elder sister of Gen Charles de Gaulle, Marie-Agnes Cailliau. In May 1945, the last days of the war in Europe, the German guards at Schloss Itter fled. But the French prisoners were trapped, as the woods around the castle were full of roaming units of the Waffen SS and Gestapo secret police. The French sent out two prisoners on bicycles to find help. Stephen Harding, author of the book The Last Battle, says one of them managed to contact a German major, Josef (Sepp) Gangl. A highly decorated Wehrmacht officer, Gangl had become opposed to the Nazis and was collaborating with the Austrian resistance. \"Gangl realised he could not protect them [the prisoners], he only had about 20 soldiers who were loyal to him,\" Mr Harding said. Taking a big white flag, Gangl met up with the closest American unit, the 23rd Tank Battalion of the US 12th Armoured Division, led by Capt Jack Lee. Lee offered to lead a rescue mission to the castle. A small group of Americans, accompanied by Gangl and some of his men, made their way to Itter, parking their Sherman tank close to the castle entrance. At dawn on 5 May, they were attacked by the Waffen SS, who blew up the US tank, but were unable to storm the castle. \"There was only one casualty,\" says Mr Harding. \"Josef Gangl was killed by a sniper.\" Hans Fuchs, who was 14, watched the battle from his family's farm. \"There was machine gun fire for hours,\" he said. \"We saw clouds of dust and smoke.\" That evening, once the fighting stopped, he went down towards the castle. \"The tank was still burning,\" he said. \"I saw how around 100 SS men were taken prisoner\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 They had to give up everything and were taken away on lorries.\" Josef Gangl was buried in the nearby town of Woergl. Today a street is named after him. Mr Harding says the battle was decisive. \"If the SS had managed to get into the castle and kill the French VIPs, the history of post-war France would have been radically different. These people... formulated the policies that carried France into the 21st Century. Had they died, who knows what would have happened?\"", "summary": "Seventy years ago one of the most unlikely battles of World War Two took place, at Itter in the Austrian Alps."}
{"article": "Khadija, Sugra and Zohra Dawood, from Bradford, and their children aged three to 15 have not made contact for a week. Their brother is understood to be fighting with extremists in Syria. The fathers' lawyer said the children said \"we can't wait to come home\" in a conversation before they went missing. Balaal Khan said: \"We've had no answers whatsoever, we don't know what's happened.\" Newsnight reporter Secunder Kermani spoke to Khadija's husband, who said he wanted to tell his wife: \"I love you, please bring the kids back\". The fathers - two of whom are in the UK and one in Pakistan - have been \"distraught, crying, they don't know what to do\", said Mr Khan, adding it was suspected the women had taken their children to Syria. The fathers last spoke to their children on 8 June, when they were in the Saudi city of Medina, said Mr Khan, adding: \"They said 'We love you, we're missing you, we can't wait to come home.'\" Mr Khan said it was feared the sisters had met up with their brother - but stressed that while family members had confirmed he was in Syria, he could not comment on what he was doing there. The case follows the deaths of Dewsbury teenager Talha Asmal, who reportedly blew himself up in Iraq, becoming the UK's youngest suicide bomber, and Muslim convert Thomas Evans, 25, from Buckinghamshire, who was among al-Shabab fighters killed in an attack on a Kenyan military base. Police have said they are \"extremely concerned\" for the family's safety and that enquiries are continuing on a \"national and international level\". The Bradford family travelled to Medina on 28 May and were last seen in a hotel in the city. They were supposed to fly to Manchester following their pilgrimage but the fathers reported them missing when they did not return. There has been no contact with the sisters for one week. Their mobile phones have not been active, nor have their social media profiles been updated. Travel agents confirmed that 10 tickets were bought for a flight on 9 June to Istanbul in Turkey, a commonly-used route into Syria. Mr Khan said it was not known whether the family had boarded the flight - or if two children who were unaccounted for - five-year-old Nurah Zubair and her sister Haafiyah Zubair, eight - were still with the rest of their family. He said it was hoped all of the family were together and that a \"computer glitch\" could explain why the two girls were unaccounted for. He said he had asked for CCTV footage from Medina and from Turkey. The 15-year-old son Junaid Iqbal was acting as the family's mahram - an appropriate male responsible for the family - during the Saudi pilgrimage, he added. However, Mr Khan told the BBC the family did not feel they were getting the answers they needed from police and that they wanted a \"special task team\" designated to the case. Meanwhile, Bradford West MP Naz Shah said she had spoken to two of the fathers", "summary": "The husbands of three sisters feared to have travelled to Syria with their nine children are said to be \"distraught\" after the group went missing following a religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The champions, who are also out of the League Cup, are 15th in the table following Saturday's 3-1 home loss. Asked if he thought it was his last game in charge, he said: \"No, I don't.\" The 52-year-old told BBC Sport: \"The fans aren't stupid. They know how much myself and the players are trying.\" Listen: I\u2019ll turn Chelsea around if they allow it \u2013 Mourinho Listen to all the goals from Saturday's game Mourinho has never lost more than six league matches in an entire league campaign as Chelsea manager, and says both he and the team will continue to battle. \"The fight goes on, but sometimes there are fights very impossible to win. You go to a fight with different ammunition,\" he added, having been photographed in discussion with his coaches on the pitch after the match. Chelsea made the perfect start when Ramires headed them into the lead. But two goals from Philippe Coutinho and a third from Christian Benteke gave Jurgen Klopp's side the three points. In the BT Sport interview, the Portuguese manager looked visibly shaken and responded with questions about his team's performance and his future by repeating, \"I have nothing to say\". And in his BBC interview, when asked about Liverpool midfielder Lucas not receiving a second yellow, Mourinho responded with, \"I don't speak\" before adding in his news conference later that he feared he would be reprimanded if he did express his views. \"I am punished if I tell you,\" he said, as he awaits the outcome of two disciplinary matters. He then cryptically added: \"And what happened in the second half, everything was the consequence of a crucial moment. Everybody in the stadium saw, the players felt it. What happens is now a consequence.\" Mourinho said his relationship with the press would change in the build up to last week's defeat against West Ham. It was in reaction to the reporting of him being filmed by members of the public using mobile phones. In Saturday's news conference, he added: \"As professionals the players are not getting the respect they deserve. We are not going to have a great Saturday dinner. \"I am sorry about lack of respect for professionals. You are intelligent guys. At the next press conference I will bring you nice glasses and you will see things in a better way.\" BT Sport reporter Des Kelly: Jose, a 3-1 defeat after a fabulous start to the game, the game just got away from you then? Mourinho: I have nothing, nothing to say. Kelly: Nothing to say about the game at all? Mourinho: Nothing, nothing to say. Kelly: Nothing to say about the Lucas (Leiva) decision that left him on the pitch? Mourinho: Nothing to say, I have nothing to say. Kelly: The Diego Costa clash? Mourinho: Nothing to say, I am so sorry, I have nothing to say. Kelly: Do you not think it's time to have a chat to the fans to give them some message, an indication of your thinking? Mourinho:", "summary": "Manager Jose Mourinho believes he will be given time to turn around Chelsea's fortunes after Liverpool fought back from a goal down to inflict a sixth Premier League defeat this season."}
{"article": "The source close to the inquiry played down the significance of the interviews carried out in Portugal on Tuesday. Portuguese detectives in Faro were observed during the questioning by officers from the Met Police, which is conducting its own investigation. Madeleine disappeared aged three in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz in 2007. The source told the BBC: \"Questioning of the four suspects was concluded yesterday evening. Unfortunately the interviews have led to no new developments and we are back where we were seven years ago.\" The source added: \"The 'arguido' [suspect] status was given to the suspects to protect them. It gives them legal rights including the right to remain silent and to have a lawyer present during interviews. Jeremy Cooke, BBC News in Praia da Luz It is clear that the latest developments in the Madeleine McCann case are the result of the detailed, painstaking work being done by British police officers working on Operation Grange. As their investigation continues, they formally request assistance from the Portuguese police. It is at the request of Scotland Yard officers that four potential new suspects - or arguidos - and 11 potential witnesses are being interviewed. Those interviews involve detectives from both countries; the Portuguese asking the questions, while the British monitor proceedings. It is not clear what potential link the British team believe may exist between the \"suspects\" and the disappearance of the three year-old. But clearly there are lines of inquiry they believe are worth following up. There are, however, clear tensions here. With one source close to the case saying that the investigation is going nowhere and \"we are back where we were seven years ago\". \"They were declared arguido due to being identified as suspects in a letter of international request sent by the British to the Portuguese authorities.\" The Portuguese Attorney General's Office in Lisbon issued a brief statement about the questioning of the four suspects. It said that requests from the British authorities had been carried out but the content of these requests would remain confidential. Police have begun the process of interviewing 11 witnesses, which also relates to official requests from the Metropolitan Police. The source indicated that two tracker dogs from the UK could be used in searching a vehicle thought to belong to one of the witnesses. No time or location was given for this. One of the four \"persons of interest\" - or arguidos - questioned was Sergey Malinka. He has always denied any involvement. Mr Malinka, a Russian-born website designer with Portuguese nationality, was questioned as a witness in 2007 when Madeleine went missing. On Tuesday, Mr Malinka and another suspect left the central police station in Faro after they were interviewed. A third person, who is said to be suffering from severe schizophrenia, remained inside the police headquarters after the other two had left. All of those being questioned are Portuguese citizens. They have all been summoned to be interviewed; there have been no arrests. The status of arguidos in the Portuguese judicial system refers to individuals whom police may", "summary": "Questioning of four suspects in the Madeleine McCann investigation has concluded without any new developments, a source has told the BBC."}
{"article": "It's the same for him. What they don't know is that this \"service\" costs them money, even though neither of them recalls subscribing to it. Only when Mrs Dementieva calls her mobile phone network MTS, Russia's largest mobile operator, does she find out that she is being charged for it: 42 roubles (80p; $1.30) a month. When she complains that she never bought the service, the customer service representative calmly replies that yes, she did. She is experiencing the same issues as phone users in many other countries. \"Turns out that shortly after I had signed a contract with them, they sent me an SMS, informing me that I had this music added to my account and that it was free for the first month, but after that it was going to continue automatically with a monthly fee,\" Mrs Dementieva says. \"And to stop it, I had to call them and cancel it. \"But I only use my mobile for calls. It is not a smartphone, the screen is tiny and I am not tech-savvy, so I don't read or send SMS. \"I guess I had received this text but I never read it. And I certainly did not know I was being charged for it.\" Two of Russia's other big telecom operators, Megafon and Beeline, have similar services. Such practices have enraged users, and Russian online forums are peppered with angry comments from customers claiming that the services they never chose to have are costing them dearly. One blogger, Roman, writes that he bought an MTS Sim card to use for web access only - and still got charged for phone ringtones. MTS declined to comment. In the UK, industry watchdog Phonepayplus states that users \"must not be charged for premium rate services without their consent\" - and evidence of consent is required. \"Where consumers are accessing high-cost subscription services, we have a system of double opt-in to make certain that they understand the full cost of the service,\" says Patrick Guthrie, director of strategy and communications at PhonepayPlus. To avoid hidden charges, Mr Guthrie says people should always read the terms and conditions in any advert. \"Once you've seen how a service works and what it will cost, then make up your mind about taking part,\" he says. \"Be wary of 'free' offers or fabulous prizes. If something looks too good to be true, it probably will be. \"If you're signed up to a subscription service on your mobile but want to quit, simply send the word STOP to the service number.\" The organisation says that teenagers are especially likely to click on a service that promises to be free, such as a trendy ringtone, but do not read terms and conditions - until their parents discover a hefty charge on the monthly bill. PhonepayPlus has even set up a website called PhoneBrain to educate young people about the potential pitfalls of owning a mobile. When people move from a normal mobile phone to a smartphone, many may not realise that there are a lot of extra hidden fees, says", "summary": "When Maria Dementieva, a 56-year-old doctor in Moscow, dials her husband's mobile phone number, she hears music instead of a normal ringtone."}
{"article": "The car's owner came out of Aldi in Gorton, Manchester on Monday, as a man allegedly forced his wife and son, 5, out of the car and tried to drive off. As the vehicle reversed, owner Tahir Mehmood jumped in the passenger seat. The car crashed into another vehicle when the alleged car thief ran off. Kyle Jones, 23, of Cheadle Street, Openshaw is due in court later. He will appear before Manchester Magistrates' Court charged with attempted robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.", "summary": "A man has been charged after an attempted carjacking at a supermarket car park in Manchester."}
{"article": "Mr Kenyatta beat Mr Odinga comfortably by 50.07% to 43.28% on 4 March, avoiding a run-off by only 8,100 votes. But Mr Odinga has accused the electoral authorities of manipulating the result. Police fired tear gas to disperse about 100 supporters of his Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) who had gathered outside the Supreme Court. The police had warned them that they would not be allowed to do so. Some of the crowd were wearing t-shirts bearing slogans including \"I support the petition\" and \"Democracy on trial\". The presidential, legislative and municipal elections held 12 days ago were the first since the 2007 poll which set off ethnic and political violence in which more than 1,200 people were killed. Mr Kenyatta and his running mate, William Ruto, are facing trial on charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for allegedly fuelling the unrest. They deny the charges. Lawyers for Mr Odinga said their petition to the Supreme Court included allegations of vote manipulation, as well as problems with the registration of voters and an electronic vote counting mechanism. \"I have no hesitation whatsoever in lawfully challenging the election outcome,\" Mr Odinga told reporters outside his offices in Nairobi. \"These failures dwarf anything Kenyans have ever witnessed in any previous election,\" he added. However, the prime minister urged his supporters not to resort to violence. \"We cannot begin what is supposed to be a new era under a new constitution in the same old ways,\" he added, referring to the charter adopted in 2010. The Minister of Lands, James Orengo, a senior Cord official, said the party had a constitutional right to file the petition and a \"strong case\". \"Expect a new election, and this time around no monkey-business. I think we're going to win and win in the first round,\" he told KTN TV. \"I can assure you that we have the evidence, and we have the will and the preparedness to prosecute the petition,\" he added. Mr Orengo nevertheless promised that Cord would respect the Supreme Court's ruling if it went against the party, and urged Mr Kenyatta and his supporters to declare that they would do likewise. In his acceptance speech last Saturday, Mr Kenyatta described the election as \"free and fair\" and a \"triumph of democracy\". The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has also insisted that the vote was credible and that it is ready for any legal scrutiny. International observers said the election was largely free, fair and credible, and that the electoral commission had conducted its business in an open and transparent manner. Mr Odinga was the runner-up to Mwai Kibaki in the 2007 presidential election, which he also said was stolen.", "summary": "Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has filed a Supreme Court appeal against Uhuru Kenyatta's narrow victory in the presidential election's first round."}
{"article": "The punishment is double the normal maximum sanction for a grade B offence. A spokesman for the Rugby Football League said the disciplinary panel used its discretion to amend the grading because of an aggravating factor. Shenton sustained an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury as a result of Boudebza's tackle. The 29-year-old Tigers skipper will have major surgery in the coming weeks. The incident occurred in the first half of Sunday's 16-16 draw in the first round of Super League fixtures at the KC Lightstream Stadium. Boudebza, who pleaded not guilty, was also fined \u00a3300. The suspension leaves Hull KR without a specialised hooker, with first-choice number nine Shaun Lunt sidelined after ankle surgery.", "summary": "Hull KR hooker John Boudebza has been banned for four matches for the tackle that ended Castleford captain Michael Shenton's season."}
{"article": "The hearing in Ruthin was told 37-year-old Amarjeet Singh-Bhakar died from a stab wound to the neck after a disturbance in Prince Edward Avenue on 30 April. Two teenage boys have been charged with his murder and are due to stand trial in October. The inquest was adjourned. Mr Singh-Bhakar, from Manchester, owned a clothes shop in Rhyl's White Rose Centre.", "summary": "An inquest has been opened into the death of a shopkeeper in Rhyl, Denbighshire."}
{"article": "Donald Trump's running mate, a long-time opponent of Planned Parenthood, will be sent a gift certificate for every donation. The campaign began in 2011 when as an Indiana congressman he introduced several anti-abortion measures. They included the first bill to strip the provider of all federal funding. Tears as a soldier from Iraq's Mosul finds his mum on a bus Close encounter with the moon The tricks on Trump Joe Biden might be planning - in memes In March this year, as Indiana governor, Mr Pence signed an anti-abortion bill that is seen as one of the most restrictive in the US, barring abortion in Indiana on the basis of disability, gender or race of the foetus. Parts of that law were blocked by the courts, but not until after a social media backlash which saw women phoning or tweeting Mr Pence details about their menstrual cycles under the hash tag #periodsforpence. There had already been a significant rise in gifts to the country's biggest abortion provider in the wake of Mr Trump's election last week. But then over the weekend, many women went on social media to say they had made a donation in Mike Pence's name. Mike Pence's anti-abortion stance mirrors that of President-elect Trump, who wants to cut funding to Planned Parenthood, and who has in the past said women should be punished for undergoing an abortion if it were made illegal, though he later withdrew the statement. What is Planned Parenthood? Who is Indiana Governor Mike Pence? What Donald Trump is planning on abortion 'Hello governor, I have my period' Planned Parenthood hasn't commented in detail on the post-election trend of donating in Mr Pence's honour. But the organisation said on social media they had been \"blown away by the support\" and acknowledged that many people are donating in both Mike Pence's and Hillary Clinton's names. The vice president-elect has so far not commented on being the nominal donor of thousands of dollars to the organisation.", "summary": "Donations to US family planning organisation Planned Parenthood in the name of Vice President-elect Mike Pence have surged."}
{"article": "Around 180,000 wills are written by non-lawyers every year, and are exempt from the complaints handling body. But a report by the Legal Ombudsman has called on the government to open up their services to those using non-regulated providers. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said more could be done but more regulation was not necessarily the answer. A spokesperson said: \"When people write a will it is extremely important for them to have peace of mind that their affairs will be dealt with how they want them to be. \"That is why we have agreed with the Legal Services Board that there is room for improvement in this area. \"However we are not convinced that regulation is the best way forward - we believe other options should be explored first, including better guidance for professionals and making better use of existing consumer information and protection.\" The Legal Ombudsman's report claimed that wills and probate were the third highest source of received complaints, and that the market was \"suffering from a number of quality issues\". It concluded that \"all consumers of wills and probate service providers should have access to redress\". The Ombudsman helped resolve more than a thousand wills and probate related complaints last year. Excessive costs, delays and a failure to follow instructions were some of the common problems faced. But the independent body is only allowed to take on wills drawn up by regulated service providers. It said that a lack of regulatory oversight meant that customers could be left with no options if they were \"ripped off by the service provider\". Chief Legal Ombudsman Adam Sampson said: \"Wills can be prepared by anyone in principle. For people on a budget, this creates headaches about the standard of service one could reasonably expect. \"It also means some people will have access to help if things go wrong, while others won't. \"We want the government to at least consider a voluntary ombudsman scheme into which service providers can opt themselves. Provision already exists for the Lord Chancellor to make this happen.\" Claims for mishandling a deceased estate rose three-fold in 2013, with 368 claims lodged in 2013 compared with 107 in the previous 12 months, according to figures from the Chancery Division. Last year, Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling rejected the advice of the Legal Services Board to make will writing a reserved legal activity.", "summary": "The regulation of wills should be reformed to prevent people being ripped off, the Legal Ombudsman has warned."}
{"article": "The pair, co-founders of the Leon restaurant chain, led a government commissioned independent review of school food, published two years ago. Their report formed the basis of revised rules on school dinners in England, brought in earlier this year. John Vincent said the aim was to bring about a cultural change in schools. It was vital to boost the uptake of school dinners to promote \"a virtuous cycle of quality\" and simply changing the rules on what could be served was not enough, said Mr Vincent. Introducing free school meals for all infant pupils and more cookery lessons in schools would help, he argued, but \"treating individual children as customers, sorting out the queues and making the food great\", were key. Ultimately the pair believe better nutrition in schools will help both boost attainment and improve the nation's health. Mr Vincent called the work \"a massive privilege and a character building task\". \"This recognition is a tribute to all of the people who work hard every day to provide health, pleasure and improved attainment to our children,\" he said. In 2012 the pair were asked to examine nutrition in England's schools and suggest improvements. Their School Food Plan, was published a year later. Mr Dimbleby said they had become involved at a time when improvements in school catering were already under way. A campaign fronted by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver had already brought about changes to the quality of food served in English schools - but less than half of children actually ate them, with many preferring packed lunches of variable nutritional quality. Their current aim is to showcase best practice in school catering and bring about \"a golden age for school food\". \"I think it's reflective of the fact that the sector, which used to work quite disparately, doing lots of good things, has really come together and there's an amazing, positive, constructive atmosphere of improvement across the country,\" said Mr Dimbleby. \"I think the MBE is recognition of that, rather than anything John and I have done.\" Mr Dimbleby said he was always impressed by what he saw when he went into schools. \"There's real change happening, in five years time the whole sector will be completely transformed.\" Under the new rules, which came into force in January, meals must include at least one portion of vegetables or salad every day and no more than two portions of fried foods or pastry-based foods a week. The regulations are mandatory for local authority schools as well academies set up before 2010 or after June 2014. However academies set up between 2010 and June 2014 are exempt, a source of frustration to campaigners. The government maintains it has encouraged these academies to sign up voluntarily to the new standards and that hundreds have already done so. In total, about 11% of recipients on the honours list have been recognised for their work in the education sector. Others include Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, who becomes a CBE. Among the 30 head teachers on the list are Nicholas Weller, executive principal", "summary": "Restaurateurs Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent have been made MBEs in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for their work in improving school lunches."}
{"article": "The Downham Market blaze is believed to have started during the night where a \u00a3250,000 fire engine was parked. The fire station, built in 2006, had no sprinkler system. Norfolk fire service is still waiting for a full forensic study and said the inquiry was \"long and complex\" but an independent report had been received. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is assisting with the investigation and their findings reveal it is believed the cause of the fire was due to an electrical fault in one of the appliances at the fire station. \"We are in discussion with Norfolk Constabulary to consider options for a joint location at the site with shared accommodation,\" a spokesman said. \"We currently have temporary accommodation in place and the station is fully operational from that location.\" At the outset the fire service recognised the investigation was going to be a \"challenge\" for experts. The fire engine was so damaged and the heat was so intense a forensic investigation was needed but experts were optimistic they would find evidence of a cause. Head of community safety Stuart Horth said the fire had created concerns. \"Checks have been made at other fire stations to identify potential risks and all were registered as safe,\" he said. The \u00a31m single storey fire station was officially opened in July 2006. It had an appliance bay where the fire is believed to have started, lecture room, offices, a kitchen and storage areas. A year before the opening the fire station received a new state-of-the-art rescue pump. The site was also shared with Norfolk Police and this was said at the time to be a great advantage.", "summary": "An electrical fault in an appliance parked at a \"state-of-the-art\" Norfolk fire station caused a disastrous blaze in April last year, a report has said."}
{"article": "David McLean, 30, and Ryan Gilmour, 24, deny the charge, allegedly committed at Banner Drive in Glasgow on 23 October last year. They have lodged court papers blaming another man for the crime. The men are accused of reversing a Nissan Quashqai at PCs Deborah Lawson and Robert Fitzsimmons and repeatedly striking them. The charge further states that the police officers were trapped behind the open driver's door and dragged backwards and knocked to the ground. It is claimed that Mr McLean and Mr Gilmour then drove forwards at PC Lawson, who was lying injured in the road, causing her colleague PC Fitzsimmons to seize her and drag her out of the path of the car to avoid further injury. The men also deny later setting fire to the Quashqai at Lennox Gardens in the Scotstoun area of the city and attempting to defeat the course of justice by doing so. It is also alleged that the car had false plates and had been reset by means of theft. Mr Gilmour is also accused of driving while disqualified and having no insurance. Both men are also alleged to have committed a breach of the peace in Banner Drive by brandishing bottles, shouting and swearing, attempting to force entry to a flat and pouring liquid through a letter box. Mr McLean and Mr Gilmour deny all the charges against them and trial was set for June at the High Court in Edinburgh. Both men have lodged special defences of incrimination. The trial is expected to last for eight days.", "summary": "Two men are to face trial accused of attempting to murder two police officers by driving a car at them."}
{"article": "An\u00c3\u00adbal Cavaco Silva said the budget didn't treat citizens fairly, and hit some of them worse than others. The right-of-centre government has argued that the unprecedented tax increases the budget contains were necessary to meet the terms of the country's eurozone bailout. It is only the second time a Portuguese head of state has made such a move. For most Portuguese workers the tax rises that came into effect on January 1 are equivalent to more than a month's wages. President Cavaco Silva made the surprise announcement in his New Year's speech, the day after signing the budget into law. \"On my initiative, the Constitutional Court will be called on to decide on the conformity of the 2013 state budget with the constitution of the republic,\" he said. In his speech he also said the country was in a vicious circle of austerity and recession and acknowledged that Portugal's foreign debt, now twice as high as Portugal's annual output, was unsustainable. The opposition Socialists had already questioned the validity of the tax hikes and had threatened to take them to the Constitutional Court if the president did not. Last year the court ruled against a pay cut for civil servants which forced the government to seek alternative sources of revenue.", "summary": "The Portuguese president has said that he will send this year's controversial budget to the Constitutional Court."}
{"article": "The women, who famously appeared semi-nude in a charity calendar that inspired a hit film, joined Camilla at Buckingham Palace. They were joined by thousands of Women's Institute (WI) members, at least one from every branch. The duchess is a member of the Tetbury WI near her Highgrove home. She was joined at the party by three other royals, the Countess of Wessex, the Duchess of Gloucester and the Queen's cousin Princess Alexandra. Members of the Rylstone and District WI in North Yorkshire created the infamous calendar in 1999 to raise money after one of their husbands - John Baker - was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and later died from the illness. Their story was immortalised in the hit movie Calendar Girls starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters, and now Take That front man Gary Barlow is working on a musical based on their experiences. Mr Baker's widow Angela, 69, who has since remarried, was one of six of the original Calendar Girls invited to the palace. She was played by Julie Walters in the film, and was the piano-playing Miss February in the calendar. They all wore their trademark black dresses, string of pearls and a single sunflower - a flower Mr Baker grew before he died. \"It's just brilliant to be here with these ladies, all these fantastic WI ladies,\" she said. \"When we first did the calendar it was a big thing for me to do, John had just died and we were doing it in his memory and we've raised millions for (the charity) Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. \"We never thought we would sell so many copies of the calendar, we don't mind people having copied us, but we were the first.\" The WI was formed in 1915, a year in to World War One, to rejuvenate rural communities and encourage women to become more involved in producing food to help combat German naval blockades. It was inspired by an idea from Canada and was first founded in the Anglesey village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll - famous for having Britain's longest place name.", "summary": "The WI's Calendar Girls have met the Duchess of Cornwall as she hosted a garden party to celebrate the institution's centenary year."}
{"article": "The killings have reignited the debate about race relations in the US. Here are six surprising statistics that help tell the story. 2 black billionaires There are only two black billionaires in the US - chat show host Oprah Winfrey and former basketball star Michael Jordan. This compared with about 500 white billionaires. 9.8% over-25s have a degree Black students appear to do well in high school - just over 30% of over-25s have a diploma, compared with 27% of white over-25s. But fewer than 10% of black over-25s completed a bachelor's degree, compared with 14.4% of whites. 75% of white Americans have only white friends A survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute in 2013 asked a range of questions to assess how diverse people's friendship groups were. It found that while 65% of black Americans reported only having black friends, 75% of white Americans said they had only whites in their social circle. 10.9% black unemployment Unemployment remains far higher among the black population, than the white. Currently 4.8% of white Americans are out of work, compared with an overall average of 5.8% 37% male prison inmates are black Figures based on the prison population at the end of December 2013 show black Americans made up a disproportionate number of inmates. Some 32% were white and 22% Hispanic. Data sources: US Census, Public Religion Research Institute, Forbes, US Dept of Labor, US Dept of Justice Correction: An earlier version of this story did not make clear that the figures for people with high school diplomas or bachelor's degrees were for those aged over 25.", "summary": "A white gunman shot dead nine people in an African-American church in the city of Charleston on 17 June, police say, two months after an unarmed black man was killed by a white police officer in North Charleston."}
{"article": "Gilmour's Rattle That Lock topped the official chart nearly 20,000 copies ahead of Del Rey's record, Honeymoon. It is the guitarist's second solo number one, after 2006's On An Island. He last topped the charts in November, with Pink Floyd's The Endless River. \"It's thrilling to get a number one,\" he said. \"We all want to hit the top spot, however long we've been at it.\" Gilmour easily outpaced the competition in a big week for new releases. He was joined in the Top 40 by new albums from Keith Richards, Drake & Future and Gabrielle Aplin. Cliff Richard scored his 43rd top 10 album with the greatest hits collection 75 at 75, which landed at number four. And country singer Ryan Adams also made a new appearance at 19, thanks to his \"cover album\" of Taylor Swift's 1989. The original was two places higher, marking its 48th week in the top 40. In the singles chart, Justin Bieber spent a third week at number one with his tropical dance track, What Do You Mean? - which was streamed 3.2 million times over the last week. The Canadian singer has a fight on his hands next week from Sam Smith's Bond theme, Writing's On The Wall, which has already topped the iTunes chart after eight hours on sale. Elsewhere in the top 40, Ellie Goulding scored her tenth Top 10 hit with On My Mind - the first single from her forthcoming album Delirium. The song was originally released last Thursday, making it chart-eligible for 24 hours, during which time it reached number 165. This week, it climbed 158 places to land at number seven. Other new entries included Runnin' (Lose It All), a collaboration between Beyonce and British producer Naughty Boy, which debuted at 11. One Direction's Infinity, which became available on Tuesday to coincide with the announcement of the band's fifth album, Made In The AM, made its initial chart showing at number 36. As well as Sam Smith, this week sees new singles from Little Mix and Rudimental featuring Ed Sheeran. New Order, Disclosure, Chvrches and former Westlife member Shane Filan will all be vying to score the number one album.", "summary": "Lana Del Rey has been denied her third consecutive number one on the UK album chart by Pink Floyd star David Gilmour."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old, who has eight caps for Jamaica, was released by the Royals at the end of last season after five years with the club. He captained the side during their spell in the Premier League two years ago and made 35 appearances in the Championship last term. \"It's been a long summer for me,\" McAnuff told the Orient website. \"I've had a few offers but have been waiting for the right fit and I believe I've found it here at Orient.\"", "summary": "Former Reading midfielder Jobi McAnuff has joined League One side Leyton Orient on a two-year contract."}
{"article": "Alan Wood, 50, was bound and tortured in his home in Lound, near Bourne, in October 2009. Det Supt Stuart Morrison, who has led the investigation from the start, said he thinks about the case every day. He said the main focus of the inquiry was to find the person whose DNA profile was left at the scene. Det Supt Morrison said the profile was not in the UK database and officers were continuing to check international databases. He said he had taken guidance from Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, the pioneer of DNA profiling, as to whether it would be worth trying to trace which country the person who left the DNA at the murder scene came from. \"Whilst there are companies that will seek to tell you that information, it's not particularly reliable and it covers so many countries that it would be of no particular practical use for us,\" the detective told BBC Radio Lincolnshire. Mr Wood, who ran a small gardening business, had no known enemies, according to Lincolnshire Police. He was subjected to a \"brutal and sustained\" attack at his home in Lound, during which he had his throat cut a number of times and an attempt was made to decapitate him. \"I have to be optimistic that this person or people will be found. It's an investigation that I turn over in my mind every single day. \"It is something that you want to do [solve the case] for the victim and for the family, so we occupy quite a lot of our time thinking about it,\" Det Supt Morrison said. Manor Lodge, where Mr Wood lived, was kept as a crime scene for two years but has recently been demolished.", "summary": "The detective leading an inquiry into the brutal murder of a Lincolnshire man has said he remains determined to bring those responsible to justice."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Coach Louis van Gaal could see the Netherlands were wilting, the life ebbing out of their World Cup in temperatures of 39C and in the face of Mexican resilience. Van Gaal's team were trailing 1-0 to Mexico in their last-16 tie but he saw an opportunity to breathe life back into Dutch hopes and took it. Such was the intense heat in Fortaleza on Brazil's north-east coast that Fifa had approved the use of cooling breaks for the first time. Nor was staying cool a problem restricted to the players. The heat in the stadium had been so severe that thousands of fans were unable to take their designated seats because they were in direct sunlight. But as the shadows grew longer, they crept forward from their shaded positions at the back of stands to get a closer view of the unfolding drama. The second cooling break came with 15 minutes remaining, and by then one team clearly needed it more than the other. The Netherlands squad crowded around their manager, like basketball players in a time-out. In the centre Van Gaal was speaking, his players listening. He pointed to a clipboard in his hand, indicating a tactical change that might not be for the purists but would win them the game. The Netherlands had trained for this moment. They had begun the day playing 5-3-2, then switched to 4-3-3, and Van Gaal was about to play his final card. Dirk Kuyt, winning his 100th cap, had started as a left wing-back, been moved to right-back and was now being told to play up front. Robin van Persie was taken out of the action, on came Klaas Jan Huntelaar. This was, to all intents and purposes, 4-4-2. \"This manager wanted to win - I had to substitute Robin,\" said Van Gaal. \"The cooling break allowed me to move to another plan. We had trained this way, Huntelaar and Kuyt as strikers, playing long balls to them.\" It was a long way from the \"total football\" made famous by the Dutch in the 1970s, but as their 2014 campaign threatened to unravel, the moment called for something different. \"He is one of the best, or maybe the best tactically,\" Kuyt said. \"It doesn't matter what system we are playing we know exactly what to do. He told us before the game already that we could switch to this system when we were 1-0 down.\" The players turned away, threw off the ice towels, put down the drinks and walked back onto the field with a new sense of purpose. Within minutes Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa somehow kept out Stefan de Vrij's close-range volley from a corner, pushing it against the post with an instinctive blur of his hands. \"Their goalkeeper made some unbelievable saves,\" said Dutch defender Ron Vlaar. \"Then we got another corner kick and Wesley [Sneijder] said to me this one is going in. I don't think he thought he would score but it happened.\" It was Huntelaar's header that made it, Sneijder", "summary": "In the pressure cooker heat of Estadio Castelao, one man kept his cool."}
{"article": "That is because on Thursday the town officially changed its name to its original indigenous title, Utqiagvik. The city of about 4,300 people, which sits above the Arctic Circle, experiences more than two months of 24-hour darkness each winter. Meteorologists predict that the sun will not rise again over the city until the afternoon of 22 January, 2017. Due to a tilt in the earth's rotation, the sun never rises above the horizon in polar regions during the winter, and never sets there during the summer. Residents of the city then known as Barrow voted in October to restore its traditional Inupiaq name, Utqiagvik, which means \"a place to gather roots\" in the local language. Mayor Bob Harcharek said that the name change \"reclaims our beautiful Inupiaq language\". The ordinance was introduced by city council member Qaiyaan Harcharek, son of the mayor, to \"promote pride in identity\" and \"perpetuate healing and growth from the assimilation and oppression from the colonists\". He explained to Alaska Public Media that very few people still speak Inupiaq, and that \"our people were severely punished from speaking our traditional language for many years\", when missionaries first arrived in the region with the intent of assimilating native peoples. The Alaska Native Language Center at the University of Alaska estimates that only about 3,000 people speak Inupiaq today. The name change passed by only six votes, with some residents disagreeing with the cost of changing official references on road signs and municipal documents. In pictures: Living near the Arctic Circle", "summary": "On 18 November 2016 at 13:31 local time, the sun set forever on America's northernmost city of Barrow, Alaska."}
{"article": "Last night, Rotherham MP John Healey met government business minister Anna Soubry to ask the government for a further \u00a34.5m to match the cash. It will be used to help retrain some workers and also to support those jobs affected in the local supply chain. In July, Tata Steel announced 720 job losses, most of which will go in Rotherham. In October it announced a further 1,200 job losses in Scunthorpe. Ms Soubry, Conservative minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise, said she could see no reason why the government could not match the funding if a strong bid was made by Sheffield City Region local enterprise partnership (LEP). Mr Healey said Sheffield City Region expected the government to match local resources as has happened elsewhere in the country, such as a \u00a39m deal for Scunthorpe. He said: \"It's down to us in South Yorkshire to pull our finger out and get the plans together to put to government. \"South Yorkshire MPs must then lean on the government to say, 'do your bit'.\" A Sheffield City Region LEP task force will shape the overall plan. Councillor Chris Read, Rotherham Council leader and member of Sheffield City Region, said: \"Workers in Rotherham facing redundancy will want to know we are doing everything to support them and help them back to work. \"I am determined that we will do all that we can. Companies in the supply chain will feel the impact too, and we will also be working to support these businesses, and their employees, as a key part of this plan.\" Ms Soubry said she had already asked officials to see if \u00a31.5m for training and skills could be made available more quickly.", "summary": "Sheffield City Region has announced \u00a34.5m to help hundreds of steelworkers facing redundancy in South Yorkshire."}
{"article": "Speaking to the BBC, Mr Farage said he would be the UK Independence Party's interim leader until a fresh election was held to find Ms James' successor. \"I keep trying to escape... and before I'm finally free they drag me back,\" he joked. Ms James announced her resignation late on Tuesday, citing professional and personal reasons for her decision. Ms James, who succeeded Nigel Farage on 16 September after he resigned following the Brexit vote, said she did not have enough authority in the party and would not be \"formalising\" her nomination. She had not appointed a deputy and UKIP officials were initially unable to say who was now the leader of the party. But Mr Farage, who was UKIP leader from 2006-2009 and 2010-2016, told the BBC that he was technically leader, telling the Victoria Derbyshire programme: \"I will continue as the interim leader of UKIP and we will go through the electoral process.\" Asked why Ms James had stood down, Mr Farage said he believed it was partly due to a family illness and the \"realisation\" of what the job entailed. \"When you take this job your life finishes. This is what you are 24/7, there is nothing else. I think she looked down the barrel of that and thought 'this is not how I want to live my life'.\" Mr Farage said he was \"sorry\" for Ms James as \"it's a very difficult thing to have done\". While it was \"not a great day\" for the party it was \"not the end of the world\", he said. Asked about speculation that Welsh UKIP leader Neil Hamilton could be installed as interim leader by the party's national executive committee, Mr Farage said: \"Really? Well we'll have to see about that won't we. \"I do not see any prospect of that horror story coming to pass,\" he said, adding that Mr Hamilton \"doesn't do our public image a whole host of good\". But speaking to the BBC's Daily Politics programme Mr Hamilton said he had no interest in being the UKIP leader in any circumstances. He also disputed the idea that Mr Farage was interim leader, saying it was for UKIP's ruling body to appoint an interim leader and that he would like MEP Paul Nuttall to take on that role. UKIP chairman Paul Oakden told BBC Radio 4's Today he would look to hold an emergency meeting of the party's NEC to confirm the process for electing Ms James's replacement. \"Whilst the decision is unfortunate, it is one that Diane is entitled to make. We thank her for all her work as leader, and as a hard-working MEP, a role she will continue with her customary vigour.\" The Electoral Commission said UKIP submitted the paperwork notifying it of the change in leadership on Monday, although it had not been processed as officials had questions regarding the completion of the form. \"We are aware that the newly elected leader of UKIP has now stood down and are in touch with the party to confirm how they wish to proceed regarding updating", "summary": "Nigel Farage is back as UKIP's leader after Diane James unexpectedly quit the job after 18 days at the helm."}
{"article": "\"The attacker is trying to extort us money to make it stop,\" representatives of the company, which has 15 million users, said in a blog post. \"We refused to give in,\" they added. On Tuesday, the popular online notes and web clippings service Evernote suffered a similar attack. It is not yet known whether the two are linked, but Feedly and Evernote work closely together. After coming under attack earlier on Wednesday, Feedly assured users their data was safe, and said it was working with its network provider to remove the threat. On Tuesday, Evernote members were temporarily unable to synchronise their notes from one device to another while it continued. The California-based company announced last month that it had more than 100 million users. Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are caused by what can be thousands of computers sending huge amounts of data to a target's servers in an effort to overwhelm them. This sometimes involves hijacked PCs - whose owners may be unaware of their involvement - in what is known as a botnet. This is not the first time Evernote has been compromised. In 2013 it said hackers had managed to access user names, email addresses and encrypted passwords. However, it appears that the latest cyber-assault is more limited. Spokeswoman Ronda Scott told the BBC that the cyber-assault, caused by an unknown perpetrator, began at 14:25 local time [22:25 BST] on Tuesday and had not yet ended. \"We continue to mitigate the effects of the attack, but have successfully returned Evernote to service,\" she added. \"As is the nature of DDoS attacks, there was no data loss, and no accounts were compromised.\"", "summary": "The news aggregator Feedly says it has come under a \"distributed denial of service\" attack from cyber criminals, which is preventing users from accessing its service."}
{"article": "Fatbergs are caused when cooking fat, oil and grease are poured down drains and become tangled up with waste items like baby wipes and sanitary products. The blockage is in a sewer beneath the Dublin Road in Belfast. Northern Ireland Water said crews have already removed \"a couple of hundred tonnes\" of grease from the sewer. The firm said cooking fat is a \"significant\" problem in the area as it houses several fast food outlets. The company's networks sewerage manager, Gavin McCready, warned restaurant owners that fatbergs could have some very unpleasant side-effects. \"These fat blockages can not only result in out-of-sewer flooding, but odour problems and the risk of rat infestations both near and beyond your premises.\" Mr McCready also said it was adding unnecessary costs to the businesses and the public purse. \"While most businesses use grease traps and bin their waste correctly, those that don't are contributing to a massive fatberg in the sewers around the area. \"Our team has been on the site, working over a number of Sunday mornings, clearing the fat that has solidified. \"This is labour intensive work that can only be done early in the morning before the traffic builds up.\" In the last two years NI Water has spent over \u00c2\u00a35m clearing blockages from the sewer system. The company said up to 80% of blockages were caused by fat, oil and grease and other inappropriate items being flushed into drains. The items get stuck together and form a ball, which can build up over time to block sewer pipes. Earlier this month, NI Water spent five hours clearing a fatberg from a drain in Newry, County Down. The blockage was at Buttercrane Quay in the city centre. In August 2013, Britain's biggest ever fatberg was removed from a London sewer. Thames Water said the lump found under a street in Kingston upon Thames was the size of a bus.", "summary": "An operation to remove a \"massive fatberg\" from a Belfast sewer has been ongoing for the last six Sundays and is expected to take several more."}
{"article": "Assel Al-Essaie, 23, died in hospital after the shooting in Daniel Hill in the Walkley area of Sheffield on 18 February. Matthew Cohen, 28, of Clough Wood View, Sheffield, and Dale Gordon, 33, of Benty Lane, Sheffield, are due before the city's magistrates on Thursday. Mr Al-Essaie was shot in the chest outside his home at about 13:35 GMT, South Yorkshire Police said. More news from across Yorkshire A post-mortem examination showed he died from a gunshot wound. Detectives continue to appeal for anyone with information about Mr Al-Essaie's death to come forward.", "summary": "Two men have been charged with murder after a man was shot dead."}
{"article": "His departure comes amid plans to cut about 1,200 jobs as part of a \"strategic change\" plan. Woolworths is looking to cut millions of dollars in costs and improve sales after its first-half profits fell. It hopes to win back customers from rivals such as Coles and Aldi by lowering prices and improving stores. The retailer recently trimmed its profit guidance for the year to June, which would be only the second fall in annual profits for the company. Since going public, the only other year that Woolworths' annual profits fell was 1999. \"The recent performance has been disappointing and below expectations. I believe it is in the best interests of the company for new leadership to see these plans to fruition,\" Mr O'Brien said. Woolworths said it would start the search for a new chief executive. The company's head of retail services, Penny Winn, will also quit. Shares in Woolworths rose by 2.4% in Sydney trading following the news.", "summary": "The chief executive of Australia's Woolworths, Grant O'Brien, is stepping down after nearly four years at the supermarket chain."}
{"article": "The state's Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) said it wanted to better protect consumers, and prevent money-laundering. It comes as a top Bitcoin exchange, Mt Gox, filed for bankruptcy last month. Bitcoins have been gaining in popularity recently, but they are not governed by any financial regulator. \"The fact is that virtual currencies are unlikely to disappear entirely,\" said Benjamin Lawsky, New York's superintendent of financial services. \"As such, turning a blind eye and failing to put in place guardrails for virtual currency firms while consumers use that product is simply not a tenable strategy for regulators.\" The lack of any regulatory control or oversight of Bitcoins has triggered concerns on various fronts. It is difficult to trace transactions carried out using Bitcoins - one of the factors behind their popularity - and the currency has been linked to illegal activity online. Bitcoins are also seen by some as a route for tax evasion and money laundering. Russia has declared transactions using the digital currency illegal, China has banned its banks from handling Bitcoin trades, and there have been calls for the US to do the same. Singapore has imposed a tax on Bitcoin trading and using it to pay for services, after classifying it as goods, rather than a currency. Earlier this month, the Japanese government also said Bitcoin is not a currency and that some transactions using the virtual unit should be taxed. The collapse of Mt Gox has only added to the concerns. The firm filed for bankruptcy in Japan in February after losing about $473m (\u00c2\u00a3284m) worth of customers' bitcoins to what it says was a hacking attack. \"The recent problems at Mt Gox and other firms further demonstrate the urgent need for stronger oversight of virtual currency exchanges,\" said Mr Lawsky. \"Consumers should understand and receive appropriate disclosures about the potential risks associated with using virtual currencies or any other financial product.\"", "summary": "New York's financial regulator has called on firms to submit proposals to set up \"regulated\" exchanges for digital currencies like Bitcoin."}
{"article": "The company has been in dispute for more than a year with the RMT over changes to guards' roles on trains. RMT conductors saw the changes as a ploy to phase out a second person on trains. It has now proposed a six-month trial with two staff guaranteed on all affected services. But Southern said what the RMT wanted was \"a guarantee to cancel trains\". Under the changes to guards' roles, which were also opposed by the Aslef train drivers' union, responsibility for opening and closing doors passes to the driver rather than the conductor. The practice is called driver-only-operation (DOO). Southern rail strike: What's it about? RMT leaders have set out an \"accessibility guarantee\" plan, which would ensure a driver and an on-board supervisor staff all trains. This would mean disabled, elderly and vulnerable passengers would be provided with guaranteed assistance from on-board staff on all services without the need to book in advance, the union said. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: \"We are hoping the company will reconsider our proposal for a trial six-month period of an accessibility guarantee. \"We would hope that they would agree to this sensible proposal as the Association of Train Operating Companies consultant's report has said train companies should guarantee a second person to comply with their legal obligations.\" But a spokesman for Southern said: \"The guarantee the RMT wants is a guarantee to cancel trains. We want to put the passenger first and keep trains running. \"Driver-controlled operation is safe and provision for those who need assistance has not deteriorated while, at the same time, service levels have steadily improved.\" RMT members on Southern will stage a fresh strike next Monday, while Aslef has banned overtime.", "summary": "Union leaders have held talks with MPs over a plan they claim could end the long-running row on Southern rail."}
{"article": "The 17-year-old was found in the graveyard of All Saints Church in Didcot, Oxfordshire, in December 2013. She had been killed by ex-boyfriend Ben Blakeley and hidden in his uncle's grave. He was jailed for life in 2014. The event, at the Wheatsheaf pub in Didcot, is raising money for a planned charity in her name. Jayden's mother, Samantha Shrewsbury, said: \"A man killed a child who was pregnant and had her whole life in front of her. \"I should have been babysitting last night while she went out and let her hair down, but that's never going to happen. \"I've bought gifts that she'll never receive.\" She described the event, which started at 12:00 BST, as a \"celebration\" of Jayden's life. \"It's also to thank the Didcot people for taking her into their hearts like they have,\" she added. Of the planned Jayden's Gift charity, Ms Shrewsbury said: \"We want to raise awareness about domestic violence in general but also amongst teenagers.\" Eventually, she hopes to provide a safe house for teenage victims of domestic violence. \"I know we can never stop it, but I hope we can make a little dent in her [Jayden's] name,\" she said. A bench in memory of Jayden was unveiled in the the churchyard where her body was found in August. In April, a memorial garden was opened on donated land near the church. Blakeley, 23, from Reading, was convicted of murder on 24 July 2014 at Oxford Crown Court and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years.", "summary": "A memorial party for murdered teenager Jayden Parkinson is being held on what would have been her 19th birthday."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Kerber, seeded seventh, won a thrilling final 6-4 3-6 6-4 at Melbourne Park. The 28-year-old is the first German to win a major singles title since Steffi Graf at the 1999 French Open. Williams, 34, was beaten for just the fifth time in 26 Grand Slam finals, and the American missed the chance to tie Graf's open-era record of 22 titles. Kerber, who saved a match point in her first-round win over Misaki Doi, will move up to number two in the world rankings. Kerber had won just one of six previous matches against Williams and was making her Grand Slam final debut, but she was the better player over two hours and eight minutes on Rod Laver Arena. She led Williams in the ace count until the latter stages, limiting her to just seven overall, while the American racked up 46 errors to just 13 by Kerber. Williams made 23 mistakes in the first set alone - sparking memories of her desperately nervous display in losing to Roberta Vinci at the US Open last September - and Kerber took full advantage to claim it after 39 minutes. However, the defending champion cut her error count to just five in the second set and claimed it thanks to a single break in game four. Kerber twice moved ahead in the decider and a stunning sixth game saw the German produce two fine drop shots and win a breathtaking 19-stroke rally to cling on to her serve and edge closer to victory. Nerves took hold and she was broken while serving for the match, but she launched into the Williams serve once again and clinched the title when the world number one sent a volley long. Kerber said afterwards that being able to say she was a Grand Slam champion \"sounds crazy\". \"It's my dream come. I worked for this my whole life,\" said the German. \"It's been such an up and down two weeks, I was match point down in the first round and had one foot in the plane to Germany. \"Now I have beaten Serena and won the championship. I have so many emotions, so many thoughts, but all of them good ones.\" Williams was gracious in defeat, telling Kerber: \"Angie, congratulations. You deserve this and I'm so happy for you. I really hope you enjoy this moment.\" The runner-up added: \"Would I give my performance an A? No, but this is all I could produce. \"I'm not a robot. I do the best that I can. I try to win every point but realistically I can't. Maybe someone else can.\" BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller Kerber had to save a match point just to avoid losing in the first round, and she proved her mental toughness again when the title was on the line. Having pressured Williams into a string of unforced errors in the first set by chasing down virtually every ball, she mixed true grit with sheer class as she broke for a 4-2 lead in the deciding set.", "summary": "Germany's Angelique Kerber stunned world number one Serena Williams in three sets to win her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open."}
{"article": "Charteris is expected to be ruled out of Racing 92's match with Grenoble in France's Top 14 on Saturday. Wales team medical staff will assess his knee injury when he returns for international duty next week. The 32-year-old Bath-bound second row played in Wales' Six Nations draw against Ireland and last Saturday's 27-23 win over Scotland. Charteris is one of 10 current Wales squad members based in either England or France who have been released for domestic matches this weekend. He was expected to be picked to face Grenoble, while centre Jonathan Davies could play for Clermont Auvergne on their trip to Castres. There are seven members of Warren Gatland's squad at Aviva Premiership clubs - including George North and Jamie Roberts who both scored tries in the win against Scotland. Bradley Davies, who would probably take over Charteris' place in the team if he is unavailable, is at Wasps who play Bath on Saturday.", "summary": "Wales lock Luke Charteris could be a doubt for the Six Nations match against France in Cardiff on 26 February."}
{"article": "The 39-year-old took eight wickets in the County Championship win over Somerset last week. \"I'm totally happy with retiring,\" he told BBC Radio Leeds. \"To play 20 years and have the career I've had, I'm very lucky. I've always wanted to go out on a high and hopefully I can go away with a trophy.\" Sidebottom has taken 16 wickets at an average of 15.18 in his three Championship matches so far this summer. Andrew Gale's side are second in the County Championship but were beaten by Surrey in the quarter-finals of the One-Day Cup on Tuesday. Despite the disappointment, Sidebottom feels the side will have benefitted from the experience. \"We've got a lot of young, talented players in the team who got us to that position and I think they will gain from the experience of playing stronger teams,\" he said. \"We have put our heart and soul into doing better in one-day cricket because we've not been good enough in recent years. Hopefully the younger lads will learn from it. \"Guys like Ben Coad, Matthew Fisher and Matthew Waite have all come through the academy and done brilliantly.\"", "summary": "Yorkshire seamer Ryan Sidebottom is not rethinking his plan to retire at the end of the season despite his strong start to the campaign."}
{"article": "David Lytton's body was discovered at Dove Stone Reservoir in Greater Manchester on 12 December 2015. He was born David Lautenberg on 21 April 1948 but his name changes to Lytton on the electoral register in 1987. The 67-year-old flew into London Heathrow from Lahore, Pakistan, two days before his body was found. He was identified from photos from a passenger list and picked up on CCTV in London. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said his identity was confirmed as a result of a DNA match with a relative. The electoral register examined by BBC Newsnight showed David Lautenberg was listed as living at 46 Lilian Road, London, SW16 5HN from 1982 to 1986, while David Lytton was listed there from 1987 onwards. It is understood he changed his name due to a family feud, the Guardian reported. Mr Lytton, who had lived in Pakistan for 10 years, was found fully clothed, lying prone on the ground above the reservoir. He had no wallet, phone or other identification and remained unidentified despite numerous public appeals and the release of CCTV footage of his last known movements. In June 2016, the BBC investigated the mystery of the unidentified body. Why did this man travel 200 miles to die on Saddleworth Moor? Police said a \"provisional\" cause of death had been determined as \"strychnine poisoning\". Police believe he took his own life. An international police investigation was launched after a post-mortem examination revealed he had a type of titanium plate in his leg which was only manufactured and fitted in Pakistan. Greater Manchester Police and the National Crime Agency contacted the medical community and the British Embassy in Pakistan to appeal for information. DNA analysis confirmed that he was David Lytton from London, who had \"no obvious connection\" to Saddleworth. Mystery still surrounds the case and why he chose to head to Greater Manchester after returning from Pakistan. A full inquest is due to take place on 14 March.", "summary": "A mystery man who was found dead on Saddleworth Moor had previously changed his name."}
{"article": "Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb made the pledge in his first speech since replacing Iain Duncan Smith, who quit as discord broke out in the Tory party over the cuts. Earlier, the PM defended Chancellor George Osborne, whose Budget is missing \u00a34.4bn since the cuts were dropped. Labour said Mr Osborne should resign and the Budget should be withdrawn. Both David Cameron and Mr Crabb praised Mr Duncan Smith, who has said the government risked dividing society with politically-motivated spending cuts. The new work and pensions secretary confirmed the changes to Personal Independence Payments had been cancelled and told MPs: \"After discussing this issue over the weekend with the prime minister and the chancellor we have no further plans to make welfare savings beyond the very substantial savings legislated for by Parliament two weeks ago.\" A Downing Street spokesman said the government would still deliver on its commitment to save \u00a312bn from welfare by the end of the Parliament in 2020. Mr Crabb also said the government welfare cap, branded \"arbitrary\" by Mr Duncan Smith, had \"strengthened accountability\" and its level would be reviewed in the Autumn Statement later this year. \"I am absolutely clear that a compassionate and fair welfare system should not be just about the numbers,\" he added. \"Behind every statistic there is a human being, and perhaps sometimes in government we forget that.\" Stephen Crabb provided the usual Westminster wriggle room - no \"planned\" extra cuts - rather than ruling out taking the axe to the benefits budget ever, ever again. But couple that with his comments in the Commons - \"behind every statistic is a human being and perhaps sometimes in government we forget that\" - and it seems the new secretary of state was displaying just as much sympathy with his predecessor's views as with the chancellor or the prime minister. I'm told the plan to make that announcement was Mr Crabb's but the language was agreed by Downing Street and Number 11. The irony was perhaps that Iain Duncan Smith was nowhere to be seen in Westminster, absent for the announcement he might have longed to make himself. Read more from Laura The Conservative leadership has been under fire - including from some of its own backbenchers - over the cuts to disability payments, which came at the same time as tax cuts for higher earners. Mr Duncan Smith - who resigned on Friday - said this flew in the face of Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne's oft-repeated claim that \"we are all in this together\". London mayor Boris Johnson welcomed the fact that the cuts had been shelved but he said he rejected \"totally and utterly\" claims that the government was pursuing divisive policies. Speaking to ITV's The Agenda, he said Mr Duncan Smith should have \"stayed and fought his point of view\" from within cabinet, saying his walkout was \"a storm in a teacup\". Mr Cameron addressed Mr Duncan Smith's attack during a statement about the European Council in the Commons on Monday afternoon. He stressed to MPs that the Conservatives remained", "summary": "Ministers have said say they will not target other benefits to pay for abandoning cuts to disability payments."}
{"article": "It said it does not intend to demolish any houses to make room for the multi-million-pounds stadium. Senior official Stephen McGeehan said the GAA is willing to consider a capacity below 38,000, the number of seats in the original redesign plan. A new community consultation about the proposal was announced on Tuesday. \"The GAA has no intention, and never had, of knocking people's houses down, of purchasing or demolishing anyone's homes,\" said Mr McGeehan, who is the Casement Park project manager. Planning permission for the stadium's redevelopment was overturned in 2014 and since then the GAA has been working on a new planning application. The GAA said it wants to hear feedback from people in west Belfast and further afield about the proposed new stadium and has organised a number of consultation initiatives. The GAA has laid out a proposed timetable for the stadium: The GAA said the redesigned stadium will take into account the fears over the emergency exiting arrangements in the original design.", "summary": "The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) has said it hopes to start building a new Casement Park stadium next year and play matches at the ground by 2019."}
{"article": "Reform Scotland said its research suggested more than half of delays to trains in Scotland were due to Network Rail faults rather than ScotRail. It said devolving the organisation would allow a \"clear line of accountability\" when things go wrong. Network Rail is funded by Transport Scotland but is ultimately accountable to Westminster, not Holyrood. A spokesman for Network Rail said: \"We work closely with the Scottish and UK governments to continually enhance and improve our railways. Any discussions over further devolution of Network Rail in Scotland would be a matter for those governments\". The full devolution of Network Rail - which is responsible for maintaining rail infrastructure - has been a long-standing ambition of the Scottish government. Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said last month that the move would help to reverse \"the current unacceptable industry performance\" in Scotland. It comes amid ongoing concern over delays and cancellations to ScotRail trains since Dutch firm Abellio took over the contract last year, which has led to Mr Yousaf suggesting that the rail franchise could be taken over by the public sector in the future. Mr Yousaf is to attend a conference on Tuesday alongside Abellio and Network Rail officials aimed at exploring the future of Scotland's railways. In its Track to the Future report, Reform Scotland said 54% of trains which were delayed by more than three minutes had been attributed to Network Rail faults. The report was written by Reform Scotland's research director Alison Payne and Tom Harris, the former Labour MP and UK transport minister. Mr Harris said: \"The current debate over whether or not to nationalise ScotRail misses the point. 54% of delays are the fault of Network Rail. Nationalising ScotRail won't make the trains run on time and it is self-defeating for any politician to imply otherwise. \"Instead, we need fundamental change to the governance of Network Rail. The Scottish government is responsible for the strategic direction and funding of the Scottish rail network, but this responsibility cannot be properly exercised while Network Rail remains answerable to the UK government. \"Reform Scotland believes that Network Rail in Scotland should be fully accountable to the Scottish government, and that means it must be devolved.\" The report, which examines the modernisation of Scottish railways, also found that journey times in Scotland compared unfavourably with those of a similar distance in England. For example, Edinburgh to Aberdeen and London to Birmingham are roughly the same distance, but the former takes well over two hours and the latter less than 90 minutes. Birmingham and Manchester are 25% further apart than Glasgow and Dundee, but the train takes 15 minutes less to arrive. While it welcomed recent investment in the railways, the report said upgrading lines while trying to use them could cause additional problems and added that investments such as the Borders Railway had been \"short-sighted\". The new line from Edinburgh to Tweedbank is not electrified and is single-track. The report said the Scottish government should future-proof all new rail investment by ensuring that it is double-track and electrified where possible. And it", "summary": "Calls for the Scottish Parliament to be given full responsibility over Network Rail have been backed by a think tank."}
{"article": "An average of eight million people tuned in to watch the finale as it was broadcast live, with an additional 500,000 watching on ITV+1. Viewing peaked at 9.7 million as Army bandsman and magician Richard Jones was announced the winner. The previous low was in 2014, when 10.7 million saw singing act Collabro win. Jones, a lance corporal of The Household Cavalry, impressed the judges and public with his military-themed act. \"I can't believe it, thank you so much to everyone that voted - it's been an incredible experience, it means the world to me,\" the 25-year-old said. The first magician to ever win the talent show, he wins a \u00c2\u00a3250,000 prize and the opportunity to appear at the Royal Variety Performance. Live viewing represented a 39.7% share of all TV viewing, although final consolidated figures - where all on demand and catch-up viewing is taken into account - will not be known for a week. An ITV spokeswoman said audiences peaked at 10.5 million viewers when ITV+1 figures were added. The finale was broadcast at the same time as the Uefa Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, which was broadcast on subscription service BT Sport and YouTube free of charge. Last year's Britain's Got Talent final was watched by an average of 11.7 million viewers, accounting for a 46.6% audience share. More than 17 million viewers tuned in to watch the final at its peak in 2009, when dance act Diversity famously triumphed over Susan Boyle. The final usually counts itself as one of the most-watched programmes of the year. However, this year it is unlikely to feature in the top 10. 'Brilliantly British' Wearing his Household Cavalry uniform, Jones's act featured a card trick which told the story of Britain's oldest living magician, Fergus Anckorn, and how he used magic to help him cope with being a prisoner of war in Singapore. The act culminated in bringing the 97-year-old out on stage. Receiving a standing ovation from the judges, Alesha Dixon described the performance as \"poignant, noble and brilliantly British\". Speaking on Britain's Got More Talent after the main show, head judge Simon Cowell said he thought the public voted Jones the winner not just because of his skill as a magician. \"I think people rooted for him as a person,\" he said. \"His presentation, his whole performance was immaculate - it was very patriotic and heart-warming and he deserved to win.\" Fellow judge Amanda Holden added: \"I'm absolutely delighted because when magic first started on Britain's Got Talent it was rubbish and after 10 years he has done such a great job.\" The Army tweeted its congratulations to Jones, as well as a picture of The Band of the Household Cavalry celebrating his win. Swing singer Wayne Woodward - who became the bookmakers' favourite late on Saturday afternoon - finished as the runner-up with his rendition of Nina Simone's Feeling Good. Boogie Storm, a group of disco dancing Star Wars stormtroopers, were voted third. Also among the 12 finalists was sword swallower Alex Magala, whose act", "summary": "The final of this year's Britain's Got Talent drew the lowest audience in the show's 10-year history, according to overnight figures."}
{"article": "Oliver Scullion, son of the manager of Hilden Brewery, died in the incident at the premises on Grand Street. It is understood he was crushed under a large metal tank. The boy's father is also believed to have been injured. The Health and Safety Executive is investigating. In a statement, the boy's family said they were \"deeply upset\" and requested privacy. SDLP councillor Pat Catney, who is a close friend of the family, said the child was \"a force of nature\". \"This little blond four-year-old wonder enchanted everyone who met him,\" he said. \"He was part of the life here at the brewery and I know that the staff are also devastated at his death.\" The Health and Safety Executive said in a statement on Thursday it had been \"notified of the death of a young child at a commercial premises in the Lisburn area and is investigating the circumstances\". It added: \"We are unable to comment further at this stage except to offer our deepest sympathy to the family.\" Established in 1981, Hilden Brewery is billed as the oldest independent brewery on the island of Ireland.", "summary": "A four-year-old boy has been killed in an accident at a family-owned brewery near Lisburn, County Antrim."}
{"article": "The Portuguese, 39, replaced Mike Phelan in January on a deal until the end of the season but could not save them from the drop to the Championship. He led Hull to six wins from his 18 Premier League games, with relegation confirmed after a 4-0 defeat by Crystal Palace on 14 May. In a statement, Hull said they were \"disappointed\" by the departure of a \"firm fans' favourite\". The club were relegated in the penultimate week of the season and Silva said at the time: \"It's my goal as a manager to work in the Premier League.\" The former Sporting Lisbon and Olympiakos manager has been linked with Watford after the dismissal of Walter Mazzarri, but said recently he had not received an offer from the Hornets or any other club. \"Everyone knows when you have the chance to work in the Premier League, you don't want to work in Championship, it's normal,\" he said last week. A statement from Hull said Silva \"will be forever remembered for his efforts to maintain our Premier League status\". It added: \"Unfortunately, after considering his future, he has chosen to leave in order to further his career.\" Assistant head coach Joao Pedro Sousa, first team coach Goncalo Pedro and goalkeeping coach Hugo Oliveira have also left the club. BBC Radio Humberside sports editor Matt Dean: Marco Silva is undoubtedly a loss, although his departure isn't exactly a surprise. His drive, energy and focus for the job was unwavering and his values rubbed off on his players and the fans. He was always viewed as a coach bound for bigger things and brighter times. The club will be hard pressed to find another in his mould. Whoever gets the job will have to pick up the pieces of a squad shorn of six loan players now back with their parent clubs and be capable of galvanising those left, including the fans. There are no guarantees either that players such as Harry Maguire, Andy Robertson and Abel Hernandez will remain at the club. Fans will watch with keen interest to see how serious the club's owners are to get the club back to the Premier League with the next appointment and the resources allocated to them.", "summary": "Marco Silva has resigned as Hull City manager after the club's relegation."}
{"article": "Julie Wadsworth, 60, told officers \"a fumble\" had led to masturbation but she had \"no reason to believe he was under-age\", Warwick Crown Court heard. In a transcript read in court, she said she had \"sex in the woods\" with husband Tony to \"spice up\" their sex life. The couple deny assaulting seven boys in the 1990s. The Wadsworths, from Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, who have worked for BBC Radio Leicester and BBC WM, are accused of encouraging boys to take part in sexual activity in wooded areas of Warwickshire between 1992 and 1996. They deny five counts of outraging public decency. Mrs Wadsworth has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of indecent assault and Mr Wadsworth, 69, denies 10 counts of the same offence. After her arrest, Mrs Wadsworth described sexual contact with one of the accusers, now in his 30s, as \"just a bit of fun\", the jury heard. She said it ended when her husband became suspicious and both parties \"decided it ought to stop\". Mrs Wadsworth told officers she would never sunbathe topless, as was alleged, as she was \"not confident in my body\" but did sometimes have sex in woodland with her husband. \"We'd nip into the woods and if we heard anybody coming we'd stop - we wouldn't openly display ourselves,\" she said. \"We just went down and had sex in the woods from time to time, it's so embarrassing. \"We like to spice up the sex life, but those boys? I don't recognise any of their names.\" Earlier, the man Mrs Wadsworth accepted masturbating told the court he sent messages to her years after the alleged abuse. He said in cross-examination by her barrister he had become \"obsessed\" with her and sent her messages when he was \"drunk, depressed, or down\". The trial was adjourned until Wednesday.", "summary": "An ex-BBC radio presenter accused of child sex offences told police she had sexual contact with one of her accusers when \"he was 17\", a court heard."}
{"article": "The amount that landlords will be able to claim will be set at the basic rate of tax, which is currently 20%. The move is aimed at creating a \"level playing field\" between homeowners and investors, chancellor George Osborne said. The change will be introduced over four years from April 2017. Currently property investors can claim tax relief on their monthly interest repayments at the top level of tax they pay, meaning the wealthiest can claim as much as 45%. Mr Osborne said the current system gave buy-to-let landlords \"a huge advantage in the market\", compared with home buyers. \"The better-off the landlord, the more tax relief they get,\" he said. Buy-to-let properties now account for over 15% of new mortgages, something the Bank of England warned last week could pose a risk to the UK's financial stability. Separately, Mr Osborne said tax relief for people who rent out a room in their home would be increased from its current level of \u00c2\u00a34,250 - where it has been frozen for 18 years - to \u00c2\u00a37,500 from next year. Nicholas Leeming, chairman of national estate agents Jackson-Stops & Staff, said the changes to tax relief would hit many small and older private investors. \"This is a major blow to a sector that is heavily reliant on private investors and who provide a crucial supply of property to the private rental sector,\" he added. He also warned the move could hit the supply of rental properties making it harder for people who wanted the flexibility of being able to rent rather than buy. Graham Davidson, the managing director of Sequre Property Investment, a firm which specialises solely in buy-to-let investments, said about half of its customers were cash buyers, meaning they would not be affected by the move. But he said those that were affected were likely to increase their rental fee to compensate for the higher tax bill. \"The single biggest impact will be to tenants rather than landlords,\" he warned. But the director general of the Council of Mortgage Lenders, Paul Smee, said the fact that the change was being introduced slowly would soften the blow. \"The phasing is important. We will need to understand whether this will have a behavioural impact on higher-rate buy-to-let landlords, but a four-year timetable does at least reduce the risk of sudden market shocks,\" he said. Shares in house building firms fell, with Barratt Developments down 5.7% and Redrow down 5.2%. July 2015 Budget full BBC online coverage BBC Budget Live HM Treasury link to Budget documents", "summary": "Buy-to-let landlords face cuts in the amount of tax relief they can claim on mortgage interest payments, the government has said."}
{"article": "Locke was himself sacked by Raith Rovers last month with the Scottish Championship side on a run of 15 games without a victory. The 41-year-old inherits a side sitting seven points adrift at the foot of Scottish League Two. Caretakers Neil Hastings and Burton O'Brien take charge for the final time against Berwick Rangers on Saturday. But Locke will be present as the Blue Brazil look to end a run of 15 games without a win. Cowdenbeath said in a website statement: \"We ask all fans to give Gary a very warm welcome to Central Park and their full support as we face the major challenge that lies ahead in the next couple of months.\" The Fife club accepted Fox's resignation as head coach on Monday. \"The club regrets that, despite Liam's great efforts and true professionalism, he was not able to bring the success we all wished for,\" said Cowdenbeath. \"He did face a number of challenges this season, some of which few managers would normally expect to encounter, especially in their first season in management. \"He leaves Central Park with the respect and best wishes of the chairman and all the directors of the club.\" Fox, who had previously been on the coaching staff at Hearts, had taken charge at Central Park during the summer. The 33-year-old said: \"Firstly, I'd like to thank Cowdenbeath for giving me the opportunity to manage their football club. \"The experience gained and lessons learned in a short period of time will no doubt prove invaluable to me in my career.\" Locke is also a former Hearts player and started his managerial career at Tynecastle before moving on to Kilmarnock then, last summer, to Stark's Park.", "summary": "Gary Locke has been appointed manager of Cowdenbeath until the end of the season after the exit of Liam Fox."}
{"article": "Jake Vallely, 24 - who had described himself as \"the hardest man in Brecon\" - beat 20-year-old Private Matthew Boyd to death in May. Pte Boyd's mother Michelle Rogers said her son's death had caused \"unbearable pain\". At Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday, Mr Justice Lewis said the killing was a \"savage and senseless attack\". Vallely was found guilty of murder on 1 December following a two-week trial. After a night of drinking, the former boxer had pursued Pte Boyd through the Powys town before carrying out what Mr Justice Lewis described as a \"sustained attack on a young man lying defenceless in the road\". Pte Boyd, who is originally from Carrickfergus, County Antrim, had been in the town for training exercises at the infantry battle school. Sentencing Vallely, Mr Justice Lewis told him Pte Boyd was \"entirely innocent and did not provoke you in any way. You chased him down and attacked him for no other reason than you wanted trouble\". The judge said: \"You hit him time and time again until he was unconscious. This was a sustained, savage and senseless attack. \"You dragged his motionless body into the street and left him there to die. You showed no remorse then and you have shown no remorse since.\" Members of Pte Boyd's family were not in court today for the sentencing. They have returned to Gibraltar where they live, but victim impact statements were read out during the sentencing. His mother Michelle Rogers said: \"His life was taken in the blink of an eye. My son will not knock at my door again. There are times I text or call his mobile. I cry every night before I sleep, if I sleep. How can I explain the pain in my heart? \"It is unbearable, he has taken my son's life and destroyed our family.\" His stepfather Jeremy Rogers said: \"I don't want the pain to go away because if the pain goes away, so will Matthew.\"", "summary": "A Brecon man who murdered a soldier in the town has been sentenced to life with a minimum of 16 years in prison."}
{"article": "In addition to the pylons, eight miles (nearly 13km) of cables would be buried underground in the Meifod valley. National Grid has also identified a preferred \"secluded\" site for a substation, on the Tir Gwynt wind farm. Montgomeryshire's Conservative MP Glyn Davies said the scale of the entire project was \"completely outrageous\". The wind farm plans have sparked opposition from campaign groups, while a public inquiry is already under way. National Grid owns and manages the networks that connect people to their energy. It says a new \"T-pylon\" - which is about 15m (nearly 50ft) shorter than conventional pylons - could be used along the power cable route, which will be 33 miles (53km) long. It says it has developed a draft route to keep away from villages and will use \"hills and trees as a natural backdrop to help keep any visual impact to a minimum\". About a quarter of the route would be underground. Jeremy Lee, National Grid's Mid Wales Connection project manager, said: \"We recognise the rich cultural significance of the Meifod Valley, which includes Mathrafal and Glyndwr's Way, and understand the potential impact a 400 kV steel lattice overhead line could have on the valley - something people told us was very important to them. \"We think putting this section of the connection underground is the best way to manage these effects and means this area can be largely kept to how it looks today.\" Mr Lee said the preferred Cefn Coch substation site was within land that formed the Tir Gwynt wind farm. \"We looked at several sites for the substation and we have selected one which we think best balances all of the factors we must consider,\" he added. \"We think it offers strong opportunities to reduce visual impact and puts the substation away from villages and caravan parks in the area.\" National Grid says it will continue to assess the potential impact of its plans, and wants to hear the views of local people. It plans to hold events as part of a consultation and says more information is available on its website. For the past two years, Montgomeryshire Against Pylons has campaigned against expanding the energy infrastructure in mid Wales, as well as possibly hundreds of new wind turbines. A public inquiry is under way to determine whether those planned wind farms should be allowed. Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies said: \"The scale of the mid Wales connection is just completely outrageous as far as the impact on mid Wales is concerned. \"The whole line is making its way through very beautiful countryside and I think they (National Grid) really have to underground the whole line,\" he told BBC Radio Wales. The plans in Powys are being revealed two days after people at a public meeting in Carmarthenshire voted against using pylons to connect wind farms to the National Grid. The county council and others want the lines from existing and planned turbines in Brechfa to be buried. Western Power Distribution (WPD) said wood pole overhead lines were preferred for its connection plans but it", "summary": "National Grid has revealed plans to use 25 miles (40km) of pylons to connect to controversial planned wind farms in Powys."}
{"article": "The Birmingham-born musician will host Jazz Now alongside singer Emma Smith and Irish trumpeter Al Ryan every Monday night from 4 April. It replaces Jazz On 3, which has been running for 18 years. That show's host, Jez Nelson, will move to Jazz FM. Kinch said he wanted the new show to \"shake up our jazz world with a bit of controversy\". Its remit is to explore the \"vibrant new and underground jazz scene\" - broadcasting from car parks and dance music clubs as well as established jazz venues. Kinch's appointment is significant because he bridges the divide between the often closeted world of jazz and contemporary mainstream music. A double MOBO-award winner and Mercury Prize-nominee, he has been described as one of British music's \"freshest and most exciting prospects\". \"Mr Kinch demonstrates what England has to teach [the USA] about narrative Hip-Hop,\" wrote The New York Times, reviewing his first US show in 2004. The first edition of Jazz Now will feature a concert by the British trio Malija; an interview with Mobo-winners Binker and Moses, and newly discovered recordings of organ legend Larry Young. The following week will see the launch of a regular series of masterclasses by influential musicians, the first of which features saxophonist and composer Patrick Cornelius. Future episodes will include the world premiere of Hans Koller's new composition, Twelve Re-Inventions for George Russell; up-and-coming trumpeter Ralph Alessi; and coverage of the BBC Young Musician 2016 Jazz Award. \"The underground and emerging jazz and wider contemporary music scene is really exciting right now,\" said Alan Davey, Controller of BBC Radio 3. \"We wanted to bring that scene to our audiences and through enlisting expert performers such as Soweto, Emma and Al, I am confident Jazz Now will do just that.\"", "summary": "Renowned saxophonist and rapper Soweto Kinch is to front a new-look jazz show on BBC Radio 3."}
{"article": "The 40-year-old has succeeded compatriot Jose Riga, who helped the Addicks avoid relegation from the Championship. Peeters was most recently in charge of Belgian outfit Waasland-Beveren and has also managed Cercle Brugge and Gent. The former striker, who was capped 13 times by Belgium, also had a two-year spell as a player at Millwall between 2003 and 2005. Peeters will work alongside Charlton first-team coach Damien Matthew. Former Charlton assistant manager Alex Dyer will not be part of the new setup and has left the club after after three-and-a-half years at The Valley. Riga, 56, took over as Charlton manager in March following Chris Powell's sacking and had hoped to remain in charge after seven wins from 16 games. But Charlton owner Roland Duchatelet, who also owns Standard Liege, decided against that in favour of Peeters.", "summary": "Charlton have appointed former Belgium international Bob Peeters as manager."}
{"article": "Traffic Scotland said the crash near the Gladsmuir junction took place in weather which was causing \"dangerous driving conditions\". They urged drivers to be aware of potential problems. Police confirmed they were at the scene but said that it was too early to give details of the accident.", "summary": "The A1 road in East Lothian has been closed in both directions following a collision."}
{"article": "Trade talks after leaving the EU will need more UK officials with language skills, say the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Modern Languages. There is already a languages skills shortage but currently the UK can rely on other EU nationals \"to plug the gap\", say the group. Ministers say their reforms are already boosting language learning in schools. Launching a checklist on Brexit and languages, the group say lack of language ability loses the UK an estimated 3.5% of economic performance. The country currently relies on the EU to negotiate trade deals but this will no longer be possible once the UK has left the Union, they add. APPG co-chair Baroness Coussins said: \"Brexit must make the UK's language skills a top policy issue. \"Language skills are vital for our exports, education, public services and diplomacy.\" Baroness Coussins called for \"a national plan to ensure the UK produces the linguists we need to become a world leader in global free trade and on the international stage.\" The group identify a need to boost skills in both European and non-European languages for the purposes of trade, international relations and security. In particular, they fear the loss of European language skills if EU nationals already living in the UK are not guaranteed residency status post Brexit. They also want the UK to continue full participation in the Erasmus+ scheme, where young people study, work volunteer and train abroad in Europe, some working as language assistants in schools. The checklist includes calls to: \"It is essential that schools continue to be able to recruit EU nationals post-Brexit,\" said Malcolm Trobe, interim general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders. \"There is already a critical shortage of language teachers and the last thing that we need is anything which makes this situation worse. \"We understand that Brexit means Brexit but it is vital that it does not also mean a full-blown crisis in language teaching.\" Mike Buchanan, head of Ashford School and chairman of the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference, said independent schools were proud of their \"increasingly central role in ensuring the survival of languages in British universities\". \"But more is needed to reverse this trend. The national situation is parlous,\" said Mr Buchanan. Sara Davidson, head of modern languages at the private Oundle School and chairwoman of the Independent Schools Modern Languages Association, said she did not know of a language department that did not employ native speakers. \"Native speakers are helping us out amidst a major recruitment crisis in modern language teaching. \"We simply do not currently produce enough linguists in this country to fill the modern language teaching vacancies we have.\" Ruth Sinclair-Jones, UK director of Erasmus+, said the value of the scheme to the UK \"cannot be underestimated\". \"Losing UK participation would limit the future prospects of young people and the country as a whole,\" she said. And Mark Herbert, head of schools programmes at the British Council, said: \"Learning a language isn't just a rewarding way to connect with another culture but boosts individual job prospects, as well", "summary": "The government must plan now to avoid a post-Brexit languages crisis, say a cross-party group of MPs and peers."}
{"article": "30 December 2014 Last updated at 14:11 GMT Keepers have named the female Rothschild's giraffe calf Zahra, which means 'flower' in Swahili. The 1.8m tall calf was born to mum Aiofe and dad Meru. Rothschild's are one of the world's most endangered sub-species of giraffe, with experts predicting that there are less than 1,100 left in the wild. \"We're happy to report that our new, not-so-little, youngster is doing well and is already confident on her long legs,\" said Tim Rowlands, the curator of mammals at Chester Zoo. The zoo now has a herd of eight Rothschild's giraffes - Meru, Aoife, Dagma, Orla, Tula, Kanzi, Millie and Zahra.", "summary": "Visitors to Chester Zoo are getting their first glimpse of a rare baby giraffe born just before Christmas."}
{"article": "Hywel Dda University Health Board held a public meeting in Llanelli on Thursday and agreed the reduction should be made with \"immediate effect\". It means the paediatric ambulatory care unit (PACU) at Withybush Hospital will be open from 10:00 GMT to 18:00 instead of 10:00 to 22:00. The health board said it had experienced recruitment problems. The move means sick children who require assessment after the new closing time will be referred or transferred by ambulance to Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen. Speaking on behalf of the health board's Community Health Council, Alyson Thomas said: \"It's incredibly disappointing the people of Pembrokeshire are now in this situation. \"We are concerned about the health board's handling of the situation.\" The health board's medical director, Dr Philip Kloer, told the meeting there had been \"difficulties for some time\" with the recruitment of paediatric consultants. \"The action taken to address recruitment during the middle of the year was not as successful as hoped,\" he said. The health board's chair Bernadine Rees said the recommendation was accepted with a \"heavy heart,\" but that it was being done on an \"interim\" basis in the interest of safety. Plaid Cymru AM Simon Thomas said a \"further reduction of services\" left him \"very concerned at the long term safety at Withybush\". \"As a parent I would not have confidence with this service,\" he said. \"I'm asking for the cabinet secretary for health to take action for the people of Pembrokeshire.\" The Welsh Government said the move was so the health board could provide a safe, reliable service. \"What would be unacceptable is for the health board to run a service they know is unsafe,\" a spokeswoman said. \"It is important to note that the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health's review of November 2015 concluded that it would make \"no clinical sense\" to revert to the previous 24/7 paediatric service model.\" Labour AM Eluned Morgan said: \"A lack of early action has meant that board members have had no option but to cut PACU by four hours each day. \"I am encouraged that the board has listened to my concerns over taking a more serious and focused approach to managing this service long-term. \"They have provided their assurance that they will work hard to return a 12 hour service for families in Pembrokeshire.\"", "summary": "Plans to temporarily reduce the opening hours of a children's care unit in Pembrokeshire have been backed."}
{"article": "The annual June event - known as the Hoppings, after an old English word for dance - features more than 300 rides, sideshows, and other amusements. The Discovery Museum exhibition explores the fair's history and the lives of the travelling showmen. Visitors will also be able to play on vintage slot machines. The gathering began as a Temperance Fair in 1882, in what was seen as an antidote to the Newcastle Races which had, up to then, been held on the Town Moor. Through the years, generations of travelling families from all round the country have taken part in what is believed to be the largest such event in Europe, and it continues to attract tens of thousands of visitors. The Discovery Museum exhibition - which runs until 1 October - features more than 50 vintage working amusement machines, from What the Butler Saw (early moving pictures) to pinball and fruit machines, which visitors can play using old pennies purchased from the museum. Carolyn Ball, Museum Manager said: \"The Hoppings is firmly placed in Tyneside's events calendar and has been loved by people in the area for generations. \"The exhibition will celebrate the history of the famous fair and visitors can step back in time and have a go on lots of rare vintage amusement machines.\"", "summary": "An exhibition celebrating the 135th anniversary of what is billed as the largest travelling funfair in Europe has opened in Newcastle."}
{"article": "Vehicle tyre deflation rounds were used to immobilise two vehicles during the arrest of five men on 12 February. The Police Investigation and Review Commissioner (PIRC) said two vehicles were damaged during the incident, but no members of the public were injured. A report will be submitted to the Deputy Chief Constable. Five men subsequently appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court on 15 February in connection with the theft of an ATM in Carnoustie. The men, who are all from the Birmingham and Liverpool areas, are alleged to have stolen a car from an address in Arbroath, broken into the Co-op store in Carnoustie's Barry Street and stolen an ATM. It is also alleged that one of the men drove a stolen car with false licence plates and repeatedly reversed into another car at the Westway Retail Park in Arbroath while police were standing behind the vehicle. All five men were remanded in custody and the case was continued for further examination.", "summary": "Scotland's police watchdog is investigating officers' use of firearms during an operation outside a McDonald's restaurant in Arbroath."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device After much deliberation, McIlroy last month opted out of the Games, saying he was concerned about the Zika virus. Speaking ahead of this week's Open, McIlroy said he was \"very comfortable\" with his decision to pull out of the Olympics, adding he may not bother watching the Rio golf action on TV. \"I'm very happy with the decision I've made, I have no regrets,\" said McIlroy. \"I'll probably watch the Olympics, but I'm not sure golf will be one of the events I'll watch.\" Asked which events he'd watch, McIlroy replied: \"Probably the events that\u2026track and field, swimming, diving, the stuff that matters.\" McIlroy rejected suggestions that the decision of several top players to withdraw from the Olympics was \"letting the game down\". The sport is making its return to Olympic competition after an 112-year absence. \"I don't feel like I've let the game down at all. I didn't get into golf to try to grow the game, I tried to get into golf to win championships,\" he told a pre-Open Championship news conference at Royal Troon. \"All of a sudden you get to this point and there is a responsibility on you to grow the game, and I get that. \"But at the same time that's not the reason that I got into golf. I got into golf to win. I didn't get into golf to get other people into the game.\" Also in his news conference, McIlroy said that golf had to improve is drug testing policy because it is \"some way behind the other sports\". The World Anti Doping Agency's (Wada) most recent report from 2014, revealed 507 tests were carried out on golfers with eight testing positive. \"On average, we get tested four or five times a year. It's very little compared to other Olympic sports,\" said McIlroy. Northern Ireland's world number four added: \"I have been tested once for drugs this year, the day before the US Open. It was only a urine test, not a blood one. \"But I don't think there are drugs that can make you better across the board. \"There are drugs that can make you stronger and make you concentrate more but not that can make you a better all-round golfer, as far as I am aware. \"I could take HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and get away with it.\"", "summary": "Rory McIlroy has suggested that golf will not be one of the sports that \"matter\" at next month's Rio Olympics."}
{"article": "Portrait of Caterina, dated to 1657, has been at Penrhyn Castle, Llandegai, Gwynedd, since 1860 before being provisionally sold. But the UK government withheld the export licence until February. This was to enable a UK buyer to raise the money to buy the painting. Auction house Sotheby's has now confirmed that the overseas buyer has withdrawn an application to take the picture out of the country. It may be loaned to a museum or art gallery. The subject of the portrait, Catrina Hooghsaet, was a wealthy Amsterdam Christian Mennonite who was married but separated from her husband. In a statement, the Art Fund said the painting was of \"supreme national importance\" and its future was still \"perilously unsafe\". It had started fund raising to buy the picture for the nation. Art experts say it is one of the Dutch master's finest portraits.", "summary": "A \u00a335m painting by Rembrandt, which has been in Wales for 150 years, will stay in Britain for the time being after an overseas buyer withdrew an application for an export licence."}
{"article": "The number of active users on the social network reached 255 million in the first three months of 2014, up 5.8% on the previous quarter but below analysts' expectations. Twitter also reported a net loss of $132m (\u00c2\u00a378m) for the latest quarter. But it posted revenue of $250m, $226m of which came through advertising. Despite higher user growth than the previous quarter, when Twitter saw just a 3.8% rise, Twitter's stocks fell by more than 11% in after-hours trading, sending the price below its initial public offering of $38.80 per share. The rise in Twitter active users comes after four consecutive quarters of declining growth, but the turnaround was not strong enough to convince investors. Twitter's chief executive Dick Costolo highlighted the company's revenue increase, and said it was \"fuelled by increased engagement and user growth\". The integration of advertising management software MoPub had helped Twitter \"reach more than 1bn iOS and Android users each month\", he added. Another measure of user engagement, timeline views, increased 15% in the first three months of 2014 to 157 billion. But the number of Twitter users is still well below its most high-profile competitor, Facebook, which boasts 1.28 billion active users. WhatsApp, the messaging app Facebook bought for $19bn, recently passed the 500 million user milestone.", "summary": "Shares in Twitter dropped to their lowest levels since the company's stock market flotation, as it reported slower than expected user growth."}
{"article": "Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon was quoted saying: \"Nothing will prepare Warburton for his first taste of the Old Firm as a manager.\" Warburton responded: \"My background is one that's involved many pressurised situations in and out of football. \"If I can't deal with it, I shouldn't be doing the job, simple as that.\" Rangers lost to Glasgow rivals Celtic in last season's League Cup in what was a one-sided contest. Both sides lead their respective leagues, with Warburton close to clinching promotion to the top flight in his first campaign at Ibrox. Asked about Lennon's comments, he continued: \"I'm sure certain managers will say they have been misquoted or things have been taken out of context. \"You can't turn round and say you are ready for it but I'm also somewhat bemused by people who say you won't be able to deal with it. \"The fact is we've dealt with it all season. It's another game of football. We understand the significance of it. It's a highly-important game for the fans and it's a semi-final. I get all of that. \"But if you can't deal with that, don't be in the business.\" Lennon also suggested Celtic will have the upper hand due to superior strength but Warburton does not fear being outmuscled at Hampden. \"Football is a game of opinions and that's the beauty of the sport, it incites so much opinions,\" said the former Brentford boss. \"But the fact is that we are very confident in our side and how we have fared this season. Our physicality in our minds is not in question.\" Victory away to Raith Rovers on Saturday, coupled with a defeat for Hibernian at St Mirren, would deliver the Championship crown for runaway leaders Rangers. \"Raith are on a very good run of form right now so we need to go there and deliver a performance, otherwise we'll get hurt,\" added Warburton. \"The focus is very much on what we do. What happens away from us we can't control but what we can control is our own performance. \"On Saturday and Tuesday [at home to Dumbarton], the lads have the opportunity to take the club back to the top tier of Scottish football, so they are well aware of the significance and the expectations of the fans, the desire to get Rangers back to where they need to be. \"They recognise the opportunity but they've got to enjoy it. We don't want to limp over the line. We want to finish in a convincing manner.\"", "summary": "Rangers manager Mark Warburton insists he has the experience to deal with the pressure of facing Celtic in next month's Scottish Cup semi-final."}
{"article": "But that appears to have come to an end in 2001, when Kim was caught sneaking into Japan on a fake passport. It was, it was later claimed, because he wanted to visit Disneyland. Whatever the reason, Kim appears to have been cast aside, and lived a life in exile until his death in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 13 February - more than five years after his youngest half-brother, Kim Jong-un, took control of the world's most secretive state. In that time Kim Jong-nam became one of the regime's highest-profile critics, openly questioning the Stalinist policies and dynastic succession his grandfather Kim Il-sung began crafting in 1948. Kim was his father's oldest son, born on 10 May 1971 to Sung Hae-rim, a married actress his grandfather disapproved of. For that reason, the young Kim would be kept behind closed doors, a secret son doted on by his father and paternal aunt Kim Kyung-hee, who went as far as trying to adopt her nephew. It would later be reported he was also close to his aunt's husband, Chang Song-thaek, who rose to become one of North Korea's most powerful men, before being executed in 2013 by his youngest nephew. Despite Jong-nam's closeness to his father's family, he was sent away for a decade, studying in Russia and Switzerland, becoming fluent in French and English, before returning to Pyongyang full-time in the late 80s. It was here cracks began to show in his relationship with his father, with Kim Jong-il reportedly becoming so incensed with his son he threatened to send him to one of North Korea's political prisons, or down a coal mine. For Jong-nam's part, it seems 10 years away from the strict confines of Pyongyang had given him a taste for the outside world. After his death, it was revealed his Facebook profile - created under the name \"Kim Chol\" - said his favourite musicians were French singer Serge Gainsbourg and Japanese singer Hiroshi Itsuki. Kim Jong-nam never ended up in a political prison, but after his fall from favour in 2001, it is thought he relocated to Macau, where he is said to have enjoyed the slot machines, although other reports suggested he might be living in Singapore. After a few years away from his family's power base, he began to openly criticise North Korea. He was quoted by Japanese media in 2010 as saying he opposed ''dynastic succession''. Following his father's death in December 2011, he appears to have become bolder. Kim's comments about his younger brother's ability to maintain \"absolute power\" to a Japanese journalist singled him out as his highest-profile critic. Kim told Yoji Gomi the country would collapse without reform, but reform would lead to the collapse of the Kim dynasty, while noting his brother would be little more than a puppet figure, used by the ruling elite. Whether or not Kim was ever actually in line for succession is unclear. But his son, Kim Han-sol, who was born in Pyongyang in 1995 and never met his grandfather, suggested Jong-nam was not interested in the role", "summary": "For many years, it was believed Kim Jong-nam was being groomed to succeed his father Kim Jong-il as the next leader of North Korea."}
{"article": "Jeffrey Tansey, 40, was a teacher at Aylesbury Grammar School when he contacted the girl on a dating website. A National College for Teaching and Leadership panel heard he first thought she was 18 or older but then met her despite knowing her true age. Mr Tansey denied his behaviour in 2012 was of a \"sexual nature\". During the conduct hearing, Mr Tansey said he only met up with the girl - who was not a pupil at his school - \"in order to assess her vulnerability, offer her support\" and to help prevent \"her from putting herself at risk in the future\". However, the panel said it did not find his explanation \"credible\", adding he had referred to the meeting as a \"date\", held hands with her and twice exchanged \"closed mouth kisses on the lips\". In finding Mr Tansey guilty of acting in a way that might bring the profession into disrepute and showed a \"serious lack of judgement\", the panel banned him from teaching in England. Aylesbury Grammar said in a statement: \"The school acted promptly in suspending the teacher pending both a police and internal investigation. \"He was subsequently dismissed from his teaching role at the school in November 2012.\"", "summary": "A grammar school teacher has been banned from working in schools after he went out with a 15-year-old girl he met on a dating website."}
{"article": "Koy Bentley was fatally wounded on the fifth floor of a block of flats in Watford on Monday afternoon. Hertfordshire police initially said the death was \"suspicious\". No arrests have yet been made. Det Insp Pushpa Guild said: \"Extensive inquiries are continuing at this time to establish the exact circumstances surrounding Koy's death.\" An appeal for information has been launched.", "summary": "The death of a 15-year-old boy found stabbed in the chest is being treated as murder, police have confirmed."}
{"article": "It reported underlying pre-tax profits of \u00c2\u00a3381m in the year to 2 May, with revenues up 6% to \u00c2\u00a39.9bn. The firm was formed last year by the merger of Carphone Warehouse and Dixons Retail. \"This has been a terrific first year for Dixons Carphone,\" said the firm's chief executive Sebastian James. \"We have seen excellent increases in both sales and profitability and we have made very encouraging progress with the tricky job of integrating these two great companies,\" he continued. In the UK and Ireland, where it trades under the Carphone Warehouse, Currys and PC World names, sales rose by 8%. UK sales were helped by the failure of rival mobile retailer Phones4U, which collapsed last September. Keith Bowman, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers: \"Profitability at the group's core UK and Irish operations has enjoyed a solid increase, aided by gains in market share, whilst merger cost savings remain on track.\" In Greece, where Dixons Carphone trades under the Kotsovolos name, the firm said it recorded an increase in like-for-like revenues, with strong demand for large screen TVs. \"We have a fantastic team in Greece,\" Mr James told the BBC. \"They've been very entrepreneurial in thinking about every possible outcome, and how we would react to it.\" However, trading in southern Europe had struggled with like-for-like sales down 5%. The firm said its business in Spain continued to operate in a \"tough marketplace\". Earlier this month, Dixons Carphone announced a deal with US telecoms firm Sprint, which could lead to a joint venture opening up to 500 stores in the US.", "summary": "Dixons Carphone has reported a 21% jump in profits in its first annual results since the merger that created the mobile phone and electrical goods firm."}
{"article": "Hodgson resigned immediately after England were knocked out of Euro 2016 following a shock defeat to Iceland in the last 16. Rodgers was named Celtic manager in May after leaving Liverpool in October. \"I've just landed my dream job. The team I've supported all my life,\" Rodgers said. \"I'll be at Celtic, that's for sure.\" England under-21 manager Gareth Southgate was installed as the favourite to succeed Hodgson, but he, like Rodgers, has said he is not interested in the job. Rodgers will be in the Celtic dugout for the first time on Thursday as the Scottish champions take on NK Celje in Slovenia in a pre-season friendly. Their first competitive action will be in the second week of July against either Estonian side Flora Tallinn or Lincoln of Gibraltar in the Champions League second qualifying round. \"I haven't even walked out for my first game,\" Rodgers continued. \"Imagine me as a Celtic supporter having walked out on the job at Parkhead! Media playback is not supported on this device \"Is it flattering (being linked with England)? It's football. There are very few professions where one minute you're up, then down, then up again - that's just how it goes. \"If people think I can do jobs at a high level, then that's fine. But I'm busy here, worrying about what I have to do here.\" Hodgson and the England players have come in for fierce criticism in the wake of the Iceland defeat, and Rodgers believes there will be enormous pressure on whoever is chosen to take the national team forward. \"It's a tough job, England. They've got a lot of good players but there is huge pressure, huge expectancy. \"There is a great group of players there. They've got some wonderful talents in that England squad, but it has been difficult for them at this tournament - and it has been like that for a few tournaments. \"So it's unfortunate how it ended for Roy because he's a good man, a very good coach. \"They now obviously have to appoint someone and look at creating an identity, a way the team can play.\"", "summary": "Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has ruled himself out of the running to replace Roy Hodgson as England manager."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Gotze, 24, made 83 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund before joining Bayern Munich in 2013. The size of the deal is unknown, although reports have suggested it is in the region of \u00a320m. \"I have since his departure in 2013, always hoped that he will one day return to us,\" Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke told the club website. Gotze helped Bayern to three Bundesliga titles, as well as scoring Germany's winning goal at the 2014 World Cup. His move to Bayern for a reported 37m euros (\u00a331.5m) was the most expensive German transfer at the time. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Borussia Dortmund have re-signed forward Mario Gotze on a four-year deal, subject to a medical."}
{"article": "AutoRip, which is only available in the US, will automatically keep a digital copy of eligible CDs in a customer's cloud storage account. Customers will be able to access the music via Amazon's Cloud Player on the web or via tablet and smartphone apps. Amazon has drawn up a catalogue of 50,000 CDs that are eligible for AutoRip. The catalogue has been compiled from those albums that have proved most popular with Amazon customers in the last 15 years. The list includes \"Dark Side of the Moon\" by Pink Floyd, \"Thriller\" by Michael Jackson and \"21\" by Adele. Any customer who has bought a CD in the catalogue from Amazon since the firm started trading in 1998 will be eligible to get a free MP3 copy of it. Amazon said it anticipated creating copies of millions of CDs. \"When we picked those 50,000 titles we focused on having a substantial majority of our physical CD sales covered,\" said Steve Boom, head of digital music at Amazon in a statement. The service potentially makes it much easier for people to build up a library of digital music. Before now most CD owners had to rip the songs themselves to create digital versions. The Amazon Cloud Player can be accessed a web browser, as well as on Android phones, iPhones, Kindle Fire tablets and other devices. The move is widely seen as an attempt to take market share from arch-rival Apple's iTunes music store. The Cupertino giant has similar cloud storage services for music and leads the market with more than 50% of the market share, while Amazon has less than 15%. Google offers a similar service.", "summary": "Online retailer Amazon has launched a service that stores free digital versions of CDs bought via its store."}
{"article": "A spokesperson told the BBC that 10 of the dead were civilians, and that eight people were injured. The Taliban has said it carried out the attack, which happened as offices closed for the day. Earlier, an attack near a market in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar killed at least 11 people, officials said. It remains unclear exactly how the Kabul attack unfolded, although officials said the attacker was on foot. In Kunar, the provincial governor's office said the bomber rode up on a motorcycle to the entrance of a government office in the provincial capital, Asadabad, before detonating his device. Some of the victims were reported to be children playing in a nearby park. Reuters news agency reported that a tribal elder and militia commander named Haji Khan Jan was among the dead. He had been closely involved in a number of operations against the Taliban last year. In recent months, there has been an upsurge in fighting between the Taliban and government forces. President Ashraf Ghani was quoted by local media as saying he will not hold peace talks with groups that kill civilians.", "summary": "A suicide bombing near the defence ministry in the Afghan capital of Kabul has killed at least 12 people, the government says."}
{"article": "The 10-year-girl suffered multiple injuries following the crash on Manchester Road, Denton, on Friday. She is in a serious, but stable condition, police said. Murat Polat, 26, of Burlington Street, Ashton-under Lyne, will appear before Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court on Monday. He is also charged with having no insurance.", "summary": "A man has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving after a child was badly hurt in a crash."}
{"article": "Widnes led early on through Charly Runciman's try, but Jermaine McGillvary crossed to put Giants 6-4 ahead. The visitors dominated from then on, as further tries from McGillvary, Lee Gaskell and Tom Symonds gave them a 14-point lead at half-time. Stefan Marsh and Rhys Hanbury went over for Widnes, but tries from Aaron Murphy and Leroy Cudjoe sealed Giants' win. Vikings finished seventh in Super League last season, but they have since seen influential stand-off Kevin Brown join Warrington, while scrum-half Joe Mellor will miss the first two months of the season through injury. The hosts were punished for their inability to handle Giants' kicking game in the first half, as a number of spilled catches gave Giants good field position to punch over the line. Huddersfield secured their position in Super League through the Qualifiers last season, but will hope for better this campaign after winning their first first season opener since beating Wigan in 2014. Widnes head coach Denis Betts told BBC Radio Merseyside: \"You could see it unfolding in front of your eyes, we were solid, defended well and controlled the collisions. We scored a really good try, I thought the practice is coming together and then we gave a couple of penalties away and Danny Brough's kicking game caused us problems. \"We were getting left on the floor and suddenly all the things we'd spoken about determination energy and effort we needed through the middle to control their hard-running middle unit went away. \"We're a decent side, run into a couple of things with injuries, but that was a good enough side that should have given us a performance to win the game. We're a miles better side than what we showed tonight.\" Huddersfield Giants head coach Rick Stone told BBC Radio Leeds: \"It wasn't too bad, we controlled the first half well, made a few little errors and Widens came pretty hard in the second half so there's a little bit to work on. But it's nice to go away and get a win in the first half. \"We had some good intent, played nice and direct and had good intent, some good last tackle options through Danny Brough. \"We came up with some decent plays to score some points and give ourselves a buffer that we needed in the end.\" Widnes: Hanbury; Thompson, Armstrong, Runciman, Marsh; Bridge, Gilmore; Dudson, White, J Chapelhow, Whitley, Houston, Leuluai. Replacements: Heremaia, Cahill, Olbison, T Chapelhow. Huddersfield: Gaskell; McGillvary, Cudjoe, Mellor, Murphy; Brough, Brierley; Ikahihifo, Hinchcliffe, Ta'ai, Symonds, Ferguson, Lawrence. Replacements: Wakeman, Leeming, Roberts, Clough. Referee: Jack Smith.", "summary": "Huddersfield opened their Super League campaign with a comfortable 28-16 victory at Widnes Vikings."}
{"article": "A stark warning issued by the UN's humanitarian office, Ocha, said the malnutrition situation is \"alarming\". It added that nearly one million Somalis, one in 12 of the population, \"struggle... to meet their food needs\". The drought in Somalia has been partly caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon which has affected east and southern Africa. Africa Live: BBC news updates Does Ethiopia need aid to cope with drought? The worst-affected areas of the country are parts of Puntland and the self-declared republic of Somaliland. Many of those in need of help are people who have been displaced by years of conflict in the country. In all 4.7 million people, nearly 40% of the population, need some sort of humanitarian assistance. As the drought is intensifying there \"many more people risk relapsing into crisis,\" said the UN's Humanitarian Coordinator in Somalia Peter de Clercq. Highlighting the condition of the children, he said that 58,300 will die \"if they are not treated\". Mr de Clercq appealed for more funds so they can be helped quickly. In neighbouring Ethiopia more than 10 million people need food assistance following the failure of the rains. And Zimbabwe has declared a state of disaster in some drought-affected areas of the country.", "summary": "More than 50,000 children in Somalia \"face death\" because of the ongoing drought there, the UN says."}
{"article": "There are more than 1,000 Amazon Lockers in locations such as shopping centres, convenience stores, airports, train stations, and universities. They enable customers who are unable to wait at home for orders to collect them from a location of their choice. Amazon customers receive a unique barcode, which they enter or scan to retrieve their product at the locker. Trevor Strain, chief financial officer of Morrisons, said he believed the option to pick items up \"from one of our hundreds of conveniently located supermarkets will be attractive\". Meanwhile Amazon said the supermarkets were in \"ideal locations\" for customers to collect their items.", "summary": "Morrisons says it plans to install hundreds of Amazon lockers in its supermarkets this year."}
{"article": "Mustafizur Rahman took 6-43 for Bangladesh as they bowled India out for 200, with opener Shikhar Dhawan top-scoring with 53 off 60 balls. In reply, Shakib Al Hasan made 51 not out as Bangladesh comfortably won with nine overs to spare. Bangladesh beat India by 79 runs in the first ODI on Thursday. The result caps a remarkable period for the side who knocked out England of the World Cup in March. Bangladesh beat the English by 15 runs in Adelaide, with coach Peter Moores being sacked two months later. Despite one game still left to play, Bangladesh clinched their first ever series win over India, aided by pace bowler Mustafizur's 11 wickets in the two matches so far.", "summary": "Bangladesh beat India by six wickets on the Duckworth-Lewis method to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in their one-day international series."}
{"article": "A full 21 years later, on 1 October 2016, women who were not even born in her lifetime were left distraught when a MAC make-up line released in her name sold out completely within 24 hours of its launch. MAC is a cult brand, and it is not uncommon for well-hyped celebrity make-up ranges to sell out online within a day - but for that to happen when the pop icon has been dead for two decades is a striking testimony to her legacy. Those unfamiliar with Tejano (Mexican-American) music may never have heard of Selena, who was just hitting the US mainstream when she was murdered. But for many Latina women, she is an inspiration - the first Tejano singer to debut at the top of the Billboard chart when her posthumous crossover album, Dreaming of You, was released in 1996. In 1990, her second album, Ven Conmigo (\"Come With Me\"), was the first Tejano record to achieve gold status, meaning it sold more than 500,000 copies. And in 1993, the album Live! won her a Grammy Award for Best Mexican/American Album. Her story was brought to life in the 1997 film Selena, which gave Jennifer Lopez her break-out acting role. It depicts the flamboyant singer's rise from 10-year-old star of her family's band, Selena y Los Dinos, and how she learned Spanish to connect with the Latino community. Though her father was not keen to include the scene where 20-year-old Selena eloped with her lead guitarist Chris Perez and married him the same day, he was talked into keeping it to reflect their love story honestly. While the film focuses on her life, it includes how she was lured to a motel and shot dead by Yolanda Saldivar, the former president of her fan club, when the Quintanilla family found evidence Saldivar had embezzled $60,000 from Selena's fan club and boutiques. The film became the 11th highest-grossing musical biopic of all time, taking $35,281,794, enabling Jennifer Lopez to become the new highest-paid Latina actress, netting a million dollars. Determined to do the role justice, Lopez moved in with the Quintanilla family to understand Selena's life better. A stadium scene depicting Selena's final concert featured an astonishing 35,000 extras - many of whom were fans. As of 2012, Selena had sold over 60 million albums worldwide. Her ongoing relevance was underlined in July, when the Hollywood Hall of Fame confirmed she would get her own star in 2017. Eva Longoria, the Latina actress who became a household name with the TV show Desperate Housewives, was nominated at the same time. Writing on Instagram, she said she was especially overjoyed to share the honour with Selena. \"The same year I receive my star, so does my idol, my inspiration, my fellow Tejana, my fellow Corpus Christi native, Selena Quintanilla. She was the reason I even dared to dream that a better life was possible,\" Eva wrote. \"She blazed the way for all of us and I will be forever grateful to her for not only that but for the pure joy I", "summary": "On 31 March 1995, at the age of 23, rising Latina superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez was shot dead by the manager of her fan club at a motel in Corpus Christi, Texas."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Gilchrist, 24, captained Scotland twice on their summer tour - against Argentina and South Africa. The only uncapped player selected by head coach Vern Cotter is centre Mark Bennett, one of 17 Glasgow Warriors players included. However, former captains Kelly Brown and Al Kellock are absent. \"You only have to meet him and talk to him to understand that he is a leader,\" said Cotter of his skipper. \"People follow him. \"He likes making decisions, he likes being involved and creating outcomes. Even if he is only 24, he shows these qualities, I think he was born a leader and he gets the role.\" Saracens lock Jim Hamilton, capped 56 times, is another experienced player to miss out, as does Castres wing/centre Max Evans. Glasgow number eight Adam Ashe, 21, keeps his place after a late call for the final game of the summer tour; a 55-6 mauling by the Springboks. Hooker Fraser Brown is another player looking to add to his solitary cap, while prop Gordon Reid, flanker Blair Cowan and fly-half Finn Russell are retained after making their debuts in June. Matt Scott, David Denton, Ryan Grant, Ruaridh Jackson, Ross Rennie, Jon Welsh and Ryan Wilson are sidelined by injuries. \"The most important thing for us, other than showing improvements in key areas, is developing an attack that will give us opportunities to score tries or earn points through teams being forced to infringe,\" said Cotter. \"We want to develop, and impose, our style, will, and strategy on our opposition.\" The series kicks off with Argentina visiting Murrayfield on 8 November, with New Zealand in Edinburgh a week later, while the Tonga clash is at Kilmarnock's Rugby Park on 22 November. \"Argentina will offer us a very stern test, especially at scrum time,\" said Cotter. \"They have good variety and move the ball well from nine, through the middle of the paddock and out the back. \"The All Blacks have just won the Rugby Championship and are the best team in the world, so we'll have to be on our toes. \"Tonga will be the final big test psychologically, having come through two big games. It's essential that we show maturity, mental strength and adaptability throughout the series. \"We have a good group, but the most important thing is that we play for each other, we play for the shirt, and we enjoy what we do.\" Allan Dell and Hamish Watson of Edinburgh and Glasgow's Zander Fagerson have been invited to train with the squad. Scotland squad: Forwards: Adam Ashe (Glasgow Warriors), Johnnie Beattie (Castres), Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Cowan, Geoff Cross (both London Irish), Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford (both Edinburgh), Chris Fusaro (Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh, capt), Robert Harley, Jonny Gray (both Glasgow Warriors), Richie Gray (Castres), Scott Lawson (Newcastle Falcons), Kieran Low (London Irish), Euan Murray, Gordon Reid (both Glasgow Warriors) Alasdair Strokosch (USA Perpignan), Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors). Backs: Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors), Chris Cusiter (Sale Sharks), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Dougie Fife, Tom Heathcote (both Edinburgh),", "summary": "Edinburgh lock Grant Gilchrist has been named captain of Scotland's 33-man squad for the autumn Tests against Argentina, New Zealand and Tonga."}
{"article": "It is Samsung's equivalent of Apple's Siri and Google's Assistant - which is pre-installed already in Samsung phones as they run the Android operating system. Bixby will initially be available in only two languages - US English and South Korean. The launch had been delayed since April. Samsung did not give a reason at the time but early testers of a limited demo model - including the BBC - had reported that it failed to understand commands. The firm's latest device, the Galaxy Note 8, is due to be launched on 23 August. What makes Bixby different from other voice assistants is that it is deeply integrated with functionalities unique to Samsung devices, said Ian Fogg, analyst at IHS Markit. \"Samsung always differentiates its phones by adding a lot of its own features to Android,\" he said. These include tailored support for its own hardware such as the curved edge screen, stylus, VR support and camera. Mr Fogg added that over time Bixby could also be included in other Samsung products which do not run on the Android operating system. \"A lot of people believe one voice agent will become the sole agent everyone will use,\" he said of the rivalry among the tech giants over digital assistants. \"But in life we don't have one single expert that we trust for everything. It might be they are good at different things. \"For the user it's just as easy to say Alexa, or Cortana, or Siri - there is no barrier to choosing an alternative voice agent.\" However, he added that the technology will only be successful if it is dependable. \"To make it work you have to be able to understand speech reliably. If you don't do that nothing else happens. That should be a given\".", "summary": "Samsung's voice-controlled digital assistant Bixby is being rolled out in 200 countries from today."}
{"article": "He owns a private zoo stocked with zebras and flamingoes and has one of the world's most valuable art collections. He lives in a futuristic steel mansion, with a helipad and fake waterfall, that looks like a James Bond film-set. But in the action-packed movie of Georgian politics, it is not yet quite clear whether Mr Ivanishvili is the hero or the baddy. \"I have come into politics to save my country,\" he told the BBC during an interview in his palatial Tbilisi headquarters, as he gave an impromptu tour of his $1.3bn (\u00c2\u00a3800m) art collection. He owns works by Roy Lichtenstein, Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst - one of whose pieces he commissioned specially for a particular wall. In 2006 he bought Picasso's Dora Maar with Cat for almost $100m - at the time the highest amount paid by anyone at auction. For the 153rd richest person on the planet, it was a bargain. But in person he is not quite as flamboyant as all this suggests. Softly spoken and polite, he is not what you would expect from a person who has ousted Georgia's powerful ruling party and inspired feelings of fanatical devotion and distrust in equal measure. Before the first interview he gave the BBC in 2011, just after he had announced his political ambitions in October, he seemed nervous. And he confessed he did not know how to stand in front of the camera. Since then, he has repeatedly said he is not interested in, nor does he fully understand, politics. And he has said on several occasions he wants to only serve as prime minister for two years before leaving politics for good. This apparent honesty has charmed many Georgian voters who often distrust politicians. They see him as one of them. He may be much richer but he started off dirt-poor, running round without shoes in a village in rural Western Georgia. Very different, some voters feel, to President Saakashvili's all-powerful political elite, which is a close team of pro-Western and culturally liberal urbanites in their thirties or forties. They go down well in Washington and Brussels but they think very differently to many ordinary Georgians, who have strong traditional family values and a high regard for the culturally conservative Orthodox Church. And after almost a decade of unopposed power, President Saakashvili's party is often seen as arrogant and out of touch. But while Mr Ivanishvili's statements seem genuine and honest to some, to others they are extremely worrying. This will be the first time he has held political office and there are doubts whether he is experienced enough to control a coalition, made up disparate parties with conflicting ideologies. There are controversial figures within his Georgian Dream coalition. Some of them are accused of having links to the crime and corruption of Georgia's past while others have made xenophobic, nationalistic or homophobic comments, unchecked by Mr Ivanishvili. And his plan to serve as prime minster for just two years comes across as dilettantism - a particular concern in a country which over the last 20", "summary": "He is Georgia's richest man and his followers have just ousted President Mikheil Saakashvili's ruling party from power in a shock election result, so what else do we know of Bidzina Ivanishvili?"}
{"article": "Finance Minister Jane Hutt told AMs the 2016/17 draft budget backed Labour's \"priorities for Wales and its future\". Total health spending rises by 4.1% while education and skills goes up by 1.1%, but local government faces a cut of 2%. The Conservatives said the spending plans offered \"too little, far too late for our hardworking NHS staff\". Ms Hutt said the Welsh government had faced a 3.6% cut in UK government funding over five years, once the effects of inflation were taken into account. About \u00a3260m will go on day-to-day, or revenue, funding for the NHS and another \u00a333m will be spent on infrastructure, maintaining the NHS estate and equipment. There will, however, be a reduction of \u00a315m from other parts of the health budget, giving a net figure for the NHS of \u00a3278m. Although the education and skills funding is getting an increase, the body which funds Welsh universities said its budget was being cut by \u00a341m, nearly a third of the total. The Higher Education Funding Council for Wales had already warned not enough money was available to Welsh universities, because of the way tuition fees are funded. Boosts to the Communities, Economy and Natural Resources budgets are largely made up of capital spending increases, for example housing and flood defence projects. Their day-to-day, or revenue, budgets, are being cut. Ms Hutt said her aim was to protect the services that mattered most to people, within the financial constraints. \"It has been another challenging settlement which has been set against the backdrop of successive real terms cuts to our Budget over the last five years,\" she said. \"We have continued our record investment in health with more than a quarter of a billion pounds going to the Welsh NHS in 2016-17 - demonstrating our wider approach to the health and social care and the value of preventative spend.\" The lion's share of the Welsh government's total expenditure of \u00a315.9bn comes from the UK Treasury, apart from about \u00a31bn raised in business rates. Almost half of the budget is spent on health, which has seen above-inflation increases since October 2013, when the Welsh government reversed its controversial decision not to protect the NHS budget between 2011 and 2013. Conservative Shadow Finance Minister Nick Ramsay said Labour's latest budget boost for health could not make up for previous cuts to NHS funding. \"Hospital downgrading, huge delays in waiting times, a failure to recruit staff; this chaos is a direct result of Labour's record-breaking NHS budget cuts,\" he said. \"By failing to protect the budget, our health service has been starved of \u00a31bn since 2010/11.\" However, Plaid Cymru AM Alun Ffred Jones \"warmly welcomed\" the extra NHS cash. \"I do very much hope that this will enable waiting lists to be substantially reduced, in light of the harsh criticism of the Royal College of Surgeons in their statement yesterday,\" he said. Liberal Democrat Peter Black highlighted an extra \u00a31,150 each school would receive for every pupil eligible for free school meals, as part of a two year deal his party had struck with", "summary": "The NHS is to receive a net boost of \u00a3278m under the Welsh government's spending plans."}
{"article": "Owen and Karl Oyston, owner and chairman of the club, were in dispute with businessman Valeri Belokon. The League Two club owners may have to pay out almost \u00a33m ($3.75m) after a judge at Manchester Civil Justice Centre ruled in Mr Belokon's favour. He invested \u00a34.75m in 2008 to develop the club's South Stand and the dispute was over his share of profits from it. A forensic accountant will work out the exact figure the Oystons have to pay at a later date, the hearing was told. The final figure is believed to be between \u00a31m and \u00a32m plus \u00a3900,000 costs. The Oystons and Mr Belokon disagreed over the income and profits generated following the development of the South Stand. The row also centred on the deduction of legitimate expenditure, including a loss-making Blackpool hotel, from what Mr Belokon believed he was owed under the commercial agreement. The three men involved were not present in court. Eric Shannon, representing the club, applied for leave to take the case to the Court of Appeal, but this was refused by Judge Jane Moulder. Thousands of fans have been boycotting their home games in protest at the ownership and running of the club by the Oyston family. In January, fans staged a joint protest with Blackburn Rovers at their FA Cup clash. The team has plunged down the Football League to the fourth tier just six years after being in the Premier League. Mr Belokon bought shares in the club in 2006 and was heavily involved in their rise through the ranks culminated in promotion to the Premier League in 2010. In a rare public appearance last July, Owen Oyston said the club was not for sale.", "summary": "The owners of Blackpool FC have lost a multi-million pound court battle with a Latvian investor."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Captain Mithali Raj made 42 off 35 balls, Harmanpreet Kaur 40 from 29 and Vellaswamy Vanitha 38 off 24 in India's 163-5 in Bangalore. Anuja Patil claimed 2-16 and Poonam Yadav 2-17 as Bangladesh managed only 91-5 en route to their second heaviest T20 defeat in terms of runs. New Zealand, twice runners-up, opened their campaign with a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Delhi. Sri Lanka were well placed when Dilani Manodara and Yasoda Mendis shared 53 for the second wicket, but slipped from 81-2 in the 13th over to 110-8. New Zealand raced to their target with 25 balls to spare, captain Suzie Bates making 37 at a run a ball and Sara McGlashan ending unbeaten on 21 from 14 deliveries. England, winners in 2009, face Bangladesh at 10:00 GMT on Thursday.", "summary": "India opened the Women's World Twenty20 with a 72-run victory over Bangladesh."}
{"article": "Gerrard, 36, is leaving MLS club LA Galaxy and claims he is considering \"options on and off the pitch\". Lawrenson feels Gerrard could \"definitely play in this Liverpool team\" and be used in a coaching role. \"They will not have to pay him fortunes - they can tell him if they need him he'll play,\" said Lawrenson. \"The most important thing in all this, though, is that he would not be seen as a threat by Jurgen Klopp if he was on the coaching staff. \"He would be brilliant to have around the club because he would be in awe of Klopp, so that is just not a worry. I am sure Klopp would love it too - the only effects would be positive. \"He has already coached Liverpool's under-16 team for a while in 2015 and really enjoyed it,\" added Lawrenson, who made 356 appearances for the club. \"If you are an under-16 and getting coached by Stevie G, then how good is that?\" Gerrard is pursuing his Uefa A coaching licence - the second-highest qualification offered - and has punditry commitments lined up. But Lawrenson believes Gerrard would \"definitely be open\" to being registered as a player. He left Anfield in 2015 after spending 17 years in the first team, making 710 appearances, scoring 186 goals and winning eight major trophies. The midfielder played 34 times for Galaxy over two seasons and insists he will be back in football in some capacity. He has been linked with moves to Celtic and Newcastle in recent weeks. Klopp allowed Gerrard to train with the first team during the MLS off season and has previously said the former Reds' captain is \"always so welcome\" at the club. Lawrenson also wants the club to utilise Jamie Carragher, who retired in 2013 after 737 Liverpool appearances, insisting drawing on the experience of two former greats is \"a no brainer\". He added: \"I would let those two come in and take a couple of training sessions at Anfield as well. They would offer a different voice and a different point of view, without undermining the manager. Can you imagine them in the coaches room with Klopp? It would be great.\"", "summary": "Liverpool should re-sign Steven Gerrard as a player and coach as the \"only effects would be positive\", says the club's former defender Mark Lawrenson."}
{"article": "Barker has worked alongside Karl Robinson at League One Charlton since December 2016 but was approached by Rotherham last week. The 41-year-old had three spells with the Millers as a player, scoring 13 goals in 153 league games. Rotherham will join Charlton in League One next season following their relegation from the Championship. Barker and Warne were team-mates when the Millers won promotion to the second tier 2000-01.", "summary": "Rotherham United have appointed their former player Richie Barker as assistant to manager Paul Warne."}
{"article": "The contract - reportedly worth $10bn (\u00c2\u00a36bn) - was agreed on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos. Ukraine is believed to have some of the largest shale gas reserves in Europe. New technology means they are more easily recoverable, but opponents warn of a high risk of pollution. The deal between Ukraine's state company Nadra Yuzivska and Shell was signed by the energy giant's CEO Peter Voser and Ukrainian Energy Minister Eduard Stavytsky on Thursday. \"We have witnessed a great event today. I believe we have become almost relatives,\" said Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who was present at the ceremony. The 50-year production sharing deal is believed to be the biggest contract in Europe to extract natural gas trapped underground in shale rock. However, experts say that production in Ukraine is several years away and much will depend on results from test wells. Kiev is hoping that the deal would help it escape dependence on Russian natural gas. Ukraine \"might even go into surplus,\" Mr Stavytsky said. Kiev's gas imports from Russia have long been a thorny issue. In 2006 and 2009, rows over the gas price led to Russia halting gas supplies to Ukraine during a bitter winter, causing temporary gas shortages in a number of EU countries.", "summary": "Ukraine has signed a major shale gas deal with Royal Dutch Shell - a move seen as an attempt by Kiev to reduce its dependency on Russian gas imports."}
{"article": "This is an attempt to set up what will be called the TFTA (Tripartite Free Trade Area). It will be signed between the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the South African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC). Now there's been great fanfare in the press about this, mainly pushed by the politicians who are made to look good by this kind of thing. But the headlines of \"Common Market for Africa\" or \"EU-style bloc emerges in Africa\" are misleading. If the TFTA functions properly, it will be a free trade area, not a common market and certainly nothing approaching what the EU is. The trouble is not all the players involved function properly themselves. COMESA still has certain tariffs within it, while inside the EAC (arguably the most integrated of the blocs) there are still issues between Kenya and Tanzania on things like share ownership. And South Africa tends to dominate SADC. But that's not to say that this tripartite agreement is a waste of time. Free trade from Cape to Cairo has been a goal since colonial times (Cecil Rhodes talked about it) and this agreement is a baby step towards that. In theory, it'll boost intra-African trade, but that depends more on the capacity of African countries to make what each other want at competitive prices, rather than a simple lowering or scrapping of tariffs between the 26 members. The devil will be in the details of this agreement. There have been concerns over protectionist measures for local industries and a method of settling trade disputes. But it may boost intra-Africa trade. At the moment, trade between African countries amounts to just 13% of total African trade. Some academics have said that this tripartite agreement could boost it by 30% over the next few years. But there will be challenges on the ground. For a start, customs officials and getting across borders is notoriously cumbersome in Africa. Also, manufacturing on a local level needs to be boosted. The UN said three years ago that the best way to boost African trade was to concentrate on developing local capacity, rather than just lowering tariffs. That way, Africans would have things to sell to each other at prices that are more competitive than outsiders. If that happens within a new free trade area, that's what would boost intra-African trade. Also there are various disputes between the members of this agreement, from gripes to outright hostility. So, while there's a good deal of political will behind the TFTA, how it works on the ground will be the proof of the pudding. And that won't be apparent for months or years to come. Pardon my cynicism, but the three blocs involved in this are by no means functioning perfectly. With all the hype surrounding this TFTA, you'd think it was the panacea to all of Africa's economic and trade problems. It's not. But it is a tiny step in the right direction.", "summary": "Some of you will have seen the news that a three-bloc trade deal is being signed between 26 African states in Egypt today."}
{"article": "Investigations by the Daily Telegraph newspaper have revealed several cases of alleged fraud in English football. \"It's high time that it's been exposed,\" said Lennon, who left Bolton in March after 17 months as manager. \"People are taking money out of the game and it leaves a really bitter taste.\" Sam Allardyce lasted 67 days as England manager, with the Telegraph filming him apparently offering undercover reporters posing as businessmen advice on how to \"get around\" transfer rules. Barnsley assistant manager Tommy Wright has been sacked for allegedly accepting money in return for trying to persuade the Championship club to sign certain players. And former Scotland striker Eric Black, the assistant manager at Southampton, is denying claims he gave undercover reporters advice on how to bribe officials at other clubs. \"It's not just managers or assistant managers, it's people that you don't see in the public eye,\" explained Lennon. \"These people are doing deals that they shouldn't be doing and walking away with thousands; millions of pounds at times. \"I feel a bit of sympathy for Sam, but it's time this was stopped. If you break the rules, it will eventually catch up with you. \"You hear whispers from players and managers and agents. There have been rumours for a long, long time about other people. High-profile people. \"It's these unlicensed agents that are making money through third-party ownership, doing deals with cash involved and giving the game a bad name. \"You have to look at the owners or chief executives who are speaking to these people and have been doing it for a long time.\" Lennon, who managed Celtic for four years, said that he had never been approached to break regulations. \"In my time at Celtic, I spoke to agents, but when it came to negotiations, I left that to other people and I've done the same thing at both my other clubs,\" he told BBC Scotland. \"I'm not aware of any issues in Scotland and I've been up here for a long time. \"I'm not sure clubs could afford to pay extra money to these shadowy figures in the background.\" Kilmarnock manager Lee Clark, a former Newcastle United, Sunderland and Fulham player who managed Huddersfield Town, Birmingham and Blackpool, says he is \"surprised and disappointed\" by the corruption scandal. \"I've never heard a thing,\" he told BBC Scotland. \"You like to think everyone does right by the game. \"It's been a terrible week with the allegations that have been made. \"From a personal point of view, I've never been involved in anything like that or been in that situation.\"", "summary": "Hibernian boss Neil Lennon insists there is no \"bung culture\" in Scottish football but says he was aware of a problem during his time in England."}
{"article": "Norwich Crown Court was told Malcolm Blissett changed a foster carer's records over a two-year period. He had been told to remove any material that \"incriminated carers\". Leia Dowsing, of Suffolk Police, said most changes were in fact to spelling, grammar and punctuation but documents should not have been altered. She told jurors words had also been changed, chunks of test were missing and questions to the children had been removed from the record. The court heard Mr Blissett had been told to ensure all reports were \"grammatically correct with no spelling mistakes and there was nothing that incriminated the carers\". \"That is what he told me,\" said Miss Dowsing, who added that making such changes was \"entirely wrong\". Ann Cotcher QC, defending one of the accused, Michael Rogers, said: \"The majority of changes were not really relevant. \"Some were punctuation, some were spelling; changes or restructuring of sentences; removal of words; addition of words, and there was removal of leading questions.\" The abuse is said to have been carried out against two boys and three girls in and around Norwich and London. The defendants are Marie Black, 34, from Norwich; Mr Rogers, 53, from Romford, Carol Stadler, 59, Anthony Stadler, 63, Nicola Collins, 36, Andrew Collins, 52, Judith Fuller, 32, Denise Barnes, 34, Kathleen Adams, 84, and Jason Adams, 43, all from Norwich. All deny all the charges they face, except Mr Adams, who admits four of five child cruelty charges. The trial continues.", "summary": "A social worker made more than 250 alterations to the accounts of children making sexual abuse allegations against 10 people, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Martial has been linked with a move to Inter Milan as part of a deal that would see Ivan Perisic leave the Italian club. The 21-year-old created Jesse Lingard's first-half opener in the 1-1 friendly draw with Real Madrid in Santa Clara. \"He is a young player. He still has time to learn, to improve and develop,\" said Mourinho. \"We want more consistency in his talent.\" United have not managed to get the best out of 21-year-old Martial since his \u00a336m move from Monaco in 2015. He set up Lingard's goal in California on Sunday with a fabulous piece of skill that took him past Luka Modric and Daniel Carvajal. United won the game 2-1 on penalties. \"I can say he is training better than before and is working harder than before,\" added Mourinho. United, who are unbeaten in four pre-season games, have one match remaining in the United States, against Barcelona on Wednesday. They flew out of California straight after the game to Washington DC, where they will spend the next three days before the trip home. It is a major difference to 12 months ago, when Mourinho and his squad went to China and had a planned match against Manchester City in Beijing cancelled due to the poor state of the pitch at the Bird's Nest Stadium. Mourinho said: \"We were based in Los Angeles for 15 days, which was fantastic. We were always in the same hotel and on the same training ground. \"Now we go to DC which is halfway home almost. These next three days are a good thing for us on our way back. \"If Juan Mata (ankle) and Ander Herrera (hip) are not a real problem in terms of injuries, I would say it has been a perfect pre-season for us.\" Prior to the game, Mourinho said it would be \"mission impossible\" to try and sign Gareth Bale from Real Madrid, so he had not even tried. Speaking after the match, whilst perfectly polite, it was clear Bale was not interested in talking about his future in Madrid. Question: Jose Mourinho says it would be mission impossible to get you to Manchester United. Answer: There you go. Question: Is that the way you see it? Answer: I haven't said anything. Question: You continue to be happy at Real Madrid? Answer: Yes.", "summary": "Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has told forward Anthony Martial he needs to be more consistent."}
{"article": "The company has been criticised for its treatment of the family of Christi and Bobby Shepherd, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning in 2006. Harriet Green, the firm's former chief executive, said she will donate a third of her shares to charity. An inquest ruled the pair were unlawfully killed. The children, from Horbury, near Wakefield, were on holiday with their father, Neil Shepherd and his now wife, Ruth, when they were poisoned by a faulty gas boiler at the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel. Ms Green said reports that she refused to meet Christi and Bobby's parents to apologise were false. She also said claims she had started the process to seek damages over the incident for Thomas Cook were also false. Ms Green is due to receive seven million Thomas Cook shares, currently worth around \u00a310m. She said: \"I have now reached out to the parents of Bobby and Christi Shepherd. \"On the basis that Thomas Cook are due to give me seven million shares in July, I have told the parents that I will donate one third of that seven million to a charity of their choice.\" In 2010 three people, including the manager of the Louis Corcyra Beach Hotel and two members of staff, were found guilty of manslaughter by negligence and sentenced to seven years in prison. Eight other people were cleared, including two Thomas Cook travel reps. The inquest heard the faulty boiler had been housed in an outbuilding attached to the side of the bungalow where the family had been staying. The children's mother Sharon Wood and their father Mr Shepherd had previously criticised the tour firm for not apologising to them directly during the two-week hearing in Wakefield earlier this month. After the inquest, the company's chief executive Peter Fankhauser said it had not handled its relationship with the family well. He said: \"During the past nine years, we failed to show the compassion that we should have shown to the family.\" Last week, the firm revealed it had donated \u00a31.5m to the children's charity Unicef. The money was the remainder after legal costs of a \u00a33m damages settlement from the Greek hotel.", "summary": "The ex-boss of Thomas Cook is to donate part of her share payout to a charity chosen by the parents of two children who died on holiday in Corfu."}
{"article": "The ex-England boss, 54, was due to meet the Rams hierarchy on Friday. But the meeting has been brought forward following Derby's failure to reach the Championship play-offs and growing unrest about McClaren's link to the manager's job at Newcastle. McClaren is understood to be resigned to leaving the club. Only last week Rush said the season review should not be too \"draconian\". But McClaren's refusal to completely rule out a move to Newcastle when the rumours first began upset some of the board members, including director Mel Morris who is set to take over from chairman Andy Appleby. And although McClaren did reject the chance to take over as Magpies manager in May, and said he was \"100% committed to Derby\", there is a feeling that his refusal to quash the rumours in the first place played a part in the club's poor end-of-season run. The Rams were leading the Championship in late February but won just two of their final 13 games and missed out on the play-offs on the final day of the campaign when they lost 3-0 at home to Reading. Morris, who was last year appointed to the club's board, is set to be confirmed as the club's new chairman in the coming weeks.", "summary": "Derby head coach Steve McClaren is to hold talks with chief executive Sam Rush on Thursday amid speculation he may be sacked, BBC Derby Sport reports."}
{"article": "Yoann Barbet fired the hosts in front from a Jota corner before the Spaniard doubled the lead from the spot after Maxime Colin was fouled by Joel Lynch. Lynch then pulled a goal back by heading past keeper Daniel Bentley. But Jota restored the Bees' two-goal advantage soon after as he beat two players before firing low into the net. Lasse Vibe had gone close to opening the scoring early on when he turned his way past Nedum Onuoha before firing the wrong side of the post. Lynch was then denied by Bentley at the other end before Barbet drilled the ball into the ground and over keeper Alex Smithies to give ninth-placed Brentford the lead. QPR, who are five points above the bottom three but not yet safe from relegation, were unlucky not to be level at the break with Matt Smith's header being turned away by Bentley and Massimo Luongo hitting the bar from 30 yards in added time. The visitors thought they had an equaliser when Barbet cleared Conor Washington's effort off the line but the Bees then claimed their second of the afternoon as Jota fired in from the spot after Lynch brought down Colin in the box. Rangers responded immediately when Lynch headed Luke Freeman's free-kick past Bentley before, just two minutes later, Jota finished his solo-run to claim his 12th goal in 21 games by rolling the ball under Smithies. Brentford boss Dean Smith: \"We know what we are about and we get our heads down and get on with our job. People will always have opinions but all we can do is keep working hard. Results like this mean we can go about our jobs with smiles on our faces. \"\"It was a comfortable and fully deserved win without us ever really getting near our usual levels. I told them to have clarity about what they do, to have clear heads and no ill-discipline and not to let emotion get involved in the game. They did that. \"We deserved to win but we weren't perhaps as clinical as we have been.\" QPR manager Ian Holloway: \"We need to think clearly under pressure and we have to get back to doing that every week. We have to dust ourselves down, start again and find a way of playing that's nailed down. \"Brentford played well, I hate to say it, but now it's about how much you care and how you do it. Six games ago we were top of the form table and since then we've had one win to get and we still need it. \"For me it's simple. We have to draw or win next week. We still have work to do. Anyone who is a real QPR fan has to take this one on the chin with dignity because we have to come together to beat Forest.\" Match ends, Brentford 3, Queens Park Rangers 1. Second Half ends, Brentford 3, Queens Park Rangers 1. Attempt missed. Matt Smith (Queens Park Rangers) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted", "summary": "Two goals in four second-half minutes from midfielder Jota helped Brentford see off struggling London rivals QPR in an entertaining game at Griffin Park."}
{"article": "6 February 2017 Last updated at 09:46 GMT British player Kyle Edmund was beating Denis Shapovalov from Canada, when frustration got the better of him. The 17-year-old Canadian whacked the tennis ball in anger, only to hit the umpire in the eye! As a result the match could no longer continue, meaning Great Britain won by default. Kyle will now go on to face off against France in April. Shapovalov apologised to the umpire after the match, and his coach hopes he will learn a lesson from it.", "summary": "Great Britain are through to the Davis Cup quarter-finals, after a Canadian player accidentally hit the umpire with a tennis ball."}
{"article": "Darrell Clarke's side clinched third in League Two with a last-gasp winner on Saturday against Dagenham & Redbridge. New Zealand forward Rory Fallon, 34, is to be released after making just three first-team appearances this season. Defenders Lee Brown, scorer of the late winner over Dagenham, and Tom Lockyer already signed new contracts in April. Having secured back-to-back promotions, securing top scorer Matty Taylor's services for at least another season would be seen as a major boost for the club if he was to agree a new deal. After Saturday's victory, the striker told BBC Radio Bristol he would speak to club's president regarding a new deal. Chairman Steve Hamer has said the club will have the chance to match offers made by other clubs for Taylor this summer.", "summary": "Promoted Bristol Rovers have offered new contracts to all but one of their senior professional players after their dramatic finish to the league season."}
{"article": "In a campaign tagged \"We deserve better\", about 1,000 people came out in the western city to chant \"neither Le Pen nor Macron\". Riot police used tear gas to stop them reaching the historic city centre. The far right's Marine Le Pen has spoken in Nice and centrist Emmanuel Macron visited a troubled Paris suburb. Opinion polls taken since the first round on Sunday suggest Mr Macron, candidate of the En Marche (On The Move) movement, will easily beat Ms Le Pen, who has temporarily stood down as leader of the National Front (FN), in the second round on 7 May. However, Ms Le Pen upstaged her rival on Tuesday when she turned up in his northern home town of Amiens just as he was visiting himself. Ms Le Pen found herself under fire again on Thursday as EU sources accused her of defrauding the European Parliament of about \u20ac5m (\u00a34m; $5.4m), allegedly paying FN assistants who were not really working for MEPs but were engaged in party work in France. % Emmanuel Macron % Marine Le Pen Please enable Javascript to view our poll of polls chart. Last updated April 25, 2017 The polling average line looks at the five most recent national polls and takes the median value, ie, the value between the two figures that are higher and two figures that are lower. In Rennes, between 950 and 1,500 demonstrators marched in the city centre, French media report, after a peaceful rally. When a group of about 50 tried to occupy the railway station, police used tear gas and one officer cut off from the rest briefly drew his pistol to protect himself, Le Parisien daily reports (in French). Unrest continued in the city centre, with police bringing in a helicopter to survey the crowd, AFP news agency says. Placards read \"Expel Marine Le Pen, not immigrants\" and \"We don't want Macron or Le Pen\". Other unrest was reported in the western city of Nantes and parts of the capital Paris. Since Mr Macron and Ms le Pen narrowly won the first round on Sunday, some supporters of the losing candidates have advocated a protest vote against both on 7 May. Mr Macron visited the deprived Paris suburb of Sarcelles on Thursday to meet local people in a stadium where he played football briefly with delighted children. Sarcelles, home to large Muslim and Jewish communities, saw riots in the summer of 2014 in which Jewish-owned businesses and a synagogue were targeted. Mr Macron accused Ms Le Pen of not being willing to visit \"a district like this\". \"France is not hatred and rejection of others,\" he said. Speaking later in an interview for the TF1 channel, he said France's biggest challenge was mass employment and it needed a policy \"which allows companies to hire and invest\". He promised, if elected, fundamental reform of labour laws this summer. Elsewhere in the interview, Mr Macron vowed to: Ms Le Pen gave her first big rally of the second round in the southern city of Nice, which was traumatised by the Bastille", "summary": "Teenagers in Rennes and other French cities have held rallies or blocked schools in a protest against both presidential candidates."}
{"article": "It says some older patients miss out on vital treatment because of their age. Age discrimination in the NHS has been made illegal but the report says it may still happen when budgets are tight. Doctors should look at the overall health of a patient instead of using cut-off ages for procedures, it said. The report, Access All Ages, points out that there are valid reasons why an older patient might not be considered for surgery - because they have other health problems that increase the risk of operations, or that they themselves prefer not to go under the knife. However, the report said: \"While there may be legitimate clinical reasons why an older person may not benefit from surgery, it remains the case that some patients may be missing out. \"Decisions may not always be made on the basis of a comprehensive and objective assessment, but on a series of assumptions about fitness in older age.\" It said some doctors may have \"outdated perceptions\" and a \"lack of awareness\" about older patients and their ability to cope with surgery. It highlighted rates of breast cancer, which are at their highest in women above the age of 85. However, the highest surgery rate was in women two decades younger. Michelle Mitchell, from Age UK, said: \"When it comes to people's health, their date of birth actually tells you very little. \"A healthy living 80-year-old could literally run rings round someone many years younger who does not share the same good health. \"Yet in the past too many medical decisions, we believe, have been made on age alone with informal 'cut-offs' imposed so that people over a certain age were denied treatment.\" Age discrimination by NHS hospitals was outlawed at the beginning of October in a decision that applied across England, Wales and Scotland. Patients will be able to sue if they are denied care solely because of their age. Health Minister Dan Poulter said there was \"absolutely no place\" for assumptions about age in the health service and that patients should receive care \"that meets their healthcare needs, irrespective of their age\". The NHS Confederation's chief executive Mike Farrar said the report was \"worrying\". He added: \"We know that prejudicial attitudes against older people still pervade through society, but the NHS and its staff should close the door to such unacceptable behaviour.\" The president of the Royal College of Surgeons, Prof Norman Williams, said: \"It is alarming to think that the treatment a patient receives may be influenced by their age. \"There are multiple factors that affect treatment decisions and often valid explanations as to why older people either opt out of surgery - or are recommended non-surgical treatment alternatives. \"The key is that it is a decision based on the patient rather than how old they are that matters.\"", "summary": "Assumptions about fitness in older people should not be used to decide whether patients have surgery, according to a report by the Royal College of Surgeons and Age UK."}
{"article": "Col Israel Shomer fired at Mohammed Kasbeh after the 17-year-old threw a stone at his vehicle in the West Bank. Israel's military said at the time that Col Shomer felt his life was in danger. But the video released by B'Tselem appears to show the teenager running away after attacking the vehicle. Soldiers then jump out and pursue him. B'Tselem also said medical evidence suggested that he was shot in the back. The Israeli military has not commented on the video, but the Times of Israel reported that Col Shomer had been interviewed under caution by military police investigating the shooting following its release. The incident took place on 3 July at the Qalandiya checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah, the scene of frequent clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops. A vehicle carrying Col Shomer, commander of the army's Binyamin Brigade, was hit by stones thrown by a group of youths, shattering its windshield. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said at the time that the colonel got out of the vehicle and ordered the stone-throwers to stop, firing a warning shot into the air. When the attack continued, he opened fire at the main perpetrator, it added. The IDF stressed that Col Shomer believed he was in \"imminent mortal danger\" and several members of the government praised his actions. But witnesses cast doubt on the commander's account. Ahmed Taher, 17, who was throwing rocks beside Kasbeh, told the Washington Post after his funeral: \"We were running away.\" Fahdi Ziad, who works at a nearby petrol station, told the Guardian that three Israeli soldiers - two wearing a helmet, and one without one - chased after the teenagers and opened fire. Mr Ziad said Kasbeh was about 10-15m (33-49ft) from the soldiers when he was shot. \"After he fell on the ground the soldier without the helmet went and checked him and kicked him,\" he added. Palestinian doctors also said the teenager was shot in the back and the side of the head. On Monday, B'Tselem released video footage recorded by a security camera at the petrol station showing the moments before the shooting. It shows a person believed to be Kasbeh running at the Israeli army vehicle as it passes by and throwing a stone. He then runs away as the car then brakes suddenly and at least two soldiers get out, brandishing weapons. In a statement, B'Tselem said the footage showed Col Shomer's claim of self-defence was \"unreasonable\". \"There is no doubt that the shattering of the jeep's front window with a stone endangered the passengers when it happened. However, Kasbeh was shot in the back after the fact, when he was already running away and posing no 'mortal threat' to the soldiers. Feeling a sense of danger is not enough to justify any action.\" The rights group also noted that the video contradicted the IDF's claim that Col Shomer had carried out \"suspect-arrest procedure\". \"Military open-fire regulations permit shooting at the legs of a suspect in order to facilitate his arrest. They do not permit killing him by firing three", "summary": "An Israeli human rights group has published a video it says contradicts the account of an Israeli army officer who shot dead a Palestinian teenager."}
{"article": "The 11-month-old's parents had returned to the High Court to seek permission to take him home for \"a few days of tranquillity outside the hospital\". But Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) said there were practical problems with that proposal, for example his ventilation equipment would not be able to fit through their front door. The judge will rule on Wednesday. At Tuesday's hearing, the judge said hospital managers had suggested a hospice would give Charlie and his parents the space, privacy and protection they needed. Chris Gard and Connie Yates have pleaded for a paediatric intensive care doctor to come forward to help their son die at home. \"We promised Charlie every day we would take him home. It seems really upsetting after everything we've been through to deny us this,\" Ms Yates said. Grant Armstrong, representing the parents, told Mr Justice Francis that his clients' \"last wish is that Charlie dies at home\". He suggested a portable ventilator and oxygen supply could be used but accused GOSH of \"putting up obstacles\". Lawyers for the hospital told the judge they \"would like to be able to fulfil the parents' wishes... if it is safe and practicable and in Charlie's best interests\". However, Katie Gollop QC, who leads the hospital's legal team, said providing intensive care for Charlie away from a hospital was not simple. Charlie's condition requires air to be forced into his lungs. She said as far as the hospital was aware invasive ventilation was only provided in a hospital setting. Ms Gollop said Charlie would need to be \"monitored by an ITU trained nurse at all times, with an ITU doctor on call and close at hand\". Such resources \"cannot be provided by GOSH to Charlie at his parents' home\", she said. Mr Justice Francis said: \"If going home can be achieved within reason then I would like to achieve that for them.\" He said he would make a final decision, about whether Charlie can be taken home, at 14:00 BST on Wednesday. Charlie's parents, from Bedfont, west London, said they had been spending their \"last precious moments\" with their son. Charlie has encephalomyopathic mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. He has brain damage and cannot move his arms or legs. His parents had asked Mr Justice Francis to rule that their son should be allowed to undergo a trial of nucleoside therapy in New York, a move opposed by medics at GOSH who argued the treatment would be \"futile\". The Family Division of the High Court heard on Monday that US neurologist Professor Michio Hirano was no longer willing to offer the experimental therapy after he had seen the results of a new MRI scan. In a statement to the High Court, GOSH said Professor Michio Hirano had not taken the opportunity to see Charlie until last week, despite being offered the chance to do so by the hospital in January. The hospital said it was also concerned the professor had declared a financial interest in some of the treatment he had proposed prescribing for Charlie. Timeline of legal battle", "summary": "Moving Charlie Gard to a hospice to die would be the best option for the terminally-ill baby, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Dave Hartnett, who was head of tax at HM Revenue & Customs, said: \"I'd always expected there to be be more.\" Mr Hartnett, who left HMRC in 2012, was giving evidence to the Commons Public Accounts Committee. HSBC has come under fire over what it knew about some clients' tax affairs. Details of some 30,000 accounts at HSBC's Geneva-based private bank were leaked to the French authorities by a whistleblower, Herve Falciani, in 2007. Information about 3,600 UK account holders were passed to HMRC. Both HSBC and HMRC have been accused of not doing enough to investigate if these accounts were held for the purposes of tax evasion rather than legitimate avoidance. Mr Hartnett told the committee: \"I'd like to understand why there weren't more criminal prosecutions. I'd always expected there to be more. I'd have liked to understand what would have happened if more resources were diverted to [investigating the leaked details].\" He said there were discussions with the French authorities before the leaked information was passed to the UK, and there were also discussions with HSBC. But he never got involved in the detail, \"to pressure the integrity of the investigations taking place\". But HMRC tax assurance commissioner Edward Troup insisted that his department had been \"diligent\" in pursuing the information received from the French. \"I don't think there is anything... which suggests that we have not been diligent,\" he told the committee. \"We have collected \u00c2\u00a3135m. We believe we have collected all the tax, all the interest, and a significant amount of penalties.\" Mr Hartnett now works for HSBC. He said that he had followed the rules for former senior officials on taking appointments outside the civil service \"to the letter\". He said: \"Colleagues checked it, the Cabinet Office checked it, the committee checked it, it went to the Prime Minister, and the Financial Conduct Authority also had to approve my appointment.\"", "summary": "A former senior tax official has expressed \"surprise\" that just one person has been prosecuted in the UK over alleged tax evasion by clients of HSBC's Swiss banking division."}
{"article": "The march itself, which was attended by thousands, was peaceful, police said. Four journalists were injured when protesters threw stones and petrol bombs at police after the march. The run-up to the 11 September anniversary of the 1973 coup, when Gen Augusto Pinochet overthrew Salvador Allende, is often marked by violence. In 2012, one police officer died during clashes. On Sunday, thousands of Chileans marched through the streets of the capital, Santiago, to the memorial to the disappeared. They were carrying banners with the names and pictures of people who disappeared under Chile's military rule. According to official figures, 40,000 people were victims of human rights abuses under the dictatorship and more than 3,000 were killed or disappeared. Police said a small group of hooded protesters threw stones and sticks at police after the march had reached the cemetery where the memorial to the disappeared is located. Government spokesman Alvaro Elizalde said those who had been involved in the violence would be charged. \"These are serious offenses, which we strongly condemn and which can't go unpunished.\" A journalist from Chilevision was hurt when he was hit by a molotov cocktail in the head, another journalist and two cameramen were also injured. Mr Elizalde stressed that those causing trouble were part of a \"very small group\". He said police would be out in force on 11 September, when more marches are planned.", "summary": "Police and protesters have clashed in Chile's capital following a march to remember those who disappeared under military rule from 1973 to 1990."}
{"article": "The centre-back, 28, was jeered by a section of Spain fans during Saturday's Euro 2016 qualifier win over Slovakia, and was subjected to similar during the previous internationals break. \"The last thing I would do is leave the national team,\" he said. \"I won't change regarding club rivalry. I always wish Real Madrid to do badly.\" It was reported that England's friendly in Spain on 13 November was moved from Real's Bernabeu Stadium to Alicante because of concerns over the possible negative reaction to Pique's involvement. In June, the former Manchester United defender sarcastically thanked Colombian rapper Kevin Roldan for playing his part in Barca's success last season. The performer posted photos on social media of Real team-mates celebrating Cristiano Ronaldo's 30th birthday in February just hours after a 4-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid. The players were consequently criticised. Barcelona went on to win the league, Copa del Rey and Champions League. \"I don't regret anything that I have said and I would repeat it a thousand times and more,\" added Pique. \"I am like that, I want Madrid to always lose. That is the sporting rivalry that has always existed in Spain.\"", "summary": "Barcelona defender Gerard Pique will stick by his anti-Real Madrid stance and continue playing for Spain despite being booed by supporters."}
{"article": "The men, from 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, were on duty on Tuesday morning in Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand province, when the Afghan opened fire. One is believed to be a Nepalese Gurkha and the other two were UK nationals. Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the \"appalling\" killings, but said UK and Afghan troops should work together. The Taliban has claimed the Afghan soldier had joined its insurgency. An investigation is under way and next of kin have been informed. Meanwhile, in a separate incident a Royal Marine from 40 Commando was killed in Helmand, the MoD said. Family have been told. He was shot dead on Tuesday while on foot patrol in the Sangin district. The number of British military personnel killed on operations in Afghanistan since 2001 now stands at 318. Mr Cameron said the current strategy of working alongside local security forces should go on. \"It is absolutely essential that we don't let this terrible incident change our strategy. It is the right thing to do to build up the Afghan national army,\" he said. He went on: \"We need to make sure that we build up that army because that, in the end, is the way that we are going to be able to bring our troops back home.\" Similarly, Defence Secretary Liam Fox said: \"Training and developing the Afghan National Security Forces is vital to the international mission in Afghanistan and today's events will not undermine the real progress we continue to make. British and Isaf forces are working shoulder to shoulder with Afghans and will continue to do so undeterred.\" Afghan President Hamid Karzai has apologised to the UK after the incident and a defence ministry spokesman said a soldier from the Afghan National Army (ANA) was being sought. By Jonathan BealeDefence correspondent, BBC News This is not the first time this kind of incident has happened. Last November a member of the Afghan National Police opened fire on British soldiers he was serving alongside. He killed five and seriously injured half a dozen others. But the Ministry of Defence is anxious to highlight how rare these kinds of incidents are. Since 2006, British forces have trained 130,000 Afghan troops. Some 5,000 of the 10,000 British servicemen currently deployed in Afghanistan are working alongside members of the Afghan Security forces day in and day out. The training and mentoring of Afghanistan's army and police is essential to the goal of eventually leaving an Afghanistan capable of looking after its own security. That is why Liam Fox is stressing that, despite this tragedy, British forces will \"continue to work shoulder to shoulder with the Afghans\" and will not be deterred. Royal Marine dies in Afghanistan Mr Cameron said he spoke to President Karzai on Tuesday morning and both men agreed that an urgent investigation was required. President Karzai's spokesman, Waheed Omar, said the Afghanistan government was also investigating the killings and the government would \"do everything to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice\". The BBC understands that one of the soldiers killed was shot and the", "summary": "Three British soldiers have been killed and four injured by a renegade Afghan soldier in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said."}
{"article": "The bomb, measuring 5ft in length and weighing 1000lb, has been found in Southwark by builders, the Met Police said. The force said officers were called to a building site in Grange Walk at 09:18 GMT. Two schools have been evacuated. A cordon and a 400m exclusion zone have been put in place as a precaution. Traffic is being diverted and several roads are closed. The council said there was \"major disruption\" in the area especially around Tower Bridge and Grange Walk. It advised people to find other routes home. The Met said it was working with the London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service and Southwark Council. Leader of Southwark Council, Councillor Peter John, said: \"I can understand how worrying this is for local people, and the council is doing all we can to support them while the emergency services make the area safe.\" He said there were \"well-rehearsed\" emergency plans in place and urged residents to go to one of the council's rest centres in Canada Water for hot meals, tea and coffee.", "summary": "More than 1,000 homes in south London have been evacuated after an unexploded World War Two bomb was found on a building site."}
{"article": "Resuming on 142-9 after a rain-hit day one, Derbyshire added just eight runs as Ben Cotton fell to Steve Magoffin. Sussex's openers made a 113 partnership before Chris Nash (65) was bowled by Wayne Madsen (2-65), but Joyce (106), Wells (104 not out) and Ross Taylor (54) helped the hosts build a big lead. Matt Machan was out to the final ball of the day as Sussex closed on 342-4.", "summary": "Sussex built a commanding first-innings lead over Derbyshire on day two at Hove as Ed Joyce and Luke Wells made tons."}
{"article": "He is Mohammed Emwazi, a Kuwaiti-born British man in his mid-20s from west London, who was previously known to British security services. British police declined to comment, citing ongoing investigations. Emwazi first appeared in a video last August, when he apparently killed the US journalist James Foley. He was later thought to have been pictured in the videos of the beheadings of US journalist Steven Sotloff, British aid worker David Haines, British taxi driver Alan Henning, and American aid worker Abdul-Rahman Kassig, also known as Peter. In each of the videos, the militant appeared dressed in a black robe with a black balaclava covering all but his eyes and top of his nose. Speaking with a British accent, he taunted Western powers before holding his knife to the hostages' necks, appearing to start cutting before the film stopped. The victims' decapitated bodies were then shown. Earlier this month, the militant featured in a video in which the Japanese journalist Kenji Goto appeared to be beheaded. Hostages released by IS said he was one of three British jihadists guarding Westerners abducted by the group in Syria. They were known collectively as \"the Beatles\". Mohammed Emwazi timeline: Source: Cage, London-based campaign group 'Jihadi John' movement mapped Emwazi \"claimed harassment\" In a news conference, Asim Qureshi, the research director of the London-based lobby group Cage, which had been in contact with Emwazi over a number of years, explained how he had been approached by the Washington Post for the story and detailed the difficulties Emwazi had had with security services in the UK and overseas. Mr Qureshi said Emwazi, who is understood to be about 27, had been \"extremely kind, gentle and soft-spoken, the most humble young person I knew\". He said he could \"not be 100% certain\" Jihadi John was Emwazi although there were \"striking similarities\". Emwazi's difficulties began when he travelled to Tanzania in May 2009 following his graduation in computer programming at the University of Westminster, Mr Qureshi added. He and two friends had planned to go on a safari but once they landed in Dar es Salaam they were detained by police and held overnight. Emwazi then ended up flying to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, where he claimed to be met by British intelligence agents from MI5 who accused him of trying to travel to Somalia, where the jihadist group al-Shabab operates. He denied the accusation and said the agents had tried to recruit him before allowing him to return to the UK. Analysis: Frank Gardner, BBC News US and British counter-terrorism officials discovered the identity of \"Jihadi John\" as far back as last September. The FBI, Britain's MI5 and other intelligence agencies used a combination of voice recognition software, interviews with former hostages and on-the-ground research in London to build up a profile of the man now revealed to be Mohammed Emwazi. They have always declined to reveal the name for \"operational reasons\". Now that it's out in the public domain, it's emerged that Emwazi was well-known to MI5 and that it even tried to recruit him as an informer,", "summary": "The masked Islamic State militant known as \"Jihadi John\", who has been pictured in the videos of the beheadings of Western hostages, has been named."}
{"article": "Khalid Mohamed Omar Ali, 27, was arrested on suspicion of offences under the Terrorism Act and possession of offensive weapons on 27 April. He was detained as part of an intelligence-led operation after a concerned family member is believed to have contacted the police. Police said he remains in custody and can be questioned until 11 May. It comes after a warrant of further detention was granted at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. Mr Ali is thought to be a UK national - but born overseas - and to have gone to school in Tottenham, north London. He was arrested in Parliament Street, at the junction with Parliament Square, following a stop and search as part of an ongoing operation, police said.", "summary": "Police have been granted another week to question a terror suspect arrested near the Houses of Parliament."}
{"article": "The gelding won 23 of his 41 races, including five King George VI Chases. The 15-year-old moved to dressage after retiring from racing in 2012. His rider Laura Collett said: \"Devastated to announce Kauto Star sustained injury in the field, with his best interest at heart a decision was made to put him to sleep.\" Owner Clive Smith told BBC Radio 5 live: \"It is really devastating - he was looking fit and well at Laura Collett's yard. The main injury was to the neck, as it gets worse it attacks the spinal cord. He also fractured his pelvic bone. A really sad time indeed. \"He had a great talent for never giving up. He wanted to win. With jockey Ruby Walsh riding him, he put this massive effort in at the end of races. He had a heart of a lion.\" He added: \"The vets made him comfortable but the kindest thing was to euthanise him. It was a horrible moment. He was such a wonderful horse, but he did not suffer.\" Paul Nicholls, who trained Kauto to his famous victories, told BBC Somerset: \"Kauto was such a big part of that team. We'll never have one as good as him. Sixteen Grade One wins on all those plaques [referring to those honouring the horse at his yard]. \"He touched a lot of hearts. People like to follow a horse and they could do that with Kauto a number of years. You can see the reaction on social media - it's absolutely incredible.\" And 20-time champion jump jockey AP McCoy told BBC Radio 5 live Kauto Star was the \"complete horse\". Edward Gillespie, who was in charge of Cheltenham Racecourse during Kauto's successes in 2007 and 2009, told BBC Radio Bristol: \"I was at Paul Nicholls' yard yesterday and saw the plaques for winning horses - Kauto has an entire wall. \"Some of us are old enough to remember three-time Gold Cup winner Arkle. Kauto is the only horse you can talk about in the same breath as Arkle. Racing will be mourning today.\" Kauto Star became the first horse to regain the Cheltenham Gold Cup after losing it to Denman in 2008, and also made history by winning a fifth King George VI Chase, on Boxing Day in 2011. Walsh, who guided Kauto Star to 17 of his 23 career wins, said he had felt honoured to ride him. \"He's the horse of my lifetime. I'm very lucky to be the one who got to ride him,\" he said after Kauto's retirement in 2012. \"He was an amazing horse to ride and an amazing horse to be part of and I loved every minute of riding him.\"", "summary": "Two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Kauto Star has been put down after suffering neck and pelvis injuries in a fall."}
{"article": "The Team Sky rider went down around 35km from the finish after a touch of wheels on the category two ascent of Cote de Saint-Uze. The Welshman was quickly back riding and finished 11th to remain 19 seconds behind overall leader Michael Matthews. \"He was able to stand up straight away and get back on the bike,\" said Team Sky sport director Nicolas Portal. Cofidis rider Nacer Bouhanni, who was demoted from first to third on stage two after changing his line in the bunch sprint, rode cleanly to victory in Romans-sur-Isere. Trek rider Edward Theuns was second and Lotto Soudal's Andre Greipel third, with Britain's Ben Swift sixth for Team Sky. The riders tackle Mont Ventoux in Provence in Friday's 195km stage. The legendary mountain pass comes early in the stage to Salon-de-Provence. Stage four result: 1. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra/Cofidis) 4hrs 42mins 29secs 2. Edward Theuns (Bel/Trek) Same time 3. Andre Greipel (Ger/Lotto) 4. Alexander Kristoff (Nor/Katusha) 5. Michael Matthews (Aus/Orica) 6. Ben Swift (GB/Team Sky) 7. Nikolas Maes (Bel/Etixx - Quick-Step) 8. Tony Gallopin (Fra/Lotto) 9. Youcef Reguigui (Alg/Dimension Data) 10. Roy Curvers (Ned/Giant) Selected: 11. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) Same time Overall classification after stage four: 1. Michael Matthews (Aus/Orica) 14hrs 24mins 15secs 2. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Giant) +14secs 3. Patrick Bevin (NZ/Cannondale) +19secs 4. Jon Izagirre (Spa/Movistar) 5. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) Selected: 9. Richie Porte (Aus/BMC Racing) +27secs 17. Alberto Contador (Spain / Tinkoff) +33secs 18. Simon Yates (Britain / Orica) +37secs", "summary": "Britain's Geraint Thomas remains fifth in the Paris-Nice race despite crashing on stage four."}
{"article": "The family is suing the home's previous owners for not telling them about it before the sale, claiming they had received letters too. In letters \"the Watcher\" wrote that the home \"has been the subject of my family for decades.\" \"I asked [the previous owners] to bring me young blood,\" the Watcher wrote. Content from the letters are included in a complaint filed to a New Jersey Court. The house is worth $1.3m (\u00c2\u00a3826,131). The stalker wrote that he has been in control of the house for two decades and he asked the previous owners to sell it. \"You have changed it and made it so fancy...it cries for the past and what used to be in the time when I roamed its halls,\" the stalker wrote. \"And now I watch and wait for the day when the young blood will be mine again.\" Westfield mayor Andy Skibitsky, speaking at town hall meeting in Westfield on Tuesday, said \"The Watcher\" is a mystery, ABC News reports. \"When, over a year ago, this matter was reported to the police, our police department conducted an exhaustive investigation,\" Mr Skibitsky said. \"Such efforts, however, have not yielded information leading to charges being filed and, therefore, this case is pending introduction of any new evidence.\"", "summary": "A New Jersey family will not move into their new million-dollar home after receiving threatening packages from a mysterious sender called \"the Watcher\"."}
{"article": "The Ireland front row was suspended for two games by European Champions Cup organisers following an incident in the defeat by Toulon in France last Sunday. Leinster have appealed, arguing that Healy was cited for one offence yet suspended for another. As the appeal cannot be heard until after Saturday, he is free to play. The 28-year-old could still miss the Pro12 meeting with Munster at Thomond Park on Sunday, 27 December. \"Leinster believe this is a failure to follow due process and is unfair to Cian Healy,\" the Irish province said. Healy was handed the ban for dangerous play after being charged with striking Toulon hooker Guilhem Guirado with his knee during the 24-9 defeat in France. The striking charge was found to be not proven but the incident was deemed to be foul play. \"As a written decision of the judicial officer is not available, it has not yet been possible to hear the player's appeal nor set a date for the appeal,\" said organisers European Professional Club Rugby. \"The player is therefore free to play until the outcome of his appeal.\"", "summary": "Leinster prop Cian Healy is available for Saturday's game with Toulon after it was ruled he can play until his appeal against a two-game ban is heard."}
{"article": "Top-flight clubs will share more than \u00a35bn from 2016 to 2019, a 71% increase on the previous three-year deal. Gylfi Sigurdsson and Andre Ayew have been linked with moves away from the Liberty Stadium, but Taylor says the club will not need to sell their stars. \"Teams don't have to sell like they used to,\" said Wales' Taylor. \"I think what you're going to find is that with the money coming to the Premier League teams don't have to sell. That might mean a few more clubs hanging on to their best players.\" Swansea head coach Francesco Guidolin has said he expects interest in midfielder Sigurdsson this summer. The 26-year-old Iceland international won Swansea City's supporters' and players' player of the year awards after scoring 11 goals in the club's successful fight against relegation. He is under contract at Swansea until 2018, but has been linked with a number of big clubs, while Ayew has said his future depends on a summer discussion with chairman Huw Jenkins. \"It's the same every year for our club, we have players that come through, they do well,\" said Taylor, who was visiting his old school Ysgol Brynhyfryd in Ruthin before joining up with the Wales squad for their training camp in Portugal. \"Gylfi is someone that has come now in two spells and done well for us. We want to keep hold of them obviously, Andre has scored goals. \"But just like when we lost Wilfried Bony and people down the years and we lost Sigurdsson the last time, we do lose important players because they get poached by bigger teams. \"It's important that we try and keep them and add to that this season because we've realised how hard it is.\" Swansea have been linked with summer moves for two of their former players - Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony and Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen. Ivory Coast international Bony joined City from Swansea for \u00a325m in 2015, while Allen left for Liverpool for \u00a315m in 2012. Both have struggled to nail down starting places at the north-west clubs and Taylor admits he would be delighted to see them return to west Wales. \"There is a lot more work to be done than just somebody to say that we want them back. You have to talk about money, you have to talk about whether the players want to come back here,\" Taylor said. \"They are both at big football clubs that are fighting for trophies, like Liverpool in the Europa League. There's a lot more to happen before we bring those players in but people of that ilk are definitely people that we should be looking at.\"", "summary": "Swansea City defender Neil Taylor says the club is under less pressure to sell players due to the money coming in from the new Premier League television deal."}
{"article": "The artist and photographer David Gwinnutt was part of the 1980s art scene that centred around the Blitz club in London's Covent Garden, leading to the creatives who frequented it being dubbed the \"Blitz kids\". Although they were known for their flamboyant makeup and performances, Gwinnutt captured these young men and women relaxing around their homes, which were often squats or rented council houses. Against a backdrop of the economic recession and unemployment of the early 1980s, some of these club-goers went on to become established artists and film-makers in their own right. \"Derek Jarman [the experimental British filmmaker] really liked the photographs I had taken of him and asked me who I'd most like to photograph. I said David Bowie,\" Gwinnutt remembered about this photograph. \"He laughed and said I should photograph John Maybury.\" Maybury was also a film-maker, who used theatrical themes and visuals in his work. The portrait above was taken as he smoked his first cigarette of the day in his Camden flat. Gilbert & George are artists who have spent their lives as \"living sculptures\", wearing sharp suits and making their entire existence a performance, down to claiming to eat in the same Turkish restaurant every evening. Gwinnutt met them at Planets nightclub in Piccadilly and, noticing how they stood out from the crowd in their neat suits, asked to photograph them in their East London home. The artist Cerith Wyn Evans stands on the set of his film Epiphany, which took inspiration from the London club scene and starred friends such as the flamboyant performance artist Leigh Bowery. In the image below, the artist Maggi Hambling looks in the mirror while smoking at a sink. She is best known for her sculpture on Aldeburgh beach dedicated to Benjamin Britten, as well as another sculptural \"conversation\" with Oscar Wilde, located near Trafalgar Square. In this photograph (above), co-founder of the fashion label BodyMap, David Holah, reclines on a sofa during a dinner party in Bloomsbury. At the time of this photograph below, Norman Rosenthal was the Exhibitions Secretary of the Royal Academy in London. Sensation, an exhibition he curated for the Academy in 1997, featured the work of Cerith Wyn Evans amongst others. The picture was taken in Rosenthal's flat opposite the Academy, which was so sparsely furnished the curator and art historian was forced to sit on the floor. Although Rosenthal was reclining, Gwinnutt recalled, \"I felt all the time that he was observing me.\" The film producer Alison Owen, mother of singer Lily Allen, stands in a doorway in the mid 1980s. Since this was taken, she has worked on films such as Shaun of the Dead, The Other Boleyn Girl and Brick Lane. Although known for his flamboyant dress sense and immaculate makeup, fashion designer Stephen Linard is seen below in bed in his Kings Cross flat. On graduating from St Martin's School of Art, his first catwalk show of \"mean and moody menswear\" propelled him to overnight success. The man at the centre of this artistic scene, Derek Jarman [below] stares intensely down", "summary": "David Gwinnutt: Before We Were Men runs at the National Portrait Gallery from 16 March-24 September 2017."}
{"article": "After more than two years without a goal, the 27-year-old has now scored five times in 11 appearances. \"For me, it's just brilliant to be playing again,\" he told BBC WM. \"The manager (Gary Rowett) has been good in indicating he is particularly keen to make it permanent.\" He added: \"I'm not 100% sure what the ins and outs of this so-called option are. \"But it has been noted that the international break is the time for people to sit down and talk about situations.\" Southampton-born Jutkiewicz, who has three times commanded a seven-figure fee in his 10-year professional career - for Everton, Middlesbrough and Burnley - was joining his 10th club when he came to St Andrew's. Prior to coming to the West Midlands on 31 August, Jutkiewicz had gone more than two years without scoring a goal. In fact, his last goal, on loan from Middlesbrough to Bolton Wanderers in May 2014, was the one that almost sent Blues down to League One, but for an injury-time Paul Caddis equaliser. \"First year in the Premier League with Burnley, I didn't play many games and almost the whole of last season I spent on the sidelines injured. \"I'm quite a cerebral person in my spare time and you do analyse things when you're sidelined. Maybe sometimes you over-analyse things. But I knew, if I could play regularly, everything would fall into place. \"If you have a right mind, it can only benefit you on the pitch. From my point of view, I just wanted to go and play football and let the rest sort itself out. And the lads have made it very easy for me to fit in. \"I've had a few bumps and bruises, but, for any centre-forwards or centre-half, that's what you get in a physical league like this when you put your body on the line. And I just take it on the chin.\"", "summary": "Birmingham City's on-loan Burnley striker Lukas Jutkiewicz is happy to make his move to St Andrew's more permanent after rediscovering his goal touch with the Championship club."}
{"article": "Starting on Sunday, an eight-day surfing safari will take a group of tourists into North Korea to experience its remote, sandy beaches. The expedition, led by Italian champion surfer Nicola Zanella who also coaches China's national surf team, will explore, map and evaluate surf spots along the east coast. But what kind of experience will it really be to surf in the hermit kingdom? A potentially \"dangerous one\", according to North Korean expert and former Associated Press Pyongyang bureau chief Jean Lee in Washington DC. \"The country does have some beautiful, white sandy beaches along its east coast but I can't think of a place that is more antithetical to surfing's 'hang loose' culture.\" Mr Zanella, who lives in China's island province of Hainan, will be visiting North Korea for the first time. \"There are many reasons to surf in North Korea. Waves are empty, un-surfed and they break on pristine beaches where few foreigners have set foot,\" he said. He also told the BBC that the tour aims to educate young North Koreans on water safety and will help build \"a solid local surf culture\". The surf tour has received \"official approval from the North Korean government\" and will kick off in the capital, Pyongyang, according to Andrea Lee, tour group organiser of the US-based Uri Tours which regularly takes groups to the North. Surfers will be taken to several prominent monuments to pay respects to late leaders Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung as part of \"official protocol\", she explained, before the sport begins. \"We are always looking to diversify our tour offerings to give travellers unique ways to experience North Korea. We are also big proponents of sports tourism; our past tours included skiing and running in the Pyongyang Marathon and that allowed our tourists the greatest interaction with locals.\" She also told the BBC the response so far had been \"overwhelming and encouraging\". \"We've been contacted by surfers from all over the world who want to join the tour so we already have a pretty diverse group of all skill levels.\" The heavily patrolled waters of North Korea's east coast lie between the seas of Japan and Russia. Satellite images show the remote coastal communities of Sijung and Hamhung, both dotted by outlying islands and boasting clear blue seas. But according to Jean Lee, North Korean waters wouldn't deliver any \"promising surf\". \"I've gone swimming at Majon beach and have been to Sijung; this isn't big surf. The waves are pretty flat this time of year.\" She also said that while some North Koreans love going to the beach, she has never seen a surfer. \"Most of the people I met at the public beaches were factory workers or farmers who were visiting for the day. There are fisherman working along the coast too, but they don't live at the beach,\" she said. \"Korea may be a peninsula but watersports isn't part of tradition. But if North Korea wants surfers, they'll certainly assign that challenge to their young athletes so that they're catching waves by September.\" North Korea has", "summary": "Forget Namibia, Antarctica or even England's Severn Estuary; is North Korea about to become one of the world's most unusual surf destinations?"}
{"article": "Greater Manchester Police said the girl was attacked in Crow Croft Park, Levenshulme, Manchester at about 23:20 BST on Thursday. Officers were called to the scene following reports of \"concern for a teenage girl\", said a police spokesman. He added that police were carrying out inquiries at the scene, which has been cordoned off.", "summary": "A 12-year-old girl has been raped in a late night attack at a park, police have said."}
{"article": "Saturday's fixture - abandoned after 60 minutes amid torrential rain - will be replayed on 20 September, with no refunds offered for the original match. Rovers boss Darrell Clarke called the move \"shocking\" and Swindon were urged to \"rethink\" by their Supporters Trust. Rovers have offered returning away fans free coach travel to the County Ground. \"While we understand supporters' frustration, what happened on Saturday afternoon was an act of God and beyond the club's control,\" Power said in a statement on Swindon's website. \"I must stress that the club still has a number of costs to meet on a matchday. These costs have increased dramatically due to the fact that this is a derby match. \"Clubs do not usually offer any form of refund when the game is abandoned after half-time and not before.\" Adult tickets for the rearranged match on 20 September will cost \u00a319-25, although Swindon's season ticket holders will be admitted for free. On Tuesday, Mike Welsh, vice-chair of Swindon Town's Supporters' Trust had told BBC Wiltshire: \"Supporters were asked to keep their ticket stubs. \"We thought the club could have reached out to the fans and sought some middle ground. We encourage them to come back, have a rethink and see if we can meet the fans halfway.\"", "summary": "Swindon Town chairman Lee Power is standing by his club's decision to charge fans for new tickets for a rearranged game against Bristol Rovers."}
{"article": "Its brutal tactics, including mass killings and abductions, as well as the beheadings of soldiers and journalists, have caused fear and outrage and led to US military intervention. IS is also known as Isis and some companies have changed their names to stop themselves being associated with the group in any way. The latest people to announce a rebrand are the team behind Archer but there are many more organisations who are associated with the name Isis. The spy comedy has been focused on the work of the International Secret Intelligence Service. At Comic Con over the weekend, the creators confirmed that the fictional organisation would be phased out in the upcoming sixth series and instead the team would be working for the CIA. They also revealed vast quantities of merchandise with the Archer Isis logo would have to be scrapped. The high street adult shop launched a range of lingerie recently which was branded with the word Isis. The range of black and white underwear is still available on their website, although some of it is in the sale. The Crawley family dog, who features in the opening credits of the ITV show, is called Isis, in reference to the Egyptian God. There have been no suggestions that the production team will be changing the pet's name. With sites in London, Brighton, Oxford, Toronto and Canada, Isis Schools have been teaching English for more than 20 years. There is no indication on their website or on social media that they are planning to alter their name and a request by Newsbeat for a comment was not returned. Now known as Thairish Cafe, owners Bernadette Lyons and Sa-Nguan Lyons changed the name of their Levenshulme restaurant after the death of Alan Hennings. Bernadette says they received warnings from the police that the name might attract trouble to the cafe. The new name reflects the owners' Thai and Irish backgrounds. Another company which has decided to change its name is Isis Equity Partners, a firm which supplied investment to UK businesses. They've yet to reveal the new name they are going with and are still listed online under the name Isis. This isn't the first time in history that international politics and conflict have conspired to create brand identity problems for a company. Back in the 1930s SS Cars became a successful sports vehicle brand. With the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party in Germany, the name SS became increasingly associated with the SchutzStaffel, the primary organisation responsible for the Holocaust. In 1945 SS Cars was launched under the title Jaguar. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "The rise of Islamic State (IS), the jihadist militant group that has seized large parts of Syria and Iraq, has sent shockwaves around the world."}
{"article": "Jobbik came second in 18 out of 19 counties, ahead of the Socialists, as in the May European elections. It won control of 14 towns and villages. The party has been accused of anti-Semitic and anti-Roma rhetoric. Fidesz won all but six districts of the capital Budapest, where its mayoral candidate Istvan Tarlos was re-elected. It has a two-thirds majority in the national parliament and the local election consolidated its grip over the country's politics. It came top in nearly all the big towns and cities. Jobbik is the third-largest party in Hungary's parliament and has three MEPs. It has tried to soften its image recently, but remains committed to defending conservative Hungarian values and thwarting integration of Roma communities, many of whom are desperately poor and marginalised. The BBC's Nick Thorpe in Budapest writes: \"From 2018, Jobbik will govern this country,\" Jobbik leader Gabor Vona told cheering supporters in Budapest as the election results came in. But he faces an uphill task to overtake Fidesz. His main problem is that Prime Minister Orban has stolen most of his Eurosceptic clothes. Jobbik did well in this election, but not as well as it hoped. In 18 of 19 counties, it came second to Fidesz, proving that it now has nationwide support. In the countryside, Jobbik won five towns and nine villages, up from one town and three villages in 2010. Most spectacularly, it won narrowly in the northern industrial town of Ozd, which has a large Roma population. Jobbik's initial success was largely based on its ability to tap into widespread fear of the Roma in the Hungarian countryside. In all three elections this year - parliamentary, European and municipal - it has considerably toned down its rhetoric. It is now trying to appeal to middle-class voters who have abandoned Fidesz, as their standard of living stagnates and their children leave to work abroad.", "summary": "The far-right Jobbik party in Hungary has made gains in local elections won convincingly by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling nationalist Fidesz."}
{"article": "The heavyweight boxer is hoping to fight for the constituency, currently held by Conservative David Morris. He told the BBC it was a genuine ambition and he would stand as an Independent. Mr Fury said there was too much focus on immigration and not enough on \"our own brothers and sisters who are on the streets and abusing drugs and alcohol\". \"I want to make a change for the better for the place I live,\" he said. \"I believe that I will succeed because of the influence I have over the people from the town.\" He said he had been thinking about entering politics over the past month or so. The political ambition was separate to his dressing up as Batman last week for his heavyweight title fight against Wladimir Klitschko, he said. Fury was due to take on the Ukrainian boxer, 39, for his WBA, IBF and WBO titles in Dusseldorf, Germany, on 24 October before the champion pulled out with an injury. Fury said he now planned to meet David Morris and Lancashire County Council to discuss his political plans, and said: \"I should be elected in five years' time.\" Despite his roots in the travelling community, which is often said to be subject to abuse and discrimination, he said he believed there was too much focus on immigration. \"What about people who are born and bred here?\" he said. \"We need to build on the foundations we have steadily to make change.\" Fury said he had no political experience, and no views on previous political scandals involving expenses. \"I feel that coming from a travelling background, I am used to politics and arguing,\" he said. \"My opinions on travellers are different to refugees - we are not talking about people coming over from Romania - they are British people.\" On the economy, he said it was \"slightly better\" than it had been over the last three years in terms of unemployment and people having more spending power, \"and coming back to pubs and bars\". He said he did not want the UK to be part of the European Union, citing what he said were the financial problems of Spain, Greece and Italy.", "summary": "Boxer Tyson Fury has revealed that he has ambitions to be the next MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale."}
{"article": "The Baby Blacks - who won the tournament from 2008 to 2011 - ended England's two year hold on the trophy. England went in front through Max Clark, who burst through, before New Zealand hit back through Vince Tavae-Aso to lead at half-time. Akira Ioane went over from close range to extend their advantage, as Otere Black added four penalties. England beat South Africa in the semi-finals, while New Zealand went through to the showpiece after thrashing France in the last-four. The New Zealand juniors performed the haka before kick-off, but England started confidently, going ahead through Bath centre Clark. After a slow start, New Zealand got back into the game as Tavae-Aso powered over for a narrow 11-10 half-time lead. Ioane bundled himself over early in the second half, before being sent to the sin bin, and although Rory Jennings kicked four penalties for England, they relinquished their hold on the trophy.", "summary": "New Zealand won the World Rugby U20 Championship for the fifth time after beating England 21-16 in Italy."}
{"article": "It's a point she made in the Northamptonshire MP's first speech as Secretary of State for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs. She represents a rural constituency, which she praised: \"I know from my own constituency of South Northamptonshire that the British countryside is some of the most beautiful in the world.\" Mrs Leadsom also warned that rural communities should not be left behind: \"I want people living in our market towns and villages to have the same life opportunities as those who live in our cities,\" she said. Mrs Leadsom ended up in the job after this summer's bruising leadership contest and joked at her own expense that Jeremy Corbyn could have come to her for advice on how to ensure a short lived campaign. That went down well with the audience who welcomed her warmly onto stage as one of the leading lights of the Leave campaign. The grinning Secretary of State told the hall that we are selling naan bread to India, and coffee to Brazil and received applause for the fact that the French voted British Lamb their product of the year. She smiled purposefully before making pointed references to her joy at the chance \"to plot a new course in the world\" post Brexit. Mrs Leadsom promised to lead on the environment \"committing to being the first generation to leave it in a better state than when we found it. Still smiling she announced that it was crucial to provide farmers with certainty and continuity. \"It's important that we are able to confirm the same level of agricultural support until 2020.\" \"I am convinced that outside the EU they have an even brighter future.\" The question is whether that will put a smile on the farmers' faces.", "summary": "One in eight people work in farming and it is a bigger industry than the car and aerospace industry combined, Andrea Leadsom tells the Conservative Party Conference."}
{"article": "Residents in Kemble said they heard \"explosions\" and one woman said her home shook with the force of the noise. Witnesses said they believed the noises after 22:00 GMT on Tuesday were linked to the nearby Cotswold Airport. Gloucestershire Police have apologised for the disturbance. The booms, heard from Kington St Michael to Malmesbury and Calne in Wiltshire. sparked calls to BBC Wiltshire and BBC Radio Gloucestershire as well as dozens of posts on social media. Writing on Facebook. Sophie Wyatt described \"a massive bang and a flash\" as she was out near Kemble. She said she saw \"a crowd of people hanging around a lit-up aircraft further into the airbase\". Nick Howard, Cotswold Airport manager, said the booms were part of \"a high level and very rare police and emergency services exercise\". He said he would not comment further \"due to the nature of the exercise\". Paul Shanley, 51, who lives just outside Kemble village described the booms as \"very disturbing - worrying\". \"There was an enormous explosion - really deep explosion - it was enough to wake up my daughter,\" he said. Mr Shanley, who lives just outside Kemble, said his family had heard similar booms \"three times before this but we've never got to the bottom of what it was\". He said when he went outside to look there was \"a lot of action going on over at the airfield\" but when he rang police asking what was happening he was told \"they weren't allowed to talk about it\". Angie Abingdon posted on Facebook: \"Our house shook! There were concerned people standing outside after the first. I think we should have been given some warning.\" A spokesperson for Gloucestershire Police said: \"We would like to reassure residents that the explosion heard in Kemble yesterday was part of routine operational training for police. \"We apologise for the disturbance caused.\"", "summary": "Late-night loud booms in parts of the Cotswolds which sparked complaints on social media were apparently down to \"a high level and very rare police and emergency services exercise\"."}
{"article": "Australian Browne stopped defending champion Ruslan Chagaev to win the title in Russia earlier this month. The 36-year-old delivered a positive sample for clenbuterol after the fight, his management company have revealed. \"I would like to assure all fans, the whole of the boxing world and all of Australia that I am not a drug user or a drug cheat,\" said Browne. Sydney-born Browne was knocked down in the sixth round but floored Uzbekistan's Chagaev with a big right to improves his record to 24-0. He added: \"I will fight for as long as it takes to clear my name. I have never heard of the drug clenbuterol and had no idea what it is used for. \"I am now aware that it is essentially a weight-stripping drug and as a heavyweight boxer, the idea of me using it is utterly ridiculous. \"My team and I were well aware of the many risks involved in going to a place like Chechnya to fight a reigning champion and believed we had taken sufficient precautions. \"In addition, it was at our insistence that Vada [Voluntary Anti-Doping Association] testing was implemented for the fight.\" Clenbuterol is a powerful drug used to treat asthma, but it can also help build up lean muscle mass and burn off fat. The drug's growth-promoting ability has also found favour with beef farmers, particularly in China and Mexico. The fact that humans can ingest the substance inadvertently by eating beef has in the past put pressure on anti-doping rules, which deem the slightest trace to be a doping infringement.", "summary": "WBA heavyweight champion Lucas Browne says he is \"shocked and devastated\" after failing a drugs test."}
{"article": "Hovertravel has said it will offer refunds after delays and cancellations in recent weeks on its services between Southsea and Ryde. Commuters with season tickets will have up to two weeks added when they renew. The operator said it was also temporarily bringing its Island Express craft back into service. The firm said one of the new hovercraft, the Island Flyer, was currently out of action after suffering a transmission fault at Southsea on Wednesday. Hovertravel said: \"We are sorry for any disruptions as we introduce our new craft. We are confident that we will get there.\" The new Solent Flyer and Island Flyer, costing \u00c2\u00a310m, were launched in the summer. The firm said the compensation policy would remain in place until 31 March. Hovertravel has been running ferries between Southsea and Ryde since 1965.", "summary": "Passengers who suffer cancellations caused by \"technical issues\" with two new hovercraft are to be offered compensation."}
{"article": "The Celtic left-back was handed the role in Scotland's crucial World Cup qualifier against Slovenia. And Tierney could continue there against England at Hampden on 10 June. \"It's up to the gaffer, whatever he thinks is best and whatever he thinks the team that is going to give us the best chance of winning,\" said Tierney. Scotland had been left short at right-back after Alan Hutton retired from international football and Callum Paterson suffered cruciate ligament damage. Derby County winger Ikechi Anya had impressed at right-back against England and Canada. But, as Hull City's Andy Robertson revealed after the 1-0 win over Slovenia, head coach Gordon Strachan decided to move one of his three left-backs over to the left. Media playback is not supported on this device Rangers' Lee Wallace missed out through injury, Robertson was chosen on the left and Strachan showed his faith in 19-year-old Tierney for a debut in the right-back role. \"I have been training there all week, so I had a feeling I'd be playing there,\" said Tierney, who was winning his third Scotland cap. \"The manager and the coaching staff have been giving me pointers. I enjoyed it.\" Strachan said before the game that his side needed three points to retain hopes of qualifying for the 2018 finals in Russia. Instead, the victory moved the Scots two points off second-top Slovakia and gave them a fighting chance of making a play-off. It was a big occasion for Tierney's Celtic team-mate, Stuart Armstrong, to win his first cap and the midfielder responded by setting up Chris Martin's 88th-minute winning goal four days before his 25th birthday. Asked about his role in the winner, the former Dundee United player said: \"It feels good, but what feels better is to have contributed in a positive way to three points, which we needed to put us in a very good position in the group,\" he said. \"Kech [Ikechi Anya] has made a really good run on the outside just to drag that defender and Chris has held a really good position in the box and has done brilliantly to turn and finish.\" Armstrong also collected the man-of-the-match award, while Strachan declared it the best Scotland debut he could remember. Clutching his cap, he said: \"It's a proud moment to hold this. \"It's a proud moment for my family. To cap that off with three points is great.\" Strachan was widely expected to quit as team boss had they failed to win, but Armstrong thought the side responded well to such pressure. \"We had trained well all week, there was a good atmosphere, and it's important sometimes to stay positive when things aren't going the way you want them to,\" he said. \"And I think we responded really well.\"", "summary": "Kieran Tierney is prepared to continue as Scotland's auxiliary right-back after coming through a high-stakes experiment with flying colours."}
{"article": "Horne won her first national title in the team pursuit at the National Track Championships in Manchester last week. The 26-year-old says she is leaving her road cycling team in order to turn her attention to the 2016 Rio Games. \"This is the right thing for me to do now and put my eggs into one basket and try and make the Games,\" Horne said. Warwickshire-born Horne, who represented Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, won the national team pursuit title with Joanna Rowsell Shand, Dame Sarah Storey and Katie Archibald. Horne has spent four years working alongside Storey, who has announced her team Podium Ambition will turn professional for the start of the Women's World Tour in 2016. But with just four competitions left to gain selection, Horne insists her main concern is being part of the team pursuit in Rio. \"For me moving forward, the main focus between now and Rio, will be team pursuit,\" Horne told BBC Radio Wales Sport. \"Everything is about going quicker over that 4km distance with the girls. \"The smartest thing to do is to focus solely on that and leave the road.\"", "summary": "Welsh cyclist Ciara Horne is giving up the chance to ride professionally on the Women's World Tour next year in a bid to win an Olympic title."}
{"article": "William Lauder, 48, of Buccleuch Street, Hawick, was found guilty after trial in April of stealing jeans, jackets and other items. He took the goods from Aero Leather Clothing Ltd in Galashiels, Hawick and elsewhere between 2004 and 2013. Sheriff Alistair Noble jailed him at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. \"You were held in high esteem and trusted completely and you betrayed that trust,\" he told Lauder. Defence advocate, Victoria Dow, told Sheriff Noble that her client continued to deny the allegations against him. He lived in Hawick with his wife and son and she said the financing of their home \"could be compromised by any element of custody\". Lauder, she added, had no previous convictions and was assessed as being at low risk of re-offending, adding: \"Therefore he is suitable for a community-based disposal. \"He is fit, able and capable of carrying out such a disposal.\" A large amount of the materials taken had been recovered, she told the sheriff. However, the sheriff told Lauder: \"You were convicted of stealing just under \u00a3195,000 of property from a company of which you were the managing director. \"In part, this may have been you felt you were being insufficiently rewarded for the work you were doing for the company. \"You had been in substantial control of the company and it is clear you were held in high esteem and trusted completely. You betrayed that trust.\" Sheriff Noble acknowledged that a substantial amount of the property had been recovered. He said: \"Despite these factors, it is clear in my view the offences can only be dealt with by a custodial sentence. \"Giving you as much credit as I can, you are sentenced to 21 months imprisonment from today.\"", "summary": "A managing director of a Borders clothing firm has been jailed for 21 months after stealing goods worth nearly \u00a3195,000 from the business."}
{"article": "Youngsters face a culture of suspicion, and authorities try to avoid taking on their care, a Lords EU committee said. Their \"harrowing\" circumstances have led them to lose faith in national authorities, making them easy prey for smuggling gangs, witnesses told peers. The Home Office says it is helping resettle such children under a new law. More than 10,000 migrant children are believed to have disappeared after arriving in Europe over the past two years, the EU's police intelligence unit says. The European Union Committee of the House of Lords criticised the UK government for a \"continuing reluctance... to show solidarity with its European partners in helping to relocate such children\". What happens to lone child migrants? 10,000 child migrants 'missing' Safid's story: 'I don't have any hope left' Nearly 90,000 lone minors sought refuge in the EU in 2015 - a sharp increase compared with just over 23,000 in the previous year. In the UK last year there were 3,043 applications from unaccompanied asylum-seeking children - an increase of 56% on the number in 2014. The committee also said: Committee chairwoman Baroness Prashar said the current refugee crisis was the greatest humanitarian challenge the EU had faced in its lifetime, but member countries were failing to shoulder their \"fair share of the burden\". \"At the sharp end of this crisis are unaccompanied migrant children, who are being failed across the board,\" she said. \"We found that these children face suspicion on arrival. They are seen as 'somebody else's problem', and the conditions they live in were described to us as deplorable and squalid.\" Under a scheme announced in May, the government said lone child refugees registered in France, Italy or Greece before 20 March could be resettled in the UK. Ministers had been under pressure to accept 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees from Europe, but then-Prime Minister David Cameron said numbers would depend on what local councils could cope with. The Home Office said the new policy - which is underpinned by the Immigration Act 2016 - had made \"crystal clear\" its commitment to bring vulnerable children from Europe to the UK. More than 20 children have been accepted for transfer to the UK since the Act was given royal assent and the majority of those have arrived, a Home Office spokeswoman said. The government is in discussions with the United Nations and the Italian, Greek and French governments \"to strengthen and speed up mechanisms to identify, assess and transfer children to the UK and ensure this in their best interests\", she added. Meanwhile, Downing Street has defended Theresa May's decision to scrap the post of Syrian refugees minister - a move criticised by a number of MPs, including Conservative backbencher Heidi Allen. The prime minister's official spokeswoman said the Home Office would retain responsibility to meet the government's promise to take in 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020.", "summary": "Thousands of lone migrant children are living in squalid conditions after being let down by European countries including the UK, a report has warned."}
{"article": "Friend, 28, was withdrawn during the 1-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest on 23 January after landing awkwardly. Former Doncaster and Wolves full-back Friend has missed just one league game this season, scoring once. Boro are already without centre-back Ben Gibson with a hip injury, who can also play wide, while full-back James Husband is on loan at Huddersfield.", "summary": "Middlesbrough defender George Friend will be out for approximately four weeks after fracturing a shoulder."}
{"article": "The Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy includes the ambition of doubling the number of people using bikes by 2025. Transport Minister Robert Goodwill said \"sustained investment in cycling and walking infrastructure\" was needed. Cycling campaigners warned the strategy \"won't be worth the paper it's written on\" without sustained funding. A consultation has been launched to seek views on the plans and will close on 23 May, with a final strategy published in the summer. The Department for Transport (DfT) said it wanted walking and cycling to be the \"natural choice\" for shorter journeys, or as part of a longer journey, by 2040. This would be done through providing \"safe and attractive infrastructure\" to encourage journeys on bike and foot, it said. The DfT said the strategy marked a \"major shift from short term funding streams for cycling and walking to a strategic long term approach\". Mr Goodwill said the plans would \"benefit the whole of society by boosting the economy, improving health, cutting congestion and improving air quality\". He added: \"Realising our ambition will take sustained investment in cycling and walking infrastructure. \"That's why we have committed over \u00a3300m to support cycling and walking over this Parliament and this will increase further when spending on enhancing and maintaining existing infrastructure is taken into account.\" But British Cycling and CTC, the national cycling charity, have called for the objectives and funding proposals in the draft strategy to be strengthened. They point to the parliamentary Get Britain Cycling report, which called for investment in cycling of at least \u00a310 per person annually, rising to \u00a320, in order to boost cycle use to 10% of trips by 2025, and to 25% by 2050. The draft Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy provides central government funding of \u00a3300m over the period 2015-2020, amounting to \u00a31.39 per person outside London, the campaigners said. Chris Boardman, the 1992 individual pursuit Olympic champion and policy adviser for British Cycling, said \"far more ambition\" was needed if Britain was to create a cycling and walking culture to rival countries like Denmark and Holland. Mr Boardman said: \"The truth is that without sustained funding, this strategy won't be worth the paper it's written on. We know that when faced with other priorities like road maintenance, saving bus routes and new housing developments, cycling and walking will be put at the bottom of most councils' to-do lists.\" The DfT said it would issue guidance to local bodies on developing local plans when the final strategy is published. A new independent expert committee will be established by October 2016 to advise on the strategy and its implementation, it added.", "summary": "The government has unveiled proposals to encourage people to cycle and walk more in England."}
{"article": "The ex-England hooker, 57, won the competition with Devon in 2004 as a player and as coach in 2007, and played in Cornwall's triumphant 1991 campaign. Dawe has been Cornwall head coach since 2013, leading them to victories in the 2015 and 2016 Twickenham finals. \"It's a nice local game for me, but I'm travelling as a Cornishman,\" he said. \"I'm 100% behind Cornwall, there's no emotion at all.\" The game will be played at Ivybridge on Saturday, with Cornwall favourites as they continue their pursuit of a hat-trick of County Championship titles against a Devon side who were only promoted to Division One because of a restructuring of the competition. Devon head coach Dan Parkes played under Dawe at Plymouth Albion, and acknowledges his side are underdogs. \"It's going to be hard, the boys are going to be up against it,\" he told BBC Sport. \"For Graham the pressure is on, but I'm sure they'll get to their third final. \"The better we can do, the more likely we can attract players next year. Players play for Cornwall because they know they have a great chance of reaching Twickenham.\"", "summary": "Graham Dawe says he has \"no emotion\" ahead of his Cornwall side's County Championship game at Devon, who he previously played for and coached."}
{"article": "Andrew George, who was re-elected Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives in May, is one of four MPs to have tabled an amendment to the finance bill. It follows the government's budget announcement that from 4 January VAT will rise from 17.5% to 20%. Mr George wants the government to assess the impact of such a rise on businesses, charities and households. The other three Liberal Democrat MPs who have put their name to the amendment are Bob Russell who represents Colchester in Essex, Mark Williams who is MP for the Welsh region of Ceredigion and mid-Wales and MP Roger Williams, whose constituency is Brecon and Radnorshire. Mr George said: \"I am not trying to trigger nuclear war and break up the coalition, it's perfectly normal for two parties to have different approaches and values. \"I just want to express my unhappiness with the move and have an open debate.\" Mr George also said he hoped a government minister would respond to the amendment on Monday and added he would continue to look for opportunities to press his case.", "summary": "An MP from Cornwall is calling for an investigation into the impact of increasing VAT to 20%."}
{"article": "Local media reported that the man was driving the car when it crashed and later took his own life. The men from New Zealand, aged 24 to 25, were on a hunting trip and not wearing seat belts, reports said. Their families have reportedly arrived in Australia to arrange for their bodies to be flown back. Police said they were preparing a report for the coroner. The men were named by Australian and New Zealand media as Kadin Wallace, Jeremy Vergeer, and Dylan Sherriff, and were reportedly working on farms in the Esperance region. Kadin Wallace, who was believed to be driving, survived the crash but is understood to have taken his own life before emergency services arrived, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Mr Vergeer got engaged just weeks ago and was the father of a child from a previous relationship. His fianc\u00c3\u00a9e, Lauren Withers, posted a message to social media describing him as \"my soulmate, my best friend, my everything\". \"The future seemed so promising for us... 2016 was going to be the best year for us, buying our first home, getting married and moving to NZ to start our family,\" Ms Withers said.", "summary": "A man who survived a crash that killed his two friends on a remote Australian highway died hours later from injuries unrelated to the accident, police said."}
{"article": "The man escaped with a three-figure sum of cash after raiding the shop in East Muiryhall Street, Coatbridge, at about 21:20 on Tuesday. The staff member, whose daughter was in the shop at the time, was uninjured but both were left \"extremely distressed\". Police have asked anyone with information to contact them. The suspect is described as white, about 5ft 7in tall, with a medium build. At the time of the robbery, he was wearing a dark hooded jacket and dark trousers. He was also wearing a balaclava to disguise his face and he had a local accent. Officers will be carrying out door-to-door inquiries and gathering CCTV images from the local area. Det Con Emma McLaughlin, of Police Scotland, said: \"There are other stores, such as a takeaway and a local shop nearby and it's possible someone may have seen the man before the incident, perhaps he was loitering outside, maybe you saw him acting a little suspiciously. \"If you have any information or knowledge of the incident or the suspect, then please do contact us.\"", "summary": "Police are attempting to trace a man who robbed a William Hill bookmakers in North Lanarkshire after threatening a member of staff with a weapon."}
{"article": "Heavy rain in Brisbane also led to the women's Test being postponed. The ladies' fixture will kick off at 05:00 BST, with the men's match taking place at 07:00 BST (16:00 local time). \"There were a number of considerations for this decision, primarily player safety as well as supporters,\" NRL head of football Todd Greenberg said.", "summary": "Australia and New Zealand will play their Anzac Test fixture at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, after a waterlogged pitch forced a postponement on Friday."}
{"article": "Inamulhaq Anwar, 34, and Akeel Ahmed, 41, had denied stepping up religious influence in education at Park View Academy in Alum Rock, Birmingham. A professional standards panel handed the men interim teaching bans in 2015. Mr Anwar and Mr Ahmed can apply to have their new bans set aside but only after minimum terms have elapsed. The men had denied a central allegation they had agreed with others to the inclusion of \"an undue amount of religious influence in pupils' education\". The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) said Mr Anwar would serve an indefinite ban for a minimum period of six years. Mr Ahmed will serve a ban with a three-year minimum term. Neither man is allowed to teach in any school, sixth form college, youth accommodation or children's home in England. They have 28 days to appeal against their bans to the High Court. Last November, a panel recommended teaching bans, after concluding pupils had been \"immersed in orthodox Islamic doctrine\" through measures including the use of the school loudspeaker system to broadcast a daily call-to-prayer to Park View's pupils. The panel also found while there was no formal agreement to change the character of the schools involved, there had been a co-ordinated attempt at the state-funded schools to include \"undue religious influence\". It further found no evidence of Islamic \"extremism\" at work in the classrooms. Thirteen former staff members including ex-head teachers at Park View Educational Trust (PVET) and Oldknow Academy have been facing misconduct hearings, as a result of the scandal's fallout. The panel said it had heard \"credible\" evidence from a staff member who described the two men's roles as that of \"generals\" in contributing to making sure pupils were \"fed a diet of Islam\". The panel also found their conduct tended to undermine tolerance and respect for the faith and belief of others. Separately, Mr Anwar was also found to have breached proper recruitment procedures at Park View's sister school Nansen Primary. Park View, part of PVET, was at the centre of anonymous allegations which claimed there was a wider plot by Muslim hard-liners to take control of several Birmingham schools. The allegations sparked investigations by several agencies, including the Department for Education and Ofsted. Following the scandal, Park View Academy was placed in special measures by Ofsted. It has since been renamed Rockwood Academy.", "summary": "Two teachers who worked at the school at the centre of the \"Trojan Horse\" scandal have been banned from the classroom for life."}
{"article": "Not many people have made such a leap, but he had the satisfaction of moving up from a tiny, freezing-cold prison cell to the most coveted office in Scotland. His old prison, Calton Jail in Edinburgh, was razed almost to the ground - and one of Scotland's swankiest 1930s buildings took shape above - St Andrew's House on Calton Hill. Woodburn's new office when he arrived in 1947 as Labour Secretary of State for Scotland was a walnut-panelled art-deco marvel to die for. But it didn't begin like that. Arthur Woodburn was born in Edinburgh in 1890, the youngest of eight children. He did not begin World War One as an objector but his job as a clerk at the London Road foundry showed him how the arms trade worked at that time. He was appalled that firms were profiting from misery, making huge fortunes while men were fighting at the front losing their lives. It began to turn Woodburn's views and, anyway, he had his elderly mother to look after and a kidney condition that affected his fitness. Arthur did not go to war when it began but, in 1916, the war came for Arthur. The Military Service Act of January 1916 called up all single men between the ages of 18 and 41 unless they were given an exemption by local military tribunals. Woodburn was 25 and had an easy way out, he was in an exempt occupation that helped the war effort. But this was too easy for a man with such a strict conscience. How could he ask others to risk imprisonment for refusing conscription when he had a get-out-of-jail free card? Woodburn told the authorities in writing that he would resist conscription. He was now a marked man. There were four categories for exemption - obvious ones for ill health, hardship and essential war work, and then the most controversial one: \"conscientious objection to the undertaking of combatant service\". This last category was really for people who had strong religious objections and it did not cover political objection. Though Woodburn was religious, his anti-war views were deeply rooted in his Independent Labour Party politics, so his chances of escaping call-up were slim. Those slim chances vanished when a Zeppelin bombed Edinburgh the day before his final appeal. Soon Arthur was on the path to Calton Jail, which in his case went via Glencorse Barracks, Wormwood Scrubs and even a short stay in the Tower of London before being sent back to Scotland. Then, as now, trains pulling into Edinburgh Waverley from the east arrived under an impressive set of walls, jutting out of Calton Hill. They are not there to hold the rocks back or to make it look picturesque for the tourists. They were built to stop criminals escaping. A century ago, you would have seen towering above them, not St Andrews House, but the jail Woodburn described as '\"the poorhouse of all prisons with the cold chill of a grim fortress\". It was famously cold. The food was revolting. According to another conscientious objector it", "summary": "Arthur Woodburn rose from being a despised World War One conscientious objector to become Secretary of State for Scotland."}
{"article": "For any new wave of grammar schools to be palatable to a broad section of MPs and peers, Mrs May has to tackle head-on claims that they have become the preserve of pushy, middle-class families. They need to become the engines of social mobility that they were once seen as. Following the ban on new grammar schools in 1998, the fight for places, especially in areas where there are just one or two schools, has become more intense. And this has led to wealthier families with the ability to pay for tutoring and preparation for the 11-plus exam - a set of tests very different from the usual ones taken by primary pupils in England. Research suggests grammar schools have just 3% of pupils from very poor backgrounds - those on the pupil premium who are basically from families in receipt of certain benefits or earning less than \u00c2\u00a316,000 a year. Nationally, 14% of pupils are in this category. Even the chairman of the National Grammar Schools Association, Robert McCartney, says: \"They will have to introduce some conditions that will prevent these schools being swamped by families with money.\" Hence the new requirement for any new selective school/grammar to take a proportion of disadvantaged pupils, establish a \"high quality, non-selective free school\", set up or sponsor a primary feeder school in a deprived area or sponsor an underperforming academy. Grammar school heads have been talking to the Department for Education for some years about the ways in which they might do this. Of the 163 grammar schools in England, more than 70 are planning to give some form of priority to disadvantaged pupils from next year, says Jim Skinner of the Grammar School Heads Association. This year, it is about 30 schools. This is most likely to be through a quota system based on recent new rules allowing schools to give priority in admissions to children on the pupil premium. The Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham, a chain of five schools, has led the way, having just admitted its second cohort of pupils with a quota for children on the pupil premium. In this case, they have lowered the test requirements for disadvantaged pupils. This may be the way it goes in some areas with a patchwork system of selective and non-selective schools. But as the law stands this method will serve only the very poorest of families. For it to go further and include a broader range of low-income families, another change in the admissions code will be required. However, in areas where the local authority administers the 11-plus test, the council could decide to prioritise low-income children, potentially by broadening the ability range that might secure a grammar place. Areas such as these are sending between 20% and 25% of their most able children to grammar schools. Currently, there is also a system of head teacher review in some selective counties. This is where primary school head teachers put forward a number of disadvantaged children who may not have done well enough in the test, but who they", "summary": "As the prime minister sets out plans for a new wave of grammars and selective schools, we ask how they might look."}
{"article": "One lane of a busy road was closed to traffic due to emergency repairs on Wednesday during rush hour. A number of businesses reported problems with their water supply and some were even forced to close for a short time. NI Water said that it had now successfully completed the repairs in the city centre area and was working on another burst on the Grosvenor Road. They said work should be completed by midnight. \"Restoring customers' supply has been our first priority,\" the spokesperson added. \"Unfortunately, burst water mains are by their nature unplanned and NI Water would like to thank the public for their patience during this time. We appreciate how busy businesses are at this time of year and we apologise for the inconvenience. \"It is possible that there may still be some water discolouration, although this should clear in the near future.\" Simon McCance of Ginger Bistro was among the restaurants in Belfast that had to close earlier. However, he said his water was back on at about 17:20 GMT and his restaurant had re-opened. \"Aside from loss of revenue, it's just really disappointing because we've had a good year, but, what can we do?,\" he said. Mr McCance said he had about 70 people booked in for the evening and expected about 30 more 'walk-ins'. \"It's a pain more than anything, it's a disruption on a very busy week,\" he said. NI Water has apologised for any inconvenience and has urged customers to contact Waterline on 03457 440088 or go to its website for further updates.", "summary": "Disruption caused by burst water pipes in Belfast city centre has ended."}
{"article": "Shadow chancellor John McDonnell will vow to protect low and middle earners by also ruling out rises in VAT and employee national insurance rates. But he will say the top 5% of earners would pay more to fund public services. The Tories, who have also ruled out a rise in VAT, say there is a \u00a345bn black hole in Labour's tax proposals. Theresa May has said she has \"no plans\" to raise other taxes after the election, but has so far declined to say whether a manifesto pledge not to raise direct taxes ahead of the 2015 election will be retained. Chancellor Philip Hammond appeared to distance himself from the commitment when he said recently that \"greater flexibility\" would be needed in future to pay down the deficit and reduce levels of debt. After a poor showing in Thursday's council elections, Labour has admitted it faces a \"historic\" challenge to win the snap election on 8 June, but Mr McDonnell has urged the party to \"come out fighting\". In a major speech on Sunday, he will argue Labour is on the side of working families and seek to reassure middle earners about his plans. At the same time, he will accuse his opponents of keeping people \"in the dark\" about their own intentions. He will say that if Labour wins power, 95% of taxpayers would see no rise in their overall tax burden until 2022 - the end of the parliamentary term. This would be achieved by ruling out increases to the standard 20% rate of VAT, personal national insurance contributions and income tax rates for those earning under \u00a380,000. However, he will say those earning more than \u00a380,000 would have to pay more, without giving specific details. At the moment, those earning more than \u00a3150,000 a year pay 45% tax on earnings above that level. \"The choice at this election is very clear on tax as there is currently only one party which is committing not to raise taxes on middle and low earners,\" he will say. \"The Tories are the party of tax handouts for the super-rich and big corporations.\" Mr McDonnell will contrast the certainty around Labour's plans with what he says is obfuscation from the Conservatives. \"Every time Theresa May and the Conservatives are asked whether they are planning tax increases if they are re-elected on 8 June, they run and hide,\" he will say. Labour's spending commitments so far include: The majority of these, it says, will be covered by the reversal of cuts to corporation, capital gains and inheritance taxes. The Conservatives are not expected to confirm their own plans until their manifesto launch later this month. Mr Hammond abandoned proposals in March's Budget to increase national insurance contributions for the self-employed following a Tory rebellion, with MPs claiming the move breached its 2015 manifesto. During the coalition years, the focus of Conservative policy was steady increases in the personal tax allowance, the point at which people start paying income tax. The threshold rose to \u00a311,500 last month and is due to increase to \u00a312,000 by", "summary": "Labour is pledging not to raise income tax for those earning less than \u00a380,000 a year as part of a \"personal tax guarantee\" for 95% of taxpayers."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old Spain international joined the Potters from Barcelona for an undisclosed fee in July 2014. Bojan, who missed the second half of last season with a knee injury, has scored 10 goals in 41 games for Stoke. Chief executive Tony Scholes said: \"Bojan has made no secret of the fact that he now regards Stoke as his home in a football sense.\" Bojan said: \"I am very happy and motivated. Stoke City gave me the opportunity to play in the most competitive league in the world, and I have only words of gratitude for their trust and for the way they have treated me. \"Mark Hughes convinced me to come to Stoke, he has helped me and showed his trust in me from the beginning. \"He followed closely the recovery process from my injury and there is no doubt I have signed an extension of my contract thanks to him.\"", "summary": "Stoke City forward Bojan Krkic has signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with the Premier League club."}
{"article": "Graham Stringer and Andrew Miller fear standards have slipped since the Forensic Science Service shut in 2012. Much of the work is now done by in-house police laboratories, many of which have not been accredited to a recognised international standard. The Home Office said: \"We continue to ensure forces have access to the best possible forensic services.\" Figures obtained through Freedom of Information requests by The Sunday Post show North West police forces have cut their forensic science budgets by nearly \u00a310m over the past five years. Greater Manchester Police has seen the biggest reduction, down from \u00a318.7m in 2010-11 to \u00a313.8m in 2013-14. Budget projections from Greater Manchester's Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd reveal plans to cut a further \u00a31.6m by 2017. Lancashire Constabulary, meanwhile, has cut its forensic science budget from \u00a33.3m in 2010-11 to about \u00a3990,000 in 2013-14. Mr Stringer, Labour MP for Blackley and Broughton, claimed \"murderers and rapists are likely to go free\" because of the cuts. He said it was \"good news for criminals\" and has made \"a very bad situation worse\". Mr Stringer said the range of forensics services now available through police laboratories and the private sector were limited and it was a \"really worryingly situation\". Ellesmere Port and Neston MP Mr Miller said: \"There's a real fear that somebody is going to end up on the wrong side of the bars, either someone wrongly prosecuted or wrongly acquitted, because of this cost-cutting approach that has been adopted.\" The Labour MP said there was a lack of transparency on how money was spent, and added: \"There is a real risk that in-house police laboratories will undermine the integrity of the whole industry of forensic science.\" Six of the forensic science services undertaken by GMP and seven of those performed by Cheshire Constabulary do not have accreditation from the International Standards Organisation. In December, a National Audit Office report raised doubts about the effectiveness of Home Office oversight, pointing to what it described as a lack of data on forensics spending by police forces. The Home Office said police reform was working and that \"it is for police and crime commissioners and chief constables to decide how to spend their budgets\". December 2010: The government announces plans to close the Forensic Science Service (FSS), a government-owned company which employs 1,600 staff. The government says it is losing about \u00a32m a month July 2011: An MPs' inquiry concludes that the government did not consider the wider impacts of closing the FSS, and that financial reasons took precedence October 2011: In its official response to the inquiry, the government argues that allowing the FSS to enter administration would have caused serious damage to the criminal justice system March 2012: The FSS officially shuts its doors, with operations transferred to private companies and in-house police laboratories. July 2013: A follow-up inquiry by the Commons' Science and Technology Committee concludes that major crimes could go unsolved unless the government does more to support forensic science November 2013: The government launches a consultation over plans to boost the powers", "summary": "Cuts in forensic science spending risk serious mistakes being made in criminal cases, two North West MPs have warned."}
{"article": "Hernandez hanged himself at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center and was pronounced dead later at hospital. The former New England Patriots tight end, 27, was serving a life sentence for killing a man who was dating his fiancee's sister. Last week he was acquitted of a drive-by double murder prosecutors said began over an argument about a spilled drink. Hernandez had cried in court as that verdict was read, saying he was \"very happy\". His death comes on the day members of his former team visited President Donald Trump at the White House to be commended for their Super Bowl victory over Atlanta in February. Former team-mates and NFL players have been posting their reaction online to the death. Miami Dolphins centre Mike Pouncey, who played with Hernandez at the University of Florida wrote: \"To my friend my brother! \"Through thick and thin right or wrong we never left each other's side. Today my heart hurts as I got the worse news I could have imagined.\" Former wide receiver Donte Stallworth wrote that his thoughts are with Herandez's \"sweet little 4 year old baby who has to grow up with this\". Jerel Worthy of the Buffalo Bills wrote on Twitter: \"Waking up to terrible news. If you have a chance to right your wrongs. Please jump at the opportunity turn over a new leaf and live!\" Massachusetts Department of Correction said Hernandez had tried to block the door to his single cell before hanging himself. Lifesaving techniques were performed on Hernandez and he was taken to UMASS Leominster hospital where he was pronounced dead at 04:07 local time (08:07 GMT). State police are on the scene and his next of kin have been notified, officials said. State Department of Correction spokesman Christopher Fallon said in a statement that he was not aware a suicide note had been written and that officials had not been concerned that Hernandez would take his life. Does the NFL have a crime problem? Although Hernandez was acquitted of the double murder last week, he was found guilty of illegally possessing a firearm and the judge added five years to his sentence. Hernandez had been accused of the fatal shooting of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado outside a Boston nightclub in 2012, one month before he signed a $40m (\u00c2\u00a332m) contract extension with the Patriots. Hernandez had been found guilty in April 2015 of the first-degree murder of his friend, another American footballer, the semi-professional Odin Lloyd, in 2013. Lloyd's body was found with six bullet wounds less than a mile from Hernandez's home. Within hours of his arrest for the 2013 shooting, the Patriots sacked Hernandez, considered one of the top tight ends playing the game. Hernandez was given a life sentence without parole.", "summary": "Former NFL footballer Aaron Hernandez has been found dead in his cell in Massachusetts, officials say."}
{"article": "A study in the International Journal of Obesity found energy used at rest was 25% lower in 15-year-olds compared with when they were 10 - a fall of 500 calories a day. This is equivalent to cutting out an hour's strenuous exercise every day. The study said the findings were unexpected but could help explain why a lot of teenagers put on excess weight. Most of the energy people burn is just to keep their bodies ticking over - using the brain, heart, liver and kidneys - rather than through physical activity. In a decade-long study following 279 children, researchers from the University of Exeter Medical School were surprised to find the number of calories the children burned at rest fell sharply during puberty. This is a period of rapid growth, which usually uses up lots of calories, but it was only around the age of 16 that the number of calories burned at rest started to rise again. During puberty there was also a noticeable drop in physical exercise, particularly among girls, which could add to weight gain, the researchers said. About a third of school children aged 10-11 in England are overweight or obese. Prof Terry Wilkin, from the University of Exeter Medical School, said: \"Child obesity and associated diabetes are both among the greatest health challenges of our time. \"Our findings can explain why teenagers gain excess weight in puberty, and it could help target strategies accordingly.\" Prof Simon Capewell, vice-president of the Faculty of Public Health, said the findings showed there was an even greater need to improve children's diets and protect them from junk food and sugary drinks. \"Adolescents sitting around using their smartphones and iPads are being bombarded with junk food marketing - while using even fewer calories than we previously thought. \"Last month's government strategy on childhood obesity confirmed the duty on sugary drinks, but was otherwise a disastrous missed opportunity. \"We need much tougher regulation around the marketing of junk food to children - particularly on TV and online.\"", "summary": "A sharp drop in calories burned off while resting during adolescence could be contributing to the rise in obesity."}
{"article": "Eric Prokopi, 39, had admitted three charges when he appeared in court in December 2012. Prosecutors in New York described him as \"one-man black market in prehistoric fossils\". The Tyrannosaurus bataar skeleton was returned to Mongolia in May 2013. Prokopi had sold it at auction in May 2012 for more than $1m ($600,000) but it was then seized by the US government. Prosecutors said that from 2010 to 2012, Prokopi misrepresented the contents of dinosaur fossil shipments to the US from Mongolia. He also admitted illegally importing a Chinese flying dinosaur, two oviraptors and a duckbilled creature known as a Saurolophus. One of the Saurolophus skeletons was sold at an auction in California for $75,000 but was later confiscated by authorities. Prokopi - described as a commercial palaeontologist who sold coral, fossils and other items from his home - was arrested in October 2012. \"I sincerely love fossils,\" Prokopi told US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in Manhattan on Tuesday. \"What I did was wrong, and I failed to appreciate the gravity of what I have done.\" Prokopi's home address was given as Williamsburg, Virginia, although at the time of the offences he was living in Gainesville, Florida. Judge Hellerstein said a prison term would send a message to others in the commercial palaeontology field. \"He is clearly not a bad person, but he has done a bad thing,\" Judge Hellerstein said. Assistant US Attorney Martin Bell said Prokopi had helped investigations into possibly illegally imported fossils that were continuing in Wyoming, California and New York. Mongolia said the near-complete Tyrannosaurus bataar skeleton was stolen from the Gobi desert.", "summary": "A US fossils dealer has been jailed for three months for smuggling dinosaur bones including those of a 70-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus bataar from Mongolia."}
{"article": "The 75-year-old was rumoured to be favourite to perform the duty which has previously been carried out by other sporting greats such as Muhammad Ali and Cathy Freeman. The three-time World Cup winner has been suffering from muscle pains and had hip surgery earlier this year. \"I'm not in physical condition to take part in the opening ceremony,\" he said. Coverage of Friday's opening ceremony at Rio's Maracana Stadium begins at 23:35 BST on BBC One. The problem is that if he sits in a chair you need a winch to get him out of it Pele added: \"Only God is more important than my health. In my life, I've had fractures, surgeries, pain, hospital stays, victories and defeats. And I've always respected those who admire me.\" The former Santos player added that it was his \"own decision\". Pele's spokesman Pepito Fornos added: \"He is walking with a cane. The problem is that if he sits in a chair you need a winch to get him out of it. \"His doctor thought it best that he continues physiotherapy, that he rests and we hope that he will be able to appear at the [Olympic] closing ceremony.\" Earlier this week, Pele said he was asked to light the cauldron by the organisers, however he had \"an international commitment with an English company\". The former footballer added that if he could change his travel plans it would be an \"honour\" to carry out the task. In June, Pele was awarded the Olympic Order by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) - the movement's highest honour. He was named \"Athlete of the century\" by the IOC in 1999 despite never competing at a Games because professional players were barred from doing so during his playing days. Pele, who won his first World Cup winner's medal at the age of 17, is regarded by many as the greatest footballer of all time. Since retiring in 1977, he has taken up ambassadorial roles both in and outside football, and was involved in politics as minister of sport in his home country for a three-year period from 1995. And in 2012 Pele was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh for his \"significant contribution to humanitarian and environmental causes\", having worked as a United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment. Earlier on Friday, hundreds of demonstrators blocked roads in Copacabana - protesting against the government and the cost of hosting the event - which resulted in a change of route for the Olympic torch relay. The Olympic torch began its final journey to the Maracana beneath the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks Rio. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Brazil football legend Pele will not light the Olympic cauldron at Friday's opening ceremony in Rio."}
{"article": "The Leinster full-back damaged his bicep towards the end of Saturday's 63-10 win over Italy in Rome. The Irish Independent has reported that the injury could require surgery and Kearney is set to miss this week's three-day training camp in Monaghan. Ireland have declined to comment on the extent of the injury but will issue an update on the situation on Friday. The 30-year-old is in a race to be fit for the matches against France, Wales and England. Simon Zebo is the most likely candidate to assume the number 15 jersey should Kearney be missing, with Ulster's fit-again Andrew Trimble coming on to the wing. Robbie Henshaw is set to train this week despite suffering a dead leg. The centre was forced to retire hurt with the injury against the Italians but is likely to join the Irish squad when they get together on Wednesday. Flanker Peter O'Mahony, who was not considered for Ireland's opening two Six Nations games because of a hamstring injury, trained with Munster on Monday, but will not play for the province against the Ospreys on Saturday. Meanwhile, Jamie Heaslip has agreed a new contract with the Irish Rugby Football Union, which will see him continue to play for Leinster and Ireland until the end of the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. The 33-year-old number eight has won 93 caps for Ireland, scoring 13 tries and has started 36 of Ireland's last 41 Test matches.", "summary": "Rob Kearney could be ruled out of the remainder of Ireland's Six Nations campaign with an arm injury."}
{"article": "The apprenticeship levy, pensions auto-enrolment and a new higher minimum wage have increased business costs. The BCC's annual workforce survey interviewed some 1,400 businesses. The trade body wants the government to ensure no new upfront costs or taxes are imposed on businesses for the remainder of this Parliament. The changes to employment legislation were designed to help improve wages and prospects for workers, but the BCC is concerned that high employment costs will have a negative impact on employees. The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts that the National Living Wage will increase to \u00c2\u00a38.75 per hour by 2020. \"Higher employment costs impact on the bottom line and reduce the resources available to invest in the business and its people,\" said Jane Gratton, the BCC's head of business environment and skills. \"Our survey shows that two-thirds of businesses will need to take action in response to proposed increases in the National Living Wage over the next three years. Firms are most likely to respond by raising prices or adjusting employee pay growth and wider benefits. \"There comes a point at which rising employment costs can no longer be absorbed through reduced profits.\" The survey found that: To deal with minimum wage increases: \"Employment is just one element of the high upfront cost of doing business in the UK,\" said Ms Gratton. \"It is the cumulative impact of all of these changes, and the pace at which they are being introduced, that causes the greatest concern and poses the biggest risk. \"There is little scope for firms to absorb any further costs without there being damaging effects on competitiveness, growth and opportunities for people in the workforce. \"The government must ensure that there are no upfront further costs or taxes on businesses and entrepreneurs for the remainder of this parliament.\"", "summary": "Four out of five UK businesses have seen costs rise because of changes in employment legislation, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) reports."}
{"article": "Wenger's side have developed an unwanted reputation for failing to win the league from promising positions. However, he believes Arsenal are better placed now as there is no squad unrest. \"When we went into April in 2010, some of the players were tapped up to go somewhere else and it was difficult to maintain the focus,\" he said. \"That's not the case at the moment.\" Arsenal - who are five points behind leaders Leicester going into Sunday's game at Manchester United - last won the Premier League in 2004, when they went through the 38-game campaign without defeat. They were runners-up to Chelsea the following season, and have finished either third or fourth every year since. A number of significant challenges for the title in the last 12 years have failed to bring the Premier League trophy to the club. In February 2008, they were five points clear of Manchester United with 12 games left, but were derailed by a 2-2 draw at Birmingham in which striker Eduardo suffered a bad leg break and captain William Gallas remained sitting on the pitch at full-time in a public show of anger. Two seasons later, Wenger's side were top of the table with seven matches to play, but won only two of those games and finished third. They were in a strong position to push Manchester United in 2010/11, but began to crumble in February as they let slip a four-goal lead in drawing 4-4 at Newcastle, and ended up dropping from second place to fourth. And two seasons ago, Arsenal were top in early February, but a 5-1 defeat at Liverpool began a run of just two wins in nine matches, and they again ended in fourth place. \"What is different is that at that time we were losing momentum,\" Wenger said. \"This time it's the opposite. \"Also we were very young at that time, with the famous incident with Gallas at Birmingham. And the mood of some players was more to get the next contract somewhere else than to win the championship because at the time we had to sell our players. \"Now we do not have that problem. All the players are focused and want to win and have great solidarity. It's down to showing how good we are. The psychological situation is completely different today than it was in 2010. \"In 2010, I would say we lost it because the spirit was not exactly what it should be because of individual tap ups. At the moment, on the spirit front we are all right.\"", "summary": "Some of Arsenal's recent Premier League title challenges have been damaged by their players being approached by other clubs, manager Arsene Wenger says."}
{"article": "Michael Ryan made the comments in an interview with the Bloomberg financial news service. In October, the Quebec state government pumped $1bn (\u00a3655m) into a partnership set up to complete the CSeries. The wings for the CSeries are made in Northern Ireland. \"The quid pro quo was that final assembly and marketing would stay in Quebec, but that was all,\" Mr Ryan said. The CSeries will employ at least 800 people in Belfast at full production, out of 5,500 in total. Mr Ryan told Bloomberg that the Northern Ireland plant had skills in composite manufacturing that made it a world leader in wing production, safeguarding its status. The development of the narrow-bodied CSeries passenger plane has placed a major strain on Bombardier's finances. The project has been repeatedly delayed, is over-budget and orders have been slow.", "summary": "The manager of Bombardier's Northern Ireland operation has said the Canadian bailout of the firm's CSeries project poses no threat to the Belfast plant."}
{"article": "4 October 2016 Last updated at 10:16 BST They've have been answering your questions about the animals and the threat they're under because of the ivory trade. Hear what they have to say...", "summary": "Jenny's been to meet some school children in South Africa who live near to nature reserves with elephants in."}
{"article": "Edison Cavani opened the scoring from the penalty spot on Saturday, with 18-year-old Jonathan Ikone doubling PSG's lead before half-time. Lucas Moura and teenager Odsonne Edouard completed the rout in the second half at the StubHubCenter. The Foxes face Barcelona next in the competition in Stockholm on Wednesday. Claudio Ranieri's side, who start their Premier League campaign at Hull City on 13 August, beat Celtic 6-5 on penalties in their first International Champions Cup game last week. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Premier League winners Leicester City suffered a 4-0 loss to French champions Paris St-Germain in the International Champions Cup in Los Angeles."}
{"article": "There are 59 cameras covering public areas in Rhyl, 18 in Prestatyn and four in Rhuddlan, all linked to a control room in Rhyl police station. Funding for council staff to monitor camera footage 24 hours a day ends in March, saving \u00c2\u00a3200,000 in 2016/17. Cameras will still run, but footage will not be monitored, and a consultation on job losses has begun. The plans will be discussed at a Denbighshire council meeting next week and the present service is due to end on 31 October.", "summary": "CCTV camera footage from Denbighshire towns will no longer be monitored by operators in a money-saving scheme."}
{"article": "The trial of Edwin McLaren began in September 2015 with the 15 jurors needed for a Scottish criminal trial and ended more than a year and a half later with just 12. There were concerns that if they had lost another juror the case would have collapsed. That is what happened with another mammoth fraud case at the Old Bailey in London in 2005. The London Underground Jubilee Line case heard evidence for about 140 days over a 21-month period before one juror \"went on strike\". The court had already lost two jurors when one became pregnant and another was arrested for benefit fraud. After missing work for almost two years one juror became aware that he owed thousands in pension contributions, which his employer had not been liable for while he was on the jury. He refused to take part in the jury until his financial situation was sorted out, claiming loss of earnings threatened his ability to pay Oxford university fees for a course he was due to start. The Attorney General in England at the time, Lord Goldsmith, brought forward legislation to allow complex fraud trials to be held without juries. It was defeated in the Lords two years later with peers arguing that trial by jury was a bedrock of the criminal justice system. The UK government had said major trials put too much pressure on jurors. \"The use of a jury is a bulwark of not just Scottish justice but British justice and I would say there should be a presumption that the jury system continues,\" Douglas Mill, former chief executive of the Law Society of Scotland, told the BBC. But Mr Mill added that fraud was now so \"specialised\" that the police, the Crown office prosecutors and defence lawyers all had experts who dealt only with such cases. He said the only people who were not specialists were the jury. \"It is left to 15 very lay people who are being asked to assimilate vast numbers of documents over an endless number of days,\" he said. \"Is that in the interests of justice? Big question.\" Law lecturer Andrew Tickell also said fraud cases were complex and difficult to follow. In the case of Edwin McLaren, the indictment carried 29 separate charges and it was the Crown's job to prove every one. This required a large number of witnesses and mountains of documents. The Glasgow Caledonian University law lecturer said: \"If the Crown is going to bring forward a mega case then it really has to bring forward quite substantial evidence to buttress that claim. \"Juries have to decide on the guilt in the cases and so have to sit through many months of evidence. That has real challenges for them and challenges for the justice system as a whole. \"Certainly in terms of very serious cases involving complicated financial concepts and instruments that the ordinary person might not be familiar with then you might well ask 'is it right for 15 ordinary members of the public to spend a year of their life trying to get", "summary": "A fraud trial has just concluded at the High Court in Glasgow after 20 months, raising questions about whether juries should be used in such complex cases."}
{"article": "He plans a packed, whistle-stop tour of Jordan, the Palestinian territories and Israel - setting a new rhythm for papal travel which recalls the enthusiasm for foreign pilgrimages shown by his ground-breaking predecessors who kick-started papal travel in the 20th Century. He will deliver a total of 13 speeches, all in Italian, which will be translated into the other five main languages used by the Vatican: English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese. Translations will also be offered into Arabic in Amman and Bethlehem, and into Hebrew in Jerusalem. Pope Francis' native language is Spanish, but he normally communicates in fluent Italian; he is not comfortable speaking or working in English. Pope Francis will in fact be the fourth leader of the Roman Catholic Church to visit Jerusalem, after Popes Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, who went there in 2009. Significantly, Pope Francis is taking along as part of the Vatican delegation on his rapid tour two old friends from Argentina - a rabbi, and an imam who used to run the Islamic Centre in Buenos Aires. The Pope has co-authored a book with his Jewish friend and was equally close to his Muslim colleague when he was archbishop in the Argentine capital. Vividly aware of the potential political and religious minefields awaiting him during this journey, he has prepared himself well for his second overseas sortie and can turn to his friends for instant advice. The official reason for the Pope's journey is in fact to mark the 50th anniversary of the historic meeting in Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI and the head of the Orthodox Church, Patriarch Athenagoras. The meeting ended 900 years of separation and enduring antagonism between the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity. The two leaders lifted mutual decrees of excommunication. Pope Francis will have no fewer than four separate meetings in Jerusalem with Athenagoras's successor, Bartholomew, \"first among equals\" in the Orthodox world. Although it is highly unlikely that there will be any spectacular announcement of reunion, Pope Francis's gesture of holding a joint prayer meeting with the head of the Orthodox Church in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - the place where, according to tradition, Jesus Christ was laid to rest after his crucifixion - will be a remarkable event. It follows his bold decision to invite Bartholomew to the Vatican for his official inauguration last year, and it means that efforts to re-establish Christian unity are high up on the list of Francis's priorities. The Pope's namesake, Saint Francis, never actually made it to Jerusalem, or to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. He did however travel as far as Acre - now part of Israel - in 1219, laying the foundations for a Franciscan presence in the Middle East which has, somewhat miraculously, endured until this day. Some 300 Franciscan friars are officially entrusted by the Vatican with the custody and upkeep of the Holy Places in the Middle East. However, they have been denuded of their Christian heritage to the extent that one leading local Catholic churchman has described", "summary": "Pope Francis sets out from Rome this weekend on his first visit to the Middle East as pontiff, specifically to the lands designated as \"Holy\" not only by the world's Christians, but also by members of the two other major monotheistic faiths."}
{"article": "Clark, 33, and Hunter, 29, receive MBEs after helping England lift the World Cup for the first time in 20 years. Northern Ireland boxer Patrick Barnes, 27, and Scotland's judoka Euan Burton, 35, who both won Commonwealth gold medals last summer, are made MBEs. Athlete Steve Cram, 54, a former 1500m world champion, has been awarded a CBE. Media playback is not supported on this device BBC athletics commentator Cram, who was made an MBE in 1986, spent 13 years as the head of the English Institute of Sport, until he stepped down from the post in August. Under Cram's chairmanship, the EIS has played an increasingly important role in developing sports science and sports medicine for elite athletes in more than 30 Olympic and Paralympic sports, and contributed to the record medal haul at the London 2012 Olympic Games. \"It's really fantastic to have this recognition, especially all these years after I stopped competing,\" said Cram. \"A large part of my journey since then has been the EIS and we have put a lot of things in place to give support to our Olympic programmes.\" Another former athlete, Dame Mary Peters, 75, the 1972 Olympic pentathlon champion, is made a Companion of Honour, and Wendy Sly, who won silver in the 3,000m at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, receives an MBE for services to athletics. The awards include recognition of the success of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Burton, who was Scotland's flag bearer at the Glasgow Games, retired after winning judo gold in the 100kg division, while Barnes won gold in the men's light-flyweight boxing competition. Kate Richardson-Walsh, 34, captain of the England women's hockey team that won silver at the Commonwealth Games, also receives an MBE. Gordon Matheson, leader of Glasgow City Council, receives a CBE and Jon Doig, the chief executive of Commonwealth Games Scotland, an OBE. Brendon Batson, 61, receives an OBE for services to football after being made an MBE in 2000. The former West Bromwich Albion defender, 61, who has been chair of Sporting Equals since 2010, is a major supporter of the Show Racism the Red Card campaign and an ambassador for anti-discrimination body Kick It Out. Former Portsmouth defender Linvoy Primus, 41, is awarded an MBE for services to football and charity in Portsmouth, while Jim Boyce, 70, a vice president at world football's governing body Fifa, receives the OBE for services to football in Northern Ireland. David Collier, 59, who stepped down as chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board last summer after a successful 10-year spell, receives an OBE. Edward Gillespie, 62, who spent 32 years as the managing director at Cheltenham racecourse, has been awarded an OBE for services to horse racing. Awards to grassroots sport include a British Empire Medal to Shirley Callaghan, who has dedicated more than 31 years of voluntary service to gymnastics at Ladywell Gymnastics Club in London. Dame Mary Peters. For services to sport and to the community in Northern Ireland. Steve Cram MBE. For services to sport. Brendon Batson MBE. For services", "summary": "Women's Rugby World Cup winners Sarah Hunter and Rochelle Clark are among the sports stars recognised in the Queen's New Year's Honours."}
{"article": "The position became vacant after Angus Robertson lost his seat in the general election. Ian Blackford, Joanna Cherry, Tommy Sheppard and Drew Hendry have all confirmed their candidacy. They were all first elected in 2015. The party said its new Westminster group leader would be announced on Wednesday evening. The SNP won the general election in Scotland, despite losing 21 seats. They will start the new parliament with 35 MPs. Mr Robertson lost his Moray constituency seat to the Conservatives' Douglas Ross after Thursday's vote.", "summary": "Four SNP MPs have said they are hoping to be the party's next leader at Westminster."}
{"article": "Students from Wales will be able to claim up to \u00a34,954 in grants and borrow the rest, wherever they study. The announcement comes ahead of the publication of the Diamond report into higher education and student finance. One senior academic has warned that Welsh universities could become \"second rate\" if they could not increase fees. Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said: \"This decision gives certainty for those who want to go to university for the academic year 2017/18, giving people the option to study where they choose, including in England where tuition fees are set to increase.\" Currently, students from Wales pay the first \u00a33,900 of their annual tuition fees, with the Welsh Government paying up to \u00a35,100. As well as the tuition fee grant and loans, Ms Williams announced a means-tested maintenance grant of up to \u00a35,161. She has argued that living costs are a bigger barrier than tuition fees to poorer students going to university. The UK government linked its permission for higher fees at English universities to better teaching, with the new maximum of \u00a39,250 possibly increasing by inflation in future years. In August, Swansea University vice-chancellor Prof Richard Davies warned higher education in Wales risked becoming \"second rate\" if colleges could not increase their fees as in England. Responding to Friday's announcement, he claimed there had not been \"enough time for the Welsh Government to look at this properly since the announcement in England\". \"I hope they find some way of allowing for inflation,\" he added. The National Union of Students president Fflur Elin welcomed the news. She said: \"We want to ensure that students from all backgrounds can access high quality courses. The cost of the courses should not be a barrier.\" Welsh Conservatives education spokesman, Darren Millar AM, said: \"We welcome the move towards means-tested maintenance grants and the anchoring of tuition fee costs.\"", "summary": "Welsh university tuition fees will be pegged at \u00a39,000 next year despite colleges in England being given the go-ahead to charge up to \u00a39,250."}
{"article": "The 41-year-old, from Crawley, West Sussex, is believed to have bombed a jail in Aleppo on 6 February. The footage shows Majid next to a large armoured truck bomb that was driven into the walls of the prison. His family said they believed he was in Syria for humanitarian purposes. Anti-terror police searched Majid's house in Langley Green on Wednesday. Officials have not confirmed his identity citing a lack of DNA evidence, although community sources in Crawley have confirmed to Mr Gardner that Majid is the man in the video. Mr Gardner said: \"The 43-minute video clearly shows Mr Majid from Crawley in Sussex, dressed in white next to the large armoured truck bomb, which he is believed to have driven into the walls of Aleppo prison on 6 February.\" Majid is believed to have been responsible for the prison attack that resulted in inmates escaping. By Frank GardnerBBC security correspondent This video provides the final chilling proof that a Sussex man, loved by his family and friends, chose to blow himself up in Syria in the cause of jihad. Abdul Waheed Majid told them he was going for humanitarian reasons. But the video, apparently filmed in a wood in northern Syria last week, clearly shows him surrounded by armed jihadist fighters and next to the armoured truck bomb later rammed into the walls of Aleppo prison and detonated. The suicide bombing has alarmed counter terrorism officials here in Britain as they fear that other jihadists who go out to Syria may come into contact with hardcore al-Qaeda operatives who may urge them to turn their attentions away from the Syrian regime and instead attack targets in the West. The bombing, in the north of Syria, is thought to have been the first carried out in the country by a Briton. People living near Majid's home told the BBC he left some weeks ago for Syria. An al-Qaeda-linked rebel group, the al-Nusra Front, had named Majid by an alias - Abu Suleiman al-Britani. Counter-terrorism police raided a second house in Crawley on Thursday, which was believed to have been occupied by one of Majid's close friends. That house is also the former home of schoolgirl Sarah Payne's killer Roy Whiting, according to neighbours. The South East Counter Terrorism Unit said there had been no arrests following the searches in Crawley. The Manchester home of student Abu Layth has also been searched by police. He is believed to have been killed while fighting in Syria. Inquiries are continuing into how Layth, whose family name is Khalid Raoufi, died. Greater Manchester Police have confirmed his family is not under investigation.", "summary": "A video has been posted online showing British man Abdul Waheed Majid, who is thought to have carried out a suicide bombing in Syria, the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner has said."}
{"article": "The Co Wicklow fighter beat Victoria Torres of Mexico on a unanimous decision to make the semi-finals. All four semi-finalists in Kazakhstan qualify for August's Olympics. Middleweight Savannah Marshall became the 10th British boxer to book a place in Brazil by outpointing Chinese third seed Li Qian in her quarter-final bout. Taylor, 29, who is guaranteed at least a bronze medal, impressed in Tuesday's quarter-final with a clinical display and is aiming for a sixth world title. The Bray boxer beat Agnes Alexiusson of Sweden and Argentina's Dayana Sanchez in Astana before prevailing against Torres over four rounds. Taylor was surprisingly beaten in the Olympic qualifier in Turkey last month. Azerbaijan's Yana Alekseevna handed Taylor her first defeat in five years at the European Olympic qualifiers to leave the five-time world champion still seeking Rio qualification. Alekseevna's victory in Samsun was Taylor's first defeat in 63 contests. Meanwhile, Marshall, 25, will next face Dutch fighter Nouchka Fontijn for a place in the final. Compatriot Nicola Adams kept on track for the first world gold of her career as she squeezed through against Yu-Ting Lin of Chinese Taipei in their flyweight bout. Adams, who has already qualified for the Olympics, goes up against home favourite Ahaina Shekerbekova on Thursday, and knows she will not have to fight big rival Ren Cancan, who withdrew with food poisoning. Great Britain's Sandy Ryan missed out on a world medal in the non-Olympic light-welterweight division as she lost on a unanimous decision to China's Wenlu Yang.", "summary": "London 2012 gold medallist Katie Taylor will defend her lightweight title in Rio after securing an Olympic Games berth at the World Championships."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old England international has not made a final decision, but is understood to favour extending his time at the King Power Stadium. Arsenal made a reported bid of \u00a320m for Vardy, activating a release clause in his contract and offering him a deal reported to be worth \u00a3120,000 a week. Leicester responded with an offer said to be worth \u00a3100,000. Arsenal do not plan to improve their offer and are thought to be pursuing alternative options. Vardy, who joined Leicester from non-league Fleetwood Town for \u00a31m in 2012, signed a three-year deal in February, and the Foxes' new offer would extend that into a fourth year. Arsenal's offer was a three-year contract with the option of a fourth. Vardy, whose tally of 24 league goals last season was bettered only by Tottenham's Harry Kane, is currently with the England squad at Euro 2016. The Gunners asked Vardy to give them an answer before he flew to France, but he wanted to focus on the competition.", "summary": "Leicester striker Jamie Vardy is set to reject an offer to join Arsenal and stay with the Premier League champions."}
{"article": "The latest available figures show that during 2014 there were 16.5 suicides per 100,000 in Northern Ireland. Scotland had the second highest rate, at 14.5, followed by 10.3 in England and 9.2 in Wales. It is the second consecutive year that Northern Ireland has recorded the UK's highest suicide rate. However, the overall number of suicides in Northern Ireland decreased in 2014, falling to 268 compared to 303 deaths. This reflected a small decrease in the total number of suicides across the UK as a whole in 2014, where the overall figure fell by 2%. Last month, the Irish News reported that since the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998, more people have taken their own lives in Northern Ireland than were killed during the Troubles. Prof Siobhan O'Neill, from Ulster University' Psychology Research Institute, told the BBC there may be a link between those decades of conflict and the deaths of some of those who have taken their lives in a time of relative peace. \"Deprivation certainly is one of the legacy issues and we know that those areas that are deprived, that have high levels of deprivation, have also been the same areas that were exposed to conflict. \"Those are the areas where our suicide rates are highest,\" she added. That link between deprivation and despair means that the legacy of the Troubles is having an impact on another generation in places like Londonderry. Emma Johnston works with the charity Youth Action Northern Ireland which tries to get young people to talk about their mental health. One of the locations where she tries to help them is the job centre. \"Every programme that we deliver, at its core, at its very essence, is focusing around young people's mental health and while we may not frame it to begin with in that way, it's about raising them up, making them more resilient and maybe trying to raise their optimism for their future,\" she said. One young woman who attends a support group in Londonderry told the BBC she had attempted suicide 16 times before getting help. \"It's only now in the past couple of months that I've been really coming out and been able to talk about it,\" she said. Another said the intervention of a concerned friend forced her to address her mental health problems. \"When I was going through depression it took one of my friends nearly breaking into my house to find me. Eventually then I realised that other people are there to support,\" she said. A spokeswoman for Northern Ireland's Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) said reducing the suicide rate \"continues to be a priority\". \"Over \u00c2\u00a37m is allocated annually to suicide prevention in Northern Ireland by DHSSPS,\" she said. \"This is more per head of population than any other UK country and does not take into account the significant contribution from the charities and the community sector, mental health services, and from other Northern Ireland departments.\" Meanwhile, a new sports-based charity, founded by former Manchester United player and Northern Ireland international", "summary": "Northern Ireland continues to have the highest rate of suicide in the UK, per head of population, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS)."}
{"article": "Allen left the Swans for Liverpool in 2012 but his time at Anfield has been hampered by injuries. The 24-year-old played in his side's 1-0 win at Swansea and Taylor said: \"I've always known he was a great player, we know in Wales what a good player he is. \"He just needed to be fit. He's a key player and he's in great form.\" Taylor added: \"He's had problems with injuries which he couldn't have helped, like when he got smashed in Andorra. Allen has just over two years left on his current Liverpool deal but revealed he has opened talks with the club. He has been in impressive form for Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool side of late and Taylor says Allen goes about his role in a quiet and effective manner. \"Unless you are a real football person and know the game and see the game like we do, because we're in it, then you may not see the nuts and bolts that Joe does so well,\" left-back Taylor added. \"It's massive. Look at Leon [Britton] down here over the years, he doesn't spray the passes like [Steven] Gerrard but the nuts and bolts to make your team tick, that's what Joe does. \"That's why Brendan took him there for a lot of money.\" Allen and Taylor are set to be included in Wales' squad for the Euro 2016 qualifier against Israel in Haifa on 28 March. Wales manager Chris Coleman will announce the squad on Wednesday with his unbeaten Wales side facing the Group B leaders. \"We all want to be in the team and we all want to qualify,\" Taylor added. \"These next few games are massive towards that. They're all big but now we feel we've really got a chance and we don't want to let that go.\"", "summary": "Midfielder Joe Allen is showing the form that earned him a move to Liverpool, says former Swansea City team-mate Neil Taylor."}
{"article": "The aircraft have brought in medical equipment and food and water supplies from the Red Cross and the UN children's fund (Unicef). The UN has warned that basic services are unravelling in Yemen, with widespread food and fuel shortages. Meanwhile, Pakistan has ruled itself out of joining the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels in Yemen. Pakistan's parliament voted against joining its ally, Saudi Arabia, saying in a resolution that it should \"maintain neutrality\" in Yemen. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said its plane landed in Sanaa carrying 16 tonnes of medical aid, including drugs and surgical equipment. Unicef's plane has flown in the same amount of aid - bringing food supplements for 20,000 children as well as medical supplies. \"The supplies we have managed to bring in today can make the difference between life and death for children and their families,\" said Unicef's Julien Harneis. The arrival of the flights comes after days of delays while both organisations waited for clearance from all sides in the conflict to land in Yemen. The UN's humanitarian co-ordinator for Yemen has called for a humanitarian \"pause\" in the bombardment and fighting on the ground to allow the aid to be delivered. Johannes van der Klaauw told reporters in Geneva that the conflict has now spread to 15 of Yemen's 22 provinces. He described the situation in Aden in particular as \"catastrophic\", a descent into urban warfare, with control of the air and seaports shifting daily between rival groups. A million people in the city risk being cut off from access to clean water within a matter of days unless additional fuel is brought in, he said. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says almost 650 people have been killed and more than 2,200 have been injured since 19 March, but Mr van der Klaauw said the actual number of casualties is likely to be far higher because many are not being brought to hospital or are being buried immediately. Yemen has been in chaos since Houthi rebels, backed by army units loyal to the ousted former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, took full control of Sanaa in January and placed current President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi under house arrest. Mr Hadi escaped and took refuge in Aden in February, but left the country at the end of March when the Houthis reached the outskirts of the southern port city. Saudi Arabia began air strikes two weeks ago against the Houthis, a Zaidi Shia rebel movement that the US and Saudi Arabia allege is receiving military assistance from regional Shia power Iran. But they have failed to halt the Houthi advance into Aden, as well as neighbouring southern and eastern provinces. Overnight, coalition aircraft targeted the defence ministry building in Sanaa and weapons storage sites. Saudi Arabia asked Pakistan last month to contribute ships, aircraft and troops to the campaign to restore Mr Hadi to power. But after days of debate, Pakistan's parliament voted to \"maintain neutrality in the Yemen conflict so as to be able to play a proactive diplomatic role to end the crisis\".", "summary": "Two planes carrying much-needed relief supplies have arrived in the Yemeni capital Sanaa."}
{"article": "BT is paying the money to Deutsche Telekom and Orange to avoid legal action over the issue. The two companies now hold stakes in BT as a consequence of the deal that saw them sell the EE mobile network to the UK company. The charge led to BT's first-quarter profits falling 42% to \u00a3418m. In January, BT wrote down the value of its Italian unit by \u00a3530m after it said it had uncovered years of \"inappropriate behaviour\". It said it had found evidence of improper accounting practices, leading to \"the overstatement of earnings in our Italian business over a number of years\". The Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the UK's accountancy watchdog, is investigating the auditing of BT's financial statements for the years 2015-17. Separately, BT announced that Marc Allera had been appointed as chief executive of its combined BT consumer business, while Cathryn Ross - currently chief executive of Ofwat - will become its new director of regulatory affairs.", "summary": "Profits at telecoms group BT have fallen after it took a \u00a3225m charge related to its Italian accounting scandal."}
{"article": "Alfie Hyett was found by his mother Louise Hembrow at home in Hereford last March. Police told the inquest they found no evidence to support a claim he was copying a choking game that encouraged people to block their airways. A verdict of accidental death was recorded at Hereford Town Hall. More on this and other stories from Hereford and Worcester When the inquest opened in June, Mark Bricknell, senior coroner for Herefordshire, heard Alfie died of vagal inhibition, which causes the heart to stop through the stimulation of the vagus nerve in the neck. Before the inquest, Ms Hembrow told the BBC she believed her son had taken part in the game where the brain is starved of oxygen to create an adrenalin rush. However, Det Sgt Mark Jinks, from West Mercia Police, said there was no evidence he had researched the game or discussed it with friends. Mr Bricknell said he believed Alfie had tied the scarf around his neck out of childhood curiosity or experimentation without realising the potential consequences, and had not meant to take his own life.", "summary": "A 10-year-old boy found hanged in his bedroom \"did not understand the risks of putting a scarf around his neck\", a coroner has said."}
{"article": "BBC News NI will provide audiences with its most extensive election coverage to date on our news website. Users will be able to follow live feeds of what is happening in their own constituencies, with stage by stage results for every seat. Live streams across all 18 battlegrounds will deliver the latest audio, video and news updates from the count centres. Also on our news website we'll have Northern Ireland-wide results, infographics and analysis from BBC News NI's team of political correspondents; social media updates from every count; and we will stream audio and video feeds of our television and radio output to ensure no election action is missed. As well as our website coverage, special live programming will start on BBC One NI at 14:30 BST on Friday, 6 May and continue throughout the day as results start to come in. Coverage will move to BBC Two NI from 19:00 to 22:00 BST, before returning to BBC One NI from 22:35 BST. The election results breakdown coverage will continue on Saturday, 7 May from 10:30 BST. From 14:00-22:00 BST on Friday, May 6 and 10:00 to 13:00 BST on Saturday, 7 May, BBC Radio Ulster will bring listeners news and analysis on all the latest election results and hear the action from the constituency count centres. On Friday, 6 May, Radio Foyle will feature an election special from 16:00-22:00 BST, co-presented by Enda McClafferty at the count centre in Londonderry and Elaine McGee in the BBC Radio Foyle studio. On 8 May, an hour-long special Sunday News at 13:00 BST, will bring listeners all the latest election news. \"BBC News NI reporters will be at every count to bring you the results as they come in and, for the first time, you will be able to follow the stages of every count on BBC News NI Online,\" Kathleen Carragher, head of BBC News NI, said. \"We'll also have political reaction and analysis from the politicians themselves and from commentators. And the audience can, of course, join the debate through texting and social media.\"", "summary": "With the assembly election now upon us, BBC News NI 's multi-platform coverage will be bringing you all the results as soon as they come in."}
{"article": "Bed Bahadur Sunuwar was one of more than 150 local and foreign runners in the race, which began at Nepal's base camp. The annual run marks the anniversary of the first summit of the peak by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary in 1953. The winner completed the race, which ended about 2,000 metres further down the slopes, in four hours and 10 seconds. \"The route is very challenging but amazing too. I feel proud to be the winner,\" the 29-year-old man said. Around 30 local runners were joined by about 130 from around the world, including the UK, US, China and Australia. A Nepali man was also the winner in 2015. This is the first climbing season on Everest after two seasons hit by disasters - an avalanche that killed 16 mountain guides in 2014, and a fatal earthquake in 2015. The 2016 season has not been without tragedy though, with several deaths from altitude sickness during a particularly busy period on the peak. On Friday, officials announced they had found the body of an Indian climber on the upper slopes, taking the season's death toll to four.", "summary": "A Nepali soldier has won the world's highest marathon on Mount Everest."}
{"article": "The Conservatives won power promising: \"If an EU migrant's child is living abroad, then they should receive no child benefit\". The letter from EU President Donald Tusk, setting out a possible new deal for the UK, says something rather different - such benefits could be indexed \"to the standard of living in the member state where the child resides\". Rather than \"no child benefit\", EU migrants from poorer countries would receive less child benefit. Opponents of the Tusk deal have been quick to suggest even this negotiated position is impractical. So could it work? There are approximately 2.4 million EU migrants living in the UK - but less than 1% of them are receiving child benefit for children back in their homeland. Revenue & Customs suggests about 20,000 EU nationals receive the payment in respect of 34,000 children in their country of origin at an estimated cost of about \u00a330m. Most of those payments are for children resident in Poland, but several thousand Irish and French citizens resident in the UK also receive UK child benefit payments for children residing elsewhere. It is a situation many regard as unfair. However, simply stopping the benefit altogether has proved tricky because it breaches a fundamental principle of the European Union - that EU citizens should have the same access to social protection as others in the country where they are living and working. What makes child benefit unique among welfare payments is the recipient of the money - the adult EU migrant - can be in one country while the dependent is in another. So the solution proposed is that \"equal access\" takes into account the living standard of the country where the child resides. We do not yet know the details, but it is likely that average or \"median\" incomes could be used as a measure for living standards in each member state. In the UK, child benefit for the first child is \u00a320.70 a week - roughly 5% of the weekly median income. That 5% figure could be used to calculate the payment in each EU state, based on its own median income. In Romania, for example, rather than \u00a320.70, the rate based on Romanian average incomes might be about \u00a33.50. A similar figure could be derived for each EU member state and the payments adjusted accordingly. Almost all would be lower - but some single-market countries, such as Luxembourg, might expect a higher rate to reflect their higher living standards. There have been suggestions having many different rates for child benefit would give government computers the collywobbles. However, HMRC (which administers child benefit) and the Department for Work and Pensions already complete millions of complex international welfare transactions every year. EU or EEA (European Economic Area) citizens living in the UK fill out a detailed form before they can claim benefits. Sometimes, their work and social security history requires money transfers between countries to reflect residency in different parts of the EU. Experts say it would be feasible and, arguably, fairer to introduce such a system. But it would not make", "summary": "It is not quite the pledge he made in his manifesto, but is David Cameron's compromise on paying child benefit to EU migrants workable?"}
{"article": "Drifters was made in 1929 by acclaimed Scottish documentary-maker John Grierson. It shows fishermen harvesting shoals of herring off Scotland's east coast. East London-born sound artist Jason Singh will provide vocal sound effects during screenings of the film in Lerwick, Helmsdale and Anstruther. The tour, called Following the Fleet, is supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland and also by Film Hub Scotland, which is part of the British Film Institute's Film Audience Network. Between 31 August and 18 September, the film and performances will be held at venues in Baltasound and Lerwick on Shetland, Stromness on Orkney, Helmsdale in Sutherland, Aberdeen and Anstruther. Singh, who will also deliver workshops on beatboxing and other sound effects for secondary school pupils at the venues, said: \"I'm really excited about the Following The Fleet tour. \"I am keen to see what people will make of a live beatboxed score to a silent film. \"I'm also really looking forward to running workshops as it will give people the opportunity to explore their own voices in new ways and it will also give me the chance to meet, share and explore with new communities and cultures.\"", "summary": "A silent film made 87 years ago about Scottish herring fishermen is shown at venues across Scotland accompanied by performances by a beatboxer."}
{"article": "The WDBS was launched this week to give more people with disabilities the opportunity to play cue sports. The first event will take place on 28 and 29 November at the South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester. Five different disability classification groups will participate at the tournament. The WDBS has been set up under the auspices of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, with help from the English Federation of Disability Sport. \"We are delighted to announce the tournament and are sure it will be a great success,\" said WDBS chairman Nigel Mawer. \"We encourage anyone eligible to take part regardless of their snooker standard. It's a fantastic opportunity to meet others, get free coaching, and compete in a competitive environment.\"", "summary": "The first tournament staged by the new World Disability Billiards and Snooker (WDBS) body will take place in Gloucester in November."}
{"article": "Hammersmith and Fulham council's planning committee have backed plans to demolish the current 41,600-capacity Stamford Bridge stadium. The plans include a walkway from the nearby District Line station. \"We are grateful that planning permission was granted for the redevelopment of our historic home,\" Chelsea said in a statement. \"The committee decision does not mean that work can begin on site. This is just the latest step, although a significant one, that we have to take before we can commence work, including obtaining various other permissions.\" London Mayor Sadiq Khan will have the final say on whether Chelsea can build their new stadium. The new stadium has been designed by architects Herzog and de Meuron, who were also responsible for the \"Birds Nest\" Olympic stadium in Beijing. The proposals could mean owner Roman Abramovich has to find a temporary home for the current Premier League leaders for up to three years, with both Twickenham Stadium and Wembley Stadium being looked at as possible options. Chelsea might, however, struggle to use Wembley as north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur will occupy the national stadium for at least the 2017-18 football season as work finishes on Spurs' own new 61,000-capacity stadium. Chelsea could stay at Stamford Bridge while the work takes place but this is thought to be the most expensive option. Mr Abramovich has wanted to increase capacity at Chelsea on match days for a number of years. He previously attempted to buy Battersea Power Station with a view to redeveloping the site into a new stadium, ultimately losing out to property developers who are currently building luxury apartments at the site. Ten years ago Arsenal built the 60,000-seat Emirates Stadium, last summer West Ham moved to the 57,000-capacity Olympic Stadium in Stratford, east London, and Spurs are currently redeveloping their White Hart Lane ground. The current 41,663-capacity Stamford Bridge is the seventh biggest stadium used by a Premier League team, well behind Manchester United's 76,000-seater stadium at Old Trafford.", "summary": "Chelsea Football Club have been given permission by the local council to build a new \u00a3500m 60,000-seat stadium."}
{"article": "Police Scotland said the emergency services were alerted to the incident at about 13:00. A coastguard helicopter and lifeboat joined rescue teams looking for the man. A post on the RNLI Montrose Lifeboat Facebook page said it had been stood down at 18:20 \"due to failing light\".", "summary": "A major search is under way for a man believed to have fallen from cliffs at Arbroath in Angus."}
{"article": "9 July 2017 Last updated at 14:27 BST The How To Train Your Dragon author gave Martin some great writing and reading tips ready for the summer!", "summary": "Martin's behind the scenes at CBBC's Summer Social and caught up with author Cressida Cowell."}
{"article": "Maybe you're a Doctor Who fan, or you can't wait for the Big Fat Quiz of the Year, or you love Downton Abbey? Charlotte Moore has already seen every festive show going out on BBC One. She's the controller of the channel and it's her job to make sure that there's \"something for everyone to watch\" over the holidays. \"It's such an important part of the year's schedule for me,\" she says and even though she's already seen the shows, she'll still be watching TV on Christmas Day. \"There's something incredibly nice about sitting around with your family and watching them enjoy the programmes as well.\" According to Charlotte, it's all about planning. \"My advice would be don't panic if you've got to go to church in the morning and you're going to miss something you really want to see or if you're going to miss something in the evening because you've got a family dinner. \"When you're trying to work out the best moment to have Christmas dinner - you can't have it in the middle of Doctor Who can you - but you can plan.\" And if you work it out in advance, then you can let other people watch the channel of their choice and then you can catch up later. \"The great thing is iPlayer allows you to watch it at any time.\" Charlotte expects the media to report on Christmas ratings, as they do every year, but she says the audience figures are not her priority. \"The most important thing is for people to feel there's a really rich offering across the Christmas period.\" Don't Tell the Bride: Let it Snow!: 22 December, 9pm, BBC Three - Emma wants an upmarket wedding but Steve has plans to base the big day on an animated Christmas film. Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special: 25 December, 5pm, BBC One - Bruce Forsyth is back in the ballroom as six celebrities compete for the glitterball trophy. Doctor Who: 25 December, 6.15pm, BBC One - The Doctor and Clara meet Santa in a brand new adventure for the Time Lord. Marvel Avengers Assemble: 26 December, 8.30pm, BBC One - Earth's mightiest heroes - Iron Man, Captain America and Thor - must work with with agents Black Widow and Hawkeye to save the planet. Esio Trot: 1 January, 6.30pm, BBC One - Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench star in this children's book adaptation about a man, a woman and a tortoise. Like many people, Charlotte also looks forward to the classics, when it comes to festive television. \"We've got 101 Dalmatians which is one of my favourites. I love that film and knowing that I'll be able to sit there with my kids watching it again will be a real treat. \"I love those classic episodes of The Vicar of Dibley or Royle Family. \"Christmas is about feeling that you're with the things you love and as much as there's fantastic new content, I think it's really nice that people have some of their favourite films to watch too.\" Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter", "summary": "There's bound to be at least one television programme you're looking forward to watching this Christmas."}
{"article": "The Committee on Standards in Public Life is rewriting its guidelines on potential conflicts of interests. It wants to know what the \"reasonable limits\" should be and whether they should be different for ministers and backbench MPs. It comes after controversy over George Osborne's jobs in banking, public speaking and journalism. The Conservative MP for Tatton, in Cheshire, will take up his new role as editor of the London Evening Standard on 2 May, according to sources at the newspaper. Within 24 hours he will head off to Paris to address hedge fund managers and investors, according to the Press Association. Standards committee chairman Lord Bew said: \"We welcome views from the public and any interested parties on these issues. \"For example, what factors should be taken into account in determining the 'reasonable limits' on MPs' outside interests and is the current level of transparency sufficient?\" The consultation will run until Friday, 28 April. The committee's findings of the review will be reported to the Commons Committee on Standards' review of the Code of Conduct for MPs in June.", "summary": "An ethics watchdog want to know what the public thinks about MPs having second jobs."}
{"article": "In saying that, you may think I've gone mad - given that the Smith Commission has apparently made some huge decisions. Here is what stands out for me from today's announcement. 1) The Scottish parliament will have total control over income tax rates and the thresholds at which they kick in (but Westminster will still set the tax-free allowance). 2) Revenue raised from the first 10 percentage points of VAT on Scottish spending will be allotted to the Scottish government. 3) The Scottish parliament will have power both to create new benefits and vary some planned and existing benefits - including the housing cost element of Universal Credit, benefits for carers and the disabled, and cold weather related payments. There are lots of other important new powers being transferred to Holyrood, including the ability to lower the voting age, change speed limits, license frackers, influence the new BBC Charter, and - possibly - change abortion rules. But it is the transfer of big tax and spending powers that creates significant fiscal and economic uncertainties - whose resolution may have serious political consequences. The lynchpin of all this is what the Commission calls the fiscal framework for the new devolution, which includes a number of principles. Perhaps the most important is that at the precise moment that the new powers are devolved, Scotland's budget and the UK's budget should neither be bigger or smaller as a result of this transfer to Holyrood of new spending and taxing powers. Or to put it another way, the block grant paid to Scotland under the Barnett formula should be reduced to account for taxes devolved to Scotland and increased to account for spending transferred to Scotland - and future payments under the new Barnett formula should be indexed to protect their real value. Or to put it another way, neither Scots taxpayers or those in the rest of the UK should suffer detriment as a direct result of the new devolution. Which is all very well to say, but my goodness it will be hard for Westminster and Holyrood to agree and implement. The point is that income tax receipts and benefit payments vary considerably with the economic cycle. So determining at any point in time precisely what revenues and costs Holyrood is assuming will be pretty tricky. And it is not just adjusting for the economic cycle that will be difficult. Right now, for example, the British government's take from income tax is well below what it expected it would be, given the apparent buoyancy of the economy. So what if the new grant formula was set on the basis of the current depressed income tax revenues, and then a few weeks later tax revenues suddenly and unexpectedly surged back to past trends? If that were to happen the Scots would enjoy a terrific permanent windfall - and taxpayers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland would presumably feel pretty miffed. Similarly the Smith Commission says Scotland should have new powers to borrow, because otherwise it could find itself running out of money in an economic", "summary": "The really important stuff on economic and fiscal devolution to Scotland is yet to be decided."}
{"article": "UK Steel says rising competition and falling prices are damaging firms. The call for action comes days after Thai steel firm SSI halted production at its Teesside plant due to falling demand, putting 2,000 jobs at risk. Among other measures, UK Steel wants the government to lower business rates and relax emissions targets. In a statement it said: \"The UK steel sector is vital to the success of manufacturing, employing 30,000 well-paid and highly skilled people, often in areas with higher-than-average unemployment. \"In 2013 it made a \u00c2\u00a39.5bn contribution to the UK economy and had a \u00c2\u00a34.9bn export value.\" John Park from the Community trade union told the BBC that it was having trouble getting through to the company's management in Thailand. \"A lot of the things that are happening at SSI are decisions that are being taken thousands of miles away,\" he said. \"I'm not sure they know themselves exactly what the solution looks like. We would hope that we can find a positive solution to this situation that secures steelmaking on Teesside and supports the community.\" During its conference in London on Thursday, UK Steel is expected to outline a number of steps which the government can take in the short-term to \"demonstrate its commitment to the UK steel industry\". UK Steel, which is part of the manufacturing trade body EEF, is urging the government to encourage the use of British-produced steel in major infrastructure projects. It also asked the government to consider relaxing rules on emissions targets for manufacturers - which UK Steel said would cost the steel industry \u00c2\u00a3500m by 2019. A spokesperson for UK Steel told the BBC that the government's business rates are much higher than competitors' in France and Germany - sometimes up to 10 times higher. UK Steel also said that bills for industries heavily reliant on energy usage were too high and that a review of these rates - announced in the Budget - should be brought forward. The call comes days after business minister Anna Soubry said that, because of strict EU rules, the government is \"limited\" in what it can do to help the ailing Teesside steel plant owned by SSI . About 2,000 jobs are under threat and unions say they have not been told what the current pause in production means. Contractors who supply workers and equipment to the site have been seen withdrawing their property. On Wednesday, Stockton South MP James Wharton told the BBC: \"At this stage things are still ongoing. Things are very very difficult, I don't want to give false hope about the challenges that are before us for this company. \"", "summary": "UK steel manufacturers will urge the government to take steps to protect the industry in the face of what they describe as a \"perfect storm\"."}
{"article": "This is revealed in a BBC analysis of recent inspection data collated by the Food Standards Agency. I have compared the hygiene records of some of the UK's most popular restaurant chains. Other brands which also do badly include Pizza Gogo and Little Chef, where about one in five of the restaurants inspected were unsatisfactory. On the other hand brands such as Nando's and Pret a Manger have hundreds of outlets, all of which reach an acceptable level. The ratings reflect how food is prepared, cooked and stored, as well as the cleanliness and condition of buildings and how the business is managed. The Food Standards Agency collects these hygiene inspection ratings from nearly all councils in the UK and lets you search for individual scores for nearly half a million shops or restaurants on its website. You can also look at the food outlets in a particular area. We scraped all this data from the FSA site to compile a national table comparing some leading restaurant brands. This shows what proportion of each chain's inspected outlets were found to be unsatisfactory - and the figures vary widely. Many chains have no or very few establishments which are unsatisfactory, but there are some brands where a higher proportion of outlets failed to meet acceptable standards of food hygiene. An FSA spokesperson said: \"Food safety officers from local authorities will follow up with low-rated outlets and will work with them to improve hygiene standards.\" A restaurant is considered unsatisfactory if it scores 0, 1 or 2 (out of 5) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or as \"improvement required\" in Scotland. Many chains are franchise operations in which separately owned establishments trade under the same name and serve the same menu in line with the brand's requirements. All the chains were given the chance to check the data, but most did not comment. However, Little Chef says that it recognises it has to make progress and the company is initiating an investment programme to drive its hygiene standards up. Patisserie Valerie says that it acts immediately to remedy unsatisfactory ratings and that \"we await our next inspections with confidence\". Wimpy also states it takes corrective action when any of its restaurants is found to be below par. TGI Friday's, which scores well, says it is investing a seven-figure sum to achieve maximum five-star ratings in all its establishments. Zizzi, another chain with a good record, says it is pleased that the ratings reflect its operating standards. The ability to compare different restaurants in this way illustrates the opening up of official information over the past few years, as well as some of the continuing obstacles. It might seem hard to believe now, but before the Freedom of Information Act came into force in 2005, this sort of public health information was often kept secret by some local authorities. One early case which helped to establish the principle that the public should have access to such data involved a hotel in Bridgend, in south Wales, which had numerous breaches of good hygiene. Bridgend Council", "summary": "Around one in three of the fast food outlets trading under the names of Dixy Chicken and Chicken Cottage failed to meet satisfactory levels for food hygiene when they were last inspected."}
{"article": "Negotiations over the fiscal framework have been going on since March 2015, with a lengthy deadlock over the issue of Scotland's block grant. Confirming a deal had been done, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said \"not a single penny\" would be taken from the Scottish government's budget. Details of the deal will be published soon so Holyrood scrutiny can begin. The deal, which is the financial basis for new powers to be devolved as part of the Scotland Bill, was settled after Chancellor George Osborne spoke to Ms Sturgeon on the phone. He said the agreement created a \"stronger Scotland in a stronger UK\". The MP told the BBC: \"It delivers on the vow we made to the people of Scotland. \"It is fair to the taxpayers of all of the UK and it gives Scotland one of the most powerful devolved parliaments in the world.\" Ms Sturgeon and Finance Secretary John Swinney had earlier informed MSPs that there was only one issue outstanding in the talks, the substance of a five-year review of the agreement. The two sides had disputed a key line of the Smith Commission agreement on new powers, which said there should be \"no detriment\" to either the UK or Scottish budgets as a result of the deal. Ms Sturgeon said the deal agreed would see \"not a single penny of detriment\" now or \"at any point in the future\". Addressing parliament, she added: \"There is now an agreement in principle that we can recommend to parliament. \"There will be not a single penny of detriment to the Scottish government's budget as a result of the devolution of powers during the transition period, for the next six years to March 2022.\" She paid tribute to Mr Swinney over his role in the protracted negotiations, saying it had been much \"harder work than it should have been\" to stop the Treasury from carrying out a \"cash grab\" from Scottish budgets. Prime Minister David Cameron said it was \"a significant day of devolution\", which would deliver a \"powerhouse parliament\" in Scotland. He added: \"We have reached a deal which is fair to Scotland and fair to the whole of the UK. \"It delivers accountability to the Scottish government and transforms politics in Scotland. It means May's Holyrood elections can be fought on the issues which matter most: how the Scottish government should use these extensive new powers, rather than what they are. \"I welcome this agreement which shows that Scotland's two governments can work constructively together for the benefit of Scottish people.\" Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale welcomed the deal, saying it was \"a historic moment for Scotland\". Her party had backed the Scottish government's position in the negotiations. She said: \"Scottish politics will never be the same again thanks to these new powers. We have entered a new and exciting era of devolution.\" Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, who later gave evidence to the devolution committee on the matter, said he was \"very pleased\" that a deal had been reached. He insisted he had \"always been confident\" an", "summary": "The Scottish and UK governments have reached a financial deal enabling new powers for Holyrood."}
{"article": "The charges relate to a 20-year-old from Slovakia allegedly sold by a gang in Greater Manchester who organised a marriage to a man facing deportation. The five will appear before Rochdale and Bury magistrates on Friday. Police said immigration services had also dealt with three men for overstaying their visas. Mohammed Ali, 40, and Hateji Yakuyb, 57, both of Ashfield Road, Rochdale, Anna Cicakova, 34, and Malik Ramzan, 27, both of Wesley Street, Failsworth, and Rehman Ghani, 39, of St Heliers Drive, Cheetham Hill, have all been charged with conspiracy to hold another person in slavery or servitude and conspiracy to intentionally arrange or facilitate entry into the UK of a person with a view to their exploitation.", "summary": "Four men and a woman have been charged over allegations of human trafficking involving a woman almost tricked into an abortion after a sham marriage."}
{"article": "The SEP V fund will invest up to \u00a320m in growth-stage technology businesses based mainly in the UK and Ireland. It will also play \"an active and supportive role\" in their development. SEP said investments in companies in other European countries would also be considered. According to SEP, the fund was over-subscribed and closed above target. SEP managing partner Calum Paterson said: \"This is another great milestone for us and reflects extremely well on the calibre of our team. \"The new fund gives us a very strong platform to continue to invest in companies with world-class potential and we thank all of our investors for their support.\" SEP portfolio companies currently employ more than 5,500 people and have aggregate revenues of more than \u00a31bn. They include Edinburgh-based travel search company Skyscanner and online car finance specialist Zuto, which is based in Manchester. Non-UK companies in the portfolio include Berlin-based language learning company Babbel and Dublin-based e-commerce analytics company Clavis Insight. SEP has 45 partners and employees across its Glasgow, London and Edinburgh offices.", "summary": "Glasgow-based venture capital firm Scottish Equity Partners (SEP) has raised \u00a3260m for a new fund that will focus on high-growth technology companies."}
{"article": "Find out how you can submit your images and videos below. If you have a picture you'd like to share, email us at england@bbc.co.uk, post it on Facebook or tweet it to @BBCEngland. You can also find us on Instagram - use #englandsbigpicture to share an image there. You can also see a recent archive of pictures on our England's Big Picture board on Pinterest. When emailing pictures, please make sure you include the following information: Please note that whilst we welcome all your pictures, we are more likely to use those which have been taken in the past week. If you submit a picture, you do so in accordance with the BBC's Terms and Conditions. In contributing to England's Big Picture you agree to grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to publish and otherwise use the material in any way that we want, and in any media worldwide. It's important to note, however, that you still own the copyright to everything you contribute to England's Big Picture, and that if your image is accepted, we will publish your name alongside. The BBC cannot guarantee that all pictures will be used and we reserve the right to edit your comments. At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws collecting any kind of media.", "summary": "Each day we feature a photograph sent in from across England."}
{"article": "Thousands of fans celebrated on the pitch at full-time after the Seagulls beat Wigan. The promotion came 34 years after the club reached the FA Cup Final but was relegated. The club's chief executive Paul Barber said a 25,000-strong crowd remained at the stadium after the game on Sunday. Virgo said the scenes of euphoria at the Amex stadium followed the heartache and \"dark, dark times\" since 1983. From brink of disaster to the Premier League \"Nothing will ever top this success in the history of the football club,\" he said. \"They're not just going into a big league, they're going into a worldwide league and the club now will be seen all over the world.\" Championship leaders are promoted to the Premier League Mr Barber said: \"We stayed in the ground for quite a long time because we had about 25,000 people we had to look after. \"We can never encourage people to go on the pitch, but we knew they would and we knew that people had waited a very, very long time for this moment and we certainly weren't going to spoil it.\" Describing the scenes as \"unbelievable\", he added: \"They'll last in people's memories for a lifetime.\" Setting out the club's plans before the next season, he said managers had to look at players' contracts and the stadium needed infrastructure improvements of up to \u00c2\u00a35m, including floodlights, media facilities and improvements to the players' area. \"We're going to have some of the biggest clubs in the world visit the city and no doubt all of them will be bringing huge numbers of fans as well - so this is a special time, not just for the football club but for the whole city.\" The club last played in the old First Division in 1983 - they reached the FA Cup Final that year but got relegated. In 1997, the club had to sell the Goldstone Ground to pay off some of its debts. It spent two seasons 70 miles away at Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium. The club then moved into the Withdean Stadium in 1999 - a council-owned athletics track on the suburbs of Brighton. Chairman Tony Bloom's arrival eight years ago paved the way for their new permanent home at the Amex stadium and the success that followed. DJ and Albion fan Norman Cook, better known as Fatboy Slim, who lives in Hove, said he was going to enjoy the moment \"from now until the middle of August\". \"I'm going to make the most of it and enjoy it because reality will kick in. \"In the middle of August we could get pasted, but it's going to be part of a learning curve,\" he said. Lifelong Albion fan Attila the Stockbroker - aka John Baine - said: \"It's an incredible journey. Twenty years ago, bottom of the league with no ground. Now we're going into the Premier League.\" Ingram Losner, who has supported Brighton since he was a child and travelled from the US to watch the match, said: \"The atmosphere was just building up throughout the day,", "summary": "Nothing will ever top Brighton and Hove Albion's promotion to the Premier League, the club's former defender Adam Virgo has said."}
{"article": "Charlie Webster, 33, who has worked for Sky and ITV, became unwell after watching the Olympic opening ceremony. She remains in intensive care but doctors have said they are \"very happy with Charlie's neurological results\". Her mother said: \"The fact Charlotte is now conscious is amazing.\" Ms Webster is being kept on dialysis as her kidneys are not responding to treatment and is being supported by a respirator. Her mother said in a statement that she had been able to speak to her family. \"Charlotte knows she nearly died,\" she said. \"She mouthed to me earlier, 'look at all the machines keeping me alive'. \"Charlotte is really strong but as the doctors keep reminding me, everyone heals differently. \"I am just so thankful that she's able to communicate with us again. \"It's been the worst imaginable time - we have been beside ourselves with worry but the fact Charlotte is now conscious is amazing. \"Knowing Charlotte, the thing she'll be most annoyed about is that she's missed the Olympics.\" Her management said that she managed to say to her mother, \"I can't believe you have been here all week\", and later, \"Have you been to the beach?\" A spokeswoman for the presenter said: \"Charlie's family and friends have been incredibly touched by the overwhelming support and love shown to Charlie today. \"Their main focus now is for Charlie to be stable enough to fly back to the UK.\" The former Sky Sports News presenter was admitted to hospital after becoming unwell while watching the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on August 5. Doctors initially believed she was dehydrated after the bike ride but her condition deteriorated. On 9 August she wrote on Twitter: \"I'm getting there... awful few days with serious infection #Rio.\" Two days later she fell unconscious and was placed into a coma. The Ride to Rio left the UK on 27 June, with Ms Webster and her colleagues cycling 90 miles a day with only one rest day each week before arriving at the Maracana stadium on 4 August. It marked the 10th anniversary of a cycle ride undertaken by charity fundraiser Jane Tomlinson before her death. Mrs Tomlinson was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2000 and died in 2007 after raising almost \u00c2\u00a32m for charity.", "summary": "A television sports presenter who contracted malaria in Rio following a 3,000-mile charity cycle ride has been brought out of her medically induced coma, her manager has said."}
{"article": "The regulator's chief executive, Leslie Titcomb, said on Monday she had learnt of the sale of BHS, then part of Sir Philip's Arcadia retail group, through reading the newspapers. Arcadia's company secretary has written on behalf of Sir Philip saying she was given advance notice of the sale. The regulator's spokesman said she had known but with too few details. The spokesman said: \"We did discuss the proposed terms of a potential deal with trustees and the employer, however, we were not given sufficient information at that time to assess the potential impact on the BHS pension scheme.\" He added: \"As we have launched an anti-avoidance investigation we need to take care not to prejudice our case.\" BHS was sold for a \u00c2\u00a31 in March 2015 to a little known group of businessmen called Retail Acquisitions. It collapsed into administration two weeks ago with debts of \u00c2\u00a31.3bn and two parliamentary committees are investigating it. The letter to the Work and Pensions Committee and the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee said the regulator had been notified by email on 6 February, 2015 that a decision had been taken to market the sale of BHS. She was also informed that \"two parties had already expressed an interest in a solvent transaction and that negotiations were ongoing with both of them\", according to the letter. It goes on to say that later in February 2015, the BHS pension scheme trustees and their advisers were made aware of the terms of the proposed sale and met the proposed purchaser. The letter also states that Sir Philip understood that the trustees had discussions about the sale with the regulator at the beginning of March. The regulator then sought an urgent meeting to find out how the proposed sale could affect the BHS pension schemes. The letter said a meeting between Sir Philip and The Pensions Regulator took place on 4 March, where they were made aware of the \"key terms\" of the sale. The regulator's spokesman said: \"When addressing the Work and Pensions Select Committee, Lesley Titcomb said that we were not informed of the confirmation of the actual sale of BHS to Retail Acquisitions Ltd until March 11. \"She explained that we were engaged with the trustees and the employer in the weeks leading up to the sale, and that we were aware a sale was a possibility.\" During the lengthy parliamentary session, Ms Titcomb said she was unable to answer specific questions about BHS because of her continuing investigation. Her team is looking into whether BHS' previous owners had avoided their financial obligations to the pensions schemes. The letter also responded to questions raised by some MPs about the amount of dividend payments paid out by BHS. The letter said that a total of \u00c2\u00a3423m had been awarded to directors but that there had been no payments made for the past 12 years. The payments reflected the \"significant\" profits the business had made for the three years to the end of 2004. Former Trustees of the BHS pension scheme are due to appear before", "summary": "Sir Philip Green, the former BHS boss, says the head of the Pensions Regulator gave MPs \"incorrect\" evidence."}
{"article": "Moses, 25, starred as Nigeria clinched the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, but his search for consistency on the international scene has been hampered by a series of niggling injuries. His last Super Eagles appearance was in the 2-0 loss to France at the 2014 World Cup but he insists his commitment to Nigeria should not be questioned. Unfortunately, I have not been able to play due to injuries but I have an unwavering commitment to Nigeria \"I'm proud of being a Nigerian international and am always committed to playing for my country,\" Moses told BBC Sport. \"It's the best feeling representing your country and I always want to perform and give 100% for the team. \"Unfortunately, I have not been able to play due to injuries but I have an unwavering commitment to Nigeria.\" Moses' debut and last international appearance came under Stephen Keshi, who was fired after the country failed to qualify for the 2015 Nations Cup. Keshi's successor, Sunday Oliseh, said Moses remains part of his plans despite pulling out of crucial friendlies against DR Congo and Cameroon last October. Oliseh's comments were a timely boost for fit-again Moses who has played in West Ham's last five matches after recovering from a hamstring injury. \"There is a new manager and the team has been doing well but without me,\" said Moses, who misses the involvement. \"I'm prepared to give it my all and fight for a place on a regular basis, that's my aim. \"This is football, a competitive stage and I have to fight hard to get in but I don't mind doing that.\" Former Crystal Palace and Wigan player Moses joined Chelsea in August 2012, but has spent the past two seasons on loan. Moses, who also had loan spells at Liverpool in 2013-14 and Stoke last season, moved to West Ham on loan in September 2015 after signing a new four-year deal with his parent club. At international level, he committed himself to Nigeria despite having represented England at junior levels, up to the Under-21 team.", "summary": "West Ham winger Victor Moses has reiterated his commitment to Nigeria after he was accused by fans and local media in Nigeria of putting club before country."}
{"article": "In some hotels featured by the Fifa-appointed agency Match, room rates will be up to five times higher during the tournament, a recent study suggests. The board fears that \"stratospheric\" costs could damage the country's image. The World Cup opening match will be on 12 June 2014, in Sao Paulo. The board, known as Embratur, said that Match should change its policy of blocking hotel rooms and also called upon the agency to reduce its mark-up rates. \"We propose that the companies involved conduct new rounds of negotiations to lead to a restructuring of the prices,'' the board was quoted as saying in a document by the Associated Press news agency. The board claimed: \"Fifa/Match charges mark-up rates of more than 40% on the amount contracted with the hotel, something that contributes decisively to the increase of the already high rates.\" However, Match said that it does not regulate room rates and that prices are set \"by the hotel owners and other tourism stakeholders\". \"As of yet it is totally unclear to Match Services on what criteria Embratur has been comparing rates as we have not been consulted in this matter,\" AP quoted the agency as saying. It added that if hotels lowered their rates if would \"readily pass the benefit of any such reduction to its customers\". The World Cup is one of the most popular sporting events and is expected to attract a large number of tourists to the host country. According to Fifa, the 2006 World Cup held in Germany was attended by more than 3.3 million fans - with many of them flying in from all across the world. Fifa is expecting a similar demand for the 2014 World Cup. Brazil's tourism board said that it was concerned that if fans coming from outside the country had to pay excessive prices, it might hurt the country in the long run. \"We want to guarantee economic success and a legacy for the country that goes beyond the 2014 World Cup,'' it said. In June, there were widespread protests in Brazil where the high cost of preparations for the World Cup was among the issues raised.", "summary": "Brazil's tourism board has asked world football governing body Fifa and hotel operators to try to bring down hotel prices \u00e2\u20ac\u201c which have reportedly sky-rocketed for the World Cup period."}
{"article": "They are the latest in a series of deadly attacks in France that have been getting more frequent in recent years. Previous attacks have included the killing of soldiers and schoolchildren by a lone gunman in the Toulouse region, shootings at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris, and a co-ordinated assault by gunmen and suicide bombers on a concert hall, a major stadium, restaurants and bars in Paris. 11-22 March, Toulouse and Montauban: Gunman Mohammed Merah, 23, a French citizen of Algerian extraction, killed three soldiers on 11 and 15 March, before shooting three children and a teacher at a Jewish school on 19 March. He was eventually killed on 22 March during a lengthy police siege at his flat in Toulouse. 23 May, La Defense, Paris: A French soldier was stabbed in the neck by a convert to Islam, named as Alexandre Dhaussy. The soldier survived. 20 December, Joue-les-Tours: A Burundi-born French national attacked three police officers with a knife, shouting \"God is great!\" in Arabic. He was shot dead by police. 21 December, Dijon: A driver shouting \"God is great\" in Arabic ran down pedestrians in Dijon, eastern France, injuring 11 people. 22 December, Nantes: At a Christmas market in western France, 10 people were injured when a van drove into pedestrians, before the driver attempted suicide. 7-9 January, Charlie Hebdo offices and Hypercacher supermarket, Paris: Brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi attacked the offices of French magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, killing 12 people including the editor and celebrated cartoonists. The following day a policewoman was murdered by Amedy Coulibaly, who then held up a Jewish supermarket, killing four people. The Kouachi brothers and Coulibaly were all killed after separate hostage stand-offs with police. 3 February, Nice: A man wielding a knife attacked and wounded three soldiers patrolling outside a Jewish community centre in Nice. The attacker was named as Moussa Coulibaly, a Malian with no apparent link to the Paris gunman of the same surname. 19 April, Villejuif, Paris: Sid Ahmed Ghlam, a 24-year-old Algerian national, was arrested by police after he apparently shot himself by accident. Investigators believe he was planning attacks on \"one or two churches\" in the Paris suburbs. He was charged with terror offences and the murder of a woman found in a burning car. 26 June, Saint-Quentin-Fallavier: A man was found decapitated and several others injured at a factory near Lyon. Several explosions were heard and one of the suspects was arrested by police. French President Francois Hollande has described it as a terrorist attack. 21 August, Oignies: A mass shooting was averted on a high-speed train travelling between Amsterdam and Paris, when a passenger armed with an automatic pistol and a box cutter was subdued by six passengers. Three people were injured in the struggle, which took place on a section of track in northern France. 13-14 November, Paris: Gunmen and suicide bombers hit a concert hall, a major stadium, restaurants and bars, almost simultaneously - and left 130 people dead and hundreds wounded. The deadliest attack of the night came at a", "summary": "The attack on a church near Rouen in northern France comes just 12 days after a lorry attack on people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice."}
{"article": "Len McCluskey joined Unite members from the Oxford Bus Company on the picket line earlier, and warned seven other bus depots run by the Go Ahead Group could be affected. Drivers have walked out on two separate days angry that they were only paid for three bank holidays over Christmas. Oxford Bus Company said its drivers were among the highest paid anywhere. 'Incredible resolution' Mr McCluskey warned that unless the issue was resolved, bus services in London and other parts of the country could also expect industrial action. He said: \"I sincerely hope that the Oxford Bus Company pays heed to the incredible resolution of Unite's members. \"They are in no mood to roll over, and they know that they have the full support of their union in their corner. \"Unless the company restores facility time and starts treating our members with respect I will have no option but to take this dispute to every Go Ahead depot in the country.\" But Phil Southall, the managing director of Oxford Bus Company, said it was continuing to run about 90% of services. He added: \"This is purely a local issue to Oxford about the Christmas and New Year bank holidays. \"We were willing to agree to suspend any legal action, reinstate the recognition agreement and the stand down time at Unite's request if strike action was called off and no further dates announced. \"It is becoming clearer that this strike is about Unite the union and not about our drivers' and engineers' best interests.\" The Go Ahead Group says its operations include eight regional bus companies, one of which is in London, where it provides about 24% of services on behalf of Transport for London.", "summary": "The leader of England's biggest union has warned that a strike by bus drivers in Oxford over pay could spread."}
{"article": "Nobbs, 80, from Ripon, North Yorkshire, also wrote for The Two Ronnies, Ken Dodd, Frankie Howerd and Radio 4's The Maltby Collection. The creator of The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin also wrote 20 novels. Comedian John Cleese said he was a \"lovely kind, gentle man with a delicious sense of humour\". He said on Twitter: \"Very sad today to hear of the death of David Nobbs. First worked with him on the Frost Report in 1966. \"He wrote many top-class shows and books. His masterwork: the Reggie Perrin shows.\" The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, first broadcast in the 1970s, told the story of a man, played by Leonard Rossiter, desperate to escape his dull marriage, disappointing children and daily grind of his job. The British Humanist Association's chief executive Andrew Copson said: \"David Nobbs was a very special talent and we were all honoured to have worked with him over his years as a patron of the BHA.\" Ricky Gervais, creator of The Office, also paid tribute to Nobbs, by borrowing a catchphrase from the character CJ, played by John Barron, who was Perrin's tyrannical boss. He tweeted: \"I didn't get where I am today by not knowing what a genius David Nobbs was. RIP.\" And Little Britain star Matt Lucas wrote: \"Reggie Perrin and A Bit Of A Do were masterpieces. David Nobbs leaves the world a richer place.\" Author Irvine Welsh, who wrote the novel Trainspotting, said: \"Very sad to hear of the death of inspirational David Nobbs, who I had quite a few laughs with. \"A comic genius and an excellent human being.\"", "summary": "Writer David Nobbs, best known for creating the television character Reginald Perrin, has died, the British Humanist Association has said."}
{"article": "Cyclists have suffered punctures and pet-owners and runners have been warned to beware along the three-mile (4.8km) route, from Mumbles to the centre of Swansea. The council said the drawing pins, found at several locations, appeared to have been left \"deliberately\". A spokesman said it was \"extremely irresponsible and dangerous\". The council warned those planning to use the waterfront over the Easter weekend to be aware. \"Some cyclists have already reported punctured tyres because of the drawing pins,\" the spokesman added. \"We are asking members of the public who use the promenade daily to be the 'eyes and ears' of the council and the police by reporting anything suspicious they see on the seafront.\" Swansea is also organising extra sweeps of the promenade.", "summary": "A warning has been issued after a stretch of the Swansea Bay promenade was showered with drawing pins."}
{"article": "The number reaching Greece was 210,265, and for Italy it was 8,129, according to the UNHCR. Many are refugees from Syria. At least 70 people have drowned trying to reach Greek islands in the past week. The bodies of four men were recovered from the Aegean Sea on Monday after their boat sank. Another seven people were missing off the island of Farmakonisi. On Sunday, the bodies of 10 people were recovered from a capsized boat a short distance from Samos. Six of the dead were children and another child's body was found on a beach. This year alone, 3,440 have drowned or have been declared missing while trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, the UN agency says. The International Organization for Migration says more than 400 people died while travelling to Greece. According to the UN, 744,175 have arrived on Europe's shores, the vast majority on Greek islands such as Lesbos and Samos. The pull of Lesbos - five migrant stories from Greece Grief and illness - the hard trip to Samos Europe's migrant crisis - special report Most migrants arrive packed into unseaworthy boats, having paid huge sums to people smugglers. Rough seas have made the crossing from Turkey perilous, and worsening weather conditions appear to have had no effect on the numbers trying to leave. Most head north via the Balkans to Germany, hoping to get asylum. Germany expects at least 800,000 asylum seekers this year - some estimates put it as high as 1.5 million. That is at least four times the number who arrived last year. Chancellor Angela Merkel has been trying to come to an agreement with her coalition partners on restricting the numbers heading for Germany. Her Christian Social Union (CSU) ally Horst Seehofer is pushing for transit zones to be set up to process arrivals near the country's borders. Mrs Merkel's CDU party backs the idea, however Social Democrat leader Sigmar Gabriel is opposed to the zones amid concerns that they might resemble concentration camps.", "summary": "A monthly record of 218,394 migrants and refugees reached Europe by sea in October, the UN says, almost as many as the total number of arrivals in 2014."}
{"article": "The reality of the Dark Hedges did not live up to the fantasy for those visiting the tunnel of trees, made famous by Game of Thrones. There was no chance of an unspoilt picture with cars and coaches blocking the road and honking their horns. There are plans to close the road to traffic permanently. Four objections have been raised to the plans and they are currently being considered, the Department of Infrastructure said. Jonathan Hobbs, who works for voluntary campaign group NI Greenways, caught the chaos on camera when visiting the County Antrim attraction with his family on Easter Monday. \"You were jostling for space with cars and coaches and I could not let the kids out of my sight,\" he said. \"Tourists travel thousands of miles to come to see this great Game of Thrones location. \"It was a horrible environment and not selling the right image of Northern Ireland.\" He also expressed concern about the damage being caused to the trees' roots by the volume of traffic. A hotel on the Dark Hedges estate, which is just a few minutes' walk from the tourist site, posted on its Facebook page that it has plenty of free car parking. McComb's Coaches said it had discussed using the car park at a nearby golf club but access to the Dark Hedges would involve crossing a road \"where cars go at such terrific speed, it would be an accident waiting to happen\". Caroline McComb, one of the company's directors, said unlike most other coach firms, hers would be in favour of closing the road as long as the infrastructure was put in place and the Dark Hedges remained free of charge. \"People absolutely love the Dark Hedges,\" she told BBC news NI. \"They just want a picture there and it is becoming more and more difficult to get one. \"There's lots of blame being put on the buses and coaches with regards to damage, but it is just not being maintained. \"Someone needs to take ownership or it will get more run down.\" Jamie Laverty, 27, who works near the Dark Hedges and is originally from the nearby village of Stranocum, believes the majority of locals would be in favour of closing the road as the tourist attraction brings in revenue, but there would be some local landowners who would have objections. \"I pass the Dark Hedges on my way to work and even early in the morning, there are cars there,\" he said. \"It is a beautiful natural phenomenon and we need the tourist infrastructure if it is still going to be here in 30 years.\" A Department for Infrastructure spokeswoman said the proposed traffic order would ban most vehicles from the Bregagh Road, encompassing The Dark Hedges, between its junctions with Ballinlea Road and Ballykenver Road. A package of measures, she added, would aim to \"provide an improved experience for local people and visitors alike while helping to reduce the environmental impact on the tree tunnel\". Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council said it was \"working with the landowners and", "summary": "It was a case of not being able to see the wood for the cars at one of Northern Ireland's top tourist attractions over the Easter weekend."}
{"article": "Avast carried out the check to coincide with the first day of the Mobile World Congress trade show in the city. In addition, it said it had found more than 470,000 other types of vulnerable smart devices. The firm warned that unsuspecting owners could be spied upon as a consequence. \"If webcams are set to livestream for example, hackers or anyone can connect making it easy for cybercriminals to spy on... oblivious school pupils, workers or citizens nearby,\" said the firm's chief executive Vince Steckler in a statement. \"[But] what is far more likely is the possibility of a cyber-crook hijacking an insecure webcam, coffee machine or smart TV to turn it into a bot which, as part of a wider botnet, could be used in co-ordinated attacks on servers to take down major websites.\" Avast used the connected-objects search engine Shodan to identify the devices. It said to qualify they needed to either: It carried out the study to help promote its own security tools. But another independent expert said he thought the public needed to be aware of the threat. \"This research underlines just how easy it is to locate potentially vulnerable 'smart' devices and how they might be compromised,\" said Ken Munro, from the cybersecurity testing specialists Pen Test Partners. \"That's not to say that all internet-connected devices can be easily compromised; for example some more recent kettles, coffee machines and fridges are much harder to hack than earlier models. \"But consumers should exercise caution with smart devices. Ask yourself first if you actually need that device, then think about what data it might collect about you and expose. \"For example, baby monitors with video and two-way audio would obviously be more concerning than a simple audio-only device.\"", "summary": "A leading security company says it has discovered 22,000 hackable internet-connected baby monitors and other types of webcam in Barcelona."}
{"article": "Mole Valley District Council is consulting on plans to move boundaries to allow the building of up to 2,200 homes over the next 13 years. The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has now started a campaign called Save Surrey's Countryside. The council said there was insufficient land available in built-up areas for new homes and other development. Andy Smith, from the Surrey branch of the CPRE, said the group was concerned about development around places like Guildford, Reigate and Leatherhead. \"These areas have been built and built over the years,\" he said. \"All these towns have expanded to such an extent we have to say enough is enough.\" Mole Valley District Council said it was is looking at green belt land around the area's towns and larger villages to see if there was potential for development. John Northcott, the councillor responsible for planning, said: \"This consultation document does not identify sites for development or suggest land that could be taken out of the green belt. \"Instead it sets out a process for reviewing the green belt boundary and we will use the findings of the consultation to help shape our future work.\"", "summary": "A campaign has begun to fight a proposal to remove land from the green belt in Surrey to build housing."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old has played in two Tests, 48 one-day internationals and 18 Twenty20 matches for Pakistan. Both men were later bailed until April pending further inquiries. Jamshed is among three players who were recently suspended for violating a cricket anti-corruption code. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also suspended Pakistan internationals Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif, who are due to appear in front of the board on Wednesday. Jamshed has not commented on the allegations. The spot-fixing allegations relate to the Pakistan Super League - the country's top-flight cricket championship which is held in the United Arab Emirates for security reasons. Khan and Latif play in the Pakistan Super League for current champions Islamabad United. The PCB previously said it was investigating \"an international syndicate which is believed to be attempting to corrupt the PSL\".", "summary": "Pakistan batsman Nasir Jamshed was one of two men arrested by the National Crime Agency in Britain on Monday as part of an investigation into cricket corruption, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "The force of the blast shook buildings several miles away. SpaceX said \"an anomaly\" had occurred while the rocket was being loaded with fuel. No-one was injured, it said. The rocket's payload, an Israeli-built communications satellite for Facebook due to launch on Saturday, was also destroyed, it added. Facebook, in partnership with Eutelsat Communications, had been due to use the Amos-6 satellite to deliver broadband internet coverage for swathes of sub-Saharan Africa as part of its Internet.org initiative. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who is currently visiting Africa, said he was \"deeply disappointed\" to hear that the satellite had been destroyed. \"We remain committed to our mission of connecting everyone, and we will keep working until everyone has the opportunities this satellite would have provided,\" he wrote on his Facebook account. A leading Israeli space official said the loss of the Amos-6 satellite, valued at more than $200m (\u00c2\u00a3150m) and owned by Spacecom, was a major blow to the industry. \"As far as the Israeli communications satellite industry is concerned, this is a very severe blow which could place the future of the industry in doubt if it is not dragged out of the mud,\" said the chairman of the Israel Space Agency, Isaac Ben-Israel. SpaceX rocket explodes on launch pad Cape Canaveral Air Force Station said a \"significant\" explosion had happened just after 09:00 (14:00 GMT) at Launch Complex 40, which is leased by SpaceX. SpaceX said in a statement: \"The anomaly originated around the upper stage oxygen tanks and occurred during propellant loading of the vehicle. A history of SpaceX in pictures \"As per standard operating procedure, all personnel were clear of the pad and no-one was injured. We are continuing to review the data to identify the root cause.\" SpaceX is aiming to create a new era of reusable rockets and affordable private space travel and has used its Falcon-9 rocket to take supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). In December last year, the California-based company successfully landed a Falcon-9 back on Earth after a mission to launch orbiting satellites - a first in rocketry. SpaceX is run out of Hawthorne near Los Angeles by Elon Musk, who made his fortune with internet companies. As well as being the rocket company's CEO, he also heads up the Tesla electric car company. Whatever the details of what went wrong at the launch-pad, this is bad news for one of the most ambitious-ever space programmes. SpaceX has big dreams for cheap, frequent and distant space travel. This test-firing was meant to be routine, part of an accelerating series of launches. Beyond it, SpaceX is looking to make history by re-using one of the massive first stages that was returned to Earth intact. The company is also preparing to fly astronauts to the International Space Station. Most exotic of all, the company's boss, Elon Musk, is due later this month to unveil his plans for a Mars colony, and how that would take effect. There had been talk of the first SpaceX unmanned mission to the Red Planet in a couple of", "summary": "A rocket operated by the aerospace company SpaceX has exploded on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral where it was being test-fired ahead of a launch."}
{"article": "Teams are set to be composed of big-name players and sevens specialists. New Zealand's Sonny Bill Williams is already playing full-time sevens but British clubs seem unlikely to release players until shortly before the Games. \"It is a very condensed programme and that puts us up against it,\" said Amor. \"The door is open for players from the 15-a-side game to put their hand up but the guys playing on the Sevens World Series, tournament in and tournament out, are in the driving seat.\" In addition to 2015 Rugby World Cup-winner Williams, global names such as South Africa's Bryan Habana and Australia's Quade Cooper are keen on Olympic spots, while Wales wing George North and England back Danny Cipriani are among the home nations stars to have expressed an interest. However, many of the players on show in Rio are likely to be sevens specialists who only play the abbreviated form of the game and have competed in the Sevens World Series for some time already, England, Wales and Scotland compete separately on the Sevens World Series, but will come together to form a team for the Olympics. And Amor hopes to hear before the end of the year if an application to field a Great Britain team at the second-tier Grand Prix Sevens series in summer 2016 will be approved. The Grand Prix series consisted of three events last year and the 2016 finale will take place at Exeter's Sandy Park on 9-10 July - a month before the Olympic sevens tournament takes place. While World Rugby's regulations state that players must be free to play in the Olympics themselves, clubs are under no such obligations to release their stars for the Sevens World Series, which begins on Friday in Dubai. English side Wasps said in August that they would only allow players such as winger Christian Wade to join up with Great Britain two weeks before the start of the Olympics, in line with Premiership Rugby policy. \"We are working to see if there is a way of accessing players at the right time that works for both them and Team GB, while not compromising player performances for their clubs,\" Amor said. \"Ideally we get these players playing at some point on the Sevens World Series, if not then we put them into the Rugby Europe's Grand Prix Series in the summer and see if we can fast track their fitness and game understanding. \"It is a nice problem to have - how do we blend those players and teams together, the playing styles, the strengths of the individual players in what will be a short space of time. \"There is no nationality quota put in place. The challenges we have are unique and it is about working through them to send the best team we can.\"", "summary": "Coach Simon Amor says getting hold of 15-a-side players and integrating them in time for Rio has already put Great Britain's sevens team at a disadvantage ahead of the 2016 Olympics."}
{"article": "The Iron nearly took the lead when Russell Penn headed Manny Parry's effort off the line. It was one of the few highlights of the first half, and affairs did not spring to life until the hour mark. Jack Midson broke the deadlock for Braintree with a firm header from Reece Hall-Johnson's cross. James Bolton's close-range header was fielded by Sam Beasant as the Tynesiders pushed for an equaliser. McLaughlin eventually provided it five minutes from time, and Gateshead could even have won it a minute later when Jordan Burrow fired wide when in on goal. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Gateshead 1, Braintree Town 1. Second Half ends, Gateshead 1, Braintree Town 1. Substitution, Braintree Town. Lee Barnard replaces Michael Cheek. Gus Mafuta (Gateshead) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Goal! Gateshead 1, Braintree Town 1. Patrick McLaughlin (Gateshead) converts the penalty with a. Substitution, Gateshead. Gus Mafuta replaces Danny Johnson. Substitution, Gateshead. Luke Hannant replaces Sam Jones. Substitution, Braintree Town. Ebou Adams replaces Chez Isaac. Substitution, Gateshead. Wes York replaces Russell Penn. Goal! Gateshead 0, Braintree Town 1. Michael Cheek (Braintree Town). Substitution, Braintree Town. Reece Hall-Johnson replaces Monty Patterson. Second Half begins Gateshead 0, Braintree Town 0. First Half ends, Gateshead 0, Braintree Town 0. Danny Johnson (Gateshead) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Paddy McLaughlin's late penalty salvaged a point for Gateshead as they drew at home with Braintree in the National League."}
{"article": "Welsh cynghanedd group Carmarthen Bardic School is celebrating its 25th anniversary and hopes to publish a collection of poems written by past members. It has helped train a number of National Eisteddfod winners including Mererid Hopwood, who tutors for the group, and Aneirin Karadog. The lessons are held over a pint at the Carmarthen Quins Rugby Club. Cynghanedd has bee present in Welsh language rhyming since the 6th Century, and developed into a complex set of poetic rules from about the 13th Century. Geraint Roberts, one of the original members, said: \"There's a very close correlation between the development of the Welsh language and cynghanedd. \"We set homework and that's a critical part of it - going over the homework, looking over mistakes and looking for ways of improving and developing.\" One of its youngest members, 15-year-old Dafydd Llywelyn, said: \"My forefathers learnt this craft and I want to keep the tradition alive.\"", "summary": "A group is calling on former members to contribute poems for a new book."}
{"article": "The firm, which operates services across the West Midlands, said it would now operate up to March 2016. The Department for Transport (DfT) said the process of awarding a contract beyond then had not begun. In March London Midland announced it would shed 150 jobs, while in November it said driver shortages had led to cancelled or delayed services. Figures showed about 20% of its 1,311 daily services were delayed or cancelled throughout October. The firm has said the 150 redundancies would focus on head office and support staff and would not affect services. A DfT spokesman said during the extra six months it would be \"working closely with the company to ensure they continue to improve the service they provide to passengers\". The process had not yet started of awarding a so-called management contract to run from March 2016 to June 2017, the department said. It added a new franchise was planned to run from June 2017, which also has not yet been awarded.", "summary": "London Midland has had its franchise extended by six months, the train company has announced."}
{"article": "The search giant plans to stop allowing ads for loans due within 60 days or with an interest rate of 36% or higher. Google's director of product policy David Graff said: \"Our hope is that fewer people will be exposed to misleading or harmful products.\" Many payday lenders rely on internet searches to generate customers. The Online Lenders Association called Google's move \"disappointing\". \"It's disappointing that a site created to help give users full access to information is making arbitrary choices on the advertisements users are allowed to see from legal businesses,\" said the group's president, Lisa McGreevy. It is possible Google's move could have more impact on curbing the industry than government regulation. The change takes effect on 13 July. This is not the first time that Google has banned ads from certain industries. Ads for counterfeit goods, weapons, explosives, tobacco products and hate speech are all banned by Google. Payday lenders have bee accused of targeting the poor and trapping them in a cycle of borrowing with high interest rates. These types of loans are often used for unexpected or short-term expenses, such as medical bills, but come with very high interest rates and fees. The change to Google's advertising policy will only affect lenders that fall into the short-term high-interest category. \"This change is designed to protect our users from deceptive or harmful financial products and will not affect companies offering loans such as mortgages, car loans, student loans, commercial loans, or revolving lines of credit,\" Mr Graff said. Russell Hamblin-Boone, chief executive of The Consumer Finance Association (CFA) said it was disappointed by the move. \"Short term loans are a legal source of credit used by millions of people across the UK, and the industry is highly regulated, with a cap on the total cost of credit,\" said Russell Hamblin-Boone, the CFA's chief executive. \"Under such intense scrutiny the rogue firms have been driven out of the market, and reputable lenders will only lend to people who can afford to borrow.\"", "summary": "Google has announced plans to ban ads from so-called payday lenders, in a move the company hopes will limit what it calls a \"harmful\" industry."}
{"article": "Loss aversion, he said, is when people feel the pain of losing something more than they feel the pleasure of gaining something else, which can leave some wary of taking risks. That could be why the threat of losing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare, has led to more support for the healthcare law than ever before. Can Obamacare be repealed? Why is Obamacare so controversial? President Donald Trump has urged Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare, while Republican lawmakers have suggested they could do so before the end of the month. But the congressional plan to remove Obamacare has been hobbled by the Republicans' inability to present a clear replacement scheme, leaving some Americans unnerved as the healthcare law's expiry date looms. \"People are looking at what they're losing and it's not clear what they'll be gaining,\" says Thomas D'Aunno, director of the health policy and management at New York University's Robert F Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. An uncertain future about the country's healthcare is \"playing into people's stronger attachment to the ACA\", he says. That sentiment is felt by Americans like Cathy DeLoach, who changed her mind on the ACA after her son was diagnosed with testicular cancer and her family spent $29,000 (\u00c2\u00a323,000) on treatment costs in 15 days. \"I stayed with him in the hospital and I had a lot of time to think about how grateful I was for the Affordable Care Act,\" she told the BBC. Mrs DeLoach, who did not vote for Mr Obama in 2008 and 2012, said she was not a fan of the law when it was first passed, but now worries for her son's future. \"This really is something that could be so awful for so many people, and so many poor people, and it's wrong.\" A recent Health Tracking Poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation found the highest level of favourability for the ACA in more than 60 tracking polls since 2010, when President Barack Obama signed it into law. The poll found that 48% of Americans approved of the ACA while 42% said it was unfavourable. At its lowest favourability in November 2013, just 33% approved of it. Ashley Kirzinger, a senior survey analyst at Kaiser, said that while it is not a majority of Americans who share this view, the shift underscores American concerns amid a heated debate about its replacement in Washington. A handful of other polls echoed these findings. \"To a certain extent much of the debate over the years has been a referendum on the Obama administration,\" says Michael Sparer, chair of the department of health policy and management at Columbia University. \"Opposition to the law very effectively painted it as an expensive bureaucratic interference in the American healthcare system,\" he said. \"But the debate is shifting a little bit from pure rhetoric to what would actually happen if the law was gone.\" There has been growing hesitation among some Republicans about outright replacing the law, with some suggesting a modification plan as the right way forward. Former", "summary": "Nobel-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman famously pioneered the idea that people tend to fear loss twice as much as they prefer gains."}
{"article": "The Reverend Hayley Young, from Hayling Island Baptist Church near Portsmouth, made the video after her treatment started to cause hair loss. She told Victoria Derbyshire she hopes it will counter misconceptions. The video - which sees the 28-year-old tell her story through cardboard signs - has been viewed over 19,000 times. Ms Young contracted HIV following a non-sexual attack in 2013 - for which she decided not to press charges - and prior to the video had only informed a handful of people close to her of the infection. Among them, she explained, were some negative reactions, with one person referring to her as \"dangerous\". Her loss of hair was also causing rumours to spread in her church, with many people concerned over her health. It was a result of these factors, she explained, that she \"thought it was time that I informed my congregation\". \"I knew telling them face to face was going to be quite difficult for myself and them so I thought about how I could do it creatively,\" she added. Her decision to choose a \"cardboard testimony\" was a result of having seen the popularity of such videos in the United States. The video explains the symptoms Ms Young - who has been a minister at the church since January 2011 - has experienced since contracting HIV, but also looks to counter any misconceptions surrounding the infection. \"I think people were worried about me being around children, how they can contract it,\" she told Victoria Derbyshire. One individual thought HIV could be passed on through kissing. \"People just don't know unfortunately,\" she added. Since the video was posted on May 10, Ms Young says she has been overwhelmed by the reaction from church-goers. \"On the whole, the congregation have been amazing and [they're from] a variety of ages and a variety of backgrounds, so I've been humbled by their positivity.\" She says she is glad many others have been \"inspired and encouraged\" by the video, but does not feel it is her role to become a spokesperson for those with HIV. Ms Young also explained how she had been hurt by some of the abusive messages YouTube users had posted on the video, although she is now learning to come to terms with them. \"When you put your head above the parapet, it's going to happen, isn't it?\" she said. Ms Young is continuing to take her medication daily, but feels that her health \"still isn't 100%\". With the right treatment, she hopes to live a \"happy and healthy life\". She says she is able to take peace and strength from her Christian faith. Watch Victoria Derbyshire on weekdays from 09:15-11:00 BST on BBC Two and BBC News Channel. Follow the programme on Facebook and Twitter, and find all our content online.", "summary": "A vicar who made a YouTube video to tell her congregation she was HIV positive says she has been \"humbled\" by their reaction."}
{"article": "Police said they were being held on suspicion of child neglect. The BBC understands the three men were among four team leaders at the Medway Secure Training Centre, in Rochester, who were sacked on Tuesday. A further three men at the unit, run by security firm G4S - two duty operations managers and a training centre assistant - remain suspended. A female duty operations manager has been placed on restricted duties, while a male healthcare worker employed by Central and North West London NHS Trust (CNWL) has also been suspended. A trust spokesman said: \"One CNWL staff member contacted us before the programme to say that they had been present at one incident in the film; the footage broadcast confirmed this. \"Whilst we are pleased he came forward, he has been suspended whilst that incident is fully investigated.\" The allegations relate to 10 boys aged 14 to 17. In a statement, G4S managing director for children's services, Paul Cook, said the company fully supported the action of police and was continuing to provide officers and the local authority with full access to the centre and its records, including CCTV footage. \"There is no place in our business for the conduct shown on the BBC's Panorama programme on Monday night. \"We are grateful to the police for their swift action in this case. \"We will work with the police and local authority to keep our own actions under review in light of today's developments,\" he said. The arrests follow undercover filming by the Panorama programme at the 76-bed centre, which is for young offenders aged 12 to 17. The programme highlighted allegations of inappropriate staff conduct. G4S referred the claims to Medway's local authority designated officer, the Youth Justice Board, and the Ministry of Justice. Among the allegations uncovered by Panorama and now subject to investigation are that Medway staff:", "summary": "Three men have been arrested following a BBC Panorama investigation into abuse at a young offenders centre in Kent."}
{"article": "The ringed bird, known as KL, produced three chicks in the nest at Bassenthwaite near Keswick last year. Two were killed by magpies. She has been joined this year by an unringed male. The Lake District Osprey Project team said they were \"delighted\", as the birds do not always return to the same nest sites. Project manager Nathan Fox said they were \"hopeful for another successful nesting season\". The birds have been seen mating since they arrived, having spent the winter in west Africa. Ospreys returned to the Lake District in 2001, after an absence of more than 150 years. They have nested successfully every year, raising nearly 30 chicks. The birds can been seen from specially-created viewpoints and visitors can watch live nest-cam images on screens at Whinlatter visitor centre.", "summary": "A female osprey has returned to a Lake District nest for the fifth year running."}
{"article": "The 80 spaces, on top of a gym in Farnborough, Hampshire, were intended to relieve parking pressure in the town centre. But a planned bridge, which would have provided vehicle access, was never built after construction of a second building with a vehicle ramp stalled. The council's chief executive blamed the economic downturn for the delay. Developer, St Modwen admitted there is no timescale for the bridge's completion. Gareth Lyon, Conservative councillor for the town centre area on Rushmoor Borough Council and member of its development management committee, said: \"We have a massive problem with car parking in Farnborough. \"To have had this huge car park lying empty defies belief. It is ridiculous.\" A St Modwen spokesman said development was part of a \"long-term regeneration project\" of Farnborough which had already delivered 185,000 sq ft of retail, leisure and hotel space. Rushmoor Borough Council's chief executive, Andrew Lloyd, told The Independent newspaper St Modwen had rightly decided not to proceed with the development during the economic downturn. \"It was right not to proceed until the retail units of the first phase had been let. It wasn't desirable to proceed with void properties in the middle of the recession,\" he said. He said a shortage of parking spaces was \"not a major issue\" in the town.", "summary": "A roof-top car park has lain unused for five years because it can only be accessed on foot, it has been revealed."}
{"article": "Firefighters were called to the Toys R Us store in Kingsway West Retail Park at 00:34. Seven appliances including an aerial unit tackled the fire in an external canopy at the rear of the building. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said the store was heavily smoke-logged as a result, but the fire was extinguished within two hours. A Police Scotland spokeswoman said officers were keen to trace a person seen in the area at the time who was wearing a light-coloured hooded top and dark-coloured trousers or jogging bottoms.", "summary": "Police in Dundee are investigating whether a major fire at a Dundee toy shop was started deliberately."}
{"article": "Claire Darbyshire, 36, said she killed her father Brian, 67, at their home in Wykeham Green, Dagenham, on 2 September 2015 as part of a failed suicide pact. She was found the next evening wandering around clifftops in Kent, asking for help. The Old Bailey jury unanimously found her guilty. She had denied murder. Mr Darbyshire, a father of two, had developed MS in 1995 and lost his wife Lynn in 2008. His daughter had become his full-time carer when he became bed-ridden in 2014. Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC said Ms Darbyshire had come to an \"agreement\" with her father that they would kill themselves; because of his condition and because \"she would have nothing to live for once her father had gone\". However, jurors heard that Mr Darbyshire had never expressed suicidal thoughts or complained about being in pain to nurses who visited him. Mr Rees said a woman who worked in a jewellery shop where Ms Darbyshire volunteered had also noticed she was \"more and more stressed\" and complained about having to look after her father. After killing him she took a train to Dover. She was found the next day on the White Cliffs by a National Trust worker. Mr Darbyshire's body was discovered by police on 10 September, eight days after the killing, after a neighbour raised the alarm. Police found him in bed dressed in a suit, with a teddy bear and several notes written by his daughter which praised him as a \"wonderful\" man and said: \"He asked me to help him end it\". In a statement to police, Ms Darbyshire said her father had \"got to the stage where he couldn't stand the misery of his life and the indignity of it any more\". However, Scotland Yard said she never mentioned her father's death or the suicide pact until five days later. Paul Keleher, her defence lawyer, had argued that her actions amounted to assisting suicide rather than committing an unlawful killing. However, the jury rejected the lesser offences of manslaughter or assisting a suicide. Ms Darbyshire was born Christopher, but changed her name to Claire by deed poll in 2008 and has lived as a woman for many years. The Recorder of London, Nicholas Hilliard QC, said he adjourned sentencing until a later date so he could understand the impact of custody \"in the particular circumstances\".", "summary": "A carer who said she suffocated her father with a plastic bag because of his \"intolerable\" multiple sclerosis has been found guilty of murder."}
{"article": "Newspaper L'Equipe reported that the pair, along with winger Juan Imhoff, tested positive for corticosteroids before playing in June's Top 14 final. Racing say the case relates to \"treatment by an authorised channel\". They added: \"We're on the side of law, ethics and love of a clean sport.\" The statement came after Carter and Rokocoko's agent told the New Zealand Herald he had assurances \"all the documents around TUEs were in place\". TUEs allow sportspeople to take prescribed medicines - which are otherwise be banned for their performance-enhancing properties - if there is a medical need. \"As far as I know today, there was no request [for TUEs] made ahead of time, but people are allowed to regularise these things after the event,\" French Sports Minister Patrick Kanner said on France Info radio. Fly-half Carter, 34, and winger Rokocoko, 33, scored 20 points between them as Racing Metro beat Toulon 29-21 in Barcelona. Argentine wing Imhoff, who has scored 21 tries in 35 Tests, was also part of the starting line-up at the Nou Camp. Carter, man of the match in the Top 14 final, played 112 Tests for New Zealand and was part of the All Blacks side which won the 2015 Rugby World Cup. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. Rokocoko scored 46 tries in 68 Tests between 2003 and 2010.", "summary": "French side Racing 92 say former All Blacks Dan Carter and Joe Rokocoko did not have therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) for \"anomalous\" drugs tests but insist the players have not done wrong."}
{"article": "The report also recommends giving newly elected members a guide to London transport to help avoid confusion. Some new MPs said they struggled with Oyster cards - the travel passes used on buses and the Underground - when they arrived at Westminster. The report was produced by the Commons Administration Committee. Newly-elected MPs face the twin challenge of learning the sometimes arcane rules and procedures of the House and finding their feet in London, if they have not lived there before. Martyn Day, one of 56 new SNP MPs elected in 2015, said he initially struggled to get to grips with the city's Oyster card system. \"I come from a town where I can pay by cash and get change, but if you do that everybody shouts at you on the bus,\" said the Linlithgow and East Falkirk MP. The mock debate idea comes from New Zealand's parliament. Parliamentary Clerk Assistant, John Benger, told the committee practice debates, held on a \"party-by party\" basis could help new members understand some of the more arcane Commons rules and traditions. Labour's Jess Phillips, elected to represent Birmingham Yardley in 2015, told the committee new MPs were often worried about making a mistake in their first weeks. More Commons rules When MPs arrive at Westminster for the first time they gather at a New Members' Reception Area, where they are issued with security passes, IT equipment and access to expenses and travel office accounts. At the last election the Parliamentary authorities launched a \"buddy\" system which paired up the new arrivals with members of staff who showed them how the place worked. The scheme was judged a success by the administration committee in its report. But the practice of giving MPs lockers in committee rooms and allowing them to \"hot desk\" while waiting to be given their own office - introduced at the last election - was criticised on data protection grounds. \"There is not enough space in the locker after four weeks of correspondence coming in, so correspondence gets left in the committee rooms and, as soon as that happens, the member is breaking the law. It is a problem,\" said Emily Knight, of the Members' and Peers' Staff Association.", "summary": "New MPs should take part in mock debates to build up confidence before entering the Commons bear pit, a committee of senior MPs has said."}
{"article": "Prison Officers Association members will withdraw from voluntary duties, including manning \"Tornado\" teams which respond to outbreaks of disorder. An overtime ban will also be phased in from April. The government said such action was \"unlawful\" and it would seek an injunction to stop it happening. From Wednesday, staff are being instructed to withdraw from a range of voluntary roles, which also include working as a first aider or hostage negotiator. However, the POA said its members would respond if lives were at risk. What is going wrong with the prison system? The 'poster child' of super prisons The BBC's home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the planned overtime ban could cause serious problems in jails that are short of staff and struggling to fill vacancies. In a briefing paper seen by the BBC, the union said: \"The POA condemns the systematic failure of Noms (National Offender Management Service) to provide safe, decent and secure prisons, failures which have created a prison service in crisis. \"More and more members are being assaulted every day, the increase in self-inflicted deaths and daily security breaches are unacceptable and as a result of staff shortfalls and budget cuts.\" A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said it had made a \"good offer\" to the union in December, which was endorsed by its leaders, but not members. \"We are working hard to retain the invaluable experience within our workforce and want to recognise the expertise and dedication of prison staff,\" he said. Last week, ministers said pay rises of up to \u00c2\u00a35,000 would be given to some officers at 31 prisons in London and south-east England with recruitment problems. But the POA said the pay rise had \"incensed\" its members, many of whom would not benefit. In November, thousands of prison officers staged a 24-hour strike because of health and safety concerns. The High Court ordered the POA to suspend the protest and talks later took place with the government, focusing on pay and pensions. The Ministry of Justice announced last month that the National Offender Management Service would be scrapped and replaced with a new prison and probation service aimed at cutting crime and reforming offenders.", "summary": "A fresh wave of industrial action will be held in jails in England and Wales in a dispute over pay and pensions, the prison officers' union has said."}
{"article": "Kevin Nunes, 20, a drug dealer, was seized at gunpoint and shot dead in Staffordshire in September 2002. The Crown Prosecution Service said it did \"not seek to uphold the convictions\" of the men nor press for a retrial. The court heard that concerns about the credibility of the key prosecution witness were not disclosed to the defence. Four senior police officers - including Northamptonshire's chief constable and deputy chief constable - are being investigated over misconduct claims relating to Staffordshire Police's investigation into the murder. Judges were told on Thursday of an affair between two police officers involved in the case, which may have had a bearing on the evidence given by the witness. The key witness, Simeon Taylor, said at the trial he had witnessed what happened, but has since retracted his evidence. Mr Nunes, an amateur footballer on the books of Tottenham Hotspur, was shot five times in an execution-style killing in a country lane after cutting in on a gang's lucrative trade moving crack cocaine from Wolverhampton to Aberdeen. Levi Walker, from Birmingham, Adam Joof, from Willenhall, West Midlands, Antonio Christie, from Great Bridge, West Midlands, Michael Osbourne and Owen Crooks, both from Wolverhampton, were found guilty of his murder at Leicester Crown Court in 2008. They were given minimum tariffs of between 25 and 28 years. Four men will be released soon. However, Walker will remain in jail as he is serving a prison term for another murder. All of them apart from Mr Crooks watched the court proceedings via video-link from prison. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) confirmed in December that it was looking into allegations of misconduct relating to the force's investigation. It followed the men lodging their appeal. Northamptonshire Chief Constable Adrian Lee and Deputy Chief Constable Suzette Davenport are being investigated, along with West Midlands Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale. They were with the Staffordshire force at the time of the murder inquiry. Staffordshire's Assistant Chief Constable Jane Sawyers is also being investigated. Mr Lee joined Northamptonshire Police in 2009. He is also the head of the Association of Chief Police Officers' ethics portfolio. In a statement, Staffordshire Police said it noted the appeal court decision but would not comment further due to the on-going IPCC investigation. \"The force will now consider today's judgement - and the rationale for the Crown Prosecution Service decision - before determining the way forward,\" a spokesman said. \"We have assigned family liaison officers to offer support to Mr Nunes' family and keep them informed.\" Speaking outside the court, Owen Crooks's mother, Jean, said the convictions being quashed was \"fantastic news\". \"It shows that justice has been done.\"", "summary": "Five men jailed for a gangland murder have been cleared on appeal."}
{"article": "Ashleigh Harris was 14 when she broke her back after falling from Polly Perks, owned by Rachel Miller. She now has no function in her legs. She was riding Polly in a field in Mathern, near Chepstow, Monmouthshire, when she was injured in 2012. Miss Harris, 18, of Lydney, Gloucestershire, is suing Mrs Miller at London's High Court. She claims Polly \"misbehaved\" and broke into a canter of her own accord, throwing her off in the process. But Mrs Miller says the horse was blameless and Miss Harris fell after losing her balance as she descended a \"short and gentle slope\". The court heard Ashleigh had been taken to a field on 22 September 2012 by Mrs Miller, the mother of her then boyfriend, Keiran Miller. Miss Harris described Polly as \"fidgety\" and said the thoroughbred mare had been nipping at her and others. She added: \"She then went to canter and I held her up because I didn't ask her to. She was throwing her head around and bucked, then I came out of the saddle and went over the horse's head.\" Her barrister, David Westcott QC, said she should never have been allowed into Polly's saddle as she had only ever ridden ponies. He also said the mare was \"bred for racing\" and had not been well schooled. Mrs Miller said the teenager fell as she was riding Polly at a walking pace down a hill in the field. She also said she spoke to Miss Harris's mother before letting her ride Polly and believed Ashleigh was a more experienced rider. Winston Hunter QC, for Mrs Miller, said: \"Ashleigh gave Keiran an impression that she was indeed a competent rider. \"There's no evidence Mrs Miller was aware that she had only ridden ponies.\" Judge Graham Wood QC will give his ruling on the claim at a later date.", "summary": "A teenager who was paralysed after falling off a horse is suing her ex-boyfriend's mother for \u00a33m."}
{"article": "Second seed Murray has yet to drop a set at this year's tournament and the 2013 champion is the highest-seeded player remaining in the men's draw. But the 29-year-old described Frenchman Tsonga as \"one of the best grass-court players in the world\". \"If he plays well, I'm not on my game, I can lose that match,\" said Murray. Murray, competing in his ninth consecutive Wimbledon quarter-final, has beaten Tsonga in 12 of their 14 encounters - twice at Wimbledon. The Scot beat the 12th seed in the quarter-finals in 2010 and the semi-finals two years later, both in four sets. \"Both matches were hard,\" said the two-time Grand Slam champion. \"A few of the sets came down to just a couple of points. I'm aware I'll have to be playing at my highest level to win. \"I think if I play the level I'm playing at just now, I give myself a chance in most matches. \"But the trick is to keep that up, to maintain that level for the whole two weeks. I've done a good job of it so far. I do feel like when I've needed to in the tournament, I have played some good tennis.\" Murray has been impressive in this tournament - BBC pundit John McEnroe says the Briton is \"playing better than anyone\" - and for the first time in his career he is the highest seed remaining at a Grand Slam. Great Britain Davis Cup captain Leon Smith says Murray is \"playing his best tennis of his life\", citing his improved second serve, net play, control from the baseline and mental focus. But the Briton, who has lost only 34 games in four matches and served up one double fault, has refused to talk about his chances of winning a second Wimbledon title. \"When I was younger it was much more difficult to stop myself getting carried away with how I was playing or who I was playing,\" Murray said in his BBC Sport column. \"When I hadn't won a Grand Slam it was like, 'This is my chance. I might do it.' And then, if it didn't happen, I was gutted. Nowadays, I know how difficult these events are to win and I take nothing for granted any more.\" Like Murray, third seed and seven-time champion Roger Federer has not had to go beyond three sets at this tournament. The Swiss former world number one eased into his 14th Wimbledon quarter-final with victory over American Steve Johnson to equal Martina Navratilova's record of 306 Grand Slam singles victories. More records could be broken on Wednesday if the 17-time Grand Slam champion beats Marin Cilic on Centre Court. Victory over Cilic would ensure Federer equals Jimmy Connors' record of 11 Wimbledon semi-final appearances and draws level with Connors on a record 84 wins at Wimbledon. Federer, aged 34 and 336 days, would also become the oldest man in the open era to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals since Ken Rosewall (39 years and 246 days) finished runner-up in 1974. But Federer is still bruised by his", "summary": "Britain's Andy Murray says he needs to remain focused as he prepares to take on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the men's quarter-finals at Wimbledon."}
{"article": "Gray's side had league wins over Coleraine, Portadown and Glentoran in a six-match unbeaten run to give them hope of avoiding relegation. \"It shows what a bit of momentum and confidence can do,\" said Gray after receiving the Football Writers' award. \"It reflects what the players have done but we cannot afford to dwell on it.\" Warrenpoint are three points adrift of one-from-bottom Carrick Rangers, as well as Dungannon Swifts, and their next league match is at home to Ballinamallard United. Gray acknowledged that Town's on-loan signings, like Martin Murray and Johnny McMurray from Cliftonville, had played a significant part in the team's revival. Murray's goals have proved vital as Warrenpoint, who lost 13 games in a row earlier in the season, suddenly transformed their fortunes. \"Martin settled in quickly and has been great for us,\" added Gray. \"He has scored goals and has looked a threat. The challenge now is to maintain that.\"", "summary": "Warrenpoint Town's Barry Gray has been named manager of the month for January - even though his team are rooted to the bottom of the Premiership table."}
{"article": "The decision means all working cameras on England's motorways and major trunk roads will be yellow by October next year. Highways England confirmed the plan after ministers ordered a review into speed camera policy this year. There are about 200 camera sites on England's motorways. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: \"I've always been clear that cameras should be visible and get used for safety rather than revenue raising. \"This move is about applying common sense to our roads. Speed cameras should make journeys safer rather than lead to dangerous braking.\" Grey cameras were first introduced on the M42 near Birmingham in 2006, following the introduction of variable speed limits. Highways England chief executive Jim O'Sullivan said: \"We use cameras for safety and traffic management only when other more popular solutions, like engineering, are not adequate to tackle particular problems on our network.\" The Department for Transport (DfT) said the majority of colour changes will take place during the standard renewal of camera units to minimise costs. Councils and police forces are required to publish information on the safety impact of speed cameras on local roads. DfT guidance states these cameras should be yellow.", "summary": "Grey speed cameras will be turned yellow in a bid to make them more visible and reduce incidents of sudden braking, the government has announced."}
{"article": "He defeated Dr Alasdair McDonnell in a vote at the party's annual conference in Armagh by 172 votes to 133. Foyle MLA Mr Eastwood, 32, is the SDLP's youngest member of the Northern Ireland Assembly and becomes the sixth leader of the party. South Belfast MLA Fearghal McKinney has been voted the party's new deputy leader. Mr McKinney received 158 votes, with Upper Bann MLA Dolores Kelly getting 138. Read more: Colum Eastwood's 10-year rise to SDLP leader After the leadership result was announced, Mr Eastwood paid tribute to Dr McDonnell, who had led the party since 2011. \"Alasdair has stretched every fibre of his being for this party,\" he said. \"He is a man who has given the work of two lifetimes for the good of this party and the community he serves.\" Mr Eastwood also pledged he would work together as a team with Mr McKinney. Under his leadership, he added, the SDLP's \"principal conversation\" would be \"about shaping this country for the next 20, 30 and more years\". Among his first tasks as leader will be to make key strategic decisions over continuing negotiations between Northern Ireland's main parties aimed at resolving the current political crisis at Stormont. Dr McDonnell, the MP for South Belfast, told party delegates he had \"given his all and a little bit more\" during his time at the helm. He added: 'I wish to offer Colum every best wish as he continues, I hope, to renew, regenerate and rebuild the party.\"", "summary": "Colum Eastwood is the new leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP)."}
{"article": "Swansea have rejected \u00a340m offers from Everton and Leicester for the Iceland international, whom they value at \u00a350m. \"You do live in hope that he will stay,\" Britton told BBC Radio 5 live. \"I don't know if it's going to get done. If he does go, it's vitally important to replace him with the same kind of quality.\" Sigurdsson scored nine goals last season as the Welsh club managed to avoid relegation from the Premier League. The 27-year-old did not travel with Swansea for their tour of the United States and was also left out of Saturday's 2-0 pre-season win at Birmingham City because of the transfer speculation. The Swans are being linked with Las Palmas midfielder Jonathan Viera, who would be a potential replacement should Sigurdsson depart. \"It's a difficult one, it has maybe dragged on longer than a lot of people have expected,\" Britton, 34, said. \"Gylfi wasn't in America, he didn't travel with the squad for Birmingham away. When things like that happen you do think that 'yes, the transfer will happen'. \"Things do change overnight, maybe Everton move on to another target they think is better value for money, maybe a new target becomes available. \"But it would be a massive blow, you can't deny the influence he had on the team. \"When you see Gylfi's stats last year you think he would be playing for one of the top-half clubs, he is a big influence at the top end of the pitch. \"Unfortunately at the kind of club we're at, when the biggest teams come calling it is hard to keep him.\"", "summary": "Leon Britton says Swansea City must invest in their playing squad if his fellow midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson leaves the club."}
{"article": "The development was announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon during a visit to the yard on Monday. She said the contract would create new jobs at Ferguson and secure employment for the existing 150-strong workforce. The yard went bust a year ago, but was taken over by entrepreneur Jim McColl who plans to invest up to \u00a365m. The deal, when finalised, will see the Ferguson yard build two vessels for the Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd's (CMAL) fleet. Ms Sturgeon said: \"This is an excellent result for Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited and I am delighted to name them as preferred tenderer for the contract to build two new ferries, the largest commercial vessels to be built on the Clyde since 2001. \"This contract will see the 150-strong workforce retained and more staff taken on at the shipyard, underlining our commitment to creating the vital jobs needed to boost local economies and help stimulate growth across Scotland. \"The Scottish government is committed to supporting ferry users around Scotland by providing safe and reliable services, and this is the latest step to ensuring we have a fleet that continues to deliver for the communities that depend on it.\"", "summary": "The Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow has been named as the preferred bidder for a \u00a397m contract to build two ferries to operate in Scotland."}
{"article": "The prime minister has announced that there will be a public inquiry, but how will that differ from an inquest? More importantly, which will provide the best chance of delivering answers to the critical and haunting questions of what caused the fire, and which organisations or individuals bear responsibility? An inquest is an independent inquiry into a violent or unexplained death, so as a matter of course, there will be inquests into those who lost their lives in Grenfell Tower. Inquests are held in public and conducted by a coroner. The coronial system can be traced back to the 11th century. The inquest is inquisitorial and not adversarial - that is, the process does not seek to determine or apportion responsibility for the death. Its remit is limited: it solely determines who, where and how the deceased died. But inquests can be expanded if Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights - the right to life - is invoked. There is a general duty on the part of the state to protect life, and Article 2 inquests are held where the state or a public body may have played a part in the death of a person, or failed to protect a life when it knew - or ought to have known - of a real and immediate risk to the life of that person. Such inquests will generally be conducted with a jury, and can be greatly expanded to become wider reaching inquiries into not only by what means the deceased died, but also the circumstances surrounding the death. This can cover the involvement of a range of private and public organisations. The recent inquest into the death of 96 football fans at Hillsborough in 1989 was an example of this expanded \"Article 2\" type of inquest. The coroner can make what are known as Regulation 28 recommendations to prevent future deaths. This involves writing to individuals, bodies or organisations and advising what they need to do to prevent future deaths or guard against danger to the public. However, these recommendations have no legal force. The person, body or organisation in question may face overwhelming moral pressure to comply, but would not be under a legal duty to do so. Sometimes the bodies or organisations concerned will already have reviewed or changed systems or practices in advance of the inquest. If they have not and they do not comply with the recommendations, it is then down to government to legislate to change the law to prevent or guard against further loss of life. The lack of legal force behind coroners' recommendations was seen after the inquests in 2013 into the death of three adults and three children who died in a fire at the Lakanal House flats in Camberwell, south-east London. The coroner, Judge Frances Kirkham, made clear recommendations, which included updating the building regulations and clarification of the \"stay put\" policy which advises residents to remain in their flats in the event of a fire. Those recommendations were not followed by ministers. What does have legal force is", "summary": "Following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower there have been calls for both an inquest and a public inquiry."}
{"article": "The boy, 16, suffered serious injuries in the attack in Chatham High Street at the junction of Upbury Way between 19:30 GMT and 20:15 GMT on Friday. Two men aged 18 and 19-years-old have been arrested following the incident and are currently in custody. The 16-year-old and the two men in custody are believed to be known to each other, Kent Police said. The force said it was seeking to speak to a further two suspects.", "summary": "A teenage boy is in a serious condition after he was allegedly struck by two cars then chased and assaulted."}
{"article": "The woman, 39, suffered \"multiple serious injuries\" after plummeting to the ground during a \"routine\" jump over Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, on 5 April. Police said it was miraculous she had survived, after her main chute failed and a reserve only partially opened. A 35-year-old man was arrested but has since been bailed, police said. Wiltshire Police began an investigation after being alerted by the parachute club at Netheravon Airfield to concerns over what had happened. Detectives said they were particularly looking for \"slinks\" or soft links, used to connect the canopy to the parachute harness, which were \"missing\". Det Insp Paul Franklin, said the woman, an experienced parachutist, had \"very nearly lost her life\". \"This woman would have been dead if her chute hadn't partially opened, this meant her descent was slowed enough for her to survive the fall,\" he said. The woman was taken to Southampton General Hospital with \"multiple fractures throughout her body\" and was now recovering at home, police said.", "summary": "A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a woman's main parachute failed to open in a 4000ft (1,219m) jump."}
{"article": "The London Taxi Company has secured a deal with Ujra Holding Company for 200 black taxis after it initially ordered 200 in assorted colours. Chinese car maker Geely bought the company, formerly known as LTI, for \u00c2\u00a311.4m in October, when the former owners went into administration. The United Arab Emirates has also ordered 200 black taxis. The company said all vehicles are on target for delivery by the end of the year. On his return from Saudi Arabia, Peter Johansen, vice president of the London Taxi Company, said the cabs are growing in popularity in the Middle East. He said: \"We've got a very good business partner in the Middle East and he's developed the London Taxi concept into Riyadh in particular. \"People prefer to use our taxis over the local taxis because they're more comfortable and, in particular, in Saudi women are treated slightly differently from the west\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 \"Because our taxi provides a segregated compartment, separate from the driver, ladies in Saudi are allowed to use our taxis on their own, whereas they're not allowed to use the local taxis.\" The company has also confirmed it is in talks with Azerbaijan which currently owns 1,000 damson-coloured black cabs. In March, the London Taxi Company said it would take on about 100 staff, in addition to its 107 workers, to restart production at the Coventry factory on Holyhead Road. About 156 people lost their jobs when former owners Manganese Bronze Holdings went into administration.", "summary": "A Coventry-based black taxi manufacturer is to sell 400 cabs to Saudi Arabia."}
{"article": "An \"alarming\" gap between rich and poor is risking the health of the youngest generation, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) report warns. It calls for bold action on smoking, obesity and child poverty. The Scottish government said it was committed to ensuring the best start in life for children. And it hailed progress in changing relationships with tobacco and alcohol, with the report showing a decline in the number of young people smoking and drinking. Critics said the report proved that \"dramatic action\" was needed to safeguard the health of children in Scotland. The key findings of the study include: The report looks at 25 health rates including asthma, diabetes and epilepsy, as well as obesity, breastfeeding and mortality, to provide a snapshot of health and wellbeing. It says Scotland leads the way with high vaccination rates, few cases of tooth decay and a decline in suicide rates among young people. But the report adds: \"Child health in Scotland is amongst the poorest in western Europe.\" It found that children who live in poverty in Scotland are more likely to be overweight or obese, have a mother who smoked during pregnancy, and be exposed to alcohol or drug misuse. 210,000 Children live in poverty in Scotland 400 Children and infants die each year - a \"significant\" number are potentially avoidable. 27% of all children in Scotland are overweight or obese. 29% of pregnant women in deprived areas are smokers. 15.4% of mothers in deprived areas were exclusively breastfeeding after six weeks. Dr Steve Turner, RCPCH officer for Scotland, told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: \"We are making progress. Children are healthier now than they were 10, 20 years ago but compared to other countries in the EU, we're not doing so good. \"Our improvements are slower. And the focus here has to be on the inequalities. We live in a society where the health of children in the most affluent communities is remarkably good and comparable to the best levels of health anywhere else in the world. \"But if you look at the state of health of children in our poorest communities, the story is pretty rubbish. We have to do better for these children.\" He highlighted Scotland's good vaccination rates and a falling number of suicides. But he added: \"The overall picture is rather bleak and there's an awful lot the government needs to do.\" Dr Turner said government should consider children every time they put a new policy in place and he called on ministers to implement more child health targets. \"I would encourage them to consider setting other targets which can be measured and have a deadline,\" he said. \"So for example, a target to reduce obesity by a certain proportion by 2020, a target to reduce child deaths by 2020. We can't just sit tight and watch these numbers going the wrong way.\" He said government, health care services, social services and individuals needed to take responsibility for improving children's health. \"Doing nothing is not an option,\" he said. \"We have to", "summary": "The health of children in Scotland is among the worst in Europe, according to a major new study."}
{"article": "Chris Grayling told MPs it wouldn't be \"sensible\" to spend taxpayers money on translation facilities but said the government might review the ban if a new MP couldn't speak English. He was responding to a call from his Labour shadow, Chris Bryant, who suggested MPs could be allowed to speak Welsh during meetings of the Welsh grand committee. Mr Bryant asked him: \"I understand that the language of this House is English but Welsh is the mother tongue of many of my compatriots and constituents so is it not time we allowed Welsh in the Welsh grand committee?\" Mr Grayling replied: \"I have given this careful thought. In my judgement, given the fact that English is the language of this House and given the fact it would cost taxpayers' money to make a change at this moment in time, if somebody arrives in this House who cannot speak English we may need to look at this issue again but I think we have considered this issue very carefully and we should retain the situation where English is the language of this House.\" MPs have been able to speak Welsh when the Welsh grand committee (made up of all MPs from Wales) has met in Wales and the Welsh affairs select committee (made up of 11 elected MPs) has taken evidence in Welsh at Westminster. Mr Grayling's comments annoyed Cynon Valley Labour MP Ann Clwyd, who told him: \"Can I remind you that some of us took the oath in joining this House in both English and Welsh and I'd ask you to look again at the proposal to use Welsh in the Welsh grand committee? Some of us did not speak English until we were aged five and most of us are now bilingual but nevertheless the Welsh language and its status is very important.\" He told her: \"Of course I do absolutely understand the need to protect the Welsh language and indeed across different administrations over the last generation extensive steps have been taken to protect the Welsh language, to make it very much a part of routine life in Wales. \"My question to you really is: at a time of financial pressure, is it really sensible for us to be spending taxpayers' money in a House where the prime language, the main language, the official language is English, when we have members of this House who are able to talk in that language? As long as that is the case, I have considered it carefully but I don't believe we should change things.\" Discuss.", "summary": "The leader of the House of Commons has rejected calls from MPs to overturn a ban on speaking Welsh at Westminster."}
{"article": "Phillip Chiyangwa, the chairman of Cosafa - the Council of Southern African Football Associations - has called for a meeting with other African FA chairmen in Harare in Zimbabwe on 24 February. In a letter sent by Caf on behalf of president Issa Hayatou, the governing body tells Cosafa \"you do not have any authority to convene such a meeting, without Caf knowledge nor without its required approval\". It adds: \"Convening a meeting with representatives of many member associations outside Cosafa zone is deemed to represent an attempt to destabilise Caf. \"We draw your attention to the obligation of all zonal unions to respect the authority of Caf, and not to conduct in any activities that undermine the common objectives of Caf, for the benefit of African football development. \"The Caf Executive Committee reserves it rights to sanction any infringement to the Caf statutes.\" Caf's warning comes shortly after Cosafa announced it had unanimously endorsed Ahmad Ahmad as a presidential candidate in upcoming Caf elections. Ahmad, currently the head of Madagascar's FA, had already outlined his intention to challenge long-standing Caf leader Hayatou in March's elections in Ethiopia. Hayatou is seeking an eight term in office. Chiyangwa has already sent a reply to Caf's warning, writing \"I was taken aback, to say the least, by the tone of your letter and the clear insinuation that such a gathering between presidents of member associations on the African continent would be considered, outrightly, as an attempt to destabilise Caf\". He adds that Caf's statutes \"promote friendly relations between National Associations, zonal unions, clubs, officials and players\" and insists the meeting is for \"that very objective\". Chiyangwa's letter also refers to Fifa's statues relating to the protecting of human rights which he says include \"freedom of Association of member associations and zonal unions for the development and growth of the game on our continent\".", "summary": "The Confederation of Africa Football has warned Cosafa over a planned meeting with other member associations which it says is \"an attempt to destabilise\" the governing body."}
{"article": "The investigation by the Press Association news agency found some are now charging \u00a34 for a one-hour stay. It showed most trusts did not increase their charges, but the average rise among the third that did was 15%. The analysis combines figures obtained from NHS trusts and data submitted to statistics body NHS Digital. The most expensive trust in the country for a one-hour stay is the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, where patients are forced to pay \u00a34 for any stay up to two hours. Deputy chief executive Alf Turner said the charge was necessary to cover running costs and fund the expansion of the car park that is taking place. \"I do not like having to charge people for car parking and in an ideal world we would not have to,\" he added. At the other end of the scale, car parking at Trafford General Hospital in Greater Manchester is free for up to three hours. Some trusts allow patients and visitors to park for free for the first 30 minutes before charges start. But others have scrapped cheaper charges for short stays, meaning people have to pay a flat fee covering up to three hours even if they are only staying for 45 minutes. Of the 209 hospital trusts that reported figures to NHS Digital for both 2014/15 and 2015/16, a third showed an increase in their average charge for a three-hour stay. Some 60% showed no change over the year, while 7% showed a decrease. Some 38% also said they also charged for disabled parking. England is the only part of the UK where hospitals routinely charge patients and visitors for parking. Laura Keely, campaigns manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, said charges are particularly unfair on cancer patients. \"They often need to make frequent trips to hospital. They should not be left out of pocket in order to receive life-saving treatment.\" Some NHS trusts offer concessions to visitors whose loved one is terminally ill and also discounts or weekly tickets for lengthy courses of treatment. Last December, figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the Press Association revealed that some NHS trusts are making more than \u00a33m a year from car parking fees. Of more than 90 trusts that responded to the FoI request, half were making at least \u00a31m a year.", "summary": "A third of hospital trusts in England have increased their car parking charges in the last year, it is being reported."}
{"article": "A third of London's boroughs suffer from high rates of TB, with more than 40 incidents per 100,000 people. Some wards in Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hounslow and Newham have rates of more than 150 per 100,000. The report said prisoners, homeless people, people with substance abuse issues, refugees and migrants were particularly at risk. Although the BCG vaccination against TB is recommended for all newborn babies in London, eight of the 24 boroughs do not offer it. The rate of infection among UK-born Londoners has risen, while among the non-UK-born it has fallen - and the report said it would be wrong to assume TB was a disease of migrants. The borough with the highest rate per 100,000 people was Newham, with 107 cases. Figures for 2013 from the World Health Organisation showed in Rwanda the figure was 69, while in Iraq it was 45. Algeria and Guatemala also had a lower incidence than the capital, the reports points out. The average rate per 100,000 in the UK as a whole was 13. A few strains of the disease are now resistant to antibiotic treatment and the cost of treating them can be as high as \u00a3500,000 per patient. Reasons include: Source: Tackling TB in London The London Assembly is calling on Mayor Boris Johnson to educate Londoners about TB, saying many people in the capital are unaware of how TB spreads. More than half of those surveyed thought spitting could transmit it. In fact, TB is usually spread by close and prolonged contact with someone who is coughing and sneezing. \"Prevention is poor and awareness low, even among the medical profession itself,\" said Dr Onkar Sahota, the chairman of the Assembly's health committee. He described the treatment for drug-resistant strains as \"expensive, complicated and terribly gruelling\". \"The quality of care for TB sufferers also varies across the capital,\" he said. The Assembly said it was \"unacceptable that children are put at risk of developing a potentially life-threatening illness on the basis of which borough they are born in\" and that offering BCG would not cost boroughs more. Prisoners were among the groups highlighted as being particularly at risk, but TB screening in prisons is not effective enough and the capital's approach to tackling the disease is \"fragmented\", the report says. The report calls on the Mayor and the Greater London Authority to fund a new \"find and treat\" service and use the Team London volunteer network as TB community health champions. The Mayor's office said he remains \"committed to tackling TB\" although recent figures show in the three years to 2014, the number of people infected in the capital fell. He is \"assured by Public Health England that every effort continues to be made to prevent and treat the disease in London\", a statement said.", "summary": "Parts of London have higher rates of tuberculosis than Rwanda or Iraq, a report from the London Assembly says."}
{"article": "Celtic had offered United \u00a3250,000 to take winger Mackay-Steven, 24, now rather than wait until the summer, a move that had already been agreed. And the Glasgow club agreed a deal for both players of \u00a32m plus add-ons. \"I'm delighted to be here and to have signed on at such a massive club,\" Armstrong, 22, told BBC Scotland. Mackay-Steven added: \"I'm absolutely delighted to be here and to get everything done and dusted today. It's been a crazy few hours but I'm over the moon.\" Celtic's increased \u00a31.6m offer for Armstrong had been rejected on Sunday before further talks took place on Monday. The Scottish champions had a \u00a31.5m offer for the Scotland Under-21 international rejected last week and Burnley also had a bid turned down. The \u00a3250,000 offer for Scotland cap Mackay-Steven was \u00a3100,000 more than they had previously offered. Armstrong, who has signed until 2018, and Mackay-Steven, whose deal runs until 2019, will be ineligible for Celtic's Scottish Cup meeting with Dundee on Saturday and next month's League Cup final meeting with their former club. United defeated Aberdeen 2-1 at Hampden Park in Saturday's semi-final, with Celtic recording a 2-0 victory over Rangers the following day. And United will ask for at least 17,500 tickets for the 15 March showpiece. The Tannadice board will also request that tickets outside of the corporate and main stand be priced at a maximum of \u00a325 for adults and \u00a310 for concessions. One director told BBC Scotland: \"We want to ensure as big a crowd as possible for the game, which we are sure the sponsors would want too. \"The game is being played in winter and, to make sure the game attracts as big a crowd as a possible, we will ask for tickets to be priced at a reasonable level. \"That is very important for the fans of both clubs when money is tight.\" It is believed that United will also ask for the Toryglen end of the stadium to be reserved for their fans at a planning meeting on Tuesday with the Scottish Professional Football League about the final. However, BBC Scotland has learned that the SPFL will stick with tradition and allocate that end of the ground to Celtic fans.", "summary": "Midfielder Stuart Armstrong and winger Gary Mackay-Steven have joined Celtic from Dundee United after the clubs agreed deals on transfer deadline day."}
{"article": "The appeal comes on what would have been Beyake Keita Ann's 22nd birthday. He died in hospital three weeks after the assault by a gang of men in Attock Park on 23 August. Police said 15 men had been questioned by detectives as part of the investigation. More on this and other Bradford stories Officers will be staging a reconstruction of the incident. Det Ch Insp Ian Scott said he wanted anyone who was in the park that night to come forward. He said: \"Beyake was a young man who today should have been celebrating his 22nd birthday with family and friends. \"Instead of celebrating it with him, they will be remembering his life at what is and continues to be a very sad time for them.\u00e3\u20ac\u20ac \"We are committed to getting justice for Beyake and his family and finding out who it was that inflicted his fatal injuries.\"\u00e3\u20ac\u20ac", "summary": "Police are asking for new information about the murder of a man who was \"brutally attacked\" following a row during a football match in a Bradford park."}
{"article": "The assault had earlier been thought to have been a spontaneous reaction to protests over an anti-Islamic film. US President Barack Obama has called the presidents of Egypt and Libya to urge cooperation over security for diplomatic staff. There have been further clashes outside the US embassy in Cairo overnight. Thousands of people gathered outside the building in the Egyptian capital, chanting and starting fires. Police and troops fired tear gas to break up the crowds, some of whom were seen carrying petrol bombs. On Wednesday, demonstrators in Cairo angry at the film - Innocence of Muslims - had breached the walls of the US embassy and torn down the flag. President Barack Obama has vowed to bring those behind the attack to justice, but said the US would not \"break bonds\" with the new Libyan government. The White House says Mr Obama spoke to Libyan President Mohamed Magarief on Wednesday evening and agreed the two countries should work together to identify the attackers. In a further call to Egypt, President Mohammed Morsi promised to ensure the safety of American staff in the country, the White House said. Security has been tightened at US embassies across the world. A marine anti-terrorism team is being deployed to Libya to bolster security there, a US defence source told reporters in Washington. The US says it is also sending two destroyers to the coast of Libya as a precautionary measure. Armed men stormed the consulate in the city of Benghazi on Tuesday night. It is believed Ambassador J Christopher Stevens died of smoke inhalation. Three other Americans and up to 10 Libyans also died in the attack. Officials have now said the attack was complex and professional, and reports suggest the perpetrators may have had links to jihadist groups. By Mark MardellNorth America editor A senior US official quoted by AFP news agency said the Benghazi attackers appeared to have used the demonstrations as a pretext to staging an assault. \"This was a complex attack,\" he told the news agency. \"They seemed to have used this [protest] as an opportunity.\" US officials told Reuters news agency there were suspicions that a militia known as the Ansar al-Sharia brigade was responsible, although the group has denied the claim. They said there were also reports that al-Qaeda's north Africa-based affiliate, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, may have been involved, the news agency reports. The consulate compound began taking heavy fire at about 22:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Tuesday night, and the main building was in flames soon afterwards. Libyan and US security forces tried to retake the compound several times, US officials said, but only succeeded early on Wednesday. One of the Americans killed was Sean Smith, a state department employee. The other victims have not yet been identified. Seventeen-year-old Hamam, who took part in the attack, told Reuters that Ansar al-Sharia cars had arrived at the start of the protest but later left. By PJ CrowleyFormer US Assistant Secretary of State Viewpoint: Libya deaths no surprise \"The protesters were running around the compound just looking", "summary": "The US is investigating whether the attack in Libya that killed the US ambassador and several other people was planned in advance, officials say."}
{"article": "Asked by a journalist about reports on the personal wealth he has accumulated since leaving office, he said these had been \"greatly exaggerated\". \"I haven't actually changed, despite what people want to say,\" he said. \"The same thing that motivated me when I stood here... 20 years ago motivates me today. It's not about making money, it's about making a difference.\" Mr Blair said his job as a Middle East peace envoy was unpaid, and he said that in total he spent two thirds of his time on unpaid work. But his businesses supported 200 jobs, and needed to stay afloat, he added. \"I read that I am supposed to be worth \u00c2\u00a3100m,\" the former prime minister said in a question-and-answer session after he delivered the Philip Gould Lecture to the New Labour think tank Progress. \"Cherie is kind of asking where it is. I'm not worth a half of that, a third of that, a quarter of that, a fifth of that, and I could go on.\" His two businesses relied upon \"a whole infrastructure, and I need to support that\", he continued. He said that \"despite what people want to say about how I've changed\" he still had the same motivation \"but I'm doing it today as a private citizen, and I'm doing it in some of the most difficult places in the world, but I'm doing it with the same passion and purpose as ever I had before\". In a wide-ranging speech, Mr Blair said \"radical\" policies that bridged the divide between left and right-wing traditions were needed to propel the Labour Party to victory under Ed Miliband. But he praised his successor, Mr Miliband's judgement on the EU. Mr Miliband has said if he wins the 2015 general election there will only be an in/out referendum on the EU if there is a significant transfer of powers proposed from Westminster to the EU institutions. Mr Blair said: \"I support Ed's leadership very much on this issue. I think he has made the right call on this and I think it is important to give him credit for that.\" Two decades to the day since Mr Blair won the leadership of the Labour Party, he defended his record in government. \"We realised that there was no possibility of the British people accepting a programme which either pivoted on more state control or which didn't open up power for people as individuals,\" he said. \"The same is true today. That centre can and should be radical, but it will cut across traditional right-left lines because, over the past 100 years or so, people have learned from their experience about the state and the market that neither, untrammelled, is the route to the future. \"There will inevitably be a partnership between the two. And there will be a host of new ideas around how each might work and in combination with each other and the voluntary sector.\" He also said he was \"saddened and angry about the tragedy of the Gaza conflict\". Mr Blair, who is now a Middle East envoy", "summary": "Tony Blair has said he is as motivated by \"making a difference\" as he was when he became Labour leader 20 years ago."}
{"article": "Owners of the company said the tough decision had been made due to falling ticket sales and high operating costs. \"As far as this great American institution, it is a sad moment,\" ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson said. For the performers, it also means the end of a tight-knit community that lived on a train in between shows. TAP HERE to read and watch how performers are dealing with the end of the circus. The final performance of what the company described as \"the greatest show on earth\" was streamed live online. Just before the show, David Vassallo, a clown at the travelling circus, told Reuters: \"For every artist it's a dream to be part of this show, the greatest show on earth. \"I cannot even describe how happy it was for me to be part of that and I'm sad of course to wake up from this amazing dream.\" Ringling Bros was the last American circus that travelled by rail. Until Sunday, the company's train was the primary residence for most of the performers, who hail from 13 different countries. \"I learned to walk on the train, my parents were living on the train when I was born,\" Ivan Vargas, a sixth-generation circus performer, told the BBC earlier this month. Vargas, 26, whose family is originally from Mexico, was born in between Sunday performances. The final blow was delivered on 14 January 2017, late one night after the last in a \"six pack\" of performances in Orlando, Florida. Posters printed in English, Portuguese, Ukrainian and Mongolian had gone up earlier in the day announcing a mysterious, mandatory all-staff meeting. So when Feld Entertainment executives delivered the news that the circus was shutting down completely, it landed hard. \"You watched hundreds of people burst into tears at the same time,\" recalls ringmaster Kristen Michelle Wilson, Ringling Bros' first female ringmaster. She had just given up her job, apartment and car to join the circus four months earlier. But the show had to go on. \"The next day, we came in and did two more shows.\" The five months leading up to the final performances haven't been easy. Feld set up career counsellors at each stop. One by one, performers who found new gigs dropped off the tour. Foreign performers without new jobs will lose their work visas shortly after the final show, and the Felds are covering plane tickets and reimbursing mileage for road trips home. Animal rights campaigners - who had been accusing the Ringling Bros of animal abuse - have welcomed the decision to shut the company. They held a protest in New York, carrying placards \"We shut you down!\" and \"Bye-bye animal abusers\".", "summary": "After 146 years, America's most celebrated circus Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus has staged its final performance in New York."}
{"article": "The musician was found at his home in Hawick in the Scottish Borders on Thursday after a suspected heart attack. Renbourn teamed up with fellow musicians, including guitarist Bert Jansch who died in 2011, to form Pentangle in the late 1960s. His manager, Dave Smith, said Renbourn had been \"a huge character\". He said: \"He was always playing and teaching. \"That is what he loved doing and he never stopped.\" Among those paying tributes to London-born Renbourn were DJ Cerys Matthews who said: \"So sorry and sad to hear of John Renbourn's passing. \"A loving, lovely man. \"RIP John, it was an honour and pleasure meeting you.\" Novelist Ian Rankin tweeted: \"Ach, and now John Renbourn has died. What a guitarist.\"", "summary": "Influential folk guitarist John Renbourn has died aged 70."}
{"article": "John Whittingdale was speaking on BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show after launching a debate on what types of programmes the BBC should make. Of Strictly, he said: \"The BBC took a risk. It paid off well and it has achieved a mass audience. \"And that seems to me admirable if you can do all those things.\" The government published a Green Paper on the future of the BBC on Thursday, including the question of whether the corporation should be \"chasing ratings\" or delivering \"distinctive, quality\" programmes that are unavailable on other channels. That has led to some suggestions that the BBC could stop showing Saturday night light entertainment programmes. Asked about the difference between Strictly and the BBC's long-running Generation Game, Mr Whittingdale said: \"Saturday night has always been a time when families sit around the television and we traditionally have had light entertainment shows. \"In many ways, Strictly Come Dancing is the successor to The Generation Game. \"But Strictly was perhaps, at first sight of the commissioning editor, not necessarily a show which was going to be as successful as it has proved to be. \"So I think the BBC took a risk. It paid off well and it has achieved a mass audience. And that seems to me admirable if you can do all those things. \"But, of course, in the age when you and I were sitting watching The Generation Game, the amount of choice available was extremely limited. \"At that time there were probably only about three channels, whereas now you've got 50, 60, 70 to choose from.\" Before becoming culture secretary, Mr Whittingdale had told the Guardian newspaper that it was \"debatable\" whether there was a public service argument for the BBC making Strictly. The show should certainly not compete for viewers with X Factor on ITV, he told the paper. On Sunday, Mr Whittingdale told Andrew Marr he was a \"huge admirer\" of the BBC. But he said he was \"a little surprised that the BBC expressed such disappointment at the Green Paper\". He said the document was \"just a series of questions with no answers as yet decided\". Almost 30 celebrities, including Daniel Craig and Dame Judi Dench, have signed a letter warning against creating \"a diminished BBC\". But some of the signatories have revealed that they were asked to sign by BBC executives. Conservative MP Andrew Bridgend told the Sunday Express the BBC's director of television Danny Cohen should resign over the matter because it broke the BBC's lobbying guidelines. In his interview on Sunday, Mr Whittingdale did not refer to the row but said he \"fully agreed with\" most of the letter's contents. He added: \"I admire the BBC. The last thing I want to do is undermine the BBC.\"", "summary": "Strictly Come Dancing is an \"admirable\" example of where the BBC took a risk on a show that was not guaranteed to be a hit, the culture secretary has said."}
{"article": "Since 1943 Caversham Park has been the home of BBC Monitoring, whose offices still summarise news from 150 countries in 100 different languages for the BBC. But after a \u00c2\u00a34m funding cut, the remaining journalists, academics and translators are to leave the country estate for new offices in London. As the international newsgathering service enters a new chapter of its life, BBC News examines how Caversham Park shaped the news agenda in the mid-20th Century. The monitoring service began at the outbreak of war with Germany in 1939, with its primary purpose to inform the War Office of propaganda by Nazi-controlled media outlets and the broadcasts of other Axis Powers. It initially set up camp in shacks around Wood Norton, Worcestershire, but by 1943 the service had commandeered Caversham Park, which was at the time being used as a hospital. The recorded history of the site goes back to the Domesday Book, when it was inhabited by relations of William the Conqueror, but by the 20th Century it was being used by the Catholic Oratorians as school. By 1941, the premises had been transferred to the BBC. Monitoring staff at Caversham would transcribe and summarise 240 broadcasts into an 80,000-word document called the Daily Digest. This was swiftly delivered to London by war despatch drivers. BBC Monitoring played a key role in tapping communications made by Hellschreiber (a kind of teleprinter) from Nazi Germany's propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels to newspaper and radio networks. A site outside London was chosen in part because it was less likely to suffer bomb damage. By the end of the war 1,000 people worked at Caversham Park helping to provide the War Office and BBC journalists with up-to-date information from Axis Power news agencies. People of many nationalities worked at the monitoring station, including German-Jewish refugee Karl Lehmann, whose family fled Nazi rule. He said: \"It was a very sociable place to work, in fact staff would often come in on their off days and eat in the canteen, which greatly eased the effects of rationing. \"There was a library in the building, and the park - so a pleasant place to spend a day off. In fact the building was almost like a club and the service was like one big family - even though there were nearly 1,000 of us here in total, from monitors to engineers and editors. \"We were all totally united in the one aim of winning the war.\" Shortly after the end of Word War Two the service halved to about 500 members of staff, and attentions were turned to the burgeoning threat of the Soviet Union. The service covered the Soviets' invasion of Hungary in 1956 and the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961. It played a key role in the Cold War, monitoring the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis as the USA and Soviet Union came close to nuclear conflict. In 1962 President John F Kennedy told Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to dismantle Russian missile sites in Cuba or \"face the consequences\". BBC Monitoring listened in to", "summary": "For nearly 75 years BBC staff at a sprawling stately home on the outskirts of Reading have been listening in to some of the world's most seismic events, from Nazi Germany's occupation of Europe to the death of Stalin and the Cuban Missile Crisis."}
{"article": "With John Stones wanting to leave Everton for Chelsea and Saido Berahino eager to leave West Brom for Tottenham, BBC Sport examines the ins and outs of a transfer request. You handed in your transfer request to the owner, Ken Bates. Bates read your transfer request. Bates pulled your contract from his filing cabinet. Bates slammed it on his desk. Bates roared: \"It says here you've got two more years at Stamford Bridge! Get out of my office!\" You got out of Bates's office. Sharpish. The Chelsea player this story relates to, who shall remain anonymous, stayed at Stamford Bridge for another year, his game presumably severely compromised by his tail, dangling between his legs. \"This was an England international,\" says David Seligman, a football agent and sports lawyer who has worked with the player in question. \"But he said handing in that transfer request to Bates was the scariest thing he's ever done.\" But the days of hovering outside the owner's office, like a sweaty schoolboy clutching a page of lines for the headmaster, are long since over. Roman Abramovich, who bought Chelsea from Bates in 2003, is a suitably scary successor. It's just that the modern player doesn't do his own dirty work. \"Players like to hide behind their agents, so they can get the blame if anything goes wrong,\" says Rachel Anderson, a football agent who also works for clubs, negotiating 'wantaway' deals for their players. Transfer requests, staples of the media world's August silly season, during the run-up to the equally silly transfer deadline day, can take many forms. They can, in theory, be verbal; they can be emails; they can be scrawled in blood on the back of a discarded season ticket. But, normally, they will be letters drafted by agents or legal representatives, with a player's signature at the bottom. \"You want it in writing, because a transfer request is essentially a breach of a player's contract,\" says Seligman. \"They can lead to payments becoming void, such as signing-on fees and loyalty bonuses, which are often paid over the course of a player's stay at a club. By signing that letter, a player is saying he is aware of that.\" So a transfer request is a last resort for most players, especially those plying their trade in the lower divisions. Not because they want to avoid being accused of betrayal by disgruntled fans, but because of the financial implications. Former England Under-21 player Rohan Ricketts recently claimed he was so desperate to leave Arsenal for Tottenham in 2002, and felt so bound by his contract, that he owned up to stealing a team-mate's phone when it wasn't actually him. The club didn't believe him, but they released him anyway. But Premier League superstars, to whom the surrendering of certain contractual payments means little, will usually attempt to negotiate a smoother exit. \"Usually a player will talk to the manager first and give his reasons for wanting to leave, not least because handing in a transfer request, especially if that club discovered and nurtured you, doesn't always", "summary": "Here's what might have happened if you were a player who wanted out of Chelsea Football Club in the 1980s:"}
{"article": "Forest goalkeeper Stephen Henderson saved Hogan's initial effort and Lewis Macleod's follow-up before Hogan tapped home his first goal of the season. Dean Smith's Bees have now won back-to-back games at home with clean sheets. Damien Perquis was sent off late on for Forest for a second yellow card and striker Britt Assombalonga wasted a one-on-one in injury time. Brentford goalkeeper Daniel Bentley produced a number of second-half saves to secure three points, including his parry from former Southend team-mate Assombalonga. Earlier, Macleod had hit the crossbar for the Bees while Hildeberto Pereira and Eric Lichaj went close for the visitors. Head coach Philippe Montanier, who joined Forest in the summer, has seen his team suffer back-to-back Championship losses after their opening day win over Burton. Brentford boss Dean Smith: \"It was nice to get two clean sheets and two home wins on the spin. We worked very hard for that - you have to in this league because no one will roll over and give you the points. \"We were masters of our own downfall at times because of our decision making and I felt we created most of their chances. People were giving the ball away in the last five or six minutes, but Daniel Bentley was very composed which was just as well. \"We didn't look after the ball well enough in the second half but we defended very well and looked organised, which made it difficult for Forest to create too much themselves. We had to re-organise and I'm glad the players did it themselves rather than me having to do it with substitutions.\" Nottingham Forest boss Philippe Montanier: \"We were in control of the game and had many opportunities to score, but the story is always the same. It was a frustrating evening but I was pleased with the character of my side. \"We lacked efficiency to score goals and unfortunately that reflects the whole game. I thought Britt would score late on but we had too many opportunities to score and if you don't there's a danger you can always concede one goal. \"We made mistakes and that is frustrating but the mentality is good and we are trying too hard to achieve victories in what is a difficult moment for us.\" Match ends, Brentford 1, Nottingham Forest 0. Second Half ends, Brentford 1, Nottingham Forest 0. Attempt saved. Britt Assombalonga (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ben Osborn with a through ball. Apostolos Vellios (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Sam Saunders (Brentford). Foul by Hildeberto Pereira (Nottingham Forest). Ryan Woods (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Offside, Nottingham Forest. Ben Osborn tries a through ball, but Britt Assombalonga is caught offside. Attempt saved. Pajtim Kasami (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Britt Assombalonga. Attempt missed. John Egan (Brentford) header from the centre of the box misses", "summary": "Scott Hogan's goal for Brentford was the difference in their match against Nottingham Forest."}
{"article": "Jo Meeke and Matt Gurney's son Puck died in hospital following complications in labour. They have set up an appeal to create an outdoor space for other grieving families and hospital staff. Ms Meeke, from Bosham in West Sussex, said she hoped the woodland would help people on the \"long journey\" of coping with the death of a child. She had an \"uncomplicated dream pregnancy\" but after complications in labour, Puck was born via emergency Caesarean section on 15 March. He was transferred from St Richard's Hospital in Chichester to Southampton General Hospital's neonatal ward, where he died the following day. When it became clear he would not survive, the couple had 30 minutes to say goodbye. Ms Meeke said the time together had been \"a special moment that will live with us forever\". \"The hardest thing we're having to deal with now is the immediate raw grief of looking at photos of our son, knowing we're not going to hold that little boy,\" she said. \"But it's all the other things we had planned for our family moving on - suddenly those things are not going to happen.\" The couple has set up the Puck's Promise appeal and aim to crowd-fund \u00a365,000 to buy the woodland. Mr Gurney said he hoped it would bring \"something positive\" out of their experience. \"I'd primarily like families who have lost children in some way to be able to use it, for a walk or overnight camp, to be with other people who have been though the same thing.\"", "summary": "A couple who lost their newborn baby have raised more than \u00a312,000 towards buying an area of woodland in his name."}
{"article": "The Glovers took an early lead but found themselves 5-1 down at the break before eventually falling to a joint-record league defeat. Skipper James Bailey told the club website: \"We know we let ourselves and the fans down. \"As a group, we want to apologise and give fans their money back.\" Boss Darren Way added: \"Saturday was never going to be easy but the manner of the defeat was totally unacceptable and I apologise to the supporters and take full responsibility for that. \"Paying supporters their money back is a collective decision - we're not happy with just apologising, but at the same time know our best apology will come on the pitch in the coming weeks.\" The League Two side will release details of how fans can claim their refund on Monday. Yeovil's players are not the first to reimburse travelling fans after an away day nightmare. Sunderland's players refunded the 2,500 Black Cats supporters who saw their side fall to a humiliating 8-0 defeat at Southampton in October 2015. In January 2016 Charlton's players did the same for the 166 who made the trip to see their side go down 5-0 at Huddersfield, in a performance that club captain Johnnie Jackson called \"disgraceful\". Earlier this year, Bristol City's players refunded the 312 fans who made the 386-mile round trip to Preston North End to see the Robins lose 5-0.", "summary": "Yeovil Town's players and staff have agreed to refund the 258 fans who travelled to their 8-2 opening day defeat at Luton Town."}
{"article": "The prime minister said he appreciated people were \"disillusioned\" with the EU and he \"absolutely understood and received the message\". He told the BBC that only Conservatives offered a referendum on UK membership. The BBC's Nick Robinson said this \"simple message\" instilled confidence for many within the party. UKIP gained 23 MEPs, with the Tories having 19, behind Labour which has 20. The Conservative share of the vote was 23.9%, behind Labour on 25.4% and UKIP on 27.5%. Some Conservative MPs have expressed dismay at the performance and Mr Cameron said he was \"disappointed\" for the MEPs - including its former leader in Brussels Martin Callanan - who lost their seats. But he said the vote reinforced his belief that the UK's relationship with the EU needed to change. \"I take a very clear message from the election. People are deeply disillusioned with the EU. They don't feel the current arrangements are working well enough for Britain and they want change. \"I would say that message is absolutely received and understood.\" While he was an instinctive \"reformer\" who, in the referendum would \"give the choice to the British people of whether to stay or go\", Labour backed the \"status quo\" in Europe and the Lib Dems did not want any change. Mr Cameron rejected suggestions that UKIP's victory was a snub for the Westminster elite in general and for Mr Farage's different campaigning style, saying the UKIP leader was a \"consummate politician\" who was already discussing tactics for the 2015 general election. He again dismissed any talk of pre-election pacts, at either a national or constituency level, saying he was \"100%\" focused on delivering an outright Conservative victory. He said Labour had got a lower share of the vote in the 2004 European election and managed to comfortably win a general election the year after. \"It is possible to win from here,\" he said. \"We have just got to have a real focus on what really matters which is completing our economic plan and turning our country round.\" Foreign Secretary William Hague said the rise of Eurosceptic parties should serve as a wake-up call to European politicians. UKIP's support would switch for next year's general election, he told BBC News. \"They can have a free hit; they can have a vote that does not have the consequences of bringing the wrong government in,\" he said. \"So it is very different to a general election.\" But backbencher Bernard Jenkin wrote on Twitter: \"Some of us who opposed Maastricht 20 years ago predicted it would lead to the rise of the right in the EU: and here we are.\" And Clacton MP Douglas Carswell added: \"So maybe those of us who sometimes banged on about Europe were on to something?\" The European election results come just days after the Conservative Party lost more than 200 seats in local polls, prompting ministers to promise tougher curbs on immigration. Home Secretary Theresa May said they were considering deporting people who came to the UK to work, but who could not find a job after six months.", "summary": "David Cameron has insisted the Conservatives can win the next general election despite being pushed into third place in the European elections."}
{"article": "Malala Yousafzai is recovering in hospital in Birmingham after being shot on school bus on 9 October. Doctors at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital said she could make a good recovery. On Monday she was visited there by Pakistan minister Rehman Malik and UK Foreign Secretary William Hague. Mr Hague and Mr Malik, who were also accompanied by United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed, met surgeons and Malala's father Ziauddin. Mr Malik said the attack on Malala was \"meant to tarnish the true face of Pakistan and to discourage those struggling for human liberties and for the democratisation of our society\". He added: \"Let me reassure our international friends that such acts of cowardice will not deter us and the whole Pakistani nation stands behind Malala and her cause.\" Mr Hague said Malala's \"swift and full recovery is our absolute priority\" and thanked the doctors at the hospital. He added: \"The people of Pakistan have paid a high price from terrorism and extremism. \"We will stand by all those who, like Malala, are courageously defending the rights of women in Pakistan and around the world.\" Malala's father arrived at the hospital on Friday to visit his daughter, saying he believed she would \"rise again\" to pursue her dreams. He had revealed how the Pakistani president had taken the decision to move Malala because of the need for a safe environment for her recovery. Doctors in Birmingham have said Malala is still weak but stands every chance of making a good recovery. The Pakistan Taliban said it carried out the attack because Malala was \"promoting secularism\". She had campaigned for the rights of girls to have an education and had written a diary for the BBC Urdu service when the Pakistan Taliban controlled her home area of Swat in 2009. Since the attack, the teenager has received thousands of goodwill messages from around the world.", "summary": "Pakistan's interior minister has said a 15-year-old schoolgirl activist who was shot in the country by the Taliban is a \"symbol of courage and determination\" against \"extremist ideology\"."}
{"article": "A foreign ministry spokesman said the \"ball is in Pakistan's court\" and the \"immediate issue\" was their response. Indian troops killed six militants during a four-day battle at the base in Punjab, close to the Pakistan border. Foreign secretaries of the two sides are due to hold peace talks next week. Although India has not officially announced any dates, Indian media reports say the meeting is due to take place on 14-15 January in Islamabad. The assault on the Pathankot base started on Saturday, when a group of gunmen - wearing Indian army uniforms - entered residential quarters on the air base. Seven Indian troops and six militants were killed in the gun battle. Hopes for Delhi-Islamabad detente were raised in late December after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an unexpected visit to his counterpart Nawaz Sharif on his way back from Afghanistan and the two sides announced plans to resume peace talks. But the attack has come as a blow to the peace initiative. \"Pathankot terror attack has put renewed focus on cross-border terrorism,\" Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup told a press conference in Delhi on Thursday. \"The government's policy towards Pakistan is clear and consistent. India wants friendly relations with all its neighbours including Pakistan,\" he said, adding that \"India will not tolerate cross-border terror\". On Tuesday, Mr Modi urged an \"immediate\" response to the Pathankot attack after Mr Sharif telephoned him to discuss the incident. Mr Sharif promised that Pakistan would take \"prompt and decisive action against the terrorists\", Indian officials said. India's Press Information Bureau said India had provided Pakistan with \"specific and actionable\" information on the attack. Earlier in the week, the United Jihad Council - a coalition of more than a dozen militant groups fighting against Indian rule in Kashmir - claimed that its \"national highway squad\" was behind the attack. The council, based in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, is headed by Syed Salahuddin who also leads Hizb-ul Mujahidin, the longest surviving Kashmiri militant group. Some Indian security officials have suggested the Pakistan-based Islamist militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed was to blame. India says the group is backed by Pakistan, but Islamabad denies this.", "summary": "India has said that planned talks with Pakistan would go ahead only if Islamabad took action against militants that Delhi said were behind the deadly assault on the Pathankot air base."}
{"article": "Two days before polling day, Emmanuel Macron let slip on French radio that he had someone in mind for prime minister should he win Sunday's vote. He did not say who it was, simply tantalising listeners with a vague reference to \"someone with experience of politics, and the skills to lead a parliamentary majority\". But such is the secrecy around his plan for government that it was enough to send the French papers into a spin. It is a taboo subject even within his campaign team, according to the daily newspaper Le Monde. \"It's like sailors who refuse to say the word 'rabbit' in case it brings bad luck,\" one unnamed staffer told the paper. On one level, his reticence is understandable. Forming a government is a delicate business at the best of times and for Mr Macron it is delicate in ways previous presidents can only imagine. First there is the tension between the poetry of campaign and the prose of government. It was Mr Macron's promise of renewal and change that won him his place in the Elys\u00e9e Palace. He has promised fresh faces from outside politics, an overhaul of the established political system and a new kind morality in political life. His En Marche! (English: On The Move) movement has the feel of a start-up, with the average age said to be around 30. But he is also going to need experience, particularly in areas such as security. Alexis Kohler, 43: Special adviser and likely to be Mr Macron's secretary general at the Elys\u00e9e. Joined a shipping company after working as chief-of-staff for Mr Macron while in government Brigitte Trogneux, 64: President-elect's wife initially helped rewrite his speeches but is said to seek role as a \"bridge\" to the president Isma\u00ebl Emelien, 29: Right-hand man and longtime friend, head of communications and strategic adviser, ex-colleague in economy ministry Jean Pisani-Ferry, 65: Economics professor and government adviser, in charge of Macron economic programme and big ideas. Founded Brussels-based Bruegel think tank Sophie Gagnant-Ferracci, 40: Head of campaign team. Highly experienced corporate lawyer and longstanding friend of president-elect through her husband, economist Marc Ferracci Fran\u00e7ois Bayrou, 65: Political heavyweight, head of centrist Democratic Movement party; his backing boosted Macron candidacy in February \"The young technocrats that surround Macron are impatient for their go,\" says Pierre Haski, former deputy editor at the left-wing newspaper Lib\u00e9ration. \"They think the oldies have made a mess of things\u2026 [but] Emmanuel Macron needs to find a balance between the traditional big beasts of the main parties and the newcomers. It can't just be the younger generation.\" Balancing the expectations of sweeping change with the demands of government will not be easy, especially as he is likely to face a politically diverse cabinet - and probably a divided parliament too. And that is the second challenge for Mr Macron: the unique blend of left and right that he promised in his campaign means that his cabinet will need to contain not just a mix of fresh faces and old hands, but a mix of figures from the", "summary": "Emmanuel Macron has gone from political newcomer to French president in just a few years He has promised a new approach to politics but what exactly will his government look like?"}
{"article": "Beavon smashed home just before the half-hour mark to inflict a second successive defeat on Swindon, following their loss at Barnsley last weekend. The striker punished hesitancy among the Swindon defence with a clinical volley, the Brewers' first ever goal at the County Ground. Wes Thomas dragged wide from inside the penalty area for the home side. Jon Obika and Louis Thompson also missed the target while Yaser Kasim had a free-kick pushed over by Jon McLaughlin as Burton held out for the win. Burton Albion boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink told BBC Radio Derby: Media playback is not supported on this device \"I'm very happy. I think when you're coming to Swindon, you know what they're about. They can keep the ball for fun and they can test your nerves and get overloads in certain areas, but we made it very uncomfortable for them. We didn't let them get into their stride, we didn't let them play their game and get into their rhythm. \"For us, it was all about winning the ball back in their half and trying to penetrate in the last third and I think we did that really well. \"We should have scored more goals and that's something we need to work at, but I must say I'm extremely happy with how the team has worked today. We were very solid and we were quite creative with the ball at times, but the belief needs to become greater because they can do a lot more than they think.\"", "summary": "Stuart Beavon's first-half strike moved Burton to the top of League One with their first ever win at Swindon."}
{"article": "The club has fined the pair for the incident, which happened prior to Tuesday evening's defeat by Brentford. \"I'd like to apologise to the Bolton fans for what we did before the game,\" Trotter, 27, told BBC Radio Manchester. \"We didn't realise it was live, it wasn't aimed at the fans or club, it was a silly gesture as we walked in.\" A club statement said: \"Bolton Wanderers takes the conduct of its players and staff extremely seriously and will not tolerate such behaviour.\" The defeat, Bolton's 22nd in the Championship this season, means they could be relegated to League One on Saturday when they face Derby County. The club have spent much of the season fighting a relegation battle, as well as off-the-field financial problems, and are 17 points adrift of safety at the bottom of the table with six games left to play. \"It's too hard to pinpoint one thing, there's a lot of things gone wrong. If we knew what the problem was then we would be doing better,\" said Trotter. \"There's a lot of factors, a lot of outside influence with what's been going on at the club, but it's not just that, the players haven't been good enough this season. \"We haven't done enough on the pitch. We're in the position we're in because we deserve to be.\"", "summary": "Bolton Wanderers midfielder Liam Trotter has apologised for making an offensive gesture with David Wheater in a pre-match live club broadcast."}
{"article": "The result marks a 5% rise on cash profits from a year earlier. The lender also said its after-tax profit rose $A3.5bn during the period, up 3% from a year earlier. The cash profit number strips out some one-off items and is the bank's preferred measure of performance. Forecasts were for a rise in cash profit to A$3.6bn for the period. Analysts said the results were a \"welcome relief\" as Australia's economy continues to face slowing growth and after rival Westpac bank posted disappointing results on Monday. ANZ's chief executive Mike Smith said the results were \"well balanced\" and that progress had been made in reshaping the lender's business in a \"more challenging macro-environment\". But Mr Smith noted the lender would be operating in a \"lower growth environment\" in the future, \"in which there will continue to be occasional volatility and shocks\". The bank's positive half-yearly performance numbers come as Australia's central bank meets later today to decide whether to cut interest rates to an historic low. Analysts said investors seemed to like the latest numbers from the lender as the stock was up as much as 3.9% following the announcement. \"The result from ANZ will be taken favourably, with cash earnings modestly above consensus,\" said Melbourne-based Chris Weston from IG Markets. \"The result itself was of a better quality than Westpac,\" he said, \"although investors will take little heart from either bank's capital position.\" Michael McCarthy of CMC Markets in Sydney said ANZ's results were \"a welcome relief\" after Westpac's flat result on Monday. ANZ and Westpac are among the top four banks in Australia, together with National Australia Bank and Commonwealth Bank. ANZ is the nation's third biggest bank by market value. Australia's banking sector, particularly the so-called top four, is regarded as being highly profitable. The country's big lenders made it through the global financial crisis relatively unscathed.", "summary": "One of Australia's biggest lenders, ANZ, has beaten expectations and posted a half-year cash profit of 3.7bn Australian dollars ($2.9bn;\u00a31.91bn) in the six months ending in March."}
{"article": "The 45-year-old man from the Swansea valley was riding a Kawasaki ZX 1000 when he crashed into the animal on the A4069 between Llangadog and Brynamman. He was taken to Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales after the crash, which happened just before 18:00 BST on Sunday. Dyfed-Powys Police is investigating.", "summary": "A motorcyclist is in a critical condition in hospital after hitting a sheep in Carmarthenshire."}
{"article": "Organisers campaigning to save Lewisham Hospital say the plans are \"crazy and ill thought out\". Under proposals, its A&E will close and the maternity unit be downgraded after neighbouring South London Healthcare NHS Trust ran up debts of \u00c2\u00a3150m. The government said \"doing nothing is not an option\" and is to make a decision on 1 February. Campaigners are angry Lewisham Hospital, which is not part of the South London Healthcare NHS Trust, is being targeted in a re-organisation of services across the area following the trusts's financial problems. Under the plans, the trust's Queen Elizabeth Hospital site in Woolwich would come together with Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust to create a new organisation. Lewisham's A&E unit would then be downgraded to an urgent care centre, meaning emergency cases would be seen at nearby hospitals. The maternity unit at Lewisham could also be slimmed down, meaning complex cases would be dealt with elsewhere. South London Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs three hospitals, was placed in administration last year when it started losing about \u00c2\u00a31.3m a week. The problems it faces are not unique. Last year it was reported 20 trusts had declared themselves financially unsustainable in their current form. Matthew Kershaw, a special administrator, said in a report to the government that the trust should be broken up, with other organisations taking over the management and delivery of services. If implemented fully, Mr Kershaw said his recommendations would result in a radical overhaul of services in south London, and help deliver \"safe, high-quality, affordable and sustainable services.\" Mr Kershaw also recommended the Department of Health (DoH) write off any debts to ensure new organisations were not \"saddled with the issues of the past\". \"I have said consistently that the status quo is not an option, and I believe these final, refined recommendations are the right ones, although I appreciate that some people will find them difficult to accept,\" his report said. In November thousands of people marched in protest at the plans and BBC London reporter Matt Morris said at least 15,000 attended Saturday's event. The Save Lewisham Hospital group said 25,000 took part. Dr Louise Irvine, a local GP and chairman of the Save Lewisham Hospital campaign, said: \"This decision is crazy and ill thought out. \"It is a big mistake and carries huge clinical risks of things going wrong for patients but also political risk. \"If Jeremy Hunt can close a good local hospital here, he can do it anywhere in the country - nowhere is safe.\" A DoH spokesman said: \"Where trusts face long-standing problems we have been clear that doing nothing is not an option.\" The march went past Lewisham Hospital and ended with a festival in nearby Mountsfield Park.", "summary": "At least 15,000 people have marched in protest against proposals to close services at a hospital in south London."}
{"article": "The 18-year-old victim was attacked in a wooded area off Parkway between 06:00 and 07:00 BST on Saturday, Surrey Police said. Avan Mogridge, 31, of Church Street, Stamford, has been charged with two counts of rape, sexual assault, threats to kill and actual bodily harm. He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear in court on Monday.", "summary": "A man has been charged with raping and threatening to kill a woman in Guildford."}
{"article": "The United Nations' refugee agency, the UNHCR, put a number on it last week - they are only 6% of the total fleeing the conflict. Another four million are languishing in neighbouring countries such as Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. And then there is a third figure which dwarfs even that - 7.6 million are displaced inside Syria itself and their plight remains very much out of sight. The aid community has an acronym for these internal refugees - they are called IDPs or Internally Displaced Persons. Syria now has more of them than any other country in the world. Last week, the UN produced a map of Syria with several arrows criss-crossing it (p.7). Those arrows represent the flows of Syrians fleeing violence across different parts of the country in the last six months. After the takeover of Idlib by rebel forces in March, for example, 230,000 people ended up heading into the surrounding countryside or neighbouring provinces. Many will have been forced to move multiple times because the battle lines have kept changing - pushing people one way and then another. The family of three-year-old Alan Kurdi, for example, had tried moving around Syria before they finally decided to leave. They had moved from the Syrian capital, Damascus, to Aleppo and then to Kobane. \"Generally, people try to find solutions within their own countries first,\" says Erin Mooney who is an expert in displacement and who has worked in Syria. \"Often they want to stay close to their homes to keep an eye on their property, perhaps hoping they'll one day move back. Now, though, the conflict is into its fifth year and people are becoming much more desperate.\" But not everyone will have the option of moving across a border into a foreign country. Some will have lost their documents, so foreign travel is inevitably hard. Others have become besieged in areas which once were deceptively safe. Very often IDPs are simply poorer than the refugees we have seen reaching the EU's borders. \"The journey to Europe is very cumbersome, and it's not cheap so you have to have a certain level of resources to do it,\" says Carsten Hansen, Middle East director for the Norwegian Refugee Council. The conditions facing the displaced inside Syria are hard to illustrate through news agency pictures because these areas are too dangerous for journalists to access. Even more worrying is the fact that aid agencies and NGOs cannot reach them either, putting them literally beyond help. Oxford University's Professor Paul Collier, an expert on migration, says it is important that these IDPs are not forgotten just because they have not created a problem for European countries. \"They are obviously more vulnerable because they are still exposed to the violence,\" he points out. \"Often they can't get out. Refugees are at least relatively safe - unless they are lured onto boats by criminals.\" The refugees who flee to safety abroad also have extra legal protection because of the UN's 1951 Refugee Convention which sets out their basic rights. Those left inside Syria, on the", "summary": "Perhaps the most sobering thing about the pictures of Syrian refugees arriving in Europe is the fact they are just the tip of the iceberg."}
{"article": "Writer Sudhiti Naskar ensconced herself in this community to find out more about the daily lives of women and she discovered that many women did not report rape or acts of sexual violence. Here she explains why, even though West Bengal has the third highest rate of crimes against women in India, these women chose to remain silent. I heard a story in the village, about a teenage girl who was raped here four years ago. She was attacked when she went to defecate in the open, a way of life for most of these villagers. Her parents did not press any charges even though they knew who did it. In fact many villagers told me he had been accused of another rape in the village. \"The girl needs to be married off in a few years,\" one of her relatives said. Finding a suitable groom would be hard if her rape was made public, virginity being an essential criteria for marriage in such rural societies. The girl and her parents - who don't want to be identified - have found solace in anonymity and the sympathy they get from their relations and friends. Even with all that support, they have not been able to confront the rapist. Apparently, bringing the culprit to justice would mean going public. It isn't worth the pain for them. The girl who now studies in a college wants to move on and heal while keeping quiet. Bandana Bagdi, a landless farmer's wife, says she was accosted in the same village. \"I could have been raped, but I ran away,\" she says, in her ramshackle hut by a pond. When, along with her husband and brothers, she went to confront the culprit she was turned away by the villagers. \"They said I was a bad woman after a good man,\" she says. Traditional rural societies, such as here, are swift to put the blame on the victim. In remote Kelai village, Golechera Bewa, 60, feels helpless. Her youngest daughter Ajida Khatun, 19, was coming home at dusk past a deserted stretch when a man tried to drag her in a corner. Ajida ran to save herself. Going to the police would be \"too much [of a] trouble\" for an \"illiterate, poor old woman\", she said. The village council was an option, but going there would give the girl a \"bad name\". Ms Bewa says: \"Honour is the only thing that we have. Without that we can't live in these villages.\" Some of her hesitation comes from the fact that the perpetrator is well-off, making her feel powerless. With men going to the Middle East for manual labour, there has been an influx of money and that has changed power dynamics in the area. The \"new money\" has caused arrogance, says Rajib Lochan Roy, a lawyer in the area who has represented several rape victims. \"There's a tendency to justify the bad behaviour through money and power,\" he says. He says it is like the old times, when \"the feudal lords would assert their will on the women", "summary": "Murshidabad in rural West Bengal is in many ways a typical rural Indian district: a dusty, remote place dotted with villages that have little access to healthcare or infrastructure."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 1 July 2015 Last updated at 11:08 BST BBC West has discovered that four out of 10 patients are waiting more than 18 weeks, the government's national target, for treatment at the Bristol Heart Institute. The BBC's Matthew Hill spoke to patient Balbir Kaur Nirwan, who had to wait six months before being treated, consultant Alan Bryan and Dr Kevin Fox, from the British Cardiovascular Society.", "summary": "People with heart problems in the West Country could be at risk because of longer waiting times, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "Flynn, who was appointed after Newport sacked boss Graham Westley, has won both his games in charge. And the morning after Tuesday's victory at Morecambe, the Welshman received a congratulatory text message from former Arsenal striker Henry, with whom he has been qualifying as a coach. \"It was surreal,\" said Flynn. \"He's one of my heroes in the game. He's just pure class and he's like that off the pitch as well. \"I asked him to put his boots back on but he wasn't so forthcoming! \"For a football fan, which I am, it was unbelievable, and something which made me smile on Wednesday morning when I had my little boy waking me up at 6.30 in the morning, after getting back from the game at 4am.\" Newport moved off the foot of the League Two table and are now seven points from safety after beating Morecambe. County were bottom and 11 points adrift when they sacked Westley but have won their two games under Flynn. The 36-year-old former Newport midfielder has been studying for his coaching badges with the Football Association of Wales, under the tutelage of Wales assistant manager Osian Roberts. Former Barcelona and France forward Henry has been on the same course, and watched Wales' rugby team train earlier this month. Now a television pundit as well as Belgium's assistant manager, Henry has told Flynn he can call him for advice whenever he needs it. \"It's just nice to see that support,\" added Flynn, whose Newport side host Blackpool on Saturday. \"Learning from people like that - Patrick Vieira, David Ginola, Sol Campbell - it's a great mix of people. \"It's all put together by Osian and Lennie Lawrence, and it's attracting the right calibre of manager. Picking their brains and seeing how they work is invaluable.\"", "summary": "Newport County caretaker manager Mike Flynn has revealed how Thierry Henry has lent his support to the Exiles' bid for League Two survival."}
{"article": "With those words, marking the killing of PC Keith Palmer, deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle reminded us that Parliament isn't just about the politicians. For many MPs, caught in the Commons chamber as Wednesday's attack began, their first thoughts were for their staff in other parts of the parliamentary estate. The police put the Palace of Westminster in lockdown as firearms officers began a sweep of the area. Plaid Cymru MP's assistant Rhian Medi Roberts told was separated from her two-year-old son Owain for \"a good couple of hours\" during the lockdown. Owain was kept with other children in the parliamentary nursery - in a corridor away from windows - while Ms Roberts was told to stay in the Plaid Cymru office in the Norman Shaw buildings. \"I rushed over to the nursery as soon as we were 'freed',\" said Rhian. \"But I knew him to be safe, and would be happy with his friends and carers, who were fantastic. \"Also, I knew from the constant email updates from the nursery that they fed the children a lovely dinner, which they would enjoy.\" Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns had been in a meeting with the prime minister only moments before the attack. He was told to stay in his ministerial office and not to move. Labour MP Mark Tami was locked in the Commons chamber. He said the scariest moment had been when a police marksman jumped through the door to the Members' Lobby as part of the sweep of the estate. Liberal Democrat Lord Roberts of Llandudno said he was \"old enough [81] to have had a good cry\" about the attack. He was among peers allowed to visit the Commons canteen before the lockdown was over. Others were evacuated to Westminster Abbey, where they were briefed by police. Wales Office Minister Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth tweeted: \"Senseless atrocity. Unspeakable and condemned by all faiths.\" On Thursday, the mood in Parliament is sombre but defiant. Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Mark Williams said: \"It's an incredibly sombre, quieter and reflective place. I've just come back from the chamber where we had our daily prayers, and prayers that perhaps normally aren't exactly packed, the place was packed. \"And the mood of the house, is heartfelt sadness and extending our condolences to PC Palmer who was defending this place and defending democracy - and paid a tragic price.\"", "summary": "\"We're in a village and our village policeman has been murdered.\""}
{"article": "The Rt Rev James Jones, who chaired the Hillsborough Independent Panel, said he felt \"great pride\" in being recognised in the Queen's New Year Honours list. Author Phil Scraton, who led the panel's research team, turned down an OBE in protest at those he said had not helped the 1989 disaster's survivors. Meanwhile, Merseyside Police's only Sikh officer has been appointed MBE. And Liverpool comedy legend Ken Dodd, 89, has been awarded a knighthood for services to entertainment and charity. Bishop Jones, now assistant bishop in the Diocese of York, said his pride was \"mixed with sadness\" because of \"that enduring sadness of the families who have continued to feel the loss of their loved ones at Hillsborough\". He continued: \"I got to know the families very well during the Hillsborough Independent Panel process. And over the years I've come to understand something of their pain. \"I think the families have shown extraordinary forbearance over the years as they have struggled to get people just to listen to them. \"So, in receiving this honour, I also salute their forbearance.\" He said the panel's work was the \"climax of my ministry as the Bishop of Liverpool\". It was the panel's report that led to the quashing of the original inquests and the setting up of new inquests which ultimately led to the unlawful killing verdict for 96 football fans who perished in the tragedy. Merseyside Police's Det Insp Sarbjit Kaur was awarded her honour for work in exposing honour-based violence and forced marriages. The 43-year-old said she was \"extremely humbled\". \"I believe everyone has the right to live their life free from abuse and have the freedom to choose whomever they want to marry,\" she said. The force's Chief Constable Andy Cooke praised Det Insp Kaur's work and said she was \"an amazing role model\". He added he hoped she would \"encourage women from a similar background to join the police service and protect those most vulnerable in our communities\".", "summary": "The former Bishop of Liverpool has been made a Knight Commander for his services to the Hillsborough Inquiry."}
{"article": "The move comes after the BBC revealed that a number of women felt physically and mentally scarred after having the implants. Mesh or tape implants are used to treat organ prolapse or urinary incontinence. These conditions can be common after childbirth. The board's letter, leaked to the BBC, advised GPs to refer the women back to the health trust that performed the surgery with a letter stating that the referral is \"because of problems associated with mesh surgery\". The letter goes on to state that each trust should have arrangements in place for these women to be seen by a consultant. A spokesperson for the local action group, which now has over 250 members, welcomed the move but told the BBC that it was sad that some women had to go public with their personal stories in order for some health professionals to take them seriously. In July, a group of women from across the UK affected by vaginal mesh implants, including many from Northern Ireland, met with MPs at Westminster as part of a campaign to ban the procedure.", "summary": "The Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) has written to GPs advising what action they should take if any of their patients experience problems after vaginal mesh surgery."}
{"article": "The official is said to have acted as a CIA contact at the US embassy, reports say, in a scandal that has infuriated German politicians. A German intelligence official was arrested last week on suspicion of spying. An inquiry has also begun into a German defence ministry worker, reports said. \"The representative of the US intelligence services at the embassy of the United States of America has been told to leave Germany,\" government spokesman Steffen Seibert said. Analysis by Rajini Vaidyanathan, BBC News, Washington Earlier this week the White House described the partnership between the US and Germany as one built on respect. But no-one likes to be spied on, especially when it's your friend doing the spying. This latest episode is yet another reminder of how American surveillance programmes are causing friction with allies. It's angered many in Germany, where the issue of snooping is historically a very sensitive one, and many are asking: \"What? Again?\" It wasn't too long ago, after all, that we heard the National Security Agency was spying on Chancellor Merkel's mobile phone. After a review into the surveillance programmes, President Obama promised the US wouldn't spy on its friends overseas. But despite requests to be included, Germany isn't part of a non-spying pact the US has with Britain, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. The White House will want to do all it can to repair any trust issues over this latest incident, so they can work together in other areas - for example, it needs German support for tougher sanctions against Russia over Ukraine. Analysis by Stephen Evans, BBC News, Berlin The request by the German government follows increasing frustration that it has failed to get US assurances that spying would cease on German citizens from Chancellor Merkel down. She was shocked to learn that her mobile phone conversations were secretly being monitored while President Obama was greeting her as a friend on his visit to Berlin. Chancellor Merkel has tried to maintain a balance between condemning America's actions but also maintaining cordial relations. Each revelation has made that balance harder to achieve. This matters because America needs German help on a range of issues from trying to get the world economy out of its difficulties, to finding united Western action on Russia, to dealing with the revelations emanating from Edward Snowden who is currently in Moscow but whom some German lawmakers want to invite to Berlin. The chairman of the Bundestag (parliament) committee overseeing the secret service said the action had been taken because of America's spying on German politicians and its failure to co-operate and provide adequate responses. The US has not denied allegations that a German intelligence agency employee arrested last week was passing secret documents to the US National Security Agency (NSA). However, the latest reports that an employee within the defence ministry was also spying for the US were considered more serious. Although no arrest was made, searches were carried out on Wednesday at the ministry and elsewhere. The US and Germany have been close allies for decades but relations were", "summary": "The German government has ordered the expulsion of a CIA official in Berlin in response to two cases of alleged spying by the US."}
{"article": "The incident at Alliance Parade was reported shortly before 04:00 BST on Saturday. Police said it is \"believed that someone broke into the house and deliberately set it on fire\". They said there was no-one in the house at the time.", "summary": "A house in north Belfast has been gutted in an arson attack."}
{"article": "Quantum Pharma Plc said NuPharm would cease trading at Deeside Industrial Park by the end of December due to \"significant cash losses\". The firm took over NuPharm in July last year. It said despite continued investment, NuPharm was \"not capable of becoming an earnings enhancing business\", and closure was the only option. In a statement, it said: \"Other alternatives were examined but were not considered viable. \"The board believes that the best available course of action is to commence a closure of the business in an orderly fashion.\" NuPharm makes products for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.", "summary": "A pharmaceutical company in Flintshire is to close following with the loss of 66 jobs."}
{"article": "The Commons privileges committee said Colin Myler and Tom Crone had misled the Culture, Media and Sport Committee by \"answering questions falsely\". It recommended that the Commons should \"formally admonish\" the pair. Both men have rejected the findings and denied giving misleading evidence. It is believed to be the first time in decades that anyone has been found in contempt of Parliament and a senior MP has said legal action against the pair should be considered. Mr Myler and Mr Crone had appeared before the culture committee in 2009 and 2011, to answer questions about the extent of phone hacking at the newspaper. The paper had initially claimed that the illegal practice was limited to a single reporter and a private investigator with whom he worked. But evidence emerged that hacking was more widespread and the paper was forced to close in 2011 because of the scandal. The privileges committee found that Mr Myler misled the culture committee by denying that he was aware of phone hacking or other wrongdoing by staff, apart from royal correspondent Clive Goodman who had been jailed in 2007 for hacking-related offences. It said Mr Crone misled the committee on the same issue and also with regard to the \"significance of confidentiality\" in a settlement reached between the paper and Professional Footballers' Association boss Gordon Taylor. Mr Myler, the former editor, said the findings were \"profoundly disappointing\". \"Had the appropriate standard of proof been properly applied, the privileges committee could not have reached a finding of contempt against me, given that the report identifies evidence which plainly contradicts their conclusions,\" he said. Former legal manager Mr Crone said he did not accept the findings made against him and stood by his evidence on both issues for which he was criticised. \"In particular, I accepted clearly and unequivocally at the outset of my evidence... that the problem of phone hacking... went beyond\" just Clive Goodman, he said. \"That is a matter of record which is beyond challenge.\" The privileges committee did not uphold similar allegations of misleading MPs against Les Hinton, the former executive chairman of News International, which owned the NotW. It also found that the parent firm did not commit contempt as a company. Mr Hinton said: \"After more than four years, the committee of privileges has thrown out the charges that I was guilty of contempt of Parliament and a cover-up of phone hacking. \"Its findings are too little and too late, coming so long after I was vilified by MPs.\" Acting chairman of the culture committee Damian Collins told the BBC the case \"poses the question now about what action Parliament should take\". \"I think we should look now at what sanctions should be applied to people who are guilty of contempt of Parliament and deliberately misleading Parliament. Should there be a sentence, should there be a court process following the work of the privileges committee?\" he said. \"It is the first time in decades that people have been found guilty of contempt of Parliament and misleading Parliament. The house has to look at", "summary": "The former editor and legal manager of defunct newspaper the News of the World (NotW) have been found in contempt of Parliament over evidence they gave to MPs about phone hacking."}
{"article": "Its survey of 1,600 cities in 91 countries revealed that nearly 90% of people in urban centres breathe air that fails to meet levels deemed safe. The WHO says that about half of the world's urban population is exposed to pollution at least 2.5 times higher than it recommends. Air quality was poorest in Asia, followed by South America and Africa. \"Too many urban centres today are so enveloped in dirty air that their skylines are invisible,\" said Dr Flavia Bustreo, the WHO's assistant director-general for family, children and women's health. \"Not surprisingly, this air is dangerous to breathe.\" Health risks The WHO currently sets safe levels of air quality based on the concentration of polluting particles called particulate matter (PM) found in the air. It recommends that levels of fine particles called PM2.5 should not be more than 10 micrograms per cubic metre on average over a year, and slightly larger pollutants, called PM10, should not reach more than 20 micrograms per cubic metre on average. But the Urban Air Quality database showed that many areas were breaching these levels. Some cities in Asia showed extremely high levels of pollution. Peshawar in Pakistan registered a PM10 level of 540 micrograms per cubic metre over a period of two months in 2010, while Delhi in India had an average PM2.5 of 153 micrograms per cubic metre in the same year. Cities in South America, including Rio De Janeiro in Brazil, also fared badly. But the WHO says it is still lacking data, especially from cities in Africa, where poor air quality is a growing concern. The most recent figures suggest that seven million people around the world died as a result of air pollution in 2012. It is estimated that 3.7 million of these deaths were from outdoor air pollution. The WHO calls its the world's single largest environmental health risk, and links poor air quality to heart disease, respiratory problems and cancer. \"We cannot buy clean air in a bottle, but cities can adopt measures that will clean the air and save the lives of their people,\" said Dr Carlos Dora from the WHO. Follow Rebecca on Twitter", "summary": "The World Health Organization says air pollution in many of the world's cities is breaching its guidelines."}
{"article": "Dublin side Bohemians visit Brandywell Stadium on Friday night in the first home game since Dundalk supporters were attacked earlier this month. Fans, residents and club officials marched from Lecky Road to Brandywell. Club director Denis Bradley said it was a symbolic gesture to prevent further trouble and 500 people took part. \"This is a battle we will win, this is a battle we have to win, maybe not immediately but we are very resolved,\" he said. Derry City's FAI Cup semi-final defeat by Dundalk FC was marred by trouble outside the ground. A teenager suffered head injuries and a Dundalk supporters' bus was vandalised. Police said they have been liaising closely with the local community and the club in preparation for Friday night's match. Ch Insp Alan Hutton said: \"There will be an appropriate policing operation to ensure the safety of all supporters attending, as well as minimising any impact on local communities. \"I would encourage all supporters to come and enjoy the game and respect the local community. \"I would also like to acknowledge the excellent work carried out by the local community and Derry City football club in preparation for tonight's match.\" Derry City added that the trouble by a \"group of youths\" was not typical. \"There is a group of youngsters, we don't know where they are from or who they are, who appear to be using these occasions to misbehave,\" Mr Bradley said. \"Derry City are saying tonight: \"Not in our name\" and the local residents are joining us to say: \"Not in our area\" are you doing these things.\"", "summary": "Derry City Football Club has held what it describes as \"a public act of defiance\" to show disapproval at attacks on visiting fans this season."}
{"article": "Only time will tell whether he gets his wish. No-one should get too carried away, though. Britain has had only a handful of non-white cabinet ministers. Indeed, Mr Cameron's new cabinet, following his election victory in May, has just two minority-ethnic cabinet ministers. It is all a far cry from 1987, when four new black and minority-ethnic MPs - all Labour - entered the House, a symbolic and powerful moment for many observers. Paul Boateng had the most successful ministerial career, eventually making it into the cabinet as chief secretary to the Treasury. Much of the commentary focused on his being the first black cabinet minister and some speculated that he might rise to the very top. It was not to be. He now sits in the Lords. Keith Vaz rose to become the first Asian minister in the Commons in 1999. Mr Vaz's newsworthy quotes keep him in the public eye as the long-serving chairman of the home affairs select committee. Diane Abbott has a big political and media profile but has stayed on the back benches, as did Bernie Grant, before his premature death. The Tories at that time had no real equivalent representation in terms of black and minority-ethnic MPs. There was a lingering suspicion that the majority of voters from these communities didn't like the Conservatives. There was a damaging public row when a black candidate, John Taylor, was selected to fight Cheltenham in 1992. There was opposition from the local association and the campaign itself was marred by racist jibes. Taylor lost. It was the Blair-Brown years that changed the landscape at ministerial level. The Tottenham MP, David Lammy, was one early star. He rose quickly and, having been elected at just 27, he was immediately weighed down by the \"Britain's next black prime minister\" label. He didn't last but he has reinvented himself as a vocal backbencher and is in the mix to be Labour's choice for London mayor. Baroness Scotland, the first ethnic minority attorney general, was another prominent appointment. Then there was Shahid Malik, who became Britain's first Muslim minister in 2007. When David Cameron came to power in 2010, he brought in Baroness Sayeeda Warsi. She was the first Muslim woman cabinet minister. Her star burned brightly for a short time but she is no longer in government. Instead, she has carved a role as a critical voice, particularly on relations with the Muslim community. Another casualty was Shailesh Vara, who lost his post as a government whip. He is currently parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Justice. and remains influential in Tory attempts to appeal to the British Asian community. The Liberal Democrats, now a crushed force in Westminster, did not have a single non-white MP in the 2010-15 Parliament. The twists and turns of political life make predictions difficult. The Business Secretary Sajid Javid is seen by some as a future leader. His ethnicity - the son of an immigrant from Pakistan - is of less interest than his political views, perhaps another sign of a gradual shift in", "summary": "David Cameron said in a speech last November that he wanted to see an ethnic minority prime minister to prove \"Britons of all backgrounds can achieve\"."}
{"article": "The hosts go into the final day on 199-6 in their second innings, a lead of 278 runs. John Anderson top-scored with 59 while Ed Joyce (37), William Porterfield (29) and Gary Wilson (25) also contributed on a day when 45 overs were lost. Tanveer Ahmed and Tanwir Afzal each picked up two wickets for the tourists. The Irish play positively, scoring at a rate of around four an over in an attempt to force a result despite the best efforts of the Belfast weather. Joyce scored a fluent 37 from 55 balls in an opening stand of 53 with skipper Porterfield and was unluckily dismissed when he hit his wicket. Anderson and Porterfield added a further 48 before the captain was bowled. Niall O'Brien (15) and Paul Stirling (six) both went cheaply, but Anderson's fourth half-century for Ireland ensured they were always on top. The Merrion man top-scored before mistiming an attempted hook shot. Gary Wilson scored a breezy 25 and was trapped lbw two balls before the umpires decided that the light was too poor to continue. Porterfield indicated that Ireland would bat on Friday, probably hoping to set Hong Kong a target of around 330. Play on the final day will start 30 minutes early at 10:30 BST, with a potential 104 overs. Meanwhile, Ireland have brought North Down leg-spinner Jacob Mulder into their squad for two T20 games against Hong Kong at Bready next week. He replaces Barry McCarthy, who is required by Warwickshire for their County Championship clash with Yorkshire at Headingley.", "summary": "Ireland remain in control against Hong Kong in the Intercontinental Cup game but they were frustrated by rain and bad light at Stormont on Thursday."}
{"article": "Philip Blackwood was jailed last March for using an image of Buddha to promote his bar. Those being released include 52 people jailed for political offences. It comes just over a week before the new parliament meets for the first time since last year's election victory by the opposition pro-democracy NLD party. Sentences for nearly 80 prisoners on death row have also been commuted to life in prison. Mr Blackwood's sister, Angela Blackwood, said the family had been told that he would be released in the next few days \"or it could be up to a week\". It was not immediately clear if two Burmese men jailed with him were also being released. Mr Blackwood had posted a picture on social media of Buddha wearing headphones to promote a cheap drinks event at the Yangon bar he managed. Following complaints from monks, he was sentenced to two and a half years with hard labour for offending the Buddhist religion. The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Myanmar says that despite the latest releases, the country's outdated legal system - administered by often vindictive local officials - is still jailing people for political activities, usually unauthorised protests. On Friday, an ethnic Kachin activist named Patrick Khun Jarli was jailed for six months for posting a picture online that mocked the military. Amnesty International said the sentence was \"a stark reminder of how prevalent repression still is\" in Myanmar, and said nearly 100 other prisoners of conscience remained behind bars. Presidential spokesman Zaw Htay said on Facebook that a total of 102 prisoners were being released. One official said 21 of them were being released from the notorious Insein prison, which has long been used for political detainees, in Yangon, also known as Rangoon. Its most famous inmate was Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy leader whose party won the historic elections in November, ending decades of military or military-backed rule. Myanmar's former military government had been accused of wrongfully imprisoning about 2,000 political opponents, dissidents and journalists over the years. But since 2010, as it began edging towards democracy, it has freed hundreds of detainees.", "summary": "A New Zealand man serving a two-year sentence for insulting Buddhism is among more than 100 prisoners to be released from jail in Myanmar."}
{"article": "The discount fashion chain said it had come to its attention that the footwear \"does not meet the Primark usual high standards for chemical compliance\". The products in question are men's flip-flops in blue, black and khaki. The company said customers will be offered a full refund and do not have to produce proof of purchase. Primark, which is owned by Associated British Foods, said the footwear was sold in stores between 4 January and 2 June this year as part of its Cedar Wood State range. \"We have found levels of a restricted substance in the product in excess of the 1.0 mg/kg requirement,\" it said on the website. A Primark spokesperson confirmed that the chemical in question was chrysene, used in dark coloured dyes, but said it was present at levels that would pose a minimal health and safety risk to customers. The fault was discovered by Primark following up an inquiry by a third party, the company said. \"We take the safety of our customers, and the quality of our products very seriously,\" the spokesperson said. The company has suspended all new orders from the factory that manufactures the flip-flops while the matter is investigated.", "summary": "Primark has recalled thousands of men's flip-flops over fears they may contain dangerous levels of a cancer-causing chemical."}
{"article": "Unite was responding to Plaid Cymru's economy spokesman Adam Price, who urged steel workers to reject a move from final salary pensions. Balloting is expected to begin at the end of January. Tata said pension reform is essential to a deal that would see \u00c2\u00a31bn invested at Port Talbot over 10 years. The company made a commitment to secure jobs and production at Port Talbot and its other steelworks in December. But Plaid AM Mr Price said Tata was being \"opportunistic\", adding workers should ask it to rethink the offer. The financial climate around the steel industry has changed over the last 12 months. World steel prices have risen from $385 per tonne of hot rolled coil a year ago, when Tata announced more than 1,000 UK job losses, to $536 per tonne by August just after the company put the sale of its Welsh operations on hold. China had been accused of selling surplus steel to Europe at below cost price, driving down its market value. But last summer, the European Union continued imposing tariffs on foreign imports - with up to 22% levied on cold rolled steel, which is used in cars and washing machines. And the turnaround plan put in place at the biggest plant, Port Talbot, saw the reported losses of \u00c2\u00a31m a day at the site reduced. Mark Turner, a Unite union official at Port Talbot, said: \"When politicians start making comments on either side, they need to understand what they're doing and the influence they have on people. \"There are personal decisions to make but also the future of the steel industry, there are a lot of things people have to take into consideration. \"We'd like politicians to keep their opinions to themselves for the time being.\" Meanwhile, Aberavon MP Stephen Kinnock criticised Mr Price, saying he was \"astonished\" at his intervention, given the delicacy of the situation. \"This is a very personal decision that the steelworkers have to make, based on a range of factors,\" said the Labour MP. \"There have been some very impressive proposals from Tata Steel in terms of securing long term future of the works. \"But on the other hand there are some difficult proposals for the workers to swallow in terms of the pension scheme and the workforce should be allowed to get all the information they need and to vote according what they think is the best thing to do. \"It is not right that any politician should be coming in and meddling in what is a very personal decision.\"", "summary": "One of the biggest unions at Tata says politicians should not interfere in the workers' ballot over whether to accept a less generous pension scheme."}
{"article": "The authority's planning committee earlier this month backed a ??35m proposal for the street's eastern side. Campaigners condemned the decision, which will mean the demolition of the 103-year-old Futurist Cinema building. The council said it was not possible to save the building or its facade due to its \"poor structural condition\" after many years of deterioration. Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said the cinema was \"close to my heart, as I know it is to many others\" but two surveyors' reports had concluded \"that there was simply no way it could be salvaged\". \"There comes a point when you have to accept the inevitable and move forward and the government's decision allows us to do that,\" he added. The national Cinema Theatre Association (CTA) earlier this week said the Futurist Cinema had \"been allowed to rot away\" for more than 35 years since its closure. Steve Parry, managing director of Neptune Developments - the company behind the Lime Street plans - said the local Save the Futurist campaign group had \"accepted that there is very little that can be saved\". \"It's been frustrating to have London-based interest groups trying to derail the project,\" Mr Parry said, adding that his company had \"demonstrated our commitment to conservation\" with plans for an entertainment hub at the former ABC cinema. He described the decision that the Communities and Local Government Secretary would not hold an inquiry was \"a great result\" as regeneration plans would have otherwise been \"jeopardised\" and \"development stalled for up to two years\". A council spokesman said Lime Street's regeneration would include \"radically redesigned buildings\" and incorporate a hotel, shops, restaurants and student accommodation. Mr Anderson added the plans would \"bring Lime Street up to a much higher standard than it has been for decades\".", "summary": "The government will not hold an inquiry into regeneration plans for Lime Street, Liverpool City Council said."}
{"article": "Viktoria Tautz, 34, was looking after Joshua Paul at his home in Haringey, north London, on 29 August 2014 when he suddenly collapsed. Joshua was taken to hospital but died on 1 September, the Old Bailey heard. Ms Tautz, of Holly Park Road, Barnet, denies one charge of manslaughter and insists she never got angry with him. The court heard Joshua, who was born about 10 weeks early, had a large head for his age and was being monitored. Asked what she knew about his condition, Ms Tautz said she was aware his head was \"big\" and \"sensitive\" on the top. After starting work for his family in June, she said she was getting on well with the parents. On Joshua, she said: \"He was good baby.\" Bernard Richmond QC, defending, asked how she coped on days when she found him in an unhappy mood. Ms Tautz said: \"There was not much needed. I lifted him a bit. I played with him. He calmed easily.\" The barrister asked if she ever got \"angry\" or \"frustrated\" with the baby. She replied: \"No, never.\" On the day of Joshua's death, Ms Tautz said he was lying on his back making \"baby noises\" so she talked to him in English, thinking he was not tired enough to sleep. When he began \"crying very intensively\" she decided to pick him up to \"make him calm down\", she said. \"When I picked him up his face was red. I recognised his face seemed swollen,\" she told the court. Joshua did not appear to be breathing and she \"got scared\" - taking him to the bathroom to try and induce vomiting, the jury heard. \"Everything happened very fast\", she said. \"I was absolutely scared. I didn't know what happened to him.\" Ms Tautz was arrested on 5 September and in police interviews said she had not had any accidents and denied shaking him. Jurors were told Joshua died \"because of a head injury that caused bleeding in his brain, eyes and other spinal injuries\". The trial continues.", "summary": "A nanny accused of leaving a 10-month-old boy fatally injured in a fit of anger has denied to a court that she lost her temper with him."}
{"article": "On Wednesday, a leaked document revealed a private-public sector consortium was the last remaining bidder for a \u00c2\u00a3690m contract. Campaigners handed over their petition at a clinical commissioning group (CCG) meeting on Thursday. Commissioners said their focus was on improving outcomes for patients. Speaking at a protest outside the NHS meeting in Hednesford, Gail Gregory, from the Cancer Not For Profit campaign group said the Staffordshire service should be run by the NHS. \"A private company is out to make a profit. That's what you want a private company to do. I'm not a profit opportunity, I'm a patient,\" she said. Outsourcing contracts to cover both cancer and end of life care in Staffordshire were announced last year. Together, they are expected to be worth \u00c2\u00a31.2bn and cover a 10-year period. The contracts will cover the areas controlled by Stafford and Surrounds, Cannock Chase, Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire CCGs. The cancer contract is expected to be awarded in December and, according to a leaked document seen by the BBC, discussions between the CCGs and the consortium are expected to take place over the next few weeks, before a formal proposal is submitted. The group includes University Hospitals North Midlands, the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals Trust and private firm Interserve. The CCGs said they brought together a wide range of expertise.", "summary": "More than 63,000 people have signed a petition against what they say is the privatisation of cancer care in Staffordshire."}
{"article": "McIlorum, 28, went off on a stretcher after a tackle on Broncos half-back Anthony Milford and went to hospital. The Leeds-born England international has played 220 games for the Warriors. \"Micky could be out for six months,\" Wigan coach Shaun Wane told BBC Radio 5 live sports extra. \"He's playing rugby league and these things happen.\"", "summary": "Wigan hooker Michael McIlorum is facing a six-month lay-off after sustaining a suspected broken ankle in Saturday's World Club Series defeat by Brisbane."}
{"article": "The crash, involving silver Skoda Octavia taxi, happened on Lake Road at 00:30 BST. Police said the pedestrian, a 20-year-old woman from Fareham, died at the scene. A 37-year-old man, from Portsmouth, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by driving without due care and attention. He has been released from custody but remains under investigation, Hampshire police said. Anyone who witnessed the crash or saw the woman or the taxi beforehand has been urged to contact police.", "summary": "A woman died when she was struck by a taxi in Portsmouth."}
{"article": "Based on the age of the surrounding rocks, this is the earliest known member of the clade that produced today's birds: Ornithuromorpha. It pushes back the branching-out of this evolutionary group by at least five million years. The little bird appears to have been a wader, capable of nimble flight. The discovery is reported in the journal Nature Communications. Birds began to evolve from the dinosaurs some 150 million years ago at the tail end of the Jurassic period. This is the age of the famous but hotly contested \"first bird\" Archaeopteryx - now considered by many to be a feathered dinosaur. Some 20 million years later, when the newfound species was wading and flitting through what would become north-eastern China, palaeontologists believe there was quite a variety of bird life. About half of those species were Enantiornithes, a group of early birds with teeth and clawed wings that eventually all died out. The other half, including the new find, were Ornithuromorpha - a group that eventually gave rise to modern birds and looked much more like them. The branching event behind that forked diversity is what the new discovery pushes back in time; previously the earliest known Ornithuromorph was 125 million years old. The pair of skeletons that define the new species, christened Archaeornithura meemannae, were dug up from the Sichakou basin in Hebei province. \"The new fossil represents the oldest record of Ornithuropmorpha,\" said first author Wang Min, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. \"It pushes back the origination date... by at least five million years.\" The specimens were well preserved, revealing a number of details about A. meemannae. The bird stood about 15cm tall and its legs, even on the upper regions, had no feathers, which suggests a wading lifestyle. The size and shape of its bones also suggest good manoeuvrability in the air.", "summary": "Scientists in China have described a new species of early bird, from two fossils with intact plumage dating to 130 million years ago."}
{"article": "El Nacional in the Dominican Republic has now apologised for accidentally publishing a still of Alec Baldwin, captioned as the US president, next to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. The image accompanied an article about Israeli settlements. The paper has said sorry to readers and \"anyone affected\". The picture was sent to the newspaper along with information about Saturday Night Live, the long-running US satirical programme. No-one spotted the mistake, says El Nacional. Saturday Night Live is not Mr Trump's favourite TV programme. He says Baldwin's frequent impressions of him \"stink\". \"Not funny, cast is terrible, always a complete hit job. Really bad television!\" he once tweeted.", "summary": "Actor Alec Baldwin's impression on Saturday Night Live of Donald Trump tricked a national newspaper into thinking he was the real thing."}
{"article": "The South Africa-born 21-year-old right-hander will now remain at Lord's until the end of the 2017 season. Eskinazi was a regular for Middlesex's Second XI this year and made his first-class debut in last month's victory over Yorkshire at Lord's. \"Stephen thoroughly deserves a new contract,\" managing director of cricket Angus Fraser said. \"Once again he was our top run-scorer in the second eleven and was rewarded for this with a first-class debut. \"He looked comfortable against high quality bowling, which is a good sign for the future.\"", "summary": "Middlesex wicketkeeper-batsman Stephen Eskinazi has signed a new two-year contract with the club."}
{"article": "Mewn llythyr i'r arolygwyr, mae Cymdeithas yr Iaith hefyd yn honni y byddai diffyg rhaglenni gwreiddiol i Gymru ar y sianel, fod y brandio yn Saesneg yn unig, ac y bydd y rhaglenni yn cael eu creu yn Lerpwl. Made TV yw'r cwmni sydd yn gyfrifol am sianel Made in North Wales, fydd yn dechrau darlledu ddiwedd y mis. Dywedodd y cwmni y byddai'r sianel yn darparu rhaglenni yn unol \u00e2'r drwydded gafodd ei rhoi gan Ofcom yn 2013, ac y bydden nhw'n ceisio darparu rhagor o gynnwys unigryw a Chymraeg pe bai modd. Mewn llythyr i Ofcom dywedodd Aled Powell, is-gadeirydd Gr\u0175p Digidol Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg bod gan y mudiad \"bryder y bydd cyn lleied o oriau darlledu Cymraeg ar sianel deledu leol Made in North Wales\". \"Nid yw'n dderbyniol bod Ofcom wedi cytuno i drwyddedu'r cwmni er gwaetha'r ffaith mai dim ond 30 munud o'r rhaglenni a gynhyrchir gan y cwmni fydd yn Gymraeg bob wythnos,\" meddai. Ychwanegodd bod \"holl bresenoldeb y gwasanaeth newydd ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol, ar-lein, a'i brandio yn uniaith Saesneg, ac mae hynny'n destun pryder mawr i ni\". \"Mae'r ddarpariaeth hon yn sarhaus i'r Gymraeg a'r gymuned leol y dylai'r sianel ei gwasanaethu, gan sefydlu sianel deledu Saesneg arall yn yr ardal ar ben y cannoedd sydd eisoes ar gael. Erfyniwn arnoch i ail-edrych ar y sefyllfa hon.\" Roedd pryderon hefyd na fyddai Bay TV yn cadw at ymrwymiad gafodd ei wneud gan ymgeisydd gwreiddiol y drwydded - Bay TV Clwyd - i ddefnyddio a manteisio ar adnoddau a sgiliau myfyrwyr o Brifysgol Glynd\u0175r. \"Mae'r problemau hyn yn rhan o batrwm o ymddygiad gan Ofcom, sy'n ffafrio anghenion busnesau mawrion yn hytrach na'r gymuned leol a'r Gymraeg,\" ychwanegodd. Mewn ymateb dywedodd Made TV y byddai'r sianel yn darparu wyth awr o raglenni lleol gwreiddiol bob wythnos, yn ogystal \u00e2 rhaglen hanner awr yn y Gymraeg, yn unol \u00e2'r drwydded gafodd ei rhoi. \"Byddwn ni'n ceisio gwneud yn well na'r addewidion hyn ac yn edrych ymlaen at lansio'r sianel ar 26 Ebrill,\" meddai'r cwmni mewn datganiad. Ychwanegodd Made TV eu bod wedi cyflogi staff yn Yr Wyddgrug fydd yn creu cynnwys o fanno, ac nad oedd hi'n wir i ddweud y byddai'r sianel yn cael ei chynhyrchu o Lerpwl, na chwaith eu bod nhw'n torri unrhyw addewidion o ran y berthynas \u00e2 Phrifysgol Glynd\u0175r Dywedodd y cwmni hefyd nad oedd yr ymrwymiad i raglenni yn y Gymraeg yn rhan o'r cais gwreiddiol, a'i fod wedi cael ychwanegu'n hwyrach. \"Mae Made in North Wales yn gweithio gyda busnesau lleol i ddarparu lle swyddfa yn yr ardal, a bydd y cynnyrch gwreiddiol ar-leoliad i gyd yn cael ei ffilmio yn ardal gogledd Cymru.\"", "summary": "Mae ymgyrchwyr iaith wedi beirniadu Ofcom am roi trwydded i sianel deledu yng ngogledd Cymru er mai dim ond hanner awr o gynnwys Cymraeg sydd yn cael ei ddarlledu ganddyn nhw bob wythnos."}
{"article": "Overall staffing in NHS Scotland is at a record high, but auditors said the government must plan ahead better to \"urgently address workforce issues\". It said there were signs NHS services were \"under increasing stress\". The Scottish government said it was committed to having the right mix of skills and staff in the right places. But opposition parties said the \"damning\" report was confirmation of a \"deepening workforce crisis\" in the health service. The new report, the first part of a two-stage audit of workforce planning in Scotland's NHS, examined clinical staffing in hospitals and other secondary care settings. It found that health boards \"consistently underestimate\" the number of staff they need, while the Scottish government had \"not yet adequately estimated what impact increasing and changing demand for NHS services could have on the workforce or skills required to meet this need\". The report comes after medical leaders urged decision-makers to be \"courageous\" over NHS reform in future budgets, amid warnings from unions that \"the NHS in Scotland isn't getting the resources it needs\". The report, by Auditor General Caroline Gardner, said it was vital that the government and NHS bosses plan more effectively for the future. It highlighted that spending on NHS staff had increased by 11% between 2011-12 and 2016-17, with the overall staff hitting a record high of 139,341 whole-time equivalent workers. However, in reaching these staffing levels almost all NHS boards overspent against their pay budgets, and agency staffing costs have more than doubled over six years to more than \u00c2\u00a3171m. And the report warned that the government and NHS boards \"have not planned their NHS workforce effectively for the long term\". It said the health service faces \"urgent\" staffing challenges, including: The Scottish government is setting up a National Workforce Planning group to improve joint working. However, Ms Gardner's report said responsibility for workforce planning was \"confused\" - it is currently split between the government, health boards and regional workforce groups - and was at risk of fragmenting further with the integration of health and social care services. Ms Gardner said: \"Thousands of people work hard in Scotland's NHS to deliver vital public services every day, but there are signs that the health service is under stress and that staff face increasing workload pressures. \"The Scottish government and NHS boards recognise the challenges, but urgently need to improve their understanding of future demand, staff projections and associated costs, and set out in detail how they plan to create a workforce that can meet the long-term health needs of the population.\" The report was welcomed by staff groups and unions. Theresa Fyffe, director of the Royal College of Nursing Scotland, said the report should highlight \"the urgency with which workforce planning now needs to be addressed\". She said: \"Audit Scotland has hit the nail on the head. For too long plans have been restricted by what is affordable and achievable with the staff available, rather than focusing on strategic, long-term planning to meet demand. The result is that Scotland has too few nursing staff in post and too", "summary": "Scotland's government and health boards have failed to plan effectively for long-term staffing challenges, Audit Scotland has said."}
{"article": "Bill Walker was found guilty of attacking three former wives and a step-daughter between 1967 and 1995. The 71-year-old, from Alloa, had denied 23 charges of assault and one breach of the peace, but was found guilty of all charges at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Sheriff Kathrine Mackie said the former independent MSP for Dunfermline was in \"extreme denial\". She said he had shown a pattern of abusive behaviour in intimate relationships over a 28-year period. She said Walker had shown no acknowledgement of his \"unacceptable behaviour\", and that she was unable to detect any remorse. Sheriff Mackie said: \"I formed the impression that in the few incidents where you acknowledged the use of physical force, you believed you were entitled to or justified in its use, and certainly have made no apology for it. \"Your denial appears to me to be absolute. There is no acknowledgement of any unacceptable behaviour, there is no indication of any motivation to change. \"The conclusion that there's a significant scope to work with you to address your entrenched attitudes, value and beliefs surrounding domestic abuse is flawed.\" The sheriff said it was clear from their evidence that Walker's former wives believed his behaviour remained \"vivid and distressing\". She said: \"Having regard to the gravity of these offences as a result of the cumulative effect of them, your extreme denial and complete absence of any remorse, and the assessment of risk, I have come to the conclusion that a custodial sentence is the only appropriate disposal. \"In my opinion, the repeated abuse and violent behaviour towards your three former wives and stepdaughter over a period of 28 years outweighs other factors.\" Speaking outside court, Walker's solicitor Russel McPhate said his client would appeal against his conviction. He said: \"Mr Walker is disappointed at the outcome. He is still maintaining his innocence and an appeal has been marked.\" Walker resigned as an MSP earlier this month, blaming a \"media onslaught\". More than half of Scotland's 129 MSPs had backed a motion calling for him to stand down. Walker was found guilty of assault at addresses in Edinburgh, Stirling, Midlothian and Alloa, and one charge of breaching the peace. Sheriff Mackie, who heard the case without a jury, found Walker guilty of assaulting his first wife Maureen Traquair on three separate occasions in the 1960s and 1980s. On one occasion, Walker punched her in the face in the run-up to their wedding day in January 1967, giving her a black eye. Walker was further found to have assaulted his second wife Anne Gruber 15 times at various addresses in Edinburgh and Midlothian between 1978 and 1984. He was also convicted of committing a breach of the peace by brandishing an air rifle at her house. The former politician was convicted of four assaults on his third wife Diana Walker, three of which involved slapping or punching her on the face. The attacks happened between June 1988 and January 1995. Walker was also found guilty of assaulting Mrs Gruber's daughter Anne Louise Paterson by repeatedly striking her on the head", "summary": "A former MSP has been jailed for 12 months after being convicted of a series of domestic abuse offences."}
{"article": "Italy, stuck in recession, hopes the fair will be a big money-spinner. Ten million tickets have been sold already for the six-month event. But shortly after the opening, protesters in Milan clashed with police, who responded with tear gas. Representatives of 145 countries are in the city for the fair, which boasts 54 national pavilions at a sprawling site. The food theme focuses on nutrition and combating hunger globally. But it is also a showcase for Italian cuisine. The exhibition has already been marred by scandal after several officials in the organising body were arrested for corruption. And violence broke out on Friday as dozens of people protesting against the Expo torched cars and broke shops windows. Some groups have criticised the fair, calling it a symbol of big business interests, and held protests. There was an anti-globalisation march by students in Milan on Thursday. Pope Francis, who spoke via a televised link-up to the opening ceremony, said he wanted every person who visited the Expo to think of the \"faces of millions of people who are hungry today\". Meanwhile Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said: \"Today it is as though Italy is embracing the world.\" Italy hopes the fair, covering a one million sq m (10.7m sq ft) site, will attract some 20 million visitors and generate revenues of about $10bn (\u00c2\u00a35.6bn; \u00e2\u201a\u00ac8.9bn).", "summary": "A major global commercial fair - Milan Expo 2015 - has opened in northern Italy with food as the theme."}
{"article": "\"For about 10 minutes I didn't process what it was, and just started playing with it,\" says the 15-year-old from Maryland in the US. \"Then I finally realised - this fell out of my head. This is in an insect, this is a head louse.\" The discovery prompted a ritual familiar to millions of parents around the world - John's mother and father bought an over-the-counter chemical treatment, and \"bug bombed\" his head. \"But it didn't work,\" says John's mum Jerri. While exact statistics are hard to come by, getting head lice is a rite of passage for most schoolchildren. In the US alone, as many as 12 million kids per year get an infestation, according to the federal public health body, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meanwhile, a 2011 survey found that one third of under-16s in the UK had caught head lice in the previous 12 months. The problem for families trying to get rid of head lice is that over the past few decades the insects have built up a resistance to many of the available pesticide treatments. So simply spraying or shampooing your child's hair with one of these products can often not work against these toughened \"super lice\". Thankfully for stressed-out mums and dads - and itchy children - in recent years a new industry has built up on both sides of the Atlantic as a response: professional head lice removal companies. One such business is Lice Happens, based in Annapolis, Maryland, an hour's drive east of US capital Washington DC. The firm, who came to the rescue of John and his mum, runs a 24-hour emergency \"lice line\". Once a time has been arranged, Lice Happens will visit a family's home. Wearing special headsets fitted with magnifying glasses, staff are armed with professional grade \"nit combs\", and use a pesticide-free and non-toxic spray to loosen and comb out both lice and their eggs (nits). An average session costs from $300 (\u00a3244), and all family members are screened. \"It only takes one appointment,\" says Lice Happens' owner Nancy Fields, who set up the business in 2008. \"And while we work we educate, because there is so much misinformation out there. We make sure people understand fact from fiction, and give them hands-on training. \"We show parents how to accurately screen their children, and if they find they have to deal with lice again, we remind them of their training, and guide them so they don't have to throw more money at it. \"Instead of looking at it as an expense, it's a one-time investment.\" Ms Fields decided to set up Lice Happens after helping her sister battle an infestation. \"My sister was doing everything she could, but it didn't work,\" she says. \"She was also having to take unpaid leave from a new job to look after her children because the school wouldn't admit them while they were infected. \"It got me thinking that there has to be a better process, and that inspired me to think about starting a service to help people like", "summary": "Teenager John was doing his homework when a bug fell onto his school book."}
{"article": "The up and down motion can fracture the ice, potentially aiding its break-up and melting, the researchers told Nature magazine. They say storm swells may have a much bigger influence on the extent of polar sea ice than previously recognised. The New Zealand-led team ran its experiments off Antarctica. They placed sensors at various distances from the edge of the pack ice, and then recorded what happened when bad weather whipped up the ocean surface. For smaller waves, less than 3m in height, the bobbing induced in the floes quickly decayed. But for waves over 3m, the disturbance sent propagating through the pack ice was sustained for up to 350km. \"At the ice edge, it's quite noisy,\" explained study lead author Alison Kohout, from New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in Christchurch. \"You have lots of waves coming from all directions with a full spectrum of frequencies. But as the waves move into the ice, this all gets cleaned up to produce one beautiful, smooth wave of constant frequency,\" she told BBC News. \"The ice floes bend with the waves, and over time you can imagine that this creates fatigue and eventually the ice will fracture. Interestingly, the fractures tend to be perpendicular to the direction of the waves, and to be of even widths.\" Computer modellers have been trying to simulate the recent trends in polar sea ice - without a great deal of success. They have failed to capture both the very rapid decline in summer ice cover in the Arctic and the small, but nonetheless significant, growth in winter ice in the Antarctic. Dr Kohout and colleagues say their experiments offer some clues - certainly in the south. When they compared observed Antarctic marine-ice edge positions from 1997 to 2009 with likely wave heights generated by the weather during that period, they found a strong link. For example, where storminess was increased, in regions like the Amundsen-Bellingshausen Sea, ice extent was curtailed. In contrast, where wave heights were smaller, such as in the Western Ross Sea, marine ice was seen to expand. One very noticeable aspect of the recent growth in Antarctic winter sea ice has been its high regional variability. The team says that if models take more account of wave heights then they may better capture some of this behaviour. The group did try to look for a similar relationship in storminess and ice extent in the Arctic but found there to be insufficient data to draw any firm conclusions. The geography at the poles is quite different. The Arctic is in large part an ocean enclosed by land, whereas the Antarctic is a land mass totally surrounded by ocean. Many of the ice behaviours and responses are different as a result. \"I think what's interesting for us in the Arctic is that the 'fetch' is increasing - the distance from the shores to the ice edge is increasing,\" commented Prof Julienne Stroeve from University College London and the US National Snow and Ice Data Center. \"That would allow the wind to work more", "summary": "Large ocean waves can travel through sea ice for hundreds of kilometres before their oscillations are finally dampened, scientists have shown."}
{"article": "President Cecile Richards told members of Congress on Tuesday she was \"proud\" that Planned Parenthood donates foetal tissue for research. The anti-abortion group behind the videos has alleged that the healthcare provider profits from the practice. The allegations have set off an effort to pull the group's federal funding. Ms Richards said foetal tissue donation is legal and noted its small role in what Planned Parenthood does. Planned Parenthood has said it charges small fees - between $30 (\u00c2\u00a320) and $100 - to cover processing costs, but does not make a profit from foetal donations. \"These outrageous accusations based on videos are offensive and untrue,\" Ms Richards said. \"But facts have never gotten in the way of campaigns to keep women from getting healthcare.\" Planned Parenthood is a non-profit group that provides reproductive health services to mostly lower-income Americans. Some of its locations perform abortions. Federal funds make up about 40% of its annual budget, but federal law prohibits the funding of abortions except in rare cases. Conservative Republicans in Congress have threatened to shut down the government in hopes of ending federal support for Planned Parenthood. However, Republican congressional leaders have opposed a shutdown and President Obama has vowed to veto any attempt to defund Planned Parenthood. During a hearing on Tuesday, Republican lawmakers scrutinised the organisation's finances and chided Ms Richards for her salary, travel budgets and the organisation's rate of health screenings. Representative Elijah Cummings, a Democrat, said he was in full support of keeping the organisation funded. \"For many poor women, Planned Parenthood may be one of their only services of medical care in underserved or rural communities,\" he said. \"Big question for my Republican colleagues: Do you really want to do this? Align yourself with radical extremists who manipulate the facts?\" Some lawmakers told Ms Richards that Planned Parenthood's funding should be re-directed toward other US health clinics that would supposedly provide more services. \"The taxpayers... have a right to know how this money is being spent,\" said Representative Cynthia Lummis, a Republican from Wyoming. \"They have a right to know if if taxpayer dollars are being used to free up services you provide that are abhorrent services in the view of many taxpayers when there are alternatives in this country.\" Republicans argued during the hearing that those other health centres across the US would be able to handle the influx of patients should Planned Parenthood lose its funding. Representative Brendan Boyle, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, said he disagreed and that unintended pregnancy and abortion rates would actually go up if Planned Parenthood ceased to exist. Citing a Congressional Budget Office study, he said that 390,000 women in the US would lose access to health care without Planned Parenthood. Both anti-abortion activists and Planned Parenthood supporters could be seen on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, with many wearing pink T-shirts to show their support for Ms Richards' organisation.", "summary": "The head of Planned Parenthood has defended her organisation before Congress, calling a series of secretly recorded videos a \"smear campaign\"."}
{"article": "The cardboard boxes also include a mattress and can be used for babies to sleep in as an alternative to a crib. The Scottish government hopes the boxes will help ensure every baby is given the best possible start in life. Baby boxes are already given out by some health authorities in other parts of the UK. But the Scotland-wide rollout, which follows successful pilot projects in Orkney and Clackmannanshire, is the first time they will be available to all expecting mothers in one part of the country. The Scottish government has given assurances that all of its baby boxes meet the highest UK safety standards for sleeping, with safe sleep guidance provided in a leaflet inside the box and safety guidelines also printed on the lid. It follows concerns raised earlier this month by cot death charity The Lullaby Trust, whose chief executive Francine Bates said she was unhappy with some boxes being marketed as products which will reduce infant mortality and SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Lynsay Allan, executive director of the Scottish Cot Death Trust, said: \"I am encouraged by the fact that Scotland's baby box scheme is prompting parents to think about their sleeping practices. \"While the proven safest place for a baby to sleep is in a cot, crib or Moses basket, I also recognise that the box can be used as a safe sleep space for newborn babies, particularly where families may have no alternative and where they might otherwise unsafely share their bed or sleep on a sofa or chair with their baby.\" Expectant mothers due to give birth on or after 15 August have been able to register to receive their baby box at midwife appointments since June. The boxes will be sent to the mother's home address or another preferred location from today. From January of next year, the baby boxes will be delivered at least four weeks before the baby's due date. Colleen Groves, a mum-to-be who will be receiving one, told BBC Scotland: \"I really like the idea of it being a safe sleeping space. \"I would probably use it more during the day, rather than at night-time. I would use it as a sort of living space for putting down for naps during the day. \"I think it is really nice that every baby is being given the same start and being given the same things. \"It's up to the parents whether they take the box or not because you do register for it. It's up to each individual to decide whether they want to make use of it or not.\" Early Years Minister Mark McDonald said the Scottish government would continue to monitor feedback as the baby boxes reach more families, and would work with parents and healthcare professionals to keep the contents under review. And he said the boxes, which have largely been based on a similar scheme in Finland, were just one of a range of measures the government was using to help babies and parents thrive in the crucial early months. Scotland's chief medical officer, Dr", "summary": "Baby boxes containing essential items such as clothes, books and blankets are to be delivered to new mothers across Scotland for the first time."}
{"article": "McGuigan was previously owner but sold his shares to Lemos in September. Since then, there have been financial issues including wages being paid late and the club are also operating under a transfer embargo. Co-chairman Ali Abdulrahman Al Hashemi and director Nigel Adams have left because of the current situation. In an interview with BBC Radio Lancashire, McGuigan also revealed that: \"The board are aware of it all now and are absolutely staggered about what has happened,\" said McGuigan. \"That is a private matter we can't go public on - what we can go public on is he hasn't put a penny into the club. \"There is no hope, in my opinion, of any money coming in and we've got to manage it ourselves.\" Asked if he looked in the mirror about what he has done, McGuigan responded: \"Yes, probably about 30 times a day. When it comes out as to what happened, nobody could've done it any differently - let me reassure you of that.\" BBC Radio Lancashire have made numerous attempts to contact Lemos since early November, but have not received a response.", "summary": "Morecambe are \"staggered\" by the actions of Brazilian businessman Diego Lemos since he took over the League Two club, says chairman Peter McGuigan."}
{"article": "They will perform in Glasgow during the five-day \"pop-up festival\", as part of BBC Music Day. More than 60 performers will take part in the free event, which will feature both established and upcoming artists. The festival, which aims to bring people together across generations and communities through their love of music. will run from 4-8 June. Artists including Stevie McCrorie, James Bay, Jamie Cullum and Twin Atlantic will also take part, with all BBC Radio Scotland music shows involved. Sharon Mair, project executive of BBC Music at the Quay, said: \"We know that our audiences loved the BBC at the Quay site last year during the Commonwealth Games and we are bringing this five day festival back to celebrate BBC Music Day. \"Glasgow is the UNESCO city of Music and what a brilliant way for us to showcase the city and the fantastic musical talent that will be at the event.\"", "summary": "Lulu, Deacon Blue and KT Tunstall have joined the line-up of artists taking part in BBC Music at the Quay."}
{"article": "The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which happened at 01:35 BST on High Road, at the junction with Seven Sisters, in Tottenham. His next of kin have been told, the Met said. A 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of failing to stop at the scene and causing death by dangerous driving. He is in custody for questioning. Road closures are in place and parts of the pavement between the High Road and Stonebridge Estate are also closed.", "summary": "A 70-year-old man has died in an apparent hit-and-run in north London."}
{"article": "The victim, in her 20s, was left \"fighting for her life\" after the assault in Victoria Park, Leicester, at about 23:40 BST on Monday. She was dragged into bushes and found near recycling bins about an hour later, Leicestershire Police said. The suspect was arrested on Tuesday night and detectives have renewed their appeal for information. Live updates and more stories from the East Midlands Police said the woman had been walking alone along a well-lit section of the park before she was attacked about the head and upper body. Large parts of the public space were cordoned off on Tuesday as forensic officers combed the scene for evidence. Det Ch Insp Rob Widdowson said: \"This was a really brutal attack, the victim has been left with horrendous injuries and is fighting for her life. \"We still need to trace anyone who may have been in the area of Victoria Park [late on Monday night or early on Tuesday morning] and who may have seen something which can help us with our enquiries. \"You may not think what you saw is significant, but we still want to speak to you.\" Det Supt Neil Castle added: \"Whilst crossing the park she was attacked and subsequently dragged into some bushes, where she was seriously assaulted. She sustained horrific injuries.\"", "summary": "A 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder over a \"horrific\" attack on a woman in a park."}
{"article": "Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton appears to be ahead of the game in the popularity contest, with dozens of pop stars, rappers and actors hopping aboard the #teamhillary bandwagon. And she's not the only presidential hopeful to court, or be courted, by famous people... Her rival Bernie Sanders is also notching up the stars, as is Republican frontrunner Donald Trump - a man better known for his celebrity status than his political acumen. But their approach to endorsements, and how they are announced, seems to be continually evolving... Hillary Clinton has won serious backing from the mainstream musical establishment, with a large number of pop stars and singers pinning their hopes on her becoming the first woman president of the United States of America. Pop singers Katy Perry and Demi Lovato have both turned out to serenade the former first lady and performed at her many fundraisers. \"She's my firework!\" Perry told a crowd of supporters in Des Moines, Iowa, in October, dressed in a white strapless gown with Clinton campaign logo attached. Beyonce has also been spotted at a Clinton fundraiser in recent months. Britney Spears appears to be undecided, after editing a post of her and Clinton meeting in Las Vegas this week to remove the #ImWithHer hashtag widely used by Clinton supporters. Sir Elton John has confirmed he'll be headlining a New York fundraiser with Perry after Super Tuesday next month - but it won't be his first appearance, after he gave a musical performance to try to boost her dwindling campaign against Barack Obama in 2008, raising a mammoth $2.5m. Bernie Sanders seems to be doing marginally better among the indie and punk crowd. Last month, the Vermont senator joined indie rock group Vampire Weekend on stage at a rally ahead of the Iowa caucuses ,where he was seen bopping his head and singing along to Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land. The song was reportedly covered by Sanders in a 1987 folk album. Though Canadian, rock and roll musician Neil Young has also admitted to \"Feeling the Bern\" for Sanders. Red Hot Chili Peppers also hosted a fundraising concert in his honour this month. It was widely reported in August that Clinton was seeking selfie advice from the \"queen of selfies\", Kim Kardashian. (It wouldn't be a celebrity story without mentioning the K-word.) And her dream seemed to come true because a short while later Kardashian posted a selfie with Clinton on her Instagram account, in which they were photobombed by the one and only Kanye West. \"I really loved hearing her speak & hearing her goals for our country!\" Kardashian wrote in her Instagram post. West has announced his own plans to run for president in 2020, so perhaps he's hoping Hillary will put in a good word? And it seems the whole Kardashian/Jenner family is getting behind Hillary. Kim's sister, Kendall, this week posted a selfie of herself posing in a Hillary Clinton t-shirt designed by Marc Jacobs. Phil Robertson, the star of American reality TV series Duck Dynasty, is one of the few celebrities", "summary": "More and more high-profile celebrities have been speaking out in support of who they think should become the next president of the United States."}
{"article": "Jane Hutt's comments came after a lengthy row over Scottish tax and funding arrangements was settled. She called for an independent review of Wales' funding arrangements amid the promise of power to vary income tax. Welsh ministers fear the UK Treasury could cut the block grant before Welsh taxes are sufficient to cover the gap. Control of two other taxes - stamp duty land tax and landfill tax - passes to Wales in 2018. Ms Hutt said: \"Crucial talks lie ahead for us as we seek to establish a fair fiscal framework for Wales which takes into account the properties of our tax bases, our devolved responsibilities and assigns the appropriate risk to the Welsh Government.\" She said some of the methods suggested by the UK government for adjusting the block grant in Scotland were contrary to the principle of \"no detriment\", outlined by the Smith Commission on devolution in Scotland. \"Those methods, if applied to the devolved taxes in Wales, would have significant implications for our future investment in public services in Wales,\" said Ms Hutt. \"The Welsh government would not be able to accept those terms and this was not the basis upon which the Assembly agreed the devolution of stamp duty land tax and landfill tax to Wales.\" An independent body is to review the fiscal framework in Scotland, and Ms Hutt called for a similar arrangement for Wales. A report from the Wales Governance Centre on Wednesday urged ministers to avoid a repeat of the year-long row over plans to devolve income tax powers to Scotland.", "summary": "Crucial talks lie ahead to weigh up how the Welsh budget is fairly funded between Whitehall cash and devolved taxes, the finance minister has said."}
{"article": "The events began a weekend of commemoration leading up to the anniversary on 31 May and 1 June. More than 6,000 Britons and 2,500 Germans died in the 36-hour Battle of Jutland, involving about 250 ships. Princess Anne joined First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for a service at a war graves cemetery in Rosyth. HMS Kent has weighed anchor at South Queensferry before heading to Orkney for further commemorations. Jutland, fought in the North Sea off the coast of Denmark, was the only major naval battle of the 1914-18 war. It brought together the two most powerful naval forces of the time and it became the largest sea battle in naval warfare history in terms of the numbers of battleships engaged. The events on Saturday were designed to mark the \"contribution and sacrifices\" made by those who served during the battle. The commemorations began with a wreath-laying service and then an act of remembrance at Rosyth Parish Church in the town where the battlecruiser force was based in 1916. A minute's silence took place following the ringing of a bell made from the hull of HMS Tiger, a battlecruiser which suffered light damage during the Jutland campaign. Ms Sturgeon said: \"The sacrifices made by those who fought in this battle, the largest naval encounter of the First World War, and by other seafarers throughout the conflict must never be forgotten.\" A service of remembrance was held in South Queensferry Commonwealth War Graves Commission's cemetery, where 40 casualties from the battle are commemorated or buried. Descendents of those involved in the battle, local school pupils and children visiting from Wilhelmshaven in Germany were part of the event. Singer Barbara Dickson, whose uncle was killed in the Battle of the Somme, sang Scottish lament Flowers of the Forest as Princess Anne laid a wreath to remember lives lost. Elizabeth Dickson, whose father survived but her uncle, aged 16, was killed in the battle, said: \"It's very important to commemorate because, always, the tradition of commemoration and the rituals of commemoration are important because they're healing.\" Admiral Lord West, a commander during the Falklands War who went on to be head of the Royal Navy for four years, said: \"We forget sometimes, these sailors didn't die in an instant. There were ones trapped below decks, terrible burns. War is horrible - it was a horrible death on both sides, and we must remember that.\" In the final event of the day, hundreds of people lined the streets around Hawes Pier in South Queensferry. The band of HM Royal Marines (Scotland) performed the Beating Retreat and Ceremonial Sunset, while HMS Kent weighed anchor and fired a gun, before sailing alongside the MV Fingal, a strikingly coloured Dazzle Ship painted by artist Ciara Phillips. A commemorative plaque unveiled by Princess Anne will later take permanent place at South Queensferry's shore.", "summary": "Hundreds of people have gathered to mark the centenary of the largest naval battle of World War One in Rosyth and South Queensferry."}
{"article": "It might sound like the start of a joke, but Welsh triathlete Non Stanford, who hopes to win a medal at the Rio Olympics, believes her support team are vital. \"Any medal is not an individual victory, it is definitely a team medal,\" said Stanford, 27, from Leeds. Among them is a dietician, physiologist, doctor, running partner, coaches, and logistical support. The former world triathlon champion said: \"I cannot stress how important my support team are. You are the person who has to go out and deliver the performance, but there is a whole team behind you that make it happen, from coaching and cooking to being there and being great friends. \"The hard work of a lot of people is transferred into my performance on the day.\" Stanford, who was born in Bridgend, lived in Swansea and went to university in Birmingham. She was World Triathlon champion in 2013, is now based in Leeds as part of British Triathlon squad, including the Brownlee brothers. She said: \"I am very fortunate that all the people I work with are not just staff, they are very good friends and the atmosphere is great.\" But who are the 20 people working behind the scenes to get Stanford to the start line? The logistics - getting her there on the day Behind the scenes Stanford needs to be entered into races, have accommodation and transport booked, and have everything put in place to ensure she is safe at competitions. Performance director of British Triathlon Brendan Purcell looks after everything related to competitions. \"A lot of things go on behind the scenes that we don't know about which he takes care of,\" said Stanford. \"He was involved in organising, planning and putting in place important aspects of our build up and time in Rio; he has to do a lot of the things we don't even know about.\" The logistics of getting Stanford and her kit there on the day falls to Laura Macey. \"We call Laura the 'Loracle' because she absolutely does everything for us,\" said Stanford. \"From booking all our flights and accommodation, to organising our camps, getting our kit to where it needs to be, to knowing about our races. \"She is the busiest lady I know.\" Running, swimming and cycling - working on technique Stanford's team of coaches work on different areas of the triathlon. Giving Stanford tips on the running track is Malcolm Brown, who has been involved with the Brownlee brothers from an early age. \"Malcolm is the calming voice in the setup,\" said Stanford. \"He knows what to say, and if he says something that is what goes. He is great to have around. His expertise in running is evident. Jack Maitland focuses on the swimming programme, while head coach Ben Bright takes more of an overview. \"Ben oversees all my training,\" said Stanford. \"He makes sure it is all fitting together. His opinion is very important to me. He is someone I feel very fortunate to have on my coaching team. He has helped me to come that", "summary": "How many people does it take to make a triathlete?"}
{"article": "First Great Western cancelled a number of Saturday morning trains including several to London Paddington. South West Trains said engineers had worked through the night to avoid further delays after Friday's problems. Lightning strikes and signalling failures had led to a series of cancellations. First Great Western cancelled 10 services scheduled for Saturday morning because of \"poor weather conditions earlier\". It also warned customers further disruption was expected on its services between Paddington and Bristol until 13:30 BST, although all lines have now reopened. There were delays but no cancellations to afternoon services because of damage to signalling equipment because of the weather. The company said alterations to its long-distance services should be expected as many of its trains were \"not in the correct position\". However, it has pledged to honour tickets held over from cancelled services on Friday for use on Saturday. On Friday, rail passengers took to social media to complain. Barry Kirby tweeted: \"Paddington is an absolute mess, no real help, limited assistance and a lack of reliable information @fgw - why is it all so fragile?\" Paul Swaddle tweeted: \"@FGW commuters understand that there can be problems but utter lack of communication at #paddington is totally unacceptable.\" Trains running between London Paddington and Reading, Swindon, Bristol and south Wales were affected by a lightning strike at Twyford, Berkshire, at about 16:00 BST. A strike in the Surbiton area of south-west London caused problems on services running from London Waterloo to Surrey and Exeter. BBC weather forecaster Darren Bett said a lot of rain fell in a short space of time on Friday with storms across south-east England causing travel disruption. The storms later faded away from southern England, south Wales and the south Midlands. On Saturday, there would be sunny spells in England and Wales while rising temperatures could trigger a few showers, he said. Areas east of London could see thundery downpours later in the day.", "summary": "Rail passengers in parts of southern England and Wales are facing further travel problems after stormy weather caused \"major disruption\" on Friday."}
{"article": "UK owners can get affected diesel vehicles repaired, but in the US they can also claim up to $10,000 (\u00a37,400). The Transport Select Committee also said the government had been too slow to investigate whether VW should be prosecuted in the UK for the scandal. The government insisted it was pushing the firm \"to ensure they take action\". Louise Ellman, the Labour MP who chairs the committee, said VW had \"acted cynically\" to cheat emissions tests. \"Volkswagen's evidence to us was just not credible but the government has lacked the will to hold VW accountable for its actions,\" she said. Analysis: Richard Westcott, BBC transport correspondent Along with all the detail about VW, this report also highlights an issue raised recently by the BBC. It talks about the \"recent revelations\" that carmakers misled regulators or exploited loopholes in the regulations on a \"substantial scale\". Basically, the rules allow manufacturers to downgrade or switch off emissions cleaning systems at certain times to protect the engine. Testing figures suggest some are doing it when the outside temperature falls below about 17C, which is most of the year in Britain. They justify it by saying cold weather can damage components, but the suspicion is it gives them more miles to the gallon. It means the car is potentially more polluting than it needs to be, and we're talking millions of vehicles here. \"There is a real danger that VW will be able to get away with cheating emissions tests in Europe if regulators do not act.\" The German giant will offer to repair or buy back the affected diesel vehicles in the US and pay owners between $5,000 and $10,000 in compensation. But in the UK, owners affected have only been offered the option of a repair. The select committee called on regulators to ensure owners were not left out of pocket by VW's technical solution, which it said was developed as cheaply as possible. Ms Ellman said: \"Vehicle owners have been refused goodwill payments. That is despite VW inflicting a great deal of uncertainty on its own customers, along with the prospect of declining residual values and the inconvenience of having to undergo repairs.\" A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesman said it had taken VW's \"unacceptable actions extremely seriously\", adding: \"We continue to push VW to ensure they take action.\" Volkswagen said it had contacted all 200,000 UK owners affected by the issue and advised them to take their cars to their closest dealer. \"Close to 50,000 vehicles in the UK have now received the technical measure, a number which will continue to increase as further vehicles' technical measures are developed, rigorously tested and then approved by the relevant transport authorities,\" a VW spokesman said. The MPs also said that the DfT failed to seek stricter emissions limits in new tests that will include real-world driving. \"We are concerned that manufacturers have far too great a say over how type approval reforms are implemented,\" Ms Ellman added. The DfT spokesman said the Real Driving Emissions test being introduced next year was \"robust and will", "summary": "Volkswagen's failure to compensate UK owners of cars affected by the emissions scandal is \"deeply unfair\", MPs have said."}
{"article": "They include forcing transparency standards on UK overseas territories and a register of offshore trusts. The party has called for a public inquiry into alleged abuses uncovered in leaked documents from a Panama law firm - and vowed not to accept donations linked to tax avoidance. The government has set up a task force to look into the Panama Papers. And the prime minister has taken the unprecedented step of publishing details of his tax and income over the past six years following Labour claims he had misled the public over whether he had benefitted from an offshore fund. David Cameron will also host an international anti-corruption summit in London next month - and the government is to publish a register of beneficial ownership, revealing who ultimately gains from shadowy shell companies used to avoid tax. But Labour argue Mr Cameron should publish his full tax returns and say the government's \u00a310m task force must be \"fully independent and in public\". Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: \"After a week of half-truths and spin from this government in the wake of the revelations in the Panama Papers leak, it's time to clean out the tax havens with real government action. \"It should be a matter of shame to the British government that more than half the companies recently named in the Panama Papers were registered in UK-governed tax havens. \"Not only has this government impeded international efforts to crack down on tax avoidance and to tackle tax havens but senior figures are personally implicated in these immoral schemes.\" Other measures in Labour's \"tax transparency\" plan include: Labour also questioned a letter Mr Cameron wrote to EU officials in 2013, which called for offshore trusts to be excluded from a crackdown on tax avoidance. The government said Mr Cameron had felt forcing trusts to reveal who gained financially from them would \"distract\" from action in more pressing areas. But Mr McDonnell said: \"It is deeply concerning that our prime minister has still failed to clarify whether or not he or his family were benefiting directly or indirectly in 2013 when he was lobbying to prevent EU measures to better regulate trusts as a way to clamp down on tax avoidance.\" The shadow chancellor also promised that Labour would reject any donations linked to tax avoidance. Political donations made by individuals are not tax-deductible in the UK - but money left in wills to major parties is not subject to inheritance tax. Labour accepted a \u00a31.65m donation in shares in 2013, from home shopping magnate John Mills, which he said at the time was a more \"tax efficient\" way of donating to the party than giving cash. Quizzed about the Mills donation on BBC Radio 5 live's Pienaar's Politics, Mr McDonnell said: \"Every penny that comes in to us will open and transparent. \"We will not be touching money that is used by any way in measures to avoid tax or evade tax, we will not allow that to happen and we're not allowing that to happen.\" Mr McDonnell and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have", "summary": "Labour has set out a series of measures it claims will \"stop the super-rich hiding their wealth\" in tax havens."}
{"article": "Victory was Sutton's 20th in 25 games since their last league defeat on 7 November and came one week after their vital win over second-placed Ebbsfleet. Dan Fitchett put the hosts ahead against Chelmsford and Ross Stearn added a second before half-time. They return to the fifth tier for the first time since relegation in 2000.", "summary": "Sutton United clinched promotion to the National League as they secured the National League South title with a 2-0 home win over Chelmsford City."}
{"article": "He beat off competition from David's Bowie's final album Blackstar, Laura Mvula, Michael Kiwanuka, The 1975 and Radiohead. \"I'm just so thankful. I've been trying to do this music stuff and work it out for so long... I was like 'let's do it for ourselves'\" he said. Read more by TAPPING HERE.", "summary": "Grime artist Skepta has won this year's Hyundai Mercury Prize for his debut album Konnichiwa."}
{"article": "Delhi's 2010 Commonwealth chief Suresh Kalmadi said it would be inappropriate for him to be honorary life president of India's Olympic body. The sports minister had described the appointment as \"totally unacceptable\". Mr Kalmadi is awaiting trial on charges of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy. He denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty. The Congress party politician was sacked from his Commonwealth role in 2011 and spent 10 months in jail before being freed on bail. \"I thank the Indian Olympic Association for conferring the honour of life president on me,\" Mr Kalmadi said in a letter to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President N Ramachandran. \"However, I do not feel that it would be appropriate for me to accept this honour at this time. I am confident that my name will be cleared and I will defer acceptance of the honour till such time.\" The sports ministry had threatened to cut off ties with the IOA, if it did not reverse the offer of honorary life roles to Mr Kalmadi and another politician facing corruption charges, Abhay Singh Chautala. Indian social media users ridiculed the offers. \"Suresh Kalmadi & Abhay Chautala have been rewarded for India's terrific performance in the Olympics over the last several years,\" wrote one commentator, referring to his country's poor record in recent games. \"Yes, Indian Olympic Association, let's motivate our athletes by making #SureshKalmadi their president,\" wrote another. Others suggested prominent people they felt would be similarly ill-suited to influential positions because of their backgrounds, with one such tweet suggesting former porn star Sunny Leone should head India's film censors.", "summary": "A senior Indian politician charged with corruption has turned down an honorary Olympic role amid a storm of protests."}
{"article": "The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (Fas) said that Apple's local subsidiary told 16 retailers to maintain the recommended prices of phones in the iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 families. Non-compliance with the pricing guidelines may have led to the termination of contracts, it found. Apple has not yet responded to a request for comment. At the time of the investigation, Apple denied that it controlled its products' pricing, telling Reuters that resellers \"set their own prices for the Apple products they sell in Russia and around the world\". The regulator said Apple had now ended its price-fixing practices but has not said whether the company faces a fine. The FAS claimed that Apple Rus monitored the retail prices for the iPhone 5c, 5s, 6, 6 Plus, 6s and 6s Plus. \"In the case of the establishment of 'inappropriate' prices, the Russian subsidiary of Apple sent emails to resellers asking them to change,\" the watchdog said. The deputy head of the FAS, Andrey Tsarikovsky, added that \"Apple actively co-operated\" with the investigation and that the company had \"adopted the necessary measures to eliminate violations of the law\". That included training employees in the \"anti-monopoly legislation norms\" in Russia. In May, the FAS found that Google used its dominant position to force its own apps and services on users and fined it \u00c2\u00a35m ($6m). And, in November, the regulator opened an investigation into whether Microsoft abused its position in the security market with Windows 10, following a complaint from Moscow-based anti-virus firm Kaspersky.", "summary": "Russia's competition watchdog has found that Apple fixed the prices of certain iPhone models sold in the country."}
{"article": "Mewn un achos, dywedodd un ddynes 18 oed oedd yn feichiog ei bod wedi ei rhoi ar ward ar ei phen ei hun a heb gael ymwelwyr \"am ei bod yn sipsi\". Daeth yr achos i'r golwg yn dilyn arolwg o brofiadau teithwyr a sipsiwn o'r gwasanaeth iechyd yng Nghymru. Dywedodd yr Ysgrifennydd Iechyd Vaughan Gething fod \"sialensiau go iawn\" yn bodoli a bod angen gwneud mwy. Dywedodd cadeirydd y Gr\u0175p Trawsbleidiol ar Sipsiwn a Theithwyr yn y Cynulliad, yr AC Llafur Julie Morgan, fod yr anffafriaeth yn \"gwbl warthus\". Yn \u00f4l y ffigyrau diweddaraf mae dros 900 o sipsiwn a theithwyr yn byw mewn carafanau ar draws Cymru, gyda 35% yn byw ar safleoedd yng Nghaerdydd a Sir Benfro. Cafodd tua 100 o sipsiwn a theithwyr eu holi fel rhan o'r arolwg - y cyntaf o'i fath yn Ewrop - rhwng Ebrill 2016 a Mawrth 2017. Disgrifiodd y teithwyr eu trafferthion wrth geisio cael mynediad at feddygon teulu, gan honni eu bod yn dioddef anffafriaeth gan staff mewn derbynfeydd a thrafferthion wrth ysgrifennu manylion meddygol gan nad oedd llawer yn gallu ysgrifennu. Roedd eu hamheuon am ddeintyddion hefyd wedi arwain at blant yn dweud eu bod wedi gorfod tynnu rhwng 10 a 20 o ddannedd oedd wedi pydru. Dywed awdur yr adroddiad, Dr Adrian Marsh fod rhai meddygon yn rhoi presgripsiwn i deithwyr dros gyfnod yr haf pan roeddynt yn teithio i wyliau a digwyddiadau diwyllianol, ond nid pob meddyg oedd yn gwneud hyn. Dywedodd fod nifer fawr o ymwelwyr o'r cymunedau hyn yn ymweld ag ysbytai yn ystod oriau ymweld yn gallu creu tensiwn ac arwain at ffraeo. Roedd rhai enghreifftiau o arfer da wedi eu tanlinellu yn yr adroddiad, yn enwedig yn y gogledd. Wrth siarad yn ystod lansiad yr adroddiad yng Nghaerdydd, dywedodd Julie Morgan AC fod profiadau'r cymunedau'n aml yn \"negyddol\" ac roedd pobl yn nerfus am ofyn am gymorth. Dywedodd ei bod yn gobeithio y byddai'r adroddiad yn gynllun ar gyfer gwella gwasanaethau ar gyfer y cymunedau hyn. \"Mae na engheifftiau da iawn wedi bod, perthynas dda iawn gyda nyrsys ardal, gyda meddygon teulu, ond hefyd llawer o straeon am anffafriaeth, anhawsterau wrth gael mynediad at y gwasanaeth iechyd, y ffordd y cafodd pobl eu trin, stigma, ac mae hyn yn dangos y sefyllfa, ac mae'n rhywbeth mae'n rhaid i ni ei daclo,\" meddai. Dywedodd Mr Gething fod Llywodraeth Cymru'n gweithio mewn partneriaeth gyda byrddau iechyd i wella mynediad at wasanaethau'r GIG i'r cymunedau.", "summary": "Mae sipsiwn a theithwyr yn wynebu rhwystrau wrth geisio derbyn gofal iechyd yng Nghymru o achos anffafriaeth, medd arolwg newydd."}
{"article": "Milford Haven Coastguard were alerted to the incident near Blaenplwyf just before 14:40 BST. A Sea King rescue helicopter from RAF Valley flew the man to Morriston Hospital in Swansea. He has been described as dazed but conscious. A second man was also rescued from the cliff face but was reported to be uninjured. RNLI rescue teams from Aberystwyth attended.", "summary": "A 24-year-old man has been flown to hospital after falling 30ft (9m) down a cliff onto rocks near Aberystwyth."}
{"article": "Ford, who initially joined as defence coach in 2012, is joined by backroom staff Toby Booth, Darren Edwards and Neal Hatley in agreeing new deals. Under Ford's guidance Bath reached the 2015 Premiership final but lost 28-16 to Saracens at Twickenham. \"I'm absolutely delighted, I love this place,\" the 49-year-old told BBC Radio Bristol. Former London Irish boss Booth, one-time Exiles prop Hatley and ex-England defence coach Ford arrived at The Rec in May 2012 to work under director of rugby Gary Gold. Bath finished seventh in the Premiership in their first year at the club and were sitting third in the table in December when Gold was dismissed from his role, with Ford taking over at the helm. Having committed their futures to Bath for at least four years, Ford now wants the club to win some silverware during his tenure. \"In four years' time I want us to have a few trophies,\" he said. \"I want us to have won the European Cup - the Champions Cup - and to have won the Premiership.\" Ford also paid tribute to his fellow coaches as an integral part of Bath's recent turnaround. \"What we've done over the past couple of years as a team and what we've achieved make it a great place to work,\" he said. \"For me to go for another four years gives me the continuity I want and the players can see that. \"We are all very ambitious and we are all on the same page in terms of the way we play. We share the same philosophy and the players seem to enjoy it.\"", "summary": "Bath head coach Mike Ford has signed a new four-year contract with the Premiership club."}
{"article": "Goals from Conor McLaughlin and Devante Cole stunned the Blades and extended the Cod Army's unbeaten run in the league to an impressive 11 games, moving them to within six points of second-placed Scunthorpe. It was a thoroughly deserved three points as Uwe Rosler's men impressed from the off, taking the lead in the 20th minute when McLaughlin drilled in Bobby Grant's cross that was meant as a shot at the far post. They should have been 2-0 up at the break, but Simon Moore denied Wes Burns with an instinctive save when the striker went through on goal. Billy Sharp was United's main threat as they chased an equaliser early in the second half, but Fleetwood killed the game when Cole latched on to Ethan Ebanks-Landell's weak header to lob Moore. The Blades, who paraded new signings James Hanson and Jay O'Shea before kick-off, pressed for a way back into the game but could not find it and have now taken just one point from their last three games. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Sheffield United 0, Fleetwood Town 2. Second Half ends, Sheffield United 0, Fleetwood Town 2. Foul by John Fleck (Sheffield United). Conor McLaughlin (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Sheffield United. Matt Done replaces Daniel Lafferty. Attempt blocked. Caolan Lavery (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Attempt missed. Bobby Grant (Fleetwood Town) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Attempt blocked. Ashley Hunter (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Ethan Ebanks-Landell (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Cian Bolger (Fleetwood Town). Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Cian Bolger (Fleetwood Town). Foul by Caolan Lavery (Sheffield United). Cian Bolger (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt saved. Ethan Ebanks-Landell (Sheffield United) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Cian Bolger. Attempt blocked. Caolan Lavery (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Cian Bolger. Caolan Lavery (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by George Glendon (Fleetwood Town). Jack O'Connell (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by David Ball (Fleetwood Town). Foul by Billy Sharp (Sheffield United). Ashley Eastham (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick on the left wing. Substitution, Fleetwood Town. George Glendon replaces Markus Schwabl. Attempt missed. Cian Bolger (Fleetwood Town) header from the centre of the box misses to the left following a corner. Corner, Fleetwood Town. Conceded by Stefan Scougall. Substitution, Fleetwood Town. David Ball replaces Devante Cole. Attempt missed. Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Ethan Ebanks-Landell (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Ashley Hunter (Fleetwood", "summary": "Fleetwood highlighted their credentials as automatic-promotion candidates in League One by beating table-toppers Sheffield United."}
{"article": "The poll, carried out by the mental health charity Young Minds, also suggests a third of 11 to 14-year-olds had watched porn on a mobile device. The survey questioned 2,000 people aged 11 to 25. Young Minds said the results show porn is having a \"damaging impact\" on young people. The survey, published on Safer Internet Day, suggests many people who watch porn think it has affected their relationships. Overall, 13% of those questioned said watching porn \"definitely\" had an effect. A further 12% answered \"occasionally\" and 14% said their relationship was \"slightly\" affected. The charity suggested the rise in popularity of smartphones and tablets has made it easier to access porn. \"It is something teenagers are always going to encounter but never like this,\" said Lucie Russell, Director of Campaigns at Young Minds. \"Anyone can do it, anywhere, any time,\" she added. Have you ever gone online (on your mobile or tablet) and watched any pornographic content? The poll questioned 2,000 children and young people aged 11 to 25. Other findings of the survey include: Slightly more males questioned had accessed porn on a smartphone or tablet with 59% saying they had, compared to 44% of females. Younger people questioned were more likely to watch porn with a group of friends - 29% of 15 to 18-year-olds had done so. The survey also asked how watching porn made people feel, with the most common answer being \"excited\". However, a quarter of people questioned said they \"didn't feel anything\". Jake, who did not want to give his real name, is a 20-year-old student and describes himself as a \"regular user\" of pornography. He said he started watching porn online aged 13 and does not think it has had any negative effects on him. \"You know that most of your mates will watch pornography and I think that's a completely normal habit. \"If you get along with your friends there's no reason why you wouldn't want to talk about it. You can have a good laugh talking about it.\" Consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr Eileen Vizard, said that repeated viewing of porn can have a damaging effect. \"With children, whose brains are still developing, there could be long lasting effects on the way their brains function.\" She added that young people watching porn can often turn to more extreme types of material. \"They tend to escalate the seriousness of what they want to look at, sexual material that involves coercive acts towards women or maybe children.\" Young Minds says children in primary school should be taught how to navigate the internet safely. \"We need to be talking about pornography in the classroom,\" said Ms Russell. Radio 1 Newsbeat and BBC Radio 5 live will broadcast a special joint programme about online safety on 11 February between 12:30 and 13:00 GMT. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter", "summary": "Around half of 15 to 17-year-olds have accessed pornography on a smartphone or tablet, according to a survey seen by Newsbeat."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Serb, 27, won 6-2 6-2 to extend his unbeaten run indoors to 30 matches stretching back to 2012. He tops Group A in London with three wins and will play Kei Nishikori in the semi-finals on Saturday. Stan Wawrinka will play Roger Federer in the second semi as he won the three games required against Marin Cilic. Wawrinka, the Australian Open champion, took only 13 minutes to move 3-1 ahead and so ensure he could not be overtaken by Cilic in any of the qualification scenarios. The Swiss number two went on to win 6-3 4-6 6-3 and return to the last four after his debut appearance 12 months ago. Media playback is not supported on this device Czech player Berdych, 29, suffered a 17th defeat in 19 matches against Djokovic but made more of a mark than in their last meeting, when he trailed 6-0 5-0 in Beijing last month before grabbing two games. A similar drubbing appeared on the cards when the Serb raced into a 4-0 lead with two breaks of serve. After a week of one-sided matches at the O2 Arena there was relief all around when Berdych recovered from 15-30 to get on the scoreboard in game five, but it was hardly a signal of intent. Djokovic continued to dominate, rolling through the first set in 31 minutes and making it five games in a row as he moved 4-0 clear in the second. Berdych slowed the two-time champion's progress sufficiently to take him past the hour mark, but Djokovic sealed victory after 69 minutes, and with it the end-of-season number one ranking for the third time in his career. \"Definitely one of the best,\" Djokovic said of his performance. \"Obviously I hoped I could continue the way I played in the first two matches. \"It's been a long year, a long season, it's an incredible achievement and I want to thank my team and my family and all the people who supported me. \"I'm aware that being number one in the world is the biggest challenge a tennis player can have. It's an incredible feeling and I'm very happy.\" Meanwhile, Wawrinka was left to look ahead to Saturday's second semi-final where he will face compatriot Federer. \"I hope I can get a little bit of support because I know people love him here. It's going to be tough for me, but I need to trust myself and go for it,\" said Wawrinka. \"It was a tough match tonight, it's never easy to play against Marin, he's been having an amazing year. It was not easy, trying to be aggressive. I was trying to serve and volley.\"", "summary": "Novak Djokovic brushed aside Tomas Berdych to reach the last four at the ATP World Tour Finals and secure the year-end number one ranking."}
{"article": "An internal inquiry found 30 teams worked for more than two years to try to ensure a conservative candidate won. Park Geun-hye did beat liberal Moon Jae-in, but she is now facing trial for corruption and abuse of power and Mr Moon has replaced her. Former spy chief Won Sei-hoon is currently on trial for a second time for trying to manipulate the election. He was sentenced to three years in jail in 2015. The conviction was overturned on appeal and the new trial was ordered. The in-house investigators at the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said the agency had hired internet experts to try to sway public opinion through social media postings. The operation was intended to ensure that outgoing President Lee Myung-bak was succeeded by another conservative. Ms Park won by a narrow margin. \"The teams were charged with spreading pro-government opinions and suppressing anti-government views, branding them as attempts by pro-North Korean forces' to disturb state affairs,\" the investigating team said. It also found that the NIS had tried to influence parliamentary elections in 2011 and 2012, as well as placing some opposition politicians under surveillance. The new president has vowed to reform the NIS, and the new spy agency chief has pledged to end any involvement in domestic politics. However, a spokesman for Ms Park's party said the inquiry itself showed the NIS continued to interfere. The spokesman, Kang Hyo-sang, said: \"The NIS says it will dissociate itself from politics but it is meddling in politics again by starting this probe.\" Ms Park was charged in April with bribery, coercion, abuse of power and leaking state secrets. She is accused of allowing close friend Choi Soon-sil to extort money from companies in return for political favours. She denies the charges.", "summary": "South Korea's spy agency has admitted it tried to manipulate the result of the 2012 presidential election."}
{"article": "Ben, from Sheffield, was 21 months old when he disappeared on the Greek island of Kos on 24 July 1991. A team of 19 South Yorkshire Police officers, forensic specialists and an archaeologist are excavating farmland near to where he was last seen playing. Members of the Hellenic Rescue Team and Red Cross are assisting. Ben's family believe he was abducted, but police are now investigating whether he was accidentally run over and killed by a bulldozer. As the search team began a seventh day of digging, Det Insp Jon Cousins read a statement from Ben's family praising the volunteers. \"We are so incredibly thankful for the help and support of the volunteer search teams working with officers,\" they said. \"To know that people are giving up their own time and are as desperate as we are to find the answers about what happened to Ben is something we will be eternally grateful for. \"We've been told that volunteers are coming to the site on their days off or straight from work, and we honestly can't thank them enough for that and for their dedication.\"", "summary": "The family of missing toddler Ben Needham say they are \"eternally grateful\" for the volunteers who have been helping with the police search."}
{"article": "The department alleges that the funds were \"misappropriated\" and though it did not name PM Najib Razak directly, he is identifiable in the suit as someone whose account allegedly received huge sums. He has in the past denied wrongdoing. Mr Najib set up 1MDB in 2009 to turn Kuala Lumpur into a financial hub, but it missed debt payments in 2015. The US justice department alleges the \"misappropriated\" funds financed lavish lifestyles of \"multiple individuals including public officials\". There is no allegation that Mr Najib spent any of the money but people close to him are accused of using billions of dollars to buy jewellery, art and luxury properties; pay gambling expenses; and hire musicians and celebrities to attend parties. Malaysia's 'most investigated' company 1MDB: The case that's riveting Malaysia The court papers, filed in Los Angeles, allege that money was laundered through accounts in the US. If successful the US justice department would seize assets, including property in the US, UK and Switzerland. The $1bn would only make up a proportion of the money that was allegedly diverted, which comes to more than $3.5bn (\u00a32.6bn). Mr Najib's stepson, Riza Aziz, is named in the court papers, which were filed in Los Angeles. Mr Riza produced the Leonardo DiCaprio film The Wolf of Wall Street. A Malaysian financier and two Abu Dhabi government officials are also among those named. A spokesperson for the prime minister said: \"The Malaysian Government will fully co-operate with any lawful investigation of Malaysian companies or citizens in accordance with international protocols. \"As the prime minister has always maintained, if any wrongdoing is proven, the law will be enforced without exception.\" The fund started to attract attention in early 2015 when it missed payments for the $11bn it owed to banks and bondholders. The Wall Street Journal (ESJ) reported it had seen a paper trail that allegedly traced close to $700m from the troubled fund to Mr Najib's personal bank accounts. 1MDB said in a statement last year that it had never given money to the prime minister and called the claims \"unsubstantiated\". It has repeatedly stated that the company has assets worth more than its debts. Mr Najib has denied taking money from 1MDB or any public funds.", "summary": "The US Department of Justice has moved to seize more than $1bn (\u00a3761m) from Malaysia's state fund 1MDB."}
{"article": "Figures from the UK government showed 4.7% of South Wales Police officers and 3.7% of Gwent Police officers were absent for at least 28 working days between March 2016 and March 2017. Bedfordshire and Greater Manchester are joint third highest as 3.3% of officers have a recognised medical condition. Figures showed City of London Police had no officers on long term sick. \"South Wales Police is Wales' largest force and among the busiest in England and Wales, dealing with more than 1,000 incidents every day of the week,\" said Assistant Chief Constable Richard Lewis, whose force employs 2,893 officers. \"We police some of the biggest events in the country from major sporting fixtures to large-scale international and diplomatic occasions. \"While officers are proud and professional in the way in which they serve the communities of south Wales fewer officer numbers means they are under greater strain than ever before. \"Additionally the reductions have meant we have focused on our front line resilience which means there are fewer non-operational posts for officers to return into if they are not fit for operational duty.\" Wales' two other forces had figures of 1.4% for North Wales Police while 1.7% of Dyfed-Powys Police officers were off on long-term sickness. The Home Office statistics also show the number of police officers in Wales signed off work due to stress has more than doubled over the past four years. A Freedom of Information request showed 86 officers across the four Welsh police forces were too ill to work in June due to mental health issues. In June 2013, it was just 37 - marking an increase of more than 130%. South Wales Police had the highest number - 60 - off work due to stress in June. North Wales (1,445 officers) and Dyfed-Powys Police (1,156) both had eight officers signed off, while Gwent, with 1,172 officers, had 10. The Police Federation described the figures as \"the tip of the iceberg\". Vice chairman Calum Macleod said: \"This is because of the stigma attached, because they don't want to let their colleagues and the public down as well as concerns it might hamper their career prospects.\" He said a cut of 20,000 officers in England and Wales since 2009 increased the pressure on those on the front line. \"You are having officers' rest days cancelled without being given appropriate notice - so they are spending less time with families,\" he added. In April, mental health charity Mind Cymru launched its Blue Light Programme, offering support and training to emergency workers dealing with stress but Mr Macleod believes this should be done by employers, not charities. South Wales Police ACC Lewis said the force gave officers \"all the support\" it could, adding: \"We are continuing to work hard to ensure we create a workplace where it's okay to talk about mental health.\" Gwent Police said it had a confidential service for all employees, available \"seven days a week, 365 days a year\", which included counselling. North Wales Police welcomed its reduction in officers signed off, putting it down to \"colleagues working", "summary": "Two Welsh police forces are top of the long-term sick leave table of the 43 forces in England and Wales."}
{"article": "Laura Beal has served with the Devon and Cornwall force for 13 years as a police constable and even featured in a force advertising campaign. In her letter she says inadequate staffing has made it \"impossible to do her job to the best of her ability\". It comes as inspectors warn police cuts are putting the public at risk. Speaking to the BBC, Ms Beal said she was prompted to put her resignation letter on Facebook after her sergeant told her it was unlikely to be seen by the Chief Constable, Shaun Sawyer. Reality Check: Did the government protect police funding? She said she followed her father into the police when she was 19 and had always been proud to say she was a PC, but now felt \"embarrassed at the way everyone is being treated\". In her letter she claims she was expected to go on patrol covering Mid Devon with one other officer most days. \"This is meant to be adequate and safe. How this can be acceptable is beyond belief,\" she wrote. Ms Beal's resignation comes as the police standards watchdog warned some forces are putting the public at risk by rationing responses as they struggle with cutbacks. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary said some forces had \"downgraded\" 999 calls, in order to justify responding to them more slowly. Its report found most of the 43 forces in England and Wales were providing a good service. But that others have let victims down. Ms Beale said the job had left her suffering from stress and anxiety. \"Your staff are not coping, and are suffering because there is no one looking out for them. \"Front line response is where you need to focus your time and money. This is where the buck stops,\" she added. Ch Supt Jim Colwell said: \"I would like to formally thank PC Beal for her loyal service, hearing of an officer resigning is sad, particularly when this is done so publicly. \"We do hear concerns from officers and staff and recognise where they are feeling the strain. \"Being a police officer is not easy. It requires skills and personal resilience which are often unique to the role. We are a supportive force and will always assist an officer needing help or guidance.\" Last month Devon and Cornwall Police announced it would be employing nearly 100 additional police officers into local policing in an effort to relieve pressure on frontline staff.", "summary": "A police officer has published a damning resignation letter on social media criticising police for \"putting their employees last\"."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 5 August 2015 Last updated at 07:44 BST New York's fire department said no injuries had been reported after a large section of tarmac disappeared into the massisve hole in the road. Guide: What is a sinkhole?", "summary": "A giant sinkhole has opened up a street in the New York neighbourhood of Brooklyn, in the United States."}
{"article": "Wimbledon mixed doubles star Jamie Murray said he would not mind if his brother chose someone else for the task. Jamie told the BBC: \"If I don't get asked that's absolutely fine by me.\" Wimbledon singles champion Andy announced his engagement to girlfriend Kim Sears in November last year. In an interview with BBC Scotland Sport, Jamie said: \"I haven't been asked yet so I'm still waiting on that one. \"We'll see. If I get asked: great. If not, then it's not the end of the world. \"I'm sure it'll be a good day.\" Jamie said he was hoping to avoid having to do a speech even if he is asked to take on the post, having allowed Andy to forgo the tradition at his marriage to Alejandra Gutierrez in 2010. \"He was best man at my wedding,\" Jamie said. \"And I told him he didn't have to do a speech because I didn't want him to be stressed right through the day and not be able to enjoy it. \"I could do a speech if he wants me to, but I'm not going to be sticking my hand up for the front of the queue.\" While few details of plans for the wedding have been revealed publicly, mother Judy Murray told the Mirror the wedding would be held in October, but said she didn't know if it would be in Scotland.", "summary": "Andy Murray is getting married later this year but his older brother said that, so far, he has not been asked to take on the role of best man."}
{"article": "The Plymouth Leander swimmer, 21, is hoping to compete in the 50m and 100m freestyle events in Rio this summer. \"This year we've definitely upped the ante in the gym and tried to get a lot stronger,\" Proud told BBC South West. \"Obviously for the 50m you have to be strong, you have to be big and you have to be good in the water.\" Proud, who won two Commonwealth gold medals at Glasgow in 2014, broke Foster's 14-year-old short-course 50m freestyle British record by clocking 20.74 secs in December. He also improved his own long-course record in the same event with a time of 21.73 at the British Universities and Colleges Championships in Sheffield on Saturday, where he won two golds. \"I think Mark Foster definitely set the trend that you don't have to do a huge amount (of training) in the water, especially for a sprint event which lasts 21 seconds,\" added Proud. \"At the same time I'm still focusing on the 100m, which means I have to spend a lot more time in the water - so I'm mixing them both up a bit. \"I'm just looking to better my performances and hopefully see that record get faster and faster.\"", "summary": "Ben Proud says he is following the \"trend\" set by former world champion Mark Foster by spending more time in the gym ahead of the 2016 Olympics."}
{"article": "The ScotPound proposals have been put forward in a report published by the New Economics Foundation (NEF). It argues that a purely digital S\u00c2\u00a3 currency, similar to Bitcoin, could boost the economy and position Scotland as a world leader in economics. The plans follow intense debate over currency in the Scottish independence referendum. The NEF think tank paper says Holyrood already has the powers to introduce a new currency and payment system, which could work alongside sterling. The proposals include the digital ScotPound and a free-at-point-of-use public payment system, ScotPay, operated through an arm's length public enterprise - BancaAlba. NEF said it wanted to drive forward the debate on money, sparked by the independence referendum, and highlight the economic and social potential of financial innovation. It even suggests a S\u00c2\u00a3250 dividend for every Scottish citizen, increasing the overall purchasing power within the economy. Lead researcher Duncan McCann added: \"Scotland is in a unique position to take full advantage of current trends in digital financial innovation. \"A new currency and payment system like ScotPound would operate alongside pounds sterling, supporting small and medium businesses and putting money in the pockets of those currently excluded by the financial sector.\" Mr McCann said a lot of people were moving away from cash payments and the ScotPound worked on the model of the phone becoming the new wallet. Prof Nigel Dodd, of the London School of Economics, said: \"This report is an extremely timely and welcome intervention in current debates about the way our monetary system is governed and organised, and specifically about the merits and efficacy of conventional Quantitative Easing. \"Given that the currency question played a major role in the Scottish referendum debate last year, I have no doubt that the proposals for a ScotPound will inform future discussions in Scotland. NEF's proposals are extremely clear and convincing.\"", "summary": "Scotland could create its own digital currency to operate alongside sterling, economists have suggested."}
{"article": "And in Australia, the wearing of so-called activewear - whether or not you are doing sport - has become something of a phenomenon. A music video gently poking fun at the use of the clothing for such high-octane activity as drinking coffee or going shopping became a viral online hit in 2015. And now activewear trends are the focus of academic research, which suggests sports brands have been slow to recognise the needs of female customers. A study by Victoria University in Australia says a desire to exercise \"anywhere and anytime\" is driving growth, as more and more women try to fit informal exercise into a busy schedule. According to Prof Clare Hanlon, the industry took a long time to realise it needed to evolve. Now it is successfully cashing in. \"Finally companies are understanding the effects physical activity trends have on their industry and are listening to female customers on what they need,\" she says. That includes rethinking how exercise clothes are sold, and improving things like store changing rooms. \"Companies have realised sport isn't just for guys,\" says Shannon Walker from the Australian Sporting Goods Association (ASGA), which commissioned the research. He says brands have had to offer a better shopping experience to women. \"They don't want to go to the old-fashioned sports store set up to cater for men. They want a retail experience set up for their needs.\" In Australia, activewear sales are expected to grow by more than 20% between 2015-20, with a large proportion of goods sold online. Julie Stevanja started internet retailer Stylerunner in 2012, after becoming frustrated at the lack of choice available in the shops. It soon became one of the fastest growing companies in Australia, and her sights are now set on expanding the business in Asia. \"There's been a huge shift to wellness,\" Ms Stevanja said during a visit to her Sydney warehouse. \"Everyone wants to be healthier and look better. They go hand in hand.\" She also believes \"enclothed cognition\" - the idea that clothes help determine a person's behaviour - may have had a role in the popularity of activewear. \"I think if you are in your activewear at the weekend, you're probably more likely to buy a green juice or a smoothie than you are to have a milkshake,\" she says. \"People want to make healthier lifestyle choices. Sometimes the first step is actually associating with it, wearing something that makes you feel healthier.\" Prof Hanlon from Victoria University agrees that the simple act of wearing activewear may help people feel they can become healthier. \"The research we've conducted... shows females believe activewear facilitates physical activity and good health,\" she says. The next step for the research team will be a national survey to understand what determines how customers choose their garments, and what language brands can use to entice them.", "summary": "Bright tights and Lycra tops are a hallmark of an industry worth $270bn (\u00c2\u00a3220bn) worldwide."}
{"article": "King Arthur Pendragon argued a parking fee of \u00a315 for the 2016 summer solstice breached his human rights. At an initial court hearing in January, Mr Pendragon said the claim was not about money or costs, but because the fee \"unfairly targeted his religion\". But Salisbury County Court ruled that introducing car parking charges was a \"reasonable and legal measure\". Mr Pendragon had argued that this treatment was in direct violation of his human rights and that he has a right to worship at Stonehenge without unnecessary restriction or hindrance from English Heritage, which he claims is merely managing the site \"on our behalf\". English Heritage said it introduced the parking charge to encourage more people to car share or travel by bus. However, Mr Pendragon said he wanted to prove English Heritage was wrong to turn him away when he refused to \"pay to pray\".", "summary": "A senior druid has lost his legal challenge with English Heritage over car parking charges at Stonehenge."}
{"article": "Hamilton finished third as Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg won and is 33 points behind the German with a maximum of 100 still available. The world champion said: \"That's a healthy margin for Nico. He did a great job so congratulations to him. \"It is going very well for him. I just have to try to do the best job I can.\" Rosberg's ninth victory of the season means he can now afford to finish second behind Hamilton in all the remaining races and still win the championship. Hamilton made a bad start from second place on the grid and fell to eighth on the first lap but fought back to finish behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen. Hamilton is flying back to Europe with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff and non-executive chairman Niki Lauda. But Wolff said the flight was not the right time to address with Hamilton the series of media controversies in which he found himself embroiled at Suzuka. Wolff said: \"Just after such a race is not the right moment to really put the finger where it hurts. We need to calm down and regroup. \"My learning from the last couple of years is that 24 hours later things look kind of different than they are here an hour after the race. \"So our main emphasis will be on building him up and just enjoying the ride home. And we have 10 days before [the next race in] Austin and he will come back stronger there.\" Wolff rejected suggestions that the title was now as good as won for Rosberg, who has won three of the past four races and benefited from Hamilton's engine failure while leading in Malaysia a week before Japan. Without that retirement, Hamilton would be two points behind Rosberg. \"Thirty-three points is a lot but you can see how quick it goes,\" Wolff said. \"The way Nico is approaching the championship in taking each race as a singular event is the right strategy for him. \"Equally, Lewis functions best when he is under pressure and has a target. I have no doubt it is going to be an intense fight to the end. But it is far from over.\" Rosberg said: \"My thoughts are that my approach is going quite well at the moment, of just looking at the race at hand. \"I came here to win and I managed to win, so I'm really happy with that. \"Of course I am well aware of the 33 points but there is still a long way to go. \"And Lewis is still Lewis and he is always going to be tough to beat. \"He is going to give it everything so there is no point to start thinking about that because it is working quite well to stay in the moment.\" Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Lewis Hamilton says he will give the remaining four races \"everything I've got\" after a major blow to his title chances at the Japanese Grand Prix."}
{"article": "They analysed the trigger conditions for a glaciation, like the one that gripped Earth over 12,000 years ago. The shape of the planet's orbit around the Sun would be conducive now, they find, but the amount of carbon dioxide currently in the air is far too high. Earth is set for a prolonged warm phase, they tell the journal Nature. \"In theory, the next ice age could be even further into the future, but there is no real practical importance in discussing whether it starts in 50,000 or 100,000 years from now,\" Andrey Ganopolski from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research said. \"The important thing is that it is an illustration that we have a geological power now. We can change the natural sequence of events for tens of thousands of years,\" he told BBC News. Earth has been through a cycle of ice ages and warm periods over the past 2.5 million years, referred to as the Quaternary Period. This has seen ice sheets come and go. At its maximum extent, the last glaciation witnessed a big freeze spread over much of North America, northern Europe, Russia and Asia. In the south, a vast expanse of what are now Chile and Argentina were also iced up. A fundamental parameter determining what dips Earth into an ice age is the changing nature of its orbit around the Sun. The passage around the star is not a perfect circle and over time our planet's axis of rotation also rocks back and forth. These movements alter the amount of solar radiation falling on the Earth's surface, and if a critical threshold is reached in mid latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere then a glaciation can be initiated. Dr Ganopolski colleagues confirm this in their modelling but show also the role played by the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. And one of their findings is that Earth probably missed the inception by only a narrow margin a few hundred years ago, just before the industrial revolution took hold. \"We are now in a period when our (northern) summer is furthest from the Sun,\" the Potsdam researcher explained. \"Under normal circumstances, the interglacial would be terminated, and a new ice age would start. So, in principle, we are in the perfect conditions from an astronomical point of view. If we had a CO2 concentration of 240 parts per million (200 years ago) then an ice age could start, but luckily we had a concentration that was higher, 280ppm.\" Today, industrial society has taken that concentration to over 400ppm. The team says that an interglacial climate would probably have been sustained anyway for at least 20,000 years, and, very probably, for 50,000 years, even if CO2 had stayed at its eighteenth century level. But the almost 500 gigatonnes of carbon that has been released since the Industrial Revolution means we will likely miss the next best astronomical entry point into a glaciation, and with a further 500 gigatonnes of emissions the \"probability of glacial inception during the next 100,000 years is notably reduced\", the scientists", "summary": "The next ice age may have been delayed by over 50,000 years because of the greenhouse gases put in the atmosphere by humans, scientists in Germany say."}
{"article": "German Kerber, 29, claimed Grand Slam titles at Melbourne and the US Open last year, but lost 6-2 6-3. American Vandeweghe, 25, faces a last-eight meeting with Spain's French Open champion Garbine Muguruza, who beat Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-3. Venus Williams also progressed, beating Germany's Mona Barthel. The 36-year-old seven-time Grand Slam champion - the oldest player in the women's singles - won 6-3 7-5 and will take on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who beat fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3 6-3. Vandeweghe's victory was her first against a world number one and takes her to a Grand Slam quarter-final for the second time in her career, after reaching the last eight at Wimbledon in 2015. It meant the top seed from the women's and men's draws both left the competition on day seven, after Andy Murray's shock defeat by Germany's world number 50 Mischa Zverev. Vandeweghe had Kerber on the defensive for much of their 68-minute contest, closing out the first set with ease after breaking in the sixth game. And even though Kerber was able to break immediately in the second set, Vandeweghe won four successive games from 3-2 down for the biggest win of her career. \"It was really special,\" she said. \"Beating the world number one on any stage and any place is great. I'll take this one. \"I wasn't feeling confident - I guess I faked it. I was nervous, but I had a game plan to execute and I knew that as along as I kept picking my spots, I had a chance.\" It is 19 years since Venus Williams reached her first Australian Open quarter-final, and 14 years since her one and only final, when she lost to her sister Serena. In recent years she has had to cope with the autoimmune disorder Sjogren's syndrome - but has managed to reach at least the last 16 at six of the last seven Grand Slams. Barthel, ranked 118th in the world, had played Williams twice before but missed four months of tennis last year because of chronic fatigue illness. \"I know what it's like to be down on your luck, but she knows how to play tennis and she's experienced,\" Williams said. \"We'd played a couple of tough matches before so today I expected to have some competition.\" Williams, who took one hour and 36 minutes to beat Barthel, has yet to drop a set at this year's Open. \"I've been blessed enough to do something that I love and I think this was my calling because I grew so tall that I can cover the court and hit it hard,\" she added.", "summary": "Top seed and defending champion Angelique Kerber suffered a fourth-round exit from the Australian Open to world number 35 Coco Vandeweghe."}
{"article": "Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) made the recommendation amid concerns that black and minority ethnic drivers are disproportionately affected. It called for forces to make official records of vehicle stops, which they currently are not required to do. Home Secretary Theresa May said the powers \"must be properly targeted\". Stop and searches on the street are recorded, but the police watchdog also criticised senior officers for failing to improve the use of these powers or to understand their impact. The inspector who led the research, Stephen Otter, said the review had found no official record keeping of vehicle stops and \"very little interest\" in how effectively and fairly the stops were carried out. He said a large-scale public survey suggested vehicle stops were unfairly targeting ethnic minority groups who were more likely than white people not to be given a reason for the stop. The online survey of 10,094 people - including 7,501 drivers - found that 47% had been in a vehicle when it had been stopped by police. It suggested 7% to 8% of white drivers had been stopped in the last two years, compared with 10% to 14% of black and ethnic minority drivers. An initial HMIC report in 2013 found that stop and search could have been used illegally one in four times. But the watchdog said that despite making 10 recommendations to improve police use of the powers, since then good progress had been made in only one area - improving the use of technology to record encounters. Mr Otter said: \"Too many police leaders and officers still don't seem to understand the impact that the use of powers to stop and search people can have on the lives of many people, especially young people and those who are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. \"This is disappointing because getting it wrong can lead to resentment, anger and, in time, a loss of trust in the police.\" Mr Otter said there was a \"lack of empathy\" among police officers about the impact of the powers, noting 90% of those stopped were not prosecuted. In a report on stop and search powers, the watchdog also found that most forces did not record whether strip searches were involved, and kept no detail of who they stopped or how often. It said, though, \"these intrusive searches are carried out in such numbers as to suggest there should be rigorous oversight\". HMIC said that within three months police forces should require officers to record all searches involving the removal of more than an outer coat, jacket or gloves. Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock, from the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), said he agreed there was an \"urgent need\" for national training, as well as a clearer definition of what constituted fair use of stop and search powers. He said these steps would give both the public and the police \"more confidence\". Ms May said that although the number of stops and searches had fallen by a third under the current government, it was clear the police had \"failed to", "summary": "Police forces in England and Wales must record the stops they carry out on motorists, a review has said."}
{"article": "Idrissa Sylla volleyed the hosts ahead when he reacted quickest to Christophe Berra's poor defensive header. Tom Lawrence spectacularly equalised early in the second half as he blasted into the top corner from 25 yards. David McGoldrick, Myles Kenlock and Lawrence had chances to put Ipswich ahead, but Wszolek rounded the keeper and shot home after a defensive error. QPR, who had lost six in a row before their win at Wolves on New Year's Eve, move up to 17th place in the Championship, two points and two places behind Ipswich. McGoldrick had two good chances early on for the Suffolk side before Sylla's opener, but Rangers' Guinean striker was forced off with a neck injury soon after giving his side the lead. Lawrence equalised soon after the restart with an effort that is likely to be a contender for Town's goal of the season, but they missed a series of chances before the home side's winner. Adam Webster misjudged the flight of a ball over the top and Wszolek took advantage, controlling well before taking it around fellow Pole Bartosz Bialkowski and slotting home. QPR manager Ian Holloway: \"The window's massive for us and now people have seen us win two games they might actually want to come here instead of thinking 'Do I want to go in to a dressing room like that?' \"No-one likes to have a terrible run like that. It's a horrible feeling and I felt so down, but I never showed the lads because what they were producing at times was quite promising but they were getting nothing.\" \"Football's about having a balance of legs and knowledge and experience and youth. \"We've also got to see fight here - and we saw that again today. Now I can have a look at things and see what's right for us.\" Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy: \"We played really well today but we conceded two really bad goals. \"We created a lot of chances and the second half was a great performance, but we didn't manage to score and then we gave away a milky goal. \"It was a good performance all round, but they put it in the net instead of us. It should have been a 1-1 draw and if we don't win that game then there's no way we should lose it.\" Match ends, Queens Park Rangers 2, Ipswich Town 1. Second Half ends, Queens Park Rangers 2, Ipswich Town 1. Attempt saved. David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Luke Chambers. Foul by Christophe Berra (Ipswich Town). Nedum Onuoha (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Cole Skuse (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Jordan Cousins (Queens Park Rangers). Corner, Queens Park Rangers. Conceded by Jonathan Douglas. Foul by Christophe Berra (Ipswich Town). Joel Lynch (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Grant Ward (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the defensive", "summary": "Pawel Wszolek's late winner saw Ian Holloway win back-to-back games for the first time since taking over at QPR."}
{"article": "The region is spending \u00a360m more a year than it receives in funding and income. The figures are in a local NHS review which that found that services in the county were \"struggling to deliver consistent, high quality care\". Changes suggested in the report include centralising more services in specialist treatment centres. An example cited was the bringing together of cardiac services at the Lincolnshire Heart Centre, which opened at Lincoln County Hospital in 2013. United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the unit, said that \"survival rates for heart attacks are now among the best in the country\". Other recommendations in the report include calls for more care to be provided outside hospitals and better communication and better sharing of medical records. The report also claimed that \"more funding would not deal with the challenges in recruiting professionals into key health and care roles, including nurses, GPs, radiologists, paediatricians and other professionals\". Dr Sunil Hindocha, chief clinical officer at Lincolnshire West Clinical Commissioning Groups, said: \"What we know is if we carry on doing things in the manner we are, then Lincolnshire's healthcare system is simply not sustainable. \"It is clear we are not getting the best for the population under the current configuration.\" The report will form the basis of a public consultation later in the year.", "summary": "Lincolnshire's health and care system could see a \u00a3300m overspend by 2021, according to a new report."}
{"article": "The first \"fight\" with Brussels already loomed large on Monday in the British papers. The front-page lead story in The Times reported that \"Brussels forces Britain to accept Med migrants\". Migration is clearly a huge story, and a controversial one for the UK and Europe. It has been for years, with an economic downturn and anti-immigrant political parties on the rise on the one hand, while at the same time television screens bring the horrors of a humanitarian crisis on our shores straight into our living rooms as we watch desperate people from the Middle East and Africa arriving, some dying, in their boatloads. The European Commission, under new President Jean-Claude Juncker, says something decisive must be done. He and his migration commissioner will on Wednesday unveil a migration strategy for the EU. Some parts are extremely controversial. Included are two proposals strongly opposed by the UK, which says the migration crisis must be tackled by other means: Now, the Cameron government wants to curb migration to the UK by EU citizens as part of his new deal with Brussels. So he certainly will not agree to increase the number of non-EU migrants to the UK. And, as he has promised the UK to have \"less Brussels\" in daily life, he will oppose any migration quotas \"imposed\" by Brussels. So actually this migration headline is less of a challenge and more of a gift for the new Cameron government. It will be a chance to publicly bare its teeth at Brussels - the Home Office has put out a strongly worded statement about opposing Commission proposals to introduce non-voluntary migrant quotas - and to show some muscle-flexing to Eurosceptics, including in the Tory party itself, ahead of EU-UK renegotiations starting in earnest. In fact, the Commission proposals are not new. They have been rejected in the past by UK Home Secretary Theresa May and quite a number of her European counterparts. The Netherlands and Denmark will hear none of it. France is nervous about the idea, with the anti-immigration National Front doing so well in the polls, and countries in Eastern and Central Europe, which house very few asylum seekers, do not want to start opening their doors now. Estonia and Slovakia have already said \"no\" outright. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban described the migration quota plan as \"mad\" in a radio interview. The migration strategy will be debated at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels next month and you can expect a heated argument. It is not just the European Commission pushing the quota proposal. In 2014: In 2015 (1 Jan- 27 April): source: UNHCR Powerful Germany backs the plan - loudly - as the country that receives the lion share of asylum application in Europe- 200,000 last year alone. Berlin fears that number could double in 2015. The Mediterranean frontline states of Greece, Italy and Malta are also in favour of refugee-sharing, for obvious reasons. When it comes to home affairs issues like asylum, the UK has a so-called opt-in clause, which allows it to decide whether or not", "summary": "The first days in office are challenging for any new government and this will certainly be a busy week for UK Prime Minister David Cameron - who, amongst other things, says he has already rolled up his sleeves to change the UK's relationship with Europe."}
{"article": "Conservative Nusrat Ghani is calling on the Diplomatic Service to offer homegrown bottles \"where possible\" to help promote the UK's image abroad. She told MPs that the UK was \"missing opportunities\" in countries such as Japan, India, China and Singapore where wine consumption was increasing. Some 44% of wine drunk at government events in 2015 was English or Welsh. Ms Ghani, whose Wealden constituency in Kent is home to a number of England's 133 wineries, has presented a ten-minute rule bill to Parliament which would give English firms greater presence at high-profile ambassador's receptions around the world. She told MPs that the English wine industry, which produced five million bottles last year, could compete with the best from across Europe despite its relatively small size. Domestic firms, she said, were now official suppliers to Downing Street while she believed that the Queen served English sparkling wines at state banquets. But she expressed concern at what she said was a \"lack of consistency\" among the UK's 268 foreign embassies, high commissions and consulates towards showcasing homegrown produce. \"Last week I was told our Rome embassy asked the UK industry to sponsor an evening for Tuscan wines. That is simply not good enough. I doubt Italy's outposts here in London serve anything other than Italian wine.\" With the UK set to leave the EU, she said British success stories needed as much support as possible to reach a wider audience while also projecting the UK's post-Brexit \"brand\". \"Article 50 is on its way and this could be seen as the first post-Brexit bill,\" she said. \"As we leave the EU we must grasp every opportunity to find new markets for our products around the world and be imaginative in supporting them. \"I look forward to the very best of our wines creating a splash in Paris, Berlin, Madrid and Rome for that matter and perhaps helping to oil the wheels of the Brexit negotiations to come.\" Her bill got an unopposed first reading in the Commons but is unlikely to become law unless it is adopted by the government - ten-minute rule bills are generally used to raise the profile of an issue rather than precipitate legislation. According to the most recent statement by the Government Hospitality wine cellar, published by the Foreign Office, the cellar contains over 33,000 bottles of wines and spirits, with a total value of \u00c2\u00a3809,990. English and Welsh wine were the most commonly served in 2015-6, making up 44% of the total consumed.", "summary": "Serving English wine at UK diplomatic functions could help \"oil the wheels of Brexit negotiations\", an MP has said."}
{"article": "The last quarter saw insolvencies rise year-on-year by 17.3% to 2,839, according to official figures. Paul Wheelhouse claimed there was \"no question\" austerity had led to \"more people suffering the anxiety and distress of insolvency\". The Scottish Conservatives called on the Scottish government to do more to help people deal with personal debt. Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), which administers the process of bankruptcy and records corporate insolvencies, said personal bankruptcies increased by 11.2% year-on-year to 1,289 in the three months to 30 June. Protected trust deeds rose 22.9% over the same period to 1,550. The number of debt payment programmes under the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) - which allows debtors to pay their debts in full without facing insolvency - were also up by 16.8%, to 597. A total of \u00c2\u00a39.4m was repaid through DAS in the latest quarter, up from \u00c2\u00a39.3m repaid in the same period last year. Responding to the figures, Mr Wheelhouse said: \"On the personal insolvency front, there is no question that continuing austerity has led to incomes being squeezed and more people suffering the anxiety and distress of insolvency as a result. \"But it is nevertheless important we acknowledge that the longer term trend of people accessing statutory debt relief and debt management solutions is a declining one\u00e2\u20ac\u017d and numbers of people falling into insolvency are around half of the levels reported at the turn of the decade.\" The Scottish Conservatives said the personal insolvency figures showed \"just how much some are struggling\". Finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said: \"It's incredibly worrying to see such a sharp increase in the number of Scots going bankrupt. \"Given the lacklustre growth in the Scottish economy over the last year, we are starting to see the consequences of it as more and more people are struggling in a sea of debt. \"These individuals will be going through an incredibly tough time and it is incumbent upon the Scottish government to do all they can to support them. \"One step the SNP could take immediately would be to boost long-term economic growth and job creation by reversing their tax hikes that have made Scotland the highest taxed part of the UK.\" The latest AiB figures also showed a sharp drop in the number of Scottish businesses becoming insolvent or entering receivership. In the last quarter, there were 200 corporate insolvencies - a drop of 24.5%. The figure included 118 compulsory liquidations and 82 creditor voluntary liquidations.", "summary": "Scotland's business minister has blamed \"continuing austerity\" for a sharp rise in personal insolvencies."}
{"article": "The plan from the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) would see Mr Saleh quit within a month of signing the agreement and hand over to his vice-president. Mr Saleh's ruling party has said it will respond within 24 hours. At least 120 people have died in weeks of protests demanding the end of Mr Saleh's 32-year rule. The GCC previously offered Mr Saleh a proposal in which he was asked to stand down, but which did not outline a timetable. The proposal was rejected. The revised plan also suggests Mr Saleh appoint an opposition leader to run a new cabinet that would prepare for presidential elections two months later. Under the plan, half the members of a new unity cabinet would belong to the ruling party, while 40% would be from the opposition party. The other 10% would be from other political groups. It also offers immunity from prosecution to Mr Saleh, his family and aides. Aides to Mr Saleh said he seemed poised to accept the initiative, according to Reuters news agency. \"We welcome this new initiative and we will deal with it positively,\" an official said, after Mr Saleh met GCC Secretary General Abdullatif al-Zayani on Thursday. But the opposition rejected the plan, saying they did not trust the government to keep to the conditions, and reiterated their demand for the president to leave immediately. \"This speech is to raise spirits, but it's no longer logical because the people have had their say - they say an immediate departure is necessary,\" said Sultan al-Atwani, the leader of the Nasserist party, which is part of the opposition coalition. Meanwhile, clashes took place between troops and gunmen in the southern province of Lahj, a security source told Reuters. On Wednesday, UN Security Council members called for restraint and dialogue between protesters and authorities in Yemen, but talks on the crisis ended without agreement. The Yemeni leader, who has been in power for more than three decades, has said he is willing to hand over power but only to \"safe hands\". Mr Saleh's weak central government already has little control beyond the capital. In recent years it has struggled to confront an armed rebellion in the north and a secessionist movement in the south.", "summary": "A grouping of Gulf states has presented Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh with a new proposal in an attempt to end the country's political crisis."}
{"article": "Thomas Orchard, 32, who had schizophrenia, died in October 2012. An Emergency Response Belt was held around his mouth when he threatened to bite, police said. Custody sergeant Jan Kingshott, 44, and civilian detention officers Simon Tansley, 38, and Michael Marsden, 55, all deny manslaughter. The defence said the belt was \"unfortunately\" what officers had been equipped with. Mr Tansley's barrister, Michael Mather-Lees, told the court: \"It looks appalling but unfortunately this was the item they had been given. It was approved, tested, trained upon and given to use as a spit or bite mask.\" Prosecutors previously told the court there was no evidence Mr Orchard tried to bite Mr Tansley, who held the belt around Mr Orchard's mouth. However, Mr Mather-Lees said the CCTV footage showing police treatment of Mr Orchard in his cell \"doesn't show everything - it doesn't show every angle\". Mr Orchard, who had been arrested in Exeter on suspicion of a public order offence, was left lying face down on a mattress in his cell at Heavitree Road police station after he was freed from restraints. Officers discovered he was not breathing when they re-entered the cell 12 minutes later, Bristol Crown Court had heard. Mr Mather-Lees told the court Mr Tansley would have acted had he been aware that Mr Orchard was having problems breathing. Mr Orchard, who had not been taking his medication for schizophrenia, died in hospital following a cardiac arrest. The trial continues.", "summary": "An \"appalling\" looking belt used to restrain a man who died after having a cardiac arrest in a police cell was \"not ideal\", a court has heard."}
{"article": "The rally is one of more than 600 being held worldwide on the president's first full day in office. The aim is to highlight women's rights, which protesters believe to be under threat from the new administration. Mr Trump attended a multi-faith service at Washington National Cathedral and then visited the CIA's HQ. In a speech there he said he was \"1,000%\" behind its employees and also railed against a \"dishonest\" media. He did not refer to Saturday's protests. Protesters swarmed the streets and metro stations of the US capital on Saturday as they headed to the National Mall to hear speeches from Scarlett Johansson, Ugly Betty star America Ferrera, Ashley Judd, Gloria Steinem and Michael Moore among others. Latest: Mass protests in US Organisers had originally sought a permit for 200,000 people but later said they were expecting as many as half a million, which would dwarf Friday's inauguration crowd, the Washington Post reported. A planned march to the White House proved impossible as the entire route was filled with demonstrators. Interim DC Police Chief Peter Newsham told Associated Press: \"The crowd stretches so far that there's no room left to march.\" But there are other protests in some 300 cities across the US, from New York to Seattle. The scale of the turnout in Chicago prompted police to designate it a rally rather than a march. Organisers of a London rally said between 80,000 and 100,000 people had taken part there. During his speech in Washington, Michael Moore ripped up a copy of the Washington Post, saying: \"The headline was 'Trump takes power'. I don't think so. Here's the power. Here's the majority of America right here. We are the majority.\" The singer Madonna also made an appearance, swearing several times in a speech carried live by major US TV networks. \"Yes I am outraged. Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House,\" she said. America Ferrera told the crowd: \"We march today for the moral core of this nation, against which our new president is waging a war.\" Many women have knitted pink \"pussy hats\" - a reference to a recording that emerged during the election campaign in which Mr Trump talked about groping women. Defeated presidential candidate Hillary Clinton sent a tweet of support. Organisers of the Women's March on Washington said in a statement: \"The women's march on Washington will send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world that women's rights are human rights.\" They said the protest would not simply be about women's rights and would attract \"people of all genders, ages, races, cultures, political affiliations and backgrounds\", with support from the likes of Amnesty International. The rally is peaceful, easing fears of a repeat of the violence that occurred after the inauguration ceremony on Friday, when protesters smashed windows. More than 200 were arrested and six officers hurt. Anti-Trump marches have already taken place in Australia, New Zealand and in Asian cities such as Bangkok. Several thousand women and men", "summary": "Hundreds of thousands have massed for a \"Women's March on Washington\", part of a global day of protests against new US President Donald Trump."}
{"article": "Pilot Philip Garvey, 56, his wife Ann, 55, their daughter Emily, 23 and son Daniel, 20 died in the crash near Churchinford, police said. The family from Woking, Surrey, had been flying towards Dunkeswell Aerodrome in east Devon. Avon and Somerset Police said the six-seater plane had now been recovered from the field for further examination. Officers are carrying out a joint investigation with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch. The family were members of St Dunstan's Catholic Church in Woking. Emily and Daniel were former pupils of St Dunstan's Primary School and the St John the Baptist School (SJB) in Woking. A statement released by SJB read: \"The family was highly regarded within the SJB community, Emily and Daniel were two of the nicest and kindest young people you could ever wish to meet and were extremely well liked and respected by their peers and teachers. \"Philip and Ann Garvey supported the school in every way, not only in the interest of their own children but also devoting their time supporting the school as a whole even after their children had left. \"Currently Philip Garvey was involved both in supporting our Year 13 students with interview preparation and offering current Year 11 and 12 students work experience at his company - they will be sorely missed. \"Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathy are with their remaining family members.\"", "summary": "Four members of the same family who were killed in a plane crash in Somerset on Saturday have been named."}
{"article": "Army bomb experts examined the object before it was removed from the scene. The alert on the Glengalliagh Road area of the city began at about 22:34 BST on Thursday. The road has now been re-opened.", "summary": "A security alert in Londonderry has ended after police declared a suspicious object to be a hoax."}
{"article": "The blaze in Crumpets Farm Drive, Lytchett Matravers, started at about 11:00 GMT. Acetylene cylinders were believed to be inside the property and a 70m (230ft) cordon was put in place. Dorset Fire Service said the A350, which was partially closed, had now reopened. An investigation has started. Residents whose properties were not affected returned home at 18:00.", "summary": "Fifteen residents, including a baby, were evacuated from their homes after a fire broke out in a nearby garage in Dorset."}
{"article": "The singer had forgotten about the work, entitled Little Electric Chair, presented as a gift in the 1970s. \"It was a rock 'n' roll time, none of us thought about anything,\" Cooper's long-time manager, Shep Gordon, said. A similar version of the Warhol artwork sold at Christie's in New York in 2014 for $10.5m (\u00c2\u00a38m). Cooper's find, a red silkscreen on canvas, was part of Warhol's Death and Disaster series and was discovered \"rolled up in a tube\" in a locker along with a collection of 1970s stage props, Mr Gordon told BBC Radio 5 live. It was the decade that Cooper and Warhol met and became friends. \"It was all a swirl of drugs and drinking,\" said Mr Gordon, who has been the singer's manager for more than four decades. Cooper, real name Vincent Furnier, moved to New York with his late girlfriend Cindy Lang, where they were introduced to Warhol and spent time together in New York's famed Studio 54 nightclub, according to Mr Gordon. Ms Lang, who appeared on the second cover of Warhol's magazine Interview, later asked Mr Gordon to purchase the work on her behalf for about $2,500 as she planned to present it to Cooper as a birthday gift. \"He was a very heavy drinker in those days,\" Mr Gordon told the BBC, adding that Cooper's career was \"like a rocket ship taking off back in the early 70s - he was working 100 shows a year\". Mr Gordon said the rock singer was \"getting electrocuted\" at the time in his live shows using a prop electric chair that looked \"very much\" like the chair in the painting. He said that Cooper later entered rehab as a result of his drinking and \"never really moved into his apartment in New York\". The painting, he said, was forgotten. \"Nobody really ever thought about it, life went on,\" Mr Gordon said. Years later, Mr Gordon was having dinner with friends, one of whom happened to be an art dealer, when the conversation turned to a piece of work by Warhol that had sold for a large sum. \"So I got hold of Alice and I said: 'Do you still have that Warhol?' And he said: 'I don't think so'.\" Mr Gordon said it was months before they tracked it down to the storage facility. \"And then we found a tube, like the type you keep posters in, and there it was - oops!\" He said that back in the early 1970s the artwork was not considered particularly valuable. \"Andy Warhol was not 'Andy Warhol' back then,\" he said. The artist died in 1987 at the age of 58. In an interview with the Guardian, Mr Gordon said that Cooper had a vague recollection of discussing the artwork with Warhol. \"He thinks the conversation was real, but he couldn't put his hand on a Bible and say that it was,\" Mr Gordon said. The work has been confirmed as authentic by Warhol expert Richard Polsky. \"You should have seen Alice's face when Richard Polsky's estimate came in,\" Mr Gordon", "summary": "US rock musician Alice Cooper has found a classic Andy Warhol artwork rolled up in storage after more than 40 years tucked away alongside tour equipment."}
{"article": "The opener was struck on the hand by a bouncer from Shamilia Connell that then hit the grille of her helmet, and she was carried off on a stretcher. The 27-year-old was discharged from hospital with a broken thumb and is awaiting further medical reports. Pakistan have replaced her with 21-year-old right-hander Ayesha Zafar. \"We were really shocked by the incident,\" said West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor. \"We have now been told she is fine, and that gives us relief.\"", "summary": "Pakistan's Javeria Khan has been released from hospital after being hit on the jaw during Wednesday's Women's World Twenty20 defeat by West Indies."}
{"article": "The Premier League club also has the option to play all home league and cup matches, as well as any European games, at the national stadium during the 2017-18 campaign. Spurs are having a new \u00a3400m stadium built next to their existing White Hart Lane ground. The development is due to be completed in time for the 2018-19 season. \"Our season ticket waiting list is over 50,000 so this now also offers us a great opportunity to provide more of our supporters with a chance to see the team play live during our Champions League campaign,\" said chairman Daniel Levy. \"Importantly, as we know it was our fans' preference, it means that we can play our home matches in London during our season away.\" Tottenham's third-place finish in the Premier League qualified them for the group stages of next season's Champions League, which means they will play at least three home matches in the competition. Their north-London rivals Arsenal hosted Champions League games at Wembley in 1998-99 and 1999-2000. Football Association chief executive Martin Glenn welcomed Spurs' move, saying: \"The increased revenue will help us meet our targets for improving coaching and grassroots facilities and growing participation.\" Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Tottenham have reached a deal to play their Champions League home games at Wembley next season."}
{"article": "Arshad Mohammed, 48, raped the 19-year-old woman in his Skoda taxi after driving her to a dead-end in Neilston, East Renfrewshire, in November 2010. He was caught after police took a DNA sample when he was detained in March and April 2011 for making sexual remarks to two 17-year-old women. Sentence on Mohammed was deferred and he was remanded in custody. Pakistan-born Mohammed, who holds Italian citizenship, was convicted by majority verdict following a six-day trial at the High Court in Stirling. The court heard that the rape victim had got into his 50 50 Cabs Skoda taxi in her pyjamas, with a coat on top, following an evening watching television at a friend's house. Mohammed abducted her and drove the victim to a secluded spot in Renfrewshire where he raped her. After the attack he told her: \"See you after, princess.\" The court was told the woman went round to a friend's house in tears and the police were called. Mohammed, who was described as having \"more than one teenage daughter\" and a wife in Pakistan, was caught after he targeted two other lone, teenage passengers. He was detained by police twice, in March and April 2011, after he subjected them both to explicit sexual remarks. On these occasions he was required to give a DNA sample which was matched to DNA on a swab taken from the rape victim. Following his arrest, Mohammed appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court in June 2011 and was granted bail but he broke the conditions by failing to report to police, failing to hand in his Italian passport, and failing to appear at the High Court in Glasgow in April 2012. Mohammed was arrested in Norway on a European Arrest Warrant two years later, and extradited back to the UK in August 2014. During his trial he had lodged a special defence of consent, and claimed that his victim had asked him if he wanted to have sex. He claimed she said afterwards, \"Thank you driver, now I can get a good night's sleep.\" In court, he claimed a \"disability\" in his legs made it only possible for him to have consensual sex. The jury also found him guilty, unanimously, of two charges of breach of the peace for uttering the remarks to the 17-year-old girls. Judge Lord Matthews said there was a \"substantial sexual element\" to the breaches of the peace. He deferred sentence for reports and remanded Mohammed in custody.", "summary": "A Glasgow taxi driver who fled abroad to avoid a rape charge has been found guilty of the sex attack."}
{"article": "Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust runs services from over 50 sites. Inspectors criticised the safety of medicines management and said there was a high use of prone - or face-down - restraint. Bosses at the trust said improvements were being made. See more stories from across Birmingham and the Black Country here The inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the trust as \"requires improvement\" overall. It was previously rated as \"good\", in 2014. Inspectors said: However, inspectors highlighted several areas of good practice and said staff were caring, compassionate and kind and treated patents with dignity and respect. The CQC added staffing levels were generally safe and sufficient to provide good care. The trust said it has already made improvements, including appointing a medication safety officer. Chief executive John Short, said: \"We recognise that the CQC has identified some areas where we did not meet the high standards we set ourselves. \"Since the inspection, work has already been completed in a number of key areas and is under way to address the other concerns raised.\" The inspection took place between 27 and 31 March.", "summary": "A mental health trust that provides services for 1.2m people in the West Midlands has been told by a health watchdog it \"requires improvement\"."}
{"article": "The world number one suggested on Sunday that male players should earn more as they generate more income. But the Serb says he has been in touch with fellow players, including Murray, who criticised his initial stance. \"I never had any intention to offend them or come up with any negative connotations,\" he said. The 28-year-old from Belgrade added: \"I don't make any differences between the genders. I am for equality in the sport.\" Djokovic said he had received a message from Murray on Tuesday and that they had spoken \"very openly and frankly\" about the issue. The 11-time Grand Slam champion said he had also sent messages to Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniacki and Ana Ivanovic. \"I feel very sorry if, in any way, I hurt my female colleague tennis players,\" he said. \"I have a very good relationship with all of them. I have a huge respect for all of them.\" Djokovic had already apologised in a Facebook post on Tuesday to those people who may have been upset by his comments but went further when he faced the media in Miami on Wednesday. That followed 30 minutes of discussions with Billie Jean King, a former world number one and founder of the Women's Tennis Association. Chris Evert also spoke to Djokovic in Miami. Evert, an 18-time Grand Slam champion, pointed to Djokovic's cultural upbringing as a possible reason behind some of his views. \"The Europeans were behind the Americans when it came to accepting equality,\" Evert said. \"I doubt you'd hear that as much from the American men players and I'm sort of applauding America for that.\" Evert says the men's game has benefitted a lot from the rivalry of Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. But the American believes that the popularity of the men's and women's games is \"cyclical\". \"I know the women were bigger draws in certain eras, especially when we had American women at the top and European men at the top,\" she said. \"The last couple of years have been a golden era for the men's game because you've got three of the greatest players of all time.\"", "summary": "Novak Djokovic has apologised to a number of leading female players - and spoken with Andy Murray - following his comments about equal pay in tennis."}
{"article": "The Parliamentary Group for Muscular Dystrophy says it is concerned about funding for high-cost drugs. It comes after the special budget for treating rare diseases in England was merged into the overall NHS budget. Scotland has a fund in place for the so called \"orphan drugs\" until April 2014. A UK-wide strategy for rare diseases will be published this year. Overall it is estimated that 3.5 million people in the UK suffer from a rare disease, and that 70,000 of those have some form of the different muscle-wasting diseases known as muscular dystrophy. The MPs say they are concerned that funds previously ear-marked for drugs for rare diseases have now been merged into the budget for all specialised services in England. Decisions on how to spend a \u00c2\u00a3100m fund for rare diseases, sometimes called orphan conditions, were made on the advice of a special committee but that power was transferred to NHS England in April. At the same time, the cost and clinical advisory body, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), took over responsibility for assessing these drugs as part of the wider reorganisation of the health service in England. Concerned MPs warn the way drugs are funded and assessed could lead to hundreds of children with life-shortening conditions being denied rapid access to new therapies. They want a drugs fund for rare diseases, similar to the one in Scotland, and a rapid system for regulators to review cutting edge drugs. The chairman of the all-party group, Dave Anderson MP, said: \"We have seen that successfully developing an effective treatment is far from the end, with agonising waits for some families through licensing and funding issues.\" Most of those affected by rare diseases are children, and the charity, Rare Disease UK, estimates that 30% die by their fifth birthday. For the first time there are some promising developments on the horizon for one condition, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The results from some final-stage clinical trials of a genetic therapy are expected later this year, and may offer the hope of new treatments. Robert Meadowcroft, chief executive of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, said they were gravely concerned at the lack of a dedicated fund or clear criteria for how new drugs might be assessed. \"We've got families setting great store by the treatments coming through. It would be heartbreaking and devastating if they're not available to children who need them.\" NICE said it accepted it needed to develop a different approach for looking at rare conditions, adding: \"Our process and methods for developing guidance for such drugs will ensure that patient and clinical experts are involved.\" Negotiations are under way with the pharmaceutical industry on a new pricing regime which would include a new way of recognising the value of some new treatments. A Department of Health spokesman said: \"We are working closely with other health departments and stakeholders to develop a UK strategy for rare diseases. This will be published by the end of the year.\"", "summary": "A group of MPs is calling for a ring-fenced fund to pay for drugs for rare conditions."}
{"article": "However, dozens are still being held in centres on the Pacific island of Nauru. Those on the mainland will now be able to move more freely in community detention as their claims are processed. Australia's tough immigration policy turns back seaborne migrants or puts them in offshore camps. Officials in Australia say the last group of children ranged from a baby to a 17-year-old. They were brought from Nauru because family members needed medical treatment. However, their asylum claims will still be checked and they will be deported if they fail. Doctors and activists have pressed the government to release all the children, citing health grounds including mental problems. The number of asylum-seeking children hit a record high of 2,000 in June 2013 and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the latest releases represented a \"significant achievement\". However, some 1,700 adult asylum seekers remain in detention on the mainland. The average time they are held is now at a record high of 464 days, immigration figures show. Why is Australia's asylum policy controversial?", "summary": "The Australian government says the last remaining asylum-seeking children being held in mainland detention centres have been freed."}
{"article": "Joe Lawton, 17, shot himself at his family farm in Greater Manchester two days after his arrest. His parents, Nick and Jane Lawton, are urging the Government to change the law, which says 17 year-olds are not children in custody. The Home Office believes current laws are adequate. Joe was arrested when police stopped him as he drove his new car home from a party last August. He was kept overnight at Cheadle Heath police station in Greater Manchester without his parents' knowledge because he was not classed as a child. Two days later he took his own life, using a shotgun from the family farm. The police charge sheet was at his feet when his father found him. Joe's parents believe they could have given him more support had they been able to see him in a police cell. In a statement on the change.org website, Mr and Mrs Lawton said: \"He was just 17 and had made a bad decision to drive home after a party. Two days later Joe took his own life. \"We were not called when he was arrested or given the opportunity to give him the support he needed.\" They added: \"The fact that a 17-year-old is treated as an adult whilst in custody is an anomaly of British law. Once they are charged they are then treated as children. This simply does not make sense.\" \"We believe if the law had been different Joe would still be alive.\" A Home Office spokesman said: \"We believe the laws in place ensure the appropriate level of care for everyone, including 17-year-olds.\"", "summary": "The parents of a boy who killed himself after being arrested for drink-driving arrest are calling for 17-year-olds to be treated as children in custody."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The home side were 0-3 at the end of Ryan Sidebottom's opening over, taking him past 700 first-class victims. The left-armer later bowled last man Tim Murtagh for figures of 5-18, with Tim Bresnan contributing 4-30. Yorkshire also struggled with the bat in reply, but skipper Andrew Gale made 98 as they reached the close on 238-9. Their title was confirmed when Notts were bowled out for 204 in their home game with Durham. Following Middlesex's collapse, they were the only side with a mathematical possibility of denying Yorkshire, but needed the maximum of five batting bonus points to stay in the race, and only managed one. Yorkshire arrived at Lord's with a 43-point lead over Middlesex, and opted to put them in on a greenish surface after winning the toss. Sidebottom's third ball trapped Paul Stirling lbw and he had Nick Compton caught behind and bowled Dawid Malan with successive deliveries later in the over. Debutant Stevie Eskinazi edged to Adam Lyth in the slips and when Bresnan took over from Sidebottom's new-ball partner Jack Brooks, he quickly had Neil Dexter caught behind. Sam Robson (26) followed in similar fashion and off-spinner James Middlebrook removed John Simpson (28) with the final ball before lunch. From 92-7 at the interval, Middlesex lost their last three wickets for 14 runs as Sidebottom finished the innings with the final ball of the 33rd over. Failing to gain any batting bonus points meant the home side could no longer catch Yorkshire in the Division One table, even if they somehow manage to win the match. The visitors progressed to 129-3 at tea in reply, with Gale - who was not on the field when they won the title in 2014 because of suspension - unbeaten on 54. The left-hander looked set for a third century of the summer, but was caught at second slip off Neil Dexter (3-24) as he looked to play the ball into the leg-side and the champions slumped from 187-4 to 221-9. It looked like they might be dismissed before stumps, but bad light brought a slightly premature end with Jack Brooks 12 not out and Sidebottom on nine. Yorkshire cricket director Martyn Moxon: \"The first win is really special, but given the circumstances this is probably a bigger achievement than winning last year. \"That first over epitomised what Ryan was all about, and to get his 700th wicket as well, he's been a fantastic bowler over the years and there's still a lot of life left in him. \"To combine developing England players with domestic success is a fantastic effort from everyone involved. \"To have provided so many England players this summer and still won the Championship, with two and a half games left, I think it's a remarkable achievement.\"", "summary": "Yorkshire clinched a second consecutive Championship title as a superb bowling display dismissed Middlesex for 106 on the first morning at Lord's."}
{"article": "New business levels also \"stagnated\" during October and volumes of incomplete work dropped. The Bank of Scotland PMI survey showed companies added to their payrolls for the third successive month. That was despite firms facing the sharpest increase in input costs since September 2011. A further rise in output charges was reported, although the rate of inflation was weaker than that for input costs. Seasonally-adjusted figures showed Scotland's private sector grew for a second successive month. The increase in output was spread across manufacturers and service providers, with both reporting \"marginal growth\" in business activity levels. The PMI panel members said companies' cost prices increased at the sharpest rate for more than five years as a consequence of a drop in the strength of the pound. Nick Laird, the regional managing director of Bank of Scotland Commercial Banking, said: \"Output for Scottish private sector companies continued to show growth in October, albeit at a reduced rate weighed down by a combination of higher input prices and stagnating new business. \"The increasing cost burden is a cause for concern, with the rise in input costs growing at the quickest rate in just over five years attributed to the depreciation of Sterling. \"Encouragingly, workforce numbers rose for a third consecutive month. Yet with a further solid decline in backlogs of work recorded, we could see jobs growth come under pressure towards the end of the year.\"", "summary": "The expansion of Scotland's private sector has slowed down while output growth has weakened, according to a report."}
{"article": "Leiua has played 30 games for Wasps since joining them from Super Rugby side Hurricanes in April 2014. The 28-year-old, who can also play on the wing, has scored two tries in 11 Test appearances for Samoa. \"He's a robust midfielder who can play in a number of positions in the backline,\" Bristol head coach Mark Tainton told the club website. \"Alapati was a standout performer for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby and made a similar impact in his first season with Wasps - he will be a fantastic addition to the Bristol Rugby squad.\" Bristol are currently bottom of the Premiership table, one point behind 11th-placed Worcester with nine games left to play this season.", "summary": "Bristol Rugby have signed Wasps' Samoa international centre Alapati Leiua in a deal to start from next season."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called to the blaze at Amcor Flexibles at Brucefield Industrial Estate just before 1200 BST. One person was taken to St Johns hospital in Livingston where they are being treated for superficial wounds. Earlier, residents were warned to stay indoors and keep their doors and windows closed because of fears over possible toxic fumes from chemicals. Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said the flames were eventually extinguished at about 1800 BST. At its peak, the fire created a huge plume of black smoke which could be seen for miles. Local resident Ann Mackay, 51, said: \"I saw black smoke all the way from my home in Dedridge, a few miles away, and went to see what was happening. \"I saw the front of the factory building and the sign was melting, but the police asked us to move back as they were evacuating the area.\" Neighbouring businesses on the Brucefield Industrial estate were also evacuated. Local train services between Kirknewton and Shotts were suspended as a precaution until further notice. Trains are running from Glasgow to Shotts, and from Kirknewton to Edinburgh. The main Edinburgh to Glasgow line is unaffected.", "summary": "A printing factory fire in West Calder, which involved 70 firefighters and 12 appliances, has been extinguished."}
{"article": "In a letter to media buyers, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has threatened to strike from 2 May. It's to do with a row over pay - writers say they have been losing revenue in recent years, 23% in the last two years alone. Also, because so many series are getting shorter but writers contracts remain the same length, many of them find themselves locked into a contract without other work. \"Should this [strike] occur, writing for television, feature films and digital series will cease,\" the letter says. This would be catastrophic for the major networks, which were hugely affected when the WGA went on strike for 100 days in 2007. Many TV networks struggled to fill their schedules, which led to an increase in repeats and reality TV shows. In light of the letter, five days of negotiations are due to begin on Monday. If they don't go well - loads of your favourite shows could become victims of the strike. Unlike the last time, many viewers will now be able to turn to streaming services to plug the gap in new content. However for traditional TV networks and film studios, a new strike would cause chaos. Shows which are unscripted, don't use union writers or have already wrapped filming, wouldn't generally suffer. But here are some examples of shows which would. The genre that would be impacted most immediately would be the live entertainment and late night chat shows. Unlike UK talk shows fronted by the likes of Graham Norton and Jonathan Ross air weekly, most US chat shows - which are also broadcast in the UK - air every night. As you can imagine, that requires a heck of a lot of material, and therefore a heck of a lot of writers. The likes of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon would struggle to stay on air. During the last strike, talk shows hosted by David Letterman, Jon Stewart and Conan O'Brien all ran repeats instead of airing new programmes. Many stayed off air until the strike was over, while some returned and filled air time by ad-libbing or airing previously-recorded segments. O'Brien, Letterman and Jay Leno even started to pay some of their regular writers out of their own pockets to provide new material during the strike. In 2007, some networks stockpiled episodes to try and minimise the impact of the writers' strike. A few soap operas like Days of Our Lives and All My Children had their scripts completed to last them through to January, when the strike was due to end. Dramas such as The Wire and The Shield also completed filming their current seasons and so were unaffected. But others floundered. Some shows were cancelled altogether, despite having ended on a cliff hanger (you can imagine how viewers reacted to that). Others had their seasons cut short (Pushing Daisies), had new episodes delayed (24, Entourage) or their season length shortened (30 Rock, Breaking Bad, The Big Bang Theory). Many of the shows due to begin this summer", "summary": "There could be another writers strike in the US - putting dozens of your favourite TV shows at risk."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The defender, 36, is expected to feature in the final Euro 2016 warm-up friendly against Slovakia in Trnava. If he is selected by manager Michael O'Neill, he will become only the second NI player to hit the century mark along with legendary goalkeeper Pat Jennings. \"It's something no-one can ever take away,\" Hughes said. Hughes made his debut against Slovakia and is now poised to reach his century against the same nation after earning his 99th cap coming off the bench in last week's 3-0 victory against Belarus at Windsor Park. The former Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Fulham player retired from international football but was persuaded to return in 2012 by Michael O'Neill. \"At one point I never thought I would do it [100 caps] but Michael came back in and he said a few things that really resonated with me. \"He made me really think about it and I thought 'you know what, that would be quite something'.\" The former Northern Ireland captain was also inspired by playing alongside two centurions at Fulham, the Republic of Ireland's Damian Duff and Greek midfielder Georgios Karagounis. \"Damian had just got his 100 and Karagounis was there too so I was sat there with a couple of lads who were sitting there with a hundred caps and I thought it would be pretty cool to have that. \"To walk away at the end of your career and look back on it, it's something no-one can ever take away so I feel a great deal of pride. \"The amount of help I've had over that period from a lot of different people it would be too long to say thank-you to everyone but I'm very grateful to everyone who's helped along the way, and Michael has played a big part in that.\" Northern Ireland open their Euro 2016 campaign against Poland in Nice on 12 June.", "summary": "Aaron Hughes says he never expected to earn 100 caps for Northern Ireland and will feel 'a great sense of pride' if he reaches the milestone on Saturday."}
{"article": "But he added that the defeat of rebel groups in the northern city would not end the conflict. The rebels called for a five-day truce to allow the evacuation of civilians, after withdrawing from their last strongholds in Aleppo's Old City. But Mr Assad ruled out any ceasefires, as his army continues its offensive. This is despite new calls for an immediate truce from the US and five Western powers. In an interview with Syria's al-Watan newspaper, President Assad said: \"It's true that Aleppo will be a win for us, but let's be realistic - it won't mean the end of the war in Syria. \"But it will be a huge step towards this end. \"Terrorists are present elsewhere. Even if we finish with Aleppo, we will continue our war against them.\" Rebel-held districts in east Aleppo are falling fast, faster than expected. The full story from the battlefield is still emerging. Areas we've been able to visit are a testament to intense fighting. The district of Al-Shaar, cleared on Tuesday to enable the army's assault on the Old City, is now in utter ruin. The smoke of battle still hung in the air a day later as did the residue of explosives. There are also reports of deals to allow rebel fighters to retreat, including from the Old City. But the most battle hardened fighters, including forces known as the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front are vowing to fight on in what remains of the opposition enclave. The Syrian military, and its Russian and Iranian allies, aren't listening to calls for a truce, or even for humanitarian corridors. Monday's mortar attack on Russia's field hospital is said to have stiffened Moscow's resolve to finish the battle for Aleppo as soon as possible. Tens of thousands of civilians are still trapped in rebel-held districts of south-eastern Aleppo. The rebel groups said those residents were in great danger, adding that they would support any initiative to ease their suffering. One resident said those districts were now heavily crowded and there were fears that people faced being captured, detained and tortured to death. \"I know people who literally did nothing, they just kept doing nothing for four, five years, they just wanted to stay in their homes and now they are being arrested by the regime,\" Wissam, a teacher and activist said. Food supplies are exhausted and there are no functioning hospitals after months of heavy bombardment. Government forces now control about 75% of eastern Aleppo, held by the rebels for the past four years. The rebels, who had been left with just a spit of land north-east of the citadel after recent government advances, had abandoned it by Wednesday morning, retreating to territory they still hold further south. Meanwhile, the US, Britain, Germany, Italy, France and Canada jointly called for an immediate ceasefire \"to allow the United Nations to get humanitarian assistance to people in eastern Aleppo\". They also condemned the Syrian government and its main backer Russia for \"their obstruction of humanitarian aid\", accusing them of targeting hospitals and schools \"in an attempt to", "summary": "Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said a victory for his army in Aleppo would be a \"huge step\" towards ending the country's five-year civil war."}
{"article": "On Sunday I hope to fly the flag for my country, in my adopted home city of Leeds, in the latest World Triathlon Series event. But first, it will be time to watch the football and rugby. I love my rugby, so hopefully I can definitely get up and watch a bit of that. Obviously it is fantastic to have a Welsh team at the Euros this summer, I would love to see Wales do well and I am really looking forward to them playing England. There will be plenty of chat with the English guys I train with when it comes down to that game, we are doing a Euro 2016 sweepstake and ahead of the game, there will be so much excitement. Let's hope Wales can finally undo England, otherwise, I might never hear the end of it. Even my flatmate Vicky Holland is English. There are lots of Welsh girls already qualified for Rio, Welsh sport at the moment is really strong and Welsh women are at the forefront of that. There are loads of names in the last few years that have come to the public's attention and it is nice to be involved in it all. I draw inspiration from those girls, absolutely, it is hard to describe, but Welsh people will understand, I love looking out for my compatriots and seeing them doing well. For example, I love my cycling and get excited every time I see Geraint Thomas doing so well, because he's Welsh. He's come through the same system as us and it inspires you. And seeing Jade Jones win gold at the Olympics four years ago left a huge impression with me. How could you not be inspired by what she was doing? It is pretty exciting to have a World Series race practically in my back garden. The race goes nearly past my house, it is ten minutes from it at the most and it will literally be a case of running in front of a hometown crowd as well. It will be fantastic, all the athletes from around the world have started descending on Leeds and it is great to be able to showcase the city to them and showcase why we love Leeds so much. It has been so good to perform in London in the past and when Yorkshire had the Tour De France last year, they support the people showed for it was phenomenal. So hopefully they will show similar enthusiasm for this event and it will give us a real boost. Find out how to get into triathlon in our special guide. My fitness is where I would I want it to be, touch wood the last few months have gone as they should and we are on track at the minute for peaking in Rio. I have had some really good sessions in the past couple of weeks and I am feeling good about it, but everything at this point is a stepping stone towards the games. In terms of my result in Leeds, I would", "summary": "It is a crazy weekend for Welsh sport, in the best way, with both the national football and rugby teams facing huge games and it is amazing to be able to play a small part in proceedings."}
{"article": "Moeen has a batting average of 38.01 from 15 Tests but has never batted higher than number six for England. Opener Adam Lyth had a disappointing Ashes, despite England winning 3-2, and coach Trevor Bayliss has hinted Ali could partner Alastair Cook for the series in the United Arab Emirates, which starts in October. \"I wouldn't mind opening,\" said Moeen. \"But I feel a bit bad talking about that because of Adam Lyth.\" Lyth struggled against Australia this summer, averaging just 12.77, but 28-year-old Moeen has backed the Yorkshire batsman to rediscover his form. \"It's probably the hardest job in cricket, opening the batting, especially in the Ashes,\" he added. \"I really admire the way he stayed bubbly and positive in the changing room when it can be very easy to not give anything to the team. That's a big attribute to have and the reason everyone always likes Lythy. I think he'll come back strong.\"", "summary": "England all-rounder Moeen Ali wants to open the batting in the upcoming Test series against Pakistan."}
{"article": "Bosses - including those of BT, Marks & Spencer and Vodafone - signed a letter published in the Times, saying an EU exit would deter investment in the UK. Leave campaigners point out two-thirds of FTSE 100 firms, including Tesco and Sainsbury, did not back the letter. A referendum on whether the UK should stay in the EU will be held on 23 June. David Cameron earlier took questions from employees of mobile phone giant O2, one of the signatories of the letter, at its headquarters in Slough, on the first of a series of tour events to sell his pro-EU message to voters. The move is designed to reach beyond Westminster and the emerging divisions within the Tory party. The Mayor of London Boris Johnson, the most high-profile politician to back EU exit, has urged people to focus on the issues and played down talk of ill feeling between him and the PM, saying \"team spirit\" within the party was good. In a move described by No 10 as \"unprecedented\", chairmen or chief executives of 36 FTSE 100 companies signed the letter, organised by Stronger in Europe and Downing Street, backing the campaign to stay in the EU, including Burberry, BAE Systems and EasyJet. The FTSE bosses were among a total of 198 signatories from the business world, including the chief executives of Heathrow and Gatwick airports. However, nearly two-thirds of the UK's largest publicly listed businesses did not sign, including RBS and Barclays. Asked about why the majority of FTSE 100 companies did not sign the letter, Mr Cameron said companies were often reluctant to \"make any form of political statement\". But he added: \"If the leave campaign could produce 35 business leaders of this sort of stature they'd be over the moon and I don't think they have the prospect of doing that with FTSE 100 leaders in any way.\" On Boris Johnson's decision to campaign against him, the prime minister said he had \"huge respect\" for the London Mayor and he had \"great future in British politics\" but added: \"He has got it wrong on this one.\" Bank of England governor Mark Carney, has meanwhile, said policymakers are \"not making a judgment\" on the outcome or consequences of the referendum. Mr Carney told MPs on the Treasury Select Committee that the Bank was treating the June vote as it would \"every other political event\". Analysis by the BBC's business editor Kamal Ahmed For politicians supporting Britain remaining in the European Union, the blessing of business leaders is seen as a positive step. And the list signing the pro-European letter - at least in part orchestrated by Number 10 - are certainly a hefty bunch. But a few health warnings. First, many of the people who have signed have long been public advocates of Britain remaining in the EU. These include Sir Roger Carr of BAE, Iain Conn of Centrica, Dame Carolyn McCall of EasyJet and Bob Dudley of BP. Second, some of the business leaders named say that although Britain would be better off economically in the EU,", "summary": "Leaving the European Union would threaten jobs and put the UK's economy at risk, leaders of some of Britain's biggest companies have said."}
{"article": "The trio of Jack Carlin, Ryan Owens and Joe Truman repeated last weekend's win in Glasgow, again beating France into second place in Apeldoorn. Emily Kay, who won the new-look omnium last week, finished second behind Kirsten Wild in the four-race event. Chris Latham was second in the scratch race; Rachel James and Katy Marchant were fifth in the women's team sprint. Britain did not qualify for the medal rides in the men's team pursuit, with senior academy riders Matt Wall, Ethan Hayter, Matt Bostock and Joe Holt recording the fifth fastest time. Racing continues on Saturday with the men's sprint, women's keirin, women's 500m time trial and men's points race. Find out how to get into cycling with our special guide.", "summary": "Britain's men won team sprint gold on the opening day of the season's second Track World Cup in the Netherlands."}
{"article": "The bidding is slow and stuttering. \"All that wait for nothing,\" mutters the auctioneer as a telephone bidder thinks long and hard about a making a higher offer before changing his mind. Most works sell at the low end of their estimated price range. Constable's The Lock, for instance, fetches $13.5m (\u00c2\u00a39.1m) when it was estimated to sell for as much as $17.8m. It is an oddly subdued end to the year, because the headlines in the media were suggesting that in 2015 the art market caught fire. In May, Picasso's Les Femmes d'Alger, Version O, sold at Christie's in New York for $179.3m (\u00c2\u00a3120.6m). Bidders in the auction room erupted in applause: it is the highest price ever paid for a work at auction. Then, in November, a Chinese businessman paid $170.4m for Modigliani's Nu Couche (Reclining Nude) - the second-highest price ever fetched at auction. However, 2015 also saw seen many auction flops. Claude Monet's Nympheas sold for $33.8m, well below its top estimate of $50m and Andy Warhol's Four Marilyns sold for $36m rather than the expected $40m. It seems that many of the world's millionaires are now feeling worried about the future, and are opting to keep their wealth in cash. This is particularly true of rich Chinese, who now make up a fifth of the world's buyers of art. Turbulence on the Shanghai stock exchange in 2015, an economic slowdown and tough anti-corruption laws have persuaded many to stop splashing out on art. \"At the very, very top of the market - amongst billionaires who are really keen to get a great work by a really famous-name artist like Picasso - there is still a lot of competition\", says Jane Morris, editor of The Art Newspaper, based in London. \"Once you go under that, where we're talking prices in the millions of dollars, people are feeling more squeezed. \"There's much less confidence in the Chinese market. The Russians are feeling much poorer. People in general are feeling poorer, and that has had an impact.\" The biggest impact of all has been on the market for contemporary art, which had been booming for five years or more and where prices had been surging. This autumn, Christie's made only $331.1m from its post-war and contemporary art sale. That is well below the $852.8m made from the same event in 2014. And Christie's Asian 20th Century and contemporary auction, held in November in Hong Kong, made only $66m compared with $82m made at a similar event in 2014, and $121m in 2013. People who buy art as an investment now appear to be switching away from contemporary art towards old masters and well-known painters from the 19th and 20th Centuries. Works by \"brand-name\" artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Paul Gauguin and Gustave Courbet all fetched record prices at auctions in 2015. Many Chinese buyers, such as Liu Yiquin - who bought Modigliani's Nu Couche - are now buying Western art at auctions in London and New York rather than contemporary art in Hong Kong. Art Basel Miami is an event", "summary": "It is a rainy December evening in London and Sotheby's is holding one of its last major auctions of 2015 - a sale of works by Old Masters from the Renaissance era and works by British artists such as John Constable and Joseph Wright of Derby."}
{"article": "Mark Yeates twice threatened for Blackpool before the break, with his second effort tipped onto the bar. A fine run from Stephen Darby set Reid up to fire low into the bottom corner. Blackpool's Will Aimson saw red in injury time for a second caution after a clash with James Henson. Defeat sees Blackpool slip to within one spot of the relegation places, with the Seasiders only above Shrewsbury in 21st on goal difference.", "summary": "Kyel Reid scored the only goal of the game as Bradford City moved to within a point of the play-off spots with victory over relegation-threatened Blackpool at Bloomfield Road."}
{"article": "Now it faces a new challenge, as US based activist hedge fund ValueAct Capital, which owns just over 10% stake in the firm, has been pressing for a seat on Rolls-Royce's board. While ValueAct describes itself as driving \"value-creating strategies\", management at Rolls-Royce has previously called the investor an \"opportunist\". ValueAct, which is now Rolls-Royce's biggest shareholder, is also reported to want the British firm to focus on its main aero-engine business, which accounts for about half of profits, and to offload its unit which makes marine engines. The marine business makes engines and nuclear reactors for ships, submarines and the offshore oil and gas industry, while the aero business makes engines for passenger jets built by Boeing and Airbus. Based in San Francisco, ValueAct was founded in 2000 by Jeffrey Ubben, its chief executive and chief investment officer, \"to manage the capital of its founders, along with the capital of a limited number of outside investors\". Mr Ubben is an ex-mutual fund manager at Fidelity and has served as a director at more than 20 companies, including Sara Lee. ValueAct says it manages more than $19bn (\u00c2\u00a312.6bn) on behalf of some of the world's most respected institutional and individual investors. The fund usually makes about three to four new investments a year, and has a reported $3.3bn (\u00c2\u00a32.2bn) stake in Microsoft. It says it \"concentrates on acquiring significant ownership stakes in companies it believes are fundamentally undervalued\". ValueAct explains that \"such companies may be temporarily mispriced for a variety of reasons, including perceived unfavourable industry conditions, poor business performance, changes in management or ownership, reorganizations, or other external factors. \"These conditions can often result in fundamentally \"good\" businesses that are available at depressed valuations.\" Which is no doubt how ValueAct would say it sees Rolls-Royce. Last week ValueAct nearly doubled its holding to 10.01%, making it by far the largest investor in Rolls-Royce, and giving more impetus to its request to take a seat on the board and cut costs. On its website, the San Francisco-based fund says it \"works constructively with management and the company's board to implement value-creating strategies\". Some major Rolls investors are reported to be supportive of ValueAct, believing its presence could provide insight that it is lacking at present. As well as profit warnings seeing its share price fall by close to 40% in 2015, Rolls-Royce still has Serious Fraud Office investigations into bribery allegations in China, Indonesia and other parts of the world, hovering over it. Despite this the firm is obviously of interest to ValueAct, which at any given time has a portfolio of ten to 18 core company investments, as well as a small \"farm team\" of additional investments in development. But running such a diverse operation is not without potential pitfalls. On Monday, ValueAct said its fund had fallen by 8.3% during the third quarter, erasing its gains for the year. It had been hit by a drop in shares of a main portfolio company, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International.", "summary": "UK engineering firm Rolls-Royce has faced a number of problems over the past two years, having found itself making five profit warnings as its stock price has taken a hammering."}
{"article": "The museum hopes to raise \u00a35m to develop its Maryfield tram depot into a fully-restored national visitor attraction. It has been based at its temporary headquarters in Market Street since April 2014. The grant will fund a new museum director and consultancy post for two years. The museum's chairman Jimmy McDonell said: \"We are extremely privileged to have been offered this grant from the Mathew Trust. \"It will allow us to carry the project forward by bringing in the expertise we need to make the very best of this opportunity that we have.\" The museum, which is run by volunteers, attracted more than 10,000 visitors in its first year. VisitScotland regional director Jim Clarkson said: \"In Scotland's Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, the grant will help Dundee Museum of Transport remain an exciting part of the city's tourism offering, boosting the visitor economy in the process.\"", "summary": "Dundee Museum of Transport's fundraising campaign has received an \u00a380,000 grant."}
{"article": "The research, funded by World Rugby over 29 months, took in 485 men and compared amateur and professional players with matched control groups. World Rugby said it was \"difficult\" to draw robust conclusions, adding \"further research was required\". But Professor Patria Hume said it was \"irresponsible\" to ignore the link. She said rugby players who had suffered four or more concussions performed worse in tests measuring mental and physical coordination, motor speed and multi-tasking. The Auckland University of Technology study, which is in the process of being peer reviewed for publication, was commissioned by World Rugby in 2012 amid growing fears about the potential for long-term brain injuries in high-impact sports. Hume, who said that \"94% of elite level rugby players experienced one or more concussions\", added that the study showed a statistically significant link between repeated concussion and brain damage. She said: \"We've got to go through that scientific process, but what I'm saying is that, as a scientist, it's irresponsible for people to say there are no long-term brain health issues. \"Because all indications so far from the analysis we have done indicates that there possibly are for the rugby players and for people who have been concussed more than four times.\" The study involved 131 ex-players, 281 retired amateur players and 73 retired non-contact sportspeople. World Rugby said in a statement: \"The study showed that rugby players performed above average in some tests compared to non-contact sports players and less well in others. \"It is therefore difficult to draw robust conclusions about the links between rugby and long-term cognitive health issues and highlights the need for further in-depth research.\" Concerns about concussions in rugby follow a \u00a3490m settlement in 2013 between American football's NFL and former players, who said the league hid the dangers of long-term brain damage. And the issue was highlighted when Wales and Northampton winger George North and England's Harlequins full-back Mike Brown were both stood down from the game for an extended period after suffering concussion earlier this year. The latest annual injury audit for English rugby shows that the number of reported concussions rose by 59% in 2013-14 compared to the previous season. But rugby's governing bodies believe the increase is because of improved understanding of head injuries. In the new findings, athletes who reported four or more concussions during their careers performed worse in some, but not all, neuropsychological testing and those who had one to three concussions had a worse result in one of five balance tests. But researchers said further targeted research was needed to assess the impact of concussion on long-term balance and cognitive brain function. Arthritis and cardiovascular health in retired athletes also requires further investigation.", "summary": "A major study of rugby union players points to a potential link between frequent concussion and brain function, the project's lead researcher said."}
{"article": "And his favourite is one of the scariest and most well known, the Tyrannosaurus Rex! Prince George's Mum, Kate Middleton, revealed to children which dinosaur was his favourite during a visit to the Natural History Museum. She said \"George loves the T Rex because it's the noisiest and the scariest.\" Kate was visiting the museum for a special children's tea party being held to say goodbye to Dippy the Dinosaur. Dippy is the museum's most easily recognised exhibit, a massive 21.3m model of a Diplodocus skeleton and was presented to the museum more than 115 years ago! It is being packed up and sent on a tour of the UK, so every piece must be labelled and packed away. A job that's about as big as dippy is!", "summary": "We all love dinosaurs and Prince George is no exception."}
{"article": "A report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has questioned how the policy will be funded, and whether proper replacement homes will be built. The MPs also said there was evidence that Right to Buy could increase overcrowding for those in housing need. The government said it made no apology for encouraging home ownership. The idea of the scheme is to allow Housing Association tenants to buy their own homes, with discounts similar to those currently enjoyed by council tenants. Members of the Committee said there was also a danger that increased discounts for Housing Association tenants would lead to greater fraud. Meg Hillier, chair of the PAC, said the approach to paying for the policy was entirely speculative. \"There are no costings or workings out. We are not talking about a 'back of an envelope' calculation - there is no envelope at all.\" The policy has previously been criticised by the Local Government Association, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). It has also been rejected by the governments of Wales and Scotland. The government has said that the extension of Right to Buy - which is already being piloted in five areas of England - will be funded by councils selling off their most valuable council houses. It promised that all the homes would be replaced. But the MPs concluded that the government's commitment \"will not ensure that these will be like-for-like replacements\". They said new homes \"can be a different size and in a different area, and may cost more to rent\". Further details available here In their report, the MPs also said it would be difficult to replace homes on a one-for-one basis. They said such a target would require a five-fold acceleration in housing starts. As a result, the policy could \"lead to those in need of social housing suffering greater overcrowding.\" But the government insisted that all the replacement homes would be built. \"This government makes no apology for helping people into homeownership,\" said a spokesperson for the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG). \"Our voluntary agreement with housing associations will mean 1.3 million tenants will have the chance to own their own home, while every home sold will be replaced with a new affordable property.\" The scheme is due to be rolled out across England later this year.", "summary": "The government's controversial plan to extend the Right to Buy to Housing Association tenants has been sharply criticised by a group of MPs."}
{"article": "The country's Central Election Commission said that there had been a record turnout of 95.11% for the poll. The result, giving 74-year-old Mr Nazarbayev a fifth consecutive five-year term, had never been in doubt. The president has promised economic and social stability in the oil-rich Central Asian state. He ran virtually unopposed as his two opponents were both seen as pro-government. Human rights groups accuse the authorities of systematically repressing the opposition. Mr Nazarbayev cast his ballot to loud cheering in the capital Astana, saying he was sure that the people of Kazakhstan would support his campaign. \"I am sure Kazakhstan's people will vote primarily for the stable development of our state and the improvement of people's lives, as well as the stability of the state and in support of the policies the country has implemented under my leadership,\" he told journalists. \"I am confident of this.\" Many voters waited in long queues at polling stations in Astana and in the largest city, Almaty - with many citing a \"civic duty\" to vote. Correspondents say that the vote has taken place against a faltering economy in recent months in Kazakhstan, which is the richest of the five former Soviet Central Asian states. Domestic producers have been dismissing workers as they struggle to compete against Russian imports made cheaper by the weakening of the sanctions-hit rouble. Elections had been due in 2016, but President Nazarbayev announced they would be held a year early in what some see as a move intended to halt speculation about any possible successor. A former Communist politburo member, Mr Nazarbayev has been president of Kazakhstan since before it became independent in 1991 following the break-up of the former Soviet Union. Some 9.5 million people were eligible to vote in the vast country, which has extensive borders with both Russia and China.", "summary": "Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has had a widely expected crushing election victory, with early results showing he has won 97.7% of the vote."}
{"article": "A new exhibition was also opened at Edinburgh Castle looking at the first decade of the regiment's operations. The creation of the Royal Regiment of Scotland in 2006 was controversial at the time. It meant names of famous regiments such as the Royal Scots and the Kings Own Scottish Borderers would disappear. Others such as the Black Watch and the Royal Highland Fusiliers would reform as one of the new six battalions of the new regiment. Now a decade on, senior offices said the Royal Regiment of Scotland had been almost continuously on active operations, creating its own history. That history was marked earlier with a parade down the Royal Mile leaving the castle at 11:00 led by the regimental mascot, the Shetland Pony Cruachan the fourth. Major General James Cowan, the regiment's senior officer, said: \"Our soldiers will be proud to parade in Edinburgh on Friday symbolising the support we receive from the wider community across Scotland and we are very grateful for Edinburgh City Council for allowing us to 'Exercise our Freedom'.\" \"Since the Regiment was formed in 2006 our soldiers have deployed almost continuously on operations around the world, so the Regiment is now building its own proud history as we head into the future. \"The service in the Canongate Kirk will provide us with an opportunity to reflect on our first ten years and commemorate those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country.\" Steve Cardownie, Edinburgh's Depute Lord Provost, said: \"It is a true honour to welcome The Royal Regiment of Scotland to the City Chambers. \"This parade is a fitting demonstration of Edinburgh's steadfast support for the brave men and women who continue to put their lives at risk in service of this country. \"Of course, as we celebrate the last decade, we will also remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.\"", "summary": "Soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland have paraded down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh to mark the 10th anniversary of its creation."}
{"article": "In her new book Unfiltered, the Golden Globe-nominated actress writes: \"Many of my deepest insecurities stem from these issues with my dad.\" She also penned an open letter to the Genesis drummer, saying she forgives him for \"not always being there\" and \"not being the dad I expected\". Collins left Lily's mother Jill Tavelman when the actress was five. In her book of essays, Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me, the 27-year-old star explains her father then moved from England to Switzerland, where he stayed for more than two decades. \"He may have still been alive, but most of the time it felt as if he were completely gone,\" writes Lily. \"I knew he loved me, yet he wasn't physically around to tell me.\" She says a \"terrible disconnect\" developed between her and Collins - who has four other children - as she got older. \"He assumed everything was always fine because I never said otherwise. It established a detrimental pattern. \"And I've realized that many of my deepest insecurities stem from these issues with my dad. It's taken me more than a decade to resolve some of them (others I'm still resolving) and to finally build up the courage to speak my mind to him.\" The Mirror Mirror and Love, Rosie actress - nominated for a Golden Globe this year for Rules Don't Apply - encourages her readers to share an open letter she wrote with their fathers, or to write their own. In it, she assures her father she will always need him and \"always be your little girl\", but also tells him: \"We all make choices and, although I don't excuse some of yours, at the end of the day we can't rewrite the past. I'm learning how to accept your actions and vocalise how they made me feel. \"I accept and honour the sadness and anger I felt toward the things you did or didn't do, did or didn't give me.\" She continues: \"I forgive you for not always being there when I needed and for not being the dad I expected. I forgive the mistakes you made. \"And although it may seem like it's too late, it's not. There's still so much time to move forward.\" Lily, whose book is published by Ebury Press on Tuesday, ends by saying: \"I love you with all of my heart, more than you'll ever know.\" Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion, email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Lily Collins says it was \"painful\" that her musician father Phil was absent from much of her childhood."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The ultimate childhood tennis dream had been realised in one perfect draw - a Wimbledon wildcard leading to the British teenager facing the legendary Martina Navratilova on Centre Court. It was 1994 and set to be nine-time champion Navratilova's farewell appearance in singles at the All England Club. World number 360 Taylor, then 19, was steadily climbing the rankings, had just beaten a player in the top 50 at Eastbourne and would normally have had the unwavering support of the home crowd. But ruining a legend's day would not have gone down well. \"When we came out they gave her a standing ovation for what seemed like forever, so I stood at the net like a doughnut waiting for her,\" Taylor, now Claire Shepherd after marrying Dean in 2013, told BBC Sport. \"It didn't stop; it was incredible. I was just stood there and the umpire said: 'It's OK, this doesn't normally happen.' \"The crowd were definitely pro-Martina, but they were still supportive of me. \"It is just a bit of a regret that my career highlight was losing a match. I don't like that really, but it was Martina on Centre Court.\" Now a tennis coach, Shepherd, 42, is still very much in love with the sport and remains a regular visitor to SW19, having been hooked long before she became Oxfordshire county champion at the age of 10. She used go to the All England Club with her tennis-mad father Phil and join the queuing masses to get tickets, so being out on the showpiece court in front of millions watching on television felt \"very strange\". The Banbury-born left-hander had made her Wimbledon debut in the ladies' doubles in 1993. But this was something else. \"We had queued many times to watch Martina so to play her was amazing,\" the former British number two added. \"My first thought was: 'Wow, that's great.' Then, it was: 'No hold on, that's a terrible draw.'\" The innocence of youth certainly helped to deal with facing one of the greatest players ever to pick up a racquet. Navratilova won a total of 18 singles Grand Slam titles during her astonishing career. She may have been 37, but she was the world number four and still a dominant force on the All England grass, which was effectively her home turf. \"I was a little bit blas\u00e9,\" Shepherd explained. \"At 19, you have a certain amount of naivety and just want to get on and do it. You just play the ball; it doesn't matter who is at the other end. \"I didn't think: 'I'm going to win, it's all fine.' It is difficult to have that bravado when you respect someone that much. But I didn't think: 'I'm going to get absolutely hammered.' \"I was well aware of how incredibly good Martina was. I would have to have had a lot of things fall in my favour but there was always that chance. \"I knew I was playing well; I had won a lot of matches and", "summary": "Feeling like a \"doughnut\" while she waited for the biggest day of her career to get going wasn't really in Claire Taylor's planning."}
{"article": "Michael David McCauley, 41, of Cwmbran, denied abusing children as young as six but was convicted of a string of offences and jailed for 15 years at Cardiff Crown Court in January. The case was sent to the Court of Appeal on Wednesday, where the term was upped to 20 years. Lord Justice Treacy described it as a \"serious catalogue of offending\". \"The result of the offending, certainly in the first girl's case, amounts to serious psychological harm,\" he said. \"What took place was planned and involved grooming.\" McCauley was found guilty of six rapes and seven sexual assaults. He also admitted having child abuse images, which police found stored on his computer, visiting sites and discussing paedophilia online, the court heard. Lord Justice Treacy added: \"We are satisfied that the overall sentence passed was unduly lenient.\"", "summary": "A child rapist jailed for grooming young girls for sex has had his \"unduly lenient\" sentence increased."}
{"article": "It has been predicted more than 100,000 fans could arrive in a city with a population of less than 40,000. \"We hope the suggested figures are not the same as the actual number of fans who will turn up,\" Sylvain Robert told the Sport Wales TV programme. \"I don't know how we'd find space for 100,000 people.\" Robert says he and the city's officials are \"working on all possible scenarios\" and a 10,000-capacity fan zone will be set up. He added: \"We are apprehensive about the number of fans who could arrive without a ticket as it's a problem for this type of event.\" According to Paul Corkrey of the Welsh branch of the Football Supporters' Federation, Lens' Stade Bollaert-Delelis \"is one of the best stadiums in France\". He added: \"But the problem is that's all that's good about it. \"The fan zone is very small. To have a tournament of this size there is strange because there are not many amenities there for supporters. I wouldn't go there.\" Robert is worried that the town's reputation may be damaged by the tournament. \"It's not that we would be happier to have fewer people, it's that we would be happier if we can host fans in good conditions,\" said the mayor. Uefa responded with a statement, which read: \"The host city of Lens, in close collaboration with the local authorities and Uefa, will be implementing appropriate measures to ensure that all visitors enjoy matches in a safe and festive atmosphere, be it at the stadium, in the fan zone or in the city centre.\" Watch Sport Wales, BBC Two Wales from 19:30 BST on Friday, 6 May and later on demand and on the BBC iPlayer.", "summary": "The mayor of Lens says he is apprehensive about the number of supporters expected to visit when Wales face England at Euro 2016 on 16 June."}
{"article": "Contractors have been appointed for the scheme from the M25 to Crawley. The move allows the hard shoulder to be used on the motorway which carries more than 120,000 vehicles each day, Highways England said. But the AA has raised concerns and said the \"jury is still out\" on smart motorways which use technology to control traffic. The M23 scheme is expected to cost between \u00a3148.4m and \u00a3211.2m, creating a four-lane stretch from a three-lane section. Highways England said other smart motorways had a good safety record and officers could respond quickly if people did break down in a live lane. The spokesman said \"environmentally-sound\" smart motorways also cost less than widening schemes and they used less land. But Paul Watters, from the AA, said smart motorways needed to be evaluated after a reasonably long period. He claimed the Surrey/Sussex scheme would be \"permanent all-lane running\", meaning four lanes would in operation all the time, and he added: \"We need to see how we're faring with those.\" Mr Watters added there had been reports of drivers continuing on closed lanes, and surveys had shown people still did not fully understand smart motorways. He said the scheme was justified because traffic was increasing and the M23 served both Gatwick and the M25, but the AA had concerns about using the hard shoulder - leaving no spare capacity for the future - and about the distance between refuge areas.", "summary": "A smart motorway scheme is to be built on the M23 in Surrey and West Sussex at a cost of up to \u00a3211m."}
{"article": "Right up till the close of Thursday's session, shares were not able to trade as there were about 10 times as many sell orders as there were bids. According to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the latest share price was indicated at 583 yen ($5.34; \u00c2\u00a33.74) a share. That is a 20% plunge from the previous day close of 733 yen. Shares tanked by more than 15% on Wednesday. That was as news emerged that Mitsubishi Motors had admitted falsifying fuel economy data for more than 600,000 vehicles sold in Japan. Officials have raided an office of Mitsubishi motors, and authorities are demanding a full report from the company, due on April 27th. In the broader Japanese market, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 2.7% - or 457.08 points - to close at 17,363.62. That is the highest level since 3 February. More than 600,000 Japanese vehicles affected 157,000 Mitsubishi models 468,000 Nissan models 15% Wednesday's share price fall \"In a lot of respects I think yesterday's selling of Mitsubishi was a bit overdone,\" said Gavin Parry, managing director at Parry International Trading. \"From what we know so far it's all very domestic, with no US impact and no impact in Europe, and I think people are a bit hasty to cast this in the same light as the Volkswagen scandal. But of course the facts aren't all in yet, so it's hard to know for sure.\" Mitsubishi's announcement follows on from the Volkswagen's emissions scandal last year, in which it was found to have cheated diesel emissions tests in the United States and elsewhere. Elsewhere in Asia, China's Shanghai Composite index was up 0.42% at 2,985.12, while in Hong Kong the Hang Seng index rose 1.8% to 21,617.50. In South Korea, the benchmark Kospi index closed up 0.8% at 2,022.10, while Australia's S&P ASX 200 index ended the day 1.1% higher at 5,272.69. US stocks closed higher overnight amid mixed earnings reports. Coca Cola reported a fall in quarterly profit. Yahoo revealed a $99m loss in the first quarter. And chipmaker Intel announced it was cutting 11% of its workforce. The Dow Jones closed up 42.67 points at 18,096.27, the S&P 500 added 1.60 points to 2,102.40 while the Nasdaq rose 3.35 points to 4,540.44.", "summary": "Investors in Tokyo are waiting in line to sell off more shares of Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors."}
{"article": "Thousands of trainer fans - or sneaker heads - have been braving the cold and rain to queue up at Truman Brewery just off Brick Lane. They've been buying new shoes from dealers and showing off their favourite pairs with DJs playing hip-hop to the crowd. Crepe City was founded by trainer fanatics, Ronal Raichura and Paul Smyth, in 2009. The first event held that year at Notting Hill Arts Club had 10 sellers and around 200 visitors. Around 2,500 were expected to attend the one-day event in London this year with trainer prices going from anywhere between \u00a320 and \u00a33,500. There were more than 200 stalls with around 2,000 different shoes for sale. Jim travelled from the US to attend the event. He said: \"I wear sneakers because I used to look at the basketball players and liked their style. I like to look good and be comfy.\" Amar Hayer, 23, was also there looking for a new pair of trainers. \"I like wearing what other people can't get,\" he told Newsbeat. \"I sell trainers too. \"I have a pair worth \u00a33,500 and still wear them. At the end of the day they are still a trainer.\" \"My name is Pins and I'm an artist and customise trainers. I like doughnuts and I like trainers.\" Nikki is 28 and said: \"I like to be different and have a pair for every occasion. I have around 80 pairs. \"I also love heels. I have a heel fetish too.\" Simian is 25 and said: \"It's a lifestyle thing for me.\" Louis and Daniel, both 13, go to the same school. Louis said: \"I have four pairs and would have loads more if I had the money. My parents get it but not as much as me.\" Daniel said: \"I'd love more trainers. My parents don't get it.\" Vish, 19, is with Linda, also 19, and said he'd bought her matching shoes. \"When I was young my mum bought me fake trainers so when I got cash of my own I started collecting and now I run a business selling sneakers.\" Lawrence, 28, said: \"I deal in trainers that are all sold out in the shops. It's the hype of the shoe that dictates price. These ones are \u00a3450.\" Carly, 25, dad Ollie, 43, Oscar, 11, Quinn, eight, Jess, 23, and mum Lisa, 44, are at the event as part of a family outing. Ollie said: \"I'm old school and have always loved trainers. My kids do too.\" Quinn said: \"I have just got these today because they're skateboarding shoes.\" Ashton, 16, is on a day out at the trainer festival with John, who is 40. Ashton said: \"John is my homie. We are different ages but both love shoes. These are the most expensive shoes in here. They are \u00a33,500. \"They are Back to the Future 2 shoes. They were auctioned off to raise money for the Michael J Fox's Parkinson's Foundation. \"They are from the film and even light up. \"In the film they are from the future 2015 - next year.\"", "summary": "Europe's largest trainer festival, Crepe City, has been taking place in east London."}
{"article": "The front page of Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung has the headline \"Storm over London\", above a picture of a High Court judge with his wig flapping around in the air. \"Judges put the brakes on Brexit,\" reads a front-page headline in Italy's Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica has \"Brexit: Surprise ruling\", and French business paper Les Echos says \"Brexit: London's dramatic turn of events\". For Frankfurter Rundschau's London correspondent, Sebastian Border, the decision is \"a heavy blow for May's government\", and he sees the Brexit schedule \"faltering\". The Hungarian tabloid Blikk believes the latest developments are worthy of Shakespeare, with the headline \"To Brexit or not to Brexit, that is the question - parliament will decide\". French paper Les Echos, says Theresa May's government \"hit an iceberg called the High Court of Justice\". \"Enough to sink the Brexit ship? Or just rock it slightly?\" it wonders. An article in German tabloid Bild shows a picture of a kissing couple bearing EU and Union Jack face-paint, along with the headline \"Is this the exit from Brexit?\" But few commentators believe the ruling is likely to overturn June's referendum result. L'Express describes the ruling as a \"thunderbolt from across the Channel\", but adds that although a delay is now likely, Brexit will still go ahead in the end. In Italian business daily Il Sole 24 Ore, London correspondent Leonardo Maisano, says the High Court \"detonated a new bomb\" under Brexit, but believes MPs will ultimately not go against the \"popular will expressed in the referendum\". Instead, most think the ruling only complicates an already tricky situation even further. \"Here comes the big mess,\" declares a headline in Germany's Zeit, whose London correspondent, Sascha Zastiral, describes the ruling as \"a severe setback\" for Theresa May's Brexit plans. France's Liberation sees the decision as \"not a setback for Brexit, but a stinging rap on the knuckles\" for the government. In Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, London correspondent Marcus Theurer writes that this \"bitter defeat\" for the PM and Leavers will \"poison the political debate\" in the UK, and increase the \"uncertainty around Brexit even further\". Spain's El Pais also highlights the unprecedented nature of the situation, which it says takes the country into \"the tricky uncharted waters of Britain's unwritten constitution\". Italian paper Il Messaggero describes the ruling as \"a spoke in the wheels of Brexit\" and emphasises that it is hard to predict what will happen next, as we are now \"in completely new territory\". \"It is not by chance that Collins dictionary has chosen 'Brexit' as the word of the year,\" it concludes. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "summary": "European press commentators have been taken aback at the UK High Court's ruling that Parliament must be consulted on Brexit, with many predicting further uncertainty for the UK and the rest of Europe as a result."}
{"article": "Pendleton, 35, had been unseated from the same horse at Fakenham on her National Hunt debut 12 days earlier. But the double Olympic cycling champion, who has been riding for just over a year, jumped well and led all the way to win by 29 lengths. A decision on whether she rides in the Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival will be made next Monday. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I will do some more point-to-points and see what the experts around me decide and I will go with their choice,\" said Pendleton. \"But I will definitely be riding for the rest of the season.\" Pendleton, who had come second in a flat race at Ripon last summer, stayed clear of trouble as she made all the running on the Paul Nicholls-trained gelding to comfortably win the hunter chase from the veteran Big Fella Thanks. 5 live In Short: Pendleton on \"incredible\" first win She will again partner the nine-year-old Pacha Du Polder if she gets the go-ahead to compete at Cheltenham on 18 March. Pendleton added: \"In cycling, my performance was so monitored. I knew exactly my power output, the speed I'd try to be maintaining - everything was so specific, calculated and planned. When you get on a racehorse, everything else goes out the window. \"I really wanted to get round and give the horse the ride he deserved. I feel honoured to ride such a wonderful horse.\" It looks increasingly likely that barely a year after taking up riding, and taking on the challenge of lining up at jump racing's Cheltenham Festival, Victoria Pendleton will contest the Foxhunter Chase. A much more polished, less nervy performance at windswept Wincanton, leading all the way and never close to being unseated, saw her banish the memory of her recent fall. No final decision about Cheltenham has been made but the endorsement of Pacha Du Polder's trainer Paul Nicholls that she is now \"more than qualified\" seems pretty ringing to me.", "summary": "Victoria Pendleton won her first race as an amateur jockey on 5-4 favourite Pacha Du Polder at Wincanton."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device With a host of governing bodies embroiled in bullying allegations, Grainger told BBC Sport that things \"need to improve\". In her first interview since being appointed to one of the most powerful roles in British sport, the former Olympic rower also warned the \"risk\" of a tougher financial future was another major challenge. However, the 41 year-old defended UK Sport's 'no-compromise' funding strategy, which allocates money according to medal potential, and has helped transform the country's Olympic and Paralympic fortunes. \"Unfortunately, somehow the message has got out that 'no compromise' could mean 'winning at any costs' and that's not the case,\" said Grainger, who starts her role on 1 July. \"It's not what anybody who believes in the positive force of sport would want to see.\" In a wide-ranging interview, Britain's most decorated female Olympian, who has a PhD in law, said her new role was \"a huge privilege and responsibility\". With little experience in sports administration, Grainger was a surprise appointment at such a critical time for UK Sport, but she said: \"I was very serious about this job and would not have applied for it if I didn't think I could do it in a very credible way. \"I was honest in the interview and said 'I haven't been a chair of anything like this before'. But I'm very keen to learn, and I've got a lot of incredible support around me.\" UK Sport has distributed \u00a3345m to 31 Olympic and Paralympic sports in the pursuit of medals at Tokyo 2020. Lottery funding has revolutionised elite performances over the last 20 years. But with ticket sales declining and the government unlikely to extend Exchequer support after the next summer Games, Grainger warned sports bodies would have to become \"much more creative\". \"There are a lot of challenges facing British sport right now,\" she said. \"I think everyone is acutely aware of it, nobody is hiding. One of the biggest challenges is financial, and it always will be. \"I think UK Sport has been very well supported by the government and National Lottery for a long time, that's why we've seen such success. But we can't continue to rely on those sources to the extent we have done up until now. \"I think everyone is aware of the risk going forward, and about the fall in lottery ticket sales. \"So all different aspects of the sporting landscape must come together and appreciate the challenge we're all facing.\" After months of negative headlines, it has emerged that a third of UK Sport-funded governing bodies have had to confront athlete welfare issues or complaints, raising fears that medal success has come at the expense of duty of care. \"I don't think anyone in sport doesn't want to see a healthy environment for athletes and all staff,\" said Grainger. \"From what we've seen it will always need to improve\u2026 we are dealing with human beings, and unfortunately in recent months we've seen some awful stories coming to light and nobody wants to see that going on", "summary": "Dame Katherine Grainger, the incoming chair of UK Sport, says she has \"huge concerns about athlete welfare\"."}
{"article": "The Chinese navy seized the US underwater research vessel in the South China Sea on Thursday, the US alleges. The incident took place just as the USNS Bowditch, an oceanographic survey ship, was about to retrieve it. The device, dubbed an \"ocean glider\", was used to test water salinity and temperature, officials say. The data was part of an unclassified programme to map underwater channels, Pentagon spokesman Capt Jeff Davis told reporters. \"It was taken\" by China, Capt Davis said during a press briefing on Friday. \"The UUV [unmanned underwater vehicle] was lawfully conducting a military survey in the waters of the South China Sea,\" he added. \"It's a sovereign immune vessel, clearly marked in English not to be removed from the water - that it was US property.\" The Chinese seizure of a US navy drone only serves to increase uncertainty and tension between the US and China, coming in the same week as a US think tank published satellite images of anti-aircraft missiles on China's artificial islands in the South China Seas and in the aftermath of remarks from US President-elect Donald Trump criticising China for building what he called a \"massive fortress\" in the region. Despite previous statements that China had no intention of militarising the islands, the Chinese Defence Ministry defended what it described as \"necessary military facilities\" which it called \"proper and legitimate\". Since Mr Trump questioned the so-called \"One China\" policy which Beijing describes as the 'political bedrock' of the US China relationship, China has also mounted fighter exercises over the Taiwan Strait. The Obama administration has reaffirmed what it called its \"unwavering commitment\" to the \"One China\" policy but the seizure of a US navy drone may be Beijing's way of sending a message to the incoming administration that it too has ways of disrupting expectations and upsetting the status quo. The encounter occurred in the South China Sea about 50 miles (80km) northwest of Subic Bay, Philippines, the US says. \"The Chinese navy ship ASR-510, a Dalang III-class ship, approached within 500 yards of the Bowditch, launched a small boat, and seized the UUV,\" the Pentagon said in a statement. The Bowditch made radio contact with the Chinese ship to demand its immediate return but were \"ignored\". \"This is not the sort of conduct we expect from professional navies,\" Capt Davis added. The seizure will likely add to US concerns about the growing military posture taken by China in the South China Sea. A US think tank reported this week that aerial imagery shows that China has installed weaponry along seven artificial islands they have built at sea, despite US protests. In November 2015, two US B-52 bomber planes flew over the man-made islands, known as the Spratly Islands. Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said the device was a \"sovereign immune vessel of the United States\" and demanded its immediate return from China. Senator Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations committee, called the seizure \"a remarkably brazen violation of international law\". Senior Republican Senator John McCain said the US should", "summary": "The US has issued a formal request to China to deliver an unmanned underwater drone that was seized in international waters, US officials say."}
{"article": "Ceredigion council unanimously voted to impose the ban following concerns over the impact on land, wildlife and farm life. The move was proposed by councillor Mark Strong and seconded by councillor Catrin Miles. In October 2013, the Welsh government called on councils to make a stand, stopping short of an outright ban.", "summary": "Releasing Chinese and air lanterns on council land and beaches in Ceredigion has been banned."}
{"article": "The girls, aged 13 and 14, were charged with the murder of Angela Wrightson, 39, whose body was discovered at her home in Stephen Street on Tuesday. They appeared separately, with the younger girl wiping away a tear and the older one weeping throughout. No pleas were entered and both were remanded to youth custody, with a preliminary hearing on 18 December. One of the girls' mothers wept as they appeared at an earlier hearing at Teesside Youth Court. The 13-year-old's parents were present at the hearing, with her mother sobbing throughout, and the older girl was watched by her father. At the crown court, no wigs were worm by the judge or prosecution and defence barristers due to the age of the defendants. A post-mortem examination found Ms Wrightson died as a result of blood loss and substantial injuries.", "summary": "Two teenage girls accused of murdering a woman in Hartlepool have appeared at Teesside Crown Court."}
{"article": "The victim was with a friend in McKechnie Street, Govan, when the attack took place at about 11:10 on Wednesday. He was taken to South Glasgow University Hospital and treated for a serious facial injury before being allowed home. His attacker is described as a white male in his 20s, with light brown hair. Police Scotland, who have appealed for witnesses, said the suspect ran off towards Harmony Row. Det Con Adam Richardson, of Govan CID, said: \"We are currently studying CCTV footage in an attempt to get a clearer description of the person responsible for this vicious attack. \"At this time there is no apparent motive for the attack and I appeal to anyone who either witnessed the incident or who saw the suspect running off afterwards to contact police immediately.\"", "summary": "A 61-year-old man was slashed in the face after being attacked from behind as he walked along a Glasgow street."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 44-year-old's predecessor Bob Bradley had spoken of a list of January transfer targets that Swansea had drawn up before his departure last week. But Clement admits he has some of his own targets in mind. \"I've had assurances from the club that the opportunity (to buy players) will be there in January,\" Clement said. \"Before I came there were discussions and targets, those targets are known to me now. \"I bring with me some of my own ideas and thoughts on where we need to strengthen and players I've seen and like. \"It has to be done quickly. But I'm gathering information, that started against Palace, and it's only fair to see what they (the current players) can offer.\" Swansea were taken over last summer by an American consortium fronted by Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien, and have hired former economics journalist Altman, of North Yard Analytics, as the club's 'Moneyball' expert. 'Moneyball' is the use of statistical analysis to buy what is undervalued and sell what is overvalued made famous by a book and subsequent movie based on the Oakland Athletics baseball franchise under general manager Billy Beane. Clement is comfortable with the input of New York-based Altman using data to analyse the current squad and help identify transfer targets as part of the 'due diligence process'. \"I'm a believer statistical analysis should be part of the jigsaw puzzle that goes together to help recruit players and assess your own team,\" Clement said. \"I have experience of this, I've travelled in the United States and visited a number of sports teams that use data. \"It is my belief it should be used as part of the due diligence process in deciding who should come to the club. \"But it's just one part, because you can't take away the expertise of the scouting, calls to get information about a player's character and their professionalism. \"We we will be using data as part of the whole picture. Dan is someone hired by Steve and Jason, but he's sent me through some information. He's an intelligent man and an expert in the field.\" Former Bayern Munich assistant Clement, who had also assisted Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid and Paris Saint German said he felt the Swans job was his ''biggest'' personal challenge. \"I have told the players I am absolutely up for the challenge, I am with you on this. I am excited by the challenge,\" he said. \"I have stayed at Bayern and had a great chance to win the league there and advance into further stages of the Champions League. \"But I have done that for the last six seven years now and I want another challenge this is going to be really exciting i can feel it already. I feel good about it.\" Ancelotti backed his long time deputy to be a success. \"I think he has a lot of motivation because he wanted to come back to England to be a manager in the Premier League,\" he said. \"He has this", "summary": "New Swansea boss Paul Clement will work alongside 'Moneyball' expert Dan Altman to target recruits in the January transfer window."}
{"article": "American Woods, 40, has not played tournament golf in almost a year and had two operations last autumn in an attempt to cure a back problem. His agent has confirmed he will not play for the rest of this season as he is not ready for \"competitive golf\". The 14-time major winner has dropped to a world ranking of 628. We've launched a new BBC Sport newsletter, bringing all the best stories, features and video right to your inbox. You can sign up here.", "summary": "Tiger Woods has withdrawn from the US PGA, meaning he will miss all four majors in a calendar year for the first time since his Masters debut in 1995."}
{"article": "Citizens Advice Bureaux says the 51% increase means it is now Wales' biggest debt problem. Council tax has increased by around 4% in the past year, and many cannot balance that with the cost of living. The Welsh Local Government Association said it does its best to ensure the most vulnerable households are protected. But the charity's report also found bailiffs knocked on the doors of 2,000 people last year in order to collect the tax. A WLGA spokesman said: \"In a period of such prolonged austerity, it comes as no surprise that the number of households reporting problems with paying their council tax has risen, on average bills are \u00a3160 less than in England. \"Council officers take an even-handed approach to enforcement.\"", "summary": "Over 6,000 people are struggling to pay council tax bills in Wales - double the number a year ago, says an advice body."}
{"article": "Police had been looking for Mr Arnada, who ignored orders to surrender after being sentenced to two years in jail for indecency in August. He had first been tried in 2007 and cleared of all charges. Islamist groups forced Indonesian Playboy to close down after only a few issues in 2006. The Islamist Defenders Front (FPI), a hardline Muslim group in Indonesia, had said Mr Arnada was a \"moral terrorist\", and the group criticised the authorities for failing to track him down. South Jakarta chief prosecutor Mohammed Yusuf said Mr Arnada had ignored three orders to turn himself in. \"We picked him up from Bali today to fly him to Jakarta\", Mr Yusuf said on Saturday. Mr Arnada's acquittal in 2007 was seen as a victory of freedom of the press in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation where Islamist extremists launched violent protests when the magazine appeared in 2006. But the FPI and other Islamist groups lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court, which found him guilty of public indecency after publishing a handful of issues of Indonesian Playboy, which contained no nudity. \"We are being forced to act by the FPI as a plaintiff in this case\", Mr Yusuf said on Saturday. The Indonesian parliament passed a controversial anti-pornography law in 2008, which was backed by Islamist groups. But the law also prompted protests across Indonesia, particularly on the predominantly Hindu island of Bali - a favourite destination for tourists.", "summary": "The former editor of Indonesian Playboy, Erwin Arnada, has been arrested on the island of Bali."}
{"article": "Drivers with off-street parking who want to install the facility will be expected to cover the remaining 25%. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said ministers were committed to ensuring that the UK was a \"world leader in the electric car industry\". Ministers also want councils to install more on-street charging points. The Department for Transport estimates that it costs about \u00a310,000 to install a power point capable of charging two vehicles at once in a residential street. Local authorities will therefore be expected to provide about \u00a32,500 towards the cost of installing each new charging point. A report by the Commons Transport Select Committee in September last year questioned whether government subsidies to encourage people to drive electric cars were a good use of public money. They had benefited only a \"handful of motorists\", MPs said, and were being used to help more affluent households with the cost of a second car. However, during a visit to Sunderland, Mr McLoughlin said: \"Plug-in vehicles can help the consumer by offering a good driving experience and low running costs. They can help the environment by cutting pollution. \"And most importantly of all, they can help the British economy by creating skilled manufacturing jobs in a market that is bound to get bigger.\" The government estimates that it will cost between about \u00a31,000 and \u00a31,500 for drivers with off-street parking to install charging points in their garages or driveways; it will fund 75% of this cost, up to a maximum contribution of \u00a31,000. Ministers also want to encourage train operators to install new charging points at railway stations, and have offered the same 75% incentive. And local authorities wanting to invest in rapid charging points, which cost about \u00a345,000 to install and make it easier for drivers of electric vehicles to undertake longer journeys, will also be able to apply to central government for the same proportion of funding. \"We believe that 75% is the appropriate level to offer to incentivise vehicle owners and local authorities to invest,\" a Department for Transport spokesman said. Business Minister Michael Fallon added: \"There are huge business opportunities so we're committed to ensuring the UK leads the way globally for low-carbon vehicles.\" Grants to residents for domestic charging points will be available throughout the UK, but the grants for local authorities and train companies apply to England only, since power over these policies is devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. For Labour Maria Eagle, shadow transport secretary, said the government was on track to miss their target of 8,500 charging points for electric vehicles by 2013 and \"local councils across the country are already struggling after the Government slashed local transport funding\". Mark Rowney, from the left-leaning IPPR think-tank, said: \"Doubts over the continued funding of charging point infrastructure had been causing uncertainty in the UK automotive industry. \"Today's government announcement marks a change in strategy from piloting infrastructure installation, which has led to a postcode lottery of support, to the beginnings of a strategically planned national charging infrastructure. \"We still need a cross party consensus for the low", "summary": "The government has announced that it will cover up to 75% of the cost of installing charging points for electric vehicles in garages and driveways."}
{"article": "9 June 2016 Last updated at 16:47 BST Youngsters at Davyhulme Primary School in Manchester made the film, as the team prepares to face Russia in their opening game on Saturday. The England team thanked the children via a message on their official Twitter account. \"Everyone in the England camp, including Roy Hodgson, all of the players and coaching staff really appreciates your support,\" the message read. Class teacher Lee Parkinson said: \"I'm sure you agree it certainly gets you motivated for the Euros.\"", "summary": "School pupils received a personal message of thanks from England's football squad after they filmed an inspiring team talk ahead of Euro 2016."}
{"article": "Prince William held talks with President Obama in the Oval Office, in advance of delivering a speech to the World Bank on wildlife crime. During the speech, he described the illegal wildlife trade as \"one of the most insidious forms of corruption and criminality in the world today\". His wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, visited a New York children's centre. The couple arrived in New York on Sunday night, with the prince travelling to Washington alone on Monday. At the White House, the prince joked with Mr Obama about the birth of Prince George, saying: \"The excitement of the event and everything else was just chaos.\" He added that he expects a \"busy year\" in 2015, when Catherine is due to give birth to the royal couple's second child. President Obama said the prince's work to protect endangered wildlife was \"very important\". It seems fair to assume that America's first family would happily have received William and his wife to the White House. As it was, only Prince William got to sit by the presidential fireplace in the Oval Office and chat to President Obama, reminiscing about the birth of Prince George and presumably - after the media had been ushered out - discussing his campaign against the illegal trade in wildlife parts. Catherine had stayed in New York to pursue her very deliberately separate programme. Both the tour planners and the couple are anxious to give both of them a chance to be seen pursuing their separate objectives without either overshadowing the other. And so Prince William was given a clear run to pay his visit to the White House and deliver his speech at the World Bank without any risk of being upstaged by Catherine's presence. There is certainly not the envy or sense of competition that existed between Prince William's father and mother when they were fulfilling engagements. Instead there is a realistic awareness of each other's ability to command column inches and a desire to work together to achieve the maximum impact. Later, in his speech at the World Bank, the prince said: \"In my view, one of the most insidious forms of corruption and criminality in the world today is the illegal wildlife trade.\" He attacked those who \"loot our planet to feed mankind's ignorant craving for exotic pets, trinkets, cures and ornaments derived from the world's vanishing and irreplaceable species\". Paying tribute to his father, the Prince of Wales, and his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, he said: \"They helped to bring about a revolution in attitudes towards our natural environment.\" Prince William founded the umbrella organisation United for Wildlife to try to preserve the planet's most endangered animals and habitats. The prince has been the royal patron of Tusk since 2005. The charity supports projects in 17 African countries, aimed at protecting wildlife and alleviating poverty. Before starting at St Andrews University, the prince went on a gap year, some of which was spent in Africa learning about its wildlife and game conservation. He added: \"From them, I learned that our relation to nature and", "summary": "The Duke of Cambridge has met US President Barack Obama at the White House as part of a three-day visit."}
{"article": "A final decision on the new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point, Somerset, could be announced next week during Chinese president Xi Jinping's state visit. Security sources have told The Times the scheme poses a threat to national security - and a senior Tory MP has called for an inquiry. But No 10 said it would not sign the deal if it thought security was a risk. Chancellor George Osborne has already announced a \u00c2\u00a32bn government guarantee to secure Chinese funding for the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, to be jointly built with French energy giant EDF at an estimated cost of \u00c2\u00a324.5bn. The final go-ahead for the deal could be announced next week - paving the way for a second new reactor to built by the Chinese and French consortium at Sizewell, in Suffolk. If an agreement is reached, work could then start on the first Chinese-designed and built nuclear reactor in Europe, at Bradwell, in Essex, where a previous British-built reactor is in the process of being decommissioned. Caroline Baylon, a cyber security specialist at the Chatham House think tank, says Chinese investment is a \"good thing\" for the UK but \"when it comes to very sensitive sectors of the economy we have to be very, very careful\". Some argue that China would not attack its own nuclear plants, she tells BBC News, but it could obtain access to UK technologies that would give it an insight into any vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure systems. China is \"well known for cyber-espionage\" and, in common with other advanced nations, is already seeking out such vulnerabilities to allow it to hide potentially malicious software that could be activated later, says Ms Baylon, who recently co-authored a report on cyber-security at civil nuclear facilities. The trend in the global nuclear industry is towards the nationalisation of nuclear power, or at least the sourcing of components from \"friendly countries,\" to safeguard critical systems - but the UK takes a very \"permissive\" attitude to the issue that is potentially \"very dangerous,\" she warns. There is a \"gentleman's agreement\" between nations not to attack infrastructure, but Ms Baylon adds that \"if the international situation changes, the UK may find itself in a tricky spot if this Chinese deal goes through. Today's alliances are not tomorrow's alliances.\" Construction of the first Hualong One reactor began in May in China's Fujian province, according to World Nuclear News. Gaining regulatory approval from the UK authorities for the design would be a major boost to the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation's hopes of exporting the technology around the world. But senior UK defence and security sources reportedly are concerned that the state-controlled company, which helped develop China's nuclear weapons, poses a national security risk. They fear \"trapdoors or backdoors\" could be inserted into IT systems, allowing Beijing to bypass British security measures. Responding to concerns, David Cameron's official spokesman said: \"We have the Office for Nuclear Regulation - which is our independent nuclear regulator - which has very strict regulations in place in terms of how nuclear plants are operated and the", "summary": "Downing Street is playing down security fears about plans to give China a stake in Britain's nuclear power industry."}
{"article": "Southgate, 46, has just concluded a four-game stint as interim manager following Sam Allardyce's departure. He will be interviewed at St George's Park by a panel including FA chairman Greg Clarke, chief executive Martin Glenn, technical director Dan Ashworth, as well as League Managers' Association chairman Howard Wilkinson and former England defender Graeme Le Saux. The FA insists there is no time frame on when an appointment will be made, with England's next game a friendly in Germany in March, and the final decision will be taken by Clarke, Glenn and Ashworth. The organisation is determined not to be rushed into an appointment and wants to conduct a thorough process, although no other interviews are currently scheduled and Southgate is firm favourite to take over on a full-time basis. He is ingrained in the FA system through his work as England under-21 coach and has impressed with his demeanour off the pitch as well as the manner in which he has taken big footballing decisions, including dropping captain Wayne Rooney for the World Cup qualifier in Slovenia. Southgate has left England top of their World Cup qualifying group after victories against Malta and Scotland at Wembley and a goalless draw in Slovenia. He also presided over Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Spain, in which the visitors scored twice in the closing moments. England next play in March, with a friendly against World Cup winners Germany in Dortmund, followed by a home qualifier against Lithuania. The FA will want Southgate to deliver his vision for England's future following a series of failures in major tournaments. There is also likely to be a review of his brief stint in control of the national team. FA chief executive Glenn said after Southgate's final game in interim charge: \"Clearly his candidacy has become much stronger. We just need to weigh up the facts and take time to make the right decision.\" He added: \"His candidacy is not just based on one or two matches, but because of what we've seen over the last couple of years. \"He's got renewed confidence and is a different manager to what he was two years ago. So it is not all about assessing him on a few games.\"", "summary": "Gareth Southgate will meet the Football Association hierarchy on Monday for what is effectively his interview for the England manager's job."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called to Small Heath Highway at 23:25 BST on Friday after a Porsche Cayenne crashed into a lamppost and rolled over. West Midlands Police said two men in their 20s had died - one after being taken to hospital. A further two men who were in the car are being treated in hospital for minor injuries. The ambulance service said the two men had been ejected from their car when it rolled on to the opposite side of the carriageway. It said one man was confirmed dead at the scene, while a second was taken to hospital with \"extremely serious\" injuries. West Midlands Police said he had later died. The ambulance service said: \"The men had been ejected when the car they were travelling in rolled and came to rest the right way up, on the opposite side of the carriageway. \"The car had collided with the central reservation and a lamppost in the incident. \"Bystanders were already carrying out CPR on one of the men prior to our arrival. It quickly became apparent nothing could be done to save the man and he was confirmed dead at the scene.\" They said the second man was in cardiac arrest and had a \"significant head injury\" before he was transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. The service said two other men, in their 20s, had suffered minor injuries and were taken to Heartlands Hospital. The road was closed in both directions for several hours while an investigation at the scene was held. Sgt Paul Hughes, from West Midlands Police, said: \"Although this tragic collision happened late in the evening, we know there would have been other vehicles on the road at the time.\" He called on any witnesses to contact him.", "summary": "Two men have died after being thrown from their car when it rolled over on a dual carriageway in Birmingham."}
{"article": "In it, she plays Apple marketing executive Joanna Hoffman, the right-hand woman to the charismatic but deeply flawed genius at the centre of the film, played by Michael Fassbender. \"Thank you! I was trying to tidy away empty boxes that had been holding Christmas decorations that I just put up. It's the story of my life. A journalist said earlier: 'So how did you prepare for this day, did you get up early?' And I said: 'Yeah, I got up early and took the kids to school.' But I'm so thrilled, I can't tell you.\" It doesn't get any easier. People think: 'Oh you're dab hand at this, it must be water off a duck's back.\" It bloody isn't! I think it gets more tense because 20 years ago when I was nominated for Sense and Sensibility, one wasn't as aware of who was the frontrunner was and what was causing some buzz. If you didn't want to read about it, you just didn't read about it - so you didn't have to hear about it. But now, however hard one tries, it permeates into the ether with the internet. Things have really changed, so I have been much more aware of the comings and goings of this season that I would normally like to be - and it's made me quite sick. It's fantastic. I'm so delighted to be nominated for something that really means as great deal to me and I'm proud to be a part of. The whole experience has been a highlight of my career and this role was not without its challenges, so to be acknowledged really feels terrific. I'm so thrilled for him. That makes me breathe the biggest sigh of relief because just watching him and working with him for three months was great. We barely drew breath - particularly him. It was just mesmerising what he was pulling off and so it's great to se him recognised. He's so deserving of this month. No, but I do have a little trick which I will share with you. One of the most stressful moments of an awards ceremony is not before you start getting ready - it's not even while you're getting ready. It's the moment sitting in the car between getting ready and the red carpet. That moment is agony because you're sitting in a dress you don't want to crease, or it's slightly uncomfortable and you don't want to rip it. But I have managed to eradicate that moment in my my life by getting ready in same venue as the ceremony and then all you gave to do is walk down stairs. It's the funniest thing in the world. A few years ago when I was nominated for Mildred Pierce I arrived at the venue and people were vacuuming the red carpet. I walked down the red carpet in my flip flops stepping over Hoovers, it was hysterical. The paparazzi only see the film star version of Kate Winslet - the real one doesn't look anything like that. They did kind of", "summary": "Kate Winslet has landed her 11th Golden Globe nomination for the Danny Boyle film Steve Jobs."}
{"article": "Jordan Abdull keeps his place after being a late call-up to the squad for the win at Widnes, with Mark Sneyd also included having recovered from injury. Injuries force Catalans to make three changes to the squad which suffered defeat at St Helens. Todd Carney, Jodie Broughton and Justin Horo are replaced by Romain Navarette, Jordan Sigismeau and Antoni Maria. Hull FC (from): Shaul, Fonua, Tuimavave, Talanoa, Sneyd, Taylor, Houghton, Watts, Minichiello, Abdull, Green, Thompson, Hadley, Michaels, Manu, Bowden, Pritchard, Yeaman, Washbrook. Catalans (from): Gigot, Duport, Anderson, Aiton, Casty, Stewart, Baitieri, Taylor, Bousquet, Pelissier, Mounis, Elima, Yaha, Escare, Maria, Sigismeau, Albert, Navarette, Garcia. Referee: Phil Bentham.", "summary": "Super League leaders Hull FC rest captain Gareth Ellis for the visit of Catalans Dragons."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Couch and Barrow totalled 321.24 from five dives in the synchronised 10m platform final, with China winning gold (337.14). Gallantree and Starling scored 302.88 in the synchronised 3m springboard event to finish behind China (322.40) and Italy (306.90). It is the first event at the London Aquatics Centre since the 2012 Games. Great Britain's Couch and Barrow, who finished fifth at the Olympics, led the standings after the first two rounds, where the difficulty of the dives performed is restricted. However, four-time Olympic champion Chen Ruolin and her 2013 world championship gold medal-winning partner Liu Huixia edged ahead in the third round and could not be caught. Canada finished third with a total score of 316.11. \"We really enjoyed the competition and it's great to be back,\" Barrow, 25, told BBC Sport. \"The result means we're the leading pair in the Commonwealths, so that's a big confidence boost ahead of Glasgow this summer.\" Couch, 24, added: \"I had a bad injury (dislocated knee) at the beginning of the year, but we have come back strong and came here today thinking 'let's do it' and the support from the crowd really helped us.\" We really enjoyed the competition and it's great to be back Gallantree, 29, is usually partnered by Alicia Blagg, but she missed the event through injury and Starling, 18, was only drafted in last week. \"I'm so proud of the way we dived today,\" Gallantree told BBC Sport. \"We haven't had much time together and have only dived as a pair once before back in 2012 so it's a great result.\" Starling added; \"It's my first international medal which means I'm not the only one of the team without one anymore so I'm delighted.\" The men's synchronised 3m springboard final was another event won by China, but new British pairing Jack Laugher, 19, and Chris Mears, 21, impressed by coming fourth. \"Although it's frustrating to come so close to a medal we have to be so happy about how we dived today,\" said Laugher after finishing 11 points off the podium positions. Mears added; \"It's the pairing we've wanted for a while and it's so great to be diving out there with my best mate and I think we can go on to do big things together.\" With Tom Daley currently without a synchronised diving partner, Dan Goodfellow, 17, and Matty Lee, 16, were the British competitors in the men's final. They had won two successive World Series bronze medals since making their debut as a pair earlier this year, but despite recording a personal-best of 403.86, finished fifth. China secured gold with 479.13, while Ukraine (448.26) and Germany (425.82) filled the other podium positions.", "summary": "Tonia Couch and Sarah Barrow won World Series silver while Rebecca Gallantree and Hannah Starling took bronze."}
{"article": "The theft of the bronze sculpture happened in July but police have just released CCTV footage of the robbery. It shows two men walking into the Glyptoteket museum and removing The Man with the Broken Nose from its plinth before walking out. The art work made in 1863 is thought to be worth $300,000 (\u00c2\u00a3190,000). Chief investigator Ove Randrup said the theft of the 25.5cm (10.4-inch) art work happened on 16 July. Danish police say they believe the thieves visited the museum a week before the theft in order to loosen the sculpture from its base and disable the alarm. Interpol and Europol have now joined the hunt for the men.", "summary": "Police in Denmark are hunting for two thieves who stole a small bust by the French sculptor Auguste Rodin from a museum in Copenhagen in broad daylight."}
{"article": "Four of Mr Carmichael's constituents raised the case under the Representation of the People Act. They said the MP misled the electorate over a memo which claimed SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon wanted David Cameron to be re-elected prime minister. Roddy Dunlop QC asked judges at the Court of Session to dismiss the case. He told the specially-convened election court that the petition was \"irrelevant\" and \"bound to fail\". However, Jonathan Mitchell QC, representing the petitioners, later told the court that his clients believed that Mr Carmichael leaked the information to deliberately smear the SNP. The court heard that this was to reduce the chances of a Scottish National Party candidate being elected in Orkney and Shetland. The case, believed to be the first of its kind in Scotland for 50 years, arose from remarks made by Mr Carmichael at the start of the general election campaign in April. The MP, who had been Scottish Secretary in the Tory-Lib Dem coalition before the election, authorised leaking a civil service memo suggesting the first minister had told the French ambassador she backed Tory PM David Cameron to remain in Downing Street. Mr Carmichael had initially denied leaking the confidential memo to the Daily Telegraph. He claimed the first he had heard of it was when he received a phone call from a journalist. However, the MP later admitted full responsibility for sanctioning its release, and accepted the \"details of the account are not correct\". Mr Carmichael was not in court for the hearing. His QC, Mr Dunlop, said Section 106 of the act forbids election candidates from making false and statements about their rival candidates. He stressed that a false statement of fact must be \"directly related\" to the personal character or conduct of a candidate. Ms Sturgeon, the leader of the SNP and Scotland's first minister, was not a candidate in May's general election. The QC said it would have been the \"easiest thing in the world\" for the Act to make it clear if a false statement could be about non-candidates. He also said attacking the political position of a candidate did not necessarily attack their character. Mr Dunlop said the case put by the petitioners \"flies in the face of the authorities\" and was \"wrong in law\". The QC said that if the petitioners were right then court would get a lot busier, as all that would be needed was a dispute during an election with one false answer. He said if this was the case then any prospective MP in the run-un to an election would have to be strapped to a lie detector and administered with a truth serum. Mr Mitchell representing the petitioners seeking to remove Mr Carmichael from office, said the MP did not dispute that he made certain statements of fact which were false, or that the statements were made before or during an election. However, Mr Mitchell said Mr Carmichael did dispute that he was attempting to affect the return of a candidate, as the petitioners claim he was. The hearing before Lady Paton and", "summary": "A legal challenge over the election of Liberal Democrat Alistair Carmichael as Orkney and Shetland MP should be dismissed, his QC has claimed."}
{"article": "One of the most extraordinary documents on show is Memo 173-42. It is dated 13 July 1942 and marked \"secret\". \"The occupying authorities,\" it reads, \"have decided upon the arrest and grouping together of a certain number of foreign Jews.\" Over nine pages, the head of the Paris police details his orders for the enactment of the Holocaust on French soil. Three days later, a few hours before dawn on 16 July, French police operating in groups of two (one in uniform, one in plain clothes and accompanied by a German soldier), arrested more than 13,000 Parisian Jews. \"Many, many documents of this period were destroyed at the end of the war,\" says Olivier Accarie-Pierson, curator of an exhibition that has just opened at the town hall of Paris's third arrondissement, or district. \"It's very rare. This is unique.\" Mysteriously, in this district and in no other, the documents testifying to the daily life of Paris during the occupation escaped destruction. Whether it was an act of civil disobedience or an administrative oversight, nobody knows why the records survived, Mr Accarie-Pierson says. But one day - about 20 years ago - they were discovered in a cupboard. They are a treasure trove for historians. Although this is the first time they have been put on public view, historians have been studying them since they were put into the central Paris police archive, a mine of information about the minutiae of Parisian life stretching back to before the French Revolution. Other documents on display are the lists of names - hundreds and hundreds of them - written in a ledger by meticulous French policemen during the census of Jews ordered by the Germans as soon as they occupied Paris in 1940. That census was updated in 1943 when Jews were forbidden from listening to the radio and ordered to hand in their wireless sets. The names and addresses of those who complied were taken down and used for future round-ups. Poring over the documents in this exhibition, it is difficult not to be shocked by the clipped, official language employed. \"And yet we were talking about thousands of people!\" says Mr Accarie-Pierson. Men, women and children who would soon perish in Nazi death camps. The Jews were sent to two camps - the Winter cycling track (Velodrome d'hiver or Vel d'hiv) in the west of Paris and an internment camp set up just outside the capital at Drancy. Although no photographic evidence has survived of their interiors, conditions must have been hellish. \"Where were the beds?\" I ask in front of a post-war photo taken of the inside of the cycling stadium. \" Around the edge there?\" \"There weren't any beds,\" says Mr Accarie-Pierson. In Paris, the Jews were already being treated like animals. Police chief Rene Bousquet collaborated directly with the Gestapo to facilitate the round-ups and the bureaucratic language sometimes lets through a glimmer of disdain for the Jews from other police chiefs. After a few weeks all the Jews rounded up on 16 July had been deported by train, mostly", "summary": "The only surviving police archives of the biggest World War II deportation of French Jews are being opened up to public view for the first time."}
{"article": "They will play hosts France in the quarter-final on Sunday after goals from Ragnar Sigurdsson and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson knocked out England and forced manager Roy Hodgson to resign. Iceland, ranked 34th in the world, were surprise qualifiers for what is their first international tournament. \"We all believed. The rest of the world didn't but we did,\" said Arnason. Iceland's population is just 329,000 - not many more than live in Coventry and almost 10 times fewer than Wales - and it is believed 8% of those are in France following their side. The island nation, which has no professional clubs, ranked 131st in the world during the last European Championships four years ago. \"This is without a doubt the biggest result in Icelandic football history. We've shocked the world,\" added Arnason. Wayne Rooney put England ahead with a fourth-minute penalty but Iceland were ahead by the 18th minute and held on comfortably despite Hodgson's side having 18 attempts on goal. Iceland defender Sigurdsson, 29, accused England of complacency against a side who had already held Portugal and Hungary and beaten Austria during the group stage. \"They thought this would be a walk in the park but we had faith in our ability,\" Sigurdsson said. \"It went well. We didn't feel that England created any chances. We were just heading away long balls. I wasn't stressed in the second half.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Iceland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson - joint manager with former Sweden boss Lars Lagerback - praised his side for taking their chances and is in confident mood for Sunday's quarter-final in Paris. \"I was more relaxed than during the game against Austria,\" he said. \"If someone had told me a few years ago that we would reach the last eight, I have to say I would not believe it. \"But no obstacle is too big for these guys now. If you want the best out of life you have to be ready when the opportunity comes. That is a fact and these boys were ready and this opportunity that was put in our hand was huge - it can change their lives. \"We are optimistic. Some Icelanders maybe think we are too optimistic, that we don't think we can fail, but we have a gameplan.\" Icelandic TV commentator Gudmundur Benediktsson went viral last week with his excited reaction to the win over Austria and he was at it again during the win in Nice - even seeming to reference the result of Britain's EU referendum. \"This is done! This is done! We are never going home! Did you see that! Did you see that!\" he said. \"Never wake me from this amazing dream! \"Live the way you want England! Iceland is going to play France on Sunday. France-Iceland! You can go home. You can go out of Europe. \"You can go wherever the hell you want. England 1 Iceland 2 is the closing score here in Nice. And the fairytale continues.\" Create leagues and play against your friends in BBC Sport's new Euro 2016 Predictor game", "summary": "Iceland's European Championship last-16 win over England \"shocked the world\", according to defender Kari Arnason."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 9 October 2014 Last updated at 12:47 BST As Holyrood Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick welcomed visitor Italian Ambassador Pasquale Terracciano to the main chamber, a round of applause from MSPs trigged a round of barking from trainee guide dogs. The guide dog puppies, their walkers and trainers were invited to the Scottish Parliament to raise awareness for guide dogs week.", "summary": "First Minister's questions has been upstaged by a group of guide dog puppies, who were visiting the Scottish Parliament."}
{"article": "AC London were formed in 2012 by Prince Choudary to help stop teenagers in Croydon falling into a life of gangs. They entertain Crawley Down Gatwick in the extra preliminary round on Saturday (15:00 BST), with Choudary set to become the youngest manager in the competition's history. \"In 2011 we didn't exist, now we're in the FA Cup,\" said the 21-year-old. As well as founding and managing AC London, trainee solicitor Choudary is also chairman of the 10th-tier Combined Counties League Division One club. Choudary was at school when rioting took place across London in the summer of 2011. Croydon, where Choudary was born and raised, was one of the areas badly hit. \"They broke into my uncle's clothes shop, causing him to sell up his livelihood. They went past our house but luckily nothing happened,\" Choudary told BBC Sport. \"The problem is the youth are misled in today's society and go down the wrong path; they choose the street life. \"It was soon after the riots that I had the idea to start a new football club. There was little in terms of activities in Croydon and I wanted to make a change.\" AC London has grown rapidly since being founded as a youth team in July 2012. Within three years they were elected into the football pyramid for the first time and spent 2015-16 in the Kent Invicta League before being transferred to the Combined Counties. \"Setting up a club from scratch is an extremely hard task to achieve,\" added Choudary, who has FA Level 1, FA Level 2 and Uefa B coaching badges. \"I worked part time at a local solicitor's office as a cleaner to get the extra cash.\" The current squad is made up of 16 nationalities, including players from Venezuela, Brazil, Cameroon, Spain, Bulgaria, Finland, Greece and Nigeria. AC London groundshare at Whyteleafe's 2,000-capacity Church Road ground, close to Croydon. James Phillips is believed to be the youngest boss in FA Cup history after he led Romsey Town in the competition at the age of 22 in 2014. Choudary was not born when Everton beat Manchester United in the 1995 FA Cup final at Wembley. \"Being the youngest manager and chairman has taken years of sacrifice and hard work that I invested to make this a reality,\" added Choudary, who played as a goalkeeper for the club but now concentrates on his off-field roles. \"The one advantage about being chairman and manager is that I can't sack myself.\" AC London's squad includes club captain and defender Ernest Simon, who is more than 10 years older than Choudary. Choudary said he hoped for a crowd of about 400, which would be a club record, for the visit of Crawley Down Gatwick, who play one tier higher in the Southern Combination League. It is just 68 days since Arsenal beat Chelsea to win the 2016-17 FA Cup at Wembley. The extra preliminary round features 370 teams who will have to win six games if they are to advance to the first round in November. Winning clubs at this", "summary": "A club formed by a 16-year-old after the 2011 London riots will compete in the FA Cup for the first time."}
{"article": "PC Steve Hutton and other Wiltshire Police officers had tried to pull over a suspicious vehicle travelling over the speed limit in Swindon. A \"stinger\" device was used to stop it and the four occupants fled on foot. PC Hutton said he chased one of the men and decided to shout that he had a dog, adding a \"few fake barks\", which made the man give himself up. \"He stopped and we got up to him before he realised there wasn't a dog and he was arrested,\" he said. \"By the look on his face you could see he was a little bit disappointed with himself. \"Some people on the shift think I should now do a dog-handler job without the dog.\" The man arrested has since been released without charge, but police are still investigating the incident.", "summary": "A policeman has told how he \"barked\" like a dog in order to fool a suspect and arrest him."}
{"article": "Researcher Chris Vickery claimed he found millions of text messages and images plus 1,700 \"detailed child profiles\" belonging to uKnowKids customers on search engine Shodan. But when he alerted the firm it replied that his access was \"unauthorised\". Mr Vickery says no password protection was in place. The BBC has been in contact with both Chris Vickery and uKnowKids chief executive Steve Woda. \"It could have easily have been avoided - the fact they left it open is incredible. I don't know why you would leave all that data open to the entire world,\" Mr Vickery told the BBC. \"They put up a database with no password required to access it.\" The company said its private database had been breached and added that it had patched the \"vulnerability\" within 90 minutes of Mr Vickery's notification. It added that while his actions were \"helpful\", it had yet to \"fully identify\" his credentials as a \"white hat\" - researchers who identify vulnerabilities and report them rather than use them to hack. \"Twelve minutes after the final breach... and after taking screenshots of our intellectual property, business data, and customer data, Mr Vickery notified uKnow of his breach of our private systems,\" Steve Woda wrote in a blog post. \"What we do know right now is that the alleged data breach affected about 0.5% of the kids that uKnowKids has helped parents protect online and on the mobile phone.\" Screenshots of the data seen by the BBC included a family picture of a woman in a car with three small children, lists of usernames and email addresses and folders with names like \"childicloudimages\" and \"childfacebookaccounts\". \"The database also included uKnow's proprietary natural language processing engine technology and data including our proprietary algorithms that power uKnow's technology,\" Mr Woda added. \"With respect to customer data, no financial information or unencrypted password credentials were vulnerable.\" The company also said it had asked Mr Vickery to delete all of the data he downloaded including the screenshots, and has now hired two security firms to help it secure its service. According to a blog post by Chris Vickery, Steve Woda expressed concerns via email that his actions could put the firm out of business. The services offered by uKnow include tracking children's social media accounts and text message activity and sending alerts to parents. Its prices range from $10 (\u00c2\u00a37) per month to $100 per year or $180 for a lifetime subscription. Mr Vickery said he has found \"dozens\" of similar security weaknesses belonging to other companies and the firm's response in this case was unusual. \"When I found one of the databases of [software firm] MacKeeper, they turned around and said, 'OK, we want to hire you to give us tips about data breaches,'\" he said. \"That was an awesome response.\" Chris Vickery's blog post appeared on the MacKeeper website. Mr Woda said: \"uKnowKids was originally created after one of our family children was victimised by an online predator, and so protecting kids is very, very personal to us. \"You have my personal commitment that our uKnow team", "summary": "Child tracker firm uKnowKids has accused a security researcher of hacking its database after he told them it was publicly accessible online."}
{"article": "Home Secretary Theresa May said the government would make the \"minimum possible changes\" to comply with a 2010 Supreme Court ruling. She said ministers were \"appalled\" by the ruling and the bar for appeals would be set as \"high as possible\". Sex offenders will only be able to appeal 15 years after leaving prison. The Supreme Court ruled that denying offenders the right of appeal was incompatible with their human rights. But shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the ruling did state that it should be \"open to Parliament\" to maintain the current position if it saw fit, so long as there was provision in law to review matters in future if it became appropriate to do so. She also said Labour was not convinced the new regime was tough enough to guarantee public safety. \"Given the current evidence on repeat sex offending, it is hard to envisage any circumstances in which people will think it is justified to take someone who has been convicted of a serious sex offence off the register,\" Ms Cooper said. \"Yet the home secretary's scheme makes it possible for the police to do exactly that with no appeal for victims or the public, and no consideration of Parliament's views on the wider risks and the importance of a strong precautionary approach.\" By Norman SmithChief political correspondent, BBC Radio 4 The ruling to allow sex offenders the right to have their names removed from the sex offenders register is one of those issues governments dread. It almost guarantees them sackloads of irate letters and coruscating tabloid headlines. And yet the inevitable row might not be as painful as ministers fear. Firstly, unlike the recent judgement on prisoners' votes, this was a decision made by Britain's Supreme Court, not the European Court of Human Rights. Secondly, it's not clear whether any change in the way the register is managed would require primary legislation, avoiding the possibility of a protracted Parliamentary tussle. And lastly the Scottish government has already implemented the change without suffering undue damage. Andrew Flanagan, chief executive of the NSPCC, said adults who sexually abused children should stay on the register for life, adding: \"We can never be sure their behaviour will change.\" Only individuals sentenced to more than 30 months for a sex-related crime are required to register with police for life. It is estimated that about 24,000 sex offenders who were required to register for life, including paedophiles and rapists, could be affected by the ruling. Qualifying sex offenders are currently required to notify the police of their personal details, any change of address and when they travel abroad. There is no centrally held register of sex offenders in the UK, but the Home Office says the system of notifying the police is commonly known as the sex offenders register. Last year, two convicted sex offenders used human rights laws to challenge the system and won the right to appeal against their life-long registration. The two offenders were a teenager convicted of rape and a 59-year-old man guilty of indecent assault. The teenage boy,", "summary": "Thousands of sex offenders in England and Wales are set to be given the right to appeal against having to register with the police for life."}
{"article": "On Thursday, former FBI director James Comey will testify before Congress, and on the same day the UK's general election takes place. The Dow Jones fell 47.81 points, or 0.23%, to 21,136.2, and the wider S&P 500 dropped 6.77 points to 2,429.3. The tech-heavy Nasdaq slipped 20.62 points or 0.33% to 6,275.06. Retail stocks performed especially poorly. Department store Macy's fell more than 8% after executives held an investor meeting and warned the firm's margins would be lower. Kohl's slid more than 5%, JC Penney shares fell more than 4%, and US retail giant Walmart dropped 1.2%. Even Amazon, the online shopping giant frequently blamed for problems at traditional retailers, closed lower. The firm, which has seen its stock soar in recent months, fell 0.8% after it announced it would offer heavily discounted Prime subscription service for those receiving US government aid as it aims to expand the number of people using the service.", "summary": "Shares on Wall Street closed lower on Tuesday, as retail stocks weighed on markets and political events expected this week kept traders cautious."}
{"article": "Alan Mason, 45, of Endmoor, Kendal, knew he had the virus for five years when he started a sexual relationship with the woman, from Barrow. Carlisle Crown Court heard he only told her when she began to feel unwell after contracting the disease herself. He was jailed for two years and eight months after admitting causing the woman, 39, grievous bodily harm. After the hearing, Det Con Damian West, of Cumbria Police, said: \"This is a unique case for Cumbria and the sentencing imposed highlights the disregard Mason had for his actions. \"Even though the victim has to live with this virus, modern medication means there should be no impact on life expectancy. \"However, the virus has a significant day to day impact on those who have to live with it.\"", "summary": "A Cumbrian man who is HIV positive has been jailed for infecting his former partner with the virus."}
{"article": "As Mark Carney said, London is \"effectively, the investment banker for Europe\" and the City is the financial capital of the European Union. Nearly 80% of foreign exchange trading and 30% of all bank lending in the EU flows through the UK. How much that will change after Britain leaves the European Union is a matter of increasingly tense debate. In the UK, very senior figures within the financial services sector argue that it is \"nonsensical\" to argue that after Brexit, large amounts of euro-denominated trading should move on to the continent. They point out that significant amounts of dollar-trading are executed through London - and neither the EU nor the UK has a single-market agreement with the US. Many on the continent of Europe see it differently, saying that financial oversight will only be possible if euro-trading valued in trillions of pounds a year is put under the direct jurisdiction of European Union-based regulators. The biggest sector seen at risk is euro-denominated clearing, the billions of pounds worth of derivatives products traded every day to insure companies, for example, against interest rate changes, currency fluctuations and inflation risk. Michel Sapin, the French finance minister, told the BBC that it was a question of control. \"I believe that there is an issue of sovereignty and security of European monetary markets and therefore the majority of the clearing houses cannot remain in London,\" he told me. \"There will be movement, there will be a displacement and actually many of the financial institutions are already preparing themselves towards that.\" Many believe that if the trading moves, jobs will move as well. \"I don't see how it could be a good thing for the City,\" Mr Sapin said. \"The City will remain a large financial centre, will remain important for Europe as well as for the rest of the world. \"But the security of the monetary system is something that's of vital importance for any given country or any given groupings of countries - such as the case of the eurozone countries.\" Hundreds of billions of pounds of trades will be at stake. At the moment, the two sides - the UK and the EU - appear a long way apart.", "summary": "One of the most important sectors at the heart of the Brexit negotiations will be financial services."}
{"article": "Three West Mercia Police officers had now been interviewed under criminal caution, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said. Mr Atkinson died after contact with police in Meadow Close, Trench, Telford, on 15 August last year. West Mercia Police said it continued to co-operate with the IPCC. The three officers had been served with gross misconduct notices, the police watchdog said. IPCC Commissioner Derrick Campbell said: \"At the conclusion of our independent investigation I will consider whether to refer our investigation report to the Crown Prosecution Service to make a decision on any potential charges against police officers. \"A criminal investigation does not mean that criminal charges will necessarily follow.\" Mr Campbell said its independent report would consider whether any officers should, in the watchdog's view, face misconduct proceedings. Investigative inquiries had ended, but the IPCC investigation report could not be finalised \"until the full pathology and toxicology reports are provided\", the watchdog said. It said IPCC investigators had spoken to about 15 other police officers as witnesses, along with more than 15 members of the public and paramedics. Forensic experts had also been consulted. A Taser used during the incident had been analysed and investigators had \"transcribed relevant police Airwave radio transmissions and examined police policies on the use of force\". West Mercia Police Assistant Chief Constable Martin Evans said the force's \"thoughts and sympathies\" were with Mr Atkinson's family and friends and it continued to co-operate with the IPCC throughout its investigation. He said: \"It would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this time while that investigation is ongoing.\" Mr Atkinson started his career at Ipswich Town before moving to Sheffield Wednesday, Real Sociedad, Villa and Fenerbah\u00c3\u00a7e", "summary": "A third police officer has been investigated over the death of ex-Aston Villa star Dalian Atkinson who was shot with a Taser, it has emerged."}
{"article": "Arlene Arkinson was 15 years old when she disappeared after attending a disco in Bundoran, County Donegal. The witness, Patricia Quinn, had to be excused after just 10 minutes in the witness box. It followed a series of angry responses to questions about lies she had admitted telling. Arlene was last seen being driven away by convicted child killer Robert Howard. Her body has never been found. Howard had been on bail, accused of rape, and was living at Patricia Quinn's home at the time of Arlene's disappearance. Mrs Quinn is the mother of Donna Quinn, a friend of Arlene. She told the inquest: \"I'm under so much pressure the last 21 years. I've been hassled, battered and kicked. Why should I not be angry?\" She added: \"I'd love the cutty (Arlene) to be found, everyone needs a decent burial.\" The inquest was then adjourned for a time to allow Mrs Quinn to calm down. However, it was subsequently decided she should not give further evidence on Monday. It is expected she'll return to the witness box next week. Later, Mrs Quinn's son Mark gave evidence after his mother had left the court. He told the court he had been in Bundoran on the same night as Arlene's disappearance, but had been with a different group of people. He added that Robert Howard was his mother's boyfriend at the time and said, \"I never liked the man, never liked him from day one. You just know with someone. Never liked him,\" he said. \"I did say get rid of that boy. She said 'if you don't like it you know what you can do'.\" Mrs Quinn has insisted the relationship was platonic. Later, Mark Quinn agreed with a barrister for the PSNI that his mother was probably \"infatuated\" with Robert Howard. He also agreed it was nonsense to suggest that Howard was living at their home at the time of Arlene's disappearance simply because the police had put him there. Mrs Quinn has testified that Robert Howard was an informer. Mark Quinn told the court that Howard had been living between the Quinns' house and his own flat, and often stayed overnight with his mother.", "summary": "A witness at the inquest into the missing schoolgirl Arlene Arkinson has reacted angrily to cross-examination by a barrister for the Arkinson family."}
{"article": "The duchess was offered a posy from 22-month-old Elizabeth Colquhoun, who then decided she wanted to keep the bouquet and refused to hand it over. Camilla was visiting Perth's state library on the final day of the royal tour of Australia and New Zealand. Elizabeth's mother Chantelle Colquhoun said her daughter was \"strong willed\". Originally from the Cornish town of Camborne, Mrs Colquhoun, 39, was in a fit of giggles at her daughter's antics and said she was \"just the same way at home\". The Duchess of Cornwall eventually managed to take the bouquet from Elizabeth and playfully held it just out of the grasp of the youngster until she grabbed it. The duchess was at a book reading session at the time. Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales was given a tour of a conservation centre. He met students at the Western Australia Seed Technology Centre in Perth after attending a service at St George's Cathedral in the city with the duchess. The royal couple have spent 12 days touring Australia and New Zealand. Prince Charles celebrated his 67th birthday on Saturday with an Australian beach barbecue at Cottlesloe beach in Perth where he was joined by 500 guests.", "summary": "The Duchess of Cornwall found herself in a playful tug of war with a little girl determined to hang onto her bunch of flowers."}
{"article": "Established in honour of playwright Harold Pinter, it is given to a writer who casts an \"unflinching, unswerving\" gaze upon the world. Organisers English Pen praised Fenton as \"one of the finest poets of his generation\". He will receive his award at a ceremony on 6 October at the British Library. The prize will be jointly awarded to an international writer who has faced persecution. The second winner - who will be chosen jointly by Fenton and English Pen - will be announced at the October ceremony. 'Spoken truth to power' Fenton, who held the chair of Oxford Professor of Poetry from 1994-1999, has written several collections of poetry and opera librettos. As a former war correspondent, many of his poems deal with the experience of war and its impact. One of Fenton's most acclaimed works, The Memory of War (1982), is a collection of poems that drew on his time as a reporter in Vietnam and Cambodia in the 1970s. Antonia Fraser, Harold Pinter's widow, said Fenton was \"a worthy winner\" of the prize. \"James Fenton is a writer who Harold Pinter much admired for all his work, but particularly for his ability to write brilliant political poetry, she said. \"This is an art which was very important to Harold not only for the poetry but also as part of the essential process of speaking up fearlessly: Which is the basis on which the Pen Pinter Prize is founded.\" Maureen Freely, president of English Pen, added: \"Throughout his long and distinguished career, James Fenton has spoken truth to power - forcefully, fearlessly, and beautifully.\" Fenton said he felt greatly honoured to be awarded the prize: \"In particular, I am happy to be connected in this way with Harold Pinter, whose writings I have long admired.\" Previous winners of the Pinter Prize include Tom Stoppard, Carol Ann Duffy, Hanif Kureishi and last year's winner, Salman Rushdie.", "summary": "British poet and journalist James Fenton has won the Pen Pinter Prize, which celebrates champions of free speech."}
{"article": "Bath led 38-10 at the interval, with Tom Dunn, Tom Homer, Robbie Fruean, Kahn Fotuali'i and Ford all going over. Samoan Fotuali'i crossed for his second try, as Rokoduguni and Chris Cook also scored at Ashton Gate for the visitors. Tom Varndell, Rhodri Williams and Jack Tovey went over for Bristol, but they remain third in the pool. Fly-half Ford, who has been strongly linked with a move to Premiership rivals Sale at the end of the season, contributed 20 points as Bath did the damage in the first half. Fotuali'i's double on return from an eye injury was another plus, with Todd Blackadder's team five points clear at the top of their European Challenge Cup group ahead of Cardiff Blues' trip to French Top 14 side Pau on Saturday. Bristol: Arscott; Wallace, Palamo, Pisi, Varndell; Searle, Williams; Traynor, Crumpton, Ford-Robinson, Phillips, Glynn, Lam, Robinson (capt), Eadie. Replacements: Jones, Bevington, Cortes, Nemsadze, Joyce, Cliff, Jarvis, Tovey. Bath: Homer; Rokoduguni, Joseph, Fruean, Watson; Ford (co-capt), Fotuali'i; Catt, Dunn, Lahiff, Ewels, Stooke, Mercer, Louw (co-capt), Grant. Replacements: Walker, Obano, Palma-Newport, Douglas, Mercer, Cook, Priestland, Tapuai. For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.", "summary": "England internationals George Ford and Semesa Rokoduguni were among the try-scorers as Bath thrashed local rivals Bristol to close in on qualification."}
{"article": "Owner Tom Forrest also featured the phrase \"man + woman = marriage\" on the site for Cromasaig B&B in Kinlochewe. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in Scotland had begun action to seek a court order. However, it said this had been halted after Mr Forrest agreed to remove the phrases voluntarily. The website said the guest house was \"heterosexual friendly\" and included a pictorial version of the statement \"man + woman = marriage\". The commission said it was concerned that these phrases were potentially discriminatory. It initially wrote to Mr Forrest asking for them to be removed after receiving complaints. When no action was taken, the commission sought a court order which would require the phrases to be removed. That legal action has been halted after the statements were deleted voluntarily. Lynn Welsh, of the EHRC, said: \"I am pleased that the owners of Cromasaig B&B have agreed to remove these phrases. \"Removing the phrases will have no negative impact on their business, and alleviates EHRC's concerns.\" EHRC added that while the case had been \"concluded successfully\", the case raised questions surrounding the \"continued prevalence of homophobic discrimination\" which exists in Scotland. Owner Mr Forrest sparked controversy in 2004 when he refused a gay couple a double room at the guest house. The couple, from London, were told they could only book a twin room because their relationship was \"unnatural\". As a result, the B&B had its recommended status removed by tourist authority VisitScotland.", "summary": "A Highlands bed and breakfast which was described as \"heterosexual friendly\" on its website has removed phrases after being threatened with legal action."}
{"article": "Up to 1,500 staff could be axed by 2017 due to a funding gap of almost \u00c2\u00a370m. Mr Mallon said services would be closed and multimillion-pound projects reviewed in an attempt to stop the town \"fraying at the edges\". The government said Middlesbrough received more funding than the national average and it should cut wastage. Mr Mallon outlined the financial situation to councillors at a meeting on Wednesday and said he hoped action taken would \"reduce substantially\" the number of potential job cuts, but the loss of about 1,000 posts was \"the best case scenario\". He said it was a \"real shame\" staff would be made redundant but insisted the council was \"duty bound\" to cut spending. The council has just over 2,500 full-time staff, excluding those in schools. More than \u00c2\u00a332m of the required savings are necessary due to changes in government funding and the authority is facing an increased demand on care services, Mr Mallon said. \"By 2018 or 2019, 75% of the council's budget will be spent on helping children and the elderly. \"The temperature has been rising for a long time and it's still rising.\" Ahead of the meeting, Labour group leader Charlie Rooney said the town was being \"devastated\" by government cuts. Conservative group leader Chris Hobson called on the authority to \"start doing things differently\". \"We've got to start running this council as a business,\" she said. \"We've got to start bringing money in ourselves and thinking about how we can do that.\" Mr Mallon will announce a list of specific budget proposals next month.", "summary": "The loss of 1,000 jobs at Middlesbrough Council over the next three years is the \"best case scenario\", mayor Ray Mallon has said."}
{"article": "The decision to call off the fixture was made following a morning pitch inspection and the game has been rescheduled for Tuesday, 15 December. Carrick's planned league game with Dungannon on that date will be moved. The other semi-final between Larne and Ballymena United goes ahead after the pitch passed a lunchtime inspection. Carrick have had three home Premiership games postponed in recent weeks - their league fixture against Dungannon Swifts has been called off twice. Gary Haveron's side were also forced to postpone their match against Cliftonville on Saturday because of a waterlogged pitch. Larne will be out to cause an upset against the Sky Blues at Inver Park. \"We know we are nowhere near winning the league so it's important to compete for other silverware,\" said Ballymena manager Glenn Ferguson ahead of the trip to their County Antrim rivals. \"We want to reach as many cup semi-finals and finals as we can.\" \"We played Larne in pre-season so that gives us some idea what to expect. It will be a tough match as all the teams near the top of the Championship are capable of giving the senior teams a game,\" he added. The Sky Blues progressed to the last four by beating league champions and leaders Crusaders 2-0 at Seaview, courtesy of goals from David Cushley and Tony Kane. Their opponents lie third in Championship One after a 4-4 draw with Armagh City on Saturday. David McAlinden's side saw off Ards 2-1 to reach the semi-finals and will take heart from their League Cup performance against Portadown earlier in the season, taking the Premiership outfit to extra-time before losing 4-1. There will be coverage of Larne v Ballymena United on a Sportsound Special on BBC Radio Ulster medium wave and the BBC Sport website on Tuesday night from 19:30 GMT.", "summary": "Tuesday night's Co Antrim Shield semi-final between Carrick Rangers and Linfield has been postponed because of a waterlogged pitch."}
{"article": "The entertainer's funeral will take place on Thursday 20 August at St Mary's Church in the suburb of Woolton. The Right Reverend Thomas Williams, Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool and former Parish Priest of St Anthony's, Scotland Road, will officiate. Black, who emerged from the city's music scene to find fame in the 1960s before becoming a TV host, died after having a stroke at the age of 72. After the funeral, her body will be laid to rest at a private ceremony in Allerton Cemetery, where her parents are buried. Her late husband and manager, Bobby Willis, was cremated in 1999. The late entertainer's representative said further details would be released \"once all the preparations have been finalised\". A statement said: \"Once again the family have asked for their privacy to be continually respected at this difficult time.\" The Blind Date and Surprise Surprise host died of a stroke after falling over at her Spanish home earlier this month.", "summary": "Cilla Black is to be buried in her home city of Liverpool next week."}
{"article": "A 250-year-old census came to light during cataloguing by the National Register of Archives for Scotland (NRAS). The census lists 90 people living on the remote archipelago on 15 June 1764 - 38 males and 52 females, including 19 families and nine individuals. Until now, the earliest record dated from 1822. The islands, which lie about 40 miles west of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, were home to generations of people until the last were evacuated in 1930. The last surviving former resident of St Kilda, Rachel Johnson, died earlier this year at the age of 93. The census was discovered among the papers of Clan Maclachlan by researchers from NRAS - the branch of the National Records of Scotland which holds historical papers held in private hands in Scotland. It is not known exactly why the census was taken, or by whom, but NRAS experts said it was likely to have been part of a wider report on the Hebrides. As the later document from 1822 included ages, it has been possible to track five residents of St Kilda who appeared on both censuses. The 1764 census also includes the ancestors of the final five families to be evacuated from the island in 1930 - the MacQueens, Fergusons, Gillies, MacDonalds and MacKinnons. As well as the names of the 90 inhabitants, the document says that they each ate \"36 wild fouls eggs and 18 fouls\" (seabirds) a day - an overall daily consumption of 3,240 eggs and 1,620 birds. According to exports, birds and birds' eggs were the mainstay of the islanders' diet. As well as providing food, fulmar oil was used to light lamps, while seabirds' down was used for bedding and their fat for healing salves. Dr Alison Rosie, registrar of the National Register of Archives for Scotland, said: \"This document sheds new light on the history of St Kilda and the families who lived there, and gives us an insight into their lives more than 250 years ago.\" Scotland's Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: \"Many people are fascinated by the history of St Kilda, and this census gives us a new insight into the history of the island and its people, which will now be available to researchers thanks to the work of National Records of Scotland. \"Discoveries like these add great depth to our culture and heritage, helping us to understand more about our nation's story.\" Earlier this year, lost songs from the evacuated archipelago were discovered and brought to life on a new album featuring renowned composers including Sir James MacMillan.", "summary": "Researchers have discovered the oldest known record of the population of St Kilda."}
{"article": "It warns about what it calls \"medium-term\" dangers in both emerging and developed economies, in its twice-yearly report. It expresses particular concerns about Europe, Japan and China. On a more positive note, the fund does say that short-term risks have abated since its previous assessment of global financial stability in April. Pressures on emerging markets have eased, the report says. Rising commodity prices (though they are still relatively low) have helped and so has the reduced uncertainty about China's prospects in the near term. The report says investors were taken by surprise by the result of the British referendum on the European Union, but the political shock was absorbed by markets. They passed what it calls \"this severe stress test\". But looking further ahead, the IMF sees growing risks. A key factor is bank profits. The good news is that banks are in some respects stronger than they were before the financial crisis. They have more capital, a kind of financial buffer that enables them to survive losses. Their liquidity has improved, which means they have more chance of coping if they suddenly have to find funds quickly. But they are struggling to make money. Weak profitability makes it harder for them to build up their capital (which they can do by holding on to some profit rather than giving it all to shareholders as dividends). It also makes it harder for them to expand lending to business and consumers, as is needed to support economic recovery. The problems partly reflect the very low interest rate environment that developed-country banks have to operate in. The struggle to make profits also reflects the persistent economic weakness in the developed world, which means weaker demand for credit. Some banks in the eurozone have a burden of problem loans, which are not being repaid and that they have still not dealt with. The report identifies Italian and Portuguese banks as facing serious challenges of profitability and capital levels. There is also a warning about Japanese banks and their expansion overseas, which the report says is the result of economic weakness and very low interest rates in their home market. That leaves them exposed to some risk in terms of access to the foreign currency funds they need to maintain that business. The report warns about pension funds and insurance companies, whose position is also undermined by persistent low interest rates. Outside the rich countries, China is seen as a potential trouble spot. The report says that rapid credit growth and the expansion of \"shadow banking\" (lending done by firms that are not banks) \"pose mounting risks to stability\". The rapidly growing financial system in China is becoming increasingly \"interconnected\", the report says. The extent to which firms in the sector are interconnected - that is, have transactions with one another - was identified as a key factor in the financial contagion that was a feature of the international financial crisis. The IMF's recommended medicine for these mounting risks is partly about generating a stronger economic recovery, including reforms to underpin growth. There are also calls", "summary": "The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that risks to financial stability are growing."}
{"article": "RBS, which has already closed dozens of branches in Scotland since 2015, said 176 full-time posts would be affected. It added that the move was in response to the growing popularity of mobile and online banking. The union Unite reacted angrily, claiming RBS was \"turning its back on the communities that have been the foundation of their business for generations\". In addition to the Scottish closures, RBS announced it would shut 128 NatWest branches. A total of about 770 staff across the UK will be affected but hundreds of workers will be redeployed, the bank said. RBS branches earmarked for closure: An RBS spokesman said many more customers now preferred using mobile and online services over traditional branch counters. He said: \"We interact with our customers over 20 times more through digital channels than physical ones. \"Half of our personal customers in Scotland are mobile banking users - grown from 500,000 to 900,000 since 2014. \"As customers change the way they bank with us, we must change the way we serve them. \"The role of the branch is fast moving to a centre for advice, away from basic transactions. \"While the branch will still be a core part of our offering to customers, inevitably some branches will have to close.\" Reacting to the news, Unite regional officer Lyn Turner said: \"RBS is turning its back on the communities that have been the foundation of their business for generations. \"That's bad news for our members who now have to live with the threat of redundancy - and it's bad news for customers and businesses. \"Banks have a duty to the wider community and that is especially the case for banks like RBS that have large taxpayer-owned shareholdings.\" The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said it was \"frustrated to see RBS show so little loyalty to our high streets\". Scottish policy convener Andy Willox added: \"Branch closures put pressure on local economies and make it harder for local firms to access banking services. \"While more people might be doing online banking, that's no good for cash-based businesses or for rural firms with poor broadband. \"As the big banks shut down branches in chorus, it unfortunately seems like the banking industry is content to leave some customers behind.\" After the closures 151 RBS branches will remain. The bank remains majority-owned by taxpayers, following its multi-billion government bailout almost a decade ago.", "summary": "RBS has announced that it is shutting 30 more Scottish branches."}
{"article": "About 20 buildings have collapsed, including a six-storey hotel in the city of Van, where dozens of aid workers and journalists were staying. The quake late on Wednesday was centred 16km (10 miles) south of Van. The same region was struck last month by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake which killed more than 600 people. That earthquake struck a little north of Van but the city became the headquarters of the relief effort and has been flooded by aid workers and journalists, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Istanbul. The city was only lightly damaged, but some of the weakened buildings are now thought to have been brought down. Television pictures from Van showed residents and rescuers trying to lift debris to free people trapped under ruined buildings. Rescue workers were using high-powered lights to work through the night. Parliamentary member Nazmi Gur said most of the buildings which collapsed were empty, but three had been occupied when the quake struck at 21:23 (19:23 GMT). He said emergency teams were focusing on rescuing some 50 people believed to still be trapped. Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said the quake toppled a school and a number of mudbrick homes, as well as the hotel. He said rescue teams were being sent to the region from the capital, Ankara, and other areas. Some of the journalists trapped in the collapsed Bayram Hotel had sent text messages to colleagues asking to be rescued, Associated Press quoted a Turkish cameraman as saying. Alper Kucuk from the Turkish Red Crescent told the BBC that 11 people had been rescued from the rubble of the hotel. Mr Kucuk said the Red Crescent was sending two more planeloads of relief supplies to the area, including tents and blankets, as well as rescue personnel. He described it as the biggest aftershock to hit the area and said it had frightened a lot of people. Thousands of people were made homeless by the 23 October earthquake, with many still living in tents in the cold weather. Mr Gur said many people are now leaving Van in search of a safer place. Turkey is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because it sits on major geological fault lines. Two earthquakes in 1999 with a magnitude of more than 7 killed almost 20,000 people in densely populated parts of the north-west of the country.", "summary": "A 5.6-magnitude earthquake has killed at least seven people in eastern Turkey, and trapped many more under collapsed buildings."}
{"article": "In the Daily Telegraph, Lord Hague said he was asked the question \"for months... everywhere I went abroad\" if \"we would lose heart\" about leaving. He said he explained to them that \"this really is a democracy\". Lord Hague also backed a \"transitional\" withdrawal from the EU saying it had \"immense\" attractions. Lord Hague - who campaigned to remain in the EU - stood down as foreign secretary in 2014, and left the House of Commons in 2015. He wrote in Tuesday's Telegraph: \"The electorate voted to leave the EU, and therefore we leave. \"What is more, the number of people who voted to do so was higher than the number of votes cast for any government in our history. \"To me and many of my former colleagues in government who preferred to remain, the argument was over. \"In the recent general election, both main parties were clear that they were committed to the referendum outcome. \"Globally, the message has now got through.\" But Lord Hague added that \"just as the message was accepted, the voters pulled off another surprise and refused to give a majority to the ministers negotiating the exit\" [in the general election]. He said there was the clear potential for Brexit to become the \"greatest economic, diplomatic and constitutional muddle in the modern history of the UK, with unknowable consequences for the country, the government and the Brexit project itself\". And he said the Chancellor Philip Hammond deserved \"great credit\" for putting forward a possible solution. Lord Hague said: \"He has evidently been trying to persuade his cabinet colleagues that we should be seeking to stay in the EU single market and customs union during a transition and 'implementation' phase lasting to 2022, followed by a free trade deal with our former partners after that. \"This is seen by longstanding advocates of leaving as a 'soft' position or a climbdown. \"But in reality it is a plan to rescue Brexit from an approaching disaster.\" Mr Hammond has said any transitional deal in the period after Brexit must end by June 2022, the time of the next general election. But the chancellor said there must be \"business as usual, life as normal\" for Britons as the UK left the EU. Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning", "summary": "Business leaders and politicians asked former Foreign Secretary William Hague how the UK would \"get round\" the EU referendum result, he has revealed."}
{"article": "Felix has been the resident pet at Huddersfield railway station in West Yorkshire since 2011, when she was brought in to catch mice. She has now been given a high-vis vest and made Senior Pest Controller. A cat flap has also been built at the ticket barrier to allow her platform access. Felix's success has been covered by newspapers in Taiwan, the Netherlands and Hong Kong. The story saw a surge in popularity after the Huddersfield Examiner pounced on Felix's \"purr-motion\". At the time of writing, a page for Felix has amassed over 20,000 'likes' on Facebook. A First TransPennine Express spokesman said: \"Felix came to the station when she was nine weeks old five years ago. \"We haven't kept a mice tally, but we think she's caught three recently.\" The station said the cat was also a \"natural\" at chasing off pigeons on the station's platforms. Felix is not the first \"station cat\" to find global fame - Tama, a stray which was made a station master in western Japan, was credited with turning a loss-making railway company around thanks to the number of tourists it attracted. After Tama's death last June, thousands of people attended a Shinto-style funeral where the cat was elevated to the status of a goddess.", "summary": "A newly promoted train station cat has become a media sensation after her career advancements were followed from around the globe."}
{"article": "Crashes similar to those suffered by Fernando Alonso in Australia on Sunday will be part of a risk assessment into the 'halo' device, planned for 2017. The Spaniard's McLaren came to rest upside down after his 180mph crash at the season-opening race in Melbourne. \"We need to see if it could become more difficult to get out,\" he said. Even if the halo made it more difficult for a driver to get out of his car in such a situation, that would not be enough to prevent its introduction. The device is being investigated on a holistic basis and the FIA will weigh any potential extra problems with a driver's ability to remove himself from the cockpit against the increased safety. But only if the cons outweighed the pros would head protection be delayed. Alonso's team-mate Jenson Button said after the race that there was \"no need for him to get out in that situation\", adding: \"It's better to have a halo system. They [safety workers] would tip the car over of course to get him out, so it takes a bit longer. But he was OK so it doesn't matter.\" Governing body the FIA is aiming to make a final decision on the adoption of the halo by the end of May, following the completion of the risk assessment. Its F1 director Charlie Whiting has told teams the device will be introduced if the process does not throw up any unanticipated risks and that he expects no opposition. Even if a team did object, the FIA could force it through on safety grounds. The FIA is still waiting for all the data to be recovered from the accident data recorders on Alonso's car before investigating exactly what happened. The 34-year-old double world champion sustained a peak force of 46G during the crash, which he described as the biggest of his career. It was triggered when Alonso's right front wheel caught the left-rear wheel of Esteban Gutierrez's Haas as he was trying to overtake on the approach to Turn Three. All cars are fitted with a high-speed camera pointing back towards the driver's head to analyse its trajectory during an accident. The device works at 400 frames per second - 16 times faster than a normal camera - and it will reveal whether there would have been any danger to the driver's head had a halo been fitted. This is considered highly unlikely, as the halo has been designed to be well out of reach of the helmet even in extreme scenarios. These cameras, along with in-ear accelerometers worn by the drivers and data from sensors on the chassis, mean the FIA can build up a detailed picture of the events of an accident. Alonso, who is one of the vast majority of drivers backing the introduction of extra head protection, said it was important to look into what would have happened in his accident and its aftermath had a halo been fitted. The risk assessment into the halo will focus on the potential negatives of the device, and whether they are", "summary": "The ease with which drivers can get out of an upturned car will be investigated before finalising the introduction of head protection next year."}
{"article": "The NSA was allowed to collect this information without a warrant thanks to a US law passed in 2008. In a statement it said that an internal review had revealed several problems with the spying programme and its effect on US citizens' privacy. Surveillance experts said the NSA's decision was \"very significant\". The NSA is not allowed to conduct surveillance within the US but it managed to skirt this restriction thanks to one section of the 2008 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa). This let it grab the phone calls and messages of US citizens which mentioned or otherwise involved people outside the US it was keeping an eye on. The NSA had been widely criticised because using Fisa had meant it had scooped up lots of messages, texts and other material sent by Americans without having to apply for a warrant. In its statement, the NSA said technical limits, privacy problems and the difficulty of carrying out this type of surveillance had driven its decision. It also said it would delete the \"vast majority\" of data collected via this spying programme. The powers to spy outlined in Fisa were due to be scrutinised this year by the US Congress and are set to be renewed by the end of 2017. Many members of Congress have been critical of the spying effort and politicians were expected to significantly limit its scope during the renewal and review process. The Fisa spying programme has also been criticised by the US Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court, which oversees NSA requests for surveillance warrants. The NSA had defended the Fisa-allowed spying, saying that it had helped it gather \"critical\" intelligence. Julian Sanchez, a privacy and surveillance expert with the Cato Institute, said the broad reach of Fisa-sanctioned spying had made it a key target of civil liberties campaigners. \"Usually you identify a specific individual to scrutinise their content; this was scrutinizing everyone's content to find mentions of an individual,\" Mr Sanchez told Reuters.", "summary": "The US National Security Agency (NSA) is to end surveillance on messages sent by US citizens that mention foreign intelligence targets."}
{"article": "Four mountain rescue teams were called to separate incidents at the summits of Corn Du and Cribyn. One person is being treated at Swansea's Morriston Hospital for burns. The other is at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil. Some rescuers were training in the area when the incidents happened. An RAF Sea King from Chivenor was sent to aid two casualties on Cribyn and road ambulances and police were also sent to the scene. Brecon Mountain Rescue Team were ending their exercise due to the electric storm when they received a call-out. Its team doctor reached the first male casualty on Corn Ddu within 35 minutes. Spokesman Mark Jones said passing cadets who had been on the summit at the time of the strike had already started resuscitation when the rescue doctor took over. \"I've been in Brecon Mountain Rescue for 30 years and I've never known anything like this,\" he said. \"It is exceptionally unusual, and for multiple people to be hit in multiple strikes on different peaks - it is very, very rare.\" Three other mountain rescue teams - Central Beacons, Longtown and Western Beacons - were also called out. A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: \"As a result of these incidents, two men have sadly died, one man is in a serious condition in hospital and another man is in hospital but did not sustain serious injuries. \"Officers have informed the next of kin of the deceased men.\"", "summary": "Two men are being treated in hospital after lightning strikes in the Brecon Beacons which killed two other men on Sunday."}
{"article": "Substances like Mamba and Spice can have serious side effects such as paranoia, psychosis and seizures, and have been linked to UK deaths. Previously known as legal highs, many of the drugs are untested so the risks of taking them is unknown. There have been a number of cases in towns such as Wrexham, with a lawyer saying there is a \"big problem\" there. Crimestoppers is now offering a reward for information on the supply of these drugs. It wants to hear from people who know of individuals who are manufacturing, importing or supplying these drugs to people in the area, including the homeless. \"These substances are relatively new on the streets, so information is hard to come by as to who is producing and supplying them,\" said Gary Murray, the charity's north Wales regional manager. \"We understand there is a stigma attached to 'grassing' on people, but these substances are dangerous, to the individuals taking them and to the community around them.\"", "summary": "A charity has launched an appeal to help stop the supply of \"dangerous drugs\" in north Wales."}
{"article": "The double world champion has the full approval and support of McLaren and engine partner Honda, who are having a difficult season in Formula 1. Alonso, 35, will race for the Honda-powered Andretti team on 28 May, and the car will be branded a McLaren. McLaren are yet to decide who will replace him in Monaco that weekend, but Jenson Button is a possibility. The 2009 world champion has retired from F1 but is contracted to McLaren as an ambassador. It is not known whether the Briton would want to come back to drive an uncompetitive car. Alonso said he had long held an ambition to win the so-called 'triple crown' of Monaco, the Indy 500 and Le Mans. Only one man has won all three in his career - the late Graham Hill in the 1960s. Alonso, who won the Monaco Grand Prix in 2006 and 2007, said: \"It's a tough challenge, but I'm up for it. \"I don't know when I'm going to race at Le Mans, but one day I intend to. I'm only 35. I've got plenty of time for that.\" The Spaniard added he would definitely race for McLaren for the rest of the season, dismissing speculation he could quit part way through the year because of the Honda F1 engine's poor performance. \"It's of course a regret that I won't be able to race at Monaco this year,\" he said. \"But Monaco will be the only 2017 grand prix I'll be missing, and I'll be back in the cockpit for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal in early June. \"I've never raced an IndyCar car before, and neither have I ever driven on a super-speedway, but I'm confident I'll get to grips with it fast. \"I've watched a lot of IndyCar action on TV and online, and it's clear that great precision is required to race in close proximity with other cars on the far side of 220mph [354km/h].\" Alonso acknowledged he would be on \"a steep learning curve\". But he added: \"I'll be flying to Indianapolis from Barcelona immediately after the Spanish Grand Prix, practising our McLaren-Honda-Andretti car at Indy from 15 May onwards, hopefully clocking up a large number of miles every day, and I know how good the Andretti Autosport guys are. \"I'll be proud to race with them, and I intend to mine their knowledge and expertise for as much information as I possibly can.\" McLaren have supported Alonso's wishes because they recognise the efforts he has been putting in - and the frustration he is feeling - after three uncompetitive seasons since joining the team in 2015. McLaren executive director Zak Brown said: \"Could Fernando win this year's Indy 500? Well, I wouldn't be so silly as to make any such rash prediction, but I expect him to be in the mix. \"Put it this way: the team he'll be racing for won the race last year, using the same Honda engine, and he's the best racing driver in the world. That's quite a compelling combination. \"He'll have his work cut", "summary": "McLaren driver Fernando Alonso will miss the Monaco Grand Prix in May so he can race in the Indianapolis 500."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 25-year-old scored 47 goals in 141 appearances for Barca and netted two goals in the World Cup in Brazil. He said: \"I'm so happy to be joining a club which has a great manager, a fantastic squad of players and huge support around the world. \"I'm looking forward to playing in the Premier League and Champions League.\" The Gunners also remain on course to sign French right-back Mathieu Debuchy, 28, from Newcastle United. Liverpool were keen on recruiting Sanchez as part of the deal that is likely to take striker Luis Suarez from Anfield to the Nou Camp, but that is now expected to be a straight cash transfer. Juventus had also shown a strong interest in Sanchez but the Italians are reportedly closing in on Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata instead. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: \"As many people have seen during the World Cup this summer, Alexis is a fantastic footballer and we are delighted that he is joining us. \"Alexis will add power, creativity and much quality to our squad and we are all looking forward to him joining up with us in a few weeks.\" Sanchez, who has made 71 appearances for Chile, scoring 24 goals, helped his country reach the World Cup last 16, where they lost on penalties to Brazil. He completed his medical in London on Thursday and will join up with his new team-mates at the end of July, after spending some time on holiday following the World Cup. In addition to pursuing Debuchy, Arsenal are still in the market for a holding midfielder and back-up goalkeeper. Their move for the defender is at an advanced stage but the clubs are yet to agree a fee, with Newcastle, who signed Debuchy from Lille for \u00a35m in 2013, understood to be seeking in the region of \u00a310m. Debuchy would replace Bacary Sagna, who left Arsenal to join Manchester City.", "summary": "Chile international striker Alexis Sanchez has signed for Arsenal from Barcelona on a long-term contract for a fee in the region of \u00a335m."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Extending their run to 19 in Ireland next weekend would secure Eddie Jones' side back-to-back Grand Slams, another feat beyond their legendary predecessors. However, they will need to win a World Cup of their own to join the 2003 team in the pantheon of English sides. Next Saturday, the current team do have the chance to do something that eluded Woodward's side in 2001 when, having beaten Scotland by 40 points, they failed in their shot at a Grand Slam as they lost in Dublin. They are not yet the finished article - and have some way to go to match the achievement of the World Cup winners - but how do they compare man to man to the greats of 2003? Whereas Josh Lewsey could alternate between the two positions, Mike Brown is definitely a full-back, not a winger. He is the classic high-ball warrior, relishing the aerial battle that is such a big part of the modern game. Ireland's Rob Kearney, Wales' Dan Biggar and New Zealand's Ben Smith are among the best in the world at fielding the ping-pong kicking exchanges, but none are better than Brown. Lewsey is a better all-rounder however. He eclipses Brown in attack with his speed, and was rock-solid in defence. His rib-breaking hit on Australia's Mat Rogers the summer before the World Cup final left his opposite number unable to surf as lying on the board was too uncomfortable. Poor Jack Nowell. Any wing in the world would suffer by this comparison because Jason Robinson had unique attacking skills. He combined the best step I have ever seen with breathtaking acceleration that would leave defenders choking on dust. Nowell has boundless energy and always wants to get his hands on the ball and take on the opposition. Still only 23, that attitude has fuelled his improvement with every game. What a contrast. Jonathan Joseph and Mike Tindall are two totally different types of players, but each perfectly fitted their eras. Tindall was direct, confrontational and strong, but he also had an eye for the pass and the ability to deliver it. He was uncompromising in attack and defence, relishing the collision with or without the ball. Joseph's most eye-catching quality is his pace and ability to pick a defence-piercing line. We saw the perfect demonstration of that in his hat-trick performance against Scotland on Saturday. His defence is more subtle than Tindall's crash-bang style, but it is equally effective. While there were differences at outside centre, the two sides' inside centres bring similar assets to the table. Will Greenwood was both a playmaker and try-scorer for the 2003 side. He was deceptively quick, picking clever lines and gobbling up the yards with his long stride. He has a superb rugby brain, and made time and space for others as well as finding holes to exploit himself. Farrell has perhaps improved more than any other player under the guidance of England coach Eddie Jones. His running with ball in hand is now a real threat to", "summary": "Victory against Scotland on Saturday was a world record-equalling 18th in a row for the current England team, who were already on a longer winning streak than Sir Clive Woodward's 2003 world champions - their best was 14."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old collided with Black Cats midfielder Wahbi Khazri. \"It is dislocated so he is out for several weeks,\" said United boss Louis van Gaal after Saturday's game. Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia, Phil Jones and Guillermo Varela are out - leaving Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Donald Love as the club's only fit full-backs. Love, 21, who was on loan at Wigan earlier this season, came off the bench during the Premier League game to make his first-team debut. Saturday was also the first time he had featured in United's first-team squad. Borthwick-Jackson, 19, made his first-team debut in November. \"We don't have any more full-backs in this club,\" added Van Gaal. \"I have to line up a 13-year-old guy or someone like that.\" Darmian joined United from Italian side Torino last summer and started at right-back against Sunderland.", "summary": "Matteo Darmian added to Manchester United's full-back problems after dislocating his shoulder at Sunderland."}
{"article": "22 November 2015 Last updated at 05:46 GMT Zimasa Mabela broke new ground when she took charge of a de-mining ship based in Cape Town last month. The 38-year-old mother of two says she wants to be judged on her ability to command and not her gender. The BBC's Nomsa Maseko spent the day with her on her ship. Our 100 Women season showcases two weeks of inspirational stories about the BBC 100 Women and others who defy stereotypes around the world. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram using the hashtag #100Women.", "summary": "The first African woman to command a navy vessel has recently been appointed in South Africa."}
{"article": "Staff will walk out from 00:01 BST on 12 August until 23.59 BST on 15 August, and for three days over the UK Bank Holiday weekend from 27 August. The union says the dispute is over unsocial hours and duty rosters for about 80 train managers. Eurostar said all passengers with reservations will be able to travel. A spokesman said: \"On the days of the strike we have made some small changes to our timetable to ensure that all passengers booked to travel will be able to on those days. Passengers affected will be notified in advance.\" The company added it has been planning for possible strike action and is still in discussions with the RMT over the dispute. Eurostar runs trains between London and mainland Europe and the first planned walk out coincides with the Assumption Day bank holiday in France and Belgium on 15 August. The RMT says Eurostar has failed to honour an agreement from 2008 over conditions for their staff. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: \"Our train manager members at Eurostar have a heavy commitment to shift work and unsocial hours and are sick and tired of the company's failure to honour agreements. \"Our members have every right to have a fair work-life balance that fulfils the operational needs of the company while guaranteeing quality time off for friends and family. \"It's now time for Eurostar to come to the negotiating table with a set of proposals that honours our agreements and guarantees our members a genuine work-life balance.\" The RMT announcement comes amid strikes by its members on Southern and Virgin Trains East Coast. Southern Rail staff are in the midst a five-day strike over the role of conductors, while the RMT announced on Tuesday that its members on the Virgin East Coast line voted to walk out in a dispute over staffing changes. The RMT says the action on Southern Railway workers will be suspended on Thursday and Friday if the company agrees to urgent talks without pre-conditions.", "summary": "Eurostar rail workers are to take seven days of strike action this month in a dispute over their work-life balance, the RMT union says."}
{"article": "The party, founded in 2015, is contesting seven seats on 8 June and launched its manifesto on Friday. Leader Sophie Walker said it included plans for more parental leave and 40 hours free child care a week. The Lib Dems are also pledging an extra month of paternity leave on top of the current statutory two weeks. The party, which pushed for the introduction of shared parental leave when in coalition with the Conservatives, said it would outline how the measure would be funded when its manifesto is published. But former Lib Dem minister Jo Swinson said: \"More needs to be done in order to encourage men to take leave when they become a dad, to bond with their child during the early weeks and months of their life.\" Since 2003, new fathers have been entitled to two weeks' paid leave if they meet certain criteria, such as having worked for their employer for a defined length of time. Statutory paternity pay is currently \u00a3140.98 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, if that is lower. In April 2015, new rights came in to allow parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay, if it is agreed with the employer with eight weeks' notice. Ms Walker told BBC Radio 4's Women's Hour that the party's manifesto pledged a \"fully equal\" system of parental leave, for both parents, including adoptive parents and same sex couples. This would include three months off work on 90% of pay. She said that many men could not currently afford to take their full paternity leave entitlement. She put the cost of the policy at \u00a36.5bn, based on average salaries, numbers of people with children and numbers of those in work and said it would be partly funded by taking \u00a34bn from the government's infrastructure investment fund. Employers would also be asked to pay an insurance levy of 0.076% of salary costs. \"We have to invest pound for pound in physical infrastructure and social infrastructure,\" she told the programme. \"Physical infrastructure is one way of creating jobs and economic growth - but social infrastructure is really vital.\" She also elaborated on her plan for 40 hours a week free childcare for children aged between nine months and primary school age - at a cost of \u00a333bn, which Ms Walker said should be funded by changes to pension tax relief, rises in alcohol and fuel duty and postponing cuts to corporation tax. She said the pledge would revolutionise lives and would help businesses. From September, three- and four-year-olds in England will be entitled to 30 free hours of care per week in term time - up from the current 15 hours, although there have been some concerns it will mean higher fees and extra charges. Other pledges include tackling violence against women with better funding for specialist services, improving funding for social care and introduce a right to paid leave for carers. Ms Walker said her party was inviting the biggest parties to steal its policies \"because we want to get the", "summary": "The Women's Equality Party says it would invest in \"social infrastructure\" with free childcare and \"fully equal\" parental leave."}
{"article": "The move comes after an increase in syringe finds. The Belfast Telegraph reported the \"sharps disposal boxes\" will be placed in public toilets in Belfast. The first box was installed in the Dublin Road at the end of 2014. Since then, five more have been put in public toilets. They are in Custom House Square, Winetavern Street, Lombard Street, the Ormeau Road and the Antrim Road. When all six are rolled out, 12 of the 14 public toilets in Belfast will have sharps disposal facilities. The needle bins are small silver plaques sited on the wall with the words \"sharps disposal\" on them. There is a hole in the middle to allow people to dispose of used needles in a secure container. The issue was raised at a meeting of the People and Communities Committee in April. The council minutes said the increase in boxes was down to an increase in sharps finds. It said that the BBC had reported that the Council's \"Needle Exchange Programme\" witnessed an increase in visits in four years, from 7,500 to just under 15,000. Following this increase in sharps finds, the council \"liaised with their contracted service providers and other public bodies on an ongoing basis to take measures to counteract this behaviour\". The council said that work is ongoing to install the remaining six boxes throughout 2017-2018.", "summary": "Belfast City Council has said it plans to install six more needle bins to allow injecting drug users to safely dispose of used syringes."}
{"article": "The official status of the much-loved animal has been changed from \"endangered\" to \"vulnerable\" because of a population rebound in China. The change was announced as part of an update to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. But the update also brought bad news. The eastern gorilla, the world's largest primate, is now endangered. Efforts by China, which claims the giant panda as its national animal, have brought its numbers back from the brink. The latest estimates show a population of 1,864 adults. How did China save the panda? Eastern gorillas threatened with extinction There are no exact figures for the numbers of cubs, but estimates bring the total number of giant pandas to 2,060. \"Evidence from a series of range-wide national surveys indicate that the previous population decline has been arrested, and the population has started to increase,\" said the IUCN's updated report. \"The improved status confirms that the Chinese government's efforts to conserve this species are effective,\" it added. But the rebound could be short-lived, the IUCN warned. Climate change is predicted to wipe out more than one-third of the panda's bamboo habitat in the next 80 years. \"And thus panda population is projected to decline, reversing the gains made during the last two decades,\" the report said. It added: \"To protect this iconic species, it is critical that the effective forest protection measures are continued and that emerging threats are addressed.\" John Robinson, a primatologist and chief conservation officer at the Wildlife Conservation Society, told the AFP news agency: \"When push comes to shove, the Chinese have done a really good job with pandas. \"So few species are actually downlisted, it really is a reflection of the success of conservation,\" he told the AFP news agency.\" A surge of illegal hunting has taken the eastern gorilla in the other direction, reducing its numbers to just 5,000 across the globe. Four out of six of the Earth's great apes are now critically endangered - the eastern gorilla, western gorilla, Bornean orangutan and Sumatran orangutan. \"Today is a sad day because the IUCN Red List shows we are wiping out some of our closest relatives,\" Inger Andersen, IUCN director general, told reporters. The number of eastern gorillas has declined more than 70% in the past two decades. The IUCN Red List includes 82,954 species, both plants and animals. Almost one third, 23,928, are listed as being threatened with extinction.", "summary": "The giant panda is no longer an endangered species, following decades of work by conservationists to save it."}
{"article": "The Scottish writer posted a message on his official website saying his next novel The Quarry, due to be published later this year, would be his last. The 59-year-old's novels include The Wasp Factory, The Crow Road, Complicity and the Culture series. The statement said his health problems came to light when he saw his doctor, suffering from a sore back. He was diagnosed with jaundice, before further tests established the full extent of his illness. In the personal statement on his website, Banks said he had asked his partner Adele to marry him and was now on a short honeymoon. Banks' first novel The Wasp Factory was published in 1984 and introduced the Fife-born writer as a dark new force in British literature. Described in turn as \"macabre... bizarre... and depraved,\" the book was included in a 1997 poll of the 20th Century's top 100 books, placed higher than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Subsequent novels, including Espedair Street and The Crow Road, were adapted for radio and television and his 1993 book Complicity was made into a film in 2000, starring Trainspotting's Jonny Lee Miller. Considered one of Scotland's foremost writers, most of whose books are set in his home country, the writer ventures further afield in his parallel career as a writer of science fiction under the guise of Iain M Banks. Using his middle name of Menzies - on the advice of his publisher who said it looked \"more American\" for a US market - several of Banks' sci-fi works are set in the Culture universe, a semi-anarchist utopia. His most recent work in the so-called Culture series - The Hydrogen Sonata - was released last year. In its review - the Independent praised Banks' \"taste for the absurd\". Fellow Scottish author, Ian Rankin, said the news of Banks' terminal cancer was \"just awful\". He Tweeted: \"Typical of Iain to propose marriage to his partner Adele with the words 'Will you do me the honour of becoming my widow?\" Banks, who lives in North Queensferry, Fife, said he had cancelled all future public engagements. He said: \"The bottom line now, I'm afraid, is that as a late-stage gall bladder cancer patient, I'm expected to live for 'several months' and it's extremely unlikely I'll live beyond a year. \"So it looks like my latest novel, The Quarry, will be my last.\" He said the disease had spread to both lobes of his liver, and possibly his pancreas and lymph nodes. The author said there was little chance of surgeons being able to remove the tumours because of how far they had spread. He has asked his publishers to bring forward the publication of his new book to \"give me a better chance of being around when it hits the shelves.\" Banks also praised NHS staff who have looked after him - and said he may undergo chemotherapy to extend his life when his jaundice clears up. He said: \"We're all just sorry the outcome hasn't been more cheerful.\" Born in Fife, Banks studied", "summary": "Author Iain Banks has revealed that he has late stage cancer and is unlikely to live for more than a year."}
{"article": "Plantasia is set to be shut as part of \u00c2\u00a381m in savings needed by the city council over the next three years. The site at Parc Tawe attracts about 80,000 visitors a year, and its greenhouses are home to several endangered species and tropical plants. A 'Friends of Plantasia' group says it wants to explore funding options to save the site. The hothouses are home to cotton top tamarin monkeys, parakeets, bearded dragons, chameleons and a Burmese python, in addition to its collection of tropical plants and trees - including passion fruit, banana, fig and sugar cane. \"I feel very, very sad it's facing closure, Plantasia is such an iconic attraction,\" said Kate Cross, from the campaign group. \"The staff have always gone out of their way to be fantastically knowledgeable, very friendly and very approachable. \"We would like the City and people who have the expertise to get behind us and to offer us grants or funding - anything to preserve this attraction.\" The group will meet next week to see if there is an option to establish a trust, and seek expert advice on funding. Staff at the centre have already been served with 90-day redeployment notices, after Swansea council voted through the closure plans in February. A spokesman said: \"We have a budget deficit of \u00c2\u00a381m over the next three years and have to make difficult decisions to protect as many vital services as possible.\" They said discussions with a number of interested parties and the private owners of Parc Tawe are on-going about the attraction's future. \"If Plantasia is closed then the continued welfare of its animals and plants will be of paramount importance,\" he added.", "summary": "An indoor 'rainforest' under threat of closure in Swansea could be run as a trust, say campaigners."}
{"article": "The sell-out Barbican show has nine nominations, including best actor for the Sherlock star. Musicals Kinky Boots and In The Heights also have nine nominations each. The winners, chosen by public vote, will be announced at an awards concert on 21 February 2016 at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Hamlet's nominations include supporting actor nods for Ciaran Hinds, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Sian Brooke and Anastasia Hille, while Lyndsey Turner is shortlisted for best director. The production made headlines this summer after it shifted the position of Hamlet's famous \"to be or not to be\" soliloquy. Cumberbatch had also made a plea to fans during early performances not to film his performance. The 39-year-old actor faces competition in the best actor category from James McAvoy (The Ruling Class), Bradley Cooper (The Elephant Man), Mark Rylance (Farinelli and the King) and Alex Hassell (Henry V). Nicole Kidman is nominated for best actress in a play for her part as a pioneering scientist in Photograph 51. She is up against Rosalie Craig (As You Like It), Denise Gough (People, Places, Things), Harriet Walter (Death Of A Salesman) and Lia Williams (Oresteia). Photograph 51 and Farinelli and the King are both nominated for best new play, along with Oppenheimer, People, Places and Things and Hangmen. The recently-opened Elf the Musical is up for best new musical category in competition with Kinky Boots, Bend It Like Beckham, Beautiful and In the Heights. THE 16TH ANNUAL WHATSONSTAGE AWARDS NOMINEES IN FULL: Best Actor in a Play: Best Actress in a Play: Best Actor in a Musical: Best Actress in a Musical: Best Supporting Actor in a Play: Best Supporting Actress in a Play: Best Supporting Actor in a Musical: Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: Best New Play: Best New Musical: Best Play Revival: Best Musical Revival: Best Direction: Best Choreography: Best Set Design: Best Lighting Design: Best Off-West End Production: Best Regional Production: Best West End Show:", "summary": "The blockbuster production of Hamlet, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, is the most nominated play at the WhatsOnStage awards."}
{"article": "Downing Street has publicly rebuked the foreign secretary for accusing UK ally Saudi Arabia of engaging in \"proxy wars\" in the Middle East. Number 10 said his views did not represent \"the government's position\". Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a former Conservative foreign secretary, said \"the jury is out\" on Mr Johnson's future in the job. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Johnson was not entitled to make public statements which are \"completely at variance with what the government line is\", and the prime minister was right to slap him down. Sir Malcolm said: \"If he wants to be foreign secretary for the foreseeable future - and he could be a very good one, he's a highly intelligent guy... it's the question of his temperament\". Mr Johnson is to deliver a keynote speech at a major regional conference in Bahrain on Friday before heading to Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Theresa May's official spokeswoman said the prime minister had \"full confidence\" in Mr Johnson but that his comments at a conference in Italy were his own personal view. She added that Mr Johnson will have the opportunity to set out official policy - of Britain's desire to strengthen its ties with Saudi Arabia and support for its controversial military involvement in Yemen - when he travels to the desert kingdom. Sir Malcolm said: \"He's often been in this situation before, and he's got a remarkable use of language.\" However, if Mr Johnson persists in offering his personal view in public, Sir Malcolm said: \"I think inevitably the prime minister would say - look is his role adding to the benefits for the United Kingdom\". \"He might end up being more comfortable in another senior cabinet position\". Mr Johnson's comments were made at a conference last week but only emerged after the The Guardian newspaper published footage of the event. In it the foreign secretary said: \"There are politicians who are twisting and abusing religion and different strains of the same religion in order to further their own political objectives. \"That's one of the biggest political problems in the whole region. And the tragedy for me - and that's why you have these proxy wars being fought the whole time in that area - is that there is not strong enough leadership in the countries themselves.\" In defence of Mr Johnson, Tory colleague and housing minister Gavin Barwell said: \"It's his job to set out the concerns that we have.\" He told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that Saudi Arabia was a \"friend\" but he added: \"Many of our constituents have concerns and it's quite right that we should raise them.\" Meanwhile, Tory backbencher Sarah Wollaston tweeted: \"Boris was speaking the truth on proxy wars and it's time for all parties in the region to end the sectarian bloodbath. \"To proxy wars charge I'd add beheadings, judicial mutilations, torture, violation of women's human rights through male guardianship, unfair trials, gross restrictions on free speech, rights of assembly and association, bombing civilians in Yemen.\" Mr Johnson's speech at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama", "summary": "Boris Johnson is to begin a tour of the Middle East amid a row over comments he made about Saudi Arabia."}
{"article": "The watchdog is working with social media and leafleting every household about signing up. It has backed Facebook's new \"life event\" feature enabling people to tell friends they have registered to vote. The ballot on 18 September will ask the \"Yes/No\" question: \"Should Scotland be an independent country?\" More than 4.1m people had registered to vote by 10 March 2014, according to the Commission's most recent figures. Those eligible to vote in Scotland include British, Irish and all other EU citizens as well as Commonwealth citizens. For the first time in the UK, the minimum voting age in the referendum has been lowered to 16. On 18 September millions of voters in Scotland will be able to decide whether their country should become independent. But how do voters register and then cast their ballot? BBC Scotland reporter Andrew Black takes you through the steps in this interactive guide. The Electoral Commission says that people must register to vote by 2 September. Scottish Facebook users who visit the social network site over the next few weeks will see posts in their newsfeed about an interactive referendum guide from the commission. Facebook politics and government specialist Elizabeth Linder said: \"Millions of people from all walks of life use Facebook in Scotland, and have turned to Facebook in recent weeks to share their views on the independence debate. \"But participating in the debate online isn't enough to get your opinion counted on September 18. \"If you're not registered, you can't vote. It's that simple. \"We hope that by enabling millions of people in Scotland to see this guide in their Facebook newsfeed, more people will know how to cast their ballot and have their say.\" As well as targeting young voters, the Electoral Commission is targeting other groups who are less likely to be registered to vote, including students and the homeless. Alex Robertson, director of communication at the commission, said: \"We're working hard to make sure we reach all potential voters with our information campaign but we don't want to take any chances. \"We're asking people to help spread the word and make sure that no one misses out on having their say. \"We've produced lots of resources that people can use to do this. \"They are free to use and anyone can get them from www.aboutmyvote.co.uk or by calling our helpline on 0800 3 280 280.\"", "summary": "The Electoral Commission is intensifying efforts to encourage people in Scotland to register to vote in next month's referendum."}
{"article": "He last played in September and was put on a training regime after being ruled unfit and overweight. \"I have had a good, constructive talk with Tony and the senior management and we all agree this is the best way forward for me,\" said the 23-year-old. Baggies boss Tony Pulis has said that Berahino is \"close\" to a return. The former England Under-21 international's form has suffered since he reacted angrily to a bid from Tottenham being turned down on transfer deadline day in summer 2015. He scored seven times in 35 games last season, compared to 20 goals in 45 appearances in 2014-15, after threatening to not play for club chairman Jeremy Peace. \"This last year has been the most difficult of my career and it has left me short of the form and fitness required for the Premier League,\" said Berahino. \"I have never been a player who lacked confidence or a belief in himself but that has been where I have found myself and it has hit me hard. \"It has left me feeling depressed and struggling for focus which has made it even more difficult to regain full fitness.\" In a statement, the club said it hopes the \"change of environment\" at the camp in the south of France will help Berahino return to full fitness. West Brom host Burnley in the Premier League on Monday with full commentary available on BBC Radio 5 live from 20:00 GMT.", "summary": "West Brom striker Saido Berahino says he is in a positive frame of mind despite being sent back to a conditioning camp in France."}
{"article": "Neil Jackson, 35, of Penylan, Cardiff, posed as a landlord online and took \u00a312,840 from nine people but failed to let the three-bedroom home out. He took deposits before repeatedly cancelling move-in dates claiming his son was battling cancer and had died. Jackson previously admitted fraud at Cardiff Crown Court. Andrew Kendall, prosecuting, said Jackson told his victims he needed \u00a31,400 to secure the property and arrange a move-in date only to later claim he could not drop off the keys to Cardiff because his son was ill in Plymouth. \"He'd say things like he blamed nurses for not stitching his son back properly and even told one victim his son had died,\" he said. Mr Kendall said the lies had a \"great impact\" on some victims, with one couple left homeless and another left living in a caravan. He also pressured one woman into borrowing money from friends and selling possessions so he could \"reserve\" the home for her. Mr Kendall said Jackson was eventually found out when some victims found news reports on him being jailed in 2012 for again using his two-year-old son to defraud \u00a360,000. The former Tesco store manager tricked his workmates for three years, claiming he had cancer and his son had cerebral palsy. Staff donated money to pay for private treatment but he used it to fund holidays to Las Vegas and Hawaii. David Pinnell, defending, said Jackson was \"genuinely remorseful\" and had used the money to pay off debts to people who protected him in prison. Jailing him for two years, Recorder of Cardiff Eleri Rees, told him: \"You have to understand given your track record for elaborate lies the court finds it hard to take what you're saying at face value. \"Some of the victims were in precarious financial situations so the impact on them has been very serious. Others ended up living in a caravan.\"", "summary": "A man who falsely claimed his son had died from cancer to scam would-be tenants out of thousands of pounds has been jailed for two years."}
{"article": "The 50-year-old, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victims, was found guilty of 75 charges. The offences took place on dates between October 1994 and July 2012, at the family's Dublin home. The judge said that the fact that the man had fought the case to conviction, added indignity to each of the victims. She noted that defence said the man's wife still stands by him. Victim impact statements from the three sisters were read out in court. The eldest of the three sisters, said that her mother, who gave evidence in support of her husband, \"used to be a nice person but seems to be insane now\". Her next youngest sister described having \"nightmares about our father abusing me and my sisters\" and that the family had difficulty in relating to each other now as they each \"tried to deal with what went on in our own ways\". The other daughter said that she had had substance abuse problems since she was a teenager as a result of the abuse. She said that she hoped her father would get the help he needs. The man has 57 previous convictions, mainly for road traffic offences. He has no previous convictions for sex crimes. The judge praised the victims as \"persons of very great courage and determination\".", "summary": "A man has been jailed for 17 years for raping and sexually abusing his three daughters, over an 18-year period."}
{"article": "The judge, who chairs the inquiry, said in an article in the Observer it must strike a balance between the rights of accusers and the accused. But she also dismissed claims it would mainly focus on famous people. The inquiry is examining how public bodies handled their duty of care to protect children from abuse. In the article she said a number of commentators \"have in past weeks spoken out, inaccurately, about the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which I chair and the way in which the inquiry will conduct its work. I'd like to correct those inaccuracies.\" It comes after the former conservative MP Harvey Proctor, who was cleared of being part of a Westminster paedophile ring, criticised Justice Goddard for suggesting the inquiry would consider the actions of the police from the standpoint of victims and survivors. Mr Proctor, 69, had his home raided and was questioned as part of Operation Midland but it was found there was insufficient evidence even to justify a prosecution being considered. He claimed it \"irreparably ruined my life\" and said that to review investigations from just the victims' standpoint lacked judicial balance. But Justice Goddard promised the inquiry will hear evidence from those affected by false allegations of abuse, recognising the damage that can be caused. \"Those who have claimed recently that the inquiry will consider only the perspectives of victims and survivors, and exclude those of others affected by allegations of child sexual abuse, are wrong,\" she said. \"As I announced last November, the inquiry intends to explore the balance that must be struck between encouraging the reporting of child sexual abuse and protecting the rights of the accused.\" Justice Goddard added that the inquiry had already announced 13 investigations to date, most of which \"do not relate to individuals of public prominence\". The inquiry is examining allegations of past and ongoing failures to protect children in schools, children's homes, secure accommodation and local authority care. It will also look at the responses of institutions, including the police, health service, the Crown Prosecution Service and religious bodies to allegations of child sexual abuse as well as investigating broader issues, such as the role of the internet in facilitating abuse. In the past three weeks preliminary hearings into four investigations have taken place including those looking into Lambeth Council, Rochdale Council and the Anglican Church.", "summary": "The public inquiry into child sexual abuse will not ignore the damage done to prominent people who were falsely accused, Justice Lowell Goddard says."}
{"article": "Photographers and film-makers Kris Reid and Marty Bell, who grew up in the Highlands, and Sheffield-born Tom Welsh launched Tens in 2014. They initially raised money for the business through crowdfunding. The investment from Virgin Group founder, Sir Richard, will be used to promote sales of Tens overseas. At the moment, the UK is the largest market for the product. The three friends have not disclosed the value of Sir Richard's investment, but said it was \"significant\". Mr Bell, from Inverness, Mr Reid, who is also from Inverness and grew up in Beauly, and Mr Welsh met while studying at Napier University in Edinburgh. They came up with the idea to create their own sunglasses brand on a road trip in the Scottish Highlands.", "summary": "A sunglasses brand founded by three friends in the Scottish Highlands and now based in Glasgow has secured investment from Sir Richard Branson."}
{"article": "City supporters' organisation the 1894 Group, which has criticised the club's ticket prices, said it was a \"step in the right direction\". But, in a statement, the group added: \"It's vital we keep the pressure on the club and use our collective voices.\" Swansea are also among the Premier League teams to cap their prices. West Ham, meanwhile, will lower season-ticket prices for their move to the Olympic Stadium for 2016-17. Liverpool cancelled plans to introduce a \u00a377 ticket next season after thousands of fans walked out of Anfield after 77 minutes of their game with Sunderland in February. In March, all Premier League clubs agreed to cap the price of tickets for away supporters at \u00a330.", "summary": "Manchester City will freeze season-ticket prices next season, matching the commitment made by Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old Pole, who has limited movement in his right arm, drove 115 laps in a 2012 car for the Renault team at a test in Valencia on Tuesday. \"I'm proud with what I achieved but also it shows what I've lost,\" he said. \"I don't know what the future will bring but I ran with good pace and consistently in difficult conditions.\" Kubica's F1 career was cut short following a crash in a rally car in February 2011 as he was preparing for his second season with Renault. He was severely injured when a crash barrier pierced the car, causing multiple arm and leg fractures and partially severing his right arm. Kubica, who won the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix for BMW Sauber and was considered one of the fastest and most talented drivers in the sport, competed in rallying from 2013-16 and has begun to explore a comeback to circuit racing. His comments, made in a statement by the Renault team, did not address whether he thought he was capable of returning to F1. So far, this has not been possible because the limited movement in his right arm had meant he was not able to turn a steering wheel sufficiently in the tight confines of an F1 cockpit to be able to drive on all the tracks on the calendar.", "summary": "Robert Kubica said he had \"mixed feelings\" about his performance after his first test in a Formula 1 car since injury curtailed his career in 2011."}
{"article": "Igors Zunda, 33, died when Jurijs Zunda collided with a lorry on the A43 in Northamptonshire in 2012. Igors's son, who was two years old, was confined to a wheelchair as a result of the crash, the High Court heard. The undisclosed settlement for Igors' widow Marina Kruglova, 30, is to be paid by the Motor Insurers' Bureau. The bureau is the body which compensates victims of uninsured motorists. The Mazda 5 car, which had four passengers, collided with a DAF lorry at Duddington near Corby on 4 December 2012. Another passenger, Jevgenijs Draguns was also killed, while Julija Vonfelfende was injured. Jurijs Zunda was jailed for 18 months in 2013 after pleading guilty to a charge of causing death by driving while unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured and he has since returned to Latvia. The terms of the settlement were not revealed in court. Interim compensation payments had already been paid to allow Ms Kruglova to adapt her home for her son, who is now five years old. She was living in Lincoln, but is now in Glenfield, Leicester. Judge Gary Burrell QC expressed his \"admiration for her ability to come to terms with what has happened and to strive forward\".", "summary": "A mother is to get compensation after her husband was killed and young son left paralysed in a car crash in which her brother-in-law was driving."}
{"article": "Mehran Azami on Monday appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on multiple charges connected to the plot. Azami pleaded guilty to 19 charges of importing restricted goods, including knives and stun guns, local media said. A teenager from the UK has also admitted involvement in the plan which was targeting police at the parade. Police say they prevented the attack, planned for Melbourne, when Azami and others were arrested in anti-terrorism raids. A UK court has heard that several of the alleged plotters were supporters of the Islamic State militant group. Anzac Day, held on 25 April each year, commemorates the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps' World War One battle in Gallipoli, with this year marking its centenary. Azami was remanded in custody until October, said the Australian Broadcasting Corp. (ABC). He was 19 when he was arrested after police launched counter-terrorism raids in April. The Melbourne Magistrates Court had previously heard Azami had given some weapons to Harun Causevic and Sevdet Besim, who are charged with conspiring to plan the attack, reported The Australian. Defence lawyer Charles Atlas has previously said Azami was suffering from a mental illness and was being kept at a psychiatric facility. A teenager from Blackburn in the UK earlier this month pleaded guilty to one count of inciting terrorism by encouraging the murder of police officers during the parade. The 15-year-old appeared at the Old Bailey via video link from Manchester Crown Court, speaking only to enter his plea. He could not be named for legal reasons. The Old Bailey heard the boy, who was 14 at the time, sent thousands of instant messages to 18-year-old Besim in Australia over a 10-day period in March. The boy sent a message to the older teenager suggesting he got his \"first taste of beheading,\" prosecutor Paul Greaney QC said, to which Besim replied that this seemed \"risky\". According to the Australia government, at least 100 Australians are fighting with terror groups in the Middle East, and another 150 people in Australia are known to be supporting such groups.", "summary": "A man has pleaded guilty to supplying weapons for a foiled terror plot at an Anzac Day remembrance parade in Australia."}
{"article": "The owl was found on marshes at the former Bettisfield colliery in Bagillt. RSPCA inspector Jenny Anderton said the bird had no major injuries but was \"extremely thin and just needs time to fully recuperate\". The bird is now a rarely seen guest at the Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre - where just five of the owls have been treated in the last decade.", "summary": "A \"rare\" short-eared owl found emaciated in Flintshire is now recuperating well, the RSPCA have said."}
{"article": "Margate's Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (QEQM) hospital has rearranged rotas in anticipation of shortages. East Kent Hospitals fears locums will refuse work because of a drop in pay of 20% when tax and national insurance is deducted at source from Thursday. However, the NHS trust dismissed a claim it could partially close an A&E department to ease any shortage. The British Medical Association (BMA) could not comment on whether locums would turn up for work but said working conditions including unmanageable workloads were causing shortages across the health service. The Health Service Journal has described the NHS as being in a \"Mexican standoff\" with staff over the new tax rules, with other hospitals potentially affected. Live: More on this story and other news from Kent About 80% of Margate's Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (QEQM) hospital's middle grade doctors in the emergency department are locums, according to a document seen by BBC South East. That compares to 35% at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, it says. It suggests locums are planning to withdraw from shifts despite a 12% increase in their rate - to \u00a375 an hour from about \u00a365. The document outlines suggestions for coping with a staff shortage which include cancelling operations and drafting in other healthcare staff. The hospital is offering substantive staff \u00a390 an hour to do extra shifts and cancelling annual leave but is doubtful this will solve the problem, the document says. It lists a range of possible coping measures including: In a statement, the trust said: \"These suggestions were made by local staff. Only one option is being taken forward by the trust which is combining rotas across our two accident and emergency departments. \"We have not considered and are not introducing any partial closures, temporary or otherwise, to the A&E department of the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital or the closure of Buckland Hospital. \"As for paying more money, a new rate of \u00a375 an hour has been mooted, an increase of more than 10%.\" The Deputy Chief Executive of East Kent hospitals said it was considering the locum rate but had not yet agreed one. Dr Mark Porter, BMA council chair, said: \"We are seeing the result of years of poor workforce planning being borne out. Locums are an important part of the NHS workforce but cannot provide a solution to long-term gaps in the NHS workforce. \"Hospitals are increasingly relying on locums as they are unable to attract staff to take up full-time posts, or cannot advertise for full-time positions due to funding pressures. \"We need to urgently address the working conditions, including unmanageable workloads, which are causing staff shortages across the health service, particularly in areas such as emergency and acute medicine.\"", "summary": "A hospital has planned for a possible lack of doctors as a result of tax changes, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "Storer will move to St Andrew's on a six-month deal, to start when the transfer window reopens in May. The 18-year-old will initially feature for Blues' development squad, having previously been part of the club's academy until Under-15 level. He became a Stevenage scholar in 2014, signing his first contract last year. Storer has made one first-team appearance for Stevenage, as a late substitute in their 3-0 league defeat at Leyton Orient last August. Meanwhile, fellow teenager David Popa, also 18, has become the latest Blues academy player to sign professional terms. The Romanian striker, who has scored three times in seven games on loan at Kettering Town in the Northern Premier League, follows the lead of free-scoring academy striker Ronan Hale in agreeing a new deal. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Birmingham City have signed promising teenage striker Jack Storer from League Two side Stevenage for an undisclosed five-figure fee."}
{"article": "The scheme, introduced by mayor George Ferguson, aims to reduce commuter parking in the city. Spike Island has become the 16th and final area to have parking restrictions introduced. The first one started in Kingsdown five years ago. The policy has led to protests and vandalism of some parking machines. Some business owners have said it has damaged trade. Mr Ferguson said: \"The rollout has done what I hoped it would do, with most opposition fading once a scheme goes live, and the majority of residents and traders being pleasantly surprised. \"The feedback we're getting is that parking becomes much easier in the residents' parking zones.\" He added that he would ask for the views of local councillors and neighbourhood partnerships before \"reconsidering an extension to the scheme\".", "summary": "The final residents' parking zone (RPZ) has been introduced in Bristol."}
{"article": "Author Philip Pullman remembered her as \"a warm and generous human being\", while Tracy Chevalier said she was \"a graceful, elegant writer and person.\" Dunmore won the first Orange Prize for women's fiction in 1996 for her novel A Spell of Winter. Publisher Penguin Random House said it was \"devastated by the loss of one of our best-loved authors\". Bloodaxe Books, which published Dunmore's first poetry collection, The Apple Fall in 1983, said it was \"immensely saddened\" by her passing. Born in the Yorkshire town of Beverley in 1952, Dunmore also wrote books for children, short stories and translations. Her most recent novel, Birdcage Walk, was published in March. Dunmore was diagnosed with cancer while writing her final novel and wrote movingly about her illness earlier this year. \"The ground beneath my feet has never been more uncertain,\" she wrote in The Guardian. \"But what is sure is... there is no vagueness about my mortality. \"I may be ill but I'm also warm and sheltered, surrounded by family and friends.\" Dunmore also spoke about her illness on Radio 4's Open Book, saying she hoped her work would be read by her loved ones after her death. \"One of the things that does please me is that my grandchildren will be able to get to know me... through reading my books,\" she told Mariella Frostrup. Penguin Random House, who announced Dunmore's death, said she was \"an inspirational and generous author\" known for \"championing emerging voices and other established authors.\" Her editor, Selina Walker, remembered her as \"an exceptional person and an exceptional novelist [with] a legacy of exceptional novels\". Dunmore leaves behind her husband, Francis Charnley, three children/stepchildren and three grandchildren. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Tributes have been paid to the Orange Prize-winning writer Helen Dunmore, who has died of cancer at the age of 64."}
{"article": "\"The president cannot suffer bright lights,\" George Charamba was quoted as saying by the state-run Herald newspaper. Mr Mugabe, 93, has been seen apparently sleeping at several events, leading to speculation about his fitness. He intends to stand in presidential elections next year. The president is currently receiving specialised medical treatment for his eyes in Singapore. Africa Live: More on this and other stories Mr Mugabe most recently appeared to fall asleep during a discussion panel about \"fragile states\" at a World Economic Forum meeting in South Africa earlier this month. There he stated that Zimbabwe was 'one of the most developed countries in Africa' \"I feel like a failure when there is this reading that the president is sleeping in conferences - no,\" Mr Charamba said. He then compared Mr Mugabe to the anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, whose eyes were affected by years of working in a limestone quarry while imprisoned on Robben Island. \"You were not allowed to even use flashes whenever he was in the room,\" Mr Charamba said.", "summary": "Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is not asleep when he closes his eyes for long periods during meetings but is resting his eyes, his spokesman says."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Toronto, the first transatlantic sports team, won 14-6 against the amateur West Yorkshire side. Ryan Burroughs scored the Wolfpack's opening try, but the Halifax outfit took the lead after the break. Tries from Greg Worthington and Adam Sidlow sealed Toronto's victory, before Fui Fui Moi Moi was sent off late on. Media playback is not supported on this device Toronto start their League 1 season against London Skolars next weekend, but will play away fixtures in England until May because of Canada's weather, when English sides will then fly out to play them, with all their costs covered. This pattern will continue throughout the campaign in five-week blocks of Toronto playing in England and then teams travelling out to them. Former Leigh head coach Paul Rowley is in charge of the side, while their director of rugby is former Great Britain, Bradford and Wigan coach Brian Noble. The club hope to reach Super League in five years and grow the global appeal of the sport.", "summary": "Newly established Canadian rugby league side Toronto Wolfpack have won their first-ever game, beating Siddal in the third round of the Challenge Cup."}
{"article": "Shortly before midday, the FTSE 100 index was up 41.56 points, or 0.6%, at 7,041.52. In Asian trade, the pound had sunk 6% against the dollar in a matter of minutes to $1.1841, before recovering. It is not clear what triggered the flash crash, with some blaming automated trading systems reacting to a news report. Sterling remained under pressure, and was still down 1.9%, more than 2 cents, against the dollar at $1.2378. The pound has been sliding all week, with traders nervous about how the UK's talks with the EU over leaving the bloc will progress. Last Sunday, Prime Minister Theresa May said she would trigger Article 50, the clause needed to start the exit process, by the end of March 2017. A fall in the pound is often seen as beneficial to the FTSE 100 as many of the companies in the index generate most of their revenues abroad. A weaker pound means overseas revenues are worth more when they are converted back into sterling. Mining companies were among the biggest gainers in the FTSE 100 on Friday. Shares in Randgold Resources rose 2.6% while BHP Billiton added 2.4%. Shares in housebuilders were coming under pressure, however, with Barratt Developments down 5% and Taylor Wimpey 4% lower. In the FTSE 250, shares in William Hill and Ladbrokes were both lower after a report in the Times said gambling companies could be banned from advertising on TV during the day.", "summary": "London's main share index headed higher as the pound continued to slide on the foreign exchanges."}
{"article": "On Tuesday, Brazil's Attorney General Rodrigo Janot asked the Supreme Court to authorise an investigation against Ms Rousseff for obstruction of justice. Mr Janot also accused the former president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, of involvement in the scandal. Lula has denied any wrongdoing. The allegations were based on evidence given by Senator Delcidio do Amaral, who as part of a plea bargain agreed to testify against other suspects after being arrested last year. President Rousseff described Mr Amaral as a compulsive liar. \"The accusations made by Senator Delcidio do Amaral are absolutely irresponsible and above all false,\" Ms Rousseff told journalists in Brasilia. \"He has lied repeatedly since his arrest. He first accused Supreme Court judges. Than he reneged on those comments and he is now accusing me. I believe the Senator's credibility is rather precarious,\" she said. The allegations come as Ms Rousseff is already under immense political pressure. Senators are expected to vote next week on whether to start an impeachment trial against her over separate allegations. She is accused of illegally manipulating the federal budget ahead of her re-election in 2014, which she denies. If the Senate votes in favour of the trial going ahead, Mr Rousseff will be suspended for 180 days. Mr Janot also asked the Supreme Court to authorise an investigation into Lula for alleged corruption, accusing the former president of playing a key role in the Petrobras scheme. He said the corruption could not have taken place without the participation of the former leader, who served as Brazilian president between 2003 and 2011. He requested authorisation to investigate Lula and 29 other senior politicians, officials and businessmen. Prosecutors say the corruption scheme is estimated to have cost the company more than $2bn (\u00c2\u00a31.45bn). Part of the money, they say, was used to finance the electoral campaign of top Brazilian politicians. Several politicians, Petrobras executives and businessmen have been arrested and sentenced as part of the two-year investigation. Ms Rousseff served as the head of Petrobras for much of the period when the corruption took place, but she has not been implicated in the scandals.", "summary": "Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff says accusations that she tried to block a major corruption investigation into state-owned oil company Petrobras are \"false and irresponsible\"."}
{"article": "He said the Pakistani government could provide opportunities for talks between the Afghan High Peace Council and the militants. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that he wanted to help regional efforts to stabilise Afghanistan. Mr Karzai has extended his stay to allow talks with Pakistan to continue. The BBC's Charles Haviland in Islamabad says that his decision is a surprise development as the president seeks Mr Sharif's help in bringing the Afghan Taliban to the negotiating table. Officials say that the fact that Mr Karzai's talks in Islamabad will continue on Tuesday - when he will meet Mr Sharif again - indicates that so far they have gone well and that the two sides have something concrete to talk about. In their public statements after their talks, both Mr Sharif and Mr Karzai mentioned the problem of militant violence - although Mr Karzai focused much more on it. Lack of security was the main concern for both neighbouring countries, the president said. Three times in his brief speech Mr Karzai said that a joint fight against militancy was needed and that he pinned \"great hopes\" on the re-elected Mr Sharif, who came back to power in June. Afghanistan believes that Taliban safe havens in Pakistan are the main cause of increased violence in the country. Elements of Pakistan's intelligence service have long been accused of backing the Afghan Taliban and giving them refuge on Pakistani soil - something Islamabad strongly denies. Mr Karzai said that he wanted the Pakistani government to play a mediating role with the Taliban, with whom Pakistan has a high degree of influence. Speaking after the talks, he said that the two countries discussed the \"joint fight against extremism and reconciliation and peace-building in Afghanistan with the expectation that the government of Pakistan will facilitate and [provide] help... to the peace process\". \"We hope that with this on top of our agenda we can move forward in bringing stability and peace to both countries,\" the president said. For his part the Pakistani prime minister said that Pakistan would extend all possible facilities for peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. \"I assured President Karzai that we will continue to extend all possible facilitation to the international community's efforts for the realisation of this noble goal,\" he said. \"Pakistan will also help reinforce regional efforts in support of [the] stabilisation of Afghanistan.\" He said Pakistan wanted a neighbour that was \"peaceful, stable and united\" and that the peace process had to be \"inclusive, Afghan-owned and Afghan-led\". The Taliban refuse to talk with Mr Karzai, dismissing him as a US puppet. One of Mr Karzai's main demands has been the release of high-profile Taliban prisoners held in Pakistan in the hope that this will help jump-start direct talks with insurgents. He is particularly eager for Taliban's second-in-command, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar who was arrested in Karachi in 2010, to be freed. Sources have told the BBC that in his case the Afghans would like him to be transferred to Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates. Mr", "summary": "Afghan President Hamid Karzai has urged Pakistan \"to facilitate peace talks\" between his country and the Taliban during a visit to Islamabad."}
{"article": "Find out how you can join in and submit your images and videos below. If you are looking for inspiration, view some top tips from three of England's Big Picture photographers. If you have a picture you'd like to share, email us at england@bbc.co.uk, post it on Facebook or tweet it to @BBCEngland. You can also find us on Instagram - use #englandsbigpicture to share an image there. You can also see a recent archive of pictures on our England's Big Picture board on Pinterest. When emailing pictures, please make sure you include the following information: Please note that whilst we welcome all your pictures, we are more likely to use those which have been taken in the past week. If you submit a picture, you do so in accordance with the BBC's Terms and Conditions. In contributing to England's Big Picture you agree to grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to publish and otherwise use the material in any way that we want, and in any media worldwide. It's important to note, however, that you still own the copyright to everything you contribute to England's Big Picture, and that if your image is accepted, we will publish your name alongside. The BBC cannot guarantee that all pictures will be used and we reserve the right to edit your comments. At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws while collecting any kind of media.", "summary": "Each day we feature a photograph sent in from across England."}
{"article": "They were called to the scene near Springholm at about 09:00. A short statement from Police Scotland said the death was not being treated as suspicious. The area had been cordoned off and the procurator fiscal informed of the incident.", "summary": "Police have said the death of a man found in a car parked in a lay-by on the A75 is being treated as \"unexplained\"."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old, who was with juniors Kelty Hearts, has signed for Edinburgh City in League Two. Thomson pleaded guilty in June 2011 to inappropriate conduct towards two underage girls over the internet. City noted his court conviction but said on Twitter they believed he deserved a second chance. \"The club acknowledges Craig's previous conviction in 2011 for offences he committed in 2010 and does not condone his behaviour in any way,\" they said in a statement. \"However, the club's board, management, playing staff and main sponsor collectively believe that Craig has completed his rehabilitation and we look forward to giving him the opportunity to return to playing in the SPFL.\" Thomson was loaned to Lithuanian clubs Kaunas and Suduva after being fined and placed on the sex offenders' register for five years but never played for Hearts again. After leaving Tynecastle officially in 2013, the former Scotland Under-21's potential move to Cyprus was swiftly cut short when prospective club Paphos discovered his conviction. But he has since played for East of Scotland junior sides Arniston Rangers, Newtongrange Star and Kelty, who won the Super League last season. Former Hearts manager Jim Jefferies, who is sporting director with Edinburgh City, stated the club would be making no further comment.", "summary": "Former Hearts full-back Craig Thomson has returned to Scottish senior football for the first time since he was convicted of a sex offence."}
{"article": "About 200 homes lost electricity for about an hour after the accident near Eastington, Gloucestershire, Western Power said. Heaven Crawley, who was piloting the private flight, said poor light meant she had not seen the overhead cable suspended above a field. No-one was hurt in the crash, at 20:15 BST on Wednesday. \"We were very lucky, we weren't that far from the ground,\" Ms Crawley said. The balloon had taken off from Aston Down, near Cirencester, and was trying to find a suitable place to land on the outskirts of Stroud. \"We spotted this field and the lines on the way in but unfortunately because the sun was low, we saw the first dark line of the telephone but not the power lines behind it,\" said Ms Crawley. As she tried to land, she said, the bottom part of the balloon envelope struck the 6m (20ft) high cable. \"Obviously if anything electric had hit the metal poles or the basket that has the gas in it, than potentially you're looking at a different scenario,\" she said. \"But as it was we broke the cables and landed with very little damage.\"", "summary": "Two people on board a hot-air balloon had a \"lucky escape\" when they crashed into an 11,000 volt power line."}
{"article": "Charles Sirleaf was among 46 officials suspended for not making the disclosure to anti-corruption officials, it said. He was one of three sons appointed to top posts by his mother following her re-election last year. Critics accuse Mrs Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace laureate, of nepotism. She has appointed her son, Fumba, as head of the National Security Agency and another son, Robert, as a senior adviser and chairman of the state-owned National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL). Robert Sirleaf is suing two local newspapers - the Independent and The Analyst - and opposition politician Jefferson Kogie for libel for suggesting that he has benefited financially from the posts. In a statement, Mrs Sirleaf's office said Charles Sirleaf and the other 45 officials would remain suspended until they declared their assets to the Anti-Corruption Commission. Other suspended officials include the presidency's Chief of Protocol David Anderson, Solicitor-General and Deputy Minister of Justice Micah Wilkins Wright and Deputy Director General for Broadcasting Ledgerhood Rennie. Mrs Sirleaf, who took power in 2005 at the end of 14 years of conflict, has repeatedly pledged to tackle corruption and to promote good governance in Liberia. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year, shortly before she was elected for a second term in polls marred by allegations of widespread rigging. Corruption remains a major obstacle to development in Liberia, where most people live in poverty despite the country being rich in mineral resources, analysts say.", "summary": "Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has suspended one of her sons from the post of central bank deputy governor for failing to declare his assets, her office has said."}
{"article": "Last month Cornwall Council's Independent-Lib Dem cabinet voted to go ahead with the bid for Truro to secure the title in 2023. At the time the city's mayor said he had not been consulted about the plans. The decision will now face further scrutiny after Conservative councillors complained. More on the culture bid and other stories from Cornwall They claimed Truro started working on the bid too late and other interested cities, including Leeds and Milton Keynes, had been putting together detailed plans for several years. \"We've been told for four years we've got no money, we're a 'no-money council' and you suddenly produce more than \u00a3500,000 for a bid to become the European Capital of Culture,\" said councillor Fiona Ferguson. \"I think it's entirely unrealistic to spend money on this sort of thing. It's a vanity project.\" She claimed Brexit also meant any money invested in the project could be wasted, as the UK may no longer even be eligible to take part. However, in the past three non-EU cities have held the title, Istanbul in 2010, Stavanger in Norway in 2008 and Reykjavik, Iceland, in 2000. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which launched the contest in December, said it was continuing under the assumption a UK city will host the event in 2023. Cornwall Council said the cabinet's decision was being called in on the grounds that there was \"inadequate consultation with stakeholders prior to the decision being made\" and that there was not sufficient evidence \"on which to base a decision\".", "summary": "A \u00a3500,000 bid for Truro to become European Capital of Culture has stalled amid claims it is a poorly-considered \"vanity project\"."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old from Holywood would be eligible for selection by either Great Britain or Ireland at the 2016 Games in Rio. However, in a BBC documentary, he said he may opt out of the Games because he does not want to offend anyone. He said he was considering the options of playing for Britain or Ireland or not playing at all. \"I just think being from where we're from, we're placed in a very difficult position,\" he said. \"I feel Northern Irish and obviously being from Northern Ireland you have a connection to Ireland and a connection to the UK. \"If I could and there was a Northern Irish team I'd play for Northern Ireland. \"Play for one side or the other - or not play at all because I may upset too many people\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Those are my three options I'm considering very carefully.\" At the moment he has not made a definite decision but has admitted he regrets the Olympic furore of last year when a newspaper claimed he would prefer to play for Team GB in Brazil. \"It was a moment, I don't want to say of weakness, but a moment of, I guess, frustration with it all,\" the County Down man said. \"People tune in to watch me play on TV and feel like they are connected to me in some way. \"I don't want to do repay them for their support with something they don't want me to do.\" In the documentary, McIlroy's tennis star girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki, also gives a unique insight into the couple's relationship. \"It's good that we both have our own separate careers,\" she said. \"We know how the other is feeling and the drive to always want to improve at sport, but at the same time one of us isn't sitting at home waiting for the other. \"People watch him play and win all these tournaments, but he hasn't changed a bit.\" The programme, which includes contributions from Tiger Woods, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell, charts a remarkable 2012 for McIlroy during which he became world number one, claimed a second Major Championship - the US PGA - and went on to top the money list on both sides of the Atlantic. McIlroy also explains the Ryder Cup drama when he almost missed his tee time for the match with America's Keegan Bradley. \"I have never been as worried, as nervous or as panicked going to the golf course,\" he said. Rory: Being Number One will be screened on BBC1 on Thursday at 22:35 GMT.", "summary": "World number one golfer Rory McIlroy has revealed that he may not play in the next Olympics."}
{"article": "Hairdresser Jermaine McBride and a customer were attacked at her home at Woodside Heights in the Waterside area on Thursday morning. Police have arrested two men, aged 32 and 37, in connection with the incident and the attempted robbery of a Credit Union in Donemana. Mrs McBride said she felt lucky to be alive. \"He says: 'Give me your keys.' I said: 'I don't have any keys, my husband's got my keys,' and he just punched me in the face and I fell to the floor,\" she said. \"Then he just got on top of me and kept punching me in the head and in the face. \"I called the woman to phone the police but she couldn't because she was too nervous. \"She was holding a brush against him and I ran over to the neighbour and knocked on the door, and by the time I came back he had taken her bag and sped off.\" The two men left the scene in the client's car, taking her handbag and mobile phone with them. Mrs McBride said the attack has left her in pain and afraid to leave her own home. \"It was all so quick. He just pushed the door open and punched me and then I was on the floor. \"He lifted my head by the hair and kept punching me and I was just thinking: 'I'm going to die.' \"His eyes were bulging out of his head, he was just really really angry. \"I was covered in blood, my whole face was covered in blood. \"My nose is cracked and is really sore and my head's sore but it could have been worse. I really do feel unsafe in my home,\" she said. \"I always thought I would be a bit braver in situations like that, but I just knew if I had have even answered that man back I think I would have been killed. \"I'm trying to keep busy because every time I'm on my own I keep busting out in tears. I wouldn't stay in the house at the minute.\"", "summary": "Two women have been badly beaten during a hijacking in Londonderry."}
{"article": "It comes after the Crown Office dropped two cases against gamekeepers, claiming the footage was inadmissible. Environment Committee chairman, Graeme Dey MSP, has written to prosecutors asking to explain their decision. Raptor persecution is a big problem and the task of catching those who kill the birds is even bigger. The difficulty is that the protected birds, such as eagles and hen harriers, tend to disappear in very remote parts of the country. The chance of two witnesses catching the perpetrator in the act is small. In the letter, Mr Dey said: \"The committee has noted recent high profile instances where video evidence of alleged offences was available and not utilised, it has been suggested, on the grounds of admissibility. \"The committee is therefore seeking clarity about the admissibility of evidence of wildlife crime.\" The letter asks which legislation and case law covers the admissibility of evidence and how prosecutors interpret that law to decide whether evidence is admissible. It also asks whether there is guidance on admissibility and what any guidance covers. The committee's chairman said: \"These days, there's clearly an argument for the use of video, CCTV or even social media to be considered when a crime against any animal is alleged to have been committed. \"And, as it's often the case that poaching or killing of wildlife occurs in some of the most remote areas in Scotland, these crimes can sometimes go under the radar because there is no one around to act as a witness. RSPB Scotland said it was disappointed that two recent cases had been dropped. Ian Thomson, the charity's head of investigations, said: \"We welcome the ECCLR committee's letter to the Crown Office, seeking clarification about the decision-making processes in recent wildlife crime cases. \"This clearly recognises the increasing and significant public concern that the courts did not have the opportunity to make their own judgement on the admissibility of the video evidence in these cases. \"We look forward to the response from the Crown Office with interest.\"", "summary": "Holyrood's environment committee has intervened in the growing row over the use of video evidence in trials involving wildlife crime."}
{"article": "The aim of the research is to develop a more efficient way of producing meat than rearing animals. At a major science meeting in Canada, Prof Mark Post said synthetic meat could reduce the environmental footprint of meat by up to 60%. \"We would gain a tremendous amount in terms of resources,\" he said. Professor Post's group at Maastricht University in the Netherlands has grown small pieces of muscle about 2cm long, 1cm wide and about a mm thick. They are off-white and resemble strips of calamari in appearance. These strips will be mixed with blood and artificially grown fat to produce a hamburger by the autumn. The cost of producing the hamburger will be \u00c2\u00a3200,000 but Professor Post says that once the principle has been demonstrated, production techniques will be improved and costs will come down. At a news conference, Prof Post said he was even planning to ask celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal to cook it. \"The reason we are doing this is not to show a viable product but to show that in reality we can do this,\" he told BBC News. \"From then on, we need to spend a whole lot of work and money to make the process efficient and then cost effective.\" So why use such high tech methods to produce meat when livestock production methods have done the job effectively for thousands of years? It is because most food scientists believe that current methods of food production are unsustainable. Some estimate that food production will have to double within the next 50 years to meet the requirements of a growing population. During this period, climate change, water shortages and greater urbanisation will make it more difficult to produce food. Prof Sean Smukler from the University of British Columbia said keeping pace with demand for meat from Asia and Africa will be particularly hard as demand from these regions will shoot up as living standards rise. He thinks that lab grown meat could be a good solution. \"It will help reduce land pressures,\" he told BBC News. \"Anything that stops more wild land being converted to agricultural land is a good thing. We're already reaching a critical point in availability of arable land,\" he said. Lab-grown meat could eventually become more efficient than producing meat the old fashioned way, according to Prof Post. Currently, 100g of vegetable protein has to be fed to pigs or cows to produce 15g of animal protein, an efficiency of 15%. He believes that synthetic meat could be produced with an equivalent energy efficiency of 50%. So what is the synthetic burger likely to taste like? \"In the beginning it will taste bland,\" says Prof Post. \"I think we will need to work on the flavour separately by trying to figure out which components of the meat actually produce the taste and analyse what the composition of the strip is and whether we can change that.\" Prof Post also said that if the technology took off, it would reduce the number of animals that were factory farmed and slaughtered. But David Steele,", "summary": "Dutch scientists have used stem cells to create strips of muscle tissue with the aim of producing the first lab-grown hamburger later this year."}
{"article": "This is the first time that a US head of state will be given this honour by India and reflects, more than anything else, the degree of comfort that Delhi has in its relations with Washington. India, traditionally, has invited its Republic Day guests who will not attract controversy at home and come from countries with whom it has close strategic relations. Thus the heads of neither Pakistan nor China have been invited on the first count. While no Latin American leaders have ever come for the second reason. It says something about how difficult Indo-US relations have been that it has taken over seven decades for Delhi to invite the US president to participate in a ceremony marking its emergence as a full-fledged constitutional democracy. While there is much focus on what diplomats call the \"deliverables\" - substantive agreements and deals - that will emerge from the meeting, the likelihood is that the symbolism will be much greater than the substance on this visit. Mr Obama and Mr Modi held a fruitful summit in September last year and the present invitation was extended seemingly on the spur of the moment by Mr Modi when the two met on sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Myanmar (Burma) last November. This has meant, officials on both sides admit, relatively little time to put together a substantial agenda. A better measure of the Republic Day summit's agenda will be the areas the bilateral talks will focus on - defence, energy and counter-terrorism. These are all in the sensitive zone of most governments and the depth of the discussion in each of these underlines how close the two countries have become. In defence, the spearhead of the relationship is less the business of selling and buying arms than attempts by India and the US to jointly develop and produce a new generation of weaponry. This idea has been kicked around for several years between the two countries, struggling to overcome political and bureaucratic resistance within both capitals. The expectation is that at least one, if not more, such deals will be signed later this month. A few dozen possible technologies and weapon systems have been offered by the US. India is particularly interested in drones, carrier technology and so on that enhance its ability to project its air and naval power. In energy, the two governments are looking at contending interests - improving the supply of fossil fuels and inhibiting climate change. Mr Modi and Mr Obama are relatively unusual among world leaders in their personal belief that global warming is an issue of overriding importance. The US has thus been a strong supporter - though with some commercial opportunities in mind - of the Indian government's ambitious plans for renewable energy, especially solar. The September Indo-US summit was shot through with green energy. Mr Obama would like Mr Modi to give binding commitments on India's carbon emissions, even ones as broad as the ones China agreed to recently. But India has a troubled fossil fuel dependent power generation sector. It is looking increasingly", "summary": "The most significant aspect of the US President, Barack Obama's upcoming summit with the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is that Mr Obama will be the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations."}
{"article": "Christopher Blaikie, 24, stabbed Claire Mazzucchi in the neck with a knife during a field trip to study the behaviour of animals. A court heard the psychology student became agitated and had been suffering obsessive thoughts before the attack on 30 March last year. Judge Lord Turnbull described it as a \"difficult\" case. A court was told former Stirling University student Blaikie was admitted to hospital on a voluntary basis because he had been experiencing obsessive thoughts. However, he was not diagnosed with Asperger syndrome until he was admitted to the State Hospital in Carstairs following the offence. Ms Mazzucchi, 22, had been living in the same flat as Blaikie but had left because she felt uneasy. During the lunch break Blaikie started banging his cutlery, then walked over to Ms Mazzucchi's table where he put his right hand over her face and put her in a headlock. After making stabbing motions, he struck her once on the left hand side of her neck with a knife. Another student got up and pulled Blaikie away from Ms Mazzucchi, who was severely injured and needed surgery. Defence lawyer Lorenzo Alonzi said: \"We have a man who has no previous record and who was under considerable stress at that time and who had even identified that he was in a stressful condition and had attempted to get help. \"Regrettably, the help that he did get didn't quite reach the mark.\" Lord Turnbull jailed Blaikie for two years at the High Court in Aberdeen and ordered him to be the subject of a supervised release order after his term of imprisonment.", "summary": "A man who attempted to murder his classmate at Blair Drummond Safari Park has been jailed for two years."}
{"article": "Govia Thameslink (GTR) took over the Southern rail franchise in 2015 and its contract with the Department for Transport (DfT) runs until 2021. Southern has been locked in industrial disputes with its staff. The Transport for All campaign group said the government should have done more to ease disruption. The DfT said it could not comment. A DfT spokesman said it was unable to do so while legal proceedings were ongoing. Non-profit group Transport for All, which campaigns for travellers with disabilities and older travellers, has joined the Association of British Commuters (ABC) in requesting a judicial review into the DfT's handling of the Southern disputes, particularly in respect of the impact on older travellers and travellers with disabilities. ABC applied for the review in January and is awaiting a decision from the Royal Court of Justice about whether it may proceed. A spokesman for the campaigners said: \"Accessible public transport is a lifeline to inclusion for many disabled people who disproportionally rely on it to go about their everyday lives. \"The Southern rail crisis caused disruption and misery to disabled and older people, leaving many unable to travel to work and increasingly isolated. Yet throughout the strikes the DfT has remained silent.\" Christopher Stapleton commutes from Balham in south London to Victoria in his wheelchair. He said: \"On roughly two-thirds of my journeys, when I arrive at Victoria there is no one there to assist me with a ramp, even though the staff at my home station have phoned ahead to let Southern Rail staff at Victoria know. \"So I end up stuck on the train. \"The effect of Southern's unreliable assistance is that every train journey becomes horribly stressful, and every time I arrive at my destination I have a tight knot of anxiety in my stomach - will there be someone with a ramp to assist me?\" A spokesman for Southern said: \"We aim to give excellent assistance and are very sorry to hear about these passenger experiences. \"Over 440,000 journeys were made on Southern with disability railcards last year and only a tiny fraction resulted in a complaint that assistance was not provided. \"We regularly carry out call-back surveys with disabled passengers and 'mystery shop' so that we can look at what we can change to improve.\"", "summary": "Campaigners have applied for a judicial review into the government's handling of the Southern rail crisis."}
{"article": "Healthwatch Oxfordshire also highlights staff fears that \"workforce pressures\" are making it harder for them to deliver acceptable levels of care. Its report, written with Age UK, was based on 161 patients and 57 staff completing questionnaires, as well as six focus groups and 10 case studies. The majority of patients were still treated with dignity, the report added. Patients with communication difficulties and dementia were particularly unhappy with their care. One patient, who had suffered a stroke, said she was left for hours in her own excrement. She said: \"I was sedated and my health needs were neglected.\" Another described finding her mother-in-law, who has Alzheimer's, \"soaked, dirty\" and ignored by nurses. Their report said that, in a small number of cases, their experiences were \"shocking\". A woman who suffers from trigeminal neuralgia, a condition which causes severe facial pain, said that while she was normally treated with respect, on one occasion she was called \"unclean\" by a staff member when she was in too much pain to wash. Healthwatch also found people were often reluctant to complain and did not always feel properly involved in decisions about their care. But 93% of patients who responded said they had been treated with dignity or respect \"some of the time\", \"most of the time\" or \"always\". While patients were receiving \"a high level of dignity in their care\", Healthwatch chief executive Rachel Coney said there was \"still much that can be improved about how people are treated\". The report, written in partnership with charity Age UK, said the county's care organisations have made commitments to improve. These include drawing up formal dignity standards, reviewing staff training, and involving patients more in decision making.", "summary": "\"Shocking\" cases of patients not being treated with dignity in care have been uncovered by a health watchdog."}
{"article": "Hawkins, 24, finished ninth in the Rio Olympic final in August in only his third attempt at the distance. \"We are delighted to confirm Callum's selection,\" British Athletics performance director Neil Black said. \"We can already see his talent, finishing eighth at the London Marathon then a brilliant ninth place in Rio.\" In October, Hawkins became the first Scot to win the Great Scottish Run since 1983, setting a Scottish half-marathon record in the process with his time of 60 minutes 22 seconds.", "summary": "Scottish marathon runner Callum Hawkins has become the first athlete selected for the British team at the London 2017 IAAF World Championships."}
{"article": "It was able to destroy or disrupt the growth of neural progenitor cells, which build the brain and nervous system, in lab tests. The discovery, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, adds weight to claims that Zika is causing brain abnormalities in babies. However, the US researchers caution this is not yet the conclusive link. There have been more than 4,800 confirmed and suspected cases of babies born with small brains - microcephaly - in Brazil. It is widely thought that the Zika outbreak is to blame, but this has not been scientifically confirmed. The team from the Johns Hopkins, Florida State and Emory universities infected a range of tissue samples with Zika virus for two hours and then analysed the samples three days later. The virus was able to infect up to 90% of neural progenitor cells in a sample leading to nearly a third of cells dying and the growth of the rest being disrupted. A similar effect in a developing brain could have devastating results. The virus was able to infect only 10% of other tissue types tested including more advanced brain cells, kidney cells and embryonic stem cells. Prof Guo-li Ming, one of the researchers, said the findings were significant and represented a first step to understanding the link between microcephaly and Zika. She told the BBC News website: \"Neural progenitor cells are especially vulnerable to the Zika virus. \"They are giving rise to the cortex - the primary part [of the brain] that shows reduced volume in microcephaly. \"But this research does not provide the direct evidence that Zika virus is the cause for microcephaly.\" She said studies looking at brain organoids or animal studies were still needed. David Shukman, Science editor, BBC News In the overcrowded hospitals of Recife, the teeming Brazilian city at the epicentre of the crisis, medics have long assumed that the Zika virus is to blame. In a sweltering waiting room last month, where anxious mothers were clutching babies with abnormally small heads, Dr Angela Rocha told me that she was convinced of the link. In a normal year, she said, she might see five suspected cases of microcephaly while in the previous few months she had seen more than 200. When I asked whether it would be wise to wait for a full scientific analysis with peer-reviewed conclusions, she looked at me with scorn. With so many cases, and more in prospect after the next rainy season, we do not have time to wait, she said. It is unclear why these cells should be so vulnerable, but it appears they do not mount an immune response to Zika infection. While not definitive, the study adds to mounting evidence including Zika being discovered in the brains of dead babies as well as in amniotic fluid. Brain development researcher Dr Madeline Lancaster, from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, said the study was a \"significant step forward\". She told the BBC News website: \"The effect they see could well explain the surge in microcephaly and it opens the door for many further", "summary": "Zika virus kills the type of tissue found in the developing brain, researchers have shown."}
{"article": "The force said 30 million indecent images were seized and 77 people had been charged during Operation Lattise. The charges include rape, sharing indecent images of children and grooming for sexual purposes. Of the 523 potential victims, some as young as three, 122 have been referred to child protection services. The operation, which involved 134 separate investigations, was carried out between the 6 June and 15 July. Police said child victims had been found after the homes of 83 suspects were searched and 547 computers and other devices seized during the five-week operation. Almost 400 charges have been brought so far, including rape, sharing indecent images of children, grooming for sexual purposes, sexual extortion, indecent communication with children, possession of a firearm, bestiality and drugs offences. In one instance, a computer that featured 10 million images depicting child abuse was found. Police Scotland said it would take four full-time officers six months just to view the number of images uncovered. 30 million Images of abuse recovered 523 potential child victims 122 referred to child protection 83 suspects' homes searched 77 people arrested and charged Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham, who led the investigation, said: \"This is not sexting in terms of people sending abusive messages to each other. \"This is children being sexually abused and these images being shared. \"It is about real victims in Scotland and elsewhere. It's about these horrific acts which ruin people's lives and we need to make sure that stops.\" Mr Graham called on parents and carers to be \"alert\" but not alarmed and said there were people in society who used technology to identify children who may be vulnerable to exploitation. The investigation involved officers analysing in excess of 100,000 online chat logs. Examination of one device led officers to conclude that one adult suspect had been sexually communicating with more than 110 children and young people. Det Insp Andy McWilliam, who was also involved in the investigation, said that new technology meant there was no way for perpetrators to hide or erase what they had done online. He said: \"Whether they throw the computer in the bath or not, we can find what they have looked at. And we can use covert technology to identify who you are and where you are. \"These individuals want to be wherever children are. They are using websites, chatrooms and forums. \"These men - and it is predominantly men - are using the profiles of younger children to groom them and offend against them.\" Police are also working with young people and parents to help raise awareness of the potential dangers of the internet. They said a key aim was to prevent abuse from happening in the first place. Figures from Police Scotland have shown that the number of recorded offences are growing each year. In 2014-15, there were 23 offences of grooming children for the purposes of sexual offences. Last year it was 50 - an increase of 117%. The offence of taking, distributing or possessing indecent images of children increased from 605 in 2014-15 to 645. NSPCC", "summary": "More than 500 children have been identified as potential victims of online sexual abuse during a major investigation by Police Scotland."}
{"article": "The Ferrari driver was penalised 10 seconds for moving while in the braking zone while defending from Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo late in the race. The 29-year-old also had two penalty points added to his racing licence. Vettel had been promoted to third after Ricciardo's team-mate Max Verstappen was penalised for cutting a corner. Four-time champion Vettel had indicated after the race that he realised there may be a problem with his defence against Ricciardo. \"I want to look at it again; he [Ricciardo] told me to. I am fighting hard and am supposed to give him just enough room,\" Vettel said. \"I know Daniel is sometimes optimistic going for a gap. I knew he would go for it whatever the cost. I tried to defend; we made contact. That is not ideal. That's why I want to look at it again. \"If there was something, I will talk to him. Before that, Max was brake-testing me into the first two corners. I was very upset with the fact Max held me up and didn't move and made me run into Daniel.\" Ricciardo said before learning of the penalty: \"He doesn't deserve to be up there. I thought I had every right to be there but he kept closing the door under braking. I was frustrated with that.\" The rule Vettel broke was only introduced specifically at last week's US Grand Prix. Media playback is not supported on this device It was a rule clarification issued by race director Charlie Whiting on a specific issue that has caused controversy this year because many drivers felt Verstappen had transgressed their gentleman's agreement not to move under braking. Ironically, Vettel was one of the prime critics of Verstappen's driving. The new clarification states: \"Any change of direction under braking which results in another driver having to take evasive action will be considered abnormal and hence potentially dangerous to other drivers. Any such move will be reported to the stewards.\" Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Sebastian Vettel lost third place in the Mexican Grand Prix after becoming the first driver to be punished under a new dangerous driving rule."}
{"article": "Social media users tweeted #FireCobert in a demand for the TV host to be sacked for a \"homophobic\" slur made on his CBS programme The Late Show on Monday in reference to relations between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Speaking on The Late Show on Wednesday, Mr Colbert said that he would change \"some of the words\" in the monologue but did not regret it. Not everyone has accepted the olive branch however. In his anti-Trump rant on Monday, Mr Colbert jokingly referred to sexual relations between President Trump and President Putin, using a phrase that is considered by some people as offensive. One Trump supporter who took part in #GaysForTrump, tweeted on Wednesday that Colbert's original rant was \"homophobic\" and \"disgusting\", while many others called for him to be fired. Some defended him, saying people who criticised Colbert for offensive speech while simultaneously attacking political correctness were hypocritical. Stephen Colbert lambasted for 'homophobic attack' on Trump On Wednesday, Colbert addressed the backlash. After checking he still had a job, asking: \"Am I still the host?\", Mr Colbert justified his monologue: \"I was a little upset with Donald Trump for insulting a friend of mine, so... I had a few choice insults for the president in return. I don't regret that\". To rapturous applause, the host quipped: \"I believe he can take care of himself. I have jokes, he has the launch codes - it's a fair fight.\" However, Mr Colbert then backtracked, explaining that while he would \"do it again\", he would change some of the words used in the monologue. Admitting that some of his words had been unnecessarily \"crude\", he offered an olive branch to the LGBT community, saying: \"Anyone who expresses their love for another person in their own way is, to me, an American hero.\" Many Trump supporters continued to find fault with the comedian and did not appear to be satisfied with Colbert's statement. \"Stephen Colbert's rant against Trump was a disgrace,\" tweeted Joseph Winters on Thursday morning. But others continued to question the commitment of anti-Colbert tweets to the cause of LGBT rights: \"It's really rich that the people who are calling Colbert a homophobe are the Trump voters who are actively working against gay rights,\" tweeted Tammie Willis. Written by the UGC and Social News team", "summary": "US comedian Stephen Colbert has said he has no regrets but that with hindsight he \"would change a few words\" in his viral monologue that attracted accusations of homophobia this week."}
{"article": "Prabir Mukherjee was the curator at Eden Gardens, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). India were playing England and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni had suggested a spinning track be prepared for the Test match. Pitch preparation is not an exact science; in the past, \"spinning\" tracks have been prepared where the seamers have run through the Indian batting, while \"flat\" tracks have been prepared where the fast bowlers have wreaked havoc. The Indian curator's favourite technique for a spinning track is to leave it underprepared. Spin has been India's strength for so long that it is a cliche now. Yet visiting spinners have often been more successful than India's best - from Richie Benaud and Ashley Mallett to Lance Gibbs and Derek Underwood, and more recently, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann. It is neither illegal nor unethical to prepare a wicket to suit the home team's bowlers. It would be foolish to do otherwise. If Jim Laker could claim 19 wickets on a dry Old Trafford wicket nearly half a century ago, part of the credit should go to his captain Peter May, who persuaded the groundsman into not watering the pitch in advance. Was that unethical? Or illegal? The illegal and the unethical co-exist in sport. On the cricket field, it is illegal to overstep when bowling - umpires call a 'no ball' immediately - but it isn't unethical. It is unethical to claim a catch when you know that the ball has hit the ground, but it isn't illegal. No-one minds a three-day Test as long as the battle between bat and ball is fascinating. The curator is subject to a set of opposing demands. A quick win for the home side versus a full five-day match which is what television demands. The latter are often boring run feasts. The toss can ruin the best-laid plans of curators. Had South Africa made in the first innings the same score they did in the second, Nagpur might have had a different story to tell in the ongoing series against India. South Africa made more in the fourth innings than India did in the third. The tracks at Mohali and Nagpur for the current series have not been minefields or square turners. True, they aided spin early, but they were the allies of batsman willing to stay and play. That 40 was the highest score in four innings at Nagpur was not so much an indictment of the pitch as of the batsmen's technique. No-one expects tracks in seamer-friendly England to be like the pace-friendly ones in Australia or South Africa. Cricket's - in fact, any sport's - charm lies in the variety and range of its settings. Conditions change, challenges differ. Overcoming the opposition by conquering the conditions is the essence of the game. Uniformity - of pitches, grounds, weather - is neither possible nor desirable. The South Africans have had to deal with difficult pitches, not impossible ones. Batting techniques have been tested, and not just those of the visitors. Indians, who presumably ought to be happier in home conditions have displayed the", "summary": "Three years ago, an 83-year-old man called the then Indian cricket captain \"immoral\"."}
{"article": "A British judge was being stopped from awarding what were expected to be substantial damages against someone for a serious libel because of an 11th-hour claim that the rules of the European Parliament did not allow him to do so. Except in this case, being heard on 17 May, the EU trump card was being played by Jane Collins who is a UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber. She is claiming that as an elected Member of the European Parliament she enjoys a blanket immunity from any legal action taken against her. It must have been the one of the most unlikely defences ever put to London's Royal Courts of Justice in the 124 years since the building was opened by Queen Victoria. Here was an outspoken opponent of Britain's membership of the European Union trying to escape potentially ruinous damages by appealing for help from one of the Brussels institutions she absolutely detests. The irony was not lost on the three South Yorkshire Labour MPs she had libelled who were sitting a few metres away from her. \"The judge today was set to decide on the damages she must pay for her deeply damaging and totally baseless allegations,\" they said in a joint statement issued later. \"But instead the court was confronted by the absurd irony of a UKIP MEP claiming EU sovereignty and immunity as an MEP from action in the British courts.\" The three MPs, Sarah Champion, John Healey and Sir Kevin Barron, whose neighbouring constituencies cover Rotherham, had been accused by Jane Collins of \"knowing all about\" the scandal of 1,400 cases of grooming and rape of young girls in the town and doing nothing to intervene. The allegations were made in a speech Jane Collins made at the UKIP conference held at Doncaster Racecourse in September 2014 and broadcast live on the BBC Parliament Channel. At the time Ms Collins had been selected as the candidate to stand against Sarah Champion in her Rotherham seat at the upcoming General Election. At a previous hearing in 2015 the High Court threw out the UKIP legal team's defence that the speech should be treated as routine political comment and ruled her intention had clearly been libellous. It had taken a year to get Jane Collins back in court for the Judge, Mr Justice Welby, to assess the level of costs and damages. The judge said he thought it \"improbable\" immunity from paying up would be granted but he suspended proceedings until the European Parliament had had an opportunity to investigate her application. Legal immunity for MEPs has existed under European law since 1965 but in very limited circumstances. It is similar to the \"parliamentary privilege\" enjoyed by UK MPs who are free to make any comments they want in speeches made in the House of Commons with no fear of legal action being taken against them. What UK MPs say outside the chamber has no legal protection at all. A committee of MEPs in Brussels are now expected to take several months to decide whether the European version", "summary": "The event unfolding in front of me should have been enough to send steam shooting out of the ears of any self-respecting UK Independence Party supporter."}
{"article": "James Brindley, 26, died on Aldridge High Street in the West Midlands on 23 June after an evening out with friends. Aaron Kahrod, 20, from Walsall Road, Aldridge, and a 17-year-old boy appeared at Birmingham Magistrates' Court. The pair were remanded in custody to appear at the city's crown court on Monday. Read more news from Birmingham and the Black Country", "summary": "A man and a teenager have appeared in court charged with murder after a man was stabbed to death."}
{"article": "Kevin McKay, of Aberdeen, charged his clients VAT but lied on his HMRC tax returns. He claimed his company IPPS was making less than 10% of its actual sales. The security guard then transferred large sums of money from his business bank to his personal account then sent money abroad. More than \u00a3100,000 was switched to a Romanian bank in September 2010 after accumulating in his savings account over several weeks. During his trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, McKay claimed to have looked after pop star Britney Spears and members of the Saudi royal family during his career as a bodyguard. The court heard IPPS security guards provided mobile patrols at President Trump's golf course on the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire. A total of 136 visits were listed on an invoice between 2008 and 2009. Other invoices from other firms showed that incorrect figures were submitted for some quarters to HMRC. The court heard McKay's ex-wife Susan was initially charged with an offence relating to the reckless submission of VAT returns, but the case against her was later dropped. Last month, a jury of nine men and six women found McKay guilty of being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of VAT worth \u00a3419,799 between August 2008 and May 2014. He was also found guilty, following a six-day trial, of removing criminal property from Scotland by transferring \u00a3100,473.98 into a Romanian bank account. The account belonged to the mother of a woman McKay was in a relationship with. McKay was sentenced to three years in prison for the VAT fraud with an additional year in prison for removing criminal property abroad. Cheryl Burr, assistant director of HMRC's fraud investigation service, HMRC: \"Tax evasion robs the public purse of vital funds. \"The vast majority play by the rules and pay their dues, but some like McKay attempt to undermine the system by evading VAT to line their own pockets and gain an unfair advantage over legitimate businesses. Our actions put a stop to that.\"", "summary": "The owner of a security firm hired by Donald Trump's Aberdeenshire golf business has been jailed for four years over a \u00a3400,000 VAT fraud."}
{"article": "The resulting footage is part of a project using hi-tech scanning methods to explore animals' anatomy. It took 132 hours for the snake to fully digest the rat, the scientists said. Their work has revealed other strange insights into python digestion. They presented the study at the Society for Experimental Biology's annual meeting in Prague, Czech Republic. The researchers carried out a computer tomography or CT scan of an anaesthetised 5kg Burmese python one hour after it had devoured the rat whole. They also used a technique called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the creature's internal organs. By using contrast agents, the scientists were able to highlight specific organs and make them appear in different colours. A series of MRI images revealed the gradual disappearance of the rat's body. At the same time, the snake's intestine expanded, its gall bladder shrank and its heart increased in volume by 25%. The researchers, Henrik Lauridsen and Kasper Hansen, both from Aarhus University in Denmark, explained that the increase in the size of the snake's heart was probably associated with the energy it needed to digest its meal. \"It's a sit and wait predator,\" explained Mr Lauridsen. \"It fasts for months and then eats a really large meal. \"It can eat the equivalent of up to 50% of its own bodyweight, and in order to get the energy out of the meal, it has to restart the intestinal system very fast.\" The researchers, who are both based at the university's Department of Zoophysiology and the MR Research Centre at Aarhus, say that their approach has several advantages over the \"subjective and sometimes misleading\" interpretations of dissections. Dissection induces changes, explained Dr Hansen. \"For example, after opening the dense bone of a turtle shell, the lungs will collapse due to the change in pressure. \"And to use these techniques you don't have to kill the animal,\" he added. \"We can do this using live animals and revisit the results over and over again.\" The images, they say, will be valuable tools in future studies of animal anatomy for both research and education. As part of the project, they have produced similarly spectacular images of several other species, including frogs, alligators, turtles, swamp eels and bearded dragons.", "summary": "Scientists have used the latest imaging techniques to look inside a python that had just swallowed a rat whole."}
{"article": "Gog the Yorkshire terrier became well known in Leicester because her owner Monti Shortt dresses her in clothes and pushes her around in the buggy. But the pooch was taken when the owner, who has cancer, quickly popped into the Haymarket Shopping Centre on Friday. She left Gog in her buggy outside and CCTV shows a woman wheeling it away. Ms Shortt, 69, said she needs to get her pet back urgently because Gog needs surgery on her knees costing over \u00c2\u00a31,000. \"I haven't been without her since I've had her,\" said Ms Shortt. More on this and other stories in Leicestershire \"We come into town regularly and she lights everybody's day up. \"People say they love seeing her and hundreds of people have taken pictures of her.\" Gog was wearing a jumper, spotty baby vest and ribbons in her hair when she was stolen. She is five years old and Ms Shortt has owned her since just before she was seven weeks old. Ms Shortt uses the buggy to help her carry things and Gog sometimes sits inside. Leicestershire Police is examining CCTV of the theft, which happened in Humberstone Gate at about 14:50 GMT on Friday. Ms Shortt's coat, bag and inhalers were also in the stolen buggy but she is only concerned about getting Gog back.", "summary": "A dog that became a local celebrity has been wheeled off in a buggy by a mystery woman, sparking a hunt for the animal's return."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Marler apologised to Lee, who is from a Traveller background, at half-time during England's Six Nations win. Traveller campaigner Shay Clipson said Marler should be banned. \"It's not just in sport, I think it's in every aspect of life where people get so PC and just make massive issues about things,\" said coach Gatland. \"It was just one of those things, a little bit of banter. We've accepted that and we've accepted his apology. Just move on. \"Fifteen or 20 years ago, those things were sorted out with fists and stuff.\" The comment by Marler, 25, is under investigation by Six Nations officials. Clipson, the founder of the National Alliance of Gypsy, Traveller and Roma Women, told BBC Radio 5 live that the Harlequins prop \"cannot make mistakes like that and expect to just say sorry and walk away\". She added that the public had to imagine what the reaction would have been had a black or Asian player been subject to that sort of derogatory remark. Marler has been cited for a separate incident of foul play involving another Wales prop, Rob Evans. A previous Welsh Rugby Union statement said: \"We're disappointed by the comment made and pleased Joe Marler apologised.\" On Monday, assistant coach Rob Howley commented: \"As players and coaches, there's banter in the game, but I think there's no place for that.\" Marler's comment was heard by television viewers after being picked up on referee Craig Joubert's microphone. \"In modern sport, players have got to be aware that there are microphones everywhere and you have to act accordingly,\" said Gatland.", "summary": "Warren Gatland says the \"Gypsy boy\" comment aimed at Samson Lee by Joe Marler was \"banter\" and insists Wales have no issue with the England prop."}
{"article": "The victim was found with gunshot injuries in Markham Avenue at around 21:00 GMT on Monday and died later at Leeds General Infirmary. West Yorkshire Police said three men aged 17, 19 and 20 had been arrested on suspicion of murder. Two boys aged 15 and 16 were detained on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. Detectives found the victim's Vauxhall Astra abandoned in Pasture Road, near to Back Airlie Avenue. Det Ch Insp Steve Snow said the force believed the man was deliberately targeted and the shooting took place near to where the car was found.", "summary": "Five people have been arrested after a 33-year-old man was shot in the Harehills area of Leeds."}
{"article": "Lukasz Robert Pawlowski of Pembroke Dock, appeared for sentence at the Pembrokeshire court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to sexual assault. He was airlifted to Swansea's Morriston Hospital and is said to be recovering. Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed they have arrested a 33-year-old man on suspicion of possession of an article with a blade or point. It is understood he lost consciousness and bled heavily after cutting himself. The court was closed after the incident but reopened on Thursday.", "summary": "A sex attacker who cut his own throat in the dock at Haverfordwest Magistrates' Court has been arrested."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Saturday's defeat was their first loss at home in seven years - and their first to the British and Irish Lions in 24. And while they were beaten by Ireland as recently as November, that was in the relative anonymity of the American city of Chicago, not in their own backyard. The Kiwi public is loyal, but expectant. The All Blacks are meant to win, even with 14 men. So how have they reacted to defeat? Minutes after the final whistle at the Westpac Stadium, as the Lions fans flocked deliriously into the Wellington evening, callers to Radio Sport NZ were jamming the airwaves. \"I hope you aren't going to make excuses - the Lions were too good,\" cried Owen, the first to have his say. \"I wonder if this would have been the Lions' night, even if Sonny Bill Williams had stayed on the field,\" reflected presenter Matthew Buck, who revelled in the sheer vibrancy of the occasion, as opposed to stewing in defeat. \"They were desperate,\" agreed expert summariser Ross Bond, who praised the Lions' inspired defence and smothering back row. The next morning, the Herald on Sunday splashed on the Lions \"roaring back\" to square the series, with the Star majoring on the key flashpoint in the game - the red card to Williams and the influence of referee Jerome Garces. The player ratings in the Herald caused a stir, with the irrepressible Lions lock Maro Itoje given a 4/10. Online ratings later had Itoje as a more realistic 9/10. \"The Lions were numerically and tactically superior,\" Marc Hinton wrote in The Press, and this sense of acceptance is echoed across the Kiwi media and public, albeit coupled with a fierce desire to restore normality in the Eden Park decider. Support for the All Blacks permeates every level of New Zealand society, male and female, young and old. At St Joseph's Primary School in Queenstown, in the heart of Otago, the children are still coming to terms with the hurt of defeat. Aged between 10 and 11, they struggle to recall the last time the All Blacks were beaten on home soil. \"We normally win - it doesn't feel that good when we lose,\" was the reaction of 11-year-old Thomas, who says he dreams of one day becoming an All Black and following his hero Ben Smith. \"I felt like throwing the table at the TV - but they deserved it.\" But disappointment turns to confidence when looking ahead to Saturday's decisive Test. \"We'll win 70-30 on Saturday,\" insists 10-year-old Samuel. \"You are dreaming,\" retorts his friend Mason, who opts for a more realistic scoreline - though the All Blacks still come out on top, of course. On the flight from Queenstown to Auckland, stewardess Trudie insists the Auckland weather will be much more to the All Blacks' liking this weekend. \"Beauden is usually such a good kicker,\" she laments, referring to the three kickable penalties missed by fly-half Beauden Barrett at Westpac Stadium. However, while New Zealanders have reacted with", "summary": "The All Blacks don't lose very often, especially in New Zealand."}
{"article": "The yellow-browed warbler was tagged at Pembrey Burrows nature reserve, only the fifth ever recorded in the county. The birds, known for their \"strikingly loud\" song, are more commonly found on the east coast of England with 600 recorded this autumn. Easterly winds this autumn are said to be the reason behind the bird's visit to the reserve. Yellow-browed warblers breed in Siberia and winter in south-east Asia. Licensed bird ringer and volunteer ranger Paul Aubrey said the visitor was a highlight of an unexpectedly mild and bright autumnal period.", "summary": "A bird that makes its home over 3,500 miles away in Siberia has made a rare visit to Carmarthenshire."}
{"article": "The 11-10 favourite beat Le Mercurey by three and a quarter lengths, with Bristol De Mai disappointing in third. Tizzard, who also trains Thistlecrack and Cue Card, has three of the first four in the Gold Cup betting. Ballyandy landed the Betfair Hurdle and Altior also won to cement his place as favourite for Cheltenham's Arkle Chase. Aidan Coleman was a late call-up for Native River after regular jockey Richard Johnson pulled out because of illness. But it was business as usual for the Hennessy Gold Cup and Welsh National winner, who is now 4-1 (from 9-2) for the Gold Cup behind 7-4 favourite Thistlecrack, with Cue Card and Djakadam at about 7-1 Coleman said of Native River: \"He's just the perfect racehorse and (it was) very nice to have a sit on him and I wish them all the best for the future.\" Paul Nicholls said his runner-up Le Mercurey had run well to get close to a horse he considers will win the Gold Cup on 17 March. The champion trainer believes Le Mercurey will be a Grand National contender in the future, but will this year aim him at the Betway Bowl at Aintree. Last year's Cheltenham Champion Bumper victor Ballyandy, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, won for the first time over hurdles as he beat Nicholls' Movewiththetimes. Nicky Henderson's Altior coasted home by 13 lengths from Fox Norton in the Betfair Exchange Chase, registered as the Game Spirit Chase. BBC racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght One of those days where it's hard to come up with a lead story but Altior's success in the old Game Spirit Chase probably shaded it. Last season's Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner looks even more supreme this year, and this was the smoothest of performances, all the more meritorious because it came on unfavourably soft going. He's rightly a hotter and hotter favourite for the Arkle (his pretty much certain target said Nicky Henderson), and he'll be a Festival banker for many. Native River's style is all about stamina and toughing it out, and he'll set a big test for all-comers in the Gold Cup.", "summary": "Native River enhanced his Cheltenham Gold Cup credentials with a comfortable win for trainer Colin Tizzard in the Denman Chase at Newbury."}
{"article": "Mr Ghani said IS was \"not an Afghan phenomenon\" and its atrocities had \"alienated the people\".", "summary": "Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has promised to \"bury\" the so-called Islamic State (IS) militant group, whose local offshoot has clashed with government forces and Taliban fighters, in an exclusive interview."}
{"article": "Police said a man, 27, from Birmingham, who was earlier in custody, and a 39-year-old woman who was on bail have been released with no further action. Four people died and 50 were injured when Khalid Masood drove his car into pedestrians before stabbing a police officer. He was shot dead by police. Fourteen people remain in hospital. PC Keith Palmer was guarding Parliament when he was stabbed by Masood. He was unarmed, but the Metropolitan Police have confirmed that he was wearing a protective vest. A post-mortem examination heard that there was no obvious evidence the vest had been damaged or penetrated, but it had been cut off when emergency first aid was given, the Met said. It added that the coroner had requested that the provisional cause of death was not released at this stage. Eleven people were initially arrested over the incident. In a statement, the Met Police said the 39-year-old woman who was arrested in east London on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts had been released. Another women, aged 32, who was arrested in Manchester, remains on police bail while police continue their inquiries, it said. The 58-year-old, who is still in custody, was arrested in Birmingham the morning after the attack under the Terrorism Act, meaning officers can hold him for up to two weeks. Police are trying to establish whether Masood acted alone inspired by terrorist propaganda or if others supported him. They are also looking into whether he used the encrypted messaging service WhatsApp to send a message two minutes before he struck. Masood's other victims were Aysha Frade, who was in her 40s and worked at a London sixth-form college, US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, and retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, from south London. Janine Roebuck, a friend of 75-year-old Mr Rhodes, said he was \"immensely proud\" to have cleaned the windows at Chartwell - the Kent home of Sir Winston Churchill - for \"many years\". \"He was exceptionally fit for a man of his age. I would turn around and he had bounded up the ladder like someone half his age,\" she told BBC News. \"I am filled with huge sorrow that his life has been snatched from him in such an untimely manner.\" The attack has brought into question security levels at Parliament, prompting a review by police and Parliamentary authorities. Lord Blair, a former Met Police Commissioner who was in charge during the 2005 London bombings, said he was \"absolutely certain that there will have to be changes\" to the area near the entrance gates where PC Palmer was stabbed. He refused to criticise officers for leaving the gates unguarded immediately after the attack, saying \"at that moment they were behaving as human beings\". \"That incident will have gripped them completely. They will know that the cavalry of the serious armed officers are on their way,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. London attack: The victims The path from violent crime to killer The Metropolitan Police said Masood, 52, who had previous criminal convictions but none for terrorism, had", "summary": "A 58-year-old man is still being held by police over the Westminster attack, as two others are released without charge."}
{"article": "James Johnston & Co of Elgin said turnover rose from \u00a358.6m in 2014 to \u00a366.6m last year. Operating profit rose from \u00a32.27m to \u00a38m, supported by an exceptional gain of \u00a34.1m on the sale of a property in London. The firm said sales growth was generated by increased sales to luxury brands in the UK and France. It also benefited from growth in sales of its own branded products through its UK retail outlets, while wholesale gains were driven by Japan and the Middle East. The company has manufacturing plants in Elgin and Hawick. It runs several shops in the UK, including a flagship store in New Bond Street, London, which opened in December last year. In 2015, it employed an average of 943 employees - up from 829 in 2014.", "summary": "The company behind Scottish cashmere brand Johnstons of Elgin has reported a sharp rise in sales and profits."}
{"article": "Espionage - the stealing of secrets - is a well-trodden path for both sides, but far more sensitive is the notion of subversion, trying to influence political life by sowing dissent and supporting opposition. Both Russia and the West claim the other has been practising subversion for at least a century. Russian subversion is the talk of Washington at the moment, but Moscow has its own narrative. It begins 100 years ago, when Britain was determined to roll back the 1917 Bolshevik revolution. Enter a colourful array of characters linked to MI6, notably Sir Paul Dukes and Sidney Reilly (\"Ace of Spies\"). But it is the Lockhart Plot which is particularly remembered in Russia - although barely known in Britain. Named after British diplomat Robert Bruce Lockhart, who was stationed in Moscow, it involved paying Latvian soldiers to launch a counter-coup. \"The shadow of these events still hangs over our relations,\" says Prof Evgeny Sergeev, from the Russian State University for Humanities. \"It was used by Soviet propaganda as the symbol of all those evil intentions to overthrow the Bolshevik government.\" The Bolshevik government's reaction was to strengthen its secret police to protect against outside interference and to send its spies abroad to discern the plans of others. Back in Britain during the 1920s, the government feared worldwide Bolshevik revolution. Concerns centred on The All Russian Trade Co-operative Society (Arcos) in London. Britain's intelligence services were convinced it was not only a nest of spies but the epicentre of subversive activity - spreading propaganda and supporting strikes, amid fears that \"Moscow gold\" was supporting \"terrorist groups\" in the British Empire. A message from the Communist International known as the Zinoviev letter helped fuel that idea - even though it was fake. Arcos was closed in a chaotic raid, but it was not long before Soviet intelligence pulled off one of its greatest coups - recruiting a group of Cambridge graduates who would work their way into the heart of the British establishment. Britain also seems to have had its own plans. In 1937, Fitzroy Maclean took up a diplomatic posting in Moscow, witnessing the show trials in which Stalin purged his opponents and travelling widely across the Soviet Union. This gave him an idea which he wrote up on his return to the Foreign Office in 1939. Oddly, his memo - originally marked Top Secret - has appeared and disappeared from the British archives in recent years. But Moscow had known about the content for decades. I learned this from Todor Boyadjiev, a retired deputy head of Bulgarian intelligence, who says Russian colleagues showed him the memo and further plans based on it. Boyadjiev says MI6 developed a plan codenamed Lyautey, named after a French general. The story goes that the general asked his gardener to plant some trees to provide shade. The gardener protested they would take decades to grow, to which the General replied there was no time to lose. Britain's Lyautey plan, Boyadjiev says, was a long-term effort to fragment the Soviet Union by stirring up unrest among religious", "summary": "The claim that the Kremlin sought to influence America's presidential election is only the latest chapter in a much longer story of mistrust between Russia and the West."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old Rangers captain was called up on Tuesday but will not travel for the World Cup qualifying campaign opener. Manager Gordon Strachan will make no further additions. Celtic's Leigh Griffiths and Kieran Tierney dropped out of the original squad with knocks, along with midfielders James McArthur and Kevin McDonald. Hearts forward Tony Watt was drafted in at the same time as Wallace, who won the last of his eight caps in 2013. Hull's Andy Robertson is now the only recognised left-back in the squad of 24 for Sunday's game at the Ta'Qali Stadium. Striker Griffiths came off injured after scoring in Celtic's 4-1 defeat of Aberdeen on Saturday. The 26-year-old netted 40 times last season and has seven goals so far this term but has yet to score in seven appearances for Scotland. Steven Fletcher, yet to score for new club Sheffield Wednesday, was Scotland's main striker in their unsuccessful Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, while Chris Martin and Steven Naismith also featured in attack for Gordon Strachan's side. That trio and Watt make up the forward contingent of Strachan's revised squad. Midfielder Robert Snodgrass is optimistic about being fit, despite a painful collision with a goalpost during Hull City's defeat by Manchester United at the weekend. It will be Scotland's first game since midfielder and captain Scott Brown retired from international football. West Brom's Darren Fletcher - a former national team skipper - could resume the armband duties. Strachan's pool also includes winger Oliver Burke, who joined German side RB Leipzig from Nottingham Forest on Sunday in a \u00a313m deal - making him the most expensive Scottish player.", "summary": "Full-back Lee Wallace has withdrawn from the Scotland squad to face Malta."}
{"article": "Officers were called to the Ferry Road property at about 09:50 on Wednesday. The baby boy was taken to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in the city, where he died a short time later. A Police Scotland spokesman, said: \"Police in Edinburgh were called to Ferry Road around 9.50am on Wednesday October 12 following a report of concern for a nine-day-old baby.\" He said: \"The baby was taken to the sick kids hospital, where he was sadly pronounced dead a short time later. \"Inquiries into the full circumstances surrounding the death are ongoing and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.\" The death is being treated as unexplained.", "summary": "A nine-day-old baby has died in hospital after police were called to an address in Edinburgh."}
{"article": "The Subsea Power Hub (SPH) is being tested by Aberdeen based EC-OG at Shapinsay Sound, Orkney. The company said the system is \"performing in line with technical predictions\". The unit will be left to operate autonomously over the summer months while it is checked using wireless data monitoring. EC-OG said the SPH is a ground-breaking hybrid drive system which uses a marine energy convertor to produce energy which is stored in a lithium-based unit. Engineering director Robert Cowman said: \"Although the weather was not on our side, we were still able to successfully complete the installation and commence testing ahead of schedule. \"The system is performing very well and I'm pleased at how quickly the results are correlating with the theoretical basis for the test. Having a vertical axis turbine, means that the SPH is operating effectively in these unpredictable, sporadic flow conditions. \"Thanks go to the EC-OG team as well as those who have helped us at EMEC, Leask Marine, Castle View and Scottish Enterprise.\"", "summary": "A new ocean current energy system has been successfully deployed, according to the company behind it."}
{"article": "Nelson Cheung and his wife Winnie, 57, had been driving along the Caddy Road, near Randalstown, on Wednesday when their car was forced off the road. The couple, from the Ballymena area, were attacked and had money stolen. Mr Cheung died from stab wounds. Police have renewed their appeal for information. A 30-year-old man is being questioned about the murder. A 31-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man who were arrested on Thursday have been released unconditionally. Det Ch Insp Eamonn Corrigan said: \"Mr Cheung was a well-liked and well-known man who ran a Chinese restaurant in Randalstown.\" He said that while Mrs Cheung had been discharged from hospital, she was \"understandably anguished following the murder of her husband\". After their car was forced off the road by two other vehicles, Mrs Cheung had managed to raise the alarm at a nearby house just after midnight on Thursday. When police arrived at the scene a short time later, they discovered Mr Cheung's body. Police have said a hate crime is not suspected. The detective said: \"I would appeal for information from the public, specifically anyone who saw vehicles moving along Caddy Road between 11:30pm on Wednesday night and 1pm on Thursday morning. \"I am also interested in speaking with anyone who may have noticed a black Seat Toledo car, registration number OE62 FRF, in the Randalstown area from around 9pm to midnight on Wednesday 7 January.\" The Caddy Road has now been reopened following the murder.", "summary": "Police have released the name of a 65-year-old Chinese restaurant owner murdered in County Antrim."}
{"article": "The team will be given access to all the witnesses to the attack, but the Press Trust of India news agency said they would not be able to interview security personnel. India accused Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammad of carrying out the assault in January. Seven Indian soldiers and six militants were killed in the attack. This is the first time that Pakistani intelligence and police officials have travelled to India to investigate a militant attack. The Pakistan team's visit came after Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj met Pakistan's foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz on the sidelines of a regional meeting in Nepal. In February, police in Pakistan registered a complaint against \"unknown persons\" over the Pathankot attack. An official of the interior ministry of Pakistan had filed the complaint, which mentioned some Pakistani mobile numbers provided by Indian authorities. The United Jihad Council (UJC) - a coalition of more than a dozen militant groups fighting against Indian rule in Kashmir - said they carried out the attack. The claim was met with scepticism - the UJC's core members are not known to have carried out attacks outside Indian-administered Kashmir. Indian security officials instead blamed Jaish-e-Mohammed. Started by Masood Azhar, the Islamist militant group has been blamed for attacks on Indian soil in the past, including one in 2001 on the Indian parliament which took the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of war.", "summary": "A five-member team from Pakistan is in India to investigate a deadly militant attack on an air force base."}
{"article": "It's a condition that affects the way you live your life and see the world around you. Our presenter Rosie was born with autism. She says even though living with it is difficult, it makes her unique and who she is. As well as telling her own story, you'll find out how Ben, Tony and Lenny are affected by the condition. Lots of children with autism get bullied at school and can find it hard to get jobs when they grow up. In our special film Rosie wants to tell the world what autism is and what it's like to live with it.", "summary": "Newsround has made a special programme about autism."}
{"article": "The largest US bank by assets posted a net income of $6.8bn (\u00c2\u00a34.5bn), up from $5.5bn during the same period last year. But it said that net revenue was $23.5bn, down from $25bn compared with the year before. The bank also reported $1.3bn in legal costs for the period. Banks have been under pressure to cut costs and hold more capital in reserve in case of future financial shocks. JP Morgan also said that it received tax benefits of $2.2bn in the period. The bank also reported that sales of its loan products had increased by 15% year-on-year, and that the balance of those loans had gone up 13%. JP Morgan's chief executive Jamie Dimon said in a statement: \"We had decent results this quarter. \"We saw the impact of a challenging global environment... We continue to focus on our commitments, optimize our balance sheet and manage our expenses.\" In a conference call, the firm pointed to the higher cost of regulation as a factor that would \"tap down profit for a while\".", "summary": "Wall Street banking giant JP Morgan Chase reported higher profits in the three months to September but still missed analysts' expectations."}
{"article": "The 40-year-old joined Twitter in 2011 and often interacts with fans through his personal account. \"They have no clue how to run a football club,\" MacAnthony told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. \"No disrespect to them, yes they buy a season ticket, but they're not in a position where they have to make a decision that affects people's lives.\" He continued: \"You're talking about the hundreds of people who work for you, you're talking about the family of the player, you're talking about the player himself, the after-effect if you don't do business. \"It's all about how you handle that, I've always felt I've got that right.\" MacAnthony, who is celebrating 10 years as Posh chairman, has been most hurt by criticism of his transfer policy, with fans often accusing him of selling the club's best players. \"I was getting it last year with Conor Washington, they were hammering him, he was one of my favourite players and I thought he would come good,\" said MacAnthony. \"When I got \u00a32.8m from QPR for him I felt like tweeting a picture of the agreement and going with two fingers to all the people who had, non-stop, had a go. \"In other words: 'I know what I'm doing, back off, if you think you know what you're doing go buy a football club.'\" Despite his public run-ins with angry fans on social media, MacAnthony has no plans to delete his account. \"Winners never quit, quitters never win,\" he said. \"I wouldn't change it, I love it, it's great fun. You do get trolled, you do get hammered, there are the ups and the downs.\" And MacAnthony has reiterated his pledge to secure promotion from League One this season. \"I'm giving it everything this season,\" he added. \"We're going up, there is no tomorrow, it has to be now and it has to be this season. \"You could say that puts a lot of pressure on the players and the manager, they're all aware, they know what they need to do. It's time to stand up and be counted, let's get out of this league. \"There is no looking back for me after this season. I'm only talking about Championship football.\" Listen to an extended interview with Darragh MacAnthony via the BBC iPlayer.", "summary": "Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony has spoken about supporters who criticise his running of the club."}
{"article": "IVF should be offered after two years of failed attempts, not the current three, says the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. And the upper age limit should rise from 39 to 42 in England and Wales. Some fertility experts fear the guidelines may not lead to changes because they are not binding. In the past, NHS trusts have struggled to find the money to meet the IVF recommendations. A report in 2011, showed one in four NHS trusts offered the full three cycles. Each round costs \u00c2\u00a33,000. Around one in every seven heterosexual couples in the UK who are trying for a baby experience problems conceiving a child. In 2011, nearly 14,000 women became pregnant through IVF. The new guidelines, which apply to England and Wales only, state that women aged between 40 and 42 should be offered one cycle of IVF as long as it is their first time and they have enough eggs. The age limit for NHS-funded fertility treatment is 38 in Scotland and 39 in Northern Ireland, according to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. Tim Child, who helped devise the guidelines and is the director of the Oxford Fertility Unit, said the decision was not taken lightly. \"When a woman reaches her mid-30s her fertility begins to decline, even more so from her late 30s. \"However, many women do conceive naturally in the 40 to 42 year age group. But for those who can't, and who have been diagnosed with the medical condition of infertility, then improvement in IVF success rates over the last decade mean that we are now able to offer cost-effective treatment with a single IVF cycle.\" Medical advances mean this age group has similar success rates to that of younger women when the original guidelines were introduced in 2004. The update still recommends women under 40 are offered three cycles of IVF. Some fertility experts raised concerns that the expanded recommendations may not happen in reality. Dr Sue Avery, a spokesperson for the British Fertility Society and from Birmingham Women's Fertility Centre, told the BBC: \"It's good that there's the possibility there, but the funding does not match. \"I can't see any prospect of it happening immediately. Our biggest concern is hanging on to the funding we've got.\" The guidelines also introduced rules designed to significantly reduce the number of twins and triplets being born. Multiple births, a consequence of implanting more than one embryo to increase the odds of success, are one of the biggest risks associated with IVF for both mother and child. Twins tend to be born smaller and earlier - triplets even more so. Women under the age of 37 should have only one embryo transferred in their first cycle. Subsequent cycles, and cycles in older women, can consider implanting two embryos. Most couples should no longer be offered intrauterine insemination on the NHS, as its results are no better than sex. However, when there is not an option - such as same sex couples and patients with certain disabilities - it would still be an option.", "summary": "Couples struggling to have a baby should get fertility treatment more quickly and older women should gain access to IVF, new NHS guidelines say."}
{"article": "The \u00c2\u00a328m project includes proposals for a major industrial and commercial development at Exxon Mobil's former site in Bowling. A road would also be built to provide an alternative route in and out of West Dunbartonshire. The outline business case for the project will be presented to West Dunbartonshire Council on Wednesday. The proposals form part of the Glasgow City Region City Deal. The plans would see West Dunbartonshire Council pay \u00c2\u00a33.8m towards the overall cost, with the rest funded by the UK and Scottish governments. The project is expected to support up to 690 full-time jobs and generate about \u00c2\u00a319m each year for the West of Scotland economy. If the outline business case is approved, it will then be presented to the council's City Deal Cabinet in April. Infrastructure work could begin in early 2021 and be completed in early 2024. Richard Cairns, West Dunbartonshire Council's strategic director for regeneration, environment and growth, said: \"The presenting of the outline business case to council marks another big step forward for what is a key regeneration priority for West Dunbartonshire. \"The future for the Exxon site is an exciting one that we believe will bring about real change for the better in terms of jobs and the economy.\"", "summary": "Plans to redevelop a former oil terminal in West Dunbartonshire could take a step forward this week."}
{"article": "The RAF aerobatic team were one of the star attractions at the airshow, which took place at the National Museum of Flight at East Fortune. Other attractions included the Swiss Air Force PC-7 team and the Norwegian Air Force's Historical Squadron. They were joined by a 1930s Bucker Jungmann, which was used by the German Luftwaffe and the Japanese air force. Pilot Gavin Hunter and a a friend rebuilt the biplane after buying it six years ago in Stuttgart, Germany, where it had spent nearly half a century being stored in pieces in a garage. More than 10,000 visitors were expected to attend the annual event, which will also featured displays from Battle of Britain aircraft, the Black Cats helicopter display team, a Catalina flying boat and three bi-planes - a Fairey Swordfish, a Stolp Starduster and Mr Hunter's Bucker Jungmann. The Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron features 1950s fighter jets including a Mig-15 and two de Havilland Vampires.", "summary": "The Red Arrows have headlined Scotland's National Airshow in East Lothian."}
{"article": "The 26-year-old, who joined the Hammers from Pachuca for \u00a312m in 2014, had held talks with Swansea on Wednesday. But he will now link up with the Toffees on his return from international duty with Ecuador. Valencia had made six appearances this season but was facing competition from new Hammers signing Simone Zaza. Meanwhile, Everton have signed Sheffield United forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin for an undisclosed fee on a four-year deal. The 19-year-old made 11 league appearances for the Blades, failing to score. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Everton have signed West Ham striker Enner Valencia on a season-long loan, with the option of a permanent \u00a314.5m move next summer."}
{"article": "The 37-year-old victim was walking in the Downfine Walk area of the Turf Lodge estate when he was approached by two men near the Holy Trinity Centre. They dragged him through an alleyway before shooting him once in each calf and once in the thigh. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The attack happened at about 18:30 GMT on Friday. Police have appealed for witnesses to contact them. A 15-year-old boy was shot in the leg in the nearby Ballymurphy estate on Thursday morning. SDLP Councillor Tim Attwood said: \"This is the second vicious gun attack in west Belfast in two days, following the shooting of a teenager in Ballymurphy on Thursday. \"The cowardly men, wearing hoods, engaged in these attacks have no place in our community. \"Everybody who believes in human rights and justice must condemn these attacks and give their unequivocal backing to the PSNI in their efforts to police our communities.\"", "summary": "A man has been shot three times in the legs in west Belfast."}
{"article": "The company's roots date back to the 1930s, when Greece's National Radio Foundation was set up. The many decades of history behind ERT have made it a well-established national institution respected by many. It began airing television programmes in the 1960s, remaining the country's only TV broadcaster until the advent of private TV channels in 1989. Since then, ERT has undergone several major overhauls to keep up with fierce private competition. These efforts were not entirely successful, and a fall in the company's ratings in the mid-1990s triggered a long-running debate about its cost and efficiency. Eighty per cent of the company's funding came from a licence fee included in electricity bills, and some of it was sourced from advertising revenue. Many Greeks objected to funding ERT through the licence fee, claiming that the company was too unpopular and too expensive. The broadcaster was also criticised for its openly pro-government reporting, especially since the start of the financial crisis in 2009. At the time of closing, ERT operated three main TV channels and more than a dozen national and local radio stations. ERT World TV catered for the Greek diaspora across the globe. The company's programming included news as well as factual and entertainment programmes. It claimed to broadcast more highbrow programmes - such as world cinema and documentaries - compared to the generally more light-hearted entertainment offered by its privately-owned rivals. The company's audience share in 2013 was relatively low at below 20%, with most Greeks preferring commercial broadcasters. The government's surprise decision to shut down ERT was, however, met with fierce criticism from the public. Even though most agreed that a restructuring and cost-savings were required at the company, its immediate closure was branded \"dictatorial\" by some. While most Greeks will continue getting their news and entertainment from private TV and radio stations, those in the east and some islands - where signal coverage is poor - may have to rely on Turkish broadcasters across the border. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "summary": "On 11 June, the government in Athens unexpectedly announced it was suspending the country's Radio and Television Company, abbreviated to ERT in Greek, as part of drastic budget cuts."}
{"article": "The Information Commissioner is to be asked to overrule a decision by the National Archives to keep the documents about the trial of Stephen Ward hidden. The submission is being made by lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC. It is believed Ward killed himself as his trial for living off immoral earnings was ending. Ward, an artist and osteopath living in London, had in 1961 introduced 21-year-old reputed call girl Christine Keeler to the Secretary of State for War, John Profumo. The minister and Ms Keeler - who is also thought to have had relations with an attache at the Russian embassy, Yevgeny Ivanov - started an affair. When challenged, Profumo initially denied the relationship - but was later forced to admit that he had lied in March 1963, in a scandal that threatened to topple the Conservative government of the time. Ward, who many believe was a victim of a cover-up, is understood to have killed himself on the last day of his trial at the Old Bailey, where he was found guilty of living off the immoral earnings of Ms Keeler and her friend Mandy Rice-Davies, who were referred to at the time of the court case as prostitutes. Mr Robertson, the author of Stephen Ward was Innocent, OK, said that he was making the appeal because keeping documents about Ward's trial hidden \"was irrational and ignores the public interest and the interests of history in discovering the truth about Ward's conviction, which is widely viewed as a miscarriage of justice\". He added: \"Releasing the official trial transcript is important to work out why Ward was ever prosecuted, and it will assist the case for overturning his conviction.\" The National Archives refused Mr Robertson access to most of its file on Ward, which is believed to include the police statements used to charge him with living off the earnings of Ms Keeler and Ms Rice-Davies. Mr Robertson argues in his book that neither woman was a prostitute, and both in fact lived off Ward's earnings as a celebrated osteopath and portrait artist. The file on Ward is currently closed from public view until 2046, because this is 100 years after the birth of Ms Rice-Davies, the youngest of the trial witnesses. The Information Commissioner is set to make a decision to see if it can be opened earlier. According to Mr Robertson, this \"will cast an important new light on one of the worst miscarriages of justice in modern British history, and help explain how Stephen Ward was made the scapegoat for the Profumo affair by prosecuting him for crimes that neither he nor anyone else ever committed\". A spokesman for the National Archives said it did not want to provide a comment. A spokesman for the Information Commissioner's Office said it had not yet received Mr Robertson's submission.", "summary": "A decision to keep documents relating to a man who was at the centre of the Profumo sex scandal hidden should be overturned, a leading lawyer has said."}
{"article": "A Sporting Equals audit found 26 of 601 board members - just over 4% - are from BAME backgrounds. Only two of 68 chairpersons or chief executives are BAME. \"Talking to other athletes and sportspeople, they are expressing concern that it is a world not open for them,\" said Briton Ohuruogu, 32. \"They won't be welcomed, won't be valued and it is very negative. They have gone as far as they can as athletes but they don't feel there is any more room for them to go.\" Shadow sports minister Rosena Allin-Khan told BBC Sport that \"greater representation\" was needed in boardrooms to \"increase role models\". The Labour MP for Tooting added: \"It is about empowering people who are already at the top of their game and those who have finished their sporting career and want to take up a position in the boardroom.\" Sporting Equals works to promote ethnic diversity in sport, and its audit included responses from grassroots sports organisations funded by Sport England and some institutions funded by UK Sport. Taking into account the UK BAME population of 14%, it revealed: Wasim Khan was the first Britain-born Pakistani to play professional county cricket, and was part of Warwickshire's double-winning side in 1995. In 2014, Leicestershire made him the first BAME chief executive of a county cricket club. \"There is still a huge amount of work to be done but, for the first time, we have seen some real positive work,\" he told BBC Sport at a Sporting Equals event in London. \"One of the excuses thrown is that there is not enough talent in the BAME community but that will be addressed now. \"This is not based around tokenism; this is on merit. We want people to have a competitive chance of getting into sport.\" Khan said he had to \"break the mould\" as a youngster but said change is now taking place. For the first time, England's cricket team have four Britain-born Muslims in their side - Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Haseeb Hameed and Zafar Ansari. Khan added: \"In terms of diversity, you can see it is starting to happen in cricket and they are leading the way. \"We need to make sure more are making it into leadership positions because there are enough role models now.\"", "summary": "Barriers exist for black, Asian and minority ethnic people entering sports administration, says former Olympic and world 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu."}
{"article": "Losing access to EU databases like the Schengen Information System would be an \"abrupt shock\" to policing, they say. Their report says if there is \"tension\" between maintaining security and bringing control of laws to Westminster and say security should take priority. The government says co-operation on security is a priority and it will do what is needed \"to keep people safe\". The report from the Lords EU Home Affairs sub-committee concedes that security co-operation is one policy area where a \"positive outcome\" is in everyone's interests. But it warns that, as a post-Brexit UK would no longer be part of the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice - which EU states see as providing oversight and checks and balances - things might be more difficult than imagined. \"Even with the utmost goodwill on both sides, and a recognition of the mutual interest at stake, there may be practical constraints on how closely the UK and the EU 27 can work together in future if they are no longer bound by the same rules, enforced by the same supranational institutions.\" It warns that there is \"some doubt\" as to whether the remaining 27 EU states will be happy to sign up to \"bespoke adjudication arrangements envisaged by the government\". The government could well encounter \"tension\" between two of its aims - bringing back control of laws to Westminster and maintaining strong security co-operation, it says. \"In our view, the safety of the people of the UK should be the overriding consideration in attempting to resolve that tension.\" The report covers various areas of security co-operation that will be subject to re-negotiation. On Europol, the policing co-operation agency, the committee warned that agreement already in place with other non-EU countries would \"not be sufficient to meet the UK's needs\" and the UK must push for a deal which \"goes further\". On SIS II - a European-wide database that alerts agencies to missing people and criminals on-the-run - the committee warned its loss would be \"an abrupt shock to UK policing\" and would pose a risk to public safety and the government should push for a \"bespoke solution\" which would see it get access to \"the full suite of data-sharing tools on which the UK currently relies\". The European Arrest Warrant - which replaced piecemeal extradition arrangements between member states in 2004 - has been controversial with some arguing it is a threat to UK sovereignty and can mean UK suspects are extradited on spurious grounds. But the committee argued it remained a \"critical component of the UK's law enforcement capabilities\". It argued that, after Brexit, the best option might be to seek a bilateral extradition agreement that is as similar as possible to the EAW - as Norway and Iceland have done. \"An operational gap between the EAW ceasing to apply and a suitable replacement coming into force would pose an unacceptable risk.\" In response, Policing Minister Brandon Lewis said: \"Co-operation on law enforcement and security with our European and global allies remains a priority for the government. \"We will do", "summary": "Brexit could leave the UK \"less safe\" unless security co-operation with the EU is maintained, peers have warned."}
{"article": "Hawes appears in the second series of BBC drama The Missing, which focuses on children who have disappeared. She said: \"Having three children myself, I have tended to stay away from these sorts of dramas in the past. \"It all felt too close to home, it's one of those stories you see on the news.\" Hawes, the star of Line of Duty and Ashes to Ashes, added: \"You don't want to look at it, but in the end you can't help it because it's riveting.\" The second series of The Missing - written by brothers Harry and Jack Williams - begins with a young British woman being found collapsed in a German town square. It later transpires the woman - Alice Webster, played by Abigail Hardingham - has been missing for 11 years. The series explores how her family and the local community cope with her return. Hawes and The Walking Dead actor David Morrissey play the young girl's parents, Staff Sergeant Sam Webster and his wife Gemma. Speaking about her decision to sign up to the show, Hawes said: \"I was sent the first six scripts and I sat down one evening and thought, 'Oh I'll take a look at the first one.' \"By the end of the evening I had read them all, like I was making my way through a box set. I just couldn't stop. So I was very excited.\" The first series of the BBC One drama, which starred James Nesbitt, aired in 2014. The forthcoming series stars an almost entirely different cast - detective Julien Baptiste, played by Tch\u00c3\u00a9ky Karyo, is the only character to return. It will again tell the story over two timelines, starting in 2014 when Alice returned and then moving to the present day. The programme will also examine Alice's possible connection to another missing girl whose case Baptiste has examined. Harry Williams said: \"We didn't want to recreate the same story, we wanted to do something different. \"Rather than losing someone, it's about finding someone, and whether that is the happy ending that everyone thinks it is.\" The Missing will return on 12 October. Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Keeley Hawes says she has previously stayed away from acting in dramas about missing children as they \"felt too close to home\"."}
{"article": "X Factor bosses confirmed that they're following doctor's advice. The judge, who's been mentoring Italian singer Andrea Faustini, has been ill for several days. Tulisa Contostavlos has been chosen to join the panel as a stand-in. It's thought she is a natural choice as she has been a judge on the show previously in 2011-12. She also featured in the show this year as a guest mentor at Louis Walsh's judges house and during Jukebox week she chose Stereo Kicks' song. The former Spice Girl didn't appear at an X Factor press conference on Thursday and missed rehearsals. The 39-year-old joined fellow judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini this series. She was left with only one contestant in the series after Paul Akister was eliminated in the fifth week of the live shows. Mel B appeared at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Tuesday where 20-year-old Faustini performed in a charity concert. Last month, there were worries that Cheryl would miss an X Factor show because of a throat infection. However she eventually appeared as normal. In 2011, then-judge Kelly Rowland missed a live show because of illness. Her last-minute replacement was a former winner of the show Alexandra Burke. The bookies' favourite to win this year's competition is Fleur East. The X Factor final is on ITV on both Saturday and Sunday nights. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Mel B will miss the X Factor final on Saturday night because she is too unwell."}
{"article": "In a statement , Nato described Saudi-born Sakhar al-Taifi as the group's second most senior figure in Afghanistan. He commanded foreign insurgents and directed attacks against coalition and Afghan forces, the statement said. But Taliban sources in Kunar deny Al-Taifi was killed and claim he left the area three months ago. Sakhar al-Taifi died in \"a precision air strike\" in the Watapur district of Kunar province on Sunday night, according to the Nato statement. Another rank-and-file member of al-Qaeda was killed at the same time, it said. But Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told the Afghan Islamic Press news agency that a bombing raid in the area had killed two Afghan Taliban. \"There are no al-Qaeda fighters in Watapur and no foreign national was killed there,\" he said. Al-Taifi, who also went by the names of Mustaq and Nasim, arranged for weapons and insurgent fighters to be transported into Afghanistan, Nato says. He reportedly had strong links to Taliban fighters in the area. Senior intelligence officials have told the BBC's Bilal Sarwary that al-Taifi had expertise in making roadside bombs and suicide vests, but that he also funded and trained suicide attackers in Kunar. Al-Taifi replaced the al-Qaeda commander Abu Ikhlas al-Masri who was captured in Afghanistan's volatile Kunar province. Nato estimates that there are fewer than 100 al-Qaeda operatives in the country. However, the border with Pakistan where the fighters operate is porous, says the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Kabul. Troops on the ground often report hearing the voices of Arabic-speaking insurgents over radios - when they do, immediate attacks are launched against those sites, he says. Kunar has always been known as a crucible of conflict - a haven for millitants in the north-eastern corner of Afghanistan and bordering Pakistan's tribal areas. Correspondents say it is one of the first ports of call for insurgents crossing the mountain passes from Pakistan. Among the many documents seized from the compound of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan after he was killed last May was a letter to Atiya Abdul Rahman, al-Qaeda's top operational planner, in which the al-Qaeda leader advised militants to seek refuge in Kunar because of its terrain. \"Kunar is more fortified due to its rougher terrain and many mountains, rivers and trees, and it can accommodate hundreds of the brothers without being spotted by the enemy. This will defend the brothers from the aircraft,\" he wrote.", "summary": "One of the most senior al-Qaeda figures in Afghanistan was killed in a weekend air strike, Nato-led forces say."}
{"article": "French just edged into the top eight in the individual event for a place in Rio, with Samantha Murray 10th and Freyja Prentice 13th. Their combined scores helped them finish ahead of Italy and Germany. Olympic champion Laura Asadauskaite claimed the women's European gold. Asadauskaite, who started the run-shoot a combined 59 seconds behind eventual silver medallist Elodie Clouvel of France, had already secured her place in Rio by winning the World Cup final in June. It meant ninth-placed Alice Sotero of Italy was also rewarded with an Olympic berth in a race which saw Germany's Lena Schoneborn take bronze at the University of Bath. French was delighted by her career-best result which secured Britain their third Olympic place - following Joe Choong's seventh place in the men's event on Saturday and Murray's fifth at the 2015 World Championships. \"It's amazing, I never thought I would be able to do it,\" French told BBC Sport. \"I thought I was pretty average all day to be honest, but held it together in the run-shoot at the end and now I just have to stay strong next year.\" Murray - the silver medallist at London 2012 and 2014 World champion - was expected to challenge for her first European title. She ranked second after the swimming and fourth after the fencing stages, but dropped to ninth after the showjumping round and struggling with her shooting in the final event. \"There was a lot of pressure,\" Murray admitted to BBC Sport. \"I've had a difficult year with some injuries and some personal things going on so hopefully next season will be a fresh start. I'm looking forward to a clean slate.\" World junior champion and 2014 Youth Olympic silver medallist Francesca Summers finished 29th in her senior international debut.", "summary": "British pentathletes claimed women's team gold as Kate French secured Olympic qualification on the final day of the European Championships in Bath."}
{"article": "Mae Llywodraeth Cymru'n dweud ei bod yn gwireddu un o'i phrif addewidion, drwy fwy na dyblu'r terfyn sy'n cael ei ddefnyddio cyn codi t\u00e2l am ofal cymdeithasol preswyl. Hyd yn hyn, roedd gan bobl yr hawl i gadw \u00a324,000 o'u cyfalaf pan yn mynd i ofal preswyl, ond mae hynny'n codi ddydd Llun i \u00a330,000. Nod y llywodraeth, yn unol \u00e2'i chynllun pum mlynedd 'Symud Cymru Ymlaen', yw codi'r trothwy i \u00a350,000 yn y pen draw. Awdurdodau lleol sy'n gyfrifol am ariannu gofal rhywun os yw ei gyfalaf yn llai na \u00a330,000. Os ydyn nhw'n codi swm, bydd hwnnw'n seiliedig ar yr incwm sydd ar gael i'r unigolyn. Ymysg newidiadau eraill sy'n cael eu cyflwyno mae diystyru'r Pensiwn Anabledd Rhyfel, fel bod dim rhaid i gyn-filwyr ddefnyddio unrhyw ran o'r pensiwn hwn i dalu am eu gofal. Mae'r llywodraeth yn dweud bod y newidiadau yn rhan o ystod eang o fesurau i wella gofal cymdeithasol yng Nghymru, gan gynnwys buddsoddiad o \u00a355m. Dywedodd y Gweinidog Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol, Rebecca Evans: \"Mae pobl h\u0177n, sydd wedi chwarae eu rhan ac wedi cyfrannu'n ariannol ar hyd eu hoes, yn haeddu mwy o degwch. \"Dyna pam y byddwn ni, dros gyfnod y Cynulliad hwn, yn dyblu swm yr arian y caiff pobl h\u0177n ei gadw pan fyddan nhw mewn gofal. \"Dw i'n falch o allu dweud y caiff pobl gadw \u00a330,000 heb iddo gael ei ddefnyddio i dalu am eu gofal o heddiw ymlaen. Bydd hyn yn cynyddu i \u00a350,000 dros y blynyddoedd nesaf.\" Dylai unrhyw rai sy'n meddwl y gallen nhw, neu aelod o'u teulu, elwa ar y trefniadau newydd, gysylltu \u00e2'u hawdurdod lleol.", "summary": "Mae rheolau newydd yn dod i rym ddydd Llun i geisio galluogi pobl mewn oed i gadw mwy o'u harian pan yn byw mewn gofal preswyl."}
{"article": "Schools and businesses were shut and airport services suspended, as the cyclone made landfall with heavy rain and winds of up to 140km/h (85mph). Teams from the army and National Disaster Relief Force, along with two naval ships, are on standby. Fishermen in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have been warned not to go to sea. Police said disaster management teams had evacuated more than 15,000 people from low-lying areas. The Tamil Nadu state government said in a statement that 260 trees in the city had fallen as a result of strong winds. Parts of the city have also been flooded. Winds were so strong that glass panels were torn from the facade of Chennai's Hyatt-Regency hotel. YK Reddy, director of the meteorology department in Hyderabad, told BBC Hindi the storm would weaken after making landfall. The storm comes about a year after Chennai experienced devastating floods which killed 70 people. In December 2011, more than 30 people died and many homes were damaged after a cyclone struck near the town of Pondicherry. And in May 2010 at least 23 people died as a powerful cyclone caused widespread havoc across Andhra Pradesh.", "summary": "At least seven people have been killed and thousands evacuated from coastal areas in two southern Indian states, as Cyclone Vardah lashed Chennai (Madras)."}
{"article": "The country's current T20 Challenge series consists of six teams but the new T20 Global League would be made up of eight city-based franchises. \"We are confident the window we have chosen will make it possible to attract top-class players,\" said CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat. CSA informed the International Cricket Council of its plans this week. A worldwide tender has been put out by CSA and the deadline for expressions of interest is Friday, 3 March. \"Our vision is to drive the creation of a new T20 destination league that would energise the sport of cricket in South Africa by creating a global platform for the best-in-class to perform and showcase their talent to a global audience,\" said CSA president Chris Nenzani. \"We have received a very favourable response to our plans from the ICC and member boards and look to their support.\"", "summary": "Cricket South Africa is planning to launch a new Twenty20 league to be played in late 2017."}
{"article": "Paramedics found Ellie Butler lying beside a low child's stool at her home in Sutton, south-west London. Her father Ben Butler claims she fell, but the prosecution said her injuries were caused by being thrown against a wall or hit with a \"blunt weapon\". The 36-year-old denies murder and a separate charge of child cruelty. At the Old Bailey, prosecutor Ed Brown QC said a post-mortem examination revealed the child suffered skull fractures from at least two severe impacts. Read more updates on this story and other news from London He said the doctor who carried out the examination and a neurological pathologist agreed her injuries were unlikely to have been caused by an accidental fall. A third expert, a forensic pathologist, believed Ellie's major head injury was \"the result of one or more very forceful blunt impacts, arising through being thrown against a wall or the ground, or struck with a heavy blunt weapon\", the court heard. \"A domestic accident could not have given rise to these complex, catastrophic and rapidly fatal injuries,\" Mr Brown added. The court has heard how Ellie's parents, Mr Butler and Jennie Gray, summoned an ambulance two hours after her injuries were believed to have been caused. Mr Butler and Ms Gray, also 36, deny child cruelty over an untreated broken shoulder Ellie suffered weeks before her death. Ms Gray has admitted perverting the course of justice. Mr Brown told jurors it was a \"distressing case\" of a father accused of murdering his daughter and failing to seek medical help for her earlier injury. Ms Gray had been \"determined and persistent\" in trying to protect him by hiding and destroying evidence, he said. On the day of Ellie's death, on 28 October 2013, Mr Butler and Ms Gray exchanged a series of phone calls and texts, records show. He tried to call her at her office at 12:46 but reached a voicemail message and sent a text asking her to \"answer\". Her colleague Tracey Bernstein said in a statement that the way Ms Gray got up and left the office was \"just not right\". Another former workmate, Victoria Harris, said she had seen Ms Gray looking \"agitated\" on the phone. \"It did appear to me it was more than just a secret conversation,\" she added. Minutes later Ms Gray was caught on CCTV dashing out of her office, near the Old Bailey. She sent a text to her manager to say she had left for home as she was \"feeling unwell\". But taxi driver Derek Greenwood, who drove her back to Sutton, overheard her on her mobile phone saying loudly \"you have done what?\", \"you have gone where?\" and \"you're joking\". The court also heard from their neighbour, Lucy Jackson who recalled hearing arguments and a raised male voice coming from their home. Jurors have previously been told that Mr Butler has had a conviction for assaulting Ellie as a baby quashed. Her parents then won a High Court ruling to return her to the family from foster care. The trial continues.", "summary": "A six-year-old girl's \"catastrophic\" head injuries could not have been caused by an accidental fall, as claimed by her father, a court heard."}
{"article": "Smith, 22, competed at London 2012, claimed Commonwealth gold at Glasgow 2014 and was the favourite for GB's sole female weightlifting place in Rio. However, she dislocated her shoulder during the GB trials and selectors opted for rising-star Rebekah Tiler. \"I don't want to ever miss out again,\" Smith told BBC Sport. She travelled to out to the 2008 Beijing Games as part of the British Olympic Association's athlete ambition programme for youngsters who have the potential to compete in future Olympics. Four years later she fulfilled that promise and set a new British record en-route to a 11th-place finish, but her Rio dreams ended after undergoing surgery on her injured shoulder. \"The summer was bitter sweet for me,\" she said. \"It was amazing to see Team GB do so well, but being stuck on a sofa watching it from afar was a little painful. \"My injury rehab is going well, but I've not lifted since June - had surgery in July. \"I'm still very much looking forward to the Commonwealth Games and I'm going to do everything in my power to qualify and try to defend my title.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Smith - a two-time Commonwealth medallist - has been named as one of Commonwealth Games England's (CGE) 25 athlete ambassadors for the 2018 Games in Gold Coast, Australia. Backed by \u00a34m of Sport England funding CGE are planning to send the largest and best-prepared team to an overseas Commonwealth Games ever. As part of the package offered to each of the sport will be access to their Brisbane-based for 10 days in the build-up to the Games in April 2018. \"The support we receive is amazing and there was a big difference between 2010 to 2014 as they listen to athletes,\" said Smith. \"The village [in Glasgow] had all the facilities we need, as it will in Australia and I owe a lot a lot of the success I've had in the Games to that.\"", "summary": "Weightlifter Zoe Smith insists the \"pain\" of missing the Rio Olympics is providing her with 'huge motivation' to return to the sport."}
{"article": "Konta, 25, was chasing the biggest title of her career but unravelled against the Polish number three seed after a battling first-set display. The 11th seed, who has made the world top 10, fought back from 4-2 but could not make it 5-5 after missing a volley. \"I'm very pleased with this week, it was pretty spectacular,\" said Konta. \"I'm really enjoying my journey and looking forward to matches like this against players like Agnieszka,\" she added. Media playback is not supported on this device Konta became the first British woman for 32 years to make the world top 10 after reaching the final. The last British woman to achieve that before her was Jo Durie in 1984. Relive finals day at the China Open In the men's final, Andy Murray secured his fifth singles title of 2016 - and 40th of his career - by beating Grigor Dimitrov 6-4 7-6 (7-2). After dropping her serve twice in each set, Konta tried to even the scoreline in the second, pushing Radwanska to two break points in the sixth game. However, Radwanska shot a forehand down the line to save her service game. Konta held the next with a forehand drop shot, only for her opponent to then serve for the title, firing her only ace of the match. BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller Konta was well beaten in the end by the world number three, but will officially be a top-10 player on Monday morning and now has a very good chance of qualifying for the season-ending championships in Singapore. Konta has moved into the eighth and final qualifying position, but has only a 10-point advantage over ninth-placed Slovak Dominika Cibulkova. There are two qualifying weeks remaining, with Konta now heading to Hong Kong, where she has drawn fellow Britain Naomi Broady in the first round.", "summary": "British number one Johanna Konta was overpowered 6-4 6-2 by world number three Agnieszka Radwanska in the final of the China Open."}
{"article": "Translink said platform one was closed until further notice and Belfast-bound passengers on the Larne line should travel on to Central Station and change back to Yorkgate. The ticket office at the north Belfast station has also been closed. Translink offered a \u00c2\u00a31,000 reward for information which leads to a successful prosecution. \"We have a zero tolerance approach to antisocial behaviour ,\" the train operator added. Police received reports of vandalism at 05:45 BST and officers are at the scene.", "summary": "Passengers are facing disruption after Yorkgate station in Belfast was \"extensively vandalised\" overnight."}
{"article": "The event occurs when the waters of the Pacific become exceptionally warm and distort weather patterns around the world. Researchers say parts of the Pacific are likely to be 2C warmer than usual. The WMO says that this year's event is strengthening and will peak by the end of this year. The strongest El Nino on record was in 1997-98, but there were events that were significantly above the norm in 1972-73 and again ten years later in 1982-83. Scientists say that the event now underway is sending sea temperatures in parts of the Pacific to levels not seen since the late 1990s. In a statement the WMO said that this El Nino was gathering strength. \"Models and expert opinion suggest that surface water temperatures in the east-central tropical Pacific Ocean are likely to exceed 2C above average, potentially placing this El Nino event among the four strongest events since 1950,\" it said. The WMO says that patterns of cloudiness and rainfall near the international dateline developed during the second quarter of this year and have been well maintained. These patterns are considered essential in triggering El Nino's global climate impacts which are more likely to be felt over the next six to eight months. \"Compared to the last major El Nino event in 1997-1998, there is much more information available,\" said Maxx Dilley from WMO. \"We have better models and are much more prepared.\" \"It is a test case for the early warning systems and climate information systems of WMO members and we are hoping that will be of assistance to some of the affected countries,\" said Mr Dilley The phenomenon can alter established weather patterns in different parts of the world, bringing severe drought to parts of Asia while at the same time bringing heavy flooding to some parts of North America. It can increase flooding in the Horn of Africa while making Southern Africa drier. The events are likely to lead to a decrease in storm events in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico and an increase in storminess in the eastern Pacific. This El Nino has also impacted the South Asian monsoon. \"We are seeing that the Indian monsoon right now is almost 12% below normal. There is only a month left of the summer monsoon season making it difficult to recover,\" said WMO's El Nino expert Rupa Kumar Kolli. \"That was the kind of early warning information we can extract from the El Nino signal and it helps policy makers to prepare,\" he said. Currently, the Pacific is seeing a surge of hurricane activity, with three category four strength tropical storms swirling around the Hawaiian islands. Researchers say that these hurricanes can disrupt the predominant easterly trade winds that are found along the equator. This disruption allows more heat to build up in the eastern part of the Pacific, adding more fuel to stormy conditions. But researchers cautioned that the scale of impacts, especially in the northern hemisphere, is very hard to read because there is also an Arctic warming effect seen in the Atlantic jet", "summary": "The current El Nino weather phenomenon could be one of the strongest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)."}
{"article": "Party leader Leanne Wood said inequality had grown after decades of gradual erosion of pay and conditions. She accused the Tories of \"hostility\" to trade unions and Labour of being \"embarrassed\" about its links to them. Plaid Cymru has called for a \"living wage\" and more say for employees, and an end to zero-hours contracts. The party has claimed increasing the statutory minimum wage of \u00c2\u00a36.50 an hour to the higher \u00c2\u00a37.85 living wage would boost pay for 250,000 people in Wales by 2020. It added that the measure could create up to 20,000 jobs through higher spending in local communities. Calling for a Royal Commission to examine wider workplace issues, Ms Wood said: \"It would be an opportunity for communities, trade unions, businesses and the public to get involved in a conversation about the kind of conditions we all want to see for working people.\"", "summary": "Low pay and workers' rights should be investigated by a Royal Commission looking at industrial relations, Plaid Cymru has said."}
{"article": "David Mair, a Swansea University cyber-terrorism researcher, has helped scrutinise the jihadist messages published online by terrorist groups. He said there were also key differences in ideology - most notably between so-called Islamic State and al-Qaeda. He presented his research to a Nato counter-terrorism summit in Turkey. Mr Mair was part of a Swansea team collaborating with the University of Massachusetts' Centre for Terrorism and Security Studies to analyse jihadist messages contained in online terrorist magazines. He argues the differences in ideologies among terrorist groups means, rather than one anti-terrorism counter-narrative, the West needs to tailor individual messages to debunk each competing philosophy. \"As their name suggests, Islamic State's propaganda focuses closely on building a caliphate [a state governed in accordance with Islamic law, or Sharia, by God's deputy on Earth, or caliph],\" he said. \"They're reaching out to disaffected young men, and claim to be offering them the chance to come to Syria and be part of a brotherhood, to belong in a way that they argue Muslims can't in the West. \"Al-Qaeda's message is much more focused on the religious imperative of jihad against the 'Crusaders', providing instructions to create your own bomb, and exalting individual 'lone wolf'-type attacks at home in Europe and America. \"They're two very different themes, which need countering separately. \"Whilst we need to demonstrate why life with IS doesn't offer the way out they're claiming, we also need to tackle head-on the false-religion arguments put forward by al-Qaeda.\" However, Mr Mair believes that, in order to start winning the battle for hearts and minds, the West needs to overcome credibility issues it has in the eyes of many radicalised youngsters. \"A common theme in all the terrorist magazines was the process of 'othering', whereby they create a them-and-us narrative of Western oppression of Muslims which can only be defeated through violent jihad,\" he said. \"In the light of that, any opposing view put forward by white middle-class people like me is just playing into their hands. \"What we need to do is to empower the voices of people from within the Muslim community; in particular women and younger people who can have an enormous influence on thinking. \"We need to provide the platforms and the data to allow these people to make their point, but the government can't be seen to be the ones who're pulling the strings or we'll be undermining the message all over again.\" Mr Mair said tackling the \"push-factors\" of poverty, social exclusion and a lack of positive role models for young Muslim men was also vital in countering radicalisation. He also believes recent media coverage of the Paris atrocities have been a positive step in undermining terrorist propaganda. \"Much like the Blitz, terrorist attacks are much more about the people that survive than the people who are killed,\" he added. \"They want to scare people out of their normal way of life and, after 9/11, they nearly succeeded in bankrupting the airline industry. \"However, as well as reporting on the casualties, after the Paris attacks media coverage has very much", "summary": "Gaining control of the online propaganda battle could be the most vital component in defeating Islamist militants, an expert has said."}
{"article": "The TV broadcaster said some of the UK's most common species have suffered \"significant declines\" in recent years. Many have experienced \"several poor years\", he added, due to cold weather and with their habitats under threat. Warm weather this year has given some species, such as the meadow brown and red admiral \"a good start\", he said. More than three quarters of the UK's butterflies have declined in the last 40 years, with numbers falling quicker in towns and cities, experts say. Sir David, president of Butterfly Conservation, said that despite a warm summer last year, species like the small tortoiseshell, peacock, meadow brown and gatekeeper had seen numbers fall due to a warm winter and a subsequent cold spring. \"Worryingly, we are now seeing the fortunes of some of our once common butterflies mirror those of our rarest species and they too are now also suffering significant declines with butterflies declining more rapidly in urban areas than in the countryside,\" Sir David added. \"In the last decade our butterflies have experienced several poor years and although resilient, they simply cannot sustain repeated losses, especially if the habitats they need in order to rebuild their populations are also under threat.\" He said 2017 has been a good year for species so far, but added: \"Butterflies really need this to continue.\" Sir David urged members of the public to take part in the annual Big Butterfly Count to see if common species can bounce back this year.", "summary": "Butterflies in the UK are facing \"a vital\" period following a worrying decline in their numbers, naturalist Sir David Attenborough has warned."}
{"article": "The US Treasury said that Senat Shipping was providing \"extensive support\" to a North Korean company already under sanctions. It means that any assets the firm holds in the US are frozen and prohibits US citizens from doing business with it. Senat Shipping has denied the allegations. The US Treasury makes clear that measures against Senat Shipping also extend to the company's president, Leonard Lai. It said that Senat Shipping was co-operating with Ocean Maritime Management Company (OMMC), a North Korean firm already under sanctions. In 2013, a ship operated by OMMC was seized by Panamanian authorities for hiding undeclared military equipment from Cuba under its cargo of sugar. According to US authorities, Senat arranged the purchase, repair, certification, and crewing of vessels for OMMC. \"Arms shipments transported by OMMC serve as a key resource for North Korea's ongoing proliferation activities,\" said a US Treasury press release. The United Nations and the US imposed sanctions on OMMC in July 2014 for the attempted arms import into North Korea. Senat Shipping's statement confirmed that it had chartered OMMC vessels in the past to operate part of its business but says since then it had stopped dealing with all North Korean ship owners. The firm denies all of the accusations brought against it by the US. Company president Leonard Lai said the US move to put him and his company on the blacklist was \"purely based on my historical dealings with OMMC and not based on anything illegal\". Under UN sanctions, North Korea is banned from weapons exports and the import of all but small arms. There are also separate US sanctions also target Pyongyang's nuclear arms programme.", "summary": "The US has blacklisted a Singapore-based shipping firm over allegations it is supporting illicit arms shipments to North Korea."}
{"article": "Datawind was among four finalists in a competition organised by UK Trade and Investment. The firm hopes the Ubislate, which sells for \u00c2\u00a322 ($35), will make digital connectivity more affordable. The three other finalists in the Smart UK Project were Blippar, P2i and QRpedia. Seventy-nine UK-based companies entered the competition in December. A key factor in selecting the finalists was that they demonstrated the potential to become global businesses. The winner of the competition was announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. As well as the prestige of winning, Datawind will get free design consultancy and free software. Russell Buckley, one of the Smart UK Project judges, said: \"We were very impressed by the quality of all the finalists. \"It was a tough decision but we are very pleased that Datawind has won. \"There is a global potential and the will to transform lives and society, all using the resources of a British company.\" Suneet Singh Tuli, chief executive of Datawind, said the result was a \"great validation of our vision\".", "summary": "The makers of a 7in (17.8cm) Android tablet have been named \"UK's Most Innovative Mobile Company\"."}
{"article": "Stewart Hosie and Angus MacNeil are both reported to have had affairs with journalist Serena Cowdy. Mr Carlaw said he had written to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC she had seen no evidence of any breach of parliamentary expenses rules. But Ms Sturgeon, who is also the SNP leader, said it was for the watchdog to decide. She also said that \"even politicians have a right to privacy\". Labour MP Graham Jones is understood to have made a separate complaint about Mr MacNeil and Mr Hosie to a second watchdog, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa). Mr MacNeil is said to have stayed with Ms Cowdy at the Park Plaza hotel in London, and then claimed for the room on expenses. Ms Cowdy is reported to have later been involved in a relationship with SNP deputy leader Mr Hosie, who recently separated from his wife, SNP MSP Shona Robison. Mr Carlaw, the Scottish Conservative deputy leader, wrote to the standards commissioner, Kathryn Hudson, saying \"it has been alleged in several media reports\" that Mr MacNeil and Mr Hosie had \"conducted their respective affairs in either accommodation or hotels paid for by the taxpayer\". He said this would break rules which say members should only use expenses \"in support of parliamentary duties\", and nothing that could \"cause significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons\". In response, the SNP said: \"The expenses were approved by the Commons authorities in line with the rules on MP's London accommodation, and none of them involved any additional cost to the public purse beyond that. \"This is the height of hypocrisy from the Tories, given the extent of flagrant abuse of expenses by their MPs which has been exposed in recent years - they simply don't have a leg to stand on when it come to this issue.\" Prime Minister David Cameron also made a veiled reference to the allegations in the House of Commons, when he said: \"I know the SNP have got other things on their mind - I think actually it's mostly the same thing on their minds.\" Questions about the use of hotel accommodation have chiefly focused on Mr MacNeil. The MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles) has claimed about \u00c2\u00a390,000 in accommodation expenses since 2010/11, including \u00c2\u00a317,823.97 in 2014/15 - the period in which he was said to have been having an affair with Ms Cowdy. The vast majority of the claims have been for hotels in the London area. This is despite Mr MacNeil owning a flat in Lambeth, which is about a 15-minute walk from the House of Commons. Mr MacNeil, who separated from his wife last year, is understood to have bought the flat under previous Westminster expenses rules, which allowed him to charge mortgage interest payments to his parliamentary expenses. But when the rules changed following the MPs' expenses scandal, Mr MacNeil became one of several MPs who chose to rent out their properties and instead claim expenses for staying in hotels or rented accommodation when", "summary": "Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw is to report two SNP MPs to a Westminster watchdog over allegations they claimed expenses for accommodation while carrying out extra-marital affairs."}
{"article": "The Snowdon Partnership launched a consultation on Thursday, outlining the ways it wants to promote and safeguard the area. It follows concerns about visitor numbers, litter and strains on rescue teams, facilities and the environment. Snowdonia National Park Authority said it hoped to create the \"best plan possible for the area\". According to the partnership, Snowdon is the third most visited attraction in Wales with 582,000 visitors and the busiest mountain in the UK. John Harold, the director of The Snowdonia Society, said the mountain has seen \"a dramatic increase in visitors to the area over the last few years\". \"There are issues surrounding the pressures of use. We are looking at litter, at footpath erosion, the need for people to be aware of their responsibilities and the challenges they are setting themselves when they set out on the mountain, at sustainable transport,\" he said. \"We celebrate the mountain - people do value it and enjoy their time here - so we are not interested in turning people away. \"We are looking at the positives and putting the limited resources that the partner bodies have to get the best outcome.\" The partnership also wants to build on the success of tourism, saying about \u00c2\u00a369m is directly spent by visitors in local communities. Tracey Evans, chief executive of charity The Outdoor Partnership, said: \"Outdoor pursuit tourism is the biggest income generator in the area and it's about managing it properly, identifying those honey pot areas and dealing with the challenges. \"There is no one single answer. Do we need to look at an improved sherpa [bus] service, do we need a tourism tax where hoteliers and caterers come on board and the money is reinvested into the area? \"This partnership approach should go some way to addressing these issues.\" Helen Pye, Snowdonia National Park Authority's partnerships manager, said: \"People's views and ideas are extremely important to us which is why we're providing this opportunity for people to give their feedback on the draft plan. \"Ensuring input from others is so important so that we can produce the best plan possible for the area, and the plan as a result will evolve and be adapted as appropriate.\" The online consultation runs until 7 July.", "summary": "A drive is under way to protect the future of Snowdon following a rise in visitors to the mountain."}
{"article": "You are less likely, perhaps, to think of Bach, Haydn, Chopin and Rachmaninov. But for one native Easter Islander, these long-dead European composers are a daily inspiration. Mahani Teave started playing classical music as a young girl growing up on the South Pacific island, one of the most isolated places on earth. But within a year her piano teacher had left. The only piano on the island fell into disrepair and Teave's career looked to be heading the same way. But her mother had other plans. She moved the entire family more than 3,700km (2,300 miles) to the Chilean mainland so her daughter could continue to play. Teave completed university and went on to study music in the United States and Germany, where she is now based. Aged 29, she is regarded as one of the region's finest pianists. Teave describes her childhood as idyllic. \"I was in complete contact with nature, swimming in the ocean, climbing trees, running freely. I wish everyone could enjoy that kind of childhood.\" But on an island with a population of fewer than 5,000 people, it was culturally limited. \"There was really no chance to develop,\" she recalls. \"When the piano teacher arrived, her idea was to retire, but then this child turns up and says to her, 'I want to learn piano, please teach me!' So that's how I started. I'd go and practise with her for hours every day. \"When the teacher left, my mum said it was just too cruel, to allow children to dream but then not be able to fulfil them. That's when we moved to mainland Chile.\" Teave says she used to find it difficult to reconcile her Polynesian roots with her love of European classical music. \"They were two completely different worlds,\" she says. \"But the more I travelled I came to realise that we're all one people, with the same feelings and the same problems. And it's the same with music. It's about different ways of expressing the same feelings.\" Two decades after she first sat down at a piano, Teave is trying to ensure that the next generation of Easter Island children have things easier than she did. She has started a music school on the island and has persuaded people to donate instruments. Piano classes started in April and violin classes in June. \"The idea is to add cello, guitar and ukulele lessons,\" she says. \"One very generous gentleman has kindly offered to donate a grand piano.\" The school has teachers but their salaries are only guaranteed until later in the year. Teave is trying to ensure funding does not dry up. \"It's been shown that youth orchestras have a real impact on society. If you're in an orchestra you learn to respect the conductor, to listen to your fellow musicians, to work together. And those are important values. \"The alcoholism rate on Easter Island is really high, and one wonders why. I think it's because of the amount of talent and energy that ends up wasted and going nowhere.\" Teave is currently playing a series", "summary": "Think of the remote Chilean outpost of Easter Island and you are likely to think of the giant stone statues that are dotted around the island and whose origins are shrouded in mystery."}
{"article": "Jones, 33, announced his retirement after being left out of Wales' 2015 Six Nations squad. Gatland says he would have \"preferred\" Jones to delay his decision until after the 2015 Rugby World Cup. \"I was as surprised as anyone when Adam made the decision to retire,\" said Gatland. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I would have preferred it to have been perhaps after the World Cup because he wasn't out of contention in our minds in terms of the World Cup.\" Tight-head Jones made 95 appearances for Wales, winning three Grand Slams, and played five Tests for the British and Irish Lions over two tours in 2009 and 2013. The former Neath and Ospreys player's last appearance for Wales was the 38-16 defeat by South Africa in the first Test of their June 2014 tour. His Test future was cast in doubt after he was replaced by Samson Lee after just 30 minutes of that game, having struggled in the scrum. He was then left out of Wales' autumn 2014 series and was placed on standby for the Six Nations in case of injury. Gatland at the time said that the door was open for Jones to force his way back into the squad for the World Cup, but the prop said that he made up his mind before Christmas that if he was not chosen for the squad he would retire. Jones is set to continue playing for Cardiff Blues, who he joined on a one-year deal in August 2014 after his Ospreys contract expired. Wales, meanwhile, kick off their Six Nations campaign at home against England on Friday, 6 February. \"As a coach you've got to make some hard calls sometimes and we've been very pleased with the progress in particularly Samson Lee over the last 12 months,\" explained Gatland. \"But sometimes you make that call when you're looking for some depth in certain positions. \"He's [Jones] made that decision to retire and we have to respect him for that.\"", "summary": "Wales coach Warren Gatland says he was surprised by the timing of prop Adam Jones' retirement from international rugby."}
{"article": "The former Manchester United players say their St. Michael's development would transform Jackson's Row near Manchester Town Hall. Their \u00c2\u00a3200m proposal includes a five-star hotel, apartments, offices and restaurants. Plans are expected to be submitted to the city council later this year. Giggs and Neville revealed details of their proposed development in July. A synagogue would be rebuilt, but the 19th Century Sir Ralph Abercromby pub and the former Bootle Street police station would be demolished. The online petition claims two tower blocks at the centre of the scheme \"are grossly inappropriate to this location\". \"They don't reflect, respond to or respect their surroundings,\" the petition continues. \"They are in the wrong place, out of proportion and overwhelm everything around them, including the town hall, central library and both old and new buildings in the city centre.\" Stretford resident Paul Moore, who has signed the petition, said: \"I work and socialise in Manchester city centre and think the history and uniqueness of the city is being lost by these glass soulless towers. To demolish historic buildings to make way for these is a crime.\" Matt Harby said: \"I'm not opposed to the designs per se (I've seen a lot worse), but this is completely the wrong site for it.\" Neville and Giggs were involved in the development of Hotel Football, near their former club's Old Trafford stadium. They are also turning the former Manchester Stock Exchange into a luxury hotel. Before renovation started earlier this year, they allowed homeless people to stay in the building.", "summary": "More than 1,500 people have signed a petition against Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs' \"grossly inappropriate\" plans to redevelop part of central Manchester."}
{"article": "The England striker fired in off the post from Danny Drinkwater's ball before Wes Morgan volleyed in from a right-wing corner after the break. Leicester's Riyad Mahrez had a penalty saved by Lukasz Fabianski, who also blocked Shinji Okazaki's follow-up. Swansea pulled one back when Leroy Fer headed in from Modou Barrow's cross. How these players managed to produce a good show in relentless torrential rain is remarkable. Heavy rain coupled with thunder and lightning added an extra dimension to proceedings, which Leicester coped with better than their opponents. Vardy, who barely had a sniff of a chance in the opening two league games, gave Claudio Ranieri's side the lead with a very typical Leicester goal. One-touch football on the edge of their own area, involving Daniel Amartey, resulted in Drinkwater playing a long through-ball for Vardy to chase. The 29-year-old latched on to it and thumped home his shot via the woodwork. It was the minimum the Foxes deserved having dominated possession, and they increased their lead after half-time when captain Morgan lashed in a fierce volley. The defending champions should have made it 3-0 but Fabianski guessed where Mahrez would place his spot-kick after Okazaki had been fouled in the area by Jordi Amat. The Japanese forward then saw his follow-up saved by the Polish keeper. Francesco Guidolin's side had gone AWOL as an attacking force during the first 30 minutes of this game as Leicester harried and pushed them back. Bar a couple of tame Gylfi Sigurdsson efforts, it appeared it might be a case of how many Leicester would score after Morgan made it 2-0. But then the Swans clicked into gear. Gambian winger Modou Barrow, who was sensational down the right and put in a handful of great deliveries, was justly rewarded for his efforts when Dutch midfielder Fer got on the end of another peach of a cross in the 81st minute. Foxes full-back Danny Simpson also had to be on hand to clear another Barrow cross, with striker Fernando Llorente poised in the area. Leicester's number one Kasper Schmeichel had little to do in the game, but his one vital interception resulted in him coming off the pitch. The Danish goalkeeper was at his sharpest as he rushed out to beat Fernando Llorente to the ball, but he appeared to hurt himself in doing so. Schmeichel signalled to the bench as the penalty drama played out in the Swansea box, and was soon replaced by summer signing Ron-Robert Zieler. After the game, Ranieri said Schmeichel had aggravated a hernia, but should not be out for long. \"He has a small hernia,\" the manager said. \"He was due for an operation on Monday, but he should be ready for our next match.\" Schmeichel will have a two-week recovery period after his surgery, with Leicester's next game on 10 September at Liverpool. Alan Shearer: \"I thought it was nonsensical to not have Danny Drinkwater in the squad for the Euros when other players were not fit. \"Against Swansea he had more passes, more touches and covered more", "summary": "Jamie Vardy scored his first goal of the season to help champions Leicester record their first win with victory over Swansea in very wet conditions."}
{"article": "15 March 2016 Last updated at 07:19 GMT The Microtugs are a group of tiny robots who are being developed by a team of researchers from Stanford University in America. The scientists who invented them tried to mimic the way that certain animals move and work together, such as ants and geckos. On their own the Microtugs can move objects that are up to 2,000 times heavier than themselves, however the researchers decided to see if the robots could work together to pull even bigger and heavier objects. Six of the Microtugs were able to pull a full size car - which weighed about 1800kg - meaning that together the robots were able to move more than 3,000 times their combined body weight!", "summary": "When you think about super-strong robots, these little guys might not come to mind - but they are the Hulks of the robot world!"}
{"article": "The Scot, 23, beat Russian Liliya Shobukhova's record by 1.45 seconds to post a new mark of eight minutes 26.41 seconds, fifth on the world-best list. Muir is preparing for next month's European Indoor Championships. England's Andrew Pozzi won the 60m hurdles in Germany in 7.44 seconds - the fastest time in the world this year and-third fastest in British history. Pozzi ran a personal best of 7.49 in the heats before bettering that mark as he finished 0.14secs outside Colin Jackson's British record in the final. Dina Asher-Smith set a world best time of 7.13 in the 60m heats before being edged into second in the final by Jamaican Gayon Evans (7.14). Muir broke the British indoor 5,000m indoor record in Glasgow last month, and took Kelly Holmes' British 1500m record outdoors last July. She then beat her own 1500m mark in Paris on her way to winning last year's Diamond League title. As well as the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade in early March, she is also targeting a medal at the World Championships in London in August, after finishing seventh in last year's 1500m Olympic final in Rio. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Laura Muir continued her recent record-breaking form by setting a European 3,000m indoor record in Karlsruhe."}
{"article": "The Radio 2 jockey and former Newsnight anchor will be joined by Radio 1 Newsbeat presenter Tina Daheley when the programme returns in September. They will replace Kirsty Young, Matthew Amroliwala and Martin Bayfield, who have all left the show. The programme will be shown in a new regular weekly slot, with each episode broadcast live from a \"mobile incident studio\" near the scene of a crime. The changes are billed as a revamp for the show, which has been appealing for viewers' information about unsolved crimes since the first episode aired in 1984. The first four-week series will begin in early September, followed by another block of episodes in early 2017. Sophie Raworth and Jason Mohammad co-presented episodes earlier this year, but they will now make way for Vine and Daheley. Crimewatch executive editor Joe Mather said Vine had \"the perfect mix of serious journalism alongside genuine empathy towards the victims of crime and their families\". Viewers also know Vine from shows including Points of View, The Politics Show, Panorama and Eggheads, plus as the king of the swingometer in the BBC's election coverage and from his stint on Strictly Come Dancing. He said: \"I grew up watching Crimewatch. It is one of the most powerful programmes the BBC has ever broadcast, with the power to change and save lives, and of course to solve crimes.\" Daheley added: \"I feel very privileged to join a programme that's allowed ordinary viewers to help bring criminals to justice and make our communities safer. \"Young people often suffer most from crime, so I'm especially keen to use my journalistic skills and experience engaging young audiences at Radio 1 to make sure they feel part of the new-look show.\" Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Broadcaster Jeremy Vine is to be one of the new hosts of BBC One's Crimewatch."}
{"article": "But two leading Scottish butchers have said they are happy to make changes to their traditional Scottish recipes to make it suitable for the US market. They are looking into adapted haggis recipes which do not include ingredients - such as sheep lung - which are not allowed across the pond. Alternative cuts of meat have been suggested to get around the American rules which prevent haggis imports. Butcher Simon Howie said he could see no problem with adapting his haggis recipe for the US market. He suggested replacing the sheep lung that the recipe calls for with lamb shoulder or flank meat to make it suitable. Mr Howie, who is the world's largest producer of haggis, said this would change the texture slightly but the taste would be broadly similar. James Macsween, of Macsween of Edinburgh, said they had already started adapting the recipe using only approved ingredients in anticipation of a change in US law. Haggis imports have been outlawed in the US since 1971. The country's food standards agency prohibits sheep lungs - one of the key ingredients - in food products. Sheep lungs are \"considered an inedible item\" in the US, a spokesman for the country's Food Safety and Inspection Service has previously said. Recipes for haggis can vary, but it is often comprised of offal - often a mixture made from the sheep's \"pluck\" - liver, heart and lungs - minced with spices, suet, onions and oatmeal which is soaked in stock then stuffed inside a sheep's stomach bag. The stuffed stomach is then boiled, and often served with neeps 'n' tatties - or mashed swede and potatoes. James Macsween, managing director of Macsween of Edinburgh, said lifting the ban on haggis imports to the US was a \"massive opportunity\" for the Scottish haggis industry. The US export market would be roughly equivalent to half of the UK sales, Mr Howie estimated. \"We are ready to launch Macsween haggis in the US if there is a change in the current situation by the FDA,\" said Mr Macsween. Richard Lochhead, the rural affairs secretary, told the BBC: \"Tens of millions of Americans want to enjoy Scotland's national dish. \"If we managed to get into that market that would create jobs back here in Scotland and millions of pounds to the Scottish economy.\" Any changes to the recipe would only be for the US market, according to Simon Howie. The Perthshire-based butcher added: \"Haggis is eaten by a large proportion of the Americans who visit Scotland so it makes sense to get the product on the shelves of their home supermarkets. \"Haggis is always a talking point.\"", "summary": "Haggis imports have been outlawed in the US for more than 40 years."}
{"article": "Poplars Medical Practice in Low Hill was rated by Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors who looked at how safe, effective and well-led it was. They inspected 45 GP surgeries across England. Two were rated as outstanding, in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, and Oldham. Inspectors said staff at the Hall Practice, Gerrards Cross routinely referred to national health guidelines, received appropriate training and GPs' special interests and expertise were utilised. In Oldham, patients at Hope Citadel Healthcare rated the practice higher than others for almost all aspects of care, inspectors reported. Five others surgeries required improvements, inspectors found. The Low Hill surgery served more than 3,200 patients in one of the most deprived areas in the UK, the CQC said. Inspectors found systems to manage and address risks were not properly implemented, knowledge of and reference to national guidelines was inconsistent and there were no completed audits of patient outcomes. It was rated good in a category for caring but inspectors said it required improvement for providing responsive services. A CQC spokesman said further measures may be taken if sufficient improvement was not visible in the coming months. Prof Steve Field, chief inspector of general practice, said the vast majority of England's GPs provided a safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led service. \"Patients should be able to expect high-quality and consistent care from every GP practice,\" he said. \"Where we have required improvement, we will expect the practice to take the necessary steps to address the issue, and we will return at a later date to check that those improvements have been made.\" Practices put it into special measures got more support from NHS England to help them improve, he said.", "summary": "A GP surgery in Wolverhampton has been put into special measures after being rated inadequate by a healthcare watchdog."}
{"article": "He'll be blasting off in December and will spend six months on-board the International Space Station (ISS). So, we thought now would be a good time to tell you our top astronaut facts...", "summary": "The European Space Agency's first British astronaut, Tim Peake, is completing the final preparations before his mission to space."}
{"article": "Peter Metcalf was involved in defending the force against unlawful arrest claims after the 1984 Orgreave clash. He also played a key role in reviewing statements after Hillsborough. Deputy Chief Constable Peter Hayes and Assistant Chief Constable Walter Jackson are connected to both cases. The officers, who were involved in a review of the evidence after Orgreave and have links to Hillsborough, have both denied any wrongdoing. Mr Metcalf did not wish to comment on Orgreave when approached by the BBC. About 10,000 strikers and 5,000 police officers clashed at Orgreave coking plant in June 1984. Mr Hayes ordered a review of the way evidence had been gathered about Orgreave and was later involved in co-ordinating the force's evidence after the disaster at the Sheffield stadium. Mr Jackson was given the job of reviewing the Orgreave evidence and was at Hillsborough to watch the FA Cup semi-final after signing off the policing plan. The parallels between Hillsborough and Orgreave have been drawn before. Now evidence is starting to emerge showing the actual links, the names of people involved in the aftermath of both. There have been claims the way South Yorkshire Police conducted themselves after 'The Battle of Orgreave' fed into their response to the Hillsborough disaster. There have been growing calls for some form of investigation to fully understand what happened during the miners' strike and how that may have shown a culture within the South Yorkshire force that endured long after. But it should also be remembered these are very different incidents. Nobody died at Orgreave. Although miners were put on trial, the cases collapsed so there was no miscarriage of justice. That said, the miners have always carried a sense of injustice about what happened. Their calls for an inquiry now have the backing of some of the Hillsborough families. It's up to the home secretary to decide what happens next. Mr Metcalf wrote a note saying he had been told some of the police statements did not match the video evidence at Orgreave. His note also records Mr Metcalfe as saying that he had been told that senior officers were reluctant to provide anything that might undermine the case. Last year, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it had identified possible cases of attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to Orgreave. However, the police watchdog decided an investigation was not in the public interest. Former miners' union president Arthur Scargill has called for an inquiry into the Battle of Orgreave disorder. More than 120 officers and pickets were injured and 93 people were arrested following clashes at the coking plant. Campaigners have called on Dave Jones, the interim chief constable of South Yorkshire Police, to open up the force's archives on Orgreave. The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign said it wanted Mr Jones to intervene in its legal bid to push Home Secretary Theresa May to hold a public inquiry. Mr Jones said he would \"welcome an appropriate independent assessment of Orgreave\". \"The Hillsborough inquests have brought into sharp focus the need to understand", "summary": "Senior officers and a solicitor who were involved in the South Yorkshire Police response to Hillsborough and the so-called Battle of Orgreave can be named for the first time."}
{"article": "BBC Two sitcom Boy Meets Girl and EastEnders have both been shortlisted for their portrayal of transgender issues. Transgender actress Rebecca Root and the first ever transgender actor in a TV soap opera, Riley Carter Millington, have also been nominated. Nick Grimshaw, Boy George and Sue Perkins are among the other nominees. Sarah Garrett, founder of the awards, explained: \"The British LGBT Awards are vital in highlighting those who have done good by the LGBT community and are also important in promoting LGBT acceptance.\" \"The commissioning of Boy Meets Girl was a particularly landmark moment in British television history as was the introduction of a transgender character to Eastenders. \"The BBC should be proud of its commitment to diversity and groundbreaking coverage of LGBT issues,\" she said. Speaking in August last year, actress Rebecca Root, who plays Judy in Boy Meets Girl said: \"I really believe that it will demystify my community, it will increase the visibility of the trans population. \"In a way it's a shame, it's 2015 for goodness sake, and we're only having this conversation now. But better late than never.\" The British LGBT Awards take place at London's Grand Connaught Rooms on 13 May. Here are the nominees... Alan Carr Boy George Caitlyn Jenner Ru Paul Kieron Richardson Ruby Rose Ben Whishaw Dustin Lance Black Adele Jess Glynne Halsey Little Mix Zayn Malik Frank Ocean Sam Smith Years and Years Cher Jennifer Saunders Hillary Clinton Stephen Fry Lady Gaga Sir Ian McKellen Bette Midler George Takei Eddie Redmayne Danny Dyer Nigella Lawson Holly Willoughby Brian May Kim Cattrall James Sutton Zoe Sugg (Zoella) Olly Alexander Rebecca Root Jake Graff Hannah Hart Sean Miley Moore Philip Armstrong David Morgan Rose and Rosie Clare Balding Vicki Beeching Nick Grimshaw Evan Davis Paul O'Grady RuPaul Sue Perkins Gok Wan Boy Meets Girl, BBC Caitlyn Jenner, Vanity Fair cover Eastenders transgender storyline, BBC Hollyoak HIV storyline, Lime Pictures/ Channel 4 London Spy, BBC Mhairi Black MP elected to Parliament Ireland votes for marriage equality Gay marriage in USA Nicola Adams John Amaechi Keegan Hirst Nigel Owens Mark McAdam Sam Stanley Heather Stanning Casey Stoney", "summary": "The shortlist for the annual British LGBT Awards has been announced with the BBC nominated multiple times."}
{"article": "The midfielders have both agreed three-year deals at Dens Park. Williams, 28, moved to the Highlands in the summer of 2013 from Kendal Town and has made 35 appearances this term. Former Kidderminster player Vincent, 26, also joined in 2013 and scored the winning goal when Caley Thistle won the Scottish Cup last season. Vincent has been troubled by injuries this season and has been limited to 16 outings, the last of which came on 2 January. \"It's two boys we've been chasing for a long time,\" manager Paul Hartley told BBC Scotland. \"They've been part of a very successful Inverness team over the last couple of seasons. \"Danny is versatile, he can play in a number of positions. It's the same with Vincent, anywhere across the middle.\" Meanwhile, Paul McGowan and Darren O'Dea have signed new contracts at Dens Park. Midfielder McGowan, 28, has agreed a two-year extension, while former Celtic defender O'Dea, 29, has earned a three-year deal, having joined the club in January. \"We've been trying to build a squad over the last two years and this summer there will only be maybe three or four changes,\" added Hartley.", "summary": "Inverness Caledonian Thistle duo James Vincent and Danny Williams have signed pre-contracts to join Premiership rivals Dundee next season."}
{"article": "Police called to the property in St George's Hill, Weybridge, at about 10:00 BST by ambulance crews also found a man in his 30s with serious injuries. Formal identification has not yet taken place, Surrey Police said. St George's Hill is a private, gated estate with a golf club and tennis club, where six-bedroom homes are listed for about \u00a314m. Det Ch Insp Jason Taylor said officers believed they knew the identity of the woman and the man, who was taken to hospital for treatment. He said next-of-kin had been informed. \"The investigation into this tragic incident is still in the very early stages but at this time I believe this to be an isolated incident,\" the detective said. The 964-acre estate is described by the St George's Hill Residents' Association as having been \"designed for driven, motivated and successful high achievers\".", "summary": "A murder inquiry is under way after the body of a woman in her 30s was found at a house in an exclusive part of Surrey."}
{"article": "Millie Thompson died on 23 October 2012 after eating shepherd's pie at Ramillies Hall School and Nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester. An inquest jury returned a misadventure verdict, and said no-one was to blame. South Manchester Coroner John Pollard is writing to the government as a \"matter of national importance\". The jury at Oldham Magistrates' Court heard that Millie started coughing and crying in a high chair during her mashed lunchtime feed from a supervisor before her lips turned blue. A nursery supervisor - whose basic first aid certificate had expired - shouted for help and passed Millie to a colleague who had paediatric first aid training and gave the baby back slaps. Millie's condition fluctuated and then deteriorated as an ambulance arrived 10 minutes after staff dialled 999. There were no signs of life as she was taken to Stepping Hill Hospital, and she was pronounced dead soon after arrival. Mr Pollard also said he would be writing to the North West Ambulance Service after it emerged that the 999 call handler in the choking incident admitted she made two \"fundamental\" errors in responding to nursery staff's call. After terminating the call, North West Ambulance Service employee Aaliyah Ormerod also made the comment: \"Jeez, stop giving me information,\" the inquest heard. Ms Ormerod said she had wrongly graded the call and did not recognise it as an immediate life-threatening situation, which meant a rapid response vehicle was not sent to the nursery. She also accepted she should have stayed on the phone until the ambulance arrived, the inquest heard. The coroner said he expected her employers to take action over the end-of-call comment which he said had \"added insult to injury, quite literally\". Mr Pollard said he would write to the chief executive of the ambulance service regarding call handler training over child illnesses. he also said all vehicles should have appropriate paediatric equipment on board.", "summary": "A coroner has called for paediatric first aid training for all nursery staff after a nine-month-old baby choked while eating her nursery lunch."}
{"article": "Heavy snow affected routes across the country, including the main motorways, after the Met Office issued an amber \"be prepared\" warning for much of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England. Tulloch Bridge in Inverness-shire saw the deepest snow in Scotland with 23cm (9ins) while there was 9cm (3ins) in Aviemore. Further snow is now expected. A missing woman was airlifted to hospital after she was found unconscious in blizzard conditions in the Scottish Borders, while a car skidded on ice and fell off the road into the basement area of a building in Edinburgh. A Royal Navy Search and Rescue helicopter was used to help a sick one-year-old who had become stranded in a house near Langholm because of the snow. The youth was airlifted to hospital in Carlisle by a sea king helicopter after an ambulance became stuck in the snow and an air ambulance from Glasgow was not cleared to fly, reported the Royal Navy. Out of the 122 schools in Dumfries and Galloway, 80 have been closed because of the weather. BBC Scotland's Willie Johnston has reported \"dreadful conditions\" on the A75 near Carrutherstown. Meanwhile, Highland Council said 18 schools and nurseries in its area are closed because of the weather. About 10 others have been closed to pupils who have to travel by bus, or were opened later. Scottish Borders Council said three of its schools were closed, while eight schools were shut in South Lanarkshire, along with two in South Ayrshire. Flights at Inverness Airport and Kirkwall Airport were disrupted on Thursday morning while the M9 was closed for an hour between junction 5 (Bo'ness) and junction 6 (Falkirk) after a cattle lorry overturned. The Met Office has issued yellow \"be aware\" warnings for all of Scotland for the remainder of Thursday and Friday. The warnings will remain in place for northern and western regions of the country for Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Showers of sleet, snow and hail are expected to continue through Thursday and Friday morning. Between 1-3cm of further snow could fall on lower levels. More snow and strong winds are forecast for the north and west of Scotland on Saturday and Sunday. BBC weather forecaster Darren Bett said icy conditions were expected to follow the snow on Thursday. He said: \"Tonight ice is going to be more of a concern. \"We have a band of wetter weather moving down from the north later in the evening. Overnight most of it will fall as rain, but there will be snow on the highest ground. \"But there will be breaks in the cloud and skies will clear again, so tricky for the gritters tonight and tricky for anyone on the roads.\" Ch Supt Iain Murray, from Police Scotland, urged motorists to carefully plan their journeys and said localised conditions could make driving difficult. \"If you do decide to travel, ensure your vehicle is well prepared before setting off; make sure your windscreens are completely free of snow and ice, and your lights are working and clean,\" he said. Check out the latest travel news for", "summary": "Wintry weather has caused hazardous driving conditions across parts of Scotland and has led to more than 100 school closures."}
{"article": "Hundreds of witnesses have given testimony to the inquiry that has been examining allegations of historical abuse and neglect. A report is expected next year. The HIA was set up in 2013 to investigate child abuse in residential institutions in Northern Ireland over a 73-year period, up to 1995. Analysis - BBC News NI's Kevin Sharkey Men and women who were vulnerable children in care in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1995 have appeared before the inquiry to give accounts of their childhood abuse. Now middle-aged or elderly, they travelled to Northern Ireland from across the UK and Ireland. Many others gave evidence from around the world, particularly from Australia. Now they must all wait until the final report is given to politicians at Stormont, six months from now. Ministers will then decide how to respond to a number of issues, including compensation. These included a range of institutions, run by the church, state and voluntary sector. It has been led by retired judge Sir Anthony Hart.", "summary": "Public hearings at the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry (HIA) come to an end on Friday after two and a half years."}
{"article": "Ryan Counsell, 28, a Muslim convert from Nottingham, denies four charges, including having possession of an al-Qaeda bomb-making guide. He told Woolwich Crown Court on Tuesday he downloaded the videos due to a \"business interest\". He said he wanted to create a \"catalogue of propaganda\" online. More on this story and other news in Nottinghamshire The married father, who worked at the Hyson Green branch of Asda in Nottingham, told the judge he downloaded videos so he could analyse and write articles about them. The jury was shown several of the videos, including footage of explosions and material explaining the structure of the caliphate (an Islamic state). When asked to explain why he watched this video he said it was something he found \"interesting\". He said its \"main purpose\" was \"to show how Islamic State claim to organise themselves\". Asked why he had named a folder of material on his computer entitled \"alleged Jihad\", he told the jury: \"It is something that I do not believe they are actually performing with a genuinely religious motivation. \"I believe it's just a form of terrorism, it is nothing to do with the religion. That's why I titled it alleged Jihad.\" Counsell is charged with preparing acts of terrorism by obtaining information about Islamic terrorist groups in the Philippines, arranging to travel to the Philippines to join and fight for an Islamic terrorist group, and purchasing equipment and clothing for use when having joined such a group. The trial continues.", "summary": "A supermarket worker accused of trying to join a terrorist group watched Islamic State (IS) videos to learn more about propaganda, a court has heard."}
{"article": "Dominic Doyle, 21, was an innocent bystander who was stabbed during a night out in Denton on 7 June 2015. His mother, Rhian Jones, is supporting a week-long knife surrender by police to get knives off the street. She said: \"I'm hoping that if I can help somebody else, just one person, then I feel like I've done my bit.\" \"He was my life, he was my only child and I just exist,\" she said. \"It's changed me totally and everybody around me. He was my life. \"I just want people to speak to their kids, be honest with them, be open, talk to them, have the conversations about what's right and what's wrong.\" Colin McDonald was jailed for 15 years in February after being found guilty of Dominic Doyle's manslaughter following a trial at Manchester Crown Court. The \"Bin the Blade\" campaign by Greater Manchester Police sees dedicated bins placed into 11 police stations in Greater Manchester. Knives - including illegal weapons or any other unwanted bladed instruments - can be dropped off in the bins safely and anonymously until 27 November. Det Ch Insp Debbie Dooley said: \"Knives pose a serious risk within our communities and the more we can take off our streets, the greater chance we have of saving lives.\"", "summary": "The mother of a man who died from stab wounds after a brawl outside a pub in Greater Manchester has said \"life will never be the same\" without him."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The Swiss, 35, won 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 to reach his 11th Wimbledon final, having last won the title in 2012. He will face Croatia's Marin Cilic after the seventh seed beat American 24th seed Sam Querrey 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 on Centre Court on Sunday. Cilic, 28, is into his second major final after winning the 2014 US Open. \"It's unbelievable,\" said Cilic, the second Croat to reach the men's final after Goran Ivanisevic won in 2001. \"I've been playing really great tennis.\" Federer has already added to his lengthy list of achievements by reaching a record 29th Grand Slam final, becoming the second-oldest man to do so after the 39-year-old Ken Rosewall reached the 1974 Wimbledon final. Having waited five years to win his 18th major title at this year's Australian Open, Federer could make it 19 only six months later. \"I feel very privileged to be in another final,\" he said. \"I've got the pleasure to play on Centre Court another time. I can't believe it's almost true again. I'm happy to have a day off to reflect on what I've done at the tournament.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Federer had won his past seven matches against Berdych, and 18 of 24 in all, but the Czech made him work for number 19. There were just three breaks of serve over two hours and 18 minutes, two for Federer, who hit 53 winners to Berdych's 31 in a high-quality contest. After dropping only one point on his serve as he eased 4-1 clear, Federer offered up two double faults that allowed Berdych to peg him back and earn a tie-break. Again Berdych came back from an early deficit to trail 4-3 but a forehand error returned the advantage and Federer capitalised to clinch the set. It was a blow for the Czech, but he fended off break points early in the second and kept pace with the seven-time champion. Federer needed to produce a magnificent dipping forehand winner to hold serve at 3-3, and it was the same shot that would dominate the second tie-break. Four brilliant forehands in a row gave the Swiss a 5-1 lead that proved enough for a two-set lead, and there was more magic off that wing in the third. Berdych saw a chance to extend the contest disappear when Federer saved two break points with successive aces before breaking in the next game. At 5-3, the Swiss produced a stunning forehand flicked pass that had the 15,000 spectators on Centre Court gasping, and moments later he served out victory in his 42nd Grand Slam semi-final. Federer saved a match point on his way to beating Cilic in last year's quarter-finals, and said: \"Last time we had a brutal match - I was two sets down. I had to get lucky to win. \"Marin is a great guy. He's a lovely guy, in his first Wimbledon final. \"He crushed me at the US Open a few years ago. I", "summary": "Roger Federer is one win from a historic eighth Wimbledon title after beating Czech 11th seed Tomas Berdych in straight sets in the semi-final."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Britain's Murray and Switzerland's Hingis won 6-4 6-4 in one hour four minutes on Centre Court. Both Murray and Hingis are bidding for their second Wimbledon mixed doubles titles. Britain's Heather Watson and Finland's Henri Kontinen, who won the title last year, are also into the last four. They progressed via a 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-5 win over India's Rohan Bopanna and Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski and will play the second-seeded pair, Brazilian Bruno Soares and Russian Elena Vesnina, in the semi-finals. Kontinen is hoping to pick up his third Grand Slam title after winning the Australian Open doubles in January alongside John Peers. Murray, who lifted the SW19 mixed doubles title in 2007 alongside Serbia's Jelena Jankovic, and Hingis, who won it in 2015 with Indian Leander Paes, will play the Spanish-Brazilian combination of Maria Martinez Sanchez and Marcelo Demoliner. The pair only announced their partnership last week and again looked comfortable as a partnership on the court. Hingis has won five mixed doubles titles at Grand Slams as well as 12 women's doubles and five singles competitions - including Wimbledon in 1997. Murray won men's doubles titles at the Australian Open and US Open last year with Brazil's Bruno Soares. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Jamie Murray and Martina Hingis beat British pair Ken Skupski and Jocelyn Rae to reach the Wimbledon mixed doubles semi-finals."}
{"article": "Well it's worked as a game at least, the Angry Birds app was the first to get 500 million downloads. So inevitably its makers Rovio are now dipping their toes into the world of film. An animated feature is set for release in 2016, and they've just announced the cast. The main character \"Red\" is set to be played by Jason Sudeikis, and in his first role since Frozen, Josh Gad will play Speedy Chuck. Arguably the most useful bird, the Bomb, will be played by Danny McBride, who appeared in This is the End with Seth Rogan last year. Bill Hader however, will be on the receiving end of the birds' anger after joining the Pork Side. Maya Rudolph will act the role of Matilda, and the smooth-talking Tyrion Lannister, or Peter Dinklage, will swap the Game of Thrones set for providing the voice of the Mighty Eagle. There are a number of supporting roles being added to the flock too, including the YouTube stars Smosh (Ian Andrew Hecox and Anthony Padilla), who have more than 30 million subscribers. While it might be Rovio's first go at films, they've already enjoyed screen success with their recent animated TV series notching up more than 3 billion views in its first 18 months. The film's producer Josh Cohen says: \"I'm extremely proud of this cast. \"These are some of the funniest people out there today, and we're thrilled to have them all on board.\" Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "It's your classic storyline, a group of different birds hurling themselves towards different structures to take out some green piggies."}
{"article": "He stood on the touchline after the final whistle in Trnava to make sure his players acknowledged the away fans, and then applauded them himself, but the support's response to the final whistle was a damning verdict. There was plenty of ire at Hampden on Saturday, too, when two points were discarded against Lithuania, and it is the weight of public opinion that will bear most heavily on the mind and status of the national team's manager. The departures of his immediate predecessors - Craig Levein and George Burley - felt necessary, that's why the decisions were made. Strachan banked a significant amount of goodwill during the first half of the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, but it has dwindled markedly since then. In 29 days, Scotland travel to Wembley to face England, and during that time there will be reflection, calls for recrimination, and eventually an element of resolution. The immediate reactions to the 3-0 defeat in Slovakia were emotional, but there is a growing body of evidence from Strachan's time in charge. Some of the noise ought to be dismissed. It is absurd to suggest that Strachan does not want to be in the job. He may have spent time after the failure to reach the Euro finals in France assessing his willingness to lead the squad for another campaign, but he wanted to carry on; he is a passionate Scot and a committed coach. He cares for his players, which explains some of his exaggerated post-match comments. He no doubt described Chris Martin's display against Lithuania as \"outstanding\" because he had already made the decision to start Steven Fletcher against Slovakia and did not want the Fulham striker to be the scapegoat for Saturday's 1-1 draw - but supporters have grown weary of the deflection tactics. Media playback is not supported on this device The players remain committed to the manager, while some of his predecessors have struggled to hold squads together, but that is not always enough. It should also be acknowledged that a new manager would not suddenly find himself working with a different squad of more talented players. Even so, there are decisions that Strachan has consistently made that warrant scrutiny, not least because his position is now under question. If the Scotland support no longer believes in the manager, then it does not matter if he still believes in his work with the players. Since defeating the Republic of Ireland at Celtic Park in November 2014, Scotland have played nine competitive matches and won only three of them - against Gibraltar, twice, and Malta. There have been defeats to Germany, Georgia and Slovakia, and damaging draws away to the Republic of Ireland and at home to Poland and Lithuania. Under Strachan, Scotland have failed to deliver a defining victory over a leading side in their group, or when it was needed most. At the critical moment, there has been a collapse of will. In Dublin, in Tbilisi and in Trvana, Scotland have performed poorly, failing to assert themselves, to play with confidence or poise. When Strachan's", "summary": "The jeers of the Scotland fans will still be ringing in Gordon Strachan's ears."}
{"article": "The shadow chancellor told the BBC Jeremy Corbyn had shown leadership by insisting the referendum result must be honoured and the UK should leave. But he said Labour would not back a \"kamikaze\" exit which hurt the economy. Some shadow ministers have suggested they would quit if forced to vote for kick-starting official EU exit talks. Dozens of Labour MPs who support remaining in the EU could be willing to defy the leadership if it whips them into voting for Brexit in the event of a Commons vote which could take place in the coming weeks. The government has said it will notify the EU of its decision to leave, beginning two years of talks about the terms of exit, by the end of March. Whether Parliament is asked to approve the Article 50 decision hinges on a Supreme Court ruling, due on Tuesday, into whether MPs and peers are required to have their say. The Labour leadership have been accused of \"dithering\" over their approach and are under pressure to clarify whether they will oppose the government's plan of leaving the single market and the customs union and restricting EU migration. Mr McDonnell said the debate was polarised between those who wanted to overturn the referendum result and, on the other hand, those who backed a so-called hard Brexit and saw the UK's future outside the EU as a virtual tax haven. Labour, he suggested, stood between these two poles and supported a negotiated settlement with the EU to protect jobs, wages and living standards. \"Jeremy Corbyn has taken a rather courageous position in that he recognises that you have to bring the country together at some stage and it will be over a traditional British compromise,\" he told the BBC's Andrew Marr show. \"Somewhere along the line there will be a sensible compromise and it will be Labour that is driving that compromise.\" Asked whether Labour MPs would be whipped to support the Article 50 process, he said the opposition had made it clear all along the referendum vote must be honoured. But he said Labour would seek to amend any government plans to guarantee the fullest scrutiny in Parliament and enable MPs from all parties to \"influence the negotiations\". Speaking on Sky News, Mr Corbyn said he would \"ask\" Labour MPs to respect the result while asked explicitly whether Labour wanted to stay in the single market, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott told the BBC's Sunday Politics that \"in terms of jobs and the economy, of course we should be\". Nick Clegg, the former Lib Dem leader who is now the party's Brexit spokesman, said Labour had suffered a \"catastrophic loss of nerve\" over Europe. \"This absolute lack of clarity from Labour on the biggest issue of our times - dithering helplessly in the middle of the road - is only going to make their fate even worse.\" While he expected ministers to win any vote on Article 50, he told Andrew Marr he expected Theresa May to run into trouble if she \"digs her heels in\" in during", "summary": "Labour would back a \"sensible British compromise\" over Brexit, John McDonnell has said, amid calls for the party to clarify its position."}
{"article": "It said such a move would \"reduce the burden\" on passengers who could instead go to claims companies which would take a cut of any payouts. Hundreds of flights were grounded by last Saturday's IT problems. BA said that it had \"no desire to be obstructive\" and would fully honour its compensation obligations. The problems, which continued throughout last weekend, disrupted the travel plans of tens of thousands of passengers around the world. Under EU law, passengers can claim compensation from BA for travel disruption, worth up to 600 euros (\u00c2\u00a3524). They can also claim expenses for items such as hotels, meals and phone calls - a matter that led to a dispute with insurers during the week. Which? said the airline sector was out of step with other service industries. In a letter to BA chief executive Alex Cruz, Alex Neill from Which? wrote: \"You have 'profusely' apologised to passengers, many of whom have had their holidays ruined, and have 'committed' to following the rules on compensation. \"This does not go far enough and is simply not good enough. You have failed your customers once and are in grave danger of doing it again. \"By simplifying the compensation process, you have an opportunity to minimise the additional stress and inconvenience you cause your customers and ensure they are not pushed into the arms of claims management companies, who will take a large part of the money they are owed. \"British Airways can, and should, seek to automatically issue statutory compensation to all affected passengers. \"This would reduce the burden on passengers and mean they get back what they are legally entitled to quicker. \"It would also allow you to focus on dealing with the individual additional expenses incurred by affected passengers on a case-by-case basis. \"Disruptions like last weekend only highlight that it is time for all airlines to introduce measures so that, where possible, passengers are compensated automatically for delays and cancellations.\" A BA spokeswoman said: \"We sincerely apologise for the difficulties and frustration customers faced during the huge disruption across the bank holiday weekend. \"We will fully honour our EU compensation obligations and have set up a link on the home page of our website to enable customers to submit their claims as quickly and conveniently as possible. \"We have no desire to be obstructive in any way and have put additional resources into our call centres to process claims as speedily as possible.\" According to one comparison website, an estimated 70% of all airline customers who have a right to a payout do not claim. Virgin became the first rail company to automatically compensate some train passengers if they are delayed. Travellers using its services on the West Coast main line - and who book their tickets via the company app or website - receive automatic repayments. Communications regulator Ofcom is also investigating the use of automatic compensation when phone or internet services fail. At present, customers tend to go through one of two ombudsman services.", "summary": "British Airways should automatically compensate thousands of customers who were caught up in disruption last weekend, says consumer group Which?"}
{"article": "The Marine Conservation Society said plastic was a major feature as 16% more litter was picked up than in 2015. It wants people to pay up to 10p extra when they buy a drink and they will get it back when they return the bottle. It also wants takeaway containers to be compostable but opponents said the plans would not work. \"With a deposit return scheme, you pay a deposit on a bottle - equivalent to 5p or 10p - and you get it back when you return to a reverse vending machine in a shop,\" said Gill Bell, Wales conservation manager for the Marine Conservation Society (MCS). \"It's up to you to return the bottle so you would get your deposit back.\" \"A deposit return scheme [DRS] would work in Wales and we would like the Welsh Government to look at it.\" Ms Bell highlighted the success of the 5p levy on plastic carrier bags and said DRS has been successful in other countries such as Germany along with parts of United States and Australia. Scotland is examining whether to introduce DRS. However, Jane Bickerstaffe, director of the the Industry Council for Research on Packaging and the Environment is against the move. She said: \"A deposit is a tax in effect. \"You'd have to have a system in place in shops which costs money to run and repair, leaving unintended consequences for the consumer. \"They are financially expensive ways to address just a small part of the problem.\" The Welsh Government has been asked to comment. Other measures MCS wants to see is takeaway containers to be compostable and people to choose more carefully what they are buying in shops when it comes to packaging. Ms Bell added: \"It's about empowering people to do their little bit at home. They can reduce the amount of plastic and packaging they buy.\" But Ms Bickerstaffe has a different approach. \"Sometimes the criticism is litter because a few people can't be bothered to put the packaging in a bin so it ends up in the street,\" she added. \"Litter is a growing problem and one that all of us need to tackle. That's why INCPEN is supporting a new approach called Neat Streets. \"It aims to make everyone proud of their environment so they don't litter anything - till receipts, cups, crisp bags, fishing nets, newspapers, gum, cigarette ends or anything else. \"Unless a place is properly cleaned, it just gets dirty again because even one piece of litter makes people think it's OK to add more.\"", "summary": "The amount of litter on Welsh beaches has risen prompting calls for a deposit scheme to be introduced on bottles, cans and cartons."}
{"article": "Land is being made available by Northern Ireland Executive. One of two helicopters that will form part of the service toured Northern Ireland last week. The charity behind it says it hopes it will be fully operational by March next year. The decision to choose the Maze site has been waiting for executive approval for some time. It was given the green light following a test landing last week, which was used to assess several factors, including noise levels. Northern Ireland was previously the only area in the UK without a HEMS (helicopter emergency medical service). In March, the then health minister, Simon Hamilton said the air ambulance would be based at Belfast International Airport. But the charity behind the new service believes basing it at the Maze will be cost effective. It plans to use an existing building that was once used to check vehicles. The helicopter has arrived after a campaign for an air ambulance service by the late Dr John Hinds. Dr Hinds died in an accident in July 2015, but his partner Dr Janet Acheson continued his campaigning work. The building at the Maze will be converted into hangar space for two helicopters, as well as changing facilities for crew and an operations room. The charity Air Ambulance Northern Ireland says it will need to raise about \u00c2\u00a32m a year to operate the service. Health officials have yet to decide if it will have doctors onboard as well as paramedics.", "summary": "The new air ambulance for Northern Ireland is to be based at the Maze Long Kesh site near Lisburn, County Antrim."}
{"article": "Cloth Of Stars, Humphrey Bogart and Red Verdon are the other supplementary entries at a cost of \u00a375,000 each. Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien has seven of the 18 contenders still in the race, including leading hope US Army Ranger. The additional entries mean the race will be worth \u00a31.454m and the most valuable ever staged in Britain. If all 18 horses line up, it will be the largest Derby field for 10 years since the victory of Sir Percy in 2006. O'Brien, who has won the race five times previously, saddled eight runners in 2007 when his best finisher Eagle Mountain was second to winner Authorized.", "summary": "Four horses including joint favourite Wings of Desire have been added as late entries for the Derby at Epsom on Saturday."}
{"article": "Twenty-two people were killed when Salman Abedi detonated a suicide bomb after a pop concert on 22 May. Lord Kerslake, the ex-head of the civil service, said those affected would have insights \"that won't necessarily be available to the emergency services\". An interim report should be complete by Christmas, he added. Speaking to Radio 5 live, he said the review - on behalf of Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham - would not look into whether the attack after an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena could have been prevented. \"That's a separate thing... we are focusing very much on the preparedness of Greater Manchester for such attacks and their response in the period, the week-and-a-half or so in which they had to respond. \"The issue of whether it could have been prevented is a different review process.\" He said he would be \"very surprised\" if his recommendations were not acted upon. \"There were thousands who were affected in some way by this terrible, terrible event. I see that as a key part of role as chair to make sure that their voices are heard as part of this review. \"They will have insights and ideas that won't necessarily be available to the emergency services, good though they are.\" He added that he was \"very confident\" he would get access to information from the security services. \"This is a very well-established process: everybody recognises that you get much better results if you're open and honest about the lessons learned.\" Information will also be collected from reviews conducted by each of the emergency services, he added. \"I'm sure there will be a lot of good things that will come out, but also the things that could have been done better.\"", "summary": "The review into the response to the Manchester attack will \"give voice\" to the victims' families, its chair Lord Kerslake has said."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old has scored one goal in 10 appearances for the League Two side in all competitions this season. \"He has been extremely unlucky with injuries and is going to be a big loss while he recovers,\" head coach Dermot Drummy told the club website. \"We just hope that when he comes back it he can play a full part for us in the last few months of the season.\"", "summary": "Crawley Town striker Matt Harrold will be out for three months after suffering an Achilles injury."}
{"article": "Researchers at St Andrews University said a method using a small circular hole could have wide implications for 3D technology. The study, published in Psychological Science, also has implications for people who have just one eye or difficulties with double-eye vision. The method was said to create 3D similar to effects used in film-making. Researchers said that current thinking was based on the need for two visual images - one from each eye - to be combined in the visual cortex, creating a sense of depth. But Dr Dhanraj Vishwanath, a psychologist at the university, believes both eyes are not necessary for this \"3D experience\". Dr Vishwanath said: \"We have demonstrated experimentally, for the first time, that the same 'special way' in which depth is experienced in 3D movies can also be experienced by looking at a normal picture with one eye viewing through a small aperture (circular hole). \"While this effect has been known for a long time, it is usually dismissed. \"Now we have shown that it is in fact real, and the perceptual results are exactly like stereoscopic 3D, the kind seen in 3D movies. \"Based on this finding, we have provided a new hypothesis of what the actual cause of the 3D experience might be.\" The university said the 1838 invention of the stereoscope - the technology behind 3D film-making - brought with it the assumption two eyes were necessary for 3D vision. Dr Vishwanath said: \"This work has significant implications for people who don't have normal binocular vision. \"First it could help them experience what it means to see in 3D. Second, it could encourage them to seek therapy to try to regain two-eye 3D vision (which produces the strongest 3D effect in everyday life) once they can see first-hand what 'seeing in 3D' is really like.\" Dr Vishwanath and his colleagues are now testing the method with a large group of strabismics, people with misaligned eyes. He said that nearly 15% of the population, including Hollywood actor Johnny Depp, may have some form of misalignment. The psychologist also believes his theory suggests a 3D experience could be induced simply by increasing resolution, using ultra-high definition (4K) televisions. Seeing in 3D with just one eye: Stereopsis without binocular vision is published by Psychological Science. Further research is due to be published later this year.", "summary": "The effect of \"vivid 3D vision\" can be experienced with just one eye, a study has suggested."}
{"article": "The True Blood star died after years of suffering from drug and alcohol abuse. In a statement, his family said Ellis, 39, was ashamed of his addiction and did not want to talk about it. But they added: \"His family, however, believes that in death he would want his life to serve as a cautionary tale in an attempt to help others.\" Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter through his manager Emily Gerson Saines, the family's statement continued: \"Nelsan was a gentle, generous and kind soul. \"He was a father, a son, a grandson, a brother, a nephew, and a great friend to those that were lucky enough to know him.\" Talking about the circumstances behind Ellis's death from heart failure, the statement explained: \"After many stints in rehab, Nelsan attempted to withdraw from alcohol on his own. \"According to his father, during his withdrawal from alcohol he had a blood infection, his kidneys shut down, his liver was swollen, his blood pressure plummeted, and his dear sweet heart raced out of control.\" Ellis played the flamboyant Lafayette Reynolds, a charismatic gay medium who was able to contact ghosts, in the HBO horror-drama series. He appeared regularly throughout the series of True Blood after first appearing as the cook at a local restaurant in 2008. He also featured alongside Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer in the film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel The Help in 2011. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Actor Nelsan Ellis's family has spoken about the actor's death on Saturday, in an effort to help other people who suffer from addiction."}
{"article": "Newly promoted Bristol City host Reading as they get the top-flight season under way on the previous day. Teams will play each other just once in a one-off, transitional competition before the WSL's switch to a winter calendar for 2017-18. For top-flight teams, the league runs over six weeks until Saturday, 3 June. The WSL 2 Spring Series starts on 11 February with a game between London Bees and Brighton, who are making their debut after promotion, and concludes on Sunday, 21 May. There will be no promotion or relegation at the end of the Spring Series, but trophies will be awarded to each division's winner. \"It's set to be an exciting few months for the domestic women's game with clubs competing for this one-off trophy and the Women's FA Cup final in May,\" said FA director of football participation and development Kelly Simmons. \"It's important that we keep building this momentum ahead of the Euros and for the return of the WSL in September.\" WSL 1 Saturday, 22 April, 18:00 BST: Bristol City v Reading Sunday, 23 April, 14:00 BST: Birmingham City v Sunderland, Manchester City v Chelsea, Yeovil Town v Liverpool TBC (22 or 23 April depending on venue confirmation) - Arsenal v Notts County WSL 2 Saturday, 11 February, 14:00 GMT: London Bees v Brighton & Hove Albion Sunday, 12 February, 12:00 GMT: Durham v Millwall Lionesses Sunday, 12 February, 14:00 GMT: Aston Villa v Watford, Oxford United v Everton, Sheffield FC v Doncaster Rovers Belles", "summary": "Women's Super League One champions Manchester City will start their Spring Series campaign at home to 2016 runners-up Chelsea on Sunday, 23 April."}
{"article": "Parents are only allowed to take children out of school in \"exceptional circumstances\" or face fines. Bishop Bronescombe C of E School in St Austell, Cornwall, is creating the extra week at the end of the May half-term holiday. Cornwall Council said it was up to schools to plan their inset days. Changes to the law, which came into force on 1 September, mean head teachers no longer have the discretion to grant authorised leave to pupils each year. The new rules are aimed at preventing children missing vital parts of their education, which the the Department for Education (DfE) said can have a \"hugely damaging effect\". But some parents have said they cannot afford to pay the premium prices travel companies charge during official school holidays. The head of school at Bishop Bronescombe, Katie Dalton, said it would be putting the five teacher training days together in the summer term. \"Lots of our parents are low wage earners, which is typical in Cornwall, and also they are seasonal workers, which makes it very difficult for them to get a family holiday together, that is actually affordable. \"By putting the inset days all together in the summer term, it means they can take advantage of better deals and prices and it improves our attendance figures as well because there are less requests for leave during term time,\" she said. Deborah Smith, who has two children at the school, welcomed the move. \"They said they understood lots of the parents down here are seasonal workers and they understand about the current economical climate and that budgets are tight for families, so I thought that was really important that the school were acknowledging and recognising the difficulty of paying for holidays,\" she said. In a statement the DfE said: \"Poor attendance at school can have a hugely damaging effect, and children who attend school regularly are nearly four times more likely to achieve five or more good GCSEs than those who are regularly absent. \"That is why we have given schools more power to tackle poor attendance and allowed them to intervene much earlier. \"We have also increased the amount parents can be fined for unauthorised absences and cut the amount of time they have to pay.\" In July, the government also announced plans to give all schools the autonomy to set their own term dates.", "summary": "A school is to put all its teacher-training days together to give children an extra week off in term time to help parents get cheaper holiday deals."}
{"article": "The sleepy and nondescript town of 40,000 people ringed by farms sees activity only around its bus stand. Just a couple of trains arrive at its deserted railway station every day. But this unremarkable place, 275km (170 miles) from the Indian capital, Delhi, is in news these days: it is the first town in India to offer full and cheap wi-fi coverage. A few cities in India - Bangalore, Pune, Cochin, Delhi - have some public free wi-fi hotspots, but their impact is low. From the bus stand and railway station to the streets and town market, the residents of Bhadra are now connected to the internet. I tested it along the length of the town and experienced a seamless connection. Local businessman Dalit Kumar Jain says he is pleased that he can now quickly download full-length movies on his phone and conduct business-related online money transfers. The facility is a success among the students, who no longer have to rush to the main town of Hanumangarh, 160km (100 miles) away, for online lessons, job applications and alerts. The number of training centres for job tests has gone up in Bhadra after wi-fi arrived here in July. Students of the local secondary school say they download exam test papers from the internet, and spend a lot of time on online games, and social media. For a place which had just a few internet connections a few months ago, Bhadra is a good example of how cheap and speedy wi-fi can change people's lives - 1GB of data only costs 64 rupees (98 cents; 64p) every month. Sandeep Yadav of MTS India, a Rajasthan-based company responsible for providing the facility, describes small, developing towns like Bhadra as the \"nerve-centres of aspirational India\". \"Even the residents of small towns are now learning to use data and smart phones. A place like Bhadra accounts for 160GB of data usage every day. This is why we think that a certain amount of free bandwidth would really benefit the inhabitants.\" The company plans to roll out wi-fi services in 11 more small towns in the state. Shaukat Khan has a shop opposite the bus stand which is often crowded, because it sells coupons for the service. \"So what if this is a small town? Around 8,500 people hailing from Bhadra work in the Middle East, which means there is a lot of demand for video calling and recharging. With so many living abroad, people look for ways to keep in touch,\" he says. Local resident Rabindra Yadav says even three years ago, residents often couldn't get a decent mobile phone connection, and overseas calls to a Gulf country like Muscat would cost 30 cents per minute. But youngsters in the town say that the wi-fi \"revolution\" is bypassing their parents and elders. \"We need to do something about it. So I am saving up to buy my mother a smartphone during the upcoming Diwali festival,\" says 16-year-old Lakshmi.", "summary": "Bhadra is an outlier in the Indian state of Rajasthan, better known for its forts and palaces and wide swathes of desert."}
{"article": "Meanwhile, 10,713 miles away the Australian population is growing at Sandy Park, home of Exeter Chiefs. Prop Greg Holmes and back-row Dave Dennis have committed to joining the club for next season, while winger Lachie Turner made the move last month. The Chiefs could have as many as eight Aussies in the squad next season - so why are so many players from down under being lured to the Devon club? \"The weather\" was the reason former international Turner jokingly gave to BBC Sport last month as his reason for making the move. But the former Toulon, Queensland Reds and New South Wales Waratahs back's main reason became clear shortly afterwards - and it has nothing to do with long romantic walks on Dartmoor. \"For me the decision was easy after five minutes of speaking to Rob Baxter. \"He gives his philosophies and the way he runs the club and the important things that he puts a lot of emphasis behind,\" said Turner. \"It's about working hard, but also enjoying yourself. I don't think you can be successful in anything unless you enjoy what you're doing, and that's something they really strive for here.\" The Chiefs head coach has been in charge since the summer of 2009, guiding them to an unlikely win over Bristol in the inaugural Championship play-off final in 2010 and then gradually building a side that this season seems nailed-on for a first-ever place in the play-offs and have also made the last eight of the Champions Cup. Baxter's first Exeter side was packed with good Championship players who had a point to prove, but as the seasons have worn on, more and more experience has been brought to the club. England's Geoff Parling became the first British and Irish Lion to don an Exeter jersey, while other international players such as Tom James, Ceri Sweeney and Sireli Naqelevuki have all raised standards. \"The culture here is based on honesty and trustworthiness,\" said another Aussie, Julian Salvi, after he joined the club last summer. A former Wallaby youth player he became the latest in a line of high-class back-row forwards to leave the traditional powerhouse of Leicester for the Chiefs - following Parling and Thomas Waldrom, who has had a new lease of life at the back of the Exeter scrum and was the league's top try-scorer last season. \"You look from where they've come five or six years ago, from a Championship team they've made it to the Premiership,\" Salvi added. \"Now they've gone from that side to being a real top-six quality contender and that's one of the things that attracted me to the place, the fact that it is a team on the rise and wanting to be there or thereabouts in the top four and pushing for championships.\" In 2012, Exeter made arguably the biggest signing in their history when Australia lock Dean Mumm left the Waratahs for Sandy Park. Three years later he left, having led the club to the first silverware in their 143-year history as they won the 2013 LV= Cup.", "summary": "The village of Exeter lies 89 miles south-west of Sydney and according to the most recent census had 831 inhabitants."}
{"article": "Last year's runner-up coasted into a 3-0 lead, scoring 278 unanswered points before an \"embarrassing\" collapse. But Trump's defeat was overshadowed by a heartbreaking missed 147 by Thailand's Thepchaiya Un-Nooh. Un-Nooh fluffed a maximum break with a final black miss in the sixth frame of his 6-2 defeat against Neil Robertson. The miss cost Un-Nooh \u00a344,000 in total. Robertson, the 2013 champion, made a 145 in the next frame to claim the highest break of the tournament and eased to victory. Un-Nooh's gut-wrenching error, after several astonishing pots had kept his hopes of a maximum alive, partly kept Trump's troubles out of the limelight. Trump, the 2011 winner, scored 112 in the first frame, 75 in the third and looked in majestic form to lead 3-0, But a kick in the sixth frame, when he could have gone 5-1 ahead, changed the course of the game according to the pre-tournament favourite. \"At 4-1 I felt in complete control and was playing well, but I had a kick and it was embarrassing towards the end,\" he said. \"It was one of those games where I didn't want to be out there any more. I didn't think I could pot a ball. I don't know what went wrong. It's worrying. \"It is probably the worst I have ever felt as a professional. I was never going to win. It was very disheartening. I knew something would go wrong. It was a horrible feeling.\" Wenbo said: \"I am very happy. At 4-3 I thought I had a chance. He missed some easy balls.\" In the afternoon session World number four Murphy comfortably beat Ben Woollaston, finishing an increasingly impressive performance with a stylish 106. The 2008 champion began in ominous fashion, hitting an opening-frame 83. Woollaston had several chances but Murphy showed his matchplay quality and potting ability to score two 70-plus breaks and secure victory with a 106. \"I am very pleased with my performance,\" Murphy, 33, said. World number 30 Woollaston was amazed by some of the shots attempted by Murphy. \"He goes for balls that no-one else goes for. I don't think even Judd would have gone for some of the ones he went for,\" Woollaston said. \"In the last frame I thought I played a great safety and he made a century. Media playback is not supported on this device Murphy added: \"Part of going for your shots is saying, 'I am prepared to go for my shots, are you?' \"It sends a message out to your opponent. I have always gone for my shots and I always will.\" There were also wins for Englishmen Tom Ford and Martin Gould, Scotland's Stephen Maguire and Hong Kong's Marco Fu.", "summary": "England's Judd Trump lost five frames in a row as he was beaten by China's Liang Wenbo on a dramatic evening at the UK Championship."}
{"article": "In the past year more than 90% of girls aged between 12 and 13 have had the treatment, an NHS spokeswoman said. The vaccine, which consists of three injections over a six-month period, is given in secondary schools and at community clinics. HPV causes most types of cervical cancer. Dr Lincoln Sargeant, consultant in public health medicine at NHS Cambridgeshire said: \"We are very pleased with the response to the HPV vaccination programme across the county. \"In the UK cervical cancer is the twelfth most common women's cancer.\"", "summary": "NHS Cambridgeshire has said it is \"very pleased\" with the number of girls having the vaccination against human papilloma virus (HPV)."}
{"article": "Matthew George was held by police investigating historical allegations at Kerelaw School. The 67 year old taught art at the school and secure unit, which closed in 2006 following a police probe into incidents of abuse. He is expected to appear at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court later. A report is to be sent to the procurator fiscal. The school was originally run by Strathclyde Regional Council and its successor, Glasgow City Council.", "summary": "A former teacher has been arrested in connection with sexual and physical abuse allegations at a former residential school in Ayrshire."}
{"article": "Johnstone's first came at the end of a half in which Trinity had thrown away a 12-0 lead and stopped Salford going in level at the break. He scored again before the visitors reduced the arrears through Justin Carney's try. However a third score to add to Reece Lyne's effort ended Red Devils hopes. Since losing in front of Chester at Hull, Trinity have found form to beat Huddersfield, Leeds and now Salford, who were in action for the first time since crowd violence marred their victory at Huddersfield. Jacob Miller and Michael Sio crossed for Wakefield on the back of cheap possession early on but Salford, prompted by Michael Dobson, fought their way back through Gareth O'Brien and Matt Sarsfield tries. However winger Johnstone's score before the break was a blow from which the Red Devils never quite recovered, and the loss of Carney to an ankle injury was salt in the wound. The Wildcats have now achieved more Super League wins this season than they managed in 23 games last year. Wakefield: Jowitt, Jones-Bishop, Arundel, Lyne, Johnstone, Miller, Finn, Scruton, Moore, England, Kirmond, Ashurst, Sio. Replacements: Walton, Arona, Simon, Molloy. Salford: O'Brien, Carney, Sau, Jones, J. Griffin, Wood, Dobson, Kopczak, Tomkins, G. Griffin, Murdoch, Sarsfield, Flanagan. Replacements: Evalds, A. Walne, J. Walne, Forster. Referee: Joe Cobb (RFL)", "summary": "Tom Johnstone's hat-trick helped Wakefield to a 32-18 win against Salford and gave them a third straight success under coach Chris Chester."}
{"article": "The world number two is due to become a father and will, I'm sure, cherish that above anything he could ever achieve on a tennis court. But I don't think this new year will be notable in the Murray household simply for the addition of a welcome new member. There's every indication major trophies will be celebrated too. It's only a few weeks since Murray completed the perfect Davis Cup year; unbeaten as he helped return the famous old trophy to these shores for the first time in nearly 80 years. That was one of his main targets for 2015. Mission accomplished, and in some style, beating a fine player in Belgium's David Goffin in his own back yard, on clay, in straight sets, with one of the best match points - and winning shots - ever seen. The feel-good factor from such an achievement can last months. When Novak Djokovic savoured success with Serbia in the Davis Cup at the end of 2010, he followed it up with one of the best years in the history of tennis. He didn't lose a match until the semi-finals of the French Open, and won the other three Grand Slam titles. Incredibly, the super Serb was even better last year, reaching all four major finals, and winning three, as well as six out of the eight Masters Series events he entered. Could Andy do a Novak? That's perhaps asking too much. But I certainly think 2016 will be the year Murray's major count gets going again. It's two and a half years since he won the second of his two Slam titles. The game has moved on since then, and the Scot has had back surgery and switched coaches. He was, however, much more like his old self in 2015, winning four titles, including his first two on clay, and competing well for three of the four main prizes. Finishing the year ranked second in the world, for the first time in his career, will have done the confidence no harm either; nor will beating Roger Federer, albeit in the end-of-season IPTL exhibition. He'll go into 2016 with an extra spring in his step and as the second seed for the Australian Open, which gets under way in just over two weeks' time in Melbourne. Murray knows he doesn't have to worry about Novak Djokovic until the final, should both men get there. So the Scot will reflect on 2015 as a year that ended much better than it began. Ranked sixth in the world when the notes of Auld Lang Syne were fading away, he'd just been thrashed 6-0 6-1 by Federer at the World Tour Finals in London. When Murray headed down under to Melbourne in January, the first Grand Slam of the season once again brought out the best in him as he reached his fourth Australian Open final. It proved, however, to be the one that got away; from a break up in the third set against Djokovic, Murray lost 12 of the next 13 games in that final. But", "summary": "This will be a landmark year for Andy Murray - I have no hesitation in predicting that whatsoever."}
{"article": "At the end of an even first half, Fabio Borini buried a penalty following Andre Wisdom's rash challenge in the box. The Italian put in an excellent cross for Jermain Defoe to turn in a second after the break before Duncan Watmore scored a third in injury time. Nathan Redmond hit a post and Norwich had penalty appeals turned down - but the comeback never gathered real pace. Instead Sunderland could easily have increased their winning margin before Watmore darted onto fellow substitute Sebastien Larsson pass and finally made the hosts pay for the space left behind as they committed numbers forward. Relive Sunderland's crucial victory Relegation fight 'going down to the wire' Sunderland rely heavily on Defoe for goals. Fortunately for the Black Cats, he has managed 16 in 30 games this season and they had success as they repeatedly tested the Norwich defence against the 32-year-old striker's pace with long balls forward. It may have been one-dimensional, but that direct style paid off as Borini chased up on a swift counter-attack and was clumsily fouled by Wisdom in the box as he controlled Defoe's return ball. After the break, another fast transition after a dawdling Sebastien Bassong was robbed by Jan Kirchoff saw the roles reversed with Borini threading a perfect delivery to the far post for Defoe to slide in and convert. Sunderland's goal difference is now seven superior to Norwich's and they might have increased that advantage further with Watmore wasting a fine opening before belatedly adding a third. Norwich had 19 shots to the visitors' eight and 14 corners with Sunderland unable to force a single one. But for all their industry, endeavour and possession, they lacked the cutting edge and ruthlessness that the Black Cats showed. Instead they were largely restricted to long-range efforts, with Martin Olsson, Bassong and Wisdom bringing saves out of Vito Mannone. Redmond then struck the base of a post with a skimming effort, while referee Andre Marriner turned down a trio of weak penalty claims to the home crowd's disgust. The two clubs have competed for the Friendship Trophy in their league meetings since they played each other in the 1985 Milk Cup final, but with the far greater prize of Premier League survival on the line there was little cordial about this encounter. Norwich's Robbie Brady nudged DeAndre Yedlin into the advertising hoarding in front of the Sunderland bench, sparking a shoving match in which Black Cats' boss Sam Allardyce and Norwich substitute Cameron Jerome jostled each other. Relations were not improved by Borini's goal celebration which finished with him sliding on his knees in front of the home supporters, some of whom returned fire with the paper clappers that had been distributed before kick-off. The closing stages of the match played out to the travelling fans' taunts that Norwich are heading to the Championship with their north-east rivals Newcastle. If that prediction proves true, this result will feature heavily in Norwich's post-mortem of the season. Media playback is not supported on this device Norwich boss Alex Neil: \"The two", "summary": "Sunderland climbed to within a point of safety by beating relegation rivals Norwich at Carrow Road."}
{"article": "The service for cousins dual Irish-US citizen Ashley Donohoe, 22, and Olivia Burke, 21, from Dublin, was taking place in Sonoma. The bodies of four other Irish students will be repatriated on an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin on Saturday night. They are due to arrive at Dublin Airport on Sunday morning. On Friday night the relatives of Lorc\u00c3\u00a1n Miller, Eimear Walsh, Eoghan Culligan, and Niccolai (Nick) Schuster received their bodies for the first time at a joint service in St Columba's Church in Oakland, California. Their bodies lay in repose in open caskets until around 22:00 local time. After Saturday's joint funeral service for Ashley Donohoe and Olivia Burke, Ms Burke's remains will be flown home to Ireland on Sunday evening. The balcony collapsed during a 21st birthday party in the early hours of Tuesday in the city of Berkeley. Five of the six people who died were Irish students based in the US as part of a work exchange programme. The victims were: Meanwhile, the conditions of two of the people who were injured in the Berkeley balcony collapse have improved. Conor Flynn and Jack Halpin are being cared for at the John Muir Medical Centre in Walnut Creek. Hospital pastor Fr Michael Gillen described the pair as inspirational and said they should make a full recovery. Investigations continue into why the fourth-floor balcony collapsed. Engineers say water damage may have caused the structure to give way. Authorities said 13 people were on the balcony when it collapsed. A book of condolence is to be opened at Belfast City Hall on Monday.", "summary": "A joint funeral mass is being held in California for two of the six students killed in an apartment balcony collapse in Berkeley on Monday night."}
{"article": "Fletcher Porrit, was injured by the Cleveland Police dog when it was called to an unrelated incident. He was hurt near Farleigh Close, Billingham, at about 20:00 GMT on 3 March, the Independent Police Complaints Commission said. Commissioner Carl Gumsley said it was \"vital that we collate all the relevant information\".", "summary": "A witness appeal has been launched after a 10-year-old boy was bitten by a police dog."}
{"article": "The Dean Trust which runs Ashton on Mersey in Sale wants to send the pupils to Broadoak School in Partington. Parents claim this would be \"unlawful\" as their children's Educational Health and Care Plan (EHC) states that they should attend Ashton on Mersey. The trust said it was \"oversubscribed\". Parents have contacted a solicitor who has written a formal pre-action letter to the school outlining their legal position. If the school does not respond to the letter by Friday parents will issue judicial review proceedings, James Betts from Simpson Millar Solicitors said. Deborah Keay's 11-year-old son Samuel who has autism has been told he will be one of the pupils with special needs taken by bus to Broadoak, also run by the Dean Trust. She said the change would be very stressful and upsetting for her son. \"I wanted him to go to a mainstream school, but a mainstream school that had quite a number of years of dealing with children on the autism spectrum. \"I know and understand they are a victim of their own success but, at the end of the day, my child's school named on his EHC is Ashton on Mersey. It is not Broadoak and it is not the Dean Trust.\" Mr Betts, who is representing seven of the families, said the school is legally obliged to admit those pupils under section 43 of the Children's and Families Act 2014. \"The school is still a separate legal entity and so, in the EHC, it would say Ashton on Mersey school... so that is clearly the school that they are under a legal duty to allow them to attend.\" Councillor John Lamb, chair of governors at Ashton on Mersey School, said it already provided just under 8% of its school places to students with special educational needs. \"If you think about a comparable neighbouring school that same figure is under 1%.\" He assured parents: \"We would provide at Broadoak, as we do here, that specialised care and attention that those children deserve and need.\" Trafford Council said: \"Where the parent of a child with a draft educational healthcare plan expresses a preference for an academy... the council will name it in the final plan, unless, after consulting the school's governing body, one of the statutory exceptions are made out.\" The Regional School Commissioner is responsible for ensuring all Academies continue to meet their statutory requirements, it added.", "summary": "A group of parents whose children have special needs is threatening legal action against an academy school in Trafford after accusing it of \"discrimination\"."}
{"article": "However, it has faced fierce and sometimes violent opposition in various parts of the world. In some of the latest trouble in South Africa, Uber drivers have complained of intimidation and harassment by their rivals for business. Here is what you need to know about the upstart transport firm. Founded just six years ago, the San Francisco-based Uber \"seamlessly connects riders to drivers\", as the company puts it. Users download an app which uses GPS technology to locate available drivers. You tap the screen to hail a cab and pay automatically on arrival with a credit card. Fares are usually lower than with traditional firms. It operates in 57 countries, but Uber's ambitions go beyond providing taxis - it has also trialled courier and fast food delivery services. Uber takes a cut of each fare. Since it does not directly employ drivers, or own the vehicles, costs are kept low. Growth has been fast - some forecasts put revenues this year at around $2bn (\u00c2\u00a31.2bn). It has also attracted huge amounts of funding. A recent valuation estimates the company as worth over $50bn (\u00c2\u00a331.7bn). At this level, should Uber go public, it would be the biggest start-up flotation since Facebook. The service needs a large pool of drivers to provide a reliable service, and is keen to stress how easy it is to join. You will need your own car for starters, and to cover the costs of fuel and servicing. The company also conducts background checks on potential recruits. For drivers, despite the lower fares, there are obvious perks, such as being able to choose your own hours. Uber's growth has been matched by protests around the world. Canada, France, Hong Kong, India, South Africa, the US and UK have all seen demonstrations. Such protests have brought gridlock to major capital cities. Occasionally, like in France, they turned violent. The firm has had to provide security to protect its drivers in South Africa after threats from traditional drivers. Broadly, taxi drivers accuse Uber of unfair competition, undercutting prices by allowing unlicensed drivers to escape regulation required for the professionals. An Indian woman who says she was raped by an Uber driver in Delhi has filed a lawsuit against the firm, accusing it of failing to ensure her safety. Uber said it was co-operating with the authorities. Its vetting process has also been put under the spotlight by allegations of sexual assaults by drivers in the US and Canada. The company has been accused of aggressive business practices, including poaching drivers from rival Lyft. And Uber executive Emil Michael said he was \"plain wrong\" for suggesting hiring researchers to dig up dirt on journalists who wrote negative reports on the company. Uber's popularity makes it hard to see it disappearing soon. History has looked more kindly on disruptive technology than its critics, whether it be mechanised looms in the Industrial Revolution or audio downloads. But the firm does face challenges. Local regulations could bite, raising fares - a court in California last month ruled in favour of an Uber driver who argued", "summary": "The taxi-hailing app Uber has expanded rapidly since its launch and gained popularity with users as fares are generally cheaper than with traditional taxis."}
{"article": "Aspas scored from the penalty spot on the hour to put Celta 2-1 up after Raul Albentosa had cancelled out Hugo Mallo's opener. Fabian Orellana added a third for Celta in the 78th minute before Aspas, 29, sealed the win seven minutes from time. Aspas scored once in 15 appearances for Liverpool in the 2013-14 season. Liverpool signed Aspas from Celta for \u00a37m in June 2013 but he struggled to make an impact and was sold to Sevilla. He rejoined Celta for a second spell in June 2015 and scored 14 goals in 35 appearances in La Liga last season. Match ends, Celta de Vigo 4, Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a 1. Second Half ends, Celta de Vigo 4, Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a 1. Attempt missed. Pedro Mosquera (Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a) header from very close range is too high. Assisted by Celso Borges following a corner. Attempt missed. Celso Borges (Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Faycal Fajr with a cross following a corner. Corner, Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a. Conceded by Pablo Hern\u00e1ndez. Attempt blocked. Florin Andone (Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is blocked. Assisted by Carles Gil. Nemanja Radoja (Celta de Vigo) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Marlos Moreno (Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a). Substitution, Celta de Vigo. Pione Sisto replaces Orellana. Cabral (Celta de Vigo) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Florin Andone (Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a). Substitution, Celta de Vigo. Giuseppe Rossi replaces Iago Aspas. Foul by Cabral (Celta de Vigo). Florin Andone (Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Corner, Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a. Conceded by Facundo Roncaglia. Goal! Celta de Vigo 4, Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a 1. Iago Aspas (Celta de Vigo) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Sergio \u00c1lvarez. Offside, Celta de Vigo. Pablo Hern\u00e1ndez tries a through ball, but Iago Aspas is caught offside. Nemanja Radoja (Celta de Vigo) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Carles Gil (Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a). Substitution, Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a. Celso Borges replaces Guilherme. Goal! Celta de Vigo 3, Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a 1. Orellana (Celta de Vigo) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jonny with a cross. Attempt saved. Orellana (Celta de Vigo) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Pedro Mosquera (Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Orellana (Celta de Vigo) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Pedro Mosquera (Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a). Substitution, Celta de Vigo. Marcelo D\u00edaz replaces Theo Bongonda. Substitution, Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a. Carles Gil replaces Ryan Babel. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Hugo Mallo (Celta de Vigo) because of an injury. Offside, Deportivo de La Coru\u00f1a. Faycal Fajr tries a through ball,", "summary": "Former Liverpool striker Iago Aspas scored twice as Celta Vigo beat La Liga rivals Deportivo La Coruna 4-1 in the Galician derby."}
{"article": "A year ago, he was a member of the government of one the most unpopular French presidents in history. Now, at 39, he has won France's presidential election, defeating first the mainstream centre left and centre right and now the far right as well. No doubt about it, Mr Macron was carried to victory in part by the winds of fortune. A public scandal knocked out the initial frontrunner, centre-right candidate Fran\u00e7ois Fillon; and Socialist candidate Beno\u00eet Hamon, already on the left fringe of the party, suffered a very public drubbing as traditional voters looked elsewhere. \"He was very lucky, because he was facing a situation that was completely unexpected,\" says Marc-Olivier Padis, of Paris-based think tank Terra Nova. Luck doesn't tell the whole story. Mr Macron could have gone for the Socialist ticket, but he realised after years in power and dismal public approval ratings the party's voice would always struggle to be heard. \"He was able to foresee there was an opportunity when nobody could,\" says Mr Padis. Instead, he looked at political movements that have sprung up elsewhere in Europe - Podemos in Spain, Italy's Five-Star Movement - and saw that there was no equivalent game-changing political force in France. In April 2016, he established his \"people-powered\" En Marche! (On the move) movement and four months later he stood down from President Fran\u00e7ois Hollande's government. Having established En Marche, he took his cue from Barack Obama's grassroots 2008 US election campaign, says Paris-based freelance journalist Emily Schultheis. His first major undertaking was the Grande Marche (Big March), when he mobilised his growing ranks of energised but inexperienced En Marche activists. \"The campaign used algorithms from a political firm they worked with - who by the way had volunteered for the Obama campaign in 2008 - to identify districts and neighbourhoods that were most representative of France as a whole,\" Ms Schultheis says. \"They sent out people to knock on 300,000 doors.\" The volunteers didn't just hand out flyers - they carried out 25,000 in-depth interviews of about 15 minutes with voters across the country. That information was entered into a large database which helped inform campaign priorities and policies. \"It was a massive focus group for Macron in gauging the temperature of the country but also made sure that people had contact with his movement early on, making sure that volunteers knew how to go door to door. It was a training exercise that really laid the groundwork for what he did this year,\" Ms Schultheis explains. And he capitalised on it. Mr Macron's political persona appears beset with contradictions. The \"newcomer\" who was President Hollande's protege and then economy minister; the ex-investment banker running a grassroots movement; the centrist with a radical programme to slash the public sector. It was perfect ammunition for run-off rival Marine Le Pen, who said he was the candidate of the elite, not the novice he said he was. But he dodged attempts to label him as another Fran\u00e7ois Hollande, creating a profile that resonated among people desperate for something new. \"There is", "summary": "Emmanuel Macron has triggered a political earthquake in French politics."}
{"article": "The four-time champion has been at the team since 2015 and has helped build them up to be title contenders this year after a difficult few seasons. Vettel is leading the championship by 14 points from Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton with nine races remaining. The move ends speculation that the 30-year-old could be considering a move to Mercedes in the near future. A statement from Ferrari said the team had \"extended its technical and racing agreement\" with Vettel \"for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 racing seasons of the F1 world championship\". In Ferrari's time-honoured style, the statement contained no quotes or further information from the driver or the team. Ferrari announced earlier this week they had retained Vettel's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen for one more season. Vettel had made it clear his preference was for the Finn to stay. Vettel's decision is likely to be followed by confirmation from Mercedes that they will retain Valtteri Bottas for at least another season alongside Hamilton. The Finn was signed on a one-year deal to replace world champion Nico when after the German retired from F1 after winning the title last year. Hamilton is contracted to Mercedes until the end of 2018. Later, after qualifying second to title rival Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes, Vettel said: \"I love this team and the people who work for this brand,\" adding: \"In a way, it was a no-brainer to continue. We haven't yet achieved what we wanted to achieve. But things are looking pretty good and obviously we have a long road ahead of us.\" Asked whether he had talks with Mercedes over the summer, he said: \"I have been around in the paddock for a while so I know people and it's only natural you talk, but it has never been more than chatting,\" he said. \"I have been talking for a while with Ferrari. My intention was to stay.\" Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said: \"There were zero discussions with Sebastian about a contract.\" Vettel added that he had signed the deal at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix and talked of the inspiration he has following in the footsteps of his childhood hero Michael Schumacher. \"We haven't succeeded. The mission is still ongoing. I want to win in red. We talked about inspiration earlier, about Michael, who was mostly dressed in red, he won most of his races and championships in red. \"I don't want to step in his footsteps. The whole generation of the Ferrari team today was to leave their own footsteps but certainly there is a huge inspiration. Something that for me is now the biggest challenge and dream I have. It's what I want to achieve.\"", "summary": "Sebastian Vettel has signed a new contract to stay with Ferrari until the end of 2020."}
{"article": "Meyiwa, 27, was shot on Sunday, apparently after burglars entered his girlfriend's house near Johannesburg. A suspect appeared in court on Friday and was charged with the murder of the popular goalkeeper. Meyiwa's death shocked South Africa and has highlighted the high rates of violent crime in the country. The funeral took place at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Meyiwa's hometown of Durban. Many of the mourners were wearing T-shirts with a picture of Meyiwa, who was widely seen as an inspiring figure. Others wore red or black replica football shirts in the colours of Meyiwa's team, Orlando Pirates. Meyiwa's coffin was driven into the stadium, followed by Orlando Pirates players and officials. Mourners cried as videos were played showing Meyiwa training and playing football. Celebrating Senzo Meyiwa's life was the main theme for the tens of thousands of fans who packed into the stands. Fans from his team, the Orlando Pirates, but also from their rivals, the Kaiser Chiefs, sung Senzo's praises - both his ability on the pitch, and his behaviour off it. But there were also posters calling for justice for his killers, and a tougher stance from the South African authorities over gun-related violence. Underlying everything was a sense of injustice that one of Africa's most promising football talents could be killed in such a way. The chairman of the country's football association said he hoped that this could be a \"turning-point\" in the long-running debate over violent crime. And Senzo Meyiwa's father Sam told me he wanted more random searches, to cut the number of guns in South Africa. \"We are no longer safe in our houses,\" he said. \"The entire nation is crying. We have all lost. Our condolences to Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana,\" said Durban Mayor James Nxumalo, AFP reported, using a nickname for South Africa's national team. \"Our hearts are bleeding.\" President Zuma ordered the national flag to be flown at half-mast on Saturday to honour the goalkeeper. Following Meyiwa's death, South Africa's domestic football league postponed this weekend's scheduled Johannesburg derby between Orlando Pirates and rivals Kaiser Chiefs. The Durban stadium was also named as the venue for host South Africa's next Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. The funeral of another South African sporting hero, former 800m world champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, also took place on Saturday. Mulaudzi was killed in a car accident the day before Meyiwa's death. Police said on Friday that a suspect had been identified in Meyiwa's killing after an identity parade. The man, named as Zanokuhle Mbatha, 25, faced charges of murder and armed robbery at a court hearing and is due to appear again on 11 November. Police had offered a reward for information on the attack. \"There are still other suspects outstanding and we appeal to the public to continue providing information in support of the investigation,\" a police statement said.", "summary": "Tens of thousands of people have attended the funeral of South African football captain Senzo Meyiwa in Durban."}
{"article": "Hampshire Police posted a photograph of a red car on its side, asking people to \"retweet for a Hyundai i20 or FAV for a Vauxhall Corsa\". Some people called the tweet \"inappropriate\", but it was also described as \"moronic\". \"We were simply trying to show the impact of the crash. We didn't mean to offend,\" the @HantsPolRoads responded. \"Getting some negative replies to crashed car tweet. \"The driver was not injured in this incident. We were trying to highlight how much a car can be damaged in a crash.\" No one was seriously injured in the crash on Wednesday on Redbridge Road, Southampton. A number of people called the post \"inappropriate\", \"irresponsible\" and \"making light of someone's traumatic experience.\" Ian Taylor said: \"Not inappropriate in the slightest. Absolutely moronic.\" Alex Oates said: \"A game out of a crash? What's next? 'did the driver/cyclist/pedestrian live? RT yes, FAV no?'.\" Wayne Herridge said he had reported the post to Twitter as an inappropriate tweet. A spokesman for Hampshire Police said two vehicles were involved in the collision and the driver of the red Hyundai had to be freed by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service. Nobody was seriously injured in the crash.", "summary": "People have attacked a tweet by a roads policing unit asking readers to identify the brand of a crashed car."}
{"article": "The ivory, with a black market value of $30m (\u00c2\u00a319.4m), is the largest consignment to be destroyed in Kenya. \"Many of these tusks belonged to elephants which were wantonly slaughtered by criminals,\" he said at the ceremony in Nairobi National Park. Elephant ivory is often smuggled to Asia for use in ornaments. Rhinos are also poached for their horns for use in traditional medicine. Conservationists have warned that elephants could be wiped out in some parts of Africa in the next few years. \"Twenty-five years after the historic banning of the ivory trade, demand from the emerging markets once again threatens Africa's elephants and rhinos,\" President Kenyatta said. The burning of the ivory was to show that wildlife trophies must be put \"beyond economic use\", he said. \"We want future generations of Kenyans, Africans and indeed the entire world to experience the majesty and beauty of these magnificent animals. \"Poachers and their enablers will not have the last word in Kenya.\" Mr Kenyatta promised that his government would destroy the country's entire stockpile of ivory - thought to be another 115 tonnes - by the end of the year. \"We are committed to combating the menace robustly and persistently until we dismantle the entire vile economy,\" the president said, adding that Interpol's new regional office on environmental crime in Kenya was a significant boost in the battle. Last month, China imposed a one-year ban on the import of ivory, amid criticism that demand from its consumers was fuelling poaching in Africa.", "summary": "Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has set fire to 15 tonnes of elephant ivory as part of the East African nation's efforts to curb poaching."}
{"article": "It means Blackberry users will have to use the mobile version of the website to log on to the social network. It is not clear when this will come into effect. Earlier this month WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, also announced that it would only continue to support Blackberry's Android-powered Priv handset. Whatsapp support for Blackberry's own operating system will end at the end of 2016, the firm said. \"We fought back to work with WhatsApp and Facebook to change their minds, but at this time, their decision stands,\" wrote Lou Gazzola, who works in developer relations at Blackberry, in a blog post. \"We have worked hard to ensure our end users have the best experience in light of this decision, and are continuing to search for alternate solutions.\" Mr Gazzola urged supporters to take to social media using the hashtag #ILoveBB10Apps. \"Hey @facebook and @WhatsApp #ILoveBB10Apps Please don't kill'em *attempts puppy eyes*\" tweeted Jo. \"I use BB10 because I wanted an alternative to Android and iOS devices, don't stop offering people an alternative choice! #ILoveBB10Apps\" tweeted Ed Hale. Facebook has been contacted for comment.", "summary": "Blackberry said it is \"extremely disappointed\" with Facebook's decision to discontinue support for its app."}
{"article": "Alexander Perepilichnyy, 44, collapsed and died in the road in Weybridge, Surrey, on the evening of 10 November 2012. Surrey Police investigated his death, but decided it was not suspicious. However, new toxicology tests have shown that a rare poison may have been used to kill him. Mr Perepilichnyy had told colleagues in London he had received death threats, reports BBC world affairs correspondent Richard Galpin. He had handed over sensitive documents to a businessman in London and to prosecutors in Switzerland, our correspondent adds. These implicated Russian officials and mafia members in the theft of $240m (\u00c2\u00a3147m) from the Russian state through tax fraud. The full inquest had been due to get under way earlier, but was delayed because of the new toxicology information. Tests showed a potential marker for a rare poison called Gelsemium elegans. Further tests will be carried out to establish if the poison was in his body.", "summary": "A wealthy Russian businessman who died suddenly near his home in Surrey may have been poisoned, a pre-inquest hearing has been told."}
{"article": "Fishlock, 29, had been a player and assistant coach to Jo Montemurro, who has taken up a role with the club's men's team. Her first match in charge will be the Round 11 fixture at Sydney FC on Sunday, 8 January. Sydney are top of the table with Fishlock's side fourth.", "summary": "Wales midfielder Jess Fishlock has taken over as Melbourne City coach for the final weeks of Australia's W-League season."}
{"article": "It will be called Angel Franco, after the senior golfer from Paraguay. He is playing at a tournament at North Berwick and will take part in the naming ceremony. The International Fire and Rescue Association (IFRA), which is organising the delivery of the fire appliance, said firefighters in Paraguay are often poorly equipped. IFRA chairman David Kay said: \"It's fantastic that this appliance will be named after such a well-known figure in Paraguay and even better that it will be stationed near his home. \"I know that it has come to the end of its working life in Scotland but its still very able to save lives 6,000 miles away for many more years.\" Angel Franco is taking part in the Prostate Cancer UK Scottish Seniors Open at Archerfield Golf Club in North Berwick. The Angel Franco fire engine will be sent to the city Luque. It is the 81st appliance delivered by IFRA since it was founded in 2002. A total of 19 countries have benefitted. Mr Kay said that volunteer firefighters in many of these countries have \"little training, few appliances and no equipment\". He added: \"Once we have finished with it here, IFRA with the support of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and other agencies collect and send all the equipment we can to help kit out and equip the volunteers in these countries. \"Then we drive or fly out as we have on 58 previous training missions to ensure they are trained to the highest standards to allow them to safely save more lives. \"It's great to think that all this redundant and superseded kit continues to save people in other countries long after we stop using it and the people of Scotland should be justifiably proud of this.\"", "summary": "A fire appliance being sent to Paraguay by Scotland's biggest fire service charity will be officially named later."}
{"article": "South Wales Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Sophie Howe said Cardiff has reached \"saturation point\". She said licences had been granted that the force \"haven't necessarily agreed with\". On Friday, the council said it only granted licences in a \"saturation zone\" when applicants show there will be no negative impact. After a summit into recent alleged sex attacks in the city, Ms Howe pointed out there are 299 licensed premises in Cardiff's central square mile. \"It is the highest concentration of licensed premises anywhere in the UK,\" she said. The council said police and other responsible authorities were notified of every licence application. Any objections must relate to the authority's licensing objectives. These include the prevention of crime and disorder, the prevention of public nuisance, public safety and the protection of children from harm. \"If relevant representations are received, the licensing sub-committee must consider the application and the relevant representations made,\" the council said. \"The policy of the authority in general is that we will not permit any further premises to be licensed for the sale of alcohol in areas designated in a saturation zone unless the applicant is able to demonstrate that there will be no negative impact on one or more of the licensing objectives.\" Thursday's summit was attended by figures from the police, the council, the city's universities and businesses. It followed three sexual assaults alleged to have taken place near Cardiff University Students' Union during freshers' fortnight.", "summary": "Claims there are \"too many\" pubs and bars in central Cardiff have been defended by the city's council."}
{"article": "The 32-year-old, who can also play in midfield, has spent nine seasons of his career playing Premier League football. He was a free agent after his release by Hull City in June, having played 12 times last term as the Tigers on promotion back to the top flight. He is available for Vale's home League One match against Oxford on Saturday. Taylor is the 18th signing made by new Vale boss Bruno Ribeiro since taking over in June. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Port Vale have signed former Wigan Athletic and Newcastle United defender Ryan Taylor on a short-term deal, subject to league approval."}
{"article": "The 56-year-old Spaniard was appointed in March following Steve McClaren's sacking but failed to keep the Magpies in the top flight. He had a break clause in his contract if Newcastle were relegated and was widely expected to leave the club. \"The love I could feel from the fans was a big influence for me,\" he said. Former Liverpool, Chelsea, and Real Madrid boss Benitez will have control over \"all football-related matters\" at the club, Newcastle said. Benitez's decision also hinged on the amount of funds he has to strengthen the squad following their demotion to the Championship. \"This is a huge club and I wanted to be part of the great future I can see for Newcastle United,\" added Benitez. \"The main thing for me is that I have assurances that we will have a strong team - a winning team.\" Benitez, who was sacked by Real in January and has also managed Valencia, Inter Milan and Napoli, took over with Newcastle one point adrift of safety. Despite losing only three of his 10 matches in charge, the Magpies were relegated with one game of the season remaining. Home supporters used their final match - a 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham - to try to convince Benitez to stay at St James' Park, singing and chanting his name throughout the home game. Newcastle managing director Lee Charnley described Benitez as \"phenomenal\" and \"world-class\", saying he had \"captured the hearts and minds\" of fans and the club as a whole. \"I believe with Rafa as manager it gives us the best possible chance of returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking and delivering success for this football club beyond that,\" added Charnley. \"It is clear that Rafa has connected deeply with the club's supporters and we do not underestimate the role they have played in his decision to stay.\" Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer said he was \"delighted\", but a \"little bit surprised\", telling BBC Radio 5 live: \"For Newcastle to attract of a manager of his calibre is a coup.\" BBC Sport pundit Mark Lawrenson, a former Newcastle coach, said: \"He's a control freak in the nicest possible way. I would imagine he's probably got millions to buy players plus what he generates in sales. He is ruthless. \"He managed at a lower level in Spain, that's where he learned the art of management. He'll get them organised defensively straight away, which you have to do in the Championship. \"Newcastle, Liverpool, Valencia - all teams with a massive base of support and very loyal to their managers if they think they are any good. I can really understand why he's staying.\"", "summary": "Rafael Benitez is staying as Newcastle United manager after signing a new three-year contract following their relegation from the Premier League."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old former Sale Sharks tight-head prop, who has won seven caps for England, joined Bath in 2014 and has played six times so far this term. \"It is the place for me. It is my home. I've loved the past few years here,\" Thomas told BBC Radio Bristol. Thomas is currently out long term after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in November. \"It wasn't a hard decision to make,\" Thomas added. \"I've signed on for three years and I'm really excited.\" Asked if he might play again this season, he replied: \"It is a big doubt really. \"As a player you always like to push as much as you can but the physios always have your best interests at heart.\" Bath are fourth in the Premiership after 13 league games this season and are at home to Brive in the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup after finishing top of their pool.", "summary": "Injured front row Henry Thomas has signed a new three-year contract with Premiership club Bath."}
{"article": "Speaking at the G7 summit in Japan, the prime minister, a leading figure in the Remain campaign, denied reports that his \"instinct\" was to vote Leave. \"I am not a closet anything. I have pretty much had the same view about Europe ever since I got involved in active politics,\" the PM said. Boris Johnson told him it was \"not too late\" to join the Leave campaign. With four weeks to go before the UK votes on 23 June about whether to leave the European Union, there have been reports that Conservative PM Mr Cameron, at heart, backs \"Brexit,\" as a British exit from the EU is known. Steve Hilton, who was one of Mr Cameron's closest aides before leaving Downing Street in 2012 and who worked alongside him when they were both Tory researchers, told the Times on Thursday: \"If he was a member of the public, or a backbench MP or a junior minister or even a cabinet minister, I'm certain that he would be for Leave. \"That's his whole instinct. That's who he is. As prime minister he sees it from a different perspective and that's perfectly reasonable ... but I think that if he didn't have that perspective, he would be for Leave.\" But Mr Cameron, who has described himself as a Eurosceptic, said at the close of the G7 summit: \"I am not a closet anything. I have pretty much had the same view about Europe ever since I got involved in active politics. \"I have always taken the same view, which is that we are better off in this organisation but we should be aiming to reform this organisation, we should be looking to enhance the special status that Britain. \"I have never been a closet Brexiteer. I am absolutely passionate about getting the right result, getting this reform in Europe and remaining part of it. It's in Britain's national interest.\" He pointed to a joint declaration by the leaders of the G7 countries - the UK, US, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada - at the end of the two-day Ise-Shima summit, which stated: \"UK exit from the EU would reverse the trend toward greater global trade, investment and the jobs they create and is a further serious risk to growth\". \"When you are faced with a difficult decision, it is often a good thing to listen to what your friends think,\" the prime minister said. In an interview with BBC South political editor Peter Henley, one of the most senior Conservatives in the Vote Leave campaign, Boris Johnson noted Mr Hilton's comments and said it was \"not too late\". Asked if he was suggesting Mr Cameron should join him in campaigning for the UK to leave the EU, the former London mayor added: \"Yes. There is more joy in Heaven over one that repenteth. Now is the time. There's a month to go.\" He added: \"He has been a believer in democracy and over 20 years or so he has been a strong Eurosceptic.\" Mr Cameron, in turn, told LBC radio last week that", "summary": "David Cameron has rejected claims he is a \"closet Brexiteer,\" insisting he is \"passionate\" about staying in the EU."}
{"article": "A lawyer for the families of two unarmed republicans shot dead by the RUC in 1982 said they believed the PSNI is trying protect the RUC's reputation. The claim was made on the first day of a two-week review into some of the most controversial killings of the Troubles. The review is looking at 56 cases involving 97 deaths. They include killings by police officers and soldiers, and others where there are allegations of state collusion. A senior judge, Lord Justice Weir, is assessing what more needs to be done before inquests can be held to establish what happened. In his opening remarks, the judge said he hopes the review \"will shed some light on the cases without producing too much heat\". The review began with a discussion about so-called \"shoot to kill cases\", when RUC officers shot dead six unarmed republicans. A number of lawyers said the time taken by the police to disclose classified documents was the reason inquests had not yet taken place. A barrister for the PSNI said it simply does not have the resources to deal with the vast amount of material relating to legacy cases. But, a lawyer for the families of two of the men who were shot dead said they believe the PSNI is deliberately dragging its heels. Barry McDonald QC said the lack of disclosure of material by the PSNI was the biggest single impediment to the inquests taking place. \"Any time there is light at the end of the tunnel for the families, the PSNI extends the tunnel,\" he told the court. The killings of 10 unarmed Catholic civilians by the army in Ballymurphy in August 1971 were also discussed on Monday. It was revealed that the Ministry of Defence has told lawyers representing the families of those who were killed that it cannot identify the soldiers who were on duty in Ballymurphy at the time of the shootings. The court was told that so far, the Army has only managed to trace one soldier. Lord Justice Weir stressed the importance of the army witnesses being found. \"At the end of the day, we want to hear about the circumstances in which these people were shot, and those best placed to do that are those who shot them,\" he said. The judge said it was in everyone's interests that the soldiers who were there and fired shots came forward and explained why they did so. Lord Justice Weir has been asked to report on the state of readiness of each of the 56 legacy cases, and to identify which, if any, can proceed to inquest hearings. It will then be up to the Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan, to decide what happens next. Likening the legacy inquests to spinning plates, the judge said \"there simply aren't enough resources to spin all of the plates all of the time\". He said he hopes the two week review will lead to an agreement about \"which plates need to spin more urgently\".", "summary": "Police in Northern Ireland have been accused of blocking progress on inquests into controversial killings during the Troubles."}
{"article": "BTP said it had \"unintentionally caused concern\" by suggesting a new operating model, which meant all officers would investigate sexual offences. It said it would now carry out an \"urgent review\" of its plans. The number of sex crimes reported on London transport rose by over a third last year. The Sexual Offence Unit was originally set up to tackle crimes on the London transport network. In response to the news, the group End Violence Against Women (EVAW), said: \"Good on British Transport Police for listening and having a re-think\". EVAW had previously said losing the unit would \"dilute the expertise\" required to tackle sex crime. Figures released recently showed that between April and December 2015, police received 1,603 reports, compared with 1,117 complaints in the same period the year before. An internal risk assessment by Transport for London (TfL) has also suggested that the introduction of the Night Tube will lead to a rise in sexual offences on the Underground. In Japan, Russia, Brazil, India and Germany, seats and carriages are reserved for women on public transport to protect them from sexual harassment. Last August, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn sparked debate when he said he would consider introducing segregated carriages in Britain to stem the rise in assaults on public transport.", "summary": "A specialist policing unit which investigates sexual offences on the Tube will not be disbanded the British Transport Police (BTP) has confirmed."}
{"article": "Two pairs of identical twins who were mixed up soon after they were born in 1998 and grew up apart, find each other almost 25 years later through a combination of chance events. It made headlines in July last year when The New York Times published a long and comprehensive article about it. The daily covered almost every aspect of the story, but the relationship between its main characters has kept evolving since they first met. It all started when a colleague of Bogota office worker Jorge Enrique Bernal Castro went to buy meat at William Canas Velasco's butcher's shop also in Bogota. She could not believe how similar her colleague and the butcher were. Both had the same skinny body, narrow face, small mouth and a cheeky smile. Intrigued by the similarities, she took a photo of the butcher and showed it to Jorge, who was dumbstruck. His curiosity piqued, Jorge got in touch with the butcher and the two met up. Their surprise was doubled, or quadrupled if you would like, when they realised that the person they had up until now believed to be their respective fraternal twins, Carlos Bernal Castro and Wilber Canas Velasco, bore a striking resemblance to each other. Carlos and Wilber are both big men, with robust heads, full lips and serious expressions. They little resemble Jorge and William and not just in physical terms. Jorge and William are more talkative, less formal and like to joke, while Carlos and Wilber are quieter, do not like banter, have a quicker temper and take more care of their looks. When I met them, Carlos and Wilber both had very similar white mobile phones, which they said they had bought separately. William and Jorge were born on 21 December 1988 in the Materno Infantil Hospital in Bogota. Wilber and Carlos were born a day later in northern Santander province. All four were born prematurely at seven months and when Carlos fell ill, he was taken along with Wilber to the Materno Infantil Hospital to be treated. Jorge thinks that both pairs of twins were placed in the same room and that one or more of the identifying wristbands they were wearing fell off and were then placed on the wrong babies. They all left hospital on the same day with their mother none the wiser. William was taken with Wilber by Wilber and Carlos's parents to a rural area in Santander while Carlos and Jorge stayed with Jorge's mother in Bogota. Many years later, William moved to Bogota to work at a butcher's, where he was spotted by Jorge's colleague. They also had the same tendency to play with their phones when the conversation turned away from them. \"We are a little bit more ego-centric, bigger flirts,\" said Carlos talking about the similarities between him and his identical twin Wilber and their differences to Jorge and William \"I think the two of us are better dancers than them,\" Carlos added. Before they all met up for the first time, all four had been apprehensive and worried what", "summary": "The story could well be the plot of a Latin American soap opera - a Colombian one, to be more precise."}
{"article": "The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigated the German bank for the way it accounted for certain assets in reports filed during the financial crisis. The SEC said it over-valued some of these and did not have sufficient collateral to cover potential losses. Deutsche is settling without admitting or denying the charges. The bank said there was no reliable model at the time to value those trades, which were made in the aftermath of the credit crisis and the subsequent collapse of Lehman Brothers. The SEC said the risk for potential losses ran into billions of dollars - a risk which the SEC says was not properly reported to investors. Its investigation found that Deutsche overvalued the value of certain transactions designed to protect against losses on securities in the then highly volatile credit markets. The collateral covering the portfolio was only a fraction, approximately 9%, of the $98bn total in purchased protection. \"At the height of the financial crisis, Deutsche Bank's financial statements did not reflect the significant risk in these large, complex illiquid positions,\" said Andrew Ceresney, director of the SEC's enforcement division. \"Deutsche Bank failed to make reasonable judgments when valuing its positions and lacked robust internal controls over financial reporting.\" Last week, Deutsche Bank encountered anger from its shareholders at its annual general meeting. One of the causes of investor unease was the mounting tally of regulatory fines. Investors singled out a $2.5bn fine to settle investigations into the bank's involvement in the rigging of the Libor interest rate.", "summary": "Deutsche Bank is paying $55m (\u00a335.7m) to settle civil charges for allegedly mis-stating financial reports."}
{"article": "Lines in and out of Cardiff Central were closed early on Thursday morning after Network Rail's re-signalling work went on longer than planned. They reopened at 08:15 GMT but disruption has continued to cause services to be cancelled or delayed. Arriva Trains Wales hoped services would run on time by late evening. Sophie Holley was waiting to catch a train home to Rhoose in Vale of Glamorgan when it was cancelled, so had to arrange a lift instead. She said: \"It's a bit of an issue, we've got to wait around in the cold now with a little one - it's a bit annoying.\" It added there was still severe disruption to Valley line services, but it said trains to Penarth, Coryton and Cardiff Bay would be reinstated throughout the day. Meanwhile, Maesteg services will start and terminate at Bridgend and a shuttle bus will run between Bridgend to Cardiff, calling at Pencoed, Llanharen and Pontyclun. Replacement buses have been put on between Cardiff and Newport and tickets for Cardiff rail services will be accepted by Cardiff Bus. Passengers took to Twitter to vent their anger at the delays. Dan Walsh wrote: \"Sheer madness at Cardiff Central today: not good enough @ArrivaTW @GWRHelp @nationalrailenq.\" Rich Griff tweeted: \"@GWRHelp been sat at a standstill outside Cardiff Central for over an hour. Anyone planned on travelling to Cardiff today. Don't bother.\" Arriva Trains Wales said: \"We apologise for this disruption and would advise all passengers to check before they travel at www.arrivatrains.wales/check for the latest information on disruption to services and assure them that we are doing all we can to get trains back on schedule as quickly and safely as possible.\"", "summary": "Rail disruption continues across south Wales following earlier cancellations between Cardiff to Newport after engineering works overran."}
{"article": "City went ahead in the 27th minute when Rhead headed down Paul Farman's free-kick and Adam Marriott turned his marker to fire home a left-footed effort. The hosts were level two minutes after the break when Ismail Yakubu prodded home from close range after a corner had been flicked on at the near post. Lincoln retook the lead in the 60th minute as a quick free-kick from Alex Woodyard found Jack Muldoon and his cross picked out Rhead, who made no mistake in beating Michael Poke. Rhead then wrapped up victory from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute after Jonny Margetts was tripped. But he missed the chance of a hat-trick seven minutes later when Poke tipped a second penalty around the post after Bradley Wood was bundled over. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Woking 1, Lincoln City 3. Second Half ends, Woking 1, Lincoln City 3. Substitution, Lincoln City. Elliot Hodge replaces Taylor Miles. Taylor Miles (Lincoln City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Lincoln City. Taylor Miles replaces Nathan Arnold. Brian Saah (Woking) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Woking. Max Kretzschmar replaces Ben Gordon. Goal! Woking 1, Lincoln City 3. Matt Rhead (Lincoln City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot. Penalty conceded by Nathan Ralph (Woking) after a foul in the penalty area. Penalty Lincoln City. Matt Rhead draws a foul in the penalty area. Sam Habergham (Lincoln City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Woking. Charlie Penny replaces Dennon Lewis. Substitution, Lincoln City. Jonathon Margetts replaces Adam Marriott. Corner, Woking. Goal! Woking 1, Lincoln City 2. Matt Rhead (Lincoln City). Corner, Woking. Jamie McCombe (Lincoln City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Goal! Woking 1, Lincoln City 1. Ismail Yakubu (Woking). Corner, Woking. Substitution, Woking. Ismail Yakubu replaces Fabio Saraiva. Second Half begins Woking 0, Lincoln City 1. First Half ends, Woking 0, Lincoln City 1. Corner, Lincoln City. Joey Jones (Woking) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Goal! Woking 0, Lincoln City 1. Adam Marriott (Lincoln City). Corner, Lincoln City. Corner, Lincoln City. Corner, Woking. Corner, Lincoln City. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.", "summary": "Matt Rhead's second-half brace ensured Lincoln started the National League season with a 3-1 victory over Woking at Kingfield."}
{"article": "Keane, 23, initially continued playing after a clash of heads during the 2-0 win over Rotherham on 20 February. But he was substituted on 32 minutes and missed the next two matches, returning on 5 March against Blackburn. \"I felt alright to go on but I went down from a set play and said to the physio I couldn't see,\" Keane said. In November 2015, the Football Association released new guidelines that stated \"anyone with a suspected concussion must be immediately removed from play\". Keane added that it took him a while to get back to feeling \"normal\" following his injury. \"At first I was just really dizzy all the time and had no memory of the past week, really,\" he told BBC Radio Lancashire. \"The doctor asked me what year it was and I thought it was 1996. I was all over the place. \"I got treated really well at the hospital, had a few scans and then had to take my time to get back to normal and thankfully now I am alright. \"Looking back, [substituting me] was definitely the right thing to do. \"They have to be extra cautious when it comes to head injuries and rightly so because you can get massive injuries to your brain.\"", "summary": "Burnley defender Michael Keane has revealed he believed it was 1996 and had \"no memory\" of the previous week after suffering from concussion."}
{"article": "The government also said it would extend its campaign of air strikes against the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Iraq into Syria. So, how will Australia decide which refugees it will take, and what will happen to them when they arrive? Who will be accepted? Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Australia would take in 12,000 Syrian refugees from persecuted minorities - a significant increase on the 13,750 refugee places Australia had set aside for 2015. A team of Australian government officials will soon depart for the Middle East to work with the UN's refugee agency to identify and process potential candidates for resettlement. The government said its focus would be on those people most in need, in particular, the women, children and families of persecuted Syrian minorities who have sought refuge from the conflict in neighbouring Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Australian officials told local media the first refugees - who must pass health and security tests - could be in the country by December and the full 12,000 people settled by mid-2016. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates there are 7.6 million internally displaced Syrians and an another 4 million who have fled in search of protection. Which countries are in the best position to take migrants? Where will they live? In the biggest refugee resettlement in Australia in decades, it is likely the 12,000 Syrians will be resettled across Australia in major cities. Some regional towns have offered to take some of the refugees but they would need significant financial help to do so. The refugees are not expected to be housed in existing detention centres, such as the one in Villawood, in western Sydney, because those facilities - already mostly operating at capacity - house people whose refugee status has yet to be determined. Support such as English lessons, education for children and health services, will have to be provided, with the government estimating a total cost of up to A$700m ($494m; \u00c2\u00a3321m) over four years. How have people reacted? The UNHCR \"warmly\" welcomed the announcement, as did many Australians, including some in Mr Abbott's own Liberal Party who had been urging him to take more refugees. Premier of Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, Mike Baird, whose recent plea to the government to do more is believed to have influenced Mr Abbott's decision, applauded \"this bold and generous decision\". The Labor Opposition - which had called for an extra 10,000 refugee places and A$100m in extra aid - also welcomed the announcement but warned the government not to take Greens leader Richard Di Natale tweeted that every refugee welcomed into Australia was \"another person with a chance\", but said bombing Syria \"will only create more refugees and more suffering\". Why is Australia only taking refugees from 'persecuted minorities'? In recent days, a number of prominent government members have said Australia should only accept Christian Syrians, sparking fierce criticism from other quarters. But Mr Abbott denied the government was discriminating against Muslim Syrians who also face grave peril. \"There are persecuted minorities that are Muslim, there", "summary": "In a major policy turnaround, the Australian government has said it will significantly increase its refugee intake and its financial aid to the UN for people displaced by the conflicts in the Middle East."}
{"article": "It means the London club's Centre Court will hold almost 9,000 people for the June tournament which marks the start of the grass-court season. Queen's has also signed a deal with the Lawn Tennis Association to host the championships until 2026. Tournament director Stephen Farrow said the traditional Wimbledon warm-up event would be \"better than ever\" in 2017. \"Last year we sold out within 24 hours and enjoyed a 20% increase in hospitality sales, so the demand for an increase in capacity is clear,\" he added. Britain's two-time Wimbledon and Olympic champion Andy Murray is the holder and record five-time winner. Next year's tournament runs from 19 to 25 June.", "summary": "The Queen's Club will increase its capacity by more than 2,000 seats for the 2017 Aegon Championships."}
{"article": "Matt Bloomfield made his 400th appearance for Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday in the latest chapter of a Chairboys career which has included a League Cup semi-final, two promotions, three relegations and two play-off campaigns. It's not something that I set out to achieve. It's not something that I ever really thought might happen up until last season. And it's something that rarely happens in football, let alone in League Two. My first Wycombe game wasn't very memorable. We lost 2-0 at home against Rushden and Diamonds. We were poor, they were better, I was average. Welcome to the real world. I was 19 but had played for Ipswich and lived at home up until that point. I hadn't experienced the world and my mind was very narrow about lower-league football. I entered a dressing room that was in transition. Unbeknown to myself several of the squad were on their way out of the club and I was the new kid from Ipswich that had come to take their place. I was used to changing with my mates, trying to get into a team that was full of extremely rich footballers. I was now part of a first team of players on normal earnings with mortgages to pay and kids to feed. Most of these were out of contract and told that they could leave. It was something of a culture shock to me. That has to be Torquay away in May 2014. To all intents and purposes we were destined to be relegated from League Two, and the repercussions of relegation for the club into non-league could have been huge. I'm certain that I wouldn't be writing this now if that had been the case. Changes and cuts would have had to be made and for those reasons alone the fact that we avoided relegation by a single goal makes it the stand-out game. The relief and elation was massive. Rushden and Diamonds away at Nene Park. Steve Claridge laid the ball off onto my left foot, 25 yards out. Head down and strike through the ball. Top corner! I know it doesn't really sound like me but I can assure you that there is video footage to prove that it is true! One funny moment that isn't very well known is the day I knocked the referee's front teeth out at Leyton Orient. About 10 years ago a long ball was played over my head in central midfield and I'm running back towards my goal... our defender clears the ball and as I turn I collide with the referee with the side of my head hitting his mouth. Orient's youth team players were out on the pitch after the game looking for his teeth and I felt absolutely awful. Apart from apologising profusely after the game I feel bad that to this day I haven't ever spoken to that referee again. Contract length, budget cuts, managers changing more often, the opportunity to earn more money elsewhere or just the feeling of 'what if the grass is greener at another club?'. I", "summary": "Four hundred games at one football club, spanning 12 and a half years."}
{"article": "The visitors were ahead after five minutes when debutant goalkeeper Stuart Moore made a hash of his punch and Will Boyle scored from close range. Isaac Vassell missed an open goal from five yards for the hosts and Jonathan Smith's header was then cleared off the line by Jack Barthram. The hosts again came close to a leveller midway through the half as Smith's half-volley went close, while Jordan Cook's wonderful free-kick cannoned against the angle of post and bar. However, the Robins broke with devastating pace to make it 2-0 on 28 minutes, with Carl Winchester picking out Barthram to fire past Moore. Luton did reduce the deficit on 41 minutes, Vassell slamming home from inside the box. Cheltenham had a third on the hour, with Billy Waters on hand to beat Moore and score his 12th of the season. The Hatters were back in the game once more in the 72nd minute when Liam Davis turned Olly Lee's drilled free-kick into his own net, but the hosts couldn't find an equaliser. Match report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Luton Town 2, Cheltenham Town 3. Second Half ends, Luton Town 2, Cheltenham Town 3. Attempt missed. Scott Cuthbert (Luton Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. James Justin (Luton Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by James Justin (Luton Town). Kyle Storer (Cheltenham Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Glen Rea (Luton Town). Daniel Wright (Cheltenham Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Attempt blocked. Jordan Cook (Luton Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Substitution, Cheltenham Town. Kyle Storer replaces Jordan Cranston because of an injury. Delay in match Jordan Cranston (Cheltenham Town) because of an injury. Attempt blocked. Jordan Cook (Luton Town) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt missed. Liam Davis (Cheltenham Town) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Attempt missed. Manny Onariase (Cheltenham Town) header from very close range is just a bit too high. Corner, Cheltenham Town. Conceded by Scott Cuthbert. Foul by Scott Cuthbert (Luton Town). James Rowe (Cheltenham Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Jordan Cook (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Manny Onariase (Cheltenham Town). Foul by Pelly Ruddock (Luton Town). Harry Pell (Cheltenham Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Cheltenham Town. Daniel Wright replaces Kyle Wootton. Own Goal by Liam Davis, Cheltenham Town. Luton Town 2, Cheltenham Town 3. William Boyle (Cheltenham Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Jordan Cook (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by William Boyle (Cheltenham Town). Substitution, Luton Town. Jake Gray replaces Luke Gambin. Delay in match Harry Pell (Cheltenham Town) because of an injury. Foul by Olly Lee (Luton Town). Harry Pell (Cheltenham Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. James Justin (Luton Town)", "summary": "Struggling Cheltenham produced a superb 3-2 win to stun League Two promotion-chasers Luton Town at Kenilworth Road."}
{"article": "The All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) has advised the Welsh Government not to fund the daily pill Prep. It said the case for cost-effectiveness \"had not been proven\". It comes weeks after Scotland's medicines body backed its use. Scientists have found a daily dose of the drug can protect people at high risk of contracting the virus. Around 150 new people are diagnosed with HIV in Wales each year, nearly half from sexually transmitted infection between men. The drug is suggested for people at high risk who might not have safe sex. One estimate is it might cost \u00c2\u00a32.5m a year in Wales. An independent HIV expert group has already called it \"highly effective\" when used with the right groups and in the right doses. AWMSG said there were \"several uncertainties and limitations\" in the economic model provided by the drug company. The firm insisted there was a \"robust clinical and cost-effectiveness case\". What does Prep do? Sarah Fuhrmann, national director for Terrence Higgins Trust in Wales, said: \"We are disappointed by this short-sighted recommendation. \"For every person who receives an HIV diagnosis, the Welsh NHS will pay on average \u00c2\u00a3360,000 in lifetime treatment costs. Prep can save the NHS this money in the long term, whilst taking us one step closer to ending the HIV epidemic. \"We realise this is not the final decision, but if acted upon, this advice would lead to a postcode lottery within the UK, with major inequalities between borders in terms of who is protected against HIV.\" Scotland is due to become the first place in the UK to routinely offer Prep. A Welsh Government spokesman said the health secretary would consider the recommendation and \"make an announcement in due course\".", "summary": "A \"game-changing\" drug which dramatically cuts the chances of being infected with HIV should not be provided by the NHS in Wales, a body has recommended."}
{"article": "Under the plan, a single point of contact, such as a teacher or health visitor, would look out for the welfare of every child under the age of 18. The Scottish government said the \"named person' would act as a central point to help families if they needed it. But objectors said it would undermine parents. The measures, in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act, are due to come into force from August 2016. Ministers said the \"named person\" would act as a liaison between the child, their family and access to any services they may need. Those in favour said it would make help easier to find and co-ordinate action if children needed it and could act as an early warning system. But objectors argued that the definition of \"well-being\" was so broad it had the potential to lead to disputes between the state and families. The No To Named Persons (NO2NP) campaign group said the measures breached data protection laws and the human rights of parents. A legal challenge against the legislation failed at the Court of Session last month but NO2NP is considering an appeal. The policy is already being rolled out in parts of Scotland including the Highlands, Edinburgh, Fife, Angus and South Ayrshire. Alex Cole-Hamilton, head of policy at children's charity Aberlour Child Care Trust, said: \"I can understand that there is a lot of anxiety, particularly in those groups that are opposed to it. \"I think a lot of that anxiety stems from misinformation and some misunderstanding of the provisions of the Act. \"The named person has been in place in areas like Highland for a significant period of time. The vast majority of parents have had no cause to have any contact with them.\" A spokesman for the NO2NP campaign attacked the legislation as \"a ruthless and perverse intrusion into the lives of families\" and \"a Big Brother-style snoopers' charter\". He said: \"NO2NP remains firmly of the view that the 'state guardian' legislation is fundamentally flawed and cannot be corrected by guidance. \"It is wrong in principle to grant named persons the legal responsibility for the very broadly defined well-being of every child. This will inevitably undermine parents and stretch already limited resources. \"The data sharing provisions of the act are flawed and will inevitably come into conflict with existing data protection laws.\"", "summary": "A consultation has been launched on how controversial plans to appoint a \"named person\" for every child in Scotland will work in practice."}
{"article": "The seven-month-old died at a house on Melrosegate, York, on 3 November. The death prompted a Sheffield-based bed company to issue a product warning. A joint investigation between police and Trading Standards is under way. North Yorkshire Police said the 35-year-old man from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was assisting with the inquiry. No cause of death for the infant has been confirmed. Read more about this and other stories from across Yorkshire Police have issued a safety warning to customers of Playtime Beds Ltd. \"If they have ever had any safety concerns or a child has suffered an injury as a result of the design of the bed, then please contact us,\" a spokesman said. Playtime Beds Ltd of Sheffield, which has ceased trading, is working with Trading Standards over safety concerns about products it had produced since 2011. It issued a product warning in December which advised that risks to children could include asphyxiation or strangulation, falling, entrapment or crushing. The company produced a range of bespoke children's cots, twin beds, bunk beds, cabin beds, high sleeper beds and triple and quadruple beds. It added parents should stop using the beds immediately and to contact Trading Standards.", "summary": "A man has been interviewed under caution by police investigating the sudden death of a baby."}
{"article": "Ince, 25, who scored 38 goals in 115 games for Derby, has signed a three-year contract. USA international Williams, 28, has agreed a two-year deal. Chelsea's 20-year-old forward Kasey Palmer, who spent last season on loan with the Terriers, has agreed another season-long loan. England Under-21 international Palmer has signed a new contract until 2021 with Premier League champions Chelsea. Huddersfield manager David Wagner said of Ince: \"He scores goals, creates them for others and is always a threat when he's on the pitch. \"I have spoken to Tom and he has a massive desire to come to Huddersfield Town and play in the Premier League. \"He has had a taste of the division for two short spells and he is desperate to show everyone that he belongs in the top division. He can be a big player for us.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Huddersfield have signed Derby winger Tom Ince for an undisclosed fee and Reading midfielder Danny Williams after his contract with Reading expired."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old was released by Preston in December and joined Scottish Championship side Hibernian, but was out of contract this summer. His previous clubs include Shrewsbury and Motherwell, with his deal including the option of a further 12 months. Meanwhile, Bury goalkeeper Ben Williams, 34, has left the club after making 21 appearances last season. The former Crewe and Colchester man joined the Shakers from Bradford last summer. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "League One club Bury have signed Jamaica international winger Chris Humphrey on a one-year deal."}
{"article": "But who are the contenders to replace him as leader of a party that won 12% of the vote in the last general election? The 48-year-old barrister is a rising star in the party, holding the high-profile immigration and financial affairs brief, and one of UKIP's most accomplished media performers. Announcing his leadership bid, he promised to tackle social mobility by backing 50 new grammar schools in deprived areas of the UK and to chase Labour's vote \"ruthlessly.\" Thought to be Nigel Farage's favoured successor, he dismissed as \"absolute nonsense\" suggestions that his leadership bid could be derailed amid reports that his UKIP membership lapsed between the end of 2014 and early 2016 - party rules require candidates to have been members for two years. Born in Manchester, with African-American, Jewish and Irish Catholic roots, he is also head of the party's Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) association. After being called to the bar, he practised in criminal law before moving into commercial practice, advising hedge funds and other City businesses on regulatory issues. He joined UKIP in 2010 and was elected as MEP for North West England in 2014. He contested the Stockport constituency in the 2015 general election, where he came third despite boosting the UKIP vote by 10%. Although not a well-known figure in Westminster circles, Lisa Duffy has won the backing of key modernising figures in the party such as Suzanne Evans and Patrick O'Flynn. Ms Duffy is a town and district councillor in Cambridgeshire, a former mayor of the town of Ramsey and as campaigns director, played a key role in fighting by-elections. At her campaign launch, Ms Duffy, 48, a mother of six and former retail manager, pitched herself as the \"grassroots candidate\" who would \"walk the People's Army into Westminster\". Chief of staff to MEP Mr O'Flynn, she joined UKIP in 2004 and stood unsuccessfully against Labour's Hazel Blears in Salford in the 2005 general election. She said the party needed to widen its appeal to win seats in 2020 but also continue to tackle \"taboo subjects\" such as the impact of immigration on British communities and the need for a positive vision for \"modernised British Islam\". The North East UKIP MEP has thrown his hat into the leadership race, saying he wants to be a \"strong and credible voice for the North East\". The 35-year-old was elected to the European Parliament in 2014 and is a former general secretary of the party. Announcing his candidacy, he said he wanted to appeal to the millions of voters who did not support UKIP in last year's general election, but backed Brexit in the EU referendum. He warned that the elevation of Theresa May to the premiership meant that \"negotiations for the UK's withdrawal from the EU will be in the hands of those who do not actually want us to leave\". The MEP for the West Midlands, and Dudley councillor, has said UKIP should stick by its \"core principles and values\" and not be \"distracted by negative influences\". The 46-year old was a Conservative activist before", "summary": "Nigel Farage is standing down as leader of UKIP, saying he wants \"his life back\" after helping to secure a Leave vote in the EU referendum."}
{"article": "Vote Leave is pursuing a classic core votes strategy to persuade diehard supporters to turn out on 23 June, by focusing on immigration. The shift in gear came after the campaign spotted what it regards as a path to victory in some of the pollsters' findings. This is the suggestion that turnout in the referendum could be low, potentially handing an advantage to the Brexit campaign, supporters of which are likely to be more energised to vote. The Vote Leave campaign knows it must persuade its core voters to turn out. This explains the recent focus on immigration in speeches and in campaign broadcasts. Vote Leave insists that nothing has changed and that its campaign had always intended to focus hard on immigration in the final phase. But earlier in the year campaign sources had said they would not define their campaign on the issue for fear of alienating a key group of voters - encompassing around a quarter of the electorate - who would be wary of a campaign defined by immigration. Polls commissioned by Vote Leave last year suggested these voters would instinctively like to leave the EU. This issue covers immigration and free movement within Europe. But these voters would need reassurance that jobs would be safe and they would not be supporting a campaign associated with UKIP leader Nigel Farage, whose main focus is on immigration. There is a feeling that Vote Leave has failed to communicate its message about the economic risks of remaining in the EU: the possibility of a Eurozone collapse. One Brexit minister told Newsnight: \"There are jitters in the campaign. I am getting a lot of messages about why we are failing to get our message across. \"Vote Leave does not want to major on immigration, but the problem is that on the economy we are playing defence. \"We are continually having to respond to this tsunami from the Treasury, the Bank of England and the IMF. The only issue we can go on the offensive is on immigration.\" Bernard Jenkin, the veteran Conservative MP who supports Vote Leave, insists the campaign is in good heart. He told Newsnight: \"People knew the government would be mean and unfair and promulgate untruths. It will take more than that to wear us down.\"", "summary": "The main Brexit campaign in the EU referendum is adapting tactics in the final phase, as a series of polls suggest that momentum is building up behind the Remain side."}
{"article": "Ray Jennings, a former South Africa international wicketkeeper, only saw his son had made a ton against India when his power returned an hour later. \"When he reached 96 the electricity went off, so I missed his hundred,\" he told BBC Radio Newcastle. \"When it went back on an hour later, I watched one ball and then he got out.\" Durham left-hander Keaton, whose mother was born in Sunderland, became eligible to play for England in 2016 after serving a four-year qualification period. The 24-year-old opener top-scored with 112 as England ended day one on 288-5 in the fourth Test against India. Media playback is not supported on this device Asked what he said when the power went off, Jennings Snr said: \"I'm sure a lot of your listeners would know it wouldn't have been a long sentence - it would've been short and abrupt, but I wouldn't be able to repeat it on air. \"It was a little bit of a bitter ending, but I'm very happy to know he actually ended up getting a hundred. \"Keaton keeps on telling me that one of the things I've done well is marry a British lady, so she's [his mum] over the moon and Keaton's over the moon. \"I've suddenly moved away from supporting a South African side to supporting an English side, and I'm very proud to actually say that. \"It's probably the most enjoyable sporting day I've ever had - for someone in your own family to achieve something like that has really been a blessing for me.\"", "summary": "Keaton Jennings' dad Ray says he missed his son's England debut century because of a power cut while he was watching the Test on television in Mauritius."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old moved to Oldham from Stoke last season, but failed to make an appearance. He spent the second half of the 2015-16 campaign on loan at National League North side Chorley. Vassell is the second Walsall signing to join Chester after goalkeeper Liam Roberts, and stays until 1 January. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Chester have signed defender Theo Vassell on loan from League One side Walsall, three days after he joined the Saddlers on a one-year deal."}
{"article": "Via a webpage visitors can control lights around windows, railings and doors as well as a Christmas tree in the house's garden. The page is proving popular with hundreds of people every minute taking the chance to use the page to control the 11 different lights. Live images of the light show are also being regularly uploaded to the web. Ken and Rebecca-Ellen Woods of Fairbanks, Alaska started putting their lights online several years ago but this year the control system got a big upgrade. Mr Woods, who works in IT, has built a dedicated computer-controlled switching box that has ports for every set of lights affixed to their home. The live feed of the changing display shows lights blinking on and off at all times of day. Mr Woods told ABC News that he had got used to the constantly changing display. He added that it had got easier to live with once they only allowed lights on the exterior of the house to be controlled remotely. There are no other houses near to the Woods household so there are no neighbours to complain about the flashing display. This year the bill to run the hardware underpinning the light system looks set to reach more than $400 (\u00c2\u00a3275) as millions of people take the chance to fiddle with the decorations over the Christmas period.", "summary": "An Alaskan family has added online controls to the Christmas lights adorning their home."}
{"article": "He was named man of the match against Treviso last Friday, was best man at brother Darren's wedding the following day and turned 22 on Monday. \"I'm thankful to my big brother, Darren, for getting me into rugby,\" said Hoyland, who signed until 2018. \"He was there to push me to where I wanted to be because he had faith in me to go far.\" Edinburgh-born Hoyland, who previously played for Boroughmuir and Melrose, becomes the third player this week to commit to the Pro12 club after new deals for hooker Stuart McInally and centre Chris Dean. \"Since joining the club in 2014, I haven't wanted to go anywhere else,\" he said. \"You can see how much the club's developed over the last couple of years. \"We're definitely heading in the right direction and it's not a place you'd want to leave when we're achieving all this good stuff.\" Hoyland, who scored two tries in the win over Treviso, represented Scotland at youth level and won his first and only senior cap in August against Italy. \"I'm obviously delighted with the one Scotland cap I've got, but I do want to push on for more by playing well for Edinburgh,\" said the winger who starts against Agen in the European Challenge Cup on Friday. Head coach Alan Solomons was delighted that Hoyland had committed himself to the club. \"As a talented young Scottish player, he epitomises our vision for Edinburgh,\" he said.", "summary": "Winger Damien Hoyland has completed a hectic but happy week by signing a contract extension with Edinburgh."}
{"article": "A team from America have looked at how ants have evolved and found that the insects had complex underground farms, growing different types of fungi. Not only that, the ants had taken fungus from its natural environment to nests in much drier climates. The fungus couldn't survive without the ants so it is a very early example of agriculture. Agriculture is what we call the practice of farming. Such as preparing soil for growing crops and raising animals for food and other products such as wool. Dr Ted Schultz who specialises in ants and works at the Museum of Natural History said that \"Ants have established a form of agriculture that provides all the nourishment needed for their societies using a single crop that is resistant to disease, pests and droughts at a scale and level of efficiency that rivals human agriculture.\" There are many species of farmer ant, over 250 have been found in tropical forests, deserts and grasslands in the Americas and the Caribbean.", "summary": "Scientists have found out that ants began farming millions of years before humans did."}
{"article": "The body of Sinead Wooding, 26, was found by joggers near Alwoodley Crags car park in Stairfoot Lane on 14 May. Vicky Briggs, 25, of Throstle Road, Middleton, appeared at Leeds Magistrates' Court accused of assisting an offender. She was bailed to appear at Leeds Crown Court on 16 June. Two people have previously been charged with murder. A 20-year-old has also been charged with assisting an offender.", "summary": "A woman has appeared in court charged in connection with a body found in woodland near Leeds."}
{"article": "11 March 2016 Last updated at 07:50 GMT Dramatic footage captured large pieces of ice breaking away and falling into the river below on the site in the City of El Calafate, in the Santa Cruz Province. The glacier loses ice roughly every few years and the last time big ice chunks fell off was in 2012.", "summary": "Part of one of Argentina's biggest attractions, the Perito Moreno Glacier known as the \"White Giant\", has collapsed crashing into the water."}
{"article": "AFB was confirmed at the apiary at Scaniport, near Inverness, on Friday. There is no permitted treatment in the UK for the disease, which kills bee larvae. The Scottish government said there was a ban in place on the movement of bees and related equipment from the affected area.", "summary": "A hive of honey bees has been destroyed at an apiary in the Highlands after the insects were found to be infected with the disease, American Foulbrood (AFB)."}
{"article": "Hallel Yaffa Ariel, 13, who had US citizenship, was attacked as she slept inside her bedroom in Kiryat Arba. A security guard who responded to the incident was wounded before the attacker was shot dead by other guards. Later on Thursday, a Palestinian stabbed and injured two Israelis in the coastal city of Netanya before being shot dead by a passing civilian. The Palestinian health ministry identified the Kiryat Arba assailant as Mohammed Tarayreh, 19, from the nearby village of Bani Naim. Thirty-four Israelis have now been killed in a wave of knife, gun and car-ramming attacks since October. More than 200 Palestinians - mostly attackers, Israel says - have also been killed in that period. The assailants who have been killed have been shot either by their victims or by security forces as they carried out attacks. Some attackers have been arrested. In Thursday's incident, the attacker infiltrated Kiryat Arba before entering Hallel Ariel's home, which is next to a fence surrounding the settlement. Israeli media report that the girl was repeatedly stabbed in the upper body. She was taken in a critical condition to the Shaare Zedek Medical Centre in Jerusalem, where she died shortly after arriving, hospital officials say. The security guard, believed to be a 30-year-old man, reportedly suffered multiple stab and gunshot wounds when he confronted the attacker. He is in a serious condition at the Hadassah Medical Centre in Ein Karem. Following the attack, Israeli troops sealed off Bani Naim and began preparations to demolish Tarayreh's home. \"The horrifying murder of a young girl in her bed underscores the bloodlust and inhumanity of the incitement-driven terrorists that we are facing,\" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. \"The entire nation deeply identifies with the family's pain and declares to the murderers: You will not break us.\" The US state department spokesman confirmed the victim had been a US citizen. Adnan Tarayreh, a cousin of the killer, said Mohammed Tarayreh had dropped out of school and had been working in a bakery, the Associated Press news agency reports. The family, he was quoted as saying, had been surprised by the attack and he speculated that his cousin might have been spurred into action by the death of another cousin killed while attempting to ram his vehicle into Israelis in Kiryat Arba. Kiryat Arba is located on the outskirts of the flashpoint city of Hebron, where many of the recent wave of attacks have taken place. Also on Thursday, a senior United Nations official cited a long-awaited report by the Middle East Quartet as saying that hopes for peace between Israel and the Palestinians were being severely undermined by three \"negative trends\". Nickolay Mladenov told the UN Security Council that they were continuing violence, terrorism and incitement; Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank; and a lack of control of the Gaza Strip by the Palestinian Authority. The Quartet - which comprises the UN, the European Union, United States and Russia - was likely to release the report on Friday, he said. The last round of", "summary": "An Israeli girl has been stabbed to death at a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank by a Palestinian."}
{"article": "Nicholas Muton claimed he was protesting against police corruption and the court heard that he was convicted of a similar stunt in 2003. His recent protest, which began on 12 June, cost emergency services \u00a31.4m and the wider economy an estimated \u00a328m. He pleaded guilty at Leicester Crown Court to causing a public nuisance. Judge Adrienne Lucking QC told him his protest was a \"childish response to your beef with the police\". \"Your actions had a direct economic impact on the constabulary and the wider economy,\" she said. Muton, 45, of no fixed address, was found guilty of the same offence by a jury in 2003, after he brought the M1 to a standstill for 10 hours by threatening to hang himself from a bridge. He was jailed for 18 months at the time. In 2007 he was arrested for attempting to jump off a bridge, and was Tasered by police while he was in custody. The court heard this was one of the reasons behind his most recent protest; he had also claimed to have been abused as a child. Muton has made 34 complaints to police in the past, plus appeals to the Independent Police Complaints Commission but none have been resolved in his favour. Days before his most recent protest he phoned police anonymously saying there was going to be a demonstration, but he did not say where and exactly when. Muton also wrote a Facebook message warning about his plan and alleging police had \"covered up\" child abuse. The court heard that no charges have ever been brought in relation to the alleged child abuse. Leicestershire Police said it would not be commenting on Muton's claims of corruption. He climbed the information board gantry between Coalville and Loughborough on the southbound carriageway at about midday at 12 June, and wrote messages alleging that someone \"tried 2 kill me\" and referring to \"2 murder attempts\". Police tried to talk him down but he was abusive and threatened to jump. He eventually came down at about 16:00 BST the following day after the IPCC arrived. The gantry was near East Midlands Airport and the court heard that cars were abandoned by people trying to catch flights, which hundreds of them missed. Angela Clark, District Crown Prosecutor at CPS East Midlands, said Muton had \"set out to cause the maximum disruption possible\". \"The regular users of the road were affected and there were also thousands of people due to leave Donington Park from the Download festival at that point,\" she said. \"People reported missing flights at the nearby East Midlands Airport, vehicle breakdowns and some accidents resulting from overcrowded roads.\" In mitigation, Muton's lawyer said he knew what he did was wrong, apologised and wanted to put it behind him. But the judge said his \"one-man protest\" was \"so serious and had such a significant impact, a clear message must be sent\". Muton claimed police closed the motorway to \"wind him up\", but Leicestershire Police defended their actions. Assistant Chief Constable Phil Kay said: \"Our priority from the outset was the", "summary": "A protester who disrupted thousands of motorists by scaling a gantry and causing the M1 to be closed for 28 hours has been jailed for two years."}
{"article": "After resuming on 48-1, in reply to table-topping Lancashire's 462, Glamorgan had slipped to 182-6 when the threatened downpour arrived 19.2 overs into the afternoon session. It leaves Glamorgan still 280 behind going into the final day. Their first target will be the 131 runs they still need to avoid the follow-on. The patience of Lancashire's bowlers was rewarded as the home side took five wickets, two of them for for Australian all-rounder James Faulkner and two for 41-year-old veteran Glen Chapple, who is now within 18 of reaching a career haul of 1,000 first-class wickets. Nightwatchman Andrew Salter was Glamorgan's top performer with 45 before being stumped by Alex Davies off Simon Kerrigan. Lancashire now need to take 14 wickets in the final three sessions if they are to win this Division Two promotion clash on Monday and take a major step closer to promotion back to Division One. Lancashire veteran Glen Chapple told BBC Sport: \"We've played well in this game. We laid a foundation in the first couple of sessions and gradually we increased the scoring rate and put ourselves in a strong position. \"The pitch was slow to start with. Our batters tried to wear them down and we did that successfully, then Alex Davies and Jimmy Faulkner really picked up the rate on the second day. \"I also think we bowled pretty well. I don't know if I'm leader of the attack but it's nice to be involved and I'm enjoying my cricket. \"We've got them at 182-6 and there's a chance of enforcing the follow-on. To take 14 wickets on there will be a good effort but, if we can take four in the first session, that'll give us a chance.\" Glamorgan all-rounder Andrew Salter told BBC Wales Sport: \"This game, we really wanted to hit it running and it hasn't quite happened for us. With them scoring over 400 it wasn't the ideal start with us fielding 140 overs. \"But it's important we just do things right and finish this game strongly. We've still got quite a lot of batting to come with the likes of Graham Wagg and Mark Wallace, so we should be able to post a good total. \"I've been working quite hard on my batting with our head coach Toby Radford and it was a good challenge coming in as nightwatchman. \"I felt good. I'd have liked to score a 50 and then kick on again for 100, but unfortunately not.\"", "summary": "Heavy rain wiped out the second half of the day's play at Old Trafford after Lancashire had bowled themselves into a winning position against Glamorgan."}
{"article": "New York start-up Genepeeks will initially focus on donor sperm, simulating before pregnancy how the genetic sequence of a female client might combine with those of different males. Donors that more often produce \"digital children\" with a higher risk of inherited disorders will be filtered out, leaving those who are better genetic matches. Everything happens in a computer, but experts have raised ethical questions. \"We are just in the business right now of giving prospective mothers, who are using donor sperm to conceive, a filtered catalogue of donors based on their own underlying genetic profile,\" Genepeeks co-founder Anne Morriss told BBC News. \"We are filtering out the donor matches with an elevated risk of rare recessive paediatric conditions.\" Ms Morriss, an entrepreneur, gave a presentation on the company at the Consumer Genetics Conference in Boston last week. She was motivated in part by her own experience of starting a family. Her son was conceived with a sperm donor who happened to share with Morriss the gene for an inherited disorder called MCADD. MCADD (medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency) prevents those affected from converting fats to sugar. It can be fatal if it is not diagnosed early. Luckily, in Ms Morriss's case, the condition was picked up in newborn screening tests. \"My son has a pretty normal life,\" Ms Morriss said, \"but about 30% of children with rare genetic diseases don't make it past the age of five.\" Genepeeks has formalised a partnership with a sperm bank - the Manhattan Cryobank - and has a patent pending on the DNA screening technology. The start-up benefits from the rapid pace of change in genetic technology. Indeed, six months ago, Genepeeks' founders decided it was able to use a superior system for DNA analysis (called \"targeted exon sequencing\") than the one originally envisaged - a result, says Anne Morriss, of falling costs and increased flexibility. For couples planning babies, other companies already screen one or both partners for genes that could cause disease if combined with a similar variant - so-called \"carrier screening\". One academic who studies the use of genetic technology commented: \"This is like that, but ramped up 100,000 times.\" Ms Morriss's business partner, Prof Lee Silver, a geneticist and expert on bioethics at Princeton University, New Jersey, told BBC News: \"We get the DNA sequence from two prospective parents. We simulate the process of reproduction, forming virtual sperm and virtual eggs. We put them together to form a hypothetical child genome. \"Then we can look at that hypothetical genome and - with all the tools of modern genetics - determine the risk that the genome will result in a child with disease. We're looking directly for disease and not carrier status. For each pair of people that we're going to analyse, we make 10,000 hypothetical children.\" The process will be run for the client and each potential donor one by one, scanning for some 600 known single-gene recessive conditions. In this way, the highest-risk pairings can be filtered out. Anne Morriss added: \"At this stage our clients won't be receiving any genetic information", "summary": "A service that digitally weaves together the DNA of prospective parents to check for potential disease in thousands of \"virtual babies\" is set to launch in the US by December."}
{"article": "He is currently director of the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs. The Canadian academic, with an expertise in international law, was a postgraduate student at Cambridge in the 1980s. Prof Toope will take over in October 2017, when the current vice-chancellor, Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, steps down. The new Cambridge head, whose appointment will have to be approved by the university's governing body, is a former vice-chancellor of the University of British Columbia. His academic work has specialised in human rights and international dispute resolution, and he has worked for the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances. Prof Toope will be the 346th person to hold the office, in a role dating back to 1412. He said: \"I am thrilled to be returning to this great university. \"I look forward to working with staff and students in the pursuit of academic excellence and tremendous international engagement.\"", "summary": "Stephen Toope has been chosen as the next vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Heneghan's early near-post header from Peter Winn's free-kick made it 1-0. Southend equalised when Barry Corr's penalty found the bottom corner after John Rooney had fouled John White. But winger Mahon won it on 51 minutes when he cut in off the right flank to fire home from the edge of the area. Mahon's stunning left-foot shot earned Steve Burr's Chester a place in Monday night's televised second round draw for the first time in eight years. It is a level of the competition the reformed club have not reached since a team including Everton boss Roberto Martinez and Stoke City striker Jonathan Walters reached the third round in January 2007. But Chester, 14th in the Conference, were good value for their victory against the Shrimpers, who stand seventh in League Two. Burr's men, in fact, could have won by more, but Southend keeper Daniel Bentley made a good first-half save to deny Craig Hobson's low 18-yard shot and Rooney, younger brother of Manchester United and England captain Wayne, had an effort cleared off the line by Gary Deegan.", "summary": "Ben Heneghan and Craig Mahon got the goals at Roots Hall as Conference side Chester produced the FA Cup first-round shock of the day by beating Phil Brown's Southend United."}
{"article": "A study for South Lakeland District Council examined details, including types of wagons, the lengths of routes, and the width of streets. It also took into account how many right turns vehicles made, as these cause them to be delayed at junctions. The council said the \u00c2\u00a335,000 cost of the research would be offset by savings of \u00c2\u00a340,000 a year. Changes, which include different collection days for 65% of households, will come into effect in the autumn.", "summary": "Bin collections in south Cumbria are due to change following a project to \"optimise\" collection rounds."}
{"article": "A statement from Championship rugby side Pirates says they hope the ground will open in September 2019. In December, club director Colin Groves estimated construction would begin \"in the middle\" of this year. National League South side Truro only agreed to share the proposed 6,000-capacity ground with Pirates in April. The statement said building will \"hopefully\" start next spring, with work on the stadium on the outskirts of Truro taking 14 months.", "summary": "Work on the Stadium for Cornwall, to be shared by Cornish Pirates and Truro City, will not start any earlier than spring 2018."}
{"article": "Moscow turned down a new bid of $26.5m (\u00a318.7) which was an improvement on the original offer of $21.6m (\u00a315.1m). The 23-year-old is believed to be open to a move to Leicester. The Nigeria captain has also attracted the attention of other top Premier League teams and has a $32.5m (\u00a322.8m) buyout clause in his contract. His current deal with CSKA Moscow runs until 2019. Leicester are expected to return with an improved bid for the player before the transfer window closes on 1 February. A former VVV Venlo player, Musa has scored 10 goals in 29 games this season and 11 times in 56 appearances for Nigeria. Musa, who made his international debut against Madagascar in September 2010, scored twice in Nigeria's 3-2 loss to Argentina at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He scored the county's fastest-ever goal at a World Cup - netting after four minutes - before becoming their first player to score twice in one game at the tournament.", "summary": "Russian club CSKA Moscow have rejected an improved offer from Premier League leaders Leicester City for Nigeria's Ahmed Musa, BBC Sport understands."}
{"article": "1 July 2015 Last updated at 16:19 BST Mark Sampson's squad are only the third England team to reach a World Cup semi-final, after the 1990 men's side and the 1966 World Cup winners. The winner of the match will face USA in Sunday's final Sue Smith, a former England player who is commentating on tonight's semi-final, told Newsround that the World Cup had been a 'game changer' for women's football.", "summary": "England women's football team will take on Japan on Thursday in the semi-finals of the World Cup in Canada."}
{"article": "Biggin Hill Airport wants to increase bank holiday and weekend opening times to increase the number of flights. Director William Curtis said he feared the airport could be asked to help the UK meet increased demand for air travel if the extension was not granted. Bromley Council has approved new hours \"in principle\". The airport, which caters to the business and general aviation sectors, is pushing for an hours' extension on weekdays, five-and-a-half hours' extra flying time on Saturday, and a further four-hour increase on Sundays. Mr Curtis was asked whether he was \"scaremongering\" about taking holiday airlines during a BBC London interview. He said: \"What we will do is to ensure that we have set our stall out in the business and general aviation sector and we won't therefore be potentially looked at later by government as a solution to the capacity crisis.\" Councillor Stephen Carr, leader of Bromley Council, said the move had the needs of residents versus those of a successful airport \"at the heart of\" it. Bromley Council said the length and timings of the extension were yet to be decided, and would be subject to noise controls and monitoring. The agreement follows an eight-week consultation period which saw 76% of respondents support the plan, it said. In total, the consultation received more than 41,000 responses, with 31,500 coming out in support of the proposals and about 10,000 against. However, some have expressed concern at the council's decision. Hugh Bance, of Bromley Residents Against Airport Development, said there were 200,000 people living under the flight path who would be affected.", "summary": "A small London airport needs to extend its hours to avoid being forced to take on holidaymakers and more commercial airlines, its boss has claimed."}
{"article": "Zia Haider Rahman's critically acclaimed debut, In the Light of What We Know, picked up the James Tait Black fiction prize on Monday evening. The Valley: A Hundred Years in the Life of a Yorkshire Family by Richard Benson won the biography prize. The two prizes are awarded annually by the University of Edinburgh. Chairman of the James Tait Black Prize for fiction, Professor Randall Stevenson, said of the winning fiction entry: \"Zia Haider Rahman addresses a whole range of issues - the war in Afghanistan, the rise of Muslim fundamentalism and the banking crisis. \"Moreover, he also explores problematic areas of politics and finance, which are often exiled from the pages of fiction, immersing his readers, dauntingly but comprehensibly. \"The novel's impressive scope is complemented by Rahman's ability to locate the personal in the political.\" Benson's The Valley: A Hundred Years in the Life of a Yorkshire Family, sees the author draw on his own family history set in a mining community. Biography judge Dr Jonathan Wild said: \"Richard Benson's book represents a remarkable reclamation of a once prevalent social group now almost entirely gone.\" Each winner receives \u00c2\u00a310,000 each in prize money. The James Tait Black Awards were founded in 1919 by Janet Coats, the widow of publisher James Tait Black, to commemorate her husband's love for books. Previous winners include DH Lawrence, Graham Greene, Angela Carter and Ian McEwan.", "summary": "A novel about a disillusioned banker who is reunited with an old friend before embarking on an epic journey has won the UK's oldest literary award."}
{"article": "It was the 23-year-old's third WTA title of her career and is a welcome boost after a poor start to the year. Australian Open semi-finalist and fellow Briton Johanna Konta, 24, rose one place to 26 after making the last eight in Monterrey. Britain's Naomi Broady, 26, is up 20 places to 76 after reaching the semi-finals of the Malaysian Open.", "summary": "British number two Heather Watson is up 31 places in the world rankings to 53 after winning the Monterrey Open."}
{"article": "The 24-year-old scored his third try in four games before teeing up debutant Rory Hutchinson to edge Saints 14-13 ahead at half-time, after Olly Woodburn had crossed to put Exeter in control. Chiefs retook the lead after the break, with Gareth Steenson passing 2,000 points for the club to make it 19-14. But Harry Mallinder kicked two late penalties to snatch victory for Saints. Despite trailing for much of the contest, Northampton were good value for their win - a result that meant they avoided losing three successive home games for the first time in five years. While France flanker Louis Picamoles caught the eye as a potent ball carrier and hard hitter, it was the brilliance of North that turned the game on its head in the space of three first-half minutes. With his side trailing 13-0 early on, the former Scarlets back side-stepped his way inside for a trademark finish to reduce the deficit and then superbly set up Hutchinson after a jinking run straight from the restart. Exeter, losing Premiership finalists in May, remained in touch after the interval and still looked on course for victory thanks to Steenson's accuracy from the tee. But Mallinder, son of Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder, landed a 78th-minute penalty to give Saints their second win of the season. Northampton Saints forward Courtney Lawes: \"Harry is growing as a player, he is learning from every mistake he makes - unfortunately when you are young you do make a lot of mistakes. He is growing as a character in the team and he is a brilliant player, he did fantastic today with unbelievable composure to get the win at the death. \"We were desperate for that win and I think it really showed out there - we came back twice. \"We really back ourselves, we know we have been playing in patches and if we can string it together for the full 80 minutes there are not many teams who can live with us. We are just looking to stop these lapses of concentration.\" Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter: \"We never really grabbed control in that final quarter. There was an opportunity to squeeze the game out, but crucially we needed to hold up a bit better in the line-out, that is where we lost possession and it started to get a little bit messy. \"We looked a little bit too edgy in that final quarter, we didn't really look like the team going out to win the game and we were on the back foot for too long. \"There was a pretty clear block that opened up some space in their second try, but that is a bit churlish, we missed a couple tackles and sometimes when you get bumped it is because you are not focused.\" Northampton Saints: Foden (capt); K Pisi, G Pisi, Hutchinson, North; Mallinder, Groom; Waller, Haywood, Brookes, Lawes, Paterson, Gibson, Clark, Picamoles. Replacements: Clare, Ma'afu, Hill, Dickinson, Harrison, Kessell, Olver, Tuala. Exeter Chiefs: Turner; Woodburn, Devoto, Slade, Whitten; Steenson, Chudley; Moon, Yeandle (capt), Holmes, Lees, Parling,", "summary": "Wales wing George North starred as Northampton came back from 13-0 down to beat Exeter at Franklin's Gardens."}
{"article": "The Germanwings plane carrying 150 people crashed on its way from Barcelona to Duesseldorf. Mr Hammond said \"based on the information available to us\" it was likely British nationals were involved. But he said he would not speculate on numbers of Britons involved until checks were completed. \"We are working closely with the French, German and Spanish authorities, and the airline, to establish the facts,\" he said. He also said the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch, and UK disaster victim identification experts, were standing by to offer assistance to the French authorities, if required. One passenger on the plane was named as Marina Bandres Lopez-Belio - a UK resident originally from Jaca in Spain - by the mayor of her Spanish home town. The mayor of Jaca, Victor Barrio, said Ms Bandres was on the flight with her baby son Julian and had been in the Spanish Pyrenees town to attend a relative's funeral. But he said he did not know if her husband was also on the flight with her. Ms Bandres's former school, Colegio Escuelas P\u00c3\u00adas in Jaca, issued a message of \"sincere condolences\" to her family. The Manchester Evening News reported that she had lived in the Fallowfield area of Manchester and Rochdale since arriving in the UK. The Airbus A320 - flight 4U 9525 - went down between Digne and Barcelonnette. There are no survivors, officials say. France's interior minister said the \"black box\" flight recorder has been found but the cause of the crash is not yet known and the plane sent no distress signal during an eight-minute descent.", "summary": "Some British nationals were \"sadly likely\" to have been on board the plane that crashed in the French Alps, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says."}
{"article": "Mark Donnelly, 23, from Greencastle, denies killing the 19-year-old from Tydavnet, County Monaghan in 2012. Mr McGovern died after being punched during a night out in Omagh, County Tyrone, on New Year's Eve in 2012. Jurors will return to Dungannon Crown Court on Friday to resume their deliberations. In his closing speech to the jury, a prosecution lawyer said Mr Donnelly was either a \"cowardly liar\" or the \"unluckiest man alive\". However, a defence lawyer said evidence from a key witness identifying Mr Donnelly as the attacker was \"a catalogue of errors\" and \"mistaken in a number of key respects\". The judge told jurors the key issue was the question: \"Did the defendant strike the blow in the Weigh Inn car park?\" The prosecution lawyer said Mr McGovern, despite \"extreme provocation\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 did his best to defuse a volatile situation\". He said Mr Donnelly was \"a man who would do anything to save his own skin\" and had attempted to \"hoodwink\" and \"pull the wool\" over the eyes of the jury. He claimed the defendant was responsible for both a \"cowardly punch\" and a \"cowardly denial\" and he was \"not brave enough to admit\" what he had done. The prosecutor said if Mr Donnelly was innocent, he was a \"very unlucky man\" in being identified by a witness, and being filmed on CCTV in the area seconds before and after the assault. He told the jury: \"Because the (CCTV) camera doesn't show him hitting Jason McGovern he's thinking he's going to fool you into thinking he didn't throw the punch. It's just a charade.\" He added: \"You may think he is the unluckiest man alive or he is guilty. I say there is no doubt about that. Mark Donnelly is guilty of manslaughter. Mark Donnelly is guilty of punching Jason McGovern.\" In summing up the defence case, a lawyer told the jury that there were \"too many problems with the evidence of (the key prosecution witness) for you to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt of the guilt of this young man\". He said the witness had admitted that she could have made a mistake and pointed to the evidence in the witness box of Mr Donnelly, who had said: \"I say that she is mistaken. I did not strike anyone down by the Weigh Inn car park.\" He said even if the jury took the view that Mr Donnelly had been lying, the jury \"must not assume for that reason the defendant is guilty of the offence of manslaughter\". The judge told the jury that the death of Mr McGovern was \"very emotive\", but they must approach their task \"quite clinically\".", "summary": "The jury in the trial of a man accused of the manslaughter of Jason McGovern has been sent home for the day after hearing lawyers sum up their cases."}
{"article": "The Met told BBC Panorama it was also \"speculation\" to suggest Masood had been radicalised while in prison. Masood killed three people when he drove a car into pedestrians on Wednesday. He then fatally stabbed a police officer before being shot dead. Police believe he drove up to 76mph as he crossed Westminster Bridge. The attack took place within 82 seconds. The Islamic State group has previously said it was behind the attack. But Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said while Masood \"clearly had an interest in Jihad\", police had so far found no evidence of an association with the group or al-Qaeda, or that he had discussed his plan with others. He said: \"His methods appear to be based on low sophistication, low tech, low cost techniques copied from other attacks, and echo the rhetoric of IS leaders in terms of methodology and attacking police and civilians, but I have no evidence or information at this time that he discussed this with others.\" Mr Basu said there was also no evidence Masood was radicalised in prison in 2003. He said Masood had not been a subject of interest or part of the current domestic or international threat picture for either the security service or counter-terrorism policing. There is also no evidence or intelligence that he was a subject of interest or a national security threat in security service or counter-terrorism police investigations connected with Luton or the long-banned al-Muhajiroun network. He added: \"I know when, where and how Masood committed his atrocities, but now I need to know why. Most importantly so do the victims and families.\" It is understood the car Masood used was seen driving in the area around the bridge at some point before the attack. It may have been on the day or before that, although it remains unclear what the purpose of this was. Masood's victims were PC Keith Palmer - who was stabbed outside Parliament - Aysha Frade, who was in her 40s and worked at a London sixth-form college, US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, and retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, from south London. Thirteen people are understood to remain in hospital. On Saturday, the Metropolitan Police said they believed Masood acted alone but they were also \"determined\" to find out whether he had been inspired by terrorist propaganda. However, Scotland Yard said it was possible they would \"never understand why he did this\". It is understood Masood's phone connected with messaging app WhatsApp minutes before the attack, which police say started at 14:40 GMT. An image of Masood's Whatsapp status shows that he was \"last seen\" on the messaging service at 14:37. The revelations have prompted a debate about the responsibilities of messaging services. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said encrypted messages must be accessible to intelligence services fighting terror, stressing there must be \"no place for terrorists to hide\". She is holding talks with other EU ministers in Brussels to discuss ways of preventing further attacks and will later this week meet technology firms. A WhatsApp spokeswoman said the company was \"horrified at", "summary": "No evidence has been found of a link between Westminster attacker Khalid Masood and so-called Islamic State or al-Qaeda, Metropolitan Police say."}
{"article": "It would also diminish President Trump's ability to dismiss sanctions against Russia. After Russia annexed Crimea and backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, in 2014, the Obama administration in tandem with the European Union introduced an array of economic sanctions on Russian individuals and businesses. Many of the individuals targeted were linked to Russia's actions in Ukraine or were part of President Vladimir Putin's elite entourage. Assets were frozen and restrictions imposed on Russia's oil industry, as well as its state finance, technology and arms sectors. In December 2016, Barack Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats and closed two Russian compounds in response to what the US intelligence community concluded was a Russian government-backed cyber-attack directed to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Moscow denies the allegation. Members of the US Congress want to turn existing sanctions, and some new ones, into law. Both houses have Republican majorities, the same party as the president. Senators overwhelmingly backed the bill earlier in June, with only two opposing votes, and it now requires a successful vote in the House of Representatives. It will then go back to the Senate for approval before going to the White House. The new bill also targets Iran and is expected to include North Korea. President Trump will either sign it into law or reject it with use of a veto. With enough votes, Congress could use its own veto to counter the president. The bill tightens existing sanctions around the ongoing situation in Ukraine and imposes new measures including some in response to alleged hacking during the 2016 election and others that target key Russian industries such as the railways, shipping, metals and mining. It would also bring in restrictions on companies doing business with the Russian oil industry. It means getting rid of sanctions will become much harder, and the power to reverse the sanctions effectively moves from the hands of the president to Congress. Previously, the sanctions were introduced as executive orders, which any president has the power to remove instantly. Under the proposed law, Congress must approve any request from the president to ease the financial penalties detailed in the bill. In order to waive individual sanctions, a president would need to submit a report to Congress outlining why it is in the national interest to take that action. The White House says it supports the sanctions legislation. A presidential veto would provoke \"a major outcry\" among politicians in Washington, wrote Steven Pifer for Brookings, a foreign policy think tank. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, signalled the White House's support for tough sanctions on Russia until the situation in Ukraine was \"fully resolved\". Without a clear end in sight, that could mean a long time. James Nixey, head of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House, a foreign policy think tank, says Russia has so far given the president the benefit of the doubt when it comes to Mr Trump's promise to forge better relations between Washington and Moscow. However, these new sanctions may \"test their faith\" because they are in", "summary": "The US Congress is considering a significant piece of legislation to punish Moscow for alleged interference in last year's election."}
{"article": "The latest figures, for 2011, show just 62% of newly qualified teachers were still in teaching a year later, the ATL annual conference has heard. This is a steep drop from 2005 when there were 80% still in teaching after a year, says the union. This is a \"crisis of teacher supply\" said general secretary Mary Bousted. \"Teachers are leaving in their first year, or not starting teaching when they have completed their training,\" said Dr Bousted in her speech to the union's annual conference in Liverpool. \"That's almost 11,000 qualified teachers never entering the profession - taking work elsewhere. Work with better pay and reasonable workload.\" The union's analysis draws on official Department for Education figures for 2011. The researchers added the figures for teachers who left the profession within their first year in service to figures for newly qualified teachers who never actually practised as teachers. The results suggest that in 2011 some 10,800 newly qualified teachers never entered service after completing their training, just over a third (38%) of the total. \"Why are we losing the next generation of teachers, that new blood for the profession which should be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, full of promise and ambition?\" asked Dr Bousted. \"Is it, I wonder, because trainee and newly qualified teachers see very early on just what teaching has become and decide that they do not want to be a part of it? \"Is it that they learn as they work with exhausted and stressed colleagues that teaching has become a profession which is incompatible with a normal life? \"Trainee and newly qualified teachers cannot fail to understand that, despite Michael Gove's intentions, teaching has become a profession monitored to within an inch of its life.\" Dr Bousted said fear of the demands of Ofsted had led many head teachers to impose an excessive bureaucratic load on staff, \"filling forms, inputting data, using three different coloured pens for 'deep marking' and so on\". The increased workload adds \"not one jot to the quality of teaching\", she said. This exodus from teaching \"could not happen at a worse time\", said Dr Bousted. \"We need our teachers and lecturers now, more than ever, if we are to face the challenge of change. \"A tsunami of curriculum and qualification changes threaten to engulf schools and colleges as Ofqual, the qualification agency, marches on - leaving dismay and devastation in its wake,\" she told the conference. Dr Bousted concluded with a reminder that it is education professionals and not politicians who raise standards. She warned that failing to improve the lives of education professionals risked politicians reaping \"the bitter reward of parental fury when there is no teacher for their child\". In challenge to politicians to act she warned that this was no threat, but \"a crisis of your own making\".", "summary": "Record numbers of new teachers are leaving the profession within a year of qualifying, according to a teachers' union's analysis of official figures."}
{"article": "Over six years, the Tackling FGM Initiative has given \u00c2\u00a32.8m of funding to community-based prevention schemes. It said in a report that the funding had helped spark a necessary debate about FGM. But it added that maintaining momentum would be difficult without more money. The initiative was set up by five charitable trusts, including Comic Relief, to discourage the cutting of girls' sexual organs. As well as funding the work of dozens of community groups, the money also paid for the training of more than 6,000 teachers and healthcare staff in how to spot and respond to the illegal act of female genital mutilation. Under the scheme, people were encouraged to work within their own communities. For example, a Somali elder in Bolton recruited other men in his community to emphasise the need to protect their daughters. But the Tackling FGM Initiative's report said there was still a lack of clarity over who should be funding future FGM prevention work. It said local authorities, health and wellbeing boards, and public health or clinical commissioning groups all had a part to play. The report says it is difficult to measure the success of preventing FGM because of the lack of data about an illegal procedure, but, using surveys, it found attitudes to FGM had changed. It concludes that awareness of FGM has increased, particularly among women, and there has been a strong focus on educating young people from a wide range of communities. But the report warns that funding is still the major barrier to ending mutilation and the authors say, in the current financial climate, it will be difficult to maintain progress. It said: \"There is good evidence that the community-based approach has worked with a range of audiences within communities affected by FGM and has started to create a critical mass of people who are opposed to the practice.\"", "summary": "Community groups involved in an initiative to tackle female genital mutilation in England and Wales have warned that future progress could be threatened by a lack of local funding."}
{"article": "A spokesperson for the Co-op said two of the chocolate figures had been found to contain a small button-cell battery. \"The health and safety of our customers is our top priority,\" said the spokesperson, adding that the Co-op was investigating and the police and Food Standards Agency were being notified. No other products are affected. The Co-op chocolates that had been subject to tampering were bought at two locations, one in Suffolk and one in Essex. It is thought that the tampering took place after the Santas left the factory. Surgeons recently warned that button batteries pose a potentially deadly risk to young children. If accidentally swallowed, the small, round batteries can get lodged in the oesophagus and burn a hole through its lining. The most serious cases are associated with Lithium button batteries larger than 20mm (the size of a 10 pence piece) which can cause severe injury within two hours. London's Great Ormond Street Hospital said in September that it had seen a big increase in cases in the past year. The Co-op said customers with one of these products should not eat it, but call the company's customer relations team for a full refund. Anyone who is concerned should call Freephone 0800 0686 727.", "summary": "The Co-op grocery chain has announced a nationwide recall of 165,000 hollow milk chocolate Santa figures after two alleged tampering incidents."}
{"article": "The SSE Swalec Stadium was the venue for an Ashes Test and a double-header of men's and women's T20 games. The club turned in an operating profit of \u00a3593,000 after losing \u00a387,000 in 2014. But the accounts also show a fall in income from domestic cricket. Chief executive Hugh Morris highlighted the success of staging international cricket in his report to members for the annual general meeting taking place on 31 March. \"Our priority was to deliver sell-out crowds and we were delighted to fill the ground not only for four consecutive days of Ashes cricket, but also for the T20 international,\" he wrote. \"We were particularly proud to receive our highest ever customer experience rating for the Ashes Test.\" The match was the third Test in Cardiff, which will host England one-day matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in 2016, with international games scheduled until 2019. 2015 saw Glamorgan finish fourth in division two of the Championship and narrowly miss out on a place in the T20 Blast quarter-finals. Morris warns the club must improve its income from county cricket and from the use of the stadium, admitting that membership numbers and money taken on the gate from spectators are on the decline. \"The current squad size and the development of our own cricketers are only going to be improved by increases in our own income,\" he wrote. \"It is vital we improve our core product, increase gate numbers, revitalise memberships, attract sponsors, consolidate our conferencing business, and development other sources of income.\" Pop group Simply Red will headline the first major music concert at the stadium in July with another concert to be announced shortly. But the financial year was also notable for the club having to ask for major debts to be written off. Cardiff Council agreed for \u00a34.4m of debt to be cancelled, while Allied Irish Bank also agreed a 70% write-off of its debt and former chairman Paul Russell accepted a 75% loss. Morris's report thanked departing coach Toby Radford and groundsman Keith Exton for their work, while urging members to get behind new head coach Robert Croft and captain Jacques Rudolph.", "summary": "Hosting England versus Australia matches helped Glamorgan to record a profit for 2015, thanks to a surplus of \u00a31.36 million, according to the club's annual financial report."}
{"article": "Mr Primakov died in Moscow after a prolonged illness, Russian news agency Interfax reported. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin had been informed of the former prime minister's death and was \"deeply saddened\". Mr Primakov was head of the Russian government for just eight months between September 1998 and May 1999. Born in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev in 1929, he was brought up in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. He studied Arabic at the Moscow Institute for Oriental Studies and went on to be a correspondent for state radio and television. After moving into politics and a stint as the chairman of the Soviet parliament between 1989 and 1990, Mr Primakov played a prominent role in negotiations with Saddam Hussein ahead of the first Gulf War. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, he was appointed head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and later foreign minister in January 1996. Then in 1998 he was appointed prime minister by then-president Boris Yeltsin, and was credited with introducing difficult reforms and a degree of stability to a country still reeling from financial crisis. In March 1999, Mr Primakov attempted to prevent Nato strikes against Yugoslavia. He famously ordered his pilot to turn around midway across the Atlantic while en route to the United States on an official visit, after learning that Washington had decided to launch the air raids. The incident became known as \"Primakov's loop\". But Mr Primakov's stint as prime minister was short lived. He was sacked in 1999 by President Boris Yeltsin, who reportedly became fearful of his rising popularity. Mr Primakov signalled his intention to run in the 2000 presidential election, but dropped out when Kremlin powerbrokers united around Vladimir Putin. In 2003, he once again travelled to Iraq and met Saddam Hussein in an attempt to prevent war, this time at Mr Putin's request. But three days later a US-led offensive began. In later life, Mr Primakov headed a business lobby group and was respected as one of Russia's leading elder statesmen.", "summary": "Yevgeny Primakov, a former Russian prime minister, foreign minister and spy chief, has died at the age of 85."}
{"article": "The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it was looking into more than 100 allegations. It said complaints had been made against 42 named officers and a number of \"unknown\" officers. The complaints include allegations of neglect of duty and of corruption. In a statement the IPCC said its investigation had \"expanded\" since it announced in November it was investigating 10 officers involved in incidents highlighted in Professor Alexis Jay's report into child sexual exploitation (CSE) in Rotherham. The Jay Report, published in August, found the abuse of 1,400 children in the town over a 16-year period was ignored by agencies. The IPCC said: \"Since that announcement we have received 30 complaints relating to South Yorkshire Police's handling of CSE in Rotherham. \"The complaints contain more than 100 allegations against 42 named police officers, both retired and serving, as well as a number of allegations against officers whose identities are currently unknown. \"Work to establish the identity of the unknown officers and to identify any links between the different complaints and incidents is ongoing. \"The allegations range from neglect of duty by failing to adequately investigate on the basis of intelligence or to deal with incidents appropriately, inappropriate comments and suggestions of corrupt relationships between police officers and offenders.\" It said it was also investigating a claim that South Yorkshire Police \"failed to act on information passed to them in 2004 and 2006 about alleged child sexual exploitation in Sheffield\", in relation to two named officers who are now retired. In a statement, the force said: \"South Yorkshire Police has referred a number of allegations to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in relation to child sexual exploitation in Rotherham. \"We remain committed to assisting them with their independent investigation into any alleged misconduct.\"", "summary": "The police watchdog has said it is investigating complaints against 42 South Yorkshire Police officers over the handling of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham."}
{"article": "Senator Ben Cardin called the move \"an important step\". If carried out, the move could pave the way for the two countries to reopen embassies. US President Barack Obama is also expected to meet Cuban leader Raul Castro formally for the first time. Both leaders will be attending the 35-nation Summit of the Americas in Panama on Friday and Saturday. It will be the first time a Cuban leader attends the Organization of American States (OAS) summit, which is usually dominated by the United States. Cuba is one of four countries still on the US list of countries accused of repeatedly supporting global terrorism; Iran, Sudan and Syria are others. Cuba was first put on the list in 1982 for offering sanctuary to militant ETA Basque separatists and Colombian Farc rebels. \"The State Department's recommendation to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, the result of a months-long technical review, is an important step forward in our efforts to forge a more fruitful relationship with Cuba,\" Senator Cardin said. If Mr Obama opts to accept the state department's recommendations, Congress would have 45 days to decide whether to override him. There are vocal critics in Congress of Mr Obama's efforts to reach a diplomatic detente with Cuba. US Senator Ted Cruz, a Cuban-American Republican, has been among President Obama's biggest critics on the issue. Correspondents say removing Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism will throw a stark light at the OAS summit in Panama on the US's relations with Venezuela. The Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro hopes to bring a petition signed by 10 million of his citizens urging Mr Obama to remove an order imposing sanctions against seven Venezuelan officials accused of human rights abuses in an opposition crackdown. Oil-rich Venezuela has many friends at the summit and other Latin American nations have criticised the order, which calls Caracas a US national security threat. President Obama has tried to reduce tensions with Venezuela ahead of the summit, saying the US did not perceive the country as a threat. \"But we do remain very troubled by the Venezuelan government's efforts to escalate intimidation of its political opponents.\" he told the Spanish news agency EFE.", "summary": "The US State Department has recommended that Cuba be removed from its list of states said to sponsor terrorism, a member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee says."}
{"article": "Mr Johnson, 57, told the Mirror on Friday that the club paid him \u00a350,000 to keep quiet about allegations of sexual abuse by a former chief scout. In a statement, Chelsea said Mr Johnson had \"suffered unacceptably\". The club said a review into the case would take place, adding it had \"no desire to hide any historic abuse\". It said the review would examine whether it had carried out a proper investigation when the allegations first came to light and why it did not report them to the Football Association and Premier League. \"We are fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children and young people who are in our care or attending our premises. \"Their welfare is of paramount importance,\" the club said. Mr Johnson was a member of Chelsea's first team from 1978 to 1981. He joined the club as an 11-year-old in 1970 and told the Mirror he had been groomed from the age of 13 by scout Eddie Heath. Mr Heath, who was the club's chief scout from 1968 to 1979, died before the allegations against him were made. According to the Mirror, Mr Johnson signed a confidentiality agreement in 2015 and accepted \u00a350,000 from the club, but they did not accept blame. Chelsea said in its statement that when the settlement was reached the club's board understood it was \"usual practice\" to include a mutual confidentiality agreement, adding that Mr Johnson's solicitors had not objected to the clause. \"More recently, against the current backdrop of wider revelations and other victims coming forward bravely to tell their story, we no longer felt it appropriate to keep the confidentiality agreement in place. It was therefore removed,\" the club said. The club said the decision to have a confidentiality clause had received \"significant scrutiny\" and it had now asked an external law firm to review this decision and make recommendations for settling claims in the future. \"In advance of that, however, the board would like to make clear that, in light of what we know now about the wide-scale abuse in football clubs in the 1970s and 1980s, it now believes that the use of such a clause, while understandable, was inappropriate in this instance. \"We certainly have no desire to hide any historic abuse we uncover from view. Quite the opposite.\" Chelsea said Mr Johnson's solicitors at the time claimed Heath had \"inappropriate relationships\" with other young boys and men from the club, but no names were given. The club said with the \"limited information\" it received it had been unable to identify any further individuals who may have been subject to abuse. It comes after former Chelsea midfielder Alan Hudson said on Facebook that it was \"common knowledge that Mr Heath was a danger to us youngsters\". Chelsea added it was now a \"very different club\" to the one it was in the 1970s. It said its safeguarding policies were robust and continually reviewed and audited by the Premier League. Meanwhile, an ex-Southampton FC employee who has been accused of abusing young boys at the", "summary": "Chelsea Football Club has apologised \"profusely\" to former footballer Gary Johnson over sex abuse he suffered as a youth team member in the 1970s."}
{"article": "The move follows a North East Linconlshire Council decision to demolish six nearby high rise blocks, moving hundreds of people out. One of the buildings, Nelson House, was only allocated to older people who now need new accommodation. Under the plans, Shoreline Housing Partnership would develop 46 one and two bedroom homes. A group of residents in Nelson House have requested they be rehoused in the same area and together. The proposal would allow for that and will go before councillors on Wednesday. It has been recommended for approval by council officers. The development would start on site in early summer and be completed in spring 2016, ahead of the demolition of the East Marsh blocks and Comber Place maisonettes. A small section of the 115-bay car park would remain. North East Lincolnshire Council said it was currently \"greatly underutilised\".", "summary": "A council-owned car park in Grimsby is set to be sold and turned into an older people's housing scheme."}
{"article": "Father-of-six Peter O'Brien, 51, and 41-year-old Mark Sim died after a blast in the basement of the Celsa Steel UK plant in Splott on November 18, 2015. Five men were also injured in the incident. \"What happened a year ago was the most tragic event in our history,\" said Celsa managing director Luis Sanz \"And our thoughts remain with their loved ones. \"We will be holding two minutes' silence to pay tribute to Mark Sim and Peter O'Brien,\" . The then Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted his support to \"those affected\" by the explosion at Celsa's rod and bar mill, while Wales' First Minister Carwyn Jones said he was \"deeply saddened\" by the deaths. More than 10 fire engines and ambulances attended the incident around 10:30 on November 18, 2015, while the air ambulance was also deployed. Mr O'Brien, who lived in the Llanishen area of Cardiff with his wife Marie, played rugby and baseball for St Peter's RFC and more than 1,000 people attended his funeral. Mr Sim, who lived in Caldicot in Monmouthshire with his wife Sam and their two children, was a fan of his home-town football club Newcastle United and played for his local darts team. \"We have been very moved by the levels of support we have received throughout Cardiff, Wales and the UK,\" added Mr Sanz. \"On behalf of everyone at the company, I want to say thank you for the kindness we have received. \"We continue to work closely with the authorities to establish the causes and learn lessons. \"The safety of employees is our absolute number one priority and we are deeply committed to the community here in Splott.\"", "summary": "Steelworkers will observe two minutes silence on Friday to remember two colleagues killed in an explosion at a Cardiff plant a year ago."}
{"article": "Mr Obama issued the executive order weeks after meeting Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Myanmar's access to trade benefits for poorer nations was suspended in 1989 over human rights abuses. But the White House said substantial advances to promote democracy meant that it was no longer a threat to America's national security. Correspondents say the move is designed to coax the rapidly transforming South East Asian country from decades of economic isolation as Ms Suu Kyi's government manages the difficult transition to democracy in Myanmar, also known as Burma. \"While Burma faces significant challenges, including the consolidation of its democracy, the United States can, and intends to, use other means to support the government and people of Burma in their efforts to address these challenges,\" Mr Obama wrote in a letter to the US House and Senate speakers. However, while many companies will now enjoy lower tariffs, there are some sanctions which remain in place. A \"blacklist\" of at least 100 companies and individuals with links to the former military junta has been scrapped, although a few individuals will remain sanctioned. Myanmar was run by an oppressive military junta from 1962 to 2011. Ms Suu Kyi, who as opposition leader was kept under house arrest for 15 years, led her National League for Democracy party to victory in Myanmar's first openly contested election for decades in November 2015.", "summary": "President Barack Obama has formally eased long-standing sanctions on Myanmar."}
{"article": "Calvin Trevena and Ann Varran, both 51, were found between Chiverton Cross and St Agnes in Cornwall on the 2 August. Police found a damaged white S4 Audi estate on the B3277 and the bodies of the two walkers nearby. Ryan Morrish, 27, from Redruth, has been charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one of perverting the course of justice. He is due to appear at Truro Magistrates' Court on 28 March.", "summary": "A man has been charged with causing the deaths of two walkers by dangerous driving."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The 73-year-old, who guided England to three Test series wins against Australia, believes their \"exciting\" crop of young players are the key. Brearley, captain in 31 Tests from 1977-81, said Alastair Cook is \"decent, straightforward and honest\", but added: \"I'm not sure how much flair he has. \"Can you win the Ashes without that flair? No.\" He added: \"One of the exciting things is the flair in the young players from number five to number eight - Joe Root is a terrific player, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali.\" By winning in 1977 and 1978-79, Brearley was the last skipper to lead England to home and away Ashes success until Andrew Strauss, more than 30 years later. His most famous win came when he returned to the captaincy part way through the 1981 series, leading his country to a 3-1 victory over Australia. As the 2015 series approaches, Brearley has been talking to Michael Vaughan - an Ashes-winning captain in 2005 - about the challenges facing Cook's side, and the demands of leading your country. After losing 5-0 down under in 2013-14, England are seeking to regain the Ashes this summer, but Brearley feels they may struggle. He said: \"Australia are a very tough team. On paper, they're a better team than us. They've certainly got better bowling than we have. \"But we're playing at our home grounds, which makes a difference. If we can get that spirit going, and people play to their best, then we've got a chance.\" England's Test captain Cook was replaced as one-day skipper by Eoin Morgan last December, and left out of their World Cup squad earlier this year. \"There's an advantage for Alastair Cook in not having played in the World Cup and the recent one-day matches,\" Brearley said. \"He's been able get away, reorganise, remind himself of his technique and come back fresh. \"But it will be difficult for him if things don't go well to start with - and if he doesn't feel he's got the same spirit that the team have had in the one-day matches recently, and if he doesn't quite feel in charge.\" Brearley sees Cook as one of England's quieter captains - but does not view that as a problem. He said: \"Alastair Cook is not a big extrovert. He's not somebody who is going to change things in dramatic ways. \"Tony Greig [Brearley's predecessor as England captain from 1975-77] was a bit like that. He was a 6ft 5in blond-haired South African, who made big gestures, who reacted to the crowd, who said things to the opposition, who stirred up Dennis Lillee. \"I don't think you have to be like that. One of the important things as captain is that you have to be yourself. \"I think Alastair Cook is a leader who is conscientious, he works at it, he's fair-minded to the players.\" He currently averages 54.11 after 27 Tests and Root's performances at number five have impressed Brearley to the point that he feels the 24-year-old Yorkshireman", "summary": "England need the flair of their younger batsmen to win an Ashes series, says ex-skipper Mike Brearley."}
{"article": "Mr Adams was told there was a security issue when he attempted to attend the event in Washington DC on Tuesday night. He waited for about 80 minutes before deciding to leave. The US Secret Service said administrative errors were to blame. In a statement, it expressed its regret that the issue had not been resolved in a more \"timely manner\". \"Unfortunately, an administrative input error received by the Secret Service was not able to be rectified promptly,\" the statement added. Mr Adams had been invited to the annual shamrock ceremony which was hosted by President Obama. He said he was subjected to \"unacceptable and unprofessional\" treatment. As he tried to check in to the event, he was told a security issue had arisen. His party colleagues, Martin McGuinness and Mary-Lou McDonald had already entered the celebrations. \"He (Mr Adams) stood to one side and he waited around, he waited around and he waited for something like between 80 and 90 minutes,\" said BBC News NI economics editor, John Campbell, who is covering events in Washington. \"By that stage I think people inside the room texted him to say President Obama had started speaking and at that point Gerry Adams decided that, well, he was going to leave. \"He wasn't technically refused entry but he was left hanging around for the best part of an hour and a half and then decided it wasn't worth his while staying any more, so he left.\" Mr Adams said that he had been invited to the event and was \"pleased to accept\". \"When I arrived the staff at the White House informed me there was an issue of 'security',\" he said. \"After two decades of travelling back and forth to the USA and countless meetings in the White House with successive US Presidents, this is an unacceptable development. \"It is obvious that there remain some within the US administration who seek to treat Sinn F\u00e9in differently.\" Mr Adams added that Sinn F\u00e9in representatives had been denied entry or had to go through extra searches when travelling to the USA, while the State Department had also initially refused to meet him last year until \"protest from US political leaders\". \"Sinn F\u00e9in will not sit at the back of the bus for anyone,\" he said. \"I am hopeful that the controversy around my White House invitation will help lead to a resolution to all these matters.\" Mr Adams told the BBC that Sinn F\u00e9in representatives often face enhanced security checks but they normally do not \"broadcast\" it. He said what had happened was \"bad manners and not a good way to treat guests\". He said he had not been embarrassed by the incident, adding: \"I just deal with this in a non-personal way.\" Sinn F\u00e9in deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said it was \"ludicrous\" for Mr Adams to be stopped at the White House for unspecified security reasons. The White House has not commented.", "summary": "The American Secret Service has said it regrets delays which meant Sinn F\u00e9in leader Gerry Adams did not attend a St Patrick's Day reception at the White House."}
{"article": "Reading played the last 10 minutes with 10 men after Paul McShane saw red for a dangerous tackle on Kevin McDonald. After a goalless first half, Reading took the lead when Jordan Obita drilled in off the inside of the post. Tom Cairney headed Fulham's leveller from close in after Ali Al-Habsi failed to hold on to Scott Malone's drive. Ryan Fredericks went close to a stoppage-time winner for Fulham but his shot across goal went just wide after a run down the right. The two sides will meet again in the return leg at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday. With the first leg drawn, both sides stretched their impressive unbeaten runs which secured their respective places in the play-offs. Reading will hope a home record of just two league defeats all season will prove a good omen in Berkshire in the return leg, while Fulham will hope to avenge a 1-0 defeat back in January. In a tempestuous and rowdy affair in west London, referee Stuart Attwell had a task on his hands to keep a lid on emotions both on and off the pitch. Reading's goal was perhaps a touch fortunate when an apparent foul by McShane on Stefan Johansen went unpunished and Obita was on hand to finish as the space opened up for the visitors. As well as McShane's red card, four yellow cards were produced as the sides, who finished sixth and third respectively in the regular season, looked to gain the ascendancy. Despite the at times overly physical challenges, Attwell showed his composure to ensure McShane's reckless challenge was the only significant punishment for either side. Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic: \"We cannot be completely satisfied with what happens in the game. But I was expecting a tough game and I believed in ourselves to win the game, but the result is what it is. \"Everything is set up for the return on Tuesday and it's open. \"The red card is very clear and I believe it's very clear. It looked a clear free-kick for their goal as there was a touch with the hand too but it's a physical and very complicated game and sometimes referees can make mistakes. \"But we must be ready, we must be better for what's going to come on Tuesday. \"We showed we weren't scared after their goal, they didn't give us a lot of space but we found more in the second half. We had many chances but we weren't clinical enough. We must be strong and believe in ourselves for the return leg.\" Reading manager Jaap Stam: \"We can still win a game without Paul McShane, he's been very important to us throughout the season but we have options and we're very confident that we can still do well. \"I'm not going to say who does or doesn't have the advantage for the second leg. We know what we can do and what we can bring as a side and you've seen that today. \"Home advantage doesn't guarantee you a win, you still have to work very hard and", "summary": "Fulham and Reading could not be separated as their Championship play-off semi-final first leg finished all square in a fiery encounter."}
{"article": "The Wikileaks Twitter account, which had previously been commenting on its release of internal US Democrat party emails, instead began tweeting what appeared to be computer code. The three tweets - accompanied by the words John Kerry, UK FCO (Foreign Office) and Ecuador - led to speculation they could be part of a \"dead man's switch\": an automated release of information triggered if someone did not regularly \"check in\" to prove they were alive. Of course nothing had happened to Mr Assange, he had just been disconnected. Ecuador said it took the temporary step because it did not wish to interfere in the race for the White House, implying that Mr Assange had been doing just that. It took several hours before the Wikileaks Twitter account was running again. By that time someone else in another location - it isn't known who - had taken over, says Dr Einar Thorsen from Bournemouth University. He believes the automated Twitter messages could relate to Mr Assange's \"insurance file\" - said to contain information more damaging than anything yet released and automatically made public were anything to happen to him. It follows the release during the summer of a large 88-gigabyte file \"seeded\" onto \"torrent\" download sites, where it is rapidly duplicated, meaning it cannot be removed by government authorities, Dr Thorsen says. \"You or I could download the file but without the code it would just be a lot of data that we couldn't access,\" he said. Mr Assange fears for his future. He sought refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over sex assault allegations that he says are a US plot to jail him for leaking US military and diplomatic files. But the war of words has escalated dramatically this month. US authorities say the Clinton emails were stolen by Russian hackers, leading to accusations that Wikileaks was being used by the Kremlin. Wikileaks has since found itself denying allegations that Mr Assange received money from the Russian government and attempted to groom a child online. The latter claim appeared on the US blog the Daily Kos. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has found herself denying claims that appeared on a right-wing blog that she once said of Mr Assange: \"Can't we just drone this guy?\" \"It would have been a joke, if it had been said, but I don't recall that,\" Mrs Clinton said, Politico reported. \"Does Wikileaks have a beef with Clinton? Yes they probably do,\" says Dr Thorsen, referring to the drone comment. \"Is there a concerted effort to smear Assange? Yes absolutely.\" But he and other observers say it is still unlikely Mr Assange is deliberately trying to skew the US election. \"Julian said that choosing between Trump and Clinton is like choosing between gonorrhoea and syphilis,\" his former colleague and partner Sarah Harrison told London's Evening Standard newspaper last month. \"He has always said that Wikileaks is just a tool, it's neutral, Assange is anti-power. He's an anarchist in the pure sense, someone who wants self-determination for everybody,\" says Sean Dodson from Leeds Beckett", "summary": "When Ecuador cut Julian Assange's internet at its London embassy, something unexpected happened."}
{"article": "The Department For Transport (DFT) said it will invest more than \u00a316m in four stations in England and one in Wales. The stations will be at Horden in County Durham, Warrington West in Cheshire, Reading Green Park, Portway Parkway in Bristol and Bow Street in Ceredigion. Durham County Council said the Horden stop would be a big employment boost. Leader Simon Henig said: \"The station will greatly enhance commuters' ability to reach employment sites across the region and will be served by more than 20 trains a day heading north and south. \"It will also act as a park and ride, with spaces for more than 100 commuters.\" The DFT is providing \u00a34.4m towards the \u00a310.55m station with the rest coming from the county council and North East Combined Authority. The \u00a317.2m Warrington West station, which is getting \u00a34.23 from the DFT, should reduce congestion on the M62 and support new houses in the area, the department said. Reading Green Park will receive \u00a32.3m towards a total project cost of \u00a316.5m with the DFT saying it \"has the potential to unlock 7,500 new jobs and 1,500 homes\". The \u00a32.23m Portway Parkway, which is getting \u00a31.672m from the DFT, will serve an existing park and ride site and aims to reduce congestion on inner Bristol roads. Rail minister Paul Maynard said: \"The stations will improve access to the rail network and create new leisure, training, employment and business opportunities, as well as supporting new housing developments. \"All of the stations will be completed by March 2020.\"", "summary": "Five new rail stations should be completed by March 2020 after funding was confirmed, officials have said."}
{"article": "He was the Spectator magazine's editor, when it carried an article which said \"drunken fans\" had \"mindlessly tried to fight their way into the ground\". Apologising, he said he was glad a report \"lays to rest the false allegation\" about the fans' behaviour The Hillsborough Families Support Group said it was \"too little, too late\". Mr Johnson said: \"I was very, very sorry in 2004 that the Spectator did carry an editorial that partially repeated those allegations, I apologised then and I apologise now. \"I do hope the families of the 96 victims will take some comfort from this report and that they can reach some sort of closure.\" The Spectator article, which was not signed, was written in the wake of the death of British hostage Ken Bigley in Iraq, but went on to criticise \"drunken\" Liverpool fans at Hillsborough. Mr Johnson said sorry at the time and went to Liverpool to reiterate his apology. But Margaret Aspinall, chairwoman of the Hillsborough Families Support Group, who lost her son James, 18, in the tragedy, said: \"What he has got to understand is that we were speaking the truth for 23 years and apologies have only started to come today from them because of yesterday. \"It's too little, too late. \"It's fine to apologise afterwards. They just don't want their names in any more sleaze. No, his apology doesn't mean a thing to me.\"", "summary": "London Mayor Boris Johnson has said he was \"very, very sorry\" for comments made in 2004 about Liverpool fans in the Hillsborough disaster."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device After Wales had brought Ireland's 10-Test winning streak to an end in a brutal meeting in Cardiff, an enterprising England team finally got the job done against Scotland at Twickenham. France's win over Italy in Rome was far less entertaining, but it leaves four teams with at least a mathematical chance of lifting the trophy. Moment of the weekend: Just before we went to air on BBC One in Rome this weekend, the weather was so wet that presenter John Inverdale had to ask for a hairdryer to restore his locks to their television best. I think the rest of us enjoyed that. Media playback is not supported on this device Try of the weekend: France have not scored many tries this year, but Yoann Maestri's score was superb. Scott Spedding's break from deep was brilliant, the support from the French forwards came thick and fast and it was a great line and pass from Yoann Huget to put the second row in at the corner. Player of the weekend: Lock Luke Charteris, whose 31 tackles in an outstanding defensive display by Wales set a Six Nations record. Wales as a team made a Six Nations record 250 tackles (beating the 208 mark set by Italy last year). With England, Ireland and Wales level coming into the final weekend, points difference is going to prove crucial. If Stuart Lancaster's side had finished just some of the raft of clear opportunities they created against Scotland, they would be comfortably ahead on that score. As it is, they squandered most of those chances and are only four points better off than Ireland. It was disappointing that Jack Nowell, Luther Burrell and Tom Youngs all made clean breaks and then failed to give a scoring pass. You have to be smart in that situation. Unless you are much faster than the opposition - like Gloucester's Johnny May or South Africa wing Bryan Habana - or have got the size of All Black wing Julian Savea, then you have to think about buying time to find support, like Spedding did for Maestri's try against Italy. The England boys didn't look like rugby players in those situations. But I am not going to be too critical - I remember doing exactly the same against France at the Parc des Princes in the early 1990s. I made a break and got tackled, and afterwards wing Rory Underwood told me he was right on my shoulder waiting for a pass. I just didn't believe him, but when I watched the match back afterwards, I saw him there, perfectly placed just as he said. Media playback is not supported on this device I don't think I did it again! It is difficult to weigh up all the options in a couple of seconds, but it is partly experience. If you are a good player you may mess it up once, but you won't do it twice. One player who is looking completely at home in international rugby is George Ford. He has", "summary": "A largely superb weekend of rugby sets up a cliff-hanger of a conclusion to this season's Six Nations."}
{"article": "\"I'm sorry for the scandal,\" chief executive Kwon Oh-hyun said at the company's annual meeting in Seoul. Samsung Group boss Jay Y. Lee is accused of bribing a friend of the former president in return for government support in a deal. Mr Lee is currently in jail awaiting trial. Samsung has said it did not pay bribes in the form of donations, but has pledged to improve its corporate governance. The world's largest smartphone-maker also addressed the fallout from last year's failure of the Galaxy Note 7. Samsung had to abandon production of the smartphone after a number of them caught fire. \"I apologise once again for the mistake with the Note 7 last year. It was a failure that arose from trying new technology,\" Mr Kwon said. The debacle is estimated to have cost Samsung about $6bn. Samsung Electronics also announced at Friday's meeting that it would not be changing its corporate structure to use a holding company. The company has been under pressure from investors to simplify its ownership structure. \"There are negative effects that would arise from transitioning to a holding company so it does not appear it will be easy to do so at present,\" Mr Kwon said.", "summary": "Samsung Electronics has apologised to shareholders for its role in a corruption case that led to South Korea's president being impeached."}
{"article": "On Wednesday the Egyptian Competition Authority said it had referred the Caf president Issa Hayatou to prosecutors for investigation. It said he was suspected of not opening up the tender to free and fair competition as required by Egyptian law. Caf is based in Cairo so the authorities say it must follow their laws. Caf said the reports were false, adding that in the letter it was sent by the competition authority there was no mention of any prosecution against Mr Hayatou. \"False information, published in the Egyptian press since yesterday and widely reported around the world, indicates a recommendation for prosecution of the president of the Caf to the Attorney General of Egypt on corruption charges,\" said the statement. \"It should be noted that in the letter sent to Caf by the Egyptian Competition Authority, there is no mention of any prosecution against the president of Caf, whether for acts of corruption or something else.\" \"Caf wishes to point out that the contract with Lagard\u00e8re Sports does not contravene national or supranational legislation, as established by categorical legal opinions in this regard.\" In June 2015, Caf signed a deal with Lagardere which gave the French media company broadcasting rights to a variety of African football competitions, including the flagship Africa Cup of Nations, from 2017 until 2028. The deal was valued at $1 billion by African football's ruling body and followed on from a previous contract with Lagardere, which had run from 2008 to 2016. The French company is not the subject of the referral, but has denied any wrongdoing. \"Any allegations that the agreement breaches local Egyptian competition laws are wholly unfounded and we have clear and categorical legal advice to that effect,\" it said in a statement to the BBC. The Egyptian Competition Authority's complaint comes days after the new deal took effect and a week before the Nations Cup gets underway. The continent's largest sporting event kicks off in Gabon on 14 January, with the final taking place on 5 February.", "summary": "The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has strongly denied that a deal with a media company for broadcast rights to several African football tournaments has broken any laws."}
{"article": "Flanker Davies, 25, was a key player as Team GB claimed a silver medal in the rugby sevens in Rio. New Zealander Pivac credited Davies with a key moment in helping GB beat Argentina in a tense quarter-final, and expects him to be pressing for a first Wales 15-a-side cap. \"He's always been knocking on the door, he's there or thereabouts,\" said Pivac. \"There are three or four good sevens (openside flankers) in Wales - it would depend on the style of game that you play. \"James suits an open style of game with a lot of running and a lot of ball movement. \"So if that's the way Wales are going, he's suited. But he's not the only one in that position that can do that.\" Davies was selected for the Olympics after being omitted from Wales' squad for the summer tour of New Zealand. After receiving his medal in Rio, the player jokingly thanked Wales coach Warren Gatland for not selecting him. Media playback is not supported on this device Pivac has coached at World-level sevens but says he has not dealt with an Olympic medallist in the past. He said Davies would be given a break before returning to training, but was looking forward to seeing him \"because he's a character at the best of times.\" Team-mate Scott Williams expects the flanker - younger brother of Scarlets and Wales centre Jonathan Davies - to turn up for his first training session wearing the medal. Asked the region were proud of Davies' achievement, Pivac replied: \"Immensely so.\" \"It's the first rugby sevens at the Olympics, the biggest stage. \"When you listen to all the successful GB athletes each night, talking about how proud they are and how their families are so proud of them - they want to make their country proud and James is no exception. \"He played a big part in that.\" Pivac added Davies' strengths as a 15-a-side player had made him a key player for GB sevens team particularly in their nail-biting 5-0 sudden death win against Argentina. \"I think it's his 15-a-side skills, the ones that he's very good at, transferred well into sevens,\" Pivac said. \"His work at the breakdown is what he's known for in 15s and he was exceptional in gaining turnovers for his team in Rio - either straight turnovers or holding-on penalties against the opposition. \"His defence under the goal-posts against Argentina in the quarter-final allowed the side to get into the medals.\"", "summary": "Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac says the region are \"immensely proud\" of Olympic silver medallist James Davies."}
{"article": "The dataset contained 40,000 images - half of which were of men, half of women - but it is now offline. Stuart Colianni wrote a program to compile the cache of photos, intending to use them for machine learning research. Tinder accused Mr Colianni of violating its terms of service. Tech news site TechCrunch reported that the dataset originally contained many thousands of pictures from Tinder users in the Bay Area, around San Francisco in California. Some users had \"multiple\" photos scraped from their profiles, TechCrunch added. \"Tinder gives you access to thousands of people within miles of you,\" wrote Mr Colianni on a web page that previously linked to the data. He explained that he was looking for a way of gathering more detailed data on human faces, adding, \"Why not leverage Tinder to build a better, larger facial dataset?\" He had added folders containing the photos to Kaggle, a Google-run service that allows programmers to experiment with artificial intelligence (AI) progams. AI algorithms can be trained on large sets of photographs in order to perform facial recognition tasks, but it is not clear what purpose Mr Colianni had in mind for the data. However, over the weekend he posted an update saying that he had removed the pictures. \"I have spoken with representatives at Kaggle, and they have received a request from Tinder to remove the dataset,\" he explained. Tinder said it continued to implement measures \"against the automated use\" of its API (application programming interface), including steps \"to deter and prevent scraping\". \"This person has violated our terms of service (Sec. 11) and we are taking appropriate action and investigating further,\" the statement added. The firm also noted that all profile images are available to anyone using the app. Programs that scrape data from the web - to compare prices on e-commerce websites, for example - are very common, noted Glenn Wilkinson, an independent security researcher. \"People would have an assumption that their profile is quite private,\" he explained, but added that getting access to such data is not usually very difficult, even if it is prohibited - as in Tinder's case - by the terms and conditions of the service. There were potential privacy threats that could result from this, said Mr Wilkinson, pointing out that it might be possible to use profile pictures to connect people's identities on separate social media sites. \"People do like to keep their dating and work life separate - but if you use the same photo on Tinder and LinkedIn, those things could get linked together,\" he told the BBC.", "summary": "Tens of thousands of dating profile pictures were taken from Tinder by a programmer who then made them publicly available on the web."}
{"article": "The data would help ascertain which tower blocks fitted with cladding may be unsafe in the event of a fire. Lord Porter, chairman of the Local Government Association, said authorities lack the information they need to make such judgments. The test results, however, are considered commercially confidential. Lord Porter said: \"The results that are done by the private sector must... be made public. Some tests have been done, but\u2026 the commercial companies that have done those tests are under no obligation [to share the information].\" His call comes as the BBC learns that burning cladding on Grenfell Tower would have released 14 times more heat than a key government safety test allows. Lord Porter is seeking data from tests designed to check that cladding which contains combustible components is installed in a safe manner. These tests and studies would have taken place prior to the installation of cladding on buildings. They are the basis of the two principal routes for getting a proposed cladding design that uses combustible parts certified for use in a tall building. First, developers can seek approval for a design by testing the response to fire of a mock-up of their proposed cladding design in a laboratory - a so-called \"fire test\". Second, they can also by ask an engineer to certify that their design is similar to one that has already been tested - a so-called \"desktop study\". Some of the buildings discovered in recent weeks to have combustible exterior cladding may, in fact, be installed in a way that was robustly tested via a fire test. In such a case, removing the cladding may not be necessary. If, however, the cladding design has only been subjected to a desktop study, the evidence base supporting the cladding design may not be as robust. Newsnight has previously reported on cases where a desktop study argued that a design using aluminium composite panels did not need to be subjected to a fire test because it was similar enough to a design that had already been tested. That design, however, used ceramic tiles instead of aluminium panels - a material that behaves very differently in fire. The programme has also previously revealed that some building inspection agencies have approved buildings that use combustible cladding and insulation without even requesting a desktop study. In such cases, there may be no evidence at all supporting the design's safety. Officials have not, however, been able to obtain copies of tests and reports to establish how robust the evidence base is for each building. The reports are treated as commercially confidential and the intellectual property within them usually belongs to the makers of the insulation. Lord Porter told Newsnight that the laboratory responsible for doing most of the testing, the Buildings Research Establishment, \"say that they can't share the test results\u2026 because they're subject to intellectual property\u2026 The tests that they've done belong to the companies.\" He said he was appealing to these companies to waive their rights to confidentiality. Lord Porter continued: \"My worry is that the public will never have faith in", "summary": "A local government leader has called for the release of confidential fire test data from private companies."}
{"article": "The Manchester United forward, 30, scored seven goals in their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, but has not played since a knee injury in February. The top two scorers in this season's Premier League are both England strikers, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy. \"Over the past two years my form for England has been really good. I've scored a lot of goals,\" Rooney said. \"I'll keep trying to, first and foremost, help the team be successful and if I can score the goals to help achieve that then that'll be great. \"I've still got a few years left, I feel,\" he told the PFA's 4 The Player magazine. \"I'm always just thinking about what comes next and making sure I'm at my best for the summer. \"I feel I'm a lot more patient now in my play. When I was younger I could be impatient and I'd end up in positions I didn't really need to be in.\"", "summary": "England captain and record goalscorer Wayne Rooney is confident he has \"a few years left\" at international level."}
{"article": "It instead ordered a further investigation into money transfers. Questions arose over the business dealings of Mr Sharif's family when three of his children were linked to offshore accounts in the Panama Papers leaks in 2015. Mr Sharif and his family have denied any wrongdoing. They have dismissed the claims as politically motivated. The case has made headlines in recent months amid predictions it could determine the future of PM Sharif. About 1,500 police officers were deployed around the court in Islamabad. Protesters nearby urged Mr Sharif to step down with shouts of \"Go Nawaz, Go Nawaz\", Reuters reports. Stocks rose following the highly anticipated decision on Thursday. The Supreme Court agreed to investigate Mr Sharif's offshore wealth late last year after opposition leader Imran Khan threatened street protests. The focus of the probe was on the funds used to purchase property in London using offshore companies. Mr Sharif's daughter Maryam, tipped as a future political star, and his sons Hasan and Hussein are implicated in the allegations. Mr Sharif says the wealth was acquired legally. But his critics have suggested offshore companies were used to launder illegally-obtained wealth or avoid taxes. The Supreme Court's five-member bench was split on Thursday, with two judges voting against the prime minister but three choosing instead to order a further probe. Mr Sharif's party, the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N), hailed the decision and his daughter Maryam tweeted: \"Praise and glory be to Allah alone.\" Both the prime minister's supporters and his critics have been claiming today's decision as a victory. The prime minister wasn't disqualified - and that was the big fear he and his party had. Similarly, he hasn't been asked to step aside whilst this new investigation takes place. However, opponents of the prime minster point out that two out of the five judges did recommend Nawaz Sharif should be disqualified, and the other three all felt further investigation was needed. The prime minister's team will hope that the complex nature of the investigation could see any recommendation it reaches kicked into the long grass. In the meantime, they may try and unveil new voter-friendly policies to take the sting out of this case. At the same time Imran Khan's PTI party, which has led the corruption allegations, will hope to keep the case in the headlines ahead of elections due to take place next year. Investigators will now focus on how the family members transferred money to Qatar. PM Sharif and his daughter told the Supreme Court last November that their London property was bought through investments in companies owned by the Qatari ruling family. But the opposition in Pakistan has dismissed the claims as \"fake\". The so-called Panama Papers - 11 million secret documents leaked from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca - set out the offshore financial activities of political and business leaders and the wealthy elite around the world. There are legitimate ways of using tax havens and offshore companies, although these entities are often used to hide the true owners of assets or avoid paying tax on", "summary": "Pakistan's Supreme Court has ruled there is insufficient evidence of corruption to remove Nawaz Sharif from the role of prime minister."}
{"article": "Last week the IOC said individual sports' governing bodies must decide if Russian competitors are clean amid claims of state-sponsored doping. But it now says the newly convened panel \"will decide whether to accept or reject that final proposal\". More than 250 Russian athletes have so far been cleared to compete. The three-person panel comprises Ugur Erdener, president of World Archery and head of the IOC medical and scientific commission, Claudia Bokel of the IOC athletes commission, and Spanish IOC member Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, son of the ex-IOC president of the same name. The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) had recommended all Russian athletes be banned after its independently commissioned report found evidence of a four-year \"doping programme\" across the \"vast majority\" of Olympic sports. The IOC stopped short of applying a blanket ban in a move criticised by Wada and others, while swimmers Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev have become the first Russian athletes to appeal against their ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The Olympics start in Rio on Friday. Meanwhile, Russian whistleblower Yulia Stepanova has asked again for the IOC to reassess her exclusion from Rio. The 800m runner's testimony helped shed light on the scale of doping in Russian sport, and she was to compete under a neutral flag in Rio. But the IOC ruled that she should not be allowed to take part as she had previously failed a doping test. In a letter to the IOC on Saturday, Stepanova and her husband Vitaly asked the body to \"reassess the decision on Yulia\". The IOC responded by saying it had rejected any review of her case and had not discussed the matter at its executive board meeting. \"The final decision has been taken already,\" IOC spokesman Mark Adams said.", "summary": "The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says a three-person panel will have the final say on which Russian athletes can compete at the Rio Games."}
{"article": "Doug Paulley, from Wetherby, was denied access to a First Group bus when a woman with a pushchair refused to move. Senior judges overturned an earlier ruling which said the firm's wheelchair policy was discriminatory and breached the Equality Act. Mr Paulley has now lodged permission to appeal papers with the Supreme Court. According to the appeal papers the Court of Appeal's decision was \"wholly inconsistent with the policy of the Equality Act 2010\". Mr Paulley said he was prepared to take the case \"as far as it needs to go\". \"Disabled people chained themselves to buses in the 1990s to make sure accessible buses were put on routes, but there's no point in having them if you can't use them,\" he said. In 2013 Leeds County Court ruled First Group's \"first come first served\" policy was unlawful and said disabled users should have priority access to wheelchair spaces. However, last year the Court of Appeal said the \"proper remedy\" for wheelchair users to get improvements was to ask Parliament. A spokeswoman for solicitors Unity Law, which represents Mr Paulley, said First Bus Group had indicated it objects to the application. She said a panel of Law Lords will have to consider whether to allow the appeal. Mr Paulley's case is being supported and funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). A spokeswoman said: \"This case is of enormous importance to the thousands of wheelchair users who may wish to use public transport such as buses without having the anxiety of being told they cannot travel because the space is being occupied by buggies.\" First Group told the BBC it was preparing a response.", "summary": "A disabled man who won a court ruling over bus wheelchair access which was later overturned has launched a bid to take the case to the Supreme Court."}
{"article": "The woman was arrested and had her passport confiscated after she claimed she was raped by two British men. The Dubai Public Prosecutor's office said it had closed the case after \"careful examination of all evidence\". It said investigations showed \"the act happened with the consent of the three parties in question\". A video on one of the suspect's mobile phones was found to be \"key evidence\". Officials said there would be no legal action and all three parties were in the process of receiving their passports and were free to leave the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The woman's father said he had received \"conflicting stories\" saying that his daughter had been released, but he said the Foreign Office had not confirmed anything yet. The woman, in her 20s, reported the alleged rape at a police station in late October, a statement from the prosecutor's office said. She was reported to have been holidaying in Dubai. The two male suspects were also arrested, questioned and had their passports confiscated, but no charges were filed against them. The campaign group, Detained in Dubai, said it was pleased with the decision. \"We expect that the international outrage that this case deserved, influenced authorities to drop the charges, in order to spare the UAE of such negative press. \"Others in the past have not been so fortunate but we hope that this landmarks a fresh approach to similar cases in the future.\" The public prosecutor's office said Dubai's legal system takes reports of all crimes \"very seriously, including and especially violence against women, and conducts thorough investigations of all incidents\". In Dubai all sex outside of marriage is illegal. If authorities become aware of a sexual relationship, those involved risk prosecution, imprisonment and/or fine and deportation.", "summary": "A British woman, who was charged with having extra-marital sex in Dubai after reporting she was raped, has had all charges against her dropped."}
{"article": "Rob Stewart was speaking after plans were unveiled for 3,500-seat arena, an aquarium and a city beach area with bars, restaurants, hotels and homes. It will be the biggest landscape change since the city was blitzed during World War Two and is expected to lead to about 1,700 permanent jobs. Swansea council unveiled the plans on Friday with work due to start in 2017. It comes 10 years after a flagship scheme to redevelop Swansea city centre collapsed. Mr Stewart said: \"We've been very careful to make sure what we've proposed is deliverable. We're very confident we have the right developers and right funders.\" Two developers - Rivington Land and Acme and Trebor Developments - have been appointed and construction work will bring about 500 jobs. The main areas to be worked on are the former St David's shopping centre, land next to the leisure centre and the civic centre site. Mr Stewart added: \"People quite rightly would want to see us get on with this as soon as possible. \"We are already in discussions with Welsh government, with the UK department of trade and industry in London, to make sure we can take these plans forward as quickly as possible.\" It will run from Whitewalls, include a cafe quarter and be built on an incline so that at the other end, people can walk straight over Oystermouth Road to where the arena will be, hosting concerts, shows, conferences and ice skating. There will also be a high-rise building next to it comprising of a hotel and flats and could become the tallest in Wales. An access route will run from there to the aquarium and city beach.", "summary": "A new \u00a3500m plan to transform Swansea city centre will succeed, the leader of the city's council has said."}
{"article": "The girls' names were put on Twitter by the president's office on Sunday. They were flown to the capital Abuja. But in Chibok, their home region in north-eastern Nigeria, not everyone has access to the social media site. It is unclear if the government has made other attempts to let them know if their daughters are now safe. On Monday, people were checking the newspapers to see who was on the list and decide whether to make the journey to Abuja, according to the Associated Press news agency. Even parents in Abuja - where the 82 girls were flown in order to meet President Muhammadu Buhari before he left the country for medical treatment - were waiting to see if they would be reunited with their daughters. Esther Yakubu told the BBC the last three years had been a \"horrible nightmare\" but that even the possibility of her daughter having been rescued was giving her hope. \"Whether she is among the freed ones or not, I am very happy,\" she said. \"We started this year with 24 [returned girls] and now we have 106. It is a large number, and we have hope that, if they are alive, they will come back. \"I have never been happy in my life like today. I am a mother. I accept any child that is back. My baby will be back soon, if she is among them or if she isn't.\" It is being reported that the girls were handed over on Saturday in exchange for five Boko Haram suspects after negotiations - a deal which has been criticised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi. In a statement, the PDP faction said the exchange had allowed terrorists to escape punishment and would embolden them to carry out further kidnappings, while the \"piecemeal\" release of the girls meant they still held bargaining chips. But according to lawyer Zannah Mustapha, who has acted as a mediator between the Nigerian government and the extremists, some of the girls rejected the opportunity to return home. Exactly what their motivations are remains unclear, but there is speculation they may have been radicalised, or are too ashamed to return. \"Some girls refused to return... I have never talked to one of the girls about their reasons,\" Mr Mustapha told Reuters news agency. Boko Haram is thought to still be holding more than 100 of the original 276 girls taken from a school in north-eastern Nigeria in 2014. They are far from the only people abducted by the extremist group. Amnesty International has recorded 41 cases of mass abductions in the last three years. It puts the number of women and children kidnapped at at least 2,000. For those parents receiving good news in the coming days, the wait may not be over. None of the 21 girls who were released in October have been able to move back home, and nearly seven months later they are still being held on a military re-integration programme. They did go back to Chibok at Christmas time last year, but", "summary": "Parents of the missing Chibok girls are slowly learning if their daughters are among the 82 freed by Boko Haram militants in Nigeria two days ago."}
{"article": "Germany-born Faas won four major photo prizes, including two Pulitzers, during his career, and served as AP's Saigon photo chief at the height of the war. In Saigon he trained and mentored young Vietnamese photographers who captured many of the war's defining images. Faas was injured in 1967 and later used a wheelchair for many years. He died after suffering years of health problems, including paralysis from the waist down. \"Horst Faas was a giant in the world of photojournalism whose extraordinary commitment to telling difficult stories was unique and remarkable,\" said Santiago Lyon, AP's global head of photography. \"He was an exceptional talent both behind the camera and editing the work of others and even in the grimmest circumstances he always made sure to live life to the fullest,\" Lyon said. \"He will be sorely missed by scores of colleagues, especially that reduced group with whom he covered conflict, particularly the Vietnam generation.\" Speaking to the BBC in 2007, Faas described his job in simple terms. \"I tried to be in the newspapers every day, to beat the opposition with better photos. I didn't try to do anything grandiose. The photos were used and published and asked for, becuase Vietnam was on the front pages year after year after. \"I lived from day to day, from event to event. It was a perfect story for an agency photographer.\" He began his career covering conflicts in 1960, four years after joining the Associated Press (AP). He worked in what was then Zaire, and in Algeria, before relocating to Vietnam, where he won his first Pulitzer Prize in 1965. Accepting the award, he said he aimed to \"record the suffering, the emotions and the sacrifices of both Americans and Vietnamese in... this little bloodstained country so far away,\" AP said. He had a front row view of much of that suffering. When not in the midst of the conflict, Faas worked at AP's Saigon base, viewing and selecting images from his photographers to transmit on the wire to the rest of the world. Under his direction, AP photographers captured images that quickly became synonymous with the long war: among the most notable were Eddie Adams' image of the execution of a Viet Cong suspect and Nick Ut's picture of a naked Vietnamese girl fleeing a napalm attack. Despite being injured in 1967, he stayed in the country until 1970. \"I don't think anyone stayed longer, took more risks or showed greater devotion to his work and his colleagues,\" said New York Times journalist David Halberstam, who once lived with Haas. \"I think of him as nothing less than a genius.\"", "summary": "Celebrated combat photographer Horst Faas, who covered the Vietnam War for the Associated Press, has died aged 79, his daughter says."}
{"article": "Pvt George Fly lent the instrument to five-year-old Edna a year after surviving the Battle of Jutland. After keeping it in the family, Edna's daughter Marian Le May has now handed it back to the Royal Marines School of Music in Portsmouth. The school said it would be \"proudly displayed\" in its percussion suites Mr Fly joined the Royal Marines Light Infantry Divisional Band in Portsmouth in 1894. In 1915 he was drafted to the light cruiser HMS Castor which took part in the Battle of Jutland. He died in 1934 aged 58. His family believe he gave Edna the tambourine to use while dancing round the maypole at St Vincent's Royal Marines School at Gosport where she was a pupil. Mrs Le May, 74, said it had become \"part of our family history\". \"It was never hidden away or forgotten about. But my grandchildren don't want it - they have plenty of other things to play with - so we spoke to the Royal Marines Band Service and they were pleased to have it,\" she said. James Pinney, marketing manager at the school, said: \"It will be proudly displayed in a prominent position where trainee musicians can see it and read about one of their brave predecessors.\"", "summary": "A tambourine borrowed by a Royal Marines bandsman for his daughter's May Day celebrations in 1917 has been returned 99 years later."}
{"article": "Officers working on a missing person inquiry made the discovery in Market Street at about 23:55 on Wednesday. A man has been detained and is helping police with their inquiries. A Police Scotland spokesman said: \"The investigation into the circumstances is in the very early stages of establishing who the remains belong to and how that person died.\" He added: \"Our inquiries have taken us to a number of addresses in the Montrose area where there is likely to be a police presence for some considerable time.\"", "summary": "Police have found what are believed to be human remains at a house in Montrose."}
{"article": "Anyone caught smoking in a vehicle in front of a child or youth under the age of 18 will be fined 100 euros (\u00a373). Failure to pay the fine, or to stop a vehicle and give personal details to the police could lead to a prosecution and 1,000 euros (\u00a3727) penalty. A similar ban is being considered by the Northern Ireland Assembly. Earlier this month, Stormont Health Minister Simon Hamilton announced an amendment to a bill currently going through the assembly, which if passed, would now mean smoking in cars with children would be illegal anywhere on the island of Ireland. The Irish government signed its ban into law this week, under the Protection of Children's Health (Tobacco Smoke in Mechanically Propelled Vehicles) Act. The details were announced by Minister for Children Dr James Reilly and Minister for Health Leo Varadkar. Mr Reilly said it was a central part of his government's \"Tobacco Free Ireland\" policy. \"The Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Study 2014 found that nearly one in every five children between the ages of 10 and 17 years are exposed to toxic, carcinogenic smoke in cars,\" he said. \"Even if windows of the car are open the young person is not protected from the harmful effect of second-hand smoke.\" Mr Varadkar said: \"Children are more susceptible to the effects of second-hand smoke and may not be able to avoid exposure. \"Second hand smoke is particularly harmful to children in enclosed spaces, such as cars.\" Under the new law, drivers and passengers will be banned from smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes when they are inside a vehicle with someone under the age of 18. Drivers will also be held responsible if they allow their passengers to smoke in front of children. The legislation does not apply to electronic cigarettes, which are exempt from the ban. In Great Britain, a law banning smoking in vehicles carrying children came into force in England and Wales in October. The Scotland government is planning to legislate on the issue next year.", "summary": "A ban on smoking in vehicles when children are present will come into effect in the Republic of Ireland on New Year's Day, 1 January 2016."}
{"article": "The visitors took an unexpected lead after just four minutes when Robbie Crawford beat three men on his way to an excellent solo goal. Hibs went on to dominate possession, but they were out of sorts and struggled to create clear chances. Even once they equalised, Hibs were unable to secure a win, wth Grant Holt's header cleared off the line. The result nudges Hibs nine points clear of Dundee United, who can reduce the gap at home to Raith Rovers in the evening kick-off. Hibs suffered their setback early enough to initially consider it an inconvenience. The home fans were stunned when Crawford gathered the ball 25 yards out, to the right of the penalty area, then set-off on a run towards goal. He might not have had a plan in place, but his impetuosity took him into the danger area, and past three challenges as he jinked and weaved with the ball. Eventually, he was in a position to shoot and his low effort seemed to bobble underneath the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw. The home side have to have been resilient enough to respond, but there was a lacklustre quality to their play. Even with two fast wingers in Chris Humphrey and Martin Boyle, they failed to turn the Ayr defence. Passing was laboured, and there were symbolic moments across the field, such as James Keatings tackling his own team-mate, John McGinn, on the edge of the Ayr penalty area and Lewis Stevenson throwing the ball straight to an opponent deep inside his own half. There were inevitably half-chances, given how much possession Hibs enjoyed, but Andrew Shinnie's effort at the near post from Keatings' cross was blocked by Ayr goalkeeper Greg Fleming. Just before the interval, Shinnie also headed over. Hard words would have been spoken in the home dressing room, and Humphrey didn't reappear as Hibs boss Neil Lennon sent on Holt. Soon after the restart, Hibs' top scorer, Cummings, also made his way off the bench. By then, the home side were utterly dominating the ball, but Ayr were defending manfully and Nicky Devlin headed off the line. The pressure eventually told, though, as Cummings applied the finishing touch with his head to Keatings' cross. There was a desperate search for a winning goal, with Cummings' long-range effort pushed away and Holt's header cleared off the line by Brian Gilmour. Ayr, though, held on. Hibernian manager Neil Lennon: \"The first-half performance was awful and the goal we conceded was symptomatic of the way we played. The second half was a lot better, so I'm pleased we showed a bit of character to get something out of the game. It feels like we dropped a couple of points, no question. \"Our build-up play was poor, pedestrian, looked like there was a bit of panic out there at times. I don't know where that's come from. In the second half we made a few changes and got the goal we deserved and on balance should probably have won. \"We forced the game in the second half, but", "summary": "Championship leaders Hibernian needed a Jason Cummings header to rescue a point against second bottom Ayr United."}
{"article": "However, not all attendees at the \"Oscars of the East Coast\" party are strictly adhering to the chosen theme. The annual gala brings in millions for the museum's Costume Institute. Last year, A-listers from film, music, sports and fashion were asked to dress to the theme of Chinese influences on western fashion - with varying success. This year, the exhibit is \"Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.\" The chairwoman of the invitation-only extravaganza is American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who has been organising the gala for nearly 20 years. This year, tickets cost $30,000 (\u00c2\u00a320,456) per person - but despite the prices it is one of the hardest parties to get in to. Privacy of the guests is intensely guarded, and posting on social media after they have walked the red carpet and entered the event has been banned since last year. Last year, more than $12m was raised for the museum's Costume Institute.", "summary": "Celebrities at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art have gone metallic as this year's Met Ball celebrates the convergence of man and machine."}
{"article": "The study is based on a century's worth of observational data drawn from 100 river basins across the world. It reveals a significant increase in the water being \"lost\" to the atmosphere as a direct result of human activity. This occurs through evaporation from land and water surfaces, and from plants as they transpire. The old estimates of human water consumption add up to a staggering number: 9,100 cubic km per year. This volume is about twice the size of Lake Michigan in the US. Fernando Jaramillo and Georgia Destouni from Stockholm University in Sweden have now used freely available data to update these assessments, to reveal a more precise picture of how much humans are impacting the natural water cycle at the global scale. Their research suggests human water management strategies are responsible for an additional quantity of water the size of Lake Ontario being transferred to the atmosphere - a significant element of consumption that the earlier approaches had underestimated. It means the human water footprint is actually closer to 10,700 cu km a year. \"Previous assessments of human water consumption were mainly based on national statistics and global scale models. The novelty of this study is that it's based on data,\" Dr Jaramillo emphasized. The team has published its work in Science magazine. A presentation was also made this week to the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union - the world's largest annual gathering of Earth scientists. The authors explained that water consumption by humans goes beyond drinking water, industrial water, and water for municipalities. Water that would normally be in rivers but ends up being in the atmosphere as vapour due to human activity has been largely overlooked, and this is what the authors focused on. \"The loss is from the landscape through the atmosphere and that leaves less water for both humans and other ecosystems in the landscape\", Prof Destouni explained. This displacement of water into the atmosphere occurs through water evaporation or through transpiration by plants. So the total flow of water to the atmosphere is given by evapotranspiration. \"We used a simple water budget: water lost by evapotranspiration is precipitation minus water runoff,\" Dr Jaramillo answered when asked how they used the data. Looking at their data, the scientists could see an increase in evapotranspiration when comparing the first and second halves of the last century. The question they then asked was how much of this change was being driven by human activity. They found that areas previously identified as having experienced the ecological consequences of dams and irrigation also showed the biggest increase in evapotranspiration. \"Dam and irrigation developments - even though local - have a big global impact on human water consumption. That's what has not been calculated before and what we've estimated in this paper,\" Prof Destouni said. \"The water footprint could be up to 20% larger than previously estimated,\" Dr Jaramillo revealed. \"In dry areas, reducing the water in the environment can have an enormous impact on humans and ecosystems. In a wet landscape, it is in relative terms not", "summary": "New calculations show that our already sizeable water footprint is 18% bigger than we thought."}
{"article": "The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train operators, says the 16 million fares currently on offer are \"baffling\" for passengers. It wants to ensure passengers are offered the cheapest possible fares. The trial, starting from May, will initially benefit people travelling between Scotland and south-west England. A traveller buying an off-peak return from Wick, in northern Scotland, to Par, in Cornwall, can currently pay up to \u00a3342.50, although in practice few people pay that amount. However, by buying six separate fares for each leg of the journey, passengers can pay as little as \u00a380 for the same trip. That would involve buying tickets from Wick to Inverness, Inverness to Edinburgh and Edinburgh to Par. The RDG says the potential saving of \u00a3262 will soon be offered to customers automatically. CrossCountry Trains, the main operator taking part in the trials, may eventually offer savings on other routes as well. Passengers travelling between London and Glasgow, or London and Edinburgh on Virgin Trains, will also benefit from clearer pricing. Operators currently have to offer a return fare between these cities, which is regulated by the government. But the RDG says it would be more transparent - and possibly cheaper - for commuters if single fares were regulated instead. It wants more booking of single fares - at ticket offices and ticket machines, as well as on the internet. Ticket machines on stations will also be updated, to make sure they show the cheapest fares available. \"We're determined to overhaul the system to cut out red-tape, jargon and complication to make it easier for customers to buy fares they can trust, including from ticket machines,\" said Jacqueline Starr, RDG director of customer experience. The trial will also see the removal of some historic fares which do not make sense. Ben Morris, business reporter In the British Rail era, rail fares were a relatively simple affair, with ticket prices worked out on a cost-per mile basis. But in the 1990s, in an effort to make the network more efficient, the operation of rail services was handed to private train operating companies (Tocs). The Tocs were given some freedom to set ticket prices, with advanced ticket bookings particularly important to them, as it helps them to keep their trains full. To protect passengers, other fares were regulated, including season tickets and off-peak fares. The result is a patchwork of fares, that becomes even more complicated when a passenger wants to cross several train regions. Savvy travellers have been taking advantage of this by splitting their journey into several tickets, rather than one through-ticket. Today's scheme aims to make those savings available to everyone. At the moment passengers travelling between London St Pancras and Sheffield pay extra to travel via Grantham, for example, even though it takes longer. Such fares date back to the pre-privatisation era of British Rail. News of the trial was welcomed by passenger groups. \"What's clear from our research is that passengers find the ticketing system far too complex,\" said Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus. \"The presence of cheaper fares that", "summary": "Passengers using cross-country train routes could save up to \u00a3260 a journey, under a trial scheme to simplify fares."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old Wales forward has scored 11 goals during his season-long loan at Portman Road from Premier League side Leicester City. \"I think Tom will have his heart set on the Premier League and I think he'll get that,\" said McCarthy. \"If Leicester are going to sell him, there'd be a lot of takers.\" He continued to BBC Radio Suffolk: \"Tom has been brilliant and we've all loved him, everybody's really appreciated what he's done, but I think he has his heart set on Premier League football and why wouldn't he?\" The Tractor Boys were assured of Championship safety thanks to Easter Monday's 3-1 defeat of promotion hopefuls Newcastle United. And McCarthy hinted that there could be a large turnover of players this summer as the club go into their 16th consecutive season in England's second tier. McCarthy said: \"It's been tentative before being completely safe. I'll sit down and talk to (owner) Marcus (Evans) now about what we want to do and hopefully we can come up with something. \"But there's a real opportunity to freshen it up because there are a lot of players out of contract and we've quite a few players on loan. \"Do they want to stay? Do we want them? Can we have them? Can we sign them? There's all those things. We'll be losing a few players.\"", "summary": "Championship side Ipswich Town have \"no chance\" of signing on-loan top scorer Tom Lawrence on a more permanent deal, according to manager Mick McCarthy."}
{"article": "The senior west London coroner Chinyere Inyama \"inadvertently disposed\" of a 30-page document of evidence against the chief suspect Arnis Zalkalns in November, police said. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) tried to recover the file but concluded it had probably been destroyed. Alice went missing in August and her body was found in a river in September. Her family said they were \"extremely concerned, bewildered and angry\" that highly sensitive information about Alice had been lost. The force said the search for the missing 14-year-old was the largest investigation it had undertaken since the 7 July 2005 bomb attacks in London. Her body was found in the River Brent on 30 September 2014. The body of Arnis Zalkalns, 41, from Latvia, was found on 4 October, decomposed in woodland in west London. A post-mortem examination found he died from hanging. The following month, a copy of the police file against him was lost. Alice's family said: \"We have looked to the police and coroner to help us through our awful loss. Yet now we learn they - either independently or together - have withheld from us the loss of this terribly sensitive information about Alice. \"We are extremely concerned, bewildered and angry, and we have asked for a full written explanation as to what exactly happened and why we were not told.\" A spokesman for the Met said: \"In November 2014 the MPS was informed by HM Coroner, London West, that he had inadvertently disposed of a single document relating to the police evidence against Arnis Zalkalns. \"An investigation to recover it was undertaken. This concluded that it was highly likely it had been destroyed as waste.\" Police said details of the evidence against Zalkalns was provided to the media in January with the agreement of the CPS and the coroner. The coroner was given the file to assist in his preparations for the inquests into Alice Gross and Zalkalns' deaths. The Ministry of Justice said: \"This clearly appears to be a troubling incident. A full investigation is now under way.\"", "summary": "A copy of the police investigation file into the murder of schoolgirl Alice Gross was left by a coroner on a train."}
{"article": "At an earlier hearing, Det Sgt Matt Swash, 41, who is based at March police station, admitted accessing unauthorised information about a colleague on a police computer system. At Cambridge Crown Court, Swash was sentenced to two months in prison, suspended for 12 months. He remains suspended pending internal police misconduct proceedings. Cambridgeshire Police said Swash would face no further action over other charges, including 11 counts of sexual assault and two counts of misconduct in public office.", "summary": "A Cambridgeshire police officer has been sentenced for an offence under the Computer Misuse Act."}
{"article": "Scientists have been getting up close and personal with white rhinos' dung heaps in South Africa, and found that they were leaving messages for other rhinos. It works because the different animals leave different chemicals in their poo, which other rhinos can smell to get clues about the rhino it came from. From those chemicals, you can work out the rhinos age, gender, whether it's looking for more territory, or is ready to mate. That's really important, because it means all the rhinos in the group know what's going on with each other so it's less likely they will fight. Researchers even got involved, by making fake poo pretending to be different rhinos. They found that dominant male rhinos acted different depending on which poo they were copying. For example, they were most interested in the fake poo which had the same chemicals as a female rhino that was ready to mate. The male sniffed it for longer, and came back to the same spot more. It's not unusual for animals to communicate through smells - that's why dogs often sniff around lamp-posts where other dogs have weed before. But rhinos are different because they use poo instead, and they leave it in the same place for all the other rhinos in their group to smell - like leaving messages on social media.", "summary": "A new study says that rhinos have a smelly way to keep up with the gossip - leaving messages in poo."}
{"article": "The General Synod has given minimal concessions to traditionalist Anglicans who opposed the move. They had sought to be in the care of a male alternative bishop on terms acceptable to them. But the synod decided women bishops should be able to decide the identity and functions of any such bishop. The BBC's religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott said women bishops would have only to consult a code of practice guiding them in their dealings with traditionalists. He said the decision made during a synod meeting at York University had left a lot of division in its wake. Members of the synod decided there was no need for further delay to the progress of a draft law allowing women to be made bishops. The law must now receive approval from a majority of the Church's 44 diocesan synods, before returning to the General Synod. It must then receive a two-thirds majority at the General Synod before receiving parliamentary approval and the Royal Assent. Our correspondent said it had been an \"extraordinary weekend of intense emotion\" and although supporters were celebrating a breakthrough, some traditionalists had left the synod chamber in tears. Proposals to create a class of male-only bishops to oversee traditionalist parishes were rejected on Saturday. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, had put their personal prestige behind the compromise plan, which would have allowed parishes unwilling to serve under a woman bishop to call upon the oversight of a male alternative. It would also have given that alternative bishop considerable legally-backed independence and autonomy as part of a \"joint jurisdiction\" over those parishes. Although the proposal gained a majority of votes in the synod as a whole, it failed because clergy - who vote separately from lay people and bishops - defeated it by just five votes. Our correspondent said Dr Williams had put his reputation on the line with the compromise plan and would now be in a difficult position as he tried to deal with discontent traditionalists who would probably stay in the church. The proposals will now go out to dioceses and return to the synod in a year's time when there will be a final vote. Campaigner Christina Rees, a member of the General Synod and chairwoman of Women in the Church, told the Press Association the synod's decision on Monday was \"a wonderful outcome\". She said: \"This is wonderful news. It is entirely consistent with what synod indicated it wanted two years ago. \"In one sense I am not surprised but I am delighted, it is very, very good news.\" But traditionalists have warned that the decision could result in many of them leaving the Church of England. The Reverend Prebendary David Houlding, a leading member of the Catholic Group on the General Synod, said he was concerned and he felt as if traditionalists were running out of options. He told PA: \"There are several people who will be making hard decisions about their future. \"I am staying in the Church of England for the time being until I", "summary": "The Church of England's ruling body has decided that women bishops should be allowed, but there are further steps to take before they can be ordained."}
{"article": "In the Islamic centre, blood smeared the floor and walls and bullet holes could still be seen in the aftermath of the carnage. Worshippers said they wanted to show the world the scene of the crime. Alleged gunman Alexandre Bissonette, 27, has been charged with six counts of murder and five of attempted murder. Mosque vice-president Mohamed Labidi, in an emotional news conference, said they were opening the mosque to show the consequences of hate and Islamophobia. He said they had been \"attacked in the heart of their community\". Mr Labadi also described the courage of one of the victims, Azzedine Soufiane, 57, who died trying to protect other worshippers as the gunman entered the mosque on Sunday during evening prayers. \"When he saw the attacker recharge his gun, he ran quickly to immobilise him,\" said Mr Labadi. \"But the attacker was quicker and shot him directly and he fell down here, he fell down here as a hero.\" He pointed to a patch of blood on the floor. \"Without his intervention, we would have more martyrs.\" Mr Soufiane ran a halal butcher shop in the suburb of Sainte-Foy, down the street from the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre, and has been described as an important member of the local Muslim community. The six worshippers who died were immigrants who had moved to Quebec to seek a better life. The other victims were Khaled Belkacemi, 60, Abdelkrim Hassane, 41, Mamadou Tanou Barry, 42, Ibrahima Barry, 39, and Aboubaker Thabti, 44. The funerals for three, Mr Hassane, Mr Thabti and Mr Belkacemi, will be held in Montreal on Thursday and their bodies will be repatriated to their countries of origin. In the wake of the deadly shooting, Quebecers and their political leaders rallied around the province's Muslim community, with thousands attending vigils to commemorate those killed and injured.", "summary": "The Quebec City mosque that was the scene of a deadly shooting on Sunday has opened its doors for the first the since the attack."}
{"article": "The route between Harwich, Essex and Esbjerg in Denmark, run by DFDS Seaways, has been in operation for nearly 140 years. The company said the route \"has been struggling for a long time\" and would not be able to take on costs associated with a new environmental law. The final ferry is to sail on Sunday. Chief executive of DFDS Seaways, Niel Smedegaard, said: \"The route is of particular historical significance to DFDS so it's a very sad day for us all. \"Our regrets go to our many passengers who must now see the last passenger ferry route between the UK and Scandinavia close.\" How popular are ferries? \u2022Last year, 20.5 million people used ferries to travel abroad from the UK - the first year on year increase since 2010 \u2022One of the most popular routes, between Dover and Calais, has had car ferries running since the 1930s \u2022The number of passengers travelling from ports on the East Coast fell last year for the third consecutive year, to 2.2 million \u2022A number of passenger routes linking Norway and Newcastle ceased running in 2008 \u2022Ferries between Harwich and Hamburg in Germany were stopped in 2002 \u2022Stena Line runs a ferry from Harwich to the Hook of Holland. The line has seen an increase in passenger numbers in recent years From 1 January 2015, a European Union directive aimed at reducing sulphur dioxide emissions from ships will come into force. DFDS said this would have resulted in a \u00a32m a year increase in the cost of the Harwich to Esbjerg ferry route. Mr Smedegaard said the company had not been able to reduce costs enough to enable the route to bear the extra charges. In June last year, the Sirena Seaways vessel running the Harwich-Esbjerg route hit the quay while docking and started to let in water. There were 489 passengers on board, but no-one was trapped or injured. The crash caused severe damage to the quay and holed the ferry in several places, some below the waterline. An investigation found one of the ship's back-up systems was keeping an engine running at 63% power when it was approaching the dock. This prevented tugs from moving the vessel so passengers could disembark safely. At the time, DFDS said changes were made to stop such an accident happening again.", "summary": "The UK's only ferry link to Scandinavia is to close for good, marking the \"the end of an era\", its operator says."}
{"article": "Police launched a murder investigation after attending reports of fighting between two men in Bow, east London, at about 20:45 BST on Monday. Officers believe the fight began on a 488 bus and continued on Parnell Road. A man in his late 60s was found unconscious at the scene and later died in hospital. A 73-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and remains in police custody at an east London police station, where he is being questioned.", "summary": "A 73-year-old man has been arrested after a fight that started on a bus led to another man's death."}
{"article": "If Scots were to be seven dwarves, that's what they might be called. (Until the nation's cynics get to work, of course.) Instead, they are the attributes with which Scotland's tourism agency is seeking to engage Scots and their spirit in making the country more attractive to visitors. There's a lot to do if VisitScotland and the industry are to hit an ambitious target. And it's one of the sectors that needs to succeed if Scotland is to turn around a formidable rise in its trade imbalance. The trade imbalance may not matter much, so long as Scotland is tied into the pound and part of the UK. But it is a useful indicator of economic health, and rather important to those who want to see another independence referendum. The Scottish government's figures for the whole Scottish economy have just been published, to cover the third quarter of last year, up to September. They show that, between July and September, Scots sold \u00a36.1bn of goods and services overseas. They imported \u00a35.1bn. That's a trade surplus, while the UK as a whole is running some very large external trade deficits. So that can't be bad for Scotland. But what about trade within the UK? Scots sold goods and services worth \u00a310.4bn in the third quarter to the people of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The flow coming the other way was rather larger: \u00a315.2bn. The trade deficit with the rest of the UK rose to \u00a314bn in 2014, from an economy with total output of nearly \u00a3140bn. John McLaren, a keen observer of these numbers, who used to work for Public Finance Scotland, observes that the first nine months of last year saw that deteriorate sharply. Roughly \u00a3750m less was being sold to the rest of the UK, and \u00a3750m more was being bought from it. The fall in sales success to this dominant market, McLaren points out, has real implications for prosperity and jobs. Exports and imports, overseas and to the rUK, combined to reach a deficit in the third quarter of \u00a34.25bn, the highest quarter on record. When the fourth quarter figures are published, the annual total is probably going to be above \u00a315bn. The previous record was as recession struck in 2008, at just under \u00a312bn. And it would mean that the imbalance has ballooned by \u00a36bn since 2013. McLaren has been looking at another angle on this, illustrated by these most recent statistics - the relative position of Scotland and the rUK in total output, or Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The third quarter saw that rise by 0.6%, after falling in the first half of the year. What, then, if Scotland were to have a geographical share of offshore oil and gas? Surely that would help? Well, no, it would show GDP falling by 0.8%, due to the falling prices of barrels and therms. GDP per head, with oil, was 1% lower than the rest of the UK. Two years ago, it was 6% higher. A more positive take on the figures is that GDP per head in the", "summary": "Warm, humorous, gutsy, sparky, soulful, determined and fun."}
{"article": "During a speech in London, Nicola Sturgeon said Mr Cameron had lost votes in the Scottish independence referendum by being negative. She said she wanted an overwhelming vote in favour of remaining in the EU. UKIP's Scottish MEP, David Coburn, said the SNP wanted Scottish independence while \"still being ruled by Brussels\". And he said leaving the EU would bring more powers back to Scotland from Brussels. Ms Sturgeon told an invited audience at the Resolution Foundation that she would be using the referendum campaign to make the case not just for the economic benefits of the EU, but also the social and employment rights that came from membership. But she again re-iterated that if Scotland voted to remain in the EU on 23 June while the UK as a whole voted to leave, it could trigger demands for a second independence referendum. Opinion polls have consistently suggested that EU membership is more popular in Scotland than elsewhere in the UK. Ms Sturgeon's intervention came as the UK government published analysis suggesting an EU exit could lead to a \"decade of uncertainty\", with an impact on the economy and jobs. In her speech, Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish government continued to believe that EU membership was in the best interests of Scotland. She pledged to make a \"positive, constructive case\" for remaining in the EU, and to \"campaign wholeheartedly\" to achieve an \"overwhelming victory, across all parts of the UK, for remaining in the European Union\". The first minister added: \"It is interesting to hear many of the same arguments that we heard during the Scottish referendum repeated in the early stages of the EU referendum, albeit in different contexts. \"But I do think there are some early lessons emerging from the Scottish referendum that all of us would do well to pay heed to in the weeks and months ahead.\" By Brian Taylor, BBC Scotland political editor An intriguing argument advanced today by Nicola Sturgeon anent membership of the EU. Ms Sturgeon opened, for the avoidance of doubt, with a first principle. She confirmed to her London audience that she remained an advocate of Scottish independence. She repeated, further, that Brexit without Scottish consent might well lead to pressure for a second independence referendum. And so we have a constructed syllogism. Brexit - Scotland = indyref2. Hence, Ms Sturgeon is of course a supporter of Brexit? QED? Right? Fundamentally wrong? Indeed, Ms Sturgeon went so far as to say: \"I do want Scotland to be independent but I don't want Scotland to become independent because the UK chooses to leave the European Union.\" Does that mean she is firmly rejecting a possible path to independence? It can sound that way but I believe the reality is rather different. Read more from Brian Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish referendum had shown it was possible to create a \"thriving democratic debate\" by encouraging people to become \"truly engaged in the issues\". But she added that one of the undoubted lessons of the Scottish experience was that a \"miserable, negative, fear-based campaign\" saw supporters", "summary": "Scotland's first minister has warned David Cameron against fighting a \"miserable, negative, fear-based\" EU referendum campaign."}
{"article": "Bana Alabed shared a short video of herself and the Mean Girls star. They were in Ankara, Turkey, where they met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ms Lohan, who has been in the country for the past few days, says in the video that the pair are \"sending lots of love and life and blessings\" to refugees and people in Syria. The short clip shows Bana hugging the actress, who tells the camera: \"We want to send to all of the people in Syria and Aleppo suffering and to all the refugees we are here supporting you and you can hang on and be strong just like Bana has.\" She adds \"inshallah\", which means \"if God wills\" in Arabic. Bana rose to fame after documenting on Twitter her daily life in rebel-held East Aleppo, with the help of her mother. The seven-year-old recently penned an open letter to new US President Donald Trump, asking him to open the country to refugees. Ms Lohan became a film star aged 11 when she starred in Disney's The Parent Trap, but her career has been marred in recent years by a series of scandals. Rumours began circulating this week the actress may have converted to Islam, after she was spotted in Turkey wearing a hijab. The actress also appears to have deleted all of her posts on Twitter and Instagram, changing her bio on the latter to read \"alaikum salam\", which means \"peace be upon you\" in Arabic.", "summary": "The little girl who captured the world's heart tweeting about her life in East Aleppo has made a new friend - US actress Lindsay Lohan."}
{"article": "Nsiala, 24, was dismissed for his foul on Swindon's Luke Norris in Saturday's 1-1 draw - just six days after joining the League One club from Hartlepool. But Town are confident of winning the appeal, boss Paul Hurst claiming: \"It's never a two-footed challenge. \"He clearly wins the ball. We've looked at the footage,\" he told BBC Sport. Nsiala had already been sent off twice for Pools this season, which automatically increases the punishment, potentially sidelining him until 11 February. Unless Shrewsbury win their appeal to the Football Association, Nsiala will miss the visits of Bradford City, Oldham Athletic and Bury, as well as the trip to Gillingham. His home debut may not now come until 18 February against AFC Wimbledon. The red card was the eighth Shrewsbury have received this season - the highest number in English football's top four divisions. Meanwhile, Shrewsbury have allowed former Wolves striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake to return to Chesterfield at the end of his loan spell, during which he failed to score in seven appearances. They have also allowed on-loan winger George Waring to return to Premier League side Stoke City, having opted not to extend his deal. Hurst has also dismissed speculation linking the Shropshire club with striker James Alabi, National League side Chester's 10-goal top scorer, saying: \"There's no truth in it.\"", "summary": "Shrewsbury defender Aristote Nsiala will be banned for four games after being sent off on his debut - unless the Town are successful with an appeal."}
{"article": "Remus Hamza, 40, is alleged to have attacked the woman near Cardiff University as she walked home alone on 20 September last year. The prosecution at Newport Crown Court has alleged she was so drunk she could not have consented to sex. The defendant, who is Romanian and lives in Cardiff, denies rape. Mr Hamza told Newport Crown Court she smiled and \"kissed him back\" near the Civic Centre but did not say anything. Speaking through an interpreter, Mr Hamza said: \"This girl was looking at me, laughing at me, smiling and I thought she was smiling at me because she liked me and I just grabbed her backside. \"She just smiled at me and laughed... she came with me without me having to force her in any way. \"If she didn't want to have sex with me that night she could have just have said no.\" He admitted the woman was intoxicated but claimed she had been \"aware of herself\". He said he didn't tell police about the \"consensual sex\" in his first interview because he was embarrassed and had been advised by a solicitor to give no comment. The court was told Mr Hamza pleaded guilty to exposure in a similar area in 2014.", "summary": "A man accused of raping a 20-year-old woman in Cardiff during fresher's week said she \"could have just have said no\" to his advances, a court has heard."}
{"article": "The discovery could help babies with genetic diseases, elderly people and even astronauts, they say. The findings in mice, published in Scientific Reports, showed cells in the fluid strengthened bone and cut fractures by 80%. Human clinical trials are planned within the next two years. The amniotic fluid protects the baby and helps it develop inside the mother's womb. It also contains stem cells that are the building blocks of other tissues. The researchers collected the amniotic stem cells from material left over from screening tests during pregnancy or collected immediately before birth. The team at the Institute of Child Health - a collaboration of Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London - injected the cells into diseased mice. The animals had brittle bone disease or osteogenesis imperfecta. In people, the condition affects around one in every 25,000 births and can be fatal, with babies born with multiple fractures. Even those who survive face up to 15 bone fractures a year, brittle teeth, impaired hearing and growth problems. Tests on mice showed injecting the cells increased the strength, plasticity and structure of the animal's bones. The number of fractures was cut to a fifth of their original level. Dr Pascale Guillot, who conducted the research, said the findings could help people from crib to grave - from babies with brittle bone disease to pensioners with osteoporosis. She told the BBC News website: \"I am extremely excited because this is a major breakthrough that will potentially affect everyone. \"We are already used to putting cream on our face to slow down ageing of the skin, this will be the same for the skeleton. \"I think in the next few years we will have ways to slow down the ageing of our skeleton to reduce fractures and pain. \"This will also be very important for space travel as when you don't have G-force the bones become fragile.\" Bone is constantly being remade with cells called osteoclasts breaking down old bone and osteoblasts making new bones. Dr Guillot said brittle bone disease, osteoporosis and space travel were all characterised by osteoblasts \"becoming lazy\". The study showed the stem cells were increasing the natural activity of the osteoblasts - rather than directly making new bone themselves. \"Stem cell transplants boost these lazy cells so they become very eager to make more bone and mature bone,\" added Dr Guillot. Clinical trials are already planned, but ultimately the researchers' aim is to discover which chemicals the stem cells are releasing that kick the osteoblasts into gear. Follow James on Twitter.", "summary": "Cells in the amniotic fluid that surrounds a developing baby can revive ageing and weak bones, say UK scientists."}
{"article": "The Ministry of Justice and the Wales Office said a total of \u00a330m will also be spent on local businesses as the new \u00a3250m prison is built. They said \u00a31.1m had already been committed to companies in north Wales. Work started on the prison at Wrexham industrial estate in September and is due to be completed in 2017. With 2,000 inmates it will be the UK's largest. It is being built on the site of the former Firestone tyre factory. The construction company Lend Lease, which has been selected to build the prison, is holding a meeting to determine how best to deliver its promises to the community during the construction. The commitments include 100 new apprenticeships and 500 work placement days per year.", "summary": "The \"super-prison\" being built in Wrexham will bring \u00a323m a year to the local economy and 1,000 jobs."}
{"article": "The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association will walk out with Aslef, RMT and Unite on 5 August in a row over servicing the new Night Tube service. London Underground said it had made a \"fair\" offer and would continue to be available for talks. The four unions previously walked out on 9 July causing the entire Tube network to shut down. Talks had been held at conciliatory service Acas on Tuesday. But TSSA's general secretary Manuel Cortes said: \"We were expecting to agree a framework to discuss all our concerns over staffing levels and safety at the Night Tube as well as the pay issues. \"But all we got was a repeat of the 'take or leave' final pay offer which has already been rejected and no detailed talks on the Night Tube. We are willing to negotiate, they clearly are not.\" Steve Griffiths, London Underground's Chief Operating Officer, said: \"We have made a very fair and reasonable offer on pay and the introduction of the Night Tube and we continue to urge the trade unions to put it to their members. \"We will be at ACAS this week for further discussions to resolve this issue and trust the trade unions will be too.\" The row is over a 2% average pay rise offer for LU members and workers' terms and conditions linked to plans to introduce an all-night Tube service on the Jubilee and Victoria lines and and most of the Central, Northern and Piccadilly lines. Last week's strike saw long delays and rush hour began earlier than normal as commuters tried to find alternative ways to get to and from work.", "summary": "A fourth union has announced it will be take part in a 24-hour Tube strike next month in a row over pay and conditions."}
{"article": "The government-proposed changes to national security laws are part of a review into counter-terrorism. The new measures would mean the Australian Defence Force (ADF) could be called in sooner to help police deal with threats. They were prompted by criticism of the speed with which police responded to the 2014 siege in a cafe in Sydney. Current legislation prevents police from calling on the ADF until they have reached the limit of their capability or capacity. Under the new measures, the military would also provide specialised training to police forces. At a press conference, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he was \"taking a lot of the red tape and the gum out of the works to enable the cooperation between the police and the ADF\". Two hostages and the lone gunman died in the Sydney siege and earlier this year a coroner said that the authorities had been too slow to respond How the Sydney siege unfolded Australia has seen several Islamist-inspired attacks over the past years, prompting a review of how police and authorities can respond better. In the most recent case, a terrorist holding a hostage in Melbourne was killed by police last month.", "summary": "The Australian military is to be given broad new powers to respond to domestic terrorist attacks."}
{"article": "Samantha Jenkins, 19, from Llanelli, fell into a coma and died in 2011. Her inquest heard she had low mineral levels, which may have been the result of malabsorption caused by chewing gum. Maria Morgan told BBC's Jason Mohammad programme: \"It's something that happens over a period of time - eight or 10 months.\" After her death, Mrs Morgan said she found receipts showing Miss Jenkins had been buying chewing gum almost every day. \"The pathologist said it was going down a road he doesn't know enough about, but he said there was enough evidence there to say it was a huge thing that it could be.\" Her husband, Wayne Morgan, said they believed Miss Jenkins's death could be linked to sweeteners used in chewing gum. Colin Phillips, acting senior coroner for Swansea, said the cause of death was a shortage of oxygen to her brain, resulting from a convulsion caused by an imbalance of minerals in her body. \"The chewing gum inside her system did not end her life, but it's a possibility the over consumption of sorbitol and aspartame was the result of all her salts going low and that's what ended her life,\" said Mrs Morgan.", "summary": "The mother of a Carmarthenshire teenager whose death may have been caused by chewing gum wants families to be aware of the potential dangers."}
{"article": "Turner Prize nominee Ciara Phillips is the fourth artist to be commissioned to make a dazzle ship design. The work celebrates the untold histories of women during the war. It was inspired by the team of women who worked under British marine artist Norman Wilkinson, who invented the dazzle technique. Mr Wilkinson designed the abstract dazzle ship patterns and disorientating shapes to prevent the enemy from determining a vessel's range, speed and direction of travel. Ms Phillips's work is entitled \"Every Woman\" and was co-commissioned by centenary art commissions body 14-18 NOW and Edinburgh Art Festival. A spokeswoman for the festival said it took the artist's medium of screen-printing to a \"new scale\", covering the entire surface of the ship with a \"bold gestural design\". It was painted on the MV Fingal, a former lighthouse ship at Leith docks. The design, to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of Jutland, also celebrates the women who worked as telegraphists and signallers during World War One. It includes a message in Morse code embedded within the pattern in retro reflective paint reading \"Every Woman a Signal Tower\". The message will shine out in the darkness, celebrating the ship's former role as a supplier to remote lighthouses.", "summary": "A Glasgow-based artist has painted a massive design for a 72m (239ft) long ship as part of World War One centenary commemorations."}
{"article": "The controversial memo broke the firm\u2019s code of conduct, Google\u2019s chief executive Sundar Pichai said on Monday in an email to employees. The memo, shared widely at the weekend, suggested there were fewer women at Google due to biological differences. Mr Pichai said the text crossed the line due to it \"advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace\u201d. Entitled Google\u2019s Ideological Echo Chamber, the paper argued that \"the abilities of men and women differ in part due to biological causes and that these differences may explain why we don't see equal representation of women in tech and leadership\u201d. The author wrote: \"We need to stop assuming that gender gaps imply sexism.\" Google has not confirmed who the employee is, but media reports name him as James Damore. \"[I was fired for] perpetuating gender stereotypes,\" he told Reuters. He also claimed to have received \"many personal messages from fellow Googlers expressing their gratitude\" for speaking out. In his note to staff sent on Monday afternoon, Mr Pichai spoke at length about protecting free speech in Google\u2019s ranks, and that \"much of what was in that memo is fair to debate, regardless of whether a vast majority of Googlers disagree with it\u201d. But he added: \"To suggest a group of our colleagues have traits that make them less biologically suited to that work is offensive and not OK. \"It is contrary to our basic values and our Code of Conduct, which expects 'each Googler to do their utmost to create a workplace culture that is free of harassment, intimidation, bias and unlawful discrimination\u2019.\" The tech firm's new head of diversity, Danielle Brown, had earlier criticised the memo saying it had \"advanced incorrect assumptions about gender\".", "summary": "A Google employee who wrote a controversial memo about workplace diversity has been fired, the BBC can confirm."}
{"article": "South Wales Fire and Rescue Service was called to St David's Junior and Infants School, Cwmbran, at about 20:10 BST on Saturday. The fire started in an outdoor storage container and spread to a ground-floor classroom, causing minor damage. Additional security has been put in place until the school reopens on Tuesday.", "summary": "A suspicious fire which has damaged a classroom at a school in Torfaen is under investigation."}
{"article": "Bow Street station closed as a result of the Beeching cuts in 1965 and since then a number of people have campaigned for the stop to be reinstated. The proposed new station would be built a short distance south of the original location, which is now the site of a builders' merchants. The scheme includes a park and ride facility for 100 cars. Councillor Alun Williams, cabinet member for transport, waste and carbon management, said it was a \"very exciting idea\" with \"strong support\" from the public. \"Not only will this scheme provide Bow Street and surrounding communities with a railway station but it can also help alleviate congestion and parking problems in Aberystwyth,\" he said. Outline drawings of the new station will be on show at a public event, organised by Ceredigion council, at Neuadd Rhydypennau on 11 July between 14:00 and 17:00 BST.", "summary": "A railway station could be returned to a Ceredigion village for the first time in more than 50 years."}
{"article": "Snowdonia Pumped Hydro (SPH) is awaiting a planning decision for the scheme at Glyn Rhonwy in Llanberis. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has given permission to empty standing rainwater from two disused quarries at the site into Nant y Betws and Llyn Padarn. It said the permits have been issued with \"strict conditions\". Plans for the 99.9MWe hydro plant are being considered by the UK Planning Inspectorate, with a decision expected by early March. NRW said it was satisfied that the company will \"operate safely without harming the environment or local communities.\" SPH said the drainage of rainwater was necessary before work can begin to sculpt the quarries that will form the upper and lower reservoirs. Their application to fill the reservoirs once they are completed by gradually abstracting water from Llyn Padarn lake has already been approved. Opponents of the scheme claim standing water in the lower quarry where ordnance was dismantled by the RAF in the 1970s may be contaminated. But SPH said independent sampling and testing of both surface and ground water at the site \"show no evidence of contamination.\"", "summary": "Developers hoping to build a \u00a3100m hydro power plant in a disused Gwynedd quarry have been granted environmental permits."}
{"article": "Norfolk-based Gardline, founded by the Darling family in 1969, employs 750 people and has been bought by Dutch firm, Royal Boskalis Westminster. Gardline's activities include marine geophysical surveys, offshore geotechnical services and environmental surveys. Boskalis has taken on the firm's assumed debt as part of the deal. In a joint statement, the firms said there were \"significant synergies\" between them. Gardline operates 40 vessels, including crew transfer ships and survey catamarans. Its head offices are in Great Yarmouth, with further activities in the USA, Brazil and Singapore. Boskalis has a fleet of more than 900 vessels and floating equipment and 11,700 employees, operating in more than 90 countries across six continents. \"With the acquisition, Boskalis strengthens its position as marine services provider in north-west Europe,\" it said. Gardline's profits have fallen in recent years, and Boskalis said the company had suffered from the downturn in oil and gas. It said it was not forecasting Gardline's finances would be turned around in the short-term but that the acquisition \"positions Boskalis well for when end-markets recover\". Earlier this month, Gardline secured contracts worth \u00a36m with Scottish Power Renewables to carry out a range of pre-construction surveys across East Anglia offshore wind farm sites. Boskalis has yet to respond to questions on whether jobs will be affected by the takeover.", "summary": "A British family-owned marine services company has been sold outright in a deal worth \u00a340m."}
{"article": "Scot Muir, 23, has already broken the European 3,000m and British 5,000m indoor records this year, and also took Holmes' British 1,000m indoor record. Holmes, who won Olympic gold in both the 800m and 1500m at Athens in 2004, has been impressed by her displays. \"Laura has already taken the world by storm,\" she told Scottish Athletics. \"She truly can go all the way in the sport - and by that I mean start to medal at major championships.\" Muir will attempt to win her first major medals at this week's European Indoor Championships in Belgrade, where she will run in both the 1500m and 3,000m. She will then switch her attention to her main target this year - the World Championships, which take place in London from 4-13 August. Media playback is not supported on this device Speaking to BBC Scotland last month, Muir said she viewed a \"home World Championships\" as \"big\", especially having seen the impact of the 2012 Olympics in London. Holmes said: \"Laura first came to my attention when she was fifth at the World Championships in Beijing in 2015. \"She is an unassuming girl in some respects, but you can see she is a very strong runner.\" Holmes added Muir had shown she can run fast but must now \"translate that by racing well on the world stage\". She added: \"Championships are all about placings and, at only 23, Laura has already taken the world by storm. \"I believe that, in 2017 at the World Championships, she can cement her place in history.\" Holmes believes young Scots - particularly girls - can look to the likes of Muir, Eilidh Doyle, Lynsey Sharp and Eilish McColgan for inspiration. \"Role models are important in society generally, but role models from the world of sport I believe have the most credibility - especially if you are trying to inspire girls and women,\" she added. \"Scotland have had some amazing talent in the past and it looks like it is continuing.\" Muir, the 2016 Scottish Athlete of the Year, will begin the final year of her five-year veterinary studies a week after the World Championships, continuing to combine them with her running career.", "summary": "Laura Muir can \"cement her place in history\" by winning a medal at the World Championships this summer, says ex-Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes."}
{"article": "In a letter, David Bowers wrote that Syrian refugees should not be resettled in his city, citing security concerns. To highlight the point, he compared the concern over the refugees to the 1940s internment of Japanese Americans. The internment camps - now considered illegal - are widely considered to be an embarrassing period in US history. \"I'm reminded that President Franklin D Roosevelt felt compelled to sequester Japanese foreign nationals after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and it appears that threat of harm to America from [IS] now is just as real and serious as that from our enemies then,\" Mr Bowers, a Democrat, wrote. More than 30 US governors have said they do not want Syria refugees resettled in their states after recent attacks in Paris tied to the so-called Islamic State killed more than 100 people. Although the governors do not have the legal authority to do so, they can complicate the resettlement process. US President Barack Obama called their response \"hysterical\". Virginia Republicans sought to distance themselves from Mr Bowers' remarks. \"Comparing the prudent step of pausing to evaluate a vetting processes to the unconstitutional internment of American citizens proves that Democrats simply don't understand national security,\" John Whitbeck, the chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, said in a statement. The letter drew also ridicule on social media with celebrities condemning Mr Bowers. Actor and Japanese-American George Takei wrote on Facebook: \"Mayor Bowers, there are a few key points of history you seem to have missed.\" \"The internment [not a \"sequester\"] was not of Japanese \"foreign nationals,\" but of Japanese Americans, two-thirds of whom were US citizens,\" Mr Takei wrote. \"I was one of them, and my family and I spent four years in prison camps because we happened to look like the people who bombed Pearl Harbour. It is my life's mission to never let such a thing happen again in America.\"", "summary": "The mayor of Roanoke, Virginia, has come under criticism after he appeared to endorse the internment of Japanese Americans during World War Two."}
{"article": "Ralph Krueger, who was born in Canada but has lived in Europe for more than 30 years, has never worked in football. The 54-year-old former ice hockey player has been appointed by owner Katharina Liebherr as part of a reshaped management setup at St Mary's. \"We'll look at ways to improve commercially and continue to grow what's already there,\" Krueger said. 2009-10: 7th (League One) 2010-11: 2nd (League One) 2011-12: 2nd (Championship) 2012-13: 14th (Premier League) 2013-14: 9th* (Premier League) * Correct on 24 February \"Katharina was looking for someone to come in from sport on the leadership side. She has strong values and a fresh and interesting perspective on sport.\" At this stage, Krueger's exact job description remains unclear but it is understood he has acted as an advisor to Liebherr for some time. He is expected to be in the stands at St Mary's for Southampton's match with Liverpool on Saturday. During the Winter Olympics, Krueger worked as a consultant to the Canadian ice hockey team, specialising in scouting European opposition and advising on the differences between international ice hockey and that played in the National Hockey League (NHL) in North America. Canada have now won back-to-back gold medals in the men's tournament, having failed to make the podium in Turin in 2006. During that tournament, they lost to a Switzerland team coached by Krueger, who had previously managed the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL. Southampton - and football - will provide a different challenge for the German citizen but he has already spent time at the club and has held a series of lengthy talks with manager Mauricio Pochettino. He is expected to work on aspects of performance and training, as well as team-spirit and motivation. But the majority of his work will be on the commercial side. 2009 - Katharina Liebherr's late father, Markus, pays \u00a314m to rescue Southampton from administration through his company, Mali Holdings. 2010 - After her father's death in August 2010, Katharina Liebherr inherits Mali Holdings. 2013 - In October, she is appointed to the board. 2013 - On the same day, Nicola Cortese files his notice to resign from his position as chairman. 2014 - Cortese leaves the club, making Liebherr non-executive chairman. Speaking in Sochi, Krueger said he had no intention of stepping on Pochettino's toes. \"This is the start of a new world for me,\" he said. \"I've got to come in gently. We don't need sudden changes of direction. What Mauricio doesn't need is someone getting involved day-to-day. \"He and his staff need space so they can continue to grow the group. I've met Mauricio; he's very honest, a strong personality and he has strong values. I will stay in my place. He should feel comfortable.\" Krueger is one of three key sporting advisors that Liebherr has worked with closely over the past six months, a time during which her relationship with former executive chairman Nicola Cortese, who left the club in January, collapsed. Away from ice hockey, Krueger has also made a name for himself in motivational speaking. His", "summary": "A coach who helped Canada to ice hockey gold at the Sochi Winter Olympics will begin work at Southampton this week."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old Spaniard played 34 times for the Blues after joining the club from Barcelona in 2011. Romeu has spent the past two seasons on loan, at German club Stuttgart and at Valencia in his homeland. He was on the bench for Chelsea's 2012 Champions League final win over Bayern Munich but missed out on the 2012 FA Cup and 2013 Europa League victories. Saints executive director of football Les Reed said Romeu had been \"on the radar for some time\" and \"matches the Southampton profile\" of being \"young, hungry and developed at a top academy\". \"Like Ryan Bertrand, we believe we have recruited another Chelsea player with an excellent pedigree but also with lots of potential to develop,\" said Reed. Romeu said: \"After spending two years on loan, I needed something permanent and a club with a future - and I think I chose the right one.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Southampton have signed Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu for \u00a35m on a three-year contract."}
{"article": "The review, led by new chairman Nick Basing, was set up after Goals reported its first annual loss in 12 years. The company said it expected to complete the review within the week. The news came as Paisley-based rival Powerleague announced it had opened the first of its \"next generation\" centres in London under a \u00a340m expansion plan. East Kilbride-based Goals currently operates 46 centres in the UK and one in California. In a statement at the company's annual general meeting on Thursday, Mr Basing said: \"The review of the company has included a wide-ranging view of the market, the performance of the company in recent years and an assessment of all assets that the company operates, along with consumer insights. \"We are drawing it to completion by next week and we will announce the results of this review together with the strategic plan shortly afterwards.\" The review is one of six \"short-term priorities\" identified by Mr Basing when he took over the role of chairman in March. Goals appears close to completing another of those priorities - finding a new chief executive. Mr Basing said: \"We have concluded the search for a high-quality CEO. Our expectation is that we will be able to announce details imminently.\" Mr Basing also reported that a near-term operational improvement plan was being implemented, adding that the company had been \"encouraged by the early signs\". However, he added: \"On current trading, I can report that like-for-like sales are marginally negative for the first 18 weeks of the year. \"However, the significant decline in last year's second half has been eroded. \"This first quarter of trading in 2016 compares against positive sales growth in the same period last year.\" In a separate development, Powerleague announced it had officially opened the first of its \"next generation\" five-a-side centres in west London. The move marks the start of a \u00a340m expansion plan by owners Patron Capital to open 13 new UK centres over the next three years. The new facility takes Powerleague's overall number of centres to 49 and strengthens the brand's presence in the south-east of England - a key growth area for the operator. The Next Generation programme marks a departure for Powerleague from its traditional focus on large three-acre sites. Under the new approach, the company is looking to build pitches on as little as 0.5 acres - including at the top of multi-storey car parks, in underground spaces and on the roofs of buildings.", "summary": "Five-a-side football company Goals Soccer Centres is set to reveal a new strategic plan, after completing a full review of its operations."}
{"article": "Russell Sherwood, 69, of Cilfrew, Neath, was heading for Ewenny in Vale of Glamorgan as Storm Angus hit in the morning but never arrived. He disappeared at Stormy Down and registration plates from his car were found on Monday. South Wales Police said it would try to recover the car on Wednesday morning. Officers will remain at the scene overnight and the force said Mr Sherwood's family were being kept informed of any developments. Mr Sherwood left his home in a silver Ford Focus at about 06:15 GMT as flooding caused by Storm Angus hit roads in the area around Stormy Down. Tuesday's search focused around the dipping bridge on the river, and firefighters and coastguard teams were involved. The search was stood down for the evening at about 16:30 and will resume at first light on Wednesday.", "summary": "A car thought to belong to a man who went missing in Bridgend on Sunday has been found in the River Ogmore."}
{"article": "But in recent years it, like many other seaside towns, has struggled. The advent of cheap flights abroad and a recession meant the County Antrim town was forced to reinvent itself from its 1950s heyday. And while the weather this year has been as unstable as the political landscape, neither seem to be putting tourists off spending money, with more visitors from the Republic of Ireland providing a welcome revenue stream. Visitors to the north coast traditionally come from other parts of Northern Ireland, said Naldo Morelli, managing director of Morelli's Ice Cream. \"But this year, I suppose with Brexit and the pound weakening a little bit we've noticed more customers from the Republic of Ireland, so that helps too,\" he said. \"The Northern Ireland public are very used to having four seasons in one day, so thankfully for us they eat ice cream no matter the weather.\" Portrush's reinvention seems to be doing the trick for traders. \"Business is up 5% to 10% across the board, certainly the restaurants have been busy,\" said Ian Donaghey, the president of the Causeway Chamber of Commerce. While the weather is not always kind, this is sometimes actually good for local businesses, added Mr Donaghey. \"If the weather is too good it keeps people on the beaches and they don't spend money in the town,\" he said. \"What some of the traders would tell you is that they like a sunny morning and a drizzly afternoon because it drives them into Barry's [amusement arcade] and the restaurants and bars.\" Portrush's much loved amusements and bucket-and-spade shops are still there, but now their neighbours are trendy coffee shops, restaurants and bars. The town may not have completely shaken off its traditional image, but those who visit do not seem to mind. Business owners hope a mixture of nostalgia and new attractions will keep people visiting the north coast for the rest of this summer season, and for many years to come. It seems that come rain or shine, holidaymakers will always have a soft spot for Portrush.", "summary": "The beauty of Northern Ireland's north coast made Portrush the go-to choice for family holidays for decades."}
{"article": "The figure is contained in a National Audit Office report about the government's reforms to the probation system, introduced in 2014. It says high workloads have \"reduced\" the supervision and training that staff receive and the service they provide. The Ministry of Justice said the new probation system was \"continually improving\". Government changes have seen the probation service split in two, with Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) supervising low and medium-risk offenders and a new National Probation Service (NPS) taking over the supervision of high-risk offenders. The report said the NPS was \"not yet operating as a truly national, sustainable\" service and was under-performing in 11 of 18 target levels.. It also found CRCs were not achieving their targets in 12 of 19 measures where \"robust\" data were available. Two of the 21 CRCs, which are run by private and voluntary sector organisations, had \u00c2\u00a378,000 deducted from them in total by the Ministry of Justice for failing to meet their targets on the completion of community sentence orders. The report, which also found \"severe\" problems with IT systems, said \"fundamental issues\" needed to be resolved before the new arrangements were capable of achieving value for money. \"The NPS has higher than predicted caseloads and faces a difficult further period of change if it is to play a fully effective role in the transformed and national probation service,\" the National Audit Office says. \"Its front-line managers face increasing pressure, including dealing with higher than expected workloads, now of high-risk offenders, while assimilating a heavy influx of trainees, who will take time to become fully effective professionals.\" A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: \"Major transitions in public services are always challenging but figures show the performance of the new probation system, introduced only a year ago, is continually improving. \"As the report notes, the majority of offenders found that services had remained stable or improved since our reforms. Thanks to these reforms, offenders in prison for less than 12 months are now receiving support from the probation service for the very first time. \"However, we are not complacent and are addressing the problems which have been identified. Public protection is our top priority and we will continue to support staff to deliver these important changes.\"", "summary": "Some probation staff monitoring offenders in England and Wales are handling more than 70 cases at a time."}
{"article": "The duo impressed against New Zealand last weekend as Boyce scored his first international goal and O'Neill has hinted that they will start again. \"When we've asked Josh to come and play through the middle he's never let us down,\" said O'Neill. \"Liam has had a great season. He's looking very, very sharp in training.\" Media playback is not supported on this device In contrast, Kyle Lafferty's limited outings at club level this season leave him \"not in the best condition we'd like him to be\", O'Neill admitted on Thursday. \"But for whatever part of the game he (Lafferty) plays, I'm sure he'll make sure he does a good job for us.\" The Northern Irish are without Conor Washington, who is getting married this weekend, while Jamie Ward, who also scored in the qualifier win over Norway in March, is ruled out by injury. Centre-back Gareth McAuley, 37, looks set to play after missing the New Zealand game because of a thigh injury but Watford defender Craig Cathcart will be missing because of a knee problem. Veteran Aaron Hughes could replace Cathcart if O'Neill's selects a back three but the manager could instead opt to switch to a back four. Northern Ireland hammered Azerbaijan 4-0 in Belfast seven months ago when the home side's set-piece prowess caused the lightweight opposition countless problems. O'Neill's squad have doubtless been practising their free-kicks and corner-kicks at length this week, which included five days in southern Turkey to acclimatise for the expected high temperatures in Baku. Media playback is not supported on this device Northern Ireland lost 2-0 in the previous visit to Baku in 2013 but O'Neill's team are a much improved outfit four years on having achieved qualification for Euro 2016. Robert Prosinecki's home side will be able to call on experienced skipper Rashad Sadygov, who missed the Windsor Park contest because of injury. Brazilian-born striker Richard Almeida is also now part of the Azerbaijan squad while another newcomer Renat Dadashov previously played for Germany's Under-17 team. O'Neill's side are second in Group C, five points behind leaders Germany, but two ahead of the third-placed Czech Republic.", "summary": "Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill looks set to retain Liam Boyce and Josh Magennis as his strikers in Saturday's World Cup qualifier in Azerbaijan."}
{"article": "Sports Direct employs at least 3,500 agency workers at its site in Shirebrook, Derbyshire. While filming in the town, the BBC was shown houses \"carved into flats\", including one with rooms partitioned down the middle of its windows. Bolsover Council admitted it was caught off guard by the influx of workers. Figures obtained by the BBC also show 46 housing complaints relating to overcrowding, repairs and conditions were made from April 2015 to 21 December last year - up from 16 in 2005-06. The Sports Direct agency workers, largely employed in the company's warehouse, come mainly countries such as Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Albania. There are 500 permanent staff at the site. The council estimates 1,500 people have moved to Shirebrook - which has a population of more than 13,000 - in the last four years, with many renting rooms in houses near the company's headquarters. Police community support officer (PCSO) Steve Cathcart said: \"There's been an influx of Eastern Europeans and the landlords that own the houses are carving these houses up into flats. \"Our concern is the fire risk, the safety to these people that are moving in.\" Police said more than 30 properties in the area were a particular worry. The police said one of the occupants in the house where two rooms had been visibly partitioned up to the windows works at Sports Direct, but added the resident had \"no fire doors\". Bolsover councillor Karl Reid, who is responsible for community cohesion, admitted the authority had not adequately prepared itself for the sudden increase in Shirebrook's population. \"[On the window dividers] that is not acceptable and that will be investigated,\" he said. \"It was a gradual thing, then suddenly there was a massive spurt. I think that's where we may have got it wrong or we weren't on the ball for it, and I have to accept that.\" The authority said it had introduced public spaces protection orders to stop people drinking and urinating on the town's streets. It said it was also closing off a footpath near Sports Direct because of anti-social behaviour, including human defecation. Since November, it said 20 fines have been handed out - 19 for drinking and one for urinating - to people in breach of these orders. Mr Reid added Sports Direct's senior staff was working with them for the first time in more than a decade. The company - which has declined to comment - are part of a multi-agency group called Shirebrook Forward. \"They've changed their tack,\" Mr Reid said. \"They've now - over the last six months - come to us and engaged with us on a senior management level.\" Sports Direct said in December they will be reviewing all agency workers' terms and conditions. It follows a BBC Inside Out investigation last October into the company's warehouse working practices. The review will be overseen by majority shareholder Mike Ashley - who also owns Newcastle United Football Club. Inside Out is broadcast on BBC One East Midlands at 19:30 on Monday 22 February and nationwide for 30", "summary": "Police say they have safety concerns about overcrowded houses in the town where one of Europe's largest sports retailers is based."}
{"article": "The teenager was a passenger in a Fiat Punto which crashed with a Mini Cooper near Cockermouth. The 18-year-old driver of the Punto and the 23-year-old Mini driver are both in a serious condition in hospital, Cumbria Police said. The road between Tallentire and Gilcrux was closed from 17:15 GMT until midnight.", "summary": "A 17-year-old girl has died and two men were seriously injured after a Christmas Eve car crash in Cumbria."}
{"article": "The six-week mission comes in the face of competing claims from other countries, including Russia. Two ice-breakers are setting out from Newfoundland to collect data from an undersea ridge that starts near Ellesmere Island and runs to the Pole. The region is believed to include large oil and gas reserves. Last December Canada filed an application with the UN seeking to vastly expand its Atlantic sea boundary. Russia and Denmark have also made competing claims on a vast area of Arctic seabed around the Lomonosov Ridge. All three countries are seeking scientific proof that the ridge is an underwater extension of their continental shelf. The area is estimated to hold 13% of the world's undiscovered oil and up to 30% of its hidden natural gas reserves. A Canadian government statement said the first icebreaker had left St John's, Newfoundland, on Friday and the second would depart on Saturday. \"Our government is securing our sovereignty while expanding our economic and scientific opportunities by defining Canada's last frontier,\" said Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq. \"This is important to Canadians, especially those in the north, as this is their future and prosperity at stake.\" Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, a coastal nation can claim exclusive economic rights to natural resources on or beneath the sea floor up to 200 nautical miles (370km) beyond their land territory. But if the continental shelf extends beyond that distance, the country must provide evidence to a UN commission which will then make recommendations about establishing an outer limit.", "summary": "Canada has launched a mission to map the Arctic seabed to support its bid to extend its territory up to the North Pole."}
{"article": "Holden, 36, will work alongside fellow coaches Neil Cutler and John Ward. He was first given a coaching role at Walsall by then boss Dean Smith before leaving in November 2014 to become first-team coach at Oldham. After a spell as caretaker manager last season, Holden left the club in January when manager David Dunn was sacked. \"It's been an interesting time since I was last here,\" said Holden. \"I went to Oldham as first-team coach and quickly became interim manager and then I was assistant manager up to when I left. \"It was a fantastic experience for a young coach like myself and I'm coming back much more experienced. But to say I'm happy to be back here would be an understatement. It's simply about coming in and trying to add whatever I can to help us get over the line.\" Whitney said: \"As soon as this position became available, I earmarked Dean as someone who could possibly help me out. The most important thing for me, whether they're a player or a staff member, is that they fit in with the group - and this is a great appointment for us.\" After three straight wins since Whitney took over in the wake of Sean O'Driscoll's sacking, Walsall currently lie third in League One, level on points with second-placed Wigan Athletic, going into the Easter weekend, when the Saddlers are inactive because of international calls. Saturday's scheduled trip to fourth-placed Gillingham was postponed (until Tuesday, 12 April) as a result of Romaine Sawyers (St Kitts & Nevis), Neil Etheridge (Philippines) and Jason Demetriou (Cyprus) all being called up. Demetriou was due to be back to allow the home game with Shrewsbury Town to go ahead on Easter Monday. But the subsequent call-up for striker Tom Bradshaw by Wales meant that the Shrewsbury game was called off too. It is the second time this season that Bradshaw's meeting with his old club has been postponed as a result of him receiving an international call. The derby game with Shrewsbury is now set for Tuesday, 26 April.", "summary": "League One promotion hopefuls Walsall have brought back their former defender Dean Holden to join the club's coaching team under interim boss Jon Whitney."}
{"article": "Three armed and masked men entered a house in Donaghbrook Drive at 21:40 BST on Monday. The man, who was in his 70s, was hit on the head by one of the gang. After tying the couple up, the gang left with a what has been described as a substantial sum of money in a car. The man managed to break free and released his wife who went to a neighbour's house. Her husband was treated in hospital but has since been discharged. Det Con Brennan said: \"There were also reports of shots fired coming from the Ballybrakes area around this time and I am appealing to anyone who may have heard a sound like shots, to contact us. \"We are also appealing to anyone that may have witnessed any suspicious activity or vehicles in the area to contact detectives.\" The North Antrim DUP MLA, Mervyn Storey, described the incident as \"extremely disturbing and worrying\". \"Those responsible are creating a sense of fear and I utterly condemn their behaviour,\" he said. \"This incident was undoubtedly a frightening experience for the family involved and I unreservedly condemn this attack on a local family.\"", "summary": "A husband and wife have been tied to chairs with cable ties during an aggravated burglary in Ballymoney, County Antrim."}
{"article": "They had to come from behind after Shay McCartan pounced on a defensive error and rounded Bobby Olejnik to score. Matt Oakley created Exeter's quickfire equaliser with a through ball that Tom Nicholls dispatched. McCartan then struck a post, but the Grecians won it when substitute Christian Ribeiro bundled in a corner. Promotion-chasing Stanley stayed sixth, while Exeter moved within five points of the play-off places in 13th.", "summary": "Exeter City shrugged off their midweek FA Cup defeat by Liverpool to beat Accrington Stanley and record back-to-back League Two victories."}
{"article": "Members of the RMT and TSSA unions backed industrial action following a similar vote by drivers. Workers in these unions will now join a planned 24-hour walkout by members of the drivers' union Aslef, which begins at 21:30 BST on 8 July. Talks aimed at averting a strike are being held at the conciliation service Acas. The RMT union and TSSA said its workers planned to begin striking at 18:30 BST. The unions are in dispute with London Underground over pay and conditions for the new all-night Tube, which is due to start at weekends from mid-September, on sections of the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria lines. The RMT said its members voted by 91% in favour of strikes and 96% for other forms of industrial action. The union is also in dispute over a series of other issues including jobs and safety. RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: \"The industrial relations situation on the Tube has sunk to an almost unprecedented low with all four unions united and balloting for action over pay and working arrangements due to be ushered in under the guise of the mayor's 'night Tube' vanity project in just 10 weeks' time.\" TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes said: \"We hope that this result will show Boris Johnson just how angry our members are at his plans to try and rush the start of the night Tube without any detailed agreement on manning levels.\" Among TSSA members, the vote in support of strikes was 76%, with 88% backing other forms of action in a turnout of 44%. London Underground's chief operating officer Steve Griffiths said: \"Londoners and businesses overwhelmingly back the Night Tube. \"It will make life easier for everyone, cut journey times, create jobs and boost the economy. \"No-one is being asked to work more hours,\" he added. \"In return, we are offering a realistic pay increase this year and next, as well as an additional payment for Night Tube working. \"", "summary": "More London Underground workers have voted to strike in a dispute over the new all-night Tube service."}
{"article": "It's tough. It doesn't tear. You can spill beer on it, put it through the washing machine and it will survive to buy another round. But one thing it turns out it's not, is fat-free. Because it turns out the plastic polymer it's made from also contains small amounts of tallow, derived from animal waste products - and some vegetarians are not happy. Familiar to previous generations as the base for every day staples such as soap and candles, tallow is traditionally derived from beef or mutton (but sometimes pork) at the slaughterhouse or later in the food production process. Vegans and vegetarians faced with this revelation have taken to social media to voice their concern and over 40,000 people have signed a petition calling for the contents of the notes to be changed. \"We demand that you cease to use animal products in the production of currency that we have to use,\" the petition reads. On Twitter annoyed vegetarians and vegans have said it's \"not cool\" and \"disgusting\" and asking whether their rights have been considered. However others have responded with rather more tongue-in-cheek approach, suggesting an \"essence of bacon\" is desirable in the UK's currency, speculating how many calories a fiver now contains and offering to relieve any affronted vegetarians of their unwanted notes. Some British Hindu leaders said they would discuss a possible ban on new five pound notes from temples. Cows are considered sacred by Hindus, many of whom don't wear shoes or carry bags made from the skin of cattle that has been slaughtered. Jewish leaders, whose religion also embraces several restrictions on the use of animal products, are less concerned about the new banknotes. A spokesman for the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Simon Round, told the BBC: \"The five pound notes wouldn't cause any problem to Jews unless they try to eat them. \"Jews are not allowed to consume tallow but are permitted to handle it.\" The Bank of England so far has adopted a sanguine approach to the furore: \"We can confirm that the polymer pellet from which the base substrate is made contains a trace of a substance known as tallow,\" it said in a statement. But, so far, it has no plans to draw up a new recipe.", "summary": "The UK's new fiver has won many fans since it was launched in September."}
{"article": "The men spent over an hour dragging the 368lb (167kg) beast on board the boat off the coast of Cornwall on Sunday. One of the men, Nick Lane, said they had submitted a record application after the Shark Trust calculated the weight based on the shark's dimensions. \"I was jumping up and down like a little school girl\", Mr Lane said. \"All hell broke loose.\" Thresher Shark latest \"Suddenly the rods took off, they were absolutely screaming,\" he said. Mr Lane, a garage owner from Washford in Somerset, said when they got the shark on board they measured it and took photographs before letting it back into the water. John Richardson, Shark Trust conservation officer, praised the anglers for putting the shark back into the sea. He said: \"Here in the Northeast Atlantic Threshers are listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. \"The Shark Trust applauds the anglers for returning the shark alive to the water, especially as it may well have been a potential record.\" Mr Richardson said normally anglers would need to bring a shark to shore to be formally verified for a record, although sometimes informal records can be recognised. To be the largest shark caught in British waters it will need to break the previous record set in 1982 by a 323lb (147kg) thresher shark. Nick Simmonds, secretary of the British Record Fish Committee (BRFC), said he had been unable to verify if a claim had been formally made yet. Mr Richardson said he did have a record of their catch but the Shark Trust did not confirm or verify catch records.", "summary": "A group of amateur fishermen have landed what they believe to be a record-breaking thresher shark."}
{"article": "The 20-year-old has managed the injury for about 18 months, but has now been forced to arrange an operation. \"I'm not looking forward to this, but it has to be done if I want to continue my career in the best possible way,\" Clayton told BBC Radio Jersey. \"I probably missed five events with it, so it will help in the long run.\" Clayton - who, along with James Connelly, - first suffered the injury at the Under-18 British Championships in 2012, an event he went on to win. He had painkilling injections in his shoulder, but the problem flared up again during pre-season and after his first tournament of the year, he has decided to follow medical advice and have the operation. Media playback is not supported on this device \"My specialist said the rehab programme was really good and I've been doing the right things. I built up the muscles well and it's down to that that I kept playing for so long. \"But my serve was really affected by it in the tournament I just played and I was struggling to generate pace. The serve is one of, if not the, biggest part of the game so I really need to sort it out,\" he said. \"I'm still young and I don't have points to defend until the end of the year really, so it's the best time to do it, even though there's never a good time to have it happen. \"I'm in a better place than I was this time last year mentally, physically and in terms of my playing ability, so I'm going into it with the right frame of mind and I just need to get it sorted.\" .\"", "summary": "Jersey tennis player Scott Clayton faces up to six months out of the sport as he prepares to undergo surgery on a longstanding shoulder injury."}
{"article": "The 1912 painting was purchased by the London gallery in early February. The museum paid \u00c2\u00a315.6m ($25.5m) for the artwork. The money will go towards operating costs at Randolph College in Virginia, which owns the Maier Museum. AAMD, which represents 236 directors of leading US art museums, called upon the college \"to stop this practice\". The Association was it was \"deeply disturbed to learn of Randolph College's continuing sale of works of art from the collection of its Maier Museum of Art to provide general operating funds for the College\". \"The prohibition against the sale of works of art from museum collections for such purposes is a violation of one of the most fundamental professional principles of the art museum field,\" a statement said. 'Other solutions' The AAMD said it initially contacted Randolph College in 2007 when its intention to sell off works from the college-owned Maier Museum was first made public. The Association said it offered help by investigating other means by which the college could tackle its financial shortfall. But in 2008 the college sold a Rufino Tamayo painting, Trovador, prompting the AAMD to censure the Maier Museum \"to signal its objection to this action\" and \"discourage\" further sales from the collection. Following last month's Bellows sale, it once again sought \"to encourage the College to find other solutions\" to support their operating costs. The college's unwillingness to alter their course led to the announcement of sanctions, which calls on all AAMD member museums to suspend loans to the Maier Museum and refuse collaboration on joint exhibitions. \"We appreciate both the College's decision to sell Men of the Docks to a public institution, thus ensuring that this work will remain in the public domain, and the educational exchange that the College and the purchaser of the painting, the National Gallery of Art in London, are launching,\" the statement continued. \"Nevertheless, these steps - however laudable they may be - do not mitigate the fact that the funds realised from this sale will be utilised for a purpose that we believe will, ultimately, be damaging to our field,\" it added. The Bellows purchase marked the National Gallery's first major acquisition of a painting by an American artist. \"We feel proud that an international audience will now become more aware of Randolph and our long stewardship of Men of the Docks,\" college president Bradley W Bateman said at the time of the sale. The painting, the final in a series depicting workers gathered on an icy day on the New York waterfront, will hang alongside Impressionists like Monet and Pissarro in the London gallery.", "summary": "The Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) has sanctioned the Maier Museum of Art for selling George Bellows' Men of the Docks to the National Gallery."}
{"article": "The city is quiet, with no reports of helicopter gunships in the sky or tanks on the streets but shops remained shut. President Salva Kiir and his rival, Vice-President Riek Machar, announced a ceasefire which came into force on Monday at 15:00 GMT. Clashes between troops loyal to the two men had threatened a recent peace deal. South Sudan became independent from Sudan in 2011 but its short history has been marred by civil war. Mr Kiir and Mr Machar are under intense diplomatic pressure to end the violence. The UN said about 42,000 people had fled their homes during the fighting, with 7,000 of them taking refuge at its compounds. The US, Kenya and Uganda said they were preparing to evacuate their citizens from South Sudan. The UN called for an immediate arms embargo, as well as attack helicopters to strengthen its 13,000-strong peacekeeping force. Two Chinese UN peacekeepers and one South Sudanese UN worker were among those killed in the fighting. US National Security Adviser Susan Rice said: \"This senseless and inexcusable violence - undertaken by those who yet again are putting self-interest above the well-being of their country and people - puts at risk everything the South Sudanese people have aspired to over the past five years.\" BBC Sudan analyst James Copnall says the latest clashes have traumatised Juba and shredded a peace deal between Mr Kiir and Mr Machar, agreed last August. He said there were also doubts over how far both men were in command of their forces. The UN refugee agency has urged neighbouring states to keep their borders open for a possible influx of asylum-seekers. Uganda has tightened security along its border with South Sudan, making it difficult for people to cross, it added. At least 16 Kenyan truck drivers and six others from Uganda were killed in crossfire in in Juba, an official of a truck driver's association in Kenya said. Tens of thousands of Ugandans and Kenyans moved to South Sudan after its independence to take advantage of business opportunities, and trade links between the three neighbouring states are strong. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: \"Yet again, the leaders of South Sudan have failed their people. Rarely has a country's conduct squandered so much promise so quickly.\" Mr Ban said an \"immediate\" arms embargo should be imposed on South Sudan, political and military leaders blocking the peace deal should face sanctions and the UN mission to the country should be fortified. It seems a disagreement at a checkpoint between rival soldiers led to a shootout on Thursday night in which five soldiers died. This quickly escalated into serious fighting from Friday onwards. Tensions have been high since April, when Mr Machar returned to Juba under a peace deal following a two-year civil war. He took a 1,300-strong protection force with him and they were supposed to start joint patrols with forces loyal to President Kiir. But a lack of trust between the two sides means the patrols have not begun. There are concerns that what we are seeing is a repeat of what", "summary": "A ceasefire appears to be holding in South Sudan's capital, Juba, after four days of heavy fighting between rival forces left more than 270 people dead."}
{"article": "After a fourth day of searches, 384 people have been rescued from the Annapurna trail, 216 of them foreigners, in the country's worst-ever trekking disaster. Helicopters have been searching parts of the trail high as 5,790m (19,000ft) for survivors. The government said the priority was to rescue 22 stranded hikers. The trekkers are stranded at Thorung La pass, and face a shortage of food and water. Army helicopters tried to rescue them but failed after being unable to land. The BBC's Andrew North in Nepal says that it is still unclear which climbers have been accounted for and which are still missing. The task of the authorities is made more complicated because there are thousands of climbers in Nepal at this time of the year. Army helicopters tried unsuccessfully to rescue them on Saturday between the Mustang and Dolpa districts, government rescue coordinator Suresh Acharya said. Twenty bodies have been recovered but 19 bodies are still in the snow and a rescue team will be deployed on Sunday to dig them out and retrieve them by air, he said. One of the main trekking routes - the Thorung La pass, the high point of the Annapurna Circuit - is now \"relatively safe\" after the army cleared snow, he said earlier. Rescuers have only limited resources and most of the missing and dead are believed to be at the maximum heights that helicopters can reach. Nepalese, Japanese, Israeli, Canadian, Indian, Slovak, Vietnamese and Polish trekkers are said to be among the dead. Many survivors have been left with severe frostbite and will have to have limbs amputated. Nepal earns huge revenues from the tens of thousands of trekkers and climbers who flock to the Himalayas every year. However, it remains a very poor country and the authorities here have struggled to cope with the scale of this disaster, our correspondent says. This has been a particularly deadly year for Nepal's trekking and mountaineering industry. An avalanche on Mount Everest in April killed 16 Sherpa guides and resulted in a significant drop in the number of expeditions to the world's highest peak. The latest disaster comes at the height of the trekking period. Nepal blizzards: Survival guide", "summary": "Snowstorms and avalanches have killed 39 trekkers on a popular hiking route in the Himalayas, Nepali officials say."}
{"article": "The 19-year-old, who joined from Monaco on transfer deadline day, scored twice in Sunday's 3-2 win over Southampton as United moved to second in the table. The Frenchman now has three goals from his first two Premier League games. \"He's been absolutely magnificent. They could not have hoped for any more,\" former Arsenal and England defender Keown told Match of the Day 3. \"There was a huge transfer fee on his head, but it doesn't seem to bother him. Every time he is in front of goal he seems to be at his happiest.\" Martial became the most expensive teenager ever when he moved to Old Trafford, and the signing was met with surprise by some commentators in the media. Already an established France Under-21 international, he had just been called up to the senior national team when he joined Louis van Gaal's side at the beginning of September. And with team-mate Wayne Rooney having yet to score in the league this season, Martial has already proved vital to United. \"I thought they would take him off at 3-1 and they do need to manage him well. He's only a young boy really,\" said Keown. \"But he looks very powerful and mature and he's well beyond the age he played at on Sunday.\"", "summary": "Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has been unfazed by his \"huge\" \u00a336m transfer fee, says Martin Keown."}
{"article": "Four men wearing masks entered the property on the Boleran Road in Garvagh about 20:00 BST on Thursday. Two of the men, armed with a screwdriver and poker, held the couple in the kitchen while the others ransacked the house. The gang left a short time later but police said it was unclear at this stage if anything was taken. The couple, a man in his 90s and a woman in her 70s, were not physically harmed during the incident, but were treated for shock. Police have appealed for anyone who saw a white coloured pick-up type vehicle being driven on the Boleran Road or in the general Garvagh area on Thursday to contact them. DUP MLA for East Londonderry, Adrian McQuillan, said: \"I totally condemn those responsible for this barbaric act of burglary and appeal to anyone with information to bring it forward to the PSNI.\"", "summary": "An elderly couple have been held by a gang armed with a poker at their home in County Londonderry."}
{"article": "Heritage, tourism, climate change and innovation projects will be backed. North and west Wales and south-east Ireland stand to benefit the most. Finance Minister Jane Hutt said the Ireland-Wales Co-operation Programme was \"a unique partnership\" and the cash would build on \"our shared aspirations for economic growth and job creation\".", "summary": "A plan to spend \u00a380m enhancing economic links between Wales and Ireland has been approved by the European Commission."}
{"article": "The \u00a321m road, which will link the west and east of the town, was supposed to be finished by March. However, last winter's heavy rain meant contractors could not start building a bridge over the River Tone and the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal. Richard Needs, from Somerset County Council, said it had also encountered other challenges during the project. He said work to lift an existing bridge over Station Road had to be delayed as workers had found the ground conditions softer than expected. \"It's not a question of moving the bridge, it's working out what are the best foundations for the new bridge to be,\" Mr Needs said. \"As with all construction projects there are very difficult times and there are happy times... it changes from day-to-day but overall we're making good progress and we're getting there eventually.\" The one-mile-long (1.6km) road is designed to divert traffic around the north of the town and will run from Priory Bridge Road, over the river and canal, alongside the railway to Staplegrove Road. It is hoped the new road will divert traffic away from the town centre and Priorswood Road and help with the regeneration of the Firepool area.", "summary": "The completion date for a new road in Taunton has been delayed."}
{"article": "The Travel Photographer of the Year Awards is staging the outdoor exhibition at Princes Dock Street. The show is part of the second season of Hull's year as UK City of Culture. Entitled Roots and Routes, it aims to celebrate Hull's role as a major port and its international connections. The awards began in 2003 and accept entries from amateurs, semi-professionals and professionals. Read more about this and other stories from Hull and East Yorkshire See some of the winning entries The photographs on display include a selection of winning entries from the 2016 competition. Entrants from more than 120 countries entered the competition and photographers from 21 countries featured among the winners. Martin Green, chief executive and director of Hull UK City of Culture 2017, said: \"Our Roots and Routes season is all about celebrating Hull's global connections and its place in the wider world. \"This exhibition will give people in Hull the opportunity to see unique images of some of the planet's most famous and recognisable places along with exposing them to some far-flung and unfamiliar locations and sights.\" The photographs will remain on show until 30 June.", "summary": "A free showing of award-winning travel photographs has opened in Hull."}
{"article": "Ahead of the vote, here are seven things you need to know about the West African country - once hailed as a model of stability. The economy has boomed in recent years and Ivory Coast is the world's biggest exporter of cocoa, producing around 40% of the planet's beans used to manufacture chocolate. But this year, it also overtook India as the leading exporter of cashew nuts. Cocoa transformed Ivory Coast into the \"Paris of Africa\" as it was called in the 1970s and 1980s, until a slump in cocoa prices dampened the \"Ivorian miracle\". President Alassane Ouattara, who took office in May 2011, wanted to diversify the economy. Agriculture is still the backbone, but it includes bananas, rubber and palm oil too. The last elections in 2010 sparked five months of violence when former President Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down. More than 3,000 people were killed in some of the most brutal violence the country has ever seen. President Ouattara has been accused of one-sided justice after hundreds of Mr Gbagbo's supporters were imprisoned but very few from his side were even arrested - despite the UN and international human rights organisations saying both sides committed atrocities. No more \"nids de poules\" on the country's major roads. The French call potholes \"chicken nests\". The government says it has built 1,000km (620 miles) of new roads since it has been in power and rehabilitated another 20,000km throughout Ivory Coast. It is promising to build 1,200km more if re-elected. There were 10, now there are seven. A former finance minister, Mamadou Koulibaly, and former foreign minister, Amara Essy, dropped out saying the elections would not be free and fair. The latest, former prime minister Charles Konan Banny, pulled out on Friday, with the same complaint. That leaves another former prime minister - Pascal Affi N'Guessan, leader of Laurent Gbagbo's former party - as Mr Ouattara's main rival. Mr Ouattara is the eldest at 73, while independent candidate Claire Jacqueline Kouangoua, one of only two women running, is the youngest at 44. Mr Affi N'Guessan, the main opposition candidate, is using the same slogan that France's Francois Hollande did in his last campaign , \"Le changement maintenant\", meaning \"Change now\", which is ironic considering how unpopular Mr Hollande is now in France. Mr Ouattara, known to his supporters as \"Ado\" because of his initials, has chosen to use \"Avec Ado, reussir ensemble\", meaning \"With Ado, succeed together\". This is also interesting because one of the main criticisms of President Ouattara has been his lack of focus on reconciliation since the crisis. The campaign theme of \"togetherness\" is clearly supposed to address this. Music has always played a role in Ivory Coast politics. Alpha Blondy, the country's undisputed king of reggae, began singing about war and fighting in the country as early as 1998. In 2010, he openly backed former President Laurent Gbagbo, giving a free concert in Abidjan. His main reggae rival, Tiken Jah Fakoly who sang anti-Gbagbo songs, had to go into exile and has decided to stay in Mali. And this", "summary": "Ivory Coast is holding its first elections this weekend since a civil war sparked by polls in 2010."}
{"article": "He was treated in hospital for injuries to his arm, back and face after being bitten by the dogs in Buttershaw Drive, Bradford, at about 07.30 BST. West Yorkshire Police said armed officers secured the dogs in a garden following reports of the attack. Sgt Richard Sheard said two men have been questioned in connection with the incident. He said both dogs were taken away by specialist officers along with a third dog, a red nosed pit bull.", "summary": "A man suffered serious injuries when he was attacked in the street by two American pit bulls, police said."}
{"article": "The Pakistani, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, went five and a half years without losing between 1981 and 1986. Rod Gilmour, co-author of 'Jahangir Khan: 555', said: \"We believe that it could be significantly lower.\" However, ex-world number one Jahangir, 52, reckons the tally \"could be more\". He added: \"The 555 figure should only be my tournament matches. I played invitational, exhibition and challenge matches. \"It could be between 600 to 700 matches if you include the others. Because I wasn't losing those either.\" Jahangir won the World Open six times and the British Open Championship 10 times in succession between 1982 and 1991. Gilmour and Alan Thatcher have researched record books, annuals, magazines and newspaper reports in writing their book. \"I grew up reading reports of Jahangir Khan and even then he seemed a mythical, magical figure to me,\" said Gilmour. \"There were no statisticians at the time chronicling his matches and not once has the figure been highlighted in press reports of the time.\" Jahangir, whose winning run was ended by Ross Norman in the 1986 World Championship, retired in 1993. The authors do not dispute the timeframe, but Thatcher said they \"wanted to solve for accuracy's sake\" the final tally. He added: \"The real figure? It's hard to say. \"But it could be lower than 500, which would mean that Dutch wheelchair tennis great Esther Vergeer could lay claim to the record.\" Vergeer, who won her fourth consecutive Paralympic singles gold in London in 2012, went unbeaten for 10 years, winning 470 matches before retiring in 2013.", "summary": "Squash legend Jahangir Khan's winning run of 555 matches - a record in any sport - has been questioned in a new book."}
{"article": "The building suffers from flooding, has outdated electrical and drainage infrastructure, is full of asbestos and has fire safety issues. One of the options being considered will involve both the Commons and the Lords sitting in another location while the Palace is refurbished. The work, unlikely to begin before 2018 at the earliest, may cost about \u00a31.5bn. A recent report concluded the cost of maintenance is such that if the Palace was a commercial building of no historical significance it would be considered cost-effective to demolish it and rebuild using modern construction techniques. A contract to examine the feasibility, costs and benefits of three different renovation options was put out to tender on 15 May. The successful bidder will advise the parliamentary authorities whether to carry on repairing the building piecemeal as now, attempt a full renovation while Parliament is still sitting in the Palace, or find another venue for Parliament to sit in while the empty Palace is renovated. Once the contractor is appointed, it will be expected to report within a year. A report commissioned by the parliamentary authorities in 2012 highlighted the poor state of repair of Britain's seat of government. Amongst the issues raised were steam leaks which risked distributing asbestos around the Palace and leaking roofs, water pipes and toilets making flooding a \"common occurrence\". The building lacks a fire sprinkler system or the sort of fire doors which keep fire contained in a single area, which are common in other commercial buildings. Parliamentary authorities have received advice that some of the cast-iron roofs are in danger of partial collapse if nothing is done. The report also said that the basements and air-vents are full of electrical and mechanical infrastructure, which is in an uncertain condition. This is because the Palace has been added to on an ad-hoc basis throughout its existence. The majority of the historic building was built as a replacement for a previous amalgamation of buildings which burnt down in 1834. The Commons chamber was destroyed in the blitz in 1941 and after some debate it was decided that it should be rebuilt in exactly the same style after the war.", "summary": "Parliament has begun a tender process for the renovation of the historic Palace of Westminster."}
{"article": "Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard said the \u00c2\u00a345m investment project would deliver a modernised ticketing system which would \"transform travel\" and lead to more people using public transport. Almost 300 new ticketing machines will be installed at bus stops and train halts. The scheme is expected to be put in place in 2018. Mr Hazzard said the new programme for government envisages increasing the number of people using public transport. \"A high quality public transport infrastructure is fundamental to encouraging people to use our buses and trains,\" said Mr Hazzard. This innovative ticketing system will deliver long term benefits and transform how we access public transport across the region,\" he said. \"The current ticketing system was introduced 15 years ago and serves around 80 million passenger journeys every year. \"This programme will deliver a modern, efficient and convenient ticketing system that will benefit passengers and lead to greater efficiencies. It will improve the passenger experience.\" The minister added it was expected the scheme would begin to be implemented in 2018 with the new Bus Rapid Transit System. \"In 2019 we plan to introduce contactless payments for Metro and Ulsterbus services and customers will enjoy further technology enhancements as we phase in this new era in Translink ticketing which will attract more people to use the bus and train as travel options,\" he said.", "summary": "A new smartcard is to be introduced to make buying bus and train tickets quicker and easier in Northern Ireland."}
{"article": "The research found that catastrophic collisions would likely occur every five to nine years at the altitudes used principally to observe the Earth. And the scientists who did the work say their results are optimistic - the real outcome would probably be far worse. To date, there have been just a handful of major collisions in the space age. The study was conducted for the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee. This is the global forum through which world governments discuss the issue of \"space junk\" - abandoned rocket stages, defunct satellites and their exploded fragments. The space agencies of Europe, the US, Italy, the UK, Japan and India all contributed to the latest research, each one using their own experts and methodology to model the future space environment. They were most concerned with low-Earth orbit (that is, below 2,000km in altitude). This is where the majority of missions returning critical Earth-observation data tend to operate. All six modelling groups came out with broadly the same finding - a steady increase in the numbers of objects 10cm and bigger over the 200-year period. This growth was driven mostly by collisions between objects at altitudes between 700km and 1,000km. The low-end projection was for a 19% increase; the high-end forecast was for a 36% rise. Taken together, the growth was 30%. These are averages of hundreds of simulations. For the cumulative number of catastrophic collisions over the period, the range went from just over 20 to just under 40. Somewhat worryingly, the forecasting work made some optimistic assumptions. One was a 90% compliance with the \"25-year rule\". This is a best-practice time-limit adopted by the world's space agencies for the removal of their equipment from orbit once it has completed its mission. The other was the idea that there would be no more explosions from half-empty fuel and pressure tanks, and from old batteries - a significant cause of debris fragments to date. \"We're certainly not at 90% compliance with the 25-year rule yet, and we see explosion events on average about three times a year,\" explained Dr Hugh Lewis, who detailed the research findings at the 6th European Conference on Space Debris in Darmstadt, Germany, on Monday. \"It is fair to say this is an optimistic look forward, and the situation will be worse than what we presented in the study,\" the UK Space Agency delegate to the IADC told BBC News. \"So one message from our study is that we need to do better with these debris-mitigation measures, but even with that we need to consider other approaches as well. One of the options obviously is active debris removal.\" Research groups around the world are devising strategies to catch old rocket bodies and satellites, to pull them out of orbit. Previous modelling work has indicated that removing just a few key items each year could have a significant limiting effect on the growth of debris. Most ideas include attaching a propulsion module to a redundant body, perhaps via a hook or robotic clamp. One UK concept under development is a harpoon. This", "summary": "Unless space debris is actively tackled, some satellite orbits will become extremely hazardous over the next 200 years, a new study suggests."}
{"article": "The United Airlines pilots, aged 35 and 45, were held in the cockpit by police ahead of the 09:00 flight on Saturday. Their jet, which was headed for Newark Airport, had started boarding its 141 passengers. It eventually took off at 19:15 with a new flight crew on board. The men are expected to appear at Paisley Sheriff Court on Monday. Police Scotland said the pilots were arrested in connection with alleged offences under the Railways and Transport/Safety Act 2003 (Section 93). This covers \"carrying out pilot function or activity while exceeding the prescribed limit of alcohol\". United Airlines said the pilots, both believed to be US citizens, had been removed from service and their flying duties pending an investigation. A spokesman said the safety of customers and crew \"is their highest priority\". Two Canadian pilots appeared in court earlier in July after being arrested at Glasgow Airport on suspicion of being impaired through alcohol. Captain Jean-Francois Perreault, aged 39, and Imran Zafar Syed, who is 37, were due to fly an Air Transat plane with 345 passengers and nine crew on board. They were released on bail and are due to return to court at a later date.", "summary": "Two airline pilots were arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol as they prepared to fly from Glasgow Airport to New York."}
{"article": "Coral \"bleaching\" has led to widespread coral decline and habitat loss on the world's largest coral reef system. Surveys show that 29% of corals died in 2016, greater than the figure of 22% projected in mid-2016. The worst-hit area was near Port Douglas, where 70% of shallow water corals died, but there was a recovery of corals in the south of the reef. The latest results come from surveys carried out by the Marine Park Authority, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Australian Institute of Marine Science and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority chairman Russell Reichelt said: \"As has been the case with reefs across the world, the Great Barrier Reef has experienced significant and widespread impacts over the last two years. \"We're very concerned about what this means for the Great Barrier Reef itself and what it means for the communities and industries that depend on it.\" According to newpaper reports, a meeting over the reef's future was recently told that the federal and Queensland government's long-term plan to protect the reef, announced in 2015, was no longer achievable. Bleaching occurs when the algae living on coral is expelled due to stress caused by extreme, sustained changes in temperature. This turns the coral white. In 2017, further coral die-offs are expected from the second year of bleaching in a row, and the impacts of tropical cyclone Debbie, the officials said. Researchers say that climate change is a significant driver behind the coral loss and experts have said the window is closing fast to cut the greenhouse gas emissions pushing up temperatures and harming the reef.", "summary": "Australia's Great Barrier Reef lost nearly a third of its corals in the past year, officials have said."}
{"article": "It is fair to say Cameron McGeehan was not your average 10-year-old footballer. Dreams did not turn into glory at Stamford Bridge, but a decade later, and playing first-team football every week in League Two with Luton Town, the Football League's Young Player of the Month award for February proves McGeehan is making strides back towards the top of the game. Looking back, the midfielder, still only 20, takes a mature view of why he, like many other youngsters, failed to make the grade at Chelsea. \"At 13 or 14 you become more aware of your surroundings,\" he told BBC Sport. \"You start to think about it more, you get a bit of an ego and that's what naturally happens. \"There are a lot of players at Chelsea like that, with egos, and I don't think it's the best thing for young players. \"It can be damaging, you forget why you're there, why you're trying to work hard every day.\" In an era when young players can move for multi-million pound transfer fees and earn tens of thousands of pounds per week, it is almost impossible for teenage footballers not to get carried away with the potential riches on offer and the fame that will inevitably come with being a Premier League star. \"When you're playing for a top team and you're going to school, all your mates keep saying 'oh you're play for Chelsea, that's cool',\" said McGeehan. \"Social media amplifies things even more, to the point where it's very damaging for young players. \"The money is now getting a bit ridiculous for youngsters who haven't even stepped foot on a first-team pitch.\" The pivotal moment in McGeehan's youth career came with a move to Norwich City. An honest chat with academy manager Neil Bath highlighted former Chelsea youngster Andy King - now on the verge of a Premier League title with Leicester City - as an individual who had been in a similar position and chose to continue his career elsewhere. \"Neil said I might be better off going somewhere else and finding my way rather than staying,\" McGeehan said. \"He said I might get a contract [at Chelsea] but I might get lost.\" McGeehan's decision to continue his football education with the Canaries paid off, as he helped them lift the FA Youth Cup in 2013 - scoring in both legs of the final against his former side. \"I wanted to go to Norwich, play and learn the game that way and get away from London to find myself,\" he explained. \"It was a bit like when an 18-year-old goes to university to find themselves. The university of football for me was at 16. It was a big decision but I'm very glad I did it.\" Despite his success at youth level with Norwich, McGeehan once against tasted disappointment as he failed to break into their first team. After loan spells at Luton and Cambridge, a permanent move to Kenilworth Road gave him a chance of the regular senior football he craved to showcase his abilities. McGeehan scored three", "summary": "Signed for \u00a380,000, and joining a club in the process of winning back-to-back Premier League titles, with Jose Mourinho, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard to provide inspiration."}
{"article": "The instinct to swim, panic and thrash about increases the chances of water getting in the lungs and puts a strain on the heart. The RNLI's Ross Macleod said practising floating was a \"survival skill\". Latest figures from the charity show 162 people lost their lives on the UK coast in 2016. The RNLI's advice is to float for about 60-to-90 seconds if you fall in water - the time it takes for the effects of the cold shock to pass and to regain control of breathing. Sudden immersion in water any temperature below 15C puts people at severe risk of cold water shock. The recommended floating position is to lean back in the water and keep your airway clear while keeping calm to maintain breathing levels. Only 3% of respondents in the Dorset-based charity's research said they would try and float as the first action they would take if they fell in to cold water unexpectedly, while 40% said their immediate reaction would be to swim. RNLI coastal safety manager Ross Macleod said it was important to \"fight your instincts\". \"We're asking the public to remember this lifesaving advice, share with others and practice the survival skill of floating - it could be the difference between life and death.' Of the 162 people who lost their lives on UK coasts in 2016. Three quarters were men and 44% didn't intend to enter the water.", "summary": "Floating after falling into the sea rather than trying to swim, is more likely to ensure your survival, a new RNLI campaign says."}
{"article": "The Battle of Stamford Bridge saw an army led by the Saxon King Harold defeat a group of Viking invaders. Villagers are holding a re-enactment of the fighting with a descendant of King Harald of Norway who was killed by the Saxons. Guests at the event include the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu, who was given a tour of the battlefield. Chris Rock, chairman of the Battle of Stamford Bridge Society, said the battles in Yorkshire had been overshadowed by King Harold's death at the hands of William of Normandy a few days later at Hastings. \"What happened here decided the outcome at Hastings, which is the battle that everyone remembers,\" he said. \"Without him being here he would have been on the south coast waiting for William. He would have pushed him back into the sea. We'd have a Saxon line of kings now, maybe.\" As well as the re-enactment, villagers are working on a Bayeux-style tapestry depicting the battle. The weekend's events will culminate with the burning of Viking boat at sunset on Sunday.", "summary": "An East Yorkshire village has been commemorating the 950th anniversary of a historic battle."}
{"article": "Dozens were also injured during the event, in Rapoosal, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The sport, known as jallikattu, was banned by India's Supreme Court in 2014. But on Saturday the central government temporarily lifted the ban, after large-scale protests. Several villages and towns in Tamil Nadu then held events on Sunday attracting huge crowds. Subduing angry bulls has long been practised in the state as a sport and is a key part of the harvest festival. The court had banned jallikattu on the grounds that it was cruel to animals. Animal rights activists say the spectacle causes unnecessary stress to the bulls who are released into a crowd and forced to fend off people trying to ride them. Many in Tamil Nadu, however, are against the ban as they see jallikattu as an important part of their cultural heritage, and also say it ensures the preservation of native breeds of bulls. In recent days large demonstrations have been staged in the state capital Chennai (Madras) calling for the practice to be fully re-legalised. Most ministers in the state government including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, as well as Tamil celebrities such as Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman, support jallikattu.", "summary": "Two men have been gored to death in a bull-wrestling festival, as a fierce debate rages over the controversial sport."}
{"article": "Kyle Bradley was pronounced dead by the side of the railway line in Wrenthorpe near Wakefield on Saturday. Another boy aged 16 and a woman aged 18 were left with non-life threatening injuries. Local residents said there had been problems with young people playing near to the track before.", "summary": "An inquest into the death of a 16-year-old boy who climbed on to a train and touched overhead power lines has been opened and adjourned in Wakefield."}
{"article": "The England Under-19 international, who has not played a Premier League game for the Gunners, will move to the Estadio da Luz on a five-year deal. Willock, 19, had been offered a new deal at Arsenal, but his move to Lisbon has been revealed via Benfica's Twitter feed. Manchester City had also been linked with the attacker, whose contract expires on 1 July. \"I hope I can show what I can do on the pitch. I think we have a great team and we can achieve great things in the future,\" Willock said on the Benfica website. Willock had been with Arsenal since 2003 with his younger brother, Joe, remaining in the Gunners youth set-up. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Arsenal forward Chris Willock is to join Benfica when his contract expires."}
{"article": "Five Fables won best app at the first day of prize ceremonies at the festival in Inverness. Heaney drew on the work of 15th Century Scottish poet Robert Henryson for the five morality tales. They were adapted for a TV animation by Northern Ireland's Flickerpix which was narrated by Connolly. Among Five Fables is The Two Mice, a story about a town mouse and a mouse from the countryside. Heaney, who died in 2013 at the age of 74, was acclaimed by many as the best Irish poet since WB Yeats. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995 \"for works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past\". David Cumming, of Waddell Media which runs the Flickerpix, collected the festival accolade on Wednesday on behalf of the animation studio and Touch Press. He said: \"It's very exciting to win this award. \"I think the whole Celtic media industry is really unusual, because it's very diverse and very eclectic. \"It's one of the last places in television where not everything is absolutely ratings-fixated, and that you can still get commissions to do quite strange, out-there stuff, which I think really encourages creativity.\" Dolores Keane: A Storm in the Heart by RTE/Scratch Films won the arts award and The Hunchback in the Park by BBC Cymru Wales took the animation prize. Independent production company Move on Up's Katie Morag was named best children's television series. Adapted from Mairi Hedderwick's books of the same name, episodes of Katie Morag have been shown on CBeebies, CBBC and BBC Alba. The books tell of the adventures of a feisty, independent, red-haired girl who lives with her family on the fictional Scottish island of Struay. Cherry Campbell from Glasgow plays Katie Morag in the TV series. Winner of the entertainment category was Welsh comedy series Dim Byd, which is produced by S4C and Cwmni Da. TG4 and Touchline Media won the sports award for Arkle. The documentary tells the story of Arkle, the Irish horse named after a mountain in Sutherland that became the greatest steeplechaser in history. A statute in the horse's honour stands at Cheltenham race course. On day two of the awards on Thursday, BBC Two Scotland's documentary Being Sixteen about 16 and 17-year-olds voting in the Scottish independence referendum won the young people's category in the festival's awards for excellence.", "summary": "An app based on an TV project involving Scots comic Billy Connolly and the late Irish poet Seamus Heaney has been honoured at the Celtic Media Festival."}
{"article": "Police said they were called to Peterhead Academy following an incident involving two boys on Monday afternoon. The teenager was charged in connection with both possession of a knife and the assault. He has been reported to the youth justice management unit.", "summary": "A 14-year-old boy has been charged after allegedly being found with a knife at an Aberdeenshire school after an assault."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old turned down a new deal at beaten League Two play-off finalists Exeter to join the third-tier Pilgrims. \"Not everyone will understand my reasoning but those who do, hopefully they understand,\" he told BBC Devon. \"The club offered me a deal which we tried to negotiate and it just didn't end probably the way it could've.\" Grant joined Exeter on a two-year contract in August 2015 after the club's fans raised \u00a330,000 towards his wages. He has not played for Jamaica since May 2016 when he scored in a friendly victory over Chile. \"I wouldn't tell any lies, I thoroughly enjoyed my time [at Exeter] and was very close to staying, but it's football,\" Grant added. \"I made the decision to join Plymouth and now I look forward to the challenge. \"It's [the move] definitely something I had to think about, but I'm delighted to be here now and hopefully I can have a good start.\"", "summary": "Jamaica international forward Joel Grant says he came \"very close\" to staying with Exeter City before joining their Devon rivals Plymouth Argyle."}
{"article": "Chevron said the Alder project has already created hundreds of jobs across the UK, including in Aberdeen and Invergordon. Gas produced from the field will be sent via a 17-mile (28km) pipeline to the ConocoPhillips-operated Britannia platform. The Alder field was discovered in 1975. Chevron said development was originally considered impossible due to the challenges of the field's reservoir, lying 14,700ft (4,480m) beneath the seabed. The company said it was now viable due to the \"right combination of technology, infrastructure for processing and export, and commercial conditions\". Chevron Upstream Europe managing director Greta Lydecker said: \"First gas at Alder represents a significant milestone for Chevron and highlights our commitment to investing and developing resources in the UK. \"Alder supports our goal of helping maximize the economic recovery of the UK, adds significant production to our portfolio, and helps extend the field life of Britannia, an important asset to Chevron in the North Sea.\" Deirdre Michie, chief executive of industry body Oil and Gas UK, said: \"It shows the opportunities that are still out there.\" She called for a \"stable fiscal regime\" to help boost investor confidence in North Sea exploration and production.", "summary": "Gas production has started from a North Sea field first discovered more than 40 years ago when its development was considered \"impossible\"."}
{"article": "Pompey are third with 10 games to play, and have a four-point lead over fourth-placed Stevenage. \"When you are where we are, you hold all the cards,\" Cook told BBC Radio Solent. \"But, it's a very difficult league, it's unforgiving.\" Portsmouth host play-off chasing Grimsby at Fratton Park on Tuesday. Back-to-back wins over Crawley Town and Colchester United, coupled with a slump in form by Carlisle United, have put Portsmouth back in the driving seat for a top-three finish. \"The reality is I don't think third this season will be as high a points tally that's it's been in recent years,\" Cook said. \"Teams have come from nowhere to be in the running this season and there's plenty of them knocking on the door of the play-offs who want to get in there. \"Every fixture from now until the end of the season is littered with games from something on them. Every team will have an agenda to try and get as many points as they can.\"", "summary": "Portsmouth manager Paul Cook believes a lower than average number of points will seal the third automatic promotion place in League Two this season."}
{"article": "The oil firm boss is a Conservative party donor and also made donations to the EU Remain campaign. He also gave \u00c2\u00a3500,000 to the Better Together campaign ahead of the Scottish independence referendum. He featured on a list leaked to the Sunday Times newspaper. But he has written to both Mr Cameron and his successor Theresa May asking for his name to be withdrawn from the list \"if indeed I was being considered\". In a statement, Mr Taylor, the chief executive of Vitol, said: \"In recent days, speculation in the media has suggested that I may be recognised in the forthcoming resignation honours list. \"This has been accompanied by seriously inaccurate comments about the company I lead. \"In these circumstances, I think it is right I request that my name does not go forward, if indeed I was being considered for an honour. \"I will, of course, be continuing to participate actively in all the causes that I and my family passionately believe in, notably broadening access to the arts for everyone.\" The Sunday Times newspaper said the ex-PM had chosen to reward cabinet colleagues, donors and staff. Mr Taylor, whose wealth was estimated at about \u00c2\u00a3175m in 2015 in the Sunday Times Rich List, backed the Better Together campaign for Scotland to remain part of the UK in the 2014 referendum with \u00c2\u00a3500,000. The then first minister, Alex Salmond, called for the money to be paid back due to controversy about Vitol. The firm was heavily fined by a New York court in 2007 after admitting making payments to the national oil company in Saddam Hussein's Iraq which were outside the remit of the UN's oil for food programme. It was also reported to have paid $1m to a Serbian paramilitary group as part of an oil deal in the 1990s, although the company said it had not acted illegally.", "summary": "Businessman Ian Taylor, who was reportedly in line for a knighthood in David Cameron's resignation honours list, has said he does not want his name to go forward."}
{"article": "The 21-year-old had already been absent earlier this season with a knee problem that had limited him to just one first-grade appearance. The Warriors have also lost prop Tony Clubb for an indeterminate spell while he undergoes an routine operation. Clubb, 29, has a medical condition but is expected to make a full recovery. He has played nine games this season, including the World Club Challenge success against NRL premiers Cronulla Sharks in February. \"Unfortunately sport can be cruel and this is definitely the case for both Tony and Jake,\" rugby director Kris Radlinski said. \"It's a tough pill to swallow but we will give them all of our support, as I'm sure will the Wigan fans and we look forward to seeing them back out on the field playing for Wigan.\"", "summary": "Wigan Warriors half-back Jake Shorrocks is likely to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury sustained in non-contact training."}
{"article": "It proved far harder than anyone in the Treasury thought at the time. The reasons were myriad. The banks themselves were in far more of a financial mess than thought, the economic downturn was deeper than expected, the full extent of the appalling misconduct within banking (and the subsequent multi-billion pound fines) had yet to be revealed, and the Liberal Democrat side of the Coalition was far less keen on a sale than George Osborne. All these factors came together to slow progress. For Mr Osborne, many of those hurdles have now been removed, or at least reduced in size. First, the economy is in better shape, a fact that particularly helps domestic-focused banks like RBS that lend to consumers and businesses. Second, misconduct issues are slowly working their way through the system. Yes, RBS is still facing a multi-billion pound fine from the US Department of Justice for its involvement in the American sub-prime mortgage market. But investors believe that once that has been announced, possibly later this year, other misconduct problems (the European Commission inquiry into the manipulation of the foreign exchange markets and a legal challenge over the \u00a312bn rights issue in 2008, to name two) will have less of an impact. And, frankly, a major bank without any risk issues over bad behaviour is as rare as a hen's tooth. Which tells us plenty about the depressing state of much of the banking system. Finally, the Chancellor no longer has to consider the opinions of Vince Cable, the former Liberal Democrat business minister who was far less keen on selling RBS and wondered if it could actually be turned into a state-backed lender. Mr Cable also felt badly burnt over the controversial sale of part of the government's stake in the Royal Mail. Following the election, Mr Osborne is chancellor in a Conservative majority government. And the RBS stake sale is back on. In tonight's Mansion House speech it is expected that Mr Osborne will give the first details of how the government's 80% ownership of RBS will be unwound. City sources tell me that Mr Osborne wants to take a two-stage approach. First, an inquiry into the options for a sale and a major study on how it will be done. Second, a timetable for when the sale will take place. Options for how the bank stake could be sold include a \"Tell Sid\" British Gas-style retail offer to the public. Or, more likely initially at least, a sale to institutions such as pension funds of a limited tranche of the shares. With a market capitalisation of \u00a340bn, RBS is simply too big to sell in one go. What is important about the inquiry for the government is that it will give political cover and, banking sources believe, will be done by an independent individual advised by an investment bank. It will look at the vexed question of the price at which the government could sell its shares and legitimately claim that taxpayers are making a profit on the \u00a346bn bailout provided by the state for RBS", "summary": "In 2010, the new Chancellor of the Exchequer was confident that in the first five years of government he would be able to trumpet what he considered a notable achievement - the sale back to the public markets of the state's stakes in both Lloyds Banking Group and The Royal Bank of Scotland."}
{"article": "The Oscar winner is in Edinburgh to speak at the Scottish Business Awards at the EICC. DiCaprio visited Home, a restaurant in Queensferry Street which gives its profits to the homeless. Hundreds of fans were waiting for his arrival. Many had queued in the rain for hours. Last year George Clooney visited Social Bite in Rose Street. Clooney's visit was arranged by entrepreneurs Tom Hunter and Josh Littlejohn, the co-founder of Home and Social Bite, ventures that help the homeless community by allowing customers to pay for food and drink for the vulnerable. Home provides training and employment programmes for members of the Social Bite Academy, a four-year paid course for homeless people. DiCaprio made no comment to the waiting media as he shook hands with Mr Littlejohn and went inside the building. Elise Lovell, 45, was the winner of a competition to have lunch with Hollywood star. She said she had bought eight tickets and felt like she had won the Lottery. Ms Lovell said Di Caprio was \"absolutely charming\". She said they talked about his films and his work with director Martin Scorsese, his environmental work and the election of Donald Trump as US president. Ms Lovell said: \"He said it was definitely a shock.\" Fan Carol Honeyman left her house in Larbert at 05:00 to see DiCaprio. She carried a large canvas of a scene from The Departed, which the movie star signed. She said: \"I don't really know why I do these things but it was so worth it. \"I got this canvas signed before by Ray Winstone, and now it's complete with Leo's. \"I've actually met him before when I went down to the Baftas in London but it's just nicer to say I've seen him closer to home. He's a star.\" Sonny Murray, 37, who works at Social Bite, met DiCaprio at Home. He said: \"I caught him checking himself out in the mirror.\" Maria Luisa, 65, from Edinburgh, said she was probably the oldest fan there. She said DiCaprio shook her hand, adding: \"He didn't spend long enough with crowd.\" Home is a not-for-profit venture opened in September, with a menu of French and Scottish cuisine. Diners are encouraged to \"pay forward\" meals for the homeless, who can attend a special service for those sleeping rough every Monday between 15:00 and 17:00. Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Oscar earlier this year for survival epic, The Revenant. The star of Titanic and the Wolf of Wall Street had been nominated six times.", "summary": "Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio has signed autographs outside an Edinburgh restaurant in what is thought to be his first visit to Scotland."}
{"article": "The ark was built by Christians who said they believe the biblical story was a historical event. Critics have said the attraction should not have received tax incentives as it contradicts science education. The ark is based on a biblical story of a man who received an apocalyptic warning from God about a massive flood. Answers in Genesis, the ministry that built the ark, said the ship's dimensions are based on those described in the Bible. The ark is also 85ft (26m) wide and 51ft (15m) high, according to the group. The ark, which is about 40 miles (64km) south of Cincinnati, Ohio, in Williamstown, features displays of animals in cages as well as exhibits on the group's theories on the world's existence. The group believes that God created everything, including dinosaurs, about 6,000 years ago. Scientists have said the dinosaurs became extinct about 65m years before man appeared. Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis, said the total cost of the ark is more than $100m (\u00c2\u00a377m). The attraction has been at the centre of controversy in Kentucky, where it was awarded a tax incentive in 2014 worth up to $18m (about \u00c2\u00a314m). The incentive allowed the park to recoup taxes on money made from visitors. The tax break was then revoked after it was revealed that Answers in Genesis would only hire Christian staff members. However, the group sued and won. Opponents of the theme park told the AP it is a violation of separation of church and state. \"Basically, this boat is a church raising scientifically illiterate children and lying to them about science,\" said Jim Helton, who lives about a half-hour from the ark. One of the park's biggest critics is science advocate and former television personality Bill Nye \"the Science Guy\". Nye debated Mr Ham on evolution in 2014, attracting millions of viewers online. The video of the debate posted on YouTube by Answers in Genesis has more than five million views. Following the debate, Mr Ham announced that a bond offering from Williamstown had raised $62m (about \u00c2\u00a348m) for the project, allowing the group to break ground on the site a few months later. Answers in Genesis estimates that the theme park, which debuted to the public on Thursday, will draw about two million visitors in its first year.", "summary": "A theme park in the US state of Kentucky has unveiled a 510-foot-long (155 metre-long) wooden model of Noah's Ark."}
{"article": "The H5N8 strain of the infection was confirmed in chickens and ducks in the Pontyberem area on Tuesday, after the birds were culled. It is the same strain of the virus found in an infected wild duck in Llanelli and turkeys in Lincolnshire. An avian flu prevention zone has now been extended to all of Wales. The Cabinet Secretary for the Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths made the announcement on Wednesday based on \"expert advice.\" The prevention zone was originally introduced on 6 December 2016 and will be in place until 28 February 2017. It aims to protect poultry flocks and other domestic birds from the disease with enhanced biosecurity measures, such as a requirement for all keepers of poultry and other captive birds to keep their birds indoors or separate from wild birds. Ms Griffiths said: \"My message to bird owners, including to back yard flock keepers, is to adhere to the requirements set out in the prevention zone, remain vigilant for signs of disease and practice good biosecurity at all times.\" The outbreak has also forced the National Welsh Poultry Weekend event in Pembrokeshire to be cancelled. Speaking on Wednesday, chief veterinary officer Prof Christianne Glossop said: \"It's disappointing that the infection, which we first of all found in wild birds in Wales, has seemed to have spilt over into a domestic flock, but it's not surprising. \"What we need people to do is to be really vigilant - and we are very grateful to the owners of these birds, that they noticed signs of disease and they called a vet.\" Prof Glossop said the Pontyberem birds had \"quite severe\" symptoms. \"We know that we are dealing with highly pathogenic flu in the birds in Lincolnshire - so yes - it is quite a virulent stain of the virus,\" she told BBC Radio's Good Morning Wales programme. The chief vet said bird owners should get veterinary advice if they see symptoms such as their birds: Members of the public have been encouraged to report dead wild waterfowl or gulls, or five or more dead wild birds of other species in the same location. Public Health Wales has said the risk to public health was \"very low\" with the Food Standards Agency having also said avian flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers. Thoroughly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat. Dr Hazel Wright, senior policy officer at the Farmers' Union of Wales, said: \"This is a worry for our poultry farmers and anyone who keeps chickens, ducks and other poultry in a small or private capacity. \"I urge those who keep birds to follow the official guidelines provided by the chief veterinary officer and practise the highest level of biosecurity.\"", "summary": "The chief vet for Wales has urged poultry and bird owners to remain vigilant following the outbreak of avian flu in Carmarthenshire."}
{"article": "The shogi set is thought to be rare because it is believed to have been made by a porcelain factory, when most shogi games were made of wood. London's Horniman Museum has lent it to the Novium in Chichester. It is thought it was made in the 1800s. The game is believed to have developed in Japan in the 10th or 11th centuries.", "summary": "A 200-year-old Japanese board game that is similar to chess with its kings, generals and foot soldiers has gone on display at a Sussex museum."}
{"article": "The woman, known as the Lady of Cao, belonged to the Moche culture in northern Peru and died 1,700 years ago. Her preserved remains were found in 2006 at a mud-brick ruined pyramid known Huaca Cao Viejo, near Trujillo. Scientists were able to replicate her face after analysing her skull structure and remains. The Lady of Cao was buried with a crown, and gold and copper items. The grave also contained a number of weapons, including two massive war clubs and 23 spear throwers. A modern autopsy revealed she had been in her 20s when she died, probably of childbirth or pregnancy complications. Her feet, legs and face were tattooed with magic symbols of serpents and spiders. The richness of her burial site suggests she might have been a priestess or even a political ruler. The discovery challenged the belief that only men held high positions in ancient Moche society. Peru's minister of Culture, Salvador del Solar, said the reconstruction had revealed an oval face with high cheekbones, which many Peruvians shared and would recognise. \"We are privileged to announce this strange combination of the future and the past: technology has allowed us to see the face of a political and religious leader from a culture from the past.\" Oval face and high cheekbones - a close-up of the replicated face", "summary": "Scientists in Peru have managed to reconstruct the face of a powerful ancient female leader using 3D printing."}
{"article": "Minister for Crime Prevention James Brokenshire wrote to festival organisers asking them to warn people how such substances could be dangerous. He also said drug laws would be changed so temporary bans could be introduced on \"emerging substances\" while scientific advice is sought. Letters were also sent to councils and police forces in festival areas. Mr Brokenshire said: \"During the festival season we know that people may be tempted to try potentially dangerous new drugs, particularly when they are advertised as 'legal' or 'herbal'. \"That is why we are asking festival organisers and police to work with us to send out the message that these substances may not be safe and could contain illegal drugs. \"We are going to change our drug laws so we can respond quickly to emerging substances by introducing a temporary ban while we seek full scientific advice.\" Some drugs previously sold as \"legal highs\" have now been banned, including mephedrone, now a Class B drug. The Home Office said that the drug naphyrone is branded as NRG1 and sold as \"plant food\" or \"bath salts\", but may contain one or more illegal drugs. The government said it will not permanently ban a substance without receiving full advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. In the letter sent to festival organisers, Mr Brokenshire said: \"As part of your preparations for this year's event I ask you to review the measures you have put in place to ensure that your festival is as safe an environment as possible, to help protect the public, especially young people from the potential harms and risks of all drugs.\" The government's advice has been welcomed by Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, which stages the Latitude, Big Chill and Reading and Leeds Festivals. He said: \"I can confirm that we do not allow legal high traders to trade at any Festival Republic festival and fully support the minister's view.\"", "summary": "Organisers of this summer's music festivals have been asked by the government to warn about \"legal highs\"."}
{"article": "The Scottish Chambers of Commerce's (SCC) quarterly business survey found firms were still performing strongly. But a number cited continued difficulties in the eurozone and world economies as a challenge to growth. SCC said the \"exceptional\" performance of the second quarter would be hard to replicate in the final quarter of 2014. However, it added that stability was \"returning to the Scottish economy\". The business survey, carried out in conjunction with the Fraser of Allander Institute of Strathclyde University, drew responses from more than 420 firms across five major sectors - construction, financial and business services, manufacturing, retail and wholesale and tourism. It found international events such as the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles boosted tourism performance, with average room rates increasing for the sixth consecutive quarter. But in the retail and wholesale sector, more firms reported a fall in sales revenue than a rise. SCC said that trend was expected to remain largely unchanged in the next quarter. Orders/sales grew in the third quarter for the construction and manufacturing sectors, but at a lower rate than the previous quarter. Sales revenue growth was broadly unchanged for financial and business services firms. Recruitment difficulties were still a concern for businesses, particularly in the construction sector, where almost half of firms that recruited said they had experienced difficulties. SCC chief executive Liz Cameron said: \"The construction sector and manufacturing sectors are still performing well but face ongoing challenges as both sectors experienced lower sales growth compared with the previous high performing quarter. \"Businesses have indicated that employment trends remain promising and are expected to grow, as more firms report increased levels of hiring. \"In particular, the retail sector reported its highest increase in employment for 10 years. \"As business looks to hire more people, continued challenges exist, as key sectors are often unable to find the right talent to employ, potentially slowing down the pace of economic growth.\"", "summary": "The Scottish economy continued to grow in the last quarter but at a slower pace than the previous three months, according to a report."}
{"article": "Current mayor Norma Redfearn said she wanted to give residents a \"voice\" on how the borough is run when she was appointed the post in 2013. Voters will be asked whether the current system should be replaced by committees of councillors. Ms Redfearn said she welcomed the poll after \"promising\" residents they would be given the opportunity to decide. Councillors approved plans for the referendum on Thursday. It will take place on the 5 May - the same date as the Police and Crime Commissioner elections. The council said if the results call for a change, this will take effect at the end of Ms Redfearn's current term of office in May 2017. If the outcome is to support the current system, the next mayoral election will take place in May 2017.", "summary": "People in North Tyneside are being given the chance to vote on whether they want a directly elected mayor."}
{"article": "The excess expressed milk is sold through specialist websites and social media groups. The Queen Mary University of London team claimed the milk was unpasteurised and could carry dangerous germs. They said claims that the milk boosted the immune system were misleading and could be dangerous to cancer patients. It is unclear how much of the product - often called \"liquid gold\" - is being traded, as it is always an arrangement between two parties. Dr Sarah Steele, from Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, told the BBC News website the market had \"shown consistent growth around the world\". She is one of the authors of a report in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. It says 93% of breast milk sold online contains detectable levels of bacteria, as non-sterile equipment is used to express or store the milk. Threats include hepatitis B and C, HIV and syphilis. The trade started to help women who were not producing enough breast milk themselves. However, it is also bought for its supposed health benefits such as building muscle, by fetishists and even some \"foodies\". But Dr Steele said breast milk did not have the same rigorous safety standards as anything sold as food. She was particularly worried about the milk being marketed at cancer patients. She added: \"For cancer patients and other immuno-compromised people, the immune system is not functioning the same as in a healthy adult. \"It is advertised with an immune benefit, but actually it poses real risks, and you're exposing yourself to bacteria and viruses that could complicate the medical condition in a dangerous way.\" One of the websites that facilitates its sale, onlythebreast.com, told the BBC it advised all milk be pasteurised before use and that most onlythebreast.com members were honest and \"simply looking to provide safe milk for babies in need\". A representative added: \"Those conducting the study did not follow our posted safety guidelines, [which] potentially skewed the results of the study.\"", "summary": "Human breast milk being bought online by fetishists, bodybuilders and cancer patients is a danger to health, UK researchers say."}
{"article": "Ikechi Anya's breakaway goal after 10 minutes, reminiscent of his strike in Dortmund against Germany, proved to be the decisive moment in Prague. Scotland might have had a second had Alan Hutton been awarded what looked like a clear-cut second-half penalty. But Gordon Strachan's preparations for the World Cup qualifiers began with only a second-ever win over the Czechs. They return home to face Denmark in another friendly at Hampden Park on Tuesday, with further matches in June against Italy and France before they begin World Cup qualifying against Malta in September. Scotland manager Strachan spoke before the match of having picked difficult friendly opposition to help his players develop ahead of more meaningful fixtures. The Czechs certainly provided a stern test, reinforcing their status as winners of a tough group in the Euro qualifiers. They bombarded Allan McGregor's goal in the opening 20 minutes, only for the Hull goalkeeper to produce a string of saves to deny them. He palmed Tomas Sivok's header round the post after Borek Dockal had smashed a free-kick off the bar. A diving save to tip away Martin Frydek's rasping shot was the other highlight after Anya had bemused the home supporters by slotting Scotland in front. The Watford man raced onto Ross McCormack's through ball down the left flank and finished strongly, first time, with his left foot. The Scots' first-half display was littered with slack passes and a lack of concentration. But they began to get the Czechs' measure and became more composed as the match progressed. A flurry of substitutions on both sides also had a disruptive effect but Scotland looked assured in the second period and might have gone further ahead when substitute Matt Phillips saw his header from a Robert Snodgrass cross saved by Tomas Koubek. But McGregor was called upon once more to make another top-class intervention, turning an effort by Lukas Marecek round the post. Although the Scotland management team had stressed this was not an exercise in experimentation, Strachan took the opportunity to give Aberdeen midfielder Kenny McLean a debut. Playing just behind McCormack, McLean found possession hard to come by in what was a tough introduction to international football, which lasted 57 minutes. McCormack, given a rare chance in his first cap for two years, also lacked service but played a crucial role in Anya's goal, showing great strength and weight of pass to play the winger through. There were late debuts too for striker Tony Watt and defender Paul Caddis, which would have told the manager little about their ability to handle this level of football, but offered them a moment to savour. Match ends, Czech Republic 0, Scotland 1. Second Half ends, Czech Republic 0, Scotland 1. Corner, Scotland. Conceded by Pavel Kader\u00e1bek. Attempt missed. Matej Vydra (Czech Republic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Luk\u00e1s Marecek. Foul by Daniel Pudil (Czech Republic). Paul Caddis (Scotland) wins a free kick on the right wing. Substitution, Scotland. Paul Caddis replaces Ikechi Anya. Substitution,", "summary": "Scotland withstood heavy early pressure to record an impressive friendly win over Euro 2016-bound Czech Republic."}
{"article": "The world champion, who faced being banned for the Games after missing three drugs tests, finished fifth. Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten went to hospital with severe concussion and three small fractures in her lower back after crashing as she led the race. Team-mate Anna van der Breggen won gold, ahead of Sweden's Emma Johansson and Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini. Van Vleuten later tweeted to say she was \"fine\" but \"super disappointed after best race of my career\". Watch: Follow the winding descent of the women's road race London 2012 silver medallist Armitstead, 27, was cleared to compete at Rio after a successful appeal and was in contention until the final stages. Van der Breggen won the 141km race in a time of three hours 51 minutes 27 seconds, ahead of Johansson and Longo Borghini, who took bronze. However, the race was marred by Van Vleuten's crash. The 33-year-old had sped off from the pack when she came off her bike on the descent of the steep Vista Chinesa, where several men - including Britain's Geraint Thomas - crashed on Saturday. Van Vleuten was taken to hospital where Dutch cycling officials later said she would spend the next 24 hours in intensive care. British former Olympic champion Chris Boardman, working as an expert analyst for BBC Sport, believes the Rio course was \"too dangerous\". \"I'm actually quite angry because I looked at the road furniture and thought nobody can crash here and get up,\" he said. \"This was way past technical, this was dangerous.\" Cycling's governing body, the UCI, defended the course, saying it \"was carefully designed and extensively tested. It added: \"We do our utmost to design safe, challenging courses but unfortunately crashes do sometimes occur due to a combination of factors.\" Van der Breggen, 26, said Van Vleuten's crash made her more determined to win gold for the Dutch. She won the sprint to the line along the Copacabana, holding off Johansson and Longo Borghini as the trio overtook American Mara Abbott on the straight. \"I was pretty shocked about it, I think she crashed hard,\" said Van der Breggen. \"I realised I was first in the team and had to chase. We knew we had to do it.\" Armitstead, the world and Commonwealth champion, was one of the pre-race favourites. But the Yorkshire rider's preparations were hampered by the possibility of a ban for missing three drugs tests - and the increased scrutiny she faced when the news emerged. She avoided a suspension of up to two years by winning a Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) appeal. Not only did Armitstead face questions about her mental focus as she lined up, many wondered whether she had the physical capability to cope with the mountainous course in Rio. She responded with a gutsy performance on a course she described as \"brutal\", but ultimately missing out on a second Olympic medal. Armitstead was part of a group that wiped out a gap of over a minute between themselves and the breakaway as they climbed Vista Chinesa. \"I felt a little", "summary": "Britain's Lizzie Armitstead missed out on an Olympic medal in a women's road race marred by a horrific crash."}
{"article": "Costa, who holds Brazilian and Spanish passports, has written to the Brazilian Football Confederation stating he wants to represent the world champions. Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said recently he planned to select the 25-year-old for friendlies in November. Costa played for Brazil in March - but only in friendly matches, and so could switch allegiances. In a statement, the Spanish Football Federation said that the player has stated \"his desire to be at the disposition of the Spanish national team manager Vicente del Bosque\" in a signed letter addressed to Julio Cesar Avelleda, secretary general of the Brazilian Football Confederation. This season, Costa has been in superb form for Atletico - the club he has been with since 2007 - and is the top scorer in La Liga with 11 goals after 10 matches. \"I hope people understand and respect my decision because it has been very difficult,\" he said. \"It was very difficult to choose between the country where you were born and the country that has given you everything. \"I looked at everything and saw that it was right and best to play for Spain because this is where I have done everything. All that I have in my life was given to me by this country.\" \"I hope people understand because it is not something against Brazil,\" he added. \"I have family in Brazil and it is the country where I was born. I hope that God allows me to live there again in the future.\" Should he be selected, he could make his Spain debut on 19 November in a friendly against South Africa.", "summary": "Atletico Madrid's Brazil-born forward Diego Costa has confirmed his intention to play for Spain."}
{"article": "Lewis White, Michael Jones, Rebecca Redfern, Ellie Robinson and Zara Mullooly are all in the 25-strong team. Bethany Firth, Jonathan Fox and Steph Slater, who missed last summer's World Championships because of injury, return to the international scene. The competition takes place from 30 April-8 May in Funchal, Madeira. The GB team also includes Paralympic champions Ollie Hynd, Jessica-Jane Applegate and Josef Craig, as well as world champions Tully Kearney and Hannah Russell. However, a number of GB swimmers, including Ellie Simmonds and Sascha Kindred, have not been included as the event comes straight after the Rio Paralympic trials, which take place in Glasgow from 23-27 April. GB team: Josef Craig, James Crisp, Jonathan Fox, Thomas Hamer, Ollie Hynd, Michael Jones, Andrew Mullen, Scott Quin, Lewis White, Matthew Wylie, Jessica-Jane Applegate, Claire Cashmore, Bethany Firth, Charlotte Henshaw, Tully Kearney, Harriet Lee, Amy Marren, Stephanie Millward, Zara Mullooly, Rebecca Redfern, Eleanor Robinson, Susie Rodgers, Hannah Russell, Stephanie Slater, Alice Tai.", "summary": "Five Para-swimmers will make their senior Great Britain debuts in April's IPC Swimming Open European Championships."}
{"article": "The game on 5 November is outside World Rugby's Test window and English clubs do not have to release players for it. Gloucester flanker Ross Moriarty has said he expects to miss the match. \"As it stands, George will not be available for that game,\" Saints team manager Paul Shields said. He told BBC Radio Northampton: \"I know discussions are ongoing with the WRU and the [English clubs'] chairmen but I'm not privy to those conversations.\" The decision to release England-based Wales internationals is now in the hands of Premier Rugby, the umbrella organisation for England's top-tier clubs. Following the match against Australia, Wales face Argentina, Japan and South Africa later in the month - those Tests fall inside World Rugby's international window, which mean clubs must release their players. The decision by Premiership clubs on whether to release players for the first match will also have ramifications for Harlequins centre Jamie Roberts and Bath's injured number eight Taulupe Faletau. Earlier this week, Wales coach Rob Howley appeared to suggest North, Roberts and Faletau had special dispensation to play against the Wallabies. However, Shields said: \"George is no different than any other non-English player. There's no side letter that exists or anything in his contract that says we will release George to play. \"We're governed by Premier Rugby, who as a company will not release players outside the international window.\" Meanwhile, Moriarty has said: \"For the games after [Australia], I'll hope to be involved and have a good chance to play again.\" Following fine performances for Wales during their summer tour in New Zealand, Moriarty has continued that form with Gloucester and received another call-up. \"Sometimes I've been left with my head in my hands worrying [about a call-up] but I had a conversation a couple of weeks ago and it was a pretty big hint,\" he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire. \"It's been on my mind for a while now. But as long as I can keep on performing and doing the best I can to help the team then that's what I'll keep on doing.\"", "summary": "Wing George North is not currently available for Wales' Test against Australia but talks between the Welsh Rugby Union and English clubs are ongoing, his club Northampton says."}
{"article": "Wishaw General in North Lanarkshire experienced the power cut between 08:45 and 16:00. It meant one emergency patient was redirected to Hairmyres Hospital. NHS Lanarkshire said IT systems were also affected. The hospital was powered by back-up generators until mains power was restored. NHS Lanarkshire chief executive Calum Campbell said: \"In the interest of patient safety and as a precautionary measure, we took the decision to reschedule a small number of surgical procedures based on clinical priority. \"The power interruption impacted on our diagnostic and IT systems, which have now been fully restored. \"As a result, some outpatient clinics have been affected and one emergency patient was redirected to Hairmyres Hospital. \"This is in line with our business and emergency continuity plans which worked to good effect.\" He added: \"All patients affected by the interruption have been rescheduled and we would like to apologise for any inconvenience this will have caused.\"", "summary": "A hospital was forced to reschedule operations after losing power for more than seven hours."}
{"article": "The reboot of the classic Rudyard Kipling adaptation has reaped $684.8m (\u00a3468.5m) globally since its release last month. The Huntsman: Winter's War managed takings of only $9.4m (\u00a36.4m) in its second week of release. Feline action comedy Keanu took third slot with a modest $9.35m (\u00a36.39m). Comedy Mother's Day had a weak debut, with takings of $8.3m (\u00a35.6m), despite featuring stars including Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston and Kate Hudson. All eyes are on the release of Captain America: Civil War, which opens next week in the US and has already done good business elsewhere. Civil War opened in 37 territories over the weekend, taking in an estimated $200.2m (\u00a3136.9m). That included record openings in Mexico, Brazil and the Philippines for the film which many believe could be this year's biggest hit.", "summary": "Disney's The Jungle Book has topped the North American box office for the third consecutive week, taking $42.4m (\u00a329m) according to early estimates."}
{"article": "Spencer White, from the Witterings area of Chichester, absconded from HMP Ford in West Sussex in July 1999. The 39-year-old, who was convicted of kidnapping an adult, disappeared eight months into a three-year sentence. After being recognised at Lanzarote Airport on 19 September he was stopped, detained and flown back to the UK. At Chichester Crown Court on 23 October he admitted escaping lawful custody. He was sentenced to 16 months, to be served on top of the two years and four months he had remaining on his original sentence. Police believe White had been living in the Republic of Ireland and was intending to take a short break in the Canary Islands. Sussex Police confirmed White had not been returned to HMP Ford, a jail which accommodates up to 557 inmates with less than two years left to serve. In November 2013, police found there were a number of absconders whose cases had not been regularly reviewed. A dedicated team was set up to review each case and in September 2014 Sussex Police said there were 83 Ford prisoners on the run. PC Lewis Dines, from the investigation team, said: \"Spencer White has been a priority to locate from the moment he absconded but he evaded immediate capture and disappeared [from] our radar. \"Within the last year we received information about his possible location and were able to secure a European Arrest Warrant so he could be arrested if found outside the UK. \"His capture and additional sentence send a message that we will not give up seeking absconders and when we put them back in front of the court they can expect further punishment.\"", "summary": "A man who fled from an open prison 16 years ago is back in custody after he was caught trying to take a holiday in Lanzarote, police have said."}
{"article": "Kevin Thomas said he would be scattering the ashes of the 20-year-old, from Chorley, in Lancashire, at the Isle of Man TT races in June. \"That is what he wanted me to do - he lived for racing,\" said Thomas. \"He had taken to the roads, the crowds had taken to him. He was a petrol head and just wanted to go faster.\" Mitchell-Thomas had been racing at the North West 200 for the first time, having signed for the Cookstown BE Racing team. He crashed during the Supertwins race at Saturday's road races. \"I want to thank the paramedics for trying to save him at the roadside and the organisers for the way they helped me when things went wrong,\" Thomas added. Media playback is not supported on this device \"It was a great event, but saddened by his loss. \"I have lost my best friend - I have lost my son, but he died doing what he wanted to do. \"He did not have a bad bone in his body and nobody had a bad word to say about him. \"He had been doing great things. We did not come here as a big business with a big bank account. \"We came here through hard grit, determination and mostly a desire to win races. I have never seen desire like he had.\" Mitchell-Thomas and his father had been living in a small caravan at the back of the North West 200 paddock area. Thomas said his son had been loving the event and could not wait for the racing to start. Mitchell-Thomas finished fourth in Saturday's opening Supersport race. Thomas said he did not agree with people who wanted road racing banned because of the dangers. \"There are risks in everything you do,\" he said. \"Mal got knocked off his bike by a car when he was six - he could have been killed then. \"Yes, it is a dangerous sport, but so are other forms of motorsport. So is horse racing. \"I will continue to be involved in the sport because that is what Mal would have wanted me to do.\" Cookstown BE Racing owner John Burrows said the team was \"devastated\" by the loss of its rider. \"Everyone is in a state of shock. Enthusiasm just bubbled out of him and he was a joy to be around,\" he added. Jim Gracey, group sports editor of the Belfast Telegraph, described Mitchell-Thomas as \"one of the brightest shining young stars who has appeared in motorcycle racing for many, many years\". Gracey added: \"He was an absolutely lovely lad. \"Many people here were saying he was going to be the next Guy Martin. He wouldn't have any of it. He said to me: 'I'm the first Malachi Mitchell-Thomas.' \"He told me racing was his be all and end all.\" First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness have expressed their condolences to Thomas's family. Foster said: \"It was with great sadness I learned of the death of Malachi Mitchell-Thomas following a tragic accident at Saturday's North West 200.", "summary": "Malachi Mitchell-Thomas, who died at the North West 200 races on Saturday, was a rider of incredible grit and determination, his father said."}
{"article": "The unicorn is the official national animal of Scotland and continues to feature on Royal Coat of Arms today. For Sunday, willow artist Woody Fox has created a 2.1m (7ft) unicorn sculpture for the Crawick Multiverse art project in Dumfries and Galloway. VisitScotland is also encouraging people to \"spot\" unicorns elsewhere in Scotland. Carvings and sculptures of unicorns can be found on historic buildings, such as the National War Museum at Edinburgh Castle. A tapestry called, Mystic Hunt of the Unicorn, hangs in Stirling Castle and a unicorn is a feature of a fountain in the courtyard at Linlithgow Palace. On the Black Isle in the Highlands, The Stables in Cromarty has a large unicorn sculpture. The unicorn has been a Scottish heraldic symbol since the 12th Century when it was used on an early form of the Scottish coat of arms by William I. Reasons for the appearance of a unicorn include a theory that narwhal, a whale with long tusks protruding from their heads, were seen in Scottish waters after straying from their usual range in the Arctic. Unicorns were also written about by the ancient Celts, Persians, Romans and Greeks, and were often described as an elegant white horse-like creature with a single horn capable of magical properties. Wales and England are among other nations that also celebrate fabled beasts. The Welsh flag features a red dragon connected to one of the country's legends, while England's patron saint St George is said to have killed a dragon. Artist Fox's other artwork has also involved animals, but of varieties that can be found running around the Scottish countryside. He said: \"I was thrilled to be asked to create this unique sculpture of a unicorn to mark National Unicorn Day. \"My previous work includes deer, badgers, foxes and rabbits which bring homes, gardens, parks and public spaces to life. \"It has been very inspiring for me to work on this noble and spiritual animal for the first time and to help promote Scotland at the same time.\"", "summary": "Tourism organisation VisitScotland is encouraging people to celebrate Sunday's National Unicorn Day."}
{"article": "The incidents, in which scores of people were killed, took place around the time of Friday prayers - typically the most crowded of the week - during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The first attack took place in France at a gas and chemicals factory in south-eastern France. Explosions rocked the US-owned facility in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, near Lyon, at 09:35 local time (07:35 GMT) on Friday. A delivery vehicle rammed into the factory entrance and hit gas canisters, triggering an explosion and injuring two people. One of the men from the vehicle was tackled by a firefighter and held at the scene, while a decapitated body with \"inscriptions\" written on it was found nearby. A head was later found on railings at the site, along with flags featuring Arabic writing. The suspect was later named as Yassin Salhi, a 35-year-old delivery driver from nearby Saint-Priest. The dead man is thought to have been the suspect's manager, but it is not clear when or where he was killed. The BBC's Hugh Schofield says the suspect may have killed his boss before driving to the factory, where he put the head on the fence and left the body in the grounds, before driving further into site in the hope of causing an explosion. Salhi, who is married with three children, was known to the intelligence services. His wife, who was later taken into custody by police for questioning, told Europe 1 radio that he left to go to work as normal at 07:00 but didn't return as expected. Mr Salhi's sister and a fourth individual are also being questioned. French President Francois Hollande said: \"The intent was without doubt to cause an explosion. It was a terrorist attack.\" Air Products, the owner of the factory where the attack took place, is a US chemical company based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The second attack took place on a Shia mosque in the Kuwaiti capital more than an hour after the incident in France. At least 27 people were killed and almost 300 wounded in the suicide bomb blast. The explosion took place around the time of midday Friday prayers at the Imam Sadiq Mosque in al-Sawaber, a busy area to the east of Kuwait City. A Kuwaiti MP, who saw the attacker, told Reuters news agency that the mosque was packed with 2,000 people when there was a loud explosion. Images from security cameras at the huge mosque appear to show the moments before the blast, with the suicide bomber walking briskly in long white robes into a room where worshippers were kneeling in prayer. The blast created harrowing scenes of carnage in the crowded, stone-built room. An Islamic State-affiliated group called Najd Province claimed it was behind the attack. The group has carried out similar attacks in neighbouring Saudi Arabia and Yemen recently. It named the bomber as Abu Suleiman al-Muwahhid, and accused the mosque of spreading Shia teachings among Sunni Muslims. Sunni-ruled Kuwait has a large Shia minority, which IS considers to be heretical. The third attack took place close to the Hotel Imperial", "summary": "Three suspected terror attacks been carried out within the space of three hours in France, Kuwait and Tunisia."}
{"article": "It's not as easy as you think, but then try pairing them all with a character from The Simpsons. That's just what Brian Quinn from Londonderry has done for the Irish Simpsons Fans Facebook group. Like all great ideas, Mr Quinn said it started out small and then kind of escalated. \"I probably had one pun in my head - I think it might have been DoneGil first,\" he told BBC News NI. \"I started scribbling more down and I think I had about 17 and I thought: 'I might as well do all 32 now.' \"My girlfriend was watching Grey's Anatomy or something, so I just got out the laptop and started messing about.\" By Thursday evening, his post was closing in on 1,000 likes. He said he was surprised at which ones seemed to be the most popular. \"It's funny, the last couple that I thought of probably got the most likes and I thought they were kind of scraping the barrel,\" said Mr Quinn. \"They were the Cork one - Hank Skorkio - and the ones for Meath and Westmeath.\" Ireland Simpsons Fans started on Facebook in January 2016 and was the brainchild of Jack Leahy from Dublin and Paul Loughran from Belfast. Mr Quinn is now the page moderator for the site. As for his own personal favourite, a bit of hometown favouritism might be at play. \"I'm from Derry and I actually think the Derry and Kerry - Sherri and Terri ones are the funniest and the cleverest,\" he said.", "summary": "Can you name all 32 counties of Ireland?"}
{"article": "Chamakh, 32, is a free agent, having been released by Premier League side Crystal Palace at the end of his contract in the summer. The Morocco international had a three-year spell at Arsenal, having arrived from French club Bordeaux in 2010. He had loan spells at West Ham United and Palace before joining the Eagles on a permanent basis in 2014. Media playback is not supported on this device Warnock, appointed on Tuesday, is moving rapidly to revamp the Cardiff squad. The Bluebirds are expected to confirm the signings of Junior Hoilett and Sol Bamba as well as Chamakh, in time for the opening game under Warnock at home to Bristol City, on Friday, 14 October.", "summary": "Former Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh is the latest target for new Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock."}
{"article": "An Irish FA statement said the Linfield manager's ban had been \"upheld\" but due to \"mitigating factors\" had been altered to a \"two-match suspension\". The sanction will now start on 11 April with the other two-match ban suspended for six months. The ban was imposed after Healy's red carding at Portadown on 12 February. Healy was furious after referee Arnold Hunter awarded the Ports a controversial penalty which helped clinch a 2-1 win. Linfield go into Saturday's Seaview contest five points behind the leaders and current champions in the first round of fixtures since the Premiership split.", "summary": "David Healy will be in the Linfield dugout for Saturday's crucial Irish Premiership game against Crusaders after having his four-game ban reduced."}
{"article": "Kuznetsova's 6-2 6-1 victory in Moscow ensured she took the eighth and final tournament spot. Konta, who is in Singapore with the rest of the finalists, did not play this week due to an abdominal injury. The Australian-born 25-year-old, ranked 10th in the world, will compete if any player withdraws. Kuznetsova, 31, took just over an hour to defeat her 22-year-old Australian opponent on Saturday and qualify for her first WTA Finals since 2009. \"I was trying not to think about Singapore all week. I was playing match by match and I'm so happy to win,\" she said. Kuznetsova will next face world number three Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in Monday's group stages, before later games against Czech Karolina Pliskova and Garbine Muguruza of Spain. Konta will finish her season at the WTA Elite Trophy for players ranked from ninth to 20th, which gets under way in Zuhai, China, on 1 November. It will complete a season that has seen her named the most improved player of the year after she recorded seven victories over top-10 players, and became the first British woman to break into the top 10 since Jo Durie in 1984.", "summary": "British number one Johanna Konta missed out on a place in the WTA Finals after Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Daria Gavrilova in the Kremlin Cup."}
{"article": "Transport Secretary Philip Hammond cut the ribbon at the 1.1 mile (1.8km) tunnel, on the London-to-Portsmouth A3 road, allowing traffic to go through. He said: \"This is another one of the missing links in Britain's trunk road network now put in place. \"The cutting-edge road scheme has surpassed expectations.\" Southbound traffic is using the tunnel first, with northbound traffic due to start using it in a few days. After that, work will begin to return the old A3 to nature, reuniting the Devil's Punchbowl with Hindhead Common for the first time in almost 200 years. Construction began on the twin-bore tunnel in January 2007. It is one of the longest in England and is part of a four-mile bypass of the Surrey village of Hindhead. Seven safe crossing points have been built over or under the new road, most of them specifically for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. A major new junction has also been built at Hazel Grove, and access roads have been laid for the businesses and properties that used to turn directly on to the busy A3. The tunnel, which will be used by an estimated 30,000 vehicles a day, runs under the bowl which is a large hollow of dry, sandy heath, to the east of Hindhead. The Highways Agency said its safety features include the UK's first radar-based incident detection system and 100% CCTV coverage. The project has won awards for its innovation and its safety record, and has been delivered within budget and on schedule. Mr Hammond said traffic had been held up at the Hindhead crossroads for years, \"hampering the flow of goods and services and blighting the lives of people living in and around Hindhead\". \"No longer. This new road will transform journeys on the A3 - improving journey times by around 20 minutes or more at busy periods - and will deliver a threefold return on investment for the economy,\" he said. \"This cutting-edge road scheme has surpassed expectations in almost every way, and sets a new standard for how vital infrastructure improvements can be delivered in a way that not only protects, but actually enhances the surrounding environment.\" Thousands of motorists are expected to use the tunnel this week en route to the Glorious Goodwood race meeting in West Sussex.", "summary": "The \u00a3371m Hindhead Tunnel under the Devil's Punch Bowl in Surrey has been officially opened after a four-and-a-half year construction project."}
{"article": "Michelle Thomson told MPs that she was \"not a victim, I'm a survivor.\" She shared her personal story during a Commons debate focused on UN International Day For The Elimination Of Violence Against Women. Ms Thomson was comforted by SNP members at the end of her speech, which left Speaker John Bercow visibly moved. During the same debate, Labour MP Tracy Brabin recounted how a man attempted to rape her when she was at university aged 20. Ms Thomson told the debate that she had been raped, \"as is common\", by someone who was known to her. The MP added: \"He had offered to walk me home from a youth event and in those days everybody walked everywhere, it was quite common to do that. \"It was early evening, it wasn't dark. I was wearing - I'm imagining, I'm guessing - jeans and a sweatshirt.\" Ms Thomson said she knew the area but they went a slightly different way, noting: \"I didn't think anything of it. \"He told me he wanted to show me something in a wooded area and at that point, I must admit, I was alarmed. I did have a warning bell - but I overrode that warning bell because I knew him and therefore there was a level of trust in place. \"To be honest, looking back, at that point I don't think I knew what rape was. It was not something that was talked about.\" Ms Thomson added: \"It was mercifully quick and I remember first of all feeling surprise, then fear, then horror as I realised I quite simply couldn't escape - because he was stronger than me, and there was no sense even initially of any sexual desire from him, which I suppose, looking back, again I find odd.\" She said that afterwards she walked home alone crying, cold and shivering as she was in shock. Ms Thomson said: \"I didn't tell my mother, I didn't tell my father, I didn't tell my friends and I didn't tell the police. I bottled it all up inside me. \"I hoped, briefly and appallingly, that I might be pregnant so that would force a situation to help me control it.\" Ms Thomson said she felt \"ashamed\" that she had \"allowed this to happen to me\", debating internally what had happened. Ms Thomson said she later told a school boyfriend, who was \"supportive\", but that she had carried feelings of \"guilt, anger, fear, sadness and bitterness\" for many years. She said she felt a \"duty\" to tell husband when she got married 12 years later, but it was only when she was in her mid-40s that she took steps to get some help. Ms Thomson said the rape \"fatally undermined\" her self-esteem, confidence and sense of self-worth, but that despite this she is \"blessed\" in her life and happily married for 25 years. She said she thought carefully before deciding to share her story, adding: \"There is still a taboo about sharing this kind of information and certainly for people of my generation - it is truly shocking", "summary": "A Scottish MP has moved colleagues to tears after revealing in the House of Commons that she was raped at the age of 14."}
{"article": "Brent and US crude futures fell below $45 and $40 a barrel respectively as global investors assessed the contagion risks of China's volatile stock market. Recent data has suggested that China's economic growth continues to slow down. As well as the volatility in Chinese shares, there are fears of a protracted effect on demand for commodities. China's slowdown is expected to pull down other regional economies, affecting energy and raw material consumption. The unstable Chinese market has also led to worries that the problems in the world's second largest economy may have far-reaching global consequences. China's benchmark Shanghai Composite index on Monday shed as much as 8%, while markets in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sydney all dropped by more than 4%. On Friday, figures showed China's factory activity in August shrank at its fastest pace in more than six years. Official figures have indicated that China's economic growth is continuing to slow. For the three months to the end of July, the economy grew by 7% compared with a year earlier - its slowest pace since 2009. Bernard Aw, market strategist with trading firm IG, said given the tepid demand, it was hard to fathom why oil producers were pumping out more crude. Opec producers, notably Saudi Arabia, and Iraq were producing more oil than necessary, while US stockpiles were nearly 100 million barrels above the five-year seasonal average. \"At this rate, the fundamentals of oil are going to get worse before it gets better as the supply glut widens. This means we are likely to see more weakness in oil futures in the coming sessions,\" Mr Aw said. Oil dealers are also anticipating revised US economic growth data for the second quarter, to be released on Thursday. The figures could be key to the Federal Reserve's thoughts on when to raise interest rates. An eventual interest rate rise is expected to strengthen the US dollar, which in turn would make dollar-priced oil more expensive for buyers using weaker currencies, once again affecting demand.", "summary": "Oil prices have slumped to six-year lows as global stock markets continue to fall on concerns over a slowing Chinese economy."}
{"article": "UK Transport Secretary Chris Grayling announced that the Heathrow expansion had been chosen as the preferred option ahead of a rival bid by Gatwick. The Scottish government formally backed the Heathrow bid earlier this month. It came after the airport made a list of commitments to Scotland, including creating up to 16,000 jobs and investing \u00c2\u00a3200m in the country. Heathrow also said it would help to develop new domestic routes to Scottish airports, and would investigate whether Prestwick Airport - which is owned by the Scottish government - could be used as a \"logistics hub\" for the new runway. Responding to Mr Grayling's announcement, Scotland's economy secretary Keith Brown said he looked forward to the UK government \"cracking on with this as soon as possible\", while stressing that environmental and planning restraints needed to be taken into account. Mr Brown said: \"We announced our support for the third runway at Heathrow two weeks ago, so we are pleased that the UK government has the same view.\" He predicted there would be \"a number of benefits for people in Scotland\" as a result of the decision, including \"around \u00c2\u00a3200m of spend for companies in Scotland, and the establishment of a hub airport in Scotland to support for Heathrow as its undergoing its change in infrastructure\". And he added: \"Potentially we've seen the airports commission saying there could be around 16,000 jobs for Scotland, and obviously we want to see that followed through. \"Beyond that, increased connectedness between Scotland and the rest of the world will benefit our economy and our tourist industry.\" AGS Airports, which owns Glasgow and Aberdeen airports, also welcomed the announcement, which it said would play an important role in supporting the Scottish economy. But the operators of Edinburgh Airport said ahead of the decision that they believed Gatwick \"offered the better deal for Scotland\" and described the Heathrow plan as \"undeliverable\" and potentially \"bad for passengers\". And both the Scottish Greens and Scottish Liberal Democrats have criticised the announcement. The plan to build a new runway at Heathrow - which is expected to cost more than \u00c2\u00a317bn - now faces a long consultation before it becomes reality, with MPs not voting on the proposals until 2017 or 2018, and the new runway not being opened until 2025 at the earliest. Several Conservative MPs oppose the proposals, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Education Secretary Justine Greening and former London Mayor candidate Zac Goldsmith, who has resigned as an MP in protest. The opposition largely centres concerns about the noise and environmental impact of Heathrow expansion, with the decision expected to lead to further protests and legal challenges. Some 783 homes will have to be demolished for the third runway, according to the Airports Commission, including the entire community of Longford and much of Harmondsworth. The new runway will also mean several other residential areas will fall under the Heathrow flight path for the first time. But most airlines and business groups are in favour of expanding Heathrow - Britain's busiest airport - as it offers more direct connections than Gatwick", "summary": "The decision to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport will benefit Scotland, the Scottish government has said."}
{"article": "We are about to enjoy (!) the next act in the absurdist drama \"Waiting for the Fed\" (to raise interest rates again). Truth be told, we can be fairly sure how this scene will play out. Once again no increase in rates. Perhaps Godot will turn up first. The Fed is holding a policy making meeting and an interest rate rise is in theory at least on the agenda. Janet Yellen, the Fed Chair, and her colleagues would like to get rates back to more normal levels. The Fed currently aims to keep its main policy rate (the rates banks offer to lend to each other overnight) within a range of 0.25% to 0.5%. They raised it to that level in December last year, from practically zero where it had been since the depth of the financial crisis. But nobody expects they will hike rates at this meeting, largely because of the very weak performance of the jobs market in May. The number in employment rose by only 38,000, the fewest since September 2010. Because the US population is growing, the number of people with jobs has to rise by more than that just to keep pace. Employment growth in April was better, but still not all that strong. It's true that the unemployment rate fell markedly in May, to 4.7% from 5%. But this was due to a decline in the number of people looking for work. They are counted as \"not in the labour force\" rather than unemployed, even if they would like to have a job. In a recent speech, Ms Yellen described the May jobs report as disappointing and concerning. She did, however, manage to find one encouraging thing; a faster increase in average hourly earnings. After a long period in which the economic recovery has failed to have much of a favourable impact on pay it was, she said, \"a welcome indication that wage growth may finally be picking up\". Inflation is another factor that encourages the Fed to feel it has no need to rush the next rate rise. The latest figure for the inflation measure the Fed prefers was 1.1% in April, compared with its 2% target. That it is so low reflects some transitory factors, including the strength of the dollar (which makes imported goods cheaper) and the decline in energy prices over the last two years. But in time, those factors cease to have a direct impact, so Ms Yellen expects inflation to move back towards 2%. She also said that it's important not to attach too much significance to a single monthly jobs report. In short, a good report next month could bring interest rate rises a lot closer. So while investors think the date of the next rate increase has gone further into the future as a result of the May jobs data, the Fed is always ready to change its plans if new figures change the picture. Looking at the US economy from a longer term perspective, it is a remarkable state of affairs that we should have rates still", "summary": "Perhaps the playwright Samuel Beckett was a secret economist."}
{"article": "RMT general secretary Mick Cash said it was \"shocking\" to have \"sprung this announcement once all the Christmas deliveries have been completed\". Employees and sub-contractors working for the firm have been sharing their stories and reactions. Stefan Thorrington in Exeter, Devon I have five vans in City Link colours and five drivers who have all been working flat-out up until Christmas Eve to make sure everything was delivered. We didn't have any warning about this whatsoever - drivers even knew which routes they were going to cover on Saturday. Last night I was pondering what to do. None of the managers at the depot knew about this - they were under a lot of pressure to deliver everything by Wednesday. However, I do think someone must have known what was going on. I don't know what's going to happen now. The main question is do I get paid? Paul Horner, Kirkcaldy I'm a sub-contractor at a local City Link depot in Fife and have been there for three years. I'm totally and utterly gutted. This has happened after they spent money on new uniforms and new scanners. Everyone thought we had turned a corner and things would be getting a lot better, but obviously not. I found out on Christmas Day. I'm still pretty numb. I've just told my fianc\u00c3\u00a9e (I couldn't bring myself to tell her yesterday). She's distraught. I just hope I get paid at the end of the month because, like all the other sub-contractors, I need money to live on, to pay for the van and the diesel. Irfan Khan, Beckton, London We have 20 drivers and a fleet of vans that need paying up. We have probably lost \u00c2\u00a370,000 in unpaid invoices. We haven't got the capital to pay it so we'll probably sell the vans, and the drivers probably won't get paid. We just don't know what's going to happen. We've worked until midnight nearly every day last week up to Christmas. I have not slept since finding out, I've been going crazy. Geoffrey Goddard, Teddington I work for City Link as an infrastructure engineer in the Heathrow office, I have been employed as a permanent employee for six months now. I almost half expected it but we hoped we could turn the company around. I could see a few faults. There were lots of layers of management, there were basics which needed doing and no engineers on the ground. They weren't getting the fundamentals right. Simon Judd, Essex I'm a sub-contractor with City Link, now find I have a liveried van and no work. I doubt if I'll get paid for my last two weeks' work, nearly \u00c2\u00a32,000. They've got rid of most employed drivers at my depot, and presumably nationwide. Just have to hope I can find some work elsewhere, after getting the van made white! I worked for the company for eight or nine years but recently became a self-employed driver for them. Most drivers at this depot are self-employed, so I don't know about the figure of 2,727 people, it depends how", "summary": "Parcel delivery firm City Link announced on Christmas Day that it was going into administration."}
{"article": "7 October 2016 Last updated at 11:26 BST Cavell Hutson, 21, of north London stole 21 mobile phones before he was arrested by police, but his accomplice managed to escape. The thefts, on 3 September, involved phones being grabbed out of people's hands as the thieves passed by on a moped. The video shows CCTV footage of the pair taking a phone and helicopter film of the moped being ridden through Kingsland Market in Hackney during a police pursuit. Hutson was sentenced to more than three years in prison at Blackfriars Crown Court on 3 October.", "summary": "The police have released footage of two mobile phone thieves who went on an hour long mobile-phone-snatching raid through London."}
{"article": "Commons Leader Chris Grayling, who backs a Leave Vote, told the BBC: \"He must stay, I want him to stay.\" Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers told Sky he was the \"right man to take us out of the European Union\". It comes after former chancellor Ken Clarke suggested the PM \"wouldn't last 30 seconds if he lost the referendum\". Although Mr Cameron is campaigning for the UK to remain in the European Union, many Conservative MPs, and some members of his own cabinet, are campaigning to leave. EU referendum: In depth The UK's EU vote: All you need to know EU for beginners: A guide UK and the EU: Better off out or in? A-Z guide to EU-speak Who's who: The Vote Leave team Who's who: The Remain campaign Mr Clarke, a veteran pro-European Conservative, told the BBC last week it was \"farcical\" to suggest Mr Cameron would be able to remain prime minister if the UK votes to leave the EU in the 23 June referendum, despite campaigning to remain in. He predicted the party would be \"plunged into a Conservative leadership crisis\". But Commons leader Mr Grayling told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: \"I actively want David Cameron to stay, not only because he's a very good prime minister, but because he actually has got the relationships we need around Europe to build the negotiating process. \"It would be disastrous, in my view, for the Leave cause if we vote to leave and then we get distracted by a Conservative leadership contest. He must stay, I want him to stay.\" He said the PM could be \"part of a team\" which would negotiate Britain's exit from the EU but added \"it needs people who want to leave in that team as well\". David Davis, the former shadow home secretary, told the programme he believed the PM could stay on but would have to appoint someone \"who believed in the negotiation\" to lead exit talks. And Northern Ireland Secretary Ms Villiers, who is also backing the Leave campaign, told Sky News: \"It's vitally important that he stays regardless of the vote in the referendum because he's a great prime minister\". Mr Cameron himself has said he would stay on as prime minister, even if he ended up on the losing side. But Suzanne Evans, the former UKIP deputy chairwoman who is on the board of Vote Leave, said Mr Cameron had made a \"terrible job\" of his EU negotiations ahead of the referendum and she believed he should resign, if the UK votes to leave. She told Pienaar's Politics: \"I don't particularly want him to be negotiating on our behalf.\" The official referendum campaigning period began on Friday and rows have continued about the potential impact of leaving the EU on trade, the single market and farm funding. Labour's Yvette Cooper warned it could cost \"\u00c2\u00a3100bn worth of trade\" and lead to a loss of manufacturing jobs adding: \"It's working class people across Britain who will be hardest hit if we end up losing those jobs\". And French economy minister Emmanuel", "summary": "David Cameron should stay on as PM to lead negotiations if the UK votes to leave the EU, two cabinet ministers have said."}
{"article": "The Lions claimed a third Premier League cup scalp this season by beating Leicester City 1-0 at The Den to reach the quarter-finals. Millwall will play Tottenham at White Hart Lane in the next round, but Harris' focus remains on the league. \"We're at home to Chesterfield on Tuesday night - and if anything that has become more important,\" he said. Millwall are on a 10-match unbeaten run in League One and are seventh in the table, outside the play-off positions on goal difference only, with a game in hand. The south London club will move into the top six if their result against Chesterfield betters that of Southend away at Peterborough. Harris' side finished fourth last season, before losing to Barnsley in the play-off final at Wembley, and the former Lions player is hoping to go one better this season. The 38-year-old told BBC Radio London: \"My achievement this year is promotion - that's what I want to be judged on. \"We want to get out of this division. We started the season looking to consolidate a play-off position. \"We overachieved last year with spirit and determination. We had a slow start this year, but we've got ourselves into a good position.\"", "summary": "Millwall boss Neil Harris believes promotion from League One is \"more important\" than FA Cup success."}
{"article": "The Welsh athlete won the world sprint and keirin titles in 2013 and took silver at the same events at the 2016 Rio Olympics. \"I have had time to think about my future and have decided to retire from international track sprint racing,\" James said in a statement. She intends to set up a baking business \"along with exciting other projects\". James has been plagued by injuries during her career, and suffered a cancer scare in 2014 when she had an operation to remove abnormal cells following a cervical screening. She first made a mark when representing Wales at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, winning a silver medal in the sprint and a time trial bronze. Media playback is not supported on this device After taking her world titles in Minsk, James faced a battle with illness and knee injuries before qualifying for Rio 2016. She took a break after Rio, and told BBC Wales in July 2017 that she was excited about getting back into full training. However, in a statement posted on her Twitter account on Wednesday, James said she was grateful for her success but that it was time to move on. \"After 13 years of racing my track bike, it is time to start an exciting new chapter in my life. I have given cycling 100% and know how much commitment it takes to make it to the highest level in elite sport,\" she said. \"The pressure of competing at the top can be mentally and physically draining, but the rewards have been incredible and I have absolutely no regrets! This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser \"I have achieved my dreams of becoming a world champion, a Commonwealth medallist for Wales and becoming a double Olympic silver medallist. \"I now want to enjoy my life without the strict training regime, while at the same time continuing to lead a healthy lifestyle both in body and mind. \"For a long time I've had a passion for baking and have loved making special wedding and birthday cakes for friends and family ... and it's my intention to now pursue this passion as a business, along with some exciting other projects going forward.\"", "summary": "Double track world champion and Olympic silver medallist Becky James has retired, at the age of 25."}
{"article": "It was the night he called time on his political career. He was surrounded by family and friends outside his home in the area of Londonderry where he had spent most of his life - three streets away from where he was born. He never travelled far from his roots but his political journey took him far beyond the comfort of the Bogside. From directing IRA gunmen in Derry, to wearing tails in Windsor Castle at a banquet for the Queen. From standing in Derry on Bloody Sunday when soldiers shot dead 13 people, to bowing his head at the Somme war graves. Along the way he struck up the most unlikely friendship with the man who once branded him a \"bloodthirsty monster\" - Ian Paisley. Away from the glare of the press he also struck up friendships with relatives who lost loved ones at the hands of the IRA. But no matter how far he reached out, for some he will always be an IRA commander who brought his dark secrets to the grave For many unionists Martin McGuinness's fingerprints are all over the Troubles - a man who did not become an IRA leader without getting his hands dirty. For republicans, his fingerprints are all over the peace process and Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in's steady rise in the polls, which brought them to within 1,000 votes of being the largest party at Stormont. But Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in's one-time chief negotiator always found his toughest negotiation was with his own people. And especially in his home city where he faced threats from dissident republicans and his family were verbally abused on the street because of the decisions he made. He did not have to travel far from his front door to see it. On a wall at the bottom of his street, dissident republicans regularly daub graffiti attacking their former comrades who now sit at Stormont. Martin McGuinness was not able to bring those republicans with him on his journey, instead he labelled them \"traitors to the island of Ireland\". But he was able to disarm his political foes and fiercest critics. He achieved that with a personal charm which struck a chord with those he met - not least with Ian Paisley, who declared that Martin McGuinness should be thanked for saving lives and making the lives of people in Northern Ireland better. It was a big statement that caught many by surprise, but not those who had fallen victim to McGuinness' charm. He was communicator who knew how to connect. His Twitter account steered clear of controversy and was littered with commiserations and congratulations. According to his staff, he often took detours on the way home from Belfast after spotting a death notice in the Irish News. Martin McGuinness knew the value of building personal relationships beneath the political radar and that allowed him to move well beyond the republican comfort zone. But it was fitting that he returned to the comfort of the Bogside, for what was his last public appearance, standing outside the home where he returned every night, and", "summary": "\"Bogside Republicans never retire,\" a defiant but tearful Martin McGuinness told his supporters."}
{"article": "Manal al-Sharif, 32, was held for nine days in May after driving in the eastern city of Khobar. \"We won't stop until the first Saudi license is issued to a woman,\" she told the BBC in her first interview since. Earlier this week, prosecutors in the city of Jeddah announced they were going to prosecute a woman for driving. The campaign to allow women to drive in Saudi Arabia has gained momentum in recent weeks. On 17 June, dozens of women took to their cars across the country in open defiance of the ban on driving. The campaign gained the support of prominent women around the world, including US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. Manal al-Sharif's imprisonment led to Amnesty International calling for her release. She said she was surprised by the level of coverage and support she received. \"I didn't know the whole world was moved.\" More importantly, she said, had been the reaction from women in Saudi Arabia itself. \"Women tell me they are different since 21 May - the day I was arrested. It's a positive change, they believe now. [Driving] is one of our smallest rights. If we fight, we can build women who trust themselves, have belief to get the bigger rights we are fighting for.\" Some Saudi women say the authorities have slightly relaxed their attitudes to female drivers, merely cautioning women rather than making them sign a pledge not to do it again. Earlier this week, however, prosecutors in Jeddah - on the Red Sea coast - announced they intended to pursue a case against a 35-year-old woman driver. The woman, who has not been named, claims she had no alternative to driving as she needed to get to hospital and there was no man to take her there. Zaki Safar from the Women2Drive campaign has spoken to her and said she had told the judge who set her trial date for September that he did not understand the background to her case. Such setbacks appear not to be deterring many Saudi women from pursuing their campaign. Manal al-Sharif, one of the organisers of Women2Drive, says they have been contacted by 1,023 women who want to drive - and by 192 women from across the country who are willing to teach them. They are now looking to recruit volunteers. \"Women want to drive and they are taking actual steps towards that,\" said Ms Sharif.", "summary": "A Saudi woman whose imprisonment for driving drew global attention to the issue says she is more determined than ever to continue her campaign."}
{"article": "The discovery of gravitational waves, announced in February, was declared breakthrough of the year. But the top 10 list, compiled by Physics World magazine, also features a new twist on the much-loved Schr\u00f6dinger's Cat idea. It also included the detection of a planet around our nearest star. The winning discovery was the result of work by the Ligo collaboration, which involved more than 80 institutions worldwide. Ligo operates several labs around the world that fire lasers through long tunnels, trying to sense warping in the fabric of space-time. The first signal was generated by the collision of two black holes more than a billion light-years from Earth. \"What's been achieved by Ligo, particularly in a relatively short space of time, is truly incredible,\" said Hamish Johnston, the editor of Physics World. \"The observations it has made are the first direct evidence of the existence of black holes, so Ligo has already changed our view of the Universe.\" In no particular order, the nine other achievements are as follows: Schr\u00f6dinger's Cat: The well-known paradox presents the idea of a cat in a box that may be simultaneously alive and dead. The scenario was designed to illustrate some principles of the weird world of quantum physics. It is an example of quantum superposition, where particles can be in two different states at once. A US-French team created two microwave cavities (the boxes), while the cats were represented by large ensembles of photons. In a twist to the tale, the team showed that the \"cat\" can be in two separate locations at the same time. Compact \"gravimeter\": University of Glasgow scientists built a gravimeter - which can make very precise measurements of Earth's gravity - that is both inexpensive and small. The device could be used in mineral exploration, civil engineering and for monitoring volcanoes. Nearest neighbour: Astronomers discovered evidence for a rocky exoplanet within the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to our Solar System. The alien world, called Proxima b, is about 1.3 times the size of Earth and could - in theory - sustain liquid water on its surface. Entanglement: An international team created and measured a phenomenon called quantum entanglement between two different types of ion - a charged atom or molecule. The discovery could help show the way towards super-fast quantum computers. Wonder material: Scientists measured a property called negative refraction in the promising material graphene. Negative refraction could be used to create new types of optical devices such as very powerful lenses. Nuclear clock: German physicists detected an elusive transition in the element thorium-229 which could allow the development of a \"nuclear clock\". Such a clock would be much more stable than the conventional atomic clocks in use today. Amazing lens: A team at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland created a new microscope lens, called the Mesolens, that offers the unique combination of a large field of view with high resolution. Fast computing: Quantum computers could herald a technological revolution, but scientists have to overcome many hurdles before they can produce \"real world\" devices. In 2016,", "summary": "The detection of ripples in space-time and a famous cat-based paradox are featured in a list of the physics advances of 2016."}
{"article": "The 30-year-old is the third Indian to win the Sir Garfield Sobers trophy and is also ICC Test cricketer of the year. Alastair Cook was named captain of the ICC Test team of 2016. The voting period closed in September, before England's Test series defeat in India. Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes also feature but India's Virat Kohli and Australia's Steve Smith missed out. Ashwin took 48 wickets and scored 336 runs in eight Tests, as well as 27 wickets in 19 T20 internationals. \"It feels great to follow Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in being ICC Cricketer of the Year,\" said Ashwin. Ashwin dedicated the award to his family and believes India \"had a great transition\" and \"fell on the right track\" since Kohli took over as captain following MS Dhoni's retirement in 2014. ICC chief executive David Richardson said Ashwin \"is justifiably now being counted among the best spinners of his generation\". Ashwin, who made his Test debut in 2011, now has 248 wickets from 44 Tests, and also averages 34.92 with the bat. He joins Jacques Kallis (2005), Ricky Ponting (2006), Kumar Sangakkara (2012), Michael Clarke (2013), Mitchell Johnson (2014) and Smith (2015) by winning both the ICC world player and Test cricketer awards in the same year. The ICC's voting period covers play from 14 September 2015 to 20 September 2016. The ICC's other 2016 award winners are: England skipper Cook was named as captain for the ICC's Test team of the year after guiding his side to an away win over South Africa and defeating Sri Lanka and drawing with Pakistan at home during the voting period. The 31-year-old's role for England is under scrutiny after he said he would \"go home and do some thinking\" after the 4-0 Test series defeat by India that followed the historic Test loss in Bangladesh in the first part of the winter programme. Smith is named only as 12th man while Kohli does not appear at all, with New Zealand's Kane Williamson, Root and Adam Voges of Australia filling the middle-order berths. The Australia and India captains are currently ranked first and second respectively in the ICC's own Test batting ranking. AB De Villiers - who has stepped down as South Africa captain while he recovers from injury - has been selected in the ODI team for the sixth time since 2010. De Villiers and ODI player of the year De Kock are joined by compatriot Kagiso Rabada in the side while Jos Buttler is the only Englishman to feature.", "summary": "India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been named the International Cricket Council's world player of the year."}
{"article": "Lennon wants the 29-year-old striker to return to Easter Road for a third spell, having been released by Blackburn Rovers this summer. \"The club have done everything they can,\" Lennon told BBC Radio Scotland. \"It's a purely personal decision for Anthony, but we have a board meeting on Monday, so hopefully we will hear [from Stokes] before then.\" Stokes left Hibs to join Lennon's Celtic squad in 2010 and was loaned back to the Edinburgh side in 2016. Capped nine times by the Republic of Ireland, the forward has netted 131 goals at club level - including two against Rangers in Hibs' 2016 Scottish Cup final win. \"I have had private chats with Anthony, I met him on Wednesday and the talks were positive,\" explained Lennon. \"But he has a lot of offers and has a big decision to make at this juncture in his career. \"If he decides to come to Hibs, it won't be for the money, even though it is a very good financial package. \"From a footballing point of view, I think this is his home. He has had a great time here in two previous spells. \"He hasn't played a lot of football in the last two or three years and his conditioning would need a bit of work, but I think he is at his peak. \"The [Premiership] season starts next week and we can't wait forever.\"", "summary": "Hibernian head coach Neil Lennon hopes to hear by early next week if Anthony Stokes will be rejoining the club."}
{"article": "Mr Cruz told reporters that Mr Trump was behind a story in the National Enquirer that alleged Mr Cruz has had extramarital affairs. Mr Cruz called the story \"garbage, complete and utter lies\". \"It is a tabloid smear and it has come from Donald Trump and his henchmen.\" As evidence that Mr Trump planted the story, Mr Cruz pointed out that the only person quoted by name in the Enquirer story was Roger Stone, a former top adviser to the Trump campaign. He also noted that Mr Trump and National Enquirer CEO David Pecker are close friends. Ted Cruz came out swinging on Friday, condemning the Trump campaign in the strongest possible terms. Some of those terms may require additional explanation. \"He is a man for whom a term was coined for copulating with a rodent,\" Mr Cruz said of Roger Stone, a former Trump adviser. \"Well let me be clear, Donald Trump may be a rat, but I have no desire to copulate with him.\" What? Mr Cruz is referring to an obscene rat-themed euphemism for political dirty tricks. Mr Stone is credited with coining the phrase. Mr Stone got his start in politics working for President Richard Nixon. He later lost a position with Senator Bob Dole after a newspaper columnist named him as one of Nixon's \"dirty tricksters\". Such tricks included ordering hundreds of pizzas to be delivered to rival campaigns, cancelling opponents' rallies, and engaging in deplorable behaviour while pretending to represent other candidates. Through the years, Mr Stone worked for various Republican politicians including Ronald Reagan. And he's never shed his reputation for hardball attacks. In a 2007 profile in the Weekly Standard, Mr Stone was dubbed the \"boastful black prince of Republican sleaze\". Asked whether he would still support Mr Trump, the current front-runner, if he won the Republican nomination, Mr Cruz did not answer directly. But the Texas senator said: \"I'm not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and my family.\" \"I had absolutely nothing to do with it,\" Mr Trump said in a statement. On Tuesday, the candidates, who had been on good terms earlier in the campaign, began trading insults on Twitter. Mistakenly believing the Cruz campaign had produced an attack advert about his wife Melania, Mr Trump on Twitter threatened to \"spill the beans\" on Mr Cruz's wife, Heidi. Mr Cruz responded saying his campaign did not produce the advert, calling Mr Trump \"classless\" and a \"coward\". The next day, Mr Trump continued, posting an unflattering photo of Mrs Cruz on Twitter. Mr Cruz responded, calling Mr Trump a \"snivelling coward\" and told him to \"leave Heidi the hell alone\".", "summary": "The feud between Republican presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Donald Trump is becoming increasingly personal, with Mr Cruz accusing \"sleazy Donald\" of spreading rumours."}
{"article": "Education Secretary Kirsty Williams wants to increase the Welsh Pupil Premium from \u00c2\u00a3300 to \u00c2\u00a3600 per eligible child to help raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. Ms Williams is the sole Liberal Democrat in a coalition with Labour. Meanwhile, Welsh party leader Mark Williams said parties should work together against the Tories. Ahead of Sunday's speeches in Brighton, the party's sole Welsh MP and leader in the country, Ceredigion's Mark Williams, defended Ms Williams' decision to join the Welsh Labour cabinet in May. The Ceredigion MP told Sunday Politics Wales the Brecon and Radnorshire AM was taking Liberal Democrat \"themes and priorities\" into government \"very effectively\" as education secretary. He also urged opposition parties to work together against the Tories, saying there was a case for \"progressive politicians\" to talk about \"issues of common interest\". He was left as the only Welsh Liberal Democrat MP after the party's disastrous 2015 general election, with Ms Williams its sole AM after a 2016 assembly poll he said was \"arguably worse\". \"At this point in time, with boundary changes which massively support and encourage the Conservative Party electorally in the future, I think there is a case for politicians to be talking,\" he said. \"What I would loosely describe as progressive politicians to be talking about issues of common interest.\" Mr Williams said politicians had campaigned across party lines for a Remain vote in June's EU referendum, albeit unsuccessfully. \"There was a positive in the referendum, even for those of us that lost it, in that progressive politicians were working together on a really important issue,\" he said. \"And I think that dialogue should be extended on other areas of policies as well - otherwise we have the spectre of Conservatism in power in Westminster for a very long time.\"", "summary": "Plans to double funding for Wales' poorest pupils will be announced at the Liberal Democrat party conference."}
{"article": "At the core of this week's difficulties for Labour is a clash of mandates. Until that tension is resolved - one way or another - the symptoms are likely to present themselves as splits. Jeremy Corbyn has the largest mandate of any Labour leader from party members and supporters. He also has the shallowest support from Parliamentary colleagues of any of his predecessors. The 90% plus of Labour MPs who didn't vote for him would argue that they draw their mandate from a far wider section of the population: the people who elected them in May. And some would argue that the MPs draw their legitimacy from a manifesto which committed Labour to balancing the books and a continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent - policies to which the current leader doesn't subscribe. There is a feeling at Westminster that the phase of phoney war between the leadership and most MPs is beginning to turn in to an actual conflict. It's not all out war, by any means but the skirmishes have begun. The pre-emptive strike came from the Corbyn camp when Ken Livingstone, who supports unilateral nuclear disarmament, was imposed on multilateralist Maria Eagle, the shadow defence secretary, to co-chair her review of where the party stands on renewing Trident. Shadow defence minister Kevan Jones - who was close to Gordon Brown - retaliated, questioning Livingstone's suitability for the role, and for his trouble was told by the former London mayor to seek psychiatric help. Jones is known to have suffered from depression in the past. Livingstone was later required to apologise and claimed he had no knowledge of Jones's medical history. The reason, though, that relations are reaching a nadir is that there appears to be little appetite for compromise on both sides. The appointment of Ken Livingstone wasn't done as a result of widespread consultation. Quite the reverse. It was a deep red rag to an increasingly bullish Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP). MPs had just elected - or in some cases, simply selected - largely a coterie of Corbyn critics to chair their parliamentary party's departmental committees, which monitor the work of shadow ministers. And the chair of the defence committee John Woodcock - who also represents the constituency in which the nuclear submarines are built - used his new position to write to Maria Eagle asking about the process behind Livingstone's appointment and whether she herself had been told. The letter found its way in to the public domain. What in turn is fuelling the lack of compromise is - for want of a better phrase - a degree of fear and loathing on both sides. Those around Jeremy Corbyn would argue that when Labour MPs recognise his mandate the Conservatives can be put on the back foot. The talk over the summer, under interim leader Harriet Harman, of perhaps accepting some Conservative changes to tax credits has been ditched, and it is George Osborne who is on the back foot and having to find a compromise imposed upon him by the Lords - largely as the result of Labour's", "summary": "The Labour Party has had a torrid week with leader Jeremy Corbyn at odds with his MPs over defence policy and a row over Ken Livingstone's comments about a shadow minister."}
{"article": "Mae modd cymharu'r ffigyrau'n uniongyrchol, ac maen nhw'n dangos bod y bwlch mwyaf yn yr amser aros ar gyfer llawdriniaeth ar y glun, sydd wedi gweld cynnydd o 20% dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf. Yn \u00f4l y ffigyrau diweddaraf, mae pobl yn disgwyl 226 diwrnod yng Nghymru ar gyfartaledd, o'i gymharu \u00e2 76 diwrnod yn Lloegr. Er hynny roedd gostyngiad mawr yn yr amser roedd cleifion yn aros am lawdriniaeth ddargyfeiriol ar y galon yng Nghymru. Yn 2014/15, roedd pobl yn disgwyl 111 diwrnod ar gyfartaledd, ond erbyn 2015/16, roedd hynny wedi gostwng i 43 diwrnod. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi croesawu'r gostyngiad, ond maen nhw'n cydnabod bod angen gwella'r sefyllfa mewn meysydd eraill. Ar y cyfan, roedd amseroedd aros yng Nghymru yn llawer hirach na Lloegr mewn saith o'r 11 categori. Roedd unigolion yn disgwyl tua deufis yn fwy am driniaeth cataract a hernia yma o'i gymharu \u00e2 Lloegr yn 2015/16. Roedd cleifion yn aros 11 diwrnod yn ychwanegol am lawdriniaethau ar y stumog, bron i bythefnos yn fwy am ddiagnosis niwmonia ac wyth diwrnod ychwanegol am ddiagnosis o glefyd ar y galon yng Nghymru. Yn ogystal, roedd cynnydd o 20% yn yr amser aros am lawdriniaethau ar y galon nad oedd yn cynnwys llawdriniaethau dargyfeiriol, o'i gymharu \u00e2 2014/15. Prin oedd y newid yn yr oedi cyn cael diagnosis canser neu anaf i'r pen, ac roedd yr amser aros ar gyfer llawdriniaeth ddargyfeiriol ar y galon a llawdriniaeth ar yr arennau yn fyrrach yng Nghymru nag yn Lloegr. Dywedodd llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig ar iechyd, Angela Burns AC, bod y ffigyrau yn \"sgandal\" ond \"nid yn annisgwyl\", a bod yr oedi yn achosi \"poen a dioddefaint\" i gleifion. Galwodd ar yr ysgrifennydd iechyd i gyflwyno \"strategaeth bendant a dyfeisgar sy'n cael ei harwain gan dargedau\" i wella'r gwasanaeth iechyd. Yn \u00f4l llefarydd Plaid Cymru ar iechyd, Rhun ap Iorwerth, \"hunanfodlonrwydd\" yw ymateb Llafur yw'r oedi i gleifion. Dywedodd bod amseroedd aros wedi gwella ym maes llawdriniaeth ar y galon, sy'n dangos \"bod taclo amseroedd aros yn bosib os oes awydd i wneud hynny\". Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru bod nifer yr unigolion ar draws y wlad sy'n disgwyl dros naw mis am driniaeth wedi gostwng 20% yn 2016. \"Rydyn ni'n falch o weld gwelliant mawr mewn amseroedd aros am lawdriniaeth ddargyfeiriol ar y galon, a'r gwelliannau mewn meysydd eraill, gan gynnwys llawdriniaeth cataract a thrawsblannu arennau,\" meddai'r llefarydd. \"Rydyn ni'n cydnabod bod angen gwella rhai ardaloedd ymhellach, ac rydyn ni wedi lansio rhaglen gofal i wella profiad cleifion a darparu dull strategol a chynaliadwy ar gyfer gofal, sydd wedi'i gynllunio yng Nghymru.\" \"Bydd hyn yn cefnogi newid effeithiol i wasanaethau ar draws nifer o arbenigeddau allweddol, gan gynnwys rhai orthopedig, offthalmoleg, ENT a wroleg.\" Amseroedd aros am lawdriniaeth: Amseroedd aros am ddiagnosis: Ffynonellau: Ystadegau Cyfnodau Ysbytai 2015/16 / Cronfa Ddata Cyfnodau Gofal Cymru Amseroedd aros am lawdriniaeth: Amseroedd aros am ddiagnosis: Ffynonellau: Ystadegau Cyfnodau Ysbytai 2015/16 / NHS Digital", "summary": "Mae amseroedd aros yn parhau'n hirach o fewn y Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol yng Nghymru o'i gymharu \u00e2 Lloegr yn y categor\u00efau allweddol ar gyfer diagnosis a thriniaethau."}
{"article": "The Australian - one of the most highly regarded drivers in Formula 1 - is known to have been interesting Ferrari. Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen is out of contract at the end of this season and the Italian team are weighing up whether to retain the 36-year-old Finn. Ricciardo said at the Austrian Grand Prix that he would stay at Red Bull, which he believed was \"the best place to be next year to challenge Mercedes\". Ricciardo, who is 27 on Friday, has been buoyed by progress with the Renault engine, which now has a much reduced performance gap to Mercedes than it did for the last two seasons. Ricciardo signed his new Red Bull contract to the end of 2018 after his breakthrough season in 2014, when he was promoted to the senior team from Toro Rosso and beat four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. The German moved to Ferrari at the end of that season. Ricciardo's Red Bull deal is said by insiders to have no opt-outs or break clauses, but having a contract in F1 does not necessarily mean a driver will stay with a team. However, his remarks clearly rule him out of Ferrari's thinking for next season. Ferrari are not expected to fully address the issue of a partner for Vettel next year until after next weekend's British Grand Prix at the earliest. Raikkonen has a decent chance of being retained, but other drivers in the frame are Force India's Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg, Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz, Williams' Valtteri Bottas and Haas' Romain Grosjean. Ferrari had also been interested in Max Verstappen, but the 18-year-old Dutchman is under contract until the end of 2019 and Red Bull intend to have him and Ricciardo as their line-up for the foreseeable future. On Wednesday, Red Bull said they had taken up their contractual option on Sainz and that he would be staying at their junior team Toro Rosso in 2017. However, Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko has said he would be willing to talk to Ferrari about releasing him if they expressed an interest and offered to buy him out. Perez's candidature is being pushed by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, who is on the board of the team's main sponsor, the tobacco giant Philip Morris. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Daniel Ricciardo says he will stay at Red Bull until the end of 2018."}
{"article": "The 33-year-old Briton had a five-hour reconstruction operation on his right shoulder in Germany on Thursday. \"The boxing gods keep hinting that maybe enough is enough,\" said Haye, who has cancelled his 8 February bout with Tyson Fury. \"It is very rare for a British fighter to win a world title away from home but Haye did it twice. \"He was top class in the cruiserweight division. At heavyweight he faltered at the very highest level. But he got closer on points than any of Wladimir Klitschko's other challengers. \"He brought great excitement with his attitude and punching power and can be proud of the mark he has made on British boxing.\" \"It's a crushing blow for me. This wasn't how I wanted to end 2013. Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be.\" Haye announced his retirement in October 2011, three months after losing his WBA belt to Ukrainian Wladimir Klitscho in Germany, but he returned to the ring the following year. \"The surgery and subsequent results are a bitter pill to swallow because I truly felt I had a lot more to offer,\" Haye said. \"But I've been boxing for 23 years now, amateur and pro, and this has clearly taken its toll on my body. \"I genuinely believed the shoulder injury wasn't that bad. But the doctor sent me for a detailed MRI scan and within 24 hours I was told the full extent of the damage. Twenty-four hours after that I was in the operating theatre. \"I had big plans for next year and the ultimate goal was to win back the world heavyweight title. \"What I didn't anticipate was that this year would be the unluckiest of my career and that a number of injuries would disrupt my plans so much.\" Earlier in his career, Haye became European cruiserweight champion and went on to win the WBC, WBO and WBA world titles before stepping up to heavyweight. He beat WBA heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev in Germany in November 2009 to become the first Briton to hold a world heavyweight crown since Lennox Lewis. Haye's most recent fight was a knockout win over Dereck Chisora at Upton Park in London in July 2012, one of only two fights he has had since 2010. His scheduled June fight with German Manuel Charr was cancelled when Haye sustained a hand injury. He was originally due to fight Fury in Manchester in September but the bout was rearranged for February after Haye suffered a cut above his left eye in training. Fury's uncle and trainer, Peter Fury, said he was not surprised by the news that February's fight had been cancelled. \"From the moment Haye postponed in September, it was obvious this fight wasn't going to happen,\" he told BBC Sport. \"The public have been duped. Tyson will fight someone else in February. We'll get the show back on the road and we're glad we don't have to do business with these people ever again.\" Haye added: \"If I'm now destined to have won the European Championship, the unified world cruiserweight championship", "summary": "Former world heavyweight champion David Haye has been advised to retire after major shoulder surgery."}
{"article": "The wind farm, run by community company Viking Energy, would be one of the biggest in Scotland. Sustainable Shetland, a group opposed to the development, launched a judicial review. The challenge, at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, has been adjourned. It is expected to resume at the end of April. Energy Minister Fergus Ewing granted consent for the scheme in April. Protesters claim the development is too big and would blight the landscape. Supporters argue it would raise money for the islands, create jobs and help meet renewable energy targets. The 370MW wind farm is aimed at powering more than 175,000 homes despite Shetland having a population of about 22,000. It is estimated the wind farm could bring about \u00c2\u00a330m annual income for the local community.", "summary": "A legal challenge to plans to build a 103-turbine wind farm in the centre of Shetland has been adjourned."}
{"article": "The negotiations are being widely depicted as a largely sham process designed to help David Cameron to convince sceptical Britons that he wrung painful concessions from the EU. \"The show can begin,\" Arnaud Leparmentier writes in France's Le Monde of the negotiations, which he says are about \"nothing of substance\". \"It's a game, of course, but like a wrestling match. Everyone is pretending to be in pain, but are really accomplices,\" he writes. \"This wrestling match is designed to flatter the pride of the British, in order to convince them not to choose to sail off into the high seas.\" Andre Tauber - correspondent for Germany's Die Welt - says Mr Cameron has been permitted the \"pose of the great victor in order to mollify the obstreperous British\". \"Neither Britain nor Europe can afford an exit from the European Union, either economically or politically. Everyone knows this,\" he adds. \"The EU has delivered. The question is whether Cameron can deliver too\". In Poland, which has been vocally opposed to restrictions on benefits for EU migrants, the Gazeta Wyborcza daily says keeping Britain in the EU should be seen as Poland's overriding concern, even at the expense of Poles working in the UK. \"No matter how brutal but effective this is, it is worth sacrificing part of their benefit rights in Britain in order to save the EU from Brexit.\" But not everyone is happy about playing along, and several commentators grumble about Mr Cameron's methods and motives. In Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine, Nikolas Busse says Mr Cameron \"put a pistol to the other member states' chest (and his own)\", Christian Zaschke - in Sueddeutsche Zeitung - accuses him of \"gambling with Europe's future\" for the sake of his own political ambitions. In Italy's Corriere della Sera, Franco Venturini wonders whether too has been conceded to London, \"especially in a union which - amid unfulfilled agreements on migrants and courting Turkey - is already sacrificing crucial aspects of its identity\". Ralph Sina - correspondent for Germany's ARD public broadcaster - goes further, casting the concessions to Mr Cameron as a \"genuflection\" that \"surrender core principles of the EU and turn it into a joke\". \"The European Union is fighting for the United Kingdom's affection,\" he says. \"But anyone who has to fight for affection has usually already lost.\" For Jean Quatremer - in France's Liberation - the UK has an \"existential problem in its relationship to the EU that no technical arrangement or any amendments to the European treaties will ever solve\". \"Today's EU is already 'Made in Britain',\" he argues. \"Yet this is not enough for a political class and public opinion made hysterical by an anti-European press firing on all cylinders against this continental monster.\" BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "summary": "European commentators have been expressing reluctant acceptance of the EU reform deal tentatively agreed with the UK."}
{"article": "Following early efforts from Shaquile Coulthirst and Leonardo Da Silva Lopes, Grant McCann's side deservedly took the lead after 21 minutes with Ryan Tafazolli rising highest to nod in Paul Taylor's free-kick. Lopes could have doubled Posh's lead just before half-time but his effort from just inside the penalty area was easily saved by Dillon Phillips. The Addicks came out on the front foot after the break and went close through Josh Magennis, but the forward's effort ricocheted back off the inside of the far post. To frustrate the hosts further, Jordan Botaka then saw a deflected effort loop up onto the crossbar with Luke McGee beaten in the 55th minute as Charlton searched for an equaliser. Peterborough doubled their advantage in the 66th minute courtesy of a superb Gwion Edwards solo effort to seal an impressive away victory. Report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Charlton Athletic 0, Peterborough United 2. Second Half ends, Charlton Athletic 0, Peterborough United 2. Attempt blocked. Chris Forrester (Peterborough United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Adam Chicksen (Charlton Athletic) is shown the yellow card. Chris Forrester (Peterborough United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Adam Chicksen (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ricardo Santos (Peterborough United). Substitution, Peterborough United. Ricardo Santos replaces Paul Taylor. Substitution, Peterborough United. Bradden Inman replaces Gwion Edwards. Attempt blocked. Joe Aribo (Charlton Athletic) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Corner, Charlton Athletic. Conceded by Ryan Tafazolli. Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Brandon Hanlan replaces Morgan Fox. Attempt missed. Adam Chicksen (Charlton Athletic) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Attempt missed. Morgan Fox (Charlton Athletic) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Corner, Charlton Athletic. Conceded by Michael Smith. Attempt blocked. Ezri Konsa Ngoyo (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt blocked. Jorge Teixeira (Charlton Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Ademola Lookman (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Chris Forrester (Peterborough United). Attempt missed. Chris Forrester (Peterborough United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Foul by Patrick Bauer (Charlton Athletic). Tom Nichols (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Ezri Konsa Ngoyo (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Paul Taylor (Peterborough United). Adam Chicksen (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Leonardo Da Silva Lopes (Peterborough United). Ezri Konsa Ngoyo (Charlton Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Gwion Edwards (Peterborough United). Attempt blocked. Leonardo Da Silva Lopes (Peterborough United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Joe Aribo replaces Fredrik Ulvestad. Substitution, Charlton Athletic. Adam Chicksen replaces Jordan Botaka. Attempt missed. Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Attempt saved. George Moncur (Peterborough", "summary": "Karl Robinson is still awaiting his first victory as Charlton boss after seeing his new side beaten at home by play-off chasing Peterborough."}
{"article": "The government recently approved applications for tests to be carried out in areas including parts of Horwich, Blackrod and Astley Bridge. But council leader Cliff Morris said the authority will remain \"absolutely\" opposed to the scheme. He said: \"The area covered is some of our most beautiful countryside.\" However, he admitted that his stance may not ultimately prevent the government from approving fracking projects in Bolton - after ministers recently declared they could bypass local authorities' opposition. During a full council meeting, Mr Morris was asked by Liberal Democrat councillor Andrew Martin if it was inevitable that the new Conservative government would fast-track fracking applications. He replied: \"It's a difficult one because it is up to the government. \"But they will know now the feelings of the residents and the councillors at this time. \"There is a head of steam among our residents because this is a scar on the landscape. \"We are saying 'no thank you, we don't want any fracking in Bolton, especially not the areas you have designated.\" Fracking is a technique for extracting gas or oil trapped between layers of rock by forcing the layers open using water under high pressure. Anti-fracking campaigners are concerned about the effects of the process and the waste water generated. Applications to carry out fracking in parts of Lancashire sparked widespread protests earlier this year, before the proposals were rejected.", "summary": "The leader of Bolton Council has vowed to oppose any attempt to begin fracking in the region, describing the drilling technique as \"a scar on the landscape\"."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Stephen Hughes was sent-off in the first half and Ivan Sproule in the second but goals from Shane McCabe and Ryan Campbell gave the hosts victory. David Cushley and Michael Ruddy scored as Ballymena United ensured Premiership safety by beating Carrick Rangers 2-0. Andrew Mitchell was on target twice in Dungannon's 2-1 triumph over Portadown. The Ports had halted a run of five successive defeats by drawing 0-0 with Ballinamallard last week but the Swifts' success at Shamrock Park on Saturday saw them take 10 points from their four meetings with the mid-Ulster club this season. Media playback is not supported on this device Mitchell opened the scoring with a fortuitous 18th-minute goal as his cross from the right sailed over goalkeeper David Miskelly and into the net. The home side had chances to equalise but Mitchell made the three points secure by hammering the ball home in the 70th minute for his 19th of the season. Nathaniel Ferris side-footed in a consolation strike from Matthew Parker's left-wing cross five minutes later but Rodney McAree's side remain in the hunt for seventh position. Bottom club Warrenpoint suffered an early setback in their basement battle as Stephen Hughes was sent-off for handling the ball on the line in the eighth minute. Jason McCartney's resulting penalty was saved by Jonathan Parr but two minutes after the interval, McCabe gave the Fermanagh team the lead by drilling a 30-yard shot into the net. Whitey Anderson's outfit were reduced to 10 men on 55 minutes when Ivan Sproule was shown a straight red card for lashing out with a foot after losing possession. Ryan Campbell added his side's second, stabbing the ball into the roof of the net in the 62nd after getting on the end of an Emmett Friars knockdown. Media playback is not supported on this device Seventh-placed Ballymena extended their unbeaten run under new manager David Jeffrey to six matches, and boosted their chances of securing a Europa League play-off spot, by defeating struggling Carrick Rangers at Taylor's Avenue. Cushley's 35th-minute long-range free-kick took an erratic bounce and sneaked past keeper Brian Neeson for the opener 10 minutes before the break. Substitute Ruddy made it 2-0 10 minutes from time by firing left-footed past Neeson after Willie Faulkner's initial effort had been saved by the home stopper. Carrick drop below Ballinamallard into 11th in the Premiership table, just two points ahead of Warrenpoint.", "summary": "Ballinamallard United moved four points clear of bottom club Warrenpoint Town with a 2-0 win at Ferney Park in a game which saw both sides end with 10 men."}
{"article": "Munroe, 24, played in all but one of Tyrone's league but failed to nail down a regular starting place. He started the season-opener against Roscommon and was a substitute in five other Division One games. The combative defender, who has pace and skill, appeared ideally suited to Tyrone's style of play. Munroe will now devote all his energies to his club for the remainder of the season, good news for Carrickmore, who will have full access to their top player. The Carrickmore club now has no representatives in the Tyrone squad.", "summary": "Tyrone defender Johnny Munroe has left the squad, and will play no part in the county's bid to retain the Ulster Football Championship title."}
{"article": "James Tarrant, 66, from Essex, walked into a police station in Breda in the Netherlands on Saturday, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. He fled the UK after being arrested in 2009 when drugs, a gun and cash were found at a house in Waltham Abbey. He was jailed for 15 years in his absence. Extradition proceedings have begun to bring him back to the UK. The Metropolitan Police first detained Tarrant after finding cannabis blocks, two kilos of cocaine, a handgun, ammunition, body armour and approximately \u00c2\u00a35,000 at a property in Essex. But he disappeared while on conditional bail. Tarrant was one of eight \"most-wanted\" British criminals thought to be hiding in the Netherlands, and was featured on BBC programme Crimestoppers in December. Dave Allen, head of the NCA's international crime bureau, said: \"These fugitives really do have nowhere to hide and I would urge any of the remaining individuals to save yourself the trouble and hand yourself in.\" Tarrant was arrested as part of Operation Return, a joint NCA, Crimestoppers, Bel M (Dutch Crimestoppers) and Netherlands law enforcement scheme to locate UK fugitives believed to be hiding out in and around Amsterdam.", "summary": "A convicted drugs trafficker who has been on the run for five years has handed himself into Dutch police."}
{"article": "Production would never reach that level again, with the strike heralding the long slow decline of an industry they once called King Coal. Thirty years later, China's growth in coal consumption - just its growth - was not far off the UK's 1983 total output. In 2013, China consumed an extra 93 million tonnes of the stuff. That amount - a mountain of the black fuel that would at one time have kept the best part of a quarter of a million British miners in work - represented only a 2.6% increase in China's seemingly insatiable appetite for coal. Like Britain, China's industrial revolution has been coal-powered, but it has been on a scale and speed like nothing else in world history, bringing with it serious environmental implications. China surpassed the United States to become the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in 2007 and, if that trajectory is followed, it is well on track to double US emission levels within the next few years. For anyone, anywhere worried about climate change, China has become the problem, and with the country opening a new coal-fired power station on average every week, it is a problem that has looked likely to simply grow and grow. Except that the recently released figures for 2014 suggest that something very interesting may now be happening. Rather than another giant increase in coal consumption, for the first time in 15 years, government data shows that China's annual coal consumption declined by 2.9%, with an accompanying 1% fall in carbon dioxide emissions. A series of articles looking at how the world will meet increasing demand for energy and the need to cut CO2 emissions linked to global warming, using old and new technologies Rather than never-ending growth, all the talk now is of \"peak coal\", the moment when China begins to wean itself off fossil fuels. And some analysts believe, on the basis of that 2014 figure, the moment may well have already arrived. \"It's quite possible,\" says Wang Tao, an expert on climate and energy policy at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Centre for Global Policy in Beijing. \"I wouldn't say 100% sure, but given what we're seeing in the heavy industries and the direction that China is trying to drive its economy, I don't think we're going to see a dramatic change and coal consumption back up again.\" Other analysts are a little more cautious, but almost all agree that peak coal, if it hasn't yet arrived, is closer than anyone previously thought. And while some of it may be down to simple economic factors - the now well-documented slowdown in Chinese growth in recent years - there is wide recognition that a significant shift in Chinese environmental policy is also playing a part. China used to argue that it was unfair for developed countries to lecture as, just as they had in the course of their industrialisation, it had the \"right to pollute\". If it had to choose between its economy or its environment, the old orthodoxy used to go, the economy would win every time. \"There are priorities", "summary": "In 1983, the year before the coal miners' strike - one of the most bitter industrial disputes in British history - the UK produced 119 million tonnes of coal."}
{"article": "In an email sent to every customer, TalkTalk said scammers were using stolen information to trick people into handing over banking details. TalkTalk said it had sent the email to every customer although only a few thousand account numbers went astray. It has set up a dedicated phone line for customers targeted by the scammers. The theft of data was unearthed when TalkTalk investigated a sudden rise in complaints from customers about scam calls between October and December 2014, said a spokeswoman. \"We have now concluded a thorough investigation working with an external security company, and we have become aware that some limited non-sensitive information may have been illegally accessed in violation of our security procedure,\" she said. The attackers got at some of TalkTalk's internal systems via a third-party that also had access to its network. Legal action is now being taken against this unnamed third party. The information stolen included names, addresses, phone numbers and TalkTalk account numbers. The company was confident that no sensitive or payment data went astray in the hack. \"We are aware of a small, but nonetheless significant, number of customers who have been directly targeted by these criminals and we have been supporting them directly,\" said a statement from TalkTalk. It would not put an exact figure on the number affected but said it was in the \"small thousands\". The company currently has about four million customers. The scammers appear to be using the stolen details to trick people into thinking calls are coming from legitimate TalkTalk customer service staff. People are then tricked into handing over bank details or into signing up and paying for security software and services they do not need. Although TalkTalk said it became aware of the data loss late last year, the BBC has been contacted by one customer who said the scammers working to a similar pattern called in August. His wife's familiarity with computers helped her quickly spot that the call was fake. \"They said our computer was infected with a virus and used various social engineering techniques to try to get more info, but she's pretty clued up,\" said Richard Lee-Williams from Wales. \"Over the following few days she got several more calls but from a different person each time trying the same trick,\" he said. At the time TalkTalk was \"dismissive\" of the complaint Mr Lee-Williams made about the scam. A TalKTalk spokeswoman said without more details it was hard to know if the same conmen were involved in the August and December attacks. She invited Mr Lee-Williams to contact TalkTalk to resolve his complaint. Customers who have been hit by the scammers can call a dedicated number, 0800 083 2710, to get help from the telecoms firm. Some reports suggest customers have lost thousands to the scammers. Many TalkTalk customers have taken to the company's support forums to report that they have been contacted by the scammers. Customers who have been caught out should contact their bank, said the firm. It added that it was working with the Information Commissioner's Office to identify the", "summary": "TalkTalk customers are being warned about scammers who managed to steal account numbers and names from the company's computers."}
{"article": "Long before Donald Trump had his eye on the White House, his attention was firmly on the small community of Menie in Aberdeenshire. The American businessman wanted to build the greatest golf course on earth. However, some people who lived in the area became vehemently opposed, and the saga of the Trump International Golf Links began. \"I saw that the residents of Menie were getting a lot of bad press at a time when Donald Trump was being celebrated for arriving in the area,\" reflected Alicia Bruce, a photographer who spent six years capturing the changing landscape of Menie and its people as the course was built on rare sand dunes. Alicia was speaking from the Luvians Ice Cream parlour and caf\u00c3\u00a9 in St Andrews, a novel choice to host her photography project. Festival organisers are keen to bring the exhibits out of the gallery and into the community. It was indeed a sense of community that first drew Alicia to the project. She grew up in Aberdeen, and played on the beaches in Menie in her childhood. As Donald Trump told the assembled media of his intentions to transform the area into a haven for golf fans around the world, Alicia wanted to discover the story of the locals who lived there. She has never photographed the businessman, focussing instead on the residents and the changes to the environment. The pictures of the Menie locals are based on portrait paintings they chose themselves. She said: \"I started off by going to visit Michael Forbes and instead of finding the angry peasant, pig, village idiot that Donald Trump called him, I found this hospitable, lovely guy surrounded by friends and family.\" Mr Forbes became the face of the community who stood up to the billionaire property developer. He was one of the main contributors in Anthony Baxter's award winning documentary You've Been Trumped. Alicia's image of Mr Forbes, which is also on display in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, is one of the key pictures of her collection. During one of her visits to Menie however, she became the subject of some unwanted attention. \"I was threatened by Donald Trump's security,\" she adds. \"It was quite frightening. I was there to visit [Menie Resident] Susan Munro as a friend that day and I had my camera with me. \"I just wanted to take a picture of where the clubhouse was going to be. I was on her land. \"Out of nowhere, this security guard comes along and starts threatening me and says he is going to 'smash my camera'. He was really angry.\" In relation to that incident, which happened in June 2012, Grampian Police issued a formal police warning to the individual over threatening and abusive behaviour. When asked about the allegations of bullying that have been made against the Trump organisation in relation to the Menie golf course development, Sarah Malone - the Executive Vice President of Trump International Golf Links - stated they are \"categorically untrue\". Ms Malone also pointed out the golf course's success since it", "summary": "The story of the American Presidential hopeful and the Aberdeenshire locals who stood up to him is now being told in St Andrews, the home of golf, at the town's inaugural photography festival."}
{"article": "Simon Brooks told BBC Wales \"an unintended consequence\" of devolution was more public sector jobs were being centralised in the capital. Rural areas have been \"losing young people by the bucket load\", he added. The Welsh Government said it was \"fully committed\" to ensuring Gwynedd benefits from public sector jobs and investment. \"I think we need to start thinking about moving public sector jobs out of Cardiff to places like Gwynedd so that people can have meaningful employment with proper careers in places like this,\" said Mr Brooks, a Plaid Cymru councillor in Porthmadog. \"We've just lost a tax office here in Porthmadog down to Cardiff. This can't carry on. \"This is an unintended consequence of devolution and I think we have to do something about it, we can't deny there is a problem, there obviously is.\" He added: \"This is the Welsh-speaking heartland of Wales and yet we don't have a national headquarters of any Welsh-language organisations up here, they're all in Cardiff - it's a ridiculous situation.\" Gwynedd council leader Dyfed Edwards said the number of young people leaving the county was a \"huge problem\". \"If we lose our young people, who are the potential leaders for our communities and society for the future, then we'll get that imbalance in the population where we know we have got an elderly population and one that's going to grow in terms of percentage over the years,\" he said. In total, there are almost 50 public bodies in Wales that exist at arms length from the government, such as the Children's Commissioner and Older People's Commissioner. There are nine organisations which the Welsh Government said are under its direct control. Dafydd Gruffydd works for Arloesi Gwynedd, which aims to help keep young people in rural areas. He said it can be difficult to convince young people there are local jobs. \"Obviously there are challenges, there are less opportunities here than in a big city. But where we are in Parc Menai, there's a cluster of high-value digital businesses here looking for staff,\" he said. \"And maybe one of the main challenges is to tell the world, and to tell young people in Gwynedd and Anglesey, that those opportunities do exist.\" Dafydd Williams completed his master's degree in London last year and returned home to Pwllheli to find a job. He now works for an online gaming developer on Parc Menai, near Bangor, which means he has an hour-long journey to and from the office every day. He thinks some young people are too willing to look for work in big towns and cities without seeing what is available locally. \"I think it's an assumption I've seen some of my colleagues and friends make over the years. But the opportunities are here, they might be more difficult to look up and find, but they are definitely are here,\" he said. A Welsh Government spokesman said: \"We are fully committed to ensuring people in Gwynedd benefit from public sector jobs and investment. \"Only last month, the Economy Secretary (Ken Skates) confirmed his wish for the", "summary": "A public body should be moved to Gwynedd to stem the flow of young people leaving the county, a Welsh-language campaigner has said."}
{"article": "James Kelly Nestruck said he received a contract between Wests Tigers forward Martin Taupau and the Manly Sea Eagles. The two clubs have confirmed the transfer. A possible explanation for the mix-up is that Mr Nestruck has the same initial and surname as the CEO of the Sea Eagles, Joe Kelly. But in a statement the Wests Tigers denied that they had sent the email. Mr Nestruck made light of the incident on his Twitter account, having become an unlikely trending topic in Sydney. \"Hey there Antipodean rugby enthusiasts... Thanks for all the interest, but I'm done playing at Kiwileaks now - and am off to review a play,\" he said.", "summary": "A Canadian theatre critic has said he was accidentally sent an email revealing that a rugby league star is switching clubs in Australia."}
{"article": "Proposals for reform will include term limits for presidents and integrity checks for top officials, president Sepp Blatter announced. Fifa will hold an extraordinary congress to elect its new president on 26 February 2016, he added. Blatter, 79, announced he would stand down in June - just four days after being re-elected president. Blatter's resignation on 2 June followed the arrest of seven Fifa officials as part of a United States investigation that saw 14 people in total indicted on corruption charges. A second criminal case was launched by Swiss prosecutors into the bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, to be held in Russia and Qatar respectively. They followed a number of scandals and corruption allegations that had tainted Fifa in recent years. In December, independent investigator Michael Garcia quit Fifa in protest at the way it handled his report into bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Candidates to replace Blatter in the February election must be nominated before 26 October. Initial predictions were of a December election, as favoured by several regional football confederations. By the time of the vote, Blatter will have been in office for almost nine months from the date of his 2 June resignation speech. Media playback is not supported on this device At a news conference on Monday, he did not backtrack on his announcement to stand aside - despite appearing to suggest in June he was reconsidering - confirming: \"On 26 of February, Fifa will have a new president. I will not be a candidate for the election in 2016.\" Explaining his decision to step down, he said: \"I had to do something very special and I did it. In footballing terms I would say I kicked the ball out of the field to stop something, this is what I did on 2 June. I'm still the elected president and today I speak with you as the elected president.\" Earlier on Monday, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein - who lost to Blatter in the May election - had called for the Swiss to leave his post immediately. \"President Blatter's resignation cannot be dragged out any longer. He must leave now,\" he said. Uefa president Michel Platini has been asked by a majority of world football chiefs to stand for the post. It is thought 60-year-old Platini has yet to decide whether he will stand. But following Blatter's announcement, Platini said: \"We now have a concrete date which means we can look forward to new leadership, which will surely bring with it new ideas and new solutions. This is an exciting time for Fifa.\" Term limits for officials, central integrity checks for executive committee members and the disclosing of all salaries and payments to Fifa members will be the main focus of the reform taskforce, Blatter said - although he did not go into more detail. The set-up of the committee would be like \"10 players and a coach\", he added, with one key person - the \"coach\" - driving the process. Platini said the creation of the panel was \"an important step\".", "summary": "Fifa is to set up a taskforce of 11 people to look at reforming football's scandal-hit world governing body."}
{"article": "Members of the 12th (Airborne) Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment met at the Keep Military Museum in Dorchester for the \"final\" time. The Old Veterans Association, known as the Swedebashers, disbanded officially in 2012 after forming in 1945. Chris Copson, curator of the museum, said the meeting was \"poignant\" as only about 10 veterans are still alive. During World War Two the battalion flew into battle using gliders across northern France. Katrina Thompson's father, General Paul Gleadell, was the driving force behind the association. She said she believed this would be the final meeting. \"It will get to the stage where there aren't any veterans left, but it is being kept alive in their memory by the sons and daughters. \"It is the end of an era.\" Mr Copson said: \"The Swedebashers were a remarkable unit by any standards. \"It is the final chapter of an amazing story of what they did during the Second World War.\" He said the Swedebasher name came from rural stereotypes about Devon, which was then adopted affectionately by the battalion. In 1958 the Devonshire Regiment merged with the Dorset Regiment. It became part of The Rifles in 2007.", "summary": "A plaque has been unveiled to commemorate a group of World War Two veterans."}
{"article": "Imtiaz Ul Haq, 58, suffered serious knife wounds to his throat during the attack at the Costcutter convenience store in Queensferry on 8 December At Mold Crown Court on Monday, Matthew Liam Whelan, 29, from Mancot, denied attempted murder but admitted both wounding with intent and robbery. Leslie Peter Baines, 47, of Connah's Quay, denies the robbery charge. A trial date has been set for 22 May, however the prosecution has been asked to consider if it wishes to proceed with an attempted murder charge against Whelan or accept his guilty plea to the other offence. Both men were remanded in custody ahead of a pre-trial hearing in April.", "summary": "A man accused of trying to kill a Flintshire shopkeeper in a robbery has admitted a wounding charge."}
{"article": "SNP MP George Kerevan is to call for an inquiry into the policy in the light of last year's attempted coup in Turkey and tensions with its Nato partners. Major repairs to RAF combat jets have previously been carried out in the UK. The Ministry of Defence said the F-35 was an international project with a global support network. Turkey was selected by the US department of defence's joint programme office, based near the Pentagon, to provide \"deep maintenance\" and repair of engines for all F-35 aircraft based in Europe. There will also be engine repair facilities in Australia and North America. But Mr Kerevan said the UK should consider setting up back-up facilities. \"The UK should have options in the event of a diplomatic crisis with Turkey,\" he told BBC News. \"I want to know what alternative arrangements are in place if it became impossible to have the the engines overhauled.\" The MP is writing to the defence select committee to ask it to investigate. Mark Bobbi, principal analyst at IHS Jane's, said the MP was right to raise the issue. \"My concern is that any cessation of Turkish engine maintenance would strain customer operations of the F-35,\" he told BBC News. \"If such is in the context of combat operations in the Middle East, then the issue becomes very serious indeed.\" He said there was \"far less concern\" about the theft of intellectual property or \"reverse engineering\" if an F-35 \"fell into the wrong hands\" because aircraft engines are extremely difficult to replicate. But he added: \"F-35 partners, all of them, should be concerned with Turkey and be ready to respond quickly to any political, social, or 'military' crisis.\" The F-35, formerly known as the Joint Strike Fighter, is being built by US defence giant Lockheed Martin in partnership with other countries including the UK, which makes about 15% of the components. The UK has so far ordered 24 of the jets, the first of which are due to go into service with the RAF and the Royal Navy next year. The short take-off and vertical landing planes, which will be known as the Lightning II, are set to be deployed on the UK's two new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers. The nine F-35 partner nations - US, UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands and Turkey - will share maintenance tasks, with UK companies handling repairs to electronics and ejector seats at a facility in North Wales. The Ministry of Defence said this system would ensure \"the UK's security of supply of F-35 engines is not impacted\". \"F-35 is an international programme, with maintenance and repair hubs in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific and a global support network that ensures security of supply for all involved,\" said an MoD spokesman. \"The UK, along with the other F-35 partner nations, benefit from this approach and the efficiencies it delivers.\" Defence Secretary Michael Fallon last week announced funding for a \u00c2\u00a340m training, engineering and maintenance hub for F-35s at RAF Marham, in Norfolk, at a joint press conference with US", "summary": "Security concerns have been raised about plans to carry out major servicing work on the UK's new F-35 fighter jets in Turkey."}
{"article": "GB will play Australia, ranked second in the world, in Saturday's final at 13:35 BST. Sam Ward gave Britain the lead from a penalty corner before Dominic Newman levelled for the Black Sticks. But strikes from Phil Roper and Mark Gleghorne carried home Bobby Crutchley's side. Britain's return to the final for the first time since England lifted the trophy in 1994 was confirmed when hosts Malaysia beat India 1-0 later in the day. \"It was a very good performance in stifling heat. I felt we dominated the game,\" said Crutchley. \"If we had a better conversion rate from the chances we created, the scoreline would have been more comfortable.\" Results, fixtures & tables on the tournament's official website", "summary": "Great Britain claimed a 3-2 win against New Zealand in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup to become the first British side to reach the final in 23 years."}
{"article": "Mexico City Mayor Miguel \u00c3", "summary": "Parts of Mexico City's historic centre have been closed to traffic as film crews shoot scenes for a new Godzilla film in the Mexican capital."}
{"article": "Twenty-one-year-old striker Ollie Watkins and midfielder Ethan Ampadu, 16, have been linked with bigger clubs. Watkins signed in July 2013 and has scored 30 goals in 55 appearances, whilst Ampadu was named Wales Young Player of the Year in November. Tisdale told BBC Radio Devon: \"I want to keep this team together for the season. Nobody is in a rush to sell.\" He continued: \"There's plenty of interest and enquiries but this is the best group of players I have had in a long time. \"The club is in a healthy place and doesn't need the money. It's a good quality problem to have.\"", "summary": "Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale has confirmed growing transfer interest in two of his young stars."}
{"article": "Almost 90 staff from Coventry's Whitley Depot were involved in the unofficial strike on Tuesday that affected tens of thousands of residents, the city council said. The workers said they were protesting over the suspension of a colleague. The council said the ongoing issue was still being resolved, but staff had returned to work for now. More on this and other stores from Coventry and Warwickshire Unite union says it is considering its position to hold a ballot for industrial action, pending the outcome of a decision on its members' suspended colleague. Its union convenor was suspended by the council for organising an unofficial protest on Monday, union representatives said. However, the council disputes the claim. Councillor Rachel Lancaster said the worker in question had not been suspended for organising a protest. She said his suspension was being investigated, but the authority would not comment further.", "summary": "Bin crews who went on strike leaving 30,000 homes with full rubbish bins have returned to work."}
{"article": "The developments at 1 Undershaft and 22 Bishopsgate were approved by the City of London Corporation earlier this year. Mr Khan said both would include a free public observation platform. The 73-storey tower at 1 Undershaft, known as the Trelis, will be 305 metres (1,000ft) high - just five metres shorter than the tip of the Shard. The Bishopsgate development comes ten years after the ill-fated Pinnacle was granted planning position. That development was eventually abandoned, leaving a half-finished nine-storey shaft pointing towards the sky after funding dried up four years ago. City Hall said the new developments would deliver nearly \u00c2\u00a36m in contributions to affordable housing, which the Corporation of London will use to deliver affordable homes on its wider estates across the city. It will also provide more than \u00c2\u00a314m towards the construction of the Crossrail project. It said the plans include a significant expansion of public open space on the sites, as well as office accommodation for almost 20,000 workers. Mr Khan, said: \"These two projects represent a significant investment in the heart of London's economy and are a clear sign that the capital is open for business. \"They will be highly-visible signs of London's enduring appeal as a place to invest. \"These new landmark buildings will offer world-class offices and it's great news that the development of the site at 22 Bishopsgate can now proceed, as this has lain unused for almost five years. \"What's more, Londoners and visitors alike should have the opportunity to take in the views from the upper reaches of these new buildings, for free, and I'm really pleased we have been able to secure this as part of the plans.\"", "summary": "London mayor Sadiq Khan has approved the building of two new skyscrapers for the capital."}
{"article": "Joachim Low's world champions went ahead through Mario Gomez's penalty after 13 minutes. But Slovakia, who are in the same group as England and Wales in France, hit back through Marek Hamsik, Michal Duris and Juraj Kucka in Augsburg. The game was played in heavy rain with concerns the match might be abandoned. Germany, who are in the same group as Northern Ireland at Euro 2016, have to finalise their 23-man squad by midnight on Tuesday. Elsewhere, Euro 2012 winners Spain continued their preparations for the defence of their title with a 3-1 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Switzerland. Celta Vigo forward Nolito scored the opening two goals for Vicente del Bosque's side. Chelsea midfielder Pedro added a late third after Emir Spahic, who was later sent off, had reduced the deficit for Bosnia. Spain gave a debut at right-back for Arsenal's Hector Bellerin. Southampton's Graziano Pelle scored the only goal as Italy beat Scotland 1-0 in Malta, while Portugal - who meet England at Wembley on Thursday - were 3-0 winners at home to Norway.", "summary": "Germany suffered a third defeat in four games as they were beaten 3-1 by Slovakia in the final match before their Euro 2016 squad is finalised."}
{"article": "It also saw \u00a3400m of instant access savings cash being withdrawn in a period that saw it being put up for sale before a rescue deal was agreed. However, half-year losses narrowed to \u00a3135.2m from \u00a3177m last year. In June, the Co-operative Bank agreed a \u00a3700m rescue package to stop itself from being wound up. The bank said that the deal was progressing to plan and was \"on track\" to be completed by September. The Co-op Bank was rescued from the brink of collapse by a group of hedge funds in 2013, after bad property loans contributed to a \u00a31.5bn hole in its finances. In February this year, the bank was put up for sale after it was unable to reach a strong enough financial footing to satisfy Bank of England regulations. However, the sale plan was dropped after its existing investors agreed to a rescue deal, which will see them swap their debt for a stake in the bank. The Co-op Group's stake in the bank will fall from 20% to about 1%. Chief executive Liam Coleman said the completion of the restructuring would \"secure the future of the Co-operative Bank as a viable stand-alone entity\". He also said that trading in the first half of the year had been \"resilient\", given the backdrop of the talks over the bank's future. Although the bank had lost current accounts, the fall was less than 2% of its total, and it still had 1.4 million current account customers. \"The vast majority of customers have remained very loyal as we have progressed the sale and capital raise process and I am extremely grateful for their ongoing support,\" Mr Coleman said. \"Of course there is more hard work ahead, and, like other banks, we recognise there are risks to the UK economy, but this is a great bank and we are positive about the future.\"", "summary": "The Co-operative Bank has said it lost about 25,000 current accounts during the first half of the year amid the uncertainty over its future."}
{"article": "Over the weekend, many of you sent emails, tweets and Facebook messages to share your views. I thought I'd share a few of them here. A lot of the notes concerned the use of the word \"dongle\" itself. Tim: \"I appreciate the alliteration, but 'dongle' (and 'dilemma') are wrong in this case. 'Adapter anarchy' might have been better. A dongle is not an adapter, even if Wikipedia cites it as an additional usage of the word.\" This was echoed by several readers on Twitter. @jeffdyeruk: \"Clearly you don't know what 'dongle' or 'legacy' means.\" @Dadge: \"Connectors and adapter are the right words, aren't they? Not sure why you use the word dongle.\" Though several readers disagreed over precisely what a dongle is, the broad consensus is that the word should be reserved for devices that can be plugged in directly - like an adapter that adds wi-fi to a laptop. I'd argue the word, like many in technology, is evolving to cover any little bit of kit you stick into your computer. But I suspect this won't be the end of it. On Reddit, Asterysk wrote: \"I still laugh at the word dongle. I'm 29.\" Me too, on both counts. In the piece, I declared that we should perhaps give Apple a break as it often ditches bits of tech we think we can't live without, only to be proven right a year or so down the line. I said the company's ditching of the CD/DVD port was one case where it had got it right as barely anyone used CDs of DVDs anymore. Well, turns out I was wrong. @Warren_S_Nel: \"Just read your article about Apple, and I regularly put CDs into my brand new Windows laptop.\" @MWJowett: \"The last time i put a CD in my laptop was yesterday!\" @HampshireHog66: \"You asked 'when did you last put a CD in your PC?' Last night. It was a very good movie.\" But the wider truth is that disc use has plummeted. Services such as Netflix and Steam mean we no longer need to head out to the likes of Blockbuster to rent or buy movies and video games - at least that's true for those of us that have a decent broadband connection However, this underlines the issue many have with Apple's latest decision. @mr_vpw: \"I'm not sure your comparison to the DVD drive is fair. Downloads were already standard. USB-A isn't even vaguely abandoned.\" The underlying discussion of this dongle (adapter\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6) debate is one about Apple's future direction. I wrote that \"only an idiot\" would write off Apple - the richest company in the world - at this point. But, via email, one reader took exception to that view too. Rob: \"As someone who believes Apple's days are numbered, why am I an idiot to think so? Historically, Apple has almost gone under a number of times. Each time, Jobs has returned to pull the company's fat from the fire. If he can do that again, I think it's more than Apple he'll be saving. \"Since his passing, Apple has", "summary": "Few pieces on this blog have provoked a reaction quite like my piece published on Friday about Apple and its \"dongle dilemma\"."}
{"article": "In June, the government in England said agency spending was to be capped and it has now unveiled details of how that will work. From April, NHS trusts will not be able to pay more than 55% more to agencies than it costs to pay a member of staff for a shift. It comes amid mounting pressure on NHS finances. Figures released last week showed trusts had overspent by \u00a3930m in the last three months - with agency spending highlighted as one of the biggest factors. Ministers believe the move will save \u00a31bn by April 2018 - the equivalent of shaving 10% from the \u00a33.3bn annual agency bill. Reports have emerged of agencies being paid thousands of pounds to supply nurses and doctors for shifts. The new limit will start to be phased in from November - with the \"shift rate plus 55%\" limit kicking in in full from April. Agencies are being allowed to charge more to reflect the costs they face in terms of administration and National Insurance contributions. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: \"For too long, staffing agencies have been able to rip off the NHS by charging extortionate hourly rates which cost billions of pounds a year and undermine staff working hard to deliver high-quality care. \"The tough new controls on spending that we're putting in place will help the NHS improve continuity of care for patients and invest in the front line - while putting an end to the days of unscrupulous companies charging up to \u00a33,500 a shift for a doctor.\"", "summary": "Ministers have set out details of how they aim to save the NHS \u00a31bn on agency staff costs over the next three years."}
{"article": "As communist regimes collapsed across the world, Castro kept the red flag flying right on the doorstep of his greatest enemy, the United States. A divisive figure, his supporters praised him as a champion of socialism, the soldier-politician who had given Cuba back to the people. But he faced accusations of brutally suppressing opposition and pursuing policies that crippled the Cuban economy. Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born on 13 August 1926, the illegitimate son of a wealthy farmer, Angel Mar\u00c3\u00ada Bautista Castro y Argiz, who had emigrated to Cuba from Spain. His mother, Lina Ruz Gonz\u00c3\u00a1lez was a farm servant who became his father's mistress, and later, after Fidel's birth, his wife. Castro attended Catholic schools in Santiago before going on to the Jesuit-run El Colegio de Belen in Havana. However, he failed to excel academically, preferring to spend his time in sporting activities. It was while studying law at Havana University in the mid-1940s that he became a political activist, honing his skills as a passionate public speaker. His targets included the Cuban government, led by the president Ramon Grau, which was mired in accusations of corruption. Violent protests became the order of the day and Castro found himself targeted by the police. He also became part of a plot to overthrow Rafael Trujillo, the right-wing leader of the Dominican Republic but the attempt was thwarted after US intervention. In 1948 Castro married Mirta Diaz-Balart, the daughter of a wealthy Cuban politician. Far from encouraging him to join the country's elite, he turned increasingly to Marxism. He believed Cuba's economic problems were a result of unbridled capitalism that could only be solved by a people's revolution. After graduating Castro set up a legal practice but it failed to prosper and he was continually in debt. He remained a political activist, taking part in a series of often violent demonstrations. In 1952 Fulgencio Batista launched a military coup which overthrew the government of the Cuban president, Carlos Pr\u00c3\u00ado. Batista's policy of closer ties with the United States and the suppression of socialist organisations ran counter to Castro's fundamental political beliefs. After legal challenges had failed Castro formed an organisation called The Movement, which worked underground in a bid to overthrow the Batista regime. Cuba had become a haven for the playboy rich, and was run largely by organised crime syndicates. Prostitution, gambling and drug trafficking were endemic. In July 1953 Castro planned an attack on the Moncada army barracks near Santiago in order to seize weapons for use in an armed uprising. The attack failed and many revolutionaries were killed or captured. Castro was one of a number of prisoners who went on trial in September 1953. Castro used his court appearance to expose atrocities committed by the army which further raised his profile, particularly among members of the foreign press who were allowed to attend the hearing. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. In the event he was released in a general amnesty in May 1955 having served just 19 months in relatively comfortable conditions. During his short", "summary": "Fidel Castro ruled Cuba as a one party state for almost half a century."}
{"article": "I know Stan - who I face in the semi-final on Friday - and we have both won three Grand Slams but I don't compare myself with other players in that sense. It's not what I'm playing for. Over the last few years Stan has played great in the Slams, he's been very consistent. In the US Open final last year he definitely deserved to win. I also think when he played the French Open final here with Novak Djokovic, he played extremely well. He deserves the titles that he's got but his success doesn't affect how I feel about mine. Whether it's Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak or Stan, I don't need to think about the amount of Slams they have for any motivation. Media playback is not supported on this device Four or five years ago, I don't think anyone would have thought I'd have a chance to win a French Open. I never would have expected to reach the semis here five times and play in the final at the beginning of my career, no chance. That doesn't mean I didn't think I could play well on this surface. I do feel like in the middle part of my career, physically I was hampered a bit on the clay. I did struggle a lot with my back for a couple of years and that didn't help, but I got to the quarter-finals for the first time back in 2009 when I was still pretty young. I had some chances in that match against Fernando Gonzalez too. I actually watched it back a few weeks ago and I played some good stuff. It's always quite interesting to see how your game's changed, so I just watched some of my matches over the years at the French Open. I was surprised, because my perception of my clay-court game when I was younger was that it was bad - that I didn't know what I was doing, didn't play well, struggled with my movement - but when I actually watched it back I was pretty good! Media playback is not supported on this device It's interesting as athletes how we can view performances very differently at the time, and then with a little bit of distance. I didn't feel like I played particularly well against Kei Nishikori on Wednesday, and that might have been the case, but there have been plenty of matches where I thought I played great, and looked back and went 'wow!' because it really wasn't great tennis. Sometimes your perception can come from what other people are saying about you - that you're not able to play on clay, or that you're just not good enough - and it's important sometimes to get that little bit of distance and then actually watch it back. At the beginning of the clay-court season we looked at a couple of matches from 2016, because I did feel I played well on the clay last year, and one of those matches was the semi-final against Stan in Paris. It had nothing to", "summary": "Trying to win tournaments I've never won before is a huge motivation, but I'm not trying to compete with Stan Wawrinka in terms of the numbers."}
{"article": "Russell sustained the injury in Glasgow Warriors' Pro12 semi-final defeat by Connacht in May. \"We don't expect him to play in the first two or three games of the season,\" Townsend told BBC Scotland. \"We'll just see what happens over the next few weeks.\" Russell was stretchered off during Glasgow's defeat in Galway after a sickening collision with team-mate Zander Fagerson in the first minute of the match. The Scotland playmaker was kept in hospital for over a week for observation, but is now back in light training. \"He's working on skills, he's very keen to be involved,\" Townsend continued. \"Everything has gone well so far with his recovery, but obviously we're being very cautious on when he can come back to training with the team and also full training. \"So far his progress has been really good.\"", "summary": "Glasgow Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend says Finn Russell is progressing well in his recovery from a serious head injury, but still expects him to miss the start of the season."}
{"article": "Medical discharge papers show 12-year-old Luana Gomes was treated for the effects of the highly toxic gas, which may have been released by burning of insulation or plastics during the fire. Her sister and mother were also treated for risk of cyanide poisoning. Mrs Gomes was seven months pregnant at the time of the blaze and lost her unborn baby. It has previously been reported that three Grenfell survivors were treated with a cyanide antidote but this is the first confirmation of a cyanide poisoning diagnosis. Andreia Gomes and her daughters were placed in medically induced comas when they were admitted to Kings College Hospital. Mrs Gomes was unconscious for four days, Luana for six days and her sister Megan was kept in a coma for a week. Luana's discharge record states that she was diagnosed with \"smoke inhalation injury\" and \"cyanide poisoning\". It also records that she received two doses of hydroxycobalamine \"for cyanide poisoning\". All three women were treated with a cyanide antidote though only Luana was diagnosed as having been poisoned. Victims of cyanide are effectively choked by the toxic gas. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, confusion, vomiting and convulsions. At high concentrations it can cause rapid death. \"The effects are really quick... you could die within seconds depending on the level of exposure,\" says clinical toxicologist and emergency medicine and critical care consultant Dr Johann Grundlingh. \"When you breathe in oxygen normally, your cells produce energy. Cyanide blocks your capability to produce energy from oxygen.\" Mrs Gomes feels deep anger towards whoever was responsible for deciding to place cheaper, less fire retardant cladding on Grenfell Tower. \"You just killed my son,\" she said. \"If it was in a normal situation, I could have gone out. And he was seven months. He could have survived... But because of the conditions, he passed away.\" Her husband Marcio Gomes told BBC Newsnight he decided to make a run for it with his family at around 04:00 when flames began to engulf his bedroom in their 21st floor flat. He described how he and his family had to step over a number of bodies as they groped their way, gasping for breath, down the smoke-filled staircase. \"What I didn't account for was the amount of bodies we had to trip over or step on. We were stepping on people's arms or legs.\" The family was taken together to Kings College Hospital. Only Mr Gomes, who was also treated for smoke inhalation, remained conscious. He said he realised, even though he was not told explicitly, that their unborn child, who the couple had already named Logan, had died. \"Andreia didn't know what was going on because she was in an induced coma. My daughters were all in intensive care in induced comas as well. \"I knew something was wrong straight away when they told me in these scenarios they take the mother as a priority. So I broke down, because I knew what they were saying, without saying it. Then later on, they said the baby had passed away.\" Most cases of cyanide poisoning", "summary": "At least one survivor of the Grenfell Tower fire was diagnosed with cyanide poisoning, BBC Newsnight has learned."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old batted to within nine overs of the close for 157 as they progressed to 470-8, a lead of 64. He shared stands of 121 with George Bailey (62) and 172 with James Franklin, the latter a Middlesex sixth-wicket record against Yorkshire. Franklin fell for 99 just before stumps as paceman Jack Brooks claimed 5-89. England batsman Nick Compton's recent decision to take a break from cricket led to Eskinazi's elevation to the Middlesex first team and he responded with 106 against Lancashire last week. His latest innings was even better as he advanced his score steadily from his overnight 19 not out and went to three figures off 224 deliveries with a boundary off Steven Patterson, having had a let-off on 84 when Kane Williamson floored a slip chance. By then he had lost Bailey, who was dropped on 36, and Simpson, both to catches by Tim Bresnan, but Franklin settled in well after taking 30 balls to score his first run. His partnership with Franklin beat the previous sixth-wicket record for Yorkshire of 166 by Norman Featherstone and Larry Gomes, also at Scarborough, in 1975. Eskinazi was eventually caught at deep mid-wicket off Brooks, having struck 23 fours in all, and Paul Stirling, Ollie Rayner and Franklin followed as Yorkshire hit back late on, but a draw looks by far the most likely result on the final day.", "summary": "Stevie Eskinazi hit a second successive Championship hundred as Middlesex fought back strongly on day three against Yorkshire at Scarborough."}
{"article": "The Mill, in Ipswich, which is 233ft (71m) high, has a specially-built nesting box that is home to five chicks waiting to fledge. It was built in 2009 but peregrines did not nest there until 2014. Steve Piotrowski, from the Suffolk Ornithologists Group, said: \"Hopefully they will colonise other urban sites, which are becoming important habitats.\" The Mill, which remains uncompleted after work building the flats halted in 2009, is believed to be the tallest residential building in East Anglia. Mr Piotrowski added: \"It's a species which is protected and it plays a role in killing feral pigeons on Ipswich Waterfront.\" A webcam has also been set up by Ipswich Haven Marina to monitor the chicks' progress. 180mph (290km/h) the top diving speed of a peregrine falcon 1,400 the number of breeding pairs in the UK, according to the latest figures 365 the number of breeding pairs in the UK back in 1961 3-4 the number of eggs a hen would usually lay in a year", "summary": "Peregrine chicks nesting in a 23-storey tower block have been ringed to help monitor their future movements."}
{"article": "It was posted on Thursday on Twitter by the south Belfast politician. A number of politicians from Northern Ireland tweeted pictures of their ballot papers. However, Ms Hanna's photo showed her daughter holding a pencil with her hand, appearing to mark a ballot paper for the EU Referendum. A spokesperson for the Electoral Office said: \"We would strongly discourage anyone from taking photographs inside the polling station.\" EU Referendum results The spokesperson added that \"the requirement for secrecy around the conduct of the ballot is set out in the Representation of the People Act (1983)\". The BBC contacted the SDLP press office to get a comment from Claire Hanna but is still awaiting a reply. However, in a Facebook post, Ms Hanna said: \"This is literally the stupidest article I have ever read on what is the absolute opposite of a slow news day.\" Northern Ireland has voted to remain in the EU Referendum by a majority of 56% to 44%. However, the UK, as a whole, has voted by a narrow margin to leave the EU. Overall, 440,437 people in Northern Ireland voted to Remain in the EU and 349,442 to Leave. Out of 18 constituencies, 11 voted to stay in the European Union. The turnout in Northern Ireland was 62.7% with 789,879 people voting in the referendum. Get the results in full.", "summary": "The SDLP MLA Claire Hanna has tweeted a photo of her daughter appearing to mark her referendum ballot paper in a polling station booth."}
{"article": "Hansen has made six changes as New Zealand play for the first time since beating Australia 34-17 in the World Cup final. Wales have not beaten the Kiwis in more than 62 years, a fact Hansen believes provides extra motivation. \"They are desperate to re-write some history so that makes them a really dangerous beast I think,\" Hansen said. The Welsh run of 26 consecutive defeats against New Zealand includes three when Hansen was Wales coach between 2002 and 2004. He added: \"They see us as the team they want to beat and you know there's enough history been written about how long it's been - and it's going to happen one day. \"This is a really good Welsh side and it could happen this weekend if we don't turn up and play as well as we can.\" Wales were outscored by five tries to one in a 27-13 defeat by England the last time they played, and coach Warren Gatland has made five changes from that match. But Hansen believes the result was a reflection of Wales' lack of match-fitness rather than the quality of their performance. He also thinks Wales are adapting their game to match the greater speed of matches in the southern hemisphere. Media playback is not supported on this device \"The northern hemisphere are starting to realise they have to change their game and we saw that against England,\" said Hansen. \"They hadn't played for some time ahead of that game and for the first 30-40 minutes against England they played really well. \"They fell away a little bit due to lack of game time in the second half so they have changed their game a little bit.\"", "summary": "All Blacks coach Steve Hansen says Wales are a \"dangerous beast\" ahead of Saturday's first test in Auckland."}
{"article": "BBC Technology reporter Chris Foxx and security expert Prof Alan Woodward provide some answers. WannaCry ransomware cyber-attacks slow but fears remain \"Practically speaking, it's not possible to completely isolate the NHS network,\" said cyber-security expert Prof Alan Woodward. \"The NHS sends emails to patients who have email addresses outside of the NHS network. \"People in the NHS also use the internet heavily for research, just like academics. \"Even a private network can be compromised, especially in an organisation with thousands of people using it daily. \"Once [a virus] has managed to enter the larger network, it can then use vulnerabilities to spread,\" said Prof Woodward. Since serving customers online is now part of banks' bread and butter, you would expect cyber-security to be at the very top of their priorities. Cyber-security is a game of cat and mouse, with criminals always thinking of new ways to attack systems, so no organisation is totally impenetrable. This ransomware outbreak is mostly likely to affect your finances if you get infected and pay the ransom, which security experts say you should not do. There is absolutely no guarantee the criminals would give your files back. If you run a business, there is detailed guidance on the National Cyber Security Centre website you can follow to make sure your company is protected. Microsoft has already identified the way this specific strain of ransomware spread from device to device, and has issued a issued a fix. As long as your operating system is up-to-date, you should be protected from this strain of ransomware. Always make sure you are running the latest version of your operating system with the latest security fixes installed - and run up-to-date anti-virus software from a trusted company. Although this strain of ransomware was not spread by email, always beware suspicious emails asking you to click links or download attachments. Criminals will often use a widely publicised virus outbreak to send scam emails, pretending to offer help. To prevent heartbreak, if the worst comes to the worst you should keep a backup copy of important files, photos and videos on an external hard drive. Make sure to disconnect the drive from your computer after making your backup, so ransomware can't access it if your computer is infected. \"The bottom line is that all you can really do is keep your software, including your virus checker, up to date. Ideally have updates set to automatic,\" said Prof Woodward. The purpose of a ransomware attack is to extort money from victims. It is a powerful attack because people may fear losing their documents and photographs and so may be more likely to pay. When it hits businesses and hospitals, there is extra pressure to get rid of the ransomware quickly. The government has said the ransomware outbreak at the NHS was not a targeted attack on the UK's health service. It may be that the attackers created their virus without knowing exactly how far it would spread. No. This strain of ransomware was spread from device to device by taking advantage of an old security", "summary": "After a cyber-attack disrupted IT services across the globe, many people have written to the BBC with questions about why it happened, how you can protect your computers and smartphones, and if the attackers will be caught."}
{"article": "The 25-year-old is one of the hottest properties on the transfer market. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has made his signing a top priority. The Reds refused to comment on renewed speculation but it is expected they will intensify efforts to reach a deal with both Southampton and the player. Chelsea and Manchester City have both been heavily linked with the defender, who joined Southampton from Celtic for \u00a313m in September 2015. But BBC Sport understands Van Dijk wants to move to Anfield in what would be a major coup for Klopp and Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group, who are willing to spend big after qualification for next season's Champions League. Liverpool still have to reach an agreement with Southampton - and a demand for a fee well in excess of \u00a350m could mean negotiations will be complicated before any deal nears a conclusion. Former club Celtic are also understood to have a 10% sell-on agreement. Van Dijk missed the final five months of the season after sustaining an ankle injury following a challenge by Leicester City's Jamie Vardy in Southampton's 3-0 win at St Mary's on 22 January. It forced him to miss Southampton's EFL Cup final loss to Manchester United at Wembley.", "summary": "Liverpool are poised to win the race to sign Southampton's \u00a350m-rated Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk after it emerged he wants to move to Anfield if he leaves St Mary's."}
{"article": "After the blood-letting of the early part of the year following the Ashes, they have been desperate for some stability - to keep Alastair Cook in charge for the World Cup, which starts in February. But following the 5-2 series defeat in Sri Lanka, their fourth in a row under Cook, the time has come to realise he is not the man to lead them in the tournament in Australia and New Zealand. Here are four reasons why. Since Cook took over as one-day captain in 2011, there have been changes to the one-day format - the introduction of two new balls, theoretically an advantage for bowlers, offset by the limitation to four of the number of men allowed on the boundary. Scores have risen around the world (the average is about 270 now) and the number of totals of more than 300 has doubled. Openers who set out to bat the innings and make 100 should now look at a minimum of 150. Cook does not have the proactive game for this objective. His last ODI hundred was 45 games ago, and he lacks the power and range to have a major impact. His strike rate this year is only low 70s (openers need to have a minimum of 80). Being inventive does not come naturally and he can be controlled at the crease. That is underlined by the relative statistics of Cook and other international openers over the past 12 months. He has by far the lowest combined average and strike rate (a reliable measure of the effectiveness of a batsman) and is therefore holding England back. One-day internationals are very much pre-planned operations, organised in the dressing room. Batsmen know their specific roles, bowlers know roughly which overs they are going to bowl. ODIs are much less free-flowing than Tests, therefore captaincy is a less vital influence. Every player must deserve his place in the team, there is no need to 'carry' a captain. Though he has been short of runs himself, Eoin Morgan is a must-pick for England and actually has excellent tactical nous and a calm demeanour (and plays well when he's in charge). And, as a middle-order player, he does not have to have half a mind on batting in those frenetic late overs of an innings in the field, which can be very distracting. Morgan is now playing in the Big Bash in Australia so will get advance preparation for the World Cup. Both the England management and members of the team are nervous of jettisoning Cook because of the stability and reassurance he brings as a batsman and a man. They are thinking particularly of England's first World Cup match against Australia in the MCG cauldron in front of 80,000 baying Aussies, and the need to send out at least one opener with authority and experience. But this burden is playing heavily on Cook's mind and inhibiting him. He is so taut with determination, he can barely move to the ball. It is even affecting his fielding. The opposition almost feel sorry for him.", "summary": "The England selectors will sit down on Friday to decide what to do about the one-day captaincy."}
{"article": "Emergency services were called to the fire in Insch just after midnight when a local resident noticed smoke emerging from a property in High Street. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze had breached the roof of the building. Residents in nearby flats were evacuated to a community centre but there were no casualties. Six fire engines from nearby towns, including a height appliance from Aberdeen, were sent to tackle the fire. Crews, including four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus, used water jets to douse the flames. The fire service said the blaze was finally extinguished at 02:23 but they remained on the scene for several hours. They added that an investigation will be carried out in due course.", "summary": "Residents were evacuated from their homes in an Aberdeenshire town after a blaze broke out in a nearby bank."}
{"article": "A strong El Nino is likely to increase prices of staple foods such as rice, coffee, sugar and cocoa, say scientists. Forecasters agree that the El Nino effect, which can drive droughts and flooding, is under way in the tropical Pacific. But they say it is too early to say how severe it will be. Reduced rainfall could be felt in India and West Africa as early as June, say scientists. The consequences of El Nino are much less clear for Europe and the UK, although they can lead to British winters that are dry with heavy snowfall. \"It's likely there will be at least a moderate El Nino this year,\" said Prof Adam Scaife of the Met Office. \"I think there is very good agreement across the different [forecasting] centres that this is coming.\" He said there was a 70% chance of a \"moderate\" El Nino event towards the end of this year that is likely to lead to droughts and crop failures. Although it is too early to say how strong the event will be and whether it will persist throughout the year, a strong El Nino has the potential to \"disrupt global food markets\", said Dr Nick Klingaman of the University of Reading. He said coffee plantations in Brazil \"already on the brink of failure\" could be jeopardised, while reduced rainfall in Australia could affect banana and sugarcane crops as well as cattle herds. A moderately strong El Nino in 2002 was linked with a drier monsoon than normal in India, ruining crops such as groundnut and rice. \"Most El Ninos historically have had a global impact on food prices,\" he said. \"We tend to see an increase in price of 5 to 10% on average for things like coffee, soybeans and cocoa.\" The El Nino five years ago was linked with poor monsoons in Southeast Asia, droughts in southern Australia, the Philippines and Ecuador, blizzards in the US, heatwaves in Brazil and extreme flooding in Mexico. Prof Eric Guilyardi of the University of Reading said current models point to an event on a similar scale to that of 2009/10, but perhaps as strong as in 1997/98, which was particularly extreme. However, he cautioned that \"every El Nino is different, so its impacts are different\". The warming of parts of the ocean is also likely to have a knock-on effect for global temperatures. \"Global temperatures are very high and this is partly attributable to the El Nino evolving now,\" said Prof Scaife. The El Nino is a warming of the Pacific Ocean as part of a complex cycle linking atmosphere and ocean. An El Nino comes along about every two to seven years as part of a natural cycle. Research suggests that extreme El Nino events will become more likely as global temperatures rise. Models suggest that climate change could double the number of extreme El Ninos after 2050. Follow Helen on Twitter.", "summary": "Global food markets could be disrupted by the El Nino event predicted for later this year."}
{"article": "The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) expressed \"serious concerns\" to the European Commission about the deal. It warned the merger could cause \"long-term damage\" for UK consumers as it would leave only three mobile networks. CK Hutchison, the owner of Three, said it was \"very disappointed\" the CMA had published the letter. The European Commission has until 19 May to make a decision on Three's proposed \u00a310.5bn takeover of O2. Hutchison said: \"It is no surprise that CMA opposes the merger. It always has, and so has Ofcom. But it is for the Commission to assess any competition concerns, on the basis of the facts and proposed remedies.\" Sky, Virgin, Tesco and UK Broadband have agreed to use Three-O2's share of UK airwaves to offer their own mobile packages, the company said. \"The entry of so many diverse, strong and committed players will ensure that there is plenty of competition in the UK market and plenty of counter offers to any supposed price increases post-merger,\" it said. Three's owner added that it would invest \u00a35bn in UK mobile infrastructure and that new entrants would add a further \u00a35bn. The planned purchase of O2 by Hutchison, which is owned by Asia's richest person Li Ka-shing, was announced early last year. If approved, the deal would leave just two other major UK operators: EE and Vodafone. Hutchison sent its suggested remedies to the European Commission last week to smooth the takeover. The CMA said the remedies \"fall well short\" and insisted the Commission should instead force most of O2 or Three's mobile network to be sold off after the deal. \"Absent such structural remedies, the only option available to the Commission is prohibition,\" Alex Chisholm, chief executive of the CMA, said in the letter to the European Commission. European competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager will make the final decision on the deal, rather than UK regulators. \"At best we see UK deal approval odds at 50/50. The risk, here, is the decision could become increasingly political (from a UK perspective it already is) as it's so close to the Brexit vote,\" said Mandeep Singh, a partner at Redburn analysts. Campaigners for a British exit from the EU - known as \"Brexit\" - have already raised concerns about the European Commission having the final say instead of the CMA or Ofcom. The Commission has previously approved deals in Ireland, Austria and Germany that reduced the number of mobile networks from four to three. The UK telecoms market is going through significant change, with broadband, mobile and subscription TV providers increasingly competing with each other. BT re-entered the mobile market earlier this year after its \u00a312.5bn takeover of EE was approved by the CMA. Tom Mockridge, Virgin Media chief executive, said: \"A combined O2-Three would provide a counter balance to the strength of BT/EE, offering an alternative source of capacity to other providers who will drive competition in their own right.\"", "summary": "The planned merger of mobile networks O2 and Three should be blocked or severely restricted by EU regulators, the UK competition watchdog has said."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old led Sarries to the Premiership and European Champions Cup titles last season while Hargreaves was sidelined through injury. Barritt has made 171 appearances since joining Saracens in 2008 and has won 26 international caps for England. Director of rugby Mark McCall said Barritt had shown \"exceptional leadership qualities\". The Ulsterman continued: \"He is ideally qualified to be our captain. \"Brad is someone who leads through example - through his actions, attitude and application. He is one of the most competitive players I have ever come across. \"He stepped in to the captaincy role last season in Alistair's absence with real aplomb.\" Saracens begin their defence of the Premiership title against Worcester on Saturday, 3 September while the north London side have been drawn to face Toulon, Sale and Scarlets in the pool stage of the Champions Cup.", "summary": "Double winners Saracens have appointed centre Brad Barritt as captain, replacing Alistair Hargreaves."}
{"article": "The sentence follows his conviction last month on charges that include espionage. Officials did not give details about the sentence but said in a statement it included jail time. Jason Rezaian, 39, has been detained in Iran for more than a year. The Post has dismissed the charges as absurd. \"In brief, it is a prison sentence,\" judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said in a statement on Iranian state TV. He added that the verdict is \"not finalised\" - referring to an expected appeal. Rezaian's lawyer, Leila Ahsan, told the Associated Press news agency she had not been informed of the verdict or the details of the sentence. The foreign editor of the Washington Post, Douglas Jehl, said in a statement that Rezaian's \"trial and sentence are a sham, and he should be released immediately\". He added that the journalist had already spent 487 days in prison. Rezaian, his wife, who is also a journalist, and two photojournalists were arrested in July 2014 in Iran. Rezaian was the only one of the group not to be released. The Post's Tehran bureau chief since 2012, he was charged with espionage and distributing propaganda against the Islamic Republic. He is a dual Iranian-American citizen and was tried in four hearings behind closed doors. He was convicted in October. Earlier reports said Rezaian could face 10 to 20 years in prison.", "summary": "Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian has been sentenced to an unspecified prison term in Iran, the country's judiciary has said."}
{"article": "The Australian navy ship HMAS Maitland and four merchant vessels were involved in rescue operations 75km (45 miles) south-west of Indonesia's Java Island. The search followed a distress call on Wednesday from a vessel which said it had 150 people on board. Indonesian teams had searched the waters, but could not locate the boat. The country's search and rescue agency, Basarnas, sent two boats and a helicopter to the area on Wednesday but found nothing and returned to base. But on Thursday a merchant vessel said it had found six people in the water, and more survivors were rescued during the day. \"Three survivors have serious injuries, but are in a stable condition. They are on board HMAS Maitland,\" the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said in a statement. It added that merchant vessels APL Bahrain, Gwenolen, AR Carelia and Da Ging Xia were involved in the search. Source: Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship Captain Manuel Nistorescu from the APL Bahrain ship told the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper that a group of Afghan men he picked up had been in the water for 24 hours. There were also women and children on the missing boat, he added. \"They had an engine break and the water was coming, and the pump for pumping out the water was not working and the boat sinks. This is what I understand from them,\" he said. The number of missing people could not be confirmed, Australia's Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare told reporters. \"We have grave fears for a lot more,\" he said. ''Don't underestimate how difficult this task is; don't underestimate how big the sea that we're searching is.'' Asylum seekers often target Christmas Island, off Australia's northwest coast, to get to the country. They make the journey from Indonesia in boats that are usually overloaded and poorly maintained. In June, a boat with 200 asylum seekers sank near the island - 17 bodies were found and another 70 were feared dead after a three-day search. That was the second boat to sink in a week, reigniting the debate on asylum in parliament. Earlier this month, lawmakers approved the re-opening of offshore processing camps for asylum seekers in Nauru and PNG. The moves are aimed at deterring asylum seekers from making the dangerous journey to Australia by boat, amid an increasing number of arrivals. Australia says it will also increase its intake of refugees to 20,000 a year, from the current 13,750, in line with recommendations by an expert panel.", "summary": "Australian and commercial ships plucked 55 people from the sea as a search continued after a boat carrying asylum seekers was believed to have sunk."}
{"article": "Gerry Holtham was commissioned by the Welsh government to look at the pros and cons of the way that government gets its budget. He found, among other things, that Wales would be treated more generously if Wales were funded on the basis of need rather than the population-based Barnett formula. Politicians have used his findings ever since to make the case for a change to the formula on the basis of the shortfall suffered by the Welsh government. I've been talking to Gerry Holtham as part of a discussion on a report he wrote for the Institute of Welsh Affairs. So how big is that shortfall? He told me: \"At the time we did the research it was \u00c2\u00a3300 m to \u00c2\u00a3400 m a year less than it would get if it were an English region getting needs-based grants. We don't know what that is now. \"Given the squeeze on public finances it's probably a smaller number, the shortfall is probably less than it was then. Even then, it was only a couple of per cent of the Welsh budget so we're probably down to one per cent of the Welsh budget.\" In comments that may yet be worth recalling the next time you hear a politician use his figures, he added: \"It's not going to change the world. Welsh government has to find a way forward apart from just complaining about the grant.\"", "summary": "He is Wales's most quoted economist, his name often called in aid by those who think the country is under-funded from Westminster."}
{"article": "The long-running debate over the future of the B-listed building could finally be decided by Perth and Kinross Council next week. A meeting of the full council will discuss two bids, which re-imagine the hall as either a luxury hotel or an indoor food market and community hub. Experts hired by the council have recommended backing the market plan. Demolition plans are on hold until the redevelopment proposals are considered. The Edwardian building, which dates back to 1911, was closed 10 years ago after a modern new concert hall was opened in the city. The council wanted to demolish it to make way for a new civic square, and hoped Historic Scotland would withdraw its objection to this plan if no firm plans for redevelopment could be agreed. Councillors agreed exactly a year ago to publicly market a 125-year lease for the hall to finally settle whether a realistic alternative to demolition exists. Five bids were received, but only two were found to be compliant with guidelines. One is a \u00a34.8m proposal from the Seventy Group, previously backed by city planners, to convert the building into a 32-room hotel, with a rooftop bar and restaurant open to the public. The other, from Perth Market Place Ltd to use the main hall as a food hall and the lesser hall as a community space for hire, had been rejected by experts at an earlier draft stage. Redevelopment would cost \u00a32.7m, with backing from Market Place Europe and Groupe Geraud, Europe's largest investor and operator of specialist markets. In a report to councillors, independent firm Jones Laing LaSalle recommended choosing the marketplace bid, which they said was far more detailed than the one they had previously advised against accepting. They said the chief difference between the bids was that Seventy Group proposed to pay a nominal \u00a31 a year in rent, while Perth Market Place Ltd offered to pay \u00a320,000, plus 7.5% of their annual turnover above that sum. They also said that the Seventy Group proposal had only outlined 65% of the required funding, which was a \"significant weakness\" of the hotel bid. If councillors give their backing to either proposal, council officers will be instructed to agree lease terms with the preferred bidder for approval at a later meeting. Officers noted that \"an element of risk will require to be borne by the council until a lease is signed\" should a chosen plan fall through.", "summary": "Two proposals to save Perth's demolition-threatened City Hall are to be considered by councillors."}
{"article": "Bridgend county council wants to knock down Malc's Cafe in Rest Bay, to make way for the new modern facility. Porthcawl Civic Trust Society has objected to the two-storey building saying it was \"out of accord\" with the area's character. Councillors have backed it but said traffic plans must still be agreed. The proposals were being considered by the council's development control committee on Thursday. The council hopes the building - with public toilets, changing rooms, a new cafe/bistro, function room and covered dog walkers' area - will be used by water sports clubs. Residents said the plans would increase parking problems, late-night noise and anti-social behaviour, and the height of the building would impact on the \"unspoilt\" appearance of the coastline. The council said: \"If successful, the water sports centre and cafe at Rest Bay will provide new high-quality facilities near the award-winning blue flag beach while establishing an iconic, contemporary attraction capable of supporting and developing sports and leisure activities in the area.\" Approving the proposals, the committee has imposed a number of conditions in a bid to ease the public concerns. The centre will not be allowed to operate after 21:00 in the evening and staff parking, turning area and delivery yard plans must be agreed. The council said a traffic management plan for the development must also be submitted and approved before construction can get under way.", "summary": "Plans to build a new water sports centre in Porthcawl have been approved, despite concerns it could spoil the coastline."}
{"article": "Colin McKay, 34, was found guilty of attacking the woman twice, raping a 15-year-old girl and indecently assaulting another female in West Lothian. McKay had denied the offences but was found guilty after an earlier trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. Sentencing him, Judge Lady Wolffe told him he had preyed on \"vulnerable women\". She ordered that he be kept under supervision for a further two years and be put on the sex offenders register. McKay was found guilty of raping the mother on two occasions at her home in the summer of 2005 and raping the teenage girl the same year at a house in West Lothian. The court heard that he turning up at the first victim's door and attacked her after removing the baby from her arms. He was also convicted of carrying out the indecent assault on the third victim at a house in Armadale in 2011. The judge said that the case disclosed him to be \"a predatory sexual offender preying on vulnerable women when the opportunity arose\". Lady Wolffe said: \"You have been convicted of a number of predatory rapes of women who were vulnerable by reason of their age or circumstances.\" She told McKay he had been assessed as posing a high risk of further violent offending. She added: \"You are noted as adopting a position of extreme denial and blame your victims.\" Defence counsel Ian Duguid QC said: \"His evidence was to deny categorically that any of these allegations took place.\" But the defence counsel acknowledged that a jail sentence was \"inevitable\" following his conviction for the offences. Mr Duguid said the proceedings had been a \"chastening\" experience for McKay and added: \"He is unlikely to be involved in any kind of this activity in the future.\"", "summary": "A man who raped a mother moments after taking her baby from her arms has been jailed for eight years."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Forest have slipped to 17th in the table, having won just once in eight Championship matches. Cohen, 29, told BBC Nottingham Sport bad results were not down to \"a couple of little mix-ups with payments\". \"That is not any kind of reason why we are not getting results,\" Cohen said. \"Anyone that says that is lying and using it as an excuse to hide the fact they are not doing well enough.\" Reds owner and chairman Fawaz Al Hasawi is close to selling up to a United States consortium, but has denied reports he is demanding a large annual salary and huge bonuses as part of any takeover deal. The Guardian article also claimed the players had to be placated over late payments and unpaid bonuses. But Cohen, Forest's longest-serving player having joined in 2007, added: \"There have been issues over the years and everything has always been resolved, but because results are not going well and the media have got involved it has magnified the situation. \"They always get sorted out, as they will be this time, and then we move on. \"You don't want it to happen and would rather everything just ran completely smoothly but they are small issues. Talk of players' revolt - if that was going to happen then I missed it. \"It's not as big an issue as everyone is saying but you want to iron out the small details. \"There is a good relationship and always has been between the chairman and players and that hasn't changed over the last few weeks. I would be surprised if the same story had come if we had won the last five games.\"", "summary": "Nottingham Forest captain Chris Cohen says the club's impending takeover, off-field distractions and \"small issues\" with late payments and unpaid bonuses are no excuse for poor form."}
{"article": "The Public Accounts Committee criticised the Department for Transport (DfT) for buying stock itself for the Intercity Express programme and the Thameslink project. The MPs also said it was \"extremely disappointing\" that the Thameslink carriages would not be built in the UK. The DfT said the schemes would \"bring enormous benefits to passengers\". The committee said the government had decided to lead on the procurement on the two schemes, \"despite having no previous experience of doing so\". The contracts are to supply, finance and maintain the new carriages. Previously, this would be done by the train operating companies, the report said. But in this instance, the DfT had decided to intervene because of the \"massive scale and complexity of both procurements\". A Hitachi-led consortium is supplying 866 new carriages for the Intercity Express programme, which will replace ageing trains on the Great Western and East Coast lines. In the other contract, German company Siemens is supplying 1,140 new Thameslink coaches to provide improved capacity on cross-London rail routes. The combined cost of the two contracts is about \u00a310.5bn. The report said that by buying the trains directly, the DfT had taken on the risk of passenger forecasts being wrong. \"If demand proves to be lower than forecast, taxpayers would have to cover the costs of any financial shortfall,\" it said. \"These two major projects also demonstrate yet again that the department has limited capacity and capability to manage large-scale procurements, and that it remains overly reliant on consultants.\" The MPs welcomed Hitachi's decision to build 592 carriages in County Durham, creating a reported 900 new jobs, but committee chairwoman Margaret Hodge added: \"It is extremely disappointing that Siemens will not also be manufacturing the Thameslink carriages in the UK, when the \u00a32.8bn contract is funded by the UK taxpayer and farepayer.\" The MPs said the government should be \"more assertive\" in asking for information from contractors in this area. Siemens is building the 1,140 carriages in Germany, but claims up to 2,000 jobs will be created in the UK supply chain. Mick Cash, general secretary of the RMT transport union, said: \"The companies using these trains get to privatise the profits while the public get to shoulder over \u00a310bn of risks. It is an absolute disgrace.\" A DfT spokesman said: \"Successive governments have considered how best to deliver these orders and have come to the same conclusion, that government should lead with expert support and advice from the train operating companies. \"IEP and Thameslink are making excellent progress and are on track to deliver very good value for taxpayers and improved services for passengers. They are also creating thousands of new jobs across the UK rail industry.\"", "summary": "Taxpayers have been left \"bearing all the risk\" from purchases of new trains worth \u00a310.5bn, MPs say."}
{"article": "The schoolgirl's body has never been found after she disappeared in 1994. Two years after she went missing, police dug up parts of her sister's house and garden looking for the body. The inquest was told that that the information that led to the search was based on an overheard conversation. It came from an unnamed source who Brian McVicker, the senior investigating officer at the time, described as sincere. Mr McVicker told the inquest in Belfast that, in his opinion, the source was a \"genuine person trying to help the police at a time when it didn't happen in that area\". Arlene, from Castlederg, was 15 years old when she disappeared after a night out in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. Convicted child killer Robert Howard, who died in prison last year, was the main suspect in her disappearance. Nothing was found in the search of Kathleen Arkinson's home in 1996. Counsel for the Arkinson family said to Mr McVicker: \"You could be honest as the day is long but reciting something you overheard other people say doesn't vouch for credibility.\" Mr McVicker said that with hindsight he still believed \"it was the right course of action\". Asked why that was the case, he said: \"To ascertain if the information was correct; to remove any cloud of suspicion from the Arkinson family; and to put the spotlight back on Robert Howard as the main suspect.\" The inquest heard that Mr McVicker met the source, whom he did not know, and a conduit from whom the information was passed to the police. The conduit, who has not been named, was described by the retired police officer as a \"person held in high esteem in that area\". Another witness who gave evidence to the inquest on Thursday was retired police detective Arnold McAllister, who interviewed Howard. He said he could not remember the outcome of a complaint to the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland regarding the police investigation into Arlene's disappearance, in spite of having been interviewed by the ombudsman's office. The then ombudsman, Nuala O'Loan, upheld the complaint, finding that police had not acted properly or expeditiously to arrest Howard. The ombudsman found there were grounds to arrest Howard 48 hours after Arlene went missing. Mr McVicker said he had been involved in a large amount of terrorist-related work at the time and was asked if the investigation into Arlene's disappearance was \"a bit of a nuisance to you\". \"Definitely not,\" he said. He said he could not remember why it took 46 days to arrest Howard. He accepted the delay in arresting Howard was because police had no evidence against him.", "summary": "A decision to extensively search the home of the sister of missing County Tyrone girl Arlene Arkinson was prompted by hearsay, an inquest into the teenager's death has heard."}
{"article": "The Landmark Trust has funding for Llwyn Celyn farmhouse in Monmouthshire, with the aim of restoring its 500-plus years of architectural legacy. The Grade 1 Listed medieval hall house is considered the most significant inhabited \"at risk\" building in Wales. Welsh heritage body Cadw and the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) gave grants totalling \u00c2\u00a3670,000. Thought to date from around 1480, the property is said to represent key developments in Welsh architecture between the 15th and 18th Centuries and a textbook example of the development of the British manor house. Largely untouched for the past century, the house is in more than six acres (2.6 hectares) of ground, near Llanvihangel Crucorney in the Llanthony Valley, and still has smoke-blackened roofs from its early years - the chimneys and floors were added in the 17th Century. Jennifer Stewart, of the NHMF, said the aim of the work was to \"build up the story and the story book of who lived in the property at different stages\". She said: \"Because it has been in private hands for 100 years, we really don't know that much about it. \"Unlike modern houses, we don't know what is behind the panelling. We want to see what this house is like inside and what it was like to live in this house. There's a huge amount to be discovered there.\" However, it is thought that the original owner must have been someone of considerable status and wealth and there is possibly a connection with Llanthony Priory which is situated less than six miles away. The Landmark Trust is to begin fundraising for the restoration and the house, which sits within the Brecon Beacons National Park, will be available for rent as holiday accommodation. SOURCE: Cadw Ms Stewart added: \"Often the way to preserve [buildings like this] is to find them a use. This is an other way to find a modern use for an ancient building. \"This is helping the building to \"breathe\" if you like. If people have enjoyed their stay, they may well provide additional funds.\" Peter Pearce, director of the Landmark Trust, said: \"The importance of Llwyn Celyn in helping us understand the development of high status Welsh houses more fully cannot be understated.\"", "summary": "It may not look like much now, but this in-need-of-attention property is set to be a holiday let for history fans."}
{"article": "Addressing a meeting of backbenchers, the PM reportedly said she would serve as \"long as you want me to do\". One senior backbencher told the BBC that she had appeared \"contrite and genuine but not on her knees\". It comes amid confusion over whether the Queen's Speech will be delayed as talks continue to form a government. A senior minister has said he was \"optimistic\" that the Conservatives and Democratic Unionists will reach an agreement in the coming days to allow a proposed Tory minority government get its plans for the year ahead through the Commons, possibly as early as next Monday. But First Secretary of State Damian Green said he could not confirm the Queen's Speech will proceed as planned on 19 June. Labour said the government was \"in chaos\" and continued to be \"in denial\" about the message voters had sent about their opposition to an \"extreme Brexit\". Mrs May addressed a packed meeting of the 1922 Committee for 90 minutes after her failure to win the election outright prompted days of speculation about her future. According to reports of the meeting, she accepted personal responsibility for calling the snap election and for the result, which saw her party lose its overall majority and have to rely on the support of others. Mrs May, who earlier chaired a two-hour cabinet meeting, reportedly told the committee, a group of backbench MPs, that the DUP would not have a \"veto\" on the government's agenda, and there would be no watering down of equalities laws over which the two parties disagree. The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg said the PM's \"colleagues were demanding contrition and sounds like they got it\". While calls for Mrs May to go had \"faded\", she said her authority was \"extremely fractured\" and had acknowledged she was not \"calling the shots\" any more. Reacting to the meeting, Tory MP Julian Knight said that the prime minister had been \"humble and steadfast and certain that we have to get on with the job of government and negotiating Brexit\". His colleague Sarah Wollaston tweeted: \"Conservative MPs all said they were standing with TM. As far as I'm concerned that hasn't changed.\" One Conservative ex-minister told the BBC that Theresa May \"did brilliantly\", suggesting that \"the \"Maybot\" disappeared and we got a real leader back\". In the wake of Friday's setback, Conservative figures have said the party needs to learn the lessons of its failure to win an overall majority and change direction in some key areas. Gavin Barwell, who lost his seat but has since been appointed Mrs May's chief of staff, said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had \"tapped into\" public anger over Brexit and austerity, saying some voters were dismayed about the prospect of years of future public sector pay freezes. He told the BBC's Panorama his party had to listen to Remain voters about their concerns. Meanwhile his colleague George Freeman said it was time for the government to \"drop a hard Brexit\" message and return to a \"message of hope\" he said Mrs May articulated when she first", "summary": "Theresa May has apologised to Tory MPs for the party's election performance, telling them \"I got us into this mess I'll get us out of it.\""}
{"article": "It is a pretty astonishing story of rebirth. Ten years ago al-Qaeda was on the run. It had lost training camps, money and men - crushed by American and Pakistani operations. And then, to make matters worse, its local franchise in Iraq went off the rails, becoming so barbaric that al-Qaeda's own supporters turned against it. So how did al-Qaeda turn things around? In a word: strategy. It learnt from its mistakes and went on a charm offensive - delivering gas and water to people, taking over bakeries and selling cut-price bread. And it seems to be working. Al-Qaeda and its affiliates are known to operate in Syria and Iraq, in Afghanistan and in Yemen, and in several African countries including Mali, Somalia and Niger. While IS is losing support all over the Middle East, al-Qaeda's star is rising. In fact, it is now so popular that, in the long run, al-Qaeda may pose the greater threat. You can listen to The Inquiry: What happened to al-Qaeda? on the BBC World Service website or download the programme podcast.", "summary": "Barely out of the headlines a few years ago, al-Qaeda may now appear to have been eclipsed by so-called Islamic State - but, according to four of the world's leading experts on the organisation founded by Osama Bin Laden, it is more dangerous than ever, as The Inquiry team explains."}
{"article": "The Dow Jones hit a new record high closing up 24.45 points to 18,372.12. The S&P 500 climbed just 0.29 points to 2,152.43, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq index slipped 17.09 to 5,005.73. Investors remained cautious ahead of the corporate earnings season, with major firms due to release results over the next few weeks, starting with JP Morgan on Thursday. Shares in JP Morgan Chase slipped 0.2%. Delta Airlines which also reports quarterly results on Thursday closed 1.5% lower. Health insurance providers saw a rise in their share price after a report said healthcare spending in the US would rise by 5.8% per year over the next decade. Insurance provider Humana gained 4.3%, while Aetna climbed 3.2%. Shares of Juno Therapeutics added 9.5% despite a lawsuit that was filed against it this week. The lawsuit alleges that Juno and its chief executive Hans Bishop misled investors about the death of a patient in a drug trial. Global oil prices fell by 4%. Brent crude oil dropped to $46.48 per barrel and West Texas crude slipped to $45 per barrel.", "summary": "(Closed): Wall Street finished with mixed results as a three-day rally showed signs of slowing."}
{"article": "Guy Hedger was shot by intruders who entered a house in St Ives, near Ringwood, Dorset, just after 03:00 BST on Sunday. He later died in hospital. The men, who wore balaclavas, stole jewellery including designer watches before fleeing the property. No arrests have been made and police have not recovered the shotgun used to kill the 61-year-old. A helicopter was used to search the area following the shooting, which police believe was a planned burglary that turned violent. Detectives said a second person who was in the \u00c2\u00a31m Castlewood property at the time of the break-in was \"deeply affected by the incident\" and is currently being supported by specially trained officers. He lived in the property with his husband of 12 years, Simon-Pierre Hedger-Cooper, according to the Press Association. Det Ch Insp Sarah Derbyshire said: \"At this stage we are still trying to establish exactly what happened at the address and how and why the victim was shot dead. \"I am appealing for anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious in the area, or was in the area at that time, to contact Dorset Police as soon as possible.\" A spokesman for his former employer, insurance firm Liverpool Victoria (LV), said: \"We were all shocked to hear that our friend and colleague Guy Hedger... died over the weekend in such tragic circumstances. \"Our heartfelt condolences and sympathy are with his family and loved ones at this incredibly sad time.\" Through his work as marketing and brand director at LV, Mr Hedger became a director at Avonbourne International and Business and Enterprise Trust, which runs colleges and a primary school in the Bournemouth area. The trust's CEO Debbie Godfrey-Phuare said: \"Guy was a very kind and generous man who volunteered and gave his time freely to Avonbourne. \"[He] had a deep passion for education and was dedicated to expanding the experience and knowledge of children in Bournemouth.\" Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning", "summary": "Police are searching for at least two people over the shooting of a marketing executive who was shot in his own home."}
{"article": "Reports say some protesters tried to enter the government building but were pushed back by police. Thousands of protesters gathered on European Square again after a huge rally on Sunday - the biggest since the 2004 Orange Revolution. They are angry at the government's decision not to sign a major trade and association deal with the EU. In recent weeks the government has come under Russian pressure not to sign the pact, but to join a Russian-led customs union with former Soviet states instead. Opposition leaders, including world heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, called the government's decision \"shameful\" and vowed to keep up mass protests in central Kiev indefinitely. The activists included supporters of jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, who urged the government to release her - a plea that has also been made by EU politicians. Ms Tymoshenko wants to get treatment in Germany for chronic back pain and the EU has made her release a key condition for signing the pact with Kiev. But last week Ukraine's parliament rejected legislation that would have enabled her to go. More than 100,000 people rallied in Kiev on Sunday, the opposition said. Police estimated the crowd at about 50,000. Hundreds of protesters stayed in tents on the square overnight, despite an order from the authorities not to do so. Tents were a big feature of the pro-Western Orange Revolution, which challenged Russia's traditional influence in Ukrainian politics. Viktor Yanukovych is president now, having been elected in 2010, but back in 2004 he was toppled by the Orange Revolution after an election widely condemned as fraudulent. The authorities have launched criminal proceedings against some activists who clashed with police on Sunday. By David SternBBC News, Kiev The crowds have diminished considerably after yesterday's gigantic and historic demonstration in central Kiev. But tensions have not lessened. More confrontations between protesters and police early Monday morning in front of Ukraine's government building indicate that the situation remains very volatile. A few thousand people turned out on Monday, and around 200 spent the night on two main squares, where rallies continue today. In an echo of the Orange Revolution nine years ago, protesters set up a tent camp in front of the main demonstration's stage. Ukrainian opposition leaders say political actions will continue through the week until the Vilnius summit, where Ukrainian officials were supposed to sign the free trade agreement with the EU. Many demonstrators say that they believe President Viktor Yanukovych will succumb to the pressure of the rallies and complete another about-turn - and sign the agreement. This of course depends on whether the protesters can maintain their own momentum over the coming days. The Interfax-Ukraine new agency said several hundred protesters gathered outside the government building on Monday and various objects \"started flying in the direction of the police\", prompting the police to don gas masks and form a human chain. Some activists told a BBC reporter at the scene that there were athletic-looking young people in the crowd whom they suspected of being agents provocateurs. In addition to Vitali Klitschko, opposition leaders", "summary": "Ukrainian police have used tear gas in fresh clashes with pro-EU activists in the heart of Ukraine's capital Kiev."}
{"article": "The Isle of Man Met Office predicts wind speeds could reach up to 55mph (88km/h) later and on Thursday. The 08:45 GMT sailing between Douglas and Heysham and the 14:15 are affected, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company said. A spokesman said the 19:45 and overnight service could also face disruption or cancellation. Affected passengers have been asked to contact the company. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for cold and windy weather on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with a \"likelihood of hail, snow and temperatures close to zero\". It has also issued a flood warning for Peel promenade at high tide at 10:15.", "summary": "Strong winds have led to the cancellation of two ferry crossings between the Isle of Man and Lancashire."}
{"article": "The rainbow flags with the Jewish symbol \"made people feel unsafe\", an organiser told the Windy City Times. Laurel Grauer said she was told to leave the so-called Dyke March \"because my flag was a trigger to people that they found offensive\". The organisers later hit back, saying Israel hides behind LGBT-rights. \"It was a flag from my congregation which celebrates my queer, Jewish identity which I have done for over a decade marching in the Dyke March with the same flag,\" Ms Grauer told Windy City Times. Ms Grauer, who works for A Wider Bridge, which supports LGBT people in Israel, said she lost count of how many times she was verbally harassed by other marchers on Saturday. The Dyke March takes place one day ahead of the city's official Pride March. It is described by organisers as being a \"more inclusive, more social justice-oriented\" march than the city's main Pride parade. In a social media post, the Dyke March said: \"This decision was made after [the expelled marchers] repeatedly expressed support for Zionism during conversations with Dyke March Collective members.\" Ms Grauer told the Times: \"People asked me if I was a Zionist and I said, 'yes, I do care about the state of Israel, but I also believe in a two-state solution and an independent Palestine.' \"It's hard to swallow the idea of inclusion when you are excluding people from that,\" she continued. \"People are saying, 'You can be gay but not in this way.' We do not feel welcomed. We do not feel included.\" In a statement, the Dyke March Collective later accused Ms Grauer's organistion of \"using Israel's supposed 'LGBTQ tolerance' to pinkwash the violent occupation of Palestine\". A Wider Bridge hit back in a statement, saying: \"That the organisers would choose to dismiss long-time community members for choosing to express their Jewish identity or spirituality runs counter to the very values the Dyke March claims to uphold, and veers down a dangerous path toward anti-Semitism.\" They called upon the Dyke March Collective to issue a full apology. Red State, a conservative blog, wrote: \"When you're the organizer of a gay pride parade meant to celebrate 'inclusiveness,' then you're not just engaging in bigotry and anti-Semitism, but you're saying to the world you're also a giant hypocrite.\"", "summary": "Organisers of an LGBT-rights festival in Chicago are being accused of anti-Semitism after they expelled marchers carrying the Star of David."}
{"article": "It followed a \"network-wide failure\" that caused delays, a Metrolink spokeswoman said. There had been a communications failure between the control room in the depot and trams on the network, she added. Metrolink boss Danny Vaughan said: \"I'd like to apologise once again and thank passengers for their understanding.\" There is no indication the fault was caused by hacking. In May, the tram network was shut down because control room staff lost visible sight of trams.", "summary": "All tram services have resumed in Greater Manchester after the whole network shut down on Saturday following a communications problem."}
{"article": "Concerned that their messages may be intercepted, the leadership has also banned members from using smart phones. The group has long run what is regarded as a slick media machine. Even without smart phones, it has been known for its sophisticated handling of social media, a reputation at odds with its regular bans on communication technology for Somali citizens. In particular, it has made extensive use of Twitter in order to get its message across. It has also devoted considerable resources to producing a series of promotional videos. Al-Shabab's material aims to spread the group's ideology of establishing an Islamic state in Somalia, in line with al-Qaeda's stated ambition of setting up a global Islamic caliphate. It wants to achieve this both by military conquest and also the conversion of souls - for which communication technology is a key tool. Al-Shabab's well-produced video documentaries deliver the jihadi narrative in an appealing form to Somali audiences in the diaspora. They are aimed at young people of Somali origin such as Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow, a suspect in last year's Westgate mall attack in Kenya. His family is said to have moved to Norway as refugees in 1999. The group's documentaries are produced by its media arm, the al-Kataib foundation. Many of them show al-Shabab engaging in charity work and other activities that depict the group as a legitimate authority. However, they can also be quite gruesome - showing the corpses of those they have killed, including alleged spies who are often beheaded. And they contain threats to their perceived enemies - in Somalia, neighbouring countries such as Kenya which are helping Somalia's government and the West. The videos portray al-Shabab's fight as part of a wider global conflict in which Islam is under threat. Al-Shabab also has its own radio station, Radio Andalus. The group has acquired half a dozen relay stations, mainly by seizing private radio stations such as HornAfrik, Holy Koran Radio and the Global Broadcasting Corporation radio and their equipment - including some from the BBC. The website Kismaayo News reported that by 2013, the group had 50 journalists working for Andalus radio. When it comes to recruiting presenters, al-Shabab is known for its attention to detail. It generally takes care to use presenters with British or American accents to deliver its English language audio statements. With statements in Arabic, standard Arabic is used, and the presenters clearly have a high level of education in the language and in Islamic texts. Swahili-language presenters use classical Kiswahili as spoken in Tanzania and coastal Kenya. The majority of al-Shabab's audio output, though, is in Somali and is presented articulately and fluently. A number of pro-al-Shabab websites have emerged, which host material produced by the group and act as vehicles for furthering its military aims. The content is intended to frustrate efforts by the Somali government and its allies - mainly the African Union forces fighting in Somalia - to eliminate the group. Al-Shabab has often used Twitter to challenge the veracity of claims made by the African Union forces. Its Twitter accounts are", "summary": "A recent al-Shabab directive that all its members change their mobile phone numbers shows how tech-savvy the al-Qaeda-linked Somali Islamist group remains and how their communications strategy is key to their survival."}
{"article": "The RSPCA visited Margaret Greaves's house after concerns were raised about the welfare of dogs at the property. Inspectors found 30 dogs living in \"their own little prison cells\" with no food or water. Six puppies, two cats and two parrots were also found. The dogs were found in squalid conditions all over the house, as well as seven living in a van. RSPCA inspector Laura Kirkham said: \"They were living in their own little prison cells - it was absolutely horrific. \"There were faeces and urine in the crates and, in some, there were two dogs in each. \"The smell was disgusting, it was so overpowering that it was burning my throat.\" Five of the dogs were put to sleep on veterinary advice and a puppy removed from the property died from natural causes. The remaining animals are in RSPCA care or have been re-homed. Greaves, of Rookery Lane, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Mansfield Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. She was also banned from keeping any animal for three years. The RSPCA said Greaves ran a Nottinghamshire-based dog flyball team and has previously competed in national and international competitions. Flyball sees two teams of four dogs each racing side-by-side over a 51ft (15.6m) course, releasing and catching a ball.", "summary": "A flyball trainer who competed internationally has been banned from keeping dogs for life after 40 animals were found at her home in \"horrific\" conditions."}
{"article": "The 53-year-old was due to have what he described as \"simple and straightforward\" surgery on Monday to relieve a \"tightness of the arteries\". However, after extensive tests Allen was allowed to return home and will take first-team training on Thursday. Barnet are 12th in the table, two points off the play-off places. A statement on the club website said tests on Allen's condition are ongoing.", "summary": "Barnet manager Martin Allen will take charge of Saturday's League Two match against Crewe after a surgeon decided not to operate on a minor heart issue."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Laura Robson and Kyle Edmund were both beaten in straight sets, with James Ward, Alex Ward, Brydan Klein and Naomi Broady also out on the opening day. Evans, 26, won 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (9-7) 7-5 against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff in three hours and 17 minutes. British number ones Andy Murray and Johanna Konta play on Tuesday. Fifteen British players made the main singles draws - the most at the All England Club since 2006 - though that number was significantly reduced on a tough opening day for the home hopes. But, in the most remarkable story of the day, British qualifier Willis - ranked 772 in the world - was a straight-set victor over world number 54 Ricardis Berankis. \"He's a good guy, friendly, harmless,\" Evans said of Willis. \"Not a bad bone really. He's a bit of a clown. What you see is what you get with him. \"He's just a bit of a joker, just enjoys himself. You know, he's a really nice guy, one of my good friends.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Evans has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance in the past year, climbing more than 650 places up the world rankings since dropping to 772nd in May 2015. Questions were raised about the Birmingham player's commitment to the sport when he did not turn up to a Futures event, while he also struggled with a knee injury. But he has rediscovered his fitness and form in the past 12 months, helping Great Britain win the Davis Cup and claiming three ATP Challenger titles. Now he has been further rewarded with his first win in the men's singles at Wimbledon. With just five places between Evans and world number 86 Struff in the rankings, it was not surprising to see a tight match on court 18. Evans took the first set before the pair traded tie-break wins, then the Briton shook off an injury scare in the fourth to secure his progress to huge acclaim. \"It was a good one, tough one,\" said Evans. \"I really enjoyed it, every part of the match, even the second set. It was good to get the win in the end, get another Brit through.\" Edmund, the British number three, went down 6-2 7-5 6-4 to France's Adrian Mannarino, the world number 55. Defeat means the 21-year-old is still waiting for his first win in the men's singles at Wimbledon. The Yorkshireman had the honour of being the first home player to walk out on to court, but was unable to provide a winning start for a partisan crowd on court two. Ranked 13 places below his opponent, he lost his serve early in the first set and never recovered in an edgy display. Mannarino, who reached the last 16 here in 2013, broke again in the opening game of the second set, before Edmund finally started to cause the French number nine some problems with his crunching forehands. There was a brief glimmer of hope for Edmund when he broke", "summary": "Dan Evans and Marcus Willis were the only Britons to win on the opening day of Wimbledon as six other home players lost their first-round matches."}
{"article": "They'll headline the British Summer Time festival on 20 June. The band, who got back together for a pair of reunion shows in the park six years ago, join Taylor Swift, Kylie and The Who on the bill. Speaking at a news conference in a London Chinatown restaurant, frontman Damon Albarn joked: \"I love it because I can cycle to work\". They'll be the only band ever to play Hyde Park four times after this performance. Bassist Alex James says that \"since we made our last record as a four-piece we have probably only done 20 gigs. \"So for me every time we play together it feels special but in order to keep doing it we need something news to do.\" Blur are also working on their first studio album as four-piece in 16 years, The Magic Whip. Guitarist Graham Coxon said they started recording in Hong Kong when a gig was cancelled. He said: \"we thought we'd put a few days, five or six days, to good use\". The album is influenced by the band's time in Far East. Damon Albarn confirmed one song was about time he spent in North Korea: \"it's my impression of the place, in a very abstract veiled way. \"When you listen to it is pretty self explanatory what it's about\". The singer also said it was nice to work with a basic set-up when they first started to make the album to see what they could create. He told the news conference that \"we didn't have much stuff so it was like recording when we first started doing stuff. It was a really small studio, it was really hot and claustrophobic. \"We just went in there and knocked about some ideas.\" The album will be released on 27 April. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube", "summary": "Blur are heading back to Hyde Park with their first album in more than a decade."}
{"article": "Police opened fire and used tear gas to disperse the crowds, but the news of the death brought more protesters onto the streets of the city of Srinagar. The area was in a security lockdown during Mr Modi's visit. Kashmir, claimed by both India and Pakistan in its entirety, has been a flashpoint for more than 60 years. The two South Asian rivals have fought two wars over the region in the Himalayas. During his one-day trip, Mr Modi steered clear of discussing politics. Instead, he focused on an aid package to the region, promising $12bn (\u00c2\u00a38bn). Mr Modi expressed hopes that his could \"change the fate of Kashmir\". \"I want to build a new Kashmir, a powerful Kashmir,\" the prime minister said. But several separatist leaders warned that a political problem could not have an economic solution. \"PM Modi has made the same mistake of weighing the Kashmir issue in rupees,\" said Omar Abdullah, the former chief minister of the state.", "summary": "A demonstrator has been killed in clashes with government troops in Indian-administered Kashmir, following a visit there by PM Narendra Modi."}
{"article": "The National Enquirer and RadarOnline reported a 35-minute recording, apparently of the actor, making threats about former porn star Scottine Ross. Ms Ross has taken legal action against Sheen, claiming he physically abused her and had sex with her without disclosing his HIV positive status. Sheen has not commented on the reports. Earlier this week, police officers served a search warrant on the New York headquarters of American Media Inc, the parent company of both RadarOnline and the Enquirer. According to the warrant, the Los Angeles police investigation was triggered when Ms Ross made a complaint on 31 March saying she feared for her life after reading the reports. On Thursday, the publications - neither of which have published the audio alleged to contain the star saying he would like to see a former fiancee \"have her head kicked in\" - refused to hand over the material to police. Dylan Howard, the Enquirer's editor-in-chief and editorial director of RadarOnline, told Reuters the outlets had no plans to turn over documents or identify their sources. He said the search warrant, signed by an LA County Superior Court judge, was illegal under both state and federal law preventing the use of such warrants against media organisations relating to \"newsworthy\" information. He said: \"We do believe that a judge did issue this order against the law, and that's why we will not be complying with its order.\" In a televised interview in November 2015, Sheen said he had been diagnosed with HIV four years earlier. The former star of Two and Half Men and films including Wall Street and Platoon admitted his history of drink and drug abuse was a \"bad decision\" but said it was \"impossible\" he would have passed HIV on to anyone else. In December, Ms Ross - who was engaged to Sheen in 2014 before the relationship was broken off - filed a legal action against him accusing him of \"physical, psychological and emotional abuse\".", "summary": "Actor Charlie Sheen is facing a police investigation over claims he made threats against an ex-girlfriend, who is suing him for assault and battery."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device It is 25 years since Howard Wilkinson led Leeds to the 1992 title, the year before the Premier League was formed. \"I don't think it will last another 25 years,\" said Wenger, referring to \"many promising young English managers\". Wenger also defended his players after they were criticised for being too friendly with the Manchester United team prior to Sunday's game. And he offered sympathy to striker Lucas Perez over his lack of first-team action. The Gunners face Southampton in the Premier League at St Mary's on Wednesday, knowing a win will left them above Manchester United into fifth in the table, three points behind fourth-placed Manchester City. To mark 25 years since the last English manager won the top flight, at 19:30 BST on Tuesday a BBC Radio 5 live special asks if an English manager will ever win the Premier League. Wenger, who has won the title three times with Arsenal since taking over from Bruce Rioch in 1996, said: \"I don't think it is especially an England problem, it is down to the fact the Premier League has attraction power internationally and today all the big clubs have foreign managers. \"Before, many Scottish people have won the championship in England. We have many young English managers who are promising. \"The English federation has done a good job in educating coaches and you will see a change in that. \"When I arrived I remember there were articles saying foreign managers can never win the championship. \"It will change again, I'm convinced, we are at a turning point in English football history and some English managers will win the Premier League.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Match of the Day 2 pundits Phil Neville and Martin Keown criticised Arsenal and Manchester United players for hugging and laughing in the tunnel before the Gunners' 2-0 victory at the Emirates on Sunday. The former suggested that Nacho Monreal looked like he was \"going to a christening\". When asked about the incident, Wenger responded: \"I understand the pundits are a bit surprised. Ten, 15 years ago that didn't exist but it is an international thing now - you watch Real Madrid versus Barcelona and it is the same. \"It doesn't stop making players focused. It is pictures we're not used to seeing but it is part of the modern game. Maybe it happened 10, 15 years ago but you didn't have cameras in the tunnel.\" Arsenal signed Perez for \u00a317.1m from Deportivo La Coruna in August 2016 but the 28-year-old Spaniard has made just 21 appearances for the Gunners this season, starting only twice in the Premier League. He has scored seven times, including a hat-trick in the Champions League group game at Basel. \"He is a top quality striker, I couldn't give him the games he wants and deserves and I feel sorry for him,\" said Wenger. \"Don't take anything away from his quality. I would love to [keep him] if I am the manager but we have to sit down together", "summary": "It is only a matter of time before an English manager wins the Premier League title, says Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger."}
{"article": "It had been in talks with stadium operators the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) for six months over a naming-rights deal. But a Vodafone spokesman confirmed the company has \"no plans to sponsor the London Stadium\". A stadium spokesperson said they were still \"actively seeking a naming rights partner\". \"Interest remains high within the market and we are confident we will find the right partner,\" they said. Vodafone has reported an annual loss of \u00a35.2bn but denied this was a factor in its decision. A raid by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officials on West Ham's offices last month was also ruled out as a reason for the company to pull out, sources at the club and Vodafone have said. It is understood talks ceased because Vodafone did not think the range of events at the stadium where the 2012 Olympic Games was held was attractive enough for marketing purposes. The venue can only host a limited number of events because of its use as a football ground, although the World Athletics Championships and several concerts will be staged there this summer. This is the second time a sponsorship deal at the \u00a3750m stadium has faltered. Indian conglomerate Mahindra had been in talks with the LLDC last year. West Ham are unlikely to see any direct benefits from a sponsorship deal as under the tenancy arrangement, the LLDC take the first \u00a34m a year from any naming-rights contract.", "summary": "Telecoms company Vodafone has pulled out of a \u00a320m deal to sponsor West Ham's London Stadium home."}
{"article": "A US team of researchers found that forecasted shifts in climate by 2070 would occur too quickly for species of grass to adapt to the new conditions. The species facing an uncertain future include wheat, corn, rice and sorghum, which provide almost half of the calories consumed by humans. The findings appear in the Royal Society Biology Letter journal. Not only does the grass family (Poaceae) of more than 11,000 species form the staple of people's diets across the globe, natural grasslands cover about a quarter of the planet's land area and provide a home to a rich diversity of dependent flora and fauna. The team from the University of Arizona, US, observed: \"Thus, if climate change has strong negative impacts on grasses, there might be significant consequences for both global biodiversity and for humans.\" In order to gain an insight into the impact of projected climate change on the world's grasses, they estimated the rates of climate change niche change in a representative sample of 236 grass species and compared these rates with rates of projected climate change by 2070. \"A climatic niche is basically the temperature and precipitation conditions where a species occurs,\" explained co-author John Wiens from the university's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. \"What is important about it is that if you are thinking about one species living in one place and it can only survive under a limited set of conditions then, as the climate changes, it either has to shift its climatic niche or it is going to go locally extinct.\" He told BBC News: \"In other words, it either has to accommodate those new conditions or it will not be able to survive there any more.\" The team examined how quickly the grass species' climatic niches were able to change, based on they had changed in the past. \"What we found was that they do not change all that much - a few degrees Celsius over a million years. There are just small changes over long time scales,\" Dr Wiens observed. \"In some ways, that is the most important part of the story; these climatic niches generally seem to change relatively little and relatively slowly. \"Then we looked at future climate projections for a range of localities, and we asked how much they were going to change.\" The team found that the difference between the rates of change in the study's grass species' climate niche and projected changes in a location's climate was often \"20,000-fold\". \"The findings are similar across all the groups so they could be applied to wild species as well as to the cultivated ones. There is no way that cultivated species are somehow exempt from our findings,\" Dr Wiens added. These finding present a bleak outlook; apparently squashing the hope that crop species would be able to cope with a warming world. The study does not show species going globally extinct, rather it highlights how conditions are projected to change in a way that is beyond the climate niche of species, therefore species are likely to disappear from that location.", "summary": "A study has highlighted the risk posed by projected climate change on the world's ability to grow enough food."}
{"article": "Baquer Namazi, 80, was arrested on Monday in Tehran, his wife Effie Namazi said on Facebook. Mr Namazi's son, Siamak Namazi, a dual US-Iranian citizen, was detained by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard in October while visiting family. Officials have yet to announce charges against Siamak. Baquer Namazi, who is also a dual US-Iranian citizen, was taken to Evin Prison, where his son is also being held, Mrs Namazi said in her post. He has a serious heart and other conditions which requires special medication, she said. \"Now both my innocent son Siamak and my Baquer are in prison for no reason. This is a nightmare I can't describe,\" she wrote. \"I have been trying to find out more information but have been unable to do so. The lawyer also couldn't get any information or get to see him.\" Asked at a Senate hearing about the elder Mr Namazi's arrest, US Secretary of State John Kerry said: \"I am very familiar with this and I am engaged on it specifically, but I am not permitted due to privacy reasons to go into details here.\" US State Department Spokesman Mark Toner said the agency was aware of reports that a US citizen had been detained in Iran. A former Iranian provincial governor and Unicef official, Baquer Namazi was more recently running Hamyaran, an umbrella agency for Iranian non-governmental organisations. His son Siamak was most recently working for Crescent Petroleum in the United Arab Emirates, and previously headed a consulting business in Iran. Baquer Namazi's arrest comes more than a month after a high-profile prisoner swap between Iran and the United States, which saw five Americans released from Iranian prison in return for clemency for seven Iranians. Three of the four freed US-Iranian prisoners, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, left Iran late last month. A fourth did not fly with them, US officials said.", "summary": "Iranian authorities have arrested the elderly father of an American who has been in jail in Iran for the past four months, the man's family said."}
{"article": "Leeds were crowned champions in 2011, beating Saints in the Grand Final, despite ending the season fifth. \"For my personal pride, I want to us to finish as high as we can, and not just because it makes the play-offs easier,\" Wilkin told BBC Radio Merseyside. \"The league table is a good barometer of who's been the best side all year.\" The England international forward continued: \"It's ridiculous that you can finish eighth and be deemed the champions but, the way the competition is set up, you can have a decent shot at it from anywhere in that top eight.\" Media playback is not supported on this device St Helens are one of the form teams in Super League and lie fourth in the table, eight points behind leaders Wigan Warriors. Wilkin, 28, is celebrating a decade with Saints and is combining his playing duties with events for his testimonial year. \"A committee of people have organised a lot of things on my behalf,\" said Wilkin. \"They've organised some great events and the impact on my rugby life has been minimal. \"I'm so proud to have been given a testimonial. I remember watching this club as a kid. To have played for 10 years at this club, I couldn't more proud and pleased to be part of this club's history.\" St Helens face Wilkin's first club, Hull KR, at Langtree Park on Friday.", "summary": "Jon Wilkin wants St Helens to finish as high as possible in Super League, despite knowing a top-eight place will be enough for a play-off spot."}
{"article": "Their comments follow Mrs May's claim she was \"here for the long term\". Labour said she was \"deluding herself\" - but Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson led her defence, insisting she could win an absolute majority. However, ex-Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps said it was \"too early to be talking about going on and on\". \"The truth is we ran a very poor election and you can't just brush that under the table and pretend it didn't happen - not least because we went from having a workable majority to no majority at all, so that stands to reason,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. And while there was no mood for a leadership election, Mrs May's remarks \"will certainly raise some eyebrows\". \"Let's get some performance, let's get some delivery for the British people and then let's see where we are, rather than vice versa,\" Mr Shapps added. Debate over Mrs May's long-term ambitions was sparked after she told the BBC's Ben Wright in Kyoto that it was her intention to lead her party into another general election, whenever that was. \"Yes, I'm here for the long term. What me and my government are about is not just delivering on Brexit but delivering a brighter future for the UK,\" she said. Mrs May said she wanted to ensure \"global Britain\" could take its trading place in the world, as well as dealing with \"those injustices domestically that we need to do to ensure that strong, more global, but also fairer Britain for the future\" The prime minister has been under pressure after losing her Commons majority in a snap election called earlier this year. Some reports had suggested she could stand down in 2019 after EU withdrawal. But speaking on a visit to Nigeria, Mr Johnson, who received public backing from Mrs May after recent criticism of his performance, said: \"I've made it clear I'm giving my undivided backing to Theresa May. \"We need to get Brexit done. \"She's ideally placed to deliver a great outcome for our country and then deliver what we all want to see, which is this exciting agenda of global Britain. \"I think she gets it. She really wants to deliver it. I'm here to support her.\" The UK is due to leave the EU in March 2019 and supporters of Mrs May have said leadership speculation serves only to undermine attempts to secure the best possible terms of exit. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett said the prime minister was \"deluding herself\" about her plan to stay in power until the next election. \"Neither the public nor Tory MPs believe her fantasy of staying on till 2022,\" he said. \"Theresa May leads a zombie government.\" The next general election is not scheduled to take place until May 2022, by which point Mrs May - if she stayed in Downing Street - would have been prime minister for nearly six years. In the immediate aftermath of her party's failure to win June's general election outright, several MPs called on her to consider her position. Former Chancellor", "summary": "Some Conservative backbenchers have said they do not believe Theresa May will be able to fight the next general election as prime minister."}
{"article": "Southampton City Council leader Royston Smith and chief executive Alistair Neill tackled Able Seaman Ryan Donovan on board HMS Astute in April 2011. He had just shot dead Lt Cdr Ian Molyneux, 36, from Standish, Wigan. Donovan was jailed for at least 25 years in September last year for murder and three counts of attempted murder. Mr Smith and Mr Neill, who announced his resignation from the council on Friday, had been touring the vessel when Donovan fired six shots from an SA80 rifle in the control room. Father-of-four Mr Molyneux tried to disarm Donovan after hearing shots on board the submarine but was shot in the head. Mr Smith and Mr Neill later pinned Donovan to the floor until police arrived. Mr Smith, who formerly served with the Royal Air Force, said: \"It was a surreal situation to have been in.\" Although he said the medal was the \"best thing\" he had been awarded, he added: \"I wish it was for some other circumstances.\" Mr Neill said: \"Something of that significance never leaves you and it is right that you never forget things as extraordinary as what we experienced.\" The citation for their medals, which were presented to them by the Queen at Buckingham Palace, said they placed themselves at great risk by choosing to tackle Donovan. \"By their actions they prevented further shootings and possible death or injury to others on board the submarine,\" it read. Both men said their thoughts were with the family of Lt Cdr Molyneux, whose widow Gillian collected his posthumously awarded George Medal on Friday for his role in preventing a massacre on board HMS Astute on 8 April last year. Donovan, of Dartford, Kent, admitted murdering Lt Cdr Molyneux and also admitted the attempted murders of Lt Cdr Hodge, 45, Petty Officer Christopher Brown, 36, and Chief Petty Officer David McCoy, 37. Mr Neill will leave Southampton City Council in March 2013 to take up the same role at Herefordshire Council.", "summary": "Two men who wrestled a gunman to the floor on a Royal Navy nuclear submarine have received the George Medal for bravery from the Queen."}
{"article": "Her former husband, Chaudhry Muhammad Shakeel, is accused of murder and is reported to have confessed to strangling her with her scarf. Chaudhry Muhammad Shahid, her father, is being held as an accessory to her murder. A lawyer for Samia's father said he intended to lodge an immediate appeal. At a hearing in the Punjab city of Jhelum, Samia's uncle and the policeman who headed the original investigation were granted bail. They were being held on suspicion of falsifying and withholding evidence in the case. Both men will be released subject to the payment of bonds. Ms Shahid, 28, from Bradford, died in July in northern Punjab. She had been visiting family in the village of Pandori when she died, and her relatives initially said she had suffered a heart attack. Her second husband, Syed Mukhtar Kazim, believes she was the victim of a so-called honour killing as her family did not approve of their marriage. A post-mortem examination confirmed she died as a result of being strangled.", "summary": "A judge in Pakistan has dismissed an application for bail from the father of Samia Shahid, who was allegedly killed in a so-called \"honour killing\"."}
{"article": "It happened at about 08:25 on the A737 at Lauchlan Way, near Ayrshire College. The Scottish Ambulance Service said one person had been freed after being trapped in a vehicle. No-one on the bus was thought to have been injured. The college has tweeted that there may be some disruption to classes this morning due to a \"major traffic incident\". Two ambulances and a special incident support vehicle were sent to the scene, the ambulance service said.", "summary": "Two people have been injured after a crash involving a car and a bus in Kilwinning in North Ayrshire."}
{"article": "The Treasury will write to cabinet ministers on Tuesday to ask for savings in their departments to total \u00a320bn. BBC Newsnight understands specific targets will not be set for departments. It is expected that cabinet ministers will put forward their proposals for cuts by September. The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies has calculated that departments that are not protected by a ring-fence will have to cut 12.6% from their budgets over the next five years. Chancellor George Osborne announced \u00a337bn of spending cuts during this parliament in his Budget. He has already set out \u00a317bn of cuts, including \u00a312bn from welfare and \u00a35bn from tackling tax evasion, avoidance, planning and imbalances in the tax system. At the time he said that no year \"will see cuts as deep\" as those in 2011-12 and 2012-13. Last month he ordered non-protected government departments to find \u00a33bn in savings in the current financial year. BBC Newsnight's Laura Kuenssberg said the theme of the November review would be \"more with less\". She said Mr Osborne wants to encourage public sector reforms that use taxpayers' money more efficiently. \"The Treasury believes that billions can be found from selling off public land - they say currently more than \u00a3300bn's worth is owned by the taxpayer,\" she said. \"For the first time, departments will be expected to show they are contributing to the government's target of building 150,000 homes on land previously owned by the taxpayer by 2020.\" She said ministers also believe that money could be released by devolving spending from Whitehall, under the Chancellor's so-called \"Northern Powerhouse\" strategy, which is a plan for increased devolution across England. BBC Newsnight understands the previous process of the \"star chamber\" - where ministers appeared in front of a small cabinet committee to answer for their plans - will not be repeated. However, ministers who engage with the Treasury as part of the process will have more control over where the cuts to the departments are made.", "summary": "The government's spending review that will set out departmental budget cuts over the next five years will take place on 25 November."}
{"article": "Applications by Jane Nicklinson, whose husband Tony had locked-in syndrome, and Paul Lamb, who was paralysed in a crash, were ruled inadmissible. The court said the UK Parliament was \"best placed\" to rule on such a sensitive issue. Mr Nicklinson's daughter, Lauren, told the BBC she was \"devastated\" but said the law \"has to change at some point\". \"What it means is, people will continue to go to [the Dignitas clinic in] Switzerland, we will continue to export the problem... and people will continue to suffer.\" The 1961 Suicide Act makes it an offence to encourage or assist a suicide or a suicide attempt in England and Wales. Anyone doing so could face up to 14 years in prison. Tony Nicklinson, from Melksham in Wiltshire, was paralysed from the neck down after suffering a stroke in 2005. He fought for the right to allow doctors to end his life but, after losing a High Court battle in 2012, he refused food and then contracted pneumonia and died, aged 58, at his home. The judgement has been welcomed by the disability charity Scope, which has said the current law on assisted suicide \"protects the lives of disabled people in Britain\". Interim chief executive Mark Atkinson added: \"Many tell us they fear that a change in the law could lead to disabled people, and other vulnerable people, feeling under pressure to end their lives. \"Why is it that when people who are not disabled want to commit suicide, we try to talk them out of it, but when a disabled person wants to commit suicide, we focus on how we can make that possible? \"The current law against assisted suicide works. It sends a powerful message countering the view that if you're disabled it's not worth being alive, and that you're a burden. He added that the focus should be more on helping disabled people live fulfilling lives rather than making suicide possible. Mr Lamb, from Bramley in Leeds, has been almost completely paralysed from the neck down since a car accident more than 20 years ago and says he is in constant pain. He has called for the law to be changed so any doctor who helped him die would have a defence against the charge of murder. Mrs Nicklinson and Mr Lamb went to the European Court of Human Rights after their case was rejected last year by the UK Supreme Court, which said the matter should be dealt with by Parliament. Mrs Nicklinson had argued that UK courts \"failed to determine the compatibility\" of UK law with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the right to respect for private and family life. But judges in Strasbourg said the Supreme Court was entitled to say it was best dealt with by Parliament and ruled Mrs Nicklinson's application \"ill-founded and inadmissible\". In Mr Lamb's case, the European Court ruled that he had not exhausted all domestic remedies - as he had not taken his argument that he should be able to get court permission to allow a volunteer to administer", "summary": "A bid by UK campaigners to overturn the law on assisted dying has been rejected by the European Court of Human Rights."}
{"article": "He completed the 138 nautical mile voyage from Cowes to Dinard in nine hrs three mins and six secs last month. It has been acknowledged as the fastest single-handed crossing in a yacht less than 60 feet long by the World Sailing Speed Record Council. \"It's fantastic news and a great feeling to have an official world record under my belt,\" Sharp said. Find out how to get into sailing with our special guide. Sharp sailed his 40-foot Imerys yacht between the isle of Wight and northern France on 24 November, taking almost three hours off the previous record that had stood for 12 years. \"Imerys was on fire in these windy conditions. These latest Class 40's are seriously optimised racing machines, averaging speeds of 15 knots and surfing at over 20 knots,\" he said. \"It is still difficult to believe that Imerys managed to carve three hours off the previous time. Hopefully this sets the bar high enough to hold on to the record for some time at least.\"", "summary": "Jersey-based sailor Phil Sharp's has had his single-handed cross-Channel record officially ratified."}
{"article": "The most striking current example is Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza who, amidst violent opposition, is campaigning for a third term in office despite the constitution saying he can only have two. He argues that he was appointed, not elected, to his first term so it doesn't count. Many believe President Paul Kagame in neighbouring Rwanda is also looking to breach his two-term limit. But that would be a mere dot in time for President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia. \"If I have to rule this country for one billion years I will,\" he told the BBC in 2011. Hanging on does not always work. The President of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaore, was overthrown by popular protest last year for trying to change the constitution so that he could seek re-election. While some presidents attempt legalistic tactics to get around term limits, others reject them outright. Seven-term leader President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe says they are undemocratic: \"We put a rope around our necks and say leaders can only have two terms,\" he told a summit of African Union leaders earlier this year. \"It is a democracy. If people want a leader to continue, let him continue.\" Some post-independence leaders in East Asia have been equally unapologetic about staying in office for decades. Indonesia's President Sukarno had 22 years at the top, while Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew was Prime Minister from 1959 to 1990. \"Lee Kuan Yew was an exceptional guy and at the end of his reign Singapore's GDP was over a dozen times higher than when he took over,\" Prof Kishore Mahbubani from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore told Newshour Extra. \"You have to look at it country by country and not assume there is one Western rule for the whole world.\" Term limits are seen as a Western idea, in large part because of the United States' two-term presidential rule. It was introduced as the 22nd Constitutional amendment in 1951, six years after Franklin Delano Roosevelt won his fourth term in office. Before FDR the two-term idea was merely a convention dating back to the example of George Washington. Although the history of term limits can be traced back to ancient Greece, it is far from clear the idea is in fact a uniquely Western one. Some European countries have no term limits, including the UK, Italy and Switzerland. And elsewhere there is considerable support for a set period in office. \"If you look at the public opinion data we have on most African countries, a majority of people in Africa support presidential term limits,\" says Prof Nic Cheeseman of Oxford University. \"This isn't simply something being pushed by the West.\" Some argue for term limits on the grounds that a prolonged period at the top can change a leader's personality and damage his or her judgement. Former British foreign secretary and trained psychiatrist, Lord Owen, argues that by the time they have been in power for many years, some leaders tend to become arrogant, unwilling to listen and overly optimistic that their decisions will", "summary": "All over the world there are some leaders who are reluctant to give up power."}
{"article": "A \u00c2\u00a326,000 grant has been promised to the council to draw up plans to improve the Lord's Garden in Ruthin. Denbighshire council says 100 people who braved snow and ice to attend an open day at the weekend is testament to the local support for restoration. The authority now has to learn more about the site's history and plan for its future to win the necessary cash. Wendy Williams, of the Lord's Garden Restoration Project, said: \"The bid will need to be a balancing act between staying faithful to the tremendous amount of natural and political history in the gardens, and making that history accessible to a modern audience. \"The gardens have been virtually untouched for decades, and whilst they're a beautiful wilderness, at the moment you have to be an expert to interpret the wonderful sights and sounds. \"We'd like to work with local people to try and find new and sympathetic ways of bringing that history alive again.\" The Lord's Garden is now part of Nantclwyd y Dre in Ruthin, which is thought may be Wales' oldest timber-framed town house. Although the Grade II-listed gardens, originally known as The Lord's Acre, pre-date even this structure. They are first mentioned in 1282 as having been awarded to Marcher Lord Reginald de Grey along with Ruthin Castle, in recognition of the part he played in subduing an uprising by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the last native prince of an independent Wales. The Lord's Acre appears to have remained an orchard and kitchen garden to the castle's occupants for around 350 years, and many of the fruit trees there date from between 1300 and 1600. By the time of the English Civil War in the 1640s, the Lord's Acre passed to the Nantclwyd y Dre estate, and the focus seems to have shifted more towards meadowland and ornamental gardens. Next month archaeologists are planning a dig at the site to try and throw more light on the role the area played in the Civil War. But before that, the heritage service wants to give local people the opportunity to see the gardens in their untouched beauty. \"Until now we've been unable to open up the gardens, but as part of the public consultation into the proposed restoration, we're throwing open the gates for the first time,\" said Ms Williams. \"We'd love to hear from local historians and amateur detectives about what they've been able to unearth about the history, and we welcome any ideas about how we can make the gardens a valuable learning resource. \"But it doesn't matter if all you want to do is come along and have a look, because they really are a hidden treasure which we'd love as many people as possible to see.\"", "summary": "Hopes of restoring a 13th Century garden in Denbighshire have been boosted by the Heritage Lottery Fund."}
{"article": "A military statement said the twin-engine turboprop Antonov AN-26 had crashed in the province of Artemisa on a flight from Playa Baracoa, just outside the capital Havana. The cause of the crash is unclear and an investigation has been launched. The site of the accident was said to be the Loma de la Pimienta mountain about 80km (50 miles) west of Havana. \"The eight military personnel on board, including the crew, died,\" the armed forces ministry said in a statement. \"A commission of the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces is investigating the causes of the accident.\" Cuba's last major plane crash was in 2010 when an Aero Caribbean flight went down in flames killing all 68 people on board.", "summary": "A military plane has crashed in the mountainous west of Cuba, killing all eight personnel on board."}
{"article": "Service personnel took part in a parade and a service was held to remember those who died in conflicts. Military flypasts were also held, while hundreds of bikers from across Europe converged on Alrewas to raise funds for the Royal British Legion. Organisers said it attracted more people than last year's event, which 3,500 people attended. Lt Col Alistair Fawcett, commanding officer of 22 Signal Regiment, said it was a chance for people to show their support and offered a moment to reflect on the various conflicts around the world. Similar events have been taking place across the country and several of them have seen heightened security after recent attacks in Tunisia, France and Kuwait.", "summary": "Thousands of people have marked Armed Forces Day at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire."}
{"article": "\"I pay homage to the women of Paraguay, who were able to rebuild a country destroyed by an unequal war,\" he said. Most of Paraguay's male population died in a devastating war against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay between 1865 and 1870. \"God protect Paraguayan women, the most glorious of the Americas,\" he said. Hundreds of thousands of people went for the Mass at the Shrine of Caacupe, some 50 Km (30 miles) from the capital Asuncion. Many of them came from neighbouring Argentina and waved the blue-and-white flags of Pope Francis's native country. \"Argentina is his homeland. He is not coming home yet, so we brought it to him,\" Carmen Mesa, 56, told the Associated Press (AP) news agency. Pope Francis said the visit to Caacupe would be an emotional occasion to him. Before becoming a Pope, he travelled many times to the city, known as the spiritual capital of Paraguay. \"I feel at home, here. I came here many times to renew my wishes of living according to the Gospel,\" he said during Mass. The Pope's religious order, the Jesuits, evangelised the region in the 1600s. Pope Francis said the Lord's Prayer in Guarani, the indigenous language spoken by most of the population. Guarani is an official language along with Spanish in Paraguay. \"I would like to remind you that we are all brothers and sisters,\" Pope Francis said. Paraguay is the last stop on the Pope's eight-day tour of South America, which also took him to Ecuador and Bolivia. The Vatican said the Pope had chosen some of the poorer countries of the region for his visit to reflected his interest in the \"peripheries\". Pope Francis is the first leader of the Roman Catholic Church to come from South America. \"Progress and development must ensure a better future for all,\" Pope Francis said in a speech on the Quito airport runway on Monday after he was welcomed by Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa.", "summary": "Pope Francis has paid a tribute to Paraguay's women and mothers during Mass celebrated at the country's main pilgrimage site, Caacupe,"}
{"article": "Srikant Ganapati from the Sudarshanam charity said people had taken time off work to attend the event. However, he said they were all told because they were born in India, they were not able to donate. The NI Blood Transfusion Service said it was investigating what happened. They said they welcome everyone who gives blood but said there was strict donor eligibility criteria. Mr Ganapati said it was arranged nine months ago that members of the Indian community would donate blood and that their ethnicity was known by the NI Blood Transfusion Service. He said those taking part were not informed in advance that they would need a malaria test to assess suitability before coming to the donation session in north Belfast last Friday. Mr Ganapati said they only found out about the criteria when they turned up at the venue. \"They said to me, 'are you born in India?', I said yes. 'Did you recently visit India?', I said no, I have not been there for the last four years,\" Mr Ganapati said. \"He said, 'if you born in India, you have to do a malaria test'.\" When he asked how long it would take to get the results of a malaria test, Mr Ganapati said he was told between six and eight weeks. He described what had happened as \"very frustrating\" for all those from the Indian community, most of whom had taken the day off work to attend. \"Most of the Indians here are professionals, some are nurses and doctors, they all gave their time to support this blood donation, but unfortunately they all had to leave frustrated,\" he said. Mr Ganapati said they should have been informed before they arrived but said that all of those who turned up were willing to submit to a malaria test and hoped to be able to donate blood at a future date. The event had been organised by the Sudarshanam charity which promotes Hindu and Indian culture in Northern Ireland.", "summary": "More than 150 people have been prevented from giving blood at an event in Belfast aimed at encouraging people from the Indian community to donate."}
{"article": "Transport Minister Edwina Hart has defended her decision to invest in a new motorway south of Newport. ABP's Matthew Kennerley said his firm would lose land and one dock would have up to 60% of vessels unable to use it. A Welsh government spokesman said: \"We are committed to this ambitious infrastructure project.\" Ms Hart has said she expects to face a legal challenge after announcing the go-ahead for the new road, to run between Junctions 23 and 29 of the M4 and to include a new bridge to the south of Newport. To be completed by the spring of 2022, the project would be the largest capital investment programme ever announced by the Welsh government. Seen by some as the answer to crippling traffic congestion into south Wales, it has won the backing of the business group, CBI Wales. Chancellor George Osborne has called the relief road one of the most important road schemes in the UK and UK ministers have since agreed Welsh ministers can borrow money needed to fund the scheme. Environmental and some business groups have criticised the proposed route as unnecessarily damaging and costly. Mr Kennerley, port director of ABP in south Wales, told the BBC programme Wales at Work the proposed road would have an impact on jobs and could make the company less likely to invest in the site in future. He said: \"We don't think it's a great idea to put the new route through the centre of Wales' most important general cargo port. \"We believe there is an alternative route and we presented that throughout the consultation process as a route slightly further north. \"That would still have an impact on the port but to a much lesser extent because it would not be bisecting very important quayside areas. \"As it stands at the moment, the impact on the port would be very serious indeed.\" Mr Kennerley said that as he understands the plans, up to 1,000m (3,000 ft) of quayside north of the proposed new motorway bridge would have height restrictions on up to 60% of vessels currently using it. The Welsh assembly's cross-party environment committee says it has \"grave concerns\" about Ms Harts's announcement, while Plaid Cymru has withdrawn from budget talks with Welsh ministers in protest. Opponents have criticised the plan because of its environmental impact and one group has dubbed it a \"billion pound mistake.\" Three routes were under consideration before Ms Hart made her decision. The other two were further north. A fourth, the so-called blue route, an upgrade of the A48 Newport Southern Distributor Road (SDR) and the former steelworks road, was proposed during the consultation but was dismissed as one that could not \"reasonably deliver the objectives\" of easing congestion. The Welsh government added: \"The M4 project is of vital importance to the economic prosperity of the country as a whole. \"In the past, we were unable to progress the scheme because it was simply unaffordable - but thanks to the new borrowing powers we have secured, we can now take forward this and other vital", "summary": "A \u00a31bn new M4 relief road through Newport's dockside could put jobs and future investment at the site at risk, says Associated British Ports (ABP)."}
{"article": "The 40-year-old sank five birdies, including two in the final three holes. That put him behind only American duo Shawn Stefani and Tom Hoge, and Korean Seung-yul Noh. Miguel Angel Carballo, Brian Gay, Colt Knost, Dustin Johnson and Steve Stricker matched Donaldson, with Retief Goosen among those a further shot back. This is the final PGA Tour event before the US Open - the second major of the year - takes place at Oakmont next week. We've launched a new BBC Sport newsletter ahead of the Euros and Olympics, bringing all the best stories, features and video right to your inbox. You can sign up here.", "summary": "Welshman Jamie Donaldson shot a four-under-par 66 to sit one behind the leaders after the first round of the St Jude Classic at TPC Southwind."}
{"article": "Previously, councillors deferred a decision to grant permission to build a supermarket that would have paid for the stadium, which supporters claimed had put the plans in jeopardy. A partnership is now revising the proposals to see if the stadium can be built using money from smaller shops. The plans are expected to be discussed by Cornwall Council members in May. Truro and Penwith College, the Cornish Pirates rugby club, Inox Group and Henry Boot Developments are behind the revised plans for the multi-use stadium at West Langarth. Julian Painter, director at Henry Boot Developments, said: \"A supermarket would have provided funds sooner and generated more value. \"That is no longer an option but we are not giving up.\" The supermarket plans were deferred earlier in March, but two other major retail developments in Truro were approved, which supporters claimed effectively marked the end of that proposal. Mr Painter said the new proposal would split the original supermarket unit into smaller stores - including one retail store and non-food units. He said the partnership was trying to \"squeeze enough value from the development\" to deliver about \u00a38m of funding, with a further \u00a32m coming from Truro and Penwith College, which will provide the \u00a310m needed for the 6,000-capacity stadium.", "summary": "Revised proposals for a stadium in Cornwall are expected to be submitted to the council."}
{"article": "The Championship Rams turned a one-goal half-time deficit into a 2-1 victory to book a place in the fourth round. McClaren told BBC Radio Derby: \"We told them to keep their composure We were causing them problems and controlling the game. \"How the players kept their composure and came back, credit to them.\" Darren Bent and Tom Ince scored goals three minutes apart in response to Matt Phillips putting the hosts ahead in the first half. And McClaren was keen to point out the contribution of a massive following from Derby. \"I had heard 6,000 were coming along and they were going to fill behind the goal,\" continued McClaren. \"We said to the players that it's a cup tie and there's 6,000 fans coming to watch, so there's a reason why we've got to fight, we've got to react and come back. \"I'm so pleased for the players, I'm so pleased for the fans and very proud of them.\"", "summary": "Manager Steve McClaren praised Derby County's control as they came from behind to knock Premier League West Brom out of the FA Cup."}
{"article": "Cheick Cisse, who won taekwondo gold, was given $85,000 (??64,000) and Ruth Gbagbi, who won bronze in the women's event, got $51,000. Cisse's gold medal was the first in the country's history. Last year, President Alassane Ouattara made similar awards to members of the national football team after they won the African Cup of Nations. He did not reveal any details about the houses given to Cisse and Gbagbi, or their location. More on this and other African stories Mr Ouattara and his wife Dominique wore the medals as they posed with the athletes for photos at the presidential palace in the country's commercial capital, Abidjan. Ivory Coast had only won one Olympic medal until this year. Gabriel Tiacoh won a silver medal in the men's 400m in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. He died in 1992. Ivory Coast used to be one of Africa's richest countries but its economy has been devastated by years of conflict.", "summary": "Ivory Coast's two medallists from the Rio Olympic games have been given cash awards and houses by the president."}
{"article": "The SNP leader was speaking as the leaders of Scotland's six largest parties clashed in a BBC Scotland debate ahead of the Holyrood election. Scottish Labour's Kezia Dugdale questioned why Ms Sturgeon had ruled out introducing a 50p rate next year. But Ruth Davidson of the Conservatives warned against making Scotland the highest taxed part of the UK. The panel also featured Willie Rennie of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, who spelled out his plans for pay for a \"transformation\" of education by raising all income tax bands by 1p - a policy his party shares with Scottish Labour. Patrick Harvie of the Scottish Greens called for the \"outdated\" council tax to be scrapped, while UKIP MEP David Coburn warned against \"frightening people away\" from Scotland by raising taxes. The debate, which was broadcast on BBC1 Scotland on Thursday evening, was held as the election campaign officially began ahead of the vote on 5 May. It was largely dominated by the key question of how best to use the Scottish Parliament's new powers over tax and welfare. The parliament will have the ability to set income tax rates and bands from 1 April next year, making the issue key in the run up to the election. Scottish Labour has challenged the SNP to raise the income tax rate for the 17,000 people in Scotland earning more than \u00a3150,000 from 45p to 50p - higher than elsewhere in the UK. But speaking in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon said it would be \"reckless\" and \"daft\" to do so straight away. During the BBC Scotland debate, Ms Sturgeon again pointed to civil service analysis which suggested the move could actually leave Scotland \u00a330m worse off. That was because some high earners would either move their money out of Scotland or find other ways of avoiding paying the tax. Ms Sturgeon, whose party will be looking to win a third consecutive term in government, told the studio audience she would attempt to find ways to mitigate that risk if she was re-elected as first minister. She added: \"I think there should be a 50p top rate of tax, but you don't set tax rates if it is going to lose you money. \"I don't want to turn around in two years time and say we have less money to spend on our health service\". Ms Sturgeon said her party would not follow UK Chancellor George Osborne in raising the level at which people pay the 40p rate of tax from \u00a343,000 to \u00a345,000. And she said she was asking the 10% of highest earners to \"shoulder a bit more of the burden\" in order to invest in areas such as the health service, and to \"protect against Tory austerity\". Ms Dugdale responded by saying Scottish Labour wanted to put up taxes to increase investment in education in order to bring more high skilled jobs to Scotland. She added: \"What I cannot believe is that Nicola Sturgeon, who has made her name as this great socialist, this great crusader against austerity, is standing here tonight", "summary": "Nicola Sturgeon has reiterated that she wants to eventually see a 50p top rate of income tax in Scotland."}
{"article": "Net profit came in at $2.9bn (\u00c2\u00a31.9bn) for the three months to 26 June, against a loss of $398m a year ago - a higher figure than analysts expected. Revenue for the period was $10.8bn, as a result of what the company called \"strong corporate demand\". The firm also forecast improved revenues of $11.6bn for the three months to the end of September. Intel shares jumped 5% in after-hours trading following the announcement. Analysts were impressed by the results. \"The numbers just blew me away, I cannot see any mention of any problems whatsoever,\" said Phani Saripella at Primary Global Research. Intel is the second major US company to report its quarterly results following aluminium giant Alcoa on Monday, which also beat analysts' expectations. Some commentators now see these results as a sign of what is to come. \"In a quarter where people expected relatively strong performance, [Intel] beat that pretty handily and set a good forecast,\" said Edward Snyder at Charter Equity Research. \"This going to be really good for a lot of other technology companies, particularly enterprise. \"It might be the case that this earnings period is so strong that it allays some of the fears about the broader economy.\"", "summary": "US chipmaker Intel has reported bumper profits in what it describes as its \"best\" quarterly results."}
{"article": "The billionaire's 58th floor residence in Trump Tower offers stunning views of the Manhattan skyline and has been decorated in a \"Louis XIV style\" decked in gold and marble. Photos of the penthouse, published by the Daily Mail, show enormous chandeliers, plush sofas, and gold-encrusted Corinthian columns. Mr Trump once told biographer Michael D'Antoni about his penthouse, expressing great pride in its construction. \"This is a very complex unit. Building this unit, if you look at the columns and the carvings, this building, this unit was harder than building the building itself.\" And, according to the New York Times, Mr Trump has been speaking with advisers about how many nights a week he would spend in the White House, saying he would like to spend time in New York when he can. The business mogul is reportedly a homebody who flew long hours during the campaign just to sleep in his own bed. It is unclear if Mr Trump, his wife Melania and the couple's 10-year-old son, Barron, who is currently halfway through his school year, will live at the White House. But if he opted out of his presidential quarters he would certainly turn Washington's historical status quo on its head. The White House is seen as a symbol of American history and tradition and has been occupied by every office holder since John Adams, America's second president. In 1902, the president's offices were relocated to the building's second floor, making the commute to a busy job a bit easier. The White House is a quick two miles from the Capitol building where the US Congress is held - Trump Tower happens to be over 220 miles away. Also, if Mr Trump chooses to reside in New York he could greatly disrupt city traffic. New Yorkers frequently take to social media in frustration when President Obama's motorcade disrupts the city's busy grid. Whenever the president travels, roads are blocked, traffic can back up for miles and delays can last hours, but this would be exacerbated in a crowded city like New York. Then there is the issue of security. On election night, the US Federal Aviation Administration established a no-fly zone over midtown Manhattan until 21 January, the day after the US presidential inauguration. The directive cites \"VIP movement\" as the reason behind the flying ban, which prohibits planes, helicopters and drones from flying below 3,000ft and within a two-nautical-mile radius of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. Secret service flights are exempt. Nevertheless, were Mr Trump to remain in New York, security at Trump Tower would have to be bolstered. The White House has multiple layers of defence, making a veritable fortress. An outer iron fence is reinforced by groups of armed guards at the gates and inside the perimeter. Snipers are perched atop the building and windows have bullet-proof glass. Additionally, infrared alarms, lasers, and missiles are all reportedly part of the building's defence system. For a tycoon accustomed to jetting to lavish residences as he pleases, his new job may be an adjustment.", "summary": "Since last week's election upset, rumours have been swirling over whether newly appointed President-elect Donald Trump will leave his $100m (\u00c2\u00a380m) New York penthouse for the White House."}
{"article": "Natalia Doherty was last seen on 15 April 2003 in Eastbourne, where she was living at the time. The house in Icknield Way was searched in September as part of the investigation. Two men were later arrested and bailed in connection with the disappearance. A Luton man, aged 66, and a 71-year-old man from Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, were detained on suspicion of assisting an offender and preventing a lawful burial. Officers said ground survey work was now being carried out on the surface of the garden to see if the ground had been disturbed. Detectives believe that near to the date she was last seen alive, Ms Doherty - who was also known by the surnames Wilkanowska and Logan - was thought to have travelled to Luton to stay with her ex-husband, Gerald Doherty, who has since died - at the Regents Arms in Hastings Street. But there were no confirmed sightings of the mother-of-three in the town. Officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit launched an investigation in January 2014 into the case, which has led them to believe Ms Doherty was murdered. A police spokesman said: \"Inquiries have since failed to show any sign she is alive.\" Investigators are keen to trace her final movements and has asked anyone who recognises her or Mr Doherty from their time at the now-demolished pub in Hastings Street, or has any information relating to her disappearance, to contact them.", "summary": "A garden at a property in Luton is being examined by officers investigating the disappearance of a 50-year-old woman police now believe was murdered."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old Jamaican, who also won last year, clinched 100m, 200m and 100m relay gold in the World Championships in Moscow in August. Fellow Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce took the women's award after winning the same three golds as Bolt in Russia. 100m: 2008, 2012 Olympics; 2009, 2013 World Championships 200m: 2008, 2012 Olympics; 2009, 2011, 2013 World Championships 4x100m: 2008, 2012 Olympics; 2009, 2011, 2013 World Championships Earlier this week, the 27-year-old said she will refuse to run in major events unless Jamaica's athletics authorities \"stand by\" their athletes. Bolt, who beat Britain's double world champion from Moscow Mo Farah to the award, became the most successful athlete in the history of the World Championships this year with his eighth gold and 10th medal in total. At the awards ceremony in Monaco, he said his 2014 target was to beat his 200m world record of 19.19 seconds. \"That has always been my dream; that has always been my aim,\" he said. \"This season will be the season when I will be going for world records because there are no major [outdoor] championships. Media playback is not supported on this device \"The 200m is much easier than the 100m to try for a record and that would be my main focus this season.\" Bolt has previously said he could retire after the 2016 Olympics - but he added he might yet compete at the World Championships in London the following year. \"I was having some talk about this with my coach, and he was saying people had said I should go for another year,\" he said. Fraser-Pryce has now won seven medals at World Championships to add to her four Olympic medals. Men's finalists: Usain Bolt (Jamaica, sprinter), Bohdan Bondarenko (Ukraine, high jumper), Mo Farah (GB, distance runner). Women's finalists: Valerie Adams (New Zealand, shot put), Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica, sprinter), Zuzana Hejnova (Czech Republic, 400m hurdles).", "summary": "Usain Bolt has been named male World Athlete of the Year for a fifth time."}
{"article": "The low-budget Ouija, starring Bates Motel actress Olivia Cooke, made $20m (\u00c2\u00a312.4m) between Friday and Sunday, according to studio estimates. That put it ahead of John Wick, Keanu Reeves' latest thriller, which made $14.2m (\u00c2\u00a38.8m) over the same period. Last week's top film, Brad Pitt's World War II tank drama Fury, fell to three. Made for just $5m (\u00c2\u00a33.1m), Ouija's success is testament to US moviegoers' appetite for modestly-budgeted supernatural fare without big-name stars. Blumhouse Productions, the company behind the film, has enjoyed similar success with the Insidious, Purge and Paranormal Activity series. Meanwhile, John Wick, in which Reeves plays a retired assassin out for revenge, exceeded industry expectations with its second place opening. This week's top five was rounded out by David Fincher's Gone Girl and animated title The Book of Life. Next week's chart is likely to be dominated by Interstellar, the latest sci-fi epic from British director Christopher Nolan. Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway star in this tale of deep space exploration, which has its UK premiere in London on Wednesday.", "summary": "A horror film about young people who use a Ouija board to contact the spirit world has topped the North American box office in the run-up to Halloween."}
{"article": "Two brothers and another man are also said to have sold the animal's feet and eaten some of the meat themselves. Police discovered the panda's skin and 10kg of meat in a raid last December. Panda poaching is extremely rare in China where the endangered animals are seen as a national treasure. The case has caused revulsion on Chinese social media. The brothers, Wang Wenlin and Wang Wencai, are accused by police of shooting the panda dead in Zhaotong in southern Yunnan province. They are said to have sold the meat and the feet for about $750 (\u00c2\u00a3492) to another man, Li Kequan, who then resold it to six more people. DNA tests on the meat and skin seized by the police confirmed it was from an adult female panda. The China Daily newspaper published a photo of the animal's pelt and said parts of its skull and gall bladder were also found. A Yunnan court says the investigation into the three men has concluded and they have been remanded for prosecution. There are fewer than 2,000 pandas in the wild in China. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists giant pandas as endangered, but their numbers have almost doubled since the late 1970s. Hunting pandas can lead to a 10-year sentence - or, in what the Chinese government calls \"grave circumstances\", life imprisonment or even a death sentence can be applied.", "summary": "Three men in south-western China accused of selling 35kg (77lb) of meat from a panda they killed are to be prosecuted, a court has announced."}
{"article": "A commission of inquiry was set up five years ago to look into the allegations surrounding the 1999 government deal. Mr Zuma was sacked as deputy president in 2005 after his financial adviser was convicted of corruption over the deal. The president on Thursday announced the inquiry had found no evidence against any government officials of the time. He said money had been paid for consultancy services \"and nothing else\". The allegations relate to the government's purchase of 30bn rand (then $5bn) worth of fighter jets, helicopters, submarines and warships in 1999. Mr Zuma was sacked as deputy president in 2005 after his then financial adviser Schabir Shaik was found guilty of trying to solicit bribes for his boss from an arms company. Mr Zuma always denied the allegations, and in 2009 prosecutors dropped 700 charges of fraud, corruption and racketeering against him, just weeks before elections which saw him become president. But his critics refused to let the issue drop, so in 2011 he agreed to appoint a commission to investigate the arms deal, which concluded its enquiries at the end of last year. This is not the only controversy he has been implicated in. Last month South Africa's highest court ruled he had violated the constitution by failing to repay government money for a luxurious upgrade on his private residence. The investigation, which took four years to conclude, found no evidence of widespread bribery, corruption and fraud in the selection of the preferred bidder to supply the arms, or of payment of bribes to officials in the awarding of the deal. The three-volume report on the investigation, which will be made public, has not made any recommendations for further investigations, leading some to believe the ANC is covering up for its leader and other officials who were implicated. The opposition Democratic Alliance believes the Arms Procurement Commission made no real effort to investigate the allegations contained in crucial documents. It has described the final report as a massive disappointment because no-one will face criminal charges.", "summary": "South African President Jacob Zuma says an inquiry into an arms deal worth billions of dollars has found no evidence of corruption or fraud."}
{"article": "Under European law, UK patients who are clinically eligible for NHS treatment can seek it in other EU countries. They can also reclaim costs of up to what the NHS would have spent. But fewer than 30 patients in Wales have made such applications during the past three years, BBC Wales has found. There are concerns that patients and even some medical professionals are not aware of the rules. Certain procedures require patients to get prior approval from their health board. The European directive for cross-border treatment came into force in Wales in October 2013 and allows patients to be reimbursed for care in a state-run or private hospital. It also places a duty on the Welsh government and NHS to provide easily accessible information to patients about their rights. Anne Botterill, a retired psychologist from Cardiff, faced a wait of over a year for a hip replacement on the NHS after being diagnosed with arthritis last autumn. \"I was in enormous discomfort. I live a very active life... gardening, dancing and walking,\" she explained. \"I couldn't do any of those things, I stopped them all.\" On the advice of her husband David, an academic with an interest in cross-border health-care, she decided to see if her local health board would pay for her surgery at a Belgium hospital. Mrs Botterill paid \u00c2\u00a39,000 for her surgery and a five-night hospital stay in Ghent and was reimbursed \u00c2\u00a36,500 by Cardiff and Vale Health Board. Had she chosen to be treated privately in Wales she says she would paid around \u00c2\u00a312,500 and would have been unable to reclaim any of it. But Freedom of Information requests by BBC Wales show fewer than 30 applications from patients have been funded through this route since 2011. That included nine patients from Cardiff and Vale Health Board, which reimbursed patients for treatment in the fields of trauma and orthopaedics, dental, urology, spinal trauma and ear, nose and throat surgery at hospitals in Poland, Belgium, Bulgaria, Austria and Slovakia. In July, 17,649 patients in Wales had waited at least nine months (36 weeks) for hospital treatment - despite the Welsh government's target stating nobody should wait that long. The Conservatives's shadow health minister, Darren Millar, said it was clear more needed to be done to highlight the possibility of travelling for treatment. \"Awareness of this EU directive is nowhere near where it should be and that's the fault of Labour ministers alone,\" he said. A spokesman for the Welsh government said guidance on the EU directive has been issued to health boards in Wales. But they made it clear that the EU laws were not a blank cheque for health care in Europe. \"The directive does not allow NHS patients to go anywhere within Europe and get any treatment or medicine they may desire and then seek reimbursement from the NHS,\" stressed the spokesman. \"For this reason people are strongly encouraged to speak to their health board if they are considering seeking treatment elsewhere.\"", "summary": "Patients may be waiting months for NHS operations unaware they could get the health service to pay for quicker treatment in Europe."}
{"article": "Powys-Llewellyn Cook, 21, from Grantham, died following the collision on the B1176 in Bitchfield, between Grantham and Corby Glen, on Tuesday. Lincolnshire Police described it as a \"tragic loss of life\" and are appealing for anyone who witnessed the crash to get in touch. Mr Cook was riding a blue and white motorbike at the time of the accident.", "summary": "A motorcyclist killed in a crash with a lorry has been named by police."}
{"article": "Malcolm McLaren's body was discovered in the North Lanarkshire town's Clark Street at about 10:25 on Thursday. Police Scotland said forensic teams have examined the scene and officers were gathering CCTV footage from the area. They have also been carrying out door-to-door inquiries for any information which could assist the investigation. Det Ch Insp Paul Livingstone, who is leading the inquiry, said: \"Extensive inquiries have been ongoing with specialist officers and forensics teams conducting examinations at the scene. \"We are working to establish a motive for this murder and we are in the process of piecing together Mr McLaren's movements in the days leading up to his death. \"Inquiries so far have revealed that he was in Airdrie town centre around 1500 hrs on Wednesday afternoon before making his way home to Clark Street. \"It's important we establish Mr McLaren's movements from then on, where he went, who he saw, who he met. So, if anyone has any information or was in town centre or Clark Street on Wednesday afternoon, please do get in touch with us. Your information could prove vital in our inquiries.\"", "summary": "A murder investigation is underway after the body of a 40-year-old man was found in a flat in Airdrie."}
{"article": "The target waiting time for referrals is 13 weeks, but some patients must wait considerably longer. The health and social services department tries to see patients within three months of being referred by their GP. For some problems, such as sports injuries, diabetes or general surgery, the average wait is about six months. Figures released by Jersey's health department show some patients referred to the hospital for bariatric surgery are having to wait over four years for treatment. Data released by the department has shown that less than a third of specialist areas have a waiting list longer than the target. But women needing to see a specialist before giving birth are able get an appointment right away after being referred by their GPs. People with back pain, adult mental illness or needing breast surgery, also have less than a month to wait before they are able to see a specialist.", "summary": "People who need to see specialists at Jersey hospital for obesity problems face an average of a four-year wait."}
{"article": "Her widower Brendan said the UK-wide event, called The Great Get Together, would be a \"fitting tribute\" to the mother-of-two who died on 16 June 2016. Her murder was \"designed to divide our country\" so uniting in this way would be \"a powerful statement\", he added. The Royal Family and several charities are helping to publicise the event. Mrs Cox, MP for Batley and Spen, was murdered outside her constituency office in Birstall, West Yorkshire, by Thomas Mair, who shouted the words \"Britain first\" as he shot and stabbed her. Mr Cox previously told BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine his late wife \"loved a party\" and would have been \"thrilled by the idea\" of people coming together on her behalf. \"We wanted something that celebrated Jo's energy but also brought the community together,\" he said. \"That could be picnics on your village green, street parties, shared barbecues, community bake-offs. The basic idea is to get together and have fun.\" But he said the event also sent a strong message. \"The killing of Jo was a political thing designed to divide our country and split communities apart. \"As a reaction to that event, [we will] bring the country together en masse.\" Mrs Cox used her maiden speech in Parliament in 2015 to say people in the UK \"have far more in common with each other than things that divide us\". The event is expected to be similar the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012, when more than eight million people took part in neighbourhood street parties. Last year, 7.3 million people held lunches in streets, gardens and community spaces as part of a project known as The Big Lunch, which began in 2009. This year, The Big Lunch will join forces with the Jo Cox Foundation to co-ordinate events on the 17 and 18 June. \"We may even surpass the Jubilee,\" said Peter Stewart, director of The Big Lunch. As well as street parties, charities including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, NSPCC, Women's Institute, Help for Heroes and RNLI are planning their own events. The RPSB said it would hold activities across its network of nature reserves. with details to come in the next few weeks. \"Whether it's the Olympics, Jubilee or Royal Wedding people love that opportunity to come together,\" Mr Cox added. \"But being British we need that excuse to get together.\" The Duchess of Cornwall and chef Jamie Oliver will join Mr Cox for the launch of the The Great Get Together at Clarence House later.", "summary": "Thousands of street parties, picnics and baking competitions will be held on 17 and 18 June to remember MP Jo Cox, a year after she was murdered."}
{"article": "The blue chip index of US stocks remained above the 20,000 mark at 20,093.72 but fell 7.19 points. Lower than expected GDP growth for the fourth quarter dampened sentiment. Chevron, the US oil giant, also weighed on the index after releasing lower than expected quarterly results which sent its shares down 2.3% to $113.79. Microsoft led the risers to close up 2.3% at $65.78. The S&P 500 fell 1.99 points to 2,294.69 while the technology-heavy Nasdaq rose 5.61 points to 5,660.78.", "summary": "The Dow Jones industrial average gave up early gains to finish the day lower."}
{"article": "The Dons twice led in the first half, through David Fitzpatrick's 20-yard strike and Tom Elliott's volley. But Compton levelled on both occasions, running through to slide home and curling in a free-kick from out wide. And the winger sealed his treble from the penalty spot after substitute Kevin Dawson was fouled by Callum Kennedy. The home side drop to 10th in the table after seeing their four-game winning run come to an end, while the Glovers are three points ahead of Dagenham & Redbridge, whose match was postponed. AFC Wimbledon manager Neal Ardley told BBC Radio London: Media playback is not supported on this device \"You concede three goals at home, that's not good enough. \"I knew this would be tough and I drummed it into the players. That's the sort of game I expected. \"We struggled at times and we had too many players who probably didn't perform to the levels they have performed at. We're giving away really, really poor goals. \"We ran out of ideas trying to chase the game in the last 20 minutes.\"", "summary": "Jack Compton hit a hat-trick to earn a shock comeback win at AFC Wimbledon and take Yeovil Town three points clear of the League Two relegation zone."}
{"article": "Dreamland theme park in Margate - home to a Grade II* listed wooden Scenic Railway roller coaster - has been restored after an arson attack in 2008. John Challis, who played Boycie in the BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses, exchanged memories with the crowd. The show filmed in Margate in the 1980s with the characters riding on Dreamland's rollercoasters. \"I have always remembered it because it was special,\" said Challis. \"It was a jolly boys' outing - a bunch of hooligans got on a coach in London and came to Margate.\" Dreamland's website crashed because of high demand as tickets went on sale for the park, which is to reopen on 19 June. People in the queue said they had visited during their childhoods and wanted their own children to do the same. The funfair, once home to Europe's largest big wheel, was bought by Thanet council through a compulsory purchase order in 2013. Dreamland was one of the country's oldest amusement parks. At one time, the 16-acre site held a zoo and miniature railway, a cinema, cafes, restaurants, bars, shops and a 2,000-capacity ballroom. Work on the restoration of the Grade II* listed Scenic Railway ride began in September to replace all the wooden parts. Most of the funding was granted by the Department for Culture Media and Sport's Sea Change programme, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Thanet District council. Vintage fairground rides from around the UK have been restored and re-created for the new fun park, which will be run by the Dreamland Trust. Classic sideshows, vintage cafes, restaurants and gardens have also been installed at the site.", "summary": "Crowds of people have queued for tickets for a 1920s funfair which is to reopen after an \u00c2\u00a318m restoration."}
{"article": "Peel Energy and United Utilities had wanted to double the 26 existing turbines at the Scout Moor wind farm between Rochdale and Rossendale. Following consultation with local communities, however, the companies will only install 16 extra turbines. A joint planning application will be submitted next year to Rochdale and Rossendale Borough Councils. Jon England of Peel Energy said: \"We received some really useful feedback and have changed our expansion plans in response.\" He said the companies would seek feedback on the new proposals prior to submitting the planning application. The revised plans involve increasing the distance between the proposed new turbines and important recreational routes, and placing them where they do not disturb areas of deep peat on the moor. Before the wind farm opened in 2008 it faced opposition from residents' groups, Rossendale, Rochdale and Lancashire County councils. It was given the go-ahead in May 2005 after a public inquiry.", "summary": "Proposals to double the size of a wind farm on the Lancashire moorland have been scaled down."}
{"article": "Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen was executed in November 1910 after poisoning his wife and hiding her dismembered remains under the cellar floor. He was caught as he tried to escape to Canada with his mistress, Ethel Le Neve, who was disguised as a boy. The letters, written while he was in prison and sold in Wiltshire, would remain in the UK, auctioneers said. Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge described the atmosphere in the saleroom as \"frantic\" with bidders calling in from Australia and the United States. He said the letters provided a \"fascinating insight\" into Dr Crippen's mind during the last few days of his life. One of his final letters, written to Lady Henry Somerset on 26 October 1910 - less than a month before he was executed - details his relationship with his mistress and his view that \"all yet may come right\". Crippen was hanged at Pentonville prison, in London, on 23 November 1910, after an appeal against his sentence failed. He became the first criminal to be captured with the aid of wireless communication, after the captain of the ship he was escaping on to Canada, the SS Montrose, became suspicious. The ship's captain sent a telegraph message informing the owners he believed Crippen was on board. The infamous killer's letters, which are being sold by a private collector, had been expected to make between \u00a33,000 and \u00a35,000 in the sale at Henry Aldridge and Son auctioneers.", "summary": "Letters written by one of the 20th Century's most notorious murderers have been sold for \u00a311,000 at auction."}
{"article": "Ahmad Zeidan, of Reading, was sentenced to nine years in 2014 but claims he was tortured into admitting drugs charges. Zeidan's father said his son was \"still rotting in prison\" despite the Foreign Office pledging to help last year. The Foreign Office said it \"continued to assist\" Zeidan and regularly raises the case with UAE authorities. UAE authorities previously denied any claims Zeidan has been tortured. But, Monal Zeidan said his 23-year-old son was a \"shattered boy\" and was \"suffering seizures\", three years into his jail term in the emirate of Sharjah, near Dubai. In 2013 Zeidan, a student at the Emirates Aviation College in Dubai, was part of a group who had accepted a ride in a friend's car when police stopped them and found 0.04 grams of cocaine in the vehicle. He was accused of possessing and trading in narcotics, but has said the drugs were not his. He claims he was hooded and kept in solitary confinement for two days, stripped naked, threatened with rape and brutally beaten. The other young men were given pardons or were acquitted but Zeidan, the only British citizen, was jailed. Monal Zeidan told the BBC: \"He was a young student of 19 when he was detained in the UAE three years ago and singled out for the harshest prison sentence of nine years. \"He was a victim of circumstance and simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. His incarceration is a painful tragedy that his family live with every day.\" A bilateral meeting took place in March 2016 after Zeidan's case was raised in parliament by Reading West MP Alok Sharma. But in an email seen by the BBC, a Foreign Office caseworker told his father that during the meeting \"it was decided that Ahmad's case did not reach the threshold for Her Majesty's Government to support a clemency request\". This suggests the Foreign Office has made no formal request for a pardon. On its website it states it would only consider pleas for clemency in \"exceptional\" circumstances, such as \"where a prisoner or close family member is chronically ill or dying\" or in cases where it has \"evidence that seems to point to a miscarriage of justice\". Human rights charity Reprieve, which had supported the case in the past but now only deals with death row cases, previously said Zeidan's \"brutal torture\" and the use of \"a bogus confession\" were \"more than enough reason for the British government to request his release\". A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: \"We continue to assist a British man who was arrested in the UAE in December 2013. \"Then minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood raised the case with his opposite number in 2016 and we continue to regularly raise this case with the UAE government. \"We cannot interfere in another country's judicial system just as we would not allow another country to interfere in ours.\" Mr Zeidan said the help has so far amounted to a monthly visit to his son from a British embassy representative.", "summary": "The family of a British student jailed in the United Arab Emirates over a cocaine find worth about \u00a33 says he has been \"forgotten\" by the Foreign Office."}
{"article": "Elliott Holdham, who has Asperger's syndrome, heard about the competition on social media and was desperate to be involved. His dad called up the local organisers, who invited them to watch AFC Dunstable in round one of the tournament. On the day, the team were a player short and the 19-year-old stepped in, scoring six goals and securing a place in the side for the second round. I am hoping to push onto bigger and better things Holdham's father, Jason, said: \"I'm really proud. Football has helped Elliott grow in confidence and he's been a breath of fresh air for the team.\" His son has been a Luton Town supporter since he was six but only began playing football eight months ago. Due to his condition, Holdham had not found a suitable team to play for, until discovering the FA People's Cup. AFC Dunstable's manager Josh Spavin said they were \"thrilled to find such a great player\". Speaking on BBC Three Counties sports programme with Geoff Doyle and Luke Ashmead, Spavin added that \"without Elliott they would have struggled over the weekend\". And, even though AFC Dunstable did not manage to get through to the finals day, Holdham has high hopes for the future. \"I am hoping to push onto bigger and better things,\" he said. You can catch up with the highlights of the FA People's Cup semi-finals here and will be able to follow the finals day on Sunday, 20 March with our live text commentary.", "summary": "The FA People's Cup regional semi-finals saw 400 teams compete across eight venues on 27-28 February - and for one player it was particularly special."}
{"article": "Starting and ending at the Town Hall in the city centre, the route took in views of the Peak District and a climb up to the village of Ringinglow. The event saw shorter routes for junior runners, with the main 13.1-mile event won by Steven Bayton and Sarah Lowery. Among the runners were retired rugby league players Barrie McDermott and Keith Senior. Lowery, the first woman to finish the circuit, said: \"I had not done this race before so it's nice to do your local half marathon. \"There were loads of people in the crowd all the way round, even in the really remote parts of the course, so I really enjoyed the race.\" Councillor Mary Lea, from Sheffield City Council, said: \"Although the route is undoubtedly a challenging one, the view from the top of Ringinglow Road across the Peak District is surely one of the best rewards any weary runner could hope for. \"I would go as far as to say that Sheffield is surely the most picturesque of almost any city half marathon, when you consider the blend of the beautiful rural landscape and the vibrant city centre finish.\"", "summary": "Thousands of runners have tackled the third Yorkshire Half Marathon under blue skies in Sheffield."}
{"article": "But a number of Leicestershire batsmen got starts and then got out as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Debutant Callum Parkinson took 3-64 as four Leicestershire men were out in the 40s, before Eckersley's patient innings helped them rebuild. He hit seven fours as Leicestershire ended the first day on 300-7.", "summary": "Ned Eckersley hit an unbeaten 73 as Leicestershire enjoyed a decent opening day with the bat against Derbyshire at Grace Road."}
{"article": "The suspects climbed over a fence to access the velociraptors, which were part of an outdoor display. They then beheaded the fibreglass dinosaurs with a handheld grinder or hacksaw, said local police. Authorities are appealing for information on the vandals, whom they have branded \"idiots\". Police spokesman Rod Anderson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the theft was \"a pretty stupid act\", and that the perpetrators may have wanted to keep the heads as trophies. \"We're expecting these perpetrators, because they're obviously not very smart, will tell people about it... We want people to give us information identifying who these idiots are,\" he was quoted as saying. The incident took place at the National Museum of Dinosaurs on Saturday night and was only reportedly discovered the next morning by visitors. Museum supervisor Mitchell Seymour told The Canberra Times that children \"had been asking their parents: 'Mum and Dad, what's happened to the dinosaurs?'\". The museum appears to be a frequent target. In March 2013, a dinosaur was stolen in an apparent birthday prank and found in a local man's home. Months later three other dinosaurs were found vandalised at the museum. The next year, another dinosaur was stolen and later found damaged in a nearby park.", "summary": "Australian police are on the hunt for vandals who hacked off and stole the heads of three dinosaur statues from a Canberra museum."}
{"article": "The Blackburn Rovers striker pleaded guilty to attacking Anthony Bradley in Buck Whaleys nightclub in Dublin on 8 June 2013. He had already agreed to give his victim 30,000 euros for breaking his nose and two of his teeth. He faces the second payout after being sued in the High Court in Dublin. Former car park attendant Mr Bradley, 53, was attacked by Stokes in the VIP section of the Leeson Street venue. Stokes, who has four Scottish league title medals with Celtic and nine Republic of Ireland caps, was given a two-year suspended sentence earlier this month after admitting the assault. He has now been ordered to pay Mr Bradley 150,000 euros in general damages, 50,000 euros in aggravated damages and 32,000 euros for medical expenses, his solicitor confirmed. The damages award by a jury in the High Court in Dublin is enforceable in Britain. During the hearing, Mr Bradley told the court he has not received an apology from Stokes over the incident, although lawyers for the footballer apologised on his behalf during the sentencing hearing at the start of February. The assault occurred while Stokes was on a night out with friends. Mr Bradley, who had arrived at the club two hours earlier and had drunk one pint of beer while there, twice had drink spilt on him by a man before he was headbutted by Stokes. The footballer was escorted from the premises following the incident and his sentencing heard he had told an employee: \"If someone puts it up to me, I'm going to nut him.\" Mr Bradley was headbutted across the bridge of his nose and suffered a deviated septum and two broken front teeth in what was described as a \"nasty, cowardly attack\". His medical bills have cost 13,500 euros over the past three-and-a-half years. Mr Bradley was away from his job as a car park attendant in the Gresham Hotel in Dublin for eight months following the incident and subsequently stopped working as he suffered physical and psychological effects. He has also been diagnosed with a degenerative spinal condition since the assault, which causes pain across his neck and shoulders.", "summary": "Republic of Ireland international Anthony Stokes has been ordered to pay an Elvis impersonator 230,000 euros for headbutting him in a nightclub."}
{"article": "The news emerged days after she flew to London for medical tests. Her treatment begins immediately, her daughter said. Ms Nawaz is due to stand for election to parliament in a by-election in her husband's former seat next month. He was forced to resign in July after the Supreme Court disqualified him from office for not disclosing assets. Mr Sharif denies wrongdoing. The couple's daughter, Maryam, tweeted that the cancer had been found on the left side of her mother's neck. End of Twitter post by @MaryamNSharif In another tweet she said doctors were hopeful of curing Ms Nawaz because the disease had been diagnosed early. Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system. It occurs when tumours build up in tissues found in areas such as the bone marrow or lymph glands. Earlier reports suggested Ms Nawaz had throat cancer. Maryam Sharif is now expected to run her mother's political campaign while she undergoes treatment. \"We hope that she will recover soon enough, but it is likely that she won't be around during the days leading up to the election,\" senior PML-N party member Mushahidullah Khan told BBC Urdu. Mr Sharif had to vacate his seat after becoming embroiled in the Panama papers scandal. The papers revealed his children were linked to offshore companies that owned properties in London. Kulsoom Nawaz's decision to stand for election was seen as a change of plan for the family, who indicated originally that Mr Sharif's younger brother would run for the seat, and then the premiership. But instead the ruling party elected Sharif loyalist Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as prime minister. It has been suggested he will hold office until elections next year.", "summary": "Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has been diagnosed with lymphoma."}
{"article": "He lost control of his microlight while attempting to land at an airstrip near Edenbridge, Kent, on 16 July last year. Investigators said his decision to fly at 15:30 BST was when conditions were more likely to be turbulent than later. They said he may have been influenced by the fact the airstrip operator took time to help him prepare the aircraft. \"He may have felt some pressure to fly,\" the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report found. A nearby dog walker described how the Pegasus Quantum 15 was \"a bit wobbly\" and travelling \"too fast and at too acute an angle\" as it came in to land at East Haxted Farm Airstrip. The AAIB said the pilot encountered \"very rough air\" which caused him to veer off course and abort the landing. The pilot, who was not identified by the AAIB, suffered chest and hand injuries when the microlight became entangled in the branches of an oak tree about 15ft (4.6m) above a field near Lingfield Road. He was freed after several hours by fire crews using using ladders, lines and a winch. He had held a private pilot's licence since 1997 and although he was \"reasonably experienced\" he was \"not in current flying practice\" and had flown for just two hours in the 90 days leading up to the crash, the report said. Civil Aviation Authority data from December 2015 shows he was one of the country's oldest pilots, as just 13 people aged 89 or older held pilot licences at that time. Holders of his type of licence aged over 50 must renew a medical certificate every 12 months to keep flying.", "summary": "A 90-year-old pilot who was seriously hurt when his microlight crashed in to a tree may have felt under pressure to fly, according to an accident report."}
{"article": "Pedro Caixinha has recruited eight players so far in the transfer window - seven from overseas. Ferguson, who had two spells at Rangers, says new players may be taken aback by the Scottish environment and the level of expectation on them. \"These guys will need to get up to pace pretty quick,\" Ferguson told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound. \"There's no doubt in my mind that they're good players. \"It's a bit easier to a certain extent at Ibrox where there's a bigger pitch and you've got 50,000 fans behind you but when you go to the smaller grounds, where it's tighter, the pitches aren't as good, they get the fright of their life. \"It's 100-mile-an-hour stuff. If you're not up for the fight, when you got to places like Easter Road or Tynecastle or Fir Park, these guys are going to run over the top of you. \"They're used to a different type of football. Scotland is a tough, tough, tough place to play football.\" Portuguese defenders Bruno Alves and Fabio Cardoso and compatriots Dalcio and Daniel Candeias, who play in wide attacking roles, as well as Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos and Mexican duo Carlos Pena and Eduardo Herrera - a midfielder and a striker - have joined Scottish midfielder Ryan Jack in moving to Ibrox this summer. \"I don't know too much about most of the signings,\" said Ferguson. \"Obviously, I know Bruno Alves, who has got 90-odd caps for Portugal. I've seen him play quite a bit. He's an experienced centre-half and a really good player. And Ryan Jack, I know obviously [from his time at Aberdeen]. \"I've got to take my hat off to Pedro Caixinha. He's come in and he's identified that he's needed quite a lot of players. He's done his homework early and he's made a lot of signings pretty early as well. \"My only worry is, there's quite a lot of foreign players. In my time when foreign players came in to Rangers, they got the shock of their lives with demands that are put on them, the pace of Scottish football. \"It'll be interesting to see how they settle in. I still believe that you've got to get a spine at least of Scottish players. I know he's after Graham Dorrans, who I think's a fantastic player - and obviously, I saw yesterday, Kenny McLean as well. \"You can't lose your identity. You've got to have Scottish players. \"Many a player's come in who had 30-, 40-odd caps, who had played in big leagues over in the continent and they couldn't believe the pressure that they were under. When you play at Rangers, you're expected to win every single game. \"I believe that you've got to give him two or three months and you've got to give these players two or three months to settle in but again you don't get much time when you play at a club like Rangers.\"", "summary": "Former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson believes the club's new signings will need to adapt pretty quickly."}
{"article": "Assistant coach Gary Neville will delay his arrival after his Valencia side lost a third La Liga game in a row. Hart and Sterling could be out for four weeks, making them serious doubts for City's Champions League quarter-final. Winger Sterling has a groin injury, while keeper Hart has a calf problem. Sterling, 21, limped off during City's 1-0 loss to United, while Hart, 28, was hurt after clearing a poor backpass from Martin Demichelis and went off on a stretcher. City boss Manuel Pellegrini, asked whether they would miss England's games in Germany on Saturday and against the Netherlands at Wembley on 29 March, said: \"I don't think muscle injuries are one week. Normally this is three or four weeks.\" Neville, meanwhile, is to stay in Valencia to work with his players after fans called for the ex-England defender to leave following a 2-0 home defeat by Celta Vigo. The 41-year-old, who said he will link up with the England squad on Thursday, said: \"You'll report it as panic, but it is not panic, it is something that's important. \"I have just spoken to Roy Hodgson and I am going to stay back in Valencia. The players train Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday this week. I feel it's the right thing to do. \"Obviously it's not an ideal situation. I'm the assistant coach for the national team of England, with 60 million people, but I understand the two or three million people in Valencia need my attention this week.\" Stoke City midfielder Ibrahim Afellay and Sunderland defender Patrick van Aanholt could feature against England at Wembley after being added to the Netherlands squad. Coach Danny Blind has been hampered by the withdrawal of several players for next week's friendly matches against France and England. PSV Eindhoven pair Davy Propper and Jurgen Locadia pulled out on Monday, missing out along with Arjen Robben, Daryl Janmaat, Erik Pieters and Ron Vlaar. Afellay was a surprise omission from the original squad, while Van Aanholt could make his first international appearance in more than two years. The Netherlands were World Cup semi-finalists in 2014, but have failed to qualify for Euro 2016.", "summary": "Joe Hart and Raheem Sterling are set to miss England's friendlies with Germany and the Netherlands after being injured during Manchester City's derby defeat by Manchester United on Sunday."}
{"article": "The prime minister has said Britain will vote on whether to remain in the EU on Thursday 23 June. David Cameron announced the referendum date after a cabinet meeting on Saturday to discuss his deal with the EU he says gives the UK special status. Mrs Foster said the DUP will recommend to voters to leave the EU. \"At every stage in this European negotiation process we had hoped to see a fundamental change to our relationship with Europe,\" she said. \"In our view, we see nothing in this deal that changes our outlook. Therefore we will on balance recommend a vote to leave the EU. \"As every voter has the opportunity to express a view, we fully expect that DUP members and voters will hold a range of differing personal views as to what is in the best interests of the United Kingdom. \"They are fully entitled to do so during what will be a momentous political debate about the direction of travel our nation chooses.\" The SDLP and Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in are to campaign to remain within the EU, with the Alliance Party expected to do the same. The Ulster Unionists are still considering their position. Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in's Martin McGuinness said the benefits of EU membership could \"be felt daily across all sections of our society\". \"In particular, our agriculture and agri-food industry have gone from strength to strength with the help of EU Single Farm Payments,\" he said. \"The EU has also supported key infrastructure projects and boosted our economy through peace and structural funds. \"It has also been a key supporter of the progress made in the peace and political processes over the last two decades.\" SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has said the referendum will be one of the most important votes faced by people in Northern Ireland in decades. \"It is therefore vital that a strong and positive campaign is conducted to remain in Europe. \"The SDLP's campaign has already begun and today I am calling on the leaders of Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in, the Alliance party and the Green Party to do their utmost in ensuring that Northern Ireland delivers a strong vote to remain in the EU on 23 June. \"I would also urge the Ulster Unionist Party to do what is best for farmers and families and campaign for an In vote.\" Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Secretary of State has declared her intention to join the campaign in favour of leaving the EU. David Cameron has suspended collective responsibility over the issue of the UK's future membership of the EU. This means Eurosceptic ministers can campaign in favour of Brexit - against the official government position. Theresa Villiers is one of five cabinet ministers who joined the \"Leave\" camp. Others include Justice Secretary Michael Gove, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, Leader of the House of Commons Chris Grayling, and Culture Secretary John Whittingdale. Employment Minster Priti Patel, who is not a full cabinet member, is also in favour of leaving. Home Secretary Theresa May heads the list of those who have announced they will campaign", "summary": "DUP leader Arlene Foster has said while her party remains Eurosceptic, members must decide for themselves how to vote in the EU referendum."}
{"article": "The information covers individuals who declined an honour from 1950 to 1999 and have since died. It identifies 287 instances [PDF list], including 89 rejected MBEs, 89 OBEs, 61 CBEs and 27 knighthoods. For some people such honours and the official recognition they represent can be a high point of their lives, but clearly for others they have been unwanted, whether for reasons of principle or otherwise. This official data confirms much that has been reported previously, for example that a serial refuser was the painter L S Lowry, who over a period of 21 years dismissed the offer of an OBE, a CBE, a knighthood, and twice becoming a Companion of Honour. The list also confirms that those who have rejected knighthoods include the actor Robert Morley, the writer Aldous Huxley and the physicist Paul Dirac, while those who dismissed lesser honours include the author Roald Dahl, the painter Francis Bacon and the biologist Francis Crick. Some who accepted one honour previously or later refused another, such as the film director Sir Alfred Hitchcock who had earlier turned down a CBE before he was knighted. The list also discloses some apparently new information, however. The author and publisher Leonard Woolf declined to be made a Companion of Honour in 1966, the journalist and editor of the New Statesman Kingsley Martin turned down a knighthood in 1965, and the critic and academic F R Leavis rejected a CBE in 1966. As far as I know, these facts (among others in the list) are previously unreported, although I am not an expert on their biographies and could be wrong. The list also identifies many more obscure figures who for whatever reason did not want to accept the honours on offer. The Cabinet Office has been keen to preserve the secrecy which has traditionally surrounded the honours system and at first refused to reveal the list in response to a BBC freedom of information request. The BBC then complained to the Information Commissioner who ruled that it was in the public interest to disclose the information for honours rejected before 2000. The Commissioner argued that disclosing more recent rejections was more likely to undermine the integrity of the honours system and that 2000 was a reasonable if arbitrary cut off point. The data does not cover living individuals since that may constitute personal information protected by the Data Protection Act. And to avoid doubt it is restricted to people where, according to the Cabinet Office, \"it is immediately apparent as a matter of fact that a relevant individual is dead\". This means that the individuals listed are only a limited proportion of all those who have declined honours. It does nevertheless show that over the decades there have been many individuals who have not wanted to accept a form of recognition which the British state wanted to bestow on them. What we don't know, however, are their various motives.", "summary": "The Cabinet Office has been forced by the Information Commissioner to release an official version of what could be called an alternative honours list - names of people who rejected honours."}
{"article": "Four birdies in the first six holes set the Northern Irishman on his way at the London Golf Club near Maidstone. England's Paul Casey beat Wales' Jamie Donaldson, while Ireland's Shane Lowry beat Scotland's Stephen Gallacher 3&2. Other winners on day one were Joost Luiten, Thongchai Jaidee, Jonas Blixt and Victor Dubuisson. Having successfully partnered McDowell to two foursome wins in Europe's recent Ryder Cup success, Frenchman Dubuisson matched McDowell's run of four birdies in the opening six holes as he overcame Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal 3&2. Another Ryder Cup winner, Sweden's Henrik Stenson, halved with South African George Coetzee. The 16 competitors, divided into four groups of four, play three group matches each on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before Saturday's quarter-finals and Sunday's semi-finals and final. \"There are no easy matches. You can't take anyone lightly, especially a guy who won last week, so I'm very happy to get the victory,\" said McDowell. \"It's important to control your own destiny in the group stages - you don't want to be relying on other people.\" Full World Match Play results and tables", "summary": "Graeme McDowell began the defence of his World Match Play title by beating France's Alexander Levy 3&2 in Wednesday's opening match."}
{"article": "The bodies of the state's first mental institution - called the Insane Asylum - stretch across 20 acres of campus where administrators want to build. Officials predict that it may cost up to $21m (\u00c2\u00a316m) to exhume and rebury each body - more than $3,000 for each. The campus medical centre, where the bodies have been discovered, is looking at cheaper alternatives. The university hopes to bring the total cost down by handling the exhumations in-house, the Clarion-Ledger newspaper reports. They predict that it can be done for $400,000 per year over the next eight years. They also hope to create a memorial and laboratory where students can study the patients' remains, as well as remnants of clothes and wood unearthed in the process. A group of academics have formed a consortium dedicated to studying the remains. \"We have inherited these patients,\" said Ralph Didlake, who oversees the campus Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities. \"We want to show them care and respectful management,\" he told the Clarion-Ledger. \"It would be a unique resource for Mississippi,\" Molly Zuckerman, a professor of anthropology, told the newspaper. \"It would make Mississippi a national centre on historical records relating to health in the pre-modern period, particularly those being institutionalised.\" The Insane Asylum was completed in 1855 and operated until 1935. Before then, patients with mental illnesses were often kept chained in jails and attics of homes. According to records, of the 1,376 patients admitted between 1855 and 1877, more than one in five died. After the US Civil War the facility expanded dramatically, eventually housing about 6,000 patients during its peak. The first coffins were discovered by the university in 2013 while constructing a road near campus. In 2014 officials found more than 1,000 coffins while building a parking garage.", "summary": "The remains of at least 7,000 people may be buried beneath the University of Mississippi, officials estimate."}
{"article": "Pete Cresswell was forced to leave Liverpool University without graduating for protesting against its investments in apartheid-era South Africa. The student was one of 10, including Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow, punished for a six-week sit-in at the university's Senate House. Mr Cresswell said he was \"gobsmacked\". \"If I went back through it 1,000 times, my 22-year-old self in 1970 would do it again,\" said Mr Cresswell, who was the only one of the 10 to be expelled. The former politics student said he was \"astonished\" to be awarded a degree and had always thought \"hell would freeze over\" before the university gave him one. Awarding him an honorary Bachelor of Arts degree at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, vice chancellor Prof Janet Beer said \"we in the university want to put this right\". She said that while the university \"cannot undo\" Mr Cresswell's \"unfair and wrong\" treatment, it can \"recognise that wrong, and publicly do so\" to a man who \"saw what was the right thing to do and paid a price for it\". Inspired by the 1968 student revolts in France, activists across the UK brought protests and sit-ins to universities into the early 1970s and students in Liverpool were no exception. The chancellor of the university at the time was Lord Salisbury, a known supporter of apartheid. Mr Cresswell said: \"Looking back, I think we were right and if you look at the issues, we have been proved right. \"This does put a full stop on the whole thing and I just feel pleased that a bit of history has been reviewed and put to bed.\" The Birmingham-born student stayed in Liverpool and despite having to leave his politics course during his third year with a \"CV from hell\", eventually became a social worker, holding roles with the council and the Care Quality Commission. Now retired, Mr Cresswell said he was pleased his daughter had had the chance to see him in robes - she graduated herself more than 10 years before him. Mr Snow, who received an honorary degree from the university in 2011, sent him a congratulatory video message, saying: \"Well done Pete. Well done Liverpool - I still love you.\" Mr Cresswell said that while Mr Snow could not attend, he was \"there in spirit\".", "summary": "A student who was expelled from university for taking part in anti-apartheid demonstrations in 1970 has been awarded an honorary degree."}
{"article": "Officers found Matthew Williams, 34, attacking Ms Yemm in the Sirhowy Arms Hotel in Argoed, Caerphilly county on 6 November 2014. He was stunned with a Taser and arrested at the scene but later died. Healthcare Inspectorate Wales is looking at the mental health support Williams received before the killing. Williams was known to mental health services at Aneurin Bevan, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Cardiff and Vale University health boards. The health watchdog said its independent review would investigate the care, medical history and events surrounding the killing in a bid to \"provide an understanding and background to the fatal incident\". The review will try to identify any change in Williams's behaviour, look at documents including risk assessments, assess how different agencies worked together and and interview staff involved in Williams's care. It has published the terms of reference for the independent review, which was ordered by the Welsh government. Inquests into Williams's and Miss Yemm's deaths are due to be held in the autumn.", "summary": "A report to ensure \"lessons are learnt\" after a homeless prison leaver killed 22-year-old Cerys Yemm is to be published in early 2016."}
{"article": "After all, the young, social-media savvy Burhan Wani had become the mascot of a new generation of home-grown rebels fighting Indian rule in the region - there are close to 100 local militants in Kashmir today, four times as many as in 2011, Indian intelligence estimates. Wani's ability to \"recruit [people] into militancy from the grave will far outstrip anything he could have done on social media,\" tweeted Kashmir's former chief minister and opposition leader Omar Abdullah after the killing. Yet, when Kashmir predictably erupted in fury over the killing, a familiar, bloody script played out once again. Five days of clashes between protesters and security forces following Wani's killing have left at least 36 people dead and some 1,500 people, mostly aged 16-26, wounded. The curfew entered its fifth day on Wednesday, making this the worst siege the valley has faced since two popular uprisings in 2008 and 2010 in which 200 people, mostly civilian protesters, died in clashes with the security forces. Many believe last weekend again saw security forces using excessive force as they tried to control the protests. Security personnel say they are forced to open fire in the face of dire mob provocation. But allegations that the forces are trigger happy in Kashmir have never gone away. \"The fact is that they used disproportionate force at the weekend, when the majority of deaths happened,\" says Shujaat Bukhari, editor of Rising Kashmir newspaper. Security experts say India's forces - army, paramilitary soldiers, border guards - are not equipped to handle civilian uprisings. Most are trained to fight a foreign enemy. Killing their own people in Kashmir, one of the world's most militarised regions, makes them look like an occupying force. The police does not inspire much confidence either in Kashmir, or anywhere else in India: the force is run on the basis of 155-year-old colonial law and has seen almost no reform. Nearly two decades after the uprising began in the region, the security forces still appear to be totally out of their depth in the use of modern, non-lethal weapons of crowd control. There has been a lot of talk about using water cannons, the malodorous \"skunk\" spray, noise machines, for example. The forces have picked on using \"pellet guns\" - a kind of shot gun - that have actually ended up causing serious eye injuries. Doctors say more than 100 people have received pellets in their eyes after the weekend clashes and it's feared that many may lose their eyesight. For the remainder, the forces have been resorting to firepower and tear gas. More than 100 people injured in the latest violence are suffering from bullet wounds. \"Shoot to kill does not exactly help win the battle of hearts and minds in Kashmir,\" says one expert. The Kashmir government - an uneasy marriage of convenience between the regional People's Democratic Party and the BJP - has promised that policemen and security forces will be \"made answerable\" for incidents where excessive force has been used at the weekend. No-one in Kashmir believes that this will happen. There", "summary": "When security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir killed a prominent militant leader in a gunfight last week, they would have surely anticipated a civilian blowback in the Muslim-dominated valley."}
{"article": "The Spaniard, 34, won the Tour de France in 2007 and 2009, but he was stripped of the 2010 title for doping. He is one of only six riders to have won all three Grand Tours - the Tour de France, Vuelta and Giro d'Italia. \"I don't think there is a better farewell than the home race in my home country,\" he said on Instragram. Contador, who turned professional in 2003, added: \"I'm saying this happy, I'm not saying it with sadness. It's a decision I've thought about very well.\" He was banned for testing positive for clenbuterol - a powerful drug used to treat asthma, but which can also help build up lean muscle mass and burn off fat - at the 2010 Tour de France. Contador blamed his positive test on eating contaminated steak. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) banned Contador in February 2012, but backdated the ban to 25 January 2011. Having served five months and 19 days of a provisional suspension in 2010-11, he returned to cycling in August 2012. Contador won seven Grand Tour titles and was awarded the prestigious Velo d'Or, voted for by journalists, a record four times. Only Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi and Vincenzo Nibali have also won all three Grand Tours.", "summary": "Two-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador is to retire from professional cycling after the Vuelta a Espana, which starts on 19 August."}
{"article": "Columnist and government critic Farhad Mazhar sparked a police hunt after leaving his Dhaka home on Monday morning. There were reports of a ransom demand. Police said Mr Mazhar, 69, was eventually found on a bus travelling to the capital from the south-western city of Khulna. It is unclear if he had been abducted. Human rights groups say enforced disappearances and abductions are rising in Bangladesh. Mr Mazhar is a supporter of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Party officials say many of their activists and supporters have been detained illegally since 2014.", "summary": "A well-known Bangladeshi human rights activist has been found on a bus after his family reported him missing."}
{"article": "The Briton, 29, saved set points in both sets as he won 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (7-1) to reach round two of the Aegon Championships. Lendl was courtside for the first time since 2014, having agreed last week to resume their working relationship. Murray goes on to face fellow Briton Aljaz Bedene or Frenchman Benoit Paire. Asked about Lendl, Murray told BBC Sport: \"He doesn't really give many signs during the match. He's got quite a straight face. \"I started working with Jamie Delgado a few months ago and that's worked extremely well, and obviously I had some of my best years with Ivan a few years ago. \"I think it's a very strong team and I'm hoping they can help me win more major events.\" Swiss second seed Stan Wawrinka earlier lost 6-2 7-6 (7-3) to Spain's Fernando Verdasco. Media playback is not supported on this device Lendl had resumed his coaching role on Tuesday morning, directing the drills as Murray went through their first practice together for over two years. The session was cut to just an hour because of the rain which has blighted the first two days at Queen's Club, leaving Murray a little short of time on the grass. Mahut, ranked 51st, won a title on the surface 24 hours earlier in the Netherlands and looked the more sure-footed when the pair finally got on court just after 17:00 BST. The Frenchman broke serve first but could not convert the next game from 40-0, and Murray came through a tense tie-break on his third set point. Mahut had an opportunity at 8-7, failing to make a return of serve, but he moved 4-1 up in the second set and a furious Murray went close to smashing his racquet. The Scot complained to the umpire about the conditions underfoot, and Mahut would later slip over, but Murray fought back to 5-5 and saved three more set points before dominating the second tie-break. \"It was tough,\" said Murray, a four-time winner at Queen's. \"Nico's a very accomplished grass-court player and because of the weather the last few days, we haven't been able to get on the grass too much to hit. \"It was a tricky first round and I'm glad I managed to get through.\" Wawrinka, 31, never looked comfortable on a greasy surface and struggled to cover the powerful forehand of his opponent. Verdasco wrapped up the match - which was interrupted by rain - as Wawrinka's serve faltered during a tie-break. \"For sure conditions are difficult for everybody since a few days with the rain,\" said world number five Wawrinka. \"That's the same for everybody, but it was a tough match. \"Grass is always a challenging surface for my game. I need quite a lot of practice to play my best game.\"", "summary": "Andy Murray gave coach Ivan Lendl the perfect welcome back with a fine win over France's Nicolas Mahut at Queen's Club in London."}
{"article": "At one point, its share price fell more than 10% on the Milan stock market. By mid-afternoon, it was still 9% down. The bank said the ECB had given it until 3 October to draw up a plan for reducing non-performing loans. Italian banks are saddled with \u20ac360bn (\u00a3300bn; $400bn) of bad debt, about a third of the eurozone's total. Monte dei Paschi accounts for \u20ac46.9bn of that total. In a draft decision sent to the bank by the ECB, it was told to reduce gross non-performing loans from \u20ac46.9bn to \u20ac32.6bn by 2018, representing a cut of 30% over the next three years. Investor concern over the strength of the industry has hit Italian banking shares this year. Several other Italian banks also suffered big share price falls on Monday. In April, Italy's financial industry approved a government-backed plan to set up a rescue fund to help weaker banks. The Atlante fund will be made up by private money, reportedly worth \u20ac5bn, and will buy up shares and bad debt in struggling banks.", "summary": "Shares in Italy's third-biggest bank, Monte dei Paschi di Siena, have slumped after the European Central Bank told it to reduce its debt burden."}
{"article": "The foreign ministry said it acknowledged a \"miscommunication\" with Iraq over the deployment of its forces. It comes a day after US President Barack Obama urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to \"de-escalate tensions\" with Baghdad. Turkey sent at least 150 troops into northern Iraq earlier this month saying they were to protect military trainers. Turkey has deployed troops at the Bashiqa camp near Mosul - a city controlled by Islamic State (IS) - since 2014 to train Iraqi Kurdish forces. But the Iraqi government said the latest move had been carried out without consultation and violated national sovereignty and international law. \"Turkey... acknowledges the miscommunication with the government of Iraq over the deployments of Turkish protection forces,\" the Turkish foreign ministry said in the statement. \"Turkey, in recognition of the Iraqi concerns and in accordance with the requirements of the fight against Daesh [IS], is continuing to move military forces from Nineveh province that were the source of miscommunication.\" The statement did not say how many troops would be moved or where they would go to. On Monday, Turkey's state-run news agency quoted military officials as saying a 10 or 12-vehicle convoy had left Bashiqa camp and was moving north. It came days after Turkish Prime Minister Ahmed Davutoglu's office said it had decided to reorganise its military personnel at Bashiqa following talks with Iraqi officials. The Turkish government enjoys close relations with the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region in Iraq. But it considers the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) - whose Popular Protection Units (YPG) militia is a key ally of the US-led coalition against IS - as an enemy because it is an offshoot of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).", "summary": "Turkey says it will pull more of its troops out of northern Iraq, following a partial withdrawal earlier this week."}
{"article": "But none of the groups fighting on the ground have been invited. So absent from the talks will be both the Assad government and the Syrian political opposition, as well as the myriad other rebel militias fighting the Assad regime. Syria's Kurds won't be present, and of course jihadist militants of the so-called Islamic State (IS) won't be either. But the hope is that if outside powers can bridge their differences, it could be a first step towards influencing at least some of the warring sides. And some things have changed since the last abortive diplomatic push to end Syria's war: Iran's nuclear deal has made it a more acceptable partner to the United States and its allies. Russia has more incentive to push for peace: to keep its military involvement in Syria limited. The mounting refugee crisis has increased pressure on Syria's neighbours and on European countries too. And there is growing alarm at the way IS militants keep extending their reach. The focus (not for the first time) will be on how to agree a political process, including changes to Syria's constitution and new elections, to open the door to a broader transition. The main sticking point remains President Bashar al-Assad's role, and whether he should be allowed to stay or at some point be forced to stand down. So where do the most important countries attending the Vienna talks now stand? The United States and other Western powers (who held a pre-meeting in Paris to present a united front in Vienna) have shifted slightly recently. They no longer say Mr Assad must go as soon as possible, but rather that a transition must guarantee that he departs under a precise timetable. Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which had been insistent Mr Assad must go, may also be softening their position somewhat. The Saudi foreign minister on Wednesday still insisted he must step down, but within a specific time frame. But Russia and Iran, both backing President Assad militarily, claim he is a necessary partner in the fight against IS jihadists, and whether he stays or goes is not a matter for outside powers, but for the Syrian people to decide in elections. What is less clear is whether behind the scenes they are prepared to be more flexible, or less. Russia's President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly denounced elected leaders being ousted under pressure. He recently invited Mr Assad to Moscow to show him his support. But senior Russian officials have usually been careful to offer support to Syria's legitimate government, rather than Mr Assad himself. So would Russia support a compromise? Iran meanwhile has said there is no reason for Mr Assad to go, since he won re-election last year and his term should last until 2021. Will Tehran make him staying in power a red line? If there were no agreement in Vienna it would not be surprising, but it could also be dangerous. The Saudi government said it was coming to see if Russia and Iran were serious about a peace process, and if not, it would know", "summary": "These Vienna talks for the first time include all the external countries involved in the Syria conflict \u00c2\u00adincluding, crucially, Iran."}
{"article": "Stephen Evans, 18, from Holywell, appeared before Flintshire magistrates on Monday. It is alleged he intended to put life in danger, or was reckless as to whether life would be endangered, amid allegations the cars were close to people's homes. He was remanded in custody. Magistrates said the case should be sent to Mold Crown Court where he will appear at a preliminary hearing on Friday 11 September.", "summary": "A man has been charged with 12 counts of arson after a dozen vehicles were allegedly torched in Holywell, Flintshire."}
{"article": "Allan Bryant, 23, went missing after a night out at Styx nightclub in his home town of Glenrothes on 3 November 2013. Officers began searching the house in Barnton Place on Friday 16 June. Police Scotland said the property had now been returned to its owners and no further investigations would be made at the house. Det Insp Stuart Wilson, of Police Scotland, said: \"Inquiries into the circumstances of Allan's disappearance are ongoing and we are committed to finding him. \"We still believe that someone in the Glenrothes area has information that will assist with our inquiries. \"I would ask that person to come forward and help us give the Bryant family the answers they are desperately seeking.\" Mr Bryant's parents have repeatedly stated they believe he has been murdered and that his killer is still at large.", "summary": "Police investigating the disappearance of a Fife man have ended the search of a house in Glenrothes without making any fresh discoveries."}
{"article": "The Treasury will be delighted with the recommendations from Mr Taylor, the head of the Royal Society of Arts, on gig economy companies. He is recommending that firms which have a \"controlling and supervisory\" relationship with their workers would have to pay a full range of benefits. That also includes millions of pounds in national insurance contributions. In an interview with the BBC, Mr Taylor - head of the government's review into modern employment practices - said that such people were not self-employed as many gig firms insist. \"If you are being controlled and supervised you are probably a worker and you should get workers' rights and also the employer that employs you should be paying national insurance,\" Mr Taylor told me. I asked him if such a relationship encompassed firms like Deliveroo and Uber, which say that their riders and drivers are \"self-employed\" and have full flexibility to work when they want. \"We do not mention individual companies in our report, but I think that if you look at some of the big gig work platforms, at the present time you would say their business models look as though it may be that the people who work for them would be classified as workers rather than as self-employed,\" he said. Mr Taylor said: \"If you look at the judgments that the judges have been making [about employment rights in the gig economy], it looks as though the courts are saying that it looks as though somebody is subject to control and supervision they should be described as a worker and not self-employed. \"Which, interestingly, is the same criterion used by the tax authority when they determine whether somebody is self-employed or an employee. \"We think that principle is right.\" \"Workers\" - which Mr Taylor wants to redefine as \"dependent contractors\" - receive a wider range of benefits and protections compared with \"self-employed\" people, including sick pay, holiday entitlement and the minimum wage. Firms which employ them are also obliged to pay national insurance contributions to HM Revenue and Customs at 13.8% of an employees' earnings above \u00a3157 a week. Although it is difficult to judge the economic value of the gig economy, more than one million people work in the sector. If large numbers of them are reclassified as \"dependent contractors\" that could significantly increase taxes paid to the government by gig firms. Mr Taylor told me that government tax receipts were negatively affected by the rapid growth in the number of \"self-employed\" people who pay lower levels of tax than fully employed workers. \"We have a big issue about the fact there is a gap between the amount of tax we pay on self-employed labour and employed labour,\" he said. \"If you go back to the beginning of the welfare state, that difference was about two-thirds - we paid two-thirds as much for self-employed labour as we did for employed labour - now it is one-third. \"And at the same time self-employment has grown. \"So we are creating a fiscal headache for ourselves, and one of the things we say", "summary": "One department is likely to be cheering the publication of the Mathew Taylor review into the new world of work."}
{"article": "However, it might do well to look to Iceland, which has come up with a radical plan to get rid of its pay gap completely. A bill was tabled in the country's parliament that would require firms to prove they offer equal pay to employees, or potentially face fines. It comes as less stringent British laws on gender pay come into effect. These will require firms to publish data on their gender pay gap, but not penalise offenders. So should the UK go further and outlaw the gender pay gap? Iceland ranks first on the World Economic Forum's 2015 Global Gender Gap Index, but the nation of 323,000 people still has a difference of 7% between the sexes. However, the new bill would require companies with 25 or more employees to go through audits and gain certification of their equal-pay programmes. Thorsteinn Viglundsson, social affairs and equality minister, accepted the law could be \"burdensome\" for the country's businesses, but said the benefits would outweigh the costs. And with cross party support, the bill could well become law by next January. According to Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, which campaigns for equal pay, similar measures must be considered in the UK. At 9.4% in 2016, the difference between average pay for male and female full-time employees in Britain was little changed from the 10.5% gap five years earlier. And a Deloitte report last year found the gender pay gap in the UK will not close until 2069 based on current salary progression. \"It's impressive to see what is being introduced in Iceland and full equal pay audits would be good to see. But we are some way off that here,\" Mr Smethers said. Certainly, the government is making moves to tackle the issue. From Thursday, UK employers with more than 250 staff will be required by law to collect data so they can publish their gender pay gap, gender bonus gap and the number of women and men who get a bonus. But employer groups said said introducing audits and certification, as Iceland may do, would not solve the gender pay gap. Neil Carberry, director for people and skills policy at the CBI, said: \"The gender pay gap and unequal pay are different. While many factors contribute to the UK's gender pay gap, unequal pay is already illegal and is only a part of the gap.\" He added: \"To close the gender pay gap in the UK, businesses and the government need to work together to address careers advice, progression and support networks, like childcare. These are not things that an employer certification regime would address.\" Verity O'Keefe, senior employment and skills policy adviser at EEF, which represents manufacturers, said flaws in the UK's new rules also needed to be addressed. \"The transparency [the new data collected] will drive is important, but it must also be recognised that the simple snapshot it will provide may often hide a more complex picture,\" she said. \"Manufacturers are likely to unearth some higher than average figures. However, this is not due to a", "summary": "Like many countries, the UK has made slow progress in reducing its gender pay gap."}
{"article": "The Shaymen held on until the 75th minute when the 28-year-old forward netted from Bradley Goldberg's cross. Halifax were then denied an equaliser as Hamza Bencherif saw his shot, following a nice turn, hit the post. The away side are a point above the drop zone, with Boreham Wood overtaking them after they drew with Barrow.", "summary": "Adam Cunnington's second-half strike was enough to earn Bromley victory as Halifax dropped closer to the relegation places."}
{"article": "As the victims struggle with the misery of damage, mud and ruin, officials say we have entered an era of \"unknown extremes\" of weather and they want a \"complete rethink\" of how flooding is handled. Some aspects of the response are infinitely improved from earlier disasters. The emergency teams from organisations as diverse as the fire brigades, the RNLI and the police are far better co-ordinated than they used to be. In Carlisle earlier this month, I saw one mountain rescue team, well-equipped with an inflatable boat, ropes, torches and radios, inch through deep water in total darkness to carefully and tenderly deliver a frightened woman to safety. But however professional the response, questions are inevitably raised about why this effort is needed in the first place, with people demanding to know why their communities were not better defended. And that leads to a sense of anger that as victims of flooding feel ignored or let down by the authorities for failing to keep them safe. I first witnessed this during the summer of 2007 in Hull, where thousands of families were displaced by floods with some still in temporary housing a year later. One family I interviewed were incensed at the prospect of facing a second Christmas in a chilly caravan. Earlier this month, residents in Carlisle, who had watched the construction of a \u00a338m flood-defence scheme just five years before, reacted with fury as it was overtopped by rising waters. We have heard anger too from Leeds City Council which, like many northern authorities, believes that Whitehall favours the South when it comes to allocating funds for flood defence - though the government insists that the North does better on a per capita basis. And anger has been voiced in York in the past few days as the Environment Agency made a fateful decision to lift the Foss Barrier, a key part of the city's flood defence system. With the barrier's electrical motors at risk of flooding - something which itself will face investigation - staff feared that the barrier, if left lowered, could become stuck there, trapping the waters of the Foss and causing more flooding. But, in turn, the raising of the barrier inevitably meant some homes would be flooded anyway - fewer than would have been hit with the barrier left in place, says the EA, but this is a source of deep irritation for many. Along with the despair and the anger comes another dimension: scrutiny. This starts as soon as floods start to cause damage and in some cases the arguments are unchanging year after year. At its simplest are decisions about the scale of government funding - whether the \u00a32.3bn allocated by the government over a six-year period is enough and, crucially, where to spend the money. The longstanding Treasury rule is that for every \u00a31 devoted to flood defence, there must be an economic benefit of at least \u00a38 - a principle which is designed to make saving homes the priority. So cities, with their dense populations, will attract more than rural areas", "summary": "Every bout of flooding triggers a predictable cycle of despair, anger and scrutiny, but this one has provoked an unprecedented level of criticism and questioning."}
{"article": "Hanako, which means \"Flower Child\", was 69 and the oldest elephant in Japan. The elephant was a gift from Thailand when it was two years old. Last year a petition was launched to improve the animal's conditions, but Hanako was deemed too old to move back to Thailand. A spokesman for Inokashira Park Zoo on the outskirts of Tokyo said Hanako was found lying on her side on Thursday morning and efforts to raise her were not successful. She died in the afternoon. The war on elephants Have we fallen out of love with elephant rides? Hanako was a popular attraction in the zoo, but the elephant, born in the wild, spent most of her life caged and alone in a concrete enclosure with little greenery. Last year a Canadian blogger wrote an article about the elephant's enclosure, describing it as a \"concrete prison\". That prompted the petition, which led the zoo to provide new toys and make other changes. However, the zoo said she was too old to be moved and an independent US wildlife expert said staying in a sanctuary with other elephants would bewilder Hanako after living so many years alone.", "summary": "An elephant that was the focus of an international campaign to improve its living conditions has died in a zoo in Japan."}
{"article": "Its 4G Super Voice enables customers to make calls and send texts using a lower frequency spectrum. Other networks are looking into introducing the technology, known as Voice Over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE). It currently works on only the Samsung Galaxy S5, but recent iPhone handsets will be added in the coming months. It is being rolled out in: Three said up to 5.5 million customers would have access to the service by 2017. Chief technology officer Bryn Jones said: \"By the end of the year, one million of our customers will have access to better indoor coverage and be able to use their phones in more places than ever before.\"", "summary": "Mobile phone provider Three has launched a UK service it says will improve reception inside buildings and in rural black spots."}
{"article": "The city is being divided into four areas, each being serviced on a separate day with no collections on a Monday. The changes will save up to \u00c2\u00a3500,000 a year with the bin lorry fleet reduced by five to 21, the council said. No staff will be lost as fewer agency staff will be hired. Households have been sent information packs about the changes to the collections. Residents have been asked to check their packs to find out their new bin day and which bin is due to be emptied. Councillor Chris Poulter said: \"Anyone not yet sure of the day or which bins to put out, should check their information pack, which gives full details, or they can check on the website by simply inputting their post code.\" Four out of five households will see their collection day change. The city crews collect about 114,000 bins every week.", "summary": "Derby City Council are changing bin collection days and times from 6 June."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Not since 2007 have Vern Cotter's men won a Six Nations match against Wales, with the average margin of defeat 15 points in that period. Ireland have recalled Lions fly-half Jonny Sexton as they look to re-establish themselves in the title race with a win over a resurgent France. And Sexton's main rival to be the Lions' 10 this summer, Owen Farrell, will lead unbeaten England out against the Azzuri at Twickenham on Sunday as he wins his 50th cap in arguably his most impressive championship yet. Farrell has a new partner at outside-centre in former rugby league star Ben Te'o for a fixture that England have never lost, coach Eddie Jones content to try out new combinations against at Italy side on a nine-match losing run in the Six Nations. With James Haskell back at flanker after coming off the bench to great effect in the wins over France and Wales, it is a more direct, muscular selection from Jones, blessed with a greater depth of talent than either Scotland or Wales. In an entertaining, free-scoring tournament so far, the clash at Murrayfield is pivotal to two sides who have shown both signs of rebirth and flashes of old flaws thus far. With one win and one defeat apiece, Saturday's early kick-off will go a long way to defining the season not only of the two sides but of their coaches, Cotter in his last campaign in charge, Rob Howley once again in a caretaker role as Warren Gatland focuses on Lions preparation and selection. The fixture has often produced classics - not least a Wales win in 1988 garlanded by superb tries from Jonathan Davies and Ieuan Evans, and the 31-24 thriller in 2010 when Wales were 10 points down on 76 minutes. And despite recent history it is arguably the hardest of the third round matches to call, although the loss of Scotland's captain and place kicker Greig Laidlaw to injury and the return of talismanic winger George North to Wales's ranks may prove pivotal. Ireland ran up 63 points against Italy in Rome a fortnight ago, and after a chastening opening-day defeat in Edinburgh a victory over France would keep their hopes of a third Six Nations title in four years alive. France have lost their last four away matches in this competition but led England until late at Twickenham at the start of the month, and came past Scotland in Paris with a blend of power and guile that hinted that their long statistical and stylistic slump may be coming to an end. While the return of captain Rory Best after a stomach bug will be welcomed in Dublin, Sexton's return is not without controversy. He has played very little rugby this season, this most physical of fly-halves once again dogged by injury, and in his absence Paddy Jackson has appeared liberated from the unflattering comparisons of old, kicking 12 of his 13 goals to be leading points scorer in this year's tournament. Farrell, meanwhile, has shown a craft", "summary": "Scotland will attempt to end their decade-long winless streak against Wales with a team missing five key men as the Six Nations resumes this weekend."}
{"article": "Terngu Agera, 22, and Stephen Lansana, 22, were each sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 30 years for the murder of Zydrunas Laurinavicius. Mr Laurinavicius, from Lithuania, was stabbed on Parson Street, in Hendon, on 3 July while walking with his father. At the Old Bailey, Agera, of Sophia Road, Canning Town, and Lansana, of no fixed address, were also convicted of robbery and conspiracy to burgle. Bruno Guimaraes, Marlon O'Brien and Terae Eusebe were also jailed for conspiracy to burgle. Guimaraes, 23, of Carnarvon Road, West Ham, was jailed for three years for conspiracy to burgle and Eusebe, 21, of Hatherley Gardens, Barking, was sentenced to 28 months in prison for conspiracy to burgle. O'Brien, 22, of Woodcocks, Canning Town, was jailed for two years for conspiracy to burgle. Mr Laurinavicius was returning home from work with his father at about 16:45 BST when the group targeted them and stole the victim's bag and watch, police said. A post-mortem examination found Mr Laurinavicius died from stab wounds to the chest. All five men were convicted at the Old Bailey on 14 May. Det Insp Jamie Stevenson said: \"This was a horrific, unprovoked attack on an honest hardworking man returning home from work in the middle of the day. \"He was singled out and set upon by the group who were armed and used a knife to inflict fatal injuries for no other reason than to steal his possessions.\"", "summary": "Two men have been jailed for the murder of a builder on his way home from work."}
{"article": "Wokingham Borough Council served a High Court injunction on travellers for setting up \"unauthorised\" pitches and an access road on the private land. The Gypsy Council said the authority had been quick to get an injunction but refused to provide enough gypsy sites. The council said it \"utterly refutes\" the accusation of racism. Housing applications in the area had been judged acceptable against the borough's planning policies, drawn up following a statutory process including consultation, it said. Caravans arrived on the Berkshire site on 24 April with the permission of the landowner, who is part of the gypsy community. But the council has taken legal action because developments that have since taken place do not have planning consent. It obtained the injunction to prevent further caravans and development on the Berkshire site, after its deadline to exit the site by Monday 27 April was ignored. \"This is not a site allocated for development in the council's local plan,\" said director of environment, Helen Thwaites. \"It is located within the countryside where the council's policies seek to protect the rural character.\" Residents near the site, in Blagrove Lane, have also expressed concern. Ian Andrews, of Evendons Area Residents' Association, said there was unhappiness at \"a total disregard for the planning process in a quiet rural location\". \"Hedgerows have been ripped out during nesting season and more than 50 giant lorry loads of rubble have been dumped into what was the flood plain for several hundred homes,\" he said. Residents had also expressed fear of a rise in crime, which Thames Valley Police said was \"unfounded\". Joseph Jones, of the Gypsy Council, said: \"Councils need to fulfil their target for gypsy community site provision. \"Local authorities would much rather refuse planning permission and take legal action than tackle what they perceive to be the thorny issue of gypsy site provision. \"The council can merrily grant planning permission for houses in the next field, but when a gypsy site application comes in from a gypsy family for a small number of pitches then there's hell to pay. \"That's racism.\"", "summary": "A council has been accused of racism for refusing planning permission for a gypsy camp after approving a housing estate in a field next door."}
{"article": "The proposed Leisure Hall at the South Yorkshire centre would create up to 1,400 jobs. The 330,000 sq ft (27,800 sq m) facility would include a new cinema, restaurants, gym and new community spaces. Joint owner British Land said the extension would \"continue Meadowhall's evolution\". The plans, part of a five-year vision to extend the leisure offer at Meadowhall, include: Around 540 jobs would be created during construction, in addition to 1,400 new jobs once the leisure hall is complete. Sheffield City Council is expected to make a decision on the application in spring. Darren Pearce, Meadowhall centre director and president of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, said the extension would be a \"major milestone\" for the shopping centre. Richard Wright, Sheffield Chamber of Commerce executive director, said it would be a \"jewel in the Sheffield City Region's crown\". He added: \"The Leisure Hall will retain spend in Sheffield city region by ensuring residents do not need to travel out of the area to fulfil their shopping and leisure needs. \"We welcome British Land's exciting plans and lend our wholehearted support. \"They will reinvigorate Meadowhall and serve as a catalyst for further investment in the region.\" In Sheffield city centre, the current demolition of the Grosvenor House Hotel is under way. It will be replaced by a new \u00a390m HSBC building in the new year as part of the Sheffield Retail Quarter. A new city centre Primark store recently opened and a nine-screen cinema is due to open in the near future.", "summary": "Detailed plans have been submitted for a \u00a3300m extension of Sheffield's Meadowhall shopping centre."}
{"article": "For years it has been their ritual - women who lost children and husbands in 30 years of armed conflict between the Kurds and the Turkish state. I meet them in Diyarbakir - the final stop of our election trip across Turkey. Age and exhaustion are etched on their faces. One wears a necklace with a picture of her missing children. Another has a bracelet bearing the Kurdish flag. \"Turkey doesn't think we Kurds are humans\", says Sakine Arat, 80, who lost four sons and one daughter in the fighting. \"We've tried all the political parties but none sided with us. Now we've found one - the HDP - that treats us as equals. So we will vote for it.\" The People's Democratic Party (HDP) is the one to watch in Turkey's election on Sunday. Its roots and support base are Kurdish but it has broadened out, becoming a powerful voice of the Turkish left. Its candidates used to run as independents, winning a handful of seats. But this time, the HDP is a single, united party - and polls show it could cross the 10% threshold to get into parliament, potentially gaining dozens of MPs and depriving Turkey's governing AKP of a majority. That would stop President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from changing the constitution to give himself more powers with an executive presidency - and is one reason why staunch Erdogan opponents are drawn to the HDP. \"Turkish soldiers burnt my home four times,\" says Dilsah Ozgen, 76, who lost her husband and two sons. \"I believe in our HDP. We will pass the 10% and drown Erdogan in a flood of votes,\" she says. There are around 15 million Kurds in Turkey - 20% of the population. For decades they were repressed, their identity denied: \"There is no such thing as Kurds; they are simply mountain Turks,\" was the official refrain. In the 1980s, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was formed, waging a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state, some fighting for greater autonomy, others for independence. Forty-thousand people died. The group is still labelled a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and EU. Peace is fresh. Although conditions for Kurds have improved, the fragile ceasefire has been shaken by clashes as the peace process has stalled and the government has hardened its nationalist rhetoric. Many Kurds who supported the AKP have now shifted allegiance to the HDP. I join a local HDP candidate, Ziya Pir, at a Diyarbakir cultural centre. Around him, supporters play traditional instruments and perform songs in both Kurdish and Turkish, appropriately enough for a candidate who is not actually Kurdish. It epitomises the message of unity, of cultural crossover, that the HDP is trying to spread. \"I'm Turkish - from the Black Sea - and initially people asked me: 'Why are you joining a Kurdish party?'\" says Mr Pir. \"But I told them it is not a Kurdish party; it is Turkish. We want a Turkey in which all people can find themselves\". His uncle, Kemal, was a founder of the PKK. But he insists", "summary": "Once a week they gather, beneath the same tree in the same park - to remember."}
{"article": "Langham Dome in north Norfolk, one of only six remaining training domes in the country, was built in 1942 and sits on the edge of a former RAF base. Film of enemy planes was projected onto its walls for target practise. A museum in the restored concrete structure is now open to visitors following grants from English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument in 1986, plans to restore the dome at the former RAF Langham, seen at the forefront of both defence and attack during WW2, began more than 20 years go. The restoration of the 25ft (7.6m) tall and 40ft (12m) wide dome got under way in 2013 after the project secured grants of nearly \u00c2\u00a3650,000. One of the key issues was to protect the metal grid framework on which the dome is based, said the Friends of Langham Dome. Extensive work, involving 17 tonnes of rendering sand on the shell, was also required to ensure it was watertight. Malcolm Crowder, from the North Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust, said: \"The dome was built essentially as a temporary structure over 70 years ago. \"Crumbling concrete on the outer surface had allowed water to get in, causing serious deterioration to the metal framework. This became a vicious circle of decay for both the concrete and metal structure. \"This situation has been reversed and the building... is now fit to grace the Norfolk skyline and educate the public for at least another 50 years. It's a truly outstanding heritage project achievement.\" The Langham Dome Museum is open until the end of October.", "summary": "Restoration on an at-risk World War Two building which was used to train anti-aircraft gunners has been completed."}
{"article": "The 2-1 home triumph earned Livi an unassailable 16-point lead at the summit with four games remaining. After a flying Alloa start, the hosts' Josh Mullin and Jackson Longridge scored either side of half-time. Dylan Mackin pulled one back for the Wasps, but Livi squeezed home, sealing their return to the Championship at the first time of asking. Livingston needed only to avoid defeat to secure promotion, but when the visitors struck the post twice in the opening six minutes, a title-clinching result looked far from straightforward. That was until Pittman produced a sweetly-struck 35-yard drive to nudge the home side ahead after 17 minutes - a lead they preserved until the interval. David Hopkin's men upped the ante as the second half began, Longridge cutting in from the left flank and curling a right-foot shop beyond Neil Parry in the Alloa goal. Livi's prolific Liam Buchanan was denied a 26th goal of the season when his penalty struck the post, and he illegally converted the rebound before any other player had touched the ball. Mackin halved the deficit with 24 minutes to play, capitalising on confusion in the Livi box following a corner, and subjecting the home fans to a tense finale before the celebrations could begin. Livingston manager David Hopkin: \"I'm delighted for my team, my staff and everyone that's worked hard to get us back where we belong in the Championship. \"We went top in October and stayed there ever since. It's great credit to the players. Every one of them has been fantastic. \"It was important we bought right, and I made sure I did my homework to get people in. I knew Mikey Miller, Sean Crichton from my days at Morton, I knew they'd won the league, I knew Sean Burn had won the league. \"It was important I tried to get these guys in to try and mould a team and a squad together that had already seen this league through. It's a very difficult league, there are lot of good players and good managers in it. I'm delighted that we've kept going and got over the line.\" Match ends, Livingston 2, Alloa Athletic 1. Second Half ends, Livingston 2, Alloa Athletic 1. Attempt missed. Jason Marr (Alloa Athletic) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Corner, Alloa Athletic. Conceded by Alan Lithgow. Corner, Alloa Athletic. Conceded by Craig Halkett. Attempt blocked. Calum Waters (Alloa Athletic) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by Alan Lithgow (Livingston). Stefan McCluskey (Alloa Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Livingston. Nikolay Todorov replaces Daniel Mullen. Corner, Livingston. Conceded by Andy Graham. Attempt saved. Nicky Cadden (Livingston) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is saved in the bottom left corner. Foul by Stefan McCluskey (Alloa Athletic). Scott Pittman (Livingston) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jason Marr (Alloa Athletic). Daniel Mullen (Livingston) wins a free kick on the left wing. Attempt missed. Calum Waters (Alloa Athletic) left footed shot", "summary": "Livingston clinched the Scottish League One title with a victory over nearest rivals Alloa Athletic."}
{"article": "The sixth-placed Shrimpers had influential midfielder Ryan Leonard sent off 20 minutes from time when the game was still goalless. But strikes from Nile Ranger and Theo Robinson and a stoppage-time penalty by Anthony Wordsworth saw Phil Brown's side secure a fourth successive victory. Oldham slightly shaded an uneventful first half but failed to seriously test the Shrimpers debutant goalkeeper Christian Walton. Latics would have fancied their chances when Leonard was dismissed for a late challenge on Ousmane Fane but the dismissal seemed to fire up Southend. Ranger broke the deadlock in the 75th minute when he netted for the fourth game in succession, tapping home an accurate cross from Robinson. Three minutes later, Robinson headed home a right-wing free-kick from Wordsworth before Wordsworth completed the scoring from the penalty spot in stoppage time. The penalty was awarded after Peter Clarke brought down Jermaine McGlashan and Wordsworth made no mistake with a firm effort from 12 yards. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Southend United 3, Oldham Athletic 0. Second Half ends, Southend United 3, Oldham Athletic 0. Goal! Southend United 3, Oldham Athletic 0. Anthony Wordsworth (Southend United) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner. Penalty Southend United. Jermaine McGlashan draws a foul in the penalty area. Penalty conceded by Peter Clarke (Oldham Athletic) after a foul in the penalty area. Connor Ripley (Oldham Athletic) is shown the yellow card. Attempt missed. Oliver Banks (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Theo Robinson (Southend United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Ryan McLaughlin (Oldham Athletic). Jermaine McGlashan (Southend United) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Anthony Gerrard (Oldham Athletic). Nile Ranger (Southend United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Peter Clarke (Oldham Athletic). Attempt saved. Michael Ngoo (Oldham Athletic) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Foul by Nile Ranger (Southend United). Tope Obadeyi (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick on the left wing. Attempt missed. Lee Erwin (Oldham Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Aiden O'Neill replaces Paul Green. Nile Ranger (Southend United) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Oliver Banks (Oldham Athletic). Attempt missed. Lee Erwin (Oldham Athletic) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Nile Ranger (Southend United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Peter Clarke (Oldham Athletic). Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Ryan Flynn replaces Josh Law. Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Michael Ngoo replaces Ousmane Fane. Goal! Southend United 2, Oldham Athletic 0. Theo Robinson (Southend United) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Anthony Wordsworth with a cross. Ryan McLaughlin (Oldham Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Jermaine McGlashan (Southend United) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Josh Law (Oldham Athletic). Goal! Southend United 1,", "summary": "Ten-man Southend dug deep to secure a dramatic win over Oldham at Roots Hall."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device Off-spinner JP Duminy took a hat-trick and leg-spinner Imran Tahir 4-26 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 133. The Proteas then eased to their target for the loss of only one wicket in 18 overs, with Quinton de Kock making an unbeaten 78. They go on to a last-four meeting with New Zealand or West Indies in Auckland on Tuesday. South Africa's first knockout victory in 23 years of playing World Cup cricket takes them to a first semi-final since a famous defeat by Australia in 1999. In reaching their target with 32 overs to spare, AB de Villiers' side also completed the fastest successful run chase in a World Cup knockout match as Sri Lanka, finalists in the previous two World Cups, wilted. Their lacklustre display was not befitting what turned out to be the final international match for Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara's last ODI. The duo have scored 117 international centuries between them. After the Proteas' pace bowlers made early inroads, the spin pair of Duminy and Tahir took advantage of a succession of loose shots, while South Africa were excellent in the field throughout. Sangakkara, on the back of four successive hundreds, made a painstaking 45 and Lahiru Thirimanne a counter-attacking 41, but no other batsman reached 20. To cap South Africa's day, wicketkeeper De Kock, who had managed only 53 runs in his six previous innings, returned to form with a string of cover drives. Still, their victory was built on a brilliant bowling performance after losing the toss on an excellent pitch. New-ball pair Kyle Abbott and Dale Steyn took the edges of Kusal Perera and Tillakaratne Dilshan respectively before Sangakkara and Thirimanne steadied with stand of 65. While Thirimanne was fluent through the off side, Sangakkara was stodgy, taking 16 balls to get off the mark and, at one point, having six from 42 balls. When Thirimanne became the first of the seven wickets to fall to spin, Sangakkara was forced to watch from the other end as the middle and lower order fell around him. With the ball holding in the pitch, Thirimanne patted back to Tahir and Jayawardene lobbed the same bowler to short mid-wicket. Duminy, filling the fifth bowler slot which has caused South Africa problems during the tournament, then got to work to become the first Proteas player to take a World Cup hat-trick. Media playback is not supported on this device Angelo Mathews was caught at mid-on and, in Duminy's next over, Nuwan Kulasekara feathered behind before debutant Tharindu Kaushal was pinned leg before. For 19-year-old Kaushal, it was a golden duck on his ODI debut having being added to the Sri Lanka squad on the morning of the match. Sangakkara was left to play a lone hand, but his attempt at aggression was ended with a slash to third man off Morne Morkel. He departed with 14,234 runs, a tally second only to Sachin Tendulkar, in 404 matches. This was the 150th one-dayer in which he batted with Jayawardene, who", "summary": "South Africa cruised into the World Cup semi-finals with a one-sided thrashing of a sorry Sri Lanka in Sydney."}
{"article": "The MP for Horsham in West Sussex said it was \"time to make way for a younger candidate\". Mr Maude held ministerial positions in the cabinets of Margaret Thatcher and John Major as well as David Cameron. He won his seat in the 2010 general election, defeating the Liberal Democrats, with a majority of 11,460. In a letter to the Horsham Conservative Association, he said: \"I was first elected to the House of Commons in 1983 just before I was 30, and will be nearly 67 by the time of the election in 2020. \"However, 27 years is a long time to serve as a member of parliament, and I believe now is the right time to make way for a younger candidate to carry the Conservative flag in Horsham.\" Mr Maude was elected to the House of Commons in 1983 as MP for North Warwickshire, where he served until 1992. After five years out of office he returned as MP for Horsham in 1997, which he has represented since.", "summary": "Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has announced he is to stand down at the next election, 32 years after entering parliament."}
{"article": "He will take over from Sir Iain Lobban when he steps down this autumn after six years as director, Foreign Secretary William Hague announced. Mr Hannigan, 49, has been director general of defence and intelligence at the Foreign Office since 2010. Cheltenham-based GCHQ came under scrutiny after disclosures from ex-US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. Mr Hague said: \"As well as his impressive personal qualities, Robert brings to the job a wealth of relevant experience in the fields of national security, counter-terrorism and international relations. \"I'd also like to thank Sir Iain Lobban for his consistently strong and professional leadership as director of GCHQ since 2008.\" Mr Hannigan's appointment has been agreed with Prime Minister David Cameron in consultation with Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. Gloucestershire-born Mr Hannigan, a married father of two, has advised the prime minister on counter-terrorism, intelligence and security policy for a number of years. He said of his appointment: \"It is a privilege to be asked to lead GCHQ, an organisation which is so central to keeping the people of this country safe. \"I have great respect for the integrity and professionalism of the staff of GCHQ and for what they have achieved under the outstanding leadership of Iain Lobban. \"I am excited about meeting the challenges of the coming years with them.\" Mr Hannigan previously worked as principal adviser to then prime minister Tony Blair on the Northern Ireland peace process. He was also responsible for the UK's first cyber security strategy and oversaw the first national security strategy, and has chaired Cobra emergency committee meetings on terrorist incidents. National Security Adviser Sir Kim Darroch, who led the recruitment process, said: \"I am delighted Robert Hannigan has been appointed director, GCHQ. \"He will bring energy, flair, deep knowledge and extensive experience to the role, and I look forward to working closely with him.\" Sir Kim thanked Sir Iain for doing \"an absolutely outstanding job at an exceptionally testing time for the organisation\". Sir Iain joined GCHQ in 1983, becoming director in June 2008. Last November, he became the first head of the agency to give evidence in public when he appeared before MPs on the Intelligence and Security Committee, alongside the heads of MI5 and MI6. They came under pressure to be more open after leaks by Mr Snowden revealed widespread spying by GCHQ and the US National Security Agency. Sir Iain told the committee Mr Snowden's disclosures had done immense damage to Britain's counter-terrorism efforts.", "summary": "Robert Hannigan has been named as the new head of the UK's electronic surveillance agency GCHQ."}
{"article": "The Sussex academy wicketkeeper played for Jersey Under-19s in the Netherlands earlier in the year but has never appeared for the senior side. Opening batsman Dean Morrison, whose ineligibility for the island this summer was due to the amount of time he had spent overseas, is also selected. The annual 50-over match takes place in Guernsey on 7 September.", "summary": "Jersey have named 15-year-old Jonty Jenner in their squad for next week's inter-insular game against Guernsey."}
{"article": "The local authority was expecting to have to tackle a funding gap of more than \u00a321m, but that figure has been revised up to \u00a340m. The council said the figure was reviewed following last week's UK government Autumn Statement. Senior councillors said they wanted to protect education from cuts and avoid compulsory redundancies. Council leader Margaret Davidson said the Autumn Statement had included a 4-5% cut to Scotland's budget and this would filter down to local authorities in terms of less funding from the Scottish government. She told BBC Alba that trying to find savings of \u00a321m, which was on top of \u00a310m of cuts already agreed for 2016-17, had been \"bad enough\". She added: \"Now we are being told the gap could be up to \u00a340m, almost double what we had been expecting.\" Ms Davidson said Highland Council would be calling for an end to the council tax freeze, as it has done in the past, to allow it to generate more revenue. Budget leader Bill Fernie described the savings local authorities were having to make as the hardest since World War Two. Last week, Highland Council said it was looking at closing all its offices and schools from lunchtime on Fridays to help it save money. Views have been sought from the public on the plan and other ideas to help the council tackle a hole in its budget. Reducing the working and school week to 4.5 days would result in significant savings, the council has said.", "summary": "Highland Council has said it must save more money in 2016-17 than it had previously thought."}
{"article": "Broncos led through Rhys Williams before Briscoe and Liam Sutcliffe posted two quick scores for the Rhinos. James Cunningham put London back ahead but tries from Briscoe and James Segeyaro made it 20-12 at the break. Jordan Lilley, Matty Achurch and Kallum Watkins extended Leeds' lead, and despite tries from Nick Slyney, Iliess Macani and Elliot Kear either side of Briscoe's third, Leeds secured victory. Leeds maintained their 100% record in the Qualifiers, having previously recorded victories over Featherstone and Hull KR. But there was more injury woe for the Rhinos as captain Danny McGuire limped off with an ankle injury in the first half. London Broncos head coach Andrew Henderson: \"I am very proud of the efforts of the guys. \"We put ourselves under pressure at times and we had to absorb that and I was pleased to see us finish the game off strongly, scoring some points at the back end of the game to make the score more respectable.\" Leeds head coach Brian McDermott: \"There were spells where I thought we were really good and some other spells in the game where I thought we were very off. \"We made some periods of the game look very difficult at times with our lack of energy, but also London gave it a good crack against us and they didn't fall off like perhaps Featherstone did last week.\" London Broncos: Walker; Williams, Hellewell, Kear, Macani; Soward, Barthau; Slyney, Cunningham, Ioane, Harrison, Garside, Bussey. Replacements: Ackers, Thackray, Battye, Offerdahl. Leeds Rhinos: Sutcliffe; Briscoe, Watkins, Keinhorst, Hall; Moon, McGuire; Galloway, Segeyaro, Garbutt, Ferres, Ablett, Jones-Buchanan. Replacements: Cuthbertson, Achurch, Mullally, Lilley. Referee: Chris Campbell", "summary": "Tom Briscoe's hat-trick helped Leeds to an easy Qualifiers victory over London."}
{"article": "The animals were turned back from ferries at Larne and Belfast in the run up to Christmas. Several investigations are now under way. Some of the animals were voluntarily surrendered to animal welfare officers. Others were returned to the premises they had come from. A total of 760 vehicles were stopped and searched at the two ports. The joint operation involved officials from the Department of Agriculture and the Environment and several councils. It was mounted following concerns regarding potential illegal movements of commercial consignments of dogs. It focused on the welfare of the animals during transport, the identification of the animals and the licensing and registration of dog breeding businesses. In the case of dogs moving from the Irish Republic, checks were also made that they had pet passports and complied with relevant trade requirements. As part of the investigations, information will be shared with enforcement bodies in Great Britain and the Irish Republic. Agriculture Minister Michelle McIlveen said the operation showed the illegal movement of dogs through Northern Ireland's ports would not be tolerated.", "summary": "More than 30 dogs have been stopped from being transported from Northern Ireland ports in an operation to prevent puppy trafficking."}
{"article": "Police said the tanker, transporting fuel to Nato forces in Afghanistan, was hit by a bomb overnight near the town of Landi Kotal in the Khyber region. People gathered to collect spilt fuel when another fire broke out, said one senior police official. At least 14 other Nato tankers were damaged in a separate attack nearby, at the Torkham border crossing. The region is a crucial transport route for supplies destined for Nato forces in Afghanistan but the convoys frequently come under attack from militants and criminals. Local official Shafeerullah Wazir said the tanker was hit by a small bomb in the early hours of the morning. \"The oil tanker caught fire after a blast caused by a small bomb before dawn,\" the AFP news agency quoted him as saying. \"Villagers from nearby houses rushed and started collecting oil coming out of the destroyed tanker after the fire had been extinguished. \"Suddenly the fire erupted again and at least 15 people including five young boys who had been collecting oil in their buckets were burnt to death.\" There were no injuries at the separate attack at Torkham. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but there has been an increase in Taliban activity since al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was killed in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad on 2 May. In the deadliest incident, more than 80 people were killed by a twin suicide bombing targeting police recruits in the north-west. On Friday, one person was killed and 10 injured when the Taliban attacked a US consulate convoy in Peshawar - the first attack on US interests since US commandos killed Bin Laden. The Pakistani Taliban said the bombing was to avenge his death.", "summary": "A Nato oil tanker has exploded in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 15 people, say officials."}
{"article": "The double killer, who is in his 40s, is in the process of changing his name to start a new life, the court heard. The man, who was referred to as \"C\", had killed his ex-girlfriend and her new companion, the court heard. Anonymity was \"necessary\" for his reintegration into the community, the judges ruled. The anonymity issue came about after C, who was released in October, applied for a High Court judicial review of a decision by the home secretary to refuse him unescorted leave in the community. Stephen Knafler QC, appearing for C, accepted that his crimes were \"high up on the scale of horrific\". But he said legal challenges involving mental health patients should be held in private - or at least with the individual's identity protected. Lady Hale, the court's deputy president, described C's crimes as \"horrendous\" and said they had caused \"incalculable distress to the families of the victims\". But she said that without anonymity there was \"a very real risk that the progress he has made during his long years of treatment in hospital would be put in jeopardy and his reintegration in the community, which was an important purpose of his transfer to hospital, will not succeed\". \"I would therefore allow this appeal and maintain the anonymity order in place,\" she said. She also said the public had a right to know what happened in the courts, and that sensible decisions were being made. But that \"right to know\" had to be balanced against the potential harm the disclosure of a patient's identity could cause to the patient \"and perhaps also to the hospital, those treating him and other patients\". The court judgement says the Parole Board agreed to the release of the man on life licence in September and had imposed a number of conditions. One of the conditions was that C continues to have psychiatric treatment.", "summary": "A convicted murderer released on parole from a secure psychiatric unit has won his Supreme Court battle to keep his identity secret."}
{"article": "Alongside a picture of him waving goodbye, the 35-year-old Spain international wrote on Twitter: \"Lived it. Loved it. Farewell beautiful game.\" He won club honours with Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern and the World Cup and two European Championships. Alonso told Bayern's TV channel: \"It wasn't an easy decision to make, but I believe it's the right time. He added: \"I always thought it would be better to quit sooner rather than later. I still feel good, but I believe this is the right moment.\" Alonso joined Liverpool from Real Sociedad in 2004 and was part of a famous Champions League victory in Istanbul in his first season as the Reds came back from 3-0 down at half-time to beat AC Milan on penalties. He also claimed an FA Cup, a Uefa Super Cup and a Community Shield during his time at Anfield. He moved to Real Madrid in 2009 and won a second Champions League as well as the Spanish title before a switch to Germany in 2014, where he has helped Bayern win two Bundesliga titles and reach the quarter-finals of this year's Champions League - courtesy of a 10-2 aggregate win over Arsenal on Tuesday. Alonso played 114 times for Spain and scored 16 goals as the national side won the 2008 and 2012 European Championships, either side of their maiden World Cup triumph in South Africa in 2010. His final appearance for his country came at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso has confirmed he will retire when his contract expires in the summer."}
{"article": "The speech built on her article in The Times on Monday and is important for a number of reasons - not least its attempt to marry a general and widespread disillusion among the public that the economy \"is not working for them\" with a sense that the Conservative Party's driving philosophy is about more than free markets. The first of these is straight from the playbook of Mr Miliband; the second is from Lady Thatcher. Here's Mr Miliband at the time of the 2011 Labour Party conference where he announced plans to rein in \"excessive pay\". \"This is not an anti-business message, this is an anti-business as usual message,\" he told the Today programme. And here's Mrs May today, on her plans to tackle the \"unhealthy and growing gap\" between what she deliberately describes as \"bosses\" and \"workers\". \"It is not anti-business to suggest that big business needs to change,\" she said. Now, of course Mrs May would be likely to splutter into her morning cup of tea if there was any suggestion that Mr Miliband was guiding her politically. As she said in her speech this morning, the Home Secretary believes that Labour's approach to \"equality\" holds people back. And she insisted the Conservatives remained the party of enterprise. But Mrs May's pledges to put worker representatives on company boards (as well as \"consumers\"), to make shareholder votes on executive remuneration binding, to oblige companies to publish data on the pay multiple between a company's chief executive and the pay of the average worker, to have a \"proper industrial strategy\" that could be used to block takeovers such as Pfizer's attempt to buy AstraZeneca - all are certainly a substantial attempt to build the broadest of Tory tents. Further, they are a deliberate economic pitch for the centre ground of politics, to a level of detail many will be surprised by. Anyone who thought that a Conservative-led administration under Mrs May would not be interventionist when it comes to economic and business policy will certainly have to reconsider. Mrs May even had some words for policy makers at the Bank of England, saying that ultra-low interest rates had helped home owners over those struggling to clamber on the housing ladder. So, where does Lady Thatcher fit in? Rather more subtly, but still distinctly, in the line: \"We don't just believe in markets, but in communities.\" Lady Thatcher was clear on her distrust of \"big state\" solutions and spoke regularly of communities of people, even \"society\" despite the oft-quoted line that there was \"no such thing\". She said that people should be allowed to get on and should prosper, as long as they played by the rules. Mrs May appears to be echoing the sentiment, replacing the \"big state\" with \"big business\" and \"vested interests\". She vowed to take them on, tying a reformist line directly from Robert Peel to Joseph Chamberlain to Lady Thatcher. Mrs May also spoke of \"leading on behalf of the people\". Many argue that Brexit uncertainty will make the fortunes of the UK economy over the coming", "summary": "In her speech this morning - which has now taken on far more weight given that she is just about ready to measure the curtains for Number 10 - Theresa May laid out a set of policies that bring together two strands of thinking and two personalities who would not have been overly comfortable in each other's company - Ed Miliband and Margaret Thatcher."}
{"article": "Three policemen were shot dead by suspected al-Qaeda members in a village near the border with Burkina Faso. One soldier was killed and two others wounded when a military convoy was attacked close to Nigeria's border. Thursday's attacks came three days before Sunday's controversial presidential run-off election. The opposition has said they will not recognise the results of the vote, and their candidate Hama Amadou, is currently receiving medical treatment in Paris after spending months in jail. Niger's Interior Minister Hassimi Massaoudou says the attack in a market in Dolbel village close to Burkina Faso was the work of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Magrib (AQIM), which has been active in the region. \"The attackers were repelled, and we are currently sweeping the area,\" he told the AFP news agency. The other attack was carried out by four suicide bombers in southern Diffa region that has often been targeted by Nigeria's Boko Haram insurgents. A fifth suicide bomber, a young girl, was prevented from detonating her vest, Mr Massaoudou added. Niger has porous borders with Libya, Algeria, Mali and Burkina Faso, which have all been hit by AQIM recently, and Nigeria to the south - making it vulnerable to Islamist attacks. The country is rated by the UN as one of the world's least-developed nations and was recently named as the worst country to live in.", "summary": "Islamist militants from al-Qaeda and Boko Haram have killed four security forces in two separate attacks in Niger, officials have said."}
{"article": "Deila's side host the team from his native Norway in a Europa League Group A match. Celtic have two points from their opening three games, with Molde leading the section on seven having beaten the Scottish champions last month. Media playback is not supported on this device \"It's an enormous game, a must-win match,\" Sutton, 42, told BBC Scotland. \"To have any chance of reaching the knockout stage they have to beat Molde and then Ajax at home in the next game.\" Sutton was asked what it would mean for Deila's future should Celtic not get their first win in the group. \"There would be questions asked if Celtic were outplayed and out-thought by Molde, but let's cross that bridge and wait for the game on Thursday,\" replied the Englishman. Former Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea forward Sutton, who scored more than 60 goals in his six years at Celtic, expects Molde to travel to Glasgow with \"no fear\". \"Most people thought at the outset that Molde were the weakest team in the group,\" he said. \"I thought Fenerbahce, with all the money they've got, would be the strongest, but it hasn't proven to be that way. \"Molde have turned out to be the surprise package. They've got a game plan and an attacking threat. \"They sat in against Fenerbahce then hit them on the counter attack. Against Celtic, Celtic played well for 10 minutes then that was it. Molde will come to Glasgow with no fear. \"After beating Celtic, they've won two games domestically and they'll fancy it. \"But, from the Celtic point of view, the players have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Celtic should just go for it. They have to win. \"It's a game in which Celtic and Ronny Deila have to make a statement after a bitterly disappointing performance in Norway. Now they have the chance to put it right. \"To do that, first and foremost they have to keep a clean sheet, because there's goals in the team, with [Leigh] Griffiths, and now that [James] Forrest's back and [Kris] Commons is in there. [Jozo] Simunovic at the back should help too.\" Celtic's group campaign after they lost to Malmo in the Champions League play-off started with a 2-2 draw against Ajax - a match they finished with 10 men. They led 2-0 against Fenerbahce in the second round of fixtures, but defensive errors allowed the Turkish side to fight back and claim a draw. In Molde, defensive frailty was also apparent as Celtic went down 3-1, \"There's been some catastrophic individual errors throughout the European campaign and I understand that Ronnie has to back his players, but some of their individual decision-making has been poor and ultimately it's cost Celtic,\" Sutton said. \"They can't keep shipping goals - that's been the problem.\" Sutton, who played in Celtic's 2003 Uefa Cup final defeat by Porto, feels it's understandable for Deila and Celtic to be judged on their European performances. \"It happened in my time under Martin O'Neill - and to Gordon Strachan, to Neil Lennon,\"", "summary": "Former striker Chris Sutton believes questions will most likely be asked over Ronny Deila's position if Celtic are \"outplayed and out-thought by Molde\"."}
{"article": "However, Mahmud Nacua said it would be at least another year before Libya was in a position to release whatever information it holds. The move comes on the 24th anniversary of the of bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Scotland, which killed 270 people. Bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi died this year after being released in 2009. Megrahi, a Libyan agent, was released by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds, suffering from terminal prostate cancer. He remains the only person ever convicted of the bombing, but Scottish police hope to pursue other suspects in Libya following the country's revolution and downfall of Colonel Gaddafi in 2011. Scotland's top prosecutor recently wrote to the new Libyan prime minister for help and the UK government has said it was pressing Tripoli \"for swift progress and co-operation\" on the Lockerbie case. Mr Nacua told the BBC no formal agreement had yet been reached, but that Libya would open the files it holds on the case. He said that would only come when his government had fully established security and stability - a process he believes will take at least a year. In April of this year, Scotland's Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland travelled to Tripoli with the director of the FBI, Robert Mueller, requesting co-operation after the fall of Gaddafi. This was followed in May by a meeting with Libya's interim prime minister in London to discuss further inquires into the bombing. At the time, a Crown Office spokesman said: \"The prime minister asked for clarification on a number of issues relating to the conduct of the proposed investigation in Libya and the lord advocate has undertaken to provide this. \"The prime minister made it clear that he recognised the seriousness of this crime and following the clarification he would take this forward as a priority.\"", "summary": "The new Libyan government in Tripoli is prepared to open all files relating to the Lockerbie bombing, the country's ambassador to the UK has confirmed."}
{"article": "Members of Unite employed by The OCS Group have rejected three separate offers during a long-running dispute. The union has 200 members with the company and said the majority are paid just \u00c2\u00a37.65 an hour. The OCS Group said it was in \"active discussion\" with the union and hoped for a \"swift resolution\". Unite regional officer Jamie Major said: \"OCS doesn't seem serious about settling this dispute. \"At the last meeting, management gave four separate options, none of which represented an improved offer... \"OCS was simply manipulating figures to rob better paid staff to fund workers on poverty pay.\" In a statement, the company said: \"OCS is sorry that we have ended up in dispute... We hope for a swift resolution and we will be working towards that goal in the coming days. \"OCS has made a serious offer to our staff and we remain in constant contact with them and the union. \"We have responded to an invitation from Unite today to further talks and hope to arrange to meet in the coming week for further discussions.\" The ballot opens on Thursday and closes on 9 March. Unite warned of \"significant strike action\" if there is a yes vote.", "summary": "Workers employed at Gatwick Airport to help passengers with reduced mobility are to vote on strike action in a row over pay."}
{"article": "There will be little space for civil society, no Western-style democracy and no listening to \"well-fed foreigners who have nothing better to do than to lecture us\". Instead the message of the Plenum is that President Xi wants a rules-based system in which a cleaned-up and competent Party/state bureaucracy continues to serve the \"masses\" unchallenged. Kleptocratic dictatorships which call themselves democratic are not thereby democratic. And the same applies to political parties which call themselves communist. The Chinese Communist Party is an entrenched ruling party whose guiding ideology is not Marxism but national \"rejuvenation\" and whose leader is now unashamedly reaching back to the language of his imperial forbears to unite his 1.3bn citizens. It would be easier for the world to understand if the Chinese Communist Party were to rename itself the Chinese Nationalist Party, but awkwardly that's the bunch the communists swept from power 65 years ago, so the name is forever off limits. Make no mistake though. Xi Jinping is a nationalist leader with a nationalist credo. In power for two years already, he has a further eight to go. If he can reform China's economy and hold its politics together, his era may see China overtake the US as the world's largest economy in absolute terms (it has just overtaken the US on the measure which takes account of differences in the cost of living). And by the time he leaves office in 2022, China may have built its own space station and assembled the military might to confront US strategic resolve in Asia. This is exactly what Xi Jinping means by \"the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation\". But for China's \"great rejuvenation\" to succeed depends now on the success of enormously challenging economic reform, and that in turn depends on the resilience and flexibility of its politics. So what are Xi Jinping's politics? President Xi believes that China is special and different. As he puts it: \"Several thousand years ago, the Chinese nation trod a path that was different from other nations.\" Two years into his leadership, the fond hope cherished by some dissidents and Western observers that he might be a closet liberal has been completely dashed. Since the US and China restored relations in 1979, successive US governments have argued that exposure to capitalism and globalisation would eventually bind China into the existing world order and advance the political freedoms that underpin it. But Xi Jinping has made it clear he has no time for either. Instead he is determined to make China's internal politics fit for a very different world order. And he is a more confident and purposeful leader than China has seen at the top since Mao Zedong or Deng Xiaoping. The evidence suggests that Xi Jinping simply doesn't believe in Western-style liberal democracy for China. Like many of his generation of Chinese leaders, he was dismayed by the collapse of communist rule in Moscow. He is famously reported to have said the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991 because \"no-one had the balls to stand up for it\". Observers often", "summary": "At October's top level Communist Party meeting in Beijing, President Xi Jinping set out his vision for China's governance."}
{"article": "The UK's top employers recruited more graduates this year than they expected, says the High Fliers report, based on a poll of 18,000 final-year students. The increase is the biggest for four years and follows an unprecedented 23.3% dip between 2007 and 2009. But graduate numbers have increased by 85,000 to 365,000 since 2007. This suggests a further increase in graduate-level jobs will be required to keep pace with the higher number of graduates looking for work. The report says the average number of entry-level graduate roles on offer at the UK's top companies is now 190 per employer. And a third of these companies increased graduate recruitment targets for 2014. Overall a rise of 9% had been predicted, compared with the actual rise of 11.6% this year. The highest number of new graduate jobs are in the top accounting and professional services companies. This sector saw a 23.8% increase in graduate intake. The report says: \"These latest results mark a very welcome improvement in the graduate job market and suggest that graduate recruitment at the leading employers is now at its highest level for seven years.\" Although competition for graduate jobs has eased slightly, it remains tough, with an average of 39 applications per vacancy. Four-fifths of the UK's leading employers require at least an upper-second-class degree. And employers received at least 50 applications per position for graduate jobs at: But more than two-thirds of companies plan to match or expand their recruitment levels next year. High Fliers managing director, Martin Birchall, said: \"It's great news for the 'Class of 2014' leaving university this summer that Britain's top employers have stepped up their graduate recruitment so significantly this year.\"", "summary": "The graduate job market has recovered to its pre-recession peak, with a 12% rise in the number of jobs for university leavers, a report says."}
{"article": "In total 14 tents were targeted, with cash, mobile phones, electrical items and credit cards stolen. The incidents took place in the Green Camping Area of the Dundrennan site in the early hours of Sunday. Police are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious in the area at the time. However, they praised the public in general for their good behaviour during the event. Police said said there were \"only a few matters of minor disorder\" reported and no cases of serious disorder or violence. There were 46 cases of drug possession and two cases relating to drug supply detected. Insp Stuart Davidson said: \"We want to thank those who attended the festival for their generally good behaviour, and co-operation with the police and other agencies involved in the security and wellbeing of all those on site over the weekend. \"We have developed good working relationships with the organisers over the years and this experience helped towards a professionally-run event. \"I would also acknowledge the excellent standard of the security and stewards who assisted us over the weekend.\"", "summary": "Police are investigating a spate of thefts on the Wickerman Festival site which were carried out while tent owners were sleeping."}
{"article": "His spokesman says Khodorkovsky and his wife travelled by train to Basel from Germany to accompany their two sons who are returning to their Swiss school. Khodorkovsky flew to Germany after his release on 20 December. He served 10 years in jail for fraud and tax evasion, but insists that his conviction was politically motivated. While travelling to Basel on Sunday, Khodorkovsky told Swiss TV he wanted to campaign for the release of prisoners. Q&A: Khodorkovsky and Russia Khodorkovsky: In quotes Profile: Mikhail Khodorkovsky \"You can't remain quiet when you know that political prisoners languish in jail,\" he said. \"I think campaigning for the release of those who have been jailed without justification is the job of every ordinary citizen. As far as I'm concerned, it has nothing to do with politics,\" he added. Khodorkovsky has not yet decided whether he wants to stay permanently in Switzerland, his spokesman said. The businessman made his fortune from the controversial privatisation of Soviet state assets. In 1995, he acquired oil giant Yukos. After President Vladimir Putin came to power Khodorkovsky made no secret of his support for the liberal opposition, In 2005 he received an eight-year jail sentence for tax evasion, fraud and embezzlement. Two years before his release date he was convicted again on further charges of embezzlement and money laundering. He had been due to be released next August, but requested a pardon because his mother is suffering from cancer. The pardon came after Russian MPs backed a wide-ranging amnesty for at least 20,000 prisoners. Two members of punk protest band Pussy Riot - jailed for staging a protest in a cathedral - have also recently been freed. Analysts say Mr Putin may have been trying to dampen international criticism of Russia's human rights record ahead of February's Winter Olympics in Sochi.", "summary": "Ex-oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was freed from a Russian jail last month, has arrived in Switzerland where he has been granted a three-month visa."}
{"article": "The squeeze on real incomes continues to grow, though at a slower pace. Average weekly earnings increased by 2.1% compared with a year earlier - slightly higher than last month's 2% increase. But with inflation standing at 2.6%, real earnings still fell by 0.5%, the ONS figures showed. At 75.1%, the proportion of people in work is the highest it has been since 1971 - partly due to the introduction of a later state pension age for women. There were 32.07 million people in work in the three months to June - 338,000 more than for the same period last year. \"The employment picture remains strong, with a new record high employment rate and another fall in the unemployment rate. Despite the strong jobs picture, however, real earnings continue to decline,\" said Office for National Statistics senior labour market statistician Matt Hughes. Analysis Andy Verity, economics correspondent Pay rises improved, up by 2.1% (excluding bonuses) compared with a consensus prediction of 2%. Maybe the economic theory was right after all - and pay is now ticking up because labour markets are tight. It remains, however, a long way short of what would be required to trigger the sort of wage-price spiral about which central bankers have been hyper-vigilant since the 1970s. That employees are prepared to accept wages that shrink by a tiny bit less than they did the last time these figures came out does not exactly bespeak a dramatic new assertion of workers' bargaining power. Read more from Andy here Jobs were created in the construction, accommodation and food services sectors and transport and storage industries. Pay rises improved, up by 2.1% (excluding bonuses) compared with a consensus prediction of 2%. The increase prompted some economists to suggest that wages may finally be responding to an economy which is closing in on full employment. It remains, however, a long way short of what would be required to trigger the sort of wage-price spiral about which central bankers have been hyper-vigilant since the 1970s. That employees are prepared to accept wages that shrink by a tiny bit less than they did the last time these figures came out does not exactly bespeak a dramatic new assertion of workers' bargaining power. Ruth Gregory, UK economist at Capital Economics said the figures gave some signs that the tighter labour market was leading to a recovery in wage growth. \"Inflation is likely to fall back next year as the impact of the drop in the pound dwindles. What's more, the tightness of the labour market should deliver further rises in nominal wage growth over the coming quarters,\" she said. The pound rose rose against both the dollar and the euro following the positive news on jobs, recovering some of the ground lost on Tuesday, before losing most of those gains. However, productivity - or output per worker - continued to decline, the ONS said, issuing preliminary figures for the second quarter. Productivity was 0.1% lower than in the first quarter and \"remains at around the same level as its pre-downturn peak\". The number of", "summary": "Unemployment in the UK fell by 57,000 in the three months to June, official figures show, bringing the jobless rate down to 4.4% - its lowest since 1975."}
{"article": "The blasts were heard at around 09:45 local time (07:45 GMT) in the Giza area and were around two minutes apart. Local media report that the bombs targeted police vehicles stationed near a bridge. Armed groups have stepped up their attacks in Egypt since the ousting of President Mohamed Morsi by the military in July last year. A BBC journalist at the scene says there is little obvious damage to the area. The attacks took place in Giza Square, a regular route for marches against the current government. Anti-military protests are expected in parts of the capital later, after Friday prayers. The current government has outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, declaring it a terrorist organisation. It accuses the movement of supporting attacks against the police and army - a claim the Brotherhood strongly denies. Since Mr Morsi's overthrow, more than 1,000 people have been killed and thousands of members of the Muslim Brotherhood - where the ousted leader hails from - have been detained in a crackdown by the interim authorities.", "summary": "Six police officers have been wounded after two bombs went off in Cairo, the Egyptian health ministry says."}
{"article": "One Good Samaritan gifted \u00a3600 and another gave Sue Percival \u00a3180 following the burglary at her home at Tonypandy in Rhondda Cynon Taff. Her British Gas colleagues also raised \u00a3150 so she and her daughter were able to replace stolen goods like a laptop and three Android tablets. \"Thanks to everyone. We have replaced everything \" she said. \"They have been so kind.\" The man who donated \u00a3600 wishes to remain anonymous and another set up a fundraising page after South Wales Police put out a plea for information following the burglary on Wednesday between 07:30 and 11:30 GMT. Ms Percival's grandchildren and daughter, Steph Summers, discovered the theft. Four-year-old Tristan, the first in the house, told her: \"Mum, Santa's been. All the presents are open.\" Ms Percival said being a victim of burglary had been \"devastating\" as she felt it was an \"invasion of privacy\". She said she had not wanted to leave her home since the incident. She said neighbours had been supportive, giving her the confidence to go shopping to replace the stolen presents.", "summary": "A grandmother has thanked well wishers who have saved her family's Christmas after a burglar stole \u00a3900 in presents."}
{"article": "Vern Cotter names his squad for the Championship on Tuesday, three months after a 35-34 quarter-final defeat. Referee Craig Joubert awarded the Wallabies a late penalty that replays suggested was an incorrect decision. \"You feel you're over it and then you see something and it brings it all back,\" Hogg told BBC Scotland. \"I was watching something on the TV a couple of weeks ago about the legacy of the World Cup and when us going out came up, it just brought back horrible memories. It was bitterly disappointing.\" Hogg is set to be included in a squad missing the injured Harlequins wing Tim Visser - ruled out of at least the first two games - and flanker Alasdair Strokosch, who retired from Test rugby after the World Cup. Another injury concern is Glasgow centre Mark Bennett, who was due to see a specialist on Monday to determine whether he needs an operation on his injured shoulder. The involvement of Warriors pair Ryan Wilson and Tim Swinson could hinge on the outcome of disciplinary proceedings against them following the European Champions Cup loss at Northampton. But club-mate and fellow midfielder Alex Dunbar could return to the Scotland fold after missing the World Cup with the after-effects of a knee injury sustained in training during last year's Six Nations. After the Calcutta Cup opener against England at Murrayfield on 6 February, Scotland travel to Cardiff - one of three away fixtures in this year's campaign - to face Wales in their second match a week later. Hogg says the squad will be desperate to banish the memories of not only their World Cup despair, but the embarrassment of a Six Nations whitewash last year. \"It is another challenge for us now, but we can take immense confidence from the World Cup,\" said the 23-year-old, who has only tasted victory in three of his 19 Six Nations matches since his 2012 debut. \"If I'm fortunate enough to be picked, hopefully we can produce something special in this Six Nations. England first up at Murrayfield is exactly what you want and it would be great to be part of that. \"Getting a good couple of wins early doors would give us immense confidence going forward, and we'd be in the tournament if that happens. \"We have let ourselves down in the last couple of Six Nations but we are looking forward to it.\" Hogg and his Glasgow team-mates will be hoping that joining up with Scotland provides a catalyst for rediscovering their World Cup form. Four successive defeats since Christmas have seen them slip to eighth in the Pro 12 table and effectively exit the European Champions Cup, after a third pool defeat on Sunday to Northampton. \"Our target was to become the number one team in Europe and we've fallen short again,\" Hogg noted. \"It's fine and well having good performances here and there but it's wins that we need. Europe is the be-all and end-all of club rugby so we're bitterly disappointed to no longer be part of it.\" After their final Champions", "summary": "Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg says memories of their controversial World Cup exit to Australia are still raw as they prepare for the Six Nations."}
{"article": "The Washington Post says it obtained a 1991 phone conversation between a PR man calling himself John Miller, but sounding like Mr Trump, and a reporter. Mr Trump said the voice on the tape did not belong to him. Reporters who covered his early career say they regularly spoke to a Trump spokesman sounding exactly like him. They would hear from the \"spokesman\", named as John Miller or John Baron, when asking to interview Mr Trump. Mr Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee after pushing out more than a dozen Republican rivals in the race for the White House. Traditional Republicans are warming to him to unify the party and beat likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Reacting to the Washington Post story on Friday, Mr Trump made his denial on the Today Show. \"No, I don't know anything about it,\" he said. \"You're telling me about it for the first time and it doesn't sound like my voice at all.\" \"I have many, many people that are trying to imitate my voice and you can imagine that. This sounds like one of these scams, one of the many scams. It doesn't sound like me. \"It was not me on the phone. And it doesn't sound like me on the phone, I will tell you that. It was not me on the phone.\" Donald Trump is an unusual man who often behaves, shall we say, unconventionally. There's plenty of evidence for this, whether or not he made calls 25 years ago pretending to be his own publicist. Many New York reporters are convinced that this is a bona fide recording of the billionaire, and the fact that he's (allegedly) boasting about his dating prowess and celebrity socialising probably isn't the kind of story Mr Trump wants circulating as he tries to present himself as a more serious general election candidate. This is just the start, however. While Mr Trump has been in the public eye for decades, and New York tabloid scrutiny can be daunting, nothing compares to the glare of the presidential spotlight. Given that this is Mr Trump's first foray into public office, his past will receive extra scrutiny - with more revelations to come. The Washington Post, for instance, has assigned a team of 20 reporters to sift through Mr Trump's background, from his business dealings to oddball stories. This latest episode definitely falls into the latter category. However, in 1990, Mr Trump admitted in court he and one of his employees used the name \"John Baron\" in business dealings during a case about undocumented Polish workers constructing Trump Tower. A lawyer for the workers said he received a call from someone named \"Mr Baron\" who threatened to sue if he did not drop a lawsuit over withheld pay for the workers, the New York Times reported. A reporter for People magazine contacted Mr Trump's office in 1991 to interview him about the end of his marriage to Ivana Trump and his relationship with model Marla Maples. The \"media spokesman\" called the reporter, Sue Carswell, back and began telling her", "summary": "Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has denied masquerading as a spokesman for himself in the 1990s after an audio tape was published."}
{"article": "The National Union of Teachers said the money was spent on 62 free schools, university technical colleges and studio schools which either closed, partially closed or did not open. The NUT said the data was mainly drawn from government websites. The Department for Education said free schools were popular with parents. The figures were published by the National Union of Teachers during its annual conference - which had highlighted concerns about school budget shortages. The union's general secretary Kevin Courtney said ministers should apologise to teachers and parents for the \u00a3138.5m \"thrown away\" on these abandoned projects. \"These figures make clear that the free school, UTC and studio school programmes were ill-thought policies which, in many cases, resulted in an appalling waste of significant sums of money,\" said Mr Courtney. University technical colleges (UTCs) and studio schools have an emphasis on vocational skills for 14 to 19-year-olds. \"In the case of the closed UTCs, an average of \u00a310m was spent on each school, rising to \u00a315m in the case of Tottenham UTC. \"That sums of this magnitude have been thrown away at a time when schools across the country are crying out for funding for staff, to provide a broad and balanced curriculum and to ensure essential resources and equipment are available, is criminal.\" Education Secretary Justine Greening this week announced that 131 new schools had been approved under the free school programme, creating around 69,000 places. Free schools are state schools that are outside of local authority networks and which are set up by groups such as academy trusts, charities, parents and community groups. There are now about 800 free schools either open or in the pipeline. The NUT said the \u00a3138.5m on the closed or unopened schools would have paid for 3,680 teachers for a year. Mr Courtney added: \"The true cost of these policy failures is even greater. There is a human cost in the disruption caused to the education of the thousands of those pupils who attended schools which have closed. \"Usually it is local authorities who have had to pick up the pieces by finding alternative places for the displaced children. \"The NUT's biggest concern is that the government is intent on proceeding with these programmes despite growing evidence that the UTC and studio schools programmes cannot attract sufficient numbers of pupils.\" The Department for Education said free schools were popular with parents and their creation had given parents more choices in finding good local schools. \"The construction costs of a newly-built free school are 29% lower than those built under the previous school building programme,\" said an education department spokeswoman. \"They also operate under a much more robust accountability system than council-run schools, meaning we can take swift action to deal with underperformance.\" But Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner said the data was further evidence that the \"free schools programme is a deeply inefficient way to provide the new school places that are desperately needed\". \"Billions of pounds of taxpayers' money has been sunk into free schools, but there is still little evidence that the government", "summary": "Almost \u00a3140m has been \"wasted\" on free schools and other new types of school, which either closed early or failed to open at all, says a teachers' union."}
{"article": "Elliot Investors' call to remove Antony Burgmans follows the Dutch firm's refusal to enter talks with US rival PPG Industries over a $24bn takeover. Akzo has rejected two offers from PPG, but some shareholders - including Elliott - support the bid. Mr Burgmans and chief executive Ton Buechner say the bid undervalues Akzo. Elliott said it was one of a group of investors that meets the Dutch legal threshold of 10% support needed to call an extraordinary meeting to vote on a proposal to remove Mr Burgmans. That process takes about two months. An Akzo Nobel spokesman said the company strongly supported the chairman and would respond to the request within 14 days as required by Dutch law. \"The removal of Mr Burgmans would be irresponsible, disproportionate, damaging and not in the best interest of the company, its shareholders and other stakeholders,\" he said. Meanwhile, the company has reported Elliot and PPG to Dutch regulators for possibly sharing potentially \"sensitive\" information with PPG regarding support for an extraordinary meeting. It was not clear what rules, if any, the shareholder and PPG might have violated. Elliott, which has a 3.25% stake in Akzo, said it would respond to the company's allegations soon. PPG could not be reached for comment. Elliott, which became an Akzo shareholder in December, is known for its aggressive moves. Founded in 1977 by American activist investor Paul Singer, it made a name investing in national debt in countries such as Peru. The firm is most famous for its long legal battle over Argentine debt, which climaxed when the firm seized an Argentine naval ship docked in Ghana. The hedge fund is also pushing mining giant BHP Billiton to reorganise and spin off its US oil unit. The PPG offer that Akzo rejected on 22 March was worth more than 24bn euros. Akzo shares were flat at 79.12 euros in Amsterdam on Wednesday. Mr Buchner has proposed selling Akzo's chemicals division and has embarked on a series of share repurchases. The firm, which is scheduled to meet with investors later this month, has also drawn opposition from Dutch politicians concerned about potential job losses.", "summary": "An activist investor in Akzo Nobel has increased the pressure on the Dulux paint owner by calling for its chairman to be removed."}
{"article": "The dispute began on Tuesday in Anaheim when an un-uniformed officer grabbed a 13-year-old boy walking across his lawn, accusing him of making a threat. Footage of the incident shows two other youths shove and punch the officer, who pulls a pistol from his waistband. About 300 people took to the streets of Anaheim on Wednesday night. Several windows were smashed on homes during the rally, police said. Some 24 people were arrested, including eight women and six juveniles, according to the Los Angeles Times. Anaheim police told the newspaper the dispute arose from \"ongoing issues\" with young people walking across the officer's property. During the ensuing argument, the LAPD officer detains the 13-year-old, whom he says threatened to shoot him. The boy insists he only threatened to \"sue\" him, and accuses the officer of directing an obscene epithet at one of the girls in the group, which the man denies. \"Let me go,\" the boy says repeatedly. During the stand-off, a group of young people stand by, telling the man to release him. One of the young onlookers shoves the officer over a hedge and another throws a punch at him. The man, still holding on to the 13-year-old, pulls a pistol and a single gunshot rings out, though it is not clear if he fired deliberately. Police arrested two of the boys, but not the off-duty officer. A 13-year-old faces charges of battery and making criminal threats. A 15-year-old was detained on suspicion of assault and battery. The off-duty officer has been placed on administrative leave, pending an inquiry. An Anaheim woman, who claims to be the 13-year-old's mother, described the video on Facebook as \"devastating\" and \"disturbing\".", "summary": "Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets of a Los Angeles suburb after an off-duty policeman fired a gun during a fracas with teenagers."}
{"article": "Police said she was Andrea Harris from Ardrossan. The crash, involving a Stagecoach bus and an Isuzu 4x4, took place north of Ardrossan at 14:15 on Monday. The 48-year-old driver of the Isuzu and the 36-year-old bus driver are \"serious but stable\" in Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. Four bus passengers, two men and two women, are also in hospital. They were taken to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock for treatment. A further five passengers on the bus - three men and two women - received medical treatment at the scene or were taken to Crosshouse Hospital but were released after treatment. The Scottish Ambulance Service declared the scene of the crash, near the Rowan Tree restaurant, a major incident. Two air ambulances attended, along with specialist trauma teams. Police Scotland have appealed for witnesses to the crash. Sgt Kevin Blackley from the Trunk Road Policing Unit, Irvine, said: \"I would urge anyone who witnessed the crash, who has not yet spoken to police, or anyone with information that may assist our investigation to contact us through the non-emergency number 101.\"", "summary": "A 45-year-old female bus passenger killed in a crash on the A78 in North Ayrshire which left six people in hospital has been named."}
{"article": "Jac Holmes, from Bournemouth, Joe Akerman, from Halifax, and Irish citizen Joshua Molloy were detained by the Kurdistan Regional Government. Mr Holmes posted on Facebook: \"Got out of jail peeps, thanks for the support.\" His mother met with Kurdistan officials on Friday to help secure his release. The three men had been returning home at the time of their arrest, crossing from Syria into Iraq. They were held for more than a week in a prison in Erbil. Mr Ackerman updated his status on Facebook, simply posting: \"Free\". \"We are helping two British men make arrangements to leave Kurdistan after they were released from custody,\" a Foreign Office spokeswoman told the BBC. Confirming the release of Mr Molloy, a former Royal Irish Regiment soldier, Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said: \"I welcome Joshua's release and I am pleased that he is now on his way home to join his family in Ireland.\" We understand the men had been waiting on the border between Syria and Iraq for several weeks trying to cross. However, the border was closed. They made their way to another point to cross and were arrested and told they were crossing into Iraq illegally. The border is a politically sensitive zone between Iraq and Syria. The two countries have numerous groups in conflict with one another. Jac Holmes's mother told me it had been an anxious time as the days passed, and that she had visited Kurdish officials in London to do what she could to get Jac and the other men released. She wrote \"I was prepared to chain myself to the railings\" to try to ensure the men's safe passage home. Kurdish supporters in the UK have rallied around in support Mr Holmes during his time fighting in Syria. He is one of a number of western volunteers fighting with the Kurds. They call him a \"hero\", while British officials continue to warn strongly against travelling to any conflict zones. The British Government maintains that anyone fighting abroad could find themselves breaching UK terrorism laws.", "summary": "Three men arrested attempting to cross the Iraqi border after joining Kurdish forces to fight the so-called Islamic State group in Syria have been released, the BBC understands."}
{"article": "Mitch Garbutt opened the scoring for Leeds, but Dorn's treble and tries from Denny Solomona and Joel Monaghan made it 30-6 to Cas at the break. Solomona added his second after a mistake from Ash Handley, who soon crossed for Leeds, but Gadwin Springer and Ben Crooks extended the lead. Grant Millington took Cas past 50 points after fine work from Luke Gale. The defeat was the 11th of the season for the reigning Super League champions and the second time they had conceded 50 points this campaign following their 56-12 loss to Widnes in February. Rhinos had few answers to deal with Tigers' veteran full-back Dorn in his first game back following two months out with a hamstring injury. The 33-year-old collected Junior Moors' offload to cross for his first before collecting Gale's kick into space to score under the posts. The Australian then completed his hat-trick just after the 30-minute mark as Mike McMeeken's pass left him with a simple finish. Castleford move above Wakefield and Widnes to sixth in the table. Leeds Rhinos: Golding; Handley, Watkins, Keinhorst, Hardaker; McGuire, Lilley; Galloway, Burrow, Garbutt, Jones-Buchanan, Ferres, Cuthbertson. Replacements: Mullally, Sutcliffe, Achurch, Walters. Castleford Tigers: Dorn; Flynn, Crooks, Monaghan, Solomona; McShane, Gale; Patrick, Milner, Jewitt, McMeeken, Moors, Massey. Replacements: Cook, Millington, Springer, Tickle. Referee: Richard Silverwood", "summary": "Luke Dorn scored a first-half hat-trick as Castleford Tigers thumped Super League's bottom side Leeds Rhinos."}
{"article": "Pedro Godinho, 22, died in hospital after being discovered in Canonsleigh Road, Leicester, on Sunday morning. Ezekiel Braithwaite, of no fixed address, has been charged with murder and attempted grievous bodily harm. Taome Stabanner, 21, of Rowena Court, Mountsorrel, has been charged with assisting an offender. Both are due to appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court later. Mr Godinho's cousin, Rafael Godinho, said on behalf of the family: \"Pedro was sadly taken from us. He was only 22-years-old, with a promising life ahead of him. \"At this time, the family is working closely with Leicestershire Police. \"Anybody who knows him would tell you what a good heart he had, he'd be the one to give you the shirt off his back.\"", "summary": "A 19-year-old man has been charged with murder after another man was found fatally stabbed after an attack in a residential car park."}
{"article": "Team Pacific Rowers were taking part in a race between California and Hawaii when their vessel began taking in water about 100 miles from shore. Rower Sam Collins, 25, from Cornwall, said: \"It's really frustrating because we are a great team and it is only the equipment which let us down.\" The rowers were airlifted to safety by US coastguards on Saturday. Mr Collins, Fraser Hart 34, from Tunbridge Wells, James White, 36, from London and Colin Parker, 36, from New Zealand, were taking part in the Great Pacific Race. The Pacific Rowers team set off on Wednesday to row 2,400 miles (3,862km) from Monterey in California to Honolulu. Former BBC Guernsey journalist Mr Collins said: \"The first couple of days were great. Team spirits were good. We were getting used to life on the boat. \"But the sea conditions were quite rough and worsening. \"Then late in the second day, out at sea, we started realising that water was permeating into the cabin. \"It just got worse and worse.\" The crew used an electric bilge pump to keep the problem at bay but the water kept coming in. Water eventually got into all the internal lockers and the boat was so low in the water that waves were crashing over it continuously, Mr Collins said. \"The boat had been through severe testing but in some places it was permeating through the side of the boat because of the force of the waves,\" he added. The team called for assistance and a support boat reached them 10 hours later. But with waves of 20ft (6m) and gale-force winds, it was decided that the safest rescue was by coastguard helicopter. In darkness, a helicopter winched the crew to safety. \"I cannot talk highly enough about the coastguards,\" he said. The team is now considering entering the 2016 event. \"We are very disappointed, a lot of effort went into this,\" said Mr Collins.", "summary": "One of four rowers rescued from the Pacific said extreme weather conditions had exposed weaknesses in their boat."}
{"article": "Martin Johnson, 56, from Harlow, Essex, made the threats on an easyJet flight from Bristol to Malaga in April. Bristol Crown Court heard he bought two bottles of duty free wine and drank one before boarding and the other on the aircraft. The flight had to turn around and return to Bristol. The court heard cabin crew found an empty wine bottle in the toilet and that someone had urinated all over the cubicle. Johnson became abusive after they announced the flight would be returning to the departure city. \"If the pilot turns us around I am going to stab him and I am going to hit him,\" he said. \"I'm going to stab an air hostess and kill everybody on the plane.\" Johnson, originally from Scotland, was arrested when the flight landed after it had turned back 25 minutes into its journey. The court heard his behaviour caused disruption to many of the 153 passengers on board, whose holidays and travel were delayed, and it cost easyJet tens of thousands of pounds. Representing himself, he denied he had threatened to stab anybody and said he was not violent. Sentencing him, Judge Michael Longman said his behaviour would have caused \"fear and alarm\" to passengers. \"The vast majority of aircraft passengers are sensible and law abiding and when people act irresponsibly and idiotically like you did, sentences of imprisonment will always be required. \"I take into account there was no physical violence although the oral threats were bad enough. \"In the circumstances there must be a sentence of immediate imprisonment.\" Johnson, also known as James Kelly, has been given a lifetime easyJet ban.", "summary": "A drunk aeroplane passenger who threatened to stab the pilot and everyone on board has been jailed for eight months."}
{"article": "But US President Donald Trump appears to be laying claim to the phrase for himself. In an interview with The Economist published on Thursday, he used the metaphor to describe his hopes for tax reform. Then he asked: \"Have you heard that expression used before? Because I haven't heard it. I mean, I just\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I came up with it a couple of days ago and I thought it was good. It's what you have to do.\" His claim immediately raised eyebrows. Or, as The New York Observer put it: \"The Entire Internet Is Trolling President Trump Over 'Priming the Pump.\" Far from being a Trump-coined neologism, priming the pump has a long history in economic theory and was in widespread use by the 1930s. It's most often associated with John Maynard Keynes, the influential British economist who urged public spending to stimulate a weak economy. Newspapers also made the comparison during the presidency of Herbert Hoover, who was in office during the Wall Street Crash. Early Thursday morning, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Twitter account struck back, noting: \"'Pump priming' has been used to refer to government investment expenditures since at least 1933.\" The Oxford English Dictionary identifies the phrase used in a business context even earlier, quoting a 1916 edition of Everybody's Mag: \"When the waters of business are stagnant, gentlemen, it becomes necessary, if I may say so, to prime the pump.\" The White House press office did not respond to an email seeking clarification on Mr Trump's comments. But even Mr Trump has a longer history with the expression. A non-exhaustive internet search revealed he used it in a speech in December and in earlier interviews with Time and The New York Times.", "summary": "Students of 1930s economics are no strangers to the idea of 'priming the pump' - public spending to get the economy back on its feet."}
{"article": "If the US team is right, they may have found a new route towards treating and preventing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's . Their work, in the Proceedings B journal, lends weight to a scientific theory experts have been chasing for decades. The story began in the 1950s on a small Pacific Island called Guam. Many of the indigenous people who lived there - the Chamorros - were dying from a perplexing paralytic disease. US Army doctors described symptoms similar to dementia, Parkinson's and motor neuron disease. Post-mortem examinations revealed abnormal collections of proteins in the brain that can also be seen in patients with Alzheimer's. Researchers began to look at the island environment and what the Chamorros were eating to see if there was any link. And a hypothesis began to emerge that an environmental toxin called BMAA could be to blame. Beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine is made by bacteria found on and around the island. Experts identified it in algae-rich pools of water and in the roots and seeds of the native cycad palm trees. Fruit bats, known as flying foxes, a local delicacy, which feast on the cycad seeds, also harboured the toxin. What was missing, until now, was experimental evidence that BMAA could trigger the telltale brain changes seen in the villagers. So, Dr Paul Cox, from the Institute of Ethnomedicine, and colleagues from the University of Miami fed monkeys fruit laced with BMAA. After 140 days, they all had abnormal proteins (tangles) in the brain. The control monkeys, who received only regular fruit, had none of these brain changes. Dr Cox repeated the experiment with more monkeys - 32 in total - and found the same. \"Every single one that had eaten the BMAA bananas developed the brain tangles,\" he said, \"even the cohort given low-dose BMAA.\" \"If what we found in these animals holds up in man, then it means a few things. \"We need to protect people from this toxin. \"We have to get very serious about clean water supplies. \"And it may be possible to prevent some other neurodegenerative diseases.\" Dr Cox has been focusing on motor neuron disease - a progressive condition that attacks the nerves. Working with Dr Ken Rodgers and Dr Rachael Dunlop in Sydney, his team has found BMAA mimics an amino acid called L-serine and inserts itself into brain proteins, causing them to misfold and tangle. And clinical trials are testing whether giving patients L-serine tablets might prevent this. \"We do not know if it will work, but we really hope so,\" Dr Cox said. Dr Laura Phipps, from Alzheimer's Research UK, said: \"This research in animals suggests that BMAA exposure could directly lead to hallmark features of neurodegenerative disease, providing new insight into the likely cause of this condition on Guam. \"While investigating rare forms of dementia can lead to insights into the more common causes of the condition, further research is needed to understand whether the findings have relevance to diseases like Alzheimer's or motor neurone disease in other parts of the world. \"The research suggests that L-serine could reduce", "summary": "Scientists say they now have good evidence in animals that exposure to a toxin from algae can trigger dementia-like changes in the brain."}
{"article": "Stacey Burrows, 16, and Lucy Pygott, 17, were killed while on a training run in Aldershot, Hampshire, on 8 November. Judge Phillip Gillibrand revealed he had lost his own brother in a car crash as he expressed sympathy for the girls' relatives. Michael Casey, 24, is charged with causing death by dangerous driving. Mr Casey, of St Paul's Road, Tottenham, London, was bailed to appear at Winchester Crown Court on 13 April. Addressing the teenagers' relatives, Judge Gillibrand said: \"I do not know the incident but I myself lost my brother in a road traffic accident. \"I know the trauma and the anguish you must be going through.\" He was interrupted by a member of the public knocking on the window of the public gallery. The judge asked them to leave the court and for people to \"respect the rule of law\" in a case where \"emotions are flying high\". During the short hearing, Mr Casey spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth. He did not enter pleas but the court was told he was likely to do so when the case is next heard. The girls, who were members of Aldershot, Farnham and District Athletic Club, were warming up for an evening run when they were hit by a black Ford Focus in Queen's Avenue. Lucy Pygott, who was from Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, had won a 3,000m bronze medal at the European Youth Championships in July. Stacey Burrows, from Farnborough, was the Hampshire under-17 3,000m champion.", "summary": "A judge has told a court he understood the \"trauma and anguish\" of the families of two teenage athletes who died after being hit by a car."}
{"article": "The so-called Valley fire is thought to be one of the worst in the state's history, and is still only 30% contained, spanning three counties. One disabled woman has died and four firefighters have been injured, while 23,000 people have been forced to flee their homes. Two dozen fires are raging in Oregon, California and Washington state. But the most destruction is in California, where mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted in some areas so residents can return to survey the devastation. Firefighters are scrambling to protect not only homes but the state's famed giant Sequoia trees, as the largest of a dozen fires edges ever closer to one of the national parks in which they grow. While the Valley fire has been the most destructive, covering an area twice the size of San Francisco, a second known as the Butte fire, outside Sacramento, has claimed 166 homes. Firefighters say it is covering 71,780 acres (29,048 hectares) and is now 40% contained. Officials say fire teams have been helped by cooler weather and higher humidity, although the forecast is for higher temperatures to return at the weekend In California, the sound of summer is the crackle of flames. No one here in Lake County can remember anything like the Valley Fire. Firefighters say it has already consumed an area twice the size of San Francisco. And still it burns, leaving behind a landscape drained of colour, silent and lifeless. Ranches which stood here for more than a century were wiped out in seconds. And in the little communities of Cobb, Middletown and Hidden Valley, entire streets have been destroyed. For mile after mile the ashes are still smouldering. Most people have not yet been allowed to return to inspect the damage but when they do many will find that there is nothing to salvage. Cooler weather with some moisture in the air is helping but it will take more than that to stop the blaze. The fires burns and burns and California is counting the cost. In northern California, people who have been evacuated from their homes or lost their homes completely are gathered at emergency centres and high schools. Andy Elliott, a British firefighter working to battle the Valley fire, said it is one of the most extreme in California for a long time. Firefighters are calling it a \"career fire\", such is its speed and force, he said. \"The fire behaviour is unprecedented.\" Mr Elliot said he knew the four injured firefighters and had breakfast with them just before they were hurt. \"It's a very extreme incident... very sad.\" California is used to battling raging wildfires. But after a four-year drought, the state is suffering more than usual - 5,255 fires have scorched 217,827 acres of land so far this year, compared with 3,638 fires burning 90,894 acres during the same period last year. Northern California is currently bearing the brunt of the blazes, with 13,000 firefighters working 24-hour shifts to try to contain more than a dozen fires sweeping across parched hillsides in Butte, Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties.", "summary": "A blazing wildfire in northern California has grown to 104 square miles, with nearly 600 homes destroyed."}
{"article": "The blaze broke out at Denbeath Bowling Club in Buckhaven, Fife, at 12:35. Police are warning people to keep their windows closed due to the amount of smoke in the air. Surrounding roads are closed and police are diverting drivers away from the area. The bowling club is next to Denbeath Primary School in the town, however there have been no injuries.", "summary": "Firefighters are tackling a huge blaze at a bowling club in Fife."}
{"article": "The programme will be back on BBC One next month after a nine-year break. The new titles show the main characters Jack and Victor, played by Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill, from the 1960s, 70s and 80s to the present day. The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra have also made a new recording of the iconic title music. Filming on the new series, once again written by Kiernan and Hemphill, has been taking place on a purpose-built set at BBC Scotland's Dumbarton Studios and around Glasgow. Still Game follows the antics of pensioners Jack Jarvis and Victor McDade and ran for six series between 2002 and 2007. The new series will also see the return of Sanjeev Kohli as Navid, Gavin Mitchell as Bobby, Paul Riley as Winston and Mark Cox as Tam. Reruns of the show have proved popular with audiences and it has also attracted new fans on TV streaming service Netflix.", "summary": "The titles and theme tune for the popular comedy Still Game have been revamped ahead of the launch of a new series."}
{"article": "The car, going at 88mph, hit a pole causing a power cut and stopping the town clock, the spoof statement said. The satire was among the first of what could end up being many tributes paid on Back to the Future Day. Movie fans are celebrating 21 October 2015, the date Marty and Doc visited in the 1989 sci-fi time travel adventure sequel Back to the Future II. The crash described in the police press release mirrors the key moment in the Back to the Future II plot, when Marty McFly, 17, and Doc go forward in time. It said officers asked the 17-year-old driver what speed he had been doing, to which he replied, 88mph (142km/h) - the speed the pair's modified silver DeLorean had to hit to trigger the flux capacitor to send them back in time. \"A 17-year-old man was charged and was in possession of a licence which expired over 30 years ago,\" police said. \"Investigations into the vehicle and what a flux capacitor is, are ongoing.\" It also posted an edited image of officers rushing to the scene on their hoverboards. Mount Isa Cinema owner Jodi Saunders was quoted as saying the driver had asked when Jaws 19 - the film being screened at the Holomax cinema in the film - was showing. Mount Isa Mayor Tony McGrady, meanwhile, was quoted as saying repairs were under way to save the clock tower, which in the famous scene is hit by lightning. Queensland Police Media is famed for its light-hearted social media posts. It has previously posted warnings on Facebook about wet roads from the tears of Top Gear fans after the show was cancelled, and has cautioned drivers not to \"go ape\" after a lorry carrying bananas crashed.", "summary": "Police in Queensland say they have deployed their \"hoverboard unit\" after a silver car crashed near a cinema."}
{"article": "The independent report for the county council said A12 improvements are essential if Sizewell C goes ahead. Traffic will increase on the stretch through Stratford St Andrew, Marlesford, Farnham and Little Glemham. EDF Energy, planning to build Sizewell C, said it was not considering funding for the bypass as a priority. The county council report looked at the impact of construction traffic on the A12 and predicted it would be slightly reduced compared to earlier studies. However, the additional number of vehicles generated by projected \"natural\" growth, in addition to the Sizewell C project traffic, meant road improvements were essential. The report recommends a dual or single carriageway bypass should be built and ready before work starts on the new power station. The report said that traffic at the busiest time of the day could increase by 14% and the proportion of vehicles taking more than seven minutes to travel through the four villages would more than double. The high levels of Sizewell C traffic would result in increased journey times, a higher accident rate and poorer air quality, the report said. Tom McGarry, from EDF Energy, said it was listening to local concerns but its priority was getting cars off the road in the first place. Guy McGregor, Suffolk County Council's cabinet member for roads and transport, said: \"Two months ago we said that EDF Energy needed to wake up and truly realise the scale of the impact Sizewell C will have on local communities in Suffolk. \"We hope that this independent report from experts with international repute will help them come to their senses now. \"It's time for EDF to take note of the strength of feeling and undeniable evidence on this critical issue.\" \"The A12 from Woodbridge to Lowestoft is just not fit for purpose - let alone to carry the volumes of heavy lorries in particular which will be necessary for the Sizewell C project,\" a Suffolk Coastal council spokesman said.", "summary": "Four villages in Suffolk must be bypassed to take anticipated growth in traffic due to the construction of a nuclear power station, a report says."}
{"article": "The 20-year-old singer was pictured in the Sun newspaper walking on crutches after returning to the UK. \"Hey guys I know most of you have seen those pics today! Yes I've had major knee surgery, a much larger surgery than first anticipated,\" he tweeted. \"But i would like to tell u , it was a complete success! Considering the scale of it.\" One Direction are due to tour later this year, with their UK dates starting in May. \"All I ask of you guys is that you would respect my privacy as I try to recover... for the Where We Are tour,\" he wrote on Twitter. Earlier this week bandmate Liam Payne apologised for a picture taken of him balancing on a ledge. The photo had been posted on Twitter but has since been taken down. The singer tweeted: \"You may have seen a photo of me today taken on top of a building. I regret being there and having a photo taken. \"It was a stupid and irresponsible thing to do. I am sorry, and do not endorse any fans trying to repeat this, as it is extremely dangerous.\" It has also been announced that the band will release two books in 2014. The group have signed a deal with HarperCollins to publish an official autobiography and One Direction: The Official Annual 2015. Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter", "summary": "One Direction singer Niall Horan has confirmed that he has had an operation on his knee in the US."}
{"article": "However, when you're at the very top of an organisation and juggling multiple demands it's even tougher. To drive their organisations to success, chief executives need to be crystal clear about their goals. They also need to not get distracted when carrying them out. The key to keeping on top of your workload and not getting overwhelmed includes: Delegating work, keeping meetings fairly short and working intensely in only short bursts. You should also remember to stay focussed, and keep a decent work-life balance otherwise you will risk burning out. Here some of the world's top business leaders share their secrets to not getting bogged down by the details. \"You really have to evolve into a headset where you're only going to hold yourself accountable for the things you can control. If you bear every burden of the world, you're going to die a young death as a CEO. \"If you're going to say, 'Oh my god, what am I going to do about the French economy? It's so terrible right now' - you can't do a damn thing about that and you can't worry about that. You just have to hold yourself accountable for those things you personally can have an impact on and leave the rest behind.\" \"I think you can either delegate or you can't, and my whole modus operandi is to get it off my desk as quickly as possible onto someone else's desk. \"It's a really good policy. I recommend it to any chief executives. Just get rid of the email onto someone else if you can.\" \"It's managing your time and making sure you have energy left over. It's very hard to travel halfway around the world and land and visit 10 hotels and sit across the table from owners and make sure that you're sharp the whole time. Taking care of yourself and pacing yourself is actually important. \"I'm not terribly good at saying no. If someone feels like I can help them somewhere, my first bias is to try to get there to do that, and there are just points where you have to say if I try to do too much, I'm not going to be good at what I need to do.\" \"We can only can function at an optimum level for about 90 minutes. In other words we can do intense work for about 90 minutes and then we need to do something else. \"And if you try to keep focusing you'll notice there's some long meetings, people begin to wander, their attention can't be focused and you get to this real point of diminishing returns. \"You'll find you can do your best work in these sort of short bursts and you have creative 'oh my gosh' epiphanies and things are coming and you get it down. But then you've got to go renew yourself.\" \"The most important thing in life is to have a balance. Just being a CEO and just constantly being under pressure and working and driving yourself, at the end of the day you'll be no good", "summary": "Getting things done can be hard for anyone."}
{"article": "American Woods, who last competed in August last year, planned to play in this week's Safeway Open, but withdrew saying his game was \"too vulnerable\". The 14-time major winner had back surgery in September and October 2015. \"It's going to be a hard grind to come back and compete against the best in the world,\" said Briton Faldo, 59. Faldo was \"not surprised\" when the world number 786 withdrew from the PGA Tour opener on Monday. The 40-year-old has not won on the Tour since 2013 and sits on 79 victories, three behind the all-time record held by fellow American Sam Snead. Faldo told BBC Sport: \"Golf is a wicked game, it dangles a carrot. \"Ten years ago, I'd hit balls and think, 'I can still play, I can still hit it'. Then you'd go to the course and can't make a score. Everything is stacking up against him now. Physically, mentally and obviously competing.\" Woods was a vice-captain for the United States as they beat Europe to win the Ryder Cup earlier this month, but Faldo thought he looked like he was \"struggling just getting in and out of the golf buggie\". The Englishman added: \"Watching him walk, he just doesn't look supple to me. \"I know the stamina needed to play 72 holes. He may be able to hit balls on a range, but there's a rhythm to that. \"On a course, you get a five-minute gap between two shots. I think maybe he is starting to hit the ball better, but it's the stamina to play.\" Woods will also miss the Turkish Airlines Open in November but said he may be ready for his foundation's event, the Hero World Challenge, in December.", "summary": "Six-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo says \"everything is stacking up against\" Tiger Woods in his attempt to return to golf following injury."}
{"article": "Extra college places would be paid for by introducing a graduate contribution to raise funds from university leavers. The Tories said 140,000 places had been lost from Scottish colleges since 2007, and vowed to reinstate them. The party also supports creating an extra 10,000 modern apprenticeships. Party leaders have started setting out their stalls ahead of May's elections. Labour has announced a housing policy targeting first-time buyers, while the SNP pledged to put education \"front and centre\" in their plans. The Conservatives produced figures suggesting the number of students at Scottish colleges was at its lowest number on record, with staff numbers also down a fifth since 2008. Party leader Ruth Davidson said the SNP's record on colleges was the government's \"hidden shame\". She said: \"The SNP has built monuments to itself on so-called free education, while quietly demolishing the ladder of opportunity that our colleges provide to thousands of youngsters. \"We reject the discrimination which favours academic over vocational courses. A Scottish Conservative government would therefore reverse the cuts made by the SNP to Scotland's college budget. \"We would pay for this through our existing plan to back graduate contribution, paid for only after university graduates are earning a decent wage.\" Education is set to be a key battleground in the election on 5 May, with first minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon promising to put it \"front and centre\". She said Scotland under the SNP was reducing the attainment gap \"faster than the rest of the UK\". The SNP criticised the graduate contribution plan, saying it showed a vote for the Tories was \"a vote to end free higher education in Scotland\". George Adam, a member of the education and culture committee at Holyrood, said: \"The Tories claim that their colleges policy will be funded 'in its entirety' by a graduate contribution - but without any detail about how much students would be expected to pay, or exactly when they would have to start paying it, their colleges policy has absolutely no credibility. \"It is also completely unacceptable to leave young people considering going to university in the dark about what it will cost them.\" Scottish Labour's opportunity spokesman Iain Gray said: \"The SNP want to be judged on their record and the first minister said education is her top priority. \"Well, the SNP's record on colleges is simply shameful with 140,000 fewer students in Scotland's colleges, and 3,500 fewer lecturers \"That record means lost opportunities for our young people, but those young people deserve better than unfunded promises from the Tories.\"", "summary": "The Scottish Conservatives have pledged an extra \u00a360m to Scotland's colleges as the party sets out its election platform."}
{"article": "Salon Priv\u00e9 has relocated from London to Blenheim Palace for its 10th anniversary, and the three-day event culminates with a \"public day\" on Saturday. Co-founder David Bagley described the cars on display as \"amazing\". They include the Aston Martin DB10, only 10 of which were made, soon to be seen in James Bond movie Spectre. However, 007's car can only be seen by premium ticket holders. Mr Bagley said: \"It's the first time we've had a public day. \"For me it's a real opportunity for dads and their lads. All kids love cars. \"The cars we bring here, half of them will have never been seen before. There's going to be a lot of noise, a lot of atmosphere.\" There are supercar and hypercar models on show by Ferrari, Koenigsegg, Pagani, McLaren, Zenvo, some of which are worth in excess of \u00a31.5m. The top tier hypercar category is one increasingly used by car aficionados, and refers to the most expensive and highest-performing supercars. The event is usually targeted at private buyers, collectors and enthusiasts, but \"outgrew\" its original locations in Hurlingham and Syon Park. Mr Bagley added: \"As beautiful as they were, Blenheim now offers us an opportunity to create a lovely private event on the south lawn and a public event on the Great Court.\" The public part of the show will include a grand parade of more than 60 supercars from 1975 to the present day. Jamie Spencer-Churchill, the 12th Duke of Marlborough, said it was an honour for the palace to be involved. \"My wife, and son The Marquess of Blandford, and I are personally looking forward to the event as big motor enthusiasts,\" he added.", "summary": "A prestigious motor show for rare and luxury cars is to open to the general public for the first time."}
{"article": "A seven-wicket victory over Middlesex sealed Glamorgan's place at the top of the Southern Group and a home tie with Leicestershire in the last eight. \"It would be a great achievement, it's really important to perform well in the quarter-final,\" Morris said. Glamorgan will try to secure the return of batsman David Miller for the match. The South African left-hander, who was contracted to Glamorgan for six group games, is due to be playing for South Africa 'A' in Bloemfontein until the day before the Cardiff quarter-final on Wednesday, 23 August. \"It's going to be very tight, no question, but if David's here it's a bonus, if he's not, we still believe we've got a squad to perform well since we've won a lot of games without David,\" Morris told BBC Wales Sport. Glamorgan have only previously reached Finals Day once, ending in a semi-final defeat against Leicestershire in 2004, while they lost in the quarter-finals in 2008, 2014, and 2016. Coach Robert Croft was pleased to end the home campaign with a win in Cardiff, albeit again shortened by rain, after four wash-outs and two defeats. \"The supporters that have been here all summer, shall we call it a summer? It's been important we got a game on and showed people what we could do, we played very well,\" he said.", "summary": "Glamorgan chief executive Hugh Morris says it would be a \"great achievement\" for the club to make T20 Blast Finals Day for the first time since 2004."}
{"article": "Some who follow the subject closely argued that the \u00c2\u00a32.45bn deficit across health trusts in England in the last financial year was not as bad as it might have been. But it was still a dramatic increase on the previous 12 months and it illustrates two major challenges for the government - one immediate and the other longer term. Right now, the deficit at English hospital and other trusts, in other words the difference between the money they received and what they had to pay for patient care, is causing real headaches at the Department of Health. Official accounts are being prepared for the financial year which ended in March and are set to be published in the summer. If senior civil servants can't demonstrate that the DoH kept within the limit of around \u00c2\u00a3116bn voted on by Parliament, there will be serious and unprecedented trouble in Whitehall. A National Audit Office inquiry could follow, along with heavy political flak directed at the government. Usually deficits among health trusts can be balanced by surpluses elsewhere in the system, for example in clinical commissioning groups. This time, officials have struggled to find the money in the system to balance the books. A finance director at a hospital trust has told the BBC anonymously that unorthodox methods are being used to make the sums add up. He alleged that the department was \"cooking up accounting alchemy\" to turn large hospital deficits into a much lower figure to ensure the NHS meets its spending limit. He claimed that transferring money from investment to day-to-day spending was being encouraged on a much wider scale than was normal. The same finance director went on to say that consultancy firms had been sent into 20 trusts to assess whether their accounting assumptions were too cautious. He claimed that their findings were being passed back to the Department of Health which would use them to adjust the overall deficit position downwards. He said: \"I am deeply worried that the findings of the 20 site visits are likely to be used to alter the NHS accounts.\" The Department denied there was anything untoward going on, while acknowledging that parts of the NHS were under pressure. A spokesman said: \"The transfer from capital to revenue makes no difference to the overall departmental picture given Parliament has voted to approve it - to say otherwise is misleading. Our financial statements will be audited by the independent National Audit Office.\" Ministers also argue they have helped hospitals curb the increase in spending on agency staff. Looking beyond the current scramble to balance the books, there is a longer term financial challenge for the NHS. It is hard to see how the aggregate trust deficit can be reduced significantly this year. So a chunk of the extra money allocated by the chancellor for 2016-17 will be eaten up before a single extra patient is cared for. The deficit reflects a fundamental mismatch between the funding flow to hospitals and what they need to find the right staff and provide appropriate care. Ministers argue they", "summary": "The deteriorating state of NHS finances in England has been well documented."}
{"article": "The award is considered the top prize in the field. It is sometimes called the Little Nobel Prize for Literature. The jury said Cao was a unanimous choice for the writing prize, because he \"writes beautifully about the complex lives of children facing great challenges\". The Peking University professor of Chinese and children's literature is well known in literary circles in China, and has won several prizes at home. He is known particularly for his books set in 1950s and 1960s rural China, drawing from his childhood experiences. Cao, 62, grew up in backbreaking poverty in Jiangsu province, the son of a principal for rural primary schools. In one of his books recounting his childhood, he recalled he often had nothing much to eat and would look forward to having a meal of rice gruel once every 15 days. \"My home village was well known for its poverty. Day in and day out, my family lived with deprivation,\" he wrote. \"I would gather grass from the riverbanks. Mother would diligently stir fry it in a oil-less steel wok, saying she was making me a dish of stir-fried leeks to eat.\" The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), which gives out the Hans Christian Andersen Award, noted that \"his childhood, though materially poor, was emotionally and aesthetically rich\", attributes it said were evident in his writing. One of Cao's best-known children's books outside China is his 2005 work Bronze and Sunflower, set during the Cultural Revolution. It tells the tale of a young city girl, Sunflower, who accompanies her artist father when he is forcibly sent to the countryside to labour among peasants, as millions of Chinese were in the 1960s and 70s. She befriends a peasant boy, Bronze, who persuades his family to take Sunflower in after her father dies and looks out for her, while she teaches him to read and write. Critics praised it for its meaningful story and Cao's lyrical prose. \"Bronze was hungry to learn and gobbled up every character Sunflower knew, writing them out on the ground and in his notebook. The two of them never stopped. Wherever they went, whatever they saw, Bronze wanted to know what the characters were... Bronze saw the beautiful world around him transform into the magical world of characters. The sun became more gorgeous, more vivid, more enticing than ever. Likewise, the moon, the sky, the earth, the wind, the rain... everything took on a new life. And Bronze, who was used to careering around the fields whatever the weather, was changing too. He was calmer than he used to be.\" Translated from original Chinese text by Helen Wang Another book published in 1997, Straw House, traces the coming of age story of a young village boy, Sang Sang, throughout his six years in primary school. Cao told China's Xinhua news agency in 2007 that the book was based on his experiences as his family followed his father, who was often transferred from school to school across the province. It won several prizes in China including the country's top", "summary": "Beijing-based author Cao Wenxuan has become the first Chinese author to win the Hans Christian Andersen award for children's literature."}
{"article": "Andrew Whitby, 51, from Teddington, south-west London, was recognised by the Guinness Book of Records. He underwent the operation after experiencing health problems associated with a lifelong heart defect. He appealed for people to sign the organ donor register, describing transplantation as \"life-changing\". Figures published by the NHS on Monday show the number of people in the UK donating organs after death has fallen for the first time in more than a decade. Mr Whitby was born with a hole in the heart, which doctors predicted would mean he was unlikely to live more than a few years. He defied expectations and lived normally until the age of 20, when his health began to deteriorate. Mr Whitby developed problems with his lungs and eventually one collapsed, which led to the decision to attempt a heart-lung transplant. When the procedure was carried out in 1985 at Harefield Hospital in north-west London, he was only the ninth person to undergo it in the UK. Heart-lung transplants are relatively rare because there are few suitable donor organs available and priority is normally given to people who only need a heart transplant. Mr Whitby used the occasion of the 30th anniversary of his transplant to draw attention to the need for organ donors. He said: \"My heart-lung transplant has improved and extended my life beyond measure. \"We need more people to sign the organ donor register - without donors, where would that leave people like me?\" Andre Simon, director of transplantation at Harefield Hospital, said: \"Andrew's world record shows how a person's life can be completely transformed through the gift of organ donation.\"", "summary": "A man has celebrated 30 years since his heart-lung transplant - thought to be the longest anyone has survived after the procedure."}
{"article": "The 33-year-old Australian ended his second spell at Fir Park this summer. \"Things have changed a little in terms of the Australia (move) in that it has not turned into what I exactly want,\" McDonald told BBC Scotland. \"I think everyone thought I'd made my mind up and pretty much I'm open to all offers.\" McDonald was with Well from 2004-2007 before he joined Celtic and enjoyed three successful years at Parkhead. Following spells at Middlesbrough and Millwall he returned to Fir Park in 2015, but his hopes of a switch to an Australian side this summer have yet to materialise. \"It was well documented at the end of the season that I was maybe looking to go home,\" McDonald added. \"Things haven't gone the way I would have liked in that area at the minute, so that's still ongoing. \"You get a couple of crazy ones (offers) here and there abroad. Locally, I haven't looked into it too much as yet.\"", "summary": "Scott McDonald's proposed move to Australia has stalled and the former Motherwell striker says he will consider offers in Scotland."}
{"article": "The SNP-led administration's budget was approved by 33 votes to 32 following two hours of debate. Co-leader Richard Thomson told members he wants to use an extra \u00a36m announced in the Scottish government's budget on a scheme to ease the impact of business rates rises. The 2.5% council tax increase adds more than \u00a328 to a Band D property. Higher band properties will see their charges rise more due to national changes agreed last year.", "summary": "Aberdeenshire councillors have narrowly voted in favour of a 2.5% rise in council tax."}
{"article": "Hassan al-Mandlawi, 32, and Al-Amin Sultan, 30, both Swedish nationals, were found guilty of actively taking part in the murders, which were filmed. The Gothenburg court convicted the pair even though they did not wield the knife used in the killings in Aleppo. The men had denied the charges and will appeal the verdict, their lawyers said. The court in Gothenburg, south-west Sweden, was presented with footage of the murders that was discovered on a USB stick in Sultan's home. Two men are heard giving directions in Swedish. One prisoner is beheaded, the other has his throat cut. The court found the duo had actively taken part in the murders, though they did not hold the knife. It also ruled it had been proven that the pair fought in Syria during the spring of 2013. Anti-terror campaigners have applauded the verdict, pointing out that it shows that Sweden is prepared to put people on trial for crimes committed in other countries. The case against the pair is the first time that a \"terror crime\" - as opposed to \"crimes against international law\" have been staged by a Swedish court, Radio Sweden reported. In order to secure a conviction for a \"terror crime\", the prosecution must prove that the intention was to cause fear among others. A crime against international law is defined as a case where it has been proven that the men fought with a group in an armed conflict. Sultan's lawyer insisted that it was not his client's voice in the film and accused the prosecution of singling him out because he was wearing similar clothing to the guilty person, Radio Sweden reported. The defence argued that pictures of him posing with weapons were taken when he was in Turkey and Syria doing volunteer relief work. His accomplice, Mandlawi, uses a wheelchair after being shot while allegedly working abroad as a sniper and has suffered brain damage, Radio Sweden quoted his lawyer as saying. Mandlawi's defence team said that the evidence against him was meagre. More than 250,000 people have died in nearly five years of civil war in Syria.", "summary": "A court in Sweden has sentenced two men to life imprisonment over \"terror crime\" murders carried out by Islamic State militants in Syria in 2013."}
{"article": "17 October 2016 Last updated at 15:37 BST Accounts filed with Companies House show the organisation had invested just \u00a318m by the end of 2015. But the US presidential hopeful's representatives claim the amount of investment has shot up to about \u00a3150m this year. Trump Organisation claims \u00a3150m Turnberry investment", "summary": "Donald Trump pledged to invest \u00a3200m in Turnberry after buying the Ayrshire resort in 2014."}
{"article": "The ride-hailing app went to court after Transport for London (TfL) said that drivers should have to prove their ability to communicate in English. Uber argued that the standard of reading and writing required by the test was too high. The US firm said the test was \"unfair and disproportionate\" and it would appeal against the court's decision. The ruling will also apply to all minicab firms in London. \"TfL are entitled to require private hire drivers to demonstrate English language compliance,\" said Judge John Mitting as he rejected Uber's claim. Tom de la Mare QC, for Uber and the drivers, told the judge that the language requirement would result in 70,000 applicants failing to obtain a licence over three years. The proposals would have a disproportionate impact on drivers from countries where English was not generally spoken and give rise to \"indirect discrimination on grounds of race and nationality\". TfL argued that the requirements were vital to ensure passenger safety and to raise standards. Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said: \"Drivers being able to speak English and understand information from passengers and licensing requirements is a vital part of ensuring passengers get the high standard of service they need and deserve. \"TfL will of course look at the High Court judgment in detail to ensure all our policies fully comply.\" Sam Dumitriu, head of projects at the Adam Smith Institute, a conservative think tank, criticised the ruling. \"These tests are not only expensive but excessive, and will do little to improve public safety. We've already seen London taxi drivers of 20 years or more struggling with essay questions about the Aurora Borealis and snowboarding, do we need them to have read Shakespeare too?\" he said. \"There's clearly no public interest here, only the interests of the vocal Black Cab Lobby. Sadiq Khan should listen to drivers and scrap them.\" Uber said the judge ruled in its favour on three other points, including not having to open a UK-based call centre.", "summary": "Uber has lost its attempt to prevent its drivers being forced to take English language tests."}
{"article": "He played the famous spy in seven Bond films including Live and Let Die and A View to a Kill. Sir Roger's family confirmed the news on Twitter, saying he had died after \"a short but brave battle with cancer\". The statement, from his children, read: \"Thank you Pops for being you, and being so very special to so many people.\" \"With the heaviest of hearts, we must share the awful news that our father, Sir Roger Moore, passed away today. We are all devastated,\" they said in a Twitter post. The actor took the character of James Bond in a more humorous direction than his predecessor Sean Connery. Sir Roger's Bond was calm and suave - a smooth operator who could seemingly get himself out of a tricky situation with ease. The veteran star, who died in Switzerland, will have a private funeral in Monaco in accordance with his wishes, his children said. \"The love with which he was surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified in words alone,\" read the statement from Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian. \"Our thoughts must now turn to supporting Kristina [Tholstrup, his wife] at this difficult time.\" The statement added: \"We know our own love and admiration will be magnified many times over, across the world, by people who knew him for his films, his television shows and his passionate work for UNICEF which he considered to be his greatest achievement. Along with his famous Bond role, Moore was also known for TV series The Persuaders and The Saint. Sir Roger was also well known for his humanitarian work - he was introduced to Unicef by the late Audrey Hepburn and was appointed as a goodwill ambassador in 1991. Russell Crowe led the tributes to the actor on Twitter, writing simply: \"Roger Moore, loved him.\" Michael Caine said: \"I am truly sad and think I will be in tears if I talk about him. \"Roger was the perfect gentlemen, adored by all his friends.\" Michael Ball said: \"My dearest uncle Roger has passed on. What a sad, sad day this is. \"Loved the bones of him. Generous, funny, beautiful and kind.\" Mia Farrow wrote: \"Few are as kind & giving as was Roger Moore. Loving thoughts with his family & friends,\" while Boy George added: \"RIP Sir Roger Moore. He was the king of cool.\" Duran Duran, who sang the Bond theme song for A View To A Kill, simply tweeted: RIP Roger. In a statement, fellow Unicef ambassador and actor Ewan McGregor said: \"Thank you, Roger, for having championed so tirelessly the rights of all children for the last 26 years. \"You've shown that we all have the power to make a change to the lives of the most vulnerable children.\" Frank Gardner, the BBC's security correspondent, recalled how he and Sir Roger had become good friends in recent years. \"He even watched me ski past his chalet in Crans-Montana [Switzerland] while sipping a drink on his balcony,\" he said. \"He had a wonderful sense of humour and I will", "summary": "Actor Sir Roger Moore, best known for playing James Bond, has died aged 89, his family has announced."}
{"article": "Bath's injured Faletau will not resume training until the middle of November. Wales coach Rob Howley has included him in his squad for the four-match series. \"Wales need to find a different option and maybe give them a run of games through these matches that will provide Toby with competition,\" Delve said. Faletau suffered a knee injury in September on his Aviva Premiership debut for Bath, who do not expect the British and Irish Lion to start training until the middle of November. \"Although it's a huge loss to Wales you have to weigh up the value of rushing him back for those possible last two games or get him completely fit and firing for the Six Nations and the Lions tour,\" added Delve, who also played for Bath. Wales play Australia in Cardiff on 5 November, followed by Tests against Argentina and Japan, concluding against South Africa at the Principality Stadium on 26 November. Faletau and his likely replacement Ross Moriarty of Gloucester would not be available for the opening game against Australia. The game falls outside World Rugby's international window and Premiership Rugby will not sanction the release of English-based Welsh players. Northampton Saints wing George North, Harlequins centre Jamie Roberts and Bath pair Luke Charteris and Rhys Priestland will also be unavailable for the Wallabies game. Ospreys fly-half Sam Davies has been included in Howley's squad after his recent performances for the region. \"I think Sam has really put himself in the mix. His early season form has been fantastic,\" said Delve, a former Ospreys team-mate. \"It's a nice headache to have and it will be interesting to see if Sam Davies does get a run through the course of the four games. \"Whether he gets the opportunity to get that backline moving in the way that Rob has said he wants to evolve.\"", "summary": "Taulupe Faletau's absence at the start of the autumn internationals presents an opportunity for another forward to stake a claim for Wales, says former number eight Gareth Delve."}
{"article": "Jordon Saxton, from Faringdon, Oxfordshire, was convicted of the manslaughter of 11-week-old Jayden Saxton, but cleared of his murder. Jayden died in November after suffering 18 bone fractures as well as multiple brain and spinal injuries, a trial at Oxford Crown Court heard. Saxton, 21, was sentenced to nine years in prison. During the two-week trial, jurors heard the baby was living at a flat with his parents and had been left alone with Saxton on 17 November. They heard that Jayden never recovered from what the prosecution described as a \"violent assault\", in which he was squeezed so hard several of his ribs were broken. He was taken to hospital by paramedics, but died the following day. During the trial, Saxton told the court he had dialled 999 after Jayden stopped breathing and was in a state of panic because he thought something was stuck in his son's throat. Passing sentence, Mr Justice Rabinder Singh QC, said the baby's death was \"undoubtedly a tragedy for everyone concerned\". He told Saxton: \"No-one but you will ever know exactly what happened that afternoon. \"I conclude that you acted as you did in frustration at the fact that you could not settle Jayden.\" Det Ch Insp Kevin Brown of Thames Valley Police said Jayden's family had been through a \"living nightmare\" since November. \"The medical and forensic evidence in this investigation proved how Jayden was assaulted, causing him serious bodily harm that led to his death. \"The evidence was clear that Jordan committed manslaughter.\" Adrian Foster, chief prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it was \"impossible to imagine a more vulnerable victim\". He said that old rib fractures also discovered during the post mortem indicated that Jayden had previously been forcibly gripped and shaken between 21 October and 4 November. \"Jordan Saxton denied causing the death of his defenceless son and offered no explanation for how he obtained his injuries,\" he added.", "summary": "A man has been jailed for killing his baby son after squeezing his chest and shaking him."}
{"article": "22 December 2015 Last updated at 09:56 GMT Photographer Ben Gadsby-Williams filmed them off the Norfolk coast at Morston Quay.", "summary": "The Aurora Borealis - better known as the Northern Lights - was spotted across parts of England on Sunday night into Monday morning."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old, who joins from Weston-Super-Mare, turned down interest from Swedish top-flight side Ostersunds to join the Spitfires. Eastleigh boss Chris Todd said: \"I am excited to have Scott join the squad. \"He is an incredibly hungry individual who is looking to succeed in the game and has a huge desire to progress with Eastleigh.\" Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "National League side Eastleigh have signed striker Scott Wilson on a one-year contract."}
{"article": "Sgt Elor Azaria, 20, shot Abdul Fatah al-Sharif, 21, in the head while he was lying immobile on a road. The incident happened in Hebron in the occupied West Bank last March, after another soldier was stabbed. Sgt Azaria said he thought Sharif might have an explosive vest, but prosecutors said his motive was revenge. The high-profile trial has proven extremely divisive in Israel, says the BBC's Yolande Knell in Tel Aviv. There have been rallies to support the soldier and some senior politicians backed Sgt Azaria. However, top military figures were quick to say that his actions did not reflect the values of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). In the incident on 24 March, Sharif and another 21-year-old Palestinian, Ramzi Aziz al-Qasrawi, stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier before troops opened fire on them, wounding Sharif and killing Qasrawi. Footage of the scene several minutes later, filmed by a Palestinian and released by the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem, shows Sharif alive. A soldier, identified as Sgt Azaria, is then seen cocking his rifle and fatally shooting Sharif from several metres away. In their indictment, prosecutors said Sgt Azaria \"violated the rules of engagement without operational justification as the terrorist was lying on the ground wounded and represented no immediate threat for the accused or others who were present\". Delivering the verdict on Wednesday, the panel of three military judges rejected Sgt Azaria's defence that he shot Sharif because he continued to pose a threat. He had told the court that he believed there might be a suicide belt under the Palestinian's jacket. The judges, who took two-and-a-half hours to deliver their verdict, noted that Sgt Azaria's company and battalion commanders had testified that he did not mention the same concerns when they questioned him immediately after the shooting incident. The judges also said there was no dispute regarding the veracity of the statements made by another soldier, who testified to military investigators that Sgt Azaria had told him during the incident: \"They stabbed my friend and tried to kill him - he deserves to die.\" Sgt Azaria told the court that he did not recall having any such conversation, but the head of the judging panel, Col Maya Heller, described him as an \"unreliable witness\". \"His motive for shooting was that he felt the terrorist deserved to die,\" she said. Prosecutor Lt Col Nadav Weissman said: \"This is not a happy day for us. We would have preferred that this didn't happen. But the deed was done, and the offence was severe.\" A spokesman for Sgt Azaria's family said evidence proving his innocence had been ignored. \"It was like the court was detached from the fact that this was the area of an attack,\" he said. The soldier's mother, Oshra, shouted at the judges: \"You should be ashamed of yourselves.\" The defence team has said it will appeal against the verdict. Sentencing is expected in the next few weeks. Manslaughter in Israel carries a maximum 20-year term. Sharif's father Yusri was quoted as saying Sgt Azaria deserved a life sentence.", "summary": "An Israeli soldier filmed shooting dead a wounded Palestinian attacker after he had been disarmed of a knife has been convicted of manslaughter."}
{"article": "McCormack had 61 seconds to spare from Deirdre Byrne as she won in 33 minutes and 30 seconds as Maria McCambridge completed an all-Irish podium. Wicklow woman McCormack ran the Olympic 10,000m mark in the US last weekend. Britain's Andy Maud won the men's race in 29:55 ahead of Irish pair Mick Clohisey and Kevin Maunsell. Olympic Games marathon hopeful Clohisey was five seconds behind Maud with Maunsell a further 23 seconds in arrears as the athletes had to battle windy conditions at the Phoenix Park. Sunday's event, which attracted almost 8,000 runners, honoured the memory of late Ballymena & Antrim athletics club great Sean Kyle. Great Ireland Run organiser, former Irish international athlete Gareth Turnbull came up with of incorporating a team match into the event which would pay tribute to the renowned coach, who formed a remarkable partnership with his wife, the three-time Olympian Maeve Kyle at the Ballymena & Antrim club. The team component saw an Ireland line-up which included McCormack, lifting the inaugural Sean Kyle Cup, as they defeated a Commonwealth select The mixing of the sport's grassroots and elite athletes is something that would have delighted Ballymena athletics doyen Kyle, who died after a long illness last November. Sunday's meeting also included a Great Ireland Mile event won by Irish international John Travers in four minutes and 11 seconds which left him ahead of British runners John Ashcroft (4:13) and Phillip Sesemann (4:16). Thomas Frazer and Kerry O'Flaherty took the victories at the Titanic Quarter 10K in a windy Belfast on Sunday. Belfast man Frazer, who will run the London Marathon in two weeks in the hope of booking his Olympic Games Rio, had five seconds to spare from Gary Murray as he triumphed in 30 minutes and 48 seconds. \"I am really happy with that. I am in the form of my life and will be adopting an all or nothing stance in London to make the team for Rio,\" said Frazer, 34. Lisburn's Chris Madden finished third in 31:31 which left him eight seconds ahead of fourth-placed Conor Duffy, who won last year's men's race. Olympic Games-qualified O'Flaherty won the women's event in 34:17 which left her 14 seconds ahead of runner-up and last year's winner Ann-Marie McGlynn. Laura Graham took third in 35:21 with Olympic Games marathon hopeful Gladys Ganiel fourth in 36:07. \"I knew this would be tight especially as 10K is over my distance,\" said O'Flaherty. \"However I have really been working on my stamina to assist in the last kilometre of the steeplechase and it paid off today. \"I am now going to altitude training in France in preparation for track races in June in the build-up to Rio.\"", "summary": "Fionnuala McCormack clinched a comfortable victory in the women's race at the Great Ireland run as Britain's Andy Maud won the men's event."}
{"article": "Ex-Labour Northern Ireland Secretary Lord Hain said the peace process could \"so easily unravel\". He said the Brexit bill should be changed to support maintaining the open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. A government minister said the government was committed to building on the peace process. They were speaking as peers debated the government's draft legislation that will authorise the UK's departure from the EU. Among several amendments that were proposed was Lord Hain's, to require the prime minister to support the maintenance of the open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as set out in the Good Friday Agreement. He said: \"If the referendum means Brexit at any price it may well mean a dangerously high cost for the Northern Ireland peace process.\" \"The settlement in Northern Ireland is built on a delicate balance of the three strands of the Good Friday Agreement - relationships within Northern Ireland, between Belfast and Dublin, and Dublin and London,\" Lord Hain told peers. \"Brexit will test each of these relationships, and if the government pursues a hard Brexit it could do profound damage to all three.\" Any physical border will create ill-feeling and could destabilise the region and \"unravel\" the peace process, he warned. Northern Ireland Minister Lord Dunlop said the government was absolutely committed to maintaining and building upon the peace process. He said: \"Nobody wants to see a return to the borders of the past.\" But he said the two-clause bill will simply trigger the Brexit process and did not need to be amended to enshrine a commitment to maintaining an open border, adding: \"No such undertaking is necessary in this bill. \"Particularly in light of the strong assurances I have given, and our desire to keep this bill clean and simple.\" Lord Hain, who withdrew his amendment in light of the minister's assurances, later attempted to amend the Brexit bill to keep the UK in the single market. After a debate, this was rejected by peers by 299 to 136. Other proposed amendments which will be considered by peers focus on the rights of EU nationals living in the UK to remain after Brexit, and calls by Labour for a \"meaningful vote\" on the deal reached after the negotiations. MPs have already voted in favour of the government's Brexit bill, which was drawn up after the Supreme Court ruled that Theresa May could not invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty without consulting Parliament. If the Lords back any amendments to the legislation, it will return to the Commons where MPs will decide whether to accept peers' proposals.", "summary": "Brexit could mean a \"dangerously high cost\" for peace in Northern Ireland, a former minister has warned."}
{"article": "The proposals for Walton Breck Road in north Liverpool form the latest phase of a \u00a3260m regeneration of the area. If approved, derelict buildings would be demolished or rebuilt and the road would be narrowed to make the area more pedestrian friendly. Liverpool's deputy mayor Ann O'Byrne said the \"ambitious\" plan would \"make a massive difference to the area\". \"People come to visit Anfield every day of the week and we want to make sure it's as inviting as possible,\" she said. The work, which would be carried out in phases over the next three to four years, would see the building of new homes, office spaces and a hotel as well as community and landscaped areas. The Anfield regeneration scheme was announced in 2013 as a joint venture between Liverpool City Council, Your Housing Group and Liverpool Football Club. It has already seen the football club expand the main stand to accommodate an extra 8,500 fans. Brian Cronin, from Your Housing Group, said: \"We envisage a mixture of traditional properties with some more modern properties, just to give the area a different feel.\" Residents are being asked to give their feedback when the plans go on display in Stanley Park from Monday.", "summary": "Plans to rebuild a high street next to Liverpool FC's stadium in Anfield have been revealed by the city council."}
{"article": "Parliamentary Speaker Radoslaw Sikorski announced that parliamentarians will be trained at an army firing range. The country's military age is capped at 50 but exceptions will be made for \"healthy and youthful looking\" MPs. Poland's recently adopted security strategy states that the country is threatened by warfare and names Russia as an aggressor. Speaker Sikorski said he hopes the training would demonstrate to young Poles that it was time to start preparing to defend the country. He added that these are \"troubled times\". Polish Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak has called on Poles aged between 18 and 50 to undergo voluntary military training. The offer comes after Krystyna Pawlowicz, a 63-year-old MP, asked to be given military training to provide an example to others. Warsaw has been a firm opponent of Russia's actions in Ukraine and many Poles are concerned the country could come under attack. An opinion poll from May last year found 61% of respondents felt the Ukraine crisis threatened Poland's security. In another poll from April, when asked which country Poland should most fear, 80% of respondents said Russia, up from 49% in 2010. On Thursday, a top Polish official said that arming the Ukrainian army could stop the conflict in eastern Ukraine escalating. Stanislaw Koziej, the head of Poland's National Security Office, said that it was in the \"interest of Europe, of Poland and of Ukraine to strengthen Ukraine's army and to supply it with weapons.\" So far Poland has only offered non-lethal supplies and training to the Ukrainian government.", "summary": "Polish MPs will be offered military training because of fears that the war in Ukraine could spread."}
{"article": "Electronics giant Sony, as well as automakers Honda and Toyota cited damage at their plants. The quakes killed at least 41 people and have caused severe destruction to buildings and infrastructure. The suspensions in Kumamoto, a manufacturing hub, could cause supply chain disruptions. Chipmaker Renesas Electronics also said there had been damage to some equipment at its Kumamoto plant, which produces micro-controller chips for cars. Toyota said it would suspend operations at most assembly plants across Japan. The suspension across Toyota's facilities will be done in stages, and will last for about a week. The world's biggest car manufacturer said it had been unable to source parts from some of its suppliers. This includes its affiliate Aisin Seiki which is a key supplier for Toyota. Japan's Nikkei newspaper has reported that Aisin Seiki has been forced to stop producing doors, engines and other parts at its subsidiary in the Kumamoto prefecture, as the area is still experiencing aftershocks. The company is making plans to shift production to other facilities at home and abroad. The staggered suspension across Toyota's plants is expected to lead to a drop in production, by about 50,000 vehicles, the Nikkei said citing industry analysts. Sony said at the weekend it was assessing damage at its factory producing image sensors for smartphones, and that the plant would remain closed. The earthquake in Kumamoto has also affected restaurants and retailers in the area. Supermarket operator Aeon kept all 27 stores in the area shut on Sunday.", "summary": "A number of Japanese manufacturers have suspended operations after two powerful earthquakes hit Kumamoto in south-western Japan."}
{"article": "Liu Han, ex-head of mining conglomerate Sichuan Hanlong Group, was charged with his brother Liu Wei and 33 others. His gang, active since 1993, were being charged in connection with nine murders, Xinhua news agency reported. It described the gang as one of the largest criminal organisations in China to be prosecuted in recent years. Liu Han has been detained since March last year. The Xianning People's Procuratorate in Hubei province in central China filed the charges on Thursday, state media said. In addition to murder and intentional assault, the defendants were also accused of illegal detention, extortion and casino crimes, Xinhua reported. Police seized 20 guns and three hand grenades, it added. According to prosecutors, \"the defendants also did everything possible to entice and corrupt state officials, to seek their protection, and to consolidate and widen their influence on society\", Xinhua added. Liu Han was ranked 148th on Forbes' list of the richest Chinese businesspeople in 2012. His former company, Sichuan Hanlong Group, has tried to take over Australian miner Sundance Resources Ltd in the past. Liu Han was previously a delegate of Sichuan's political advisory body. Several Sichuan-linked officials have been investigated by the authorities in recent months, including Ji Wenlin, the vice-governor of Hainan province, and Li Chongxi, who was chair of Sichuan's Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.", "summary": "A Chinese court has charged a tycoon with crimes including murder, intentional injury and organising a \"mafia-style gang\", state media report."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old was a free agent after leaving the Shrimpers in December. The Czech started his professional career with Liverpool before joining Yeovil in June 2014, making 45 league appearances for the Glovers. He will be unable to play for the Pilgrims, who have not disclosed the length of his deal, against the Reds in the FA Cup third round, having already played for Southend in the competition. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Plymouth Argyle have signed former Southend United defender Jakub Sokolik."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device McIlroy, 27, is one of 20 players to have withdrawn from next month's Games, citing fears about the Zika virus. He said he would not watch the Olympic golf on television. Speaking after Thursday's first round at The Open, McIlroy said: \"I decided to stop dancing around the issue and tell everyone what I thought.\" Media playback is not supported on this device The four-time major winner added: \"I've thought about Olympics and golf for the last seven years and this is just how I feel. \"Some people don't like it, I get that; but it's my opinion. \"I don't think anyone can blame me for being too honest. It was seven years of trying to give the politically correct answer and finally I just cracked.\" On Tuesday, the Northern Irishman said: \"I'll probably watch the Olympics, but I'm not sure golf will be one of the events I'll watch.\" Asked which events he would watch, McIlroy replied: \"Probably track and field, swimming, diving, the stuff that matters.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Those comments received criticism from English squash player Laura Massaro, whose sport is not included in the Olympics. She called McIlroy's comments \"unacceptable\" and said he had shown a \"lack of appreciation for how the Olympics can transcend an individual sport\". However, McIlroy, who is six shots off the lead after the first day of the Open, has tried to elaborate more on his comment that he \"didn't get into golf to try to grow the game\". Find out how to get into golf with our special guide. \"I feel I've done my bit to grow the game,\" added the world number four. \"It's not like I'm uninterested and golf is a great vehicle to instil values in kids. \"I'm an ambassador for the PGA Junior League and I've used my success in golf in a very positive way.\" We've launched a new BBC Sport newsletter, bringing all the best stories, features and video right to your inbox. You can sign up here.", "summary": "Former world number one Rory McIlroy has remained defiant in the face of criticism over his controversial views on golf at the 2016 Rio Olympics."}
{"article": "Anders Behring Breivik, 32, described his actions as \"gruesome but necessary\", and said he would explain himself at a court hearing on Monday. At least 85 people died when a gunman ran amok on Utoeya island on Friday, hours after an Oslo bomb killed seven. As Norway mourned the victims, police continued to search for the missing. At least four people from the island camp shooting are yet to be found; it is thought some may have drowned after swimming out into the lake to escape the hail of bullets. Police are using a mini-submarine to search for the missing bodies. In Oslo police said the death toll could rise further as bodies or body parts were in buildings damaged by the bomb but still too unstable to search. Police have also said another person may have been involved in Friday's attacks, which happened within hours of each other. 'Demanding suspect' \"He thought it was gruesome having to commit these acts, but in his head they were necessary,\" Mr Breivik's lawyer Geir Lippestad told Norwegian media. He added that the actions had been planned for some time. Mr Breivik has been charged with committing acts of terrorism, and is due to appear in court on Monday when judges will decide whether he should be detained as the investigation continues. The suspect is reported to have had links with right-wing extremists. Still pictures of him, wearing a wetsuit and carrying an automatic weapon, appeared in a 12-minute anti-Muslim video called Knights Templar 2083, which appeared briefly on YouTube. By Chris MasonBBC News, Oslo In driving rain, and with the sound of thunder in the air, people are standing in a circle outside Oslo's cathedral. In the middle of the circle is a carpet of flowers, illuminated by candles. There are people hugging, holding hands, and standing in silence. I pass a couple whose eyes are bloodshot through crying, tears dripping down their faces. I have heard one Norwegian man say for so long this country felt it lived on the outskirts of fear. It doesn't feel like that any more. A 1,500-page document written in English and said to be by Mr Breivik - posted under the pseudonym of Andrew Berwick - was also put online hours before the attacks, suggesting they had been years in the planning. The document and the video repeatedly refer to multiculturalism and Muslim immigration; the author claims to be a follower of the Knights Templar - a medieval Christian organisation involved in the Crusades, and sometimes revered by white supremacists. Police have not speculated on motives for the attack but the bomb in Oslo targeted buildings connected to Norway's governing Labour Party, and the youth camp on Utoeya island was also run by the party. In the document posted online, references were made to targeting \"cultural Marxists/ multiculturalist traitors\". \"He has had a dialogue with the police the whole time, but he is a very demanding suspect,\" police chief Sveinung Sponheim said. Norway has had problems with neo-Nazi groups in the past but the assumption was that", "summary": "The man accused of a massacre at a youth camp in Norway and a bombing in the capital, Oslo, has admitted responsibility, his lawyer says."}
{"article": "The money is to help \"build the global reach of the World Service\" to half a billion people and \"increase access to news and information\". Director general Tony Hall said he \"warmly welcomed\" the announcement. The government will provide \u00a334m between 2016-17 and \u00a385m a year from 2017-18 for digital, TV and radio. The next review of this funding will be in 2020. \"This new funding is the single biggest increase in the World Service budget ever committed by any government,\" said Lord Hall. \"The millions announced today will help the BBC deliver on our commitment to uphold global democracy through accurate, impartial and independent news reporting. \"The World Service is one of the UK's most important cultural exports and one of our best sources of global influence. We can now further build on that.\" He added: \"The funding will also help speed us on to our target of reaching half a billion people globally.\" The BBC currently reaches 308 million people worldwide, and its goal is to reach 500 million people by 2022. Announcing the new funding in its document the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review, the government said: \"The BBC World Service reaches into some of the most remote places in the world, providing a link to the UK for individuals and societies who would otherwise not have this opportunity. \"We will invest \u00a385 million each year by in the BBC's digital, TV and radio services around the world to build the global reach of the World Service and increase access to news and information.\" The announcement on page 49 of the Government's Strategic Defence Review makes it very clear what this money is all about - soft power. Britain's reputation, values and influence around the World. In 2010, the coalition government decided the \u00a3253 million spent on the World Service was coming to an end. The BBC would have to absorb the cost out of the licence fee. Five years later, Chancellor George Osborne has, partially, reversed that cut in return for the BBC expanding services in to North Korea, Russian speaking areas, the Middle East and Africa. Areas described as suffering from a \"democratic deficit\" - a shortage of impartial news. And while the Government will be helping to pay the bills - editorial control remains entirely with the BBC. And there is also another factor which may have influenced this decision to promote Britain abroad - the rapid growth of rival international news services from Russia, China and the Middle East. The BBC's radio services around the world are in decline - the new cash will help the switch towards more TV, mobile and online services as the BBC seeks to grow its global reach from around 300 million at the moment to a target of 500 million. The list of services to be expanded using the funding include enhanced TV services for Africa, new radio services for audiences in North Korea and radio and digital services for Ethiopia and Eritrea. Details of which languages the BBC will broadcast in to Ethiopia and", "summary": "The government is to invest \u00a385m a year in enhancing BBC services around the world including in Russia, North Korea, the Middle East and Africa."}
{"article": "Jihadist propaganda was posted on the station's website in April by individuals claiming to represent Islamic State. A police investigation is now focussing on a group of Russian hackers called APT28, according to French media. The group has tried to hack the White House in the past, L'Express reports. It has also targeted the computer systems of Nato members, Russian dissidents and Ukrainian activists, according to the newspaper. A judicial source told AFP that investigators were narrowing the search by probing the IP addresses of computers used in the attack. TV5 Monde was forced to broadcast pre-recorded programmes after the hack, which it described as \"unprecedented in the history of television\". A message warning French troops to stay away from Islamic State was published on the station's Facebook page. The hackers also posted documents purporting to be ID cards of relatives of French soldiers involved in anti-IS operations.", "summary": "A cyber attack on the French television network TV5 Monde may have been carried out by Russian-based hackers, police believe."}
{"article": "Her casting as Simone was criticised when it was announced in 2012, with Simone's daughter suggesting she was \"not the best choice\". A tweet this week by Saldana, promoting Nina, was met by a furious response from the late singer's twitter feed. It read: \"Please take Nina's name out your mouth. For the rest of your life.\" A later tweet, posted on the official Nina Simone account on Wednesday, summed up the depth of feeling in the Simone camp: \"Hopefully people begin to understand this is painful. Gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, nauseating, soul-crushing. It shall pass, but for now...\" The renewed criticism comes after a poster and trailer for the film were released on Wednesday, ahead of the film's official release on 22 April. Saldana, who is of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent, drew backlash for taking the role of the world famous jazz singer and civil rights activist, after photos first surfaced of her in the role wearing an afro wig and with clearly darkened skin. Writing on the official Nina Simone Facebook page in 2012, daughter, Simone Kelly, wrote: \"I love Zoe Saldana, we all love Zoe... From Avatar to Colombiana, I've seen those movies a few times. But not every project is for everybody. And I know what my mother would think. I just don't get it\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\" With the issue of race playing such a pivotal role in Simone's story, many fans of the singer felt an African-American actress would have been more suitable. Saldana, 34, replaced singer Mary J Blige - who dropped out of the project due to scheduling conflicts. The unauthorised film biopic focuses on the last eight years of Simone's life and the relationship between the singer and her then-manager Clifton Henderson, played by British actor David Oyelowo. Ms Kelly is on record as saying she would have preferred to see Oscar-winner Viola Davis in the role, or Beloved actress Kimberly Elise. She told Ebony magazine in 2012: \"Both of the actresses that I've mentioned are women of colour, are women with beautiful, luscious lips and wide noses, and who know their craft.\" \"I also have no problem introducing someone we've never heard of before who can play my mother.\" Last year, Star Trek actress Saldana told InStyle magazine: \"I didn't think I was right for the part, and I know a lot of people will agree, but then again, I don't think Elizabeth Taylor was right for Cleopatra either... An artist is colourless, genderless...\" Aaron Overfield, who manages Nina Simone's official website, reacted angrily to the newly released trailer on his Facebook page: \"It took them THAT long to end up with ... THIS? There is a special place in hell reserved for this film.\" The film will be hoping to benefit from renewed interest in Nina Simone, following the critically acclaimed Netflix documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? - made in conjunction with the Nina Simone estate - which was nominated for an Oscar last weekend. The documentary includes previously unheard recordings, archive footage and interviews with those closest to the singer, recorded over three decades.", "summary": "A forthcoming biopic about singer Nina Simone has faced fresh criticism over its film trailer which shows lead actress Zoe Saldana with darkened skin."}
{"article": "Catherine Burns, 29, left Ireland for the US in 1832 to begin a new life, but within six weeks she was dead. A funeral mass and burial took place at St Patrick's Church in Clonoe, near Coalisland. She was one of 57 Irish migrants hired to build a stretch of railway in Pennsylvania known as Duffy's Cut. Within six weeks of arriving in Philadelphia, all 57 workers - who hailed from counties Donegal, Tyrone and Londonderry - were dead. It is thought some died from cholera, while others were murdered by local people who believed the immigrants were spreading the disease. Most were buried anonymously in a mass grave near the shanty town where they lived and worked, but Catherine was among several workers buried separately. Officials with the Philadelphia and Columbia railroad never notified the immigrants' families of their deaths. Parish priest Father Benny Fee told the funeral: \"Catherine is one of our own, she's no stranger, she has Tyrone blood in her veins, but we know so little about her. \"What we do know is that she knew suffering. She was married and already widowed at the tender age of 29 - before she was 30 she had loved and lost. We also know she knew poverty, she knew what it was to have nothing in her purse. \"She took the boat to the USA for no other reason than she had no choice - she could stay at home and starve, or she could gamble on taking a boat across the Atlantic and with a bit of luck catch the tail of the American dream. \"But as Christy Moore's song Duffy's Cut says so well, she was sailing into Hell and less than two months into her arrival in the new world, she and her 56 Irish companions in Duffy's Cut were dead and buried in unmarked graves.\" This is the second repatriation of remains found at Duffy's Cut, now a wooded area behind suburban homes in the borough of Malvern, about 20 miles west of Philadelphia. In 2013, 18-year-old John Ruddy was reburied at Ardara, County Donegal. An investigation into what happened to the 57 Irish workers began in 2002, when Malvern's Immaculata University professor Bill Watson, his twin brother Frank, a Lutheran minister, and fellow Immaculata professor Earl Schandelmeier, began the Duffy's Cut archival and research project. The trio accompanied Catherine on her journey home to County Tyrone and attended the wake and the funeral in Clonoe. Fr Fee thanked them for the \"courtesy and respect they have shown our Tyrone Catherine\". He added: \"You have brought Catherine back from her exile to her native pastures. Now there's no fear, no terror for Catherine anymore.\"", "summary": "A woman murdered in America 183 years ago has been buried in her native County Tyrone after her remains had lain in an unmarked grave."}
{"article": "Judges changed his conviction from manslaughter to murder last week. He has already served one year in prison. Pistorius now faces a minimum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment - to be set after a hearing on 18 April 2016. He will also appeal against his murder conviction in the Constitutional Court, his lawyer has said. This could see delays of many more months, says the BBC's Karen Allen at the high court in the South African capital, Pretoria. Now that Oscar Pistorius has been granted bail, it must have come as a huge relief that he will spend Christmas at home. Sitting in court, I was left with an impression that the judge was not interested in imposing strict conditions. Pistorius himself looked relaxed, chatting and laughing with his legal team during the brief adjournment while the judge was considering his fate. The double amputee's bail application also revealed that he had enrolled to study \"a BSc business with law degree\" at the London School of Economics. Pistorius indicated in court documents that he intended to lodge an appeal to the highest court in the land. This would be the very last legal avenue available for the disgraced athlete to overturn his conviction. Bail has been set at 10,000 rand ($700, \u00c2\u00a3450). Pistorius was deemed not to be a flight risk by Judge Audrey Ledwaba. Pistorius can remain under house arrest at his uncle's home until sentencing next year, and will be electronically tagged. He also has to hand over his passport. He will be able to leave the house between 7am and midday, but will only be able to move within a 20km (12 miles) radius. He is currently under house arrest after spending one year of his original five-year sentence in jail. In his bail affidavit, he said he had no income. During the hearing, his lawyer said he was only able to pay a sum of 10,000 rand for his bail. The 29-year-old killed Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day after shooting four times through a locked toilet door. Pistorius is a six-time Paralympic gold medallist whose legs were amputated below the knee as a baby. He made history by becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics, in 2012, running on prosthetic \"blades\". Last week, South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein accepted prosecution arguments and ruled that the lower court did not correctly apply the concept of \"dolus eventualis\" - whether Pistorius knew that a death would be a likely result of his actions. When will he be sentenced? The date set for the sentencing hearing has been set for 18 April. The minimum sentence for murder is 15 years, but the judge does have the discretion to lower it. Can he appeal? Yes, but only if his lawyers are convinced that the appeal judges violated his constitutional rights. So it is a high threshold, and hard to meet. Is this the end of Pistorius' professional athletics career? Almost certainly. He is 29, and will be past his prime by the time he is freed.", "summary": "South African Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been granted bail while he awaits sentence for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013."}
{"article": "Jannette Black, head of Springhill and Auchenback Primary School in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, was seen at a minor injuries unit on Wednesday. East Renfrewshire Council confirmed that the incident had taken place and said an investigation into the circumstances was ongoing. Police Scotland said the incident had not been reported to them. A council spokesman said: \"We can confirm that an incident took place at the school [on Wednesday]. \"No serious injuries were sustained and the member of staff involved did not require hospital treatment, however, did attend a local minor injuries unit as a precaution. \"Incidents of this nature are extremely rare in our schools and we have a zero tolerance approach to violence at work.\" The local authority rejected claims that the incident was the latest one linking the school with anti-social behaviour or a lack of action by the council's education department. A statement said: \"Any incident relating to violence which is reported to us is investigated thoroughly and the appropriate action taken. \"We do not accept the claims that have been made about the management of either our schools or the education department. \"In fact, a recent Education Scotland report on this school highlights a number of areas of improvement which have been achieved under the current management.\"", "summary": "A primary school head teacher was taken to hospital following an attack by a pupil."}
{"article": "The UK's advertising watchdog has upheld a complaint that the electronics chain had encouraged viewers to believe they could watch ultra-high definition broadcasts of the Euro 2016 football championship. It follows an earlier rebuke about an advert shown in 2014. Content in 4K is still relatively uncommon, posing a challenge to stores. The format is marketed as providing four times as much detail as 1080p high definition transmissions, because the screens have that many times more pixels. Sky's recent launch of its Ultra HD service last week has improved matters. But until then, BT was the only broadcaster transmitting 4K content to UK audiences and its offering was often limited to one football match a week. Other alternatives include a limited number of shows and films on streaming services including Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and YouTube. Currys PC World - which is owned by DSG Retail - screened the most recent of the two offending adverts on 4 June, six days before the Uefa (Union of European Football Associations) competition began. \"We know some people will do whatever it takes to watch the football on the right TV,\" stated the voiceover, before providing details of two 4K televisions. The advert did not explicitly refer to Euro 2016, but the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) noted that it had contained a graphic of a rotating football made up of the flags of the various competing teams. Part of the store's defence was that, even though the Euro 2016 games were not broadcast in 4K, the TVs had the ability to \"upscale\" the footage to improve picture quality. This involves using software to infer what each of the extra pixels should show, rather than just making each square of four pixels the same colour. The technique cannot put back the original detail because it was never included in the lower-resolution broadcast, but algorithms can try to deduce what would have been shown. The retailer's ad had been submitted to Clearcast - a clearance service for advertisers. That firm defended its decision to approve the contents on the basis that the TVs had been described as being 4K-ready. This, it explained, implied there was no guarantee that consumers would actually be able to see content in the format. However, the ASA rejected these responses saying it still felt consumers were likely to have believed they could watch the matches in \"genuine 4K definition\". Its verdict followed an earlier ruling against a Currys PC World ad that had said Ultra HD TVs allowed families to watch their \"favourite Christmas movies in greater detail\". The firm had again justified its description by pointing to the sets' upscaling abilities. But the ASA said it believed viewers had been misled to believe they would be able to see the films in \"full\" 4K quality and added that if the firm meant to refer to upscaling, it should be clearer about the fact.", "summary": "Currys PC World has been reprimanded for a second time about broadcasting misleading adverts for 4K televisions."}
{"article": "This is the full statement to the inquests from his cousin, Anthony Goggins: Joseph Daniel McCarthy was born on 11 February 1968 and died at the age of 21 years. Joseph, who was known as Joe, was born to Sean and Anne McCarthy, two years after their eldest son, Jeremy, was born. Sean and Anne had just the two boys. His parents worked extremely hard to ensure that both Jeremy and Joe had an excellent education. Joe was a typical boy; he often got into harmless mischief, but had an endearing personality that it was easy to forgive him for whatever wrongdoing he did. His mum Anne said that he could \"charm the birds from the trees with his chat\". Joe was born in Ealing, London, and attended Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Primary School. Joe's mum and dad were deeply involved in their church and community, and Joe and Jeremy were involved in all church activities. Profiles of all those who died Joe was a natural leader, confident without being arrogant. He started winning sports awards from the age of seven, coming first place in numerous sports events held at Mount Carmel. He was an all-round sportsperson and liked nothing better than training for either a swimming certificate or a long jump or even cricket ball throwing. Joe loved being outdoors playing any kind of sport, although football was his favourite. He was on the Mount Carmel football team, which was part of the Ealing Schools Football Association and Joe practised really hard with his football team to win each year in the competition, yet when they became the runners up, he was still overjoyed, something his mum recalled years later to me. When Joe became captain of the team, they won the competition. It was the first time that the middle school had won a trophy since joining the ESFA in 1973. Joe was so proud that the team won the cup and would not take any of the credit himself, laughing and joking about it, saying it was all luck. He was a Beaver Scout and could not wait to become a Cub Scout and then a Scout. His brother Jeremy and himself were very keen Scout members and won many cups for their Scout pack. In 1977, when Joe was just nine-years-old, the Scout pack won the Ealing five-a-side league and then added the knock-out cup to their triumph. Joe really liked to win, but was also a great loser. Joe was entering gymnastics competitions from a very early age and won The Sunday Times British Amateur Gymnastics award for his age group. Academically, Joe was clever. He did not find school difficult, he enjoyed going to school and he was a great communicator and loved the interaction that took place at school, both with teachers and peers alike. He found all subjects easy and Anne and Sean were always at home to help with the boys' homework. They encouraged both boys to study and avail of their education. Joe gained entrance into the most prestigious non-fee paying Roman", "summary": "A student from London who was studying in Sheffield, Joseph McCarthy met some friends before the match."}
{"article": "A Derry board statement said Barton had been appointed in September 2015 \"for an agreed period of two years\". \"We would like to sincerely thank Damian, his management and all players who have represented their county during this period,\" it read. The statement added that nominations for the job would be sought from clubs. Barton had a creditable first year in charge of Derry as his side reached the Dr McKenna Cup Final and also narrowly missed out on qualifying for the All-Ireland quarter-finals after losing by a point to eventual semi-finalists Tipperary in the last qualifying round. However despite that promising opening season, Barton's squad was badly depleted this year by the withdrawal of several experienced campaigners. The under-strength Oak Leafers suffered relegation to Division Three of the Football League on points difference and then were well beaten by Tyrone in their opening Ulster SFC game for the second successive season. While they regrouped to beat Waterford in the qualifiers, Saturday's extra-time defeat by Mayo saw Derry exiting from the championship. Barton side were leading the Castlebar game up until a minute from the end of normal time but despite a brave effort, Derry had nothing left in extra time as Mayo eventually won 2-21 to 1-13.", "summary": "Damian Barton's reign as Derry football manager appears to be over after the county's GAA board asked for nominations for the post."}
{"article": "Alun Davies, who has responsibility for broadcasting, warned Wales had a \"weakening\" media and a lack of accountability was partly responsible. But he stopped short of calling for devolved powers over the sector, during a media conference speech in Cardiff. \"I worry, and I am concerned, that Wales has a weak, indigenous media that is weakening,\" he said. \"And I am concerned that we don't always have the structures to enable us to have a conversation, apart from informally. \"The formal structures of accountability, formal structures of regulation and the formal structures to actually deliver policy. \"I think that is something which we do need to recognise, and is something that we need to debate and discuss. \"Not simply within government, or within the National Assembly, but within and throughout our society.\" Mr Davies called for the assembly to have a greater role in holding media companies to account. \"I make no case for the devolution of responsibility for broadcasting to Wales or to the Welsh Government,\" he added. \"However, I do make the case for the accountability for broadcasting to be shared across the institutions of the United Kingdom.\" Media bosses do give occasional evidence to assembly committees examining the media in Wales, but there is no formal arrangement that requires them to appear or submit evidence. Since the renewal of the BBC's charter, the Welsh Government has been given a stronger role in appointing the Wales representative to the BBC board. It used its veto to oppose the appointment of the UK government's choice for the position, Dr Carol Bell, earlier this year. Dr Ruth McElroy, a media lecturer at the University of South Wales, said Wales' traditional media had weakened as the industry adapted to changing audience habits. She told BBC Wales: \"We have seen a great deal of closures of local newspapers. That's been a long-standing theme, and it's been greater in Wales than in the rest of the UK. \"I think what we have to do is be realistic that we are now in a digital age, and that modes of news delivery might be different in the future.\" She added ministers should be more prepared to intervene to support media in Wales. \"There definitely is a place for government intervention. I think that sometimes, in the UK, we have been hostile to that, almost ideologically. \"In other parts of the world they are not, and they are reaping the benefits as a result.\"", "summary": "Media companies should be more accountable to the National Assembly, a Welsh Government minister has said."}
{"article": "He said he disagreed with the views expressed by FTSE 100 bosses in a letter published on Tuesday. Heads of companies including BT, Marks & Spencer and Vodafone said an EU exit would deter investment in the UK. But Mr Woodford argued it was very difficult to build a credible economic argument for the UK either staying in or leaving the union. Rather, the debate was a political argument about issues such as immigration and sovereignty, he said. The long-term economic implications may not be as extreme as some have suggested, but regardless of the outcome of the 23 June referendum the effect would be profound, according to the high-profile fund manager. A vote to leave could also spark a crisis for the EU project, which Mr Woodford said was facing an array of challenges on a macro-economic and political level. There were fundamental political differences between member states on a range of important issues, as well as an immigration crisis and a stagnant eurozone economy. \"ECB chief Mario Draghi is printing money and trying to do his bit, but the macro headwinds are intense and unemployment remains high. It is these problems that a UK exit could shine a brighter light on,\" Mr Woodford told the BBC. He believed investors should be braced for more \"extraordinary monetary policy\" by the world's central banks, such as negative interest rates and negative yields on 10-year government bonds. The global economy also faced a slowdown as well as the threat of deflation, while big problems remained in China, which was adjusting to cope with much slower economic growth. Major FTSE 100 companies such as Shell, BP and HSBC would all be forced to cut their dividends this year amid continuing low oil prices and poor investment returns, Mr Woodford predicted. On Tuesday, mining giant BHP Billiton said it was slashing its dividend, abandoning a long-held policy of maintaining or increasing payments to shareholders, reducing the payout from 62 US cents a share to just 16 cents. Mr Woodford is considered in the industry as one of the UK's best-performing fund managers. He rose to prominence during a 25-year career at Invesco Perpetual for taking a long-term view on investments. One of the best-known examples of his strategy was refusing to invest in the dotcom boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Last year he set up his own fund, Woodford Investment Management.", "summary": "Leaving the EU would not necessarily damage the UK economy, fund manager Neil Woodford has reiterated."}
{"article": "A judge made the ruling last month. A case had been taken by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission against the Department of Justice. The judge said there should be exemptions in the law for women who were the victims of sexual crime and in cases of fatal foetal abnormality. He said the current legal provisions in Northern Ireland breached the European Convention on Human Rights. Unlike other parts of the UK, the 1967 Abortion Act does not apply to Northern Ireland, where abortions are illegal except where the life or mental health of the mother is in danger. Anyone who unlawfully carries out an abortion could be jailed for life. The judge's ruling did not change the law but had placed an onus on the Northern Ireland Assembly to legislate on the issue. John Larkin QC, the attorney general, said at the time he was \"profoundly disappointed\" by the decision and was considering the grounds for appeal. Amnesty International, the human rights organisation, said it would resist any attempt to overturn the judge's ruling. Its Northern Ireland director, Patrick Corrigan, said: \"The assembly must bring Northern Ireland's abortion laws into the 21st Century and into line with international law as a matter of urgency.\"", "summary": "The attorney general has lodged an appeal to a High Court ruling that found Northern Ireland's abortion legislation to be \"incompatible\" with human rights law."}
{"article": "Marshall Leonard is being held by police after throwing a bomb into one of the department stores in Tupelo, Mississippi, early on Sunday. Mr Leonard is known in the city for the 4ft (1.2m) flag he flies over his car. Nobody was hurt or injured by the improvised device that produced only a loud bang but no damage. \"An employee was sitting in the vestibule taking a break. He told the employee to run - that he was going to blow the place up,\" said Police Chief Bart Aguirre. The suspect then threw the newspaper-wrapped package into the store - around 0130 local time (0630 GMT). Walmart, along with several other retailers, pulled the battle flag and other memorabilia from their shelves following the killing in June of nine black worshippers at a church in Charleston, South Carolina. The man charged with the killings was pictured holding the flag. Explosives experts said that the package contained enough explosive material to damage the store, but its poor assembly rendered it ineffective. He was arrested by police about a half-hour later when his silver Mazda adorned with stickers of battle flag and the Mississippi state flag - which itself features an inset Confederate battle flag - was seen running a red traffic light. \"He's a strong supporter of keeping that flag flying,\" the police chief said. \"This is his way of bring attention to that\". Mr Leonard, who lives alone and is unemployed, does not currently have a lawyer, but will be appointed one by a judge if it is deemed he cannot afford one. The Confederate battle flag became a potent symbol for the southern states fighting the Civil War as they sought to break away from the union. It is seen by some as an icon of slavery and racism while others say the banner symbolises their heritage and history.", "summary": "A man apparently angered by Walmart's decision to stop selling Confederate battle flags has been accused of bombing one of the retailer's stores."}
{"article": "Scientists have shown how the insects will use the Milky Way to orientate themselves as they roll their balls of muck along the ground. Humans, birds and seals are all known to navigate by the stars. But this could be the first example of an insect doing so. The study by Marie Dacke is reported in the journal Current Biology. \"The dung beetles are not necessarily rolling with the Milky Way or 90 degrees to it; they can go at any angle to this band of light in the sky. They use it as a reference,\" the Lund University, Sweden, researcher told BBC News. Dung beetles like to run in straight lines. When they find a pile of droppings, they shape a small ball and start pushing it away to a safe distance where they can eat it, usually underground. Getting a good bearing is important because unless the insect rolls a direct course, it risks turning back towards the dung pile where another beetle will almost certainly try to steal its prized ball. Dr Dacke had previously shown that dung beetles were able to keep a straight line by taking cues from the Sun, the Moon, and even the pattern of polarised light formed around these light sources. But it was the animals' capacity to maintain course even on clear Moonless nights that intrigued the researcher. So the native South African took the insects (Scarabaeus satyrus) into the Johannesburg planetarium where she could control the type of star fields a beetle might see overhead. Importantly, she put the beetles in a container with blackened walls to be sure the animals were not using information from landmarks on the horizon, which in the wild might be trees, for example. The beetles performed best when confronted with a perfect starry sky projected on to the planetarium dome, but coped just as well when shown only the diffuse bar of light that is the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy. Dr Dacke thinks it is the bar more than the points of light that is important. \"These beetles have compound eyes,\" she told the BBC. \"It's known that crabs, which also have compound eyes, can see a few of the brightest stars in the sky. Maybe the beetles can do this as well, but we don't know that yet; it's something we're looking at. However, when we show them just the bright stars in the sky, they get lost. So it's not them that the beetles are using to orientate themselves.\" And indeed, in the field, Dr Dacke has seen beetles run in to trouble when the Milky Way briefly lies flat on the horizon at particular times of the year. The question is how many other animals might use similar night-time navigation. It has been suggested some frogs and even spiders are using stars for orientation. The Lund researcher is sure there will be many more creatures out there doing it; scientists just need to go look. \"I think night-flying moths and night-flying locusts could benefit from using a star compass similar to", "summary": "They may be down in the dirt but it seems dung beetles also have their eyes on the stars."}
{"article": "It said the number of homes on the market was close to record lows, partly because of low rates of construction. Nevertheless, its latest figures show that annual house price inflation has fallen, from 5.6% in August to 5.3% in September. Between August and September, prices rose by just 0.3%, half the 0.6% rise in the previous month. The average price of a house or flat in the UK is now \u00c2\u00a3206,015, it said. Even though demand for homes has fallen, the number of new properties coming on to the market has also gone down. The Nationwide's chief economist, Robert Gardner, said housebuilders should have more confidence that people will want to buy any homes they build. And he said they have plenty of sites where they could begin construction. \"The major housebuilders appear to have capacity to expand output, with most reporting land banks that could support around five years' worth of construction at current rates of building activity.\" Government figures show that in the last year, 139,000 new houses were completed in England. This compares to the need for 225,000 new homes a year, said Mr Gardner. \"The number of new homes built in England has picked up, but is still not sufficient to keep up with the expected increase in the population,\" he said. The industry responded by saying that there had already been a huge increase in supply, and it was planning to deliver even more. \"House builders have massively increased output over the past few years and continue to recruit the people and buy the land necessary to deliver even more desperately needed homes,\" said Stewart Baseley. executive chairman of the Home Builders Federation (HBF). \"Reversing decades of under supply requires government to continue to implement pro development policies and lenders to ensure buyers can get a mortgage,\" he told the BBC. But Mr Gardner said that in particular, not enough homes are being built in London and its suburbs. Over the last year, the housing stock in the capital has risen by 2.9%, whereas a rise of 4.3% could have been expected, he added. Where can I afford to live?", "summary": "Housebuilders should get on and build more houses, the Nationwide Building Society has declared."}
{"article": "It was back in the early 1980s that Mr Gardner, then aged 27, and his toddler son were homeless for a year in San Francisco. Enrolled on a low-paid trainee scheme at a stock brokerage, he didn't have enough money to raise the deposit to rent an apartment. So Mr Gardner, who was estranged from his partner, and Chris Jr would instead sleep wherever they could. In addition to the toilet at a railway station, they'd bed down in parks, at a church shelter, or under his desk at work after everyone else had gone home. They ate in soup kitchens, and what little money he had was spent on putting his son in day nursery so he could go to work. Despite this adversity, Mr Gardner thrived in his job. A natural at selling stocks and shares, at the end of his training period his firm, Dean Witter Reynolds (DWR), made him a full employee. Finally able to rent a home for himself and his son, his career then rapidly ascended into the stratosphere, and in 1987 he opened his own investment firm, Gardner Rich. Today Mr Gardner, 62, is worth an estimated $60m (\u00c2\u00a348m), travels the world as a motivational speaker, and sponsors a number of homeless charities and organisations that combat violence against women. Add the fact that Mr Gardner had a very troubled childhood, and served time in prison immediately before the internship at DWR, and you can understand why Hollywood came calling when he was writing his best-selling autobiography The Pursuit of Happyness (the misspelling is deliberate). The movie of the same name was released in 2006, and Will Smith was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Mr Gardner. Looking back on his life, Mr Gardner tells the BBC that he \"wouldn't change anything\". \"I went through pain as a child so my children wouldn't have to,\" he says. \"I made a decision as a five-year-old boy that my kids will know who their father is. \"The rest of my destiny came forward because I made the right choices.\" Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mr Gardner never knew his real father. Instead he was brought up in poverty by his mother Bettye Jean and a physically abusive, alcoholic stepfather. There was also a period spent in a foster home after his mother, in a fit of despair, tried to kill her partner. Despite the woes of his childhood, Mr Gardner says his mum was an inspiration. \"I have one of those old-fashioned mothers who told me every single day, 'Son, you can do or be anything that you want to do or be.' \"And I believed it, I bought into it 100%.\" He adds that one day as a child he was watching a college basketball game on TV when he commented that one of the players would make a million dollars. \"My mum said, 'Son, one day it will be you who'll make a million dollars.' Until she said those words the thought had never entered my mind.\" The million dollars didn't arrive", "summary": "When Chris Gardner and his young son were sleeping rough on the floor of a public toilet, he could never have dreamt that his life story would be turned into a hit Hollywood movie."}
{"article": "The governing body said it had been \"deliberately misled\" by the club about a deal to sell player transfer fee rights to an outside investor. FC Twente says it will not appeal. Fifa has banned third-party player ownership as a threat to the game's integrity because investors can inflate transfer fees to make a profit. The Dutch FA says the punishment, including a 45,250 euros (\u00a334,000) fine, follows Twente's failure to reveal full details of a third-party ownership contract with Malta-based Doyen Sports Investments. The Enschede-based club won their only Dutch League title under Steve McClaren, now the Newcastle boss, in 2009-10 but are currently third from bottom in the Dutch Eredivisie. FC Twente said that the sanctions would \"hit hard at the heart of our club\". Twente's professional licence will be revoked if they fail to fully cooperate with an independent investigation into the club's structure, added the Dutch FA.", "summary": "FC Twente have been banned from European competition for three years by the Royal Netherlands Football Association."}
{"article": "Two years ago, that border comprised two parallel dirt tracks, one on the Bulgarian, one on the Turkish side. Now a razor-wire fence, 1.5m (5ft) thick, welcomes would-be migrants. Thirty kilometres is already completed, while 100km more remains under construction. \"The purpose of the fence,\" says Philip Gunev, deputy interior minister, \"is to divert flows of migrants towards border crossing points where our limited financial resources allow us to protect European borders in a more efficient way\". Such official checkpoints, he insists, are safer for asylum seekers than trudging long distances, often with small children, over the rough, hilly terrain the fence now cuts across. Fixed and mobile cameras, mounted on four-by-four vehicles, complete the picture along the whole length of the border. In the past eight years, since joining the European Union, Bulgaria has spent \u20ac300m (\u00a3215m) of mostly EU money, reinforcing this border. Another \u20ac100m is available to complete the job until 2020. Only \u20ac2m will be received for the better integration of refugees in the same period. Krassimir Kanev, director of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, a human rights advocacy groups, is unhappy with the checkpoints. \"The only way to get through is to pay smugglers,\" he says, arguing that only the richer migrants get a chance to try. \"And there's nothing safe about being cramped in the hidden compartment of a truck in the heat of summer.\" About one third of Bulgaria's migrants are caught on the border with Turkey, another third as they head north or west inside Bulgaria, and the rest on the Serbian or Romanian borders, as they try to continue their journey towards Hungary on their way to Germany. Bulgaria has one of the highest rates of granting refugee status in the EU. Refugee status means they also receive a Convention Travel Document (CTD) and under the 1951 Refugee Convention they can travel on to anywhere in the EU and stay for up to 90 days. In practice, few ever come back, travelling to Germany or elsewhere. At the Harmanli refugee camp in south-eastern Bulgaria, two police buses bring more asylum seekers. Children wave happily, adults look more concerned. Conditions here are much better than they were in 2013, when overcrowding, appalling sanitary conditions, and the alleged cruelty of guards gave Bulgaria a bad name. Some asylum seekers still express frustration at delays with their applications. A group of men hold up a snake they killed in the camp the day before. But most acknowledge a big improvement in conditions for the 1,600 refugees here. Bulgaria is facing growing pressure from Western governments to identify exactly who they do let in. Ninety percent arrive with no documents whatsoever because they were taken by the smugglers who brought them this far. In an upstairs room at Harmanli, officers from the Bulgarian intelligence services cross-examine the refugees, most of whom are Syrian Kurds. While Harmanli is an open camp, those deemed suspect are taken to a prison at Busmantsi, near Sofia, where they can be detained for up to a year, while more investigations are carried out.", "summary": "In the control room of the Bulgarian border police at Elhovo, set back from the country's 270km (165 mile) long border with Turkey, officers control banks of CCTV screens."}
{"article": "10 May 2012 Last updated at 18:49 BST", "summary": "Hayley visits a school where mobile phones have been banned."}
{"article": "Police said accelerant was poured through the letter box of a house at St Agnes Place and set alight at about 22:30 BST on Wednesday. The fire was put out before emergency services arrived. It damaged the front door and caused some smoke damage to the house. The children, and two women aged 23 and 61, were unharmed. Police said they are working to establish a motive for the attack and want to hear from witnesses. Detectives can be contacted at Musgrave Police Station by calling 101.", "summary": "Three children aged between four and six and two women have escaped injury in an arson attack in west Belfast."}
{"article": "The firm said Christmas order numbers for this year had fallen and the Lincs Turkeys processing plant was no longer economically viable. A consultation has begun with the workforce at the Grainthorpe factory. The Lincs Turkeys farming operation, which in 2013 featured a company farmer in a Christmas advert for supermarket chain Waitrose, is unaffected. A spokesperson for Bernard Matthews said: \"The consultation is expected to result in a reduction of approximately 80 employees out of a [total company] workforce of 2,130.\" The spokesperson said the decision \"was not taken lightly\", adding that \"processing requirements will be integrated into the Norfolk and Suffolk sites\". Craig Leyland, of East Lindsey District Council, said the authority was standing by with advice. \"It is very difficult. We have tried to intervene in the past in situations where we have had these decisions being made. Effectively they are commercial decisions and it's very hard to intervene in that case,\" he said. Bernard Matthews acquired Lincs Turkeys in 2010.", "summary": "Bernard Matthews is to close a processing plant in Lincolnshire with the loss of up to 80 jobs."}
{"article": "The facilities at The Green, in Thorne, will undergo renovation after funding was secured from the Town Centre Innovation Fund and Doncaster Council. Thomas Crapper, whose name is synonymous with public conveniences, was born in Thorne, in 1836. The work, due to start on Monday, is expected to take six weeks to complete. The leader of Thorne & Moorends Town Council Martin Williams said: \"So many toilets are closing down all over the place so we thought that it would be good to refurbish some so all of the shoppers have got some decent facilities. \"I can't get him [Thomas Crapper] to open them but we could make it a memorial to him and put up a blue plaque.\" Public toilets in South Parade will be opened while the work is completed. According to the Thomas Crapper & Co website, despite popular thought Mr Crapper did not invent the WC but was behind a number of important innovations in sanitation. Mr Crapper died in 1910 and is buried in Elmers End Cemetery, in Beckenham, Kent.", "summary": "A \u00c2\u00a330,000 project to refurbish the public toilets in the birthplace of legendary lavatory maker Thomas Crapper is set to begin."}
{"article": "England won the day-night Test - the first game in the three-match series - by an innings and 209 runs inside three days at Edgbaston. West Indies have not won a Test in England for 17 years. \"Every time they have arrived in England, they seem to have got worse,\" Vaughan told BBC Test Match Special. West Indies lost 19 wickets on Saturday to be bowled out for 168 and 137 in reply to England's 514-8 declared. Their squad is without established stars Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy after a disagreement with Cricket West Indies over selection. However, their decline from the all-conquering side of the 1980s can be traced back to the mid-1990s - they have not won a series away from home against a team other than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe since 1995. \"There are a lot of young players in the West Indies side and you need to give them time, but I find it difficult to think they can go on without any senior players,\" said Vaughan, who captained England in 51 of his 82 Tests. \"There is no one there to teach them. I really fear that this series could be one of the saddest for Test cricket.\" England, who were rated as the worst team in the world in 1999, drew a three-Test series in West Indies as recently as 2015. \"I don't think this era of cricket is any different to any other era,\" said England coach Trevor Bayliss. \"There have always been strong teams and one or two that are struggling. \"West Indies are going through a rough time but 20, 40, 60 years ago there were other teams that were going through rough periods.\" England captain Joe Root said West Indies' display should not detract from the performance of his side, who beat South Africa 3-1 in their previous Test series this summer. \"We talk about being ruthless,\" he said. \"We played some really good cricket and it's important we look to back that up.\" Jermaine Blackwood, who scored an unbeaten 79 off 76 in the first innings, was the only West Indies batsmen to pass 40 in a game in which England's Alastair Cook made 243 and Root 136. West Indies skipper Jason Holder said: \"We just weren't up for scratch. \"We lacked consistency when we bowled and we didn't put up any runs in either the first or the second innings. \"Each player has to look themselves in the mirror and see in what way they can improve. \"It's important for us to regroup. This series is not lost. It's important we don't drop our heads. Obviously I believe. I have to believe.\" The day-night Test, the first to be held in the UK, was arranged partly to help England prepare for the Ashes, where they will meet Australia in a floodlit Test in Adelaide. \"To have a taste of it before the Ashes is important,\" said Root. \"The visuals of the ball, getting used to batting at different points in the day, there will be different challenges that lie", "summary": "The remainder of England's series against West Indies will be \"sad to watch\", says former England captain Michael Vaughan."}
{"article": "Margaret Greenwood won in Wirral West after securing 18,898 votes - just 417 more than Ms McVey. Wirral West was one of the key marginal seats in the North West, with Ms McVey the Tories' sole Westminster representative from Merseyside. \"I was the only Conservative MP on Merseyside and it shows we have a lot more to do,\" she said. \"You have your highs and lows in politics, but I'm going to pick myself up, dust myself down, and I'm going back out there to become an MP because I believe in the Conservative party and all it stands for - you ain't seen the last of me yet.\" Former NHS campaigner Ms Greenwood said: \"It's just a fantastic result. We've worked phenomenally hard.\" She added: \"We are all thrilled. It's been about talking to people on their doorsteps. We've had about 13,000 conversations with people during this campaign.\" Nigel Evans, Conservative MP for Ribble Valley, called for the Prime Minister to appoint Ms McVey into the House of Lords. He said: \"She is top quality and we can't afford to lose that sort of talent, I think she would make a great contribution from the other place.\" Ms McVey was born in Liverpool and rose to become a cabinet minister after a career as a TV presenter. Elsewhere, Labour held Bootle, with Sefton council leader Peter Down becoming MP and winning a massive majority with 33,619 of the votes. UKIP deputy leader Paul Nuttall came in second, but was way behind with 4,915 votes. Across Merseyside, Labour hung on to seats in Birkenhead, Garston & Halewood, Knowsley, Liverpool Riverside, Liverpool Walton, Liverpool Wavertree, Liverpool West Derby, St Helens North, St Helens South & Whiston, Sefton Central, Wallasey and Wirral South. While the Tories were wiped out on Merseyside, the Liberal Democrats retained the sole seat of Southport. To find out your election result, go to BBC Election 2015.", "summary": "The Conservative employment minister Esther McVey has narrowly lost her Merseyside seat to Labour."}
{"article": "The Ministry of the Defence (MoD) has had a tracking station on the isle since 1957. It is linked to a missile range controlled from a military site on Benbecula in the Western Isles. The National Trust for Scotland, which manages St Kilda along with the MoD, said the planned new buildings were \"sympathetic and sustainable\". St Kilda lies about 40 miles (64km) west of North Uist, the nearest inhabited place to the archipelago. The last islanders left St Kilda in 1930 and people only now live on Hirta on a temporary basis to work at the military site, or on wildlife conservation projects. The MoD, working with its defence contractors QinetiQ and Skye-based architects Wittets, has submitted a planning application to Western Isles local authority, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, for a redevelopment and environmental upgrading of its 50-year-old St Kilda facilities. Galliford Try International and Hugh Broughton Architects have been appointed to develop the design of the new buildings. NTS said the firms would be using expertise gained through building similar facilities in environments with challenging climates, including work for the British Antarctic Survey. Lower parts of the new buildings would be \"curtained\" with stone walls designed to blend into the St Kildan landscape. Wood panelling over the exterior walls will attain colours through weathering that will complement the surrounding scenery and roofs will be planted with native St Kildan grasses, said NTS. Susan Bain, the trust's property manager for St Kilda, said: \"We have been very impressed by the extent to which the MoD and its partners have gone to make sure they come up with proposals that will enhance the existing site and are both sympathetic and sustainable in the vitally important context of St Kilda. \"Most traces of the buildings from the 1960s will be removed and their replacements will be entirely appropriate to the setting in terms of design profile and best environmental practice. \"Every detail has been considered, down to ensuring that there is no chance of contaminant flora or fauna from the mainland being brought to St Kilda during the construction phase.\" She added: \"The military has a long association with St Kilda going back to the First World War and we are very pleased to have worked in partnership with the MoD since 1957. \"This has been entirely beneficial to our conservation activities on St Kilda and we look forward to this relationship continuing well into the future.\"", "summary": "New military facilities are to be built on the island of Hirta in the remote St Kilda archipelago."}
{"article": "The front pages of print and online media are dominated by the result of the vote, in which the \"yes\" camp comfortably won the two-thirds majority required to send the proceedings to the next stage. The majority of Brazil's established mass-circulation newspapers are traditionally conservative, and view the vote as a massive defeat for the embattled president. The front page of the printed edition of the right-leaning paper O Globo carries a photo of MPs celebrating the outcome accompanied by the headline \"Close to the End\". The website of another right-of-centre paper, Folha de Sao Paulo, features one of the first images to emerge after the announcement of the result - a photo of a smiling Vice-President Michel Temer. His party was until recently in a coalition with Ms Rousseff's Workers' Party but recently left the coalition in order to support the impeachment. He is also the person who will take over as interim president if Ms Rousseff is impeached. But a popular blog written by Ricardo Noblat for O Globo warns that Mr Temer has \"no room for error\". Mr Noblat points out that Ms Rousseff and Mr Temer differ in everything from temperament to priorities. He argues that if Mr Temer ends up stepping in for Ms Rousseff he will be thrown in at the deep end with very little time to put his mark on the presidency. Some left-wing media outlets stress that the impeachment process is not yet over. The online magazine Revista Forum carries a piece headlined \"Dilma's impeachment still needs to go through the Senate\", which points out that Ms Rousseff's defeat in the lower house is not quite the final nail in her political coffin. Another online centre-left magazine, Carta Capital, features an interview with senior Workers' Party official and MP Paulo Pimenta. In the interview, Mr Pimenta labels those who voted for impeachment as \"racists, homophobes, the gun squad and landowners\". Even some centre-right media outlets, such as Estado de Sao Paulo, note wryly that many MPs who voted in favour of impeachment are themselves being investigated for corruption. Several MPs come under criticism for the speeches they made when casting their votes. Revista Forum features an article on MP Jair Bolsonaro, who dedicated his vote to \"the memory of Colonel Carlos Alberto Brilhante Ustra\" - who was found guilty of torture and kidnapping during the 1964-1985 military dictatorship. Many papers also highlight the reactions of anti- and pro-impeachment protestors who took to the streets on Sunday. Centre-right daily Correio Braziliense features a photo of Ms Rousseff's supporters crying, juxtaposing it with a photo of pro-impeachment protestors celebrating. Twitter has been inundated with opinion since the start of the proceedings on Friday, and several hashtags have emerged which represent both sides of the spectrum. Those in support of impeachment are posting tweets under the hashtage #TchauQuerida (#ByeDarling), in an ironic reference to a tapped phone conversation between President Rousseff and former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. On the other side, #RespeiteAsUrnas (#RespectTheBallots) refers to the 54 million people who elected President Rousseff and", "summary": "The response of Brazilian media to the vote for impeachment proceedings to go ahead against President Dilma Rousseff illustrates the political divide in the country, with many outlets adopting a stance along left-right lines."}
{"article": "Reports of the white substance on beaches started appearing last October after one dog died from eating it on a Cornwall beach. Since then the substance has been seen as far away as south Devon. Bad weather has washed in large boulder-like clumps of palm oil at Perranporth. Dog owners are being warned to keep their pets away from the white waxy substance, which smells like diesel. Chris Gardner, of St Clements Vets in Truro, said: \"We have been lucky we haven't lost any dogs through them eating palm oil. \"We were seeing dogs on a daily basis two weeks ago. Then it went quiet in the storms, probably because there weren't so many people on the beaches. \"But we had a dog brought in yesterday from Porthtowan. It is still an ongoing issue.\" Reports of the substance had come from Porthtowan and Gwithian. \"I have seen 2ft-diameter lumps,\" said Mr Gardner. \"It has a strong diesel smell, so if you smell it on your dog get advice immediately.\" Vets treat poisoned dogs by making them vomit and giving them liquid charcoal to absorb the substance. The substance was analysed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Palm oil has a wide variety of uses and is found in food, soaps and shampoos, and biofuels. The source has yet to be identified.", "summary": "Cornwall vets say they have been seeing a dog every day that has been poisoned by palm oil washed up on beaches."}
{"article": "Crews from Kent Fire and Rescue Service worked through the night to tackle the blaze at Estuary View Business Park. Stephanie Harris, who was in the area, said there was a \"sudden\" and \"huge explosion\" at about 22:00 BST on Friday. An engineer who was repairing the gas main at the time is in hospital after suffering burns in the explosion. Another man was treated at the scene of the blaze, which has now been extinguished. Southern Gas Networks said the exact cause of the explosion has not yet been established. It said 600 homes in the Old Thanet Way area were without gas and it was working to restore the supply. A spokesman said: \"It is too early to know what caused the fire last night but an investigation is under way. \"We would like to reassure the local community that we are continuing to closely monitor the situation to ensure their safety.\" Kent Fire and Rescue said the gas main was isolated shortly before 03:00 on Saturday. A spokesman said: \"It is not known what caused the explosion at this stage.\"", "summary": "A gas mains exploded into flames causing homes to \"shake\" in Whitstable, Kent."}
{"article": "The 1448 clash was the first decisive victory for a Scottish force over the English since the Battle of Otterburn, 60 years earlier. It was the final pitched battle between the two countries in the period of the Hundred Years War. The inventory aims to raise awareness of \"important battlefield sites\". Historic Environment Scotland's Philip Robertson said: \"Following an application from a member of the public, we carried out further research into the Battle of Sark, and found that it met the criteria to be added to the inventory. \"The battle was fought during a fascinating and tumultuous period of Scottish history, and we hope that by adding it to the inventory we will raise awareness of the battlefield site, stimulate further research around it, and develop its potential as an educational resource and site for visitors.\" Renewed border skirmishing saw Henry Percy, future 3rd earl of Northumberland, defeated by Hugh Douglas, earl of Ormond, on 23 October 1448. The encounter took place on the river Sark, near Gretna. Percy was taken prisoner and had to be ransomed. The following year the English burned Dumfries and Dunbar, and the Scots Alnwick and Warkworth. Source: The Oxford Companion to British History The Inventory of Historic Battlefields was created in 2011 and helps with the protection and management of battlefields. The full list of other battlefields, added in three phases, are: Alford (1645), Ancrum Moor (1545), Auldearn (1645), Bannockburn (1314), Bothwell Bridge (1679), Culloden (1746), Dunbar II (1650), Dupplin Moor (1332), Falkirk II (1746), Glenshiel (1719), Harlaw (1411), Killiecrankie (1689), Kilsyth (1645), Philiphaugh (1645), Pinkie (1547), Prestonpans (1745) and Sheriffmuir (1715). Barra (1308), Carbisdale (1650), Cromdale (1690), Drumclog (1679), Fyvie (1645), Inverkeithing II (1651), Inverlochy II (1645), Linlithgow Bridge (1526), Mulroy (1688), Rullion Green (1666) and Stirling Bridge (1297). Blar-na-Leine (1544), Dunbar I (1296), Dunkeld (1689), Glenlivet (1594), Inverlochy I (1431), Langside (1568), Loudoun Hill (1307), Roslin (1303), Sauchieburn (1488), Skirmish Hill (1526) and Tippermuir (1644).", "summary": "The site of the Battle of Sark near Gretna has been added to Scotland's Inventory of Historic Battlefields taking the total to 40."}
{"article": "Gary Carter, a freelance rugby reporter who works for The Sun, was found with head injuries outside Bethnal Green station at 01:00 GMT on 6 November. The Met Police said they had been called to an altercation between two men. Mr Carter, 36, is in a critical condition in hospital. James Flanagan 35, of Marsden Street, has been charged with grievous bodily harm. Mr Carter's wife, Gemma Carter, tweeted \"Pray for my husband #rflfamily\" referencing his role within the rugby league community. She also thanked well-wishers for their \"amazing support during this very difficult time\" and added \"[I'm] praying @GaryCarter_1979 will pull through\". A 22-year-old man was also arrested in connection with the incident for affray towards attending paramedics. He has been bailed.", "summary": "A sports journalist is in a critical condition after an attack in London."}
{"article": "6 June 2016 Last updated at 12:49 BST The loophole could mean thieves who exploit the bugs gain time to break into and steal a vehicle. The vulnerability can also be used to fiddle with some of the car's settings and drain its battery. The wi-fi weaknesses have been demonstrated to Mitsubishi, which is now working on a way to fix them. Read the full story", "summary": "The alarm on Mitsubishi's Outlander hybrid car can be turned off via security bugs in its on-board wi-fi, researchers have found."}
{"article": "Wreaths were also laid above the wreck of HMS Royal Oak to mark the 75th anniversary of its sinking. The warship was torpedoed by a German U-boat while it was at anchor in Scapa Flow in Orkney. Most of the 1,234 crew were asleep below deck, and 834 - including many boy sailors - died. The wreaths formed part of the first significant Royal Oak anniversary not to be attended by any of the remaining survivors. There are believed to be just three men who survived the sinking still alive today. However, families of the the crew, and the community in Orkney, have vowed to carry on the act of remembrance for generations to come. The Royal Oak, which also served in World War One, including the Battle of Jutland, is an official maritime war grave. The memorial service was conducted by the Reverend David Dawson and the Last Post was played by bugler Chris Bray of Her Majesty's Royal Marines Band Scotland. Relatives of the survivors and those who lost their lives were taken to the site of the wreck by HMS Bangor. Rear Admiral John Clink said: \"It is entirely my honour to have been able to pay tribute to the 834 men who lost their lives in Scapa Flow 75 years ago. \"And we remember, too, those who survived that tragedy, living with difficult memories of their lost friends from that terrible night throughout their lives. \"The Royal Navy will never forget.\" Orkney councillor, Dr Stephen Clackson, whose grandfather Seaman Ronald Clackson lost his life at the age of 20, was at the service, which was attended by a number of Royal Navy dignitaries. \"It's important to keep the memory alive,\" Dr Clackson said. \"My son is only three years younger than my grandfather was when he was killed.\" \"Being aboard HMS Bangor was fascinating and it gave us a picture of what it would have been like for my grandfather, seeing how enclosed it was and the thought of being trapped down there when the torpedo hit.\" The White Ensign was exchanged from the wreck for a new one by the Royal Navy's Northern Diving Group from HM Naval Base Clyde last week. It was later presented to Henry Blythe, whose uncle died on the Royal Oak.", "summary": "More than 100 people attended a ceremony to remember the crew of a battleship which sank in 1939."}
{"article": "The three sides will play two matches apiece in the series, which will help New Zealand and Bangladesh prepare for the ICC Champions Trophy in England. \"Gone are the days, we hope, of being starved of the matches we deserve,\" said Cricket Ireland's Warren Deutrom. Dates and venues for the series - in May 2017 - are yet to be confirmed. \"Rather than getting nine or 10 ODIs in the four years between World Cups, we aim to play at least that number annually,\" added chief executive Deutrom. \"For years now, we have been asking for more matches to test our players, to raise the profile of our sport, to bring in new fans, and to attract more investment.\" Ireland have a busy schedule of home fixtures arranged for this summer, with two games against Sri Lanka in June, a five-match series against Afghanistan in Belfast in July plus two encounters with Pakistan in August. The Irish will also take on South Africa and Australia in South Africa in late September. Earlier this week, the ICC announced it had given both Ireland and Afghanistan more than \u00a3340,000 to help the two countries arrange more matches as they attempt to improve their world ranking and secure places at the 2019 World Cup. Next year's New Zealand games will see Ireland coach John Bracewell face his native country. \"We are now getting the volume of cricket that the team needs to take their cricket to the next level,\" he said. \"With home advantage in at least 13 ODIs we'll certainly have plenty of opportunities to test ourselves against quality opposition.\" Ireland defeated Bangladesh at the 2007 World Cup but then lost against them four years later in India. The Irish lost their first one-day international against New Zealand at the 2007 World Cup in Guyana and were beaten again in their only other meeting in Aberdeen a year later.", "summary": "Ireland will host New Zealand and Bangladesh in a one-day tri-series next year as they continue their efforts to play more games against full members."}
{"article": "Saracens full-back Goode, who has a minor ankle injury, is England's only concern following the 40-9 win over Italy on Sunday. After winning their first two games, England now have a weekend off before facing Ireland on 27 February. Bath back Devoto, 22, is uncapped, but was an unused replacement in the opening win against Scotland. He was dropped from the 23-man match squad against Italy when head coach Eddie Jones opted for a six-two split between forwards and backs among the replacements, with Maro Itoje coming on to the bench and subsequently winning his first cap. England training squad: Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Ollie Devoto (Bath), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath), Alex Goode (Saracens), Jonathan Joseph (Bath), Jack Nowell (Exeter), Anthony Watson (Bath), Ben Youngs (Leicester). Forwards: Dan Cole (Leicester), Jack Clifford (Harlequins), Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton), James Haskell (Wasps), Paul Hill (Northampton), Maro Itoje (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens).", "summary": "Ollie Devoto will train with England as injury cover for Alex Goode before the Six Nations match against Ireland."}
{"article": "The singer, due to perform at the Brit Awards on Wednesday night, follows in the footsteps of fellow US star Katy Perry who won last year. Swift was presented with her award at the event by another winner, Sam Smith, who was named musician of the year. Cara Delevingne won the breakthrough actress award. She'll appear in DC Comics film Suicide Squad next year. Guests at the event at the Sky Garden at London's 20 Fenchurch Street, commonly known as the Walkie Talkie Tower because of its distinctive shape, included Pixie Geldof and Naomi Campbell. MARC by Marc Jacobs designers Katie Hillier and Luella Bartley were awarded the contemporary brand award and were pictured backstage with MIA. Pop stars Nick Jonas and model David Gandy were there as well. Burberry boss Christopher Bailey won the editor's choice award while Luke Evans, one of the stars of The Hobbit, was named actor of the year. He was handed his award by Ellie Goulding. Meanwhile, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was named model of the year. She said: \"I would say since, very early on in my modelling career everyone always told me, 'By the time you're 27 it's going to be over, so make sure you plan something else'. \"And I'm 27 now and I think for me it was always really important that I'd built something for myself afterwards, and I hope that's what I'm doing and we'll see.\" Jourdan Dunn, Daisy Lowe and Naomi Campbell all put in appearances. The Elle Style Awards were hosted by Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Nick Grimshaw. Also putting in appearances were Mollie King from the Saturdays and a pregnant Abbey Clancy. Model and actress Lily Cole, who set up her own social network which invites people to give their services and skills away to help others, won the H&M conscious award. She received her gong from Olivia Wilde. Honourable Woman star Maggie Gyllenhaal won the TV actress award. She was presented with her gong by Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie, who plays Brienne of Tarth in the show. And Ashley Williams was handed her emerging designer prize by Pixie Geldof. X Factor producer Simon Cowell was recognised for his outstanding contribution to entertainment and was there with partner Lauren Silverman. Cowell said: \"It's a fantastic time to be British. It really is. It's like a badge of honour at the moment.\" Alexa Chung and F1 champion Lewis Hamilton also posed for the cameras. The film actress gong went to Diane Kruger while the red carpet designer award went to Mary Katrantzou. Calvin Harris was there too. The event, now in its 18th year, also saw Australian actress Rebel Wilson named rising star with Jennifer Saunders photographed with her on the red carpet. Before winning her award she said: \"I have left room in my luggage for a trophy so if I win a trophy it will be fine because I have room to take it on the plane.\" Lindsay Lohan was there as well. Designer of the year went to Erdem Moralioglu, who was photographed with", "summary": "Taylor Swift has been named woman of the year at this year's Elle Style Awards."}
{"article": "Kakuta, 23, moved to Stamford Bridge from Lens in 2007 and was on loan at Rayo Vallecano last season, where he played 35 games. The Frenchman played 16 times for the Blues, but spent time on loan at six different clubs. In September 2009, Chelsea were barred from signing new players after being found guilty of inducing Kakuta to break his contract with Lens. The ban was lifted by a court in February 2010 after the two clubs reached an agreement on his signing. It is thought Sevilla have had to pay a fee for Kakuta because he is under 24. In October 2014, failed footballer Medi Abalimba was sentenced to four years in prison after masquerading as Kakuta. Manchester Crown Court heard Abalimba went on a \u00a320,000 shopping spree at Selfridges, stayed at top hotels and even hired a helicopter. Click here to read the full story", "summary": "Chelsea's out-of-contract winger Gael Kakuta has joined La Liga side Sevilla."}
{"article": "The number eight made his comeback from a knee injury last weekend, and is included in a 24-man training party to prepare for the Calcutta Cup match. Vunipola has been lined up to replace Nathan Hughes in the starting XV. Scrum half Ben Youngs, wing Jack Nowell and centre Jonathan Joseph are also poised for returns to the backline. Vunipola made his comeback ahead of schedule for his club Saracens on Sunday, after three months out with ligament damage. And England head coach Eddie Jones appears set to bring him back at the first time of asking, after England's training plans on Tuesday showed Vunipola would start in the back row. Bath centre Joseph, who was left out of the squad that beat Italy, is set to replace Ben Te'o at outside centre, while it's likely Youngs will be preferred to Danny Care, with Nowell edging out Jonny May. England will confirm their starting XV and replacements on Thursday morning. Jones' side lead the Six Nations table with three wins from their three matches. Forwards (13) Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers) Jamie George (Saracens) Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints) James Haskell (Wasps) Nathan Hughes (Wasps) Maro Itoje (Saracens) Joe Launchbury (Wasps) Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints) Joe Marler (Harlequins) Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins) Billy Vunipola (Saracens) Mako Vunipola (Saracens) Tom Wood (Northampton Saints) Backs (11) Mike Brown (Harlequins) Danny Care (Harlequins) Elliot Daly (Wasps) Owen Farrell (Saracens) George Ford (Bath Rugby) Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby) Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby) Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs) Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors) Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby) Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)", "summary": "Billy Vunipola will feature against Scotland in the Six Nations on Saturday, after being confirmed in England's matchday squad."}
{"article": "South Africa needed only 14.4 overs to reach their target of 172, with AB de Villiers making 71 in just 29 balls. It gave them a 2-0 T20 series win to go with their 3-2 one-day series victory. \"The first half of the trip was very exciting,\" Bayliss said. \"But we got worse as the series went on, and South Africa got better.\" England won the four-match Test series 2-1 and took a 2-0 lead in the one-day international contest, before losing the final five fixtures on the tour (three ODIs and two T20s). Their batting collapsed dramatically at the Wanderers, with seven wickets falling for 14 runs and the bowlers were then subjected to an onslaught from De Villiers and Hashim Amla, who took their team to 121-0 after just eight overs. The South Africans struck 16 fours and nine sixes, with Amla unbeaten on 69 from 38 balls. Such an emphatic defeat was ominous for England, who begin their ICC World Twenty20 campaign against West Indies in Mumbai on 16 March and face South Africa two days later. \"It's a bit of a reminder for people at home not to get too far ahead of themselves,\" Bayliss admitted. \"We have played some good cricket, but this is a young group of players and performances like this will happen from time to time.\" The tourists changed their team for Sunday's match at the Wanderers, bringing in batsman Sam Billings for bowling all-rounder David Willey. \"In India we'll definitely be playing two spinners, so we just wanted to try having that extra batter, which we've done before, and just the five bowlers,\" Bayliss added. Asked about the effects of a long tour he added: \"I'm sure fatigue had a very small part to do with it, probably more mental than anything else. We've been away for five months apart from a week in between, when you count the UAE. \"But that's something these young players have got to get used to and if that's part of the learning curve for these young guys, there's something to learn from.\" England skipper Eoin Morgan, who was run out at the non striker's end for 38, lamented: \"Quite simply, we underperformed. \"The majority of our batting went really well - we were on course to get 185, 190, possibly 200. \"Myself and Jos Buttler were going really well, then we lost two wickets in two balls, and then from there we lost six wickets in the space of no time. I don't think we were too far behind the game, but the way we started with the ball allowed South Africa to get on top. \"The inconsistency is because we are inexperienced, and that is going to come. With that comes a great brand of cricket that is really exciting and can beat any side in the world.\"", "summary": "England coach Trevor Bayliss admitted South Africa's nine-wicket Twenty20 thrashing of his team in Johannesburg was \"men against boys\"."}
{"article": "The situation inside the city is very stressful. Everyone knows more destruction is coming. There is not much movement on the streets and people are not leaving their homes, unless absolutely necessary or if there is an emergency. Some try to store food in case the city falls under siege. We are very scared, and we are worried that the final stages are going to take long. IS will not give up and withdraw that easily and the whole operation might take as long as it did in east Mosul. The hospitals are not fully functioning, and IS is using them to treat its own fighters only. Civilians go to private clinics if they need to get treatment. This is of course very expensive. IS is forcing some of the doctors to stay at the hospitals to treat their fighters. There are a number of civilians who are trying to leave towards Syria, but this only happens covertly. I have become used to the situation here. Though I am very worried about my family's safety. I won't lie, I am scared too and I don't know if I am going to die in an air strike or killed by an IS fighter. I work for an anti-IS group called Sound and Picture and I am always worried that something could happen to my family because of me, or that they will see me in an IS video if get captured. IS is reinforcing its presence in the outskirts of the western part of the city. It is converting some of the houses into secret offices and operation rooms. They have also banned their fighters from taking breaks or going on leave. We hear the sound of bombs and clashes all over the city. Planes have been flying over the city constantly over the past two weeks. The city is a ghost town now. You very rarely find people on the streets. Busiest times are during prayer times, as IS still forces people to go to the mosques. In some mosques, names are being taken of those attending to later punish those who didn't attend the prayers. We are all concerned it is going to take a long time till the city is liberated. After all, it took a long time for the east to be liberated. Many people have died or were injured. We are also worried about food supplies and medicine stocks. If the situation continues as it is, we will run low on goods very soon. The medical situation is very worrying. Essential medicine, like insulin, are not there as IS took most of the stock. My father has diabetes and I can't provide him with insulin or other medication. His health is getting worse. My mother has high blood pressure and I can't buy her the necessary medicine; it is either not available or too expensive. I don't know what to do or how to help them. People, including my neighbours, are trying to leave, but very few can afford to do so. Some people had to pay $800", "summary": "Civilians in western Mosul describe what it is like there at the moment, as Iraqi forces try to drive out so-called Islamic State (IS)."}
{"article": "O'Grady dedicated the final hour of his Sunday show to the entertainer, who died last week following a stroke at her Spanish villa. He told his listeners: \"We lost the queen of showbiz herself and I lost a very good friend.\" The presenter appeared to be overcome with emotion after playing the star's 1966 hit Alfie. \"That always does me in that one - completely finishes me off,\" he said. O'Grady joked about Black's wish to be remembered as a singer rather than a presenter, saying: \"She said to me 'I want singer on my headstone', and I said, 'Why do you want to be known for being a sewing machine?'\" The presenter played a host of songs by Black, including You're My World and a duet with her friend Cliff Richard. Since her death on 2 August, Black has made a posthumous comeback to the UK music charts with her 1983 compilation album The Very Best Of... reaching number 14 in the album chart. O'Grady added: \"Cilla is back in the chart and she would be absolutely thrilled - she would be modest about it, but she would be thrilled.\" Black's body was flown back to the UK, her publicist confirmed on Friday but no funeral details have yet been released.", "summary": "BBC Radio 2 presenter Paul O'Grady has choked up as he paid tribute to his \"good friend\" Cilla Black."}
{"article": "Lawyers have applied for a judicial review of the decision to close Conisbrough, Cedar and Thorne social education centres. The centres provide day care and activities for people with severe learning difficulties. Doncaster Council wants to shut them as part of a \"modernisation\" process to save the local authority money. Martin Chadwick, whose daughter has used Cedar care home for 20 years, said he was considering joining the legal action. He said: \"It's crucial that Sarah goes to the centre, she needs it and we need her to go there for her health and wellbeing.\" A hearing over the application for a judicial review is expected to take place in September. Pat Higgs, assistant director of adult social care at Doncaster Council, said: \"The decision in respect of the modernisation of day services was taken due to a number of factors, including the age, location and condition of the current buildings. \"", "summary": "Legal action could be taken over a decision to close three day-care centres in Doncaster."}
{"article": "The proposed walking and cycling path between Carmarthen and Llandeilo is expected to cost between \u00a35m and \u00a38m. On Thursday, Carmarthenshire's planning committee approved the western phase between White Mill and Nantgaredig. It is estimated the path could attract over 15,000 visitors a year, generating up to \u00a32m in the local economy. Work on the first section, between Fronun and Bwlch Bach, started in December 2016. The council said negotiations with landowners were ongoing with the scheme being developed in phases.", "summary": "The second section of the 16-mile (25.7km) Tywi Valley Path in Carmarthenshire has been given the go-ahead."}
{"article": "Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira, 53, was arrested in 2003 after police at Jakarta airport found 13.4 kg of cocaine hidden in his hang glider. Brazil says he was the first Brazilian national to be executed abroad and has warned it will damage relations. Five other convicts from Indonesia, Malawi, Nigeria, Vietnam and the Netherlands, were executed on Sunday. Convicted of drugs charges, they faced a firing squad in Central Java province shortly after midnight local time. Five were executed on the island of Nusa Kambangan and the other one, a Vietnamese woman, was executed in the small central Javanese town of Boyolali. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said in a statement that she was \"outraged and dismayed\". \"Relations between the two countries have been affected,\" said Ms Rousseff. \"The Brazilian ambassador to Jakarta has been recalled for consultations,\" she added. The Netherlands has also recalled its ambassador, after Foreign Minister Bert Koenders called the execution of Dutch citizen Ang Kiem Soe, 52, \"an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity\". Indonesia has some of the world's toughest drug laws. The country resumed executions in 2013 after an unofficial four-year moratorium. The country's Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo said \"hopefully, this will have a deterrent effect\". President Joko Widodo has said that he will show no mercy towards drug criminals because they have ruined the lives of so many. Ms Rousseff had made a plea for clemency on Friday, but it was rejected by Mr Widodo. She told her Indonesian counterpart that she respected the sovereignty and judicial system of his country but as a mother and head of state she was making the appeal for humanitarian reasons. Brazil says Mr Widodo said he understood the Brazilian president's concern but said he could not commute the sentence as the full legal process had been followed. Human rights group Amnesty International urged the Indonesian government to halt executions immediately, and eventually abolish the death penalty. Moreira said in a video recorded by a friend that he regretted trying to smuggle cocaine into Indonesia. \"I am aware that I committed a serious offence, but I believe I deserve another chance. Everyone makes mistakes.\" A second Brazilian national, Rodrigo Muxfeldt Gularte, remains on death row in Indonesia, also convicted with drug trafficking offences. Brazil abolished the death penalty in times of peace when it became a republic in 1889.", "summary": "Brazil says it is \"outraged\" by the execution of one of its citizens in Indonesia for drug trafficking."}
{"article": "If all over-30s followed recommended guidelines on exercise, nearly 3,000 lives could be saved each year in Australia alone, say researchers. More needs to be done to warn women of inactivity, as it outweighs other risk factors such as obesity, they say. Lack of exercise is a known major risk factor for heart disease, says the British Heart Foundation. A team at the University of Queensland, Australia tracked the health of more than 30,000 women born in the 1920s, 1940s and 1970s. They found smoking had the greatest impact on women's heart disease risk below the age of 30. However, as women got older and more gave up smoking, it was overtaken by physical inactivity as the dominant influence on heart disease risk. Continuing efforts to encourage people to stop smoking were warranted, the researchers reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. But they said greater effort were needed to promote exercise, which they describe as a \"Cinderella\" risk factor compared with obesity. \"We need a lot more effort to keep middle-aged women active and then keep them active into old age,\" Prof Wendy Brown, of the university's centre for research on exercise, physical activity and health, told BBC News. \"If you can do at least 30 minutes and preferably 45 minutes a day, you'll see huge improvements in your health and reduce your risk of heart disease by half.\" According to NHS Choices, adults aged 19-64 years are recommended to do 150 minutes of weekly physical activity, or 30 minutes on five days a week. Commenting on the study, Thembi Nkala, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said physical inactivity was a known major risk factor for heart disease. \"Interestingly, this study shows its dominant influence on heart disease amongst women, and suggests a greater need to promote regular physical activity amongst this group,\" she said. \"It's important to remember that heart disease is linked to other factors such as smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. \"It's essential to manage these too, as the more risk factors you have, the greater your chance of heart disease. \"", "summary": "Lack of exercise is the biggest risk factor for heart disease in women aged 30 and above, according to a study."}
{"article": "The Telegraph reported that players would be given permission to compete in the lucrative Twenty20 competition. But Strauss, 38, said: \"I can't foresee any circumstances in which we would weaken our Test team in order to allow a player to play in the IPL or any other franchise-based competition.\" The IPL takes place in April and May. England play Sri Lanka in two Tests in May 2016, their first action of the domestic summer. Strauss told BBC Test Match Special on Wednesday that \"more separation\" of the Test and one-day teams will improve their chances of winning the World Cup. Asked about the IPL and the Big Bash, Australia's Twenty20 tournament, he said: \"I'm a massive fan. \"If you are an overseas player, what those Twenty20 competitions do is put you under real pressure. You have to stand up and deliver.\" England players, including current ODI captain Eoin Morgan, have competed in the IPL, although they have never missed Tests to do so. Strauss has returned to the UK from the United Arab Emirates, where England lost the first game in the four-match one-day series against Pakistan. One man quick to air his views on the subject was former England batsman Kevin Pietersen, who found himself at odds with the England and Wales Cricket Board over his desire to play in the IPL and commented on Twitter about the developments. \"With this decision now, the whole situation is proving to be personal!\" he wrote. \"[Eoin] Morgan missed an international this year as captain! Missing any Eng cricket for IPL is what I'm on about! Such hypocrisy!\" Pietersen was told by Strauss in May that he would not be part of the team's plans for the summer because there was a \"massive trust issue\". The South African-born batsman was instead offered an advisory role with the England one-day team, but rejected the opportunity. He referred to that offer on Friday when he added: \"Why should I advise when I'm still good enough to walk into any England side if there wasn't personal grudges?!\"", "summary": "England players will not be allowed to miss Test matches to play in the Indian Premier League, says director of cricket Andrew Strauss."}
{"article": "Helen Rossenberg worked for Bourne End Academy in Buckinghamshire from September to December 2015. A conduct panel heard the 59-year-old pushed one student, grabbed another by the hair and trod on a third's foot. The panel also found an allegation she referred to a student with special needs as \"thick\" proven. Ms Rossenberg did not attend the National College for Teaching and Leadership hearing. LIVE: For more on this and other Buckinghamshire stories It is understood Ms Rossenberg accepted she made a comment that had some absent students been present in class \"all they would do is sit there scratching their balls\". In banning Ms Rossenberg from teaching, the panel found \"there had been a rapid escalation in the seriousness of the incidents that pupils were exposed to by Ms Rossenberg's behaviour, both oral and physical\".", "summary": "A teacher who claimed all some pupils would do in a class is \"sit there scratching their balls\" has been banned from the profession."}
{"article": "The High Court in Edinburgh heard Craig Wilson, 30, Alan Piper, 26, and Malcolm Amos, 40, were caught during police surveillance on 25 November 2015. Amos had drugs worth \u00a325,000, which he collected from Piper in a car on Lauder Road, Edinburgh. As part of the same surveillance operation, police caught Wilson coming out a house in Glen Street, Paisley, with packages worth \u00a3175,000. Advocate depute Derek Ogg QC said all the packages were forensically tested and found to be about 70% pure cocaine, except for one package which was of poor quality. The prosecutor said Wilson, from Cardonald, Piper, from Paisley, and Amos, from Edinburgh, had no previous convictions, and had \"very limited experience of any involvement beyond being couriers\". Judge Lord McEwan deferred sentence until next month.", "summary": "Three men have admitted transporting cocaine worth about \u00a3200,000."}
{"article": "The 13-year-old was cycling on the green trail near the Ranger Station at about 17:00 on Monday when he was approached by a man. The suspect was 5ft 2in (1.57m) tall, of medium to large build, and had white hair but was balding. He was wearing a mustard coloured jacket, a red jumper, jeans and brown dress shoes. Officers have appealed for information. They are particularly keen to trace a dog walker who was in the area at the time. He is described as being in his 30s, and was walking a black and white bulldog-type dog.", "summary": "Police are investigating after a teenage boy was indecently assaulted in Dundee's Templeton Woods."}
{"article": "Conner Marshall, 18, from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, died four days after being found critically injured at Trecco Bay Caravan Park, Porthcawl. A man from Caerphilly will now appear at Bridgend Magistrates' Court on Monday. Police say they still want to speak to anyone in Trecco Bay between midnight and 07:00 GMT on Sunday, 8 March. Det Supt Paul Hurley from South Wales Police added: \"I would like to reassure residents and visitors to Porthcawl and Trecco Bay caravan park that this appears to be an isolated incident on a well-managed site. \"Parkdean Trecco Bay Management are continuing to work closely with South Wales Police and I would like to thank both Parkdean and the local community for their support and assistance. \"Our thoughts are with Conner's family and all those affected by this tragic incident - and we are continuing to support his family with specially trained officers.\" A family tribute described the teenager as \"a unique, caring and compassionate young man with a warm, infectious smile complete with a cheeky wink\".", "summary": "A 26-year-old man has been charged with murdering a south Wales teenager at a holiday caravan park."}
{"article": "Experts have found dog intelligence works similarly to human intelligence. Recent studies have also shown brighter people tend to live longer. Scientists think if they can prove the same is true in dogs they can use them to study health issues such as dementia. Dr Rosalind Arden, a research associate at the London School of Economics, which carried out the study with Edinburgh University, said the discovery could have \"far reaching implications for understanding human health and disease and canine health and disease\". She said: \"We asked the question, if a dog is good at one test does it tend to be better than average at the other test? And we found that yes that's true. \"This is the first step in trying to develop a really snappy, reliable dog IQ test, and that has got implications that aren't obvious at first.\" Scientists put the intelligence of 68 working border collies to the test by devising a series of cognitive tasks for them to carry out. One involved finding their way to a food reward they could see but was behind a barrier - meaning they had to work out to go around the barrier rather than try to dig under it. Another involved offering two plates of food and assessing if the dogs learnt to go to the one with the bigger portion, while a third task examined how many times a dogs followed a human pointing gesture. Those that performed well in one of these tasks tended to be above average in the others too. Dr Arden said scientists have known for some time that brighter people tend to live longer. However, this can be notoriously tricky to investigate because our lifestyle choices - whether we smoke, and how much we eat, drink and exercise - have a major impact on our health. Dogs offer a good insight because they are \"basically teetotal\", Dr Arden said. They also have another important trait - like humans, they naturally acquire dementia. This causes their behaviour and brain structure to change, Dr Arden said. She added: \"You'll find a dog that changes its social habits, it doesn't want to be petted any more, it becomes introverted and alone. They reproduce lots of the disturbances found in human dementia.\" Researchers stressed they have only established that dog intelligence is measurable, as it is in humans, but have yet to establish if this is linked to health. Dr Mark Adams, research fellow at Edinburgh University, said: \"This is only a first step, but we are aiming to create a dog IQ test that is reliable, valid and can be administered quickly. \"Such a test could rapidly improve our understanding of the connection between dog intelligence, health, even lifespan, and be the foundation of 'dognitive epidemiology'. \"Dogs are excellent for this kind of work because they are willing to participate and seem to enjoy taking part.\" The research is published in the journal Intelligence.", "summary": "A dog IQ test has been developed by scientists who said it could pave the way for breakthroughs in the understanding of the link between intelligence and health."}
{"article": "The claim has baffled many of those who live in Birmingham and led to a series of satirical tweets under the Twitter hashtag #FoxNewsFacts. So what are the facts about the city that likes to position itself as England's second metropolis? According to the city council, more than one million people live in Birmingham. The council also says the city is ethnically mixed - around 42% of residents are from an ethnic group other than white. It is religiously diverse, with 46.1% of Birmingham residents saying they are Christian, 21.8% Muslim and 19.3% had no religion. The council also says Birmingham's population is relatively youthful - 45.7% of Birmingham residents are under 30, compared with 36.8% for England. In contrast 12.9% of residents are over 65, compared with 16.9% nationally. Did you know the Reverend Wilbert Awdry wrote some of the Thomas the Tank Engine books at St. Nicholas' Church in Kings Norton, where he worked as a curate? He grew up at Box in Wiltshire, and is supposed to have got the idea of engines talking (\"I CAN do it. I WILL do it....\") from the sound as they puffed up the incline on the Great Western line nearby. He worked in Birmingham from 1940 to 1946. Within Birmingham lies the \"village\" of Bournville, which was built by the Cadbury family for the chocolate factory's workers. It contains no pubs because the family were Quakers. The company was founded in 1824 by John Cadbury and, by 1930, had become the 24th largest manufacturing firm in Britain. Rita McLean, former head of museums and heritage at Birmingham Museums, said: \"The Cadbury family made a fortune from chocolate. \"Beatrice Cadbury inherited a sizeable amount. But in the 1920s, she turned her back on the opulent lifestyle and gave her shares to the workers at the Bournville factory.\" The creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lived and worked in Aston between 1878 and 1881. Historian Ben Waddington said: \"Birmingham may not be the first city you associate with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or his creation Sherlock Holmes. \"But Conan Doyle was working as a chemist in the city while studying at the University of Edinburgh. \"In the short story, The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson come to Birmingham to investigate an office at 126B Corporation Street. \"Conan Doyle's earliest mysteries were written while he lived in the city and a lot of Birmingham names crop up in the stories, including Baskerville.\" According to the educational film More Canals Than Venice, in 1875 three quarters of the world wrote using pen nibs made in Birmingham. During the industry's heyday, there were more than 100 companies manufacturing pens in the city. However, by the end of the 19th Century, the number of manufacturers had declined to just 12. And in the following century, Laslo Biro's ballpoint pen invention, in 1938, sounded the death knell for the mass production of traditional pen nibs. One of the UK's first petrol-driven cars was built in Birmingham by engineer Frederick Lanchester while he", "summary": "A terrorism commentator has apologised for suggesting Birmingham was a \"Muslim-only city\" where non-Muslims dare not venture during an interview on US broadcaster Fox News."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old clocked his sixth sub-10 second time of the season as he came home in 9.99, ahead of Asafa Powell. Gatlin was fourth in 10.14, behind Femi Ogunode (10.13) and ahead of De Grasse, who was fifth in 10.21. Jamaica's Olympic champion Elaine Thompson beat the Netherlands' Dafne Schippers in the 200m. The pair were separated by only a tenth of a second in last year's Olympic final, and Thompson triumphed in Doha by 0.26 seconds in a time of 22.19. Britain's Robbie Grabarz, who took silver in the European Indoors in March, claimed second place in the high jump, clearing 2.31m in his first outdoor event of the season. Olympic champion Caster Semenya claimed a commanding victory in the 800m, coming home in a world-leading time of one minute 56.61 seconds. Burundi's Francine Niyonsaba, who won silver behind the South African in Rio, was the only other woman to better that time in the whole of 2016. Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba - who broke a 22-year-old 1500m world record in 2015 and won silver over the distance in Rio - was fifth in her first 800m outing. Olympic champion Thomas Rohler threw 93.90m to win the javelin competition by more than four metres. The German's throw moves him to second in the all-time list, with only Czech great Jan Zelezny having thrown further. Desiree Henry was well short of the 22.69 she clocked earlier this year in California as the 21-year-old finished seventh in the 200m. Holly Bradshaw, who missed the indoor season with injury, finished fourth in the pole vault with a best of 4.55m. Cindy Ofili finished down in seventh as American world record-holder Kendra Harrison won the 100m hurdles in 12.59, while Andrew Butchart came eighth in the 3,000m and Chris Baker finished seventh in the high jump.", "summary": "South Africa's Akani Simbine continued his impressive start to 2017 by beating Justin Gatlin and Andre de Grasse in the 100m at the Doha Diamond League."}
{"article": "It follows a decision by Education Minister Peter Weir to reverse a long-standing departmental policy. A circular sent to school principals on Wednesday removes any prohibition on using academic selection to decide what post-primary school pupils transfer to. As a result primary schools can prepare pupils for the AQE and GL Assessment tests during normal class time. Teachers allowed off the 'naughty step' However, the education minister has decided against re-introducing a common, department-run 11-plus test, admitting there was not enough political support to bring back an official exam. \"I have been resolutely supportive of academic selection and, indeed, the right of people to have academic selection,\" Mr Weir told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme. \"This is actually about providing freedom to schools. They now have the freedom to choose whether to prepare their pupils, what level of help and assistance they can give in terms of preparation tests.\" He said his decision to allow primary schools to formally prepare pupils for unofficial tests was \"reflecting the reality of what is happening out on the ground, rather than trying to pretend that essentially, testing does not exist\". However, Mr Weir said no school would be \"compelled\" to carry out the preparation. The 11-plus exam, which used to determine entry into grammar schools, was abolished in 2008. Unofficial exams have been used by many grammar schools to decide which pupils to admit since then, but primary schools were not allowed to help pupils to prepare for those. Previous departmental guidance said that primary schools \"should not facilitate unregulated entrance test arrangements in any way\". They were therefore prohibited from \"supplying support materials, carrying out any preparation for unregulated tests during core teaching hours, offering afternoon coaching in exam technique, or providing familiarisation with a test environment\". Mr Weir has now changed that, meaning primary schools can help pupils prepare for the AQE and GL Assessment tests if they wish. Mr Weir is the first DUP education minister since the establishment of the Assembly in 1998. Only Sinn F\u00e9in had held the education post until this year, and all of their ministers had expressed opposition to academic selection.", "summary": "Primary schools in Northern Ireland are now free to prepare pupils for unregulated transfer tests."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The pair, silver medallists at the 2012 Olympics in London, only needed to finish the medal race on Thursday to win gold, and came in eighth. New Zealand's Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie won silver and Camille Lecointre and Helene Defrance of France took bronze. Britain have now won 21 gold medals in Rio, and a second in sailing after Giles Scott's win in the men's Finn. Wales' Mills, 28, and 36-year-old Clark, who comes from Essex, held a 20-point lead going into the medal race after winning three times and never finishing below eighth in the 10 races in the first series. The medal race had been scheduled to take place on Wednesday, but had been postponed until Thursday because of a lack of wind. Only a disqualification or technical problem could have denied Mills and Clark, fourth in the world rankings, and they stayed out of trouble as they were eighth out of 10. Slovenia won the final race but it was not enough to earn them a medal. The United States were in the bronze-medal position until a late mistake dropped them down to last place in the medal race, and seventh overall. \"I can't believe it. It has actually been the best feeling ever,\" Mills told BBC One. \"We have forgotten all about London. We are so proud to come back after it and we've worked so hard to get the upgrade to gold. Thank you to everyone back home for the support. \"It is all we have ever dreamed of and we are so happy.\" Clark added: \"The first moment I sailed with Hannah, I knew we could do something special. \"We have been together through ups and downs and been with each other all the way.\" Ian Walker, two-time Olympic silver medallist: \"That is thoroughly deserved. Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark have worked tirelessly since silver in London 2012. \"They have eliminated all of their weaknesses and it has all come together here in Rio. \"I don't think we saw the best of Mills and Clark today but they won't care about that and I don't care about that.\" Britain have been the most successful nation in sailing in three of the past four Olympics. The only exception was London 2012, when Sir Ben Ainslie's fourth career Olympic title was his country's only gold of the Games. Ainslie's Finn class is one area Britain have dominated in recent times, with his three golds in successive Games sandwiched between Scott in Rio and Iain Percy at Sydney 2000. Mills and Clark's success takes Britain to the top of the Rio sailing medal list, by virtue of Nick Dempsey's silver in the windsurfing, with the Netherlands also winning two golds. It also means Britain have won 12 Olympic sailing gold medals in the past four Games. Media playback is not supported on this device Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.", "summary": "Great Britain's Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark have won gold in the women's 470 sailing event at the 2016 Rio Olympics."}
{"article": "Themicroscopic modelwas based on a 195-year-old design by the inventor Robert Stirling. Changes included the replacement of the original pistons with a laser beam. The physicists said they were \"astonished\" by how efficiently the machine converted heat into power - but said it did \"not run smoothly\" and had no practical use in its current form. A conventional Stirling engine has a cylinder of gas attached to a heat source at one end and a cold source at the other. The gas is alternately heated and cooled by being shifted to the different temperature locations. As the gas is heated it expands, driving a piston outwards which drives a wheel. This causes a displacer - also attached to the wheel - to move in the cylinder, shifting the majority of the heated gas to the cool area where it contracts, drawing the piston back in. This moves the displacer back to its original position shifting the gas back to the hot area, and the process repeats. A two cylinder variant of the engine uses two pistons rather than a displacer. \"We wanted to understand how such a basic principle works, and if it works at all at a micron-length scale,\" Prof Clemens Bechinger told the BBC. \"Nowadays everybody is trying to make things smaller - electronic circuits and mechanical devices get smaller and smaller - so we thought why not try to investigate this basic process at a micro-scale.\" The physicists carried out their research at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems at the University of Stuttgart and published it in the latest edition of the Nature Physics Journal. To adapt the engine down to micro-size, they replaced the cylinder of gas with a single micron-sized particle made of a plastic called melamine, roughly 10,000 times the size of an atom. The particle was submerged in a chamber of water four-thousandths of a millimetre high. The pistons were replaced with a focused infrared laser beam which acted as \"optical tweezers\", holding the particle in place. The stronger the laser's intensity the more the particle was confined to one spot. The weaker the intensity the more the particle was able to fluctuate around that spot exploring a larger space. The particle thus behaved in a similar way to the molecules in the original heat engine. When the particle was restricted in movement, it resembled the state the molecules would have been in when the gas was compressed. When it was able to move more freely it acted as the molecules would have done when the gas had been able to expand. Since it was impractical to recreate hot and cold heat baths at the micro-level, a second laser was used. It heated the mixture to 90C (194F) in less than 10 milliseconds. It then was allowed to rapidly cool back to room temperature as soon as the laser was turned off. Although this allowed the physicists to recreate the heat engine process, the amount of energy gained per cycle was not stable. \"In contrast to a macroscopic heat engine where everything works", "summary": "The world's smallest working \"steam engine\" has been built in Germany, according to a team of researchers."}
{"article": "This weekend, elements of the structure -- which commemorated a visit of Queen Victoria to the city -- will be recreated, but this time in cardboard, only to be torn down again on Sunday. It is one in a series of public art projects worldwide, but those responsible for bringing it to Dundee say, with so much change in the city, this is a good time to examine the past. \"This is the second time this area has been redeveloped in living memory,\" says Claire Dow, producer of the People's Tower: Dundee's Royal Arch. \"It's only 50 years since this whole area was changed with the Tay Road Bridge and now it's being changed again so I think for Dundee it's a good moment to think about the buildings that aren't there anymore, the buildings that are currently being built and all that architectural heritage.\" In a workshop not far from the city's waterfront preparations have been taking place for the event. Masking tape and cardboard boxes might not seem like obvious materials to recreate a grand archway, but 1,200 flat pack boxes are being taped into about 40 different shapes and then they will be put together on the waterfront close to its original position, using help from volunteers and passers by. \"Because I'm from Dundee I know how important the arch was,\" says architecture student, Michelle Hunt who is helping with the preparations. \"My parents have spoken about where it was originally and how it was almost devastation when it was knocked down and how they really regret it.\" She decided to stay and study in Dundee partly because, with the development at the city's waterfront, there is just so much going on architecture-wise. The team bringing the project to Dundee is led by French artist Olivier Grossetete. His People's Towers have been completed all over world, from Australia to Sweden, from Taiwan to Mexico, Moscow and now Dundee. \"The entire project is about the participation of the people and the participation of the audience,\" says Dirk D'hondt who is part of the team. \" It's the people's tower, proof that if you really want something, you can do it.\" As for knocking it down again, because it is made of cardboard it would not last too long anyway and it is safer for it to be demolished like this. \"It's part of life I guess,\" adds Mr D'hondt \"the knocking down is good fun for the kids, knocking it down and then dancing on it. They love it.\" Down at the waterfront, plaques in the pavement mark where the Royal Arch once stood. The cardboard structure is to be close by and will reach the size of a four-storey house. The organisers are looking for public help to build it. \"It's a simple building system,\" says Claire Dow \"where you stick some boxes together and you lift them and shunt some underneath.\" That is then repeated, as the structure rises up. \"But of course as that gets bigger and bigger and bigger,\" she continues \"you need more and more", "summary": "To this day, some in Dundee still lament the decision to demolish the city's Royal Arch as part of developments around the Tay Road Bridge in the 1960s."}
{"article": "Cook admits he considered his position after being beaten by Sri Lanka at Headingley and then by India at Lord's. Media playback is not supported on this device England eventually beat the Indians 3-1 to help banish memories of a 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia. \"Without my wife, I don't think I'd be standing here as captain,\" an emotional Cook, 29, told BBC Test Match Special. \"You don't often say things like that - I don't know why I just have - but it's the way I feel. \"You can bare your soul quite often to Alice and she's very good at getting me back on the straight and narrow. \"That fourth night at Headingley was a tough place because we had let a winning position slip. Lord's was also very tough - the way we lost there in conditions that were suited to us. \"But I'm quite stubborn - I believe in my ability. I stuck in there through the tough times. Sport tests your character and to bounce back as a team is testament to our character.\" Defeat at Lord's extended England's winless run to 10 Tests and prompted widespread calls for an out-of-form Cook to stand down. Media playback is not supported on this device But the left-handed opening batsman bounced back with three fifties in four innings as England beat India at Southampton before completing a remarkable comeback with victories inside three days at Old Trafford and The Oval. \"I remember saying when we were 1-0 down that I still thought we were going to win the series,\" said Cook. \"I had a lot of confidence in the talent and skill we had in the dressing room but I didn't think we'd win quite as emphatically as we have done. \"English cricket needed a series win and to deliver like we have delivered puts a big smile on our face. \"The bowlers all took wickets and almost all the batters scored runs, so it's almost the perfect game. \"We haven't felt like this for a long time. We were laughing out there. You don't get many days like that. \"We have to enjoy it and hope it's the start of a long road back.\" England seamer James Anderson was named man of the series after taking 25 wickets. He said he was motivated to do well by India's decision to report him to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for allegedly pushing and abusing Ravindra Jadeja during the first Test at Trent Bridge. Anderson was eventually cleared of misconduct by an ICC tribunal. \"At Southampton, when stuff was going on before and after the game, the fact that we made such a conscious effort to concentrate on the cricket not only helped me but also the rest of the team,\" he added. \"Since then, we've not let India back in the series, which is credit to everyone who has played.\" Listen to Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott review each day's play on the TMS podcast.", "summary": "Alastair Cook said his wife, Alice, convinced him to remain as captain and lead England to a comprehensive series victory over India."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The former England defender suffered a heart attack at Tottenham Hotspur's training centre on Thursday. Ehiogu only spent a year with Rangers at the tail-end of his career. But Thomson told BBC Scotland: \"He will never be forgotten by the Rangers fans and I see a lot on social media - they think very highly of him.\" Ehiogu, who won four caps for his country, was signed for Rangers by Walter Smith in January 2007 after being released by Middlesbrough following a seven-year spell at the Riverside. Smith had taken over that month from Paul le Guen, whose side were trailing eventual champions Celtic. Ehiogu partnered fellow veteran David Weir at the heart of the defence but lost his starting the place the following season and was released six months before the end of his 18-month contract. However, Thomson thinks Ehiogu was instrumental in establishing the base that helped Rangers regain the Scottish title a few months after his departure. \"It was a turning point in Rangers' history when Walter came in and tried to change the team and steady the ship,\" said the former Scotland midfielder. \"And big Ugo and Davie Weir were fundamental to that swinging of the momentum.\" Ehiogu only scored once for Rangers, but his decider in a 1-0 victory over Celtic in March 2007 was voted goal of the season by the club's fans. \"It was a special goal and probably one you would never expect from Ugo - an acrobatic overhead kick,\" said Thomson. \"I still picture him standing on the stage receiving his goal of the season award and all suited and booted to an amazing round of applause.\" Thomson himself later joined Middlesbrough and discovered that Ehiogu, who suffered a heart attack at Tottenham Hotspur's training ground, had left a lasting impression with staff members there too. \"He was a lovely fella and, although I never knew him that well, I only spent five or six months with him, he was a true gent and he was everything you would expect in a true professional who had played at the very highest level,\" said the former midfielder. \"We both used to like a steam room after the game and I used to nip his ear and ask for advice on different things on and off the field and he was one of those boys, a bit like Davie, who welcomed giving you as much advice as possible.\" Weir, who also played and coached against Ehiogu in England, echoed his former team-mate's sentiments. \"I'm devastated with the news and still in shock,\" Nottingham Forest assistant boss Weir told BBC Scotland. \"I'm sure as time goes on that goal (against Celtic) will be the abiding memory of Ugo at Rangers but I remember him more just as a nice guy to be honest. \"He was giant of a man but really gentle as a personality. \"He was a fantastic player - I think he had 400 odd games in the English Premier League and you don't do that", "summary": "Ugo Ehiogu, who has died at the age of 44, will be forever remembered fondly by Rangers fans, according to former Ibrox team-mate Kevin Thomson."}
{"article": "They were detained after their boats entered Iranian territorial waters, but were quickly released. Six officers and three sailors have since been disciplined or face action. The US Navy also said Iran violated international law by impeding the vessels' \"innocent passage\". Iran's Revolutionary Guards take lead on foreign affairs US-Iran relations: A brief guide The two boats were travelling from Kuwait to Bahrain, home of the US Fifth Fleet. \"Crewmembers lacked navigational awareness, proper communication with higher authority, and appreciation of the threat environment throughout the transit,\" the report said. For each boat, two of the five on-board weapons were mounted but not manned. Crews also failed to get approval before deviating from their route and failed to report the engine failure that led to their capture. They were within sight of Iran's Farsi Island, which also serves as an Iranian speedboat base, but believed it to be Saudi territory. The sailors, who were held for 15 hours on Farsi Island, were also criticised for their behaviour during about 15 hours in Iranian captivity. One sailor made \"statements adverse to US interests\" and another encouraged fellow crewmembers to eat food offered to them while being recorded on video, which could be used for propaganda purposes. Seven were interrogated - \"some were honest, while others lied or played dumb,\" the report said. None were harmed, but Iranian interrogators \"employed intimidation tactics such as slapping the table, spinning the captive's chair, or threatening to move them to the Iranian mainland\". Despite the errors, the US Navy also insisted its boats \"had every right\" to be where they were and said Iran had \"violated international law as well as US sovereign immunity\" by boarding and seizing them.", "summary": "Weak leadership, poor judgment and a lack of \"warfighting toughness\" led to the capture of 10 US sailors by Iran in the Gulf in January, the US Navy says."}
{"article": "\"Hairy Nose\" depicts a bleak future where people have evolved lengthy nasal hair to filter out the smog. It ends with a warning that if people don't change their ways, pollution will change them. The charity, WildAid, told the BBC they wanted people to stop waiting for government action to fix the problem. \"We wanted to find some humorous way to talk about the very serious problem we are facing,\" said WildAid's China representative, May Mei. Hairy Nose shows a parade of stylish Chinese people - and one dog - sporting elaborately groomed nasal hair as they go about their daily lives in the \"putrid, choking air and the never ending smog\". We see a a young family out with their hairy-nosed baby, a young commuter with her nasal hair dyed and plaited, hipsters playing pool and a couple on a date. \"To them, this is just the way it is,\" say the captions. But one man decides not to \"blindly submit\" and shaves off his nose hair so he can breathe, \"because it reminds me that the sky once was blue\". \"Change air pollution before it changes you,\" says the final caption. Ms Mei said WildAid wanted to tell people to stop waiting for the government to take action on pollution and climate change, and instead come up with their own creative ways to be more green. \"A lot of people complain about pollution in Beijing and Shanghai, but no-one really knows what you can do,\" she said. \"What we want to say is that change is not that difficult, it should come from everyone.\" She suggested that 35% of Beijing's pollution comes from transport fumes, so cycling or walking would make a real difference. The campaign is targeting mostly young Chinese, particularly internet users, because they are \"willing to change, to accept new ideas and are also prepared for something better\". China, which is reliant on coal-fuelled power stations, is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Pollution levels in major cities routinely reach levels considered dangerous to human health. A report last year, published in Nature, put the number of annual deaths in China attributable to pollution at 1.3 million. WildAid clearly doesn't expect people to take its hairy nose warning literally, but Ms Mei said they hoped it would make people \"think harder\". \"If you're waiting to change your actions, you will eventually be forced to live not in the way you want,\" she said.", "summary": "Air pollution in China is no laughing matter, but one campaign group hopes its bizarre new film will provoke both laughs and action among urban Chinese."}
{"article": "Sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekara told Sri Lanka's players they were too fat after they failed to reach the Champions Trophy semi-finals. Malinga, 33, responded by saying he did not care for criticism \"from those who are simply warming chairs\". \"What does a monkey know about a parrot's nesting hollow?\" he added. \"This is like a monkey getting into a parrot's nest and talking about it.\" Jayasekara said Malinga's comments were a breach of his contract with the country's cricket board. \"In my criticism of the appalling fitness levels of our players, I did not name Malinga, but he has chosen to put the hat on and attack me publicly,\" he added. Malinga won the Indian Premier League title with the Mumbai Indians before the Champions Trophy, and missed Sri Lanka's high-altitude training. Jayasekara spoke out after Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed was dropped twice off the bowling of Malinga as Sri Lanka failed to progress from their Champions Trophy group. \"The typical body fat amounts for a cricketer should be about 16%, but most of our players have over 25%,\" he said. \"I want the results analysed and in future no-one will be included in a national squad if they are above 16%.\"", "summary": "Fast bowler Lasith Malinga is being investigated by Sri Lanka's cricket board after comparing the country's sports minister to a monkey."}
{"article": "Vittek, 33, who is Slovakia's all-time top scorer with 23 goals, is injured. Liverpool's Martin Skrtel is included in the squad after his injury-hit campaign in the Premier League. Slovakia face Wales, Russia and England in Group B at the finals in France, with their first game against Chris Coleman's side on 11 June. \"The players' names for the nomination were clear so I had no reason to speculate,\" Kozak said. Goalkeepers: Matus Kozacik, Jan Mucha, Jan Novota Defenders: Peter Pekarik, Milan Skriniar, Martin Skrtel, Norbert Gyoember, Jan Durica, Kornel Salata, Tomas Hubocan, Dusan Svento, Lukas Tesak Midfielders: Viktor Pecovsky, Matus Bero, Robert Mak, Erik Sabo, Juraj Kucka, Patrik Hrosovsky, Jan Gregus, Stanislav Sestak, Marek Hamsik, Ondrej Duda, Miroslav Stoch, Vladimir Weiss Forwards: Michal Duris, Adam Nemec, Adam Zrelak", "summary": "Striker Robert Vittek is the headline absentee from the provisional 27-man squad Slovakia coach Jan Kozak has named for Euro 2016."}
{"article": "The disturbance broke out in Walmersley Road, Bury, at 22.10 GMT on Friday. Five men were taken to hospital, including the three who were stabbed. One was left in a \"potentially life-threatening\" condition, police said. Three men, aged 32, 22 and 24, were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder. Greater Manchester Police said \"a number of weapons\" including an axe, knife and hammer were found at the scene. Officers are trying to trace a blue Volkswagen Bora involved in a chase with a silver Seat Leon and a white Hyundai shortly before the fight. They are also looking for a dark-coloured BMW 5 Series which drove off carrying two white men and two Asian men. Det Insp Charlotte Cadden said: \"We already have a number of witnesses, but we need members of the public to come forward to help us.\"", "summary": "Three men were stabbed during a fight involving 10 men and weapons including a knife, hammer and axe in Greater Manchester."}
{"article": "On Sunday, the home secretary said the intelligence services must be able to access relevant information. Her comments followed the discovery that Khalid Masood appeared to have used WhatsApp minutes before carrying out his killings. There are doubts about whether that action was related to the atrocity. BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw has highlighted that the police had declared that they believed Masood had acted alone on the day, and would not have done so unless they had accessed and read messages stored on his phone. Even so, the home secretary has summoned WhatsApp's owner, Facebook, and other technology companies to a meeting on Thursday to discuss ways to ensure that security officers get the data they need in the future. Several chat apps have adopted a technique called end-to-end encryption. This digitally scrambles their messages' contents when it leaves a sender's device, and then reassembles it on the recipient's computer using a shared key. The technology company running the service is not made privy to the key, so is unable to make sense of the conversation even though it passes through its computer servers. Some apps, including WhatsApp, Apple's iMessage, Signal and Threema, use end-to-end encryption by default. Others, such as Telegram, Line and Google's Allo, offer it as an option. If end-to-end encryption is active, the technology company running the app is limited in what useful information it can remotely disclose. But if a phone, tablet or PC is not passcode-protected - or if the authorities find a way to bypass the code - the physical device itself will provide access. Not necessarily. When someone sends or reads a message, they generate what's known as \"metadata\" - information about their interaction that is distinct from the chat's contents. This can include: WhatsApp has shared such details with law enforcement officers in the past and has said it has been co-operating with authorities over last week's incident. In addition, if Apple users subscribe to the company's iCloud Backup service, the firm may be able to recover messages copied to its servers for safe-keeping and it has co-operated with investigators in the past. It is not exactly clear. The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, told the BBC that chat apps must not \"provide a secret place\" for terrorists to communicate, and that when a warrant had been issued, officers should be able to \"get into situations like encrypted WhatsApp\". On Sky News, she later added that she supported end-to-end encryption as a cybersecurity measure, but said it was \"absurd to have a situation where you can have terrorists talking to each other on a formal platform... and it can't be accessed\". How this would work in practice is uncertain. WhatsApp, for example, does not store messages on its servers after they have been delivered. So, even if there was a way to retrospectively unencrypt the chats, it is unclear how this would work without significant changes to its systems. At one point, there had been speculation that the Investigatory Powers Act - which came into effect last year - might ban chat", "summary": "Chat apps that promise to prevent your messages being accessed by strangers are under scrutiny again following last week's terror attack in London."}
{"article": "Experts say tiger numbers are the most reliable indicators of the health of the population. But they also warn that it is more important to monitor individual tiger populations every year to really get a handle on their health. \"Once-in-four-years country-wide estimates do not have much practical use. But everyone, including politicians and conservationists, seems to set much in store by these numbers,\" says Dr K Ulhas Karanth, one of India's top conservation experts. According to the latest tiger census, the tiger population rose from 1,706 in 2011 to 2,226 in 2014. The latest tiger estimation identified 1,540 tigers through images collected from 9,735 camera trap locations in 18 states. \"Because of the extensive survey effort and camera trap results, which identified nearly 70% of the estimated tiger number; these figures are the most accurate ever,\" claims WWF India, one of the country's top conservation organisations. Sure, tiger numbers have definitely increased since 2006 when India upped investments under pressure from global and international conservationists in hiring more guards, protecting reserves and promoting voluntary village relocation. All this helped, say experts, in many parts of India, although over large swathes, tigers have been wiped out or are in low numbers. But many questions remain. What is the state of availability of prey in India's tiger reserves? Every tiger requires a breeding prey population of 500 animals in its territory to ensure a \"food bank\". Tiger populations thrive on abundant prey - a breeding female tiger produces a litter of three cubs every third year. Mortality rates can be high: Dr Karanth's studies show 20% or more higher mortality rates in a thriving tiger habitat in Nagarhole in southern India. \"If we have 600 breeding tigresses in India, we will be adding 600 cubs to the population every year. So we should not be obsessing over individual tiger deaths and focus on population recovery,\" says Dr Karanth. India has some 200,000 sq km (77,220 sq miles) of tiger habitat. Well-managed habitats with abundant prey can support anything between 5,000 to 10,000 tigers in the long run. \"We have a long way to go, but it is doable if we get our act together. This is no time to be complacent,\" cautions Dr Karanth.", "summary": "How good is the news that India has almost a third more tigers than it did four years ago?"}
{"article": "Scott Fox made saves to deny Hearts' Tony Watt and Conor Sammon before the interval. The hosts continued to dominate after the break but their ability to hit the target waned. County, who threatened through Andrew Davies, finished with 10 men after Ian McShane received a second booking for a tackle on Faycal Rherras. Media playback is not supported on this device Fox was the busier keeper and he was on top form as he produced a sequence of top-class saves, particularly in the first half. He reacted well to turn striker Watt's shot from 16 yards over and held headed efforts from Callum Paterson and Igor Rossi. Sammon was denied twice by the agile stopper as Hearts continued to press. At the other end, a Martin Woods free-kick was flicked, in an attempt to clear, by Paterson against the head of Davies and the ball had to be scrambled clear by the Hearts defence. Some of the visiting players claimed the ball had crossed the line but referee Alan Muir was unconvinced. Alim Ozturk was relieved of the Hearts captaincy duties earlier in the week with the armband passed to midfielder Perry Kitchen. Having been kept out of the side because of the form of John Souttar, Ozturk got his opportunity after half-an-hour when the former Dundee United defender had to limp off injured. Hearts' dominance in possession continued into the second period but they found it harder to test Fox with Sam Nicholson clipping the outside of the post and Rherras firing over. The Staggies, who have never won at Tynecastle, lost a man when McShane - earlier booked for a foul on Nicholson - caught Rherras late and was promptly dismissed. But the Highlanders held out to earn a point and their third draw in a row. Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson: \"A disappointing result but the first 60, 70 minutes the performance was great. Again we created loads of chances but we are not taking those chances as we should be. \"It's that final little bit, if we had done it today we would have another three points on the board. \"It was poor finishing from our point of view. The performance is the key for us. If the performance is there then the three points are there. But today similar to last week the three points weren't there.\" Ross County manager Jim McIntyre: \"If you take a point away from here it's never a bad result. That goes for any away ground in the Premiership, it's a tough league. \"We had Scott Fox to thank for a couple of good saves in that first period. \"We can't be disappointed with what the boys gave us today - I thought they were excellent and showed a real togetherness once we went down to 10 men. \"The Andrew Davies effort had not crossed the line. I've seen it back and as much as I would have wanted it to have gone over the line, it has not.\" Match ends, Heart of Midlothian 0, Ross County 0. Second Half ends,", "summary": "Second-placed Hearts were held to a goalless draw at home to Ross County in the Scottish Premiership."}
{"article": "Mr Justice Openshaw told the Old Bailey the 87-year-old peer had \"advanced and disabling dementia\". Both prosecution and defence barristers had agreed at a previous hearing that Greville Janner was not well enough to take part in a criminal trial. Lord Janner is accused of 22 counts of sex offences against boys. The peer, who was suspended from the Labour Party in April, and his family have always denied any wrongdoing on his part. He is accused of 15 counts of indecent assault and seven counts of a separate sexual offence against a total of nine alleged victims. The Old Bailey heard the allegations spanned the years 1963 to 1998. Twenty-one of the charges relate to children who were aged 16 or under at the time. The judge, who made his decisions based on a series of medical reports from four experts, said: \"The defendant has advanced and disabling dementia that has deteriorated and is irreversible, and accordingly I find that he is unfit to plead.\" The judge's ruling was made on the basis that Lord Janner would not be able to understand the charges against him, instruct lawyers or enter a plea. Mr Justice Openshaw summarised the reports, saying that while the public had been \"unjustifiably sceptical\" over the case, they had a \"right to know\" how he had come to his decision. Lord Janner is unable to remember key events from his life, with one report from February 2014 saying he could not name his children or grandchildren, remember where he had gone to school, or recall details of his parliamentary career. The most recent report, from September, stated that Lord Janner has no short-term memory, barely recognises his family and \"can now hardly speak\". A \"trial of the facts\" is scheduled take place next April, when a jury will decide if he committed the abuse, with no finding of guilt or conviction. It is a relatively rare procedure normally used in cases where a defendant poses a danger and needs to be hospitalised for the safety of themselves and others. Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders decided in April that it was not in the public interest for Lord Janner to face a criminal trial because of his dementia. Her decision was based on expert reports, two of which were ordered by the defence and two by the prosecution. It was overturned following an independent review requested by six of the alleged victims and the decision on Lord Janner's fitness to plead was then handed over to the High Court judge who has now made a ruling on the matter. Greville Janner was made Lord Janner of Braunstone in 1997. He remains a life peer, but has been on leave of absence since 2014. Lord Janner was not required to attend court on Monday. A further hearing was set for 7 March.", "summary": "Lord Janner is unfit to stand trial over allegations of child sexual abuse spanning four decades, a High Court judge has ruled."}
{"article": "Jaseem Saeed, 39, from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire was cleared of two counts of making threats to kill. His threats at the office of Paula Sherriff came three months before the death of MP Jo Cox in June. Saeed has been given a year-long community order for affray and must carry out 120 hours of unpaid work. Leeds Crown Court heard how he had become aggressive at the office of Ms Sherriff, Labour MP for Dewsbury, while asking for help with a passport application to travel to Iraq in March. He admitted the charge before he went on trial. Saeed appeared for the sentencing via video link from HMP Armley, where he had been on remand since the offence. The court heard Saeed threatened to shoot a case worker although the woman did not see a gun. Mr Justice Goss, who also appeared by video link from the Royal Courts of Justice, told him: \"If you behave in this way again, I have already told you, you can expect a significant custodial sentence.\" He said it appeared that Saeed, who was originally from Iraq but has lived in the UK for 14 years, does not suffer from any psychiatric conditions but does have \"anger management issues\". Ms Sherriff's office is four miles (6km) from the constituency office in Birstall, where Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox died after being shot and stabbed outside her office.", "summary": "A man who scared staff at an MP's constituency office has been warned he will go to jail if he ever repeats his actions."}
{"article": "The Terriers took a fifth-minute lead through Elias Kachunga's header but Jonny Howson equalised for the hosts just 66 seconds later. Kachunga put the visitors back in front before the break when he poked an effort past John Ruddy via a deflection off Sebastien Bassong. The Canaries had chances in the second half but defeat means they have now lost seven of their last nine games. Relive Norwich v Huddersfield For David Wagner's side victory was their third in successive games after five without a win, but their first goal came about in controversial circumstances. Kachunga looked to be in an offside position when Tommy Smith crossed in from the right, however the header was allowed to stand. The Canaries got back into the match almost immediately when Robbie Brady hooked a cross to captain Howson to head home his fourth goal of the season. But, soon after Terriers forward Nahki Wells nearly capitalised on a wayward Graham Dorrans backpass, Kachunga was given too much space in the middle of the park to run forward, play a one-two with Smith and prod in his ninth of the campaign. Kachunga missed a similar chance for a hat-trick in a second half which Norwich shaded, but could not find a way past Town goalkeeper Danny Ward, as Nelson Oliveira's attempted lob went wide of the mark when he was free in the box. Sebastien Bassong almost equalised late on with a powerful header from a corner but it was not to be and the home fans let out a chorus of boos at the final whistle. Norwich manager Alex Neil: \"The disappointing thing is we had a lot of clear-cut chances that we didn't take. \"Ultimately goals change games. There was certainly enough there to score goals. \"In the first half we lacked intensity, we looked leggy. In the second half we were more energetic.\" Huddersfield boss David Wagner told BBC Radio Leeds: \"We wanted to be confident and play with our identity. We were very strong in the first half and I think we deserved the three points. \"When you play Norwich away there will be hard moments but we were lucky and I'm very proud. \"Kasey Palmer was outstanding tonight. His work with and without the ball was class. \"This was a great week and I'm giving the players tomorrow off! It's important they spend time with their families around Christmas.\" Match ends, Norwich City 1, Huddersfield Town 2. Second Half ends, Norwich City 1, Huddersfield Town 2. Substitution, Huddersfield Town. Michael Hefele replaces Rajiv van La Parra. Attempt missed. Sebastien Bassong (Norwich City) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Robbie Brady with a cross following a corner. Corner, Norwich City. Conceded by Christopher Schindler. Offside, Huddersfield Town. Tommy Smith tries a through ball, but Kasey Palmer is caught offside. Attempt saved. Sebastien Bassong (Norwich City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Robbie Brady with a cross. Corner, Norwich City. Conceded", "summary": "Huddersfield moved up to third in the Championship with victory at Norwich."}
{"article": "Mr Strauss-Kahn, a French Socialist, is being prosecuted in France on charges of pimping in the city of Lille. In 2011 he quit the IMF after claims of a sex attack on a New York hotel maid. Serbian Deputy PM Aleksandar Vucic said Mr Strauss-Kahn's expertise, not his private life, mattered to Belgrade. He said Mr Strauss-Kahn would advise him, the finance minister and the prime minister, and help Serbia reschedule its debt. He is expected to arrive in Belgrade next week. \"We have already spoken. He was not happy when he saw what awaited him, but he has already suggested a few solutions,\" Mr Vucic added. Austria's former chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer will also advise the Serbian government, Serbia's B92 news website reported. Referring to the sexual assault allegations which ended Mr Strauss-Kahn's IMF career, Mr Vucic said his private life was \"not the thing by which to judge someone's expertise\". The assault charges against Mr Strauss-Khan have now been dropped, and he reached a settlement with the woman involved in the case. In July Mr Strauss-Kahn, who was once tipped to run as a presidential candidate in France, said his political career was now over. He has been appointed a member of the board of directors at two Russian state-controlled financial institutions - the Russian Fund for Direct Investment and the Russian Bank for Regional Development. Earlier in July, investigating magistrates in France decided he should be tried along with 12 others in connection with an alleged prostitution ring at a hotel in Lille. Mr Strauss-Kahn has admitted attending sex parties there, but says he did not know that some of the women were paid prostitutes.", "summary": "The former head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has agreed to become an economic adviser to the Serbian government, officials in Belgrade say."}
{"article": "A grassroots initiative - entitled Team Personal Best - aims to attract people of all ages, abilities and levels of fitness to take part in athletics-themed activities run by clubs and community groups around the UK. Clubs can submit events at the Team Personal Best website. An event can be anything athletics-related: a family sports day or fun run, a sports club open day, coaching course or more, with suggestions listed on the submission page. It's a chance to bring this year's biggest global sporting event to your local area and foster community links in the process. More than 100 events have been registered and anyone wanting to get involved can use the event finder to discover what's going on in their area. Participants are encouraged to use social media to share their personal-best times - or any stories of achievement, no matter how big or small - with the hashtag #TeamPersonalBest. One of the clubs already signed up is So Let's Go Running Bexley, which has registered its summer running events for newcomers. Claire Osmon, who was a running novice before joining, says: \"I came along as a complete beginner and Brian and Dawn [Bexley organisers Brian Page and Dawn Annett] have made me so welcome and put me at ease. \"I'm incredibly unfit but they still praise and encourage me and totally make me feel like I'm part of the group. The whole group is amazing and feels like a big family.\" Team Personal Best is part of the London 2017 Inspiration Programme, which comprises 11 projects aimed at harnessing the impact of the championships to boost nationwide participation in the volunteering, community, disability, schools and international sectors. The IPC World Para Athletics Championships will be held at London Stadium from 14-23 July, followed by the IAAF World Athletics Championships at the same venue from 4-13 August. You can watch the action from the World Athletics Championships live on BBC TV and Red Button, with coverage of both events on radio and online.", "summary": "As London prepares to host both the World Athletics and World Para Athletics Championships this summer, the organisers are encouraging the wider public to get active in support of the events."}
{"article": "Vicki McNelly, 29, thought she heard the baby moving when she used the Doppler kit but her daughter was stillborn the following day. Manufacturers say the kits are safe and should not be linked to stillbirths. Experts who have been \"specially trained\" regularly use the monitors but discourage the use of them at home. Mrs McNelly, from Mortimer near Reading, is calling for the Doppler devices to be banned. She had used the kit - which can be bought over-the-counter from about \u00c2\u00a325 - in June 2015 to help her husband bond with their baby. However, after waking and \"feeling something was wrong\" in the middle of the night, she used it to check for a heartbeat and movement. \"Because I heard something, I convinced myself I must be okay and that everything would be fine,\" she said. \"If the Doppler wasn't in the house I would have only been able to rely on my own instincts. I think the Doppler gave me a false sense of security.\" Mrs McNelly said a hospital sonogram revealed her child, who she had named Evie, had died in the womb. Dr Alison Wright, Vice President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said she \"strongly discourages\" the use of Dopplers at home. \"These devices can cause huge anxiety among pregnant women if they are not able to hear their baby's heartbeat and therefore understandably worry until they can see their doctor or midwife,\" she said. \"Also, potentially, women may be falsely reassured as hearing a heartbeat is not necessarily an indication that it is well with the baby. \"Unlike doctors and midwives who are specially trained to use foetal heart monitors, women who use Dopplers themselves may easily mistake their own heartbeat for their baby's.\" Mrs McNelly has now joined stillbirth charity Kicks Count to call for the devices to be banned - with a petition reaching more than 11,000 signatures. CEO of Kicks Count, Elizabeth Hudson, said Dopplers \"create a barrier between the mum and seeking medical help\". She said many brands were marketed to expectant mothers, but should only be used by trained professionals such as midwives and doctors. \"Women are using Dopplers and being reassured by them, and unfortunately that leads to missed opportunities to save babies who may be in distress,\" Ms Hudson added. The BBC contacted several Doppler manufacturers, which said their devices should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care.", "summary": "A grieving mother has warned pregnant women not to use a home foetal listening device that gave her \"false reassurance\" her unborn baby was alive."}
{"article": "McGinn scored the opener as the holders beat Ayr United 3-1 in the last eight. And the Scotland midfielder believes they have a squad capable of retaining the trophy and more importantly, sealing their return to the top flight. \"On our day, we're confident of taking on anyone,\" the 22-year-old told BBC Scotland after Saturday's victory over United at Easter Road. Hibs advanced to join Rangers in the semi-finals, with Celtic and Aberdeen making up the last four after Sunday's matches. The Championship leaders return to league duty on Friday night with a trip to third-place Dundee United. And like his manager Neil Lennon, McGinn's main focus is on securing promotion to the Premiership. \"We're now only looking forward to Friday and whoever we get in the (Scottish Cup) draw, bring it on,\" he said. \"Our main priority this season is winning the league and we'll be doing everything we can to do that. \"We as club cannot afford another season in the Championship, it's really important we get out of it.\" Like many Hibs fans, McGinn has been left perplexed by the Easter Road side's recent league form. Scottish Cup wins against Ayr and Edinburgh rivals Hearts have kept their hopes of retaining that trophy alive, but Hibs have drawn three and lost one of their last four Championship matches. \"That's the frustrating thing for us,\" said McGinn, whose side are six points clear of second-place Falkirk and have a game in hand. \"But if we play like we did against Ayr then we can take on anyone. \"Everyone needs to be at the top of their game, we need to stand up and be counted, starting on Friday at Tannadice. \"Coming towards the end of the season, they're all going to be cup finals and we need to win all of them. \"If we do that, we'll be champions.\"", "summary": "John McGinn says Hibernian fear no-one after reaching the Scottish Cup semi-finals for the third successive year."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device And in a BBC Match of the Day vote 77.2% agreed with him. \"Chelsea are by far the best team in England at the minute. They are 2-0 up at home against little Bradford,\" said the 39-year-old, who won the Cup with Liverpool in 2001. \"For me this is the biggest shock.\" Ex-Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas added: \"This is what we all love about the FA Cup. The shock exit. \"The thought that Bradford could go to Stamford Bridge and win was not on anybody's mind. The fact that they are 2-0 down away from home and can go on and have the spirit to win is amazing.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Chelsea 2-4 Bradford - No fluke The League One side's victory over the Premier League leaders at Stamford Bridge left Blues boss Jose Mourinho to admit he was \"ashamed\" of the FA Cup exit. Here is how the rest of the football world reacted: Former England winger Chris Waddle, BBC Radio 5 live: \"It's an incredible day. That is an amazing result. \"It doesn't matter what side Chelsea put out, they should beat Bradford City. That's no disrespect to Bradford - give them credit, they've stuck at it, they've had a big following down there and they've enjoyed their day.\" Former Chelsea midfielder Nigel Spackman, BBC Radio 5 live: \"I think Bradford they deserved to win the cup tie. It was an amazing cup tie. Chelsea put all the big guns on but weren't able to break Bradford down. \"In the second half, Bradford were absolutely magnificent. I think Chelsea were a little bit complacent at 2-0 up. At that stage, it looked as though the match was over. It just shows you what FA Cup football is all about. You keep going until the whistle.\" QPR goalkeeper Robert Green on Final Score: \"Did the changes to their starting line-up make a difference? You'd think so. But you'd say they could make 40 changes with the squad they've got, with the players out on loan. They can make as many changes as they want, they have enough quality in every team they'd ever put out to win that game.\" BBC football analyst Steve Claridge on BBC Radio 5 live: \"There was absolutely no fluke about that. Bradford fully deserved it. Some of the quality of their play was brilliant.\" Man City 0-2 Middlesbrough - Lack of respect? Media playback is not supported on this device City rode their luck against Football League opposition Sheffield Wednesday in the last round where they came from behind to secure a late 2-1 win, but that luck ran out against Aitor Karanka's side, who are second in the Championship. Waddle: \"I think Manchester City have only got themselves to blame. Flying back the night before the game, landing at 7pm, after playing a midweek friendly - what are they thinking about? I just can't believe it. \"If you don't treat the FA Cup with respect, you get your fingers burned.\" Jenas: \"This", "summary": "Chelsea's 4-2 home defeat by League One side Bradford was the biggest FA Cup shock of all time, says former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler."}
{"article": "O'Sullivan, 41, chasing a fifth Welsh Open title, recovered from going a frame down to beat Tom Ford 4-1 and set up a meeting with Mark Davis. Fellow Englishman Selby, 33, did not drop a frame as he beat Liam Highfield. Wales' two-time world champion Mark Williams suffered a surprise 4-3 defeat by world number 115 Elliot Slessor. There was another surprise exit as China's world number five Ding Junhui was knocked out in the first round in a 4-2 loss to Finland's Robin Hull. World number four Judd Trump eased through 4-1 against Andrew Higginson, while Scottish Open champion Marco Fu beat Martin Gould 4-2. Fifteen-year-old Welsh schoolboy Jackson Page is back in action on Wednesday, when he faces John Astley in the second round. The teenage wildcard entry eliminated world number 123 Jason Weston in the first round of his debut professional tournament on Monday. Find out how to get into snooker, pool and billiards with our fully inclusive guide. Sign up to My Sport to follow snooker news and reports on the BBC app.", "summary": "Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and world number one Mark Selby both progressed to the second round of the Welsh Open on Tuesday."}
{"article": "Over the course of the weekend, more than 2,000 acts will play on the festival's stages - but all eyes will be on the main headliners: Radiohead, Foo Fighters and Ed Sheeran. All three spoke to Radio 1's Annie Mac this week, discussing their hopes and fears for the festival. Here's what they had to say, and a look at their history at Glastonbury. Radiohead are headlining Glastonbury for the third time, 20 years after they first topped the bill. That show, played just two weeks after the release of OK Computer, was named the best gig of all time by Q Magazine but Thom Yorke recently revealed he nearly walked off stage in frustration after the band's monitors blew up, leaving them unable to hear each other. \"I just went over to Ed [O'Brien, guitarist] and said, 'I'm off mate, see you later,'\" he told BBC 6 Music. \"He turned around and went, 'If you do, you'll probably live the rest of your life regretting it.' I went, 'Good point.'\" In the intervening years, Radiohead have done more than any other band to push the boundaries of rock music, stretching dark, brooding electronics over Yorke's keening vocals. Their most recent album, A Moon Shaped Pool, rekindled their relationship with melody, and is bound to form the core of their set on Friday night. Annie Mac: How are you all feeling about this? Ed O'Brien: To be honest, a little nervous. A few days ago we were doing the setlist for a show in Denmark and we all fessed up: We had the Glastonbury tingles. You know, that anticipation and slight nerves. It means a lot. It's a huge one. What does it feel like to stand on that stage and look out to 100,000 people? The first time we played it in '97, it felt like we were looking out upon this scene of devastation. The rain was horrendous. But the interesting thing is, when it's really right, it doesn't feel like there's a divide. There's a feeling of the band and the audience experiencing this thing together. Can you tell us anything at all about what you'll be doing on Friday night? There won't be any sort of guest appearances! I thought that Coldplay with Barry Gibb last year was brilliant [but] we're not that kind of band. What advice would you give to people who are virgin Glastonbury headliners? It's all about humility. For me, the bands who don't do it on that stage - or anywhere in Glastonbury - are the ones who turn up with their shades on, and it's all about them. You've got to remember, you're just closing the night. You're not headlining, you're one part of this huge, great, amazing beautiful festival. You're providing maybe two hours of soundtrack to people's enjoyment and experience at that moment. You've got to leave your ego and shades at the gate. Foo Fighters were all set to headline Glastonbury two years ago when Dave Grohl fell off stage and broke his leg in Gothenburg, Sweden. With two", "summary": "After two days of build-up, Glastonbury kicks off in earnest on Friday when the Manchester Camerata open the Pyramid Stage, playing orchestrally-enhanced versions of club classics."}
{"article": "The Spanish had lost the last three finals and holders France moved in front with a Mathilde Bourdieu tap-in. Patricia Guijarro fired home to level but a curled finish from Emelyne Laurent restored France's lead. Damaris Egurrola made it 2-2 and France's Pauline Dechilly was sent off before Guijarro headed in the winner. It was a repeat of last year's final but this time Spain emerged victors after losing in the final four times in the last five years. Bourdieu slotted in from Laurent's cross in the fourth minute at Windsor Park to give France the perfect start. Guijarro stretched to finish from a corner 14 minutes later but France were back in front when Laurent raced clear and curled beyond keeper Noelia Ramos with 19 minutes left. Egurrola met Carmen Menayo's free-kick to head in on 85 minutes and Dechilly was dismissed for two yellow cards two minutes later. The last-minute winner came from another Menayo free-kick, this time with Guijarro connecting at the back post to complete her double and clinch a thrilling victory.", "summary": "Spain scored twice in the last five minutes to beat France 3-2 in a dramatic Women's European U19 Championship decider in Belfast."}
{"article": "Welsh activist John Rees-Evans said Mr Nuttall was effectively powerless without the support of the national executive committee (NEC). Elections are currently taking place for the ruling body. Former leader Nigel Farage had a difficult relationship with the NEC. Mr Rees-Evans came third in the leadership contest with 2,775 votes (18.1%). Mr Nuttall won with 9,622 votes (62.6%), while Suzanne Evans came second with 2,973 votes (19.3%). \"Constitutionally, the role of the leader is limited in terms of determining the direction the party may take,\" Mr Rees-Evans told BBC Radio Wales' Good Morning Wales programme. \"He needs the support of the NEC and if he doesn't have that support he is effectively powerless.\" He hoped that Mr Nuttall would get that support. \"Right now we're in the middle of an NEC election,\" he said. \"I shall do my very best to try to support candidates that I think will back him and do believe in some of the principles I have stood for very overtly during my campaign. \"I'm hopeful he will get it, but under the present NEC I'm afraid I wouldn't be hopeful.\" The NEC was alleged to have \"defied\" former UKIP Wales leader Nathan Gill over the selection of assembly candidates at the beginning of 2016. Ex-leader Nigel Farage had publicly criticised one UKIP assembly candidate, Gareth Bennett, as not the sort of person the party would be proud to have as an assembly member. But despite that the NEC rejected calls to deselect him. Mr Bennett went on to become an AM.", "summary": "A defeated UKIP leadership candidate has said he is not \"hopeful\" that new leader Paul Nuttall will get the support he needs from the party's ruling body."}
{"article": "The country has never played before in a major football competition. But it is not yet clear whether Albania will qualify for the next round in France. The team will get \u20ac1m (\u00a3770,000; $1.1m) in extra funding as well as the new passports, the government said. Albania lost their other two matches, coming third in their Euro 2016 group. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama captured the nation's excitement on Sunday by tweeting \"Goooooooooool....\" when Armando Sadiku headed the winning goal against Romania in the first half. The award of diplomatic passports is mainly symbolic, as many of the Albanian players are already with clubs elsewhere in Europe and Albanians enjoy visa-free travel to the EU. They will not enjoy diplomatic immunity, as that is reserved for official diplomats, but they will benefit from easier international travel. The win sparked big celebrations in the streets of Albania's capital Tirana and in Pristina, capital of neighbouring Kosovo, where most of the population are ethnic Albanian. Fans waved Albanian flags, let off fireworks, honked car horns for hours and danced to folk music. The European football body Uefa has launched disciplinary proceedings against the Albanian and Romanian football federations because of crowd trouble at the match. Some supporters let off smoke bombs, hurled objects and invaded the pitch. One French-Albanian man hid a banned flare in his rectum to smuggle it into the stadium, prosecutors said. Uefa has now opened disciplinary actions against eight countries in the tournament because of hooliganism by fans.", "summary": "Albania says it will reward its national footballers with diplomatic passports for having beaten Romania 1-0 at the Euro 2016 tournament."}
{"article": "Having failed to score in their last six home matches, Saints took the lead after only 10 minutes when Manolo Gabbiadini side-footed past Joe Hart. West Ham's problems then spiralled, as Marko Arnautovic was sent off for elbowing Jack Stephens, before Dusan Tadic made it 2-0 from the penalty spot after Jose Fonte brought down Steven Davis. Summer signing Javier Hernandez thought he had snatched an unlikely comeback for the visitors with two goals from close range either side of half time. But the Hammers conceded a second penalty when Pablo Zabaleta bundled into Maya Yoshida and substitute Austin coolly slotted past Hart. Referee Lee Mason had some important decisions to make throughout the dramatic match at St Mary's - and he got most of them right. Mason was left with little choice but show a straight red to Arnautovic on 33 minutes, after the Hammers' record signing needlessly raised his elbow into Stephens' neck. The Austria international later apologised to the fans for his dismissal. The first penalty was also an easy one to give, as former Saints defender Fonte pulled down Davis, but the second spot-kick in the 91st minute was a more contentious matter. Zabaleta caught a rising Yoshida in the back, as he went to head the ball from close range, and Mason decided the Hammers defender had impeded his Southampton counter-part. West Ham had earlier had a handball appeal against Stephens waved away, while the referee did not punish Mark Noble for his rash challenge on Saints midfielder Mario Lemina, who was making his debut following his \u00a318.1m move from Juventus. Before facing the Hammers, Southampton had not scored on home soil since 5 April - 576 minutes of football. They had 29 shots against Swansea last week, landing only two on target in their goalless draw, so there was a collective sigh of relief around St Mary's when Gabbidani slotted home after Nathan Redmond's through ball. Saints were only able to score from open play once during the match, but Gabbiadini and Redmond both went close with long-range efforts. Substitute Shane Long had the ball in the net in the second-half but referee Mason had already blown for a foul on goalkeeper Hart in the build-up. Media playback is not supported on this device With their home ground out of use until next month following the athletics World Championships, it was always going to be a testing start to the season for West Ham. They started their run of four consecutive away matches with an embarrassing 4-0 defeat against Manchester United last weekend, but put in a much-improved display at St Mary's - even after going down to 10 men. Hernandez, who arrived for \u00a316m from Bayer Leverkusan, lived up to his reputation as a potent poacher with his first two goals for his new club. The Mexico international tapped in West Ham's opener after Fraser Forster parried Michail Antonio's shot into his path, and did the same again for his second goal - this time after Diafra Sakho's header came off the woodwork. Boss Slaven", "summary": "Ten-man West Ham twice came from behind but Charlie Austin's injury time penalty gave Southampton their first victory under Mauricio Pellegrino."}
{"article": "The social messaging service's co-founder Jack Dorsey will take over as interim chief on 1 July and stay until a replacement can be found. Mr Costolo had been under pressure from investors unhappy with the firm's user growth. In a statement, he said he was \"tremendously proud of the Twitter team\". Twitter said that its board had formed a committee to undertake the task of finding a successor. Following the announcement, shares in the company jumped by more than 7% in trading after US markets had closed. Twitter debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in 2013 but has not been adding users as fast as investors had hoped. In April, the firm missed Wall Street's forecasts for revenue growth and posted a net loss of $162m (\u00c2\u00a3104m). Its share price has declined nearly 30% since then, and is currently trading below the price it debuted at in 2013. Analysts remain pessimistic about the firm's ability to grow. The research consultancy eMarketer estimates that Twitter's monthly user base will grow just 14.1% this year, slowing from more than 30% two years ago. By 2019, eMarketer says Twitter's user growth rate will be just 6% worldwide. In announcing his resignation, Mr Costolo said in a statement: \"I am tremendously proud of the Twitter team and all that the team has accomplished together during my six years with the company. On a conference call to discuss the move, he added that he had decided to go now because he felt the continued scrutiny if he remained would be a \"distraction\" and of \"no help to the company\". Questioned on what the board was looking for in its next chief executive, Mr Dorsey said the search team would take as long as necessary and the candidate could come from inside or outside the company. But he added that they knew one thing for sure: he or she should be a Twitter user. Mr Dorsey said the most important attribute was that they \"really use and love the product in every single way\". The problem Costolo couldn't solve was how to attract new users. Or, at least, enough new users to keep growth-hungry Wall Street investors happy. And of the people that did sign up, analysts say they weren't being given enough reasons to stick around for very long. Why did Twitter boss stand down? Nate Elliott, an analyst at Forrester research, said the news of his departure wasn't surprising. \"Twitter has never been great at giving its users reasons to come back,\" said Mr Elliott. \"While other social sites have introduced new features and functionality the past few years, Twitter has mostly stood still. The result has been excruciatingly slow user growth.\" However, some have cautioned that lofty investor expectations regarding Twitter's ability to turn in to the next Facebook might be overblown. Technology blogger John Gruber wrote on the site Daring Fireball: \"I think what Wall Street wants is a pipe dream: for Twitter to turn into another Facebook. \"No [chief executive] is going to make that happen.\" Mr Costolo will remain on the", "summary": "Dick Costolo is stepping down as chief executive of Twitter, the company has announced."}
{"article": "The rider, troupe owner Ken Fox, was taken to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth after falling from the top of the cylindrical track. An eyewitness told BBC News: \"There was an air of panic with people screaming and running out of the tent.\" Mr Fox, from Cambridge, was treated for bumps, bruises and scratches. Emergency services remain on the scene at the showground in Wadebridge speaking to witnesses. On Facebook, Ken Fox Wall of Death said in response to concerns for the rider: \"Ken Fox is safe and well just a bit bashed about.\" Devon and Cornwall Police say nobody else was injured in the accident. The wall of death is a motorcycle show in which stuntmen ride at speed around a vertical track performing tricks and stunts on 1920 Indian Scout bikes. The Ken Fox Wall of Death troupe has been featured in music video and on television, including the BBC One idents showing stunt riders going round in a circle. The eyewitness said the rider fell from the top of the wall on to his head but he could not see why he fell. People outside said they heard a huge bang and that they felt the earth shake.", "summary": "A motorcycle stuntman was airlifted to hospital after an accident during a \"wall of death\" performance at the Royal Cornwall Show."}
{"article": "More organisations are now in difficulty, compared with the same point last year. Budget pressures may partly be due to hospitals hiring more nurses. But the Department of Health says hard decisions on public finances have meant it has increased the overall NHS budget. The financial outlook appears to be deteriorating across all types of NHS organisations providing care in England. There are 102 NHS organisations, mainly hospitals, which have their finances overseen by a new body called the Trust Development Authority. Recent board papers from the TDA show 33 expect to be overspent by the end of March. This suggests a number may struggle to demonstrate the standards of financial governance needed to become more independent foundation trusts. Among the 147 existing foundation trusts, 38 are already known to be expecting overspends, with those figures due to be updated soon by their regulator Monitor. Some of the increased financial pressure may be due to an increase in the number of nurses employed. In the year up to October 2013 an additional 2,390 nurses were taken on by trusts in England. Prof John Appleby, chief economist of the Kings Fund health think-tank, said there was every indication that senior managers were putting the standard of care first. \"We've had terrible incidents like Mid Staffs. We've had a number of reports produced by the NHS, and independently, suggesting that the NHS really needs to get a grips of its quality of care and services. \"And you can see boards making that choice - between perhaps overspending, but maintaining quality.\" A recent Kings Fund survey of finance directors suggested a growing number were gloomy about the financial prospects, although it was only a small sample who replied. At the beginning of the financial year 20% of all types of trusts in England were expecting a deficit, but that has now risen to 29%. Nick Samuels, the Foundation Trust Network spokesman said \" All the evidence we have is that our members are finding it increasingly difficult financially, and the situation is getting worse quickly. \"All NHS trusts have been asked to review their staffing ratios as a result of the response to the Francis report into Mid Staffs. \"We know a very large number of trusts have had to increase number of staff increasing costs. \"For a hospital, between 60-70% of their costs are pay, and that's higher for community and mental health trusts.\" Between now and the end of the year the forecast position could either improve, or deteriorate further. NHS England holds a \u00c2\u00a360m fund which can be used for one-off help to financially troubled non-foundation trusts this year. It is small in comparison to the net predicted deficit of \u00c2\u00a3250m, but may be enough to lift those with the smallest financial problems out of deficit. Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary, said the NHS was facing a \"growing financial crisis\" because focus had switched to reorganisation. And he warned: \"As financial panic spreads, patients will be denied treatments and wards will cut back on staff.\" But the Department of Health said", "summary": "Almost one in three NHS trusts in England is now forecasting they will end the financial year overspent, official figures show."}
{"article": "The former world heavyweight champion died late on Friday at a hospital in the US city of Phoenix, Arizona, having been admitted on Thursday. He had been suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson's disease. Ali's funeral will take place in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, said his family. Latest updates and tributes Obituary: Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali in his own words Latest tributes Nick Bryant: How Ali changed his sport and country Foreman: \"One of the greatest human beings\" Tributes for the heavyweight great have been pouring in from across the world. \"Muhammad Ali shook up the world. And the world is better for it,\" said US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle. Former President Bill Clinton - husband of Democratic frontrunner Hillary - said the boxer had been \"courageous in the ring, inspiring to the young, compassionate to those in need, and strong and good-humoured in bearing the burden of his own health challenges\". Republican presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump, meanwhile, tweeted that Ali was \"truly great champion and a wonderful guy. He will be missed by all!\" 61 fights over a professional career lasting 21 years 56 wins including 37 knockouts 3 times crowned World Heavyweight Champion 1 Light-heavyweight Olympic gold medal 31 straight wins before being beaten by Joe Frazier George Foreman, who lost his world title to Ali in the famous \"Rumble in the Jungle\" fight in Kinshasa in 1974, called him one of the greatest human beings he had ever met. American civil rights campaigner Jesse Jackson said Ali had been willing to sacrifice the crown and money for his principles when he refused to serve in the Vietnam war. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Ali shot to fame by winning light-heavyweight gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Nicknamed \"The Greatest\", the American beat Sonny Liston in 1964 to win his first world title and became the first boxer to capture a world heavyweight title on three separate occasions. He eventually retired in 1981, having won 56 of his 61 fights. How great was he? Muhammad Ali timeline Online tributes to Ali Crowned \"Sportsman of the Century\" by Sports Illustrated and \"Sports Personality of the Century\" by the BBC, Ali was noted for his pre- and post-fight talk and bold fight predictions just as much as his boxing skills inside the ring. But he was also a civil rights campaigner and poet who transcended the bounds of sport, race and nationality. Asked how he would like to be remembered, he once said: \"As a man who never sold out his people. But if that's too much, then just a good boxer. \"I won't even mind if you don't mention how pretty I was.\" Ali turned professional immediately after the Rome Olympics and rose through the heavyweight ranks, delighting crowds with his showboating, shuffling feet and lightning reflexes. British champion Henry Cooper came close to stopping Clay, as he was still known, when they met in a non-title bout in London in 1963. Cooper floored the American with a left hook, but", "summary": "Boxing legend Muhammad Ali - one of the world's greatest sporting figures - has died at the age of 74."}
{"article": "Nine Madryn Street, Toxteth, where the drummer lived until he was four, is among 271 homes which are due to be cleared under regeneration plans. Housing Minister Grant Shapps had asked for alternative plans to be considered to renovate the homes. The communities secretary still needs to approve the plans before demolition. Eric Pickles is considering a request by campaigners for a full environmental assessment before the area is razed. The street is one of several known as the Welsh Streets, which were built in the late 19th Century when there was an influx of Welsh people who came to Liverpool to work as dockers. At a planning meeting at Liverpool Town Hall earlier, residents of the streets pleaded with the council to knock down what they called \"damp slums\" and replace them with modern homes. Opponents of the demolition said the streets had historical importance to Beatles fans as well as potential tourist value. The childhood homes of John Lennon - Mendips, in Menlove Avenue - and Sir Paul McCartney - in Forthlin Road - are preserved as tourist attractions supported by the National Trust. George Harrison's Arnold Grove childhood home remains a private house. A request for the Madryn Street house to be put under a preservation order was turned down by English Heritage last year, which ruled the property had no associations with the success of the Beatles as a group. Liverpool City Council Leader Joe Anderson said the area was in dire need of regeneration. He said: \"A majority of the local community have expressed support for our plans since we started consulting on this plan over a decade ago. \"They are sick of living in poky, damp infested properties. They want and deserve decent, modern homes with gardens and space for a car and are exasperated and frustrated at the delays to this scheme.\" He added: \"I pledged last year that if a developer came forward with a viable proposal to retain the Welsh Streets then we would look seriously at their plans. I am sorry to say that this has not happened. \"It is simply not fair to keep the local community in limbo any longer. \"People have been voting with their feet for years and moving away from the Welsh Streets which is why the housing market in the area has completely collapsed.\" Irene Milson, chair of the tenants' and residents' association, said of the decision to demolish the house: \"I can't explain, I really can't explain, it's jubilation. \"It's been 10 years of hard work from the start to now, I just can't put it into words.\" However Phillip Coppell, chairman of the Save Madryn Street campaign, said the fight was not yet over. He said: \"Demolition is not a foregone conclusion. We have people waiting in the wings who are prepared to redevelop the area and refurbish so we are still hopeful. \"It is an important part of the heritage trail. There are lots of plans to demolish the whole area but we believe that we should keep not only Ringo's house but", "summary": "Plans to demolish Beatle Ringo Starr's birthplace have been approved by Liverpool City Council, despite opposition from a government minister."}
{"article": "The Canadian-owned firm is Northern Ireland's biggest manufacturing employer It employs around 5,000 people in its aerospace business. The firm's Belfast vice-president Michael Ryan wrote in a letter to staff that the \"European debate is very emotional\". The referendum will take place across the UK on Thursday, 23 June. But, he said that Europe has been good to the company in terms of investment, air travel and giving free movement of goods. The aerospace firm's Northern Ireland operation exports 95% of its products - 33% of them directly into Europe. \"There are strong views on either side,\" Mr Ryan wrote. \"But, I can only speak for our company's experience of operating within the EU and explain to you we believe it is better for our company that the UK remains within the EU.\" He added that by clarifying the company's position it would \"help\" employees make \"an informed decision on this very important issue\". While Bombardier has stated their support of staying in the EU, other businesses here support the campaign to leave. William Wright, the founder of bus-maker Wrightbus which employs more than 1,500 people, said he was \"totally in favour of getting out\".", "summary": "The boss of Bombardier in Belfast has told its staff that \"it is better for our company that the UK remains within the EU\"."}
{"article": "The suspension comes pending the outcome of an investigation by the charity commission into the finance of the association. The investigation \"is focussed on addressing concerns about the governance and financial controls\". All five of the association's officers deny any wrongdoing. The charity, which receives more than \u00a3100,000 in funding each year, organises events and excursions for former police officers injured on duty. Membership is open to ex-RUC and PSNI officers. In recent years it has organised trips to London, Dublin, Cork , Poland and the K Club in County Kildare. An apparent conflict of interest, potential misconduct, not following financial procedures, misleading members of the charity, and non-compliance with funding conditions are some of the claims being examined by investigators in relation to the suspended chief executive, Elaine Hampton. The commission is also looking at whether or not the charity may have applied for double funding for some trips. Ms Hampton said she did not wish to comment for fear of prejudicing an appeal she has lodged against her suspension. It is understood she denies \"any financial irregularities of any description\" at the DPOANI, or indeed any wrong-doing. The association receives funding from the public purse, including income from the Northern Ireland Police Fund, the Community Relations Council and OFMDFM's Victims and Survivors Service, to help pay for its activities and trips. It also receives donations including one of almost \u00a320,000 a year from the Greater Manchester Police. The Northern Ireland Police Fund, which is funded by the Department of Justice, confirmed it has frozen any grants to the association pending the outcome of the charity commission's inquiry. As well as the chief executive, Elaine Hampton, four other trustees, chairman Billy Allen QGM, audit committee member Robert Crawford, director Gordon Knowles MBE and former assistant treasurer Stephen McAlister, have been suspended pending the outcome of the commission's investigation. It is understood all five are appealing the commission's decision. Billy Allen is accused of not following financial procedures. Mr Allen declined to be interviewed saying he did not want to prejudice the outcome of his appeal. It is understood he strongly denies any wrongdoing. After first suspending Robert Crawford, the charity commission is now trying to remove him from the charity altogether. He is accused of mismanagement of the audit committee. Mr Crawford declined to be interviewed, also saying he did not want to prejudice his appeal against the suspension. It is understood he believes he did nothing wrong. As a consequence of the commission's actions, Mr Crawford has now been suspended from his post as a senior civil servant at the Department for Regional Development. It Is understood the commission is also examining concerns that some people not eligible for membership of the charity benefited from what it said could be \"excessively lavish expenditure of public money\", by taking part in a visit to the exclusive five star K Club golf resort in County Kildare in March. It is believed accommodation and meals for the three-day trip cost around \u00a312,000. According to the commission, suspended board member Stephen McAlister, who attended", "summary": "The chief executive and four trustees of the NI Disabled Police Officers Association (DPOANI) have been suspended."}
{"article": "The FA has also spoken to ex-Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and former Chelsea skipper Frank Lampard about getting involved in the pilot scheme. Individuals are assessed and then the FA puts together a learning programme. Three of the 92 Premier and Football League managers played for England. Find out how to get into football with our special guide. Keith Curle, Mike Phelan and Nigel Clough have 18 caps between them. \"St George's Park is very much open to ex-England players,\" said FA technical director Dan Ashworth. \"We are keen to get more English coaches either working with our national teams or back into the Premier League or Football League as coaches and managers. I have been in regular contact with several current and ex-England internationals about a pilot programme.\" In the case of Scholes, the assessment would determine whether he has the right skills to coach other players how to pass the ball, based on his playing career which shows he has all the practical ability required to demonstrate that skill. The length of time it takes to complete the courses depends on the individual, as they still have to complete the modules required to get their badges. Scholes, 42, is currently doing his badges at Blackburn. Take part in our new Premier League Predictor game, which allows you to create leagues with friends.", "summary": "Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes is taking part in a pilot Football Association programme aimed at preventing former England internationals heading out of the game."}
{"article": "Prof Francesco Battaglia said that he had been threatened and his car vandalised after Mr Grillo criticised him for backing nuclear energy. Mr Grillo, who is unlikely to go to jail, also faces damages of \u00e2\u201a\u00ac50,000 (\u00c2\u00a336,000; $56,000). He suggested people were afraid his party was getting close to government. And he likened himself to two other historical figures who had spent time in jail, Italian anti-Fascist campaigner Sandro Pertini and South Africa's first black president, Nelson Mandela. \"If Pertini and Mandela ended up in prison, I can go there too for a cause I think is just and that has been supported by the overwhelming majority of Italians,\" he wrote on his blog. Prof Battaglia said the maverick leader should carry out community service, just as ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had done, and should take more care of what he said because of the large number of Italians who listened to him. Mr Grillo publicly insulted the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia professor at a rally in 2011, after a TV appearance in which Prof Battaglia had supported nuclear energy. \"I'll kick your backside and throw you off TV,\" he said, urging his supporters to refuse to pay their TV licence fees. Beppe Grillo, who was the driving force behind the Eurosceptic, anti-austerity protest party, is gradually handing over the reins of Five Star to a group of younger leaders. The party is currently second in opinion polls behind Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party.", "summary": "Beppe Grillo, who leads Italy's second biggest party, the Five-Star Movement, has been given a one-year jail term for slandering a science professor."}
{"article": "Labour's Leigh Bramall said he was leaving the council to take up a job at a communication company in Sheffield. He said he remained \"100% committed\" to the work of the Labour run-authority but added \"I have to put my family first\". Council leader Julie Dore paid tribute to Mr Bramall's work saying he had \"given his all to the job\". More stories from across Yorkshire Mr Bramall, 42, has represented Southey since 2004 and was appointed deputy leader of the council in 2015. He said: \"I have put everything into my job and love what I do. \"But I have to put my family first and now is the right time for me to move on. \"I am moving to a fantastic Sheffield company and feel this is a great opportunity for me to start a new chapter in my professional career which also allows me to stay in Sheffield, the city that I love.\" Ms Dore said: \"He has been dedicated to serving the people of Sheffield as Deputy Leader of the Council and given his all to the job. \"This inevitably takes its toll on your personal life and I completely understand and respect the decision he has made. I wish him all the best for his future career.\"", "summary": "The deputy leader of Sheffield City Council has announced he is to stand down after 13 years as a councillor."}
{"article": "Philip Hammond called for EU laws to be overhauled to make sure that people coming from Africa to Europe could be returned to their home country. Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn accused Mr Hammond of \"scaremongering\". Steve Symonds of Amnesty International UK described Mr Hammond's \"mean-spirited response\" as \"shameful\". \"Rather than throwing up the drawbridge and talking about how Europe can 'protect' itself from migrants, Mr Hammond should be working with our EU partners to ensure that people don't drown in the Mediterranean or get crushed beneath lorries at Calais,\" he said. Mr Benn added that Mr Hammond should \"think more carefully about what he says\". \"We need responsibility and international leadership from this government, not scaremongering,\" he said. \"Those fleeing Syria are desperate refugees from a country being torn apart by war.\" Speaking during a visit to Singapore, Mr Hammond said: \"So long as the European Union's laws are the way they are, many of them will only have to set foot in Europe to be pretty confident that they will never be returned to their country of origin. \"Now, that is not a sustainable situation because Europe can't protect itself and preserve its standard of living and social infrastructure, if it has to absorb millions of migrants from Africa.\" He said the problem had to ultimately be resolved by being able to return those who are not entitled to claim asylum back to their countries of origin - something Mr Hammond described as \"our number one priority\". This, he added, was key to resolving the \"crisis\" at Calais, where thousands are gathered in the hope of crossing the Channel into the UK. There have been increased security measures introduced in Calais in recent weeks, after hundreds of attempts by migrants to break into Channel Tunnel terminals. On Saturday, 18 suspected illegal immigrants were arrested after a lorry was stopped on the M1 in Hertfordshire. Mr Hammond went on to say more could be done to protect the Channel Tunnel from illegal migrants. \"Having reviewed the situation in the light of the crisis, it is clear that there is more that can be done to enhance the physical security of the tunnel. \"But we also have to work with our French colleagues to try to deal with the root cause of the problem. So long as there are large numbers of pretty desperate migrants marauding around the area there will always be a threat to the tunnel's security.\" A new fence about a mile long, built to stop migrants from getting to the UK via the Channel Tunnel, has been built in Calais and was paid for out of \u00c2\u00a37m made available by the British government.", "summary": "Europe will not be able to preserve its living standards if it has to absorb millions of migrants from Africa, the foreign secretary has said."}
{"article": "Muirfield, which is staging the Open Championship, is among a number of UK golf courses which only men can join. Several leading politicians have refused to attend the event in protest. But Harriet Harman said ministers must go further and amend equality laws to stop \"discrimination\" by private clubs. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and Culture Secretary Maria Miller are among those effectively boycotting the four-day tournament in East Lothian, which began on Thursday. The row comes amid a wider debate over sexism in sport following comments made by BBC presenter John Inverdale about the appearance of Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli and calls from Mrs Miller for the broadcaster to take more action on the issue. Ms Harman said staying away from one of the year's most high-profile sports events was a \"symbolic gesture\" and ministers should do \"more than that\" and change the law. She urged ministers to close a \"loophole\" in the 2010 Equality Act, legislation which she piloted through Parliament, which strengthened protections against discrimination on the basis of gender, age, race and sexual orientation. But the legislation permitted private associations, such as golf clubs, to continue to determine their own membership rules. Describing the legislation as \"incomplete\" and \"unfinished business\", she said Labour would support the government if it decided to bring forward new proposals to ensure women had equal access to all institutions. \"Let's not have pressure and gestures, let's absolutely do something about it,\" she told the BBC News Channel. \"If you know it is anachronistic, out of date and it discriminates against women, you can actually amend the Equality Act to make sure that does not happen and we will give that backing.\" Both David Cameron and Nick Clegg have said they do not support institutions whose membership is restricted on gender grounds. Mr Cameron has reportedly given up his membership of White's, one of the oldest and most prestigious gentleman's clubs in London, which does not admit women. The PM's late father Ian was the club's chairman. But asked whether the prime minister would support a ban on male-only clubs, a No 10 spokesman said \"I don't think we are looking at going down that road\". Mr Clegg said such institutions were \"out of step with everything else that's happening in the rest of society\" but he favoured the clubs acting voluntarily rather than passing new laws to impose changes. \"It just seems so old fashioned and so anachronistic to just have a golf club saying that just because you are a woman you can't be a member of that club,\" he said during his weekly phone-in on LBC Radio. \"I think many people will just shake their head and say how on earth is this still possible in this day and age?\" But the UK Independence Party said half of the single-sex golf clubs in the UK admitted only female members and accused Mrs Miller and Mr Salmond of \"political grandstanding\". Muirfield is one of a number of regular Open venues which do not admit women as members, although they can play the", "summary": "Labour's deputy leader is urging a ban on male-only sports clubs, saying it is embarrassing the UK's most prestigious golf tournament is happening at a club that does not admit female members."}
{"article": "It has emerged Sean Morton, the Scottish Labour councillor for Fochabers and Lhanbryde, appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court on Christmas Eve. Mr Morton, 35, of Elgin, was charged under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and released on bail. Scottish Labour said: \"Sean Morton has been suspended with immediate effect.\" A Moray Council spokesman said: \"As soon as we were made aware of formal proceedings, and pending the outcome of the case, we took appropriate steps in terms of the councillor's activities in accordance with the bail conditions set by the sheriff.\"", "summary": "A councillor has been suspended by his party after appearing in court charged in connection with indecent child images."}
{"article": "The union said it was as a result of concern about a range of issues including staffing levels, shift patterns and pay. General secretary Mick Cash said the RMT would be working with sister unions. Last month, GMB Scotland announced that a consultative ballot on possible strike action by North Sea contract workers was to be held. The Offshore Contractors Association previously said it was a challenging time for the North Sea oil and gas industry.", "summary": "The RMT union is to ballot offshore members over industrial action."}
{"article": "The Austrian film-maker was also named best director, while the film's star Emmanuelle Riva won best actress. The French-language drama tells the story of an elderly couple dealing with the aftermath of a devastating stroke. It previously won Cannes' Palme D'Or. Daniel Day-Lewis was named best actor by the panel of 60 critics. He received his award for playing America's 16th president in in Steven Spielberg's historical drama Lincoln. The movie, which will be released in the UK on 20 January, also won best screenplay. Amy Adams was chosen for the best supporting actress accolade, for her role in The Master, while Matthew McConaughey received best supporting actor for his films Magic Mike and Bernie. The National Society of Film Critics includes some of the most prominent movie writers in the US, including Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times and Kenneth Turan of the LA Times. They gathered at the Lincoln Center in New York to choose their winners, with the evening dedicated to the memory of Village Voice critic Andrew Sarris, a founding member of the society, who died last year. Elsewhere, the Houston film critics' society named Ben Affleck's political thriller Argo its favourite film of the year. Jennifer Lawrence picked up best actress for comedy-drama Silver Linings Playbook while Day-Lewis again won best actor for Lincoln. Critics' awards are seen as key steps towards the Oscars. Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had until Friday night to cast their ballots, with the nominations announced this Thursday, 10 January.", "summary": "Michael Haneke's heartbreaking drama Amour has been voted the best picture of 2012 by the US National Society of Film Critics."}
{"article": "Carl Marston began writing about Colchester United for the East Anglian Daily Times on 21 November 1992 for a Third Division match at home to Rochdale. The latest game is at Rochdale on Saturday - this time in League One. Mr Marston, 48, said: \"I'd like to keep doing it because, as a small club, you are closer to the manager and players.\" The reporter joined the paper in 1989 and mainly covered non-league football before getting assigned to the Essex club. The first game was a 4-4 draw - which ranks as the third favourite Colchester game he covered. \"You could say it was a baptism of fire, because the press box was new to me and I was hoping for an easy match, but it was changing constantly,\" Mr Marston said. \"Generally, access to the club is great and you wouldn't get that at a much bigger club. \"Once when I travelled on the team coach to Torquay, I'd finished filing my report only to find the bus had left. \"The manager George Burley realised and got them to turn back 30 miles - that's the sort of club it is.\" While the club is still arguably best known for its shock 1971 FA Cup victory over Leeds United, Mr Marston has seen Colchester spend two seasons in the Championship and lose to Chelsea in the FA Cup. Mr Marston said his personal high would be the 1998 play-off final win against Torquay at Wembley which saw Colchester promoted to League Division Two. He was also delighted to see Colchester draw 0-0 at Yeovil to gain automatic promotion to the Championship in 2006, because he was due to get married on the day of the play-off final. One of the other biggest changes has been the club's move from Layer Road to the Weston Homes Community Stadium in 2008. Mr Marston said: \"Layer Road has a lot of memories, but the facilities were very basic - the press box windows used to steam up and half-time tea was served in the laundry room - but it certainly had character. \"The new ground is fantastic and has potential if they can get into the Championship again, but it is soulless compared to Layer Road.\"", "summary": "A football reporter is about to reach the landmark of filing his thousandth match report covering the same club."}
{"article": "The People's Bank of China cut its one-year benchmark interest rate to 4.35% after markets had closed on Friday. It also cut the ratio of Chinese currency it expects its banks to hold. In reaction to the move, the Shanghai Composite closed up 0.5% at 3,429.58, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index ended down 0.2% to 23,116.25 points. The government is hoping that looser monetary policy will shore up economic activity to help it achieve its 7% growth target for this year. Last week, China said its economy grew at an annual pace of 6.9% in the third quarter of the year, the weakest rate since the global financial crisis. \"The market was slightly buoyed by [China's] central bank's rate cut,\" said Zhang Qi, an analyst at Haitong Securities in Shanghai. \"Medium and small companies and securities companies were relatively dynamic,\" he said. \"But the market appeared to be in correction after it rose a lot in October, and some investors sold stocks on the short-lived rise from the rate cuts.\" Shares of China Reinsurance - the country's biggest reinsurer - rose as much as 3% in its trading debut in Hong Kong. The firm's $2bn initial share sale was one of the largest in the city so far this year. Australia's benchmark index, the S&P/ASX 200, finished the day down just 0.07% at 5,348.00, while South Korea's benchmark Kospi index closed up 0.38% at 2,048.08. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stayed in positive territory throughout the day and closed up 0.65% at 18,947.12. Longer term Last week, news that the European Central Bank (ECB) was considering more economic stimulus pushed shares in Asia higher. And despite mixed trade on Monday, analysts said China's interest rate cut was likely to put further pressure on the US Federal Reserve to hold off raising rates at its meeting this week - which should boost investor sentiment globally. \"China's central bank has trumped the ECB with an actual physical move to policy - cutting the one-year lending and deposit rate by 25 basis points (bps) and slashing the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 50 bps,\" said Evan Lucas from IG Markets. \"It also added further cuts to lending rates and the RRR for certain institutions [the co-ops],\" he said. The estimated cash released from these policy changes in China is likely to be between 600bn yuan and 700bn yuan in liquidity ($93.75bn-$109.3bn; \u00c2\u00a361.2bn-\u00c2\u00a371.3bn). \"Considering [China's core inflation] reads and the industrial production reads over the past quarter, this should be no surprise,\" Mr Lucas said. \"In fact, the surprise is that it's taken this long for the [People's Bank of China] to pull the trigger. \"What might be missed by the headline reads is that the PBoC has abolished the deposit rate ceiling - this is a big step forward in liberalising the interest rate market and shows China is very much committed to its goals of liberating the financial system,\" he said.", "summary": "News of the world's second-largest economy, China, cutting interest rates on Friday resulted in mixed trade in the region on Monday."}
{"article": "The 22-year-old England C international has scored 54 goals in two seasons for the National League North side. The former Grimsby player is Gareth Ainsworth's first summer signing. \"He's a physical striker who knows where the goal is and I'm confident his all-round play will benefit us,\" boss Ainsworth told the club website. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.", "summary": "Wycombe Wanderers have signed striker Dayle Southwell on a two-year contract from Boston United, subject to final paperwork being completed."}
{"article": "Figen Murray hailed the support at a vigil celebrating the 29 year old's life in Heaton Moor Park in Stockport, Greater Manchester, on Sunday. Mr Hett was one of 22 people killed in the suicide bomb attack on 22 May. Mrs Murray said his friends were \"all very tearful and yet they said the most beautiful things about him\". A Coronation Street-themed cake was among the tributes at the vigil for Mr Hett, who had a tattoo of the soap's stalwart Deirdre Barlow. Members of his family also wore personalised T-shirts with tributes from celebrities including singer Mariah Carey and BBC Radio 1's Nick Grimshaw. Speaking in front of hundreds of people who attended the vigil, Mrs Murray said: \"I know I've lost a son to this horrible event but they were his friends before and I've gained more sons now.\" She also spoke about a hashtag #BeMoreMartyn which was being used to pay tribute to Mr Hett on social media. \"I don't know how that came about and who started it but I'm going to have it tattooed somewhere on my body. I think he's taught us all a lesson how to live life more fully,\" Mrs Murray said. Mr Hett's partner Russell also paid an emotional tribute to the \"Deirdre to my Ken\" on stage at the vigil. \"I feel robbed of my future, but I feel so grateful of my past\", he added. Mr Hett died just days before he was due to fly to the USA for a two-month \"trip of a lifetime\" for which he had been saving for two years.", "summary": "The mother of Manchester attack victim Martyn Hett says she feels she has \"gained more sons\" thanks to the support of his friends."}
{"article": "The Briton double-faulted 10 times as she struggled with her serve but was still able to see off her American opponent 7-5 6-3 in Acapulco. Watson, 24, plays second seed Kristina Mladenovic of France in round two. Fellow Briton Kyle Edmund plays Sam Querrey of the US in the men's draw later on Tuesday.", "summary": "Heather Watson moved into the second round of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel with a straight sets win over Bethanie Mattek-Sands."}
{"article": "The 27-year-old flyweight became the fastest Welsh boxer to win a British title with a points victory over Louis Norman at Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff. It was the Barry fighter's fifth outing as a professional, having made his debut in October 2015. \"I want to be world champion, but there is no rush,\" said Selby, brother of IBF featherweight champion Lee Selby. \"Get some more 12 rounds in, maybe defend it, go for the European [title]. \"There is no point chucking me into the deep end straight away because I have only had one 12-round fight.\" No Welsh fighter has claimed a Lonsdale belt in fewer bouts and in less time since turning professional. Norman, 32, had lost only one of his previous 13 contests. Norman weighed in 0.9lbs over the eight-stone limit, but made the weight with seconds to spare after stripping completely naked. The fight was on the undercard of Lee Haskins' successful IBF world bantamweight title defence against Ivan Morales and Selby says it was a great occasion at Wales' new boxing venue. \"It's the belt I've always wanted since I was a little kid,\" he said. \"Winning in my home town, in front of all my friends and family, you couldn't ask for better. It's a dream. \"You could just hear everyone screaming... I'd enjoy fighting here again.\"", "summary": "Boxer Andrew Selby is in no hurry to win a world title after securing the British flyweight crown on Saturday."}
{"article": "The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations body, predicts that 3.2 billion people will be online. The population currently stands at 7.2 billion. About 2 billion of those will be in the developing world, the report added. But just 89 million will be in countries such as Somalia and Nepal. These are part of a group of nations described as \"least developed countries\" by the United Nations, with a combined population of 940 million. There will also be more than 7 billion mobile device subscriptions, the ITU said. It found that 78 out of 100 people in the US and Europe already use mobile broadband, and 69% of the world has 3G coverage - but only 29% of rural areas are served. Africa lags behind with just 17.4% mobile broadband penetration. By the end of the year 80% of households in developed countries and 34% of those in developing countries will have internet access in some form, the report continued. The study focused on the growth of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector over the past 15 years. In the year 2000 there were just 400 million internet users worldwide, it said - an eighth of the current figure. \"Over the past 15 years the ICT revolution has driven global development in an unprecedented way,\" said Brahima Sanou, director of the ITU telecommunication development bureau. \"ICTs will play an even more significant role in the post 2015 development agenda and in achieving future sustainable development goals as the world moves faster and faster towards a digital society.\"", "summary": "Nearly half of the global population will be using the internet by the end of this year, according to a new report."}
{"article": "The Blue Cross charity centre had to throw out all 90 posts when they became saturated by drain water after torrential rain early on Friday. All the animals were safe, although 15 kittens had to be evacuated from the nursery which was covered in sludge. The centre has appealed for help to replace the posts and toys. There are currently 46 cats and kittens looking for new homes at the charity's Garlic Row centre, animal welfare assistant Claire Thomas said. The animals did not seem \"too traumatised\" by the torrential downpour or standing water in their pens, she said. However, staff were \"gutted\" when they saw the devastation caused by the overnight storm. The rescue centre was among a number of businesses and organisations in Cambridge affected by the overnight storm. Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge was forced to declare a \"major incident\" and cancel all planned surgery until Tuesday after an area where sterilisation equipment is stored was flooded. The cat rescue centre has now been cleaned up and the destroyed posts, toys and blankets piled on the lawn. It would not be sanitary to dry them out, Miss Thomas added, so they will all need to be replaced. The Cambridge branch of charity Blue Cross cares for over 400 cats and kittens every year.", "summary": "Dozens of abandoned cats living at a Cambridge rescue centre have lost their toys and scratching posts after they were destroyed by flooding."}
{"article": "The EMS Majestic, which is registered in Antigua and Barbuda, issued a Mayday call from its position in the Dover Strait just after 19:00 GMT on Sunday. A number of ships in the area responded to the sinking vessel, according to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Two of the ship's crew of seven were airlifted to land for safety reasons. Coastguard helicopter crews from Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, and Lydd, Kent, were scrambled for the rescue, along with the RNLI lifeboat from Eastbourne, East Sussex. The EMS Majestic was being towed to a safe haven by the tug Thor Frigg. The cargo of the 90m-long ship has not been disclosed.", "summary": "A cargo ship is being towed to port after it began taking on water and sinking while under way in the English Channel, the coastguard has said."}
{"article": "The 23-year-old joined Wolves for a fee of \u00a3185,000 from Castleford in 2014. Clark score 10 tries last season as Warrington won the League Leaders' Shield and reached the Grand Final, and played for England in the Four Nations. \"I believe we're building something special here as a club and a team,\" he told the club's YouTube page. \"I'm just looking forward to being part of that for the next few years..", "summary": "Warrington Wolves and England hooker Daryl Clark has rejected interest from the NRL to sign a new contract with the Super League side until 2020."}
{"article": "Media playback is unsupported on your device 30 September 2015 Last updated at 18:44 BST Part of the sea wall at Fingringhoe Wick nature reserve on the Colne Estuary, near Colchester, has been breached to allow sea water to gush in. The high tides will help to form a new area of salt marshes, mudflats and saline lagoons. The reserve is already recognised nationally and internationally and is home to thousands of birds. The 22-hectares (54 acres) of new wetlands include a nursery area for marine fish, little tern nesting areas, a bird hide and public footpaths on what was once a private part of the estuary. The Essex Wildlife Trust and Environment Agency project will also help to protect the coast as the salt marshes and mudflats will absorb waves and floodwater. Footage courtesy of Tim Mitchell.", "summary": "A stretch of land is being deliberately flooded at an Essex nature reserve to create more habitat for wildlife."}
{"article": "Gloucestershire Police said the crash happened just after 11:45 GMT near Northleach on the A429 towards Cirencester near the A40 junction. The driver of a Jaguar, a 56-year-old man from Staffordshire, was taken to hospital in Bristol with serious but not life threatening injuries. A 46-year-old man from Cheltenham and a female passenger in a Ford Focus suffered minor injuries. The lorry from Moreton-in-Marsh was carrying a load of Cotswold stone. The driver was uninjured, police said. The road was closed earlier but has now been reopened to traffic.", "summary": "A lorry carrying stone shed its load on to a car in a crash in the Cotswolds."}
{"article": "They controlled the game from the off, opening the scoring when Kyle Bennett fired home from 20 yards. Michael Doyle hit the bar from range for the visitors, who doubled their lead when a Ben Davies cross was turned into his own goal by Matt Pearson. Pompey's Doyle did score, volleying beyond Jason Mooney from 30 yards, before Shay McCartan pulled one back. The result means Stanley are down to sixth, while Paul Cook's side are now six points off the final automatic promotion place.", "summary": "Portsmouth scored three first-half goals away at Accrington to move above them into fourth in League Two."}
{"article": "Overwatch - a first-person shooter - also marks the first time the studio has launched a title worldwide on PC and consoles simultaneously. WoW is the second bestselling PC game of all time, but its subscriber numbers have halved since their peak in 2010. Blizzard predicts strong sales of Overwatch and hopes it will attract large audiences as an e-sport. The game is a departure from the developer's previous hits, in which players usually viewed the world from a god-like, third-person perspective. Instead, players look directly down the barrel of their weapon as they roam a colourful world battling other gamers. \"Blizzard has a huge following on a global basis and is one of the best renowned publishers,\" said Piers Harding-Rolls, head of games at the IHS Technology consultancy. \"But it has no pedigree in first-person shooters (FPS), so people will be excited to see what potential the game holds.\" The game is also Blizzard's first new \"intellectual property\" in 18 years, since the studio has focused on spin-offs and expansions for existing franchises such as WoW, Diablo and Starcraft. Subscribers to WoW have dropped from a high of 12 million in 2010 to 5.5 million in 2015, and the company has since stopped reporting the figures. Thomas Tippl, chief operating officer at Activision Blizzard, said Overwatch would be \"Blizzard's biggest launch since Diablo 3 in 2012\" and hoped it would \"resonate well in e-sports\". \"E-sports is not only a driver of audience expansion, but also importantly drives growth in terms of time spent with our franchises,\" he said during an earnings call on 5 May. If it captures the attention of e-sports competitors, it could have a very profitable future. \"Professional gaming competitions were watched online by roughly 200 million people in the past year, whilst over $200m (\u00c2\u00a3138m) has been awarded in e-sports tournaments to date,\" said Dr Mark Johnson, a games researcher at the University of York. \"In recent years, Counterstrike has been the only highly successful FPS game with substantial longevity for professional gaming, so a game like Overwatch certainly has the potential to grab a huge new slice of this market. \"However, many FPS games have unsuccessfully tried to carve out a long-term sustainable place in e-sports, so it remains to be seen whether or not Overwatch has the right formula to knock Counterstrike off the pedestal.\" Overwatch has already piqued the interest of many gamers, with almost 10 million players taking part in an early road test of the game. Officially the trial period was to \"test servers\" and iron out any problems, but the studio's chief financial officer Dennis Durkin has acknowledged: \"We're doing a tonne to expose players to the richness of this world.\" \"We learned a lot from the open test,\" Michael Chu, senior game designer at Blizzard, told the BBC. \"We value the input of the community and we have been changing things here and there, addressing player concerns.\" One of those concerns was about the portrayal of female characters. Some players complained that an over-the-shoulder victory pose for Tracer drew particular", "summary": "World-of-Warcraft-maker Blizzard has released its first original gaming franchise in nearly two decades."}
{"article": "Sam Smith stole the show at the Grammy Awards, winning four awards as well as performing his hit Stay With Me with Mary J Blige. But Madonna stole much of the attention on the red carpet, showing she is determined not to be overshadowed by the younger pop crowd. The queen of pop later sang Living For Love with a pack of horned male dancers before being lifted to the skies. Australian singer Sia - whose claim to fame is that she does not want to be famous - sang her hit Chandelier while facing the wall (right) while Bridesmaids actress Kristen Wiig and 12-year-old Maddie Ziegler danced in set made to look like a grotty, cluttered flat. Sia had earlier arrived in a conspicuous disguise, accompanied by Ziegler. Pharrell Williams was among the big winners, picking up three trophies as well as performing his song Happy while apparently dressed as a bell boy. When Beck won best album, Kanye West invaded the stage and threatened to launch a tirade, before apparently thinking better of it and going back to his seat. In 2009, he grabbed the microphone from Taylor Swift as she tried to accept a prize at the VMAs. Beck, who also won best rock album, performed a duet with Coldplay's Chris Martin. Taylor Swift got a hand with her dress on the red carpet. She missed out on the awards for record of the year and song of the year. The big-name pair-ups included Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, who performed Irving Berlin's Cheek To Cheek. Rihanna arrived in a pink layered dress by Giambattista Valli. Katy Perry mingled with fans before swapping fashion tips (possibly) with Rihanna. Perry then changed clothes - and hair - to perform her ballad By the Grace of God as part of a poignant segment highlighting domestic abuse. Kanye West appeared in a single spotlight to perform Only One, which he wrote with Sir Paul McCartney. He later returned with Sir Paul and Rihanna to perform their joint collaboration FourFiveSeconds. Jessie J and Sir Tom Jones, former co-stars on The Voice UK, got together for a duet of You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'. Charli XCX (left) and Iggy Azalea were up for record of the year for their hit Fancy - but lost out to Sam Smith. Beyonce won three awards and also sang the gospel standard Take My Hand, Precious Lord. Rita Ora warmed up for her performance at the Oscars later this month with an appearance at the Grammys. Hard rock legends AC/DC opened the ceremony with Rock or Bust and Highway to Hell. Recalling his Oscar-winning film role in Ray a decade ago, Jamie Foxx (right) got into character as Ray Charles as he joined Stevie Wonder to present the prize for record of the year.", "summary": "Some of the biggest stars in the music world have been on stage at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, the most prestigious night in the pop calendar."}
{"article": "BBC Sport takes a look at the most interesting facts and figures from the weekend. ...his team don't lose. In January, we told you Liverpool midfielder-turned-left-back James Milner had equalled the record for most games scored in without his team losing. Well now he's out on his own. The Yorkshireman netted his seventh penalty of the season as Liverpool drew 1-1 against his old club Manchester City on Sunday to extend his unbeaten streak of goalscoring appearances to 47 games. The run stretches back to the start of his career at Leeds in 2002-03, followed by moves to Newcastle, Aston Villa, City and Liverpool. Leicester have won all four games since Craig Shakespeare took charge as manager following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri, and much of it owes to the improvement of key players Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy. PFA Player of the Year Mahrez has contributed two goals and one assist under the new boss, having provided just five goals and three assists in his 32 previous games in all competitions. The average number of chances created by the Algerian is also up from 1.62 to 1.86, while he is attempting more dribbles per game (7.43) than under the Italian (6.19). England striker Vardy, who scored 24 league goals last season, has played the same number of games as his team-mate but has performed even better under Shakespeare. Vardy has scored three times and provided two assists in his past four games. Under Ranieri this season, he scored four times in 32 games and had not contributed any assists. The chances created by the former non-league striker are up from 0.92 to 1.56 per game, the number of touches in the opposition penalty area have increased from 3.88 to 7.02 and dribbles attempted have gone from 1.79 to 3.12. Those Atletico Madrid defenders will be quaking in their boots come the Champions League quarter-finals. Skipper Wes Morgan played every single minute last season as the Foxes claimed a sensational Premier League title triumph. Although this league campaign has not quite gone to plan, the Jamaican defender has remained a mainstay in the side... until Saturday. Morgan's 87-game top-flight run ended after a back injury kept him out of the win over West Ham. Impressive, you may think, but it is nowhere near the record for an outfield player. That accolade goes to recently retired midfielder Frank Lampard, who appeared in 164 games in a row for Chelsea from October 2001 to December 2005. Not bad, but former goalkeeper Brad Friedel takes the crown for most games played in a row in the Premier League. The American began his run for Blackburn in 2004, going on to play an astonishing 310 consecutive games for Rovers and Aston Villa, before his run ended at Tottenham in 2012. Now that will take some beating. If you have more of the ball, the opposition have less chance of scoring. Incorrect. Arsenal's tumultuous season hit a new low on Saturday when they were beaten 3-1 by West Brom at The Hawthorns, despite holding 76.86% possession in", "summary": "One Premier League defender celebrates an unusual goalscoring record, Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy's vital statistics show a sharp upturn under Craig Shakespeare and could Romelu Lukaku be the new Gary Lineker?"}
{"article": "City councillors granted outline planning permission for shops, restaurants, cafes, a leisure centre and a new bus station. There were 250 letters of objection, mainly about the effect on the traffic in the city centre. Twenty five councillors were for, 13 were against and there was one abstention. Developers TIAA Henderson Real Estate and The Crown Estate say the revamped site, due to open in 2019, will create 750 jobs. Read more on other Devon stories as they happen on our Local Live pages. Some people were turned away from the extraordinary planning meeting of the city council as there was not enough space for all those who turned up. Residents were worried about air pollution and traffic congestion, because of roads being closed as part of the plans, diverting traffic elsewhere. There have also been concerns that the bus station will not be big enough. Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, leader of the Conservative group on the council, said: \"I'm disappointed because we believe that the development lacks ambition and is also very expensive. It's going to cost the city close to \u00a330m which means that other things can't go ahead.\" Council leader Pete Edwards, from the Labour group, said: \"I'm really excited, not just for ourselves but for the citizens of Exeter. \"It's sad to see some of the opposition so vehemently against it when it's a great opportunity to go forward.\" John Grinnell, deputy head of development at The Crown Estate said he was \"delighted\". \"This scheme would represent a substantial investment in Exeter that will support the city's position as the region's most popular destination for shopping, leisure and business, whilst boosting jobs, trade and the local economy,\" he said.", "summary": "Plans for a \u00a370m redevelopment of Exeter bus station have been given the go-ahead."}
{"article": "Last month a report found South Ribble Council had a lack of awareness about ensuring passenger safety issues surrounding taxi licence applications. Tory councillor Margaret Smith had faced calls for her to quit from her own party over the handling of the taxi licensing row. A full council meeting was informed she resigned due to \"ill health\". Ms Smith, who has been leader of the authority for the past nine years, was not present at the meeting in Leyland. Her resignation letter was read out by chief executive Mike Nuttall and was \"with immediate effect\". An audit of taxi driver licence applications in December had found appropriate background checks had not been carried out in relation to 40 working taxi drivers in South Ribble. An independent report, written by solicitors Wilkin Chapman LLP in June, concluded the issues surrounding taxi licence applications had been addressed so it was not necessary to make any further recommendations. Earlier this week, four of Ms Smith's Conservative colleagues resigned from the group, saying they could not support the leadership due to \"ongoing circumstances and failures\". The council is now under no overall control for the first time in almost a decade. Councillor Colin Clark was unanimously voted in as the interim leader of the authority at the meeting on Wednesday. Councillor Cliff Hughes, who has worked with Ms Smith for over 30 years, said she was \"hard working and a \"good colleague\" who \"gets on with the whole group\". He said one of the \"great strengths\" of the council was that \"whilst the parties are diverse, we do actually get on together and make decisions together and I think that's because Margaret led us into that\".", "summary": "The leader of a council at the centre of claims children were sexually exploited by taxi drivers has resigned."}
{"article": "In 2003 there were around 1,596 pandas living in the wild, but according to the latest count there are now 1,864. Nearly three quarters of the pandas live in China's south-western province of Sichuan. The number of giant pandas in captivity has grown too - almost 200 more now than there were back in 2003. Ginette Hemley, from animal charity World Wildlife Fund, says it's great news: \"The rise in the population of wild giant pandas is a victory for conservation and definitely one to celebrate.'' But the latest count says the main threat to the panda numbers is the building of roads and power stations. Over 300 hydropower stations and 800 miles of roads have been built in areas where giant pandas live.", "summary": "Good news for giant pandas - the number living in the wild in China has gone up over the last 10 years."}
{"article": "This is basic economics. As the rig count of American production picks up, according to the most recent data published this week, there's an expectation that production will rise, supply increase, and the price subsides. There are shorter term fluctuations. Wednesday's trading has been affected by Saudi Arabia confirming it is cutting supply to Asian customers, in line with its commitment last month to the wider cut in production by the OPEC exporters cartel. But the trend of recent weeks has anticipated the growth in output. And we learned from energy analysts Wood Mackenzie on Wednesday that it foresees the Texas fields of the Permian Basin to the main player as the frackers return to work. Further south, there are shale developments moving ahead in Argentina. WoodMac, based in Edinburgh, forecasts investment is going to pick up more widely this year, for the first time since 2014. Oil companies, which have been holding back from committing to big projects while the price has been low, are showing signs of changing that. This is not only because of a much higher price than this time last year, but also because costs have been slashed over the past couple of years - by an average 20% for each of the past two years. That process is running out of the opportunities to keep cutting, but exploration and production spend is set to rise to $450bn, the forecast suggests. That's a 3% rise, but it's still 40% below 2014. Areas to watch include 'tight oil', including fracking - up by a forecast 23% in the US, to $61 billion, and potentially boosted by the Trump administration's enthusiasm for energy security and scepticism about climate change. Final investment decisions on major projects reached 40 in 2014, and fell to nine last year. The forecast is for 20 this year, most of these smaller projects building incrementally on existing infrastructure, with much higher return on investment than in the boom times of only three years ago. Deepwater drilling may get more attention, but half of the existing big deepwater projects are reckoned to break even at more than $60, so they are looking doubtful for the foreseeable. Among the regions worth watching, the North Sea does not feature, but Norway's northern Barents Sea is worth watching, including an area in which there's a dispute with Russia. That's while the ethical watchdogs who police Norway's vast state oil fund have served warning that they're going after industries which are the worst polluters. The fund owns around 2% of the world's stock market valuation, and it is widely seen as providing a lead on ethical investments. So a fund sourced from oil and gas revenues and profits is now turning against those who burn the stuff irresponsibly.", "summary": "Being upbeat on investment means being downbeat on prices, or at least that's the way it is with the oil industry."}
{"article": "The 41-year-old was in the running for the United post in January 2013 a there was fresh contact after Jackie McNamara left the club this week. \"I know there's an interest there,\" said Pressley, who spent three years as a player with United in the 1990s. \"But I don't want to come back to Scotland at this moment.\" Pressley was sacked by Coventry in February after the Sky Blues slipped into the League One relegation zone. However, the former Scotland defender is determined to succeed in England and has lofty ambitions. \"I have built up a very good reputation in England and I have a burning desire to manage at the elite level,\" he told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound. \"That's not an arrogance. That's a belief. In order to do that, I think you have to manage in a country like England. \"I think the right opportunity will arise for me here over the next coming months.\" Pressley cut his teeth in management at Falkirk after a spell as an assistant to Scotland boss George Burley and is sure his grounding in the game will serve him well. \"My first five years in management could not have been more challenging but I wouldn't change them,\" he added. \"Most managers now want to come in at the highest level but I think you have to do an apprenticeship. \"At Falkirk I had to reduce the playing budget by close to 75% in three years. At Coventry we reduced the playing budget by 60% in two years - that was four years work that we put into two. \"I'm very proud of the work that we did but my next job has got to be one where I'm not asked to tidy a club up. \"I want to have the opportunity to build on somebody else's work and really have a go at it. I think I've earned the right to do that. \"That's why my next job is a very important one.\"", "summary": "Steven Pressley thinks the manager's job at Dundee United is \"an exceptional opportunity\" but says he is not interested in a return to Tannadice."}
{"article": "A spokesman said Moscow regretted \"that the West is yet again displaying a complete lack of interest\" in resolving the crisis in south-east Ukraine. Russia was developing \"retaliatory measures\", the spokesman said. The US sanctions focused on Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in March. US President Barack Obama signed an executive order to ban the export of goods, technology and services to Crimea, in addition to new sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian individuals and companies. Mr Obama said the move showed the US would never accept Russia's annexation of Crimea. Similar measures agreed by the European Union earlier this week came into effect on Saturday. Canada announced its own sanctions on Crimea on Friday. After the peninsula was annexed, pro-Russian separatists took control of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine in April, and later declared independence. Some 4,700 people have died and another million have been displaced by fighting in recent months. On Friday, five Ukrainian soldiers were killed in fighting - the highest death toll since the latest attempt at a ceasefire began on 9 December. In addition to the goods, technology and services ban, US individuals or companies cannot now buy any real estate or businesses in Crimea or fund Crimean firms. The new measures also include sanctions on 24 Ukrainian and Russian individuals and on a number of companies deemed to be destabilising Ukraine. They include the Russian equity investment group, Marshall Capital Partners. The Night Wolves biker group is also targeted for its involvement in military action in Crimea. The European Union announced its own sanctions against the region on Thursday. All investment in Crimea is banned, as is participation in Russian oil and gas exploration in the Black Sea. European cruise ships will not be able to visit the peninsula's ports. But like the EU, Mr Obama said he would not yet impose new sanctions on Russia itself, urging it again to de-escalate the tension in eastern Ukraine. \"The US and Canada still cannot come to terms with the results of the free expression of will that the residents of Crimea and Sevastopol made in March,\" Russia's foreign ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich said in a statement. \"The residents of Crimea today are together with the whole Russian people, who have never caved in and will not cave in to external pressure.\" Mr Obama said: \"I again call on Russia to end its occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea, cease its support to separatists in eastern Ukraine, and fulfil its commitments under the Minsk agreement.\" The agreement signed by Ukraine and the rebels in Minsk, in Belarus, in September, put in place a ceasefire and set out the terms for a peace process. But Mr Lukashevich said sanctions against rebel leaders in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of eastern Ukraine undermined the political process. He concluded by advising Washington and Ottawa \"to consider the consequences\" of their actions. More than 1,000 people have been killed since the Minsk deal. The Ukraine crisis began a year ago, when pro-Moscow leader Viktor Yanukovych abandoned an", "summary": "Russia says it will not \"cave in\" to pressure, following a fresh set of US, EU and Canadian sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine."}
{"article": "It is understood the plane came down at the privately-owned Peterborough Business Airport at about 11:50 GMT. The pilot, a man aged in his 40s, was taken from the airfield to Peterborough City Hospital with a serious leg injury. An air ambulance and other emergency vehicles were sent to the scene.", "summary": "A pilot has been injured in a light aircraft crash."}
{"article": "The 31-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at The Hawthorns with a 12-month option. West Ham were also interested in signing Fletcher, but a move to Upton Park broke down last weekend. Albion failed in deadline day moves to sign West Ham striker Carlton Cole and Norwich defender Martin Olsson, but kept Brown Ideye and Graham Dorrans. Fletcher made 342 appearances for United but started only five times for the club after Louis van Gaal took over as manager in the summer. The Scot, who recovered from chronic bowel disease ulcerative colitis to resume his career in December 2013, had been at Old Trafford since he was a schoolboy and helped the Red Devils win the Premier League title five times. But with his contract set to expire in the summer he was granted a free transfer to help him find a new club in this transfer window. \"This is a fantastic new challenge for me in my career,\" Fletcher told West Brom's website. \"I've spent my career at Manchester United and it's all I've ever known. But I felt it was the right time to move and I'm not sentimental about doing that.\" Fletcher is the second player signed by West Brom head coach Tony Pulis following the \u00a34.75m capture of winger Callum McManaman from Wigan. The Scotland captain will wear the number 24 shirt for the Baggies. Albion had hoped to sign Cole and Olsson on a busy deadline day, with Dorrans set to join Norwich and Ideye linked with a move to Qatari club Al Gharafa. But Cole was called back to West Ham when they did not sign Tottenham's Emmanuel Adebayor, and Olsson failed to arrive for a medical on time. Chairman Jeremy Peace said: \"We did not get all the business done that we might have but we are thrilled to bring in a player and a character of Darren's calibre. \"\"We were disappointed for Carlton because he was also excited about joining us but for reasons which were beyond our control we could not complete the deal. The same can be said for the proposal involving Martin Olsson and Graham. \"But we have always maintained that January is a difficult time to do business and we are very happy with the deals we have done.\"", "summary": "West Brom have signed Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher on a free transfer from Manchester United."}
{"article": "Jesper Hart-Hansen was also banned from driving for four-and-a-half years. He will have to pass an extended test if he ever wants to drive in the UK again. The 50-year-old, from Denmark, admitted causing a head-on crash on the A85 near Comrie in January last year. Lorna Elliot, 50, was seriously hurt in the collision. Perth Sheriff Court heard how Hart-Hansen momentarily forgot he was not in his native Denmark and turned out of his holiday home onto the wrong side of the road. He managed to drive for nearly a mile on the wrong side of the road before causing a head-on crash with the first vehicle he encountered on the A85. Sheriff Lindsay Foulis told him he was imposing a significant fine because it was not practical to give him any other community-based work order as he lived outwith the UK. Hart-Hansen's case made Scottish legal history as he became the first person to be convicted of a new offence of causing injury through dangerous driving. Ms Elliot, from Oban, was off work for a year as a result of her injuries. Financial investor and former Ebay executive Hart-Hansen, from Lyngby, Denmark, admitted causing serious injury by driving dangerously near Dunira Estate on 25 January last year. Fiscal depute Sue Ruta said his rented Vauxhall Astra smashed into Mrs Elliot's Seat Ibiza on a sweeping bend and left her with a number of broken bones and other injuries. \"He stated to the police that he had been driving on the right hand side of the road due to the fact he had forgotten what country he was in,\" she added. Solicitor David Duncan, defending, said: \"His only explanation can be that it was his usual process to select that lane when entering a roadway. \"Unfortunately for Mrs Elliot hers is the first car he encounters. My client made a mistake when he entered the carriageway. He made a critical mistake at the outset of the journey which released a chain of events.\"", "summary": "A tourist who left a woman seriously injured after forgetting to drive on the left side of the road has been fined \u00a38,000."}
{"article": "The journalist and former BBC presenter died in his sleep on Friday night. A statement from his daughters, Samantha and Emma, called him \"remarkable\", adding: \"He had a great life, a wonderful marriage and an enviable career.\" Norman hosted BBC One's \"Film\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\" show between 1972 and 1998 - its longest running host - as well as writing for the Daily Mail and the Guardian. His literary agent described him as \"the defining voice of film criticism and insightful interviewing of screen legends from both sides of the camera\". Norman's daughters added: \"He leaves behind a family who adore him and a great roster of friends who love him too. We will miss him more than we can say.\" Norman's literary agent, Gordon Wise, said the presenter had been living with lung cancer for a number of years, but that he would be remembered as \"one of the true greats\" of film. \"It was probably that background as a newspaper journalist, interviewer and features writer that all came together to make him such a gifted film critic,\" he told BBC News. \"He could not only appreciate the story of the film but all the talents that had gone into making the film. That is what we all remember from the three decades of the Film programme - that he brought you perspectives from every side of the camera.\" Tributes have begun flooding in on Twitter, with plenty of references to Norman's pickled onions - a family recipe handed down from his grandmother that he launched as a range in supermarkets in 2007. Actor and presenter Stephen Fry tweeted a tribute, writing: \"Sad to hear of Barry Norman's departure. A film critic and a provider of fine pickled onions. That's a good life.\" Presenter Jonathan Ross, who took over \"Film...\" in 1999, added to the tributes. He tweeted: \"Very sad to hear that Barry Norman has left us. A great critic and a lovely, lovely man.\" And Claudia Winkleman, who started presenting the same show in 2010, called him \"an incredibly kind man and the greatest critic\". Barry Norman was born in London on 21 August 1933 to film director Leslie Norman and his wife, Elizabeth. He went to Highgate School in north London, but skipped university, instead beginning his writing career at the Kensington News. Norman's journalism took him to South Africa to work on two newspapers, but it was when he came back to the UK that his entertainment career took off - becoming showbiz editor at the Daily Mail. It was during his Fleet Street years that he met his wife Diana - a journalist and the author of best-selling thrillers under her pen name Ariana Franklin - and they wed in 1957. The couple had two daughters and were married for more than 50 years, until her death in 2011. Norman became best known as the presenter of the \"Film...\" programme, which he hosted on BBC One for 26 years, before he left the channel to move to Sky. His notoriety was solidified when he became a puppet on Spitting", "summary": "Film critic Barry Norman has died aged 83, his family says."}
{"article": "The family was gunned down on Saturday in the single worst incident of ivory poaching recorded in the country. Kenya has recently taken a more aggressive stance against poaching as it tries to combat a surge in demand for ivory from Asia. About 100 elephants are killed each year in Kenya by poachers. Despite a long-standing ban on the international trade, ivory from elephants is often smuggled to Asia for use in ornaments, while rhino horns are used in traditional medicine. Saturday's killings took place in Tsavo National Park, Kenya's largest single continuous ecosystem, which is home to some 13,000 elephants. \"[It] shows the great lengths these criminal cartels are ready to go to get ivory. It's really tragic,\" Kenya Wildlife Service spokesman Paul Udo told Reuters news agency. He said the poaching gang is believed to be made up of 10 people and was being hunted by rangers on foot and from the air. In a statement, the Wildlife Service said that all the elephant carcasses had bullet wounds. The Kenyan government banned trade in ivory in 1989, and levels of elephant poaching subsequently declined, but there has been a rise in the illegal practice in recent years.", "summary": "Kenya's Wildlife Service says it is pursuing a gang of poachers they suspect of killing an entire family of 11 elephants."}
{"article": "Shane Hampson, 23, of Lime Grove, Skelmersdale, was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court last month of causing death by dangerous driving. John Gregory, 49, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, died when the car crashed into the back of his vehicle in Skelmersdale, in February last year. Hampson was also handed a four-year driving ban. Police said Mr Gregory was driving his Chrysler Voyager home from work along Grimshaw Road when Hampson crashed into it from behind. Mr Gregory's car overturned and he died at the scene. Another car was also struck but the driver escaped unhurt. Sgt Patrick Worden, from the Road Policing Unit, said: \"I am very pleased with the sentence Hampson has been given and I hope this will serve as a warning to those who choose to behave in this manner - you will be punished. \"John Gregory was simply driving home from work when his car was struck from behind by a Volvo driven by Shane Hampson. \"As a result of the collision, the Chrysler overturned during which Mr Gregory was ejected from the car causing him significant injuries.\" He added: \"It was evident Hampson has been travelling at extremely high speed at the time of the collision and a lengthy investigation followed which identified that Hampson had driven dangerously not only at the time of the collision but within a few miles of the collision site. \"Despite claiming his innocence throughout, Hampson was convicted by a unanimous jury and I hope that this case sends out a strong message about the consequences of speeding.\"", "summary": "A driver who caused a man's death when he crashed into the back of a car has been jailed for four years."}
{"article": "The number of foreign visitors to The Louvre dropped by 20% to 5.3 million. The Musee d'Orsay's total attendance was down 13% to three million. The Pompidou Centre's overall figures rose 9% to 3.3 million in 2016 - but it said a rise in French visitors made up for a drop in foreign tourists. The French capital is still feeling the effects after 130 people were killed in gun and bomb attacks on 13 November 2015. Then in July, 86 people died when a lorry drove through a crowd during Bastille Day celebrations in the southern city of Nice. As well as being affected by the repercussions from the attacks, the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay were closed for five days in June because of flooding. The Louvre director Jean-Luc Martinez told Le Figaro newspaper that 2016 had been \"a difficult year\", and that the decline in visitors would cost the gallery almost 10 million euros (\u00c2\u00a38.6m), excluding the lower revenues in bookshops or restaurants. The Louvre was ranked as the most visited museum in the world in 2015, and charges 15 euros (\u00c2\u00a312.80) entry for adults. M Martinez said the number of Japanese visitors had dropped by 61% in 2016, while the number from Russia was down by 53%, Brazil by 47%, China by 31% and the US by 18%. At the Pompidou Centre, president Serge Lasvignes said the venue had suffered from a decline in the number of foreign tourists after \"the tragic events\" of 2015. But he said that in 2016 this was \"more than compensated\" for by the numbers of French visitors and the loyalty of the Parisian public. The Musee d'Orsay welcomed three million visitors in 2016, compared with 3.4 million in 2015. It said visitor numbers had started increasing again by November and December 2016. Hotel bookings in Paris from overseas were down by 10% in 2016, according to the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Paris's most popular art galleries saw a decline in visits by foreign tourists in 2016, following the Islamist militant attacks in the city in 2015 and atrocities elsewhere in France."}
{"article": "Matthew Williams was found attacking Cerys Marie Yemm, 22, at a hostel in Argoed, Caerphilly county. Police used a Taser stun gun on the 34-year-old and he later died. \"This really is the stuff of nightmares,\" said one politician. Serious further offence reviews are held if crimes are alleged to have happened within 30 days of a sentence ending. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which is investigating, confirmed Williams had been a resident at the Sirhowy Arms hostel, which houses vulnerable and homeless people, including ex-offenders. It was there on Thursday that police found him attacking Ms Yemm, 22, who was from Blackwood. Sources confirmed Ms Yemm suffered substantial facial injuries. The community has reacted with shock to the murder and William Graham, a Conservative assembly member for South Wales East, said a \"wider inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his release is urgently required\". \"Questions must be answered by authorities and a full explanation provided on the decisions taken in this extremely tragic case.\" The Ministry of Justice would not comment further. However, it is understood ex-offenders are not always subject to supervision if they serve their full sentence and have not previously been convicted of violent offences. Details of Williams's previous offences and the length of sentence he received have not been confirmed. Chris Evans, MP for Islwyn, said: \"This was a horrific and senseless crime that must be condemned without reservation. \"However, this is not the time for knee jerk reactions. A full investigation will be conducted by Gwent Police and the IPCC.\" Williams's family said it was in \"shock\" following the murder, adding it was \"devastated by the death of an innocent young lady\". Ms Yemm worked in sales at Next and was formerly a student of Coleg Gwent between 2008 and April 2009. She had been studying health and social care. Williams and Ms Yemm knew each other and police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the murder. A post mortem examination of Ms Yemm's body is expected to take some time to complete. Gwent Police said a lone female officer initially responded to the attack. Ch Insp Paul Staniforth told reporters on Friday Ms Yemm's family is being supported by officers. He also said the female officer and others who later attended were being supported by the force's occupational health department.", "summary": "A serious further offence review will take place into the case of a man who murdered a woman in an act of cannibalism shortly after being released from prison, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed."}
{"article": "Hewlett died at the age of 58 last month, having shared his experience of coping with cancer on BBC Radio 4. He was told of the honour in January, saying he was \"touched\" by the accolade. Awards chair Stewart Purvis said he had \"achieved so much\". A scholarship has been launched in his name to help students from lower income families studying broadcast journalism. One recipient each year will be presented with the Steve Hewlett Scholarship, which has been set up by the RTS and The Media Society. As well as a financial contribution to their studies, the recipient will be mentored by RTS members and former colleagues of Hewlett. Hewlett's sons collected the judges' award on his behalf. The Media Show presenter and Guardian journalist married his partner Rachel Crellin earlier in February, after being told he did not have long to live. Hewlett had spoken movingly about his cancer journey on the PM programme with Eddie Mair, who announced his death on the show on 20 February. Purvis said: \"The panel chose a winner who achieved so much on screen and off screen, over the course of his career and very particularly in the past year. \"I phoned the winner and that's how I got to tell Steve Hewlett that he had won the judges' award. Steve told me he was honoured and touched to have won. He looked forward to receiving it on 1 March. \"I don't think there has ever been anybody in broadcasting quite like Steve Hewlett. And probably never will be again.\" RTS Television Journalism Awards winners Full list of winners Two of the awards went to Syrian film-maker Waad al-Kateab, who was granted a visa by the Foreign Office to travel to the UK after leaving her home country. She won the young talent of the year award and was named camera operator of the year, the first time that award has been given to a woman. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Broadcaster Steve Hewlett has posthumously been given a top honour at the Royal Television Society awards."}
{"article": "The posters were uncovered in Clacton, Essex, earlier this week. Danny Sloggett, 40, spotted the retro signs in Meredith Road and now wants to ensure they do not end up hidden away again. \"They're relics, they're our history and they show off Clacton's power,\" Mr Sloggett said. \"The royal family used to come here in the 1920s and 30s. Lots of people used to come from London, and things like this are an important part of our history which has been hidden away.\" The posters, which advertised Ambrosia, Black Cat cigarettes and a local cafe, are on the side of a building currently occupied by Sheen's Estate Agents. An employee there said \"loads of people\" had come to take pictures over the last few days once the signs had been exposed. On Facebook, one user said the billboards \"should be covered with perspex like the Banksy stuff\". \"Should definitely restore it and photograph for a museum,\" wrote another. Mr Sloggett said he had not yet contacted Tendring District Council about the possibility of preserving the signs as he wanted to build support for his cause before doing so. \"They're amazing things. I know the history of Clacton but it's nice to see it on display,\" he said. The BBC was unable to contact the company that owns the modern billboard.", "summary": "Advertising billboards thought to be from the 1920s discovered behind a modern hoarding should be preserved \"for all to see\", a blogger has said."}
{"article": "The move will take it past the current high street leader, William Hill, combining Ladbrokes' 2,100 shops with Coral's 1,845. Current Ladbrokes chief executive, Jim Mullen, will become boss of the merged company, named Ladbrokes Coral. The two firms had announced merger talks last month. Peter Erskine, chairman of Ladbrokes, hailed the merger as a \"major strategic step for Ladbrokes\". He added: \"Together, we will create a leading betting and gaming business. The transaction will provide an attractive opportunity to generate considerable value for both sets of shareholders.\" The best way at looking at the challenges facing the merged betting giant of Ladbrokes and Coral is that they have tried to merge before. In 1998 that planned deal was squashed by Peter Mandelson, the trade and industry minister at the time, on the grounds that it would dominate the industry. Yet at that time the biggest threat to Ladbrokes and Coral did not even exist. Betfair is the world's largest internet-based betting exchange and it was not founded until 2000. It is only one of a huge number of online betting companies that pay lower tax bills, can compete for business both here and around the world and face few of the fixed costs of owning thousands of shops on the British High Street. The rationale behind this merger is to create a company that will stand a better chance of competing with those online giants. To fund the deal Ladbrokes will offer 93 million new shares to investors, representing 10% of the company. Gala Coral has been owned by a number of private equity firms, including Apollo Global Management, Cerberus Capital Management, Anchorage Capital Partners and Park Square Capital, since 2010, when it collapsed under \u00a32.5bn of debt. Under the terms of the deal, those private equity owners will own 48.25% of the new company's shares, with the remainder being held by Ladbrokes shareholders. Ladbrokes shares closed down 3.3% at 124.1p. Before the merger talks began, Gala Coral had appointed Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs to advise on a possible stock market debut, initially planned for October. The deal comes just over a week after online bookmaker 888 Holdings won a takeover battle with GVC Holdings for rival Bwin.party in a cash and shares deal valued at about \u00a3898m.", "summary": "Bookmakers Ladbrokes has announced it plans to merge with Gala Coral in a deal expected to value the business at \u00a32.3bn."}
{"article": "The 37-year-old woman and 42-year-old man were pronounced dead at the scene. A further two people are in a critical condition and a third has been described as \"serious\". The crash, which involved a silver Mercedes car and a white Vauxhall van, happened on the eastbound carriageway between Polmont and Linlithgow at about 21:00 on Friday. Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact police. A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: \"This has been a serious road traffic collision. \"We are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed it or who has information that can assist us in our inquiries.\"", "summary": "A nine-year-old girl has died, along with a man and woman, in a crash on the M9 in West Lothian."}
{"article": "Up to now it was only council tenants who had the right to buy the homes they had previously rented. But when the Housing Bill becomes law housing association tenants will acquire that same right. As a scheme already rejected by the Scottish and Welsh governments, who wish to preserve publicly-owned housing stock, it is also emblematic of the different directions being taken by different parts of the United Kingdom. Potential buyers must have been tenants for at least three years, the same as with council tenants. The government says that means up to 1.3m housing association tenants will be eligible in England. Around 500,000 housing association tenants are already eligible for some discounts. So the new scheme will extend rights to a further 800,000 tenants, and increase the discounts available. In Wales the government is planning to abolish Right to Buy entirely, and in Scotland it will be phased out by August 2016. A separate scheme exists in Northern Ireland. For those eligible, discounts start at 35% on a house and 50% on a flat. The maximum is 70%, but that is currently capped at \u00a377,900 outside London, and \u00a3103,900 in the capital. For example, someone who has been a public sector tenant for ten years could buy a \u00a3100,000 flat for just \u00a340,000 - using a 60% discount. Under the government's new Housing Bill, Local Authorities will be required to sell off their most valuable council houses, whenever they become vacant. The government estimates this would raise \u00a34.5bn. The councils will then have to build replacement homes with the money raised, and the surplus will be used to fund Right to Buy. The government will make up any difference. The government hasn't yet said what this policy will cost the taxpayer, but it has promised to refund the discount to the housing association involved. The National Housing Federation (NHF) which represents all the UK's housing associations, has calculated that in total Right to Buy for housing association tenants might cost \u00a311.2bn, if all those tenants who could afford to buy did so. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said it would potentially cost \"billions of pounds\" over the next parliament, and it \"would worsen the UK's underlying public finance position\". The IFS said it would also represent a \"substantial giveaway\" to housing association tenants. The government argues that by selling off housing association homes, but by requiring a replacement to be built, the scheme will, in effect, double the number of homes available. It will also raise the proportion of home-owners in England, which has fallen over the last few years. But the NHF argues that since 2012, only 46% of homes sold off have been replaced by new ones, despite a requirement for local authorities to do so. One problem is that councils - particularly those in urban areas - cannot find enough land to build on. Around 2.5m council tenants across the UK have bought their homes since Right to Buy started under Mrs Thatcher's government in October 1980. The numbers buying peaked at 167,000 in England", "summary": "The extension to Mrs Thatcher's Right to Buy scheme - controversial at the time - has had a rocky ride ever since the Conservative government announced it was to be extended in 2015."}
{"article": "Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire closed in December, bringing to an end centuries of deep coal mining in Britain. Ten former workers were part of a team which filled the mine shaft with concrete. It took three hours to fill the pit, BBC Look North Business correspondent Danni Hewson said. A pipe from the centre of the pit was left to release methane gas, used by the on-site power station. The remaining mine buildings will be demolished, and hundreds of houses could be built on the site within a couple of years, it is understood. Much of the mine machinery was saved for a new, smaller drift mine nearby - the New Crofton Co-operative Colliery near Wakefield in West Yorkshire which is due to open in June. A memorial to 17 miners who lost their lives at the colliery is being transferred from the colliery to the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield. Known locally as the Big K, the largest deep pit in Europe was hailed as the new generation of coal mining and could bring up to 900 tonnes an hour to the surface. Official figures from the Department for Energy and Climate Change show the UK imported more coal than it produced for the first time in 2001 - a trend repeated every year since 2003. In 2003 the UK produced 28.28m tonnes and imported 31.89m. The graph below shows how output and imports have changed, with the big dip in 1984 due to the miners' strike.", "summary": "The last deep coal mine in the UK has been capped off, three months after its closure."}
{"article": "Heartbleed was one of the worst internet flaws ever uncovered. The maintenance of the software, which secures around two-thirds of the world's websites, was done by a group of volunteers with very little funding. The new group set up by the Linux Foundation has a dozen contributors and has so far raised around $3m (\u00c2\u00a31.7m). As well as maintaining OpenSSL it will also support development of other crucial open-source software. Firms supporting the initiative include Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Intel, IBM, Cisco and Amazon. Each will donate $300,000 over the next three years. The industry has been forced to step up after Heartbleed brought chaos to the tech sector. Experts estimate that the Heartbleed bug will cost businesses tens of million of dollars in lost productivity as they update systems with safer versions of OpenSSL. \"Sometimes it takes a crisis to do the right thing,\" Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin told journalists. The bug exposed more than just people's passwords and credit card details. It also highlighted that the crucial piece of software is maintained by a small group of developers who receive donations averaging about $2,000 a year to support the project. \"It is kind of weird that such crucial software is run by a group of hobbyists on a shoestring budget,\" said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer with security firm F-Secure. \"This software was invisible, behind the scenes and there are very few volunteers who have the skill and willingness to work on a project like this. There is no recognition, no money and it is very difficult.\" The details that have emerged about how the vulnerability came about speaks volumes about how little the industry has cared about the software that was securing their websites, he added. \"The fact that the code change which caused the bug was done by an individual working at 23:00 on a New Year's Eve says a lot. The code simply wasn't reviewed enough and it went undetected for two years,\" he added. \"Now there is formal and monetary support from the industry I hope we will see a change not just for OpenSSL but for other crucial open source software.\"", "summary": "The world's biggest technology firms will donate money to fund the support of OpenSSL, the software at the centre of the Heartbleed bug."}
{"article": "The A-League club have renewed their interest after failing to sign the 33-year-old striker this summer. \"It was a 50-50 thing,\" he told BBC Scotland. \"The club was considering it, I was considering it and, in the end, it didn't come to any fruition. \"Obviously it was something I wanted to explore. The club weren't as keen.\" The former Australia international is in his second season of a second spell at Fir Park and signed a new one-year contract in the summer. But the club managed by former Crystal Palace defender Tony Popovic had hoped to take the former Celtic and Middlesbrough striker back to his homeland for the first time since he left Cranbourne Comets for Southampton in 2000. Asked if the offer was still alive, McDonald said: \"It may well be, but that's not in my hands at all. That would be up to other people to discuss it. \"I haven't heard anything else from representatives or anything else that the deal is still there. \"As far as I'm aware, that club hasn't signed anyone else, so if Motherwell were to change their mind - but that's not happening. \"We are where we are and we resume where we are.\" McDonald started on the bench for Motherwell's Scottish Cup defeat by Rangers on 21 January, with manager Mark McGhee later explaining that the striker's \"head was not in the right place\" because of the transfer approach. \"I offered to play, but we had a conversation and we felt I hadn't trained all week leading up and there was a heavy amount of preparation put into that cup game itself in terms of shape and starting XI,\" said the striker, who stressed that \"the manager and the club have been fantastic to me\". \"I agreed it wasn't right for me to step in on Friday and basically call the shots - I'm back in the team. \"That wouldn't be fair on the rest of the squad who had worked really hard during the week as well for me to go and take one of their places and the manager agreed on that. \"Of course, the offer was tempting and that's why it dragged on that whole week.\" McDonald returned to the starting line-up for the weekend Premiership loss to Rangers and was sent off after 27 minutes for a foul on Kenny Miller and Well have launched an appeal against the red card. Western Sydney lie eighth in the 10-team A-League.", "summary": "Scott McDonald has admitted he was \"tempted\" by an offer from Western Sydney Wanderers but that Motherwell rejected their latest approach."}
{"article": "The budget was passed with a majority of only eight votes - 153 to 145. \"This budget is a difficult task for a government that wants to leave its mark with social justice,\" Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told lawmakers. He agreed to a batch of economic reforms in August to secure a euro zone bailout of up to \u20ac86bn ($93bn; \u00a362bn). His leftist-led government has been under pressure to deliver tangible benefits to its poorest citizens since the agreement. The budget makes \u20ac5.7bn in public spending cuts including \u20ac1.8bn from pensions and \u20ac500m from defence. It also includes tax increases of just over \u20ac2bn. Despite the cuts, the budget will still have a greater deficit than the 2015 budget. Earlier this year Greece reluctantly agreed to the strict conditions of its third international bailout in five years. After losing his majority in August as a result, Mr Tsipras called an election and was returned to power in September with 35% of the vote. Representatives of the euro zone, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund return to Greece on Monday for more talks about pending reforms of the pension and tax systems and public administration. The euro zone has also held out to Greece the possibility of long-term debt relief after a review of progress under the new bailout. However, it has said that relief would come in the form of longer delays before repayments start or finish, not a reduction - or so-called \"haircut\" - in the amount that has to be repaid.", "summary": "Greece's parliament has narrowly approved the 2016 budget that includes sharp spending cuts and some tax increases amid economic recession."}
{"article": "The televised event in Miami took place just days before the next round of primaries, including Florida. With 246 delegates at stake, the southern state is the biggest prize. Mr Sanders had a surprise victory in Michigan on Tuesday, but Hillary Clinton increased her overall lead with a big win in Mississippi. In the Republican race on the same day, Donald Trump won three more states (Michigan, Mississippi and Hawaii) in his bid to win the Republican nomination. Ted Cruz won a Republican-only race in Idaho. The states were the latest to choose candidates to compete in November's presidential election. Sanders rides Michigan wave at Florida debate US media: Has Sanders changed Democratic race? What will Americans do if Trump wins? Election results - as they come in During the Miami debate, former Secretary of State Mrs Clinton criticised Vermont Senator Mr Sanders for voting against an immigration reform back in 2007. \"Just think, imagine where we would be today if we had achieved comprehensive immigration reform nine years ago,\" she said. Mr Sanders responded by saying he had concerns about the treatment of guest workers. The proposed programme was \"akin to slavery\", he said. He also said that Mrs Clinton was against allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licences. It's been only three days since their last debate, but all it took for the political fortunes in the Democratic presidential race to change dramatically was one day of voting in Michigan. Thanks to Bernie Sanders' shocking - albeit narrow - upset win in that state's primary on Tuesday, Hillary Clinton went from exuding confidence on Sunday night in Flint to acknowledging on Wednesday evening in Miami that she's \"not a natural politician\". Mr Sanders, with a new lease on political life, went on the attack early against the former secretary of state. He implied that she had something to hide by not releasing transcripts of paid speeches to Wall Street firms and that she is in the pocket of big business. The Vermont senator did find himself on the defensive when the topic turned to his past praise for communist governments in Cuba and Nicaragua, but the story of the night was how Mrs Clinton handled her recent adversity. Often she has seemed most sympathetic when showing vulnerability. Now the waiting game begins. Can Mr Sanders build on his Michigan win next Tuesday when Florida, Ohio and several other states vote? Those results will go a long way in determining whether Michigan was a blip or the start of a prolonged Sanders surge. Nearly two million Hispanics live in Florida, and their support will play a big role in the 15 March primary. Florida is home to nearly 1.8 million Hispanics, including about 15% of the state's Democrats. The two rivals also discussed job creation, education and climate change. And they both attacked Mr Trump, with Mrs Clinton saying that his \"trafficking in prejudice and paranoia has no place in our political system\". She said Mr Trump could not even decide \"whether to disavow Ku Klux Klan\". Meanwhile, Mr Sanders said:", "summary": "Democratic Party presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have sparred over immigration and other issues during a debate in Florida."}
{"article": "Betty Boylan's relatives put a camera in her room at Bupa's Perry Locks home in Birmingham after they found bruises on her, a court heard. Bina Begum, 49, was given a 12-month community order after admitting ill treating and neglecting Mrs Boylan. Bupa said she had been dismissed and her actions were \"unacceptable\". Read more news for Birmingham and the Black Country Noreen Ashraf, prosecuting, told Birmingham Magistrates' Court Mrs Boylan was \"left slumped in her chair with significant leaning to her side\" on 15 September. She said: \"The complainant does want to move her arm. The defendant forces her arm and pushes her back into the chair. \"The complainant cries out. She slams her head back into the chair with significant force to cause the chair to rock.\" Mrs Boylan's daughter, Bernadette Jarvis, said: \"To a vulnerable person as well who can't say anything, there's just no words to explain what she's done to be quite honest.\" The family also captured images of deodorant being sprayed in the woman's face, which is under investigation. West Midlands Police said a 43-year-old woman had been voluntarily interviewed \"in connection with an assault on a 77-year-old woman in a care home\" and inquiries were ongoing. Bupa Care Services director of quality Vivienne Birch said the apparent actions \"of these individuals are unacceptable\". She said they were \"immediately removed\" from the home and they had since been formally dismissed. \"We were shocked and saddened by the footage. We're deeply sorry this happened and the distress it has caused Mrs Boylan's family. \"We're proud of the care our staff provide and do not tolerate behaviour like this at any of our homes.\" The family had other images of a male patient in Mrs Boylan's room. In response, the Bupa Care Services director of quality said: \"Our night staff found the resident sitting in the wrong bedroom while doing their regular checks and he was safely taken back to his room. \"He had only been at the home for a few days and was confused by his surroundings.\" Begum, of Teddington Grove, Perry Barr, who admitted wilful ill treatment and neglect, said she accepted her actions were \"reckless rather than intentional or deliberate\" in a letter read out in court. She was also ordered to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work and fined \u00a3270. Nazia Jan, defending, said Begum was \"very, very remorseful\". She said: \"It's cost her her chosen career... This act was completely out of character, blemished her good character and caused her unquantifiable distress.\"", "summary": "A care worker was caught slamming the head of a 77-year-old woman with dementia into a chair on secret CCTV installed by her family."}
{"article": "Russell, 24, was taken off early in the second half of Saturday's Six Nations win at Murrayfield following a collision with Robbie Henshaw. However, he was cleared to continue after a head injury assessment (HIA), as Duncan Weir returned to the bench. The influential playmaker has since passed a final assessment. Russell's former Glasgow Warriors team-mate Weir proved to be a reliable deputy in his seven minutes on the Murrayfield pitch against the Irish, but Scotland head coach Vern Cotter will no doubt be relieved to have such a key player at his disposal for the trip to Paris. His performances for the Warriors have attracted interest from French Top 14 clubs Toulon and Montpellier in France and from Bath and Gloucester in England. Russell suffered a concussion during Scotland's 29-18 victory over France at Murrayfield last year, missing the final Six Nations match against Ireland. He also sustained a severe head injury in Warriors' Pro12 semi-final at the tail end of last season, which ruled him out of Scotland's summer tour to Japan, making his return to action in mid-September. Media playback is not supported on this device", "summary": "Scotland fly-half Finn Russell has been cleared to train ahead of Sunday's game against France after recovering from a head knock sustained against Ireland."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device He had the upper hand over his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton all weekend, and I think that's why Hamilton was a little deflated after qualifying. Pole position is pole position, but Hamilton knew he was not able to match Rosberg, especially in the middle sector of the lap, seemingly all weekend and that is something he is not used to. When Hamilton is confident, he delivers great performances. Take the wind out of his sails slightly and he goes into a sort of dead-calm scenario. He either has a strong wind or no wind at all. Rosberg's weekend, through practice, qualifying and race, was the performance of a world champion. He did everything he needed to do to confirm to people, and I'm sure to himself, that he has the beating of Hamilton. However, he has not delivered that consistently in the time they have been team-mates at Mercedes. If Rosberg can replicate it for the remainder of the season, we have one hell of a world championship battle on our hands. It seems to me that a greater part of Hamilton's performances come from pure natural talent than Rosberg's, and equally that Rosberg is more of a worker. At least that is the impression each gives to the outside world. If Rosberg can deliver performances like that consistently, his work ethic will make life difficult for Hamilton. Rosberg said after the race that he knew at the end of last season that he had to work on his racecraft, after coming off second best a few times to Hamilton. In Austria, he only had to race Hamilton for half a lap, but he did it very well. He converted second place on the grid into a lead at Turn One. He had to defend into Turn Two and into Turn Three, and it would have been easy in the circumstances to do what he did, for example, in Sochi last year, where he massively got it wrong having made a good start and locked up and went wide. Media playback is not supported on this device At the time, that mistake seemed to confirm that he was not able to take wheel-to-wheel racing to Hamilton. But in Austria he really did. Whether that was because Hamilton was already a bit on the back foot, we will never know. But, pole lap notwithstanding, if Hamilton was not quite happy with his car in one way or another, there is not a lot you can change between qualifying and race - it is limited to front wing, differential and tyre pressures. And there are some problems that they will not solve. Having seen Rosberg step up a level in Austria, I am now intrigued to see whether he can keep it up and repeat it at the next race, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. If he does, that will be impressive and it is really going to bring this championship to life. But right now there has to be a question mark about that.", "summary": "Nico Rosberg drove as good a race as I have ever seen from him to win the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday."}
{"article": "The non-native creature, which is about the size of a domestic cat, was filmed by a wildlife monitoring group at 05:30 on 17 March. Stills from a night vision camera set up to track wildcats clearly show the nocturnal mammal standing on its hind legs and eating bait. The public have been warned not to approach the raccoon as it could bite. Stan Whitaker, SNH Wildlife and Non-Native Species Manager, said: \"Raccoons could cause millions of pounds worth of damage per year to the Scottish economy if they became established here. \"They could also cause significant damage to our native wildlife by preying on birds, small animals and amphibians. \"Raccoons aren't dangerous, but they may give you a nasty bite if cornered. The raccoon that has been recorded is an adult and roughly the size of a domestic cat.\" He added: \"Ideally, we would like to trap this raccoon and rehome it in a zoo or wildlife park. \"If you come across the raccoon, do not approach it, but please report it immediately to Scotland's Environmental and Rural Services.\" Raccoons are listed as one of the top 50 invasive, non-native species in Scotland. Kept as pets and in zoos, there have been several escapes in the last few years. They are considered a nuisance in their native north America, as they damage buildings and gardens and forage in rubbish bins. They also carry wildlife diseases such as rabies. In 2013, a raccoon called Ronnie spent three months on the run after escaping from a Perthshire wildlife park.", "summary": "Conservation officers are hoping to catch a raccoon seen living wild in Garve in the Highlands."}
{"article": "The young leaders want greater autonomy and changes to the way Hong Kong is governed by China. Voter turnout reached a record high of 58%. Among those elected is Nathan Law, 23, who helped lead the \"Umbrella Protests\" in 2014 for self-determination. Despite the gains, China's supporters will continue to hold the majority of seats on the 70-seat council. Mr Law expressed shock at the result, saying it showed people \"wanted change\". The election is the first in the territory since the 2014 unrest, when central areas of Hong Kong were paralysed for weeks by mostly young protesters. They were demanding greater democracy for the territory amid concerns that Beijing was increasingly interfering in the politics of the former British colony, breaking the \"one country, two systems\" agreement. Beijing denies this, and gave no concessions to the protesters. \"I think Hong Kongers really wanted change,\" Mr Law, 23, was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. \"Young people have a sense of urgency when it comes to the future.\" Mr Law, whose Demosisto party campaigns for the right to self-determination, had the second highest number of votes in the multi-seat Hong Kong Island constituency. Two candidates from the Youngspiration party, a more vocally pro-independence movement which also has its roots in the Umbrella Protests, were also on course to be elected. However, several veteran democrats failed to retain their seats. \"People want change, change meaning that they want new faces... but the price is a further fragmentation [of the pro-democracy camp],\" defeated candidate Lee Cheuk-yan told Reuters. Mr Law warned that pro-democracy legislators would \"have to be united to fight against the [Chinese] Communist Party\". Importantly for Mr Law and his allies, democrats have retained one third of seats in the council - meaning they have the ability to veto major constitutional changes. There will also be more radical voices in the LegCo, with at least six young candidates who support self-determination for Hong Kong occupying seats. China's government has always been opposed to any calls for independence, and an official from the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council reiterated this point on Monday. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government's Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Raymond Tam said it would do its best to \"bring them [radical activists] around to a more centrist position\". \"Independence is not realistic at all,\" said Elizabeth Quat, a member of a pro-Beijing party. \"Hopefully this will not be their main objective.\" The Chinese government has consistently denounced pro-democracy protests, calling the 2014 street occupations \"illegal\", and stressed that unity is the way forward for the country. Hong Kong papers have noted the \"record high turnout\" - the highest since 1997. Apple Daily describes \"a blazing atmosphere\", with hundreds queuing into the early hours. The South China Morning Post notes that a \"new generation\" has emerged from the vote and may \"create more headaches for Chief Executive CY Leung's administration\". A lot of mainland Chinese media have refrained from covering the election at all, or only covered it sparingly. Regulators have even blocked some", "summary": "A new generation of pro-democracy activists has won seats on Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo)."}
{"article": "Recep Tayyip Erdogan said voters had chosen stability following unrest. With almost all ballots counted, state-run Anadolu news agency said the AKP had won 49.4% of the vote, with the main opposition CHP on 25.4%. European observers have criticised the government for stifling media freedom. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said violence, especially in the country's south-east, had also had a significant impact on the election. Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) went further and denounced the entire process as \"unfair\". President Erdogan hailed the result early on Monday, saying: \"The national will manifested itself on 1 November in favour of stability.\" But he also attacked media criticism of him and called for global recognition of the election result. \"Now a party with some 50% [of the vote] in Turkey has attained power... This should be respected by the whole world, but I have not seen such maturity.\" Gavin Hewitt: President's triumph leaves Turkey polarised Erdogan: Turkey's bruised battler Lira strengthens after result Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will now begin the process of forming a new government. Mr Erdogan called the second general election this year after his AKP lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in 13 years in June and attempts to form a coalition failed. The pro-Kurdish HDP crossed the 10% threshold needed to claim seats in parliament, but it got 21 fewer MPs than in June's election. The nationalist MHP's share of the vote also declined, to 11.9%, and commentators suggested it had lost voters to the AKP. Reported results also showed: Clashes were reported in the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir, in the south-east of Turkey, as the results were being counted. Reuters said police had fired tear gas at protesters throwing stones. Since elections in June, a ceasefire between the Turkish army and militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has collapsed. Critics have accused Mr Erdogan of renewing violence to curb support for the HDP - something the government denies. In a statement on Monday, Ignacio Sanchez Amor, head of the OSCE observer mission, said: \"Physical attacks on party members, as well as the significant security concerns, particularly in the south-east... imposed restrictions on the ability to campaign.\" He added that pressure on journalists - including a police raid on the Koza-Ipek media group in Istanbul last week - was a major concern. Meanwhile Andreas Gross, head of the PACE delegation, said: \"Unfortunately, the campaign for these elections was characterised by unfairness and, to a serious degree, fear.\" HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas said on Sunday that it had not been \"a fair or equal election\". The party suspended campaigning after a bombing in Ankara last month killed more than 100 people. The government said the attackers were linked to the Islamic State (IS) group. Violence has escalated in Turkey since a suicide bombing in July by suspected IS militants. The attack near the border with Syria killed more than 30 Kurds. Turkish newspaper front pages reflect the contrasting euphoria and gloom from government supporters and opponents", "summary": "Turkey's president says the world must respect the results of the election, which saw the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) regain its parliamentary majority."}
{"article": "The National Stadium - or Bird's Nest - was used at the 2008 Olympics. \"When you plan someone's career like Joshua you tend to plan in advance,\" said Hearn, who saw Joshua stop Charles Martin last month to win the title. \"I think we're two years from saying we can sell out the Bird's Nest in China.\" Hearn is the father of Joshua's promoter Eddie, and chairman of the fighter's Matchroom stable. He identified China's 2008 Olympic silver medallist Zhang Zhilei, who has built an unbeaten professional record of eight fights since basing himself in Las Vegas, as a potential opponent for 26-year-old undefeated Joshua. \"Sometimes these things don't happen because people get beaten, but our job is about creating these kinds of moments,\" he added. Joshua will make the first defence of his title against American Dominic Breazeale in London next month.", "summary": "Great Britain's IBF world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua could make a defence of his title at Beijing's National Stadium, according to promoter Barry Hearn."}
{"article": "\"The company confirmed that it received a subpoena from the SEC in the fourth quarter of 2015,\" said Valeant spokeswoman Laurie Little. Valeant, which has been struggling to maintain investor confidence amid mounting scandals, said the SEC probe was one of \"several ongoing investigations\". The firm's shares closed down 18%. The statement comes a day after the company announced the return of its chief executive J. Michael Pearson from medical leave. It also said it would postpone the release of its fourth quarter earnings and scrap its previous financial forecast. The company also cancelled a planned call with investors. The investigation is separate from one involving the purchase of Salix Pharmaceuticals that was made public last year. Ms Little said: \"Valeant confirms that it has several ongoing investigations, including investigations by the US Attorney's Offices for Massachusetts and the Southern District of New York, the SEC, and Congress.\" The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is separately already investigating whether Salix Pharmaceuticals - which Valeant purchased in 2015 - misled investors about its inventory levels in 2014. Valeant is also under scrutiny for its connection to speciality pharmacy chain Philidor RX Services. Valeant cut ties with the pharmacy in October, after it was accused of using the pharmacy to falsify sales to boost prices.", "summary": "Valeant Pharmaceuticals is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, it has confirmed."}
{"article": "Conlon, 21, was ruled out for much of the season in August with a cruciate knee ligament injury having made five appearances for Darren Sarll's side. The former Stoke City Under-18s player joined Boro from Peterborough United and made 35 appearances in all competitions last season. Stevenage are currently seventh, occupying the final play-off spot. With two games to play, the Boro are one point clear of three teams - Mansfield, Wycombe and Carlisle - in the race for a top-seven finish.", "summary": "Midfielder Tom Conlon has signed a new undisclosed-terms contract with League Two play-off hopefuls Stevenage."}
{"article": "The USA is gripped by the most controversial presidential contest in decades - with the election just a little over two weeks after this weekend's race in Austin, Texas. And F1 arrives in one of its favourite locations with the world champion and its biggest star, Lewis Hamilton, at war with the media for reasons it is fair to say much of the media don't really understand. Hamilton, trailing team-mate Nico Rosberg by 33 points in the championship with four races to go, is scheduled to be taking part in the official pre-event news conference in Austin on Thursday. So there will be an early chance to find out where his head is at when it comes to the latest controversy surrounding the Mercedes driver. It is this same event that led to all the trouble in Japan two weeks ago, when Hamilton spent the half-hour not really answering questions, directing people interested in his views to his social media outlets, and using one of them to post pictures of himself and fellow driver Carlos Sainz with bunny rabbit and deer faces. Then, upset by some of the subsequent coverage, Hamilton refused to take any questions at his post-qualifying conference two days later. If nothing else, the furore - if that is an appropriate word for what many may view in reality as one of the more ridiculous media controversies to surround F1 - will guarantee media coverage in the States. And that is exactly what the sport, and this race in general, needs. With Austin, F1 in America has finally - after 30 years of trying - found what feels like it could be a permanent home - a place where there is a decent track, an enjoyable location, and people who want to come and watch. So to hear last autumn that the race might not happen this year because of a $6m shortfall in state funding seemed at first like it could be yet another example of F1 shooting itself in the foot in a market it has struggled to master despite 60-odd years of trying. After all, what's $6m in the context of a race as important to F1 as this? The problem has been solved by the track hosting a concert by pop superstar Taylor Swift on Saturday night, the idea being to attract fans who might want to see her play and then, hey, why not take in a race - as well as those who might view things the other way round. It's worked, and long may that remain the case, for not since the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the US Grand Prix had homes in Watkins Glen in New York State, and Long Beach, California, had it felt like there was a race with which the sport could prosper in the States. When these fell by the wayside for - you guessed it - financial reasons, a succession of street tracks in Las Vegas (actually a car park), Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix all failed to capture the imagination. Even the race on", "summary": "This year's United States Grand Prix comes at a critical time for both Formula 1 and the host country."}
{"article": "Bellusci, 27, spent the 2016-17 season with Empoli in Italy's Serie A and has a year left on his contract at Leeds. Empoli were relegated to Serie B, but the Italian centre-back is seeking a transfer to stay in his home country, with Bologna rumoured to be interested. He joined the Whites from Catania in August 2014 and has scored two goals in 61 appearances for the club.", "summary": "Leeds defender Giuseppe Bellusci will not return to the club following a loan spell with Empoli, BBC Leeds reports."}
{"article": "Mr Kearney's Kilmona group wants to build a four-block scheme on a site next to Central Station and extend an existing building on Chichester Street. Residents in the adjacent Markets area have objected to the Central Station scheme and elements of the original plan have been changed as a result. Councillors on the planning committee are to make final decisions next week. The Central Station scheme consists of a 14-storey block, a 10-storey block and two three-storey blocks which will have total floor space of about 323,000 sq ft (30,000 sq m). The Chichester Street scheme will involve extending and upgrading Centre House. The plan includes the demolition of an existing three-storey office building on Gloucester Street and the addition of a 'glass box' extension to the upper levels of Centre House. Belfast has seen little development of Grade A office space since the property crash.", "summary": "Two major Belfast office projects from the developer Paddy Kearney have been recommended for planning approval."}
{"article": "The Premiership leaders head to Ibrox for the first time this season having won 5-1 at Celtic Park in September and 1-0 at Hampden Park in the League Cup. \"I think we have progressed since that game, I think we have been even better. \"So if you take that into account, it might be that the gap is bigger,\" said the Dane ahead of Saturday's clash. \"You always talk about gaps but you also know that one game can change that perception of it. \"So I think the most important thing is to be respectful and say that we are doing our job and Rangers are doing their job. \"If we at the moment are number one that means something, so we will be doing our best to keep that.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Rangers have taken 24 points from a possible 33 since their League Cup semi-final defeat to move into second place in the Premiership, having won four and drawn one of their last five games. \"They have improved, for sure,\" Sviatchenko acknowledged. \"It is always difficult to come back up into the league but they have performed well and you can see that in the table. \"But I think we are still doing really well and we need to focus on ourselves.\" Celtic, chasing a sixth successive league title, are unbeaten in 23 domestic matches this season and have won their last 14 matches in the Premiership. They are within three matches of equalling the club's 'Lisbon Lions' class of 1966-67 that went 26 domestic matches unbeaten at the start of the season - before losing 3-2 at Dundee United on 31 December.", "summary": "Celtic defender Erik Sviatchenko believes the gap between the champions and Rangers may have grown since their last meeting two months ago."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device After a 2-2 draw at Anfield, Liverpool prevailed 14-13 in a shootout in which six players scored twice, to reach the fourth round. \"Our players showed great resilience to keep going,\" said Rodgers. \"And at the end, when it was needed, they showed wonderful composure with some of our young players stepping up.\" Liverpool took the lead after just 10 minutes through debutant midfielder Jordan Rossiter, 17, but Boro equalised when Adam Reach headed in after the break. Suso drilled home for the Reds in extra time but Patrick Bamford's last-minute spot-kick, after Raheem Sterling gave the ball away and Kolo Toure brought down Bamford, took the tie to penalties. Media playback is not supported on this device The shootout featured 20 successful penalties in a row and equalled the record scoreline in English professional football, set in the Football League Trophy in August 2011, when Dagenham & Redbridge beat Leyton Orient. \"It's a relief to get through,\" added Rodgers. \"We are disappointed with the goals we conceded. We are making too many mistakes at the moment. But what this team has is character and we needed that. \"We were practising penalties last night. We are humble enough as a group to think we would maybe go to penalties because Middlesbrough are a good side and are doing very well, so everyone practised.\" The match was a triumph for Liverpool's young players, with Rossiter scoring the opening goal on his debut and 18-year-old Jordan Williams finding the net in the shootout on his first appearance. Suso, a 20-year-old Spanish forward, scored his first Liverpool goal and netted two penalties before Boro winger Albert Adomah pushed his effort wide to finally bring the cup tie to an end. \"It was a good night for our young players,\" added Rodgers. \"Young Jordan Rossiter at 17 years of age - he could walk to Anfield - he lives just around the corner, and I was delighted for him. \"He got the opportunity and showed wonderful composure to get that finish. \"I was also impressed with young Jordan Williams - he came on and showed real good stature and composure in the game. He is a wonderful footballer and a young player who is developing well. \"And young Suso hasn't had a lot of game time at all, but he has kept working and I thought he was really bright for us when he came on, and took his goal really well.\"", "summary": "Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers praised his young players' composure as the Reds beat Middlesbrough in the longest League Cup penalty shootout."}
{"article": "The Resolution Foundation said 9,000 more jobs were needed before Scotland's employment rate returned to the level it was at before the economic crisis. England closed this \"jobs gap\" more than a year ago, it said. Its employment rate now stands at a record 74.3%. Compared with that, Scotland's rate stood at 74.6% immediately before the recession and reached 74.3% between August and October last year. However, it needs to reach the 74.6% figure to close the jobs gap. The London-based think tank's report was published ahead of the latest official employment figures, which are due to be released on Wednesday. It found that while Scotland had experienced a \"comparatively disappointing performance\" on employment since the financial crash, it had undergone a less severe squeeze on pay. Typical pay in Scotland is currently 5.7% below its 2009 peak, compared with a drop of 9.1% across England. Analysis released by the foundation earlier this week suggested that typical pay in Scotland was now marginally higher than in England. The foundation warned that stronger employment gains would be needed if Scotland were to maintain its new pay advantage. Its report said: \"Scotland's incomplete recovery on jobs may lead to slower pay growth in the future relative to other nations and regions of the UK.\" Conor D'Arcy, policy analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: \"Scotland enjoyed a significantly higher employment rate than England in the years running up to the financial crisis. But its relatively poor track record in recent years means that it has fallen back in line with England. \"This puts Scotland's new-found pay advantage over England at risk and it's vital that its job gap is closed sooner rather than later. \"Attention must then turn to why Scotland is lagging behind some other areas of the UK, and what can be done to speed up its sluggish employment growth. \"In order to move towards full employment, it is important for employers to offer 'pull factors' to encourage people who may not actively be looking for work to enter the labour market, such as flexible working and paying at least the voluntary Living Wage.\" He added: \"The next Scottish government should play a central role in fostering such change. \"With new powers over disability benefits and back-to-work programmes, whoever wins in May's election must make it their focus to re-establish Scotland's reputation as a labour market leader.\"", "summary": "Pay growth in Scotland could be slower than the rest of the UK because of the job market's \"incomplete recovery\" from the recession, according to a think tank."}
{"article": "Three men were arrested after the Easyjet flight from Ljubljana to Stansted, in Essex, had been diverted to Germany's Cologne-Bonn airport on Saturday afternoon. All 151 passengers were evacuated and flights were suspended for three hours. A backpack belonging to the men was blown up by police. A spokesman for Cologne-Bonn airport confirmed the landing, adding: \"Prior to this, the pilot had been informed about a suspicious conversation on board, after which he decided to make an unscheduled landing in Cologne-Bonn. \"After the safe landing... the 151 passengers left the [aircraft] via emergency slides and were taken to a transit gate.\" The passengers had to \"undergo a check immediately\" and additional security checks were carried out on the plane. A statement from Cologne police said other passengers had made the crew aware of a conversation by three men. It said the subject had been \"terrorist content\", without elaborating further. It added that federal police had \"blown up in a controlled manner\" a backpack belonging to the men. Easyjet said the captain had taken the decision to land as a precaution to allow additional security checks to take place. All the passengers had been given a hotel for the night and would be flown back on Sunday morning, she said. \"We thank passengers for their understanding. The safety of Easyjet's passengers and crew is our highest priority.\"", "summary": "A plane flying from Slovenia to the UK made an unplanned landing after the pilot was alerted to a \"suspicious conversation\" with \"terrorist content\"."}
{"article": "Each day that passed, he would score it with a piece of charcoal. One month, he counted. When the members of the Mujao Islamist group took him out of prison, he was unconscious at the back of a car being driven to hospital. His right arm was bleeding as the militants had just cut his hand off with a knife. \"They strapped me against this pillar,\" recalls Mr Moutkel, a 22-year-old father of three, as we toured the prison where he was held. He lies against it and bends his knees to show me how he was sat down on a chair. He then mimics somebody attaching ropes around his legs, his waist and his arms. \"They were many,\" he says. \"Some of them wore a mask, and one filmed the whole scene with a mobile phone. \"Within a few seconds, one of them emerged from the group with a knife and cut my hand off, just straight like that,\" Mr Moutkel explains as he moves his stump above his left wrist to imitate the knife. \"I was in hospital when I woke up.\" At least 12 people went through the same horror, either in public or at the back of the prison, according to Gao's mayor Sadou Harouna Diallo. Five of them had one hand and one leg amputated. Legs were also cut using a knife, reportedly under the knee. Mr Moutkel was accused of having stolen a mattress. No evidence was ever brought against him, but the people are too shocked by the brutality and the barbaric act to even discuss the allegation. A sinister atmosphere still haunts Gao. Almost every day, the French neutralise mines, grenades or material used for makeshift bombs that were found in houses inhabited by jihadi fighters. None of the many big black billboards declaring Sharia have been removed. They are planted everywhere. \"Al-hijab for the blessing of Allah and the purity of women,\" one reads both in French and in Arabic. It refers to the dress code that was imposed on females. They had to cover their head, their face and body entirely. Independence Square was renamed \"Sharia Square\". Children now play football in the long dusty pitch where public punishments were carried out. An employee of the town hall laments that these sign posts are still standing firm everywhere. \"We are waiting for the governor to give us the means to take them down,\" the man says, he refused to give his name. The Islamists' prison where Mr Moutkel was detained has been emptied but the white Mujao flag drawn onto a black iron sheet is still nailed into the concrete wall above the main entrance. About 25 prisoners were thrown into Mr Moutkel's cell, which according to my calculation was about 10 sq m (107 sq ft). They were not given any food or water. At times, their Islamist captors would allow member of their family to bring them something to eat. \"The worst was when five persons were amputated at the same time,\" Dr Abdulaziz Maiga recalls. \"They were very agitated", "summary": "Algalas ag Moutkel points his left arm at the writing on the wall of the cell in which he was incarcerated during the rule of militant Islamists in Gao in northern Mali."}
{"article": "Mr Swinney made the announcement as he unveiled his draft budget to MSPs in the Scottish Parliament. He also announced a tax rise on many second homes and buy-to-let properties through a Land and Buildings Transaction Tax levy. And Mr Swinney confirmed that the council tax freeze would continue. The finance secretary warned that the Scottish budget was set to continue to reduce in real terms until the end of the decade, as he said it had done since 2010. Opposition parties claimed that Mr Swinney was \"following where the Conservatives lead\" and that his budget would result in \"massive cuts\" to local services such as schools, roads and care of the elderly. And local authority body Cosla warned that funding going to Scotland's 32 councils had been cut by 3.5% - meaning they would lose out on \u00a3350m between them. Holyrood will be given limited powers over income tax rates next April under the 2012 Scotland Act, which was passed under the previous UK coalition government. It will see the Treasury deduct from the Scottish block grant a sum equivalent to the product of 10p worth of income tax north of the border. Mr Swinney then had the option of setting a Scottish Rate of Income Tax (SRIT) which could either be lower, higher or the same as the 10p that has been deducted. The finance secretary told the Holyrood chamber: \"I propose that the Scottish Rate of Income Tax will be set at 10p in the pound - the rate people pay this year will be the same rate that they will pay next year. \"I hope that from 2017/18 this parliament will have more flexibility in setting income tax rates. However, that will depend on reaching agreement on a new fiscal framework and final passage of the Scotland Bill.\" Among the other measures proposed by Mr Swinney were: Greater controls over income tax are among the measures contained in the Scotland Bill which is currently being scrutinised by Westminster, but these will not come into force until 2017 at the earliest. Mr Swinney said that the Scottish government aimed to set out its longer-term plans on income tax ahead of the dissolution of the Scottish Parliament in March of next year. He said that the Scottish government's aim was to focus on tackling inequality and boosting productivity in order to \"create the foundations for a stronger and more inclusive economy\". But he said that would need to be delivered within a \"significantly constrained\" public spending environment. Mr Swinney added: \"By 2020 our budget will be 12.5% lower in real terms than when the Conservatives came to power. That is the equivalent of one pound in every eight that we spend being cut by Westminster by 2020.\" He said that Land and Buildings Transaction tax, which replaced the stamp duty charge on property sales in Scotland, will remain the same for most transactions. But he added: \"The exception to this is for buyers purchasing an additional residential property - such as a second home or a buy-to-let - worth more", "summary": "The finance secretary John Swinney has ruled out an increase in Scottish income tax when Holyrood gets new financial powers next year."}
{"article": "Events are taking place in Dublin to mark the centenary of the 1916 rebellion against British rule, a seminal moment in Ireland's past. Some unionists have been reluctant to take part in or support the events. Michael D Higgins also said the commemorations are an example to the UK of how to reflect on its own history. The Easter Rising, a brief and militarily unsuccessful republican revolt, is seen by many historians as a significant stepping-stone in the eventual creation of the Republic of Ireland and the partition of the island. A greater depth of knowledge, President Higgins said, meant the Easter Rising was now being put \"in context of what was happening in Europe\" 100 years ago. \"I do think that without 1916, and the events that surrounded it, we would not have achieved our independence,\" he said in a wide-ranging interview for the BBC. \"It is one of the founding events, without a doubt, and it is of immense significance in terms of where it occurs historically but also symbolically.\" President Higgins said Ireland's approach to the rising's centenary was one of \"ethical sensitivity\". And he added that \"it is responsible not to be seeing fears where there are none\". \"My great hope, as head of state, is that we will put ourselves into each other's history,\" he said. \"We must be able to take your version, my version, move into the shoes of the other, and we must be open to changing our versions as new facts, information and analysis become available to us. \"I would hope that people in Northern Ireland will approach these commemorations, and as we commemorate the [Battle of the] Somme, that we'd be able to do so generously.\" President Higgins said people must not \"become a prisoner of the past\" and \"mustn't allow any distortions of history\". He said everyone's take on history must be open to critique, and that Britain, like Ireland, had to closely examine its past. \"When we decide to address the issue of violence, let us speak of the violence of empire, the violence of state, the violence of insurrection,\" he said. \"Let's do it all - this is the challenge that people are not rising to. \"Having spent decades revising nationalism, where is the evidence that there is as much energy put into addressing the issue of empire? \"As empires came to establishing their stamp on neighbouring countries, what was the consequences of that?\" He described the Northern Ireland peace process as \"fragile\" and an \"ongoing project\", but added it would be \"pessimistic and wrong\" to say significant reconciliation had not been achieved. \"There is real reconciliation going on,\" he said. \"You don't keep picking at the sources of division to undermine what progress you're making in the present in terms of reconciliation.\" Earlier this week, the Inniskillings Museum in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, presented President Higgins with a green harp flag that had been taken by a soldier from Dublin's Liberty Hall during the rising.", "summary": "The Irish president has said he hopes people in Northern Ireland will approach the Easter Rising commemorations \"generously\"."}
{"article": "The latest Bank of Scotland purchasing managers index (PMI) found activity in the private sector dipped in November. There had been modest growth in the previous month. The bank's headline index, which measures changes in output in both manufacturing and services, fell to 49.8 from 50.9 in October. Any figure below 50 suggests economic contraction. The report found that the decline stemmed from the manufacturing sector, where the rate of contraction was the sharpest in just over three years. However, service providers reported a slight rise in business activity. The survey also indicated a fall in incoming new orders linked to a slowdown in the oil and gas industry. Despite this, the number of people employed in Scotland's private sector grew, although the rate of job creation was said to be \"weak\". Alasdair Gardner, Bank of Scotland regional managing director for Scotland, said: \"The headline index fell below the crucial 50 mark in November as a slowdown in the oil and gas industry veered the Scottish economy into contraction. \"The drop in activity stemmed from declining new orders, which was affected by unfavourable exchange rates. \"However, this did not discourage firms from further adding to staffing numbers.\"", "summary": "The Scottish economy contracted slightly last month as a result of a downturn in the oil and gas industry, according to a report."}
{"article": "Harmer finished with match figures of 14-172, as the county champions lost their last five wickets for 10 runs. Nick Compton's 120 off 303 balls had helped Middlesex recover from 51-3, putting on 153 with Paul Stirling (55). But they slumped from 252-5 to 262 all out as Division One leaders Essex won by an innings and 34 runs. South Africa international Harmer, who returned career-best figures of 14-128 in last week's win over Warwickshire, has now taken 47 wickets in eight matches this season. Middlesex began the day on 27-0, still needing another 273 runs to avoid an innings defeat, and got off to the worst possible start when Nick Gubbins (16) was caught by Alastair Cook. Harmer next saw off Stevie Eskinazi (12) who was caught by Varun Chopra at leg slip, diving forward with one hand after Cook had parried the ball at slip, while Dawid Malan soon followed for one. Compton steadied the ship and completed his first century of the season from 232 balls, but was trapped leg before to become Harmer's 11th wicket of the game and Middlesex subsided. They lost their last four wickets in 27 balls, sending Essex 29 points clear at the top of the Division One table.", "summary": "Spinner Simon Harmer took a career-best 9-95 as Essex beat Middlesex with just moments of a dramatic final evening at Chelmsford remaining."}
{"article": "Rochdale's Joe Bunney broke the deadlock, netting from six yards before Nathaniel Mendez-Laing doubled the lead against his old club from close range. Michael Smith then halved Posh's deficit from 25 yards 10 minutes before half time. Rochdale's Bunney and Posh's Chris Forrester both saw second-half efforts well saved as the Dale held on. The result ends Peterborough's play-off hopes, with Posh sitting 14 points outside the top six, while Rochdale keep their slim play-off hopes alive, with seven points separating them and the top six. Rochdale Manager Keith Hill told BBC Radio Manchester: Media playback is not supported on this device \"We're still chasing the dream, it's a massive dream but the players have stood up to the challenge. \"The recent form is absolutely superb and I'm really pleased with today's performance. \"Our attitude, our grit, our determination in the second half to keep the second half clean sheet was magnificent.\"", "summary": "Peterborough were narrowly beaten by Rochdale as all three goals came in the first half at the ABAX Stadium."}
{"article": "Dariusz Parczewski and his wife Bozena Parczewska are accused of forcing a Polish man to work at the retailer's headquarters in Derbyshire then keeping his wages. The sportswear firm has not been accused of any wrongdoing. The couple, from Aspley in Nottingham, were released on bail following the hearing at Nottingham Crown Court. They were arrested as part of a Nottinghamshire Police investigation into human trafficking and were both charged with knowingly causing another to perform forced labour. Mrs Parczewska and the couple's son, Kristian Parczewski, are also charged with a range of tax and benefit fraud offences. The defendants are all due to appear at the same court for a plea and case management hearing on 8 January.", "summary": "A couple who supplied workers to Sports Direct have appeared in court accused of modern slavery."}
{"article": "Burberry reported pre-tax profits of \u00a3166m for the year to March. A year ago it made a loss of \u00a316.1m, hit by charges at its Spanish operations. In the past year it has opened 21 new stores and closed nine. It plans to open 20-30 stores this year worldwide. The group has also focused on promoting the Burberry brand online. Sales rose 7% to \u00a31.28bn, with the company recording double-digit sales growth in Europe and Asia Pacific. Adjusted profit rose 23% to \u00a3215m, taking into account one-off items and a favourable exchange rate. Stores in London in particular benefited from favourable currency movements and increased tourism. \"Looking forward, while mindful of the economic environment, Burberry plans to build on its strong financial position by accelerating investment in growth initiatives in retail, digital and new markets, while continuing to enhance the brand,\" said chief executive Angela Ahrendts. Burberry shares were up 7.6% at 659 pence in afternoon trading.", "summary": "Luxury fashion designer Burberry has returned to profit after opening new stores and spending more on online marketing"}
{"article": "Holyrood Park Distillery is looking to raise \u00a35.5m from investors for a new distillery and visitor centre. The funds will be used to renovate a former engine shed in St Leonard's Lane and buy and install equipment. The cash will also be used to help cover early start-up and production costs. Fundraising will be led by accountants and business advisers Johnston Carmichael. Plans for the distillery were approved last year by the City of Edinburgh Council. It is a joint development by David Robertson, former master distiller for The Macallan, and Rob and Kelly Carpenter, founders of the Canadian branch of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Mr Carpenter said: \"We are confident that by placing a working distillery in the heart of Edinburgh's capital, with the visitor numbers and cash flow that is expected to provide, we are creating something that is quite different from the typical distillery start-up.\" The Holyrood Distillery will be Edinburgh's first single malt whisky distillery since Glen Sciennes closed in the 1920s. There are also plans to produce gins, liqueurs and other spirits. Distilling of Holyrood whisky is due to begin in late 2018, with bottles hitting the shelves as early as 2021, according to the company.", "summary": "The company behind plans to bring single malt whisky distilling back to Edinburgh after a 90-year absence have launched a major fundraising drive."}
{"article": "The report, based on data from 5,000 patients in England and Wales, said awareness of the early symptoms of the condition must improve. However, most patients said they were happy with the care they received. In the UK, one million people suffer from inflammatory arthritis and 700,000 of those have rheumatoid arthritis. The condition affects the joints, causing pain, stiffness and swelling. The hands and feet are often the first joints to be affected. Those with a severe form of the condition may not be able to dress or bathe themselves, and some will have to stop working. This is the second audit of rheumatology services across England and Wales by the British Society for Rheumatology. It assessed experiences of patient care against the standards set down by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for the diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis in adults. It found that as well as delays in early referrals, fewer than half of the patients analysed were seen by a specialist with three weeks, another target set by NICE. But the report acknowledged there could be a number of reasons for the delays, including staffing levels, the number of specialist consultants in the area, the level of detail contained in referral letters from GPs and whether or not a patient rescheduled their appointment. For example, in London, the average waiting time for patients to be seen by a specialist was 23 days, compared with 34 days in Wales. But patients in Wales only had to wait an average of five days to be referred. Across England and Wales, the average wait was 20 days. The report said a number of providers had made changes in the way care was provided based on the findings in the first audit, but concluded it was too early to see the impact of many of these recent changes. There were signs of improvement in arthritis care too. Around 95% of patients who responded to questions about their experience of care said it was good, the report found, an increase on the last audit. And 86% received steroid therapy to alleviate their early symptoms and more than two-thirds of patients had started taking anti-rheumatic drugs for rheumatoid arthritis within six weeks. Dr Liam O'Toole, chief executive officer at the charity Arthritis Research UK, said results of the audit were disappointing. \"We urge that immediate action is taken to improve access to these services, so that people with inflammatory arthritis get the treatment they need and the quality of life they deserve.\"", "summary": "Only 20% of patients who see a GP with suspected inflammatory arthritis are referred to a specialist within the target three days, an audit suggests."}
{"article": "Police were called to the two-vehicle accident on the A698 near Denholm at about 16:15 on Thursday. The female driver of a Vauxhall Zafira died at the scene. Three boys aged 12, nine and 18 months, who were in the car with her, were taken to hospital. Their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. The driver of a Peugeot 207 was also taken to hospital. Police said the 26-year-old man's injuries were also not life-threatening. Anyone who witnessed the accident has been asked to contact police.", "summary": "A 34-year-old woman has been killed in a crash in the Borders in which three young boys and a man were also injured."}
{"article": "The country's federal cartel office suspects the social network's privacy terms violate data protection laws. It is looking into whether Facebook's \"dominance\" means those terms also constituted an abuse of market power. The formal probe is the first of its kind the social network has faced. Facebook said it was confident it complied with the law. \"Dominant companies are subject to special obligations,\" said Andreas Mundt, the president of the cartel office. \"These include the use of adequate terms of service as far as these are relevant to the market \"For advertising-financed internet services such as Facebook, user data are hugely important. \"For this reason, it is essential to also examine under the aspect of abuse of market power whether the consumers are sufficiently informed about the type and extent of data collected.\" His investigation would focus on Facebook's US operation, as well as its German and Irish subsidiaries, the cartel office said in a statement released on Wednesday. It said Facebook was dominant in the social media market and relied on advertising revenues generated on the basis of a \"large amount of personal user data\". And users had to agree to this collection of data as a condition of their being able to use the network. \"It is difficult for users to understand and assess the scope of the agreement accepted by them,\" it said. \"There is considerable doubt as to the admissibility of this procedure, in particular under applicable national data protection law. \"If there is a connection between such an infringement and market dominance, this could also constitute an abusive practice under competition law.\" A Facebook representative said: \"We are confident that we comply with the law, and we look forward to working with the Federal Cartel Office to answer their questions.\" The German authorities are working in \"close contact\" with the European Commission, the competition authorities of the other EU member states and data and consumer protection officers. European Commission spokesman Ricardo Cardoso said the EU executive shared the view of the German cartel office that the mere infringement of data protection rules by a dominant company did not automatically amount to a competition violation. \"However, it cannot be excluded that a behaviour that violates data protection rules could also be relevant when investigating a possible violation of EU competition rules,\" he added, while declining specific comment on the new case. Speaking in Germany in January, the European commissioner for competition Margrethe Vestager said her agency was taking a harder look at whether the collection of vast amounts of consumer data by big internet companies violated competition rules.", "summary": "German authorities are investigating Facebook for suspected abuse of its dominant market position."}
{"article": "Documents show Mr Stobart, who built Cumbria's Eddie Stobart haulage firm into a household name, petitioned for bankruptcy in July 2010. Mr Stobart, who sold the company in 2004, had personal debts of \u00a3220,000 when he died on 31 March, aged 56, as a a result of heart problems. The businessman, who lived in Warwickshire, took over a lorry trailer firm which failed in 2009. Edward Stobart had petitioned for bankruptcy at Warwick County Court and his name is listed on the national Insolvency Register. His occupation is listed as a company director and promoter and his status as bankrupt. This status was due for automatic discharge on 5 July, 2011. RSM Tenon, the insolvency firm which original dealt with the case, said: \"Known creditors have claims amounting to around \u00a3220,000. No material assets have yet been recovered.\" Mr Stobart took over his father's Cumbrian firm in 1976 and built it into one of the most well-known haulage companies in the world. The firm had eight trucks and 12 employees when he took over. By 2001, that had risen to 1,000 lorries and 2,000 staff, operating from 27 sites. The company even had a \"fan club\", which attracted 25,000 members at at its height. Mr Stobart was managing director for more than 30 years but sold the business to his brother William and business partner Andrew Tinkler, in 2004. The Stobart Group said Mr Stobart's financial affairs were \"a private matter\". The firm previously described him as a \"a true legend of the haulage industry\". Richard Butcher, chief executive of Stobart Group, said: \"I worked with him for a number of years and he was an absolute gentleman. A very generous, a very kind man. A very shy man in some respects. \"He demanded the best from everyone who worked with him, but he was loyal to those who worked with him throughout his time at the business.\" The funeral of Mr Stobart took place at Carlisle Cathedral last month. The proceedings were relayed to about 200 people watching large television screens outside.", "summary": "Haulage magnate Edward Stobart died bankrupt, it has emerged."}
{"article": "At a meeting in Australia, it was agreed that around 1.5 million sq km of a part of the Southern Ocean would be protected from companies wanting to fish there for the next 35 years. The Ross Sea actually only makes up about 2% of this ocean, but it is home to a huge amount of wildlife. Environmental campaigners have welcomed the decision saying it will help to protect Earth's cleanest area of ocean. They hope it will be the first of many such zones across the world. You will find around two in every five of the world's Adelie penguins here, around one in three Antarctic petrels and around one in 16 of the world's minke whales. Killer whales live there too. It is also a rich source of krill, which is food for seals and whales, so it's very important that it is looked after. Here are 10 things you probably didn't know about Antarctica... Antarctica isn't a country - it's a whole continent! It is sits at the Earth's south pole and is almost completely covered by an massive ice sheet that is thousands of metres thick. Antarctica is absolutely enormous. It is almost 14 million sq km, which makes it the fifth-largest continent behind Asia, North America, South America and Africa. This is about 58 times the size of the UK and twice the size of Australia! It is also the world's highest continent, with an average land height of 2,300 m. The temperature on Antarctica has been known to go as low as around \u00e2\u02c6\u201990\u00c2\u00b0C. Because it is so cold, the air cannot hold as much moisture so it does not rain very much at all there. This actually means Antarctica is considered to be a desert, but the other deserts that you know are much warmer...! The winds can always blow as strongly as up to 351 km per hour. As it is such an important place for scientific research, at any one time there may be many hundreds scientists spread across the various research stations all over the continent. You will also find tourists there. According to Discovering Antarctica, in the early 1990s, about 5,000 tourists went every year. By 2009-2010, the continent welcomed around 37,000 visitors. But nobody lives there permanently! In the winter, the sea around Antarctica freezes over creating what is called sea ice. This makes the continent almost twice as big in winter. The end of the summer in Antarctica is in March and the end of the winter is in September - opposite to in the UK! This is because Antarctica is in the Southern Hemisphere, which faces the Sun during our winter time. In 1959, several countries signed an agreement called the Antarctic Treaty, saying that Antarctica would be a peaceful place that they would work together to look after. Without an international agreement like this, people would be free to do what they wanted there. However, this meant countries now work together to protect it.", "summary": "Officials from 24 countries and the European Union have agreed that the Ross Sea, in Antarctica, will become the world's largest marine protected area."}
{"article": "Jamie Frater, 43, was jailed for life in 1993 for the murder of teacher Geoffrey du Rose in Bournemouth. He went on the run after failing to return to prison in 2012, but later gave himself up. He also absconded from open prison in 2001. Members of the public are being advised not to approach Frater, who \"could present a risk to the public\". Det Supt Jez Noyce, of Dorset Police, said: \"There may be various reasons why he has not complied with his release from prison licence conditions and I appeal to him directly to make contact with police at the earliest opportunity. \"I'd like to assure members of the public that officers are making every effort to find this man as soon as possible\". Frater was convicted stabbing Mr du Rose when the teacher chased him from the garden of his home following a robbery at a nearby shop. He is described as white, of medium build, 5ft 8ins tall, with short, receding, brown hair.", "summary": "A convicted murderer missing from Dorset is wanted by police after he breached his licence conditions."}
{"article": "UKPC was temporarily suspended from using DVLA data to trace drivers' addresses, meaning unpaid fines given during the ban could not be chased. But the BBC filmed car park attendants claiming people issued tickets during that time would still be pursued. UKPC claimed staff had misunderstood an email and were now aware of the facts. The company is being investigated by the British Parking Association (BPA) after the BBC's West Midlands Inside Out programme made it aware of its secretly filmed footage. The BPA investigated UKPC in September 2015 over allegations employees had changed time stamps on photos in Lincolnshire, Staffordshire and Worcester. BPA boss Patrick Troy said the \"thorough\" investigation had concluded an expulsion from the organisation \"was not warranted\". But he told the BBC: \"If there's a repeat of any kind of misbehaviour, that will almost certainly result in expulsion or further suspension.\" UKPC was suspended from using the DVLA database to trace drivers' addresses from 18 September to 4 November. The fresh investigation comes after UKPC had to cancel a number of tickets after what it called an \"isolated photograph tampering incident\" by \"a few rogue employees\". The company said it \"condemned\" the actions of staff who \"took advantage of a software flaw\" which had now been updated to stop it from happening again. Sarah Gashi spent an hour visiting a friend in Diglis Water, Worcester, but received a ticket stating she had overstayed the two hours' free parking. She asked for evidence and received two photographs of her car - one stamped with 14:13 GMT and another 16:19 GMT. \"I was at my parents' house at 14:20 GMT. I was nowhere near here,\" said Ms Gashi. \"If you look at the colour of the sky [in the photograph] everything is still the same. \"Whereas to me, it should have got darker at that time of year.\" Alex Shipp, who campaigns as the Parking Prankster, came to the aid of Neil Horton who received a ticket while at a Staffordshire supermarket. Mr Shipp said: \"He only parked for a short amount of time, but the pictures are theoretically a couple of hours apart. \"You can see [in the photograph] there's a blue car with its boot open. Was that boot open for two hours? I think not. \"What happened was the photographs were doctored to issue a charge illegally.\" BBC Inside Out West Midlands is on Monday 11 January on BBC One at 19:30 GMT and available afterwards on iPlayer.", "summary": "A car park operator whose staff changed times on photos to wrongly issue tickets is being investigated again following claims it misled drivers."}
{"article": "Cafodd y milwr Americanaidd, fu'n gwasanaethu yn Irac, ei dedfrydu i 35 mlynedd yn y carchar yn 2013 am ryddhau gwybodaeth gyfrinachol i wefan Wikileaks. Roedd rhyddhau Ms Manning yn gynnar yn un o benderfyniadau olaf Barack Obama fel arlywydd. Cafodd hynny ei feirniadu gan y darpar arlywydd ar y pryd, Donald Trump. Cafodd y milwr, 29, ei magu yn Oklahoma, ond wedi i'w rhieni ysgaru, symudodd gyda'i mam i Hwlffordd yn Sir Benfro, lle cafodd dair blynedd o addysg uwchradd yn Ysgol Tasker Millward. Mewn datganiad gafodd ei ryddhau gan ei th\u00eem cyfreithiol, dywedodd Ms Manning: \"Ar \u00f4l pedwar mis arall o ddisgwyl, mae'r diwrnod wedi cyrraedd. \"Dwi'n edrych ymlaen at gymaint. Beth bynnag sydd o'm blaen, mae'n llawer pwysicach na'r gorffennol. \"Dwi'n sortio pethe mas nawr, sy'n gynhyrfus, lletchwith, yn hwyl ac yn newydd i fi.\" Roedd hi wedi cwblhau saith mlynedd o'i dedfryd o 35 mlynedd yn y carchar cyn iddi gael ei rhyddhau o'r carchar yn Kansas ddydd Mercher. Cafodd ei harestio yn 2010 a'i dedfrydu yn 2013 ar chwe chyhuddiad o dorri deddf ysb\u00efo America am ryddhau 700,000 o ddogfennau milwrol cyfrinachol i wefan WikiLeaks. Tra'n cyfaddef ei bod wedi rhyddhau'r wybodaeth tra'n gwasanaethu yn Irac, mynnodd wneud hynny er mwyn codi ymwybyddiaeth am effaith gweithredu milwrol yr Unol Daleithiau ar ddinasyddion diniwed. Yn ddyn o'r enw Bradley Manning pan gafodd ei garcharu, aeth drwy broses o newid ei rhywedd yn y carchar. Ar ddau achlysur yn 2016, ceisiodd ladd ei hun, ac fe gwynodd ei bod yn cael ei thrin yn wael. Dywedodd ei mam, Susan Manning cyn iddi gael ei rhyddhau: \"Rwy' mor falch o Chelsea ac ar ben fy nigon y bydd hi o'r diwedd yn rhydd unwaith eto. \"Mae'n mynd i fod yn anodd iawn iddi ddygymod wedi cyfnod mor hir yn y carchar, a dwi'n hapus y bydd hi'n aros yn Maryland lle mae ganddi deulu i ofalu amdani.\" Wedi'r cyhoeddiad y bydd hi'n cael ei rhyddhau, mae Chelsea Manning wedi dweud ei bod yn gobeithio defnyddio'r gwersi y mae hi wedi eu dysgu yn y carchar er mwyn helpu eraill.", "summary": "Mae Chelsea Manning yn dweud ei bod \"yn edrych ymlaen at gymaint\" wedi iddi gael ei rhyddhau o'r carchar yn America."}
{"article": "The 2009 world champion, 34, has been vying with Kevin Magnussen, 22, for the right to partner Fernando Alonso. The team plan to make their decision public at a news conference at their Surrey factory on Thursday morning. Spaniard Alonso, a double world champion, has returned to McLaren after five seasons with Ferrari. McLaren chairman Ron Dennis said at the final race of 2014 that a choice between Button and Magnussen would be made on a \"clinical and emotionless analysis of the options\". Button, who made his F1 debut in 2000, said at an awards ceremony on Sunday: \"It's a strange situation but sometimes in life you find yourself in these situations. You just have to deal with it.\" If the Englishman, who finished eighth this season, misses out on a McLaren drive for 2015, his F1 career could be over. Rival teams have already confirmed their driver line-ups for next year. Alonso's future was decided some weeks ago but Dennis has vacillated over who to choose as his team-mate. He had to weigh up the pros and cons of Button's experience and greater performance in 2014 - he scored more than twice as many points as Magnussen - against the Dane's youth and potential. Financial considerations may also be part of the decision. Button was earning a salary of \u00a312m in 2014, while Magnussen, in his debut season, was on about \u00a3500,000. The Dane finished 11th in the standings, having taken second place in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. If Button is axed by McLaren, he has an option to move to the FIA World Endurance Championship, a path followed by his friend Mark Webber when he retired from F1 at the end of 2013. Button, who began his F1 career at Williams, also has a passion for triathlons and could turn his focus in that direction. McLaren's capture of Alonso was sealed weeks before the end of the 2014 season, but the team were waiting to make a decision on their second driver before announcing the complete line-up. Alonso left Ferrari after their worst season for 21 years convinced him they were not capable of winning the world championship in the foreseeable future. The Spaniard believes he has a better chance of success - and a third world title - with McLaren. The team have had a difficult two seasons but their new engine partnership with Honda and a team restructure, which included the signing of key personnel, helped persuade Alonso to join. Alonso endured a difficult single season with McLaren in 2007, leaving just one year into a three-year contract. But his need for a more competitive car and McLaren's desire to sign an A-list driver convinced the two parties to work together again. Alonso is reputed to have signed a deal worth $40m (\u00a325.5m) a year, which would make him the best-paid driver on the grid. The contract is believed to be for two years with an option for one more, but Alonso will almost certainly be able to leave at the end of 2015 if", "summary": "Jenson Button's Formula 1 future will become clear on Thursday when McLaren announce their driver line-up for 2015 after weeks of wrangling."}
{"article": "A report by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee said details were needed on issues such as bank regulation, pension payments and the national currency. It also asked about Scotland's share of the national debt and whether Scots would need passports. The SNP dismissed the report as \"shoddy\" and as an \"embarrassment to the authors\". The committee's inquiry began in October last year, looking at the potential impact of independence following a ballot, which the Scottish government wants to hold in autumn 2014. The report, called the Referendum on Separation for Scotland: Unanswered Questions, has set out six areas where the Scottish Affairs Committee believe information is needed. They include issues such as Scotland's defences and the costs of independence. The committee called on Scottish Secretary Michael Moore to work with it to provide \"a joint provision of factual and unbiased information to the people of Scotland\". Committee chairman, Labour MP Ian Davidson, said: \"The big question about such an unknown quantity as separation is the terms of the 'divorce settlement' - how resources, rights and responsibilities will be broken up. \"The responses we've had clearly show that there is confusion and concern about this, but also that you only need to scratch the surface to reveal how many complex questions there are across banking, pensions, currency, national defences - but also many more personal things.\" He added: \"The purpose of this inquiry is to set out from the start some of those questions and begin to explore their answers, with the aim of helping to make this process as clear and fair as possible. \"You cannot ask a big question about separation - however you construct it - without first asking and answering all these questions about how it will affect every aspect of every life, in Scotland and the UK as a whole.\" SNP Westminster chief whip Stewart Hosie said the committee's inquiry had been overtaken by events and the report was \"an embarrassment to its authors\". He continued: \"Firstly, it talks about 'separation for Scotland', when Scottish government policy is for independence, not separation. \"But apart from its predictably pejorative approach to the issue of Scotland's constitutional future, this shoddy report from the anti-independence parties has been totally overtaken by events. \"It raises questions which have been dealt with in detail by the Scottish government's white paper published way back in 2009. \"The issues it raises include the currency of an independent Scotland, which is now widely accepted will be sterling, with even Scottish Secretary Michael Moore accepting that Scotland will keep the pound after independence.\" Shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran said the committee was asking questions \"the people of Scotland need answers to\". She added: \"This is an important analysis of the questions that need to be answered about separation, and I expect it to play a big part in the debate ahead.\" Scottish Tory constitution spokesman David McLetchie said the onus was now on the Scottish government to fully co-operate with the inquiry to ensure the Scottish people had \"all the information they need\" before the referendum was", "summary": "A Westminster committee has called for clarity on the \"unanswered questions\" of Scottish independence."}
{"article": "The Division One leaders started day four on 48-3, chasing 235 for victory. Steve Eskinazi (30) nicked Jake Ball (4-54) behind and Nick Compton was run out for 63 to leave the visitors 146-5. But 58 not out from John Simpson and captain James Franklin's unbeaten 54 saw them to a victory which left them one point clear of Yorkshire. Defeat for bottom side Notts, who have won only once in the championship this season, means they will be playing Division Two cricket in 2017 for the first time in a decade. Victory for Middlesex maintained their unbeaten record in four-day cricket in 2016, although second-placed Yorkshire's 23-point win over Durham reduced Middlesex's lead at the top by three points. Somerset, winners inside three days over Warwickshire this week, are 22 points behind Middlesex in third. Middlesex play Lancashire at Old Trafford next week, while Yorkshire entertain Somerset at Headingley. Middlesex meet Yorkshire at Lord's in a potential title decider starting on Tuesday, 20 September. Despite Middlesex's modest target in Nottingham, Ball's breakthrough and Compton's run-out after a mix-up on the stroke of lunch left the game in the balance. But the composed Simpson, who brought up his sixth half-century of the summer, and 35-year-old Franklin sealed victory with an unbroken stand of 89. Compton, who took a two-month break from cricket this summer, told BBC Radio London: \"I was proud of the way I managed to hold things together. \"As someone who prides myself on tough situations, I wanted to make sure I was on it. \"The intent was to make sure we found a way to do it, because this is the time. \"You don't get too many opportunities to be a county player playing for the title as this stage of the season. It is a fantastic place to be.\" Notts director of cricket Mick Newell, who will hand first-team coaching duties to former England coach Peter Moores at the end of the season, said: \"It's about the embarrassment of getting relegated. \"Financially it doesn't make a huge difference. It is more about the impact it has on the ego of the players and the impact on the supporters who are used to seeing Division One cricket. \"We are proud club; we have been in Division One for a long time and it's 10 years since I stood here and had to explain away a relegation.\"", "summary": "Middlesex maintained their bid for a first County Championship title since 1993 and relegated Nottinghamshire with a five-wicket win at Trent Bridge."}
{"article": "The 34-year-old, who came third in Athens in 2004, has concentrated on the 400m hurdles since November 2010. She failed to qualify for the World Championships and has since lost her lottery funding, but began training for multi-eventing again four weeks ago. \"I am motivated more and I'm enjoying the fact I could be at the Olympics in the heptathlon,\" she told Sky Sports. \"It has rejuvenated my feelings for the sport.\" Sotherton later said on her Twitter account: \"I've had to keep my gob shut for over 2 months about this! So it's a relief it's out! #heptathlon\" Since ending her hepathlon career, Sotherton has been supplanted as British number one by Jessica Ennis and she has previously said that, at her best, she could have run the 2009 world champion from Sheffield close. Sotherton admits that she does not expect to challenge Ennis on her comeback. \"I don't think I'm going to be rivalling her as I possibly could have been a few years ago. I know where my limits lie, I'm not striving for a gold medal,\" she added. The Olympic 'A' qualifying standard is 6,150 points, comfortably below Sotherton's 2005 personal best of 6,547. She scored 6,517 in her last heptathlon in 2008 before heel and back injuries forced her withdrawal from the multi-discipline event.", "summary": "Former Olympic bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton is to return to heptathlon and hopes to compete at London 2012."}
{"article": "Darren Kelly, 42, from Basildon, Essex, died after he was attacked in the street. The girl is in custody, police said. A 20-year-old man, 17-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl, all from Pitsea, and a 16-year-old boy from Basildon have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in custody. A post-mortem examination found Mr Kelly, a lorry driver, was likely to have died from \"multiple stab wounds and blood loss\", Essex Police said. His daughter Zoe said she was \"heartbroken,\" adding she and her father were very close and lived a short walk away from each other. \"To know he's not going to be round the corner anymore is very hard,\" she said. \"I'm sure I can speak for everyone when I say that he's going to be truly missed.\" Residents of Caister Drive, where the attack took place, say Mr Kelly rang their doorbells to ask for help after he was stabbed at about 21:30 BST on Tuesday. Carole Crisp, 56, said: \"He managed to get to our block and was just randomly pressing the buzzers for help. \"When I answered he said 'help me I've been stabbed'. I'm just in shock and so sad we couldn't do more.\" At the scene: BBC Essex reporter Chris Flynn Parts of Caister Drive are still sealed off, with much of the investigation centred outside two of the street's blocks of flats. Since I've been here a lorry has been pumping the drains, with police officers and highways engineers working alongside. I saw someone else come along with a shovel to get what they could out of the drains. Aside from the police presence, the street is relatively quiet with just the odd passer-by or neighbour coming and going, as people here come to terms with what has happened down their road.", "summary": "A 13-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was stabbed to death."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device The fourth-round replay was seconds away from a penalty shootout when Angelo Ogbonna's header made it 2-1. \"It will go into the history of West Ham's greatest games,\" said Bilic. \"Against Liverpool, the last season at Upton Park, night kick-off, a goal in the last minute. \"They left their heart on the pitch.\" Media playback is not supported on this device The Hammers had never beaten the Reds in the FA Cup and have not won the trophy for 36 years. They will face Championship side Blackburn in the fifth round on Sunday, 21 February. Bilic, 47, said earlier this year he would rather win the cup than finish in the top four of the Premier League and qualify for the Champions League, saying \"the proof is silverware\". After Italy defender Ogbonna's added-time winner, the Croatian boss said: \"I'm a down-to-earth guy, but tonight was a big, big match and I was a bit emotional at the end of the game, I'll admit it. \"The players made the fans proud of them and we want to progress even further. If we produce a performance like this then we are capable of beating any team in England.\" Bilic also said midfielder Dimitri Payet is committed to the club after reports linked the France international with a big-money move to China. Payet, 28, is in talks over a new contract and Bilic said: \"We are a club moving forward and the most important moves are on the pitch. \"We must do everything we can to keep our best players - and he is our best player. He's happy here and very soon we will sort out his situation.\" Media playback is not supported on this device Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp felt his much-changed side should have won the game after Philippe Coutinho's low free-kick had cancelled out Michail Antonio's opener. The Reds' \u00a332.5m striker Christian Benteke again missed several good chances as the visitors had 20 attempts on goal - one more than West Ham. \"It's hard. We were the better team, created chances and played good football, but we didn't use them,\" said Klopp. \"There were lots of decisions that on a better day I'd say were funny decisions. \"It's not easy because we were only here to win. You don't have to show your best, you just have to go to the next round. \"The door was wide open for us because we did well, but it was not enough. We have to carry on and fight to the next game.\"", "summary": "West Ham's extra-time victory over Liverpool was \"a classic FA Cup tie\" and one of the club's best, according to manager Slaven Bilic."}
{"article": "The company is to make Inchinnan, near Glasgow Airport, a Centre of Competence for making aerofoils and engine shafts. The specialist unit will provide parts for aero-engines which have gone out of volume production, meaning it requires flexible skills in making bespoke items. It is expected that 130 roles will be created. The company said this would partly offset the loss of almost 190 jobs announced in March. While Rolls-Royce has faced big challenges in adjusting to market changes, with repeated profit warnings, it is consolidating its operations. It currently has 54,000 employees in more than 50 countries, making and servicing aero-engines for airlines, ships and military use. Last year, it had turnover of more than \u00a314bn. Mike Mosley, chief operating officer for the supply chain division at the Derby-based firm, said: \"Our investment in Inchinnan demonstrates our commitment to innovative technology and world-class facilities which will improve performance and drive profitable growth for our business. \"We recognise the dedication and flexibility of the Inchinnan workforce who continue to play a key role in the success of Rolls-Royce.\" Rolls-Royce initially invested \u00a385m in the Inchinnan plant. In a statement, the company said the investment would \"potentially\" offset the impact of job reductions announced earlier this year as part of the restructuring of its aerospace division. Renfrewshire Council said the investment was a \"vote of confidence\" in the Inchinnan plant. Council leader Mark Macmillan added: \"For a world-leading manufacturer to choose Renfrewshire as a focus for further investment is also a tremendous boost for the Renfrewshire economy. \"Renfrewshire has a proud engineering and manufacturing heritage and Rolls-Royce has been at the forefront of that.\" In March, Rolls-Royce announced that it was going to shed 187 of the 700 jobs at Inchinnan. More jobs were to go at its East Kilbride plant, where it services and repairs small and medium-scale engines. That older plant is to close by the end of the year, as 630 staff are moved, in phases, to the Inchinnan site.", "summary": "Rolls-Royce, the engine and turbine maker, is to invest up to \u00a360m in its Renfrewshire manufacturing plant."}
{"article": "The Education Select Committee, scrutinising the appointment, rejected the choice of Amanda Spielman. But Mrs Morgan is to override their finding and press ahead with her selection for the independent watchdog. Mrs Morgan said Ms Spielman \"will not shy away from challenging government\". The education secretary said she was \"disappointed that the committee underestimated Amanda's vision, focus and leadership style. Her objectivity and openness are important strengths\". Mrs Morgan said she was \"100% confident\" in her decision - and that \"I am not seeking what one committee member described as a 'crusader'.\" In a message on Twitter, Ms Spielman said: \"I am really pleased that the Secretary of State is confirming my nomination as HMCI today - thank you to everyone who has expressed support.\" The ASCL head teachers' union welcomed her appointment - but the National Union of Teachers has criticised the choice of a chief inspector of schools who has never had experience of teaching. The Liberal Democrats' education spokesman, John Pugh, said Mrs Morgan showed \"arrogance and complacency\". The Education Select Committee had taken the unusual step of not accepting the nomination put forward for the next head of Ofsted. They said that she had failed to show \"passion\" or an understanding of the \"complex role\", MPs on the committee said. But the committee cannot veto the appointment - and Mrs Morgan says that she is going to proceed with her selection for the next head of the education watchdog. The current Ofsted boss, Sir Michael Wilshaw, steps down at the end of the year. Amanda Spielman, born in 1961, left Clare College Cambridge in 1982 with an upper-second-class degree in mathematics and law. She qualified as a chartered accountant in 1985 and went on to work for leading City firms as an accountant, market analyst and investment adviser. By the late 1990s, she was working for Nomura International, making equity investments worth between \u00c2\u00a3250m and \u00c2\u00a3500m. After the birth of her first child in 2001 she focused on part-time study, consultancy and voluntary work. Her portfolio included: In 2004, she became research and policy director for the Ark academy chain. From 2011, she chaired exams regulator Ofqual three days a week, working with then chief executive Glenys Stacey. She also continued with her consultancy work, giving development advice on public-private education partnerships in Uganda, India and Pakistan for Ark, and as an external reviewer for the TeachFirst education charity, though she has since resigned from these positions. Last week, Ms Spielman, who is currently chairwoman of the exams regulator Ofqual, appeared before the committee for pre-appointment questioning. She was grilled by MPs, who were visibly frustrated by her answers on a range of issues on several occasions throughout the hour and 40 minute hearing. Their report said: Conservative committee chairman Neil Carmichael said he and his colleagues were \"unconvinced\" that Ms Spielman was the right person to lead Ofsted, to raise standards and improve the lives of children. \"Ms Spielman's responses on child protection were particularly troubling and did not inspire confidence that she grasped the importance of", "summary": "Education Secretary Nicky Morgan is to force through the appointment of her nomination for the next head of Ofsted, despite a cross-party committee of MPs saying they had \"significant concerns\"."}
{"article": "Defence lawyer Brenda Weksler told a court in Las Vegas her client Michael Sandford, from Dorking, Surrey, was in a \"delicate mental state\". Court papers said he had been on suicide watch at a detention centre. Mr Sandford's mother Lynne, who was not in court for the hearing, wants him to return to the UK for psychiatric help. Prosecutors allege Mr Sandford, 20, tried to grab a police officer's gun to shoot Republican presidential candidate Mr Trump at a campaign rally in Las Vegas on 18 June. They also claim he practiced shooting at a gun range the previous day. His trial has been scheduled for 3 October. The Associated Press news agency said the meeting was also expected to include Ms Weksler and Ms Sandford's London lawyer Saimo Chahal. US magistrate judge Cam Ferenbach said the meeting \"might help in the resolution of the case in a way that benefits the defendant and the government\", the agency reported. Ms Sandford has said her son has autism, OCD, severe depression and would face up to 30 years in prison in the US. She argues he should serve any sentence in a psychiatric hospital in the UK to receive help closer to his family. He has denied charges of disrupting government business and official functions and being an illegal alien in possession of a gun.", "summary": "The mother of a Briton accused of trying to shoot and kill Donald Trump has been given permission to visit him in custody in the United States."}
{"article": "Lance Corporal Mapp, of the Household Cavalry, finished 0.18 seconds ahead of American Jason Storm in Igls, Austria. \"What a feeling,\" said Mapp. \"Delighted to win the first Para bobsleigh gold.\" Mapp lost both legs when his military vehicle ran over an explosive device in Afghanistan in 2010. He is in the GB sitting volleyball team and took part in the Invictus Games. He said: \"Being part of the world's first ever Para bobsleigh race today was incredible. To win was something really special. \"I hope that I have done people proud - I've had so much support from many different people. \"Help for Heroes have been instrumental in supporting me to this point - it's been great to have their backing. \"I love bobsleigh. I only tried it for the first time in Calgary last season so to be here in Austria, at the first ever race and win is just amazing. \"I feel so excited about where the sport is going and for our next race in St. Moritz next week. \"The field of athletes has been strong and there's been some tough competition. It was an amazingly close race - only three-tenths of a second between the top four finishers. \"To think I nearly quit bobsleigh last summer to focus on my other sports. It's been a fantastic experience to be here, with such a great group of competitors. \" Para bobsleigh and Para skeleton are being included at World Cup events for the first time this season but the International Paralympic Committee have said that the sports will not be included in a Winter Paralympics until 2022 at the earliest.", "summary": "Great Britain's Corie Mapp won gold in the inaugural World Cup Para bobsleigh race."}
{"article": "People of African origin are at \"significantly\" higher risk of developing glaucoma, an avoidable condition that can cause sight loss, said the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Scotland. The event is being held during Black History month. Free NHS eye tests are available to UK residents in Scotland. The event, was arranged by Glasgow Caledonian University, in association with RNIB Scotland, to urge black Africans in Greater Glasgow and Clyde to attend eye examinations. RNIB Scotland said people of African origin were more likely to suffer from glaucoma, which can lead to sight loss if not detected and treated early on, than those of white origin. As well as discussing sight loss in people of black origin, the event is celebrating the work of leading US ophthalmologist Patricia Era Bath, one of the first African-Americans to gain prominence in her field. RNIB Scotland equality officer Gozie Joe Adigwe, a Scot of African origin, said the charity was working with organisations that encounter people from Black African groups to support them with their eye health. She said: \"People [of black origin] are often unaware of the risks their ethnicity holds in sight loss.\" In April, the \"You Care, Eye Care\" project, RNIB Scotland's project supporting Black Africans with visual impairment in Glasgow, secured funding until 2019. Black History month is a celebration of African and Caribbean heritage observed annually in the UK since the late 1980s. Free NHS eye tests have been available to UK residents in Scotland since 2006.", "summary": "An event is being held in Glasgow to urge black Africans in the city to attend eye examinations."}
{"article": "The activity of hundreds of genes was altered when people's sleep was cut to less than six hours a day for a week. Writing in the journal PNAS, the researchers said the results helped explain how poor sleep damaged health. Heart disease, diabetes, obesity and poor brain function have all been linked to substandard sleep. What missing hours in bed actually does to alter health, however, is unknown. So researchers at the University of Surrey analysed the blood of 26 people after they had had plenty of sleep, up to 10 hours each night for a week, and compared the results with samples after a week of fewer than six hours a night. More than 700 genes were altered by the shift. Each contains the instructions for building a protein, so those that became more active produced more proteins - changing the chemistry of the body. Sources: Mental Health Foundation and BBC Science Discover what disturbs your sleep the most Meanwhile the natural body clock was disturbed - some genes naturally wax and wane in activity through the day, but this effect was dulled by sleep deprivation. Prof Colin Smith, from the University of Surrey, told the BBC: \"There was quite a dramatic change in activity in many different kinds of genes.\" Areas such as the immune system and how the body responds to damage and stress were affected. Prof Smith added: \"Clearly sleep is critical to rebuilding the body and maintaining a functional state, all kinds of damage appear to occur - hinting at what may lead to ill health. \"If we can't actually replenish and replace new cells, then that's going to lead to degenerative diseases.\" He said many people may be even more sleep deprived in their daily lives than those in the study - suggesting these changes may be common. Dr Akhilesh Reddy, a specialist in the body clock at the University of Cambridge, said the study was \"interesting\". He said the key findings were the effects on inflammation and the immune system as it was possible to see a link between those effects and health problems such as diabetes. The findings also tie into research attempting to do away with sleep, such as by finding a drug that could eliminate the effects of sleep deprivation. Dr Reddy said: \"We don't know what the switch is that causes all these changes, but theoretically if you could switch it on or off, you might be able to get away without sleep. \"But my feeling is that sleep is fundamentally important to regenerating all cells.\"", "summary": "A run of poor sleep can have a potentially profound effect on the internal workings of the human body, say UK researchers."}
{"article": "A blockchain-based smart plug that can adjust power consumption minute-by-minute has been created by technologists at Accenture. The blockchain is the automated ledger that underpins Bitcoin and tracks where the coins are spent and swapped. The plug shops for different power suppliers and will sign up for a cheaper tariff if it finds one. Accenture said the smart plug could help people on low incomes who pay directly for power. The smart plug modifies the basic Bitcoin blockchain technology to make it more active, said Emmanuel Viale, head of the Accenture team at the firm's French research lab that worked on the plug. Instead of just resolving and confirming transaction records, the Accenture work has changed the blockchain to let it negotiate deals on behalf of its owner. \"It's about how we put more business behaviour or logic into the blockchain,\" said Mr Viale, adding that this essentially embeds a \"smart contract\" into the digital ledger. The smart plug prototype works with other gadgets in the house that monitor power use. When demand is high or low it searches for energy prices and then uses the modified blockchain to switch suppliers if it finds a cheaper source. So far, said Mr Viale, the Accenture system was just a proof of concept, but it could help many people on lower incomes who pay for their power via a meter. Being able to quickly shift suppliers could save this group more than \u00c2\u00a3660m in the UK annually, suggests Accenture research. A blockchain-based system that can act on behalf of its owner might also prove useful as the Internet of Things becomes more ubiquitous, said Mr Viale. Managing many different gadgets might be tricky without a more centralised system, he said, Martin Garner, a mobile services expert at analyst firm CCS Insight, said blockchains were starting to crop up in many different areas including share trading, fishing rights databases and land registry claims. They had two chief attractions for the Internet of Things, he said. \"They avoid dependence on any one supplier or ecosystem - some users have concerns about the potential dominance of key internet players creating, for example, the Google-of-Things or the Amazon-of-Things,\" he said. \"The second attraction is as a way of enabling autonomous trading between things, such as the appliances in your house being set up to re-order supplies from a pre-approved list of suppliers,\" he added.", "summary": "The technology behind the Bitcoin virtual currency could help cut electricity bills, suggests research."}
{"article": "Mr Khan won on second preference votes after failing to gain more than 50% in the first round. He said: \"I'm so proud that Londoners have today chosen hope over fear and unity over division.\" The Greens' Sian Berry took third and the Lib Dems' Caroline Pidgeon was fourth. Peter Whittle's fifth place was UKIP's best ever result in London. The Sadiq Khan story How Sadiq Khan won Who would join Sadiq Khan in City Hall? Mr Khan's success comes after a patchy election night for Labour, who were overtaken by the Conservatives as the second largest party in the Scottish Parliament, fell short of a majority in the Welsh Assembly, but retained control of 57 councils. Mr Khan gained 44.3% of first preference votes, to Zac Goldsmith's 38.6%. After second preferences came into play, Mr Khan gained a total of 1,310,143 votes, or 56.8%, to the Conservative candidate's 43.2% - making it a more clear-cut contest than in 2012. It sees Mr Khan become the first Muslim mayor of any capital city in the EU. Outgoing mayor Boris Johnson said: \"Many congratulations to Sadiq on securing a huge mandate to do the best job in British politics. I wish him every possible success.\" In a short speech Mr Goldsmith said: \"I wish him well as he sets out to build on the success seen under Boris Johnson.\" He admitted he was \"disappointed, of course, by the result that I won't be able to deliver a manifesto that I'm really proud of\". Mr Khan was congratulated by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who said he would work with the new mayor \"to create a London which is fair for all\". Praise also came in from New York mayor Bill de Blasio and Business Secretary Sajid Javid, who tweeted: \"From one son of a Pakistani bus driver to another, congratulations\". Labour also saw a boost in their vote across London in the Assembly elections, while several prominent Conservatives criticising their own mayoral candidate's campaign. Former minister Baroness Warsi called it an \"appalling dog whistle campaign\" and Ken Clarke said it had been \"a mistake\" which \"probably had a counter-productive effect\". Zac Goldsmith's own sister, Jemima, tweeted: \"Zac's campaign did not reflect who I know him to be - an eco-friendly, independent-minded politician with integrity.\" Steve Hilton, David Cameron's former director of strategy, told BBC Newsnight that the Conservatives' approach to the mayoral race had \"brought back the 'nasty party' label to the Conservative Party\". He added none of Mr Goldsmith's best qualities were \"conveyed in his campaign, which to be honest I found really weird\". But Conservative Assembly Member Gareth Bacon told BBC Radio London that the claims of a negative strategy were \"a media-generated fixation\". The election saw the highest-ever turnout at 45.6% - narrowly improving on 2008, when it was 45.3%. Read more about the London Assembly results.", "summary": "Sadiq Khan has won the London mayoral election, beating Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith."}
{"article": "Kevin Barry's Beatlebone is described as a novel \"that takes its reader to the edge - of the Western world, of sanity, of fame, of words\". \"Intricately weaving and blurring fiction and life, Beatlebone embodies beautifully this prize's spirit of creative risk,\" said judge Josh Cohen. Barry, who beat five other contenders, was awarded a \u00c2\u00a310,000 prize. His novel is set in Dorinish, an uninhabited island off the Irish coast, which Lennon bought in 1967 for \u00c2\u00a31,700. Set in 1978, it follows the former Beatle as he visits the island to attend a course of primal scream therapy. The author described it as \"a play for voices\". \"I had no idea what I was working on for a long time with the novel Beatlebone,\" Barry said, ahead of the award ceremony on Wednesday. \"I thought it might be a radio documentary, I thought it might be an essay, I thought it might be a play... it's ended up as being kind of all of these things.\" Barry's previous works include City Of Bohane and two short stories, Dark Lies The Island and There Are Little Kingdoms. The Goldsmiths Prize was founded in 2013 \"to reward fiction that breaks the mould or opens up new possibilities for the novel form\". Author Eimear McBride, one of the judges of the 2015 prize, won the inaugural prize for her work A Girl Is A Half-formed Thing, while last year saw Ali Smith triumph with her novel How to be Both. Smith has described the Goldsmiths Prize as \"a miracle\". \"The change it's made is that publishers, who never take risks in anything, are taking risks on works which are much more experimental than they would've two years ago,\" said Smith. \"That to me, is like a miracle.\" The panel of four judges for this year's prize included McBride, Professor Cohen (chair), author Jon McGregor and journalist Leo Robson.", "summary": "A fictional book about John Lennon has won the Goldsmiths Prize, celebrating the novel at its most innovative."}
{"article": "The new pay rates for thousands of its staff will take effect from the start of the New Year, the company said. Sports Direct - which is controlled by wealthy businessman Mike Ashley - said it would cost \u00a310m a year. But the Unite trade union accused the company of a \"PR stunt\" and of \"gulag\" working conditions at its headquarters. The retailer came under pressure earlier this year for effectively not paying its staff the full minimum wage. It insisted on searching employees at the end of their shifts, which they were not paid for. That extra time meant the average hourly rate was as low as \u00a36.50 an hour, instead of the national minimum wage of \u00a36.70. \"We have a responsibility to set a high moral standard,\" said Mike Ashley in an interview in the Daily Mirror. \"I want to see Sports Direct become the best High Street retail employer after John Lewis,\" he said. However, the Unite trade union, which represents warehouse staff at Sports Direct, accused him of a PR stunt. \"This pitiful promise by Sports Direct to pay just over the minimum wage should not distract from the 'Victorian' work practices at the retailer's massive Shirebrook depot,\" said Unite regional officer Luke Primarolo. \"Nor should it deter HMRC from investigating the possible non-payment of the minimum wage to the thousands of agency staff who eke out a living on the site.\" In his interview, Mike Ashley said that workers over 21 will now earn \"around\" \u00a36.85 an hour. When the new National Living Wage of \u00a37.20 comes into effect in April 2016, staff over 21 will earn \u00a37.35. Shareholders, including Royal London Asset Management, were among those who criticised the company, alongside the TUC and politicians. The former shadow business secretary, Chuka Umunna, called the retailer \"a bad advert for British business\". Shares in the company fell by more than 10% on 10 December, in the wake of the criticism. News of the pay re-think sent Sports Direct shares up by more than 1% in morning trading on Thursday. Earlier in the year staff members told the BBC Inside Out programme that they were too frightened to take sick days, for fear of losing their jobs. But the company denied the accusation, saying staff who failed to reach performance targets were offered support and training.", "summary": "The retailer Sports Direct has announced that it will pay its staff more than the minimum wage, following criticism of its employment practices."}
{"article": "He spoke after another day of talks between the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn F\u00e9in ended with no deal. Theresa May phoned DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn F\u00e9in's northern leader, Michelle O'Neill on Friday evening. The PM told them her government was committed to doing all it could to help parties reach a successful conclusion. A No 10 spokesperson said Mrs Foster and Mrs O'Neill \"both agreed on the need for the executive to be restored for the benefit of everyone in Northern Ireland\". \"The Prime Minister recognised that constructive discussions had taken place between the parties and urged them both to come together reach a collective agreement so that devolved government could be restored in Northern Ireland.\" The BBC understands the latest round of Stormont talks ended at about 19:30 BST on Friday, breaking up fairly abruptly and not in a positive mood. Sinn F\u00e9in said no progress was made but added talks will resume on Saturday. Speaking on the BBC's Any Questions programme, Mr Brokenshire said: \"We've obviously had an extended period where Northern Ireland has not had politicians making decisions. \"The Northern Ireland Civil Service has effectively been running the show here. That cannot continue for an extended period, for much longer. \"I've already had to make certain statements over the budget to ensure that civil servants are able to do their job, so yes, it is about that focus on what now needs to happen.\" When the parties missed a government deadline on Thursday, the secretary of state extended the talks over the weekend, in the hope that a deal will be struck by Monday, when he is due to make a statement on Stormont's future. Earlier, Sinn F\u00e9in called for the British and Irish prime ministers to become directly involved in the talks process. The party said the DUP had not moved on a number of issues, including an Irish language act, same-sex marriage, a Bill of Rights and measures to deal with the legacy of the Troubles. Sinn F\u00e9in's Conor Murphy said it was a \"source of frustration\" there had been no closing of the gap between the parties throughout the day. He claimed that the DUP \"haven't yet accepted what brought down the institutions in the first place\". But the DUP's Christopher Stalford said Sinn F\u00e9in had presented a \"shopping list\" of demands and was refusing to go back into government until they had received every item on their list. His party colleague, Edwin Poots, rejected a call for the prime ministers to get involved and said Sinn F\u00e9in knows what is required and \"don't need anyone to hold their hands\". Mr Poots said Thursday's missed deadline meant Stormont was now \"operating on a 95% budget, which is essentially a 5% cut across all of the departments\". The DUP MLA described this as \"far greater austerity than any Conservative ever imposed upon the Northern Ireland public\". \"Whilst we understand that Irish language is hugely important to Sinn F\u00e9in - health, education, jobs, the economy, infrastructure, environment, agriculture - all of these issues are", "summary": "The absence of devolved government in Northern Ireland \"cannot continue for much longer,\" Secretary of State James Brokenshire has said."}
{"article": "Many of them are a similar age, and have been playing together at international level for a long time now. Former Wales manager John Toshack deserves a lot of credit for that, after bringing them through a few years ago and giving them a lot of experience when they were young lads. Quite a few people, including myself, probably did not appreciate that much at the time but that policy is coming to fruition now. As well as a real togetherness, there is quality, depth and balance to Coleman's squad. Wales have done brilliantly to be on the brink of qualifying for Euro 2016, and this is why I am 100% confident they will see the job through. Up front is a good example of how adaptable Wales have become. On paper, our strikers might look a weak link because it is the only area where we don't have a Premier League player. At times during this campaign Wales have not even had an out-and-out number nine, but that has not been a problem during the last six matches. Whoever has been leading the line has done a terrific job, and not necessarily by scoring goals themselves. With Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey in the team, the striker's job is to work the opposition defence and do a lot of running to make space for those two to get forward. I did something similar when Mark Hughes was Wales manager, when I played up front with Craig Bellamy and Ryan Giggs running off me. The difference here is that while I could only play as a centre-forward, Hal Robson-Kanu can go out wide and allow other players to come through the middle. It looks like Robson-Kanu will be fit to face Cyprus despite a groin injury but, even if he isn't, Sam Vokes or Simon Church will play a similar role to stretch Cyprus and Israel and create openings for the Wales midfield. Defender James Chester has been another injury doubt this week, while we already knew midfielder Joe Allen would be missing. They are both important players but it shows the strength of Coleman's squad that, if needed, two more Premier League players in James Collins and Andy King can come in. Ashley Williams is a rock, and a superb captain, and I love seeing Joe Ledley sitting in front of the back four. It all means that, as well as carrying a threat going forward, defensively Wales always look really solid too. Wales have had world class players like Bale and Ramsey before, of course, but I don't think we have had an entire group with such quality in my lifetime. They all seem to be pushing each other on and I am really confident they will make it to France. This team should be around for a few years yet, too. Only Williams and Collins are over 30, and most of the players are in their mid 20s - the average age of their latest squad is less than 26. Because they got their chance early they already have", "summary": "I loved working with this Wales team for over a year as Chris Coleman's assistant and I know just how tight-knit they are as a group."}
{"article": "After previously calling off the final four dates of their US leg, their two Canadian dates scheduled for Friday and Saturday will also not go ahead. The band said doctors had told Rhodes he needed to continue to rest for at least another 72 hours. They added that they were \"devastated\" their two-year tour had ended this way. Doctors had previously told Rhodes the illness could be the result of a viral infection. A statement on the band's website said: \"Nick held out all week, hoping that he would be well enough to perform again for these final few shows, but unfortunately the medical advice he has been given today requires him to continue to rest. \"The band are devastated that what has been a triumphant tour for them, with many highlights, has ended this way - and know that the fans will be as disappointed as they are.\" Earlier in the week, Rhodes said he felt \"completely helpless over the situation and all I can do is apologise to our fans\". \"We would never let them down unless it was totally unavoidable,\" he said. The band had hoped to reschedule the dates, but it has not been possible because of the availability of the venues affected. They said ticket holders for the cancelled gigs should apply for refunds at the point of purchase. Duran Duran's All You Need Is Now tour has been under way since spring 2011. They were forced to postpone a string of dates on the UK leg last summer after singer Simon Le Bon was treated for ongoing throat problems.", "summary": "Duran Duran have been forced to cancel the remaining two dates of their world tour because keyboard player Nick Rhodes is still too ill to perform."}
{"article": "Jon Platt was given a fine of \u00a3120 when he took his daughter away for a week. But he refused to pay and the High Court found in his favour that this holiday absence did not constitute regularly missing school. But the government insists children should not miss lessons in term-time. The Supreme Court will now rule on a case which has raised questions of parents' rights and responsibilities. It also prompted a debate about higher travel costs during school holidays - with complaints from parents about price hikes. It comes as a survey shows rising numbers of parents being prosecuted after their children missed school. A Press Association survey found there were almost 20,000 prosecutions in 2015, up more than 20% on the previous year, leading to more than 11,000 fines and in eight cases, jail sentences. The case being considered by Supreme Court judges centres on a week's holiday to Disney World in Florida two years ago - when Jon Platt took his daughter away from her school on the Isle of Wight without the head teacher's permission. Mr Platt was fined \u00a360 which with non-payment was increased to \u00a3120 - after which he faced prosecution for failing to ensure his daughter's regular attendance at school. But his defence has been that a week's absence in term-time should not be seen in isolation - and that when it was considered in the context of his daughter's overall attendance of over 92%, she could not be said to have regularly missed school. When the case came before magistrates on the Isle of Wight, they ruled that there was no case to answer, as Mr Platt's daughter had attended school regularly. Truancy prosecutions in England in 2015 Source: PA When this was put to appeal, the High Court accepted that magistrates had been entitled to consider school attendance outside of the week of the term-time absence. The Department for Education, which has been trying to reduce truancy and improve attendance, has supported the Isle of Wight council in challenging the rulings. And when the case was heard at the Supreme Court earlier this year, the local authority argued that an unauthorised absence \"for even a single day, or even half a day\" could be unlawful. But Mr Platt's representatives argued that it was unacceptable to interpret the rules in a way that would criminalise so many parents. Ministers argue that allowing parents to take children out of school in term-time is disruptive to their learning and caused problems for teachers and the rest of the class when pupils returned and had to be helped to catch up. A Department for Education spokeswoman said: \"Our position remains that children should not be taken out of school without good reason. \"That is why we have tightened the rules and are supporting schools and local authorities to use their powers to tackle unauthorised absence.\"", "summary": "A father who is challenging a fine for taking his daughter on an unauthorised term-time holiday will find out from the Supreme Court whether he has won or lost his long legal battle."}
{"article": "Paisley-born singer Nutini will be the top act for the Concert in the Gardens, his only festival performance in 2016, while the indie favourites will headline the Waverley Stage. The event is estimated to be worth more than \u00c2\u00a340m to the economy. Increased stewarding and security will mean higher prices for some events including the Torchlight procession. Nutini said: \"When they offered us the gig, I was made up, as it was 10 years ago that we had shown up at the castle, lined up to play alongside the Pet Shop Boys and unfortunately it was a washout ... forcing the powers-that-be to cancel. \"We went back as a three-piece in '08 to play a small set before legging it to Glasgow for George Square, but this now gives us a chance to make up for lost gigs. \"We had no plans for any shows this year after Wales but this was the only one that, over the years, I hoped that we would get another shot at. \"Edinburgh is electric at that time of year and I'm glad we get a chance to be a part of it.\" Charlatans singer Tim Burgess, said: \"Nowhere in the world sees in the New Year like Scotland. \"I've been to Edinburgh before for Hogmanay and it's always brilliant. Looking forward to another big night.\" About 75,000 revellers are expected to attend the celebrations in Edinburgh city centre, with entertainment across seven open-air stages. The Castle Stage will feature Scottish music from artists including Salsa Celtica , Manran and Ross Ainslie, Ali Hutton and Friends. The Frederick Stage will have DJs, dancers and performers from Guilty Pleasures while the Mound Stage will showcase jazz performers including James Brown is Annie, Brass Gumbo and Blues n Trouble. A candlelit concert will also take place in St Giles' Cathedral and the record-breaking Old Town Ceilidh will return to Parliament Square. The event will be rounded off with a fireworks display from the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh's Hogmanay, described as the UK's largest outdoor winter music festival, has been produced by Unique Events on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council since 1993. It is expected to bring in 150,000 visitors from more than 80 countries across three days of celebrations, giving the city an estimated \u00c2\u00a340m boost. Other events confirmed include the annual torchlight procession on 30 December, the \"Loony Dook\" dip in the Forth at South Queensferry, the Scot:Lands festival of music, art and theatre on 1 January and the Final Fling closing ceilidh, also on New Year's Day. Penny Dougherty, director of Edinburgh's Hogmanay, said \"Edinburgh's Hogmanay's place alongside the New Year celebrations of the world's leading cities proves that Edinburgh continues to punch above its weight and that Scotland is the home of hogmanay. \"As the world's leading festival city and on the back of two sell-out years, we are looking forward to another exhilarating three days of hogmanay celebrations.\"", "summary": "Paolo Nutini and The Charlatans have been announced as the headline acts for Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations."}
{"article": "About 15 students, from the 'Fossil Free QUB' group, have been occupying part of the university's administration building since Friday. A QUB spokesperson said a review of its investment policy is taking place. The review will be completed next spring. The spokesperson added that the university is happy to hold discussions with Fossil Free QUB, but there would be no immediate decision taken on its investment policy outside of the review. The Green Party Northern Ireland, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) Alliance Party, Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in and People Before Profit have all expressed support for the fossil free campaign. Belfast city Green Party NI councillor Ross Brown was at the demonstration at Queen's, and called for the university to disinvest in fossil fuels. \"There are investment indexes that exist now that exclude fossil fuels, so there's no stopping Queen's choosing those indexes and taking their money out of fossil fuels.\" The Sinn F\u00c3\u00a9in MLA Chris Hazzard also said the university should take action now, rather than waiting for the results of a review. \"Other universities around the world, including Sheffield, have recently done this, so it's time for Queen's to do that too,\" he said. Meanwhile, freedom of information requests carried out by the Fossil Free QUB organisation - and seen by the BBC - show that some of Queen's money is subsequently invested in; However, these types of investments are not unusual, according to a wealth management expert. Ewan Boyle, director of Johnston Campbell financial advisors, told the BBC that many organisations had diverse portfolios. \"If we look at the top 100 companies in the UK, around 25% of those have a bias towards mining or oil, so avoiding those companies if you are a large investor is virtually impossible\" he said. \"Queen's are passing their money to fund managers, who are responsible for investing that money, and their primary objective is to get the best returns they possibly can.\" \"It's what many pension funds, and many large organisations are doing,\" Mr Boyle added. \"Mining and oil have been huge growth areas in recent years, so that's where the fund managers are investing to get those returns.\" A Queen's spokesperson said that university business was continuing as normal, although a small number of staff in the finance office had been relocated.", "summary": "A number of politicians have attended the protest calling for Queen's University, Belfast (QUB) to sell shares it holds in fossil fuel firms."}
{"article": "The story started trending on Twitter, so we asked big-boned felines on the social network to not only show off their claw-some body shapes but also to give their views on the pay disparity. This is, of course, just a tongue-in-cheek look at the serious issue of pay discrepancy - but if you feel you have any pictures that would help us encapsulate stories making the news, then do get in touch and tweet @BBC_HaveYourSay.", "summary": "It is \"Fat Cat Tuesday\", the day of the year by which, according to campaign group the High Pay Centre, the average FTSE 100 chief executive will have earned more than the average annual salary."}
{"article": "Agents arrested more than 150 people on sex-trafficking charges in dozens of cities including Atlanta, Denver and Seattle. The youngest victim found was 12 years old, the FBI said. The FBI targeted hotels, casinos and lorry stops to find underage victims. The majority of the teens found were girls. Agents also found three boys and three transgender teens. The FBI worked with local police departments and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to help the teenage victims to find shelter and get medical attention. The agencies want to ensure the teenagers do not return to prostitution. \"When kids are treated as a commodity in seedy hotels and on dark roadsides, we must rescue them from their nightmare and severely punish those responsible for that horror,\" FBI Director James Comey said in a statement. The raids involved about 500 local police departments from across the country. A similar FBI-led campaign carried out last year uncovered about 160 teenagers working as prostitutes.", "summary": "The FBI has broken up several sex trafficking rings across the US, uncovering more than 100 sexually exploited teenagers in a nationwide operation."}
{"article": "A suspicious package was discovered in Harewood Street, near the Victoria Gate shopping centre, at about 08:40 GMT. Nearby buildings were evacuated until Army bomb disposal experts were able to declare the item safe at about midday. West Yorkshire Police said a 35-year-old man arrested in connection with the incident was being held in custody. Ch Supt Paul Money said: \"Clearly this caused significant disruption to people living and working in the city centre and to local businesses and we would like to thank everyone for their patience and support during this incident.\"", "summary": "A man has been arrested in connection with a bomb hoax that led to a large area of Leeds city centre being cordoned off."}
{"article": "Umpires Steve O'Shaughnessy and Martin Saggers twice inspected the sodden outfield with the hope of some action. But, despite a dry afternoon, the pitch could not dry quickly enough and it was called off for the day at 16:00 BST. Hampshire had earlier been rocked by the news that fast bowler Reece Topley had broken his hand batting. The England World T20 fast bowler, who is making his debut in this match following his winter move from Essex, was struck on his right hand by Boyd Rankin early on making a career-best 15. He is to see a specialist to check whether the injury is just a single or double fracture just below the knuckle. On his 34th birthday, new Bears skipper Ian Bell is still hopeful of forcing a result given that Tuesday's weather forecast promises more dry spells. Hampshire director of cricket Giles White told BBC Radio Solent: \"A little bit of time out the game isn't bad for us but we would like to be out there playing cricket as much as we can at this time of year. \"For us tomorrow we need to carry on batting and get what we can in terms of bonus points and bowl well. The game will take shape from there. \"It was a shame to lose a day today but the weather looks better tomorrow and we'll go again.\"", "summary": "Warwickshire's hopes of building on their first-day domination were stymied by the Southampton weather as no play was possible on a rain-ruined day two."}
{"article": "The four crew members of the Be Good Too were rescued by the US Coastguard 300 miles (482.8km) off the coast of Virginia on 14 January 2014. The boat came ashore on the west side of South Uist on Monday. The crew of Be Good Too encountered stormy weather three days after leaving a marina in Jersey City. The catamaran was sailing for Caribbean. They were airlifted to safety by a coastguard helicopter. South Uist-based photographer JF Martin found the wreck on the beach. Former crew member, sailor Charles Doane, has blogged that he \"couldn't believe it at first\" when he was told the boat had been found. He said the owner of Be Good Too had died in past three years.", "summary": "The barnacle-covered wreck of a catamaran abandoned during a rescue off the US east coast three years ago has been found on a Hebridean beach."}
{"article": "Ramute Butkiene's remains were discovered after an unpleasant smell was reported coming from a room rented by boyfriend Vytautas Jokubauskas. Jokubauskas, 57, of Mayor's Walk, Peterborough, was found guilty of her murder by a Southwark Crown Court jury. Judge Nicholas Loraine Smith sentenced him to a minimum of 20 years in prison. Jokubauskas, who had denied murder but admitted manslaughter, also pleaded guilty to preventing the burial of a corpse at an earlier hearing. The torso of Ms Butkiene, 42, was found in the locked room on 5 June this year. Jokubauskas had strangled Ms Butkiene with the cord from her dressing gown around a week ealier, the court heard, after accusing her of seeing another man. He then dismembered her body before watching war films and drinking whisky with her torso stuffed into a suitcase next to him. Jokubauskas buried her arms and legs in nearby wooded areas and disposed of her head before going on the run, jurors were told. He was tracked down and arrested on 7 June, just a few streets away from where he had left his girlfriend's body. During interview, he told police \"I am a killer\" and said he had strangled his girlfriend \"just a little\" to scare her. Speaking after the sentence, Det Insp Pushpa Guild said: \"This was a gruesome crime against an innocent woman, all because of a moment of jealousy. \"In a moment of rage, Jokubauskas killed Ramute and then butchered her in an attempt to cover his tracks.\"", "summary": "A \"jealous\" man who murdered his partner before dismembering her and stuffing her torso into a suitcase has been jailed for life."}
{"article": "Mae rhoi pwysau ar bobl i siarad Cymraeg pur yn gwneud rhai chwaraewyr yn llai parod i arddel yr iaith meddai. Roedd yn siarad ar drothwy cynhadledd yng Nghaerdydd i hyrwyddo dwyieithrwydd mewn chwaraeon yng Ngholeg Caerdydd a'r Fro ddydd Iau. Dywedodd wrth raglen Newyddion 9: \"Fi'n trio siarad yn naturiol, smo'n Gymraeg i mor dda \u00e2 lot o bobl ond dwi'n gwneud rhaglenni chwaraeon a newyddion chwaraeon yn Gymraeg. \"Os fi'n gallu neud a helpu'r iaith fi'n hapus i wneud hynny. \"Fi'n credu mae cymaint o bwysau...os yw pobl yn trio siarad Cymraeg mae'r bobl na sy'n meddwl bo nhw'n bwysig yn yr iaith Gymraeg yn tueddu dodi nhw lawr. \"A fi'n gwybod bod sawl chwaraewr ddim mo'yn siarad Cymraeg achos bo nhw'n meddwl bod nhw'n cael cymaint o bwysau arnyn nhw achos dyw pobl ddim yn meddwl bod eu Cymraeg nhw ddim yn ddigon pur. \"A fi'n credu byddech chi'n surprised pwy yw'r chwaraewyr na sy ddim mo'yn siarad Cymraeg achos y pwysau hynny.\" Pan ofynnwyd iddo sut oedd mynd ati i newid hyn, dywedodd: \"Meddwl am bobl arall...a falle bod eu iaith nhw yn bur ac yn iawn ond sdim pawb fel nhw achos sdim pawb yn defnyddio'r iaith bob dydd. \"Os ydyn nhw mo'yn i'r iaith i gadw fynd a chryfhau'r iaith mae angen rhoi tamed bach o slac i bobl, a gweud os ydyn nhw'n fodlon siarad Cymraeg fel maen nhw'n hapus, wel dyna ni.\"", "summary": "Wrth i'r Gymraeg gael mwy o sylw nag erioed ym maes chwaraeon a darlledu mae cyn faswr Cymru, Jonathan Davies yn galw am fwy o anogaeth i'r rheiny sy'n llai hyderus yn eu Cymraeg."}
{"article": "Marc Jones claimed the force spends hundreds of thousands of pounds maintaining the building that should be spent on front-line police services. He said staff based at West Parade will be relocated to the \u00c2\u00a316m joint ambulance, fire and police station, due to be built at South Park. The City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team will move to City Hall, he said. More stories from across Lincolnshire \"We will definitely dispose of West Parade,\" Mr Jones told BBC Radio Lincolnshire. \"We are spending hundreds of thousands of pounds just keeping the rain out of the leaky roof at the moment and that's money that should be spent on front-line police services. \"Hopefully around March 2019 everybody will move from West Parade to the new station at South Park.\" The construction of the new joint ambulance, police and fire station is part of the county's Blue Light Collaboration programme. On Wednesday, Lincolnshire's Fire and Police services moved into a shared headquarters in Nettleham, in the first phase of the scheme.", "summary": "Lincoln's West Parade police station will close by 2019, the Police and Crime Commissioner has said."}
{"article": "Sunday Leader's Faraz Shauketaly, who holds dual British and Sri Lankan citizenship, was rushed to hospital after being shot in the neck. A doctor who treated Mr Shauketaly said the journalist was now out of danger. Rights groups say more than a dozen media employees have been killed in Sri Lanka over the past decade. None of the murders has been solved. The BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo says Mr Shauketaly was on the phone to a colleague at the Sunday Leader on Friday evening at his home in Mount Lavinia when the call was cut. Shortly afterwards he answered a call and said he had been shot in the neck by three intruders, who had then escaped. A group of foreign lodgers at his house said he was covered in blood and calling for help. Mr Shauketaly, 52, was taken to intensive care, where doctors pronounced him out of danger and have been working to remove a bullet. Mr Shauketaly holds British and Sri Lankan passports and the UK government has called on the authorities to bring the attackers to justice. Our correspondent says Mr Shauketaly had voiced fears that his investigative reporting might be putting him in danger, especially after strangers had called at his house recently asking for his whereabouts. Four years ago, the Sunday Leader's editor, Lasantha Wickrematunge, was shot dead by a group of masked men on motorbikes. The case, which has never been solved, highlighted the dismal state of press freedom in the country, analysts said. \"There has been a range of attacks in Sri Lanka on journalists, civil society organisations and others in recent years. To date, too many incidents have had little investigation and no resolution,\" UK Foreign Office Minister Alastair Burt said in a statement. The Sunday Leader had long had a reputation for being outspokenly anti-government. Its profile changed last year when it was bought by a well-connected businessman and retracted some of its articles, but it still does a considerable amount of investigative reporting. Last month, Sri Lanka was placed 162nd out of 179 in a Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.", "summary": "A reporter from a newspaper in Sri Lanka has been shot by a group of unidentified men at his home near the capital, Colombo."}
{"article": "The Holigost - or Holy Ghost - was one of four \"great ships\" commissioned by the king in his war against France. It was spotted in an aerial photograph by historian Dr Ian Friel, in an area of Hampshire's River Hamble described as a medieval breaker's yard. Historic England said it was a \"tangible link\" to Henry V. The Holigost fought in sea battles during the Hundred Years War which broke the French naval power. Dr Friel identified the wreck when he was revisiting documentary evidence for a book on Henry's navy. Future scientific research on the ship, which could include sonar and aerial imaging using drones, could reveal much about 15th Century shipbuilding and improve understanding of life aboard ship, naval warfare of the time, dock building and docking practices. Historic England said it was taking steps to protect and investigate the shipwreck in part of the river next to where Henry's flagship, the Grace Dieu, was identified in the 1930s. Duncan Wilson, Historic England's chief executive, said the investigation in the 600th anniversary year of the Battle of Agincourt, was \"immensely exciting.\" \"It holds the possibility of fascinating revelations in the months and years to come,\" he added. Dr Friel said: \"In my opinion, further research leading to the rediscovery of the Holigost would be even more important than the identification of the Grace Dieu in the 1930s. \"The Holigost fought in two of the most significant naval battles of the Hundred Years War, battles that opened the way for the English conquest of northern France.\"", "summary": "The wreck of a 600-year-old warship which helped Henry V wage war on France is believed to have been found buried in a river."}
{"article": "The protest, organised by the GMB union, took place outside a meeting of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CPCCG). The union said outsourcing the multi-million pound contract was a move towards breaking up the NHS. But the CPCCG said the bidders were a mix of named NHS and private providers. Steve Sweeney, GMB regional organiser, said the protest near the Masonic Hall in Cambridge was part of its \"fight to defend NHS services\". He said: \"The NHS should be publicly run, publicly owned and publicly accountable.\" Five bidders are in the running: Clinical lead for the CPCCG's older people's programme Dr Arnold Fertig said: \"There is a mix of named NHS and private providers bidding in the procurement process. \"This process is about getting the best possible health services for older people and providing them in joined-up and innovative ways. \"The intention is that older people will experience a much better service than what is currently being offered. We are following a legally agreed procurement process.\"", "summary": "A demonstration against outsourcing Cambridgeshire healthcare services for older people has been held as bidders for the contract were announced."}
{"article": "Alien: Covenant, which is out in the UK on Friday, is the sequel to Scott's 2012 Prometheus and stars Michael Fassbender and Katherine Winterston. The Guardian said the \"parasitic space alien has returned for this watchable if unoriginal sci-fi thriller\". But The Telegraph said the film was \"grandiose\" and \"exhilarating\". \"To want more Alien after this... would be to want to see something very odd indeed,\" Robbie Collin continued. \"But Covenant leaves the mythos feeling riper and more vitalised than ever.\" In The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw went on to say: \"The vu has never been so deja: It's a greatest-hits compilation of the other Alien films' freaky moments. \"The paradox is that though you are intended to recognise these touches, you won't really be impressed unless you happen to be seeing them for the first time.\" The Independent described it as a \"mightily impressive piece of cinematic engineering\". \"Every second here is tinged with dark foreboding, with the relentless tension that marked the 1979 original,\" the paper's Clarisse Loughrey said. The Mirror was equally effusive, saying: \"Scott's final theatrical flourish sends the franchise spinning out in a new direction. This is screamingly great cinema.\" In the US, where the movie comes out on 19 May, Variety magazine was firmly on the fence, saying the film was \"more of the same, which is both a relief to fans and a letdown to those hoping it might pave new ground\". Its reviewer Peter Debruge concluded: \"As acts of creation go, Scott has made an Alien movie for that segment of the audience that has always rooted for the monster.\" In the Hollywood Reporter, the verdict was considerably more enthusiastic, saying the film was \"gripping through its full two hours and spiked with some real surprises\". \"This beautifully made sci-fi thriller will immeasurably boost fan interest in the run of prequels which Scott has recently said will consist of at least two more films until the action catches up to the 1979 original,\" it said. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "summary": "Ridley Scott's return to directing a film in the Alien franchise has received mixed reviews ahead of its UK and US release."}
{"article": "Michelle Barnes, 33, from Cumbria, was serving a two-year sentence for drug offences at Low Newton Prison, Durham, when she died in December. The inquest heard that Ms Barnes had hoped to keep the baby with her. However, Low Newton has no mother and baby unit, and she was unable to get a transfer to a prison which does. Ms Barnes - who found out she was pregnant while serving her sentence - had a history of mental health problems and self harming, the inquest jury was told. Cumbria County Council had begun care proceedings as it had \"concerns\" about her as a mother. Her solicitor, Victoria Rowson, said: \"Her intention was to be a good mother to her child\". However, an interim care order was made after the baby was born in hospital. Social worker, Sara Driscoll, said: \"It was not a decision taken lightly at all. \"We believed there was no safe decision for the child, other than removing the child from birth. \"There was one occasion during one of my visits that she said 'If you take the baby, I will go too'. \"I passed that on to her mental health worker.\" She agreed with Durham Coroner Andrew Tweddle's suggestion that this was something said \"in the heat of the moment\". Earlier, Alan Richer, the most senior governor at Low Newton said the prison experienced 20 to 35 self-harm incidents a month, and it appeared to be a \"coping mechanism\" for some of the women prisoners. He said there were around 200 babies born to inmates every year in the UK, and only five prisons which have mother and baby units, after one unit closed due to flooding. The hearing, at Crook Civic Centre, continues.", "summary": "An inmate found hanging in her prison cell days after giving birth, told a social worker \"if you take my baby I go too\", an inquest has heard."}
{"article": "Media playback is not supported on this device He is lucky with the talent he has in key positions, he is lucky with the funds and facilities created for him and he is lucky that no other nation save New Zealand has the same strength in depth sitting on their replacements' bench. But there is nothing lucky at all about how he utilises all of those to forge an England team that has already set new records and may yet set more impressive ones still. It wasn't hard to see where England were going wrong in the first half against France. It was everywhere you looked. A first line-out so bad it hit the back of Dan Cole's head. A yellow card for a tackle that was unnecessary and illegal. An inability to dent the blue defensive wall with ball in hand, a problem stopping the waves of French runners coming at them from deep and wide and fast. The difficulty lay in working out what to do about it and how to make that plan work. No Vunipolas to add muscle and metres made. No Chris Robshaw to slow the progress of a French back row charging and offloading like a French back row of old. An opposition liberated from the stylistic straightjacket of recent torpid years, and a Twickenham crowd silenced by unexpected uncertainty and fear. Any coach could have torn into their team after a first 40 minutes as scrambled as that. Not so many could have sent them out again after half-time clear of mind and confident in their ability to turn that slump into success. Fewer still could have made not just the right changes to personnel but customised the positional and tactical ones so shrewdly too. Media playback is not supported on this device With 18 minutes to go, England were much improved but still four points down, Rabah Slimani's offload-inspired try threatening to end France's 12-year wait for a win in south-west London and mark the Six Nations' opening day with a second shock to match that of Scotland's thrilling win over Ireland. Off came Joe Launchbury. On came James Haskell into the back row, forward went Maro Itoje into the second row. More pace. More power. Five minutes later, George Ford and Jonathan Joseph off, Ben Te'o and Jack Nowell on, Owen Farrell to fly-half, Elliot Daly to inside centre. More power still, now pace spilling out everywhere, now a dynamism and drive and the sound from the stands of belief and excitement too. Quick ball, sharper minds. Farrell found Te'o, Te'o found a soft opposition shoulder and the try-line opened up in front of him. Media playback is not supported on this device \"I always thought we were going to win,\" said Jones afterwards. \"I thought we were awful, but I always thought we were going to win.\" There were not many others so sure in the moment, fewer yet who could have prevented even subconscious anxiety and anger from transmitting itself to the players on the pitch. France had three men -", "summary": "Eddie Jones is a lucky coach."}
{"article": "A new report said the gap between the hourly earnings of the two sexes widens after women become mothers. Their hourly pay rate falls 33% behind men's over a 12-year period, it added. But in Northern Ireland, there is an established trend of women earning more than men. In 2010, typical (median) female full-time hourly earnings, excluding overtime, in Northern Ireland moved slightly ahead of male earnings for the first time. That has continued over the last five years, except for 2012 when typical female and male full-time hourly earnings were the same. In 2015, typical female full-time hourly earnings, excluding overtime, were 101% of male earnings compared to a ratio of 91% for the UK as a whole. The pattern of women earning slightly more than men is not uniform across the income distribution. Men have higher earnings in the 90th percentile (among the top 10% of earners), and at the 40th percentile and below. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has suggested that the gap in favour of full-time female workers overall is partly to do with a higher proportion of public sector jobs in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the UK. There are more women employed in this sector than men and these jobs tend to be higher paid, in general, than in the private sector. At a wider, all-employee level, there is still a gap in favour of men because there are more full-time male employees. All of the above data is from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.", "summary": "Full-time female workers in Northern Ireland are defying the gender pay gap to earn more than their male counterparts, official figures have shown."}
{"article": "One council has told BBC Wales it intends using \u00a320m of its cash before any reorganisation. Carmarthenshire's head of resources said he wanted to see the council's money spent in the authority area. The Welsh government said councils had to maintain reserves and it would act to halt \"irresponsible spending\". But Carmarthenshire executive board member, councillor David Jenkins, said money should be spent on boosting the area's economy before any mergers. \"This is common sense. The question we're asking is what will happen to Carmarthenshire's money if we have to merge with Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion,\" he told BBC Radio Cymru's Post Cyntaf programme. Although plans have yet to be finalised, he said the intention was to spend about \u00a320m of \u00a372m earmarked reserves on an \"anti-austerity package\". He said there was money within the reserves \"where the initial purpose has come to an end\" which is the cash which would be used to improve the area's economy. However, not every local authority agreed with Carmarthenshire's approach. Ceredigion's leader, Ellen ap Gwynn, said it was not an example they will follow. \"You can only spend money once. Who knows what will come with these storms, floods and snow,\" she said. \"Personally, I don't see mergers - so there's no need to prepare for that eventuality. I don't think the Labour Party will get a majority in the next election so the proposed plans will not go ahead.\" A deal between Labour and Plaid Cymru means the merger process has been put on pause until after the May's assembly election. Leighton Andrews, the minister overseeing the plans, expressed concern over Carmarthenshire's proposal. He said he would \"act to stop any irresponsible spending\" in relation to council's reserves. A Welsh government spokesman added: \"The Welsh ministers already have powers to set minimum level of reserves required to be held as part of the authority's budget setting process. \"Additionally, the provisions of the Local Government Act (Wales) prevent improper use of assets before mergers.\"", "summary": "Moves to cut the number of councils in Wales to single figures have sparked fears that some local authorities may spend reserves ahead of mergers."}
{"article": "St Mary's Catholic Church in Dandenong is the latest to suffer from what police are calling a suspicious fire. The blaze started in the early hours of Tuesday, causing extensive damage. On Monday fire almost destroyed the 123-year-old St James Church in Brighton, while a separate fire damaged St Mary's Church in St Kilda East. The Dandenong church was one of eight Catholic churches linked to priest Kevin O'Donnell, who sexually abused children throughout his 50-year career in Melbourne parishes. Local media have reported that in 1995 O'Donnell, aged 78, pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting 10 boys and two girls, aged between eight and 15, and spent 15 months in jail. He was freed in 1996 and died in 1997. The other two churches were linked to paedophile priest Ronald Dennis Pickering, who served at various parishes in Melbourne between 1958 and 1993, before returning to his native Britain where he died in 2009. In 2013, both men were on a list released by the Australian Catholic Church of 29 Melbourne priests who it acknowledged were guilty of sexually abusing children. Police would not comment on the fires or any suspects other than to say they were all suspicious and were being investigated separately. But Regional Bishop for the Catholic Church in Victoria Peter Elliott told Fairfax Radio he did not believe the fires were linked to anger over child sexual abuse, but were instead the work of a \"very disturbed person\". The fires come as a Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse travels around Australia taking evidence about alleged child sex abuse linked to churches, charities and government agencies. Local media have cited research by a Melbourne university that found at least five people had killed themselves after being sexually abused by Pickering between 1960 and 1980. Hollywood actress and former St James' parishioner Rachel Griffiths said the church's destruction came as a relief because of its history. \"I was quite elated, like many of my generation, when I heard the news,\" she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. \"It's always been a difficult building for us to drive past because there's been so much tragedy and complicated feelings, I guess,\" she said.", "summary": "Police in Victoria are investigating suspicious fires at three Melbourne churches where paedophile priests have served in the past."}
{"article": "The bridge over the M20 near Maidstone in Kent was hit by a lorry carrying a digger on Saturday. A motorcyclist suffered broken ribs and a lorry driver was treated for shock. The M20 will be closed between junctions 1 and 4 coast-bound and junctions 4 and 2 London-bound from 20:00 BST on Friday until 06:00 Monday. The collapsed section of the pedestrian bridge, near the village of Addington, was removed from the scene last weekend, and the road was reopened a day later. Highways England said the remaining structure was being constantly monitored and was structurally sound and safe for traffic to pass underneath with a temporary 50mph speed limit in place. Chief highway engineer Catherine Brookes said: \"We naturally need to remove it under safe controlled conditions this weekend. \"We will use the closures to carry out as much work as possible, including barrier repairs, resurfacing and litter picking. \"We will start planning the replacement in due course.\" The coast-bound M26 will also be closed from the M25 junction 5. Diversions will be in place via the A229 and M2/A2 to join the M25 at junction 2. Local traffic will be able to use the A20. Access to the A21 from the anti-clockwise M25 will also be closed with a diversion via junction 4. The M20 is the main route to the Channel Tunnel and Port of Dover.", "summary": "A footbridge over a motorway which partially collapsed when it was struck by a lorry will be removed at the weekend."}
{"article": "When Angie Konrad tweeted that the heating was switched off on her train, she did not expect the operators of that line to read the message and alert the driver to switch the heating on so she could enjoy the rest of her journey in comfort. Twitter is enabling companies to engage in a much warmer relationship with their clientele, but when things go wrong for the customer, it is also the best way to get grievances resolved quickly and in real time says comedian David Schneider, who is also a Twitter expert and runs social media consultancy That Lot. \"If you're 29th in the queue on a phone call, only you know that. It's you and the person who's keeping you on hold. But if you tweet, it's public and it could be picked up, and I think companies are very aware of that,\" says Mr Schneider. Or catch up on BBC iPlayer A bad review or negative comment can be retweeted by millions, and companies are often keen to defuse customer anger very quickly in a public space such as Twitter. If it is done cleverly, it can even work in a company's favour. \"I remember there was a time where there was an outage on O2 on the network and they were getting a hell of a lot of bad press,\" says Mr Schneider. \"People were tweeting very aggressively at the O2 account and about O2 - it was trending. \"They happened to have a very skilful, self-deprecating, humorous person on their Twitter feed at that time who dealt with the abuse in a very amusing way.\" Mr Schneider says it was interesting to see a wave of criticism turn to positive comments from the customers. When a complaint is treated with a personal touch, it can even go viral on Twitter. For instance one Argos customer service representative chose to reply to customer Immy \"Badman\" Bugti's complaint using the same street style he had used in his tweet. A shortened version of the messages read: \"@Argos_online: Yo, wen you gettin' da ps4 tings in moss side? Ain't waitin' no more.\" \"@BadManBugti: Safe Badman. We gettin' sum more PS4 tings in wivin da next week, y'get me.\" The company response from Argos was retweeted over 1,500 times within the space of a few hours. Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service, says consumers are becoming much more savvy and expect organisations to relate to them as real life human beings and not simply transactions any more. \"One of the key things that we're seeing in the changing world we're all living in is that we want to have better dialogue, not just monologue, with our organisations,\" says Ms Causon. According to a poll of 2,000 people by the communications agency Fishburn Hedges and Echo Research in April 2012, 36% of people had used a social media platform to contact a big company and 65% said it was a better way than call centres to get in touch with companies. It was not just confined to the", "summary": "There was a time when a strongly worded letter was the only means of having your complaint heard by a company, but is tweeting now the best way to get your gripe to the front of the queue?"}
{"article": "Poppy Scotland tins were reported stolen with the first alleged incident in Portobello on 1 November and a further two a week later. Two other reported incidents took place in Musselburgh on 5 and 6 November. The men, aged 27 and 35, are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.", "summary": "Two men have been charged in connection with the alleged theft of charity collection boxes from separate locations in the east of Scotland."}
{"article": "Officers found 70 snakes, including Russell's vipers and cobras, as well as 30ml of snake venom, in a flat where one of the accused lived in Pune. The snakes were found in wooden boxes and gunny bags and have now been handed to wildlife officials. Selling snake venom is profitable in parts of India, where keeping protected wildlife in captivity is illegal. Reports say that some pharmaceutical firms buy snake venom from the black market to develop antidotes. Police inspector Santosh Giri Gosavi told the Hindustan Times that they raided the flat after receiving credible information. He said the suspects bought snakes from snake catchers. \"They were used to extract venom, which the duo would sell,\" he said.", "summary": "Indian police have arrested two suspected snake venom smugglers in the western state of Maharashtra."}
{"article": "RSPB Scotland is planning improvements for people and wildlife at the site on the south-eastern edge of Alloa. The wetland and grassland is a popular site for birds including snipe, short-eared owls, teals and black-headed gulls. New paths, viewing areas and signage are to be installed over the coming months with a series of events planned. The wetlands near the banks of the Forth and the Black Devon river were created when soil was dug out to cap a nearby landfill area. Managed lagoons were formed by Clackmannanshire Heritage Trust, and later expanded in the mid 2000s by the council's landfill project. RSPB Scotland's regional director for south and west Scotland, Anne McCall, said: \"We're delighted to be taking on the management of the Black Devon Wetlands and we hope to transform it into a reserve that will not only help wildlife, but also provide local people with a great nature experience right on their doorstep. \"The Inner Forth is internationally recognised as an important place for birds, and the establishment of this reserve adds to a wider mosaic of habitats that are beneficial for a whole range of different species, as part of the RSPB's landscape-scale project, the Inner Forth Futurescape.\"", "summary": "Scotland's newest nature reserve is to be set up at the Black Devon Wetlands in Clackmannanshire."}
{"article": "The 29-year-old ex-Tranmere Rovers and Leicester City left-back has not played since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament just 37 minutes into his debut on loan at Yeovil in January 2014. \"We're providing a base to get himself going,\" said Crewe boss Steve Davis. \"We certainly know he's good enough,\" Davis told BBC Radio Stoke. \"I remember him bombing down the wing at Tranmere causing us heaps of problems. He got player of the season there before going to Leicester.\" The French-born former Ivory Coast Under-23 international was released in the summer by Leicester, for whom he managed just two League Cup appearances after leaving Tranmere to join the Foxes in July 2013. But Bakayogo, who still has a home on Merseyside, has been making the short daily journey to Crewe's Reaseheath training ground in a bid to get his career going again. \"We haven't made any decisions either way,\" said Davis. \"He came to us pre-season with a view to us having a look at him, when we were looking for a left-back, before we signed Stephen Kingsley. \"His knee was in poor condition. He'd had a couple of cruciates and had been out for two years. There were doubts about those injuries and we wanted to take a look at him, but he's answering those questions at the moment. He wants to get back playing professional football.\" Davis's Crewe still sit bottom of League One, having won just three times in 16 games this season, ahead of Saturday's FA Cup first round date at home to non-league high fliers Eastleigh.", "summary": "Crewe Alexandra are considering whether to offer a deal to on-trial defender Zoumana Bakayogo after almost two injury-hit years out of the game."}
{"article": "He replaces Barrie Hubbard, who has chosen to step down after 29 years on the club's board. Allen, who had previously held the position of chief executive, told the club website: \"I intend to give 100% in my efforts to achieve what the fans want, which is Championship football.\" Meanwhile, midfielders Danny Whitaker, 31, and Mark Randall, 18, have agreed new one-year deals. Whitaker, who joined the Spireites from Oldham in 2010, made 35 appearances in 2011/12. Randall played 18 games in his first season with the club, having joined them from Arsenal last summer.", "summary": "Chesterfield have appointed Dave Allen as their new chairman."}
{"article": "Williams, 25, can play full-back or wing and has 38 caps for Wales, as well as 100 Scarlets appearances. The move could limit his international appearances, under the senior selection policy which only allows three non-Wales based players to be selected. \"Liam is arguably one of the most talented backs in Europe,\" director of rugby Mark McCall said. In a statement released by the Scarlets, Williams said: \"I will continue to give my all in the Scarlets jersey and will hopefully have an opportunity to play for silverware at the end of this season with a what is a great group of boys.\" European and Premiership champions Saracens have already confirmed France hooker Christopher Tolofua will move to Allianz Park next season. Williams' arrival adds new competition for Alex Goode and Sean Maitland at full-back, an area in which Sarries have had to add cover in fellow Welshman Andrew Fenby this season. As for Scarlets, Williams' exit would put them in a position to bring Toulon and Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny to the region. The Welsh Rugby Union said it had made \"the best offer it can\" to take him back to Welsh rugby. Chris Jones, BBC Radio 5 live rugby union reporter It has been an open secret for some time. With 38 Wales caps, he has developed into one of the finest attacking running backs in Europe and he is sure to thrive at Saracens, a club which has an outstanding reputation for developing and looking after its players. But it is a blow for the domestic game in Wales. Scarlets say they fought hard to keep him and my understanding is that he was offered a dual-contract with the Welsh Rugby Union. He will now have to rely on a wildcard selection next season to play for the Wales national side.", "summary": "Wales back Liam Williams will join Saracens from Scarlets on a three-year deal from the start of 2017-18."}
{"article": "Billed as a business breakfast, Mr Brokenshire was listed as guest speaker alongside DUP leader and First Minister Arlene Foster. However, Mr Brokenshire withdrew in the face of unwelcome publicity. SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he needs to show he is not favouring one Northern Ireland party over any other. The story was first reported in the Irish News on Wednesday. \"It's quite clear, given the Tory party conference, champagne receptions and James Brokenshire agreeing to attend a fundraiser, that they seem to be working very closely together,\" Mr Eastwood told the BBC. \"That's fine on one level, but the British secretary of state and the British Government should not be in the pocket of any one party. \"He needs to now go overboard in demonstrating that he isn't captured by the DUP, that he is his own man and he's prepared to stand up for what's right in Northern Ireland - not for what Arlene Foster tells him.\" People attending the event at a caf\u00e9 in Lisburn, County Antrim, are being charging \u00a330 a plate or \u00a3300 for a table of 10. The invitation described it as \"an excellent opportunity to network with business and elected representatives\". An NIO spokesman said that it does not \"discuss [Mr Brokenshire's] diary and he is not attending the event.\" The DUP refused to comment. Last week, the DUP held a champagne reception at the Conservative conference amid claims the two parties have done a deal in the wake of the Brexit vote. On Wednesday, the secretary of state met DUP MPs in what was described as a constructive and useful engagement. The NIO said it was part of a series of meetings, with the MPs of all the Northern Ireland parties represented at Westminster.", "summary": "The Northern Ireland Secretary has pulled out of an event run by the DUP after it was revealed to be a party fundraiser."}
{"article": "Kim Thomas Riley, 27, made a getaway from Royal Darwin Hospital, where he was undergoing assessment for chest pains. Authorities found him hiding under a log near Cape Crawford, a remote road stop in the Northern Territory outback. Police arrested him \"without incident\" after a two-day search. His partner, Rachel Chatfield, was charged with aiding his escape. Police said she picked up Riley from the hospital and the couple drove more than 700km south to the small town of Elliot. Riley reportedly left Ms Chatfield and her children on the side of the Stuart Highway for reasons that are not yet clear and drove several hundred kilometres east. The car he was driving ran out of petrol at Borroloola, a remote fishing community on the Gulf of Carpentaria. He was arrested about two kilometres away at Cape Crawford, still wearing handcuffs and with an injury to his foot.", "summary": "A prisoner who escaped from hospital in northern Australia was rearrested about 1,000km (620 miles) away still wearing handcuffs."}
{"article": "Wilson, 37, and from Sheffield, was struck by flying debris and suffered head injuries during the Pocono IndyCar 500 race in Pennsylvania on 23 August. About 500 people attended the seven-time IndyCar race winner's funeral at Paulerspury in Northamptonshire. The family, friends and colleagues joined Wilson's widow Julia at Silverstone afterwards. Ex-Formula 1 driver Mark Webber and retired IndyCar racer Dario Franchitti were among the pallbearers. Webber said: \"It was an honour for me to do that for the family because we are a family in many ways when it comes to motorsport. \"We know the dangers are always there. Motorsport has had good and bad patches when it comes to these tragic events and when it is really close to home then it hits you even harder. \"You think of the family and everyone who is going to be affected by this. Motorsport is a tight-knit family and when we need to get together in really tough times we do our best.\" Jonathan Palmer, the former F1 driver who took Wilson on as a prot\u00c3\u00a9g\u00c3\u00a9, and former F1 champion Sir Jackie Stewart also attended. Palmer, who read an 11-minute eulogy in his honour, said: \"Justin was the innocent victim in a cruel twist of fate when he was hit by flying debris from an incident ahead. It still feels like a bad dream but tragically it is only too real.\" The father of two died a day after Sage Karam's car spun and crashed in front of him on lap 179 of 200. Wilson's major motorsport breakthrough came in F1. He won the Formula 3000 series in 2001, and two years later raised \u00c2\u00a31.2m to finance his F1 entry after setting up a company in his own name. Wilson scored his only point from 16 races with Minardi and Jaguar during 2003 at the United States Grand Prix. He moved to the US in 2004 and enjoyed greater success in Champ Car, finishing as series runner-up in 2006 and 2007 before switching to IndyCar racing in 2008, after Champ Car merged with the Indy Racing League. He finished second in the previous IndyCar race in Mid-Ohio on 2 August, his first podium finish since 2013, while his final victory came at the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway in June 2012. Mark Miles, chief executive of IndyCar parent company Hulman & Co, paid tribute to Wilson's \"elite ability\" and his \"unwavering kindness, character and humility\".", "summary": "The funeral has taken place of British IndyCar driver Justin Wilson, who died during a race last month in America."}
{"article": "Jennings replaced injured opener Haseeb Hameed in the squad in the build-up to the fourth Test in Mumbai, which starts on Thursday at 04:00 GMT. The 24-year-old is the son of former South Africa coach Ray Jennings, and captained South Africa Under-19s. \"The more time you spend in a country, the more you feel welcome,\" he said. \"Especially in the North East, the people are very welcoming - and that made me feel part of the furniture essentially. \"At the moment I'm feeling very comfortable and very English, despite my accent.\" Jennings, whose mother was born in Sunderland, has served a four-year qualification period to be eligible for England. The Durham batsman made 101 not out as he captained the England Lions against the United Arab Emirates last week. He said the moment Lions head coach Andy Flower told him he had been called into the senior squad was \"surreal\". \"I texted my dad and it ended up with my dad being speechless and my mum in tears,\" he told BBC Sport. Jennings said all-rounder Ben Stokes, his Durham team-mate, was helping him settle in to the national set-up. \"It makes it easier when you have Stokes taking the mickey out of you,\" he added. England trail India 2-0 in the five-match series. India's cricket board is considering whether to switch the final Test from Chennai following the death of a local politician. The fifth Test is due to be held in the city from 16-20 December.", "summary": "Keaton Jennings, the South Africa-born batsman who is set to make his England debut in India this week, has said he feels \"very English\"."}
{"article": "The two parchment books dating from 1727 record the setting up of Burwash Charity School with a legacy of \u00c2\u00a3100 from the Rev George Barnsley. Other subscribers were Thomas and Henry Pelham and local landowners and businessmen. The books, which have been in the hands of a local historian, are now being held at The Keep in Brighton. They cover 150 years up to 1877, recording some of the pupils' names, the teachers and the school accounts. Two of the first three teachers employed in 1727 were unable to write, and when asked to sign receipts for their wages, could only sign with a line or cross. \"They probably weren't trained at all,\" said senior archivist Christopher Whittick. \"This was a charity school for poor children.\" He said the books would be of interest to many different people. \"If you are interested in education that's the most obvious but if you are interested in Burwash, or the families of Burwash, or if your ancestor was one of the children there is something there for you.\" The Keep at Falmer, which opened in 2013, holds the historical records of East Sussex Record Office, Brighton Royal Pavilion and Museums and the University of Sussex.", "summary": "Documents thought to be the earliest school records in Sussex have been deposited in county archives."}
{"article": "Under council proposals, the 75 schools could have funding taken away for one hour of lunch staff per day, amounting to \u00a32,200 a year each, according to figures obtained by Plaid Cymru. Plaid said costs could be passed on to parents - which is denied by the council. Caerphilly said it was one proposal as part of a drive to save \u00a39m in 2016/17. A spokeswoman said \"extensive consultation\" had taken place with head teachers, adding: \"There is certainly no intention that any financial impact would be passed onto parents, or that the service would cease to be provided by schools.\" The Labour-run authority said it was committed to spending an extra \u00a31.9m on county borough schools in 2016.17. A cabinet report set to be discussed next week says the 75 schools may decide to use their lunch-time supervisor to undertake the cleaning task. However, if this happened, 75 posts (working on average one hour per day) would be withdrawn in \"a worst case scenario\". This would amount to 375 hours of cleaning lost across all schools per week and the work would be shared among the remaining staff. Plaid Cymru said the proposal would save the council \u00a3175,000 a year, which equated to around \u00a32,200 being passed onto each school. It added that it would be based on how many pupils eat sandwiches. The party's candidate for Caerphilly in the assembly elections Lindsay Whittle said many parents give their children sandwiches as they cannot afford meals. \"It seems likely that this charge will be passed on to parents by many schools or pupils even banned from bringing lunches in,\" he added. But the council's cabinet member for education Rhianon Passmore said the suggestion was \"disingenuous and misleading\", saying Plaid was \"scaremongering\". \"Sadly, such claims will undoubtedly cause extra worry and stress for hard pressed parents and their children. This is wrong,\" she added.", "summary": "Primary schools in Caerphilly county could lose money for cleaning up after children who bring sandwiches in."}
{"article": "The 66-year-old Brisbane Broncos boss will speak to RFL officials before deciding whether to accept a position. Steve McNamara's contract as England coach expired after the 2-1 series win over New Zealand last autumn. Bennett told the Brisbane Courier-Mail: \"We haven't finalised the role but I've been offered some opportunities. I have to find out how they see me involved.\" Bennett is one of the game's most experienced coaches and was in charge of Brisbane for 20 years from their formation in 1988. He won six Grand Finals before moving to St George-Illawarra Dragons, where he won another NRL title in 2010. In addition, he has had three spells with the Queensland State of Origin team and two spells in charge of the national team. A passionate supporter of international rugby league, he was part of the New Zealand coaching team that won the World Cup in 2008, but was overlooked in favour of Mal Meninga when he applied for the Australia job again in December 2015. Media playback is not supported on this device \"Everything is on the table,\" said Bennett. \"I wanted to coach Australia, but it's not available now. I wanted to make a contribution to international rugby league. \"About five years ago, the RFL first arrived at my doorstep. It is always about finding the right timing.\" The RFL has refused to comment on any discussions with Bennett. It is carrying out a review of the England set-up, which will be concluded in February. Bennett is due in England next month for Brisbane's World Club Series game at Wigan on 20 February. England will play Australia, New Zealand and Scotland in the Four Nations tournament in November. BBC Sport's Simon Stone Wayne Bennett is one of the most respected coaches in rugby league and his appointment - even on a part-time basis - would be a huge coup for the RFL. But if, as anticipated, Bennett combined the job with his present role with Brisbane Broncos, it would raise an issue over how well he knew the Super League players he would be working with. Many of England's top players, including Canterbury's James Graham and Sam Burgess, who recently returned to the sport after an ill-fated spell in rugby union, are based in Australia. But the majority remain in England and while Bennett will be able to watch virtually every Super League game on TV, he will be relying largely on the opinions of others when it comes to their personalities.", "summary": "Former Australia coach Wayne Bennett has been offered a role with England by the Rugby Football League."}
{"article": "11 April 2016 Last updated at 18:11 BST Alex Zosel told the BBC that his device was safer than a traditional helicopter because its systems had more redundancy built-in. The Volocopter can continue to fly if some of its batteries or rotors fail, and can land itself when battery power is low. However, the multicopter can currently fly for only 25 minutes and is expected to cost \u00c2\u00a3200,000 when it goes on sale.", "summary": "An 18-rotor multicopter has been taken on its first manned flight in Germany."}
{"article": "If they needed a little calm, the gardens they have created - many on themes of peace and tranquillity - could have provided it. Jekka McVicar, who designed A Modern Apothecary for St John's Hospice, says the garden is about health and wellbeing. Everything in it - from rosemary and fennel to the sound of running water - can be good for body and mind, she says. She spoke to doctors, carers and artists before creating the garden, which is about the \"power of plants\". Also focusing on health and healing is Paul Martin, creator of The Garden of Mindful Living for Vestra Wealth. It is intended as a calm space for mindfulness and wellness in a busy city life, with soft colours that are \"not jarring on the eyes\". There is plenty of green - a colour Mr Martin says has proven calming effects on children with ADHD. Matthew Wilson designed God's Own Country - A Garden for Yorkshire based on inspiration from York Minster's East Window, which is the largest single expanse of medieval stained glass in Britain. \"Trying to get something of that scale and presence and sheer power in a Chelsea garden is an interesting challenge,\" he says. He says he set about \"deconstructing\" all elements on the window's design and \"putting them back together in a different order\" in the garden, which is sponsored by Welcome to Yorkshire. As well as a \"colourful tapestry\" of planting based on the window's colours, there is an arch laid on its side containing benches which point towards a \"very calm, small cloister garden\". Nick Bailey, designer of The Winton Capital Beauty of Mathematics Garden, says the concept is about \"subtly highlighting the mathematics that underpins everything\". \"No matter how wild something looks it's actually driven by algorithms and equations,\" he says. A copper band runs through the garden, and on it are equations for processes including photosynthesis and cellular expansion. The band represents a stem, and as it winds through the garden - changing function from a bench to a banister to a planter - the planting thickens to reflect growth. Diarmuid Gavin, who designed the Harrods British Eccentrics garden, says he mixed traditional themes with \"a little bit of madness\". As well as \"fireworks\" of brightly coloured plants among more traditional planting, every 15 minutes the trees and one of the borders rotate and some bob up and down. \"I like to have a bit of fun and try something new,\" he explains. Garden designers and their teams - many in smart suits not typically worn for gardening - were busy watering, sweeping and making other last-minute adjustments on Monday morning before the arrival of the judges. Some teams were on their hands and knees for these final preparations in the London sunshine. A field of 300,000 hand-crocheted poppies, which covers the space between the showground and the Royal Hospital Chelsea, was designed by Phillip Johnson, who won Best Show Garden in 2013. They are a tribute to those who served in all wars, and were made by \"people", "summary": "Garden designers and their teams stood proudly - albeit a little nervously - as the judges began their rounds at the Chelsea Flower Show."}
{"article": "Phyllida Lloyd will direct revivals of Julius Caesar and Henry IV and a new production of The Tempest, which are all set in a women's prison. Harriet Walter will play Brutus in Julius Caesar, King Henry in Henry IV, and Prospero in The Tempest. The new in-the-round venue will be open for 13 weeks from 23 September. Julius Caesar and Henry IV were both staged by the company at the Donmar's Covent Garden base in 2012 and 2014 respectively. The theatre hopes to make 25% of all tickets will be free to 25s and under with a new scheme called Young and Free, funded mainly through sponsorship and philanthropy. Artistic Director Josie Rourke said: \"I remember very clearly the furore created by the idea of an all-female Shakespeare, when Phyllida Lloyd first staged Julius Caesar with Harriet Walter in 2012. \"Phyllida Lloyd's work with this diverse, all-female company has been genuinely ground-breaking and in the intervening four years, theatre has got into the fast lane of debate and change. \"It's time, with these Young and Free tickets, to join together our question about who gets to play these roles with a renewed mission for who gets to experience them.\" After its month-long run at the new London venue, The Tempest will transfer to Broadway in October as part of the Donmar's New York season, which runs from July until February 2017. The James Graham play Privacy, starring Daniel Radcliffe, and Christopher Hampton's Les Liaisons Dangereuses, will also be staged in New York.", "summary": "London's Donmar Warehouse is to open a temporary theatre in King's Cross to host the company's all-female Shakespeare trilogy."}
{"article": "The decision came after the governor of Rio de Janeiro state, Sergio Cabral, asked President Dilma Rousseff for government support ahead of the football World Cup in June. On Thursday, three police bases in the city were attacked by suspected gangs. Four police officers have been killed since February in similar attacks. The attacks on police in Brazil's second largest city have heightened concerns about law and order ahead of the World Cup, which begins on 12 June. Seven World Cup matches, including the final, will be played in Rio. Mr Cabral discussed the violence with President Rousseff in the capital, Brasilia, after Thursday's unrest in the northern Rio favela, or shanty town, of Manguinhos. Police vehicles were set on fire and the police unit's commander was shot in the leg. Rio's authorities have been trying to rid the city's favelas of drug dealers. \"It is clear that criminals want to weaken our policy of pacification and take back territories which were in criminal hands for decades,\" Mr Cabral said ahead of his meeting. \"The state will not back down. The public may be sure we shall act,\" the governor said. The authorities in Brasilia did not give say how many federal troops would be sent to Rio or when they would be deployed. Rio police have installed more than 30 bases in favelas in the past five years to drive out drug gangs. Correspondents say murders have declined and the number of shootouts has dropped, but residents have often accused the police of using heavy-handed tactics. The BBC's Julia Carneiro in Rio says the recent deaths among the security forces have prompted some groups to express solidarity with police and their families. Rio de Janeiro is to host South America's first Olympic Games in 2016 as well as this year's World Cup.", "summary": "The government in Brazil says it will send federal troops to Rio de Janeiro to help deal with a spate of violent attacks targeting the city's police."}
{"article": "The deal will create the second largest cable broadband provider in the US. Charter had to agree to not stop its content providers from separately selling shows online, as part of the approval. The deal also still needs approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) before it can go ahead. But the head of the FCC Tom Wheeler said he was seeking approval for the deal, noting the merger conditions \"will directly benefit consumers by bringing and protecting competition to the video marketplace and increasing broadband deployment.\" The DoJ said it would work with other regulators to ensure the merger did not \"choke off\" access to online videos. \"The settlement forbids the merged company, referred to as \"New Charter,\" from entering into or enforcing agreements that could make it more difficult for online video distributors (OVDs) to obtain video content from programmers,\" the DOJ added. US cable companies are facing stiff competition from online service providers such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, as customers increasingly choose to stream films and television shows over the internet often for a lower price. Charter will pay $78bn (\u00c2\u00a354bn) for Time Warner and $10.8bn for Bright House. The combined three firms will serve cable television and broadband to 23.9 million customers in 41 states. The deal was announced last year after Comcast abandoned its $45bn plan to buy Time Warner Cable fearing pressure from regulators.", "summary": "The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has approved Charter Communications purchase of cable operators Time Warner Cable and Bright House networks."}
{"article": "Third seed Murray beat Czech eighth seed Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-4 to reach the final for a fourth time. The 27-year-old Scot, who reached 500 career wins this week, won the title in 2009 and 2013. Defending champion Djokovic overcame USA's John Isner 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 to set up a meeting with Murray, whom he beat in Indian Wells last week. Murray's convincing victory, in which he broke Berdych's serve four times, took his career record against him to 6-6. \"I did most things well; there's not a lot I could complain about,\" said Murray. \"My second serve was much better in the second set. I served well on the big points and got a lot of free points behind my serve. \"I've played well this week, much better than I did at Indian Wells.\" The match was a repeat of the Australian Open clash in January, which Murray won in four tense sets as he went up against Berdych and former coach Dani Vallverdu. There was another familiar face in the Berdych box in Miami after fitness coach Jez Green recently began working with the Czech, having left Murray's team along with Vallverdu last November. In contrast to Melbourne, Murray made the sharper start on Saturday, breaking the Berdych serve either side of dropping his own. Berdych looked unsettled, complaining about the balls and a line call as Murray saw out the set by making an impressive 77% of first serves. A confident Murray broke to love early in the second set, but two double faults gave the advantage straight back. Both men were stepping in and attacking returns at every opportunity, and Murray's strength in that area proved the difference when he broke Berdych for a fourth time. He almost clinched victory with a fifth break and had to recover from 0-30 to serve it out. Although the first set against Isner went to a tie-break, Djokovic never faced a break point as he won in an hour and a half. \"I played a terrific match,\" said Djokovic, who has won the Miami title four times. \"The opening set was pretty close. His resistance wilted a bit in the second set. \"Andy has been playing so well this year. He lives here and spends a lot of time practising on these courts, so he's familiar with the conditions.\"", "summary": "Britain's Andy Murray will face world number one Novak Djokovic in the final of the Miami Open on Sunday."}
{"article": "So far, more than 3,500 have been assessed and as a result more homes removed from the list and others added. Historian John McCormack said planners must be \"flexible\" with owners with regards what warranted listing. Last year he labelled the planning backlog for protected or listed buildings as \"outrageous\". Mr McCormack said: \"I'm whole heartedly behind the listing idea but that doesn't mean everything inside is worthy of listing. \"You've got to do it with humanity, courtesy and flexibility and you have to say to people why you want their home to be listed and get their interest going. \"They will be the best preservers of what is inside, they after all live there and it's their homes, and they want them to be the best as possible.\" In 2012 Guernsey's Environment Department held a questionnaire asking how important it was to protect Guernsey's historic buildings. The results showed a majority felt it was important but views were divided on the buildings that should qualify.", "summary": "The States of Guernsey planning department has said it is making \"steady progress\" on visiting and classifying listed buildings."}